The Zenith Gift
While at school, Ben sat quietly in his seat, his expression calm and unreadable, as his teacher handed him his report card. Her smile brightened when she glanced at the paper.
"All straight A+'s, Ben," she said proudly, her tone filled with genuine warmth.
A moment later, the final bell rang, signaling the beginning of summer break. The classroom erupted with cheers and chatter, and the teacher raised her voice slightly above the noise.
"Don't forget to enjoy your summer, everyone-and Ben, I'm very proud of your hard work this year."
As the students poured out of the building, sunlight washed over the courtyard. Near the school gate, Ben noticed Cash and JT-two older boys notorious for their rough behavior-cornering a few students and demanding money. It was a familiar sight, but this time, as the crowd thinned, they walked straight toward him.
"Hey, Ben," Cash said with a grin. "Got the money from last month."
Cash Murray handed over a thick wad of bills. Ben took it silently, counting the total: over six thousand dollars. Without hesitation, he peeled off five hundred dollars for each of them.
"Thanks, Ben. You're the best boss-and our best friend," Cash said, smirking as he and JT pocketed their share.
Ben slipped the remaining five thousand dollars into his pocket, gave them a quick high five, and watched as they walked off down the street laughing.
A loud beep-beep caught his attention. His mother's large, gleaming RV pulled up beside the curb. The door slid open, and Ben climbed in. Inside sat his cousin Gwen, who looked just like her classic self-fiery hair, confident posture-but this time, her eyes glowed an unusual shade of violet, the same deep purple as Ben's. Her mother, Sandra Tennyson, was seated at the front beside the driver's seat.
"Alright, everyone, buckle up! It's camping time," Sandra called cheerfully as the RV rumbled to life and rolled out toward Yosemite National Park.
Ben settled at the small table inside the RV, the hum of the road filling the air, and began tinkering with a small device. He was building something-an artificial intelligence project he had been perfecting for weeks.
Gwen glanced up from her laptop, clearly irritated.
"Do you mind? I'm trying to do some research. And honestly, I doubt you even know how to build an AI," she said with a teasing laugh.
Ben didn't look up. "Your research is off. Check the third data line again."
She frowned, double-checked her screen, and realized he was right. Gwen shot him a playful glare and stuck out her tongue.
"I knew that. Bleghhh."
Ben ignored her and continued his work. Moments later, his wristband device activated with a soft chime. A faint blue light flickered, and a synthesized voice spoke through it-his AI had come online just as the RV rolled into the campsite.
Gwen stood up, ready to leave the vehicle, and muttered with a pout, "Sometimes I wish you were the dumb one, so I could be the smart one for once."
Later, as the family settled at the campsite, arguments between Ben and Gwen flared again until their parents finally told them both to calm down. Frustrated, Ben stood and decided to take a walk into the nearby forest to cool off.
The woods were silent except for the rustle of leaves in the warm breeze. As he wandered deeper among the towering trees, something impossible happened-a glowing message appeared before his eyes, suspended in midair like a projection of light.
It read:
Would you like to accept Zenith's Gift?
Yes No
Ben stared at the words, frozen, as the faint hum of the forest seemed to fade away.
I clicked "Yes."
---
Meanwhile, far beyond Earth's atmosphere, Vilgax stood amid the debris of a shattered vessel, reaching for the Omniforge Containment Pod. Before his claws could close around it, the device glowed an intense yellow and launched itself into open space, streaking away from the ruins like a comet breaking free of gravity. The pod accelerated toward Earth, vanishing into the star-spotted void.
Back on the forest trail, I glanced up instinctively. Something blazed across the sky with remarkable speed.
Ben 10: "Whoa... a shooting star!"
But then, impossibly, the object shifted direction-pivoting sharply in the air as though guided. It curved downward and plunged toward the forest, crashing into the ground a few steps in front of me before rising again, suspended in midair. The hovering pod emitted a soft mechanical hum.
Ben 10: "Whoa... it's a satellite or something-"
The metallic shell unfolded with a hiss as a bright orange glow spilled from within.
Ben 10: "Why is there a watch in outer space? And how is it floating like this?"
I reached toward it, but the device darted forward on its own, clasping itself around my wrist like it had been waiting for me specifically. A luminous message materialized above it:
You have accepted Zenith's Gift.
Ben 10: "Who is Zenith? And why can't I get this thing off? It's stuck!"
I tugged and twisted the device for several minutes, but it refused to budge. Eventually, I stopped struggling and began examining it instead. A small dial slid upward, revealing an icon-an alien silhouette labeled Heatblast.
Ben 10: "Whoa..."
I pressed the dial down. A rush of energy surged through my body as flames burst across my skin. My shape warped, ignited, and transformed until I stood as a being made of living fire.
Heatblast: "Whoa-I'm literally on fire... and it doesn't hurt! This is awesome."
I formed a sphere of flame in my hand and launched it skyward. The fireball detonated harmlessly above the treetops, scattering bright sparks like fireworks.
Heatblast: "Now that's what I'm talking about. Hehehe..."
---
Meanwhile, Gwen had noticed the fiery bursts lighting up the night sky in the direction I had wandered. Concern tightened her expression as she grabbed her laptop and sprinted into the forest.
Gwen: "Beeeeen!"
Her voice echoed between the trees as she searched frantically. When she spun around, she ran straight into me-still in my Heatblast form.
Gwen: "AHHH!"
She screamed and swung her laptop at me, but I stepped aside effortlessly.
Heatblast: "Don't even think about it, dummy. You'll wreck your research if you hit me with your Laptop."
Gwen blinked, stunned.
Gwen: "Ben? Is... is that you?"
Heatblast: "Yeah, it's me. Some kind of system message appeared and offered me a gift from someone named Zenith. I clicked yes, and this watch flew down from space and latched onto my wrist."
I paused, glancing at my flaming hands.
Heatblast: "And I'm pretty sure the watch turned me into some kind of alien."
Gwen crossed her arms.
Gwen: "Ha! What makes you say that?"
I raised a fiery eyebrow.
Ben 10: "I literally just said it came from outer space, dummy. What else would a creature like this be except an alien? And honestly... it feels amazing. Hehehe..."
Suddenly, the Omniforge beeped rapidly, flashing red and orange. A moment later, light enveloped me, extinguishing the flames as my body returned to its human form.
Ben 10: "Wow... that felt incredible, Gwen. Hahaha."
---
By midnight, the forest had grown calm again. Then, without warning, another system message appeared-this time floating not only in front of me and Gwen, but also in front of our parents, who came running toward us in panic as the glowing text followed them through the trees.
We all stood there, surrounded by drifting embers and moonlight, staring at the mysterious message suspended before us.