Chapter 17: Magical Decisions
Note: DANG we got the goal. Here's the 2 chapters!
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The Rust Bucket rumbled along the highway, leaving New Orleans and its magical mysteries behind.
Grandpa Max hummed along to an old rock tune on the radio, the rhythm seemingly guiding his casual steering as we put distance between ourselves and the museum incident.
I sat at the small table, the five magical charms spread out before me like exotic treasures. Each one pulsed with a faint glow, their strange symbols and markings catching the last rays of sunlight filtering through the RV windows.
They were beautiful in a weird, mystical way – ancient-looking medallions with symbols that seemed to shift if you stared too long.
From the corner of my eye, I could see Gwen watching her phone. "Thank you, thank you everyone!" The voice of XLR8 came out from her phone.
It must be a video of the short interview I gave to the people before fleeing the scene.
She put the phone down, and didn't say a thing as she pretended to not look at me. She'd been stealing glances since we'd left the museum, her posture stiff and her expression a mix of annoyance and barely concealed curiosity.
Every time I moved a charm, her eyes followed my fingers with an intensity that made me want to laugh.
"See something you like, dweeb?" I finally asked, not looking up from the charms.
She immediately averted her gaze, focusing on her book with exaggerated interest. "No. Just wondering how a fool like you got so lucky. A hero watch and everything."
"Sounds like someone's jealous." I said as I arranged the charms in a circle, enjoying the way they clinked together. "Shouldn't you be grateful? Don't you remember how you were practically glued to me back at the museum?"
Her head snapped up, eyes narrowed. "W-what are you talking about?"
I grinned, unable to resist the opportunity to tease her. "You know, when skull-face showed up and you basically jumped into my arms? When you clutched my shirt so hard I thought you'd rip it off?"
Gwen's cheeks flushed a brilliant shade of red. "I did NOT do that!" She slapped the table.
"Oh, you totally did," I pressed, enjoying her reaction far too much. "You were all 'Ben, save me!' and hiding behind me like I was your knight in shining armor."
"That's—that's not what happened!" She slammed her book shut, indignation burning in her eyes. "I was assessing the situation and strategically positioning myself! Grandpaaa!"
"Is that what we're calling it now?" I laughed, leaning back. "Strategically positioning yourself while I save you?"
Grandpa chuckled from the driver's seat. "Alright, Ben, that's enough. Leave your cousin alone."
"Fine, fine," I conceded, though I couldn't wipe the smirk off my face.
Gwen huffed, her face still flushed as she crossed her arms tightly over her chest. She sat with her knees pressed together, eyes fixed stubbornly on the window, but I could tell she was still watching the charms from her peripheral vision.
I decided to take things up a notch.
Time to pretend I was researching these charms while actually talking about my meta-knowledge. I twisted the dial on the Omnitrix, finding the silhouette I wanted.
"What are you doing now?" Gwen sighed, exasperation clear in her voice.
"Getting a professional opinion," I replied smugly, slapping down on the watch face.
The familiar green light engulfed me as my body compressed, skin turning gray, head expanding to accommodate my enhanced brain. When the transformation finished, I stood six inches tall on the table, my Galvan form perfect for the "analysis" I was about to perform.
"Grey Matter!" I announced in my high-pitched voice, adjusting to the new perspective.
The charms, which had fit comfortably in my human palm, now looked like massive ancient tablets surrounding me.
"Ben, is that really necessary?" Grandpa called from the front.
"Absolutely," I replied, walking around the first charm and pretending to study its markings. "These are complex magical artifacts. We need to understand what we're dealing with."
I hopped onto the first charm, tracing the engraved symbol with my tiny finger. "Fascinating! This one appears to be tied to luck manipulation. It probably allows the user to influence probability fields around them, essentially creating 'good luck' for themselves and potentially 'bad luck' for others."
Gwen's attention was fully captured now. She leaned ahead, previous embarrassment forgotten, eyes wide with wonder. "Really? It can do that?"
I nodded, moving to the next charm. "And this one... interesting! This charm seems designed for telekinesis. Mental manipulation of physical objects."
"Telekinesis?" Gwen echoed, practically bouncing in her seat now. "Like moving things with your mind?"
"Precisely! You saw how he lifted people to the ceiling, no?" I confirmed, hopping to the third charm. "This one's for electricity manipulation... this one controls fire... and this final one appears to… hm, I'm not sure?"
I didn't remember this one. Since Hex hadn't seemed to use it during the fight, I couldn't tell what it was meant for. Gwen will figure it out in the future, I guess. I noted.
"It was right to take them away from the criminal, Ben," Grandpa glanced back at us in the rearview mirror, his expression a mix of amusement and concern. "They all sound powerful. And dangerous in the wrong hands."
"For sure. We need to keep them safe," I said, tapping my oversized head like some sage. "These aren't toys. They're ancient magical artifacts with enormous potential."
I pressed the Omnitrix symbol on my back, and with another flash of light, returned to my human form.
The charms that had seemed massive moments ago were once again small trinkets in my hands.
"Well, that was educational," I said as if I'd indeed studied those things, and didn't just use my canon knowledge to cheat.
I couldn't help noticing how Gwen was practically vibrating with interest now, her eyes fixed on the charms with unconcealed longing.
I hummed thoughtfully, enjoying her obvious desire. She was too stubborn to ask outright, and I was having too much fun watching her internal struggle. She looked up at me, eyes meeting, but still didn't say anything.
Finally, after letting her suffer a bit longer, I sighed dramatically.
"Fine, Gwen. I can see you're about to explode if you don't get to try these."
Her eyes snapped wide, mouth wide with surprise and hope. "What?"
"I said I'll let you borrow two of them," I continued magnanimously. "Taking too many could be dangerous for a beginner anyway. If you do a good job, maybe I'll let you have the rest later. Who knows?"
"...R-really?" The hope in her voice was almost childlike. It was completely different from her usual calculated demeanor.
I nodded, selecting the Charm of Luck and the Charm of Telekinesis from the collection. "Here you go, Gwenny. These two should be a good start."
Gwen reached for them with trembling fingers, her expression a mixture of disbelief and excitement.
As her fingers closed around the charms, they seemed to pulse brighter for a moment, as if responding to her touch.
"Yes!" she cheered, pumping her fist in the air. "This is going to be amazing!" A moment later, she was onto me, giving me a big hug. "Thank you, Ben!"
The genuine gratitude in her voice caught me off guard. For a moment, her radiant smile made me forget all about our usual rivalry. I couldn't help but smile back, my arms wrapping around her, holding her waist.
"Just don't blow up the RV," I said, trying to maintain my casual attitude. "And remember, they're just on loan."
I wanted to play around with the rest of the Charms myself first. I had the Omnitrix, but that only lasted for Ten Minutes now. So I'd love something to protect my human form from harm.
For now, the two would help her greatly. Maybe in the future when I unlock Master Control, I'd give all of these to her. These charms were supposed to belong to Gwen, as her future Ben 10K variant was seen wearing them.
I was just helping things along, guiding events back to their proper course.
As Gwen examined her new treasures with reverence and fascination, I caught Grandpa's eyes in the rearview mirror.
His expression was warm, and he gave me a nod of acknowledgement.
I smiled and leaned back in my seat. Closing my eyes for a nap.
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Play with these charms until I get Master Control? By the time this day ended, that dream didn't quite seem... feasible anymore.
The harsh desert sun beat down on my back as I watched Gwen attempt to activate her charms for the twentieth time. "Ugh, dammit!" We'd been out here for hours, and my earlier generous impulse to share the magical artifacts was looking more and more like a strategic error.
Grandpa Max had driven us to this remote stretch of Nevada desert specifically for "power training," as he called it. He'd spent all morning setting up an impressive obstacle course – old tires suspended from makeshift poles, targets painted on rocks, and various junk pieces salvaged from the last town we passed through.
"The point," he'd explained while hammering the final stake into the hard ground, "is to learn control, not just power. Both of you have abilities now, so I thought of it. You need to master them."
Now he stood off to the side, clipboard in hand, looking like some retired drill sergeant as he squinted against the sun. Sweat darkened his Hawaiian shirt.
"Alright, Ben, you're up first," he called, checking his stopwatch. "Let's see what you can do on the course. Use your head, who's the best alien for this?"
I couldn't help but grin. This was my moment to show off.
"Watch and learn, dweeb," I whispered to Gwen as I twisted the Omnitrix dial.
She rolled her eyes, fingers absently tracing the luck charm hanging from a makeshift necklace. "Try not to faceplant this time."
I gently pressed my palm down on the watch face. The familiar green light engulfed me, and I felt my body harden and crystallize into the hulking form of Diamondhead.
"Diamondhead!" I shouted, flexing my crystalline arms. "Time to shine." Literally.
I'd given Gwen two Charms, but it'd be annoying if she got too smug using them. So I gotta remind her of the difference between our powers. It's Show-off Time!
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