Now I have decided to start another story. This time I'm going with a Ben 10 Fanfic. Now this story will not have either the characters of Ben or Gwen. It is all about Kevin, since he was my favorite character in the series and I feel as though they could've done so much more with his character in the show regarding before he joined back up with Ben and Gwen. Also I am not regarding anything from Ben 10 Omniverse because 1) I don't watch it and 2) Kevin is barely in it so there.
I do not own Ben 10 or any of the Character unless I make them up.
Chapter 1: City of Second Chances
-The battle fields of war is what true hell looks like. There are few who experience this hell and live to tell the tale. Those who do survive must bear with those memories for the rest of their lives. They remember the sounds and smells of the battle ground. They remember the faces that were there. Some faces that will never be seen again. But you can't stay in one place and dwell on the past. You have to press on, no matter what happens.-
The Null Void. A separate dimension where the considered scum and criminals of the universe are locked away. Cut off from the eyes of the free public. The organization known as the Plumbers act as the intergalactic police for the more alien species that inhabit this space. However, alien life is not the only life that can be thrown into this prison. The humans of earth may also call this place home. Traitors of the Plumbers and prisoners of the Plumber's rival organization, the Forever Knights, are sentenced here for reasons of their own. However, for their supposed safety, they are kept away from the alien life forms. Locked away in their own specially made community where the Plumbers of Earth can watch them.
A small group of Plumber soldiers were gathered on a small island in a sector of the Void. They stood at attention as they guarded the handcuffed prisoners in the transport base. The captured were waiting to be boarded on the ship's that would take them to their next destination. Among the ranks of the Plumbers, a young lieutenant observed both the soldiers and prisoners. He would be accompanying them back to his base where they were taking the new prisoners. He looked about twenty-three in age, his brown hair was combed neatly back with only a few strands falling down his forehead. His dark brown eyes surveyed the entire area, looking upon each face of the captured men and women. He noted the ones that looked more deadpanned than the others. He let out a heavy sigh at them. Then, from behind him, he heard the deafening sound of a ship engines landing on the docking platform. He turned around to be greeted by the ship's captain as he stepped off the craft.
"Is everything ready for us back at the base?" the lieutenant asked.
"Yes sir," the captain replied with a salute, "They are expecting our arrival as we speak."
"Aright then," the lieutenant said with another heavy sigh. He then turned back to where the prisoners were watching the two. "Listen up!" he began in a commanding voice, "You will all enter the ship swiftly and accordingly. Your handcuffs will be removed as you enter. However, if you do try to resist we will not hesitate in restraining you again. Alright, move out!" he finished signaling the soldiers to begin the loading process. The lieutenant observed as one by one the prisoners were being led on the craft. A soldier removed their handcuffs at the entrance of the ship. Soon there were only a few more prisoners left. The lieutenant was ready to board when he heard someone calling him from behind.
"Lieutenant Grant!" an officer yelled behind him. Grant turned to face him. "Good you all haven't left yet," he said in relief.
"What is it officer? Is there a problem?" Grant asked.
"No sir, we just have another last minute prisoner for you," the officer replied.
"Where did this one come from?" Grant asked.
"He came from another small prison a little ways from here," the officer stated as he turned to see another Plumber soldier bringing the prisoner towards them.
Grant eyes went wide. It was a young boy, at least twelve years of age. He was handcuffed. He had long black hair with bangs that covered his eyes. He had a scrawny body with only small hint of developing muscles which showed he must have been fighting for at least a year in the Null Void. The soldier brought the boy in front of Grant. The boy kept his head lowered, but Grant could still see a small glimpse of his dark eyes. His heart sank at seeing how dead they looked.
"You got a name kid?" Grant questioned, leaning down a bit to talk to him. The boy didn't answer. He kept his gaze lowered at the ground. Grant's eyes softened a bit at the forlorn boy. He could tell there was some kind of pain in the boy's heart.
"The kid won't say anything. He hasn't said anything since we caught him," the officer stated.
"Well then what's his name?" Grant asked the officer, turning his head to look at him.
"Kevin Levin," the officer answered. Grant's eyes widened slightly at the name. Levin? He had definitely heard that name before.
"Why is this boy here in the Null Void?" Grant questioned further. He stood back up to face the officer.
"I don't know all the details sir," the officer began, "We do know the boy is half Osmosian. He was imprisoned at a containment center for alien life."
"Alien life? Why there?" Grant asked shocked.
"Apparently the boy was once some sort of monster when he was first detained. He reverted back to his normal appearance a short time ago and was scheduled to be transported over here earlier than this. However, there was a prison break and the boy escaped during that time. So it took a little longer to capture him and bring him here," the officer finished explaining. Grant nodded his head in understanding of the story. He turned his head slightly to glance down at the boy again. Kevin still had his head lowered.
"Levin," Grant thought as his eyes narrowed, "I wonder if this is Devin's son. The one Gilliam mentioned."
"You two are dismissed," Grant stated to the two officers, "I'll watch this one."
The two officers saluted him and walked away from them. Grant kneeled down to the boy and removed the handcuffs around his wrists. Kevin was surprised a little by the man's actions, but he remained silent. He finally looked up at the man, rubbing his wrist as he did. Grant smiled slightly.
"Listen, I don't know what exactly happened to you before you came here kid. I won't question you about it either," Grant stated comfortingly as he stood back up, "Just don't draw attention to yourself and I swear you'll be alright. Okay kid?"
Kevin didn't respond, but only gave a slight nod in understanding. Grant smiled down at him. He placed a hand on Kevin's shoulder and directed him towards the ship. Kevin didn't take two steps before he noticed that a man had bolted out of his position in line. The man screamed in rage as he tried to escape from the soldiers. However the soldiers were able to quickly tackle him to the ground and restrain him. Kevin watched the scene with wide eyes. His heart was beating faster with fear as he watched the soldiers punch the resisting man repeatedly to try and subdue him. A hand on his shoulder startled him. He looked behind his shoulder to meet Grant's gaze.
"Like I said kid, don't draw any attention to yourself," Grant stated to the boy. Kevin's body relaxed at his words. He gazed at the scene one more time before heading into the ship. As he entered he heard Grant's voice behind him commanding the soldiers to take the resister to private holding.
Kevin looked down the center aisle of the ship. He saw the other prisoners with bored expressions on their faces as they waited for departure.
"Sit there," Kevin heard Grant say. He looked back up at the man. Grant motioned towards the empty bench next him in the front row. Kevin let out a quiet sigh but obeyed and sat down. He leaned his head against the wall next to him and gazed out the small, circular window that was there.
"We're ready to depart. Tell the captain," Grant commanded the young soldier. The soldier nodded and exited the craft, closing the door behind him. Grant then took a seat on the bench next to Kevin. "You still won't talk to me, huh kid?" Grant said amusingly while side glancing at the boy. Kevin glanced back for only a second before returning his gaze to outside the window. Grant chuckled, "Suit yourself kid."
Suddenly the roar of the ship's engine picked up. The craft slowly hovered off of the ground. It wheels retracted and it turned to face the direction of the destination. Then the ship took off. It sped towards the final destination.
They had been traveling for at least an hour now. Kevin had watched the Null Void pass by his window the whole time. His gaze was focused. Not looking at anyone, not talking to anyone. His only focus was on what was to come for him. After an hour, he closed his eyes to try and fall asleep, but sleep never came. He closed his eyes and images of his past began flashing before him. Images of his life in the containment center. How he fought nearly every day to stay alive among the savage alien prisoners. He saw himself as the monster he once was. He remembered Kwarrel. The only who helped him through that time. Because of him, he was now human again. He was a dear friend. Then those images faded away and images of the breakout became clear. He saw the other prisoners fighting against the Plumber guards. He saw the image of him and Kwarrel running through one of the tunnels to escape while being pursued by the warden. He remembered Kwarrel telling him to go on ahead as he held the warden back. Then he heard it. The sound of a gunshot. Even a child knew what it meant. Kevin remembered the feeling of his heart sinking as the sound echoed in his ears.
"Kid. Kid. Wake up, were nearly there," Grant's voice called out. Kevin's eyes shot open. He surveyed his environment and quickly remembered where he was. In Plumber custody, on his way to some unknown destination. Kevin looked back out the window. His eyes narrowed at what he saw. Outside was a large metal dome atop of a large island. Whatever was inside was completely cut off from the Null Void and any other world for that matter.
"Welcome to the Null City kid," Grant said in a monotone voice. Kevin's eyes went wide with awe. There was an entire city in there! It seemed plausible. The dome itself was indeed large enough to hold a city as large as New York, maybe even more than that.
The craft circled the dome until it came upon a landing dock. The ship lowered itself slowly onto the platform. As soon as it landed, its wings retracted and the bottom of the ship was clasped onto a track underneath. The tracks turned the ship towards a large opening in the dome. The tracks moved the ship like it was a small train. It entered the dome and the entrance closed behind them. Kevin was in even more awe as they entered. Though he knew the dome was purely metal on the outside, on the inside it looked as though he was back on Earth. There was a slightly cloudy sky above them that was completely identical to the real thing.
"Looks like they're going to make it rain today," Grant joked as he shot a glimpse outside. Kevin wasn't listening to him. He continued his gaze outside. The ship soon came to a stop at loading dock that resembled a train station.
"Kid, listen," Grant said in a whisper while looking down at the floor. This time Kevin's attention was turned to the lieutenant. "When we get off this ship, there is going to be a lot of soldiers watching the prisoners," he began to explain. Then a smirk formed on his face, "However, I doubt that they'll notice one kid disappearing. Especially near the eastern gate, where there aren't many guards," Grant finished then stood up.
Kevin was confused at first, but it soon turned realization. He didn't understand why this man was telling him this, but he didn't question it. Nothing about the man indicated that he was a threat to him. Kevin decided it would be okay to listen to his advice. He waited till the adults on the ship got off and followed at the end of the line. Once he was outside, he looked around and saw multitudes of both plumbers and prisoners entering and exiting other ships that resembled his. He looked to his side and saw that Lt. Grant was the one guarding the door. Grant wasn't looking at the boy. Kevin saw this as the signal to go now. He thought of first thanking the man, but decided not to. Carefully he made his way past, heading towards the eastern gate he was told about, making sure that no other soldier would see him. He was a few feet away when he looked back. He saw that Grant was looking at him. Kevin intensely gazed back and Grant turned away from him.
"Thank you," Kevin whispered quietly to himself. He then continued towards his destination, swiftly and carefully making his way through the crowds. Meanwhile, Grant was approached by a higher ranking general.
"Are all the new prisoners present and accounted for lieutenant?" the general asked.
"Yes general, this is all of them," Grant replied with a salute, "I'll leave them to you now."
"You're not accompanying us?" the general questioned as Grant began to walk away.
"Sorry sir, but something important has come up with a friend of mine. I need to pay him a visit," Grant explained. He gave the general one last wave before continuing on his way.
Kevin had successfully made his way through the crowds of the terminal and had nearly made it to the eastern gates. That lieutenant was right. The only guards he could see were the two that were guarding the entrance. However, there was a portion of the concrete wall in which the guards wouldn't be able to see him. Swiftly, he raced towards the wall, ducking into decorative bushes to avoid detection. He successful made it to the wall. He was panting heavily and had his back pressed firmly against the hard concrete. He then looked up the 50 ft. high wall itself. It was simple enough for him to scale. He pressed his hand against the cold surface. He concentrated hard and his body was soon covered in a grey concrete armor that matched the wall. He turned his fingertips into stone claws and dug them into the wall. Slowly he began to climb up the wall. He was careful not to make a sound and luckily his body blended perfectly into the wall so that he couldn't be seen.
After a long, tedious climb, he finally reached the top. He lifted and propped himself atop the wall. He took a moment to catch his breath and take in his surroundings. He eyes fell upon the large Plumber base a ways behind him. The building was huge and towered over everything else. Kevin sneered at the building before turning away from it.
"Now what?" Kevin asked himself. He then looked to his right and saw a tall building a good few feet away from his position. The building wasn't as tall as the wall he was sitting on, but it was tall enough that if he could successful land on it he wouldn't get hurt. Kevin braced himself and took in one large breath before leaping off the wall. He reached out for the edge of the building as he fell. With his stone claws he grasped the side of the building. His eyes were clenched shut as he grabbed it. He slowly opened his eyes and saw that he was safe.
"Okay, now for the hard part," he said as he looked to the ground below. Then he felt his grasp on the edge beginning to slip. "Shit!" he exclaimed. Then his grip failed and he fell to the ground, landing with a large painful crash. With a groan he got up and his armor shell depleted, returning him to normal. Thank god for his armor. It had prevented him from getting even more hurt.
"Well I guess that way works too," he said while rubbing the back of his head.
The next half hour was spent just wandering the streets of the city. "Is this really a prison?" Kevin questioned himself as he walked through the street. He was shocked to see that it truly resembled any regular city back on Earth. The streets were lined with various shops and restaurants. There were numerous apartment buildings and condos that housed families and singles alike. Cars, bikes, and buses passed him by, filled with even more residents of this large community. There were even a few people walking the streets with him or sitting at various benches and bus stops.
Kevin didn't know what to think of all this. It had been so long since he had been in this type of environment. It reminded him of his days living on the streets of New York. He then heard a low rumbling. He looked up towards the sky. A small drop of rain fell on his nose and he saw that the simulated clouds overhead definitely indicated rain.
"Heh, looks like that guy was right," Kevin said aloud with a smirk. It wasn't long before the sky opened up and rain poured down onto the streets. Around him, civilians ran to get out from under the rain as it fell. Kevin didn't care, he allowed himself to be soaked to the bone. The rain felt and looked real to everyone else, but Kevin knew it wasn't. It wasn't the real rain that was on Earth. It was simply another illusion created by the Plumbers that ran this place.
He continued to walk through the streets as the rain now pelted his skin. He knew he had to find some kind of shelter soon. He looked around and saw what looked like a scrapyard. He decided there might be something in there that would be a sufficient shelter, at least for him. He walked through the open gate of the chain link fence that surrounded the yard. He looked around at the various pieces and discarded metal and broken down cars. He stopped walking a few feet from the entrance. He couldn't help but feel like he was being watched.
"What do we have here?" a cocky male voice said to Kevin's left. Kevin looked to his left and saw an older looking teen smirking at him. He reminded Kevin of the punks he used to face back in New York. He also noticed the teen was holding a metal pipe like a weapon. Kevin's eyes narrowed at this, but he remained unmoving. He then saw about five or six other guys, assumingly the members of the first guy's gang, surrounding him from behind.
"I don't want any trouble," Kevin stated calmly, "I'll just leave."
"You think we just let damn brats like you enter our spot and then let you walk out just like that?" the leader stated darkly holding up weapon-like pipe. His gang members laughed as well. Kevin let out an amused huff, much to the annoyance of the gang leader
"You really don't want to pick a fight with me today," Kevin stated with a smirk and raised brow. The leader was taken aback by the twelve-year old's unshaken confidence. It almost scared him, but he wasn't about to show it.
"You little punk! I'll teach you some respect!" the leader shouted at him. He then raced towards Kevin, holding his metal pipe up, ready to strike him down. The pipe was only a few inches away from colliding with his skull when, to much of the teen's surprise, Kevin stopped it by grabbing it tightly.
"What the hell!" the teen shouted in surprise.
"Like I said, you really don't want to pick a fight with me," Kevin stated angrily as he glared fiercely at the teen. Kevin was then absorbing the metal of the pipe in his grasp. The gang leader's eyes widened in horror as he witnessed the boy's body being covered by the metallic material. Kevin then took his metal fist and collided it with the teen's jaw. The blow knocked the teen back away and into a nearby old, rusty car. He was instantly out cold.
"Who'd like to try next?" Kevin said turning to the rest of the gang. The others were horrified at what they just witnessed. No one had ever knocked out their leader like that. Especially not with just one punch. Especially not some young kid.
"G…get him!" one cried out. Then all of them together rushed towards the young Osmosian.
"I'm glad you were able to come out for this, Gilliam," Lt. Grant stated to his friend. Gilliam nodded in response as he drove through the pouring rain. His steely eyes remained focused on the road ahead as the rain pelted his car's wind shield.
"Normally I would ignore calls from you this late," Gilliam began, "However, when you mentioned Devin Levin's son, I guess you got my hopes up." Gilliam was a man well into his late thirties. His physique was that of a strong fighter. He had a handsome and intelligent look to him. His dark brown hair was laid back and spiked slightly in the back. He also wore a trimmed goatee on his chin that stopped at the edges of his mouth. His obsidian eyes looked intense and were full of much wisdom from years of experience.
"I know that you and Devin were good friends back in the day. I also remember you telling me that he told you he had a son. When this boy, Kevin, was brought to me, I figured that I had to tell you," Grant told his friend. Grant had known Gilliam ever since he was stationed at the Null City base. When he had first met him, Grant instantly saw an intelligent and strong leader before him. They became fast friends. Even though Gilliam was no longer an official Plumber, Gilliam would give Grant important information about the event of the city and in exchange, Grant would report on anything strange within the Plumbers themselves.
"Yes well, let's just focus on finding the kid," Gilliam stated, "Are you sure he went this way?"
"He listened to me when I told him to head toward the eastern gate," Grant replied, "Given that; I assumed that he went this way."
"You assumed," Gilliam said with a slight chuckle, "That really doesn't fill me with much confi…" Gilliam stopped mid-sentence and stopped the car.
"What is it?" Grant asked as Gilliam exited the vehicle. Grant exited as well, "Gilliam what…what the hell?!" Grant soon saw what Gilliam had seen. The two had stopped at a scrapyard. Inside the gates, there were about seven guys who lay unconscious on the ground.
"What the hell do you think happened here?" Grant questioned. He and Gilliam walked into the center of the scrapyard. They began investigating the scene around them.
"Looks like there was a brawl…and an apparent winner," Gilliam said humorously as he looked over the unconscious bodies. Grant walked over to an old, dented car where he saw a pair of legs dangling out the side. He grabbed the body and dragged it out onto the ground to get a better look at him.
"Hey I know this guy," Grant yelled over to his friend, "We've been getting calls about him and his group of thugs that have been vandalizing this section of town for a while now. I'll have to report them in now," Grant finished pulling out his Plumber badge to contact some officers. Gilliam wasn't really paying attention to his friend. He continued walking around the yard in an investigative manner. He looked down for a moment and saw that there was a small trail of blood on the ground.
"Grant!" Gilliam called his friend, who had just finished his call. "There's a trail of blood here."
"Blood? Where does it lead?" Grant questioned. Gilliam eyes followed the trail. The trail led to an alleyway that was just past the fence. Gilliam's hand instinctively moved towards his belt where there was a sword sheathed. After thinking a bit about the situation at hand, he immediately retracted his hand.
"Don't follow too close," Gilliam told Grant. Grant was slightly confused, but he trusted his friend's judgment and replied with a nod.
Gilliam quickly walked over to the fence and climbed over it. He slowly entered the alleyway. He placed his hand on a wall and noticed there was a small streak of blood on the wall just below his hand. He continued walked through, his footsteps echoed off the walls. Half way through the alley he stopped looking down at a bruised figure sitting next to a trashcan.
"Well I'll be damned. Look at this," Gilliam said aloud to the figure. The beaten boy looked up at the man now towering over him. Kevin was covered with various scratches and knife marks from his earlier scrap with the gang members. He was breathing heavily with exhaustion. He had stumbled into the alleyway after he took down the thugs, but was too tired to carry on.
"What do you want?" Kevin asked harshly. Gilliam merely smirked at the boy.
"I'm not here to fight, if that's what you think," Gilliam replied to the boy. Kevin's body relaxed slightly. There was something strangely comforting about this man. He reminded him of his friend Kwarrel. More importantly he reminded him of his…father. Kevin then heard another pair of footsteps approaching them.
"Gilliam did you find…oh, I suppose you did," Lt. Grant said a he came upon the two. Kevin's eyes went wide at his appearance.
"You're that soldier from earlier today!" Kevin said to the man. Grant smirked, recognizing the boy from earlier.
"Yes, and apparently you can talk," Grant replied in a joking manner.
"Do you have a name kid?" Gilliam asked, standing directly in front of the boy.
"Why don't you ask your partner? He knows after all," Kevin answered back sternly.
"I'm sure he does," Gilliam said calmly, "but I want to hear it from you." Kevin stared intensely at the man for a few seconds before looking back at the ground. "I'm not your enemy kid. I want to help you, but you have to trust me," Gilliam explained to him.
"Kevin Levin," Kevin finally answered after another couple of seconds of silence between the two. A genuine smile then appeared on Gilliam's face.
"Levin, that's a name I haven't heard in a long time," Gilliam said solemnly. Kevin raised his head in confusion at the man. "Your father, his name was Devin Levin. Am I correct?" Gilliam stated the boy. Kevin eyes went wide.
"Y...You knew my father?!" Kevin asked in shock. Gilliam nodded a yes.
"He was dear friend of mine back in the day. He lived and died a good man," Gilliam stated with a look of forlorn. Kevin's face wore the same expression. Gilliam looked back down at the saddened boy and smile reshaped his lips. "But I bet you already knew that. Right before he died though, I recall that he mentioned having a son. I never once thought that I'd meet him in a place like this," Gilliam told the boy. Kevin let out a small chuckle.
"I bet you think me a disgrace for being imprisoned in this place," Kevin stated to him.
"Not at all," Gilliam responded, "We all make mistakes on the path of life. It's simple human nature. There is not one person out there that is completely good or evil. It is only our decisions in life that shape our future. Those decisions can easily be changed for the worse or the better."
Kevin allowed the man's wise words to sink in. He was right in a way. All his life, Kevin's decision had led him down this pathway to here. It was no one doing but his own.
"Listen, I'm willing to offer you a chance to change your path. Come with me. You can live with my family here, my wife and my niece. You start having a better life, even in a place like this," Gilliam said to him. Kevin's head shot up at the man's words. He was generally shocked by the sudden offer. It was something he had been offered before, by Ben Tennyson and his family. He had refused the offer back then. Back then he didn't believe he needed anyone else and look where that mode of thinking got him. Beaten and broken in an alleyway in a city built within the Null Void. Now he was receiving the same offer.
"Why do you want to help me?" Kevin asked curiously.
"I'm showing the same kindness that your father showed me," Gilliam answered, "He offered me friendship, even though I was considered to be an enemy of his cause," Gilliam finished, placing his hand on the handle of his sheathed blade.
"You're a Knight," Kevin stated aloud when he saw the blade.
"Former Knight," Gilliam stated with a faint smile, "But that doesn't matter here. In this city, both Plumbers and Forever Knights have to live in harmony. We all abide the laws set in place by the stationed soldiers at the base. But you'll learn all this as time goes on. Right now, my offer still stands. Will you accept or deny."
"What's in it for me?" Kevin questioned. Gilliam smirked.
"A roof over your head, a warm meal, a bed to sleep in, and you won't be soaking wet. You'll have a home and a family again," Gilliam explained and extended his hand out for him to take. Kevin stared at the unmoving hand, unsure of what to do.
"You'd better answer quick son," Grant spoke, "There are officers heading this way to clean the mess you made back there. I'm not sure what they'll do if they find you here."
Kevin continued his gazed upon the man's extended hand. Could this really be his second chance? What else was there for him if he refused? It would just like back in New York. Constantly fighting to survive on the streets, whether it would be fending off street thugs or trying to find some sort of food. He would nothing more than another street rat, scrounging around for food and always looked upon in disgust. He raised his gaze at Gilliam once more. He was greeted by his kind-hearted expression. The kindest Kevin had seen in a long time. Not a hint deceit anywhere in his eyes. Kevin let out a heavy sigh.
"Alright," Kevin finally replied in a hushed voice and with a grateful smile. He then took Gilliam's hand in his own.
That's it, that's the first chapter of my new story. It's probably going to be a little more darker than my first one. Now this doesn't mean I've given up on my previous story. I intend to finish that one. I just wanted to get a start on my new one. Here's hoping you guys will enjoy this one too.
Please review and tell me what you think so far.