Chapter 29 Nightmare: Part 2

Song Used: Horns by Bryce Fox

South Dakota

Ben's House

Bellwood, New York; May 8th, 2014; 7:37PM

"That's too tight!" Ben audibly choked out as he stood upright in front of a vertical mirror in his room, being trapped by a comfortable, dainty, yet stern pair of arms around his neck perfectly tying a black cloth into a half-windsor knot and tightening it up to his neckline. Ben had already technically graduated from his public high school five months earlier, and Gwendolyn had already begun her classes at Princeton but, being the still teenage eighteen-year-old she was, she found herself giddy at the thought of finally dancing in public with her boyfriend.

Now that they were both free from the social anxieties of peer pressure, and the fact that they'd both saved the planet and been awarded as heroes on live television, there was simply no need to hide the fact that they were in love with each other. After the first group of alien immigrants came out of hiding and received full citizenship from the CIA and the Plumbers of Earth, interspecies relationships started becoming more obvious. Needless to say, Gwendolyn was filled with glee as she pulled away and looked Ben up and down in the mirror from over his shoulder, lying her chin on the blade of his shoulder. "It's totally not, and besides," her eyes fixated on his in the reflection before flashing a sweet smile and caressing his arm with her free hand, "You look handsome in that suit."

He pulled on the ends of his jacket, buttoning his waistcoat over the darker green button-up shirt, beneath that was a matching emerald vest which all together wasn't that uncomfortable. Seriously though, who knew suits came in three-pieces? Not Ben as Gwendolyn did most of the shopping herself, "I look handsome in anything," he chided back sarcastically, "And besides, we don't have to do this… ya know? we can go anywhere else in the world, I'm the youngest multi-millionaire in New York-" He referred to his inheritance which he received in January after turning eighteen. Gwen's fingers ran up his sleeve interrupting him with a finger over his lips, focusing on the real him which she clung to, his eyes still focused on the reflection of them until her fingers swayed down and caught his chin.

Leisurely she pulled his chin toward her to make eye contact, steadily leaning in to initiate a soft kiss, their eyelids lowered as her lips pressed against his briefly before pulling back, grabbing him by the tie with a coy smile, "I don't care who sees us, I don't care if the entire school laughs at us, I just want that one moment with you…" she gave him an endearing look up into his eyes, where he could see the emerald light that he fell in love with.

She found herself looking up, realizing that she was getting shorter and shorter than him each year by half an inch at least, it was almost to the point where she needed to get on her toes to properly make-out. "I want to walk down the stairs in my dress with you, I want our parents to take our pictures… I want it to be special." Her grin was all he ever needed, that satisfied, genuinely happy grin that Gwen always gave him when she wanted something specific out of their relationship. Though she agreed they were too young, she had the same excited smile on her face when they briefly discussed marriage. He would do anything to keep that smile on her face.

Ben turned around slowly, shifting his hand to her waist as he motioned her in the direction of the bathroom, "Speaking of that dress, it's probably time that you, ya know, put it on?" he asked referring to how she hadn't taken a single step in the direction of getting ready for something as apparently special as prom night.

"Don't be a doofus," Gwendolyn chuckled and scoffed, almost insulted, "I spent all week picking out this outfit, and it's going to be amazing," spite saying this still in white caky-jeans and one of his old lucky white t-shirts with a black stripe down the torso, being eight-years older now and considering her bust, it hardly fit her at all. She only wore it as a pajama or when the two of them were alone, this time she didn't have anything to wear other than the dress she brought with them hanging in his bathroom so she made do with what she could find. "Are your parents ready? My Dad wouldn't even let us get ready in my old room, let alone with you in there with me…" Gwendolyn drew a circle of golden light above her head almost akin to a large halo, slowly finding intricate symbols being formed in the Bezelian language.

Ben sighed and peaked out of his bedroom door, glancing at the living room from upstairs, he saw the lights on and heard his Mother and Aunt Natalie bickering calmly from the kitchen, "I think so, your mom really wants to see you in the dress and my mom really wants us to get on with it so she can…" he listened carefully a second time, "Get another bottle of wine opened to dull the…" he cut himself off before he repeated her insult on them, "My Dad has his phone ready for pictures so… that's optimistic," he turned back around and was flabbergasted by a flash of golden light that consumed the room, dropping the halo of metaphysical energy down over her body wrapping her in the exact choice in make-up, foot wear, and clothing she had enchanted in preparation.

~In his heart there's a hole, there's a black mark on his soul, In her hands is his heart, and she won't let go till it's scarred~

When it dimmed out, Gwendolyn was standing in the middle of his nearly entirely cleaned out room, wearing a solid off the shoulder deep blue bodycon dress that almost glittered in the bit of light that illuminated the room. Beneath the dress she wore skintight pantyhose that allowed her to slip into her indigo three-inch perfect pump heels. Having been facing the mirror, it was only a second or two before Gwendolyn turned to face the door and subsequently him; the long hair which she'd grown out to hang by her hips had been tied half up and half down with plait braids woven around the back of her head leaving her long hair to hang over her bare shoulders slightly. Her makeup was what made that much more breath taking to him, he felt like a spotlight had been placed on her and they were in the darkest room in the house. Ben took a step toward her slowly as he noticed that her eye shadow and mascara, along with a matching dark blue lipstick shade, was designed to match as best she could with her old Lucky Girl mask. The creativity and skill to paint this art over an even greater masterpiece made him want to pounce on her and never let go, feeling his heart skip a beat when she made eye contact with him.

~She's the fire in the sin, and I burn breathin' her in, now is love suicide? And I'll sell my soul for the high! Truth be told I don't mind, 'cause her hell's my paradise~

Ben didn't even feel worthy, she was a goddess and he felt like a hero in a monkey suit, almost prepared to bow at her feet but, he was paralyzed by her beauty and stunned by her gaze. Gwendolyn took the seconds he was silent and staring in awe as a good reaction, walking across the room slowly, his parents had removed the carpet and replaced it with hardwood in the last two years sending distinct audible clacks with each step. Though, she could tell he was impressed, she still wanted to hear it from him directly, "Well?" she muttered on approach, getting in close and pulling him closer by the tie she'd just knotted for him, adjusting it a bit, "It looks like you swallowed your own tongue, you okay there?" she no longer looked up to make eye contact, she could gaze directly into his eyes with her heels and hypnotic stare.

~She got blood cold as ice, and a heart made of stone, but she keeps me alive, she's the beast down on my bones; she gets everything she wants, when she gets me alone. Like it's nothin'. She got two little horns and they get me a little bit~

"Y-You look spectacular, I-I uhm, maybe I should have gone with the coat?" Ben stuttered as he glanced down at the tie she gripped, pulling lightly on the ends of his coat as he asked unsurely, she loosened his tie just a bit for him. Once she was this close, he noticed she was wearing the Petrosapien diamond earrings he gifted her years ago and was about to comment on it.

Stealing his words from his open mouth, for which he was certainly planning on using to stutter out another sentence, she sealed his lips together with her own. Gwendolyn gave a mischievous curved grin and with her hands running through the hair on the back of his. With a little smear proof lipstick and the Charm of Luck that hung around her neck, she was free to kiss up and down his neck for a few seconds without imprinting or leaving marks on his jaw line which she definitely smooched repeatedly.

"You look good enough to eat already, don't waver now, hero," he could smell the strawberry scent that he was still accustomed to when she would get into his close quarters like this, numbing his other senses for half a second. "Come on, let's not keep their torture waiting," grabbing her hand in his, she approached the door to his room where her heels pointed toward the hall, practically guiding the stunned Tennyson boy.

They were both interrupted when the Omnitrix tucked beneath his sleeves set off an alarm, a beeping that wasn't necessarily loud but, obviously apparent when in the room with him. It was a direct line or beacon of sorts saved for the Plumber command off world, and the President of the United States whom he now had a decent relationship with. "Should I just let it go to voicemail?" Ben asked as Gwendolyn unclasped his hand with a solemn sigh, how could she let him ignore the most powerful political figure in the country?

"No, no; you kinda have to answer her, I guess," Gwendolyn rounded him and sat on the guest mattress his parents had replaced his with in his old bedframe, "And you know it doesn't have voicemail," she couldn't help but correct as she folded her arms in disappointment.

"I'm sure it'll be quick!"

…

Tokyo Bay Airspace; May 8th, 2014; 8:49PM.

"Tell me, Ben, when has this type of thing ever been quick?" Gwendolyn ranted as Ben beside her were both aboard a large Government jet, flying well over six-hundred miles per hour, it felt like a slow maneuver but, it was the plan they had that would be effective. Not having changed out of her dress or make-up, a soldier that was aboard the cabin with them approached with prepped disc in his hand.

The couple glanced between one another before a holographic display projected out from it, revealing the President herself; her long dark hair and formal pan-suit were faded by the static that seemed to be effecting her appearance. Her audio, however, was solid as they heard every word, "Sorry to bother you two so late in the evening, I know you had other plans, but unfortunately your old friend Aloysius Animo has been back to his old habits of genetically mutating animals for sinister purposes."

Gwendolyn rolled her eyes, unbuckling herself from the seat as she suddenly became far less enthused than she was, which wasn't much to start with, "I thought Animo was in Maximum Security after he was transferred from the Pentagon?" she asked with an irritated tone.

"Yes… well, unfortunately it seems we underestimated his intelligence and he managed to break free with the help of… a swarm of mutant gnats," a long sigh followed her statement as though she couldn't believe how the guards at super-max allowed this to happen, "Regardless, this threat isn't just a Japanese one, this creature could very well be under the direct control of the doctor; we've used radar to track something massive growing at the bottom of the Pacific, and it just started moving due east towards Tokyo's coastline."

Ben unstrapped himself too, undoing his waistcoat button as stood up, strutting toward, and taking a look out the window behind the solider holding the president's image in his hand, "We need you to handle this threat before an American prisoner we lost causes an international incident that can't be undone. We need Ben Ten Thou-" she was interrupted as Ben's enhanced vision was able to not only peer down towards the water fifteen thousand feet away but, also capable of noticing the massive figure beneath the murky waters, making its way towards the bright neon city.

Ben sighed almost exasperated, "A little late on that part, I'm afraid," Gwendolyn and the soldier approached the window he stood by as a massive nine-hundred-foot tall mutant Komodo-dragon crossed possibly with other species of lizard, reared its head first before slowly stepping further out of the water with each step. "Didn't mean to interrupt, Ma'dam President," Ben said casually as he approached the empty cargo hold near the back end of the deployment craft, "But, If I'm not mistaken, all I need to do is take down that creature-thing, and I can return to my date?" he glanced over at Susan's projection with a charming smile.

Gwendolyn raised her brow at his nonchalant attitude, he took his coat off which revealed the more form fitting green button up, Susan stuttered over her holographic message, "Y-Yes, I suppose that's the idea we had in mind…" she also seemed confused by his cavalier response to the threat itself, the mage on board with him almost didn't notice him approaching the release button that would allow them to drop from the sky.

The soldier turned so that Susan could see Ben as he adjusted his cufflinks before slapping his palm down on the crimson release button; the cold air was the first to hit him as well as the bit of suction that beckoned him. Gwendolyn was at a loss for words, he was so focused on going to an event which, he didn't even want to attend in the first place, that he was going to rush fighting a literal kaiju. Something she knew would excite him to no end on a normal day, his priorities aside, he was more focused on her and how her night would end.

Ben approached Gwendolyn, handing her his coat as he stripped off his tie altogether handing it over as well, she watched him approach the edge of the hangar still baffled by his response. "This won't take long, I promise this time!" he announced over the roaring winds behind him, he walked backwards off the edge, blowing her a kiss as he free fell through the snowy air.

Snapping herself out of her stupor, she knocked the holo-disc out of the soldier's hands when she shoved Ben's personal belongings in his hands. Followed by a starting jog toward the edge, she unstrapped and left her heels behind, tearing the corner of her dress for more flexibility. Gwendolyn dove off the edge, with her powers as advanced as they had become, and the Charm of Luck still around her neck, she felt confident that by diving she could catch up to her free-falling boyfriend.

Once she caught up to him, he was shocked to see her in mid-air with him, though they were moving at just over a hundred miles an hour, he could see her every feature as the make-up she wore hadn't smeared even in the slightest. He surmised this was due to the magic she used to apply it, however; it simply gleamed against the moonlight making her flawless skin appear almost heavenly. Ben reached out to grab her hand but, she instead embraced him tightly for only a brief single second, "I can take care of this on my own! I swear we can still make it to the-" a kiss midair, surrounded by flakes of snow that, if not for their respective durability, would sting like hell but, instead it was a moment that slowed down their senses to keep this one single moment shinning though it only realistically lasted another second or two.

"I don't care!" she shouted with a smile, and even a few tears of joy, "I don't care where we are, or what we're doing… as long as I'm doing it with you! I love you, dweeb!" only two thousand or so feet away from the water, they needed to start preparing to either plunge or act.

Ben pressed his forehead against hers briefly even as they fell, "You'd rather be falling from the sky at hundreds of miles an hour toward a giant lizard halfway across the world, than dance at prom?!" he shouted forcing her to giggle, a monstrous roar from the creature cutting through her voice and the clouds above them now.

Answering his question without hesitation, "Yes!" she shouted through her tears of joy. They were still connected by the forearms as they fell, Ben glancing down at the creature and their descending speed, "I'll handle Godzilla, you take care of the civilians, this could get messy," he narrowed his eyes at the last part of his sentence, noticing how close the beast was to making its way inland, "Deal?"

Gwendolyn let go, pulling him in by his cheeks for an awkward yet, passionate kiss; her hands were suddenly engulfed in yellow mystical energy, "Deal!" she announced as she pulled away and pulled her arms to her side, diving faster towards the ground.

As she dove, she formed a ring of light in the palm of her hands, immediately tossing it with all of her might out in front of her, her clothes changing as she flew through the golden ring instantly being wrapped in her talisman sleeve and armor as her cloak billowed behind her. "Natantes discus!" the energy over hands just as quickly manifested a similar hovering board to the one Tetrax first gifted Ben. Gliding across the sky and slowing her descent towards the on-lookers who were at disbelief at the creature which approached the coastline, growing from their perspective with every step it took out of the water.

Floating down towards the pier, she shouted at the top of her lung, "Anata no jinsei no tame ni hashiru!" her Japanese was rough but, understandable as she repeated herself, "Eria o kuria suru!" she shouted ordering them all to clear the area and run for their lives, as she looked back at the scene behind her.

Ben opened his arms to slow his descent, giving him time for Lucky Girl to clear the area of bystandards, crossing his arms in front of his face as he hit the water at a precise one-hundred and twenty-three miles per hour, simultaneously exploding with a massive emerald illumination. Behind the mutated kaiju, an enormous white humanoid with crimson cosmic armor over his forearms and shoulder blades emerged from beneath the ocean waters, now standing at ankle level, three or four hundred feet taller than the Godzilla-esque mutant.

When it turned and screeched at him, Way Big noticed two things: one being that it was organic, not mechanical and two that being that case means Animo is controlling it from a distance. This allowed the To'kustar to act uninhibited by the accidental death of a human trying to mount its creation like Animo had done so often in the past.

He reached his massive fists into the water and grabbed the creature by its tail, yanking it back with unfathomable strength, as though the eighty-thousand-ton monstrosity was just a nuisance. Rotating his hips, he swung the beast back through the bay and towards the ocean where it came from; the resulting tidal waves that could have devastated the coastline neighborhoods, were protected by a Bezelian barrier across the entire bank.

Gwendolyn floated in midair above the water, her palms together as though she were praying, and her legs crossed as though it were more comfortable, "Obice magna!" her shout echoed as the waves were stopped successfully.

Way Big crossed his arms in a vertical and horizontal pattern, allowing the sparks of emerald to accumulate at the center of their intersecting points, without the city in the background, the To'kustar unleashed a wave of cosmic energy that cut through the beast like butter. The blast swung upwards as he aimed it just shy of hitting the Moon, which it risked shattering entirely, before dissipating. Having effectively bisected the beast, it spat streams of green and crimson ooze, pooling around it in the ocean.

"Ew."

Way Big exclaimed as he exploded in a wave of emerald light, meeting with and grabbing hold of Gwendolyn who was floating on a disc of her own creation. Jetray flew through the air as Gwendolyn giggled in his grasp, twirling through the air, landing on the observation deck of the Docomo Tower before transforming back.

"That was amazing! Did you see the way I totally cut that guy in two!?" Ben exclaimed as he looked out into the distance where Japanese Government examined the scene with large helicopters shinning spot lights over the mutated corpse.

Gwendolyn chuckled, "And while you were doing that, the Japanese Police were apprehending Animo who was spotted with an odd joystick device, maniacally repeating his name to nobody…" they both were silent for half a second before bursting out into laughter, that was exactly what they expected from the villain.

"So, you really meant what you said up there… when we were falling, I mean?"

Gwendolyn took a few steps forwards and placed a hand on his thin button up shirt, feeling his pecks beneath it, she looked up into his eyes and shouted, "Rise and shine!" In his face.

…

Prometheus Castle

Anti-Earth, Omni-Grid City, February 6th, 2018; 5:22AM

"Wakey, wakey, eggs and backey!" Ben was suddenly ripped from a nostalgic dream back into the cold cobblestone room he was transferred into, a cell he was moved into while unconscious from one of the many beatings he took the night before, by a dousing blast of ice-cold water spraying him down from the blood and dirt of being relatively in his own filth for over a week. Prometheus watched as the blood smears melted away from the deep wounds that wound soon need attention if they intended for him to live, yet his resolve never wavered.

Ben allowed himself to be sprayed by the obnoxiously high-pressured hose, simply closing his eyes as it encompassed his face, it was akin to a fire hydrants pressure, "Is the breakfast… continental? Or should I get something to eat first," he sputtered once the water finally stopped its barrage on his face, he had long since gotten used to these feeble attempts to break his will. Prometheus failing to realize the true key to his success in that factor, all the while pulling his katana out and holding a blade to his throat.

"I'm running out of time… and patience, to produce results, and so you need to produce them for me," Prometheus knelt down to make eye contact with his doppelgänger, lowering his sword and grabbing him by the chin to force his gaze, "I need to know where you keep getting this omni-energy from; I know beating you won't get me what I want, and now I know killing the likeness of your friends and family isn't enough so," letting go to sit back and lean against the iron bars that separated the room into two segments, he sat just out of reach from Ben's grasp, of course. Prometheus clapped his gloved his hands together, waiting for an answer, "So, what? Is Cooper feeding you some sort of interdimensional wire? Or are you really getting all amped up over the power of fucking friendship?" seeing the expression on his own, younger face, Prometheus knew this was exactly what Ben's personal conclusion was. He lowered his head a bit, taking a crawl backwards to lean against the stone wall directly behind him, this room was incredibly cramped and clearly only for a single person at a time.

Ben instinctively glanced up at the two dish-like satellites radiating a crimson light over the entire room giving everything a shade of red-wash, "Those are new…" he muttered before spitting a bit of blood out to the side.

Prometheus had almost forgotten about them, looking back up at them from over his shoulder, "Yea, when the stasis cuffs feeding you this corrupted energy didn't seem like enough, Azmuth suggested these… things," he chuckled as he didn't bother to ask the particulars about it, they were meant to irradiate Ben in this negative energy so much so that it would simply have to snuff out the crippled omni-energy deep within. Yet, the more they pried and tortured, the more questions they asked, the quicker his determination resolidified, the more the energy collected inside of him. "They don't seem to be working, nothing has since I stopped bringing in Gwen Tennyson's to torture, now it seems dim and somehow…" Prometheus glared with his enhanced vision, clearly seeing a feint emerald aura over right pectoral, directly over his heart. It didn't seem to make any sense at all, it was coming nowhere near his arm so, "How are you getting the omni-energy?"

Ben chuckled at him, almost laughing completely, "You seriously haven't figured it out yet?" his jaw had healed faster than should be possible, though his wounds would leave scars, they all healed for no calculable reason. "You've got the smartest mind in the Universe on your wrist and in your castle, and you two together just can't figure it out?"

A crimson flash of light took most of the space in the cage as Prometheus transformed into Quadsmash, pinning Ben up against the wall with a purple four-fingered grip, "Don't play games with me!"

"I thought you said you were the one, ten steps ahead?" Ben choked out even with the pressure against his chest from just a single finger, "You can't break my spirit."

Quadsmash released his grip dropping the still stasis cuffed Ben to his feet, where he quickly fell to one knee, "Tell me, does it hurt?"

After not receiving an answer, Ben took this as an opportunity to stand up straight, "Everytime you use that Antitrix of yours, does it hurt to be inhabiting corrupted geno-archetypes, it must sting like hell-" before finishing his quip, Quadsmash used one of his four arms to reach out, pressing a button against the wall which began electrocuting him through his cuffs sending him back to one knee. Grinding his teeth in agony, he huffed as it simmered and slowly with steam pouring off his back from the water he was doused in earlier.

"I bet that stings like hell too," Quadsmash transformed back into his human form, unmasked, and hiding his pain well, he couldn't understand what it was about this variant that made him so wildly different than the others.

The only differential, the only common denominator, was that amongst the dozens upon dozens of Ben Tennyson's he's slaughtered, none of them were preparing to marry their version of Gwen Tennyson. "That can't be right… are you saying that your sick love for her is what's been driving you this entire time?"

Ben chuckled and announced "Ping-pong! You w-win a prize," he huffed before being backhanded onto the ground, his face planted firmly in the stone floors, "Not just her though," he struggled to get back to his knees, "For every single Ben Tennyson in the Multiverse, so that they never meet you…" he spat blood at Prometheus' feet with an interesting smile.

"What does that even-"

There was a distinct clanking at the door before it slid open revealing Azmuth's mech suit, wielding his staff as usual, though Ben noticed with his enhanced sight that it was missing its ancient Galvan inscriptions.

"What do you want? I'm in the middle of something, do you want your access codes or not?" Prometheus turned to face him as Ben tilted his head at the mech for a moment, suspicious of it already.

Revealing a new compartment on the mech's forearm to him, Azmuth took a step towards the iron bars that separated the three of them, "I'm going to do a multi-layered scan with an adjusted frequency rate, it may reveal the codes to me; if you want my Antitrix to continue functioning, I suggest you leave the room," the silence was palpable but, Prometheus sighed finally.

"Whatever, make it quick," he looked back at Ben with a blood lusted rage, as he stomped out of the room like a child, he didn't move for nearly a minute as Ben slowly got to his feet, sliding up against the stone wall.

"You aren't Azmuth…"

The mech menacingly stepped closer to the iron bars but, it didn't seem to intimidate Ben at all, "Tehehe psyche!" the mech slowly began to morph and ooze until a woman about her age formed with bright blonde hair, familiar freckles, and a giddy smile that made her want to blow her cover even louder.

"Cousin Lucy?! If you're here for a rescue, you might wanna stay quieter!" her shouted in a whisper, watching as she melded through the gates with the keys to his shackles, "Three, two, one," she counted down as she got to her knees and unlocked the chains that bound him, once she finished her countdown out loud, a massive explosion took place in another wing of the castle followed by two more explosions from other directions that rocked his cell but, did no damage to it. "C'mon!" she yanked him by the wrist towards the door which she kicked open, shattering the iron lock, since her cousin couldn't melt like she could.

Once in the hall, they faced Prometheus in his human form, even though he was wounded and exhausted, he chuckled as suddenly instead of leaning against his cousin, he stood upright. "You know, you kept asking me where I was getting the energy from… if it were me, I would have been asking where it was going!" he struggled against his energy cuffs for only a brief moment, Lucy watched with a smile as his eyes lit up, and with a single shout he shattered the stasis cuffs with raw strength. Lenopans never had any laws or regulations against what gender or mate you fell in love with, only social status. Being that, and knowing Gwendolyn had him all to herself, she was quite jealous as steam drifted off Ben's body with emerald sparks cackling across his biceps and lean eight-pack.

His eyes entirely encompassed by omni-energy, he had been allowing it to build and build, having had the strength to break free days ago but instead letting it build as it revealed a new ability. Ben could fly, or float at the very least as Lucy let go of him; another explosion went off sending a ringing through their ears.

Lucy took on a humanoid Sludgepuppy form, turning to face Prometheus who growled at her, "Gwen should be about a thousand feet straight down this hall, it'll lead you to the throne room, where she's beating down on Bad Ben's goons!" she announced as Ben floated back to avoid a slash from a cackling crimson blade, the Lenopan allowed it to pass through her, having no effect on her biology. "I got this dork; you go find her!" she responded as she solidified her right fist and clocked Prometheus in the jaw, knocking back a step or two out of surprise.

…

"Prime" Earth

South Dakota, Omnitrix City; February 6th, 2018; 5:22AM

Gwendolyn walked into the command center on floor fifty-five in her newly updated Lucky Girl armor, that being Cooper's patented polyblend of Galvanic steel and Tadenite compacted into a lightweight yet durable suit. Unlike her last ensemble being multiple layers of kevlar and thick cloth, now her suit would appear almost molded to her body with the nanomechanical tech Cooper used, spawning like a mesh from her Alpha Rune at a moment's notice, using something Gwendolyn referred to as techno-sorcery. The Alpha-Rune embedded in the center of her chest, normally hanging like a necklace, channels mystical energy across eight spatial dimensions making it both the perfect power source and catalyst for her suit which would also use techno-sorcery to materialize her Charms across her sleeve. This was something that Cooper and Gwendolyn worked tirelessly on but, never battle tested it due to her hero hiatus.

Needless to say that Ben had a unique one tailored for him and his abilities in his own Research and Development division if, he ever bothered to make his way down to floor twenty-seven in the first place, but Gwendolyn had prepped and tested the suit for today. Because today wasn't just any other day, after spending the last eight days pinning at scriptures and ancient scrolls for ways to access magic that couldn't be negated, she'd found something. Based on the properties analyzed by Cooper and witnessed by herself, Gwendolyn came to a single conclusion, and she knew it would work.

What stood out to the only other person awake at the hour, being the insomniac technopath, who finally looked away from his holographic screen to notice his work of art in person.

"Oh, wow! Did you pick up the-" Cooper rubbed the sleep from his eyes as she passed his desk and all he could see was the suit forming to her every curve perfectly. "Suit…" she turned on a dime almost feeling where his gaze was glued yet, his microsecond reaction speed allowed him to glance away just before she made eye contact. As she did, the sound of the metallic doors sliding shut behind her as all of the less mature or vulgar ideas fell from Cooper's thoughts as soon as he set sights on her new hair style… He blinked as he looked up into her eyes from his seat, rubbing his eyes again as though his vision was deceiving him, "Did you change your hair?" he asked bluntly.

Gwendolyn turned completely, revealing her old pixie-cut style, with her bangs still hanging a bit over her forehead like how she first wore it years ago just to get Ben's attention, "I felt like a change…" she muttered a lie as she touched her index fingers together a bit out of nervousness as well, "Plus, Ben said he really liked my hair this way once, and I dunno…" the rose to her cheeks rather quickly at the concept but, she shook it off by changing the subject, "D-Did you do what I asked you to?!" she quickly pointed at him accusingly, leaving Cooper flabbergasted with a concerned chuckle, and his hands up in surrender.

He nodded seriously, summoning three different holographic keyboards with which he controlled each simultaneously, "I hacked into the intergalactic Plumber database and found the two top candidates, top of their class in well… pretty much everything," he brought up their Plumber ID badge photos and statistics as Gwendolyn's eyes went wide with memories flooding back, "One of them is Revonnahgander and the other is Lenopan." Cooper announced their species but, Gwendolyn read their statistics already; the one on the right was unmistakably familiar, a peppy blonde with flawless skin, save for a splash of soft freckles over her button nose, a genuine smile that grinned ear to ear, and naturally pink pupils… along with a natural bust that always seemed to be bigger than her own. "Rook Blanco and-"

"Lucy Mann," Gwendolyn finished with an exasperated sigh, she hadn't seen her distant cousin since the night she and Ben had their dance at the wedding where they were attacked by disapproving Sludgepuppy parents. Suddenly putting the thoughts of her own parents attempting to sabotage her own future wedding out of disapproval aside, she shifted her focus and shook the concept. "She's trustworthy but, I didn't even know she was in the academy, let alone doing so well at it," both her and this Rook character were in top physical condition and aced their final exams with flying colors.

Cooper narrowed his eyes a bit, zooming in on her image, summoning information from the extranet in milliseconds which he scrolled through rather quickly, "Oh, yea… she is your cousin-in-law; I've been in contact with them until about four hours ago, because that's when I fell asleep," he chuckled and ran his hands through his thick blonde hair, she noticed the crumbled pieces of fast food lying around his desk having not left it much since this crisis started. "I've been taking power naps…"

As he yawned Gwendolyn giggled and rounded the table, putting her hand on his shoulder for comfort, giving him prompt to look up into her eyes, "Go home, Coop, you've done so much for us already… you need to sleep, I promise I can take care of phase one without you," her hopeful smile and warm hand forced him to take a deep breath, pushing his chair back and away from the holographic monitors which dispersed with his disconnection.

"Yea, I guess if we're going to do anything about this situation, we're gonna need me at my top game," he bolstered as he stood up and stretched his lanky arms and torso, stepping away from the desk as he headed for the elevator, "Plus if I order any more Burger Shack delivery I might end up getting a gut and breaking out in acne…" he chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck, cracking it as he adjusted his stiff muscles, "Call me if you need anything," still using his powers at the most minute level to summon the elevator technopathically, "I'm just a phone call away."

"Of course!" Gwendolyn responded out as the doors shut behind him and she was left alone in the command center, staring at her reflection in Coop's glass desk she still stood above. Her new hair cut would certainly get Ben's attention, and it reminded her of better times so a confident smile emerged but, there was only one way that he could know for sure that it was his Gwendolyn rescuing him. Though suited up to her fingertips in this armor, it was still sleek enough to slip the engagement ring Ben had dropped before being captured over her fourth finger to make it as official as it could get.

"Danger Alert: Babylon Access," using her unique vocal recognition combined with the order to the artificial intelligence that Cooper used to assist Ben. She watched as the entire floor became shuttered closed, the elevator even shutting down access to that particular level of the building; wondering how such a huge technological development could've started out as nothing more than some old Government tech and her own boyfriend's handywork. It of course needed Cooper to be maintained and years of updates but, to have started practically out of their garage, so to speak, was still impressive to her.

Gwendolyn took a breath, closing her eyes and summoning from thin air with blue light a single book, which she let go of and backed away from as it floated out in front of her. Spite being quite thin, flipping pages rapidly took noticeably longer than it should have for any regular spell but, finally landing on the one she desired as her eyes slowly reopened.

Her gemstone emerald iris' that normally gleamed in the light were consumed slowly, pupils flashing bright yellow slowly encompassing the entirety of her eyes, "I summon forth the concept of Fate and Chaos, the power of the Vishanti, and the ancient Lord Bezel himself!" a powerful surge of unknown energy took form in the blitzing winds that begun to surround her. Bolts of multicolored lightning struck across the room, not even flinching in her demeanor, she continued with a chant. Her legs rose into a sitting position where she summoned the Staff of Ages into her hands horizontally before the floating text. "Noitaerc Dnoyeb Seil Hcihw Cigam ,Ytilaer Ym Dnoyeb Rewop ,Em Ot Lennahc!," this allowed her hands to be coated with a bright golden energy, putting both index fingers together in the air and slowly drawing a large circle with her golden light, her last incantation was one that was from the text she had discovered from thousands of years ago that explored magic from other Universes and harnessing them in this, and other, realities.

The circle she drew in the air forced a portal open into ledger domain, spite it being locked down by a grieving Charmcaster, it was almost time they get back what Prometheus took from them. Gwendolyn thrusted her palm forwards shattering the gateway open, stepping into the nexus of all magic, time as a concept itself moving thousands of times slower in this dimension. This gave Gwendolyn the opportunity to take her time in slapping some sense back into Charmcaster.

…

Ledger Domain

Gwendolyn's spell dropped her at the gates of Bezel's Castle, which was abandoned and left for Albedo and Charmcaster to inhabit during their happier days; though time functioned at a rate that left every minute in reality, an hour in this dimension, Charmcaster was born in this dimension and as such did not feel its temporal effects. After being treated for her wounds from Prometheus' attack, Caster told her all about how she'd toured Albedo around Earth, introducing him to all of the finest pleasures the world had to offer. From New York to Los Angeles, then across the world to Belize, Paris, Ibiza, Columbia, she also explained how they fell in love along the way. She eventually reconciled for treating him so poorly when they first met, and he apologized for some of the rude things he'd said along the way. They had only spent a month in Ledger Domain together in harmonious bliss before Prometheus came in and ruined everything, regardless it was a long time since she'd heard a friendly voice, four or more years they spent together in real time.

Gwendolyn hated to admit she was wrong but, Caster wasn't a bad person, not anymore at least, love had clearly changed her in ways that she could only imagine at this point. Approaching the massive wooden doors, she placed her hands against a protection spell over it but, she could tell sound was making it through. "Charmcaster! Prometheus killed Kevin! I know you don't owe me any favors, and I know we aren't friends but, I'm trying to get revenge because now… now he took Ben too!" she tried to hold back the crack in her voice as tears welled up in her eyes, she quickly blinked them away, "So, either open up or I'm shattering this flimsy spell and-" before she could finish her sentence the spell faded away and the door slipped open, Charmcaster was in a thin purple nightgown, so thin that it was transparent enough to see her underwear, not that it mattered to either of them.

Before she could process her attire, Caster flung herself into Gwendolyn's arms, her embrace tighter and more sincere than she was expecting. "It's so lonely here…" she sniffled as she teared up, Gwen found herself stroking the back of her long silver hair, shushing her out of sympathy.

"It's okay, we have all the time in the world to talk about it… let's step inside and get something to eat in you," Gwendolyn noted that she looked a bit frail, not to any dangerous degree but, she clearly hadn't been eating, another sign of severe grief and loss. "We have a lot to discuss, Caster."

"Hope…" she muttered out through tears, "That's the name my Father gave me before my Uncle kidnapped me from this dimension; by the time I was old enough to figure it out, it had been centuries and my parents were long dead…" her eyes flashes with a pink spark as she forced herself to smile through the tears, "So, please, call me Hope from now on…"

"Noted, we can definitely talk about… all of that…" it was a lot to unpack in one sentence so, Gwendolyn guided Hope back into her castle where they could maybe get a glass of tea or something to eat.

…

South Dakota, Omnitrix City; February 6th, 2018; 5:25AM

Charmcaster, or rather, Hope opened the Door to Anywhere being a mystical portal that required far less effort to exit the dimension than any of Gwendolyn's methods. As they stepped through, Hope was dressed in her old, armored suit, a kevlar-lined purple blouse with an open collar that covered her neck, black wrist guards with pink trim that ran up her forearms, and a pink skirt that ran down to her mid thighs, almost meeting her knee-high black socks tucked into her purple boots. Instead of a staff of any kind, she wielded Bezel's wand, which he gave up willingly, apparently according to Hope, he left to explore higher dimensional plains of existence.

Needing only three hours to get a full meal, take a long shower, and even meditate a bit to bring her back to full strength, "Alright, so you're sure this plan of yours is going to work?" Hope asked as Gwendolyn stepped through the portal as well behind her, looking around the mission room, she found Julie waiting for her in the middle of the room.

"Are they here?" Gwendolyn asked calmly.

Julie was being very well paid and so she didn't mind at all the odd hours she had to work, nor the job she had to do so long as it was within her field of capability, "They arrived precisely on time, at the exact same time, just a minute or two after you left…" what was hours for them, had been just a few minutes in the real world; it was an advantage that she strategically took use of quickly.

Turning to face Hope, she nodded as the portal sparked and imploded, closing up behind her, as it sucked in on itself and collapsed, "I'm positive it'll work," Gwendolyn had a confident smirk as the elevator dinged, two figures stepped out just as they appeared in their registry.

One was a feline-like alien with blue fur across his body aside from his face where the fur was white; he had piercing brown eyes and was clad in state-of-the-art level twelve proto-tool armor. "Rook Blanco of the Plumbers, reporting for duty!" he saluted Gwendolyn who was a bit off put by the sudden realization that without Ben she was officially in charge.

On the other hand, Lucy sped across the room and wrapped Gwendolyn in a tight embrace, lifting her off her feet and swinging her back and forth, "I missed ya so much, cuz! Iwas busy training hard for my final exam though, and obviously you've been busy here!" she referred to the massive tower and control room with a gesture of her hand, a blush crept up her cheeks with a light smile.

"Actually, Ben paid for and designed the building himself," She admitted flat out, "I used to do Overwatch but, now Cooper usually handles that. We have a Gwen variant with an Omnitrix patrolling the city to keep an eye out for danger while we execute phase two."

Rook relieved his salute and stood at attention, "Right, there have been multiple sightings of a pink and blue speedster in the area," his proto-tool had shifted like a transformer into a radar which scanned the surrounding miles of the city. His expertise would come in handy for sure.

Lucy released her cousin and looked back at the newbie, who reclasped the tool over his shoulder, fitting perfectly atop his shoulder blade. "So, what exactly is phase two, again?" she asked nervously but, Gwendolyn hadn't told anyone yet, so she wasn't surprised.

"I too would like to know the second phase of this plan," Rook announced as Gwendolyn, Hope, Rook, and Lucy huddled together just a few feet apart.

…

Prometheus Castle

Anti-Earth, Omni-Grid City, February 6th, 2018; 5:32AM

"Are you sure about this?" Charmcaster asked, summoning Bezel's wand in her left hand and clutching her right hand tightly, no pain is worse than a woman's scorn and she was deeply upset doing her best to stick to the plan.

Gwendolyn summoned the staff of ages into her hands, the Alpha Rune in the center of her suit slowly sent lines of neon pink mana through her suit enhancing its durability and her mystic strength. "Positive."

Gwendolyn approached the damp grass where in the distance they could see the burning White House, lit ablaze as a constant reminder of who truly runs the country, and the world. Pressing onward, she used her telekinetic charm to blow down the front doors to the castle, snapping them off their hinges with such force that they both flew a foot or two before falling flat with a loud echo.

Azmuth approached in his mech walker at the sound of the commotion, 'Lucy you're on' Gwendolyn whispered just loud enough for their comms to hear it but, not the enemy several hundred feet away. "Have you come to surrender and beg for your beloved's wife?" he surmised his question towards Gwendolyn who didn't flinch.

"No."

"Then I assume you're prepared to die then; you're just another Gwendolyn variant, we've dispatched with dozens of you before," Azmuth retorted as he snapped his fingers summoning two versions of a friend they once knew. Kevin emerged from two different corridors, one had a Tadenite armor as though it was his own skin; and the other was a beast fifteen-feet tall with the appendages of different aliens. Some she recognized and others she didn't, it was irrelevant.

"Hehe," Gwendolyn chuckled, putting her hand over her eyes as her smile was ever so bright, "Just another Gwen variant, huh?"

Charmcaster stepped back a foot or two, sensing the enraged mystical force bubbling beneath the surface of her temperament, Gwendolyn twirled her staff until she could slam it into the cobblestone floors. Sending golden light through each and every crack in the ground, an ethereal spirit of the most ferocious feline on top of the food chain, summoning a metaphysical lion around her as sparks of energy cascaded around her. "I am Gwendolyn Tennyson, Grand Magus, and Sorcerer Supreme!" her voice echoed like a booming shout, her ethereal beast let out a loud roar, keeping the two Kevin variants at bay with her power. "Etavitcaed!" another spell from another reality shattered every dish in the facility that was radiating that negative energy and weakening them all. "Hope, if you don't mind?" now that they're magic was completely useful again, it didn't take long to aim her wand at one of the Kevin's approaching her to attack.

"Sorry!" she blasted him in the chest with pink lightning pushing him back but, he powered through it, "No, don't make me, please…" Kevin's arms turned into sharp Tadenite cleavers, swinging at her wildly as he pushed against her magic. Hope amped up the mystical energy she had which pushed him back further, glancing over at an explosion Gwendolyn caused with her fight restraining the mutated variant. Tadenite cuts through anything, none of her spells would crack his armor, she backed away as Gwendolyn grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers.

"Use the Alpha Rune as a conduit!" the power from Gwendolyn's suit channeled into Hope's arm trailing up and around her body as she fired an even more powerful beam of energy at Kevin which sent him flying back into a wall, alive. "Thank god I didn't kill him."

Gwendolyn whispered into her comm in her ear, "Rook, it's your turn, phase three, set off the charges now," she flew telekinetically through the room, pushing Azmuth out of the way with a single force push, making her way straight down the center corridor, she could feel him, she could feel his presence nearby.

…

Simultaneously

Lucy took on a humanoid Sludgepuppy form, turning to face Prometheus who growled at her, "Gwen should be about a thousand feet straight down this hall, it'll lead you to the throne room, where she's beating down on Bad Ben's goons!" she announced as Ben floated back to avoid a slash from a cackling crimson blade, the Lenopan allowed it to pass through her, having no effect on her biology. "I got this dork; you go find her!" she responded as she solidified her right fist and clocked Prometheus in the jaw, knocking back a step or two out of surprise.

Ben didn't know exactly how to fly yet but, he was getting the hang of it, the propulsion was akin to Jetray's as he floated through the hall, he could see a figure approaching at similar speeds but, they couldn't fool him with another variant. The moment they got within arm's reach, Ben grabbed her forearm and turned, slamming her back first into the narrow hall, pinning her by the wrists. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't vaporize your eyes," he looked her up and down and all she could do was smile at him, grinning actually, tears began to stream as her smile never faded.

Gwendolyn forced her wrist to twist over so that she could flash the glistening diamond ring he had boughten her, "Because I'm glue baby, this fell out of your pocket when… ya know," he slowly released his grip, taking her wrist to look at the ring, he had been in survival mode for so long that he forgot how to keep calm and rationalize. Yet, the moment she spoke to him, all of his rage vanished, he just wanted to go home and keep her as close as possible, it was her. It was his, her.

Ben released her and pulled her into a tight embrace, so quickly it was like he'd been waiting for this moment his entire life, "I wasn't sure if I'd ever see you again…" she returned the embrace by grazing his back with a soothing touch.

"It's okay," she whispered to him into his ear, "I've got you now and I'm never letting go again," her tears started to stream as she could sense his aura, read his mind and emotions, and feel his presence. It was her, him without a doubt. "God damn, I love you so much!" her embrace tightened on him as they both enjoyed the moment.

The explosions around them began to collapse the building around them, they separated, and Ben raised his brow, "What did you guys do?" he asked as she pulled him toward her, making sure they were physically touching, thanks to the modifications made, this would work perfectly.

"We set C4 charges all across the castle's structural weak points, it's coming down in a few seconds," Gwendolyn said as she called out into the comms as loud as she could over the rumbling and debris falling, "Commence phase four!" it turns out that with Cooper's help and the original Gwen 10 stole from Prometheus, the dimensional shifter was reverse engineered and even improved. With a single press of a button on the side of her nanotech suit, each and every one of them vibrated furiously until they shifted through into their home dimension.

Prometheus was fuming as his abilities hardly worked on Lucy and then she vanished from thin air without using a device that he could see, "Agh! NO!" he prepared his own shifter, setting the coordinates perfectly.

…

"Prime" Earth.

South Dakota, Omnitrix City; February 6th, 2018; 6:08AM

Lucy, Rook, Gwendolyn, Hope, and most importantly Benjamin slipped through a tare in reality, dropped from only about a foot up within the command center, only he couldn't land on his feet like the others; he was worn down, malnourished, and gravely wounded. Julie was called in immediately to examine his physical condition immediately. They all heard the sonic boom clap like thunder from miles away as Julie entered the the command center, she was followed by a speedster who appeared before them, sliding her visor up to analyze the scene, before transforming in a flash of pink light.

Gwen took a few steps into the room, not yet seeing Ben as he was rushed into a medical room out of her point of view, "I'd like to announce that I finally… caught Animo, again, and this time the Plumbers are sending him…" the further she stepped into the center, the more of the team she could see, unfamiliar faces that started confusing her, "To… the Null Void, did something happen?" Gwen asked out loud but, nobody heard her until she slowly approached the medical bay across the room. As she spotted him through the glass, she realized that they had rescued Ben from Prometheus without even telling her, "Are you seriously saying you fought Prometheus without even telling me? And you got away without a single casua-" Gwen was cut off as they all turned to face her, aside from the hardly conscious hero, her mid-sentence choking quickly catching their attention.

After vibrating through to the dimension he selected, he had silently taken cover behind Gwen and forcefully drove his katana blade through her back, shattering her spine, and pultruding from her stomach slicked in her blood.

"Just one casualty, actually…" Prometheus grinned maniacally now facing them without his mask, he used his strength, dexterity, and balance to lift her off the ground with his blade driven between her spinal cord. Gwen vomited an excess of crimson blood, choking it out as it dripped down her chin, her light breaths slowing, Gwendolyn and Hope prepared their individual mystic attacks. Prometheus swung his sword, tossed the critically injured Gwen variant to the side, landing and sliding against the floor with a trail of her blood following her.

"Eradiko!"

"Eradiko!"

From the Staff and Wand two bolts of mystic lightning missed their target as he shifted out of that building before, he could be struck; blasting apart a hole in the wall where he was standing. "Damn it, No! No! No!" Gwendolyn shouted as the Staff dematerialized and she turned quickly, running to her counterparts' side now lying on her back, "You have to stay with me, you can't die now, you and Kevin have a lot to do in your Universe, remember?!" her tears were streaming as blood pooled around her body, more than she cared to admit, it was Kevin all over again.

"T-Thank you, you h-helped me more than you k-know," Gwen gripped Gwendolyn's hand as tight as she could for as long as she could, "D-Do me a favor, when he asks the q-question," caressing the finger with the diamond decorating it, she coughed through her last words, "Just say 'I-I do' o-okay?" knowing full well that Gwendolyn was head over heels for her Ben, seeing firsthand how much they cared for one another, there was no reason not to make her promise to keep that love alive.

"I will, I already decided I will, I promise you…" Gwendolyn covered her mouth as the tears streaming down her cheeks dripped down her chin and landed in the pool of blood surrounding them.

Gwen chuckled a bit, looking up at the artificial lights as she was sprawled out on her back now, Julie rushed to her side once she was sure Ben's healing factor was kicking in but, it was too late. Gwen sighed out her last breath, "S-So, this is what it f-feels like…" a smile crossed her face, for the very last time. Her expression dimmed out and the light behind her emerald eyes faded to darkness.

Gwendolyn wept loudly, this wasn't supposed to happen, this wasn't part of her plan.

Hope, Lucy, and Rook were all frozen in awe with what just happened, they were so close to pulling off the perfect heist, Castle Prometheus should be a pile of rubble. Leaving him crippled and out of options, at the very least, for the time being; if Ben were conscious, he would insist on going back for revenge but, he wasn't and that was a horrible plan either way.

After twenty or so minutes, Gwendolyn made her way over towards the group she enlisted for this mission of hers, "I, uh, I'm sorry you had to see that… all of you… I can't thank you enough for all your help," glancing over at the stabilized Ben Tennyson lying in a cot with an I.V drip for the malnourishment and bandaged across his body.

Rook crossed his arms, staying on his mission was how he coped with any negative emotion or situation, throwing himself into his work was the best he could do, "So, how do we go about stopping this Prometheus for good? Without a direct confrontation to minimalize casualties," he glanced around for any ideas until Lucy raised her hand like she were still in grade-school.

"Ooh, Ooh!" she giddily raised her hand until Gwendolyn picked her audibly.

"Yes, Lucy?" Gwendolyn said with an eyeroll.

The Lenopan held her hands behind her back, looking up and out into the corner of the room, clearly deep in pensive thought, "If Coop made the replicas of the dimensional shifter, maybe he could make a device to block the dimensional frequency permanently, keeping him from breaching into our Earth?"

Her idea was solid but, Cooper still needed at least three- or four-hours rest before they could run the idea by him, Gwendolyn nodded, "That might work… maybe, we'll ask Cooper," instead of standing still, she swayed over slowly to the med-bay where her unconscious fiancé-to-be laid flat and unconscious. Another half hour later and Julie prepared a stretcher for the body bag carrying the unfortunate corpse of Gwen 10, having Rook and Lucy help load her onto the stretcher, a thick tension of silence had filled the room tears still slipping down Gwendolyn's cheeks trying to keep herself composed. He didn't smell amazing, and he'd certainly looked better but, she couldn't help but place her right ear on his chest, leaning against the cot.

Gwendolyn listened to the rhythmic thumping of his heart, she would never get tired of hearing it, his warm skin against her face, just knowing that it was his heart and that it was beating calmed her nerves.

Always having found herself lulled by Ben's heartbeat but, it was all getting to her too fast, the stress, the pressure, she had no idea how he did it all. As though her inner wishes had come true, it was then that she heard a skip in his rhythm and a hand gently patting her head. "H-Hey," he managed to say with a rough voice, being raspy from lack of hydration.

"You're awake so soon," Gwendolyn was almost questioning a miracle but never look a gift-horse in the mouth, so she just wrapped her arms around his neck and embraced him tighter, "Yes!"

Ben raised a brow, attempting to sit up slowly, "Yes to what, exactly?" he muttered in confusion as he shook his head, still feeling weak from his time with his kidnapper, he held the back of his head a bit disoriented.

Gwendolyn raised her left hand showing off that she'd found the stunning diamond-ring he bought her sitting on her fourth finger, "Yes, I'll marry you, doofus!" she punched his arm lightly, tears beginning to well in her eyes again, "I spent a week without you, and it felt like… I had a hole in my heart. I want to spend the rest of my life with you…" her tears choked her up a bit especially due to fulfilling the promise she gave to Gwen, whom he didn't even know was murdered in cold-blood yet.

Ben sighed disappointedly, reaching up now to his forehead where a nasty migraine was brewing, "You weren't supposed to find out like this, it was supposed to be special… not like-" she cut him off by pressing her lips against his, luckily enough his healing had ridden him of the busted lip. She slid her tongue into his mouth just for a moment, pulling back and softly biting his lip as she did.

"I don't care what we're doing, where we are, or who gets in our way; I love you, and the fact that you had this planned all along?" She scoffed and placed her hands gently on his shoulders, "You were doing that while running this hero operation, delegating with the president, building an entire city, and fighting a Multiversal serial killer… all at the same time, and you still made time for this," she held pulled her hand back, showing off her glistening ring once again, which she would never get over now that they were officially engaged. "That just proves how serious you are about it, and words cant express how much that means to me." Gwendolyn was lost in the moment, leaning into him for a warm embrace, forgetting to mind his injuries.

"Agh!" He shouted as he pulled his stitches, still lightheaded, the room began to spin forcing him to close his eyes, "Okay, that's amazing news, I love you too, marriage is great… fucking oww…" he laid back down quickly as even his super-human abilities couldn't keep this pain away, and the scars would start to form soon. He fell unconscious again within a few seconds, Gwendolyn keeping an eye on him as she giggled at his response, she was sure he'd be more ecstatic once he wasn't nearly dead.

…

For those who are concerned with the violence and the bit of gore from last chapter…. Suck it, I don't really care.

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