Chapter 14: Ben VS Kevin
The Rustbucket screeched to a halt, its tires kicking up a cloud of dust and asphalt debris. Through the windshield, the group stared at the chaotic scene unfolding under the overpass. Two massive, four-armed, crimson-skinned behemoths were locked in a brutal brawl. A squad of police officers huddled behind their cruisers, desperately firing their service weapons. The bullets sparked against the thick, armored skin of the two Tetramands, bouncing off like harmless pebbles.
Slowly, the staccato rhythm of gunfire sputtered and died. The officers lowered their weapons, exchanging exhausted, defeated glances. Honestly, who could blame them? If hollow-point rounds were entirely useless, what were they supposed to do? Charge in for hand-to-hand combat? Nobody was going to throw their life away against a pair of alien heavyweights for a meager municipal salary.
"Kevin, you can't beat me!" Four Arms roared, his deep voice vibrating through the concrete. He stepped into a heavy swing, his lower right fist connecting solidly with Kevin's jaw. The impact sent Kevin flying backward across dozens of meters. He crashed through several thick concrete pillars supporting the overpass, sending clouds of cement dust billowing into the air.
"Is that so?" Kevin coughed, dragging his massive red frame out of the shattered rubble. He wiped a smear of dust from his face, his four eyes narrowing with malice. "If that's all you have to say, then my answer is... come on!"
Kevin roared, swinging all four of his fists wildly as he charged like a runaway freight train.
Unfortunately for Kevin, raw power was not enough. Ben had spent the last few weeks getting thoroughly and systematically dismantled by Klein. Whenever Klein felt bored, he would drag Ben out for combat training, which usually consisted of Klein transforming and casually beating Ben into the dirt. Thanks to those brutal sessions against Klein and his Diamondhead form, Ben's actual fighting instincts had been hammered into shape. His combat skills were leagues ahead of a street punk who had just stumbled into alien strength.
"I see you haven't experienced real combat!" Four Arms mocked. He easily slipped past Kevin's wild haymaker, stepping inside his guard. A rapid-fire combo of punches hammered into Kevin's midsection and face, a flurry of heavy blows that made the fake Tetramand see stars.
"And I see you haven't experienced a real street fight!" Kevin spat back. Instead of throwing another punch, Kevin lunged forward and clamped his massive teeth right down on one of Four Arms' upper wrists.
"Ow! Hey!" Four Arms yelled, his concentration breaking.
Taking advantage of the flinch, Kevin grabbed Four Arms by the waist, hoisted his heavy body into the air, and hurled him upward with all his might.
Boom!
Four Arms shattered right through the thick concrete of the overpass, exploding out onto the asphalt road above in a shower of rebar and debris.
"Ugh..." Four Arms groaned, slowly pushing himself up from the cratered road and rubbing his bruised head.
Before he could fully recover, Kevin leaped through the jagged hole in the bridge, landing heavily on the asphalt. "Idiot! Who's getting beaten so badly now?"
Not giving Ben a second to breathe, Kevin lunged. He grabbed Four Arms by the arms, spun him around like a massive hammer throw, and launched him dozens of meters down the highway. Four Arms tumbled across the pavement, tearing up chunks of road with every bounce.
Kevin charged forward, eager to press his advantage and stomp his opponent into the ground. But Ben had learned his lesson. As Kevin closed in, Four Arms suddenly dropped low, wrapped his lower arms tightly around Kevin's waist, and used the momentum to execute a flawless over-the-shoulder throw.
"Ah!" Kevin cried out as his back slammed brutally against the hard asphalt, cracking the street wide open.
The brawl escalated into pure chaos. The two red giants fought their way from the overpass straight down the main road, trading devastating punches that echoed like cannon fire. Every heavy blow landed with a sickening thud, sending shockwaves through the air and making distant onlookers gasp in terror and awe.
They were tearing a path of destruction straight down the highway.
"They're heading towards the city!" Gwen shouted, pointing through the windshield as the two brawlers smashed through a billboard and vanished into the urban skyline.
Back under the bridge, the police officers, who had apparently decided to sit on the hood of their cruiser and play a round of poker to pass the time, finally reacted to the shifting battleground. One officer hurriedly grabbed his shoulder radio.
"Dispatch, those two freaks are heading downtown! The situation is critical! Requesting backup! I repeat, requesting heavy backup!"
He unclipped the radio, sighed, and picked his cards back up. The game resumed. Honestly, chasing after two alien juggernauts in a standard squad car was a death sentence. Calling for backup via walkie-talkie was the absolute limit of their job description today.
"Let's go!" Grandpa Max shouted to Klein and Gwen, throwing the Rustbucket into gear. The engine roared as he slammed the gas pedal, chasing the trail of destruction Four Arms and Kevin had left behind.
...
Some time later.
Downtown had been transformed into a war zone. A massive crater dominated the intersection, surrounded by the skeletal remains of collapsed storefronts. The asphalt was torn to shreds, and a few bent streetlights flickered erratically, showering the debris with pale blue sparks. The smoking wreckage of several police helicopters and armored SWAT vehicles littered the area, while the distant wail of sirens and panicked screams filled the air.
The Rustbucket finally managed to handle the treacherous, rubble-strewn streets and arrived at the epicenter of the destruction. It was a miracle Grandpa Max had even gotten them this far, considering the roads looked like they had been carpet-bombed.
The battle, however, was already drawing to a close.
Four Arms stood tall amidst the wreckage, one massive foot planted firmly on Kevin's chest, pinning him to the cracked pavement.
"You lost!" Four Arms declared, his chest heaving with exertion.
"I know, I know I was wrong!" Kevin coughed, raising his four hands in a placating gesture. His voice trembled with desperate pleading. "I just wanted revenge, but I see it now. I messed up! Just let me go, and we can still be good buddies, okay? Partners?"
Looking down at the battered, pleading face, Ben hesitated. Kevin didn't seem to be lying. The fear in his eyes looked genuine. Slowly, Four Arms lifted his foot, stepping back to give the guy some breathing room. He was still too young, too naive to recognize a cornered rat.
Even so, Ben wasn't completely stupid. He kept his guard up, shifting his weight and preparing to counter a physical sneak attack. If Kevin tried to grab his leg or throw a sucker punch, Four Arms was ready to toss him into the nearest brick wall.
Kevin slowly pushed himself up from the rubble. His expression shifted from pathetic surrender to a vicious snarl. "Give me your watch!"
He lunged, completely ignoring Four Arms' defensive posture. Instead of aiming for a punch, Kevin reached out and slammed his hand directly onto the Omnitrix dial embedded in Four Arms' left shoulder.
Four Arms reacted instantly, his upper right hand clamping down on Kevin's wrist like a vice. In Ben's mind, catching the arm was enough to stop the attack. He hadn't expected Kevin to aim for the watch itself.
The moment Kevin's fingers brushed the dial, the Omnitrix reacted.
A blinding surge of emerald energy erupted from the faceplate. The watch's automated self-defense protocol engaged with a high-pitched whine, discharging a massive shockwave of pure kinetic force.
The blast hit Kevin point-blank, launching him through the air like a ragdoll. He slammed into the side of a wrecked police cruiser, the alien DNA forcibly stripped from his body by the feedback loop. The thick red armor melted away, leaving the scrawny, pale human teenager groaning in the dirt.
"No!" Kevin shrieked, staring at his normal, human hands in absolute panic. "My power!"
At the same time, the dial on Four Arms' shoulder began to blink a rapid, warning red. The familiar beeping echoed through the ruined street. Knowing his time was up, Four Arms leaped backward in a massive arc, putting distance between himself and the wreckage. As far as he was concerned, a depowered Kevin Levin was no longer a threat.
...
Click!
The cold steel of police handcuffs locked tightly around Kevin's wrists.
A pair of officers roughly escorted the struggling teenager toward the back of a waiting squad car. Even as they shoved his head down to clear the doorframe, Kevin twisted around, his eyes burning with pure hatred as he glared at the group standing by the Rustbucket.
"I'll be back!" Kevin screamed, his voice cracking with rage. "I won't let you go! Especially you, Ben Tennyson! You hear me?!"
"Yeah, yeah, hurry up and get in, you freak," one of the officers muttered, shoving him into the backseat and slamming the door shut. It was the exact same officer who had been playing cards under the bridge earlier.
...
The flashing red and blue lights of the police cruisers illuminated the quiet aftermath of the battle. Ben, now back in his human form, shuffled his feet against the cracked pavement. He refused to meet his grandfather's gaze, his eyes wandering aimlessly around the ruined street.
"Uh... Grandpa?" Ben mumbled, reaching up to scratch the back of his head awkwardly. "I want to tell you something."
Grandpa Max let out a long breath. He reached up, mirroring Ben's exact gesture by scratching the back of his own head. They truly were grandfather and grandson. "Ben, I also have something to tell you."
They both took a breath and spoke at the exact same time.
"I'm sorry!"
Ben blinked, then rushed to finish his thought. "Sorry, Grandpa! I was too ignorant. I should have listened to you."
Max offered a warm, gentle smile, placing a heavy hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'm sorry too, Ben. I was too strict with you. I pushed too hard."
Standing a few paces away, Klein leaned against the side of the Rustbucket with his arms crossed. He caught Gwen's eye, and the two of them exchanged a quiet, knowing smile. The Dweeb was finally learning his lesson.
...
Deep within the cold, concrete walls of the juvenile detention center, the lights flickered.
Sitting alone on his narrow cot, Kevin stared at the floor. A low, raspy chuckle escaped his throat.
"Heh heh..."
The chuckle grew louder, echoing off the damp walls of the cell.
"Heh heh heh... Hahahahaha!"
His manic laughter filled the empty block. Slowly, Kevin raised his hand. With a soft crackle, a bright, flickering flame ignited right in the center of his palm, casting dancing shadows across his twisted, grinning face.
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