[Fic] Unfinished Untitled What-if 3 of ?
Part 3. Or 2.5. Or 3A. Moar. Part two is here: http://kevin-e-levin.livejournal.com/26524.html#cutid1
Magister is dead.
Gwen had expected to turn and find Ben with Kevin's paws around his neck (that glow-stick comment was a little cruel), but instead a dragon had loomed out of the darkness, and knights had flanked them from behind and then it all goes a little fuzzy.
She knows Kevin rushed the knights, Pyronite arm blazing. She knows Ben took down the dragon with something that reminded her of Ditto and nearly burst her ear drums. She knows they destroyed the laser lances.
But then Magister had...leaked. And Kevin had caught him as he'd stumbled, but there had been nothing anyone could do.
Finish the mission, the Plumber had said.
Only how can they?
Magister's empty suit lays across Kevin's over-sized knees, and he looks down at it expressionlessly. It all seems so hopeless now. When Magister had said they would have to get things done on their own, Gwen hadn't even dreamed he might mean without him too. They're really alone now. Alone with Kevin, which somehow seems even worse. The odds of finding Grandpa Max feel like they're dwindling by the second.
Gwen is not a weepy sort of girl. She has fought monsters. She has fought boys. But it's been such a long night and she can feel the moisture welling up in the corners of her eyes.
Kevin shifts some; turns toward her, and Magister's helmet comes loose and rolls across the floor. That does it. The floodgates open and and she bursts into tears.
She knows both boys are staring at her, but she can't stop. Her face feels hot and as red as Kevin's, and all she wants to do it hide it somewhere.
"Gwen..."
It's the first time in, well, years that Gwen can remember hearing Kevin's voice: his real voice. Not the metallic echoing snarl that his transformed throat produces, but the very human voice of a sixteen year old boy. It's changed since five years ago in New York. It's deeper. It doesn't crack like Ben's sometimes does. It doesn't sound like Ben's does when he says her name.
She hadn't actually been sure Kevin knew her name. It would seem that he does.
Gwen finds herself burying her face in the mutant's chest with a sob. She feels him freeze up under her, all of his muscles stiffening, but he doesn't push her away. He doesn't even ask what she's doing.
That's good, because she has no idea. All she knows is that her knees feel weak even though she's sitting down, and that Kevin is the only thing holding her up at the moment. And that Kevin doesn't smell like what she would have thought he might. He doesn't smell like very much at all: just a vague hint of fur and a vague hint of dust. No sweat. No soap. But his skin is warm and his chest rises and falls as he breathes. Focusing on this, Gwen can feel her tears drying, and her own breathing returning to normal. She can feel all three of his eyes on her when she does pull away, but she doesn't look up; just gives Ben what she hopes looks like a brave smile.
Her cousin looks grim.
"He's wrong," Ben says, getting to feet Gwen finds surprisingly steady. "I can't do this alone."
"You know I'm here for you," Gwen tells him.
It's true. It's been true since they were ten, childish name-calling or not.
"Kevin?" Ben asks.
The mutant looks up in surprise.
"What?" He grunts.
"You're free to go now, if that's what you want," Ben offers. "Or..."
Kevin frowns at what used to be Magister's body. Gwen can't help but feel she has missed some event or interaction between them, as something unreadable and indescribable flickers through his three eyes. It looks out of place there and it reminds her of Ben in some strange way. Kevin plucks the green, black, and strangely familiar symbol off of the former Magister's belt and gets to his feet.
"I'm in," he says.
Oddly enough, Gwen finds his answer relieves her.
Magister is dead.
Gwen had expected to turn and find Ben with Kevin's paws around his neck (that glow-stick comment was a little cruel), but instead a dragon had loomed out of the darkness, and knights had flanked them from behind and then it all goes a little fuzzy.
She knows Kevin rushed the knights, Pyronite arm blazing. She knows Ben took down the dragon with something that reminded her of Ditto and nearly burst her ear drums. She knows they destroyed the laser lances.
But then Magister had...leaked. And Kevin had caught him as he'd stumbled, but there had been nothing anyone could do.
Finish the mission, the Plumber had said.
Only how can they?
Magister's empty suit lays across Kevin's over-sized knees, and he looks down at it expressionlessly. It all seems so hopeless now. When Magister had said they would have to get things done on their own, Gwen hadn't even dreamed he might mean without him too. They're really alone now. Alone with Kevin, which somehow seems even worse. The odds of finding Grandpa Max feel like they're dwindling by the second.
Gwen is not a weepy sort of girl. She has fought monsters. She has fought boys. But it's been such a long night and she can feel the moisture welling up in the corners of her eyes.
Kevin shifts some; turns toward her, and Magister's helmet comes loose and rolls across the floor. That does it. The floodgates open and and she bursts into tears.
She knows both boys are staring at her, but she can't stop. Her face feels hot and as red as Kevin's, and all she wants to do it hide it somewhere.
"Gwen..."
It's the first time in, well, years that Gwen can remember hearing Kevin's voice: his real voice. Not the metallic echoing snarl that his transformed throat produces, but the very human voice of a sixteen year old boy. It's changed since five years ago in New York. It's deeper. It doesn't crack like Ben's sometimes does. It doesn't sound like Ben's does when he says her name.
She hadn't actually been sure Kevin knew her name. It would seem that he does.
Gwen finds herself burying her face in the mutant's chest with a sob. She feels him freeze up under her, all of his muscles stiffening, but he doesn't push her away. He doesn't even ask what she's doing.
That's good, because she has no idea. All she knows is that her knees feel weak even though she's sitting down, and that Kevin is the only thing holding her up at the moment. And that Kevin doesn't smell like what she would have thought he might. He doesn't smell like very much at all: just a vague hint of fur and a vague hint of dust. No sweat. No soap. But his skin is warm and his chest rises and falls as he breathes. Focusing on this, Gwen can feel her tears drying, and her own breathing returning to normal. She can feel all three of his eyes on her when she does pull away, but she doesn't look up; just gives Ben what she hopes looks like a brave smile.
Her cousin looks grim.
"He's wrong," Ben says, getting to feet Gwen finds surprisingly steady. "I can't do this alone."
"You know I'm here for you," Gwen tells him.
It's true. It's been true since they were ten, childish name-calling or not.
"Kevin?" Ben asks.
The mutant looks up in surprise.
"What?" He grunts.
"You're free to go now, if that's what you want," Ben offers. "Or..."
Kevin frowns at what used to be Magister's body. Gwen can't help but feel she has missed some event or interaction between them, as something unreadable and indescribable flickers through his three eyes. It looks out of place there and it reminds her of Ben in some strange way. Kevin plucks the green, black, and strangely familiar symbol off of the former Magister's belt and gets to his feet.
"I'm in," he says.
Oddly enough, Gwen finds his answer relieves her.