She was spluttering and seething her teeth in agony as he held her leg, watching as her face winced and sweat rolled off her forehead as she endured the pain of her cousin squeezing the break in her leg. It was pure agony. Enough to vomit that he was pretty sure he wouldn't endure it but if it meant she'd wake up and scream her head off at him he'd continue. He held her there for another minute, squeezing and digging in to her body and yet she remained

"Come on Gwen" Ben rattled her by her collar before setting her on the tiled floor and placing her legs on the couch.

"You need to wake-up" He sat beside her as she watched her resting form, slowly breathing in and out. He listened to her, just listened to her breathing. It was shivering from the pain. Probably going into shock from the agony of getting her bone broken, again. Not to mention the fight at the park. The part where he had managed to burn her shoulder and punch her in the thigh. What did the doctor say, her hip bone was swollen.

'How had she not woken up yet?' He gritted his teeth in anger. He didn't know what to do. What could it do?

Yell at her?

No!

Scream at her?

No!

Slap her?

No!

Ice bath?

No!

He sighed, running a hand through his hair before he looked down at the ultimatrix.

Maybe?

She shivered in her seat, hands gripping the table as her leg screamed in agony. Tears streamed down her face as she clenched her teeth. She felt light headed like she were about to faint. She didn't realise that everybody was staring at her, watching her lurch out at the invisible pain. Nothing which her parents could spot that would be causing the pain.

Agony infused torture ensured for her.

Everybody else just thought she was crazy.

Ben stared at Kevin watching as he rubbed the girls shoulders behind her trying to at least wake her up from her trip or whatever was happening.

He tried to grab her hand to give her at least some comfort and that's when he felt it.

Cold, clammy and shaking.

Her whole body was shivering.

Ben's eyes widened as he realised what may be happening.

"I think...I think she's going into shock"

He touched her hand again before standing up.

"We need to get her to the hospital" He moved around to Kevin and grabbed her arm.

The older boy sighed thinking about his girlfriends condition.

"Maybe she got hit somewhere else?" He asked before grabbing her opposite arm.

Frank and Lily stood up coming over to them and trying to help them keep the weight off the girl's feet as they pulled her along to the other side of the room. She blinked the tears out of her eyes, the pain in her leg becoming worse by the second. She collapsed to the ground, saliva spewing from her lips as she leaned over. Ben and Kevin looked at each other concerned for their friend. They had never seen her like this before.

Frank re-took her leg trying to see where she was injured.

"Put her on the couch. Maybe we can see what's wrong with her?" Frank stated pulling her over as tears spilled down her face. She couldn't concentrate on her surroundings. There was nothing but pain and agony pulsing through her body right now.

Ben moved away from her back hitting the wall before his legs buckled and gave out. Sliding against the wall he brought his hand up to his mouth tears streaming against his face as he stared at his cousin unconscious and refusing to wake up. He didn't know what to do?

Call grandpa?

No, no he didn't want to do that.

She'll be fine.

He moved over to her grabbing her arms and chucking her over his shoulder before moving into the next room and chucking her lifeless body on the couch. He watched as she winced her eyes slightly before he placed her feet up on the couch attempting to get some of the blood rushing back to her head. He sat down beside her brushing the locks of hair out of her face before he noticed his ultimatrix.

Electric shock?

Maybe.

She sat up on the couch rubbing her head as she swallowed the forth panadol.

"Better?" Kevin asked concerned as he held his girlfriend in his arms. She smiled leaning into him as her parents stared at the two of them concerned to pieces.

Frank passed her another glass of water making sure she remained hydrated. She gladly took it before gulping the rest down and placing it onto the coffee table.

"What was that back there?" Ben asked leaning over the couch. She stared at him in thought for a second. To be honest, she wasn't quiet sure herself. She didn't really know what was going on at the moment, everything was really weird.

She scratched her cheek before attempting to answer him.

"I don't really know. It's like someone had snapped my leg and was squeezing it" She winced her eyes thinking back to it.

Flashes impeded her vision. Her memories of Ben. They were talking, it was raining. They were in a park at night time. He punched her in the face before slamming down him omnitrix. She winced her eyes.

She groaned leaning forward on the couch.

What the hell happened?

"Gwen?" She opened her eyes to see her cousin staring at her concerned. Her eyes widened in fear before pushing him away.

"...Y-you punched me" She accused him standing up and shoving him away.

Ben's eyes widened in shock.

"What? I never hit you"

"You punched me in the face at the park, we... we got into a fight and you hit me. I...I hit you..." She stared at him, she knew he hit him. He gave him a black eye. He burnt her shoulder.

She grabbed his face checking for a black eye. They all stared at her concerned.

"...She needs to get an MRI now" Her dad grabbed her. She pulled her collar down over her shoulder checking to see the scorch mark over her shoulder. Nothing there.

What was going on?

She couldn't remember anything.

She sat down. Her parent death? Her fault? Was it a dream? A delusion?

She felt light headed. Like she was about to be sick.

She stumbled, holding her head.

"I think...I think I'm going to..."She grasped her cousins black shirt scrunching it before she fell to her knees.

Her head was killing her, everything was going numb.

"Carl, start up the car"

She felt herself being grabbed.

The doctor flashed a light in her eyes checking to see if she had suffered any brain and damage due to the concussion.

He frowned noticing little response in her pupils dilating. Behind him Ben waited impatiently for him to finish.

"Well" Ben asked.

He watched as looked at her forearms noticing the burn marks apparent on them.

"Did you burn her?"

"Electrocuted" He corrected.

"I thought I could shock her awake"

"That's not going to work"

"It obviously didn't" He snapped back before standing up and walking over to him as he checked her pulse.

"Look just tell me what alien I need to use to wake her up" He held the device in front of him prepared to use it.

The doctor shook his head.

"She needs to placed into the healing chamber immediately" He took the girl's unconscious form in his arms before moving out of the room. Ben stared in shock at the doctor's quick actions as he hurried out the door.

Shaking his head he followed the man out the door, walking passed his grandfather finally taken noticed of the slumped girls form. The clipboard dropped out of the older man's hands as he stared at his granddaughter.

Stripped into a hospital gown and placed on display under an MRI scanner. She didn't argue, she didn't snap. She just allowed it to happen. She watched as the red light cast over her head the over her body. She gulped thinking about what had happened. She was probably delirious. Tired and delirious.

Yeah!

That makes sense, right?

She felt the board move sliding her out of the magnetic machine.

'Thank god' She muttered under her breath as people finally entered the room. A nurse, a doctor and her father with a wheelchair. Her arm was gently grabbed and she was transferred into the wheelchair before being taken to her hospital room. She really didn't know what to say. Everyone kept talking.

She remained silent scared of saying too much and people questioning her over her facts.

She would've sounded insane to them.

Instead she just watched as her father tucked her into the hospital bed, kissing her forehead as the nurses hooked her up to machines and brought an oxygen mask around her face. She could breathe just fine though. She didn't understand why they did it.

"You need to remain awake miss Tennyson" She heard one of the nurses call out to her. She stared at the family in her room before nodding knowing they'd keep her awake for as long as it took.

She relaxed as Kevin approached her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders before resting on the bed with her.

Her folks didn't seem to mind, well... Her father was grumbling a little but that was normal. He was her boyfriend and her dad was once an abusive, narcissistic jerk. Much like her cousin. But even in this reality her cousin was absent minded. Rather then scolding her about being injured and ensuring that she be grounded for a fortnight, he was playing on his iphone. Ignoring the arm wrapped around her belonging to the ex-con.

She smirked relaxing into the boys grasp and loving it.

Kevin couldn't help but be happy. She was finally acting herself for once.

Scene change: Plumber HQ Infirmary

He watched as his cousin floated in the tank. Stripped down to her bike shorts and a sports bra. Apparent on her body was the fresh scars. The searing of her previous wounds which he had inflicted on her.

On the side of her head laid a small gash. Fresh. No longer bleeding. It was deep though, like a sharp piece of metal had caught on the side as he smashed her head into the filing cabinet.

In the background, he could hear his grandfather breathing over his shoulder. Arms crossed, body hunched over. He hated him right now. Probably thinking that they couldn't get along for five seconds.

"I can't believe you" He scolded him, his breath harsh and to the point.

"Grandma's gonna take away everything she is anyway. I just wanted her to stay here. She was going to escape with Kevin. She wouldn't have been safe"

"If Gwen wanted to leave you should have let her. Her life isn't yours Ben and you can't just-"

"SHE'S MY COUSIN!" He stood up glaring at his grandfather.

"You've put her in a coma. You own family"

"SHE DESERVED IT"

"She doesn't deserve this"

Ben gritted his teeth in anger. Thinking of every single word he could scream at the man. Instead he sat back down watching as she floated in the tank, oxygen mask covering her face. He wanted to touch her one last time, hold her. Even, kiss her.

He would even listen to her nag her if it meant to hear her voice again.

Instead, he stood up touching the tank.

"Wake up, Gwen"

He was suppose to leave with her. Together. They would steal the Rustbucket II and travel the universe together. Just them. Verdona and Max would never find them. Now, he had ruined his own plan. Not knowing if she was going to wake up before Verdona got here.

Scene Change

A day and a half at the hospital had turned up little results. No concussion. No nothing. She was released from hospital and was currently enjoying a watermelon smoothie Kevin had brought her a few minutes ago. They were finally together. It was something out of a fairy tale. She just wished her cousin didn't have to be here. A double date with Julie. That's what was expected. Instead, the two had spent the evening arguing with one another.

And Gwen was too polite to say anything. Kevin on the other hand, well he wasn't what she had expected. Usually, Kevin would just tell the two to buzz off. She meant, if it was her Kevin. But this Kevin seemed a lot more refined. He just sat there, frown apparent on his face as he watched the two continue to bicker.

"I said I was sorry Julie" Ben mumbled for the hundredth time.

Gwen wrapped her arm around Kevins and leaned into him.

"Hey?"

"What's up?" He smiled towards her.

"Do you want to go somewhere a little more quiet" She asked curiously.

He nodded upon seeing the devious smirk on her face. He had wanted to say that the minute Tennyson and his on/off girlfriend had pulled their seats up.

Minigolfing tonight.

Fat chance of that happening with those two at each others necks.

Though he'd settle for the redheads right now.

He gently took her arm and helped her up. She was still a little wobbly on her feet from the dinner party her folks had thrown for her to celebrate her early graduation of high school plus her DUX.

Even Kevin had to admit, he was impressed by her.

"Hey, we're just going to grab some lunch. You two want anything?" She asked politely at the two of them but it was more directed at Julie then her cousin. The two hadn't particularly been getting along very well since the dinner party (which to be honest, Kevin was more then thrilled about). Those two were too close for cousins. And Ben was protective of her; not to mention how many times she had attempted to sacrifice her life to save Ben.

He was pretty sure it was a 1:100000000 ratio on those two part.

"Mr. Smoothies has food" Ben complained towards his cousin who absentmindedly narrowed her eyes at him.

"Smoothies aren't food and the stuff they do have isn't even cooked there. It's gross"

Julie smiled at the red-heads comment. She wasn't that thrilled on the place as much as Ben was. Nevertheless, they usually ended up doing what Ben wanted. After all, he was the hero and the rest of them were just side-kicks. Though the redheads recent change in attitude challenged this theory.

She seemed...welll...it was hard for Julie to put her finger on it but she wasn't her usual self. Less of a side-kick and more of someone who took little care in the hero business side. In fact, she was beginning to act like Kevin in the sense.

Was that good?

I mean it made complete and perfect sense.

"There's a healthy food restaurant down the street. Kevin and I are going to go grab a snack. I'll bring you back something to eat" She waved her hand at the two before wrapping her arm around Kevin's and walking off.

"Gwen seems...happier" Julie commented watching as the two walked off into the distance.

Ben grumbled at the fact. Her cousin happier?

No, she was moody towards him and spending more time with Kevin and her family over everything else.

"...She hit her head" He stated, sipping on his smoothie.

Ben was growing anxious. It had been over four days and she was still comatosed. Refusing to wake up, refusing to even blink. He was so mad right now. Not to mention after gaining access to her phone and facebook. She was continuing to chat to Kevin 11.

What the hell?

She was going to run away with him?

Him!

Not Ben. He loved her. He was the one that was by her side when she most needed it and now she had betrayed him; practically stabbing him in the back.

He gritted his teeth in anger as he flipped open her messages to the last message Kevin had sent her.

'WTF you weren't there. I waited for you for almost five hours and you weren't there?'

No, she was busy getting her head smashed into the side of a filing cabinet and her leg getting rebroken and bent out of shape.

Gwen how come your not answering?

Did I do something wrong?

Did your cousin hurt you?

The messages continued. He wanted to see her. To meet her.

No way was that happening, he was going to put a stop to it right now.

He breathed out as he finally replied to the 100 messages left on her phone.

'Sorry Kevin, my grandpa freaked out when he saw I was about to leave. He completely grounded me and took away me phone. Ben's on watch duty outside my door. Can we meet later - when they've gone to bed. 12am?'

He sent the message and brought the phone to the bottom of his chin waiting for a reply. It came quicker then he'd imagine.

An instant reply.

It made Ben more mad.

'No problem. I'll pick you up just at the end of your street?'

Did they do this constantly?

'The park would be better. Less chance Ben has a following me'

'Agreed. Ben's a dick'

He gritted his teeth in anger. Thinking of screaming back at him but then he thought back to his cousin. He wanted her to be safe. He breathed out thinking of how she would word it.

'I'll see you tonight'

Short and sweet. Didn't give away too much information and was similar to what his cousin was like previously. Excluding all the 'winky' faces she had sent to him.

Had they had sex?

No! He shook his head not believing that his sweet, innocent cousin would stoop that low. Gross.

He threw the phone on the couch before walking down the corridor to his room and picking up a projector-like gun hidden in his cabinet. He had planned to use it for a while. Send him there in front of Gwen. Then he'd seem more like the hero and she'd come to her senses. That was the plan anyway but since his cousin was out of the picture he didn't have a choice.

He attached the mel-void projector to his belt before walking out of his room.