Chapter 73: Bloody Nails and Broken Hearts

The chapter's title is based off the Billy Talent song of the same name. It's a good song, I would definitely recommend listening to it at your leisure.

So, I started to watch the gopher alien episode and was prepared to do a chapter about it, but then, literally two minutes in, my brain just went, "NOPE." I mean, that's one of the episodes I really couldn't stand in season 3, but I thought I was prepared to write about it, but it turns out I wasn't. So, sorry I had to skip it if you did like that episode, but I did leave a mention of it in this chapter, so that's something.

Also, not much action in this chapter, but there is plot afoot here which I think you all will enjoy. This was admittedly one of my favorite chapters to write- it was a pain to perfect it, but I am ecstatic with how it turned out. So I'm really hoping you guys enjoy it too. :D

Also, did you know that ash tree bark is used for making electric guitars? And that yew tree bark was historically used to make lutes? And that the alchemical symbol for water is an upside down triangle? Cause I sure didn't. The more you know~

Now, on with the chapter!

Pearl stood there, glaring at the crime scene. A Styrofoam cup filled with black coffee was in her hands. The steam billowing up into her face made her want to recoil in disgust. That would be rude, though-the intern hadn't known any better. Instead she focused her energy at the body, the wooden stake in his chest having already been removed.

The body was clearly male, around five foot four, with short white blond hair that fell over his eyes and pale skin. His clothes were baggy, tan cargo pants with a NYU t-shirt that was a size too big that also had a large, bloody patch covering the torso. His dark shades were shattered to pieces nearby, most likely when the hunters had attacked the poor boy. His eyes were closed, but Pearl knew them to be a warm brown color. The victim didn't look a day over eighteen, and in the weak sunlight, he looked incredibly fragile.

And then the body twitched.

The nearby interns shrieked in fright, running away as the body sat up. The cleanup crew looked at them apathetically as they continued doing their jobs. Pearl snapped, "You lot are Slayers! Act like it!"

The interns, all four of them, instantly quieted down, though one of them occasionally whimpered. Pearl rolled her eyes and looked at the boy still sitting on the cold ground. His skin had darkened to a soft russet color, his blond hair turning black and curly. His muscles thickened, his clothes no longer hanging off his frame. Even his facial structure changed, thickening and becoming slightly more chiseled. The only thing unchanged about his appearance were his brown eyes, which were now angry and full of hatred. Pearl would have had to cover up a flinch had it been directed at her.

"Show me your arm," Pearl commanded, handing her coffee to one of the interns (the poor girl needed it more than she did). The male vampire gave an annoyed huff and rolled up the sleeve of his left arm. Right on the inside of the elbow was the Valentine Crest, a C clef inside an upside down triangle.

"Show me yours," the younger vampire said boldly. Pearl gave him a withering look and rolled up the sleeve of her black turtleneck, revealing the same design. "So we're both bound to the Valentine family," the youth mused. "Your name?"

"Pearl. You?"

"Steven. Tell me, you ever been staked in the heart before?"

Pearl gave him half a smile. "More times than you can imagine. All of them were unpleasant."

Steven plucked his blood-drenched shirt before taking it off. "You can say that again." He then glared at her, but Pearl knew none of his anger was directed at her. "Those fucking hunters almost killed me."

Pearl smiled at him reassuringly. "Well, you changed your appearance right before they caught you, so they think you're dead."

Steven sighed. "I suppose that's a relief. Still though, they almost had the right type of wood to off me."

"Was it a type of ash or yew tree?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "I was blacking out from the pain."

"And you played dead long enough to convince those fuckers." An intern gave the shirtless vampire a new shirt, a simple black tee. He quickly put it on.

"Yeah, that's always a good thing." Steven looked around the alley and saw just how clean the crew made it. "Okay, I know you guys normally do a great job, but nothing in New York is ever this clean. Someone's gonna know something's up."

Pearl pursed her burgundy lips and turned her head towards the interns. All four of them-two boys and two girls of Asian, European, Brazilian, and African descent- snapped to attention. All four of them were skittish and eyed Steven warily.

"You four grab some trash and throw it around the alley," Pearl ordered them. They stared at her incredulously, momentarily forgetting their fear.

"You want us to what?" the Brazilian girl squawked.

"Did I stutter?" Pearl glared at them. "Move it." Carter had grown up with Cordelia, the queen of frosty glares, but the old babysitter liked to imagine that she had left behind some of her legacy in her young charge. It was evidenced by her steely glares, so reminiscent of Pearl's own. And its effectiveness showed in how quickly the interns scurried to do their newest assignment.

Pearl turned to Steven, who was looking at her, impressed. "Damn. I wish people listened to me that easily."

She shrugged. "It helps if you have a good…what's it called again? Resting Bitch Face?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, that. I wish I was capable of that."

Pearl rolled her eyes, but this time is was with some measure of affection. "I hate to do this, but I need to question you on what happened," she said gently, her eyes softening.

There was a sharp intake of breath, and the younger vampire was instantly on edge. His eyes scanned the area for any available exits. He jerked away when Pearl gently laid a hand on his arm.

"We can get out of here if you want," she told him quietly, eyeing the interns. Steven nodded gratefully. She turned towards the crew and called, "Finish up and go back to the hotel! Just chill out for a couple of hours before awaiting your next orders!"

Pearl and Steven escaped from the alleyway just as cheers erupted from the workers.

"You a slave driver?" he joked as they made their way towards the streets. If he was able to crack a joke so soon that meant that he would recover well. Pearl was glad about that.

"No, but no one particularly likes cleaning up after a crime scene," Pearl told him. "Especially with those interns. They're new and skittish and don't really know what they're doing."

Steven raised an eyebrow. "And you left them alone?"

"They're college age. I can't keep holding their hands forever." Pearl nodded towards a restaurant that was a ways from the crime scene. "You up for shawarma?"

"Can you even eat human food?"

"For undercover missions, but I don't need it," Pearl told him. "I no longer find it particularly appetizing."

A low rumble erupted from Steven's stomach. The skin on his cheeks darkening, he asked, "Can we go in now?"

A little while later, Pearl and Steven were tucked into a back corner in the restaurant, completely far away from other customers. A potted plant was even obscuring their faces, and the din of the restaurant would easily cover up their conversation. The waiter having left with their orders, Pearl turned to Steven, a determined glint in her brown eyes.

"So, what can you tell me?"

He shrugged, his shoulders once again tense. "Nothing major. I felt some bloodlust nearby and shifted my appearance. They noticed me, I ran, they chased me, we fought, I died. Or they thought I died."

Pearl nodded and they lapsed into silence when the waiter came back with their drinks. Pearl sipped at her water as her companion nervously chewed on an ice cube. Once they were alone again, she stated, "You said there were three of them. Do you remember what they looked like?"

Steven screwed up his face in concentration and swallowed his ice. "Uh, one was Asian. Kind of huge. His hair reminded me of those military cuts you see in movies. Another was African-American, I think. He lacked the British accent the other two had. He was skinny, with the beginnings of an afro."

"And the third?"

Steven gave a low growl and hunched over, as if trying to protect his torso. Pearl took a deep breath and sat back. "He was the one who stabbed you," Pearl stated.

Steven gave a sharp nod of his head. "I want to return the favor."

"I completely understand," she told him. "But do you remember what he looked like?"

He blew air out of his nose angrily, but continued. "He was good looking. Lean and muscular. Dark brown hair in that boy band style. And he was smug. Dangerously so."

"I can imagine. Anything else?"

Steven furrowed his brow. "Yeah, they were all dressed the same way. Jeans, black muscle shirts, steel-toed boots, black jackets with lots of pockets. And they looked like teenagers. Are they part of a cult or something?"

Pearl was about to explain when the waiter came back with their food. He set down Pearl's falafel and Steven's shawarma and quickly went away. The boy immediately began devouring his meal, sending bits of beef and shredded vegetables and pickles all over his side of the table.

Picking at her falafel, Pearl watched in amusement. "It's rare to see a vampire eat with so much…gusto."

Swallowing a large chunk of meat, Steven bared his teeth at her. "You try getting staked in the heart. See how you feel afterwards."

"I do know," Pearl replied coldly, sending him a withering glare. Steven gulped audibly and quickly went back to stuffing his face.

"Although," Pearl continued in a more curious tone, "it's rare for me to see an energy vampire actually eat. You tend to live in metropolises, so it isn't necessary."

Steven paused his meal to answer. "Well, energy vamps like me are at the bottom of the chain. We can consume different types of energy, so it's easier for us to pass as humans. Vamps like you, well…" he trailed off, smiling sheepishly.

Pearl knew well what he was referring to. Earth vampires were based off an alien species, after all, though they had been greatly romanticized as of late. The vampiric aliens tended to absorb life energy to sustain themselves and do superhuman feats, but it wasn't uncommon for them to try and drain other species of their blood. Blood was synonymous with life, after all.

But therein lied the problem that started the Earth vampire. Humans were full of naturally occurring mutations; who's to say they couldn't mutate again from an alien vampire bite? For someone like Pearl, that meant eternal youth and drinking blood and superhuman strength and speed. For other people, that could mean shapeshifting or actually burning up in the sunlight. It all depended on the individual person.

Steven was most likely bitten from a Earth vampire instead of an alien one, which must have mutated him into an energy vamp. They were common in cities like New York and Seoul and Tokyo, where simply walking through the immense crowds of people meant being full for a day. And they could consume food, making it easier for them to pass off as humans. Unfortunately, that also meant that they had few powers besides regeneration and shapeshifting, making them nearly indistinguishable from humans in the eyes of some vampires.

Pearl chewed at her falafel and grimaced. She was sure that it was very good, but her taste buds had long since been sanded down. She could barely taste the flavor. She pushed her plate towards Steven and quickly gulped down some water to wash out her mouth.

As Steven finished his shawarma and started on the falafel, Pearl began to explain: "The hunters who attacked you are part of a vampire hunting group originating from London. They seem to be following Bram Stoker's account on vampirism."

"But his book is actually pretty accurate," Steven pointed out, sipping at his Coke.

"It is, but Bram Stoker was fed half-truths," she told him. "Cordelia is fairly sure he knew that, but he couldn't prove it. And this new group is following his story like their own version of the Bible."

"And I'm guessing they despise all of supernatural kind," he said flatly.

Pearl nodded. "I'm afraid so."

"Are they like the Forever Knights then?" At Pearl's raised eyebrow, he hastened to explain, "Oh, just about everyone in my circle knows about them. And to avoid them at all costs," he added as an afterthought.

"You should also avoid this new group as well."

"Does this new group have a name?"

"Not as far as I know," Pearl admitted. "They're pretty hush-hush about it. Isaac thinks they may be called the Abraham Group, after the character Abraham Van Helsing."

"Why not call themselves the Van Helsing Group or something?"

"Too many movies," Pearl said blithely. "They may be trying to avoid copyright infringement."

"Oh, you got jokes now?" Steven chuckled.

Ignoring that, she went on: "We have reason to believe that this group is trying to find new hunting grounds in America. There's always been a lot of supernatural sightings in this country, and they may finally have the money and power to try and find out."

Steven's eyes suddenly widened. "I just remembered: they mentioned a place they were going to next. Bellwood or something?"

Pearl's eyes widened and she gasped, balling her fists. "Shit."

"Wait, aren't the Valentines located there now?" Steven looked at Pearl, wide-eyed. She nodded. "Damn it!"

"It's a large country though, and there have been other weird things happening in other cities, like in Roswell or New Orleans," Pearl mused as she furrowed her brow. "They may be on their way to Bellwood, but it might be a while before they actually get there."

"I sure hope so," Steven said, eating the last of the falafel. "Think you can keep me posted on all this?"

Startled out of her thoughts, Pearl arched an eyebrow at him. "You want to exchange numbers?"

He smiled hopefully at her. "If that isn't too much trouble."

"You know I'm much older than you, right?"

"I've been a vampire for twenty years," he said proudly.

"I've been one for eighty-five."

Steven visibly deflated. "Oh." And then he perked right back up. "But age doesn't really matter among vampires."

"True." Pearl leaned back and idly sipped her water. "But I don't exactly swing for your team, if you catch my meaning."

"What do you-oh." And then it sunk in. "Oh."

"Yep," she said, popping the last syllable.

"I'm sorry for hitting on you."

"It's all good," Pearl said dismissively. "You didn't know."

And then Steven smiled at her. "Wanna know any energy vamps who are lesbian?"

Pearl looked at him in astonishment before snorting with laughter.

Meanwhile

Ben was traumatized.

…At this point, it wasn't even a surprise. At least in this case he could laugh about it. Gwen certainly was. She was sprawled across the backseat of the Dodge Challenger, her eyes glued to the screen of her phone, a quivering smile plastered on her face. Ben could hear the tinny sounds of an explosion, followed by a girlish scream. His cousin burst into laughter, holding her stomach as tears rolled down her face.

"Will you stop watching that?!" Kevin wailed from the driver's seat, his face red, his eyes cast downward onto the steering wheel. "You haven't stopped watching that video since we left that horse town!"

"But it's hilarious," Ben sang from right next to Kevin. The older boy glowered at him as Gwen finally quieted down.

"I'm sorry Kevin," she said, wiping her face. "It really is just that funny. It's gonna be a great pick me up for me."

Kevin softened a bit at that. "But did you have to play it on a loop?"

Gwen smiled guiltily. "No…"

"Aww, don't blame her," Ben said dismissively. "It's not every day we see someone get thrown into the air by stepping on exploding poop."

"Thanks for sending me that video, by the way," Gwen said cheerfully.

"YOU TOOK THAT VIDEO?!" Kevin's hands were instantly wrapped around Ben's neck.

"GREEN LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT!" Ben pointed across the dashboard and towards the traffic signal, which was indeed green.

Kevin gave a short, incoherent scream as he put his hands back on the steering wheel and slammed his foot on the gas pedal. Ben's head nearly hit the dashboard as the car lurched forward, and he sent Kevin an angry glare once he was upright.

The ride home was mercifully silent- Gwen had finally stopped replaying that video and laughing about it- and Ben was finally able to just relax and clear his mind. Or try to, at least. The last mission was…odd, and events from it kept repeating in his mind. Every time he tried to push them away, another thought invaded, but always of a more somber tone.

Darkness- screaming- red and gold and guns- shots ringing through the damp air-

Think about something else, Ben, a warm, familiar voice gently told him. Ventus had been doing that over the past few weeks, trying to get his mind off of whatever was bothering him at the time. Strange; he hadn't done that very often before summer started. He had always been content to let Ben deal with his problems his own way. Wasn't this one of them?

Blood tricking down his shirt- his own, not an enemy's, his own- pain exploding right over his heart, his fragile, fragile heart-

Ben had to clamp one hand over his wrist to make sure it didn't grab at his chest. He couldn't let the others know something was wrong with him. They all had their own problems, he couldn't bother them with his own. It was just something he'd have to work out for himself.

Ben closed his eyes and leaned back comfortably in the car seat. He just had to think about something else.

Smoothies- Sumo Slammers- strumming his guitar- changing into aliens- hair that flickered like a camp fire- green eyes so like his own- metallic dragons- sports cars- honey gold feathers- paint-splattered sneakers- menthol invading his senses, the scent of happiness and bliss-

This is good Ben. Keep thinking this way.

Ben agreed with him. He hated to say it, but Ventus was usually right about these kinds of things.

Just keep thinking this way.

Caustic sarcasm escaping from pale lips- cold gray eyes that were somehow so very warm- a voice that could melt ice, even the kind she created-

A smile spread across his face.

-Cold gray eyes narrowed into a piercing stare-

No.

-Thin shoulders drooped-

Ben frowned.

-A sad, defeated smile-

He opened his eyes.

"We're here," Kevin announced. Ben turned his head to see his home just ahead of him. Ben quickly said his goodbyes and went up the driveway, listening as the car drove away. Kevin would make sure Gwen was home safe. He was dependable that way.

Ben stood right before the front door. His hand was wavering over the doorknob. He should be opening it, going inside and climbing the stairs to his room, his tiny, tiny room that suddenly felt so claustrophobic with its walls closing in on him-

Breathe in and out. In and out.

Ben did so, letting sweet, warm oxygen into his lungs. Sweat was starting to bead at his temples. He needed to get away for a little bit, but his bike was too slow, and he needed to go fast, so fast his thoughts couldn't catch up to him-

Then fly, said the god in his head. Fly so fast and so high up that nothing can touch you.

…Yes. That was a good idea. Ben's hand hovered over the Omnitrix, and then he balled it into a fist. No, he didn't want to use it, not now. He wanted to feel the wind in his hair, thermals struggling against him, his wings, his own rarely used wings stretch out beside him. Why was no one telling him to use his own wings?

Ben took off his jacket and tied it around his waist, making sure no one was watching him. Once satisfied he stepped out onto the front lawn and felt the heaviness at his back, his mismatched angel-devil wings which were the color of the sky and somehow dipped in green. He stretched them, relishing the feeling of finally using rarely used muscles, and flapped them once experimentally.

He smiled, a warm, genuine one.

And then he was off.

He winced as the sounds of a miniature sonic boom reached his ears. It had been so long since he heard that noise he had completely forgotten about it. But Ben didn't worry about that now. He was soaring high, high into the air, far above the clouds, the air so thin it hurt.

Ben breathed in, slowly, before suddenly dive bombing through fluffy white clouds. Giant, gaping holes were left in his wake, precipitation clinging to him like a second skin. It was cold, impossibly cold, but he loved every second of it. He had forgotten how good it was to fly like this, utterly untouchable, his fears and responsibilities back on Earth and so far away.

Why had he forgotten this? He shouldn't have, the air was his domain. For that matter, why hadn't Ventus urged him to use his powers more in lieu of the Omnitrix? Why hadn't his friends? Why hadn't Carter-

Wind rushed past his face, and Ben blinked. He was plummeting towards the Earth at speeds no human should be going. He tried to flap his wings-nothing. He looked at them… but they weren't there. They were gone, and Ben was still freefalling.

Think of freedom, Ventus urged. Think of how happy you are when you're soaring through the skies, completely untouchable.

Ben did. It came to him so naturally. His wings reappeared, and he stopped in midair, feathers flying around him. Blood dribbled out of his nose, and he held it, annoyed. At least he was at skydiving altitude. It was easier to breathe at this height.

Leaning forward to make sure he didn't swallow and choke on his own blood, Ben thought. Flying was supposed to make him feel happy and invincible, like the world couldn't reach him with its problems. He may be its defender, but even he needed a break every once and a while. Why couldn't he get that piece of mind right now?

A low contralto echoing through the air- the scent of wildflowers tickling his nose- the view of the city, so far away and yet so close, especially from so high up-

Oh, who was he kidding? Ben had long since known the answer. He couldn't escape it, not even with flying. Carter had permeated into every aspect of his life, from school to home to his hero escapades. Every little thing reminded him of her: books, horror movies, English homework, video games, music… There was simply no way not to think of her.

And the worst of it was, Ben didn't want to stop thinking of her. Before, every little reminder spread a tiny patch of warmth through him, made him smile just a little. Now it was entangled with pinpricks of pain and sadness, but the happiness was still there. His heart couldn't take it, it felt like it was being torn apart, and the most terrifying part was that Ben didn't care.

And then he understood. He looked up towards the searing blue sky, wiping his face free of blood. A tiny, muffled sob escaped from his throat.

It all made sense now. This was why he didn't care. Why he couldn't possibly begin to care.

He was in love. Had been for weeks now.

And being in love meant being destroyed in the most beautiful way possible.

Later that night

"Ship, ship!"

"Turn into a submarine!"

"No, wait-!" CRASH. "Aaaaaand there goes my backyard."

"Sorry," Newt said sheepishly as Carter face palmed. The Galvanic Mechamorph quickly turned back into his smaller, cuter form, and quickly bounded over to the two teenagers. Smiling, Carter knelt down and scratched Ship on the head, his tail wagging. She explicitly ignored the large, elongated crater not twenty feet in front of her.

"You sure you're okay?" Carter asked her cousin as he held up a baseball. He threw it, and Ship ran towards it, bleating his name excitedly. "You had to deal with Vulcanus just a few days ago."

Newt shrugged. "I'm fine. I've been able to relax with you. And you make a decent therapist."

"Isaac's better."

"True, but he's busy with the Pride and Kevin and the Tennyson cousins. You're pretty good in a pinch."

"I suppose." Ship rushed towards them, the baseball clamped in front of his mouth-or was it hovering over it? It certainly appeared that way. Carter took the ball and held it up. "Go a little farther and turn into something that can hit," she ordered her pet.

Ship obliged, scampering off a little ways away. Once he was ready, Carter threw it, and the Mechamorph turned into a baseball bat. He hit the ball and it flew through the air in a perfect arch, landing right into Carter's hands.

"You're a natural!" Newt congratulated the pet, making Ship wag his tail again.

"What else can we use?" Carter pondered as she surveyed the pile of things Newt and Carter had brought outside. Battered books, a couple of scratched CDs, a blanket….

"So, is it true that the Slayers interfered with a broadcast meant for Ben?" Newt asked curiously, making sure Ship couldn't see his face.

Crouching down towards the pile, Carter answered back, "Yes, but it was necessary. The sender wanted Ben to stop a war. Because a fifteen year old has the maturity to do so."

"So Ben has no idea about this?"

"He shouldn't." Carter picked up a few books and threw them. "Think fast!" Ship jumped into the air, and with a flash of green light, turned into a green and black bookshelf. He landed on the grass, barely making a sound.

Carter and Newt clapped their hands. "Good boy, Ship!" Carter said happily as Ship reverted back and came bounding over them.

"But won't the sender know something's up when Ben doesn't show?" Newt asked quietly as Carter gathered their pet into her arms.

"Cordelia alerted the Plumbers about it," Carter told him, idly scratching Ship's head. "They've started listening to us a bit more, so they're going to look into it. It's for the best; we both know that Ben would go to the planet and try to stop it himself."

"You know better than I do," Newt corrected her. He frowned a bit, looking concerned. "Hey, is something up with Ben?"

"Ship?" Ship elongated his head curiously.

Carter shrugged, averting her eyes. "I don't know. Why do you ask?"

"Sam and Evan were signing about him a few days ago."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "And you were the only one that caught them doing that?"

Newt shrugged. "They were subtle about it. That's why I only got a little bit of what they were saying."

Carter sighed, holding Ship close. "He might be still worried about almost dying."

"And about what happened between you two afterward," he stated.

She shook her head. "Relationship problems pale in comparison to near death experiences. Once I looked back on it, I realized that. Ben may seem like he's taking it all well, but he most likely isn't. Isaac must not be getting through to him as much as I thought."

"What are you going to do?" Newt asked solemnly.

Carter breathed deeply through her nose. "Give him some space and see what happens. That's what Pearl suggested."

"If it works," he said uneasily.

Suddenly, Carter's head shot up, her eyes narrowed. "Throw up a shield."

"What?"

"SHIELD, NOW!"

A dome of golden energy encircled them just as something blasted at them. The shield splintered apart, the red blast dispersing into gray smoke. It billowed and stretched out to fill the entire yard, covering everything in sight.

The smoke soon cleared, and Carter popped her head up from Newt's arms. The two of them went into a crouching position, preparing for battle. Newt growled, but Carter held him back. "Not yet," she warned him quietly.

Two aliens walked towards them, both clad in orange coveralls and black utility belts. One was large, a mix between fat and muscle, and he was holding an enormous cannon in just one hand. The other was smaller and slimmer, a black and yellow jacket covering his torso. He had a much smaller blaster tucked behind him, and a yellow baseball cap covering his head. Both of them had skeletal white skin and pointy years, their eyes angry and red.

"Did Cordelia ever warn us about these guys?" Newt asked as the two of them slowly stood up. Ship had wriggled out of Carter's arms and took a defensive position in front of them, ready to attack.

Carter nodded her head subtly. "The Vreedle Brothers. Repo men."

Newt locked his eyes on Ship's form. "I think you need to stop giving Ben space."

"Time away from each other was a stupid idea anyway," she said, getting out her phone and hiding it behind her.

Another episode I decided to skip was that one war episode. I mean, it's a decent enough idea to have Ben attempt to end a war- the Omnitrix was built for the purpose of stepping into the shoes of other aliens to see what they experienced, so it makes sense for Ben to do this. Unfortunately, he's also fifteen years old and is in no way ready to handle war politics. And honestly, the way the show wrapped up that one episode was just... stupid. I'm sorry, but it's true. I mean, the episode had so much potential, enough that they could have written it better and stretched it out to two episodes instead, but they didn't. So that's another episode I'm just not writing about.

So, thoughts anyone?