-] Prologue Start [-

"Emma!" I called. Finally, I'd get a chance to get tell her about what had happened at summer camp! But who was that next to her?

"Who the fuck are you?" The dark skinned girl asked abruptly, a scowl on her face.

My smile faltered. A brief look of confusion flickered across my face. "We're friends." I replied, trying to figure out who she was, while still being polite. "Emma and I have been friends for a long time."

The girl smirked. "Really." Her disbelief was palpable, and it shocked me. If she knew Emma, then she had to know who I was. There was no way Emma wouldn't tell her about me.

"Really," I echoed her, a small furrow appearing between my eyebrows. I turned to my best friend, hoping she'd be able to clear this all up and get everything on the tracks to normal again. "What's going on Emma? I haven't heard from you in a good while. Your mom said you weren't taking calls?"

Emma hesitated. She was trying to hide it, but I could tell something was on her mind. I was worried at first when I stopped hearing from her, but her mom explained she just wanted some alone time. And I could understand that. Even if we were best friends, everyone needs their 'me time'. But it was still a little unusual for Emma and I. We were practically sisters; we told each other everything. That's exactly what I came her do! I just had to get her talking first.

"I love the haircut, you manage to make any style look great." I filled the silence, talking and smiling like I couldn't contain myself. And really, I almost couldn't. After everything that happened, the friends I made, and what we found out, no one would or could blame me for being a giant ball of energy.

Emma closed her eyes for a moment before smiling back at me, which only made mine spread wider.

My best friend stepped down one stair to get closer to me, and put a hand on my shoulder. I raised one arm to wrap her in a hug, but stopped short when Emma's arm proved unyielding, stopping me from closing the distance.

"Go home, Taylor." She said, seriousness plastered across her face. "I didn't ask you to come over."

I know the smile fell from my face. Only a trace of it lingered, a faltering half-smile. "It's… it's never been a problem before. I'm sorry. I was just excited to see you, it's been weeks since we even talked."

Her tone was just as cold as her words. "There's a reason for that. This was just an excuse to cut a cord I've been wanting to cut for a long time."

And there it went. The last half smile of my smile was wiped from my expression, and it felt like I'd been punched in the gut. I pulled my jacket, a large puffy thing with my summer camp's logo on it, closer to myself, as if it would shield me from her words. I didn't- couldn't speak for a moment, and when I began to all I could manage was a cross between a whimper and a plea. "I-I… what? W-Why?"

"Do you think it was fun? Spending time with you, this past year? I wanted to break off our friendship a long while back, even before your mom kicked the bucket, but I couldn't find the chance." The words came too easily to be anything but the truth, but I couldn't believe what Emma was saying. "Then you got that call, and you were so down in the dumps that I thought you'd hurt yourself if I told you the truth, and I didn't want to get saddled with that kind of guilt."

"So you lied to me, strung me along."

"You lied to yourself more than I lied to you."

"Fuck you," I snapped back. I surprised myself with my anger; not that it was there, but how little of it I was expressing. She'd just spat on practically a lifetime of friendship! She didn't want to be my friend, even before Mom died? Then all the time she spent with me after, all the things she said and did to make me feel better when I was drowning in grief, was all an act?! Why?! How could she do this to me?! We were best friends! But as she clearly explained just now, the key word seemed to be 'were'.

And I was gonna tell someone like her about-

I turned to leave, afraid I might say or do something I might regret, though I was already doing that with coming here alone. The other girl stuck a foot out, and while I didn't fall, I did stumble, and had to catch the gate for balance. I spun around, eyes wide, as if I could barely comprehend that she had done what she'd did; or more importantly, that Emma had stood by and watched it happen.

Then I was gone, running.

I don't know how far I went, but when I finally stopped, I looked back on everything that had just transpired. So much had happened in what, a few minutes? Even less then that? One moment I was racing to my best friends house, dying to tell her about the summer camp stay of a lifetime, and the life-changing secret that resulted from it. But it seemed Emma had different plans. Seemed like I was just weighing her down, holding her back. She acted like she couldn't be bothered to be around me any more; like I was some piece of garbage that she couldn't wait to throw away.

At least, that's what it seemed like. Her words hurt, incredibly so, but I still wasn't sure if Emma was just incredibly troubled, or angry with me for some unknown reason. Even as I thought about it, it seemed foolish, but I wasn't ready to discard the idea that this was just a phase. I wanted to hold onto the hope that Emma would come around and apologize, if I just gave her some space.

My right hand gripped my left wrist, and I looked down as it traced the bulge underneath the jacket cloth. Slowly, I rolled up the jacket sleeve, revealing the bulky device that was now attached to my wrist. One thing was for sure; no matter what Emma did now, I wasn't going to tell her what had really happened to me. Happenstance or not, she hurt me today, and I don't think I would ever be able to completely trust her again, not with something like this.

Emma had showed me a new side of herself. She showed me that people might be different from what you expect. But that was okay. Soon, I'd be the one showing all of Brockton Bay a different side of me.

I looked down at my "souvenir" with a smile. The device's black and grey body provided a dark background for it's circular face, and the green, glowing, hourglass-like symbol.

End Prologue – 10 Sides to Taylor – A Worm/Ben 10 Crossover

A/N: Ok, so I've been trying to work through some writer's block on a different story. In my frustration, and occasional Worm-fic daydreaming, this idea popped up.
The Prologue is a rehash of the canon event of Taylor returning from summer camp, this time with a secret she was going to share with Emma. In case it wasn't clear, that was the original Omnitrix on her wrist.
Feels good to get something written, and I'm pleased with the idea, so let me know what you think. Also, let me know how I did with the feeling of betrayal for Taylor. I can never have enough advice for proper characterization.