"Man, this is so unfair." Ben groaned from the backseat of Kevin's car. Arms crossed and pout on his face to show how upset he was.
Gwen rolled her eyes at her cousin's behavior. "Stop complaining Ben," she closed her laptop, leaning back in the passenger's side seat and sighed. "It's just one family dinner party. It's not like it's going to kill you."
Ben scoffed, "Do you not remember Grandpa's cooking?" she did and Gwen gave a small shudder at the thought of eating her grandfather's cooking. Both Tennyson's stomachs were already churning at the thought. "Besides Sumo Slammer The Movie is playing tonight and I can't miss it," Ben leaned forward, a wide grin on his face. "Come on Kevin, let's drop Gwen off at her house and then head over to yours and watch Sumo Slammer: Fight For Justice and Might!"
"No." Kevin used one hand and pushed him away in the backseat, making a sharp left so he wouldn't come back up to the front. "That show is stupid and lame and I'm not watching it again." he could remember the first time he watched it and how bored and pathetic he felt. That show was so stupid, he didn't know how it stayed on the air.
Ben rubbed his cheek, he hit it against the window when Kevin turned. "Party-Pooper." he huffed, crossing his arms again and glaring at the back of Kevin's head.
"Whatever." Kevin saw his glare but that didn't both him in the least. He's seen worst and lived through them all.
Gwen rolled her eyes at how the two guys were acting and let a smile come onto her face. "Why don't you join us, Kevin?" she reached out to her boyfriend, her hand going over his on the wheel. "My dad and grandpa said you're more than welcome to come and it'll be a lot more fun with you there." her smile widen when Kevin held onto her hand. It was slow, but they were becoming closer and closer to being like a real couple. They've been holding hands a lot more and a few extra kisses here and there. Gwen was happy with how their relationship was going and if she had to guess she would say that Kevin was happy too.
"Thanks, but no thanks." Kevin dropped them both off at Gwen's house. "But someone's gotta stay on guard while you guys are off eating at your little dinner party. I'm pretty sure both your parents won't let you guys leave if there's an attack." Ben agreed with him there, his parents were still nervous about him fighting dangerous aliens and it was no secret that Gwen's mother wasn't a fan of her powers or what she did. They both knew Kevin was right and if there was an attack they wouldn't be allowed to leave.
"Are you sure?" Gwen tried again.
He nodded, "Yeah, I'm sure. How about instead tomorrow we hang out. You know, without Ben." he sent a glare of his own but the brunette merely shrugged his shoulders and grinned.
"Tomorrow?" Gwen bit her bottom lip and Kevin knew what that meant. "I'm busy tomorrow."
He sighed, trying to keep his cool. Lately whenever he asked Gwen to hang out with him she was always saying she's busy. "Ok, so how about the day after. We could go to the beach?"
She bit her lip once more and looked away for a moment. "I can't."
"Let me guess, you're busy?" Kevin felt his eyebrow start to twitch and his anger rising. He was getting tired of always hearing that she was busy. She was his girlfriend but they hardly ever have any alone time and even when they do it's usually cut short because of some big bad alien that suddenly decided to invade earth. You would think they would have learned by now that they would never win and just leave the planet and everyone on it all alone.
"I'm sorry." she tried to give him a reassuring smile but he refused to look at her.
"Yeah right," he gripped his steering wheel to keep himself from yelling at her. "If you don't want to spend time with me then just say so." that had to be the reason why. What other reason was there for her not wanting to spend any time with him. As far as he knew he hadn't done anything that would make her angry with him and it wasn't like he forgot something important like her birthday or anything else like that. So what else was there expect that she didn't like him anymore and didn't want to be with him.
"That's not it," she tried reacting out to him but he pulled himself away from her touch. "Kevin it's not that I don't want to spend time with you, I like being with you. It's just..." she stopped, not sure how to finish this sentence without it blowing up in her face.
"Just what?" he raised an eyebrow at her, waiting for her to give him a good reason why she suddenly wanted to avoid him so badly.
She moved her eyes to her lap where her hands were playing with the hem of her skirt. "I'm just really busy and I have a project that I need to focus on." She hoped he would accept that answer.
"What kind of project?" he was curious now. He was sure if it was a school project he would have heard her talking about it before but this is the first time it has ever come up.
"Just a project that needs my complete attention." she got out of the car before he could ask her anymore questions.
With the front seat clear Ben pushed it down so he could get out of the car and away from the awkward moment he was forced to sit and watch. Watching a couple fight is really awkward. "Hold it!" Kevin grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him back in his car. "Do you know anything about why Gwen is avoiding me or about this so called "project" that she's working on?" he didn't fully believe Gwen's story and since she wasn't talking he was going to ask the next best person. Her cousin that always seems to be around and never leaves.
Ben pulled Kevin away from his jacket before he ripped it, and him, in two. "Nope, I don't know anything." he grinned and got out of the car.
Kevin scoffed and returned to gripping the steering wheel. "That's the understatement of the year."
"See ya, Kevin." Ben waved off his friend and ran to his aunt and uncle's house. He wondered if they had any fruit. He was craving fruit suddenly, probably because he hadn't a smoothie all day.
"Later." Kevin just gave a small wave.
With Ben gone, Gwen stuck her head in the passenger's window and leaned in closer to her boyfriend. "Are you sure you don't want to join us?" Gwen asked again, hoping he would change his mind. She hated the thought of him being all alone, especially now that they just had a fight. She knew that he didn't have any other friends besides her, Ben, and Julie. Cooper didn't like him because she was dating him and they didn't have any other plumber's kids around for him to hang out with. "I promise we'll keep all of grandpa Max's cooking away from you. We can even make Ben eat our shares." she tried, hoping the thought of seeing her cousin go through some form of humiliation would get him to agree. She knew he liked watching Ben make a fool of himself, and it was no secret that she liked watching it too.
With a smile, Kevin reached for one of her hands again and intertwined their fingers. No matter how much he was angry he could never stay angry to long when it came to Gwen. Something about her calmed him and made him feel happy. It was an effect he's learned to love and cherish. "Thanks but I'm good. Like I said, one of us has to stay on patrol and besides it's a family dinner party and last I check I wasn't a Tennyson." he grinned at her, slowly pulling her closer to him.
Gwen just laughed. "Is that such a bad thing." her eyes were closing and so were his. Their faces were growing closer and closer together, lips ready to kiss each other. They were ready to share a special moment together.
"Gwen!" The moment was ruined before it even started. "Come on! I don't have your keys and I can't break into places like Kevin! Hurry up, I'm starving!" Ben cried, waving his arms around wildly.
The couple groaned at his stupid antics and the fact that he ruined their kiss. "Yeah, being a Tennyson is bad thing if it means acting like him." Gwen silently agreed. Her cousin was acting like such an idiot right now and it was so embarrassing. Also, it was pretty annoying.
"Gwen!" Ben called again and both just groaned at him. "Gwen! Gwen! Gwen!" Ben kept calling, in all different voices. Each one more annoying than the last.
"Alright!" she threw him her keys just so he would shut up.
"Thank you." He grinned, opening the door and running inside to get some fruit.
Gwen just shook her head and sighed. Well that moment she and Kevin were having was over and it left her feeling disappointed. "I'll see you later." she gave him a gentle smile and waved.
"Ok," Kevin returned the smile. "I'll call you later tonight." he hoped she would be willing to sneak out with him to see a late night movie. Maybe Sumo Slammer was lame but there were tons of movies out that they could see together. Ones that weren't a cartoon and not stupid.
With Gwen inside her house Kevin drove home, breaking all speeding laws and outrunning one cop car. He didn't have a license's plate so they couldn't track him and he was known for his speed. No car, or other vehicle, could ever beat him in a speed race. "Now what to do?" he was sitting outside his house, staring up at his car's ceiling. He just got home and he was already bored.
He didn't know anyone else he could call and ask to hang out. The only other person he could think of that wasn't busy was Julie and he didn't really talk to the girl. She was nice enough but she was Ben's girlfriend, or he thinks she is because their whole fight was a big blur to him. All he knew was that she didn't like how Ben was acting and didn't talk to him or something like that.
Cooper hated him because Gwen was his girlfriend and he doubted he would have anything to talk about with the computer geek anyways. He didn't think the kid was into cars and even if he was there was no way he was letting him touch his ride. No one touches it but him, and maybe Gwen. He knew that she wouldn't damage his car and he could at least trust her not to destroy it like everyone else seems to do.
With a long sigh he leaned down in his car. "Guess I'll work on my car." He had been trying to install some new weapons all week but he hadn't been able to because they had to fight some rouge aliens. "Food first." he heard his stomach growl from hunger and headed inside his house. He hoped his mother had cooked, she has been going out the past few nights to be with her lame book club and he had been left to not set the house on fire. His first night alone in the kitchen had left with him leaving a dishtowel to close to the stove and it caught fire, setting the kitchen up in flames. It wasn't his fault he didn't know how to cook, and the fire department said it could have happened to anyone. "Hey mom? I'm home." he called, entering his home and praying even if his mother had gone out there was a plate of food for him to microwave.
"Welcome home, Kevin." he heard his mother's soft voice and saw her sitting on one of their couches, drinking a cup of tea, but she wasn't alone.
"Yes, hello Kevin."
Kevin felt his body go numb, eyes as wide as plates and his mouth kept opening and closing. "Dad?" he nearly fell over as he stared at the man that looked so much like his father that it wasn't funny. This man has jet black hair and eyes just like his father, the body looked the same and even the voice sounded so much like the voice he hears every time he dreams of his long deceased father.
"Close," his father look-alike smiled and stood up from his car and walked towards Kevin. "I'm Marvin Levin. I'm your father's younger twin brother." he grinned, patting his now known nephew on the shoulder.
"His brother?" Kevin's mind was still a blank but it was slowly coming back for him to form sentences. "Dad had a twin?" they may not be full sentences but they were at least understandable.
"Yes," his mother nodded. "I've only met Marvin on a couple occasions but yes he is your father's twin."
Marvin patted Kevin's shoulder again and guided his nephew's still frozen body over to the couch where they had been sitting. "I've been living on our home planet Osmos V so it's natural you don't know me nor do you remember me. After all when your father brought you for a visit on our home planet you were only three years old."
"Wait? What?" Kevin didn't know about any of this. He hadn't known he had gone to the planet his father had been born from. "You never told me this." he looked to his mother, wanting answers.
She gave a sad smile. "Because I know how remembering your father hurts you and I didn't want you to be upset for not remembering or to have you think I was lying."
Kevin frowned. "I would have believed you." he muttered.
"I know and I'm sorry." his mother put a reassuring hand on his knee.
"Ah, such a lovely moment," Marvin grinned. "I can't wait for you and your cousin to meet. Than it shall become a real family reunion."
Kevin felt his mind shut down again. "Cousin?" his mind instantly thought of Ben and Gwen and he hoped that whoever his cousin was, it wouldn't turn out to be like Ben or have the two of them arguing like his two friends always did as kids.
Marvin nodded happily. "My daughter, Alona. She's eighteen, only a year older than you and she travelled with me from our planet to pay a visit to her favorite cousin."
"You're overdoing it again, dad." a female voice was heard from above and Kevin turned his head to the stairs and saw a girl with long black hair and light hazel eyes come walking down the steps of his home. She had on a dark blue shirt with a black vest and a jean skirt with black leggings and boots. Her dark hair reached the to her back and she had a small piece of crystal around her neck, attached to a black cord. She looked a lot like a regular earth girl but Kevin knew better. She was an Osmosian, just him and his father. Suddenly Kevin didn't feel so much like an outsider. He also noticed another important feature on her. "You're a Plumber." he saw the badge attached to her hip.
Alona nodded, her slim hand touching the badge with great care. "Yep. I've been one for the past three years," she looked up at him and gave him a knowing smile. "From the rumors I've been hearing says that you're one too."
Kevin nodded, taking out his own badge. "Yep, I got this last year." he was proud of his badge and took great care of it. Just like his father had taken care of his when he was still alive. So knowing he had family that were also Plumbers was great news for him.
"I'm glad to see you two are bonding so well," Marvin came over and grinned at the two, making sure everyone saw and heard him. "I swear, it's just like the old days when Devin would come up for a visit and you two would play together all the time. Such wonderful memories." he gave a nostalgic sigh that had Alona groaning.
"You're overdoing it again, dad." she put one hand on her hip and sent a look to her father, one that said tone it down.
"I can't help it," Marvin ushered his daughter over to them, eager to get the two cousins to meet.
"I've been waiting for you two to see each other again for a long time and I'm just excited."
"Whatever," Alone only rolled her eyes and held her hand out for Kevin to take. "I'm Alona Levin, your cousin. It's nice to meet you." she gave him a gentle smile and Kevin lifted his hand for her to shake as well.
"Same here. Nice to meet ya." he was dumbfounded. He had not known his father had a brother and he didn't know he had a cousin.
"Were you able to find the bathroom without any trouble, sweetie?" he heard his mother ask her. Well at least he knew why she was upstairs. He had been a little worried that she was in his room. Sure she was family but he had things in there that he didn't want other to see. Such as a certain picture he has of him and Gwen that is hidden under his pillow.
Alona nodded, "Yes, auntie."
Marvin cleared his throat, signaling for everyone to listen to him. "Now that everyone knows each other, I was hoping we could have some tea and cookies and talk, just like a real family." Kevin had no problems with it. He wanted to know more about his family. His mother didn't know much about his father's home world or about their powers. Everything he knows Kevin had to learn through experience and from what others have said.
"Sure, sounds good to m-" he was cut off by his phone ringing and Gwen's voice coming in.
"Kevin, there's been a spotting of Forever Knights in the warehouse just outside of town. We need you to go over there and stop them. According to my data they seem to be -Mom! I told you once I give him the information he needs I'll come to dinner! - Sorry about that. Anyways they seem to be stealing something to help power their weapons. We're counting on you Kevin."
With that said, Kevin put his badge away and ran to his car. "Sorry but we'll have to cut this little reunion short." he had his keys out and was already jumping in his car's driver side door.
"No it's not," Alona jumped into the seat next to him. "You're not the only Plumber here. If you're going than so am I." she grinned, already getting her badge out to track the Forever Knights.
"But...!" Kevin didn't know how he could argue with this girl. He just met her literally five minutes ago and he didn't know how to talk to her without making her mad.
"Excellent." Marvin came next and hoped into the backseat. "I was hoping to see you both in action and it looks like my wish came true." he was grinning in the back and by the way they were, said neither one of them were getting out of Kevin's car.
With a long sigh Kevin turned to his mother and shrugged. "I'll start dinner. You three go do what you have to do." she reassured him that she wasn't angry and with that they were off to fight.
It didn't take them long to find the Forever Knights and Kevin absorbed the matter from his car to start the battle off. He busted through the door, breaking it down and already took down three Forever Knights and he kept going after them. "Not today you creeps!" he punched the next one that fired at him and knocked him and the guy behind him out.
"Stop them!" the leader of the group cried out but it was no use, Kevin could take down these guys with ease.
"Well someone sure likes fighting." Marvin commented, his two arms coated in cement as he punched the few Knights that attacked him. "You're a lot like your father in that aspect. He loved fighting."
Kevin grunted, kicking one Knight in the stomach and throwing him far away. "He did?
"Oh yes," Marvin nodded, punching the next two attackers away from him. "Maybe even too much. He got into a lot of trouble as a child and even more as a teenager. I swear if not for your mother he probably would have ended remaining a hothead for the rest of his life."
Kevin jumped into the air, one arm transformed into a giant hammer and smashed five Forever Knights. "Really?" he smiled, hearing all this information about his dad was amazing and he wanted to hear more.
"Even after joining the Plumbers he was still a hotheaded daredevil that did whatever he wanted. Then he met your mother and suddenly he wanted to settle down and have a family," Marvin jumped on top of the boxes the Knights were trying to steal and looked down at them all. "To this day I still don't know how she did it but I'm not complaining. She calmed him and I can say that my brother was very happy with your mother."
Kevin's mind brought him an imagine of Gwen and how she makes him feel. "I can relate." he smiled, a real happy smile was plastered on his face and he liked it.
"Um...Hello?" Alona fired her blaster at the Knights attacking her and looked over at her father and cousin like they were crazy. "Do you maybe want to have this little family moment in a place where there aren't people trying to kill us?" Seriously, were they that crazy or what?
"You're right." Marvin agreed with his daughter.
"Sorry." Kevin nodded, not wanting to get his cousin angry. Especially not when she has a blaster in her hands and could probably shot him if she wanted too.
"Enough of this!" the leader charged at them, a spear in his hands as he went for Kevin. His spear slashing at his armor, making it slowly start to peel away and reveal his true form. While it wasn't enough to really hurt him, Kevin knew that couldn't let himself get hit with that weapon. It glowed a bright white with red sparks coming out of it. It was an electric spear that was highly advanced and made of pure energy. If he even so much as touches it, he'll absorb it and become a monster all over again. He tried fighting it off but the spear was tougher than his armor and with one final strike he was thrown to the ground and the matter he absorbed was gone and he was defenseless. "Now I've got you." Kevin watched in slow motion as the spear came down to harm his body but all it would really wound would be his mind.
"Not happening." the spear never reached him because Alona got in between them. Her body seemed to give off a faint glow, almost like she was shining as she held the spear in her hand and the energy was beginning to flow into her.
"No, Alona! Let go!" he tried to get her away but the energy was all over her and he couldn't touch her without absorbing some himself. He couldn't do that. He swore he would never absorb energy again unless it was a life or death matter.
"Relax," Marvin appeared next to him, a calm look on his face. "You don't need to worry about Alona."
Kevin looked at him like he was a madman. "Are you insane? That's your daughter and she's absorbing energy. An Osmosian isn't supposed to absorb energy or else -!" Marvin put a hand up, making Kevin stop his mumbling.
"I know but Alona is special." that calm look never left his face.
Kevin still thought he was crazy. "How? Energy is deadly to us. Using it only makes our people go insane!"
"Just watch." Marvin instructed and Kevin reluctantly did. He could only hope that they wouldn't have to chase her down like Ben and Gwen had to do with him.
Alona was still shining but even more now. Her body seemed to glow and she held a small grin on her face, one that Kevin could see was more amusement than that of a crazed person. He's seen enough to know the difference. What was weird were that her eyes didn't change. They still had the same look to them as they did when he first saw her. "Sorry but I'm not going to let you fry my cousin after I only just met him. What kind of family would I be if I let that happen." she joked, kicking the Knight away and doing a small flip in the air to put some distance between them. Kevin could tell by how her body moved that she was like Gwen, she knew karate. "Now it's time for you to get a taste of your own medicine!" with that she put her two hands together and fired a ball of energy at the leader and the rest of the Knights inside the warehouse. The whole time she acted like she always did, her personality never changed and neither did the look in her eyes. She remained the same.
"How...?" Kevin couldn't believe what he was seeing. He was so sure that an Osmosian was never supposed to absorb energy or else risking losing their sanity. Yet he was watching one now and she seemed pretty sane to him.
"Alona is a special girl," Marvin patted his nephew's shoulder in reassurance. "You're looking at the only Osmosian that can absorb energy and not go insane." Kevin stared at the girl that was his very own cousin and gaped in amazement as her body stopped glowing and the energy was completely out of her body and she was as her father said, completely sane and normal.