March 30, 2010

Gwen's House; 1:03 am

Gwen couldn't help but wince as she crawled through her bedroom window. Her back felt like it was on fire, and her chest hurt every time she breathed. Ben scurried in behind her, quick to prepare the first aid kit. Throwing her mask aside, Gwen dug her palms into her eyes.

"Where does it hurt?" Ben knelt down, examining her wounds.

"My back is bleeding, and I think I broke a rib or at least seriously bruised it," Gwen spoke through gritted teeth.

"We have to get you out of those clothes. Lift up your arms." Gwen did as she was told. There was an increase in alien activities around Bellwood, which meant more chances for injury. It's become an almost nightly ritual to treat each other's wounds. With that, they've gotten used to their new skinship. Ben removed her shirt, noticing immediately the long gash up her back. "I think your bra's about to snap."

"Great, what am I supposed to tell mom?" This was the third bra she had ruined in the last month. "Just unclip it and focus on stopping the bleeding!" Ben removed the strap and continued disinfecting the cut. The two were silent throughout the process, with only the occasional yelp escaping from Gwen's mouth.

Ben sealed the wound with some paste he received from an alien doctor. It wasn't as effective as stitches, but as long as they didn't interrupt the healing process, the chance of scarring was minimal. As for the ribs, they'll have to get x-rays to be sure of the severity. That'll have to wait for tomorrow, however. Once he was finished, Ben handed Gwen a bottle of painkillers and water which she graciously accepted.

It was now Ben's turn to have his injuries treated. Thankfully he only received small cuts and bruises, but there were some claw marks across his cheek. They could use the paste, but they were already running low, and it'd be difficult to get more on such short notice. They decided to disinfect the cuts and cover the more visible marks in the morning.

It must be nice not having to worry about getting hurt in alien form. Gwen recalled the intense battles she watched her boyfriend go through. If those injuries were to carry over to his real body, it would have been too dangerous to continue as they've been doing. But that leaves Gwen with the worst of the injuries.

Ben had always expressed how guilty he felt whenever someone got hurt during his heroing. But, after almost two years, they've come to terms that injuries are bound to happen when being a hero. Still, though, Ben couldn't help but want to protect his girlfriend from any harm.

Gwen got up to change in the bathroom. She removed the rest of her clothes and noted how tattered her Lucky Girl costume had become. She was sentimental of the outfit and would stitch any tears, but it was starting to get too tight. She tossed the bloodied clothes into the trash along with the ruined bra. She'll have to dip into her savings again if she wants to get a new costume.

Now in her pajamas, Gwen returned to see her Doofus sitting on the bed staring out the window. She crawled up behind him, wrapping her arms around his small frame. No, not small. She could tell how much he'd grown. His shoulders were broader, and she could feel the muscles forming in his arms. So this is how Ben 10k got so big.

"I should probably head home." Gwen heard him speak, but his eyes were saying something else entirely.

"It's late; you should stay." Gwen tried to sound reasonable, but she couldn't help but feel how her core burned up. Ben knew how dangerous it would be to stay the night. They only had a few hours before their parents woke up. Would they have enough time?

"I don't have my pajamas," Ben protested.

"It's not like I haven't seen you in your underwear before." He could have come up with an excuse to go home, but he didn't. His head felt fuzzy. He felt her warm breath against his ear. "Don't make me beg."


This was the third night in a row Natalie had woken up vomiting. She chalked it up to the flu, but she'll need to set an appointment with her doctor at this rate. After flushing the toilet and rinsing out her mouth, she looked for the nausea medicine in the kitchen. She's been noticing that many of their medicine and first aid supplies have gone missing. Gwen hadn't been getting injured as often during practice, so they shouldn't be running low. The thought of her nephew popped into her head. Is Ben the type to steal? Natalie chose to push that thought aside and continue her search.

After finding the medicine, Natalie looked through her email and news outlets. She noted the article about strange animal carcasses found in the surrounding forest. Normally she'd be skeptical of these types of stories, but the frequency of their appearance was beginning to weigh on her mind. She's tried to speak to Frank about it, but he would dismiss them as hoaxes. Gwen, on the other hand, would tense up. Looking at the time, Natalie decided to head back to bed. Try to get a couple more hours of sleep before returning to being a functioning member of society.

On her way back to her bedroom, she could hear whispering coming from Gwen's room. She couldn't make out what was said, but she knew exactly who her daughter was speaking to. This hadn't been the first time she's caught the twelve-year-old talking on her phone instead of sleeping, but Gwen should know better than to do it on a school night.

"That's enough, Gwen," Natalie spoke as she entered the room. "I warned you about staying up all night and-"

She was frozen in her tracks. The room was dark, except for the moonlight peaking through the open window. And as if under a spotlight, Natalie could make out an unsafe amount of exposed skin and four distinct eyes staring back at her.


The sun was peaking over the horizon when Carl and Sandra arrived. Natalie berated the young boy while Frank quietly held his daughter. Ben, who had sat quietly across from them, shrank further into the couch at his parents' sight.

"What's going on?" Carl managed to ask.

"I'll tell you what's going on. Your bastard of a son sexually assaulted my daughter!" Natalie screamed.

"I didn't assault her!" Ben protested.

"Don't you lie to me," Natalie warned him. "I saw what you did with my own eyes."

"This has to be some kind of misunderstanding," Sandra said. Natalie grabbed hold of the boy's face. "Take your hands off my son!"

"Look at his face! There are scratches and bite marks that drew blood all over his body. That's not to mention her torn clothes and bloodied sheets." Natalie said.

"That's not-" Gwen tried to speak up.

"QUIET GWENDOLYN!" Natalie let go of the boy wiping her hand in disgust. The adults began to argue amongst themselves. Threats and accusations were thrown from both sides. Finally, tired of it all, Ben stood up.

"I love Gwen," he spoke proudly, "I would never do anything to hurt her."

"Love!? Keep your sick incestuous delusions away from my family."

This only added fuel to the fire. Now his parents were looking at him with disdain. Ben looked to Gwen and pleaded, "please say something." The room's attention was now on the young redhead. This was her chance to speak up, confess her feelings, and protect her boyfriend. But she couldn't do it. Her words came out as sobs, and her crying eyes were filled with despair.

He couldn't take it anymore. With tears in his eyes, Ben ran out the back door. A green flash pierced through the kitchen windows. His parents chased after him, but he was already long gone. It would be three days before he was found by the police five hundred miles away.