章節 7: Let's get to work
Ben POV
Riding in the now beat up RV was somewhat depressing, but we did what we could to get the old girl moving again. We managed to get her working but she won't last long.
"So I guess I should actually tell you what it was I did, huh?" grandpa asked as he started driving the RV
"Before that," I cut him off before he could actually say more. "How about we go to an old salvage yard. The Rust Bucket is basically running on duct tape and prayers at this point."
I wasn't kidding either, as the RV was driving on the road we could hear it began to fall apart again. I'm more amazed that she didn't just collapse while we tried to start her up.
"That's not a bad idea."
Once we made it to the closest salvage yard there was we started to look for parts that would help get the old RV back up and running. And that wasn't the only thing we did.
Once the Omnitrix got fully charged I turned into Upgrade to put the RV back together and did my best to actually give it a proper tune up. Changed the battery, replaced many of the stuff that didn't work, added many new things and made it solar powered with 20 times the efficiency. I also added some computer systems to it so that the weird episode where these road pirates appear can't take the Rust Bucket.
Grandpa was amazed with what I did, but there was no denying the fact she is much better now. I mean I loved that old mobile home but when it just breaks down on you in the middle of nowhere one too many times I'd say it's about time for an update.
"Well, I gotta say, you outdid yourself Ben," he said as he took a look inside.
"I tried to keep what made her home but had to replace quite a few things that stopped working a long time ago."
"No way," Gwen almost shouted as she went in. "It's way bigger, has a satellite and is solar-powered. Now this is an RV."
I walked into one of the rooms I made and decided to see if the reboot had the right idea. I tried to upgrade the Omnitrix while still transformed as Upgrade.
Error alien tampering detected
Current transformation unstable
"Ah!" I yelled as I felt an emp just prevent me from touching the watch and just got pushed to the wall.
BEEP BEEP BEEP
Okay, note to self: Omnitrix does have fail safes that prevent techno organic beings and possibly technopaths from tampering with it.
As I got back up I noticed I was forced back into human form when I still had roughly three minutes. That means that the Omnitrix is capable of destabilizing my own transformations and if that or anything else causes destabilization then I will be turned back to normal.
"Ben? Are you okay?" grandpa asked as he opened the door.
"Yeah I'm fine. Just discovered something new with the watch," I tried to reassure him. I probably failed.
As soon as everyone got used to the new and improved Rust Bucket grandpa decided that it would be best to start the story of him being recruited to the PLUMBERS. Turns out he was also being scouted by SHIELD at the time.
"Wait, so your military career was really good to be highly praised by two undercover organizations?" Gwen asked as he told the story.
"Well I apparently was the kind of agent that Fury wanted. But I declined both offers," he informed us as if he was making a comment on the weather.
"What!? Why!?" this time I interrupted. I was just confused mostly because I realized that I was just like grandpa Max. Headstrong and impulsive as all get out. So I probably would have accepted either one of the offers on the spot.
"Well I wanted to be an astronaut. Reach the moon and beyond," he said with a reminiscing smile. "But after I disobeyed orders and attacked an unidentified aircraft that turned out to be alien made, I ended up joining the PLUMBERS and got my wish to reach space."
"Wow," both me and Gwen cried out in awe.
"Wait a minute," I paused to realize something. "How did you know Alex Cutter if you didn't go to SHIELD?"
"Huh? Oh you mean Fury," grandpa said in realization. "That's because the PLUMBERS and SHIELD don't get along very well."
"Why is that?" Gwen asked this time in curiosity.
"Well SHIELD saw us as an alien invasion waiting to happen even though we told them time and again that we prevent that from happening."
"Why did they see you as that?"
"Well the organization is full of not just humans, but aliens too. You would be surprised how many alien partners I had over the years."
"Then how did the PLUMBERS view SHIELD?" I wanted to get to the point. The anger that grandpa felt after seeing Rooster Cogburn is still fresh in my mind.
"Well they were and still are nothing more than a nuisance. Always trying to get involved with matters that didn't involve them, trying to take alien tech way beyond Earth's level of tech. They just didn't know when to quit. Or should I say Nick didn't know when to just let go."
"Tech level?" we asked.
"Think of the evolution of technology like levels. The first tools ever made are level one and Earth's current technology is at level two," he answered patiently.
"So if say the reactor that Howard Stark made actually worked, what level would it be?" I asked. That thing was mostly made as a publicity stunt, but if it can actually power an entire city at least then it must be advanced technology.
"Believe it or not, that is the closest the average human came to reaching level 3 technology," grandpa informed us with a look of wonder in his eyes. "I only remember one group that has level 4 almost level 5 technology on earth."
"Really?" Gwen asked skeptically.
"Ah, sorry. Just rambling," he tried to deflect instantly.
"Wait, someone on earth has technology that can be considered alien?" I asked excited. If they have that level of tech that means they have something no one else on earth has. "Who are they?"
Sigh
That's a clear sign he said something he wasn't supposed to.
"They don't like to share this knowledge or technology with the world because they think the world isn't ready. And I honestly agree with them," he said rather frankly. And from the sounds of it, this group is rather famous in the comics of Marvel.
"Grandpa, if they had all this then they should help people," I said in the most naive way possible. "Those with power should use that power to help others, not keep to yourself and do nothing."
"Ben, it's not that simple. These people have actually been around before the plumbers even formed here on earth. And they have their own laws that they abide by."
"Who are they?" Gwen asked, now frustrated with the back and forth.
"It's the small country of Wakanda," His statement had a lot more weight to it then Gwen knew.
"Who are they? I never heard of them."
"I have, or at least I heard of the prince of Wakanda. His name is T'Challa and is studying in Harvard I think," I tell her only to get a weirded out look. "What?"
"Are you done making things up?"
"He isn't lying or wrong," grandpa confirmed. "I'm actually a good friend of the royal family too. The king, T'Chaka, and I actually keep in touch."
"That's it, I can't take it anymore," Gwen said as she started to walk away. "I need time to take it all in."
As she went to her room, me and grandpa were just staying put. It was actually really awkward just sitting there after Gwen just left.
"So…" I tried to start something but my mind just blanked out.
"Is there anything else you want to know?" grandpa offered as he tried to get comfortable in the new seat.
"…" I had to think this one through. I don't want to waste this chance to see if there is anything else I should know. "Okay, is there any alien on earth that shouldn't be here or has no other choice but to be here?" This was the best question I could ask. In the TV show 'Ben 10' there were many aliens on earth with different circumstances but the aliens in Marvel comics can be worse than most of the aliens in the Omnitrix or show.
I'm sure grandpa is debating to himself how much he should tell me. I guess working for so long keeping secrets became a habit, and habits die hard.
"I wanted to tell you both this, but I shouldn't give Gwen any more surprises. As far as I know there are many aliens in hiding," grandpa starts to speak. It was clear he was gonna be truthful. "The only aliens that didn't have full permission are ones that are under SHIELD's protection."
He then pressed a button on the table of the RV. It began to reveal a small projector that could make a 3D hologram and a thin keyboard (how the heck did he learn of the upgrades I made so fast?). He then started to work on the keyboard and made the projector show human shaped creatures. They were green skinned, reptilian humanoids with long ears and strange chins. They had hair, but it was mostly noticeable on the females while the males seem to be mostly bald.
"These are the Skrull," grandpa Max began to explain. " A shapeshifting species from a distant planet. They come from a warrior race that has conquered a large part of a galaxy far from our own. They have a tech level of 10 minimum and are in an ongoing war with a species called the Kree."
He then made the hologram show what appeared to be a guy who looked like Samuel L Jackson with a small group of the Skrull. Wait, this seems familiar.
"These particular Skrull escaped their homeworld and have been living on earth for quite some time," he began to tell me as he showed me the images. "Nick's… his family member helped them some time ago and is helping them live on earth while they work for SHIELD."
"So he is just using them without giving them what they promised."
Grandpa winced when he heard that. He turned to me and his emotions made it seem like he was surprised but there was also a hidden amount of frustration.
"Yes," he said finally. "He has yet to fulfill the promises and refuses to let the PLUMBERS help or relocate the Skrull."
With that we agreed to call it a day and went off to bed. I would have wondered if grandpa Max was happy with the new Rust Bucket but with everything we talked about, I'm more interested in getting some shut eye.
Gwen POV
The night was long and I was happy about that. Being able to rest for so long helped me digest all the information that grandpa told us. Honestly hearing that aliens on earth was the straw that broke the camel's back.
I finally got out of my room and heard noises coming from outside. I went and saw Ben trying out some tricks with one of his transformations. Looks like he is trying to figure out how to fight with grandpa coaching him on what that alien can do.
'Well I guess I'll take a look around,' I thought as I went around the RV. With all the new things in here and the story that grandpa told us I wasn't able to see everything.
As I finished checking the kitchen, that seemed to have so much more than before, I checked the new radio that we have. I turned it on and found that it can pick up every signal like police scanner reports, weather reports and road emergency signals.
STATIC HISS
As I turned the dial to change the signal I heard a report about a building getting attacked by some unknown creatures. That is more than enough to tell me that the creatures are probably aliens if not the mutants that Dr Animo made.
CREAK
Ben and grandpa Max finally entered the RV, with Ben looking rather tired. "Hey you two," I called out so that they would pay attention. "We got a situation. People are being attacked by some weird animal or something."
Grandpa immediately went to the steering wheel and started driving. Meanwhile, Ben turned on a hologram projector and made it map out the location of the problem.
We were getting close and the appearance of emergency response teams of ambulance and cop cars proved it.
"I'll go XLR8 and meet you guys there," Ben said as he dialed the Omnitrix.
FLASH
Instead of turning into XLR8 he turned into Ripjaws. Something that the watch has started to do quite recently was mis transforming from one alien to another. My favorite was when he tried to go Ghostfreak and instead turned into Grey Matter.
"Aw man. I hate this watch," Ben grumbled as he opened the door to grab onto one of the passing firetrucks.
"What do you think grandpa?" I asked as we followed.
"Not sure," he tried to stay focused on the road but was definitely giving it some thought. "Dr Animo may have gotten out but something tells me it isn't him. As for aliens, I doubt it's like the bounty hunters. From the sounds of it the creature is too animalistic to be intelligent. Well, unless it's like Wildmutt."
Hearing all this I'm wondering why grandpa seems like he's worried about something.
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