Chapter One: Bearded Ben
Gwen looked back at her older self and cousin. "Keep your Ben as long as you can, Gwen." Gwendolyn told her as the portal home opened. "See ya…and I guess we're gonna be ya!" Ben yelled. Gwen felt a smile creep into her face as she looked at her older self one last time. As soon as the portal closed, Gwen's mind started worrying about Ben. You are not going to drive me and Grandpa away if I can help it! Gwen vowed in her mind, the party for Grandpa Max temporarily forgotten.
That was a few weeks ago, and the thought still remained at the forefront of her mind. After switching bodies with Ben, Gwen was more determined than ever to change Ben's future, but she still had no clue what set Ben down the path that turns him into a supreme jerk. Gwen sighed and pulled out the book that she lifted off of Charmcaster. The Dark Side is the path to many abilities some consider to be unnatural. Gwen thought as she looked at the small book in her hand. Ben chuckled and smiled at her. "Hey, Bookworm. Put that down and come play." Gwen fought to stay focused as Ben reached for the spell book and threw it behind himself with a grin. "What's so important about that dumb book, anyway?" Ben's laughter tagged onto the end of that question steeled Gwen's resolve. I'm trying to save you, Ben. That is what the redhead wanted to say, but what came out was, "Ben, please give me back my book. I'm working on something very important!" Ben smirked. "Are you trying to find Charmcaster's number?" The thought of what Ben implied with that question made Gwen's stomach turn. "No, Doofus!" Gwen growled as she got up and fetched the book from the floor of the Rustbucket. "Let me work, ok?" Ben suddenly backed off. "Alright, Gwen." Something in Ben's tone was broken as if Gwen had crushed him, and the boy struggled to breathe.
Gwen sighed and was about to put the book away as guilt tugged at her heart when she saw a spell that drew her eye. 'Sleep of Revelation-reveals the future of the target to the caster by dreams.' Gwen read silently to herself. An idea sprang into her mind. This might work. Gwen thought as she settled on the couch and read the spell, "Somnus Apokalipto…" As soon as the words left her mouth, Gwen felt herself drift to sleep. For what seemed like a few moments, Gwen saw nothing. Then, her vision was filled with a scene of battle. An older Benjamin with the beginnings of a goatee and Gwendolyn stood together and waited as giant metallic footfalls pounded in Gwen's ears. "Tennysons, I grow tired of your resistance!" Vilgax boomed before he lunged at the pair. "You will soon join your grandfather in Oblivion." Vilgax promised. Gwen stared at Vilgax in horror. "He KILLED Grandpa?!"
The team worked as one and split off. Gwendolyn kept Vilgax distracted while Benjamin dialed in an alien. A blinding flash of green and Benjamin became XLR8. Using inhuman speed, XLR8 pummeled Vilgax, the hulking giant too slow to effectively counter. Vilgax did manage a devastating hit that sent XLR8 through a dozen tree trunks. A quick shake of his head to remove the cobwebs and XLR8 raced back to Vilgax. Gwendolyn showed her growth and held her own against the warlord which annoyed him greatly. As Gwen watched the fight, she could tell Vilgax was waiting for an opening. Right as Benjamin raced up to attack Vilgax again, the monster seized Gwendolyn in a massive claw. Benjamin froze. Gwendolyn tried to yell, but Vilgax tightened his grip on the redhead so that only a blood-choked whisper could be heard. "Ben…"Benjamin's eyes blazed with fury. "Vilgax!" The warlord sneered, "Catch!" Vilgax threw Gwendolyn down like a rag doll. There was a sickening, wet *smack!* as Gwen's body slammed into Benjamin with enough force to send him back a few feet as the bones that were still miraculously intact shattered with the force of impact.
Benjamin held Gwendolyn's body gently in his arms, the warlord's massive hubris and ego ignored as he gloated above a grieving Benjamin. "I-I love you, Dweeb. I always have." The broken man said as he wept over her broken body. "Gwen," he whispered softly. "I swear Vilgax will pay for what he's done. Quick death will not be his." Benjamin laid the body of his cherished one down gently and glared at Vilgax with a rage never seen before in his green eyes.
First, Benjamin went Upgrade and disabled Vilgax's implants. Frozen and helpless, Vilgax could only watch in horror as the full wrath of his human nemesis was unleashed. Benjamin used his powers to beat Vilgax with every strong alien in the Omnitrix. With Vilgax's body in taters, Ben used Way Big to rip Vilgax's head asunder as if it were paper. Heaving down breath as Way Big sank to his knees, Benjamin powered down and cradled Gwendolyn in his arms. Benjamin almost laughed when Gwendolyn began to stir. Bezel's Charm of Resurrection having done its work, Gwendolyn smiled up at Benjamin weakly. "Ben, w-what happened?" She asked. Benjamin frowned with fresh pain in his eyes. "Nothing you will remember, Gwen." His hands glowed green. "Amnisio." Benjamin said softly as Gwendolyn fell asleep.
Gwen jarred awake. "Benjamin became a jerk because he didn't want me to get hurt again." Gwen said quietly in shock as she slowly walked over to Ben and kissed the sleeping boy on the cheek. "You…can't date Kevin…Gwen. I…" The boy stopped in his sleeping monologue and tears streamed down his face. "Ben, that will never happen." She promised him and herself.
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