Here Is Gone

Part One: Modern Way

“Wow! This hotel has everything. An indoor pool, a full day spa.” Gwen declared in glee as she read the brochure.

“Now don’t get too used to this, it’s only for one night.” Her grandfather Max cheerfully reminded her as he checked them in.

Gwen didn’t let this fact bother her, even with the strange watch permanently fused to her wrist she was still just an ordinary girl. Albeit one that could transform into one of ten alien species at a time. She’ll take one night of comfort and luxury over none at all.

Her cousin Ben, on the other hand, didn’t look as thrilled. He leaned against the counter, sulking that there wouldn’t be anything for him to do aside from hang out with his cousin. He was still harboring feelings of jealousy that Gwen found the device first and had the luck of turning into these cool creatures. His only consolation was that Gwen let him name the aliens since she couldn’t come up with any that didn’t reek of lame.

It was then the brown-haired Tennyson spotted the cordoned off room where a large, glossy placard depicting an armored Sumo hung beside it.

“No way! It’s the new Sumo Slammer game!” He grinned and was instantly heading for it. Only to be stopped by a large security guard. Naturally he was denied entry and the young boy surly returned to where his cousin and grandfather waited.

“I know what you’re thinking Ben. No sneaking in to play that game.” Max warned as he picked up their luggage.

“Not like I could anyway.” He muttered, before eyeing his cousin hopefully. “Unless you help me.”

“Yeah right Ben, like I’d really use the watch to help you play some lame videogame.” Gwen snorted.

“Aw, come on. I’ll owe you like forever! I’ll do all your chores for the rest of the summer if you can just get me in that room.” He pleaded, despite knowing full well Gwen would do nothing of the sort.

“Ben, that’s enough.” Max stated sternly as they got into the elevator. “Now I’m sure you can find something else to do while we’re here.”

“Like what? Die from boredom? This is so unfair!” Ben muttered beneath his breath. The panel on the elevator indicated they had arrived at their floor and all three got out. Gwen was busying herself with planning the rest of her day, though her cousin’s grumbles made it difficult to concentrate. She opted to just sneak a glare at him every now and again as they walked down the carpeted hallway leading to their rooms.

Max surprised the cousins by giving Gwen a room to herself.

“Hey, how come she gets to have a room all by herself?” Ben frowned.

“Because I’m a girl, doofus.” She stuck her tongue out before smiling sweetly at Max, “Thanks grandpa.”

“Come on, Ben. I’ll let you choose which bed you want.” The older Tennyson chuckled as he ushered the fuming ten-year-old into the room. Originally the room was meant to have been Max’s but the retired man figured Gwen deserved a little reward for doing a good job with whole the hero thing.

And not misusing the watch. At least not as often as he thought she would be.

While Gwen enjoyed seeing her cousin miserable, she wasn’t entirely heartless. She decided to treat Ben to a game or two at the arcade they had passed a few blocks away. Even if this meant cutting into her spa time, Gwen felt it would be in her best interest. The arcade would distract him long enough to prevent him from coming up with pranks to play on her. Not to mention keep Ben from finding someway to get into trouble and that she’d have to bail him out of.

Like always.

That’s what the watch seemed to be for anyway, apart from saving the day Gwen found herself going alien to get her cousin out of whatever mess he had gotten into. And the occasional payback whenever she felt Ben had gone too far with his jokes. Sometimes, she wondered what it would have been like if Ben had found the watch and she’d quickly push that notion aside with a terrified shudder.

                                                          ----------

“I thought you hated videogames.” Ben asked as they strolled down the street.

“I do.” She grinned, determined not to let Ben or his suspicion get her down. “But the spa was fully booked until later and the pool was full of toddlers you can’t really swim in it. Besides, someone’s got to make sure you don’t get into trouble.”

“So why did you tell me some of the games were on you?” He continued, holding out the few bills and change she had given him when she suggested they hit the arcade.

“Just because you’re a cheapskate doesn’t mean I am. I mean, we’re cousins, not twins. Though technically being twins doesn’t necessarily mean we’d be exactly alike in personality or-”

“Thank you, Professor Geekette.” Ben interrupted hastily as he made a face, “It’s Summer, I’m trying to avoid learning anything here.”

Gwen rolled her eyes and felt her stomach groan in dread at the sight of the arcade looming before them. She didn’t like places like this, then again who could blame her? Poor lighting, poor hygiene, and chances are there were no other girls in sight. She only hoped there were some games she’d find interesting that didn’t involve blowing up aliens. Having been ten of them, she sort of empathized more with the aliens than the person shooting.

Ben had gone ahead of her, not that she had expected anything less.

With a sigh, Gwen purchased a few tokens in order to justify her presence. Last thing she wanted was to be asked to leave because she was loitering around. Clearly the red-head knew nothing about arcades, otherwise she would have known hanging out was what one does at such establishments.

By the time she found her cousin, Ben had made a new friend.

Everything about the pale, dark-haired boy raised red-flags in Gwen’s mind and it had little to do with how he had managed to get the machine to spit out all its tokens. His stance, defiant and smug, clearly someone who answered to no one but himself. His smirk, sharp and wolfish, both a warning and a challenge. And his eyes, egad those eyes, they glittered with danger and knowledge that Gwen had never seen in one as young as he was.

“We can’t take those, they’re not ours.” Gwen scolded as Ben bent down to pick up a handful.

“They are now.” He grinned, “Thanks, I’m Ben and the nag over there’s my cousin Gwen.”

“Kevin.” The other boy responded before setting his earth-hued eyes at Gwen.

Gwen glared daggers at her cousin as she folded her arms across her chest, so much for keeping Ben out of mischief.

“Want to play some air hockey?” Ben offered.

And to Gwen’s relief, Kevin declined before walking away. “Nah, gotta bail.”

“He’s total trouble.” Gwen frowned.

“He seemed okay to me.” Her cousin shrugged.

Before they could continue their discussion, both Tennysons were roughly shoved aside by a group of older punks. The cousins watched as Kevin was surrounded and typical of Ben, the brunette stepped in to help without thinking things through.

“Need some help?” Ben glanced to Kevin as he slipped into the circle.

The gang just laughed as one of them easily picked Ben up by his collar, “You a freak like him too?”

If these guys don’t kill you Ben, I will. Gwen grit her teeth in frustration as she quietly hid behind a row of machines. Twisting the dial on the Omnitrix, the red-head activated the watch. Energy coursed through her body as her skin darkened to the hue of obsidian as venom green markings snaked across her until she was Upgrade. While the notion of turning into one of the more muscular aliens to smack some manners into the thugs was appealing, Gwen opted to go for a more stealthy approach. The fewer people aware of her alien forms, the better.

Merging with the machine closest to the group, Gwen proceeded to rain a hail of tokens at the teens. She was careful not to hit Kevin or Ben, well Kevin mostly as she felt justified in giving Ben a few shots to teach him a lesson. She had to merge with a few more games before the gang would leave.

A flash of red light later and Gwen appeared, holding the plug of the last unit she used. Noticing what she held, she quickly tossed it away. “Boy, when they said play at your own risk they really meant it.”

“What the heck just happened?” Kevin asked as he eyed the ridiculously oversized watch the red-head wore. It had the same emblem the machines had when they began to spit out the shower of tokens.

“Ah, that’s just Upgrade showing those losers a thing or two.” Ben grinned, “Right Gwen?”

“Upgrade?” Kevin echoed, brow quirked in curiosity.

“Yeah, see Upgrade and I are tight friends and so’s Gwen I guess. Well she’s really-”

“Okay Ben, no need to bore Kevin with your silly friends. Let’s just get out of here before those guys come back.” Gwen quickly cut in and started to drag her cousin outside.

“But Gwen!” Ben protested, digging his heels into the ground, “Kevin’s got powers too!”

“Not the point, Ben.” She hissed, “What part of keeping the watch and the aliens in it a secret don’t you understand?”

“What I don’t understand is why you don’t use that thing for more fun stuff! Like helping me sneak in to play the new Sumo Slammer game in the hotel.” Ben huffed, “It’s not fair you got the cool alien stuff and a room all to yourself.”

Gwen began to open her mouth to argue when Kevin cut into their argument. “Am I interrupting something?”

“It’s nothing. Just family stuff.” Gwen sighed. She was grateful Kevin had nipped the argument in the bud. It seemed all she and Ben ever did was bicker and fight. Today was supposed to be a day of relaxation and pampering. Why’d she have to be so responsible and keep Ben out of trouble? Sometimes she wondered what it would be like to be the trouble maker, though she reasoned if she was any good at it she might have been one.

It was definitely a burden to have maturity and responsibility come so naturally.

“Hey since I didn’t get a chance to thank that Upgrade person, why don’t I thank you two instead?” Kevin offered.

“Sure, what did you have in mind?” Ben asked eagerly.

“Why don’t I give you two a tour of New York?” the dark-haired boy suggested with a strange, calculating twinkle in his eye.

Ben seemed oblivious to it. He was awe-struck at Kevin’s powers and was certainly looking forward to hanging out with the polar opposite of his boring, geeky cousin who was in no means cool even with the Omnitrix on her wrist.

Gwen, on the other hand, saw the gleam and knew she couldn’t leave Ben despite wanting to just go back to the hotel. What if they ran into those thugs again? She was definitely starting to get annoyed at having to be the responsible one. Still, Gwen had to admit a tour of New York did sound promising, who knows Kevin might prove himself to be fun.

“Sure, but can we stop by someplace to eat first?” Gwen requested as going alien had a tendency to leave her a tad hungry.

“I know a great place.” Kevin seemed especially happy that she was coming along. Though it would much later that the Tennysons would learn why.