Disclaimer: I don't own Ben 10.

Ch2: Numb.

If Ben thought not being able to talk when you wanted to or have your body walk and follow orders without his consent had been terrifying, then it only showed how truly unprepared he had been for the years to come.

But then again, nothing could ever prepare you for being a prisoner in your own body.

Ben wasn't sure how long it had been since the day Eon had somehow taken control over him. It could be weeks, maybe months or even years. Time was a meaningless thing for Eon. Sometimes he'd let his slaves guard things: rooms, treasures, weapons ect. Guard them for weeks or months, other times Eon had them jump from the future to the past or from dimension to dimension.

Ben could do nothing but follow Eon's orders. He had fought for control over his body so many times. He hadn't given up, but in the end he couldn't even move his pinky.

If Eon told him to attack then his body attacked, if Eon told him to guard then that's what he'd do and worst, if Eon told him to kill...

Then his body would.

All the while the real Ben screamed on the inside.

It wasn't ordinary bystanders that he had to attack either. The people Eon was after were him.

Alternate versions of himself. Ben had fought so many versions of himself, so many other hims. Younger hims, older hims, hims that never had gotten the omnitrix, hims that had gotten the omnitrix too late, hims that were anidotes, hims that were actually shes...

He and the other slaves had fought them. Ended some of them and others Eon had wanted for his army of slaves.

Technically Ben had watched himself fail and die so many times. Not just him but also alternate versions of his family, his grandfather and cousin Gwen. His good friend Kevin and sometimes even people he was only acquainted with in his own dimension like Argit, Julie, Esther and even Jimmy.

He watched them lose.

He'd watched himself murder, beat and torture.

But there was one person from his life he hadn't encountered an alternate version of. And for that he was somewhat grateful.

Perhaps the other slaves had seen those alternates...

Ben did not want to think about that.

But thinking was all he had left.

Even if Ben couldn't move an inch -not even his eyes- out of his own free-will, that didn't mean he didn't feel. He felt it when he was kicked and punched. Felt it when he was burnt or shot at.

He felt hunger and pain, but couldn't do anything about it. Ben knew it was like that for the other slaves to.

Obviously Eon couldn't go years on of fighting without losing some of his henchmen. Ben wasn't sure what happened to those slaves. He had seen some disappear after they'd been hit with a fatal blow or when fatally injured. Ben didn't know where they disapeared to.

But he envied them.

It had been so long and Ben didn't think he could hold on for much longer.

He had watched Gwen's spells fail too many times. Heard Kevin's pained cries far too often. He had seen the light leave his grandfather's eyes so many times. More times than Ben could handle.

And when Gwen sobbed and Kevin cried,

Ben broke.

They'd been slaughtered.

By other slaves.

By him.

He couldn't cry for them.

He couldn't even close his eyes!

All he could do was scream and cry inside his head and beg for his body to stop. Beg Eon to suddenly become sane and put a stop to all this.

Which of course never happened.

And no one ever heard inner cries of the masked slave.

So slowly Ben started to give up.

Started to lose himself and he became numb to the world...

-Ben-10-

More years had passed and nothing had changed. The pain had become too much and Ben had given up. Neither the pain in his heart nor the damage to his body were things he acknowledged anymore.

Another fight...

Ben didn't actually look anymore. He barely thought of anything anymore. This was just another dimension. Another him that would be forced into slavery. A new member to Eon ever growing army.

His body was fighting another Kevin along with four other slaves. It took a while, but they knocked Kevin out cold and Eon ordered them to go assist the other slaves in defeating another one of this dimension's Ben's friends.

And that's what his body did. Attack the target.

"Cease your attacks at once!"

Deep inside his mind Ben stirred upon hearing that voice, a voice hadn't in so, so long.

Immediately Ben tried going back to his numbness, he had given up on consciousness and awareness long ago.

It hurt too bad and he wanted no part in it!

But that voice!

That voice!

He wanted it! Needed it- No! He needed him. But Ben couldn't... That voice!

-flash-

"Who are you?"

"I am Rook Blonko, magister Tennyson send me."

-flash-

"Call me Ben, dude."

He received a bright smile in return.

"Alright Ben-dude."

-flash-

They were in the Proto-truck. A day ago Ben had let himself be bait so they could find Khyber. The plan had worked perfectly. Ben got captured and led Rook straight to the huntsman.

Other than the fact that Khyber had gotten away there was another problem. Their fake argument had gone too far.

And neither of the two stubborn men wanted to address the problem. That left them in an awkward painful silence in the truck.

Finally Ben couldn't take it anymore. He sighed. "Look, okay man. I'm sorry about what I said the other day." Ben apologized, his shoulders slumped. "I know I've been a bigger jerk than usual and I-"

"I was at fault also, I should not have-"

"Dude, let me finish." Ben protested suddenly sounding tired. The famous teen took a deep breath. "The thing is... I like you." Unable to look Rook in the eye during this confession Ben looked down. "More than how you like friend and I... It freaked me out I guess. I mean I've never liked a guy before and we're not even the same species so I have no idea how this supposed to work and-"

Ben fell silent when he felt something soft and warm on his hand.

Looking up Ben was confused by the deep caring look on his partner's face.

"Why do you think it pained me so much when you acted unlike yourself?" Rook questioned stroking circles on Ben's hand with his thumb. "You mean a lot to me to Ben. More than I thought I was ready to admit."

-flash-

Ben and Rook had been going out for two weeks and were spending time together at Mr. Smoothies. "You were right Thy-mac." Rook commented taking a sip from his blueberry banana smoothie. "This new flavour was definitely worth it."

Ben made a noise while taking a sip from his own smoothie. "What does that mean?"

"What does what mean?"

"Thy-mac." Ben said face scrunching up as he tried, the to him, foreign word. "You've been calling me that for a while now and I still have no idea what it means."

Rook had a far away look on his face trying to find the right words to explain the term. "Thy-mac is a Revannahgander term," He started by stating the obvious.

"I do not believe humans have a word that means the same. You could say Thy-mac means beloved, but that does not do the term justice. Thy-mac means 'who is treasured most', holder of my heart, soulmate and-"

"You." Ben cut him off.

Rook paused looking at his boyfriend a grin spreading across his face.

-flash-

Ben stared at the small carefully wrapped gift. "What is it?" He asked, grinning as he looked at the man he had been dating for over a year.

"Just open it Thy-mac." Rook said a somewhat nervous smile on his face.

Not understanding what his boyfriend was so worked up about, Ben opened the small blue box gasping when he saw what was inside of it.

Inside the box was beautiful handcrafted sea-green metal band. Instantly Ben knew what it was. He had seen couples were similar bands like this one when he'd visited Revonnah. But it wasn't just a beautiful piece of jewelery one wears around your upper arm, it also stood for something else...

Eyes wide Ben looked up, his eyes widened further when he saw Rook was on his knee in front of him.

"Fuzzball?"

"I am combining both human and Revonnahgander tradition." Rook replied a small nervous smile on his face, it faltered slightly. "Am I not doing it properly?"

"Er- No, no it's great, go on." Ben said unsure how he'd managed to find his voice. He and Rook had been dating for over a year now, and already they had been so much together. If this was truly what he expected it to be, then Ben already knew his answer.

He'd always known his answer.

"Ben, bearer of my love. My Thy-mac, would you give me the greatest honour of all and marry me?" Rook still looked a little nervous, but more than that. He looked happy.

Ben's eyes were moist, but he wasn't crying. Of course he wasn't. He was the Ben Tennyson, Saviour of the universe. He didn't do crying! Rubbing his eyes with the back of his arm Ben sank to his knees.

For a moment Rook was worried that he was about to be rejected, but that worry flew out of the window when Ben tackled him in a hug and pressed his lips against his.

-flash-

And...

"I'm sorry fuzzball." Ben whispered carefully running his fingers over the markings on Rook's face. "I'm so sorry... I guess, I won't be around for a while, but... We'll be back to making wedding plans in no time" Ben failed at trying to sound like his usual cocky self. "I-I love you." His voice broke and Ben closed his eyes as he kissed Rook's forehead.

-Ben-10-

For the first time in years Ben was pushed into full awareness. Awareness that was previously unwanted. But now, Ben was thinking more clearly than he had in years.

Rook was here!

Ben knew it wasn't his Rook, this wasn't his dimension.

B-b-but Rook!

This fight would end like all the others. And Rook would...

NO!

Ben refused to let it happen. He couldn't let it happen! No more!

He had to fight for control! Try again! Fight so his body would finally stop fighting.

The other slaves were already surrounding Rook. This scene was so painfully familiar. Ben just wished all of it,

would just,

STOP!

It was then that Ben realized it. He had stopped. He was standing still in the middle of the battlefield. If he could Ben would have laughed or cried. For the first time in years Ben's body was doing something because Ben wanted it to do something. It wasn't something impressive as running, cursing or even moving his arm and hitting the omnitrix.

It was something as simple like standing still, but it was real and he did it on his own. He was fighting control.

Sadly Ben was so amazed, that he didn't hear the voice just behind him.

"Humongesaur!"

Ben did feel the blow to his back that followed afterwards.

The last thing Ben saw before his world turned black was a flash of dark purple light, and then...

Nothing.