Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters end up in. Everything else belongs to someone else, and that's the way of it.

The Situation We're In

The fact that Barsad's expression suggested the beta thought Blake was perfectly capable of carrying out his threat made Blake feel a little better. But not by much since he was still fucked. What the hell was he supposed to do now? How was he going to get through to Bane? What was he going to do if he did end up pregnant? Would it be kinder to find a way to abort the child rather than doom it to the life of a Pet? Could he do that? He was pro-choice because no one had the right to tell you what to do with your own body but for himself…and would it even be necessary? Bane would take care of them, he knew that. Bane's devotion to his little psychopath made that clear. So as long as Bane was alive-but then there was Talia, duh. She'd kill them before she'd risk any child of Bane's taking her place in his heart. Right? Blake was pretty sure he was right.

And fuck, forget that for a moment. What he should really be worried about right now was being an unclaimed omega in this fucking place. And what would happen if he wasn't allowed to leave during his heats. Because the other alphas that called this place home would come after him, Bane or no Bane. Bane might think that their fear and respect for him would keep them in line but Blake knew better. Had seen what happened when alphas went into heat. How very stupid and basic they could be. And how much stupider they got when there was an omega in heat in the mix.

And speaking of stupid alphas, his was giving him a look that would have been sexy as hell if Blake wasn't pretty sure the man was imagining him pregnant. He got that that was a turn on for alphas, imagining the omegas around them pregnant by them as proof of their virility, but in this case Bane needed to get a clue. A big one. Because if he thought Blake was hard to manage and understand now he had-oh.

God he was an idiot sometimes.

"Bane? You with me for a minute?" Blake stroked what skin there was to touch in the hopes of securing the idiot's full attention.

And after a couple heartbeats Bane did seem to be giving him his full attention.

"You know how manipulative I've been? How much I've messed with your life already? Well if you think I'm a problem now you have NO fucking CLUE how much worse it's going to get if I turn into an omega again. I will not only ruin your life, I will fuck with the lives of EVERY unmated alpha here. Or you could let me stay as a beta, still get the awesome sex, BUT I will be so much easier to live with. Hell, right now over half of my manipulative powers are probably due to my meds wearing off. "

Staring into Bane's eyes, Blake had a bad feeling that Bane was smirking or at least smiling at him from behind his mask.

"Boy, you can go. I will send someone to get you if you're needed to watch him for me. Barsad, if I am needed I will be in my room with my omega. He and I have much to discuss it seems."

Oh joy. From Pet to omega. How he loved being referred to as a thing instead of a person.

"I'll be in my room with Father if you need to find me." Simon offered.

Bane didn't care where Simon was going to be though, and Blake just barely contained his instinctive sound of approval when Bane's hand was suddenly gripping the back of his neck in a possessive grip meant to convey ownership.

"Our rooms. Now."

Shooting Simon a look of goodbye Blake fell into line and allowed himself to be steered in the direction of their rooms without protest. At least the walk gave him time to try and come up with a new line of attack since he was currently getting the silent treatment. Or more likely Bane was doing some plotting and planning of his own. Which was just great. Not.

The problem was he'd already laid out his best arguments for allowing him to stay on Umbra and Bane had dismissed them. Or at least ignored them in favor of imagining all the fun he'd have knocking him up in the future. Blake was pretty sure that Barsad would have more luck arguing with Bane if given the chance, but he couldn't count on Bane not shooting his second down every time Barsad tried to make him realize that Bane's head was so far up his ass that it was a wonder the idiot didn't choke on himself every time he tried to talk.

Okay. Time to think about worst case scenario. Short term anyway.

So if he was allowed to revert back to an omega he would go into heat. Barsad had stated that he'd arrange for his removal from the compound so that he wouldn't drive the other alphas in the place nuts. There was every reason to believe that Bane would support that idea at least. So he went into heat and Bane spent at least a day fucking that out of him. Then he'd be back at the compound and the alphas would be interested in fucking him but would, unless they were in heat, be smart enough to know that putting hands on him would end with them being very dead. Blake prided himself on how amazing he was in the sack but not even sex with him was worth dying for. So he'd stay away from Bane's men as much as possible and never go out alone. Not that Simon would be much of a deterrent, dammit.

Presuming that he stayed alive his next obvious immediate worry was getting knocked up. Something that he was like ninety percent sure couldn't happen during this coming heat even though that was generally when omegas were most fertile. He'd fucked with his own system too much for there not to be consequences at this point. His chances of getting pregnant had to be a lot lower than most male omegas. Hell, he could be infertile even if he did become an omega again.

Ah. Excellent. Another point to bring up with Bane. He'd ask to be examined by a doctor to determine whether or not he could even have children this late in the Umbra exposed game. If he couldn't then there was no reason for Bane to find the idea of him as an omega attractive. And even if he could get knocked up…well it was better to know one way or another.

Ugh. How was this even his fucking life?

"How the fuck do I even get myself into these situations." Blake muttered to himself, too pissed off at the world in general to care who might be listening. "How is this now my life? A little over a week ago my life was-well better than being a fucking Pet, that's for sure. I had the job I wanted, a decent social life, and enough money in the bank to keep a fucking roof over my head and food in my belly. And okay maybe I wasn't getting laid as often as I am now, but other than that it was the bomb compared to this. I would fucking kill a man for a Coke and some pizza right now."

Even through his tin can Bane's tone was amused as he stated that no, he wouldn't.

"Don't contradict me. You don't know me. You know 'almost a fucking omega' me. This is not me. I am so much more badass than this. I am Barsad level badassness on a good beta day for your fucking information. The last dose I took had much have been fucking defective. It shouldn't wear off this quickly." Blake scowled up at Bane and then growled. "That and you. You just had to be fucking you, didn't you?"

Bane's eyes communicated that he had no idea what Blake meant.

"You. All of this." Blake gestured at Bane from head to toe for emphasis. "If you weren't the epitaph of alpha hotness my hormones wouldn't be nearly this bad. I probably would have figured out a hundred ways to get out of this mess already if my stupid omega brain wasn't so busy screaming 'Take me, I'm yours' and 'I want to have you babies'. Which I don't. Dammit! I don't! No babies! Argh! Stupid fucking hormones!"

The sound Bane made behind his mask had Blake demanding to know if he'd just LAUGHED at him.

"Your behavior amuses me."

"Oh, well, of course I am. See who's laughing when your men slaughter you when they find out you're the only thing standing between them and my fine ass. My last words to you will be that I fucking told you so."

"You have a high opinion of your appeal."

Blake snorted. "Please. I've been making alphas pant after me like they're the omegas in heat while I presented as a BETA. I will be fucking irresistible as an omega."

"And you will be mine."

"Until you die." Blake showed all his teeth in a feral smile. "Which might happen sooner than you think."

The squeeze Bane gave his neck was probably meant as a warning, but it felt good so Blake just kept smiling in what he hoped was a seriously unnerving way. Or at least that's what he was going for.

)

Meanwhile

"Just to confirm, I am right to assume that there are only two other people besides you who could talk him into getting Blake back on Umbra, yes? And that those two other people would be your broken leader and his psychopathic daughter, which means there's no chance in hell that this situation can be made better instead of worse?" Kei's tone was matter of fact as he looked at Barsad like the world as they knew it hadn't just imploded in their faces.

"Yes. And watch how you speak of the al Ghuls."

"Why? I'm going to die even sooner than I thought. My father might even outlive me depending on whether or not Bane allows you to remove the two of them from the compound while John's in heat."

It was hard to argue with that, but still Barsad stated that how he died was still undecided.

"Well it's not going to be a nice death regardless. Either I'll be torn apart by hormonal idiots who can't keep it in their pants or al Ghul will hand me over to his daughter to punish and then kill. I'd rather be torn apart if you have any control over the method of my death."

"You'd rather be torn apart?" Barsad repeated, though in all honesty he'd rather die in battle than at Talia's hand as well.

"She might rape me first, since she has that mentality. I've never been raped, but I knew kids who were. And I've been beaten pretty badly, so between the two I know which is worse."

Barsad wasn't sure what expression he was wearing, but whatever it was had Kei elaborating.

"Rape is about power. About taking something against the will of another and using that to pleasure yourself while hurting your victim. She has sex with League members because it gives her power over them all the time. It makes them easier to manipulate and control. Some sleep with her because it better than being on her bad side which is a sort of rape, isn't it? She'll make me pay for telling her no once my father's dead if she can. I'd rather be dead though. She's ugly."

He preferred men, but he knew Talia was very attractive. But that wasn't the ugliness Kei was talking about. And the boy wasn't wrong either.

"I'll do my best to keep you out of her hands."

"Thank you."

A short pause.

"I'm going to return to my rooms now. If you come up with a way to keep us all alive that requires my assistance in some way let me know. I'll consider it."

Barsad knew that he should let the boy leave and turn his attention to trying to figure out how to get through this latest fuck up with as little bloodshed as possible, but he really didn't want to. They were fucked and all probably going to die before this was settled like Blake and Kei thought. So best to enjoy life while he was alive to live it.

And settle his own curiosity by asking how long Kei had known what Blake actually was.

"We shared a room. Of course I figured out right away what he was. It was obvious. I'm not THAT much of a failure as an alpha."

Considering Blake had fooled ever other alpha in the compound that wasn't exactly fair in Barsad's opinion. Even though he was feeling like a dumbass for not realizing what his gut had been trying to tell him for days now.

"You don't think I'm smart enough to have figured it out."

"I didn't say that."

"No. But a lot of people think I'm stupid."

Barsad made sure to hold Kei's gaze as he stated that he didn't think that Kei was stupid.

"That's too bad."

He was never going to understand this man. "Why is that too bad?"

Kei's bright, almost impish smile was as shocking as his earlier statement.

"I get away with more when people think I'm stupid."

Barsad had no choice but to laugh at that.

)

When Bane let go of his neck Blake actually missed it, which was just more proof to his way of thinking of how fucked up his thinking was. Which was why he was tempted to balk when Bane opened the door to their rooms and gestured for him to step in ahead of him. A stupid idea, which was why he did as bided rather than be picked up and carried into the room, but Blake hated even the idea of someone looking at him and seeing an omega. Or an omega stereotype he should say. He wasn't ashamed of his birth designation after all. He just hated what his designation had been reduced to. How they were looked down upon by everyone just because of their biology. How no one seemed to think they were capable of doing anything but breed and raise children. Too emotional. Too hormonal and prone to weakness both mentally and physically.

And fuck anyone who thought that sincerely. Let an alpha go through hours of labor and see who the sissy was.

Whirling around once he was inside the room Blake set his feet and prepared to tear Bane to verbal shreds the moment anything like that crossed the alpha's lips.

But Bane just stood there, staring at him.

Had he gone into shock again?

Maybe he should poke him.

Taking a step forward with that intention, both out of concern and because he felt like poking the idiot for denying him his drugs, Blake didn't take another step as it was his turn to go still with shock. Because Bane's arms were moving and the man was…taking off his mask?

"Bane?"

But Bane didn't answer him, the alpha removing his mask and then tossing it in the direction of the bed. And he hit his mark, Blake noted as he twisted around to see it land in the middle of the spread. That was sorta impressive. Not that he couldn't do the same, he could, but it wasn't like baseball was something Bane had likely ever played in his life. Though if he had Blake was pretty sure that-

Instinct had him twisting back around to face Bane, sensing the alpha's sudden closeness as Bane stepped into his personal space in a big way. They were almost chest to chest and Bane's face was uncovered and he obviously wasn't hurt so what the fuck?

Confusion and the knowledge that fighting the man's grip wouldn't end well for him kept Blake still as Bane's hands came up to grab his hips. And then he was being yanked against Bane's chest and lifted up a little as Bane buried his face against Blake's throat.

Oh. Alphas.

Rolling his eyes as he was scented, Blake stared at the wall visible over Bane's shoulder. He had no idea what his scent was telling Bane, it wasn't like he sniffed himself regularly, but the happy growl sounds Bane was making in the back of his throat suggested that Bane liked what he was smelling. So the Umbra wasn't doing its job there either, suggesting there wasn't more than traces of it left in his system at this point. Though at least he wasn't giving off heat scents yet.

If he was all the alphas in the compound would have noticed and come sniffing for him.

"You really aren't going to listen to reason about this, are you?"

Lifting his head Bane allowed Blake to stand on his own two feet again, though he kept a tight, almost bruising grip on Blake's hips to keep him right where he was. Pressed up against Bane's chest with absolutely no chance of getting free until Bane was good and ready to turn him loose.

"You are an omega. I will not allow you to corrupt your body any longer."

"Dude. I will corrupt the fuck out of both our bodies if I turn omega."

Bane responded with a dark look that was more sexy than anything else given that Bane's mask wasn't in the way to hide his mouth.

"No swearing."

"Yeah…that's like asking me not to breathe. Especially when you're about to do something this stupid. Bane. We are going to end up dead if you do this. And not good deaths either. And if there's a life after this, I will dedicate myself to making you fucking miserable for all eternity."

Bane didn't look worried.

Moron.