Gwen hesitated at his question, uncertainty flickering across her face. Ben didn't push—he'd wait for her to come clean on her own. Still, excitement bubbled within him. He had already suspected the truth about Gwen and Kevin, and now, it seemed he was right.
They weren't dating. He still had a chance. The thought nearly made him smile, but he caught himself just in time. Still, a grin tugged at the corner of his lips. He was still in the game.
After a long pause, Gwen finally spoke. "It's not that I don't like having powers. I mean, who wouldn't?" she said, attempting to lighten the mood. "But it's less about having them and more about why I have them."
Ben paused, taking in her answer before pressing further. "Okay… so why do you have them?" he asked, curiosity evident in his voice—even if he had already suspected the reason.
Gwen glanced away, her fingers tracing absent patterns on the table as she gathered her thoughts. "The thing is—I have my powers because I'm an—alien," she paused, glancing at Ben for any reaction. However, the plain look on his face made him impossible to read.
Ben studied Gwen, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "So, your parents are aliens?" he asked, intrigued by her unusual circumstances.
Gwen hesitated, her lips pressing together as she considered how to explain. After a brief pause, she exhaled a quiet sigh.
"Well... technically, yes and no. It's complicated," she admitted, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I inherited this ability from my grandmother—through my mom—but my mom never inherited the spark herself."
"What's the spark?" Ben inquired, feigning ignorance, though his curiosity was genuine.
Gwen paused momentarily, distant. She had been watching him carefully, bracing herself for any sign of unease or rejection. But to her surprise—and relief—he wasn't repulsed. In fact, he seemed intrigued. That realization allowed her to fully relax, her tense shoulders easing as she became more willing to open up.
She focused on the question he asked and couldn't help but frown slightly, her brows knitting together as she searched for the right words.
"Anodites are different from other aliens—we're beings of mana, pure energy. But we aren't born that way. When we come into the world, we're just like humans in every sense. The difference is, at some point, we either awaken what's called 'the spark'—or we don't. For full-blooded Anodites, it's inevitable, just a matter of time. But since my grandpa was human, there was no guarantee my mom would awaken hers. And she never did. Even so, she still carried the potential—and that's how I was able to awaken mine."
Ben rubbed his chin thoughtfully, piecing it together. "So basically, as long as an Anodite doesn't awaken the spark, they're technically human?"
"Yeah," Gwen nodded enthusiastically, momentarily forgetting her earlier worries. She had been so sure Ben would react negatively, but now she realized those fears were unfounded.
Ben's eyes narrowed in thought. "But wait… wouldn't that mean your mom had a better chance of awakening the spark than you? I mean, she was closer to being a full Anodite than you are."
Gwen hesitated, then shook her head. "I don't really know. But from what I was told, it's less about genetics and more about the spiritual."
Ben leaned back, crossing his arms, absorbing her words. "So… it's like a lottery? You either get it, or you don't?"
Gwen hesitated for a second before nodding. Ben let out a quiet sigh, resisting the urge to press her for more details. As much as he wanted to satisfy his curiosity, his attention shifted to Kevin—he was just as curious about his situation.
"So, you absorb stuff?" Ben asked, casting Kevin a curious glance.
Kevin smirked, leaning back in his chair with his usual air of confidence. "That's an oversimplification, but yeah. I can absorb matter, energy—pretty much anything. Makes me stronger, and I can take on the properties of whatever I touch."
Ben tilted his head. "So, if you touched metal, you'd turn into metal?"
"Exactly," Kevin confirmed. "My body mimics whatever I absorb. The better the material, the stronger I'll be."
Ben nodded in understanding, but a frown soon crossed his face. "Wait... do your powers come with any downsides?" He directed the question at both Kevin and Gwen, worry written all over his face.
If Ben's memory served him right, Kevin's powers came with a few serious downsides. If he absorbed something too complex or powerful, it could affect his psyche. And if that ever happened, he'd become a danger to himself and everyone around him.
"Nah, I have none," Gwen answered briefly before her gaze turned to Kevin.
Kevin scratched the back of his head, his usual smug grin faltering. "I'm not sure, but my mom did say there's a chance I could... lose myself."
"Like, go crazy and all?" Ben asked, already suspecting the answer.
"Yeah, that," Kevin confirmed, his voice carrying an unusual hint of uncertainty.
"I thought as much," Ben muttered under his breath, his suspicion now confirmed. His gaze lingered on Kevin, worry creeping onto his face. Scenarios ran through his mind—Kevin absorbing something beyond his limit, losing control, turning into a threat.
One particular thought sent a chill down his spine: what if Kevin ever came into contact with him? With the sheer number of abilities packed into Ben's DNA, the overload alone could be catastrophic.
For a brief moment, caution flickered in Ben's eyes before he quickly masked it—but not quickly enough. Kevin caught the fleeting look.
"What's with that look?" he asked, a frown forming on his face.
"It's nothing, I'm just worried about you," Ben said, his voice laced with quiet concern.
Kevin's eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of irritation crossing his face. It was brief—almost imperceptible—but it was there. Had his powers already begun to fluctuate? Even he might not have noticed the shift if his heightened perception hadn't picked up on it.
Ben took note of the reaction, carefully schooling his expression to keep any further concern from showing.
"Tch, there's nothing to worry about, Tennyson. I'm not losing it anytime soon." Kevin exhaled sharply, his frown lingering for a moment before finally easing into a smirk, the tension in his posture loosening.
"Right," Ben muttered before shifting his gaze between the two of them. His focus landed on Gwen. "So, you're an Anodite—a race of energy beings with energy manipulation powers. Cool."
Gwen nodded, arms crossed over her chest as she regarded him with a knowing expression.
"And you are...?" Ben trailed off, prompting Kevin to fill in the blank.
"Osmosian," Kevin supplied curtly.
"Right," Ben echoed, nodding to himself. "Osmosian—a race of matter and energy-absorbing beings… with a tendency to go crazy."
Kevin's smirk faltered ever so slightly, his expression hardening for the briefest of moments. He didn't respond, but the tension in his shoulders told Ben that the remark had struck a nerve.
That was exactly what he'd been aiming for—testing the waters, checking for any signs of instability. So far, Kevin seemed fine, but Ben wasn't about to take any chances.
He'd keep an eye on him—not as a threat, but as a friend.
Ben stared at them, his expression unreadable. "Okay, is that all you have to say?" he asked, his voice steady, but there was an edge to it.
Kevin shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah, pretty much. Nothing more, nothing less." Gwen, on the other hand, simply nodded.
Ben sighed, rubbing his temples. "I have to say, I'm pretty disappointed in both of you—especially you, Gwen," he said, letting his voice convey his emotion.
They had been friends for years—since childhood, they were practically family. "We've known each other forever, Gwen. And yet, you never told me any of this?" He shook his head. "Come on, Gwen. You found out you were part alien, discovered these abilities, and not once did you think to tell me?"
Gwen's face turned pale, guilt flashing in her eyes. "Ben, it's not that simple," she said quietly, trying to find the right words. "I was still trying to figure it out myself. I didn't even know how to process it, let alone tell you. And... I wasn't sure how you'd react."
Ben's shoulders sagged as he sighed again. He understood—part of him did—but a bigger part of him felt betrayed. "That's just it, Gwen. It shows how little faith you have in me." His voice softened with hurt.
Gwen dropped her gaze to the floor, her lips trembling slightly. She wanted to argue, to tell him it wasn't about trust, but the silence between them told her that didn't matter anymore. She had kept this from him.
"I'm sorry, Ben," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I should've told you sooner. I just... I didn't want things to change between us."
Ben ran a hand through his hair. He wasn't angry, not really. He just couldn't understand why they'd kept this from him for so long.
They didn't owe him an explanation, not really, but after everything they'd been through, he had hoped their friendship meant more than this.
"You don't need to apologize, Gwen," Ben said quietly. "You guys don't owe me anything, but... our friendship should count for something, right?"
"Yeah," Kevin and Gwen chorused. Kevin didn't seem bothered at all, just laid-back, while Gwen looked guilty.
"From now on, no more secrets, promise?" Ben said, facing Gwen, his expression softening into a smile.
"No more secrets, promise." Gwen repeated, her guilt melting away.
"Whatever, Tennyson," Kevin shrugged, pretending not to care.
The conversation was winding down, but there was something Ben needed to add. He saw this as the perfect moment to bring up the fact that his abilities were starting to manifest.
"No more secrets," Ben muttered under his breath, then turned to Kevin and Gwen. "Guys, there's something I need to tell you."