Chapter Text
It was late, no one in Gar's aside from the workers who typically reside there.
It was closing time, the Bodegamen doing their nightly duties before closing shop for the night.
KO yawned, putting the mop away in the storage closet before returning to his friends up at the cash register of the Bodega, all of them waiting to go home for the night.
“Ready to go, brush-head?” Rad said, pointing towards the doors.
“Yup,” The teen sighed, high-fiving the older alien.
“You took out the trash, right Rad?” Enid said, walking from behind the register after locking the machine that held cash inside.
“Gah!” Rad exclaimed, causing KO to giggle, “With that last minute Boxbot attack, I completely forgot.”
“Rad you always-”
“I got it!” KO cut her off, walking back into the depths of the bodega, and grabbing the few bags of trash. With a pep in his step, and a grin on his face, he opened the back doors of the Bodega and into the alleyway, dragging the trash bags behind him. He looked up at the night sky for a moment before walking to the large trash cans and beginning to open them.
He heard a rustle, and paused, dropping the trashbags.
“What the…” he mumbled, lifting the lid with caution, peering inside and seeing a faint, yet repetitive set of twinkling lights.
“Wha…AH!” He jumped back when he saw a head and body, looking again and noticing it was a small child, probably around 2 or 3 years of age.
The older teen looked closer at the child, who made a sound of excitement at seeing KO. KO was more entranced by the sight of his indigo hair, which twinkled like a galaxy of stars.
KO shook his head, picking the kid out of the trashcan cautiously.
“Who left you here…huh? Your parents have gotta be around here somewhere…” KO whispered to the kid, who grabbed his face and babbled.
“Hello?!” KO turned the corner and looked around, “Someone leave a…twinkling toddler in my trash can?”
No response.
He looked around more, calling out as the toddler thought the whole ordeal was hilarious.
“Look, this isn't funny! You can't just leave a whole kid in the trash!”
He stopped, feeling defeated, as it was no use. The kids parents were clearly gone.
KO sighed, looked down and watched as said toddler in his arms fiddled with his blue crop top.
“Why don't we go inside…” KO turned, walking back into the Bodega, leaving the trash bags on the ground.
“Enid? Rad?”
“What took you so long kiddo?” Enid asked, seeing KO walk up.
“Whoa!” Rad yelled, “Is that a baby?”
“Found it in the trashcan.” KO sighed, “I think he was left.”
“Aw…” Enid said, walking up to the child and holding out her finger, which the kid grabbed and giggled.
In the light, KO could see him better.
The kid has deep, dark skin and fluffy, medium length, indigo hair that twinkles white little stars every now and then. He was wearing a black onesie that desperately needed to be washed.
“His hair is sick!” Rad said loudly, causing the kid to hold tight to KO.
“KO, I think he likes you.” Enid said, laughing.
“Wha- I-” KO stuttered, “We need to find his parents.”
“Well if he was left then it's obvious they wouldn't want him.”
“Wait, weird sparkling indigo hair?” Rad made a sound, “Like…Andromeda? That one P.O.I.N.T. hero?”
“The one who died?” Enid questioned.
KO made a sound, “That would make sense! But I know everything about that guy, he never had a kid.”
“He was also very secretive about his personal life.” Enid replied.
“You wouldn't? They said he was a God from another planet,” KO playing with the kid with a smile, the kid also babbling and playing with KO's hand, “And that he left his status, planet, and immortality to be with a human he fell in love with. Speculations are that a civilian from his home planet killed him, as they viewed him as a traitor.”
“Poor kid…you think his other parent left him because he couldn't take care of him by themself?”
“We also don't know if he is Andromeda's kid.” KO replied.
“Hey KO, ready to- Whoa!” His mom stepped dead in her tracks, looking with her eyes wide and her mouth agape at the kid in her son's arm.
“I found him in the garbage.”
“Aw…” Carol took the child out of KO's arms, cradling him, “Poor honey…people are so cruel.”
“What are you gonna do with him?” Rad said to KO.
“Me?!” KO asked.
“You found him. And I think he likes you the most, dude.”
“I-?!” KO stuttered, “I don't know! I for sure can't take care of him, I just barely became an adult, and don't even have my own place!” KO turned to his mom, who caught his gaze.
“He's cute and all but…I can't take care of him. I'm too old.” She laughed. KO sighed, and put his head in his hands, he looked over at the kid, who had fallen asleep in his mother's arms.
“KO hun, why don't we go home, and deal with this in the morning,” she cut her son off before he could speak, “Yes. We'll take him home for the night. I would feel bad leaving him.”
“Alright. But first thing tomorrow we're finding someone to take him.” KO said, looking back at Rad and Enid, “Lock the door for me won't you?” He asked them.
“Yes sir, boss!” They exclaimed, waving by to the two, or rather three, now leaving the Bodega.
KO grumbled.
“Still haven't gotten used to the whole ‘boss’ thing?” His mom asked, keeping quiet so as to not wake the snoring toddler in her arms and they walked to her car.
“No…it's been a month almost but…I still feel like they treat me as some sort of…higher power now. I just own the Bodega, and the Plaza now. It's no big deal.”
“Honey, I'm sure you're just overthinking it all.” She reassured him, stopping at the car and handing KO the kid in her arms.
“What- I-”
“I can't hold him while I drive.”
“What if I drive?”
Carol laughed, “No.”
“Cob,” KO sighed, taking the child carefully in his arms, careful not to wake him as he got into the passenger side of his mother's car, buckling himself in slowly.
Carol started the car, and slowly pulled out of the Bodega.
“What are you gonna call him?”
“I'm not calling him anything.”
“Why? Afraid you'll get attached?” She joked.
“Kinda.” KO sighed, “Where’s he gonna sleep?”
“I still have your old traveling crib! He can sleep in the living room next to you.”
KO nodded.
“What's wrong, hun?” She asked.
“I'm just tired.” The boy said, sighing as they pulled into the driveway of their house, the kitchen light on.
“Alright, let's go freak out your father, huh?” The comment made KO giggled, who slowly got out of the car.
He followed her inside, watching his mom walk up to Gar, his step-father (who was cooking in the kitchen), and plant a kiss on his cheek. He kissed her back on the lips, and KO mockingly made a vomit sound.
Gar turned to face him with a chuckle, but gasped in surprise, his mouth agape at the kid in KO's arms asleep.
“What?” was all he said after a moment of silence. Carol laughed, walking off as she mentioned getting KO's old crib out of her closet.
“I went to take the trash out, and kinda sorta found a whole kid in there.” KO chuckled.
“Holy cob,” Gar sighed, “Think he was left?”
“Probably,” KO looked sorrowfully down at the sleeping boy, and his glittery hair.
“Are you gonna…keep him?”
“What? No!” KO tripped over his words, “I'm not. But I also don't want to give him to just anyone.”
“What did your mom say?”
“She said she can't take him in.” KO looked at the floor. His mom returned, dragging a pack-and-play crib along with her. She threw a pillow and blanket in there as well. KO and Gar followed into the living room.
“I got him some clothes too,” Carol snorted, pointing at Gar, “And you thought it was weird I saved all of KO's old things.”
KO carefully handed the boy to his mother, which woke him up. KO and Gar both embraced for him to cry, but instead he immediately started laughing and playing with Carol's glasses and blonde hair.
“Aw, KO you've gotta keep him. He's so sweet!” She exclaimed. KO made a sound of amusement, before making one of disagreement.
“Let's get you changed into some cleaner clothes, huh? Say, you look old enough to walk or at least stand.” She placed the boy on the ground, confirming her suspicion, as he stood on his feet with ease.
KO turned to the kitchen as Carol began to change him into a red onsie, “You made food?” He asked Gar.
“Yup,” he ushered KO into the kitchen, “Soup.”
“Oh, yum,” KO said, grabbing a bowl from the cabinet and filling it up with the liquid in the pot on the stove.
“How was work?” Gar tried to make small talk with his son.
“It was fine. I guess. Obviously it didn't turn out how I thought,” KO joked. Gar laughed. Carol came up behind them, grabbing her own bowl of food.
“Sparkle-head is knocked out. So keep the volume down.” She put a finger over her lips with a smile.
“Sparkle-head?” Gar laughed.
KO thought.
“Do you think…you two know who Andromeda's was right.”
Carol made a thinking face, and then snapped her fingers, “That POINT hero? Foxtail mentioned him last time we went out for tea. Said he was killed?”
“Yup,” KO nodded, pulling out his phone and pulling up an image of said hero, “Sparkle-head over there and Andromeda have the same hair thing going on.”
Carol looked at the photo. It was of a man with tan skin, much like the color of KO's, in a black leotard and knee-high white boots. He had big yellow glasses and a large scythe on the picture. And most importantly, the short, indigo, sparkling hair.
“You're saying that this guy could be his dad?” Gar took off his glasses for a moment to look at the photo.
“Foxtail mentioned a kid and a husband he left behind.” Carol tapped her chin and pulled out her phone, dailng Foxtail and walking off.
The dial tone rang a few more times, before the other line picked up.
“Silverspark. It is 10PM. This better be an emergency.” Foxtail's voice was raspy and tired, as if she had just woken up.
“Foxtail. We're in a small conundrum here.”
“Is there a reason you called me?”
“Last Tuesday, you mentioned a POINT hero that died, or rather killed. Andromeda?”
“Didn't know that kid too well. I only knew he was an alien from another planet. And a God. Formerly.”
“I think we found his kid?”
Foxtail was silent.
“Huh?”
“He had a kid right?”
“I think? But this is more of a call for Elodie.”
Carol sighed and rubbed her temples, “I understand, have a good night, Foxtail.”
“You too, Silver.” Foxtail hung up.
Carol mumbled, looking over at KO and Gar in the kitchen.
“What did she say?” Gar asked.
“To call Elodie.”
“I can go down there tomorrow with him,” KO offered, “Sparkle-head I mean. Just to confirm his parents arent looking for him.”
“Thanks KO, you're so sweet,” Carol said, sitting at the table next to her husband.
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KO climbed down the ladder than led to his bed above the living room couch quickly but tired as he heard the sound of crying and sniffling coming from the ground.
“Kiddo?” He groggily said, hitting the ground and following the luminous light of the kid's hair and finding him curled up on the floor on his knees, crying softly. KO went to comfort him, trying to caress him on the head, but as soon as KO touched the boy's hair and scalp, he made a loud sound of discomfort, and just started crying more.
“Okay…okay…” KO pulled his hand away, “You don't like your hair being touched. The boy made a low growl sound and literally hissed at KO.
“I'm sorry…I'm sorry.” KO sighed, sitting on his knees next to the kid, who sniffled into his knees, “What's wrong?” He quietly said, the kid turning back and looking KO in the eyes as he sniffled. KO didn't expect the boy to respond at all. The kid instead shuffled over to KO, cuddling into KO and hugging him.
KO sighed, picking him up and holding him in his arms, “You're making it really hard for me to say no to taking you in kiddo.”
The kid looked up at KO, his yellow eyes piercing KO's one yellow and one purple eye.
“You need a name,” KO thought, making a silly sound that made the kid giggle, “How about…Sparky.”
The kid made a sound and shook his head.
“Galaxy.”
Also a no.
“Nebula.”
The kid thought, but shook his head again.
“Okay. No spacey names,” KO chuckled, “You're making this hard.” KO looked around, watching as the kid climbed back into the crib, grabbed the blanket Carol had given him, and climbed back out, wrapping himself in it and climbing into KO's lap. KO let out a sigh, going to rub the boy's head again, but stopping as he moved his head away from KO's hand with a growl, resting his head on KO's stomach.
KO looked down as the boy began to stare at the images on the blanket. A different assortment of cats sprawled across it.
“You like cats?” KO asked. The boy nodded and made a sound, pointing at a picture of a fluffy black one with a white chest on the blanket.
“I like tabby cats. Simple and cute. Especially the orange ones.” KO pointed to the orange cat on the blanket.
The boy made a sudden sound, smiling as he pretended to pet the orange cat on the blanket.
“You've certainly got an orange tabby personality,” KO giggled. KO noticed that the kid's eyes began to force themselves closed, struggling to keep them open.
“Someone's sleepy,” KO whispered, standing up with the kid in his arms, reaching to put him in the crib again, but the boy rejected, wanting to be held by KO.
“I can't hold you forever, tabby-cat.” KO sighed, sitting on the couch with the boy in his arms, hearing a sigh of content as the kid closed his eyes with his face against KO's stomach.
KO felt his own eyes growing tired, hearing the faint and slow breathing from the toddler sleeping in his arms before his eyes also closed.
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“KO!” KO jumped as someone shook his arm, looking up to see his mom shaking him awake, ripping the purple haired boy out of his arms.
“What? What?” KO rubbed his eyes from the sunlight in the window, watching his mom freak out.
“You can't fall asleep with a baby in your arms. You could have suffocated him!” She explained in a ‘I'm not mad, you just didn't know’ kind of voice.
“Oh.” KO looked down, looking back up as his mom sighed, “Sorry…” KO mumbled.
“It's okay,” She said, sitting next to him and letting the toddler crawl onto the floor and walk around the living room, making sounds with his mouth.
“Who do you think should take him?” KO spoke.
“You could turn him over to P.O.I.N.T-”
“What are they gonna do?” KO scoffed, “P.O.I.N.T's a hero organization, not a daycare. If his other parent isn't in P.O.I.N.T and looking for him, then no way.”
“Child protective services?”
“And have him placed into the foster care system? No way.”
“Maybe ask your father?” Carol winced.
“And let him raise him to be a villain? No thanks.”
“KO, you're running out of options here.”
KO groaned loudly, throwing his head in his hands. Carol took a deep breath, patting KO on the back and kissing him on the forehead.
“Why don't we get breakfast first, then head down to P.O.I.N.T, like you offered to last night.” She offered, watching as KO peaked through his hands to meet her eyes.
“Yeah. Sounds like a good idea.” He agreed.