Ben watched as Max spoke to two plumbers; one human, one looking like a green lizard like alien. Both wearing white and black plumber uniforms. His eyes half closed as he glimpsed over to the redheaded girl standing in the wind rubbing her arm with her hand. Ben shivered feeling cold. He looked up at the glistening stars up above him and contemplated what was her home was like. Standing out on top of the fake Mount Rushmore will do that to you. "Gwen!" Max signaled for her to come over to him. She let her hand slide to her side and walked over to him. "Majestar Labbrinth and officer Smith are going to take you home" Max placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She seemed worried but nodded. "Thanks" She moved away from him and over to the plumbers. Max stared at her worriedly as she walked into the space-ship looking back at them as she walked into the ramp. The plumbers with assault rifles following in toe. Ben moved over to Max as they stared at the ship taking off. "I'm proud of you Ben" Max placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder as they watched the ship take off. "Do you think she'll be alright?" Ben asked watching the spaceship zoom off into space.
"I think once she gets home to her family she'll be happy" Max patted the boy on the back before turning his attention towards the RV a few metres down. "Common Kiddo. How bout a few late night smoothies" Max smiled beginning to walk away.
Gwen looked down at her clasped hands as she watched the plumbers drive the spaceship back to her home planet. She looked over to the blackened eye covers shadowing most of their facial expression. She coughed voluntarily making them both look back and stare at her. "So, um... how long til we get to Antodyne?" Gwen asked with concern. They smiled to each other their sharp teeth a glistening white as they stared at her with hungry eyes. "Oh we'll be there soon Antoyte" They snickered as Gwen's eyes widened on the foreshadowed event.
Ben looked out the window as he sipped gingerly on the straw of his butterscotch and grape smoothie. "Something wrong, kiddo?" Max asked looking up from a newspaper on the side of the table. "Nothing grandpa" Ben looked back at his drink. Max sighed. "Ben, she'll be fine" Max turned back to his paper trying not to think too much on the vulnerable powerhouse...vulnerable. Max gulped looking over to Ben with a worried look. "I'll give the plumbers a quick call" Max picked up his plumber's badge and brought it to his ear.
Ben tapped on the table impatiently. Slowly, Max bought the communicator away from his ear and gulped. "No answer" Max whispered trying again and again and again but to no avail. Max sighed. "Maybe they've already reached Antodyne" Ben whispered throwing his smoothie in the bin. Max shook his head. "She wouldn't of made it that far" Max looked across towards his grandson. "Antodyne is at least 2 days away tops" Max whispered looking down at his hands. Ben gulped. "If we leave now we probably can't the plumber ship" Ben stood up. "We don't have a spaceship" Max stood up. "I'm sure she'll be fine" Max whispered moving over to the front door.
"But she could be in danger" Ben argued.
"Ben, Gwen's an Antodyte, they're powerhouses. I'm sure she can protect herself" Max reasoned opening the door for his grandson.
'BOOM'
Instantly, both Max and Ben stared with wide eyes towards the explosion in the sky. Both gulped staring towards each other both thinking the same thing as they raced towards the RV driving off to the site of the crash.
The couple moved around the forest where shrapnel had landed from the explosion. Max moved around picking a few pieces of shrapnel off the ground and looking over it as Ben held the torch in his hand looking for any sign of life but there was non...non whatsoever. Ben sighed as he kicked at the ground. "Anything Ben?" Max asked. Ben shook his head looking down at the torch in his hand.
"Errh" Ben turned to see a man in broken armour try to pick himself up off the ground. Ben stomped over to him and grabbed him by the collar. "Where's Gwen?" Ben growled towards him as Max ran over to them. "W-W-W-W-Who?" He asked drool coming from the side of his mouth. "The girl that we told you to take her to Antodyne" Max informed the clueless man.
"S-sshe went ballistic and...blew up the damn...spaceship" the plumber pushed away from him and stood up by himself slightly leaning over as he held his side. "What do you mean went ballistic?" Max asked as the plumber dusted himself off. "I don't know. She's not human. That things dangerous" He sprinted off towards the city.
Ben breathed out as he looked up at the towering buildings as they drove through the large city looking out for the plumber that ran off into the night. It had been an hour and they still hadn't found any sign of him. Ben looked over to the mute televison playing a news reel of the explosion with the news presenter; Will Harange leaning over his desk looking very distraught.
Slowly, Ben brought his hand down on the remote turning the tv up.
"Glowing aliens attacking the city" Ben breathed out flicking channels time and time again Harrange came on.
"Police on the scene...killer alien" the brunettes eyes widened as he stared at the corner of the screen to see a picture of an Antodyte flying next to the picture of the explosion picture. Ben could instantly tell it to be photo-shopped but non-the-less. "Grandpa" Ben called out as Max looked behind him at the screen to see the news presenter and the picture of the alien. "Gwen!" Max whispered looking over to Ben. "She's still on Earth. We have to find her" Instantly, the man floored the accelerator.
The young Antodyte ran through the alleyway her form illuminating the moist alcohol striken walls as she huddled against a wall avoiding the major street behind her littered with people. She held her injured sides as she leaned against the wall falling down and wincing her eyes. She should've never of left Ben and Max's company. She looked down at her purple hands thinking about the flare of the explosion burning off her form. She gulped trying to form a new human skin. Wincing her eyes and balling her fists several times she tried and tried hard but with each attempt she failed. She was exhausted and could barely conjure the energy to stand.
"Ben, Max" She whispered looking towards the street full of very scary looking aliens. She shivered thinking about Max's warning; no Antodytes on Earth. But surely there must be others like her. Shakingly she stood up by the help of the wall.
"Maybe Ben and Max are still at Mount Rushmore" quietly she limped over the darkened walls leaning against them for support. She slowly stuck her head out to see a screen with a middle aged man on it. Up above the screens was a sign with strange writing on it. She guessed it was communication systems for sale or something similar to that. On it was an explosion and an Antodyte on it. Gwen gulped as the pictures began to frame her. People surrounded the screens staring in horror and shock at her picture. One turned around and noticed her appearance. "Hey, look; it's the monster" One pointed his index finger towards her. Gwen backed away. She couldn't tell that they noticed her until their facial expressions began to turn to angry and scared ones. She gulped backing away into the alleyway as they began walking over to her at a brisk pace. Soon enough Gwen began to run as fast as she could as the crowd chased her through the back streets of the industrial jungle.
Max and Ben watched as a riot raced in a nearby alleyway. "Ben!" Max called to his grandson knowing exactly what to do. Ben nodded running out the door as he selected his alien on the Ultimatrix. In an instance he took to the sky screaming out JetRay as he took to the sky in search of the cause of the riot. He followed the alleyway path amazed by the large amount of people with torches charging after something...or someone...someone glowing and beginning to slow down. Ben dove into the alleyway past the roaring people and taking the running glowing figure by the arms and lifting her up into the sky. She screamed as she was lifted up the other alien.
"Gwen, relax. It's me; Ben" Jetray informed her trying to calm her down. He lowered her down onto an empty street and began running away from the horde of people chasing them. Suddenly, the Utlimatrix timed out and Ben was back to his normal self. Gwen turned to him noticing his returned human form before smiling happily.
"Ben!" She wanted to hug him so tightly right nowbut now wasn't the time; now was the time for panicking.
They stopped as they noticed people coming in front of them.
They stopped; they were surrounded.
Gwen winced as she collapsed onto the ground too tired to carry on.
"Ben..." She breathed out grabbing onto the clutch of his shirt. "Common Gwen" Ben tried to help her up but she wasn't budging; she was on the verge of fainting. He picked her upper body up holding her tightly in his arms trying to shield her from the horde of angry and harmful people. They stopped as the screeching of car wheels halted behind them.
As if on que, Max emerged from the RV as the people stopped staring at the trio. "What's wrong with you people?" Max called out to them as he held a piece of equipment behind his back. "Monster!" They called out glaring and roaring at the poor alien girl. "How can you say that to my granddaughter?" Max came behind the tired girl facing her away from the ground and placing the ID mask on her before she turned back into her human form wrapping her arm around the old man. The crowd began to calm down in awe at the little girl feeling like monsters. Gwen stared at them afraid and hiding behind Max as the once deindividuated people began to look around at each other. Ben stood next to Max trying to protect the redhead. Max looked behind and down at the redhead quietly crying behind him. He gently rubbed her back as some people came up to them extinguishing their flames and apologizing to the family.
Gwen shied away from them though as they tried to say sorry and for make up for trying to harm her. Max silently held the girl until the people allowed them to receed to the Rustbucket. Max helped the girl sit down on the lower bunk bed. "Gwen?" Max bent down next to her as Ben stood back having sympathy for the scared and traumatized alien. "What happened?" Max whispered to her as she stared down at her clasped hands. She looked up at him glaring. "You left me in the care of that stupid bounty hunter" She balled her fists as her teeth clenched. "What are you talking about. I left you in the care of plumbers?" Max asked placing his hands on her shoulders pushing her back down into her seat. "That lizard guy attacked me...he was the bounty hunter" Gwen collapsed down into her seat trying to stay awake to continue the conversation. "Gwen, I'm sorry. I didn't know" Max let her fall to the side trying to get her to fall asleep but she wouldn't have it. She pushed him back in agitation. "He was planning on taking me back to Osmosis" Gwen informed them. Max gulped thinking back to when he met his wife.
"I'm sorry this happened to you, Gwen but I didn't set you up. Now common, you need rest and a lot of it" Max took her shoulders again and tried to push her onto her side and let her fall asleep. Ben moved over to his grandfather as Gwen moved over to her other side staring at the wall unhappily as Max threw a blanket on her trying to make her comfortable.
"Grandpa what are we going to do; she's not safe; that bounty hunters out there and if someone finds out who she is they'll throw her in prison or worse area 51" Ben whispered making sure the alien couldn't hear their conversation.
"Relax I'm going to drop her off at BellWood do you think your parents would mind letting her stay at yours for a while?" Max asked moving over to the drivers seat and starting the RV.
Ben moved over to the table and sat down keeping an eye on the Antodyte as she slept.
Ben awoke to the bright sunlight piercing his green eyes. He gently pushed the blankets aside and slide his legs over the side of the bunk bed dropping down to see his grandpa already up and cooking breakfast. "Grandpa?" Ben called out rubbing right eye with his right hand. Max turned to him with the spatula in his hands and smiled towards his grandson.
"Hey, Ben. Glad to see you up" Max smirked turning attention back towards the saucepan where bacon and eggs crackled away at the heat. Max slowly flipped one of the six eggs as Ben sat down at the table indulged in the smell of the mouthwatering food. "There almost ready. Do you mind telling Gwen?" Max asked placing the eggs onto a plate as Ben turned around only now noticing that the redhead wasn't asleep in bed. He turned his attention to the open door and walked outside in his blue shorts and black shirt. He noticed the forest scenery and a small pit where fires used to burn. "Gwen?" Ben called out skulking for the Antodyte. He didn't hear any response.
The brunette walked back inside wondering if she was in the bathroom instead. He tiredly lugged himself up the stairs and knocked on the bathroom door capturing his grandfather's attention. "Looking for something, kiddo?" Max asked as he brought the pan over the three plates and scooped the bacon onto them.
"Did Gwen go into the bathroom?" Ben asked staring at the door. Max arched an eyebrow towards him. "No, she's said she was going outside to look around. She promised she wouldn't go far" Max cursed under his breath thinking of how slippery that girl was. "I'll go check again" Ben yawned as he walked back outside and took a look around. He walked to a nearby tree and noticed a few sticks broken below it. He began to hear giggling of a girl. He turned his head towards where it was coming from and began walking towards it. He slowly crept up to a scenery of a redheaded girl sitting down on the ground and giggling happily as bunny rabbits, foxes and birds played around her. She had one hand wrapped around a grey, brown and white one as she watched the birds hover up above her. Ben smiled getting up and walking over to her not noticing the root below his foot. To no surprise he tripped startling not only Gwen but the animals surrounding her. In fear, they ran leaving a disappointed 16year old girl behind. She sighed breathing out.
'That was probably one of the happiest moments she had had on Earth so far' Ben looked over to her in sympathy as he noticed her lost expression as the bunny ran out of her arms. Ben lifted himself up dusting himself off before walking over to the girl. "You okay?" Ben asked extending a hand. Gwen turned to him and nodded before extending a hand and helping the girl up. "Breakfast is ready if you're hungry?" Ben walked with her back to the RV as she remained as quiet as a mouse. He stopped her in her tracks to her annoyance.
"Are you still mad about what happened?" Ben asked with concern. She looked down and closed her eyes breathing out. "I was so close to being back home and...and...arh" She winced her eyes unhappily thinking at what she had gone through only to have it blown up in her face...literally. Ben looked down at her not wanting to tell her how long he thought she was actually going to be on Earth for.
'She must be homesick?' Ben gently brought his hand up to her chin making her look towards him. Her bright green eyes stared intently into his. She couldn't help but be astounded by the glisten in them. Between that second every worry in her head went away. "It'll be okay Gwen" Ben whispered forcing a smirk.
"Yeah..." She breathed out trying to think of a better side.
"Hey, think about it this way" Ben removed his hand off her. "At least now you can actually have a look around and visit Earth" Ben told her as she straightened up bringing her hand to her chin and thinking about his words.
"I have always wanted to travel" Gwen informed him of her secret dreams.
"That's the spirit" Ben nudged her as they walked back towards the Rustbucket.
"So what's for breakfast?" Gwen asked trying to change the conversation.
"Eggs and bacon" Ben answered.
"...What's bacon?"
so yeah, long maybe a little bit boring chapter but all the same; a chapter. Please review people and i'm open to suggestions.