Ben 10: A Souvenir of Sublimino

Gwen entered the living room to find Ben sat on the couch with a large cardboard box resting on the coffee table. Gwen was staying with Ben and his parents for a week before her college semester began. "Hey. What are you doing?" she asked.

"Just looking through my old collection," he replied. Over the past six years, he'd kept a number of 'souvenirs' from his battles with various villains.

"You kept all that? You're such a dweeb," she joked and Ben stuck his tongue out at her. Gwen watched Ben intently, memories of kicking butt with her cousin rushing back to her as he took out an assortment of items, culminating in an old pocket watch. "Isn't that Sublimino's watch?" Gwen asked.

"Heh, yeah," Ben chuckled nostalgically. "Remember how I fought him on that giant clock of his and foiled his plans in human form?" he asked with pride.

"I remember you thinking you'd actually hypnotized me with it afterwards. 'Yes, Master. Your wish is my command.' I can't believe you actually fell for that."

"Hey, I was ten."

"So was I."

"Ah, whatever. Still, I always wondered why it never worked. I mean, it's not like Sublimino's powers never worked on you." Ben smirked as he recalled how Gwen had been hypnotized by Sublimino's master plan.

"Ugh, don't remind me. That was so embarrassing..."

"There must have been some kind of trick to it," Ben said, looking the watch over.

"Give it here," said Gwen. "Let me take a look."

"Sure, knock yourself out," Ben replied, throwing the watch over his shoulder, thinking nothing of it.

Gwen caught the watch and noticed something. "You dweeb. There's a button on here."

"Huh? Really?"

"You didn't notice? How am I related to you?" Gwen's hand tensed and pushed the button. Waves of energy washed over her and a strange, relaxing feeling overcame her. The feeling was familiar somehow but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. It wasn't long before she couldn't think anymore and her eyes closed.

"Come on, that's a little harsh, isn't it?" Ben said, whirling around to face his cousin. "Gwen? Hello?" Gwen was standing behind the couch with her head down and her arms hanging limply at her sides. Ben hopped over the couch and waved a hand in front of her face. "Hello? Gwen? Are you okay?"

"Yes, Master," Gwen replied in a dull tone. "I am okay."

"Oh, ha-ha. Very funny, Gwen." He snatched the watch from her loose grip. "You really think I'm gonna fall for that a second time?"

Gwen was silent.

"Okay then. I'll play along. Gwen, get me a soda."

"Yes, Master. Your wish is my command." Gwen raised her head and walked into the kitchen. She returned moments later with a soda. "Here is your soda, Master."

"Thanks," replied Ben, taking the soda from her. He held it in both hands and shook it as hard as he could without Gwen seeing. He then held it in front of her face and opened the can. The soda blasted out of the can, right into Gwen's face. Ben laughed uproariously at the sight of his sopping wet cousin. "You really thought I fell for it again?"

Gwen remained silent.

Ben stopped laughing when she didn't attack him or even scream. He took a closer look at her and saw that her pupils were tiny, one of the signs of Sublimino's power. "No way. You really are hypnotized, aren't you?"

"Yes, Master."

"No way. No way!" Ben simply had to test this. Something that would make her stop faking it if she was. "Okay, Gwen. When I snap my fingers, you will... become a chicken." He snapped his fingers.

Gwen tucked her arms into her arm pits and began clucking loudly. Ben was stunned; Gwen was too proud a person to take a joke this far. "You really are hypnotized!"

Gwen simply clucked in response and continued scratching at the floor and flapping her arms like wings.

"Okay, okay, stop."

"Yes, Master." Gwen replied, lowering her legs and letting her arms hang loose again.

"Wow. I can't believe this. It really worked!" Ben began thinking of things to have Gwen do, when all the ideas he'd had back when he first tried to hypnotize her six years ago came rushing back. The fact that it hadn't worked back then had always bugged him. He knew it was silly to get so hung up on something so trivial, but he couldn't help it. And now, he had the chance to do what he'd always planned to do.

"First, I want you to do all my chores."

"Yes, Master. Your wish is my command." Gwen immediately set off do do Ben's chores. Once she was done, she returned and stood at attention again. "Your chores are done, Master."

"Alright, good job. Now, I know exactly what I want you to do next. I've always wanted a dog but Mom and Dad wouldn't let me have one. So I want you to become a dog."

"Yes, Master." Gwen bent down onto her hands and knees and began barking loudly.

Ben crouched beside her and patted her on the head. Gwen barked happily. Ben picked up a small ball and threw it across the hall and Gwen charged after it. She returned with it in her mouth and dropped it. Ben threw it a couple more times and Gwen returned it each time.

"Who's a good girl?" said Ben, scratching under her chin. Gwen seemed happy at the compliment.

"Okay, now you're a cow."

Gwen's body language changed immediately. She remained on all fours but the joyous panting was replaced by a lazy moan before she let out a moo. Ben found it amusing until she lowered her head and started biting the carpet like a grazing cow. Not wanting to get in trouble for damaging the carpet, Ben commanded her to stop and she returned to a standing position.

Ben decided to have her perform one last act before waking her up. "Okay, I have one last thing for you to do: go to the kitchen and bring be some ice cream."

"Yes, Master. Your wish is my command." Gwen did as she was told and stood before Ben with the tub.

"Now, do you remember what you did with that ice cream six years ago?"

"Yes, Master. I remember."

"Good. I want you to do that to yourself."

"Yes, Master." Gwen held the tub over her head and tipped it upside-down. The contents spilled all over her head and Ben laughed so hard, he fell to the floor. It was a shame she couldn't react at all but if it meant he could get away with it, it was a small price to pay.

"Okay, now we're even for last time," Ben said once he calmed down. He looked at Gwen as the ice cream dripped off her and started landing on the carpet. "Uh-oh. Better get her cleaned up quick. Gwen, go to the bathroom and wake up. When you wake up, you won't remember being hypnotized and you'll take a shower and put your clothes in the washer."

"Yes, Master." Gwen marched off obediently while Ben quickly got to work cleaning up the ice cream on the carpet.

Once he was done, he sat back on the couch and looked at the watch in his hand. The power was too great to risk letting it fall into the wrong hands. He buried it deep inside the box for now, just as Gwen returned with a fresh change of clothes.

"Hey. What are you doing?" she asked, seemingly oblivious to the last twenty minutes.

"Just... looking through some stuff," he replied nervously.

"You've kept all that? You're such a dweeb," she joked. "You find anything interesting?"

Ben paused a moment. "No. Just some good memories."