Title: Titans on Earth

Author: The Emcee

Pairing: Hidashi

Summary: "We don't know what they are exactly, or where they came from. What we do know is that they've been on this planet for thousands of years. They are what the ancient Greeks once referred to as Titans and what we call monsters today. But we don't know who they are, what they are, or how they came to be."

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N (11/26/14): This idea randomly popped into my head one night at work. I was like, 'hey, why not make Tadashi and Hiro indestructible creatures that just want to shag all of that time?' and that's how this started. Apparently, I had said that out loud because my manager asked who Tadashi and Hiro were and what 'shagging' meant exactly. That was a fun conversation. Anyway, this is an AU obviously and will contain yaoi, aka male slash, so if you don't like, then don't read. If you do read, please feel free to leave a comment in the towel section. Let me know if there are any mistakes! I will fix them immediately! R&R. Enjoy!

A/N (1/19/2015): This marks my 200th story on , so this is kind of a big thing for me. I haven't been updating my other stories because I really wanted to get this one done and finished; I wanted this one to be my 200th one on . It's one of the Hidashi one-shots I've been working on and as you can see, I've been working on it for almost two months now. I wanted my 200th story to be special, and hopefully it is. I've been on FF for ten years now, and I like to think that my writing talent has grown from what it was when I was fifteen. Hopefully, it actually has. Thank you all so very much for all of the support and encouragement you've given me over the years. It means more than any words can express! Thank you.

~…~

Titans on Earth

~…~

Cass hadn't known what she had gotten herself into when she had volunteered to join this study group to earn extra credit on her college courses.

Honestly, she had never been out in the field to study anything; all of her work and research had been done in the lab. She had never had the desire to go out into the field like her fellow classmates. As a matter of fact, she would rather be baking cookies and donuts than scribbling down notes about the latest insect discovered in some remote part of the world – but that was probably because insects and arachnids gave her the hee bee gee bees. So, it was strange and weird for her to have volunteered to do this group study, but extra credit was extra credit and she needed it.

When she had attended the briefing a few nights prior to today, all the lead researchers had told her and the rest of her classmates was that two specimens of an incredibly rare species had finally been found and captured and that they were caged in a secure facility outside of the city to ensure privacy and protection. Cass wasn't sure if the protection was for the city or herself and her classmates, and she preferred not to dwell on that thought for very long.

Soon, the bus she was riding on pulled off of the main highway and onto an exit that took them to a large facility that was shielded from the outside world by a large, electric fence and security guards patrolling around the perimeter. Cass realized that the two specimens that had been found really must have been a big deal to warrant so many security measures. She bet that all of the doors required a passcode or employee badge to open.

Once the bus stopped just before the large gates, Cass and her fellow classmates disembarked and as she stepped off of the last step, she saw just how big the facility seemed. It looked much like a mansion, but she knew it was anything but the home of a wealthy and rich business tycoon. All of the high and expensive windows, all of the landscaping, and all of the statues were just for show, a façade to keep any curious bystander away.

Cass wasn't a curious bystander.

As she and her group made their way to the entrance of the grounds, a man in a white lab coat scanned his badge from behind the gate and it opened inward. She recognized the man instantly: it was Robert Callaghan, one of her professors. He had taken leave half way through the semester and now, she knew the real reason as to why. He must be a top scientist on the specimens, leading a team that now consisted of Cass and her classmates. Walking past the gates and the two security guards standing watch, Callaghan paused and gave them all a big smile of welcome.

"It's nice to finally have you all here. This is a rare opportunity and only the top minds at San Fransokyo College were chosen to assist my team in this venture," Professor Callaghan told them all. "I look forward to working with you all on this important discovery and finding out all that we can from these marvelous beings."

One of the girls on Cass' right raised her hand.

"Excuse me, Professor, but what exactly will we be studying? The briefing didn't give us a lot of specifics," she asked, her voice timid and shy.

"That's because there's still a lot we don't know about these creatures. That's why we brought you all in. Fresh minds, we are hoping, will help us further our understanding of these beings and give more in-depth insight on what they are and how they behave," Professor Callaghan explained, his smile never waving.

"Now, what I will tell you all now before we enter the grounds is to be on your guard. These beings are violent and act almost purely on their instincts. We have kept them contained since their capture, but we are unsure of how strong they really are," Professor Callaghan told them and he began to lead the group past the gates and onto the facility's grounds. "Also, please turn off all technological devices. We can't have anything interfering with our research or tech, and we don't want anything leaking out before we've compiled our data and make an official statement."

Cass quickly turned off her cell phone and put it back into her pocket.

When they arrived to the large, ornamental front doors, Professor Callaghan scanned his badge and they opened. He continued inside with Cass and the others following after him like lost, little ducklings. The foyer was just was grand and luxurious as any mansion would be, but the professor didn't give them time to gawk. Instead, he led them straight to a large elevator and, once everyone was inside, pressed the button for the basement level of the facility. The elevator stopped, but before the doors opened, Professor Callaghan turned to them.

"Do not be alarmed by their appearance and do not let it fool you," he told them.

Cass didn't understand what he meant. None of her classmates did. Not until the professor opened the elevator doors and led them into the wide, open lab space that the basement had become. There were rows of computers, monitors, screens, and all of the latest tech out there. But that wasn't what drew Cass' attention. At the back wall of the lab was a large, square, glass display case. That's what it reminded her of, anyway. A cage is what it actually was, a holding cell to house the specimens.

And inside the cell was what the professor had been telling them about and his warning on the elevator suddenly made sense.

Inside of the cell was a boy. Well, he wasn't really a boy; he was more like a teenager, a young adult, who looked probably twenty-one at the most. He was tall and lean, with broad shoulders and chest and muscles that were only slightly defined; they were there, but not prominent enough to wow. His hair was black and short, his nose was large, and his eyes were a coffee brown and wild. Actually, despite his human appearance, he seemed more…animalistic than anything else. Even dressed in plain cargo pants and a white shirt, they seemed so…out of place on him. Being naked would have seemed to suit him better along with his animalistic traits.

He was pacing the cage and glaring those brown eyes at Professor Callaghan, who seemed completely unfazed. His entire body was wrought with tension and his fingers seemed to be shaped into claws, like he could really tear someone's skin off with his bare hands. Cass believed that he probably could. Behind him, the room was a gigantic mess. All of the furnishings that had been placed within had been ruined, destroyed, torn apart and mangled, and there were scratch marks on the glass of the cell. Clearly, whoever or whatever this boy was, he had been trying to escape. And then Cass realized.

"Professor, I thought you said you had two specimens. Where's the other one?" Cass asked him. Professor Callaghan's smile widened.

"We separated them initially to do health and medical scannings as the other is…quite smaller and younger in appearance than this one. We've kept them apart for twenty-four hours and the creature you see before you has not stopped his pacing or growling. And you can see what he's done to the holding cell he's in," the professor explained. "His behavior is most…intriguing. As is the other ones."

"What do you know about them, Professor?" a tall, thin boy asked.

"Well, what we do is that, despite their appearance, they are quite old," he replied.

"How old?" the boy asked.

"Thousands of years old," came the answer. Most of the group, including Cass, gasped. Professor Callaghan continued "They definitely do not look it. That is why we are categorizing them as an entirely new species. While they may look human, they are not.

"Even the ancient Greeks have documents of them. Pottery found in the Greek islands depict two beings that were referred to as Titans walking alongside humans. They were strong, fierce, indestructible creatures who only showed loyalty and affection to each other. Quite different from the stories that one usually associates with the Greek Titans, which, many scholars believed, there were many of instead of two," Professor Callaghan paused and gazed up at the being in the holding cell. He had stopped his pacing and was gazing at the professor with such an intensity that it would have made a lesser man shudder.

"In today's world, these beings are what we know as monsters. Creatures that know only of pain and suffering and fear. However, we are here to study them, to learn all that we can about them, and, hopefully, even educate them," Professor Callaghan finished.

"Educate them?" Cass asked. The professor turned to her.

"Yes. While they are incredibly intelligent, more so than you or I even, they do not know how to speak, read, or even write," he explained. "Or perhaps, they do and they don't want us to know. Either way, we must to what we can to get them to cooperate with us. Cooperation will make this entire study easier and far more successful."

A loud pounding sound emanated from the cell. Everyone turn their attention to it and saw that the boy was beating on the glass wall that confined him. His brown eyes were narrowed dangerously and glued to Callaghan and one of his fists was mercilessly attacking the cell. A couple of the students stepped back, but all Cass could do was watch him.

From what Professor Callaghan had said, it was pretty clear that he was only acting this way because his companion had been taken from him. Studying him, Cass felt her heart squeeze. As the only two in existence, the boy must feel very lonely without his companion and worried, even sad. To her, all he wanted was his buddy back.

"Don't be alarmed; that glass is the strongest in the world," Professor Callaghan quickly reassured her classmates. "He can't break-"

A loud crack appeared in the glass and the boy stopped, analyzing it briefly before a smirk appeared on his face. He looked deadly and dangerous and his eyes were focused solely on Callaghan. That had not gone unnoticed by the professor.

"Return the smaller one to him," he ordered one of the assistants nearby. He pressed a button and it flashed for a few minutes.

Then, in back of the holding cell, a door opened and a smaller being was gently pushed inside. When Cass saw him, her heart nearly melted. Whereas the other was handsome, this one was adorable. Shorter in stature, especially in comparison to the other, he had soft features, almost as though he was still a child, a young teenager perhaps. His brown eyes were large and wide and frantically searching the cell. His hair was black like the other's and a tangled mess, some of his bangs falling in his eyes. He was paler too and skinnier and he had his arms wrapped around him, almost as though to shield himself.

But when he caught sight of the older boy, he stopped and his entire expression changed. The fear that had been present in the younger boy's countenance melted away into happiness and relief. The older boy, who had ceased pounding on the glass wall, had turned when the smaller one had been brought in and all of the tension in his body seemed to melt away.

Smiling with happiness, the taller one rushed to the smaller boy and pulled him into his arms. Even through the thick glass that separated them, Cass could hear them laughing and crying out in pure joy at being reunited. Thin arms clung to broad shoulders and large hands delved into wild, ebony locks. The older boy nuzzled the younger's neck up to his ear, his nosy pressing against his flesh and hair as he held him tight. From where she was standing, Cass could see the younger boy crying tears of happiness and he buried his face against the older one's neck.

"Are they brothers?" one of Cass' classmates asked. "They kind of look…alike."

"We do not know that for sure, yet. From observation, there is a fifty percent chance in either direction as far as that is concerned," Professor Callaghan answered. "You will see what I mean eventually. They are not shy about showing their affection towards one another."

Cass turned from the professor back to the two beings in the cell.

The older one was now holding the younger out, his arms patting his upper body as though he were trying to find any wounds or injuries through the red shirt and cargo shorts that the boy wore. When no injuries were found, the larger being gazed into the smaller one's eyes before grabbing his upper arms and yanking him forward, smashing their lips together. Cass could feel her face turning red as the smaller one was pulled closer to the larger body. Small, thin arms wrapped around his neck and when the older one sat down, he crawled into his lap, legs parting as he straddled the other being. It was quite obvious where this was going. Through the glass, moans and growls and grunts could be heard; just hearing the sounds they made made it seem as though Cass had stepped into a weird, strange porno.

"While transporting them here, they initiated coitus numerous times and we had to contain them in different cells by the time we reached this facility," Professor Callaghan said.

"They're just...going at it. Almost as though they don't care they're being watched," one of Cass' classmates stated.

"That's because they don't. Their only priority is each other and nothing and no one else," Professor Callaghan replied. "They are quite fascinating beings."

Cass turned her gaze from the holding cell to Professor Callaghan. Something about his tone of voice, his facial expression, that look in his eyes, made her worry for the two beings caged in the cell. Although it was quite apparent that they could take care of themselves, she still couldn't help but worry that something might happen to them.

"During your time here, you are to study and observe them, take note of everything they do so that we can better understand their behavior, their personalities, what they are, who they are, where they came from, and how they came to be," Professor Callaghan told them, standing in front of the group. "To make things easier on all of us, we have given them names. The larger specimen is Tadashi while the smaller one is Hiro."

His movement caused the mating pair to pause and the larger being curled around the smaller one, shielding him from sight, all the while glaring daggers at the professor. Was that a hint of some kind? Was there something going on with Professor Callaghan? Cass couldn't help but wonder. There had to be a reason as to why the two beings, titans or whatever, were acting this way towards him. And it seemed to be only directed at him and no one else, which was very peculiar.

"I am hoping that fresh pairs of eyes will shed light on an otherwise dim subject. I am pleased to have to all here working with us on such an important discovery," Professor Callaghan concluded. "I will hand you over to my aide so that we can all get started."

Cass barely heard a word that Professor Callaghan's aide said. She was too focused on the two beings in the holding cell, who seemed frozen in time as the professor walked away. As she had been watching them since she entered this lab, she couldn't help but feel sorry for them being locked up in here as though they were animals (they acted like animals, that was for sure, but still). To her, it seemed like all they wanted and needed was each other. The love and devotion they shared for one another was the stuff that legends and fairytales and novels strived to achieve to put on paper; it was what almost every soul on this planet sought after for so long and fought so hard to maintain.

How could two beings who had managed to achieve that be monsters?

~...~

Cass was pretty confident that she could watch porn with a straight face now.

Before this extra credit assignment, even the mention of porn had her blushing and stuttering and gaping like a moron. But after the past week in the lab, watching Tadashi and Hiro have sex constantly - and she meant constantly - she didn't think anything sexual could phase her anymore. She had seen it all, from the traditional positions to positions she was pretty sure human beings were incapable of achieving to tongues and lips and teeth going everywhere and doing everything. Yep, she was pretty sure they had nailed it, among each other, as far as anything to do with sex was concerned.

And at first, it was so down right shocking. Both Tadashi and Hiro looked like teenagers - they could have been her brothers or friends or classmates - and their faces just looked so...cute and...squishy, especially Hiro's. Yet they were constantly going at it, to the point that they rarely wore the clothes that were deposited in their holding cell every day. What would have been the point if they were constantly naked and screwing like rabbits anyway? They even had sex in the shower; actually, they seemed to enjoy it even more and - and Cass found this pretty darn cool! - no matter how hot the water got, and it could get very hot, as in leave third degree burns hot, they were fine, not a blemish in sight on their skin.

Aside from the constant rabbit screwing they seemed to do, Cass had learned several things about them. To start off, they were far smarter than Professor Callaghan had given them credit for. Yes, he had said that they were intelligent - he even added that they were probably smarter than humans - but Cass didn't think he realized or understood just how intelligent they were. She had seen the both of them watch everyone in the lab, with it be through narrowed eyes or wide and curious ones. And they could read; they read anything that came close enough. Cass believed that they could even read boards and signs from across the lab. And she knew that they could understand what they were reading. She wasn't sure how she knew that; she just did. There had been a couple times during the week that she had caught their eyes moving back and forth as they read something and she saw the understanding them filled those eyes after reading whatever it is they had read.

Another thing she had found out was that their personalities were different. Well, that made sense, obviously, but Professor Callaghan had made them both sound like animals who knew only their own instincts and reacted solely on them. That wasn't entirely the case. Although they acted more on their instincts, they were slightly civilized. For example: Tadashi only ever seemed incredibly enraged and vicious whenever Professor Callaghan was near; Hiro, on the other hand, seemed to fear him and often hid behind Tadashi or whatever piece of overturned furniture he was near (their cell hadn't been cleaned or rearranged as no one was willing to risk anyone's safety to do so). Tadashi in general seemed far more protective of Hiro, often using his own body as a shield or forcing him behind or under something if someone he didn't like approached them.

That was another thing: there were people that Tadashi and Hiro liked and disliked. They both seemed to despise Professor Callaghan and, to a lesser extent than the professor, some of the others who had been present during their capture. However, there were some that they seemed to ignore, such as most of the janitorial staff, the guards, and even other professors and scientists working in the lab. And there were some they liked, and Cass could tell which ones they liked because both of them would watch them with curious eyes instead of narrowed ones, as though they were fascinated by whatever they happened to be doing. They both liked Cass; that much was obvious by the fact that every time she observed them, she would talk to them kind of in the way that she talked to her cat, Mochi, not expecting an answer but just filling the air around them.

She would tell them things like, 'I know, it must suck being stuck inside there.' and 'You two would probably love my hot wings.' and 'yes, yes, I know, we've done this time and time again, but bear with me here.' Stuff like that. And they listened to her! And, sometimes when she was the one checking their vitals from outside the cell, she would ask them to hold still so that everything would come up correctly and they would do it! Cass wasn't sure why, but she felt a connection to them. It was almost as though they were family to her or something. She didn't understand how that could be or how it was possible; all she knew was what she felt.

"How are things coming along, Miss Hamada?" Professor Callaghan asked her as he walked up beside her. She had been watching and observing them for two hours already. Observations had been set up on four-hourly intervals so that the students could assist on the project while still maintain their workload at school.

"Pretty boring, actually. They don't do much in their cell. It might be more beneficial to have them exercise or something," Cass replied. "You could also test their abilities that way, too. Measure how strong they really are, y'know?"

"Hm. That is an excellent suggestion. I was thinking along those lines myself, but I wanted them to get used to all of us here and to their new environment before we started on that. They are still dangerous creatures," Professor Callaghan responded. "But they are amazing, aren't they?"

Cass looked over at him from the corner of her eye. Professor Callaghan was smiling smugly at Hiro, who, until just a few seconds ago, had been building...something out of scraps of wood from the furniture Tadashi had destroyed. Now, he was hiding behind Tadashi, who was maintaining steady eye contact with Callaghan, glaring at him, body tense and ready to strike at a moment's notice. Cass frowned. Something, she feared, had happened before they had been brought into the lab. Something had to have happened because why else would Tadashi seem hell bent on only killing the professor and no one else?

"Hiro is extraordinary, isn't he?" Professor Callaghan said.

"What do you mean?" she asked, turning to look at him. His gaze was only on Hiro and whatever he had been constructing. Cass looked over at it; it seemed to be some sort of...bridge. Huh. Odd.

"Both of them are intelligent, but until this past week, we hadn't realized how so. Now we do and it's apparent that Hiro is far more intelligent than Tadashi, although Tadashi is still incredibly smart," Professor Callaghan pointed to Hiro's bridge. "He'll take whatever material he can find and build things. Some things, we've found, have been replicas of monuments, past, present, or otherwise thought to have been mythical, and statues and buildings, such as the Colossus of Rhodes and the Great Pyramid of Giza."

"He's one smart cookie," Cass commented. She watched Professor Callaghan some more. He seemed...hungry, as though he wanted to eat Hiro up...

"We caught them in Mexico, you know. Hiro managed to evade all of our traps and tranquilizers. The only reason why we caught him was because Tadashi had fallen and our men were able to subdue him. We used him as bait and it worked, although he knew what was going on," Professor Callaghan explained to her. "He's a marvelous creature. I was half tempted to separate them before arriving here, just to observe him, study him, but they were already in the transport vehicle and it had difficult enough capturing them as it was..."

Cass' stomach lurched and tumbled and bubbled. Maybe she was just reading too much into it, but it seemed as though Professor Callaghan was...attracted to Hiro. He seemed to be far more interested in Hiro than Tadashi and that would explain Tadashi and Hiro's behaviors. The very thought made her sick to her stomach. She didn't care how old Tadashi and Hiro technically were; they still looked like kids and the thought of Callaghan doing something horrible to Hiro...

"I will go and speak with my team about your suggestion. With any luck, we'll have exercise plans drafted by tomorrow," Professor Callaghan said, placing a hand on her shoulder and giving her a smile. "Excellent work, Miss Hamada. I'm glad to have you on our team." With that, he walked away.

Cass shivered ever so slightly; his touch had scorched her and not in a good way. Who knows what his hands have done, especially to Hiro and Tadashi. She turned to them and gave them a sympathetic look, wondering if they understood why. Two sets of eyes turned to her, one large, wide, and round, full of fear, while the other was narrowed, calculating, assessing.

"I'm sorry," she told them softly, placing a hand gently on the glass. Cass knew that her words meant nothing, they were just words and it's not like she did anything to them, but that still didn't erase the feelings she felt.

These two beings had been living on their own, minding their own business, hardly causing anyone any trouble at all, and yet they had been pulled from their home, taken from each other for an extended period of time, and for what? Because one man sought they out, wanted them, desired them? Tadashi and Hiro may have been titans or monsters or whatever, but right now, all they were were captives who had to endure taunting and teasing from their captor.

Cass couldn't help but smile sadly when Hiro's small hand pressed up against the glass. Had the glass not been there, she would have been able to feel his hand against hers, his flesh against her. They may have been animals, they may have been titans, they may have been monsters, but right now, to her, they were more human than anyone else in the building.

~...~

"How long have they been running?" Cass asked Samuel, another classmate of hers.

Now that Tadashi and Hiro were on regular exercise and training schedules, two students had to observe them at all times, making sure they each of them were jotting down notes, vitals, and all of that good stuff, ensuring that they weren't missing a thing. The day before when Cass had left, Tadashi and Hiro had been running at a steady pace on two treadmills and when she arrived today, they still were.

"Over twenty-four hours. Professor Callaghan is going to increase their speed and incline tomorrow, since this seems to be a piece of cake for them," Samuel replied before bowing his head down to his notes, his pen constantly moving over his notebook paper.

"They haven't even broken a sweat," Cass muttered more to herself than anyone else. She had to say, she was impressed. She knew that Tadashi and Hiro were something...not human, but it hadn't really sunk in. Now, it was starting to.

"Yeah, they are pretty wicked, aren't they? They can probably run faster than our machines are programed to monitor," Samuel said.

"It'd probably be a better idea to get them out on an open track them and see how fast they can actually go then," Cass said. Both boys' arms were strapped to the treadmills, preventing them from escaping - not that they probably still couldn't anyway. And the room they were in was made up of entirely bullet proof glass, thick and almost impenetrable unless you were Tadashi and Hiro, of course.

"Not a good idea," Samuel said. Cass turned to look at him.

"Why not? It'd be a more accurate way to measure how fast they can run and for how long," she said.

"They might also take it as an opportunity to escape. Their intelligence is far superior to our own, Cass," Samuel countered patiently. He often reminded her of an old doctor talking to a hysterical parent or child.

"That's true," Cass relented. "It makes you wonder why they haven't already. I'm sure they could escape right now if they really wanted to."

"I'd rather not think about that, especially while I'm here observing them," Samuel said and went back to his notes.

Cass turned back to Tadashi and Hiro and watched them as they ran. The running they were doing really was a no brainer to them. They both looked bored to death and it seriously made her wonder why they hadn't tried to escape yet. She knew that they could, just like she knew that they could read, could understand what they read, and could understand what everyone was saying to.

As she kept her gaze on them, she saw Tadashi's eyes narrow. It was hard to see, barely even noticeable, but Cass had seen it. Tadashi's eyes had narrowed slightly and his jaw and clenched tightly, but only she noticed. Samuel didn't, wrapped up in his own notes as he was, and actually, when it came to these two, Cass seemed to be the only one who really, truly saw them, understood them even. Which is how she knew that Professor Callaghan was near. Turning her head to look over her shoulder, Cass saw that, sure enough, the professor was standing outside of the room, talking to one of his subordinates.

Turning back to Tadashi and Hiro, the latter of which seemed to be watching Tadashi as he in turn watched Callaghan, Cass suddenly realized just why they hadn't escaped from their prison yet. It wasn't about not being able to; it was about learning, planning, waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect opportunity, and then, and only then, would Tadashi and Hiro make their escape. And Cass had a feeling that Professor Callaghan wouldn't be alive for much longer.

Part of Cass knew that she should warn the professor. After all, he was a brilliant man and he was a person himself. Letting him die without even standing a chance - who did with these two? - was like pulling the trigger herself in a way. She could help prevent it. She could perhaps even stop it. But would she?

Cass looked up at Hiro, at his young, sweet face full of innocence and fear, fear that she knew Professor Callaghan had placed there. Even though Hiro was this...this titan, as they were now officially called, he still looked like a little boy and he even still acted like it, given his behavior around Professor Callaghan. Regardless of how old and ancient and powerful he may be, Hiro was still a boy and whatever Callaghan did to him, it wasn't right. Keeping him and Tadashi locked up in cages as though they were attractions at a freak show wasn't right either.

But could she let Callaghan die? Honestly, she didn't know.

~...~

Cass was lucky enough to get a shift that was during the middle of the night, when Callaghan wasn't there and most of the major professors and scientists and researchers were gone until morning. This gave her the perfect opportunity to reexamine the footage taken during the capture of Hiro and Tadashi. She couldn't help but need to know what exactly Callaghan had done to Hiro. Finding out would give her peace of mind and would calm her quelling soul. For days now, she had argued with herself about whether or not she should warn Callaghan that Tadashi was going to kill himself. However, a few things were stopping her.

One, she had no real proof to go by other than Tadashi's obvious hatred of the man and a gut feeling. Hell, was it even a gut feeling? It was more of a fact: she just looked at Tadashi and she knew that that was what he was waiting for. A chance to kill Callaghan. Two, she could very well be wrong. Maybe Tadashi wasn't going to kill him; maybe he just really, really, really hated the man. But she seriously doubted that one; something told her that Tadashi didn't change his mind once it had been made up. Callaghan was going to die; it was as simple as the grass is green and the sky is blue. And three, she didn't know for sure if Callaghan had done anything bad to Hiro or not. All she had to go on were her suspicions and the behavior Tadashi and Hiro displayed when the man was near.

Looking up the footage and watching it in its entirety was her best option and the only way Cass would be able to made her decision. So, she logged onto a computer - Tadashi and Hiro were asleep finally, after, from what Samuel had told her upon arrival, four hours twenty-eight minutes and twelve seconds of constant sexual intercourse - and searched through the data already complied from the research on both titans, thankful that it was just her, Danni, one of her classmates who was currently in search of coffee, and a supervising professor who was in another room doing...who knows what. She didn't care as long as he didn't sneak up behind her. Luckily, the computer lab was in a room separate from the open lab - it still had a glass wall facing the lab and the cell Tadashi and Hiro were kept in - and quieter and spacious, allowing her a little bit of privacy.

It didn't take long to find what she was looking for. When she did, Cass turned the volume up so that it played softly and clicked the video, her eyes glued to the screen. The video feed was from a few cameras, one from a hand-held that one of the researchers was carrying, another from the back of an armored vehicle, the one used to transport the two titans, and two from inside the truck, one facing the door while the other faced the opposite direction. Playing the video so that all four were shown at once, Cass watched.

At first, nothing happened, but then, a team of four men, large, muscular, obviously guards or something, were hauling Tadashi forward towards the rear of the vehicle. He struggled, but he was mostly looking over his shoulder as he was hauled into the truck. Then, Hiro came into view. He looked so small and tiny and vulnerable on the computer screen, but it was obvious that he, unlike Tadashi, was not being forced forward. Just as Callaghan had said, he seemed to have given himself over to them since they already had Tadashi.

Speaking of the professor, he was walking behind Hiro, looking smug and proud. Before the smaller titan was put in the back of the vehicle, Callaghan leaned forward and whispered something into Hiro's ear. It was too soft for the cameras to pick up, but Cass knew Hiro understood him because his eyes widened, his body began to tremble. And then, an inhumane roar resounded and Tadashi was there, trying to break out of the vehicle to get to Hiro, his eyes glued to Callaghan. The large men who had restrained him before tried to once again, but Tadashi grabbed out of them and snapped his neck without hesitation or thought. His body fell limply to the ground. Another was shoved up against the walls of the armored vehicle so forcibly that he stopped moving altogether. It wasn't until Hiro was within reach that Tadashi stopped his rampage. He grabbed Hiro, his eyes still locked onto Callaghan, and pulled the smaller boy to his body, arms wrapping around him for protection.

Then, the doors were closed and locked.

"My God..." Cass mumbled softly to herself.

She watched the first few minutes of the ride, but then fast forward past a few hours - it's not like she had all night to watch a car ride - and paused it when the vehicle stopped. They weren't at the facility yet, so the vehicle must have stopped for gas, which meant that every vehicle used for the trip had stopped as well. At this point, Tadashi and Hiro were asleep, both tired, exhausted, from, what Cass had been told, days of being hunted down like game before being captured. From what she could see, both of them were practically dead to the world.

One of the doors to the armored vehicle opened and Callaghan crept in, being quiet, though Cass had a feeling that neither one of them would have woken up even if a marching band had been playing outside the doors. The professor walked soundlessly over to Hiro, who was sprawled out on the floor fast asleep, his naked body a stark contrast to the darkness of the vehicle. Callaghan bent down next to him and watched him. Then, he took a hand and ran it through Hiro's hair, then down his face, caressing his cheek, and then down to his neck. But it didn't stop there.

Cass wasn't able to turn away as she watched Callaghan's hand caress Hiro's small chest, his stomach, his thighs, and then his manhood. His hand wrapped around Hiro and began stroking him slowly, Callaghan's own body obviously tense, getting worked up over violating Hiro in such a manner. When he gave Hiro a squeeze, Hiro's eyes snapped open, but Callaghan was quick. He placed his free hand over Hiro's mouth and Hiro, afraid and not quite understanding what was going on, seemed to freeze as Callaghan continued stroking him.

"I know what you are," Callaghan told Hiro, his voice soft and low, but echoing in the dark space of the vehicle. Cass put her hand over her mouth as her eyes welled up with tears. Poor Hiro! But she couldn't look away. She had to know all of it. She just had to!

"And I've found a way to kill you both," Callaghan continued. "Let me do what I want or I'll kill your mate. Do you understand?" Hiro nodded, showing he understood.

Callaghan smirked at him, smug and triumphant, and he pulled his hand away from Hiro's mouth. Jabbing Hiro's side with one of his knees, Callaghan unzipped his pants and pulled them down while Hiro turned over, turning away from Tadashi in shame, tears running down his face. Cass watched as Hiro bit his lip hard enough to draw blood when Callaghan first entered him. The only sounds coming from the feed were Callaghan's sickening grunts and the sound of skin on skin. Tears fell from Cass' eyes as she watched this man...this...monstrosity violated Hiro in one of the worst ways imaginable. Thankfully, it ended quickly with Callaghan's body stiffening and a long, low grunt as he came inside of Hiro.

Pulling out, he stood up and zipped up his pants. As he walked towards the door, Hiro let out a choked sob, one that woke Tadashi up. Tadashi shook his head and looked at Hiro. His eyes widened and then narrowed dangerously before they turned to Callaghan, who smirked at him before closing and locking the doors. Like lightning, Tadashi up and slamming into the walls of the armored vehicle, thrashing and roaring and growling and snarling and clawing and kicking, trying anything and everything he could think of to get to Callaghan while Hiro sobbed brokenly on the floor.

Soon, the vehicle and the others began to move again and Tadashi, still furious, still fuming, stopped his rampaging and instead sat down beside Hiro. He pulled the smaller titan onto his lap, holding him in his arms, nuzzling his hair, kissing it, trying to calm Hiro down. Nothing worked. They stayed like that for hours - Cass fast forward the feed - until the vehicles came to a stop. It seemed as though they were at the facility. The door opened up and men came in and forced Tadashi and Hiro apart, though Tadashi fought tooth and claw to return to Hiro, who was all but dragged seemingly lifeless out of the vehicle. Cass watched as they were taken away into the facility before the feed went to black and died.

At long last, she finally knew the truth. Callaghan was no professor; he wasn't even human! She didn't care that Tadashi and Hiro weren't humans and that they were supernatural beings with immense powers and capabilities no one really, truly understood yet. Neither one of them deserved to be put through that kind of hell! No one deserved to be violated like that and then locked in a cage and watched all of the time!

"So, I see you finally found the recordings from the capture in its entirety," came Callaghan's voice from the doorway.

Cass jumped in her seat and then quickly wiped her remaining tears away. Standing up, she grabbed her notebooks and pen and turned to him, putting a fake smile on her face, not knowing how long he had been standing there, watching her watch that video.

"Y-Yes, I wanted to see it for myself, to help with the research, y'know," Cass said, trying to sound like herself. She knew she did a poor job, but what she wanted most was to get away from Callaghan before she did something she might regret, like put him in the face or kick him in the nuts or something.

As she made to leave the computer lab, Callaghan grabbed her roughly by her upper arm, causing her to stop.

"No matter who you tell or what you do, no one will believe you," Callaghan told her, his eyes boring into her own. "I have the power to ruing you forever, Miss Hamada. Remember that." He released her and she quickly walked away, head hung and tears streaming down her face.

She returned to the seat she had claimed as hers for the night and looked up at the cell. Hiro was asleep but Tadashi was awake. He seemed alert, focused, ready to pounce on his unsuspecting prey, Callaghan. It seemed that he could feel Cass watching him because he turned to her and his harsh glare softened, though he still looked ready to attack should Callaghan reappear. Cass stared back at him and swallowed a hiccup. Her mind was made up. Her decision was made. It was simple.

"Kill him," she whispered and she knew Tadashi heard her.

With brown eyes narrowed into cat slits, Tadashi turned to where Callaghan was, still in the computer lab. His body was tense, stiff, and crouched much like a panther. It was only a matter of time now. Only a matter of time.

~...~

Something was wrong.

The air was thick with tension, so much so that it seemed to visibly crackle in the air. Everybody was tense, stiff, wound too tightly, snapping at one another and giving short answers when asked a question. Mistakes on documents and videos were being made. The computers were acting crazy and malfunctioning even though they were state of the art and brand new. Nothing was acting normal at all. Cass didn't like it.

Like everyone else, Cass herself was stiff, nervous, tense. She knew that something was going to happen today, but she wasn't entirely sure what. Would today be the day? Would today be Callaghan's last day on Earth? Would Tadashi and Hiro break free at last? Where would they go? Did they have a permanent home? Cass kept looking over her shoulder, expecting to find someone looming over her, watching her every move, but no one was. Even Callaghan seemed to have forgotten her presence and the fact that she knew the truth about what he had done. He was too preoccupied with all of the mishaps and errors going on around the lab.

Cass wondered if Hiro and Tadashi were causing all of the issues and malfunctions. It wouldn't surprise her at this point. Fascinate her, but not surprise her.

Gazing into their holding cell, Cass couldn't help but think how strange and unusual it was that Tadashi and Hiro were being...well...lazy. Callaghan was in the lab, but Tadashi wasn't even glaring at him or seething. In fact, he was sprawled out on the floor beside Hiro, cuddling his tiny, naked body and nuzzled his neck affectionately, his eyes lidded and a small, serene smile on his face. Hiro, who was usually fiddling with anything and everything he could get his hands on in order to make...whatever it was he wanted to make, was lying beside Tadashi, eyes closed, his back pressed against Tadashi's front.

Cass watched as Tadashi began kissing Hiro's neck, causing the smaller titan to shiver. He arched against Tadashi's body as he turned his head to connect their lips in a passionate kiss. Tadashi choose that moment to enter Hiro's body, eliciting a moan from him as he did so. Strong and steady arms wrapped themselves around Hiro's waist as Tadashi proceeded to thrust in and out of him, grunting and growling and groaning as they made love again.

It was strange.

Not their love making; they did that all of the time. What was so strange about the two titans was that they didn't seem to care that everyone was in the lab, some watching them while others worked on issues. Hell, Cass would go far enough to say that they were even cocky and arrogant about it, as though they knew they were untouchable. Truly, they were. They really, really were. Every test performed on them so far only added to watch Callaghan had told Cass and her classmates their first day here: that these beings were powerful titans, real, live creatures of mythology and legend that made humans seem like nothing more than pathetic ants.

Cass blinked and stared at Tadashi and Hiro, who were reaching their climaxes now. Tadashi and Hiro were titans, that's what history, myth, and legend called them and that is what they were known as now. Yet they were in a holding cell, guarded by humans and being observed and watched by humans. And why? Because Tadashi and Hiro allowed it to continue, that was why. Cass knew without a shadow of a doubt that they could have escaped at any time and that they had more than enough strength, speed, and power to eliminate everyone in this facility, including her. But they had watched, waited, learned, until they had had enough of this game.

She only hoped they wouldn't kill her.

Moving to the right and away from the holding cell, Cass watched as Tadashi and Hiro collapsed in a pile of sweaty limbed on the floor of the cell. Callaghan had stopped helping the others out and had moved so that he stood in front of the cell, eyes soaking in every expanse of skin, every drop of sweat, every flex of muscle, and every movement Hiro made. Cass watched him as Callaghan watched Hiro; what she saw was a man obsessed with his prize, a prize that wasn't even his to begin with, a prize that wasn't a prize at all, but a being of fantastical strength and power that wasn't completely understood yet.

Tadashi untangled himself from Hiro's body and stood up. His brown eyes were focused solely on Callaghan and there was a sly grin on his face. His entire demeanor exuded a smug arrogance and danger that caused warning bells to go off in Cass' head. Clutching her notebook to her chest, she watched with baited breath as everyone in the lab turned to the holding cell, to Tadashi, as he stopped directly in front of Callaghan.

The professor tried not to seem fazed; he tried to seem as though he still held all of the power, all of the control, but Cass could see how his hands shook and how he began to sweat. His hands clenched into fists to steady them; it didn't work. No one seemed to be reading Callaghan's body language, though; they were all focused on Tadashi.

Still smiling that smug smile at Callaghan, Tadashi lifted an index finger and tapped the glass barrier that kept him separate from Callaghan. One tap. Two. Three. And then, just before Tadashi's finger struck a forth, his sly grin turned into a cold, murderous smirk and his finger landed a forth tap. The thick, bullet proof glass wall that everyone had thought would keep them safe shattered into a thousand shards that rained down upon them. Some people gasped while others cried out in shock. Tadashi didn't seem to hear them as he nonchalantly jumped down from the holding cell and strode towards Callaghan as though he were taking a leisurely walk around the park, the glass on the floor not even breaking the skin on his feet.

Everyone around Callaghan quickly scattered to the winds, obviously terrified out of their minds, not knowing what Tadashi was going to do. Cass knew, though, and all she could do was stand there, rooted to the spot, as Tadashi stopped in front of Callaghan. The professor didn't move; Cass didn't think he could either. He looked petrified, his face was pale and sweaty and his hands trembled and twitched. His eyes were full of fear as they continued meeting Tadashi's gaze.

Time seemed to still as Cass watched the two of them stare at each other, man and beast, human and titan, one full of fear while the other was full of confidence and power. Vaguely, Cass could hear someone crying softly in the background as people stared fearfully. She could barely hear someone trying to contact the police, but it seemed that the phones, both cellular and land lines, weren't working. Glancing away from Tadashi and Callaghan, Cass saw that Hiro was standing by the frame that once held the glass wall, his eyes focused solely on Tadashi, but she couldn't help but wonder if Hiro was tampering with the electronics in the lab. He probably could; it was probably child's play to him.

She turned back to Tadashi and Callaghan. Clutching her notebook tightly to her chest, Cass watched as Tadashi's face suddenly twisted into a murderous snarl as his hands reached up and grabbed Callaghan's head in a tight grasp.

"AH!" Callaghan cried out, trying in vain to escape Tadashi's hold. It was no use.

Snarling vehemently, he wrenched Callaghan to the side and lifted his head to snarl and snap at the few guards and scientists who rushed to help the professor. They stopped in their tracks, faces as white as snow and looking as though they had crapped themselves. Tadashi forced Callaghan to get down on his knees before him, twisting his head so violently that Cass was sure he had snapped his neck. He hadn't, though, because Callaghan screamed loudly, painfully, as Tadashi begun pulling his head up, his eyes full of unadulterated rage and hatred. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the sickening sight as Tadashi ripped Callaghan's head from his body. Blood began to pour hot and red as his body fell lifeless to the floor.

That was when the screams started.

Grinning wickedly, Tadashi threw Callaghan's head at the group of people attempting to find any route of escape, causing them to scream even more, even louder. Tadashi started towards them and Cass could only stand there, like a doll, stuck in the same place, mind clearing, going blank, not even seeing the carnage and violence that was going on before her, not even hearing the screams of pain and fear and agony as Tadashi massacred and decimated the remainder of the staff.

All of the people Cass had worked alongside, all of the guards and researchers, professors, scientists, and even a few of her fellow classmates who were scheduled to be here now died one by one, slowly, painfully, and she just stood there, staring blankly into space. She didn't even feel as though she was in her own body anymore; everything felt so surreal and dreamlike. Was she even there? Maybe she was still at home dreaming. She had to be, right? Stuff like this...it just didn't happen. This wasn't something that happened as though it were an everyday occurrence, as though it were perfectly normal, as though large groups of people were slaughtered like cattle every day.

Cass felt someone grasp her hand and she damn near jumped out of her own skin. With wide, shocked eyes, she looked down and saw that Hiro had taken her hand and was clutching it in his own. His eyes were still watching Tadashi's every move, but he seemed to need her for...comfort or something. Or maybe he was just holding her in place so that Tadashi could kill her last. But she didn't get that feeling, though; she didn't know how to explain it, but Cass just knew that Tadashi and Hiro weren't going to hurt her. Don't ask her to explain it; she didn't even understand it, it was just a...fact. Tadashi and Hiro would never hurt her. She didn't know why, but right now, she wasn't going to question it, all things considered.

Looking down at Hiro, a sudden and startling thought overcame Cass: what was going to happen now? To Tadashi and Hiro, to her? Where would they go now? They couldn't go back to the city; well, she couldn't. She didn't know if Tadashi and Hiro had a home home since they were titans, beings who had been found in the wild just like a rare species of animal. Cass didn't know what to do, but she did know that she couldn't go back to the city. Staring down at Hiro, seeing how small and young and innocent he looked, Cass knew what she had to do.

She had to protect these two. She was the only one who knew what they were and how much danger they'd be in if they were ever caught, especially after today. They needed to be protected and cared for, shielded from those who would want their own heads for what happened here today. Cass didn't know where they would go, but she knew that she needed to take care of them. It was an impulse as strong as the need to breathe air and drink water.

Tadashi came over to them, covered in blood and dirt and grime, but other than that, he looked perfectly fine. A soft smile spread across his face as he met Hiro's eyes and he crouched down to take his mate into his arms. Hiro wrapped his skinny arms around Tadashi's neck and held him tightly, giggling softly as Tadashi ran his nose along his neck and rubbed it into his hair. Standing up, Tadashi made his way to Cass and stared into her eyes. There was no hatred or rage or anger in them anymore; in fact, there was a love and peace that took her by surprise. It was such a stark difference from the expression he had been wearing just a few moments ago.

"Uh..." Cass couldn't think of anything to say, not really. Tadashi and Hiro didn't have to come with her. They were strong enough to protect themselves. They had been keeping themselves well hid from people for centuries upon centuries after all. Yet something within her told her that they'd go with her anyway.

"We need to get out of here. We need to get as far away from here as possible," Cass told Tadashi, who merely nodded in understanding, his expression turning to one of concern. "Let's take a car and get gone."

Cass walked with Tadashi and Hiro, who was being carried in Tadashi's arms, and left the facility. She wasn't sure what lay ahead of them. She wasn't sure just how dangerous the road before her was. Hell, she wasn't even sure if she'd make it out alive. What she did know was that this was what her instincts were telling her. This is what she was meant to do with her existence: watch over these two fantastical and incredible beings that defied logic and everything anyone ever knew. They were her charges and she was their guardian now. Never before had she ever felt so terrified and calm all at once. She would be leaving behind everything and everyone she had ever known and loved.

Yet, this is what she was meant to do. She could feel it.

~…~

The End

~…~