Chương 3: Summer vacation
"Thank you for agreeing to my request. Although he doesn't show it much, I'm sure he's been hurting greatly these past two years," Fred's grandfather, George, said, his voice heavy with concern.
"Don't worry about it, George. I'll do my best to take care of him," another person replied, his tone reassuring.
Fred was still at school. Two years ago, after coming home, he was greeted by his grandparents and a mysterious person wearing Plumber attire. The mood was somber, and the news that followed shattered Fred's world. He was informed of his parents' passing during a mission. They couldn't explain the details to him, but after growing close with his parents, it felt like his world had crumbled. He was given their badges, but at that moment, he wasn't interested in them. Knowing he couldn't reverse what had happened, he came to terms with it, bolstering his passion to become a Plumber. Two years had passed since then.
"Oh, and Max, just a heads up, his powers might awaken anytime now. Just a little heads up, you know. But I'm sure you'll be able to manage," George notified, chuckling a little to lighten the mood.
"Haha, always full of surprises, huh?" Max responded with a warm smile.
"I'm home," Fred, now ten years old, announced as he entered his grandparents' house where he was now living. Although they didn't sell his parents' house, which would belong to him when he was older, his grandparents decided to leave it as is and maintain it in good condition while Fred lived with them.
"Fred, come say hello to one of my old friends. You might not remember him, but he was there during your sixth birthday," his grandfather called him to the kitchen.
"You can call me..." Max began.
"You're Max Tennyson! My father was a fan, and I'm one too," Fred greeted with excitement, interrupting Max's self-introduction. "I knew Gramps was a Plumber, but to think he knew you!"
His grandfather responded with a gentle jab on Fred's head. "Aw, what's that for?" Fred asked, rubbing his head.
"You're stronger than the average kid, so that's fine," his grandfather said with a chuckle. "I've arranged for you to stay with him for your summer vacation, to get out of the house and get some fresh air."
"Whaat!" Fred exclaimed in surprise. "I get some fresh air, the basement window is always open," he replied, trying to protest.
His Gramps threatened to jab his head again. "I know you're more mature for your age, but it doesn't change the fact that you're a living being. Even you need a change of scenery, and I arranged this so you can relax and clear your mind," his Gramps responded, brushing Fred's head gently. "Now hurry up and pack your things. You leave today."
Seeing his concerned grandfather, Fred agreed and went downstairs to the basement first. His parents had a lot of alien tech, which he had taken with him to his grandparents' house, turning their basement into his lab. Fred went from studying alien tech to tinkering with it, familiarizing himself with it. "I'll take this and this... oh, gotta take that," he rummaged through what he could fit in his bags.
"You're not going to a tech show, so drop the unnecessary stuff," his Gramps yelled from the kitchen, noting not to take everything.
"Chh," Fred clicked his tongue, dropping a few things. He then went upstairs to his room to pack his clothes and other essentials. "It's only two weeks, so I won't take much... All of Ben 10 classic happened in just two weeks... Nahh. I call cap," Fred said as he packed his belongings.
"Okay, I'm ready," he said as he came downstairs, his bags packed and full.
"You had me worried there for a minute," his Gramps said, watching Fred come down with an unseemingly large amount of luggage.
"Okay, if you're all ready to go, then let's get going, shall we?" Max said in a lively tone, taking the bags from Fred. "We'll be leaving now. It was good seeing you, George," Max added as he led Fred to the Rust Bucket.
"Oh, by the way, Fred, I'd like for the Plumber thing to be a secret for now," Max said, opening the door and letting Fred in.
"Okay, does that refer to alien tech too? Because some of the tech I brought is recognizable as alien tech," Fred replied.
"Yes, you should place it aside as well," Max said as they drove off.
"Is this your first time camping?" Max asked, trying to make small talk.
"Actually, yes. I've been intrigued by it, but I never placed much thought into it. Although, I'm not sure if we could call what we're going to do camping," Fred replied, keeping the last part to himself. "But I am looking forward to it, though," he added.
Max responded with a light chuckle. "I'm sure you'll love it," he said as they came to a stop. "Wait here for a bit," Max said, leaving him in the Rust Bucket.
"This must be Gwen's place," Fred mumbled as he took out his PC from his backpack. It resembled a modern one with a sleek design. "I didn't play around with alien tech for nothing. This bad boy has maxed-out specs and custom games I remade using advanced AI. It's a shame they aren't online multiplayer games, but it's fine," he muttered as he waited, turning it on and playing some games. He connected wired earphones and sat by the window.
"Jeez. I can't believe I have to spend summer in this," Gwen ranted as she dragged her feet into the Rust Bucket.
"Now, now, camping is a fun experience. I'm sure you'll end up loving it in no time," Max replied as he entered the driver's seat. Gwen entered and saw Fred sitting and busy playing games. He was so immersed he didn't even notice the amount of time that had passed, let alone that they were back.
"Oh, and I forgot to mention. My old friend's grandson will be tagging along," Max said as he fastened his seatbelt. It was only when the Rust Bucket started that Fred noticed they were back. Looking up, he saw Gwen sitting opposite him.
"Hello there," he greeted, taking off one of his earphones. "I didn't notice your arrival. I'm Fred," he added.
"Gwen," she replied, feeling a little awkward. "Your computer, what model is it?" she asked, seeing how unique it was.
"Oh, this?" Fred responded.
"Yeah, I've never seen a model like yours before. It looks so sleek. Does it even function well?" she asked.
"Yeah, it works pretty fine, I guess," he replied. They continued talking, with Gwen showing interest in his laptop. Finally, they arrived at Ben's place.
"Okay, this is the last stop, guys," Max said as he got out.
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