[I do not own Teen Titans or any characters mentioned in this story. I finally picked this story back up. Foreshadowing for a future chapter, and more of Kyd's dad (in this story at least). Enjoy.]
Jericho sighed through his nose in frustration. He was sat condemned in a white walled hallway that reminded him way too much of a laboratory. He kicked his small feet uselessly in the uncomfortable chair, glaring at the heavy nothingness of the wall in front of him.
When Elliot had first come to Jericho complaining about a toothache, that should have immediately been an obvious omen of bad things to come. But Elliot - being Elliot - absolutely refused to go to any dentist or orthodontist to get his mouth checked. Vampire esque fangs and very logic based human dentists didn't exactly get along in a closed environment. At first, Elliot only described it as a very light and easily brushed off tingling in his front teeth. He compared it to the feeling of using an electric toothbrush, just at a lesser vibration. Soon though, the light humming morphed into an unbearable, burning ache in his teeth. Whenever Elliot went out and passed someone walking, a sharp, burning sting would echo through his teeth and nearly cause him to cry out and double over.
And of course, of all people Jinx could've suggested they go visit, it had to be this guy.
Jinx was right, of course. If anyone could decipher what was going on with Wykkyd, it would be his own father, Kirk Langstrom.
Jericho didn't like Kirk all that much, and Jericho was pretty sure Kirk didn't like him either. Kirk had barely said a word to Jericho since he'd arrived with Elliot, and it unnerved him. Usually, Jericho was the social butterfly - able to persuade anyone to do just about anything. In this situation, Elliot was friendlier with his father than Jericho had seen him with anyone, and Jericho felt just a tad bit alienated. It didn't help that Kirk had ushered Elliot into a closed off room where he could 'properly assess' his predicament, leaving Jericho to freeze and worry in the hallway.
After what felt like forever, Jericho jumped up in relief to see a tall, dark figure step out of the door to face the blonde. Jericho almost immediately deflated upon the realization that it was Kirk and not Elliot.
The man ever so slowly approached Jericho with a condescending glare that Jericho didn't appreciate all that much. The man had his arms held in a strict position behind his back, looking like a disappointed parent as he absolutely loomed over Jericho's height. Jericho crossed his arms and glared impatiently, with a look that screamed a very sassy 'can I help you?' in Kirk's face. Kirk merely raised one eyebrow, his expression otherwise motionless, before coughing into his fist and glaring off at Jericho yet again.
"So, you are...Jericho." Kirk said simply in his naturally quiet and unnerving voice.
"...I never told you my-" Jericho began confusedly and a little off-put, only for Kirk to disrupt him.
"Jericho, Joseph, Joey, Josebelle, Crowe, have what you will. I know who you are." Kirk said simply, his expression still ever dead. Joseph glared for a moment.
"What is it that you want, Mr. Langstrom?" Joseph asked through gritted teeth and a dark gaze.
Jericho was unprepared for the brute strength that Kirk possessed beneath his lab coat and turtleneck. Joseph couldn't catch Kirk's hand in time before it clawed itself harshly around Jericho's throat. Jericho was suddenly lifted high in the air, several feet off the ground, gasping and tearing his fingers through Kirk's skin to swallow a breath of air. Kirk held the boy there for a while, his expression not changing once in all of this action.
"I want your promise, that absolutely no harm whatsoever will come to my son while he is in your presence. I don't trust you, harlot, and you don't trust me. But I can promise you on everything that if any one hair on my son's head is harmed," Kirk said slowly, watching with content as Jericho's eyes spun and watered from lack of oxygen.
"You will know the real meaning of misery, and of suffering," Kirk said darkly, bringing Joseph's face closer to his own so that he could practically hiss the words to the blonde. At this point, Jericho was crying subconsciously from his struggle not to black out, gasping desperately. Kirk gave his throat a warning squeeze before he let Jericho fall the ground in a heap, hunching over and trying to ignore the feeling of his heart beating out of his chest.
By the time Jericho had at least recovered enough to look up clearly through his still blurry vision, Kirk was already back through the door of the medical room and motioning for Joseph to follow. Reluctantly, the blonde did as silently commanded, but not without keeping a considerable distance from the vampire in front of him and rubbing his neck insecurely.
When the two made it through yet another white hallway, this one lined with multicolored fluids and extra laboratory equipment, Joseph entered a room behind Kirk to see Elliot with cotton in his mouth and staring dazedly at the ceiling. Jericho's face lit up, rushing over and nearly knocking over Kirk in the process, who was now gathering supplies he had previously gotten out in order to put them back in place.
"Elliot, I was so worried, what happened?" Joseph said as he wrapped his arms around Elliot's pale neck and squeezing him tightly. Elliot took more time than was considered normal to respond, giggling in the process.
"You're hair tickles," Elliot said as he started rubbing his face in the crook of Joey's neck, not minding for how Joey urgently blushed in the very much still there presence of Elliot's father.
"He's a bit...loopy. I needed to give him something to numb any pain that might be caused by his treatment." Kirk explained with a turned back. Joey attempted to turn around to face Kirk as the man explained, only for Elliot to continue his clinging and drag Joey back so that he could continue his very important assessment of how comfortable Joey's skin felt against his own.
Joseph rolled his eyes. "Brilliant. No wonder your dad hates me so much, you probably told him every bad thing I've ever done." He groaned unexcitedly.
"I assume you remember the way out. Take care, both of you. Um, don't do drugs, and all that nonsense." Kirk said with an uneasy look, really trying his best. So many years away from any interaction, especially that from your son, put a little damper on how well your parenting skills were.
When Kirk finally left the room, Joseph started to get Elliot off the infirmary bed and toward the exit, only for Elliot to be ever so difficult in cooperating. When Elliot just flat out let go of Joseph completely and made a home for himself on his back laying on the dirty floor, Joey groaned and kicked himself for not making Jinx come with them.
"Joey, Joey wait!" Elliot said urgently as the blonde tried yet again to get him off of the ground and toward a ride home.
"I have something important to tell you, but you can't tell Jinx." Elliot said in a groggy voice and a very, very concerned expression. Jericho sighed and nodded, stopping for a moment to hear what Elliot thought was so important.
"You're my favorite and I love you." Elliot said like a revelation, making a 'shh' signal with his hands afterward to signal it's secrecy. Joey smiled and chuckled, knowing he couldn't really stay mad at Elliot when he was like this.
"I love you too. Now come on, we need to get you home before you remember you can teleport." Joseph said, more or less dragging Elliot out of the large building.
Joey didn't hear or realize the next omen that occurred when Kirk was merely conversing with a friend of his, Bekka, as the two teens struggled their way toward a car.
"So, when are you gonna explain the whole 'vampire puberty' thing to him?" Bekka whispered amusedly, already imagining just how wonderfully that predicament would play out.
Kirk raised an eyebrow and thought for a moment.
"Oh, he'll figure it out." Kirk said dismissively as he waved his hand to brush the idea away and already start his way back to his lab.
[Send in any ideas you'd have for future chapters. Read and Review, thanks!]