Being alone with Conway after all that had happened wasn't nearly as bad as Ben thought it would be. Granted, Ben hadn't thought about Conway much with everything else that was going on but it felt awkward to stand near him again after all that had happened. It could have been worse, though.

It helped that they weren't doing that much talking to begin with. They were setting up the hallway so that it would funnel down to the trap where Popigai and Conway would be waiting for Argyle. They couldn't use peranite since that would be too obvious and Argyle would be manipulating that easily anyway, so they mostly ambled around kicking scattered objects into a better place and things like that.

Occasionally they would activate another trap, which was yet another why reason Ben had insisted upon setting up a path even though he already had the route memorized. He had Conway using a thin sheet of peranite to mark out a rough map and record where the still-working cameras were. It was mostly to help the others, since Ben had the gist of the layout memorized. Without being taken off-guard, he was much better at dodging laser fire. Which was a relief, because his arm was going to bruise if everyone kept tugging on him.

The quiet between them was only broken to relay information about how they wanted something positioned, or a heads up for a camera they were approaching so Conway could shoot it and Ben could move out of the way. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't all that good, either. It turned out that silence could be pretty silent.

Ben already knew that any icebreaking wasn't going to be done on Conway's end. He was a lot like Kevin, sort of reserved and closed off with his feelings. But Ben didn't want to talk about the betrayal or anything that would take emotional effort, he just wanted to talk. It had been so lonely those six days where he was tied down and either ignored or degraded. Popigai had talked a lot, so Ben hadn't gotten to dwell on it, but the heavy silence between them was ringing in his ears.

Finally, unable to stand it, Ben blurted out the first thing he could think of. "Do you think Argyle knows what we're planning?"

Conway paused, his back to Ben so that he couldn't see the Petrosapien's expression. An unfamiliar surge of anxiety sparked in Ben's chest. He hated what he was dealing with. Talking to Conway had always been difficult, but there was a trepidation between them that Ben couldn't fully describe. Why couldn't anything ever be simple?

After a moment, the tension melted away and Conway let out a noncommittal grunt. "Probably. But I don't think it matters. Even if he knows that it's a trap, he'll come anyway." He paused, considering something, then carefully added, "You're too important for him to not take that risk."

The goal was to make things between them less uncomfortable, but Ben couldn't help his unhappy snort. "I'm not that important," he muttered, scowling at his feet as he walked. He had to resist the urge to shove his hands into his pockets, but only because his shorts didn't have pockets like his nice, baggy cargo pants. It would have been embarrassing to push his hands into nothing. "I don't even understand why they keep trying. It's not like they even did anything to me! They had a whole six days where I was just laying there and nothing happened except they stuck me with IVs and clamped some blinking device to the Omnitrix."

Okay, so maybe Ben wasn't being entirely truthful. But he didn't want to talk about some of the things Murowa said to him. Diavik was bad enough, but at least he treated demeaning Ben as a job instead of a fun pastime like she did. And it wasn't like they beat him or starved him, even if Ben's stomach was convinced otherwise. The IVs kept him alive and healthy. It would have been easy for Murowa to take her anger out on him, but all she ever did was shout and put his gag back on if he was mouthing off or trying to activate the Omnitrix's voice control.

It wasn't unbearable, but Ben couldn't say that he was unaffected by it, either. He just would really prefer not to dwell on it. The fewer details he remembered, the better.

The silence was back. That time, though, Conway was the one to breach it. "Ben," he said quietly, in a tone that made the hero tense up all over again, "what happened while you were with them, exactly?"

It was clear that the question had been on his mind for a while. A while. Just like how Murowa had told him that she'd waited for so long to meet him. She kept saying what an honor it was, even as her lackeys pinned his flailing limbs. And she had relished in locking those restraints, enjoyed every insult sent hurling his way, savored the way his face twisted in pain when she first shoved the IVs in. Subconsciously, Ben shifted to set his hand over the large, creeping bruise over his left forearm. That was his fault, for ripping out IVs like an idiot. But he had just wanted them out, it didn't matter how, just like how he wanted to be able to stretch and walk and run, far away, and—

Ben was startled from his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder. He immediately jerked away, whirling to fix Conway with a heated glare. The sudden movement made his side ache and his head spin but he wasn't about to suggest heading back to their temporary base to rest. They had work to do. "Don't touch me," he snapped. Then, taking a deep breath, he managed more calmly, "I'm fine. Seriously, it wasn't… It's nothing."

The look on Conway's face made something that Ben couldn't define twist in his gut. He swallowed thickly, face growing heated. Something flashed in Conway's eyes — Guilt, or was it regret? Pity, maybe? — but then it was gone, as quickly as it came, and his expression was blank. "If you say so, hero," he muttered.

There were plenty of ways Ben could have answered that but none of them were very friendly. For the sake of the tolerance that he was still trying to muster, Ben chose not to reply. He ignored Conway and turned away, returning to their task.

Maybe silence wasn't that bad after all.

It didn't take long to finish up their job, though. The area that Ben had decided to use for their set-up wasn't all that big. The hardest thing was going to be the waiting, not necessarily setting everything up.

Somehow, Ben was looking forward to that even less. He was going to be stuck in a confined area with Tetrax for an indeterminate amount of time. He might not have minded so much before, but after that conversation with Conway, Ben wasn't looking forward to talking to anyone.

He almost wanted to suggest going alone, but the other would never approve of that and they had already worked out everyone's roles. Since Popigai wasn't a strong fighter, it was best that he not go with Ben. The point of someone going with him at all was to serve as a distraction in case Murowa showed up instead of Argyle. Conway wasn't a much better option. Ben trusted Rook's judgment, so in some ways, he sort of trusted Conway. But it was easy to say that and have to consciously remind himself to be fair, and it was an entirely different thing to be facing people who wanted Ben chained or dead or both with only a guy who had already stabbed you in the back once as your reinforcement.

So maybe Tetrax really wasn't the best option in that respect. But Ben trusted that, if nothing else, Tetrax wanted Petropia and her people to be safe. At least for the moment, the best chance of keeping everyone alive rested with Ben. The thought should have comforted him, but it didn't. Ben wasn't unfamiliar with having millions of lives resting on his shoulders, but usually, he trusted himself to handle it. What was it about his current situation that made everything so different?

He forced those thoughts away as he approached Tetrax and Popigai. They had selected the hallway down the middle of their closed-off area as the perfect place to spring a trap. Getting Red Sleep venom from Gutrot had been the easy part. Setting it up was slightly more difficult. Hence why Tetrax had opted to stay behind and show Popigai how to do it safely. Ben had wanted Tetrax to go scouting with him instead of Conway, but he hadn't wanted to ask about how Tetrax had learned to work with Red Sleep venom. He doubted that it would be a pleasant story.

"Did you have any problems with it?" Ben asked as he approached. The plan was for Popigai and Conway to hide in rooms across from each other and jump out when laser fire sounded from one of the motion-activated ones that Ben would be running right by. For the time being, they had the gas-form of the venom in air-tight containers and were setting everything up correctly.

Tetrax spared Ben a glance as he shoved a broken file cabinet into place. The junk piled everywhere moved closer together along the hallway, creating something of a funnel effect. It also hid the doors, so that Argyle wouldn't see them opening until it was too late.

"Luckily, we didn't," Tetrax sighed. "It would have helped if it wasn't all in gas form, but you probably couldn't control that. How did it go on your end?"

"Fine," Ben replied, somehow resisting the urge to glance at Conway as he lied through his teeth. "We got everything scoped out. We found this little hatch by the elevator that will make for a really great stakeout point." Ben thought about it before continuing, "So, uh, are we sure that they're going to show themselves any time soon? It would be a waste of time to just sort of sit, waiting, for hours and hours only for them to never make an appearance."

From his spot on the other side of the hallway, studying the rough peranite map Conway had handed him, Popigai made a vague noise of assent. "They'll be here. The ship will need to stop for repairs soon. They'll know that the Plumbers are on the way, as they were no doubt expecting as soon as they kidnapped you, Ben, and failed to kill all of the witnesses," he said in a surgically detached tone. "With that in mind, knowing that their opposition is traveling faster-than-light whereas they still need to replace that drive on the satellite, they will have to stop sooner rather than later or their chances of being caught will increase exponentially. They'll want to capture you before that happens, lest you take the opportunity to do something unfavorable, such as escape." Popigai blinked, seeming to come back to himself. He shot Ben a reassuring smile. "Not that it's going to happen. We'll cripple them first."

Ben tried and failed not to think about the last time he saw Argyle, how that stump of his arm that would have healed perfectly fine had it not been for the Red Sleep venom eating away at those torn shards. He shifted a little, managing not to look away from Popigai's reassuring smile. "Yeah, I know. I know that we've got this, I just want to make sure there's actually going to be something there for us to get."

He must have been showing some of his thoughts on his face because Popigai's expression softened. "There will be, Ben," he said. The words "I promise," went unspoken, but the reassurance was there all the same. Ben couldn't decide if that was actually reassuring or not so he decided to ignore the thought completely.

He nodded. "You're right, I'm just…" Ben caught himself. He wasn't about to admit to being nervous or antsy or even the slightest, tiniest bit worried. And certainly not scared. The way everyone was breathing down his neck, suddenly hyper-aware of his every twitch and shift was bad enough as it was. He didn't need to reaffirm their concern. "Nothing, forget it. If they're going to be stopping for repairs soon, we should get in position so that we can be ready. The faster we capture them, the faster the Plumbers can have them in custody." And the sooner Ben could be back home and relaxing.

Normally, Ben wasn't one for taking a break, but he was thinking that a week or two just hanging around his house would be really nice. Maybe Rook would want to go for smoothies. Or Gwendolyn would have time for a game of soccer like they used to do when they were kids. Hell, maybe he would finally take Kevin up on his offer to learn more about cars. As much as he loved being a hero, Ben was suddenly craving something mundane and normal. Something that wouldn't put his life on the line every other day.

"In that case, we should get going now. If nothing changes, we'll return in a few hours to let you both know," Tetrax said, directing his comment to Popigai and Conway. They both nodded, silent. Thankfully, Ben's frayed emotional state was either being overlooked or ignored. He didn't care which. It was nice to simply be able to keep his own thoughts in his head without being expected to share them. "Is there anything else you need before we go, Ben?"

There was the small desire to take more alien painkillers with him, but as nice as it was to have his side mostly not bothering him, Ben didn't want to risk anything affecting his reaction time. In a fight, every split-second mattered. Nonetheless, he pressed a hand over the aching spot in his abdomen and flicked his eyes toward the ceiling with an inaudible sigh. He wanted to ask for a nap, but instead said, "No, I'm good. I didn't really get to bring anything with me when I got here, y'know?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Ben saw Conway grimace. Which was… yeah. Repeat apologies weren't necessary but it was nice to see genuine shame for past behavior and the urge to do better. It was enough to help Ben relax, even if he felt kind of bad about what he said.

Tetrax gave him an odd look for that comment but didn't interject. He jerked his head to the side and turned back the way Ben had come. "Then let's go. We shouldn't risk missing them."

Their hiding place for the stakeout was pretty simple. Most plans, Ben discovered, tended to work best if you didn't overcomplicate things. With some of the wiring in the ship still being buggy, the logical entrance for Murowa and Argyle to use was the broken elevator shaft that Tetrax and Conway had used to reach their location in the first place. It was on the edge of their designated blackout zone and was already a straight-shoot to the level they were on. The satellite wasn't completely uniform, with some stories being staggered, so the elevator would be the easiest way to reach them without breaking through walls and floors. If they wanted the element of surprise, they wouldn't risk something like that.

Near the elevator shaft was a little storage room, which was filled with objects shaped vaguely like typical cleaning supplies found on Earth. Except that aliens really liked sticking small engines on everything because even the equivalent of a mop came with a vibrating feature. The most important feature of the janitor closet was a small hatch that led into a room housing a small, back-up generator. Tetrax disabled it of course, but without an obvious way to get into the room, it made for an excellent place to spy. With small holes punched through the metal wall, they had a way to scout the hallway without risking being seen.

The only problem was that the room was on the cramped side. It shouldn't have been a problem, yet there Ben was, staring into the entrance hatch with a blank look on his face as he made no move to step inside. He had never had an aversion to small spaces before. It wasn't even that he was going to be sharing the area with Tetrax, which wasn't his idea of a fun time at the moment. It was that, well… What if Ben wanted to stretch? Or walk? Or tap his foot? If he wanted to move, there would be metal walls to greet him. To keep him boxed down and pinned, compressed in a way that he had absolutely no control over. He knew that he was overthinking it but, suddenly, the room felt less like metal walls and more like shackles.

"Ben?" Tetrax was looking at him oddly again, though he kept his hands to himself the second time around. "Are you alright? You've been staring at the hatch for five minutes."

Embarrassed, Ben nodded. "Sorry, I was just, uh… got lost in thought. Yeah. I'm good now." He forced himself forward, climbing into their little hidey-hole without giving himself another moment to rethink. He was being childish. It was just a few hours in a small room. There was nothing to freak out over.

He moved himself toward the opposite end of the generator room, pressing his back up against the sabotaged machine and sticking his legs out in front of him. It helped to take up as much space as possible. Ben flexed his hands idly in his lap, messing with his shirt just to do something with his hands as Tetrax entered the room after him. It was a tight fit for a Petrosapien, but he managed.

Once Tetrax had gotten comfortable against the wall, eyes level with the pin-pricks of light leaking into the otherwise darkened room, everything went quiet. Like before, Ben hated the silence. The generator couldn't even provide white noise with it nonfunctional. The stillness of it all reminded Ben sharply of those hours he had spent waiting.

That was the worst part about captivity, he thought. The waiting. Those long stretches of time spent both bored out of your skull and terrified beyond the ability to think. He had been left with nothing but the feeling of those tight restraints and the sound of his own soft breathing.

It was unbearable.

Focusing on the feeling of the generator pressed up against his back didn't help. It was too metallic and too much like that table he had been stretched out on. He shifted carefully, not wanting to aggravate his stomach, and got into a position where he could lift his right leg up against his chest and lean his head against the wall. Tetrax was still there so Ben tried to look casual, idly running his fingers along his pants or over his shirt. The feeling of fabric was far removed from his unpleasant memories so he focused exclusively on that.

Surprisingly, it was sort of nice to have Tetrax there. Ben kept one eye open, idly staring at the shadowy lump across the small room that he knew was his friend. It also helped that the room was dark so that he didn't have to see how small it was. If he really tried, he could pretend that the walls were much further away than they actually were. He knew that it wasn't Murowa in the room with him. If she had been, he would have heard her wings flapping. Being able to see Tetrax kept him fixed. He wasn't sneaking up on Ben or trying to leave. He was just… there. That was more comforting than it should have been and more than Ben would ever be willing to admit.

He stiffened when he heard something new and didn't relax, not even when he realized that it was only Tetrax moving around some. Ben stayed on guard, which was only worsened when the Petrosapien sighed and said, so quietly that Ben would have missed it if his ears hadn't already been straining, "Are you afraid of Murowa?"

Ben scowled. He hoped that Tetrax could see his displeasure. "What? That's ridiculous," he snapped, probably more heatedly than he should have. "I already said that she didn't even do anything to me. What do I have to be afraid of?"

The quiet returned. Before Ben could decide if he wanted an unpleasant conversation or unpleasant silence, Tetrax made the choice for him. "Petrosapiens don't have remarkable night vision but I can still see how tense you are, Ben. Are you worried that she'll show herself? Or Argyle?" When he didn't get an answer, Tetrax sighed. He sounded so tired. "Do you realize that you're shaking?"

Actually, Ben hadn't noticed that. Not that it did him a lot of good once he was made aware of that fact. It was as though he was shaking more the harder he tried to still himself, taking controlled breaths in an effort not to look on the verge of panic. He held his hand up to the little light available, squinting to watch how he trembled and shuddered.

"It's just cold in here," he muttered. Which wasn't technically a lie, though it was far from the truthful response. "I'm not scared of her. She's like, two feet tall at the most and has glittery fairy wings. What's there for me to be scared of?"

Tetrax made the most unimpressed sound Ben had ever heard in his life but he didn't try to disagree. Instead, he said, "You're scared of something, Ben. It's okay to be fearful."

On some level, Ben agreed. Sure, it was normal for people to be scared and worried and anxious. He knew that it was a very human response to situations like… the one he found himself in at that moment. But that didn't mean that he had to give into that. He was better than that, or so Ben liked to think. He'd jumped into plenty of fights before without wasting the time it took to feel scared. So maybe that was another reason why the waiting was getting to him: all he had left to do was think.

But he knew that normal responses weren't going to cut it for Ben 10, Hero of the Universe. He had expectations and responsibilities and a legacy to defend. What was he doing, crouched in a small generator room and scared to face a fairy? Why had he grown so pathetic?

He sighed heavily, unwinding himself to stretch out again. It helped to remind himself that he could still do that: move his limbs around freely and such. "I'm not… Scared is a strong word," he settled on after a moment. "It's just that… I don't think I like being here. In this room. Being… confined." He pursed his lips unhappily before begrudgingly admitting, "I'm not really worried about Murowa. I just don't like to think about what she did. I mean, at least whenever Vilgax captured me he had the decency to complain about what an idiot I was and how I was so unworthy of the Omnitrix and how his plan had finally paid off, and blah blah blah. But he treated me like a person, y'know? Sure, an inconvenience and a pest, but he never—" Ben winced. "... He never tried to attack me mentally. Cutting my arm off to take the Omnitrix is pretty messed up but at least he never took personal satisfaction out of how miserable I was. I was a means to an end, not… not a toy or a thing."

With a start, Ben cut himself off, eyes wide. He hadn't meant to say even half of that. He glanced at Tetrax, feeling his face heating up with embarrassment. It was a good thing that it was dark enough for the flush to go unnoticed. He started to apologize for ranting but never got the words out.

"It's okay, Ben," Tetrax said in a surprisingly soothing voice. "No one expects you to not have emotions. It's alright to be upset about what happened. Indignant, maybe. Or sad or vengeful. Everyone processes these things differently."

Ben huffed unhappily. "Don't talk like that, dude. You sound like a therapist. Or Gwen."

His friend was quiet for a moment before saying, matter-of-factly, "There's no reason to be defensive over friendly advice. Why are you ashamed to admit that you're not in a sound place mentally? After what you've been through, I would be surprised if you were."

Unimpressed, Ben rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I've heard that one before. I've been handling this sort of stuff just fine since I was ten, Tetrax. So when I say that I'm fine, I mean that I'm fine. Stop pretending to understand me better than I do. I know what I'm talking about. I know my own limits, too. I'm not an idiot. Or a kid," he snapped.

There was quiet. Ben must have hit a nerve because Tetrax didn't seem all that eager to continue their conversation. He bit back a tinge of guilt. It might have been rude, but he was just being honest. Gwen had tried getting him to see a therapist more than once and Grandpa Max had hinted at it, too. Interviewers and reporters asked about it like it was any of their business. Ben didn't understand their concerns. He was fine, he was accustomed to his hero lifestyle. It wasn't traumatic.

It was his job. It was his hobby. It was his passion: what he spent years doing from a young age. Why was his reality supposed to be upsetting for him?

A shaky sigh came from Tetrax's direction. Ben found it difficult to believe that his hard-hitting friend was crying, but it was definitely an emotional noise. He had never cried as Diamondhead so he wondered if Petrosapiens were even capable of doing so. It didn't seem like Tetrax was in any mood to talk — which wasn't surprising — so Ben took a shot at it. If Tetrax was legitimately upset, it would be rude as hell to ignore that. And also really awkward.

"Are you crying?" Ben asked quietly, trying his best to sound empathetic.

He saw the little light that entered their hiding space glimmer as Tetrax, presumably, shook his head. "You mean that bizarre thing that mammals do by releasing dismay fluid from the anguish bladders when experiencing extreme emotional distress? No. Petrsapiens don't do that." There was a pause. "I'm sorry about that noise that I made. It was, ah, involuntary. A sound we make during moments of upset."

Despite himself, Ben arched an eyebrow. "So, it's crying without the tears?" He knew that he was being a smartass, but with his current mood, Ben was an equal toss between amused and annoyed. He knew that Petrosapiens could cry. Hadn't Popigai done as much in front of him?

Thankfully, his attitude was ignored. Maybe Petrosapiens had different standards for what defined "sass." Whatever it was, Ben was glad to apparently not make the threshold. "No," Tetrax said shortly. "Our emotions aren't nearly so dramatic. You might have noticed that in your Petrosapien form, if you were paying attention." He shifted, kicking up sparks as crystal ground against metal. When Tetrax spoke again, it was much softer than before, "I apologize for upsetting you, Ben. I was worried greatly for you since you were taken and I haven't completely come down from it yet."

Ben made a noise of surprise. "Worried?" He tilted his head curiously. "I never pictured you as the worrying type. And especially not for me. I mean, with all that I get myself into, I'm surprised that you can do anything besides stress out."

Okay, maybe Ben knew that he was being a bit of an ass about it. But he still had plenty of valid reasons to be mad at Tetrax and he needed somewhere to direct his pent-up anger.

The response that he garnered from Tetrax was sharp and brief. It took Ben a moment to realize that it had been a laugh. "Well, I was never exactly subtle about it, but I am surprised that you didn't piece it together sooner. It may have slipped your mind as a child but, Ben…" He trailed off for a moment, as though trying to decide the best way to broach whatever topic he was on about. After a moment, Tetrax decided to just go for it. "When you were younger and accidentally set off the Omnitrix's self-destruct mode… Did it never occur to you to wonder why I was monitoring for an SDM signal? Or why I bothered showing up to help you in the first place?"

No. It hadn't. Ben shook his head slowly, a little stunned by his past ineptitude. And current too, apparently, because even as a teenager recounting the entire tale to Rook several times, Ben had never bothered to question why it had started at all. "You said that it would destroy the entire universe. Isn't that reason enough?" He tried, but it sounded weak.

Tetrax chuckled. "Yes, but I couldn't have known how powerful the SDM was going to build-up when I first got the signal. The instant I picked it up, I immediately dropped what I was doing and was in the Earth system as soon as possible. I had a passing concern for the rest of the universe. I'll be honest, Ben. Other than the consideration that I also live here, I don't have much of a connection to this universe. And especially not back then, before…" He made a loose gesture with his hands, shadowy limbs crossing in front of tiny pinpricks of streaming light. "...before Petropia. The only reason I went out of my way was for you, Ben. I was worried. I'm still worried, only now it's for more… internal reasons."

Even as he pondered saying nothing and letting the conversation drop into a flat silence, Ben knew that he wasn't going to do it. He let out an impatient huff, dragging a hand through his hair almost angrily. "This room is too small," he announced suddenly.

"What?" Tetrax uttered in complete monotone. The look on his face, had Ben been able to see it, probably would have been hilarious.

The darkness of their cramped quarters was a blessing. Ben's face was burning with embarrassment and he didn't want Tetrax seeing it. "You asked how I felt, didn't you? Like, a while ago? Well, there. That's how I feel. I don't have enough space to stretch out and move. It makes me feel trapped because I spent nearly a week completely immobile and being treated like an object. I hope you had your notepad out, Doctor, because that's all I'm disclosing for today's session." He sighed, just as quickly deflating. "And I'm… fine. It's fine to not like tight spaces. I'm not… special for being upset about bad things that happen to me." And, loathing himself for it, Ben shot a desperate look in Tetrax's direction. "Right? You said it's normal."

He could almost feel Tetrax wanting to pat him on the shoulder consolingly. It was a good thing that, at the very least, the room was big enough to make such a thing impossible without moving. "Of course. We don't have to talk about it if it upsets you that much," Tetrax assured him, likely sensing Ben's growing agitation. "I was serious about being worried for you, though. I was behaving so differently that it made your friends suspect me as the one who sold you to the enemy to begin with."

There was nothing funny about their situation but Ben laughed at the joke anyway, quickly muffling it. He thought of Rook's blatant jealousy toward Tetrax and his amusement only grew. "Seriously? I almost wish I had been there to see it. It sounds amazing," he joked. "What were you doing that was so suspicious, anyway?"

"Ah, well, it really was my own fault," admitted Tetrax sheepishly. "When upset, I'm the type of person to hyper-fixate on a solution to the problem ahead of me, rather than showing outwardly any unhappiness."

It wasn't that hard to picture, mostly because Ben had seen it. He remembered Tetrax's curt, no-nonsense attitude to the Omnitrix's impending self-destruct and, more than that, recalled how his friend had reacted once realizing that it was possible to save Petropia after all: he had immediately hunted Ben down and forcibly ripped Chromostone from the Omnitrix without concern for any feelings or opposing opinions at play.

"Mm. Yeah," Ben agreed with a nod, "I can see how that would be suspicious."

That time, the lull between them didn't feel nearly as awkward. Tetrax seemed content to be quiet, probably staring at Ben with what little light he had to work with. It was nice to sit there and think without feeling pressure to explain what was happening in his head. Even if Ben wasn't okay, he didn't want to be told. He liked to think that he was capable of taking care of himself. He appreciated Tetrax trying to respect that, even if he was clearly out of practice.

"They worry about you too, you know." Tetrax's voice startled Ben, head snapping up to stare in his friend's general direction. When there was nothing else following that, Ben let out a hum of interest, prompting Tetrax to continue. He obliged, clarifying, "Your friends, I mean. Rook especially. He reminds me a lot of myself, actually. The obsessive way that he focused on planning this mission, down to the last reasonable detail... But I wanted to make it clear that it wasn't only me. Gwen and Kevin were just as torn up and there was a good number of Petrosapiens worried for you, too." He paused. "You don't have to think anything of it. My point was only for you to understand that you don't have to be alone, Ben. Not if you stop pushing everyone away and shutting out what you don't want to hear."

That again? Annoyed, Ben started to snap at Tetrax for jumping right back into assuming things about his mental state, only to be quieted when Tetrax suddenly stiffened and made a sharp shushing noise through his teeth. Ben was instantly on alert, not daring the breathe as he cocked his head and listened for what had set Tetrax on edge.

He heard nothing, and was about to complain about it, only for the flickers of light pricking in through the tiny holes in the wall to scatter, a kaleidoscope of strawberry and cherry hues flickering through their hiding spot as Murowa's wings passed them by in near-silence. Ben felt himself unconsciously shifting back and had to forcibly straighten himself back up. He had forgotten how quiet she could be when she wasn't mocking him or muttering obscenities.

At that point, talking would have immediately gotten them killed. Tetrax said nothing at all. They had gone over the plan so many times together that he didn't need to. All he did was find his way to the door, open it without so much as a creak, and let himself out into the hallway. He stepped surprisingly lightly for a Petrosapien, until he was out in the open. Ben heard his footsteps turn heavy and Tetrax's voice echoed in his ears as he shouted something that was probably funny and insulting and clever. Whatever it was, Ben missed it. His heart was pounding in his ears, blood rushing to his head and making him feel dizzy and sick. He didn't blink, eyes glued onto the light bleeding in from the hall beyond.

It was only once Murowa's wings sent the lights spinning against that Ben even considered letting himself relax. She shouted something, giving chase to Tetrax, and Ben waited until the noise of their rendezvous had disappeared down the hall before carefully unwinding himself from his spot on the floor.

He took a deep breath. There was nothing to panic about. That was the plan. So far, everything was working perfectly. Ben crawled over to where Tetrax had been sitting, one hand automatically clutched at his bandaged side as he pressed his eye against the small hole and squinted out. The elevator shaft was almost directly across from him and easy to keep an eye on, even if the gap wasn't all that big. There were no signs of peranite or movement, but Ben didn't let his guard down. If Murowa had already arrived, the Argyle wouldn't be far behind, and Ben knew that he wouldn't be freezing up in front of him.

The fact that Ben was freezing up in front of anybody was concerning. He had told Tetrax that he wasn't scared of Murowa, specifically, which was true. But then, why was he acting as though the opposite was true? It frustrated him. Normally, Ben knew himself pretty well, especially when it came to his feelings on hero work. He wasn't afraid of her. That was a fact. So then, why was he so…?

Uneasy.

A/N: See you tomorrow for part two! That's when all of the action goes down. I think you guys will love it.

Also, the epilogue is quite a bit longer than I was intending. It's about twenty thousand words. What do you guys think I should do? Section it off with labels so you can use ctrl + f to find it on the computer, or post it in separate chapters, or even post it as a different fic entirely with different chapters? I'm open to suggestions. I'll probably end up doing whatever a majority of you readers want with it. Make sure to comment!