It's been a while since I've done anything for the AvP Archives!

This is just a little one-shot of an idea I had forever ago. I don't think I'll ever get around expanding on it, but here it is all the same.

enjoy!

The children gathered around him, or more like they made excited circles all over the place, spluttering out whatever their young minds could think up to thank him for what he had done for them. Which he thought of as nothing really, but he stayed put, knelled before them, just because he couldn't dare think about ruining their happiness.

"You're like a Superhero!" one of the two boys said, the one with light brown hair, Duncan, so he had heard. The boy paused a little after he has said that, tilting his head with a puzzling frown in his expression as he stared at him, "But, like…all G.I. Joe'd up and stuff."

Self conscious, the hero in question looked down at his person. It was probably because of his armor that the boy didn't exactly pin him up with the other "superhero's" he'd heard of.

"No, no!" the other boy, Jimmy, berated his friend, "He's like Iron Man! See, he's even got a mask on!"

The brunette's eyes widened slightly and he nodded, "Oh yeah…!" then he smiled, "That's so cool! He's exactly like Iron Man!" but then he frowned again, "but like…he's got hair and stuff."

The taller boy looked at him in utter irritation, "He can't be exactly like Iron Man, Duncan," he said, "Copyright, duh!"

"Oh, right, I get it now," and finally the boy looked completely satisfied with the savior before him, "You're still super awesome, though!"

Behind his mask, he sweat dropped at the praise. Super awesome? Ah…maybe just more agile and stronger than your normal human…times ten.

"So how come you wear a mask?"

He was pulled out from his thoughts by the new question, but he needn't answer for the other one did so for him, "To hide his secret identity, duh…" the young one said before turning to look at him, "He's probably a really rich guy like Batman, cuz he's got so many cool gadgets on him.."

"No way!" the brown haired one exclaimed, taking hold of one of his arms(He made sure to do most of the lifting himself, since there was no way the boy would be able to hold it up on his own) and showing it to his friend, "Look! He's got claws and stuff! He's probably like an alien!"

At this the hero panicked a bit. They found out he was an alien from another planet, didn't that scare them?

Apparently not, "Oh, wow!" said the tall one, "Like Superman!"

The small one shook his head slowly, "I don't think so…"

His friend concurred, "Er…yeah, maybe not like Superman…Well, maybe that's why he wears a mask. Maybe he's green or something."

"Ooooh…" the other boy breathed, looking straight at the alien, "Like the Martian Man Hunter…"

"Well, I like him better than all of those hero's combined!" the little girl, who was sitting on a chair next to the computer on the other side of the room, said with a mass amount of certainty. A certainty he was sure the other two children agreed on.

"Yeah!"

"He's like way better!"

"He's real!"

They said.

He couldn't help smile. Here he was, in an Ooman room, surrounded by three Ooman Pups that did nothing but shower him with praise and thanks, all because he had saved them a few times. It was a bit surreal. Well, okay, he was sort of expecting it after saving them all for about the fifth time. Or was it the fourth? Paya, how in the world do they get in so much trouble…?

"Hey…"

His heart skipped a beat. He felt that cold sweat again and he turned his head toward the opposite corner of the room. There upon the mattress pushed up against the wall was the other girl, the one with long black hair and blue eyes, she was sitting up on the little bed, a smile on her face that made him warm and dazzy. Which did a good job in freaking him out, it had to be said.

Anyway, the young teenager addressed the children, "You guys better get to your houses, your parents'll get worried sick if you don't show…"

"Yeah, okay…" they said almost in unison.

The light brown haired one's shoulders slumped slightly, yet he turned around with a great big smile on his face, "Well, bye, Mister," he said politely, "My name's Duncan, by the way."

"Yeah, and I'm Jimmy," said the taller, black haired boy, "Cya later!"

He hoped if they did, that it wouldn't be because they needed his help.

The two boys walked all the way up to the little girl, who jumped down from the chair and waved at him, "Bye, I'm Samantha!" she giggled. It was really strange having them introduce themselves while also biding him farewell.

He watched all three children leave then, his gaze linger seconds after they had gone.

"You really made their night, Hero."

He jerked his head towards her with a jolt. Why was he always so jumpy around her? It was so weird…

Meanwhile, the girl got out of the bed and walked toward the balcony, gesturing him to follow her. He did so, not knowing what else to do, he surely couldn't stay knelling all night.

It was slightly cold out, he didn't need to see her rub her arms to tell that. For his species warm weather was preferred, and the temperature of the city was already a little more than annoying. He should've left weeks ago, now that he thought about it. What had caused him to stay…?

Oh yeah…those three kids that are more like danger attraction poles. Heh…and the beautiful girl next to him.

Wait-beautiful?

"So, gotta name?"

His attention went to her fully. She had both her hands on the near-frozen iron poles that served as the rails of the balcony, looking at him intently.

To answer her question, he shook his head.

She let go of the rails and crossed her arms, regarding him with a smirk, "You don't talk much do you?"

Rather awkwardly, he shrugged.

"Heh," she said, "Didn't think so…"

Silence reigned between them, the sounds of the city below faint yet prominent. She bowed slightly, placing both hands on her thighs and looking up at his face, "Are ya gonna show me what you have hiding behind that mask of yours, buddy?"

He looked away. Out of all the things she could've asked him, she had to ask the one thing he wouldn't dare do. What would she think when she saw him? He wasn't stupid, he was alien, Yautja, and nothing like her Ooman people. She'd be scared of the way he looked…Maybe. He mused about her being very different than other teenage Oomans he's seen, maybe she wouldn't mind too much. But still…he didn't want to chance it. He liked this Ooman…a little bit…nothing big…he'd hate to see her fear him.

"It's okay, I get it."

He looked back at her, surprised she'd given up, just like that.

She smiled again and straightened herself up, "You gotta reason for that mask," she said simply, "If you wanna show me, you will. If not…well, that's up to you."

With a contented sigh she leaned back on the balcony rails, "You know, those kids you keep savin, I'm sorta their babysitter," she began suddenly yet calmly, "Their parents work hard all day and night, an when they can't watch over them, which is usually like all the time, they ask me to watch over em. Sometimes they pay me, but no one here in the projects has a lot of money to go about spending, so I do it for free. I don't expect money, or anything, I like taking care of them. They're good kids."

She paused, thinking over some things before starting again, "Duncan, the little guy, he's real smart. He might not seem like it, since he zones out a lot, but in his school work he's a grade A. Jimmy's got a whole bunch of natural talent. He likes to make robots and stuff, he's the tallest in his class. He and Duncan have been friends since forever really…And Samantha, whoo-ee…she's already breaking boys' hearts. But she's real sweet, and she hangs out with Duncan and Jimmy because they like a lot of the same things. They're all into comics, as you can see. Well, Samantha's getting schooled in it by the boys, she's already got a favorite superhero though," she then laughed before looking at him again, "Then again, I think you totally threw Superman off his throne after tonight, Hero."

He almost laughed, but stopped himself because he thought that maybe she'd find its shrill noise a bit odd.

After receiving not response, the girl let out an embarrassed giggle, "What am I doin telling you all this stuff?" she asked more to herself, he was sure, "I'm sure you gotta whole bunch of other things to do without me keepin ya here. Saving more kids and stuff…"

Well, maybe he wouldn't be saving more kids, but he would definitely be on the look out for people who needed help. Still…he wished she wouldn't be so embarrassed…it's not as if he didn't like to hear her. Just the opposite in fact. He liked it a lot.

She smiled softly at him and extending her hand, "My name's Renee."

A handshake. He's seen it done before, but he's never done it. He just stood there, watching blankly at her hand.

"Well…?"

That nearly made him jump. He looked at her. She sure looked set on waiting for that handshake…

With a gulp, he lifted his hand, but hesitated. Oh, come on! It wasn't going to kill him! He was a trained Yautja Warrior-er…Yautja Bad Blood, that is…Great, now he felt even more awkward…Oh, screw it, he could do something as simple as a handshake!

He took her hand properly and waited for her to shake it(if he did it he might pull her arm off), instead, and to his utter surprise(I mean, this really made him nearly have a heart attack)she pulled on him and went forward.

And then she kissed him on his cheek.

Her lips touch his metal mask without a proper warning. For a good two seconds. And she was still holding his hand. Oh Paya have mercy on his soul…

"Good look with whatever it is that you do, Hero," she winked before letting go of him.

Dumbfounded, he could only nod. She giggled again, as he she could tell of his plight, and turned around to go back inside her room. She only looked back once, a smile on her lips and he couldn't help but notice how she didn't completely close her door…

Whoa-nelly…Gods almighty, Ba'kuub was in a whole lota trouble…