The Rust Bucket hummed softly in the background as its systems powered down. Max was hunched over a set of poles and canvas, his hands deftly assembling the final tent with years of practice.

Nearby, Micheal was crouched beside Lucky, trying to find what was wrong since the robots had been beeping non-stop.

On the other side of the campsite, Jen and Gwen approached with their own supplies for the night's treat. "I've got the marshmallows," Gwen called out cheerfully. She placed her hand playfully over Jen's shoulder as she carried the bag of fluffy confections.

"And I've got the graham crackers," Jen chimed in, her tone just as lighthearted, placing her own hand over Gwen's shoulder in return.

"We'll wait here so you can get the firewood so we can make s'mores," Gwen said with a grin, pulling Jen into a light side hug. Jen smirked, leaning slightly into the embrace. "Yeah, no rush, Max. We'll make sure everything's ready for the s'mores when you get back."

Max chuckled at the sight, his eyes twinkling with fondness. "You know, it's really nice to see the three of you getting along so well." He adjusted his hat and gave them a nod. "Alright, I'll be back in a jiffy." Max picked up his hatchet and went into the forest.

"Is he gone?" Gwen whispered, glancing over her shoulder toward the direction Max had walked off.

"Yep," Jen confirmed with a smirk, her tone dropping into something more serious. They both turned to face each other, their friendly façade crumbling in an instant.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" they shouted in unison, pointing accusatory fingers at each other.

Micheal, who had been focused on fixing Lucky's gear, muttered under his breath, "Ich wusste, dass etwas nicht stimmte." (I knew something was wrong.) Without even looking up, he continued tinkering, trying to block out the escalating argument.

"Grandpa only turns 60 once!" Gwen shouted, arms crossed, her voice tinged with exasperation. Jen opened the box of gharm crackers and was about to eat one only for Gwen to push her and make the open box fall.

"Toll, jetzt hat sie eine Schachtel Graham Crackers verschwendet" (Great now she wasted a box of graham crackers) Micheal said looking up.

"I had this party totally wired," Gwen said, pulling out a neatly organized list and shoving it in Jen's face. "Everything is planned to perfection!"

Jen snatched the list and skimmed it, her brow furrowing. "You chose his birthday wish?" she asked incredulously, pointing at the line where it was clearly written. "And how's he supposed to make one without a cake? The cake you were supposed to get!" Gwen's voice rose with irritation.

Jen huffed, crossing her arms. "Uh, excuse me, full-time hero work and full-time..." Her voice trailed off, her cheeks flushing slightly as she mumbled, "...being with Micheal."

Gwen raised an eyebrow, catching the last part. "What was that?"

"Nothing!" Jen said quickly, waving it off. "The point is, when do I have time to get some dumb old cake? That was your job!"

"Oh, really?" Gwen snapped, her hands going to her hips. "Because last I checked, I was busy holding this entire party together while someone was too distracted staring at—"

"Don't say it," Jen interrupted, her tone low and threatening, her cheeks now bright red.

Micheal, standing nearby, let out an exaggerated sigh, looking between the two. "You know, Max might actually enjoy his birthday more if you two stopped bickering like old married—"

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" Gwen snapped at Micheal, her voice sharp and impatient.

Jen's eyes immediately darkened, her glare snapping toward Gwen like a lightning strike. The annoyance from earlier was gone, replaced by a chilling intensity. "Don't yell at him," Jen said, her voice low, but the venom was unmistakable.

Gwen blinked, taken aback by the sudden shift in Jen's tone. "What? I—"

"Don't. Yell. At. Him." Jen's voice was firm, each word sharper than the last as she stepped closer to Gwen, her grip tightening on the box of graham crackers until it creaked under the pressure. "You don't get to talk to my Micheal like that."

Before Gwen could fire back, a swirling orange portal materialized beside them, crackling with energy. "Okay, this can't be good," Micheal muttered, instinctively stepping in front of Jen as the air around them vibrated.

From the portal emerged a hooded figure, cloaked in shadows and moving with inhuman speed. With one swift motion, the figure knocked all three of them to the ground, disorienting them.

Jen scrambled to her feet, clutching her head. "Who the hell—"

Before she could finish, the figure darted forward, grabbing Gwen and Lucky by the arm. Gwen struggled, but the figure's grip was unyielding. With a chilling laugh, the hooded stranger shot into the air, carrying Gwen and Lucky with them.

"Gwen!" Micheal shouted, activating his watch as he prepared to pursue.

Jen, however, stood there for a moment, her expression unreadable. "Well, at least she's gone now," she muttered under her breath, the faintest smirk curling her lips.

Micheal whipped around, and glanced at her. "Jen, what?"

Jen blinked, her smile vanishing in an instant. "I mean... we should save her!" she said quickly, her tone overly sweet and forced. She fumbled with her watch, trying to match Micheal's determined expression.

Micheal frowned but didn't press further as he activated his Ultimatrix, transforming into Shadow. "Let's move!"

Jen followed suit, slamming her hand down on her watch and shifting into XLR8, her lithe, dark form blending with the dimming light around them. "Right behind you, love," she purred, her voice taking on a sharper edge as she raced after him.

The portal closed with a sharp snap behind them as they emerged into an entirely different world. The landscape was unrecognizable, full of towering skyscrapers, neon lights, and a bustling mix of aliens and humans—some walking along the streets, others flying overhead.

Before they could take it all in, the hooded figure attempted to fly off, her form a blur in the air. But Micheal was faster. With a burst of energy, he shot forward, catching up to her in the blink of an eye. His foot struck her back with incredible force, sending her crashing hard into the ground.

"You're not getting away that easy," Micheal muttered as he stood over her, ready to act if she tried anything else.

"You okay?" Micheal asked, as he turned toward Gwen and Lucky, who were brushing themselves off.

Gwen gave him a quick nod, still looking confused. "Yeah... I'm good. Just... where are we?"

Jen stood next to her, looking around with wide eyes. "Where are we?" she echoed, her gaze scanning the futuristic city surrounding them. Alien ships zoomed overhead, strange creatures walked the streets beside humans, and giant holographic billboards flashed with unknown advertisements.

"Ms. Jen, looking good!" one group of kids called as they zoomed past on their hoverboards. Jen froze, her eyes following them, and she was about to shoot back a witty retort when another group of kids came speeding by.

"Yo, Jen 10K! Keep up the awesome job!" they shouted as they passed by, none of them slowing down for a second.

Jen's face flushed with surprise and confusion. "Ten... what?!" she exclaimed, her voice rising in disbelief. She turned around, trying to process what was happening, and her gaze landed on a massive statue in the middle of the plaza. The statue was unmistakable—her face, her stance, her confident smirk, all carved into the stone as if immortalizing her forever.

"Woah, Hero of Heroes, Jen Ten Thousand," Jen read aloud, her voice tinged with a mix of awe and disbelief. Her hands instinctively reached up, touching her own face, almost as if to confirm that it was really her in the statue.

But as her eyes scanned the area further, something gnawed at her. She squinted and looked around for any sign of Micheal's face, expecting to see something equally grand or even a statue honoring him, but there was nothing. No statue. No sign of Micheal.

Her brow furrowed, and she suddenly felt an uncomfortable knot in her stomach. "Where's Micheal's statue?" she asked aloud, her voice slipping into a tone of frustration. She glanced around, searching the towering cityscape, but there was no trace of her lover, no monument to his heroics, nothing to acknowledge his importance.

The ground rumbled as Jen's statue cracked and crumbled, revealing a hulking, mechanical rhinoceros-like alien emerging from within the stone. Its massive horn glowed ominously, its eyes narrowing with malice as it turned towards Jen.

"Jen Tennyson, long time no see," the creature growled, its voice full of rancor.

Jen stood tall, unfazed by the alien's boastful introduction, though the recognition didn't hit her. She stared him down, a mix of confusion and caution in her eyes. "Do I know you?" she asked, her voice steady but tinged with doubt.

The alien snarled, the ground shaking with the power in its stance. "Prepare for my revenge!" It bellowed as its horn began to pulse with energy, a blast ready to tear into the air.

Before the creature could unleash its deadly strike, the sound of a blur cut through the air, and a sudden gust of wind blew past Jen.

With blinding speed, Micheal shot in like a shadow, his form a blur of motion as he lunged at the rhino-like alien. His boot collided with the creature's face with an explosive force, sending it crashing sideways with a loud metallic clatter. The alien staggered but quickly recovered, growling in fury as it raised its horn in defense.

Micheal didn't wait for a second. With a swift, powerful kick, he struck the alien square in the jaw, sending the hulking creature flying into the air. The force of the blow echoed through the streets, and the alien barely had time to react before Micheal disappeared in a flash of shadow.

In the blink of an eye, Micheal reappeared above the creature, his body surrounded by an aura of darkness and speed. He twisted in mid-air and, with a precise and brutal kick, sent the alien hurtling down to the ground with an earth-shattering crash. The impact cracked the pavement beneath the creature, sending up a cloud of dust and debris.

"That was quick," Micheal said, returning to Jen and Gwen, his expression relaxed despite the fight. "How did you teleport?" Gwen asked, looking confused. "You shouldn't be able to teleport right now."

Micheal smirked and pulled out a glowing Chaos Emerald from his pocket, the vibrant yellow gem pulsing with energy. He held it up, letting its light reflect in the dimming surroundings.

"Ich hatte ein wenig Hilfe," (I had a little help) Micheal explained, his fingers tracing the edges of the emerald. "Lucky managed to get this to me in time."

Lucky beeped from his perch, confirming the exchange as he emitted a small series of mechanical clicks as Micheal and Jen timed out.

The rhino-like alien he got back on his feet, fury in his eyes. "You'll pay for that!" he bellowed, his horn charging up once more. He aimed it at Micheal, ready to fire a destructive blast.

But before he could unleash it, a sudden chant echoed through the air, and a beam of magic shot out from the shadows.

"Kimo cha!" The hooded woman's voice rang through the air as she appeared, her hands glowing with arcane energy. The beam of magic struck the rhino square in the chest, sending him tumbling backward.

The woman continued to unleash a barrage of magical blasts at the rhino-like alien, pushing him back with each strike. The alien, determined to retaliate, charged up his horn and fired a concentrated blast at her.

But with a swift movement, she conjured a shimmering magical shield, the blast deflecting harmlessly off it. The woman lowered her shield, momentarily pausing to catch her breath.

Seizing the opportunity, the rhino alien charged forward, his horn crackling with energy. He fired again, this time releasing a net from his horn. The net expanded rapidly, ensnaring the woman in mid-air and pulling her to the ground with brutal force.

As the woman struggled beneath the net, it sparked with electricity, sending jolts of painful energy through her body. She gritted her teeth, trying to break free, but the shockwaves made it hard to concentrate.

The alien snarled and turned his attention to the kids, his eyes narrowing with malice. He fired another blast, the energy crackling towards them like a speeding missile.

Without a second thought, Micheal grabbed Jen's arm, his instincts kicking in. "Laufen!"(Run) he shouted as he began to sprint. , Jen, gripped his arm tightly as they ran, narrowly dodging the alien's blast.

At the same time, Lucky, ever the loyal companion, extended his mechanical limbs to grab Gwen, yanking her off her feet and pulling her along at full speed. Gwen barely had time to react before she was swept off the ground, her body jerking as Lucky moved her out of harm's way.

Just as the rhino alien was about to fire another blast, a blur shot past him, moving faster than the eye could track. The blur slammed into the alien's horn, ripping it clean off with a sickening snap. The alien staggered, roaring in pain, but before he could react, the blur kicked him square in the stomach, cracking his armor and sending him sprawling backward.

The blur didn't stop there. In one swift motion, it darted to the alien's jaw, delivering a powerful kick that knocked him out cold, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Okay, can someone please explain what just happened?" Jen said, still trying to process everything as she looked at the downed rhino.

"We got saved," Micheal replied, glancing at the alien, who was now unconscious on the ground.

"Yeah, but by who?" Gwen asked, looking around, trying to spot whoever—or whatever—had come to their aid.

Just as she finished speaking, the blur from earlier zipped past them again, stopping in front of them with a gust of wind. The figure was a flash of motion, but now, standing still, they revealed themselves.

"Is that XLR8?" Gwen asked, eyeing the figure in front of them, her brow furrowed in confusion.

The woman who had freed herself from the energy net appeared, dragging it back and dropping it on the downed rhino, ensuring he stayed incapacitated.

Micheal, turned red blushing, glanced over at XLR8, taking note of her more mature form. He quickly turned away, trying to hide his embarrassment. Jen, on the other hand, was seething with a fierce expression, clearly annoyed by the newcomer.

"Looks like the work of Dr. Animo," XLR8 said, her voice steady as she scanned the rhino-like robot with her visor. Her eyes narrowed as the data flowed through, zooming in on a strange energy signature. "I'll run a DNA analysis back at headquarters."

She took a step back, preparing to zoom away, but paused when she noticed the kids' reactions. Gwen and Lucky smiled and waved, their excitement clear. But Micheal? He couldn't even look at her, his face bright red with embarrassment, trying desperately to look anywhere but at her. Jen, however, was the complete opposite—her eyes were burning with disdain, and it was clear she was not pleased with the sudden appearance of this new figure.

"And send them back, now," XLR8 commanded, her claws pointed threateningly at the group, ready to act. But just as she was about to take off, she froze at the sound of a voice.

"Jen, calm down," Micheal said softly, placing a hand on Jen's shoulder to stop her from charging at XLR8. His voice was steady, but there was an edge of concern in it.

"You're me, right?" Gwen asked, her voice laced with confusion as she looked at the hooded woman, who slowly lowered her hood to reveal a familiar face.

The woman nodded, a smirk playing on her lips. "Actually, I've been going by Gwendolyn since college," she said, crouching down slightly, her posture relaxed but confident.

"College?" Gwen blinked, tilting her head in disbelief. "Ivy League? Do I get a master's?" she joked, trying to process the strange situation.

But before the conversation could go any further, Micheal stepped in, his voice cutting through the air. "Wait, then you're Jen?" he said, his eyes narrowing as he pointed at the woman now identified as XLR8.

The woman said nothing as she tried to speed off, but Jen, acting on impulse, darted in front of her, blocking her path. "Are you really me?" Jen asked with hearts in her eyes, her words tumbling out in a rapid-fire succession. "Am I and Micheal married? How many babies do we have? Can I meet future Micheal? Can we meet the babies? How many times a day do we do it?"

Micheal, caught off guard by her barrage of questions, blushed deeply, trying to look anywhere but at Jen's face.

But Future Jen simply turned away, her expression unreadable as she casually shrugged, "Who's Micheal?" Her voice was flat, almost dismissive, and before anyone could respond, she sped off, disappearing into the distance.

Jen stood frozen, the air heavy with her disappointment as she processed the response—or rather, the lack of one. "Wait! What?" she called after her, but it was too late. Future Jen was already gone.

"You could lose that attitude, you know," both Gwens said in unison, giving Jen a pointed look.

Gwendolyn, raising an eyebrow, eyed Jen carefully before turning to Micheal. "And you, who are you?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity, yet tinged with hesitation.

Micheal scratched the back of his head nervously. "Uh, I'm Micheal Kaiser," he said sheepishly.

Jen, clearly a little annoyed, shot a glare at Gwendolyn. "How do you not know him? He's my boyfriend—and probably my husband in the future," she added, turning her attention to the older Gwen, as if the answer should have been obvious.

Gwendolyn raised an eyebrow, her expression unamused. "Husband? Jen Ten Thousand isn't married—or even in a relationship, or even lost her virginity," she said, causing everyone to freeze, wide-eyed in shock.

Micheal blinked in confusion, his voice low. "Wait, do I not exist in the future?" he asked, his gaze shifting around as he noticed there were no statues, no monuments, nothing to suggest his place in the future—unlike Jen's prominent status.

"It doesn't matter now," Gwendolyn said dismissively, her gaze sharp. "Jen Ten Thousand may have mastered the secrets of the Omnitrix, but that doesn't mean she's prepared for everything."

"What could she need help with?" Gwen asked,