Blanket Disclaimer: Poison Tonic LX does not own the Teen Titans or any characters therein. Don't sue her, please, because if you do I won't have a home anymore…-Ralph, the muse
The insistent knock resounded throughout the Tower, causing all of the Titans to look up from what they had been doing.
He watched the Sorceress stand and go to the door, only to have the living room door open on her as it had done him a week before when Omega Neo had shown up.
Sure enough, it looked as though the Clone had returned.
And yet…the child standing in the doorway seemed completely different from the Clone, if only because he wore a huge smile on his face…and the fact that he looked a year or two younger! He also wore a different outfit—black jeans and a red shirt, both appearing to have seen better days.
The child's smile widened and he crossed his arms behind his head. "Hey, sorry to disturb you but I was wondering if you know where a man named Caleb Dawson is? I heard he was here and want to speak with him, if you don't mind." The child said succinctly.
"We told you not to come back around here, Neo." The Sorceress said, putting a hand on her hip.
"Oh!" The child laughed, blushing and wrinkling his nose. "No, I'm not Neo, I promise! Please, may I talk to Caleb Dawson?"
"Whaddya want, kid?" He asked, standing and narrowing his eyes at the child.
The child's smile turned into a full-out grin. "I wanted to talk to you, of course! You really do look like me! I mean, you're older and I'm younger—I'm six, by the way—but I didn't think we'd look alike even though I'm your clone and whatnot. I s'pose I should look like you but I guess I'm just weird or something because I honestly didn't expect us to look alike at all!"
"If you aren't Neo, who are you?"
"OH!" The child flushed. "Sorry, I forgot…I'm Nemo, Neo's little brother—in a manner of speaking—and your other clone! Only I kinda ran away about a year ago to come look for you. You're really hard to find, you know that?"
"I did that on purpose, kid." He said, rolling his eyes.
The child tilted his head to one side, arching one eyebrow upwards. "Why?"
"Methuss."
The child's eyes grew wide with realization. "Oooh…"
"Umm…why did you run away?" The Original asked. "I mean, you're a clone, right? Don't you, like, automatically become evil or something?"
The Squirt giggled. "I'm a glitch. You know how in China there's that Yin Yang thing? Well, when Methuss made Neo, and later me, he didn't know to have his scientists mess with my personality since Neo was 'evil' like he wanted him to be, so Neo is Yin, the darker portion of Caleb Dawson's persona, and I became Yang, the lighter portion." The Squirt explained. "Not perfect, of course, but we lean to either side instead of being a mix. Anyhow, once Methuss figured out what happened, he locked me up in this containment room thingy, trying to force me to become how he wanted with all sorts of potions and stuff, but nothing worked, so he just forgot about me and focused on Neo for a few years until he remembered me and decided it would be easier just to dispose of me." He rolled his eyes. "Well obviously I couldn't just die, so I snuck out, stole some cash, and ran away to look for my original and hope he could do something to help me out or vice versa."
"What do you expect me to do?" He asked, blinking at the Squirt.
The Squirt shrugged. "I dunno. I was kinda hoping you'd have some ideas about that." He smiled sheepishly. "To tell you the truth, I didn't really think past finding you."
His mouth twitched, wanting to smile, but his eyes narrowed. "You're lying."
The Squirt blushed. "Okay…so you really are me, if you can catch me lying." He said, obviously embarrassed at having been caught. "Mostly…I mean…well…I was kind of hoping…that you'd, y'know, take me in or something. I don't really know how to say it…"
"You want somewhere to belong." He said. The Squirt gave him a surprised look, and he rolled his eyes. "I'm you, remember? And the answer is no. I'm not having anything to do with Methuss' clones unless I'm destroying them."
"But…but I've been looking for you for a whole year! You have to do something!"
"No, I don't! I've been running from Methuss and anything that has to do with him for eight years, kid. I have no obligations to you or your…brother, or whatever he is. If you want someone who's obligated, go back to Methuss!"
"But he'll kill me!" The Squirt protested.
"That's not my problem, kid! You shouldn't be here anyways!"
"But I am here! And if Methuss is your problem, so am I!"
"No, you aren't! Get out of here!"
The Squirt's brows knitted together into a deep frown. "How can you just write me off like this? Don't you have any heart at all? I'm you! Surely you must feel something!"
"Yeah—contempt. Now leave and don't come back!" He said, turning away from the Squirt.
The Squirt's bottom lip trembled, but he glared defiantly up at him, tiny fists balled up at his sides. "You…you big jerk!" The Squirt yelled angrily. "You're no better than Methuss and Tandi would be ashamed of you if she saw what you became!"
He stiffened, slowly turning back to face him. "What did you say?"
"You heard me! I said Tandi would be ashamed of you, and you know I'm right! Methuss told me about what happened, trying to get me to see that getting close to people is bad, but I can't—I won't believe that! It's just some people like you and him I shouldn't get close to! I know you admired Tandi, and she took you in and defended you without even knowing you! And yet you can't put forth any effort at all to help me when I've spent so long looking for you, and for all intents and purposes I am you! At least part of you! I…I'm starting to think Methuss was right and it was your fault she's dead, you stupid jerk! You're selfish and mean and I'll just bet it took a long time to suppress my half of your personality so you could be just like Neo!"
"Shut up, you little brat! You have no idea what you're talking about, and if you dare talk about Tandi again I'll kill you!" He snapped, infuriated by the young boy's words.
"Of course I know what I'm talking about! I'm you, aren't I? Even if I'm just part of you!" The Squirt retorted, just as angry as he was. "You're disgusting! All you can think about is yourself! You're being chased by some evil mastermind, you had to watch the only people to ever show an ounce of concern for you get murdered, you have to make sure not to get close to anyone because you are too scared to fight for what you believe in or for those you care about, you can't ever do anything for anyone outside your petty existence unless it's somehow for your benefit! I hate people like you, so I guess that means we are just hypocrites! Go ahead and kill me! I don't want to be you anymore!" At this point, the Squirt completely broke down, sobbing but stubbornly keeping his eyes up. "I can't believe I ever looked up to someone like you!"
"So leave. Find something better to do than chase after a jerk like me." His voice had dropped into an almost-whisper, eyes not meeting the Squirt's but staying focused on the floor. "Find someone worthwhile to look up to. I'm no role model. If you stay here…you'll just get hurt."
"What, so you're trying to run me off so I won't get hurt? You'd rather let me run loose on the streets all by myself than keep me here? Are you really that stupid?"
"I grew up on the streets, and I—"
"Are you going to say you turned out fine? Because if that's it just shut up and save the crap for someone who'll believe it. Look in the mirror sometime and see what growing up on the streets made you, Red X. God, you really are disgusting if you're trying to justify throwing me out on the streets by saying I'm just some sort of clone, and, even if you do care the tiniest bit about my well-being, by saying I'll be just fine if I grow up on the streets."
He sighed softly. "You're right, kid…more than you know." He said. "I am disgusting and self-centered and all that. But…tell you what, squirt: if you really want to stay that badly—and the Titans are fine with it—I won't stop you. Do what you want, but I ain't babysitting, got it? I'll treat you like I do them," he jerked a thumb at the Titans. "And being a hero ain't gonna be some walk in the park for you—it sure as heck hasn't been for me so far."
The Squirt grinned, mouth stretching from ear to ear. "Really? You mean it?"
He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure. Whatever."
The Squirt's grin, if it was possible, widened, and he suddenly found a pair of tiny arms wrapped tightly around his middle. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you! This is sooo great! So what do I call you? Caleb? Ooh, can I call you big brother? You practically are! Please?"
The other Titans were grinning at what he assumed was the shocked, bewildered, and somewhat uncomfortable expression he knew was on his face. "Erm…?"
"You can call me Nemo! Or little brother, if you want!" The Squirt continued enthusiastically.
"Umm…well…look, squirt, I—"
"Squirt's okay too, I guess." The Squirt said, smiling up at him with a look of total admiration bordering on hero worship on his face.
He flushed, unused to such attentions.
"Friend Rush," The Dolt tittered, "Your…younger brother is quite adorable!"
"Thanks, lady!" The Squirt chirped, and looked up at him, voice dropping to a stage whisper. "Who's the lady and why's she orange?
He frowned, cuffing the boy upside the head. "Listen up, squirt, I realize you've been on your own for a year, but mind your manners when you're talking to your elders, especially ladies. I grew up on the streets, too, and even I know common courtesy." He scolded. Bad manners were a strange but strong pet peeve of his…he had no idea where or when he'd picked it up.
"Oh." The Squirt blinked. "Okay." The Squirt released him (he had still been literally attached to his hip) and bowed to the Dolt. "I'm very sorry for being rude, ma'am. My full name is Omega Nemo, but please call me Nemo. May I ask your name?"
The Dolt giggled. "My name is Koriand'r, which in English is Starfire. It is a pleasure to meet you, Younger Brother of Friend Rush!"
"He's not my little brother." He grumbled rather halfheartedly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, too, Miss Starfire!" The Squirt said with another bow.
The Kid chose this time to step forward. "My name's Robin. The others are Cyborg, Beast Boy, Raven, and—"
"Omega Prime. I know him." The Squirt interrupted knowingly.
He cleared his throat, giving the Squirt a look that caused him to cringe.
"Sorry for interrupting." The Squirt muttered, glancing at him from the corner of his cerulean blue eyes and grinning a little at his nod of approval.
"That's alright." The Kid said with a smile, ruffling the Squirt's hair. "And I'm sure we're all okay with you hanging out around here, right guys?" The Kid looked around at the others, who all nodded in agreement, before looking back at the Squirt. "Welcome to Titans Tower, Nemo."
The Squirt smiled. "Thank you very much, Mister Robin!" He said, then faltered, rubbing his eyes and yawning. "Umm…do you guys mind if I go to sleep? I'm really sleepy…"
"Not at all." The Kid said. "You can sleep in Beast Boy's room until we fix one up for you…"
"No!" He said immediately, nearly yelling, and earning himself surprised looks from everyone that made him blush. But seriously, he wouldn't wish the Comic Relief's room on Methuss! "I mean…he can just…stay in my room for now."
He saw the Sorceress's mouth twitch. "I'll show him to your room. I was about to go meditate anyhow." She said, a decidedly amused sparkle in her eyes.
The Squirt looked up at him again, and he nodded, though he narrowed his eyes at the Sorceress a bit. The Squirt's smile widened and he threw his arms around him again.
"G'night big brother!" The miniature of himself said lethargically, trudging to the Sorceress's side and sleepily holding his arms up, silently asking to be held.
The Sorceress arched an eyebrow at both him and the Squirt, but obligingly picked the latter up and left the room with the small boy yawning and leaning his head against her shoulder.
He groaned and sat down. "I'm getting a headache."
"Dude, is he seriously your clone?" The Comic Relief asked skeptically. "I mean, dude, that's really kinda weird."
He gave the Comic Relief a dry look. "First off, he's six, and hasn't had the same upbringing as I had. Secondly, he's supposed to be the 'good half' of my personality. Third, just because I choose to act like this rather than like that doesn't mean I couldn't if I wanted to. All of us have some part of ourselves we would rather no one know about. He just happens to be mine."
"I believe he is very cute, Friend Rush!" The Dolt said.
"Star's right, Red. He's cute." Cyborg snickered. "Why would you want to hide that cuteness?"
He didn't deign the question with a response, just leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes. "This is all getting way too weird." He sighed.
(THE RUSH)