Author's Note: I know I haven't updated this story in a while, but a lot of crap has been going on recently, and I needed to detox in another Fandom before I could return to this plot.

Chapter Twelve: It Gets Complicated

True, Ben did have much to think about as he lay in his bed after Gwen came back from an alternate timeline and rescued a person she nicknamed "Wild Ben". As the boy turned in his bed, something about the scenario wouldn't leave Ben alone. Wild Ben seemed to make it just fine without the Omnitrix. Magic could mimic all his alien heroes' abilities. In theory, Magic was MORE powerful than the Omnitrix. Ben flinched as the Omnitrix burned through and seered skin on his wrist. Looking at his wrist, Ben saw the Omnitrix was on the verge of overload! Thinking quickly, Ben focused on pleasant thoughts and felt the energy in the Omnitrix baseline. His wrist still burned, however. Ben shut his eyes tight and tried to block out the sensation of his burnt wrist with little success, but he refused to cry out.

Through the pain, Ben saw a vision. He was fighting someone. That much Ben knew as he watched himself breathing heavily from receiving an attack. Who attacked me? Ben thought. As if guided by his thought, Ben's view shifted. There in front of him were two Magi. One he recognized as Charmcaster, but the other was a mystery to him. Something about her reminded Ben of Gwen, but it was unlikely to be Gwen. This girl was blonde, had green eyes, and build like he imagined Gwen would have when they were teens, but she looked possessed. Her eyes had dark rings around them, and she gave off the scent of rotten eggs. Dark magic… Ben thought automatically. Silently, Ben hoped Gwen and Charmcaster weren't in league against him. I need to stop this! Ben growled as the pain on his wrist intensified. "PERDERÉ VINCLA MEA!" Ben roared.

The next thing Ben knew, his mom was shaking him. "Ben," Sandra called frantically. "What's happening?!" Ben was drawn out of the vision when he heard something heavy hit the floor. Ben looked down to see the Omnitrix on the floor, the wristband open and the device smoking lightly. Ben looked at his left wrist and chuckled as he picked up the Watch and looked at it in disbelief. Giving his mom an apologetic look, Ben got off the bed and mumbled, "Celeriter currere!" Ben raced around the room faster than the eye could track and appeared in front of his mother dressed in day clothes and somehow having had a shower in the less than two seconds between the utterance of and the time when Ben canceled the spell. "I'll explain later, Mom. I promise, but right now, I have to find Gwen and Grandpa." Without another word, Ben left the house in search of Gwen and Grandpa Max.

While Ben ran, he felt a presence join him. Magic brushed against Magic, and Ben glared at the trees above him. "Charmcaster, there's no use hiding." The silver-haired sorceress jumped down from her perch and looked at Ben with a befuddled expression. "I expect being unable to hide from your cousin, but since when…" Charmcaster trailed off when she noticed the Omnitrix was off Ben's wrist. Ben smiled deviously. "The Omnitrix blocks Magic, Charmcaster." Ben stated. "So, by all means, take it and put it on if you want to be seriously outclassed by Hex." Charmcaster's face twitched in pain. Ben didn't fail to notice and put a hand on her shoulder.

In that moment of contact, Ben gasped softly and shivered as Charmcaster's Magical Aura rolled over him. So much pain… Ben thought as he was sent to his knees by the unexpected onslaught of emotions. "Fear…loneliness…dread…" Ben mumbled before he flinched, shivered, and cried out as he FELT Hex pummel Charmcaster after Hex's misadventure as a toddler thanks to the Fountain of Youth along with everything else Charmcaster experienced under Hex's guardianship after her father died.

"Stop it!" Ben pleaded. Charmcaster made the boy look at her. "Ben," Charmcaster said as she gently brushed his hair to comfort the boy. "Find your anchor, Ben." The silver-haired woman said with surprising gentleness. Ben's face hardened as he concentrated. Then, Ben was only vaguely aware as a green flash popped in the periphery of his tear-clouded vision. Then, Ben could feel a third presence. "Gwen…" Ben whispered.

Gwen glared hard at Charmcaster. "What did you do to him, you bitch?!" Gwen growled as she went to attack Charmcaster. Gwen stopped when she realized Charmcaster's full focus was on Ben. Without taking her eyes off Ben, Charmcaster answered. "Ben is an Empath Mage." She stated as Ben began to climb out of the dark storm that was Charmcaster's past. Gwen gave her a confused look. "What?" Charmcaster sighed. "He experiences the emotions of anyone he touches."

Charmcaster smiled at Ben reassuringly as the brunette looked up at her with unsure eyes. Then, Gwen was stunned as Ben hugged Charmcaster as a scared child would his mother. "She's here, Ben." Charmcaster said gently. Ben looked up at Charmcaster's words and sprinted to Gwen. As he hugged Gwen, the girl noticed Ben avoided any exposed skin. "I'm here, Ben." She said soothingly. Gwen could feel his Magic, but it was slightly tainted with Charmcaster's. Gwen pushed Ben behind her and glared at Charmcaster. "What did you do to him?!" She growled. "Relax, Red. It's an Empathy Bond." Gwen glared at her harder and was shocked when Ben stood between them. "She's telling the truth, Gwen, and we need to take her to Grandpa Max and discuss some things!" Gwen's glare softened slightly. "I'm watching you." Gwen said coldly.

When they got to the Rustbucket, Ben and Gwen were shocked to see Xylene and Max together. For a moment, the younger pair shared a blush. Then, the awkwardness was broken when Max saw Charmcaster and stood with a glare on his face. Gwen was surprised when she saw Ben shrink back in response to the look. As Charmcaster spoke, Gwen realized why. "M-Mister T-Tennyson," Charmcaster shuddered. "We need to talk about Ben." Gwen nodded. "He's an Empath Mage according to Charmcaster." Max's eyes widened as he looked at the teen sorceress. Then, they gained a look of understanding as Ben placed the Omnitrix on the table between Max and Xylene.

"I remember a few laws of sorcery concerning Empath Magi." Max said calmly, "As his Bonded, you take responsibility in his training Charmcaster?" Max could feel the rage boiling off his granddaughter. "Gwen, this Bond is almost maternal in nature." Max explained. "Once Ben is trained in controlling the flow of emotional energy by Charmcaster, he can choose to break the Bond." Max said calmly. "However, he must be alone with her for the duration." Gwen was practically smoldering with rage.

"How do I know she won't brainwash him?!" Charmcaster glared at Gwen. "The Bond is an ancient Magic, Gwen. I couldn't mentally control him without risking a mystic backlash that would turn my own mind to mush." Gwen smiled. "That would be an…" The girl trailed off when she saw Ben holding his chest. "Alright, I don't trust you, Charmcaster, but if you are the only one who can help him, you better." She said as her eyes glowed with power. Charmcaster chuckled. "I wouldn't dream of hurting him, Red." With that, Charmcaster and Ben vanished in a field of pink energy.

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