Shades Of Self Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I had a lovely dream that I owned Ben 10 once. No such luck, I'm afraid.

Here we are at the next chapter! We are back in the present to relieve that cliffhanger I left you all last time.

Not sure if I've done this before, but I want to give credit to wiki/Category:Species#Introduced_in_the_Original_Series where I've been getting my information on alien species in the Ben 10 universe, aside from the ones I've been making up of course!

Enjoy the chapter and see you at the bottom!

"We communicate at cross-purposes. Though we speak the same language, our experiences leave us forever separated."

The Great Knowledge Seeker

Warnings

Aftermath of Emotional/Mental manipulation

Present Day

When the ship shook, Gwen shook with it. She was fortunate in that she was securely anchored to the cell wall and was not sent flying. Still, her arms felt as though they were being wrenched from their sockets. Her cousin was not so lucky. At the impact, Ben was tossed across the small room like a rag doll being thrown by an irate toddler. His thick, scaly head struck the metal wall of the small cell and he made a dull, grunting noise. His body tumbled to the now tilting floor, human again by the time he reached it, and slumped limply. Gwen couldn't see any blood, and she could only hope that the big alien's skull had been thick enough that Ben hadn't taken too much permanent damage.

She thought she screamed as it happened, but didn't remember what she said

Another impact jarred the ship, though noticeably less violent this time, then the unbearable screech of tearing metal assaulted Gwen's ears. The next moment, the cell door slid open, though stopping halfway with a groan, and a young arachnichimp scurred through. His dark blue fur was fluffed out in agitation and he stumbled on the uneven floor before fumbling open a control panel in the wall next to the door. He barely spared a glance at Gwen as he began furiously typing at the control panel's light display, but he was certainly aware of her. As he worked he began talking, speaking rapidly and not waiting for an answer, though clearly speaking to her. His voice was brittle like a twig snapping in a frost.

"Are you alright? I'll have you down in a moment. We need to leave quickly before they realize what happened. That was quite a blow, wasn't it? Caught me by surprise and I knew it was coming. Hope your arms aren't too sore…"

"Um…" Gwen felt like she was reacting in slow motion. Too much was happening and her brain was having difficulty catching up. The situation felt unreal, like a dream mixing with reality. Some kind of rescue party was here, or so she gathered, although she had no idea how it had been accomplished. "Is Commander Maxwell…?" she managed.

"He should be fine." The arachnichimp interrupted his own rambling to answer. "Someone else should be getting him out. We're to meet them just as soon as…" he trailed off, focus returning to the control panel. His long fingers moved rapidly for another second before there was a sudden click as Gwen's restraints opened. Caught off guard, she stumbled before catching herself. She rose gingerly to her feet, testing her mobility. Her feet felt slightly numb, but they were the last thing on her mind. "Can you walk?" her rescuer demanded.

"Yes, I…"

"Good!" The alien turned back to the door, poking his head around the frame briefly to scan the corridor. "Quick! Let's get out of here!"

"Wait!"

Gwen still felt like her mind was catching up to her situation now. She knew they had to hurry, but she also knew there was something she had to do first. She crossed the cell with fumbling steps, still finding her footing. Ben was still slumped against the wall and she knelt beside him. It was still surreal to see him looking so much older than she remembered. The idea that he had died had prevented her from speculating about him growing up. What he would look like and sound like. She heard an intake of air behind her, a startled exclamation as though the arachnichimp had only just noticed the room's other occupant, but she ignored him for the moment.

Now that she was closer, Gwen could tell that Ben was breathing, and she felt a trickle of relief at the confirmation. There was no blood that she could detect, but he was certainly unconscious. Hopefully he would wake up soon, but while he was out…

Gwen bit her lip, knowing she had to quick, but mindful of being gentle. She lifted Ben's shoulders, supporting his head with one hand. She hoped she wasn't hurting him further, and knew he probably shouldn't be moved, but she refused to leave him behind. Somewhere by the door, her rescuer's exclamations increased in volume, but Gwen wasn't listening. She positioned Ben on her back as best she could, arms hanging over her shoulders and her hands supporting his legs. They seemed to be about the same height now, and carrying him would be awkward, but she thought she could manage. Hopefully it wouldn't be too far to the rescue ship. She looked up from her task to find the arachnichimp right next to her, blue fur fluffed out in alarm and all of his eyes wide.

"What are you doing?" he demanded in a frightened squeak. "Don't you know who that is?"

"My cousin," Gwen said shortly. She didn't look at him. She was already moving toward the door as quickly as she could, which wasn't as quickly as she'd like, but it would have to do. She was aware that she was being difficult on purpose, but she really didn't feel like having this conversation here and now, especially when she knew she'd be having it quite a few times if they got to the rescue ship unscathed. At the very least there would have to be a talk with Grandpa Max, and she had yet to think of any actual arguments on her side. She just knew she couldn't leave Ben behind. She hadn't been able to save him four years ago. She had to at least try to save him now, even if that was no longer what he wanted.

"You can't bring him with us! What if he wakes up? Do you know what he'd do to us?" Her companion had easily kept pace with her. His voice was quieter now that they were out in the corridor, but just as panicked, and his four arms waved agitatedly.

"I'll take care of it," Gwen said. Her voice was still curt, firm with an assurance she did not feel. She didn't have any answers to his questions, and she didn't want to think too hard about what she was doing or she would start second guessing herself. "Which way?" she asked instead, heading in the direction he indicated without waiting, forcing her guide to speed up in order to lead her. He was still sputtering perfectly reasonable objections, but Gwen tuned him out. At least he wasn't trying to stop her. She had enough of a reputation in the alliance to command a certain amount of respect, and she was taking full advantage of it while she could.

Before she reached someone with more authority and had to explain herself.

She shifted Ben higher on her back as they rounded a corner. He was dead weight and her arms had already felt strained from the restraints, but she pushed on doggedly.

Alarms had started blaring from somewhere and the lights began flashing red in a clear warning. Gwen tried to put on more speed, but otherwise ignored the alarms much as she had her companion. Meaningless noise.

Then they rounded another corner and Gwen paused momentarily in surprise as she tried to make sense of what she was looking at. They had not entered a hanger, but they had clearly reached the rescue ship.

It looked like the end of the corridor had been blasted through. The metal at the edges of the hole was twisted and blackened from an explosion. Around this area some kind of flexible, grey tube had been attached. It reminded Gwen of the corridors she used to board airplanes back on Earth, except that this tube pulsed almost like a living thing. It was sealed to the edges of the whole by what looked like some kind of adhesive; thick and white.

Her guide was looking anxiously back in the direction they had come, urging Gwen to hurry through the blaring alarms, and Gwen pushed herself forward in response. There was no visible pursuit yet, but it couldn't be too much longer. There were a few aliens bustling about the interior, apparently making ready to launch, though none that Gwen recognized. As she stepped into the swaying tube and then the rescue ship beyond it, not looking back as her companion paused to do something to the tube where it joined Vilgax's ship, she felt an unexpected jump of her heart. Grandpa Max was sitting inside, already strapped in for takeoff. He looked grimly determined, but unharmed.

His eyes widened when he saw what she was carrying, and she thought he was going to rise for a moment, but the straps held him in his seat.

"Gwen, what are you doing?" His voice was rough, scolding. Gwen ignored the rebuke for the moment, busy arranging Ben in one of the seats. She pulled the straps across his chest, snapping them into place, then sat down herself, between her cousin and Grandpa Max. She fastened her own restraints with hands that shook just slightly. Only then did she meet her grandfather's disapproving eye. Her voice, when she found it, was more accusing than she had expected.

"Did you know about this?"

"Gwen, this isn't the time…"

"This is the only time!" Gwen was surprised by the anger in her voice. Grandpa Max looked surprised too. Around them, the door was being secured, the flexible tube retracted and the ship brought to humming life, but Gwen didn't notice any of it. "Grandpa, this is Ben. He's my cousin, your grandson! I can't even imagine what must have happened to him. Did you know he was alive?"

"No." Grandpa Max's voice was lower, forcibly calm in response to her anger. "I had no idea. If I had, I would have told you. I would have prepared you…"

"Prepared me?" Gwen's voice rose, incredulously. "Prepared me to what, kill my cousin?"

"Yes." Grandpa Max's somber tone silenced Gwen momentarily. It was like she was ten years old again, learning about worlds she couldn't possibly comprehend and not sure whether to believe him or not. She could still hear the alarm faintly, and the engines of the rescue ship and begun to whir to life, but these noises didn't matter. She was only focused on Grandpa Max. "Gwen," he continued at her silence. His voice was grim but soft; comforting. "He's not your cousin, and he's not my grandson, not any more." Her grandfather wet his lips, glancing at Ben's unconscious form over her head. "That monster took him and twisted him into something else. If Vilgax told him to kill us he would do it, and he would feel nothing." He raised his voice slightly, filling it with that confidence Gwen knew of old. It was the voice that had brooked no argument with her for as long as she could remember. "I know it's hard to accept Gwen, but Ben is dead."

There was another silence for a moment. Gwen had no attention to spare for anything going on outside of the three of them. She didn't register the noises of the escape ship taking off, the worried voices of their rescuers or the beeping and blinking of the controls. None of it mattered or even seemed to exist on the same plain as their little group that had once been a happy family.

"Not yet." Gwen found her voice at last. She tried to make her voice as firm as Grandpa Max's had been, but she wasn't sure she quite managed it. "I don't care what you say. I'm not letting you hurt Ben, not until I talk to him." She met her grandfather's gaze, met and held it. "You'll have to go through me to get to him." And she meant it. She knew Grandpa Max could see it too. If he tried to hurt Ben, Gwen would fight him, right here in the escape ship.

She knew she'd won when her grandfather's posture relaxed, the command going out of his shoulders. He looked old again.

"We don't even have facilities to hold him," Grandpa Max said resignedly. "I might be able to rig something up, but it'll take a lot of power." He shot her a measuring look from under heavy brows. "What then, when you've 'talked to him'?"

Gwen didn't answer, and she didn't meet his eyes this time. She was looking back at Ben. She didn't know what she would do if talking to Ben didn't work. It was probably stupid to even try. She knew Grandpa Max was at least mostly correct; If Vilgax ordered it, she had no doubt Ben would kill all of them without hesitating, but would he feel nothing? That was what she wasn't so sure of.

Slowly she reached over to the chair beside her and straightened Ben's head against the head rest. His face was so peaceful, but she was worried about how long he had been out. As soon as it was safe to unstrap herself, she would have to find him some first aid. She had to hope he could hold on until then.

I just want him to be okay.

She didn't speak the words aloud. Ben had probably not been okay since he was captured four years ago. Maybe Grandpa Max was right, as he so often was. Maybe talking to Ben wouldn't do any good, but she still felt she had to try.

He was the one who first wanted to talk to me.

For the first time since stepping into the small escape ship, Gwen looked up and around at her rescuers. A Petrosapien and an Uxorite were seated up front, bent over the controls and screens that controlled the small, cramped compartment they were sitting in. The familiar arachnichimp was sitting awkwardly in another seat along the wall. There were no windows int the tiny vessel; just the screens as windows to the void of space so close outside this tiny shell. There was an air of nervous tension in the air, not just because of the risk they had undoubtably run to rescue their allies, but probably also because of the very loud argument said allies had just been having in front of them. Gwen wondered if they had all now figured out who their surprise passenger was. If not, they would know soon enough.

A nostalgic thought flickered through her mind and she glanced back over at Ben.

You always did manage to be the center of attention.

Gwen didn't know how far they would get before Vilgax was able to cobble together a pursuit. She didn't know how badly his ship had been damaged, or if any of her comrades had been injured in the rescue. She didn't know how their escape had been coordinated or what other endeavours had been compromised because of the risks taken boarding Vilgax's most well protected vessel.

That was all information she would usually be intensely interested, and she would be, later, but she found she couldn't focus on any of it at the moment. She could tell that Grandpa Max was already planning possible containment options for when Ben awoke, and though it gave her a twisting in her stomach to think about, it still made Gwen relieved because it meant she would get her chance. She focused on that thought as the ship accelerated away from Vilgax's flagship and hopefully towards a safer system.

It's all up to us now, cousin.

Thanks for reading!

It was so nice to hear from so many returning readers after the last chapter. Thank you so much for your patience with this story, and thank you especially to those who were able to give me feedback on the chapter!

Next time we will return to the past for the final time in this story.

I will probably be updating Traveling Companions next. Then it will probably be Anniversary, Memories Make Us, or another chapter for Shades Of Self.

See you then!