"You fool! Do you realize what you could've done with your meddling?" The assistant looked up from its place above the girl, their hands still poised at the sides of her temples. Skullface flew into the dank room. Its tail wound around its helper's midsection and roughly threw them to the side. They hit the wall with a dull thud, but made no sound. It growled at them menacingly before turning its attentions downwards. The girl didn't appear to be moving. In fact, it couldn't even feel the slightest thrum of activity coming from her prostrate form. Luck must have been on their side. Such a stunt could have unraveled everything it had done. When it was satisfied that she wasn't about to jump awake, it turned its hollow sockets back upon the assistant. They had righted themselves, standing a few paces away, a simple silhouette.

"I knew exactly what I was doing. If she hadn't reacted instinctively, we'd have another to do our work-"

"I believe in greed as much as anyone, but yours is beginning to become dangerous. We are lucky that the interaction did not stir her awake. It isn't quite time yet. The marks must heal completely. If we move too soon, the curse may be able to be compromised." Its claws ran over the top of her exposed wrists where the faint traces of runes could still be seen. They were not as violent as their mental counterparts had been. Even that had been mostly for show. These markings were thin scratches, though they dug deep into the flesh, thus taking longer to solidify. Magic was a tricky thing, not something often trifled with by its kind, but its results were undeniable. Just a few more days and the process would be complete. But until then...

"She was under my complete control the entire time." The assistant protested. "If the connection can be used to our advantage, why not utilize it? Why not possess both of them?"

"Yes, that would have been best, but she didn't allow you to do such a thing now, did she? No matter. Even if the link would be accessed from the other side, anyone who dared to enter her mind would become just as trapped as she. It is no longer a threat, and procuring more mindless slaves is not essential. Come with me, it is time we discuss furthering our plans." It beckoned for the assistant to follow its trail as if glided from the dungeon-like room and out into the darkened hallway. The eastern side of the depot glowed with the threat of sunlight and it avoided the beams that managed to squeeze through the wooden planks. The assistant walked through them undeterred. Finally, it settled itself into the darkest corner, sighing contentedly as the darkness and cold enveloped it.

"What do you need of me?" The assistant asked after Skullface had gotten comfortable. Its sockets glowed red as delightedly evil thoughts raced through its mind.

"To do what you do best. Lay the trap and set the bait."

"You don't think it will be too soon?"

"It will never be too soon to get rid of that menacing brat." It hissed. Its claws clicked together as it remembered the man's hand around its throat. No one touched it in such a manner and lived to tell the tale. "Besides, its why we involved him, isn't it? By the time Tennyson and his lackey have realized they're on the wrong trail, it'll be too late. Are you ready to work your magic?" The assistant reached up to remove their cowl. It settled upon their back with a soft flop. Skullface watched a slow, malicious grin curl the line of their lips, tugging at the corners of their cold, cruel eyes.

"Always."


At least, Kevin thought, this car ride was turning out to not be as awkward as the previous one. The trip was going to be long. Gwen's college was on the other side of the neighboring state, a four hour drive on a good day with good traffic. He hadn't been to that particular city, but he remembered going to a small car auction a few miles south of it once. It had been a cold winter's day, the exact opposite of the conditions they were in now. The temperature display in the Camaro read a cool 85 degrees.

"Its not even noon yet!" Ben complained beside him. The younger man had to call out to Kevin over the din of the wind racing through the windows. "Can we please use the A/C?"

"You know how much extra gas that would take up?" He yelled back.

"Yeah, but it would be worth it. You should have let me drive, I have a gas card." Ben griped again. Kevin sighed and rolled the windows up, flicking on the air conditioning with a reluctant grimace. He cast a withering glance at Ben before turning his attention back to the road.

"Just for a little while." He warned. The car smoothly eased into the left lane as they passed by a line of semis. Traffic hadn't been too bad, which was to be expected at this time of the morning on a weekday. Kevin anticipated it to get a bit heavier as they got a bit closer, mostly due to the lunch rush. But traffic around bigger cities was always busy. It was easy to get lost in the clogged lanes between the sports cars, tractor trailers, and utility vans. That wasn't the kind of driving he enjoyed. He loved the highway, but only when it was open, a gateway for him and his 8 cylinder to get lost upon. The bumper-to-bumper atmosphere only wore on his nerves.

"So...what made you want to check out Gwen's apartment?" Ben asked suddenly. Kevin reflexively stiffened at the mention of her name. He still wasn't used to using it in casual conversation, or even hearing it mentioned. Chewing on his bottom lip, he threw an elbow up against his window, trying to appear flippant. He wasn't sure he was ready to divulge last night's discovery with Ben yet. He wasn't even certain how to broach the subject. 'Well, you see Benji, when your beloved cousin and I were teenagers, we thought it would be fun to link our minds forever and an eternity...'

"I just figured having another look at it wouldn't hurt. You know, while we wait for that guy to resurface over at the Door. What about you?"

"Uncle Frank let me look around in her room and I couldn't find her badge or any of her magic spell books."

"Her badge? You mean, her Plumber's badge?" Kevin repeated incredulously. His fists momentarily tightened on the steering wheel as he swung out to pass a sputtering station wagon. Ben, not ready for the quick movement, put a hand out on the dash to brace himself. He cast a suspicious look at Kevin.

"Yeah. I didn't know she had it with her. Figured she left it at home."

"Why would she have it in her apartment? That's ridiculous. She quit, she doesn't need it!" His voice began to rise within the cabin of the Camaro.

"What does it matter? Its not active. If she wanted to keep it with her, what would it hurt?" Ben shot back. "Besides, our badges are equipped with flesh memory technology, among other things. If we're lucky, we'll get a clue from it."

"Whatever." Kevin grumbled. "Let's just get there."


"What did you say?"

"Don't make me repeat it please."

"I want to hear it again."

"I don't want to be a Plumber anymore."

"Why?" It was hard for him to keep the anger out of his voice, though he tried, because he knew exactly what she meant when she said that.

"Because, Kevin, I don't want to. I...I just want to go to college like any other normal 18 year old."

"That's not what this is about." He spat at her. "This is about us, isn't it?" She looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes. Her mouth fell open dumbly as he breezed past her, rummaging around his work bench for a spare rag.

"This is not about us. This is about me."

"No it isn't! You want to be normal, you want a boring, average life! In case you haven't noticed, Gwen, I'm not normal!" He was screaming. He didn't even know it. He couldn't hear anything but the bottom of his stomach falling out.

"I don't understand what that has to do with anything! I love you, but I don't love being a punching bag for every single alien that comes along. I want to move on with life-"

"And how are you going to do that and stay with me? I've already signed up with Ben to go to the Plumber's Academy in the fall."

"You what?" Her face visibly dropped. With a heavy plop, she fell onto the couch, staring down at her knees in shock. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was going to tell you when I found out for sure that my application was accepted. I guess now there's no need." He stalked past her. She reached out to grab his arm, but he yanked it away from with all the viciousness he could muster. Glaring down at her, he leaned in close enough to hiss, "If you really didn't want to be with me anymore, you should have just said something." There was a flash of stubborn anger in her eyes as she stood to her feet.

"You're being ridiculous."

"No. What's ridiculous is how stupid I was for ever believing we had something special." He knew he should have stopped while he was ahead. It was stupid of him to dig such a deep, painful hole, but his pride wouldn't let him back down. She wanted out, she was free to go. He wouldn't run after her. She wanted to abandon him, she could just walk out. It wasn't the first time in his life that he had watched someone he cared about leave.


Once they had gotten off the highway, Kevin allowed Ben to dictate the directions. The streets through campus were incredibly winding, a trait that he usually appreciated on a map, but the one-ways were killer and the space incredibly cramped. More than once he almost took off a side mirror of a car parked along the way. Ben hissed every time they narrowly escaped an accident.

"Watch it Kevin. Sheesh." He muttered. Every time, Kevin chose to ignore him. Finally, after what seemed like hours of driving, Ben directed him into a small lot behind a modest apartment complex

"Is this it?" Kevin asked, peering up at the three story buildings from under the front windshield. Ben craned his neck as well. The structures weren't new, but their brick facade was impeccably maintained and each set of windows had newly painted shutters decorating their ridges. Even the lawn was well-kept, proven when a groundskeeper appeared in denim overalls pushing a wheelbarrow full of dirt around the flower beds.

"Yep. Not bad, huh?" Ben added.

"I guess." It was certainly nicer than the apartment he shared with his mother. Suppressing his sour thoughts, Kevin got out of the car. Ben followed suit. "So which one is hers?"

"Second floor, second building. Apartment #222." Kevin rolled his eyes. He fell in step behind Ben as he walked up to the glass door of the second building. With the first key on the ring, he led them into the inside hallway. Out of the corner of his eye, Kevin noticed the security camera hidden above the door frame.

"This place has surveillance. Did they have any tape with her on it the night she disappeared?" Kevin inquired. Ben merely glanced at the camera as they headed up the metal stairs.

"Uncle Frank didn't go into much detail, but I used some Plumber strings to see the police report."

"My, my, that's a bit of a delinquent move for you." Kevin remarked. He raised an eyebrow at Ben as they stopped outside of the Apartment #222. The younger man shrugged while shuffling through the keys.

"I am technically an officer of the law. Anyway, the camera caught Gwen leaving earlier in the evening, then returning later that night, sometime around 11 PM. After that, there was nothing." Ben found the key he needed and stuck it into the lock. As he fumbled, Kevin felt his anxiety begin to simmer inside his stomach. Ben succeeded in unlocking the door a few moments later and he let it swing open.

The room inside was dark and warm. The blinds in the windows had been pulled against the summer day, allowing only traces of sunlight to filter through. A blast of familiar smells hit Kevin as they took a few steps inside. Her perfume surrounded them, the scents of her shampoo, her lotion, even the way her clothes smelled. It sent a shiver down his spine. He surveyed the living room with a twinge of longing. Everything about its décor reminded him of her. The furniture was arranged just so, with coordinating throw pillows complimenting the fabric of both couch and easy chair. There was a fine layer of dust beginning to grow on the end tables and shelves, but he knew if she had been there, everything would be polished to perfection.

"Badge, conduct preliminary scan of area." Ben instructed to the silver disc in his hand. The green face flashed once, twice, and then began to flicker in earnest.

"Conducting...Conducting..."It repeated over and over again as the machine continued to work. Kevin narrowed his eyes and headed further into the apartment. The hallway leaded to her bedroom was thick with darkness. He paused at the opening to flick the switch. Above him, the small round light blazed to life. He looked to his right and left at the myriad of picture frames hanging on the wall. Many of them featured Gwen and her family. There was one with her and Ben when they were younger, proudly displaying a pair of caught fish. Their grandfather sat smiling behind them. There were more closer to her door with people he had never seen before. Most of them were girls, with the occasional boy thrown into the mix. He ignored their presence completely before turning into the last room.

Her bedroom had been likewise shut against the world. Instead of blinds, however, heavy linen curtains were pulled shut over the window. Kevin slowly ventured in, looking at the shadowy expanses of her bed, desk, and dresser. He reached out tentatively for the curtain, squelching the intrusive feeling he felt, and threw one side open. A flurry of dust flew up into the rays. This room was even more evocative of her, right down to the long, red hair sitting on the pillow.

"The police have already swept this place, right?" He called out to Ben.

"Yeah. Why?"

"They didn't find anything out of the ordinary?"

"No." Ben appeared in the doorway. His badge was still blinking. "I think we should try to find her badge and her magic books. She writes in them. Maybe she'll have some new notes."

"Preliminary scan results show no new activity." It reported. Kevin sighed and slid open the top of her dresser drawer. He promptly shut it again upon seeing the lacy edge of a bra.

"I'm not digging through her underwear." He warned. Ben stifled a laugh before turning back to his badge.

"Badge, scan the area for nearest badge, active and inactive." He commanded. His badge complied quickly.

"Nearest badges are KEL - # and GJT-#4765."

"I knew it was here. Locate Badge GJT-#4765." A moment later, the top drawer of the dresser began to vibrate. Kevin rolled his eyes, slapping his palm over his face.

"Women." He groaned, sliding the drawer open again. Ben watched him with a small smirk as Kevin delved through Gwen's unmentionables before finally retrieving her badge. At his touch, it stopped vibrating and its face-light switched off. He turned it over in his palm a couple of times before handing it off to Ben. "Now what?"

"You still have your tech lab, right? We take it back and run the tests. See if anyone aside from her has touched it since it was deactivated. Come on." Kevin turned to close the drawer, but stopped short when he noticed a small frame tucked in the corner. He slowly delved into the depths and brought out the photo. Beneath the glass, Gwen sat at a pedestal table in a darkened room. She was bent over towards the center of the table, an impossibly happy smile plastered across her face. Her eyes sparkled even under the harsh flash of the camera. One arm hung lazily over the table while another was draped flippantly over the wide shoulders of a younger, happier version of himself. Kevin blinked dumbly at his past visage. He was surprised she had kept anything having to do with him. He ran a thumb over the dusty pane covering their faces. He wasn't smiling as widely as she was, but he remembered that night, a peaceful evening with no mention of aliens or cars or homework, and he remembered feeling exactly the way she looked.

"What's that?" Ben asked from the doorway. Kevin quickly jammed the photograph back into her drawer. The corner jammed against something solid beneath a mound of bras. Kevin frowned and reached in, his embarrassment melting away. He grabbed hold of the object and pulled, unearthing a rather old, musty, purple-leather bound book. "Her spell book!" Ben exclaimed, jumping forward to grab it. Kevin let him have it without an argument and he shut the drawer with one last look at the photograph.

"You think there's going to be anything in there?"

"I'm not sure. No one really knew what Gwen was up here except Gwen, you know?"

"I don't know how I feel about going through her diary." Kevin admitted. He was about to follow Ben out when he remembered the curtains. He turned to close them, glancing out the window of the view of the parking lot, when something blonde caught his eye. He paused and looked down at the tall, handsome man staring up at the apartment. For a moment, their eyes met and Kevin was surprised to feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up straight. He glowered at the man before slamming the curtains shut. He shut the light switch off, trying to get the man's piercing gaze out of his mind, and rejoined Ben in the living room.

"Are we ready to go?" Ben asked quietly. Kevin nodded and motioned towards the door.

"Yes. Let's get the hell out of here." Ben eyed Kevin warily before turning towards the door. They left the apartment silently. Kevin walked out first and turned to look back into the apartment one last time. Ben shut the door, effectively shutting her out Kevin's mind. He clenched his jaw trying to squelch out the mixed feelings churning in his gut, when he noticed the blonde man once again. This time, the man had moved to stand in front of the door and was staring up at them. "Hey. Who the hell is that?" Kevin asked, hitting Ben lightly on the arm. The younger man turned around to look at what Kevin was talking about. His eyes narrowed as he noticed the man.

"I'm not sure. Let's go find out." The two exchanged knowing looks and began to casually descend the stairs. Kevin quickly surveyed the surroundings. The railing was solid metal; he could absorb enough of it to knock the man's block off should he prove to be hostile. Ben, likewise, seemed prepared as he nonchalantly began to scratch a patch of skin on his arm above the Ultimatrix. They exited the building, only to find the man nowhere in sight. The two of them observed the parking lot with suspicion, both jumping slightly when someone cleared their throat behind them.

"Excuse me. Are you acquaintances of Gwendolyn Tennyson?" Kevin and Ben pivoted quickly on their heels, coming face to face with their prey.

"Depends. Who are you?" Kevin snarled. The man looked somewhat taken aback, but slowly outstretched a hand in Kevin's direction.

"My name is Shane Hopewell. I am...or I was Gwen's boyfriend."


a/n: I apologize for the delay, but school will ruin even the best laid plans. I have had this laying around for awhile and i have been working on it here and there. Bad news is that I don't have another one started, so it may be a bit of a wait. But thank you for reading and most importantly, enjoy!