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A Charmed Life	By : GrayNeko Category: +1 through F > Ben 10 Views: 75607 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Ben 10, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
Content Tag: Rape
Ben had never been so glad to be up against the Forever Knights as he was right then. Their armor made it impossible for them to move with any kind of stealth so he was always able to find a place to hide when he heard them clanking around. It was odd that they could make ninja armor that was super stealthy and then stick most of their guys with a bunch of clattering pots and pans.
Ben gave himself a shake and pushed the errant thought from his head, he had managed to lead them away from Charmcaster and now he needed to focus on getting back to the camp site to see if Gwen and Kai were okay. If he was lucky Grandpa and Mr. Green would have avoided capture and together they would kick the Knights' collective butts. Unfortunately Ben wasn't feeling all that lucky, which was weird considering that he'd had some of the best sex of his life today. He paused as he heard rustling, turning his head in surprise as whatever was approaching was already almost on top of him. He dove and scrabbled back behind tree, hoping he had been quick enough.
Soft footsteps made him risk taking a peek as whoever was approaching lacked the boisterous noise of a Knight. He nearly melted with relief when he saw it was Kai.
"Kai, over here!" he whispered, startling her until she saw it was him and then she too seemed to flood with relief. She rushed to him and enveloped him in a hug, practically relying on him to keep her upright. He gave her a reassuring squeeze before guiding her back behind the tree and into a crouch.
"What happened? Where's Gwen?"
"We were ambushed and overwhelmed. Gwen, she made an opening so I could escape and find you guys. Where's your girlfriend?"
"We split up to cover more ground," Ben lied easily though he did feel a pang of regret at leaving Charmcaster in such a sorry state. "What about our grandpas, any sign of them?"
Kai shook her head, "No, and I overheard one of the Knights say only three targets remained. Ben, what are we going to do?"
Ben didn't know what to say at first so he merely held her hand reassuringly as he set his jaw determinedly.
"We need to go back to the Rustbucket," he finally said before rising to his feet. Kai's questioning gaze forced him to explain further, "Grandpa has all kinds of tech in there, maybe we can find something that will help us."
"Help us do what?" Kai pressed, doubt written all over her face. Ben didn't blame her, his idea was barely half-formed as it was.
"Well, getting you a weapon would help level the playing field a little. Plus we don't know where they've taken the others and I don't think we can scare any of these guys into telling us, so maybe there's something that'll help us track them down."
He sounded more confident than he felt but it got Kai nodding so he forced a smile for her sake and began to rise to his feet. Together they moved from tree to tree, Kai still holding his hand tightly. Despite Ben's trepidation they were fortunate and managed to make it back to the clearing without encountering any more Knights. They paused near the edge, watching and listening for any sign of Knights waiting to jump out at them. Once they deemed the coast clear they made for Rustbucket, Kai going for the door while Ben crouched just outside to keep a look out.
Kai had only been inside the motorhome for a second before her screams had Ben jumping to his feet. As he reached for the door she came tumbling out, hitting the ground hard before grabbing at her ankle as a whimper escaped her.
"Where do you think you're going little lady?" came a gruff voice, the Rustbucket creaking and shaking until a massive gauntleted hand gripped the doorframe. A Knight stuck his helmeted head out the door and immediately got his bell rung by Ben as he slammed the door into him with all his might. As he crumpled back into the Rustbucket Ben rushed to Kai's side and tried to help her to her feet only to have her cry out and collapse as her ankle gave out.
"I can't walk. Ben, what are we going to do?"
Ben's mind was racing, he could try to carry Kai but there wasn't any place they could get to fast enough before the Knight or others were on top of them. He was on the verge of panicking when the sound of salvation filled his ears as the Omnitrix signaled its recharge. He flashed Kai a smile as he turned the dial to a combat oriented alien and shoved the plunger down.
His frame immediately began to bulge with muscle, so much so that his skin became so tight until it burst in several places. He growled and doubled over as his skin turned a waxen green and he sprouted a mane of greasy black hair. His back rippled as two metal protrusions broke through the skin near his shoulders and continued to grow until two small towers stabbed upwards. Electricity arced between the two towers and as it travelled down the metal it lit up his eyes with yellow light. The energy surged through his body and as it did more metal sprouted from his flesh, sutures stitching together the rips in his flesh as gauntlets covered his hands. More metal broke the skin on his shoulders and chest, small caps that hummed with energy denoting them as power cells. As the transformation finished he was left wearing black pants and boots perfect for stomping badguys.
"Frankenstrike? He's no Fourarms but he'll do," Ben said as he looked over his shoulder at the Forever Knight just making it to his feet. He covered the ground between them quickly and latched a powerful hand around the Knight's ankle. Before the Knight could strike at Ben he pulled his leg out from under him and dragged him out of the Rustbucket. The Knight struggled and shouted curses at Ben but he was no match for the electrically charged, stitched-together alien as Ben continued to pull him through the dirt before taking hold of his leg in both hands and swinging with all his might. Electricity sparked off him as the Knight flew through the air like he was little more than a twig before slamming into a tree. The crunching of metal and splintering of bark spoke to the severity of the impact and the lack of movement from the Knight was more than enough to satisfy Ben.
He lumbered back to Kai and reached for her only to have her cry out as he scooped her up.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, it's just my ankle. What do we do now?"
"Uhm, not sure," Ben said as he looked around before ducking as several shots came from the woods. "But we're not staying here!"
He shielded Kai with his body as he rushed towards the cave and twisted sideways at the last moment to cram his bulky form through the narrow opening. The towers on his back sparked as they struck the walls and forced him to hunch over lest they drag along the ceiling. He tried to put Kai down gently but it was little more than an unceremonious drop as he spun to face the narrow opening. Already he could hear shouting and the movement of men as more Knights converged on the cave entrance. He could take them on, the mouth would bottleneck them if they rushed in but that would only work as long as his transformation held out. He had to figure out a way to slow them down that would also allow him and Kai to put some distance between them.
Ben pounded his fist against the cave wall in frustration as nothing came to him. As his hand came away from the wall he noticed the cracks his hand had left in it and while it wasn't the greatest idea he had ever had it would definitely slow the Knights down.
"Kai, try to move back a little, things are going to get a little rocky," Ben said over his shoulder before slamming his fist into the wall, deepening the cracks and making the cave shake a little. He relentlessly pummeled both walls, grunting with exertion as the cracks became fissures spreading upwards and outwards and stones began to tumble free. Before too long the thunderous sounds of his blows were replaced by a deeper rumbling as the cave began to shake and great chunks of the walls and ceiling began to collapse. Ben shuffled back with his arms held up to shield himself from the debris and once the dust settled he found the cave entrance completely collapsed.
"Ben?"
He turned to look for Kai but with the sudden lack of light he couldn't find her. His desire for light must have triggered something in Frankenstrike's form because before he realized it lightning jumped between the towers on his back, providing him with flickering illumination. He found Kai pressed against the wall, hiding beneath a slight outcropping. She was covered in dust and flecks of rock but was otherwise fine physically; the slight tremor in her hands suggested differently of her mental state.
"You okay?" he asked as he reached down for her.
"Yeah, I'm fOW!" Kai suddenly cried out. A spark of electricity had jumped from his hand to hers as they neared each other and now she cradled her hand to her chest.
"Oh man, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Ben said as he backed up and shut off the power running through his body.
"It's fine," she said as she flexed her fingers before trying to pull herself to her feet.
"Can I help?" Ben asked, offering a hand as he noticed she was having trouble standing. Kai slowly reached out for him, tapping his hand quickly in case of another shock but when none came she gingerly took hold, her hand engulfed in his.
"We better keep moving," Ben said as the sound of rocks shifting could be heard coming from the other side of the blockage. He held his hand before him so Kai could support herself on it and hunched forward so he wasn't constantly scrapping his towers on the ceiling and walls.
"Ben, I'm scared. What are we going to do now?" Kai said, clutching at his hand as she limped slightly.
Ben could have muttered some sort of empty reassurance but he didn't think he could do so convincingly so he remained silent. She must have mistaken his silence for stalwart confidence because she tightened her grip on his hand and seemed comforted.
They wound their way through the tunnels until they spied sunlight cutting through the darkness. The opening they found was a small one, partially blocked by a boulder and even once cleared they'd still have to crawl to fit through. Ben grunted with the effort of moving the boulder aside and sat on it once it was out of the way, managing a smirk before the Omnitrix began to beep and he returned to normal in a flash of light.
"Well at least now we don't have to wait to go through," Ben said as he hopped down and started to crouch.
"Wait, let me go first Ben," Kai said.
"But your ankle-"
"The Omnitrix needs to recharge right? Then I should go first in case it isn't safe, you and the Omnitrix are our best bet of getting out of this."
"That's… incredibly brave Kai," Ben said, surprised by how much her concern touched him.
She flashed him a smile as she knelt, "Hey, I'm the one who was hoping for something more exciting."
Ben's apprehension twisted his gut but he forced himself to remain still and calm as Kai disappeared into the opening. He crouched down to peer after her but she quickly made it to her feet and was gone again. The seconds until she called out the all clear dragged on gratingly slow and he practically collapsed in relief when he heard her. He dragged himself through the hole, relishing the feeling of sunlight on his face after being in the dark. He looked to Kai as soon as his head cleared the hole, not even minding that the sun half blinded him.
A shadow falling across his face was all the warning he had, his left arm coming up instinctively before Kai's foot slammed into him as she performed a vicious axe kick. The blow knocked Ben to the ground, leaving him stunned not only from the force of the strike but at the idea that it was Kai who was attacking him. She grabbed his shirt and hauled him the rest of the way out of the cave; lifting him with strength he would have never suspected her of having. She slammed him against the rock wall, driving air from his body until he could barely stand, much less fight back. She propped him up with one hand, lifting his head up with the other so she could look him in the face.
The look in her eyes was, well, Ben didn't know what to expect anymore at this point but he certainly didn't expect her to be crying. Tears poured down her cheeks but they didn't match her eerily calm expression, it was like she didn’t even know she was doing it.
"Ben," he froze as she leaned in close to speak softly into his ear, her body just shy of pressing against his. "I know you probably don't want to hear this but I think I'm a little jealous to see you with somebody else."
Before he could work up something to say she pressed her lips to his, further shocking Ben. It wasn't just the fact that she was kissing him after all the other weird stuff she had done, her kiss was wrong too. She was just pressing her open mouth against his, almost like she was a fish or something, she was even breathing through her mouth. She seemed utterly absorbed in the act and Ben thought that was the opening he needed.
He tried to push her away but she reacted faster than he expected, grabbing his arms and throwing him to the ground. She straddled him until she pinned his arms with one hand, the other caressing his face as she leaned down. Ben turned his head away from her and stiffened in shock as she laid her lips to his neck. He thrashed against her but her position and size made it easy for her to keep him trapped.
"Ben, I want you, I need you," she whispered into his ear as her free hand travelled down, caressing his chest before descending further.
"Hey!" Ben shouted as she cupped his crotch, his body jerking so violently everything hurt for a moment.
"Don't worry Ben, this will be good, you'll like this," she said as she massaged his crotch, forcing a response against his will.
"Stop this Kai! Don't do this please!" Ben begged, tears suddenly streaming down his face. Despite the stampeding panic he felt his mind couldn't help but think back to the first time he and Charmcaster were together and then scream about how wrong this felt in comparison.
His cries went unheeded as she undid his pants and tugged them down. A whimper escaped Ben when her nails scraped his skin as she hooked her fingers under his underwear. Terror and shame rampaged through Ben's mind with every futile effort he made to unseat Kai. Her hand around his cock produced a sob that, for a moment, Ben didn't even realize had come from him with his mind was trying so hard to deny what was happening to him.
"What's wrong Ben? Don't you like me? Don't you want this?" Kai asked as Ben's distress finally reached some part of her mind that still knew reason.
"This… isn't… right," Ben pleaded between panicked breaths, his gut turning with self-loathing at his own weakness.
For a moment it seemed like she finally understood, her expression shifted to concern before her lip began to quiver, "It isn't supposed to be like this. You're supposed to love me. You weren't supposed to have a girlfriend."
"What-what are you talking about?" Ben managed to get out, hoping that she might stop if he kept her talking.
She was still in the thrall of whatever was affecting her as her mood continued to shift wildly, her face splitting with a manic smile, "The Master can fix all this, he can make you love me, and then we'll be together like we're supposed to."
Ben thought she was about to get off him and drag him to whoever this Master was but instead she leaned down to whisper into his ear, "But first Ben, I'm going to make you mine."
With that Kai began working her shorts and underwear down and Ben threw every last ounce of strength he had into freeing himself. Had there been anyone there to see it they would have said Ben put up a good fight, he certainly didn't make it easy for her but in the end the mentally unhinged girl got what she wanted. She sighed as she sank down onto his cock, a quake making its way up her body as her ass came to rest in his lap.
Tears poured freely from Ben's eyes even as he shut them in a desperate attempt to block out was happening to him, but it was impossible to fight familiar sensations that he would have welcomed in almost any other situation. His body defied him at every step, hips rising to meet Kai as she descended on his shaft and soft moans escaping between sobs as poisonous euphoria coursed through his veins.
Ben had never thought he could come to hate sex but in that moment hate was all he felt, surging through him until it drowned out his humiliation and fear and overrode his compelled arousal. It fueled him with anger and a burning clarity, giving him the idea that it might do the same for Kai.
"I-I hate you!" Ben managed to get out through gritted teeth.
Kai froze immediately, her nails digging into his skin painfully as her she looked at him in disbelief.
"W-what?"
"I can't stand you," Ben spat.
"You don't mean that."
"Yes I do! I hate you Kai!" Ben yelled, spurred on by the slackening of her grip.
"Don't say that! Please Ben, you have to love me!" Kai screamed as she grabbed his shirt tightly in one hand and began shaking him. Ben's head slammed into the dirt and for a moment everything spun but the pain proved the perfect panacea for his unwanted erection. He felt himself wither but Kai's struggling threatened to bring him back to full mast so Ben did the only thing he could think of, slam his head into the ground again.
"Ben?" Kai asked, clearly caught off guard by Ben's reckless act. Ben paid her no mind as he smacked his head against the ground for the third time, anger and stubbornness pressing him onward despite the waves of nausea that threatened to overwhelm him.
"Stop it Ben! What are you doing?! Stop it!"
Even though the world was spinning wildly now Ben could tell there was something wrong with Kai, or more wrong as was the case. Her eyes were nearly bugging out of her head as all the muscles in her face and neck tensed. Ben thought she was having a stroke or something until he heard a 'pop' like a small firework and she collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
Ben lay there frozen by uncertainty for a moment, listening for the sound of her breathing before the acrid smell of burnt plastic reached his nose. His face wrinkled in confusion but it wasn't the most prominent issue he had to deal with at the moment. He eased Kai off him, partially because he was afraid of waking her and partially because the back of his head throbbed like it was going to split open, if it hadn't already, and moving too much made him feel sick. Kai remained stone still as he pulled his pants back up, which was fine with him at the moment but once he realized he would need to pull her panties back into place and she still didn't respond he found concern growing despite everything. He cupped her head in his hands like he had seen Max do while checking Charmcaster for injuries but didn't really have any clue what he was feeling for until his thumb brushed something odd behind her left ear, almost tucked invisibly within her hairline.
It took some effort but he was able to pry it free and found himself holding a computer chip of some kind. It looked partially melted and part of it seemed to have been imbedded in her flesh if the trace amounts of blood were any indication.
Ben sat there with Kai's unconscious form in his lap, his brain wracking itself to come up with an explanation. What was the chip? Was it responsible for Kai's crazy behavior? Most likely, but who put it on her? The Forever Knights? If they did then the next question was when?
He growled in anger at the thought that everything that just happened had been because of the Forever Knights, and more importantly because they had been trying to get to him. They would pay for what they did to Kai, for making her do what she had did to him, for hurting his friends and family, for everything. By the time he was through with them they were going to regret ever crossing paths with him, starting with this Master.
As Ben sat there trying to repress his rage long enough to come up with a plan the sounds of footsteps reached his ears. It wasn't the heavy footsteps of a Knight but at the same time he doubted it was a park ranger. He laid Kai down gently and made it to his feet despite every time he moved too quickly the world spun and threatened to topple him over once more.
He took a few calming breaths as the footsteps drew closer and had to resist the urge to reach for the timed out Omnitrx once the Forever Ninja materialized out of the forest. The daunting figure walked right up to Ben in the most casual manner, setting him so on edge that he couldn't stop a flinch as the ninja reached up to his helmet and removed it.
Ben's eyes went wide with shock momentarily before narrowing in a glare that almost had him seeing red, "Mr. Green, I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. Kai is hurt and I want you to take me to your Master."
Wes regarded him with vacant eyes, clearly whatever had been done to Kai had been done to him. He stepped past Ben to Kai and scooped her up like she was little more than a sack of potatoes. With her under one arm he turned back to Ben and placed a gauntleted hand on his shoulder, his grip like a vice that silently promised to crush Ben's shoulder as a means to discourage mischief on Ben's part.
Ben swallowed nervously, hoping his gamble would pay off, and if not, that Charmcaster came up with a better idea than his.

***
"Unda Repello."
Gwen tilted her head back as the spell took effect, a caressing wind drying her body of the water she had summoned to wash away the clinging remnants of hers and Ben's coupling. She had been hesitant to do anything at first with the threat of Forever Knights looming overhead but as her strength returned and the pool of alien spunk she lay in began to cool she realized she couldn't just sit there. Moving had proved problematic at first, Ben had gotten a little too intense during their love making and everything hurt just enough to make life difficult. It would have been the perfect revenge against Charmcaster to leave her body in such a state before switching back but with the situation growing dire Gwen realized she would have to put aside her vengeance for the moment. Two spells later she was physically fit and rinsed clean of any traces of sap and seed, leaving her to dry off and dress quickly.
She tried to lay out her problems analytically as she dressed, hoping to formulate a solution like so many homework assignments that had come before. They were up against the Forever Knights, one of their more highly organized and dangerous enemies. Grandpa Max and Mr. Green were out in the woods somewhere, possibly already captives of the Knights, and the same could be said of Charmcaster and Kai. Ben was also somewhere in these woods and unless the Omnitrix was being unusually kind to him, it was still timed out, meaning he was at his most vulnerable. All in all things didn't look good and Gwen wasn't seeing a solution until she thought back to the discussion she and Charmcaster had about the Knights. It gave her an idea that was risky but might work better than fighting her way through an entire army.
She held up a hand as she approached the wall of vegetation, picking a portion that wasn't a depiction of her or Charmcaster.
"Praemium!"
The blast from her spell kicked up dirt and echoed through the woods but she paid no mind to either of those things as she took a deep breath to remain calm and strode out into the forest with as much confidence as she could muster. Her plan seemed to be working as the sound of many approaching feet reached her ears and when the first Forever Knight appeared from the brush it almost impossible for her not to flinch. As more appeared and began to surround her she curled her lips in what she hoped was a most disdainful scowl.
"Take me to whoever is in charge of you dolts. I want to know who ruined my plans."

***
Gwen wasn't sure where she was being taken but it was becoming clear to her that they had practically camped on the Knights' doorsteps if the number of soldiers she had seen so far was any indication. She wasn't one to chalk things up to coincidence so that meant that they had been brought here on purpose, which suddenly explained Kai's behavior, though how the Knights got the Greens to do that was still beyond her.
An all too orderly stack of stones jumped out at her as they passed it and was quickly followed by the remnants of a wooden structure that had almost been entirely overgrown with moss. More peculiar landmarks stood out as she looked around and in her mind's eye she saw that this was once a fort of some kind, possibly from the Revolutionary War if she had to wager a guess. The path they took led them further upwards until they stood in the shadow of a mountain before ending near an outcropping of rock that had an overhang that some might confuse for a cave. One of the Knights stepped up to the rock wall and placed his gauntleted hand on it, activating some sort of hidden panel that caused the wall to slide open and reveal a lift platform. After being ushered inside the platform began to descend, quickly revealing a subterranean base of operation which, in Gwen's mind, easily matched the secret Plumber base inside Mount Rushmore.
From there she was marched down a series of hallways, past barracks of troops and training halls filled with the sounds of sparring, all in all making her glad she hadn't decided to go with fighting what would have been an actual army. Eventually they came to a command center of some kind, if the high back throne on the raised dais in the center of the room was any kind of an indicator. The Knights surrounding her brought her to the edge of the dais and one reached out to rip Charmcaster's bag from her hip, which took all her willpower not to jump at. She had to resist the urge to turn toward the perpetrator especially as they all became stone still, almost like toy soldiers on display, which coupled with their eerie quietness made Gwen wonder just what was really going on. She pushed her nervousness aside and took a cautious step forward, waiting to see if one of the Knights would move to stop her. When none moved she dared to step onto the dais and called out to the throne.
"So who am I dealing with now? The Forever Prince? The Eternal Duke? The Baron of Perpetuity? Or did you decide to call yourself the Forever King like the last loser?"
"Charmcaster, so nice to see you again, though I do wonder about the strange company you're keeping these days."
It took Gwen a moment to place the shrill voice but then memories of a mall hypnotist came rushing to the forefront of her mind.
"Sublimino?" she asked incredulously.
The throne spun around to reveal the diminutive man grinning wickedly down at her. He was still dressed like the world's saddest circus ringleader, wearing his obnoxiously large sunglasses and carrying his signature hypnotic pocket watch. He had added a cliché royal cape, complete with spotted white trim, to his attire as well as a crown affixed with a small clock for a centerpiece. How had that third rate d-lister of a villain manage to pull all this off?
"That's King Sublimino to you! Now give me a good reason why I shouldn't have you thrown in a cell and then brainwash you into subservience."
Gwen cocked her head to the side, hoping it gave her an air of disinterest despite her heart racing at the realization that she had walked into the lion's den. She hadn't counted on Sublimino being a part of all of this though it did make sense now that she knew; his hypnotic ability wasn't easily countered and getting his watch while he was surrounded by Forever Knights would be difficult to say the least.
"I'm curious Sublimino, how did you manage all this? I would have never thought you capable of pulling this off."
Her back handed compliment worked as he tried to sit up straighter in his throne to make himself appear bigger all the while sneering gleefully.
"You all underestimated my talents, but none more so than that Forever Fool! He installed safeguards against my hypnotic abilities in his armor but failed to implement those upgrades for his men. After the disaster that was the Negative 10 and the rest of you slinked off into the shadows I was able to find a team of his men come looking for the imbecile. After convincing them I had information as to his whereabouts I was taken to a stronghold where I quickly gained control. Now I rule the Knights and using their horde of alien technology I will ascend to not just ruler of this country but the whole world!"
Gwen had to resist the urge to roll her eyes as he boasted his evil intentions, he really couldn't get any more cliché.
"Now give me a convincing reason as to why you are travelling with the Tennysons!"
Gwen started slightly as he suddenly screeched and prayed that he hadn't noticed her jumpiness as she affixed a demure smile, hoping to project an air of sinister confidence.
"Is destroying the Tennysons a good enough reason?"
"Do you really expect me to believe that?"
"I expect you to believe that you aren't the only one capable of bending people to your will. I've convinced little Ben that's he's in love with me and reinforced that idea with magic, I already used him to get rid of my troublesome uncle. A little more time and he'll be completely under my thumb, or he would have been if you hadn't come along and nearly ruined everything. Where is he and the rest of the Tennysons for that matter? I can only assume you've captured them all by now?"
Sublimino's brows furrowed into what she could only imagine was a glare before he raised his hand. Out of a darkened doorway came three figures that resolved into Grandpa Max, Ben, and Charmcaster in Gwen's body. Gwen's eyebrows rose slightly at the sight of Max and Charmcaster wearing armor similar to the Forever Ninja's, it was clear from the glazed over look in their eyes they were under his control, however her real concern was Ben with a heavy set of manacles encasing his wrists.
"It's strange," Sublimino commented as Ben was marched to the base of the dais. "He surrendered himself after somehow managing to defeat the Green girl. Something do with your magic?"
"Perhaps," Gwen said non-committedly as her mind raced to come up with an answer to that as well. "May I?"
"Be warned, if I sense any betrayal I will not hesitate to destroy you," Sublimino threatened before waving her on.
Gwen turned from him and faced Ben, fighting a flinch at the glare he had fixed her with. She swallowed anxiously, hoping he hadn't really fallen for her little act, it would seriously complicate matters.
"Ben, come here," she cringed inwardly at commanding him like that but managed to maintain an icy calm exterior.
Ben's glare darkened and she caught the flash of teeth as he silently snarled at her. An icicle of dread ran down her spine as she began to sweat nervously, all the while praying Sublimino lacked a keen eye.
"Benjamin Kirby Tennyson, come here now," she said with all the authority she could muster. Ben's snarl skewed at hearing his full name and he cocked his head to the side to regard her strangely, shuffling forward a few steps at the same time.
Gwen could feel Sublimino's disbelief mounting with every second Ben ignored her until panic and frustration got the better of her, "Get over here now you dweeb!"
As soon as the words were out of her mouth she knew she had made a mistake, not one that Sublimino would recognize, but one that Ben could. As his expression sunk from shocked to disbelieving she knew he had realized he wasn't really looking at Charmcaster. Her gut twisted with dread at what he might do now but despite one of her worst fears coming true Ben began to approach her. She tried to read his expression but he kept his eyes on the floor, even as he came to stand beside her.
"Kneel for me Ben," saying the words turned her stomach into knots but she knew she had to convince Sublimino for any of them to have a chance. She tensed as Ben's hands clenched into fists but once more he showed a surprising clear headedness as he played along, dropping to his knees at her feet. Gwen turned to Sublimino, haughty mask of calm back in place.
"Impressive. I had to develop a chip that gave me control of a person while still allowing them to retain their personality and a semblance of free will. You saw some examples with the Greens though they clearly need more work if one was shorted out so easily."
"Where did you even dig them up by the way? I only learned about these two after that girl showed up," Gwen said idly, trying to gather more information un obtrusively.
Sublimino flashed her a particularly vicious smile, "The Knights keep extensive records on their enemies and she came up after the Knights had captured the boy and scanned his mind in one their attempts to steal his device. It was an obvious weakness and one easily exploited once I had access to the Knights resources."
"So you have the Greens and his grandfather and cousin but I have him, what do you say we come to an agreement Subli-, I mean King Sublimino?"
The little tyrant sat back in his throne, "I don't see why I shouldn't just take what I want."
Gwen could feel Ben tensing again at her feet and she spoke quickly, "You could but it would cost you resources that you needn't squander. Besides that, my uncle and I aren't the only magic users out there and if you think what the Knights have can deal with magic then you're sorely mistaken. You need me and Ben so I propose that we work together, and to that end I'll need him out of those manacles."
Gwen knew she had a decent poker face but this was the biggest gamble of her life and she was less than confident as she stared up at Sublimino. His opaque glasses betrayed nothing and as he raised his hand Gwen's whole body stiffened, ready to spring into action as a spell began to form on her tongue.
"Very well, we are allies once more. Be warned girl, at even the first whiff of traitorous intent I will destroy you." Even with the situation being as tense as it was Gwen had to bite back a groan at Sublimino's inability to be anything more than a broken record. A moment it was all she could do not to smile, now all she had to do was wait for a moment where she and Ben were alone and they could come up with a proper plan.
As a Knight stepped forward and unshackled Ben he looked up at her and Gwen nearly took a step back at the rage she saw burning in his emerald gaze. For a moment nothing else mattered as the thought that she had ruined their relationship with her and Charmcaster's stupid game made it feel like the world had fallen out from under her. Then his gaze shifted from her to Sublimino and she realized she wasn't the target of his anger. Before she could even move to stop him Ben's hand shot to the Omnitrix and the Knights around them all drew weapons as he transformed in a burst of green light.
"Free the others," was all Ben said as he straightened up as Diamondhead. As the Knights all rushed him he threw his arms out to either side, spraying crystal shards across the command center and sending many of the Knights reeling as crystal shrapnel the size of daggers punched through their armor. Gwen turned to Sublimino's throne but the diminutive villain had leapt behind his seat, which was probably the smartest move he'd made all day as the chair was pin-cushioned with shards.
"Kill them you fools, kill them both!" he shrieked as he peered around the edge of his seat. The room descended into madness after that with an alarm shrilly blaring throughout the entire complex and the pounding of boots as more Knights came rushing to bring them down. Gwen dodged blow after blow, firing off a blast of magic when she could but through it all her attention was on Ben. He fought like a man possessed, batting aside any Knight that stood in his way with armor crushing force while firing salvo after salvo of shards at the various doorways, barricading them as the crystals grew into massive columns. She had never seen him fight with such brutality yet be so rational and precise, it sent a frightful chill down her spine.
A sweep kick brought her mind back into the fight before her and as she recovered she found herself face to face with Charmcaster in her body. There was no point in trying to talk to her while she was in Sublimino's control and as she barely dodged a punch that obliterated a control panel behind her, she quickly realized fighting wouldn't be of much use either. There had to be a way to shock her out of the mind control but the only spell Gwen could think of that would do it would also put her out of the fight and Gwen was pretty sure they would need all the help they could get. As she dodged a kick that would have taken her head off she asked herself what would Charmcaster do in her place? The answer hit her almost immediately and she let out a nervous laugh at the risk she was about to take.
"Regredior regredior regredior."
The world lurched violently as a magical maelstrom suddenly kicked up around her and Charmcaster. It suddenly became clear to Gwen why they had performed the spell in the middle of sex, without the euphoric sensations body swapping was a nauseating assault on the senses. For a brief moment she was in two places at once, seeing and feeling everything in a horrific jumble that left her gasping for air as she fought the urge to retch. Still, once her vision cleared and she found herself looking at Charmcaster as she doubled over and puked, she felt nothing but relief that her long shot had paid off.
Before she could do anything else she hissed at a sudden sharp pain in her neck and winced when her fingers closed around something just inside her hairline. Pulling it free caused another wince and seeing the bloody computer chip filled her with a momentary dread as she realized if the spell hadn't burnt out the chip she'd be the one under Sublimino's control. She closed her fist, utterly crushing the evil creation before looking to Charmcaster.
"Charmcaster, are you okay?"
The older girl managed to give her a thumbs up even as she retched more and Gwen turned her focus to the rest of the fight. Her timing couldn't have been better as she found Ben fending off attacks from Max, all the other Knights had been brought down by Ben in one way or another.
"Could use a little help here," Ben called out as he defended from attack after attack, caught in the same predicament of not wanting to hurt his opponent.
Gwen leapt into action and nearly crashed into a wall when she jumped further than she intended. For a moment she had forgotten she was back in her body which was currently encased in strength enhancing armor. She couldn't help but smile a little as she flew through the air, it almost felt like she had her Lucky Girl powers back. She landed behind Max, easily dodging a swing from him as he found himself fighting on two sides. With all the skill and grace her martial arts training had given her she jumped onto his back as he turned back towards Ben.
"This is probably going to hurt Grandpa, sorry," she said as her hand darted forward before he could throw her off. There was a crunch and then Max crumpled to the floor, the chip in his neck smashed to piece by Gwen's blow. Gwen watched tensely until she was certain that his breathing was normal before she sagged with relief. She looked up, expecting to see Ben smiling as well but his gaze was fixed on the throne.
"Give it up Sublimino, your men are trashed and reinforcements aren't getting in here anytime soon."
"You little fool, who needs the Knights when I can have you!" Sublimino shrieked as he stuck his pocket watch out from behind the throne, his finger about to trigger its hypnotic ability. Gwen made to turn and cover her ears but a flash of green shooting past her stopped her cold. The next thing she knew Sublimino was screaming as a spike of crystal pinned his watch to his hand. He fell out from behind the throne, clutching at his ruined hand as blood began to trickle down his wrist.
"What are you doing?" Sublimino screamed as he kicked away from Diamondhead as he began climbing up the dais.
"You've hurt my friends and family so I'm done playing games."
"Ben, you can't!" Gwen called out to him, her voice ratcheting up in panic at his deadly calm tone.
"You don't get to tell me what to do right now! Either of you!" Ben snapped as he glared back at Gwen and Charmcaster, who was only just getting to her feet. He continued his slow stalk towards Sublimino as the little man sniveled and blustered.
"You can't do this to me," he said as Ben leveled a razor sharp tip at his throat.
"What's going to stop me?" Ben asked quietly, his rage just as keen as the blade he had turned his arm into.
"I still have the Greens!" Sublimino cried, managing a smile as the blade pulled back a little."That's right, I still have them and Mr. Green is still under my control, watch or no watch."
"Well he's not here right now so I don't see how that helps you," Ben said with a growl though he lowered his blade, the murderous intent gone from his eyes for the moment.
"Exactly, he's with his granddaughter and if he doesn't hear from me you don't want to know what he'll do to her."
Ben's crystal face contorted in a snarl as he drew back his arm for a deadly blow only to have the Omnitrix time out on him mid swing, leaving his fist to connect with Sublimino's face. Sublimino's signature shades went flying from the force of Ben's punch, forcing him to squint with his one good eye even in the dim lights of the command center. Ben's chest heaved with pent up rage as he reached down and hoisted him up by his coat.
"Where is she?"
"Wh-what an excellent idea boy, let's go see her," Sublimino said chokingly at first before his face twisted with a sinister smile. He lashed out with his foot and struck the arm of his throne, hitting a secret switch that caused the entire dais to suddenly begin shaking. Ben lost his grip on Sublimino as it lurched and then began sinking into the floor. He looked to Gwen and Charmcaster as it began to speed up its decent but before either of them could reach him walls rose up out of the floor, closing the dais off from the rest of the room.
Gwen pounded on the dome the walls had formed but even with the Forever Knight suit on all she did was dent the metal a little. She spun around, looking to Charmcaster whose shoulders slumped despondently as she looked around the room at the devastation Ben had wrought. When she finally turned to Gwen comprehension was written all over her face and Gwen felt a pang of sympathy for her. As much as she had feared Ben's reaction after figuring them out, she could only imagine how scared Charmcaster was after seeing what it had inspired in him.
To make matters worse their situation was rapidly deteriorating. At almost every door there were sounds of men trying to break through the columns barring their way. She began making her way over to Charmcaster when her foot caught on something and looking down showed her Charmcaster's bag partially covered by the unconscious body of a Knight.
"Well at least something is going our way," Gwen said as she tossed Charmcaster her bag.
Charmcaster's hair hung in her face as she clutched her bag in a white knuckled grip, the sight filled Gwen with the desire to comfort her even though she knew they had no time for such things. As she made her way towards Max to see if she could wake him an explosion sent her stumbling. She spun on her heels just as it was quickly followed by several more, all from totem missiles fired from Charmcaster's bag.
"What are you doing?" Gwen asked as she approached the newly formed hole in the dome.
"I'm going after him," Charmcaster said as she summoned several bat minions that flitted about her.
"But what-"
"Look around us, he's furious," Charmcaster said, unable to keep a trembling waver from her voice as she swept her arm out to encompass the room. "He would have killed Hex for me and now he might do something he'll regret because of me. I can't let that happen."
Before Gwen could say anything more Charmcaster jumped through the hole, grabbing hold of the bat minions as she did so. That left Gwen surrounded by groaning or unconscious forms, the dim cacophony at the doorways, and her thoughts. She shook her head as she reached Max and knelt beside him, checking again to make sure his breathing was steady.
"So, got any ideas on what to do now?" she asked his passed out form as her mind still reeled from the rapid whirlwind of events.

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A Charmed Life