Ben groaned as his phone alarm went off. Ben had never been much of a morning person but Brainstorm had been very specific with how late he could sleep in to get up early enough to do everything he needed to before meeting up with Julie and Ester. That didn't make it any easier to get up and get ready, but it had to be done. Well, the first thing on his To Do List was to wake up Rook and take care of the weapon dealers in the warehouse then he would need to check on Gwen and pick up his luck charm. He really hoped he wasn't forgetting anything especially when it came towards setting up the luck charm again. The charm was a big part of brainstorm's plan so if he screwed up he'd have to use clockwork and maybe even Brainstorm to try again and the more he messed around with time the more likely Paradox was to show up. He guessed he wouldn't be too happy with him using time travel for such morally dubious purposes.

Ben took a deep breath as he fished out the key to Gwen's house. He needed to calm down this was why he preferred to work more on instinct than a plan he always got so antsy worrying about what could go wrong. He just had to clear his mind and focus on the mission he could do that. He paused wondering why it was harder to follow a simple plan he created himself than it was to stop a planetary invasion. As he pondered this, he made his way towards Gwen's workshop.

“Hey, Gwen time to wake up, come on.” Ben said waking his cousin.

“Ben? Wha what are you doing here?” Gwen yawned sitting up.

“Kind of a long story though short version time loop. This is the second time I've come to check on you because you've been missing for days.” Ben said picking up the luck charm and completing it hoping it'll help him along the way.

“Wait days Are you sure!?” Gwen asked looking alarmed, while Ben just pulled out his phone and showed her the date and time. Gwen groaned at the sight.

“So, I've been here for a few days. So, what is this about a time loop and what do you need me to help with?" Gwen questioned with a groan.

“You don't really need to do anything I just need you to make a wristband for the luck charm you gave me.” Ben said simply while Gwen looked up at him in confusion.

“What luck charm? I haven't been able to get any of them to work properly?”

“This one turns out you only needed to finish the final step. Which I just did, you need to give it a purpose this little baby really saved my bacon last time around so I would really appreciate it if you let me keep it again.” Ben said hating to lie to Gwen but knowing it was necessary.

“All right, then what did I do last time” Gwen sighed in annoyed acceptances.

“You pulled a plate of silver out of your desk and turned it into an armband for this.” Ben said handing her the charm.

“All right then.” Gwen said doing just that.

“So now what?” she asked when she had finished

“Well shortly after this you explained about the eclipse that's coming up at the end of the month, then went to go take a shower.” Ben said trying to remember what had happened the previous day, but the charm had other plans. As the charm on his arm started to glow Gwen under its influence let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, is that all.” getting a raised eyebrow out of Ben.

“What’s that supposed to mean Gwen is there something you're not telling me?” Ben asked dialing in Gutrot making sure Gwen could see it.

“No, no, Ben it's nothing like that it's just, fine me and Kevin broke up while. It wasn't a violent or harsh breakup I just wanted something to take my mind off it. So, I threw myself into my work, and apparently, I did too good of a job of it because it seems I've missed a few days.” Gwen sighed as she got up to take a shower.

“Hey, Gwen, I'm sorry to hear that I didn't know you and Kevin were having problems.” Ben said feeling a little guilty for what he had said the first time around even if Gwen didn't remember it.

“We weren't really having issues it was more we wanted different things in more than one way. There was an opening on the Mars base, and he wanted to take the thirty day trial and if everything worked out, he'd take the position permanently I didn't want to leave earth and things have just been sort of stagnant between the two of us for a while now. So, he asked me if I'd be willing to come with him and move in with each other. I tried offering a compromise where I would put another door on Mars, and I could come visit him whenever he wanted. Heck I was even willing to let him move in with me here I can add new rooms easily enough but no he wanted me to make a decision one I just wasn't ready for, so he said he gave me a tell his thirty days were up and if he did decide to stay either I came with him, or we call it quits. He didn't try to force me or anything it was more of a giving me time to consider my options sort of thing, but I already know what my choice. is going to be” Gwen sighed clearly saddened.

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“Oh, I'm sorry to hear that Gwen but hey now we're both in the same boat, right? Oh, right I haven't told you yet or this time, uhhg time travel. Right so me and Kai broke up I called her after our birthday and all she wanted to do was talk about her latest discovery or her work. I tried to get her to do anything with me for months heck I even offered to go clockwork and go back in time to a day where she didn't achieve or do anything but yeah no, she wanted nothing to do with me. I just finally got fed up and asked her why we were doing this, and well we ended it there.” Ben sighed he was clearly not as broken up as Gwen was especially since he had a plan to fix his little problem soon enough.

“Oh, Ben I'm sorry to hear that.” Gwen said starting to walk towards the door only to have the charm lights up making her trip. Ben was just barely able to catch her in time. Blushing when he felt Gwen braw less chest press up against his chest.

“Gwen!!” Ben screams pushing her off him however thanks to the influence of the charm this caused Gwen's lightly damaged shirt to tear when he tried to push her off him. Ben blushed even darker before covering his eyes and turning away while Gwen covered her exposed chest.

“Ben!” Gwen screamed in shock.

"I didn't mean to, oh shit I hope I didn't screw this thing up!" Ben said glaring at the charm.

"Just get out!" Gwen shouted covering her chest.

"Right sorry!" Ben said darting off he didn't dare to stop tell he was in his car. Before glaring down at the charm.

"If I didn't screw up making you and that was your idea of a joke, I will make you regret it." He said starting the car.

The rest of the day went off without a hitch and surprisingly it was a lot easier than he expected. As if the charm knew the plan and was actively trying to help him with the plan. He had met up with ester and bought her coffee and had a great time he even got to watch the movie again and he still enjoyed it before running off to meet up with Julie. Even getting her an appointment with an undertown doctor that his grandfather had recommended. To get her wrist examined and try and see if they could arrange a sit down with the league to find a compromise to restore her wrist functionality without breaking any of the regulations. Now Ben was lazily reading the harem manga he found in the park. It was surprisingly good he'd have to pick up the rest of the series so Brainstorm could use it for inspiration. As he flipped to a page where the mc had told two of the girls to kiss and make up ending in a steamy make out scene. He was considering using it for inspiration in general. He was stirred from his thoughts as the expected fight started only it was a lot more savage than he was expecting. It was the first part of Brainstorms plan that hadn't worked out but Ben had to at least try and salvage this or at the very least to understand what had gone wrong so he could account for it the next time around. Ben sighed wondering why things could never be easy and slammed his hand down on the dial surprisingly getting Gutrot. Well, not one of his heaviest hitting fighters but was ideal for harmlessly subduing his opponents.

“OK girls I don't exactly know what's going on, but the catfight ends here.” Gutrot warned approaching the three who promptly proceeded to ignore him and continue fighting.

“All right girls just know you brought this on yourselves.” Gutrot said before releasing a chemical cocktail. That within a few seconds had the girls standing there in a zombie like state. It was a mix of a tranquilizer and antidepressant a bit of truth gas something to relax them and because he figured he could use as much luck as possible a mild aphrodisiac. The last was added because he hoped it might influence the charm to work.

“All right chronological order what happened.” Ben asked hoping they still had enough cognitive capability to explain.

“I came to return your car and bumped into Esther, and we started chatting.” Julie said melodiously.

“It started friendly enough then I'm I'm not really sure just we just started arguing. I'm not quite sure about why we started just that it seemed like we were both considering getting back together with you and the other didn't want that to happen.” Esther said before slumping to the ground her limbs going noodly from the tranquilizer.

“I then bumped into the two arguing I tried to break it up but I got dragged into it because because uuurg.” Gwen shook her head to try and fight off the gas Ben or Gutrot just frowned and gassed her with a slightly stronger dose of the truth gas.

“Ok, I'll ask you again Gwen what happened?" Gutrot said crossing his arms before tears started to roll down Gwen's cheeks.

"I joined in because they were fighting over you I I don't know why I just got so mad and, and why do they get to be with you? I've been with you so long and I've loved you since our first summer together I didn't know it back then and I didn’t figure it out tell years later but because we are fucking related, I tried. I tried for years to get over you hell I even think I actually fell in love with Kevin, but I couldn’t move on. I could never be really intimate with him, and he figured it out, so he made me pick. Go to Mars with him and distance myself from you. Or stay on earth and lose him and as much as I care for him I can't lose you." She cried eventually just breaking down into weeping “I'm sorry.” Over and over again.

While Ben looked on in shock, he had no idea Gwen had felt this way about him and he really wasn't sure how to feel about it. He needed time to think no he needed to go Brainstorm and figure out what to do next. With a flash, Ben changed into clockwork before vanishing back in time once more!

(A.N. Hey guys

(A.N. Hey guys Steam here just wanted to give you a quick update and say sorry I haven't posted in a while. OK so my editor Wrecker got the shingles and couldn't help me for a while then he had me helping him on his story king of the crossroads and this was just sitting on the back burner for a while now. Also, sorry If it's a bit short next chapter is going to be where things really pick up and that's why this one is so short but yeah expect more often updates for me now. Heck, I got Wrecker to sit down with me today and we Not only finished this but rode out the entirety of the next chapter of hero of sin still need to finish editing it but expect an update on that soon.)