Hey, people.
I don't know, for the life of me, where this came from. It's a sequel—or something like that—to "Phoenix Ascending," which isn't finished yet….as you may note, some changes have taken place. Small spoiler alert….I hope it's nothing to be concerned about.
Maybe, if it's well enough received, I'll do some more with it later. Who can say?
Oh, and, of course, I don't own the Teen Titans. Yet. R&R!
Kitten and Omega:
Chapter One: The Lonely
"Oooooohh, Fang!" Kitten was livid. "I sweartogod if you were here now, I'd KILL you!" It was night, and she was walking along the street that led to her home, but Fang, her "boyfriend," (she now thought of the word in quotes) had, once again(!), stood her up. And then he had the nerve to text her. Some flimsy excuse about being in jail. "This is the absolute LAST STRAW, do you hear me? Never again! We are HISTORY." It was still a ways to her house, and she had no interest in getting there early; her father, Killer Moth, was off at some stupid super-villains convention. The house, devoted mostly to his experiments, was bo-ring in the extreme. Except for her room, there was nothing there to interest a normal girl.
She threw herself down on a park bench there, seething. Nobody stood her up! NOBODY! Especially a guy with a spider for a head.
Thinking of him, she softened momentarily. He did know how to treat a girl. That is, when he applied himself. But then she shook herself. No, he'd broken up with her, stood her up, and more on numerous occasions. And each time, she'd taken him back. But no more. This was it. The End. Besides, with mandibles where his mouth should be, he wasn't the greatest kisser in the world.
She sighed, relaxing somewhat against the hard bench, head tilted back, eyes closed. Could be worse, she told herself. It could be raining.
And, right on cue, she felt the first big, fat drops….. "Oooooohh!" It was a wonder the raindrops didn't sizzle as they contacted her face.
"Excuse me," said a calm voice to her left, "are you alright?" She looked up, annoyed that someone should be encroaching on her private misery right then, and had to stifle a gasp. The speaker was that new Teen Titan, Omega, the alien she'd heard about and seen on the news. "Is there something I can do to help you?" His voice sounded a bit odd, but, hey, he was an alien.
"I'm fine, Omega, is it? Yeah, I'm okay. Just….life just kinda sucks right now."
"Sucks?"
"Is bad, okay?" She really didn't have the time or the inclination to teach contemporary English usage to some freak from outer space. "Nothing's wrong, really, I'm just having a bad day."
"Ah. I understand."
"Yeah, so go on and earn a merit badge or something. Help some little old lady across the street. Do what you do-gooders normally do. And leave me alone. I'm fine." She paused, and then, for reasons she could never fathom later, added, "It's just, right now, I'm so mad I could spit bullets."
For a moment, he paused, and she actually had hopes he'd leave. But then he said, "Would you like some ice cream?"
"Huh? Whad'jew say?"
"I said, would you like some ice cream? I believe the Earth expression is, 'my treat.'"
She calmed down, rubbing her eyes and nose while she considered this. This put a whooooole new slant on matters. "Uh, Omega? Are-are you trying to pick me up?"
He looked startled, and looked at his hands. "No. Do you need me to?"
God, he was worse than, than, than whatever. Totally clueless. And that's when it hit her: Omega, newest member of the Teen Titans. And he couldn't buy a clue with a platinum Visa. Easily manipulated. Yes, so easily manipulated….her eyes narrowed as she considered the possibilities. Clueless guy plus new member of Teen Titans equals goldmine. And she still had a score to settle with that overdeveloped alien whore, Starfire. Not to mention Robin.
So she got up, making a show of drying her eyes, and smiled at him. "Why, that's very kind of you, Omega. Yes, I would like some ice cream. And thank you."
Ben's wasn't far from where they were. Kitten expected to get soaked from the rain, but then she realized that, ever since Omega had entered the picture, although the rain had neither stopped nor abated, none of it had hit her. In the lights from passing cars and streetlights, she'd seen the fat drops falling around them, as if they were encased in an invisible bell or something. Must be some kinda force-field he projects, she thought. Well, at least she wasn't getting wet….
The waitress came and they placed their order. Kitten splurged; she'd been watching her figure, but tonight she went all out and ordered a double-fudge banana split, with nuts and cherries. Comfort food, she told herself.
She noticed Omega hesitating over his choice. He didn't seem to be very knowledgeable regarding ice cream. He finally ordered a small bowl of vanilla. As he did, she could've sworn she heard him mutter something about that much not causing any problems…
They sat down in a unoccupied booth near the window. Kitten attacked her banana split as if it had been personally responsible for her lousy day. Omega gingerly took very small bites of his ice cream, almost as if he were afraid of it. But that's crazy.
"So." She began. "Tell me a little about yourself, Omega. I understand you're not from this universe?"
"That is correct. I believe my universe of origin actually preceded the formation of this one. Different physical laws held sway."
"So what was it like, there?" She still had a lot of banana split to go.
"That is difficult to answer easily. My universe existed at a higher energy state than this one, which in turn made for quite a few differences in physical structure…."
"No, no, no. I mean, what were your people like? And, is there, maybe, a Mrs. Omega, somewhere?"
He put his spoon down and sighed. "No, Kitten. There neither is nor was a 'Mrs. Omega.' Ever. Such liaisons were…..discouraged. Strongly, by those who were our masters."
"No women Osirans?"
"Oh, yes, there were female Osirans of all classes. But….how can I put this delicately…reproduction was carried out on a mass industrial scale, in what you would call factories. Personal conjoinings were…discouraged." His face twisted ever so slightly, telling her all she needed to know. Ah hah! She concentrated on her ice cream so he wouldn't see the gleam that suddenly appeared in her eyes.
"So tell me about her."
"Who?"
Kitten rolled her eyes. "You know who. The one whom you were 'discouraged' from being with. Come on, spill."
"How did you know there was someone like that in my past?"
"Call it female intuition. Now….?"
He sighed, not meeting her gaze. "A warrior of a rival Lord, a rival Domain. The circumstances under which we met were….complicated. But we were assigned to work on a joint project together…..one thing led to another…"
"Hey, I totally hear ya. So what happened?"
"Nothing. We completed our project ahead of schedule, and reported back to our respective Lords for further assignments. I never saw her again." He looked down at the table.
Kitten considered. "But, but, for a while there, you, you had each other, didn't you? I mean, you guys, you two made it, didn't you?"
"'Made it'?"
"You know. Made out. Or whatever you have in place of it."
He seemed saddened, and a bit nervous. "Well, yes. Once."
She goggled at him. "Once! Is that all?"
He turned away, looking out the window at the surrounding night. "There is a human saying: 'Better to've loved and lost than never to've loved at all.'"
"Yeah, I-"
"In my estimation, that saying is complete, what is the expression? Oh, yes. Horse feathers."
"Omega?" Her voice softened, even surprising her. "Don't you see? Painful as it is, this memory is something you treasure, just like you treasure, treasure other memories, experiences. We're all that way; it's just the human condition. And, in this case, you can't help but be kinda human, too.
"And just for the record," and here she sat back and lowered her own eyes, "I know that I'm gonna totally treasure this memory, of tonight, when someone who didn't have to just stopped by and offered to buy me ice cream. And that was, that was, like, the best thing to happen to me all day." She blushed crimson; Kitten didn't EVER blush; why was she doing so now?
But he was looking at her most oddly. "Well. You are…very welcome, Kitten. I am glad I was able to help, in some small way."
In the awkward silence that followed, Kitten's cell phone rang. "Kitten? This is Daddy. I'm almost done with the conference. I should be in by midnight. How's things going?"
"They're goin' great, Dad! Fang stood me up again, but it's for the last time. AND…you'll never guess who I'm having ice cream with, right now!"
"Justin Bieber?"
"Oh, please. What do I need with leftovers? No, this guy's from out of this world. Literally. In fact, here he is, now." She handed the cell to a doubtful looking Omega and hissed, "here. Say something to Daddy."
Omega took the phone. "Hello, Mr…..Moth, is it? Yes, this is Omega. Yes, Kitten and I were just having ice cream here at Ben's. No, she's not in any trouble or anything. I simply invited her here for ice cream." He listened some more. Then, "Yes, I will see that she gets home safely." He closed the cell and handed it back to her. "Your father is very conscientious."
She sighed. "Yeah. Sometimes it's a pain, but I guess parents are just that way. Say. You got any kids?" She noticed he was still picking at his ice cream.
"No. Of that, I am very sure. That is perhaps a good thing; on my home world, there were no such things as 'parents'; our young were raised and indoctrinated in what I suppose would seem to you to be a cross between a hospital and an orphanage. Although that really isn't a very accurate description."
She suppressed a shiver. "That's…cold blooded, 'Mega. Glad I'm not an Osiran. I'd never fit in." She ate some more of her banana split. Then she noticed he still hadn't done much with his tiny bowl. "Is something wrong with your ice cream?"
He shifted uneasily. "No, it's just….something I've found to be true since my arrival here. Certain ordinarily innocuous molecules can have odd side effects on my metabolism."
"And behind the big words that means…?"
"I've found some compounds you wouldn't expect to have certain mood-altering effects in me. Some seem to serve as intoxicants."
"Intoxi—Omega, are you telling me you get drunk on ice cream?"
He gestured towards his bowl. "Not in such small quantities. It would require much more….but, still, it is something I need to keep in mind."
She sputtered with laughter. "That is the wildest thing I've ever heard! So, ice cream's like, your kryptonite or something? That is so cool!" She laughed a little more at his discomfort. "Well, anyway. Hey. I just thought of something. What did you guys on Osira do for fun, anyway?"
"Recreation, you mean? Mostly battle simulations, pitting ourselves and our resources against rival Domains, or potential alien antagonists."
"Yeah? Okay, go on."
"'Go on'?"
"Yeah. What else did you do?"
He paused, seeming to consider. "That was pretty much it. We did not have the things you have on this world, things like movies, television, or anything else I've noticed humans do for enjoyment."
She goggled at him, jaw hanging open. "You mean to tell me," she said, disbelievingly, "that all you guys did was either fight or get ready to fight?"
He shrugged. "Pretty much, yes."
"That is almost sickening. But now you're here. We gotta teach you Earth ways, ways to have fun."
"'We'?"
"Me, myself, an' I. I'm my own personal clique." She finished her ice cream. "So come on. Finish your ice cream, 'n' we'll go."
"Go? Go where?" He spooned the remainder of his ice cream into his mouth.
She checked her watch. It was getting a bit late. "Well, since you promised my dad you'd get me home safely, I guess we'd better start there. BUT. TOMORROW NIGHT, it's you and me, out on the town. Got it? Or are you gonna make some lame excuse about being on duty or something?"
"Actually, I am not on duty. Hm. I appreciate your endeavor to help me acclimate…" They'd both risen and headed for the door. "What time?"
"How does seven sound?" He was escorting her back down the darkened streets towards her house. Although she'd sooner die than admit it, it was comforting to have him by her side. After all. There were a lot of crazies out there…
"Seven sounds good. Do I meet you at your house, or somewhere else?"
"The house is fine." And there is was, just coming into view. "Well, I'll see you then, tomorrow at seven, 'kay? It's a date."
"It's a date." His tone of voice indicated he was unaware of the implications inherent in that simple statement. Oh, well, she thought, with a malicious smile, he'll learn. Yes. He'll definitely learn…
Now they were at her door, and she was fumbling for her keys. "Well, Omega, I actually had a nice time tonight. Thank you for inviting me." She turned to him.
"You are most welcome. I, too, had a nice time." He turned to go.
"Ahem. Aren't we forgetting something?" His blank look answered her question for her. "C'mere, Omega." And as he came up to her, she stepped up on the two lower steps leading up to her door, so as to be on a level with him.
When he got close enough, she grabbed him by the back of the neck and pulled him into a smouldering-hot kiss. At his surprised expression, she looked him deep in the eyes and said, "Just remember: there's more where that came from." Then, before he could react, she hastily opened the door and went inside, leaving a very puzzled Osiran outside.
Omega returned to Titans' Tower. The others were still up, watching one of Beast Boy's latest acquisition, Wicked Scary 4.1. He noticed Robin and Starfire were absent from the group, and, for once, Hank, seated beside Raven, had the remote. He raised a eyebrow at the human he'd formerly been soul-bonded with. Hank shrugged. "I won the toss."
Beast Boy and Terra both seemed to be competing over who could eat the most popcorn. Omega made a mental note to replenish the supplies of bottled water. "You missed the best part, 'Mega," said Terra, around a mouthful of popcorn. "We were startin' ta get concerned."
He related the night's events to them. From their shocked expressions, it scared them more than the movie had. "Omega! You…actually took Kitten, the Kitten, that Kitten out?" Cyborg looked like he'd just been told Darkseid was in the next room.
"Of course. We had a nice conversation."
"Uhh, Omega? I know you're a grown…uh, dude…but, but, Kitten's dangerous. I mean, really," Beast Boy fumbled for words, "You…I, uh. Well. I mean, was it really a wise idea to tell her ice cream got you drunk?"
Omega's face was impassive. "Ice cream has no effect on me, Garfield."
Beast Boy's eyes bulged out, as did Hank's, and Cyborg's. Terra sprayed chewed popcorn laughing, while Raven merely smiled. "Dude! You…you lied to her?"
"Technically, no. I merely stated that some compounds had that effect. I did not specify ice cream." He paused, looking afar off. "Though I did not disillusion her from that belief."
Beast Boy and Terra looked at each other, as did Raven and Cyborg. Hank just stared at his friend, a stunned expression on his face. "So…."he mused, "now she thinks she has your number?"
"Number?"
"Means she knows your weakness, 'Mega. Or thinks she does….." He trailed off, realization dawning at what his friend had done. "You….you sneaky so-an-so, you. You deliberately misled her, didn't you?" He grinned.
"Battle simulations, Hank. Battle simulations." Omega murmured, smiling an uncomfortably predatory smile as he left the room.