Chapter 17
The ship shook. At this rate they'd tear the ship apart. It had to be Prospero.
"Stay with Hope...I'll take care of it." I stated.
"What, you?!" Gwen scoffed.
"Yes me!" I retorted.
"Ben, I don't know if your body can handle another attack, and I don't know if you know, but you just became a father! Hope needs you now more than ever...her child needs you..."
"If it's even mine...Prospero could've-"
The ship rattled once more.
"Well whatever we're gonna do, we better do it, we're like sitting ducks here!" Kevin yelled over us.
"Ben...Ben Tennyson!" Prospero's voice echoed out in a sing song manor.
"Coming out?!"
I nodded in reasurrence to Gwen. The three of us exited the ship quietly. Prospero stood a ways from us holding his staff tight in his hands.
"I guess he was right, you took the bait...I find it pretty impressive you're still alive..."
"Who are you talking about?!" I shouted.
"Hello...Ben...and lovely Gwen."
Our ears perked up at the sound of a familiar voice. It was Darkstar.
"Michael!" Gwen exclaimed. "You look different."
"Yes...It is I. And I see you three haven't changed a bit...Ben's still the fearless leader, Gwen's still the smart one..."
"What about me?" Kevin asked out right.
"You? You're the other one..."
Kevin glared.
"What did you want with Hope?!" I shouted.
"I didn't want her...but I owed Prospero...see we met a couple of years ago...and we made a deal."
"What kind of a deal?"
"He promised me that if I helped him find Hope...you would come for her...and he was right...here you are, right on schedule."
Prospero smirks.
"Prospero...you have five seconds...talk." I stood tall and beamed at him. I could feel my blood rising as I thought of him touching my Angel. Prospero began to stifle a laugh. It was soft, and almost inaudible. It grew to a roar of laughter. It was like some sick joke we all missed. Prospero drew in a breath and looked up at me with his dark black souls for eyes.
"How is it Ben Tennyson, that I know so much about her...how is it that I knew about her father, how is it that I was able to wield this staff?"
We stared deeply at him.
"Ashes to ashes and dust to dust, caught in Charmcaster's final web and left for dead...these words along with the incantation Resurrection of Defense is the only reason I'm still alive..."
"Still alive...what are you talking about-"
I paused and doubled up my fist. I grew even madder than before but I couldn't explain to Kevin and Gwen why. His five seconds was up. I was going to beat him. Beat him, until my knuckles bled and I couldn't see anymore. I grew deaf in that moment, and all I could see was Prospero's smug smiling face.
"Take care of Darkstar." I announced to Gwen and Kevin. They were hopelessly confused. Good. I wanted them to be because I wanted Prospero all to myself. Gwen immediately attacked Darkstar, with Kevin just behind her. I couldn't get the vision of Hope lying in the ship, bearing a child and in need of medical attention out of my mind. I couldn't get the heat to melt away from my face. I couldn't get the anger to die down. I knew it was my place to take care of this. I was going to do what I should have done a long time ago. I spun the dial on my watch.
"I'm going to kill you." I spoke out. "And this time...you won't becoming back...Hex."
Prospero's smile got wider.
"It took you long enough boy...Charmcaster noticed a few days after I brought her here...she like you; was confused as to how this could be possible...well Resurrection of Defense, resurrects a new body for you, and this is the body the spell gave me."
I glared harder.
"If you truly want to kill me...I'll give you a chance..."
I lowered my hand from my watch.
"I won't use my magic...or my staff as long as you don't use your Omnitrix...do we have a deal?"
"What's the catch?!"
"No catch...just a fight to the death...I imagine Hope would be quite devastated to find your corpse...I'm counting on that...and once your out of the way I'll be free to abuse her all I like... Her and the baby..."
My insides were burning.
"Unless of course you really can kill me...But I don't think you can even touch me."
Without thinking I lunged forward an attempted to punch him. He dodged the blow and hit me in the back. I didn't stay down long and I stood back up swinging. He was quick. Quicker than me, but if I ever got my hands on him I was going to tear him apart. I heard Gwen and Kevin fighting Darkstar. Gwen was winning as her powers were so much stronger here. That's when I realized Hex's powers are too! That's why he's so fast. He was toying with me. I got lost in my head, and that's when it hit me the hardest. The curse on my body. I violently upchucked blood and fell on my side. I grabbed at my chest and wrinkled my shirt. I could hear my heart beating in my ears. I felt it may burst at any moment. I heard Hex laugh, and more of my blood oozed its way out of my nose. I tried to stop it but I couldn't.
Hex kicked my stomach, I grunted loudly as I rolled over. I whimpered and my voice cracked. Without warning my body began to tremble. I was swiftly thrown into a seizure. My vision was cloudy. My breath was short and wheezy.
"Ben!" I heard Gwen scream. In the distance Darkstar lay beaten on the cold dirt. Kevin held Gwen back.
"There is nothing you can do for him now!" Hex shouted.
"Ben!" This time Kevin's voice. Gwen let out a cry. I heard her and Kevin fly backward and hit the ground; as Hex used his staff on them. He turned his attention back to me and squated over me.
"You're just too weak Ben Tennyson...Hope is mine...she's always been on my side...it's in her blood."
"Don't presume to know me Uncle!" Hope's voiced echoed. I could hear her sweet demanding voice but my vision was foggy.
Hex stood and turned. In radiant glory she stood proud outside the Rust Bucket III. Her white long hair down past her chest, her pregnant stomach in full view under her tattered white dress. Her skin pale but glowing against the rocks.
"You said I was weak...you said I was weak when I killed you...but as I said then; you don't control me anymore!"
Hope's eyes began to glow pink. As bright as I have ever seen them. She floated upwards and rocks flew up with her. Her hair blew upwards and side ways.
"Roruf Munenev!" She screamed.
"No!" Hex gasped.
It was the curse he put on me only backwards. I smiled shyly as a pink aura circled my body. I felt my strength return and my pain relieved. I was able to stand and once I got to my feet I quickly changed into Humungosaur. I grabbed Hex, by (Prospero's scrawny neck and began to squeeze his windpipe. I no longer cared for righteousness. I knew once I could grab him I wouldn't show any mercy.
"Ben!" Hope shouted at me. "Do not let him go!"
I nodded and did as she requested. Hope waved her arm and pink mana discharged from her fingertips. The magic went into Prospero's/Hex's heart and he slowly transformed into the Hex we all knew all too well. His body began to wither.
"No!" He yelled. "Charmcaster you won't do this to me again!"
He closed his eyes tightly. I could hear him chanting a spell under his breath. I gasped and was abruptly struck to the face with a dark magical aura. The dark magic even cancelled out Hope's. I fell over backward causing the ground to shake with a large thud. Hex growled, and was forcefully hit with Hope's mana.
"Adfishio Potentia!" Hope cried. This caused multiple beams of mana to discharge from her hand.
You. Will. Not. Hurt. Anyone. Ever. Again! She screamed and fully enunciated each word.
"Discombobulus Mechano!"
Hex fell to the ground and his staff spun in the air. Hope grabbed it tightly.
"I killed you so that you couldn't kill Ben, I love him Uncle and love is something you'll never understand!"
Hope cried out a loud scream and waved the staff causing a multitude of mana and sparks to fly from it. Each time a ray of mana hit Hex, it caused him to bleed. Hex was hit 29 times. Each time Hope reared back to swing and waved the staff she let out a violent scream. Hex continued to bleed to the point he fell unconscious and only his limp body rolled across the soil; dragging blood and dirt with him. I transformed back into myself and I noticed Gwen and Kevin were back on their feet. Kevin placed handcuffs on Darkstar.
I walked over to Gwen holding my arm. We were all three dirty and covered in bloody battle damage. I could only watch as Hope continued her onslaught of Hex. I felt it was something she had to do. When I noticed Hex no longer moving I walked up behind her and grabbed the staff. She screamed and tried to pull it from me.
"Let go!" She screamed. "I can't let it live!"
"Angel!" I shouted over her. She screamed and tried to pull away. I managed to pry the staff from her grip and threw it towards Gwen. Gwen caught it with ease. I wrapped my arms around Hope's back and held her close to my chest. She screamed, and hollered and cried into my arms.
"Hope...Hope...Hope!" I attempted to yell louder over her screams. I adjusted my grip on her and shook her a bit. I leaned in close to her ear.
"Calm down..." I whispered.
Hope fought with me and tried to pull away.
"Stop it...Stop it!" I said in a whisper at first then shouted.
"Angel...look at me...look..."
She turned with tears in her eyes.
"He's dead..."
"No...Ben...No." She mumbled and shook her head violently. "I have to kill him!" She quickly tried to dart from me, and I held her arms.
"No!" I yelled. "He is dead Hope!"
She gathered up a bunch of tears that glittered in her eyes. She sobbed softly.
"He'll...He'll come after me!" She cried.
"No...baby no...listen at me...he came back because he had his staff...but you had it this time...and this time you're the Master Magician...not him...I told you, you were stronger than him."
I placed my hands against her face and tears continued to find there way out of her eyes.
"I'm sorry..." She whispered.
"For?" I mumbled softly.
"That's twice now Ben, I've come into your life and almost destroyed it...oh Ben...why do you even want me around!"
She pulled her head away from my grasp.
"Hey!" I shouted. "Don't do that too me...I told you about that...Hope I love you...and if you tell me that one more time I swear to God, I'll kill myself too...I'm not living my life without you...I'm only sorry I wasn't much help to you..."
Hope stared into my eyes. That same look from two years ago when I saved her.
"After everything you've done for me...I was glad to save you this time..." She whispered.
She leaned in slowly and pecked my lips and kissed me. I kissed her back. We nuzzled our foreheads together just enough to mess up our bangs. I groaned softly and nuzzled her back.
"Oh...I've missed you." I breathed heavily. Suddenly we heard Kevin clear his throat. We looked at him.
"You guys...wanna pro-create some more or-"
"Kevin!" Gwen retorted and hit his shoulder. She then smiled at us.
"Let's go home." Gwen said with a grin. It wasn't too long after that we were all back at home. I lay shirtless with Hope by my side. She was finally able to overcome her fears and grew stronger because of it. I was hoping she would. Her pregnant body was as beautiful as ever. I rolled over on my side and smiled as I stroked her stomach; wondering what life had in store for us next.