Chapter 67: Enigmatic Entrances

What's this, another update? And this one only about two weeks after the first? This is progress, people! XD

Though, to be honest I'm going back to school soon, so don't expect updates to be this fast. I will certainly try to update every few weeks once college is back in session, but there are no guarantees.

Still, I'd like to thank each and every one of my readers for sticking by me all this time. Seriously, you guys had to wait almost an entire year for an update (though I had some pretty good reasons). Seriously, you guys are awesome.

On another note, I noticed that no one commented on my next Ben 10 project. Considering that it's set in Omniverse, I figured people would be protesting it. I'm guessing you guys just don't care? That's honestly better than people bashing it before I even start writing it.

Ah, also, these next few chapters deal with the aftermath of what happened the last few chapters. It's got some angst, and some plot points for the arc I've created for season 3. It should be interesting.

Anyway, on with the chapter!

The room was actually quite beautiful, now that Sam thought about it. It was small and cozy, with the couch near the dead fireplace. The entire room was decked out in warm earth tones save for the chairs, which were a soft red color.

Sam laid on the couch, her head towards the fireplace. She could make out the floral designs on the ornate fence in front of it. She contemplated making a fire start, but it was almost summer and the room was warm enough as it was.

Isaac cleared his throat. Sam turned her head to stare at him. His skin had a gray pallor to it, which was understandable. He had been stabbed pretty ruthlessly and left to die, pinned to a wall like an insect by an entomologist. He still looked impeccable, his suit cut in the newest style, not a blonde hair out of place.

"You do know you have to talk for this, right?" Isaac said. He tapped his pen against his notepad.

Sam rolled her eyes. "I've been in your therapy office plenty of times, Isaac. I know the drill. " Not that your therapy sessions ever help matters, she thought bitterly.

"Okay then, why don't you start?"

"Because I'm not a little kid anymore." As Isaac continued to stare at her and not talk, Sam groaned and sat up properly. "I've been here for grief counseling after Todd died. I recall talking to you about my first kill as a member of the Pride. I've been in and out of this place ever since I was little, trying to cope with the brutal dogma you've taught me. I know what's going to happen."

"Oh? Then why don't you tell me."

Sam let out a frustrated groan and fell back onto the cushions. "I'm going to talk about my feelings, I'm gonna cry, you'll say something that cheers me up a little, and then I go my merry way. That's what always happens."

"Then why isn't that same script happening now?"

"Because I'm so done with it."

"Hmm. Well, that is a sentiment I can understand," Isaac admitted, "but Cordelia is putting you through this for a reason. So why don't you tell me why you're here."

Sam huffed and crossed her arms. "Because that blob thing murdered you all."

"Tried to murder us," he corrected her.

"And damn near did it to," Sam continued. "I've seen dead bodies plenty of times, seen some really messed up things, but that… what that thing did to all of you…" She trailed off, averting her gaze.

"It was frightening. Perfectly understandable."

"But it shouldn't have been." Sam closed her eyes and balled her fists. Letting out the breath she had been holding, she said, "You've taught us to control our emotions, that our powers were dangerous if we didn't keep a collected mind. But when we saw you all like that, we just couldn't…"

"You couldn't stop screaming." Isaac stopped writing and looked her dead in the eyes. "A perfectly natural reaction."

"But not for us." Sam looked at him sharply. "We may be three parts human, but our Slayer part must always be a priority. Emotions from our human part cloud our judgement. We can't let it control us."

"And you didn't," Isaac pointed out. "Yes, it was very lucky your powers didn't activate at the time, but you've had so many years to learn to control your powers that it's as natural to you as breathing. None of you had much to worry about."

"That doesn't excuse us freaking out over you," Sam said bitterly. "We always keep a calm head. Always."

"Except when someone you love is involved," Isaac told her. "Again, a perfectly natural reaction. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"You taught me to be ashamed of it." Her voice broke without her knowing it.

"No, you taught yourself." He leaned back in his chair and steepled his hands. "Though, we may have encouraged such an attitude in you. For that, I am truly sorry."

Sam raised an eyebrow. Isaac certainly seemed honest when he apologized, but you just never knew with any of the Immortals. They had lived for too long. And there was one more thing…

"You're accent's slipping," she noted. Isaac pursed his lips in a way that reminded Sam of Carter. And then he smiled.

"How about now?" he said, showing off his British accent.

"Better." A tense silence fell, neither side willing to come forward towards the next step. This therapy session was going exactly how it normally did in the past: Sam revealed what was wrong, Isaac helped her pick it apart piece by piece, she cried a bit (or nearly did), he comforted her a bit, and she left. The pattern never changed, not with Isaac.

"So what do we do now?" she asked after a minute. She fully knew what the answer was.

Isaac leaned forward, his pen poised over his notepad. "Let's start from the beginning."

Meanwhile...

Ben woke up swimming in medicine.

At this point, he was used to it.

He got out of the healing pod and dressed, his limbs unusually heavy. He felt lethargic, his eyelids drooping constantly. All he wanted to do was collapse onto his bed, but he wasn't in his home. Maybe Carter would let him crash on her couch.

Where was Carter, anyway? Ben walked out of the room and slowly made his way around the house. He hadn't seen her since the night before, when that thing-

Ben fell to his knees, hand to his mouth. He could feel hot bile rising in his throat, and tears stung at his eyes. He could feel his teeth sharpen involuntarily, prepared to tear apart the thing that had hurt Cordelia and Phineas and him- he wanted to kill he wanted to fight HE WANTED TO RIP IT TO SHREDS-

"Ben."

He looked up to see Pearl standing in front of him, a bottle of water in her hands. She knelt down and put a cool hand on his sweaty forehead.

"What's wrong, kiddo?" she asked, concerned. "How are you feeling?"

Ben swallowed the bile rising in his throat and forced his teeth to return to normal. The act still brought sharp pains that travelled up and down his face. He took a deep breath and said, "I'm fine."

"That's a lie," Pearl stated. She sighed. "But you don't have to tell me anything. You can tell Isaac later during therapy."

"Therapy?"

She raised an eyebrow. "After what you've been through, you need it. No objections."

"But-"

"No. Objections."

Ben groaned and slowly stood up. "Fine." Pearl handed him the water bottle and he took a greedy drink. The cool liquid helped wash away the taste of vomit.

"By the way, I saw the fusion you did with Ventus. The others can't really pull it off like you did. I'm impressed," she added, making Ben smile.

"Ventus and I get along pretty well when the situation calls for it," he said lightly.

"I suppose you do. So, what do you plan on doing now?" Pearl asked conversationally.

"Sleep," Ben moaned. "I'm gonna see if Carter's couch is available." He made to move, but the look on Pearl's face stopped him. It was a mixture of worry and fear, something that made Ben's stomach suddenly feel like lead.

"I don't think you should do that," Pearl said slowly, her voice cool and controlled.

"And why not?"

"Didn't anyone tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Of course they didn't, you would have been distracted," Pearl murmured. She gave a long suffering sigh before bracing herself. "Do you remember what happened to you after you were shot?"

Ben reflexively put a hand near his heart, right where the two bullets entered his chest. "No. Not really."

"Then you don't remember Carter getting those bullets out of you."

He took a step back. "What?"

"Oh yeah." Pearl crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, looking for all the world like she was having a pleasant conversation and not the drama bomb it actually was. "It was her first time doing it too. I mean, it's not the first time those kids have been shot at, but they have armor to protect them from bullet wounds. Carter never had to worry about surgically removing a bullet before now." She shrugged. "Cordelia would have done a better job, but she was out of commission."

Ben knew Cordelia had been out of commission. He had been the one to try and drag her away from the fighting, not that it helped.

"It was quite nerve racking, you know," Pearl continued conversationally. "I mean, if you were conscious, it would have been even worse for you, but you weren't, so it might not be as bad. I suppose, at the time, it was worse for Kitty. Most of her medical knowledge comes from journals and what Cordelia and Isaac have told her. She doesn't really have experience."

"And she did it anyway?" A grin was slowly spreading its way across his lips. If what Pearl said was true- and it likely was- then Ben was dating the most badass person ever. She was probably going to give him that devious little smirk that he loved so much-

"Yes, but at a cost," Pearl continued grimly. The cute thought process going through Ben's mind halted suddenly, and he stared at her with something akin to fear.

"What do you mean?" he breathed. "Pearl?"

Pearl sighed. "She fixed you up and defeated the monster of the week, but she used up far too much power. Let's just say there was a lot of blood."

He could feel the need to throw up surfacing again. "Where is she?"

She raised an eyebrow. "She's resting in her room. No one's allowed to see her!" she called at his back as he ran down the hallway.

Ben immediately slammed into someone, and he fell to the floor painfully. Groaning in pain, he looked up to see Kevin towering over him, holding a hand out towards him. Ben blinked and could see the stricken look on his friend's face when he stepped in front of him, having the bullets enter him instead of Kevin. He quickly blinked the image away and grabbed Kevin's wrist, letting himself be hoisted up.

"So…" the older teen started.

"So…" Ben parroted back.

"How are you feeling?" Kevin asked awkwardly.

Ben scratched at the back of his head. "Like I need more sleep. You?"

"Better than you, I guess," he answered. "I just got out of therapy-"

"Aw, you're doing that too?"

He nodded his head. "Yep. Everyone's having a turn. Including you."

"I don't need therapy," Ben said resolutely.

"Tell that to Cordelia."

"…You tell her."

"Fuck that noise."

"You fuck that noise."

"Shut up Tennyson." Kevin glared at him, or rather, at his chest. Specifically the part where he'd been shot.

Ben rolled his eyes. "Okay, you need to stop-"

"Why'd you do it?" he asked suddenly.

Ben stared at him, confused. "I-what?"

"Why did you take the bullet for me?" Kevin asked slowly, his voice low.

Ben started to say something, but he closed his mouth. He swallowed dryly as his mind whirled, desperate for a reason. Ben then sighed, seeing as there was no point.

"I didn't want to see you get hurt like that."

Kevin looked at the ceiling, giving it a look that said, 'Can you believe this guy?' He gave Ben an extremely annoyed glare. "And you think I wanted to see you hurt like that?"

"What? No, of course not!"

"Then don't do it." His expression went from annoyed to cold, almost like his face had been carved from ice. And then there was a sudden pleading in his eyes, if the softening around them was any indication. "I don't want you getting shot. Don't do it again."

Ben took a deep breath. "…I'll try not to."

Kevin then turned around, and he could have sworn tears were forming in the older teen's eyes. That wasn't supposed to happen. No one was supposed to be crying over Ben Tennyson, that wasn't how it worked.

Desperate to change the subject, he quickly asked, "Does Cordelia know I'm awake?"

"No," Kevin said curtly, still not looking at him.

"Great. I'm gonna go see Carter before she makes me go to therapy." Ben quickly walked away from Kevin.

"No one's supposed to see her- and you're already gone," Kevin muttered as Ben sprinted away. "Don't come crying to me when Cordelia finds out!" he called out angrily before the tiniest smile spread across his lips.

Carter's room was dark and cold. The lights were off, and the curtains were drawn over the balcony door. The little light that filtered into the room came from there. Ben walked over to the balcony and drew back the heavy curtains, letting the afternoon sunlight into the room. He could feel the chill leave him as he walked over to Carter's bed.

Her skin had taken a sick sheen to it, but it wasn't like the last time she was in the hospital. Back then, she had looked like a zombie, all gray, fevered skin and eyes too big for her face. Ben could see the signs of bandages wrapping around her torso- the blankets were covering her, but her bare shoulders were visible, revealing the gauze. Her breathing was deep, if the rise and fall of her chest was any indication. Count Fluffula was tucked in with her, its wings brushing against her shoulders.

Ben grabbed the chair from the desk and sat next to Carter's bed. He let out a long sigh. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. He had seen Carter, knew she was in good hands, but he didn't want to go back out just yet.

"So, I defeated Vilgax," Ben began anxiously. His leg was jumping up and down and his hands were clasped together in his lap. His eyes flitted over the room. Carter gave no indication that she heard. Count Fluffula seemed to stare at him, as if to say, 'that all you got, little boy?'

"It was a tough battle," he continued, ignoring the blank glare of the stuffed animal. "I fused with Ventus- I didn't even know we could do that. Did you? Of course you did, you've been in this business for longer than I have." Some bitterness seemed to creep into his voice. "You never tell me anything until I need to know it. I hate being in the dark."

Yep, just blame Carter for all that, Ventus said facetiously in Ben's head. Not like any of those kids had their reasons for not telling you everything at once. No sir, they did everything out of spite.

Ben knew he was being unfair the minute he uttered those words. It wasn't Carter's fault, or Sam's, or Evan's. It really wasn't anyone fault, but it didn't stop him from being sore about it. But he already felt guilty about pushing his feelings on Carter, while she was unconscious; Ventus really didn't need to rub it in.

Yes, I did need to rub it in.

Shut up! Can't you leave my head for, like, two minutes?

You know that's technically impossible.

Go to the astral plane and make out with Aquaria.

Will do! And with that cheery goodbye, Ben's head was silent.

Ben sighed audibly. He turned back to Carter, who had seemed to stop breathing during his conversation. But no, her chest was still rising, just not as deeply.

"Okay, so, fusing," Ben continued. "Didn't know I could do that. It was really weird, because Ventus and I weren't just sharing a brain, we were actually sharing a body. Wow, that sounds really wrong when I say it out loud," he muttered. He was so glad his friends weren't here to hear that. Things were awkward enough as it was.

"But thanks to that fusion we were able to beat Vilgax," Ben continued lightly. "We totally kicked his ass by electrocuting him, and it was awesome, and I love you, and now Cordelia wants me to go to therapy." He pursed his lips. "In retrospect, that may not be a bad idea." He stood up and put away the chair.

"Anyway, I should get going. Thanks for saving my life again, by the way. I heard from Pearl what you did…" he trailed off and smiled stupidly before continuing. "You're my hero, you know that? My totally badass hero girlfriend."

And now Ben was embarrassing himself. He was glad Carter couldn't hear him, she would have a field day teasing him. "Anyway, I'll leave. Get better soon, okay?"

The second the door closed and the sounds of retreating footsteps faded, Carter opened her eyes. She blinked, turned her head to where Ben had just been, and said, "What."

Meanwhile…

"So how does this fusion thing work?" Gwen asked Evan.

The three of them were sitting in the living room. Kevin was sprawled across the armchair, his head hanging over one of the armrests. Gwen and Evan were sitting close to each other on the couch, Gwen sitting with her spine straight, Evan sitting slightly sideways so he could talk to her and face her at the same time.

"It's very simple really," he started. "You know how the Pride and Ben and Newt share a mind with a god?"

"Yep," Kevin drawled out, his mouth popping at the end of the word.

"Think of it like that, except sharing a body."

Gwen made an 'hmm' sound. "It seems awfully convenient. Why don't you guys do it all the time, or even during the High Breed invasion?"

"Well, you see, that's the hard part," Evan said, scratching at his face. "For me, Erda usually takes a seat back while I fight and live my own life. He occasionally gives some input, but he normally stays silent. I'm pretty sure that's the same for the others as well."

"Still not seeing why you couldn't use your fusion thing against the High Breed," Kevin said resentfully. He moved around in the armchair so he was sitting upright in it. That way he could glare at Evan easily.

"Because normally, I'm in control, and Erda takes a backseat," Evan continued, unfazed. "Sometimes he takes complete control and I'm sleeping in the back. But when we fuse, we're both driving the same car."

"Think about it this way." The three of them turned to see Sam leaning against the doorway, arms and legs crossed. "Two people are in the front of the car. One is driving, but the person sitting in shotgun keeps telling the other how to drive to their destination. They keep arguing about it while on the road, and sometimes they come to a decision, but other times they're still arguing. At least, that's how it was when Kirche and I fused the one time."

"How was that?" Gwen asked curiously.

"Very unpleasant."

"…Oh." Gwen turned back to Evan. He shrugged, smiling weakly.

"That's probably the best way to describe how it is to fuse," he pointed out. "Others get along easily, like Ben and Ventus and Carter and Aquaria, but others not so much."

Kevin raised an eyebrow. "You and Erda don't get along?"

"Oh we do," Evan said hastily. "But it's only when one or the other is in control. Neither of us are good at sharing leadership."

"And Kirche and I have always have different ideas on how to do things," Sam mused. "I think the reason why Carter and Aquaria get along so well is because of their mother-daughter dynamic…"

"Well, anyway, this really does help explain the whole fusion thing- have you been crying?" Kevin interrupted his own sentence when he got a better look at Sam. Everyone turned to her, seeing for the first time the red rims under her eyes and the sickly paleness of her skin.

"I usually do after therapy with Isaac," Sam said dismissively as she walked into the room.

Gwen furrowed her brow. "You've had therapy?"

"Plenty of times in the past," she answered back as she sat on the floor. She looked up to see the strange looks Gwen and Kevin were giving her. "What?"

"I thought you guys didn't have that," Kevin said bluntly.

"We mean to say, you always kind of implied that you didn't while you were growing up," Gwen quickly amended.

Sam and Evan looked at each other guiltily. "Yeah, we kind of did," he admitted.

"I mean, we did," Sam said, scratching the back of her head, "but it was mainly grief counseling and Isaac and Cordelia checking how traumatized we were."

"You mean, for the whole Pride thing," Kevin stated.

"No, for the people talking in our heads-yes we mean the Pride thing!" Evan snapped suddenly, throwing his hands up.

"Calm your tits," Sam said, glaring at him. He crossed his arms and mumbled crossly.

"So, they did care enough to give you emotional support." Gwen chewed over the thought.

"Just enough to make sure we were emotionally stable to do our jobs," Sam stated.

"Of course," Gwen said darkly.

"Hey, it could be worse," she pointed out. "They could not care at all."

"That is true," Kevin piped up. "And now we're getting therapy."

"Who's next on the list?" Sam asked.

"I think Ben," he replied. The others stared at him. "What?"

"He's awake?!" Gwen yelled, getting up from her seat. "And you didn't tell us?"

"He wanted to see Carter."

Evan got up as well. "But no one's allowed to see her."

Kevin shrugged. "Tell that to him."

"I swear, the guy has a death wish," Sam muttered ominously from the floor.

"Come on, let's go find Ben and tear him a new one," Evan said, some of his normal good humor seeping back. He and Gwen marched out of the room while Sam and Kevin lagged behind. Kevin got up from his cushy chair and strode over to Sam, who was already getting up. He gently held her shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked softly, gently rubbing on her arm.

"I'm fine. This always happens after a session with Isaac," Sam said honestly. "We go back and forth, he says a few things that make me feel better about myself, and I cry with relief."

"Oh, is that all?" Kevin asked rhetorically, the lightness of his tone masking the concern he felt.

"You should see Evan after one," Sam said, smiling affectionately. "Guy bawls like a baby."

"How about Carter?"

Her smile lost a few wattages. "Sometimes."

Kevin took one look at her downcast eyes and kissed her on the forehead. She started slightly, her lips quirking with mirth until he kissed them. A calmness seemed to wash over them both, which stayed as their lips parted.

"Wow," Sam said breathlessly, "that was pleasant."

Kevin smirked. "Aren't they always?"

She smiled coyly. "No. Some are more… intense than that one."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yep." She threaded their hands together, and they swung in tandem as they left the living room. "We should experiment with that more often."

He grinned. "That we should."

In a dark, cold place

He glared into the blackness of the room. The only light that was there were from the burning torches inserted in the stone walls. It was relatively dim lighting, which hurt his eyes. Add in the crumbling structure of the building and the smell of decay permeating the air, and the man was not in a happy mood.

He glanced at his hand. The red-gold blob was squirming in pain, letting out pitiful bleats as it struggled to regain strength. He sighed; this strange little creature had been a throwaway experiment, something he should not have spent so much time on. But it had proved to be a worthy specimen to use. The first time he had used it, it changed into him and attempted to kill him. It nearly succeeded.

And then he had set the abomination loose onto Slayer HQ. The first time proved to be a beta-testing of sorts. It had done a considerable amount of damage before being brutally defeated. It had been a bit embarrassing for him, but the creature had still proven useful; it had brought back DNA samples and memories in its tiny brain.

The second time had proven much more fruitful. It had unleashed so much more carnage this time, demolishing the supercomputer room and taking out at least a hundred members. And it had even defeated Cordelia and Isaac and Lucille and all the others! It was incredible!

Granted, the second attempt was after he had modified his creature, and that the base had been earlier infiltrated by High Breed. He was not so stupid as to ignore that.

He sighed and sifted through the memories of his creature. He could see the desolation it had caused- good monstrosity, very, very good- had seen it hang Raphael from the rafters and crucifix Isaac to the wall and stab Lucille through the stomach and tear out Phineas's guts and rip out Cordelia's throat. They were still good fighters, very good, but they had gotten sloppy, overconfident. Five thousand years of such arrogance would do that to a person.

He would change that, one way or another.

He sifted through more memories, pausing at the sight of the children who dared defy his abomination. One he did not recognize; perhaps we was a child of one of the lesser families? His power of absorbing elements was unique and unpredictable. It would be prudent not to ignore him.

One of the girls made him think. She looked strikingly similar to the Force family, her facial structure being a dead giveaway. He compared it two other faces in the lineup. Ah yes, she was related to the Force family, along with the other boy. Two of those children had proven a handful; the other didn't do much, but the boy had taken a bullet for a friend. An admirable feat, truly.

He ignored the DuBaer child. He knew damn well what she was capable of, if Lucille was any indication. But the Valentine girl… now she would be tricky. She had immense power, but it came at a dreadful cost. Equivalent Exchange was certainly at work, and this girl proved it. She would be troublesome to deal with.

Muffled sobbing interrupted his musings. Bored, he looked up to see the three children bound and gagged in the floor. Three soccer players from the local public high school. What were their names? David? Jack? The third one with glasses escaped him at the moment. But the three of them looked the same, tears running from their faces, the three of them huddled in a circle, sitting upon an ancient purple alchemical seal.

The boy with glasses-Greg, that was his name- had managed to get his gag off. "Please let us go!" he whimpered out. "We didn't do anything to you!" The other two boys nodded emphatically. "We have people looking for us anyway. We'll give you money, if that's what you want!"

The older man thought for a moment. He set aside his creature, which slid off the table and onto the ground. He got up and walked to the boys, all of whom leaned back to get father away from him. He stopped in front of the seal and pulled at his doctor scrubs.

"The three of you were at a party celebrating the fact that the world wasn't going to be destroyed," The Doctor said in his slow baritone voice. "You already told your parents that you would staying over at a friend's house, and that the next day the three of you would be going to soccer camp for roughly three weeks. They are not currently looking for you."

The boys looked at him fearfully. He continued: "Also, I do not want your money. It is of very little value to me. I have other reasons why I require you."

"Like what?" Greg asked, his voice shaking. The Doctor looked at him with his cold, black eyes.

"Tell me, what do you know about the Philosopher's Stone?"

"You-you mean the thing from Harry Potter?"

The Doctor gave a long-suffering sigh. "Yes, like the thing from Harry Potter."

"It gives you eternal life… and…"

"Say no more, I already know how limited your knowledge is on the subject," The Doctor said not unkindly. He had enjoyed the series, if he had to be honest, but the information it gave on otherworldly things was severely lacking.

"The Philosopher's Stone can not only grant longevity to the user, but it can turn base metals into gold or silver, transmutation of common crystals into precious stones or diamonds, reviving the dead, creating a form of homunculus, and the ability to heal all forms of illness. Can you guess why I want the Philosopher's Stone?"

"…You want to help people?" Greg had lost some of his fear and was now staring at him incredulously. "But the Philosopher's Stone doesn't exist! Alchemy itself is a failed science!"

"To you it is," The Doctor cut in. "Your species has progressed quite nicely in the scientific field, if I do say so myself. Unfortunately, you are still blind to all the possibilities the universe has to offer. Alchemy is one of them. Tell me, do you know what a homunculus is?"

Greg furrowed his brow. "It's… like a tiny human being."

The Doctor beamed. "Very good. Homunculus, Latin for 'little man', plural form homunculi, is a representation of a small human being, or a clone of one. Another term you could use is doppelganger, I believe."

"You… you want to create a homunculus?"

"Yes." The three boys stared at him in disbelief. "What? A doctor is a scientist, and I want to experiment. And while I have created numerous ones, the results have been… mixed." He eyed the blob that was slithering up to him. The three boys recoiled at the sight.

"Oh, don't worry, it won't harm you unless I tell it to," The Doctor told them dismissively. "And it's too weak to do much damage, so there's that." He then clapped his hands together. "Well, time to start."

"Start what?" Greg asked, on edge.

"The experiment." The doctor turned and walked away from them. "The Philosopher's Stone isn't going to make itself."

Greg looked down at the ancient alchemical seal he was sitting on. "You mean-?!"

"Yes. You're the ingredients."

The doctor closed his eyes. There was a bright flash, something stronger than the sun itself. There were screams, two mangled, the other high-pitched and clear. When he opened his eyes, he noticed that the leftover blood splattered against the ground wasn't enough for three people.

He walked to the middle of the seal and picked up the red rock. Wiping off the blood, he revealed its luster, and just how small it was. Well, that was what he got from using only three people. Bigger stones required a bigger exchange rate. Still, it would do for now.

It would all do for now.

Those three boys were actually introduced earlier in the story. I had bigger roles planned for them-mainly as people for Ben to hang out with; they are all on the soccer team, after all- but it didn't get off the ground. So I scrapped them. Yeah, I know they're a waste of possible characters, but there's nothing I can do at this point, and it's not like I can force them into the story.

Though, if you think about it, the fact that they weren't included in the story makes sense canon-wise. Ben doesn't really have any friends besides Gwen and Kevin. Gwen has at least one school friend she's close to, and Kevin mentioned hanging out with some guys at the auto shop on at least one occasion, but Ben has never talked about hanging out with other people. He only hangs out with Gwen, Kevin, and Julie in the show, so it's safe to assume that Ben doesn't have many close friends. So, the exclusion of Greg, David, and Jack makes some sense.

Also-I keep forgetting to mention this- but Pearl isn't an original character of mine. She's based off one of the main characters from the comic American Vampire. I kept some of her backstory, her first name, and her general appearance (at least from the first comic), but her personality is completely different. She's in this story for a reason though. You'll see.

So, thoughts anyone?