Prologue
10:30pm. The Groove.
A young teenage male with blonde hair that goes to the nape of his neck, having brown eyes. His muscled arms were holding a mop and dancing to NSYNC's, Bye, Bye, Bye; dancing through it while the mop swished around on the tiled ground. Making a 360 turn and striking a pose, when he felt a sharp sting pierce the side of his neck underneath his collared shirt.
"OW!" Slapping his hand to where he felt the sting, moving aside the golden colored collar to see that nothing was there. "Hmm… Whatever." the teen shrugged it off and continued to work.
6:25am.
A young male with short ash brown hair was on a muddy trail in the forest coming across a downed tree in his way but there was a patch underneath enough to make it through, leaning his back down towards the ground he managed to slide under, trailing mud all over his bare back. Weaving through the trees coming up on a deep ditch, he put all power to his legs, getting enough momentum to leap over it; landing on his two mud tracked sneakers. Continuing onward bobbing underneath a low branch, to come across a cliff; sliding on hours feet trying to halt but was going to fast, when he slid off. Falling down the overhang of the hill, reaching his arms out to the wall his fingers caught hold of an outward rock; hanging there sweat dripped down his face and arms. Breathing heavily giving a slight laugh at the situation.
"Simulation off." the hillside disappeared into a snow white paneled wall, releasing his grip on the brick sized block, landing on the ground watching the room changed its symmetrical features to a smooth cube. Reaching for the full rimmed glasses, removing them to reveal his midnight blue eyes; catching the sound of an air compression door open.
"Kevin, è quasi ora per la scuola, preparatevi. (Kevin, it's almost time for school, get ready.)" A woman in her early forties, that has long wavy brown hair with green eyes told him.
"Lo so mamma. (I know mom.)" Kevin smiled at his mother. "Why are you even speaking Italian, when you can speak English?"
"I just want you to keep up, on your heritage," Elena told her child. "Now get ready , I don't want you to be late on your first day back."
"Yes, mamma."
"Oh, and sweetheart before I forget. Please try to behave and find an outlet for type urge to fight."
"There is, it's called being a spy, kicking bad guy ass."
"I meant like a sport."
"Alright, I check out something, if that'll make you happy." Kevin sighed.
"It does." She took hold of her young son's head bringing it down to her height so she could give him a slight peck on the forehead. "Good, now go, so I can break your score on this." She shooed him away to the sided, giving Kevin a good laugh.
"Huh, you may have been a spy before ma, but that was after five kids ago. So you're not that young anymore."
"Yes and this why favorite son." Elena smiled at him sweetly.
"I'm your only son," Kevin said aloud without even thinking eyes widening in shock; turning back to his mother's sadden green eyes. "Ma, I-"
"Honey, it's okay, we have to move on from their deaths and keep living for them. That's what they want and so would your father." Elena saw guilt filled eyes, placing her palm on her son's right cheek that was plagued by the scar that his father gave him; from a serrated hunters knife. "Non, c'era nulla che avrebbe potuto. (No, there was nothing you could've done.)" She meant that literally, but spoke with concern, but his eyes still filled with guilt not being their not able to do something. "Mi, capisci? (Do you understand me?)" She placed both hands on his face, making him look at her.
"Yes, mamma I understand. But if I was here and not stuck in Italy, maybe I-"
"No, there was nothing you could've done. I'm glad that you came back to me when you did, because if you hadn't I would've lost you too. When W.O.O.H.P. arrived at our door a year ago and I saw you, my prayers were answered that you were finally found and brought back to me; and now I pray I will never lose you again." Elena's voice began to crack and she could feel the tears start to fill her eyes.
"Lei non mi perderai mai , mamma , questo è una promessa. (You will never lose, mom, that's a promise.)" Kevin embraced his mother warmly, her tears flowed out on his chest; for five minutes he held his mother that he hasn't seen and wished for, for years. "I got to go to school," He let her go and began to walk away, turning back around. "Ti amo." He gave her the sign language I love you sign, before he continued to walk away.
"Ti amo anch'io."
Kevin moved to the elevator's steel doors that had no buttons to push, no fingerprint recognition, or retina scans or facial scan; but the doors opened from the imprint of his heartbeat since every humans' is unique. When the doors opened his saw George inside.
"Morning, Kevin. We need to have chat." George said sternly, Kevin rolling his eyes knowing it was better to get it over with now than wait till later. Kevin stepped inside, standing side by his stepfather; the doors slid shut and a beep sounded.
"3rd floor," Kevin said, the lift began to move up from the negatives.
"I know what you did."
"What?" Kevin was left clueless on what he babbling about.
"I know what you did," George repeated, Kevin rolled his eyes.
"I did a lot of things, you are going have be a bit more specific than that Georgie."
"I'm talking about you trying to hack into W.O.O.H.P's database. What were you doing?" George's voice was almost threatening, Kevin heard it and his blood boiled; George was starting to piss him off a bit, not exactly having a high tolerance for his stepfather. Kevin cracked his neck and did a low groan.
"Georgie, it's none of your goddamn business." Kevin turned towards him, George noticed his son's eyes and all they had was anger and contempt in them.
"As your father, I do." George told the young teen; Kevin bit his bottom lip, slowly shaking his head before raising his fist into George's stomach, knocking the breath out of his lungs, pushing him to the wall.
"You will never be my father, because, between you and me, you are the reason my father and my brothers died. Just so you could have my mother, and I already told her this and you know what she told me, Georgie. "He's a good man and I love him, also your father and him were best friends, so why would he do that?"" Quoting what his mother told him. "Because you were in love with my mother and you were jealous, that he had her and you didn't. So you thought the best way to get rid of your obstacle was to kill him, but you took my brothers from me as well." Kevin leaned forward to his ear. "So I can guarantee you, that you will pay." Kevin whispered threateningly, his voice filled with venom that made his stepfather have grow goosebumps and send a shiver down his spine.
"Wow, orphaned in Italy for ten years really fucked you up, but what's else is new. But I'll tell you this you Orphan, I married your mother because I love her; it was tragic that they died." George swiped Kevin's pressured hand that pinning him to the wall off of his chest, Kevin swung his right fist into George's jaw.
"Don't call me orphan."
"Why, that what you are or should I say were since mommy found her long lost child who was trapped in Italy for ten years since you were five and god knows what happened and how you survived. But that doesn't change the fact, that you were an orphan."
Once the doors opened to the clear white hallway, Kevin could feel a tear trying to emerge from his tear duct; but he wouldn't cry he wasn't a sniveling little bitch that he was told at a young age. Kevin turned his back on him and exited the elevator down the hallway, towards his room, remembering his time back in Italy.
Flashback to Italy… Ten years ago…
A 6-year-old Kevin Conner was on his hands and knees, beaten and bruised, tears poured out of his eyes from being beaten day after day since he got here. It's only been 3 months since his biggest mistake, trying to find refuge at a church, remembering the seemingly nice young nun in her twenties, who was slender, big brown eyes and black wavy locks. Her name was Vanessa Montanari.
Flashback 3 months ago.
Vanessa put out her cigarette that she was only halfway through when she heard a light knock on the church door, she shook her hand to get rid of the excess smoke away from her. 'God who is it at this hour?' she turned her head to the clock on the podium to see it was one in the morning. 'God this have better be good.' She grabbed her nunnery hat placing it on top of her hair, once she got to the door, clearing her throat to get into character; once she opened it. To see a young boy with medium length ash brown hair and dark blue eyes that stunned her; she crouched down to eye level with the young child to get a better look at him. Her eyes scanned his body, licking her lips mentally. 'God he's going to be cute when he's bigger and vice versa.'
"Hello, young man are you lost." She said sweetly, the boy's eyes glanced to the side then back to her and she believed it was the cutest thing ever. "Are you lost, young man?" Kevin shook his head yes then no. "Can you speak?" She placed a hand on his shoulder, and he nodded that he could speak. "Well, could you tell me your name, please."
"Kevin Jonathan Conner, sister."
"Strange name, you're not from Italy are you?"
"Yes, I am; it's just my father's Irish and my mother is Italian."
"Good, you're speaking more which means I can help you and so can the lord." Motioning her arm to the cross that had Jesus on it.
"Really."
"Yes," Turning back her attention to a smile on the young mans face "can you tell me what you meant by the yes and no. of your head shake."
"I'm not lost, it's just a year ago I woke up on a wooden floor, and for days I tried looking for my parent's and my siblings but I couldn't find them."
"So you are lost, sweetie." She pointed out the fact that Kevin couldn't accept.
"No, they'll find me. My mom and dad are… are. I can't say."
"Okay, you can stay here until they come back. So come on let's get you out of the cold and get you something nice to eat." She stood up, holding out her hand that Kevin grasped tightly, happy he wasn't going to be alone for one night; it was enough to bring a joyful tear out of his eye.
Flash Forward 3 months…
Kevin was still on his hands and knees, beaten, bruised, bloodied, and having 3 ribs cracked and his shoulder strained; he didn't want to fight anymore. He wanted his mom and his father, but the thought of them made him cry knowing they weren't here with him, to help him, never to see them again; Kevin's cried so much it made a pool underneath him. When he felt something hard and heavy hit him straight in the gut making him fly across the room into the fence. Feeling the throbbing pain of the impact from the kick, coughing out saliva gasping for air, seeing the older gent come closer; he placed his arms above his head.
"You look pathetic child." The older gent said, Kevin removed his arms away from his vision to see the tall muscular man with light brown hair that matched his eyes, with a cigar between his lips. "Be a man and stop sniveling like a little bitch, because if you don't the beating will just get more intense for you; and you'll be sleeping in the flooded room." He took the last draw of cigar and flicked it at him. "Now get up, Sniveling Bitch." Kevin took hold of the get to help him up off the cemented ground, wiping his bloody lip, he put his fist up in front of his face.
Flashback End…
Elena turned towards the elevator doors when they opened to see her husband there, with anger in her eyes hearing what he said; George saw the look in her eye, clearing his throat walking towards her.
"Why do insist on doing that? Making him angry with you."
"The little punk started it, to begin with by punching him after I said, father."
"I need to stop picking fights with him, we are both needed to protect him… Why did I agree, though, to let him join W.O.O.H.P. if I wanted to protect him."
"I'll try not to piss him off. Wait, you're not angry anymore?"
"No, I'm still pissed that you just called him Orphan." Glancing back at him with a calm exterior but her aura could match an angry demon.
"Right, you let him join because it runs through his veins as it ran through yours and his father's." George told her.
"I know, but what if Jason finds him, he already took my other children and killed the man I love. I don't want Kevin to be his next victim."
"Sweetheart, don't worry about it too much; he's not going to find him and if he did pretty sure Kevin can handle it." George was unsure and hurt about her being still in love with her ex.
"Maybe, I don't want to pull him out because he finally made friends… I'm going to work, will talk more about it later." walking past him, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
Kevin removed his shoes, leaving them to where he dropped removing his shorts and boxer briefs flinging them into the hamper, He entered his spacious bathroom, fully naked his body riddled with scars and burn marks. Kevin went to his shower that had a shower head above the drain, went to the faucet gripping it twisting the faucet to the left, water fell like rain coming from above; 90 degree fahrenheit water fell from above, pouring down his body. He leaned his head against the tile water; thinking from the moment he meet George, Kevin knew something was wrong about him, then after hearing his father and brothers died ten years ago.
Kevin shook his head, he probably was over thinking things. After 5 minutes in the shower, he did his routine of drying himself off, brushing his teeth, putting on Axe Phoenix deodorant. It was first day of October since taking a month off for medical leave. He exited the room to go over his dresser, taking out red boxer briefs, black jeans, a studded belt, placing on a ranger green shirt and his biker jacket. Going back to his bathroom and styled his hair to his original faux hawk. 'Shit, I almost forget about my father's ring.' Kevin ran to the dresser, opening the top drew where his socks were folded, scrambling them around to see the black ring box. Flipping it open to see a sapphire class ring, he placed it on his left hand's middle finger.
"I miss you dad. If you were here, I bet you be proud of me." he reached into his phone to see what time it was. "I think I'll take the challenger today."