The summer road trip was supposed to be boring. At least, that's what Ben Tennyson thought.
Sitting in the Rustbucket, he sighed loudly for the tenth time in the last hour. "Gramps, come on! We've been driving forever!"
"Quit whining, doofus," Gwen Tennyson shot back, barely looking up from her book.
Grandpa Max chuckled. "This summer is about adventure, not just fast food and video games, Ben."
Before Ben could protest, the sky suddenly lit up with a streak of green light, cutting through the night like a shooting star. But instead of fading, it grew brighter, roaring as it crashed down into the forest nearby.
Ben's eyes widened. "Did you see that?!"
"Probably just space junk," Gwen said, unimpressed.
"Only one way to find out," Grandpa Max said, already steering the Rustbucket off the road toward the crash site.
The Discovery
The crater was still smoking when they arrived. In the center sat a strange metallic pod, glowing faintly green, its surface cracked from impact.
Ben grinned. "Okay, that is definitely not space junk."
Grandpa Max narrowed his eyes. "Stay back, both of you. We don't know if it's dangerous."
But Ben was already moving forward, curiosity outweighing caution. As he got closer, the pod suddenly hissed open, revealing a strange black and green device—almost like a watch.
"What is that?" Gwen muttered.
Before anyone could react, the device launched onto Ben's wrist, locking into place.
Ben yelped. "AHH! What the heck?!"
He frantically tried to pull it off, but it wouldn't budge.
Gwen smirked. "Nice job, genius. You broke it."
Grandpa Max stepped closer. "That… looks alien."
But before they could focus on the watch, Ben noticed something else—or rather, someone.
A second pod was half-buried beneath the first. Unlike the first one, this pod's door was already slightly open. Inside, a boy lay unconscious.
Ben's breath caught. "Uh… guys?"
Gwen gasped. "Is that a… person?"
Grandpa Max quickly moved forward, checking the boy. He looked about Ben's age, with dark hair and slightly tattered clothes. His breathing was steady, but his body was limp, clearly knocked out from the crash.
"He's alive," Grandpa Max confirmed, lifting the boy carefully. "But we need to get him somewhere safe."
"Are we seriously taking him with us?" Gwen asked, eyebrows raised.
Grandpa Max gave her a look. "We're not leaving him out here."
Ben stared at the kid, feeling a mix of excitement and worry. First an alien watch, and now a mystery boy falling from the sky?
This summer just got way more interesting.
Later That Night
Back at the Rustbucket, the boy was still unconscious, resting on the small couch inside. Ben, Gwen, and Grandpa Max sat around, watching him like he might explode at any moment.
"You think he's an alien?" Ben asked.
"He looks human," Gwen said. "But we don't know for sure."
Grandpa Max frowned. "Whatever he is, we need to be careful. If that pod was alien tech, then he might be connected to it."
Suddenly, the boy stirred. His fingers twitched, then his breathing grew sharper. With a low groan, his eyes slowly blinked open—striking blue, filled with confusion.
Ben leaned forward. "Uh… hey? You okay?"
The boy blinked at him, then looked around, eyes unfocused. He tried to sit up but immediately winced, holding his head.
"Take it easy," Grandpa Max said. "You were in some kind of crash."
The boy's brows furrowed. He opened his mouth… then hesitated, as if trying to grasp onto something just out of reach.
Finally, in a quiet voice, he muttered, "I… don't remember."
Ben and Gwen exchanged looks.
"You don't remember anything?" Gwen asked, skeptical.
The boy shook his head slightly. "I… I think my name is…" He paused, then let out a breath. "Alex. That's all I remember."
Silence filled the RV.
Ben stared at him, then turned to Grandpa Max. "Okay, this is officially the weirdest day of my life."
To Be Continued…