Episode 27: Subconscious Fiend

DISCLAIMER: ALL CHARACTERS MENTIONED IN THESE STORIES ARE COPYRIGHTS OF CARTOON NETWORK. I HAVE NO AFFILIATION TO SYM-BIONIC TITAN OR ITS CREATOR, GENNDY TARTAKOVSKY. I AM SIMPLY TRYING TO EXPAND ON HIS EXCELLENT WORK, NOW THAT THE SHOW, WHICH HAD SO MUCH POTENTIAL, HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

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Modula was sitting in his room, sighing. Starting with the bounty hunters, he decided to plant tracking devices on every Mutradi or assassin he would send from now on. He was disappointed with the short, futile fight. But he was relaxed. Many Mutradi would lose, but only one could win. And if it wasn't a Mutradi, it would be something far more powerful. He was running out of options, but not time, he thought. And he could always ask one his friends for help. The General emerged from his room and ordered a passing soldier to send a transmission to the planet Mutrad. The soldier obeyed, and someone whom the General trusted and respected heard it.

In minutes, a black, streamlined, opaque ship touched down on Galaluna's surface just outside the castle's courtyard. Modula went out to greet his friend. Emerging from the ship was a gray, transparent creature. It floated as it moved, with a flat, gray tail. But its transparency was not its frightening feature. It had two glowing red eyes, no pupils, and inhumanly curved claws. Above its eyes sat two eyebrows consisting of blue flame. In summary, a living ghost. Its name was Thanatos. "General, what external forces require me to be summoned?" Asked Thanatos.

"Titan; I'll explain everything", replied Modula.

"Very well. Tell me, where is Lexi?" asked Thanatos.

"Dead," replied the general.

"Oh...how unfortunate." The ghost and the General walked inside the castle, towards the Rift Gate.

Modula wasted no time in explaining everything he knew about Earth, Titan, G3, and Edward. "So he is alive, then?" said Thanatos.

"It would seem to be so. If you cannot find him, at least find and kill Liana. She remains in"

"Very well, then. I'll get my ship to the Rift Gate. But tell me," said Thanatos, lowering his voice, "Why do you persist in destroying these pests?"

"They may be just pests now, but if Edward can recreate the Rift Gate- and I know he can- he and the others in Titan could undo everything I have worked so hard to achieve," said Modula. "By the way, I want you to wear this tracking device so I can monitor your actions. I need to learn from every battle I have with Titan and the machines that form it," he continued, handing Thanatos a small, portable device. Thanatos attached it to his ghostly, barely solid body. "It will function even if you are in possession of a host. You are perhaps one of my last hopes," Modula went on to say. "Do not fail me, Thanatos."

Thanatos left via the Rift Gate. Upon arriving on Earth, he used the ships radar to scan for any other aircraft. There were many, some passenger jets, others fighter jets and helicopters. But there was no massive airship which Modula claimed allegedly housed G3 and Edward. But it was of little importance. Thanatos remembered that his primary target was the Lunis residence, where our three Galalunans were living. He made his ship, along with himself, invisible when he arrived near the outskirts of Sherman. As he was landing, his ship's scanners detected no one in the house. But Thanatos knew that they would be back. He floated across the city of Sherman, unnoticed, until he arrived at the Lunis home. Octus could not even pick it up, because he only registered living things. And Thanatos was not alive, in a physical sense. The ghostly Mutradi passed through the wall of their house, hovered in place in the living room, and waited. As the time passed, Thanatos decided that he would exterminate these three indirectly by using the most vulnerable-minded of the trio.

It was third period at Sherman High school. The bell had just rung, and everyone was rushing to their respective classes. Everyone, that is, except Kristen and Lance. They were still talking by the lockers.

"I heard what you did for your sister. That was really stupid, but sweet at the same time," said Kristen. She was obviously referring to how Lance had helped Ilana set up a concert for a song she had written. The song was an apology to Jason, and it worked.

"Well, I hate seeing her upset," said Lance. Sometimes it was hard for him to remember that when they first landed on the planet, Lance and Ilana were presumed siblings, although that was far from the truth.

"I guess that's reasonable. Families gotta stick together," she replied. "Hey, did you about that monster that showed up last night not far from the Rec center? I heard it was killed by Titan so quickly before it caused any damage. Who...or what...do you think Titan is?"

Lance pretended to hear her question. But he was really thinking about her and Ilana. He knew he would have to like Kristin and her alone. Ilana was not relevant. He could not and would not love her, he told himself. He would love Kristen, who understood him (possibly) and could love him back. But was it real? When Lance looked at Kristen nowadays, he just couldn't pay attention. Sometimes, he found himself mesmerized by her. Her whole body was just amazing to look at, in his point of view, at least. But it seemed that his love for Kristen and love for Ilana were two different things. Whenever he saw her nowadays, he was suddenly filled with an intense, almost lustful, attraction. Lance wasn't sure whether this was okay or not, seeing as she was only an Earth girl that he didn't know very well. And he had never really met a lot of girls that could qualify as "cute" in his days on Galaluna. He had grown up in a military academy, so he rarely saw any women at all. They had separate facilities in whole separate district of the kingdom. Lance knew what Kristen was like, but didn't really know much about her background and private life. If he did, would it change his feelings for her?

To be true, her personality was similar to his own, but he never really could relax or tell his feelings around her. And she could never know the pain, the scars, and frustration he had been feeling for most of his life. And he could never tell her he was an alien. But Ilana... she knew and understood his thoughts, or at least tried to, and could be filled with sympathy for the loss of his beloved father. Kristen, even if he told her, could never be moved emotionally the way Ilana could. And when he was around Ilana, he felt more relaxed and comfortable telling her anything. And she wasn't just nice to him; she was like this to almost anyone, even strangers. Kristen wasn't mean, but she didn't exactly have a warm heart like Ilana did. But when Lance was around Kristen, he felt a twinge of guilt for staring at her body and not listening to her. But when he was with Ilana, it felt...right. She was always there to brighten his day. And most importantly, Ilana was one of his own species. Even though Earthlings and Galalunans looked alike, they were really two different subspecies of humans. Lance was unsure of which girl was right for him. But then he was disheartened when he remembered that he could never choose; it would have to be Kristen. But sometimes he secretly longed for Ilana instead.

"Lance? Were you listening to anything I said?" Kristen asked suddenly.

"Uh...yeah. Something about Titan?"

Kristen sighed. Sometimes he got on her nerves. They never had conversations like they used to. Now it was just her talking and him nodding and staring at her. And she could tell when he was zoned out. Is this really what I want, she thought. A theory drifted through her mind: did she want him because he wanted her? She didn't have the answers. At first she thought it was great because Lance seemed to be so much like her. But if he wanted to treat her like an object...things would never work out.

Lance knew immediately he had been caught daydreaming again. "Kristen, look...I'm sorry. I was distracted again."

"By me? Lance, why are you like this all of sudden?"

"I don't know. I promise I'll stay focused. It's not you. It's me. I just...I'm not used to this. I'm not used to having a girlfriend. I guess this is kind of awkward for me," he said, embarrassed. "If you want to leave because of this, I understand."

"Of course not! It irritates me when you don't pay attention, but that doesn't mean I suddenly hate you! Besides, I am fairly attractive," she said jokingly.

"Fairly? That's an understatement!" Lance said, smiling. She laughed. "But seriously," Lance continued, "This relationship isn't about...desire, or whatever. It has to be a mutual, unbreakable bond that we share. Or something like that." Lance wanted to slap himself for that last sentence. It was way too soldier-like.

Kristen burst out laughing. Lance waited patiently for her to calm down. When she did, she said, "I get it. You feel bad for treating me like an object."

"Yes, I don't want it to be like this. I'm sorry."

"Hey, at least you feel bad for it. The last guy I dated wasn't nearly as apologetic about as you. At least you care about how we take this. I think it shows...maturity. I like that." And then she gave him a quick kiss, and left.