Heartblast is disoriented. Her head spins, and her vision swims with residual heat. A jumble of images replays in her mind—the explosion, the collapsing floor, and leaping after Ben into the abyss. She shakes her head, trying to clear the haze. Instinct drives her. She has to find Ben.
She pushes herself up, volcanic rock grinding against the cavern floor. The air is thick with dust and the smell of ozone. Flickering flames dance across the jagged walls, casting long, dancing shadows. "Ben?" she calls out, her voice echoing through the narrow passage. "Ben, where are you?"
Silence answers her.
Panic claws at her throat. She surges forward, her fiery form illuminating the darkness. The tunnel twists and turns, a labyrinth of rock and shadow. Finally, she spots him.
Ben is sprawled amidst a pile of rubble, the Omni-Exo armor bearing the brunt of the collapse. He is still, too still. Relief washes over her as she sees his chest rise and fall, however shallowly.
Heartblast rushes to his side, her heart pounding against her rocky chest. Debris litters him, a mix of concrete and twisted metal. Gently, she begins to remove the rubble, careful not to cause further harm. The Omni-Exo armor is dented, scarred from the impact. She winces, imagining the force he had to have endured.
With trembling hands, she reaches for the helmet release, the mechanism hissing open. She lifts the heavy helmet away, revealing Ben's face.
Her breath hitches.
Blood trickles from a gash on his forehead, staining his blond hair a crimson red. His face is pale, slack. She reaches out, her fingertips brushing against his cheek. He is warm, but unresponsive.
"Ben? Ben, wake up," she pleads, her voice cracking. She gently shakes his shoulder, but he doesn't stir. His breathing remains shallow, ragged.
Fear grips her. She has never felt so helpless. What does she do? He needs help, and she doesn't know how to give it.
Her mind races, desperately searching for a solution. Then, she remembers something from a movie she once watched with Ben—something about chests and breaths. CPR.
Okay, okay, Heartblast. You can do this, she thinks, taking a shaky breath. You have to try.
She positions her hands on his sternum, interlocking her fingers as best she can with her clumsy, two-toed hands. She presses down, hard, counting in her head. One… two… three… She repeats the compressions, trying to mimic the rhythm she remembers from the screen. Then, she pinches his nose, tilting his head back, and presses her lips against his. She forces air into his lungs, praying it's enough.
Time stretches, each second an eternity. She continues the compressions, the breaths, her arms aching, her hope dwindling. It feels like an eternity. Please, Ben. Please don't leave me. The thought crashed through her mind. The fear of losing him, of being alone, overwhelms her.
Then, a sound. A choked cough.
[COUGHS] [COUGHS] [COUGHS]
Ben sputters, his body convulsing. He coughs again, a wet, ragged sound, and his eyes flutter open.
"Heartblast?"
Her name is barely a whisper, laced with confusion, pain.
Relief floods her, so potent it nearly buckles her knees. Tears stream down her face, mixing with the grime on her cheeks.
"Ben!"
[SNIFF]
She throws herself onto him, careful not to jostle his injured head. She wraps her arms around him, hugging him tightly, burying her face in his neck. Her rocky body digs into him, but she can't bring herself to care.
"I thought… I thought I lost you," she cries, her voice muffled against his skin.
He winces, a pained expression contorting his features. "What happened?"
She pulls back slightly, wiping her eyes. "We fell… the ground… it collapsed. You hit your head hard."
Heartblast helps him sit up, steadying him as he sways. He blinks, trying to focus. Looking around, he takes in their surroundings—the rough cavern walls, the dim light, the oppressive weight of rock overhead.
Heartblast helps him to his feet. He groans with the effort. Together, they approach where they fell. Ben stares up, his face paling. "It's sealed shut…" The hole vanished. More rubble.
"We need to get back up there." Ben runs a hand through his hair.
"How?" Heartblast asks, her voice small.
Ben surveys the area, his gaze hardening with resolve. "I don't know yet." All he sees are the passages. "These tunnels go everywhere… It would take forever, even with my enhanced smell and hearing, to find another way out. It's a damn maze down here."
He snaps his fingers, a spark of an idea igniting in his eyes. "Wait a minute. I got it."
He reaches for the Omnitrix, a determined set to his jaw.
"What are you doing?" Heartblast asks, her voice laced with worry.
"I'm gonna summon someone who can help us navigate these tunnels," Ben replies, his fingers hovering over the device.
Heartblast grabs his arm, stopping him. "But Ben… I want to be the one to help you. Let me try. I can melt through the rock, make a path—"
Ben is oblivious to her romantic intentions. "It's too slow, Heartblast," he interrupts gently. "Besides, there's no telling how stable these tunnels are. We need someone who can scout ahead, someone who can… phase through walls."
"But I want to be by your side," she protests, her voice pleading.
He places a hand on her arm, his gaze earnest. "I need you to trust me. The longer we're down here, the more trouble Gwen, Laura, and the others are in. We need to get back up there, fast."
Understanding dawns in her eyes, her fiery determination softening into reluctant acceptance. "Okay," she murmurs, stepping back. "Okay, Ben. I trust you."
Ben nods, his gaze flickering back to the Omnitrix. His fingers danced across the faceplate, scrolling through the available summons. He hesitates, his brow furrowing in concern, before stopping on one figure in particular—a shadowy silhouette with wisps of trailing hair. Ghost Freak. He has never actively summoned this alien before, because of the possible danger she possessed. Ben also couldn't trust her, but only she could help Ben navigate the tunnels.
It's a risk, he thinks, his heart pounding. But it's a risk I have to take.
With a deep breath, he slams down on the Omnitrix.
[CHA-CHUNK!]
A blinding flash of light fills the cavern, followed by a ripple of energy. When the light subsides, Heartblast is gone and replaced by a figure that stands before Ben—a woman with pale skin and silver hair that obscures one of her eyes. Her eyes are naturally black with pink pupils, with a crack-like track zigzagging down her face. A dress-like shell wraps around her Ectonurite parts. The rest of her dress manifests as detached sleeves, that cover her human shoulders. Her arms are pitch black, ending in sharp claws.
The woman's gaze sweeps the cavern, taking in the rough-hewn walls and the scattered rubble. Her eyes, pools of inky black with pinpricks of pink, narrow in distaste. Where am I? And why am I here?
Her gaze drops, taking in her own form. Pale skin, silver hair… a mockery of what she once was. Her clawed hands clench, the black digits digging into her palms. "Disgusting," she hisses, her voice laced with venom. A hybrid, a pathetic imitation of her former glory.
This… this human flesh, so fragile and vulnerable, is an insult. This shell is an affront. The tattered dress is an embarrassment. To be trapped in such a grotesque form, a prisoner in her own diminished body… It's unbearable.
This was an indignation. She should be feared, worshiped.
Her gaze lands on the young man before her. He's tall, blond, and handsome in a way that is almost irritating. He exudes a certain… warmth, a vitality that makes her want to recoil. She wonders who he is.
Their eyes lock, and she feels a flicker of something unfamiliar—recognition? No, more like… expectation. He seems to know her, or at least, expects her to know him.
He steps forward, a tentative smile gracing his lips. "Hey there," he says, his voice laced with both relief and a hint of nervousness. "I'm Ben. And I need your help."
The woman raises a brow, unimpressed. "Where am I?" she asks, her voice like nails on a chalkboard.
Ben steps closer. "You're on Earth. Underground, actually." He gestures around the cavern. "There was a cave-in. My friends—they're in trouble. I need your help finding them."
Her lips curl into a sneer. "And why should I assist you, human? What concern is it of mine?"
Ben's expression hardens. "Because people could get hurt. They need help, and you're the only one who can get us out of here."
The woman studies him, her gaze cold and assessing. "I do not care. Your species is irrelevant to me. Do not expect me to help."
"You don't have a choice," Ben says, the words coming out harder, sharper than he intended. "You're connected to this watch now. We're linked."
He stepped forward, pointing at the Omnitrix. "If I don't want you out, you're stuck in there forever. Eternity. Think about that."
"You dare threaten me?" she hisses, her black claws flexing.
Ben meets her gaze, not flinching, not backing down an inch. "Yeah, I do."
"You are… pretty brave for a human. If I were not stuck in this wretched form," she says, voice dripping with disdain, "you would be writhing in agony, groveling below my feet."
Ben shrugs, unfazed. "Then I guess I'm pretty lucky, huh? So, what's it gonna be? Are we gonna work together and get my friends out of here? Or are you gonna rot inside the watch?"
The woman pauses, her gaze boring into his. She weighs her options, her pride warring with the very real threat of eternal confinement. To be trapped, powerless, a prisoner of this… boy? The thought is repulsive.
She clenches her jaw. Very well.
"Hmph. I will do as you request, human. Not that I had much of a choice," she says finally, her tone grudging. "But do not think this makes us allies. I'm merely… tolerating your presence."
Ben smirks. "That's all I ask… for now. First, what do I call you?"
The woman's expression twists. "I do not care what you call me."
"I'm going to call you Ghost Lady!"
Ghost Lady rolls her eyes, the gesture filled with a level of disdain that only an Ectonurite tyrant could truly master. "So, what do you want me to do?" she asks, her tone dripping with impatience. "Do you expect me to simply stand here while your pathetic friends are possibly dying? The sooner we do this, the sooner I can return to my… imprisonment."
Ben is not fazed by her attitude. He just wants her to use her powers. "Phase through that wall," he instructs, pointing to the solid rock face beside them. "Scout ahead and find a way back to the others. Fast."
Without a word, Ghost Lady obeyed. Her body shimmered, growing translucent, and then, she was gone, melding into the stone. A moment later, her form reappeared, solid once more.
A few minutes later, she materializes before him, her expression unchanged. "I have located a path. It is convoluted, but serviceable."
Ben nodded, relief washing over him. "Lead the way."
Ghost Lady moves towards a narrow opening in the cavern wall, her silver hair swaying. Ben hesitated, then followed. Gwen, Laura… please be okay.
***
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Advance chapters are in my P@|r3on - Najicablitz