Consequences

Part 3 of 9

Warning: Contains disturbing allusions and young children in adult situations. Reader discretion is advised.

"Well, aren't you just the image of your father, little Kenny?"

The look in 11K's eyes was different; more… disturbed this time than the previous visits to their "cell". Ken's wrist itched again and he absently scratched it; his body missed the Omnitrix as much as his mind did. It must have been torn off while he was unconscious; the skin on his wrist was red and raw. Gwen was frowning, more confused than scared at that point.

Ken focused on the man in front of him, not knowing how to quite react to him. He shrugged. "I guess. I mean, my hair's a little darker."

"Really, you are. The hair, the eyes, the height. I'm sure you're told this all the time, but it really is uncanny." He was leaning on the door frame, causally, and then he tapped his scar with his index finger. "Are you like him in personality as well?"

"Well I-"

"For instance, did you inherit your father's arrogance? I wonder if it's genetic; Max obviously has it in droves. We all know have the penchant for sticking your nose in other people's business; all one needs is a video feed to see that. The annoying smirk, the superiority, and the inability to see beyond your own limited perspective; yes, it's all there." Kevin pushed himself off the frame and slid forward in front of Ken. His mouth was twisted in a disturbing grin, his shining eyes reminded Ken of, of all things, a snake's. He took an involuntary step back as the adult invaded his personal space. "Yes, Benji, you haven't changed the least."

Ken frowned, confused. What was going on….? "I'm not-"

"You throw me into the Null Void, you think you're rid of me, but I always, ALWAYS come back. You take everything from me; my life, my future, and you think that will stop me? You have your perfect, happy little life with your happy little family, yet you have to take my son too?" He was yelling now; spit flying from his mouth, and his form slowly growing and changing, backing Ken into the wall. He grabbed him, lifting him up and roughly shoving him against the wall. "Well you will NEVER BEAT ME TENNYSON. DO YOU HEAR ME? I WILL NEVER STOP UNTIL I'VE TAKEN EVERYTHING AWAY FROM YOU TOO! I WILL DESTROY IT ALL AND MAKE YOU WATCH, AND THEN MY SMILING FACE WILL BE THE LAST THING YOU EVER SEE!!"

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Suddenly Gwen was behind 11K, pulling his tail, drawing his attention from Ken. Immediately Kevin's mood shifted. He quickly reverted back to human, dropping Ken as he shrunk. The boy stumbled, catching the breath he hadn't realized had been knocked out of him. But he quickly straightened, concerned about 11K's sudden attention to his sister.

"And of course, wherever Benji goes, his know-it-all cousin must follow, eh? It's been a long time, hasn't it, Gwen? Or is it Gwendolyn now?" Gwen, realizing the predicament, stepped back, wisely staying silent. He followed her, backing her into the opposite wall. He squeezed his hands gently around her biceps, lifting her up until she was almost eye level. He pushed his body up more closely against her so he could hold her against the wall while removing a hand. Ken could only watch in shock as he then stroked her check lightly with his fingertips.

"Feisty, intelligent, strong, but not as strong as she thinks, oh yes, you haven't changed either, have you? I've watched you over the years as well, my dear. Wanted you here, with me, and now you are…."

This is wrong, this is wrong, Ken's mind repeated over and over again, though he couldn't quite process what was going on; he had no frame of reference to decipher it, but it was wrong, sowrong…. The terror on Gwen's face tugged at his gut. She's my little sister; I'm supposed to protect her…. But he was frozen in place.

"But the hair, oh the hair, that's different. I don't like it, no, but I can fix that." Kevin's arm shifted into a Kochab blade arm. Gwen's eyes widened even more when he shifted her, allowing him access to her hair, then the blade along it, amputating her long brown hair at her shoulders.

"There. Much better." He grinned, than, a moment later, frowned. "Something else is wrong… some other way you are… not right." The gleam in his eyes dimmed a minuscule amount.

"Cause I'm not her," Gwen whispered.

Kevin froze, his eyes locked on hers. "What did you say?"

"I'm not her," the volume rose a bit, "I'm not."

The gleam dulled even more, and he shook his head, seeming to clear his mind, mood shifting again. "What?"

"You're talking about Gwendolyn Tennyson, my aunt. I'm not her; I'm a kid, she's a grown-up. Remember?"

Kevin blinked, the crazed gleam completely leaving, and turned away, dropping her, and she crumbled to the floor. He didn't even look back as he tore out of the room. Ken rushed to Gwen's side, lifting her into a sitting position and hugging her as she began to shake.

"Shhh, it's ok, he's gone, it's ok."

"Ken, it hurts, it hurts." He held her as she cried.

A few hours later, after the doctor had left, Ken sat down next to Gwen on her bed. He was careful to avoid her left arm, which as incased in a metal frame and propped up on pillows next to her. The TV was on and Galactic Heroes was playing. It was hard for her to do anything that required movement at the moment. They both watched quietly for a while.

"Ken?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do I keep hearing everybody's feelings?"

He turned and looked at her. Her eyes were large and liquidy, reflecting the light from the TV and her own fears. "I don't know. I guess it's something to do with your powers."

Frowning, "But Aunt Gwen and Grandma Verdona don't."

"Aunt Gwendolyn doesn't know everything about being Anodite," he shrugged, "maybe she just hasn't figured that part out yet. And with Grandma, who knows what she can and can't do. She doesn't tell us alotta stuff."

"Maybe." A pause. "I don't like it. I wish it would stop."

"I know twerp, but you'll figure it out and then it won't be so bad. Every time I get a new alien, I gotta kinda figure out its powers too. It'll get better."

"You really think so?"

"Really really."

The music of the show filtered through the silence.

"Thanks Ken. I'm glad you're here." A genuine grin broke across her face. "But I'm not a twerp."

"Are too."

"Are not!"

"Are too." By this point they'd usually be shoving and poking each other, but since that wasn't such a good idea, Ken reached over and tossed his sister's hair. She scrunched up her nose and stuck her tongue out at him, and they both laughed until Galactic Heroes recaptured their attention.