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'First Date' is performed by Blink-182


"GARFIELD!"

The roar thundered throughout the base, and Blackfire looked up from the magazine she had been leafing through as a snake slithered through the door, not waiting for it to fully open. It rose into Gar's humanoid form and he paused to grant her a kiss, and then raced onward, leaving her somewhat confounded.

"For luck!" he called in explanation before he leapt through the next door, dropping into the form of a cheetah as he did so. Seconds after he had disappeared from the kitchen and dining room, the door opened again as Rose dashed through, having removed her holo-ring but still in her school uniform. She cast her gaze about, getting ready to search for him before Blackfire jabbed a thumb towards the door through which the shape shifter had departed and the white-haired girl gave a nod of thanks before charging through the entryway. Giving a chuckle, the alien woman turned her attention back upon her magazine, admiring the most recently unearth remnants of cultures' past.

The security of the base, its lack of opening windows and fortress-like construction, was now the enemy as the green shifter raced against the precog to the stairwell that led to the roof – and his escape route. He flowed through his forms, trying to keep ahead of the girl whose single eye had trained on him the moment she had walked through the door. There had been no rage or other obvious emotions, but he had seen the promise of oblivion in her gaze, and it was enough to force him to abandon the sundae he had created and flee the scene. Managing to pull away in the first stretch of the chase, he had accidentally made a wrong turn, and now her precognitive sight was working in her favor as she kept appearing to block off his path. Any attempts to halt and take cover either in the air vents or elsewhere were thwarted by her proximity, and all too soon, the chase came to a close when she forced him to turn a corner that led to a dead end.

Shifting into his human form, he pressed his back against the wall, holding out his hands in front of him as Rose approached with slow steps.

"Waitaminnit. Just think about it, Rose. I mean, you said yourself that two students entering is suspicious. Even more so if two well-known heroes of the same age and gender disappear. And Dee couldn't exactly pull off Eddie, so that left you. If you just, you know, think about it for a second, it makes perfect sense. So there is really no reason to hurt me. I was just trying to help sell your cover. Rose, stay back. I mean it."

As his warnings proved useless in halting her advance, he dwindled to the form of a tiny kitten with large eyes who mewled at her, pleading for her mercy, "You wouldn't hurt a face like this, would you?"

For a second, the Face did manage to make her hesitate, but then she swooped down, grabbing the verdant feline by the scruff of his neck before he could dart between her legs. She lifted him until he was level with her face and jabbed a finger at him, "Actually, I did have a chance to think about it. And, I'll admit, you're right. It helps to sell the act. I've accepted that. And the fact that I haven't already burnt through your current nine lives is a testament to my willpower."

"And it's some impressive willpower. Worthy of a ring," he assured her. His flattery was ceased by her finger pressing to his tiny mouth before she continued.

"However, that doesn't mean I forgive you. You made up this little plan behind my back, you had the clown play me, and the worst – you gave her one of my suits!" she snarled fiercely.

"Actually, the last part's not entirely true. See, about a year or two back, authorities found one of your dad's bases and they raided it. All in all, they didn't get too much, but that suit was one of them. I managed to secure it for the mission," he explained hurriedly.

His words seemed to mollify Rose and she began to lower him when a pale figure in purple suddenly streaked by her.

"Kitty!"

She blinked and Gar was no longer her captive, her hand merely grasping air, and she turned to see the red-headed girl racing down the hall, an emerald kitten on her shoulder and reaching back towards his previous captor.

"Rose! Save me!"

Blinking again, a smile bloomed and she shrugged, obviously pleased with the situation before strolling down a different pathway in the hall. She made her way back to the kitchen where Eddie, still in his human guise, sat at the island table, working through his notes as Blackfire now flipped through one of his books, marginally interested in the subject matter. As Rose prepared to trek back to the door, she spotted her backpack at the corner of the tall table, and she grabbed it before perching upon one of the stools and swiping Eddie's ring, cancelling the illusion. He scowled and held out his hand, but was smart enough not to put it on after she returned it to him. Pulling her books from her bag, she began to review the subjects that they had covered in her classes, refreshing her memory of such work. They studied diligently, occasionally interrupted by Blackfire's oft derisive comments about Earth's miserable level of knowledge before she assisted with a particularly difficult problem.

An hour had passed before, presumably, Duela came strolling in though she was attired in a sleek black outfit that focused more on freedom of movement, and accentuating her assets, than protection. Ear-like projections sprouted from the dark hood, and long tails extended from the bottom half of her hood, and ran down her arms, ending in long claws. Straps were placed on the inside of the razor-equipped limbs, allowing her to grasp them and employ them directly. Golden lenses flashed in the light, obscuring her eyes and the lower half of her face was covered by a half-mask designed to resemble, predictably, a cat. The suit hugged her figure and with each sashay of her hips, the whip wrapped about them twitched like a feline's tail. Blades extended from her boots, elevated enough to not cut into the floor. Beneath her hood, clinging to the top of her head, was a seemingly resigned green kitten, his claws digging into the straps of the goggles.

As Blackfire arched a brow at him, he gave the feline equivalent of a shrug, "Believe me, this was the good option. Anyway, meet Catwoman's ward -"

"Stray," she purred from behind the mask as she slid next to Eddie. Her gloves had notable tips, not as sharp as the blades extending from the limbs of her hood, and she traced them along his jawline as she pressed against him. "Can kitty have a saucer of milk?"

His mouth flapped silently for a moment, searching for words, and trying to ignore how the suit fitted to her curvaceous frame as Rose ground her teeth together.

"No, but Kitty can find out exactly how many ways she can be skinned if she doesn't watch herself," Rose growled.

"Ooh, catfight," grinned the shape shifter from his position as Stray swung her head towards the white-haired girl.

"Garfield," Blackfire warned.

"Right. Getting down now," he nodded, hopping from her hood and stalking across the table towards her. She scooped him up and he, rather conspicuously, snuggled against her bosom, a disproportionate purr rumbling from within the small animal. Chuckling, she scratched behind his ears and the sound swelled as he arched his head back, luxuriating in her ministrations. Twisting about, he caught her finger in his tiny paws and nibbled on her skin, rolling around furiously as her others fingers descended to run along his stomach, exciting his nerves. Leaping from her grasp, he landed upon the table, flicking his tail at her before settling onto his haunches.

"So . . . what are your first impressions about Dalton Institute?"

"It seems to be on the up-and-up," Rose began. "Like I've been saying, security's pretty boring. I don't know how schools usually go, but it doesn't feel like anything's out of order."

"It's got the typical school hierarchy. Doesn't seem like there are anybody meta-humans in the place to being with. Closest thing I found was Styler, but I think he's just a prodigy," Eddie shrugged.

"Who, for some reason, dyes his hair purple," added the swordsmistress.

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with purple hair," Gar defended. "But nothing else?"

"Nope," Eddie answered well his fellow infiltrator shook her head.

"Hmm," Stray hummed, "Maybe I could take a little peek afterhours."

"I've got that covered," the kitten said. Stretching her arms across the table, the supposed offspring of Catwoman walked her fingers down the green feline's spine. Instinctively, he stood, his back flowing in sinuous waves as she spoke.

"Oh, that's no fun. After all, what's the point of nine lives if you don't risk a few to satisfy your curiosity, hmm? Don't you think so, red?"

She pressed against him, tracing the form of his bicep through his jacket and he gave an uneasy laugh as smoke began to rise from his notebook. Neither of them noticed Rose rising from her seat and striding over to the sink until she turned the hose upon the both of them, dousing them and putting out the small fire that Eddie's grip had started on his notebook. Stray yowled and whirled about, hissing at Rose as the one-eyed girl warned, "I think this kitty needs spayed."

Blackfire looked down to their team leader, both of them having watched the scene with a certain amount of interest, and pointed out, "Disregarding this fascinating little debacle, she does bring up a good idea. Well, two, but I know you're going to turn down the second one. But send her in one of her guises, one that has not been seen with us, and have her do some investigating. If she's caught, it doesn't come back on us, and we can bust her out before she reverts to a recognizable personality."

"My midnight sun, any plan that involves with us busting somebody out of jail probably isn't something we can exactly do," he suggested.

"I've escaped from some of the greatest prisons in the galaxy. Freeing her from one of your primitive facilities will be a cakewalk," she countered.

"I wouldn't get caught anyway," Stray interjected, turning back to her elders as a satisfied Rose settled back into her stool.

"Okay, not so much 'cannot' as we 'will not' be busting anybody out of jail. I've already got it covered anyway. Little bit over a week ago, I applied for a position as a janitor. I should be hearing back from them in the next few days," he explained. "It'll give me access to places you guys can't get to. So nobody's sneaking into the school, nobody's getting arrested, and nobody's busting anybody out of jail."

"Killjoy," Blackfire muttered as she stood up. "Are you finished with your briefing?"

"Pretty much," he answered before glancing to the faux students and addressing them with a paternal tone, "You can have one snack before dinner, but make sure you do your homework. No games or TV until you do so. If you need help, well, you're on your own. But if you really need us, just give me a call."

"Though if you do, I will tear out your hearts and make you eat them," menaced the golden alien, her eyes glowing for emphasis.

"Why? Where you going?" Rose asked, spinning about in her seat.

"None of your business," Blackfire dismissed as Gar bounded from the table, alighting upon her shoulder. They began to proceed from the room as Rose called after them.

"Hey, Gar, I'm pretty sure what you're about to do is considered cannibalism."

Neither of the elder pair acknowledged the comment as they exited the room, and Eddie appeared momentarily confused before the entendre sunk in. Something akin to horror painted his features, and Stray gave a deep chuckle, more amused by his expression than the vulgarity.

As the pair sailed down the halls, Blackfire ordered, "Hop off and change shape. I am not going to kiss a cat."

"Not even one this dashingly handsome?" he asked, leaping to the floor and striking what was intended to be a regal pose. She set her hands upon her hips, cocking her head as she stared down at the shape shifter before he finally sighed and morphed into his mostly human form, stepping forward at the same time to press a palm to the small of her back and another to her shoulders. He dipped her, surprising her, and flashed a dashing smile, "Does this better suit your desires, milady?"

Giving a smile, she pressed a quick kiss to his lips and then replied, "Yes, it does. By the way, you have yet to compliment my outfit."

As he stood her back up, she smiled and adopted a pose that she had glimpsed in a fashion magazine. He obediently admired the attire that she had switched out for her alien armor since the morning. A black sequined top hung loosely off her torso, and it left much of her back exposed. It was accompanied and offset by white shorts that clung to her toned legs. Strapped sandals were fitted on her feet and trailed past her ankles. Finally, he nodded appreciatively and grabbed her hand, kissing her knuckles and smiling.

"Your beauty cannot be eclipsed, my midnight sun."

"Good," she hooked her elbow with his and they proceeded down the hall together, making their way towards the stairs. After reaching the roof, Gar shifted into the form of an abnormally sized harpy eagle. He spread his wings and lowered his body, offering Blackfire a place upon his back.

"Your chariot awaits, lady of the gold and ebony."

Wearing an indulgent smile, she lifted herself into the air and settled on the broad back of the golden-feathered creature. She lay along his back, her arms attempting to encircle his neck, before he spread his impressive wings and took to the air. It was unnecessary and, in truth, would have been easier to have her provide the transport, but he figured it was an appropriate gesture to start their evening. Catching a thermal, he sailed into the sky, rising into the darkening sky. Lights flickered on in the city beneath them, and Gar circled above it, giving both of them the chance to admire the glittering spires and shorter buildings. From their vantage point in the sky, the city seemed devoid of any of its typical fervor. Traveling lights indicated vehicles but without the shrieking of horns or insults being hurled from open windows, it seemed a vastly more serene procession. They admired the peace for a moment longer, but then Gar tucked his wings and dropped into a dive, drawing a surprised cry from Blackfire.

He dipped over a road, eliciting the excited cries from children who pushed to the windows as well as a several cheers from their older fans. Sitting up, Blackfire launched a series of energy bursts into the sky, shedding violet light over the scene before it faded away. More cheers filled the air along with scattered applause as she lowered herself against his back once again, chuckling and obviously pleased with herself. Gar ducked down a street, exciting civilians on the sidewalk and in their cars alike with his passage before he finally found the location he had been searching for. Spreading his wings, he rose as he braked in the air and Blackfire hopped from his back, floating to the ground as he shifted to his natural shape and landed on the sidewalk. As he stood, Blackfire caught his arm in hers again and he flashed a broad grin at her as they proceeded down the sidewalk, drawing the stares, and lenses, of others to them. Strangely accepting of the pictures being taken of them, she permitted her head to rest on his shoulder as they walked.

"You're in a good mood," he observed.

"Hmm," she acknowledged with a shrug, not lifting her head. "This is our first real date."

"'Real date?'"

"Out in public. Amongst the civilians. Not just around the children or others who enjoy running about in colored underwear and armor," she elaborated.

"That can't be true. Didn't we – No. Wait a sec. What about that time we went to -"

"That was to stop those feral children from attacking the others."

"Oh. Um. What about -"

"Bank robbers."

"Okay then. How about -"

"That was a grocery run," she said before lifting her eyes to meet his. "Which resulted in us battling those strange men in black pajamas."

"Yeah, you'd honestly think that a team of ninjas would be way more effective than that," he mused before pausing. He smiled as he looked up at the short building, and then glanced towards his girlfriend and announced, "We're here."

She looked at the sign picturing a sprinkled donut with eyes, arms, and legs. The hole in its center was curved, hinting at a smile and words proclaiming 'HOLE IN ONE' in rather childish lettering emerged from its mouth.

"Donuts?" she smirked and looked back to him.

"They just reopened. And since you and I both know the value of donuts, I thought it seemed like a good idea," he explained as he opened the door for her, sweeping into a low bow at her passage.

A vague sense of recognition hit her and as she glanced at glossy seated booths, snippets of memory flashed through her mind. Unfortunate thugs, delivering a highly satisfying blow, and the sweet taste of powdered sugar and jelly. Her eyes grew wide as she turned to face Gar and she recognized, "This is where we first worked together. We stopped those cretins."

"Yep," he shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels, his expression smug. "They figured that they might as well renovate while they were closed down for repairs. Like I said, they reopened just the other day, and I thought it would be nice for us to pay a visit."

"Surprisingly, you were right," she leaned in to kiss his cheek and then tugged him towards the counter where the teenaged cashier gaped at them. Gar coughed into his hand and the boy jumped.

"S-s-sorry, Mr. Changeling," he stuttered in his excitement.

"You see that? Mister Changeling. Guy knows how to show some respect," he teased his date. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest as he chuckled and looked at the array of donuts. "Anything in particular that you want?"

Pursing her lips, she gazed at the racks, considering her options before frowning, "I'm afraid a lack your expertise in this area. You go ahead and pick something out."

"Okay," he nodded. "Two of everything."

"W-what?"

"Two of everything, kid," he repeated, reaching into the pocket of his cargo shorts to retrieve his wallet, flicking out his card.

A few minutes later, the couple was seated at a booth, a pyramid of donuts stacked in upon the table. After sharing an eager glance, they began to dig in, feeding each other or otherwise hoarding a particular kind of donut for themselves, jealously guarding it until it was traded for small kisses and similar signs of affection. Gar all too willingly handed over the maple bacon donuts and Blackfire accepted them eagerly, biting into them with relish, and then leaning forward for a kiss, teasing him. In return, her shoved a jelly donut towards her mouth, spreading powdered sugar over much of her face. She bit into it and grabbed it from his hands, lowering it to reveal the crimson jelly sliding down her chin. Leaning in, he licked away the jelly and then captured her lips, tasting the sugar spread upon them. After the broke away, she offered him the donut she had taken a bite from and he unhinged his jaw, swallowing it whole and suckling on her fingertips. Behind the counter, the youth watched their exchange in awe and a certain amount of desire, licking his dry lips at some of their saucier antics.

They were eventually pushed from the store as closing hours descended and after stuffing the remnants of their 'meal' into bags provided by the employee, they took to the streets. Even with the crowds on the sidewalk significantly thinned, they sought privacy ducking down an alley. They traveled down darkened streets, still feasting on their donuts and laughing.

"I'll admit, I almost felt sorry for that poor boy. I thought his heart was going to burst," Blackfire recalled fondly.

"His heart? What about his eyes? They were about to pop out of his sockets," Gar added. "He could put an aye-aye to shame."

Leaning against each other, they shook with mirth and stumbled down the back roads, oblivious to the shadows closing in on them. When a trio suddenly barred their path, they were surprised by the demand of the central figure, "Hand over whatever you got, and we won't have to get rough."

Holding back a chuckle as four more closed in on the other side, Gar asked, "Excuse me?"

"Just work with us, pal, and maybe we won't show your girl what real men are like," he threatened.

"I'm sorry. Did I hear him right?" Blackfire demanded. "He thinks he can show me what a real man is like? This whelp?"

"For what it's worth, oh ravishing one, I'm fairly certain they have absolutely no clue as to who we are. I didn't think it was that dark out," Gar mused.

"Hey!"

They looked forward again to see that the leader of the gang had drawn a handgun on them. Gar sighed, "Yep, they definitely have no idea who we are."

"Then allow me to educate them," she sneered as bolts of energy surrounded her fists, lighting the dark alleyway and revealing the pair of heroes.

"Oh, shi-"

The expletive was cut off by an energy infused strike that sent the hoodlum sailing through the air and crashing into a dumpster before slumping to the ground. His fellow muggers gaped after him as he lay motionless, and then they were rather abruptly reminded of the beast in their midst when a pachycephalosaurus slammed into another of their number before it was replaced by a gorilla. It flung the dazed gangster into his companion as Blackfire turned, blasting two more off their feet. One managed to fire a shot at her, which she managed to dodge, but it was enough to cause Gar to roar and swing a fist, bigger than the man's head, into the offender's chest, nearly sending him through the wall of the adjacent building. They rounded upon the final of the number whose body had been overtaken by a visible tremor as he glanced between the advancing pair. Twisting back into his natural form, Gar stretched his jaw as his mouth populated with rows of shark-like teeth, and he offered up a particularly offsetting smile.

"What do you wanna do with the last little loser, my glorious vision?"

"Hmm," she tilted her head as they circled about the obvious youth, barely a teenager. Bolts of energy danced on her fingertips and he edged away from the heat as she brought them close to his face. "Well, he was looking at me with those dirty, dirty eyes. Maybe we should burn them out."

A forked tongue slipped through Gar's fangs as he whined, "Ah, but the eyes are my favorite part. Besides, with what he was thinking about doing to you, I'm sure that there's something far more . . . appropriate for you to burn off."

"Puh-puh-please," he sobbed.

"He's begging," she observed.

"If he starts crying, you can go ahead and burn out the eyes," Gar grumbled. "They ruin the taste."

"N-no. I-I'm s-s-s-sorry."

Gar paused, "You know, I think he's being serious."

"I do believe that you're right. What should we do about that?"

Darting forward, Gar seized the boy by the collar of his shirt, drinking in his scent before tossing him to the ground. He pedaled backwards, gazing up in terror at the shape shifter who growled, "I got your scent, kid. If I smell you anywhere even near a crime scene, I will hunt you down and make everything we just talked about a fate you would dream of. Clear enough for you?"

"Y-y-yeah. Crystal," he nodded fervently.

A violet bolt of energy struck the ground between his legs, disconcertingly close to his groin as Blackfire stared down at him and commanded, "Then disperse, vermin."

Scrambling to his feet, he raced down the streets, quickly disappearing. As soon as he was out of sight, Blackfire turned upon Gar, lifting him into the wall and smashing her lips against his. Her tongue delved into his mouth and his joined in a fierce struggle as her hands ran all over his body, the heat roaring from her banishing any chill the night brought. As she parted, letting Gar catch his breath, he struggled to do so but asked, "Not that I'm complaining, far from it actually, but what was that?"

Giving a sultry smile, she traced his collarbone with her finger and nibbled on his ear before answering, "Even if it was a ploy, hearing you talk like that sets me all . . . aflutter."

"Well, I can't go leaving you like that," he grinned.

"Definitely not."

"Are sure you don't mind cutting our date short? And what about the donuts?"

Glancing at the bags of pastries that had somehow managed to survive the short battle, she smiled, "I'm sure we can find some kind of use for them."


We promise that this is just a short break from the constant action of the 'Middle of NOWHERE' arc. Next chapter will be all about Ethan and company fighting for their lives. Regardless, we hope you all enjoyed this as well as Gar and Blackfire's 'first real date.'

Anyway, we were going to post this tomorrow, but Iron Man 3 is playing and it's Free Comic Book Day on Saturday, so we cranked it out tonight. Everybody, have a great weekend, and if you enjoy the story, or even if you hate it, review. REVIEW!

I Be Sporks: We imagine the 'update song' would sound somewhat similar to the 'Mail Call' song from Blue's Clues. And Bam's real name is William Boone. 'Bam' is just a nickname. We're glad that you like Styler. He's a fun guy. Duela wasn't going to be sticking around. But she meshed with the team so nicely, we felt, and it's fun coming up with all her ids. She might start spanning into villains beyond Batman's rogues gallery. Superbia is working on a book that, when published, will be titled 'Those Who Hunt Monsters.'