[Author's Notes: Some time ago, I wrote a fanfiction called 'Moments of Solomon,' which was the events of the Sym-Bionic Titan series entirely from Solomon's point of view. This isn't exactlya sequel to that…though I do consider it true to this story and may make a reference here and there, you don't have to read it to understand this. Sparked by Titan's arrival on Netflix, this is my valiant attempt to fan the flames of my favorite fandom. Enjoy.]

I do not own Sym-Bionic Titan.

Chapter One: Beginning Again

Solomon brushed a lock of white hair behind his exposed ear. How long had it been since he'd worn civilian clothing? Ten years? Fifteen? Enough time to entirely forget what it was like. He could not imagine wearing what many civilians did these days, T-shirtsand jeansand pants that were entirely too short.He felt exposed enough as it was, and his current attire was stillearning him some glances. But he'd refused to dress down any more than he already had. For earth, he'd give his life…but that was asking too much.

He was dressed as a businessman heading to work. A white collared shirt, red vest, and dark grey suit with slightly lighter pants than his usual uniform. It was, he had to admit, fairly similar to his usual outfit, but not as fitting, not as flexible. The jacket was much, much lighter than his typical trench coat. He had, of course, needed to give up his fedora and googles, much to his displeasure, as they were his most signature articles of clothing. Still, if Steel saw him now, even that fool would undoubtedly be able to recognize on sight. As would the Lunises.

And that was the point. As sure as he was that they knew his face by now, he did not want to confront them in disguise. While he had made great strides a few weeks ago in gaining their trust, he did not forget his past sins, and he was sure they wouldn't either.

It had been two weeks since the Lunises had returned to their home. Two weeks since Lance and Ilana's precious robot had been revived, Titan had been restored, and the earth was protected yet again. Sherman High School was still off for the summer, so the three aliens had plenty of time to enjoy their reunion and get some well-deserved rest.

All things considered, it was a happy ending. Steel had lost his robot, much to Solomon's satisfaction, G3 had escaped the general's hair-brained attack, the Lunises didn't entirely hate them anymore, the alien robot was back, and Titan would continue to defend the earth. Things were exactly as they had been before the disastrous events on Saturn's space station. All had been solved.

But that wasn't entirely the case. The events of the station had put previous problems on hold, but with the matter of the alien robot's 'death' solved, they resurfaced again.

Why were the Lunises here? Where were they from? What was bringing all these monsters to earth? And how could it be stopped?

For months Solomon had steamed over these questions, wanting nothing more than to snatch up the Lunises and squeeze the answers out of them. Yet that exploit had cost him most severely, as the three aliens had become hostile and on guard against G3. It was only their selfless compassion that had made them rescue Solomon when he was in danger on the station, risking their lives to save his own merely because they thought it was the right thing.

That opening, though it had led to the detrimental destruction of their robot, had allowed Solomon to carefully begin to patch up an unstable bridge between them. Eventually, the desperate, heartbroken aliens had surrendered to Solomon's care, and he had been hypervigilant with the task. He had allowed them their freedom, granted them every comfort he could, and protected them with every weapon G3 harbored. This had, again, proved an expensive price to pay, but it had resulted in Lance and Ilana fighting by G3's side, the return of their robot, and, by extension, Titan.

Solomon, though his task as protector was no longer necessary to the Lunises, was still eager to build on that connection. Yet…

"Watch, Solomon. Nothing more."

It had been over a yearsince the Lunises had arrived, and Solomon's superior still refused to engage. While Solomon openly admitted that he had acted too soon in capturing the Lunises before, he had to act sometime.And now that he finally had an opening to the Lunis's trust, he wasn't going to pass it up.

He hadn't been rash about this. When his superior had first told him to break off contact with the Lunises directly after Titan's return, he had been respectful. Obedient. Loyal.

By the end of that day he had started pacing in circles around his room, before deciding he couldn't take it and, for the second time in his life, he would disobey his superior.

He hoped this time wouldn't be as costly as the last.

Last time, he had organized a task force, stalked the Lunises until nightfall, broken into their home, and spirited them away. This time would be different.

He carried no weapons. There were only a small handful of times in the past few years that he had gone without a weapon in arm's reach. He had a small communicator, but it was completely offline and tucked into one of his jacket's inside pockets. In the coming hours to the culmination to his plan, his superior had started sending rapid, angry alerts. Solomon had briefly conversed with him of his plan, hoping his superior would offer some sense of approval. But no, the man had firmly ordered him to back down.

Solomon didn't.

He had had his agents drop him off some miles away from the Lunis household, though a few still followed his movements from afar. He walked on the public sidewalks, passing families and dogwalkers and normal, ignorant people, pretending that he was one of them.

Had he ever been?

Why hadn't he felt this exposed when disguised as Kane? As Kane, he had had absolutely no communicator nor weapon, and worn only a green prison jumpsuit. Yet he hadn't felt so out of place then as he did now. Perhaps because he had still been in G3 HQ, surrounded by his own home. Or maybe because he knew he could call on his agents for help at any time. Now, he was in the suburbs of Sherman, his agents were quite far away, and he wore clothing that was close enough to his uniform to barely be a disguise but far enough that he felt exposed.

He wouldn't back down now, though. Certainly not; this was the right move, he was sure of it, no matter what his superior said. Surely the man couldn't be right about everything.

On the final block to the Lunis household, Solomon scanned the street. A group of five children were play on the road, drawing with chalk. Some of them were making hopscotch, while two were drawing Titan stepping on something that appeared to be—if Solomon was reading the sloppy handwriting right—a schoolteacher with sharp teeth. A middle-aged woman with short brown hair was talking a mile a minute to a neighbor who was gardening. A teenager was mowing his lawn, and another family was walking their dog on the opposite sidewalk to Solomon.

G3 tried to gather as much information on the Lunises as possible, but was cripplingly limited by his superior's insistence not to get too close and risk being seen. Some of these people Solomon recognized; Barbara Jackson, who organized several neighborhood events and tried, more than anyone else these homes, to penetrate the Lunis's reclusive lifestyle. She was even somewhat successful, as the Lunises attended her gatherings just enough to not draw attention to themselves. Solomon had memorized all the other citizen's names, families, and jobs, but knew little more.

They were all ignorant to the fact that the secret of Titan lived on their street. That aliens attended their barbeques once and a while, and held technology beyond earth's imagining. That these aliens were practically a beacon to the creatures that invaded the earth. That G3, the most secretive and advanced agency of mankind, monitored and watched their every move for any relation to the Lunises, and had once broken into one of these very homes.

The Lunises had mastered their secrecy, disappearing amongst the billions of humans on the earth, more invisible than if they had dived to the bottom of the ocean.

G3 were the only ones who knew the truth. Solomon highly doubted the Lunises had told any classmates or neighbors. No government, no military, no one was aware that the aliens behind Titan…were actually two teenagers who attended high school and planned school dances and lunch menus.

Whenever Solomon thought about it, it was hard to take it seriously. He had prepared for advanced cultures, possible invaders, the wonders of the unknown…but Lance and Ilana seemed perfectly content to hang around and study for their next exams.

Solomon noted how Barbara Jackson's sharp eyes traced him as he walked down the sidewalk, trying to appear as innocent and inconspicuous as possible. Some of the children looked his way as well, but were easily distracted by their game.

When had been the last time he was seen in public? The last time anyone knew of his existence? When he had gone to confront Steel about the storm, just shortly after discovering the Lunises? Soldiers had seen him, but not civilians. Did that count?

Solomon showed no lapse at the stares, walking completely unopposed, with an air of disinterest, towards his target. The neighbors did not stare for long, trained by society not to, but snuck glances when they thought it seemed casual. Barbara Jackson was by far the worst.

Finally, he turned on his heel and walked directly up the Lunis walkway.

Here it was. No going back. The only time he had ever come here was to abduct the Lunises, and he had battled their robot in this well-trimmed lawn. At the time, it had been intense, the impassable man tossing agents aside and moving with remarkable speed. G3 had abandoned their attempts to capture him. Now, the spot was just a peaceful neighborhood, with no signs of danger or unnatural power.

Solomon stopped in front of the door. The home of the aliens. The home of Titan. How could he have dedicated his life to leading G3, to handling all earth's alien involvement, without setting foot in their home in the past year? When all he had to do was walk up to it?

He rang the doorbell. It was plainly casual. It felt wrong.

He heard muffled footsteps, and then the door swung open to reveal the female of the three aliens.

Solomon's trained eyes swiftly assessed Ilana Lunis. If losing Octus had aged her a thousand years, gaining him back had tripled her previous youth. The young female alien had always been a beacon of positivity, especially compared to her moody companion. Neither Lance nor the robot bothered to change their wardrobe, while Ilana dressed to express. Currently, she wore a pale-yellow dress with pink pokadots and flowing fabric. Though on G3's ship, she had had tired eyes, pale skin, and weak smiles, now her joy was as solid as gold.

The joy on her face was quickly replaced with confusion and surprise at the sight of him, however. Solomon waited a moment as she blinked slowly at him. She then lifted her fists to rub her eyes in a comical fashion before peering at him again. She was thoroughly bewildered.

"Ilana," Solomon greeted with a small inclination of his head. "Do you mind if we talked?"

Ilana did not have a response for a moment. She simply stared. Finally, she straightened her shoulders, getting ahold of herself, and glanced side to side at the neighbors behind him. Approaching the Lunis household had drawn attention, as Solomon knew it would. The Lunises refrained from most social engagement and rarely ever invited guests over. He had considered coming in through the back, but no. This mission relied on being straightforward and entirely truthful. There could not be any deception.

"Solomon," Ilana finally said, her voice slow. She hesitated a brief moment, hand tightening on the doorknob, before she took a step back, opening the way for him. "Won't you come in?"

He nodded, and stepped inside. Ilana quickly shut the door behind him, still staring at him unsurely. Solomon was grateful that she had been the one to answer the door; Lance would not have been so trusting or welcoming, and Solomon wasn't sure what the robot would have done. Yet from his time as Kane to even after Solomon had betrayed them, Ilana always seemed to be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. He regretted having ever broken her trust.

He took a moment to observe the home. His googles would have allowed him to adjust to any level of lighting, yet he was plenty satisfied to see it now without the red tinge. His agents had found photographs of the inside of the home from when it had been on the market, with bare walls and empty wooden floors. They had also documented all the furniture the Lunises had bought and when. But to see it arranged was a different matter.

Ilana, undoubtedly, had been the one to design the living room. The large window let in plenty of light, and a couch was positioned directly in front of it to soak up the sun. The colors were all gentle and neutral, the design fairly classical, with nothing extravagant yet everything new and clean. There were several plants that looked well-watered and tended to, a low glass center table that held some candles, flowers, and a little wire bird, and a few picture frames, three of which displayed the Lunises while the others were merely ascetic designs. It was all positioned cozily and seemed quite welcoming.

On top of all that, the stairway to the second floor was directly in front of the door, and even allowed an open hallway above. The ceiling was high but slanted to allow space for the second floor to be open to the living room.

Ilana was clearly unsure of what to do, so she called for her family. "Lance! Octus?"

Lance's voice came from the top of the stairs. "Who is it, Ilana?"

Ilana hesitated another moment. "It's Solomon."

There was a pause.

SLAM!

The sound of a door being kicked open was the only warning before Lance swung around from the edge of the second floor's hallway and leapt down the entire stairway, landing directly between Solomon Ilana, swinging out one hand protectively towards her while fisting the other in a threat.

Solomon remained still, carefully not making any sudden moves or signs of aggression. Lance had enough reasons to attack Solomon here and now; Solomon wasn't going to add to them. Yet he instinctively scanned Lance's stance, still so familiar to him, a form he thought only belonged to G3.

The robot was not far behind the second teen. At the same as Lance's arrival, the door to the kitchen swung open and the bulky form of the robot, disguised in its 'Mr. Lunis' appearance, watched from the doorway, clearly ready to charge forward. Solomon glanced at it, the member of the party he knew the least about, but he still did not take any defensive posture. At least the robot appeared fully functional…better than the last time he had seen it.

He turned his gaze back to Lance. The robot was part of their crew, but it was the actual aliens he wanted to address. "Pleasant to see you as well," he offered.

"What do you want?" Lance said darkly.

Solomon removed his hands from his pockets slowly and held them at his sides, showing he came unarmed. "Only to talk."

"Lance," Ilana said, her voice soft but disapproving from behind him.

Lance ignored her. Keeping his mistrustful eyes on Solomon, the alien questioned, "Octus?"

"No signs of outside communication or weaponry are on his person," the robot answered immediately. It took a few steps forward, edging towards its young charges. "He does have a com device in his pocket, but it is completely inactive."

The decision to come without any contact to G3 had been Solomon's idea, and his alone. Even his loyal agents had showed reluctance when he gave the instructions. Not that Solomon couldn't handle himself, with or without a weapon, but he was G3's absolute leader, the defender of the earth, and his agents did not want to lose him.

The robot reached Lance and Ilana's side, watching Solomon skeptically. "His heartrate unelevated. He is showing no signs of fear or anger."

Solomon schooled his features from reacting. Did the robot scan everyone that casually? Certainly, Solomon had been trained to control his physical reactions. He felt a small twinge of pride that even the robot couldn't sense his current nervousness, buried deep underneath. He had control of the situation right now, and was prepared for these reactions, but…it could all escalate so quickly.

"I am not here to fight you," Solomon said slowly. "If you want me to leave now, I will do so, but I believe it is time we finally had a long-needed discussion."

He had wondered several times over the past months what might have happened if he had talkedto the Lunises instead of kidnapping them. Sure, at the time he had thought them possible invaders, and was desperate to learn why the colossal creatures were coming to kill so many citizens, yet his rash choice had fissured any chances at real answers. Now…maybe he could finally get some.

At Solomon's promise not to harm them, Lance relaxed somewhat. The three of them stared at Solomon, then exchanged glances with each other.

Lance was the first to speak, and he pointed right where Solomon had come in. "There's the door."

Solomon's fists clenched, a bit distraught that this had all ended so bluntly, so immediately, but Ilana was fast to object.

"Lance!" she scolded. "Solomon helped us! He brought Octus back to us!"

Lance turned to her and jabbed a finger in Solomon's direction. "He's the reason we lost Octus in the first place."

Solomon contained his wince. Yes, he blamed himself for the robot's termination, but he hadtried to convince the Lunises to leave, and they had refused. Surely, they had to understand it wasn't his intention, that he had tried to stop it from happening, even if it meant his death?

"That wasn't his fault!" Ilana argued. "You know it. And without his help we would have been killed by Steel, or else still be on the run. WithoutOctus."

"Fine, but what about when he kidnapped us?" Lance shot back. "Dragged us away? Tortured us? Trickedus?" Lance spat, shooting a glare at Solomon. "Do you remember when he electrocuted us, Ilana?"

"Of course I do!" Ilana threw her arms up into the air. "But that was a long time ago, and he treated us much better later!"

Lance scoffed. "Bad things happen when we get mixed up with these people."

"Even when we just talk?"Ilana persisted. "These are the only people who know the truth about us, Lance. The only earthlings we truly interact with as who we really are. Shouldn't we be on good terms with them?"

"We're not here to be on 'good terms' with them," Lance said, casting another spiteful look at Solomon. "You know why we're here, Ilana. He threatens that."

Solomon kept his face stone even as he wondered, I threaten their mission? What is it, and how?

Ilana wasn't done. "But he doesn't have to, if we can make him understand. He hasn't revealed us yet, has he?"

Lance crossed his arms stubbornly. "We shouldn't have anything more to do with him."

"Even after he helped us?" Ilana pressed, voice gentler now. "Even after he and his soldiers fought a battle for us?"

Lance worked his jaw, before turning to the robot who remained silent to the side. "Octus, you get it, right? Solomon has hurt all of us, and he's responsible for your death." Solomon's jaw clenched at that. "He shouldn't be here."

Solomon had watched the back-and-forth between the two aliens with rapt interested. He'd known, within the first few hours of actually meeting them, that Lance and Ilana were polar opposites. Yet they were also fiercely protective and loyal to one another. He'd never seen them clash before, and though their personalities and opinions were complete counterparts, he had seen them show nothing but respect to one another during the entire argument. Neither degraded the other, neither snapped at the other, they both listened and considered each other's opinion, even if they disagreed with it. Were they like this all the time? Did these kinds of arguments happen inside the stoic Titan continually?

And they turned to the robot for a resolution?

"You have a right to be angry, Lance," the robot said consolingly. "Solomon has caused us a lot of harm. Yet he only wishes to speak. With his influence over the earthlings, I think it is important that we listen."

Lance glared at the robot, clearly frustrated. Ilana, though she had now won, graciously put a comforting hand on his arm. "I understand your reasons to be angry, Lance," she said soothingly. "But we should hear him out. He doesn't have any weapons or communicator. He can't hurt us right now. Besides; if he crosses a line, we can ask him to leave any time."

Lance stared at the ceiling as if it were the only one to understand his side. "How is it, when it comes to Solomon, everyone agrees with me, yet we never end up doing what I say?"

Ilana smiled, amused. "I followed you on their base, Lance. I know you're just trying to protect—" she quickly glanced at Solomon, "—us."

Lance grumbled. "If he wants us to fight another monster out in space, we're not doing it."

Ilana nodded. "That's fair." She looked back at Solomon. "That's notit, right?"

Solomon shook his head. "Not at all."

Ilana gestured to the couches behind him. "Then why don't you have a seat? Can I get you anything to drink?"

Always considerate. Solomon owed his current success entirely to Ilana. He doubted the robot would have put up as much of a fight against Lance.

"Thank you, but I'll pass." As if he were perfectly welcome, Solomon turned to the couch and took a seat. It was the most visible spot in the room, which is exactly what he wanted to be for this entire visit. How ironic that Solomon had spent most of his life in the shadows, probing the universe for life and watching Lance and Ilana from out of sight, yet now, if he wanted their trust, he had to leave himself completely exposed.

Ilana walked over to the slim white seat across from him, crossing her legs and looking perfectly at ease. The robot soon followed, taking the green seat next to hers.

The only seats left were that of the couch and that of the bench next to Ilana. Solomon considered moving over for Lance, but as the male alien walked up with his arms crossed, his stance and expression clearly stated that he would remain standing even if there were a comfortable spot available for him. For obvious reasons.

Solomon was wondering how to begin when Ilana spoke. "We never got to thank you, Solomon, for all you did for us." She tilted her head with a genuine smile. "Octus is more to us than just a robot. He's like family to us, and we missed him dearly." Here, she reached across to take the robot's hand, giving it a squeeze. "I had given up hope of getting him back. If it weren't for you, I don't think we ever would have."

She pulled back her hand, her smile becoming more sympathetic. "We also understand how risky it was for you to oppose Steel. I know a lot of your men got hurt…" her expression fell "…killed,because you helped us. I wish we could have done more to help protect them."

She tilted her head. "I hope Steel hasn't caused you any more trouble?"

Solomon, a little uncomfortable with her gratitude that he did not think he deserved, answered honestly. "G3 has pulled back all of our communication with any institutes related to Steel. Even if he wished to 'cause us trouble,' he would not be able to find us." Though, if Steel did know where they were, he undoubtedly would.

Solomon wondered for a moment if Steel would still attack G3 without his precious 'Hammer.' Steel's robot had been too much for the G3 arsenal, but his air force was another story. Solomon considered for a moment, before deciding that Steel would barrel into hell with only a twig if it threatened his pride. The general had already tried to take on a Titan-sized creature with nothing but a handgun.

"That's good to hear," Ilana said, clearly relieved. "We suspected as much when we couldn't find you again. Though I was worried." She smiled again. "Please thank whoever brought us back Octus on our behalf."

Lance sprung to full alert. "How didyou fix Octus?"

Ah. That particular piece of information was one Solomon couldn't share. The G3 scientists had been completely lost as to how to repair the robot, yet when they had left its core during the battle with Steel, Solomon's superior had snuck out and finally had taken a look at it, having refused before. Solomon had been rather preoccupied while it happened, but when Titan came to his rescue, he knew what had been done. His superior was the greatest mind earth had ever known. If anyone could have fixed the alien robot, it was him. It had been infuriatingwhen the man had refused to even try at first.

Solomon wasn't allowed to share his superior's existence even with his own agents. Many of them probably suspected, but none investigated, and none knew for sure. Solomon's superior was G3's deepest secret, and revealing to these aliens simply wasn't an option.

"It was a group effort," Solomon said simply. "I will be sure to pass on your words to them."

The robot spoke up from its spot in the corner. "I do not recall much of my reactivation," it said. "Perhaps it only came a little at a time. The only thing I vaguely remember is waking up in one of your hangers, with the events of the creatures rampaging in the cities already downloaded into me. I departed immediately."

Thatwas interesting. Solomon wondered exactly what his superior had done to the robot, but he had already tried asking the man, and he had immediately shut him down.

Solomon hesitated, still uneasy with their gratitude. Although he hoped to reach an understanding with them, he couldn't help but agree with Lance. He had kidnapped them, manipulated them, torturedthem, and caused the death of their dearly loved robot. His emotions warred, his guilt against his hopes, his regrets against his justifications.

If they chose to forgive, it is their choice,Solomon told himself firmly. This is what you want. Without their pardon, they will not trust you.

Solomon tried to offer something in return, if he could. "It was the least we could do," he said, the words feeling odd in his mouth. "You three have protected the earth. It is I who should be thanking you." He swallowed. "…And, apologizing for how I treated you before."

Lance and the robot looked astonished, but Ilana beamed as if she'd known he could do it all along.

"Apology accepted," she said immediately. "And you're welcome."

Solomon stared at Ilana, knowing his own surprise was easily visible on his face. She was so innocentand pure,he found him wishing everyone could be like her. Part of him wanted to dismiss her virtue as merely naivete, yet he'd seen her fight ruthless beasts, feel achingly homesick, be devastatingly disappointed, and lose her precious beloved robot. Happiness wasn't ignorance for her, but a resolution.

Lance, on the other hand…the alien's mouth twisted in disgust at Ilana's words. He didn't speak out, but his opinion was clear; Solomon's apology was denied. He expected, and deserved, as much, yet…he found himself disappointed.

Simply because it was there, Solomon glanced at the robot as well. Robots could not be angry, hold grudges, or offer forgiveness. Though Octus appeared to act very similar to human behavior, it was merely programing and wires, no life. Still, Solomon had expected it to have calculated some sort of reaction, but its holographic expression was only skeptical.

"Now," Ilana said briskly, straightening herself up. "As much as I've been eager to thank you, you came here for your own reason. To talk. I know there are a myriad of things to talk about between us, so why don't you be clear and tell us exactly what you want to discuss now?"

Here it goes.

Solomon folded his ungloved hands on his knees loosely. "Your presence on earth."

Lance and the robot's expressions immediately twisted into ire and suspicion, as expected. Even Ilana looked somewhat disappointed.

Ilana had told him to be clear, so Solomon went on, being as candid as he possibly could. "It is G3's purpose to protect the earth from intergalactic threats. We are to handle all alien involvement on behalf of humanity." He shifted his gaze between Lance and Ilana. "I realize you three are keeping your secrets to protect yourselves. But it is my job to protect the earth, and I cannot do that as well as I should unless I am aware of its threats." He paused. "After all you have done for the safety of the earth, I consider this planet in your debt. If I can help you, I would like to. I would appreciate it if you trusted me with what you know."

Solomon had practiced those words, tweaking them endlessly over the past two weeks to be firm but not forceful, clear but not pressuring.

He had a feeling, sometimes, that the children were in some sort of trouble. They had shown no sign of outside communication with their planet, and these monsters were clearly after them. They had advanced technology and superior knowledge, yet they did everything in their power to hide amongst regular civilians. Solomon had no idea what it could be, but he hoped he was about to find out.

Again, the three of them exchanged glances. Solomon had noticed during his time with Lance and Ilana that the two of them always seemed to check for each other's opinion, especially when unsure about something. But right now, it was clear they put the robot in that equation, too. Solomon would have to keep note of that in the future.

"We can't," Lance said, looking directly at Ilana. "You know. We can't."

Ilana sighed and worked her fingers in front of her. When she looked up at Solomon, it was with profound sympathy. "I wish we could, Solomon," she said. "I really, really wish we could. But we were ordered before we left not to tell anyone." She held out her hands in front of her to explain. "Not all the enemies we face have been giants. Some of them are very intelligent and stealthy. If they found out where we lived, they could sneak past our defenses. We cannot let them know our location."

Solomon wasn't giving up so easily. Ilana understood,she was just holding back. "If that is an issue, G3 would be happy to assist," he said readily. "You are welcome back any time."

Actually, when Solomon had brought them to HQ last time, his superior had almost had a fit.But Solomon didn't care. These aliens were protectors of earth, and a chance for Solomon to engage with a friendly, advanced alien culture. He would do everything in his power to protect them.

Lance frowned deeply. "We are not going back there."

Solomon kept himself from frowning back. He knew Lance had not accepted his apology, and likely never would, but it still stung. Solomon had done everything he could to make Lance and Ilana comfortable during their second stay at G3. It wasn't hisfault Steel had attacked them. Lance, however, simply would not move on from the first time they had met. And Solomon couldn't blame him.

Ilana, however, looked genuinely touched by Solomon's offer. "That is very kind of you, Solomon. And your technology and defenses are impressive…but it simply is not enough to face these creatures."

Solomon reallywanted to argue, but he couldn't deny it. The alien technology that came to earth was beyond G3. His scientists had studied the remains of their ships and inspected Octus top to bottom, but they simply weren't there. It was like another language; one they couldn't learn without a teacher to guide them.

"Even if it were," Ilana went on, "as I said, we have orders. It's not really our choice."

Solomon stared at her, his features impassive, but internally fuming. Who? Who had ordered them? Why? For what? What did they want? Where were they? Why did they send the Lunises here? Why were they so secretive?

Ilana shook her head. "This all must be infuriating for you," she said sadly.

"Ilana," Lance warned, but she went on.

"For these monsters to come here for reasons you don't know, to wreak such havoc and cause so much death and suffering and you don't even know why. And then you have to rely on more strange alien forces to defend you, for more reasons you aren't told."

"Ilana," Lance said, more firmly. "Don't pity him. He almost destroyed Titan even though we had protected his planet."

Solomon straightened up in surprise. "It was never my intention to destroy Titan." Even when he had Titan, ever so briefly, at his mercy, he wouldn't have permanently damaged it, even if he couldhave. Even then, when he'd considered it an enemy, earth still neededit to protect the planet.

Lance glared at him. "That didn't stop you from electrocuting us."

Solomon strongly resisted the urge to defend himself. But to his surprise, Ilana did that for him.

"Lance, don't pretend we wouldn't have done the same thing."

Lance whirled on her. "What?!"

Ilana glared at him. "Think about if this had happened on—" she glanced at Solomon "—our planet. We're living peacefully, and then one day monsters start crashing from the sky and attack us? Monsters we can't defeat ourselves? And then morecreatures come and defend us, but won't talk to us or reveal themselves. If you found out where the creatures lived, Lance, wouldn't you do whatever it took to find out what was going on? Even if it meant torturing them? To protect the planet?"

Solomon wanted to thank Ilana a thousand times over, but he didn't dareget between them. She was his only chance to get answers in this conversation, and he couldn't ask for a better voice in his corner. He hoped that one day, she became an ambassador or some form of leader on her planet, with talents like hers.

Lance was left utterly speechless.

Ilana stared evenly. "You know you would." She gestured to Solomon. "You would have done exactly what he did, if you were in his position."

Lance opened his mouth and then closed it, frustrated but unable to disagree. He did not look up at Solomon. It took Solomon all of his willpower not to smile, which was something he rarelydid in the first place, but he knew it wouldn't go over well now.

Ilana huffed when Lance offered no response. "You two are more alike than you think."

Thattook them both off-guard. Solomon and Lance looked at each other in alarm. Solomon had trouble seeing it. Both he and Lance certainly shared a drive to achieve their goals, to protect their charges, and to take out any threats. Yet Lance seemed to be a bit more unstable than Solomon was, and less disciplined. They spent so much time opposed and clashing, it was difficult to think of anything they agreed on, anything similar between them.

On top of that, Solomon wasn't sure Ilana knew him well enough to make such a claim. Though he certainly wantedto forge a friendship with these aliens, plenty of roadblocks had kept them from truly connecting.

Solomon decided to change the subject instead of addressing this awkward issue. "Is there nothing you will share with me?"

"No," Lance snapped immediately.

"I think we should," Ilana said simply.

Again, Lance whirled on her. "No,Ilana!"

"Were you not listening?!" she said, frustrated. "I'm not saying we should tell him everything, but look at all this from his point of view! Can't we throw him a bone? Tell him about our planet, and the monsters that are coming to earth? Let him know about the threatwe're facing?"

Lance slammed a hand down on the arm of her chair and leaned into it, pointing a finger down at her. "Your father," he said lowly, and Ilana paled, "gave us clear instructions. Those were the last ordershe gave us. Are you truly going to disobey them?"

Her father?Solomon wondered. Ilana's father was the one who gave the order of secrecy? Did that mean Lance and Ilana really weren't related? What kind of father would send his daughter to an alien, possibly hostile planet?

"Lance." The robot spoke up for the first time, and both Ilana and Lance turned to face it. It looked concerned.

The robot was an odd figure in the strange equation that was the Lunises. Solomon had not known about the robot when he had first captured Lance and Ilana. Such ignorance had almost ruined the mission, and eventually led to Lance and Ilana's escape. Solomon also had a tendency to disregard it. Oh, he absolutely knew it could fight and was essential to Titan, but he often had trouble grasping how Lance and Ilana treatedit. They saw it as a living being. They saw it as family. Losing it had not only ripped away their protection physically, but had torn them apart emotionally. And, it seemed, they relied on the robot to balance out their decisions when they couldn't agree.

The robot had been silent for their conversation, for which Solomon was grateful. He had a feeling the robot and Lance intended to let Ilana, who was the more articulate of the group, handle the conversation. Lance had stepped in when he saw the need, which was difficult, but at least Solomon understood Lance. The robot…what did it think, how did it act, and what would it do?

Lance and Ilana were clashing. The robot was stepping in after waiting on the sidelines. What would its decision be?

"Perhaps there is a compromise," the robot began.

"Seriously?!" Lance shouted. "Octus, it is your programmingto put the mission first! I get that earth is suffering, but tough luck, so are a lot of people in the universe. If we want to fix that—" Lance cut himself off, glaring over at Solomon. He grimaced. "We have to follow the mission. For everyone's sakes. Solomon just has to deal."

"Lance," Ilana began. "I know where you're coming from, but Solomon deserves to know and he won't just tell anyone—"

"You said yourself that the Mutradi's technology is more advanced than theirs!" Lance cut her off.

Mutradi,Solomon thought silently.

"What if they break into G3's records?" Lance went on. "With all the information G3's gathered, any assassin will have all they need to know. G3 knows enough as it does."

"Can't we just tell them some—"

"When fighting and not sharing, and nothing seems to work! It's time to put your heads togetheeeeeeeeeer! And think of something good!"

Solomon had been trying to keep his expression neutral even as things escalated, but now his eyebrows went right up. Was that…?

Lance sent a withering look towards the robot, who sat perfectly poised as if children's music started playing in this household all the time.

"Octus," Lance said slowly. "Is this reallynecessary?"

"It is if you two have forgotten what teamwork is," the robot said simply. "If you're acting like children, I'll treat you like children." Ilana and Lance had the sense to look somewhat abashed. "Even earthling children can learn these principles. So can you."

Ilana sighed. "We know, Octus. We're sorry." She looked at him, truly apologetic.

"Thank you, Ilana," the robot said gently. "But since you two need a refresher, it doesn't take much time. Teamwork is a joint action of two or more individuals in which each person subordinates his or her own interests and opinions to the unity and efficacy to the group. Every member participates and is listened to. Both of you have very good points. But what about mine?"

Again, Lance and Ilana ducked their heads, now guilty. Solomon watched from the sidelines, morbidly fascinated.

Ilana sighed. "What's your idea, Octus?"

"First, I have a question," the robot said, and it turned to Solomon. Solomon straightened, snapped out of his observations and suddenly put back in the center of things. What kind of question did the aliens have for him? Why should he answer it, when they refused to answer his?

"Solomon," the robot began. "Do you…trust us?"

Solomon blinked. Trustthem? Well, he'd let them come to G3 HQ with no restraints or even much surveillance. His men had fought beside them. He'd called them for help on the space station, and they had come.

And yet, they refused to talk with him and had only accepted his help when there was no other option for them. And he, certainly, had his own secrets to keep. His superior, for one.

Solomon chose his words carefully. "To an extent," he said slowly. "You three are very clearly keeping secrets, but…I trust that you do have earth's best interests at heart."

Ilana again looked sympathetic, while Lance wasn't impressed. The robot's expressions were hard to read, which was frustrating as it was currently the one in control.

"I have a proposal," the robot announced. "Solomon has fair points. It is his job to monitor aliens and protect the earth. We cannot reveal the purpose of our mission, yet what if we lethim monitor us?"

Solomon, Ilana, and Lance all spoke at once. "What?"

The robot gestured a large hand. "He stays here. That way, he can keep an eye on us, which is his job. And perhaps…" the robot trailed his gaze back to the two aliens. "…Perhaps we will find that we can trust him,and decide, as a group,to share some information with him."

Lance and Ilana looked at one another, unsure. Ilana swallowed before speaking. "I'm open to that."

Lance's expression closed down. "No."

Solomon himself wasn't sure what he thought of the idea. Living here?In these suburbs? Withthe aliens? He struggled to wrap his mind around the concept. It was difficult even get them to speak to him, and now they wanted him in their home?

Ilana put her chin in her hand thoughtfully. "We have the space. And we could tie it in with the story we already told about why we were missing." She went on conversationally to Solomon. "We said our grandmother died. You could be our uncle, who's doing business in the area and wanted to spend more time with family."

"No,"Lance said more firmly. "Do you even hear yourself? You want this man—"Lance jabbed at finger at Solomon "—to stay with us?"

"We stayed with him, didn't we?" Ilana said reasonably.

"As much as the integrity of our mission is vital, we cannot ignore the needs of the earthlings," the robot interjected. "Our safety would be jeopardized if we became opposed to G3. Establishing trust between us is essential."

Lance threw his hands up in the air. "I don't believe this."

"Think of it this way, Lance," Ilana said cheerfully. "We already know G3 is watching us. Remember all the footage they had when we were in their base? If we can't stop them, why not have Solomon where we can watch him back?"

Solomon could seethe temptation cross Lance's face, and he was suddenly even more skeptical of this idea. Just as the aliens guarded their secrets, so did he. He was Solomon,the leader of the Galactic Guardian Group, protector of the earth, defender of humanity. He wanted an alliance with these aliens, but this would be exposing himself. He would be seen by the civilians of the neighborhood constantly.

And yet…wasn't this the best offer the aliens had ever proposed to him? Solomon had used every weapon G3 had at its disposal to uncover their secrets and had little to show for it. If they gave him a chance, any chance to learn more, shouldn't he take it?

Lance crossed his arms, still mulling it over. "I don't know about this," Lance finally settled on.

Ilana turned back to Solomon. "What do you think of all this?"

Living with the aliens. No longer having to watch them through the windows, stalk them through spies. Actually getting to converse with them, on a daily basis, and be on-site as they integrated in earthen culture while secretly fighting the alien creatures. Finally getting a chance to earn their trust, bit by bit, day by day. Perhaps, working up to the point where they would openly answer his essential questions.

That…or they might slip. Already the three of them had revealed more than they had intended.

Ilana's father. Mutradi. Assassins.

Weeks had gone into planning G3's abduction and interrogation of the Lunises. Solomon had spent hours undercover as Kane, trying to gain their trust and figure out their secrets with carefully constructed lies. Yet now, here he was, telling the complete truth, and already rewarded with snippets of valuable information.

"G3 certainly would desire more communication with you," Solomon said slowly, unsure of what else there was to say.

Couldhe be satisfied with this? Or was it a distraction, and instead he should keep pushing them to answer his questions directly?

That won't work,Solomon realized morosely. They'll only reveal this mission if they're allin agreement, and only Ilana truly wants to. Lance, on the other hand, will take it to his grave.

Solomon still wasn't sure about the idea. "I would prefer some time to think on it."

Ilana nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. In fact, weneed some time as well." She glanced at Lance. "We'd only do it if we allagreed to it. So, I think we should discuss it among ourselves."

Solomon recognized the beginnings of a goodbye, and in truth, he was ready to leave and think this all over himself.

"Very well." Solomon stood, swiftly brushing off his knees. "I will leave you to that, then." He paused. "I want to thank you for being willing to talk. I know that…our first interactions must have been—traumaticfor you. But I have no desire to harm you now."

Ilana got up and held out her hand. Solomon took it and shook it briefly. "We're happy you've been so understanding, Solomon. I hope that someday…" she took a deep breath "Someday, we canexplain everything to you, and your planet will no longer be in danger."

So there was hope. Hope that these monsters would stop coming, and that Lance and Ilana would finally reveal their secrets. In Solomon's ignorance, he'd often wondered if the past year was simply how it would be on earth from now on. Alien creatures plaguing them with no end in sight. But Ilana's bright eyes silently assured him that there wouldbe an end to it.

"Until then, we'll try our best to make things better for you," Ilana continued. "Is…is there a way for us to contact you once we've reached a decision?"

Ah, yes. After Octus's revival, Solomon's superior had ordered a complete shutdown of almost all external communication, much to Solomon's frustration. He could understand cutting themselves off from Steel to avoid another battle, yet severing from the Lunises just when they'd started to trust him had been agonizing.

"Of course." Solomon took out a pen and a notepad he had thought to bring and began to write out a secure G3 communication number. If he wasn't able to bring recording devices to this meeting, he at least decided to bring more rudimentary ways of chronicling information.

He tried not to think of how angry his superior would be as he handed the note to Ilana. His superior wanted G3 to be untraceable, completely invisible on the grid and below anyone's radar. The man would probably order that the number Solomon gave to the Lunises be cut off immediately. Yet Solomon wouldn't let that happen. For one, the Lunises might be offended if suddenly the number went dark. But for another, he never wanted to miss an opportunity where theyreached out to him.

"I'm surprised you haven't found a way to contact us yourself," Solomon said openly as he tucked the notepad and pen in one of his inner pockets. He had, after all, called the Lunises for help on the space station. He was surprised they hadn't followed the source and still had it on record.

"We have tried," the robot spoke up. It had stood as well, and now both it and Lance came to Ilana's sides. "Yet all of your signals have proven very difficult to pinpoint."

Solomon hid his astonishment. That was high praise, coming from these aliens. He'd seen their technology, and it was nothing short of incredible. They'd torn apart advanced G3 weaponry like scrap metal. They had ducked under earth security systems almost undetectably. But they couldn't track down G3…Solomon knew that was only because of his superior's ingenious inventions.

"I see," was all he said.

Ilana began walking him to the door. "Thank you for your patience, Solomon," she rambled on. "And again, I'm sorry we can't be of any more help. But we'll talk about our idea and contact you when we reach a decision—maybe tomorrow, I'd say, or the day after that. It depends."

Her eyes glanced in Lance's direction and Solomon very deliberately did not follow her gaze.

"Until then," he said with a nod. "I wish you well." With another bow of his head, Solomon walked through the doorway and was off. He did not look back and paid little attention now to the civilians around him. His mind was circling back over the conversation, repeating it over and over, grasping at each precious straw of new information.

And their compromise.

[AUTHOR'S NOTES: I have to admit; this story does nothave a planned ending, it's still in progress. I plan for more fluff and fun than plot, no dramatic conclusive finale. Yet, I'm determined to do my part in supporting Titan as it resides on Netflix, so here we are. I have a few future chapters planned, but we'll see how this plays out. Hope you'll enjoy it. Please, comment and tell me what you think, I love to hear from more SBT fans.]