And I'm back with another chapter! I swear, this would have come out faster had my computer not back acting like a total BEEP! Sorry about the foul language, but I literally had to rewrite this thing from memory, and I was so close to being finished!
Computer problems aside, I just want to say I appreciate every single one of you out there, those who have made this story one of the most popular I have ever written or come across on FanFiction. Go ahead, pat yourself on the back!
As always, please comment and review and send me your ideas! I have a basic plot set out, but I'd be more than happy to hear any suggestions for this story and the confirmed sequel. Again, if your idea doesn't make it, don't be afraid to write your own version of this story, but try to have some creativity with it. Seriously, no one likes a copy cat.
Enjoy!
Ben cursed under his breath as he ran down the halls as fast as he could. He would have turned into XLR8 or Fasttrack, but Headmistress Bloodgood had put a ban on those transformations for safety/sanity reasons, as most teachers found it quite distracting when locker doors were torn from the walls from the sheer movement of those forms. That being said, Ben was late for gym, a subject he mostly did well in thanks to the Omnitrix. No matter what Coach Igor threw at him, he was able to accomplish it, much to the other student's annoyance.
He turned down another hallway and was about to run off at a mad speed when a hand grabbed him by his white hood and yanked him back, briefly choking him as he slammed him into the lockers. Ben saw stars for a few brief seconds before locking eyes, or shades, with Deuce Gorgon. Ben's face became frightened as he waited for Deuce to tear away his sunglasses and stone him, becoming a statue to be set outside for the gargoyles to perch on. Except nothing happened. He didn't feel his insides become hard, or hard rock crawl up his skin. Absolutely nothing happened.
"I need your help."
Those four words jerked Ben out of his state of terror to stare at Deuce with a confused look on his face. "Aren't you going to, you know, stone me?" he asked, a little startled. Deuce rolled his eyes (at least Ben thought he did. It was hard to see past those dark sunglasses). "Dude, as much as I would love to turn you into a statue, I need a favor. Two actually."
Ben cocked an eyebrow, but was listening. If it helped him get on someone's good side, he was more than ready to do it, as long as it didn't endanger someone else. "Alright, what is it?" he asked.
"Cleo's birthday is coming up in a week, and I have no idea what to get her. I figured since your a ladies man, you might know what to do," Deuce explained. "What do you get the girl who has everything?"
Ben blinked, not quite comprehending the words that met his ears. Since when was he so good with the girls? Sure, he was in a relationship with Spectra and Skelita and possibly Robecca, he wasn't normally this good. Back at home, he had his fair share of relationships, and those never turned out well. Julie, for a while, had been a steady girl to be with, but that quickly changed with Ben's ever growing popularity (not to mention an awkward phone call). Not many girls liked when thousands of fan girls wanted their boyfriend;s autograph 24/7, or when they had to bend and twist their schedule around just to spend time with them. Ester had been a little better, but thanks to Spanner's meddling, he didn't know where their relationship stood. Kai, no matter what Spanner had said, was everything Ben wasn't, which drove him crazy. Looma and Attea didn't even like him or him, just his different forms. In a word, Ben's love life had never been successful.
"You sure you got the right guy?" he asked. Deuce grinned, assuming it was a joke. "Dude, we aren't blind. Every guy in school hates you because they want to be you. They've seen how ghouls turn their heads when you walk down the hall with your ghoulfriends, wishing that could be them. I've seen inside their lockers; they've got photos of you, drawings, a few even have a shrine! Even the ghouls who are already in a relationship have a crush on you! Cleo even treats you with actual respect!" Ben nodding, knowing how hard the mummy usually was, though she had her moments.
"So, you need help figuring out a present for Cleo?" he asked, sliding down the lockers to sit on the floor, Deuce following him. "I don't know what to get her. She's rich and has everything she could possibly ever want." Deuce said. "She likes fashion, shiny things, and herself if that helps." he added. Ben nodded, an idea forming in his head. It would take a while, but if he had enough time, he would be able to finish it. "Alright. I need a picture of Cleo, a private work space, and a chisel. Can you get me those things?" he asked, Deuce nodding his head. "Now about that other favor . . ."
"What is it?" Ben sighed. The bell to signal class had begun had long since rung, but neither boy seemed to notice.
"Okay, so Cleo's cousin is getting married. She's a little paranoid, which is kind of understandable, being rich and all. Either way, she needs security, and lots of it. I can't be it, because I'm Cleo's date to the wedding," Deuce explained. "Draculaura told me what happened earlier this morning, and I'm thinking I'm talking to the best bouncer I've ever met."
"Wait, wait, wait. I can't just play bouncer for a wedding. I tried doing it another time and it-"
"It pays $100.00 an hour." Deuce interjected.
"Deal." Ben sighed. "But you owe me big time." Deuce nodded and gave him the date, throwing him a thumbs up before dashing off in the direction of the library. Ben got up from the floor and ran the rest of the way to gym, yanking the door open just in time to dodge a ball aimed right at his head, falling down on his butt. The class, apparently, was engaged in a game of dodge ball. Several nameless students lined the bleachers, having been knocked out of the game. Lining one side of the court was Draculaura, Ghoulia, Heath, and another boy that Ben had never met. On the other side, was Manny, Clawd, Jackson, Clawdeen, and another ghoul Ben hadn't seen. As he got up from the floor, Coach Igor scowled at him and jerked a thumb towards Draculaura's side, the vampire sighing with relief when Ben joined the game, slipping his sweatshirt off and tossing it towards the side. "Two transformations, Tennyson! That's all you get!" the deformed human called across the gym. Ben cursed under his breath; he would have to save his transformations.
Manny, grinning maliciously, scooped up a ball in his large hand and aimed right at Ben's head. Ben instinctively went for the Omnitrix. "I wouldn't if that if I were you!" a gentlemanly voice yelled. Ben paused, yelping and diving to the floor as the ball rocketed over his head and crashed into the wall behind him. Ben's eyes widened in remembrance when a small, snot-like goo bag oozed onto the Omnitrix, glaring at him with his tiny black eyes. Skurd folded his tentacles over what Ben could only assume to be his chest. "Well? Are you going to listen to me or not?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Ben, once again, ignored the Slimebiote and activated the Omnitrix, not caring what alien he was transformed into. Already, a few students on the bleachers had pulled out their iCoffins, ready to capture the epic battle to come. Ben slapped down on the activation button, letting the green light wash over him and change his DNA.
His skin turned a bright yellow and became hard and plated. His fingers and thumb melted together into sharp points, his arms and legs becoming jointed as he was forced to use his arms as extra legs. His lips protruded out from his face and turned sideways as they became cupped pincers. His eyes turned black with green slits as a bony protrusion grew from his brow, splitting in two and becoming forked as Ben shrunk down to the floor, to the size of a small dog. A green and white neck brace formed around his chest, the Omnitrix and Skurd appearing on his chest. "Ball Weevil!? Now?" he yelped, skittering to the side as a dodge ball bounced on the floor near him.
"I told you," Skurd scolded. "Do you ever listen? No, I don't think so. Not that you naturally think." he mumbled to himself.
"Less whining more helping!" Ball Weevil cried, running to the side. Skurd sighed, but stretched himself over Ben's body, forming his gooey self around the alien insect's antennae and morphing it into a pair of Florauna tendrils. Ball Weevil smiled and concentrated, the vines on his head growing thorns as they reached for the nearest red rubber dodge ball and chucked it across the middle line, only missing one of Manny's horns by an inch. The minotaur snorted in annoyance and grabbed the ball that had whizzed by head, chucking it back, aimed directly at Ball Weevil.
"Gah! Why am I always the target!?" he cried, running away like a vagabond.
"Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you started it?" Skurd commented. "Just a thought."
"Can it!" Ball Weevil shot back, skittering up the wall of the gym as dodge ball rained after him. He quickly ran across the wall and back down to the floor, grabbing a ball in each of his vine-like tendrils and chucking it across the other side, catching an unfortunate Jackson in the gut, sending the poor Normie to the floor. The monsters on the bleachers cheered as a sore Jackson crawled his way towards them, gasping for breath. The sudden attack seemed to fuel the other team like a gasoline to a flame. Without mercy, they each grabbed a ball and lobbed it at Ball Weevil, his team mates covering their heads from the barrage.
"If it's not to much trouble, could I get some help!?" Ball Weevil screamed at his team mates.
Ghoulia nodded and scooped a dodge ball up in her pale hands. She ran a quick calculation in her head before turning around and throwing the ball as hard as she could at the wall. The ball ricocheted off the wall and over Ghoulia's head as she ducked, sailing through the air and socking Clawd in the jaw with the force of a freight train. The werewolf fell down like a sack of potatoes as a shot from Draculaura bounced off his chest harmlessly. The vampire grabbed another dodge ball and aimed it at the strange ghoul Ball Weevil hadn't seen.
The new ghoul screamed and flapped her insect like wings, rocketing up towards the ceiling and out of harms way. "Sorry, Bonita!" Draculaura called, just as a ball socked her in the gut and sent her sprawling to the floor with a groan.
"Sorry, Lala!" Clawdeen yelled. Bonita, the skeleton-moth hybrid, swooped down from the ceiling and scooped up another ball and nervously tossed it at the other side of the gym, the ball harmlessly bouncing on the floor. Before the poor ghoul could even scream, Ball Weevil scooped it up in his tendrils and chucked it right across the gym, hitting the poor ghoul in the stomach and sending her to the ground with a sickening crunch. The entire gym winced, and Coach Igor blew his whistle, signaling a time out.
"Sorry!" Ball Weevil cried, just as the Omnitrix timed out and changed him back into Ben. He quickly ran across the gym, his sneakers squeaking loudly against the floor. He stooped over the frail girl and winced when he saw her crumbled, pink and black wings. "You okay?" he asked, reaching for her pale pink hand. Bonita winced, but accepted the help as she sat up and brushed her platinum hair out of her face. Her bright pink eyes widened as her set on Ben and her face turned a bright red. "I-I-I'm fine." she said nervously as the unknown boy from Ben's team walked over. He had gray, zombie-like skin and pointed horse ears under his long black hair streaked with bright pinks and blues. A single, pointed horn poked from the middle of his forehead as his bright colored horse's tail swished behind him. He wore a ribcage design shirt of primary colors and black pants with large, gold, spiked boots.
He touched the horn on his head, glowing pink and then quickly put his hands on Bonita's shoulders, the pink light washing over her. There was a series of short snapping sounds as Bonita's wings healed themselves. In a matter of seconds, her wings were completely healed and back in order. Bonita thanked the boy, Neighthan Rot, and flew over to the bleachers, her eyes never leaving Ben as she went over. Coach Igor blew his whistle again, and both Neighthan and Ben walked back over to their side of the gym.
Ben yelped and ducked as a ball rocketed over his head and crashed into the wall behind him, leaving a large dent. "C'mon, Omnitrix! Give me something good!" Ben begged.
"Oh, why do you even bother trying?" Skurd wondered. Ben ignored him and slapped the activation button, letting the green light wash over him and change his DNA. His skin began to crawl as it hardened smoothed into something similar to an exoskeleton, yet not at the same time. It turned black as it raced over his body, blue blotches with lighter centers appearing all over him. His fingers became sharper as they turned into claws, and he could feel his toes melt into toe as a third claw sprouted from his heel with a loud grinding sound. His teeth fused together into two plates that felt like they could bite through almost anything as his eyes widened and became larger, turning a bright green with three dots. Muscles piled themselves up on his chest and arms, but the most important and noticeable change however, was the itching sensation he got on his back and head. With a sudden, sickly sound, four large wings ripped out of his back, bigger than his entire body. Two large antennae burst out of his head. The wings and antennae flapped around for a few seconds before gently and silently wrapping around their owner like a cloak. The final piece of the transformation was a suddenly chilled feeling in his core, a feeling that ran through his veins and arteries that felt as cold as ice.
"Big Chill? Is this your doing, Snot Bag?" the Necrofriggian rasped at Skurd.
"So what if it is? That girl seems to like it." Skurd chided, pointing with a small tentacle towards Bonita. Big Chill turned to gaze at Bonita, whose face as red as a tomato. At least, he suspected so; it was hard to see when her hands were covering her embarrassed face, only a single pink eye being visible through her fingers.
"Dude! Stop checking out the ladies!" Heath yelled.
Big Chill nodded and picked up a ball in his claws, flapping his wings and taking to the air. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bonita grow even redder, the color spreading out to the rest of her body. He smirked and breathed an icy vapor onto the red rubber ball, coating it in ice crystals. He wound up his arm and chucked it across the gym, grazing Clawdeen's hair before crashing into the wall and shattering into a hundred pieces. The werewolf growled and heaved another ball at him, Big Chill quickly telling every cell in his body to become abstract. The ball sailed harmlessly through him and fell to the floor, Big Chill chuckling.
"You can't hit what you, um, can't hit." said Big Chill.
"Really? That's the best you can do?" Skurd asked. Big Chill didn't answer and swooped down low, scooping a ball in his hand and tossing it to Ghoulia. The zombie did another calculation in his head and lobbed it towards the other side where it bounced harmlessly across the floor before it got sucked into an open air vent came rocketing out another, bouncing all over the gym at high speeds. Neighthan ducked to the floor and Heath ran away when it bounced at his feet towards the ceiling. Big Chill folded his wings in front of him and deflected it to the other side where it struck Clawdeen in the head, sending her out of the game. The girl shot an angry glare at Big Chill and walked over to the bleachers.
"What did I do?" he wondered, yelping as Manny chucked a ball at his head. Heath was quickly struck out (having to be carried off the court). Neighthan lasted a little longer, getting struck out when he stumbled over his own two feet and fell to the floor, getting hit with a ball on the head and popping it when it landed on his horn. Soon, it was just Ghoulia and Big Chill left, and from the look Manny was giving him, the Necrofriggian knew he was next. "Um, Skurd? Got anything useful up your sleeve?" he asked the Slimebiote.
"You do realize I don't have sleeves, right?"
"Stop being snarky!"
Skurd sighed and stretched himself over Big Chill's arm, changing the structure into a Segmentasapien gun, of which he dubbed the Bloxx Lobber. "Yes! Except, I can't use blocks. Nice." he sighed.
"Are you really that ignorant?" asked Skurd.
Big Chill didn't answer and instead jerked to the side as a dodge ball whizzed by his head. Manny growled, and his eyes traced over to Ghoulia. The only way to knock the over sized bug out of the sky was to get rid of his lackey. He picked up a red rubber ball and squeezed it between his large fingers. Sweat poured down his forehead as he prepared to send the zombie girl into a world of pain. He swung his arm forward, aiming directly for her chest where he couldn't possibly miss. Time seemed to slow down as the ball rocketed through the air, aimed right at the distracted Ghoulia. Big Chill blinked and flapped his wings as fast as he could to get to Ghoulia, to somehow save her from Manny's wrath. Not that he assumed that Ghoulia was completely defenseless. From what he had heard, she was the smartest student in school, smarter than even most of the teachers. The girl had a brain and she wasn't afraid to use it.
Time spend up as he dove in front of Ghoulia and spread his wings to cover her. He jabbed his gun out to deflect the ball, only to have it sock right into the barrel of his weapon. Big Chill grinned as Ghoulia peeked out from behind his wing span, smiling one of her grins as Manny looked fearful. Faster than the minotaur could move, Big Chill aimed the Bloxx Lobber and shot the dodge ball out, striking Manny square in the back and sending him to the floor. Coach Igor blew his whistle, ending the game, just as the Omnitrix timed out and changed the Necrofriggian back to Ben.
"Now that was a ball," Ben joked as Ghoulia moaned and face palmed herself.
"Really?" Skurd sighed.
"I hate you," Charmcaster growled. As to whom she was hating, was a crudely drawn picture of Ben Tennyson that she had managed to draw before the officers put the straight jacket on her. Forced to forever stare at that cocky grin of his, Charmcaster sat in her cell, waiting. It was all she could, given that her hands were useless and she was most likely to rot in there for years.
"Just like the bag." she grumbled under her breath, remembering how Ben had managed to trick her to get sucked into her own bag. After months of rotting away in there, she had managed to find a way out, only to find herself rotting in another prison, without a hope of escape. She would sit there for years, locked away from the outside world, no one caring about whether she would make it out or not.
"Yo, Crazy Lady! Yer outta here." a guard grumbled, clanging his baton against the bars of her cell. Charmcaster blinked and struggled to her feet, her arms still pinned behind her back as she ran over to the front of her cell. "Somebody decided to be nice and pay ya bail." the cop grumbled as he stabbed the key into the lock and opened the door to the cell, using another key to unlock Charmcaster's straight jacket. She rubbed her sore hands as the guard led her down a long hallway lined with other cells, containing much more . . . problematic prisoners than her. The other inmates scowled and yelled at her as she walked by them with a winning smile on her lips. A particularly nasty inmate, a large sea monster dredged in seaweed and barnacles, hit the bars of his cell with so much force that they nearly bent and twisted to his will. Charmcaster quickly slipped by him before he could reach through and tear her tiny head from her body with one of his giant, webbed hands.
Eventually, they came to a locked door, which the bored guard (ironically a Normie in a Monster prison) unlocked with yet another key on his key ring. They stepped through to the other side of the door, the guard pulling the door closed behind them and the roar of the inmates suddenly seizing to exist. In the room they were currently in was a large desk with a secretary of sorts at the front. The walls were drab and gray and had a row of metal chairs lining the wall. Bars were put over the windows after wire mesh and electrified wire. Despite all this extra security and loss of hope, one man seemed to actually enjoy it. That man was sitting in one of the chairs, reading a newspaper until Charmcaster was brought in. The man looked up and closed the newspaper, smiling at Charmcaster before he began to fill out some forms. Charmcaster watched the man carefully.
She had never seen him before in her life, and she didn't know whether to trust him or not. What she did know was that he bad. Very bad. But he was very good at acting. She saw behind those kind and heroic eyes a monster. And not the kind of monster she had seen in the past few days. This kind of monster was in the figurative term, a blood thirsty monster out for power. And she liked it.
"The name's Van Hellscream by the way," the man suddenly said to her. She looked him over, and was thoroughly surprised at what she saw. He was very well muscled and had long locks of gold colored hair amongst his beard. He had sharp, confident blue eyes, and wore a brown trench coat over a white shirt with a fancy tie. "And I understand you were falsely accused of hurting a monster, correct?" he asked.
"Yeah, so?" she wondered.
"The point my dear, is that the monster you attacked, should have been in that cell, not you." Van Hellscream explained as they walked out the doors of the small town prison and down the sidewalk. The building looked much more frightening on the outside, especially considering it barbed wire over its electrified chain link fence and then a moat filled with piranha surrounding that, though she figured most of those safety measures wouldn't harm half of the monsters in there. "Monsters, by nature, are blood thirsty. The only reason they haven't turned on the entire human race is because they are too busy fighting amongst themselves. Most of the time," he added. "And I think you know why."
"Ben Tennyson?" Charmcaster guessed.
Van Hellscream blinked. This was not the answer he was expecting. And the way she said it made him more curious. "No, it's Monster High. I'm sure you are familiar with the place?"
Charmcaster nodded. "Good. Monster High's ultimate goal is to unite every monster species in existence into one big army before turning against the human race. My goal is to keep the monsters busy so that they leave the humans alone," he told her. "But please, tell me. Who is this Ben Tennyson?" he asked. Charmcaster grinned; the man was fruitlessly trying to turn her over to his side so she could do some sort of dirty work for him. And she was more than happy to do it, and she would probably gain an ally in doing so too. The pair then came to a fancy red sports car, Van Hellscream taking the wheel and Charmcaster sitting the passenger seat as they drove along, Charmcaster telling Hellscream just who Ben Tennyson was. And the more she told him, the angry he got.
"Hmm. Interesting. After the job, we'll have to go after him next," he mumbled to himself.
"What job? If you're hiring, I'd be more than happy to help." said Charmcaster. "Especially if it means you'll help me get rid of Tennyson."
Van Hellscream nodded; he had picked the perfect person for the job. He just needed to hire a little more muscle if it was going to work out. "There is a wedding in two days time," he began. "Between a pair of mummies. As mummies have no naturally enemies, we need to make it look like members of the vampire and werewolf species kid napped each spouse. While the werewolves blame the vampires and the vampires blame the werewolves, each desperately searching for the others hostage, we will take the happy couple up to Howling Moon point and throw them into the lake below, where they will never be found again. Thus, the tension between vampires and werewolves grows, and the human race is safe once more. All I need you to do is dress up like a vampire and kidnap the groom while some other hired hands of mine dress as werewolves and kid nap the bride. Any questions?"
Charmcaster shook her head. She liked the way the man thought.
"This job of yours had better be worth it," Spectra grumbled, crossing her arms as she floated on one side of the gateway.
"Have I evers steered ya wrong?" Bullfrag croaked.
Spectra smirked and was about to answer when Deuce, dressed in a black tuxedo and sunglasses, and Cleo, dressed in a fetching blue ballgown, walked up to them, arm in arm. "Holds up! Name?" the Incursean asked, pulling out a clipboard from his pocket and looking it over.
"C'mon, Ben! You know its us!" said Deuce.
Bullfrag grinned. "Yeah, I know. I just gotta make sure, ya know?"
Deuce nodded and pulled Cleo through the gate, the Queen Bee throwing Bullfrag a warning glare as she walked past. Bullfrag sighed and rolled his eyes. "I just hope this works," he grumbled. For ages he had been trying to get on Cleo's good side, but to no avail. The mummy just wasn't listening. He sighed and pushed the thought out of his mind. For next hour he managed the gates, checking off couples on the list. A few of them, such as Clawd and Draculaura, he knew from school, which made things a little easier for him. After a half hour, he checked off the final guest on the check list. "Shall we?" he asked, taking Spectra's arm. The ghost smiled and put on a pair of dark sunglasses to match her own, straightening her single black dress and then taking his arm as they walked down the short walkway to the outdoor wedding. As security, both of them would be positioned on either side of the entrance/exit, making sure no one made it.
On one side of the alter was a tall mummy wrapped in the finest golden bandages. He wore a Horus headdress (whether this was his real head or not was up to debate) with gold and indigo colored feathers amongst a polished beak of pure gold. He wore a black tuxedo with an African Lily corsage and held a pharaoh's staff in one hand as the music cued up. Bullfrag and Spectra quickly stepped on either side of the door and stood ridged and straight as the bride came walking down the alter. She wore bandages like her spouse and had her brown and golden colored hair pulled back into a ponytail. She had a blue rhinestone under her beautiful eyes and wore a bright blue wedding dress as a dozen golden colored scarab beetles held up her train.
"You see anything?" Bullfrag whispered to Spectra. She blinked and looked around the wedding, looking past the rows of guests and strands of glowing lanterns strung over head. Off to the side was a concession table with a large, pyramid shaped wedding cake, punch bowl, and Egyptian finger foods. Nothing looked suspicious as the bride made it up to the alter and waited as the priest began speaking. "Bet you five dollars someone in the audience will fall asleep." Bullfrag murmured to Spectra. She about to answer when she heard a soft, low snore from the back row of guests and turned to see Clawd dozing off and Draculaura looking peeved.
"Uh, no thanks."
Bullfrag rolled his eyes and continued to look out over the audience. Besides Deuce, Cleo, Draculaura, and a now sleeping Clawd, he recognized a few many faces from Monster High, including . . . her. She a thing of beauty, too gorgeous for words. Her black and white hair hung back over her shoulders. Her pale green skin shone in the moonlight, her mismatched eyes looking stunning. She wore a black dress with blue, vertical stripes down the skirt. A pair of blue heels sat on her feet as she watched the ceremony, dateless and still apparently heartbroken. She was barely paying attention to the ceremony. "Cover me," Bullfrag whispered to Spectra. "I've some quick business to take care of." Before Spectra could stop him, he ran out of the wedding and ducked behind a tree, slapping the Omnitrix on his suit. Th green light washed over him, briefly changing him back to his human self before beginning the second transformation. He felt the skin around his skull slowly vanish, as if some flesh eating parasite were eating at it. His skull slowly turned upside down as the bones ground and shifted with a sickening sound. The teeth became sharper as new, thicker skin covered his face and his eyes molded into one. His fingers turned into dagger like claws that felt like they could slice through someone's soul. His legs wrapped around each other into a sort of ghostly tail as thick, green chains formed around his neck and wrists. The Omnitrix appeared on his chest, the chains all meeting together at the same spot as a dozen writhing tentacles suddenly spilled forth from Ben's insides. The transformation was complete.
"Ghostfreak!" he called out.
"Why must you still call them out?" Skurd asked from the Omnitrix.
"I've been asking myself that same question, but never got around to finding a reason. Force of habit, I guess," Ghostfreak rasped. "Now, if you could please just be quiet . . ." Skurd sighed and oozed off to some part of the Ectonurite's body. Ghostfreak then proceeded to phase through the ground, following the wonderful scent of warm bodies from beneath the wedding. He soon found Frankie out of the dozens of guests and, finding no one sitting next to her, moved upwards to her right. "You enjoying yourself?" he whispered. Frankie jumped and nearly screamed before she realized who it was. "Oh. It's you," she said, feeling quite depressed. "Fine, I guess. How are you and Spectra?"
Ghostfreak sighed, sitting on the chair next to her instead of hovering over it. "Good. You, you know, okay and stuff?" he asked.
Frankie sighed. "Not really, no. I'm surprised your even talking to me again, after the way I treated you."
"Nah, I had it coming," Ghostfreak admitted.
"You can say that again," Skurd whispered.
"Shut it, Snot Bag!" Ghostfreak rasped. Frankie gasped and looked hurt at the harsh words. "No, no! I'm not talking about you! I'm talking about Skurd, this green parasite that won't leave me alone!" Ghostfreak quickly explained, holding up a hand to show Frankie, sighing with relief when Skurd turned out to be on it. Frankie seemed to calm down a little, and returned her attention back to the ceremony.
"I don't suppose you'll ever forgive me?" Ghostfreak sighed after shooing Skurd away for a bit.
"I don't know, Ben. After what happened, I'm not sure if I should even be talking to you." Frankie answered, closing her eyes and letting a single tear fall from her face. "Can you just . . . ?"
Ghostfreak nodded and let his body sink through the chair and into the ground, keeping his head up for a few seconds to deliver a last message. "If you want to talk, just let me know." he said, fully sinking into the ground and moving back to Spectra. Frankie sighed and undid the stitching on her head, a habit she did whenever she was thinking. Should she forgive Ben? He was incredibly sorry, and had tried to apologize professedly. He truly never did mean to hurt her, but she just didn't know. She just didn't know if she could take another heart break. Out of all the ghouls in her little gang of friends, only she had ever experienced a multiple heartbreak. Draculaura and Cleo's relationships were strong and steady, and Lagoona could even fit into that category when Gil's parents weren't involved. Clawdeen never really got all that interested in boys, preferring to let her ghoulfriends have all the fun. Abbey hadn't exactly found a boyfriend, but with the way she was with Heath around, that could soon change. Only Frankie had ever had multiple boyfriends stripped of her; Jackson/Holt, Andy, even Neighthan to an extent, even though they technically never dated. She just didn't know if she was ready to dive back into a relationship again.
Her thoughts were broken when there came in all mighty scream from the front of the party, and Frankie looked up to see a pair of burly werewolves standing on either side of the bride, reaching for her as her spouse struggled against the grip of a vampire. The guests were in an uproar, screaming and running about, most too scared to do anything. Deuce attempted to take off his glasses and freeze the goons where they stood, but with so many people running about, the risk of hitting someone innocent was too high. Ghostfreak quickly slapped the Omnitrix symbol between his chains and let the changes begin as he was briefly changed back into his human self.
The first change was incredibly major. Ben could feel himself being literally cut into strips through some unseen force, as if being cut by a giant pair of invisible scissors. He could feel his bones and organs disappear altogether, and for a brief moment Ben wondered if he was going to die within seconds. Except he didn't. He could feel each strip of body vibrate with health, as if each were alive in its own way. Like magic, they twisted themselves make together into a crude, muscled figure with exaggerated fingers and toes made of thin strips. He could feel his face harden and become flat, turning pointed and green and black in color. The face plate sat itself on top of the bandaged shoulders as a green and black headdress appeared on his head, a wide collar appearing on his neck as two tendrils sprouted from his back. Black and green braces appeared on his arms and ankles, a green belt with the Omnitrix on it appeared around his thin waist, finishing the transformation.
"Come on, Snare-oh! Don't fail me now!" he cried as he thrust his hands forward and stretched his fingers out. The elongated fingers wrapped themselves around on of the werwolve's shoulders and yanked him back, pulling him through rows of chairs before he was flung skyward. Snare-oh drew back his fist and socked the monster in the jaw, sending him to the ground where he stayed. The second werewolf growled and lunged at Snare-oh, catching the Thep Khufan off guard before he was hit over the head with a glowing lantern, his fur catching fire. "How dare you ruin my cousin's wedding!?" Cleo seethed, breathing hard as her mascara began to run. Snare-oh backed up as Cleo grabbed a metal chair and hit the werwolf over the head with it, keeping him down. Snare-oh then decided to stay away from Cleo for the rest of the night and focused on making sure the happy couple to be was safe. He quickly scoured the grounds and found the groom and bride furiously trying to beat back the single vampire that had shown up. The attacker had pale white skin and blood red nails and lips, hissing as she riased her hand and let a pink orb form in it.
Snare-oh gasped; he recognized that pink magic anywhere. With hesitation, he pushed through the throng of panicked people and tackled the vampire to the ground, wiping his hand across her face as they wrestled on the ground. The vampire hissed and slashed at him with nails, slicing off Snare-oh's fingers. The quickly grew back as Snare-oh drew back his fist and and jabbed it downward, Charmcaster's head jerking to the side and out of harm's way. "You'll regret you ever met me, Tennyson!" he hissed, thrusting a hand at him and unleashing a wave of pink mana at him and sending him off of her. "Too late for that!" he moaned from the ground.
"This is payback for every single thing you and your bratty cousin ever did to me!" she screamed, reaching into her pouch and pulling out a pink powder.
"Everything!?" Snare-oh whimpered as Charmcaster blew on the pile of pink ash and let the cloud wash over her, making her bright pink eyes that only thing visible as she chanted a spell that he couldn't quite make out. He quickly realized what was happening as the pink cloud vanished and a large, dark pink dragon appeared where Charmcaster had once been. The dragon roared and unleashed a jet of flames across the grounds, causing the crowd to panic even more.
"Ben! Do something!" Spectra urged, appearing next to him. "I'll try to draw her attention!" With that, she flew upwards towards the dragon's head, whizzing and swooping around the dragon's jaws, taunting it and making rude gestures as the dragon focused on her. Snare-oh took the chance and got from the ground rushing towards the front legs of the dragon and unleashing his bandages on them, tying them together without Charmcaster knowing. "Hey, Ugly!" Snare-oh taunted. Charmcaster growled and breathed another jet of flame at him, the Thep Khufan jumping just out of the way before his bandages could catch fire. Charmcaster growled and stepped forward, only to fall flat on her face and stay there, struggling to get to her feet. As she did, she twisted her neck around, her jaws wide open with fire streaming freely. Snare-oh gasped and stretched his bandages out to their maximum length, curling around the waist of a distracted Cleo and yanking her out of harm's way as the searing hot flames burnt the ground she was previously standing on to ash. The dragon fruitless flapped its large wings, the gusts of wind picking up chairs and lanterns and unfortunate guests who weren't lucky enough to have escaped already.
"Clawd! Help!" Draculaura screamed as her grip on a strand of lanterns loosened and yanked her into the air. With Cleo holding onto him tightly and his bandage toes thrust into the ground as deep as they were go, he shot out his fingers again, grabbing Draculaura in them and pulling her back to her, hugging her frail body tightly against his own. He saw Clawd out of the corner of his eye and expected to see extreme annoyance and jealousy on his face. Instead, he saw relief and satisfaction in his eyes. Maybe he was starting to make amends? He didn't have time to think about that as he pushed Cleo and Draculaura out of the way of another jet of flames, telling them to get to safety while he handled Charmcaster. Snare-oh sudden heard a cry of pain and turned to see Frankie flat on the ground, Charmcaster's tail poised right above and ready to crush her. Snare-oh didn't exactly know what happened next, but those who saw him knew not to get on his bad side.
Barely thinking, he stretched out his fingers and wrapped them around Frankie's wrists and pulling her out just in time as the tail came crashing down. He dragged her through the dirt, twisting and turning to avoid the jet of flames that followed closely behind. Frankie was screaming in fright as they fire got closer and closer when she was suddenly thrown right up into the air. She looked down t see Snare-oh's right arm suddenly become red and metal plated, four gray digits forming on them as a jet of water blasted the dragon in the face. Then she came falling back down, screaming before she landed safely in Snare-oh's arms. "You okay?" he asked.
"If being dragged through the mud to avoid getting burnt to a crisp by a fire-breathing dragon is okay, then yes, I'm absolutely fine." Frankie joked. Snare-oh's bandages curved upwards at the joke but quickly turned down when the dragon with fury. "I will get you Tennyson! And your little ghouls too!" The Thep Khufan quickly set Frankie down, blasting another jet of water from his odd appendage. "Run! Get out of here!" he yelled, Franke dashing away as the dragon continued to struggle with its bonds.
"Gigi! Wherever you are, I desperately need you!" Snare-oh yelled to the heavens as he stretched the tendrils around the dragon's jaws, keeping them shut so that Charmcaster couldn't unleash her deadly flame. There was a sudden burst of light from Snare-oh's right and he turned to see Gigi standing there, a calm look on her face before she quickly saw the situation. "Need some help?" she asked.
"If you wouldn't mind, dear lady." commented Skurd. Snare-oh shot him a glare, but let it slide when he saw Gigi nod her head, her cheeks turning a bright red.
"I wish Charmcaster was human again!" Snare-oh cried as Charmcaster broke free of her bonds and raised a clawed foot and opened her jaws to unleash another wave of fire. Gigi crossed her arms, closed her eyes and jerked head forward. Charmcaster screamed as the spell began to undo itself, reversing the curse and changing her back into her human form. Before she could move, Snare-oh stretched out his bandages one last time, wrapping them around Charmcaster's body and cocooning her like a spider's lunch, pinning her arms to her sides where they could do no harm.
"Everyone okay?" Snare-oh asked the remaining guests. One by one he heard cries of safety, relieved to here those of Clawd, Deuce, Draculaura, and Frankie. A sudden, earth shattering scream filled the air as both Cleo and Isis, the bride, screamed in unison. As one, they stalked up to Charmcaster, murder in their undead eyes.
"How dare you ruin my wedding!?" Isis screamed.
"How dare you ruin my new dress!" Cleo shouted. Snare-oh, the groom, and every boy guest still remaining covered their ears as the girls all winced as both mummies chewed out Charmcaster.
"It's no wonder you don't have any friends! You never had any to begin with because you're so heartless!" Cleo yelled. "You're just like my sister Nefera; cold, heartless, soulless, spineless! I'm surprised she even made it to the under world! But why am I complaining about Nefera to you? Oh, wait. I know why. BECAUSE YOU'RE EXACTLY LIKE HER! Without your stupid spells and your fancy hand tricks, you're nothing! Look at you, bound and tied up like a sacrifice, completely helpless to do anything!" Cleo shouted as Isis slapped Charmcaster across the cheek. Hard. One could see the pulsing red hand mark on her face a mile away.
Every guest's mouth was dropped wide opened, a gaping hole in Snare-oh's neck region where his mouth might be if he had a visible one. Charmcaster was equally shocked and surprised. No one, not even her most hated enemies, had ever said such things to her. No one had ever had the courage or heart to tell her she a loser. Period. Charmcaster suddenly began to rethink her whole life in the next few seconds; her insane drive for power, only to be defeated over and over again by someone with a fancy watch and a girl who was only beginning to learn magic. Why was she so desperate to become so powerful? Why did she want to see Gwen and Ben's corpses burn before her eyes at her hands?
Because she was pathetic.
She was so desperate for power, so desperate to prove that she was better than those who could care less, that she kept tripping over herself. She had been so blind and so foolish to believe that Ben, a regular human kid with a fancy watch, could just suddenly learn magic! Why did she think that was even possible? Why did she care so much? Because she was pathetic. Ever since her father had perished, and the memories of her mother wiped, she had become a hollow, crazy shell of her former self. Whatever happened to that Charmcaster that nearly became friends with Gwen, that Charmcaster that actually admitted in front of everyone that she didn't want Gwen dead, just "badly hurt". Whatever happened to that Hope? That Hope was gone, crushed into ashes and blown away into oblivion by the needy and power hungry monster that lived in her. And she suddenly knew everything.
Because she was absolutely pathetic.
Tears suddenly began to stream from closed eyes as she bowed her head in shame. She had been so blind, so hungry to prove she was better than everyone, that she had gone so far as to ruin the lives of those around her, of those students who didn't even know, of those monsters who were just trying make a living in a Normie world so their kids could have a brighter future, of the innocent couple whose wedding she had no heartlessly ruined to pay off a debt she didn't even deserve. "I'm sorry." she croaked, her voice strained from her guilt and tears.
"Excuse me?" Snare-oh blanked as the Omnitrix timed out and returned Ben to his human form. "What did you just say?"
"I said, I'm sorry," Charmcaster rasped. "I'm sorry I was so jealous to you and your cousin. I'm sorry I got so mad with power that I hurt those who didn't deserve it." she said, everyone listening with nearly deaf ears. "Go ahead and kill me. Just kill me and put me out of my misery. I don't deserve to live." she cried, falling to the ground and on her face where she continued to sob uncontrollably. Ben blinked. Should he trust her? Was this just a bluff, a trick to get him to untie her so that she could kill him? Ben sighed and turned to Gigi.
"I need one more small favor," he pleaded. "I need to know whether she's telling the truth or not." he asked the genie. He knew it was asking a lot, having already spent two wishes on him. Gigi slowly nodded. "You owe me one though." she said. Ben agreed, and made his wish. "I wish I knew if Charmcaster was telling the truth." he said. Gigi crossed her arms, closed her eyes, and bobbed her head, and Ben suddenly jerked as information poured into his mind like a dam had suddenly burst. He could see into Charmcaster's body and mind. He sensed her sorrow and pain. He didn't sense any trickery, not a single shred of deceit or evil in her voice or tears. She truly was sorry, and felt that she deserved to die because she had nothing left to live for, not a single goal or purpose left for her to accomplished. And then it all stopped and he was back in the real world.
Spectra appeared next to him, cocking an eyebrow. "Should I?" he asked.
"Make the right choice, Ben. I don't know what you saw, but just make the right choice. Whatever it may be." she added, pecking him on the cheek. "I gotta go. See you back at home." she said, flying off into the night. Ben watched her go until he couldn't distinguish her from the stars and turned his attention back to Charmcaster. "I'm not going to kill you." he said, stooping down to her level. The sorceress sniffed and looked up at him. "Why?" she asked.
"Because I don't kill people. I'm not a bad guy, and you're not a bad gal. Just someone who took a wrong turn at Albuquerque, if you know what I mean." Ben explained. Charmcaster smiled weekly and Ben helped her up, letting her lean against him as she was unable to use her arms for balance.
"So, do I get another chance?" she asked.
Ben nodded. "But, you're staying in those bonds for the rest of the night, comprendo?"
Charmcaster nodded. It was the least amount of punishment she deserved. And from the look in Ben's eye, she knew she had a long road of rehabilitation ahead of her. She turned her attention to Gigi, who seemed to be incredibly uncomfortable around, hiding behind a turned over chair when she looked at her. "Um, Gigi, is it?" Charmcaster asked. "I'm, uh, s-sorry I tried to . . . you know, absorb you." she stammered, her lips almost refusing to say the 'S' word. Gigi came out from behind the chair, wary, but calm. "And as my first act of being good, may I request a wish?" she asked. Ben turned to Gigi and nodded, letting her know she was okay. Gigi smiled weakly, signaling she was ready.
"I wish Isis and her husband-to-be were married and on their honey moon." Charmcaster wished. Gigi's smiled broadened, happy to grant the wish. She closed her eyes, crossed her arms, jerked her head, and the unhappy mummies disappeared in a flash of light, gone. "Where'd you send them?" Ben asked Gigi as he and the remaining guests left the trashed wedding. Charmcaster waddled along side Ben, unable to move her legs any faster. The genie smiled. "Just on a 5 star cruise in the Scare-ibbean." she smiled. "And you still owe me."
"Do I get to know what I owe you?"
"I'll let you wait and see." Gigi smiled, vanishing in a poof of pink smoke. Ben moaned and pushed Charmcaster in the direction of Spectra's house. Things were looking both up and down.
Crüjo bowed as low as he possibly could, shoving his snout into the dirt as he cowered before his master, Zs-Skayr. "You have failed me again, Crüjo." the Ectonurite growled, putting the blade of his scythe to the Loboan's throat. Crüjo gulped, his Adam's Apple barely sliding past the blade. "I beg of you master, give me another chance" he whined, his tail curled between his legs and his ears flat against his head. Zs'Skayr sighed; they were behind schedule, and still missing parts. Despite Kuphulu managing to steal some important parts from a hidden lab deep in Monster High's catacombs, Dr. Viktor still required a few more pieces in order for his device to work. And the steam powered robot girl would have finished the job almost entirely, save for a few spare parts that were easy to find.
"Fine, Crüjo. I will give you one last chance. But you're taking Kuphulu with you next time. I want progress." he hissed as he turned invisible and flew off to his make shift quarters. The Loboan sighed with relief; he was going to live another night.
And there's the next chapter! I hope you're all happy for those of you requesting Snare-oh make an appearance! And notice how I managed to squeeze in both Van Hellscream and Charmcaster's Dragon form? I am a genius!
But enough about me. Lets talk about some of you, dear readers. I'd like to send out a special thank you to Menatron the Angel of Ideas for turning Charmcaster good. Seriously dude/dudette, I can not thank you enough for always being there for this story, giving me fang-tastic ideas to work in. I thank you from the bottom of my undead heart.
Another shout out to Darkmagicdragon for helping me come up with ideas for the big wedding crasher scene. I'll admit, I was going to go for the jealous boyfriend scheme, but I decided I needed to change Charmcaster's heart, and decided to combine both. Go ahead, give yourself a pat on the back.
As always ghosts and ghouls, comment and review below and don't be afraid to send me your ideas or requests, because I will soon be ignoring those: things are about to get interesting and crazy at the same time. So crazy in fact, it would take an Omnitrix wearing hero and a gang of girly ghouls to fix everything ! ;)
Hasta Luego!