Titan Rumble Ch 1: The Three Species

(CAIN)

I walked down the street, school just let out, and my mind was stuck on the strange stuff coming later today. Maybe not annoying, but definitely weird.

Why? Well, I'm moving. Yeah, I know, moving doesn't sound like a big deal. But the thing is, I'm moving miles away to a place totally different from where I've lived all my life.

Let me explain. This world is made up of three different races, each living in their own parts of the world: Alphas, Betas, and Omegas. Remember those names, because you'll be hearing them a lot.

These races are pretty similar in a lot of ways. Some people even say we're distant relatives, though very distant. But there's one big difference—our size.

Alphas are the biggest, by far. Betas are just an inch tall to them, and Omegas, well, we're only 0.35mm compared to them. Alphas have strong bodies, and even the weakest one could do serious damage to the smaller races. Most Alphas are pretty aggressive and love to fight. Their society is all about strength.

Then there are the Betas. To them, Alphas are around 432 feet tall, and an Omega like me would only be an inch. Betas don't care about strength as much—they value intelligence. They've built amazing things that have helped all the races move forward. Honestly, without the Betas, none of us would be as advanced as we are.

Finally, there are the Omegas, the smallest race. To us, Alphas look like they're 5.9 miles tall, and Betas are 432 feet tall. And if you haven't guessed by now, I'm an Omega. Even though we're the smallest, I'm proud to be one. We're the race that values technique.

What does that mean? Well, think about it. How have we survived this long when we're so tiny and fragile compared to the others? It's because every Omega is born with a special Quirk—some kind of power we get in childhood. These abilities have helped us find our place in a world full of giants.

We train in dojos to master our powers, and believe it or not, our battle skills are better than even the Alphas'.

So, yeah, I'm proud of who we are. But that's exactly why this move doesn't feel right to me.

"I'm finally home," I said, standing in front of the wooden dojo that had been in my family for generations.

"I'm home," I repeated, opening the door and stepping inside.

I was about to head to my room for a nap, but as soon as I took my first step in, something hard smacked the top of my head.

"Ow!!!" I yelled, gripping my head. I looked up, tears welling in my eyes, only to see my dad standing there, his infamous "world-ending chop" hovering above me.

"Where the hell have you been?!" he yelled.

"What do you mean, old man? You know I had school!" I shot back, only to receive an even harder chop.

"That's not what I asked," he said, lowering his voice. "What took you so long to come home? You know you're leaving in a few minutes. Do you want to be late and dishonor my name?"

"Dishonor? You, honorable? How lame..." I muttered, turning away.

"What did you say, boy?!" Dad growled, grabbing my collar.

"Enough."

We both froze as a single voice rippled through the air, making us sweat instantly. Slowly, we turned our gaze deeper into the house, where she stood, hands on her hips.

"Mom," I said, worry creeping in.

"Honey..." Dad replied with that same nervous, goofy grin.

"Dear," Mom said, locking eyes with him. "Do we have time to play around, or are we running late?"

"No, of course not..." he muttered, letting go of my collar.

"And Cain," she continued, turning to me, "what have I told you about that disrespectful way of speaking?"

"Uh oh," I thought.

"If you don't fix how you talk, how are you ever going to get a wife and start your own family?" she asked, her gaze piercing.

"Mom?!" I felt my face heating up.

"I swear, she always brings this up," I thought, looking away—only for her to grab my chin and force me to face her.

"You understand, right?" she asked, her eyes staring deep into mine.

"Uh, yeah. Of course I do," I mumbled, feeling like I was staring into the void.

"Go upstairs and get your stuff," she commanded.

"Yes, ma'am," I said quickly, shuffling toward my bedroom.

"And, dear," Mom added, turning to Dad, "how about you go help him?"

"Yes, dear," Dad replied, hurrying after me.

***

(YUNA)

I faced my father, both hands raised, standing on the wide wooden floor of his dojo. My body was tense, ready for anything. This was my favorite part—facing off against a superior opponent, testing my limits, and getting stronger.

In a split second, the fight began. One moment, I was locked on my father's gaze. The next, his fist was inches from my face. I barely managed to dodge, feeling the force graze my cheek as I stepped back quickly, putting distance between us.

Without hesitation, I threw a kick aimed at his face. But in a blur, he blocked it effortlessly, his arm moving with speed that made my own attack seem sluggish. Before I could retract my leg, he grabbed it, spinning me off balance and sending me crashing to the floor.

I gasped, rolling to my feet as quickly as possible, but he was already on me, throwing a barrage of punches. I dodged most, but one caught me in the ribs, knocking the air out of my lungs. My knees buckled, but I refused to fall.

Summoning all my strength, I threw a desperate punch towards his chest. My knuckles met nothing but air as he sidestepped with ease, his hand finding its way to the back of my neck. In a swift movement, he swept my legs from under me, slamming me to the ground.

"Enough," he said, stepping back.

I lay there, panting and drenched in sweat, staring at the ceiling. He hadn't even broken a sweat, and I had been completely outmatched. Still, there was a grin on my face. I loved every second of it.

A few minutes later, we sat beside each other on the floor, both catching our breath. I sipped water from a bottle, feeling my body slowly relax.

"You've gotten better," my dad said, wiping his forehead. "But you're still a long way from beating me."

I chuckled, taking another sip. "One day, old man."

He smiled, but then his face grew more serious. "Do you remember Cain?"

The mention of that name made my body tense. My grip on the water bottle tightened as my eyes darkened. "Yeah, I remember that little..."

"He's coming to live with us," Dad said, his arms crossed.

I whipped my head towards him, shock and disbelief written all over my face. "What?"

Dad nodded, not backing down. "He'll be here soon. You'd better be ready."