Disclaimer: I really hate to point out the obvious, but here goes…I don't own Ben 10...sigh…now I'm depresssed…

Dario Argento Syndrome! Thankies for the review! I'd planned to make Kev Ben's protector.

Chapter three

"Yeah", Kevin growled." I don't think so."

He rushed at Edric, dodging blasts of pure twisting darkness, and slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. A blast of black energy shot him off the shadow man and into Ben, sending the two teens to the ground in a tangle of limbs. The younger of the two boy's was the first up, eyes burning white. He shot a beam of light at Edric, who was thrown to the ground, as he himself was slammed into the wall, hit by one of Edric's shadow blasts.

"Ben!", Kevin cried when he saw the younger male collide with the wall, a sickening crunch resounding through the trailer." That's it! You are so dead!"

While Kevin brutally attacked Edric, neither of them gaining any ground in the fight, Max rushed to Ben's side. The Majesdanian was unconscious, a thin trail of blood dripping down the side of his face.

"Ben? Son can you open your eyes? Ben?", Max called, shaking the teen's shoulder.

The teen blearily opened his eyes and looked around, unfocused and confused. His gaze fell on Max, who was still talking, but the world around him was silent and he couldn't hear Max's words. He frowned with concern and tried to focus on his grandfather's lips.

Slowly the sound bled back into the world and he gasped. The noise seemed almost deafening after the utter complete silence.

"Ben? Are you okay?", His grandfather asked, looking into his eyes.

For several minutes the teen simply stared at him, before understanding dawned on his face." Y-Yeah…kinda dizzy…where's Kevin?"

He glanced around Max just as Kevin was flung through the air towards them. Max, acting quickly, pulled Ben out of the way, just as Kevin slammed into the wall where the smaller teen had been. The older teen grunted on impact, pulling himself back up to his feet.

Ben Grinned dazedly at the older teen." Speak of the devil. How's it going?"

"Could use some help…",The Osmosian growled pushing off the wall and grabbing the rust buckets small dining table and slamming it brutally into Edric. Ben nodded at Max that he was okay and stood up, sending disks of light to slam into the table, pushing the table and Edric into the wall.

Kevin turned and grinned at him." Nice o-"

Before he was finished the table slammed into him full force. He slid back a few feet before breaking the table in half.

"I tire of this. I will return when you are ready to do as I ask. Until then take comfort in knowing that the girl will be in pain.", Edric said snarling.

He tapped a strange gem on his cloak that looked suspiciously like the one Ambrose had used when they fought him in the clearing. He vanished in a swirl of shadows, leaving Max and the two teens standing dumbfounded in the RV.

"Okay," Kevin said haughtily" How many bad guy's we gonna face with one of those things and why don't we have one?"

Ben shrugged, or at least tried to. His head was clouding up and he felt dizzy and ill.

"Hey, Benji…you okay?"

His gaze slid over the concerned faces of his grandfather and best friend, and he nodded, putting one hand on his head and the other on the wall to steady himself." F-Fine-"

His vision went black and his knees gave out. The last thing he saw was the ground rushing up to meet him.

"Ben!"

Edric glared down at the medic who was cleaning a wound on his side that oozed a puss colored yellow liquid.

"You were right. He refused to cooperate.", He winced at the pain in his side and looked down." He was more of a challenge than I thought…I forgot that he is Ambrose Da'Fuegan's grandson."

The medic nodded." Da'Fuegan's have always been dangerous milord."

"Indeed.", Edric said grinning." ,but they've also been known to be extremely selfless…save Ambrose of course…and the boy seems to value others above himself from the research we've gathered. We can use this to our advantage."

The medic nodded." Brilliant milord."

"Of course it is."

Another figure entered and bowed." The Anodite is awake."

Edric smiled maliciously, his eyes darkening." Good. I need to know more about the princeling. Make the girl talk."

The figure bowed again and left.

Two hours later

Kevin and Max leaned over Ben, who had woken up several minutes earlier. The teen was following a small flashlight held by Max with his glowing white eyes. Max shut off the light and smiled at him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Only a mild concussion, thank god. I'm not much of a doctor."

Kevin grinned at Ben, eyes twinkling mischievously." It's that thick head o' yers. Knew it'd come in handy one day."

Ben glared at him, grabbing his id mask and putting it back on." Gee, thanks."

"Any time.", the older teen quipped.

Ben shakily stood up, Max helping to steady him, and frowned. His life was waaay too dramatic. Gwen had been kidnapped. He was in love with Kevin. Soap opera much?

He grabbed his cell from his jacket pocket and looked at his messages. One missed call from home.

He called his house back and frowned when he got only the answering machine. Weird. Oh well. He turned to look at Kevin and straightened his jacket.

"I'll tell the plumbers to keep an eye out for Edric. Ben you should go home an relax, but don't sleep. Wait at least for hours.", Max said softly.

"Kev, can you take me home? ", Ben asked turning to the raven haired teen.

The older teen nodded." Sure. Let's go."

Max walked them to the door of the Rv and hugged his grandson." Be safe."

The boys nodded and headed to the car, waving back at Max before getting in and driving off. Throughout the drive to Bens house the two boy's chatted halfheartedly, trying to avoid any important matters, such as Gwen having been kidnapped by an evil alien or their budding feelings for each other.

When the car stopped, the boy's said their goodbye's and Ben got out. As Kevin pulled away Ben glanced back at him, before going inside.

The house was dark and empty, his parent's apparently gone. He made his way to the kitchen to get a snack when he heard a creak in the hall behind him.

"Mom…Dad? Is that you?"

As he moved to open the fridge he saw a note from his parents attached to the door. He pulled it off, the magnet clattering to the floor, and quickly read it.

Ben,

Went to the grocery store. Be back soon. Dinner's in the microwave.

-Mom & Dad

He shoved the note into his pocket and moved to grab a coke from the fridge, when he heard another creak in the hallway. He turned to face the hall and slid off his id mask. His hand thrummed with light as he made his way down the hall, eyes vigilant, hearing only barely picking up the small creaks and groans of the wood floor.

"Hello?", he called softly." Whoever you are you're in sooo much trouble."

A creak behind him made him jump and turn around. A familiar figure stood before him, a devious grin on his pale face.

"Albedo. What are you doing here? I thought you were in containment."

The Galvin smiled." I made a friend."

A bright white light bloomed behind him, and Ben turned just in time to see a blurry white glowing figure and a burning white light heading straight for him. Pain ripped across his body and as he fell to the ground, his world turning black, he whispered one word.

"Ambrose."

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Well? Waddaya think? Devious and dramatic much? Hope you liked!