"Where are they?" Kevin asked, annoyed.
"They said to meet them here…" Ben answered, "At 7:30?"
"Yeah, well what time is it now?"
Ben stared blankly at his omnitrix; "I don't know, doesn't tell time."
Kevin groaned as he reached for his cell phone, but Ben elbowed his ribs.
"There they are," Ben said, pointing to where they sat, and Kevin returned their wave.
Gwen and Julie sat, they'd been waiting for Ben and Kevin; the four teenagers were on a double date to a movie.
The two boys began walking over to their girls; before their third step they were blasted inside an explosion.
Blood sprayed, Julie and Gwen were covered in gore.
Armored men ran through the newly made hole in the theatre's wall, firing their alien weapons.
Gwen projected an energy shield, to protect her and Julie from the Forever Knights' attacks.
A figure, Kevin, rose from the debris and carnage; he'd absorbed metal and began bashing Forever Knight heads.
Gwen, from behind her shield, fired purple energy bolts at the Forever Knights; she and Kevin's combined force eventually drove their foes back.
As the Forever Knights retreated, Julie ran over to the gory ash.
"Ben!" she cried, kneeling at the smoldering carnage, kneeling in blood.
Kevin had seen enough; he drug her away from the scene.
Julie screamed, teary-eyed; not only she cried, but so did Gwen and Kevin.
Gwen struggled to pick up her cousin's aura, in repeated failed attempts; she had trouble finding things that weren't alive.
** *
One dead explained the Bellwood news anchor.
The youth was caught in an explosion, the news anchor continued, likely cause: terrorist activity.
Gwen spent a lot of her time, alone in her room.
Kevin spent most of his time unnecessarily working on his car.
He would sometimes leave to go comfort Gwen.
The two didn't hear from Julie, who avoided their calls.
She, like Gwen, spent most of her time in her room.
Ship would constantly bark at her, eager for attention; "shut up," Julie scolded, surprised at her hurtful words, "just leave me alone."
* **
"He's gone…" Gwen cried into Kevin's shoulder.
"… You don't know that," Kevin contradicted.
"What? Kevin, you're in denial."
"No. he could've survived that blast. He could've turned into Chromastone, or Swampfire," Kevin sounded somewhat doubtful but hopeful.
"Then what, Kevin?! He just vanished?"
"I don't know Gwen," Kevin yelled, hardly the optimistic type, "he could've been Big-"
"No, Kevin…" Gwen sighed, "as much as I'd like to believe that, I just can't. It's not the truth. Kevin, Ben's de-"
"Don't say that! You're not sure!"
"Yes, I am. I've been trying to track his mana. Not only Ben's, but Big Chill's, Humongousaur's- all of his aliens' individually. He's gone, Kevin."
Kevin jerked away from her; he punched a hole in her wall then charged out her door, bumping into Kenny on his rampage to the exit.
* **
Gwen, not particularly enjoying leaving her house, tracked Kevin's mana.
Kenny offered her a ride; "I'm proud of you, Gwen. I know you and Ben were really close, I regret not spending enough time with our cousin. It must be very difficult for you to cope with…"
He stopped the car.
"Gwen, you're my sister, and I love you. If you ever need someone, I'm here for you."
"…thanks, Ken" Gwen said, kissing her brother's cheek before exiting his car.
She walked past Kevin's green Camaro, into the establishment.
Kevin sat at a table, not alone, looking terribly miserable.
"Mr. Smoothie…" Gwen said.
"… In Ben's honor," Julie explained, on the verge of tears.
Ship slid around like a slug, beeping.
Kevin had gotten a smoothie, but like always disapproved of it.
"You never did like smoothies, Kevin," Gwen stated.
Kevin, in agreement, poured out the cup.
The Galvanic symbiote lapped at the juice.
They realized, there together, that they'd have to come to terms with what had happened.
They also discovered that they could depend on each other.
* **
Purple energy bolts flew at the DNAliens.
Gwen hadn't been looking to fight, but when called into battle you weren't given much of a choice.
She and Kevin had fought without Ben before, but often with poor results.
This was different, though.
Ben would eventually join them, or help somehow, even if not directly; but Ben's aide could no longer be depended on.
Rock-hard Kevin beat at the DNAliens, who swarmed the two teenagers.
Multiple DNAliens overpowered Kevin, launching him into a pile of wooden crates.
There was the crack of splintering wood.
Kevin emerged from the wreckage, having absorbed the materials that had been in the boxes; the alien-metal, *trisitium.
A purple bolt of energy struck Kevin; the DNAliens shuddered.
Without Echo Echo to amplify the *trisitium's vibrations, its effect was lesser.
The DNAliens were quick to recover, only to be mildly inconvenienced by another *trisitium ring.
"Gwen…" Kevin growled, "Make it big. Really hit me!"
With this powerful hit, Kevin vibrated more violently; the DNAliens buckled to their knees.
Kevin followed Gwen, stepping over their fallen foes, to a computer.
She'd read their plans, or more the information available on this computer, then deleted it.
"Deleting this information is the best we can do," Gwen explained, facing Kevin, "it'll at least halt their plan."
"If Ben was here," Kevin complained, "we could've ended this now."
"I know, Kevin," Gwen replied, "I know…"
Some of the fallen DNAliens began to stand; "we'd better get out of here," Gwen advised.
Kevin nodded, agreeing.
The couple exited the seemingly normal warehouse, jumped in Kevin's car, and drove off.
"Kevin, I found some Forever Knights plan on that computer," Gwen said to her boyfriend.
"…yeah?" Kevin wanted her to continue.
"We've destroyed so many of their castles," Gwen explained, "that the Forever Knights are running out of bases. I think they plan to demolish Bellwood , and build their castles in its place."
** *
Gwen lie in her bed; it'd been days since the incident.
She had trouble falling asleep tonight, but then she had ever since the explosion.
Gwen thought of her aunt and uncle, Ben's parents, and their reaction when they heard the terrible news; she shuddered.
Just recently they'd discovered Ben was fighting off villains; they were at first against it, then decided it was simply something Ben had to do, maybe even encouraged it.
She rolled into her blankets, and closed her eyes.
Gwen dreamed.
She saw a figure that had been ripped apart in several places and covered in dried blood.
The figure called to her, its voice horribly raspy.
Gwen woke up, drenched in sweat.
Gwen's head darted back and forth, searching her room; "… Ben?"
* **
She told Kevin about her nightmare.
"So what do you think?" Gwen was interested in his opinion.
"I'm not sure, Gwen. I'm no expert on dreams. It could be emotional reasons you had this dream; what little sleep I've gotten I admittedly dream about Ben…"
"So, you don't think it's like, I don't know, Ben reaching me from beyond the grave?"
"I doubt it. Sure, I suppose we all believe in spirits, haunting, whatever to some extent. I'm sleeping over tonight."
This wasn't the first time Kevin's spent the night with Gwen.
Gwen invited Julie over, to have some sort of low brow slumber party.
He advised her and Julie to sleep; Gwen felt like she could sleep easier with Kevin there.
Kevin, though, could only wish to sleep as easily as the girls did.
He sat there, on Gwen's bed, for the longest time in an insomniac state.
Then Kevin heard it, a hoarse moan.
"Gwen…" Kevin heard, "Gwen… Julie… Kevin…"
The hair on the back of his neck stood up; he saw the figure Gwen had vaguely described phase through the wall.
It saw Kevin, and had a joyous expression but lacked a smile; it had no mouth.
"Ben?" Kevin whispered, rubbing his eyes, thinking he might've fallen asleep.
"Ben, is- is that you?"
"Yes…"
Kevin ran to the blood-stained Ectonurite, and bear-hugged it.
"Where have you been?!" the raven-haired boy demanded an explanation.
"Well…" Ben coughed.
Ben, as Ghostfreak, explained to Kevin the whole ordeal.
The explosion had been so unexpected and so fast he'd little to no time to react.
He even remembered seeing his own arms' skin had been ripped off, and blood spraying from his wrists.
Ben himself hadn't exactly been conscious but put pieces together.
He explains that the force of the explosion must've activated the omnitrix, but also damaged the watch-like device.
With its malfunctioning, access to the 'alien force' aliens must've been too difficult, so it dived back into its original ten alien choices.
"When I finally regained consciousness, I was Ghostfreak," Ben continued, "floating through some strange realm. I eventually found my way back to Bellwood , but discovered I had to stay out of the sun-"
"Right," Kevin said, "because with your sun-shielded skin torn, you'd be vulnerable to the sun."
"Well, yeah."
"Wow, Ben…" Kevin sighed, "You've no idea how worried we are; everyone thinks you're dead."
"Oh Jesus," Ben exclaimed, slapping his forehead, "how do I explain this to my parents? Hey, boo. I'm a ghost, freak."
"Ben," Kevin comforted, "it'll be difficult to explain, but I'm sure your parents will understand."
"Kevin," Ben, the torn open, blood caked Ectonurite coughed, "I need your help. With your badge we can get into Bellwood 's plumber base. I'm sure the emergency medical plumbers have something to heal these wounds."
"Ok," E. Levin replied.
***
Ben was bandaged up; his black and white-striped insides that dangled from his cuts were treated with gels and ointments.
The dry blood was washed off his transparent skins.
"There," the plumber-doctor proclaimed, "we've done everything to help. I do believe you needn't hide from the sun anymore."
"Thanks, doctor," Ben persisted, "I feel better already."
"Thank god you're alive, Ben; word was the Forever Knights had blown you to pieces."
***
The two went back to Gwen's house, and fell asleep.
They woke up, only to spend the rest of the day, explaining to everyone that Ben was still alive.
Gwen was overjoyed, as was Julie.
Ben's parents were somewhat confused, perhaps even offended at first, but eventually believed Ben had had survived; they embraced him, crying happy tears.
"So what now, Tennyson?" Kevin asked Ben.
"What d'you mean?"
"You don't want to be an Ectonurite forever, do you?"
Julie was piggy-backed on Ghostfreak, as he hovered in the air.
"Well…" Ben began, "I haven't turned back yet because the omnitrix is malfunctioning. This has happened before; I was Grey Matter for a long time, but the watch sort of fixed itself. I've never been alien this long, though…" Ben coughed, "I thought Cooper could help."
"I guess… yeah- why didn't I think of him before?"
* **
Cooper winced, and scratched his head, puzzled.
The blue-eyed brainchild didn't understand the omnitrix's malfunction.
"I'm sorry, Ben," Cooper apologized.
"S'alright Coop," Ben said in his hoarse, ghost whisper.
Ben floated towards the exit; "why didn't Gwen come?" Cooper asked.
"Fuck off," Kevin exclaimed; he and Ben left Cooper's lab.
***
"So," Gwen said, verifying what she'd just heard, "Ben's only hope now is Azmuth?"
"…yeah," Kevin confirmed.
"Julie," Ben explained, "I think this requires our space-Ship."
"You mean Ship?" Julie said in reply, "Just because he can turn into a spaceship, doesn't change his name. But ok, I'm coming."
"No, Julie" Ben said, in a stern, but raspy voice. "We've had this discussion before. I'm concerned for your safety."
"Yeah, but Be-"
"No, Julie. Remember the explosion? That could have just as easily been you, instead of me. And since you lack a watch that turns you into aliens, you would've really died, Julie."
Julie, angry but persuaded, stayed home.
The four (Ben, Gwen, Kevin and Ship) were outside, discussing their journey.
"So how will we reach Azmuth? We're not even sure where he his," Gwen complained, petting Ship.
"Don't worry, Gwen," Kevin explained, "finding the creator of the omnitrix is a lot easier now than it was five years ago."
"Why is that?" Ben asked, remembering how difficult it had actually been five years ago.
"He's more associated with the plumbers now," Kevin answered, pulling some odd plumber-machine from his car's trunk; "we could probably track him down."
"Right…" Gwen agreed.
Ship transformed into the spaceship; before they could rocket away, a group of Forever Knights poured out into the street.
Gwen and Kevin were ready to attack, but Ben had already phased out of Ship, and into battle.
There were many explosions, like the one that had almost killed Ben, aimed at buildings.
The Forever Knights were leveling Bellwood .
Ben flew through a group of knights, paralyzing them.
He flew one of the armored men high into the air, only to throw him back to the concrete.
Purple and red bolts flew at the Forever Knights; help from Gwen and space-Ship.
A metal Kevin charged into the groups of knights.
With much concentration, Ben used telekinesis to throw his enemies back.
He saw a Forever Knight with a large, probably alien weapon; he'd been the one blowing up houses.
The biggest of the knights, the one holding the boom-stick, began laughing.
He aimed his weapon at Ben, fired.
A fiery ball accelerated toward Ben, who became intangible; the fire ball went through him.
It ricocheted off Gwen's shield, went through Ben a second time and then into the Forever Knight.
Shrapnel (the Forever Knight's armor) and gore (the Forever Knight) flew through the air; the weapon fell to the ground in pieces.
Whatever knights hadn't been beaten now retreated, Kevin ran after them.
"Kevin!" Gwen shouted; her boyfriend halted.
"It's alright," Ben coughed, "they've learned their lesson (if Ben had a mouth, he would've smiled.) Let's go," he finished, phasing back into their spaceship.
***
They'd traveled a great distance, but finally reached the world on which the Galvan resided, Encephalonus IV.
"Azmuth," Ben was so overjoyed, but his raspy voice contradicted this; "could you help me? The watch was damaged in an explosion."
"Sure, Ben," Azmuth answered, warmly.
He tapped at Ben's, ghoulish hide.
"…well, Ben, I'm not sure how to explain this…" Azmuth trailed off, in an uneasy voice.
"What is it, Azmuth?"
"The omnitrix- it must have been incinerated in that explosion, I mean completely destroyed."
"What?" Ben said, as if he hadn't heard correctly, "how can that be?"
"You are not merely a human in Ectonurite form, Ben. You are a true Ectonurite."
Ben looked at Azmuth, puzzled, practically begging for an explanation.
"I'm not sure how it's happened either," the Galvan stated, "to be one, then to be another, without using an omnitrix is beyond my comprehension."
He paused, then continued, "Maybe some god-like being among the stars felt you didn't deserve to die. So, to save your life, you were reborn as Ghostfreak."
Ben thought this over; 'a god-like being' Azmuth had said…
Maybe, just perhaps, a Celestialsapien had manipulated reality to save Ben from a gruesome death.
"There is good news, Ben," Azmuth added.
"I still have that main omnitrix piece I took from Albedo. Haven't disposed of it, hadn't really had a reason. I could reactivate it, perfect it, leave it void of flaws. With it," Azmuth explained, "you could become human again."
"Of course," Ben exclaimed, in his raspy drone, "I forgot. This omnitrix's default is my human form. It'd turn me back-"
"Sorry, Ben," Azmuth interrupted, "you, Ghostfreak, is the default now. I meant, in addition to the aliens already on the watch, I could add 'human' to its choices."
"… yes, ok." Ben replied, understanding how lucky he was just to be alive, "yeah, THANK YOU, Azmuth!"
He would've hugged the Galvan, but Azmuth was too small for that.
In about an hour, Azmuth announced his completion.
"There," he proclaimed, slapping the watch-like device around Ben's pale wrist, "good as, if not better than, your last omnitrix."
Ben dialed through his omnitrix; "I believe I slipped it in between Goop and the Arachnichimp," Azmuth hinted.
Ben went where Azmuth had suggested; his human form appeared, miniature and a luminescent green.
"Go ahead," the Galvan urged, "try it out."
** *
They'd left the planet Encephalonus IV, and were at last reaching Bellwood .
The three teenagers climbed out of Ship, who then turned back into its puppy-form.
It was dark; Ben, in his human form, hugged both his cousin and friend, in thanks and farewell.
"… I guess I better get this," Ben explained, motioning to Ship, "back to its owner."
"Alright, Ben," Kevin said in return, out the driver's window of his Camaro.
"See you later," Gwen said, getting into Kevin's car.
They took off down the street, as Ben and Ship started walking towards Julie's house.
He noticed that the few structures the Forever Knights had destroyed were now blocked off by caution tape.
Ben and Ship arrived at Julie's; he was welcomed warmly, despite the time.
Julie led Ben into her bedroom, his girlfriend's bedroom.
The two probably wouldn't have sex, just cuddle; sleep together.
Ben was removing his shirt, when he felt Julie's cool fingers groping his chest.
"Wow," Julie exclaimed, "that's… different."
She meant, Ben realized, the omnitrix faceplate.
Like Swampfire, the metal piece jutted from his chest.
They lay in Julie's bed, stripped to their underwear, snuggling; Ship lay at the foot of her bed.
Ben knew the omnitrix would time out as he slept, to wake up an Ectonurite.
He was ok with that…