Hope was never quite sure what to do in these circumstances. Gwen's expression conveyed her utter annoyance at her cousin's behavior. Ben is being really stupid, so she couldn't hold the redhead responsible. Because Ben has experienced so much in such a short period of time, Hope agrees that he would benefit from therapy. His lack of therapeutic needs was difficult to swallow.

Hope takes note of how firmly Gwen is grasping the wheel. Oh, she's definitely angry. However, the redhead should be the one to realize that no one can make Ben do anything he doesn't want to do. Given who he is and what he stands for, perhaps it's best that way. The sorceress tries to think of anything to say to comfort her companion, but she is at a loss, and the quiet in the car is deafening.

"He'll come around," she finally says.

Gwen gives Hope a quick glance before returning her gaze to the road. It was obvious to them both that it was a feeble effort to defuse the situation. Nevertheless, Gwen values the effort. Despite the fact that Gwen adores her cousin more than anything, this was one of those times when she simply wanted to beat him over the head and drag his stupid ass to doesn't know why he's being so unreasonable, but she doubts it's related to the job as he stated it was.

As Gwen enters the jam-packed town hall parking lot, she groans loudly upon seeing the several press vehicles dispersed over the area. The redhead is not in the mood to cope with irritatingly persistent vermin. She has been hounded ever since she fired her former counsel, both by the media and by regular people. The mayor is still the mayor, of course, but his removal from the Peace Corps administrative board did not go over well with his followers. Those people are such sheep. The amount those parasites hindered Gwen and her ambitions was something she didn't want to even consider.

Gwen is surrounded by reporters as soon as they turn the corner of the building. Even more people are gathered in front of the building to voice their opposition to H.O.P.E.'s most recent decisions. The raucous throng and the nonstop reporters made it difficult for Gwen to think. Her leadership abilities and commitment to humanity were questioned by the citizens holding prejudiced posters. They denounced her cousin as a risky drinker, and they surmised that alcoholism was what led to Ben's behavior the previous evening. Which is barely an improvement above the truth.

Additionally, they continued to question her about what had become of the park shooting's mastermind. With all of these inquiries, Gwen was at her wit's end. Why didn't they simply let her be? The criticisms never abated; if not this, then something else. After everything she's done for them, they dare to call her a traitor to humanity?

What a bunch of ungrateful cu-

"Miss Tennyson!" one reporter calls out. "Is it true that Ben Tennyson was intoxicated when he rampaged through the streets last night?"

"Gwendolyn, why did you fire your entire board?" another speaks up.

"Do you plan to fill your panel with aliens only?"

"What happened to the shooting suspects?"

"Intergalactic crime is starting to sky-rocket once again; do you have any thoughts on that?"

With each second that goes by, Gwen's blood starts to boil and her mind starts to race with unwelcome thoughts. As she moved in the direction of the town hall's entrance, she pushed through the intrusive, flashing cameras. She was continually subjected to ridiculous inquiries and presumptions from the news reporters. Upon noticing the arrogant expression on the Mayor's face, her emerald eyes grow even more narrow. He extended his hand for a handshake, but Gwen slapped it away with aggression, which only served to infuriate the reporters' appetite for drama. Gwen should've known he'd brought the news teams here. The lady is convinced he would do anything for publicity.

"Oh c'mon now, Gwendolyn, we may be ex-coworkers but there's nothing that says we can't be friends."

Gwen whirled on the soles of her feet, unable to contain her tongue any longer.

"Why would I want to be friends with a pathetic, conniving, idiotic worm like you?" she snarls.

After simply laughing at the insulting reply, Mayor Finch leans in and whispers in her ear.

"Because you and your little cousin's capabilities are beginning to be doubted by the public."

Gwen's eyes widen before she jerks away from the mayor, a frown on her face.

"But I can help you," Mayor Finch denotes. He raises his hand for another handshake. "After all, they listen to me-"

Just as a loud crack fills the air, Gwen is knocked to the ground. Gwen's surroundings get hazy as her eyes fixate on the person sitting atop her. Her gaze is met by Hope's. But something is wrong; she is covered in blood, and the right side of her body is covered in it like some bizarre artwork. What is happening? Why is Hope bleeding? That loud noise—what was it?

"Y-you're bleeding," is all Gwen is able to get out.

Gwen's hands immediately go to heal her companion, but Hope prevents her from doing so.

"H-hope, you're bleeding-"

"It's not my blood," the witch assures. "It's not my blood."

When Gwen twists her head to the side, she notices the mayor lying lifeless on the ground. His exposed brain was dripping blood into the ground, giving the appearance that someone had taken a bite out of his face. Parts of his head were spread near him. He is looking at her with his remaining hazel eye as though it was just a minute ago. The horrifying scene shocks the redhead back to reality, where people are yelling and scurrying about them. Gwen is shielded from the rushing bystanders by Hope, who surrounds her in a tight hug. Gwen is at a loss for words; yet again, a civilian died, and she was helpless to prevent it.

As Hope teleports into Gwen's office, their surroundings begin to blur once more. In a frantic attempt to calm herself down, Gwen pulls herself away from the witch and hugs herself. Her heart was thumping loudly in her chest. From the office window, the hushed cries of the people could be heard. Gwen attempts to detach herself from the turmoil, but the picture of the murdered mayor keeps flashing into her consciousness.

Gwen's throat clenches and vomit rises into her mouth; she races to the garbage can and pukes the contents of her stomach. Her eyes are filled with tears, and her body is racked by spasms as she continues to throw up. She despised it. Her lips would always be plagued by the revolting taste. Gwen was unsure of what was making her vomit up—the dead mayor or the idea of Hope taking the mayor's place. The redhead wipes her lips after realizing she was on her knees; she climbs the wall to stand. Eye contact is made between Gwen and her white-haired companion, who is giving her a worried expression.

"Why did you do that?" Gwen mutters under her breath.

Hope raises an eyebrow. "Do what?"

"That wasn't your call to make."

"Gwen, what are you-"

"You shouldn't've teleported us away like that!" Gwen shouts. "We left a horde of innocent people behind!"

"Are you seriously blaming me for saving your life?"

"I didn't ask you to save my life!"

"Someone just took a fucking shot at you!"

"No, they took a shot at the mayor," Gwen corrects. "Someone I could have saved if you hadn't tackled me to the ground!" Gwen shoves Hope away.

"He was dead before he even hit the ground."

"You don't know that!"

"And you know what else?" Hope growls at the glaring woman.

"I didn't see any pink auras around the guy, so either you weren't paying attention or you didn't want to save him."

"Of course I wanted to save him! That's what heroes do; not run away from a battle and leave behind a bunch of civilians."

"You're not a hero! You're a high ranking official of an organization and someone just tried to assassinate you!" Hope continues, "When are you going to realize that you can't be both."

"I don't have time for this," Gwen grumbles as she walks to the door.

"Oh how mature; Gwen doesn't get what she wants so she throws a fit," Hope berates. "How very Tennyson-like."

And what's that supposed to mean?"

"I think you already know," Hope answers. "Do what you want."

Gwen observes the woman leave the room; the redhead didn't even try to yell after her. Her plate was already full, and now she had to deal with yet another media disaster. In fact, Gwen appreciated the quiet far more than the unnecessary criticism, which she could do without. She sits down and jumps right to work after giving her desk, which is piled high with paperwork that has to be reviewed and signed, a quick glance. Gwen wanted to sign off on some of the regulations and policies before the cops arrived.

Gwendolyn is no fool; she had expected that people would believe she was responsible for the mayor's murder. She publicly dismisses Mayor Finch, and shortly thereafter he is killed. Even a kid would draw the same conclusion. Everything was too well timed for it to be a coincidence. Since his anti-alien prejudice was confined to his private life and his public goals were mostly humanitarian, it made little sense for someone with a grudge to organize the attack. Even then, there were several newspaper cuttings of some fairly offensive things he had publicly spoken prior to the Plumbers' War. Although it would be absurd to harbor resentment for so long, she doesn't rule out the possibility. Anyone may bear a grudge.

Ah dammit!

Gwen unintentionally wrote on a crucial paper while she was mentally absent. She was too preoccupied with determining who could be responsible for Mayor Finch's death. Maybe Hope is correct about not being able to perform two roles. She looks in her top drawer for white-out. Gwen's ears perk up with the snap of a wire, and her eyes widen in surprise as an explosion illuminates the air around her.

Hope had hardly walked out of the town hall when the building was rocked by an explosion. Looking up, she sees a blaze breaking out of Gwen's office window.

"Gwen!"

Hope soars up the stairs and along the corridor into Gwen's office. She observes that the adjoining offices and wall have already caught fire. The witch casts a spell that blows open the burning door, then surveys the blazing surroundings. With a mana bubble around her and a displeased expression on her face, Gwen is standing there. Hope motions her over, and the two of them flee the burning building. Firefighters rush by them as they work to put out the flames.

Hope swiftly inspects her companion and exhales with relief when she sees she is unharmed. Gwen's expression remained grim throughout. Gwen constructs a mana wall in order to block the approaching news reporters from the women as they race to grab the newest scoop. She keeps moving forward while maintaining a gloomy expression as they beg her to respond to their inquiries. The witch was all too familiar with that look, so Hope closely follows the redhead.

The witch wishes Gwen would pick a different location for their center of operations since she is beginning to feel horrible for her parents who have unintentionally been entangled in their business. Not to mention that it was odd to hold a meeting while her mother was decorating the Christmas tree to discuss who had just attempted to wipe her off the face of the earth.

"So you're saying someone tried to off you twice and failed?" Cooper surmises through the phone screen.

"No, I believe they were trying to kill both of us," Gwen corrects.

"Why? You two are basically polar opposites when it comes to politics."

"Not exactly; and even then it could be a maniac that wants to create chaos."

"Nah, a crazy dude would just start shooting the place up but from what you told me, this was orchestrated; one shot and one bomb."

Hope observes the two of them arguing back and forth, their theories growing more in-depth as they proceed. She felt as though she was listening in on detective chit-chat from a murder mystery. This went on until Carly and Ben entered via the front door.

"You're late," Gwen comments.

"Sorry, we came as soon as we could," Carly confesses.

When Hope and Ben meet eyes, it's clear that something is amiss. His eyes, which are usually emerald, are a dark forest green. Ben almost instantly avoids eye contact with her and fixes his focus on the ground. She wonders what the man is concealing because his sour expression is an obvious sign of his sins.

"Is everyone okay?" The blonde asks worriedly.

"Almost everyone," Cooper replies.

Ben is taken aback by the foreboding answer. The image of Gwen and Hope lying on the ground with blood surrounding them is replayed in his thoughts. All of his hopes of ever again being a hero disappeared at that very moment. Nothing else mattered to him as he felt utterly empty. He recalls staying there till Carly arrived at his side. At that same moment, they swore they would never again talk about what had happened to another person. In the midst of combat, Ben Tennyson became frozen, which resulted in the death of an innocent man.

"Mayor Finch was the only casualty," Gwen announces.

Ben maintains his silence despite being aware of the results of his actions—or rather, lack thereof. Cooper finds Ben's silence over the information that his cousin was nearly killed troubling, but he chooses to keep his mouth shut for fear of starting another quarrel.

"We need to find this person," Gwen demands. "ASAP."

"I think I speak for most of us here when I say we already have enough on our plate," Cooper says. "Let the cops handle this."

"I will not let this heathen get away with destroying what we've built."

"I didn't say to let him go; I said to let the cops do their jobs."

"You and I both know it'll go nowhere; this guy is most likely an alien hitman."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Two human targets in a day? Call it a gut feeling."

"You're not human though," Cooper states.

"Not many people know of my alien origin."

Cooper shrugs in agreement. "So then what's the plan? Like I said, I can't exactly stop what I'm doing."

"No need; we can do this with the people standing here."

"If you say so; keep me in the loop," Cooper states before ending the call.

Gwen returns her gaze to the room. The remainder of the group, notably Ben, has been eerily silent. It didn't take a genius to notice that her cousin was thinking about something. It would seem to be more significant than the attempted assassination.

"Cooper didn't mention it but how are you planning to catch this guy if you're stuck in the office all day, and after this fiasco, you'll probably be attending a lot of press conferences," Carly comments.

"I won't be in the office."

Hope raises an eyebrow at the woman's reply, wondering whether Gwen had already forgotten what she said about being a hero.

"Hard to do that when you're the leader of a galactic organization responsible for keeping multiple systems safe," Carly presses.

"Maybe it's time for that to change."

"What are you talking about?"

Gwen glances at Hope. "Can't be a hero and a high ranking official, right?"

"When I said that I thought you would give up this hero act and start taking charge."

"C'mon, you know me better than that," Gwen chuckles.

"Think about what you're saying here."

"I was never meant to be a general wargaming in his office of subordinates or some spiffy suit taking press conferences," Gwen confesses.

Ben is barely paying attention as he looks out the window in an effort to tune out the present talk. He thought the Bellwood neighborhood's lonely, dark lanes were more intriguing. A flashback to what Grandpa Max said enters his consciousness, and he feels the anchor of guilt settle in his gut. Ben swings around, unable to conceal secrets any longer.

"I was there," he confesses shamefully. "It happened because of me."

Ben's abrupt admission causes Carly to widen her eyes in light of their previous agreement to refrain from further discussion. Confusion can be seen on Hope and Gwen's features as they turn to face the man.

"I was chasing whoever the shooter was, but…" he trails off. "But-"

"But what, Ben?" Gwen coaxes.

"I saw something that made me freeze," Ben mutters.

Gwen is now only a few inches away from Ben and is staring up at him, pleading with him to simply talk to her.

"I-I saw…"

The redhead observes her cousin's eyes welling up with tears.

"Ben, it's okay."

"I saw Vilgax."

Ben saw the expression Gwen gave him; it was similar to the one you give a child after they tell you there's a monster beneath their bed. He despised it; it made him feel nuts.

"Don't look at me like that," he pleads. "Like I'm some sort of fucking loon."

"Ben…"

"I saw him with my own two eyes, Gwen!" Ben rants. "He was mocking me!"

"Ben-"

"He was right there and we stared at each other; we stared at each other and I froze, Gwen!"

"Vilgax is dead, Ben."

"So why the FUCK am I still seeing him?" he shouts, throwing his hands up in the air. "Why now…"

The entire space is quiet. They couldn't say much either. All they could do was stand there and watch Ben Tennyson break down in front of them.

"Bad enough that I had to deal with him in real life, but you're telling me I have to deal with him in here too?" Ben yells as he points at his head. "I can't do this anymore."

In a flash, the witch with silver hair appears by Ben's side. She was familiar with this agony—this reality-shattering ache that erupted from the darkest recesses of your psyche, engulfing you in a tide of feelings.

"I'm sorry, Gwen; all of this is happening because of me."

"No-"

"I was too WEAK…"

Gwen was unable to console her cousin with words as she stood there with her mouth open. There was nothing she could have done to prevent her from witnessing her hero disintegrate into a crying wreck. She could only guarantee him counseling and the wish that he gets well. Gwen is hesitant to acknowledge that she was unsure about Ben's prognosis, whether or not he would receive therapy. The idea of Ben being in this sorrowful condition ad infinitum was intolerable to the redhead.

The boom of an engine breaks Gwen's line of thinking as a car jumps the curb and skids to a stop in her front yard. A barrel emerges once the window is rolled down. Gwen assesses the situation in an instant and summons a mana shield in front of the window. As rounds are unloaded on the Tennyson home, the roar of a machine gun fills the air.