I do not own the Ben Ten franchise.
Fevered Sentiments
When nearly five days passed by without a word from Ben, Azmuth knew something wasn't right. Though his wielder managed enough willpower not to call him daily, it was odd for him to go such a stretch of time without making contact. On the fifth day of Tennyson silence, Azmuth could not dispel the worry that was an uncomfortable weight in his stomach.
Myaxx did not miss the way her boss cast brief glances at the console unit in which all of his calls were directed. She also did not miss the way he read through his current research with half-focus, brow furrowed in the way it did whenever he was troubled. She did not stress about this odd occurrence herself, for she knew that Azmuth would handle it. When it came to his student, he always did.
She left him to his work and it was a moment later when Azmuth finally set his slim tablet down with a huff of frustrated air. He strode over to the call console and typed it Ben's number with quick fingers, working out what he would say if Ben happened to answer. He certainly wouldn't admit he had been worried.
Azmuth's unease increased when he was directed to Ben's voicemail. Without leaving a message, and unable to shake the feeling that something was wrong, he then called Max.
"Hello, Azmuth."
"Max," he greeted.
"Is this about Ben?"
Startled for a brief moment at how Max just knew, Azmuth quickly collected himself. "I tried to contact him, but he didn't answer. I thought you might know where he is."
"I didn't tell you?" said Max, confusion in his tone. "I suppose things have been so chaotic that I never got around to it, though I thought I did. Ben went to the hospital. He had a high fever for a couple of days so his parents brought him to Emergency. He's back home, resting."
"Ah. I see." Some relief coursed through Azmuth at the knowledge that Ben was relatively fine, just struck down with illness. "I'll speak to him when he's well, then."
"I'm sorry for not informing you."
"Don't be ridiculous. You had no obligation to do so."
Max gave a snort of disbelief at that. "Of course I do. I know how much you care for Ben." His voice turned grateful as he added, "I really appreciate your concern for him. I know Ben does as well, though he's too stubborn to admit it."
"So you constantly say," said Azmuth gruffly. "I merely wanted to make sure he hadn't gotten himself into trouble that would end up reflecting negatively on me."
"Right," said Max in amusement.
They spoke for a little longer before bidding each other goodbye. Azmuth hung up and stood still for a moment, thinking. He knew that Ben would be fine, for it was just a common illness that the fragile human immune system continuously contracted. There was no reason for him to worry. The teen would be back to his usual, energetic and irritating self in no time.
It was a moment later when he removed his remote from his pocket and typed in the well-known Earth suburbia coordinates.
…
Curled underneath the blankets, Ben twisted and turned in an unrestful sleep. His face was covered in a sheen of sweat, face flushed and body trembling with shivers. He was groaning softly, brow creased with discomfort, deep in a dream.
…he was covered in blood, blood that was not his own. Heart lodged in his throat and tears in his eyes, Ben set the lifeless body on the ground with trembling arms. He got shakily to his feet, trying to muster up any remaining shreds of strength.
Dozens of bodies were scattered around the demolished metropolitan area. Glass, metal and other debris were everywhere, and dust clogged the air. Before him stood Vilgax, tall and menacing, the Omnitrix strapped securely to his wrist.
"You foolish human," Vilgax laughed mockingly. "You continue to fight when all is lost?"
Ben's fists tightened into fists. The tears started to spill down his cheeks as he could not help but take in the death and despair that seemed to pulse in the silent atmosphere. His stomach lurched as his eyes landed on his grandfather, an unmoving body covered with a fallen beam. He did not dare to search for Kevin and Gwen's bodies—he could not take it.
"I will fight," he managed to choke out. "I will always fight!"
Vilgax's eyes darkened. "That is what makes you such an annoying, vile pest," he growled. "You do not learn your lesson. Today is the day, Tennyson. Today is the day I will pay you back for every humiliation you caused me!"
Ben stumbled back a few steps when Vilgax slammed down on the Omnitrix. His eyes widened at when Alien X appeared before him, his power radiating off of his form. He let out a strangled gasp when he was suddenly thrust into the air and thrown harshly into the side of a brick building. His bones crunched painfully and he slumped to the asphalt in agony.
Ben's brain was spinning. He did not get much time to ponder how Vilgax could so easily control Alien X, for he was picked up and thrown again, this time landing in a pile of debris. A foot landed on his chest, pressing down so hard Ben could feel his ribs cracking. Though Alien X had little facial expression, Ben could practically see Vilgax's victorious smile. His archenemy's voice echoed in his mind tauntingly, over and over on a haunting repeat.
"Ben Tennyson. The great hero of the universe. Dying at my hands. You truly are nothing without the Omnitrix."
Suddenly he was erupting with pain and everything was turning black, he felt like he was on fire, and he couldn't speak, he—
"Ben!"
The voice intruded the darkness, causing some prickles of light to leak through. The pain eased, and Ben struggled to identify this newcomer. He felt a tingle of recognition, but he couldn't put his finger on it…
"Tennyson, wake up!"
Very slowly, Ben's emerald eyes cracked open. He found himself breathing raggedly, fingers clenching tightly onto the sheets. His heart was racing in his chest and he was disoriented. His blurred vision could make out a grey figure standing near his head. There was a firm, soothing touch against his forehead and Ben slowly relaxed, slumping into his mattress.
"Azmuth?" he slurred, throat aching.
"Correct."
"My throat really hurts," he mumbled, struggling to see past the haze that wouldn't seem to go away.
"It would, after all the screaming you just did."
Ben frowned slightly. "I screamed?"
"You were having a fever-induced nightmare." Azmuth's own heart having calmed from Ben's night terror, he added, "There's water beside you. Drink."
Ben moved with cautious movement, head fuzzy and heavy. He rested against his headboard as he reached out with a shaky arm and grabbed the glass from his nightstand table. He drank greedily, the cool liquid soothing his burning throat. When he finished, he set it back onto the wooden surface, coughing slightly.
"I think I'm dying," he mumbled, sinking back into his pillows.
"You're not dying. You merely have an infection that is common to the human populace. You'll recover shortly."
"Oh." Turning cloudy eyes to peer at Azmuth, who stood next to him on his pillow, he said groggily, "I had a bad dream."
"Obviously," drawled Azmuth.
"I dreamt that Vilgax took the Omnitrix."
"Well, that wouldn't have been the first time."
Ben blinked. "He did take it, didn't he? And I'm still alive."
Azmuth regarded the teen in bemusement. "It seems that illness makes you more idiotic than usual."
"He killed me, in my dream. Or tried to." Ben let out a yawn, eyes drooping. "But then he stopped, 'cause I heard your voice and it didn't hurt anymore. Then I woke up."
Azmuth did not miss the significance of how his voice managed to penetrate Ben's fevered mind, and that it was enough for the boy to stir back to consciousness. He regarded the disoriented boy, a slight smile curling across his lips.
"I suppose I must always bail you out of trouble, even if your dream state."
He hopped over Ben and onto the nightstand table. He removed a dark blue packet from his robe and emptied two tablets of identical colour into the remainder of Ben's water. The tablets dissolved in the liquid, bubbles hissing softly to the surface.
"Drink."
Half-asleep, Ben groggily reached over and gripped the glass. He took one long swig before setting it clumsily back in place. "Now what?" he asked groggily.
"Now you sleep."
The medication he had given Ben would speed up his recovery process, and the teen would be mobile by morning. He would be completely healthy in forty-eight hours. Though Azmuth knew the human body shouldn't be exposed to such advanced medicine, he made an exception this time. The tablets would not give Ben any lasting effects, anyway.
Curling up under his covers, Ben was already drifting off, a smile curling across his lips. "'kay. G'night."
"Good afternoon, more like," said Azmuth in amusement. "I'll see you later on, when you're not so delirious."
"Mm-hmm. Love you."
Azmuth froze, his teleportation remote in his hand. He turned to stare at Ben, but the boy was fast asleep. It was the first time Ben had spoken the powerful words out loud, though his actions conveyed the sentiment on a regular basis. Azmuth detected it in the teasing smirks, bright emerald eyes and sarcastic remarks.
Azmuth swallowed thickly, having never thought that the actual admittance would cause such emotion within him. But he could not deny it, as much as he wanted to. The boy had charmed him since the fateful day they met and years later the attachment between them only grew, despite their arguments and conflicting personalities. Ben was like the son he never had, someone he taught and guided and disciplined.
It took a while before he could come to terms with how Ben had wrangled his way into his heart. He had spent so long trusting only himself, refusing to open himself to anyone for fear of being disappointed and deceived. But though Ben had his disobedient moments, Azmuth learned to forgive his transgressions. No one was perfect, and Ben still had much to learn.
"Ah," he said softly, though he knew Ben could not hear him and would not remember this interaction when he woke up, "As insufferable as you are, I love you too, Tennyson."
He felt incredibly light when he finally uttered the words he had long since felt. Grinning slightly, he gave his head a slight shake and typed in the coordinates for home.
The arguably most powerful phrase in the universe most likely wouldn't be exchanged between the two for some time. But that was fine. Both of them knew that actions expressed just as much meaning as words.
