...She shot through the sky light a bolt of lightning fallen from the heavens. Her body smoked from the blast she had taken by a misfire from her teammate and cousin. Now 16, her, Ben and grandpa had continued working as a team together fighting aliens and saving the galaxy.
Times had been tough for them with Ben's shot to fame and the murder of both Ben's and Gwen's folks but they still clung together, her grandpa always keeping them together as a family. And now, they were no longer side by side. Her back twisted awkwardly as she fell from the heavens heading straight for the dense forest. The Plumbers white and black uniform broke instantly from the impact.
Her body sceared through the wilds hitting plants, small trees and one large one. She smacked her head straight on the side of the large tree almost knocking her unconscious but she refused to go through the darkness. She kept her eyes half open as she searched for her Plumbers badge. The tree crackled as she removed herself from it.
She turned to her front finding enough strength to crawl over to a clearance in the shinning sunlight where her Plumber badge laid untouched.
Gwen allowed the blood in her mouth to dribble down her lips as she moved her broken arm forward straining her shattered ribcage.
She winced her eyes every now and then trying to ignore the stabbing pain pulsing through her body like shocks of electricity. She jeered forward almost in reach of the badge now. Part of the shoulder pad of the shredded and torn armour fell to the floor as she made one last push for the badge. She smirked grabbing hold of it in her hand noticing the screen still working fine. She smiled relieved as she began dialing her cousin for help. She didn't notice the squeak and twist of the tall tree behind her as it began to tilt to one side.
"B-benn...?" She called her voice hoarse, silent and croaky as she begged for his voice to come through the speaker.
"Bbennn..." She called him again trying to speak up but again she recieved no answer.
Why could her cousin never pick up the phone when he was needed. She brought the badge away from her ear and decided to call her grandpa instead.
She knew he'd pick up. She sent out an emergency signal to him hoping he'd run to her side as soon as possible. The redhead smiled as it sent relieved that she'd be saved soon.
She heard the snap of branches behind her. She struggled but managed to turn her head in the direction of the old tree falling straight towards her. She gasp throwing her body out the way before the tree collapsed smashing the ground with a large thud.
Gwen opened her eyes her breath struggling faultering. A stabbing pain in her leg turned to a numb feeling as she laid there on her back.
Copper filled her mouth. She turned her head vomiting up the blood and her breakfast. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as she felt felt pinned under an intense weight. She lifted her head up to see the tree just opposite her. She lifted her head up further to see what had happened. Her leg. Her precious right leg. Tears ran down her flustered shivering cheeks as she inspected the damage.
She refused to believe it.
Her leg was pinned under the large tree and she couldn't feel it. She winced her eyes trying to concentrate on moving her toes but couldn't she turned to her left leg noticing that it had just missed the tree by less than a centimeter. She used her left leg to kick at the tree but nothing helped.
Only a strabbing pain shot through the redhead's foot, ankle and leg causing it to send immense and painful pulses throughout her back. Gwen winced her eyes screaming in pain as she laid her head back tears streaking down her cheeks. Black spots began to attack her vision blinding her of the sunlight casting down upon her vulnerable body. She stared up at the sunlight everything going quiet. Her eyelids began to get heavier and heavier. Her mind was blank and thoughtless before she passed out.
1 hour earlier
Gwen huffed crossing her arms as she waited outside the Rustbucket II waiting for her cousin to finish up his victorious speech as he entertained the public. They screamed and reared, chanting his name, blowing kisses and throwing roses and women's garments at him.
The redhead rolled her eyes thinking about the mission they were suppose to be at right now. She breathed out in aggravation as she awaited impatiently tapping her foot as she watched her cousin continue on like he had all the time in the world.
"Lots of people out there" Max walked slowly down the ramp in his Plumbers uniform.
"More than usual" Max breathed out. Gwen looked away from him and stared out to the crowd.
"Ben's stupid camera crew aren't coming along today, right?" Gwen leaned against the wall watching the scene play out. Max placed a delicate hand on Gwen's shoulder. "No, they're taking this one off today. Supposedly, a monster in a park isn't a big hit. We'll probably be done in a few minutes" Gwen rolled her eyes staring back over to the crowd. Max followed her and saw a couple of teens a few metres away.
"There's a couple people of there your don't you go talk to them?" Max suggested.
Gwen looked over to the six teenagers screaming over Ben waiting to shake his hand and greet him. Gwen shook her head.
"I think they're more interested in Ben" She mumbled. "We've got a mission to do anyway" She mumbled walking onto the Plumber ship. Max sighed feeling sorry for the girl. Most of the friends Gwen had had only wanted to talk to her about her cousin. Max grabbed Ben shoulder. "We better go kiddo. I think your cousin's getting a little restless"
Ben groaned nodding.
"Fine," Ben huffed blowing one last kiss to his adoring fans before walking into the spaceship with his grandpa. "Ben, maybe you should think about wearing the Plumber's suit. It is armor" Max suggested staring down at the boys green jacket and black shirt knowing full well that it was not enough to protect him. Ben shrugged walking into the cockpit to find his cousin sitting in the front near the controls reading her spell book. "Besides that's side kick stuff" Ben plopped down in a nearby seat. Gwen arched an eyebrow. "What is?"
"Matching uniforms"
Gwen frowned continuing to look at him confused. He twirled his index finger her way. Gwen looked down noticing the armor. She stared up at him dumbly. "I think the main hero should have something that stands out from the rest. I am 'Ben 10 saviour of the universe'"
Gwen rolled her eyes as Max took his seat next to Gwen. "Ben, this is an equal partnership. We help too" Gwen intervened placing her book down as Max started the engine taking off into space. He huffed. "You and grandpa don't do half as much as I do. I've been the one that's been picking up your mess"
Gwen's cheeks flustered red. She was about to go ballistic. Her eyes jerked purple. Ben hesitated. "Grandpa!" Ben complained. Max turned taking her arm as she stood causing her eyes to slide back to their usual green colour. "You two need to stop bickering all the time. Your partners and family"
"But grandpa" Both complained in unison. "Gwen, this spaceship can't take one of your misfires" Max told her. Gwen gritted her teeth before nodding. "Ha" Ben spat smug that she was the one being told off. Max turned to Ben. "Ben, you have to start showing us some appreciation. I'm not going to be here forever and if you don't stop to give your cousin some credit you might find yourself in a position that you can't talk your way out of"
Ben's smirked turned round. He looked over to his cousin who stared back at him not with a gleeful look but with a sorrowful one. "I'm sorry Gwen" He muttered. Gwen nodded. Max smiled turning back to the controls. "Good, let's work together on this then" Max smiled parking the spaceship just outside the forest 100 kilometres outside Bellwood near Bellwood prized national park. People walked around, some waved others took pictures of the incoming ship. One figure in particular caught Ben's attention through the window as Max landed the ship. A large Rhino armored with a canon bursted through the crowd of people as he wreaked havoc. Ben was the first one up slamming his ultimatrix down into Jetray before flying out. "Ben wait-" Max called. He lifted himself up before staggering. Gwen turned back to him watching his grab the back of the chair induced in a coughing fit. Gwen was instantly by his side helping him sit back down in his chair. "Grandpa, are you-"
"I'm fine, Gwen, go get your cousin" Max ordered her.
Gwen's eyes widened.
She nodded before running out the ship turning to see her cousin attacking the alien rhino. "Ben Tennyson," He hissed with venom fresh on his tongue. "Imma murder you" He knealed preparing his canon. Jetray bit back.
"I don't think so" He stated so smugly beginning to charge his own canon within his feet. The yellow and green powers built up into balls either one ready to deliver the final blow to the other. Gwen had to stop this immediately. People were bound to get hurt.
Not too far away a young wondered lost through throughout the crowd of screaming people trying to get away from the crowd and find his mother.
The lost boy cried his dark hair pouring over his face as he held his Ben 10 action figure of humungarsaur close to his chest for safety. It was based off a hero. It would protect him. That's when the boy spotted his favourite hero.
Ben 10, Jetray, there in the flesh. He was battling with a rhino charging his energy to deliver a powerful blow. He wondered over to Ben trying to get the hero's attention so that he could find his mummy. That's when Gwen spotted the boy racing over to Ben's side.
"BEN STOP!" Gwen shouted racing over to the boy hoping to protect him before hell broke loose. The rhino alien spotted the boy racing across the scene to the boy. He smiled grabbing some gravel in his hands throwing it towards Jetray.
The red alien flinched his tragectory and target now aimed at the small boy running happily towards his hero. It was in slow motion for Ben as the large ball of energy made it towards the boy. Ben could only stare in shock time slowing down as Gwen reached for the boy shoving him out of the way before she was hit by the misfire.
"No," He breathed out before everything went white.
Gwen took a sharp breath of air in her pulse rushing like crazy. She stared at the dark sky above her the realisation capturing her attention that she was indeed stuck trapped in a horrible position. The pain rushed back to her body as she stared at the stars above her. It was night time. How long had she been out for?
She took in gulps of air feeling as though she had dived under water and was now just resurfacing. Her head tilted back wincing from the pain before she felt the cold wind brush her torn bare flesh. She shivered causing her more pain. She winced her eyes more tears sprawling down her face. She tried to stiffle the tears, trying to be strong but she just couldn't bare it any longer. She was going to die and she knew it. She was lost and alone, she was unable to move, in pain, tired and now she knew no one was coming to save her. Why wasn't her grandpa here by now? Surely he would'be gotten her message. She heard the sounds of twigs snapping behind her.
Wolves no doubt. Something must of heard her scream and cry and now she was going to pay for it. She turned her body to her left leg smacking at the side of her thigh with her palm. She gave it three hits before the armour opened revealing a concealed compartment containing a laser pistol. She had always kept one in case of emergencies. Even she knew that her powers would faulter at some point and this was the time.
She had no energy left in her body to even try. Passing out had just made her more and more tired. She turned her body round to the darkness ready to shoot at anything that came out.
"Show yourself" She shouted. Twigs snapped again. She heard the sound of something heavy graze the sound. "I'm not hiding" Gwen's head jolted at the sound of a man's voice Gwen's head turned towards a nearby tree where a dark haired man sat lazily with one leg extended and the other curled up next to him. "K-kevin?" She asked afraid that it might actually be him. He put out his cigarette smirking at her words. She sighed as he came out of the shadows and into the light of the full moon.
"Glad to see you're actually awake. I was beginning to think that you were dead for a second there"
He came over to her as she placed the base of the gun in the dirt still continuing to aim at him. He frowned at her hostility. "My, my" He looked down next to him to see a broken plumbers badge. "Guessing this is yours" He asked staring at the dark screen. "Give it back" She winced one eye the other still trying to concentrate on him. "Why don't we make a trade instead. Gun for the badge?" He suggested.
Gwen gritted her teeth. "You t-think I-I'm ssstupid" She shivered. "I've gggot the weapon" She cocked the gun. "Yes" He came forward. "But can't use it"
Gwen's eyebrow arched. "I took the bullets out" He smirked at her. Gwen looked down at the unable to know. She breathed out before looking over to him. "So, the gun then" He extended his hand ready to take it from her. She narrowed his eyes at him before aiming the gun towards his shin. "It's loaded. You couldn't of taken the bullets"
He smirked. "You aren't as dumb as your cousin" He smirked raising his hands in defense. "G-Give me the badge"
He placed it on the ground and kicked it towards her. Gwen grabbed it looking down at the screen.
She breathed out chucking it away. "It's broken" She muttered. Kevin smirked. "So it is, can't do anything about it" Gwen looked down at the tree pinning her.
"G-Get this off me" She winced her eye. Kevin arched his eyebrow.
"That things probably weighs a couple tonne" He told her. Gwen winced her eyes before snapping them open trying to remain awake. "It's probably best we cut your leg off instead" He suggested. Gwen winced her eyes about to vomit. Her finger shook on the trigger. Kevin looked down at the dying girl. "How was the fall?" He asked taking another step towards her. Gwen winced shivering from the pain and cold. "G-ggo to h-hell" She yelled at him.
"Touchy" He took another step forward. She picked the gun up her hand shaking like crazy now. "Get the tree ooooff mee" She ordered him. "If I remove it it might kill you" He told her. Her hand shook.
"I said DO IT" She ordered. Kevin breathed out his jacket blowing in the wind. He absorbed the tree preparing to lift it up. "Hurry" Gwen winced. Kevin lifted the tree removing it off her leg.
Gwen winced her eyes as she felt the pressure no longer there. She gritted her teeth in utter pain feeling the wind attack her broken and decrepit leg. Gwen's hold on the gun dropped as she finally closed both eyes tears spilling down her face unable to hold back. Kevin walked over to the girl in shock at seeing her twisted and unsightly leg. He kicked the gun away from her grasp before towering over her.
"Now, where's your cousin?" He asked bending down next to her.
Her breathing staggered as her back arched in an attempt to move away from him. He grabbed her chin making her look at him as the armor slid from his body. "Where is he?" He demanded to know.
Gwen spat blood in his face. He winced his eyes turning away from her wiping the putrid copper liquid off his face. He leaned over her grabbing the gun and placing it on her leg. "You're in no position to fight back, Gwen, so you might as well tell me where your cousin went off too" She winced her eyes shaking her head. Kevin breathed out as she called his bluff.
"Tell me where he is and I'll make sure you get help" He bargained with her. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Even if I...tell you...y-you'd...just walk away...and leave...me...to ..die..." She was struggling to breathe now. Kevin stared down at her showing hints of remorse. He watched her shaking features move frantically under the moonlight too afraid to say goodbye.
Too stubborn to give in.
He knew she was going to die soon.
He breathed out placing the gun in his pocket before grabbing his coat chucking it down on her body before reaching for the cigarette box and lighter. She watched as he lit himself a cigarette before snapping few twigs together and lighting a fire with the lighter. Gwen felt her face warm up as she watched the flames dance with each other.
It reminded her of how she had taught her cousin to dance that one night.
Feet and toes being stepped on constantly. She could still remember the bruises on her feet from how many times she had tried to teach him. Gwen looked over seeing the mature teenager beside her. She couldn't quite place a finger on where he seemed different but he did. Why hadn't he just left her. He could have gotten away and left her there with no hope of survival, stuck in the freezing cold to battle her own demons. Instead he was right there beside her making sure she at least had some warmth and comfort. Even if he left her right now she could at least have something to keep her company even if it wasn't real. In short, it was the nicest think Kevin had ever done for the Tennyson's. Kevin removed the cigarette from his mouth placing it in hers. She coughed trying to spit it out but he wouldn't let her.
"It'll keep you warm" He told her. She took one breath before coughing. Kevin laughed removing it from her mouth before placing it back in his. "It's not for everyone" He informed her. Gwen nodded still continuing to shiver as she watched Kevin stare at the fire. "You don't know where your cousin is do you?" He asked.
Gwen sighed. "I-I thought they'd bbe here...to rescue...me by now" She admitted. Kevin nodded. "I...sent...a distress...beacon out" She informed him. Kevin removed his plumber badge and showed it to her. "You did. I got it that's how I found you" He informed her. Gwen stared at it. "How'd...you?"
"It was my fathers. He was a plumber just like your grandpa" Kevin took a puff of smoke before turning round to Gwen offering her it. She refused making Kevin shrug. "I guess you decided to be one too" He stared at her armor.
Gwen didn't bother answering.
"Guess I better go find your cousin then, huh?" He was about to get up but Gwen grabbed him. "Please, don't leave me alone" She begged.
Kevin smirked. "You've got a nice fire going to keep you company" He told her but she refused to let go of his arm.
"Please, I don't want to die alone" She pleaded with him. Kevin stared down at her. His own burden. To be honest, he was surprised she was still alive and even more surprised that she was actually begging him to keep her company. He stared down at her broken and blood soaked features. He could smell copper and bio just reeking off her dying body.
He sighed.
He took a seat back down next to her before grabbing her shoulders pulling her up so that she could rest in his lap.
Gwen winced but breathed out relaxing into his grasp. He tried to ignore her there. He couldn't believe that he was actually taking care of his arch rivals family. She shivered still. Kevin groaned grabbing his jacket and wrapping it around her.
"Thankyou" She whispered hoarsly closing her eyes trying to drift off to sleep. Kevin thought about putting her out of her misery or leaving her here to die in the safety and comfort of the cold, dreary darkness. She did deserve it after all and it would be the perfect revenge to get back at Tennyson after he through him in the Mel Void despite the fact that he was only a child. He looked over to the gun picking it up in his hands and staring at it. "Bet ya folks are worried sick about you?" He tried to start a conversation. She shook her head breathing intently. "Parents...died...couple years...ago...grandpa..takes care...of me...and...Ben" She informed him.
Kevin stared down at the orphan in his arms the gun cocked and loaded in his peripherals.
"I'm sorry" He told her about to put it next to her head. Gwen winced shaking her head. "Don't be...they...were...good people...my grandpa...is...good to us...despite..bbeing...unwell" Gwen retorted.
"Unwell?" Kevin asked lowering the gun. "I-I-I've...taking care...of...him...bbbuttt...he's...gggettting...wworse" Kevin felt an intense feeling in his stomach. It was guilt. He thought he was going to vomit but he held back placing the gun back on the ground instead. "B-Ben...hasn't nnnot...iced...He...doesn't say...anything" Gwen winced holding her stomach in her shivering hands.
Kevin just nodded before noticing the sweat dripping down Gwen's forehead. He used his sleeve to brush her locks and sweat out of her face before reaching into the jacket pulling out a half drunken bottle of water. He unscrewed it bringing it close to her lips. She winced her eyes. "You need to drink. You've lost a lot of liquid today" He pushed the bottle up making her drink. She winced her eyes with every sip. "Thank...y-"
"You don't need to thank me. I haven't done anything" He chucked the plastic bottle down beside the two of them.
"Y-yes you have..." She took a breath in weazing. "I...knew...you...were.. ...person" Tears were ready to dwell in his eyes as Gwen stared up into his. He had never been called good before and now the first person he had ever held. The same person that had tried to kill her cousin was calling her good. It couldn't end like this. She couldn't die. She was the first person that he believed wasn't going to hurt him. He had to do something. He brushed her cheek as her eyes began to flutter. "Good...bye...Kevin. You...don't have...to...be...here...anymore"
Tears streaked down Kevin's cheeks. No this isn't how it's ending. He grabbed her chin roughly waking her up before she fell into a never ending slumber.
"Is your family inheritance rich?" Kevin asked. Gwen looked up into his eyes. Kevin stared down at hers staring into a mixture of green and red. "Y-Yeah" She breathed out hoarsely.
Kevin smirked before placing her down onto the ground. Gwen's eyes lit up in fear of being left alone. "What...are...you...doing?" She asked. "My rides only 100 metres away. You're coming with me" He told her. He put the fire out before picking her up into his arms. Gwen winced her back suffering immense pain again. Her vision went blurry as she felt herself moving for what seemed like an eternity until she was placed onto a leather mattress. Her hearing blurred before everything went black.
"Gwen" Max screamed at the top of his lungs as he walked around the forest in the middle of the night trying to find his granddaughter. He had been searching for hours and still nothing came up. He was frantically worried about her.
He was not sure what had happened after the fight. Ben had returned back to the ship with a broken arm and an unconscious rhino.
He had helped a small boy find his mummy. Max had asked about his cousin but he was too in shock to answer. He had gone silent.
Max decided to take his grandson to the hospital before returning back to the park in search of Gwen. The old man bent down coughing lightly from the smell of burning.
"GWEN!" He screamed knowing he was getting closer. He came across a fallen tree asceur from where the stump laid. He turned his flashlight on noticing a small campfire that he just been smothered out. He noticed a plastic drink bottle and grabbed it noticing blood on the top.
Someone had definitly been here. He just wondered who. That was when he spotted it. A plumber's badge. Gwen's to be exact. He picked it up inspecting it broken riming before searching for more clues. He found blood, he found vomit, he found the tracks of another. A man with large boots on. His eyes widened. Someone had grabbed his granddaughter.
I know this is kinda a down chapter but it's the only upsetting chapter. I've already written the first few and they're a lot more happier than this. Please review.