The people who were infected were thankfully all healed now, thanks to the efforts of Raven and Gwen. All of Charmcaster's magic would soon leave them, and they would regain their normal state of mind. Everyone in the city would be safe and sound, the city completely clear as the last person to be brought back to normal was a young girl.
"Thank you so much!" She said to the two magic users. TO show her gratitude, she would bug both of their legs, starting with Gwen who chuckled and patted her on the head, followed by Raven who was taken aback at first.
"Uh...no problem."
"Well done, you guys. It could've been ugly, but a major disaster's been averted." Nightwing, who was sitting on a park bench, gave a thumbs-up.
"No kidding." Ben stretched his muscles. "Charmcaster sure had an upgrade the last time we saw her."
"Tch. I should be getting a majority of those thanks." Wonder Girl crossed her arms, irritated that she didn't get all the glory by the end of this.
"Are you only here for that?" Gwen looked over at Wonder Girl with unamused eyes. "Just the glory and getting Wonder Woman's attention?"
"It's my debut, duh. My first time being a hero and making myself known, so obviously, I have to make a splash." Wonder Girl shrugged. "A big one. I guess this one isn't that bad. Still, I wanted to be the one who took that giant down, not him." She pointed at Ben.
"You're welcome." He snickered a bit.
"Hmph. I'm out of here. Maybe Wonder Woman will notice me somewhere else." Wonder Girl would fly up, taking her leave.
"And there she goes." Gwen shook her head. Geez...How annoying."
"We've wrapped up here. And to be honest, a great job again. Our second time working together and it went well." Nightwing smiled. "You're also pretty good at this hero stuff, Starfire."
"Oh, thank you, Friend Nightwing! Really, I do feel wonderful working alongside you all. Years of being a prisoner almost made me forget about the joys of companionship. Even though we are from different worlds. This means that we are now friends, yes?!" Starfire flew over, pulling Nightwing and Gwen close to her, hugging them tightly. "Oh, how glorious this is!"
"Urk! Y-yeah, that's right! Friends!" Gwen struggled to breathe in the hug. "B-but can you please let us go?! We can't breathe!"
"We do make a good team, actually." Ben smiled.
"Mhm...And you know, Team Tennyson, is pretty lame the more I think about it." Nightwing said, causing Ben to flinch. "How does...Team Omnitrix sound?"
"Really? That's pretty cool, actually." Ben rubbed his chin, impressed. "Yeah! Team Omnitrix! Oh, that's way better!" Ben had no complaints there. Nightwing made sure to relate the new name to Ben somehow. And hey, it worked.
"Good. You've already came up with an agreeable name." Batman suddenly spoke through the comms, getting Nightwing's attention. "That means you're set for the rest."
"Batman?"
"Return to your base. I'll be there waiting."
At Georgia..
Wonder Woman had just finished up at Georgia, working alongside Superman. Here, she failed to get one of the Magical Creatures to interact with her properly yet again, much to her annoyance. But a greater annoyance was the fact that Wonder Girl being her supposed daughter was still getting to her.
"Hm!" Wonder Woman crossed her arms, floating over the area as one of the Magical Creatures had just teleported away, leaving this place empty with Magical Creatures.
"Still upset, aren't you?" Superman said, carrying someone to safety.
"I have no daughter...Why would someone go around claiming such things?" Wonder Woman would sigh, turning to Superman.
"Hopefully, it'll make more sense when you meet her. She might have a good reason for thinking that. Maybe." Superman landed in front of her, setting down the civilian he was holding.
"Maybe. But I cannot possibly have a daughter. It's impossible. It was never this bizarre when it came to Superboy's existence. You already have a son, Kal and a clone that predates him. Conner's situation was nothing like this."
"Hm." Superman nodded, agreeing with that as he looked out into the distance for a bit. "Well. At least she's not a threat from what we know. We've had to deal with those before."
"I suppose you're right. Still...." Diana said, crossing her arms. "What am I to do when I come across her?"
Soon, she and Superman would fly off, heading back to the Hall of Justice to report in to the Justice League. This magical creature investigation was just getting started.
As nightfall hit, Team Omnitrix returned to their Arcade Hideout in Florida. And when they did, waiting for them there was Batman, just as he said to Nightwing earlier. And his presence there was rather alarming. Nightwing already told them he'd apparently be there, but Batman appearing from the shadows all of a sudden startled Ben and Starfire.
"Ah!" Ben yelped a bit once Batman came into view.
"So. What did you want to talk to us about?" Nightwing asked.
"So far, you've been on two successful missions, helping stop Nilaa's plans with us and now bringing down the Magical Mass around Iowa. I'll be honest. I wasn't too sure if you could become a team considering how young you all are. I wasn't even sure if you could work well with others outside of me, Nightwing." Batman spoke.
"Surprised, aren't you?" Nightwing snickered.
"A bit. So, now that I've seen what you can do so far, this whole Team Omnitrix thing. It's as clear as it can be. From this point on, you'll operate special missions that are either connected to the Justice League or seperate." Batman said, looking at the three. "Nightwing will lead the team."
"I'm leading?" Nightwing's eyes widened. "That's surprising. Didn't think you'd give me a team to lead."
"I trust you. That's why." Batman honestly said. "You haven't given me a reason not to. And I'm also trusting that you have the potential to grow and improve the further down the line you all go. From this point on, you're a team. Unless you're actually thinking of backing out."
"Aw, man. I wanted to be the leader though." Ben lowered his head, shrugging afterwards. "Oh, well. Leading would've been tough anyways."
"I won't let you down, Batman." Nightwing said to him.
"I know you won't." Batman would walk off. "If you ever need something for this base, you can always talk it up to the Justice League."
"A-"
"And no begging for money." Batman knew Nightwing well, cutting him off. He was the World's Greatest Detective, after all. "I'll set you up, but that's it."
"..." Nightwing chuckled nervously. "Right...No begging." He was about to ask that.
"Hmph. Do what you feel like you need to do." Batman walked out, leaving them all to their own devices.
"Alright! We've got a full-fledged team!" Ben jumped in the air, pumped. "This is gonna be awesome! Team Omnitrix is a-go!"
"It will be quite the adventure!" Starfire would jump with him. "We will save lives and defeat evil in all of its forms!"
"Yeah, well I need to lie down after that little adventure of defeating evil." Nightwing stretched his arms, ready to call it a night for the time being.
"Oh. That's it? I thought we would do more afterwards?" Starfire asked Nightwing.
"Like what?" He took off his mask.
"Well, I do believe you did say that you would take me to one of those restaurants without any dangers being present. Are we not doing that now?"
"Uhh...Another time." Nightwing shrugged. "I won't break that promise, Starfire. It'll be a new experience for me too anyways. We might not get that chance if something comes up tomorrow though."
"I understand. Goodnight, my friends!" Starfire would soon fly off to her own room.
"Well, before I go to sleep...Raven. You didn't manage to bring any of these Magical Creatures with you, I'm guessing?" Gwen looked to Raven.
"No. As soon as Charmcaster left, so did they. But I at least managed to calm them down. They were just confused since they were born into this world with barely a purpose. I had to help them." Raven admitted.
"That's the Empath Magic in you, I'm guessing?" Gwen smiled. "But for Charmcaster's own creations to not listen to her...That stubborness sure does show."
"About Charmcaster. When I was removing the negative emotions from the Magical Creatures, I sensed her emotions in there too."
"You did?"
"Yeah. It was weird. You and her are enemies, aren't you?"
"Big enemies." Gwen turned around, walking to a window and looking out of it. "She hates me and well...I'm not sure if I hate her. I don't like her, that's for sure."
"You don't seem like the type of person to hate someone." Raven too would walk to where Gwen stood, the light of the moon beginning to shine through.
"How can you tell-" But Gwen paused, seeing Raven let out a light smile. "Oh, right. Empath. I guess not. Never really had that drive in me to hate someone at all. Not even Charmcaster. Our encounters haven't been the best, since I've always gotten in her way. And her uncle Hex too. And now she's back...Hex might be back too." Gwen rested her head on the window. "But she seems more aggressive than usual."
"if she becomes a huge bother, I'll probably put her down quickly." Raven casually said.
"A knockout, I guess you mean. But thanks, anyways. You sure are getting involved with all that we do. And yet Trigon..."
"Isn't here yet. I don't know when he'll show up, but I hope its not soon. Either way, I am pretty glad you guys are helping me out. Even if this is all so weird."
"Ben or Starfire descending to Earth?" Gwen joked.
"The former, surprisingly." Raven indulged in that joke.
"Probably true. Hey. If it isn't a bother for you, before we go to bed, do you think you could teach me some stuff? And I'll teach you something in return?"
"Hm?" The Half-Demon lightly raised an eyebrow.
"My friends and I always loved to do this when I was young. We'd invite each other over whenever we had so much trouble with homework and helped one another out. I've always liked doing that with my friends. I wonder if you and I could do the same? With our magic."
"Does that mean we're friends then by what you're saying?"
"Well...I can't be confident in that." The redhead chuckled while giving off an honest shrug. "We haven't been around each other for that long. Not even a month. What do you think?"
"..." Raven thought about it for a moment, not saying a word at first. "...Yeah. I guess we're friends." Her answer was simple and short.
"Really? For real?"
"Really. But I guess I can see you as my friend right now." Raven would lightly smile, not being shy to admit that. "Ben's weird, Nightwing's pretty basic and Starfire's overwhelming. But you're nice to be around. Your magic is pretty interesting too."
"Aw, thanks, Raven. But I bet Ben's close to being a friend to you too, isn't he?" She would grin.
"Maybe. Based on the ego he has, I don't wanna know what he does with his friends." Raven turned around. "Then again, I've never had friends at all. Growing up in Azarath as the daughter of Trigon meant that I was alone most of the time. My mother saw it for the best. It kept the emotions in check according to her."
"Never had friends? Well, that's going to change right here. I'll be glad to be your first friend!" Gwen would put her hand on Raven's shoulder happily, surprising Raven. "Come on! Show me some of your books so I can learn some tips!"
"...Okay." Raven would nod, giving Gwen a tour of her room, leading to the two of them having an extended night.
Raven already had a bunch of books to choose from, some already out and about since early morning. Out and ready to be read. Much to Gwen's excitement. She loved books after all and was a girl of education, so Raven's room was like a treasure trove for her.
Right away, she kneeled on the ground along with Raven, getting in front of some books that were on the floor. "So, get me started. You can teach me anything."
"Sure. But what can you even teach me?"
"Lots of things. I've picked up some stuff here and there." Gwen adjusted herself while kneeling. "I can probably teach you how to make constructs out of magic. And make them as hard as what they resemble."
"Really? You can teach me that?" That actually surprised Raven as she pointed at herself.
"Mhm. And in exchange, teach me some stuff about emotions, okay?"
"Well…I can teach you something about that, yeah. Like how to remove some."
"Great!" Let's get started. This one seems nice!" An elated Gwen would already pick out one of the books. And Raven would gladly oblige as the two of them got started on their study night, the moon shining brightly in the starry sky.
Charmcaster was in that special mansion, already trying to figure out how to make her Magical Creatures truly respond to her. This time, without any influence, if that was even possible. And in a room where she had the space to do so, progress was anything but favorable. Try as she might, she just couldn't get them to do anything without some influence.
"Tch..." Charmcaster sat down, fist on her jaw while her head was tilted, annoyed and almost tired of these constant failures. "This is ridiculous...It's like they're resisting me on purpose." She watched the creatures roam around, doing absolutely nothing that she asked of them. "It can't be because of that, right? I refuse to accept that she's right."
Charmcaster recalled how Gwen spoke about the potential stubbornness of the creatures. Since they were extensions of herself, they could very well carry Charmcaster's immense stubbornness, leading to this disobedience. But that would mean admitting Gwen was right. And yet...she couldn't really think of another answer.
"How annoying...If they're this stubborn, how am I gonna get to them?" She put her hands on her head, thinking of a possible solution. "Unless...I shouldn't be thinking like them. I should be thinking of them as something else." Suddenly, her expression changed, a smile soon forming on her face.
"Oh, but then you'd fail the experiment and it would all be for nothing." Opening the door to this was room was Faust, who Charmcaster was not pleased to see at all.
"Faust."
"You should be making them all about you. That's what they say after all. Anything that deviates from that will be considered a massive failure. And is just one big step away from reaching our goal."
"Hmph! Unless you have a better option, Faust, you can kindly get lost. I don't need your ugly face here." She pointed her staff at her fellow magic user.
"Actually, I do. Something that keeps things on track while still bringing something new to the table. Clearly you need it. You're the youngest here, so you're naturally going to make the most mistakes." Faust taunted with a grin while walking by the various Magical Creatures.
"And you're the ugliest. Just look in a mirror and see." Charmcaster glared at him. "You're not gonna try and steal my spot from me. I've worked too hard for that to happen."
"Steal your spot in the Sorcerer's Circle?" Faust chuckled. "No. But that doesn't mean I can't make your time in here miserable. My position in it is the lowest, but I assure you, you won't ever be above me. So as your superior, I recommend using this." Faust would unveil something in his hand. A stone that was glowing a a purple, red and pink color. One that Charmcaster recognized.
"What?! That's a Hoax Stone! Why are you giving that to me?" She would take it, holding the stone in her hand, examining it. "And where did you find one?"
"Like I said. I won't be above you in the circle, but that doesn't mean you can't be above me." Faust grinned. "What matters is that our plans come together. This is the only time I'll give you a freebie. Next time, I'll make sure to take everything you have and ruin the rest of what you have. Enjoy the stone. You'll be needing it."
With a simple laugh, he would turn around, leaving Charmcaster alone. Alone to stare at this Hoax Stone that would apparently solve all of her problems. But the question was, could she trust Faust? He was a shady man indeed, and he was the last person she wanted to rely on. But if it would lead to success, she had no choice. She would use this stone to her advantage.
"I'll put this good use anyways. With this, I can maybe get a good grip on these things." Her grip on the stone became tighter. "I'll make sure to prove that I belong in that circle." And with that, Charmcaster faced the Magical Creatures of her creation, ready to see if it worked.
She held the stone up, the magical light shining forth. The Magical Creatures would suddenly stop moving, turning their attention to her. Immediately, she felt a connection between her and them. One that was rising rapidly. Both in them and within her.
"It's actually working?" Charmcaster was genuinely surprised. "Not bad, Faust. Despite your ugliness, you-" But as soon as she turned around, Faust was gone. Without a farewell either. "Whatever. Let me see just how far I can go with this."
The Next Morning.
Gwen and Raven were out cold, having fallen asleep from all that studying last night. The both of them had gotten comfortable on the ground and had slept through the morning.
"Yo. Gwen, are you still in there?" Ben's voice came through, knocking the door to Raven's room. When he got no response, he would knock again. "Hello?"
Still no response. Especially since today was an important day. Another mission to go on once more. Since he wasn't getting a response, Ben, for a brief moment, would have an idea. The Omnitrix can do something about it. With a grin on his face, he propped it up, promptly switching to an alien to try and wake them up.
The green light covered him and soon brought his size down rapidly. Mainly because he was miniature alien. That being Gray Matter. "Aw, Gray Matter?" Not his preferred choice, but it would have to do. Ben would slip into the keyhole of the door, opening it and entering the room.
Once inside, he would dash forward, his footsteps impossible to hear due to his small size. And with a devious grin on his face, he had an idea of how he was going to wake them up. But first, he was wondering if he could find a marker, just for the sake of drawing on Gwen's face.
"Hm..." He searched, hoping to find a marker in this room somewhere. His eyes would then lock on one. There, on top of the desk in her room. "There we are!" But as soon as he got to the desk, a shadow loomed over him. Before he could hope to turn around, someone had grabbed him. "Ah!"
Raven was up. Surprisingly quickly. Despite those small footsteps, she had a strong feeling that someone had been watching her. And she was right, now looking down at her green little friend. "Morning." Her tone was calm and unamused, as usual. She had to wonder what was on his mind, coming in here like that.
"M-Morning! I was just...How did you know I was in here?!"
"My father's side. Gives me good senses. Now out." Raven would aim carefully and with the assistance of magic, would flick Gray Matter, sending him right through the keyhole, back outside of the room. Gray Matter tumbled on the floor before sliding on his face.
"Oough!" He groaned, the sliding coming to an end as he would stop right in front of a boot, his face flat on the floor. At least Raven was awake now.
"Friend Ben. Why are you a Galvan at the moment?" Starfire said, being the one in front of him. The princess would kneel, picking him up in her hands.
"Don't worry about it...Are you gonna head out today for that mission?"
"Oh, yes. But Friend Nightwing and I will be taking another path with just the two of us once more. He entrusts you to stay by the side of Friend Gwen and Raven."
"Yeah, I know." Gray Matter added. "Hopefully this time, we don't run into that Wonder Girl. She almost killed innocent people last time and there's no way I'm gonna let her do it again."
"Do you not take lives commonly on this world?"
"As Heroes, not really." Gray Matter shook his head. "But I guess you don't do it either since your planet's full of peaceful people, right?"
"Oh, very much so. Yes. Although, I wonder what has become of it ever since my exile...and the Citadel capturing it." Starfire had to wonder, still so worried for her people and her sister.
"Alright. If they're up now, Ben, I'll really need you to do some snooping around." Nightwing walked over, already geared up for the day. "Those two are the magic experts, so see if you can intercept any of those Magical Creatures showing up again."
"And what are you two gonna do?" Gray Matter asked the not-so-magical experts.
"I figured we'd cover more ground. I mean, I can't really sense magic or anything like that." Nightwing shrugged. "But...I can head to the Hall of Justice to get some. Doctor Fate might chime in if I ask him. If he tells us something new, then we'll be there. But if something comes up, we'll be at your location."
"Then I guess I'll leave the RV to you." Gray Matter would hop out of Starfire's grasp, promptly turning back to Ben. "Just leave Charmcaster to us, okay? Our next encounter with her is gonna be the last."
Team Omnitrix's next mission was a-go. But elsewhere at the moment, crime of another category and scenario was active. Completely different from the new Magical Creature scenario. It was simple crime one would say. Simple crime that yet again, Wonder Girl was in the middle of. She was out somewhere in the countryside this time, floating over a farm that was being attacked by a group of criminals.
"Robbing a farm? Unless this farm has important items here, this is just pathetic." Wonder Girl commented, standing over one of the defeated criminals.
"T-There is..." One of them groaned while beat up, confirming that the countryside did have something important here.
"Meh. Of course, there is. Feels like everyone has an important item here and there." Wonder Girl rolled her eyes. "But I can't get attention from Wonder Woman out in the country side." Dropping the criminal, she then locked onto the remaining ones in the distance, ready to bring an end to this.
They were trying to flee on their getaway vehicle, a van, but Wonder Girl was on them in a matter of seconds. With a vicious dive kick. She came crashing down at high speeds, making impact with the van. The force of her strike was enough to send the vehicle flipping backwards, landing upside down and completely wrecking the vehicle.
The criminals inside were unconscious. The ones that were left in the farm were also in that same state. This was a complete and total failure on their part. But for Wonder Girl, a victory that was nothing but a warm-up for the real deal.
"You'd better be grateful I don't finish you off here. You're not that big of a threat to me anyways." She descended upon the van, seeing the items they took. Just some random equipment that didn't interest her in the slightest. "Special Alien Jewelry. Figures. Or magic jewelry, whatever it is" Rolling her eyes, she would then take out her sword. "Whatever. I know you won't let me down. I can guess all that magical stuff is gonna come up pretty soon."
She gazed at the sword as it shined underneath the sun, smirking at it. This sword was then raised high into the air by Wonder Girl, the secret energy within humming lightly.
"Oooh..." One of the criminals who was barely conscious would raise his head, seeing the sword glow.
"Come on, Sword of Artemis. Show me where the magic is." This sword of hers, the Sword of Artemis, had many secrets to it. One of which related to the Goddess of the Hunt, Artemis herself. Such as a Hunting-like power. A blue aura would surround her, covering her body. Wonder Girl closed her eyes, letting the blade take her wherever the magic was strongest. "To where the magic is." Wonder Girl whispered.
And just like that, she knew where it was. Her eyes would glow, the Hunting Power of the sword feeding her mind with knowledge. In a flash, her destination was clear to her. She had no clue what this place was, but the magical presence was stronger than anywhere else. So that's where she would go next.
"So that's where I'm going next." She opened her eyes, nodding to the sword. "Cesterfield…Thanks a bunch. Let's get going." And just like that, Wonder Girl would rise, flying off to the newly revealed destination. To where another Magic Threat would rise.
Since Nightwing and Starfire were now the ones taking the RV, Ben, Gwen and Raven would have to travel via regular physical moment. The girls had done their best in tracking the Magical Energy, leading them to a forest. A forest that would eventually lead to a town. Ben was currently in the air, appearing as the alien Stinkfly for aerial coverage.
"When we find another one of those creatures, think you can maybe have it come with us?" Stinkfly asked.
"No. It's best to just let it pass on." Raven replied. "Those creatures are just pure magical manifestations. They're better off fading away instead of staying behind."
"But I thought you'd want them to live on, Raven." Gwen asked, being on the back of Stinkfly. "You saved them from their rage after all."
"It's not that simple, unfortunately. Their existence on this planet is unnatural. Something like that is dangerous if it gets into the wrong hands. If they were to stay around, they might start to cause damage to the environment, or worse. Besides, the only reason they were able to exist was because they're an extension of Charmcaster. It doesn't matter all that much if they're around or not. They can always come back if she keeps it up."
"I guess that makes sense." Stinkfly admitted. "But that just means we're gonna have to make her stop. And to do that, we're gonna have to find her." He said, landing on a branch. He looked all around, using his eyes to try and spot the Magical Creature. "It's a pain though. There are no signs of it at all."
"Hm...Wait. I'm starting to feel something." Raven stopped walking, sensing a presence. "It's coming our way, and it's fast."
"How fast?" Stinkfly asked as he would get his answer. Fast enough for it to be heard in the distance. An unusual roar was heard by them in the distance, echoing across the forest and getting louder by the second. "I think I can hear it. Is it in town already?"
"No...It's not." Gwen could already sense the Manna in the distance. "It's near, but it's not there just yet. This Manna's Charmcaster without a doubt and I don't think she's trying to hide herself this time."
"No kidding. Like she's gonna miss the chance to take you out since you're involved." Stinkfly joked. "It's no big deal. We'll just have Raven calm down whatever's there, find Charmcaster and call it a day."
"You make it sound so easy all the time, Gwen." Gwen sighed, the Omnitrix beginning to time out. Hearing it, Stinkfly would promptly descend, reverting back to Ben once his feet hit the ground. "So. How are we gonna do this? You think one of us could just sneak up on Charmcaster? By that, I mean you, Gwen."
"And let you and Raven handle whatever creature's up there. Hm. Not a bad idea, cuz." Gwen had no complaints there. "Raven."
"Wait..." But Raven didn't see it as so simple. It never is, but something felt different to her. Using her great Empath magic, she would try and sense the emotions coming from the distance, wondering what the townsfolk up ahead were feeling at the moment. And when she did, the townsfolk weren't exactly feeling strongly about anything at the moment.
Almost as if they didn't hear that sound at all. Which didn't make sense to her at all. They were close enough that they should've been able to hear it, and if the town was attacked before, then they would've known to evacuate. But Raven was picking up no signs of distress. Just a peaceful life that wasn't being ruined by any monsters. It was almost like a false alarm to her. "Something's wrong. It's too quiet."
"But that doesn't mean anyone's not in danger, right?" Gwen knew better. Quiet scenarios such as these always lead to something wild. And Ben felt the same way.
"If it's quiet, then we'll just bring out all that noise. It's somewhere near after all." Ben would already walk on ahead, ready to engage with the town up ahead. But Raven just had a terrible feeling about this one.
Cesterfield.
Engineered on the Western side of the country, it looked to be a town that was rather old compared to some, with its pine wood rooftops, oak wood walls and rows upon rows of luscious tree. A mostly unbothered town.
In this town, within what appeared to be a type of gymnasium, there was a girl dancing about. Magazines were sprawled across the gymnasium floor. The magazines seemed to have the faces of popular people.
Idols, to be exact. The brunette who was dancing in this gymnasium, by herself with no one present except for the external sound of a radio being played, meant to compliment this dancing.
But there was someone present here indeed. With a pinkish glow, one of the creatures Charmcaster made was present here. A lanky one that resembled some sort of humanoid, but it was covered in a layer of scales, spikes and what appeared to be fur. Its hands had sharp claws and its body was seemingly small, while its legs were long and thin. Its face was a mess of horns and glowing yellow eyes, and the rest of its head was shrouded in shadows.
This creature was watching the young woman dance about, her movements in sync with the song. But it wasn't like it was hiding. Not one bit. Instead, the girl was aware of this creature...and was dancing for that reason. The extension of Charmcaster would walk forward to the dancing girl with its eerily lanky appearance that could send shivers down one's spine.
It certainly made the girl shiver as she could already hear it getting closer. And once it was close, she would stop dancing, the creature raising its arm. Soon, those long, creepy claws would be on the shoulder of the girl, making her freeze for a moment. And when on it, the voice of Charmcaster came through this creature, the first time one of these extensions was even able to talk.
"All that dancing is great. I bet you would love to be like one of your idols. I feel the same way as you do." It spoke, having a distorted version of Charmcaster's voice.
"You can actually grant my wish. Just as you promised, right?" The girl asked the creature.
"I very much can. You and I are closer than you think." The Lanky Magical Creature replied with a grin.
"This song from Marisa Spencer is the most popular song out there right now. If you can somehow make me as good as my favorite artist then..."
"You'll give me something great in return too. I promise you, it'll be worth it in the end. And for that model shoot that's coming up in the school, you'd love to be number one there, wouldn't you? it boosts your chances. But competition is tough. Unless..." With its hand still on the girl's shoulder, a pink glow would go through her eyes. One that she did not notice.
"I'd love it. Can you make me number one in it?"
"Gladly." The creature would finally remove its hands from the girl's shoulder. Once it did, it would vanish from her sight and the gymnasium as a whole, dispersing into magical particles and only there to appear once more later on. Once gone, a bell would ring, revealing that this gymnasium was within a school.
The students of this school were gathering, the school day starting. And as the brown-haired student would enter the halls of the school, the Lanky Magical Creature of Charmcaster was in her shadow, its presence hidden.
No one was able to detect the Magical Creature that had been watching her, and no one could tell that it was currently in her own shadow. Not the students, not the teachers, no one. Just the two of them.
"Good work on all those tryouts, you all." The teacher addressed the students who were taking part in this photo shoot, some of them sitting on lunch tables. "If you ask me, I see future artists in the making." He made his fingers in the shape of a camera, eyeing down the students, mainly the girls.
"Sir, if you pick one of us out, do you think you could put a word in for a popular artist? I heard that Zatanna girl is pretty popular." One of the girls asked, nudging her friend.
"A magician? That's a tall order though. Oh, but I'd love it if she showed me some magic." One of the girls had her hands together, wanting that benefit. "I'd be a real 21st century artist if I got that. My ideas are as good as you think they are."
"Your grades barely show it though." Another one joked, prompting some laughter. All of them gossiped and chattered while the girl who had a Magical Creature on her side stayed silent, simply watching and sitting on her own chair. She wasn't a shy girl at all. But this photo shoot meant a lot to her and that's why she was quiet. And the competition was very much tough in her eyes.
"Well, if you ask me...I don't like playing favorites, but if I had to choose, the one I see the most potential for is..." He looked around, searching for anyone here who that high of a potential to really make it. He had his sights set on one of the girls, but that's when it happened. From the shadows, the lanky creature, pointed at the Photography Teacher, sending a small magical particle that zipped quickly to him.
It entered his body and when it did, his decision changed. The girl he focused on had been changed to the one that was allied with the creaature. Completely against his original choice. "You! Hannah!" He pointed at the girl, whose eyes lit up.
"Me!? For real, Sir?!"
"That's right, Hannah." The teacher smiled. "If you'd like to help me out, I'll get you to the front of the line of a big event in a few weeks. Lots of photographers and other artists will be there. It's the biggest art event in the country. If you can impress one of the judges, they'll personally take you to Metropolis to meet your favorite artist in person. Whoever that is."
"Oh, wow! That's amazing!" Hannah grinned. "Of course, I'll accept the offer. I won't let you down!"
"Just uh, make sure it's someone we can afford to bring here, please. Great. Now that that's done, we've gotta start. So come on over and get ready." Hannah would get up, joining the teacher, the girls and the other students. This would lead to a large group of students moving, all of them getting to their next classes and leaving Hannah alone to work. And in her shadow, her Magical Creature was smirking. Things were going exactly according to plan.
Ben, Gwen and Raven had arrived at Cesterfield. But not without Raven taking on a disguise. She was wearing the clothes Gwen picked out for her, looking like a goth with that black t-shirt and and dark blue pants. A shame about the gray skin, but there was nothing she could do about that except for using the hood of her cloak to cover herself up, which was also the only article of clothing she kept.
"If there was any trouble, I'd expect to have seen it by now." Raven said, keeping a keen eye on her surroundings. "This town is just a normal one, so it looks like the monster's not here yet."
"But that doesn't mean it isn't coming." Gwen corrected. "There's no way it could've been a false alarm. I felt its Manna, and so did you, Raven. It's still nearby."
"Well, if I had to guess where it is..." Ben spotted something, walking to one of the walls. On it was a poster that was promoting the local school's Photo Shoot Event, featuring their students. "...I think we can find it there."
"That?" Gwen pointed at the poster.
"Pattern recognition. It's always the events that get the most action. Whatever's here will be there. Maybe Charmcaster's in this town already."
"It's too small for that many magical creatures to be around." Compared to the city from before, Raven just knew that there would be way less Magical Creatures around. But the danger was still there.
"Small...But Charmcaster's here regardless. I know that Manna well." said Gwen.
"To school it is. Charmcaster might wanna do something about this photo shoot...and we'll do something about it too." Ben would slowly turn his head, putting on a smirk.
"Urgh...What are you smirking about, Ben? You're not gonna..." Gwen didn't like that smirk, knowing Ben was up to something.
"If it's not a hassle...think you two could get involved in that photo shoot?" Ben grinned, offering them that chance.
"What and not you?"
"No way. That's not my kind of photo shoot." Ben dismissed it. "If it was, I'd do it in no time flat. Let's get the jump on Charmcaster with this one. Really catch her by surprise."
"I'll try. A photo shoot though...we're not even students there. Plus, the name Raven would stick out too much, don't you think?" Gwen pointed out the two flaws in this plan.
"I could just use a fake name." Raven replied. "I already have a last name thanks to my mom being born on Earth."
"Yeah? Raven Roth or something?" Ben joked, prompting a serious glare from Raven that made him flinch. "Mm."
"My mother told me that her mother's name was Rachel. I'll go by Rachel Roth for my disguise." Raven found her secret identity name. "Now how do we even get in?"
"Duh. Superhero?" Ben spread his arms while walking off. He was going to use his Superhero reputation to his advantage, feeling rather high and mighty about it, believing that it would work.
"...I'm not sure they'll know who you are though." Only for Gwen to point out that no one will know who Ben even is.
The Photo Shoot was already active. The chosen students were already dressed and ready to take on the role of an artist. Among these students, Hannah was also dressed up, wearing a red dress with a pink, yellow and green flower pattern, her hair tied up into a bun, and her face covered in makeup, her cheeks rosy, her eyes blackened with mascara and her lips colored a cherry red. She was ready and in place to become an artist.
There were photographers by the dozen. Both from the school and outside the school who were invited here to be present. With a backdrop that was a pure white and the lights on the students, the stage was set. All sorts of photos were being taken, specifically in the classrooms. The many classrooms seemed to be the focal settings of these photo shoots.
And the students didn't waste it at all.
Ben, Gwen and Raven, now going as Rachel for this scenario, had entered the event, it being something the townsfolk were invited to come some see. Some to support their sons and daughters after all.
"Hey there. Mind if we get involved?" Ben grinned, approaching one of the Photographers.
"Hm?" He looked at them, specifically at Ben and Gwen. When gazing at the duo, to the surprise of Gwen, Ben was actually recognizable. "Oh, you're that kid on the news yesterday."
"Hah! You do know me!" Ben was elated. The scenario at Iowa managed to reach this place.
"He knows him?" Gwen repeated with a surprised expression.
"Yeah, yeah. Nice having a superhero present here. I didn't really plan for one to show up actually."
"Great, isn't it? If it's not a hassle, mind if we get a shot at this? I bet the students here would love to get a shot with a Superhero?" Ben suggested, nudging his shoulder. "My cousin and my friend here."
"Hmmm...You're not exactly Superman famous." The photographer pointed out, making Ben flinch as his smile twitched. "Or even Flash famous. Barely even as recognizable as a sidekick."
"Hm." That prompted a snicker from Gwen and one from Raven, the latter covering her mouth while Ben frowned.
"But, eh. Why not? A hero in our photo shoot will do wonders." He nodded, approving it. "But it'll have to wait until later. We got more than a few students to take a picture of. You three will have to get ready."
"Us three? Uh, that's fine and all, but don't you want the actual hero to get some shots?" Ben asked, not wanting to be a part of this. He preferred saving the day to taking pictures. "I'd like to stay on the sidelines, actually."
"Are you kidding? You're a hero. You've got a nice green and black aesthetic going on and look pretty fit." The man put his hands on Ben's shoulder. "We could make a star out of you. Your girlfriend can join in as well. If she's not, then we could pair you with one of the girls here."
"What did he say?" Raven raised an eyebrow at that.
"Oh, really? Nice." Ben's grin returned. "I don't really have a girlfriend though..."
"That's fine. Superheroes nowadays are all about couples. I mean, do you have any idea how many fan sites are constantly on the lookout for superheroes dating?"
"I do..." Gwen knew that for a fact.
"It makes hearts throb whenever a Superhero's around a civilian. It's that power dynamic attraction that a lot of them love. You can make that work. by just being around the gals as yourself."
"Sweet!" Ben pumped his fist.
"Hah..." Raven let out a sigh of relief upon hearing that. For a second there, she thought that Ben would've tried to hit on her as a temporary fake girlfriend. Which was the last thing she wanted.
"Step aside, all of you!" But someone spoke out, here to make an even bigger impact. All heads turned to the spot where that voice came from and it was a voice that was all too familiar. One that Ben and especially Gwen, did not want to hear.
Walking through the crowd of people was someone who appeared as an actual superhero. Clothing and sword in hand. That being Wonder Girl, who found her way here too.
"No way...She's here too?!" Ben was surprised to see her. Of all places she could be, it had to be hear where another magic problem had arisen, much to the chagrin of the Tennyson Cousins. And of course, she was also recognizable because of the Iowa scenario from yesterday.
And just like Ben...Wonder Girl was all for the attention that she was getting. But it was even greater than what Ben was receiving here, mainly because all eyes were on her. "Hey there. Wonder Girl here." She proudly introduced herself, smiling as if she was the most important person in the world.
The photographer's eyes were sparkling, seeing the beauty in front of him. "Wow. Perfect! A real-looking superhero! Right here!"
"R-Real looking...?" Ben's jaw dropped as the photographer's attention was now on Wonder Girl instead of him. He pointed at himself, believing himself to look like a Superhero. But alas, he looked too casual for that, despite his aesthetic being complimented.
"Let's just say that some trouble's going around in this town." Wonder Girl smirked. "I'm just here to take care of it, so don't you all worry. And look who we have here." Here eyes then focused on Ben and Gwen. "Funny seeing you two here again. I didn't think I'd run into you so soon."
"Wonder Girl..." Gwen frowned with lowered eyes. "How did you even manage to end up in the same spot as us? Twice?"
"Same way I showed up the first time. Thanks to this beauty. The Sword of Artemis!" Wonder Girl raised her sword high, prompting a bunch of photos to be taken. And she did it on purpose, striking a powerful pose that was meant to impress. She would then gaze at the blade of her weapon, grinning to herself. "It's the complete counterpart to Wonder Woman's Sword of Athena. Like the Goddess of the Hunt herself, it allows me to track down trouble. Magic Trouble, to be exact."
"Amazing! And you're Wonder Woman's daughter from what we hear, right?"
"The one and only." Wonder Girl proudly added while keeping that pose.
"Splendid! Connections to Wonder Woman?! This'll make the photo shoot better than ever! How does joining in our photo shoot sound, Miss Wonder Girl?!"
"Oh, I don't know..." She lowered her arm, twirling her blade around while looking at the room. She was acting all nonchalant, but was clearly interested, as if she was trying to play hard to get, which just annoyed Ben, Gwen and Raven. Especially the former, seeing her take the spotlight. "I guess I can do that. And bring down a magical threat at the same time." She accepted it before thinking to herself. "That way...those photos will get out and grab Wonder Woman's attention maybe."
"Nice. Alright, let's continue!" The lead photographer spoke to everyone. "All students, partner up with either one of these three heroes. But bonus for who can get a good pose with Wonder Girl!"
"B-Bonus...?" Ben stuttered as Wonder Girl was worth more points than him.
"Aw, don't look so down, little man." Wonder Girl shrugged. "Name synergy goes a long way. And my name is just wonderful."
"Mmmmrrrrgh..." Ben grumbled as Wonder Girl walked by her with that smug face.
"We're beating her at her own game." Just for that, Gwen was now just as invested in this as Ben, stepping forward with her hand on his cousin's shoulder. She refused to let Wonder Girl show out here. Now that photo shoot was mostly what she could think about it.
But to another...this had a different response. Hannah watched it all and was fearful of what could happen. The popularity she could gain was now threatened by Wonder Girl, not to mention the presence of a second hero in the form of Ben. Her Magical Creature was nearby, still in her shadow, sensing her emotions, and it was pleased by them.
"She is a threat, isn't she?" The creature spoke in secrecy, whispering to her. "I didn't account for someone like her, but it's a problem. A superhero could take it all away, couldn't they? If it was a regular artist then this would not be the case."
"She couldn't...could she?" Hannah looked down, fearing that was not the case.
"We'll see." The creature's voice faded out as only time would tell.
The Photo Shoot continued and Wonder Girl was taking 100% advantage of this. From poses that were dynamic to simply standing tall, the Amazonian Princess was the center of the show, and no doubt was the one getting the best pictures taken. The cameras were flashing and the photographers were giving off the compliments to her, and she was eating it all up, just loving the attention she was getting.
It also helped that she was consistently taller than all the students, being an Amazonian, and was using it to her advantage.
Being able to pose above the students made her look much more impressive, as she was paired with the female student from before, the girl named Hannah.
Wonder Girl's sword was in her hand, and Hannah was holding an umbrella. The duo were together, Hannah behind Wonder Girl, raising the umbrella high and posing. The two were smiling at the camera, and the photographers could already tell that this was a shot that would earn the most money.
"My sword's picking up some magic nearby." Wonder Girl said. "But it's doing a pretty good job at staying hidden, if you ask me. You wouldn't happen to know where I can find a magical threat, eh?"
"N-No." Hannah shook her head, lying to keep the secret of this creature hidden. "No, I wouldn't."
"Hm. Figures." Wonder Girl shrugged.
"Hannah, could you step back a bit? And Wonder Girl, step forward a little." One of the photographers told them. "Hannah, could you get on your knees a bit?"
"Yes, sir." Hannah obeyed the instructions.
"Great. That's good." He smiled. "Wonder Girl, tilt the blade of your sword towards Hannah. Make it so that it's just a little above her head." And with that, the Amazon would do so, making sure not to touch her. But her height meant that the girl was in range of the blade of her weapon. "Good. Now Hannah, look up at the sword with a smile on your face. And Wonder Girl, give a thumbs up. Both of you, point at each other. Good, that's great! Hold that pose!"
Even though she took the pose, Hannah was already feeling a tad bit overshadowed. She could already sense that Wonder Girl would gain some more over this and the next words did not help whatsoever.
"Uhh...This is good. But not sure if it's doing the best, honestly. It needs more to it for all that Superhero flair to stick out. Hannah, could you swap out with someone for a while?"
"Alright." Hannah frowned, walking off to the side to join the other students, who were just watching. The photographers were switching between their subjects, mainly focusing on Wonder Girl, who was the most focused on.
And as she walking off, Hannah's frown persisted as she wasn't exactly getting that bombastic focus that she would like to have. She would glance at Wonder Girl and see her posing with the others, having a much more dynamic display that her. Even the photographers were complimenting the Amazonian on her ability to stand out and look great, and the other students were starting to grow a liking to the Amazon. Wonder Girl's confident expression was always present, and Hannah felt as though the Amazon was beginning to rub her victory in her face.
And deep within, it was building something up.
Resent.
And it was something Raven took notice off immediately.
"Step aside!" But then came Ben, who pressed down on the Omnitrix. Wonder Girl looked to the side as someone finally taller than her arrived. That being Ben as Four Arms. He stepped forth, nudging Wonder Girl to the side.
"Ah! Hey!" Wonder Girl stumbled a bit, looking up at the four-armed alien who was now at the center of the picture.
"Heh! Get my good side, why don't you? I've got four beauties to show off!" Four Arms flexed, posing for the camera. The photographers were once more captivated, especially the lead photographer, whose eyes lit up.
Wonder Girl scowled at the sight, glaring at the Tennysons and at Raven, knowing that it was them that sent Ben in. And to her, Ben showing off in front of the cameras was just irritating, given that she was supposed to be the center of attention, and she could see the joy on his face. The photographers were showering him with compliments and praise. With his massive, hulking frame, the red-skinned alien was easily the main attraction, and his confidence and pride could be felt throughout the room. He was soaking up the attention and the flashes, posing in many ways to show off his physique.
"Are people into four-armed physique?" One of the photographers asked her fellow photographer.
"Results will show."
"Great, Ben. Alright, Raven. Let's tr-" Gwen turned to speak to Raven, but she was already gone all of a sudden. "Raven?"
Raven had gone to one place. A place where only one person was. That being Hannah. Hannah had gone to the gymnasium on her own once more, but not to dance. The radio wasn't even on this time. Instead, she was just going there to clear her head and not think of the photoshoot that was happening. And when Raven had entered the gym, she could feel her emotions, and knew that she needed to speak with her. The creature was in her shadow, its eyes glowing. It could feel her emotions too.
"You alright, kid?" Raven asked.
"Oh, I'm fine..." Hannah sighed, not wanting to bother Raven with what she was thinking about. But Raven was a telepath and didn't need to read Hannah's mind. Just feeling her emotions told her everything she needed to know.
"I can sense it coming from you. Resent." Raven pointed out, already knowing that resent was building up from within. But there was something unique about it. That's why Raven came here in the first place. "But there's magic in your resent...isn't there?"
"What are you talking about?" Hannah tried to dismiss that. "And...I'm not feeling any of that. I've got a photo shoot to get back to soon."
"Yeah. But you're afraid that the limelight will go to someone else. Aren't you?" Raven questioned, making Hannah flinch.
"It won't...My teacher saw me with the most potential after all. It can't just go away." But Raven could see through her lie, and her next words would strike a chord. "No one here was given that same look from him."
"..." Raven looked around, spotting the many magazines portraying the artist that Hannah looked up to. "You want to be like her, don't you? Marisa Spencer, is it? That's who you wanna be, right?"
"Yes...I've been following her for years now when she was a smaller artist. I love her music and her dancing. I wanna be just like her." Hannah admitted to that.
"But you're using magic to try and get there quicker, aren't you?" Raven went to what mattered the most. The magic. "I know you are."
Hannah couldn't deny it at all. Mainly because Raven could see right through her, knowing that she had involved herself with magic. Her powers of empathy were just too strong and could not be ignored. "So what if I am? What are you gonna do about it, anyways?"
"Stop that from hurting anyone. All that resent is getting dangerous. It could hurt someone."
"Oh, but she doesn't need to hurt anyone." A voice came through, making Raven gasp. It was the voice of the lanky creature, speaking on its own. "She'll just have to take what she deserves. And that's the spot in the spotlight."
"That voice...Charmcaster?" Raven looked up at the magical energy rising, showing the lanky creature visage. "But it's coming from one of your creatures?"
"I've managed to get a good grasp at giving them orders in a new way. And right now, I'm just helping this girl out by giving her what she wants." The creature added. "And we can make a good trade from it."
"What kind of trade?"
"To help with my experiment. I'll give her what she wants, and in return, she'll be just like me."
"?" Raven had a confused expression. What did she mean by that exactly?
"Pretty soon, they all will be. And since you're here now, maybe you could be just like me. The Magical Extension spell will make it so that I can replace everyone's being with my own. We'll all be the same in no time flat, and no one will miss the old them at all." Charmcaster revealed. "I'll just have to test it out on a small scale. Like this school."
"So that's why you're here..." It was a plan that was eerily familiar to her. "You're trying to replace everyone's lives?"
"Replacing them with me. They'll look the same, sure. But their emotions, feelings, thoughts, desires. Everything will be me. The whole place will become an extension of Charmcaster, and no one will ever know. No one would know that everyone is just a part of me. And that will include you."
"Even if it's for your own gain, that doesn't sound pleasant at all." Raven's hands would glow, readying herself for the worst.
"Shows what you know about me." Charmcaster scoffed as some of her magic was appearing behind Raven herself. "I'll get you started right away. I wonder what someone like you will be like as me!"
"?!" Raven turned around but it was too late. Charmcaster's magic would tower over her, enveloping the Half Demon in its power. "Mrrgh...!" Raven was struggling to break free, but to no avail, the magic was too strong and she was caught completely off guard. She could already feel the effects of the magic taking hold, her body going limp and her willpower fading away.
All while Hannah did nothing. She was simply letting this happen.
"You don't have to worry about a thing. Being me won't be so bad." Charmcaster said as Hannah's eyes would glow pink once more. She showed no disapproval of his action. "But now we gotta get the competition out of the way more than ever. It's gonna take more drastic measures. Especially with that Wonder Girl in the way."
"Yeah..." Hannah agreed.
"I could use this one to do just that. But in the meantime, let me change the competition for you, Hannah." Charmcaster snickered, ready to deal with the others.
At the same time, Wonder Girl was competing with Ben, trying to stand out more than him. She had her arms nudged against Four Arms', but found herself to be have a hard time pushing him out of the frame. Four Arms was managing to keep himself in the frame too, their two super strengths going against each other. The photographers were taking the pictures, and every single one of the students were watching, wondering which hero would come out on top. Wonder Girl, the tall and beautiful Amazonian Princess, or Four Arms, the hulking, four-armed alien.
"Come on. You're in my light." Wonder Girl said, trying to push him out of the way.
"Heh. Not a chance." Four Arms grinned. He knew that Wonder Girl was not going to give up at all, and he was determined to stay in the spotlight. He was also quite confident in his strength and was not backing down from the challenge.
Wonder Girl was the same, refusing to lose. As the photographers continued to take their shots, the two heroes were putting all their strength into the contest, neither of them willing to give in.
"Oh, this is money, right here! Superhero conflict!" One of them grinned as the students around the two heroes were cheering on either of them, though they were mostly cheering for Wonder Girl, who was the most well-known hero of the group.
At the same time, the Sword of Artemis would start glowing lightly, alerting Wonder Girl as it was sensing magic at play. But not at the photo shoot, rather somewhere else, and it was growing stronger. "...It's getting bigger?" She looked at her sword, knowing that the magic was getting stronger, and that it was a threat. A big one, at that. But she had to deal with Ben first.
But she wouldn't have to go straight to the source of the problem. Instead, it was coming to her. The door leading to the gym would suddenly burst open, causing a gust of wind to blow into the room, forcing everyone's attention towards the door. Even the photographers and students were taken aback by the sudden disturbance.
Aggressively flowing into the room was a dark pink magic that would slither its way in. It was thick and heavy, and the presence of it was overwhelming. It was spreading throughout the area, targeting specific people. That being the other students and Wonder Girl herself.
"What is that?!" One of the girls screeched as the magic would suddenly grab a hold of her, holding her up with great aggression. She yelled as she was restrained in the air promptly by it and the same would soon apply to the others. The magic split up into multiple strands that would capture the rest of the students, grabbing ahold of them, lifting them up high in the air and keeping them there. Their limbs were tied together and their bodies were lifted up in the air, leaving them suspended, and their voices silenced.
"Charmcaster!" Gwen bellowed as Charmcaster was finally taking action.
"Finally, some real action!" Wonder Girl smirked, readying her sword. She saw one o the strands approaching her, only for her blade to slice it in half in one motion. The students ran for their lives along with the photographers, the former being the biggest threat. "Hey, photographers!" Wonder Girl said to them. "Make sure you capture all my best sides, eh?"
And they would do just that. Despite running for their lives, they couldn't resist the opportunity to get a shot of Wonder Girl in action. Even if the situation was far more serious than the photo shoot.
"Huh?" Gwen noticed the pink magic's focus. "It's targeting the students more than us." She realized, seeing that the pink magic was focused on the fleeing students, chasing after them and ignoring the three heroes. The magic was moving fast, and the students were in danger of being captured. "Not even me? What's she planning?"
"Hrr!" Four Arms grunted, striking one of the strands that tried grabbing one of the girls. He was standing in between the students and the magic, and the other students were running past him. But the strands of magic were persistent and kept coming. Four Arms struck them with his fists, smashing the strands and keeping the students safe. Gwen joined in as well, casting a shield that protected them.
"Ben! Raven's not here!" Gwen said to him.
"You think she's gone to find Charmcaster already?" Four Arms said, grabbing some of the strands.
"Maybe. Go and check on her, if you can!"
"No problem!" Four Arms was on it. He would toss the strands to the side, breaking them apart in the process. With the magic broken, he would run to the door, searching for his teammate. "Raven, you better be okay!"
"My spotlight!" Wonder Girl saw Four Arms bolt, potentially off to find Charmcaster. She wasn't going to let him take her glory. "Hey, redhead. Try and take care of things from her for me, okay?"
"My name is Gwen!" Gwen yelled as Wonder Girl flew off, slashing through the other strands and cutting them down to size, following where Four Arms went.
Four Arms followed where the strands of magic originally came from, seeing how long they were. He ran through the hallways of the school, turning corners and pushing doors open until he found where the origin of the magic was. That being the gymnasium. He could see the trail leading into the entrance to it, and he knew that this was the place. Without wasting any time, he pushed the doors to the gym open, hoping to catch Charmcaster in the act, but instead he got something else.
"Ben?!" Raven was standing there, her back facing him. She was in the center of the gymnasium, still fighting against Charmcaster's magic. "Rrrgh!"
"Raven!"
"I can't shake thins thing off...!" This whole time, she's only been managing to hold it back. It wasn't so easy to break free from the spell. Her body was in the midst of a transformation, and she was struggling to resist it. Parts of her were starting to turn pink, and her hair was changing color.
"I've got you!" Four Arms rushed to scene, ready to break this magic apart. But as soon as he did, a stronger strand would get in the way, intercepting his movements and heavily smashing against his chest, knocking him to the ground. "Mrgk!"
"Slow down there, Tennyson." The lanky Magical Creature would finally emerge from Hannah's shadow. "You don't wanna hurt your precious friend, do you?" Its eyes would flash, its voice was the one of Charmcaster. "I'll make sure that I've got her under control."
"Charmcaster." Four Arms growled. His first instinct was to attack the creature, but he had to think of another way to free her from its spell. He had to act quickly before it was too late.
"..." The creature smirked, its mouth stretching. It would use its powers to lift up a couple of chairs and fling them at the Tetramand. The chairs would fly at him at high speed, and Four Arms had to react fast. He used his four arms to block the incoming chairs, grabbing them and tossing them to the side.
But the creature wasn't done yet. It would summon more chairs, and this time, they were sharp, their legs pointed at the ends and aimed at his chest. They would fly at him once more, and Four Arms had to dodge and avoid them, moving from side to side, and using his arms to deflect them away. He was managing to avoid getting hit by the chairs, but he had to find a way to stop the creature and free Raven from its grasp.
"Hey!" Four Arms yelled at Hanna who was just standing there, seeing that all that magic was coming from her. "What's up with you?! Are you alright?!"
"Oh, she can't hear you. Well, she can,. But won't care." The creature answered. "She's fully accepting my help right now and I'm gladly granting her wish. Do you have any idea how much resent she's feeling right now? It's what's powering all of this magic?"
"Yeah, right!" Raven grunted, calling Charmcaster out on that. "As if she's letting all of this happen willingly. You're using this creature to influence her thoughts and feelings, making her believe that you're doing her a favor." Raven pointed out. "I can tell when someone's emotions are genuine and this one has your influence at the forefront."
"Eh. You're right about that. It was easy though. Being able to exaggerate her emotions to the point of giving her the motivation to cause trouble. And thanks to that, you can expect everyone else in here to be the same. All just like me." Charmcaster revealed, speaking through its creation. "This is the beginning of the extension of Charmcaster." She grinned. "Soon, this school will become a place where everyone is an extension of Charmcaster. A place where the only person that matters is me." She smiled.
"A place...of only Charmcaster. How selfish can you get?" Four Arms frowned.
"Ben...I'm losing some control here..." Raven's grip was starting to wain with how much she was struggling. "Y-You-" Before she could finish, her voice was cut off as the magic fully covered her.
"Raven!" Four Arms was shocked, and worried, seeing that she was now under its complete control.
"Just a little more and you'll have a new member of your team." Charmcaster snickered. "But don't worry. She'll be better than the old her in no time. A lot more fun, too once I get to test out what kind of magic she uses." She added.
"Raven can maybe break free...but the only way she can do that is if she taps into all of that power." He thought to himself, but remembered why that was a bad idea. Because Raven feared that too much of it, especially with her emotions, could bring out some of Trigon's power, leading to something far more dangerous.
It was something Raven greatly feared after all. But if Charmcaster gains control over her, she could very much bring out Raven's emotions and use all that demonic power to its fullest.
Four Arms wasn't willing to let that happen. With all of his strength, he would clap all four of his arms together, unleashing a mighty shockwave that would send the creature flying back. The force of the blow would send it crashing into the wall.
Raven was also flung back too because of it, her body hitting the wall as well. And due to that, Raven was knocked out cold. The impact was strong enough to stun her and make her fall to the ground.
"Sorry about that, Raven!" He apologized to him, turning his attention back to the creature.
"You're too late though! I can already feel the other students changing!" Charmcaster laughed. "They're becoming me. Everyone's becoming an extension of me. And all that resent's powering it up greatly!"
The creature then rushed at Four Arms with all of its claws as the ready. It would lash at the Tetramand with its sharp blades, trying to scratch him. Four Arms would dodge, avoiding the creatures attacks, and retaliating with his own. He would strike the creature with his fists, but it was a lot faster and stronger than it looked even though he was able to push it back.
Four Arms would then grab a nearby gym item, that being a basketball and would throw it at the creature. The ball would hit its head, and the creature would stumble back. Four Arms would take this opportunity to punch the creature in the face, sending it flying to the wall. But it was not going to go down that easily.
"Even with you here, that spell's still gonna continue. It's just like how I can control this one from afar." The creature stated, its eyes glowing pink. Its eyes were linked to Charmcaster's, and that was the only thing that was keeping the link alive. "So that means that even when you defeat this one, the others will keep on going."
"You're not even here?!" Four Arms shouted as it was revealed that Charmcaster wasn't even in this town. She was doing this from somewhere far away.
"Nope. So much for stopping me here~"
"Like that's gonna stop me from finding you!" Wonder Girl burst through the door, sword in hand. Her blade was aimed right at the creature's chest. The creature yelled as Wonder Girl made a stylish entrance. She was now in the room with her weapon drawn. "That was a big mistake, leaving your creation in the middle of the enemy's territory. Especially since it's connected to you." Wonder Girl smirked, raising her blade at the creature. "Don't think you're safe either. My sword will find you eventually."
"Hmph." Charmcaster's voice would fade away as she left it all up to this creature.
"Having trouble, little man?" Wonder Girl said to Ben, looking up at the creature. "Allow me to finish things here while you just sit back and watch."
"Yeah, right." But Four Arms wouldn't let her steal the spotlight here. Alas, the Omnitrix thought otherwise. It started flashing red, causing Four Arms to sigh as he would time out, reverting to Ben. "Aw man..."
"Like I said. Sit back." Wonder Girl grinned, spinning her blade in her hand. "And I'll take care of business here." She charged at the creature with a powerful swing of her blade, ready to cut it in half.
But as soon as she did, all that magic from the creature would exert out of its body, acting as a shield to block her attack. Wonder Girl's sword struck the magical barrier and the creature would start laughing, amused at her futile attempt to cut it. The Amazon's sword was stuck on the barrier, the blade unable to move past it.
Wonder Girl tried pulling her blade back, but it was stuck, held in place by the magical barrier. She couldn't pull it out no matter how hard she tried, and the creature would laugh at her failed attempt. The creature would take advantage of the situation and would slam its fist right against her chest, knocking her to the floor.
"Urk!" Wonder Girl was on the floor, having been knocked to the ground by its fist. Wonder Girl was in pain, and the creature was approaching her. It moved on all fours like a feral animal, its limbs and claws moving towards her.
Wonder Girl would breakdance to get back up, promptly making herself airborne. Right on time as she narrowly avoiding a slash from it, going above the creature.
Dodging the slash, she flipped in the air before coming down with a mighty dropkick, slamming her feet onto the top of its head. The impact of the blow sent the creature reeling. But the retaliation was an outburst of magic that came from its body, hitting Wonder Girl and sending her flying upwards. "Agh!" She screamed, feeling the sting of the magic, and the force of the blast. She crashed through the ceiling, landing on the second floor of the school. "Mm..." Wonder Girl groaned, looking up to see the hole she made. "What's with this thing...?"
"It's all the resent." Ben pointed out. "A huge chunk of it! That's what's powering this one!"
"Resent? Really?" Wonder Girl raised an eyebrow, not really seeing why that was a big deal.
"Charmcaster's been targeting Hannah to use her feelings as the source of her powers." Ben explained. "She's using her to make a lot of copies of herself and they're all spreading her magic throughout the school."
"So I gotta get that girl to snap out of it, eh?" Wonder Girl smirked, her confidence showing. "Easy enough for me." She got up from the debris, readying her sword.
"Yeah, right. You're not beating this one." Ben thought otherwise. "Something like this needs more than brute force. As much as I wanna brute force it...I know there's another way to do it. But Raven's the only one who can."
Alas, Raven was unconscious at the moment and couldn't help them at all.
"That's what you think. But enough brute force an get the job done!" Wonder Girl went for it anyways, flying towards the creature, and dodging its attack. Her sword would clash against its claws, and the two would engage in a fierce duel, their weapons clashing, and sparks flying from the impact.
All while Gwen was left to handle the strands of magic...as well as the now changing students who were being filled with Charmcaster's traits. And she could feel it. As she managed to push a strand away, Gwen felt a sudden shift in Manna. What was one Charmcaster's Manna present in just the strands of magic...was now appearing in more than that.
"?!" She looked at one of the students, feeling Charmcaster's Manna suddenly coming from her. It was the same student who was captured by the strand, but now, she was different. Deep within anyways. Her presence was now that of Charmcaster's, filling her with Manna. It was if Charmcaster herself was in the room.
"No way..." A sight that left Gwen bewildered as she would witness the student's transformation. Her eyes would turn pink, and her expression would become that of Charmcaster's. She would gain her mischievous grin, and her posture would change to be just like the villainess's. Even the way she walked was the same, the student mimicking the mannerisms of her new self. "Charmcaster..." Gwen muttered under her breath.
But it was also happening to the other students. One by one, Charmcaster's Manna was becoming theirs, overtaking their own. Soon, they were all the same. Their expressions, their body language, their mannerisms, everything was the same. They were all acting like Charmcaster and had the exact same presence of the villainous witch. They were her, and they were all the same. Just as she said, they were extensions of her. All of them. "Oh, no." Gwen said to herself, realizing the extent of her plan.
"Oh, yes~" The many voices of Charmcaster would echo throughout the halls. "You're too late, Gwen" The voices of the possessed students spoke in unison. "This is just the start. And not even you can ruin it."
"I can still do something." But Gwen wasn't about to give up here. "All of this Manna's radiating something else. You're using someone else as a crux." She did notice another part to the Manna. That being Hannah's resent was powering it up. And that's the part that stuck out to here. The resent. And it was something that Gwen would try and capitilize on.
"No magic yet. But you're surrounded." The voices all said as none of them could use any magic. Not yet at least. But Gwen wasn't waiting around for them to do just that. They all laughed while the photographers got good shots of this bizarrely terrifying yet stunning sight. Anything for that perfect shot.
"I can solve this...I just need to remember what Raven taught me last night." But now was the time for Gwen to use the advice Raven taught her. After all, the two agreed to each other their respective magic. And in the case of Raven, emotions were key. "If I can use the same type of empathic power that Raven can use, then maybe I can influence their emotions. Enough to get them to snap out of Charmcaster's hold." She thought to herself.
The key here was to remove the emotions. She remembered what Raven taught her last night about removing emotions and using it as a tool. It wasn't so easy to master, and Gwen didn't have much success since she wasn't an empath, but in this moment, she knew that she had to do it. She had to clear her mind and focus, and then, maybe, just maybe, she could remove the emotions from these people and help them snap out of it. "What's wrong, Gwen? Scared stiff?" Charmcaster's voice continued to taunt her.
"Shut up, Charmcaster." Gwen spoke.
"No magic...but you're still frail!" The voices exclaimed as they all would run at her, attempting to overpower Gwen physically, which they could easily do.
"No way..." A sight that left Gwen bewildered as she would witness the student's transformation. Her eyes would turn pink, and her expression would become that of Charmcaster's. She would gain her mischievous grin, and her posture would change to be just like the villainess's. Even the way she walked was the same, the student mimicking the mannerisms of her new self. "Charmcaster..." Gwen muttered under her breath.
But it was also happening to the other students. One by one, Charmcaster's Manna was becoming theirs, overtaking their own. Soon, they were all the same. Their expressions, their body language, their mannerisms, everything was the same. They were all acting like Charmcaster and had the exact same presence of the villainous witch. They were her, and they were all the same. Just as she said, they were extensions of her. All of them. "Oh, no." Gwen said to herself, realizing the extent of her plan.
"Oh, yes~" The many voices of Charmcaster would echo throughout the halls. "You're too late, Gwen" The voices of the possessed students spoke in unison. "This is just the start. And not even you can ruin it."
"I can still do something." But Gwen wasn't about to give up here. "All of this Manna's radiating something else. You're using someone else as a crux." She did notice another part to the Manna. That being Hannah's resent was powering it up. And that's the part that stuck out to her. The resent. And it was something that Gwen would try and capitalise on.
"No magic yet. But you're surrounded." The voices all said as none of them could use any magic. Not yet at least. But Gwen wasn't waiting around for them to do just that. They all laughed while the photographers got good shots of this bizarrely terrifying yet stunning sight. Anything for that perfect shot.
"I can solve this...I just need to remember what Raven taught me last night." But now was the time for Gwen to use the advice Raven taught her. After all, the two agreed to each other their respective magic. And in the case of Raven, emotions were key. "If I can use the same type of empathic power that Raven can use, then maybe I can influence their emotions. Enough to get them to snap out of Charmcaster's hold." She thought to herself.
The key here was to remove the emotions. She remembered what Raven taught her last night about removing emotions and using it as a tool. It wasn't so easy to master, and Gwen didn't have much success since she wasn't an empath, but in this moment, she knew that she had to do it. She had to clear her mind and focus, and then, maybe, just maybe, she could remove the emotions from these people and help them snap out of it. "What's wrong, Gwen? Scared stiff?" Charmcaster's voice continued to taunt her.
"Shut up, Charmcaster." Gwen spoke.
"No magic...but you're still frail!" The voices exclaimed as they all would run at her, attempting to overpower Gwen physically, which they could easily do.
But they wouldn't get the chance.
Gwen's eyes were closed as they all approached her, making her seem defenceless. But she wasn't, not at all. In fact, in her head, she was trying her best to reach out to everyone's emotions, and grasp them, in an effort to free them from Charmcaster's control. Gwen's mind was focused on the task, and her hands were moving with a purpose.
"Here goes!" Her eyes opened, glowing pink. And when they did, she had her own strands of magic fly out of her hands from multiple directions, wrapping themselves around every single one of the students. Each strand was long and thick, and they were all aimed at the possessed students. With a swift motion of her arms, the strands of mana would wrap around them and keep them in place, preventing them from going anywhere.
"Hey! Let us go!" The voices were angry, and the students struggled against the binds, but the mana was strong and they were held in place, not being able to move at all. "What is this?! What are you doing?!"
"I'm not letting you do anything." Gwen grunted, attempting to rip the resent out of them. She clenched her teeth, having to exert a lot of energy into this, given that she was still inexperienced in these types of spells. "Hrrrgh!" But she was managing, getting close to influencing their emotions. "Come on...!"
"What is she doing?" The photographers wondered. Though they were quick to realize that whatever was happening was worth taking pictures of. So, they did that. Taking more and more photos of this scene. All of which showed the students struggling against the binds of magical power and Gwen in the center, her face twisted in concentration. Her eyes were closed and her hands were outstretched, and the photographers were capturing the moment in their photographs. "This is perfect!"
"Rrrrgh!" Gwen was trying her best to channel her inner empath, reaching out to the emotions of the people in front of her.
"Let us go already!" The voices demanded, the students continuing to struggle against their binds. But it was futile.
Gwen was managing to pull it off, feeling the resent and beginning to rip it out. But not just rip it out. Much like Raven, she had to take it in herself. All that resent had to be absorbed by her, much like how Raven does. That was the true challenge and Gwen could already feel it in.
It flowed into her body, being as heavy as a stone and weighing her down, attacking her from within. A new sensation that was rough to get through as Gwen thought to herself. "Is this what Raven has to handle?!" Now she knew just how much Raven has to deal with. How the Half Demon was always in a state of meditation to keep the resent in check. Gwen could feel the pressure of it. It was as if her whole being was under attack, and she was in the middle of a storm. "I...I won't let you down, Raven!"
Wonder Girl was managing to lay the smackdown on the creature with her skills. She delivered a fierce uppercut, following it up with a flurry of slashes from her sword, hoping to cut the creature into many pieces. But alas, despite how hard she struck it, it wouldn't go down.
No matter how much she hit it, the creature's magical defenses were far too strong. It was blocking her attacks, and the strands of magic that were still attached to its body were healing the wounds, repairing the damage. Wonder Girl was becoming frustrated, her attacks not doing much of anything at all. "Grr! Go down already!"
"Told ya. Brute force just won't work." Ben said. And the creature laughed at her for it, powering up some more with all that resent. And soon, it would take all that resent and convert it into outstanding power. Power in the form of a massive pink magic beam that was shot at Wonder Girl.
"!" The Self-Proclaimed Daughter of Wonder Woman was quick to act, holding the sword up to block the beam. It was a direct hit against thesword, the impact of the blast causing the floor to shake and crack. The beam was powerful, and Wonder Girl was struggling to keep her balance, her feet planted firmly on the ground as she tried to withstand the force of the blast.
But she managed to deflect it regardless, sending the beam elsewhere. It crashed into the wall, combusting the gymnasium wall. The force of the blast caused the wall to crumble and collapse, revealing the outside world.
"Ngh!" Deflecting it wasn't easy though. It made her drop to her knee, staggering her a bit. And with this vulnerable position, it allowed the creature to charge another one up.
Ben saw this and right on time, the Omnitrix was active once more. The pink beam was unleashed yet again, prompting Wonder Girl to try and deflect it a second time, if she had the time to raise her sword. Only for Ben to intercept. Slamming down on the Omnitrix, he leapt into the scene, taking form.
Heatblast emerged, getting right in front of Wonder Girl and raising his arms, putting up a wall of fire, blocking the beam, and keeping it from reaching her.
"You..." Wonder Girl looked up at him.
"If you wanna keep brute forcing it, go ahead. I'm bringing this to an end right now." Ben ran right to the one person who could finish this. He ran over to Raven, leaving Wonder Girl to the magical creature, the beam being deflect at last.
It gave Wonder Girl enough time to stand back up and ready her sword. " I got saved...? Embarrassing. " With a frown , she charged at the creature, her sword at the ready. She swung her blade, aiming for the creature's chest. The creature would lash out at her, and the two would clash, the battle between them resuming. Their fight continued as Ben got in front of Raven.
"Come on, Raven..." Heatblast would kneel in front of her unconscious body, and he took a deep breath. He placed his hands on the sides of her head, and he focused his energy into the girl, his palms starting to burn. His flames would transfer from his hands as he would warm her up. He made sure the heat was a calm and bearable one, helping her regain her senses and hopefully wake up.
"Mm..." Raven was stirring, her body was slowly regaining its warmth. She could feel the warmth coursing through her body, and the heat was starting to bring her to her senses. Soon, her eyes opened, and the first thing she saw was the fiery body of Heatblast in front of her, his hands on the sides of her head.
"Raven!" He exclaimed, happy that she was waking up. "Are you okay?"
"Ben..." Raven's voice was weak and soft. Her body was still feeling the effects of the spell, and her strength was not fully regained. The heat from the Pyronite was starting to help her regain it however. She would get up with his help, and her eyes would open, and the first thing she saw was the Pyronite. She would see him in his alien form, standing in front of her, his face full of concern.
"Yeah, it's me, Raven." Heatblast said. "You okay?"
" M-My back!" Her back twitched in pain since she crashed into it. She almost fell over, only for Heatblast to hold her there. "W-What happened?"
"Uhh...I'll tell you later! Right now...that!" He pointed to the magical creature. Raven at least remembered what she was doing.
"Rrrh! Grrr!" Wonder Girl would aggressively stomp on the creature's chest, sending shockwaves each time . "Go down already!"
"I've got this one..." Raven was ready to bring an end to it. By properly removing all that resent from Hannah. Crossing her arms together, Raven would close her eyes, and focus on the creature. Its emotions were clear to her, and so were Hannah's. But this amount of resent was massive due to Charmcaster inflating it. Taking all of that in would be painful. But Raven would do it regardless.
"Mmm..." Raven's forehead started glowing, her body radiating with power as she was getting closer to completing the task at hand, the separation.
"Let's see you handle this!" Wonder Girl jumped off of the creature. With a swing of her sword, a large wave of pink magic would come from the sword, rushing towards her. Wonder Girl would then jump away from it, letting it hit the creature. The blast of magical energy would crash into the monster, knocking it back and causing a great amount of damage. Wonder Girl would land on the floor, her feet touching the ground, and her sword still in her hand, ready for the next attack.
The beastly creation would scream, retaliating by shooting its own blast of magic. This time, a beam was shot from its eyes, and it would fly at Wonder Girl, who dodged it by jumping out of the way, her reflexes being sharp enough to evade the attack, and the beam would crash against the wall, destroying a large portion of it. Wonder Girl would then leap into the air, avoiding the debris falling from the ceiling, and landing on her feet.
But the creature wouldn't get the chance to do anything else. Not with the negative emotions being ripped away. It screeched out in pain as all that resentment was taken out of Hannah, and in turn, removed from the creature. The creature would writhe in agony, its body contorting and twisting as a fierce outburst of magical energy shot up in the form of a pillar.
Wonder Girl backed up, watching the magic rise up as it broke through the ceiling, letting out a horrific sound. And this outburst was applying to the others. All the students that were affected by that same magic would scream at the top of their lungs, feeling the resent leaving them. And the photographers would capture every second of it, seeing this as the perfect opportunity to take even more pictures. Clicks and flashes were going off, and they were getting every angle they could of the situation.
"Agh...!" Gwen was struggling, her teeth gritting in response to the strain on her body. The emotions were coming at her hard, and it was a difficult process, but she was managing. She was managing to remove the emotions, and with the last of the resentment leaving their bodies, the students would fall to their knees, their minds clearing and the spell ending. "H-Haah..."
"..." Raven's forehead would stop glowing, and she would sigh in relief. She was finally done with it, having removed all that resentment and taken it in. "Mm...It's gone."
"Awesome." Heatblast gave a thumbs-up while holding Raven. Raven smiled back at Heatblast , giving him a small nod in return.
" Hmph." Wonder Girl frowned as the creature would vanish, all while Hanna would pass out, finally free from Charmcaster's influence.
The situation at the school had been solved , and everything was peaceful once more. The magic that had been unleashed was gone. The students were back to normal. And Charmcaster's plan had been thwarted.
"Ugh." Gwen had her head on a nearby desk, tired from what had just transpired. "That was a lot harder than I thought."
"My back still hurts though..." Raven groaned in pain, feeling her back.
"Ah, that was amazing!" And the photographers were all satisfied with the outcome. "Thank you so much!"
"Really?! That's all you guys can say?!" Gwen was annoyed. "You didn't help us at all! Instead, you took pictures throughout all of that!"
" It was wroth it ." One of them stated.
"It's in our nature." Another added, and Gwen rolled her eyes at that. "But, we'll make sure to put this on the front page !"
"Geez." Gwen sighed.
"I didn't get the final hit though. Oh well...if it gets out there, then I can't complain too much." Wonder Girl said, ready to leave. "I'm outta here. Later."
"We should get going too. But is she gonna be okay?" Ben looked over at Hannah, who was still unconscious and being carried away by her fellow students.
"She will. Charmcaster only exaggerated her resentment." Raven explain Outside of that , she's fine. And so are the other students." She added, looking at everyone.
"No Charmcaster though. She's still out there." Gwen pointed out, having hoped that she would've shown herself.
"Next time. Next time, we'll beat her for sure." Ben reassured. "For now, let's go home. After that, I need to rest.
" Gwen. Nice job using that empathic power. Y ou learn fast." Raven praised.
"Yeah but...I couldn't pull it all out. I haven't gotten the best hang of it. Plus, it hurt so much!" Gwen groaned. "You gotta teach me some more, Raven."
The three of them had already returned to the Arcade Hide out with Gwen already resting up. Taking in all those emotions left a bit of a number on her body, so she needed the rest.
"So...you caused a shockwave that knocked me back. And that's why my back hurts?" Raven spoke to Ben, finding out why her back was in pain earlier.
"Y-Yeah. Sorry about that. I couldn't really think of another way to free you. It was just instinct." Ben shrugged. "I didn't mean to knock you unconscious."
"It's fine. You did what you had to do. And I would have been in trouble if you didn't do anything." Raven accepted his apology, not mad at him.
"Yeah...But hey. Saved you a fourth time! I think it's the fourth time. I bet you're feeling extra grateful to me now, huh? At this rate, you'll need me to save your life every time! Hahaha!" Ben proudly crossed his arms, laughing loudly. But that prompted a light growl from Raven, followed up by a black tendril flying out and slapping Ben's left cheek. "Oof!"
"Hmph!" Raven turned around , her cheeks red from annoyance. She was annoyed by how cocky he was. But deep inside, she was flustered. Those red cheeks had a different meaning too. Deep down, Raven was truly grateful to Ben and that smile that showed on her face as she walked off, proved it. Alas, that smile was only visible to her and not to Ben. So, to him, it seemed like she was really angry.
"Wait, Raven! Come on!" Ben would run after her, hoping that she wasn't upset. Though Raven would walk faster, trying to keep a distance from him. But the two were still smiling.