Chapter 14: Ben vs. Kevin
By the time the Rustbucket screeched to a halt near the overpass, the scene was already one of controlled chaos. Two crimson-skinned, four-armed behemoths were locked in a brutal slugfest, their earth-shaking impacts echoing under the concrete structure. A handful of police officers stood by their cruisers, their pistols holstered. The sporadic popping of gunfire had long since died down.
They had clearly given up. After all, what was the point when their bullets flattened against alien hide like spitballs? Go in swinging nightsticks? Not for a few thousand a month. The risk-to-reward ratio was laughably skewed.
"It's over, Kevin! You can't beat me!" Four Arms roared, his upper right fist connecting with a thunderous crack. The blow sent Kevin hurtling backward, a human cannonball that smashed through several massive support pillars before finally skidding to a halt in a cloud of dust and debris.
"Is that right?" Kevin's voice, rough and guttural, echoed from the rubble. He clawed his way out of the crater, a feral grin plastered on his face. "If that's all you've got to say, then my answer is… come on!" With a bellow, he charged back into the fray, his own four fists swinging.
Four Arms, however, had endured more than a few of Klein's brutal 'training sessions'. He'd also been on the receiving end of a beatdown from Diamondhead. His combat instincts were far sharper than Kevin's raw, undisciplined rage.
"You've got the power, but you don't know how to use it!" Four Arms taunted, sidestepping a wild haymaker. He moved with a brutal grace, a four-limbed storm of fists. A right hook staggered Kevin, a left uppercut snapped his head back, and a double hammer-fist to the chest drove the air from his lungs, leaving him reeling. "You've never been in a real fight!"
"And you've never been in a street fight!" Kevin snarled. As Four Arms moved in to finish him, Kevin did the unexpected. He lunged forward and sank his teeth into one of the hero's muscular hands.
"Agh!" Four Arms yelped, more in surprise than pain.
That split second was all Kevin needed. He seized the momentary opening, wrapped his arms around Four Arms's torso, and with a grunt of pure exertion, heaved him into the air.
Boom!
Four Arms crashed clean through the concrete deck of the overpass, landing with a deafening thud on the highway above.
"Ow…" The Tetramand groaned, slowly pushing himself up and rubbing his head.
Kevin leaped through the newly made hole, landing with a ground-shaking impact. He loomed over his opponent, mocking him. "Idiot! Who's getting their butt kicked now?" Not giving Ben a moment to recover, Kevin grabbed him again, spun him around like a top, and launched him down the length of the highway. Four Arms skipped across the asphalt for a good fifty meters before tumbling to a stop.
Kevin charged, eager to press his advantage, but Ben had learned his lesson. As Kevin closed in, Four Arms dropped low, wrapped all four arms around Kevin's waist, and executed a perfect, devastating over-the-shoulder throw.
"Aaargh!" It was Kevin's turn to cry out in pain as he was slammed into the pavement.
The brawl was a rolling catastrophe. They fought from under the overpass to on top of it, then tumbled off the side and continued their rampage along the road, carving a path of destruction straight into the city. Every punch landed with the force of a wrecking ball, every impact shattering windows and cracking foundations.
Back at the Rustbucket, Gwen's eyes widened in horror. "They're heading for the city!" she shouted.
Her warning finally shook the card-playing police officers from their stupor. One of them fumbled for his radio, his voice strained with manufactured urgency.
"Dispatch, we have two… uh… freaks heading downtown! The situation is critical! Requesting backup! I repeat, requesting backup!"
He set the radio down, picked up his cards, and glanced at his hand. Following them was pointless. A call for backup was the absolute most he was willing to do.
"Let's go!" Grandpa Max yelled, slamming the Rustbucket into gear. He spun the wheel, and the old RV lurched forward, chasing the trail of destruction left by the two raging aliens.
…
Sometime later, the heart of the city looked like a warzone. A large swath of downtown had been reduced to rubble. Buildings were pancaked, the streets were a spiderweb of cracks and craters, and the twisted remains of a few helicopters and tanks smoldered nearby. The air was thick with dust and the distant sound of sirens and screams.
By the time the Rustbucket rumbled onto the scene, handling a road that looked more like a quarry, the final act of the brawl was already playing out. It was a miracle the old vehicle had made it at all, considering the state of the infrastructure.
Four Arms stood victorious, one massive foot planted firmly on Kevin's chest. "You lose," he panted.
Pinned to the ground, Kevin's rage seemed to evaporate, replaced by a desperate, pleading look. "I know, I know! I was wrong," he whimpered, his voice cracking. "I just wanted revenge, but I took it too far. I get it now, I really do. Just… let me up. We can still be friends, right? Buddies?"
Seeing the apparent sincerity in Kevin's eyes, Four Arms hesitated. He was, after all, still just a kid. He lifted his foot, though he remained tense, ready for a sneak attack—a leg sweep, a grab, anything.
Kevin slowly pushed himself to his feet, his eyes locked on the glowing green symbol on Four Arms's left shoulder. "Give me your watch!" he suddenly shrieked, lunging forward and slapping his hand directly over the Omnitrix dial.
Four Arms reacted instantly, his own hands clamping down on Kevin's wrist, but it was too late. Kevin's palm was already covering the device. In Ben's mind, he'd thought that as long as he caught Kevin's hand, the trick wouldn't work. He never expected him to go directly for the symbol itself.
A blinding surge of green energy erupted from the Omnitrix. Its self-preservation protocol activated, blasting Kevin backward with concussive force. He hit the ground hard, his body convulsing as the alien energy coursed through him, forcibly reverting him to his normal human form.
"No!" Kevin screamed, staring in horror at his own pale hands.
The symbol on Four Arms's shoulder flashed a brilliant red, and with a final beep, Ben Tennyson stood in his place, the green light fading. He quickly scrambled away from the downed Kevin, who no longer posed any threat.
…
Click.
A pair of silver bracelets snapped shut around Kevin's wrists. He was hauled to his feet and shoved toward a police car. Before being pushed inside, he twisted around, his face a mask of pure hatred, and screamed at the small group standing by the Rustbucket.
"I'll be back! You haven't seen the last of me! And I won't let you go! Especially you, Ben Tennyson!"
"Get in the car, freak!" one of the officers—the very same one who had been so engrossed in his card game—grunted, shoving him into the back seat.
As the police car sped away, Ben nervously scratched the back of his head. He turned to his grandfather, his eyes darting around, unable to meet his gaze. "Uh… Grandpa? I want to tell you something."
"Funny," Grandpa Max said, mirroring the gesture perfectly. A true grandfather and grandson. "I have something to tell you, too."
A beat of silence passed between them.
"I'm sorry!" they said in unison.
"Sorry, Grandpa," Ben mumbled, finally looking up. "I was being a dweeb."
"I'm sorry, Ben," Max replied, his expression softening. "I was too hard on you."
Watching the scene unfold, Klein and Gwen exchanged a small, knowing smile.
…
Deep within a juvenile detention center, locked in a sterile cell, Kevin sat in the darkness. A low, guttural chuckle escaped his lips.
"Heh heh… Heh heh heh… Hahahahaha!"
He held up his hand. A sickly green energy, the very same that had blasted him away from the alien hero, began to crackle and spark around his clenched fist. It danced like a malevolent flame, a stolen power that promised a terrible vengeance.
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