H.O.M.E. 18
by
Fin
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A "council" of their own was called that night in The Blade's headquarters after the announcement that day that shook The Core to its very self. There was a way to return to their home universes! Or so the rulers of Outer Ring City claimed. All the alien leaders required to accomplish this extraordinary feat, the temporary use of the Umons they had been cloning for their citizens for nearly an entire century. Why that would be though... was one of the primary reasons for the emergency discussion.
"It just makes no sense," said Slim as he sat at the meeting room table in the converted V.I.B. Lounge. "There is just no way these mere boys can return us to our native dimensions. It has to be some sort of trick!"
The Slime Lord then turned to Sammy, whom nominally had been elected by them all to serve as representative for his clone brothers.
"Or do you have some sort of physics defying secret you would like to share with us?"
Before the lad could respond, James however interjected.
"You don't have to answer him," said the soldier, squeezing Sammy's arm in support. "You don't work for him anymore."
"And who says that?" retorted the violet blob man angrily.
"I do," answered Franklin Blade decisively, daring Slim to make an issue of it any further. "If the boy knew anything he would have said it by now, isn't that right?"
"Of course Franklin," said Sammy respectfully to the man whom he had oddly enough recently halted calling "Daddy" out of the sheer bizarreness of the whole situation. That seemed to be a word reserved for his former clients, or actually even more strangely enough for his brother James, than one to be used for his own sort of father. Whatever it was, "Franklin" was the name the boy now used to address the man whom had journeyed to an entirely different dimension just in order to save him.
Turning toward his former master, the one the blonde lad had even more unofficial names for, all of them far less kind, Sammy continued once more.
"Though I do feel my memory might be a bit better if I had more to drink," said the boy holding up his glass. "Slim?"
"Why you ungrateful..." began The Slime Lord with a snarl before being silenced by a laser like glare from Franklin so equally deadly it could have melted the walls directly behind the alien's head.
Taking the hint once more, and clearing his throat, Slim continued again back on topic.
"What's important here... is that the only thing these clones have ever had any use for... is to harvest Fever. I would remember! I was here when their line was introduced!" explained the extremely long lived alien. "Perhaps it is some sort of ploy to tank our Stims after they failed to acquire a source of their own. Maybe they've even developed a new strain to out compete our own!"
"Or not," replied James shaking his head. "Not everything is about your business, Slim. We really don't know anything about what the council intends here. We need to find out more."
"Agreed," said his father. "Until then I want all the lads in our custody to stay inside the club. Who knows what might start to go on out there."
The Council's announcement had ended with instructions to their citizens on how to donate their Sam's time. And of course a detailed explanation of the fines and penalties they would incur if they refused. The aliens were to hand off the clones at specifically designated sites across Outer Ring City, to be returned some hours later at the same location. Whatever the rulers of the metropolis wanted with the humans, Franklin did not want to lose any of the boys he considered already "rescued" by having them caught alone and vulnerable on the streets of the city.
So it was an unwelcome surprise, to say the least, when Sammy next announced he intended to do the exact opposite.
"I'm actually going to volunteer," said the boy bravely, knowing his plan was about to be vehemently rejected by many of those at the table.
His sort of family turned to face him, their face's masks of shock.
"Are you crazy?" and "I absolutely forbid it," were the two responses the boy received from James and Franklin respectively, just as expected.
Slim for his part, only shrugged.
"It's the only way to find out what's going on," replied the lad to the two that cared. "And more importantly, neither of you can stop me."
"Want to bet?" said James, extremely not liking how adamant his new boyfriend was with his plan.
"You think you can take me?" responded Sammy, his manicured eyebrows raised.
"Repeatedly, if I need to," answered his older brother suggestively, albeit no less seriously.
"So you have a better idea then?" chimed in the soldier's alien not uncle. "Because I really don't hear too many other choices being offered, boy. Or do you want to find out what The Council has in store for them at the time of their choosing?"
James got to his feet, outraged that the idea was still even being discussed.
"It is just not happening!" yelled the lieutenant at his "family" so loudly that Franklin was finally forced to intercede.
"Son... maybe Slim is actually right," said the admiral, his notoriously cool head having quickly weighed the options again, finding them meager indeed.
"I can't believe I'm hearing this!" exclaimed the besotten lad. "We are not risking Sam!"
The room fell silent.
Sammy then got to his feet as well, and took his best friend's hand.
"James... it's okay. I can do this."
"No," said the teary eyed soldier. "I can't lose you again."
"You never have, and you're never going to," said the blonde teenagerish, as he forced his boyfriend to once more take his seat, wiping the tears from his cheeks. "Who knew you were such the baby?"
"Do you have any more to your plan?" asked Franklin after the room had taken some time to recollect itself.
"Yes, actually," said the blonde boy, rolling his eyes that it had actually taken so much time to come up. "You should know... that I won't be going alone."