Ben stood there, feeling his heart break piece by piece. Martin was dead. The man who was supposed to help them defeat Charmcaster was dead. Ben felt his eyes sting with tears at the result. This wasn't supposed to happen; everything was supposed to work out just fine.
Ben heard a sob and turned to see Gwen crying, her head buried in Kevin's chest, tears streaming down her face. Ben felt his heart ache at that revelation. This was real, and they couldn't undo what Charmcaster had done. Ben felt a hand on his shoulder and he jumped back, startled by the act of affection.
He locked eyes with Julie, who looked as if she was about to cry. Ben made a choking noise, suddenly feeling as if his throat was closing. Julie extended her arms to Ben, and, without another word, wrapped her arms around him.
Ben hugged her back, feeling tears fall from his eyes. He hadn't even realized that he had been crying; he thought he had been holding it all inside.
Julie stood there and hugged Ben as he cried. Ben wiped the tears from his eyes, feeling sad. For the first time in a long time, he felt lost. He didn't know what to do; Charmcaster was still out there, and now he had a death on his hands to deal with.
Ben heard an anguished sob and he turned to see Gwen crying hysterically into Kevin's chest. Her body was shaking and her eyes were squeezed shut. Ben's gaze drifted over to Kevin, who was staring down into the ground.
Ben looked over and saw Julie's face. Julie's eyes were gleaming with tears; she gave Ben a small smile in return.
"It's going to be ok Ben." She said assuredly. Ben twisted his mouth into a frown, somehow thinking this was the last thing he needed to hear right now.
A few hours later, and everyone seemed to be completely stunned. They were lying in the living room, neither of them speaking. Ben was looking out the window, mulling over in his head about how to get Charmcaster. They could try to lure her into a trap. No, Charmcaster was way too smart for that, unfortunately; she'd see them coming from a mile away. They could try to ambush her all at once; no, she was much too powerful for them now. If she could take out Grandma Verdona with just one swipe, the rest of them didn't even stand a chance.
Ben gazed over at Kevin, who was staring at the wall, looking as if he wanted it to come alive, and Gwen stared off into the distance, seemingly thinking about something else.
Julie held Ben's hand but she didn't even look up at him; she was staring down at the ground, looking as if she wanted it to swallow her up. Everyone seemed to be in the mood for silence.
Finally, Ben spoke up.
"We have to find her. I don't care if it takes until the end of time, we have to find her. This is crucial. If we don't try to stop her, we're doomed."
Julie stared up at him, looking as if her heart was broken.
"Ben. If we do this, we have to be safe. We can't throw caution to the wind."
Ben nodded at her, hearing what she was saying. They couldn't just fuck around like this; they had to make sure that when they got her, they could win.
Gwen looked over at Ben; her eyes were red and her skin looked hollow. She looked as if she had aged thirty years in what must have been four hours. Kevin stared at Ben, his gaze understanding.
"What did you-," Ben began, but then Gwen cut him off.
"You can use the bracelet." Gwen said, her tone deadly serious. "We can only do three trips, so we have to make sure not to overuse the bracelet's properties. "
Ben licked his lips, feeling nervous. This was it; it was time to put the bracelet to use.
Ben stood up and walked out of the living room.
"Follow me." Ben ordered, feeling confident. He had never felt this confident in his life; he just had this surge of energy going through him. Maybe it was his inner Anodite powers coming to life; maybe it was just his determination.
Ben threw open the door and stomped into the room, opening up the palm of his hand. A blast of mana shot out and wrapped around his spell book. Ben tugged and the book tore off its place, soaring through the air and landing neatly in Ben's hand.
Ben felt his hand glow as he used his powers to open up the book, quickly scanning through the text. Where was that one spell? Ben tried to remember which one it was. It was something like "E tu ver a le suis," or pretty close to that. Ben tried to use the pictures in the book to identify which one it was. There was a picture of a man being turned into a horse, a picture of a corpse being brought back to life, a picture of a rose growing seven times its length. Where was it?
There it was. Ben's eyes widened at seeing the spell and dropped the book on the ground. Ben felt his stomach unclench; it was time. Gwen, Kevin, and Julie rushed over to him, eager to see what he had found.
"This is it," Ben announced. "I found the spell." He looked over at the others, waiting for them to respond. Instead, they all looked back at him with blank expressions on their faces, unsure of what to say.
"Well? What are you waiting for? Transport us out of here." Kevin said quickly. Ben gave him a small smile before he looked at the pages. Here he goes…
Just before Ben uttered the first word, the door to his room opened up and Ben spotted Grandma Verdona floating in the doorway, staring sadly at them.
Ben placed his book on his bed and looked over at her. Gwen, Kevin, and Julie looked back and saw her in the doorway. Kevin gave her a nervous wave. Grandma Verdona didn't even acknowledge him.
She made eye contact with Ben, and Ben thought he knew what this was about. Ben walked past the trio and up to Grandma Verdona. Her eyes were blank and her jaw was set.
"Can I talk to you alone Benjamin?" Grandma Verdona asked. Ben nodded and the two stepped out into the hallway, Ben closing the door behind him.
As soon as the door made a resounding thud as it made contact with the frame, Grandma Verdona began speaking.
"Listen Ben. I am not going to lie, the past couple of hours have been really scary. That's the most danger I've ever seen you children in. I don't ever want to think about what you children go through on a daily basis." Grandma Verdona said solemnly.
Ben was surprised by her response, to say the least. He was expecting her to say something inspiring, like "Go after her Ben," or "I love seeing you flourish with your newfound powers."
Her response seemed profoundly un her. It seemed as if she was forcing herself to say something she didn't want to say, as if she was forcing herself to reckon with reality. Ben had a feeling that Grandma Verdona didn't like being serious.
Ben swallowed and suddenly felt a pit in his stomach. Seeing Grandma Verdona nervous made Ben reevaluate the seriousness of the situation.
"Look Grandma Verdona," Ben began "I'll be safe. I always am."
Grandma Verdona looked at him, tears filled in her eyes.
"Please Ben. Promise me you'll come back. Promise me." Grandma Verdona said. "I'm worried about you Ben."
Ben felt his heart break at her words. He wasn't going to cry; he had to be tough. He didn't want her to worry.
Ben reached over and hugged Grandma Verdona. He felt his body tremble as he embraced her, his eyes beginning to water.
Grandma Verdona rested her chin on his shoulder, her body going slack upon contact.
"Don't worry Grandma Verdona." Ben said. "You'll see me again. I promise."
Ben broke apart from her and Grandma Verdona reached over and cupped his jaw. She looked him over, her eyes inspecting every inch of his skin.
"You look a little skinny." Grandma Verdona mused. Ben chuckled a bit, feeling her grip lessen underneath his jaw as he laughed.
She gave him a small smile and dropped his chin.
"Now go," Grandma Verdona said, trying to sound cheery, "go save the world Benjamin." Ben nodded at her and ran back into the room, his body shaking with excitement, his heart pounding.
Ben slammed the door shut and ran towards Gwen, Kevin, and Julie, who looked perplexed.
"Ben, is everything ok?" Gwen asked, sounding concerned. Ben nodded.
"Yeah, everything's fine." Ben stated, shaking off the uncertain feeling that had accompanied him.
"Come on, let's go get Charmcaster," Ben said. He grabbed his book and started the spell over again.
As he did so, Ben also held up the bracelet, holding it up to the heavens. The spell said that in order for this to work he had to be able to feel the energy coursing through him. Ben didn't exactly know what that felt like, but he was willing to bet he'd know it when it happened.
The bracelet glowed a dark pink and Ben felt his body heat up. He'd also felt lighter, as if he'd just lost a hundred pounds in just five minutes. Ben felt himself rise into the air, feeling his stomach tighten as he did so.
"Woah," Ben gasped, looking down at the ground. He felt his heartbeat continue to race as he said the spell. Down on the ground, what looked like a pink vortex had opened up, swirling below him.
Ben looked around and saw Gwen, Kevin, and Julie were also suspended in the air. Gwen had a serious expression on her face, almost as if she was the one who was doing the spell, and Julie's mouth was open in surprise. She looked…almost happy to be in the air.
Kevin looked displeased. His eyes were practically bulging out of his head and his eyebrows were raised all the way to his hairline. Kevin shook his head in disbelief.
"This is some voodoo shit." Kevin announced. Everyone else ignored him.
Ben could feel his body getting hotter and hotter, and he could feel the bracelet beginning to burn in his hand. Is this what the book meant when it said he was going to feel the energy coursing through him?
Ben was about to look at the book again for clarification when suddenly he felt a strong current brush past him. Ben looked around the room, confused as to what it was. What in the world?
Ben felt his body jerk forward towards the vortex and Ben cried out as he did so.
"Ben! Are you ok?!" Gwen asked. Ben looked at her and nodded. Gwen reached over and tried to touch his shoulder, possibly to comfort him, but she couldn't move her arm. She was stuck.
"The fuck?!" Kevin roared. He reached over and tried to grab Gwen but he was stuck too. Julie tried to speak but she couldn't open her mouth. Ben tried to look over at the book to make sure that he was doing it right, but he couldn't move his head. He quickly felt panic settle in. Oh great, he had fucked up. He should just add this to his ever-growing list of fuck-ups.
Ben felt his head beginning to throb as he thought this. He tried to turn his head but he felt as if someone was holding his head in place, their fingers pressing tightly into his hair. Ben felt his head spin. This could not be possibly be part of the-
Before Ben could finish this thought, he felt his body fall forward as he got closer and closer towards the vortex. Ben closed his eyes, preparing for pain. Ben heard a large whooshing sound and he quickly found himself landing face first onto a rock.
Ben groaned as he tried to get up. His lungs ached as if he had just run ten miles and his body was still burning hot, as if he had a fever. Ben looked around him and realized he was in Ledgerdomain, Charmcaster's place of residence.
Ben hummed to himself. It had been a while since he'd been here. It looked…different. It looked brighter. The sky was a radiant purple, as if someone had just painted it. The rocks appeared bigger, but Ben knew this was virtually impossible because there was no way rocks could grow. Once they were fully formed, they couldn't grow any more, right? Then again, this was Ledgerdomain, who knew how things worked over here.
Charmcaster has to be here somewhere Ben thought
Ben heard a shriek and he rolled out of the way just in time to see Gwen, Kevin, and Julie fall towards the rock. Gwen landed first, her fiery red hair obscuring her face. Kevin came tumbling toward her, smacking into her as she tried to get up. Both moaned at the impact.
Julie came soaring towards them, screaming at the top of her lungs, but Ben shot a ray of mana at her, catching her before she could fall. Ben jerked his hand and Julie flew towards him. Ben caught her in his arms, holding her safely against him.
Julie looked up at him, surprised, and then smiled.
"Thanks for that Ben." Julie said softly. Ben felt his heart speed up at those words. Damn, that statement was…heartfelt. Before Ben could say anything, though, Kevin interrupted him.
"Can you two get off each other so we can help beat this bitch?" Kevin asked. Julie and Ben separated from each other, their faces heating up. That was embarrassing. Gwen glared at Kevin, her eyebrows set.
"Really?" Gwen asked, annoyed. Kevin shrugged.
"Hey, you're not the only one who has ill feelings toward her." Kevin said casually. Gwen twisted her mouth into a frown.
"Still, you don't have to call her that-" Gwen began, but Julie cut her off.
"Ben?! Where's your bracelet?" Julie asked. Ben felt his heart race as she said this. Oh shit. The bracelet. How could he forget about that?
Ben searched his jacket, desperately seeking the bracelet. He fingered every pocket in there and came up short.
He searched his pants, and heaved a sigh of relief when he found the bracelet brushing against his phone. Ben quickly retrieved the bracelet and slid it onto his wrist, felling his skin prick at the contact.
"Where are we anyway?" Julie asked, looking around. It suddenly occurred to Ben that Julie had never been to Ledgerdomain, and was therefore unfamiliar with it.
"Ledgerdomain," Ben answered simply. Julie spun around to face him, a confused look on her face.
"Charmcaster's home," Ben explained. Julie made a small "Oh," expression with her face.
"Ok. So where's Charmcaster?" Kevin demanded. Ben smiled at him and flashed his bracelet.
"This can help us," Ben said. He closed his eyes, concentrating on Charmcaster. Where could she be?
Ben felt his mana run through his body and he felt his skin heat up again. Ben opened his eyes and suddenly everything was cast in a pink light. Ben looked down at the bracelet, and he felt a sort of excitement run through him. He saw a flash of silver hair and a dark red bed, and Ben smiled to himself.
The glow in his eyes and the heat surrounded him died. Ben gazed over at Gwen, Kevin, and Julie, who were staring at him in fascination.
"She's in her castle." Ben stated. Gwen and Kevin looked at him and nodded.
"Should we teleport then?" Gwen asked. Ben, still smiling, shook his head.
"No." He said confidently. "Let's use Ship."
The trio turned around to look at Julie, as Ship made a small "Ship," in her pocket.
Ten minutes later, they landed in Charmcaster' s palace. Ship opened up his door and the foursome came running out. Ben surveyed the area, wondering if Charmcaster knew they were coming. She must know; she wasn't an idiot.
Ben looked over at Gwen and Kevin, who looked concerned. Ben nodded at them.
"Go," He said quietly. Gwen and Kevin turned around and ran towards the castle, running around to the other side. Julie looked over at Ben, a nervous look on her face.
"Where are they going?" Julie asked, concerned. Ben stared at her, feeling his heartbeat rise.
"They're going to try and bait Charmcaster. They figured if they did that, they could draw her out. That's where we come in and attack her."
Julie hummed and turned to Ship, who was still in spaceship form.
"Come on Ship, here boy." Julie said, talking to him like a dog. Immediately at hearing his name, Ship transformed into his old self, slithering right up to Julie's leg and beginning to rub against her. Ben snorted. That was never not going to be funny to him.
Julie turned to Ben, and this time, she looked more confident. She had been scared earlier, when Charmcaster had arrived and had dropped off Martin's dead body. She had backed away in horror at the sight, her body shaking out of fear.
Now though, she looked different. She looked…prepared. She knew who she was up against; she knew she was up against someone powerful, much more powerful than herself, yet she wasn't scared. She had Ship to take care of her after all. She hadn't learned anything from that martial arts class with Gwen though; Julie frequently got her ass handed to her.
Ben looked over at Julie, and asked, nonchalantly "Hey, did you end up learning anything from those martial arts classes that you took from Gwen?"
Julie immediately blushed, obviously caught off guard by his question. She looked down at the ground below her, clearly embarrassed. Ben would've felt bad if it hadn't been for how quickly Julie has reacted to his question. It was lightning-fast, like she was expecting it or something.
Ship made a small cooing noise and slithered up to Julie's leg and all the way up her shoulder, where he stayed. Julie licked her lips nervously. Ben let out a small chuckle.
"Didn't realize I had just sent you into anaphylactic shock." Ben drawled. Julie stared at him quizzically before realizing what he meant.
"Oh," Julie said softly. Ben threw his head back and laughed. At first, Julie looked uncomfortable, but then she too began laughing. The two laughed until their ribs hurt. Ben eventually stopped laughing and clutched his side in pain.
"Ow," Ben groaned.
"Hey, it's not funny ok?" Julie said. "I actually tried in those classes but Gwen's way too good."
Ben shook his head feeling his side ache.
"I'll say," Ben said. "She can kick my ass whenever she feels like it."
Julie burst into laughter, reached over, and playfully smacked Ben on the chest.
"I feel like such a loser compared to her," Julie griped. Ben nodded. Yep, Gwen excelled at pretty much everything; sports, school, looks, even socially. Ben wasn't trying to knock on himself too hard here; he was actually a pretty good athlete, and he did decently in school; it's just that it didn't interest him. Gwen was just on another level.
Julie smiled at Ben.
"Oh Ben, you have your strengths. You're great at being a leader. You really know how to take control of the situation and you're capable of taking down pretty much anything that comes your way. You're also pretty smart too, though for whatever reason you don't show it that often." Julie stated.
Julie's words made Ben feel all warm inside. It had been a while since someone who wasn't related to him had given him a compliment. Ben smiled widely at Julie, eyes gleaming.
"Now I know you're really bullshitting." Ben teased. Julie laughed and shook her head.
"God, you're so hard to convince sometimes. Sometimes I think-"
Julie didn't have time to finish that sentence, because as soon as she said think, Gwen and Kevin went flying out the palace window and soaring towards the ground.
Ben acted fast. He immediately stuck his hand out and a pink shield appeared in the air, catching Gwen and Kevin in the midst of their fall.
Gwen and Kevin yelped as they crashed into the shield, winded by the impact. Julie gasped, eyes wide. Ben grunted as he enclosed his hand into a fist, trying hard not to break the shield.
"Don't let go Ben." Julie stated. Ben felt his arm begun to shake. He had to hold on. A scream filled his ears and Ben whirled around to see Charmcaster's rock monsters running towards him. Ship jumped off of Julie's shoulders, transformed into a rocket, and shot himself towards the creatures.
The creature cried out in pain as Ship crashed into it head on, the impact causing the creature to explode and fly into several different directions. Ship transformed into a spider and tried to swipe at the other creature but the creature jumped out of the way and hurled towards Ben.
Ben put up a shield as the creature crashed into it, causing the shield to shake. Ben straightened his arm out, hoping he didn't slip and fall. Just then the creature broke through Ben's shield and knocked him to the ground. Ben grunted as he went flying through the air, smacking into the hard, cold ground.
His shield vanished and Gwen and Kevin screamed as they went crashing towards the ground, dazed by the sudden change in gravity.
The creature ran at Ben again, but Julie came soaring through the air, kicking the creature right in the face. Julie backflipped and beckoned Ship forward, who shot himself toward the creature and struck it right in the chest. The creature exploded and was scattered into bits and pieces across the ground.
Julie smiled.
"We're winning," She said triumphantly, before a shot of mana flew through the air and hit Ship, capturing his whole body. Ship cried out in pain at the contact and fell down, looking wounded.
"Should've knocked on wood before you said that." A girly, soothing voice said. Ben whirled around to find Charmcaster walking toward them, the other half of the bracelet slung around her wrist like a second skin. Ben glared at her, feeling himself shake with rage.
"You really know how to fuck with me, don't you?" Ben spat. He shot a ray of mana at Charmcaster, who quickly absorbed it. Ben stood there, horrified at what had just happened. Charmcaster laughed cruelly, her face lighting up in amusement.
"You really thought you could-? Oh God no. You can't beat me Tennyson. Not with this,"-she flashed the bracelet in his face-to make more powerful than you."
Ben's upper lip transformed into a snarl and his glare intensified.
"You wanna fucking test me?" Ben growled. Charmcaster smirked at him.
"Oh, I don't want to test you," She sneered. "I wanna kill you."
Ben balled his hand into a fist and hurled a shield at her. Charmcaster almost immediately shot a bullet of mana at the approaching figure, smashing the shield into pieces and hurdling towards Ben.
Ben and Julie jumped out of the way as the blast of mana struck the opposite wall, tearing a hole right through it. Charmcaster's smirk widened.
"What happened? I thought you wanted to fight me Tennyson. Or are you too scared to fight someone whose actually powerful?" Charmcaster sneered. Ben shot a rope of mana at her, hoping he could ensnare her.
The rope wrapped around Charmcaster and Ben tugged, sending Charmcaster spiraling towards the ground. Charmcaster cried out as she fell down, her face smacking into the ground below her. Ben tugged again, bringing Charmcaster closer to him. Charmcaster grunted as she was dragged closer to Ben.
As soon as she got within an inch of Ben, he stopped pulling on the rope and put his foot on her chest, feeling himself shake. Charmcaster glared at him, her eyes shooting daggers into his skin.
"Cool trick you pulled there. I wouldn't even have thought of doing it. You're smarter than you look." Charmcaster said coldly. Ben heard groans behind him and turned around to find Gwen and Kevin run towards them. Kevin's face fell as he got closer to them.
"Aw man, you took out the rock monsters. That was the easiest part." Kevin whined. Gwen glared at him.
"Really Kevin?" Gwen drawled. Kevin shrugged nonchalantly at her response.
"What? You know it's true." Kevin said stupidly. Charmcaster hissed and struggled in her bonds.
"You seemed to forget that this is my territory Tennyson," She said, and with a snap of her fingers, the four of them went flying. Ben crashed into the opposite wall, feeling his head spin. Gwen and Kevin hit the ground, stunned by the attack. Julie was out cold.
Ben grunted as he opened his eyes, his head starting to throb. His ears were ringing and he was feeling a slight stinging sensation in his neck. Ben struggled to get up, and tried to open his mouth to speak, but his jaw ached.
Ben winced at the pain and clutched his jaw, suddenly feeling as if his jaw had grown. Charmcaster stood up and smirked at Ben.
"This is between you and me Tennyson. No one else." She said arrogantly. She backed away, her hands beginning to glow. "If you want to find me, you'll have to catch me."
With that, she disappeared. Ben glared and stood up. His heat raced a million miles a minute. Now was the last chance to catch her.
Ben boldly stepped forward, feeling his stomach twist in knots.
"Ben!" A voice shouted. Ben turned around to see Gwen running towards him, her hair flying. Gwen stopped shortly, her heels clacking against the ground.
"You have to catch Charmcaster yourself. Julie and Ship are hurt."
Ben turned around to find Kevin holding Julie in his arms. Julie had a large gash on her cheek and her eyes were closed. Ship was moaning in pain. Ben felt his blood race. He had to do this.
Ben turned to Gwen, a determined look on his face.
"I'll find her." Ben said icily. Gwen nodded at him. Ben turned around and closed his eyes. The bracelet glowed pink by his side. A flash of silver and Ben immediately knew where she was.
"Bingo." Ben said. With that, he teleported out of the palace and into the open air. No sooner had Ben opened his eyes he found himself standing on a rock. Ben whizzed around, hoping to find Charmcaster.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of magenta, and Ben immediately put up a shield. The mana struck Ben's shield but Ben's shield refused to break.
Ben grit his teeth together, anger in his heart.
"Where are you Charmcaster? I know you're here. I can feel you."
He had seen her in his line of vision. She was here; she just had to show up. Suddenly seeds landed on the rock and the seeds exploded into plants. Ben expanded his shield, hoping to protect himself from the plants, but the plants broke through the shied and quickly wrapped around Ben.
Ben yelped as the plants tied themselves around him, suffocating him. Charmcaster floated down to him, a large smile on her face.
"Oh, how the mighty have fallen." She snickered, her pink eyes gleaming with delight.
Ben struggled to fight against the plants, feeling the plants wrap around his face. Charmcaster floated above him triumphantly, knowing she had won.
Ben looked over and saw the bracelet glow pink. Ben's eyes widened.
No Ben thought Please no, not the bracelet.
Ben closed his eyes once more, feeling his chest constrict. He had to get out of here.
Ben suddenly remembered he did have a way of getting out of here. He opened his eyes and fired his laser vision at Charmcaster.
Charmcaster shrieked in pain as the light burned her skin and she jumped back in horror. Ben shot at the plants and his vision burned right through the plants.
Ben felt a sense of triumph as the plant below him died. He stood up to his full height, wanting to end this once and for all.
Ben extended his arm and opened up a portal. Charmcaster groaned as the portal opened, clutching her face. The portal immediately began to suck Charmcaster in, and she screamed as she was lifted into the air. She desperately grabbed the rock she had landed on, refusing to let go.
"No!" Charmcaster shrieked to Ben. "You can't do this!"
It was Ben's turn to smirk at her now.
"Actually," Ben goaded. "I can. This is a little thank you gift from me and my friends."
Charmcaster shrieked again as the wind finally took hold of her, causing her to fly towards the pink vortex and disappear. Ben felt his heart beat excitedly and teleported back to Charmcaster's now empty palace.
Back at home, Ben. Gwen, Julie, and Kevin all stood around Ben's dinner table, eating sushi. They had just gotten back an hour ago and they were starving. Mrs. Tennyson laughed at seeing how hungry Ben and the others were.
"Dang. You guys must've been anxious to have normal food." She joked. Ben nodded, feeling slightly embarrassed about his eating habits. He swallowed and took a deep breath.
"Wow. That was…really good." Ben said, trying not to feel ashamed. Mr. Tennyson smiled at him.
"I'm glad you liked it because you're not getting anymore." He drawled. Ben frowned at his response and Gwen laughed.
"Come on Ben. Stop crying. You've had your fair share of sushi." Gwen reprimanded.
"Thanks Mom." Ben said. Gwen and Kevin burst into laughter at that statement. Even Julie smiled a little bit.
"Julie, how's Ship doing?" Mrs. Tennyson asked. Julie looked up at her and beamed.
"He's doing well. Ben's grandmother is taking care of him."
Mrs. Tennyson nodded in understanding. Though she had just learned about Ship an hour ago, she didn't seem all too weirded out by the creature. Then again, she was literally related to aliens both by marriage and blood, so this probably wasn't that strange to her.
"Hey Ben, how's that bracelet?" Kevin asked. The whole table stopped moving and everyone turned to look at Kevin. Kevin quickly looked down at his plate, clearly ashamed. After the third trip, Ben nearly passed out again, this time on the brink of death, but luckily Gwen caught him and was able to heal him in just a few minutes.
Now that the mission was over, the bracelet was officially considered taboo. Ben looked at his bracelet, and watched as it glowed pink before going back to its regular color. Ben looked up at Kevin and smiled.
"It's doing alright Kevin." Ben said softly. Julie reached over and kissed Ben on the cheek and Ben blushed.
Kevin smirked at him and continued eating. Ben made eye contact with Gwen and smiled. Gwen smiled back. Ben said nothing as he left the table and went to go get seconds.
Life might be hard at times, but at others, it was wonderful.