Chapter 7: Will Someone Please Tell Me the Truth?
A few days ago, I was in my local library when I saw this book called "The Slayer Chronicles". You can imagine my surprise when I saw this for the first time. Now I have to really worry about people thinking my story is about hunting vampires.
Also, I'm going on a trip out of country soon and I can't bring my laptop along. Then I have my summer English assignment to work on. It's safe to say that updates are going to be pretty slow. I apologize in advance.
The alarm clock of evil woke Ben up.
After hitting it shut, Ben sat up and rubbed his eyes. Why the hell did Evan insist on waking up early on a freaking Saturday? Nine in the morning was an ungodly hour on the weekend!
Ah, youth, Ventus teased. That startled Ben. When Ventus had spoken, it was if there had been a wall between the two counterparts, separating them from interfering with each other's lives. Now it felt like it was down, and Ben didn't know how to bring it back up again.
What, you don't want to talk to me? Ventus sounded sad and dejected.
No, no! You just startled me, is all. Besides, you can't just start talking out of the blue like that. It's creepy.
True, but it's boring in your head. Talking to you is the highlight of being in here.
Does that mean you're going to be watching me and the people around me, hoping for something that'll spark a conversation?
You make it sound like it's a bad thing.
Ben rolled his eyes and started getting dressed. True, having someone watching you was stalker-creepy, but it wasn't like Ben could do anything in this situation. And from the look of things, he was going to be stuck with the god for a long time. He might as well get used to him.
You still have to respect my privacy, Ben thought to Ventus.
Obviously.
Can I ask you a question?
Fire away.
Aquaria was your wife, right?
Yes…
And her current form is Carter?
We call you vessels, since the god gene is passed down to different children in the same family every few generations and you use our power in exchange for us living in your head. But I assume that the girl you call Carter is Aquaria's current vessel.
…You wouldn't try to push me to date Carter to get back together with your wife, would you?
Ventus sighed quite audibly. Your love life is your own; I have no right to mess with it. Yes, I would like to see my wife more often. But I'm not going to force you to date her vessel for my own personal gain. Now, if you want to date Carter, that's a different story.
Thank you, Ben thought happily. Then something occurred to him. How often do you see her? Your wife, I mean.
The winter and summer solstice for sure. But that's only on this plane. The astral plane is a different story.
What's the astral plane?
The astral plane is where all the gods go when they don't want to be cooped up in their vessels' body. I see Aquaria and all my friends there.
I thought you said you couldn't leave my body.
I don't; I send most of me to the astral plane while a fragment stays here. That way, I know when you need my help.
I don't get it. By now Ben was dressed and was leaving his room for breakfast.
You don't have to get it, Ventus said. All you need to know is that I won't have to be all up in your business. And to prove his point, Ventus raised the barrier that separated the two of them, which ended the conversation.
Ben was now waiting outside with his guitar strapped to his back. Evan had said that someone was picking him up to go to his house and, according to Evan, he was supposed to be here any minute now. Ben impatiently tapped his foot on the sidewalk, looking around for a car speeding his way.
That was when he saw the hearse stop right in front of him. Out popped a middle aged man with gray in his blond hair, crinkly brown eyes, and a gray mustache. He was dressed in a black chauffeur uniform. He bowed to Ben and introduced himself as James. "Miss Carter, Miss Sam, and Mr. Evan humbly request that you join them for band practice." James's voice was deep and polite. Ben just stood there like an idiot.
James moved to the rear of the hearse and opened the car door for him. Ben, still in shock, awkwardly removed his guitar and shoved it into the car, and he followed. James slammed the door shut and moved to the front. Ben felt the soft black seats and marveled at the tinted windows. When James revved the engine and the hearse started moving, Ben decided that he needed to hear a little truth for a change.
"Tell me, James, who exactly are Sam, Evan, and Carter?" Ben studied James in the mirror, hoping to catch him in a lie. But James was a very careful man.
"Carter Valentine is the granddaughter of two highly successful doctors, who also founded the Valentine Hospital. Samantha DuBaer is the heir to the biggest weapons company in the world. And Evan Force is the son of the CEO of Force Industries, the third largest technology company in the world."
"Force Industries? Didn't they create Sumo Slammers?"
"Among other things."
"Why didn't they tell me the truth?"
"They were afraid of you treating them differently from everyone else." James stopped and looked at Ben through the rearview mirror. "Will you treat them differently now?"
"…I don't know," Ben said truthfully, because he hadn't thought up until that point. And then he thought of something else. "Do you know who I am?" Ben knew that Carter and the others were Slayers with the god gene, and since he had the god gene as well, that meant he was a Slayer as well. What he didn't know was who gave him the gene.
James raised his eyebrows at the silly question. "You are Ben Tennyson, grandson of Phineas Carmichael, son of Sandra and Carl Tennyson."
"Who's Phineas Carmichael?" Ben asked. By now they were well out his neighborhood and were now on city roads, weaving through the traffic.
"Phineas Carmichael is the head of Carmichael Media, which provides the world with numerous forms of entertainment, such as music, television shows, and radio, to name a few," James answered smoothly. He moved the car to the highway leading out of Bellwood.
"Why didn't I know he was my grandfather?"
"I suppose he didn't want to make himself known to you. As to why, I don't know."
Ben couldn't think of anything else to ask, so he stopped there. He sat back in his seat and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he saw the sign for Sterling Hills. Of course they live here, Ben thought wearily as the security guard waved the hearse through. They traveled up hills and winding roads, which connected to houses that looked like they belonged to the super rich. Which, to be honest, wasn't that far from the truth.
After about ten minutes, James pulled the car into a long, white driveway, which led to a large, white, futuristic mansion. There was a large glass dome on the left side, and it looked like someone was shooting off fireworks in there. "What's going on in there?" Ben asked James.
"The Force scientists are working on their newest projects," he answered smoothly. James quickly went to the right side, where there was a huge garage connected to the house. It opened, and James parked inside.
Ben waited for James to lead him out of the garage, but instead he got an old butler with balding hair and what looked like a stick for a spine. "Follow me, if you'd be so kind," he said, and he quickly went out the door with Ben struggling to keep up.
The halls were white as well, but with cozy paintings of fireplaces and framed pictures of family vacations. One of them was the family at a beach, with what looked like a nine-year-old Evan in green swim trunks and glasses. His hair was still long, but not long enough for a ponytail. He was building a sand castle with a little blond girl with freckles and brown eyes. She looked around seven, and she was clad all in pink. The parents were in the background, sitting in beach chairs and under large umbrellas. The mother looked like an older version of her daughter, while the father looked like an older version of his son. There were no physical similarities between the two siblings.
Ben continued following the butler to a large study. "The Valentines have wanted to speak to you for some time now," the butler said, leaving Ben by himself.
The study was vast, with bookshelves towering everything in sight. There was a large desk in front, and that was when Ben noticed the man and woman around it. The man was sitting, with a black three piece suit, graying blond hair slicked back to show off his handsome face. He had smiling blue eyes, unlike his wife. She was imposing, with her long white hair a stark contrast to her black suit jacket, mini skirt, and heels. Her gray eyes surveyed Ben with calculation, and her bang covered the entire left side of her face. Ben, holding the strap of his guitar case, cautiously approached the couple.
Isaac and Cordelia Valentine, Ventus hissed before falling silent. Because of that, Ben didn't notice the three teens surrounding him until the large oak doors closed. He turned around, alarmed, but calmed down a little when he saw it was just Evan and his friends, though they guarded the only escape route. They looked like soldiers-for-hire, with their hands clasped behind their backs, their chests out, and their expressions stoic.
"Welcome, Benjamin," Isaac said, showing off a British accent. "We've been expecting you for some time now. Please, sit." He gestured to the open chair in the middle of the room with a smile on his face. Ben walked over, gently leaned his guitar against him, and sat.
"You're here to tell me about Ventus, aren't you?" Ben started, unable to keep quiet any longer.
Cordelia raised an eyebrow. "We assume you've read most of the history book."
"Yeah, but it doesn't explain why I have him in my head." Ben pointed to his temple for emphasis. "It's a bit complicated," the gentleman said.
"Try me," Ben countered.
"When the gods were dying, they put their DNA, so to speak, into certain individuals so they could still live. Because the gods didn't understand their subjects' problems, they decided that they had to live among them and die among them to truly understand. And since human DNA is the closest to Immortal DNA, that species was chosen. Half Immortal and half human can still live far longer than the average human, so it was decided that three-fourths human and one-fourth Slayer would be sufficient. That way the vessels wouldn't get an unfair advantage." The man paused and waited.
Ben took the bait. "But Ventus said I'm part Anodite, whatever that is. Shouldn't I then have an unfair advantage?"
"Anodite's don't technically have DNA, since they are energy beings," Cordelia explained. "And just because you have an alien heritage doesn't necessarily mean that you'll have powers."
"Okay, then." Ben closed his eyes for a moment before continuing. "Do my parents know about this?"
"No. Your father, despite being part Anodite, has no idea about his alien family, not really. Your mother, despite her Slayer line, has no powers at all."
"My mother is a Slayer?"
"Technically, yes," the man continued. "When your grandfather Phineas met your grandmother, they had Sandra. Sandra showed no signs of having any power at all, so Phineas chose not to tell her about our society. We'd like to keep it that way."
Ben nodded, agreeing completely. "I have another question; how did I remove the Omnitrix back when I was ten?" He didn't notice Evan closing his eyes, Carter's eyes widening, or Sam sucking in a breath. He only saw Isaac and Cordelia, who showed no emotion at the impertinence.
"You got in the way of a Slayer mission. It's an incident that I don't want to repeat," Isaac finally said.
"But-" Ben stopped when he saw the glare Cordelia was giving him.
"We erased the memory from your conscious mind, but that doesn't mean you can't remember," she said curtly.
"Huh?"
"When a Slayer mind wipes a person's mind, they destroy certain brain cells that hold the most recent memory. But since the brain is an extremely complex piece of machinery, it should be possible for you to remember over time," Isaac explained patiently. "That is, if you truly want to remember."
Despite his frustration, Ben conceded and switched to a different topic. "Which one of you holds the Aquaria gene?" Cordelia smiled, the first one Ben had ever seen. She looked much more beautiful when she was smiling.
"I am the carrier for Aquaria, and Isaac-"-she gestured to him- "is the carrier for Lyrica, god of the arts. We pass down the gene every couple of generations, since the current vessels can't." Ben started to say something, but Cordelia cut him off. "We had our children through wishful thinking, making them half-Immortal and having Carter's mother marry a human. That's why our granddaughter has the Aquaria gene."
That explained quite a bit, actually. But Ben had a few more questions. "Why didn't you just come right and say all of this? Why make them lie and sneak around and try to befriend me?"
"If we had told you were the vessel for a god, you wouldn't have believed us," Isaac explained. "Also, Max called us a while back to tell us that the Pride had to team up with you. We believed the best way to gain your trust was to have them befriend you. The kids were just following our orders."
Ben turned his head at the three teens guarding the door. They tried to look stoic and imposing, but there was a degree of shame on their faces, and they refused to meet his eye. Ben wasn't mad at them, not really; if Grandpa Max had told him to do that, he would have done so, no question about it.
"I think I'm done here." Ben stood up and grabbed his guitar case. "If I have any more questions, can I ask you?"
"Of course, though it may be easier to ask your friends," Isaac said. Ben walked to the doors.
When the three didn't move, he said, with a genuine smile, "I think we have band practice right now." The three of them looked at each other, before Evan shouted, "DOG PILE!" Ben was completely unprepared when Evan, Sam, and Carter tackled him to the ground. "Watch the guitar!" he cried, praying that it hadn't been destroyed. The others didn't register it; they were too happy because Ben wasn't mad at them.
Isaac, still sitting behind the desk, turned to Cordelia. "That went better than expected."
The Pride plus Ben were in the basement, a sound proof old storage facility with Sam's drums, Evan's bass guitar, three mike stands and some first-class amplifiers. Ben quickly got out his green Fender standard Stratocaster electric guitar and plugged it into the left amp.
"You sure you want to be in a band with us?" Carter asked, climbing onto the makeshift stage. "Don't you have soccer and the High Breeds to worry about?"
"Don't forget your grandfather," Sam reminded him as she sat before her giant red drum set. Ben started tuning his guitar before answering.
"I don't think Grandpa wanted me to constantly worry about him. Speaking about grandfathers, why don't I know Phineas?"
Evan reached for his black Ibanez electric bass guitar. "You got the Omnitrix around the same time normal Slayers get their powers. The Omnitrix blocked the power from forming at first, but Ventus eventually contacted you. But because of your position, Phineas thought it was better if you didn't know anything while you had it on the first time. After you got it off, you were slightly catatonic, so Phineas decided not to let us come to you until after your powers started forming. Why it hasn't until now, I don't know."
"It really sucks for you since he has to train you to use and control Ventus's powers, and he might not," Carter remarked as she started to set up the mikes. "Though, with the Omnitrix on, I don't think you'll have too much trouble controlling it. Isaac will set up a time for you to start eventually. Right now I think he just wants you to absorb everything that was said today."
"That's good to know," Ben said with a smile. "So, what do we do first?" He gestured to Evan and Sam, who were tuning their instruments.
"Because you're new to this, I guess we'll start by practicing songs everyone already knows. That way we'll know when to start practicing our own songs."
"Cool," was all Ben said.
"What kind of music do you like?" Evan asked him.
"Rock."
"Fall Out Boy?" Carter asked.
"I don't know they're songs by heart."
"Panic at the Disco?" Sam asked from her perch.
"Same."
"There for Tomorrow?" Carter asked.
"Hell yes!" Ben cheered. "Can we do 'Pages' first?"
"Yes, yes we can." Sam started tapping her drumsticks together, and Evan and Ben began to play.
And Carter began to sing.
Ben almost stopped playing. Carter's voice was beautiful; no singer in Hollywood had that much talent. It was clear and strong and gained power as the song progressed. It never strained, and Carter was able to hit every note perfectly. And Carter looked, well, happy when she was singing. She couldn't smile, but her eyes lit up with something close to joy. And Carter didn't just stand around when she was singing, either. She moved and danced a little in time with the music, full of energy. She was a complete natural for the stage.
When the song ended, Ben said, "That was totally amazing! You're a natural." Carter blushed a little.
"You're guitar skills aren't so bad either."
"What's the next song?" Evan asked, interrupting them.
"I only know There for Tomorrow," Ben admitted sheepishly.
"Then we'll just do that," Sam said before tapping out the next beat. And so the cycle repeated for the next hour or so.
A lone girl was banging on the door of a mansion. "Michael, please! I need to see you!" The poor girl was crying, and she had strange marks on her arms; a black circle with a star in it. Suddenly, the door creaked open, and the girl, looking hopeful, slowly walked inside. The door behind her closed with a loud slam, and the girl was plunged in darkness.
But not for long.
A handsome blond man with blue eyes and a Plumbers Badge on his belt was there, holding out a single hand. The girl walked over, sobbing with joy, and took his hand. Michael firmly clasped it, and his smile turned ugly. The girl never saw it coming. She screamed as her skin turned gray, her black hair lifeless, and all the energy was drained out of her. She slumped to the ground, a shadow of her former self. Michael's face twisted into a cruel grin as the energy swirled in him, feeding his never-ending hunger for power.
Michael Morningstar was a very powerful person. He could drain the life force of anyone, including the girl slumped to the floor. Of course, if he fed on her right now, she would die. But her energy would return soon enough, and the cycle would repeat itself. The girls had no control over themselves; they wanted Michael to take their energy, even if it meant dying.
Michael picked up the girl and carried her to where all the other girls were kept. They're power wasn't sufficient for Michael, not anymore, but they made great minions. Michael needed a new source of pure energy, and soon. The hunger for it would soon be too much.
But where would he find such a source?
Ben was with Kevin and Gwen now, at Mr. Smoothie. Band practice had ended on a good note, and next Saturday they were planning another, with Ben learning a song or two that Carter had made up. Right now Ben was sitting on the curb, repeatedly watching the message Grandpa Max had sent. Kevin was watching him, concern showing on his face. Gwen walked up to him, looking kind of peeved.
Kevin smiled and gestured to Ben. "Do you think we should be worried? He's been watching that thing ever since we got here."
"Why haven't you asked me out yet?" was Gwen's response. Kevin choked a little on his smoothie.
"W-what?"
"You heard me. We spend a lot of time together, and it's pretty obvious you like me." Gwen smiled triumphantly.
"You don't know that."
"I can tell you're staring at me when you think I'm not looking."
"Gwen, can I be completely honest with you?" Kevin asked suddenly. Gwen raised an eyebrow.
"Of course."
"I think you're a good person. You trusted me when no one else did, and you try to see the good in me. But to be honest, I'm a bad person, and you don't deserve someone like me."
"You're breaking up with me?" Gwen asked indignantly.
"We weren't technically together, you know."
"Since when did you have the right to decide who I date?"
"You can date whoever you want, as long as they're better than me." The look on Kevin's face made Gwen's anger melt away, just a little bit. But then it flared back tenfold.
"Do you seriously think your protecting me when you say that? We're stuck together until we stop the High Breed invasion. I'm going to be in a lot of bad situations where I might have to do things I wouldn't normally do. I wouldn't be a good person then! You can't protect me from any of that!"
"That's completely different! And nothing you say is going to change my mind!" Gwen, knowing that she had lost this round, stalked off, embarrassed and angry and near tears. Kevin just stayed in the same position, leaning against the hood of his car. Gwen had every right to be angry at him, but it was for her own good. She might not realize it now, but she will eventually. She had to, or the High Breed invasion would succeed.
Kevin turned to Ben, who gave no indication that he had witnessed the fight. He was just sitting there, watching his grandfather talk about how he needed to form a team.
"You know, my dog used to nod a spot on his butt over and over. That's why we put a cone around his neck." Ben switched off the message and turned to Kevin.
"I'm not the one you're mad at."
"Cut me a break here!" Kevin grinned. "Want to go fight some aliens or somethin'?"
"Or something. Let me see your Plumbers Badge." Kevin gave it to him, and Ben opened up the holo-map. Instantly, he could see the blips that showed the location of another badge. "Do you think any of these belong to Slayers?" he asked Kevin. Kevin thought for a moment before deciding. "I actually met one yesterday."
Ben's eyes widened. "You did? And you didn't say?"
"It was late when I met her!" Kevin protested. "I was going to, but the time never seemed right until now." Ben sucked in a calming breath.
"Do you know what she looks like?"
"Her hair looked like it was on fire." Ben's eyes widened once more.
"I know her too," he breathed. "And her two friends." Even Gwen, who had been listening in from two paces away, walked over.
"How do you know them?" she asked, refusing to look at Kevin.
"They go to my school. They know about the High Breed invasion."
"Should we ask them to join us? You know, to find other Plumbers' kids?" Ben asked uncertainly.
"Grandpa did say we have to get along with them," Gwen conceded.
"Okay, then. I'll call them up and tell them the location. We're going to this one," Ben decided, pointing to the green blip on the map. He got out his phone and walked a pace away for privacy.
Kevin turned to Gwen. "Are you going to stay mad at me while we do this?" he asked. Gwen still wasn't looking at him.
"I plan on it," she answered caustically. She stormed off to the car and threw the backseat door open. Kevin winced at the brutal display against his car, but didn't say anything as Gwen climbed into the backseat.
It was going to be a long night.
I apologize if the chapter was kind of slow. I just wanted to get a lot of stuff out of the way so there wouldn't be too many questions later on. It should be more action-y later.