Disclaimer: I do not own Ben 10 or its sequels, spin-off and related characters. All is the property of Man of Action and Cartoon Network. I'm just borrowing them for some non-profit entertainment.
(A/N: This fic is the sequel to "…Before It's Ever Even…" which is part of a series.
· Before the Egg Cracks
· If It Can't Break Out of Its Shell
· …Before It's Ever Even…
· Smash the Shell (Part One) [YOU ARE HERE]
· Smash the Shell (Part Two) [COMING SOON]
If you go back and look at the previous fics, you will notice that "…Before It's Ever Even…" is not complete. I do plan to complete it. It's basically just the final confrontation that I'm stuck on. The rest of the fic and world building is already done. You should go read it. The Important parts that are not posted yet are that, at the end of that fic, Kevin realizes that the Null Void needs him because no other Plumber has his experience as a prisoner in the Null Void and no other prisoner has ever become a Plumber. This is the reason why, in "End of an Era" the final episode of Omniverse, Kevin is taking over Rook's job of "keeping the Rooters in line" in the Null Void. That's where this fic picks up. Oh! Also, Ben admits to himself that has romantic feelings for Rook. But, he's already married to Kai. We begin where "End of an Era" ended. Hope you enjoy!)
Smash the Shell (Part One)
Chapter One: Beginning of an Era
"How could you not tell us you were Spanner!?" Ben demanded of his son. "Do you know how dangerous this work is?"
Kenny suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. Of course he knew how dangerous Hero Work was. He learned that really, really, really, early on. When he was ten. When Devlin tricked him into letting Uncle Kevin out of the Null Void. It had been terrifying. But Kenny still wanted to be a Hero anyway. Why couldn't his parents understand that? Professor Paradox understood just fine! That was why he gave Kenny the time shift device that allowed him to be Spanner in the first place.
"I've come to expect this sort of thing from Devlin!" Ben continued. "He spent his formative years with nothing but Kevin as a role model."
From across the chamber, Uncle Kevin -formerly the mutant monster and terrorist known as 'Kevin 11,000'- lifted his head from an open circuitry panel where he was trying to fix the gravity. A solar flare had knocked out the gravity of the Plumbers orbital station during Grandpa Max's retirement party, and the ensuing alien fight hadn't done them any favors either. Kevin, ever the mechanic, was trying to fix the problem. But he looked away from his work when Ben mentioned his name. "Oy! Was that a dig against me!?"
"Not now, Kevin!" Ben shouted back at him. "I'm trying to parent over here! I know that's a hard concept for you to grasp."
That was definitely a dig against Uncle Kevin.
Kenny sighed. Things would have been easier if Devlin were here. But, unfortunately, due to circumstances -which were totally not Devlin's fault!, the Osmosian was 100% innocent!, really!- Devlin was grounded and hadn't been allowed to attend Great-Grandpa Max's retirement ceremony.
Then again, maybe it was for the best that the Osmosian hadn't attended. Devlin had had a bad experience with Maltruant when he was younger. Only just come to live with him and his parents for a bit before Aunt Gwendolyn took him to live with her. He was attacked at home and hurled back in time.
Come to think of it, Kenny reflected as he tuned out his father's hypocritical lecture on the dangers of Hero Time, how did Dev get back anyway...?
"But you can't just take the first accessory of high-level technology you see and rush off to fight aliens with it!" Ben was saying -clearly speaking from personal experience. Personal experiences that he willfully chose not to learn from. "It takes time, discipline, and patience to-"
"Hang on a sec!" Kenny cut him off suddenly remembering something and glad for it too. If it would get him out of this boring-ass lecture -a totally hypocritical lecture too, though, Kenny wasn't gonna say that out loud. "Speaking of Dev, I just remembered, I was supposed to rescue him four years ago." A pause. "Uh... fifteen years ago? Whatever. I gotta go save Dev!"
And he was gone. Shifted through time.
Ben stood there, blinking at the empty space where his son –in Spanner costume sans the helmet- had just been standing. Did- did he just blow him off!? Ben was trying to impress upon his child the importance of using highly advanced alien technology safely and responsibly, and Kenny just used it to run away! Oh, he was going to be so grounded when he got back!
Behind him, Ben heard someone laughing and he turned around to see Kevin was watching him. Leaning against the far wall, arms clutching his sides, and absolutely roaring with laughter at the Hero's expense. "Damn, Tennyson! Guess he takes more after you that you realized!"
Glaring at the older man, Ben couldn't help but notice that his work fiddling with the gravity controls was going completely ignored while he basked in Ben's semi-public embarrassment. Ben drifted over to his long-time frienemy, getting up in the other man's face. "Shouldn't you be leaving too?" He growled. "Don't you have to get ready for your new job keeping the Rooters in line, oh great Warden of the Void."
Kevin was still snickering slightly. His shoulders shaking a little and his voice skipping when he assured Ben, "Everything's already taken care of. I'm just waiting on one more requisition request I sent in before I leave. I wanna make sure it gets here before I go. By that way, I don't like the title 'Warden'." Kevin had a negative association with the title stemming from his own time spent in prison as a child. But he gave an unconcerned shrug. Playing it off. "But if Gwen's ready to go, I think I will head home. Tomorrow is Zed's appointment and I wanna spend time with her before- -before then."
The Osmosian glided past Ben.
"I'll see you at the planet-side HQ when it's time for me to head into the Null Void." Kevin informed him.
…
At home, Kevin and Gwendolyn found Zed asleep on the couch with Devlin.
Three years ago one would never see Zed in the same room as Devlin without another human –or humanoid- to hide behind. Zed had a traumatic experience with the younger Osmosian when she was still young and newborn, and didn't know he had powers –never mind how to control them. Infant Devlin ended up feeding on Zed's energy. So much to the point that she almost died. Years later, when Devlin was reunited with the family and came back to live with Gwendolyn, Zed was still afraid of him. It took Kevin sitting between them and short sessions of Devlin petting the dog from across Kevin's lap to get the alien dog to trust him again.
That was three years ago. Zed was already an old dog back then, but she was even older now and was just too tired to live in a constant state of caution around the Osmosian-puppy. Kevin said it was okay to trust his puppy now, so she trusted him.
The moment they got home and found the pair cuddling together, Gwendolyn pulled out her phone and took some pictures. Devlin was not the most graceful sleeper –he took after his father in that respect- but good pictures of him with Zed were so rare. The phone made a soft synthetic shutter sound and Zed lifted her head.
Seeing Kevin, she slowly crawled off the couch on unsteady limbs.
Zed had gotten so thin recently.
She was already an adult dog when Kevin first got her thirty years ago. That was an unnaturally long life for a terrestrial earthling dog. An earthling dog Zed's same size would have only had a lifespan of about five to eight years. Zed had lived more than five times that. She was finally old by her own species' standards and she looked it.
Her fur was gray where it used to be an inky midnight blue. Her ears drooped slightly. She got tired more easily, didn't play as much as she used to, didn't run, or jump, and certainly didn't fight aliens, mutants, or monsters anymore. And… her kidneys were failing. Zed was refusing to eat, or even drink water. Some days, Kevin had to force feed fluids and nutrients down her throat. She was much too thin for his liking and she slept most of the day.
Bending down, Kevin gathered the large alien dog up in his arms. She licked at his face half-heartedly, then curled up in a ball smaller than one would have thought possible, and fell back asleep.
"Can you carry Devlin to his room?" He asked Gwendolyn.
"Yeah." She nodded, using her mana to lift the younger Osmosian up off the couch. Not her arms. At fifteen years old now, Devlin was no feather. He got tall, like his father. Not quite as muscled as Kevin was at the same age, Devlin spent more time studying magic than he did working out –he was more like his mother in that respect. But he did still do his fair share of monster fighting and so was no skinny twig of a teenager either. He was tall and lean, and definitely not a light little under fed eleven-year-old anymore. Gwendolyn looked at Kevin, holding Zed. "Will you be joining me upstairs?"
"No, I think I'll stay with Zed tonight." He told her.
Kevin settled on the couch where Devlin had just been extricated from. He hated seeing Zed suffer in her old age and he did not want to leave for his new job with her like this. That was what Zed's appointment at the vet tomorrow was for. To put her suffering to an end before Kevin had to leave for the Null Void.
Rolling in her sleep, Zed readjusted her position on his lap to be more comfortable, and Kevin fell asleep sitting up, still wearing the proto-tech armor he wore to Max's retirement party.
…
"The Rooters have been unusually quiet." Aggrenna was saying. Giving her summary of observations from her caravan's most recent circuit of the Null Void.
Aggrenna Starspear was the eldest daughter of Aggregor, the rogue Osmosian who absorbed the powers of five aliens from the Andromeda galaxy, mutated into a powerful monster, and almost succeeded in assimilating a Celestialsapien into himself. After his defeat at the Forge of Creation –at the hands of Kevin Levin, not Ben Tennyson- Aggregor was sentences to life in the Null Void.
And a life he made. Aggregor met a Null Void settler who liked him –the many various gods only know why- and with her Aggregor started a small family. Aggrenna and her two siblings Olennor, and Shirahk. Of the three of them Shirahk –the youngest- was the only one to inherit the Osmosian mutation. A fact that made the boy a target of personal interest for Servantis, the leader of the Rooters. For that reason, Aggregor allied himself with Kevin 11,000 whom was now Magister Levin again. A Plumber and soon to be Warden of the Void.
While Aggregor did not like the idea of helping the Plumbers, he hated Servantis and the Rooters more. So, Aggregor and his children helped the Plumbers by being their eyes and ears in the Void. Noting things of interest as they traversed the asteroids and gravity swells and reporting back to the Plumbers at HQ-NV.
Magister Deccar Chaz took down everything she told him. Recording it all in a report that would later be copied, filed, and sent to the Magestrata out in real space. "I suppose it's too much to hope that Servantis has given up?"
Aggrenna only fixed him with a dry stare. She first met Magister Chaz three years ago when she and her sister helped him, Magister Arys, Kevin, Warden Rook, and Ben 10,000 repel Servantis and his lieutenants from taking over the Plumbers' base. She was not impressed with Chaz back then, and over the year working collaboratively together, her opinion of him had improved barely a little bit.
Chaz cringed visibly, regretting voicing the over-optimistic thought out loud. He wanted Aggrenna to like him –because they were allies and had to work together. They might as well like each other. No other reason! Obviously. Chaz cleared his throat conspicuously and turned his attention back to the notes he was taking.
"Father insists that he's biding his time. Conserving his forces. Waiting until Kevin comes back." She continued as if Chaz hadn't spoken. It was no secret that Hector Servantis wanted control of Kevin Levin again. Not just Kevin, but all the Osmosians. Kevin, Aggregor, Devlin and Shirahk. But Kevin was the first. Kevin was his special favorite. It made sense that Servantis was building his forces in order to subdue and capture Kevin.
"But since we can't find where he's hiding, there's no way to confirm that." Chaz reminded her. He did not doubt the instincts and insights of the Warlord of the Andromeda galaxy. But Aggregor's hunches and gut-instincts were still just guesses. Chaz did not like putting guesswork into his formal reports.
Aggrenna shot him another dry, exasperated glare. He could be so very rigid some times. It was annoying. All Plumbers had a tendency to be a little stiff and difficult to bend. It was explained to her that they trained them that way. The Plumbers organization liked its members to be rigid rule-followers. Bureaucrats with guns.
But Deccar Chaz was more rigid in his rule following than the rest that were stationed here in the Void. Always kept his posture a bit straighter, spine stiff and shoulders back. Took fastidious notes, a datapad braced in the crook of his elbow, which the other hand with its nightmare-long fingers dancing over the touch screen, typing faster than any other member of his unit. Never dropped a 'sir' or a 'ma'am', no matter how annoyed he was –not that a person could tell if he was annoyed. Aggrenna sometimes found herself wondering what his deal was. His back story. Why he was the way he was. Magister Deccar Chaz was just a bit different from the other Plumbers on the Null Void team.
But whatever it was that made Chaz tick, Aggrenna would not be discovering it today. She stood and picked up her weapon from where she'd leaned it against the wall upon entering the conference room. "Anyway, that's all we know for now, so I'll be going. Father doesn't like to linger too long around you Plumbs. You might find this hard to believe, but he doesn't entirely trust you lot."
That was understandable. Technically, according to any official document, Aggregor was their enemy. It was only by grace of his alliance with Kevin that he was willing to work with the Null Void Plumbers. Because, very soon now, Kevin would be the new Warden in charge of the Null Void and the Null Void Plumbers unit and base, HQ-NV.
Seeing Aggrenna move to the door, Chaz picked up something he'd set on the seat next to him before she got there and leapt to his feet. He met her at the door and held the item out to her.
"I, uh, I had to go to real space not too long ago. To expedite the others' transfer requests." He said by way of a clumsy explanation. "I brought this back with me and thought you might like it. I, uh, I noticed there aren't any trees here in the Void and so you must never get any fruit here."
Confused, Aggrenna looked down at his outstretched hand, at what he was holding. Vaguely oval shaped and brightly colored, red and orange, with a stem coming out one end. She looked back up at him, almost suspiciously.
Chaz fidgeted under her stare. She was always so intense, he never seemed to be on stable ground when talking to her. "It's food."
"I know that 'fruit' is food." She snapped. Fruit bearing plants might not grow in the Null Void, but not every being in the Null Void was born there. She had spoken to many people whom had come from real space. They often lamented that they missed 'fresh fruit' among other luxuries that could not be found, grown, or made in the Null Void. Aggrenna knew what fruit was, that wasn't why she was confused. "Why are you giving this to me?"
Again, Chaz fidgeted. The usually pale green of his complexation darkening around his cheeks to a more forest or Nottingham shade. "I just thought you might like it."
She continued to hold him with her gaze a moment longer. Studying him. Looking for any sign of duplicity or ulterior motives than just 'sharing something nice with a work acquaintance'. Finally, she took the fruit from his hand. "I will pass it along to my father. He hasn't had any fruit since his defeat at the Forge of Creation."
For a quantum of a second, Chaz looked disappointed. He was giving it to her, not to Aggregor. But the expression was there and gone before Aggrenna could register it. He cleared his throat again. "Speaking of Aggregor, your caravan might want to stick around for a bit longer. Magister Levin sent a message saying that he wants to speak to him as soon as he arrives here in the Void."
"But Kevin is not here now." Aggrenna concluded. "My father will not stay at a Plumb base just because you say Kevin might be coming. In case you haven't noticed, he doesn't trust Plumbs. When Kevin is actually here, then Kevin can come and find him. He knows how."
She left.
Watching her retreating back, Chaz heaved a sigh. Talking with Aggrenna was like riding one of those exciting rides with lots of ups and down that made your stomach jump up into your throat and afterwards you felt a little nauseous and defeated, but also couldn't wait to do it again. Their quarterly debriefs about the state of the Null Void had sort of become his favorite task.
Aggrenna made her way through he corridors of the Plumbers base. They had become very familiar to her in the past three years. She didn't come to HQ-NV very often. Only about every quarter. But every quarter for three years meant twelve visits and the architecture of the station didn't change like the landscape of the Null Void. She memorized the rout between the briefing room and the hangar on her second trip.
Olennor was exactly where she left her, in the hangar, guarding their Null Guardian –'nullgar' as they were coming to be called for short. She was pointing to a bandage on her leg and animatedly telling the story of how she got the injury to another Plumber on the Null Void team which they had become familiar with.
Magister Targyn Arys was a Lewodan. A member of a very interesting alien species, that looked like ghosts but tasted like vanilla cream –not that either Aggrenna or Olennor knew what 'vanilla cream' tasted like. Out in real space, Lewodans had a reputation for being soft, gentle people. Easily manipulated –and worse. But they wouldn't know that from knowing Arys. He crossed the Null Void without a vehicle or mount, helped save the Starspear caravan from an attacking Way Bad, and fought the Rooters side-by-side with Kevin 11,000 to repel Servantis from HQ-NV. Targyn Arys was anything but 'soft'. (Unless by 'soft' they meant 'squishy'. He was Lewodan, after all.)
"So, then I just pulled the knife out and stabbed himwith hit." Olennor pantomimed yanking something out of the bandaged area and attacking the air with it.
"Wish I could've seen it." Arys grinned at the story's conclusion.
Because she was short and slender, having inherited a more Settler build, rather than her father's thick and muscular Osmosian frame, people were always underestimating Olennor. It was a frustration Arys could understand. Being a Lewodan, beings from other races were always underestimating him too. They both enjoyed hearing stories of those who make ignorant assumptions being put in their place. It was the basis of their friendship –and also trekking across the Null Void together and fighting Rooters together.
"Olennor." Aggrenna interrupted them. "It's time to go. Father will be waiting."
With a sigh, Olennor bid farewell to her friend –not that she would call a Plumb her 'friend', especially not out loud- and climbed onto the back of their nullgar. She was slow about it, favoring her injured leg. But she did not ask for help and neither Aggrenna or Arys were going to insult her by offering it.
When her sister was settled, Aggrenna climbed up after her.
"What's that?" Olennor pointed to what her sister held in her hand.
"A fruit." Aggrenna answered.
"Ooh! I've never had fruit before!" Olennor's dark eyes lit up at the prospect of possibly getting to try something from real space that they'd only heard of. "Can I have some?"
"No." Aggrenna said quickly, stowing the fruit in a saddle bag. "It was given to me."
With a snap of the reigns, the beast rose up on its tentacles and drifted out of the hangar.
…
Rook was switching out the nameplate on his office door when Ben came down from the residential floors of the Plumbers Headquarters in Bellwood.
Of course, the nameplates had to be changed. Max Tennyson was no longer the one in charge of the Plumbers division deployed in the Sol system. Now it was Rook Blonko. Ben just wasn't expecting Rook to be the one to switch the plates, he thought some kind of menial worker did that sort of thing.
He also was not prepared to see Rook first thing in the morning.
"Oh! Hi." He stopped short.
"Good morning." Replied the Revonnahgander cheerfully.
There was a beat.
The two men just stared at each other.
For some reason, Ben was trying to think of what he was supposed to say next. But all he could think about was that this was the first time he was seeing Rook when they were not fighting some kind of alien enemy, and that he did not comb his hair this morning and had a terrible bed-head.
"You're here already." His mouth blurted out before his brain could approve it. Ben felt like a moron the moment the he heard the words. Stupid. Of course Rook was here already. Rook was taking over Grandpa's job, and Rook was always punctual. Grandpa Max had left, and Rook came in. So, Ben blurted out the next thing his brain could think of that could possibly make sense after that first statement. "Kevin hasn't left yet."
Rook nodded. "He is seeing to Zed at the xeno-vetranarian. He will come in to use the Null Void teleporter when he is done." Of course Rook would already know that. He was in charge of Earth and Kevin was going into the Void through Plumbers portal on Earth. It was all scheduled, notarized, and filed. Official. Rook had to know. "I have to speak to him before he leaves. A requisition request he put in some time ago has been approved and I have a sensitive item to sign into his custody. So, if you see him before I do, please tell him to come to-" a short trip of a pause, he was about to say 'Max's office' –"my office."
"Will do!" For some reason, Ben gave a salute. Then immediately felt stupid. This was Rook! He didn't have to salute Rook. (Technically, Ben didn't have to salute for anyone. Ben 10,000 worked outside of the standard Plumbers hierarchy and rank structure.)
They both stood there a moment longer. Unsure of what to say to the other and dithering becsue of it.
"So…" Ben began.
But Rook cut him off. "I see you are still with Kai. I hope you are happy together."
Ah. The subject Ben was hoping to avoid. Rook, it seemed, had no problem dispensing with the polite little niceties and getting right down to the root of their awkwardness around each other. Ben suddenly found himself playing with his hands, interlacing his fingers and twiddling his thumps awkwardly. "Yeah… but what I said to you back in the Null Void is still true. You're really important to me, Rook, and- -and that time when I was with you, back when we used to be partners, that was some of the happiest times of my life."
He trailed off, unsure of where exactly he was going with that admission.
"And what I said to you back at HQ-NV is still true." Rook nodded. "I am glad that you have forgiven me for my betrayal of your trust, and I am happy that you accept my feelings. But I will not be 'the other man' as I understand it is called here on Earth. I will not engage in dishonorable behavior with you. If you do want the same kind of relationship with me that I want with you, then you must tell Kai about us."
"Look, it's more complicated than that!" Ben snapped, experiencing an entirely different set of nerves and reacting angrily because of it. "Things aren't like they were before. Kai isn't just my wife, she the mother of my child! We've been together for years! Telling her now I, all of a sudden, wanna fuck an alien cat-boy would be a huge betrayal!"
"Correct me if I am wrong," Rook began calmy. Rook was always calm. Most of the time that made him seem really cool. But at this exact moment all it did was irritate Ben more, "but would not telling her about your feelings be the bigger betrayal?"
"What would you know about it?" Ben snarled. "You're not from Earth and you've never been married!"
He pushed past the Revonnahgander.
Rook turned and watched his retreating back. Thinking that his situation with Ben had changed, but not improved.
…
Kevin came into Headquarters much, much later. He looked exhausted, although he hadn't done much that day. Just took his dog to the vet and said 'good bye'. He carried a duffle with his personal effects thrown over one shoulder, and Gwendolyn was holding his other hand. Devlin was trailing behind them, looking around to see if he could find Kenny.
Ben saw the trio first. He went up to Kevin. "Rook wants to see you in Grandpa's office before you leave. He has something for you."
No one corrected Ben that it was 'Rook's office' now.
Kevin gave a weak nod, looking more subdued than a Magister ranked Plumber about to take over command of the base in the Null Void should look. It did not inspire confidence.
But he covered it up quickly. Lifting his head and straightening his shoulders. Throwing some of that old Kevin 11,000 vitriol into his voice when he said, "I hope it's because those asshats at Galvan Prime finally approved my reacquisition request!"
He let go of Gwendolyn's hand, brushed past Ben, and marched into Rook's office.
The Revonnahgander was sitting at the desk in front of the terminal, typing quickly. Responding to correspondence or filing documents. Making sure the transition of leadership went smoothly and nothing crucial got lost in the shuffle. Rook was academic and methodical. He would do well in Max's old job. The Plumbers division on Earth would thrive under his leadership. It actually made Kevin feel better about leaving. He might be separated from his wife again, but at least he knew her home planet was in good hands.
"Tennyson said you have something for me." Said the Osmosian by way of announcing his presence.
Without looking up from the terminal, Rook nodded an affirmative. "Indeed, I did." He saved whatever it was he was typing and stood.
Crossing the office, he went to a long thin case that was propped up against the wall in a corner. Lifting it, the Revonnahgander laid the case down flat on his desk.
A plain, utilitarian metal box. As long as Kevin was tall, but thin. Whatever was inside it was long, but not very thick. The only marking on the case was a sticker over the locking mechanism that labeled it evidence in an old case, the case number appearing above the item's exhibit number.
Kevin reached a hand to the box.
But Rook interrupted him. "To maintain chain of evidence, I require your signature." He passed a datapad to the Osmosian over the box.
With a sigh, Kevin took the pad. He glanced over the document quickly just to make sure it was indeed a chain of custody form for evidence. Made sure the case number was correct and that it was for the item he requested. When the Osmosian was satisfied the Plumbers' Command wasn't trying to pull a fast one over on him, or no one had fucked up and sent him crap he didn't ask for, he pressed his thumb to the bottom of the document to sign it.
Satisfied, Rook took the datapad back and nodded to the Osmosian that it was okay to open the box and verify its contents.
Placing one hand to the metal of the box, Kevin morphed his fingers into a small blade and cut through the sticker covering the locking mechanism. He popped the box open.
"I am still unclear on why you want this particular item." Rook announced. "You are not a spear fighter, Kevin."
"It's not for me." The Osmosian explained, withdrawing the item from the box and examining the blade.
A polearm-style weapon. Most people called it a spear, but it was a piece of alien tech that more accurately fell between a European glaive and a Chinese guandao. A long staff-like shaft with a single sided blade on the end. The blade shaped like a fin or a wing. Aggregor's spear.
Kevin drew his thump over the stylized blade. Still sharp. He grinned. "I'm gonna make a powerful ally in the Void that'll help me against Servantis."
He slid the spear back into the case and locked it back.
Throwing his duffle back over one shoulder, he picked up the long case, carrying it awkwardly under his other arm and exited Rook's office, making his way over to the Null Void teleporter. His return to the Void was long overdue.
…