Arranging a cross-state field trip on forty-eight hours' notice would be an administrative nightmare for anyone else. For me, it was a three-minute exercise in digital puppetry. A few spoofed emails from the "State Board of Geological Curiosities," a fabricated grant for "Extracurricular Environmental Studies," and a perfectly timed glitch in Principal Barkin's digital calendar, and suddenly, the Middleton High sophomore class was boarding a fleet of high-tech buses bound for Bellwood.
"Bellwood?" Kim asked, leaning against the bus window as we pulled out of the school parking lot. "Danny, since when is Middleton interested in 'The Subterranean Quartz Formations of the Greater Ohio Area'?"
"It's a niche interest, Kim," I said, tapping away at a tablet that was currently bypassing the bus's GPS to ensure we took the 'scenic' route—specifically, the route that passed a very certain 1960s-style diner. "Besides, it's good for you to get away from the global crises for a day. Think of it as a sibling bonding trip. With forty other people. And Barkin."
"I don't like it," Kim muttered, her Kimmunicator chirping in her pocket. "Wade says there's been a weird spike in 'unidentified mineral signatures' in this area. He thinks someone might be testing alien tech."
"Wade sees aliens in every toaster, Kim. Relax." I glanced back at the middle of the bus. Danny Fenton was sitting three rows back, looking nervously at his own reflection in the window. He'd been twitchy ever since the 'Floor Polisher Incident,' but I'd been sending him encrypted, anonymous 'Support Files' via his PDA to help him stabilize his powers. He thought he had a secret admirer in the tech world. He wasn't entirely wrong.
"Sheila," I whispered into my collar. "Is the target in position?"
["Target 'Emerald' is currently located at 'Burger Shack' with two companions,"] Sheila's voice rang in my ear. ["He is currently attempting to eat a 'Sumo Slammer' burger in under sixty seconds. His DNA signature is... fluctuating. The Omnitrix is active, Danny. But it's in 'Passive Mode.'"]
"Perfect. Time for a little 'unplanned' geological discovery."
As the bus rumbled into Bellwood, I triggered a localized seismic pulse from a satellite I'd 'borrowed' from a private security firm. It wasn't enough to cause damage—just enough to make the bus lurch and the streetlights flicker.
"Whoa!" Ron cried out, his Naco flying out of his hand and sticking to the ceiling of the bus. "Earthquake! Or the bus just hit a very large taco!"
Barkin stood up, his military posture rigid. "Everyone stay calm! It's just a minor tectonic shift! Assume the 'Possible' brace position!"
"Kim, look!" I pointed out the window toward the Burger Shack.
Through the dust of the minor tremor, a massive, red, four-armed figure had just emerged from the diner, holding up a collapsing overhang to save a group of terrified patrons.
"Is that... a giant red man?" Kim asked, her eyes widening. Her hand went instinctively to her utility belt. "Wade, are you seeing this?"
"I've got it, Kim!" Wade's voice crackled. "That's not a projection. That's biological! But the energy readings are off the charts! It's like he's a walking power plant!"
I watched as the red giant—Four Arms—set the overhang down gently and then looked around, realized he was being watched by a bus full of teenagers, and promptly slapped the dial on his chest. In a flash of green light, he was replaced by a ten-year-old boy in a green jacket, looking incredibly guilty.
"Fenton, now," I hissed under my breath.
I saw Danny Fenton's eyes glow blue. He'd seen the green flash. He'd felt the energy. He looked at me, and for the first time, there was a spark of recognition—not that I was a hero, but that I was the one who had brought him here.
"He's just a kid," Kim whispered, watching Ben Tennyson try to blend back into the crowd. "A kid with... world-class tech."
"The world is getting crowded, Kim," I said, leaning back and closing my tablet. "And if that kid is going to survive whatever comes next, he's going to need more than just a watch. He's going to need a Producer."
I looked at the 'Bellwood Baseline' data scrolling across my screen. Ben Tennyson was officially on the roster.
"Sheila," I commanded. "Start a new file. Project: Unity. And send a 'Mystery Prize' to the Burger Shack. Make sure it's a first-edition Sumo Slammer gold-card with a tracking chip inside. I want to know every time that watch changes its batteries."
["Understood, Danny. Shall I also arrange a 'Geology' field trip to New York for the 'Dragon' sighting?"]
"Patience, Sheila," I smiled, watching Kim and Danny Fenton both staring at the spot where Ben had been. "We have to let the 'heroes' think it was their idea to meet first."