I haven't updated for a while but I've had a sudden writing splurge.
It was a dark and cold place. He instinctively reached for his wrist and clasped the device there tightly. "You can have it…" a voice blew down his ear. Ben froze. He'd known there was someone there. The voice was distorted just beyond recognition. An inhuman madness lay behind it, but it was human. A spark ignited and flashed but faded, like a match that wouldn't light no matter how many times you struck it.
"You can have everything…" It came as more of a chuckle that time. Ben could sense the stranger approach, lazy feet scuffing the floor. Was his brain trying to tell him something. Trying to help him remember. "You can have everything you want…"
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Ben snapped his eyes open. A chill shot up his spine as two cold fingers were pressed to his forehead. Two deep green eyes shone above his in worry. He could only stare back wide eyed as he tried to recognise the uncomfortable surface he was lay on and the many faces which stared fearfully down at him. His chest rose and fell a lot faster than normal. He felt constricted.
The ginger girl who had her hand to his temple, smiled in apparent relief. "Thank God you're okay." As Ben came to his senses he considered for a second that he was still dreaming. The dumb look on Gwen's face was priceless. She turned her head and shouted, "Grandpa! He's okay!"
He sat up and brushed the dust from his shirt. "What're you gawking at, dweeb?" Ben grinned at the dumbfounded girl sat next to him. He felt his face darken as he inspected the crowds which were stood around, mumbling to each other, no doubt about him.
"Be careful, Ben…" Gwen whispered to him. "You've only just come round and you kind of freaked us all out back there." Ben recalled the inhuman outburst he'd experienced earlier. "What happened?"
Ben had no idea what had happened, but he knew he liked it. He caught a glimpse of the omnitrix out of the corner of his eye and noticed that the face was still white. He stood up and lead Gwen through the throngs and to the RV. "Ben! What're you doing?"
He turned to her seriously. "Do you really want all of them to hear what happened?" He waved at their wary audience. Gwen shook her head and followed him into the vehicle. Their grandfather blocked their way.
"Just what the hell is going on, Ben?" Ben cowered from him while Gwen snuck around him. "What've I told you about messing with that watch!?"
Ben smiled weakly. "Well, I typed in this combination earlier and… well it kind of…" he tried to think of some sort of explanation that would fit, "it's unlocked some sort of control that means I can use the aliens powers when I'm not an alien-"
"Well that's a lie!" Gwen told Max matter-of-factly. Her eyes turned on Ben, "And you know it!"
"I'm serious! Why else would this happen?" Ben stuck with his argument.
"I don't know, you tell me," Max demanded rather than requested. Ben held his gaze steadily.
"I must have typed in billions of combinations since I found this thing. It's not that unlikely that I'll have found a right one by now!" Ben folded his arms across his chest and looked away defiantly. Max's accusing stare seemed to soften then.
"When did this all start then?" he asked and put a hand on his grandson's shoulder while leading him into the RV.
Ben inwardly grinned. "I typed it in a while ago but it's only started doing this now. I can't remember the combination though."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Max asked. He sounded almost offended. Ben felt his stomach sink.
"I thought I'd broke it again. I'm sorry grandpa…" he looked to the floor.
"You could have been in danger. I don't think this new function is very safe." Max sat in the driver's seat and started the engine. "If anything like this happens again or if there's anything you're not telling us I won't be angry with you Ben, but we can't take chances." Ben nodded but couldn't stop a grin from spreading across his face. He'd broken the omnitrix, in a good way, and gotten away with it! What a day this was. He pretended to wipe his nose to hide his grin. "Are you sure you can't remember what you pressed?" Max asked as he pulled out of the parking lot.
"Yeah, sorry grandpa."
Gwen looked at Ben thoughtfully and decided that it was best to speak her mind. "I don't think you're telling us the truth, Ben." Her voice was empathic. "You've been acting funny lately."
"Duh!" Ben replied and his cousin frowned, "I thought I'd broke the stupid thing again. If grandpa believes me why can't you?" Max looked back but didn't say anything.
"But lately, using that watch, seems to… hurt you." Ben shook his head in fake humour but Gwen pursued the subject. "You haven't been having… nightmares… have you?" Ben's froze and looked at her. "Whatever's wrong, we might be able to set it right. I know you're probably, definitely, loving all this but… you can't have everything you know, Ben. You can't…" Ben's eyes widened. You can have it…He winced away from her and closed his eyes. He wanted to see who was talking. You can have everything…He clasped his head. Everything you want…They came closer, looming over him. Their voice a menacing hiss. …just… REMEMBER!
Ben snapped his eyes open again. Once again the first thing he saw were the concerned green eyes. Bringing a hand to his face he rubbed his temple. Was he going mad? "Ben?"
"Look! I'm fine!" he ended distractedly and pushed past Gwen to sit and look out of the window. Who? Who was it? Who's he trying to remember? Why's he trying to remember? He growled and leaned his head against the glass. If he were to just see a minor detail maybe it'd be enough. He jumped as a hand was placed on his shoulder. He turned to see his granddad rather than his cousin.
"We're concerned, Ben. If there's something else we need to know…" He took a seat next to Ben and waited patiently.
"It's really nothing. I'm just tired. It's been keeping me awake." Gwen and Max looked at him supportively. He couldn't look up at them.
"You should get some sleep then," Max stated before heading back to the wheel. Gwen patted Ben's shoulder.
"We're definitely having some time off," she grinned. "At least until we've sorted all this out."
Ben grinned deviously. "What do you mean, 'we'? What can you do to help? You're just a dweeb."
"That's what I get for trying to help?!" she huffed and turned to leave only turning back to end mockingly, "Sweet dreams, doofus."
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He couldn't penetrate the darkness. It felt like there was no atmosphere, just heavy darkness. He began walking. Was he alone? His foot caught something on the ground causing him to stumble, then another and another. They were lined up. What were they for?
A light flickered on and then blew out. He flinched away. A flame. It came from nowhere. He was scared of that flame. The memories it tried to ignite. The figure approached again. "Back again?" the figure wheezed in humour and cackled at him like he was a pet under his control.
"Wh-" a finger pushed to his lips. He froze. He felt cold, as cold as their skin against his.
"Be quiet!" He could almost see the mocking smile turn to a sneer. He felt scared, an adrenaline telling him to run but stay at the same time. He wasn't leaving until he knew who this was.
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"Check this out!" Ben called to his cousin, spinning a knife skilfully in his hand. Gwen peered around the corner and away from her book and shook her head.
"That's not that impressive," she sighed and went to turn around with an 'If he gets hurt it won't be my fault' look on her face.
"Not that, dweeb, this!" He spun the knife around and plunged it into his arm. Gwen screamed and stared at him in horror. Ben laughed and pulled his unscathed arm away revealing the knife sticking out of the table top.
"That is NOT FUNNY!" Gwen said seriously as Ben burst out laughing.
"I really think it is," he said and then wished he hadn't as Max stood over him with a very unimpressed look on his face. He looked at the knife stuck in the table and frowned.
"I really don't find that funny," Max said seriously and pulled the knife from the table. "Damaging the RV is one thing but what if you'd actually hurt yourself?" He dropped the knife onto the table and awaited Ben's reply.
"As long as I have ghost freak on the watch it won't matter," Ben turned his head away to Max's concerns. The man slammed his hands on the table in agitation.
"That's not the point, Ben!"
Ben suppressed replying with, 'That's exactly the point.' He picked up the knife again. "It wouldn't have mattered if I hadn't gone intangible anyway. Watch." He ran the blade across his tanned skin and watched Gwen flinch. The metal sparked as if it was running along glass. Max snatched the knife from Ben's hand and left the RV with a bad temper.
"Way to go, Ben! You just can't leave it can you?" He made a face at her and turned to look out of the window again. They were parked in a campsite just outside a wood for the night. The sky threatened rain, but it hadn't yet come. "By the way, did you have a bad dream again last night?"
Ben froze for a second before continuing to gaze at the sky. "Maybe." Gwen sighed and sat down opposite him.
"If you'd just tell me, or grandpa, what it's about we might-"
"-not be able to help me!" Ben finished for her stubbornly. "Even I can't help me, what makes you think that you can?" He was trying to stall going to sleep as much as possible. Who did that voice belong to? Why was he supposed to know? It was on the tip of his tongue. To suppress cursing he clenched his fist, and then, the lights went out.
"What was that?" Gwen asked, sidetracked. She stood up and took a look at the fuse box.
"Upgrade, I think," Ben grinned and unclenched his fist causing a current to flow from one hand to the other.
"It's fried," she said flatly and shut it again. She turned back to her cousin who was playing with sparks in front of his face. "I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not."
"I think it's a good thing," Ben replied as Gwen searched in a cupboard for a candle. "Why's that not enough?"
"You're judgement is twisted," his cousin replied simply as she placed a candle stick on the table and went to look for matches.
"Wait!" Ben rocked forward in his chair. Gwen turned to watch him curiously. She had a good feeling she knew what he was going to do, or try to do. He held a hand before his face and flexed his fingers. A plume of fire flared from the palm of his hand and lit the RV enough to not need a candle. Ben stared at it in recognition. He'd seen this before? He waved the hand over the wick and lit the candle and then shook his hand to put the flame out but it wouldn't work.
"Doofus, that won't put it out. The-"
"-oxygen feeds the flame. I know. But I hoped that the consistency of the air molecules might have been enough to snuff it out. Apparently not." Gwen raised an eyebrow.
"Since when do you talk like that? Isn't that my job?" Ben laughed.
"Not when I have a helping hand from grey matter." Ben went over to the sink and turned the tap with his free hand before submerging the flames under the water in a hiss of steam.
"I think a match would have been easier," Gwen stated as she watched Ben struggle to put the whole flame out.
"But no where near as fun," he laughed and turned the tap off when he'd finished.
"Grandpa wouldn't think so." Gwen breathed out slowly and leaned on her hand in a way that showed she was bored. Ben sat down again so heavily that he shook the vehicle.
"What do you do if you can't remember something?" Ben asked curiously and glanced at his cousin to try and catch her reaction. She sighed tiredly.
"Try to forget it."