Chapter 72: Gwendolyn, Ben 10,000
The twilight afterglow spilled down through the canopy, painting the yellowing pine needle forest in shades of burnt orange and deep gold. The Rustbucket sat parked in a quiet clearing, resting beside a clear, babbling river that reflected the fading sunlight.
"I got the marshmallows." Gwen held up a puffy, crinkling plastic bag, a triumphant smile on her face.
"And I brought the graham crackers." Ben mirrored her expression, raising a cardboard box of crackers like a trophy.
"We'll wait right here for you to come back with the firewood," Gwen said, her voice bright. "Then we can finally make s'mores."
Ben and Gwen shared a grin as they watched Grandpa Max finish rolling up the Rustbucket's side awning. The older man wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, a warm, contented smile crinkling the corners of his eyes.
"It really is great to have you all celebrate my birthday with me," Max said, his gaze sweeping over the campsite. He paused, his brow furrowing slightly as he scanned the empty spaces between the trees. "Oh, where is Klein?"
Max was clearly in high spirits, but a flicker of concern crossed his face at the absence of his oldest grandson.
"Uh, Cousin went for a walk," Ben replied, his smile suddenly turning stiff and wooden. He shoved his hands into his pockets, shifting his weight from side to side.
"I see..." Max nodded slowly, though he looked a bit unconvinced. "Well, I'll go chop some firewood first. I'll be back very soon."
Max turned, hoisted a heavy iron axe over his shoulder, and strolled off into the dense pine forest, his boots crunching against the fallen needles.
The moment Max's broad back disappeared behind the tree line, Gwen rounded on Ben, her eyes flashing. "This is all your fault!"
"Alright, alright," Ben muttered, rubbing the back of his neck and looking away. "It's completely normal for a great hero to be so busy saving the world that he forgets a few minor things."
Ben refused to admit defeat verbally, but his shoulders slumped. A heavy knot of guilt twisted in his stomach. He had completely forgotten to buy his grandpa's birthday cake. That was supposed to be his one job for the celebration preparations, and he had blown it.
"Grandpa's sixtieth birthday only happens once, you know," Gwen sighed, her anger deflating into helpless exasperation. She crossed her arms, staring out at the road. "Now we can only hope Cousin hurries up."
...
Far away, on an endless stretch of asphalt highway, a violent rush of wind tore the dead leaves from the trees. A blue-black afterimage flashed by, moving so fast it distorted the air itself.
A distant town rapidly expanded in Fasttrack's vision. The Rustbucket really was parked in the absolute middle of nowhere. Heaven only knew how many miles he had sprinted just to find a single glowing neon sign that read 'Bakery'.
Fasttrack skidded to a halt, his clawed feet carving shallow grooves into the pavement right in front of the cake shop. He pushed open the glass door, the entry bell ringing in a frantic, high-pitched frenzy. He paced along the display case, his feline eyes scanning the various frosted confections before pointing a sharp claw at a multi-tiered display model.
"I want this one," Fasttrack demanded, his voice a low, vibrating purr. "How long will it take?"
The clerk behind the counter stood frozen, a rag dangling from his hand. He blinked rapidly, his brain struggling to process the bipedal, blue-furred alien standing in his shop. After a long moment, the clerk realized that while the customer wasn't human, he was speaking English and didn't seem immediately homicidal. The fear faded, replaced by retail apathy.
"Uh, other people have ordered cakes ahead of you," the clerk drawled, leaning against the register. "So it might take some time."
"Then lend me the kitchen. I'll make it myself."
Fasttrack narrowed his eyes. He did not have time to wait. Ben and Gwen were terrible liars; they couldn't hide this from Grandpa for much longer. If Grandpa found out they had forgotten to buy a cake beforehand, bringing one back later wouldn't fix the disappointment. No matter how graciously Grandpa reacted, the guilt would ruin the entire night.
"Hehe, dinosaur guy, can you even... make cakes?" The clerk let out a snort, a distinct hint of disdain dripping from his tone as he eyed the alien's clawed hands.
Fasttrack stared at him. The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating, until the clerk's smug smile began to falter.
"...Do you know where this is?" Fasttrack finally spoke, his voice dropping an octave.
"What are you talking about?" The clerk frowned, looking around the flour-dusted room. "This is a cake shop, obviously."
"Yes and no," Fasttrack replied, leaning over the glass counter until he was inches from the clerk's face. "More accurately, I should say this is a place where my grandpa isn't."
After a very brief, highly persuasive, and entirely friendly discussion, Fasttrack successfully borrowed the kitchen. The clerk, suddenly pale and sweating, had actually offered to help. Fasttrack declined. The human was far too slow.
Snatching a recipe book from the counter, Fasttrack flipped through the pages in a microsecond.
Inside the kitchen, the air turned into a localized hurricane. Blue-black afterimages bounced from the pantry to the mixing bowls. Bags of flour tore open, eggs cracked in mid-air, and sugar rained down in precise measurements. The whisk became a blur of silver metal. In less than a minute, Fasttrack slammed the oven door shut, the raw batter perfectly settled in its pans.
He glanced at the digital clock on the wall, calculating the baking time. Turning on his heel, he pushed through the swinging doors and vanished from the shop, leaving behind nothing but a gust of wind and a very confused clerk.
...
A sudden blast of displaced air rustled the pine needles around the campsite. A blue-black afterimage materialized right next to the Rustbucket.
"Cousin!"
Seeing Fasttrack appear, Ben and Gwen immediately dropped their snacks and sprinted over.
"Where's Grandpa? Did you fool him?" Fasttrack asked, his chest barely heaving. He had run all the way back just to check on the situation and ensure the old man hadn't returned early.
Gwen nodded quickly. "Cousin, where's the cake?"
"It needs a little while longer in the oven. It should be done in time," Fasttrack said, pivoting on his heel to sprint back to the bakery.
Before his foot could strike the ground, the air behind the Rustbucket began to hum. A brilliant, crackling golden portal tore open in the fabric of space, showering the dirt with bright sparks.
A graceful, cloaked figure flew out of the vortex. The mysterious woman froze, clearly startled by the sight of Fasttrack and Ben standing there. Then, her eyes locked onto Gwen. Without a word, she lunged forward, reaching out to grab the younger girl.
She didn't even make it halfway.
Fasttrack moved. He was a blur of pure kinetic violence, tackling the woman out of the air and slamming her into the dirt with a heavy thud.
"Damn it, you want to lay a hand on my Cousin right in front of me?!" Fasttrack snarled, pinning the struggling woman to the ground. "You didn't even bother to find out who I am before you acted! Vilgax isn't even as brave as you!"
Ben slapped the dial on his wrist, and Gwen's hands flared with pink mana. Both prepared to jump into the fray.
Seeing the glowing energy and the furious alien holding her down, the woman reached up and yanked off her mask. "Wait!"
"You are... me?!"
Gwen gasped, the pink mana fizzling out around her hands. She stared at the older, mature face that perfectly mirrored her own features.
Ben's jaw dropped. "You're Gwen?!"
"After I went to college, I changed my name to Gwendolyn," the older woman corrected, panting slightly as she looked up from the dirt.
Fasttrack released his grip and stepped back. A quiet blue light washed over his body, the feline features melting away until Klein stood in his place, dusting off his jacket.
Gwendolyn pushed herself up, brushing the pine needles from her clothes. She stared at Klein, her brow furrowing in genuine confusion. "I haven't seen you before."
"If you had, that would be spooky," Ben chimed in, crossing his arms. He had already learned from his encounters with other alternate-timeline Bens that their specific universe was an anomaly. Only he had this particular Cousin.
"Well, he's pretty cute, that's for sure." Gwendolyn smiled warmly, reaching out to affectionately pat Klein on the head.
Smack.
Klein swatted her hand away with a deadpan glare. 'No respect for elders. I'm the Cousin here!'
Gwendolyn didn't mind the rejection at all. She just chuckled, finding the boy's prickly, tsundere attitude even cuter.
"Speaking of which, why are you here?" Gwen stepped forward, physically wedging herself between Gwendolyn and Klein. She glared at her older self, an instinctual flare of jealousy rising in her chest.
Gwendolyn's smile vanished. Her expression hardened into dead seriousness. "The future, or rather, our future, is in crisis. I need your help."
Klein stared at her for a long moment. "Hmm... okay. But wait."
Under Gwendolyn's utterly puzzled gaze, Klein raised his wrist and tapped the faceplate of the Another Omnitrix. A flash of blue light illuminated the clearing, and Fasttrack stood there once more.
Before Gwendolyn could ask what he was doing, Fasttrack vanished into a blue-black afterimage. The wind whipped through the clearing. Three seconds later, the afterimage returned, screeching to a halt. Fasttrack now held a pristine, beautifully frosted cake box in his hands.
The quiet blue light flashed again, returning Klein to his human form. He carefully carried the box into the Rustbucket, setting it down gently on the dining table. This was Grandpa's surprise. The future could wait thirty seconds for him to secure the frosting.
"Awesome!" Ben and Gwen cheered, their faces lighting up with pleasant surprise as Klein stepped back out of the RV. They knew exactly what was in that box. Disaster averted.
"Let's go." Klein looked at Gwendolyn, sliding his hands into his pockets.
Gwendolyn blinked, still processing the sheer casualness of the trio, before nodding slowly. She raised her hands, and the crackling golden portal tore open once more.
Together, they walked into the light.
...
"Why do I always feel like you guys aren't surprised at all?"
Gwendolyn walked backward through the swirling vortex, looking curiously at Klein, Ben, and Gwen. Most people screamed or fainted when faced with the reality of time travel. These three looked like they were taking a stroll to the grocery store.
"Hmm... it's nothing," Klein said calmly, his face a mask of total indifference. "You get used to it after a few experiences."
So, those who should have been shocked to their core were completely unfazed, and the all-powerful sorceress from the future was the one left baffled.
Stepping out of the portal, the bright light faded, and Klein, Ben, and Gwen finally laid eyes on the future world. Or rather, a future world.
"Cool!" Ben yelled, his eyes widening to the size of saucers.
He excitedly took in everything around him. The sprawling city was a massive, gleaming metropolis with a distinct cyberpunk style. Neon lights traced the edges of towering skyscrapers. Sleek hover cars zipped through the air in organized lanes, and down on the street level, children laughed as they zipped past on floating hoverboards.
Ben walked forward, his head tilted all the way back as he stared up at the flying cars, completely ignoring where his feet were taking him.
"Oh!"
Ben slammed hard into a solid metal pedestal and tumbled backward, landing flat on his rear on the pavement.
"Ow..." Ben groaned, rubbing his forehead. He scrambled to his feet and looked up to glare at whatever he had bumped into.
His breath hitched.
Towering above him was a massive, heroic statue cast in gleaming metal. The figure stood tall and proud, an Omnitrix symbol emblazoned on its chest. Carved into the stone base were the words: Hero of Heroes, Ben 10,000.
"Is this... me?!"
Staring up at the chiseled jawline of his future self, Ben practically vibrated with exceptional excitement. He had met Fusion Ben before, sure, but Fusion Ben had never bothered to tell him just how incredibly awesome he was going to become.
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