After returning to Orchid Bay Park, Ben and Gwen immediately started explaining everything that had happened with Hex.
The moment they mentioned the sorcerer's name, the mood around the picnic table noticeably shifted.
"Wait, Hex?" Max repeated, his expression hardening slightly as he lowered his spoon. "Are you absolutely sure it was him?"
"Positive," Gwen answered immediately. "Same creepy robes, same giant ego, same dramatic entrance."
"And same running away after Rath almost punched his face in," Ben added proudly while pointing both thumbs at himself.
"RATH WAS THIS CLOSE TO TURNING HEX INTO A MAGIC CARPET!" Ben suddenly roared in Rath's voice before coughing awkwardly and sitting back down.
Evan looked up from his drink.
"How the hell did he get out?" he asked, recalling the last time they had seen Hex getting dragged away after his defeat.
Ben and Gwen both shrugged at the same time.
"Beats me," Ben admitted.
"We don't know," Gwen said. "He just suddenly appeared and started blowing things up."
"And he kept looking around like he was expecting somebody to jump him," Ben added while thinking back on it. "Honestly, it was kinda weird."
"He must be running from someone," Evan murmured thoughtfully, completely unaware that Hex was currently paranoid of getting blitzed by a certain blue speedster again.
Max crossed his arms.
"If Hex is active again, then that's bad news," he said seriously. "That man never causes small problems."
"Technically the building fire was pretty big," Gold Ship said while eating chips.
Nobody responded.
Gold Ship slowly lowered the chips. "Tough crowd."
Evan leaned back slightly before reaching into his Another Omnitrix and pulling out the magical notebook Charmcaster had given him earlier.
The others immediately glanced toward him curiously. Evan opened the notebook. Several messages were already written across the pages.
[Hi.]
[How are you?]
[Did you eat yet?]
[You still alive?]
[Hello???]
[You ignored my last message.]
[And the one before that.]
[And the one before THAT.]
[Are you dead?]
[If you died without replying to me I'm going to kill you.]
Evan blinked once. "…Huh."
Gold Ship immediately leaned over his shoulder.
"Ohhh, this is definitely a magic love letter from a girl," she declared confidently. "Big bro's handwriting looks like a dying spider, so this can't be him writing to himself."
Evan stared at her for exactly two seconds. The RV door suddenly opened, and Gold Ship found herself gently but firmly placed outside. Then the door slammed shut.
"…Rude," Gold Ship muttered from outside while continuing to eat chips.
Inside the RV, Evan returned to stare at the notebook. Looking closer, there were way more messages than he initially realized. Apparently Charmcaster had been trying to contact him for quite a while now.
The problem was that the magical notebook did not actually notify him whenever somebody wrote inside it.
Then again… Even if it did, there was a very high chance Evan still would not have noticed.
After all, he technically owned a completely normal phone too.
A phone he specifically promised to use to keep in touch with everybody during the trip. A phone that was currently dead somewhere deep inside his luggage because he forgot it even existed.
This explained exactly why Orfevre had nearly punched him through a wall after seeing him again. Her twin brother promised to stay in contact during summer vacation, then proceeded to vanish off the face of the Earth without sending even a single text message.
Dream Journey had apparently predicted this outcome beforehand and simply assumed Evan forgot his phone existed the moment the road trip started. And, she was right.
Evan uncapped a pen and started writing inside the notebook.
[Your uncle is out again. You know how?]
He was about to close the notebook afterward, when new letters suddenly began appearing across the page almost instantly.
[Hi- wait. My uncle is out?]
Evan paused. "…Huh. So these things do have notification functions."
There was absolutely no way Charmcaster had been sitting there twenty-four hours a day staring at the notebook waiting for him to finally respond after ignoring nearly forty messages.
Probably...
Orfevre slowly narrowed her eyes. "Who is this?"
"Charmcaster," Gwen answered. "She's a sorceress we met a while ago."
Something about Gwen's tone sounded a little strange.
Ben immediately leaned over Evan's shoulder, peeking at the notebook. "Ooooh, you are texting your wizard girlfriend?"
Evan stared at him.
The RV door opened again, and Ben was thrown outside. The door slammed shut a second time.
Outside, Ben sat up beside Gold Ship, spitting out grass from his mouth.
"What was that for!?"
"Golshi doesn't know," Gold Ship said, continuing to munch on her chips.
Inside the RV, Evan raised an eyebrow, seeing Gwen and Orfevre both casually sit back down after throwing Ben out like nothing had happened.
He decided not to question it. Instead, he continued writing.
[Yeah. Do you know how?]
The response appeared almost immediately.
[Maybe he got help from some magician friends. We weren't the only people who escaped Ledgerdomain, and there are a lot of magical groups out there too.]
Evan paused slightly after reading that.
[He had friends?]
Several seconds passed before another reply appeared.
[Ehh… idk. I'm not him.]
Evan quietly reread the message. Honestly, it was a little surprising.
Someone like Hex having allies he could actually rely on felt strange to imagine. The guy always looked way too angry and bitter to maintain a friendship with literally anybody. Visible by how he even treated his own niece, if Hex were a good uncle, Charmcaster would never want to betray him.
Ben suddenly knocked on the RV window from outside.
"Hey! Let me back in!"
Gwen opened the window slightly. "No."
She then closed it again. Ben stared at the closed window in betrayal.
Inside, Evan ignored the chaos and continued reading.
Still, if Charmcaster did not know anything else, there probably was not much point asking further.
He was about to close the notebook before suddenly pausing. For a few quiet seconds, he stared at the page thoughtfully.
Then he started writing again.
[Orchid Bay, California. Orchid Bay Park.]
[This is where I am right now.]
The pen stopped briefly before continuing.
[If Hex comes after you for revenge, come find me.]
Another short pause.
[I'll protect you.]
After finishing the message, Evan quietly closed the notebook and slid it back into his Another Omnitrix.
He understood better than anyone how difficult it must have been for Charmcaster to separate herself from Hex after spending so many years following him. He also knew she still had Hex's magical staff, which probably made her a target if the old sorcerer decided to come looking for it again.
If that happened, Evan intended to stop him again.
The RV suddenly became silent. Evan slowly looked up, seeing that both Gwen and Orfevre were staring directly at him.
"…What?"
Neither of them answered.
The next instant, the RV window exploded open and Evan was launched straight outside.
Ben and Gold Ship looked up as Evan rolled across the grass.
Ben pointed dramatically. "JUSTICE!"
"I knew the romance arc was real," Gold Ship nodded to herself.
"What was that all about?" Evan muttered while standing back up.
Meanwhile, very far away in Australia, Charmcaster sat upright on her bed inside a small room belonging to the Aboriginal shaman currently teaching her magic.
The moment Evan's newest message appeared inside the notebook, her eyes widened completely.
She reread the message once. Then twice. Then a third time. Slowly, her face turned completely red.
Previously, after being ignored for what was apparently thirty-six unanswered messages, Charmcaster had genuinely started thinking Evan disliked her.
Or worse, regretted helping her. It bothered her far more than she wanted to admit. But now… Now he was offering to protect her again without hesitation.
Charmcaster immediately clutched the notebook tightly against her chest while her heartbeat sped up uncontrollably.
"That jerk…" she muttered weakly, though there was absolutely no anger behind the words.
A huge smile slowly spread across her face anyway.
Then, unable to contain herself anymore, she rolled wildly across the bed while hugging the notebook tightly.
Unfortunately for her, she rolled a little too hard and immediately fell straight off the bed with a loud thud.
A long silence followed.
"…Ow."
From the next room over, the elderly shaman let out a tired sigh. "Young love is truly exhausting."
...
Although they were still somewhat worried about what Hex was planning, they currently had no leads and absolutely no clue what the sorcerer was actually up to.
Which unfortunately meant there was nothing they could really do about it for now.
So, while temporarily locked outside the Rust Bucket by the annoyed Gwen and Orfevre, Ben and Evan decided to spend their time training with their newer aliens instead.
After all, both of them had unlocked several new transformations recently.
Ben especially needed the practice.
Unlike Evan's Another Omnitrix, Ben's Omnitrix did not automatically dump the alien's natural instincts and racial knowledge directly into his brain whenever he transformed. Evan could usually understand an alien's abilities almost immediately after turning into them.
Ben had to learn through experience. If Ben wanted to properly use his new forms, he actually had to practice with them the hard way.
At a secluded section of Orchid Bay Park, Ben and Evan stood across from one another while Gold Ship sat off to the side on top of a picnic table with snacks beside her, fully prepared to enjoy the show.
"Welcome everyone!" Gold Ship announced dramatically while holding a soda can like a microphone. "Today's main event: Cousin Benjamin versus Big Bro Ever! Place your bets now!"
"There is no one else here to bet," Evan said flatly.
"I'm betting Benjamin loses," Gold Ship replied instantly.
"Hey!"
Ben cracked his knuckles confidently before activating the Omnitrix. "Alright, time to show off one of my newest heavy hitters!"
He quickly scrolled through the dial before slamming it down.
Green light erupted outward.
Standing in Ben's place now was a muscular orange-and-white tiger-like alien with black stripes running across his body, green eyes, and long black claws protruding from each wrist.
The Omnitrix rested around his waist.
"LET'S DO THIS, EVER GOLD!" Rath roared loudly while cracking his fists together.
Evan calmly activated his Another Omnitrix, taking slightly longer as he searched through his now absurdly massive alien playlist before finally selecting one.
Golden light exploded outward.
Standing there now was a humanoid rooster-hawk hybrid covered in brown feathers with sharp talons, golden eyes, a short yellow beak, and a white-brown mohawk running across his head. Black markings wrapped around his arms and waist while the golden Omnitrix rested proudly on the center of his chest.
"Kickin' Hawk," he announced calmly.
The two aliens stared at each other.
Then Rath immediately made the first move.
"RATH IS GONNA KICK YOUR CHICKEN LOOKING BUTT!"
He charged forward with a roar before leaping straight at Kickin' Hawk, ready to tackle him into the dirt.
Kickin' Hawk sidestepped effortlessly. Spun around with a perfect 360-degree roundhouse kick directly into Rath's jaw. The impact sent Rath flying sideways through the grass before crashing face-first into the dirt.
Gold Ship immediately raised a sign she somehow prepared beforehand.
"Point to Ever!"
Rath shook his head aggressively before getting back up, glaring at Kickin' Hawk, who simply smirked and made a "come at me" gesture with his hand.
"LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING-"
Before Rath could finish yelling, Kickin' Hawk suddenly blurred forward and delivered a devastating jumping kick straight into his face.
Rath flew backward again and slammed into a nearby tree hard enough to shake leaves everywhere.
"Rath…" he groaned weakly while sliding downward. "…wasn't done talking…"
A few minutes later, Ben's timer finally ran out and he returned to human form in a tired flash of green light.
"Okay," Ben muttered while rubbing his sore face. "That alien definitely fights better than I do."
"I think that applies to me more than my aliens," Evan replied honestly.
After waiting for the Omnitrix to recharge, Ben immediately selected another alien.
Green light flashed again.
This time, Ben transformed into Skewer. The Xenomorph hissed sharply while his long bladed tail swayed behind him.
Evan calmly tapped his Another Omnitrix.
Golden light erupted.
His body suddenly shifted and compacted into the form of a sleek black-and-gold motorcycle.
Skewer paused. "…Huh?"
The motorcycle suddenly transformed again, unfolding into a large humanoid robot with wheel-like feet, silver and gold armor plating, and the Omnitrix resting on his chest.
"Burnout!" he announced.
His wheels spun violently before he rocketed forward at high speed. The two clashed head-on as Ben slowly learned how to properly use Skewer's tail for movement and combat instead of just wildly stabbing things with it.
Unfortunately, Burnout fought like a transforming street racer mixed with a martial artist that can switch between humanoid robot and motorcycle form.
"Okay, okay, I think I'm getting this now!" Skewer swung his tail forward like a spear.
Burnout tilted sideways on his wheel-feet, dodging smoothly before punching Ben straight in the stomach hard enough to fold him.
"Nevermind!"
Eventually the transformation timed out. Ben collapsed onto the grass while breathing heavily.
After another short recharge break, Ben transformed into Ball Weevil while Evan selected Mole-Stache.
It was safe to say Ben did not enjoy this round either.
Especially after spending the first five minutes getting beaten up, Mole-Stache's massive facial hair repeatedly smacked Ball Weevil around the field while Ball Weevil bounced helplessly across the grass.
"WHY DOES YOUR MUSTACHE HIT SO HARD?!" Ball Weevil shouted after getting uppercut by facial hair.
"It's called style," Mole-Stache replied wisely.
Only after getting beaten up several times did Ben finally realize Ball Weevil's actual gimmick.
"Ohhh, I gotta spit the slime first!"
Ball Weevil finally rolled a large explosive ball together.
He looked proud for exactly three seconds before Mole-Stache punted both him and the ball into a bush.
The explosion afterward sent smoke everywhere.
"…I hate this alien." He shouted from the now destroyed bush.
Gold Ship nearly fell off the picnic table laughing.
Training continued, with Ben transformed into Eye Guy next.
Evan answered with another unfamiliar alien.
Golden light erupted around him.
"Green Gale."
Green Gale resembled a humanoid grasshopper with a durable green exoskeleton, glowing golden eyes, and a flowing golden scarf around his neck.
The Omnitrix rested on his waist.
Eye Guy fired several beams simultaneously.
Eye Guy's many eyes shifted and fired energy beams in multiple directions while Green Gale leaped gracefully through the battlefield with incredible agility.
Green Gale leaped high into the air, avoiding the blasts before landing behind him and throwing a sharp right hook directly toward his head.
Eye Guy's back eye immediately enlarged and blasted Green Gale point-blank.
Both attacks landed at the same time. The two aliens were thrown backward.
"Oww…" Eye Guy groaned while rubbing his face.
Green Gale casually stood back up almost completely unharmed, the smoke from Eye Guy's beam already fading from his armored chest.
"Aw man," Eye Guy complained. "How come your alien is cool AND strong?"
The biggest difference between their combat style.
Ben naturally leaned toward brute force and overpowering opponents with sheer aggression.
Evan preferred precision, tactics, and technical fighting styles.
Gold Ship raised a hand. "Skill issue."
Eye Guy pointed angrily at her. "You're supposed to support me!"
"I am supporting you. Emotionally." She replied proudly.
"That's not helping!" Eye Guy yells back.
The two continued sparring until Ben's Omnitrix timed out yet again. Ben fell flat onto his back dramatically.
Gold Ship immediately crouched beside him like a boxing coach.
"Listen to me, champ," she said seriously while grabbing his shoulders. "You're currently down zero to four. You cannot go zero to five. C'mon now, you have to get up and kick Big Bro's ass! Have some dignity as a man!"
Ben's eyelid twitched. He honestly could not tell if her words were motivating him or mocking him.
Still, with a determined groan, Ben pushed himself back up and activated the Omnitrix once more.
Green light exploded outward.
This time, Ben transformed into Squidward. The Chimera Sui Generis smirked confidently while cracking his knuckles.
"Now THIS is more like it," Squidward smirked. "I'm definitely winning this round, Evan."
Now that he was using the same species as Vilgax, plus already having some experience with this transformation, and since Evan agreed to only use his new alien, this gives him a slight advantage, as his partner has to get familiar with his alien first. Ben felt more confident than ever.
"Oh?" Evan raised an eyebrow. "That confident, huh?"
He twisted the dial on the Another Omnitrix before pressing it down.
Golden light erupted.
His body rapidly expanded into a massive humanoid dinosaur with dark gray skin, glowing golden eyes, and a thick tail behind him. The Omnitrix dial on his chest.
"Humungousaur!"
Squidward grinned. "Same size huh? Alright! Now this is a fair fight!"
The two stood at roughly the same height.
Then, Humungousaur suddenly started growing larger and larger and larger.
Squidward slowly tilted his head upward as the Vaxasaurian continued expanding until he towered over the entire area at sixty feet tall.
His shadow completely covered Ben.
Squidward stared upward in disbelief. "Oh COME ON!"
Gold Ship immediately burst out laughing so hard she rolled off the picnic table. "Emotional Damage!"
"THAT'S NOT FAIR!" Squirdward shouted.
It could safely be said that Squidward got absolutely destroyed afterward.
Ben did not enjoy the experience. At all!
Several minutes later, Ben finally returned to human form and collapsed onto the grass once more, completely exhausted after losing all five matches without winning a single round.
"…Zero to five…" Gold Ship patted his shoulder sympathetically. "Truly one of the beatings of all time."
Ben stared blankly at the orange evening sky above them, too exhausted to even argue anymore.
Evan finally sat down beside him while Gold Ship happily munched on snacks nearby.
For a few quiet moments, the three simply rested there under the warm sunset after hours of training.
"…You know," Ben muttered tiredly. "One day I'm gonna beat you."
Evan glanced sideways at him.
"I'll be waiting..."