Going Home, part II

Gwen

At the woods in the outer limits of Bellwood.

"You know, if any other boy asked me to meet him alone in a desert place like this, I wouldn't show up," Gwen said playfully, as she approached Ben in the middle of a clearing.

"I'm not any boy. I'm your cousin," Ben said with a smile.

"Well, for any other girl, that would be an even stronger reason not to meet you here," Gwen said.

The duo burst out laughing and they laughed until their stomachs hurt.

Fortunately, they weren't 'any boy' and 'any girl'; they were Ben and Gwen. Neither of them fit within society's standards of 'normal' anyway.

"So, what do you want to show me, Doofus?" Gwen asked. Those woods were the place where Ben and Gwen would go to use their powers freely away from the town and out of the sight of people.

"Do you know what Thep Khufans are, Dweeb?" he asked.

"Of course, Doofus." Gwen replied, "Thep Khufans are a species of alien symbiotes that can be described as 'living bandages'. These 'bandages' need to bond to other beings - 'hosts' - and they give them superhuman abilities. They are popularly known as mummies because their appearance resembles the mummies of Ancient Egypt. Another curiosity, Thep Khufans are genderless and reproduce asexually."

Ben was speechless.

"You were totally not expecting me to know all of this, you big Doofus!" Gwen bragged. "Has the cat got your tongue or are you willing to admit I outsmarted you as usual?"

"Actually, I was trying to think of a funny way to say that you're just as intelligent as you're hot, but I couldn't come up with one, so let's just go on ..." Ben said, causing Gwen to glare daggers at him, "One thing you don't know, S.E.C.T. has captured some Thep Khufans in the past, and highly trained agents use Thep Khufans to perform missions that are too dangerous for an ordinary human-"

"They do that?" Gwen interrupted, shocked, "Everyone knows that over time, a Thep Khufan can corrupt and control the host's mind, how can they risk the lives of the agents like that?"

"To be honest, agents risk their lives whenever they go on a mission, it's a calculated risk," Ben said, "and they have very strict rules, of course. For example, an agent can't remain bonded to a Thep Khufan for more than 48 hours, and there's a minimal break of two weeks until the next time."

"How do you know all of this?" Gwen raised an eyebrow, "I definitely didn't get this memo."

"Ah-ah, that's not the case now, Dweeb. My question for you is, if you could completely remove the risks, let's say, if the Thep Khufan is someone good, someone you trust, and the bond only lasts for fifteen minutes... Would you be curious to know what it is like to be a mummy?" Ben asked smiling.

"Do you have this alien on your watch? How?" Gwen asked in surprise. "Okay, I'll accept it, but later you will answer all my questions."

Ben slammed the watch, a bright green light shone, and then Gwen saw a cluster of bandages standing where Ben was. The bandages moved towards Gwen and began to wrap themselves around her.

Gwen definitely felt stronger and more powerful, "This is amazing!" She said, "But the bandages are a little tight around my butt. If you can hear me, can you loosen it up a bit, Ben?"

"Hehehe ... I'm sorry, Gwen," Ben said.

"You can still talk to me? How?" Gwen asked.

"I have no mouth or ears in this alien form, but we have a telepathic connection." She realized that Ben's voice was actually echoing in her head. "Why don't you test your strength lifting that fallen tree right there?"

Gwen walked over to a large tree, which by the looks of it had been struck by lightning a few days before, and tried to lift it. To her surprise, she succeeded. "Wow!"

"Great! Now jump from here to the top of that tree far ahead," Ben suggested.

Gwen leapt and landed with mastery on a wide branch. She was again impressed that she had been able to make a jump at such a great height and distance.

"Now, let's go for a ride," Ben said, and Gwen suddenly saw the bandages in her hands reaching out to a branch in another tree.

"WOOOOOOOOW" Gwen found herself swinging in the air as Ben took care of the locomotion, using the bandages to lead Gwen from one tree to another.

"That's ... cool!" Gwen was already getting used to the quick movements.

That ride made Gwen remember when she and Ben were on the island of the Spider-Apes, and they hiked on the apes' backs while they swung through the forest in their webs. That time, she didn't really enjoy the ride because of the present dangers, but now she fully appreciated the moment.

"Spider-Apes aren't the only ones who can have fun swinging around trees! Now you're Spider-Gwen too!" Ben said, probably picking up on her thoughts due to the mind link that alien form provided between them.

After a few minutes, the familiar beep of the Omnitrix was heard. Gwen landed on the floor, and Ben started to unwrap himself off her, but the Omnitrix turned him back to normal before he could finish and he ended up coming back to normal with his arms and legs wrapped around Gwen. They both fell on the ground with Gwen on top of Ben in a very embarrassing position.

"So did you like the ride, cuz?" Ben asked, still curled up with her on the ground.

"I ... loved it!" Their lips were so close ... She wanted to thank him with a kiss, but Gwen knew that by the boundaries that she herself had established, they should not kiss on the lips. The redhead resisted the urge and just stood up.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Ben asked.

Gwen thought about pulling a prank on Ben and said, "You know, I want to renew my wardrobe. How about we spend an entire afternoon at the mall buying new clothes for me?"

Ben's eyes widened in dread, he hesitated for a moment, but ultimately replied, "Of course, I'd be happy to accompany you."

Gwen giggled, "Okay, what do you want, Ben?"

"To be a good cousin?" Ben said hesitantly.

"You're being too nice to me, and-" and then Gwen remembered the last time she was overly nice to Ben - she was trying to comfort him after he had been turned down by 'Lucky Girl' - and she understood that he was also trying to comfort her now. "It's because of my grandmother. I'm sad because she's leaving for Anodyne, and you want to cheer me up. "

"You're right," Ben replied sheepishly. "Your grandmother might leave, but I want you to know that I'll never leave you."

After that Gwen couldn't resist anymore. She cupped Ben's face in her hands and pressed her lips against his. "Thank you, Ben," Gwen said after a long and wonderful kiss.

"Y-you're w-welcome, a-anytime," Ben blushed a bit.

Suddenly, Ben's S.E.C.T. communicator began to beep.

"Watch Boy speaking." Ben answered.

"Ben, this is Director Steel. Please come to the base in Bellwood. Use the teleporter and come to the main headquarters immediately. It is urgent. I need to talk to you in person."

If Director Steel himself was calling, it was because there were serious problems.

Director Steel's office...

When Ben and Gwen arrived - as Watch Boy and Lucky Girl - Director Steel, Grandpa Max and Tomyx were waiting for them.

"What's wrong?" Ben asked.

Steel turned on the monitor, and the image of an incredibly strong and tall Vilgaxian in a black armor appeared on the screen. His pose was of an emperor...

Watch Boy's and Lucky Girl's eyes turned to Tomyx, "Is this ...?"

"Yes. It's Vilgax himself." Tomyx confirmed.

"This video has spread on the internet thanks to Vilgax's human collaborators," Steel said, with his arms folded.

Lucky Girl remembered Eric Edwards, the rich and famous owner of the "Conduit Edwards" company. He was a member of a cult of Vilgax worshipers, and like him, there were many other humans who also swore to serve the alien overlord in secret, expecting to be rewarded after Vilgax conquered Earth.

Lucky Girl couldn't understand what Vilgax was saying. She knew a spell that allowed her to comprehend an unknown language, but it only worked for in-person conversations, it was useless for a video like that. The video was subtitled though - probably the work of the same Vilgax followers who spread it on the internet - whatever Vilgax's message was, he wanted the humans to hear and understand.

"People of Earth, I am Vilgax, the Conqueror, the beloved of the Great Old Ones, the living Cthulhu. I address you not as someone who wants to make you slaves, but as someone who wants to set you free. A long time ago, when my home planet was still called Murray, and those of my species were still called Murraxians, my planet was not much different from yours. The greedy authorities exploited the humble ones, and my people suffered in misery, pain and fear. I changed that. I brought peace, justice and security to my world. But I saw that my purpose was greater than that. My purpose is to save the whole galaxy from the same corruption that plagued my world."

"This bastard wants to hide his thirst for power behind a noble speech!" Ben said in disgust.

"The corrupt authorities of the Earth want to continue oppressing you, and want to prevent me from taking my rightful place as your ruler and god. Unfortunately, this causes Earth to bleed, and costs the lives of many humans. But I assure you, this will not last much longer. I will personally come to Earth, to bring the destruction of the oppressors and usher a glorious new age of prosperity for your planet."

"He's coming here ..." Lucky Girl said, feeling a chill run through her spine.

"For decades, Vilgax only sent his lieutenants here, never showed up in person," Director Steel said, "It's very clear that the biggest reason he is coming here now is because of the Omnitrix and his son. Ben and Tomyx, we have to find a way to protect you and-"

"No way! I don't need protection!" Watch Boy protested, "I'll train as much as I can, get as many new aliens as I can, and get ready to face Vilgax when he gets here! This is my world, and I'm going to show that megalomaniac squid-face that he's not welcome here!"

"I'm with Mr. Ben! We have to get ready for a fight, not hide!" Tomyx said.

Lucky Girl was impressed by Ben's bravery... and also worried deeply for his life. She glanced at her grandfather, and realized that he too was equally impressed and worried.

When Gwen got home that night, to her surprise she found her mother Natalie and her grandmother Verdona talking.

"Grandma!" Gwen ran to give Verdona a hug.

"Hi, Gwenny." Verdona smiled and hugged her back.

"I'll let you talk to Gwen alone, mom. I'll be in my bedroom." Natalie climbed the stairs.

Gwen was even more surprised, "I thought you and Mom were at odds with each other."

"Knowing that I'll leave this planet soon made your mother forget our differences," Verdona said.

"I wanted you to stay here, Grandma!" Gwen held back her tears. "Why do you want to leave your family and go to a stupid planet light years away from here?"

"And I wanted you to go with me, Gwenny," Verdona said with a sad smile, "It's different for you. Your mother raised you as a human, not a sorceress. She didn't tell you all about the stories and beauties of our home-world. Anodyne is just a stupid planet to you, I get that, but to me, it's the Promised Land."

"Sorry, Grandma ..." Gwen lowered her head.

"No need to apologize." Verdona lifted Gwen's chin. "I don't want to pressure you, but I saw the Vilgax video on the internet. I think Anodyne will be a lot safer than Earth, and you and Ben really should consider coming with me. "

Gwen hadn't stopped to think about it. Ben would be safer in Anodyne ... And he had promised to accompany her if she decided to go.

"The evolution, Grandma ... Is it safe?" Gwen asked.

Verdona sighed, "It has its downsides. Those who go through the process will become energy beings. Of course, one can still 'wear' a skin whenever one wants, but it's not the same thing ... We don't know, for example, if having children will still be possible. And speaking of health, short term it's safe, but we can't know the long-term effects yet ... So only a group of people necessary to create the portal is going to evolve. After a few years, we'll know the consequences better, and decide if others will also be allowed to go through the process... Have you changed your mind about going?" Verdona asked with hope.

"I ... I don't know," Gwen said, "Will you stay here at my house until the day of departure?"

"Your parents let me stay, yes, but I have to look for Charmcaster first. I can't find her anywhere, and I'm afraid Hex is up to something really terrible."

"I'll help you, Grandma," Gwen said.

"No. I don't want you involved in this. Do you understand me, young lady?" Verdona spoke in a very stern tone. Gwen was sure that her grandmother was trying to protect her.

Ben and Gwen were in Yosemite Park at the night Ben found the Omnitrix. Ben turned into XLR8 and ran to protect tourists from the Vilgaxian troops. Gwen watched one of the Vilgaxian soldiers shot at XLR8, opening a hole in his chest. He dropped dead on the ground.

Ben and Gwen were in the underground part of the warehouse where they met Eric Edwards and his Squid-Monster. Edwards ordered the monster to attack the duo, Ben turned into the Ripjaws and faced off against the creature while he could, but the monster devoured him while Gwen just watched helplessly.

Ben and Gwen were facing Albedo, Sunny and Antonio at Sunny's mansion. Albedo used his Ultimatrix to turn into Chromastone, while Ben turned into Diamondhead. Chromastone fired a powerful blast at Diamondhead, shattering him into a thousand pieces.

Ben and Gwen were standing in front of Vilgax. The alien overlord grabbed Ben and, with his brute force, ripped off his left arm. Ben bled to death in Gwen's arms.

"NOOOOO!" Gwen woke up startled. The redhead flinched in the bed, scared. In her nightmares that night, Ben was always dying. She couldn't protect him.

Gwen couldn't sleep anymore. In her mind, the darkest paranoid thoughts began to take form. She was almost sure Vilgax had come to Earth that very night, and attacked Ben at his house. She grabbed her cell phone and called him. She needed to hear his voice, to make sure she was just going crazy, and everything was fine with her cousin.

"-Ello," Ben answered in a sleepy voice.

"Ben, thank God." Gwen said, "I just wanted to make sure everything was okay with you."

"It's 2 A.M., Dweeb. Couldn't you at least wait until the morning?" He replied, irritated and sleepy.

"Sorry, Ben. You're right. Bye, love you." She hung up the phone.

It didn't help. Gwen was still unable to get any sleep.

After a few minutes tossing and turning in the bed, she heard a knock at her window. The redhead stood up from the bed, and saw Ben at her window.

"Ben, what are you doing here?" Gwen asked as she opened the window for him to enter.

"I'm sorry for being rude to you on the phone before, Dweeb. If you called me this late, it's obvious that you have a problem. I XLR8'ed myself here," Ben said.

Gwen laid down on the bed and invited him to lay down next to her. She placed her head on his chest and curled up with him. "Ben... Would you go to Anodyne with me?"

Ben was speechless for a few seconds, until he finally gave her an answer, "I told you that I'd follow you anywhere, then yes. But now more than ever, I really wouldn't want to leave. If Vilgax comes here and I take him out, it's very likely that his empire will collapse with his closest lieutenants in a power struggle, and Earth will be free of Vilgaxian attacks for a long time, maybe even forever. I can make a difference. If I leave now I'll feel very bad, like I'm abandoning my world to its doom."

Gwen giggled at the irony of the situation. The reason why she wanted to leave was the same reason why Ben wanted to stay.

"I'd say I hate how heroic you are, but that was one of the things that made me fall in love with you, so hating it would be kind of a contradiction," Gwen said, caressing his chest.

"I understand," Ben said, running his hand through her hair, "I feel the same way about your dweebness. I hate it and love it at the same time. "

"The only thing I want is to keep you safe, away from monsters, villains and alien overlords. I see you diving head first into danger every day, and I'm terrified you might die." Gwen sighed, hugging him even tighter.

"Gwen, do you wanna know how I got a Thep Khufan on my watch?"

"Yes, you didn't tell me before."

"The day S.E.C.T.'s scientists find a way to take the Omnitrix off my wrist, I'm back to being the same normal and boring Ben Tennyson from before ... I've been talking to Director Steel about other possibilities for me, he told me about the Thep Khufans that S.E.C.T. has and let me do a 'test drive' with one. The watch scanned its DNA."

Gwen took Ben's hand and kissed it, "Cuz, you were never boring to me. And you're not normal. With or without the Omnitrix, you'll never be normal," of course Gwen said that as a compliment.

"Thank you, Dweeb." Ben gently caressed her butt. Gwen let that one pass. "My point is, I really love being a hero. And I'll admit, at first, I kind of used this as an outlet and I threw myself head first into danger, because I had nothing better than being a hero in my life. But now it's different, I have something better. You."

Gwen grinned from ear to ear, "Ben, you're so sweet ..."

"So, I promise you I'll be more careful. After all, if I die, I won't have sex with you, and I really, really want to have sex with you."

"And you go from 'sweet' to 'perv' in five seconds."

"I'm kidding. I want to live so I can enjoy my life with you, every second of it," Ben said, "But anyway, I'm going to Anodyne with you, if that's what you really want. But I'd like to leave registered that there is no guarantee that there will be no dangers in Anodyne too, you know that, right? "

"Thank you, Ben." Gwen said, "Our place is here on Earth, saving lives and kicking butts. I'm sorry for trying to make you leave. Everything is fine now. If you want to go back to your home, you can go."

"You're having trouble to sleep tonight, aren't you? Nightmares, about me." Ben was quite perceptive.

"Yes."

"I'll stay here until you fall asleep. It will probably help. "

"Thank you, Ben. You're a sweetheart," Gwen said, already half asleep, curled up with Ben.

The next morning...

"Gwen, wake up." That voice was from her father Frank.

The redhead opened her eyes and the morning sunlight had already made its way into her bedroom. Frank and Natalie were standing by her bed, with their arms folded.

Gwen suddenly heard a snore next to her. Ben's snore. He had fallen asleep too. "Oh my God…"

"Why is your cousin sleeping in your bed?"

Author's Notes

* If my mummies remind you of the Symbiotes from Spider-Man, well, it was my inspiration! S.E.C.T. using Thep Khufans is based on the Agent Venom premise. And I couldn't help but to add a nod to Spider-Gwen. I think it's quite obvious by now that I'm a big comic book fan!