Thanks to all who liked my first chapter. I'm so glad you like it so far.
I do not own Ben 10, just the characters I make up.
Chapter 2: A New Home
"You're sure the kid will be alright?" Grant asked as he looked at the boy sitting quietly in Gilliam's car. Gilliam and Grant stood outside the car talking with each other under the rainy skies. Kevin didn't look at them, aside from maybe a quick side-glance. Despite still wearing a look of forlorn, Kevin was actually feeling a sense of relief. He had been offered a home and he accepted. He still didn't know what really awaited now but it had to be better than the life he was living before.
"He's been through a lot, despite him being so young," Gilliam replied. He turned to look at the boy. He watched as Kevin continued his tired gaze at the rain-soaked windshield. Gilliam smirked slightly as he turned back to his friend.
"The kid's a lot tougher than he looks. I'm sure he'll be fine," he said with a clear smile.
"If you say so," Grant said with an amused huff, "Anyway, I'm sure you need to head back home. Tell Vanessa that I said hi."
"You don't need a ride?" Gilliam questioned.
"I don't want to further impose on your family, especially now that you have a new addition," Grant replied, "Besides I have to wait for the MP's to show and take care of things here," Grant finished motioning his thumb over to where the gang lay. The gang was chained together by the hands with some loose chains Grant found in the scrapyard. Some of them were beginning to wake up now but a good few still were unconscious.
"Alright then, I guess I'm off," Gilliam stated as he walked to the driver's side of the car.
"Later," Grant said giving him a two-finger salute. Gilliam returned the gesture and then climbed inside the car. Kevin gave one last glance outside towards Grant. Grant looked at him and gave a him friendly wave. Kevin didn't smile back but gave an appreciative nod towards the man. Gilliam then started the car and the two sped off. Grant watched the car get farther and farther away from him. His good-hearted smile was replaced by a more serious expression.
"I really do hope that kid will be alright," he thought to himself, "This place...only a few know what's hidden behind city walls," Grant then noticed the flashing red and blue lights getting closer to him. He let out a heavy sigh
"At least he has Gilliam with him."
The car was uncomfortably silent. Kevin watched the building pass by as they were on their way towards Gilliam's home.
"Why were you out fighting with that group of thugs?" Gilliam asked to break the silence. Kevin turned his gaze towards the man.
"They started the fight," Kevin replied, "As far as I'm concerned, they deserved every punch."
"Maybe," Gilliam said with a slight chuckle, "I just find funny that you have only been here for a few hours and you manage to get yourself in a brawl."
"Yeah, well that's a normal day for me," Kevin added with his own humor. Silence once again surrounded the two for couple more minutes. Kevin now decided to break the silence.
"Can I ask something?" Kevin questioned.
"What is it?" Gilliam replied
"What exactly is this place?" Kevin asked, "I know Grant called it the Null City, but I've always thought that the Null Void was a prison. But this place, it looks just like a city back on Earth. So, is this a prison or a city?" Kevin finished looking directly at Gilliam. Gilliam was quiet, obviously pondering about Kevin's question. Finally, he gave his answer.
"Yes," he said in a low voice.
"Yes, what?" Kevin asked in a confused manner.
"It's both," Gilliam replied.
"I still don't get it," Kevin said shaking his head slightly.
"When the Null Void was created, many alien races began to house their most dangerous criminals there. The Plumbers of Earth were no exception to this," Gilliam began to explain. Kevin listened intently.
"The Plumbers wanted also to house their prisoners there as well. However, there were numerous debates as to whether or not it was safe to place humans alongside the more 'savage' alien species. They made a decision. They would build a small community like a prison to house their own criminals," Gilliam continued. Kevin looked outside the window and watched the large structures pass by.
"But it grew," Kevin mumbled.
"It did," Gilliam said with a nod, "Over time, the Plumbers' prisoner count rose. Thieves, traitors, and captured Knights filled the city. In response, the city grew. What once was a small community became a large city in the middle of the Void."
"But it's not a city!" Kevin exclaimed. Gilliam glanced at the boy. He noticed the way he was clenching his fists almost to the point where they were turning pure white.
"It's nothing but a prison that the Plumbers have fooled everyone into believing that it's not," Kevin continued in an almost angered tone, "Why does everyone accept this?"
"Humans are incredibly adaptive by nature. That's how they've managed to survive for thousands of years," Gilliam began in a calm tone. Kevin looked back at Gilliam as he continued, "This has been proven throughout time. Whether its war or plague, the human race has always managed to pull through those dark times and come out stronger in the end. In a place like this, former enemies like the Plumbers and Knights must learn to live together in order to maintain peace. In turn, they are allowed to work, live equally, and raise families just like they would back on Earth," Gilliam's eyes shifted briefly outside the car window. He couldn't help but narrow his eyes at the Plumbers who were patrolling the streets. Their loaded guns were clearly visible, strapped to the belts of their green uniforms.
"You are allowed to live peacefully here as long as you abide by one rule," Gilliam continued, "Obey...Obey the laws set in place by those who run this city and you can live happily and peacefully."
Another moment of silence fell between them. Kevin studied Gilliam's face as he explained the nature of this new environment. He could sense contentment in his expression, not happiness or acceptance of the laws of this city but he was willing to bear it. Or perhaps hidden behind that expression was a sense of ongoing dread. Always hoping and praying that events could never lead to the worse. Especially in a place like this.
"If that's the case," Kevin said with an annoyed huff, "Humans are also pretty gullible," he finished leaning his head back and closing his eyes. Gilliam glanced quickly at the boy then smiled as he turned his attention back to the road ahead.
"I don't disagree with you there, kid," Gilliam said quietly with a low chuckle.
The two finally arrived at Gilliam's home and now Kevin's home as well. As they parked on the side of the road Kevin studied the residence up and down. It looked like any simple condo found in large cities. It was three levels and could house a decent sized family. Kevin stepped out of the car and slowly walked towards the building. He quickly noticed that the first level of the building was actually an electronics shop. Kevin stared at the building silently as Gilliam walked past him to unlock the front doors.
"My wife is quite the genius when it comes to computers and such," Gilliam said to Kevin with a grin. Kevin walked towards the man as he unlocked the door, "It's a decent way to make a living here. Especially with all the Plumber tech that comes through."
Gilliam opened the door and motioned Kevin to follow him inside. The inside of the shop was dark with only the lights from the street coming through the windows. There were shelves along the wall showcasing the shop's items. He continued to follow Gilliam towards what looked like the register desk. Above the desk were two signs; one said register and the other said repair. The two walked through a doorway behind the desk. It led into a hallway with stairs that would lead to the living area of the building. They walked up the stairway to another door. Gilliam quickly opened it.
"This is it, home," Gilliam said as he walked through the doorway. Kevin followed suit.
He was a little surprised by how nice the place looked. After living in abandoned subways and prison cells for the last couple of years, he was happy to be in an actually home. He was standing in a decent sized living room with leather sofas set up nicely around a wooden coffee table. A medium-sized TV stood along a far wall also. There was also a closed door just off to the side of the room. Connected to the living area, on his left, was a small kitchen with nice looking marble countertops and a round table for meals next to it.
"I'll admit," Kevin spoke, "I didn't really expect it to be so nice," he finished turning to face Gilliam. Gilliam smiled.
"Yes, well, it's expected that I would be allowed such a nice home. Especially after all my years servicing the Plumbers," Gilliam stated matter-of-factly. Kevin's expression turned to that of confusion.
"Wait! You said were a Forever Knight, how could you have also worked for the Plumbers? Aren't the two supposed to be enemies?" Kevin questioned the man. Gilliam lowered and shook his head with an amused grin.
"There's a lot you don't know about, but I'm sure you'll learn soon enough," Gilliam replied raising his head but not looking directly at him. Kevin raised a curious brow at the man.
"Wait here a minute," Gilliam said looking back at the boy, "We'll see about setting you up in a spare room and about tending to your injuries," he finished. Kevin placed his hand upon his left arm. He felt the wounds from his earlier fight with the gang. Most of the wounds had closed up but he could still feel the leftover scabs and scars. He would also wince slightly from the stinging pain of his fingers brushing a scrape on his upper arm.
"Okay," Kevin said quietly. Gilliam then walked over to the closed door next to the living room. He opened it quietly and closed it quietly as well.
Kevin started to glance around the room when Gilliam left. He saw a small bookshelf on one side of the living area. He walked over and viewed the items upon it. On the shelves were various books. They appeared to be common books for studying purposes. He then looked down. He saw what looked like a photo album lying flat on the shelf. He opened it slightly to a random page. There were older looking photos inside. The pictures appeared to be taken from a few years ago, maybe more.
"These must be from when he was a Plumber," Kevin thought as he looked over the old photos. They were showing Gilliam with some other friends of his, probably other Plumbers or maybe even Knights; Kevin wasn't sure. His eyes then fell upon one particular photo. It was a younger looking Gilliam, early twenties probably, he appeared to at some kind of bar or party with some other friends. However, he was hanging with one particular person. His arm was around his shoulder and the two men had huge smiles on the faces, obviously having a good time. Kevin's eyes began to widen as he focused on the second man. He seemed too familiar.
"Is that," he looked closer. The man was also in his early twenties with short black hair and dark brown eyes that looked almost black in color. Kevin's eyes were wide with shock and a hint of grief. He knew that man. It was a long time ago but the man's face was still clear in his mind.
"D…Dad,"
Kevin then heard a door opening behind him. Quickly, he closed the album and turned around. In the doorway where Gilliam had left earlier, he saw a beautiful woman standing there staring at him with an expression of concern and shock. Kevin immediately presumed her to be Gilliam's wife. She had long, wavy chestnut-colored hair that graced her upper back. Her eyes were a lovely hazel with a very warm look to them and she was wearing a long white robe. She must have been in bed when the two had arrived.
"So you're Kevin," she said as she walked towards the boy. Her voice was kind and comforting. She kneeled down to be at eye level with Kevin.
"What happened to you?" she questioned him while looking over his wounds. Gilliam stood a few feet behind them keeping a watchful eye on the two.
"I…it was from a fight," Kevin mumbled looking away from the woman. Gilliam's wife merely smiled and shook her head slightly.
"Well, it looks like you put up a good fight," she said good-humouredly. Kevin replied with his own smirk. "My name's Vanessa. You probably can already guess that I'm Gilliam's wife," Vanessa told the boy.
"Yeah, I figured," Kevin stated.
"Well then," Vanessa began as she stood back up, "You are welcomed here. Why don't you head upstairs to the spare bedroom? I bring up a medical kit along with some spare clothes for you as well."
Kevin glanced over towards Gilliam briefly. Gilliam gave an approving nod.
"Alright," Kevin finally said looking back at Vanessa. She smiled down at him.
"It's upstairs, second door on your left," Vanessa said. Kevin nodded in understanding walked back towards the door that led to the stairway. He saw the second flight of stairs that connected to the previous ones. He quickly but quietly headed up to the uppermost floor.
He walked into a basic looking hallway that had four doors, two on each side. Both doors on the right side were closed. As he walked towards the end of the hall, he looked to his left. The first door was slightly ajar. Kevin's pace slowed as he glanced inside. It appeared to be an office or some kind of study. It must be Gilliam's private room.
"What don't I know?" Kevin thought about Gilliam's previous words as he opened the door to his new room. He walked inside. It was a simple room. It had a bed against a wall, a desk, and some drawers for clothes. The walls were pretty bare but that was to be expected for a spare room. Right now the only light was coming from and window above the bed. He sat upon the bed and let out a heavy sigh. He turned his head to look at the window. It wasn't raining as hard as it was earlier but he could still see the few drops of rain hitting the glass. He then heard a light tapping on the door. He turned to be greeted by Vanessa standing in the doorway. She had a small set of clothes and a first aid kit in her hands.
"You okay?" She asked him as she placed the clothes on the desk.
"Yeah, I'm just a little tired," Kevin replied rubbing his eyes a bit. Vanessa grabbed the chair by the desk and brought it over next to the bed.
"Show me your arm," Vanessa said. Kevin did as he was told and extended his injured arm to her.
"Well it looks like most of your lesser wounds have already healed," Vanessa stated while looking over his arm. The only prominent wound was the scrape on his upper arm.
"I've always been a fast healer. Then again those thugs didn't stand a chance against someone like me…ow!" Kevin exclaimed as Vanessa started to clean his wound.
"Come on, it doesn't hurt that bad," Vanessa stated as she continued cleaning, "I swear you're as bad as Gilliam and sometimes he would come from a battle with worse wounds." Kevin was silent for a few seconds before speaking again.
"Why was he so willing to take me in? After all, I'm just some kid he found on the streets," Kevin questioned.
"Gilliam has experienced the feeling of being alone and forgotten as well as the pain that comes with it," Vanessa explained. Kevin felt a sense of shock from this, "There have been many battles involving the Knights and the Plumbers. When my husband was young, he was part of the Forever Knights. During a conflict with the Plumbers, Gilliam was hurt badly. His fellow knights retreated, leaving him behind," as she continued a smile formed on her face, "He might have died that day if not for one man."
"My dad?" Kevin asked. Vanessa nodded.
"Devin was a young Plumber back then. When the fighting was done that day, your father found Gilliam badly wounded with no other Knights anywhere near him. Your father had a kind heart, I guess he something told him that he couldn't just leave him there to die. He took him to receive treatment by the Plumbers and was able to convince them to allow him to stay within the organization," Vanessa continued to explain.
"Gilliam said that he and my dad were friends. He didn't tell me that my dad saved his life. Maybe that's why he wanted to help me," Kevin pondered aloud.
"It's true that Gilliam believes he owes a lot to your father, but don't just think that's the only reason he chose to help. Like I said he understands the hardships you have faced and like your father he also has a very kind and accepting heart. Maybe that's from being both a Knight and a Plumber," Vanessa finished as she completed tending to Kevin's wound by wrapping some bandages around his arm.
"A lot has happened today, you should get some sleep," Vanessa suggested as she stood back up to leave the room.
"I can't thank you enough, both you and Gilliam," Kevin said to her graciously. Vanessa gave him a warm smile.
"You don't have to thank anyone. As I said before you are more than welcome here. This is your home now," she said to him in an almost motherly tone. Kevin smiled back at her as he watched her exit the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
"Home," Kevin said quietly to himself. He laid down on the bed and stared quietly at the ceiling. He then felt his eyes droop. He was feeling very tired after today. Everything that has happened hit him like a ton of bricks. He had been thrown into this city/prison, fighting off street gangs as he had done back in New York. Now he was lying in a comfortable bed in a new home. Recollecting on these events made him feel even more tired and soon he drifted off into sleep.
Vanessa had quietly closed the door to Kevin's room as she left. She turned and saw Gilliam leaning against the wall next to her.
"He asks a lot of questions," Gilliam stated quietly.
"Well, what did you expect?" Vanessa told also speaking in a quiet voice, "I suppose you didn't tell him much."
"I told him what he needed to know. About me and about this place. Maybe the less he knows, the more he can live out a normal life," Gilliam explained as he walked towards his office.
"Please don't be like that Gilliam," Vanessa said as she followed him inside the room, "You and I both know that he is not a normal human. You told me that he's an Osmosian, just like Devin."
"That's what concerns me," Gilliam stated as he removed his sword from his belt. He placed it next to a stand that held his old Knight armor, "I'm worried. Devin died when he was too young to know he had powers. He might only have a basic understanding of his powers. He could lose control, he might already have" Gilliam explained.
"So why don't you teach him?" Vanessa requested.
"I don't know if I can," Gilliam stated harshly as he sat down in his desk chair.
"But you've been around Osmosians for most of your life," Vanessa stated.
"Being friends with one doesn't mean you can properly teach one," Gilliam said while rubbing his face. Silence fell upon the two for a brief second.
"You could still train him how to properly fight and defend himself," Vanessa stated seriously.
"I could," Gilliam mumbled.
"Gilliam, he's a fighter, you've already seen that. He needs to learn," Vanessa said softly as she put a hand on his shoulder. Gilliam looked up at his wife and smiled softly.
"I just want to keep the promise that I made," Gilliam said in a hushed voice. Vanessa chuckled softly and leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek.
"I know you do, but even you can only do so much. At least think about teaching him," Vanessa said with a sweet smile, she then headed towards the door. "It's getting late you should come to bed," she said when she reached the door.
"Go on, I'll be there in a minute," Gilliam said. Vanessa smiled at him and Gilliam watched her leave the room to head back downstairs. Gilliam turned in his seat to face his desk. Lying on his desk were some newspaper articles from the city. He looked over them. Each headline depicted some of the problems that the Null city was facing right now. Small riots erupting and rumors about a weapon smuggling ring; those were two of the most prominent problems. Gilliam looked over one last article. It read "Another murder victim found," that was the article that bothered Gilliam the most.
"She's right. I have a bad feeling that the boy is going to get himself into some trouble eventually," Gilliam thought to himself as he got up from his seat. "What am I going to do?" he pondered as he headed out of the room and back downstairs.
Kevin found himself in what looked like the city streets. Something was off about this place though. It was dark and barren with no signs of life anywhere. The strong smell of ash and decay filled his nostrils as he looked around. The buildings that surrounded him had shattered windows and crumbling walls. As he continued to gaze upwards he noticed that the sky was a deep red color with swirls clouds of smoke everywhere.
"Hello!" he yelled out into the empty space. There was no answer. He was alone. He hated being alone in this place. Something bad had happened here, but what?
He continued to walk forward; it was all he could do. This street felt like it would never end as he continued his pace. He then stopped. He listened carefully. A faint sound of footsteps could be heard in front of him and they were getting louder.
"Hello? Answer me! where am I!" Kevin called out in utter desperation. Again there was no answer just the sounds of the footsteps coming closer. Now it sounded like there more than one person. It sounded like a whole group of people.
His eye narrowed as he listened. Soon his eyes widened with confusion as he saw an eerie red mist coming from the shadows and flowing along the ground. The mist flowed quickly, as though it was a river of blood. It swirled around his legs and feet. A wave of fear washed over his face as he gazed down at the hellish substance.
He then heard the sounds of footsteps ceasing. He quickly looked back towards the shadows. He could feel his body tremble with fear. What now stood a few feet away from him was a whole row of soldiers. They weren't regular soldiers. They each looked the same with matching uniforms and generic looking faces. However, where their eyes would be, there were two vacant black holes.
"Stay away from me!" Kevin exclaimed as he stepped back slightly. With that, the soldier that stood in the middle of the row narrowed his vacant hole as if they were his eyes. He then lifted his gun and fired a shot at the boy.
Kevin was able to jump back just in time to avoid the bullet. The bullet hit the ground in front of him. The ground caught on fire where the bullet had hit. Fear enveloped Kevin's entire being as he looked back up at the soldiers. Now all of the figures had their guns pointed at him.
"Shit! Shit!" Kevin quickly got up and started running away from the soldiers. As he ran he could hear each shot being fired at him. The bullet either hit the ground behind him as he ran or he was the streaks of the bullets fly past him to hit the path ahead. With each impact of a bullet on the ground, a small fire appeared where it hit.
Kevin continued to run until out of the corner of his eye he saw a small alleyway. He quickly stopped and turned to head for the passage. He made it to the alley but he didn't stop running. The alleyway seemed just as long as the previous street. He glanced behind him briefly. He saw the red mist begin to follow him. He ran faster. Ahead he noticed that the alley was becoming narrower. He had to slow his pace as reach the end. He squeezed himself through the narrow passage as fast as he possibly could, knowing that the red mist was following him. He saw the exit just in front of him. He pressed on as the passage got narrower and narrower finally he was able to escape with one last jump through the passage. He landed hard upon the hard asphalt of the street. He looked back to the alleyway. He saw the red mist leak out the narrow passage. He moved back and away from the eerie substance while still lying on the asphalt. He let out a sigh of relief though, knowing that at least he got away from the demonic soldiers.
"You shouldn't have come here," a sinister voice said to him. Kevin looked to his right. He saw a lone figure standing and staring at him a few feet away. He didn't look like the soldiers from earlier. Kevin couldn't see his face for it covered by black shadows. The only thing Kevin could see were the man's eyes, illuminated against the pitch-black canvas of his face. Kevin was startled by them. His pupils were the deepest color of red that Kevin had ever seen. They look like the color of blood.
"Who the hell are you?!" Kevin shouted at the man as he stood back up. The figure didn't say anything aside from chuckling darkly at the boy.
The man took one step forward. As he did, sparks of red lightning shot towards him. Kevin raised his arms to shield himself against the sparks. The lightning hit his arms and burned like fire against his skin. The power the man emitted was too much for the boy. Kevin fell backward on the asphalt with brute force. He didn't stay there long as quickly got back up to get away from the man. He started to run away from the man but soon stopped dead in his tracks. He saw the row of soldiers standing in the distance in front of him with their guns raised ready to fire. Kevin took some steps back from the soldiers and turned to run away, but he soon realized that the dark man was still there waiting for him. Kevin was trapped between these two fearsome obstacles. He was now paralyzed with fear, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time. He looked back at the lone man. The man stared back with his demonic red eyes. It looked like they were filled with hate, all for him. The man then raised his hand. Red sparks emitted from it. Just then a shot of red lighting came from his hand and raced towards Kevin. Kevin's eyes went wide as the lightning got closer and closer.
Kevin woke up.
He lurched forward from his sleeping so that he was now sitting upright. His body was drenched in sweat and he was breathing heavily. He could still feel his body shaking from the nightmare. Slowly he raised his hands to his face. He began to rub his face to calm himself down.
"It was just a dream," Kevin whispered to himself. He let out a heavy sigh, "Man, I've never had a nightmare like that though."
He looked out the window in his room. It was now bright and sunny outside. He must have been sleeping for a long time. He got off his bed, stretched, and walked towards the pile of clothes that Vanessa had left on the desk last night. Kevin had slept in the same clothes he wore yesterday. He looked over the pile of clean clothes. He picked a nice white button-up shirt and a pair of jeans. He decided to strip off his ragged and dirty clothes that he was wearing. He put on the clean jeans and buttoned up the new shirt he was given. Once he was changed he walked towards the door rubbing his neck tiredly as he did.
He entered the hallway and closed the door behind him. It was empty and he didn't hear any sounds from any of the other rooms. He walked over to the stairway. It was then that he just noticed that there were more stairs that lead to the roof. He must have been too tired last night to notice or he just didn't care. Still, his curiosity was getting the better of him and he decided to head up there. He figured he might get a better view of the city as well.
He climbed to the top until he reached a door. He opened and shielded his eyes from the sunlight that entered. His eyes adjusted as the outside world came into view. The roof was pretty barren. As he walked he heard the gravel shift beneath his feet. A chain-link fence surrounded the entire area of the roof. He walked over to the fence and looked out over the city, with one hand gripping the fence.
The city looked even larger than he expected. Tall buildings encompassed the area and some were even taller than the roof he was standing on. He looked down at the street and saw crowds of people walking along the sidewalks. He could also hear the sounds of cars and busses that filled the streets. He looked back up and his eyes focused on one particular building in the distance. He leaned on to the fence even more and his other hand came up to grip it. It was definitely the Plumbers base he was taken to yesterday. It was the most prominent looking out of the other buildings that surrounded it. It almost looked like a large more militaristic version of the white house.
It was far away, on the north side of the city, so Kevin figured that he now must living on the south side of the city. The Null City itself was split up by the plumbers into four specific sectors; the north, south, east, and west. In the middle of the city was a large park, obviously inspired by Central Park in New York City. Kevin continued to look around the city some more. He saw in the distance, on the east side, what looked like a bridge connecting the city to a large island. How the Plumbers were able to create an island in a body of water in a city like this was another marvel to him. There appeared to be some residential building on it but there were also what looked like some large factory-like buildings. It must be some kind of industrial district.
Kevin let out another sigh as he leaned his head against the fence. This place was his new home now. Strangely though, he didn't really feel saddened or angry at this. He felt content actually. Maybe after living on his own in New York and fighting in an alien prison, being welcomed by Gilliam and Vanessa into their home gave him a new sense of warmth that he had lost years ago. He had lost such feeling when his father died and his mother remarried. He thought he would never get back when he was forced to leave his home to live on the streets. Now he was regaining it. A new set of determination was filling his being. It now occurred to him that this really was his chance to start anew. Maybe…
"Are you Kevin?" an unfamiliar female voice came from behind him. it broke Kevin of his thought and he turned around to greet this new voice.
Wow, it's been a while. Anyway here's the next chapter. I hope it doesn't feel slow or anything like that, but there was a lot of plot to get through. I hope you guys like it and please review.