Disclaimer: Welcome to Relentless - Part 9. Clearly I don’t own the characters from the Powerless universe. I just wanted to play in this world. There are a few OCs. I couldn’t accept Kitt’s fate so I’m writing this AU story to get this out of my head. Warnings: I’m expecting this story to take some dark turns and may have some adult content along the way.
Later that night Dani walks into the kitchen five minutes before nine. She likes to pad her time so she's rarely late. But it seems Kitt has already arrived. He’s pulling bowls out of the cabinets when he sees her. “What are we baking tonight?” Dani asks.
Kitt shrugs, "I don't know. Any preferences?”
“Chocolate.” Dani responds without missing a beat.
Suddenly Kitt seems uneasy. “We can try. But if I'm being honest the last time I tried baking anything it wasn't edible. Eggshells wound up in it.” He thinks briefly to the time he baked with Mara, Death. But he quickly shakes his head. He wants to stay present with Dani. Just like what Kanshin talked about today. Staying in the moment. Not the ‘what if’.
“Don't worry. I got this.” Dani says with full confidence. She starts to rummage through the pantry for the ingredients she'll need for a chocolate lava cake. She moves fluidly, Kitt notices, like a dancing flame.
“I thought you liked honey cakes.” Kitt says. Curiosity strikes his features and knits is brow slightly.
“I do… like honey cakes. But I love chocolate. Especially caramel chocolates.” Once she has all the ingredients on the counter she gets to work measuring and pouring. Kitt helps along the way at her direction.
Once the cakes are in the oven they sit down at the table with the mixing bowl. They sit quietly as they scrape at the little batter that's stuck around the edges of the bowl. “So, you know how to bake.” Kitt observes.
“I know how to do a lot of things.” Dani says as she swipes her finger in the bowl. Kitt can't help but track her finger has she brings it to her mouth and sucks the batter off. Then she pulls her bottom lip in with her teeth to lick the small bit that missed her mouth. Kitt finds himself taking a breath and holding it before he tears his gaze away. Then he realizes she's talking again. “Like I told Kai in the sparring ring today, I dabble.” And that she does. Baking just happens to be a less deadly hobby.
Not too long after the timer dings. They remove the cakes and lets them cool slightly. Dani pulls out a piece of paper and starts writing a note to Gail that's says, Gail. Warm and enjoy. Dani. Kitt grabs the pen, adds his name and writes, No eggshells this time. Promise. Dani chuckles when she reads it before placing the note with the extra cakes from their batch.
They clean up what they didn't get to while the cakes baked. Kitt stoops down beneath one of the counters and pulls out a blanket and says, “I was hoping we could enjoy these outside, while there are still some warm nights?”
Dani feels her cheeks heat but then says as she widens her eyes, “this is starting to feel like a date.”
“It’s not…” he sighs. “You know, I'm starting to think you're a little spit fire. You always seem to have a comeback lined up.” His tone is playful as he shakes his head at her. Heck, the smile on his face practically reaches his eyes.
“Oh, you have no idea.” She says smiling. “Let's go before these cool down too much.”
They quickly get outside to the garden, spread out the blanket, and dig into their cakes. The chocolate flows out as they break open the cakes. After a few bites Kitt says, “Don't tell Gail but this might be a new favorite.”
They both laugh before Dani replies, “Your treasonous secret is safe with me.”
They continue eating to the sounds of crickets in the surrounding gardens. “You really do like it here, in the gardens, don't you?” Dani asks.
“I do.” Kitt says. “I can clear my mind here the most.” Dani just nods. His facial expression turns more troubled.
“What is it?” Dani asks. Kitt shifts to lie down on the blanket. Dani places both their plates to the side before joining him. They're arms touch ever so lightly.
“I keep thinking about the session with Kanshin today. I don’t know if I can stay present. There is so much I want to do for Ilya and that requires me to think of the ‘what ifs’. And to top that off I feel like I'm at a loss now.”
“How so?” Dani asks. Kitt notices her curiosity but then the dark thoughts return.
“I thought I had it all figured out. A way to even the playing field so no one felt lesser than,” he explains.
“By subjecting the other kingdoms to the Plague.” It’s more of a statement than a question. She learned what had happened from Kai. It’s clear Kitt is a bit stunned that she knows. If she knows then why is she still here lying beside a monster? “My gut tells me that would have only brought more trouble to your door step.”
Kitt blinks. Confused. “How? I would have ruled over it all.” His voice isn’t biting but cautious. He’s now afraid of what she thinks of him. And that’s the problem: he hardly knows anything that she thinks.
“There will always be someone craving power. Status. Clawing for it. Whether we’re all Elites or not. It would have given the other kingdoms just as much fire power so to speak to fight over who would rule it all. And what if the way to even the playing field is to let Elite abilities die out?” The last part leaves her lips a bit sharp.
Kitt rolls to his side to face Dani, propped up on his elbow. “Why would you think that?” He sounds a bit offended.
She looks at him as her voice turns stern. “Because we're clearly the unnatural ones. Maybe our bodies were never meant to have this much power. Hell, Kitt a second dose almost killed you! Besides, exposing kingdoms to a plague that alters them is basically biological warfare. It would kill hundreds of thousands. Children, too.” That last piece hits Kitt in a way it hasn’t before. His mind had become too clouded with the plague; it never occurred to him. And he hates that.
“I wanted to be remembered for being great. Better than my father. And I just didn’t want anyone else to feel like I do.” It’s barely a whisper. Dani holds her tongue. Kitt continues, “Alone. Useless. Weak. I always envied Kai for being able to get out of the castle, being able to see our kingdom. Meanwhile, I sat around waiting to be useful.”
Feeling brazen Dani continues, “I know you want to leave a mark on the world and prove you’re better than your father. But what is the point if you feel alone?” She pauses, shifts her gaze to the stars then says, “We also don’t control how history remembers us. Hell, you could erase your father if you really wanted to. So, it really doesn’t matter. From what I’ve experienced so far, very little does.”
The last statement stings Kitt’s chest. He didn’t expect that. “That’s pretty morbid,” Kitt tries a bit of humor. Dani hardly reacts. She just stares up at the stars. “Well, if I’m going to find a better approach at doing any good in this world that will last, I’ll need advisors I can trust. Would you consider being one of them?”
She glances at this, “Me?” she asks with a quizzical look on her face.
“Yes, you.” He pokes her arm. “It’s odd but I find it easy to talk to you. And you clearly won’t tip toe around me.” He smiles at her. He didn’t expect it to be easy to talk to anyone after everything in the past few months. Yet he feels tugged towards her. Why?
“I can’t.” She practically chokes on her words.
“Why not?” Kitt’s voice is a bit alarmed. Dani sits up now and rubs the back of her neck and winces. Kitt notices and sits up as well then asks, “are you ok?”
“I’m fine. Just a neck ache.” Dani lies. But it’s to protect him. He can’t know what she is. What she does. “I can’t because I'm a liability.” Truth. Well, kind of. He’s better off letting me go, she thinks. At this point she can’t look him in the eyes. Those green eyes that feel like a forest she wants to get lost in.
“I don’t understand.” Kitt says with concern. “Are you in trouble? Does it have something to do with not feeling safe?” She laughs internally. Does it ever. “Dani, whatever it is, let me help.”
“I’ll be ok. I really don't want to talk about it.” There’s a long uncomfortable pause before she says, “it’s getting late. I think I’m ready to turn in for the night.” Kitt struggles with her shortness with him but he accepts her desire to call it night. The walk back is awkward. Dani just wants to run and hide after how she ended their conversation. Kitt does his best to not further voice his worry. It’s clear to him that it would only push her away further. They say goodnight near the kitchen before parting ways both feeling more disconnected than ever since Dani returned to Ilya.
