Two Halfs, One Heart

Chapter 23- They Lurk Below

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Max smiled at us when an alarm went off. "What happened?!" Gwen and I asked. "A power surge must have caused the water to suddenly recycle itself." "Will he be OK?" Ben asked. "If the sharks don't get him first," Edwin said. I looked over at him with a dirty look. "What the heck is this kid's problem?" I thought. "I can't have an employee turned into fish food right before the opening. The press will ruin me," Donovan said.

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Ben grabbed my hand and we went to go help the man in trouble. "Time for Ripjaws to take a dive, princess," Ben said as he activated the Omnitrix. In a flash of green light, instead of Ripjaws, Ben was Grey matter. "Oh, man. For once I was better off as me," Ben said as we dived into the water. This was going to be the first time that I used my magic underwater. I was very excited because I wanted to see how different it was.

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I focused on turning the water around the sharks into a twister. In no time at all, that's what appeared and the sharks were taken away. We got back to the surface and everyone helped the man. "Are you OK?" "So, where's your cousin and his girlfriend?" Edwin asked Gwen. "Just hanging. Anyone have a ladder?" Ben asked as I was hanging on to him.

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"Well, I'll have to double his salary, but he won't breathe a word. Anyway, who'd believe him. He said some 6-inch rat with two legs saved him," Donovan said as Ben, Gwen and I smiled at each other. "Buy him off. Now, that's the Grand Smith way," Edwin said. "Edwin, why don't you take Ben, Gwen and Paige on a tour... so Max and I can catch up on old times?" Donovan asked his grandson.

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"Oh, man," Ben and I groaned. While Gwen scoffed. "Max, it's too bad you didn't take me up on my offer 30 years ago... when we were both dead broke," Donovan said. "Nice!" Ben said as we passed the pool. "Not bad. In the morning, I have my own swim coach and personal trainer to work out with," Edwin said. "You're a swimmer?" Gwen asked. "Long-distance. My grandpa says it builds character."

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"My grandpa says it builds character," Ben said, mocking Edwin as Gwen and I laughed. "It's called the Undersea Manta Ray. It's my grandfather's." "Well, it looks cool," Gwen said. "You want to take it for a ride?" "Definitely!" Ben said, holding my hand tightly. "You sure it's OK?" Gwen asked, skeptically. "Wow! Some of these fish look totally prehistoric!" I said, amazed.

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Ben squeezed my hand and smiled at me. His eyes saying, "I love you," "OK. Now, that's weird," Gwen said. Then, suddenly, an alien that looked like it was mechanical appeared. "And that's weirder," Edwin said as the aliens started to ram the submarine. Soon they surrounded us and broke the glass. "What do you think those creatures want?" Edwin asked.

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"I don't know but I don't think it's to play Marco Polo," I said, nervously. "We've got to get back to the hotel," Ben said. Then he put my head on his shoulder and said, "I won't let anything happen to you, princess." I nodded, knowing Ben was telling the truth. "Grandpa, do you copy?" Edwin said as he tried to get ahold of Donovan.

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Ben looked at me and nodded. Then we went somewhere where he could go hero. "Turn me into Wildmutt, you're dead meat," He said as he activated the Omnitrix. In a flash of green light, Ben was Ripjaws. "OK, now we're taking, princess. Then we went out to confront the aliens. Ben swam while I was hanging onto his shoulders.