100HT: 39. Out of Time

Teen Titans © DC Comics

39. Out of Time

"It's so nice here…calm and peaceful,  not like where I'm from," Killowat mumbled to himself, voice slightly gruff and filled with lost memories.

"Yo, Kilo! Stop dazing off!" The Herald shouted, bringing the light blue Titan back to reality.

"Oh! Sorry," he called, adjusting his baseball glove. He was playing a fair game of baseball with the other Honorary Titans sans Jinx and Kid Flash as they were on a date and Raven bluntly refused to let the Tyke Titans play, fearing they would be hurt. They were in Jump City on Murakami's High School's field they used on a pleasant Sunday afternoon. Killowat felt somewhat out of place among the rest of the Honoraries, not used to the tranquility and peace this dimension served. "Uh, who's up?"

"Me," Pantha sneered, baseball bat over her shoulder.

"Aw, man! Hot Spot, Killowat, back it up! Red Star, stop getting distracted by her flirting with you!" Herald ordered as the self-proclaimed "captain" of Killowat's team.

Red Star blushed bashfully, drawing a smile from Killowat. He glanced down as Pantha waved her fingers to him, smirking.

"Pantha! Bring my brother and the crystal witch home!" Lightning eagerly cried, hands cupped around his mouth with Thunder and Kole on second and first respectively.

"Ah, don't worry little amigo! I'll be doing more than just that!" she sneered, waving to the catcher, Gnarrk, who meekly whimpered at her boldness.

Killowat glanced around, observing the emerald shrubbery in awe. The sky, magnificent and light, pale blue, streaked across the world. Immense, marshmallow clouds swayed across the sky, caressed by the loving blows of the soft winds. Killowat noticed a few sparrows dashing across him high in the air. Watching, he jerked out of his bliss by Pantha cursing in Spanish and glared at Herald who threw a strike.

"Aw, come on, Pantha! You ain't gettin' mad, are ya?" he snickered, throwing the ball up in the air mockingly.

"Pantha, do not lose your focus!" Thunder called as Red Star continued ogling her. "Why do your eyes expand when you gaze at her?"

Red Star continued to stare at Pantha who readied herself to swing. Pausing, he glanced over to Thunder and asked, "Did you say something?"

Killowat smiled, moving away when Hot Spot shouted at him. As he backed up, he reflected upon his former life. He was not part of this dimension, being a member of the Team Titans in another universe. A rift of the space/time continuum caused by his powers brought him to the world of the Teen Titans, but felt always off on a such a wonderful, calm world.

His world was filled with chaos and death. The sky was crimson, darker than blood. Everywhere, battles happened, and the roars of the combatants that lashed out with malice to slaughter each other cut over the wind. Killowat grit his death, recalling the friends that were left behind: Dagon, Redwing, Mirage, and Battalion.

Killowat closed his eyes, clenching his fists. Where they okay? Had the Terror Titans, the ones that consumed his world with evil, killed them? The Terror Titans brought devastation to their world, spreading their malicious rule in their own version of Honorary Titans across the globe. Killowat envied himself for being so free and safe, rather wanting it on his own world. It was not fair. How come the Titans here couldn't be the ones on his planet?

"Hey! Killowat! Heads up!" Hot Spot shrieked.

"Huh?"

Donk.

…

"He's coming back…"

"Shall I shock him to revitalize him?"

"Uh, that won't be needed, Zap."

The three who spoke were Argent, Lightning, and Kole, Killowat presumed, from their garbled voices. He groaned softly, white eyes fluttering to life. The blurry voice of Bushido, who was dragged out to be their umpire by Wildebeest and Pantha, came into view with the Japanese teen's hand on Killowat's neck. He checked for a pulse when he noticed Killowat's eyes blink.

"Welcome back," Bushido greeted, kneeling closer to the electrical teen.

"What happened?" Killowat blearily asked.

"You were hit in the face by the ball I hit because you were spacing out," Pantha explained with Red Star and Wildebeest at her side. At Wildebeest's grunting whines, she replied haughtily, "He should have been looking! What idiot stands in the field and isn't prepared?"

Thunder helped Killowat sit up, checking the gruesome bruise on his right temple. "Are you certain you are feeling well?"

"Well…no, I'm…uh…" Killowat staggered to his feet, nearly bumping into Jericho and Herald. "Sorry, but I should probably get going."

"Whoa, hold up," Hot Spot commanded, taking Killowat's arm quickly. "What's up? You're acting distant. When we invited you to join our game, you were shocked. Are you all right?"

Killowat stared at the Honorary Titans, envisioning the horrific versions of them from his dimension. Inhaling a sharp breath, he wrestled his arm free from Hot Spot and apologized. He didn't belong there, not on this world which had its own small trifles, but was much more simplistic and peaceful. After all, he arrived days after Trigon took over the world, so he knew nothing of the terror the demon brought.

As Killowat walked off, a hand groped his shoulder. "What now?"

"There is no need for rudeness, my electrical counterpart," Lightning growled, instantly removing his hand. "The others are resuming their game, and we are on opposing teams so they are still even. I am concerned with you."

Killowat rolled his milky white eyes. "I know. Everyone is, apparently. I'm not from here, Lightning. I don't belong here."

"Of course! You do not belong here as you do not know this world! This is a strange, new planet in your eyes," Lightning reasoned, pulling Killowat aside into the vacant student parking lot. "Listen, my mortal friend, my brother and I do not belong in this realm, but here we are. Playing an amusing game with you all. We believe the humans, the full humans, that is, to bee odd, but-"

"But nothing! Lightning, I'm sorry, but you live in the clouds! You're still part of this world! I'm from a war-torn place that's always filled with death! All of your life, you were Lightning, but I wasn't. I wasn't always Killowat. I had a family, and my name Charlie, but not anymore. I was normal, but then I was born into hell!" Killowat screamed, shocking the demigod into rare silence. "And you know what? I don't wanna go back! I wanna stay here!" He stopped, suddenly ashamed of his ranting and looked down. "Oh, man, I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put all of that on you."

Lightning hesitated, but blankly nodded. "It is satisfactory and understandable. If Lightning were in your world, well, I would feel the same." Lightning chortled into his palm, winking. "Fear not, Killowat, if your comrades are as strong as you are, your world will be fine."

"Oh! Yes! Homerun from Jericho!" Argent jeered from the game.

"Red Star, you suck at pitching!" Herald shouted.

"Leave me alone! It is not my fault Pantha keeps flirting with me!" Red Star snapped furiously as the electrical Titans watched the mute guitarist skip around the bases and wave to a dumbfounded Gnarrk.

"Pantha! Stop flirting with him!" Herald ordered.

"He likes it, though!" Pantha argued, snickering. "You like it, right, Red Star?"

Red Star stopped talking, looking at the very interesting dirt with a large blush on his face.

"…I had no idea Jericho could swing a bat," Killowat admitted as they looked down to the baseball that rolled to their feet.

"It seems our silent friend has hidden talents," Lightning mused, picking up the ball. Throwing it up in his hands a few times, Lightning gazed at Killowat with his forlornness tangible in the air. "You are still unwell."

"Personally, I do want to stay here, but I can't leave my friends alone with the Terror Titans." Killowat paused, scratching his colorful head shyly. "Am I making sense?"

"No…but you are. This world is nice, but you still feel for your old life."

"My friends could be dead. The Terror Titans could have-"

"Speak no more! Why not ask the trumpeter for his assistance?"

"The Herald? What do you mean?"

Lightning smirked. "His trumpet does not play music. It allows him to transport between dimensions, other worlds, as well."

"Are you saying-?"

"Ask, and you shall receive, Killowat," he stated with a sly grin. Heading back to the field where Herald just lost to Argent's team, and he was ranting about how much his team sucked, Lightning stopped. Glancing back to him, he sneered, "Oh, and thank you for defeating Overload after my humiliating defeat during the Brotherhood of Evil charade."

"Dude, I lost to the Puppet King and Control Freak. Don't feel too bad," Killowat reassured, catching up to him.

Both laughed, watching a fed-up Red Star and Hot Spot hang Herald up by his hood on the flagpole for his nagging and bossy attitude. Thunder, noticing his brother's return, joyfully explained the game and Jericho's miraculous homerun. Noting Killowat as she came over, Argent asked if he was feeling better.

"Yeah, thanks. Lightning just gave me some good advice," Killowat replied with a grin.

Thunder and Argent paused, looking to each other in surprise before turning back to him. "…What?"

Lightning pouted, crossing his arms and huffed, "You do not believe that Lightning can bring about good advice?"

"Heck no," Argent sneered, rolling her eyes.

Bidding his friends farewell, Killowat watched Herald struggle to reach his trumpet. However, his Gabriel's Horn tumbled out of his cloak, and he flailed, demanding to be released, but the other Honoraries praised Jericho with Gnarrk and Thunder lifting the blond youth on their broad shoulders. Killowat approached, picking up his horn.

"Hey!" Killowat greeted, throwing up his horn to a suddenly happy Herald. "If I get you down, will you do me a favor?"

Herald nodded, and Killowat began climbing up the pole as if it were a smooth tree. Pulling up Herald's hood that kept him pinned, Killowat slid back down as Herald landed on his haunches. Stretching his neck, Herald sighed pleasurably after it cracked and asked what Killowat wanted.

"Can you send me home for a little while? I need to see my friends," Killowat requested, sounding like a lost child.

Herald stared at him, watching Killowat in surprise. Opening his mouth, he took a breath and blew into his horn. The sound rippled, and a massive rip appeared in the fabric of the planet's reality. Killowat looked ahead at the bleak, dismal world filled with broken skyscrapers and a blood-covered sky. Herald winced as his world, thankful he wasn't born there. Killowat took a few steps forward and poked his hand threw before swiftly retracting it. Taking a breath, Killowat brazenly stepped through half-way before turning, still inside.

"I'm not running away from being a Teen Titan, even though I'm a Team Titan. I'll be back someday," Killowat vowed before vanishing with the portal.

"Go get 'em, Killowat," Herald muttered, smirking.