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Rook waited patiently by the door as Blukic and Driba finished repairing the Omnitrix. Ben had once again managed to turn on the randomizer function and landed them in the repair bay of Plumber HQ.
For once, it was peaceful. There were no major invasions to contend with, and patrol had been similarly uneventful. Really, the randomizer function had purely been a result of Ben’s bored fiddling while in the Prototruck.
Speaking of bored fiddling, Rook glanced up to check on Ben. The human sat stock-still, his eyes lazily watching Blukic and Driba as they worked on the Omnitrix. The cuff keeping his arm pinned in place wrapped around his forearm, turning the skin a faint shade of red.
…Why was Ben not fiddling?
It was not as though he was exhausted from battle or patrol. He should have plenty of excess energy, which always translated into non-stop, relentless motion. But for some strange reason, Ben Tennyson sat completely, utterly still as his Omnitrix was repaired.
Rook leaned back against the wall, his thoughts now completely focused on Ben. After a moment, Ben copied him, leaning back in his own chair. He remained still, however. His eyes never left the Omnitrix.
Eventually, Blukic and Driba were finished and the cuff was removed from around Ben’s arm. He hopped to his feet, stretching his arm and rubbing at the ring of red until it disappeared. Then, he draped his arms behind his head and flashed Rook a smile.
“So, what now, Partner? Do we have another patrol?”
“No, we are off for the day.”
“Sweet! Smoothie time!”
Ben bounded ahead, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he moved. Without realizing he’d even been holding it, Rook breathed a sigh of relief. Here was the energy he would have expected from a bored Ben.
That thought paused Rook in his tracks. If Ben truly had this much energy to him, why had he held himself so still during the repair?
Ben turned to glance back at him. “You coming, Rook? I’ll pay this time, if that’s what you’re thinking about. Consider it a thank you for putting up with me and my stupid, malfunctioning watch.” The last part included a glare directed at the Omnitrix.
“Ben,” Rook asked before thinking. “Why do you need to be tied down while the Omnitrix is being repaired?”
Ben paused, blinking at Rook blankly. For a moment, his smile slipped. Then, he shrugged and continued moving down the corridor. “Eh, it’s just, like, a safety thing. Like, if the watch shocks me or something, Blukic and Driba don’t want me flailing around and hurting them or me. Plus, if I transform, it makes sure I stay in one place and that the watch doesn’t move.”
“Ah, I see.”
Rook moved to catch up with his partner. The silence stretched between them. After a moment, they reached the Prototruck. Ben clambered in with practiced ease and buckled in.
As they drove, Rook watched him fiddle with the window switch, the glove box latch, and even the strings of his own hoodie.
“This is the energy he should have had in the repair bay,” Rook mused to himself. Then, another thought occurred to him. “He turned around before he answered my question. He did not want me to see if his eye was twitching.”
Rook glanced over at Ben one last time as they pulled into the parking lot of Mr. Smoothie. An uneasy feeling settled in his gut.
Rook disassembled his proto-tool methodically, checking every spring and coil and ensuring that nothing needed maintenance. Ben lay on the lounge’s couch, tossing a ball up and down.
“What are you even doing anyways?” Ben asked, glancing over at Rook. He paused slightly when he saw the disassembled proto-tool. “Uh, is it supposed to look like that?”
“I am performing maintenance,” Rook said, fighting back an amused smile. “If my proto-tool is not regularly cleaned, it ceases to function properly. I would hate to find that the firing mechanism has a delay in the middle of a battle, for instance.”
“Huh.” Ben’s eyebrows furrowed. He set his ball to the side and draped himself over the back of the couch until he and Rook were relatively eye to eye. “Guess I never pictured you having to do the whole ‘cleaning your rifle’ thing with the proto-tool.”
“Why would I not? It is a weapon, much like any other.”
“Yeah. Guess it is.”
The two of them fell back into silence. After a moment, it was broken by the sound of the Omnitrix activating. Rook glanced up to see Ben cycling through the selection menu.
“What are you doing?”
“Seeing if I’ve unlocked any new aliens. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve gotten any new guys.”
Rook raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps we should do that in the training room?”
“Nah.” Ben didn’t take his eyes off the Omnitrix. “Just focus on cleaning the proto-tool.”
“Ben, if you are feeling restless-”
“Nah, I’m fine. Promise. Just curious. Seriously, finish up with your thing and then we can go get smoothies or something.”
Rook hesitated for a moment, studying Ben’s figure. His partner was good at hiding things. But Rook prided himself on being able to read Ben. Which meant that he could see the slight downturn to his partner’s face, the way tension coiled in his shoulders. He knew what it meant that Ben was pausing slightly over each of his combat-proficent aliens.
Quickly, Rook finished cleaning the proto-tool. Once it was reassembled and placed in its holster, the tension eased out of Ben’s shoulders.
“Have you found any new aliens?” Rook asked politely.
Ben shook his head and exited out of the Omnitrix’s selection menu. “Nah, nothing. Ooh, maybe I’ll get one in our next fight.”
“Or perhaps Azmuth will grant you additional ones for your eighteenth birthday.”
“He already promised me Master Control. Actually…does that mean I’m going to unlock all my aliens before then?”
“That seems like it would be a lot of aliens to unlock in such a short amount of time.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Anyways, you want smoothies?”
“Perhaps we could get something more hearty?”
Ben raised an eyebrow. “You’re actually asking to get burgers?”
“I was thinking of a salad. But burgers are also an option, I suppose.”
Ben grinned and leaped to his feet. “I knew you’d come around! C’mon, let’s head to Burger Shack. I’ll drive.”
Rook sprinted after him. “Absolutely not!”
Ben managed to beat him to the Prototruck. But he crawled into the passenger seat without hesitation, a grin on his face.
Ben led Rook along the canals of Undertown, his fingers loosely curled around Rook’s wrist. Rook’s other hand held a bag full of food. Eventually, they managed to find a quiet spot, one conveniently hidden away from prying eyes and flashing cameras.
Ben sat down, and Rook followed a moment later. He set the bag of food between the two of them and began pulling out their orders. Ben, meanwhile, pulled off his shoes and socks and let his feet trail in the water.
Rook cringed slightly. “I do not believe that water is clean.”
Ben shrugged. “No worse than the canals in Bellwood. Besides, it feels nice. You should try it.”
“No thank you. I do not enjoy the feel of wet fur.”
“Ooh, yeah, that’s probably not pleasant.”
Ben grabbed his own portion of Ogia Salad and began eating. Rook did the same, politely ignoring the mess Ben was making. A few minutes later, Ben was finished with his portion.
“You must have been very hungry,” Rook said.
Ben nodded. “I was.” Then, his face lit up with a grin. Rook’s eyes widened.
“No. Ben, do not-”
Ben reached over and plucked up some of his salad, shoving it in his mouth. He looked up at Rook with an expression that Kevin had once described as a “shit-eating grin.”
“You are the worst.”
“No, that’s my Atrocian form.”
“Why do I tolerate you, again?”
“Because you love me?”
Rook sighed tiredly. “Unfourtantely.”
Ben leaned away from Rook. Rook raised an eyebrow, not believing the innocent act. Slowly, he took another bite of his salad, his eyes never straying from Ben once.
When Ben didn’t move even after multiple bites, Rook finally returned his attention to his salad. Of course, that was when Ben’s hand snaked out and stole the last bit of salad.
For a moment, Rook simply glared at Ben. Ben just blinked, his expression the picture of innocence.
Deliberately, Rook set his container to the side. Then, he leapt for Ben.
Ben ducked under the lunge, scrambling back to his feet. His laugh echoed across the canal as he danced away from Rook’s reach.
Rook didn’t give up. He feinted to the right. Ben didn’t fall for it, bracing himself for another tackle.
He wasn’t expecting Rook’s leg to dart out and sweep his feet out from under him.
He went crashing to the pavement, Rook diving along with him, a hand guarding the back of his skull from the ground. The two hit the ground as a tangle of limbs. Rook had one hand behind Ben’s head, the other on his shoulder, keeping him pinned. Ben’s hands were spread wide, having landed above his head. This time, it was Rook’s laughter that filled the canal.
“Ha! I win.”
But Ben didn’t react like Rook had expected. In fact, the human had gone unnervingly still beneath him. His pupils were blown wide and his breathing was shallower than normal.
“Ben?” Rook tried. “Are you alright?”
Ben didn’t respond beyond a slight hitch in his breath
“Benjamin?” Rook lifted himself off Ben, but he didn’t risk going particularly far. “Can you focus on my voice?”
Ben blinked rapidly. Slowly, he moved his arms down to his side and sat up. “Rook?”
“Yes, Ben. It’s me. Are you alright?”
“Yeah, yeah, I think so. I just…I’m on Earth, right? Not in space?”
“Yes. You are on Earth. In Undertown, specifically. Along the canals. We were on our lunch break.”
“Oh, okay.” Ben blinked again. Then, he grinned. It was noticeably shaky. “You think we could get more Ogia Salad? I’m really hungry.”
Rook returned the expression, unsettled. Briefly, an image of an Incursean banishment pod flashed through his mind’s eye. Carefully, Rook placed his hands by his sides, far away from Ben’s wrists. “Sure, Partner. But this time you’re not stealing any of mine.”
“Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that.”
Ben began gathering his things up. Rook gathered their lunch trash and led Ben back towards the Amber Ogia stand.
He spent the rest of his lunch break researching flashbacks.
The pattern had started small. Ben would shift during meetings, until he was standing on Rook’s left. It would happen during mealtimes too. Ben would only sit to Rook’s left, even when etiquette dictated that he sit closer to the head of the table.
Rook was completely unaware that Ben would move himself in battle so that the Omnitrix was never between himself and Rook. Ben was so fluid at playing keep away with his watch that Rook hadn’t even noticed the action until a battle went wrong.
Rook had been distracted battling many of Charmcaster’s rock creatures, trying to keep them away from Gwendolyn and Kevin. Ben had been to his right. The two of them had backed into each other, and the band of the Omnitrix snagged against Rook’s armor.
Ben flinched, his eyes flickering between Rook and the rock monsters. Then he was moving, shifting around Rook, trying to get to his other side.
It was a single misstep that put him in the path of Charmcaster’s rock monster.
Rook watched as Ben was flung across the square, a smattering of red staining his hairline. After that, Rook lost track of the battle. He had rushed to Ben’s side as Gwendolyn and Kevin completed the fight. It only took a moment before Ben’s eyes were cracking open and he had resumed his usual joking nature. Rook had sighed in relief and returned the jokes easily enough. His eyes kept straying down to the Omnitrix, however.
Cleanup had been routine. Ben had tried to claim a concussion to get out of it, but Kevin hadn’t let him, confidently declaring that there was concussion to speak of. Rook had pulled Ben aside to double check, of course, but he had to admit that Kevin’s assessment had been correct.
But he had still insisted Ben rest. So, Gwendolyn had let them borrow her and Kevin’s apartment while she handled Charmcaster’s arrest.
Now, Ben was passed out in Gwendolyn’s bed. Butterfly bandages stood out against his dark hair. Ben had insisted they were unnecessary, but Rook had been firm about providing some kind of first aid before he had allowed his partner to sleep. Rook sat at Gwendolyn’s desk, drafting out a report for later. He couldn’t focus on it, though.
His eyes kept drifting back towards Ben, towards the Omnitrix, trying to puzzle out the strange pattern he could no longer ignore.
His partner needed to be tied down to have the Omnitrix repaired. He fiddled with the watch while Rook cleaned his weapon, inexplicably braced for combat. Plus there was that incident along the canals. Rook had never seen that kind of reaction from Ben before or since.
And now, his partner insisted on keeping the Omnitrix out of Rook’s reach, even making risky maneuvers in battle just to keep the watch away.
As if sensing Rook’s staring, Ben rolled over, his eyes fluttering. “What’s up?” His voice was still slightly slurred with sleep, but there was a clarity to his eyes that Rook hadn’t expected. “I’m not bleeding again, am I?”
“No. You are fine.”
“Awesome. Why do you keep staring at me?”
“Ben, would you like me to stay away from the Omnitrix?”
Ben blinked owlishly. Then he plastered on a smile. “Nah, dude. I trust you.”
“Then why did you attempt to put yourself between it and me in our battle earlier?”
“Oh, is that what this is about? Dude, that’s just because it’s easier to get to the Omnitrix when there’s no one on my left side.”
Rook raised a single eyebrow. Ben didn’t offer another excuse. His eye twitched slightly.
Slowly, Rook schooled his expression. For now, he would choose to believe Ben. And, if in the next meeting with the Plumbers he kept Ben on his left, no one had to know.
Rook was exhausted. Fighting Maltruant, and then dealing with the Contemalia had been…something. Even now, hours after the fact, Rook wasn’t sure how he felt. Both he and Ben had silently agreed not to return to base. Briefing the Plumbers and hitting the showers simply felt too…banal after witnessing the creation of the Universe.
But neither of them were being productive either. They had spent the last hour simply driving around Bellwood. Neither of them had spoken. Ben hadn’t even requested a smoothie. He’d just silently grimaced each time they drove past a Mr. Smoothie.
Finally, Rook could not stand the silence any longer. “Perhaps we should call Azmuth.”
Ben turned to look at him. For the first time, Rook noticed the dark bags under his eyes. “Why? I mean, I was already planning on telling him about the Contemalia, but I didn’t really want to get interrogated today.”
“I meant so that he could examine the Omnitrix.”
Ben’s hand drifted to cover the watch. “Why? It’s not malfunctioning or anything. And unless I’ve been turning into aliens without noticing and you’re only just now mentioning it…”
“No. Your watch appears to be currently functioning. But you have had Skurd attached to it for nearly a month now. It may be prudent to have Azmuth examine it to ensure that Skurd did not accidentally disable a failsafe or trigger a previously unknown function.”
“You really think Skurd did something and we still haven’t noticed? I mean, I’ve been using my watch pretty consistently during this whole Time War thing.”
“Perhaps. But you did also hold the Big Bang in your hands a few hours ago. There is no telling what that kind of thing might have done to your body-”
“Dude,” Ben snapped, a surprising amount of heat in his voice. He took a breath and forced his tone into something more neutral. “You’re right. But I just held the fucking Big Bang in my bare hands less than three hours ago. So can you not give me this right now?”
“Ben, I know you’re not particularly fond of having your watch touched-”
“Yeah, well maybe I don’t want to be touched right now, Rook.”
Rook paused, his hand hovering over the gear shift. “Ben, I-”
“It’s fine, dude. I didn’t mean to snap. Calling Azmuth isn’t a bad idea. I just…I’ve already been so afraid all of today. I don’t wanna make myself feel more afraid just for a checkup. So can you drop it. Please?”
“Of course, Ben. My apologies.”
They spent the rest of the drive in silence. Eventually, Ben had insisted they stop by his house. Rook had obliged, and soon, he and Ben were laughing over peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The knot in Rook’s chest began to ease.
Rook methodically picked bits of glass out of his fur. The Vaxosaurian thief had caught him off guard earlier, managing to backhand him through the front window of Packmar’s new storefront. Ben had landed against the concrete wall, however. Still in human form. And then he had been flung through an entirely separate brick wall. And had been smacked into a car with enough force to crumple it.
Now he sat on the other side of the lounge table from Rook, tapping his fingers against the edge of it and blinking lethargically. Rook hoped he didn’t have a concussion. Or some other type of significant brain injury. Ben had always been rather thick-skulled but it would be impressive for him to walk off such an injury.
“Gah, I can feel bruises forming all over my back,” Ben groused. “This job sucks sometimes.”
Despite himself, Rook grinned slightly. “Yes, I cannot imagine getting thrown through walls regularly is an enjoyable pastime.”
“It so is not. But you get used to it after a while.”
“I suppose so.”
Silence fell once again, only occasionally interrupted by the sound of glass pieces landing in the plastic tupperware Ben had dug up from his grandfather's cabinet. Eventually, Ben grew bored.
He stood and stretched before immediately regretting it. “Gah, stupid bruises! Well, you have fun taking care of all the glass, Rook. I’m going to hit the showers. Try to sleep off the worst of this.”
“You may have a concussion. I do not believe it is recommended for humans with a concussion to sleep.”
“Ah, I’m fine, Rook,” Ben said with a wave. “Not my first concussion. I’ll take it easy for a few hours before trying to sleep and check myself into the infirmary if I start seeing stars or something. Promise.”
Rook sighed, fond exasperation lacing his voice. “‘Seeing stars’ is not a very common concussion symptom, but very well. That is one of your more sensible plans. You still have not attended to the laceration along your wrist, however.”
“The what?” Ben glanced down at his right wrist, turning his arm over and searching for the injury Rook was talking about.
“Your other wrist,” Rook said, trying to gather up his patience. “Your Omnitrix wrist. I believe you got caught on a bit of glass when the thief slammed you into a vehicle?”
Ben winced slightly. Somehow, Rook did not think it was simply the result of adrenaline wearing off. “Oh, yeah, that,” Ben muttered. “It’s fine, it’s mostly just a scratch. I’m not even bleeding anymore. See?” He extended his arm for Rook to examine.
True to his word, the wound was not bleeding. But that was not as comforting as Rook hoped. “There may still be contaminants such as glass, rock, or soil in it. And given the wound’s position, you will not be able to adequately clean it without another hand helping to keep the band of the Omnitrix out of the way.”
Instantly, Ben had pulled his hand back and pressed the face of the Omnitrix against his thigh. “Dude, it’s fine.” Ben’s voice was shaking slightly. “Like I said, I’ll check into the infirmary if I really need to.”
“Ben, I believe that you and I are both well aware by this point that you will not seek medical care unless either I or your cousin and Kevin compel you to.”
Ben sighed, a sound Rook recognized as his partner’s signal to drop a subject. “Dude, lay off. I spent, like, six months having to patch up my own wounds without any help during the war with the Highbreed. I know how to clean out a scratch. Besides, it doesn’t even need stitches! I’ll slap a bandage on and call it a day.”
Rook did not believe Ben’s nonchalance for a moment. He abandoned his own tweezers and stood. Ben simply rolled his eyes as Rook moved over to him, but he did not pull away.
Rook reached out and grabbed Ben’s wrist, his fingers brushing against the band of the watch. Ben’s reaction was instant. His knee slammed into Rook’s gut, catching him off guard.
By the time Rook had recovered, Ben was on the other side of the room, his wrist pressed against his chest and his pupils blown wide as he scanned the room for any signs of danger.
Rook muttered a few choice words under his breath, cursing his own stupidity. Then, cautiously, he approached, stopping just out of reach of Ben’s limbs.
“Ben?” he tried. There was no response. “Ben, it is alright. You are safe.” Ben’s breathing hitched slightly. But his pupils were still wide and frantic. “You are on base,” Rook said, drawing on as much of the practiced reassurance he could muster. “You are not captured, and I have no intention of harming you.” The words still weren’t getting through.
Rook’s mind drifted back to that moment on the canal, trying to place what had gotten Ben’s attention in that moment.. “Benjamin!” Rook called, hoping to snap him out of it.
And indeed, it seemed to have the intended effect. Ben blinked, staring up at Rook uncomprehendingly. Then, slowly, he regained his bearings. Some of the tension bled out of his shoulders, but his wrist remained pressed firmly to his chest.
“I apologize Ben,” Rook said once most of the clarity had returned to his partner’s gaze. “I should not have done that. And I certainly should have warned you beforehand. I will not touch your wrist again without permission.”
“No, it’s fine,” Ben muttered breathily, his heart rate still returning to normal.
“Still,” Rook said. He could not keep the guilt out of his voice. “I should have been able to guess that having that arm touched would be a trigger. My grabbing you was reckless.”
“You’re fine, man. It’s whatever. Been happening since I was ten. Comes with the territory. I’m used to it.”
Rook’s heart clenched. So much of Ben’s earlier behavior made sense now. Really, it was a minor miracle that Ben was as sedate in his response as he was, given that he had been dealing with these things since he was a young child.
Rook opened his mouth to offer some words of comfort. But, slowly, he closed them. Ben had always preferred direct practicality to simple niceties.
“Would you like to see if I can find a function on my proto-tool that will help you keep the Omnitrix out of the way while you clean your injury?”
A look of relief passed over Ben’s face. Most would have missed it, but Rook knew how to read his partner. Ben glanced down at the gash on his arm, evaluating it. Then, to Rook’s surprise, he extended his hand to Rook in a clear offer.
“Nah, no need. I trust you. Just…you know, warn me next time?”
Rook smiled softly. “Of course, Ben. My apologies for not doing so earlier.” He reached out for Ben, cupping Ben’s hand in his own and stilling the trembling of his partner’s fingers. He retrieved the tweezers from the table and set about picking glass out of the cut.
Slowly, the tension in the room eased. Rook breathed a sigh of relief, glad to know his partner finally felt safe.