Note to Readers: This chapter has a lot of flashbacks. Sorry if that's annoying, but I enjoy them. They are lines from B10 and B10: AF. They will be in italics as will Ben's thoughts. Alright, enjoy reading! ~Miss Peabody~
Ben was lost in his own thoughts. His head still ached, but he could not see anything. He desperately hoped Charmcaster and Hex hadn't made him blind. Suddenly, he was felt as if he was flying. There were flashes of light and he felt that his life was flashing before his eyes. He didn't know what spell Hex had placed on him, but he didn't want to die. Not now. Not when he was so close to bringing his cousin's murderers to justice.
Gwen stared at her cousin. She couldn't believe what had just happened. He had become an alien creature. "So, what did it feel like going all alien like that?" she asked him, wanting to know.
"It freaked me out at first." It did. He had never felt anything like it. The feeling of your body and DNA transforming. "It was like I was me, but it was like I was somebody else." He tried to explain and looked at his wrist. The hourglass dial on the watch popped up.
"Hey, I think I figured out how I did it." "Should I try it again?" He teased. "Just once?"
"I wouldn't." Gwen said, knowing he wouldn't listen.
"No duh, you wouldn't." he said and activated the thing again.
...
"You've earned the chance to have a normal life." Gwen said, leaning toward Ben. "You put that thing back on and that's pretty much it for normal."
She was right. His life wouldn't be normal. But he was the only one who knew how to work the watch, and he needed to find his grandfather. "But if Grampa needs my help-" he began.
...
He placed the device on his wrist and snapped it shut.
"Are you sure?" Gwen asked standing behind him.
He turned to face her. "I'm sure."
...
Ben stared at the long lost Magister Lamdrid. He was gone. Kevin embraced Gwen who began sobbing silently. Then, Ben looked up. "I'm gonna need help." he said to Gwen.
"You know I'm here for you." Gwen said gently.
...
Gwen turned to her cousin. "Love you too, doofus." she said, using the same term of endearment she called Ben when they were younger.
"Love you too, dweeb." Ben played along. Then, he wanted to take full responsibility. "Listen, I'm sorry I couldn't-" he began.
"Don't blame yourself." Gwen interrupted, knowing her cousin all too well. "And don't ever start, okay?"
"Okay."
...
Kevin stared at Four Arms. "Still trying to be a goody two-shoes, Ben?" he said. "Let me guess." He thought for a moment. "You just want to help me."
"You had plenty of chances to get help, but you always messed it up." Four Arms said. "This time, you're getting what you deserve."
"Aw." Kevin said with sarcasm. "Does this mean that we're not best buddies anymore?"
...
Ben turned to look at Kevin. The kid he had despised when he was ten. Upon looking at him now, it seemed like something had changed. "Kevin, there's no money in this but-."
Kevin took the badge laying next to Lambrid and looked at it. Then, he looked at Ben. "I'm in."
...
Argit was absolutely right. They couldn't trust him. Ben stood up and got in Kevin's face."You're always working some sort of angle, always a liar, always a thief." Ben said. Kevin didn't speak however, he looked from Gwen to Ben. "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" Ben asked.
"You know what, Tennyson?" Kevin said suddenly. "I don't have to explain myself to you" He said and walked towards Gwen, speaking softer "or you either." "I'm done with both of you!"
...
Ben looked at Kevin after he delivered his speech about how he's trying to make up for past sins. "It's not what you've done that matters, but what you're going to do." Ben said smiling.
...
"Ben!" yelled Kevin. "Stop Hex and Charmcaster!" It was clear he was losing control. "Avenge...Gwen..." His voice trailed off and he stood near Charmcaster, looking as mindless as all the other rock monsters.
...
Ben could no longer bear these memories the past. Hex must have done something to him. He needed to wake up. He needed to break free. Struggling to open his eyes, his head became like hot cinders again. Suddenly, he heard his own voice.
"Please...stop." He opened his eyes to see Hex standing in front of him.
"Alright." said Hex, lowering his staff.
Charmcaster entered the room, utterly dissapointed. "What, I missed it?"
"Anything else you had in mind?"
Charmcaster swung her staff with all her might into Ben's ribs. He groaned in pain. Like he didn't have enough to worry about. "Actually...yeah." she said, coldly.
Ben managed to speak, but his chest felt like knives were sticking through him. "Why are you doing this?" he asked weakly.
He suddenly felt the growth of additional eyes and arms on his body. Hex had transformed him into SpiderMonkey.
"We wanted to make a monkey out of you."
"Very funny." said SpiderMonkey.
He was not in the mood for jokes. Charmcaster swung and hit him with her staff again. Hex accompanied her by firing at his chest also.
"Too bad you won't get the chance to laugh at that little joke." said Hex.
"What now?" asked Charmcaster. "We're just going to leave Ben?"
Hex explained. "As long as he is chained against that wall, his confidence will fall, and his mind will continue to wander."
"What next?" "A rabbit up your sleeve?" said Charmcaster. She caught her uncle's glare. "What?" "I'm just kidding."
"Come." "We have work to do."
Ben felt as helpless as ever. It's my fault. He thought. Gwen. Kevin. No matter how much I tried. I failed. Some hero I turned out to be. Gwen was a much better hero than I ever was. And so was Kevin after he was able to escape his past. It was true. They would have had a plan, instead of getting caught and almost beaten to death. He began to think of Gwen. Gwen...she...loved us all. She did. She had said so. And his grandfather would be disappointed at him if he saw how easily he had been taken down. He expected so much out of Ben. He probably had more confidence in his grandson than Ben had for himself.
"You can do it Ben." he had said. "I believe in you...in all of you."
Ben heard a small explosion, not to loud, but not soft either. It was familiar too. A sound that could only be made by one person. He opened his eyes to see that his assumption was correct. Standing before him was a man with googles around his neck, and wearing a lab coat and bow tie.
