Chapter Text
No, this wasn't the right place if you're going by the mess of gore and dead bodies in the streets and grass, and the nauseating squelch of blood and guts that you keep walking in because it's everywhere. Yeah, the GPS says this is the right park where you're supposed to meet your Bumble date.
It's mid afternoon and you can hear the screams of terrified city folk in the distance, the screech of tires as vehicles in the road try to make a wide berth of distance between today's alien attack and superhero battle. You quickly hide behind a tree once you hear a very non-human roar and a painful exclamation. It's downright horrifying, and you don't know what direction it's coming from, so you don't know where to go.
While crouched and hiding, you hear loud commotion and a pained, animalistic groan. They hissed a curse. You poke your head from behind the tree and see an absolute giant of a humanoid...cat? No. That's a fucking lion. Some colossal sized alien beast that's atleast three times your height, if not more. You shudder hearing him bellowing, the sound deep and loud enough to make you feel paralyzed. He's hurt, white fur stained with blood and his weapon flung too far away from his reach. The creature literally whimpers with a hollow timbre, blood spurting from it's maw, before his head drops. He's laid out on his back, chest heaving hard for a few moments, before it grows still.
You check to see if he's really unconscious with your telepathy and discover he's definitely out for the count. You can't really tell how badly hurt he is from where you are and your sympathetic heart starts to shadow your fear. Maybe he's a good guy since there are some alien superheroes. You've never seen this one before though. He could be new on the rooster and you don't see anyone else yet. It seems like a ghost town right now.
You should save him!
You make it quick, dashing over to the mystery alien and use your telekinesis to pick him up, along with his huge, golden mace. It's a miracle that you're even able to get back to your apartment without anyone noticing a levitating lion man above your head and you're thankful he doesn't wake up during his touchless transportation. You just want to patch him up and send him on his way. It's the least you can do to thank a brave hero even though you never saw who he was fighting.
Battle Beast doesn't know how fortunate he is that Omni Man arrives to where he was just minutes too late due to another brief confrontation, narrowly missing his bloody and honorable demise at the hands of the Viltrumite warrior. It's unlucky for you though, and you have no damn idea.
It takes only a few hours for the alien to stir awake, sharp eyes shot open when he feels himself laying on something soft instead of on the hard ground. His sensitive nose picking up a small of food wafting through the air. The scent immediately makes his stomach growl and instinctually he puts a hand on his stomach. That's when he realizes he's bare from the top, his torso wrapped in clean bandages. The room is dim, but he easily sees in the dark that the missing piece of clothing is draped over a chair in front of computer. He sees that his mace is leaned against the wall in his view. He looks around, keen ears on his head twitching at the sound of metal and sizzling.
Whatever he is, he can discern that he's not in immediate danger. He makes a noise of annoyance as he realizes his fight was interrupted. He shouldn't be here.
Where is this & who the hell dare bring him here?
Battle Beast hears foot steps and the strong scent of a meal, among something else. A sound that sounds very primitive.
The door is open. He sees the small feline earth creature first and then you. You smile at him as he stares at you, unfriendly look on his features.
"Good morning." You say, evenly. "How are you feeling?" You try to remain calm, although you are nervous. He looks scary. He was intimidating to look at while he slept, but he's definitely even more so when he's awake and openly glaring at you.
Battle Beast observes you quietly as you approach him a tiny bit closer. The cat jumps on the bed and he growls at it. The house cat does nothing but throw itself on the bed, near his leg and starts to purr. He rolls his eyes at the display of weakness and looks at you again. "Who brought me here, girl?"
"Oh. Me. This is my room. You're on my bed. I hope it's not too uncomfortable." It's barely large enough for his body. He has to move his legs up so they don't hang over or hit the end of it. You walk over to his side, nervous as he watches you with those fierce feline eyes and extend the plate of scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon. And if he doesn't like that, you have plenty of wet canned cat food in your pantry.
"You?" He sneers. "A weak, little thing like you couldn't of--"
He watches you raise your hand and the bed moves, lifting up off the floor with him in it. He's speechless. "This is how." You lower your hand and the bed follows. Considering the weight of him alone, he's gently placed with barely a disturbance to hear.
He's wholly interested in you now. You could possibly be a worthy opponent. He's looking at you too intensely for you to feel comfortable enough to come any closer, so you just give him the plate from a distance.
Battle Beast barely looks at the plate when it lands beside him, and you start to wonder if he'd rather eat you instead. You think that you might of made a mistake in bringing him here. He seems less and less heroic the more the time passes. You finally ask, "Are you a hero?"
"No."
Well, shit.
He tilts his head up, nose sniffing. He can smell the fear seeping out of your pores already. When he chuckles it's a deep sound that bounces off the walls. You take two steps back. "Ssoo..who are you then?" You mumble, sticking your hands into the pockets of your hoodie. You can't look away when he picks up the plate, holds it to his mouth, and just let's all the food just slide down into his mouth. He didn't need a fork and as you watch with wide eyes, he barely needs to chew.
He licks his lips and it's both the scariest thing and cutest thing you've ever seen.
"I am Battle Beast." He informs you, then for literally no reason crushes the porcelain plate in his hands, making a mess on your bed. Your cat jumps up in surprise at the noise and dashes off the bed and out the room. He laughs and you're sure it echos throughout the entire apartment. "And you are my next opponent."
You are quick to hold up your hands. "No way!"
The ears twitch on his head and those haunting eyes narrow. "No?" He says it like you've just insulted him.
"I'm not a fighter! I can't fight! I was just trying to help you! That's why I brought you here in the first place, dude!"
Battle Beast hums, the sound a rough timbre. It rumbles in his chest. "How disappointing." You look weak. Fragile. He can imagine a fight with you would be interesting though short lived once he gets the better of you. Psychics tended to be very physically inept. Battle Beast attempts to get up from the bed, but the pain sears just beneath his skin in his diaphragm. He groans as you watch him put a hand on his bandaged chest, sharp teeth bared in a grit. "Damnit." He hisses.
You're now grateful for that injury he has. "Yeah, you got hurt really bad. You should just stay put. Laid down. You can stay until you're feeling better." You kindly offer, despite the obvious threat he poses. Not like you can just kick him out after all.
Battle Beast just stares at you. You can't tell if it's contempt or annoyance or if he's just considering it. It could be a little of all three.
But that's how it starts.