107A/N: Important notice: I changed some chapters cause I didn't like the fact that sometimes the characters were too OOC. I suggest you read all the chapters and try to find the changes out for yourselves ;)
Thanks for your reviews everyone. Keep them coming. I really enjoy your insights!
Once more, my beta Mr. BG – you're the best!
Disclaimer: I don't own Ben 10 or the 80's movie "The Blue Lagoon". Have a nice reading!
/~/~/
Meanwhile both our heroes reached the life raft and were currently in search of some communication device; one which will help them get in touch with someone who may be able to pinpoint their location and send a rescue team.
"Hey Gwen! Over here!" Ben shouted as he reached to pick up what seemed to resemble a walkie-talkie.
Gwen stood up from where she had been crouched while searching and went over towards her cousin.
"It looks like what we were looking for. Think it works?" Ben asked as he glanced at her.
Gwen shrugged as she looked down at the small comlink (yeah, I'm calling it comlink now. Got a problem?) in Ben's hand and reached her hand to inspect it. "Well, only one way to find out," she replied, looking at him.
She turned the device on and a buzz of static emerged from it. Gwen pressed on the rectangular PTT switch and spoke, "Hello? Hello? Can anyone hear me?" she let go of the switch but her only answer was more static.
She tried once more before her shoulders slumped in defeat.
"You think it got damaged?" Ben asked her, not giving up yet.
Gwen turned the device over in her palm, trying to detect any damage to it, but upon seeing none she shook her head. "I don't see anything wrong with it. We must be out of range for it to pick up communications." She surmised.
Ben looked solemn as he tried to come up with a solution to the complication they faced. He turned to her quickly as his mind came up with something.
"Hey Gwen? Think you could use your magic to enhance the signal?" Ben questioned, hoping for once she'll accept his idea.
Gwen looked at him in disbelief, 'now why didn't I think of that?' she hugged him so suddenly Ben nearly fell backwards in surprise.
"Ben you're a genius! I promise never to call you stupid again!" she smiled. Ben lightly glared at her but it soon changed into a smile. "Nice to know I'm finally being appreciated." He finished.
"Yeah, well don't get used to it dweeb. I know how it goes to your head." She smirked as her hands went to either side of her head, helping her concentrate on her magic.
Ben glared at her but said nothing as he saw a blue glow (take that! I'm keeping her mana blue!) surround her form, but as suddenly as it appeared it flickered and died out. Ben looked at Gwen, who seemed to be concentrating immensely; sweat covered her forehead as her face creased in hard concentration. He watched as the glow returned only to once more flicker out.
Gwen opened her eyes in fear, "something seems to be blocking my magic. I can't manage to hold on to the spell." She answered desperately. Then she looked to Ben, "Try your watch," she pointed out, "that may just work."
Ben nodded and turned the dial until Upgrade's form appeared on the face-plate of the Omnitrix. Ben knew it may not work and contemplated the idea as he stared down at the watch, 'Please Omnitrix, if you've ever thought of cooperating with me, now's the perfect time. I really need Upgrade.'
Ben pressed the faceplate down.
/
It took about 20 minutes of flight for the chopper to reach the coordinates of the raft's last known position. Jim piloted it around as they scoured a perimeter of 10 square miles.
Max looked anxiously down from the passenger side, trying as hard as he could to locate his grandchildren. All this time the sky turned darker and gloomier as an imminent storm was closing in.
They flew another couple of miles north when unexpectedly they were thrown violently around in their seats as the blades on the rotor started rotating slower and whined against an invisible force pulling on them.
Max turned to Jim, "what was that?" Jim checked his instruments and threw a quick glance at Max before returning his attention to the controls. "Have no idea, whatever it is it's making my instruments go berserk." Jim fought to stabilize the aircraft with the chopper's cyclic stick as it continued to struggle against strain pulling on its blades. "I'm sorry sir but we must get out of here before we crash into the sea. Not to mention there's a nasty storm coming in fast. I'm very sorry but we have to return."
Max feared this would happen. He knew this force well, even the Plumbers were unable to resist it and it had cost them their lives. In fact, it was that very reason why this area was off limits as all technology tended to go haywire around it.
Max nodded silently as Jim piloted the chopper away from the place, and turned to look back to the ocean below him, 'I'll find you kids. I promise. I won't rest until I do.' He thought to himself sadly as they made their way back to shore.
/
As soon as Ben opened his eyes they shot down to stare at his hands, what met his gaze were two white and black hands.
"Sweet! The Omnitrix is finally starting to cooperate." Ben cried in delight.
Gwen stared at him in boredom, "Hi doofus; hate to interrupt your joy…or maybe not so much, but can we please get on with it? I would really like to get out of here." She said.
Upgrade turned his 'eye' on her and replied, "Yeah, yeah. I'm on it," and started fusing with the communication device that was still in Gwen's hand.
Gwen looked down at the device as Upgrade worked his magic (LOL) making its features and functions change to be top class.
Ben asked Gwen to press on the PTT button once more but as she did a huge surge of electricity hit her hand, flinging her backwards and causing Upgrade to detach itself from the device she dropped.
Ben hastily transformed back and ran over to where Gwen has fallen. When he came close he noticed her cradling her hand.
"You ok?" he asked looking very concerned. He honestly had no idea what happened but hoped that electric strike didn't harm Gwen.
Gwen flicked her gaze at him as she rubbed her sore hand, "I'll live. But what was that? I'm guessing it wasn't your doing."
Ben shook his head, "I really don't know. One moment I was integrated with the device and the next I was flung out. It felt like some sort of force field. Odd thing is it only activated when you pressed it after I infused with the device."
Gwen nodded her head at his explanation as she continued to rub her palm, 'that really stung' she thought.
Ben saw this and reached out to take her hand but Gwen hastily pulled it back.
He sighed, "Gwen, let me take a look at it for a moment." Gwen hesitated a bit but nonetheless stretched her arm out towards him.
Ben gingerly took her hand in his, not failing to notice Gwen's wincing at the contact, and opened her palm. He cringed as he saw a burn mark marring her hand, making it red. Despite its redness it didn't appear to be severe, just painful.
He helped her up and started walking back towards the raft. Gwen shot him a curios look. "I think I saw a first aid kit somewhere in there." He told her, answering her unspoken question.
Gwen nodded as they reached the raft, and sat down on the edge of it while Ben started searching for it.
"Got it!" he exclaimed as he came to sit in front of her and opened the kit. Inside, there appeared to be everything he needed for the job, he pulled out a bottle of Saline solution, an antiseptic cream tube and some gauze he found inside.
The brown haired preteen gently took his cousin's hand once more and opened it. Before he started dressing the wound he warned, "Gwen just a fair warning; but this may sting."
Gwen rolled her eyes, "I know that you dweeb. Just get on with it." Ben shrugged and spilled a bit of the solution on the wound; as soon as the solution hit her hand Gwen hissed out, her face scrunching up in pain.
Ben stopped cleaning the wound with a piece of cotton he found, "sorry, but I did warn you."
Gwen narrowed her eyes at him and ground out, her teeth clenched tightly together, "I know. Just do it quickly."
Ben nodded and returned to work on dressing the wound as he applied the cream and dressed it with the gauze. As he looked down to inspect his work, Gwen stared at her cousin's head.
"I swear Ben, each time I think I've figured you out you surprise me again. Where did you learn how to dress a wound? And a burn no less?" she questioned.
Ben lifted his gaze from her bandaged hand to her eyes, two pools of green much like his own, and answered with a grin, "I burned myself once when I was five, put my hand on the oven that hasn't yet cooled down. I remember my mom dressing the wound for me," he reminisced as he stared back down, his voice tinged with sadness.
Gwen looked at him with a grim smile, will they ever get back home? They didn't know where they were, her magic wasn't working and neither was the comlink. The Omnitrix at least seemed to be working but with no idea where they were what good was it? They could be hundreds of miles from the nearest civilization.
Gwen made up her mind, 'No matter what, we can't lose hope of getting out of here. I'm sure if we try, we'll be able to think of something. I gotta think of something, I owe at least that much to Ben.'
With a burst of renowned confidence the redheaded hero placed her healthy hand on Ben's shoulder, causing him to raise his eyes to her. When he saw her smile his heart skipped a bit, a baffled look on his face.
"Ben, I promise we'll get out of here. I'll think of something. But for now I propose we find shelter, because I have a feeling it won't be today."
Ben nodded in agreement as Gwen stood up; offering him her hand, which he gladly took.
The moment he stood up Gwen kissed him on the cheek, her own mirroring his as they both turned red in embarrassment. "Thanks for the help," she said timidly as she swiftly turned around and started sauntering towards the trees on the other side of the beach.
Ben softly put his hand on his cheek, which was still burning with heat, and nodded dumbly as he jogged to catch up with her. He figured that perhaps being stuck there wasn't the worst thing in the world if at least they had each other.
/
When at last the chopper landed Max came out and looked for Donovan. He spotted him discussing with some workers, and marched up to him. He had a plan.
Donovan cut the conversation when he noticed Max approaching from the corner of his eye.
"Max!" he exclaimed, but quickly noticed his friend was alone. He felt his heart sink.
When Max reached Donovan he grabbed him by the shoulders and hurriedly said, "Donovan, I need your help. I have some friends in this town who may be able to help me find the kids but I need a car. Do you happen to have one around here?"
Donovan stared at Max but quickly shook himself out of his stupor and nodded. "Indeed I do. It's actually inside the ship. Level -2, go there and I'll notify Edwin to meet you there with the keys. If there is anything more I can do just tell me. I notified the coast guard but unfortunately, as I feared, they will not do anything until the storm clears." He finished.
Max nodded and thanked his friend as he ran back towards the ship. He had some Plumber friends there; he hoped that maybe together they can arrange a rescue. They must know something more than him about the area, they live there. They were his last chance; he just hoped it was enough.
/
"Mr. Tennyson, here are the keys." Edwin said as he handed them to the old Plumber. Max took them gratefully and waited as the hatch opened to let the car out.
Before Max could leave Edwin put his hand on the window sill. Max turned his head from the opening hatch to look at him.
Edwin was looking down guiltily, "I'm truly sorry Mr. Tennyson. It's my entire fault they were there in the first place. If I hadn't took Gwen there.."
Max looked surprised at that new info, but his look softened as he saw and heard the remorse in Edwin's voice, "it's nobody's fault son, especially not yours. The waves were too strong. There was nothing any of us could've done; but I know they are alive. I didn't see them but neither did I see their raft so it must be a good sign. A raft full of air can't sink."
Edwin smiled ruefully as he stared at the wise, old man before him. "Thank you Mr. Tennyson." He said as he removed his hand.
Max nodded and drove out, desperately trying to convince himself to believe in what he just told the young boy.
/~/~/
A/N: Hope you enjoyed ;)