Chapter 07
Ben sat slumped in the corner of the Rustbucket, his glowing pink eyes staring blankly out the window. The desert sun streamed through the glass, but its warmth did little to comfort him. His energy pulsed faintly, his glowing form a constant reminder of the power coursing through him.
He tapped his translucent fingers against the table, a steady rhythm echoing through the small space. His body felt… 'wired'. The energy within him was relentless, like a battery overcharged and ready to explode.
"I just need to calm down," he muttered to himself, though the effort was futile. The desire to do something—anything—was overwhelming.
His mind wandered to the idea of flying. Just a quick flight around the area to burn off some of this energy. Or maybe he could try firing off some of that pink mana he'd discovered during the robbery. It had felt good to unleash it, like releasing a valve on a pressure cooker.
But no. He shook his head, clenching his fists. "Don't. You'll just freak Grandpa and Gwen out even more."
Still, his glowing hands flexed, itching to release the energy building inside him. He floated slightly off the ground without realizing it, his hair swirling in the air as the energy grew harder to contain.
"Come on, Grandpa, Gwen, hurry up," he grumbled, glancing toward the door.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the door to the Rustbucket opened. Gwen stepped inside first, holding a small box, her face lit up with excitement. Max followed behind her, carrying a bag of groceries.
"Did you get it?!" Ben exclaimed, immediately floating over to them.
Gwen smirked, holding up the box. "Yup! One brand-new Chilla's Art horror game. Just like you wanted."
"Yeeees!" Ben practically shouted, his glowing body surging with excitement.
But then, as if triggered by his emotions, a blinding light erupted from his body. It burst through the windows of the Rustbucket, casting the entire area in an intense pink glow.
Outside, passerby townsfolk stopped in their tracks, their eyes wide as they stared at the glowing RV.
"What the heck is that?"
"Is it… glowing?"
"Is that some kind of alien spaceship?"
Inside the Rustbucket, Max's eyes widened in alarm. "Ben! Calm down!"
Ben blinked, realizing what had happened. "Oh, no…" he muttered, his hands instinctively covering his glowing face.
The crowd outside began to murmur louder, some even approaching the RV to get a closer look.
"Grandpa, we've got a problem," Gwen said, peeking out the window. "People are starting to notice."
Max didn't waste a second. He rushed to the driver's seat and started the engine. "Everyone, sit down and hang on!"
The Rustbucket roared to life, its tires skidding as Max slammed on the gas. The RV shot forward, leaving the crowd and their curious gazes behind in a cloud of dust.
Ben floated to the back, glancing nervously out the window as the town faded into the distance. "Sorry," he muttered, his voice small.
Max glanced at him in the rearview mirror, his expression softening. "It's alright, Ben. Just… try to keep it under control next time, okay?"
Gwen sighed, plopping down on the couch and setting the game on the table. "Yeah, maybe tone down the whole 'walking lightbulb' thing, Stardust."
Ben floated down to sit next to her, his glowing form dimming slightly as he tried to calm himself. He stared at the game box, the excitement from earlier replaced with quiet embarrassment.
"Yeah… I'll try," he said softly, though the energy inside him still buzzed like a live wire.
—(~/\~)—
The Rustbucket rumbled along the suspension bridge, its tires humming steadily over the pavement. The sun hung low on the horizon, casting a warm orange glow across the glistening water below. Inside, Ben, Max, and Gwen chatted idly, the peaceful atmosphere a welcome change from their usual chaos.
But peace was fleeting.
The ground suddenly shook violently, the entire bridge swaying as cars screeched to a halt. The RV skidded slightly as Max fought to keep it steady, his hands gripping the wheel tightly.
"Earthquake!" Max shouted, slamming the brakes.
The suspension bridge groaned under the strain, the cables vibrating like guitar strings. Vehicles ahead began to scatter, some reversing in panic while others sped forward to escape. The tremors grew stronger, cracks forming in the asphalt as the bridge trembled dangerously.
Ben gripped the edge of the table, his glowing eyes wide. "What's happening?!"
Gwen peered out the window, her face pale. "This isn't just an earthquake…" She pointed toward the horizon, where a massive wall of water surged toward them. "Tsunami!"
Max's face tightened. "We need to move! Now!"
The Rustbucket lurched forward, weaving through the chaos of fleeing vehicles. But amidst the chaos, Gwen's sharp eyes caught something—a car stuck in the middle of the bridge, its doors jammed shut. A family of four was trapped inside, pounding on the windows and screaming for help.
"Grandpa, stop!" Gwen yelled, pointing toward the car. "We have to help them!"
Max grimaced but brought the RV to a screeching halt. "Make it quick, kids! That wave's not going to wait for us!"
Gwen wasted no time, slamming the Omnitrix dial and selecting her form. "Diamondhead," she said firmly, slamming the dial down.
In a flash of green light, her body transformed into the crystalline alien. Her diamond armor glinted in the fading sunlight as she leaped out of the RV and sprinted toward the stranded car.
Ben, meanwhile, floated after her, already tugging off his hoodie and overcoat. As they dropped to the ground, his Anodite form emerged in full glory, his radiant pink hair flowing behind him like a comet's tail. The faint hum of his energy filled the air, catching the attention of nearby bystanders.
"I'll help!" Ben shouted, his glowing body already surging with power.
Gwen nodded, slamming her crystalline fists against the car's roof. "I'll crack it open!" she yelled, shards of diamond forming on her knuckles as she worked to pry the doors apart.
Inside, the family screamed, the father frantically trying to push open the jammed door. The children clung to their mother, their faces pale with fear as the bridge trembled beneath them.
The tsunami was closing in fast, the roar of the water growing louder by the second.
"Come on!" Gwen growled, her crystalline muscles straining as she pried the door. "Almost got it—"
"Let me!" Ben said, raising his hands.
He focused, his glowing eyes narrowing as a pink construct formed around the car—a delicate but powerful frame of energy that bent and warped to his will. With a flick of his wrist, the energy twisted, pulling the jammed door off its hinges.
The family stumbled out, gasping for air.
"Move, now!" Gwen barked, grabbing the mother and one of the children. She hoisted them onto her back with ease, her diamond body shimmering as she turned to run.
Ben hovered over the father and the other child, his energy flaring. "I'll carry you!"
The father hesitated for only a moment before nodding. He held the child tightly as Ben's telekinetic power wrapped around them, lifting them effortlessly into the air.
The bridge groaned again, another tremor shaking loose chunks of asphalt. The tsunami was almost upon them, its massive wave towering over the bridge, ready to swallow it whole.
"GO!" Gwen shouted, sprinting toward the RV.
Ben followed, his mana flaring as he created a shimmering pink barrier behind them. The energy wall held back falling debris and redirected smaller waves of water as they surged forward.
Gwen reached the Rustbucket first, gently setting the mother and child inside before turning back. She slammed her fists into the ground, creating a crystalline wall to reinforce the bridge and buy them more time.
Ben floated higher, his glowing form radiating light as he focused on the wave. His hands moved like a conductor's, summoning intricate constructs of pink energy. Massive pillars of mana formed, planting themselves in the water to disrupt the wave's momentum.
The tsunami struck the bridge with terrifying force, but Gwen's diamond wall and Ben's mana constructs absorbed much of the impact.
"Hold on!" Ben yelled, his voice echoing with power as he reinforced the energy pillars, pushing against the surge of water. His body pulsed with effort, every ounce of his power focused on protecting the bridge.
The crowd of onlookers watched in awe, their fear momentarily forgotten as they witnessed the incredible display of teamwork and power.
Finally, the wave began to subside, its energy dissipated by Ben's constructs and Gwen's fortifications. The bridge still stood, battered but intact, as the waters receded.
The crowd erupted into cheers as Ben and Gwen returned to the RV, their glowing forms shining like heroes out of a storybook.
"Stardust!" someone shouted, pointing at Ben.
The name caught on, and soon the entire crowd was chanting, "Stardust! Stardust!"
Ben hovered for a moment, his glowing eyes scanning the grateful faces below. He felt a small smile tug at his lips. For once, he didn't feel like a freak. He felt like… a hero.
He glanced at Gwen, who gave him a proud nod. "Nice work, partner."
Ben nodded back, the warmth of the crowd's cheers filling him as he floated into the RV. The family they'd saved was already thanking Max profusely, their voices trembling with relief.
As the Rustbucket rumbled back to life and drove off the bridge, Ben slumped into a seat, exhausted but content. The faint chant of "Stardust" echoed in his mind as he closed his glowing eyes, letting himself feel, for once, that he truly belonged.
—(~/\~)—
In a dimly lit lab filled with grotesque creations and discarded machinery, Doctor Animo sat slouched in his makeshift throne. His green lab coat was tattered, and his bony fingers rested on the armrests, tapping rhythmically as he watched the TV screen in front of him. The screen displayed news footage of the recent bridge rescue, replaying the event in slow motion.
There, in crystal-clear quality, was Gwen Tennyson in her Diamondhead form, smashing her way through debris and saving the trapped family with heroic gusto. Animo sneered.
"Tennyson," he muttered, his voice dripping with disdain. "That insufferable brat."
But as the footage panned to the glowing pink figure floating beside her, Animo's eyes narrowed.
"And what… do we have here?" he mused, leaning forward.
The news anchor's voice played in the background.
"Dubbed 'Stardust' by onlookers, this mysterious glowing entity appears to have assisted in the daring rescue alongside another alien form. Witnesses describe Stardust as a radiant, humanoid figure with extraordinary powers, including the ability to generate energy constructs and telekinesis."
The footage shifted to show Ben in his Anodite form, hovering effortlessly as he lifted debris with pink energy and created barriers to stop the tsunami. The crowd's chants of "Stardust!" echoed faintly in the recording.
Animo's lips curled into a crooked grin. He replayed the clip again, zooming in on the glowing figure. "So… the Tennysons have a new ally," he muttered, his voice dripping with curiosity. "Or perhaps… a new lab specimen."
He stood abruptly, his chair creaking behind him. The dim green glow of his lab cast eerie shadows on his twisted face as he began pacing.
"This… 'Stardust'," he said, almost tasting the name. "Such radiant energy… such raw power. Far beyond anything in my current experiments." He gestured toward the corner of the lab, where mutated animals squawked and growled in their cages.
"But where did it come from? A new alien from the Omnitrix? Or perhaps…" He paused, his grin widening as a sinister idea took root. "Something 'entirely' different. Something… unnatural."
He turned to one of his mutant creations—a hulking, cybernetically enhanced gorilla with glowing green veins. "I must know what makes Stardust 'tick'. That energy… it could fuel my experiments for decades! Imagine what I could achieve with such a specimen under my control."
The gorilla let out a guttural growl, its glowing eyes mirroring Animo's twisted excitement.
Animo cackled, his laugh echoing through the lab. "The Tennysons won't know what hit them. I've underestimated them in the past, yes, but this time…" He walked over to a workbench and began tinkering with a strange device, its coils sparking with green electricity. "This time, I'll capture their precious 'Stardust' and harness its power for myself!"
He replayed the footage one last time, his eyes fixated on Ben's glowing form as it hovered heroically above the bridge.
"You won't be a hero for long, 'Stardust'," Animo whispered, his grin turning into a snarl. "You'll be mine."
—(~/\~)—
Author Note: A relatively short chapter. But I hope it was enjoyable. Regardless, thanks for reading this story. Drop your thoughts in the review section. Your words inspire me to write faster, better and with more depth.