Chapter Three: Darkstar
"So Squidhead, like I asked, where's my boy?" Slade demanded, his sword, the Deathstroke gleamed in the strange moonlight of the planet Tamaran.
"You've gotten tougher over the years Levin, still, if you want your son back, you'll play along with the negotiations," Vilgax warned.
Slade sheathed his sword, "You better keep your word, Vilgax. Bring Devlin here."
"Very well, I'll prove that your boy is alive and well, for now," Vilgax gestured and some of his guards brought Devin Levin out.
Kevin didn't have any emotional reaction to seeing his firstborn son. Gwen's face was filled with relief.
"Princess Koriand'r," Vilgax stated formally.
"We shall begin the negotiations tomorrow, one of them is that the Plumber Devlin Levin be released back to them."
"We'll see, Devlin Levin will remain in our custody until the negotiations are over," Vilgax said, he gestured to his subordinates to take Devilin away.
"I must consult with Galfore. We shall speak more tomorrow," Starfire said.
She entered the palace and greeted her K'norfka.
"How bad is the situation?" Starfire asked.
"Vilgax brought a vast army, the Plumbers are trying to negotiate, and unlike Blackfire, his army is not a hologram," Galfore said.
"I see, we must prepare for the worst, the weapons and supplies have been gathered?" Starfire asked.
"Yes, Princess, but it doesn't make sense, why kidnap Devlin Levin, he is Ben 10,000's nephew, he is not Ken 10, a target Vilgax would have gone after since Ben 10,000 is his nemesis," Galfore said.
"He just wants to drag Benjamin into it because they have been enemies for years," Starfire stated an obvious fact.
"There is something else, and I cannot find the answer, Kevin Levin is not a hero or a Plumber, bringing him into the conflict is foolhardy, he has killed 900 Earthlings for money, he is not one to drag into a conflict unless there was some reason for it."
"But who would want Kevin Levin dead?" Starfire asked. "Many Earthlings do not know that Slade is Kevin Levin."
Starfire gasped, she remembered something.
Kevin was passing by the room, wandering the halls looking for Gwen.
Starfire stepped out of the room and grasped his hand.
He turned, prepared to strike but then he stood down.
"What do you want, Princess?" he asked in a cool voice.
"I have realized why you are here," Starfire said in a serious voice.
"I am here because my ex-wife is paying me to be here," Kevin laughed.
"No, it has to do with your son, Devlin, why he was dragged into this conflict. It was specifically to reunite you with Gwendolyn," Starfire said earnestly.
"Now Princess, I didn't know you made jokes," Kevin mocked her.
"Darkstar is the one who gave Devlin to Vilgax," Starfire said simply.
Kevin stopped looking amused, he grabbed her shoulders, "Darkstar, how did you know it was Darkstar?!"
"He is one of the few beings who has learned to fight Anodites to a standstill, it is his obsession with your ex-wife that has made him so formidable."
"You better not be lying to me!" Slade snapped.
"I am not, there is no logical reason for you to be here, you are not a hero, you are not Plumber, this is about your family."
"I see," Slade became calmer. "Thank you, Princess, you let me worry about Gwendolyn. You got your own issues to deal with."
He passed by Robin, not even looking at him. Robin watched him leave, then he went to go find Ben 10,000.
He found his childhood hero standing on a balcony, looking out at the barren wasteland and staring at the stars.
"Mind if I join you?" Robin asked.
"Sure, always wanted to meet Batman's famous partner," Ben smiled at him.
"Funny, when I was eight years old I always wanted to meet you," Robin admitted. "I admired you and Batman a lot."
"If I were my young and dumb teenage self I would have said how flattered I am about that, but nowadays no one cares about me, or us anymore. The world left us behind and we couldn't keep up."
"Can I ask you about, Slade?" Robin asked.
"What do you want to know, Robin?" Ben answered.
Robin stared at Ben 10,000. "So if he steps out of line, you'll kill him, that's not an empty threat."
"No it's not, and he knows I will because I almost did once, a long time ago," Ben replied. "There are also members of the Justice League that are willing to cross that line, and I don't blame them. Some people need to be put down because they're too dangerous."
"Why didn't you kill him then?" Robin asked.
"Gwen begged me to spare his life and so I did," Ben said quietly. "He's the brother I never had, and despite all the horrible things he's done, he always comes through when it counts for us."
"I find that hard to believe," Robin glanced at him. "Still, I can't arrest him for anything, can't prove that "Slade Wilson" and "Deathstroke" are the same person. Someone ran around Chicago killing people dressed as him when he was somewhere else."
"He was always a smart person, my cousin tutored him a lot, helped him get his GED, he's highly intelligent and he's very famous throughout the galaxy, but then he started using his talents for himself and he enjoyed all the excitement being "Deathstroke" brought him after he was discharged from the Plumbers."
"I can't take your anecdotes to the police anyway, I need to prove what he's done," Robin clenched his fists.
"It won't matter anyway, his lawyer will bail him out, he always does," Ben said.
"Just who is his lawyer?" Robin asked.
"My uncle, Frank Tennyson, he can make Darkseid look like a librarian. My uncle is willing to work for him, as a favor to Gwen, but that's all," Ben told him.
"Even if you did catch him, Robin, he'd just walk out," Ben said in a somber tone.
"Yeah, no thanks to your family," Robin snapped.
"Everything's not as cut and dry, Robin," Ben replied. "It never has been. Do you know why he's never specifically targeted Starfire, even though he knows you two are dating?"
Robin was startled; then again, he shouldn't be surprised.
"It's because he's human, he has emotions, seeing the two of you remind him of those emotions, things he won't let go of, and perhaps he can't bear the idea of not getting rid of you all in one fell swoop, maybe seeing Starfire hurts him because she reminds him of Gwen, who knows, but he's never gone specifically after her to hurt you."
Ben looked at him, "Kevin still has a sliver of his conscious left and it's holding him back from killing all of you without a second thought."
"What makes you say that?"
"Kevin killed the man who murdered his father, didn't feel bad at all," Ben said.
"So what happens now, Ben 10,000?" Robin asked.
"You'll be here for the negotiations, Princess Koriand'r will have to come up with a solution that will keep Tamaran a free planet."
"And if she can't?" Robin looked at him.
"Then there will be a war, and people die in war, are you prepared for that part?" Ben asked.
"Yes, I'll have to be," Robin looked at the man he had admired in childhood. "I didn't think Slade had any friends."
"Kevin Levin has a lot of things, he's just abandoned them, that's all, he'll come back to us, he always does. Kevin is both a hero and a villain, and that's what makes him who he is."
"He's the last person I'd expect to come and help you," Robin looked out the window.
"My cousin is very persuasive, and he still loves her," Ben joined him looking at the stars.
"That man can't feel anything at all," Robin frowned.
"You don't know anything about either of them, so you don't get to judge them," Ben said sternly. "Kevin's one attachment to anything decent is my cousin."
"You're right I suppose, but all these revelations have me spinning. I used to admire him, all three of you a lot when I was a kid," Robin said. "In my mind you guys were legendary heroes."
"Adults know that legendary heroes are merely legends and not heroes at all," Ben told him.
"Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" by Matthew Stover," Kevin called from across the room.
"Didn't think you were a nerd," Beast Boy smirked as he walked into the room.
"I used to watch Captain Planet and The X-Files when I was a kid," Kevin smirked.
"Read Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith while I was in the Null Void," Kevin glanced at them, "Earth Prisons are nothing to me when you've been in there for years."
Starfire glanced at him, "You were imprisoned in the Null Void?"
"Yes, the worst place in the galaxy, I was in there for four years until I escaped."
"I've been both hero and villain, I frankly don't care what you think of me, Robin," Slade told him.
"But you care about what she thinks about you," Robin pointed out, glancing at where Kevin's ship was, in Gwen's direction.
"My ex-wife isn't a weapon you can use against me," Slade turned away, walking out the door towards his ship.
Gwen prepared to leave the ship when she saw one of her ex-husband's many cell phones ring.
"Slade? Slade!" a woman's voice called over the phone.
Gwen knew Kevin's phone password and answered.
"'bout time you picked up, you bastard!" Adaline Wilson snapped.
"Unfortunately, your ex-husband is absent from his phone Mrs. Wilson," Gwen said in an even tone.
"So you're the first ex, aren't you, Gwendolyn Levin. Imagine my shock when I found out the guy I married was famous, had a wife and a kid; imagine my shock when he turned out to be the famous mercenary "Deathstroke"."
"Don't act like you're the only one he's hurt Adeline, he's hurt me too!" Gwen snapped angrily. Bitter woman was taking her anger at Kevin out on her.
"Heh, you're just mad that we had an affair while he was in military training," Adeline replied. "It doesn't matter; he always comes crawling back to you."
"My ex-husband is with me strictly on business, I've hired him to rescue our son. He says once we're done with this we're through," Gwen explained matter-of-factly.
"Yes, and I know what he gives you on your birthday too," Adeline smirked.
"And what is that?" Gwen scowled at the phone.
"Some candy, flowers, and sex," Adeline let out a derisive laugh.
"Oh, did he do that for you too?" Gwen shot back. "Don't you feel special? The other woman, heh. He tell you that you'd be together with him forever too you little home-wrecker?"
"At least I'm not a Chinese hooker!" Addie snapped.
"Oh, so he stepped out on you too!" Gwen laughed. "And you thought you were so important to him! Karma, thank you Karma!"
"You've made a mistake hiring Slade to rescue your son," Adeline smirked. "He'll fail you like he failed me."
"He failed you how?" Gwen asked.
"Let me tell you about the last time he went to "rescue" his son Joseph? Joey had his throat slit and now he's mute, all because "Deathstroke" couldn't get to him quick enough. He won't be able to save yours, just like he couldn't save mine. That's something we do have in common, he's failed us both. Or did I tell you about his Chinese hooker that he fathered a daughter with?"
"I don't babysit my ex-husband," Gwen replied irritably.
"Yes, I know, but still, put him on the phone," Adeline said.
"I explained he's occupied," Gwen replied.
"In bed with you, I bet," Adeline scoffed. "He does know how to charm a girl. He always goes crawling back to you."
"Oh please, if we were in bed he would have just hung up on you!" Gwen snapped angrily. "Vent on him if you want, but I'm not part of it!"
"Gwen, what is it?" Kevin's voice called, he heard the voice of his other ex-wife, "Oh, Addie what do you want?"
"Your mercenary work keeps causing trouble for me, it's just too bad I don't have anything that I can use to arrest you."
"I only do what I'm paid for, Addie, nothing more than that," Kevin told her.
"And sex with your ex is a freebie," Addie smirked. "Heard she's paying you to rescue her son."
"We haven't had sex, Addie. If we were, I wouldn't answer this phone!" Kevin snapped.
"She knows you so well doesn't she?" she scowled, letting it show in the tone of her voice.
"We haven't been a thing in years, Addie, and besides, I cheated on her with you, remember?" Kevin's voice dripped with sarcasm.
"So I'm sloppy seconds, as always, even found out I got the same birthday present from you too!" Addie shouted into the phone.
"Addie, I'm working now, so if this is just about my job, we can talk. If it's personal this conversation's over," Kevin snapped.
"Your work with Matthew Bland in Buredunia is causing the U.S. a great deal of trouble," Adeline told him.
"I gift-wrapped a dictator for you, you should be happy about that," Kevin told her.
"You still participated in his genocide," Adeline pointed out. "Keeps saying they're Muslims and he's Christian, that he's the good guy. Christianity says that murder is wrong."
"I think he lets that one slide a lot," Kevin glanced at the phone, "I do what I'm paid for, nothing more. I'm not a Christian."
"So what made you turn on him?" Adeline asked.
"I was paid by his people to protect their sons from him," Kevin answered. "Does that answer all your questions, Addie?"
"Yes, and I hope I don't have to talk to you for a while," Adeline said.
"Of course, it's not like I want to talk to you," Kevin replied, his voice as cold as space.
Adeline ended the phone call.
Gwen glanced over at Kevin as she moved close to him.
"So you were in Buredunia before you went back to Jump City, huh?" Gwen asked. "You have some fun over there?"
"What do you mean, Gwendolyn?" Kevin asked.
Gwen inhaled deeply, smelling his scent.
"You smell like sex, Kev, don't think that I don't know you like taking pretty women to your bed," Gwen smirked. "Not like you were particularly faithful to me, it's not like you controlled yourself when you met Adeline Kane."
"Got shot nine times, needed a distraction to not think about the pain for a few hours," Kevin told her.
"So tell me why you haven't slept with me yet, we both know you're thinking about it," Gwen asked.
"If you want to sweetheart, you have to tell me, we can do whatever you want, as long as I can get up in the morning," Kevin said simply.
"It doesn't mean anything, we tried so hard to have kids, but that didn't happen again after I had Devlin. It's not you; you have three sons and a daughter."
Gwen looked away from him. "It's me. I can't have any more kids."
"I had three sons, Grant is dead," Kevin stated simply.
"Gwendolyn, baby, please don't blame yourself for my screwups, what happened with Adeline had nothing to do with you or if you can have kids with me."
Kevin pulled her in and hugged her, she didn't push him away.
"I gotta go, Benji's calling me on the comm.," Kevin looked down at the old Plumbers badge.
Kevin left her alone. Gwen sensed presence and looked around, Beast Boy transformed from a fly to his human form.
Beast Boy stared at her, "You know what that smells like?"
"You really shouldn't eavesdrop, Beast Boy, I was expecting Robin instead," Gwen smiled at him. "That was very dangerous; he can kill flies with paperclips."
"He wasn't looking for me," Beast Boy laughed. "So what happened to you guys? Heard you two used to be really happy."
"We were, we could rely on each other for the life-and-death situations, but the day-to-day was just too hard. Then he was discharged from the Plumbers and it broke him. It became too much for all of us. That's all you need to know."
Gwen turned and left, Beast Boy followed her out.
Cyborg glanced at his friend, "Been eavesdropping, B? Consider yourself lucky he didn't notice you."
"I can take him, I scared the crap outta him, there's a reason martial arts masters don't pick fights with bears," Beast Boy smirked.
"I've been repairing the ships, it's gonna take all night," Cyborg sighed. "No, I don't need your help."
"'Kay dude, gotcha," Beast Boy said, he followed Gwen inside.
"Raven, are you all right? You look disturbed," Starfire asked, concerned for her friend.
"It's just Kevin and Gwen, being around them is difficult," Raven admitted.
"Is it because Kevin Levin is Slade?" Starfire asked.
"No, it's just that they're too emotionally volatile and since I can sense emotions, it's making it hard for me to meditate. I can't concentrate around them.
"Kenneth says they are always like this when they are around each other, he says that it is a pattern that they yell and scream and physically fight and have the sex a lot, usually in that order."
"I didn't need to know about them having sex," Raven sighed. "Azar, I'll have to sense all that too."
"They have not done anything, so perhaps they will not," Starfire said.
"I doubt that," Raven glanced at her. "He's so different than what we thought he was."
"What did you think he was?" Starfire asked.
"Just some villain, the mercenary aspect makes sense, but I didn't expect him to be a former Plumber, a hero."
Raven looked at her friend, "It disturbs me because my first instinct is to kill him. Side effect of being the daughter of a demon."
"You have good instincts, child, you could save your city if you acted on your gut and killed me, no one would miss me," Kevin smirked.
"That's a lie, someone would miss you," Raven glanced over at Gwen as she spoke to Ben.
Kevin glanced at his ex-wife. He turned on his heel and walked away from Raven.
Later that night, Kevin found Gwen alone in what could have been a Tamaranean bedchamber.
"You figure out which one the bed is?" he joked.
"Heh, you would like to know, but anyway, the negotiations start tomorrow. Don't do anything rash, Kev," Gwen said in a serious voice.
"Kevin, why are you here?" Gwen asked.
"You paid me to be here sweetheart," Kevin replied. "Starfire says that Darkstar is the one who kidnapped Devlin."
Gwen stiffened, "Michael, he's back, but why?"
"He's here for you like he always is," Kevin replied. "I won't let him hurt you, I promise."
"Kevin, don't lie to me, you've lied to me so much for years, don't—"
"I'm not lying to you, I'll kill him before I ever let him hurt you, Gwen," Kevin pulled her close to him. "We've been so unhappy, but I'd never let him do anything to you!"
Kevin gripped her wrist, she suddenly executed a Judo throw and pinned him to the ground.
Kevin placed a sharp knife at her throat.
"What happens, next Babe? You gonna kiss me or kill me?" Gwen asked, her voice breathless.
Kevin didn't lower the knife he kissed her, it wasn't sweet, it was wild and hungry. He lowered the knife and pulled her down to him.
"Baby, I want you. Gwen, please!" Kevin hissed. He pulled at her shirt.
"Kevin, you always do this, we always end up like this!" Gwen groaned.
"But we both want it," he smiled at her.
"Yes, we want this, I love you so much!"
Darkstar watched the pair from out of sight. "Good Levin, I want you two to go crawling back to each other, it'll make it even sweeter when I take everything from you and make Lovely Gwen my trophy. All I have to do is wait."
Darkstar slipped into the night, no one aware of his presence, he'd learned to conceal his mana from Gwendolyn. He would make them all pay and then he'd have Gwen Tennyson all to himself.