Chapter 29: The Separation Decision
In the main meeting hall of the Watchtower, the silence was heavier than any battle. All eyes were fixed on Ben, sitting at the far end of the table—his face pale, his chest rising and falling with heaviness. He was no longer wearing the Omnitrix… and he no longer looked like the Ben they once knew.
Standing before him were Gwen and Kevin, who had just crossed over from their world in search of him.
> "We found a way to bring you back, Ben!" Gwen said urgently, her eyes filled with hope.
> "Not just bring you back… fix everything. We stop Kairus—together. In our world," Kevin added, locking eyes with him.
But Ben didn't look up. He stayed silent for a long moment, then spoke in a low voice:
> "I don't want to go back."
Shock spread across Gwen's face. Kevin frowned and stepped forward.
> "You're not running, right? This isn't some new way to escape?"
Ben slowly stood up, finally raising his eyes to meet theirs.
> "I'm not running… I'm choosing to fight. What's happening here isn't some accident. Kairus isn't just a threat to my world—he's a threat to existence itself."
Gwen stepped closer, her voice softer now:
> "But if you stay, it'll keep tearing you apart. The crystals, the Omnitrix—you don't have either anymore. You won't survive alone."
That's when Supergirl's voice echoed from behind:
> "He's not alone."
All heads turned to see her standing firmly by Ben's side, her eyes full of conviction.
> "We're all with him. Maybe this world isn't where he came from… but maybe it's where he's meant to be."
Gwen looked between Ben and Supergirl, as if seeing something had changed—something that hadn't been there before. Then, with a wavering voice, she asked:
> "So that's it? That's your decision?"
Ben took a breath, stepped forward, and said:
> "If I go back now, Kairus wins here. And if he wins here, he'll return to our world even worse. I have to stop him from here… from inside the storm."
He turned away gently and added:
> "This isn't goodbye… it's a promise."
Gwen gave a small, tearful smile:
> "Stay alive… and don't lose yourself."
Kevin looked at Ben and offered a faint smile of his own:
> "If I were in your place… I'd probably do the same. Just remember—you know where to find us if you need us."
Ben nodded with gratitude, then turned to Supergirl, who met his gaze—not just with support, but belief.
In that moment, there was no more inner turmoil.
Only clarity.
He had made his choice.
He would stay.
He would be the soldier who stands in the heart of the storm.
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✦ Scene: The Farewell Moment
On the teleportation platform inside the Watchtower, blue lights rose around the dimensional transit circle, preparing to send Gwen and Kevin back to their world. The air was thick with silence... a silence that carried more than words ever could.
Kevin, adjusting the controls of the portal without looking at Ben, said:
> "Reports from our world confirmed crystal formations are starting to appear in three cities... We need to head back now, before it's too late."
Gwen stepped forward, her gaze heavy with emotion:
> "Ben... our world needs us. If we stay here, no one back there will be able to stop what's coming. But this isn't a forever goodbye, you know?"
Ben, his face etched with exhaustion and loss, tried to speak… but the words failed him.
At last, he whispered:
> "I... I don't want you to go. But I know you have to."
Gwen approached him and gently placed her hand over his heart:
> "And we carry a part of you inside us, no matter how far we go. Every step you take here—we see it. And we're proud of you."
Kevin, with a half-sarcastic yet warm tone, said:
> "Don't screw this up, Tennyson. This is the first time we're letting you walk alone."
Ben chuckled faintly, holding back tears:
> "I'm walking… but I'll never be alone."
Gwen gave a small nod, then glanced at Supergirl standing nearby:
> "Take care of him."
Supergirl answered with quiet confidence:
> "I promise."
The portal flared with dimensional light, and Gwen and Kevin's forms dissolved into glowing particles... leaving Ben standing alone, breathing slowly, his hand resting on the place where the Omnitrix used to be.
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