Interconnected Forms
By Norcinu

A/N: This story has a teaser chapter to it located as a separate story called "Preview of Australia". Remember that chapters will be updated every week and thanks 'Emerald Shapeshifter 777' and 'Aquaria Identity 07' for being my first reviewers back on the teaser chapter! Criticism is welcomed but flames are laughed at. Disclaimer and more info about the story is on my profile page. Read and enjoy!

In the international airport…

Heavy breaths and rapid footsteps from Ben were muffled in the noisy crowds.

"Craaaap!" He cursed, trying to push himself through all the people at the crowded airport. He squeezed out from one group only to see hundreds more between him and his plane. He still had to get through the metal detector, find his gate, get through the walkway and run into the plane… in less than two minutes!

Ben glanced down to his watch that was still flashing red, "Damnit, I knew I shouldn't have gone back for that Krispy Kreme doughnut as XLR8!" He cursed again, jogging on the spot and desperately looking for a faster way through. He ran behind a lonely corner and began tapping the screen of the Omnitrix. "C'mon! Hurry up and work!" He begged, unable to keep his calm. His tapping turned into repetitive knocking, as if he thought bashing it would make the recharging process any faster.

And surprisingly it did. The screen clicked green and Ben quickly twisted and slammed down on it. A green flash emitted and in replacement of himself stood a ghostly grey figure, floating in mid air. "Finally!" The alien sneered with relief and annoyance, clenching its claws. "Now, time to catch that plane…" He concluded, turning and melting through the wall.

Meanwhile a little boy was heard screaming down the airport hallways to his mother, saying he saw a ghost with weedy grey skin and a beady yellow eye.

-----
On the Boeing 747, flight number 912, Gwen looked around a little anxious, "Grandpa, Ben still isn't here!" She said, feeling the plane starting to taxi around.

Grandpa Max was worried as well, "I'll speak to the-"

"AHHHH!!!!!"

Max rubbed his ears, ringing like church bells from Gwen's shriek. "Gwen…"

Gwen shivered, calming herself down, "Ben's here. As Ghostfreak."

A grey, transparent figure faded into view next to her, sitting in the was-empty window seat. Ghostfreak clipped the belt over his lap as a green glow came over him and he turned back into Ben.

"I remember a time when you didn't use Ghostfreak anymore." Gwen moped, loathing all the pranks Ben can do with Ghostfreak.

"Well, time changes, doesn't it?" Ben replied snickering.

A flight attendant came towards them, "Uh, are you alright?" She asked, looking over at Gwen after hearing that scream.

Gwen blushed lightly from embarrassment as she saw other passengers flinching and starting to glance over to her. "Uh yeah, my cousin was just playing a trick on me…" She said, her voice a little jarring as she glared at Ben. He shrugged, pretending not to know what she was talking about.

"Just keep it down during the flight alright? Do you kids want an activity pack while I'm here?" The lady pulled up a little plastic bag with cheap coloring pencils and coloring book inside.

"Err, no. We're fine." Gwen finished and the lady nodded and walked off.

Gwen turned to Ben, ready to choke the life out of him "BEN-"
"Hey, you heard the lady. Keep the noise down." Ben defended himself, leaning on the corner of his chair and the window.

Gwen crossed her arms and turned her back on him.

Ben grinned with victory and then took a peek out the window as the plane began taking off. He started to rethink of the events that have lead to this plane trip…

It's been 4 years since Ben first got his Omnitrix and 4 years since he's been able to really use it again, as school and social life has somehow become an importance over fighting alien baddies. So when the opportunity came up, Ben, Gwen and Max got the plane tickets and set off to country known as…

"Australia?!" Ben replied with a confused, disgusted tone in his voice. "But that's like in the middle of the ocean! Besides, the only thing people do there is barbeque shrimps and ride kangaroos!"

Gwen raised an eyebrow, "How can you say that? You clearly don't show ANY understanding of that country," She replied, waving Max's ' Pocket Guide to Australia' booklet in front of Ben's face, "They don't ride kangaroos AND they usually don't call shrimps, shrimps. They actually call it a prawn."

Ben rolled his eyes, "More like porn…" He murmured, a smirk playing his lips.

"Ben you're DISGUSTING!" Gwen said, hitting his face with the booklet.

"Now, now. You'd think you two would have grown up a little from last time." Max stated, overhearing the two quarrel while he spoke to their parents.

Ben laughed at the comment.

-----
The 21 hour flight finally touched down in Australia in Queensland's city, Brisbane. The three got off the plane, picked up their luggage and preceded through the airport where they were greeted by an indigenous man holding a sign with their surnames on it.

"Dorak!" Max called out.

"Max!" The man called back, "Welcome to Australia buddy!"

"Long time no see!" They both said in union and shook hands.

"How you've been?" Max asked, having not seen Dorak for years and years now.

"Me? Fine, barely anything happens here anymore, how's it up in the northern hemisphere?" His old friend replied in an Australian accent.

The greetings went on so Ben and Gwen were utterly left out, but it was understandable when old people meet up with childhood friends of some sort. Ben hunched his shoulders, "Oh, yay. Reunions." He murmured sarcastically. It was a few minutes of 'hellos' and 'nice to meet you too' but the conversation finally progressed as they walked out of the airport.

"So this is her?" Max said, putting down his bags in front of the large caravan.

"Yep, the Rocket Jump Bus. Also RjB for short." His friend reviewed.

"Hah, even nicknamed just like the old Rust Bucket!"

"The Rust Bucket's the original, so it was only natural to base another RV on it here."

"Was its design blueprint similar to my old Rust Bucket then?" Max questioned, once again leaving the two teenagers in the shadows.

"Yep. It's packed with things for emergencies just like your old Rust Bucket, but it's a little more modern and spiced up compared to your old tin can." Dorak replied with a friendly nudge.

"Grandpa!" Gwen interrupted with eagerness.

"Yes?"

"So is this the trailer that we're going to borrow and drive around while we're here?" She asked, a little hopeful for a positive reply seeing the caravan looked like it came right off the newest model production line… well, from the outside at least.

"…Yes, yes it is." Max said, making Gwen cheer, "Oh, can you and Ben put the luggage on while I finish up with Dorak? Thanks!" Gwen slouched back down.

Ben twisted his watch to Fourarms, "This looks like a job for-"

Gwen stopped him from slamming down his arm, "No, not in a public place like this. It's just some bags Ben, not that hard!"

Ben groaned, admitting to himself that he does feel quite trigger happy with the Omnitrix.

"So how much do you want for it?" Continued Max, taking out a wallet from his back pocket.

Dorak gestured to him, "No, no money. I'm just lending this beaut over to a fellow brother. Just make sure it's in tip top shape when it comes back, alright?"

Max nodded, thanking him, meanwhile Ben dropped his backpack on the side of the pavement and carried the heavier luggage into the trailer after Gwen.

"…WHAT?!" Ben blurted out, dropping the luggage into the caravan. His eyebrow twitched as he saw the interior of the van. Even though it looked so modern on the outside, the inside of the convoy was practically, exactly the same as the old Rust Bucket back at home. Only bigger, fitted with more modern things, an extra bed and everything in opposite placements. "Wait," Ben said, noticing this, "Everything's like, the opposite…" He pointed out with his finger, the driver seat was on the right hand side, the door they came in was on the left side and the toilet was on the right hand side.

"No duh cabbage-brain, we're in the Southern Hemisphere now. Cars drive on the left hand side and the driver seats are on the right. You should know that!" Gwen replied in her knowingly tone.

Ben pointed around some more, letting the information sink in, "Oh… yeah." He said, feeling a little light headed from the airplane trip, and took a seat on the table.

"Ok, see you later Dorak!" Max finally said, going around the back to enter into the vehicle's drivers seat.

Gwen sat next to him and buckled up, "Grandpa, you comfortable driving on the other side of the road? It'd feel pretty weird…"

"Heh," Max replied, buckling in as well, "I've driven on the opposite side before so I should be alright. We'll be doing a lot of driving like back then, so you'll get used to it pretty quickly. Everyone's got their bags?"

"Yep!" Gwen said, then looked back at Ben, still dazed about everything being reverse, "Ben!"

"Huh?" Ben snapped back, "Yeah, whatever." He said unknowingly and went back at looking around the 'RJB'.

-----
A while after the 'Rocket Jump Bus' drove off from the Brisbane airport, a little boy ran up to a lone backpack that's been sitting on the pavement for a while now. It had an awesome picture of Sumo Slammers and gangster writing patterns all over it. He picked it up without a second thought and ran over to his parents, slinging the backpack over his shoulder and smiling happily at his new found item. He was only 9 so he didn't know the ethics of handing in lost property, so he hopped into his parent's car and it drove off.

"Well, who's excited about getting to the flashy hotel we're going to stay at?" The driving father of the family asked.

The older girl and little boy occupying the back seats both raised their hands, "MEEE!!!" They shouted excitedly, both being young adolescents.

"Look honey, we're driving on the left hand side of the road," the mother pointed out to her kids.

"Ma, do we have to speak Australian slang?" The girl asked, having watched too many Steve Irwin and Crocodile Dundee shows.

"Aye, we're gonna speak the native language we are, and make friends with the locals!" the father said, attempting an Australian accent but getting some pirate one instead. The mother giggled because of this.

"Crikey!" The boy cheered, having watched too many of those shows himself.

-----
It's been half an hour of driving and Gwen looked back at the quiet Ben, just to check on him, but then noticed something amiss, "Err, Ben? Where's your backpack?" She asked, breaking the silence. Ben raised an eyebrow and looked over at his feet… vacant space.

"HUH?!" He yelled, snapping his head side to side then diving to the floor to skewer out his backpack. He snapped his head up, the look of pure terror happening on his face.

Max overhead this, "Ben…"

"OH SHIT!!!" He cursed out loud, standing up and turning the dial of his watch.

"BEN! Don't-"

"Going XLR8!" He said pressing down on the watch.

The flash of green shone in the trailer, only to reveal a giant green bug, "Stinkfly? Oh I'll do." The alien said in a meshed voice, opening the side doors.

Max sighed, not being able to stop him, "Ben, we'll be over at that sugar cane field, ok? Don't get lost and don't get seen!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know-" Stinkfly replied, disappearing out the door before the rest of his reply could be heard.

-----
Back in the family car, the girl looked over to her brother, noticing the mysterious backpack. "Since when do you get to have a new bag?!" She said aloud.

The mother looked back and sighed, seeing it, "You should know better than taking things that don't belong to you!" She scolded, picking up the bag and going through it, "Now I've got to look through it for any ID so we can return it to its rightful owner…"

Even though it was a sunny day with partly clouds, the father turned on the windscreen wipers for a few moments, then off. "Bloody bugs," He said, his accent sounding more Australian than pirate-like now, "It's been only a few minutes and I've already got me some mozzies on the windows!" He continued with the accent, making the kids happy.

"Crikey!" The boy cheered again.

-----
Stinkfly was quick and swift over the cars towards the airport, fast enough to be considered as a large hasty fast bird flying overhead by the drivers.

He locked onto every car that passed him, catching the views of the people in the front seats, their hand carry and everything. He shook his head, "No, no, no, no, no, no! I can't lose it!" His four eyes continued to dart around franticly, knowing his wallet, his gaming systems, mobile and everything else was in that bag. He slowed down and lifted himself a few meters, looking forward at the cars coming towards his direction ahead.

Then one car, a four wheel drive, black BMW, caught his attention. A man driving and a woman in the front passenger seat, but in her hands… HIS BACKPACK!?!

He recklessly dived towards it.

-----
"Ma, there's something coming towards the window…"

The mother looked back at the window.

SPLAT!

"AAAAH!!!" She shrieked, seeing an alien bug go splat against the window in front of her and thus making the father jerk the car.

"JESUS CHRIST!" The man screamed as well, quickly yanking the car back onto the road as cars beeped by him.

"MATHERE'SAGIANTMUTANTBUGONTHEWINDOW!!!" The girl cried out.

"Crikey!" The boy yelled also, wanting to join in the bawling fest and not quite understanding the situation.

Stinkfly's attention was directed at his bag that was just thrown into the back seat from the impact, he lifted himself up a little, having a hard time on the car speeding into an underground tunnel. He clenched his claws, only to accidentally scratch the windows and make himself more sinister looking to the passengers inside, "My baaagg…." He groaned, his mind set on it and nothing else.

"OH MY GOD!!!" The father honked his horn and switched on the window wipers, it's knocking on Stinkfly only made his claws dig into the window and frame of the car some more.

"HE WANTS THE BAG HONEY!" The mother yelled to her kids, edging back into her seat in fear.

The girl was too scared with shock, but the boy got the message. The window beside him was opened and he threw the bag out of it. Stinkfly immediately flew after it, speeding past the boy's window and catching him in awe.

A moment of silent relief went by inside the car, only to be followed with a foul smell coming into the car through the windows.

"CLOSE THE WINDOWS! CLOSE THE WINDOWS!" The mother shrieked, covering her nose as if the gas was going to kill her.

The car jerked to the side of the tunnel into a separate parking road. Stinkfly however, caught the bag and zoomed out of the tunnel, dodging all the cars and getting out in one piece. He sighed as he emerged out of the tunnel back into the sunlight.

Well, that was interesting for the first day here…

End of Chapter 1.

Next time on chapter 2. The complication will arise as the Tennysons encounter the seeds of a budding chase…

…but her looks or pose didn't concern Ben, the thing that made his stomach churn was the thick watch on her wrist…

"A second Omnitrix?!" Ben gasped out loudly, "GRANDPA!" He yelled out with urgency in his cry.

...review and tune in.