Long Hot Summer: Chapter four " Trials of the Flesh "
Ben watched the pre dawn sky with dread. Nemesis or Overlord or whatever will be on him today, and thanks to Will Harangue he knows how long he can be hero-ed up on top of his moves in most of his forms. Julie's got some good idea's, and Julies good ideas scare him because she has a chance to be something great in the real world not playing spaceman.
He looked down from Sorcerers mesa and out over the desert. Ben couldn't help but wish Gwen was here. Julie reached up and pulled him back down.
" I'm cold. "
Ben thought ' Yea I really shouldn't be thinking about Gwen now, but it's easier then thinking of ways to make Julie hate me. If I do that she . . .might go back to that life she had before we went out, and her world got turned upside down. '
Ship in the form of a ridiculous black and green teddy bear thing was morphing into something resembling blanket.
' I guess you'd need to go too, just in case she wanted to keep going. . . that I am even thinking about this while we are up here camping out without telling our parents just because I had a damn nightmare. We are both in so damn deep when we turn our phones back on. I didn't even tell her that I dreamed about making her hate me. I just skipped to the part about Danny Phantom looking down on me. Who the heck is afraid of that guy? '
Ben looked down on Julie still half asleep, so worried about what being in his life could cost her. He wondered if he could live with himself if he just lashed out at her made her hate him to protect her from the life that he picked when he was 10 years old.
' Man was Grandpa Max ever right to keep his kids out of it. I still want to go where the watch can take me, but hurting someone else just by being there. Eastwood should be as bad as Max Tennyson, and the life hurting people close to him scared him! '
Thinking like this trying to be two steps ahead when he spent his entire life living in the moment was almost painful. He looked down at Julie one more time as he stood up.
' Maybe if I hit her she'll be so damn mad she'll call Harangue make a college funds worth of money for a 5 minute interview and be too valuable to making me look bad to be in any danger? '
Ben took off his trademarked green coat and put it over her to keep her warm as he spoke.
" You're beautiful and I might even be in love with you, but some time years from now you could blame me for taking away your life. This ends today, tomorrow can wait till then. "
Ben walked off the side of the mesa like he was taking the stairs, and began falling at 32 feet per second squared. The whole way down this adrenalin surged, and he couldn't help but realize that this is where he was most at home. This was the eye of the storm, this was do or die, this was the closest the grownup world came to a 10 year old's dreams of being a hero. He spoke in a soft voice almost lost on the rushing wind.
" Emergency transformation one code ten. "
In a flash of green he was Jetray, and in a eye blink Jetray was doing a fair amount of light speed chasing the moon through the brightening sky. The alien forms bizarre senses gave him a buzz he was ashamed to ask Azmith about, and Gwen just smiled at the one time he brought it up. In 12 minutes he'd blown past the sea of tranquility, passing unknowingly with in four feet of Ember Mclain's lonely prison. Buy the time he'd started to feel his air hit the half way point he was most of the way back to earth, and his mind made up. He would force an ending to this no matter how stupid it was, no matter how much it played into Overlord's hands. No one else was getting hurt today because of him.
' Gwen would think this is the worst plan ever but she can't hold my hand and be my personal grownup forever. '
Kim watched him THE Kevin Levin, the guy that broke the rules and threatened her family sitting in a room with a sleeping baby on his lap explaining to a bunch of greasy people that ET is not a bad guy.
" No really most aliens don't eat humans or their leavings. I know he wanted you to invest in that scrap iron company and yea iron is valuable on the galactic market but trade isn't opening anytime soon. Earth just isn't ready for that yet. "
Argit hogtied to her left squirmed and tried to talk despite the tape over his mouth. Kim spoke.
" Sssssh I've got a can of cherry coke and I'm told me dumping it over your head would be bad. "
She watched him talk being a lot nicer then he had to be yet again, and that voice in her head telling her he was no good and this was an act was getting fainter. After that nightmare one thing she was damn sure of was Kevin was terrified FOR this missing girl of his. The thought of just how much she missed her side-kick slash boyfriend Ron and how much things had changed in the two years since high school just made her heart sink. The idea that Ron someplace she couldn't find would drive her crazy with worry too.
Kim imagined a cartoony moment with a little angel one of her shoulders and a devil on the other.
The angel look like her in her old cheer leading outfit.
" He did his time and learned his lessons. Even Shego turned over a new leaf. "
The Devil looked like Bonny Rockwaller.
" Your forgetting who he is and what terrible things he can do. "
Kim remembered how much she hated Bonny and snapped back to reality as Kevin walked over to her.
" OK we are done and they aren't going to say anything. "
" What the plan with this guy? "
" I can't hold Argit what he was doing was a speeding ticket like slap on the wrist, but the earth money part I'll have to turn him over to GJ and let them figure out if local chargers are umm called for or something. That should keep him locked up for a few weeks while GJ turns into Providence. "
Kim picked up on the cue and took the tape off FAST.
" AAA this is police brutality! "
She spoke.
" Particle simulation know anything about it? "
He spat out the answer angrily.
" Only rig like that I ever had was broken so I sold it to Cooper a year ago! "
Kevin smiled.
" Coopers a trainee plumber that's been off planet for months. I bet you a smoothy someone hit his lab and got lucky. That boy never could do security. "
Looking at Danny's map made Gwen uneasy. There was something about it that just seemed alive. It was clear enough to tell her how to get from her old campsite to Clockworks tower. The fact that she was camped out on Skulkers island made Danny insist on coming along to make sure she got her stuff and got out without him noticing.
Real company was nice after days of the Box Ghost, even if it only lasted about an hour.
Gwen smiled at that thought, Danny wasn't so bad. She could guess why he and Ben where always bumping heads. The watch and Ben didn't impress him, and that bruised Ben's ego. Ben normally wouldn't care, but Danny had powers. Putting him in the same category as her Kevin or anything " in the know " about everything most people are to blind to see.
' It's a shame ' thought Gwen ' They aren't that different. He's stronger here a lot stronger. What are you Danny Phantom? '
Gwen couldn't help but remember Danny's last words before she entered the vaulted doors of the tower.
" ClockWork is all about choice and consequence Gwen, be careful "
Entering the place the sound of innumerable ticking clocks echoed everywhere and Gwen quipped as she explored.
" If you control time why do you need a clock? "
ClockWork watched unseen as events unfolded. The possible futures had been narrowing down to the inevitable one future that would be since the Observant's told him to stay out of this. He could at least bear silent witness and not turn away. For the role he played in this he owed her that much.
The Fenton thermos in the corner exploded as a Ghost Freak minion following Gwen's footsteps touched it. The battle would be long and it would not be pretty.
Kevin and Kim walked into Coopers lab and Kim scoffed.
" It stinks in here like a locker room. "
" Cooper didn't get out much till we got him in the Plumbers. All alien tech WOW, and dealing with guys like me for money to pay for it. "
Kevin searched the lab in silence as Kim started ruffling through Coopers security tapes. Just like she thought nothing recent. She was looking through old videos when Kevin came up behind her. It was the old footage of Ben him and Gwen looking for Cooper back during the Highbreed mess.
" That's her in the blue, Gwen I mean. "
Kim watch him put his hand on the screen before speaking. The look on his face made Kim hang her head.
" The rig's here and it's been used someone made a copy of something want to guess what? "
It was a hard thing using people, REALLY using them. Watching them take their future in there hands and smash it into dust with a smile because of you. It feels like something inside you sinks every time, until you either stop caring or decide to admit what your doing and face a judgment you've earned.
" This is sick, you really do love her, and your afraid enough to do anything. White Knight can go to hell, I can't keep this up. Kevin they don't know where Gwen is they want you for what they can't get out of the Forever Knights, Extra-net access and a . . cop to look the other way while they import stuff from off world to fix the nanite problem. "
Kevin rested his head against the screen and spoke.
" Big Daddy ? "
" Has been working with White Knight for longer then we've been alive. They where afraid the Legion of Garuda would have told you something that might. . .and that doesn't even begin to explain why I helped them does it? "
In his minds eye Kevin could see the old men from the Legion looking down on him. Backward cavemen embracing an illusion in more ways then one. Mana use was just a technology, and magic a word to make story's seem more real before you have the science to explain things. " Where she goes you cannot follow. You are an impure soul that could never face the mirror. "
Back in reality Kim was sad to hear him respond and sadder still to see the lights start to dim. She knew what absorbing electricity did to Kevin.
" They've got Ron in the basement with jumper cables hooked to his unmentionables? No you just finally realized life isn't a Disney movie and for you to get what you want some times someones got to lose what they want. Who cares if it's old Kevin he's just garbage anyway right? "
The room went dark and Kim's force field went up just before Kevin struck.
Ben smiled for the camera's outside the courthouse for an hour before Nemesis got there. He told them he was just in the neighborhood because the pizza was good, but if the people of the press wanted his opinion on things he'd be happy to give it.
" The old man just lost it. It happens to us all sooner or later you get pudgy around the middle, and start longing for your glory days. He shouldn't be in jail he should be in a support group for midlife troubles. "
Four reporters and three phone numbers later ( one reporter was a guy ) Ben's trap was set. Everyone knew he was here saying these things, and it was up to Nemesis or Overlord to take the bate. It all came down to ego really, and Ben knew a few things about ego.
Ben sat on a roof of the court house eating a slice of deep dish. Court was starting now, and the Captain would have a federal judge as his eye witness. He showed up right on time, the oddly polished silver armor a contrast to his normal suit if it wasn't another robot.
" Hello Bennyson. "
Ben set the watch to Four Arms ignoring the insult, but didn't transform.
" Sup old timer. This another tin man or you really here? "
" Oh I'm really with a federal judge denying that a few robots I sold to collectors got rebuilt by an enemy of mine. An enemy with big tax debits, a life sentence already and kids in college. "
" A few more million in trashed hardware is nothing to you? I've got to be taxing your pocket book by now old man. "
He smiled a wicked smile and leveled a blaster at Ben's face.
" Stable long term investments son, and thanks for helping me trash Computron's minions a while back the extra dimensional tech research I've been funding since you where in diapers was really sped up b
by that. "
Ben Smiled back.
" I'd like to thank April O'Neil at channel 6 news for lending me her sound pack to get this confession. I know I promised you an exclusive after this was over April, but if that armor's extra-dimensional I need to put out a warrant with my people and not just earth authorities. Love you really, we'll do lunch. "
The fallen hero just hung his head as a camera man pooped out from behind a air conditioner unit to get a better shot.
" You little bastard. "
Her shield gave way yet again as the thing screamed an unearthly scream. Gwen began looking around for ways to use her environment to her advantage as she tried to get a good look at it. The ugly gargoyle like statue was a bit small, but she needed a breather after a half an hour of playing tag with the invisible man.
" Twista Combetitus ! "
The statue came to life with a subtle flash and Gwen threw up another shield and waited. In a heartbeat her unseen attacker slammed into it leaving deep cracks in the field. Her quickie do it yourself guardian totem attacked at the source of the cracks and got lucky. Her attacker materialized and Gwen did a double take.
" Danny ? "
The Dark twisted image of Danny locked arms with the statue and quipped as he began crushing it into rubble.
" No not even close! "
She pulled out her glasses and renewed the spell on them.
" With eyes unclouded. "
In that moment she looked into a thing without beginning or end. It was a Phantom, like she'd been when she tried to save Kevin by swimming against the river of time. Built on the template that was Danny Fenton it lacked key component an intangible element called a soul. It walked from her destroyed guardian and put a claw like hand on her cracked shield.
" Be careful looking into the abyss Gwendolyn, because it looks back into you. Mmmm this is a pleasant surprise you don't need those toys from Bezel in this world. I wonder what tipped you over the edge and made you more then just another Charmcaster? Oh well it doesn't matter, I don't have the luxury of time I once had. You and Ben will have had years to become so much more dangerous, so you'll need to die quickly this time. "
Gwen did a double take at the thought of this thing looking inside her before tossing her glasses like a bad habit.
" W-what? "
He smashed her shield again like it was made of glass, and Gwen came back to her sense. She clapped her hands and sent a blast 360 degrees centered on her. It knocked her opponent back and managed to make the other still invisible duplicate dissolve.
" Someone's met a Phantom before I see. No matter, I've fought this fight before myself, AND WON! "
He charged her flying at breakneck speed, and she countered with a wedge shaped force field he slammed into going close to 60 miles an hour shattering it and stunning him. Gwen quipped despite her growing feeling of nausea.
" Not my first time in ghost town thanks! "
He was still for a long heart beat before looking up suddenly dissolving into a green cloud and enveloping her.
" Stupid child, I have flown in the face of the time master! I spent a decade killing heroes until no more remained! I called the Ghost Freaks here across the void top free me! I will consume you from the inside! "
Gwen felt her own heart stop.
His hands felt like hammers as they hit as her shield flashed as it took the hits. With each blow the shield dimly lit the room with a pale blue glow, and Kim was half sure Kevin wasn't armored up . . yet.
" Kevin I know you're angry, but I'm the one coming clean to you here! "
He grabbed an old CRT monitor with on hand and broke it over her head.
" All this time WASTED because I'm a scumbag RIGHT! "
The electricity jumped from his hands like he wasn't six years out of practice. Kim crossed her arms and blocked the blast her suit she hoped still had a file on Kevin.
" I made a dumb call because things are changing and I was scared! "
When the flash from the blast cleared from her eyes he was on her. He grabbed her at the wast and tossed her out the door like a rag doll reminding Kim who out weighed who by about fifty pounds. She flipped to her feet in the ally behind Coopers and screamed.
" Kevin for Pete's sake you need to calm it down or I have to go BATGIRL HERE! "
She could see his eyes clearly under the bright hot summer sun, and he looked like everything that was pushing him to a breaking point was personified in Kim. In that moment she made a choice.
" Look I'm not here to fight, I'm powering the suit down now. I've been wrong about you for a while, but now I have to believe you're basically good at heart. "
He grabbed the wall absorbing the stone before ripping off a chick the size of a bowling ball.
" Hay Batgirl, Ever dance with the devil by pale moon light? "
Kim ducked it as fast as ever, and started cartwheeling up the alley to put some room between her and Kevin. He started ranting madly either to freak her out or because he had just snapped.
" Knock Knock ! Who's there? BATGIRL BANG BANG What a KILLING JOKE! "
Kim hoped back to her feet just in time to see him grow a spiked mace over one hand and charge like a rhino.
" KEVIN! "
Ducking at the last minute so he got that mace stuck in a wall was child's play. He was better then this, and they both knew it. She just couldn't afford trade blows with someone that was after all superhuman. From behind him she gave Kevin a roundhouse kick to the back of his rock covered head and hoped that it wasn't enough to do REAL damage. He laughed it off.
" HAHAH! You don't do this much with real players do you? "
He turned and faced her smiling like a lunatic while he brandished the over sized mace a bit of her suits belt hanging from one of the spikes .
" You bastard . . . you cut the control cable. I turned this thing off so I wouldn't hurt you! Get that through your skull! "
He kicked her square in the gut and she bent over unable to remember the last time she got hit much less that hard. Kevin formed both his hands into one giant hammer and raised his arms for a kill shot. Kim looked up with a madness of her own in her eyes, and against all logic she jumped straight at him wrapping her arms around his neck. The momentum made him fall backwards the hammer making his hands useless for a long minute while he morphed the rock back around his hands.
" Is this what happened with your girl friend? You get mad try to put her in her place so she ran off? "
Kevin hopped to his feet and saw Kim peeling herself out of the top half her battle suit wearing nothing but a back sports bra underneath. Her words rung in his ears. She screamed at him daring him on.
" I bet you knocked her up and she's in a alley with a coat hanger KILLING THE FILTHY ALIEN PARASITE YOU PUT INSIDE HER! "
He charged again knowing full well what Kim had planned, and not caring. She charged to meet him only to do a baseball slide between his legs at the last minutes dropping the top half of her power suit as it's energy cell went critical.
Kim looked down at the smoking remains of Kevin Levin like a broken statue.
" You god damn bastard, why did you make me. . . "
Kevin sat up and screamed while Kim's eyes opened wide like he was something out of a horror movie.
" That the best you got! Come on should I call Ronnie to bail your ass out! "
He struggled to stand his rock armor shattered and smoldering fell to bits. While she was frozen in shock that anyone could still be moving after THAT he grabbed her by the right hand. By the time she came around enough to try and pull free his hand was a solid metal loop around her wrist. She wasn't going anywhere, not this time.
" Iron from my bones! "
He hammered her with devastating lefts as for the first time she couldn't dodge out of the way.
" Put that . . in you're report to the man witch. . .I'm no buddies asset! "
He felt two tiny metal studs press onto his chest, and Kim smiled through a fat lip.
" Ones a high impact laser and the others a sonic cutter can you do two at once big boy? "
Their was a bright green flash and the world went black.
Next: " Facing the mirror "