Ben 10 fanfic - To Grandmother's House

Disclaimers:

Ben 10, Ben 10: Alien Force and their respective characters belong to Man of Action

Author’s Note:

From a series of one-shots that hold no continuity unless stated otherwise. This alternate universe drabble is the result of a couple of things:

1.) Rereading “A Company of Wolves” and “Little Red Riding Hood” one too many times. Though I like to think it’s more the former than the latter.

2.) Listening to the “Into The Woods” soundtrack far too often. I was particularly struck by the lines “Where witches, ghosts and wolves appear”

So the way this is written may slightly differ from how I normally write.

--

To Grandmother’s House

Once upon a time, in a far off land, there lived a young woman named Gwen.

Her hair shone a brilliant red, as fiery as the passion burning within her slender frame. Her eyes were a bright emerald. They gleamed with naivety whenever her lips widened to a welcoming smile and they flashed with spite whenever she made a cutting remark.

One fine morning Gwen had been tasked to bring her grandmother a basket laden with an assortment of dried meat, preserved jams and freshly baked bread. It was a duty she did not begrudge for the young woman enjoyed exploring the nearby woods where her grandmother lived. Especially ever since she found a four-legged companion nearly five summers ago.

She travelled down the dirt road towards the forest, enjoying the wind that ran its fingers through her sun-kissed hair. The basket swung enticingly from the crook of her bare, slender arm, but young Gwen had no need to worry about the gift for her grandmother. Her delicate form belied an unusual strength that many have come to discover the hard way.

Where the forest began, the young girl came upon a face unfamiliar to her. His flaxen hair, radiant as gold, was combed smoothly back, save for a strand that curled perfectly down to his brows. His eyes were glossy sapphire. They glimmered when his sights fell upon the young woman approaching him and his lips curled into a disarming smile.

Gwen’s cheeks tinged pink at the young man’s attention but she quickly gathered her composure and ventured closer.

“Good day, young miss.” He bowed.

“Good day, sir.” She nodded in return.

He introduced himself as a hunter, “I am known as Morningstar.”

And she returned the favor, “I’m Gwen.”

“Where are you off to with such a heavy load?”

“I’m taking these to my grandma.” The young woman explained.

“Would you like me to escort you to your grandmother’s? The woods can be confusing and dangerous.”

Gwen declined his offer. Over ten seasons she had been bringing her grandmother these baskets. The young lady knew the woods and its inhabitants far better than the unfamiliar hunter would, but she was too polite to correct him.

“If you are certain, young miss.” The hunter smiled once again.

“My grandma lives at the end of this path. So long as I don’t stray from it, I’ll be fine.” She gestured to the trail where but a few stray blades of grass struggled to grow.

Morningstar eyed the road uncertainly, “If you run into any wolves, let me know.”

Gwen didn’t allow herself to make any promises, instead she waved goodbye. The wolves in the forest knew well enough to avoid where humans tread, save for one solitary wolf. But that one was special and Gwen would do everything she could to keep him safe. Without a second glance at the hunter, she started down the path leading to her grandmother’s house.

How would she know the path would lead danger towards her?

The delicious aroma wafting from her basket drew out all sorts of woodland creatures. She delighted at the rabbits playfully skipping about and the harmony of the birds singing up in the canopy of leaves. A fawn and its mother peeked shyly from the trees and Gwen broke off a small chunk of bread and tossed it towards the pair.

She scanned the forest, waiting for a jet-black blur to appear from the underbrush. When she had been younger, she came across a young, injured wolf. Without thinking about the dangers of her actions, Gwen brought the wounded animal to her grandmother’s along with the basket.

It wasn’t an easy task as the wolf snapped and snarled and clawed and generally made things difficult for the young girl. She held fast, understanding that the poor thing was just frightened and wary of humans. Eventually she reached her grandmother’s and together they nursed it back to health.

Ever since then, the wolf would seek Gwen out whenever she came to visit her grandmother. The young woman never needed to wait long for her furry friend to meet her but today was proving to be the exception. Still, she waited by the path, playing with the occasional squirrel that scampered close or the rare sparrow that rested on her basket.

Everything stilled when a figure emerged from the shadows of the forest. It was another young man, and like the hunter, Gwen had never seen him before. His hair was deepest obsidian, as if the very shadows he had appeared from framed his chiseled features. His eyes were dark, unpolished amber. Intense and focused on her every move, they seemed to glow with a ferocity that Gwen found unnerving but strangely familiar.

He stepped forward and a grin spread across his face.

She stood her ground, unaffected by his approach and smiled brightly, “Good day, sir.”

“G-good day.” He stammered, as if unaccustomed to hearing his own voice. He opened his mouth but quickly decided against speaking only to second guess himself and make another attempt, which he would change his mind about.

Gwen chuckled before stating “Yes, you can have some food if you’re hungry. I’m on my way to my grandma’s. No, I don’t need someone to escort me. And if you follow the path that way you’ll get to the entrance of the forest.”

The stranger blinked before sheepishly laughing, “Actually, I was going to introduce myself.”

“Oh.” Gwen found herself blushing in embarrassment and offered her free hand, “Um, I apologize for being so presumptuous. I’m Gwen.”

“Kevin.” He smiled, accepting the proffered limb.

At the touch of his hand, Gwen felt the inexplicable sensation of déjà vu wash over her. She stared deeply into his eyes, trying not to let him know of the strange notions she had in her head.

I feel like I know you. Was what she wanted to say.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Was what she actually said.

“It’s nice to meet you, too.” He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and for a moment Gwen liked having her hand held by the unusually familiar young man.

The longer they stared at each other, the warmer Gwen’s face became until she pulled away and excused herself. “I should get going now, m-mustn’t keep grandma waiting.”

She ran the rest of the way to her grandmother’s.

Having met Kevin, Gwen was experiencing a strange jumble of confusing emotions and needed someone to help clear her mind. Granted her paternal grandmother wasn’t the best choice when it comes to being the voice of reason, but the young woman was desperate.

She arrived at the small cottage, out of breath and gasping for air. Leaning against the door to steady her breathing, Gwen was surprised to feel the wood slipping away from her hand. She looked up and found her grandmother staring eerily at her.

“Gwen, sweetie, come in, come in! And I see you brought me a little something, oh that is just so darling of you.” She squealed and promptly pulled her granddaughter into the cottage.

The young woman had the basket nearly ripped off her arm before being ushered to an oversized plush cushion. “Grandma, can, that is, could we talk?”

“Of course, sweetie. Tell Grandma Verdona what’s on your mind.” The elderly woman batted her lashes as she plopped down on an overstuffed recliner and set the basket of food on her lap.

Gwen told her grandmother of the hunter she had met, how strange it was that of all the creatures in the forest he was so concerned about wolves.

“I can understand why you’d be worried about that man.” Verdona nodded darkly as she polished off the candied plums. “With a name like Morningstar it’s a wonder he even shows his face.”

Gwen was not surprised that her grandmother completely missed her point. “But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.”

The young woman bit her lip nervously before telling Verdona about the second young man. She confided about the nagging sensation that she knew him, but she swore she had never laid eyes on him until that moment. “When we touched, it was like I’ve held his hand before. And the way he looked at me, Grandma. It was all so very-”

“Wonderful? Exciting? The best thing you could ever have imagined? Tell me if I’m getting warm, sweetie.” The elderly woman seemed unperturbed by the abject disbelief on her granddaughter’s face.

“N-no! It wasn’t anything like that!”

“Oh so it was horrible? Disgusting? Makes you want to crawl under a rock and die?”

“No! It was, was, oh I don’t know.”

“You’re going to have to give me more to work with, Gwen.” Verdona wagged a finger at her granddaughter. “No matter, sweetie, just remember: Fear not the wolfen but the wolf within.”

With that vaguely sage advice, Gwen bade her grandmother farewell.

Dusk had begun to settle across the land, what few shafts of light that managed to pierce the canopy of trees slowly began to dim. However, Gwen wasn’t worried about the darkness that would soon befall the forest. Her mind was too preoccupied by the events of the day, particularly her encounter with the dark-haired young man.

A low growl cut into her thoughts and Gwen turned to find it was her friend the wolf. She brightened and reached out to give him an affectionate pat. Gwen was surprised when he shied away from her touch and chose instead to turn his back to her with a huff.

The young woman canted her head, arms akimbo in disbelief. “Are you mad at me?”

The wolf glanced at her and snorted in confirmation.

Gwen tried to suppress the smile cracking across her face. “Is this because I didn’t wait for you on the path before going to Grandma’s?”

He whined softly before pressing himself flat on the ground. Gwen sat down next to him, legs stretched out as she rested on the palm of her hands.

“It wasn’t because I didn’t want to go with you. There was just this young man I met.” And she told the sulking wolf about Kevin. She expressed the same sentiments she had made with her grandmother and the animal simply whined and laid his head in her lap in response. Scratching gently at his ear, Gwen suddenly remembered the man she first met.

“You should tell your pack to be extra careful for a while. There’s a new hunter in the woods.”

The wolf looked up at her as if it was no concern to him. Until she uttered his name. He sprang to his feet, ears pressed flat against his head and fangs bared. He snarled at her before dashing down the path towards Verdona’s cottage.

Gwen had been frightened by her friend’s reaction, but the moment the wolf set off towards her grandmother she took chase. With the daylight fading away into evening shadows, Gwen found a sense of dread growing in the pit of her stomach.

She quickened her pace and eventually arrived at the small cottage. The last rays of sun shone upon the path, revealing tracks both human and wolf leading to the door left ajar.

A scream pierced the forest air.

“Grandma!” the young woman cried out in alarm and dashed in.

Inside, Gwen found the wolf, poised to attack. But his target was neither Gwen who was standing at the doorway, of Verdona who was trapped beneath a net. No, his hate-filled glare was directed at the hunter, Morningstar.

“Struggle all you want, you witch. That net’s made of wizard’s bane.” The blonde sneered.

“Wizard’s bane, eh? Most impressive. I mean for a steward of that fifth-rate slipshod Hex.” Verdona cackled. “But wizard’s bane will do little against an extra pair of hands, won’t it dearie?” She grinned and turned towards the snarling wolf.

Gwen watched in utter amazement as the wolf’s form began to elongate and rise on his hind legs. The sickening sound of limbs snapping and reshaping echoed in the small cottage. Before long, the dark-furred wolf became the dark-haired man known as Kevin.

“So the curse has been broken.” Morningstar looked impressed.

“That’s not all that’s about to be broken.” Kevin snarled before lunging at the hunter.

“Oy, wolf! I meant for you to get me of this net first!” Verdona snapped before noticing her granddaughter. “Gwen, sweetie, get me out of here.”

Morningstar spied the young woman from the corner of his eye and after narrowly dodging a bone-crushing blow, he dashed up to Gwen. Kevin charged after the hunter but the blonde go to Gwen first. He grabbed her by the wrist and viciously twisted it against her back as he stepped behind her.

She let out a gasp of pain, wisely keeping still lest she wanted to break her arm. The cool of steel licked at her neck as Morningstar held a knife to her throat.

“Step away from the hag or the pretty girl dies.” The hunter warned with mad delight.

“Let her go.” Kevin glowered, instinctively baring his teeth.

“I said step away from the hag.” He pressed the edge of the blade against Gwen’s skin until he drew a pin-prick of blood.

Kevin shook in rage but did as he was told.

“Good boy.” The blonde chuckled and slowly forced Gwen forward until they stood directly above Verdona.

“Why are you doing this?” Gwen demanded.

“Why?” Morningstar shook his head in amusement, “Power of course. Hex promised unimaginable power to anyone who could kill the only witch capable of breaking the spell on the cursed wolf. And I've spent a long time hunting you down.”

Verdona quirked an unimpressed brow. “Your parents should have named you Dimstar if you actually believed a word that lying sack of slime makes.”

“You shut your mouth, witch!” Morningstar hissed and gave the elderly woman a sharp kick to her ribs.

“Grandma!” Gwen gasped. It was about time the hunter learned that Gwen’s delicate frame belied an unusual strength.

Verdona looked up from under the net and grinned when she saw that “It’s over.”

“What are you yammering on about you old haaaaaaaaugh!” He screamed as lightning burst from the roof and struck him. His grip fell slack and the knife slid from his hand to clatter noisily to the floor.

Kevin took this opportunity to tackle the hunter before proceeding to bash his head into a bloody pulp. He would have continued pummeling the blonde had Gwen not embraced him from behind.

“That’s enough,” She whispered.

“He hurt you.” He growled, one fist still poised to strike the unrecognizable Morningstar.

“Yes, he did, but I’m fine.” She smiled, “Besides, Grandma wants a turn at him for calling her old.”

“I am many things but I am most certainly not old!” The menace in Verdona’s voice was enough to convince Kevin to distance himself from the hunter. “Now, why don’t the two wait in the kitchen while I deal with Dimstar.”

She motioned them to leave, which Gwen and Kevin did without question.

Once alone, Gwen found that she had so many questions to ask Kevin. How did he become cursed? Why had he been cursed? When did his grandmother break the curse? Had he always been able to change forms? And ad nauseam.

But as they sat down beside each other, her mind went completely blank. She did nothing but stare at him, her mind comparing the similarities between Kevin’s human face and his wolfen one. The hue of his hair, the fierce expression, the wolfish grin, but it was his eyes.

How could Gwen have not recognized those intense, smoldering eyes?

“Like what you see?” He grinned.

She blinked, crimson spreading across her face like wildfire. “Y-yes, I mean no! I mean, that is to say...” she stammered.

He laughed, “I know, I was pretty much like that when Verdona broke half of the curse yesterday. I mean, after five years I had almost forgotten what I really looked like.”

“What do you mean by half of the curse?”

Before Kevin could explain, Verdona burst in, wiping off green slime onto her frock. “It’s getting late, Kevin escort my granddaughter home. And I mean all the way home.”

Kevin frowned, “You know I can’t leave the forest without breaking the other half of the curse.”

The old woman threw her hands up into the air, “You mean she hasn’t kissed you yet?”

Both Gwen and Kevin turned beet red.

“K-kiss?” Gwen squeaked.

“Yes, a kiss of love is one of the most basic counteragents against a curse. Has everything I’ve taught you simply gone in one ear and out the other, sweetie?” she sighed.

“Was that why you told me you couldn’t do it?” Kevin looked strangely relieved.

Verdona didn’t take offense, “Of course, dearie. Now go on, Gwen. Kiss Kevin so I can be rid of you both for the evening. I need my alone time.”

The young man and the young woman stared at each other, cheeks burning and hearts threatening to burst. Gwen took the initiative and leaned forward, slowly raising her lips to Kevin’s cheek.

“You’re off the mark, Gwen.” Her grandmother remarked, matter-of-factly. “It has to be on the lips.”

And before anyone could protest, Verdona pushed the two together, causing their lips to meet.

The woods were suddenly aglow as a pillar of light reached up to the night sky.

“Curse broken,” Verdona clapped and promptly shoved the two out of the cottage, “Now shoo.”

With the door slamming shut behind them, Gwen and Kevin just looked at one another for a few moments. Eventually, their fingers interlaced with the other’s and shy smiles graced their lips. Together they walked down the path, content to simply enjoy each other’s presence as they mulled over the kiss they just had.

It was certainly not the kind of kiss either of them ever pictured having, but they both agreed it would not be the last they’d share.

Ben 10 fanfic - To The Victor Go The Spoils

Disclaimers:

Ben 10, Ben 10: Alien Force and their respective characters belong to Man of Action

Author’s Notes:

From a series of one-shots that hold no continuity unless stated otherwise. This particular piece is supposedly set sometime in the Ben 10k timeline.

--

To The Victor Go The Spoils

The Plumbers had recently enacted preventive measures for the rapidly increasing problem of agent burn-out. After being debriefed from a mission, the aforementioned agent was to take a forced holiday sponsored by the Plumbers, naturally. That was perhaps the only reason why Gwendolyn Tennyson found herself checking into an off-world spa resort. She would have preferred being sent somewhere a little closer to home but spending a week or two away from Earth might do her a world of good.

No pun intended.

While the resort was equipped to pamper and to rejuvenate, it wasn’t quite what Gwendolyn wanted at the moment. A pamphlet in the lobby gave directions to a small, quaint little town that flowed into a long, seemingly endless stretch of beach. Even if the sand was a deep magenta, the crystal clear blue water was more enticing.

It always had to be this way.

And so, here she was, wandering down smoke-colored cobblestone streets speckled with pink sand. Small, twin-suns gently shone upon lacquered stalls where alien merchants offered various knick-knacks and souvenirs. Her bare shoulders seemed to relish the sunshine, having gotten tired of the cold vacuum of space. A balmy breeze tugged at her skirt, ruffling the light material before scooting off to play tag with a random alien’s hat.

Gwendolyn remained alert, but more out of the desire to keep her valuables safe from sticky fingers (or tentacles in some cases) as opposed to ensuring there were no enemies within the vicinity. She could stroll down maze-like paths without worrying about objectives or goals or time constraints. She smiled to herself, allowing the peace and cheerful atmosphere to wash over her. She may have had some reservations about this involuntary vacation, but now she was actually beginning to enjoy herself.

Neutral ground.

And yet she was unable to shake off this nagging feeling that she was being watched. Emerald eyes casually scanned her surroundings, apart from tourists who were overly excited by their first time being off-world nothing seemed to merit suspicion. Maybe she had just been working too hard lately and was being unnecessarily paranoid.

She began to hum softly, forcing herself to relax as she continued to explore the street bazaar. Empathic jewelry that shifted in size, shape and form depending on the wearer’s state of mind, bottled horizons that glowed dawn or dusk or high noon with a twist of the cap, looking over various trinkets calmed Gwendolyn down.

But the sensation of eyes watching her every move lingered.

A petite furred stall-keeper gestured to Gwendolyn, “Might some chimes interest you, dearie?” She sweetly asked, holding out the metallic cylinders to the Plumber. As Gwendolyn shook her head, she caught a glimpse of something on the reflective surface. She leaned in for a closer look and her suspicions were confirmed.

“It’s very nice, but it’s a bit too big for me to buy.” She apologized before heading off.

Sandal-clad feet eventually led Gwendolyn to the less populated area of the town. The air wasn’t as welcoming here as it was at the bazaar, but the red head felt her surroundings was much more apt for what could happen next.

“What do you want, Kevin?” She asked casually.

The proposal.

Strong hands rested upon her shoulders as his velvety voice whispered into her ear. “You know what I want.”

She felt his warm breath against her cheek and Gwendolyn struggled not to make him aware of the delicious thrill shooting up her spine. Her face flushed when his hands began to slowly trail down her bare arms to rest familiarly around her waist.

“Sorry, not interested.” Was her cold response before beginning to pull away.

The rejection.

Kevin held fast, the smile on his face practically audible as he purred into her neck. “I don’t believe you.”

She resisted the urge to moan, visibly. Gwendolyn knew she had to get away from him before she lost her resolve.

“Believe this.” She growled out a strength-enhancing spell and proceeded to break free from his grip. Kicking at the ground, Gwendolyn dashed along the deserted streets, trying to put as much distance between them as possible. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Kevin had disappeared from sight.

The hunt.

Gwendolyn should have been worried, she should have been concerned. Instead, she smiled. Her aura crackled in warning and she skidded to a halt just as furred limbs shot past her, missing her by a hair’s breadth. She somersaulted backwards, her speed allowing her to keep her modesty despite wearing a skirt that willingly danced with the slightest of breezes.

A containment spell was uttered at Kevin’s direction but the man quickly shifted forms and easily avoided the attack. In one smooth motion, his hand took on a petrosapien gleam and shards were fired directly at the sorceress. The projectiles embedded themselves onto cobblestone as she took to the sky.

The struggle.

Gwendolyn didn’t have a chance to catch her breath as a stream of flame blazed straight at her. She brought up a barrier, diverting the flames upwards before freezing them solid and raining hail down on Kevin.

The mutant just turned up the heat, melting the deadly shower of ice into its liquid counterpart. He stood tall and looked up at her, smirk ever present, ever taunting. The sound of ripping flesh echoed against small houses as metallic wings tore out of Kevin’s back. He sprang up, wings slicing through air, bringing him face to face with Gwendolyn. He had gotten close enough to steal a brief kiss from her lips before she propelled herself backwards. He laughed in amusement, watching the apples of her cheeks crimson.

The sorceress inhaled sharply and her aura sparked in fury. “Bastard!”

“Tease.” He retorted, enjoying the look of unmitigated disbelief and loathing she shot him.

It was a strange, destructive dance they performed. A necessity when social obligations conflicted with personal wants.

Everything about Kevin screamed of danger, of brutality, of raw, uncontrollable power. Her aura crackled like mad at the proximity of such immeasurable strength, or rather the lack thereof. He could have torn her apart. It would be easy, like ripping the wings off a butterfly.

But he didn’t.

Shortly after they exchanged a series of attacks interspersed with taunts of the double entendre variety, he had wrestled her to the ground. She glared up at him, trying to kick herself free but finding she lacked the leverage to do so.

“Yield.” Kevin commanded, voice laced with authority, malice and a manic glee.

She needed to justify her desires.

“I yield.” She declared and ceased her struggling. Drawing a deep breath to steady her wildly pounding heart, the sorceress stared into Kevin’s eyes and asked “What do you want?”

A feral grin spread across his lips as he leaned in closer, “You know what I want.”

He wanted her to willingly give herself to him.

She swallowed thickly before whispering, “I know, I want it too.”

“To the victor goes the spoils.”

Ben 10 fanfic - Resolution

Disclaimers:

Ben 10, Ben 10: Alien Force and their respective characters belong to Man of Action

Author's Notes:

Okay, so, this is a weird little "what I think would happen" fic set in the Ben 10k universe. It takes place after the Tennysons adopt Devlin into their family and I just wondered what Gwendolyn's reaction would be when she meets the son of the man she fell in love with all those years ago. I'm assuming bits of Alien Force does happen (namely Kevin and Gwen getting together), but at the same time something occurs to make Kevin become Kevin 11,000 and still leading to Devlin being born.

--

Gwendolyn had promised to visit Benjamin and his family once she returned from an off-world mission. And today would be the day she would fulfill that promise. Truthfully, she wasn’t looking forward to it.

Arriving at her cousin’s home, Gwendolyn rang the doorbell. Footsteps scrambled from the inside before the door slid open and out lunged a young boy who bore a striking resemblance to Ben.

“Aunt Gwendolyn!” he greeted brightly as his arms wrapped tightly around the woman.

“Who is this handsome young man who sounds just like my nephew Ken?” The sorceress chuckled, fondly mussing the young boy’s hair.

“Aww Aunt Gwendolyn.” Ken pouted as he tried to straighten his hair out. “Didja kick alien butt when you were off-world?” he asked eagerly. “Oh! And I gotta get someone you should meet!”

Before she could respond, small fingers curled around her wrist before she was half-dragged into the living room.

“Stay right here, I’ll go get him!” Ken declared before running upstairs.

“You’re sure a sight for sore eyes.” An aged, familiar voice smiled.

“Grandpa!” Gwendolyn beamed before embracing the retired Plumber. “It’s so good to see you again.”

“I thought you were going to stay for a few days. Where’re your things?” Ben asked as he walked in from the kitchen.

Gwendolyn shook her head, “I’ll only be here for dinner. I don’t want to be difficult.”

“You know what’s difficult? Getting two ten-year-olds to clean up the spare guestroom without using their powers. That, Gwendolyn, is difficult.” Ben stated grimly.

“Well now, I can’t let the efforts of my nephews go to waste, can I?” She smiled. “And I’m quite surprised you’re actually enforcing the no-going-hero-unless-necessary rule.”

“Heh, what can I say, I learned hard work builds character.” He chuckled.

“Come now, Gwendolyn, you should take it easy once in a while. You’ve only been back for what? A day or two at most?” Max reasoned.

“And if I remember right, weren’t you the one who went back in time to make sure I didn’t take being a hero too seriously?” Ben pointed out.

“Alright, alright, I’ll stay for a few days.” Gwendolyn laughed.

“Besides, it’s not like the other Plumbers can’t handle things. So don’t worry about the galaxy for the next few days.” Max added.

Gwendolyn suppressed a sigh. It wasn’t the galaxy she was worried about. Ever since she had heard of the latest addition to the Tennyson household, the sorceress was apprehensive about visiting.

“Come on into the kitchen, you’re just in time to help me make a batch of my famous Snail Stew.” Max beamed.

“Wait! Aunt Gwendolyn!” Ken called out, “You haven’t met Devlin yet!”

Turning, Gwendolyn’s eyes widened at the sight of the adopted boy following after Ken. Without warning, memories of years long gone flooded her mind. They surged in a deluge, all of these Gwendolyn thought to have been buried, forgotten.

She felt her eyes mist with tears and quickly she blinked them away. Drawing a deep breath to regain control over her emotions, Gwendolyn opened her arms out. “Nice to meet you, Devlin. Come give your Aunt Gwendolyn a hug.”

The lad shyly approached her before he walked into the hug, hesitantly returning it. Gwendolyn found herself holding him tighter than she intended and quickly broke away.

“Didja bring us anything cool from off-world, Aunt Gwendolyn?” Ken’s cheerful voice was a welcomed distraction.

“Hmm, let’s see...” She tapped her chin thoughtfully as the charms embedded on her sleeve began to glow. Ripping cloth sounded, followed by a small portal opening just beside the sorceress. She slipped her hand in and pulled out three brown packages before the portal sealed shut.

“Looks like I do have something. This is for Gwen when she gets back home with Kai, make sure to tell her not to get this wet.” Gwendolyn instructed. “This is for you, Ken.”

The young boy eagerly took the gift and proceeded to unwrap it. Inside was a small sphere of a dull gray hue. He looked at it in confusion, “Um, what is it?”

“Give it a squeeze.” Ben suggested.

The moment Ken’s fingers closed around the sphere, his fist began to vibrate. The trembling became too great for him to control that he had to open his hand. The sphere took on a bright green hue before the smooth surface started to crack and out emerged a miniature version of Ken no bigger than three inches.

“Whoa! Cool! It’s a mini version of me!”

“Whoa! Cool! It’s a mini version of me!” the diminutive Ken echoed in a high-pitched voice.

“A mimican ball.” Max laughed, “The longer you hold the ball in your hand, the longer it will take on your shape.”

“This is so neat, thanks Aunt Gwendolyn!”

“And this is for you, Devlin. Since we may not get a lot of chances to get to know each other, I thought this would be a good way for you learn about me.” She smiled and gave the last package to the dark haired boy.

Unwrapping it, Devlin found it was a crystal that fit perfectly in the palm of his hand. “It’s very, um, sparkly.” He commented.

“Did your mnemosyne crystal fragment recently, Gwendolyn?” Max asked.

She nodded, “Yes, and I thought it would make a good gift for the newest member of the family.”

“But what does it do?” Devlin stared curiously.

“Well, a mnemosyne crystal is sort of like a diary for your memories.” Gwendolyn began, her eyes resting on the fragment. “You hold it tightly in your hand while thinking of something you want to remember and when it glows blue it means it’s done recording it. When you want to remember something, you just look into it and the crystal will figure out what it is you were looking for.”

“Can I try it out?” Devlin asked.

“Sure, do you want to store something?” She was careful not to meet his gaze.

He shook his head and the glittering object in his palm began to glow.

On the smooth surface appeared Gwendolyn when she was ten. She was busy typing something on her laptop when the aforementioned machine was engulfed by the familiar form of Upgrade.

“Ben that’s not funny!” Gwen yelled angrily. “Get out of my computer!”

“Only if you do my summer homework for me.” Ben replied cheekily.

“No way, Ben! Get out of there! I was working on something!”

“Your father and I didn’t exactly get along when we were kids.” Gwendolyn chuckled to Ken. The fragment she had given Devlin contained memories from her childhood, back before she or Ben ever became full-time Plumbers. She only hoped none of her more recent memories were in it.

“Alright boys, it’s about time for me to get dinner ready. Ben, come help me in the kitchen.” Max motioned, “Why don’t you two show Gwendolyn to her room?”

“Sure, great grandpa!” Ken nodded as the elderly man headed towards the kitchen.

Ben quickly whispered to Gwendolyn “Don’t worry, Kai left a couple of casseroles in the freezer.” before following after Max. The sorceress shook her head in amusement. Some things never change.

“This way, Aunt Gwendolyn.” She felt slender fingers curl around her wrist and turned to find Ken pulling her towards the stairs. “C’mon Devlin!”

“R-right.” He stammered as he pocketed the crystal.

Ken and Gwendolyn exchanged idle chatter as the two boys led her to the guestroom. Gwendolyn was doing all she can to focus on Ken and avoid looking at her other nephew. It may sound cruel, but she couldn’t deal with him right now. The young boy had reminded her of so many broken dreams and forsaken hopes she once had for her life.

When the two boys left, Gwendolyn allowed the memories she had assumed lost to return. Some were tender, like a first kiss shared in secret or being in a warm, protective embrace. Some were painful, like watching someone leave or a broad-shouldered back turning to her in regret. Some were bittersweet, like a moment of intimacy between forbidden lovers or the last glimpse of hope before reaching the point of no return.

How could you, Kevin? How could you be so heartless as to abandon your family? Your own son? She trembled in quiet rage. After all you’ve done, how is it possible that I still love you?

She tensed in confusion at her last thought. Why would she think that? How could she think that? Kevin was a threat, a criminal. He was heartless and cruel and had tried to kill her family on more than one occasion. Other than that he meant nothing to her.

Didn’t he?

The tears streaming down her cheeks proved otherwise.

--

“Hey Devlin, wanna go have some fun with my mimican ball?” Ken suggested, gesturing outside.

The dark-haired boy shook his head, “Maybe later?”

“Sure, you know where to find me.” Grinning, Ken headed out to see what mischief he could have with his omnitrix and his new toy.

Devlin quietly retreated to his room to climb into his bed. Making himself comfortable, he retrieved the gift his adoptive aunt had given him. He was planning to store some of his own memories into the crystal when it suddenly started to show him another glimpse of Gwendolyn’s past.

She was no longer ten in the vision. She was older, her hair grown long, her powers developed. She was flying, desperately trying to catch up to someone. She flew faster, hair whipping about her face as she abruptly landed before the tower housing the largest null void projector.

By the gates stood a figure.

Biting down on her lower lip, she drew closer.

“Tell me Ben was wrong.” She pleaded. “Tell me that you’re here to stop whoever it is that’s trying to release all those criminals from the null void.”

“I’d like to.” The familiar voice rasped, “But I can’t.”

“Why would you want to do that, Kevin?” She demanded.

“Because everyone messed things up for me. So why the hell shouldn’t I mess things up for them in return?” The dark-haired man growled.

And Devlin’s eyes widened when he recognized the figure Gwendolyn spoke to was his father.

“You know I can’t let you do that.” Gwendolyn warned. It was obvious she didn’t want to fight, but she had no choice.

“Why not, Gwen?” He asked casually, “What do you owe them?”

“That’s not what it’s about, Kevin.” She frowned, “I thought you understood that.”

And suddenly she was in his arms.

“I do understand. I just don’t care about them.” He whispered softly into her ear. “But I do care about you, Gwen.”

She made no motion to pull away or resist the embrace. “No, you don’t,” she hissed bitterly, “You only say that because you know how much I wish it were true.”

“But it is true.” He insisted, his eyes staring intensely into hers. “Come with me, Gwen. I’ll protect you from whatever the null void releases. Together we can own the galaxy!”

For a brief moment, Gwendolyn looked like she was going to say yes. But she didn’t need to say anything. The anguish in her eyes was answer enough for Kevin. The regret in their eyes was unmistakable before the red-head pulled him in for a kiss.

It would be the last time their lips would meet without blood being spilled.

Shortly after, Ben and the rest of the plumbers arrived.

Devlin dropped the crystal onto the bed before burying his face into his hands. He knew what happened next. His father was sent into the null void and he eventually escaped to Saturn.

Why did his aunt give him this thing? It only reminded him of how horrible a person his father was. How he never really cared for Devlin or his mother. Was she as cruel as Kevin was to give him such a twisted present?

He stormed out of his room, doing his best to keep his form in check. He knocked, rather urgently at Gwendolyn’s door. “A-Aunt Gwendolyn, I need to talk to you.”

A startled sob slipped through the door before the sorceress answered him. “Y-yes, Devlin?”

“Do you hate me?” He demanded.

She was completely taken aback by his question. “What?”

“Do you hate me?” He repeated.

“W-why would you think that?”

“Because you wouldn’t give me something that would hurt me if you didn’t!”

“What do you mean?” She looked genuinely confused. “Did something happen-”

“Why would you show me how nice my father could be?” he cut in, “I didn’t need to know that he decided not to care about me or my mother when she died. I was happy to think he was as bad as they all say.

Angry tears poured down Devlin’s cheeks, “But then you went and showed me that he was nice to you and that he cared about you! Do you hate me because I was born as someone else’s son?”

A palm smacked smartly against the young boy’s tear-stained cheek. Gwendolyn loomed over him, emerald eyes ablaze as she shook in suppressed fury.

“Calm down, child.” She frowned, “I gave you the fragment where I kept my fondest memories of Kevin because you are his son. I wanted you to have a reason not to hate him. So many people already do, why add you to the list? Even if Kevin is a despicable person, a father should never be hated by his son.”

Devlin touched his cheek gingerly, realizing his error. “I-I’m sorry.” He mumbled.

“So am I.” She replied, kneeling down so that she was eye-level to Devlin. “Look, Devlin, I’m sorry that my memories hurt you. I never intended for that to happen. I just don’t want you to grow up thinking Kevin was always a monster. He was good at one point, granted it was in his own way.”

“You’re the first person to say that about him. Not even my mom spoke about him that way.”

“I’m sure your mother believed he was good somewhere deep down. Otherwise, why else would you have wanted to free him from the null void?” Gwendolyn smiled.

“Aunt Gwendolyn, do you think...” Devlin paused, scuffing his feet on the hallway floor, “Do you think if...”

“If what?”

He took a deep breath, “Do you think if you had been my mom, he would have cared about me?”

Gwendolyn blinked before gathering the boy into her arms. “I don’t know, Devlin.” She whispered, “But you have a new family now who love and care about you very much. Isn’t that what really matters?”

Devlin nodded as he returned the hug. “I guess so.”

--

Additional Info:

I totally made up the mimican ball (based on the word mimic) and the mnemosyne crystal (based on the Greek titan Mnemosyne who was all about memories) but if Man of Action ever do use those terms in the future or even right now, that would be like so awesome 8D

Ben 10 fanfic - First of Summer 4

Disclaimers:
Ben 10, Ben 10 Alien Force and their respective characters belong to Man of Action

--

Chapter Four: Cat’s Meow

The clocks in the Tennyson house showed a quarter-past five on their faces before Ben arrived. He found Gwen waiting for him in the living room, dressed in what he assumed was as daring as Gwen was capable. The sleeves were still present though shortened to end just a few inches above her elbows and he supposed the calf-length skirt was better than nothing. Her feet were clad in flat step-in shoes, obviously designed for comfort rather than style. It was then he noticed Gwen was absently cutting cards with one hand. She didn’t even seem to be concentrating much; the movement of her fingers was fluid, practiced, like she could do this blindfolded.

“What are you doing?” Ben blinked as he watched in surprise as his cousin suddenly fanned out the cards on the table to flip them all in one smooth sweep of her hand.

“Calming myself down.” She replied, her voice lacking all signs of anxiety.

“I think you’re confusing a good time with something else.” Ben laughed before removing his coat. “Lemme just get out of my uniform and I’ll show you the sights.”

“Oh about that,” Gwen raised her hand, “Do you mind if we leave a little later? Like two hours later? I, uh, have a more pressing engagement to attend to.”

Ben arched a brow, “And that is?”

Gathering the cards into one hand, Gwen bent them lengthwise just enough to give the deck enough tension to spring from one hand to the other. The young woman stated simply “A job interview.”

Ben was certainly taken by surprise, “I thought you were here on vacation?”

“I am, but it turns out big city living requires deep pockets. Pockets that I obviously don’t have. So, I’m going to need a part-time job.” She explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“You are absolutely screwy. What kind of dame goes on vacation and then gets a job?” Ben shook his head in disbelief.

“This kind of dame,” Gwen pointed to herself as she tucked away the deck of cards into her purse. “I have to go, it’s a long way to that shop and I have to get there by six.”

Even if Ben didn’t approve of Gwen taking a job on what was supposed to be her holiday it was her time to with as she pleased. And if that meant working instead of relaxing, well, Ben didn’t really have much of a say in the matter. However, he insisted that he at least ‘check the place out’ for Gwen’s sake.

This was not well met by the female Tennyson as she considered it an affront to her judgment. Before the argument could escalate between the two cousins, a compromise was reached. Ben would act as chauffer and moral support for Gwen and she would let him act like the tough, over-protective cop-and-cousin he was trying to be with minimal protest.

“I still say you’re making this a bigger deal than it is.” Gwen shrugged as she climbed into the rust bucket.

“And I still say you’re screwy for wanting to work when I could just as easily spot you the dough.” Ben retorted as he started up the vehicle.

“Right, because you’re simply overflowing with cash. Is that why the rust bucket’s in such mint condition?” She smirked, patting the poor excuse of upholstery that struggled to stretch out over the seats.

“Grandpa Max wants the rust bucket to keep her charm and character. And he goes through great lengths to keep her as is.” He sighed, recalling his many failed attempts at jazzing up the aforementioned vehicle. Being turned down by so many auto shops simply because no one wants to mess up with Max Tennyson’s jalopy was not a very fond memory for Ben.

“So tell me about the cards.” He quickly decided to change the subject.

“What about them?”

“Well, it’s just that it isn’t often you see people handling the cards the way you do. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were a regular card shark.”

Gwen flashed her cousin a smirk before lifting her fingers and twiddling them in the air, “Why thank you, I like to think my dexterous little friends are good for more than just darning socks and mending clothes.”

“How’d you learn to do all those anyway?”

“Small towns don’t offer much excitement. You get your kicks when and where you can. It just so happens that the library is filled with wonderful things called books. Some of them just happen to be about sleight of hand performances and card tricks.”

“So you are a card shark!”

“I wouldn’t go that far, Ben. Knowing how the dealer shuffles the cards is just an advantage.” She grinned, “How else do you think I could have afforded coming here? Oh, there’s that shop!” she pointed.

Ben slammed on the brakes far harder than he would have liked. “You can’t be serious, Gwen. Do you know what that place is?”

“My potential place of employment.” She remarked before hopping out of the car.

“Wait! Gwen! You can’t go in there!” Ben called out as he struggled to exit the vehicle. It was obvious Gwen wasn’t interested in listening to him as she quickly slipped past the doors.

This is just dandy, Ben groaned to himself, Oh well, she’ll find out for herself and then she’ll come running right out. He nodded in confidence and a rather mischievous smile cracked across his lips. At least this time it’s my turn to say I told you so.

--

The interior of the dress shop looked different at night. The skulls and bones that had seemed interesting in the morning sunshine now looked ominous and menacing, as if a warning for trespassers or a promise of things to come. The faint glow of the cloth-covered lamps barely illuminated the room, casting more shadows than banishing them. The scent of sandalwood incense clung to every surface, as if masking something within the dim room.

Gwen gulped audibly as she stepped in, the calm she had managed to find earlier quickly draining out of her. Drawing in a deep breath, she called out, “Hello, ma’am? It’s Gwendolyn, from earlier today? I’m here for the-”

“You’re here early. And call me Madame or Charmcaster. Never ma’am.” Charmcaster remarked as she emerged from the backroom. She seemed pleased by Gwen’s punctuality and reached out her hand to Gwen. “Alright, hun, you ready for the test?”

Gwen nodded and accepted the proffered limb, suddenly finding herself being pulled towards the full length mirror. With a practiced motion, Charmcaster shoved the mannequins away and drew the curtains around them, shrouding them in darkness.

“Your test is three parts,” Charmcaster explained, “The first is beauty. My girls need to meet a certain standard. So here,” the store owner unceremoniously tossed a dress at Gwen. “Put that on and let me see how you look in it.”

Charmcaster stepped out of the small cloth enclosure to let Gwen change, much to the young woman’s relief. Gwen fumbled in the dark as she removed her own clothes while beginning to wonder what it was she was getting into. Just as she finished pulling the dress over her head, the curtains parted.

“Well? Let me see you, hun.”

Gwen spun around, feeling uncomfortably exposed in the garment she had been instructed to wear. Her bare arms folded across her chest, unintentionally drawing attention to the plunging neckline that showed an alluring hint of her cleavage. The skirt hugged her slim hips like a second skin before ending just a hair’s breadth past fair-skinned knees.

“Isn’t this a little, um, flashy for me?” Gwen asked, her cheeks flushing when she saw her reflection in the mirror.

“Hun, you look down right keen in that little number. Alright, you’ve passed the first part with flying colors.” Charmcaster purred. “Part two is brains. My girls need to be able to think on their feet for any sort of situation. For example...” she trailed off before suddenly pressing herself completely against Gwen’s smaller frame.

“A client is getting a little too friendly with you. What’ll you do, hun?” She breathed into Gwen’s ear.

At first, Gwen was too stunned to react. Having never found herself in such a scenario before, her mind had gone blank. The only thing she was acutely aware of was how the scent of lavender clung to Charmcaster’s hair and how soft and warm her body was. But eventually Gwen regained her composure and promptly pushed Charmcaster off her.

“I’ll thank you to keep your hands to yourself.” Gwen declared sternly, eyes narrowing dangerously.

“But what if they’re quite insistent?” The older woman leered, suddenly sliding beside Gwen while her arms snake around the red-head’s body. Her amethyst eyes caught the sight of an elbow aiming for her face. Deftly she leaned backwards, releasing her hold on Gwen to avoid the collision. Slowly she righted herself and found Gwen had already moved back, smiling pleasantly in the darkness.

“That was just a warning.” Gwen declared sweetly. I didn’t ever think watching farm hands tussle all those summers would pay off.

“You just passed parts two and three, with that stunt, hun. And you’re the second girl to use anything other than a slap.” Charmcaster beamed in delight. “Finally I get another live wire. I was getting tired of all the wilting daisies we have here. You start tonight.”

Gwen had just gotten a hold of her purse when she blinked in disbelief. “Tonight? But I had plans for tonight with my cousin.”

“You’re just gonna have to tell him to take a rain check, hun.” Charmcaster shrugged.

“Let me get changed first so I can tell him.” She began and quickly gathered her things.

“You ain’t goin’no where and you’re keeping the dress on, hun.” Charmcaster stated. “Just tell me where the cat is at and I’ll tell him for you.”

“He’s just outside. And if I can just ask am I supposed to be modeling the dresses for the store?” Gwen canted her head.

Charmcaster just stared at Gwen before bursting out in laughter, “Oh my Lord, you have no idea what this joint is all about, do you hun?”

Before Gwen could answer, the platinum-haired woman slung her arms across the female Tennyson’s shoulders and ushered her through the curtains and into the backroom.

Gwen’s eyes widened at the sight of a large, well-lit parlor, easily ten times the size of the cramped shop front. Immediately she could understand the need for the sandalwood incense as the unmistakable smell of cigarette smoke permeated the room. Tables with chairs stacked atop clustered in one end, while cushioned booths stood a few feet away. A black piano waited patiently beside an unlit platform that served as a stage.

Several young women loitered in scattered groups, applying make up or adjusting their glittering stockings and heavily sequined dresses. Feather-adorned hats and sparkling bandanas decorated sleek, bobbed hair as painted lips chattered and giggled. Compared to these women, Gwen never felt so drab in her entire life.

Lining a majority of the wall was a bar where liquors and spirits of all sort were kept in full view as a sort of defiant protest against the prohibition law. A young, well dressed man was bussing the long counter while another was polishing and wiping drinking glasses.

“Now do you understand what kind of joint I run, hun?” Charmcaster’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

“It’s a Speak Easy?” Gwen blinked, having only heard of such places as she never quite found the desire to enter one.

“Now you’re on the trolley, hun. I have to be honest with you. You’re cute but you seem like one of them bluenose, high hat types so I don’t really expect you to stick around. But as you said earlier today I’m desperate and need all the help I can get. Especially for tonight.” The proprietor explained.

“But what about-”

“The pay? You’ll get your share after the evening’s over, hun. All’s I need for you to do is to greet the clients as they come in.”

“N-no, I mean what about my cousin Ben? He’s still outside waiting for me.”

“I’ll go tell him to come swing by for you in a couple of hours.” Charmcaster motioned for a tall, athletic woman with rust-hued locks to approach them. “Rojo, hun, this here’s Gwen. Show her the ropes while I go take care of other matters.”

And Gwen was left with the fierce-looking pale woman who showed far more flesh than necessary in Gwen's opinion. “Uh, nice to meet you, Rojo was it?” adjusting her things, she started to extend her hand when Rojo simply slapped it away.

“I ain’t interested in making friends. I just want to land me a man so's I’ll be set for life. So stay out of the way and try not to look too pretty, you got that, runt?”

Nursing her wrist, Gwen glared defiantly at the taller woman, “Don’t worry, I’ll only be here for tonight.”

“Heh, you probably wouldn’t last any longer than that anyway.” Rojo smirked, “You sure don’t look like a flapper girl. You’re more of a frump. And frumps here get eaten alive.” She flashed a tooth grin before chomping down in mimicry of a shark.

“Maybe I just don’t require the attention of men to make myself feel special.” Gwen smirked and suddenly found herself being lifted off the ground by the collar of her dress.

“You got a smart mouth. Maybe I should paint it with your blood?”

“Is there a problem, ladies?” A familiar, velvety smooth voice interrupted.

Gwen gasped in surprise to see the same, dark haired man she ran into earlier that day.

--

Outside, Ben waited in the car, fingers drumming on the car’s dashboard.

“How long does a person take to realize this dress shop isn’t really a dress shop?” he muttered.

Hearing the sound of an opening door, Ben turned towards the shop’s entrance expecting to see his cousin. A figure emerged, but the long tresses were a clear indication that whoever it was, it wasn’t Gwen.

“Well, well, well. Never thought I’d see you in this part of the city, hun.” The sultry voice of Charmcaster chuckled.

“I’m only here for my cousin,” Ben replied deadpan as he got out of the car.

Charmcaster laughed, “I never would have guessed the little bearcat inside is related to Edwin’s lapdog.”

“You’ll find that my bite’s worse than my bark,” Ben returned darkly.

“A rabid lapdog can be quite deadly.” Was the mocking reply, “Now look, hun, your concern for your cousin is quite touching. But she’s a big girl and she’s got enough moxy to keep herself from getting into any scrapes in there.”

“She’s still my cousin and I have to keep her out of trouble. Now if you don’t mind sending her out, we’ll be on our way and out of your hair. Or am I going to have to storm the place?”

“And risk breaking the truce,” Charmcaster sneered before leaning in close to Ben’s ear, “Or your cover? I’m sure the boys in blue won’t look too kindly on knowing they have a dirty cop.”

“Who said I was going to Edwin’s? Uncle Phil, or should I say Lieutenant Phillips gave me strict orders to show Gwen a good time. And if you’re getting in the way of that, I can charge you with obstruction.”

“You think you’re the only one who’s got friends in high places?” She returned smugly, her hip jutting out defiantly at Ben. “Oh hun, we can keep at this all night but I’ve got a joint to take care of. And you being here is bad for business. Come back in a couple of hours, your cousin will have enough money to get herself as dolled up as she wants for the next season or two.”

“I don’t think so.”

With a sigh, Charmcaster entered her shop with Ben closely following her. Moments later, the young man was being roughly tossed out by two large men.

“You heard the lady, come back in a few hours. We’ll keep an eye on Len for ya.” The larger one of the pair laughed.

“Gwen.” The other corrected gruffly.

“Whatever.”

Ben winced from the pavement’s solid greeting before dusting himself off. Grimacing, he got into the rust bucket and drove off. This little altercation between them was far from over.

--

Kevin was in the dimly lit stock room checking on their inventory after they had finished loading everything in. He had taken it upon himself to personally oversee the re-stocking, having lost two shipments these past few months to some unknown group. His sources had no idea who was behind the thefts as all leads seemed to either grow cold or arrive at a dead end.

Emphasis on dead.

How many guys had he lost? Kevin could probably count them all on one hand, but it was the principle of the thing that irked him. Someone actually had the guts to take him on but not enough to actually make himself known?

“Blasted coward.” He snarled to himself as he carefully closed the lid on the crate of liquor. He knew it couldn’t have been Edwin, given how he had heard the other man’s gang had been losing numbers themselves.

There was no word on any new group forming, no talk of a dark horse trying to make it big on the scene. Whoever it was, they weren’t trying to give themselves a name and that struck Kevin as odd. The point of stealing liquor from someone else was to drive the other party out of business while helping your own to grow. No one had heard of any new speak easy suddenly emerging, so where was all the booze going? Even the cops on Kevin’s payroll were clueless about the whereabouts of the smuggled spirits.

Still puzzled, Kevin exited the stock room, deciding to unwind over a drink before the night’s crowd started to arrive. Normally he would make an appearance, just to remind the customers that they were paying for more than just the drinks. His notoriety was one of the many reasons why his speak easy was so popular.

One could never be certain of what would happen with Kevin Levin around. A cheap thrill, but it was one Kevin was willing to provide from time to time.

Just not tonight. Not when that smug, prissy Morningstar was around.

It was no secret that Kevin disliked a fair amount of people. Edwin was certainly one of them, but that was out of principle. After all, it just wouldn’t do to be on good terms with the boss of your gang’s rival, would it? Benjamin Tennyson however, he disliked for other reasons. The young officer was good friends with Edwin for one. And more often than not when raids were made or when deals went sour, Ben would have had a hand in setting it up. But Kevin knew it was all business, even if it looked like Tennyson was personally gunning for him.

Morningstar, on the other hand, Kevin disliked out of personal reasons. Entering the parlor, an argument between two women provided him with a much appreciated distraction from the subject of Mike Morningstar.

“Maybe I just don’t require the attention of men to make myself feel special.” There was something vaguely familiar about the self-assured tones of that voice. Turning towards the source, Kevin was pleasantly surprised to see it was the girl who had given him the brush off earlier that day.

A predatory grin spread across his face as he watched Rojo lift the slender girl off the ground. Already he started to close the gap between him and the two women.

“You got a smart mouth. Maybe I should paint it with your blood?” The larger woman growled.

“Is there a problem, ladies?” He asked.

Rojo glanced over her shoulder and smirked at him. “Nah, boss, just showing the new girl the ropes.”

Kevin had to keep himself from cracking up in laughter at the look of recognition on the other girl’s face. Oh yes, she definitely remembered him.

“W-we’re just peachy.” Gwen stammered, seemingly more distressed by his presence than the threat of Rojo giving her a bloodied lip.

“I ain’t gonna bother you two then.” He waved and started to walk away. Any second now he expected the red-head to call for help, which he would be more than happy to give. Naturally in exchange for some favors.

“Any last words, pipsqueak?” Rojo grinned, drawing her arm back as she clenched her hand into a fist.

“How long have you been working here?” Gwen asked; mind racing as she tried to come up with a way to get herself out of this mess.

“What?” Rojo blinked.

Even Kevin had paused mid-stride in curiosity.

“Tell me, how long have you been working here?” She pressed.

“What’s it to ya?”

“Well, if you’ve been here for a while already and you haven’t “landed yourself a man” as you put it, maybe it’s because the type of men here aren’t really interested in landing a girl?”

“What are you saying?” Rojo glowered.

I wish I knew myself. Gwen mentally gulped before continuing “I’m just saying that you might be wasting your time here. I mean, you can’t catch what’s not there, can you?”

Rojo considered this very carefully, “Maybe you’re right.”

“So there’s no need for you to rough me up, right?” Gwen reasoned hopefully.

“Wrong, hitting you will make me feel a lot better.”

Kevin blinked in surprise when the smaller girl suddenly slammed her knee right into Rojo’s stomach. The pale woman released her hold as she doubled over in pain.

“N-now I only had to do that out of necessity, I’m a firm believer that violence solves nothing.” The red-head stated; clutching her things tightly to her chest as she quickly backed away.

“Oh you are so dead!” Rojo snarled as she lunged for Gwen.

Letting out a yelp, Gwen braced herself for impact but was surprised to find broad shoulders blocking her view of the larger woman.

“We can’t have you killing the new girl on her first night on the job.” Kevin gently scolded. He had caught Rojo by the wrists and wrenched them viciously behind her back. “I don’t mind a good catfight, but do it after the night’s over. Our customers ain’t the kind who likes to see girls all black and blue.”

“But she’s only here for one night.” Rojo winced, doing her best not to struggle.

“That ain’t my problem.” Kevin whispered darkly before giving her wrist another twist, “Now, you’re gonna forget this all happened, am I clear?”

“C-clear!” She gasped in pain.

“Good.” With a benign smile, Kevin let her go. The flapper quickly stumbled away, trying to put as much distance between herself and Kevin.

“Um, th-thank you.” Gwen’s voice stammered from behind.

He cocked his head at her, a wide grin across his features. “For what?”

She looked at him in disbelief, wasn’t it obvious what she was thanking him for? “You stopped that woman from attacking me.”

“Is that what I did? Funny, I was just making sure the customers don’t get greeted by a messed up face.” He sneered. It was obvious he took great pleasure in how Gwen squirmed as she fought to control her temper. Her response, however, took him by surprise.

“You know what? I deserved that for talking to you so rudely earlier today.” She smiled before averting her gaze to the floor. “I’m really sorry about that. And it’s not just because you’re the boss but because you really didn’t deserve to be spoken to in the way I did.”

“Was that you?” Kevin smirked, “I didn’t recognize you, what with all the skin showing.” It took a great amount of effort on his part not to burst out laughing as he watched her turn beet red.

Before Gwen could come up with a response, Charmcaster called out for Fingers and Rocky. Immediately the same two men that had accompanied Kevin in the park the other night appeared to respond. Wordlessly, they disappeared through the curtain into the shop front.

“What’s going on?” Gwen blinked as the platinum-haired Madame entered.

“Nothing to worry yourself over, hun. Just some annoying little lapdog who escaped his leash.” Charmcaster smiled at Gwen before noticing her state of distress. Amethyst eyes narrowed irritably at the dark-haired man standing across the red-head. “Am I to assume Rojo never got the chance to show Gwen the ropes?”

“That would be about right.” Kevin grinned, not in the least perturbed by the glare Charmcaster shot at him.

The Madame swore under her breath, “Lemme give you the quick run-down, hun. You smile, you say good evening to the folks, you take their coats and hats if they got them and hand them over to any of the boys hanging around you. No flirting, no making eyes, no accepting drinks, and no accepting dances.”

Charmcaster looked thoughtful for a moment, “Unless I personally say so. Got it, hun?”

“Basically I’m a living welcome mat.” Gwen nodded.

“Nonsense, welcome mats don’t need to be as pretty as you, hun.” Charmcaster winked as she pinched Gwen’s cheek.

“Um, th-thanks?” the red-head crimsoned, unsure if she had just received a backhanded compliment or insult.

“Good, as for your things, just toss them into the coat room. But knock first. Never know who’s inside doing what.” The platinum-haired woman warned. As Gwen went off to put away her things, Charmcaster glowered at Kevin. “I have enough on my plate as it is and I don’t need you making things worse.”

“I just made sure your new welcome mat wasn’t missing any teeth. The least you could do is let me have some fun with her.” He rolled his eyes.

“She’s Tennyson’s cousin!” The Madame hissed.

Kevin quirked a brow, so that’s what Charmcaster meant by lapdog. His eyes wandered towards the retreating figure of the red-head and he could hardly keep the wolfish smile from forming. He had already been interested in her, the way she had spoken to him so brashly earlier that day and the unexpected reason for her apology.

“I know that look on your face, Kevin. A blood grudge is the last thing we need.” Charmcaster warned before adding “Besides, she doesn’t look like the type you normally go for.”

“Don’t I always do what’s not expected of me?” he chuckled before heading to his private room.

--

Author's Note: A little explanation on Gwen being good with cards. Instead of having her being a techy and a sorceress, she's well read and really good with cards and other sleight of hand tricks. She is from a small town, not a country bumpkin though she and Ben have spent some Summers on a farm when they were kids. Also, huge creative liberties were taken with Charmcaster as I had intended for her to be cajun but could not for the life of me find a decent female cajun reference.

And yes, I absolutely adore the crack pairing of Charmcaster and Gwen but Kevin and Gwen still pretty much trumps EVERYTHING for me :3 Apologies if this chapter is a HUGE WALL OF TEXT. Blame my friend who proofs my stuff who declared that I should include the last part in this chapter as opposed to separating it into the next one.

Ben 10 fanfic - Excuses

Disclaimers:
Ben 10 and its respective characters belong to Man of Action

--

Gwendolyn discreetly and quietly slipped into a secluded safe house the older Plumbers built. It was little more than a large bungalow from the outside, but inside the walls were reinforced titanium alloy and a security grid constantly flashed on monitors.

A blip appeared on the screen, moving far too quickly than anything on earth was capable of and it was heading straight for the safe house.

He had found her. Dear gods she didn’t think it would be this soon, not when the Galactic Enforcers had promised they would do everything they could to slow him down. What had he done to them?

She was shaking. From her knees to the very ends of her fingers, small tremors travelled along her slender form. Despite the intense focus in her eyes and the calm bravado she exuded, deep down she was scared.

Anyone could see she wasn’t just scared, she was down right terrified. Even him. Especially him.

And she hated it. Absolutely hated it.

She hated the ease with which he’d manage to track her down. Despite all her precautions he could find her so effortlessly they may as well have been playing a mere child’s game of hide and seek. But with the frequency of his appearance increasing, they very well might have been playing cat and mouse.

She hated that even when she overexerted her magical aura, his powers still dwarfed hers by at least a dozen fold. And he was far too willing to remind her of this fact in each and every damned encounter. He could level an entire city if he so chose. He could. He had. And he had done so to draw her out of hiding.

She hated that even though he was no where within the immediate vicinity, she could sense the distance between them diminishing. She could see the feral leer of his lips, hear his steady, controlled breathing, and by the gods she could practically feel his presence as if he was standing directly behind her.

But what she hated most was that even after all these years he still had an effect on her. The very mention of his name sent chills shooting up her spine. But she was not afraid of him per se.

Thick tendrils suddenly wound around her body before flinging her to a wall. Her back slammed painfully against steel with a grunt as her wrists were pinned on either side of her head by fists with a grip like vice. A blur approached and instinctively she kicked out; the heel of her boots catching her assailant square in the chest. Flesh bent to absorb the blow harmlessly before pressing closely against Gwen’s body. From having retaliated, the red-haired woman now found herself in the most compromising position of straddling the familiar, broad-shouldered form.

“Getting sloppy, Gwen.” Kevin leered, “It only took me a month to find you this time. Or is this your way of telling me you want to be found?”

“Let go of me.” She hissed; hands aglow with power.

“But dear sweet Gwendolyn, why would I want to do that?” He purred, slowly grinding his hips against hers. This smug, self-assured motion was enough to break the calm in her mind.

“Don’t touch me!” She snarled desperately struggling against him, not realizing she only made it all the more enjoyable for him. “You don’t have the right to touch me!”

She wasn’t afraid of what he could do to her. She could handle pain and was mentally prepared to lose her life given her line of work. It wouldn’t be her first brush with the Grim Reaper, it wouldn’t be her last. Oh if it were only about such trivial matters of life and death, Gwendolyn wouldn’t be this frightened of Kevin and be so franticly trying to get away from him.

No, what truly terrified her was what being around him, being near him made her feel.

There was the surge of adrenaline, the heady thrill of exhilaration, and the heat. Oh gods, the heat that would build in the very depths of her being she could almost believe she was burning from the inside. It was oppressive and overwhelming but it felt so incredible she could hardly stand it.

“I never thought I needed the right,” he laughed before crushing his lips against hers.

And there was the darkness.

The darkness in her heart that she would never admit to existing would seep out from the corners of her mind. It would merge with the flames licking at Gwen, tainting them, tainting her with its obsidian touch. This darkness would whisper things into her mind. Things about wicked desires she could never possibly have wanted but would suddenly find herself longing for.

She bit down on his lower lip, hard enough to draw blood but not enough to dissuade him from continuing his savage, primal assault on her body.

Desires of being revered and worshipped for what she was capable of and what she had done despite being obligated. Desires of taking what she wanted, protocol and diplomacy be damned simply because it would be convenient. Numerous of all were the desires of having her bare flesh writhing against him as he claimed her, all of her again and again.

Her nails dug into her palms as she felt his gyrations against her grow harder, more insistent. She could taste his blood on her tongue, rusty and bitter and oh so addictive. And for unknown reasons, Gwen found herself parting her blood-stained lips and returning the kiss.

The blackened flames would twist and writhe within her consciousness, within the very depths of her soul. They were viciously tender in their dance, grotesquely beautiful in their efforts to wrench Gwen away from the path of good she had so determinedly set herself on.

Gwen couldn’t, wouldn’t accept that these vile thoughts, these disgusting wants were hers. It wasn’t possible. She wasn’t anything like that! This darkness was not hers, it was his. It was all his, it had to be.

In her mind she rationalized she had only responded to make him lower his guard. That she was not giving into her own primal urges. The moans she so desperately tried to suppress proved otherwise.

His grip on her wrists had gone slack, but rather than wrenching herself free, she clung to him tightly. Easily he supported her weight as his hands, now unrestricted, began to reacquaint themselves with every inch of her body.

She gasped in objection when the fabric of her clothes dug into her flesh as Kevin tore them off. Her skin prickled from the cool night air briefly before the heat of their bodies overwhelmed her senses.

He had corrupted her. He had ruined her. He had made her like him!

“N-no.” She whispered, barely audible. But she knew he heard her. He had stopped and was staring deeply into her eyes.

He had done no such thing and she knew it. She was just using him as an excuse for her own weakness. As a warning of what she could become if she wasn’t strong enough to resist the siren’s song.

“No what?” He asked his voice devoid of the effort it took to restrain himself.

“No more running.” She stated grimly, “Just take what you want and leave me alone.”

She was strong, wasn’t she?

“I have no problem taking what I want.” The manic lust-filled look in his eyes intensified and Gwen felt a thrill shoot up her spine. “It’s the keeping I have trouble with.”

Gods, he only needed a mere glance to turn her from a confident, magic-wielder into a weak-kneed, ordinary woman.

Around Kevin, Gwen wasn’t so certain. She didn’t know if she could keep the aching needs he managed to summon within her at bay. Or if she even wanted to at all.

--

Author’s Note: This fic was totally inspired after reading Future!Dark!Kwevin fics by fellow fanfic authors Invader-Hime and kikikun. I am merely the poor man’s version of these two talented writers ;A;

Ben 10 fanfic - First of Summer 3

Disclaimers:
Ben 10, Ben 10: Alien Force and their respective characters belong to Man of Action.

--

Chapter Three: Fire Extinguisher

The day for Benjamin Tennyson progressed with the speed of white rapids. The station was abuzz with the usual flurry of phone calls. Complaints ranging from mere vandalism and petty theft to the growing trend of disturbing the peace and trespassing were filed in quick succession. It was getting difficult to keep track of all the complaints and Ben already had a mountain of paperwork to sort through.

“I am never going to get this done.” He groaned as his telephone once again rang right as he was in the middle of filling out a report. “Hello, police department, how may I help you?” He repeated for the nth time that day.

“Oh officer it’s terrible! I need help!” The woman on the line was in hysterics.

“What’s the problem, ma’am?” He asked. Please let this not be about a cat stuck in a tree. We’re not the fire department. He thought sourly.

“Our little Samantha hasn’t come home!” The woman declared. From above her sobbing, Ben could hear her husband spouting worst case scenarios of kidnapping, white slavery, and murder.

“When was the last time you saw her?” Ben tried to sound sympathetic, the last thing a worried parent needed was to be antagonized.

“Last night.”

“And how old is your daughter?”

“Sixteen. Oh officer, please find my baby. She’s such a sweet little lamb!”

Ben grimaced, steeling himself for the reaction he would elicit from the woman when he responded “I’m sorry ma’am, but forty eight hours needs to have passed before you can file for a missing person’s report.”

“That is a load of malarkey! My baby girl could be hurt and hungry and in who knows what danger and you’re telling me you’re not going to do anything because it hasn’t been forty eight hours?!”

“Ma’am, I understand your concern but it’s quite possible that your daughter had attended a petting party with her friends and none of them have quite recovered from the excitement.” He explained, already feeling the beginning of a headache.

“I beg your pardon! How dare you accuse my little girl of doing such indecent things! Harold! Talk some sense into this rude man!”

Ben simply stayed on the line as the father berated him about how it was his duty as a policeman to protect the innocent. With a sigh he waited for the litany to finish, only it came sooner than expected as he heard a squeal from the background.

“SAMMY! Oh my little baby, are you hurt? Where were you? Harold! Samantha’s home! Young lady you and I are going to have to talk!”

Without so much as an apology, Harold hung up on Ben. “Feel free to call again, sir.” Ben muttered before slamming the receiver down on its hook.

“Got chewed out by another disgruntled parent?” A fellow rookie asked from the adjacent table.

Ben could only nod as he massaged his temples in an attempt to control the throbbing in his head.

“Would this be a bad time to tell you that the Lieutenant wants to see you?”

With a sigh, Ben got to his feet. “At least I won’t have to take any more calls.” He shrugged before heading towards the lieutenant’s office. With a polite knock, Ben turned the knob, opened the door and stuck his head in.

“You wanted to see me, Lieutenant Phillips?” He asked.

The office was big enough to fit three desks, but only one stood in the end of the room, flanked by filing cabinets. A typewriter sat precariously near the edge of the table, peering over the wastebasket overflowing with crumpled balls of paper. The strong smell of tobacco lingered in the air despite an open window.

Amidst the thin haze of smoke was a man reaching his golden years. Hearing the young officer’s voice, he looked up from the large folder he held in age-worn hands. “Ah, Ben, come on in. Have a seat my boy.” He smiled and gestured towards the empty chair directly before his desk.

“If this is about the Henderson’s cat, lieutenant, I was only doing my job by telling them to call the fire department.” Ben pre-empted as he closed the door behind him before seating himself down.

“What? Oh no, it’s not about that, Ben.” The lieutenant laughed, “Anyway, call me Uncle Phil now that we’re behind closed doors.”

“I’d really rather not if since we’re still in the precinct.” The young man declined as respectfully as he could. Despite the receding hairline and the numerous white strands peppering the aging officer’s head, Lieutenant Phillips or Uncle Phil as he liked to be called, still managed to command a certain air of authority.

“Heh, Max always knew how to drill respect into someone’s head. Anyway your grandfather told me little Gwendolyn was going to be here for a spell?”

“Yes, sir, she’s here for the summer.”

“I see, I see,” Phil nodded thoughtfully. “I promised Max that I’d help you show her a great time in the city. But with all these cases just sprouting up like weeds, I don’t really have the time to honor that request. So consider yourself given a free pass to show her all the best spots in the city. And I mean the best spots, catch my drift boy?” he winked.

Ben grinned. He knew exactly what the Lieutenant meant and he was confident that a certain dark-haired, gray-eyed individual who could help out. “That’s real swell of you, sir. If that’s all, I’d better get back to work. Those reports aren’t going to fill themselves.”

As Ben began to rise, Phil suddenly spoke out “One more thing, Ben. I know you’re rather busy with certain,” he paused as if grasping for the proper word, “things. But I just want to remind you that the times are getting dangerous, even if we like to tell the press otherwise. Remember to watch your back and your cousin’s. Especially your cousin’s.”

The grave expression on the lieutenant’s face sent a chill down Ben’s spine and the young man quickly exited the room. Returning to his desk, Ben quickly went to work, attacking the waiting pile of papers with a zeal he rarely ever displayed for such mundane things.

“Boy, the lieutenant must have given you a real earful.” The other rookie gulped.

“You can say that.” Ben chuckled.

--

On the twentieth floor of an office high rise, Edwin Pride was busy reading the obituaries of the newspaper. He was glad that amongst the names printed, none of the bonds dealers he had invested with appeared.

“There’s always tomorrow.” He sighed, the brief respite from cynicism quickly passing. He leaned back in his plush, leather-covered armchair, one of the few luxuries he would allow himself to have in his rather humble office. The walls were bereft of any expensive paintings; instead they were decorated by framed news clippings of his and his family’s achievements in the construction and architectural industry. The carpet covered the expanse of the room, hiding the cheap, but practically treated wooden floor.

Function over fashion was Edwin’s motto, though he would have preferred if the two went together. Rather than wasting his funds in buying expensive furniture that only he would have access to, he thought it would be more prudent if he spent his money elsewhere.

Like in his two pet projects for instance.

A smile lit up his youthful face as he thought of the success the first his little endeavors provided him. Granted it took quite a pretty penny to sort through willing individuals of dubious moral fiber. But Edwin was pleased with the way he managed to shape the ragtag of men into the fearsome gang known as the Tricks.

There was only one group who managed to oppose him, and that was the Chains. Even the mere thought of them made Edwin shudder.

While the Tricks were responsible for the disappearances of certain individuals who stood in the Pride family’s way, Edwin always made certain that their method of disposal was, for a lack of a better word, humane. Unlike the rather brutal manner the Chains used when dealing with their own little problems.

“Such dreary thoughts,” Edwin found himself remarking as he put away the obituaries. The telephone rang and he answered it automatically. “Edwin Pride speaking.”

“Hey Edwin,” Ben’s voice greeted, “Think I can call in a favor?”

“No, I’m not jazzing up the rust bucket. My grandfather left specific instructions that his old friend Max’s precious is not to be touched in any way that he deems unfit.” Edwin chuckled.

“Oh it’s not about the car. I’ve pretty much given up on getting her looking like anything but the rust bucket.” Ben laughed, “Listen, I promised my cousin that I’d show her a swell time tonight and I was thinking maybe you could-”

“Pull out all the stops at The Usual?” An amused smirk glided across Edwin’s features.

“You’re like Houdini with that mind reading trick of yours!”

“No, Ben, you’re just very predictable.”

“Says you. Anyway the sergeant’s givin’ me the stink eye for tying up the lines. Gotta beat it.”

And the audible click of the receiver returning to its cradle followed. Edwin smiled, if Ben’s cousin was anything like him, he was in for an interesting night. Getting a fresh point of view on his second pet project would be a welcomed thing.

After all, there was always room for improvement and more importantly a larger margin of profit.

--

Gwen was a nervous wreck; there was no doubt about that. She may have managed to convince the shop owner to at least give her a chance, but really what did she know about selling clothing? She hardly knew the latest fashion trends, so how would she be able to convince anyone to buy anything? She could always just work in the backroom doing alterations and mending. She certainly had a lot of experience darning socks and patching up things for her older brother and cousins.

Yes, that sounded like a good suggestion to make.

Now if only her body would listen to her head. At times like these, the only way she could calm down was by reading a good book. Then she recalled where she was and groaned. Even if she could find a good book, she risked losing track of time and get to the shop late. Or worse, miss the appointment altogether!

But what really got her to work into a conniption was recalling how she so rudely responded to someone who might have been a valued client of the store. Or worse, the actual store owner! After all, could the strangely dressed woman really be the store’s owner? And yes, the platinum-haired woman was strangely dressed even for Gwen. For all Gwen knew, she was just the manager.

“It was his fault.” She reasoned, recalling the tall, broad-shouldered man. There was something about the way he looked at her with his dark brown eyes that was unsettling. It was predatory, intense, appraising and curious all at the same time and in so brief a glance!

He shouldn’t have looked at her that way. If he hadn’t, maybe she wouldn’t have been so eager to distance herself from him.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” She apologized when she felt herself accidentally run into someone with a rather muscular chest.

“Don’t worry about it,” He assured her, his strong hands reaching out to help steady her before smoothly adding “Feel free to run into me anytime.”

Gwen felt her face flush before she reminded herself that she disliked men who viewed her as little more than a good time. “I’ll make a note to do just the opposite.” She quipped, “Please excuse me.”

“What’s your rush?” He asked with such a casual arrogance Gwen felt butterflies stir in her stomach. But it was the way he had looked at her with his eyes that made the winged insects within her truly take flight.

“I-it’s really none of your beeswax. And I mean that in the nicest way.” She replied sweetly before hurrying off. When she felt she was far enough, she took a quick peek over her shoulder and saw him entering the store!

“He asked for it,” Gwen declared, “A modern woman doesn’t need to answer to anyone but herself. Except her would-be employer, what have I done?!” She wailed. With the option of reading a good book scratched out, Gwen resorted to rummaging through her things. It was when her dainty fingers felt the small box containing a deck of cards did she release a sigh of relief.

Ben 10 fanfic - First of Summer 2

Disclaimers:
Ben 10, Ben 10: Alien Force and their respective characters belong to Man of Action.

--

Chapter Two: Bearcat

The cousins arrived at the small, two-story house Ben shared with their grandfather. The deed to the property was actually in their grandfather Max’s name and he would have been the one to fetch Gwen at the station. Had the elderly gentleman not been on a trip with an old flame of his.

Neither cousin seemed to be comfortable about discussing this little bit of knowledge. Despite believing themselves to be open-minded individuals, there were simply some things they didn’t deem appropriate to think about.

Let alone say out loud.

Family pictures and newspaper clippings of the older Tennyson’s exploits as a young police officer decorated the hallways, drawing attention away from the fading wallpaper and chipped walls. Lighting fixtures glowed warmly, bathing the house in a welcoming light. The age-worn carpet muffled their footsteps as Ben lugged Gwen’s things up the stairs and into the spare bedroom.

“This is a nice neighborhood,” Gwen remarked as she peered out the window.

“Yeah, grandpa sure knew how to pick ‘em.” Ben nodded in agreement. “Plus it’s only a block or two away from the precinct so I’m never late for work.”

“You don’t say? Where’s the museum or the theater? I heard the Broadway shows here are fantastic.”

“Ugh, you still like those boring stuff? Ain’t you ever been a kid?” Ben shook his head.

“I’ll have you know my friends and I really like those things.” Gwen huffed.

“Yeah? Well, you’re in the big city now! I’ll show you how we have fun tomorrow. After I get off from work.”

“That sounds good,” Gwen nodded, curious about what Ben would consider fun. “Do I need to dress up or anything?”

Ben gave Gwen a quick once-over, “If the rest of the clothes you brought are anything like the one you’re wearing, you’d better buy something new. There are some nice shops a few blocks that-a-way.” He gestured.

“There is nothing wrong with the way I dress.” Gwen frowned.

“Hey, I know that and you know that. Buuuut big city thinking is different and you gotta blend in. And to blend in right, you gotta have the right duds.”

“I suppose I could update my wardrobe a bit.” She mused.

“Great! That’s it then, I’m off to bed. Breakfast is at seven sharp.”

“You cook?”

“Had to, otherwise I’d have to eat grandpa’s stuff.”

Both cousins shuddered in recollection of their grandfather’s rater unique culinary preferences before bidding each other goodnight.

--

Elsewhere in a poorly lit area, a young girl found herself staring at the barrel of a tommy gun. There was no trace of fear in her eyes, no sign of resignation or of madness. Without so much as blinking, she grabbed hold of the end and pushed upwards with an almost inhumane strength.

The gun fired several round into the air as the young girl drew a small knife from the garter of her stockings while dashing into the gunman’s chest. In one smooth motion, she had plunged the blade into his stomach, unmindful of the string of expletives that poured out of his mouth in unison with the blood from his wound.

She retracted the weapon as he roughly backhanded her away.

The blank glaze in her eyes showed no pain and in the same instant she lunged for him. The knife sunk deeply into his jugular as more rounds fired. This time a few bullets managed to hit their mark as they buried into the young girl’s flesh.

Mechanically, she started to drag the gunman’s body towards the vehicle he had been driving moments ago. Dumping him haphazardly into the back seat, she didn’t bother to push his dangling limbs in completely. Finding the keys still in the ignition, she started up the car and drove off.

Not once did she seem aware of the serious wounds dotting her slim frame. She would continue to drive long into the night towards the edge of the city until the car runs out of gas and she runs out of blood.

--

The morning would come to greet Gwen with warm blanket of sunshine and a serenade of birds. The red-haired youth rubbed away the sleep from her eyes as she rose from the bed. The fatigue of travels proved to be easily remedied by a good night’s sleep and the aroma of pancakes wafting into her room proved to be an even better balm.

Gwen quickly got dressed to join her cousin for breakfast, eager to start her day. In the kitchen, Ben was already in his uniform, finishing off his own pile of syrup-drenched pancakes. He greeted her with what she could only guess was a “Good morning”, given how stuffed his mouth was.

“This actually looks pretty good.” Gwen noted as she sat down across Ben before digging into the food.

“Cup of joe?” Ben offered, holding out the pot of freshly brewed coffee.

“No thanks, milk will do.” She waved her hand, reaching for the pitcher of creamy liquid.

“Okay, I gotta go. I’ve probably got a mountain of paperwork waiting for me.” Ben grimaced, “I should be back by five. The spare key is under the potted plant on the porch. And please, Gwen, get something nice. You’re just here for the summer. I have to live here.”

“Keep that up and I might buy something absolutely out of date just to spite you.” Gwen sweetly warned while batting her eyes.

“Could you at least clear the table for me?” Ben sighed.

“Why not? I’m in no rush.”

“That’s real swell of you!” Ben grinned and promptly rushed out of the house, leaving Gwen to finish her meal alone.

After clearing the table, the young woman spotted the day’s newspaper and decided to scan the articles. The paper was little more than an assortment of gossip columns and editorials, which when compared to the actual news of the crime rate reaching an all time high was far less depressing for the female Tennyson.

Suspected murders and a string of disappearances were definitely not something Gwen wanted to read about this early in the day. To get her mind off the morbid subject, she spent most of the morning unpacking her things and getting settled in.

It would be near noon when she was finished and ready for lunch.

What better time to visit the store after sampling the local cuisine? A hot dog from a vendor wasn’t quite the nutritious or glamorous meal she had envisioned but it would have to do for now. She’d let Ben show her the prime eateries later that night.

As she strolled down the streets, she noticed a cluster of younger women sneaking glances at her before snickering to each other. Now, Gwen wasn’t the sort who easily conformed to fads. She was quite proud of her ability to reject the trends and kept to the more traditional, if not conservative, styles of fashion.

But she didn’t realize that she could easily say this back home with her friends who wore the same manner of clothing as she did. Out here in the big city, well, she felt quite out of place and far too self-conscious to her liking.

Maybe Ben’s right. As they say, when in Rome do what the Romans do. She mused and headed down the streets in search of dress shops. Gwen had such high hopes of buying herself something that the majority of her generation wore, until that is she caught sight of the prices.

It was quite a shock for the red-head. How could such a small amount of fabric cost so much? Even more shocking was when she learned the other stores charged more. The money she had brought wasn’t going to be enough for her it seemed.

While it was likely that Ben would offer to loan her the money, Gwen thought it feel too much like charity. Gwendolyn Tennyson was a modern woman and modern women never took charity.

This was supposed to be a vacation, but it wouldn’t be much of one if she couldn’t very well afford anything. And so the rest of the afternoon was dedicated to finding herself a part-time job.

--

At the far end of a chain of stores was a large building with an unusually small entrance. Above the door hung a gaudy banner that read “Charmcaster’s Charming Clothes” and in the small display window was an equally gaudy sign declaring “HELP WANTED”.

Through the doors, one would find a cramped store with a rather unique décor of skulls and bones. Mannequins clad in sequined and beaded dresses surrounded a full length mirror, as if vying for a glimpse of their reflection. Bolts of fabric stretched out across the walls, draped over unlit light fixtures and acted as a makeshift curtain leading to the back room. Ottomans and cushioned stools cluttered the rest of the red-carpeted floor, barely leaving room for a counter where the store’s proprietor stood.

Her long, platinum white hair fell in waves down to her back as if in protest to the current trend of bobbed hair. The lids of her amethyst eyes were painted heavily in iridescent green, while her lips shone an almost venomous shade of purple. With ring-adorned fingers, she adjusted a glittering brooch as large as her fist. Whether said piece of jewelry was real or faux one couldn’t say. But something about the silken blouse that wrapped tightly around her breasts made it seem irrelevant. Her long, feather-covered skirt cinched at waist and draped over full hips. The hem ended just at her ankles to reveal bare feet and colored toe nails.

The telephone on the end of the counter rang and she swore beneath her breath. “That had better be good news.”

“Madame Charmcaster, I can’t find Chloe no where.” The feminine voice on the other end drawled.

“What? Just when I found a replacement for Mimi, I’m going to have to find another girl?” the older woman groaned, “Just keep looking for that little hussy and tell her to get her rump here tonight before I put a curse on her!”

Without saying goodbye, she slammed the phone back on its receiver. She glared hatefully at the help wanted sign, “I’m beginning to think that’s going to become a permanent fixture in this joint.”

And then she noticed a young girl take interest in the sign.

The chimes hanging by the door tinkled gently as the girl walked in. “Good morning. I’d like to apply for a part-time job.” She stated with the brazen confidence of someone who had no idea what they were getting into.

Charmcaster could barely suppress a snicker from forming. “And what can a plain Jane like you do?”

“First of all, my name is Gwendolyn. Second, I’ve worked before, I’m a quick study, and I’m also quite good with my hands. And third, everyone around here says you’re in desperate need of help.” She reasoned.

The older woman smiled, “So you heard I was desperate, huh? Well, sorry hun, you just don’t seem like the type I hire.”

“What exactly are the qualifications?” Gwen frowned.

“For one thing, you have to know how to get all dolled up. By the looks of you, it must have been ages since you were last at a shindig.” Charmcaster smirked. “I mean, please, hun, I think I saw my granny wearing that rag of yours.”

“And I suppose looking like a chicken exploded all over you is all the rage?” the younger woman snorted, folding her arms across her chest defiantly.

The shop owner glanced down at her skirt and laughed. “You got moxy, I like that. Tell you what, hun, you come back here tonight, say around six or so. If you can pass the test I’ll have ready, I’ll hire you.”

“Six it is!” Gwen declared a little too eagerly as she exited.

Charmcaster watched in amusement as the younger woman left. The smile on her face widened even more when she saw the same girl run into a young man with dark hair and earth-hued eyes. From inside her shop she could see him trying to chat her up and the Madame let out a whoop of laughter when Gwen shook her head and hurriedly walked away.

“Lookie who just got the cold shoulder.” The pale-haired woman declared with a cackle as the young man entered.

“She’s new I’m betting.” He merely brushed off Charmcaster’s comment.

“Sure, hun, just keep telling yourself that. It’s not like anyone can possibly say no to the Kevin Levin.” She teased.

“Ain’t that the truth.” He smirked before glancing over at the sign, “She gonna be in here tonight?”

“She might. Another one of my girls is looking to be a no-show and I’m going to need as many hands as I can get. Do you have the stuff?”

“When have I ever failed to deliver?” He countered coolly. “I’ve got the boys bringing it in the back.”

“Make sure it’s not coffin varnish this time.” Charmcaster warned, “Last thing we need is losing Morningstar’s business by accidentally poisoning him.”

The look of distaste on Kevin’s face was unmistakable.

“Oh now don’t be like that. I can’t stand him either, hun. But he’s got cash to burn and he likes to burn it here. Isn’t that what matters?” Charmcaster purred as she sauntered over to Kevin. Her slender, ring-clad fingers began to massage the dark haired man’s shoulders. “Besides, he’s bringing over some friends I plan to schmooze.”

Kevin just shrugged her off, “Just keep him out of my way. Otherwise, I ain’t gonna be responsible for what happens to the bum.” He glowered before pushing aside the curtains to disappear into the back room.

Ben 10 fanfic - First of Summer

Disclaimers:
Ben 10, Ben 10: Alien Force and their respective characters belong to Man of Action.

Author’s Note:
This is an Alternate Universe story set during the prohibition era of the 1920’s. There are no aliens here, or powers, or magic. And yes, this is also a spin-off of my earlier drabble “Almost” only there are certain differences which you will have to find out on your own.

--

Chapter One: Sitting Pretty

Evening had settled in Central Park with an air of warmth that gently nudged away the last traces of spring. Summer was coming to the city, ushering promises of beautiful venues for picnics and dates. But tonight, even with the balmy wind blowing through the trees and slipping past blades of grass, there was a chill lingering in the darkness.

Few people wandered Central Park when the night came, only the hansom cab drivers would venture along the cobbled streets. The horses’ hooves would canter noisily past iron-cast lampposts, down familiar stretches where the couples riding within would cozy up against each other. But even these working men with their trusty steeds would keep to the well-lit portions of the park.

Unlike two figures seated on a bench located in the very heart of the park.

Silently they sat, one leaning back to take a long drag from his cigarette, the other nonchalantly feeding imaginary pigeons. The lamppost a few paces away flickering to life every so often to briefly illuminate their features.

They were both young men in the prime of their youth; both sported tailored suits, both had hair as dark as the night sky on a moonless night, and both had eyes that belied their experience despite their age.

That was where their similarities ended.

The younger of the two, albeit by just one year, kept his short hair slicked back, out of his gray eyes. His frame was slender; slight even, the fabric of his clothing giving no indication of the toned muscles he possessed. He had a certain softness to his face. One might almost say cherubic if it weren’t for the grim line his lips took, marring his otherwise gentle appearance. His hand dug into the paper bag of stale bread crumbs, absently tossing them out before him in sporadic intervals.

The older of the two allowed his hair to grow longer and free of the oils the other men wore in their locks. Uneven bangs fell before his earth-hued eyes and he’d blow these strands away between exhales of cigarette smoke. Unlike the gentleman seated beside him, his broad shoulders weren’t so easily concealed. His rugged features matched his physique, and an aquiline nose that gave him a more menacing look whenever his brows would knit together.

Like now for instance.

Flicking the ash from the edge of his cigarette, he spoke nonchalantly, “Times are tough, ain’t they, Edwin?”

“They sure are, Kevin.” The younger man agreed in the same tone.

“Can’t be any tougher that what me and my boys are going through.” He snorted before taking another drag of his cigarette.

“Says you, just last week Joey went missing.” Edwin retorted, throwing a handful of crumbs to the side in an arc.

“Two nights ago Fiver never showed up.”

“Let me guess, the very same Fiver Bongo got into a scrape with over that flapper? I thought he left town with her.”

“Fiver ain’t the type to up and leave for some bird.” Kevin sounded amused, still keeping his gaze affixed on the night scenery before him.

“Are you trying to say something, Kevin?” Edwin asked, echoed by crinkling of the now-empty paper bag.

“Naw, I’m just wondering if the truce is still on.” He shrugged, before dropping his cigarette to snuff it with the heel of his shoe.

“Of course it is. I wouldn’t be foolish enough to waste resources when a more profitable compromise can be reached.” Edwin scoffed as he rose to dust his hands and suit clean.

“Hard to say, since I don’t think you’d be dumb enough to admit it if it was you.” The older man grinned in open mockery.

“I hold you in the same regard.” Edwin stated in the same tone of contempt.

An owl’s hoot drew both men’s attention and wordlessly they departed into the shadows. Both men were greeted by his motley crew of individuals.

“So what’s the word, boss?” The larger of the two men flanking Kevin asked.

“I ain’t sure if it is the Tricks making our boys vanish. But it looks like they got problems of their own.” That bit of news helped to ease the suspicion. “Fingers, I still want you to tell the runners to keep their eyes peeled.” Kevin added, taking a quick glance over his shoulder at Edwin’s retreating figure.

“What’d he say? What’d he say?” The giddy youth beside Edwin repeated over and over.

“Ace, if you’d let him get a word in edge-wise we might know.” A petite man frowned as he nervously kept watch of the park’s surroundings.

“It’s fine, Ike.” Edwin smiled, “Shame Ben couldn’t make it tonight, I just acquired some information he’d like to hear.”

“Where is Tennyson, anyway?” Ace continued, “Not like him to be all ghosty when we meet with the Chains.”

“Tennyson’s at the station.” Ike answered.

“I thought the sergeant promised he wouldn’t make Tennyson do the paperwork at night?” Ace quickly continued.

“Not that station, the train station. Honestly, Ace, your mouth moves far too quickly for that lump in your head you call a brain to keep up.”

Edwin just laughed, enjoying the banter between the petite liaison officer and the young part-chauffer, part-runner. Still, even with this light hearted mood, he couldn’t shake off the nagging sensation that something sinister was going on.

In fact, both Kevin and Edwin felt this in their gut. And both men found it frustrating that they had no idea what to expect.

--

Benjamin Tennyson sighed irritably as he got up from the waiting bench to stretch his legs. His dark green eyes glanced up at the clock and frowned at the time. It was half past nine and the schedule on the roster had promised the arrival should have been quarter to eight. He had been waiting for nearly two hours for the train to arrive at the station and was starting to lose his patience.

Finally, a high-pitched whistle sounded and Ben peered into the darkness, barely making out the locomotive’s shape as it chugged steadily towards the station. At the familiar noise, the crowd surged onto the loading platform, eager to get on with their travels and to put this annoying delay behind them.

Ben simply waiting by the entrance to the loading platform, no way was he going to get trampled and jostled just for the sake of picking up his guest. He watched the steady stream of bodies alight the train and searched for the familiar face from his youth.

A slender female briskly walked past him. He wouldn’t have noticed her if her suitcase hadn’t hit his leg rather painfully. And she wouldn’t have noticed him if he had not let out a yelp.

“Oh, sorry about that!” the girl gasped, turning to inspect the damage she had caused. “I was just in a hurry and... wait, is that you, Ben?”

“Gwen?” Ben blinked, partly unable to believe the attractive (if not dowdily dressed) girl before him was the very same cousin he used to pick on when they were younger. Though they were of the same age, Ben now had to tilt his head down in order to meet her gaze.

“So it is you! You’ve certainly grown.” She smiled, bright-green eyes tapering into jovial slits. Her fingers ran through her bobbed fiery-red hair before she reached out to tussle Ben’s dark brown locks. “I remember I used to be taller than you.”

“Tell me about it in the car.” Ben interrupted, rubbing the spot on his leg briefly before taking one of Gwen’s suitcases from her.

“You have a car? How ritzy of you.” She grinned in genuine admiration.

“I wouldn’t say that, it’s just grandpa Max’s Rust Bucket.”

“That old heap’s still running? Wonders never cease.” Gwen chuckled as they walked to the aforementioned vehicle.

“She ain’t a breezer, but at least she runs.” Ben shrugged, tossing in Gwen’s luggage into the back.

“I guess this old jalopy’s the only thing a rookie cop can afford, huh?” The young woman shook her head as she got in.

“Yeah, well, it does have sentimental value.” Ben responded as he climbed in shortly after her.

“I can see that,” Gwen smirked, spying the chips on the dashboard she and her cousin had accidentally made when they first rode in the car. “By the way, thanks for putting me up at your place.”

“I figured you could pay half the rent while you’re here.”

“Very funny Ben.” She frowned.

“Nice to see you still can’t take a joke.” It was Ben’s turn to smirk.

It was a comfort for both cousins to see that some things haven’t changed. They reminisced as they drove through the night, trying to get caught up with each other’s lives. It had been nearly a decade since they had last seen each other and that was when their grandfather had taken them on a drive to their uncle’s pig farm.

“At least you don’t spend all your summers on the farm.” Ben noted.

“Uncle Henry told me to stop coming when he realized the farm hands were looking at me differently.” She blushed, despite the self-confidence she often projected she still felt quite awkward about her appearance. Even if there was little reason for her to feel that way.

“That why you don’t dress like the other girls?” Ben was quite accustomed to seeing women with shortened skirts and bare arms. The image was a stark contrast to the long sleeved, low-hemmed skirt of Gwen’s dress.

“I never understood why you had to show skin to be considered an independent modern woman.” She frowned in distaste.

“That’s a good thing in your case, I guess.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Gwen narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

“Nothing, it’s just the big city’s dangerous compared to your small town. And well, let’s just say I’ve seen things happen to girls that I don’t want to see happening to you.”

“Thanks for the concern.” The young woman smiled as she yawned, “But you’d be surprised at what I can do.”

“Uh huh, just try not to draw attention to yourself and you should be just fine.” The brunette suggested.

Ben 10 fanfic - Almost

Disclaimers:
Ben 10, Ben 10: Alien Force and their respective characters belong to Man Of Action. Man Of Action also owns my first born twins for making Gwevin canon.

Author’s Notes:
This is part Alternate Universe, part “What If” set in the roaring 20’s to mid 30’s during the prohibition era. There are no aliens, no mutants, and no magic powers of any kind. As far as the setting is concerned, life is just the bee’s knees and the cat’s pajamas.

If you come across any historical inaccuracies be it slang or attire, I offer my apologies. Having inspiration strike at 1 am leaves little room in my brain for coherence to do research.

This was inspired by a particular fan art I came across in DA, which can be found here: Speak Easy

Reviews or Constructive Criticisms are welcomed and appreciated.

--

Kevin Levin was many things.

A fine mist of cigarette smoke permeated the room, mingling jealously with the scent of rich wine and heady perfume. The white noise of laughter and idle chatter hummed casually on a layer beneath the soft melody playing from the piano. Beneath the relaxed exteriors of the crowd bubbled an inexplicable anticipation.

There was going to be something different about tonight. Though nothing seemed out of the ordinary, every beating heart inside the room could sense a storm brewing. There were those who could not stand the suspense and shyly excused themselves for the night. The rest continued on, braving the mounting tension building.

The gilded doors standing guard at the far end of the room opened, ushering in more than just the cool night air.

He was dangerous.

A young gentleman barely two decades old strode in. There was a calm arrogance about him, from the way he studied the faces of the crowd with his dark, earth-hued eyes, to the way he coolly shrugged off his coat revealing pin-stripes draped along broad shoulders. He tugged loose the knot of his black, silken tie before freeing his raven hair from the fedora housing it.

“Good evening, Mister Levin.” An attendant greeted and proceeded in gathering the man’s things into his arms.

“I’ve told you all to call me Kevin.” He frowned, disliking formalities.

The servant blanched before profusely apologizing and quickly excusing himself. Another attendant appeared, offering Kevin a glass of whisky before briefly whispering into the dark-haired man’s ear a bit of news.

Good news, it seems, from the way the corner of his lips curled into an almost feral grin.

Kevin’s eyes scanned the crowd before resting upon the vision of a young girl just one year his junior. He knew her by name and by face. But they had never been properly introduced.

The girl’s fiery tresses were hidden beneath a cloche hat adorned by feathers, which she adjusted now and again with a gloved hand. He smiled as his eyes traced the barely-concealed curves that he found so alluring.

What truly enticed, he would even go so far as to say entranced, him were her eyes.

Her rich, bright-green eyes that revealed so much about her and at the same time carefully kept him at bay. He had seen them glow with a light of their own or cloud over with a darkness so chilling at the drop of a hat.

He was shrewd.

He walked into the room as he continued to observe the young woman. He noted a group of youths were eyeing her the way he was and narrowed his eyes at them. Their leader, Kevin supposed, worked up the nerve to approach her and for a moment, she looked interested.

Kevin frowned, estimating the threat this other man posed, but he soon dismissed this notion when the man simply left. The girl looked slighted before storming away in a huff. Fate would her walking straight at him, would it?

He flashed her a warm, normally disarming smile.

She ignored him and headed straight for the door.

Kevin didn’t seem fazed. With a snap of his fingers, several attendants suddenly locked the door. Preventing anyone from entering or exiting.

“Preventive measures, miss.” A servant explained, “Never can tell when a cop is snooping about, miss.”

He was selfish.

“Perhaps I can keep you company while we wait for this lockdown to let up?” Kevin offered, a hand snaking its way around the girl’s waist.

She stiffened at his touch, “I’d much rather risk it with the cops than spend another minute here.”

“What’s the rush? There’s plenty of things to do here.” He continued, ushering her into a private room where a group of men were playing poker. “You like cards, don’t you Gwen?”

“Gwendolyn,” She corrected. “And should I be worried that the infamous Kevin Levin knows my name?”

“You’ll see soon enough.” He grinned wickedly and felt her shiver in his arms. A cough was all it took to get two players to fold out of the game.

Kevin knew he would win. No matter how poor his hand, no matter how small his bet, Kevin Levin always won.

His club.

His rules.

He was manipulative.

Apparently, no one informed the young girl of the rules. She was cleaning him out deal after deal. The only thing keeping Kevin’s temper in check was the look of feigned innocence on her face. He found it absolutely adorable and befitting her even if she was a bona fide card shark.

When he got bored playing along, he subtly signaled to the dealer that it was time Miss Gwendolyn was made aware of the rules.

“Well look at that, a royal flush.” Kevin grinned, taking more delight on the look of disbelief and abject horror on the red-haired girl’s face than in his victory. “Seems to me you’re not only broke, but you owe me. Quite a bit.”

“I-I’ll pay you back. Just not tonight.” She stammered, hands folded primly on her lap. It was obvious she was doing everything she could to keep herself calm.

“Oh but you will be paying me tonight.” His voice smooth as velvet while he motioned that they be left alone. “I’m sure we can work out the details.”

Despite the calm mask of bravado she wore, Kevin could see her fidgeting in her seat. “I’ve had my eye on you for a while now, Miss Tennyson.”

“So this whole thing is just a set up?” She looked genuinely offended, “Whatever happened to old fashioned courting?”

“Funny to hear that from a flapper girl like yourself.”

“I only dress the part!” She snapped hotly.

“Oh really?” He leaned forward, raising her chin upwards with his hand. “You’re telling me you’re as inexperienced as they come?”

The sudden flush of color across her cheeks confirmed it. “Th-there is nothing wrong with wanting to save myself for the right man.”

“No, there isn’t.” His drew his lips so close to hers they were almost touching. “But I just think it’d be such a shame if you knew nothing about pleasuring the right man.”

Gwen pulled herself out of Kevin’s reach. “Well you are not that man. So what you think doesn’t really matter to me.”

He was many worrisome and undesirable things.

Kevin’s expression turned ugly, she had resisted all his previous advances and had enough of her teasing. He pounced at her, upsetting the poker table in the process. His lips closing over hers to muffle the shriek that would follow as he pinned her struggling form to the floor.

He held her slim wrists overhead with one hand while the other explored every nook and curve of her writhing body. He breathed in deeply, noting how her skin smelled of peaches in the morning sunshine and how her freed hair reminded him of lavender. His lips continued to press against hers in a bruising, possessive kiss.

But when he saw the tears in her eyes, he froze.

Things weren’t supposed to go like this. He had imagined in his head that she would cave to his charms as all the other girls had. They would eventually give themselves to him when they realized how much he desired them.

He had never had to take a girl before.

And he realized he didn’t want to, especially not this one.

This spirited, quick-witted, enigmatic girl he had seen dancing between the fringes of the club’s lifestyle and her conservative upbringing. He used his resources to learn everything about her, to draw her attention and to lure her here. Here, where the odds were in his favor and he had completely control of everything.

Everything but her, it seems.

He released his hold on her wrists to brush away strands from her tear-streaked face.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered. “I want to be the right man for you. I just don’t know how.”

Gwen continued to silently cry, burying her face in the crook of his neck. “You big dummy, you should have just told me in the first place.”

But at least he was not completely without morals.

Why Not Me? - Epilogue

Disclaimers:
Ben 10 and its respective characters belong to Man of Action.

Author’s Notes:
Thanks for making it this far into the fic Hope you liked it. Reviews and Constructive Criticisms are more than welcomed.

--

Epilogue: For Now

A smoking wreckage lay where the Megacruiser’s gladiator arena had been. Half the audience stand had been obliterated, reduced to little more than rubble. The remaining seats were empty, devoid of spectators as those that did not initially perish scrambled to flee into the teleportation room.

Shrapnel was imbedded in nearly every surface, the ceiling, the remaining arena walls and a massive mountain made of solid crystal. Sheltered behind this towering structure were two figures as far apart in appearance and personality as possible. The smaller one of the pair was a young, human girl who had caused a large portion of this once grand source of entertainment to explode. She was standing behind the larger of the two who, despite his current appearance, was a fellow human.

“Well? Can you get the ship working again?” Gwen asked, trying to peer over the hulking boy’s shoulder.

“Yeah, but a lot of it is toast.” He nodded, though the disappointment in his voice was unmistakable.

“Can it get us back home?” The red-haired girl pressed, chewing on her bottom lip.

“It’ll take a while, but yeah we’ll get back home.”

Gwen sighed in relief, “Think you can maybe fix the communicators on this thing? I’d like to be able to let Grandpa and Ben know-”

“I can’t.” He replied a bit too hastily. “Those were the first things to go when you zapped Slix. Not to mention the remaining escape pods are out of order and the teleporters are fried beyond repair.”

“Great, is there anything that’s working?”

“The engine’s working, so is the cloaking device and the living quarters of the ship looks fine.”

“At least we won’t have to sleep in the holding bay.” She shrugged mid-yawn. The fatigue and exhaustion finally catching up to her. The last of her strength gave out and her knees buckled. Pride forced Gwen to declare she just tripped as she was about to sit down beside Kevin.

With heavy-lidded eyes, she watched him work. Every so often she’d doze off, her head eventually resting against Kevin’s shoulder. The instance her skin felt fur she’d sit back up, cheeks bright crimson and rambling with apologies.

“You should go get some sleep. I really don’t need your help with this.” Kevin smirked.

Stubbornly, Gwen shook her head. “I know that. I just,” she trailed off, still looking embarrassed. “I just thought you might want some company.”

The older boy looked at her blankly before lifting Gwen into his arms. This time more aware of how delicate and small she was. And especially how well she conformed to his own mismatched body.

“Wait! Kevin! What are you doing?!” She gasped, limbs flailing.

With one hand carrying the gutted remnants of Slix, Kevin carefully cradled the struggling girl with his remaining arms. “I can’t concentrate with you interrupting me every five minutes with your apologies. So I’m going to the living quarters to work there.”

Gwen stared up at him, the apples of her cheeks blossoming pink. “You, you don’t have to carry me. I can walk fine on my own.”

“Right. And I’m supposed to believe you just tripped while sitting down. How does that even work?” He snickered.

“Okay, fine! My legs gave out earlier but they’re working now!”

“You walk too slow.”

“How would you know? I’ve only been running like crazy this whole time.”

“That wasn’t running.” He scoffed, “This is running.” And in that instant he charged down the hallway.

Gwen cried out in alarm, arms winding tightly around Kevin’s neck in surprise at the burst of speed.

He skidded to halt once they got to the living quarters. “See? I told you, you walk too slow.” He smirked before carefully setting her down on a bed.

“If I weren’t so tired I’d blast that grin off your face.” Gwen narrowed her eyes, barely able to suppress a yawn.

“Yeah, yeah, you can use magic strong enough to shut down a cruiser. Which, by the way, I end up having to fix.”

But Gwen wasn’t listening anymore as sleep finally managed to claim her. Kevin just stood there, watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest. He brushed a stray strand of hair away from her closed lids.

When she didn’t so much as flinch, the older boy allowed a wicked glee to flash across his face.

Gwen didn’t suspect a thing.

The escape pods were operational, he had shut them down. The communications were working, he shut those down too. As for the teleporters, well, he destroyed those.

He wasn’t planning on stranding her there. Far from it. He still wanted to go home. After all he still had a score to settle with Ben.

But out here in space, things were different. Out here, he could use his powers unchecked. Out here, he didn’t have to worry about hiding or keeping himself out of sight. Out here, he had Gwen.

Out here, Gwen trusted him, cared about him. And if he were to take Slix’s promise seriously, Gwen belonged to him. There were few things he could really call his own. And for as long as he could, he wanted to call the lithe, delicate girl sleeping in the bed his.

Leaning over her, he softly whispered, “Don’t worry, I always take care of what is mine.”

Why Not Me? - Part 5

Disclaimers:
Ben 10 and its respective characters belong to Man of Action.

Author’s Notes:

Like Part Four, I had a hard time writing this. Action scenes break my brain (and quite possibly my reader’s).

--

Part Five: I Predict A Riot

Kevin had suggested the female Tennyson reveal her powers in the upcoming match. This might interest Slix enough to personally visit her the way he did when they first arrived. If that ever happened, well, she was to take him hostage or blast his head off.

“Or whatever you feel like doing.” He shrugged when Gwen shot him a look of indignation.

Either way, they’d be able to take control of the ship.

“This plan is so not going to work!” Gwen groaned inwardly as the droids escorted her out of the cell. She was pushed roughly into a caged platform that slowly rose into the stadium.

“Esteemed guests, I have something very special planned for you tonight.” Slix’s oily voice boomed over the speakers. “Our former champion Technorg is disqualified from participating as punishment, having been bested by our new champion!”

Cheers erupted from the stands as Kevin entered, confident and arrogant as always. “But that’s now what makes tonight so special. We all know how hard our gladiators fight to stay alive so why not reward them a little bit?”

Following shortly after Kevin were the rest of the gladiators, wary about what Slix meant by reward.

“Here, we have a little treat for our gladiators: A juvenile human, known to be a delicacy to many races and as an exotic pet to others.”

A spotlight flashed over Gwen and the audience let out a collective “Ooh” of appreciation.

“The first gladiator to reach the human gets to keep this little prize. To do with whatever he wishes. Now doesn’t that sound appealing?”

At this, the shackles and restraints on the gladiators were removed.

“You have got to be kidding me!” Gwen yelled out in disgust.

“Oh but that’s not all. Following the rules of Last One Standing, the champion of the tournament gets to go back home.”

A shriek from an alien impaled by Kevin’s petrosapian hand signaled the start of the match. Instantly the gladiators turned on each other, any camaraderie they’ve shared forgotten, friendships and alliances dissolved for the prize of being able to go home.

Some of the fighters opted to briefly band together to take on Kevin, the biggest obstacle to their freedom.

The dark-haired boy seemed far more pleased than worried at his situation. “Come on! I can take you all on!” he roared, blocking the jab of a mastodon-like creature’s tusks before snapping the bone in half.

But as powerful as Kevin was, he would soon be overwhelmed by their numbers. They piled onto him, stabbing, slashing, trying to draw blood or maim him. Kevin did his best to retaliate but still the blows descended and he knew he couldn’t keep this up much longer.

Damn it, he growled, I’m not going to lose here!

Above the battle cries and sounds of clashing metal, he heard someone calling him. “Kevin! Kevin, are you alright? Answer me!”

“A little busy here!” He snarled from beneath the heap of bodies. He was too focused on keeping himself from getting skewered or bludgeoned by whatever weapon or limb the other gladiators possessed.

As were the rest of the warriors.

Only the audience was witness to the small girl escaping her cage when one of its walls just decided to melt off. Gasps swelled in the stands as the spectators watched in utter amazement as a cyclone formed in the arena with a mere wave of the human’s hand.

Another wave and the twister sucked in several gladiators to deposit them roughly into the stands.

The fighting aliens realized that Gwen herself could prove to be a threat and made a dash for the young girl. But they’d find themselves being pulled in by the ground or having it shoot up from beneath their feet.

When Kevin managed to get his bearings, he charged after the others. The look of fury on his face sent a shiver down Gwen’s spine. The female Tennyson didn’t understand why he was looking so angrily at her of all people. She was only trying to help him while sticking to the plan.

He’s probably mad that I had to help him. Typical guy machismo. She frowned.

Indeed it was partly wounded pride that made Kevin’s blood boil. He wasn’t strong enough to handle things by himself and had needed her help. But what truly flamed his temper was that Gwen using her powers was meant to just be a surprise.

That was it. Nothing big, nothing that could be seen as a liability or anything anyone could consider a threat.

She was now in so much danger because she had tried to help him.

He charged past the others but not without throwing a punch or two from behind. He scooped her into his furred arms, absently noting how light she was and how easily she fit against his massive chest.

“What the hell were you thinking?” He snarled, pyronite arm outreaching to blast a jet of flames at the approaching enemies.

“Sticking to the plan? Duh.” She rolled her eyes, “You said to show my stuff, so I did. And I saved your sorry butt in the process.”

“Making them realize you can kill them wasn’t part of the plan.” He snapped, leaping into the air to narrowly avoid a flurry of strikes.

“But I wasn’t going to kill them.” She reasoned.

“As if they would know. And I thought Ben was the dumb one.”

“I am not dumb!” Her own temper flared, Kevin had hit a nerve with that comment.

“And it looks like our champion has claimed the human!” Slix’s voice declared. “But who shall emerge victorious?”

“You just stay out of my way. I’ll take care of the rest.” Kevin instructed as he lowered Gwen on the other side of the ring.

“What? No way! You saw me out there! I can help you win this thing and then we could just get back home without needing to get to Slix.”

Kevin would hear none of it, “Just shut up and stay put!” he barked before charging at the oncoming opponents.

The young girl was not about to sit idly by, not when this opportunity presented itself. Using a combination of brute force and magical assistance, the two earthlings managed to whittle down the number of their opponents.

Until, at last, only three figures remained.

The earthquake Gwen summoned assured the gelatinous alien’s life as she leapt across the widening crevice to push the fallen gladiator to safety.

“Ugh, this goop is worse than Stinkfly’s.” Gwen gagged, wiping away as much of the alien’s viscous body as she could.

“You didn’t have to save him, you know.” Kevin gruffly muttered, landing behind her.

“I wouldn’t have to save him if you just eased up. He had surrendered.”

As the two bickered, guard droids rolled in to herd the fallen gladiators back to the holding bay, while others appeared to repair the ring.

“Whatever, hey Slix! I’ve won, now send me back home!” Kevin bellowed.

“Ah but that was simply the qualifying round.” The cloaked figure of Slix teleported into the arena. “The actual tournament starts now.”

The owner of the Megacruiser undid his cloak to reveal his true form as a sentient machine. “To get home, you must simply defeat me. Simple, isn’t it?”

“This is too easy. I can take you on in my sleep.” Kevin laughed.

“We shall see.” Slix would have smirked if he was capable of facial expression. Panels in his body lit up and the wall behind Kevin suddenly shot out at him.

“Kevin!” Gwen screamed, racing off after the older boy. A tri-pronged claw painfully clamped down on her arm and drew her against Slix’s cold body.

“I was never aware you humans were capable of such things. It’s a pleasant surprise, if I might add.”

“Oh so now you respect me?” Gwen snapped, struggling to free herself. If she only knew about Slix’s trick, she wouldn’t have cast so many spells before. She could barely stand as it is, let alone summon the energy to free herself.

“No, I just see potential to draw an ever bigger crowd with you. If I weren’t such an honest business man, I’d revoke you as the champion’s prize and have you as one of my new gladiators.”

Another panel glowed on Slix’s, and a wave of guard droids rolled in, each carrying a neural-staff.

“But since I am true to my word, I must dispose of the current champion in order to keep you.” Slix explained, tightening his hold on Gwen’s slender arm.

The young girl grit her teeth, refusing to cry out in pain.

“Those neural-staffs are only meant to stun,” Slix motioned with his other mechanical arm as the droids began to stab at Kevin, “But if enough of them are applied at once, they can completely shut down a creature’s bodily functions.

“For example: Breathing.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Gwen gasped, eyes wide in horror as she watched Kevin battle against the robot guards.

Gwen was not the only one exhausted, she could see Kevin’s speed dying down and his strikes weren’t as strong or accurate. The first of the rods caught him from behind, before another and another and another joined the fray.

Tears stung at the young girl’s eyes as she watched helplessly. This is all my fault, she realized, Slix is going to kill Kevin because of me.

“It’s quite a shame, really. He was such fun to watch. The audience said so in their review forms.” Slix cackled, or a machine’s equivalent of a cackle.

And at that, Gwen snapped.

With her palm facing Slix, the young girl summoned every last ounce of strength she could and cast a spell directly into the sentient machine’s body.

Several light years away from planet Earth, the enormous Megacruiser was at a standstill. It hovered silently, the engines barely humming, as if the entire vehicle had ceased all activity. From the outside, it looked like an innocent cargo transporter was merely undergoing maintenance.

This peaceful illusion was shattered when the hull of the ship exploded.

Why Not Me? - Part 4

Disclaimers:
Ben 10 and its respective characters belong to Man of Action.

Author’s Notes:
I had the hardest time writing this part. Please excuse all the glaring plot holes.

--

Part Four: Move Along

When Gwen’s eyes finally adjusted to the darkness she realized there was a figure standing by the grate. From the awkward shape, Gwen could tell it was Kevin. How long had he been standing there? Had he been staring at her? Was that grate strong enough to keep him from getting to her?

“K-Kevin?” she stammered, remaining in place. Her heart may go out to him, but she was still scared of him. Of what he was capable of.

“It’s Gwen, right?” He murmured, his voice unusually gentle.

“Y-yes.”

“Could you answer me something?” Thick, furred fingers rested on the grate.

“Depends. What is it?”

“I get that you goody-goody types would save your own family, but why would you try to save someone like Technorg?” Or me, for that matter.

Gwen frowned, a little offended at being called a goody-goody. She huffed, “It’s only natural for us goody-goodies to save people no matter who they are.”

“So those you save aren’t all that special to you.”

Tilting her head, Gwen looked at Kevin curiously. His form was different from a human, making it impossible to use the same tell-tale signs she must be making. But he was still human. Some things shouldn’t be too different, should it?

She noticed how his mouth was pressed into a grim line, the way the shoulder of his top pair of arms drooped and his inability to meet her gaze with any of his three eyes. Gwen had no idea why Kevin seemed, well for lack of a better word, disappointed by her answer.

“Not necessarily.” She ventured. She spied his eyes taper questioningly and continued “Sometimes the ones we save aren’t special to us at that moment, but they might eventually become special to us.”

It was Kevin’s turn to observe Gwen. He noticed she her knees pulled up to her chest, the way her hand absently tugged at the hem of her shirt, and that she was avoiding his gaze. She was trying to make herself appear smaller. She was scared of him but was trying her best not to let it show.

The dark-haired boy found it amusing.

“Does that answer your question?” Gwen chirped with a tilt of her head.

“It’ll do.” He grunted, leaning against the grate.

--

From a small slot on the bottom of her cell door slid a tray filled with a runny, gray mass. Entering promptly after it was the spell book.

Gwen brightened considerably as she retrieved the small tome.

“What’s so special about that book?”

“Oh, it just might get us home.” She grinned, sitting back down on the cot to scan the pages.

Kevin blinked. Did she just say us? “You got a plan?”

“Maybe. I have to make sure of some things first.” Gwen didn’t sound as confident as she would have liked. Especially since she realized she had unwittingly included Kevin in the equation.

“And you actually think it’ll work?” Kevin sounded more than just skeptical, arms folded across his chest.

“If it doesn’t, there’s always Plan B.” Gwen carefully kept her eyes fixed on the spell book. After all, until that moment, she didn’t think she’d need a Plan B.

“Small one,” a gruff voice cut in. The young girl looked up to find a large silhouette appear beside Kevin. It was Technorg. “You should know why you’re being kept separate from the rest of the gladiators.”

“I thought it was because Slix thinks I’m too delicate to be a gladiator.” She snorted.

“That may be the case,” The large alien ignored the indignant glare Gwen shot him. “Since the only time Slix keeps anyone in there is if he wants them alive for the next match.”

The young girl didn’t think she liked where this conversation was going.

“When the mood strikes him, Slix offers a prize for the gladiator who meets certain conditions. It varies from being the last one standing, or killing the most number of opponents.”

“So what does that mean, exactly?” The young girl was sure she didn’t like where this conversation was going.

“The only thing I know for certain is you will be in danger. But for saving my life, I am honor-bound to serve you. And that entails keeping you safe.” The behemoth explained.

This didn’t sit well with the young girl, “As cool as it is that you’re willing to do all that, Technorg, this arrangement sounds a little too much like slavery for me. I saved you because it was the right thing to do.”

The large alien shook his head and lumbered off to brood in a corner.

Kevin snorted, mismatched eyes peering at Gwen. “Well someone’s self-righteous.”

“I thought the term was “Goody-goody”?” Gwen retorted, once again scanning her spell book. She’d have to find that teleportation spell and fast! But even if she did find it there was no guarantee she’d be able to master it in one sitting. After all, if it was such a simple spell, wouldn’t Charmcaster or her uncle Hex use it all the time?

To her dismay, the spell indeed was far more complicated than expected and required ingredients she had never heard of before.

“Looks like I’ll have to come up with Plan B after all.” She sighed, resting the small book on her lap.

Think, Gwen, think. Her mind ordered. You’re on a spaceship. Didn’t those spaceships on all the sci-fi cartoons Ben watched usually have escape pods?

Even if there were escape pods, how would she be able to navigate it back to Earth? She didn’t even know where she was in the vast universe. So many missing pieces, so many variables to account for, so many things she didn’t know or couldn’t figure out.

A cry of frustration escaped her lips, “Why can’t I come up Plan B?”

“Maybe it’s ‘cuz my plan would work better?” Gwen heard, rather than saw the smug arrogance displayed across Kevin’s features.

“Right, I’m supposed to trust you, the guy who keeps trying to kill my cousin.” She remarked with a roll of her eyes.

“Hey, a few minutes ago you were willing to trust me in your first plan.”

He had a point. She was planning on taking Kevin with her. As much of a threat Kevin proved to be back home, the red-haired girl couldn’t bring herself to leave a fellow human being behind. Reluctantly, Gwen agreed to hear out the misshapen youth’s idea.

Why Not Me? - Part 3

Disclaimers:
Ben 10 and its respective characters belong to Man of Action.

Part Three: Capitalize

She hurt. Everywhere. Every muscle, every fiber, every cell in her body screamed in agony if Gwen so much as breathed too deeply. She was lying on a small cot within a room that smelled of grease and tar. If she could open her eyes without feeling a million white hot needles jabbing at every inch of her skin, she would have seen the strange figure hovering beside her still form.

“The effects of the neural-staff should be wearing off soon.” The same metallic voice stated. “You’re quite lucky to have survived that match. Though I suppose that’s the only thing that has kept your species alive all these eons. Given how delicate you humans are.”

As the minutes passed, Gwen’s body gradually regained its normal sensitivity.

“To be quite honest I am highly disappointed that I ended up beaming a human, a juvenile one at that, instead of the Petrosapien.”

He’s talking about Ben! Gwen realized.

“You humans make for very poor gladiators. You barely pass as an entertaining opening act.” The figure chattered, “Dying so quickly and so easily, my audience doesn’t pay to see that. It’s a good thing I happen to have some customers who would be willing to pay handsomely for exotic pets.”

By now Gwen was back to normal and at the mention of the word “pets” her eyes flew open in indignity. “Excuse me? Who do you think you are? Humans are capable of a lot of things so we don’t need to be super-mega-huge or ultra-mondo-strong!”

“I am certain I’m Slix Vigma, entertainer and owner of the Megacruiser arena. You humans are so proud, of what I haven’t the slightest idea. Though I suppose I could use you as a sort of challenge for the next match...” A slender finger tapped at his head producing and metallic ringing. “It’s brilliant! Excuse me, I must make the necessary arrangements.”

“What? Wait!” Gwen reached out to grab Slix but her fingers only grasped empty air. It was only now when she was alone in a strange room did it dawn upon her that she might never get back home.

No, no, that couldn’t be true could it? Her grandpa Max and cousin Ben must be doing everything they can to look for her, right?

Right?

Tears welled up in her eyes as she fought to blink them back. She wasn’t going to cry, if she did she was admitting defeat. If she cried, it meant she was still a liability and therefore only excess baggage. If she cried, it meant she couldn’t take care of herself and still needed saving. If she cried, it meant she was just as useless now with magic as she had been without it.

Wait, she could use magic! There must be a spell somewhere that would allow her to travel through space or at least send out a message to her family. She reached into her pocket only to be disappointed that her spell book wasn’t there.

Slix must have taken it from her after that fight in the arena. She’ll have to get it back then. The first thing she needed to do was get out of this room.

But before she could so much as stand, the door swung open and two robots entered. They were unarmed, much to Gwen’s relief. She didn’t want to take another hit from those neural-staffs. The robots positioned Gwen between them and practically carried her out.

“Where are you taking me?” She asked them and was met only with silence.

They brought her to another room that resembled the first one, only this one had a grate of sorts on one wall. The holes were big enough to let Gwen slip her hand through to reach the other side, but there was no way in hell would she even think about it.

For the other side of the grate was the holding bay for the gladiators.

One of the robots’ chest panel opened up to reveal a monitor displaying Slix. “Don’t get too comfortable to your new quarters. You won’t be in here for long. You get one last meal and one favor. So long as it’s not the ridiculous request of being allowed to go home or being freed, I will see that it is granted.”

Though words last meal did not sit well with Gwen, but at least she could get her spell book back. “I’d like my book back.”

“Is that all? Consider it done. You’ll have your bound sheets of compacted fiber with ink printed on it along with your meal.”

The robots unceremoniously dropped Gwen onto the cot before exiting, locking the door behind them. Now all she had to do was wait and she’d be on her way home. Everything would be all right.

Right?

What about Kevin?

Part of Gwen blamed him for getting her into this mess. If he hadn’t shown up, Ben wouldn’t have fought him. And if Ben hadn’t fought him, he wouldn’t have timed out. And if Ben hadn’t timed out, she wouldn’t have had to push him out of the way. It was all Kevin’s fault! She should just leave him behind!

But another part of her couldn’t really bring herself to blame him. From what Ben had told her, it sounded like Kevin had a really hard life. She couldn’t imagine being abandoned. Forced to grow up on the streets. Alone. Shunned and feared and called a freak. And when he finally found a kindred spirit, he would end up trapped inside a monster’s body.

She could see why he chose to reject their offer of joining them. If all you’ve ever known about life was cruelty and prejudice, you’d be wary of kindness, distrustful of hope. What more the unspeakably alien concept of love?

She knew she would if their positions were reversed.

Gwen didn’t feel sorry for him. No, it was much deeper than mere pity. Her heart broke for him. The more she thought about it, the more she couldn’t bring herself to blame him. And before she realized it, her cheeks were wet with tears.

“Did they hurt you?” Someone asked.

Without thinking she whispered back “Not as much as they must have hurt you.”

--

He was bored. Bored of sitting around this wretched prison they referred to as the holding bay. Bored of having nothing to do unless he wanted to get zapped by those blasted rods the guard droids toted around. He hated it. Being bored would lead to his mind wandering and it would inevitably lead to thinking about Gwen.

Kevin didn’t want to think about her, because whenever he did he’d always see the vivid vision of her in pain. For some strange, unknown, undeniable reason, whenever he saw that horrible image, he hurt. The pain was in no particular spot but it was there, somewhere.

The door to the prison swinging open was a welcomed distraction. Even if it was just several droids ushering in a patched up Technorg. Kevin didn’t so much as bat an eye when the aforementioned alien marched up to him. The dark-haired youth fixed his gaze on the wall directly in front of him.

“’Sup, loser.” He greeted, emphasizing the word with sadistic glee. His razor-tooth smile widened when he heard the large alien’s shackles rattle.

“I wish to ask you a question.” It was an order, not a request.

Coolly, Kevin canted his head at Technorg. “Sorry, not interested in you being my bitch.”

The derogatory word obviously meant nothing to the behemoth as he proceeded to ask “What is your relation with the small one?”

That was certainly not what Kevin expected to hear. He quirked the only brow he possessed, “What’s it to you?”

Technorg didn’t respond and instead left to brood in a corner.

Again the boredom returned and Kevin soon found his thoughts wandering. This time it was about the fight. Specifically the direction of Technorg’s eyes when Kevin had attacked from behind. Why would the large alien be looking down? His sneak attack came from above, there was no way Technorg was staring at Kevin’s shadow.

Something was going on with the ground, but what? The dark-haired boy marched over to the larger alien’s corner.

“Hey, loser, I’ll tell you what my relation to the “small one” is and you answer a question of mine.” It was an order, not a request.

“Proceed.” Technorg nodded.

“She’s just the cousin of the guy I want to kill.” He stated, it was true but not the entire truth. In his defense, he wasn’t entirely sure what she was to him. “My turn. When you were about to go and kill her, you suddenly looked surprised and was looking down. Was there something weird about the ground?”

“I would not call it weird, but yes. There was something amiss. It had become unusually soft and I could not move away.”

“That’s it?!” That didn’t explain much.

A door opening was heard and Kevin turned towards the noise. Strange, the door to the holding bay was still shut. It took the light filtering in from the grate on the opposite end of the prison to discover the source.

Why would anyone be kept separate? It could have been curiosity that made Kevin approach the grate, but he’d say it was because he was bored. Either way, he was soon close enough to hear a voice. Her voice.

He kept his silence until the droids left her alone.

Darkness washed over the room and Kevin found himself content to simply watch her. He stared intently, seeing first the inexplicably brave face from earlier. Then her look softened into worry, concern. He could see a strange kind of anguish in her eyes and again, he hurt.

His fists clenched when he saw a solitary tear trickle down her cheek. Followed by another. Then another. Until twin streams dampened her cheeks.

At this, he asked “Did they hurt you?”

She replied without the slightest trace of hesitation. “Not as much as they must have hurt you.”

And at this, Kevin vowed someone had to pay.

Why Not Me? - Part 2

Disclaimers:
Ben 10 and its respective characters belong to Man of Action.

Part Two: Die Another Day

There was a dull pounding in Gwen’s head, like a jackhammer had been given free reign over her skull. She forced her eyes open, seeing blades of grass dancing before her. She rose quickly, shaking off the dizziness and steadying herself against the RV her grandfather fondly nicknamed “Rust Bucket.”

“Grandpa!” She gasped, seeing the elderly man lying motionless to one side. She rushed to him and gave a sigh of relief when she found he was simply unconscious.

“You’re gonna pay for that!” Her cousin Ben cried, the voice a clear indication he was in his Diamondhead form. Her eyes widened as the memory of what had happened just seconds earlier surged into her mind.

The three of them, Gwen, her cousin and grandfather were driving on the highway when a fireball came at them. Max swerved out of the way, the RV skidding out of control before it crashed against a tree growing off-road. The three quickly got out of the van to inspect the damage. A large shadow loomed over head and Gwen remembered feeling a dull pain on the back of her head before darkness washed over her.

“You think you can take me, runt?” the taunting of a distorted voice roused Gwen from her reverie. She turned towards the sound and her grew saucer-wide. Not at the sight of Kevin fighting against Ben but at the flashing light coming from her cousin.

In the blink of an eye, Ben had timed out!

Luckily the only time her cousin managed to keep his wits about him was when he was fighting. He leapt out of the way, barely missing being impaled by the shards Kevin shot at him.

Gwen rushed to Ben’s aid, her hands fishing in her pocket for her spell book. Kevin spat out sticky mucus in an attempt to trap Ben. He would have caught the younger boy if Gwen hadn’t dived in to push her cousin out of the way.

The red-haired girl didn’t like getting slimed and though she hated to admit it, Ben stood more of a chance of bringing Kevin down than she did. Rather than the viscous liquid, a bright flash of light engulfed her.

Gwen found herself landing on a rocky surface. With a groan she got up, waiting for the static buzzing in her ears to die down. When her vision cleared, her jaw dropped. She never seen so many aliens gathered in one place before.

“Hey, what gives?!” She heard Kevin growl.

“Esteemed guests, let us welcome our new challengers!” A strange, metallic voice announced.

“Ch-challengers?” Gwen echoed, getting to her feet in disbelief.

“Will they be able to survive a match against our current champion Technorg? Or will they perish, like all the others before them?”

The ground started to quake as a gigantic alien, easily twice the size of Fourarms stepped forward. Her eyes took in the armor plating his body and the massive mace where his left hand should have been.

“Prepare to meet your doom!” The large alien bellowed before charging straight at the odd pair before him.

He raised his arms for a hammer blow, which Kevin had no trouble meeting head on. Multiple limbs struggled to gain the upper hand, but this lasted but for a moment as Technorg knocked Kevin aside as if he was merely swatting a fly.

Seeing this, the icy fingers of fear gripped at Gwen like a vice. She stood, frozen, like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. Had Kevin not suddenly tackled the behemoth, Gwen might not have had the chance to gather her bearings and run.

From a safe distance she watched as Kevin battled against Technorg and it was becoming more and more evident that Kevin was losing. Despite the older boy’s attempts at Ben’s life (and indirectly hers), Gwen understood that she had a bigger chance of surviving if Kevin won. She had to do something.

And once she managed to dig up her spell book, she did.

--

“You think you can take me, runt?” Technorg taunted as his kick caught Kevin squarely in the chest. The force knocked the dark-haired boy a good distance away, stopping only when he smashed against the arena wall.

“I ain’t no runt.” The dark-haired boy growled. His pride was more injured than body, considering just seconds ago he had used the very same words on his hated enemy, Ben.

“Tell you what, I’ll go finish the smaller one first to give you a chance to rest.” Technorg snickered, turning his massive back to Kevin.

Mismatched eyes widened in fury, nobody turned their back on Kevin Levin. Nobody! With a sharp kick, Kevin propelled himself from the wall, hands clasped together to deliver a hammer blow.

He took immense satisfaction at the look of disbelief that flashed across Technorg’s face before Kevin delivered a flurry of attacks. It would only be later that Kevin would realize that Technorg’s eyes were looking down when his expression changed from smug to shock.

Later, being the operative word.

For now he was too busy using all the abilities his alien parts had to bash Technorg senseless. An uppercut using Diamondhead’s arm powered by Fourarm’s insane strength sent Technorg soaring into the air in an arc.

With the same hand, Kevin focused on using XLR8’s speed to shoot out a wave of razor-sharp shards at his opponent. No one seemed to notice a bed of rocky-spikes were conveniently protruding where Technorg landed.

The behemoth groaned in pain and dread. He had been beaten and now he would have to pay the price. Peering through heavy lids, Technorg saw Kevin casually stroll towards him until the dark-haired mixture of alien parts was standing just a few feet away.

The crowd began to demand Kevin to punish Technorg for his defeat.

“Punishment?” He chuckled with a predatory smile. “What kind?”

The arena exploded into a collective yell for “DEATH!”

Only one voice, one small, delicate voice yelled out “No!”

Kevin looked down to find Gwen standing between him and Technorg. Her arms were raised at her sides as if trying to shield the fallen alien.

“Out of the way, girl.” Kevin warned, eyes narrowing.

“You don’t have to do this.” She reasoned.

“Y-yes, he does.” Technorg rasped from behind her. “I have been bested, it is the price I must pay.”

“Typical.” She snorted, as if not surprised. “Why is it that guys never think that losing today means you still have another shot at winning tomorrow? Or that dying today means you’re a loser forever?”

Kevin stared directly into Gwen’s eyes. Those stubborn, soul-piercing green eyes that showed no indication she was going to back down.

“And why shouldn’t I end him?” Kevin demanded.

“Because then...” Gwen swallowed, obviously carefully weighing her words. “Because then you really would be the monster people said you were.”

Was she really trying to appeal to him with such a cheesy line that could have come straight out of a B movie? If what she said hadn’t been so painfully lame he would have laughed. It would be easy to just backhand her aside so he could finish off Technorg. He probably wouldn’t even feel his hand connect with her skin.

He mulled over his decision. And then he saw it.

The minute quake of her knees that lasted no longer than a second, but he saw it. She was scared, probably terrified that he could, would hurt her. Or kill her the way he would Technorg.

She had to be crazy to try and save anyone but herself. And yet here she was, pleading for the large alien’s life. The very same alien that was just moments ago planning to end hers without a second thought.

It wasn’t fair.

It just wasn’t. If Ben or Technorg could have someone who would risk their life for them, why couldn’t he have someone like that?

With a grunt of suppressed rage and bitterness, Kevin turned his back to Gwen. “Whatever. Just don’t blame me if he tries to kill you again.” And he stalked away.

Before the dark-haired boy took more than five steps, several robots carrying weapons rolled into the arena. They surrounded Kevin, prodding him with rods that crackled with energy upon contact. He cried out in pain as he briefly lost control of his limbs. Heavy, power-draining shackles were clamped around his multiple wrists before the robots forcibly led him away.

Kevin heard a voice, a small delicate voice angrily yelling “Hey! What did you do to him!? Where are you taking him?!”

He glanced over his shoulder and saw Gwen, struggling to get past a robot. She was reaching out for Kevin, as if she could somehow save him the way she had Technorg. He saw her lips moving but she made no sound until the droid pressed the rod against her flesh. She let out a shriek before the pain caused her to pass out.

Kevin didn’t know why but hearing her scream, seeing her hurt enraged him more than anything ever had before. He roared and struck out at a droid, using his cuffs to bash its mechanical head in. The rods descended upon him mere seconds before the darkness did.