Tetrax walked beside the casket, his eyes downcast and head bent in sorrow. He, like many of his crew, had disregarded their normal clothes in exchange for the ceremonial armor of the Black Company. Besides him, five others walked alongside the casket, each one a dear friend of the fallen. Tetrax couldn't help but glance at the young man across from him, a worried look crossing his expression. Though in his early twenties, the young man had changed much since he had left Earth six years before. His heavily muscled form moved with the grace of a jungle cat, each movement filled with the potential to kill. His short chestnut hair sat atop a strong face, though it was now gaunt and tinged grey from the lack of food or sleep. Many were suffering the same, distraught as they were by the loss of their friend.

The Petrosapien had seen many eyes in his day, and he held the belief that they were a window into the being who had them. Many shared the same eyes now. Hurt, pain, anger, and an undeniable thirst for revenge filled them. The young man's eyes, though, sent a chill through him. They were cold. Unlike the primal emotions radiating from the rest of the crew, the young man's eyes were as if he had shut down.

Fixing his gaze ahead of him, Tetrax signaled for the procession to halt. They had arrived at a torpedo tube on the side of the ship. He gently placed a hand on the casket and guided it into the tube. The others hesitantly followed, though the young man refrained from touching the casket. Tetrax couldn't blame him.

"Brothers and sisters," Tetrax said, turning to the rest of the gathered crew. Though some were missing, they would still hear his words as they were sent over the ship's comlink. "Today, we send a great warrior to the halls of his fathers and mothers. He was a paragon of all that the Black Company stands for, bringing fear to the unjust and bringing up the wronged. He fought against the injustice of our galaxy with all his strength and gave it all at the end. We send him now to the star that saw his last actions. Though he will be gone from us, the memory of his actions will live on in us all. Rook Blonko was a great warrior, and he will be missed. We should not mourn, however, for he has made us proud."

There was a silence for a split second before a great roar emerged from the gathered beings. Each one, though from different races and backgrounds, screamed in primal pride as they pumped their fists into the air. Tetrax could feel the sorrow and anger melt away to be replaced by pride and joy. For several days, they would show their love and celebrate Rook's life. Then, Tetrax had a mission for them.

Holding his fist to the right pectoral, Tetrax shouted, "Black Company, one and all!"

"Black Company one and all!" shouted the assembled, mimicking their leader's salute to the fallen. Many had come from dishonest backgrounds, yet here they stood as one.

Tetrax pressed a button next to the torpedo tube. The bulkhead sealed and there was a thunderous boom as the casket was sent into space. He knew that it would travel at several kilometers a second until it met the star's influence. There, it would burn until it was nothing but ash. Rook would be pushed by the solar winds into the universe where he would join the elements and become part of life.

"Brothers and sisters," Tetrax said, "Go now and attend your duties. We make for the Sol System. We shall take time to rest and celebrate our fallen friend. Then, we will reconvene and break for the stars once more."

With a final salute, the company disbanded into their units and headed for their positions on the ship. After several minutes, it was only Tetrax and the young man.

"How long before the next mission?" the young man asked.

Tetrax hadn't made the decision to disband easy, but it was necessary to ensure the Black Company survived the death of one of its most senior members. He turned to face the man.

"Time will decide. When the ceremonies of mourning have concluded, more will return to the ship. When that time comes, you will be recovered."

The young man nodded. "Thanks, Tetrax."

"Ben, you must mourn your friend. Don't shut down, it will only make the memories bittersweet. Feel what you must, and be prepared for when the time comes to move again," Tetrax said.

Ben Tennyson chuckled and felt tears begin to roll down into his goatee. "I didn't know you were such a softie, Tetrax."

The Petrosapien growled at his ward. "Don't get used to it. You need to keep up on what I've taught you. Don't lose focus of the mission."

Max Tennyson looked down at the data-slate in his hands. A ghost of a smile touched his lips as he reread the message once more. He rarely received messages from his grandson these days, though this was a welcome change. This would hopefully set things back on track here amongst the Tennysons.

He sighed and leaned back in his chair, looking at the skies visible through the windshield of the Rust Bucket. Things seemed to fall apart so suddenly. Ben had stated he wasn't coming home for several years. Gwen had left college to become a Plumber after she had broken up things with Kevin. The two children he had taken on that summer trip all those years ago were grown up and had the experiences to prove it.

There was a picture on his dashboard that he had taped there. It depicted he and the kids during that first summer, with Ben looking ridiculous and Gwen looking oh-so-serious. He was in the background, pride beaming from his face. It now seemed so long ago, more like a dream than than the start of an adventure.

He picked up the glass from its holder and took a drink, enjoying the brandy as it flowed down his throat and warmed his belly. It would be an interesting time when Ben returned. Max had already secured time off for Gwen and had gotten Carl and Sandra to host the family this year.

Max chuckled as he remembered to "forget" to tell them of Ben's return. It would make for a better Christmas that way.

With a few taps of his fingers, the holo-slate pulled up a projected arrival time for the ship Ben was on. It estimated that he would arrive on Christmas day.

A damn good present indeed, Max thought with a smile.

Ben stood on the teleport bay in his normal clothes - a white shirt, green pants, and a black jacket and boots. He was nervous, more nervous than any other time in his past three years away from Earth. The pit in his stomach grew until he could feel himself getting sick. There was no controlling the sensation that he was entering the belly of the beast by going back home after being gone for three years. There was nothing he could do now, Tetrax had ordered several of the warrior-caste aliens to make sure he didn't leave the teleport bay before the Galvans were done with their calculations.

"Shit," Ben cursed. "I don't even have anything to give them."

Another Petrosapien, a warrior named Diamond Head, stepped forwards. He held out his hand and dropped a small cube into Ben's. "We thought you might forget," he said with a chuckle. "It's a small thing we asked the engineers to whip up. Just a small gift from the Black Company."

Ben raised an eyebrow at the young alien's gift. "You know humans are fragile, right?"

"Don't worry," an Appoplexian laughed. "It's not a bomb or anything. It's just a map of the galaxy. Press the button and a hologram shows everything currently documented."

Ben smiled and pocketed the cube. "You guys are too awesome."

Diamond Head shrugged. "It's what Black Company does. You know that better than anyone."

Smiling, Ben's attention transferred to the Galvan walking onto the deck. The small grey alien held a small pin and presented it to Ben before disappearing behind the warriors. Ben placed the pin on his breast pocket.

"It's been fun, guys!" Ben said with a salute. "Don't have too much fun with the celebrations."

"What other kind of fun is there?" Diamond Head laughed as Ben disintegrated into a host of blue particles.

Ben blinked and found himself standing on the lawn of his home, bag in hand. He inhaled slowly, regaining his courage. The snow crunched under his boots as he walked over the lawn to the door. He raised a hand and knocked, not really sure what to expect.

Grandpa Max opened the door. His smile seemed to almost break his face as he shouted for Ben's parents. As they approached the door, he dropped his bag and held out his arms. They rushed and hugged him, their laughs accompanied by tears of joy.

"Ben! So good to see you," Carl said. "We've missed you so much."

"My boy's back!" Sandra shouted to the world.

Ben smiled and hugged his parents, enjoying the feeling of being home. After a few moments, he shivered and they walked back inside. Carl took his bag and coat to his old room while his mother set him down at the kitchen table.

"Do you want anything to drink?" Sandra asked, ruffling Ben's hair. "You are so grown up."

Sheepishly, Ben readjusted his hair and smiled at his mother. "I'll just have some coffee if you've got that."

Sandra nodded and walked to the kitchen, leaving Ben at the table with Max.

"How've you been?" Max asked.

"It's been a long ride," Ben sighed. "Did you hear the news?"

Max nodded sadly, taking a sip of his own coffee. He didn't speak for a moment, but then said, "You did the right thing."

Ben just cast his gaze downward. As Sandra walked back in, Ben heard the doorbell. He jumped up and ran to the door, hoping to find his aunt and uncle. He wasn't disappointed, though the air was crushed from his ribs as his family hugged him.

"Uncle uncle," he begged.

"Why, yes I am," Frank laughed. He stepped inside and looked up at Ben. "You're too tall."

"Tell that to Tetrax. He's still taller," Ben said with a chuckle. He took his aunt and uncle's coats, letting them join his parents and Grandpa in the dining room. Something didn't feel right, and he realized that Gwen wasn't with them. He ducked his head into the dining room and asked.

"She's coming on her own from the outpost," Natalie said. "Gwen's been out there a lot recently."

"I'll wait outside for her," Ben said, opening the door and stepping into the cold beyond. He pulled a small container from his pocket and removed a capsule. Grimacing, he placed the capsule on the back of his tongue and swallowed. He stood there in the cold, not bothered by the low temperatures as much as he thought he would. The moon rose high in the sky, making Ben smile as he realized how glad he was to be home. He had missed the home he had known more than he cared to admit.

He pulled himself from his thoughts as a car pulled up to the house. Ben remained where he was and waited as Gwen pulled herself from the car. His breath caught in his throat as he saw his cousin. Her hair was shorter than he remembered, pulled back into a tight ponytail. She wore a simple pair of jeans and a hoodie. He was surprised to see that she had adopted the more worn clothes than her usual dress shirt and skirt.

"Ben? That you?" she asked, pulling a duffle bag from the seat beside her.

Stepping towards his cousin, he opened his arms to hug her. "You're damn right. I'm back."

Gwen's eyes widened in shock. She hadn't been expecting her cousin after all this time. He had spent so many years away that she had been beginning to believe that he had left them for good. A mixture of emotions welled up inside her. Before she knew it, she was jumping into his arms and hiding tears by burying her face in his chest. "You came back!"

Ben just chuckled and stood there holding his cousin. For a moment, he felt more at peace than the many years prior. Then, he felt as her tears of what he assumed to be joy turned into pained sobs. "Gwen, you okay?"

Gwen shook her head. She offered no explanation, and Ben just held her. They stood there for several minutes before he tugged her towards the door. She followed him as he entered the house. Their parents welcomed them and they all sat down at the table.

The first thing Ben thought was just how much food there was. Turkey, ham, potatoes, there was so much he was afraid of eating too much. He must have had some expression because his mother pushed some food onto his plate with a simple "eat".

The family sat there, eating their food and enjoying each other's company. Ben regaled them with tales from space while Gwen told them about her Plumbers duties. The parents, though they had the ghosts of worry still, knew that their children were safe, more or less.

"I'm Tetrax's ward," Ben said when asked about his position on the ship. "It has a different meaning than here on Earth. Basically, I'm his student. He teaches me all that he knows so that when the time comes, I can step in and take his place."

"Does the ship change crew often?" Carl asked.

Max shot him a "don't ask that" look as Ben hung his head. "Too often," he said.

"Sorry, son," Carl said.

Ben cracked a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Don't be. The crew knows the duties they are expected to carry out. Commanders included."

Carl nodded, proud to see his son grown into a man. "How many aliens are you able to become now?"

Glancing at the Omnitrix, Ben replied, "I have the master control now, which unlocks everything. The only thing is, I'm still reading through the files collected by our crew about alien species. Right now, I have four hundred and seventy-two aliens."

Max whistled. "That is quite a lot, though still only a small portion of what the Plumbers know of."

Ben was about to reply when the sound of a motorcycle's engine reved outside. He noticed that Gwen jumped at the sound, nearly dropping her fork. Moving to get up, Gwen interjected, "It's probably Kevin. I'll deal with it."

She walked across the room and slipped on her shoes before ducking out the door. Ben raised an eyebrow to Frank and Natalie as she left. "What was that about?"

Frank sighed. "She and Kevin broke up several months ago. Apparently, Kevin didn't quite get the memo and has been chasing Gwen regardless."

Ben nodded and stood. "I'm going to keep an eye on things. If it gets too heated, I'll step in and break it up."

Natalie smiled in appreciation as Ben left the table. He opened the door and stepped out again into the cold, surprised at the scene before him. Kevin stood in front of a trio of motorcycles, shouting at Gwen as she stood in front of him looking dejected. Ben sized up Kevin and his friends as he approached.

Kevin had grown some since they had last met. He had longer hair than before and left it open like a mane. Some scars marked his face, though not in a disfiguring way. He wore a simple black trenchcoat. Probably the most worrying factor, the man now wore a suit of body armor underneath the coat. The man and woman with him were dressed in a similar fashion, though they also had some alien rifles slung on their shoulders.

"You fucking bitch!" Kevin shouted. "Do you have any idea what you did to me? To us?"

"There was no us, not then," Gwen said, her face neutral. Ben could tell she was on the edge by the way she said, "You ruined that."

"I ruined that? Yeah, I fucked up. When has that stopped you before?" Kevin took a threatening step forwards as he said that. "You let it slide again and again. Now this is the thing that you break up over?"

"I was done with that, Kevin," Gwen said, sorrow dripping from her words. "You fucked up one too many times."

"You stupid bitch," Kevin snarled, grabbing ahold of Gwen's arm and disregarding her cry of pain. "You're coming with me."

Ben stepped into view, his boots crunching on the iced ground. He set a hand on Gwen's shoulder, gently pulling her behind him. Kevin was too shocked by his presence to offer any resistance to her leaving. Gwen looked at Ben in dismay. She hadn't planned it to go this far. Now, she had placed her cousin in danger.

"That's enough Kevin," Ben said resolutely.

Kevin, now recovered, laughed maniacally as he looked at his old friend. "Ben! You've come back. You should have stopped by to see your old pal Kevin."

Ben's face was stoic. "I think I made the right call by now showing up sooner. Now, what the hell is going on?"

Kevin jabbed a finger in Gwen's direction. "This bitch dumped me for no fucking reason. We were engaged and everything."

Holding up a finger, Ben said, "One: Don't you ever call my cousin a bitch again. Two: you need to chill the fuck out and leave. I will make you if you don't."

Kevin laughed again. "You? Make me leave? Don't give yourself too much credit, Tennyson."

Ben looked behind him as the front door opened. "Grandpa, please take Gwen back into the house. Kevin and I are going to have some words and then I'll be back inside for desert. Cake, right?"

Max nodded as he walked down to collect Gwen. He was surprised by how nonchalant his grandson was being. Kevin was far more deadly than when Ben had left last. Had Ben become that much more powerful? As he and Gwen returned to the house, he took one last look at Ben. The young man's arm was glowing. Max realized that the Omnitrix had showed up out of nowhere on Ben's arm. Instead of the watch-sized device he had known, it had grown into a full gauntlet.

Ben looked at Kevin when the door was closed. "Now, one last chance. Leave."

Kevin narrowed his eyes and stepped forward so that he and Ben were toe to toe. "Not a chance."

With a smile, Ben cracked his knuckles. "Make this fun."

AN: I have returned, fellow earthlings! Ben is back in the revised version of Crossing the Divide! Please feel free to leave a review and tell me what you think! I'll try to put out multiple chapters a week, though that is not a guarantee. My work schedule is hectic at best and due to that, sometimes I'll be able to pump out three or four chapters a week, others only maybe one or two. For now, please enjoy! It's hero time!