A/N: Progressive Belena fic. Not sure how long it'll be and excuse my lack of knowledge in the soccer area of sports. Basketball and I know everything, but I can't do soccer… No foot-eye coordination here… Set somewhere between Alien Force and the original series.

Disclaimer: Still don't own Ben 10. Stop asking.

"I want to be on the team."

He couldn't help but stare. A girl. On the soccer team. And she was standing up to the coach and staring him right in the eyes, those fierce, ever-angry eyes, and expected him to back down. She had a big navy blue soccer ball under one arm and one hip jutting out to the side, attitude radiating off of her like heat from the sun.

Suddenly, Ben found someone to admire, someone to respect. Someone who he could learn a thing or two from.

"No."

Her brows knit together as she stared up at him harder, eyes squinting a bit. Part of her lips curled up in a snarky snarl. "That's sexist."

"You're a girl." Coach Stanston stared at her with a glare of growing hatred. "I can be sexist all I want."

Suddenly, Ben was standing up. "She can be on the team." His voice wasn't strong or powerful or anything, but he thought that maybe the coach would listen to him. He'd been on the team as one of the worst players out of twenty-four for two years. Maybe his little bit of seniority gave him power. Maybe.

"Quiet, Tennyson."

Ben shut up real quick. He knew he was expendable. Too many wrong moves and he'd get cut faster than he could turn into Diamondhead. If he'd had the Omnitrix on, that is.

Stanston's furious gaze found the girl once more after his little snap at Ben. "You can't be on this team, period, end of story, final answer." Beet red didn't even describe his face. He wasn't used to being questioned, let alone by girls. There was a reason he was a soccer coach; it was a mainly male-dominated sport. "We have tryouts here, little miss. I have to ask you to move along now." He'd only forced his voice to be nice and for his words to be tamed. If he'd had it his way, he'd have used her for target practice with the team.

Sneering and scowling, dark eyes glaring and flaring with rage, the girl stalked off, soccer ball being dribbled down the field after dropping it into the dew-covered grass. She disappeared in a heartbeat, her fast pace and anger-driven adrenaline pushing her out of sight.

That was the first time Ben had ever truly noticed Elena Validus.

A/N: A bit of a prologue more than anything. But I liked it. So, review?

~Sky