Ch 2

The hall quieted as he entered, his peers looking to him with sympathy or suspicion. His steps were steady as he hefted the bag on his shoulder and made his way to her locker, dialing in the combination and opening the locker calmly as he sat the bag at his feet.

He told her parents he would clean out her locker and so he did. He placed the textbooks at his feet; he would return them to the library later, before finding her diary. He carefully reverently placed it in the bag. He found a small photo album and paged through it making sure it didn't reveal anything her parents shouldn't know. It didn't. He would confiscate her journal. He placed out her already finished homework and decided to turn it in for her before they dropped her from the rolls.

So he gathered her stuff, shutting the locker and walking silently to his first class. He turned in her work, with a knowing nod from the teacher, and then he retreated to the back of the class and remained silent for the hour. He stared blankly ahead of him, his face a stony mask. He repeated this routine all day, only changing it at lunch when he bypassed eating, headed to the nearest Men's restroom, entered a stall, locked the door and sat down on the toilet, staring blankly at the dirty, damp floor.

He began skipping classes in a few days after that and soon stopped his schooling altogether. His parents rarely knew where he was at or what he was doing. One of the few times they actually saw him was at Julie's funeral. He was wearing dark shades, a black trench coat and the matching hat.

He lounged against a tree near her casket, his chin to his chest and eyes closed behind the shades, though he was ready to attack at any moment.

His father came over, "Benjamin, we need to talk."

"Go away Dad," he said firmly, "we've nothing to talk about and I'm low on energy right now."

"That's where you're wrong boy," Carl said.

Ben sighed, lifting his left wrist to glance at his watch, an actual watch; the sleeve fell back to reveal tract marks. Carl's eyes popped, "What are those? Are you dong drugs?"

"Sure am," Ben replied nonchalantly, "though I'm sober right now."

"What drug? Heroin? Meth?"

The young man laughed harshly, "You forget Dad, I'm no longer human; my human heart is dead. Human drugs have no effect on me. I do a thing called VENOM, worst drug in the galaxy. Most humans never hear of it. No detoxer known."

Carl grabbed his arms and rolled up the sleeves, finding more tracts. "You dishonor her memory by doing such things!" he hissed furiously. Ben wrenched his limbs free, rage pouring off his very being as he hissed, "Let go of me you filthy creature. She's only in that box because she was trying to preserve your pathetic species. What I do is my own business now; I don't owe you, this species, this planet or the universe anything anymore. I can and will overpower you now, so fuck off!"

He pulled his lip back into a vicious snarl, looking feral and crazy. He wasn't sane anymore; he wasn't Ben Tennyson anymore. He was a stranger to everyone who once knew him. He was gone.

Carl retreated, head bowed; it seemed that he was burying his son with Ms. Yamamoto today and it hurt accordingly.

Ben stayed where he was stationed; he would need to dose again soon if things didn't speed up. He knew the path he had embarked on was shameful and self-destructive but he couldn't bring himself to care anymore. He had fulfilled his duties honorably and look what that cost him, the love of his life.

Her casket was open, she seemed just asleep. Her robes were traditional white of Japanese funeral customs, her hands clasped together on her chest. The mortuary director had dusted her cheeks lightly with flush, her lips rosy. Already votives lined her final bed, gifts from friends and family. He had yet to leave his. But he pulled it from a pocket. The crystallized rose shimmered in the sun. He had unlocked Diamondhead, with aid from VENOM, and had formed his hand into the flower before detaching it. He stepped up to her and placed it between her hands. He cupped her cheek briefly, bending to tenderly kiss her before returning to his post.

He spotted Gwen and Kevin; his lips curled into a disgusted sneer, two hours late; bastards. Kevin spotted his comrade and went to join him, "VENOM?" he asked knowingly.

"What's it to you Levin?" Ben bit out.

"Nothing, how long has it been since you shot up?"

"Ten hours," Ben admitted, "I made a promise; I said I'd come here sober and I have."

"Very admirable," Kevin said impressed, "But you're gonna suffer withdraw symptoms."

"Already am," he leaned his head against the trunk.

"As soon as you start coughing blood you need to do it." Kevin spoke, "I got a bag of sterile syringes in the car…Hey, hey don't think that! I've been clean for years; they're for the aid kit, but you can have them."

"Thanks," Ben nodded. Kevin left him be. The older man returned to Gwen who looked furious, "You enabled him!" she accused.

"If I didn't he'd die. He's using VENOM…"

"Oh god…"

Kevin nodded, "If he doesn't continue using he'll die. He's sober right now."

"What can we do? How can we help him?"

"We can't," he replied sadly, "he needs to hit rock bottom before we can."

"When will that happen?"

"I don't know; it's different for different people. When I started I was pretty much at rock bottom Ben…Ben has had a pretty decent life; nice loving family, nice loving girlfriend and great friends. But now, that's mostly gone all because of his mistakes and so he blames himself and is trying to escape and/or punish himself…it could take months or years…hell he may not even survive this to hit bottom. He may just overdose soon."

Finally the priest arrived and the funeral began. Once her mother and father said a few words Ben was asked to speak. He came to the podium and wearily looked at the congregation. Feeling a cough coming he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and coughed into it, seeing blood as he stuffed it away, saying apologetically, "Sorry about that, feeling a bit under the weather…" and so he told some of his fondest, non Plumber related, memories of her, "I met Julie after a soccer match, man I fumbled that. But it wasn't until after her tennis match that I asked her out, with some help from my cousin," he chuckled a little, "okay I lied; I was a bloody coward, my cousin made me ask her out. I made a complete fool of myself but she said yes…" he soon stepped down and left, stopping by the GTO for the syringes. He turned Big Chill and left. He didn't know where exactly he was going, it just couldn't be in Bellwood. And so Ben 10, savior of the Earth and of the universe itself, disappeared…

FIFTEN YEARS LATER; ABANDONED WAREHOUSE, SOMEWHERE USA.

The portal ripped open; he shielded his eyes against the intense light.

"Go away Paradox," the dirty, scruffy creature slurred. The man from the portal, Paradox, clucked, "Benjamin Tennyson, what has happened to you?"

"You know what happened you double backstabbing bastard!" he roared angrily, "You were there! You could have saved her; you could have reversed it! YOU FORESAW IT AND YOU DID NOT WARN ME!!"

Paradox raised his hand to silence the insolent mortal, "Benjamin you needed to live such as you have to understand the full significance and fragility of human life such as it is. I have come to free you from this hell if you so wish it. Be warned that for Ms. Yamamoto's life two will die."

"You can't expect me to be that selfish." Ben spoke, staggering to his feet as he leant against a wall for support, "That is despicable… But I need to see her again; I need a do-over."

"Very well Ben," Paradox nodded, "I can give you only one chance, fail and repeat the mistakes of the past and this future will be cemented into reality." A portal opened and the immortal man held out his hand, "Come Ben, I shall return you to your fifteen year old form, the morning of that night. Your comrades will not remember, only you shall."

Ben nodded, taking the man's hand and walking into the time tunnel…