Chapter 25: All He Wants
The warehouse was typical of the area – low, large, outdated, dirty – and it was hard to imagine that it had ever been new. Gwen had picked the locks with a quick manipulation of mana, and Ben eased the door open slowly. Both cousins winced as the neglected hinges squeaked in protest of being moved. They slipped into the foyer, dripping on the worn carpeting. One glance at the place told Ben that Dexter would collapse in upon himself if he ever found himself in a place so disreputable. Pushing back the hood of her windbreaker, Gwen looked doubtfully at the dark and dingy interior before pulling the photo from her pocket again. Calling upon her Anodite abilities, she reached out, matching the energy absorbed by the photo to the energy trail that had lead them there.
"That way," she said softly, pointing to a staircase off to the side. "The offices must be up there."
Annoyingly, the door made no noise when Ben closed it again. Trying not to drip on her, he asked, "Is anyone else here?"
"Hard to tell. I'm getting lots of readings."
"Rats, probably."
She snorted, injecting more meaning into his comment than he intended. "Mmm. Hold on." She laid her hand on his arm, her eyes glowing pink for a few seconds. "There are two of you here."
"You have no idea how weird that is to hear," he muttered. "Where is he?"
"Up there, too."
"How do you want to play this?"
"Albedo must know we're here."
"Yeah, well, I'm sure he wants to spring his trap so he can gloat, so let's not disappoint him."
"Maybe we should see if there's a back way. We could come at him from two sides."
He smirked. "Or I could turn into Big Chill again and phase through the floor."
"Or that. Good idea. You circle around, I'll take the stairs."
Stepping away, he dialed the Omnitrix and slammed the control down. "Big – Nanomech."
Gwen rolled her eyes at the sight of the tiny mechanical being hovering in the air before her. He was a far cry from the expected Necrofriggian.
"Oh, man!" squeaked Nanomech in his piercing voice. "Stupid watch. Okay, new plan. I'll fly up and circle behind and then . . ."
She shook her head at his typically loose plan. Really, he didn't like to get tied into any one course of action. Options were there to be exercised and improvising was his specialty. Aloud Gwen ceded, "We'll take it from there. All right. Let's go."
Small though he might be, Nanomech was fast. He kept pace with Gwen as she crept silently up the stairs and as soon as they reached the second story, he zoomed off into the shadows. The second story consisted of a hall running the width of the warehouse with a dozen or so doors leading off of it. A few dirty skylights let light filter in and the place smelled musty and damp. Promising himself a good soak in Dexter's shower (preferably with Dexter), Ben set out to locate Kevin. He fit under the doors with ease, checking two grubby offices, a closet, and a bathroom before a barely-audible whisper from Gwen recalled him. He joined her at the far end of the hall where she stood outside a door against the front of the building.
"Right here," he said, knowing she wouldn't see him through the gloom.
"They're in here," she breathed.
Knowing he'd give them away completely, Ben nonetheless powered down the Omnitrix. The flash of energy briefly illuminated the hall and Gwen's surprised face.
"So much for sneaking around!" she quietly snapped.
"He knows we're here," Ben reminded her with a shrug. "Let's find out what he's up to – if anything."
Reluctantly she nodded, raising her hands defensively as he gripped the doorknob. He opened the door with a quick yank –
"Ben, watch out!"
Kevin's shouted warning had the opposite of the intended effect. Instead of dodging the oncoming figure, Ben froze, a stab of fear coursing through him at the sound of his one-time friend. In that instant, something large and heavy slammed into him, knocking him back against the doorway and into Gwen. He fell on his rump, smacking his head against the door jam as he dropped. A shout of pain escaped him as he hit the floor and caught himself with his right arm.
"Stay away from me!" hissed his own voice as Albedo rushed past them, giving Ben another violent shove.
Ben shook his head to clear it, able to hear pounding footsteps as Albedo fled the scene. That was extremely atypical of the young Galvan, especially with Ben at a disadvantage, and he found himself more concerned with Albedo's response than with Kevin's safety. Gwen was on her feet, her hands bright pink with mana as she prepared to go after Ben's twin.
"Gwen, no!" he called, raising his voice to get her attention. She gaped at him, astonished.
"First you give us away, now you're letting him escape?" she demanded.
He cradled his arm. Dammit, it was his shoulder again. Cardon was going to strangle him. "When has he ever run away from us before?" he replied, struggling to stand.
That gave her pause, distracting her enough that the power she was gathering faded.
"Is he still close?"
She focused. "He's in the warehouse, heading toward the back."
"I'll be back."
"Ben, wait!" barked Kevin.
The words stirred all-too-vivid memories. He paused and finally looked at where Kevin Levin lay trussed up on the floor, a neural suppressor pushed low over his brow. Osmosians were notoriously difficult to contain; Albedo hadn't taken any chances with him absorbing any materials to alter his being. The young man stared at him with desperate intensity, knowing anything he said would be dismissed.
"Don't go after him! He's crazy, out of control!"
Returning the stare steadily, Ben coldly asked, "Where have I heard that before?" He turned to Gwen. "I'll be back."
()()()()()()()()()()
At the bottom of the stairs he had to stop before he blacked out. Panting heavily, feeling faint and nauseous, Ben gripped the hand rail and doubled over as his body and mind reacted to pain and being in such close proximity to Kevin again. Knowing there was nothing else for it, he let himself fall apart for a few quick moments. He had learned long ago that giving in a little let him recover faster. He closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths, and let himself be amazed that he had managed to face Kevin so squarely and with such a steady voice. He was paying for that at this moment and would pay a higher fee later, but that was fine so long as he could function right now.
Later, he told himself, straightening. Lose it later, Benji.
I volunteer to help you find it again, whispered Dexter, all sympathy and understanding.
Taking a last deep breath, Ben managed a wry smile at the imagined voice in his head. Feeling a little more up to the task, he pushed through the double doors leading into the warehouse. He'd been in plenty such places in the past, especially when the HighBreed had invaded, that he barely noticed the details. Wide shelves, boxes and pallets of items swathed in shrink wrap. Dust, rats, and the sound of rain. He didn't care in the least about the things he passed as he hurried through the cold building, but he was worried, genuinely worried, about Albedo. He had little use and less love for the alien that was constantly scheming to get the Omnitrix, but he certainly didn't want him to come to harm. For all Ben's reluctant twin being a conniving and overly smart (was he as smart as Dexter? Certainly not as clever!) little slime, he was no coward. Unless this was part of some plan (and he doubted it), something was far off base with Albedo.
Pressing his right arm tight to his side, he ran through the echoing room. With the rain beating on the roof and ducts it was hard to make out any sounds, but the din also covered the sound of his own progress. Albedo was running away. He wanted out. Why? He'd done a fine job of subduing Kevin, but what had brought him here? Or had he been driven here?
He came to a stop at a loading dock. All the doors were securely locked, telling him Albedo was still in the building. There were too many places to hide for him to track down the Galvan, and he honestly did not want to be hunting his double. If Albedo was frightened or hurt, it just wouldn't be fair.
"Albedo?" he called, standing still. The muffled sound of rain and the pain in his arm and the echo of Kevin's voice had reawakened the not-so-distant memory of being attacked. He remembered the all-consuming fear, and in turn he did not want to inflict that on anyone, even Albedo. Slowly he moved about the landing dock, searching the shadows.
"It's me. Ben. Albedo, I'm not here to fight you."
There was no reply. He stopped moving, presenting himself as a target if Albedo so wished.
"I don't know what you want, but I think you need help. Am I right?"
He wished he had Gwen's ability to detect life forms. Somehow, though, he knew Albedo was listening.
"We only came here to get Kevin. We got reports that you weren't well. Do you need help? Will you let me help you?"
From the shadows behind him, his own voice answered. "You've already done enough. Leave me alone."
Ben turned, looking into the darkness. "Did Kevin pick a fight with you?"
Silence.
"I haven't done anything, Albedo."
"Haven't you?" whispered the voice with scathing derision. He could hear his double moving about. "You exist. You have the Omnitrix. You gave me this hideous form. Your form. Ben Tennyson's form. And all he wants is you."
He?
"What do you mean?" he asked, taking a step toward Albedo. "Who wants me? Vilgax?"
. . . Kevin? He felt a pang of nausea at the very idea.
"I look like you. But I'm not you. He made that my fault. Everything he did . . . you did."
"I don't understand what you mean. Who did . . . whatever they did to you?" he finished lamely, confounded. He moved toward the sound of the voice, determined to get to the bottom of this.
"You," breathed Albedo. Ben caught sight of the Galvan, shadows falling dark and heavy across his face. "You'll pay for this, Ben Tennyson."
"Pay? For what? Albe -"
Suddenly his double stepped closer, his bleached white hair starkly visible. There was little light to see by, but Ben caught a fleeting glimpse of distorted flesh, of deep scars and old wounds written on Albedo's face . . . on his own face. He gasped and stared, horrified that anyone, even his enemy, had been so disfigured. It was just a glance, because the Galvan took cover in the darkness again, but it was enough to rattle him to the core.
"Albedo, who did this? Let me help you, please!"
"Like you've helped me in the past?" mocked the other teen. "Mark my words: you'll pay for this, and so will he. Every last moment of pain will be repaid. He wants you. I want revenge. I'll get what I want before he does."
Maybe Kevin was right. Albedo sounded plenty crazy. "You're hurt. You're not well. Come with me. I'll get you help."
"How? You'll hand me over to the Plumbers? That idiot Levin has been hounding my every move since I came here. I'll never be at their mercy again. I'll never be at anyone's mercy again. Especially not yours."
He lunged out of the shadows, a heavy pipe in his hands swinging at Ben's head. Ben grunted as the weapon came crashing down on his raised arms. The pain was terrific, but Albedo wasn't looking to do him in, just buy himself time to escape. Ben backed off, grimacing. He could go after him, but Albedo wouldn't see anything he did as trying to help and he'd already told him he wasn't here to fight. He had come to rescue Kevin, and that task was done.
He heard the squeak of a metal door being forced open and then the sound of rain as Albedo escaped into the night. Ben stared into the darkness, suddenly cold and lonely and bereft as he tried to fathom what had just happened. Who had done this? Why? Why mutilate a young man just for not being . . . Ben?
Feeling sick in every way, wishing he hadn't come here, wishing he was back home, Ben withdrew, heading back to the entrance and the inevitable confrontation that awaited him.