The familiar muscle car pulled up to the Tennyson residence. Ben ran out to see Kevin and Gwen both waiting for him. He'd gotten a call about a mission for tonight and he did have homework to do, but fortunately, the heroics came first. Not that he'd let his parents know that.

"What's up?" he said getting in the back seat.

"Hex and Charmcaster." Gwen said turning around towards her cousin. "They sent me a message telling us to "meet" them. "I'm sensing they're downtown, but Charmcaster's trying to block me out of the mana field." Gwen's hands went immediately to her temples, her eyes glowing.

Hex and Charmcaster had been on the prowl on and off all month. They just basically follow your standard bad guy pattern: do something evil and then be stopped by the gang. This time seemed different would they want to meet them? Why would Charmcaster try and block out the mana field when Gwen's powers were the only way of tracking them?

Gwen scoffed and lowered her hands. Apparently she was wondering the same thing. "She knows that's the only way we can track her and her uncle, why is she blocking me out?"

"She could take me out." Kevin said jokingly keeping his eyes on the road.

"What did you say?!" Gwen yelled. She had heard perfectly well what he said, but she wanted to make sure he wouldn't say it again.

"Nothing." Kevin said smiling.

"Good, keep driving."

Ben rolled his eyes. Their constant love-hate relationship was getting on his nerves. He would have made a joke about how immature both of them were being, but he kept quiet. After all, Gwen had just yelled at Kevin. Why risk both of them yelling at him? But, the strain of silence was too great. He had to say something.

"So, I guess you guys are going out now?" he asked, sticking his head between the passenger's and driver's seat.

Kevin slammed the brakes causing Gwen to hit her head on the dash. He then turned and looked at Ben. "Look, Tennyson. I need to stay focused."

"If you stayed focused, we could find Hex and Charmcaster and I could keep what's left of my brain." Gwen said rubbing her head. "Wait...I think I know where they are." Her glowed the brightest pink which then faded away. "They're on Maori Way."

"That's was fast." Ben said putting his arms behind his head. "That's using your noggin, Gwen."

The car began driving down all sorts of roads and under passes. Maori was still in Bellwood, but it was in the part where no one ever lived. It was like that one part of a small town where a ghost town begins. There was one thing there that was recognizable, however and that was Hex's library.

Everyone got out slowly and began to ponder what lied ahead...or in front of them rather. "Seems simple enough." Ben said looking at the fortress.

"Simple enough." Kevin repeated pointing at Charmcaster's monsters guarding the entrance.

"I don't get it." "Exactly what do they want?"

Gwen readied herself. "World domination, human suffering; take your pick."

Kevin armored up with his car metal. "Right,sorry."

An idea had occurred to Ben, one he knew was going to receive criticism. "I have a plan." "I know it seems brash and not thinking it through..."

"Like most of your plans are." Gwen said as expected.

"But I say we fight our way through the rock creatures and then take down Hex and Charmcaster." Ben said, his hand above his wrist. "Then our problems are solved." Ben knew perfectly well that this was no ordinary meeting. Charmcaster and Hex had a trap set for them. Even though he knew they'd be expecting them, he could see no other way than to fight their way in.

Gwen suddenly put a hand on his shoulder. Her cousin had been acting more like his cocky, and immature self since the High-breed invasion. "I don't know, Ben." she said. "I'm feeling a lot of energy coming from that building; it's like they're more stronger this time."

Ben had no time to argue. The rock creatures had just spotted them at the entrance and were headed straight for them. "So they've been practicing a little." he said confidently. "Besides, you're probably just feeling all those magic-y relic thingys they got." And with that, he slammed his watch. He began feeling more reptilian and prehistoric. A feeling that can only be felt when wearing the Omnitrix and changing into Humongasaur.

Humongasuaur took out the "guards" easier than expected. Needless to say, he also made a bigger "door." Gwen and Kevin followed pursuit and entered the fortress. The place still looking medieval as ever, Ben wondered why they hadn't joined the forever knights.

"Our guests have arrived." a familiar voice called. Hex entered the room with Charmcaster, both smiling viciously. "Pity you couldn't arrive sooner."

"I couldn't locate you!" Gwen yelled, clenching her fists.

Charmcaster began to smile even wider. The kind of smile only someone as twisted as herself or uncle would have. "Don't you hate it when someone's more powerful than you?"

Gwen gritted her teeth. Of course she did. Ben knew she hated being outdone, but being outdone by Charmcaster, that was hate on a whole other level. She began hurling her mana with all her might at Charmcaster. Meanwhile, Humongasaur took Hex and Kevin took the approaching monsters.

"Why did you'd do that?" Humongasaur called to Gwen. In retrospect, he was about to do the same thing.

"She made me mad!" Gwen yelled, still firing her mana.

There was complete and utter chaos. No unity. No team, except for the rock monsters that were attacking Kevin, of course. They had him in a bind until he broke free. After that, they didn't stand a chance. The young Osmosian used his strength combined with his almost indestructible skin that was still metal from absorbing his car. He knew sooner or later, he would triumph. After all, Charmcaster was too busy fighting with her archival to create more monsters. Humongasaur on the other hand was having a little bit of trouble. Every time he would try to hit Hex, he would just shield himself with his magic.

"A little help here?" Humongasaur called to Kevin, who ran toward him. As soon as Hex's shield went down, Kevin didn't waste anytime knocking him to the ground.

But Hex didn't stay down forever. "I don't think so." he said with a smile. He stood up and lifted his hands above his head. Great light filled the space above him and he began to create small dark orb. The orb fell at Kevin and Humongasaur's feet.

"What the-" Kevin wasn't able to finish his sentence. The orb engulfed them both. They tried and tried with all their might to break free, but it was no use.

"We're trapped!" Humongasaur yelled, pressing against the orb's barriers. Suddenly, the orb crackled with electricity, turning Ben back into his human form and Kevin without his metal. They screamed in pain as the sparks ran through their bodies.

"Ben! Kevin!" Gwen screamed. She tried to make her way to them, but was shot down by Charmcaster. She flew in the air and into a wall.

"Well, Gwen, it looks like it's just you and me." Charmcaster said raising her staff once more.

The fighting continued. Gwen fired at Charmcaster who would either block it or dodge it. Gwen created a staircase to go above her, but Charmcaster immediately blasted up in the air, shattering her staircase.

"We've got to get out of here!" Kevin screamed. "There's no way out!" exclaimed Ben. They could only watch in horror as Gwen took the beating of her life. Something was definitely different about Charmcaster. Gwen's mana shields were breaking with every blow and she was weakening.

"Give up, Gwen?" Charmcaster called, looking stronger than ever.

Gwen tried to catch her breathe. "No." she said. "I...will never give...up."

Ben could see his cousin couldn't take much more. "She's had enough, Charmcaster." he said, his hands on the orb prison. "Now, let her go!"

"Not until she dies." Charmcaster said coldy. She was preparing for the final blow.

"No!" Kevin screamed in horror, terrified of what would happen next.

Gwen tried to remain standing. If she could just get to Ben and Kevin, she could cast a spell that would remove the orb. "I'm alright guys." she said, still facing her opponent. "It's going to be okay."

"Ad way sho ku!" Charmcaster yelled blasting pink fire from her staff. Gwen screamed in agony, fell in an instant with a thud and then closed her was usually never a good sign.

"Gwen!" Ben and Kevin screamed. "Now for you two." said Charmcaster turning toward them.

"No, leave them." Hex called.

"What?" she exclaimed. "If we get rid of them here,our problems will be over."

"It doesn't matter. They won't be able to stop us."

"Ben Tennyson had stopped us before." she said rebelliously.

Hex turned toward his niece. "He won't this time." And with another flash, Hex and Charmcaster were gone and so was the orb that had kept Ben and Kevin prisoners.

Once they were free, immediately they went to Gwen. Kevin called for her one last time and upon seeing her eyes slightly open, he was a little relieved.

"Gwen, hold on." he said gently, cradling her in his arms.

"She's hurt pretty bad." said Ben, kneeling at his cousin's side.

"Like she's been hit with some level 12 blasters." observed Kevin.

Ben began to speak into the Omnitrix, but before he could, Gwen cried a small, "No.".

"This is serious." he said staring into Gwen's eyes. He put his mouth close to the watch again. "Calling all available plummers." He spoke, trying to keep his voice under control. "Assistance in Bellwood, Earth sector." "Gwen Tennyson is seriously injured."

"Gwen?" a familiar voice said over the watch. It was Max. Ben would have given anything for it to be someone else. He tried to cover up his surprise. "Grampa?" he asked.

"I'm working this side of the shift tonight, Ben." "How bad is she hurt?" he yearned to speak of his granddaughter's well-being.

Both Ben and Kevin could tell Gwen was in pretty bad shape. Her breathing was very shallow and she was covered in burns. Kevin kept her close to him, wishing he could take some of her pain away. Ben didn't have the heart to tell his grandfather, but she really needed medical attention.

"Ben, how bad is it?" Max repeated after the silence.

Ben shut his eyes hoping it was all a dream."Pretty bad, Grampa."