Chapter 54: An Unlikely Alliance
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The Texas sun hammered down on the Rust Bucket like it had a personal vendetta against air conditioning. We'd been driving for hours through nothing but scrubland and the occasional roadkill, following energy signatures that led us to the middle of absolutely nowhere.
Well, not quite nowhere.
Through the heat shimmer rising off the asphalt, I could make out a cluster of buildings that was like a small town trying not to die. Beyond that, maybe two miles out, sat a government facility that looked about as welcoming as a maximum security prison. Although it definitely wasn't a prison. Even with all its concrete blocks and razor wire, with watchtowers that definitely weren't just for show.
"That's our target," Grandpa Max said, pulling into what passed for the town's main drag. "According to the energy readings, the mask is in that facility."
I leaned forward between the seats, studying the place. Even from here, I could see guards patrolling the perimeter. "So what's the plan? Transform into something big and smash our way in?"
"In broad daylight?" Max shook his head. "That's suicide, Ben. Too many eyes, not enough cover. We wait for nightfall."
Gwen looked up from her spellbook. "That gives us what, six hours?"
"Time enough to grab some food and maybe gather some intel," Max said, parking the RV in front of a diner that had probably been around since the Eisenhower administration. The sign read "The Dusty Spoon" in faded red letters, with half the neon tubes burnt out.
The inside was exactly what you'd expect from a place called The Dusty Spoon. Cracked vinyl booths that had seen better decades, a lazy ceiling fan that just pushed the hot air around, and the mingled smells of stale coffee and bacon grease. A bored-looking waitress glanced up as we entered, then went back to reading her magazine.
We slid into a booth near the window, the vinyl making that distinctive squeak-stick sound. The music was decent, at least. I was halfway through scanning the menu where everything was either fried, double-fried, or fried with a side of fried, when movement in the corner caught my eye.
Something really interesting.
A young woman sat alone in the furthest booth, hunched over what looked like half a cow's worth of steak and eggs. She was trying hard to be invisible. Jeans, oversized hoodie despite the heat, baseball cap pulled low. But there was something about the way she moved, the glimpse of platinum blonde hair escaping the cap, tinted with pink...
My eyelids twitched.
"Guys," I said quietly, not taking my eyes off her. "Corner booth. Don't all look at once."
Gwen glanced over first, casual-like. Her fork clattered against her water glass. "Is that—"
"That little girl… Charmcaster," Grandpa finished, his hand already moving toward his concealed weapon.
The moment her name left his lips, violet eyes snapped up to meet mine. For a split second, we just stared at each other. Then her face went through about six different expressions, shock, annoyance, exhaustion, and finally settling on "oh, for fuck's sake."
She threw some bills on the table and bolted, shoving past the startled waitress hard enough to send her magazine flying.
"Here we go again," I sighed, already reaching for the Omnitrix.
The transformation hit me not long after I was out the door. My spine elongated, limbs stretching into something built for pure speed. The world slowed to a crawl as my perception accelerated. The waitress was still turning to see what happened, her mouth forming a perfect O of surprise. Grandpa and Gwen were just starting to stand.
I blurred through the street, leaving a sonic boom that probably shattered every glass in the place. Sorry about that.
Charmcaster was fast for a human, already halfway down the block. But against XLR8? She might as well have been standing still. I zipped around the block, taking the long way just because I could, and materialized right in her path as she ducked into an alley.
The transformation ended in a flash of green, leaving me leaning casually against the brick wall like I'd been there all along.
"What the f-!" She flinched back and skidded to a halt, nearly face-planting into my chest.
"No teleporting today?" I asked, trying to piss her off with my cockiness.
Up close, I could see the bags under her eyes, the way her clothes hung loose like she'd been living rough. This wasn't the composed villainess from our previous encounter. This was someone running on fumes.
"Can't you people just leave me alone for five minutes?" She clicked her tongue in frustration, looking more tired than threatening. "I'm trying to eat one decent meal without some 'hero' ruining it."
Footsteps behind me announced Grandpa and Gwen's arrival. Max already had his Plumber-grade blaster out, keeping it low but ready.
His voice could have frozen helium. "Girl, be honest. Are you connected to the recent magical disturbances? The Xenocyte? The Corrodium?"
Charmcaster's face scrunched in genuine confusion. "The what now? Look, old man, I don't know what monster-of-the-week crisis you're dealing with, but I'm here on personal business."
"Which is?" Gwen demanded, her charms already glowing with barely contained power.
For a moment, Charmcaster looked like she might fight, annoyed seeing Gwen act so tough with her uncle's charms. Then her shoulders sagged. "The same thing you're after, probably. The energy signatures. I've been tracking them for weeks."
"...."
She hesitated, then added quietly, "I need to find the Mask of Ah Puch. It's supposed to lead to the Mayan God of Death's Avatar. I... I have questions only a death god can answer."
That was all Max needed to hear. The blaster came up, aimed right at her head. "So you ARE after the weapon."
"Whoa, hold on!" I stepped between them, hands raised. "Let's not jump to conclusions here."
"Ben, get out of the way," Gwen snapped. "She's a villain! She tried to kill us!"
"Nah, she didn't? Last time I checked, she was fighting Hex with us. Plus she didn't even try to fight us today. Calm down, guys. She also just admitted she's desperate," I countered, drawing on memories from my past life. In the show, Charmcaster's whole deal was trying to resurrect her father. "People do crazy things when they're desperate. Right, Hope?"
Using her real name was a calculated risk. Perhaps it was a little stupid of me to defend her like this just based on my canon knowledge because I knew she wasn't quite the innocent damsel, but… being who I am, I had the leisure to take some risks.
Her eyes went wide, genuine shock replacing the exhaustion. "How do you—"
"Don't be so surprised, I just heard your unconscious uncle mutter your name the last time." I kept my tone gentle and non-threatening. This situation was quite serious, and I didn't want to meddle with it, but since she was after the Mask, I had a feeling we wouldn't be able to stop her from going after it. In that case.... "Look, we're all after the same thing here. Maybe instead of pointing weapons at each other, we could try something crazy. Like working together."
"Absolutely not," Grandpa said immediately.
"No way," Gwen added.
Charmcaster laughed, but it was bitter. "See? Your family has more sense than you do, hero boy. But yes, I'm not after the weapon. Trust me or not. I just… want to see that Death God's Avatar."
"It doesn't matter if you're telling the truth or not. We can always defeat you if you act up. What matters is that my family doesn't know magic like you do," I pointed out. "We're about to go up against some serious mystical threats. Gwen isn't weak, but it wouldn't hurt to have another sorceress on our side."
"I can handle it," Gwen protested, but Charmcaster was already smirking.
"Really, little witch? You think just because you got lucky with uncle's charms you're some sorceress?" she burst out laughing. "Tell me, what's the proper incantation to sever a fifth-circle kinetic ward?"
Gwen opened her mouth, then closed it.
"How about countering a temporal loop without causing a paradox? Or the seven binding names of Cyttorak?"
More silence.
"That's what I thought." Charmcaster's smirk widened. "You've got raw power and some neat toys, but you're playing with forces you don't understand. One wrong move and you'll turn yourself inside out. Literally."
I could see Gwen's face flushing with anger and embarrassment. Although it was a good way to convince them, I was a little annoyed that she was attacking my Gwen. I had to defuse before someone started throwing fireballs.
"Okay, point made, but listen… Don't mistake my kindness as a ticket to insult my cousin, you understand? She's only been learning magic for a bare few weeks, of course she doesn't know as much as you. But she can give you a beating, trust me, she's a Tennyson. So don't be so smug toward her." I said, looking into her eyes seriously. Her smile vanished at it. Gwen, on the other hand, looked quite surprised seeing me defend her, as a smile crept up her lips.
"That's right! What he said," she agreed.
"Here's what I'm thinking," I continued. "Let's form a temporary alliance just until we secure the mask. Grandpa said the mask shows us the map. We'll all see it. Then, after that, we'll keep the mask, and you can do whatever you want. Come along with us or leave, up to you. No double-crosses, no backstabbing. Deal?"
It was probably wishful thinking, but I had hope for her. At the very least, I'd try once to help her. If she betrayed us, then…
Charmcaster studied me with those unsettling violet eyes. "I think you're very stupid, Ben Tennyson. But I like that. I agree."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Ben, this is insane," Gwen hissed. "We can't trust her!"
"We don't have to trust her," I said. "We just have to have the same goal for the next few hours. Besides," I glanced at Charmcaster, "she knows we outnumber her. And I'm pretty sure she's too tired to fight all of us anyway."
That got a rueful chuckle. "You're not wrong. I've been living on gas station coffee and whatever I can steal for two weeks. My magical reserves are..." She waggled her hand. "Not great."
Grandpa Max still had his weapon raised, but I could see him thinking. Calculating odds, weighing options. Finally, slowly, he lowered the blaster.
"One wrong move," he warned. "One hint of betrayal, and I won't hesitate."
"Understood, old man," Charmcaster said, and there was something almost respectful in the way she called him. "For what it's worth, I have no interest in whatever world-ending scheme is brewing. I just want… some answers."
"Fine," Gwen said through gritted teeth. "But I'm watching you."
"I'd expect nothing less, little witch."
And just like that, our dysfunctional little team had a new member. This was either going to be brilliant or catastrophically stupid. Knowing my luck, probably both.
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Author Note: 😫 No way, ALMOST there guys. Top 3 is right there, 2-chapters