Chapter 13: Kevin
The lobby of the four-star hotel in New York was a world of polished marble and hushed efficiency.
"This place has everything!" Gwen's eyes sparkled as she took in their surroundings. "An open-air restaurant, an indoor swimming pool, and even a spa!"
Ben, on the other hand, looked around with a deep sense of boredom, his shoulders slumped. Then, his eyes suddenly lit up, locking onto a large promotional banner. "The launch event for the new Sumo Slammers game! You can try out the latest version!"
Without a second thought, he bolted towards the entrance of the exhibition hall, only to be blocked by the unmoving form of a doorman in a crisp uniform.
"Invitation," the man stated, his tone flat. He didn't show a hint of warmth just because Ben was a child.
"I'm, uh, a Sumo Slammers expert," Ben began, puffing out his chest. "I was invited to test out the latest game."
"Invitation," the doorman repeated, his expression unchanging. He clearly wasn't buying it.
"Fine!" A defeated Ben trudged back to the check-in counter where the others were waiting.
"Ben, I know exactly what you're thinking," Grandpa Max warned, his voice low. "Don't even consider sneaking in."
"Of course not!" Ben swore, putting on his most innocent face.
A few moments later, after the rest of the family had headed for the elevator, he muttered to himself with a grin.
"As if!"
…
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
The sound of luggage hitting the pavement echoed on the sidewalk. Grandpa Max, Klein, and a thoroughly dejected Gwen were unceremoniously kicked out of the hotel, their bags tossed out right behind them. The brief, chaotic incident had started and ended with Ben's ill-conceived plan to transform and sneak in, which resulted in his immediate discovery.
…
"This is all your fault, Dweeb!" Gwen fumed, her hands on her hips. "We all got kicked out! I haven't had a single proper bath since this summer trip started! That was a spa! A spa!"
"It was just to play a game!" Ben shot back, completely failing to grasp the severity of the situation.
"Ben! You can't just use that watch for things like this!" Grandpa Max lectured, his face a mask of disappointment.
"You just don't get it!" Ben's temper flared, his voice rising. "I've used this watch to help so many people! Why can't I use it to help myself for once?!"
"The point isn't who you're helping!" Max's own anger began to surface at Ben's stubbornness. "The point is that your cousin didn't give you this watch so you could abuse its power for selfish reasons!"
Klein, caught in the crossfire, simply watched the familiar drama unfold. 'They're family,'he thought with a detached sense of amusement.'They argue like this sometimes, but they always make up in the end.'
"I… I…" Ben's anger deflated slightly under his grandfather's stern gaze. "Then just take it out of my allowance."
"Dweeb! You don't even have an allowance!" Gwen helpfully reminded him.
The argument continued for a few more minutes before Ben, unable to win, stormed off down the street. Grandpa Max, his expression still stormy, turned back toward the hotel to see if he could salvage their reservation fee. From the grim set of his jaw when he returned, it was clear his anger—and their eviction—was final.
"Gwen, you go check on Grandpa," Klein said calmly. "I'll go find Ben."
…
Klein found Ben a few blocks away, kicking a stray can along the bustling New York City sidewalk.
"Cousin, are you here to yell at me too?" Ben asked without looking up. Despite his earlier outburst, being in Klein's presence made him acutely aware of how badly he'd messed up, and his voice was tinged with embarrassment.
"No, Ben, I'm not here to yell at you," Klein said, his tone even. He hadn't even registered Ben's embarrassment. "From my perspective, you did act a bit immaturely. But I'm not going to lecture you. I believe you'll figure some things out on your own, sooner or later, without me having to say a word." He paused, looking down the crowded street. "I just wanted to tell you that it's good to go out and clear your head, but don't stay out too long. Grandpa will worry."
"Thanks, Cousin," Ben mumbled, a flicker of gratitude in his eyes.
With that, Klein turned and walked back. He wasn't worried. In a city like this, what danger could possibly find a kid who had the Omnitrix?
…
Night fell, and the international metropolis of New York City remained a constellation of brilliant lights.
"Why isn't Ben back yet?" Gwen paced nervously inside the cramped confines of the Rustbucket. "You don't think something happened, do you?"
"Let's go look for him," Klein suggested simply.
Hearing the concern in his grandchildren's voices, Grandpa Max felt he "had no choice but" to start the engine and begin cruising the streets in search of Ben.
As they drove, the radio suddenly crackled to life with a news bulletin: "We interrupt this program with a breaking report. Subway arrival times tonight will be significantly delayed. According to personnel on site, a serious fire has broken out at one of the downtown stations."
"Grandpa!" Gwen gasped, pointing at the radio.
"I should have known!" Max's expression darkened, his hands tightening on the steering wheel.
Klein blinked. 'Wait a minute,'he thought, bewildered.'I just gave you some space to cool off. How did you immediately escalate to committing a felony?'
…
A train sped through the dark tunnels, its cars rattling violently. On the roof, Ben clung to the edges of a freshly melted hole—a clear sign of Heatblast's recent handiwork.
Honk! Honk!
The Rustbucket suddenly swerved off a side road, accelerating to match the train's speed.
"Ben!" Klein shouted, leaning out the passenger window. "Over here!"
At the same time, Grandpa Max deployed the Rustbucket's side awning, creating a makeshift landing platform.
"Okay!" Ben glanced from the RV to the rapidly approaching steel sign dead ahead. "Time to jump!" he muttered, psyching himself up. He slowly pushed himself to his feet, found his balance against the rocking of the train, and took a flying leap.
"Ugh-ah-ah-ah!"
He landed with a solid thud right on the awning.
…
Safely back inside the Rustbucket, Ben noticed Klein's strange, questioning look and quickly began to explain.
"It was this guy, Kevin!"
He then launched into a breathless, tangled story. In short, he'd gone to an arcade to blow off steam but got ripped off by the machines. A kid named Kevin had used some kind of special ability to hack the arcade, letting Ben play for free. When a gang of thugs tried to jump Kevin, Ben saved him. The two became fast friends after they stole an entire arcade cabinet and were chased by a news helicopter.
The friendship soured, however, when Kevin revealed his plan to use his powers to derail a train and rob it, a plan that would kill hundreds of people. When Ben refused, they fought fiercely in the subway station, which explained the fire.
"We have to stop him," Gwen said urgently after hearing the story. "Ben, you said he might be going for revenge?"
…
"I should have known!" Max grumbled again as they hit a wall of red taillights. New York truly was a big city, and right now, it was one giant traffic jam.
"This looks like a job for Stinkfly!" Ben declared, slapping the face of the Omnitrix. A flash of green light filled the RV.
"Oh, man! This is so annoying!" a deep, gravelly voice boomed. Instead of the nimble insectoid, the massive, four-armed form of Four Arms was now crammed inside the Rustbucket, hugging his knees to his chest.
With a grunt of effort, Four Arms shoved the side door open. The space was so tight that he accidentally smashed the door of the car next to them with a sickening crunch.
"Alright, I'll meet you guys under the Forty-second Street overpass!" he announced, preparing to leap away.
Just as he was about to launch himself into the air, Klein's calm voice cut through the chaos.
"Wait, Ben. I won't interfere in your feud with Kevin, and I won't let Gwen interfere either. You handle this yourself."
Klein had decided this was the perfect opportunity for Ben to learn a much-needed lesson and grow up a little.
'Just kidding,'he thought to himself with an internal smirk.'If Ben doesn't learn to work hard, how am I supposed to be lazy?'
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