After freshening up and enjoying a hearty meal, the gang set off, heading towards a museum. It was about time they did something that Gwen preferred, and her enthusiasm was palpable. As Max drove the Rust Bucket, Gwen's excitement was undeniable. Her eyes sparkled with joy, a smile constantly playing on her lips.
"Finally, we get to do something normal for once," she said, her voice brimming with anticipation.
"You kinda sound like Fred there," Ben remarked, trying to tease her, but Gwen didn't let it affect her. Instead, she rolled her eyes playfully.
"Maybe Fred's onto something," she retorted with a grin. "Not everything has to be about aliens and saving the world."
Max glanced at his granddaughter through the rearview mirror, his heartwarming at the sight of her happiness. "It's good to see you excited, Gwen. Museums can be a lot of fun."
Gwen nodded eagerly. "I'm really looking forward to this. I can't wait to see the Arkamada of spells they recently set up"
The journey continued as the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the landscape. As the Rust Bucket parked, the gang got off, stretching their legs after such a long ride.
"It's really rare for our journey to be this peaceful," Fred commented as he stepped out.
"Don't jinx it," Gwen responded quickly, a hint of caution in her voice.
"It seems we're the last ones for the tour," Max said as he returned to the kids, having gone inside to check which touring group they belonged to. He called the kids over as the museum tour was about to start.
"Welcome to the..." The lady leading the tour greeted and introduced herself, her voice echoing through the entrance hall. Ben, ever the joker, mocked her silently, whispering to Gwen and Fred, making fun of her formal tone.
"Now, if you follow me," the lady said, leading the group. Gwen's interest piqued as they approached the artifacts on display, her attention sharpening.
"Tomorrow is the first appointment day," Fred mumbled as they followed along. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts about his first deliberation and the potential to learn more about using Alien X efficiently.
"And here we have the currently known sole existing copy of the Arkamada of spells. It's said to consist of ancient witchcraft and rituals dating as far back as the late sixteen hundreds," the lady explained. Gwen, unable to contain her excitement, joined in, speaking in unison.
The lady, slightly perturbed, looked at Gwen crudely. "Maybe you should work here, dear," she said as she walked away.
"Don't worry about her, Gwen. She's probably more ancient than that book," Ben joked, trying to cheer her up as they continued to the next exhibit.
Suddenly, the building shook violently. People started floating, their screams echoing in panic. "I'm guessing this is not a part of the tour," Max said, as everyone floated towards the ceiling.
A red smoke entered the museum, swirling with purpose, gathering in the section where people were spiraling. It coalesced into a figure holding a creepy staff, topped with what looked like a bird's skull. The man wore numerous amulets around his neck.
"The Arkamada book of spells. Finally, I'll soon have all of its powers for myself," the man declared, muttering incantations. One of his amulets shone brightly, and the glass protecting the book exploded in a blinding light.
"So much for impenetrable glass," Fred remarked, eyes narrowing.
"If things go on like this, that creepy skull man will steal the Arkamada," Gwen said, her voice laced with urgency.
"Well then, I guess it's time for Four Arms," Ben said, reaching for his watch. But before he could turn the dial, the skull-faced man raised his staff, stopping his floating magic and causing everyone to fall.
Reacting swiftly, Ben slammed his watch, transforming into XLR8. Fred morphed into Gravattack, stopping everyone from falling and gently placing them down.
"Quickly, run! We'll take care of Skull Face," Ben urged, his voice commanding. Everyone in the museum fled.
"Be careful, you two," Max said, stepping aside with Gwen.
Seeing the people saved by the two transformed heroes made the skull-faced man furious. Another amulet lit up, and he swung his staff, hurling fireballs at Fred and Ben.
"Don't worry about it. Just focus on Skull Face," Fred said, stopping the fireballs mid-air. His purple core glowed pink for a brief second before encapsulating the fireballs within energy spheres, then crushing them, resulting in small explosions like firecrackers.
"What?!" the skull-faced man exclaimed, but soon after, XLR8 sped forward, attacking him with a barrage of lightning-fast punches, too quick to track. One of his amulets fell off in the chaos.
"And stay down," Ben said, delivering a final punch that sent the man flying, landing him out cold.
"This is a crucial moment for Gwen to awaken her Anodite genes, so I have to be careful with how I affect the story," Fred mumbled to himself before they left.
As XLR8 received all the attention, Gwen crossed her arms and pouted, a hint of jealousy in her eyes. "Chh," she huffed. "No fair. Why is it that you get to take all of the credit? We help too!" she ranted as they drove off in the Rust Bucket.
"Come on, Gwen. Being a hero is not about getting attention," Ben said, placing the amulet that had fallen off the skull-faced guy into a box carrying the items he had collected from his defeated foes.
"Um, excuse me, 'Who's your hero?'" Gwen retorted, quoting Ben's words as he stood in front of the press, basking in the glory.
Fred, listening to their banter, thought to himself, "Now that I think about it, we saw a version of Gwen with the Omnitrix, but we never saw Ben from that Gwen's universe, did we? I wonder if that Ben ends up awakening his Anodite heritage. It would be interesting to see Ben pursuing magic and all."
As Gwen continued her rant, Ben sighed, feeling a pang of guilt. "Fine," he said, handing her the amulet he had just collected.
"Gwen, don't you have something to say to Ben?" Max prompted, his voice gentle yet firm.
Gwen, still pouting, muttered a reluctant "Thank you" to Ben. Her mood brightened as she took the amulet and rummaged through some supplies, creating a necklace from it.
"Well, someone looks happy," Fred teased, a smirk playing on his lips. "I guess you never needed the bracelet I gave you," he added with a chuckle.
Gwen, now wearing the amulet necklace, couldn't hide her excitement. "It's just... I love it. Thank you," she said, her voice genuine.
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