Hidden inheritance

Chapter 9: Picking up broken pieces

She almost couldn't recognize her cousin when he was like that. He obviously had a bad experience with whatever Vilgax did to torture him, but Vilgax was dead as he said, and Ben was now blaming their grandpa for it.

She heard of anger management, unhealthy coping mechanisms and other psychological junk, but if that was what Ben had, either he needed help or a snap back to reality. Either way, he and Max needed to talk.

They couldn't solve this Tennyson family problem by staying mad at each other forever. Max was sitting at the table, looking focused on something, probably his past.

She knew she couldn't force him or Ben to fix everything, but it felt so bad to be... useless, left out in this situation. Normally, she'd stick with Ben to get him out of trouble and reason with him, but he left. It annoyed her that she depended on him coming back, but she had no other choice.

Right now, she was the only one neither Max or Ben were passing their feelings at, too busy arguing with each other instead. When summer would end, she wasn't sure what going home would feel like anymore.

"Grandpa, Ben left his pudding and his snot bowl."

"Hm?" Max looked up. "Oh. Leave him some leftovers, it's almost lunchtime."

"Okay." she sighed.

Then, she had an idea.

Ben was too ahead of himself lately, he needed guidance. But if he didn't want it, then he needed to relax. So what's better to relax than a little prank?

"You know what? I'll leave him my pudding, I feel he deserves it more than me."

"Hm? That's... nice of you."

She rolled her eyes at his passive tone, it felt like he was forcing himself to talk. They were in for a long day, especially with the way Ben left.

The way Ben left, it almost felt like he didn't want to come back, and wouldn't.

..............................................................................................................................

The hybrid felt no change coming by, only anger resurfacing, before briefly fading away again.

He hadn't noticed the warlord leaving, he hadn't noticed him coming back. He hadn't noticed his mocking, he hadn't noticed the silence. He perceived nothing.

He hadn't noticed the ship landed, he hadn't noticed there was someone else. He hadn't noticed he was being looked at, and he didn't realize Ben was there. Not that either's state made him recognizable.

"...Kevin..."

Ben looked in confusion at the amalgamated being held prisoner before him.

"How did you find him? I thought he was inside a wrestling ship in pieces." asked Ben.

"He contacted me. I was looking for him, he was also looking for me. He thought for one second I would be willing to harm you. Clearly he doesn't know who you are, though it is for the best."

"Wow... What is he doing like this?"

"Since his body has fully merged with the Omnitrix's energy, he became what that device was meant to be: an infinite resource of energy and powers from species across the galaxy."

Ben looked in disbelief. This... this was Kevin's fate?

The mutant that had caused him that much problems, that tried to hurt him and his family... this was how he ended.

"You actually caught him... You know, I wasn't sure if the cops could handle him. Hex had Charmcaster to help him, Animo got a lot of animal mutants to help him escape from prison, but Kevin is a walking tank of power, my powers. I don't know how I could get rid of him without you."