Franklin POV
The next day
I was lying in bed, completely drained. Didn't feel like going to school, hell, I fought alien robots half the night. I deserved a break. Still, after a while, I forced myself to get up, take a shower, and grab something to eat.
Since I wasn't going to school, I figured I might as well head to the base and take a look at the tech I grabbed from the robots.
But when I got there, someone was already waiting for me.
Hector.
"You should be at school," he said without looking up from the monitor.
"I was tired. Didn't feel like going," I replied.
"Tired enough to skip school, but not tired enough to come here and tinker with the killer robot parts?" he said, raising an eyebrow.
"I was tired for different reasons," I said. "Besides, it's not like I'm failing or anything. Sure, I'm not the smartest in my friend group, but I'm definitely not the dumbest either."
"Debatable," Hector muttered.
"Hurtful," I said as I walked over to my lab station, getting ready to climb into my robot and transform into Gray Matter.
"Franklin," Hector called out before I could activate the watch.
I turned to him.
"Don't get too wrapped up in the hero stuff and forget about your normal life," he said. "There has to be a balance. You can't be in two places at once."
That gave me an idea.
"…Or maybe I can," I said, smirking.
"What?"
I activated the Omnitrix and turned the dial.
"Echo Echo," I said as the transformation took hold.
I made one clone, just one.
We both looked at each other and nodded.
"One," I said.
"Two," the clone said.
"Three," we said in sync.
We both hit the Omnitrix on our chests and transformed back into our regular human forms. Now there were two of me, both completely normal-looking.
We turned to Hector.
"Now I can be in two places at once. One of me goes to school, the other handles hero stuff," I said.
Hector rubbed his temples. "That watch is basically a cheat code for being a superhero."
"It is," we both said at the same time.
"Alright, alright," he sighed. "Which one of you is going to school and which one's staying?"
Me and my clone looked at each other.
"Rock, paper, scissors?" I asked.
"Yep."
"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" we both shouted.
He picked rock. I picked paper.
"Yes!" I pumped my fist.
"Damn it," my clone groaned.
"Have fun at school," I said with a grin.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm taking the car," he muttered, walking out of the base.
I turned to my workstation and cracked my knuckles.
"Alright… let's see what secrets you spider freaks were hiding."
A couple hours later
Give me a couple of hours, and what am I doing? Upgrading Hector's suit. Again.
Now you might be thinking, "Franklin, didn't you already upgrade his suit like a dozen times? Isn't it good enough already?"
And to that I say, "Just because something works doesn't mean it cannot be improved." Learned that from a princess. Wakandan royalty, to be exact. So yeah, I added some new upgrades. I won't keep you waiting.
Hector's suit is now nanotech. Full-on, top-tier stuff. It's way tougher than the old one and packed with new features. For starters, he's got retractable metal claws now, sharp enough to cut through just about anything. The suit enhances his physical strength too, not that he really needs it, but hey, a little extra muscle never hurts.
Oh, and the best part? Even if, by some crazy chance, his suit gets damaged, the nanobots can repair it in seconds. I reverse-engineered that from the spider robots we fought. So thanks, alien murder machines, your parts went to a good cause.
Speaking of which, Atom was right about their history. I downloaded the whole thing into my system. Gonna comb through it later, see if there's anything useful buried in that data. Who knows? Maybe I'll find something game-changing.
Or at the very least, something cool enough to mess with.
Either way, back to work.
I heard footsteps coming into the base, followed by familiar voices. I glanced at the clock and realized how late it had gotten. I climbed out of my robot and transformed back into my regular form, waiting at the entrance.
A few seconds later, Ava, Courtney, Cindy, and my clone all walked in. The second they saw me, they froze.
"What the hell, Franklin?" Ava asked, eyes narrowing.
"Yes?" I replied casually.
Ava looked between me and my clone. "So… is he a robot?"
"I'm not," Clone Me said, walking over. "I'm Franklin too."
"Okay, I am completely lost. What's going on?" Courtney asked, already halfway to confusion.
I didn't answer. Instead, I just activated the Omnitrix and transformed into Echo Echo. My clone did the same. We both merged into one, then I reverted back to my regular form.
Courtney blinked. "Okay, I am seriously confused right now."
"When are you not confused?" Ava muttered.
"But I would like an explanation," Cindy chimed in.
"That was a clone of me," I explained, pointing to where he had stood. "He went to school today. Echo Echo can clone himself and shoot sonic blasts."
Courtney just shook her head. "Man, what can't you do? I feel like that watch has the answer to everything."
"Not everything," I said with a sigh. "There's one thing it can't help me with."
"And what's that?" Cindy asked.
"Finding a girlfriend."
Dead silence.
Then Cindy looked at me, completely straight-faced. "Question: That smart alien you turn into, Gray Matter, right? When you change back… does all that intelligence disappear, or does some of it stick?"
"The knowledge stays, but the extreme intelligence doesn't. Why?"
"Oh, nothing," she said, turning away like she hadn't just roasted me in 4K.
"Okay, I know I've just been verbally assaulted," I said with a smirk, "but since you're cute, I'm just gonna let that slide."
Ava rolled her eyes, grinning. "So what have you been working on all day?"
"I've been upgrading your dad's suit. It's full nanotech now," I said, wiping my hands.
"Whoa. Can you make me a suit like that?" Courtney asked, eyes lighting up.
"Sure. I'm planning to make everyone's suits nanotech eventually," I said.
"So… how was the invasion last night?" Cindy asked, leaning against the wall.
"Man, it was crazy. I've never fought that hard before. But honestly, it was pretty cool fighting alongside the Avengers and the Justice League. I'm pretty sure Iron Man's trying to recruit me."
"…What?" Cindy blinked.
"What did you say to him?" Courtney asked, sounding halfway to offended.
"I told him I'm doing my own thing," I shrugged.
Ava stared at me. "Are you crazy? I'm pretty sure every other hero would kill to join the Avengers!"
"Not me," Courtney said confidently. "I'd personally love to join the Justice League."
"If I'm being honest," Cindy chimed in, "I don't care which team it is. As long as Courtney's on it."
"Aww, you really love me!" Courtney said, hugging Cindy with a smile.
"More like I don't trust anyone else to watch your back… or to stop you from doing anything stupid," Cindy replied dryly.
"Haha, man… I love you guys' dynamic," I said, grinning at both of them.
"But anyway," I said, stretching a little, "I'm honestly thinking about starting my own team."
"Really?" Ava looked surprised.
"Yeah. I mean, I've already got a solid start. I've got the future White Tiger," I nodded at Ava, "future Starman, or Stargirl, I guess, depending on Courtney's mood, and another badass hero who's got crazy mad skills and literal daggers in her body."
"They're more like blades," Cindy corrected, "and I can heal. Don't forget that part."
"Exactly. I'm off to a great start. I just need a few more members. Shouldn't be too hard," I said, feeling optimistic.
"What are you gonna name this team of yours?" Courtney asked, curious.
"No clue yet. I'll think about it once we get enough people. Honestly, I'd rather decide as a team. Makes it feel more official, you know?"
"Well, if you are making a team, I'd be happy to be a part of it," Ava said with a smile. "You know I'll follow you anywhere."
I smiled back. "Glad to hear that. Especially coming from one of my best friends. Speaking of which… where was Yolanda today? I didn't see her in any of my clone's school memories."
"I dunno," Ava said. "I think she was sick. I was gonna check on her after I finished training."
"You guys can stay here and train. Ted should be here any minute," I said. "I'll go check on Yolanda myself."
"Yeah, okay," Ava nodded.
Yolanda POV
I stared at the mirror, but the reflection staring back… wasn't me. Not really. Not the girl I've always been.
What looked back was something else, something new.
Black fur now covered parts of my face. My eyes, once brown and soft, were sharp and slitted like a predator's—like a cat. My ears had shifted, too, pointed and perched high on my head like I belonged in a jungle, not a bedroom. My hair had grown longer overnight, wild and untamed. And when I opened my mouth, I saw them, fangs. Not just sharp teeth. Fangs.
My hands trembled as I lifted them up, but they weren't just hands anymore. They were claws, actual claws. Curved, sharp, deadly. I clenched my fists and looked down at myself.
I didn't know what triggered it. Something happened last night, something inside me just… woke up. Changed.
I wasn't just Yolanda Montez anymore.
I was a mutant.
A cat-like human hybrid. A walking, talking reminder that my life would never be normal again.
"Yolanda, can you please come out of your room? You've been in there all day," my mom said from behind the door.
"No," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Baby, please. It's going to be okay. We can talk about this… as a family," she said, her voice soft, patient.
There was a pause. Then she added gently, "Just know your family is here. We're going to figure this out together. We love you, mutant or not."
I heard her footsteps as she walked away. That's another thing now—my senses are insane. I could hear her heart beating as she stepped down the hallway. I can hear everything.
And yet, all I want to do is block it all out.
I haven't stepped out of my room since last night. I'm too scared. Too ashamed. I know my family knows… but I don't want them to see me like this. I don't want anyone to see me like this.
Especially not Franklin.
I know him. I know he's not the type to judge. He wouldn't care if I was a mutant or an alien or half a robot, but this? This is different. I look like a monster. How could anyone love something like this?
I curled up in my bed and pulled the covers over my head, trying to hide from the world, even if just for a little while. And as quiet tears rolled down my face, I thought about all the things I wanted to say to Franklin but never got the chance to.
Now I probably never will.
Tony Stark POV
I'm at Avengers Tower, sitting in another one of our long meetings. This time, the hot topic is the Inhumans. Yeah, those guys. We've known about them for years, met with their king, Black Bolt, had a few awkward dinner parties. The usual.
But now things are heating up because they want to move… to Earth.
Apparently, living on the moon isn't working out anymore. Their food supply is running low, and they need a place where things actually grow, like, you know, Earth. So, they reached out asking for help. They want to relocate.
Here's the problem: the U.S. government, and let's be honest, probably every other one too, doesn't like the idea. Not because of food or space or any real issue, but because the Inhumans are powerful. Like really powerful. And they have a king, which apparently makes people even more nervous.
Now, the government's in panic mode. They don't want superpowered moon people showing up and messing with their already fragile sense of control. But let's be real, they might not have a choice. The Inhumans have to come to Earth. It's either that or let them starve, and I'm not signing up for that PR disaster.
So, the Avengers have been going back and forth trying to figure out how we can help without making things worse. Some of the team thinks we should be the ones to mediate between them and the governments. Others think we should focus on keeping things peaceful once they do arrive.
Me? I just want to avoid another alien invasion scenario, except this time, the aliens used to be human. Great. Just what we need.
"Tony, are you even listening?" Steve asked, clearly annoyed.
"Mmh? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking," I replied, leaning back in my chair.
Natasha narrowed her eyes at me. "Mind explaining what the self-proclaimed smartest man in the world was thinking about?"
"Well," I said, "I was thinking this whole meeting is kind of a waste of time."
Steve gave me that disappointed look he always saves just for me. "Tony, do you not grasp how serious this situation is?"
"I do, Steve. But let's be honest, no matter what we say or do, we all know how this is gonna end."
Clint raised an eyebrow. "Alright then, genius, go ahead, tell us how it ends."
"Gladly." I leaned forward, hands steepled. "Even if, by some miracle, we convince every government in the world to let the Inhumans stay in one place, they're not going to leave them alone. You know how this goes. They'll start poking around, trying to 'understand' them, maybe kidnap a few, run some shady experiments, just like they've done with mutants."
The room went quiet.
"And when that happens?" I added, "It's war. Because there's no way Black Bolt's letting his people be lab rats."
"So you're saying, no matter what, it ends in all-out war?" Bruce asked, frowning.
"Yup, unless…" I smirked. "We build them their own city. Right here. In New York."
"What?!" the entire room echoed.
"Jarvis," I said, and a hologram popped up on the table. A sleek, futuristic city surrounded by water appeared.
"We build them a city off the coast of New York, like an artificial island. High tech, self-sustaining, heavily defended. It puts them close enough that we can keep an eye on things, and the government stays off their backs, knowing we're overseeing it. Everybody wins."
Natasha crossed her arms. "You really think that's going to work? Not to mention it would take years to build something like that."
"And let's not forget the people of New York," Clint added. "Pretty sure they won't be thrilled about a bunch of superpowered moon people moving in next door."
"Valid points. But lucky for you…" I grinned. "The city's already built."
"What?" Natasha said, blinking.
"Side project," I said, smug. "Figured one day the Inhumans would want to come down here, so I thought ahead."
Bruce leaned back, muttering, "Of course you did."
"As for public opinion," I continued, "we just need to ease the citizens into it. A solid PR campaign, some media finesse, and luckily, I know the perfect guy for the job."
"Let me guess," Bruce said dryly, "he's got a goatee?"
"Though I'm flattered you'd think of me, nah. I was thinking about our very own Star-Spangled sweetheart over there."
Steve looked up sharply. "What?"
"Oh, come on, Cap. You're the obvious choice. People trust you. You've got that whole calm, inspirational thing going on. You go on the news, give them the speech, explain the stakes, remind them who the good guys are, and boom. Problem solved."
Steve looked around the room like he was hoping someone would bail him out.
No one did.
Steve sighed."All right… I guess I'm doing this. But I think we could use a little help from the Justice League."
"Seriously? Why?" I raised an eyebrow. "We don't need them. We can handle this ourselves. Honestly, we're way better than them."
"Tony," Steve said, "it's not about which team's better. It's about the Inhumans, and I think Superman could help. Big time. He's trusted, and he's an alien himself. He'd help the world understand."
"Putting the two biggest Boy Scouts in one room might actually work in our favor," Natasha added. "Together, you and Superman might just convince not just New York, but the entire world."
"Fine, fine," I muttered, rubbing my temples. "You're right… But let's just leave Batman out of it. I don't like that guy."
Steve groaned. "Tony, you really need to let that go. That was years ago."
"He called me a rich little boy playing hero," I said, offended all over again. "And even though we don't know who he really is, we all know he's rich, too. I mean, how else does he afford all that high-tech stuff? And let's not forget—he hacked JARVIS. And my armor."
"Yes, but that was in the past. You've upgraded since then. I highly doubt he can get into your systems now," Steve said.
"Yeah, well… I'm not letting it go until I get my payback. But you're right about one thing, I doubt he can hack me again." I leaned back with a smug smile.
Batman POV
Think again, Stark.
I heard everything. Every word the Avengers just said.
I'm inside Stark's systems again.
And I'm not impressed.
Aliens living on Earth is one thing, but placing them right next to civilians? Risky. Dangerous. Short-sighted.
I don't like it. But I'll be watching.
Closely.
Franklin POV
I finally made it to Yolanda's house. Man, that drive was brutal, and traffic was horrible. But hey, I'm here now.
I walked up to the door and knocked. Her mom answered.
"Hi, Ms. Montez. I just came to check on Yolanda, she wasn't at school today," I said.
"Franklin, it's good to see you, as always, but… It's not really a good time right now," she said, giving me one of those nervous mom smiles.
Okay. That was weird.
"Oh… is she sick or something? I can keep my distance. I just wanted to make sure she's okay," I added.
"She's not sick… it's her time of the month."
"Oh. Got it." I nodded.
"Yeah, she doesn't want any visitors right now, but I'll tell her you stopped by to check on her," Ms. Montez said quickly.
"Alright. Thanks, Ms. Montez. I'll bring chocolate tomorrow then." I gave her a thumbs-up before she gently closed the door.
I headed back to my car like I was leaving… but let's be real, I wasn't going anywhere. I pulled around the corner and parked a little down the street.
Now, you might be thinking, "Franklin, just leave her alone, man." But nah. I know Yolanda. I've known her for years. I know her cycles. That wasn't it. Her mom was lying.
You can call me weird if you want, but they all know I know.
I made my way to the side of the house. Her room's on the second floor, but there's a tree right next to it, like the universe wanted me to break and enter. And her window? Always unlocked. Don't ask me why. I've told her a million times to fix that.
I climbed up the tree like I'd done it a hundred times before, because I have, and eased the window open.
Let's see what's really going on.
I couldn't see Yolanda. She was wrapped up tight under the covers, and for some reason, the room was darker than usual. No lights, curtains drawn, like the whole world was on pause in here.
"Yolanda," I whispered.
"…Franklin?" Her voice came back soft, almost shaky.
"Yeah, it's me. And if you're wondering how I got in here… you really need to stop leaving your window unlocked," I said, trying to lighten the mood.
But she didn't laugh. She didn't even move. She had her back to me, still bundled under the blanket like she was trying to disappear.
"Franklin, please… just leave," she said again, quieter this time.
Her voice it didn't sound like her. Not just the tone. Something about it felt off, like it wasn't just sadness or exhaustion. There was something else going on.
"I will… I promise. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. And from the sound of your voice…" I paused, "I don't think you are."
She didn't say anything.
"Yolanda, talk to me," I said, stepping closer. I sat gently on the edge of her bed, then reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "Whatever it is… I'm here. Always. Just let me in."
There was a long silence before she spoke again, and when she did… her voice broke.
"Franklin, please… you can't see me right now."
"Yolanda, please talk to me. You know I'm always here for you," I said gently.
She didn't respond right away. Just silence. But eventually, the covers shifted, and she slowly sat up.
At first, I noticed small things, her ears… they weren't in the usual place. They were perched on top of her head, twitching slightly. Her hair looked longer, too. I barely had time to process it before she turned to face me completely.
And that's when I saw her eyes. They were sharp, golden, feline. Her hands were tipped with claws, and she looked like something out of a comic book… or a nightmare.
"Whoa," I said, blinking.
"It happened last night. And I can't even change back. I've been trying all day, but nothing works. I think I'm stuck like this forever," Yolanda said, her voice cracking. "I'm a monster."
"And I'm pregnant," I replied instantly.
"…What?" she said, confused.
"Oh, sorry. I thought we were saying things that were completely impossible." I leaned in a bit. "Because there is no way Yolanda Montez could ever be a monster. I've seen monsters, and trust me, you're nothing like them. You're too beautiful. Too kind. Too real."
She blinked, surprised, maybe even a little caught off guard by how fast I said it.
"You… still think I'm beautiful?" she asked quietly.
I reached up and cupped her face, my thumb brushing gently across her cheek.
"Yolanda, I've thought you were beautiful since the day we met. Doesn't matter if you're a mutant or a worm, I'm always gonna think that."
Her eyes widened. I could see her thinking, hesitating, but then she leaned in and kissed me. And yeah… I was surprised. But I didn't waste time. I kissed her back.
(Thank God I popped that mint earlier.)
We kissed for a few seconds, slow at first… then things started heating up. She pushed me back onto the bed, climbed on top, and kissed me harder. My hands instinctively moved to her waist… then a little lower. I gave her ass a light squeeze.
That's when we heard the knock.
We both froze instantly.
"Yolanda, I made you a sandwich. You haven't eaten all day. May I come in and give it to you?" her mom called from the hallway.
Yolanda's eyes widened in panic. Good thing her door was locked, because if her mom had walked in just then, I'd probably be jumping out the window and running for my life.
"No thanks, Mom. I'm… not really hungry right now," Yolanda called back quickly.
"Okay, sweetie. I'll just leave it outside your door in case you change your mind."
We stayed silent until her footsteps faded down the hall. Then I looked up at Yolanda.
"I love your mom. But I'm also 90% sure she'd pack a Bible in one hand and a taser in the other if she walked in on this."
Yolanda laughed quietly. "You have no idea."
We both laughed quietly after that. Yolanda was still on top of me, and I was just about to say something flirty when something clicked in my head, the Omnitrix.
I remembered something. It wasn't just for transformations. The Omnitrix had a function that could repair DNA… fix mutations, at least the ones that were unstable or deformed. And if Yolanda's transformation was a result of a mutation in her genes, maybe… just maybe…
"Yolanda," I said, my voice suddenly more serious.
"Yeah?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, still sitting on me. Definitely thinking I was about to say something romantic.
"I need to tell you something."
"What is it?" she leaned in closer, lips parted, yeah, she was expecting round two of kissing.
"I'm a superhero," I blurted.
She leaned back, blinking. "…What?"
"I'm not just any superhero. I'm Omni."
Her eyes widened. "What?"
"And I think I can help you."
"What?!"
"Omnitrix… do your thing."
The symbol on my wrist lit up with a flash of bright green, casting the whole room in a glow. Yolanda and I both closed our eyes as it activated. I felt a pulse of energy release around us, and when I opened my eyes again… there she was.
Back to normal.
Yolanda blinked and looked at her hands. Then she ran to the mirror. Her ears were back to normal, her eyes were human again, and her claws were gone. She looked completely herself.
She turned her head side to side, touching her face in disbelief.
"I'm gonna be real with you," I said, standing up. "I was only 90% sure that was gonna work."
She turned to face me. "What just happened?!"
"Okay, now, I was gonna tell you eventually… but I think you should sit down. 'Cause what I'm about to tell you? It's a lot."
Yolanda nodded, still stunned, and sat down on the edge of her bed.
So I told her everything.
About the Omnitrix.
About how I've been a superhero for a little while now. How Ava, Courtney, and Cindy were training, too. I even showed her the fake message that I made. Then I explained that it didn't turn her back into a human, because she still is one, but instead stabilized her DNA. Gave her control.
She can still transform into her cat form whenever she wants, but now she's in control. Not the mutation. Her.
"Oh, and one more thing," I added. "Your Godfather? Yeah… he's kind of a superhero too."
Yolanda looked at me like she was trying to wake up from a dream. "You're telling me… that not only are you a superhero with a watch that turns you into aliens… but you fixed my DNA, gave me control over my powers, and also I've apparently got a Godfather in the superhero club too?"
"Yup," I said, popping the P.
She was silent for a second. Then she smiled a little. "Okay. I think I need to sit down again."
"You're already sitting."
"I know. I need to double sit."
We both laughed, and for the first time all day, Yolanda looked like she could breathe again.
"Sooo," I said, glancing at Yolanda.
"Sooo," she echoed, raising an eyebrow.
"Are we gonna talk about the kiss?" I asked.
"I was hoping we were," she said, not even looking shy about it.
"Cool. So I should probably start by asking, when did you start having feelings for me? And don't say you don't," I added quickly, pointing at her. "There was definitely love behind that kiss. I know what love tastes like, thank God I had a mint."
She looked at me like I'd just grown another head.
"I've been flirting with you for a month, Franklin. Month. Not just me, Ava too. You just never picked up on it because you're too dense."
I blinked. "Okay, hold up. First of all, I'm a dude. You gotta tell us directly if you like us. We don't want to mistake friendliness for flirting, because that just gets awkward for everyone. And second… Ava likes me too?!"
"Yes. We both do," she said, looking at me like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Oh God, this is one of those clichés where I have to choose, isn't it?" I groaned, already imagining the pain of losing one of them over a misunderstanding.
"No."
"…No?" I blinked.
Yolanda smiled, kind of like she was waiting to drop the biggest plot twist of my life. "Frankie, remember that time I came to you all annoyed because me and Ava were arguing over a guy?"
"Yeah…"
"Well, that guy was you. And after I talked to you, I went to talk to her. We had a long conversation and, uh… we came to an agreement." She reached out and took my hand.
I had a feeling my life was about to change forever.
"We both love you. And we both want to be with you. And we're willing to share."
"Say what now?" I said, wondering if I'd just glitched out of reality.
"Franklin, we want to date you. Together."
I just sat there for a second.
Then I whispered the only thing that made sense."Oh my God. Both of your dads are gonna kill me."
Yolanda laughed. "They're not going to kill you, Franklin. They like you."
"They like me as a friend. They love you guys. And once they find out I'm dating both of their daughters, they're gonna team up, shotgun in each hand, and hunt me down like a stray dog."
"So… are you saying you don't want to date us?" she said, narrowing her eyes.
"I didn't say that," I said quickly, holding up both hands. "I'm just saying that when we tell your families… please let me know ahead of time so I can wear a bulletproof vest and maybe set up a fake identity to escape the country if needed."
She laughed and threw her arms around me, hugging me tight. I hugged her back, but in my head, I was dead serious. I needed to start looking into riot shields, because two angry dads with shotguns were definitely in my future.
But I didn't care.
Because somehow, some way, two of my best friends are in love with me.
Best. Day. Ever.
(Minus the future gunfire.)
The next day
After the whole Yolanda situation got handled, I ended up going home. She wanted to tell her family she could control her powers now, keeping my involvement with the Omnitrix a secret, for now. I didn't mind. This was her story to tell, and I trusted her.
Today, after school, I plan to show her the base. She deserves to know everything now, especially since she already knows I'm Omni. And yeah… me and Yolanda also want to tell Ava that I know how they both feel about me now.
Still can't believe that's a real sentence.
And if I'm being honest, it did come out of nowhere for me. I know some people might say, "Oh come on, Franklin. They were flirting with you forever." But let me remind you of something important: I was alone in Thalorion Realm for 30,000 years.
Thirty. Thousand. Years.
You try maintaining normal human social skills after being mentored by a cosmic war god who looks like he eats stars for breakfast. My people-reading skills are a little… rusty, okay?
So no, I'm not a "dense idiot," I'm just humble enough not to assume two beautiful girls were fighting over me. I've seen how the universe works. Assuming stuff usually ends with lasers, betrayal, or a sentient time-traveling crab trying to steal your bones.
But now that I know? Yeah. This might be the luckiest thing that's ever happened to me.
Let's be honest, though. There's no way this gets crazier. I mean, come on, I'm not about to get a harem or anything.
I was heading to Yolanda's house to pick her up, and she texted me saying it was okay for her to go to school today. No idea how she convinced her parents to let her out of the house after yesterday, but hey, it's Yolanda. If anyone can do the impossible, it's her.
I pulled up in front of her house and gave two quick honks. She came out smiling, slid into the passenger seat, and we kissed, just a quick one, but still enough to leave my heart doing flips.
Then we drove off to Ava's.
Now, I'm not gonna lie, I was nervous. Really nervous. My stomach was doing cartwheels the whole drive. Because today's the day everything changes.
I pulled up in front of Ava's house and honked. She came out, jumped in the backseat, and looked around, confused when I didn't immediately start driving.
"What's going on? Why aren't we moving?" Ava asked.
I turned around to face her. "Okay… so, something happened yesterday. And it's kinda hard to explain, lots of details, a whole dramatic emotional arc, and everything."
"Okay?" she said cautiously.
"I've been debating how to say it. Like, should I give you the full story? Or just… rip the bandage off and say it straight?"
"Okaay?" she repeated, slower this time.
And before I could finish, Yolanda cut in.
"Oh my God, he knows," she said.
Ava blinked. "He knows?"
"He knows," Yolanda said again, louder.
Ava's eyes widened. "Ohhh… he knows."
I nodded. "Yes. I know. I know both of you like me. And I know you both want to be with me."
"Finally!" Ava shouted, then leaned forward and kissed me hard.
I kissed her back, just as intensely. When we broke apart, she looked right into my eyes.
"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do that."
"From what I've heard? A month," I said.
"Oh baby, years," Ava said.
"What? And Yolanda, you waited too?"
They both smiled and said in unison, "We love you."
I turned back toward the road and finally started driving. "Okay. Yup. I'm definitely going to die a terrible death."
"What?" Yolanda asked.
"Why would you say that?" Ava added.
"Because," I sighed. "Not only did I somehow bag two beautiful women, but apparently, you've both been waiting on me for years. I just used up all my luck. In this life and the next hundred. I'm definitely gonna die a terrible death. Like, tragic backstory levels of death."
They both burst out laughing.
I wasn't joking.
Later that day
I was sitting at lunch with all my friends and my new girlfriends. Yeah, plural. I'm still trying to wrap my head around that myself. And now I had to tell everyone.
To be honest, I was nervous as hell. I mean, put yourself in my shoes. You're sitting at a table with some of your closest friends, trying to casually drop the bomb that you're now dating two of the most badass and beautiful girls in school. Yeah. Exactly. The heart is doing backflips.
I took a deep breath, stood up slightly, and spoke loud enough to get their attention.
"Hey guys," I said.
They all looked up.
I swallowed and just… said it.
"Me, Ava, and Yolanda are dating now."
There was a pause, just a second of silence, then:
"Dammit," said Cindy M, Peter, Ned, Courtney, Kamala, and Betty in unison, all pulling out $20 bills.
"YES!" shouted MJ1 and Cindy B, high-fiving.
"…The fuck?" I said, blinking.
MJ1 smirked. "We had a bet on how long it'd take for you three to finally get together."
"And we just won, so y'all better pay up," Cindy B said, holding her hand out to the losers like a damn mob boss.
"You bet on us?" Ava asked, half-laughing.
"The fuck," I muttered again, still processing.
"Pretty wild that we lost," Ned mumbled, handing over his cash.
"Hey, what did you expect? Franklin's unpredictable," Yolanda said with a smug smile.
"AGAIN, the fuck?" I said.
Everyone laughed.
And honestly? Even though I was still completely floored, it felt kind of nice.
…Still. I'm gonna have to make sure no one starts betting on when we're getting engaged. That's just asking for chaos.