Garfield stuffed two mini cinnamon buns into his mouth, licking the cream cheese at the edges of his mouth. "The cold wasn't that bad."
He followed it up with a sip from his Oreo milkshake. He was really craving sugar and in general, just food, like he hadn't eaten in months. It was a strange feeling, being hungrier than normal. There were a few nights when Cyborg and he consumed three pizzas, but this morning, he was way hungrier than that.
Still, nothing happened from the bite. All that worrying, all week, and nothing happened! He was better than fine. He was great! He was an alpha! He was a superhero! He just hadn't presented yet… but he was definitely an alpha.
"You're eating more than normal. Are you sure you're feeling okay?" Raven asked.
Garfield blinked, pondering a good answer. His entire team sat at the table with empty plates. They already consumed their meat proteins, something he could never willingly share in. He'd been so hungry when he sat down, consuming plant based protein, tons of soy and tofu. He also consumed a great deal of carbohydrates and an impressive amount of sugar. However, he hadn't noticed until now, how they stared.
"What? It's not like you haven't seen me eat before," he growled, mildly irritated. He wasn't going to let them ruin this perfect day. To prove it, he stuffed a tea dessert sized lemon pastry into his mouth. It was so good. The sugar went straight to his brain, calming an itch he couldn't quite explain. That same itch was just under the surface of his throat and along his rib cage, his inner thighs and his inner arms.
"It's just, you know…" Cyborg started.
"You're eating like you're a pregnant Goobenger-Lington," Star Fire supplied.
"Pregnant?" Beast Boy broke out in tears of laughter. "Star Fire, alpha men don't get pregnant on earth. We don't have that genetic makeup!"
He didn't quite miss the look Robin threw him before standing to drop his plate off in the sink. That look stole the laughter from him. He was blushing. Damnit! There was no reason to blush. He wasn't hiding anything.
The emergency alarm tore through the awkward silence, saving him from his quickly detracting thoughts. He jerked away from the table and moved to the grid that encompassed the entire television screen.
"Penguin is at the City Hall. He's never crossed over into our city before."
Another red light flashed and when they clicked the details, it took them to the park, "A-Mortal," Cyborg hissed. "We need to let the Justice League know he's in town."
"Another light!" Star exclaimed. Lights were blinking all over the map, in close proximity and steadily getting closer to the tower.
"Gorilla Grodd is attacking the bank," Robin said. "Something isn't right."
"I can take Gorilla Grodd," Garfield exclaimed. The group shouted, their individual statements were lost in jumbled statements.
"Beast Boy, stop," Robin ordered.
The door went hazy and Garfield turned to look at it. Raven was tiffed on the other side of the bubble. Was she trying to catch him? What were they thinking? They were being way too uptight.
He paused in the doorway. They just stood there staring at him, horrified. "Don't worry. I'll handle this quick and catch up with you guys."
"Beast Boy!" Robin yelled.
There was never an issue they couldn't handle and right now, he was the only one strong enough to take Gorilla Grodd alone, while the rest of the team needed to work together to take the others down. "I'll catch up with you guys as soon as possible!"
oOo
They were already in motion with Star Fire and Raven flying ahead of the jet Cyborg operated. The screen came on and Wonder Woman was on the receiving end.
"We have an issue," they said at the same time. He nodded and let Wonder Woman go first.
"This came across our computer five minutes ago," she said.
Her face disappeared, showing a video of Beast Boy presenting his neck. The young man bit Beast Boy and the look on his face went from pain to surrender within seconds. The older teen pulled away and Beast Boy took a second to gather himself. There were no words and the tape was less than forty seconds long, but that's all it took for his shaft to grow ramrod.
"We're dealing with an invasion of enemies in the city," he reported, grateful the new strain in his body didn't reflect in his voice. His jaw ached with the desire to fasten his teeth into BB's flesh and mark territory that should only belonged to him; the leader, the protector, and soon to be lover.
Instincts. That was all this was and he had to be better. He was the leader. The group depended on him to make the better choices for them.
"Where is Beast Boy?" she asked.
"He went ahead to stop Gorilla Grodd. He doesn't understand the risk he's taking. We're on our way to get him first," Robin answered. His pent up anger was sudden. He should've put his foot down. Earlier that week when something clearly was bothering Beast Boy, he should've used that moment to explain to him the situation they all believed was coming, but he hadn't.
"I agree with your decisions. Protect Beast Boy. We're on our way to help the city." There was no goodbye. There was nothing.
"You didn't tell her that he's going into estrus," Cyborg said. "I never seen a Goobenger-Lington, but Star Fire was right. He was acting like a pregnant something."
"Not pregnant," Robin replied, feeling the tightness in his jaw, mirrored only by the discomfort in the tightness of his crotch. "You're right, he's going into estrus. He's eating so he can fast during mating."
"What's the plan, Robin?" Cyborg asked.
Robin gave his brain a mental shake. That was the real question. What now? "He needs to understand his place when he's in heat."
The larger teen snorted. "He'll accept you as a captain, but I don't think BB is going to be up for alpha showcasing," Cyborg stated from the front of the aircraft. "What was that he said in training? Oh yeah. I'm nobody's house pet."
"As an omega, he's going to need to understand his place with the team," Robin stated. A primal part of his brain added, knotted right under me.
They were jetting over the city. Raven and Star Fire weren't within visual. As they neared the bank, his stomach tightened. He had to do what was best for Beast Boy, and that meant let him go through his first heat without anyone touching him. He had to protect him. And then he had to decide if Garfield would go to a guardian or a mate.
oOo
The bank was a straight shot, right over the park. Beast Boy flew higher, to stay out of A-Mortal's view. His mind was so busy thinking about his entrance into the bank as the warm wind drew under his wings, pulling him higher into the sky. At first he didn't register the sudden lack of mobility in his right wing. The pins and needle pain started to spread through his body, dragging him towards the earth.
The wind whistled against his ear drums as he kept his wings straight, coasting lower and lower to the ground. He rode the warm draft downward, past the park where his sharp, hawk vision caught A-Mortal tearing a swing set out of the ground. Garfield shook his head, before he realized his thoughts were drifting. They never drifted this badly. It was almost as if… as if… he was under the influence of sedatives, something he was too painfully familiar with.
His body swooped lower, past the bank where Gorilla Grodd stood on the cement staircase, looking as though he were waiting. His gorilla horde waited on the surrounding building tops, still as statues. He tried to focus his mind on looping around, but he kept going downward; past the local high school, extremely close to the bridge until the wind shifted his direction and he drifted down into the heat soaked stench of the auto junk yard.
He shifted his molecules into his human form the minute his feet touched the firm ground. He waited, hunched and searching for normalcy within his vitals. He lifted his arm, finding the source of his sudden incoherency. He plucked the pencil thin dart from his arm and examined it. It was solid metal and had a tracer on the tip that blinked. He looked up when the air rippled.
"Kyd Wykkyd?"
The H.I.V.E. Five member didn't answer, though he never spoke. Garfield shoved himself off the ground and tried to face him head on, but his foot slipped on the debris and it sent him sliding into an alcove of flattened and stacked cars. It did little for his vision. The sedative in his system was a pressing weight at the back of his head begging for him to lie down. If Wykkyd touched him, he would have even less of a chance to fight if they were transported somewhere outside his advantage, like the H.I.V.E.
Kyd Wykkyd held up the transmitter and Garfield stared at it, confused. He must've dropped it when he fell. He wasn't thinking straight. But who darted him? "Are you giving it back?"
Kyd Wykkyd made an upward gesture, silently saying look. Garfield swallowed the lump at the back of his throat as Kyd dropped it and stomped on the transmitter until it was broken plastic and the light was dead. Friend or foe? This was suddenly confusing and he didn't have the brain power to process it.
"Don't you work with the H.I.V.E.?" Garfield asked, sure that the H.I.V.E. Five member wouldn't destroy a transmitter that cost well into the hundreds.
Kyd Wykkyd barely shook his head before he jolted forward, eyes wide with shock. The silver boomerang flew towards them and attached itself onto Kyd Wykkyd's neck with a solid click. His fingers went to the device, clawing it with such ferocity that his nails left marks in his skin.
"What the hell is that?" Garfield asked, stepping forward.
"Look H.I.V.E., two for the price of one. It really is our lucky day," a voice echoed as the numerous copies of Billy Numerous sang out.
Kyd Wykkyd moved to his side, nearly tucking himself behind Beast Boy. More members of the H.I.V.E appeared and a few of Billy Numerous' copies disappeared, allowing them entrance. Gizmo was taller now, but still had his metal backpack strapped to his back. Mammoth remained big, like a prehistoric genetic cross between a human and a saber-toothed lion.
"Mmm, a little Teen Titan," Mammoth said.
Garfield tightened his jaw, refusing to mention that he wasn't all that tiny any more. Years of service with the Titans helped his shoulders to broaden, maybe not like the other males in the organization, but he wasn't small either. The small group moved in and the sweeping wind brought the strong smell of presented alpha. Great. Everyone was presented, but him. That's fine, he was still strong in his animal forms.
Kyd Wykkyd made a move, but Mammoth was quicker, catching him by the throat and slamming him hard against the cars. Garfield focused on an animal that could do more than knock the men around. He focused on something that would put them down for the count. Only problem was… his body wasn't doing a darn thing.
Gizmo laughed, stepping into the mix. He sniffed the air. "Wykkyd's heat is coming. Beast Boy probably has another week."
"I'm not an omega," Garfield hissed. The group laughed. That wasn't the response he expected. He fisted his hands, trying to force his change. The forced concentration made his temples ache, followed by pressure behind his eyelids.
Gizmo chuckled. "This will be your first heat, Beast Boy?"
"Mmm, first heat," Mammoth growled in approval.
Gizmo handed Mammoth a collar, one that matched what Kyd Wykkyd wore. "I hope your jaw can expand enough to take a knot. We'll get you knotted on both ends."
"Forget waiting," Billy Numerous' doubles echoed.
Mammoth approached and Garfield lunged at the massive hand holding the collar. He latched his teeth onto Mammoth's knuckles and got a roar for his effort and a hard backhand that sent him up against the metal. He lunged at Mammoth again, determined to get his point across.
"Are you serious?" Gizmo growled. "You can't fight us. You're out numbered."
Their scent was nearly as clouding as whatever was in his system, but he refused to go down. He wasn't going to allow the group to gang bang him because they thought he was an omega…
Thought… Jesus, he really hoped it was just a thought. But his body felt strange, lighter. He had difficulty concentrating and strategizing.
Mammoth's hand was bleeding, but that didn't detour the massive beast and the anger that made his eyes stone cold. Without his ability to change, Mammoth massively outweighed him, but he'd rather go down a warrior than a coward. He'd die before he let an alpha fuck him.
"Uh-oh, I think we pissed off the little green teen," Gizmo said. There was a second of a pause before his lips curled into a sneer. "But its difficult doing anything about it isn't it, Beast Boy? By now, you're noticing your body isn't cooperating with you."
Mammoth grabbed him by the shoulder and squeezed. The pressure nearly sent him cowering, but that would be submissive. He would show them who he was; a Titan!
He leaned into the hand holding him and sunk his teeth into the man's thick arm. Blood gushed into his mouth. He choked, determined not to swallow it. He didn't let up until Mammoth swung him into the stacked cars again. The impact vibrated through his bones, making his ears ring.
"It's cute you think you can fight the alphas off," Billy Numerous doubles spoke in chorus. There was a hand on his shoulder, than two more on his arm, pressing him back, making him immobile.
Before he could register what was happening, sharp teeth sunk into his neck. His pulse jumped to the back of his throat. Nerve endings fired sporadically through his system, and something in his brain gave in. He was leaning into the hot mouth on his throat. His body curved into the other, seeking heat and comfort and… and…
"Did you sigh like that for him too?" Only one Billy whispered against his cheek, licking the ridge of his ear with his hot tongue. "How does a Teen Titan find himself in a pantry with a beta? If that had been me, you never would've left the room."
"Oh…" That… That wasn't good. What happened? How did they know about the pantry? And Price?
He needed to clear his head. He needed to fight.
"He is closer to estrus than I thought." Gizmo now stood at their side. His hand slid to Garfield's crotch and gave it a small squeeze before his fingers dug lower between his thighs.
Garfield jerked from Billy and punched Gizmo. The feel of his knuckles coming into contact with cartilage was satisfying. The young villain jerked back when blood exploded from his nose.
"Fucking bite him again. Force his heat," he ordered, holding his hand over his nose.
Billy multiplied again and hands were already shoving him back into the ground, forcing him down and yanking at his clothes. He kicked, just to have his ankles grasped. He tried to punch, but his wrists were pressing down into the dirt.
Mammoth moved forward. "An omega threatening an alpha? Time to know your place, breeder."
"Kid, omegas have only one place in society, ask your alpha heroes," Billy said.
"Maybe he doesn't know what the Teen Titans or Justice League has planned for him," Gizmo said. He held a white handkerchief over his nose, spotted with blood. His eyes were watery and dark, clearly pissed.
Billy grinned. "Did you think they were going to keep letting you be a hero once you presented? Omegas belong pregnant, barefoot and house bound. They live to serve the knot, any knot. Maybe they were going to pass you around."
Garfield held his breath, trying to make the headache go away. "That's not true. I'm not an omega."
"I can smell it," Mammoth said.
Mammoth came towards him and a black bubble encompassed the large alpha. A screech followed a shadow that passed overhead, then golden rings of energy whacked Gizmo. Billy Numerous jerked into action. It was Kyd Wykkyd that forced Garfield to his feet, but he couldn't find purchase with the way he kept shivering.
The Teen Titan jet landed and both Cyborg and Robin jumped out when the bubble top popped open. A sudden overwhelming sense of vulnerability crashed into him. He couldn't fight. The bite made his skin tighten and crawl. The fight was a blur of colors and the only thing he could focus on was the deep rooted growls, the smell of blood and testosterone. It made his temperature sweltering hot in his tight spandex hero suit.
Maybe if he turned into an animal that didn't have these problems… But it would still be his body, his status coming to light, his new role in life.
Maybe he doesn't know what the Teen Titans or Justice League has planned for him.
He turned to Kyd Wykkyd and tugged on the silver collar around his neck. There wasn't a latch, and though he could see where it connected, there wasn't a release button. He tugged on it again, until Wykkyd's fingers caught his wrists and stilled his movement. Wykkyd met his eyes and gave a small shake of his head. Was he saying this was useless?
"I don't think it's safe for you," he said. Talking made the nerves and muscles in his tight throat ache. It made him painfully aware of the sensitivity not only in his skin but in his other senses too.
The battle grew louder, more vicious. The word omega was thrown around, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. The H.I.V.E. called him an omega. Some of the fights they'd been in were violent, but this made his skin crawl.
Cold fingers on his jaw drew his attention back. Wykkyd was staring hard at him, as if he wanted something to be clear. He pointed a finger to himself, and then placed that same fingertip on Garfield's chest. Garfield shook his head. "I don't know what you want."
Cosmo flew over their head, crash landing into the cars just beyond the alcove. Kyd grabbed his wrist and gave him a yank to follow, but he shook his head. Kyd wasn't ready to give up. He tried a little harder, and Garfield slipped from his hold.
"They need my help," he said.
Kyd Wykkyd's brows furrowed and he shook his head. The tug was less than friendly, but he gave up quickly enough, disappearing behind a low gap in the way the cars were laid on top of each other. Garfield turned back to the fighting group. The heavy smell of blood was in the air, along with a smell he really liked. It made his stomach tighten and heart quicken.
He shook his head at the creeping thought. His mind wasn't as quick to be rid of the way the smell affected him. His attention roved over the alphas locked in battle, until his attention landed on Robin, surrounded by Billy Numerous. The smells were new to him. His animal side smelled the team he fought with. He knew the scent of everyone in the Justice League and even the solo heroes, but this was different. He smelled something completely different now, and he really liked it.
He swallowed hard. Action was the only way to get his mind off the slowly building pressure in his lower spine. He rushed forward at the numerous bodies, switching his direction when he caught wind of the really Billy. Their bodies collided and they went down hard. Within a blink, he was on his back with Billy pressing his hardness into his thigh.
"Tsk, tsk, omega. Already in heat. Can't wait for a knot?" Billy's lips brushed across his cheeks and his skin flushed.
Before he could kick the older teen off, gloved hands grabbed him by the shoulder, pushing him back. The H.I.V.E. was subdued, but his own heart was racing as he sat on the ground, dizzy.
"Friend Beast Boy! Thank the stars you are alive!" Star Fire shrieked. Her arms were open to hug him and he immediately stepped away. "We went to the bank, but you were not there."
"Gorilla Grodd?" He inquired. Once again, he felt uneasy with the company.
"The Justice League is dealing with the town issues," Robin said.
The Justice League was in town? His heart sped up. He needed to stand, but he couldn't find the strength just yet.
One scent was painfully obvious among the group of alphas. This scent smelled like sword polish and primal, almost roguish musk. These weren't smells he should've discerned. These weren't scents that should've made his toes curl when he was already painfully familiar with them.
It was Robin that broke the silence again when the group stood there staring. "You're bleeding. We need to get your cut clean."
Garfield tentatively touched his neck and winced. It hurt, but the wave of pain sent heat rushing to his belly. He swallowed hard. "I'll survive. We need to help the Justice League. This is our town."
"No."
Garfield looked up when he realized his attention was on the ground. What was he thinking? Robin's eyes were dark and hard behind the mask. He was taller, shot up like a weed two summers ago. His chest was broad, his shoulders corded and his waist lean. He wasn't a kid anymore. None of them were. And they were all drifting. He saw the letter that came in, addressed to Robin from the Young Justice League.
And those emotionless eyes were staring at him so intently. Robin's nose was flaring, but he didn't move closer. Garfield swallowed hard.
He was so dizzy. His brain was fuzzy and his skin needed to be doused in cold water. Worst, the pressure was moving low into his gut, making his insides pulse. It was Robin's scent that was confusing him. He fought the desire in his body that made him want to roll onto his hands and knees. This feeling was raw. It was new. And it was unwelcomed.
I'm no one's pet. I'm no one's fetch dog. I'm no one's house bound omega.
Star move in closer and he was careful not to step away, though everything inside him screamed that he needed the space when he got to his feet. "You're face, Beast Boy. Did you purposely run into a wall?"
The tension in the air said they knew he was different now. They could smell it. God, everything inside him said his leader could smell it. Was Robin disappointed? That's why no one was mentioning the elephant in the room. No one whispered the "o" word while his neck was bleeding and his skin was sweltering hot.
"We need to get back to the tower," Robin said. He glanced back at the alcove. "Where is Kyd Wykkyd?"
"I- I don't know," Garfield said.
"He's part of the H.I.V.E., Beast Boy," Robin said.
Garfield widened his stance. He didn't want to fight about this, especially with his swollen check and the way his neck pulsed. "He's not part of the H.I.V.E. They wanted him."
He wasn't about to tell them that they'd wanted the both of them, though Raven saw the collar Mammoth was going to place on him when she swooped in.
"Kyd Wykkyd is gone, but he left the collar behind," Raven floated over to them and suddenly stopped. She lifted her head taking in the air and her face hardened. "Oh."
Oh. That word summed it all up. Even Robin's features hardened. He didn't like this at all.
"Get in the jet," Robin ordered.
Garfield swallowed. "We need to talk first."
"Not here, Beast Boy," Robin warned.
Garfield swallowed his anger. "Yes, here. You can't order me around like I'm a child!"
Robin took a step forward and he immediately took a step back. The hairs on his neck stood on end. His entire body felt like a feather and at any second, it would go adrift with the wind.
Robin stopped moving, his face hardened. "Don't run or this is going to get worse."
"How bad do you think it already is?" Beast Boy countered, taking another step back. It felt bad too him, and it was his body that went foreign on him.
There was no way he was going to be able to go up against Robin in combat. Eighty percent of the time they went hand to hand in combat, he ended up on his back. Robin had the strength and the weight. Now that their leader was nearing the end of his teens, he was also strategic and clever.
Garfield's greatest strength was in his animal assets when he morphed.
"If you run, you are going to force me to chase you. Your body will naturally release dopamine to your brain. It's okay. This is expected for an omega in heat and searching for his mate. Your serotonin level will rise when I catch you. You're biology is going to work against you when your instincts kick in. You're going to want to bond."
Garfield snorted. "Chemicals? Bonding? I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm not an omega. I don't want to be treated like one. I'm not going to cook for the league and stay home all day so you…" he swallowed. "So you can…" Okay, he really couldn't throw what he wanted to throw into their faces because they were staring and he was bleeding and uncomfortable about his hot skin and the way the world suddenly smelled. "I'm just not going to do it, you know."
"Robin?" Star Fire mumbled behind him.
Garfield could see it as clear as Star Fire. During their conversation, Robin was braced for the challenge. Garfield sighed. He couldn't outrun any of them as a human. And what if Robin was right about running? What if it did do something to his body? If he was omega…
"I'll go with you, because I need to shower and change my clothes, and not because I was ordered to," he said.
He didn't start walking towards the jet until Robin's stance softened. He let the group come near close, careful not to give any of them a reason to bind him. He had to think his way through this. Robin wasn't the only one that could strategize situations.
