HEY GUYS! I'm back with this story after so long. Real-life funsies got in the way as well as other projects but I want to get back to this story.

Just a heads up though. I have gone back and reedited the previous chapters simply because I did not like a few things about them after thinking about the story. I've grown as a writer since I started this originally so I would hope it would better reflect my progress as a writer. There are a few changes, events, and character's name changes which could be confusing going forward, so I would HIGHLY suggest, if you were a reader before and have come back at this specific chapter, to go back and reread those before starting here.

Otherwise, please enjoy and leave your reviews.

Oh, and I don't own Ben 10

Chapter 6: Old Habits Die Hard

"Kevin!"

Kevin nearly dropped his soda. His body froze at the sound of Vanessa's shriek of anger. Next to him on the couch, Anton looked up from his book in concern. Not like Laura who was staring at him with amusement from the kitchen.

"She doesn't sound happy. What did you do this time?" Laura was grinning ear to ear. Kevin swallowed the last amount of soda in his mouth.

"Who says I did anything?" Kevin sheepishly answered.

"Kevin!" Vanessa shouted again as her angry footsteps started coming up the stairs.

Laura grinned even wider if that was even possible. "Let's see if you can weasel out of this," she chuckled. At that moment, Vanessa appeared from the corner of the hall. Kevin slowly turned to her. Her arms were folded, and her glare was serious. Kevin admitted that Vanessa was one of the nicest ladies he had met…as long as you were on her good side. Piss her off and you had better watch out.

Kevin stood and faced her, "What's up?" He asked, trying to hold back his nervousness.

"I've had to pay, out of our own pockets, to quite a few other stores around here. They've all said that you've been stealing from their stands," she stated, "Care to explain?"

Kevin stared blank- faced for a moment, "Um…I plead the fifth," he shrugged.

Vanessa was fuming, "Kevin!"

"How would they even know it was me?!" Kevin exclaimed. He then paused and turned to Laura, "You snitch!"

"You were going to get caught anything. You're not very subtle," she shot back.

"You…"

"Enough!" Vanessa quickly came between them. Kevin spun back to her.

"What's the big deal?" Kevin started shouting at her, "I didn't take any money! I didn't hurt anyone!"

"That's not the point! It's still wrong!" Vanessa replied. She sighed, trying to calm herself down, "What am I supposed to do? I can't have you steal from our neighbors while living under our roof."

Kevin huffed, "Am I kicked out then?" he spoke softly, gazed directed at the floor. Vanessa paused, shaken, unable to respond to such a question. At that moment, Gilliam came downstairs.

"What is going on?" he asked, worried about all the shouting.

Vanessa walked up to her husband. this man had the best timing. "You're going to Sam's today?"

"Yes, but…"

"Take him with you," she gestured to Kevin, "Please. I need to to…fix some things. Maybe you can get through to him," she sighed before brushing past him and going upstairs. Gilliam surveyed the room. Anton put his nose back in his book, avoiding his gaze. Laura fidgeted uncomfortably, shifting her gaze between her uncle and Kevin. When his eye landed on the pre-teen, he was still preoccupied with the floor.

Gilliam sighed, "You two behave yourselves," he stated to Laura and Anton. Both gave a stiff nod. Gilliam then walked over and placed a hand on Kevin's shoulder. "Come on, we're going on an errand," he quickly urged him out of the room. Kevin begrudgingly followed the man down the stairs.

An awkward silence hung in the room after they left.

"Your aunts' scary when she's mad," Anton tried to break the tension. Laura rolled her eyes with a light laugh. Anton paused, "…do think it was right to rat him out like that?"

"If I didn't someone else would've turned him in…or worse," she stated.

"He…just seemed hurt," Anton said.

"Oh please, it's only because he got caught," Laura spat, "Hopefully, he'll learn his lesson." With one final huff, she briskly left the room and went upstairs. Anton was left befuddled on the couch, alone. He closed his book and leaned his head back on the armrest. This house was far too noisy.

Gilliam and Kevin were walking down the street. It was a bustling afternoon. Gilliam's eye kept flickering down to Kevin, making sure the boy was sticking by him. He had a habit of wandering off after all. Today though, he seemed lost in his head. He kept his gaze down at the sidewalk while keeping pace with the older man.

"You're being quiet," Gilliam said.

Kevin hummed in response. "…why didn't we take the car?" He grumbled after a minute.

"It's just a block away. You can walk," Gilliam responded. They stopped at a crosswalk and waited for the light to change. "Look if you don't want to talk that's fine. You're still in trouble though," Gilliam told him.

"Is this my punishment or something?" Kevin jested.

"Oh no, I'm still thinking of one," Gilliam chuckled. He sighed, "I want to help, Kevin…I heard what you said- "

"I got caught, ok!" Kevin cut him off, "It's whatever…let's move on."

"…ok," Gilliam said. Maybe just let be for now he thought. The light changed. "Come on, it's not too far now," Gilliam urged him on.

Kevin followed closely. They walked a few more blocks until the came up to a small convenience store named Samuels'. Kevin eyed the building unenthusiastically. Why did he expect anything special? They were just running an errand. He felt Gilliam's hand on his shoulder.

"Please behave yourself," he stated to him.

"Sure," Kevin replied, "What's the big deal? Meeting the queen?"

"The owner's a friend of mine," Gilliam rolled, "Remember you're still in trouble. I could send back home. You'd rather have my wife come up with a punishment for you?" Gilliam chuckled then entered the store.

"…Not really," Kevin entered right behind him. The store was plain. Aisles of snack and pantry goods, small tools and batteries, magazines and candy rack, and bargain medicine and toiletries. Coffee machines and warmers with pastries lined the back wall. Next to it was a wall of glass fridges. All no different from the fancy gas station stores he remembered from back on Earth.

"Gilliam!" an excited voice got Kevin's attention. A middle-aged black man was sitting behind the counter with a welcoming grin.

"Sam!" Gilliam walked and took the man's hand in a firm shake.

"They must be old friends," Kevin figured.

"Good thing I came. Looks like you're lazing about," Gilliam joked with his friend.

Sam laughed and pushed away a magazine he was skimming, "It's just a slow day. If you're here to buy something, I could use the business."

"Still looking for some friendly discounts," Gilliam grinned.

Sam gave a hearty laugh, "I like you and Vanessa, but I don't do discounts."

"How about a bargain then?" Gilliam pulled a small package from his pocket and placed it on the counter. Kevin watched the exchange. Sam looked excited as he opened and pulled out a rather old looking cell phone.

"Yes! Vanessa is a miracle worker!" Sam exclaimed.

"Why don't you get a newer phone? One that won't break all the time," Gilliam asked.

"And have your wife lose a valuable customer. Never," Sam replied, "I don't think either of you would be happy with that."

Gilliam chuckled, but then paused, "Oh! I'd better not forget," he ushered Kevin over, "Sam this is Kevin, one of our newest additions to the family." Kevin looked up at the man. He looked older than he seemed. His hair was graying, mostly in his sideburns and his brown eyes look tired.

Sam gazed back at the kid with intrigue, "So what's your story, kid?" he asked.

"A long one," Kevin responded. He walked away from the two to stroll the aisles, not feeling like talking.

"Kevin!" Gilliam tried to bring him back.

"He's fine," Sam said, "been a rough day, huh?"

Gilliam sighed, "I don't know what I expected."

Sam laughed, "Fatherhood ain't easy Gilliam."

Gilliam paused. Fatherhood. He was a phony father at best. Pretending without a clue on what he was doing. He glanced behind him. Kevin was walking around looking at the stock. He barely knew what to do with this kid, especially since he had already been through so much.

Kevin turned down the corner of an aisle. He sighed. He didn't like being watched and Gilliam was trying to keep an annoyingly close eye on him. What else did he expect? He probably didn't trust him. A safe bet, since you couldn't really trust anybody, but it still frustrated him. He did like Gilliam and Vanessa. They were nice enough, giving him a home, but how long could that last. What if he got in their way or they became fed up with having him around?

His stomach then growled.

He hadn't had lunch yet and he didn't know how long Gilliam would be. He could just ditch he guessed but that would probably get him in more trouble. He leaned his head back and sighed, hungry and bored was not a good combination. He saw next to him a shelf with some energy bars stored on it. He picked up one and fiddled with it. he looked down the aisle. Gilliam couldn't see and he was hungry so why not. It was just an energy bar, no big deal. He shrugged and moved to put it in his pocket.

"Hey!" he jumped when someone grabbed his wrist. He dropped the energy bar, but the person would not let go. It was a loud shriek, nearly hurting his ears. It sounded like a girl. He turned and saw a young black girl, maybe around his age, staring daggers at him.

"What the hell?" Kevin tried to shake her off, but it was no use. She had quite a grip.

"What do you mean 'what the hell'?" the girl spat at him, "I saw you trying to steal something!"

"Jeez!" Kevin finally wrenched his hand away, nearly stumbling back into the shelves, "You some kind of security? Why do you care?"

"Erika?" Sam's voice suddenly cut in between them. Kevin turned and saw him with Gilliam walk into the aisle with concern, probably over the yelling. Kevin noticed a brace around Sam's right leg. It was causing him to limp slightly.

"Dad!" the girl, Erika apparently, rushed past him to her limping father. Kevin rolled his eyes in dismay. Of course, she was the owner's daughter.

"What is happening?" Sam asked her.

"He was trying to steal from us!" Erika pointed at Kevin.

"So I heard," Gilliam marched up to the boy, clearly angry. Kevin grimaced. Now he was in double trouble. Gilliam grabbed Kevin and yanked him close, this time not letting him from his side. "I apologize Sam. This one has sticky fingers, unfortunately. We're trying to fix that," he said. Kevin didn't want to look at the Gilliam. Why bury himself even further. He did cast a glance at Sam. The man was staring back at him. he didn't look angry though. He still had a quiet curiosity like he had before.

"Well…I'll let it go. As long as he doesn't do it again," Sam sighed.

"But dad!" Erika exclaimed.

"Erika," he hushed her. The girl groaned but quieted down. She obeyed and returned to just staring down Kevin. He responded with a snarky glare of his own.

"I can try and make it up to you," Gilliam said.

"Nah, Nah," Sam shook his head, "I don't know what-OOH!" Sam suddenly winced and gripped his leg. Erika immediately held her dad up. Kevin was both surprised and curious. Was he injured?

"Go rest dad," Erika said.

"I don't got time for that. It ain't too bad," Sam tried to cover the obvious pain.

"You shouldn't overwork yourself," Gilliam stated, but then paused as though an idea hit him. Kevin saw this and didn't like where this was going. Gilliam looked down at him and smirked, "Hey Sam, I have an idea."

"Yeah?" Sam listened with interest.

Gilliam pushed Kevin forward, "Kevin here could use some discipline, as well as apologize, how bout I let him work for you for a day?" he offered. Kevin held himself back from groaning. Doing so would only make things worse.

Sam thought for a moment, "Well…I don't need that much help with the store. I have Erika and I sure ain't down for the count yet," Sam said. Kevin was relieved, but just for a moment.

"We do have a delivery tomorrow morning. He could help unload that…if he's up to it," Erika suggested, putting on a seemingly softer tone. Kevin looked at her in disgust. This girl has already made it on his shit list for sheer annoyance.

"He is," Gilliam stated before Kevin could even say anything.

"You sure? It's some heavy lifting," Sam asked.

"Oh, don't worry, he can handle it. He's a lot stronger than he looks," Gilliam reassured.

Sam paused, thinking, then said, "Alright, it's a deal. You'll need to be here before the day begins."

"Thank you, Sam. Kevin will be here. Right?" Gilliam stared down at the preteen.

"…Sure," Kevin reluctantly agreed.

"Great, see you then," Sam said. They heard the doors open and Sam quickly limped away to help the customer. Erika followed but not before throwing a triumphant smirk towards Kevin.

Kevin sneered, "Great, is this my punishment," he groaned.

Gilliam patted his shoulder then leaned down to him, "Hey you got off easy. It could always be worse, remember that and learn," he told him before letting him go.

Kevin sighed, "Not my day apparently," he thought as he and Gilliam left the store.

Gilliam suggested they have some lunch, so now Kevin found himself idling playing with the fries in front of him. Gilliam watched him while eating his burger. They were sitting out in front of a small food stall on the side of the street. The kid was still in a foul mood. Gilliam was nearly fed up with his attitude, but he didn't know what to do. He needed to get something out of him at the point. Might as well try a direct approach.

"You want to talk about it now?" Gilliam asked.

"About what?" Kevin respond, still not looking up at him.

"You know what," Gilliam stated, getting frustrated.

That got Kevin's attention as he finally looked up from his food, "I thought we already dealt with that?" he commented.

"Kevin…" Gilliam rubbed his face in frustration.

"What?! Can we drop it now?!" Kevin exclaimed.

Gilliam sighed, "Why though, Kevin? I thought when you agreed to stay with us you would do better. So why?"

"I don't know," Kevin said with a shrug, "It's easy I guess."

"That's all?" Gilliam raised a brow at him.

"Yeah," Kevin responded.

"I just want to help Kevin, really," Gilliam said, "You know your father wouldn't have wanted- "

"My father wouldn't have wanted a lot of things!" Kevin stopped.

Gilliam winced, maybe it wasn't the best idea to bring him up. he thought about someone else then, "What about your mother? You know if you ever wanted to contact your mom…to let her know you're alright- "

"Hell no," Kevin cut him off again, though with less anger, "Why would she care anyway?"

Gilliam looked at him while stunned into silence. What did he expect? It was a dumb suggestion in any sense. He hasn't been in contact with Devon's wife for years now, not since his death. It had broken her and in turn, she had broken away from the Plumbers. She had tried to separate herself from everything to do with that world but didn't count on her son's fate. Gilliam didn't understand it. Why didn't she return to the Plumbers when she realized Kevin was a hybrid? Things might have been different if she did.

Gilliam's phone rang, breaking him from his thoughts. Kevin watched as he answered. He couldn't hear much of what the man said. He mumbled and nodded his head, chuckling at something once. Gilliam said bye and put his phone away.

"Vanessa wants us to bring her back lunch. Maybe it can be a peace offering," Gilliam tried to joke. Kevin huffed and averted his gaze again. "Tell you what, I'll vouch for you and tell her you're sorry if you keep a promise to me. Help out Sam tomorrow and do better, okay?" Gilliam offered. Kevin looked back at him. Gilliam always had an ironclad gaze that bothered him. People usually were brittle and cowardly. It was easy to find a weakness in them, but he had yet to figure was his was. Gilliam always was on guard even if he didn't show it. Kevin had to look away.

"Sure," he gave his answer but kept his gaze away. He could still feel those eyes on him. they were observing, analyzing, and breaking him down, but was there any trust?

"Okay," Kevin heard Gilliam get up from the table, "Wait here for a bit," he said and then left. Kevin turned and watch him walk away. He sighed and tried to relax. Life seemed so much simpler on the streets some days, not having to appease anyone but himself.

"Idiot!" Kevin was startled by a shout from behind. He turned and saw the next-door shop owner arguing with a delivery man.

"Don't shoot the messenger, old man!" the delivery man shouted back, "Have a problem! Write to my boss!" Kevin chuckled at the two. Watching idiots go at it was always a fun time.

"I know what you people do! Where is my delivery?!" the old man continued.

"Look for it tomorrow. There's been a delay on a lot of stuff," the delivery man tried to wave him off and get in his truck. The shop owner wouldn't let up and rushed and the driver's side door.

"I've got customers getting impatient. Those sumo slammer games go for a lot on the market. Who you selling to?" the old man barked. Kevin perked up at the mention of sumo slammers games. He loved the cards and games back home. Never missed a chance to snatch them. It was the first time being in this city being reminded of something from back home.

"When I call the trade masters, I'll make sure they know have thieves on their payroll. Do you work with the Splitters boy?" the old man went on.

"Splitters?" Kevin cocked a brow in question. The driver pushed the shop owner away from his truck.

"Watch yourself, old man. You oughta be careful about who you accuse!" the driver spat and prepared to leave. The old man huffed indigently. he swung his fist and struck the driver's side mirror, smashing it, before stomping back to his store. The driver cursed him out and flipped him off before speeding away. Kevin snickered. Good to know jackasses weren't exclusive to Earth. Kevin kept a focus on the truck, deep in thought.

"Alright," Gilliam's sudden hand on his shoulder shook him out of it. Kevin craned his neck to meet Gilliam's grinning expression. He had a bag of food in his hand. "Let's go home," he stated.

"Okay," Kevin nodded and stood to follow him.

"Try to rest up when we get back. You have an early morning tomorrow," Gilliam said.

"Right," Kevin groaned. Why the hell did he agree to this? He sulked for a moment but then an idea struck him. He glanced at Gilliam. It was worth a shot, "Hey, Gilliam," Kevin said.

"Yes?" Gilliam responded.

"I was wondering if…since it be early and Sam it would be a lot of work for one person…if Anton could help me out tomorrow?" Kevin asked, hopeful.

Gilliam raised a brow, "This is supposed to be your punishment," he stated.

"It still is! I don't want up that early," Kevin refuted, "but I could get in done faster if he helped. Sam would be happy, especially if we got it done so quickly."

Gilliam eyed him suspiciously, "I don't know," he said, contemplating.

"Please," Kevin looked as pleading as he could. Gilliam winced. There was an awkward silence as he argued with himself.

Finally, with a tired sigh, "Ask him. I'll only allow it if he agrees," he gave in.

"Yes!" Kevin pumped his fist in celebration.

Gilliam chuckled a bit and shook his head. "You'll behave yourself, right?" he asked.

"Of course," Kevin replied. Gilliam eyed him briefly but eventually turned and they continued on their way. Kevin grinned. He might have found Gilliam's weakness after all. He was a big softie. Now he just had to convince Anton to join him.

"I can't I'm doing this," Anton groaned aloud.

Kevin cocked a brow at him, "You agreed," he stated. The two were walking briskly down. Kevin wished the busses ran this early, then maybe the whining would end sooner. "You could've said no."

"I did at first until you started begging," Anton replied.

Kevin shrugged, "Well it worked. You're too easy, man."

Anton's shoulders slumped, "Yeah," he sighed.

The two crossed the street. "You've locked yourself inside long enough anyway," Kevin stated, "What are you so afraid of?"

"You know what!" Anton perked up at that.

Kevin rolled his eyes, "Nothing's gonna happen. No one's looking for you," he said, "Hey, how do I know you're not just here to spy on me?"

It was Anton's turn to cock a brow. "I could be," he said.

Kevin laughed, "You'd snitch on me? I'd expect that more from Laura." They approached Sam's store. Sam was waiting for them outside. Anton whimpered like a scared puppy. Anton was not good with new people; Kevin had learned that quickly. He hadn't left the safety of their home since he was welcomed in and entertained himself by watching people from behind an upstairs window. He had a silent presence in the house, staying in corners watching them as though he were a rescued mutt from the worst pound imaginable. Kevin knew he wouldn't be helpful if he was ready to turn tail and run any moment.

"We'll get this done quickly. Then we can head back home, alright," Kevin did his best to reassure him. he knew he wasn't the best at it. Anton eyed him briefly.

"Alright," he relented. Kevin nodded and rushed ahead.

"Hey! Sam…sir," Kevin greeted the man. Sam turned and smiled at the preteen.

"Right on time, kid," Sam said. He then noticed Anton trailing jut behind him. Anton fixed his eyes anywhere but towards the man.

"Oh, this is Anton. He also lives with us. He volunteered to help," Kevin quickly explained. Anton glared at the back of his head. Volunteered was probably not the best word.

"Gilliam and Vanessa starting a home for wayward youths," Sam laughed, "You kids are lucky though. They're kind people." Sam motioned for them to come inside, limping all the way.

"What happened to him?" Anton wondered when he saw his leg. Kevin shrugged and they followed Sam. On the counter by the door were two wrapped croissants.

"Here…compensation," Sam tossed one to each of them.

"I thought this was free labor," Kevin jested.

"I'm not that cruel," Sam laughed while resting against the counter. Kevin shrugged. Why turn down free food? He quickly unwrapped it and began chowing down. Anton took a slower approach as he cautiously sniffed the pastry before quietly munching on it. Silence took hold as the three waited for the delivery, only broken on occasion by quiet chewing and Sam sipping his cheap coffee. Kevin's gaze wandered down to Sam's leg brace. He was a tad curious. He lifted his gaze back up to Sam's face. He had a peaceful expression as he enjoyed his coffee.

"So, what happened?" Kevin decided it was better to just get it out quick. Sam's expression had quickly turned sour as he glanced down to his leg.

"Injury," he gave a curt response.

"From where?" Kevin asked further. Sam directed his gaze at him. He was hesitant, biting at his cheek. It was strange.

"…From my Plumber days," he finally answered.

"You're a Plumber?!" Anton intervened.

Sam sighed, "I'm retired," he walked outside with a curt response. Kevin and Anton shrunk at the man's sudden shift in demeanor.

"Must've hit a nerve," Kevin commented. Anton shrugged and meagerly returned to his snack. Kevin continued to watch Sam. It wasn't his place to pry, but there had to be more to it. A large truck suddenly parked outside, and Sam waved at them.

"Boys!" he motioned for them to come. Kevin tossed his half-eaten pastry aside, dragging Anton along with him. Time to get this over with. "You two can just take these crates, there's not too much, and just put them against the back wall inside," Sam instructed as they opened up the back of the truck.

"You don't want us to unpack them?" Kevin asked.

"No, Erika and I can handle that later. There's no frozen stuff in here," Sam commented, "Get to it!" he then left them to speak with the driver. Kevin sighed. He turned to Anton. His friend shrugged in a resigned manner and climbed into the truck. Kevin moved to follow but then noticed something. The truck had a broken side mirror. This was the truck he saw this morning.

"Interesting," Kevin thought as he entered the truck.

"Ugh!" Kevin groaned against the side of the truck. His shoulder ached like crazy. Not a lot, Sam said. He and Anton had at least moved fifty boxes. Why did Sam need that much? "Overstocking, cheap bastard," Kevin tried to stretch out his sore muscle. Anton was fairing better. He didn't look nearly as sore. Must be that damn chimera stamina.

"You could've used your powers, you know," Anton suggested. Kevin shrugged. He could've but he didn't. Damn his stupid pride.

"Eh, yeah. But that would be too easy," he deflected, "What would that make if I cheated like that."

"Not an idiot," Anton smirked.

"Haha, you're funny, friend," Kevin playfully punched his shoulder. Anton chuckled along. Kevin had to admit, Anton was fun to be around at least when wasn't being and downer or a coward.

"Alright, boys!" Sam walked up to the two, "You're free to go. That's all of them.

"Great," Kevin sighed in relief.

Sam chuckled, "I'll put in a good word for you to Gilliam. Or I make convince him to let me have you guys on full time."

"No thank you," Kevin huffed and stood up, "I'm finished with community service."

"Right," Sam laughed again and then patted the preteen's head. Kevin flinched and gazed up at the man. Sam smiled sympathetically down at him, "Trust him a little more, kid. You're not alone anymore," Sam said before leaving the two. Kevin's brow furrowed. He really hated it when people read him too easily, judging him all the way.

"Let's go home. Do you think Gilliam and Vanessa will let us sleep in?" Anton yawned and started down the sidewalk. Kevin hummed. He was still watching Sam talk with the delivery driver. He then turned to the truck. It was the same one he saw yesterday. A familiar feeling sparked in his chest, excitement. His fingers twitched inside his pockets.

"Kevin?" Anton tried to get his attention, "Are we leaving?"

Kevin turned to his friend, "You can go," Kevin bit his lip and eyed the truck with anticipation, "I wanna check something out."

Anton's eyes widened in fear, "Oh no! Whatever's it is, it's a bad idea."

"I have an idea, why is it automatically bad?" Kevin asked.

"Well, what is it?" Anton asked. Kevin pondered to himself for a moment.

"You like Sumo Slammers?" he then asked.

Anton blinked, confused, "Yeah…I had the cards a few years ago…why?"

"It was funny," Kevin chuckled, "I watched this old man argue with the driver of this truck. He was looking for some new Sumo Slammers games he ordered. Apparently, they're still all locked away in the storage facilities. Maybe I should go liberate some of them."

"More stealing you mean," Anton stated. Kevin shrugged but didn't deny anything Anton panicked. He quickly glanced at Sam and the driver. They, fortunately, were not paying attention to them but still barely spoke above a dull whisper, "You want to get in trouble again? You'll get caught like last time."

"I've been stupid, I was stealing from stores out in the open, and had Laura trailing not too far behind me," Kevin said, "Besides it would be quick. Go in, grab on, get out, easy."

"Kevin," Anton held his head in his hands. He then twitched with a sudden thought, "Did you drag me out here to help you with this stupid idea?"

"No. Go home if you want. Snitch on me, like I care," Kevin shrugged. He hopped into the open back of the truck.

"You'd really take a risk of being caught again?" Anton shook his head

"Better than being a coward!" Kevin snapped, "I dragged you out here not just to help me but to get your sad ass out of the house for once. I may take risks but at least I'm not afraid of shadows," Kevin chortled, "I thought you were half wolf not half chicken." He mocked before heading to the back of the space and hid behind some crates.

Anton stood there rigid. His fists clenched tight into his pants. God, Kevin was good at hitting it where it hurts. He didn't even why he agreed to come with him tonight. Kevin, as well as the others, had tried to get him outside for the past few days. He hated to admit the plumber base that loomed over this place had him quivering at the shadows it cast. He didn't want to go back but being called a coward was crap. Anton looked back to the empty streets. He could just go back and not say anything. If Kevin got in trouble it was his fault. However, there was a nervous tick in the back of his mind. Frustration? Excitement? Some weird form of instincts? He couldn't quite pin it down yet. He turned back to the truck. Kevin could hurt or worse if he was heading to a storage facility if that was where this truck was going at all. Kevin couldn't plan ahead very well. Running on luck mostly it seemed.

"Dammit," Anton sighed and hopped in. His conscience couldn't allow him to go alone. He hurried to the back where Kevin was, vaulting over a crate to hide alongside him. Kevin nearly jumped at his sudden appearance.

"Coming along then?" Kevin smirked at him.

"Well you might need me to bail you out," Anton shrugged.

"Then this will be easy," Kevin chuckled. The two went silent as they heard the door close. There was no turning back now. The truck started and they were on their way.

After nearly an hour, the truck finally came to a stop. Kevin and Anton remained quiet as they listened to the driver walk around outside. There were muffled voices and laughter, nothing discernable, but they were still concerned about getting caught. Anton quietly got up from his hiding spot and walked over to the wall. He pressed his ear against the cold metal.

"They're leaving," Anton said after a moment. Kevin smirked. They were lucky. The truck hadn't made a stop since they left Sam's. No wonder the delivery service in this city sucks.

"Alright, time to do this," Kevin left his hiding spot and hurried to the door.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Anton whimpered.

"Have a little faith in me," Kevin absorbed the metal of the door. He forcefully jammed his fingers underneath the door. After a few rough tugs, the lock violently broke off and the door flew up. it was loud and the two preteens froze for a second as the listened for possibly anyone coming. Nothing, they were still alone.

"Come on," Kevin rushed out of the truck. Anton quickly followed. The two entered the warehouse. It was big and dark. Kevin could barely see anything not a few feet away. Anton seemed to be doing better. His golden eyes shone in the darkness as they scanned nearly every inch of the space. He sniffed at the air and winced with a strange look of befuddlement.

"This place smells weird," the wolf-splice stated.

"Yeah?" Kevin cocked a brow, "Maybe it some rotten fruit or something. They store that here I think." He suggested. Anton didn't look too sure of that as he continued to smell the air. He walked toward some boxes and paused.

"Kevin, it's over here," Anton beckoned him over. Kevin obliged and hurried over. Anton pointed down at a box. On a paper attached to it was the Sumo Slammer's logo.

"Sweet!" Kevin exclaimed. He immediately grabbed the lid and pulled back. The wood snapped up in of chippings and nails. The two gazed at the prizes inside. "Awesome! See, I told you I knew what I was doing." Kevin tossed a game to Anton.

"Yeah? Who was the one who found it? You would've gotten lost without me," Anton argues, though he had seemed to loosen a little and was smiling at the box in his hand.

"Touché and you wanted to stay home tonight," Kevin chuckled.

Anton laughed along, but something was still bothering him. That smell was still lingering. He sniffed again at the air, following it. It seemed to be getting stronger. He knew that smell from the time he spent in the plumber base. Metal and gunpowder. He continued to follow the trail and Kevin noticed this.

"What is it?" Kevin asked.

"That smell, it's stronger over here," Anton replied, and he approached another pile of crates.

"That again? It probably just rotten produce," Kevin tried to convince him.

"It's gunpowder," Anton stated.

Kevin was taken aback, "Seriously, impossible." Why would the Plumbers store weapons here? Kids could easily break into this place, as they could attest.

"I'm telling you it's here!" Anton reached a large crate and sniffed at it fervently. Panic seemed to set in, and he began ripping off the lid. Kevin nearly leaped to stop him; he was being too loud. The two saw nothing but piles of oranges inside.

"See, it's just bad fruit," Kevin said. Anton looked at him and shook his head, silently begging. Anton didn't usually lie. He certainly wasn't a good liar at that. It didn't make sense. Kevin looked back down at the citrus. He reached inside and picked one up. he was shocked. It felt like plastic.

"The hell?" Kevin dug deeper, pushing aside the fake fruit and straw until he felt something distinctly metal and shaped like a barrel. He grabbed it and pulled it up. There was no mistake now. It was a machine gun.

"Why are they here?" Anton asked, shaken. Kevin froze. He couldn't answer. This all felt strange. He wasn't surprised to find weapons in this city, he had seen Plumber guard walk around with theirs in full view. But hidden away in a storehouse spelled bad news. Kevin had been around enough to know he didn't want a part of any of it.

"Forget about it," Kevin shoved the weapon back in the crate, "Let's just get out of here." Just as he said that he heard Anton sharply gasp.

"Get down!" Anton grabbed him and vaulted them both over the crate. Kevin was startled but more so since he heard the sound of a gunshot ringing his ears and the sparks he saw as a bullet hit the ground where they stood.

"Shit!" Kevin shouted as he and Anton pressed themselves against the wooden crate.

"There's someone above us," Anton starting growling, his eyes glowed and his fangs came out. Kevin frantically searched above but the upper levels where shrouded in pitch blackness. Another gunshot sounded and a bullet hit the top of the crate, splintering wood in between them. Kevin absorbed the concrete. He looked at Anton. His friend bristled, ready to pounce like and cornered animal. Kevin felt no different. They were now trapped.

"Crap!" He screwed up.

So, I hope I did well in coming back to this. I'm hoping to keep this story updated at a steadier pace. I've solved some things in my life that were holding back so hopefully, that will help. In the meantime, please review and let me know guys what you think. Even if you guys just write "OH MY GOD WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN!" I'll still appreciate you. Review, DM me if you wish and I'll usually answer, and I'll talk to you guys next chapter.

Be safe and be kind.