Tales of the Teen Titans: Shadows of the Empire Chapter 5: Admissions, a teen titans fanfic

Tales of the Teen Titans: Unstoppable, Part 1: Shadows of the Empire, chapter 5: Admissions

Beast Boy and Terra made it in the next day. "Hi, guys! Miss us?" Beast Boy asked, from the doorway.

Robin was perusing some files. "Oh. Hey, BB, Terra. Welcome back." And went right back to studying his files.

Yep, he missed us, thought Garfield, even as he helped Terra lug all their stuff up to their room. "Grass stain! You're back! And welcome back, my little rock 'n' roller!" Cyborg gave them both a friendly hug.

"My friends! It is so good to see you back!" Starfire caught them both in a bone-squishing hug. But, hey, that was just another sign of being home.

"It's good to be back, Star. Where's Raven?"

"Probably in her room. Shall I do the fetching of her for you?"

"No, Star, let us get unpacked first. What about Hank and Omega? They here, somewhere?" And so they caught up with current events. The cruise was discussed, with Terra gasping when she realized she didn't have anything to wear. "I've gotta do some shopping!" And she and Starfire began to plan an all-out assault on the "mall of shopping."

"Terra? I'm gonna go check up on Raven. Wanna come along?"

Terra looked up from her conversation with Starfire. "'Scuse me a moment, would'ja, Star?"

"But of course!"

Terra led him over by the door. Put her arms around him. "Gar. It's okay. I know what you're trying to do, and believe me, I'm not jealous. I do trust you. I know I said that before, an' bad things happened, but I mean it this time. I know you and Raven are just good friends. She's lucky to have a friend like you. So, go on, say hello to her for me as well. I'll be here when you get back." And she kissed him.

At Raven's door, he hesitated. Some primal instinct seemed to be warning him that something was up. He signaled for entrance. "Rae? It's me, Beast Boy."

"Come in." Raven sat in mid-air, her legs in the lotus position, eyes closed, meditating. After a few moments, she looked up and half-smiled. "Welcome back. How was your trip?"

"Pretty restful. Don't think I ever got it across to my folks that Terra and I were, you know, saving it for marriage, though."

"They're concerned about you. That's normal. That's what parents do." Normal parents, which I, of course, never had. "You heard about the cruise?"

"Yeah, Star was filling Terra in on the whole thing. You know, come to think of it, I don't think I have a proper bathing suit, either. Not one that fits me, anyway. Have to go shopping."

Raven smiled. "Whatever you do, don't ask Starfire for advice. She has positively way too much fun with that sort of thing."

Grin. "Sounds like first hand experience talking."

"Uh, well….." Raven blushed, looking aside. With anyone else, she would never have brought it up, but…. "She…..kinda somehow managed to get me in a micro-bikini the other day, right before Robin called a meeting. Had to keep my cloak closed the whole time."

Garfield laughed. "She didn't! Okay, she did, yeah, I can totally see that. That's our Star, alright. Er, sorry about that. I know you were embarrassed. Too bad I wasn't here. I could'a turned into a peacock and covered you up, at least some."

"And had me to look at your ass the entire time? I think it worked out better this way." Then she sobered. "So. Did you and Terra have a nice time?"

"Yeah. You know, I think there's a new player on the field out there. Things have been slow for the Doom Patrol, too. Somebody else is at work, and no one seems able to even give a coherent description about who or what it could be. Closest thing we got to a description was a guy says he got hit from behind by a food processor."

"Hm. A matter to think upon." Pause. "Would you like some tea?"

"B'leeve I would." She got up and made some, bringing it over to the couch where he was sitting, and pouring them both cups of the hot beverage. "Heard anymore from your girlfriend lately?" she asked, a mischievous smile on her face. She meant Tara, Terra's clone, now residing in Steel City with Titans' East.

"Oh, gosh, please don't even mention her around Terra. She still gets steamed. No, I had to put her on call block a while back, and, last time I checked, she hasn't given up yet. Now she's begun calling from other numbers. I may have to change my cell number."

"Life is tough," she replied, unsympathetically. "Most guys would love to have your problems. Not one, but two, hot femmes. Both of them ready, nay, eager, even, to make your wildest, nastiest male fantasies come to life."

"Most guys," he replied back, "aren't engaged to Terra, who tends to live up to her name whenever Tara's name comes up. As in 'Holy Terra, I didn't see that coming!'"

"I can believe it. That's probably as much guilty conscience as anything talking, you know. I mean, she egged you on into meeting Tara, and when that went the way it did….well, it created a monster. A green-eyed monster. In her."

Enough foreplay. "Rae, how have you been?"

"Me? Oh, you know, Garfield. I'm always alright. Why?"

"Dunno. You seem….different today."

She smiled and brushed a strand of her hair back. "I'm probably just a little tired. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night. Mostly because Robin and Starfire didn't get a lot of sleep last night, if you get my meaning." Blushing, slightly.

"Ah. They've been up to their old tricks again?"

"Even more so than before." Sigh. "I suppose it's a healthy sign." Pause. "The demon part of me keeps telling me to just relax and soak it all up, but I have a hard time accepting that. I feel….like some kind of pervert or something, even though I can't help it."

"If it really bothers you, there's gotta be something we can do. Maybe some kind of, I dunno, psychic insulation or something…"

She shrugged. "Maybe. And….it probably wouldn't be that big a deal with anybody else. I mean, it's a perfectly normal human emotion." Again a pause while she sipped her tea. "I'm just not a normal human being, that's all." This last said with lowered eyes.

He reached over and stroked her cheek lightly, a tender expression on his face. "You're closer than you think, Rae. Don't ever let anybody tell you different."

Again she blushed. "Thank you, Garfield." You always seem to know what to say to make me feel better. Unbidden, the thought flashed through her mind of Beast Boy and Terra, sleeping together, arms wrapped tight around each other. What must it be like, she wondered, to go to sleep holding someone who didn't have all these Problems and Insecurities facing them? To wake up to a brand new, bright new day, a day full of possibilities, still holding the one you love? Secure in the knowledge that nothing could ever come between you?

What must it be like, she wondered, to be Terra?

Of course, she immediately banished the thought from her mind. Such thoughts only led to more pain. And Raven had what she considered more than her share of pain as it was. "Oh, by the way. Something I should mention. Word is, Omega's asked Kitten to go with us on the cruise."

Garfield sputtered, choking a little on his tea. "No way! Not Kitten! You mean, The Kitten?"

"The same. I have a rather bad feeling about all that."

"Well, yeah. Er, he does know she's probably got some mischief in mind, right?"

"He says so. And he doesn't seem to be getting too emotionally attached to her, which is fortunate. You heard she was shot, right? An intruder into her father's basement shot her. But she recovered fully."

"No, I hadn't heard about that. Kitten, shot? I think the only thing that surprises me is, it hasn't happened sooner. She doesn't exactly go around the world making friends, you know." He mused. "Hm. You know, I guess we really need to get Omega out more. Get him to knowing more people, you know. That way, when Kitten dumps him, he won't be such a puddle on the floor."

"I get the impression he's more complicated than that. Plus, he's aware of Kitten's designs, and is not fooled by them. Maybe he enjoys the intellectual challenge, matching wits with someone. I don't know how far their relationship has gone, but I know he stuck by her during her recuperation at the hospital, taking turns with her father in helping her, and with her physical therapy."

Garfield was shaking his head. "Like you say, Rae, I gotta bad feeling about all this. He couldn't have hooked up with a worse choice. Well, okay, I guess he could've, maybe. I guess Blackfire would be worse."

"Gods, yes. Kitten, at least, is a….local annoyance. But you're probably right; we do need to get him out more." She sighed. "Not much of an expert on it myself, hardly."

"How're things between you and Hank?"

"Coming along smoothly. It turns out, he had a bad experience himself, in the service. This woman he was sorta seeing got blown to bits by an IED. Literally. He was first on the scene. He told me he helped pick up pieces of her." Raven shuddered. "We think we've been through some things. And we have. But I can't imagine what that must've been like for him." She sighed. "I guess we're all walking wounded, in some ways."

"Yeah, wow, that's gotta suck. So how do you feel about him?"

Raven considered. "He's nice. He respects my personal space, doesn't try to get me to do things I'm not ready to do. He's a good kisser." She blushed. "But….I don't know, Garfield. Maybe I have too high a standard or something. Maybe I'm waiting for a knight in shining armor."

Beast Boy was silent for a moment after that. Then, "Well. He'd better be respectful of you. Otherwise I'd have ta go be all over him like a spider monkey. Except in my case, that's the literal truth."

She laughed. He so loved to hear her laugh. "Well, don't do that. But things are okay." But she seemed pensive.

He stood up. "Well, anyway, I guess I need to get with Terra and go do some shopping. Wanna come along?"

"No. I'd just be in the way."

"No you wouldn't. C'mon, Rae, besides, Terra might appreciate another girl's point of view on these things. You know I don't have much fashion sense."

She got up with him, as he was heading for the door. "Not this time, maybe. But, but it…is very kind of you to offer." Again, she found herself blushing.

"Hey, Rae, you're family. You don't need an invitation! You oughtta know that by now."

"Thank you, Garfield." They were at the door. She rose up on tiptoe and brushed his lips with hers. "And, and welcome back. I've missed you."

He kissed her forehead. "I've missed you too, Rae. Well, later." And he left.

She stood looking at the closed door for a very long time afterward.

….

At the shopping mall, Terra and Starfire quickly disappeared into the girls' swimsuit section. Terra had plenty of clothes, at least, regular clothes, but she'd need some formal wear. Plus a swimsuit, of course.

"So, have you heard, Friend Terra? Friend Omega has asked the Kitten along on the cruise."

Terra grimaced. "Yeah, I think I heard Cyborg mentioning that. I take it he's serious? I mean, this isn't like, some sort of outer space joke or something?"

"I do not think so. They seem to be getting along well. But I am uneasy about her coming along on this cruise."

"I feel ya there. Me, too. Well, maybe it won't be a total disaster. I mean, look at Kid Flash and Jinx. That seems to be working out okay.

"Omega does know about Kitten, right? I mean, you or some of the others told him what she's like, everything she's done in the past, right?" The two were shopping for swimsuits; Terra had in mind a conservative two-piece, but Starfire kept egging her on to something a bit more risqué.

"Yes. He knows. And he is not fooled by her…he says. But I worry."

"Well, I mean, he knows. He's a grown, uh, whatever he is. He's gotta make these decisions on his own, you know."

"I mean I worry about what I would do if she hurts my friend. On my home planet, such things often resulted in duels to the death."

Again, Terra grimaced. "Well, that's kinda frowned on here, Star. But if she does hurt him…..there just might be some totally legal and altogether innovative ways of letting her know we really aren't happy with the whole situation. We look out for our own." She smiled. "Remind me to tell you about what happened with me one time, when some whore of a girl broke Brion's heart."

Starfire laughed. She had found a kindred spirit, at last, in this matter. "Oh, I would be most delighted to hear! But for now….oh, here is the saleslady I was telling you about."

Beast Boy had accompanied them to the mall, but he, along with Cyborg, were currently perusing the music section. It hadn't been difficult to find swimsuits for them, so they had some free time before Starfire and Terra got through. Probably, Beast Boy thought, quite a bit of time. "Hey, Cy. Check it out." He was holding the latest Ke$ha CD.

Cyborg grimaced. "Still on that flash in the pan? Man, you should wise up. Snuggle up with some U2; they got some great stuff out. Some great love songs." Here he grinned evilly. "Songs Terra might, you know, like. As in, like, really like." He winked.

Garfield laughed. "Nice try, but no cigar, Cy. I guess we each like what we like." Then he sobered. "Cy? Gotta question you can maybe answer."

"Shoot."

"Where do you think Terra and I should go on our honeymoon?"

"What, you mean you two haven't settled on a place yet?"

"No." Sigh. "I guess what with all that happened…..but I'd like it to be somewhere really nice, you know? Thing is, Terra's pretty much been all over the world. So finding someplace different may be kinda hard." They retired to the food court, ordered sodas and nachos, and sat down to relax.

"Hm. That's definitely something to think about. What about Hawaii?"

Beast Boy grimaced. "Not there. Turns out, Terra once went there…with Slade. They weren't, you know, intimate at the time, but….."

"Yeah, bad associations, I hear ya. Hm. Let me think about it some. Does Terra seem to have any favorites or suggestions?"

"None she's clued me in on yet. I think she'd be perfectly happy just to stay here in Jump City, but I really want this to be something to remember, you know?"

Cyborg smiled. "Ah, I don't think you have to worry about that too much, Gar. Believe me, it'll be memorable. But yeah, lemme study on the matter some. Hmmm. Someplace romantic….." His one human eye took on a faraway look as he tried to come up with something. "Money's no object, I take it?"

"Nope."

"Well, Europe might be out. I don't know all the particulars, but I gather she spent a good part of her childhood there, going from one country to another, after the slime that fathered her kicked her out of her own country. Hey. What about New Zealand? That's where they filmed all those 'Lord of the Rings' movies…..the countryside looked really gorgeous."

Garfield considered, chewing on a jalapeno. "Hm. New Zealand. Yeah, that might work. I'll have to ask her and see."

"Gar…something I've been meaning to ask you." Garfield looked up in surprise. Cyborg's tone was altogether different now; whatever this was, he was dead serious about. "How…how have you been dealing with, with, well, you know, with this thing between Slade and Terra? I mean, I know it's all water under the bridge an' all, but…"

Garfield sighed and sat back. All of a sudden, he'd lost his appetite. "How do you think I feel? Slade took advantage of the girl I love. He used her, and then discarded her when she was no longer needed. How am I supposed to feel about that? Even though he didn't force her, he still basically raped her. I mean, she was underage, she was dependent upon him, psychologically. He had no business doing what he did."

"Have you two ever sat down and really talked about what happened?"

"No, not really. I know enough about what happened. And I find myself…reluctant to discover all the 'juicy' details. I do have a temper, you know. I mean, how would you feel if something like that were to happen to, say, Sarah?"

"Oh, God…."

"Yeah. And moving it a step back, how would you feel if something like that happened to, say, Starfire? Or Raven?"

"Somebody would be in for some slow dyin'."

"My feelings exactly. So I try not to dwell on it too much." His expression darkened, and his voice changed. "He hurt her, Cy. Deeply. And not just physically, either, but emotionally as well. She counted on him, depended on him, and he used her like that." Pause. "He'll probably try to bring it up next time we fight. But I'm ready for that." He smiled an unnerving smile. "Maybe I'll get the chance to castrate him or something, that is, providing he actually has the guts to face off against us in person, and not through some other Slade-bot, like he usually does."

"Well, just wanted to see how you stood on that. 'Cause, like you say, it'll come up again, you know. He'll probably try to goad you into turning into your 'beast' form or something, make you do something stupid, so he can get the upper hand."

Again, Garfield smiled grimly. "He…might be in for a shock if he does. I've been practicing. Seems there's more to the 'beast' form that met the eye, at first. A lot more."

"Hope so, man." He raised his soda in a toast. "Well, here's to the new couple. Long life, and lots of kids for me to spoil." Beast Boy laughed, but toasted right along with him.

….

A great distance away, as terrestrial distances go, Grodd walked into a small compartment, activating a secure communications link as he did so. The image that formed on the screen, as usual, failed to fully resolve into more than a silhouette, but he was used to that by now. It was apparently that of a human male, seated at a desk, with banks of monitors behind him. There had been a time when Grodd would never have entered into an alliance with any human, not without a very good reason, but that was then, and this was now. Now he had a very good reason: his Master had told him to.

"You planted the device?" asked the figure at the other end of the communications link, casually, in such a way as to imply that it was of no import to him either way.

"Yes. And set it according to the specifications you provided. Now. My Master requires that you fulfill your end of the bargain."

The figure chuckled. "In due time, Grodd. In due time. These things do not happen overnight. You know the human bumper-sticker wisdom, 'Good. Fast. Cheap-*"

"'Choose any two.' Yes, I am familiar with it. I think we can safely eliminate the 'cheap' portion from that equation."

"What, because of the girl? Grodd, don't tell me you're getting sentimental in your old age. And over a mere human, at that!"

"That is not what I meant. I was referring to the fact that now, there may be an investigation of some sort, to some degree. This whole matter may be compromised. I have assured the Master that nothing will come of it, but one never truly knows these things until they come to pass."

"True. Perhaps you were hasty in your assurances."

Grodd shuddered visibly. The being on the other end of the link found that both amusing and instructive. "You have never felt the Master's displeasure. Pray to whatever gods you revere you never do."

"An outmoded and obsolete convention, my friend. I prefer to see to these matters myself. I find it simpler that way."

Grodd decided he'd traded sufficient banter with the insolent human. When the Master brought the Earth under his sway, he'd see. Oh, yes, he'd see. "Anyway, do you have an estimation as to when we might be getting some of the answers we seek?"

"Within a matter of days after I acquire the other necessary component. That, of course, is not entirely up to me. For now, rest assured that I have received the necessary information you sent, and am diligently working on it."

"Do you require anything else from us, on this end?"

"Not at the moment. There is a time for patience, Grodd. This is one such time. Assure your Master that all that can be done, is being done, with as much haste as is feasible."

"I shall. Your next payment is scheduled for the first. Might we expect some results by then?"

The figure shrugged. "Unknown. If I can acquire a test subject or two, perhaps. If I can, perhaps sooner. We shall simply have to see. Lucifer out." And with that, the screen faded.

Grodd stifled a very unscientific curse. Well, there was nothing more he could do. The matter was now in the hands of the one he knew only as Lucifer, and would stay that way until such a time as that other saw fit to respond. He, personally, had serious doubts about the wisdom of trusting a human—especially this human—with any truly significant information, but the Master was pushing the matter, and it was not his place to disagree. He left the compartment.

{{GRODD. REPORT.}} Grodd sighed. The Master might very well be displeased with what he had to say, but there was nothing he could do about it. He walked into the Master's chamber, bowing low as he did so. The Master did not truly require such; the practice of bowing was an Earth custom, and he was not of Earth. But he appreciated the gesture for what it meant.

"So far, nothing to report, Master. Lucifer states he has received the information, and as soon as he can acquire the other needed components, will deliver to us what we seek. He refuses to put any sort of schedule on the matter."

{{HM. I AM QUESTIONING THE WISDOM OF ALLYING MYSELF WITH THIS HUMAN. COULD YOU NOT FULFILL HIS ROLE?}}

Grodd bowed lower, almost groveling before the giant on the throne. "No, Master. He has expertise that I simply do not possess. Honesty forces me to admit that. And…he is extraordinarily competent at what he does. I have dealt with him in the past. He will, if my experience is any guide, live up to his end of the bargain, but he cannot be rushed."

{{HM. THESE HUMANS AND THEIR AGENDAS….I FIND IT REMARKABLE THAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED ANYTHING ASIDE FROM TURNING YOUR WORLD INTO A RADIOACTIVE SLAG HEAP, GIVEN THE LACK OF PROPER LEADERSHIP.}} It was a measure of how completely the Master controlled Grodd, that the latter didn't take offense at being categorized in with the humans he normally despised. Grodd knew what the Master meant.

But now he shifted uneasily. "Master….you asked me not long ago, if the humans had allied themselves with any of the other Osirans seeded onto this world."

"It turns out that is both true and not. It is true that the Thinkers have kept to themselves, to the point where they cannot even be found…"

"….and a battalion of warriors has been sighted, but what became of them is unknown. However, there is one that may prove significant."

{{SHOW ME.}} The Master meant for Grodd to remember the news reports he'd seen dealing with this, and allow the Master to see his thoughts, his memories. So Grodd did, calling to his attention the news reports regarding the newest member of the Teen Titans, the one called Omega. As he did so, he could almost detect a surge of unusual emotion in his normally calm, controlled Master. {{THAT….CANNOT BE. IT APPEARS TO BE A WARRIOR PRIME. BUT THEY ARE EXTINCT, HAVE BEEN EXTINCT SINCE THE DAWN OF HISTORY. OR, AT LEAST, THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE.}} Grodd could add nothing to that, and so did not. Since Grodd could not see the invisible-to-human-senses serial marks on Omega's hands and face, neither could the Master. But what he could see troubled him. {{I MUST KNOW MORE. FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ON THIS PARTICULAR WARRIOR. THIS IS NOW A PRIORITY WITH YOU. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?}}

"Yes, Master. I will do as you command."

{{SEE THAT YOU DO. THIS IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE, GRODD. FIND OUT ALL YOU CAN ABOUT THIS WARRIOR, IF WARRIOR IT BE, AND REPORT BACK TO ME.}} And with that, the Master dismissed him.

Leaving the Master's chambers, Grodd could not help but analyze what had just transpired. If he hadn't known better, he'd have sworn the Master had been actually shaken by the possibility of a Warrior Prime. He did not know why this should be. Perhaps, in time, he would.

…..

Back at Titans' Tower, in Beast Boy and Terra's room: "Hey, Gar. This cruise is supposed to be a Titans' thing, right?"

"Yeah. Far as I know. Why?"

"Starfire and I ran into Kid Flash and Jinx at the mall today. We told 'em about it. I guess that's alright, isn't it? I mean, Jinx is pretty much a Titan, surely."

"I'm sure it's fine. What did you get?"

She fished something out of the shopping bag she'd been carrying. "Take a look."

He glanced at what she was holding. "Hey, somebody cheated you. Where's the rest of the ball of yarn?"

"Gar….that's not yarn. And this is all there is to it. Look at it." And she handed him the swimsuit.

He whistled. "Holy shoestrings, Batman. This can't be legal, can it? I mean, it's three pieces of string, basically…..oh, wait, yeah, I see where it's supposed to….cover up the goods. But….good grief. Is this what girls are wearing to the beach these days?"

"According to the saleslady, yes. I bought it—she was one helluva talker—but, honestly, Gar, I'm not sure I'd wear this in the shower."

"Wouldn't be much point. Er, I hope you're not planning on actually wearing this on the cruise, are you?" He had visions of hordes of horny men converging on his fiancé.

She smiled and came into his arms. "Relax. I bought one that's a little bit more. But I wanted you to see. Maybe it's a sign of my advancing old age or something," said the eighteen year old blonde geomancer, "but I just can't see this as being, y'know, appropriate, somehow. Except maybe to a nude beach."

He shook his head, still studying the tiny suit. "You and me both. What did Starfire get?"

"That same saleslady—and, boy, is she ever good at it-was pushing something on her even smaller than this." At his look, she replied, "yeah, I know. I didn't believe it was possible either. But it is."

"Starfire? Wearing something smaller than this? We'll have to form a defensive ring around her. Maybe three deep." He handed her the suit back. "Terra? Let's talk about something."

"Sure." She put up the clothes she'd bought, came and sat by him on the couch in their room. "What's on your mind?"

"Our honeymoon. I've been giving it some thought. How does New Zealand sound?"

She shrugged. "Great. You know, don't you, that we don't have to actually go anywhere, don't you? I mean, I'd be just tickled pink to stay right here. After all," and here she smiled a dirty smile, "it's not the countryside I'm gonna be focusing on."

He kissed her. "Me, neither. But I do want this to be a memorable experience for us. And, and, there's another matter that was….recently kinda brought to my attention."

"Oh? What?"

"Well, you know, Raven's an empath, right? Turns out, she can feel it when Robin and Starfire get it on. She doesn't have any choice in the matter. So, yeah, going away would be the thoughtful thing to do, anyway."

Terra gasped. "Ohmigosh. That's right. I…hadn't even thought about that! How, how does it affect her? I mean…." She floundered, searching for words.

"Makes her horny as hell. And there's nothing she can do about it. I mean, if it were two people she didn't know, she could kinda tune it out, but she's more in tune with us, her friends. So I gotta get with Cyborg and see if we can't come up with some kinda shielding for her."

"God, yes. I hadn't even thought about how it might affect her. We'd be putting on a show every time we…but do you think Cy can come up with something?"

"I hope so. Don't see why not. I mean, he came up with that safe room we tried storing her in, when her father came for her that time. That was pretty secure. But how well it would screen her from…you know…I don't know. We've never actually tested it for that, specifically."

"Hm. Well, as you say, surely there's something we can do. Now what's this thing about Kitten going along on this cruise?" As she spoke, she got up, and began preparing for bed. It was getting late.

He sighed. "Trouble. I really hoped her dad would say no, but no such luck. We'll just….I dunno, cope, somehow. We don't exactly have secret identities—well, Robin does, but…-so, theoretically, maybe it'll work out….."

She went into the bathroom. "I guess it's too late to hook Omega up with somebody else, is there?"

"He's already asked her. And he's not the sort to go back on his word."

"What does he see in her, anyway? I mean, yeah, I guess she's pretty, but can't he tell she's trouble on two feet?"

"Dunno. Sometimes, I wonder just how much he comprehends about…our world. Not just the planet part, but, you know, the social aspects of human behavior. From what he and Hank have let slip, life on Osira was one continuous war for survival. They didn't have such customs as dating there. Even reproduction….was handled on an industrial scale, in factories, of all things. Test tube babies, or something like that. So all this is completely new to him. How much he really understands about human nature, I don't know." He heard her turning the water on in the shower.

She appeared in the bathroom doorway, clad in her underwear. "Coming, Gar?"

"Oh, right. Sorry, I was daydreaming." He got up, pulling his clothes off as he spoke. Terra liked for them to shower together, and, in truth, so did he, now. It had taken some getting used to, though, being accustomed to showering alone all those years.

But, heavens, yes, this was soooo much better. Even if they were abstaining from sex until the wedding night, it was still fantabulous. How did I ever get this lucky? He asked himself, every time he saw her in here, like this, with him.

On the other side of the world, the individual who was currently working under the pseudonym of "Lucifer" paused in his work, momentarily. All was proceeding according to plan. Grodd and his extraterrestrial Master had complicated things, but he didn't foresee any serious problems coming from that. If things went the way he thought they would, both Grodd and his Master would soon no longer be a part of the equation. Then, he could get back to business.

This matter of acquiring test subjects was worrisome, however. Ideally, he needed young people, young humans, of a certain body type and healthy, for optimum results. In the past, that hadn't been a significant problem, but the world was changing. Young, healthy humans just couldn't go missing as easily as they used to could. He sighed, a bit of longing for the good old days coming into his thoughts. But he quickly dismissed such things as unworthy of a progressive, forward-looking scientist. Nostalgia never accomplished anything worthwhile.

And speaking of worthwhile….he focused his scanners on the American west coast, on the area known as "Jump City." It might be worthwhile to steer clear of it, for a time. Rumor had it the Osiran Thinkers were in the area, and until he had a handle on them and how to deal with them, it might be best to avoid a confrontation. He wished he had some clue as to what had happened to the contingent of warriors that had been reported, but in this, he was as much in the dark as everyone else. They could be a complication.

Idly, and with the skill of long practice, he hacked into the Jump City PD's database of crimes, recent. He was curious to see what had become of the incident at Killer Moth's house. Unlike Grodd, he was under no illusions as to whether or not the authorities would truly conduct an in-depth investigation. Even if they didn't, the Titans had surely been alerted to the matter, and, despite their being at odds with Killer Moth and his daughter, would probably take a hand in the matter to one degree or another.

One simply does not ignore a break-in, attempted theft from, and gunning down of someone one knows, even peripherally. He had no doubt that Robin, at least, would not rest until he at least had more information on the subject.

Hm. Curious. No report of the death of a "Kitten Walker," or a "Kitten Van Cleer." Could she be using another name? He had a certain amount of information on her in his massive database, and so looked her up by social security number.

Interesting. So. She'd been taken to Conner Memorial Hospital, treated, and released. So the girl lived. He smiled. Grodd would be beside himself if he knew someone was alive who could point a finger at him. He wondered if maybe he should barter this information with Grodd, but decided not to. That Grodd was inept was not his problem. Besides-and here he smiled a positively evil smile—perhaps the girl could be of some use yet. She was certainly young and healthy, and the right body type. And even the right psychological profile. After all, waste not, want not. Unlike Grodd, he wasn't overly concerned about an investigation into her disappearance….in point of fact, he might even be able to work it to his advantage, somehow. In due time, of course.

…..

Back at her home, Kitten found herself unable to just go right to sleep, no matter what she tried. Warm milk, nothing worked. There was nothing on television worth watching. Her father was fast asleep in his room, and she didn't want to wake him.

But the truth was, she was bored stiff. Then her eyes fell on her iPhone. Hm. Hadn't Omega once told her he didn't sleep? She picked up the phone, pulled up his number, and typed in, U there?

The response was immediate. Yes, Kitten, I am here.

Cant sleep.

Why not?

Just cant. That happens sometimes, with humans. Im not disturbing you, am I?

Of course not. I always welcome communication with you.

Kitten found herself blushing, slightly. She could never have said how, but she could tell he was sincere.

Perhaps some fresh air might help you sleep. Are you dressed?

I have my pjs on….

"Pjs?"

Pajamas, Omega. Sleeping apparel. But yeah, Im decent, if thats what ur asking.

How about a walk along the beach?

At this hour? It had to be every bit of two in the morning. But….yeah Omega, Id like that.

Then look outside your window. She glanced up, and there he was, hovering just outside her second story window. She went over to the window and raised it. "Wow. You got here fast," she said as she climbed out the window and into his arms. Funny; Kitten had always been just a little afraid of heights, but in Omega's arms…..there was just nothing to fear.

The night ocean's soft susurrations were soothing to her, and the feel of the sand beneath her bare feet was relaxing as well. Omega walked along beside her, hardly saying anything unless spoken to. Both of them just continued to walk along the beach, with the night surf crashing in the background, just enjoying each other's company. Kitten was a bit nonplussed; she couldn't remember going with a guy just to be with him, just to enjoy his being there. She didn't really know how to act. "So, Omega. Tell me something. What do you, like, look for in a relationship?"

"You mean, a male/female relationship? I am honestly not sure. We didn't have such things on Osira. So this is all new to me."

"But, but, you and Athena had some sort of relationship, didn't you? I mean, you told me you two 'made it' or made out, or something to that effect."

He sighed. "Yes. Once. Sort of. But the circumstances of that occurrence are not ones I like to recall."

"Why ever not? I'd think….."

"Because it involves me committing what I suppose you'd call a…crime."

Kitten's ears perked up. "Oh?" When he didn't say anything, she prompted him, "Well, c'mon, don't leave me hanging. How could you two making out or whatever be criminally related or even unpleasant?"

"What you are calling 'making out' wasn't exactly voluntary on either of our parts. You remember I told you about her combining two elements she really shouldn't have?" She nodded, watching him. "It produced a chain reaction, resulting in an expanding black hole, a singularity, destroying the lab where we were working, and threatening the…city, I guess you'd call it, in which we were. While others worked to evacuate the city, she and I strove to stop the singularity from consuming more than it already had. We did finally succeed, but…." And here he paused…."considerable damage had been done. For this, she was to be what I suppose you'd call executed."

"Executed? For an accident?" Kitten's mouth hung agape.

"Things in the Empire were not as they are here, Kitten. She was to be eliminated for her part in the matter. I found I could….not let that happen." Omega's head tilted towards the ground, as the night ocean crashed against the beach, his face in shadow. They paused at one particular spot, and Kitten chose to sit on the sand. She knew she'd get her pajamas wet, but there was no help for it; she'd just have to change when she got back. He sat beside her, both of them looking out towards the crashing night surf, illuminated by the full moon.

"Well, yeah. What'd you do, break her out of jail or something?"

"We had no jails as such. The condemned were simply put to death. No, I….waited until such a time as her execution was imminent, then….set off the reaction again, this time in such proximity that the Lords who were to oversee her execution were directly endangered. In the confusion, I was able to get her to relative safety."

Kitten smile a dirty smile. "I guess she was grateful, huh?"

"Hardly. She was furious with me. I had acted recklessly, endangering the lives of many others, some of them Lords. I was the one deserving of execution, not her, for I had acted deliberately, with forethought, whereas hers was an accident." Pause. He gestured, dismissively. "To make a long, unpleasant story short, the Lords eventually decided that her expertise in dealing with dangerous singularities was too valuable to waste. Which, I suppose, was really the whole point of my endeavor. And so she was spared." He paused, sitting on the wet sand. Kitten knew she was getting her pajamas soaked, but this was…interesting. So he wasn't such a Dudley Do-Right after all. She found that thought….rather thrilling.

Kitten considered all that. "But, how did that lead to you two…doing what you did? Make up sex, maybe?"

"Oh, no. Nothing like that. As I said, she was very angry with me. And perhaps I did act hastily." He sighed a very human-like sigh. "But things were happening quickly, and I was running out of options, as the saying goes."

"So how did that lead to….?"

"It was decided that her knowledge was too valuable to be stored within one being. And since I was the one who'd worked the most with her, I was selected for a memory share. To be a memory backup, so to speak. Via direct neural hookup. What I suppose you'd call a mind link, of sorts."

"I still don't see how that-*"

"Mind links of this sort are extraordinarily intimate, Kitten. You cannot hide anything from someone you are linked to. This goes far beyond the Link I refer to, that we used for communication. Your brain is literally connected to the other's brain. No secrets. In a sense, you become of one mind with the other individual."

Kitten thought about that. She certainly had some secrets she'd like to keep, even from her Dad, but….to be made to share everything in one's head with another….would be incredibly personal. The way he described it, it almost sounded like forced sex. Or worse. "And this was, like, required of you two?"

"It was."

"Hm. So, I'm guessing you got her knowledge of the, the whatever it is you were talking about. But there was more to it than that, wasn't there?"

He looked embarrassed. "Yes. She was angry with me, for endangering others. And there was a certain amount of anger for defying the will of the Lords. They, after all, controlled us completely, and sought to make their will our will. So I caught some of that, and deservedly so. But…."

"But there was something else even beyond that, wasn't there?" He nodded, silently, a silhouette against the moonlit night. "You saw she had feelings for you, didn't you?" Again he nodded, clearly uncomfortable with this subject. "Omega…all that's perfectly normal. I mean, you two worked together, kinda knew each other. It's normal that she'd, like, like you. As in like you like you, you know."

"Not for us. Such relationships were forbidden in the Empire, for exactly the reason I gave you. It led, or could lead, to illogical, irrational behavior. Of which I was a prime example." He turned to her, an expression of intensity on his face. "Kitten, what you, and many others, do not understand is that what you, on this world, term right and wrong and free will are not standard universal concepts. Many beings…my own among them…are simply taught, trained, conditioned to obey. To obey, above all else. Just obey, To do otherwise produces a sensation of what you might call guilt on our part. Only….more extreme."

"Now don't tell me you're still beating yourself up over this. Omega, even, even in Hell people are still free to think and feel for themselves. Nobody, but nobody, has the right to take that from you. I know I," and here she drew a deep breath, "have done some things that were against the law, and yeah, it wasn't necessarily a nice thing, but, but, dammit, I didn't really believe I was doing the wrong thing when I did them. You gotta be who you are. And you. Just to knuckle under to authority just because it's authority…I can't see that as being right. The guys in charge can be wrong, you know. It's possible."

"Evidently, I believed that." He fell silent, and she couldn't help but feel he was remembering some things that he maybe wasn't comfortable sharing just yet.

"So….this between you and Athena….." she prompted.

"Mind link is, as I said, incredibly intimate. And, to a degree…. exhilarating. Particularly with someone you….care for. The usual means of doing so involved quite a bit of machinery."

"Well, anyway. So you discovered she had feelings for you. And, I guess, she found out you had feelings for her, right?"

"Yes. As I said, a very…intimate experience."

"So what did she do?"

"Nothing. What you call relationships were forbidden in the Empire. And, on a much more accessible level, she hated me, not just for my actions, but…." Here he paused, looking out to sea. "Perhaps also for the emotions I created in her. Emotions neither one of us knew how to handle. She went back to her Lord, and I went back to mine." He shifted uneasily. "Not exactly a Hollywood ending."

Kitten thought, and thought hard. This was big, this was important. "Omega? I'm gonna tell you something: sometimes you just gotta kick the gods of this world right smack in the balls. Just to show you can. I mean, some things just aren't right, no matter what. Doesn't matter if it's against the law or not. Yeah, I can see not wanting to hurt anyone, okay, I'm down with that. But telling you what to feel, to think? To kill someone for making a mistake? I just don't see it. Those Lords needed killing."

"I must have agreed with you." This last was said almost subvocally, as if he wasn't sure he wanted to be heard. She waited, sensing something was coming, something big. But nothing ever came.

She scooted over to him, leaned up against him there on the beach. The guy sounded depressed; he needed some moral support. "Well, anyway, you're here now. All that's in the past. You're in a world where right and wrong do exist, which, which really, you've always believed in, kinda, anyway. That's just good karma at work. You must've been doing something right, 'cause you've found where you belong." As she thought, she found herself wondering, Have I found where I belong? Here, beside him? She quickly banished the thought from her head. No. She was never getting all that involved with a goody-goody.

Except….he wasn't such a goody-goody, was he? On his world, he'd been kinda the ultimate bad boy….oh, no you don't, Kitten. No getting attached to someone. Not for you. Ever. That just makes you weak, vulnerable. You gotta be tough.

Still….it was kinda intoxicating and relaxing at the same time to just lean up against him, here, and rest, watching the ocean, and the moonlight. After a while, she dropped off to sleep.

Omega looked at the sleeping girl by him. He needed to be getting her back to her home; her father would be upset if he checked and found his daughter missing. So he gathered her up, gently, and flew her back to her house, to her room. Put her in her bed, and pulled the covers up around her. Kissed her forehead, another human custom he was coming to appreciate. Good night, Kitten. I hope your dreams are pleasant ones. She murmured sleepily, turning over and smiling.

Without a sound, he turned and flew off into the night.

To be continued….