Alex Chase: Beyond The Multiverse

Chapter 6: Eleven Again

*Eleven-year-old Ben Tennyson*

It was only when I took in that Kevin and his new sidekicks were gone, that I realized how much pain I was in. Kevin's new Heatblast partner throwing that smoke bomb had activated my legs, in a desperate attempt to find Gwen and Grandpa before Kevin could do anything to him.

I had managed to find Gwen in that smoke, grabbing her hand and twisting my fingers into hers as soon as I found her, too afraid to let go. Now that I knew they where safe, my adrenaline rush faded.

Grandpa Max nearly pulled out his hair when he saw the Rust-Bucket. I could feel my legs trembling, and my heart pounding in my chest. Gwen turned to me, trying to force an annoyed smile, but then saw my condition, and her face fell.

" Ben, are you okay?"

" Yeah. I think Kevin might have sprained a rib or something with that Wildvine attack. No biggie. I'll just wait for the watch to recharge and flip the Rust-Bucket back over," I said. Gwen wasn't buying it.

" Nice try, doofus. I know you too well," she said, crossing her arms.

" Fine. Help me stand up?" She pulled one of my arms around her sholders and latched her own arm around my waist.

" Where does it hurt?" She asked in the gentle tone I barely ever heard.

" It doesn't really hurt anywhere. It's more like, I feel exhausted," I lied. Gwen eyed my trembling legs and the scratches covering my face and glared at me. She touched one on my forehead, where I could feel it bruising. I winced.

She pulled it away quickly and showed me her hand. Small drops of blood stained her pale skin, which was getting paler by the second. She looked up at me, giving me a worried glance. Nice job, Tennyson.

Not only did you let the bad guy get away, and let him absorb the most powerful device in the Multiverse agian, but you also made Gwen worried about you, which barely ever happens.

" You're. . .bleeding." Gwen said in barely a whisper. I hadn't ever started bleeding before. What had Kevin done?

Suddenly, I heard a familiar noise of the watch finishing charging. I looked down to see the watch turn green. I flashed a mischievous smile and raised my hand over the watch.

I started to slam my hand down, but my hand stopped in midair an inch from the button. It was odd, I couldn't move it, and there wasn't any magenta energy sround it, so Gwen couldn't be doing this.

But, a second later, Gwen grabbed my hand. As soon as she did, I felt the invisible force release my hand.

" Don't even think about it," she warned, squinting at me.

" Gwen's right Ben. You need to rest. You took quite a hit back there with Kevin absorbing the watch agian." I laughed weakly.

" No I didn't. . . ," I started.

" You got the energy that turned you into Eye Guy get sucked out of you, leaving you much weaker already. . . ."

" And then you got blasted upside down into a tree by the force, and almost landed on your head. It was just plain luck you didn't get killed." Gwen raved, annoyed at me.

" I've survived worse without even scratch," I said. Gwen took this into consideration.

" I know that doofus. But this time was different."

" How so?"

" For starters, Kevin and his new freinds hadn't come out of a portal and had the advantage of the element of surprise, your natural energy hadn't been physically drained out of your body.