Welcome to New York.
In downtown New York City stood a four-star luxury hotel. Parked right in front was an old-fashioned RV that looked hilariously out of place among the expensive cars.
Grandpa Max led the way inside, handing the room reservation form to the receptionist with practiced ease.
Ethen looked around curiously, while Gwen pointed at the wall with excitement.
"Wow, this hotel has a buffet, swimming pool, sauna, and even a spa! This is awesome!"
"That sounds good," Ethen said, taking a deep breath. The air inside the hotel felt crisp and fresh.
"Whoa, they're hosting a Sumo Slammers press conference! They'll have the latest gaming consoles and a new Sumo Slammers game too!"
Ben's eyes lit up the moment he saw the sign.
He ran toward the event hall, only to be stopped by a tall, muscular security guard.
"Invitation," the guard demanded.
"I'm an expert at Sumo Slammers! You guys invited me!" Ben said confidently, making it up on the spot.
Naturally, the guard didn't buy it and threw him out without hesitation.
"Man, that guy's so rude! No matter how tough he thinks he is, he's nothing compared to an alien hero!" Ben grumbled as he walked back to the group.
Ethen shrugged. "Ben, did you already forget what you promised me?"
"I wasn't going to mess with the Omnitrix! I just wanted to teach that jerk a lesson!" Ben argued.
Why was it that every time Ben got into trouble, it always had something to do with Sumo Slammers?
Ethen sighed and said calmly, "Ben, if you want to use the Omnitrix, go ahead. But remember—every time you lose control, you betray all the times you've managed to hold back."
"Geez, that's so dramatic! I've only been holding back for a few days…" Ben muttered, scratching his head.
Before he could say more, Grandpa Max had already checked them into their room.
Once they settled in, Ben finally started to calm down.
"Done," Ethen said with a satisfied grin.
He'd successfully stopped Ben from getting them kicked out—again.
But then…
Ethen stood up. "Grandpa, I'm going downstairs to check out the restaurant's menu. Ben, Gwen, see you later."
He left the room, slipped through the lobby, and quietly exited the hotel.
In the original timeline, it was Ben's reckless Omnitrix use that got them thrown out of the hotel. After being scolded, he'd stormed off to an arcade, where he met Kevin Levin for the first time.
But this time, Ethen planned to change the story—he wanted to meet Kevin himself.
"Hey, Ethen! You think we didn't notice you sneaking off for an adventure?"
Ben's voice rang out from behind.
Ethen turned to see both Ben and Gwen jogging toward him. Gwen sighed, pretending to be annoyed—but secretly, she was amused.
"This doofus has a sixth sense for trouble," she whispered.
"…Fine. Let's go together," Ethen said, helplessly rubbing his temples.
The three walked through the busy streets, wandering aimlessly while looking for the arcade.
Then—
A group of thugs suddenly rushed into a nearby gaming arcade, shouting furiously.
"Kevin Levin's in there!"
"He's juiced up again—knocked out half our crew!"
"This time, he's not getting away!"
The sounds of fighting and a boy's angry shout echoed from inside.
"Those jerks…!" Ben clenched his fists, fuming.
Ethen's face hardened.
Ding!
Mission triggered: "Master of Mixed Martial Arts — Ethen."
Objective: Stop the gang harassing Kevin Levin using your fighting skills!
Reward: 15 Points.
Ethen twitched slightly. "Fifteen points? Guess Kevin's worth something."
"I can't just stand here!" Ben said, ready to rush in.
"Ben, wait!" Gwen stopped him. "There are too many people around. You can't transform here!"
Ben gritted his teeth. "But—"
Ethen took off his coat and tossed it toward him.
"Hold this," he said calmly.
Ben caught the coat, stunned, as Ethen walked past them. His steady, confident stride carried the weight of someone who didn't need powers to be dangerous.
"I'll handle this," he said over his shoulder.
Inside the arcade, customers had already fled. A handful of thugs were beating up a teenager in the corner—Kevin.
"Hey! Beat it, kid!" one of them barked. "This doesn't concern you!"
Ethen didn't respond.
The thug snarled and swung an iron rod at him.
Whoosh!
Ethen sidestepped, slammed his knee into the man's chest—
Thud!
The thug's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed instantly.
The others froze for a moment before charging at him with weapons raised.
Ethen didn't flinch. He let one of their rods strike his chest—absorbed perfectly by the advanced combat suit he wore.
"What the—did it just bounce off?"
"Is he even human?!"
Before they could recover, Ethen moved.
He punched one square in the jaw, spun the fallen iron rod in his hands, and unleashed a blur of short-stick techniques—each move precise, efficient, and brutal.
One by one, the thugs fell to the ground.
Kevin, bruised and dazed, watched in awe from the corner.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In less than a minute, the entire gang was down.
Ding! Mission complete. Reward: 15 Points.
Ethen exhaled, wiped the sweat from his brow, and turned to Kevin.
"You okay?" he asked coolly.
Kevin stared at him, his eyes wide.
"Kung fu…" he muttered, then suddenly dropped to his knees, bowing deeply.
"I want to learn from you! Please, be my master!!"
Ethen froze for a moment.
"…What?" he muttered under his breath.
Kevin Levin wanted him as a master?!