Four Teens In The Wrong Dimension

On a Day like Today? Really?

To get a closer look at how the heroes in training/still kids studying, the group of dimension misfits find themselves dropping in (really, it's more like spying) on their camp.

" I do not get how boiling oneself helps control their power, " Damian says, binoculars focused on the white-and-red haired boy in the middle of the field.

" You're telling me. That dude just went into a cave and started screaming all banshee style. " Case in Ben's point, a very timely horror movie-esque scream blasts from the deepest parts of the dark, echoey cave all the way up to their shrubbery hideout.

" He's just eating sugar. How does that make any sense? Mom always gives me that look of disappointment whenever i go over the intended sugar intake and crash real bad before bed. " Jon really doesn't get how this world works. Is there a beginner guide on the there rules of this world and how they should react?

" On the bright side, we get to watch the fireworks up close. " Amongst their little group of four, Billy has found himself a cosy place to kick back and relax. Sipping softly on his cherry-red flavoured smoothie as the explosive blond teen continuously shoots forth fireworks for free.

Has been for the past few hours, in fact.

" Does that not bother you? " Jon asks curiously, cringing a little when his eyes mistakenly catch the bulging veins throbbing at the teen's wrists.

" Jon, besides stopping the usual crime in my city, I fight crocodile men and a talking, magical, evil caterpillar on a bi-weekly basis. It'd be more concerning if I was bothered. " Humming a merry tune, Billy nonchalantly tilts his head to the side, narrowly dodging a story piece of tape flying from the field.

"...Hate to say it, but he has a point, " Ben says, mentally figuring that he, too, isn't feeling the weirdness as much as Jon and Damian are in regards to, well, this.

" In what way?! " The hysterical question Jon hisses through gritted teeth has both Billy and Ben sharing a look. One which Damian, brother of four and counting siblings, knows all too well —The long-suffering look.

"... You'll understand when you have your own archenemy, " Ben says instead of answering, nodding to himself as if he were a wise warrior of old.

And if there's anything Damian hates more than not being allowed to drive the batmobile, it's being kept in the dark on things he wants knowledge on. " When this whole thing is over with, we are going to your dimension, Tennyson. Mark my words. "

" Right, we are definitely visiting your dimension, " Jon agrees wholeheartedly, arms folded and eyes closed in mock of Ben.

" What, why? " Ben, having this topic sprung on him from complete left-field, feels like this is unfair.

" It has come to our attention that your mental health might be in a worse state than we originally thought. Granted, I didn't exactly classify you as an entirely sane when we first met. " Then again, his older brother Dick also had a hand in the filing in of Ben's sanity when the alien-changing hero's identity wasn't out known yet.

"...Damian, you live in Gotham. " Jon can't help but point out. Heck, the three non-gothamites know exactly how nuts the citizens of the city are. They've all been there. And that's not counting the actual powered-up villains who terrorise the city on a nightly/weekly basis.

(Ben swears that the villains have a weekly schedule set up on who attacks what, where, and when pinned somewhere in Gotham so they can refer to it whenever they can.

Damian denies it, but that doesn't mean it isn't true.

It's also at this point that Ben realises, seeing the sunset in the horizon, they've spent the whole day camouflaged in a shrub, talking about the waning sanity of their cities, or lack thereof.)

" And? Fawcett City has three times the weekly attacks occurring as compared to Gotham city, statically speaking. " Billy opens his mouth to argue, then the words die and closes it, realising that Damian's not wrong.

Damn the Bat family and their disgustingly sound logic.

A pungent smell wafting in has Ben sniffing at the air. " Is it just me, or is it getting hot in here? " He flaps his shirt, allowing the stiff air to circulate around his body.

Damian stands, hand on sword — which Ben could've sworn was not with him when they started this stake out in the morning — and Ben stands with him. " It's not just you, Tennsyon. There's an actual fire! "

The other two jump from the ground in an instant, an excited yet worried gleam in their eyes as they take in the burning forest before them.

Deforestation at its finest, one would say.

As one, they rush down to the scene of the crime, not even dressed for a fight, but ready for it nonetheless.

Ben, for the most part, will honestly say that it was on sheer luck that they didn't run into any of the students grouped together on their war path to the source.

They did, however, run into the group responsible for setting the forest on fire. Behold, the dancing pyromaniac cackling like the joker, palms ablaze. So, Ben's taking a wild guess that he has a fire quirk of some kind.

" I'll be honest. In no way whatsoever did I expect we'd be fighting whackos as one of our tasks for today. I mean, I jokingly thought of the idea in passing, but I didn't think it'd bite me in the ass so soon, " Ben gripes, his mind running through the vast options on what alien he could use in this situation.

" I'll trade with you arsonist-man for bird-guy, " Billy offers, like how one offers to switch playing cards with another on the street, wincing slightly when the creature-like thing walks right through the tree that's was in its path of destruction.

Without a second's thought, Ben agrees, " Deal. " The two boys exchange firm handshakes, like two grown men who know what they want in life and have just struck a business deal with each other and definitely not two teenagers winging it by the seat of their pants.

Jon and Damian remain silent, exchanging quiet, slightly (read: Totally) judging looks as the little scene goes on.

Before they spilt up, Ben asks for the sake of caution, if nothing else, " Remember the backup plan in case we ever get caught? "

" Pretend we have amnesia, " Superboy says without hesitance.

" Fight to the death, and leave no witnesses, " Robin answers, his katana shining under the moon's light when he unsheathes just enough to show the blade.

" Wait for backup and then beat them to a pulp! " Shazam enthusiastically answers, little sparks of lightning flying off him in excitement at the prospect of an interesting fight.

" ... Maybe you guys need this vacation more than me. Preferably to a place with actual, sane people, " Ben chuckles jokingly, pausing his dialling of the omnitrix when he realises that they're not joking. At all.

" Since when were you on vacation? " Robin asks, entirely
sceptical.

" Since I dropped in on your dimension unannounced the first time? I thought that was a given. " Ben gives them a look, one that screams, duh.

"... You do realize you've been fighting bad guys this whole time, right? " Superboy can't help but point out, slightly concerned at Ben's idea of a vacation.

Yes, he realises that. But that's not the point.

" Just go! "