A/n: Chapter 1's new again thanks to my sister taking the time to reworking the fic.
Characters (C) not me, mmkay?

I

Raven cradled a tiny bundle in her arms, cooing its contents to sleep. Hearing her baby's cries broke her normally distant heart. She kissed the infant's forehead and reluctantly knocked three times on the frozen door.

Ben Tennyson loved to sleep in, especially when he could smell Grandpa Max's cooking. This probably meant something bug-related. The hot July weather made everything sweaty and sticky; worsened by the fact that the group was in Los Angeles, California. But the day made it almost worth the hassle: the first of theFourth of July weekend. People were already lining their picnic spreads, kids heading out to the park's lake, parents readying their barbeques and watching over their children.

The boy in question smiled almost nostalgically; he'd be joining those kids had he been with his parents. He toyed with the Omnitrix and promptly got out of bed. The Omnitrix, referred multiple times as the "most powerful weapon in the universe" for its shape shifting abilities, was glowing its characteristic green light when Ben dragged himself to the bathroom. He suddenly slipped and made a face plant on the RV floor, causing his cousin to laugh uproariously.

"That'll teach you to leave your underwear in the sink!" Gwen giggled. "Ha ha, very funny." Ben hissed, his towel falling unceremoniously on his brown hair. The boy showered off the momentary pain and after dressing up in his trademark clothes, asked, "What's Grandpa cooking?"

"He said he wanted to cook something patriotic. You know, to celebrate," Gwen replied, her eyes meeting Ben. Both momentarily shared a thought. "You think he's cooking…" The children sprinted towards the RV door and were met with a surprised grandfather grilling some hot dogs and baby-back ribs.

"HALLELUYAH! FOOD!" Ben exclaimed joyfully. Grandpa Max chuckled. "Hey, it's not like I don't feed you!" "What Ben is trying to say is that…well, he pretty much summed it up right there." Gwen added, her mouth salivating along with her cousin's.

Grandpa kept his mouth shut, unable to tell the kids these weren't normal meats. He simply grilled away the moment.

Handing that child was killing the teenaged mother, her tears freezing on her hooded face. But Robin and the others, including the baby's father, knew it was the only way. The Titan Tower was the last stronghold and the enemy would not rest until that baby was dead. A warm face greeted her. "Hello…"

A sudden chill crept up the older man's back; the kind one gets when something bad is about to happen. Max spun around, armed with a spatula, and looked around. The cheery atmosphere overran any deviation; nothing seemed out of place. "Everything ok, Grandpa?" Gwen asked, noticing the reaction.

"Yeah…how's about you guys head out to the lake? I'll get these puppies ready in no time." Grandpa responded with a smile. Both kids took off, wrestling all the way to get first dibs on the bathroom. I know I felt something…but what is an excellent question.

Hiding amongst the south side of the Rust Bucket, four crows cawed stiffly. They hovered over the vehicle, not once budging from their positions. A quick passerby and the birds were gone as fast as they had appeared.