Gwen Comes Home (simple & malin)

[simpleroleplayer]

Gwen Tennyson was practically throwing her things into her suitcases. "I can't believe you!" She shouted at her soon to be ex-boyfriend, Kevin. "MY cousin would NEVER purposely do what you just pulled! Sure, he's pigheaded AT TIMES,but he knows when and where to draw the line! The alien GAVE UP, and you still beat him senseless! With your metal fists. I'm going back to the plumbers, and my cousin Ben...if he'll have me." Shoulders slumped, she sighed. "Maybe it wasn't worth it after all."
With a crack of his knuckles, Kevin laughed. "Guess you're not that smart after all, I mean. you didn't even get the. DOG'S. gender right."
"And THAT'S another thing. You can't drop shit!" Gwen snapped, her face turning nearly purple with rage; grabbing her suitcases and storming out in tears. "Goodbye!!"
Shortly, she returned to Bellwood. It would be obvious to anyone who saw her tear stained face and bloodshot green eyes, she pretty much cried the entire bus ride home. She saw Ben, smiled sadly at both him and his plumbing partner, the blue catlike alien, Rook, and said, "Hey, dweeb, room in your posse for one more? The 'prodigal' cousin returns, and needs a job. Shouldn't left in the first place."
She held out a hand and expected a handshake, pat on the back, and lecture; in short, typical Ben.

 

[malin]

Rook and Ben were finishing up 'work' for the night. it was getting dark and honestly he was long overdue for some rest. Ben was more often then not focused on working as a superhero than taking care of life, and as such the world of hero's and plumbers had kind of absorbed him. He was always trying to be out in the world, and the few times he did return home it was just to sleep. This however didn't seem to be the plan as just as he was about to say goodbye to his partner for the next 12 hours of sleep, he caught sight of Gwen. He swallowed for a moment seeing his cousin, it was kind of like seeing a ghost. She and kevin had left what felt like years ago and now she looked like hell.

So many questions flooded his mind, but when she offered to get back on the team he jumped at it. Rook... no offense to him was a stick in the mud, and as much as he enjoyed the dry stoic sense of humor or rather grown accustomed to it he had always wanted Gwen to come back to the team. "Hey Rook... do you mind if I have a few alone with my Cousin?" They were going there separate ways anyway for the night So Rook nodded and took his leave.

Ben Walked towards Gwen he didn't take her hand so much as just grab her into a hug. "You are an idiot you know that?" As much as he wanted to drill into Gwen for leaving the way she had, he was more happy to have her back on the team. She was far more correct about not having left in the first place, but he was more then happy to just have her back. "But I'm glad your back. We can work out the team stuff later right now."

Ben did however pull away from Gwen shortly after that, it had been a long time since he had seen her, and while she looked like she had needed a hug in all reality he didn't normally show that level of affection. "You look like you have been through hell. How about we go to Mr. Smoothy my treat and we can talk there?" He said not only suggesting but also starting to walk towards the old restaurant their group had once used as a hang out. Gwen looked like she needed help, and while he wanted to rub it in that he had told her leaving had been a bad idea he would leave it be for now. He was more interested in helping her then destroying what ever remained of her ego.

 

[simpleroleplayer]

Gwen got the surprise of her life when. Ben hugged her. She. took to that embrace, noting to herself that Ben wasn't usually so affectionate. Of course he wouldn't help calling her an idiot, with a shameful chuckle, she stated, "Funny, I just called Kevin that. I'm sure.you're. aware by now what happened to that poor Centarian?"
Her. suitcases stayed on the sidewalk flanking her on either side, as he told her she looked like hell, she muttered with. hands on her hips., "Yeah, missed you too..."
The invitation to get a smoothie was too hard to pass up. "YOU'RE treat? Will wonders never cease?" It was said with her common teasing tone, but her smirk that went with it looked forced; and woefully out of place. She smiled, nudged him and said, "Why not?Thanks cuz, a pineapple and coconut smoothie would go down well right now."
She used her magic to move the suitcases on a round 'floater' as they themselves walked there, "Since I've shown up unannounced, I'll need to crash somewhere. Know of a room? I'm betting Grandpa will find room at HQ, but even he would've needed a little bit of a heads up."
She sat at a patio table as she waited for Ben to bring the smoothies. She thought about what transpired in that last six hours, reliving the horrible beating the Centarian criminal took from Kevin still chilled her; only her stopping him with a light purple hand and shield kept it from being fatal . Gwen hugged herself and shuddered like she was freezing, although summer had just begun.

 

[malin]

Ben smiled for a moment as Gwen started acting more like her proper self. over the last while he had wanted desperately to hear that teasing tone of hers instead of the dry sarcasm's of Rook, who was more of a pain in the ass then an actual partner. Then again now that he had Gwen back he rolled his eyes hearing her teasing tone.. "Keep up with that tone and not only will they cease, but they will start adding to your tab." As she prodded him, he elbowed her lightly in the side to return the favor.

Going into the shop he put down the money on a pineapple and coconut smoothy, as well as a mint and tangerine flavored smoothy for himself. Walking back to the patio seat he gave Gwen her Smoothy and let out a small sigh as he sat down across from her. He didn't really have a lot he could say in the terms of a room. It would probably take a few days for the plumbers to hook her up. "I have a sofa you can lay out on for the moment, but... You left the plumbers it might take some time for you to get back in. I mean I will totally vouch for you coming back and I want you back on the team where you belong, but the decision isn't mine... we are gonna have to see Grandpa about this."

Part of Ben was worried that Grandpa would have Gwen reassigned to some other team or that she wouldn't be allowed back in after she left. He knew those fears were a little unfounded but Max was the magistrate of the entire planet now and he hadn't really had any time with him. He shook his head trying to force those distracting thoughts out of his head and focused on the big question, the one that he was so far avoiding answering. He bit his lip for a moment.

"I heard the rumors, but I didn't think... No one would have thought Kevin would have gone that far." Ben said blinking for a moment. It was hard to think about, he had fought, and hit aliens hard. The bad guys were usually gonna end up in a bad way in their line of work, but their goal was always to bring people back alive so that they could be locked up in the Plumbers HQ, and kept away from people. Going as far as Kevin had from what he heard about it, was... difficult to understand. Shaking his head he had been really shocked when he had heard the rumors, but he had thought they had to be false. "I take it though that because your here, and want back in with the team that Kevin... is not coming back?" He both knew and at the same time didn't know the answer. It wasn't the first time Kevin and Gwen had fought, but this was certainly the first time Kevin had stepped so far out of line.

 

[simpleroleplayer]

Gwen retaliated with a hearty "ha!" She remembered how often she paid for his. When she was told where she would bunk. She chuckled, "That'll be fine, at this point a couch will be comfortable! I think Grandpa will allow me back in, fairly confident, in fact. He's the magistrate now, so he knows of my freelancing as 'Lucky Girl'." She tapped her fingers rhythmically as she peered at him, the look would remind him how he almost blew her secret identity when he visited the college.
When he questioned about Kevin returning, she shook her head. "No...well, he's not welcome around me anyway. Good riddance, we both know how he started. Grandpa's bound to have heard by now what happened. It's not likely he'll be welcomed by the plumbers." She quickly held up her hand. "Let me beat you to the punch, Ben, because I've been thinking it since the incident. 'Gwen, you dork, WHAT. were you thinking, dating that creep!"
Gwen sipped quietly on her 'virgin pina colada', looking at Ben, "I suppose that's your usual? Lime /tangerine if I haven't forgotten. How's Rook been rook...I mean. WORKing out for you?" Gwen blushed, it was embarrassing for her to slip up on speaking correctly, how many times had she chided him for improper usage?
"I should think about getting a regular job, just in case, because I won't take. free room." She picked out her cell from her skirt pocket. and dialed a number while watching Ben. "Yes," she said into it, "We need a pick-up at the Mr. Smoothy's on Main. Name? Tennyson, GWEN. Tennyson. Ten minutes? Thanks, we'll be out front." To Ben, she said, "Hope you didn't mind me calling a cab. Knowing you, you still don't or won't drive."

 

[malin]

Ben smiled hearing Gwens impression of him. It was very accurate to what he had been about to say on the subject matter. Smiling he laughed lightly as he sipped on his oddly flavored smoothy more or less having a moment where he was happy. Thinking back over time with Kevin it made sense that he ended up the way he had, but at the same time it was a little sad to hear that one of his friends however creepy had ended up going down a much darker path then anyone else could have followed. He shook his head, "I think I was actually gonna call you a dweb, but the context is the same. Also I'm still not apologizing for that everytime you don that name and costume bad things happen to the people around you." He said with a small laugh, and a suborn look. 'Lucky girl' was many things lucky was not one of them.

"Usual?" He paused for a moment looking over at his smoothy, he always tended to try every new flavor they came up with, or the random daily specials. Mr Smoothy was a melting pot of unusual tastes. He shrugged lightly "Eh I just get something new each time I come here. Was gonna get one of the meat flavors but they aren't on special today." He said with a sad sigh, he had really wanted to get a Lamb, and chocolate flavored smoothy.

When Gwen mentioned rook Ben's face hit against his arms on the table face planting in his overly dramatic way. It didn't even matter that his cousin had messed up her own talking. Which though funny really just spoke to her flustered self. "I told Max I didn't even want a teammate, if it couldn't be you two, then there was no point, but noooo, he had to give me not only a giant noob, but Rook is a total stick in the mud it's almost like Max is using him as some kind of babysitter. At first he was all like 'sir yes sir' and now he's all like 'you know you would be dead without me.' The guy has a zero sense of humor Gwen. I didn't think anyone could be less fun than you..."

Ben sat up slightly embarrassed by his slip of the tongue. He hadn't meant that in bad way and yet it had come out pretty bad. Instead ben just scratched the back of his head and took a long drink letting the awkward moment pass a little before he added. "You know in the good way, where your at least fun to poke and make fun of, Rook isn't, and yeah cabs are great, and I can drive... a Starship... kinda."

Ben had failed his drivers test the last time he had tried to go for his learners, and after that he had just decided that walking, boarding, busing and really any other mode of transport was fine compared to driving a car. "Besides it's not like I see you with a car." he said lightly passing off the blame of the inability to drive. "Also about your freelancing i've always had one question about when you went to college." Leaning in for a moment Ben had a puzzled look on his face. "Did you dye your hair? I seriously remember it used to be bright orange and now it's kind of dulled out, and more brown-ish."

 

[simpleroleplayer]

Gwen wrinkled her nose at Ben. He knew what a usual was, he had to be playing her. "Yes, your usual. It's that drink you fall back on when you can't get the flavor of the week." She held up hers, "For example, THIS is MY new usual. I have the occasion to mix it up too, you know," with a smirk and wink she snickered, "Though Idon't go all weird like 'some people'!"
She couldn't let it go when he, in her opinion, tore into her heroine persona. "Oh, come ON, Ben, can't you admit my magic control has gotten a LOT better?"
As he continued to refer to Grandpa by his name, Gwen winced, one eye closed. She corrected him with a stern "Grandpa." She calmed down quickly and said. "I get the gist of what you're saying, though, and you're right. You don't need a babysitter." Under her breath she mumbled, "though you act like you need one," Aloud she continued, "That just sounds like his,,way of watching out for you, since he can't with his new position."
The less fun comment hit Gwen like a ton of bricks. She spat out the sip of her smoothie she had just taken. "He's that bad? I thought you said no one could be less fun than me."
She patted her hair as she heard the hair dyeing remark. "No, I didn't dye it, you dweeb! This is the color it seems to have settled on, which for your information is mahogany. My natural red locks plus the light purple of my magic, and this was the result. Honestly, WHY would I dye my hair?" She adjusted her glasses as she looked at him, eyebrow raised.
The cab came and she grabbed her bags, via her spell. "Tell the driver where we're going, because I'm not sure where you bunk now." She didn't forget her unfinished smoothie, and climbed into the back to wait. "I've never HAD to learn to drive. First it was Grandpa, then Kevin." With a sigh, she stated, more to herself yet still aloud, "Guess Ibetter learn. Fast."

 

[malin]

Ben winced slightly when Gwen corrected his mistake, he hadn't even noticed when he had started referring to grandpa by name. Maybe it was because he didn't feel like he got to see the old man nearly as often as he would have liked. Rather it felt like there was a new divide between the family that started around the time that Gwen and Kevin had gone off solo. "I can admit your powers have improved all you want, but it's still not cooler then this." He said showing her the newest version of the omnitrix the white and green wrist watch, that was permanently stuck to his DNA. "That and when you go solo as Lucky girl bad things tend to happen to everyone else."

"I know Grandpa is just trying to look out for me, and I know it seems impossible but Rook is way worse then you. You I can get to laugh I don't think I have even seen Rook so much as chuckle." Ben said continuing his irate talk about his new partner. It wasn't that Rook wasn't friend he was just a little more stern then Ben liked to have around. Ben was very in the moment and didn't like to focus on elaborate plans, Rook on the other hand was a by the book stern Plumber. The two worked well enough together that they hadn't clashed terribly, but it was always difficult working with someone who's ideas always seemed to clash with his own, especially when that person takes to rubbing the number of times he had saved Ben's life in his face.

Climbing into the back of the taxi with Gwen he was quick to give his address and sit back, buckling up. "I don't know why you would have to dye your hair, Girls are weird with that kind of stuff. I just always thought it was odd that your color changed, and I never asked till now okay?" He said lightly looking out his window, he was already starting to regret all the joy and optimism he had about Gwen coming back for some reason it seemed like they had been alone 10 minutes and some kind of fight was already starting to break out over Hair color, and driving.... He smiled shaking his head and blushing slightly he really wouldn't have had this any other way. "That and I always kind of missed the bright orange." He said more silently to himself as he looked out the window of the taxi.

"I do miss the Rust Bucket maybe if one of us[/u] learns to drive grandpa would let use get a new one." He said lightly reminiscing on some of the good times they had with the old R.V. Shaking his head slightly the taxi ride didn't last all that long as they eventually got out at his apartment building. He had moved in a while ago thanks to the paycheck he got working with the plumbers, eventually he had to start living on his own, and this place was actually nice. Stepping into the lobby he led Gwen into the elevator and up to the 24th floor, where his apartment was. The truth was he hardly lived in the place, but that also meant he hardly cleaned it either. "and hey for the moment Rook can always drive." He said admitting that his partner had some use.

Walking into the place it was rather apparent that Ben wasn't taking care of his home. There was a sink full of dirty dishes in the kitchen, the fridge had things in it that looked like they had been there since the dawn of time, he was quick to close the door to his bedroom so that she didn't have to see the clothing he had left just laying around on the ground. The living room hadn't been vacuumed, and there was another of other problems. Ben blushed slightly knowing that Gwen was going to chew him out for this kind of living. "I uh wasn't expecting guests." He said slightly embarrassed by the state of everything. Even the couch he had offered to Gwen was slightly messy with the covers in disorder, and everything was due for a good dusting.

 

[simpleroleplayer]

As Ben once again started bragging about his Omnitrix, Gwen laughed while rolling her eyes, "You and your 'watch'!"
When he remarked about bad luck, she was quick to point out, "and who got the short end 80-90% of the time? The bad guys, hello!" She wasn't above admitting others did get nurt...at first.
When he told her about how Rook usually acts, she replied, "Oh, I saw how by the book he was at the college. The first mission oughta. be fun. Wait 'til he gets a load of ME in battle. I'm bound to get much worse lectures about the rules than you everyone did. I can hear it now," she waved her finger mockingly at Ben, "Magic isn mentioned in the rules and thus must be an illegal method of plumbing!" She could almost hear Rook throwing other rules and regulations at her, but she stayed silent about other things. Rook was sure to find wrong with her methods.
When Ben got defensive over the dyeing question,Gwen bit her tongue. She wouldnot get goaded intimate a fight over hair color, no way.
At the mention of the Rust Bucket, Gwen got nostalgic herself, "Yeah, we had some good, and not so good times. Plus that summer we'll never forget." she admitted. "Are you thinking about. traveling the country without either of us going hero or something?" She teased with a nudge and wink, "because count me in on THAT!"
As they left the cab, she gave the driver ten for a $7.50 fare, told him to keep the change, and followed Ben up to his apartment. As soon as she walked in and surveyed the place, she shook her head sadly. "I swear, where would you boys be without us?" She proceeded to open doors as she investigated her new home. She made the blunder of opening the refrigerator and nearly retched. Closing it quickly,with beaded tears and a pain stricken face. She gasped, "OhmiGAWD,Ben! What DIED in there?!"
As she caught her breath, Gwen pulled out her cell. "WE are sooo having take-out! Is that Chinese place still open? And first thing tomorrow? WE are doing some serious spring cleaning; Grandpa can do without. you for ONE day." At least that's what Gwen thought, as she didn't want to clean Ben's 'pigsty' alone.

 

[malin]

Ben's smile seemed to twitch for a moment as she made fun of his watch, he held it back defensively for a moment. "This watch, has saved your butt more times then i can count." He said knowing full well the same was true for her magic, still he was pretty sure that he was ahead of her on the hero scale as he had his powers long before Gwen had started taking up and exploring the world of magic.

The thought of Rook lecturing Gwen was rather appealing. The two of them getting into a killjoy fight to the death would be rather entertaining for him to watch, but he doubted that it would ever have really gotten that far. Still it was an image that was rather amusing image which was replaced with the idea of a new vacation. "But going hero is the best part of the vacation!" He said quickly, he missed the adventure of going across the country, and always staying in one place. Then again them leaving would put Bellwood at risk and neither of them wanted that.

Ben kicked off his shoes as Gwen checked the refrigerator the smell alone and not even the site of it was enough to make him gag slightly even though he was actually used too it. He Laughed though seeing Gwen in a small amount of cathartic pain. "I'm not so sure it's what died so much as what came alive in there. I don't open that thing just because i'm afraid it's some kind of alien that want's to eat everything." He said cracking a joke even though he knew that the situation in his house was far more serious then he would like to admit.

"The Chinese place is still around yeah, but their number changed, and I keep a list of take out places right." He reached over pulling a piece of paper off the fridge which was just a list of food types and numbers attached. Handing it over to Gwen with a smile. He had to agree that it was high time he actually cleaned this place up a little, it was a disaster, and he was pretty sure that was the reason why no one ever wanted to visit him, or the reason why he never visited home unless it was to eat and sleep for the night. It was pretty distracting.

"Yeah we can spend tomorrow cleaning up, but tonight." He walked over to the T.V. and pulled out his old video game consol. It looked almost unused, but he still had all of his old video games and two controllers. "Come on, your staying castle de Ben tonight." He said happily. He took another deep drink from his smoothies as he started pulling out games. "I'll even let you choose the first round."

 

[simpleroleplayer]

Gwen smiled as she was reminded how many times the omnitrix had saved her skin. "Kidding. I know that."
She just shrugged off his remark about heroing being part of a fun vacation . She knew if she challenged that thinking, she'd be reminded by him what her idea of fun on that first vacation seven years ago was. That argument wasn't worth it. Instead, she said aloud what she thought he might be thinking; mainly because she was, too. "Problem with us galavanting around the country is who would take care of Bellwood? Grandpa and the plumbers can't do it alone."

Inside the apartment, Gwen took a deep breath of fresher air and remarked regarding the refrigerator, "No KIDDING! The whole thing needs pitched!" Gwen hadn't meant refrigerator and all, the appliance could be salvaged, after a thorough bleaching; that was just the way it came out. When. Ben handed her the paper, she nodded, took it with one hand, and dialed the number with the other,, and put it to her ear. "Ni hao, Mr. King,it's Gwen. Gwen Tennyson. Yes, I'm back and hopefully to stay." After thanking him in Chinese, she placed the order, "Ben will have his usual, and I'll have the.General Tsao chicken, seven hot with extra broccoli ." After saying good-bye in King's native tongue, she hung up and turned to Ben. "Thirty minutes. So, YOU'RE. giving me the the first round, huh? Still have the maze game I kicked your sorry ass on?" She smirked teasingly, she wanted one win, they were pretty much even when it came to Sumo Slammers.

 

[malin]

Ben smiled as she ordered the Chinese food, and went too look for the game. It figured that she would choose a game that she was better at than him. "I'm gonna regret giving you first pick for that." He said lightly, enjoying the moment as he found the game and loaded it in.

Ben sighed as she reminded him that they would be needed in Bellwood, and in a moment of juvenile anger he let his mouth talk before he even thought. "You didn't think about that when you left before."

Ben paused for a moment having just said that it sounded way worse outside of his head then it had inside, but it was also very truthful. He understood the need to go to college, Gwen was smart, always had been. Her aspirations and her school work had always came well before what Ben wanted to do with his life which was simply be the 'super hero'. Bellwood didn't have any good colleges, he understood all of that, but at the same time she had left Bellwood. There had been a lot of situations where Gwens magic would have saved the day since she had left. A lot of times when His mind had wondered off to what Gwen and Kevin had gotten up too alone. Ben hadn't had a stable relationship since the time when he dated Juilie, and aside from a few other girls here or there... most of them bad choices on his part it was hard to imagine him with anyone at the moment.

"You left me, Grandpa, Bellwood and I'm trying not to think about it Gwen, but..." Ben shook his head and turned away. Turning on the TV he found the game placed the controller down on the table. "You ran off with Kevin, and I didn't have anyone, and I know that's like thirty different levels of wrong but..." Ben bit his tongue at that point. Anymore and he was going to get mad, and forget the more important part of all of this that she came back. This was supposed to be a happy celebration... yet he managed to screw that up as usual.

 

[simpleroleplayer]

Gwen shot him a dirty,'how dare he' look. "You're as pigheaded as ever, but you're no Kevin either; never have been, never will be. I made a mistake; you were right when I was wrong for the first time. Is that what you want to hear? Well, don't expect me to say it again!" Gwen could only see red, right now. No decent colleges in Bellwood, Ben was staying, he obviously was enough, or the city would've been destroyed by now.
She picked up the console as she sat down. Trying to change the subject, she said, "Have you got a girlfriend yet? Betcha you do, and she's a hot little number." She didn't know how right she was; in more ways than one, regarding Ester! Despite her aggravation, Gwen got through all the mazes first. this time the win was hollow, and it was written all over her face, without her saying a word. Putting the controller down, she went to the hall to await the take-out.

 

[malin]

Oddly enough that wasn't what he wanted to hear. Ben normally would have loved being right in any situation that involved Gwen, but this one brought him no real joy. As they played the game it was hollow, and not fun. He hardly focused on it, and in the end practically let Gwen win. Tossing his controller onto the ground at the end when Gwen got up. It wasn't so much out of anger, but more out of a deep annoyance for himself. Looking out the window at the rest of Bellwood he may have been 'enough' but it was only him and Rook. It was however lonely only having him and Rook around most days.

When Gwen walked away Ben just folded his arms. "Had." He said loudly enough that she could hear. There was a long story around him and Ester, the short version was of course that Ben had once again screwed up. He breathed out a long sigh. "I screwed that one up only a few days before you arrived, and really even that was kind of off again on again." He had never really gotten far with any of his past love interests Ben always managed to muddle things up with being a Hero. Half the time Bellwood got attacked these days it was because he lived here.

Getting up from his seat he walked out into the hallway for a moment before hearing the familiar buzz of the apartment door. Picking it up he let the guy in, and a few moments later they had the take out. "Truth is Gwen... I haven't really been 'stable' I always mess up my relationships, and sometimes it's little stuff like webbing a girl to a 200 story building to keep her out of harms way, but other times... I don't know I just... think I screw up a lot." He put the take out containers on the table as he sat down inviting Gwen to take back her seat. He scratched the back of his neck knowing that it wasn't exactly what she had wanted to hear.

 

[simpleroleplayer]

Gwen crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. She then heard the one word she didn't want to ever hear: had. She breathed out an exasperated sigh as her shoulders slumped. Ben couldn't keep a girlfriend and he's a superhero? She shook her head silently as she reappeared in the living room. "What was her excuse this time?" She asked, telling Ben that dispite his faults, SHE thought any girl that passed him up for someone else was a fool. Or family. She figured herself in the later category, of course, she couldn't, or rather. would dare not have him. She was his cousin, after all.
"You screw up, you dope, because you're human. We all make mistakes, right?" She goaded him, wanting him to say it so she didn't have to. She had just mentioned she would never admit to her huge mistake of leaving again.
After taking her seat, she opened up her containers, opened the pack of chopsticks, and proceeded to eat politely, using them instead of the plastic cutlery. "Damn, forgot to order the drinks," she muttered,shaking her empty smoothie container. She had to laugh at herself, knowing Ben, he had saved enough of his for the meal!

 

[malin]

Ben let out a sigh. "She has a city of people to take care of, and I was a little too on the reckless side of things according to her. Eventually the politics killed it." He said mostly to himself but still answering Gwen's question. Grabbing a plastic fork he started to dig into the Chinese food, and his eating style could be described as anything but delicate. In truth Gwen was right about everyone making mistakes and though they were cousins he had always really been closer to her than many of the other girls he knew. It was a thought that immediately triggered many of his senses by saying it was creepy but it was also kind of true. When he had first found out that Kevin and Gwen had been dating he had been envious of Kevin but had always stayed quiet because they were family.

"I'm tired of mistakes." He said blatantly. He knew what Gwen wanted him to say, but decided against it, they had already both admitted that they had done wrong. So they just needed to find a new ground. When she said that she had forgotten to order drinks he held up his smoothy cup, which was also empty. "There is a corner store across the street, 24/7, I could run down there and be back in a few minutes with a bottle of something for us to share. Either that or." He paused stairing ominously at the fridge, "I put a bottle of Cola in there to cool a long time ago, and I never opened it. Chances are it's either still good or it's mutated by now into something evil like the rest of... it."

 

[simpleroleplayer]

Gwen couldn't let. THAT one get by without a barb. "Only a city? Politics? Who was she, the mayor?!" She chuckled, teasing him on the girl's mistake for letting him go. "Hate to see how she runs her city!" She ignored his remark about being reckless; THAT went without saying.
She cast a weary eye toward the refrigerator when he mentioned there was an unopened bottle of cola somewhere in that stench. "Like I said: It's ALL going to the dump, in fact, the refrigerator should be drowned in bleach there." At least Gwen admitted aloud, finally, the refrigerator should be salvagable. "Do you have enough for a two liter? We can use the same cups we had our smoothies in, just get us one from the cooler, because I absolutely refuse to even crack your freezer door for ice. God only knows what's lurking in your FREEZER!"
She went into her change purse, shook it to listen to the contents, then tossed it at him. "Seventy seven or eight cents... just in case. I splurged for cab and supper."
She knew that irritated him when she counted her change by shaking the coins. She had offered to teach him the trick at least 78 times. A penny for every time she had offered. That purse though, held the pennies from the times she had offered to teach Kevin. who also refused to learn. Ben's change purse was in one of the suitcases.

 

[malin]

"Tribal Cheif of a subterranean civilization." Ben said happily as he leaned back into the sofa. Just because it hadn't ended well didn't mean that he hadn't enjoyed it while it had lasted, and perhaps more importantly he was totally willing to brag about it in a situation like this.

When Gwen did her change purse trick he sighed. The thing that annoyed him about it was that she was always right about it. Even though he had tried to learn the trick so often he had never figured out how she did it, and he despised things that he didn't understand. Shaking his head Ben patted his pants wallet he still had some cash on him after the smoothies and Gwen was right she had just paid for both a cab and supper. Getting up he smiled for a moment. "Right then I'll be right back." He said tempted to turn into one of his aliens to make the trip that much shorter, but instead chose to run for the elevator.

He left Gwen alone in his apartment for a few minutes as he ran across the street trying to see how fast he could make it to get the bottle of soda. However once he got into the gas station he was breathing a little more heavily than he had intended and had to slow down.

 

[simpleroleplayer]

Before Ben left, Gwen commented about his ex-girlfriend. "Tribal chief? You don't say. I'm impressed." Then grumbled and grunted a "but not with her."
While waiting for Ben to return, Gwen finished her chicken and broccoli.
Suddenly an old rival sorceress she knew well, dressed in a long flowing red dress coat with black markings flew backwards through the window, spraying glass everywhere and crashed into the couch, flipping it and it's human content over . Gwen, sprawled on the floor, with the couch covering her as a tent, saw the familiar brown burlap sack with a face and grabbed it. "Charmcaster!!" She roared, throwing couch and half conscious leader of Legendomain into a wall with her own magic.
"Uhhgh, truce Tennyson..." Charmcaster, not thinking clearly, thought she might be facing Four Arms, continued, "help...she's c-com-coming. I'm blind..."
"And had your ass handed to you." Gwen answered, helping the white haired girl up. "Sorry for that attack."
"Gwendolyn? Why the hell are YOU here, and where's Benjamin?"
"Nice to see you too, Charmcaster. And who's the she you speak of?"
The apartment shook with the sound of an explosion, that followed a bright flash of light."Bellwood's doomed, Sunlight Blaster of the Crystallines is looking for Benjamin. He recently put away ther uncle. away for mass murder, with my help. She wants revenge."

 

[malin]

Ben was just getting out of the station with the 2 liter of soda under his arm when the explosion happened. Ben was knocked off his feet and the soda was discarded rolling away on the ground. He coughed for a moment bringing up his arm so he could activate the omnitrix feeling the sharp sting of pain, and unable to hear much of anything except a very loud ringing thanks to the explosion that took place not ten feet from him. Looking up at his apartment he could see that the window had been smashed in and his first and only thought at that point was about Gwen. She could hold her own in a fight sure, but she was a member of the team.

Pulling up the omnitrix He practically screamed at the thing "Accelerate." The voice command was quickly recognized and the Omnitrix activated, with Ben pressing the final button to initiate the change. The blue lizard like aliens DNA quickly re wrote Ben's own, and a moment later there was just a blue blur, where Ben had been laying on the ground. Running into his apartment and up twenty five flights of stairs Ben practically skidded against the door.

The faster recovery of the speedy alien helped him to overcome the possible concussion, and when he got up into the room XLR8 stood confused. "Charm Caster!" He said not even thinking he charged over and delivered a Solid punch to her knocking her back to the ground. "Did she hurt you Gwen?" He looked around something was wrong here. "Why are you attacking us now Charm Caster?" He said accusingly completely missing the more important side of the conflict.

 

[simpleroleplayer]

Gwen was adamant. She glared at Ben and snapped, "You idiot! She's been blinded bysome crystal alien."
Charmcaster rubbed her jaw, and frowned at Ben. "Fuck. Knucklehead." She muttered.
She blinked a couple of times. "Shit. I think he just knocked my sight back in. You two are blurry blobs...better than the dark from earlier."
As Gwen helped Charmcaster back to her feet, she said, "Ben this um.." She looked askance toward the taller white haired girl.
"Sunlight Blaster." The taller girl commented as she wobbled and was steadied by Gwen's hand.
"Right. Sunlight Blaster is come for revenge against you and Charmcaster here, for putting her uncle away." Gwen sat the white haired leader of Legendomain into a chair as a small girl who appeared to be on fire flew in the broken window.
"Good. Both of youse. I'll destroy you both Tennyson!" She shot a double fireblast at both Charmcaster and Ben at the same time. Gwen quickly conjured up a shield for Charmcaster, who was still recovering her sight, knowing that as XLR8, Ben was far from helpless. She shot a violet bolt right at Sunlight Blaster, who flew out of the way. "Yeah, little girl, protect your girlfriend...or are you her slave? Either way, you probably sleep with her!"
Gwen fired all she had at her taunter, screaming, "How dare you!!"

 

[malin]

"Woops." He said giving a slight shrug as Gwen informed him that Charm Caster wasn't the enemy. He blushed slightly as Gwen glared him, giving a small sheepish shrug. "In my defense she has tried to kill me about as often as she has tried to help me." He said lightly. With Charm Caster he could never really tell if she was going to try and hit him with some new spell, or help him. She wasn't a bad person just confusing for someone like Ben.

Ben was little more then a blur and a gust of wind around the apartment even as the bolt struck towards him it felt more like everything was moving in slow motion. Dodging to the left he watched as her beam hit the wall of his apartment and punched a hole through it. "I am so not getting my safety deposit back." He said faintly reminiscing the loss of wealth, and possibly the loss of his home if this battle got into an all out brawl.

He remembered Sunlight Blaster, but at the same time he had to pause. "What gives Sunlight! You said that you were appalled with your uncles actions, and that you would help to bring peace to your people! what happened to that?" As he spoke he focused on dodging around the room. Just watching as more and more of his houses possessions were claimed by the destruction. Finally he had enough running over to the kitchen he grabbed the one thing that he was sure would stop just about anyone in their tracks. Stopping in front of the Fridge Ben switched from XLR8 to Four Arms with a single voice command the omnitrix once again shifting his DNA, only this time without switching back to Ben first.

Grabbing the fridge with all four of his arms he ripped the plug out of the wall and heaved the heavy thing towards Sunlight blaster. Hoping that his plan which wasn't really a plan worked out okay.

 

[simpleroleplayer]

Sunlight was to busy firing blasts at a moving target, and blocking Gwen's shots, her anger boiling as hot as the fire that surrounded her and propelled her flight. "The advisors and the people say he's falsely imprisoned!" Now it was out. The propaganda spread by her uncle was far reaching, and Sunlight believed al lie, not knowing the difference. What choice did she have? She even told Ben she'd listen to the people.
"You trying to tell me, this is because you listened to the people?" Charmcaster snapped in her direction as Gwen took one of her terra cotta 'pets', the dog like monsters with purple line markings all over it, grew to thirty times it's size, and if by instinct, went after Sunlight. While she was focussed on the charging terra cotta brute, the refrigerater smashed into her. Sunlight Blaster said "Shit!Dammit!" twenty-five times as she plummeted to the street below. There was a bright flash, and explosion, and quiet.for about five minutes.During the. down. time, Gwen. looked at the two, and the destroyed apartment. "All that because she listened to her people? What kind of malarky is that?"
"You should have seen her uncle who DIDN'T." Charmcaster quipped, trying to lighten the mood.Sunlight was not so easily defeated, of course. she was back up, even more on fire. "YOU THINK I LOOK LIKE THE DUMP?!!" She roared.
Gwen couldn't help the barb she threw as Charmcaster grabbed the young Crystalline. "Ben! Same plan as before with her uncle! Let's put this bitch on ice!" Deep Chill was
the only answer. Gwen's remark? "Well, you certainly SMELL like the dump on a hot summer's day, now..."

 

[malin]

"Right then lets go Big Chill." Ben practically shouted giving the Omnitrix orders, to be immediately answered with a loud red beeping and then a flash of light as the watch powered down, and timed out. Ben was left looking decisively more human then alien, and left without his defenses. The blinking red light telling him that time was up.

Changing between aliens without giving it rest drained the omnitrix's transformation times, but even then Ben had never really gone that short before. He knew he had hit the thing really hard when he had activated it, and that he had to stop slapping the omnitrix, but at the same time now was a really bad time for him to be standing here as a non alien. Ben practically dove behind the counter at that point looking around for something he could use.

"Yeah that's not gonna work for a little while." He said biting his lower lip in anger. Looking around as Sunlight Blaster continued her rampage he sighed knowing there was only really one thing he could do. He turned on the cold water tap letting it run for a moment before grabbing the hose like nozzel and twisting it around pulling the long cord and spraying Solar Flair with water.

"Your Uncle was a mass murderer, there was no cover up Sunlight. I saw the bodies first hand! Your attacking us without cause, and if you don't stop your gonna end up just like him!" He said trying to reason with the alien woman while at the same time trying to do some kind of damage control.

 

[simpleroleplayer]

Charmcaster said several foul words in her language. before saying, "That damned thing's timing leaves much to be desired!" That was before she found herself flying head over heels through the wall and into the next door apartment where she crashed hard into moving boxes. "And this is why I'm leaving Bellwood!" The angry ex-tenant shouted,shaking one fist at the sorceress and the other at Ben, who was literally hosing down a pissed off Crystalline; and Gwen who had taken Charmcaster's place, holding the hot alien with her magic. "}Blub! Sputter!{ You dweeb! I can take my own shower, thank you!"
With the flames extinguished, the clear see-through alien girl, who, though the same age as Ben and Gwen, had no. curves to speak of, was visible for the first time. "So. Your race directs the sun's rays through your bodies to create that heat and fire."
"Ah, we gots us a science braniac!" The girl who stood around four and a half feet tall, hissed.
"How the hell did you know that would work?!" Charmcaster gasped, as she floated back into the totalled apartment. "Sorry about the mess, Sunlight will help you straighten it up." She glared at the girl, hands on her hips. "Right?"
Sunlight nodded and sighed.