A/N: I had seen this idea being brought up in several stories, but they never got fully realized. Ben becoming an Anodite is one of the craziest, most overpowered ideas I've ever heard of. And I love it. So I want to build on that idea. This story will be loosely based off the canon story line, there will be a lot of references to Alien Force episodes.
Given the fact that I prefer when things keep pace with how my mind works with it, this will have a more mature theme. Language, violence descriptions, and the like. Ben in particular will have a different demeanor rather than this his goofy persona in canon. Gwen and Kevin will also be fleshed differently as well, but not to the same extent as Ben. Got it? Ok. Let's begin.
"Ben? Are you even listening?"
Ben Tennyson snapped out of his daze before looking at his cousin, who was irritated with him judging by the way she was glaring at him.
Ever since their summer together, the two of them had gotten along far better. They even considered themselves close. But that didn't stop Ben from being... too Ben at times. Or at least that's how Gwen's mother Natalie, put it.
"Sorry. What were we talking about?" Ben asked. He sounded as distracted as if someone had woken him up in the middle of class.
Gwen sighed while rubbing her temples. Helping him with schoolwork took the patience of a saint. And even they would be at risk of being driven insane.
Glancing over to the spot he was staring at, Gwen noticed that the spot he was staring at was her dresser. And on a specific drawer. That was odd, considering the window was just above it.
"Are you that curious as to what my clothes look like?" Gwen said with a smirk, making Ben recoil. That seemed to get his attention.
"Um, first off. No. Ew. Secondly..." Ben sighed as he leaned back. "I don't know. Something just feels different."
"Different how? Besides..." Gwen trailed, pointing at his left hand.
"Yes, besides that. I don't know what it is. It's just a feeling," Ben said before his gaze traveled back to the same spot. Same dresser, same drawer.
Gwen knew what was in the drawer he was looking. A bunch of her magic related stuff. She still practiced, but she hadn't actually needed to use her magic in a long time.
"You seem interested in that drawer," Gwen pointed out.
"I just keep looking at it cause it beats focusing on Algebra," Ben said, and Gwen couldn't help but roll her eyes at the blatant lie.
Getting to her feet, she saved the page of the Algebra book in her hands before walking over to the drawer that was somehow taking her cousin's attention.
"What are you doing?" Ben asked.
"Satisfying your curiosity," Gwen said before opening the drawer all the way out and carrying it over to their studying spot. "This is everything that's in it."
"That's all your magic stuff," Ben said, picking up the Keystone of Bezel.
He immediately dropped it back inside when he felt the artifact pulse in his hand. It was freaky, and... oddly familiar.
"Yeah. All of the old charms, bunch of old trinkets," Gwen said before picking up her spellbook. "And then there's this."
"Charmcaster's book. You still keep it?" Ben asked.
"I like to keep my skills sharp. Normal we may be, but it doesn't mean I don't want to be a good sorceress," Gwen said with a shrug.
"So... most of this stuff doesn't work?" he asked, picking a second book. He examined it few a few seconds before dropping it back in.
"Mostly. Only thing that has any substantial use are the books. And this," Gwen said before she launched a pink tendril into her closet and pulled out a staff. That trick was new to him.
"Isn't that the staff Hex had?" Ben asked.
"One of them. He kept finding a new one every time we fought him," Gwen said before standing it up and twirling it. Mentally focused, she used the staff to rearrange the stuff in her closet back to the way it was before she took the staff out. "But this was the one he had when we found the Keystone of Bezel."
"Moments like that make normal feel overrated sometimes," Ben said as he stretched the tiredness out of his limbs.
"I kinda agree. But after aliens, bounty hunters, and all sorts of craziness, the both of us deserve our time away from it. Besides, there hasn't been anything more substantial than bank robbers since you took off the watch," Gwen reminded him.
"I hope it stays like that too. I just need to find something to do," Ben said, picking up the Keystone again. Again, there was that strange pulse that he couldn't make heads or tails of. But instead of dropping it back in, he held onto it.
"You can't seriously be thinking about magic?" Gwen asked, noticing the way he was staring at the Stone.
"If you can pull a rabbit out of a hat, why can't I?" Ben said with a grin as he turned the Keystone over in his hands.
"You know it doesn't work like that, right?" Gwen said with a raised brow. But she was smiling.
"I know it doesn't," Ben said before tossing her the Keystone. "You sure there's no more magic in that thing? It keeps doing something when I touch it."
Gwen caught it easily, and she felt the same pulse he did. It was unexpected. It was like feeling a heartbeat through something artificial.
"Yeah, I felt it too," Gwen said before putting it back down. "It feels... strangely comfortable."
"If that's the case, you could start wearing it like a necklace," Ben said.
"All I remember this thing being good for was creating a bunch of charms I don't want. No normal girl has a bunch of charms that give her a bunch of different magic powers," Gwen said.
"No normal girl can grab something out of their closet with pink energy," Ben reminded her with a wide grin.
"The same reason I don't use stuff like this is the same reason you won't put the watch back on. Because I want a normal life. I want to avoid making a life where it's nothing but you, me, and Grandpa Max dealing with alien after alien. I'll do it if I have to, but nothing more," Gwen told him firmly.
"You know it used to be scary that you could guess my thoughts so well. Now I'm starting to think it's just the magic," Ben said, making Gwen smirk.
"I don't need magic to figure out the mind of a doofus," she said, making Ben roll his eyes.
"I'll let you have that one. But can you just, and I know this is weird coming from me, be serious for a moment?" he asked, pushing the textbook away from him.
"Right. A hobby. Well, we're just starting middle school. Do you like sports?" Gwen asked.
"Watching, maybe. Playing could be fun, I guess," Ben said with a shrug.
"I'd say something like an academic club, but..." Gwen trailed, making Ben roll his neck in exasperation.
"No. I hate doing my own schoolwork, much less competing with people way nerdier than me," he said with a yawn.
"Figures. Well, I guess there's always karate," Gwen suggested lazily. But she didn't expect the suggestion to catch Ben's attention.
"That I could work. I'd still be able to kick butt. But, you know. Without lives being at stake. I'd probably be the best starter day one," Ben said confidently.
"I don't doubt that. Lot of kids who just join karate are out of shape, have the reflexes of slugs, and can't take a punch," Gwen said with a smirk. "So yeah. You'll win. Quite the accomplishment, hero."
Ben flushed slightly. Ever since he took off the Omnitrix, he was hearing less "doofus" and more "hero." It made him feel all warm inside. Even after he...
"No. I'm not going to get into that," Ben thought, furiously shaking his head. Gwen noticed his furious head shaking before putting her hands on his shoulders to get him to look at her.
"You alright?" she asked in a concerned tone.
"I'm fine. Just... memories, you know?" Ben said, sounding quieter than Gwen was comfortable with. "End of summer was a big eye opener that this wasn't all fun and games."
"You don't deserve to feel guilty, you know," Gwen said, holding his hands with her own. "I'm ok."
"If it wasn't for Pluto, you wouldn't have. You would've..." Ben cut himself off before tightening his fists. "It's better that the Omnitrix is off."
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I preferred it when you were obnoxious," Gwen said with a sigh. "Let's not talk about that. What are you going to do if you need a hobby so bad?"
"I'll ask mom to sign me up for karate tomorrow," Ben said before grabbing the staff that Gwen put down. He then twirled it with one hand, a grin donning his face when he managed to keep twirling it without dropping it.
"What is with you touching everything?" Gwen asked in an exasperated tone before adding as an afterthought, "At least he seemed to put the previous conversation behind him..."
"I'm just holding it. It's not like I'm going to break it," Ben said with a roll of the eyes. "I'd like to think I have a bit more finesse than that."
"Well, enough of your finesse..." Gwen trailed before using another tendril of mana to put the staff back in her closet. "...and back to some Algebra."
"Ugh. Fine. That's part of the reason I came over here in the first place," Ben said before picking up the algebra book.
"Part?" Gwen asked.
"Other parts involve advice and the fact that I don't want to vomit just from hanging out with you," Ben mentioned, making Gwen snort as she stood to her feet.
"Thanks," she said, making Ben smirk as she put her drawer back where it was. His gaze followed it again.
"What is with me doing that?" Ben thought furiously as he focused himself to focus on his homework.
A/N: It's short, but like I said, it's just an introduction. It's not meant to be extremely long.
If I was any good at drawing anything digital, I'd easily make it a picture of what I'd imagine Ben as an Anodite would look like. But I'm not that good, so a regular Anodite with the Omnitrix symbol behind it will have to do. Hope you all enjoyed!