August 22, 2009

Washington D.C.; 2:03 pm

It's been almost three weeks since they started dating. During that time, not once have they gone on a date, kissed, or held hands.

They've been running into crimes one after the other. Whenever they had time to relax, though, Gwen would suggest an activity that her grandfather would get involved in or find some excuse to go off on her own. Even at night, she would go straight to bed. There was nothing he could do to get a chance alone with her. They will be arriving back in Bellwood tomorrow. He couldn't go back to their everyday lives. Not until he talked to Gwen.

Max parked the Rustbucket behind an expensive-looking hotel. While he was checking in, Ben took his chance.

"Gwen," he whispered, "can we talk later?"

She didn't speak, only giving a nod of acknowledgment.

Max returned with the keys and led the two into the elevator. Instead of selecting a floor, he inserted the key, causing the "P" button to light up. The ride up was quiet, an uneasiness in the air. When the doors reopened, they were genuinely stunned.

"I have some business to attend to, so I probably won't be back till morning." Max let out a sigh. "But this is the last day of our trip, so I called some of my contacts and-"

"YOU GOT US A PENTHOUSE!?" Gwen squealed.

"You can at least try to hide your excitement," Max chuckled. "The kitchen is empty, so you'll have to order room service when you get hungry. Also, there's only one bed, so you can either share, or someone has to sleep on the couch." Max braced himself for the argument about to ensue, but it never came. The two have been oddly quiet recently, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. He handed Gwen one of the keys. "I can trust that you'll keep your cousin out of trouble, pumpkin?"

Gwen gave him a reassuring nod. He hugged the two before making his way back down, leaving them alone.

The penthouse suite was extravagant. The living room had an oversized leather couch surrounding a glass coffee table and a flat-screen TV mounted above the fireplace. The balcony had a small pool big enough to do a couple of laps. Ben felt like a rockstar, but he knew he shouldn't trash this room. The only thing he wanted was the redhead looking out the window.

"Gwen-"

"I'm going to go for a swim." Gwen rushed to the bedroom, locking Ben out. She had agreed to talk, but she wasn't ready to yet.

Ben, not wanting to waste this opportunity changed into his trunks. When she came back out, she scolded him for changing in the living room.

"You locked me out; where else was I supposed to go?" He asked her. Gwen stormed off towards the pool, leaving a "whatever" in her wake.

Though they said they were going to swim, the two had dipped their feet into the pool and looked over the capital. The White House, among a few other landmarks, was in plain view. Gwen thought about how beautiful it must look at night. She brought up the courage and asked, "What did you want to talk about?"

"Do you… do you not want to date me?" Ben asked.

"I do! I mean… I think I do…" She wasn't sure who she was trying to reassure: Ben or herself. "I've never had a boyfriend before, Ben. I've read about being in love and watched movies, but now that it's actually happening…"

"You're in love with me?" Ben spoke up, feeling the butterflies in his stomach.

"I…" She tried to hide her blush with her hands.

Ben reached out to hold her hand; she looked at him from behind the other. The palm of his hand was rough with various scars and calluses. Some were back when he did baseball, while others were more recent.

She ran her finger along a scar he got when he saved her from one of Vilgax's drones last Summer. There at least a dozen more scattered across his body from various fights. Max was in hot water when Aunt Sandra saw them, but Ben was quick to say it was his fault he got hurt. Ben was always ready to play the hero, even if that meant he'd get hurt in the process.

That's what she loved about him.

"I do." She admitted. She squeezed his hand, which he happily squeezed back. "I can't believe I fell in love with a doofus."

"How do you think I felt when I found out I loved a dweeb?"

Gwen whispered an incantation, calling up the water to whip him on the back.

"Hey, no fair!" He screamed. "You can't use magic!" She slapped him again.

"What are you gonna do about it?" She teased.

He ran away while avoiding the whips but fell into the pool. Gwen let out a laugh, but her victory was short-lived when a green flash went off from the bottom of the pool. Ripjaws rose to the surface, spitting out a stream of water at her.

"Ew, Ben, that's gross!" The two continued to splash each other, neither willing to admit defeat.

By the time the Omnitrix timed out, the two were lying on the pool deck exhausted. Neither could hide the enormous grins on their faces. Just when they thought this moment would last forever, grumbling that their empty stomachs could only cause ended the moment.

"Why don't you order some room service while I shower." Gwen proposed.

"Actually," Ben spoke out, "I was hoping we could go out to eat."

"Like a date?" Gwen asked with a blush.

"Yeah."

Gwen gave a quick nod before rushing back inside to get ready. Ben figured he'd have to shower too. "A small price to pay," he thought.

Ben took extra care to wash every inch of his body and shampoo and condition his hair. He loved to wear his lucky shirt, but he knew that he hadn't washed it since it in weeks. Searching through his bag, he found a green plaid button-up and a pair of black slacks. If he wants to impress his date, he has to look his best.

When he walked out of the room, he felt his jaw drop. Gwen was wearing a dangerously short white dress covered in blue flowers. If it wasn't for the black tights, she wore she'd probably panic at the slightest breeze.

"It shrunk!" She tried to make an excuse, but her blush didn't help.

"Are you sure you just didn't get bigger?" Ben suggested, trying not to stare.

"That's it! I'm changing." She started to move towards the bedroom but felt a hand pull her wrist.

"You look great." He spoke honestly. Gwen's face grew redder, but she accepted the compliment. On the way down, Ben noticed the backpack she had been carrying. "What's that for?"

"Just in case." She murmured. Ben wanted to probe further but chose to stay quiet, not wanting to set her off again.

The two walked down the road shoulder to shoulder. They were supposed to be looking for a restaurant, but both seemed to be lost in thought. Ben kept looking down at her hand. "Would she get mad if I tried to hold her hand?" He pondered. The sound of police sirens pulled him out of his thoughts. Gwen tried to go after the cars, but again a hand kept her in place.

"The police can handle it." Ben squeezed her hand, almost begging her to stay. She looked towards the fading sound then back to him. After a quick nod of affirmation, the two continued their walk, only this time he didn't let go.

Much to Ben's surprise, a dinner date was a lot more expensive than he had expected. Gwen suggested they split a pizza, which he happily accepted. It wasn't the greatest meal he's ever had, but something about sharing it with her made it unforgettable.

After dinner, the cashier pointed them in the direction of an ice cream shop up the street. Feeling sorry for her date, Gwen offered to pay for their dessert. Even though the sun had already set, the cold treat was still delicious. On their way back to the hotel, a TV in a store window started playing an emergency broadcast.

"This just in, the White House is under attack. It is unknown who the perpetrators are; however, they are considered armed and dangerous. We urge all citizens to remain indoors."

The sound of a splat caught his attention. On the ground behind him was Gwen's ice cream cone, but she was nowhere in sight. Panicking, he ran down the alley, hoping to find her.

Behind a dumpster, he found her half-naked. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" He screamed, covering his eyes.

"Shut up and change!" She ordered before pulling a tight black long sleeve over her head. Ben couldn't understand what was happening until she pulled out a cat-shaped mask.

Not wasting another moment, he slammed down on the Omnitrix. By the time Gwen finished changing, she felt herself get lifted into the air.

"Hold on!" The Tetramand warned before jumping several stories onto the roof. From there, they could see the dozens of police lights flashing and the helicopters circling the perimeter.

Leaping from building to building, the two kept note of how clustered the streets were. Gwen wondered why there were so many police cars waiting outside the property. Only when they reached the US Treasury Building did she find her answer.

The White House grounds were littered with heavily armored vehicles, many of which were armed with cannons, missiles, and mounted turrets. The assailants wore full body armor covering every inch of their person. The rifles they were holding, however, were far too advanced to be from Earth.

"Aliens," Gwen called out, "we need to call grandpa!" At that moment, an explosion could be heard from within the building.

"No time!" Taking a running start, Ben leapt across the field, barely grabbing onto the roof. Unfortunately, the alien soldiers had them in their sights. He reached behind him to throw his cousin onto the roof. "Get your butt in gear!"

Just as he let go of her, a burst of lasers struck his back, causing him to lose his grip a little. Looking back, he could see that the tank-like vehicle was lining up a shot. Pushing himself off the wall, he directed himself towards the congregation of soldiers firing at him. The shockwave created from his impact knocked over the gunmen giving him enough time to rush the tank.

Grabbing onto the barrel, he began to bend it towards the sky. He could feel his muscles ache from how strong the metal was. Behind him, a soldier climbed onto one of the mounted turrets to fire at him. Before it could turn towards him, though, a spear-like beam of energy sent them flying a few dozen feet.

"Get away from my boyfriend!" Gwen screamed, sending more spears of energy down towards the soldiers.

"Ha, she called me her boyfriend." Ben giggled to himself. The barrel was now at a 90-degree angle, leaving it completely useless.

Even with one tank disabled and their forces divided, the alien army severely outnumbered them. The Tetramand's skin is very resilient, though there is a limit to how much damage he can take. On the other hand, Gwen was trapped behind cover, unable to look over the ledge in fear of losing her head.

Ben picked up a smaller vehicle and used it as a battering ram. Clumps of soldiers were sent flying through the air, diverting fire away from his cousin. The Jeep-like vehicle took quite the beating to the point a small fire was forming in its undercarriage.

In one swift motion, he threw it straight towards another vehicle with missiles mounted on its back, most likely used to take out any aircraft trying to fly over. The explosion was much larger than he anticipated sending himself and many others toppling over. A few other vehicles were damaged but not enough to cause a chain reaction.

Ben's head was spinning. Struggling to get back to his feet, the unpleasant beeping from his shoulder brought him back to reality. He dove towards the tree line just as the Omnitrix timed out. The eleven-year-old boy tried to hide, but the aliens were surrounding him. Ben knew if a single shot landed, he'd be as good as dead.

Before he could think of an escape plan, a carpet bomb of bright flashes blinded him momentarily. He felt someone grab him. He kicked and screamed, desperately trying to escape.

"That's enough, Doofus!" He heard before feeling his legs pulled out from under him, sending him falling straight onto the hard surface. He winced from the pain but tried to blink away the spots in his eyes.

Gwen had saved him, and now they were flying back to the White House on a large blue disk. It didn't take long for the enemy to take notice and continue firing towards them. In a panic, Gwen sent them flying through a window on the second floor.

The interior was empty, save for some broken furniture. The two got to their feet and peaked through the broken window. The remaining soldiers regrouped, sending a fraction of their forces into the building while the remaining returned to watching the perimeter.

"We need to move," Gwen ordered in a whisper. The two moved into the hall but were stopped in their tracks. Bodies scattered the corridor, some alien, but the rest were human, a mix of staff and armed guards. Doors were kicked in, and the walls were covered in blood, bullet holes, and scorch marks.

Gwen felt her dinner rise, trying to escape. Tears stung her eyes, but she couldn't afford to waste time crying now. She grabbed her cousin's hand, but he was frozen in place.

"All these people…" Ben whispered to himself. He's seen dead bodies before but never to this caliber. Back at the hotel, they had a clear view of the White House grounds. If they hadn't gone out, they could have been the first ones to see the attack. How many lives would have been spared if he was just a bit faster?

Looking down at his wrist, the dial of the Omnitrix remained in that deep shade of red. He swore under his breath, angry at how useless he was in his human body. Looking past the watch, he saw something lying at his feet. He knelt down and picked up the small handgun, surprised at how heavy it was.

Ben recalled last Summer when his grandfather taught them how to shoot a laser pistol. He wanted them to be able to defend themselves even if their powers weren't able to save them. Ben knew that these weapons were completely different, but the basic concept still applied.

The words of the shadowy creature echoed in his head. "You are a killer, a cold-blooded murderer."

"What are you going to do?" Gwen asked, the worry ever-present in her voice.

Ben checked the magazine then struggled to pull back the slide before it cocked back into place. "Be a hero."