21st of April 2011
I had forgotten all about it until I stepped out of the bathroom, fresh from a shower, and walked straight into Slade. Then it hit me, and I was glad that it was only the memory that did, and not the mercenary. He didn't look amused, though.
"You said eleven AM, Wynja," he growled.
"Yeah, sorry! I… gotta dress… errr.. go into the TV-room, okay? Where's Robin?"
"He'll be here shortly."
"Good… good… I'm expecting a few others too… err… which Slade are you, by the way?"
"Terms," the man answered.
"Fantastic! I was afraid that Peace Contract-Slade had intercepted the message…"
"You are still alive, aren't you?" the man smirked. "Are you saying you didn't invite him?" At my nod, the man nodded as well. "Good, that bastard creeps me out…"
I blinked, a bit surprised, but then shrugged.
"Mwaaah!" came a mewl from the floor.
"Bunny?" Slade said in surprise.
"No, that's my cat, Exit… Bunny is based on him."
"Right... I think Robin is bringing him, by the way."
"What? No! Damn, I really have to get dressed! Look out for Ramses, the big red cat, he's probably hidden somewhere so check before you sit down," I hurriedly said and locked myself in the bedroom.
When I got out, a few more people had arrived and a war had broken out between Exit and Bunny.
"Sorry, he really hates other cats," I tried to explain, while throwing the hissing and spitting Exit into the bedroom. Bunny, pretending he had won, then traipsed around like he owned the place until Ramses lumbered up to him and hit him over the nose.
I really couldn't pay any more attention to the cats, because the apartment was now full of not only Terms people, but the Black Sheep cast had just walked in as well.
"You know we are busy, right?" Black Sheep-Slade growled. "We are more or less in the middle of this thing…"
"Not to mention a certain wedding…" Black Sheep-Bruce muttered.
"That's right, let's not mention that," the mercenary smirked.
"Dad!" Rose exclaimed and hit the man's arm.
"Look, look, another me!" Speedy yelled and pointed at his Terms-alter ego.
"This is… quaint…" Shift said and looked around.
"It's great!" Flame grinned, arm in arm with his boyfriends. I was suddenly glad that I don't have a fish-tank any more.
"Okay, everybody, listen up!" I yelled and managed to, in the end, get everybody's attention. "This will get complicated quickly, and I know you want to mingle and stuff, so listen up! I'm going to call you by the first letter or letters of your universe, okay? So Terms-people you are T-Slade, T-Robin and so on, and Black Sheep people, you are… err… BS-Slade… and… okay, I know what that sounds like, but suck it up! Speedys, Reds, stop laughing!" At that point the doorbell rang and another wave of people came in, accompanied by the sound of babies crying.
"Oh, kitty-litter universe, wonderful!" I grinned, somewhat manically, "And… you… brought the babies…? Great…"
"What? Should we have left them at home? Are you insane?" KL-Robin snarled, his tail swishing.
"No, no… I… come in, come in… Oh, Bruce and Alfred too? Welcome."
"Thank you. Oh, this is weird…" KL-Bruce said and eyed BS-Bruce.
"I'd say… so… Robin had… kids?" BS-Bruce nodded and shook his own hand.
"Yes, I'm a grandfather. You?"
"About to get married. Meet my fiancée, this is Rose."
"Congratulations! How did you two meet?" KL-Bruce asked.
"Well… it's a long story. Rose is actually Slade's daughter," BS-Bruce began to explain.
"Really? Wow… and I thought I had a complicated relationship with the ba-the man," KL-Bruce shuddered.
"Mom? You're a real mom?" T-Red and T-Speedy asked the cat-boy and admired Dominic, who was strapped to Robin's chest in a baby-harness.
"That I am!" the cat grinned. "Red, Slade, come show our babies!"
The KL fathers came forward, Slade with Alexandra and Red X with Oliver in similar harnesses, both also weighed down with bags and bags of stuff. Probably mostly diapers.
"This is our first big trip , so I didn't know what to pack…" KL-Robin mumbled.
"Packed everything, it looks like…" Speedy grinned. "So… KL-Red… what's up with the hair?"
"Yeah, we wanna know that too…" A couple of voices said and two more Red X's came up to the group.
"Wait, who are you again?" I asked, trying to keep track.
"'Innocent Games'," the first one said and winked at T-Speedy and T-red. "I'm single, by the way…"
"'For Better or for Worse'", the second said. "Have anyone seen my cupcake? He's not too comfortable around Slades…"
"He's probably out on the balcony, then," I said. "So, why do you have a problem with KL-Red's hair?"
"It's not red!" one thief said.
"And his eyes aren't green!" another commented.
"Well, diversity is good!" I tried to defend the new father, as well as myself, of course.
"At least I get to sleep with Robin and Slade…" KL-Red grinned at T-Red, who muttered something about 'not fair'.
"Boys, boys, don't argue now!" I said. "I- oh, there's the door again… COME IN!"
"Honey, I'm home!" a female voice called out.
"Oh, thank god! It's my wife!" I sighed. "She'll help me bring some order here…"
"Err… your… wife?" T-Robin asked.
"Yeah, I didn't know you were… you know…" one of the Reds said.
"Right-handed?" I asked innocently. "Oh, you meant gay? Yeah, well… I'm not… a lot… but that doesn't matter, because we are very happily married online."
"Okay... so… the fact that she's here… and seems to be bringing bags of books?" T-Speedy asked.
"She's moving in," I explained.
"But… wouldn't that mean… you know…"
"Yeah, I know! I'll have a lot more books! And a Voldemort plushie!" I exclaimed happily. "It's gonna be so great!"
"Err… okay… You'll work something out…" T-Speedy shrugged.
"Wynja, give me a call, been there, done that…" Shield, who had a hand over his boyfriend's mouth so he couldn't say anything horrible about the babies, nodded. "I'm also a straight person with a gay partner… we can form a group or something…"
"Yeaaaahhh…" I mumbled, but then grabbed my wife and pulled her into the middle of things. "So this is Catriona! She's great to ask about canon-stuff, and she loves cats… especially Catwoman, perhaps, but…"
"Who doesn't?" BS-Speedy smirked. "That tight black leather-AARRGGG!"
"PURPLE! IT'S PURPLE YOU BASTARD!"
My wife had suddenly turned into a snarling blur of danger, which was, granted, rather interesting to see, but I didn't want to be one Speedy short.
"Slade, yes you, T-Slade, carry her into the kitchen until she calms down…" I sighed. "I actually spelled Catwoman's name wrong once and I still have emotional scars… Plus I did that picture of Slade where he's really fa- Okay, moving on! Forget I said anything!"
"Fire! Fire! Get the babies out!" KL-Robin suddenly yelled, fortunately distracting everyone's attention.
"That's just Flame, he's safe," BS-Speedy explained.
"You sure?" the cat-boy's ears were flat against his head, but when Flame let him touch the weird locks he calmed down.
More people were then in the hallway. A lot more people.
"It's the 2060-crowd," I announced. "Come in! Rebecca, could you go into the kitchen and talk to Catriona, please? Thank you! Hi Rose, William, Duncan! Hi Slade… Robin, you look… well…"
"I am…" Robin grinned smugly. "BRUCE!" he then exclaimed and threw himself into one of the Bruce's arms. "ALFRED!" he then went on and repeated the gesture. "SPEEDY! AQUALAD! I've missed you so much!"
"Did you miss me too?" T-Red smirked.
"Who are you?" 2060-Robin asked, puzzled.
"Red X!"
"RED X! I MISSED YOU TOO!" the teen exclaimed and gave the thief a hug as well. True, he had never seen Red's face in his own universe, but still…
"What's up, aren't we around in your universe?" T-Speedy asked, puzzled.
"Err…" I began. "Well… 2060 is a future-story, okay? So Robin was frozen and revived by Slade in the future, but you're… all dead…"
"What? Me too?" T-Red exclaimed.
"Yup," I nodded.
"And Speedy?" the thief continued.
"Yes.
"And… like… ALL the Titans?"
"YES."
"But not like… Batman, right?"
"All dead, sorry."
"But honey? Couldn't Catwoman-" a voice asked from the kitchen.
"NO! No they are ALL DEAD!" I yelled.
"YOU DON'T LOVE ME ANYMORE!" Catriona yelled back.
"Honey, we have guests! Could we please talk about this later?" I growled.
"Yeah, that marriage's going well…" A Red snickered. I hit him in the eye.
"Look! Babies!" Duncan exclaimed at this point and formed a cooing-group around the KL-family. Even kitty-Robin, who distrusted everyone apart from his immediate family right now, couldn't see any harm in the hazel-eyed man, and Duncan got to hold Dominic, while the new mother rummaged around a bag for fresh diapers.
"Where can we change him?" he asked.
"Bedroom," I pointed. "But for the love of god, put something down on the bed first!"
"I'll help! Catriona said, but she was just curious about the room , I bet…
Suddenly a new group of strangers walked in.
"Oh, look! It's Pri and Toya! They started the 'Wynja's Tiny Ducklings'-group on Deviant Art!" I explained to the crowd, who wondered about the sudden appearance of more women.
All of the Robin's shuddered at the mentions of ducklings.
"And this is Rainyhart, she's a contributor and she… oh, no you didn't? You didn't bring HIM!"
"He… was lonely…" Rainyhart tried to defend herself, arm in arm with a Slade. A very strange Slade. In a skirt.
"My name is Angelica!" the Slade said.
"No! You are Slade!" Rainyhart said sternly. "No cookies for you!"
"But… you can't bring him here, he's insane!" I groaned.
"I have a white hat!" the Slade claimed.
"Yes, but… come on!"
"He's Cleverbot! He's a computer program! I know we played around with him and probably confused him even more, but he should stay on Deviant Art!" I hissed.
"Robin is the boy wonder," Clever-bot-Slade claimed.
"Good! Good! See? He's learning!" Rainyhart exclaimed.
"Okay, okay… let him stay…" I muttered. "Just try to keep him out of the conversation."
"Please avoid Unicode," Clever-Bot-Slade said humbly.
"We'll help you…" Pri said. "Oh, can I try your Wii?"
"Sure, go ahead. Toya? Are you okay?"
"No…." KiRaToYa said, trembling rather badly.
"It's been like ten minutes since she seen TRON or Supernatural, so… withdrawals…" Rainyhart explained.
"Oh… Sorry… T-Slade, T-Robin, could you two please make out or something, to help her out?"
"We might be able to help…" 2060-Slade smirked.
"Over your dead body…" 2060-Robin snorted.
"So you are going to let a couple of weak, fluffy, pathetic copies of me and you do better?" the man asked.
"Excuse me?" T-Slade growled, tensing.
"Oh, please…" 2060-Slade smirked. "I agree it started out well, but then you actually married him! And you," he added to KL-Slade, "a family father? Drives a mini-van… Oh, I'm so scared…"
"At least we get laid…" T-Slade snorted.
"As do I, for your information…" 2060-Slade claimed.
"Yes, but that's only pity-sex…" 2060-Robin smirked. "Red, I know we just met, but I must say I like your hand on my ass… let's go discuss these things a bit more privatl-"
"You are not going anywhere, and if any of you as much as look at him funny, you are dead…" 2060-Slade snarled and got a good grip on his Robin.
"Yes…" T-Slade smirked and wound an arm around his Robin, "That's a secure and happy man, that… I'm glad I'm in my own universe, I must say…"
"Come on! Just look at the man's T-shirt!" 2060-Slade said and nodded at KL-Slade. "'Disney has nothing on my Princess'? What is that?"
"Not bad, I think I'll buy one of those, where did you get it?" BS-Slade smirked.
"Don't you dare!" BS-Robin hissed.
At this point I discovered that Exit had escaped from the bedroom when KL-Robin went in there to change Dominic, and he and Bunny had met up again. Amazingly, they seemed to have decided that they were, essentially, the same cat, and as Exit is extremely narcissistic, they couldn't possibly hate each other.
As I discovered this, the room had gone strangely quiet. The reason for this soon became clear. Robin was breastfeeding in my recliner.
"That is the weirdest and the hottest thing I've ever seen…" T-Red whispered to T-Speedy, who nodded.
"I want to be able to do that! I want a baby!" Duncan sniffled into William's chest.
"Speaking about killing people…" KL-Slade growled.
"Everyone ignore the nursing kitten!" I ordered. "Now, I should have prepared some snacks or something, but-"
"It's all taken care of, Miss Wynja," KL-Alfred, who had found both Black Sheep and Terms-Alfred, said, carrying a tray of glasses and little sandwiches.
"I love you all, you are angels!" I exclaimed.
Dominic was soon full and Robin handed him over to Duncan again, who would absolutely be hired as a babysitter if he had been in the right universe. Suddenly the cat-boy stiffened, however. His eyes went almost completely black, and the tip of his tail twitched wildly, as he crouched like he was ready to leap. I had no idea what the hell was going on, until I followed his line of vision.
"Oh, no, look out!" I yelled, but too late.
KL-Robin flew through the air, towards a pair of long, twitching, black ears.
Fortunately, there were quite a few Slade's in the room, and Bunny-Robin was saved. The Slade from his own universe was rather useless, however, as he first only stomped his feet wildly on the floor and then hid under a rug. On the other hand, Bunny Robin also hid under the rug, which soon started to move in a weird way.
"What the hell are they doing here, I thought they turned back!" I hissed and glared at my fellow friends and readers, who all looked very innocent.
I didn't have time to deal with them, because the phone rang.
"It's a Canadian number!" 2060-Robin called from the hallway, where the phone was.
"Don't answer!" I yelled, but too late.
"She says her name is Jayto!" he let me know.
"I'm not home!" I whispered, and gestured wildly.
"She's your beta, you can't do that!" Rainyhart snorted. "Did you do that to The Darkest Half too?"
"Might have. But I haven't edited the latest chapters she sent me yet!" I whined.
"She says she wants to talk to you about something sweet…" Robin told me.
"I'll call her back!" I promised, hoping I would have time to go through the chapters before then.
"Why isn't she here?" Toya asked.
"Working, couldn't get away," I explained.
"Partly our fault too…" BS-Robin shrugged and looked a little embarrassed.
"Yes, what have you two been up to, really?" BS-Bruce asked suspiciously.
"Errr... nothing!"
"I just have one question…" BS Rose said. "I'm confused. There's another Rose here, but she's not me!"
"Could have been one more if the Peace-Contract gang was here," I sighed. "It's just a name… there's a reason for it, but I can't tell you… it's sensitive…" I said and glanced at 2060-Slade, who was still holding onto his Robin. I noted that the teen didn't look quite so pissed anymore, but rather a bit… smug? I shook my head and decided that there was something seriously wrong with that couple.
"I don't want to freak anyone out, but there are a lot of ducks out there…" Robin hissed. It was the Innocent Game's-one I think, since he was dressed very… well, like a pole-dancing slut, really.
It was true. The lawn was dotted with little yellow rubber ducks in different get-ups.
"Yes, they are my readers! Aren't they wonderful! I think they just wanted a glimpse of you… can't you go out on the balcony and wave or something?" I suggested.
"No way in hell!" the Robins said.
"I don't get it… the fans are ducks? Isn't that like Edward Cullen fans being wooden stakes?" one clever-ass Red said.
"Oh, shut up, it's cute!" I claimed.
"Is not!" the Robins countered.
"Why are there ducks in sunglasses, sneaking around in the bushes?" 2060-Rose asked.
"Stalker-duckies. Ignore them. They are happiest if they think that I don't know that they are there…" I sighed.
"I seeee..." Rose said and fingered her medical bag.
"Okay, well, now that everyone is here, maybe we should begin!" I said quickly before she decided that I needed some kind of shot.
"I invited you all here today, because this is the 100'th drabble in this collection!" There were a few small cheers, mainly from Duncan and Flame, who were good sports. "Yeah, so anyway… that's great, right?"
"Yeah, but you really should do an index or something to help people find their wa-" Pri started, but I clapped my hands over my ears and have no idea where she was going with that. Ignoring the muffled words, I moved on.
"So, this is all great… but let's talk about the future! As you all know, since I have whined about it for a while now, I start my new job next week, and won't have time to do much for a while. Probably. But there are quite a few things lined up anyway, because of the T-shirt competition and Black Sheep which has not ended yet and so on… I think I'll spend some time- What are you doing here?" I asked a shadow which just had slunk in. "You don't belong to a proper universe, you're a drabble! Like the bunnies, come to think of it!"
"People liked me…" the black fox mumbled, and looked around. "Woooow! There are a LOT of gods here! Besides, these two said there might be chicken?" he said, gesturing to two new felines.
""Is-there-a-vet-in-the-house'' is not a proper universe either!" I complained.
"Is too! What about Titan's Tails!" kitty-Red exclaimed.
"I… just shut up and sit down," I muttered. "And no, Robin, the fox won't hurt your kittens…"
"So what are you god of, then?" the kit said and slunk up to BS-Slade's side.
"See? That's how I like to be seen…" the man smirked at his princess, who rolled his eyes. "I'm god of…" the man's eyes landed on a bowl on the TV-counter. "…apples."
"What, you too?" the fox boy blinked. "Hey… wanna trade me one?"
"He does not. Scram, or you're an hat," BS-Robin growled.
"If I may continue?" I muttered. "I mean, don't mind me, I'm just the reason all of your universes exists…"
"Okay, all of us should listen to the grumpy author!" T-Speedy called out.
"Thank you. Kind of," I muttered again. "Anyway, I won't start another chaptered story this summer, but I kinda have plans to do that this autumn, and I DO plan to do some kind of Christmas-thing too, although I'm not sure what yet… The chaptered story is a secret so far, but I started discussing it with a very talented Sladin-writer a while back, and she has agreed to beta it too…"
"Jayto?" BS-Robin asked.
"No, but-"
"Why? She's great!" the same Robin yelled.
"Yes, she is. She's absolutely marvelous, but this is a strange tradition with me and Betas… Even though I NEED a beta, badly sometimes, it's more important to me to have someone to discuss the story with, like me and The Darkest Half started to discuss 2060 and she became the beta for that, and then me and Jayto started discussing Black Sheep 3 and she became the Beta for that… this story I started to discuss with another writer, and she has agreed to beta it… it's just coincidence, really… and I haven't started writing it yet, so nothing may happen, but I hope it will."
"So… do we know her?" BS-Robin muttered, still a bit pissed.
"Yes, you do."
"Well, who is it, then?"
"I don't know if I can tell you… I mean, the story hasn't started, and when I do write it, she MIGHT not have time to beta, or something and maybe she don't want people to know, and-"
"TELL US!"
"Tinclay."
There was a hush in the room.
"Well, great! I like her!" T-Red said.
"That's just because you are not in 'Entangled'!" T-Robin shuddered.
"EEEEP!" Bunny-Robin yelled and hid behind my doll-house. Bunny-Slade joined him. I would have to mop the floors after this. Twice. With chlorine.
"Well, if she has agreed to beta, we know one thing: it's not going to be a fluffy story…" 2060-Slade grinned. "Lovely woman, by the way."
"I agree," T-Slade nodded. "Fabulous writer too, although I must say it hurts to read her things sometimes… and 'Entangled" is incredibly unrealistic… I mean, who would believe that I would spend all that time locked up in a cell with Robin and not do him? At least once?"
There was some general nodding, mostly from all the Slades but also most of the Robins in the room.
"'Entangled' is one of the best stories ever. The end," I snorted, "but you are right, it's not supposed to be a fluffy story, however it's not a new 'Peace Contract' either, and it will have both funny, and somewhat cute moments… if I can sneak them past her… It's also not a slash-fest either, and why will become apparent when it starts, but I do think that many of the ducklings will enjoy it… I hope they will, anyway… But, until then, I'm on a bit of a break… I'll do everything I have already promised, and write when I have the time, but I might spend more time in the 2060-universe for example."
"Good girl," 2060-Slade nodded. "I have a few ideas…"
"Don't listen to him. Please?" the 2060-Robin said.
"Don't worry, I won't…" I smirked. "So… that's pretty much it… a Terms-drabble will be up next… The next Black Sheep 3 chapter will be up on Friday…"
"And on dA?" Titan's Tail's Red wanted to know.
"I have a few sketches I haven't scanned, and I'm about to start work on an animated pic for Hellfirefairy who won the t-shirt challenge… She wanted a pic of you Robin, sleeping with your kittens… no, not WITH… you know what I mean… anyway, don't tell her, but I have decided to ignore her wish, because I decided that it was time for the whole family to be in one pic together, so Red and Slade are there too… so things will happen on dA too… besides, I just showed my watchers my apartment AND a fully nude Slade, so I think I'm on plus there…" All the Robin's, Reds and Speedy's reached for my computer. "Do that later, you pervs! Anyway, hopefully people won't notice that I've started work too much… and if they do, they can always borrow one of you or your universes for stories or drawings! Nothing makes me happier!"
"You just want stuff…" Fox-Robin smirked.
"Says you, you little apple-whore…" I snorted. "No, I didn't mean that! You're so cute!" I then sighed when the little party-crasher's ears drooped.
"So, can we go now?" BS-Slade asked. "As I said, we're in the middle of something…"
"Sir, You have a board-meeting in half an hour," William told his boss.
"We need to go back to, if you are posting a drabble soon…" Terms-Slade said and I grinned.
"Yeah… you really, really do… and get some rest while you can…"
"That doesn't bode well…" T-Robin shuddered.
"It's time for the children's naps," KL-Robin announced. "We better get in the car. They sleep so well in there…"
"Yes, yes, meeting's over, you can all go… especially you two…" I said, glaring at the bunnies.
As the apartment became quiet once more, I let out a deep, relived breath. It had all gone well; there was no blood on the floor, although there were other spots and stains… A pair of arms suddenly hugged me from behind and I remembered that my wife, of course, was still here.
"Darling?" Catriona whispered in my ear.
"Y-yes?" I answered, a bit nervously.
"We really need more bookcases…"
The End!