Ben 10 (Reader insert)

Dr. Animo and the Mutant Ray

Deep in a bog, frogs croaked loudly as the four of us left the comforting confines of the Rust Bucket. Grandpa Max in the lead as he stretched and appreciated the nature that surrounded us in a swamping hug.

"Looks like we beat the crowd." Max said as Gwen and I stepped out ourselves.

"Yeah. You sure we're in the right place Grandpa?" Gwen asked. Fear and disgust warring on her face as she took it all in. The smell killing her nose as much as mine with the way it wrinkled in distaste.

"This place looks ready to kill then cater to humans." I piped in, clutching my camera extra tight.

Grandpa Max gave us both a reassuring smile. "Tomorrow this place will be crawling with Gator Fest fans." He wondered in deeper, leaving Gwen and I to swap resigned looks before joining the elder. The redhead instantly getting bad luck and wetting her shoe in a puddle.

Not that we all wouldn't come out of this trip with soggy footwear.

Gwen and I travelled the length of the Rust Bucket, cresting the front to see Ben messing with the watch. Screwdriver rammed into the top disk as he tried to pick it off.

"What are you doing?" Gwen asked her cousin.

"Who knows how many more aliens hero dudes are inside this thing! I just have to figure out how it works."

"And tearing it up will help how?" I questioned, leaning in to get a closer look. Ignoring the way the brunet leaned away, his green eyes avoiding looking at me and light coloring coming to his cheeks.

"You shouldn't mess around with that thing Ben." Gwen said, scowling. "You're just asking for trouble."

"Just chill out you two. I know what I'm doing!"

"That'd be a first." Gwen spat at the same time I said, "I highly doubt that."

"Gwen and (Y/n) are right Ben." Grandpa Max spoke up, having snuck up on the three of us. "I want you to promise me you'll take it easy on the Omnitrix."

Ben put down the screwdriver, glancing earnestly up at his grandfather. "Okay Grandpa."

"Now don't stay up too late, tomorrow's a big day! Good night." With the last comment thrown out there, Gwen and Max retreated back inside the R.V. But I hesitated, eyeing Ben as he put on the biggest smile he could.

"You really should listen. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you." I mumbled at last, before whirling around and fleeing for bed myself.

Unable to even think about sleep as a blinding green light lit up the front of the Rust Bucket. Coming from outside. Max, Gwen, and I rushed out to see what happened. The elder calling out for his grandson in worry.

"What was that?" Gwen said in a voice close to a shout.

We all stared at Ben, who was hiding his hands behind his back and smiling like he did something but didn't want to tell. "What was what?"

"What was that noise?" Grandpa Max specified, glaring in a knowing way.

"Uh, lightning?"

"That's the best you could come up with?" I uttered in disappointment as Max glanced up to spot the fake storm. I eyed Ben in pity as Gwen also pointed out the flaws in his excuse.

"There's not a cloud in the sky."

"Uh, lightning got rid of them?"

"He's up to something Grandpa." Gwen said.

I folded my arms over my chest, snorting. "More like making his own grave."

Ben glared at us, exploding in aggression as he tried to cover up whatever he had done. He pointed a finger at Gwen and I accusingly, conveniently keeping the other hand hidden. "Ugh, you guys are paranoid! They're just trying to get me into trouble."