[50] The Reckoning and the Road

Chapter 50: The Reckoning and the Road

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The world blurred past in streaks of green and brown as I moved XLR8's wheels. I wasn’t pushing my limits, I’d learned my lesson last time when making my way to New York. While it was super fast and I managed to save Jessica in time, my lungs had nearly collapsed.

Pine needles exploded in my wake, creating a rooster tail of forest debris that probably scared the hell out of some poor squirrels. My legs burned from the cross-country sprint, muscles screaming even through the alien physiology.

The Yellowstone campsite materialized ahead, and I skidded to a halt in a shower of dirt and gravel. The transformation ended in a flash of green, leaving me bent over, hands on knees, gasping for air. Even with my enhanced body from the Blitzwolfer incident, that kind of sustained speed took its toll.

"Ben?"

I looked up to find Jean Grey watching me from beside a half-packed SUV. The other X-Men were scattered around, loading gear and generally looking ready to hit the road. Kurt waved from his perch on the vehicle's roof, still sporting a bandage around his fuzzy blue head.

"Hey," I managed between breaths. "Thought you guys left yesterday?"

Jean's expression softened, and she set down the box she'd been carrying. "We were going to, but..." She glanced away, looking a little embarrassed. "It didn't feel right, leaving without saying goodbye properly. Your fault you just vanished yesterday morning."

That surprised me a little. After our philosophical throwdown about mutant separatism, I'd expected her to want distance. Instead, here she was, delaying her whole team because basic courtesy mattered to her.

"That's... really nice of you," I said, straightening up. My breathing had mostly returned to normal, though my legs still felt like jelly. "Sorry about the dramatic exit. Friend needed help in New York."

"Really? Must have been something serious for you to run out like that," Jean's tone was carefully neutral, but I caught the curiosity underneath.

"Yeah. She… had a stalker situation that got ugly." I left out the other details and ran a hand through my damp, sweaty hair. "Some guy on super drugs. Not fun."

Jean's eyes widened slightly. "Is she okay?"

"She is now. Kicked his ass, actually. I just provided color commentary." The pride in my voice was impossible to hide. Jessica had been incredible once she had some proper guidance.

"I'm glad." Jean smiled, and it reached her eyes this time. "And Ben… about what you said the other night... about the school, about separation..." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "You've given me a lot to think about. As I said before, I promise I'll discuss it with the Professor when we get back."

"That's all I can ask for." I meant it too. Charles Xavier was stubborn as hell, but Jean had influence. If anyone could make him see reason, it was his star pupil. Maybe.

She stepped forward, surprising me with a quick hug. "Take care of yourself, Ben Tennyson. Try not to dive into any more planet-eating monsters."

"No promises," I said, returning the embrace briefly. She smelled like vanilla shampoo and ozone from Bobby's ice powers. "You guys drive safe. And Jean? Thanks for waiting."

She pulled back, that soft smile still in place. "Thank you for making us think."

I watched them pile into their vehicles, Kurt teleporting into the backseat with a theatrical BAMF that made Jubilee shriek and smack his shoulder. As they pulled away, Kitty leaned out the window to wave, and even Bobby gave me a respectful nod.

Once they were gone, I turned toward the Rust Bucket. My stomach twisted into knots that had nothing to do with the cross-country run. Grandpa Max's RV sat there like a fortress of judgment, and somewhere inside was a very pissed off Gwen.

Time to face the music.

The door creaked open under my hand, and I stepped into air so cold I half expected to see my breath. No Grandpa Max at the wheel. Just Gwen, sitting at the dinette table with a book open in front of her. She didn't look up when I entered.

"Well, look who's back." Her voice could have frozen hellfire. Her words were precisely articulated, like she was afraid if she relaxed even slightly, she'd start screaming.

I closed the door quietly behind me. "Hey, Gwen."

"How was Jessica?" She turned a page with deliberate calm. "Did you have fun playing hero while I was here, sick and wondering if you were ever coming back?"

The accusation was crazy. I could see it now, written in the rigid line of her shoulders and the white-knuckled grip on her book. She must be feeling used. Discarded. Like what happened between us in the forest was just another notch on my belt before I ran off to the next prey.

"Can I sit down?" I asked quietly.

"It's a free country."

I slid into the bench across from her, close enough to talk but far enough to give her space. Up close, I could see the remnants of her fever – the slightly hollow cheeks, shadows under her eyes. But more than that, I could see the hurt she was trying so hard to hide.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"For which part?" Her green eyes finally met mine, sharp as broken glass. "For running off without explaining? For leaving me here sick? Or for making me feel like an idiot for thinking that night meant something?"

Her words struck a nerve, making me wince. But I'd learned something from all these alien forms. Sometimes you had to take the hits to get through.

"All of it," I admitted. "But mostly for making you think you don't matter to me."

She laughed, bitter and short. "Right. Because nothing says 'you matter' like disappearing to another state the morning after we—”

"Jessica was being mind-controlled." The words came out flat, matter-of-fact. "A man named Killgrave. He had the power to make people do whatever he said, and he had her."

Gwen's mockery died instantly. Her eyes widened, the book forgotten. "Mind control?"

"Complete override. He could have made her do anything. Kill herself. Kill others. Worse." I stared at my hands, remembering the terror in Jessica's eyes when I found her. "She managed to send an SOS before he completely took over. Five seconds, Gwen. I don’t know how XLR8 went so fast, but I did. But if it was even five minutes longer instead… Well, when I arrived, Jessica was being controlled to take off her jacket. You can guess what would have happened next. I didn’t have time to explain because I had a feeling that if I delayed, something unforgivable might happen to her."

The silence stretched between us. I could practically hear Gwen's brilliant mind processing, connecting dots, understanding the situation with an clarity that came from being a girl in a dangerous world.

"Oh god," she whispered. "Ben, I... I didn't know. I thought..."

"You thought I was being a typical guy. Love 'em and leave 'em." I managed a weak smile. "Can't say I blame you. My track record isn't exactly stellar."

"No, I..." She pressed her palms against her eyes. "I was being childish. Jealous. You saved someone from something horrible and I'm here throwing a tantrum because my feelings were hurt."

"Your feelings matter too," I said firmly. "I should have taken a few more seconds. Explained. Something. Instead, I just ran off like—"

"No, no need to explain," she interrupted. "You ran off like someone who puts saving lives above everything else. Which is exactly who you are."

She stood abruptly, circling the table to stand in front of me. Before I could react, she grabbed my face and pulled me down into a kiss. It was different from our first – less desperate, more certain. An apology and a promise rolled into one.

When we broke apart, she kept her hands on my cheeks. "I'm sorry for being a brat."

I pulled her into my lap, looking into her eyes. "I'm sorry for being an idiot."

"We're a pair, aren't we?" She smiled, and it was like the sun coming out. "The jealous witch and the stupid heroic."

"I prefer 'dashing hero,' actually."

She pinched my cheek, but she was laughing. "Don't push it, Benjamin."

The door burst open, making us jump apart like guilty teenagers. Which, technically, we were.

"Ben! Good, you're back!" Grandpa Max climbed in, arms full of grocery bags. "We need to hit the road. Just got word from—"

He paused, looking between us. We'd separated, but maybe not fast enough. His eyes narrowed slightly, that Plumber instinct for details kicking in. But whatever he saw or suspected, he kept it to himself as he shrugged.

"From who, Grandpa?" I asked, grateful for the distraction.

Instead of answering directly, he moved to the driver's seat and hit a hidden switch. A panel in the wall slid open, revealing a monitor I'd never seen before. The screen flickered to life, displaying what looked like a military-grade tracking interface.

"Encrypted Plumber transmission came in while I was shopping." His voice had shifted into full mission mode. "High-priority alert about a massive energy signature detected near the Texas-Mexico border."

Gwen moved closer, her academic curiosity overriding any lingering awkwardness. "What kind of energy?"

"The kind that hasn't been seen in five hundred years! The Plumbers have been searching for it for ages!" Max pulled up a new screen, showing what looked like satellite imagery overlaid with energy readings. "It matches the signature of the Mask of Ah Puch."

I felt my eyes shine from recognition. The Ultimate Weapon. We were heading straight into one of the most dangerous episodes of the original series. A God’s episode.

"Ah Puch," Gwen murmured. "The Mayan god of death..."

"Not just death," Max corrected grimly. "Decay. Disaster. The absolute end of things. Legend says his mask is the key needed to activate this destructive weapon."

"Let me guess," I said, though I already knew the answer. "The Sword of Ek Chuaj?"

Max's head whipped around so fast I thought he might give himself whiplash. "How did you know that?"

"I read about it online. You know, myths and stuff have always interested me. I like the Nordic and Egyptian myths the most! God of Thunder Thor, God of Moon Khonshu, and stuff… And people love posting about doomsday weapons."

He shrugged, “Looks like these things are getting popular among common people too. Ah, the age of the internet… Anyways, the Sword of Ek Chuaj," he continued, turning back to the monitor, and his expression grew serious, "turns this summer vacation a lot more serious than it has been so far. Yes, even more than the Hulk situation. We’re dealing with Gods and Mythologies here.”

“No way…”

“This sword was crafted by the Mayan god of war,” he added. “Legend says a single swing can level cities, that it grants its wielder dominion over life and death itself. It’s known to be the most powerful and destructive weapon ever created."

"Sounds like something we definitely don't want in the wrong hands," Gwen said.

"Which is why we're going to find it first." I stood, already mentally cataloging which aliens would be most useful. "When do we leave?"

"Now," Max said, already starting the engine. "The energy signature won't last long. Someone else is looking for it, and they've got a head start."

As the Rust Bucket rumbled to life, I caught Gwen's hand. She squeezed back, showing that there wasn’t any further drama remaining between us.

"Texas, here we come," I muttered.

"You've been to Texas before?" Gwen asked.

"Nope. First time for everything." I grinned, trying to project confidence I didn't entirely feel. "How bad could it be?"

Gwen rolled her eyes. "You just jinxed us."

She was probably right. But as the Rust Bucket pulled onto the highway, heading south toward whatever nightmare waited in Texas, I couldn't help but feel excited. Ancient Mayan artifacts, world-ending weapons, the Forever Knights, and some Mayan Gods…

Just another Tuesday in the life of Ben Tennyson. I couldn’t complain.

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