just here to occasionally post weird ramble-y writings and then fade off into the great expanse of the universe | burgleyourturts on ao3 | in way too many fandoms
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i refuse to believe that âheavenâ by mitski is about a man. a man could never find the string to strike within me that rings out a note heard in heaven.
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while you were saving your neck, i've been breaking mine for you
a 5+1 ben 10 fic
Summary:
"It took Gwen a while to notice it. In her defense, she had a lot of things going on in her life, and each battle blurred into the next. But once she did notice it, it was impossible to miss. She had known for a long time that her cousin was reckless, often running headfirst into battle without thinking twice.
Recently, however, he had been far too eager to sacrifice himself."
OR
5 times Ben tries to sacrifice himself for others and fails, and 1 time he manages to succeed.
read below or on ao3
Chapter 1: Vilgax
Chapter 2: Trat-ska
Chapter 3: Ultimate Kevin
Chapter 4: Rampaging Beast
Chapter 5: Vorath
Chapter 6: The Incursions
#ben 10#ben tennyson#gwen tennyson#kevin levin#hurt/comfort#ben tennyson whump#ben 10 uaf#my writing
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while you were saving your neck, i've been breaking mine for you
Chapter 6: The Incursions
Last chapter! Character death here, not graphic, but the implications of it are explored. Also non-consentual drugging. It's not done with bad intentions, but still. Be safe!
The last time it happened was the worst. By this point, she was determined to stop Ben from needlessly sacrificing himself. But her doofus of a cousin was dead set on preventing her from keeping him alive. The universe, too, was practically demanding that she fail.
The Incursions were back, and they were ready. Within minutes, the whole planet was surrounded. The Incursions would attack, they promised, unless the people of Earth surrendered Benjamin Tennyson.
Gwen groaned the second the Incursions stated their demand. She knew her cousin, of course he would choose Earth over himself. There was no way he couldnât. But she wouldnât let him. She, Max, and Kevin were a united front on this, no matter how much Ben insisted that he had to give himself up. They werenât going to risk it, risk him. They were going to find another way. Ben wasnât happy about it, but at least he stopped arguing.
âFine. Weâll come up with another plan. But you owe me a smoothie!â Gwen was so relieved that she didnât protest, and the trio soon found themselves back at Mr. Smoothy. Gwen gave Ben some cash, saying that smoothies were on her, and Ben walked away to order. As soon as he was out of earshot, Kevin turned to Gwen.
âYou think heâs gonna try something?â
âOf course he will. This is Ben weâre talking about.â Kevin shrugged, clearly in agreement with that.
âSo what are we gonna do about it?â Gwen turned to face him.
âAzmuth is going to deactivate the Omnitrix and sedate him. Itâs extreme, but itâll work. Heâll do it when we get back to Plumber HQ after this.â Kevin didnât look happy, but he nodded. Gwen didnât particularly want to do this either, but they had to. Ben had left them no choice.
They stood in silence as they waited for Ben to return. It was several more minutes before he appeared, holding a tray of cups.
âSorry that took so long. There was a line.â Gwen just stared at him, unamused. The place was practically deserted. There was one other car, and the parking lot was silent. âRight.â Ben laughed, the sound a bit strained. âWell, drink up!â With that, he removed the life of one smoothie and gulped it down. Gwen was slightly impressed, if only because he managed to avoid getting brain freeze. Mostly, though, she was just disgusted.
Gwen and Kevin drank their smoothies less quickly, and the trio chatted idly as they often did on smoothie runs. Eventually, Gwen yawned, and she thought it was probably a good idea to get going. But Ben frowned, looking sad enough that she decided a few more minutes couldnât hurt.
Gwen woke up with her mouth dry and full of her hair. She blinked, head pounding like sheâd drank too much last night. Had she? She couldnât remember. She was just about to drift off again when she realized she was not in her bed. Instead, she was in Kevinâs car, and when she looked over she found Kevin asleep next to her. They were still in the parking lot of Mr. Smoothy.
âKevin,â she called, gently prodding him awake, âwake up!â He opened one eye and glared at her, but she shook him, hard. âWhy are we in your car?â This got a reaction out of him. He sat up and looked around, brow furrowing.
âI donât know. The last thing I remember is drinking smoothies.â Gwen thought about it, and yeah, that was the last thing she remembered, too. Kevin growled angrily. âBen. He must have drugged us.â Gwen wanted to argue, but it was the only thing that made sense. She swiveled around, trying to see if anything was out of place. There, lying on the backseat, was a piece of paper. Gwen reached over and grabbed it, opening it to reveal Benâs handwriting.
Gwen, Kevin,
Iâm sorry. Iâm sorry I drugged you, and Iâm sorry I didnât say goodbye. But I needed to go, and I knew you wouldnât let me. The planet, all these people, they need me, and I canât sit around. This is the only way I can save everyone, so Iâm giving myself over to the Incursions. I know you wanted to keep me safe, and I love you for it. But we all know I have to do this. You guys are the best team I could have asked for, and even better friends. Please forgive me, but donât forget me. Iâll always be with you.
I love you guys so much
Ben
Gwen was crying by the end, and even Kevin was teary-eyed. The sadness quickly turned to anger, burning hot in her chest.
âHow could he? How dare he?â Gwen yelled. She wanted to yell at Ben, scold him for being stupid, being selfish. But he wasnât there, and she knew he was the opposite of selfish. She was the selfish one, the one willing to let the world burn if it meant Ben would stay by her side.
Kevin was silent, and when Gwen looked over, wondering why he wasnât seething, she saw him glancing down at something in his hands. At the Omnitrix. If Gwen hadnât been terrified before, she definitely was now. Ben had no weapon, and they had no way of tracking him. Actually, she remembered, she did have a way of tracking him. Maybe it wasnât too late to get Ben back.
âWe have to tell Grandpa. Then Iâll track Benâs mana and weâll go get him.â Kevin looked over at her, face drawn, and nodded wordlessly. He started the engine, and they took off towards Max.
Max was unsurprisingly less than pleased when he was told that his grandson was not, in fact, safely sedated. But he was a soldier, and he had a job to do. He was barking orders in no time, and only an hour after Gwen and Kevin had arrived, the Plumbers were ready to dispatch their ships. Seated aboard the Rustbucket III, Gwen closed her eyes and felt across the universe for Ben.
She found nothing. Not a single flicker of his familiar signature. She let out a sob, hopelessness filling her from head to toe. No. It couldnât be.
âI canât feel him. Grandpa, I canât feel him!â Maxâs face fell, but he simply wrapped Gwen in a hug as Kevin closed his eyes, already grieving.
âThatâs alright, sweetheart. Weâll find another way to locate him.â He sounded so certain they would find Ben, but Gwen knew. Tracking Ben was second nature to her now, and finding absolutely nothing could only mean one thing. Ben was gone. They were never going to find him, at least not alive.
Max sent Gwen and Kevin home, instructing them to get some rest and promising to inform them of any updates. The second Gwen reached her bedroom, she buried her head in her pillow and screamed. She didnât stop screaming until the screams turned to sobs. She cried herself to sleep that night, and the next night, and the night after that. Then she just stopped sleeping. She would reach out every night with her mana, trying to find any trace of Ben. Nothing, night after night.
Life went on for the people of Earth, Ben had made sure of that, but not for Gwen. Not for Kevin, or Max, or any of the Tennysons. Ben was gone. No, Ben was dead, and Gwen didnât know how to live without him. Her brave, funny, resourceful, selfless cousin would never be back.
She clung to Kevin, and Kevin clung to her. Gwen visited Carl and Sandra after a few days, and then she started visiting them every day. Ben would have been shocked to see how well Carl got along with Max, when the Plumber wasnât searching for a boy who would never return. He hadnât given up hope that Ben was alive, nor had Benâs parents. But Gwen knew he wasnât, and so did Kevin.
Months passed, and Gwen didnât get over losing Ben. She did accept it; she wasnât happy, but she was living, and that, somehow, was an improvement. She slept, she ate, she went to school. It was better. Not good, not even okay, but it was better. Kevin helped, but he was suffering too.
Gwen had failed in the most important task of her life. She was living with the consequences of that. A tiny part of her declared that she deserved this. But Kevin, Max, Benâs parents, Ben? They didnât deserve this.
One night, she gives in to the need to reach out with her lifeforce. She knows she wonât find anything, she never does. But it helps her feel connected to the cruel world that took her cousin away. Without that connection, as painful as it is, she feels lost in the vacuum of space. She stretches far and wide, reaching further than she ever has before. Nothing. A tear drips onto her pillow, leaving behind a perfect circle.
Something compels her to try again, just one more time before she can put this to rest forever. She does, weakly grasping for something, anything. For a moment, she feels nothing but cold emptiness. Then, her awareness brushes up against the warmest thing sheâs felt since it happened.
âBen?â
#ben 10#ben tennyson#gwen tennyson#kevin levin#hurt/comfort#ben 10 uaf#ben tennyson whump#my writing
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while you were saving your neck, i've been breaking mine for you
Chapter 5: Vorath
Warning, I am bad at writing fighting scenes. Slightly more graphic depiction of injuries here, but it's still relatively tame.
By the fifth time, Gwen should have known it was inevitable. It started as it always did: with the bad-guy-of-the-week screaming her cousinâs name.
At this point, none of them were fazed. Ben, ever the picture of confidence, simply called back:
âYeah?â The alien, a rogue Tetramand, and a large one at that, did not appreciate this. He growled angrily before responding.
âI, Vorath, have come for-â âThe Omnitrix, probably,â interrupted Ben, much to the annoyance of Vorath. He stomped a bit closer; Ben didnât flinch. Nor did Gwen or Kevin.
âYes. The most powerful weapon in the universe. It will be mine!â Ben just sighed, rather dramatically in Gwenâs opinion, then reached for said âmost powerful weapon in the universeâ, the brightness of the hologram lighting up his face even in the bright sunlight.
âRight. Like thatâs gonna happen. Ben let his hand fall, and with a flash, the scrawny form of her cousin was gone, replaced by the hulking figure of Armadrillo. Then he jumped right in, Gwen and Kevin falling in like clockwork, and for a while, everything went as it usually did.
Then it went to hell. Gwen wasnât sure how surprised she should feel, especially with how things kept going south lately, but she didnât exactly have the time to figure that out. The Tetramand - Vorath, heâd called himself - had an eighteen-wheeler held aloft, ready to toss it into the intersection below, an intersection bustling with people blissfully unaware of the looming danger. Ben froze, as did Gwen and Kevin. What else could they have done?
âHey,â Ben began, voice shaking almost imperceptibly, âlet's not do that.â âYou will battle me alone, wielder of the Omnitrix. To the death.â Vorathâs tone allowed for no arguing, nor did the semi still held up by two arms. A third was pointing directly at Ben.
âFi-â Ben began, but Gwen and Kevin cut him off, voices overlapping. âBen, no!â
âYeah, thatâs not happening.â
âQuiet!â Vorath boomed, and Gwen and Kevin acquiesced. They knew what awaited them if they didnât. Ben transformed with another flash, and he offered his teammates a tight smile.
âGuys, itâll be fine. Just let me handle this.â Kevin gave him a terse nod, and Gwen let her mana flow back into her body. Ben turned back to Vorath. âRight. Could you put that truck down now?â Vorath growled low, but he placed the semi back on the ground, and Gwen relaxed a tiny bit. But the fear that had run through her veins for the people in the square only moments ago gave way to a slow-building worry for her reckless cousin. She knew this wasnât the hardest thing Ben had ever done, but her heart thumped painfully at the thought of not being able to fight with him. Kevin didnât look jazzed about that either.
But there was nothing they could do except trail helpless after Vorath and Ben as the latter led them to a more secluded place where they were less likely to accidentally injure someone. Gwen knew the dangers of backing out of the deal now wouldnât be good, so she really did just have to watch. God, she loathed the idea of that.
Gwen boosted herself and Kevin into the air on a mana platform so they were out of the way. Ben flicked through the Omnitrixâs catalogue before settling on one and slamming his hand down decisively. Vorath and Big Chill faced each other, statuesque for a few seconds before Vorath lunged. The fight had begun.
Ben managed to go intangible in time, letting out a subzero breath that froze Vorath in place for about four seconds. Then he was moving again, fast and strong and confident. Ben matched the confidence, and the duel moved so fast that Gwen almost got dizzy trying to keep her eyes locked on her cousin even as his entire figure flickered between solidly present and entirely transparent. It was probably comical, the way Gwenâs head swiveled constantly like she was watching one of Julieâs tennis matches. But Gwen couldnât find any humor in it, not now.
She wasnât sure what Kevin was doing, and she honestly didnât care. All of her attention was intensely focused on Ben, who was holding his own pretty well. It wasnât that she doubted his ability, but he tended to be reckless, and it had been her job to look out for him ever since they were little. The urge to pull him out of anything even remotely dangerous wasnât something that would ever go away.
The two duelers were evenly matched, both dodging most of the attacks, making the fight fairly uneventful. This should have eased Gwenâs fears, but somehow every second her cousin grappled with Vorath augmented her anxiety. There was no cryptic sign, no omen, but Gwen couldnât shake the growing dread that settled in her stomach like a stone.
Her anxieties proved to be warranted when Vorath landed a powerful hit that sent Ben sprawling. Gwen gasped, unable to stop the fear spreading through her veins. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Kevin grimacing. This wasnât good.
In an instant, Vorath was on top of Ben, three arms pummeling him while the fourth held him down, as if there was any way Ben was getting up.
âWhy doesnât he just go intangible?â Kevin asked through gritted teeth.
âHeâs too dazed, look at him!â Gwen knew she shouldnât be yelling at Kevin, but there was too much emotion welling up in her, and it had to go somewhere.
âShit,â was Kevinâs response. Shit indeed, Gwenâs mind whispered sardonically. âWe need backup.â His town harbored no hesitation, a sentiment mirrored by his stony expression. Gwen wasnât about to argue; Ben would want to finish this with honor, but Gwen was not about to lose him. Not today, not ever.
Kevin punched his Plumberâs badge harder than was probably necessary to activate it, and he was barking demands the second the call connected. Normally, Gwen would have berated him for being so loud, but there was no way Vorath was paying any attention. He was way too busy with his fallen foe. Whoever had picked up Kevinâs call now had several teams en route, so now all they could do was wait. They didnât dare attack Vorath before backup arrived, at least not while he was actively on top of Ben, for fear of exacerbating things.
Gwen didnât want to watch, but she needed to have eyes on her cousin. She flinched with every punch that landed, but she never glanced away. Then, just as Gwen thought Ben had passed out, a bright flash forced her eyes closed. When she opened them, blinking away the dark spots dancing in her vision, she saw that Ben, now back to his much smaller human frame, had escaped Vorathâs grip. The flash had seemingly blinded the Tetramand, who hadnât managed to grab hold of Ben again.
As Ben half-ran, half-crawled away from Vorath, Gwen and Kevin didnât hesitate. Gwen scooped her cousinâs shaking form up with a mana bubble while Kevin donned a stone suit and began distracting Vorath. The second the bubble was out of Vorathâs reach, Ben went boneless. Gwen rapidly pulled him over to her, praying that he was merely unconscious.
When the bubble disappeared, Gwen got her first good look at Ben. He looked awful. Blood coated his face, pouring from his nose and seeping from his badly cut lips. There wasnât any bruising yet that Gwen could see, but she knew it would be bad. His hair was matted with dirt and more blood, and his clothes were ripped, only slightly, but enough to see cuts marring his arms, chest, and legs.
Gwen leaned over him, nearly collapsing with relief once she felt his heart thudding against her fingers, tightly pressed against his neck. Ben groaned softly, and she realized that he was still conscious. She teared up at the sight of his swollen eyes cracking open, green meeting matching green. He tried to sit up and sucked in a pained breath through his teeth.
âShh, lay back down,â Gwen soothed softly, helping him lower himself back down to the ground. âItâs okay, youâre safe.â No sooner had the words left her mouth when Ben let out a breath and slipped into unconsciousness. Gwenâs heart raced, but she calmed slightly at the thought that the Plumbers were on their way.
Sure enough, not even a minute later, several Plumber ships arrived. One landed near Kevin, who was dodging Vorathâs enraged fists. Another hovered above Gwen, and she had to remind herself that they were on her side as the agents carried Ben away from her.
After that, it was a blur. Gwen couldnât remember anything other than her ever-building worry and Kevinâs silent presence beside her. The only noise between them was the tapping of Kevinâs shoe on the ground as his leg bounced anxiously.
When they were finally allowed to see Ben, Gwen nearly tripped in her haste, Kevin right behind her. Ben still looked awful. The blood on his face had been wiped away, revealing dark bruises around his eyes and re-straightened nose. There were stitches in one of the cuts on hip lip, and his eyes were slightly unfocused, courtesy of the concussion he was no doubt sporting. There were bandages on his arms and legs, and his chest was wrapped, but he was alive.
Gwen immediately took his hand in hers, both to comfort him and to reassure her that he was still there. Kevin sat down, carefully laying a hand on Benâs shoulder. They didnât talk. Ben was pretty foggy, and Gwen and Kevin didnât know what to say. As Benâs eyes slipped shut, Gwen took a seat and settled in, still holding his hand. They were going to be here for a while.
#ben 10#ben tennyson#gwen tennyson#kevin levin#ben 10 uaf#hurt/comfort#ben tennyson whump#my writing
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while you were saving your neck, i've been breaking mine for you
Chapter 4: Rampaging Beast
I think these are getting more intense with each chapter! Still, this shouldn't be too bad. Enjoy!
By the fourth time, Gwen had expected it. But the whole scene was too chaotic for Gwen to prevent her cousin from pulling the same selfless sacrifice stunt.
While normally, things started alright and then went to shit, this time, everything started badly and just stayed that way. As per usual, the rampaging alien had no regard for property. It didnât help that whatever-it-was was extremely large, making it decently destructive. Will Harangue was going to have a field day with this one. She could almost hear his weasley voice now: Ben 10, menace to society. Â
The chaos of the scene meant she, Ben, and Kevin were all busy with different tasks. Ben, naturally, was going one-on-one with the alien. Kevin was doing his best to manipulate materials to minimize property damage as much as possible. This left Gwen to help any stray civilians out of danger
It was no easy task; panic can make people very resistant to following instructions. She was doing her best, but the task was taking all of her concentration, meaning none of her attention was on Ben. Which would probably have been fine if the beastâs armored tail hadnât gotten just a bit too close to an apartment complex lining the street.
Screams rang out, the sharp sounds cutting through the rumble of the building shuddering. As the structure shifted, Gwen froze. They needed a new plan, and fast. Kevin clearly had the same idea, because he came running up to her, looking unsettled.
âWhat should we do?â he yelled over the din of battle, collapsing buildings, and screaming people. Part of Gwen loved being the one Kevin deferred to, but right now, she wished someone else could take charge. But there wasnât anyone else, so Gwen would have to get it together.
Luckily, the apartment hadnât collapsed just yet. A total collapse might not have even been inevitable, so at least they had a few minutes to strategize as the inhabitants of the building began rushing out.
âContinue trying to hold the building up. Iâll help Ben. Go!â Kevin didnât waste time. He turned on his heels and ran off, and Gwen didnât stick around to watch. She glanced around, eyes locking on her cousinâs hulking form, still grappling with the attacking alien. Ben glanced over at her for a split second as she approached. All she had to do was nod, and she saw understanding flicker in his eyes.
She began slinging projectiles, which ended up only slightly effective. Gwen almost switched attacks, but then she noticed a slightly discolored area on the beastâs underbelly. She aimed a projectile at the spot, firing. The beastâs tail intercepted it, seemingly by accident. Gwen tried again, and this time, her projectile landed.
The hit distracted the beast, maybe from pain, maybe from surprise. Whatever the reason, Ben wasted no time landing a solid hit, knocking the alien to its knees. Ben kept pounding, and Gwen held her breath. Would he take it too far? She reached out a hand to grab her cousinâs arm, but before she formed any construct, Ben paused, breathing hard. Looking at their foe, Gwen realized Ben had simply rendered it unconscious.
Or close to unconscious, she amended as the alien let out what she assumed was a groan. It raised its head once, then let it fall, eyes closing. Gwen shot a blast at it, encasing as much of its body in mana as she could. The beast was done rampaging. Its tail, still free, twitched, then slammed into the ground, hard.
It would have been fine, if the apartment complex a few meters away hadnât already been weakened. The building groaned, creaking and cracking. Gwen didnât even turn her head at the bright flash emitted by Ben detransforming. Her head remained frozen as the building began to sag.
A green streak ran by her, and with some effort, she focused her vision on her cousin sprinting straight at the listing structure. It took Gwen a few moments to realize what was happening; it was all too surreal.
âBen!â she called out. He looked back at her, and despite the distance she saw him mouth the words âIâm sorryâ. Then he was gone, the great of his jacket surrounded by the enormous building. âNo!â
She wanted nothing more than to grab her stupid cousin with a mana tendril, but she couldnât risk releasing the alien. It could wake up at any moment, and they couldnât afford any more destruction. Plus, Ben was so far away and she was so tired. But she would have dragged him out in an instant if she could have.
Kevin came running over, saying something about the building being beyond fixing. She wasnât listening, too busy staring at the building. She tried to focus on what Kevin was saying, dragging her attention away from where sheâd last seen her cousin.
âWhereâs Tennyson?â It was too hard to speak, so she choked out a sob and pointed at the building. Kevinâs eyes widened and he opened his mouth to say something, but a deafening sound stopped him.Â
It was the apartment complex giving out. In a matter of seconds, the multi-level building was replaced by a mess of rubble and dust. Even with as far away as Gwen and Kevin were, they still ended up choking on the wave of dust sent forth by the collapse.
When her ears stopped ringing, Gwen became aware of three things. One, Kevin was hovering above her, shielding her from the worst of the debris with his stone body. Two, people were gathered, not screaming, but freaked out, and sirens were approaching. Three, she could not see her cousin.Â
Ben was not in the growing crowd of people/ That meant he was under the rubble.
âNo,â Gwen murmured. âNo!â Kevin shifted, peering down at her worriedly. Gwen did her best to scramble to her feat, unsteady and feeling disconnected from her body. Kevin placed his warm hands on her shoulders, the touch not grounding her the way it usually did.
âHey, hey, wait.â He held out a hand to help her to her feet, clearly not understanding why she was so shaken. He didnât understand.
âNo-no! Ben!â She couldnât get her mouth to form any other words. She didnât take his outstretched hand, body unusually heavy. Focusing her eyes on Kevinâs face as it eclipsed her vision, she could see that he was still worried, except now he was also confused.
âHey, Iâm sure Tennyso-â His expression suddenly shifted, and he looked almost afraid. âWait, where did you say he went again?â She couldnât form the answer, so she opted for pointing again. The color drained from Kevinâs face as his gaze followed her finger. âYou mean heâs-â It seemed he couldnât say it either.
She was saved from having to answer him by the arrival of emergency services. A few ambulances had pulled up, along with the firefighters. The apartment complex luckily hadnât caught fire, but the firefighters excelled at helping people escape unstable or collapsed buildings.
EMTs swarmed the gathered crowd, looking for anyone who might have been injured. The firefighters were moving rubble, forming a path to make their way through the wreckage. Gwen pushed herself up, arms shaking. She could feel Kevin staring at her.
âI-â She faltered, wondering if heâd try to stop her. âIâm going to help them look for Ben.â She stared back at Kevin, trying to discern how heâd respond. He didnât stop her.
âIâll come too,â was all he said. He leaned down, placing a hand on the ground and letting the concrete of the ground cover his body. Gwen stood there, just breathing. She wasnât sure what she was going to find in there. Ben. She jolted as cold stone brushed her hand. Gwen looked down.
Kevin had grabbed her hand, and he gently let the concrete melt away. The warmth of his skin was the comfort she needed, this time having the effect he no doubt intended. Kevin gently squeezed her hand and met her eyes, but said nothing. They began to walk to the collapsed building.
Gwenâs hands shook with every piece of rubble she moved, but her mana stayed steady. In the chaos, she was unable to locate Benâs mana. She didnât want to think about what that meant. She was vaguely aware of Kevin and the firefighters working around her, but all she could hear was static. Somewhere in this wreck was her cousin, and she would find him, alive or d-
No. She shook that thought away. This was Ben. He was always fine, he had to be fine. She heaved in another deep breath, and thatâs when she became aware of Kevin screaming her name. Her head whipped over to him, eyes wide. He mouthed one word: Ben. Â
She was at Kevinâs side in an instant.
âWhere?â she demanded. It was Kevinâs turn to point wordlessly. She followed his finger, much like he had earlier, and there, amid the dust and rubble, was a tiny bit of a green jacket. Gwen wasnât sure if sheâd ever moved as fast as she did in that moment.
Once she could fully see her cousin, Gwen nearly sobbed. Her foolish, selfless, brilliant cousin had tucked himself into a small corner, where he had been mostly protected from the collapse. Gwen sank to her knees beside Ben, who was unconscious. A small cut on his forehead was bleeding, and tiny nicks littered his face and hands. But otherwise, he seemed alright.
She gently laid a hand on his cheek, fingered smudging away the dust.
âBen?â she asked gently. Her cousin didnât move, so she called his name again. This time, he began to stir slowly. Once his unfocused eyes landed near her face, she began to gently help him into a sitting position.
Benâs still-hazy gaze and confused expression, along with his bleeding forehead, told Gwen he probably had a concussion. Luckily, it didnât seem too severe. Theyâd all dealt with worse. A rustling noise made Gwen aware of Kevin kneeling down next to her.
âHow is he?â His voice was uncharacteristically quiet, almost soft.
âHeâs a bit banged up, but heâll be alright,â she replied, a tiny smile on her lips at the sound of Kevinâs relieved exhale. âCan you help me get him upright?â Kevin turned to stare at her, wide-eyed.
âAre you sure we should do that this soon? Heâs still pretty out of it,â he reasoned, with a gesture towards Ben. Gwen looked at her cousin, who blinked up at her slowly.
âBen?â she asked, laying a hand on his shoulder. âHow do you feel?â Ben stared at her for a few seconds before opening his mouth.
âGwen?â
âYeah, itâs me. How do you feel?â
âBad,â was his only response, so short and matter-of-fact that Kevin snorted. Gwen almost laughed, too.
âI gathered that. Do you feel up to us helping you walk to the car? Youâll probably feel more comfortable.â âCan I take a nap? Iâm tired.â Gwen smiled softly.
âOnce youâre in the car, okay?â Ben nodded, then began trying to lift himself up. Gwen stopped him, and slipped an arm around his waist. âLet us help you.â
âUh,â Kevin cut in, âare you sure we should let him sleep? Heâs clearly concussed.â
âItâs not too bad, so it should be fine.â Kevin shrugged, then walked over to Benâs other side and placed Benâs arm over his shoulder. Together, Gwen and Kevin helped Ben stumble over to the car. They got Ben situated in the backseat, and Gwen climbed in after him while Kevin got into the driver's seat.
âYou good back there?â he called out to Gwen once the ignition was running. Gwen nodded, and Kevin must have seen it in the mirror, since he started driving without another word.
As they left the chaotic street, paramedics still swarming the scene, Gwen felt herself relax. She threaded her fingers through Benâs hair as her cousin leaned on her, asleep. She thanked whoever would listen that everything had turned out alright. Her cousin was safe. Still, some evil part of her whispered: for now.
#ben 10#ben tennyson#gwen tennyson#kevin levin#ben tennyson whump#ben 10 uaf#hurt/comfort#my writing
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while you were saving your neck, i've been breaking mine for you
Chapter 3: Ultimate Kevin
Partial rewrite of the episode "Nor Iron Bars a Cage". Love love love how angsty the Ultimate Kevin arc is. So many fun character dynamics to play with!
The third time it happened, she still wasnât expecting it, but she wasnât really surprised, either. Gwen had mostly forgotten about her cousinâs burgeoning habit due to everything happening with Kevin. Between trying to locate their currently insane friend and talking Ben down from any extreme actions, she kind of had her hands full.
When they finally tracked him down to the mining prison, Gwen was swallowing down anxiety. Would Kevin be too out of his mind to recognize them? Would Ben take it too far? Speaking of her cousins, one glance over at him revealed that he was having his own internal struggle; lips thinned and brow furrowed. Part of her wanted to ask what he was thinking, but she didnât for fear that he would voice the very plan sheâd been trying to prevent him from seriously considering.
Ben turned his head to meet her gaze, seemingly sensing her eyes on him. Whatever expression he saw on her face caused his own to soften. Â
âHey,â he began, voice gentle, âitâs, uh, gonna be alright.â She sharpened her gaze and he flushed, admonished. âOkay, maybe not âgoing to beâ, but I know you. Youâre probably thinking worst-case-scenario. Just, I donât know, donât do that?â She snorted, and he huffed out a short laugh.
âThatâs the best you can do, doofus? âDonât do that.â That makes me feel so much better.â She nudged him with her elbow, teasing.
âUgh, you know Iâm not good at words! But, hey, youâre smiling. So it did kind of work.â He grinned back at her, because yeah, she was smiling. He might not be the most eloquent, but he did know how to cheer her up. Still, they both sobered pretty quickly once they reached the entrance of the mines.
âGwen?â She looked back over at Ben, who now looked slightly apologetic. âIâll try not to hurt him.â She opened her mouth to speak, but he continued. âUnless heâs gonna hurt you or one of the prisoners.â At this, the apologetic look vanished, and it was replaced with a stonier, more determined look.
Gwen thought for a moment, then decided she could live with that. âThanks, Ben. Donât worry about me, though. Kevin wouldnât- wonât- hurt me.â She tried to sound confident about that, but the sad, almost pitying look on Benâs face told her she hadnât entirely succeeded.
She was so preoccupied with thoughts about the upcoming confrontation that she didnât notice until later that Ben had implied that he would let Kevin hurt him if it meant he didnât injure Kevin.
Everything had gone to hell, of course. Kevin was so far gone in his power-madness that he didnât even acknowledge Ben and Gwen until they forced him to. He also made it very clear that he wasnât leaving until he avenged someone, and he didnât seem to care who he hurt to do it. Which of course meant Ben was having none of it.
Problem was, the Omnitrix was timed out, and it seemed to have no intentions of turning back on any time soon. Kevin did not feel like being patent, so he made his demands.
âTennyson! Either you get out of my way, or Iâll make you get out of my way.â Gwen shivered at the anger in his voice. Would he really hurt Ben? She held her breath, waiting.
Ben stood his ground, legs shaking as the ground rumbled. Kevin growled, the sound causing Gwenâs heart to squeeze painfully. Then he grinned, a bone-chillingly excited glow entering his eyes. He was going to enjoy this.
âWell, well, well. If you insist.â Kevin flexed his hands, knuckles popping. Ben just stood there, face impassively neutral.
âBen!â Gwen yelled. She couldnât bring herself to address Kevin. âBen, come on! Youâre not going to stay, right?â Ben turned wide eyes on her, and her heart damn near skipped a beat. âNo.â He turned back to Kevin wordlessly. âNo!â She lunged forward, about to grab her stupid, stupid cousin and drag him away. Before she could even take three steps, Kevin slammed his tail into one of the wooden supporting beams, then into the wall of the tunnel.
The stone crashed down, blocking her path and her view of her cousin. The loose rocks began to tumble down, falling on top of her, forcing her to flee. Without another option, she threw up a shield and ran.
Eventually, the cave-in slowed, and Gwen stopped running, breathing hard. Once she was certain everything was silent and she was alone, she dropped the shield and sank to the ground near the wall of rocks separating her from Ben and Kevin.
Her eyes welled up, and it wasnât long before she was sobbing. She wasnât sure who she was crying for; brave, selfless Ben, who had just willingly chosen to fight a homicidal mutant unarmed, or Ben, avenging the unjust death of his friend the only way his power-maddened mind knew how.
It hardly mattered, as she wept until she could weep no longer. Both her closest friends were trapped, either dead or fighting to the death. When she resurfaced, would she still have both of them? She was about to break down wailing again when an odd noise halted her.
It was the rustling of rocks crumbling against each other, which was normal. But there was another sound, one that sounded like squelching, as if a viscous liquid was being forced through a small opening. It was so unexpected that she glanced around, trying to see what could be causing that noise.
Then she saw it, a lime-green liquid oozing from the wall of rocks left behind by the cave-in. She watched, dumbfounded and in shock, as the liquid continued to gather, congealing into the beginnings of a familiar shape. It- it couldnât be. Right?
A bright flash of light blinded her dark-adjusted eyes. When the white spots faded from her vision, tears began to blur it again as she took in the sight in front of her.
âBen!â And it was. Standing in front of her, jacket ripped and soot-covered, was her cousin. Gwen nearly bowled him over by tackling him with a hug. He laughed, the sound lacking humor, and gently returned the hug. Gwen pulled away, feeling him tense at the sudden movement. âAre you okay? Are you hurt?â
âA little beat up, but itâs nothing I canât handle,â he responded nonchalantly, and from what Gwen could tell, truthfully. Small cuts and bruises littered his face and arms, but he looked otherwise alright. Sobering and swallowing, she asked,Â
âAnd Kevin?â She held her breath, Benâs expression giving away nothing.
âHeâs alright as far as I know. I left as soon as the Omnitrix could be activated and I was sure no one was around to get hurt.â He paused, looking down at his scuffed shoes. âIâm sorry, Gwen. I should have- I donât know. Done something, I guess.â He looked so guilty that, despite her own anger at hearing no progress with Kevin, she stopped him.
âItâs fine. You did what you had to. Itâs not your fault he was going to k- hurt you.â Ben looked up at her, gaze hardening.
âHe was going to kill me, Gwen. We canât afford to play nice anymore.â She wanted to argue, she really did, but she was just so tired. She sighed, stepping forward.
âLetâs go home. Weâll talk about this later.â Ben didnât argue, he just fell into step beside her. They walked silently, neither one daring to broach the subject of the dayâs events or the future.
As they reached the mine entrance, Gwen glanced back in, wondering where Kevin had ended up. She couldnât help but feel that something had changed, as though the dust from the mines had caused some chemical reaction, and now maybe everything was broken. Shaking her head, she sped up to reach Ben, and they left together, walking side by side but feeling miles apart.
#ben 10#ben tennyson#gwen tennyson#kevin levin#hurt/comfort#ben tennyson whump#my writing#ben 10 uaf
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while you were saving your neck, i've been breaking mine for you
Chapter 2: Trat-ska
Kind of a lighter one, I think. Enjoy!
The second time it happened, Gwen was still pretty surprised. Sure, heâd done it before, but it wasnât exactly a pattern yet. All the same, she still cursed herself for not anticipating it.
They had been sent to protect the princess of some planet none of them had ever heard of. She was agreeable, and the four got along well enough. And like so many missions before it, things were fine, until they suddenly werenât.
Ben and Kevin were bickering playfully as the latter drove, and Gwen, in the backseat with the princess, felt a sense of peace wash over her. She likely would have fallen asleep if a loud noise hadnât sounded just a few feet from the car.
Rubbing at her eyes, Gwen asked, âWhat was that?â
Kevin cursed. âThose stupid aliens found us.â He said nothing else, just jerked the steering wheel and began evading whatever was chasing them. Ben turned around and looked at her, eyes wide. Her heartbeat quickened, and she stared back.
âBen,â she intoned severely, âwho is chasing us?â He winced and paused before answering.
âUm, the people looking for Princess Trat-ska. They, um, they have a Techadon, too.â Great. Before she could prod her cousin for details, Kevin spoke up.
âWhen I stop the car, get ready to run!â Gwen tensed, startled, and her hand dashed to unbuckle her seatbelt. The car stilled, and all four occupants scrambled out, the princess in the middle. Gwen threw up a mana shield, and they all ran for cover.
The Techadon, or what Gwen assumed was probably a Techadon, as she wasnât exactly able to turn around and look at it, kept shooting at them. She could feel her shield weakening with every blast it absorbed.
âGuys, I canât keep this up forever!â she warned. Ben nodded, reaching for his left wrist. Kevin grabbed it before he could slap the Omnitrix.
âTennyson, wait. That thingâs too strong.â
âWell, what do you propose we do? Try to persuade it not to kill us?â The sarcasm in Benâs voice was scathing, and Kevin glared at him, opening his mouth to respond in kind.
âBoys!â Gwen interrupted, annoyed, âNot the time!â They both sighed, rather dramatically in Gwenâs opinion. They managed to find a small corner to hide in just before Gwenâs shield gave out.
All breathing heavily, they stood there for a moment before getting right back into business. The princess, who hadn;t said a word for quite some time, faced Ben.
âBenjamin, what are we going to do?â The fear on her face and her quivering voice tugged at Gwenâs heartstrings, and one look at Ben told her he felt the same.
Brows furrowed in worry and determination, he responded, âWeâre gonna take it down.â Kevin nodded, his face a mask of solemn anger, perfect for fighting with. He grabbed the side of the building they were hiding behind, allowing the strong metal to cover his body.
Sometimes, Gwen allowed herself to be mesmerised when he did that, but now was so not the time. Her fists lit up, mana collecting around them. Ben flicked through the Omnitrix, then let his hand fall. With a flash, her cousinâs scrawny form was gone, replaced by the round, armored body of Brainstorm.
And then they were launching themselves at the Techadon and the ship hovering nearby. Gwen let the blur of the battle take hold of her as she launched projectiles and dodged strikes. She vaguely registered the sounds of Ben and Kevin doing the same.
It didnât occur to Gwen that theyâd left the princess alone until she heard the girl cry out. Gwen whipped around, eyes shaking the scene to find Trat-ska. The girl was surrounded and she looked utterly terrified.
Before Gwen could think of a plan, the aliens had moved closer, one of them holding what Gwen assumed to be a knife to her throat. Well, shit.
Gwen, Ben, and Kevin froze, all unsure of what to do to get out of this seemingly hopeless scenario. They had had one job - protect the princess - and they had failed miserably.
The alien holding Trat-ska began to bark orders at the three supposed heroes: âDonât move, put your hands up!â They acquiesced, though it was through gritted teeth. âNow, weâre leaving here with one of you- it doesnât have to be her.â
âWait,â Ben interrupted, âone of us can go instead, and youâll release her?â Gwen was beginning to see where this was headed, and she definitely didnât like it.
âYes,â replied Trat-skaâs captor. âAny one of you will fetch a better price than Little Miss Royalty here. Especially you, Ben Tennyson.â
âIâm flattered.â No, Ben! Her cousin could be an idiot sometimes. Quite often, actually. âTake me instead.â His voice left no room for argument from Gwen or Kevin.
The alien, who appeared to be the leader, nodded at Ben, who stepped forward. As soon as he was close enough, other aliens surrounded him. They grabbed his arms, separating them so he couldnât reach the Omnitrix, and forced him to his knees. Trat-skaâs captor released her roughly, pushing her away. She stumbled a few steps forward before she reached Gwen, who steadied her.
The poor girl was shaking, but Gwen was too preoccupied with watching her cousin and desperately trying to come up with a plan to focus on comforting her.
The aliens began loading Ben onto the ship, Gwen and Kevin watching helplessly. That was when they made a crucial mistake.
In order to push Ben forward, the aliens let go of his arms. Ben wasnât stupid; he immediately slammed his hand down onto the Omnitrix, which luckily seemed to be working properly. With a bright flash, Benâs human frame was gone, Way Bigâs towering silhouette taking its place.
One giant foot smashed the alienâs ship, while a massive hand ripped a large piece of metal off it, wrapping it around the aliens. Once he was sure the aliens were trapped, Ben detransformed, looking far too pleased with himself for Gwenâs liking.
She distracted herself by calling the Plumbers and telling them to come arrest the aliens. Trat-ska shakily asked if they could hide her in Plumber headquarters for a bit. Then the four of them walked back to where theyâd run out of the car.
Gwen was just about to pull Ben aside and lecture him for being a world-class idiot when she was interrupted by Kevinâs distraught cry.
âMy ride! Again?â
#ben 10#ben tennyson#gwen tennyson#kevin levin#ben tennyson whump#hurt/comfort#my writing#ben 10 uaf
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while you were saving your neck, i've been breaking mine for you
Chapter 1: Vilgax
Had to start off with a classic villain!
It took Gwen a while to notice it. In her defense, she had a lot of things going on in her life, and each battle blurred into the next. But once she did notice it, it was impossible to miss. She had known for a long time that her cousin was reckless, often running headfirst into battle without thinking twice.
Recently, however, he had been far too eager to sacrifice himself. The first time she was aware of it happening, she didnât realize until it was over.
The battle had been going well by all accounts. That is, until Vilgax arrived. Â
âReally?â she heard her cousin complain, âI thought we got rid of you. Looking to get your ass kicked again?â
âAh, Tennyson, always a pleasure. You and your little team may have beaten me before, but I have grown stronger while you remain the same.â Ben leapt at him, suddenly in Humungousaur form, but Vilgax blocked his strike easily.
Ben grunted in pain, going in for another strike. This one, too, was blocked with ease, and Vilgax landed a strong hit that sent Ben flying back.
âBen!â Gwen cried, launching mana projectiles at Vilgax, who laughed in response. He shrugged every attack off, striding closer to Gwen. Kevin, covered in metal, stood in front of her, stance wide.
Ben struggled upright, then went for Vilgax again. The two struggled against each other while Kevin and Gwen launched attacks from the ground. Still, it was obvious nothing they were doing was helping, and Ben was losing.
With a roar, Vilgax pushed against Ben, sending the Vaxasaurian flying back again. Ben was still for a few terrifying moments, before he groaned and pushed himself up, the Omnitrix timing out and sending Ben back into his human form.
With Ben still recovering, Vilgax turned his attention on Gwen and Kevin, backing them against a wall. Gwen threw up a mana shield, but Vilgax broke through it easily. Â
Gwen glanced back at her cousin, who was standing again. He was looking back at her, eyes wide with fear for her and Kevin, frozen. Grinning, Vilgax turned to Ben.
âYes, hero. Youâve lost. Now, hand over the Omintrix and I will let your teammates live.â
âBen, donât!â Gwen yelled, seeing Ben hesitate. He looked over at her, and she saw his expression harden as he became determined. Gwen hoped the determination was to find another way, but her heart sank as she watched Ben walk slowly over to Vilgax.
He reached for the watch on his wrist, entering the detachment command and password. He pulled the loose watch off his wrist, then placed it into Vilgaxâs open hand. He went to walk away, but Vilgax stopped him.
âNo, hero. I said I would let your teammates go, not you. I will not risk you taking the Omnitrix back again.â
No!, Gwen thought, heart beating faster. What was Ben doing? As she watched Ben walk back to Vilgax, face set, she realized that he probably had a plan. She was proven right when Grandpa Max and several other Plumbers arrived. She breathed a massive sigh of relief.
The Plumbers made quick work of Vilgax, and he quickly retreated, running back to his ship. Max held the Omnitrix out to Ben, who strapped it back onto his wrist, tension releasing from his body.
As they walked back to their ships, Gwen had one question.
âHow did Ben contact you without the Omnitrix?â
Max looked confused, brows furrowing. âHe didnât contact us. We got an alert that Vilgaxâs ship was seen by a Plumber in the area and came to check it out.â He hugged Gwen tightly, then boarded his own ship.
Gwen walked back to the car, more questions bubbling up in her mind. Before Ben got into the car, Gwen pulled him aside.
âWere you really going to let Vilgax take the Omnitrix and kill you?â She was praying that his answer would be that he would never do that, that heâd had a different plan. But instead, he just looked at her.
âWhat else could I have done? He had you and Kevin surrounded. Besides, everything turned out alright. It doesnât matter. Now, come on, let's go home. I want to get chili fries.â
It did matter to Gwen, however. She didnât want to believe that her cousin had almost willingly walked into his death, but that was exactly what had happened. Â
#ben 10#ben tennyson#gwen tennyson#kevin levin#my writing#ben 10 uaf#hurt/comfort#ben tennyson whump
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ok whatâs your florence + the machine song. mine is rabbit heart (raise it up)<3
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ben 10 reference? in my crossword puzzle? more likely than you might think!
#this was actually the first thing i though of when i saw this#iâm too far gone to save now#ben 10#ben tennyson#gwen tennyson#doofus and dweeb
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they rly did my boy dirty
Never getting over how the movies were so blatant in their favoritism for Hermione that she took a line from Ron word for word. âIf you want to kill Harry youâll have to kill us tooâ and heâs struggling to stand on a broken leg and part of him getting caught by Sirius in the first place was him pushing Harry out of the way. And that line is just given to Hermione
Also Ron defending Hermione in the same movie going from âyou asked a question and she knows the answer, why ask if you donât want to be told?â to âheâs got a point, yknowâ is unforgivable.
All three of the trio are really defensive over one another but Ron is the most outspoken about it and also the most willing to throw hands. This is such an important character trait of his and I canât believe they would just change that about him entirely. My god
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shoutout to benedikt montagov for helping me realize i have compulsive tendencies
like i deadass would not know it has a name if it wasnât for him
#so thanks king#benedikt montagov#the man that he is#i also thought everyone had these#but apparently not#secret shanghai#these violent delights
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wait wait wait was no one going to tell me they made bencutio CANON in the 2021 romeo and juliet movie?!?!
#for like a split second#but we win? i guess?#romeo and juliet#benvolio montague#mercutio#bencutio#romeo and juliet 2021
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yeah, my boy! fr tho, this hits just a little too close
which romeo & juliet character are you?
totally normal and chill uquiz that i definitely didn't make in a 1AM fever dream
feel free to reply / rb with results !!
#romeo and juliet#benvolio montague#secret shanghai#kind of?#benedikt montagov#by reason of the transitive property#is it any question why these two are my faves?
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hell yeah you drew the scene!
"It was strange to be so close again when he had gotten used to being a shadow. Strange to be near enough that Marshall could reach out with his fingersâand suddenly his hand was hovering forward, brushing a blond curl out of Benediktâs face. He shouldnât. Benedikt could wake upon disturbance, and the last thing Marshall needed was to break his most important promise to Juliette.
âHow mighty you are,â he whispered quietly. âI am grateful that our roles are not switched, for I would have dove headfirst into the Huangpu should I be left in this world without you.â "
- Our Violent Ends, Chapter 19
Commissions are open!!
(Close-ups under the cut)
~~~
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they want you to make fried rice
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moby dick at the current moment
If you see this youâre legally obligated to reblog and tag with the book youâre currently reading
#moby dick#herman melville#itâs actually really good#like im genuinely enjoying it#idk why that sounds like i was surprised about that
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