Chapter 26: Balanced Hearts
In the following days, a quiet calm returned to the Watchtower—but inside Ben, the storm hadn't ceased.
Though the crystal formations on his body had started to fade, the Omnitrix still didn't respond properly. It was as if parts of him were now intertwined with the world of Kairus. And the mere thought terrified him.
In the training chamber, Ben struck at a holographic dummy again and again, his blows relentless—even after the target had already shattered.
> "That's enough, Ben!"
Supergirl's voice rang from behind—firm, yet gentle.
He turned slowly, dripping with sweat, breathing heavily.
> "I... I can't get this rage out of me. It's like the crystals aren't gone. They're just... sleeping."
She stepped closer, eyes locked on his.
> "Maybe you're changing… but you're still you. I see it in everything you do."
Ben slumped against the wall, sinking to the floor, burying his face between his knees.
> "I'm scared, Kara. Scared of becoming something I can't control. Of losing myself. Of losing all of you."
Supergirl sat beside him, their shoulders touching. Her voice was quiet but full of truth.
> "You know, the first time I saw you—you were reckless, stubborn… but your heart was always leading. Every time you threw yourself into danger, it wasn't for the Omnitrix. It was for people."
She looked at him and gave a soft, bittersweet smile.
> "And me... I forgot how to feel safe a long time ago. But with you? I didn't have to be Supergirl to feel okay."
Ben raised his head slowly, his eyes meeting hers.
There was silence.
Then, in a quiet voice, he said:
> "I feel like… if I lost everything—even my body, my powers—there's still one thing I don't want to lose."
Supergirl whispered:
> "What's that?"
He leaned a little closer.
> "You."
A long silence followed. No kiss. No grand moment. Just their hands brushing lightly, a long gaze, a quiet understanding that something between them was beginning to shift.
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Elsewhere in the Watchtower, Batman watched the scene on a screen. Beside him stood Wonder Woman.
> "Emotion," Batman said quietly, "can be dangerous at a time like this."
Diana replied with calm certainty:
> "And sometimes… it's the only thing that reminds us we're human."
End of Chapter.
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