Barry opened his eyes into another dimension. He couldn't control where he ended up so he only did it when stress was high or if he had extra time. He usually ended up back home after each dimension, so he would be able to make it back.
Right now Barry was standing in the middle of Times Square, New York. Even at midnight, it was crowded and lit with many commercials and ads. A guy about Barry's age tapped his wrist.
"Are you lost?" Barry was knocked out of his stupor.
"No, just looking around. This is the first time I've been in the city."
"If you don't have anywhere to stay, you could come over to my place."
"Sure, as long as you're not one of those creepy kidnappers."
"Do I look like a kidnapper?"
"Is there a kidnapper dress code?" They laughed and once they had control of themselves, shook hands.
"I'm Max Connors, lived in Queens all my life. Moved to Manhattan to spice things up. I'm also a beta, raised by omegas."
"What's a beta, or an omega?"
"You don't know? Okay, I'll explain that once we get to my apartment." They started walking for one of the residential roads. It was dark and silent, adding to the whole creepy atmosphere.
"I'm Barry Allen. I came from Ohio and... I just wanted a taste of the city life." Max fumbled with his keys before opening the door. The apartment was done in a homey warmth way.
"Your home is really nice! It feels so welcoming."
"I try. Now, we're going to have to have this conversation one time or the other." They sat down on opposing sofas separated by a coffee table.
"What's this whole omega and beta thing?"
"Okay, first of all there're omegas, betas, and alphas. Betas are 50% of the population while omegas and alphas split the other 50% equally between themselves. The betas are kind of neutral in all this, they don't have a nice sense of smell, or at least, we don't have enhanced noses like alphas or omegas so we just ignore it. We also don't have ruts or heats like alphas and omegas do."
"What's a rut and heat?"
"A rut is a week during each month that alphas are in need of releasing... sexual tension. Heats are the same thing but for omegas."
"You mean, they go crazy for sex."
"Yeah. Alphas have literally jumped off buildings during their ruts. It's like a part of their brain is shut off, the common sense part. Omegas near an alpha in a rut and alphas near an omega in heat usually also have that part of their brain shut off. They'll just jump their bones as soon as possible. They usually solve it with their omega but if they don't have one, they have to writhe around in pain for a few hours each day for a week."
"Sounds harsh."
"Well, there are suppressants but they aren't healthy to use for long periods of time. There are also these wrist band kind of things that are called scent blockers. They can't block a heat or rut but they are able to mask a regular scent for about two days."
"Okay, at least there's that."
"Moving on, there are some characteristics of omegas and alphas. Alphas tend to be more rambunctious, using brute strength to solve their problems. They're easier to get under the skin of and are way protective of pack members, but especially the omegas of the snarl and hiss. Also they can make this sort of rumble. One is for mates and the other, milder version is for pups. That's what we usually call kids. Also the Pack Omega is the only one who can kick out a Pack Alpha from the sleeping quarters."
"So this whole thing is kind of like a wolf pack."
"Yeah, the Avengers are one of the most famous packs. Captain America is the Pack Alpha, along with the Winter Soldier, but Steve Rogers is usually in charge. Then Tony Stark is the Pack Omega. He's the only omega, the rest are betas and alphas."
"Yeah, you haven't exactly explained why that is."
"Alphas, as I told you are more aggressive while omegas are the opposite. They make purrs when they're happy and content and tend to be more on the lean side whereas the alphas are big and bulky. Omegas are better at dancing, artistry, running and singing. No seriously, they're REALLY good at singing for some reason. The reason omegas are bullied so much is because they tend to be more submissive and meek. They can't stand up for themselves at all. They also emit a stronger scent than others and get... taken advantage of a lot when they aren't using their scent blockers. You could be walking down the street for 5 min without your scent blockers and everyone in a 2 mile radius will be able to smell you. They're also way sweeter than alphas or even betas and are soft. Also, they have severe OCD. It practically physically hurts their brain to see a mess around. They're more on the adorable side than dark, tall, and scary."
"It sounds like it's nice to be an omega, as long as you can stand up for yourself."
"That's the problem, they can't. They have no fighting skill, muscle or strength. They're too soft for the battlefield. That's why everyone always races over when Iron Man crashes. That's why he's more of a sciencey person and has a huge suit of armor. Hence, why no other omegas are on the team."
"Okay, so is there anything special about the betas?"
"No, they're mostly left alone to fend for themselves. There's no prejudice against them like the omegas but they're not the top of the food chain like the alphas. We just kind of... exist."
"How do you know what type you are?"
"There's a letter that comes in the mail, it's called presenting. It tells you what you are, a few days before your first heat or rut which is always the worst one. Betas are lucky. They don't have any of that. They just go on with normal life."
"Okay, so what am I?" Max moved over to the couch near Barry and leaned in towards him.
"Are you SNIFFING me right now?"
"Yes, I'm a beta. I have a bad sense of smell, I need to get closer to actually tell."
"Isn't there a better way to do this?"
"No, not if you want to wait another week."
"Fine, invade my private space." Max snickered and leaned back.
"As far as I can tell, you're an omega. You know how to defend yourself?"
"Oh right! I forgot to tell you, I'm from another dimension, that's why I don't know anything about these betas, omegas, and alphas."
"Out of all the people I had to pick up, I picked up a frikkin time traveler."
"Not a time traveler. Wait, you believe me? Usually I have to show off before anyone believes."
"Barry, this is New York. We've had three alien invasions and two near Armageddons in the last 10 years. I'm not even fazed anymore."
"Also, I'm a speedster."
"A speedster?"
"I can run faster than the speed of light, way faster. I usually used my skills to stop missiles, alien invasions, you name it. I'm also one of the founding members of the Justice League in my dimension."
"Okay, I might need some time to process this. But that does mean that you can at least defend yourself. I'll go get you some scent blockers."
"You don't need to-"
"But I'm going to. Sit tight." Barry fidgeted while Max rummaged around for some scent blockers. Max came back with some things that covered his wrists. Barry slid them on.
"So I'm just supposed to get used to wearing these?"
"Yeah, I don't wear them because people usually leave me alone, but I had a few extra from the last time someone needed some. You can stay in the guest room right now."
"Thank you so much for this. If it wasn't for you, I would probably still be wandering around Times Square."
"No problem. Now head on to your room, I'm sure dimensional travel is exhausting."
"Thank you, seriously." said Barry as he headed to an unmarked door. The others had little pictures while his didn't. He opened it up to an impersonal room with a dresser, attached bathroom, and bed. He collapsed on the bed and immediately fell asleep. Max also went to sleep a little while after.
Barry was woken by bright sunlight streaming in through the window. He got up and cleaned himself up. Then he started on breakfast. Max was woken by the strong aromas of bacon, eggs, and coffee. He rubbed at his eyes blearily before realizing what the smell was. He cleaned himself up before heading to the kitchen where Barry was cooking up a storm.
"Hey sleepyhead. Nice of you to join the land of the living."
"What? You didn't have to do this."
"Sure I did. I'm just returning the favor. You let me stay here, and I'll do the chores. What is your job anyway? Shouldn't you be going?"
"Nah. It's summer break and I'm a math teacher at the Marley Rose school. I'm stuck at home for another month and a half."
"It must be nice having off time. Being a superhero and handling my own job is a hassle on its own, not to mention that everyone thinks of me as the most approachable founding member so I get more work from there and I have duties as a founding member as well. Sometimes I take jobs from the others for free or handle their cities for a while. The dimension and time travel thing is just for fun though, unless something serious happens. Then it's first priority."
"You sound way overworked. And to think I was complaining about taking care of twenty or so children." They grinned while Max digged in.
"Aren't you going to eat?"
"Nah, I already had my breakfast. Most people find it weird because I have a high metabolism. Like 10,000 calories a day high."
"How do you even pay your food bill?"
"I'm a secret billionare."
"WHAT?"
"Hey, no shouting in the library. How else did you think I was gonna pay a million a month? I've been a speedster for about 7 years."
"Oh my god. That's more money than I'll ever make in my life."
"I'll send you a billion in your bank account once I go back."
"You don't have to do that-"
"But I want to. And I always get what I want. Now, what are we going to do for the rest of the day?"
"Wanna take a walk? I've just been holed up in my house for the past two weeks."
"Sure. Let's go." They went out for a leisurely stroll. An hour later, Max and Barry were taking pictures with Elmo who ended up smelling Barry's sweet scent and Barry had to knock him unconscious and buying stupid little souvenirs with Barry's seemingly unlimited amount of money. They ended up back at Max's house after a few more hours, immediately collapsing into the hanging sofa in the living room.
"Well, that was fun."
"Yeah, let's do it again sometime."
"What time is it?"
"Uh, 3:42. Why?"
"I still have to look around for whatever it is that I was drawn here to do. I usually stay a week in a world."
"Okay, let's get some rest and a shower, then get started on that." An hour later Max was sitting at home while Barry decided he wanted to go explore on his own.
"Now what do we have here?" A man grabbed Barry's wrist after tugging him into an alleyway. He yanked off the scent blocker, immediately smelling the sweet citrus smell mixed with a crackle of electricity.
"An Omega..." He leaned closer while Barry, for some reason was frozen, cowering against a wall, unable to move. A flash of red and blue jumped down and threw the man away, who landed unconscious.
"Are you okay?" asked Spider-Man.
"Y-yeah. I think so. Who're you?"
"I'm just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. You've never heard of me?"
"Nope. This is my first day in this dimension."
"Did you just say 'dimension'?"
"Yeah, usually I'm the one saving people from getting raped, not getting it myself. Now I see why everyone just goes frozen when faced with those guys." Spider-Man even through the mask could smell the overwhelming fear receding, replaced with the normal calm.
"I'm pretty sure that means you're going to want to see Mr. Stark. Put on your scent blocker and I'll get us there."
"Where? Avengers Tower?"
"Yeah?"
"I'll get us there. I can confirm that unless you're a speedster, you're never going to beat me in a race."
"I'm fast."
"Not as fast as I am. Hold on!" Barry shielded Peter from harm while he raced towards the tall steel tower with a A on it Max had pointed out a while ago. They arrived at the doors of the lobby in a blink.
"Woah! You have to do that again." Peter and Barry walked through the metal detector with no problem except for the ring Barry was wearing which got passed to them at the end of the inspection. The ring was yellow with a white center and a lightning bolt insignia.
"What's with the ring?"
"It has my suit in it, micro-technology." The guard who had inspected it's head snapped towards them. He didn't realize that Barry was also a hero. It was pretty hard to tell if someone was unless they shared their secret identity or they were actually wearing the suit like Peter was.
"Cool, I have to actually change into the costume every time."
"Maybe I can get you a ring too." They walked into the private elevator which took them to the Avengers Common Room, basically the living room. Loki was sitting in the corner reading while Sam and Bucky were trying to cook.
"I don't get this! How can it be so hard to just make this!"
"Seeing the instructions and cooking are two different things Bucky. You're going to have to actually follow them though, if you want something edible."
"This looks way more domestic than I'd have guessed." said Barry, attracting the attention to the newcomers.
"Who's this?"
"Oh right. You never really introduced yourself, did you."
"I'm Barry Allen, from another dimension. Peter saved me from something I could have totally stopped on my own, even if he hadn't been there."
"No, he couldn't. Wait..."
"How do you know his secret identity!"
"Dude, didn't I just tell you, I travel through different dimensions. I obviously met at least one version who never kept his identity a secret!"
"Oh, well. Welcome. What are you doing in our dimension?"
"Well, I have some kind of mission I'm supposed to solve in each dimension, to get it back on track. Problem is, I don't know what it could be."
"Any ideas?"
"Well, it could have something to do with this whole alpha/omega/beta thing you have going on here."
"You mean that doesn't exist in other dimensions?"
"No, this is actually the first dimension I've even heard of it."
"Which are you anyway? Did you ask someone to tell?"
"Apparently I'm an omega. I've also found that it's apparently very weird to stand up for yourself if you are one. What's up with that?"
"Well, you see..."
Bucky continued. "Omegas tend to be more submissive than regular betas or alphas. If they hear an order from someone, they'll follow it, no matter who it's from, a villain or hero which is why we don't encourage omegas to become heroes. It's really hard for them to gain muscle, only through enhancements like Tony's Extremis or Peter's bite. Tony used to be able to pass off as beta but it came out as the truth later on. Peter's still supposedly a beta though, so don't say anything about it."
Barry hmphed. "I can stand up for myself."
"You sure about that? Meet me in the training room." said Bucky. Needless to say, Bucky was down in a minute, even without Barry using his speed.
"Okay, I guess you're not a typical Omega. You can stick around."
"Like that was even a question. Now, take me to your leader!" Peter grinned behind the mask which he soon took off.
He replied, "Tally ho!" They paraded down the hallway while Sam and Bucky stared at them like they were crazy. They soon made it to Tony.
"Tony! This is Barry, he's here from another dimension!"
"Really?" Barry speeded over to where Tony was.
"Yeah, I am. I'm supposed to help you with whatever problem you've got. I don't even know how long it'll be before I get the mission. There was suddenly a loud alarm and red lights.
"I guess that's it." Three armed men in black came through the skylight and pointed a gun straight at Tony's head. There was a loud bang and Peter was already lunging towards them but Barry simply caught the bullets and in normal time, they cascaded out of his hand. They were all shell-shocked which allowed Barry to knock them all unconscious.
"Okay, so that was my mission."
"And I am ever grateful." Sam and Bucky ran in with full tactical gear.
"What happened?"
"You're too late. Apparently his mission was just to stop Tony from dying."
"Yeah, I'll be leaving now."
"Bye!" they said as Barry shimmered and, in a crackle of electricity, dissapeared.
"Guys, are we sure he isn't one of those Twilight vampires?"
"Why would you think that?"
"He's shimmering, he had pointy canines, I found him in an alleyway..."
"Okay, MAYBE he's an omega vampire."
"He's an omega! And he just took out all those guys!"
"Yeah..."
"Oh my god, I need to run tests! Get him back here!"
"Well I mean it's too late already. He's gone."
"Get him back here or I will delete all the research you have from the internet Peter!" Peter rushed out only to find a distraught Max Connors.
"And that's the end, folks!" said Deadpool before jumping out the window before the Avengers could grab him.