Ben 10: The System

The alley smelled of stale garbage and damp concrete. Ned shivered, pulling his thin jacket tighter. It didn't do much against the late autumn wind. 

He was used to the cold. 

At sixteen, he'd been living on the streets for what felt like forever. He didn't remember much before that. Just blurry faces and a feeling of being lost.

Today was a bad day. 

He'd tried to snag a sandwich from a deli earlier, but the owner had smacked him on the hand with a wooden spoon. 

It still stung. 

His stomach growled, a hollow ache that was becoming a constant companion.

He slumped against the brick wall, watching people hurry past on the sidewalk. They didn't look at him, not really. Like he was invisible. He didn't blame them. He was just another kid on the streets. A problem to be ignored.

"Just gotta make it through today," he thought. That was his mantra. A small hope in a bleak world.

A gruff voice broke through his thoughts. "Hey, kid, you still breathin'?"

He looked up.

It was Big Joe, a man who usually hung around the alley. Big Joe wasn't exactly friendly, but he wasn't actively trying to hurt him either, which was saying something.

"Yeah," Ned mumbled, his voice raspy. "Just… cold."

Joe grunted, his thick arms crossed over his chest. "Cold ain't the worst thing. Seen kids freeze to death out here." He pulled a half-eaten bagel out of his pocket. "Here." He tossed it to him.

Ned caught it, surprised. "Thanks." He tore into it, the stale bread tasting like the best thing he'd ever eaten.

"Don't mention it," Joe said. "Just…try not to die, kid. Makes the alley look bad." He chuckled, a low rumble. Then he turned and walked away.

Ned finished the bagel, the small meal giving him a bit of strength. "Kind of Joe but he is still a jerk," he thought. "But a helpful jerk." He knew Joe wouldn't help again anytime soon, this was just a one time thing.

The sky was starting to get dark. He knew he needed to find a place to sleep, somewhere slightly less exposed than the alley. He didn't have a sleeping bag. He just found spots in boarded-up storefronts, places where he could avoid the worst of the wind and rain.

He pushed himself up, his legs stiff. 

He started walking, following the maze of back alleys and side streets he knew so well. The city was a different world at night. The sounds became sharper, more threatening.

He saw a group of older teenagers ahead, laughing and shoving each other. They weren't from the streets. They were dressed in expensive jackets and jeans, looking like they had never had to worry about where their next meal was coming from. 

They were playing some sort of loud music from one of their phones.

He tried to pass them, keeping his head down. He didn't want trouble. But one of them, a tall guy with a sneer, noticed him.

"Hey, look, it's the rat," the tall guy said, his voice loud enough for his friends to hear. They all started laughing.

He kept walking faster, but the tall guy stepped in front of him, blocking his way. "Where you think you're going?"

"Nowhere," he muttered, trying to get past him.

The guy grabbed his arm, hard. "What's the rush, rat? You got something we want?"

He could feel his heart pounding.

He knew this kind of situation. They were looking for an easy target, someone to bully, someone they could take what little they had.

"No," he said, his voice shaking. "I don't have anything."

The guy squeezed his arm tighter. "Sure you don't. Let's see." He reached into Ned's jacket pocket, ripping the thin fabric as he searched.

He tried to pull away but the other guys joined in, grabbing his arms, holding him in place. He didn't fight back, he knew it was pointless. He could do it if it was one guy, but four, they would beat him to pulp.

They ripped the pockets and didn't found anything, they looked at him with disgust in their faces. "Just a rat, as usual" they laughed at him.

They pushed him away and he fell hard on the ground.

They looked at him with malice in their eyes, and once they laughed enough they left him alone and continued on with their night.

Ned lay there for a moment, taking deep breaths, his chest hurting. He wanted to cry, but he didn't. He was used to this. He was used to being treated like dirt.

He finally managed to stand up. "Just gotta get somewhere safe," he thought, his head down, shame and anger boiling inside of him. He walked until he reached an abandoned building. "This will do." He went inside the building and found a corner to sit in, it was dusty, but still better than the outside.

He curled up against the wall, trying to get warm. He closed his eyes, letting the exhaustion take over. But before he could fall asleep, he heard a noise behind him. He turned, startled.

At first, he saw nothing. Then, he saw a small, green light coming from beneath a pile of debris and old pipes. He cautiously, moved closer. He could now see it clearly, it was a metallic device, it was an orb, with buttons and lights, pulsing with a soft, blue energy. "What is that thing?" He moved his hand towards it, his curiosity taking over him. He didn't know why, but he needed to touch it. As soon as his fingers made contact with the device, it surged with energy.

[SYSTEM INITIALIZING]

A synthesized voice echoed in his mind, startling him. The world swam a bit, and then, a holographic screen appeared in front of him. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

[WELCOME, HOST. STARTING CORE FUNCTIONS.]

He stared at the screen, bewildered. "What the hell is happening?" He touched the screen with his hand.

[MISSION: Survive the night. Reward: 10 EXP]