Hey everybody! I am working on the next chapter for The Seafarer, however, a good friend of mine on here, newbienovelistRD, asked me to write this, and I was hit with inspiration! Now, this is my first Ben 10 story, so give me some leeway, please. Furthermore, I do not own Ben 10, the characters, anything having to do with it. I do not own the Grant Mansion or Rachel Jocklin; both belong to the lovely GoldenGaurdian2418.
Now, before you read the story, I'm putting up a warning. This story does reference depression, and I don't want a single review about how I "depicted" wrong. Depression can be different with anyone, but usually has a few common symptoms. I do not suffer from depression; I, however, have gone through difficult times and have had a, for a lack of a better word, similar experience. I told newbienovelistRD that I would not gloss over it, because depression is real and needs to be seen as something that can't simply be brushed off, and she agreed with me.
Now, on the story!
Ben grunted in pain as his body slammed into the unforgiving pavement, the nerve endings in his right arm alight with fiery pain. His ears were filled with a mixture of roaring blood and the taunts of criminals as they escaped into the night, laughing and cheering over the hero's defeat. Ben attempted to move the arm bearing the Omnitrix, but cried out as the pain intensified tenfold.
It must be broken, he thought with dread. Black dots began a dizzying dance before his eyes, and the last thing he saw was his partner's horror struck expression before his world went dark.
When Ben returned to consciousness, he was in a hospital bed, his arm in a splint and bandages wrapped all around him. When he shifted in bed, pain spiked through him, causing him to groan, which then woke up the visitor sitting in the chair beside his bed.
"Ben, you are awake!" Rook exclaimed in relief, smiling at his partner. "We were beginning to worry."
"What happened?" Ben questioned quietly, his stomach feeling as if it were filled with lead, which seemed to get heavier as Rook gave a quick overview of what happened. All Ben could focus on as Rook spoke, and as the memories began to come to light, was the heavy shame of not only failing a mission, but allowing the arm that carried the greatest weapon in the universe to be broken, and thus render it, and him, useless. Totally, and utterly useless…
"...but do not worry, we will have you back out there in no-"
"Rook, could you go? I'm kinda tired…"
"Oh, of course, Ben. I will stop by later…" As the alien walked out of the room, Ben bit his lips harshly, trying to fight against the venom filled thoughts flying through his head.
Useless.
Pathetic.
Who would ever think of you as a hero?
Mess up.
Mistake.
Idiot.
Weakling.
On and on the list went, mixing with Ben's physical pain. Tears filled his eyes, but he fought them back.
What's...wrong with me?
The next few days were hard for Ben. He had to adjust to being down an arm, not to mention the clunky sling his arm was in, since he had only gotten a temporary cast for some unknown reason he couldn't fathom, and really had no energy to. Lately, he had been steadily falling, he knew; falling deeper and deeper into the sadness and despair within himself. He'd been withdrawn, avoiding anyone and everyone. He had little to no energy to the point that simply getting out of bed each day had become one of his greater challenges. His appetite had disappeared, his stomach still filled with the leaden shame and despair from his failure. His waking thoughts were filled with self-loathing words and ways it could have happened. At night, he was plagued by nightmares that woke him just a few hours later, sweating and on the brink of tears.
Ben had never felt so weak.
His friends among the aliens and other residents of the Grant Mansion had tried again and again to help him, but he refused them time and time again. He couldn't face them, especially since he felt he didn't deserve their help. He was a failure, why couldn't they just accept that and leave him alone? He was better alone; he couldn't disappoint anyone if he were alone.
But the aliens persisted, as did Rachel and a few of the other residents of the Grant Mansion. After days of constantly avoiding them and dodging their conversations, Ben was on the point of exploding.
"Ben, just listen! We can help!" Feedback insisted, trying to get the stubborn human to listen.
"Feedback, I'm fine. I just want to be left alone!" Ben growled, rubbing at his tired eyes. The motion drew the aliens' gazes to Ben's tired eyes, which were rimmed with dark bags from little to no sleep.
"Ben," Rook spoke sternly, locking gazes with his partner. "Have you been having trouble sleeping?"
Ben was silent.
"You're looking a bit thin, too," Four Arms pointed out, crossing both pairs of his arms across his chest. Wildmutt growled in concern, nudging Ben's uninjured hand gently.
Ben jerked his arm back, turning his back to his friends. "I said I'm fine!"
"You are not fine, Ben," Snare-Oh chided quietly, setting a soothing hand on the young boy's shoulder. "I know it's hard, but-"
Ben spun around to glower at the gathered aliens. "No, you don't know! None of you know what I'm going through, or what I'm feeling! You have no idea that-" Ben snapped his mouth shut, knowing he had already said too much. "Just...just leave me alone! Aliens have been nothing but a living nightmare and thorn in my side! So, back off, before I make you!"
The group was shocked into silence. Slowly, they backed away and left the boy alone, clearly disheartened. Ben marched home, slamming the door shut and rushing to his room before anyone could see him battling even more tears.
It was a few days when Ben's parents forced him to go outside and "get some fresh air". Ben had been walking around for about hour when he spotted something that made his heart leap into his throat. Coming his way was the group of criminals that had gotten away last time they had met; when they had left him to wither in pain from a broken arm on the cold, hard concrete. Fear filled his veins with an icy cold that froze him in his spot.
"Well, looky here! Ain't it Tennyson, and without 'is fancy watch and no back up!" one spoke, grinning at his crew as they began to surround the teenager. "Why don't we show the kid why he shouldn't mess with us?" The others nodded, jeering at the boy in amusement.
Ben gulped, but stood his ground. He wouldn't let them see him scared…
Suddenly, the crooks were lifted into the air and flung back. They landed with various thuds and groans. From the sky floated Alien X, whose aura was filled with rage. He was silent as he captured the crooks and tied them up. Once finished with that, Alien X approached Ben, who was shaking and backing away slightly. He didn't understand why he felt so afraid; maybe it was that he was defenseless and Alien X was one of the most powerful aliens there was.
"Be calm, Ben," Alien X soothed as he came closer. With a gentle hand, he seized Ben's injured arm, despite the boy's protests, and removed it from the sling. The alien's white hand hovered over the cast, seeming to grow brighter and brighter, until the light was blinding.
Ben blinked quickly to remove the spots in his vision. When he could see clearly, Alien X was gone, as was his cast. Experimentally, Ben moved his arm, and beamed when it didn't hurt. His arm was healed!
Alien X healed his arm…
Guilt washed over Ben. Even after snapping at and pushing them away, the aliens still helped him, and all he had done was make them feel bad for doing so. Why? Why would they help him?
His curiosity got the better of him, and began his trek to the mansion to find out why the aliens still helped him.
Before he knew it, Ben was standing before the old, spooky mansion. As he approached the door and reached to knock, he paused. What would he say? He had been awful to them...what if they were angry with him? What if they sent him away, voiced just how great of a disappointment he was…?
He lowered his arm, turning around to leave, but stopped short in order to avoid bumping into the figure behind him. It was Rachel Jocklin, the owner of the Grant Mansion. She blinked at him, before sending him a concerned look. "Ben, are you…" She noticed his sling-free arm and gasped. "What happened to your arm?!"
"Oh, Alien X...he healed me…" Ben stuttered out, wringing his hands in a nervous manner and refusing to meet her eyes. "I-I was going to, well, I thought I could-"
"Ben?" Ben spun around to see Rook standing in the doorway. "Is everything alright?"
"Um, I was just-"
"Is that Ben?" Feedback called as Rook and Rachel guided the frazzled boy into the mansion. "Hey, I see Alien X finally got to you! How's the arm?"
"What-"
"Hey, Ben!" Four Arms exclaimed, walking into the room with a big smile, Wildmutt and Snare-Oh following behind him. "Good to see you!"
Ben's eyes darted all around him, feeling as if he couldn't breathe. There were so many people around him, it made him feel dizzy. His hands were wringing harder, turning the skin red. Tears filled his eyes, yet he had no clue why.
"Ben?" Ben's wild gaze focused on the green, pupiless eyes of Alien X as he stood before him. He stumbled back, but the alien caught him, slowly lowering both of them to the ground. "Ben, breathe, you're okay. Just breathe…"
Rachel and the other aliens backed up, giving Ben some space. Sensing the up and coming conversation, Rachel departed, feeling Ben may feel more comfortable to talk with just the aliens.
As the minutes ticked by, Ben calmed down, his breathing evening out, but the tears remained, even when he tried to fight them back.
Weak! His mind hissed. You're weak and pathetic!
A gentle hand running through his hair startled Ben out of his thoughts. He glanced up to see Rook kneeling beside him, running his hand through his hair soothingly.
"Ben, please, tell us what is the matter," Rook implored.
It made the tears harder to fight, but Ben kept trying.
"Ben, it's okay," Four Arms soothed, taking a seat beside the human. "It's okay to cry-"
"No, it's not!" Ben rasped past the lump in his throat. "I-I can't!"
"Ben, we want to help you!" Feedback's words broke the dam holding back every emotion since his arm broke.
"Why would you want to help me?!" He finally screamed, startling all present as his hands stopped wringing and went to clutch his hair. "I'm weak, pathetic, useless! I snap at you and push you away, but you keep coming back! Why?! I don't deserve it!" Ben clenched his eyes shut, tears beginning to leak past his lids. "Why would you heal me? Why?"
"Because we care about you, Ben," Rook explained, carefully unwinding the boy's hands from his hair. "You're my partner, not to mention my friend! You're practically a part of the family!" All of the aliens voiced their agreements.
Ben peeked at the aliens surrounding him, their smiling faces putting him at ease. The voice that had been whispering in his ear for days was becoming quiet at last. "You guys really mean that?"
"Of course we do!" Four Arms threw an arm around Ben.
"And you are not worthless, Ben," Snare-Oh added.
"Nor pathetic."
"And no way are you weak!"
Ben finally began to smile, though it was smaller than any of his usual smiles. Rook sent a grin to his friends. "I think we can make him smile bigger than that…" he teased, sending a poke to the teenager's side. Ben squirmed away, closer to Four Arms, who used one of his hands to tweak Ben's side. Ben jumped, his lips curving a bit higher into a smile.
"Guys! Quit it!"
"I think someone needs some cheering up!" Feedback sang, closing in on Ben, along with Snare-Oh, Wildmutt, and Alien X.
"No! I'm fine! Seriously, guys, I don't think-"
"Get him!"
The next few seconds were filled with shouts, screams, and a lot of flailing before the aliens had Ben successfully pinned. Wildmutt sprawled himself over Ben's lower legs, giving him access to his feet, once he got off the boy's sneakers that is. Four Arms sat near Ben's head, one set of arms keeping the teen's arms pinned above his head. Snare-Oh was positioned to Ben's left, his bandages wrapped around Ben's waist while Rook, who was to Ben's left, carefully rolled up his shirt to the boy's ribs. Alien X sat beside Wildmutt, near Ben's knees, and Feedback took a seat beside Four Arms. Ben was trapped with no hope of escape.
"No! Please, don't! This isn't going to help!"
"It will, actually," Rook stated matter-of-factly. "This will help us to reestablish our bond and friendship with you, while also allowing you a chance to feel a sense of joy to combat against the negative feelings."
"Uh…"
"We bond, and you laugh so you're not sad," Four Arms simplified, before grinning widely. "Now, let's begin!"
Alien X and Wildmutt started, tickling the teen hero's knees and feet and making him squirm, yet he refused to laugh. Then, Snare-Oh began tickling his ribs, while Feedback started at his neck. Ben's face was turning red from holding in his laughter, and a few giggles escaped here and there.
"Come on, Ben!" Four Arms teased. "Just laugh! You'll feel better!"
Ben shook his head quickly.
"You leave us no choice then!" Rook grinned as he struck, his hands darting in to tickle Ben's stomach at the same moment Four Arms started tickling his underarms.
The reaction was instantaneous. Ben began to laugh hysterically, making all the aliens grin.
"There it is!" Feedback cheered. "Listen to that happy laughter!"
"Cootchie, cootchie, coo, Ben!" Snare-Oh cooed, which made Ben laugh harder.
"Guys! STAHAHAHAP! It tickles! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Good!" Rook then bent down and blew a raspberry into Ben's stomach, which made the boy squeal and struggle more. "Do you not feel better, Ben?" Before Ben could answer, the Revonnahgander blew another raspberry into his stomach, which drew another squeal out of him. "Aw, does that tickle?"
"Of course, it does!" Ben cackled, his struggles weakening. "Stop!"
The aliens knew they would need to stop soon, but not before they got the hero to say what he needed to. "Then admit that you are not weak, pathetic, nor useless!"
"Or we tickle you forever!" Feedback threatened, grinning wildly.
"I'M NOHOHOHOHOHOT weheheheak, pahathetic, or useless! Now, STAHP!"
At last, the aliens stopped, releasing Ben while Rook and Four Arms helped him sit up. He panted for a bit, flushed, tired, and, actually, happy. However, he could feel the sleepless nights catching up with him, and his eyes began to droop.
"I'm sorry for yelling at all of you," he yawned, rubbing at his eyes.
"It's okay, Ben," Alien X assured. "Besides, we were just trying to tell you I could fix your arm!"
"I guess next time I'll listen…" Ben slurred, eyes fluttering.
"Go to sleep, Ben," Four Arms whispered.
"You're safe," Rook added quietly.
Surrounded by his friends and family, Ben fell into a peaceful slumber at last. The thoughts of guilt and shame that had plagued him were gone, now replaced by happy memories that pushed back the bad, and finally gave him peace.
I hope you enjoyed this! And, newbienovelistRd, I hope you liked it!
Now, I realize that Ben seemed to be suffering with a mixture of depression and anxiety, and some may think that his reaction was overdramatic. It's not. Panic attacks have a wide range of appearances, not just hyperventilating. I'm not going to list every form, but, if you're curious, you can always research it and how to identify and what to do during an episode. Not everyone responds well to physical contact, though, so, please, do more research before you try to be a hero and pull someone out of a panic attack; you may do more harm than good if you do not know the person's triggers.
Until next time!