Chapter Three: A DarkStar's Re-entry

Answers to all the references in the previous chapter:
Ashley Johnson live acting reference: Ashley Johnson played a character on CSI named Dreama Little Dream, and her character hit the dead victim in the head with a crowbar (her role in that episode was impressive, she had to talk and sing with an accent). LOST references: Gwen's question about what Kevin wants is straight from LOST where it's actually dialogue between Kate and Sawyer. Also the line about "Get off me" is also Kate and Sawyer dialogue. If you think about it, Gwevin is the dumbed down version of SKate, if you think about it. Teen Titans reference, the line, "Shut up and. Leave. Me. Alone," is straight from Teen Titans, dialogue spoken by Ashley Johnson who plays Gwen Tennyson in Alien force who is Terra's voice actress. Song reference, "You Found Me," by The Fray. Not only is it the title of chapter two, the street where Gwen lives is "First and Amistad" is taken from the street name in the song.

Kevin Levin sat across from Devin and observed his son as he ate dinner. Gwen was silent as she gave him his food, Kevin stared at the plate. He looked up at her and said, "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Gwen replied. She moved to her seat across from him.

"How is your company doing?" she asked.

"You…know about that?" he raised an eyebrow.

"You don't think I watch the news?" Gwen laughed, "So, how is your life?"

"My life is…decent," he chose his words carefully. "There are some things I do miss. People too."

"Don't try to think that I don't know you're referring to me," Gwen commented, Devlin gave him a curious look.

"That's true," Kevin said between bites. "Not a day has gone by that I don't think about you. You're always on my mind."

"If I'm always what you think about what took you so long to come back?" Gwen inquired.

"You of all people should know, I didn't have enough guts to face you," Kevin held her gaze for a long moment. Devlin stared at both of them, looking from one to the other.

"Are you both okay?" Devlin asked.

"Yeah, we're fine, Devlin," Kevin replied.

"How is the food?"

"It's very good," Kevin smiled. "How is Ben?"

"The same as always," Gwen told him, "Still fighting aliens and saving the world. He's married now. He and Julie finally got together. They have a son. Kenny Tennyson, he's named after my brother. They've been very happy together."

"I see, good to know."

"So where are you staying?" Gwen inquired as she continued eating, "don't tell me you sleep in your car."

"I'm staying in a hotel. I was here in town for a meeting. I figured I'd just stop in and see you."

"You the astute businessman," Gwen was amused, "I see, how many times have you been here?"

"This is my first time I've been back here on a business trip," Kevin Levin cleaned off the food remaining on his plate. "I haven't been here since I was 21. I missed the old days, seeing Ben and Devlin again made me think of you."

"That's sweet, Kevin, but why'd you break into my house?"

"Wanted to surprise you. I didn't expect you to go off and hit me in the head with a crowbar!"

"It's not every day that you come home and see a man in your kitchen," Gwen said sternly. "I thought you were a burglar."

"If I were a burglar, I'd be ransacking your house, not loitering in your kitchen," he observed. Gwen acknowledged this and turned her attention to her food.

Finishing their meal, Gwen gathered up the plates and took them to the sink. Washing the plates, she put the dishes in the dishwasher. She turned back to Kevin.

"Care to come into the living room? It's awkward, just staying here in the kitchen."

"Sure, why not?" he laughed. "It's been a long time since I've seen you."

They headed into the living room. Gwen sat down on the couch; Kevin quietly moved to sit beside her. His hand slipped out to find hers, he smiled, his fingers linked with hers, she noticed this and felt her lips curve up into a grin.

"It's good to see you again," Gwen told him. "How long are you going to stay?"

"I'm not sure, I'm weighing my options." Kevin looked over at Devlin who was ignoring them and channel surfing his television trying to find something to watch.

"Hey Mom, Uncle Ben's on the news!" Devlin said, pointing at the television screen.

"I wonder who he stopped this time," Kevin wondered as he looked at the screen.

"In the news today, Bellwood's own Ben Tennyson stopped one of his oldest nemeses, the mad scientist Dr. Animo, also known as D'Void, from trying to unleash a horde of mind-controlled zoo animals in the middle of downtown," the news anchor said.

"Zoo animals? That's it? No alien activity?" he frowned.

"Do you even remember what kind of animals are in a zoo, Kevin?" Gwen asked, trying to decide whether to be amused or annoyed.

"Yeah, I know, but that's not really Ben's thing, is it? The stuff we did all those years ago, that's more interesting than him playing zookeeper."

"Well Dr. Animo was involved so it counts."

"Mom, can I put in a movie?" Devlin asked.

"Sure, just nothing R-rated," she told him.

"What about The Dark Knight?" he looked expectantly.

"Only if I watch it with you, you'll be having nightmares about Joker's 'Pencil Trick' for days," she went off to the kitchen to get some popcorn.

"I remember this movie, it was good," Kevin sat up. "Mind if I stay for it?"

"Why not? You never took me on a date," Gwen sat down on the couch next to him.

"Gwen! I took you to your spring formal when you were in high school!" Kevin protested.

"I asked you to take me, so that didn't really count as a date."

"I took you to see this movie, which counts as a date."

"You said it was a 'not-date', so no, that doesn't count either."

Kevin slouched in his seat and didn't say a word. He was trying not to brood.

Devlin popped the DVD in and the movie started. He enjoyed it; he remembered taking Gwen to it when he'd finally gotten up enough nerve to ask her out on a "not date". To his surprise, Gwen did not cover her son's eyes to prevent him from seeing Joker's 'pencil trick'; he paled and looked at her.

"I'm going to have nightmares for weeks," Devlin said.

"Told you so," Gwen retorted.

"I can't believe you let him watch that part."

"I've seen things that were way scarier than that when I was ten," Gwen said.

"I find that hard to believe, Vilgax never killed anyone with a pencil."

"Ben told me some of the stuff you've done; he said it was pretty disturbing. After what you did to Slix Vigma—"

"Let's not go off into that part of my life, okay? I really don't like to think about it, even after all these years I still feel bad, okay?"

"Fine."

They stared at each other in awkward silence, turning their attention back to the screen and watch until the movie was finished and Kevin prepared to leave, "It was nice to see you."

Gwen nodded. "Same here. Are you planning to stick around?"

Kevin smiled, he moved closer to Gwen, taking her hand, "I don't think I'm going away any time soon."

He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and made his way out the door. Gwen watched him leave and shooed Devlin off to bed. Before he went to his room he asked her a question," Do you think he'll actually stay Mom?"

"I think he wants to, but knowing him, he's never going to come right out and say it. Good night Devlin."

"Good night Mom, love you," he told her.

"Love you too, son." Gwen made her way to her bedroom, getting into her nightgown, she climbed into bed. Her thoughts were centered on Kevin. From what she'd seen of him, he was sincere when it came to his feelings for her, but, knowing that he tended to run away from his problems wasn't very reassuring. But having the responsibility of raising a child might change his mind. Kevin told her that he would have stayed if he had known about Devlin.

Gwen drifted off to sleep, optimistic about the future, and what it might hold.

Julie Tennyson saw her husband walk in from a day of patrolling Bellwood.

"How is the hero this evening?" she asked, giving him a warm hug and a kiss on the lips.

"Fine," he replied with a smile. "You won't believe who I saw in the parking lot of Mr. Smoothies."

"Really? Who?" Julie asked.

"Kevin Levin," he replied.

"What's he doing back here?"

"Not sure, but I'm not surprised that he came back. With what happened between him and Gwen all those years ago." Ben looked over at his wife.

"Does Kevin knew about Devlin?"

"Not sure, but I'm sure he'll find out sooner or later."

"She was one of the reasons he stuck around for so long, you know," Julie observed. "From what you told me about him when you both were kids, he wasn't very well-liked by the people he hung out with."

"I always got why they were attracted to each other, but I never understood why he stuck around when he usually ran off, before Gwen got pregnant and all."

"It was because she cared about him," Julie put a hand on his shoulder. "He told you his parents threw him out because of his powers."

"He was probably lying, he was very psychotic back then," Ben told her matter-of-factly.

"Yes, but it wasn't until he was older that he eventually reunited with his mother. So his childhood wasn't all bad."

"I don't get what you're saying," he admitted. What was she getting at exactly?

"What I'm saying is that Kevin's never had anyone who really cared about him. You did, but he didn't see that once you stopped wanting to hurt people. Gwen seems to understand him, and because she showed him that people don't always do something nice because they want something from you is the reason why he stayed. She believed that he could change when everyone else didn't think he could. Do you get it now?"

"A little, I think."

Ben Tennyson sat down on his couch, thinking about the car he had seen in the Mr. Smoothies parking lot. Kevin Levin. He'd finally come back to Bellwood. He wasn't surprised that Kevin had returned. Ben knew all about Levin Enterprises and how he sold dumbed down alien technology to companies on Earth. It was a step up from stealing it, to be sure, but he also knew that Kevin was the father of his nephew Devlin Tennyson.

The more he thought about it, the more Julie's words made sense. It had been quite obvious they both had feelings for each other; he'd seen the attraction between them. He'd been drawn to her good looks and kind-heartedness. She'd been drawn to his handsome face and attempts to woo her. He had a good heart, but had no idea how to express his emotions.

After they'd defeated the Highbreed, they'd settled down, Ben had married Julie and had started a family. Their son Kenny was very happy and wanted to follow in his father's footsteps as a hero. Kenny was ten years old; soon he would receive an Omnitrix of his own. Ben just hoped that he'd be ready for it. He knew he hadn't been prepared for it when he was ten, best to show Kenny the ropes first before taking him out on a real mission.

Gwen and Kevin never officially got together, and it didn't take him long to figure out what had happened between Gwen and Kevin when his cousin had told him that she was pregnant. He'd been very supportive of her, along with her parents who understood that sometimes things like that happened. Although they all had hoped she would have been married, it didn't turn out that way.

Ben watched the news report about his fight with Dr. Animo and then he decided to go to sleep on the couch. Julie found him a blanket and got comfortable beside him.

"Good night, Ben. Love you."

"Love you Julie. Night."

Ben and Julie drifted off to sleep and Ben felt absolutely content with how his life had turned out. He'd found the perfect balance between being a hero and having a family.

He remembered when he and Gwen had gone to a possible future, and he remembered how he had not been able to balance being a hero and enjoying life and having fun. He had learned a lesson, as hard as it was for him to learn anything back when he was ten; and he made sure to keep his life evenly balanced so he wouldn't forget what was really important in his life, his friends and family.

He couldn't have been happier and he had to wonder if things would work out for Gwen and Kevin after all.

A figure in black stood in an abandoned warehouse, his fists clenched as he seethed with rage. All those years trapped in the hellish prison that was the Null Void. He'd finally managed to escape. And now that he was free, he was going to have his revenge.

He had seen the papers, they had led exciting lives, saving the world constantly, and everything seemed to go right for them. They were admired and respected. They'd gone soft; they weren't even a team anymore! Ben Tennyson, Gwen Tennyson and Kevin Levin had gone their separate ways. Now would be his chance to strike.

His main target would be Gwen of course, she was the source of all his troubles, her powers had turned him into the monster he was, always craving Manna, the life-force energy that existed on Earth and in the universe.

He had been drawn to her at first, for many reasons. Her power and energy, it was like nothing he had ever felt. All that power, embodied in a single person, he needed her power. So he had taken it, he knew how to be charming enough; it wasn't that he could exert mind control on her, he just knew how to tug at her heart strings. He'd done it easily enough with many of the girls at his prep school.

She'd fallen for him easily enough; she was at the age where girls formed crushes on boys often. So he'd easily gotten her away from her cousin and her friend, who had made him a little uneasy, he knew that Kevin had seen through most of his little charade. He thought he had fooled both the Tennysons, but he had heard rumors that the boy with them was the notorious Kevin Levin, it figured, it took someone who had been bad to know one.

He had been relieved that Kevin, in his human form was much weaker than the one in the stories. He'd overpowered him with very little effort, and even Ben had been a disappointment. He'd been expecting a good fight, only to wipe the floor with him in six seconds.

Victory had been his when suddenly, Gwen had managed to stand up under her own power and had taken back her Manna energy from him, weakening him to the point that he was now a mere shell of what he had been. His handsome, attractive features were gone and his ability to draw in prey was greatly diminished. He no longer had the looks to draw in his victims, mainly girls.

From then on, he preyed on different alien species; anything had had a great deal of Manna energy. After he recovered some of his strength, he put a plan in motion to exact his revenge.

He contacted Magister Gilhil, and said that the Ben, Gwen and Kevin were impersonating Plumbers. With all the Plumber's attention focused on Ben and his friends, it would give him enough time to defeat the Highbreed Commander and force him to lure all of them into a trap that would ensure victory for him.

The plan had been executed flawlessly, until Ben had somehow managed to recognize him and had ordered her to get away. She had escaped, much to his irritation, but that didn't matter. After he got all the power he needed, he would finish her off with a slow and very painful death.

Gwen had returned just when he had finished absorbing Ben, Kevin, Magister Gilhil and the Highbreed Commander's Manna energy. She'd brought an army of DNAliens with her so that they could rescue their leader. She had freed her cousin and the other captives while he was trying to stave off the DNAliens by draining them of their Manna energy. Ben then proceeded to wipe the floor with him as payback for their last encounter and he had the pulp beat out of him, again. Shipped off to the Null Void in a level six container, he'd spent years looking for a way out. Now he was free after ripping his way out of the dimension after absorbing the energy of many Null Guardians.

He had done his homework, he knew more about the Tennysons than ever before, and now was his time to strike. The situation couldn't have been more perfect. This time he had the leverage to use against Gwen that he had never had before: She had a son, and Devlin was the pawn that would control the outcome of this entire game. And he was going to have them all in Checkmate by the time it was over.

Darkstar was going to kill Ben and Gwen Tennyson, and Kevin Levin, and he didn't care if that was the last thing he ever did.