GUYS I FINISHED IT! I'm sooooo sorry it took so long D: Thank you for your patience.

So for those of you who are newcomers, if you haven't read 'Revenge', I highly suggest you do, else you're probably going to be horribly confused. For those of you who have read the prequel to this, Meddling is much shorter and (hopefully) will feel more like an episode of the show. I hope you like it all the same :3 I've actually completed it, so updates should be daily.

Oh, importantly, I have come to learn about the logic of time travel in uni, and this doesn't follow that logic. The show is hopeless when it comes to what can and can't be done in terms of time travel, so I'll just be rolling with what they do and all that jazz :P As always, if you have any questions, I would be more than happy to relieve your confusion.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ben 10

...

...

All was silence within the four enclosed walls of his cell. This was nothing new. He'd been locked up there now for almost a full year, with nothing to do to pass the time. Nothing, that is, except think. That was the problem with having too much free time; it left your mind open to wander.

For Nethersian, however, this wasn't a problem.

Thinking meant planning. And planning he most certainly was. As soon as he figured a way out of this hell-hole he was going to exact his revenge on all those who did him wrong. Particularly that blasted Ben Tennyson and the Arkhirathi that ruined his plans.

But, first of all, he needed to get out.

So far his thinking hadn't gotten him very far. All the food was teleported into the room by a device that could not be reached. No security officers interacted with the prisoners anymore unless it was to transport them to a different facility. Security had greatly improved since the Arkhirathi had escaped.

He would need to find a way to at least get the cell door open. Maybe if he injured himself they would transport him to a medical clinic. He quickly disregarded this plan as counterproductive. He would need to be at full health if he wanted to succeed in his escape.

Back to thinking, then.

He must have dozed off, for the next thing he knew he was being startled back into wakefulness by a figure appearing in the centre of his cell, a dark cloak concealing his features.

Nethersian sat watching suspiciously. Who was this stranger that appeared like a reflection of himself? How did they get in?

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice slightly raspy from lack of use.

"You know who I am," the figure replied in a voice that was far too similar to his own for comfort. "I am you."

"How is this possible?"

"Never mind that now. I am here to break you out."

Nethersian rose to his full height. "And how do you propose to do that? For that matter, how did you even get in?"

"There is much to be discussed, but not here," the other him placed a skeletal hand on his shoulder and without a sound they vanished.

...

...

It had been a good day. Ben could remember years ago – back when they were ten – when he and Gwen had hated the prospect of sharing a birthday; they would fight over Grandpa Max and what they were going to do…

Ben supposed that, though they were more civil, not much had really changed. They both had different ideas about they considered 'fun', but they'd grown close enough that they could compromise. Plus now there was Kevin to fight over as well. Of course, Ben would never admit that the Osmosian who had tried to kill him so often in the past was now his best friend.

This year they'd spent the whole day together. Their parents had teamed up to make a 'special birthday dinner' for them, and they hadn't even complained about the 'ruffian' they'd insisted on inviting.

That had been a few hours ago. When they'd finally been allowed to get away from doting parents and various family members, they'd instantly evacuated into Kevin's car and driven off somewhere actually relaxing.

Mr Smoothy was quiet at that time of night, although it wasn't really much of a surprise. Ben, Gwen and Kevin had opted for an outside table in a corner where they wouldn't be easily spotted in case someone came looking for them.

"I don't think I've ever seen so much food on one table," Kevin said, reclining back in his chair.

"It was pretty impressive," Gwen agreed. "I'm so full I'm not sure I'll be able to finish this," she shook her cup for emphasis.

"There's always room for smoothies," Ben smiled, taking a long slurp from his own drink.

Kevin and Gwen watched him with identical looks of repulsion.

"Ugh, how can you drink that stuff?" Kevin scrunched up his nose.

"I think it's worse than normal," Gwen added.

"Are you kidding? Turnip and chocolate orange is a great flavour!" Ben protested. "Besides, it's a special occasion."

"I'm surprised you didn't get cake flavour or something."

"I wanted to, but they don't sell it," he sighed.

"Do you even have tastebuds?" Kevin asked, brow raised.

"You can have more cake later," Gwen pointed out. "Mom and Aunt Sandra made enough to last for at least two weeks."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry but I have to point this out," Kevin suddenly said, his face dead serious. "Not only do your names rhyme, but you were born on the same day?"

"Yes, ha ha, aren't you clever?" Ben said sarcastically while Kevin laughed at his own discovery.

The trio looked up as a loud crash followed by several screams pierced through the silent night air. They couldn't see the source from where they were sitting but the presence of sirens in the distance alongside the fleeing mob tearing around a corner a little further down the road was more than enough evidence that something was going down.

"Geez, can't even catch a break on our birthday," Ben huffed, getting to his feet.

"Might as well go check it out," Gwen copied his motion. "If it's anything alien, I doubt the police are going to be able to handle it."

"You'd think we were the only Plumbers around," Kevin grumbled.

"Well, we did get put in charge of this quadrant," Ben shrugged as they moved off towards the commotion.

As it turned out, it was something alien, and therefore the shots the police were firing had pretty much no effect whatsoever.

The robot was tall, about twice the size of a grown man, and its form was covered in a thick layer of red armour. It seemed to have no apparent purpose besides destroying as much of the street it occupied as was physically possible.

Suspicious.

Or just any other normal day for the three of them.

"Huh, guess the police can't handle it after all," Kevin remarked, reaching out to an abandoned car and coating himself in blue metal.

As if hearing his voice, the robot turned from the police car it had just smashed to face them, its blank red, glowing eyes revealing nothing. It raised a hand towards them, the metal appendage breaking apart and reforming into some kind of barrelled laser.

Remembering the wise words of 'if you don't know what it does, duck!' Ben, Gwen and Kevin quickly sunk down on their haunches as the first blast of many was fired. In a single elegant motion Gwen stretched a pink mana shield around them, but it quickly began to crack under the force of the shots.

Ben placed his smoothie down on the bonnet of a parked car and began sifting through the Ultimatrix's unlocked list. Making a decision, he slammed down on the dial, initiating the change.

"AmpFibian!"

In soundless agreement they split. Gwen remained in place, her shield barely holding as she sent back a few shocks of mana as a distraction while Kevin raced right and AmpFibian to the left.

Kevin, his hand morphed into a long blade, jumped up towards their assailant, using a nearby car as a springboard. The robot turned slightly, bring an arm up to block the blow and push Kevin back into a shopfront.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Gwen dropped her shield and sent two lassoes of mana which wrapped around the robot's midsection, pinning its arms to its sides. She didn't even get time to smile before it broke itself out using sheer strength.

AmpFibian held all four tentacles out before himself, propelling a jolt of high voltage electricity towards the machine. The sparks trekked across the armour before dissipating.

"It's no good!" he growled. "That armour's too thick. We need to find a way to remove some of it."

"On it!" Kevin declared, charging forward recklessly. He ducked underneath a wide blow, coming up close to the robot's chest plate and jamming his metal blade up through the gap between the sheets of armour.

The robot flung him away like he was nothing, continuing on like it hadn't just been stabbed.

"Yeah, you're 'on it' all right," Gwen said sarcastically. She focused on the laser-arm, gathering a ball of mana in her hands. With a cry she let it loose, the blast hitting its target dead-on.

Not even a scratch.

"What is this thing made of?!"

AmpFibian flew up a little closer to his target. Aiming for the head, he struck out with a spray of electrified water, effectively soaking the top-half of the machine. But still it remained undamaged and unfazed by his attempts.

The three of them stood staring in shock, trying to figure out just what it would take to damage this thing.

The police were still in the area, but they stood back out of the way, weapons raised yet making no move to intervene. They'd learned from experience to leave matters like these to the professionals – well, the other professionals. And if those three's supernatural attacks did nothing, their Earth weapons weren't going to be any better.

The robot had apparently gotten tired of their futile attempts. Slowly it locked on to Gwen and began charging towards her, the ground shaking under its steps. Her eyes widened in shock as she struggled to remain standing through the earthquake. When the machine was merely steps away it pulled back its arm, ready to swat her like a fly.

Gwen dodge rolled, narrowly escaping what would have been certain death as she took cover behind a hunk of rubble. The robot's arm smashed into a car, knocking it end over end, crashing repeatedly against the shattered road before it finally came to a stop a good few hundred metres away.

AmpFibian watched in horror as the cup that had been resting on the bonnet fell, its contents splattering over the tar.

"You… you killed my smoothie," he gasped, his words no more than a whisper.

"Oooh you shouldn't have done that," Kevin smirked.

"Now I'm mad!"

AmpFibian soared forwards, clinging onto the robot's back and holding on tight, even as it thrashed around trying to dislodge him. With his tentacles pressed firmly over the small gaps in the robot's armour he began to absorb the electrical energy pumping through the wires powering the machine. The robot beneath him began moving slightly slower as its power source was drained.

In an act of desperation it wrenched its laser-arm back behind it and fired. AmpFibian was struck in the chest, sending him flying. He groaned as he pushed himself back up into a sitting position, brushing off the small pieces of rubble that had settled on him.

The robot was now completely focused on the Amperi. It stalked towards him with neither hesitation nor hurry, carrying itself with an air of one so sure of one's victory that it had nothing to fear. AmpFibian's eyes widened at the metal hand about to smash him into the pavement.

Sparks erupted from the back of the robot's neck and it staggered, the red glow of its eyes flickering as it struggled to maintain its active state.

Shocked as he was, AmpFibian didn't waste the opportunity. With part of the armour ripped away, the wires inside were exposed. He dove into them, turning himself into pure energy as he rippled through the electrical circuit. Navigating his way into the robot's core he absorbed all the remaining energy coursing through its system. Then, with barely a thought, he turned that energy into a destructive force, using the build up to blow the thing apart from the inside.

The robot exploded, pieces of shrapnel raining down like deadly snow. Gwen quickly covered herself and Kevin in a dome-shield. The police within range of the debris ducked down, covering their faces with their arms.

"Told you you shouldn't have done that," Kevin grinned as the last of the metal settled and Gwen lowered her shield.

"There's hardly anything left of it," Gwen noted, nudging a small scrap of chest plate with her foot.

AmpFibian fizzled back into corporeal form before a flash of green consumed him, reverting him back into Ben.

"I have to admit, that was nicely done, Tennyson," Kevin said, sounding almost surprised.

"Wasn't all me," Ben frowned, looking down at one of the larger remaining pieces. "If those wires in its neck hadn't been pulled out I'd be a puddle of ooze on the pavement. Speaking of which," he turned and stared at the empty street behind them. "I hope you're not planning on sneaking up behind us and yelling 'boo'."

Gwen and Kevin looked at him like he'd suddenly proclaimed the sky was green.

"Um, who are you talking to?" Kevin raised a brow.

Ben ignored the question, continuing to stare at nothing.

Gwen gasped (Kevin just stared in surprise) as a familiar lanky being faded into existence, walking towards them through what remained of the street.

"You always did seem to know exactly when I was around," Syvux smiled, joining them in the darkness.

"Thanks for your help; I'd be a goner if you hadn't shown up when you did," Ben grinned. "Not that I'm complaining, but I wasn't expecting you for another few weeks."

"I decided the occasion warranted an earlier visit."

Gwen eyed the scene around them with a small frown on her face. "How about we go somewhere a little less… destroyed," she turned her gaze to the police officers hedging towards them. "Before they decide to pin us with damage costs."

"Sounds good to me," Kevin said, stretching his arms above his head.

"And you two," Gwen pinned an unimpressed glare on her cousin and his ghostly friend. "No more lying or keeping secrets, got it?"

"Oh, come on, Gwen, I already apologised for that like a million times," Ben huffed.

"Things like that don't go away with just an apology, Ben. And it's not just that you lied; it's that you didn't trust us."

"You're right," he sighed, his posture deflating. "Of course you are. We should have trusted you guys."

"Promise to be more honest?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die."

"I promise," Syvux agreed.

"Good," Gwen nodded in satisfaction, though she didn't look much happier.

"I really am sorry, though," Ben told her.

"Okay, enough talking about feelings," Kevin interrupted, as though the mere mention of such a thing was enough to make his skin crawl. "Where to?"

...

...

"Mom, I'm home!"

Sandra stuck her head out from the kitchen doorway, a greeting on the tip of her tongue but she paused, her whole body freezing as she caught sight of the fourth member of the small group.

"You remember Syvux, right?"

The Arkhirathi in question had what appeared to be a blanket draped over him. And although she could see no part of him, the blanket itself was sign enough that it was him. It wasn't the first time she'd met the alien. After last year's events, Ben had given them what they knew to be an abridged version of the events, along with a nice list of apologies, but even that was enough to unnerve them. But for whatever reason, Ben seemed close to the… guy, and so they'd let him stay over when he visited; fear and uncomfortableness aside.

"Um, yes," Sandra replied awkwardly, watching as her son flicked off the light switch.

The only light in the room now came from what filtered in from the kitchen, but it was dim enough that it wouldn't harm the Arkhirathi, who proceeded to remove the blanket covering him.

That chilling, ghost-like frame never ceased to scare her. And the way he stared at her with blank eyes, as if looking into her very soul, made her want to run away as fast as possible. But she wouldn't. If Ben liked him enough for them to visit each other from time to time, then she could like him enough to tolerate his presence.

Her niece and her son's ruffian friend stood awkwardly beside them, neither looking like they knew what to do to break the unsettling silence that had settled over them.

"So… is it okay if he stays here? It'll only be for about a week. You'll barely notice," Ben broke the silence, apparently not having noticed the atmosphere. Or choosing to ignore it.

Sandra blinked at the question. "…Sure," she said, struggling to restrain a sigh. The things she did for her son. "Are you two staying over as well?" she asked, directing her question to the two others.

"No, we're just going to watch a movie and then we'll go," Gwen smiled, sending her silent support. Sandra was grateful.

"You are uncomfortable."

The rasping voice made her flinch with surprise and her attention snapped back to Syvux.

"I apologise. Perhaps there is something I can do to make you feel more at ease."

Now it was her turn to stare. His sincere wish to appease her made her feel guilty as the humans (and hybrid humans) watched him rummage through a small bag in his possession. Syvux gave a short cry of success as he pulled out what appeared to be a plain mask. Sandra wasn't sure if it would make him any less creepy.

"Is that…?" Ben's brows rose.

"It's an ID mask," Kevin identified. "Just a regular one," he added, remembering the special one he'd 'acquired' after last year's incident.

Syvux nodded his affirmation, placing the mask over his face.

Sandra could barely believe her eyes. Where once had been an extraterrestrial being she could barely comprehend now stood a young human man. There were still similarities between this form and his old one – his hair, for instance, had taken on the charcoal colour of his body, and his eyes were such a pale grey they were almost white – but overall it was like he'd become a completely different person.

"Is that better?" Syvux asked, and she noted that even his voice was slightly less raspy.

She nodded dumbly.

Syvux smiled warmly at her and the guilt struck again.

"Okay, so is it okay if we watch in here, or do you want me to move the TV to my room?" Ben didn't take his eyes off his friend even as he spoke. It seemed he, like everyone else in the room, was transfixed by the change.

"No, you can watch in here. But don't stay up all night, alright?" And with that Sandra took her leave, eager to get away before she made an even bigger fool of herself.

Ben moved over to the TV while Gwen, Kevin and Syvux flopped down on the couch.

"Anyone got any preferences for what we watch?" Ben asked, sifting through a stack of DVDs.

"Anything except Sumo Slammers," Gwen replied.

Ben grumbled but didn't protest.

Syvux was rummaging through his bag again, but this time he pulled out two small packages, the first of which he passed to Gwen and the second was thrown to Ben, who deftly caught it before it could hit the TV.

"I believe the Earthling phrase is 'happy birthday'," he smiled.

"Oh, you shouldn't have," Gwen beamed, gently unwrapping her gift. A beautiful bracelet fell into her open hand. The fibres of string appeared to be made of thin strands of silver, which held mesmerising glowing beads with silver linings. "It's beautiful," she breathed, fastening it around her wrist. "Thank you."

"It is more than just a mere decoration," Syvux informed her. "That bracelet has special… properties. So long as you are wearing it, it will protect you from certain 'magic' and extradimensional forces."

By that point Ben had likewise unwrapped his own package, albeit less gracefully than his cousin. The item inside was not as flashy as Gwen's bracelet, but he found the silver tear-drop-like pendant still took his breath away.

"I was not sure of an appropriate gift," Syvux began, watching the human carefully. "I doubt there is anything I could give you that would express the gratitude I feel. That pendant belonged to someone very important to me whom I have since lost and, I feel, now, its proper place is with you."

Ben's head snapped up so that his gaze was locked with the Arkhirathi's. "I can't accept this. It means so much to you!"

"I want you to have it," Syvux insisted. "Besides, I was under the impression that returning gifts was rude."

Ben returned the smile, huffing in defeat. "Thank you; I promise to take good care of it."