Rachel and Sasha Jocklin went to visit Ben in the hospital. The teen hero had a brutal battle with Khyber, who had Sixsix, Sevenseven, and Eighteight to back him up.
Four merciless mercenaries who were close to ending Ben until Rook and the rest of the Plumbers saved him at the last moment.
Ben was saved, but he was gravely injured. His body was wrapped head to toe in casts and bandages. He looked like a mummy.
"Hey, Ben." Rachel said softly. "We brought you a card."
"And some flowers." Sasha held a vase of white roses. "Hope you like them."
Ben glanced over to them. He didn't smile or say a word. He just looked back up at the ceiling.
"It's okay, Ben. You'll be out of here in no time." Rachel said, trying to cheer the boy up. "Once Alien X comes back from his mission, he'll heal you up like that!" She snapped her fingers.
"Mm-hmm." Ben kept looking at the ceiling.
"Are you alright, Ben?" asked Rachel. "If something's bothering you, it's okay to talk about it."
"No, thanks." Ben mumbled.
"Ben," Rachel began. "I know you're upset about what happened. But just remember that-"
"I know, Rachel. You guys will always be there for me and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Just go away. I want to be alone." Ben looked away, a hint of bitterness in his voice.
Shocked by his words, the girls left the room, clearly disheartened.
That night, Ben was still wide awake and gazing at the ceiling. He thought he had things under control handling Khyber and the Sotoraggian siblings, but the hero shouldn't underestimate his enemies. Just when he thought he had the upper hand, Eighteight attacked from behind just as the Omnitrix deactivated.
The moment Ben was defenseless, the hunters ruthlessly beat him down. Ben could still hear their twisted, sadistic laughter in their heads.
It made Ben think back to all the times he was on the brink of death because of all the enemies he's made over the years.
And Ben knows that they always keep coming back no matter how hard he tries to save the day.
It made Ben feel more like a victim than a hero...
The next day, Rachel and Sasha were at the mansion thinking about Ben.
"Do you really think Ben will be okay?" Sasha asked her sister.
"He's obviously not okay. But there's not much we can do." Rachel responded. Just then, the doorbell rang.
The sisters went to answer the door and both let out a scream when they saw the Grim Reaper.
"Gary?!" Rachel exclaimed.
Sasha took deep breathes and patted her chest. "You scared us!"
"Yeah, I get that a lot." Gary responded. Gary was indeed Death, the Grim Reaper himself. The girls met him at Hotel Transylvania. Despite being afraid at first, the girls befriended him. "Sorry about that. But don't worry. I'm not here on business. I just need a favor."
"A favor?" asked Rachel.
"Yeah, my house is being remodeled and I need a place to stay. Is it alright if I stay with you gals for a while?"
"With us?! Why us?" asked Sasha. "What's wrong with Hotel Transylvania?"
"That's because Drac's dog Tinkles or whatever tore the place apart and tried to eat me the moment I walked in! Until Drac sends that beast to obedience class, I'm not checking back there!" Gary rubbed the back of his hooded head. "And I came to you guys because...well, I don't have any other friends to stay with."
"You don't?"
Gary shook his head. "No, when you're Death, you don't have a lot of friends. And aside from Drac and his pack back in Transylvania, you humans are the only real friends I have."
The girls realized that Gary made a good point. The Grim Reaper has been known as one of the most feared beings in the world and therefore, low on friends.
Rachel smiled. "Don't sweat it, Gary. You're welcome to stay with us."
"And I know the perfect room for you to stay in!" said Sasha. While Rachel carried in his bags, Sasha welcomed Gary inside and showed him to the basement. "The basement has a dungeon. Usually, Ghostfreak and Big Chill's rooms are down there, but they're away on business so you can bunk here if you want."
"Wow! You guys have your own dungeon?! Right on!" Gary happily glided down the stairs that descended into the spooky darkness. "I like it here already!"
Back at the hospital, the sun had set and night time arrived. The day seemed to drag on for poor Ben until a special visitor came to see Ben. It was Alien X. "Hey, Ben! I got back early from my mission!" His invisible smile faded when he saw how miserable Ben looked.
Ben glanced his dead, empty eyes at the alien. "Oh, hey, Alien X." Alien X's heart sunk a little when he heard how sad Ben's voice was.
"I came to heal you up, kiddo." Alien X said softly. "Once you're all better, you'll be back out there in the action!"
That comment made Ben's heart race. "U-Um...I don't know, buddy."
Alien X sensed fear in his voice. "Or...I can talk to your grandpa and get you some time off. Then you can relax at the mansion for a while. That okay, champ?"
"Yeah, sure. Works for me." Ben replied.
With a flick of his wrist, Alien X healed Ben up. His body was good as new, but not his spirit.
"So, now that you're all better, wanna head to Bueger Shack and get some real food?" He leaned in close. "I know hospital food isn't the best." he said in a low whisper.
But Ben wasn't in the mood. "Actually, I just want to go to the mansion and rest up, buddy. It was...hard sleeping with all those casts and bandages on."
"If you say so, Ben." Alien X then snapped his fingers and they both appeared at the mansion. "How's about we rent a movie?"
"No, I just want to take it easy. While I do, I'm counting on you to take care of my job while I'm gone."
Alien X gave Ben a salute. "You can count on me, Ben! You just rest up!" And the starry alien took off into the night sky.
Ben exhaled a sigh of relief. "With bad guys and smothering aliens up my butt, I'm not safe anywhere!" The boy entered the mansion. It was dark. Dark and scary...Ben was afraid...afraid there might be a playful alien upstairs wanting to smother him with sentimental mush and tickles.
Fearing this, he decided to sleep in the basement, the last place anyone would find him. He knew Ghostfreak an Big Chill were gone, so he knew he'd have the basement all to himself.
With his pajamas and flashlight on, Ben ventured down to the basement. He felt nervous, okay, very nervous. He was all alone in a cold, dark, spooky basement with no one to keep him company.
'Snap out of it, Tennyson. You're not scared of the dark anymore.' Ben scolded in his mind. He found Ghostfreak's bedroom. It was a coffin shaped bed. But Ben didn't care, he just wanted to sleep and enjoy and nice, peaceful rest in solitude.
Ben hopped into the casket bed, closed his eyes, and fell fast asleep.
Little did he know that someone was watching him...Gary was lurking in the shadows. Who was this kid? Why was he here? And why was he sleeping in Gary's bed?
"I don't know who that is. But he can't just take my bed!" Gary said. He rubbed bony hands together. "It's been a while since I gave someone a good scare on purpose!"
Ben was sleeping so soundly, so peacefully, he felt so...relaxed.
But suddenly, the covers were yanked off of Ben. He felt a rush of icy cold air and jokes awake, his eyes wide with fear. He hugged his body to shield himself from the bitter cold of the invisible draft.
"W-W-What's h-happening?!" Ben said through chattering teeth.
As quick as it happened, the draft stopped blowing. A dead silence filled the air.
Ben didn't understand any of this at all. "What the heck just happened?!"
Heavy, demonic breathing came from behind Ben, he felt someone's breath against his neck. Trembling, he turned around and saw the Grim Reaper right behind him.
Gary exhaled another demonic breath, slowly taking out his scythe.
Ben lost it.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The teenage boy bolted out of the room as Gary chased him. He looked back and saw the cloaked figure still behind him. Ben ran twice as fast and was about to leave the basement when he slammed right into Rachel and Sasha.
"Ben?! What are you doing here?!" asked Rachel. "I thought you were in the hospital!"
Ben tried to talk, but his fear and panic made him incoherent. He turned around again and there was the scythe wielding phantom right behind him.
Ben let out anither horrified scream before he fainted. Luckily, Sasha caught him.
Gary broke out laughing. "Oh, yeah! Great scare! Am I right?! Up top!" He held his hand out for a high five, but the girls weren't happy.
"Gary! You shouldn't have done that! This is Ben! He's our friend!" Sasha scolded. "Now he's scared half to...well, death!"
"What?! He's your friend?! Oh, man! I'm sorry!" Gary tried to apologize. "I thought he was some guy who shouldn't be here! I'm really, really sorry!"
Rachel sighed. "It's okay, Gary. You didn't know." She looked at Ben. "But Ben's gonna need some help when he wakes up."
Sasha looked around, seeing the torture rack in one of the dungeon rooms. "I think I have an idea."
Ben began to open his eyes. He thought he had the worst nightmare yet. The Grim Reaper came to kill him and take him away. He looked to the side and saw Rachel and Sasha next to him. "Guys...oh, man. I had a horrible dream. I was sleeping when I saw the-" Ben paused when he realized that he was tied to a torture rack. "HEY! What's going on?!"
"You didn't have a nightmare, Ben." said Rachel. "You really did see the Grim Reaper."
"WHAT?!" Ben looked to his other side and screamed.
There he was. The Grim Reaper looking down at Ben. Ben couldn't see his face within the blackness of his hood. He saw the skeletal hands holding the huge scythe that looked like it could cut Ben's limbs like they were made of butter.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHH! GET ME OUT OF HERE! RACHEL! SASHA! HEEEEEEELP!" Ben cried out.
"Ben! It's okay! This is Gary! He's our friend!"
"I DON'T CARE! LET ME-" Ben stopped screaming. "Wait...Gary?!"
"Yeah, how's it going?" Gary said with a wave and friendly tone of voice. "Sorry for the scare. I couldn't help myself."
"Y-You mean...you're not the Grim Reaper?!"
"I am the Grim Reaper, but my real name's Gary, it's more approachable, y'know?"
Ben couldn't believe this. This was the real Grim Reaper?! Sure, he looked the part. But he didn't sound scary or menacing at all! "B-But...what about the wind and the scary breathing?!"
"All me." Gary thumbed to himself.
"You see, Ben. Gary's house is being remodeled. So he's staying with us for a bit." Sasha explained.
"Okay, great. Now let me out of here!" Ben struggled in his restraints. "I've had enough horror for one night! I'm not spending another second in this nut house with DEATH right here in the room!"
"Ben! You have to calm down!" said Rachel.
"CALM DOWN?! How can I calm down?! It's like I'm in a bad horror movie! HOW CAN I POSSIBLY CALM DOWN?!"
Gary sighed. "I think it's time for your idea now, Sasha."
Sasha nodded. "Yeah, you're right." She and Rachel left the room.
"HEY! Where are you guys going?!" Ben shouted. "DON'T LEAVE ME HERE WITH HIM!"
"Sorry, Ben. But this is for your own good." Sasha said. "We'll leave you and Gary alone to get acquainted."
"NOOOOOO!" Ben screamed as the girls left him alone with Death.
"Relax, kid. I'm not gonna hurt you." Gary assured him. "And I'm definitely not here to collect your soul either. It's not your time yet."
But Ben was still afraid. Who knows what this monster will do to him?! Whatever possessed Rachel and Sasha to become friends with the Grim Reaper?!
"So, you're Ben Tennyson, huh?" Gary asked casually. "I've heard a lot about you. You've narrowly escaped me a bunch of times!" He said jokingly.
But Ben thought he wasn't joking. "So you're here to kill me?!" he asked in anger and fear.
"WHAT?! Kill you?! I'm not a murderer! I'm DEATH!" He banged his scythe on the floor. Ben felt chills when he heard the room shake.
"I mean, sure, I have the power to claim peoples' souls, but the last thing I am is a murderer!" Gary pointed a finger at Ben. "Don't confuse me with the kind of people who kill innocent lives just for their own personal gain!" He sighed. "When a life ends, it's my job is to guide their soul to the afterlife. I mean, I know it's a bummer, but that's just how it is. I mean, people die sooner or later."
"Yeah..." Ben said sadly. "So, what's the point of my job then?" he said below his breath.
Gary banged his scythe again. "What was that?!"
"N-Nothing!" Ben said quickly.
"I may not have ears, but I can still hear! So spill it!"
"I didn't say anything!"
"DON'T LIE TO ME!" Gary roared in a deep, demonic voice.
Ben screamed and started to panic. This Gary can be actually...terrifying!
"Oops! Shouldn't have used the voice." He saw how shook up Ben was. He snapped his fingers. "Don't worry! I have just the thing to cheer you up!" He took out a fluffy ostrich feather.
"AAAH! No! Not that!" Ben pleaded. "Anything but that! I don't need to be tickled!"
"Actually, Sasha told me this is exactly what you need!" He lifted up Ben's black tank top and tickled his stomach with the feather.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STOP IT!" Ben laughed.
"Coochy, coochy, coo! Coochy, coochy, coo!" Gary teased as he tickle tortured Ben. He dragged the unbearably soft plume in a serpentine pattern all over Ben's upper body. Sweeping and dragging the quill along the contours of his abs, stomach and sides.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STOP! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" To think that Ben would have to deal with being tickle tortured by Death. "I HATE BEING TICKLED! STAHAHAHAHAP!"
"This takes me back to my days as a Scream scout." Gary said as he tickled the hollows of Ben's armpits with the feather.
"A WHAHAHAHAT?! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Ben kept laughing. Thankfully, Gary stopped tickling so he could speak to Ben properly.
"You see, back in the day, I was in the Scream scouts." Gary said. "I got a merit badge for dungeon torture. In fact, I used to be one of the best torturers in Transylvania before I took on the Reaper business."
"Somehow I'm not surprised." Ben then squealed when Gary dipped his fingertip into Ben's belly button and wriggled it around inside. "Hey! Hehehehehehe! Quit it!"
"What's wrong? Can't handle a little ticklin'?" The Grim Reaper scribbled his fingertips against the middle of Ben's stomach.
"AAAAAAH! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STOP IT! STOP IT! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Ben screamed in laughter as he bucked and writhed from his touch.
"Tickle, tickle, tickle!" Gary cooed as he tickled. He paused to give Ben a break. "So, wanna talk about what you said before?"
Ben sighed and looked away. "No thanks."
"Are you sure?" Gary flicked his finger against the hollow of Ben's armpit.
Ben let out a squeak. "NO! Not there!"
Gary met the boy's nervous gaze. "I wonder how ticklish you are here?" Without waiting for an answer he lightly wiggled his fingertips against Ben's most ticklish spot. "Oooooooh, tickle, tickle..."
"EEEEEEAAAAAAHHHH! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STOP! I CAN'T STAND IT THERE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NO MOHOHOHOHORE! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Gary chuckled. "Wow. You really are ticklish there. I'm not even tickling that hard." He tickled Ben's weak spot until tears formed in the boy's eyes. He stopped for good this time. "Okay, wanna talk now?"
Exhausted, Ben gave up. Once he collected his breath, he confessed. "Okay, I was sad because...well..."
"You almost died yesterday?" Gary said. Ben looked at Death, surprised. "I know these things, kids."
Ben sighed. "Yeah, I'm always putting myself on the brink of death to save people. But you said yourself that people die eventually. So...what's the point of me saving lives? And if I do die on the job someday, who will be there to protect my family, my friends, and the whole universe?!"
Gary nodded his head. "I think you just answered your first question with your second question."
"Huh?!" Ben looked at the reaper, confused.
"Yep. The point of you saving people's lives is to protect the people you love. Sure, people die eventually, which is why they need to be alive for as long as they can to enjoy life! It's as simple as that!"
At long last, Ben finally found the moment of clarity he needed. "You're right. People need to live life to it's fullest with the people they love. That's why heroes like us protect them."
"Bingo, kiddo." Gary released Ben from the table. "And you're entitled to enjoy life too, y'know. So don't worry so much."
Ben smiled. "Thanks, Gary. I will."
Rachel and Sasha came in. "Well said." Rachel said. "So, who's up for a midnight snack?"
"This guy!" Ben said, raising his hand. "I'm starved!"
"Me too! Look at me, I'm wasting away!" Gary joked, yanking up his robe to reveal his skeleton body.
Everyone laughed as they headed upstairs. Thanks to the most unlikely and unusual person, Ben saw the value of life in a whole new way.
And he'll never forget it in his lifetime.
newbienovelistRD: Hey guestsurprise! I was wondering if you can do a request for Guest.
The story request is that Sage ends up running into his father. During the skirmish Sage could call for Jocu and his brothers for help. Maybe they could then bring him to tickle kingdom where he also meets Vibracio who helps him with his negative feelings and fears along with helping him with his wounds from a muzzle and rope.