Anti-dites

Kevin Levin practically walked down the rundown, dark alleys of Bellwood like he owned the place. Hands casually shoved into his deep pockets, heartbeat steady as ever, his pit-like eyes never strayed from looking forward. The bad part of town was a map in his mind. He had traveled all throughout the place making tech swaps and deals, and doing some other unmentionable (and notably illegal) business. His 'past lifestyle', as he liked to call it, took place here once he was free from that godforsaken Null Void.

Sometimes, he felt disgusted with himself, knowing the kind of person he had been before he fatefully met with the Tennyson's again. The horror and criminal design was all he knew back then. He didn't know there was a way out, a promising light, until his redheaded girlfriend had placed her hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eyes. Her eyes were bright, glimmering, hopeful, pure. She had definitely seen what could happen if she had chosen a different lifestyle; the one he had been living his whole life. And yet, she wasn't tempted by the things he was. Money wasn't a value she'd come to cherish. She was everything he wasn't.

Kicking rubble aside in the alleyway, Kevin barely took notice of the shifting shadows playing in the silver moonlight. When he'd gotten to know Gwen more, he wanted everything she had. Everything with her was pristine and perfect. But as he had come to that realization, he found out that Gwen, miss goody-two-shoes of all people, wanted a taste of a bad boy.

That scared him most of all.

How could he, Kevin Levin, a misfit and disgrace to the society of playing by the rules, contaminate such a girl whose heart had good intentions? She deserved way better than him, someone who could lead a happy life for her that was suitable in anyone's books. Despite his convincing, the Anodite had made it crystal clear that he was what she wanted.

…And he wanted her.

"Kevin?"

Stopping immediately in his tracks, the ex-con whirled around on the source of the guttural rasp. Perched upon a dented metal trashcan was a certain fur ball "friend" of his. "Argit," The muscular teen acknowledged, noting that the giant rat hadn't moved from his spot, "Crawled back safely from that last deal? I'm surprised."

Argit crept off the dented metal bin, claws scraping at the gravel as he landed with a thud. "Yeah, but it sure wasn't worth the trouble."

Kevin's amused grin slid up farther as he watched his sleazy hands curl up into puny fists, "People in debt to you?"

Shifting his narrow gaze to his old friend, the oversized rat slammed a fist into his palm, quills raising on end as. "You have no idea."

Chuckling under his breath, the ex-con felt a pang of pity for his friend. The pathetic sentiment, however, was instantly washed away with Argit's next question.

"So, how's your fine little lady doin'?" Obsidian scorched the mutant's skin as he shifted nervously, suddenly finding his filthy, overgrown nails very interesting.

"What's it to you?" Kevin growled through gritted teeth.

"Naw, not in that way, man. She's the reason I called you down here." Realizing the emotion his words triggered in the Osmosian, terror was inspired in his yellow tinted eyes, "Naw, naw! I meant… well, her kind? Anodite, right?"

"Yeah..." Curious as to why Argit would possibly want to know anything about his girlfriend's alien bloodline, an eyebrow quirked. "Why?"

Tail sweeping the trashed, damp earth nervously, Argit's eyes told Kevin that something was horribly wrong with his answer. It was as if Argit had wanted to hear anything but that. "Well, we're tight, aren't we Kev?" Not waiting for an answer, his razor sharp teeth gave off an eerie glow in the moonlight as he spoke, "Buddy's in crime n' all. I feel for you when I tell you this, man, I really do. And… er, the Anodite girl's in a whole lotta trouble."

Eyes crinkling in confusion, Kevin tensed up. "How?"

"It's deep, man. I didn't want to sell her out for your sake but—"

With serpent tongue's speed, the Osmosian lunged forward, lashing out at the rat. Thrashing in retaliation, Argit raised every quill in his back until they were as rigid as a board, bolt straight as a few rocketed out. Embedding in the brick walls of the dark alley, puncturing metal trash cans all around, he had yet to hit the teen who had a vice grip around his neck. Air began trickling in less and less. His lungs extended with hunger, purging for more. "What did you do?" Kevin growled, every bit as menacing with the moonlight casting deranged shadows across his visage.

"Air! A-Air!" the struggling mutant grasped for a lifeline, stars as bright as the full moon forming in his hazy vision. Throat burning, he couldn't remember a time when he had been more thankful for something as plentiful in the atmosphere as he slammed into the ground. Sliding down the rough brick wall, Argit began gasping and coughing, recoiling from the merciless pressure that had been applied to his throat.

Grabbing the pathetic conman by the thick fur around his neck, Kevin's fingers slid through the greasy, matted fuzz as he yanked the sputtering rat up. "What did you do, ARGIT?"

Cringing in his fierce grip, pain shot throughout Argit's entire body in sharp jolts as he was forced against the brick wall. "Answer me!"

"Okay! Sheesh!" the oversized rat shrieked, feeling the immense, torturous agony spiral throughout his entire body. "Just chill, man!" Upon feeling the Osmosian's grip slacken by the range of a teaspoon, he found it as a reassuring sign. "The Anodite's are being hunted. Completely wiped out! I don't know who's stupid enough to go messin' 'round with a whole planet full of 'em, but the Anti-dites—that's what they're called, Anti-dites—are starting where their kind is less common. Like on earth."

Somewhere from inside, Kevin felt something alter from within. His heart seemed too heavy in his chest as the world around him grew blurred and unfocused. Someone was out to kill Gwen.

And that someone obviously didn't know they'd be dealing with Kevin Ethan Levin.