#Alex is always threatening to harm Shadow

[cadrenebula]

Junelezen - Day 21 Mountain

"I swear if you steal one more thing, I am tossing you off the nearest mountain! You act like I never feed you."

[oneshotnewbie]

could you do a oneshot where Kara and Alex s little sister is flown up into the air and dropped by Non Kara risks her identity in civilian clothes to fly up and catch her. But when she brings her back down b!d gets physically sick and faints in her sisters arms.

Authors note: One of my oldest requests (October 29, 2019) and I'm only now getting around to posting it. I'm sorry to whoever asked for this, I don't know why I ignored this request for so long and why it's been in my finished stories for over a year.

ᕚ---ᕘ

Alex and Kara were two siblings who had fought every battle together and they had always thought that they could protect you from every harm and depth of the world's darkness. But on that fateful evening everything, unbeknownst to them, would be turned to dust as they stood in National City Park waiting for Non to show up and make a deal that would bring peace between the two forces.

"I still don't think it was a good idea at all to show up here alone, Kara," the redhead thundered between her breaths, her gun already unholstered and ready to fire. She knew it wasn't a good idea to be here but she wanted to finally put an end to Non's evil activities. "We should have told J'onn."

"Maybe not just him, but me too?" they suddenly heard a familiar voice behind them. Their heads quickly turned back and looked at your face in shock, disbelieving that you had followed them. "What the hell are you doing here?"

You had joined the DEO a few months ago to combat the threats of aliens and especially other Kryptonians who wanted to hurt your sister. Everything had gone well so far, your training as an agent had been successfully completed, but they were afraid that you would be injured and so they didn't take you on larger missions that posed a higher risk of injury.

Like now.

A stronger gust of wind mixed with swirling dust had you stumbling back a few steps, shielding your eyes from the fine particles in the air. Seconds later, when the surroundings had calmed down, the three of you managed to look up. A little further above you in the air, Non looked down at you, his cold eyes sparkling with malice. "Ah, Y/n... nice that you're here too. That's quite fitting," he remarked with a malicious grin playing on his lips. "I think you'll do an excellent job of illustrating my new demonstration."

A frightening shadow crossed Kara and Alex's faces as Non flew between the two of them at the speed of light and lifted you into the air in a single, quick movement. Your desperate cries shattered the night's silence as you fought desperately against the iron grip on your neck, but it was hopeless. With each passing moment he rose meter by meter higher as the surroundings and your siblings slowly became a distant speck.

Alex and Kara stared in shock at the horrific sight that was unfolding before their eyes. “Y/n!!!” Alex shouted in panic, but her shouts were swallowed up by the wind piercing through your ears. She didn't know what to do, she couldn't shoot. The risk of hitting you and causing life-threatening injuries was far too high. "Now, my dear niece, you can see how powerless you are," Non mocked. His eyes sparkled with darkness as he ignored the desperate gasp from you to free yourself and instead gripped tighter.

"Non! Let go of my sister!" The blonde shouted with a mix of anger and desperation in her voice. Her gaze was fixed on you as she looked at her uncle challengingly. The person you spoke to laughed scornfully and looked at you one last time, with no remorse in his eyes. "Well, whatever you want, Supergirl."

Without warning, he let go of you and your horrified screams filled the air as you fell uncontrollably. Kara clenched her fists in anger and determination. She knew she had to do something to save you, even if it meant revealing her own identity. In a moment of urgency, she took off in a daring leap, flying upward at incredible speed. The cold of the night sky hit her face, but the heat that entered her queasy stomach made her fly higher to save you.

The blonde accelerated her flight power, her superpowers feeling stronger than she had ever experienced before, and she reached it just in time to catch you before you hit the ground. She approached you with impressive speed and caught you in her arms. She held herself tightly in her arms, felt your body trembling and saw the fear in your eyes as you clung to her tightly. Kara knew she had to act quickly and get you downstairs. "It's all good, sweetheart. I'll get you back to the ground, just hold on tight."

When they finally arrived safely on the ground, both siblings were overcome with a wave of relief. You were saved, but the fight against Non was far from over. "Don't you dare try to harm her again!" she hissed in a dangerously low tone. and looked with a challenging look at Alex, who was holding you tightly in her arms out of worry and fear for your life. She nodded encouragingly at her and let her fly back into the sky to prepare for the upcoming duel with Non.

Meanwhile, Alex stayed back on the floor with you as you leaned against her, exhausted, sinking into her embrace. The traumatic event echoed in your mind, your breathing shallow as physical and emotional exhaustion overwhelmed you.

The redhead, recognizing the tension in your features, took your hand and squeezed it gently. "It's all good, I'm here with you," she whispered reassuringly to you, but you flinched in her arms, an even violent tremble overcoming you. Your eyes widened in panic and you felt your stomach clench spasmodically as a wave of nausea washed over you. "Hey, what's up?"

Alex was worried when she noticed the sudden change. You tried to answer, but your voice failed miserably. The words got stuck in your throat as your complexion paled. Panic rose in the eldest. "It's all good, you hear?" she hugged you tightly, trying to calm you down from the shock, but the symptoms intensified.

The world began to spin around you, the sounds became muffled, and you felt your body give way. Your sister continued to hold you tightly, trying to keep you close, but the strength suddenly left you and your body collapsed into hers.

[beware-of-you-98]

How the BAU React to Being Haunted

👻🍁🎃 in honor of spooky season 👻🍁🎃

Penelope

penelope is very, very respectful of the ghosts in her house

initially, when she hears the footsteps in the middle of the night or someone whisper her name only to find no one there, she freaks out a little

but she always approaches the topic with the upmost respect

she begins to greet the ghosts every morning and tell them good night

she asks them to stop hitting her walls in the middle of the night because it scares her

[they do]

she talks to them and it brings her a sense of comfort almost because she knows that they won’t hurt her

she finds the history of her apartment and adjusts accordingly to the ghosts’ needs

there was an older woman who had a fondness for Prince that passed away before she moved in

so every time penelope leaves for work, she’ll put on Prince for the woman to enjoy while she’s gone

Spencer

spencer is a very rational man of science and for weeks he chalks up objects moving on their own as him misplacing them

or the whispers he hears as paranoia

or the shadows he sees out of the corner of his eye as just his eyes playing tricks on him

he kinda ignores what goes on around him

one day, he addresses the spirit as “gideon” when he’s reading and his shoe goes flying across the room with no other explination

somehow, rationalizing the spirit as gideon helps him cope with not only being haunted, but with gideon’s death

if he’s running late for work and he can’t find something he needs, he’ll ask “gideon” and the thing he was looking for will show up

he doesn’t want to know if the spirit really is gideon or not

because the fact that it responds to gideon is enough for him

JJ

it freaks her out

but she puts on a poker face for her own sanity

it gets harder because henry starts to talk about his new friend

she ignores the fact that her son’s new friend is described exactly like rosalyn

and ignores how henry is starting to sing michael the same songs ros sang her [she never taught her son those songs]

she ignores everything at first because she had never told her son anything about their aunt and she’s so scared that maybe her sister holds a grudge for not doing anything to help her sooner

one day she’s reading in the house by herself when she swears she hears her sister’s laugh

her heart freezes, her finger marking her place in her book as she looks around the room

she timidly croaks for her sister

and watches as her eastern swallowtail shadowbox falls from the bookshelf and lands safely on the floor

it’s almost as if ros is letting her know she’s here and that she’s not mad

now any time henry talks about his new friend “r”, jj feels warmth instead of fear because she knows her sister is watching over her kids and protecting them

Emily

she really doesn’t mind the ghosts

she lets them do their own thing

if they want to bang on her pots and pans in the middle of the night, so be it

she’d probably do the same if her bed wasn’t so damn comfy

they want to stomp up and down halls??

let her grab her boots to join them

it’s a god damn party

the only time she even acknowledges the spirits is when she’s busy with work

the ghosts will start acting up and she’ll calmly go “martha i respect you and your spectral routine, you know i do, but can you chill for like five minutes while i finsh up this report?”

they stop every single time

Derek

does a double take every time something paranormal happens

does he question it?

of course he does

is his immediate conclusion ghosts??

absolutely not

and if something happens he can’t explain, he’ll come up with the most ridiculous conclusion

he saw his car keys get thrown across the room

must have been one hell of a gust of wind

because somehow admitting it’s a ghost is scarier than just pretending it’s not

Hotch

does not have the time for this bullshit

do you seriously think aaron hotchner is afraid of a ghost??

he was stabbed nine times in his own home and shot point blank a handful of times

he was about ready to fist fight a serial killer on death row

he’s not scared of being haunted

he could literally come into the house and see a little annabelle wanna be doll running around his apartment that’s been covered in pentagrams

he’ll just shrug and go “well i’ve been through worse” and continue on with his day

Rossi

what ghosts he has no ghosts

(cue his cabinets swinging open on their own)

nope, no ghosts whatsoever

he constantly uses the excuse that his house is “settling” to rationalize paranomal activity

and he has no idea what people are talking about when they tell him his house is haunted

“dave we literally just saw a man standing out in your backyward vanish before our eyes”

“huh must be the house just settling”

Tara

realizes she has ghosts when she comes out of her bathroom one night brushing her teeth to see a figure standing in her hallway

she pauses and flips on the light, only to watch the figure disappear when the light is on

when she turns it back off, the figure is there again

she kinda just stares at it for a long time and is finally like “well okay then that’s a thing i have to deal with now”

and goes about her normal routine

she tells the ghosts her jokes when no one else is around to hear them

and will constantly over exaggerate her response to the paranormal activity to make the ghosts feel accomplished

Luke

he approaches things almost like penelope

until he’s home alone and hears a fucking little kid giggling

he immediately stands, grabs roxy and spends the night on spencer’s couch

because luke alvez can deal with ghosts

he can deal with demons

he will not deal with a little kid ghost

nope he absolutely draws the line at it

he hears the kid singing one night when he comes back to his apartment and is like NOPE

call a priest

call the exorcist

burn down the house

burn down the block

because there is no way in HELL he is going to go back there no sir

he moves into a new apartment a few weeks later because fuck his deposit he is not spending the night with that creepy ass shining twins wanna be bitch

Matt

rationalizes, rationalizes, rationalizes

to him, there’s nothing that can’t be explained

and there is no paranormal reason for what happens

he accepts it as something rational and moves on with his life

he has a lot more things to worry about than his “haunted house”

Alex

she acknowledges the ghosts are there

but really what can she do about it

she’s not going to get rid of them, they were here first

so she kinda sets up some boundaries

she lets the spirits do their own thing and she does her’s and they don’t bother each other

she’ll let them toss around whatever the hell they feel like as long as they don’t touch her books

or harm her

she never threatens them

but the ghosts must get the memo because they never touch any of her books

Kate

(cue me inserting something unoriginal about her being the ghost whisperer)

no but seriously she approaches the ghosts as if they do need help

if they don’t, they wouldn’t still be there, right?

she adjusts her life according to the needs of the ghosts as much as she can

and takes the time to talk to each one to learn if she’s doing good by them

of course they never respond

but she’ll know because her things will be left alone

(if the ghosts aren’t happy with the way things are, they hide her keys and make her late for work)

Elle

tells the ghosts to fuck off

they’ll start their little whispers and call out her name

and elle won’t even miss a beat before calling back “fuck off” while continuing her tasks

she doesn’t have the time for this haunted house bullshit

and they really think they can scare her???

she’ll square up with a spirit if they showed themselves bet

she’d like to see a dead bitch try her

Gideon

is the ghost

isn’t the ghost haunting spencer

but is screaming somewhere at a denny’s in tulsa thinking he’s stuck in hell

[owl-with-a-pen]

What if Nia had gotten so angry at lex after what happened with brainy, she went to go try and kill him? 😳 and brainy had to stop her. We’ve seen the dark side of brainy before but never in Nia really, discluding “reality bytes”

- Oooh, I like this idea a lot! I brought a few more characters into play for this as well, hope you don’t mind!

“I’m gonna kill him.”

Nia stormed past Kara for the third consecutive time, swivelling on her foot just shy of hitting the far wall so that she could continue pacing across Lena’s lab. Her hands were clenched so tightly together that her fingers were beginning to burn, but she didn’t care. All she cared about was ending Lex’s sorry existence once and for all.

“Nia,” Kara cut in, taking a placating step forward, “just think for a second-”

“You can’t stop me, Kara,” Nia snarled. She knew she’d gained something of an audience since Lena and Alex had returned from the recovery room, could feel their eyes tracking her every movement, but just thinking about who they’d been tending to, the state he’d been in when they’d found him in Leviathan’s ship, made the anger inside her chest that much more vitriolic. There was a pressure growing inside her skull, throbbing along to the beat of her heart. She stopped short, jerking her arm in the direction Lena and Alex had come from. “Look what he did to Brainy. Months of hurting him, putting him through god knows what!”

“And you have every reason to be angry,” Kara said gently.

Nia snorted, rolling her eyes. “Great, ‘cuz I was totally asking for your permission.”

“Nia-”

“No.” Nia turned to Kara then, jaw clenched tight. “Y’know what? No. You don’t have a right to tell me I’m wrong here. Lex kills people, Kara, did you think of that, huh? Did you think of who Brainy might have helped Lex kill? What Lex might have made him do?” Nia could feel tears burning in her eyes, could taste a thickness in her throat, but she forced every bit of strength into her voice regardless. “None of us stopped that.”

“None of us knew,” Alex muttered.

“And who’s fault is that?” Nia shot back, whirling on Alex accusingly. “Brainy’s? Or maybe, maybe the truth is, it was ours. I ignored my dreams and we all, we all ignored him!” Nia sucked air through her teeth. She knew she was trembling, but seeing those concerned looks on her friends’ faces did nothing to cool the fire welling inside of her. She swallowed hard, ignoring the iron tang in the back of her mouth, and drew out a slow breath. “But, most importantly,” she said carefully, “it’s Lex’s fault. This is all Lex’s fault.”

“I don’t disagree with you,” Lena said. Her expression had been especially still throughout Nia’s tirade, although something about it now looked distinctly uneasy. “But, Brainy was careful. I saw him-” Lena cringed suddenly, looking away.

Nia knew why, just as well as anyone else in the room did. Lena had known Brainy had been working for Lex – for months - and she hadn’t said a word. She’d kept his secret. No, no, she hadn’t kept his secret, she hadn’t cared about it.

“It was only brief,” Lena said quickly, glancing back to her, “but during that time, he promised me that no one would be harmed whilst he aided with Lex’s schemes. He wouldn’t have broken his code, Nia. Not even for Lex; I’m certain.”

“You killed him.”

“What?”

Nia stared at Lena coldly. “You shot him, right? You shot your brother in the heart and you didn’t think about it. Because it was justice.”

“It wasn’t justice-” Kara tried desperately.

“I’m not talking to you!” Nia gritted. She didn’t even spare Kara a passing glance. All of her attention was devoted to Lena. “Let her talk.”

Lena’s eyes were bright, shimmering things. Still, she didn’t look away this time. Instead, her lips twitched into sharp smile. “What do you want me to say?” she asked coldly. “That killing my brother was cathartic, that it closed old wounds that I thought might never heal?” She raised her chin. “No, you want the whole truth. That my actions stopped a threat that would have continued relentlessly unless someone had the nerve to take that shot. To leave his lifeless body to rot with the worms like he deserved.”

Kara made a pained sound in the back of her throat.

Lena glanced at her. “Don’t get me wrong,” she said plainly. “I don’t condone this. But, not because I don’t agree with her.” Lena turned back to Nia, her brow furrowed. “Nia, taking a person’s life is something you can never take back.”

Nia bared her teeth. “And yet, that’s exactly what the Anti Monitor did.” She gestured at Lena frankly, feeling wayward strands of dream energy snap and spark between her fingers. “Absolve you, or whatever.”

“I’d kill my brother again without a moment’s hesitation,” Lena said stiffly, lifting herself to her full height. “But, we can still stop him without resorting to that.” Her expression softened. “Even if we couldn’t, my actions, they aren’t yours. Nia, you don’t have the stomach for this. You shouldn’t.”

Nia clenched her hands again, feeling her energy pool into every digit. Vibrant blue light simmered against her palms. “No offence, Lena, but you don’t know anything about what I’m capable of right now.”

“Nia?”

Nia faltered, the shock of her power dimming as she half turned to meet the new voice behind her back.

Brainy was stood in the lab’s entryway, his shoulder pressed heavily against the wall. If the frailness of his expression was anything to go by, Nia was certain it was the only thing keeping him from keeling over.

His green skin was still far too pale to be healthy, and his blond hair clung to the side of his jaw with cold sweat, but he was awake. He was…

Why was he awake?

Between the two of them, Lena and Alex had been able to help along Brainy’s natural healing process using a cocktail of experimental drugs, the names of which Nia wasn’t even going to try to pronounce. But Brainy’s IV wasn’t present, instead she could see an angry looking bruise already beginning to blossom over the delicate skin on his left hand.

The dream energy dissolved from Nia’s hands in an instant, rocketing back towards her chest so quickly that she nearly choked. She rushed over to him, reaching tentatively for his arm.

This close, she could see the shadows that had sunk into his cheek bones, the red veins that still branched along the whites of his eyes. He held one arm protectively around his chest, clenched between the steady glow of his three life projectors.

“Brainy,” Nia said breathlessly, running her hand carefully along his arm, desperate to offer any kind of support she could. “You shouldn’t be up.”

Brainy clenched his teeth, lowering his head. “I-I overheard…” he managed.

It took her a second, but although his eyes were heavy lidded, Nia realised that Brainy was looking down at her hands, at the vibrant energy she’d summoned only moments ago. Something heavy settled inside her stomach at that look.

“Nia,” Brainy continued softly. “You- you don’t need to do this.”

A pained laugh caught in Nia’s throat. “You weren’t supposed to hear that.”

Brainy smiled tiredly, lifting his head with clearly more energy than he had to expend. Nia ached to do something for him, to take that hurt away, but the anger inside of her no longer burned like fire. Instead, it twisted deep in her gut, churning together with every bit of fear she’d been trying to hold down since the moment they’d gotten Brainy out of Leviathan’s clutches.

“Killing Lex…” Brainy said, meeting Nia’s eyes. “It will not take back what I did. I worked for him of my own volition, he didn’t force me into anything.”

Nia swallowed hard, closing her eyes.

“You have every right to be angry with me,” Brainy said earnestly. “But, please, don’t channel that anger into something this destructive. Lena is right. Taking a life is never worth it. There is always a better way.”

Nia’s eyes shot open at that. She blinked quickly, shaking her head. “I’m not,” she said. “I’m not mad at you.”

When Brainy only stared at her, Nia felt the twist in her stomach sour even further. She gritted her teeth, blinking back against the sudden burn in her eyes. “I- I don’t want to be,” she said weakly.

“It’s okay.”

Nia startled at the feel of Brainy’s fingers brush against her free hand. She clenched the one around his arm in response. “It’s not okay,” she gritted. “It wasn’t your fault. I-”

“From what I understand,” Brainy said, “emotions do not always make sense. But that does not make them any less real.”

For a long moment, Nia couldn’t say a word against him. Because, as much as she hated to admit it, he was right. She was angry, so angry, but she was also terrified and sick and hollow. There was a bitter hole in her heart, one that had only continued to grow in the months since Brainy had broken up with her. He’d barely spoken to her since, had hardly stood to be in the same room as her at all. The closest they’d gotten was work-related interactions and even then, he’d been so distant, like a part of him hadn’t even been there.

And when she’d seen Brainy in Leviathan’s ship, every single piece of bitterness had surged to life in a united front to keep her grounded, to keep her away from every other emotion threatening to tear her apart. It had warped into a violent rage, an acrid burn inside her lungs, fuelling her on this fruitless pursuit to, what? Kill Lex? As though that’d make her feel better, as though any of this would make her feel better?

Nia couldn’t find it in her to say that all out loud. Instead, she sniffed hard, biting her lip. “You left me alone,” she said lowly. “And that killed me.”

“I know,” Brainy said, his voice pained. “It��� it killed me too, and I know this isn’t enough, that it won’t take away the hurt, but I am so, so sorry, Nia Nal.” His eyes fluttered suddenly, and he closed them quickly, lowering his head. “I will always be sorry.”

Nia knew this wasn’t the right time to have this conversation. Brainy’s complexion was already losing the little colour he’d gained; his jaw was tight with discomfort, and as a harsh shudder ran up his spine, she watched as he lost the last of his composure, leaning his head against the wall with a weak grimace.

Nia wasn’t sure what she was feeling in that moment, but when Brainy’s legs nearly gave out, she didn’t hesitate. Her arms were wrapped around his back before she even knew that she was moving forward, burying her face securely into the side of his neck. His skin was sticky with cold sweat, but she didn’t care, she only hugged him fiercer, unable to keep a sob from heaving its way out of her throat.

“It will be enough,” she whispered, feeling as Brainy slowly began to relax into her embrace. “It’ll just take some time.”

There was more she wanted to say now. The words practically thundered inside her ears, clawing to be let out. Words like, how much she loved him, how she’d never stopped loving him, but how even that couldn’t take away the resentment she’d stored against herself, against him, for leaving her without a proper explanation, for making her feel like her feelings were unwarranted, unreciprocated.

But her throat was tight, and the only sounds she was able to make were the harsh gasps as her chest hitched and fell outside of her control. She could hear Brainy’s pulse beating away against her cheek, the moisture of his own tears wetting strands of her hair.

All she wanted to do was hold on and never, ever let go.

Brainy didn’t say a word, either. Although, for him, it was for a far more pressing reason. His breathing was already beginning to strain against her shoulder, and when he suddenly dipped dangerously in her arms, Nia strengthened her hold around him, leaning them both against the wall to support their combined weights.

“So, does this mean no one’s murdering anyone anymore?” Alex asked from across the room.

Nia’s chest clenched. She’d totally forgotten that her reunion with Brainy had been met with an audience. She lifted her head from his shoulder, blinking against the brightness of the room before turning towards her friends.

Alex was already on her way over to them, her eyes reviewing every inch of Brainy in both parts medical and familial concern. Kara and Lena hovered awkwardly together, seemingly aware that crowding Brainy right now might not be the best plan.

Nia met Kara’s gaze warily, offering her an apologetic wince. “I…” she began.

“It’s okay,” Kara said softly, her eyes creasing with a smile.

Nia sighed, shaking her head. “Okay,” she said levelly. “Maybe, maybe we don’t have to kill him. But the next cell we put that asshole in, he’s never getting out of.”

Kara’s smile widened into a grin. “Now, that’s a plan I can get behind.”

“First thing’s first,” Alex cut in, rousing Brainy enough that he was able to glance blearily up from Nia’s shoulder. She pressed the back of her hand against his forehead, narrowing her eyes at the result. “You’re telling me what the hell you did with your IV. Then, you’re going back to bed.”

Brainy nodded weakly, mumbling a quiet apology, although Nia knew Alex wasn’t looking for one. In fact, she was pretty certain she’d heard Alex forgive Brainy at least a dozen times over while he’d still been delirious from the radiation.

Nia chuckled, helping Alex manoeuvre Brainy’s weight back down the hall.

“C’mon Wildcat,” she murmured into his ear. “We’ve got you.”

Maybe they hadn’t had a chance to get everything out in the open just yet, but they would. 

Once Brainy was healthy and rested, they’d have all the time in the world.

[echo-three-one]

Whatever It Takes

A sequel to "A Forgotten Memory"

Alex is once again tasked to continue his mission in pursuing the threat that had caused hundreds of missing persons turn up dazed the next day. But now he isn't alone, join him along with the elite Task Force 141 as they hunt down Nero, discover the secrets behind his plans and put an end to this memory erasing nightmare.

Chapter 1 to another story made by Ray (echo-three-one) Comments and Reviews appreciated! I hope you enjoy! Love you all ❤️

"Resurgence"

"Alex"

CIA Warcom

Boracay Island, Philippines

Alex basked himself on the warm sandy beaches of the Philippines. He wasn't able to enjoy his vacation after the Nero mission, because he was sent immediately to Urzikstan and Verdansk immediately followed. And now that all of those were over, he now laid down on a beach chair and let the ocean breeze blow on his relaxed state.

Philippines was a nice country, the people were hospitable, the food was delicious and unique and the scenery was beyond amazing. Despite his metal leg, people still looked up at him the way they look at tourists and he was all of the hospitality and attention from his fellow Americans who are also on vacation to locals who were just amazed on how the leg works.

It's been a lot of months ever since Samantha forgot him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that they'll meet again, that's why no matter many women try to show interest in him, he shrugs them off politely by pretending he has a girlfriend. A simple lie that he built for himself in hopes of a miracle of meeting her again.

He always brought her letter with him, some edges of it got burnt from the time he manually detonated a C4 explosive to destroy a gas factory, It was almost torn and faded, but he couldn't leave it somewhere safe. He wanted it to be with him wherever he goes. 

'Don't you dare forget about me'

His phone rang. He quickly fished it from a small pouch he bought that the locals made and immediately answered.

"This is Alex speaking." he chimed.

"I'm sorry to bother you at this time of day Alex, but I have a feeling you'd want to jump in on this." a British accent so familiar informed him over the other side of the line, It was none other than Captain John Price or Bravo Six, a comrade he once fought with back in Urzikstan.

"I'm all ears." he said, sitting up straight and letting his metal leg sink in the sand.

"Looks like your boy Nero is back on the grid. That Sneaky bastard kidnapped the Daughter of the Head of Defense, again." Price relayed.

Alex's heart thumped faster, his breathing became quick. He wished to meet her again but not like this. Not her being in harm's way all over again.

"Shit. Count me in. But.." he hesitated. He wanted to help but remembered he disobeyed CIA orders back in Urzikstan, making him unable to provide support.

"I've talked to Laswell. She's creating a special assignment for you."

"What does that mean?"

"It means welcome to the 141, Alex." Price said as he cut off the call, followed by a message regarding his departure to their base.

~

Alex can't help but worry about Samantha's condition. They've played with her memories multiple times and he thought that it would all be over after she decided to alter everything about them. Guess the enemy didn't know and they're still after her.

The soldier leaned on to the small circular glass pane as he looked at the clouds pass by. His hands were fidgeting each other while his non-metal foot bounced up and down at a fast rate. His seatmate, who happens to be a teenager, noticed his distracting leg movement but ignored it as rock music blasted from his ears. He was a completely different Alex right now and he believed that he'll be back to normal as soon as he sees Samantha safe and within his grasp.

When you have a heavy metal stick as a leg, customs is going to be the most annoying place in the world. Everyone looked at Alex as soon as he passes the metal detector and everyone else's eyes were on him. Of course with a few more safety checks and a whole lot of explaining, Alex was good to go. 

"So, you're the one they call Alex" the heavily British accented driver mused, breaking the silence of their ride to the 141 base. He was looking at him via the rearview mirror, chewing on what Alex hoped to be gum.

"Yep. That's me." he replied, turning to the view of the British streets which confused him a lot as it was the opposite of American or even Global streets.

"Heard they thought you were dead back there. In Georgia." he added. He was quite the chatterbox but CIA Agents are all about the information.

"Yeah. Tried to manually detonate the C4. After that… I just ran for my life." Alex answered, his head was realizing why he did it. What pushed him to think that he could make it out alive. Was it because it's for the greater good? The idea of freeing Farah's country from the harm of the gas? The idea of a chance to meet Samantha all over again? Or something he couldn't explain.

"Well, we're glad to have you back, Alex. But it's a shame it's no longer in the CIA." the driver waved as Alex opened the door and unloaded his stuff.

"As long as it's still about saving the world." he replied, making the driver smile. 

"That's what we do, right?" he agreed as he entered in his car leaving Alex in front a quiet gray building, the Task Force 141 Base, his new home.

Alex pushed the heavy doors open revealing a large hall, multiple round sofas were embedded to the ground and a huge staircase that split left and right greeted him. Multiple heads turned as he opened the said door and slowly walked his way to the nearest person who happened to be panting from exhaustion by the sofa. His metal leg clanked on his every step as the soldiers begin to recognize him. They smiled as soon as Alex's eyes met theirs and some even waved, Alex met them from several missions from the past, some were from the Demon Dogs and his previous designations, Delta Force.

"Where's the briefing room in this huge building?" he asked the soldier in a black t shirt drenched in sweat as he spun his towel trying to keep up with his breathing. He didn't speak but he nodded in acknowledgement and pointed to the hallway on the left. Alex left him a thanks and he walked his way to the direction where he pointed.

Just a few steps after the beginning of the hallway, the people from the main hall cheered and laughed, this made Alex turn around and he saw a young blonde man with spiky hair dash across him, he looked like he's on his way to your destination as well.

"Excuse me! Sir!" he yelled and Alex immediately halted. The young man panted in front of him and took a few seconds to breathe before he countinued his words.

"I'm Gary Sanderson, and I was supposed to guide you to the briefing room. You must be Alex." he reached out a hand and Alex shook it, quietly making your way to the room.

The huge door slid open and they found themselves in a dimly lit room, a huge screen loomed just by the wall and chairs were placed around a long circular table. Alex could spot a few familiar faces, faces he once saw and fought alongside with in Verdansk. There was the balaclava boy, Ghost, the Mohawk Man, Soap, their Captain, John Price and a few big heads from the United States. There were also new faces like Gary, who was now discussing something with another new soldier, a female soldier who sat by Price and a few new more who were already sitting on the chairs. There's also someone missing, Kyle Garrick, he pondered where he was.

The former CIA quickly saw Gary rush to Price's seat and whispered something causing him to lean on his chair, stand up and walk to his side. 

"Glad to see you back in the fight, Alex." he muttered, patting Alex's shoulder.

"I won't skip out on this mission, this one's close to home." he replied, patting his back in return.

"Yeah, heard this was your last mission before the Russian Gas." 

"Yeah. It's a loose end on my side." Alex nodded, crossing his arms.

"Good thing Shepherd had some sense in him. Not unlike your CIA heads, huh?" 

Alex nodded. He remembered he did an illegal thing against the CIA, and that was siding with Farah's forces, who were reclassified as global terror groups at that time. He silently thanked he could still step back in the fight along with the good guys even after that event.

"Yeah. I might have to thank him soon enough." Alex murmured and Price guided him to the briefing which was about to start in a few minutes.

~

"Before we start our mission briefing, I'd like to welcome each and everyone of you to the 141. A group of the most elite warriors from around the world tasked to eliminate terrorist threats lurking in the shadows. One of which, goes by the name Nero…" General Shepherd's voice was deep and serious, while the screen showed a photo of the guy they're after. His face looked punchable, as manifested by the way Alex clenched his fists while he stared at his soulless eyes.

"… whose goal is still unknown. He poses a threat as he has been out in American soil, which we believe is the one behind the multiple missing and reappearing person cases across the country." he continued, eyeing Alex. He knew a little bit about the case, maybe because he read his report.

"Since he poses no evidence of terrorist activity as of now, we are assigned to rescue and locate the daughter of Richard Coleman, America's Head of National Defense. We don't know why she was kidnapped but we believed it is or ransom or threatening purposes." The general explained, pacing back and forth, his shadow covered the screen.

Alex wanted to say something. Something about the details surrounding the case. It was written on his report. But then again, maybe the general already knew about the alteration, and since Samantha doesn't remember any IP Address, it was no longer worth noting.

Samantha's face was projected on the screen. Alex's heart began to beat faster, she looked different now, a little chubbier, longer hair and her smile felt happier. It was heartbreaking that she got caught in the crossfire again. After all those efforts of making her life normal.

'If our paths would cross again, I hope you'll remember me the way I remembered you before I take this operation, A good memory that's supposed to last forever. '

'Don't you dare forget about me.'

Her words echoed in his mind, using the same voice she had when they were together. 

"I will save you again if I had to.." he promised to her mentally, as he tightened the clench he was already doing.

"Our intel reports that twelve hours ago, local informants spotted an unknown flying vehicle just by the Georgian Border, local authorities confirmed that this wasn't one of their aircraft and we believe it could be the getaway vehicle of Samantha Coleman and her captors… We are still looking on to this so for the meantime I want each and one of you to be fully alert and ready for deployment."

Everyone else fell silent. It meant they agreed at what the high ranking official said. A few more words were exchanged such as new additions to the team, aside from Alex. He didn't seem to focus much on the second part of the brief as his mind worried a lot about Samantha. If his instincts were right, she's probably sedated once again, taking a trip down her own memory lane.

Chapter 2 : F.N.G.

[sayedhusaini]

Democrats and Media Do Not Want to Weaken Facebook, Just Commandeer Its Power to Censor

by Moderator

📷(Stock Catalog / Flickr)By Glenn Greenwald / SubstackMuch is revealed by who is bestowed hero status by the corporate media. This week's anointed avatar of stunning courage is Frances Haugen, a former Facebook product manager being widely hailed as a "whistleblower” for providing internal corporate documents to the Wall Street Journal relating to the various harms which Facebook and its other platforms (Instagram and WhatsApp) are allegedly causing.The social media giant hurts America and the world, this narrative maintains, by permitting misinformation to spread (presumably more so than cable outlets and mainstream newspapers do virtually every week); fostering body image neurosis in young girls through Instagram (presumably more so than fashion magazines, Hollywood and the music industry do with their glorification of young and perfectly-sculpted bodies); promoting polarizing political content in order to keep the citizenry enraged, balkanized and resentful and therefore more eager to stay engaged (presumably in contrast to corporate media outlets, which would never do such a thing); and, worst of all, by failing to sufficiently censor political content that contradicts liberal orthodoxies and diverges from decreed liberal Truth. On Tuesday, Haugen's star turn took her to Washington, where she spent the day testifying before the Senate about Facebook's dangerous refusal to censor even more content and ban even more users than they already do.There is no doubt, at least to me, that Facebook and Google are both grave menaces. Through consolidation, mergers and purchases of any potential competitors, their power far exceeds what is compatible with a healthy democracy. A bipartisan consensus has emerged on the House Antitrust Committee that these two corporate giants — along with Amazon and Apple — are all classic monopolies in violation of long-standing but rarely enforced antitrust laws. Their control over multiple huge platforms that they purchased enables them to punish and even destroy competitors, as we saw when Apple, Google and Amazon united to remove Parler from the internet forty-eight hours after leading Democrats demanded that action, right as Parler became the most-downloaded app in the country, or as Google suppresses Rumble videos in its dominant search feature as punishment for competing with Google's YouTube platform. Facebook and Twitter both suppressed reporting on the authentic documents about Joe Biden's business activities reported by The New York Post just weeks before the 2020 election. These social media giants also united to effectively remove the sitting elected President of the United States from the internet, prompting grave warnings from leaders across the democratic world about how anti-democratic their consolidated censorship power has become.But none of the swooning over this new Facebook heroine nor any of the other media assaults on Facebook have anything remotely to do with a concern over those genuine dangers. Congress has taken no steps to curb the influence of these Silicon Valley giants because Facebook and Google drown the establishment wings of both parties with enormous amounts of cash and pay well-connected lobbyists who are friends and former colleagues of key lawmakers to use their D.C. influence to block reform. With the exception of a few stalwarts, neither party's ruling wing really has any objection to this monopolistic power as long as it is exercised to advance their own interests.And that is Facebook's only real political problem: not that they are too powerful but that they are not using that power to censor enough content from the internet that offends the sensibilities and beliefs of Democratic Party leaders and their liberal followers, who now control the White House, the entire executive branch and both houses of Congress. Haugen herself, now guided by long-time Obama operative Bill Burton, has made explicitly clear that her grievance with her former employer is its refusal to censor more of what she regards as “hate, violence and misinformation.” In a 60 Minutes

interview on Sunday night, Haugen summarized her complaint about CEO Mark Zuckerberg this way: he “has allowed choices to be made where the side effects of those choices are that hateful and polarizing content gets more distribution and more reach." Haugen, gushed The New York Times’ censorship-desperate tech unit as she testified on Tuesday, is “calling for regulation of the technology and business model that amplifies hate and she’s not shy about comparing Facebook to tobacco.”Agitating for more online censorship has been a leading priority for the Democratic Party ever since they blamed social media platforms (along with WikiLeaks, Russia, Jill Stein, James Comey, The New York Times, and Bernie Bros) for the 2016 defeat of the rightful heir to the White House throne, Hillary Clinton. And this craving for censorship has been elevated into an even more urgent priority for their corporate media allies, due to the same belief that Facebook helped elect Trump but also because free speech on social media prevents them from maintaining a stranglehold on the flow of information by allowing ordinary, uncredentialed serfs to challenge, question and dispute their decrees or build a large audience that they cannot control. Destroying alternatives to their failing platforms is thus a means of self-preservation: realizing that they cannot convince audiences to trust their work or pay attention to it, they seek instead to create captive audiences by destroying or at least controlling any competitors to their pieties.As I have been reporting for more than a year, Democrats do not make any secret of their intent to co-opt Silicon Valley power to police political discourse and silence their enemies. Congressional Democrats have summoned the CEO's of Google, Facebook and Twitter four times in the last year to demand they censor more political speech. At the last Congressional inquisition in March, one Democrat after the next explicitly threatened the companies with legal and regulatory reprisals if they did not immediately start censoring more.A Pew survey from August shows that Democrats now overwhelmingly support internet censorship not only by tech giants but also by the government which their party now controls. In the name of "restricting misinformation,” more than 3/4 of Democrats want tech companies "to restrict false info online, even if it limits freedom of information,” and just under 2/3 of Democrats want the U.S. Government to control that flow of information over the internet:

The prevailing pro-censorship mindset of the Democratic Party is reflected not only by that definitive polling data but also by the increasingly brash and explicit statements of their leaders. At the end of 2020, Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), newly elected after young leftist activists worked tirelessly on his behalf to fend off a primary challenge from the more centrist Rep. Joseph Kennedy III (D-MA), told Facebook's Zuckerberg exactly what the Democratic Party wanted. In sum, they demand more censorship:

This, and this alone, is the sole reason why there is so much adoration being constructed around the cult of this new disgruntled Facebook employee. What she provides, above all else, is a telegenic and seemingly informed “insider” face to tell Americans that Facebook is destroying their country and their world by allowing too much content to go uncensored, by permitting too many conversations among ordinary people that are, in the immortal worlds of the NYT's tech reporter Taylor Lorenz, “unfettered.”When Facebook, Google, Twitter and other Silicon Valley social media companies were created, they did not set out to become the nation's discourse police. Indeed, they affirmatively wanted not to do that. Their desire to avoid that role was due in part to the prevailing libertarian ideology of a free internet in that sub-culture. But it was also due to self-interest: the last thing social media companies wanted to be doing is looking for ways to remove and block people from using their product and, worse, inserting themselves into the middle of inflammatory political controversies. Corporations seek to avoid angering potential customers and users over political stances, not courting that anger.This censorship role was not one they so much sought as one that was foisted on them. It was not really until the 2016 election, when Democrats were obsessed with blaming social media giants (and pretty much everyone else except themselves) for their humiliating defeat, that pressure began escalating on these executives to start deleting content liberals deemed dangerous or false and banning their adversaries from using the platforms at all. As it always does, the censorship began by targeting widely disliked figures — Milo Yiannopoulos, Alex Jones and others deemed “dangerous��� — so that few complained (and those who did could be vilified as sympathizers of the early offenders). Once entrenched, the censorship net then predictably and rapidly spread inward (as it invariably does) to encompass all sorts of anti-establishment dissidents on the right, the left, and everything in between. And no matter how much it widens, the complaints that it is not enough intensify. For those with the mentality of a censor, there can never be enough repression of dissent. And this plot to escalate censorship pressures found the perfect vessel in this stunningly brave and noble Facebook heretic who emerged this week from the shadows into the glaring spotlight. She became a cudgel that Washington politicians and their media allies could use to beat Facebook into submission to their censorship demands.In this dynamic we find what the tech and culture writer Curtis Yarvin calls "power leak.” This is a crucial concept for understanding how power is exercised in American oligarchy, and Yarvin's brilliant essay illuminates this reality as well as it can be described. Hyperbolically arguing that "Mark Zuckerberg has no power at all,” Yarvin points out that it may appear that the billionaire Facebook CEO is powerful because he can decide what will and will not be heard on the largest information distribution platform in the world. But in reality, Zuckerberg is no more powerful than the low-paid content moderators whom Facebook employs to hit the "delete” or "ban” button, since it is neither the Facebook moderators nor Zuckerberg himself who is truly making these decisions. They are just censoring as they are told, in obedience to rules handed down from on high. It is the corporate press and powerful Washington elites who are coercing Facebook and Google to censor in accordance with their wishes and ideology upon pain of punishment in the form of shame, stigma and even official legal and regulatory retaliation. Yarvin puts it this way:However, if Zuck is subject to some kind of oligarchic power, he is in exactly the same position as his own moderators. He exercises power, but it is not his power, because it is not his will. The power does not flow from him; it flows through him. This is why we can say honestly and seriously that he has no power. It is not his,

but someone else’s. . . .Zuck doesn’t want to do any of this. Nor do his users particularly want it. Rather, he is doing it because he is under pressure from the press. Duh. He cannot even admit that he is under duress—or his Vietcong guards might just snap, and shoot him like the Western running-dog capitalist he is….And what grants the press this terrifying power? The pure and beautiful power of the logos? What distinguishes a well-written poast, like this one, from an equally well-written Times op-ed? Nothing at all but prestige. In normal times, every sane CEO will comply unhesitatingly with the slightest whim of the legitimate press, just as they will comply unhesitatingly with a court order. That’s just how it is. To not call this power government is—just playing with words.As I have written before, this problem — whereby the government coerces private actors to censor for them — is not one that Yarvin was the first to recognize. The U.S. Supreme Court has held, since at least 1963, that the First Amendment's "free speech” clause is violated when state officials issue enough threats and other forms of pressure that essentially leave the private actor with no real choice but to censor in accordance with the demands of state officials. Whether we are legally at the point where that constitutional line has been crossed by the increasingly blunt bullying tactics of Democratic lawmakers and executive branch officials is a question likely to be resolved in the courts. But whatever else is true, this pressure is very real and stark and reveals that the real goal of Democrats is not to weaken Facebook but to capture its vast power for their own nefarious ends.There is another issue raised by this week's events that requires ample caution as well. The canonized Facebook whistleblower and her journalist supporters are claiming that what Facebook fears most is repeal or reform of Section 230, the legislative provision that provides immunity to social media companies for defamatory or other harmful material published by their users. That section means that if a Facebook user or YouTube host publishes legally actionable content, the social media companies themselves cannot be held liable. There may be ways to reform Section 230 that can reduce the incentive to impose censorship, such as denying that valuable protection to any platform that censors, instead making it available only to those who truly allow an unmoderated platform to thrive. But such a proposal has little support in Washington. What is far more likely is that Section 230 will be "modified” to impose greater content moderation obligations on all social media companies.Far from threatening Facebook and Google, such a legal change could be the greatest gift one can give them, which is why their executives are often seen calling on Congress to regulate the social media industry. Any legal scheme that requires every post and comment to be moderated would demand enormous resources — gigantic teams of paid experts and consultants to assess "misinformation” and "hate speech” and veritable armies of employees to carry out their decrees. Only the established giants such as Facebook and Google would be able to comply with such a regimen, while other competitors — including large but still-smaller ones such as Twitter — would drown in those requirements. And still-smaller challengers to the hegemony of Facebook and Google, such as Substack and Rumble, could never survive. In other words, any attempt by Congress to impose greater content moderation obligations — which is exactly what they are threatening — would destroy whatever possibility remains for competitors to arise and would, in particular, destroy any platforms seeking to protect free discourse. That would be the consequence by design, which is why one should be very wary of any attempt to pretend that Facebook and Google fear such legislative adjustments.There are real dangers posed by allowing companies such as Facebook and Google to amass the power they have now consolidated. But very little of the activism and

anger from the media and Washington toward these companies is designed to fracture or limit that power. It is designed, instead, to transfer that power to other authorities who can then wield it for their own interests. The only thing more alarming than Facebook and Google controlling and policing our political discourse is allowing elites from one of the political parties in Washington and their corporate media outlets to assume the role of overseer, as they are absolutely committed to doing. Far from being some noble whistleblower, Frances Haugen is just their latest tool to exploit for their scheme to use the power of social media giants to control political discourse in accordance with their own views and interests.

Correction, Oct. 5, 2021, 5:59 pm ET: This article was edited to reflect that just under 2/3 of Democrats favor U.S. Government censorship of the internet in the name of fighting misinformation, not just over.

[gustafsnightangel]

Shattered Lives Ch 39 Pt 1

The noise that filled the apartment woke her up, the sheets cold on Gustaf’s side of the bed telling her he’d let her sleep in. In the few days since the visit from Uncle Elias the kids had hardly been home. Gustaf taking them out for lunch and the movies, Stellan and the boys going bowling, and the pajama party with Valter and Gustaf’s two youngest brothers last night. She could hear Gustaf chatting to Stellan through the ajar door, the boys settling back in after the overnight with grandpa. The happiness in their voices made her smile, far less grief than this time last year, not a hint of anger or sorrow. She heard Gustaf get them situated before he came in, smile wide, damn she loved that smile, the look of him.

“Hey there lovely lady.” He murmured sitting on the edge of the bed and leaning down to claim her mouth. God the man knew how to kiss.

“Hi.” She breathed out, wrapping her arms around him securing him to her. “Sounds like the monsters are back.”

“They are, and they’re excited that we leave for the cabin tomorrow.” His kiss lingered. “Time to get up, lots to do.”

“Yeah, I need to take them shopping later for snacks, I promised them one treat each for the trip.” She kissed him sweetly. “I’m starting to regret my decision as it means I have to take them out in public.”

He chuckled, those laugh lines crinkling at the corners of his eyes. “What were you thinking?” He said, the sarcasm thick.

“I wasn’t, that’s the problem.” She snorted, thumb brushing his crows feet. They both laughed at the squeak of dad dad as Lily padded her way into the room all excited, Gustaf picking her up and kissing her until she giggled. “Someone had a good time away.”

“Dad said she was running the house as soon as she woke up this morning, keeping the boys in line.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me.” She muttered. Just looking at him with her in that instance made her belly flip, the whole kids of their own thought sailing through her head like a bright neon sign. He placed Lily on the bed and she crawled over to Sildie for cuddles while Gustaf took a shower.

“He’s much happier today huh little lady.” She murmured as Lily snuggled in. She’d been worried, the days since Elias had been brutal on him. She’d phoned Elsa and dealt with more paperwork while Gustaf was shut up in his office laying down the law with his lawyers and security team. She’d never heard him so angry, the shreds he’d stripped off the building security, the anger and fury that had unleashed again as he made arrangements to have Dana’s entire family under surveillance. Especially when they were informed he’d made bail and the trial wouldn’t be until April 5th. Sometimes the system just sucked and so did the timeframe. She also knew that being away for filming over the next few months was making this whole situation far worse, she sensed his anxiety already poised to drag him under. It was a clusterfuck and added pressure he didn’t need.

“I’m going over to mums for lunch today, she wanted to chat about the whole Ana thing.” He said as he came out wrapped in nothing but a towel, setting all her wild fantasies aflame. “She’s... concerned.”

“That’s one way to put it.” She said softly. “Do you need us to be there?” Her voice was quiet, apprehension he thought.

“Not if you don’t want to be.”

“I do, I just don’t want the kids around when we’re talking about all that, about her.” She would protect them from it as much as possible. “They don’t need that in their lives.”

“I already told mum it would just be me.” He toyed with her wisps of hair at her face and kissed her tenderly. “For exactly those reasons, and I also know that Eija and Alex are there today too, family meeting about it really. I’ll get them up to speed. It’ll be fine.”

“You know the spiel as well as I do now anyway.” She trailed a finger along his jaw. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” His thumb brushed the dark shadows marring her cheek, it still made his anger flare. He tossed a shirt and jeans on and collected Lily from the bed. “Up you get love, I’ll make some tea.” He kissed her quickly and went to see why the boys were suddenly so quiet.

She could hear them play fighting as she dressed, and smiled. The beginnings of their family, fun times, happy memories, they’d build more tomorrow and over the coming weeks. The ruckus she came out to made her chuckle, three boys tackling the fourth freakishly tall one. He was a big kid at heart, that gorgeous smile plastered across his face, not a hint of anxiety or stress in him. They were both eager to be in the mountains away from everything for a while.

Leaning against the counter she watched, videoing what she could. She laughed as Lily came to the rescue of her dad dad, the boys laughing, so carefree and happy, just as it should be. Gustaf could never fully understand the precious gift he’d given them, stability, love, a family. He’d brought them together as a family unit. “I hope you’re seeing this brother.” She muttered under her breath. “He loves them as if they were his own.” Her smile went wide as Lily tackled Gustaf to the floor, the boys cheering. She fisted a hand and tapped it on the counter thinking. “He’d make a great father.” She whispered, her breath catching. Breathing out a steadying breath she saw Gustaf calm them down and leave them to play some Mario cart.

“They’re ready to go when you are, they’ve had breakfast.” He chuckled, that gorgeous smile lighting up his face as he stopped in front of her, fingers reaching to toy with the soft waves of her hair she’d left down.

“I love seeing you this happy.” She said, hands cupping his face and kissing him sweetly.

“You make me this happy love, so do they.” He kissed her, sensing something had knocked her off kilter a little. “I love you Sildie, the five of you are my world.”

“You’re ours sweet man.” She smiled, her kiss lingering. “Go have a good lunch with your mum, we’ll get some snacks and shopping for the trip. I need to get Lily another jacket, she’s grown out of her other one and the twins need new boots.”

“Fun times.” He grinned.

“Joyous.” She said sarcastically at his chuckle. “Go on. Get going.” She swatted his ass and took a sip of her tea. His arched eyebrow at her butt slap had that mischievous smirk tug her lips.

“A very dangerous game to play kitten.” He growled and devoured her mouth thoroughly.

“Text me your dinner order, I’ll pick something up.” She said changing the subject as her body melted at his touch.

“Mmmm hmmm. Will do lovely lady.” He purred. “I love you.”

“Love you too.”

He could tell something was bothering her, more than her usual grief and the shitstorm that Ana had created, the way it had dragged Elias and Dana’s side of the family into the mix. So much going on in that wicked smart brain of hers. He knew she was piecing something together but there was something else she was chewing on. Walking across the street to his mothers he thought about the conversation they were all about to have, the steps he would take, had taken, to protect them all, those measures Sildie had already put in place. They would rally around him, protect him, protect Sildie, the kids, like a family should. It still irritated him that he had to resort to such drastic measures of security and legal restraints but he was out of time, options, and patience.

Sildie and the kids hit the mall, John, their shadow as she like to call him, following their car and staying a respectable distance from them as they shopped, eyes ever watchful. She felt bad for dragging the guy out on a chilly afternoon for them to go shopping, but if this was going to set Gustaf’s mind at ease while he wasn’t here with them she wasn’t going to argue. He was already under enough stress and pressure, he didn’t need anymore. She didn’t think Ana would blatantly harm her or the kids, but there was always the what if, the maybe. Those thoughts that raced through her head a mile a minute. Just look at Elias, she thought bitterly. Not in a million years did she see the connection between him and Ana coming.

Her lawyer brain kicked in as she helped the twins find shoes. How did he fit into it? How did he know her? Was he just a junkie? Was Ana just his supplier? Something more? Had there been a relationship between them? Was Elias part of the syndicate? Was the rest of Dana’s family involved? How far did Ana’s claws dig in? Questions she hoped would be answered when the law finally caught up with her. After that, it wouldn’t take long for Elias to sing, to rat on her to save his own ass.

With a new coat for Lily and new boots for the boys, Brendan included because his toes were already touching leather from the pair she’d bought a few months ago, they stopped in for ice cream. It was their weekly thing, an after shopping treat that had carried over from Dana that she didn’t have the heart to stop, especially when mint chocolate chip was involved and it kept a part of their mother with them.

With groceries in hand they headed back to the car, John helping with the heavier stuff, boys laughing, and a chattering Lily in her arms playing with the zipper on her new coat. As they neared the car the happiness of the afternoon turned to ash and vinegar in her mouth as she looked closer.

“John take the kids to your SUV please.” She said quietly and handed her bags to him. “Brendan, take Lily please and get everyone in the car with John, stay with him ok?” She saw the shock on the teens face, the questions of, who and why echoed there. “I’ll explain later.” Was all she heard herself say as she approached her vehicle slowly.

The windows had been smashed in, seats ripped, red paint covered every surface inside as if a paint can had exploded. The vulgar messages on the doors, the paint splattered and shattered windshield. She felt the panic attack surge up, the nausea and lightheadedness threatening to consume her. “Breathe.” She whispered and sucked in a breath. “Just breathe, the kids are ok, it’s just a car.” A car Gustaf had bought for her, for the kids. He’d bought it to take care of her. Pulling out her phone she took photos of it all and texted them straight to Detective Holmberg, her phone rang a moment later.

“Sildie it’s Leon. I’m on my way. Are the kids somewhere safe?” He said hurriedly. She could hear him moving as he spoke. “Are you safe?”

“Yes they’re with John our security detail, in his car.” She didn’t like how pathetic and shaky her voice sounded. “I’m fine.”

“Don’t touch anything.”

“I haven’t, I just took pictures.” As she was speaking to him she noticed a blonde woman watching her a few cars over. It took her a second to recognize her through the haze of adrenaline and anxiety coursing through her system. “Ana’s here, a few cars down from me.” She snarled, an overwhelming urge to cut a bitch slammed into her so violently the anxiety flipped a one eighty into full on lethal rage.

“Don’t approach her, pretend she’s not there. We maybe able to box her in, I’ll have the parking lot cordoned off.” Which she could hear him relaying that order as he drove. “I’ll be there in two minutes.”

“Ok.” She would not crumble and give Ana the satisfaction, and she would not retaliate. She wanted to though, oh how she wanted some divine retribution right here, right now at her own hand. Everything she’d done to get at Gustaf, to cause him more pain, more grief. Yes, she thought, I’d like to have a knock down drag out with you, you vindictive bitch, she thought as her gaze flicked to Ana and then back at the car.

Calming the rage her thumb hesitated over Gustaf’s number. She knew she had to make the call or he’d be more furious at her for handling it on her own, especially after what went down with Elias. But part of her wanted to spare that sweet soul of his any further pain. She choked back a sob as she knew this would hurt him, cut into him so deeply. Her rage gave way to anxiety once more as she stared at his number. All that peace he’d found these past few weeks was ebbing away. “Together.” She breathed and hit dial, the sick feeling in her stomach growing with every ring.

“Hey lovely lady.” She could hear the joy in his voice and she was about to shatter it.

“Hey handsome.” She breathed, anxiety rising.

“You ok?” He went on full alert, he knew that tone, something had happened.

“I’m fine, so are the kids, the car not so much. Not an accident.” She blurted out quickly and held back the sob.

“Ok, good to know.” His gut threatened to abruptly launch his meal out via his teeth. “Talk to me love.” He said gently at her sudden silence.

“Ana’s here, she vandalized the car and is sitting a few cars from me. I’ve called Leon, and he’s just pulling in.” The lawyer had surfaced to take care of the situation, he could hear it in her voice, but it shook.

“God fucking damn it!” He roared, his temper snapping out. She could hear the chair he was sitting in get pushed back explosively, crashing to the floor. It was the last straw for him, she knew it would be and felt sick for it.

“Gustaf, take a breath, please.” She stayed calm, her voice quavering with the tears that threatened to fall. She was only just holding it together. “Were fine, the kids are in the SUV with John at my request. I’m not in any danger and Leon is here.” She willed her voice to not shake. “He just pulled up.”

“I’m on my way to you.” He seethed, he would fucking murder the bitch.

“You won’t get in they blocked the car park so she has no where to go.” She tried for calm, her voice betrayed her as the anxiety surged forward again.

“The hell I won’t.” He spat and she heard the unmistakable slam of a car door. “I’m on my way.” The line went dead.

She’d never heard him this angry, never had him be so short with her. New Year’s Eve was one thing, confronting Elias another, but this? This was an entirely different level of anger, explosive, reckless, and violent.

“I take it that was Gustaf?” Leon asked coming to stand beside her.

“Yes. He’s on his way and rather angry.” That was the understatement of the century.

“Quite rightly.” Holmberg muttered. “Where is she?” He asked, paying particularly close attention to a spot on the drivers side door as he spoke.

“Your eleven o’clock, four cars down, blue...” She said softly, only flicking her eyes to make sure she had the details correct.

“I see her.” He texted the location to his team and let them handle it. Before Ana could tear her eyes away from Sildie and the mayhem she was gloating over, her car was boxed in and police were hauling her out.

Sildie wasn’t interested in the takedown, or the profanity spewing from Ana’s mouth as they cuffed her. She turned her back on Ana, not giving the woman another moment of recognition. It was difficult not to retaliate, because she wanted to, she wanted to March right over there and lay her out cold for what she’d done to Gustaf. Rarely did Sildie want to get into a physical altercation but she was certainly ready to make an exception in this case.

She peered into the car once more, her focus drawn to the rear view mirror and what was no longer hanging there. “She took it.” Her choked tone had Leon turning sharply.

“Took what?” He asked, but she couldn’t answer him, her voice had ceased working as the grief swallowed her whole. Silent tears tracked down her cheeks and she felt her world bottom out. As they placed Ana in the back seat of the police cruiser she felt familiar arms around her, turning her slowly until she was breathing in that familiar scent.

“Sildie.” Gustaf sighed, the relief that she was ok flooding into him. Eyes searched for John’s car and landed on him a moment later, the respectful nod saying the kids were fine setting his mind at ease.

“Sildie, what did she take?” Leon asked again softly as she buried her face in Gustaf’s chest and wept.

“Something missing?” Gustaf asked flatly looking at Leon with ice cold eyes.

“All she said was she took it.” Leon shrugged.

Gustaf leaned down to peer into the car and his temper went nuclear. “I will fucking murder her.” He snarled, holding Sildie tighter to him. “The charm from her rear view mirror is missing, the one her brother gave her.” He said evenly, barely able to contain the contempt in his voice.

“I’ll need you to check the rest of the vehicle to see if anything else is missing.” Leon’s voice had turned flinty.

“Give us a minute ok?” Gustaf asked, he had to talk Sildie off the ledge of a panic attack and stuff his violent fury back into its box.

“Take your time, it’ll take us a while to process this mess.” Leon said and moved away.

Gustaf stood there, soothing her as best he could when he knew all she’d be able to feel would be the waves of anger rolling off him. “You’re ok love, I’m here.” He murmured. “I’m here.”

“I’m sorry.” She sobbed. “I’m sorry... the car.”

“No, no, you’ve done nothing wrong, look at me.” He said tenderly trying to get his anger under control. “Look at me love.” When she did it crushed him. “I’m the one that should be sorry for dragging her into your life.”

“But the car.” She hiccuped.

“Is just a car. It’s insured. I’m more livid about what she took from it.” His rage banked as he wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs, she needed him to be calm. They were both stressed and him letting the anger gain the upper hand wasn’t the answer. He’d have time to unleash later.

“It’s gone.” She sobbed.

“It is love, I’m so sorry.” This was tearing her apart and cleaving his soul into pieces. That charm wasn’t something he could replace. He couldn’t fix it.

“Oh shit, the kids, they’re still with John...” she said hurriedly swiping the tears from her face, realizing she didn’t have the luxury to fall apart. “And I just left...”

“They’re perfectly fine, look.” He pointed to the SUV and the kids waved back.

“We have to get them home.” She sniffed pulling it together, it was a stupid charm, it wasn’t like someone had died, she berated herself.

“How about you hang here for a little bit and help Leon out while I go and grab a new car seat for Lily? Because we can’t take anything from the car and her seat is trashed.” He said softly.

She let her gaze drift over to the items already being bagged, spare shoes, sweaters, and Brendan’s hockey gear. “Leon? Can you open that bag real quick.” She asked pointing to Brendan’s gear.

“Paint in the bag too.” Leon said sharply.

“And his mask.” Sildie sighed, before another sob broke free.

“I’ll have another made love.” Gustaf said softly.

“It’s not the same.” She sniffed. “You had that made for him, your first gift to him. You have no idea what it means to him.”

“I know it’s not the same love.” He pulled her into a hug while Leon was trying his damnedest to wipe the paint off the teens hockey mask. “I might be able to take it back and get it cleaned and refinished. I’ll figure it out, I’ll fix it. Somehow I’ll fix it.” He kissed her temple and lingered, willing his system to calm down so in turn he could soothe hers. “Are we able to get this stuff back at some point?” He snapped at Holmberg and immediately regretted his tone. It wasn’t Leon’s fault, Gustaf was just on a razor thin edge.

“I’ll get them back to you as soon as I can.” The detective looked at Gustaf, yes, he thought, Leon was pissed too, good.

“Appreciate it.” He kissed Sildie softly. “Go sit with the kids a moment ok? I’ll get Lily a new seat and we can go from there ok?” She just nodded and walked to John’s car. The slump of her shoulders told him this had kicked her hard.

“I knew her brother.” Leon said quietly. “My wife was close friends with Dana. I’m doing everything I can Gustaf, but I have to stay within the confines of the law, so do you. Don’t go doing anything crazy, get a good attorney and take the spiteful bitch down.”

“Do me a favor.” Gustaf said bluntly. “Search Ana’a car real quick for that charm, or her pockets. The rest of this I can replace, that I can’t, and it will destroy Sildie if it stays missing.”

Leon nodded. “Go get Lily a car seat, I’ll look myself right now and call it in for when they process her at the station.”

“Thanks.” He huffed and scrubbed a hand over his face. As he started to walk away he turned. “I’m sorry, for snapping earlier.”

“Not necessary, I’d be a little snappy too considering the circumstances.” Leon said, a tight smile gracing his lips.

“Well regardless, I’m sorry. There was no need for it, you’re only trying to help.” He wasn’t that person anymore, to rage without reason, without sucking it up and apologizing like the man he was trying to be.

“All good.” Leon said, clasping a hand of Gustaf’s shoulder and squeezing it in support.

He knew he could be an insufferable prick when he put his mind to it or the rage swamped him, that wasn’t him anymore. “And that’s what you’re hoping for isn’t it you fucking bitch.” He muttered as he walked to the baby store across the street. “You’re hoping to get me so riled up I’ll snap. Well I’m way past that. Coming after me was one thing, going after Sildie was the biggest mistake you ever made. By the end of this you’re going to wish you’d never fucking met me.” He said with conviction.

She explained it as much as she dared to the boys, the plea in her eyes to Brendan to just go with it so she could explain more when they were away from the twins. His tight nod all she needed to have some measure of relief. She watched Gustaf walk back to his car and fit the new seat. This will destroy him, she thought, all that peace he’d found obliterated in the instant she’d phoned him. Destroying another life, just like she’d destroyed the boys. It was a spiral, she knew it was happening yet she was powerless to stop her thoughts diving so deeply out of control. It was all too much and she’d reached her tolerance level of bullshit.

She hopped out of the car as he approached and went to him.

“Load the kids up and head home, love. Take care of them and let me worry about all this ok?” He said gently, he would be her calm now as he knew she was far from done today. “You ok to drive?” A nod was all she could give him. “You sure?”

“Yeah. I need to get them home before Lily implodes.” She said trying her damndest to pull it together, she had shit to take care of not wallow in self pitty.

“I’ll stay here with Leon until the car’s towed and then go hire one for our vacation. I’ll send John back with you to help with the groceries ok?” He watched her carefully and was concerned.

She nodded and leaned her forehead against his chest, breathed him in, his scent soothing her jagged emotions.

“That’s it love. Breathe a minute. It’ll all be ok, you and me, we’ll fix it.” He murmured and stroked the nape of her neck tenderly.

She let herself just exist for a moment, collect the shred of composure she was clinging to and pulled it together. Drying her eyes she kissed him softly, the grief he felt already echoing in his eyes.

“There’s my girl.” He said softly, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. “I’ll be home a little later. Do you need me to send mum over, or dad? A sibling? I have plenty to spare.” His attempt at humor got the chuckle from her he was hoping for.

“No, I’ll be ok.” You won’t be, he thought, but nice try.

“I love you Sildie. Together love.” He kissed her tenderly.

“Love you too, not letting her win, it just knocked me a bit.” She sniffed.

“I know, me too, but we’ll knock back harder.” He kissed her brow and looked at her. “Come on, I’ll get Lily bear settled, because I can hear her starting to ramp up for a full on I’m tired and hungry meltdown.”

Gustaf helped her get the kids settled in the car, fielding questions from the twins as vaguely as possible. “Text me when you get home.” He said softly.

“I will.” Her voice was that eerie quiet he didn’t like. It only got like that when she retreated into herself and it killed him to see her like that.

She seemed to be on auto pilot as she drove home, aware enough to drive, but not really caring about what was happening around her. John helped her get the kids inside, the groceries for their trip piled on the counter. With the kids occupied she sat in her office, the process of writing notes about the incident clearing it out of her mind as the words appeared on paper. Gustaf’s text tone interrupted her asking if she’d got home and she swore, she’d forgotten to text him.

We’re home. I’m so sorry I zoned and totally forgot.

It’s ok love. You’re all home safe that’s what matters. I’m headed to hire a car, be home soon. Is John still there?

He left a little while ago but he said they have someone watching the building. He stayed until we were settled.

Ok, that’s good.

I love you.

Love you too lovely lady. I’ll be home soon.

He came home an hour or so later and could hear Sildie reaming someone on the other end of the phone in her office, door shut tightly.

“She’s been in there for nearly an hour.” Brendan said quietly.

“You know who she’s flaying?” He asked carefully and the kid shook his head.

“I haven’t seen her this mad since she yelled at grandma after mum and dad...” He stopped suddenly and shook his head not wanting to voice the rest of the sentence.

“Well she’s super upset about the car so I’m not surprised.” Gustaf said carefully, he wasn’t sure how much he should divulge.

“Why would someone do that?” Brendan asked as he walked with Gustaf to the kitchen out of the twins hearing.

“I don’t know B.” Gustaf sighed, he was beat to hell and he knew he’d have to talk Sildie down before she imploded. “The short version ok, because I’m beat to hell.” He scrubbed a hand over his face and tried to collect his thoughts. “It’s an ex girlfriend, the ex girlfriend, the one that screwed me up. They arrested her and things could get a little messy. Your mum has had to bust ass on making sure you guys are safe and it’s all just a little too much for her today.”

“Is that why we have John and Andrew come with us everywhere?” The kid was a quick study.

“Yes. I promised Sildie I’d keep you all safe too.”

“Oh.” The teen looked a little shocked.

“I love you guys, you’re my family Brendan and there’s absolutely nothing I won’t do to protect you, to make sure you’re safe, that Sildie’s safe.” He said softly as the teen hugged him tight. “Absolutely nothing.” His head came up at the sharp shout from Sildie’s office and he decided he needed to get in there and deal with it. “It’s getting late, you guys eaten yet?”

“Yeah we got something on the way home, there’s some here for you too. We weren’t sure when you’d get home.”

“Thanks. Can you get the twins in a bath or shower, I need to go see if she’s ok. Did the cold groceries get out away?”

“Yeah they’re away.” He said and started to unpack the rest.

@hausofobsession @ill-skillsgard @grandpa-sweaters @authentic90skidd @tuckersgirl @fairlyfallacy @flowers-in-your-hayr @raewritesfiction @stinkerbelle007 @kamie-b @mrsaugustwalker @skrsgardspam @loliwrites @trippedmetaldetector @lihikainanea @fay-walden @nandadb

[shamemp3]

gimme top five scott lines or more bc i like white men in red glasses

OKAY

1. OBLIGATORY THE WHAT WAS THE REVOLUTION SCOTT QUOTE. “OUR LAST CHANCE. OKAY?! we have nothing left but threats! we fought for them and they hate us! we fought alongside them and they kill our children in the streets! we pack up and move to an island and they destroy it! we move to another island and the fucking avengers storm the fucking beaches! we’re supposed to be the next step in human revolution yet we’ve become an endangered species. we’re everything they are not and we’re a shadow of our former selves! all we have left is threats. the threat of revolution! the threat of a fight we hope they dont want! so, yes, i got in front of any camera that would show my face and i looked their world in the eye and told them—they better leave us alone... i stood on the bridge of the helicarrier and i threatened them... because nothing. else. has. worked. xavier is gone. logan is gone. i watched xavier die at my feet and i thought if i don’t do something to kickstart it… the dream is really truly dead. after us, what is there?”

2. “god, don’t you think i want to be just like everyone else?” (what’s stopping you?) “the power won’t go away. whenever my eyes are open, i can’t turn my eyebeams off. how relaxed would you be around people if you knew you could kill them all by just looking at them wrong?” (you’re so hard on yourself. you’ve got it under control, buddy.) “no. the special glasses have it under control. the combat visor has it under control. they’re the only things that can hold my power back. ruby-quartz lenses. i can’t just take them off and be normal. i can’t go swimming. i can’t play sports for fear my glasses’ll get knocked off or just slip from sweat. i’ll never know what it’s like to have a girl look me in the eyes with kindness. i can’t even cry because i’m not sure what my tears might do. none of htis gives me anything. it just takes. it just takes.”

3. “there never is. but it’s what we do. and right now, we’re the best equipped. a long time ago, i heard someone say that in this line of work, there’s a point where you have to rely on your instincts. do what’s right, and trust the rest will follow.” (mm. yes, i’m familiar with that sound bite. does it, generally, in your experience? follow?) “not always. but we keep trying. i used to think that if i could do what you did, it would unlock the world. i’d learn to make sense of things. i would make sense. mostly, what i’ve learned is how wrong i was. and that it’s worth it anyway.” IDK TBH THE ENTIRETY OF SNAPSHOTS SCOTT HE IS MY EVERYTHING. COULD PUT THE ENTIRE ISSUE HERE IF I COULD

4. lol champs 2019 scott “i’ve been where you are. i know what you’re feeling. i can’t guarantee that it’s gonna get easier, but i can tell you this--what you’re doing matters. the champions matter.” 

5. ALSO CHAMPS 2019 WHEN HE GETS TOLD OFF BC HE WENT TO SEE THE CHAMPIONS AND GETS TOLD (what were you thinking? we’re supposed to be a team.) and scott says, “i know. that’s why i went...because my team needed me.”

6. “i don’t care what you think you know. i don’t care what you dress my brother up as and i don’t care what flag you wrap yourself in. my friends need help and they need it all over the world. so you have a choice. you can have the hulk try and kill me...or you can get the hell out of my way.”

7. “i know that risking everything we’ve built for a few lives doesn’t work for all of you. i understand you don’t have the luxury of thinking that way. i really do. but hearing you say it out loud...tasting it in my mouth...i find it unacceptable. so i do not accept it. you formed the quiet council to be the government of krakoa. well, the x-men are heroes. and we will save those who need saving. whatever the cost.”

8. “you had a dream. i have a plan.”

9. “so we’re clear...you’re angry at me, logan is angry at me, everyone is angry at me but...i’m angrier at myself. i mean it, kitty, i am going to pay for my sins, i am... but i’ll be damned if i don’t make it so our people finally have a chance first. it’s us. we’re all that’s standing up for mutants having a future. not the avengers, not shield, it’s just us. but forget that now...forget all of this. what do you need from me?”

10. (you got a problem, scott?) “several.” i just. laugh at this always

11. “my name is scott summers and i’ve been an x-man since i was fifteen. and like everyone else here, i’ve been a mutant all my life. the ground--this city we live in, just off your shores--this fortress we occupy--this ground is sacred. no mutant or their family will be harmed here. no mutant blood will be spilled here. our children shall not be hunter or harmed. they shall not be prejudiced against, legislated against, or ever go to sleep for a single unsafe moment. we may have payed the ultimate price for our safety tonight. but i am here to promise you, unequivocally, we mean you no harm. in spite of the decades of harm inflicted upon us personally, privately, or as a matter of law. we have been, and always shall be, sworn to protect a world that hates and despises us. only now...we shall all be free.”

12. “but i promise you this...i’m going to find you. i’m going to find out who you are...and god help you then. you think you know me? you think you know what i’m capable of? that is everyone’s mistake.”

13. “to me, my x-men.”

14. “that's why i am a leader. the blind leading the blind, maybe...but a leader nonetheless. a leader because i'm prepared to take the fall, and because i'm prepared to make the hard decisions. such as the one you made, mom, that day you pushed alex and I out into the sky with a single parachute between us. because a leader knows, it's not so hard to die for your people. it's hard to order your people to die for you. and leading with certainty into an uncertain future doesn't require sight. it requires vision. it requires holding on. and no matter what happens, never letting go.”

[oosteven-universe]

Casual Fling #2

Casual Fling #2 AWA Upshot Comics 2021 Written by Jason Star Illustrated by Dalibor Talajić Coloured by Marco Lesko Lettered by Steve Wands Jennifer Ryan has the perfect life. A loving family. A high paying job in corporate law. A luxurious apartment in upper Manhattan. Then one day she steps out of her marriage...and finds that her new lover isn't the one night stand she expected. Stalked and threatened with exposure, Jennifer attempts to unravel the true identity of her tormentor, discovering valuable clues in the trail of destruction left in this mysterious man's wake. This is a modern day Fatal Attraction and the implications in the real world are as incredibly frightening ass this story is incredibly entertaining.  Leave it to Jason to come up with a dated concept, revitalise it for a modern audience and use today’s technology to create something that leaves the reader as uncomfortable as they are fascinated by what we see.  Also I really do like that the predator is a man in this instance and Jen is a married woman who made one indiscretion because of how frustrated she is with the situation at home.  It isn’t like her home life is horrible or anything but I get the feeling it’s an adjustment time and it’s new and difficult for everyone involved, more so since she’s now the family’s sole breadwinner.   I love the way that th is is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well.  I mean just the fact that we never know when or where Alex is going to show up next adds this whole tension filled drama to the mix that manages to keep the reader on edge.  The character development is utterly amazing and to see just how charming a handsome fella can be and still remain threatening and ambiguous creeps the hell outta me.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing what’s next in this saga it leaves you at the edge of your seat. I am very much enjoying the way that this is being structured and how the layers within the story keep growing, evolving and seemingly taking on a life of their own.  Plus how we see everything working to create the story’s ebb & flow is pretty amazing. I love the interiors here as there is something very classic comic book style about them.  With the linework and it’s varying weights we are treated to some really nice detail work.  Every single panel that has backgrounds being utilised is brilliantly done and how they work within the composition of the panels to bring us depth perception, a sense of scale and that overall sense of size and scope to the story is perfection.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show such a remarkable eye for storytelling.  The colour work is beautifully rendered as well.  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is fantastic.   ​ There is so much going on this issue and yet it all has this amazing natural progression to the story.  From what Jen is going through to how those around her react to it and what she’s done to her family it all has full circle kind of effect to it.  I’m not sure humans were ever meant to be truly monogamous, though I hope so cause i’ve always been, but that’s something we all have to decide on our own.  The real question we have to ask ourselves is what lengths will you go to to keep your loved ones safe from harm and keep your family intact?

[xmxisxforxmaybe]

Have you watched Mummy and Return of the Mummy? I am watching it right now and I thought about a crossover: If you had watched it could you please write something where fem!reader is daughter of O'Connel and is dating Ahkmenrah but she is hiding it from them and somehow they discovers and kind of freak out? Thank you for your attention, love your writing.

Ooo, what fun! So, we’re gonna add in an Alex as in Alexandria ;) And don’t bother with making sense of the timeline—just roll with a setting that allows this crossover.

Warnings: sex, but not super descriptive; also Rick carries his trademark shotgun and does threaten to use it

* * * * *

Alexandria O’Connell’s moans echoed off the walls of King Ahkmenrah’s exhibit. Currently, the handsome pharaoh had Alex’s hands pinned above her head as her legs were wrapped around his waist. Alex’s back bumped into the hard granite of the hieroglyph covered walls each time Ahk slammed into her. Never had she imagined she could want another human, well, mostly human, so very much.

And if anyone had told Alexandria, who was usually a bit more proper like her mother, that she would be moaning like an animal in heat for a reanimated mummy, she would have averted her eyes, her cheeks coloring with embarrassment, as she said, “Absolutely not.”

Except that six months ago, Alex had attended her first After-Dark event at the American Museum of Natural History. Her friends thought she would love it, considering she was the most studious out of all the history majors at NYU.

At first, Alex wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps and attend Oxford, but by the time she was 18, she was ready to get out of her parents’ house and out from under the shadow of being an O’Connell.

Alexandria’s parents only wanted their daughter to be happy, and while Rick and Evelyn weren’t particularly thrilled by the distance, they both knew that New York City was an exciting place filled with opportunity.

Now, Alex was a senior and she had been a dutiful undergrad; at the completion of her junior year, she still had straight-As and was at the top of her class. However, her dedication to her studies did come at an expense. While Alex had dated a few guys over the years, nothing serious ever really developed. Alex never felt that thing, that undeniable attraction that sparks between two people and draws them into one another.

Until a fateful night at the museum when Alexandria and her friends were placed in a very attractive docent’s tour group. Alexandria couldn’t believe just how Egyptian their guide really was. While Alex didn’t share the same singular passion for Egypt as her mother, she had been around enough books and had heard enough of her parents’ stories to know when she was looking the real thing in the face—and there was something about this “Ahkmenrah” that was far from ordinary.

So, claiming her phone full out of her pocket, Alex dashed back into the museum as it was closing, shouting to her friends not to wait because she’d see herself home.

Of all people, Alexandria O’Connell certainly knew how museums worked, so she discreetly made her way back to the Egyptian wing, and hid herself in between the walls of Ahkmenrah’s exhibit, waiting and watching.

Alexandria watched from the shadows as the handsome docent walked toward the sarcophagus of the famed King Ahkmenrah. He took off part of his costume, laying the crown and the cape inside the golden coffin like it belonged to him. Alex’s brows furrowed as she tried to puzzle out how this was possible. And when the docent spoke in ancient Egyptian and the giant, obsidian Anubis statues bent to listen, she gasped.

All three of them turned their heads to look in her direction, the statues immediately moving to point their spears in her face.

On the docent’s command, the statues backed away.

“You are not supposed to be here,” the docent said with a smile, seemingly not at all bothered she was there.

“I—uh, I knew something was … different about you.”

The docent was quiet for a moment before straightening his shoulders and pronouncing, “I am Ahkmenrah, Fourth King of the Fourth King, and the museum’s exhibits are brought to life at night by the magic of my golden tablet.”

“I knew it!” exclaimed Alexandria, pumping her fist into the air.

Ahkmenrah looked taken aback. Clearly, he had never gotten thatreaction upon revealing his identity and his source of power before.

For the rest of the night, and when Alexandria returned the following night, Ahk explained who he was and how he came to be at the museum in New York City. Over the next few weeks, Alex returned, a palpable attraction growing between the two of them. Often, Alex thought about what her parents would say, but Ahkmenrah was nothing like the mummies her parents had discovered, and honestly, she thought her mother’s books and her father’s stories were a bit exaggerated.

And what harm was she really doing? Her parents were in England. She was in America. As a grown woman, she could carry on with Ahkmenrah in whatever manner she liked.

And carry on she would.

Alexandria looked into the blue-green of Ahkmenrah’s eyes, overwhelmed by the intensity of attraction she saw within them.

“Alexandria,” Ahk breathed, slowing his pace so he could kiss her.

“Ahkmen—”

“WHERE IS SHE?”

Alex’s legs tightened around Ahkmenrah’s waist as both of them froze. She knew that yell, oh god did she know that yell.

“Oh my god! Oh my god, that’s my dad! Put me down,” Alexandria panicked as she wriggled from Ahkmenrah’s grasp.

Ahk, looking completely horrified, followed Alex’s lead and tucked himself back into his shendyt as Alex pulled her skirt down. Just as they were smoothing their hair and making final adjustments to their clothing, Rick and Evelyn O’Connell comically skidded into Ahkmenrah’s exhibit followed by Larry, Teddy, Atilla and a few of the other exhibits.

However, what was not so comic was the fact that Rick O’Connell, mummy hunter extraordinaire, was clearly angry and wielding a shotgun and a sword. Evelyn O’Connell, although still looking concerned, was more composed than her husband, her arm on Rick’s forearm to keep him from taking aim with the gun.

“Alex!” he said loudly, although her name was followed by a sigh of relief.

“Mom, Dad—what, and I mean it when I say, what the hellare you doing here?”

“Now, Alexandria, there’s no need to—”

“Yeah, there is, Mom!”

“Don’t take that tone with your—YOU!” Rick scolded before he caught sight of Ahkmenrah who had certainly figured out who Rick and Evelyn were and was standing a bit behind Alexandria as she dealt with her angry parents.

“Get your undead monster hands off my daughter,” Rick said as he shook off Evie’s hand and replaced his sword in its scabbard in order to take aim with his gun.

“DAD!” Alexandria yelled as she ran between Ahkmenrah and her father, although there was no need because at that moment, Ahk’s guards were already moving from their place in the exhibit to protect their king.

Rick took a step back, his mouth falling open at the size of the statues. Evie took that moment of hesitation as the time to run forward and join her daughter.

“Darling,” she said to Rick as she eyed the statues nervously. “Perhaps we ought to try another approach?”

Rick frowned, but he listened to his wife, lowering his shotgun.

Ahkmenrah spoke from behind his guards and they retreated to either side of him, kneeling. Ahkmenrah certainly wasn’t dumb enough to dismiss them just yet.

“Jesus, Dad,” Alexandria said, fixing him a scowl before turning to run into Ahk’s arms to ask him if he was alright.

Rick’s mouth once again dropped open as Evelyn took a few steps backward to rejoin her husband.

Alexandria took Ahk by the hand and pulled him forward.

“Mom, Dad,” she began. “There’s someone I’d like to meet.”

“Oh no, no, no, no,” Rick pleaded, his face crestfallen.

Evie nudged him in the ribs and smiled, tensely, but a smile nonetheless, as she waited for her daughter to continue.

“This is Ahkmenrah, Fourth King of the Fourth King of the 11thDynasty, Egyptian Middle Kingdom and … my boyfriend.”

Tiny, strangled sobs could be heard emitting from Rick as he sank to the floor. Evelyn, however, moved forward and extended her hand. Ahkmenrah gave her a shy smile and shook her hand, stating that it was pleasure to meet the famed Egyptologist Alexandria had told him so much about.

“Oh? So, my daughter really is proud of me. It’s always lovely to hear that from a thirdparty,” Evie said.

“Mooom,” Alexandria groaned.

“And this,” Evie said, pointing to her mess of a husband, “is Alexandria’s father, Rick O’Connell. Normally, he’s not so, well, like that, but this circumstance has taken us both by a bit of surprise.”

“Nightmare, Evelyn. This is a nightmare, not a circumstance,” Rick mumbled from the floor.

Evie continued to smile, her curiosity having already won her over.

“You’ll have to excuse my forwardness, Ahkmenrah, but I am dying to know just how all of this has come about? Something about a tablet the nightguard explained?”

Ahkmenrah’s face lit up as he ushered Evelyn through his exhibit and to his tablet. Alexandria hung back and watched as her mother and her boyfriend walked away, heads bent in conversation.

She sighed as she walked over to her dad, who was now slumped on the floor, his head in his hands.

“I’ve got this, guys,” Alex said to the others and Larry as they turned and headed back downstairs.

Alexandria settled on the floor next to her dad and took his hand, pulling it into her lap and patting it reassuringly.

“Why, Alex? Why? Didn’t we do a good job? Didn’t we teach you not to fraternize with the evil undead?”

“He’s not like the mummies you and mom fought all those years ago. He’s good, Dad. Really, really good.”

“He’s not human, Alexandria!” Rick said, looking over at his daughter, his eyes filled with concern.

“Of course he is! Didn’t you and mom also teach me to never, ever judge a book by its cover? To look inside to find someone’s true worth?”

“That does sound like something your mother would say,” Rick acquiesced.

Alex smiled, knowing full well her father was a wonderful man who just, on occasion, acted impulsively because he was so protective of those he loved. But given what Rick and Evelyn O’Connell had been through in their life, it wasn’t a surprise they wanted something more on the normal side for their children.

“Ahkmenrah makes me happy, Dad. I would’ve liked for you and mom to have met him under a more relaxed circumstance, but I should’ve seen this coming. Your spider-sense must have been tingling.”

Rick smiled and squeezed his daughter’s hand.

“You sure this is what you want, Allie? Really, really sure?”

“I love him.”

Rick sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

“Alright. Let’s go before your mother gets her hands on that tablet and awakens some centuries’ old curse,” Rick said as he stood and pulled his daughter up along with him.

“Dad?”

“Hmm?”

“Leave the gun and the sword, please.”

Rick hesitated for a moment before relenting under his daughter’s strong gaze.

As he set his weapons down, he looked longingly at them before following Alexandria into Ahkmenrah’s exhibit.

And as Rick O’Connell met yet another mummy, he thought with exasperation, Daughters. Almost as bad as mummies.

[nyeusigrube-haven]

Black Flame: Excerpt

Black Flame: Chapter 25

1801 AD

He noticed Rachel days before Ather ever laid eyes on her, as she and her family sat in church.

Peter Weatere let his mind drift, showing his children a mask of strict attention but thinking of other things.  For a moment, a vision of the twins’ mother drifted through his mind.  And a vision of the man who had killed her- the vampire she had invited into their home.

He bowed his head in prayer, but to whom he prayed he did not know.  He could give his children faith, but he did not know if he had any.

Lynette’s eyes and mind were fixed on the preacher, as were Alexander’s- for a very different reason.  Alexander knew he was damned.  The visions alone had been enough.  And now the witch who offered to teach him control- the witch whose offer he had accepted.

And between them, the innocent Rachel, neither as jaded as her father nor as devout as her sister nor as torn as her brother.  She shimmered with power, and though she had suppressed it tightly, someday it would show itself- probably even more violently than it had in her brother.

[paragraphs removed]

[back at the house.  No, reading this draft, I have no idea where they’re sitting.  Honestly, I don’t know where he was in the last bit, either.  Maybe he’s taken to sitting on rooftops? What can I say, it’s a first draft and not a very good one...]

He was debating what to do with her when Ather appeared by his side, bleeding from one arm but healing quickly.

“I am going to kill him!” she hissed, glaring at the Weatere household as Alexander walked through the back yard, washed his hand at the well, and then slipped into the house.

“Good luck,” Aubrey replied, trying not to laugh- and failing.  Ather was strong enough that she could easily kill Alexander, but the witch was in training, and there was no doubt that he would have a stronger protector nearby.

“No, I don’t just want to kill him,” Ather growled, pacing.  “I want to hurt him.”

As she paced, Alexander pressed his fingertips to his temples.  Visions of blood danced behind his eyes, sent unconsciously by Ather.  Rachel was quickly by his side, and he confessed to her because she was the only one who would not turn him over to the church.  Both of the twin siblings feared their church more than they feared Hell.

“-I want her,” Ather whispered.

“Killing her won’t help,” Aubrey pointed out.  “It will hurt him, but not for long.  His hatred of you would interrupt his pain.”  He did not add aloud that killing her would be a waste of her potential.

Alexander had drawn blood, which meant Ather had claim to the witch and his relations; if she wanted to kill Rachel, Aubrey couldn’t legally stop her.  Only manipulate her into wanting something else.

“Then what do you suggest?” she growled.

“Change her.  A Triste witch, living, knowing his sister was one of us- that would be pain for him.”

Rachel was strong enough that she could survive as one of their kind.  Aubrey had been debating doing just this himself, but her morals always seemed to interfere- not to mention her brother.  This way, Ather would be blamed by them, and if Rachel’s morals got in the way, Ather could deal with it.

This time the emotion in Ather’s eyes was temptation- she recognized Rachel’s potential strength, and she wanted that, too.

“The witch has shields around the house.”

“Then get her to come out of the house,” Aubrey answered.  “That’s easy enough- I could get them both out here tomorrow night.”

“Fine.  But remember, she’s mine.”

“Alexander drew blood- your revenge is yours.  But remember, once she wakes up, her mind will be her own.  She may very well try to kill you.”

“A bit of a risk,” Ather admitted.

[You all know the next scene, when he gives her the rose, so it’s been cut, too]

Of course Alexander tried to confront them that night- the witch understood the gesture.  And, equally predictably, Rachel noticed- she was his twin, after all.  She followed when he sneaked from the house, but paused in the doorway, staying out of sight, when she realized there were others in the yard.

Aubrey remained in the shadows, leaving Ather to confront the brother.  His eyes widened as he beheld the woman he had challenged and injured before, but he ordered, “Leave her alone- both of you.”

Ather laughed.  “Why should I?”

“Just stay away.”  His voice held a threat, but only Alexander really had faith in that threat’s power.

“Temptation,” Ather answered, pushing him away from herself.  He fell back against the wall, though Ather had hardly used any force, and was recovering when Ather spoke her warning: “Child, you would regret ordering me from your sister.”

“Do not hurt her, Ather.” Another order- another foolish thing to say.  “I mean it.”  He stepped forward again, challenging, so stupid. “I am the one who attacked you- leave Rachel be.  If you need to fight someone to heal your pride, fight me, not my sister.”

Turning his attention from Ather, Aubrey watched the audience of their drama.  Rachel was shocked; she did not believe her brother could harm anyone.  If only she knew whom he had sold his soul to.  If only Alexander knew.

“You and that witch should not have interrupted my hunt,” Ather answered.

“You should be grateful ‘that witch’ helped me stop you.  If you had killed Lynette-” So that was what Ather had been doing when she had been attacked.

    “Which sister matters more to you, Alexander- your twin, or Lynette?” Ather asked coldly, forcing the choice on Alexander.  He was loyal to his family, but by defending one sister, he had endangered his twin.  His guilt was almost palpable in the air as Ather continued.  “You drew blood; you should have remembered Rachel before you did.”

“I will not let you change her,” Alexander answered.

“Why, Alexander,” Ather said, taking a step forward.  “What gave you the idea I wanted to change her?”  She laughed, enjoying her game.  “Just because she took my gift?”  Alexander retreated as she continued to advance. “Coward.”

“You are a monster.”  Alexander had considered himself a monster enough times, but suddenly he knew where evil lay? “I will not allow you to make Rachel one, too.” I know what it is like, he did not add aloud.  Aubrey sensed him drawing on his power, and Ather did, as well.

“Aubrey?” she said.

Amused by Ather’s show of nervousness, he moved behind Alexander, letting him know that throwing such a blow would be a foolish idea indeed.

“Rachel, do come join us,” Ather finally said to the girl who had been eavesdropping on their conversation.

Rachel avoided him as he moved to invite her forward.  “Don’t touch me,” she spat, unintimidated.  “Who are you? What are you doing here?” she demanded of Ather.

    “Rachel,” Ather greeted her, smile betraying fangs.

    “Rachel, do not get angry,” Alexander tried to warn her, knowing how deadly it would be if Rachel lost her temper.

    “Too late,” she answered, then demanded of Ather, “why were you threatening him?”

    “Do not demand answers from me, child,” Ather snapped, almost instinctively.

    “Do not call me child.  Leave my property, now, and leave my brother alone.”

    “Does this creature truly mean so much to you?” Ather asked, laughing.

    “Yes,” Rachel answered, and she did not know how foolish her answer was.  Alexander knew the danger of that honesty better than his sister did, and Aubrey felt the burst of power as he called out to his teacher.

“That’s... unfortunate,” Ather replied, as Pandora appeared in the woods.  “Aubrey, would you please deal with that distraction?”

He drew his blade, wondering if Alexander’s teacher would be a threat; Rachel twisted around in time to see Alexander move toward Pandora before Ather turned the girl’s face away.

    “Alex, get out of here before one of them kills you,” Pandora ordered her student, whispering softly enough that Rachel probably did not even hear.  “You aren’t strong enough to fight these two.”

    “Then help me,” Alexander whispered back.

    She sighed, and reached forward to touch his cheek tenderly.  “Foolish boy,” she sighed.  Then a burst of power, and Alexander went limp.

    Allow us to leave without a fight, and I will keep him from causing you trouble, Pandora offered.  The girl will believe he is dead, and after your work tonight, he will not be hampered by his dedication to her.

Go, he replied.

“Now he means nothing,” Ather said, as Pandora retreated with her student into the woods.  Aubrey took himself away from the scene, leaving Ather to deal with the girl alone.

[subasekabang]

Gymnopédie- Part 3

Author: Alex Rating: Teen Word Count: Total - 10219 (including title names); this part- 2692 Pairings/Characters: Yoshiya “Joshua” Kiryu, Neku Sakuraba, Sanae Hanekoma, Sho Minamimoto, Daisukenojo Bito (Beat), Raimu Bito (Rhyme), Shiki Misaki, Eri, Megumi Kitanji, Ken Doi, implied Shiki/Eri, implied Joshua/Neku (mostly one-sided), agender!Composer, Neku’s Mom Warnings: Suicide, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mentions of Voyeurism, Mild Language, Implied/Referenced Bullying, Depression, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Major Character Death (?) Summary: Joshua said he just wanted one normal day. Hanekoma wouldn’t deny him that, for soon the boy would have to take his duties as Composer seriously.He didn’t think Joshua could die a second time.

Not unlike a maiden with a clouded expression

“Goddammit, Joshua!” Neku slammed his fist against the wall, but the jolt of pain that went up his arm wasn’t enough to distract him from his thoughts. He didn’t want to worry. He didn’t want to care. But he still couldn’t stop thinking about that stupid boy and his stupid smile, his shattered-glass grin that he showed to Neku and Neku alone. He didn’t want to, but he was the only one who could. He gritted his teeth and turned to face the River. He clutched his pin tight in one hand, his phone in the other. Texts lit up the screen from his friends, except for from the one friend he really needed to hear from. On his side of the screen there was a string of questions: where are you?, what happened?, are you okay? forming walls of text bubbles with no reply.

Neku slipped through the jagged hole ripped in the fence (courtesy of Sho) and entered Shibuya’s dark, damp, graffiti-covered sewers.

He never understood why Joshua decided to make his home here of all places. He never understood most things about Joshua.

His shoes squelched through the mud. At least they weren’t new. He could hardly see through the darkness, but the streaks of bright white paint on the wall were enough to guide him. Even though he had only walked this path once before, he hadn’t forgotten the way. He turned the last corner and closed his eyes; space shifted and changed around him with a feeling like plunging into the deep end of a pool.

When he opened his eyes again, he was standing in the Dead God’s Pad, nearly nose-to-nose with Joshua. He suppressed the urge to shriek and leap back.

“Neku,” he said in a voice as cold and hard as ice.

He glared right back, refusing to back down. “Yeah, Josh, it’s me. Wanna explain some things to me?”

His lips curled into a sneer. “No. I don’t owe you anything.” He flicked his wrist in a dismissive gesture. His arm was covered in angry red lines.

“You owe me everything. Look at you.” He reached for Joshua’s arm. “You keep dodging questions and dropping hints like you don’t want to tell me, but I know you really do. So talk to me like a normal human being.”

Joshua stuck out his tongue at him. “I’m neither normal nor human, Neku.”

“Yeah, you’re a child. A stuck-up, selfish, entitled little bastard, running around in circles and never getting anywhere.”

“Stop.”

“No. The world doesn’t run on your agenda, and I want answers.”

“I said stop.” Something changed in his face, and he suddenly looked a whole lot less like Joshua. Wings unfurled from his shoulders with a sound like ripping paper, quite literally tearing themselves from his back. They spilled across the tiles like liquid starlight, casting dizzying patterns of light and shadow. The stretched until the room was full of their delicate filigree, bloodstained lace suspended mid-air. His wings dwarfed him, a tiny figure at the center of a glimmering and wildly branching graffiti.

“I am a god,” he whispered, his voice trembling. Those shaking words should’ve sounded weak, but instead it was as if each syllable was quavering with barely contained power.

“Josh—”

A wing twitched and sent him sprawling. A flurry of feathers like a hurricane went through the room, throwing bottles from the shelf, sending papers up into miniature whirlwinds, making the foosball figures spin wildly around their poles.

“I am a god,” he repeated, “I am Shibuya. You cannot tell me what to do. Without me, you wouldn’t exist.”

“And you wouldn’t exist without me,” Neku countered, rising to his feet. “If not for me, you would’ve gone through with your dumb suicidal plan.”

“Dare you talk back to your god?”

Neku opened his mouth to argue, but found that he had nothing to say. Oh, he had plenty of words for Joshua, but this was not Joshua. It was Joshua-shaped, but its face was twisted in an emotion that Neku did not and could not understand. Teeth bared, fingers crooked into claws, eyes blazing like funeral pyres, this was nothing like the Joshua he knew. This was hatred and rage and despair, pain and passion, a discordant god.

“You should have shot me,” Joshua-but-not said, his lips pulling back over wicked-sharp canines. “I should have ended this.” The entire room shifted as he twisted his body around, full of feathers and impossibly angled joints. “Why didn’t you kill me? Why didn’t I? I’m not your friend, Neku, I was barely even your partner. And you say you want to see me?” He made a harsh noise in the back of his throat, somewhere between a laugh and a snarl. “Liar.”

“Will you just listen to me?”

“No. No more.”

The floor rolled beneath him. Neku dodged the sharp-angled edges of some impossible limb. “I thought you learned. I thought you saw Shibuya was worth saving!”

For a moment, the rage drained from his face, and he looked much older. Much sadder. “You were worth saving, Neku. Not me. Not this city.” His wings scraped the walls with a spine-chilling screech. “Neku. I’m done. And if you insist on staying, then…”

The door slammed open. “Composer!”

Hanekoma stood in the open doorway, his own wings spread wide. They may not have been as large or impressive as Joshua’s, but they shone many times more brightly. His phone emitted a faint beeping alarm. “Back away from the boy.”

Joshua smiled. “Ah, finally, the guardian angel arrives! Are you going to tell me to ‘be not afraid’?”

“No. You should be.”

“Really, Sanae, threats?” He giggled, and the room rocked with his shaking shoulders. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, considering your little assassination attempt.” He swung one wing inward, tangling Neku in it like a net and holding him close.

Neku could feel his breath on his skin. He smelled like lavender and the sharp metallic tang of blood. Like smog and flowers. Like his city.

One finger traced the curve of his cheek, sending sparks of cold electricity through his body. “Are you in on this too, my dearest Proxy?” he said, and laughed again.

He could feel Joshua’s ribs as his chest expanded with his breaths. Every peak of his spin dug into his fingers as he clung to him for dear life as he ascended.

It should have been impossible for him, but Joshua wasn’t about to let reality boss him around. The dimensions of the room rippled and changed to contain his wings as they swung down. More than just wingbeats, each sweeping motion added to a throbbing baseline. Feathers scattered, and burst into ringing notes when they landed, filling the room with chaotic song.

And then, somehow, they were out the door, and Joshua was careening through the sewers. His wings scraped lines into the wall as he went, and Neku held on tighter and tighter as the motion threatened to loosen his grip. Close behind them came the Producer, a streak of pure light, ping-ponging off the walls as the Composer’s rhythms shook the air itself.

Joshua laughed, and it came out as bells, as chords, as a thousand voices that weren’t his. The sound rang in Neku’s ears until he felt his eardrums would burst.

He felt like he was being carried by pure music.

That sounded poetic. It wasn’t. It was his bones thrumming and insides churning, surrounded by so much sound he felt deaf, barely able to believe that his fingers were digging into anything solid as the city rocketed by beneath him.

Then Joshua came to a screeching halt, the whiplash nearly throwing Neku from him.

“Why’d we st-stop?” Neku asked through uncontrollably chattering teeth.

Joshua hovered there, his preposterous wings pumping lazily at the air. “You know, Neku, I always wondered. Why bother showing me what I can’t reach?” he said, gesturing at the world beyond the city. Neku clung tighter to him. His voice was caught in his throat; he could barely breath. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to think of how high in the air he was.

Beneath them, still following, angrier and faster with every passing second, was Hanekoma.

“Composer!” he bellowed. “Halt!” His voice pierced through Joshua’s cocoon of sound.

“Or what?” Joshua cooed at him. “You’ll erase me? And what about your poor little Player?” He held Neku out. He squirmed like an upset cat.

“J-Joshua!!”

“Catch.”

Neku screamed as Joshua let go and he found himself plummeting toward the ground far, far below. Hanekoma hesitated, then dove down to where he thought he could catch the boy.

Joshua was still laughing, sounding more and more unhinged. His wingtip caught Neku as he fell, gave the slightest flick, and suddenly he was tossed back up.

He landed heavily in Joshua’s arms, flinging his arms around his neck and resolving to never let go again. His heart hammered like a rabbit’s.

It was only a slight setback for Hanekoma, but it bought Joshua a few more precious seconds. He held onto Neku just as tight as Neku held onto him, the air around them pulsing with light and music.

“Why show me what I can’t reach?” he whispered his question again into Neku’s ear. He pulled his wings close to his body and dropped into a dive. The blood rushed to Neku’s head. He couldn’t see, couldn’t hear anything but those throbbing wingbeats and the wind in his ears. He wasn’t sure where they were going. He wasn’t sure when they stopped. He only knew that when he opened his eyes again, his feet were back on the ground, and neither Producer nor Composer were anywhere to be seen.

“Joshua, what the hell was that!?” Hanekoma yelled, his voice amplified by the full force of his angelic power. “I’ve let you bend the rules for a long time, but this!? This goes against everything!”

Joshua huddled on the couch, his wings wrapped around his body in a mess of intricate feathers. “Spare me the lecture, Sanae. Seems like you’re finally taking up your duties as Producer again.”

“It’s about damn time!”

“Please stop yelling.”

Hanekoma bit back his rage and took a deep breath. “... Fine.”

“Thanks. Now, Producer, what’s the first order of business?” he asked as he peered through the gaps in his wings.

Something felt… wrong about Joshua being obedient. He shifted uncomfortably. “There’s no reason for you to be in the RG. Or the UG, for that matter. Your duties are here,” he said, pointing at the floor.

“Okay.”

“Are you being serious?”

“As serious as I can be,” he said. “Is there a problem with that?”

“You’re a problem,” Hanekoma said with a long-suffering sigh. “None of the other Producers have to deal with such a troublesome Composer…”

Joshua reshuffled his wings to peek through a different window. “I don’t need you to scold me, Sanae. Just let me know what I need to do.”

“We need to clean up your mess first. Then begin preparations for the next Game. Megumi will instruct you,” he said. “Listen to him.”

And with that, he turned and left.

Now alone in his room, Joshua crumpled into a pile on the cushions. He might’ve cried. He wasn’t sure.

Either way, it didn’t much matter. Megumi didn’t return for several more hours.

Being Composer and actually doing his job was far more boring than being Composer and doing whatever the hell he wanted. He rolled onto the floor, his cheek pressed up against the cold glass.

Thump thump thump, went that stupid orange fish. Maybe he should make some sashimi…

“Sir, we need to assign a new Game Master,” Megumi said, cutting through his thoughts.

“I dunno, get Kariya on it.”

“He refuses.” “His partner, then. I don’t care.” “We need a real answer, sir.” He looked down at the Composer. “Did you look over the credentials of the possible candidates?”

“Yes Megumi, I read your essays.” He pushed himself up on his elbows and tried to switch into a more professional tone. “They’re all highly qualified. More qualified than I am.” “We need a reply by tomorrow.” “I know, I know.” He was tempted to let Sho run the Game again, if only to end this mind-numbing monotony. Too bad he had already promised both Hanekoma and Megumi that he’d take his duties seriously. “Can Uzuki do next week? She’s always wanted the promotion, and I’m sure she’ll pick up some promising new recruits.” “Good choice, Sir. I will inform the others of your decision.” His shoes clicked as he left to send the message to the rest of the Reapers. Joshua grunted. Uzuki would certainly keep him busy; she’d racked up a record number of erasures over the past few months. Winners or losers, Joshua would have to sort the Players. The majority would be recycled into Noise, a rare few would be returned to life. Some would become Reapers, as he had, and the only marker of whether they won or lost would be if their entry fees were returned. Perhaps one out of a thousand would be beyond his decision; Hanekoma would recruit them into angels. He always felt jealous of them, but then again, Hanekoma done him a few favors to promote him to Composer so quickly. Besides, he had never heard of a loser becoming an angel.

It was better to not get involved with Players at all. If Neku taught him anything, it was that. Feelings got in the way. Sadness, friendship, guilt, regret.

And… Love. He hated saying it aloud; it made him feel small and stupid. To hear the word in his teenaged voice was to hear the adult insistence of, “No, it’s not. You don’t know what that is. You can’t. You’re too young.” Maybe they were right. He was a child when he died. Hanekoma said he was a child still. No matter how many years passed, he would always be. He was stuck, forever, while the rest of the world moved on into the future.

Shiki, Rhyme, Beat, Neku, Eri… They would move on without him too. He wasn’t sure why that thought upset him; it wasn’t like they were friends. Joshua didn’t have friends. That was another fact that he had to accept. He was forever 15, and forever alone.

There was no one to fake a laugh for, but he choked the noise out anyway. This was not what he had wanted when he had kissed the barrel of a gun on that fateful day. Not what he wanted when his finger curled around the trigger and splattered his brains all over the wall.

Selfish, everyone had said to him, but how could they know that he never did any of it for himself? It wasn’t what he wanted. It was what everyone else did. They wanted a reason to hate him, didn’t they? They wanted to get rid of him, didn’t they?

“Didn’t you?” he said. He twisted the words around his fingers into jagged streamers of black and yellow and green and blue, shaping each color into petals, layering them on top of each other. Just pointless Noise, he thought, as he released it into the air where it twirled in the wind. He let his human form fall from him like a shed skin. It was only a reminder of how he could never change. Only a reminder of that day that was something like happiness, that he spent at the side of those kids he had changed so completely in a few weeks. Those kids would not be kids much longer. They would grow into adults, and move out to the world beyond Shibuya.

It was doubtful that he would ever see them again. They’d be far from his realm when they died.

He watched the Noise spin away from him. A blur of colors, one for each of them. When they faded, so would their hue.

Game after Game, he asked the Players the same question.

What color is that flower now?

[tacticianharuhi]

This is a story I wrote as part of the Doorways series that my friends and I are writing but never gets any content cuz we have better things to do lol.

Anyways, I submitted this as my final for my creative writing class and got a 95% on it so it must not be that bad.

Warnings cuz its kinda gorey at some parts?

features @alexvaz01​ but he wont see it cuz hes on vacation.

Jeez all the recent followers are gonna be really fucking confused

Words: 2772

The quiet of the night was always the most peaceful thing to the young girl. Haruhi, only eleven, sat gazing at the large pale moon. She kept her warm blanket wrapped tightly around her to keep out the November night’s chill. She was careful not to fall into too deep of a dreamy state in case her papa, Alex, decided to come check on her. Though she would hear him coming for the old wooden stairs made loud creaking under the slightest weight. The cool damp air along with the singing of the crickets always melted the fear that came with the rising sun.

Haruhi didn't think that she would ever understand why the townspeople hated her so much. Her Papa had said they were scared of her because of her magic, always warning her to keep her abilities secret.

“People like you get burned for no good reason.” Haruhi recalled him saying.

It didn't help how Haruhi could be easily picked out in a crowd. Her skin was as white as snow, her golden-blonde hair and sapphire eyes greatly contrasted the tanned skin and dark hair that frequented the townspeople. Including her Papa.

Haruhi knew that Alex wasn't a real Papa. Haruhi had been left anonymously in the center of town when she was five with nothing but the ragged clothes on her back to keep her warm and the moon to keep her company. Her vague memories of that night always left her with a troubled feeling in her heart. She closed her eyes, trying to bring the fuzzy images of her parents faces into clarity with little success.

Her life before where she was now seemed to remain a blur but there was one memory, that could not stick out clearer in her mind. That was the day that she met Alex.

***

“Look at that thing, it must be a devil!” Screamed a middle-aged lady as a crowd formed trying to decide what to do with this mysterious weeping child.

“I say we just drown her and get it over with. She must be a demon or witch to have such lifeless skin.” A wrinkled old man with an impressive beard said with an angry gaze towards her followed by agreement from those around him.

“Are you people insane? This is just a little girl!” Exclaimed a young man.with horrid disbelief on his face.

Mixed whispers echoed around the crowd as young man stepped forward kneeling in front of the terrified child, who recoil away. He could see that she had not been kept well. Her clothes had been torn to pieces and her hair was matted against her skull. Her body was so thin it was as if she might blow away with a strong gust of wind.

“You know the rules about outsiders, son. She can’t stay here.” The old man said in his merciless tone.

Alex ran a hand through his dark hair. Every tear that slid down the girl's face seem to tear at his heart even harder than the last. There was nothing but fear and innocence in her eyes. He knew if he let this happen he wouldn't live with himself. Alex couldn't put his finger on it, but something about that girl just seemed to call to him. Like an invisible bond that forced him to protect her. He felt her fear, and he was terrified for her.

“Ple…” The smallest voice in existence emerged from the child in a breathy whisper.

“Pl-Plea-se...” Her arms were wrapped around her like she herself was the only one who cared enough to embrace her.

That word. That single, broken, shaky word was all it took to give Alex the courage to act rather than argue.

“Let's go.” The old man said as he roughly grabbed the girl who screamed like she was about to be murdered, and she was.

A horrible rage consumed Alex as he grabbed the girl from the old man kicking his knee out and bringing him down.

“She is staying with me.” Alex asserted.

He held her tightly to his chest and she clung to his shirt in pure shock.

“I'll keep her out of trouble, I swear. If something happens its on me, but you do not touch this child.” Alex stared into the speechless crowd.

“She looks like a monster! She will curse us all!” Cried the old man. Desperate for the crowd to do anything but watch.

“You're the one yelling about, advocating for the killing of a child. What does that make you?” Few agreements came from the crowd. The rules about outsiders were written over one hundred years ago, The older citizens and the superstitious still feel negatively towards them. Though none would be willing to take in an outsider for fear of alienation from the town, what harm could one traumatized little girl do?

“Maybe we should just give her a chance, Bill.” a young girl with a long dark braid said as she helped the old man to his feet.

“We can't seclude ourselves forever. Besides, she’s probably just lost. She looks like she’s been rolling in the muck for a few days.” She approached Alex and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Take care of her.” She said.

“Thank you, Melody.” Alex replied as he patted the little girl on the head.

Alex gave Haruhi his bed on the second floor, and made a habit of sleeping in a cushioned chair stationed near the front door. Over the years, he had caught many a potential intruder who he promptly beat off with a metal pipe.

A few nights before this one, Alex had been caught off guard. A heavy boot had swiftly kicked in the door and a large man pinned Alex to the ground in a second. Filled with adrenaline, Alex struggled between reaching for his pipe and blocking the strong punches that threatened to take his consciousness. Thinking quickly Alex jammed his knee between the man's legs and threw him off as he grunted. It was only a small victory as the stranger was already back on his feet as Alex turned around. He finally got a look at the aggressor's face as he recognized the fishing captain Serge, who at one point he could have called his friend. With a crazed look in his eyes Serge threw Alex into cabinet a good seven feet away and pinned him there.

Strong hands around Alex’s neck kept him in place as he looked over towards the staircase, where Haruhi stood in one of Alex’s shirts that she used as a nightgown. Even through the darkness of the night a purple glaze illuminated her eyes as she swung her arm out in front of her. Alex’s vision began to blacken as insufficient oxygen started to rip away his consciousness. All the while his daughter in her panicked state, waved her arm around some more.

Just as Alex was about to succumb to the darkness, the weight of the larger man dissipated and a large crash sounded. Something splattered his face as he pushed Serge off of him and dropped to his knees.

“P-P-Papa?” The quiet girl choked out, still standing on the stairs.

Dizzy, Alex looked up to see dirt and blood was scattered all around him. A large planter on the other side of the room had miraculously come to his rescue in flying across the room and crashing into the intruder’s skull, leaving a large dent.

Through one eye not swollen shut, Alex looked at his daughter, the tingling purple glow of magic still fresh on her finger tips. Ready to act if the stranger gets back up. Beaten and bloody, Alex stumbled towards his daughter who took a few steps back and fear. She didn't know how Alex would react to knowing what she was. Would he attack her? Would he run away? Would he rat her out to the townspeople and have her burned at the stake? She didn't know. She had acted on impulse. Instead, Alex did possibly the last thing she expected.

Alex pulled the girl into a tight hug with no sense of fear within his body. Alex had felt something about her since the beginning. Something about her told him she wasn't human without the influence of the comments made about her appearance.

Alex knew that they were right, some things that the townspeople had said about her from the beginning. Haruhi was a witch, but he didn't believe that all witches could be bad. Alex knew if he treated this girl with nothing but kindness she could grow warm, to people and maybe the people grow warm, to her and maybe one day she could be accepted Alex did not fear magic or magic users. He felt they were people with extraordinary abilities who were demonized for it.

“I love you, my daughter. Magic or no magic. Always remember that fact.”

“I love you too, Papa.”

***

A cold shock to Haruhi’s nose snapped her awake. She had fallen asleep leaning against the wall under the window. Looking out the window she saw that the first snowfall of the season was drifting down into the world outside the clouds covering the moon shadowing the Earth in darkness.

Haruhi closed the window and laid back against the cool pillow. Her eyes hadn't the chance to fully closed before three loud knocks came from the main floor. She hugged the pillow tightly as the intense fear that she had felt only a few days ago rushed through her body with a purpose.

Frustrated voices came from the main floor as her papa argued with an unknown visitor.

Haruhi tread on trembling feet towards the door. The loud creek of the hinges made her cringe as she opened it. Now she could hear them more clearly.

“Enough is enough, Alex.” A raspy voice spoke.

“You would kill a child. For what reason, because she looks different?” Haruhi froze as she realized who’d they come for although she hadn’t much doubt.

“She killed a man Alex! Don't deny that she's a witch. She must face the fires of hell for her sins.” The man was yelling at this point and Haruhi prepared to make a mad dash for the window like her papa told her to do rather than facing the threat.

Don't make them fear you.

“Over my dead body.” Alex snarled.

“We’ll dig one hole.” the mystery man retorted.

Several loud thumps sounded from below and grabbing no more than a pair of pastel pink flats Haruhi begin shimmying down a pipe towards the ground below. Her fingers ached against the cold metal. Puffs of white breath formed in front of her as she crunched through the freshly fallen snow.

The darkness will be your friend, daughter.

Hide some more dark, I'll find you.

The forest. The darkest place imaginable. Her Papa had told her that the people are scared of imaginary monsters that live within the trees.

“The only thing you have to fear in there is your imagination and poison ivy.” He would say patting her head.

Tears begin to blur her vision as she stumbled over the twigs and vines wondering what happened to him. The torch lights grew brighter behind her, thorn bushes scraped at her legs.

She could hear the shouts now. Something grabbed at her ankle as she flew into a patch of rocks. Bruised and bloody and now missing a shoe, it was all young Haruhi could do to crawl under a bush and wait for fate to find her. The forest floor became illuminated as several pairs of feet soon thumped around her leafy hiding spot.

“There's blood on these rocks. It isn't even dry yet she was just here!” Haruhi matched a face to the voice it was the voice of the fisherman's daughter who ran his shop. The daughter of the man who she had killed. Melody.

Haruhi picture the shy, unsure smile the young woman would give her as she twirled her dark braid in her fingers. A spark of anger grew somewhere inside her and she wondered how many of the few nice seeming townspeople now hunted her.

She couldn't hurt these people.

The more the young witch  used her powers more scared of her they became. She would rather die than see Alex, her Papa, her only family, be afraid of her. Haruhi clasped her hands over her mouth trying to silence the sobs as she laid defeated in the fetal position in the cold dirt.

“There she is!” Shouted one of them Haruhi tensed as she waited for a hand to drag her out or blade to simply run her through, but neither greeted her. Instead, it became dark and the world became quiet.

However, he laid there for what seemed like hours the only audible sound was her ragged uneven breathing as she shook beneath the bush suddenly another sound greeted her. The sound of a single person walking calmly through the underbrush.

“Come on out, Haruhi.” An unknown voice called out to her.

Haruhi didn't move.

“They won't hurt you anymore.” The sweet female voice called once more.

Haruhi still refused to move or even acknowledge she had been found.

To her surprise and awe, the bush shrank away. At least, that's the only way Haruhi could describe it to herself.

Now that Haruhi sat in nothing more than a small clearing she looked up at the speaker. The woman standing before her had skin that resembled one of the white porcelain vases her Papa filled with flowers, and her eyes red like blood. She brushed her silver hair over one shoulder as she knelt before Haruhi. Looking into her eyes Haruhi felt as if she was being hypnotized. A sense of calm filled her.

“They killed him. Alex.” she grasped Haruhi’s hands in hers.

A wave of sadness was flooded over by a tsunami of rage.

“Who are you?” Haruhi asked, no longer stumbling over her words.

“A demon to some, Angel to others.” Their fingers interlocked as the older witch swayed them forwards and back, eyes still locked.

“You can just call me Oizys, or even better, your friend.” the burning rage inside Haruhi caused her body to shake, her hands and eyes glowed with purple fire.

“I can help you, Haruhi. Don’t you want them to feel how they made you feel?” Though her voice was sweet, it left a sour taste in Haruhi’s mouth.

The darkness will be your friend

These words echoed over and over in her head until the voice warped from her Papa’s voice to Oizys’s.

“Now.”

Before Haruhi could register her actions, she whipped around and grew a purple spike out of the ground that shot right through Melody’s torso. She dropped her torch and dagger and layed limply as her blood cascaded down the crystal spike.

Haruhi froze in shock at the mess before her. Her hand was still outreached and the fire still burned in her hand. Oizys, hugged the girl from behind wrapping her long black cloak around her.

“We will clean the filth from this world. Don’t you want to do right by your Papa, Haruhi?” An image appeared before her of her living room floor. There was a large blood pool covered the surface and a faceless corpse laid in the middle. If not for the clothes he had been wearing that day Haruhi would not have recognized the beaten in corpse of her protector.

The purple fire that did Haruhi’s bidding consumed her as she let out every pained scream she ever kept inside. Her fire burned like never before as she swore to herself that she would burn all those who tried to burn her.

“Together?” The porcelain witch held out a hand to the young girl as her body seemed to transform.

The fire burned her hair into shades of pink and purple, and stained her skin a light pink.

Now she looked like the monster they accused her of being.

Now she looked like the monster they had turned her into.

“Together.” Haruhi stated as she took her new friend’s hand.

Oizys removed her cloak and put it around Haruhi.

“Melody!” a man exclaimed as the rest of her hunting party arrived.

Haruhi turned, unable to see her friend, but could feel she was still there. The young witch locked eyes with the man, holding the cloak tight.

“Kill it!” someone yelled as they rushed towards her.

Haruhi smiled, as the usually silent forest was awake with screams that snowy November night.

[yootaesowlwrites]

I Was Feeling Heroic Chapter 14;

Chapter 14 - I Was Feeling Heroic Series.

First Season.

Second Season.

Alex descends from the stairs with a worried mixed with a confused expression, she had come to search for Elijah, but he was nowhere to be found in the abattoir, Klaus sat with Hope at the dining table feeding her sweet treats.

"Isn't it a little early for sugar?" Alex asks, Klaus looks up at her.

"Forgive me for wanting to treat my daughter, she did after all save my life yesterday," Klaus says, Alex nods her head as Hayley enters the dining room.

"Good morning," Hayley says and kisses the top of Hope's head, she looks down at the table. "I guess apple turnover is fruit."

"Well, I saw no harm in indulging our daughter's sweet tooth, all things in moderation, of course," Klaus says.

"Okay, wow," Hayley says, she bends down to Hope's level. "Don't eat too much or you'll get a stomachache."

"Klaus, may I have a word with you? Privately?" Alex asks as she glanced down at Hope, Klaus nods his head and stood from his chair.

"I'll be right back," Klaus says, they walk out of the dining room, and he closes the door behind them. "It must be serious if you do not want my daughter to hear."

"I don't want her to become worried, but have you seen Elijah? I've searched everywhere for him in this place, I can't find him," Alex says, Klaus could hear the worry in her tone. "The last time I saw him was when I left last night."

"I thought he was with you," Klaus says becoming concerned, he hadn't seen his brother the entire morning either. "Can you track him?"

"I tried, but there's something blocking my sight, something dark," Alex says. "I can't pinpoint his exact location either, I told him to go make peace with Marcel last night before I left, but Marcel doesn't have him, I searched." Klaus balls his hands into a fist as his jaw clenches.

"It's the Hallow, it probably has Elijah," Klaus says.

"Most likely, I doubt Marcel can do magic and I doubt any of the covens would want to start a war right now, besides, the magic being used is dark," Alex says.

"I'll go to Marcel's place, see if I can get him to help us, or see if Elijah ever made it to his place," Klaus says, Alex nods her head.

"Be careful," Alex says, Klaus nods his head and enters the dining room where Hope and Hayley were to explain the situation.

Alex stood on the bottom step of the staircase looking at Vincent as he explained his bazaar plan to everyone.

"Okay,  you want a plan of attack? It comes down to this, use the element of surprise, now, Marcel will hand over the bone and then stab the Hallow with Hayley's blood, and then I'm gonna cast the spell that buries her." Vincent explains.

"The ancestors' spell requires a sacrifice, an original has to die," Hayley says.

"Yeah, and right now the hallow's gonna use Elijah's death to come back, but that opens up a window where I can shove her back into her grave," Vincent says, Klaus stood from the couch, ready to protest.

"You'll forgive me for stating the obvious, but your plan does nothing to save my brother, in fact, it relies entirely upon his death," Klaus says, Alex looks down at her feet, if the plan was to be done it would mean she would lose Elijah, even though she could bring him back, but she didn't know what the consequences would be if she did.

"Easy, he's just trying to help," Marcel says seeing Klaus becoming enraged.

"Klaus, Elijah's already dead," Vincent says. "And the only thing that we can do right now is figure out whether or not that death is going to count for something."

"That's not a call any of us can make, especially not you," Hayley says. "There has to be a way to save him."

"Freya, you still have the antidote we used to cure Marcel's bite?" Klaus asks.

"I have it, yes, but I don't know if it will work against the poison rosebush," Freya says.

"You guys aren't listening, okay? Even if we do cure Elijah, we still have a big problem that's called the hallow, and it's just gonna keep coming back at us until it resurrects, and when that happens we're talking about an ancient primal power that's made flesh and blood, it will wipe out this entire city in an afternoon and there ain't a damn thing you or anybody else here can do about it." Vincent says. "Now, my way, we take her out while she's still a spirit, Elijah dies, but at least his death counts for something."

"No, no, I'm not willing to discuss this any further," Klaus says.

"What about our little girl?" Vincent asks knowing Hope was Klaus's soft spot. "This thing wiped out the entire Labonar bloodline, it already got to Hope once, right? Now, this is a chance, Klaus, this is probably the one chance that you've got, now you wanna blow that opportunity to maybe save your brother? Or do you wanna do your job and save your little girl?"

"Don't use my daughter to justify your absurd plan," Klaus says glaring at Vincent.

"Hey, his absurd plan is the only plan we've got, so maybe we should do a little less fighting and a little more thinking," Marcel says.

"There's always a loophole." Freya states as she stood from the couch, Alex lets out a soft sigh before turning around to walk up the stairs.

"And where are you going? Perhaps you could help as well." Klaus says, everyone turned to look at Alex as she stopped in her step, she looks over her shoulder.

"I'm going to find something that can destroy the damned thing without needing to sacrifice Elijah," Alex says. "Maybe he can die and I can bring him back, or maybe he doesn't have to die at all." Alex looks up the stairs as she continues her way to Elijah's room where she would hopefully be able to find him and find a way to save him.

Books were scattered around Alex while tears threatened to spill, Hayley steps into Elijah's bedroom.

"Hey, how are you holding up?" Hayley softly asks, she had no idea what to expect, she had never seen Alex look concerned.

"I'm fine," Alex whispers as she turns a page from the book in her hands, she hadn't found something and it frustrated her.

"Look, I know it's hard with Elijah being miss and everything." Hayley begins, Alex slams the book shut and looks up at Hayley.

"I can't see him, Hayley, he's fading away!" Alex says. "It started with a blur, but now it's almost nothing, he's dying and I'm failing!" Alex stood from the ground. "I can't do anything to help him, do you know how it feels being so powerful, but being unable to help?" Tears started rolling down her cheeks. "I feel so useless against this thing!"

"It's all right, we'll find him, he'll be okay," Hayley says trying to be comforting, she takes a step closer to her wanting to hug her, but Alex's frightening blue eyes made her stop.

"Don't," Alex says lifting her hands, her nails becoming claws. "Don't come any closer, I'm unstable right now and it's not a wise choice to come close right now."

"Okay, let's try something else," Hayley says, she was hoping to help. "Stop looking for Elijah and try searching for Sofya." Alex nods her head, Hayley could a blank expression taking over Alex's facial features, her eyes staring into the distance as she begins searching for Sofya, at a fast pace her mind leads her through a forest before stopping in front of a cabin, Alex lets out a gasp as she blinks.

"I found them, it was blurry but clear enough for me to know where it is," Alex says. "We have to hurry."

Alex appears in the cabin holding Hayley and Freya's hands, two warlocks were lighting candles to start the ritual.

"I've wondered, don't you feel pathetic selling your soul to the devil?" Freya asks, Hayley attacks one warlock while transforming into her werewolf form, Freya snaps the other one's neck as Alex makes her way towards Elijah, but stops when she walked into the invisible barrier, she placed her hands on the invisible barrier as she stared at Elijah with wide eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Elijah asks, his voice sounding hoarse.

"You didn't think we were just going to let you die?" Freya asks stepping up next to Alex.

"No, you have to leave," Elijah whispers before coughing.

"Stop talking, save your strength," Alex says, Hayley walks back into the cabin pulling her shirt down.

"Can you break the barrier?" Hayley asks.

"It'd old magic, I need time," Freya says, Alex glances into Elijah's eyes.

"We don't have time," Alex says, a golden glowing light moves down her arms as she begins absorbing the dark magic, the wind begins howling just as the barrier breaks, the door opens and a shadow with blue surrounding it enters the cabin, the cure is thrown from Freya's hand destroying the bottle.

"NO!" Freya screams running towards the broken bottle, the hallow lifts it's hand and pulls Freya towards it, Klaus speeds into the cabin and pulls Freya back. "What happened?"

"She knew we were coming," Klaus says, the hallow begins chanting. "We have no choice, get Elijah in this pendant." Klaus takes off the pendant from around his neck and hands it to Freya, Elijah was groaning and moaning in pain, his skin was coated with sweat.

"He's too weak," Freya says.

"Hurry, she's killing him!" Hayley says as Alex's eyes turn blue, she pushes the hallow backwards using telekinesis, The Hallow turns it's attention to Alex while Freya begins chanting.

"YOU SHALL NOT RUIN THIS FOR ME!" It screams while pushing Alex backwards with a large amount of dark magic, Elijah's eyes follow Alex as she hits the wall and falls to the ground.

"Alex," Elijah whispers as his last breath escapes from his lips, he begins turning grey and veins pop up over his body, tears form in Alex's eyes as she watches his eyes becoming lifeless.

"NO!" Alex screams, The Hallow disappears leaving a dead Elijah behind along with his family, Alex stood from the ground and rushes towards Elijah's side, she pulls out the thorn stake from his chest. "Did it work?" Tears were rolling down her cheeks, Freya steps forward looking terrified. "Freya?" Freya opens her palm to reveal a bloody and broken pendant, dread ran through Alex's veins. "No."

Alex stared at the broken pendant as Freya tried searching for Elijah inside the pendant, Klaus storms into the upstairs living room.

"Have you found him yet?" Klaus asks.

"I can't find his soul," Alex whispers. "Which means he has to be in that pendant." Klaus turns to look at Freya.

"I think he's gone," Freya says.

"HE'S NOT GONE!" Alex says loudly. "He can't be gone." She whispers.

"Try again," Klaus says.

"Klaus, I did try," Freya says.

"I am asking you to try again, I know he's in there," Klaus says, he was being persistent.

"Klaus." Hayley begins.

"TRY AGAIN!" Klaus screams, Freya once again chants the spell searching for Elijah, she lets out a sigh and looks up at Klaus.

"I just need some time..." Freya says.

"This is not happening," Klaus says. "For a thousand years my brother and I have walked this earth, countless times death has come for us and countless times we have denied her, he's not gone." Tears appeared to form in his eyes. "He can't be." Freya begins chanting once again as Hope slowly walks into the room, curious why everyone was there.

"What is that?" Hope asks seeing the pendant, Hayley turns around to look at her daughter.

"Oh, Hope, Go back to bed sweetie, I'll be there in a second," Hayley says trying to grab her hand, Hope ignores Hayley and walks towards the table, she placed her hand on Freya's shoulder, Freya suddenly stops and turns to Hope, Alex tilts her head watching the interaction.

"Did you hear that?" Freya whispers. "Did you feel it?"

"Uncle Elijah," Hope says. "He sounds so far away."

"He's in there," Hayley says.

"You heard him, right?" Alex asks.

"Yes, I heard him, he's somewhere inside, but..." Freya stops herself, unsure what to say or if she should say it.

"But what?" Klaus asks.

"His voice, it was, distorted, broken," Freya says. "Like radio static and I just heard screaming."

"Like the pendant is broken, so is his mind," Alex whispers.

[ramajmedia]

The Worst Thing Each Main Character From Grey's Anatomy Has Done

The characters in Grey's Anatomy never fail to be complex, interesting, intriguing, and multidimensional. The show has always had a talent for portraying realistic characters, and it has a signature knack for making the viewers feel as though they are getting an exclusive look inside the lives of real people.

To achieve this genuineness and develop them successfully, the cast of Grey's characters had to be more than just one thing. Meredith is not purely good, Alex is not just an ass, and Maggie is not just a brilliant nerd.

The characters on Grey's have done some truly questionable stuff throughout the course of the series. From bad bedside manner to unprofessionalism, to infidelity, these characters are nothing if not realistic. Let's explore the worst thing that each main character has done.

10 RICHARD: CHEATING ON ADELE

Richard's medical career has been extensive, so he's obviously done some questionable things during his time as a surgeon. But nothing quite beats his infidelity and betrayal of his long-time wife, Adele. The early seasons of Grey's largely revolved around the love affair between Richard and Ellis that had occurred once upon a time.

RELATED: Every Sizzling Season Of Grey's Anatomy So Far, Ranked

Later, Richard's affair would prove to have lasting repercussions, and no matter how far the character has come and how well-developed he is, it's hard to forgive his poor treatment of Adele.

9 JACKSON: HIS TREATMENT OF APRIL

Jackson is possibly one of the most infuriating characters on Grey's Anatomy right now. He's made a lot of poor decisions, and he's done several selfish things. He has an ambiguous moral compass when it comes to his relationships and treatment of others, but his dynamic with April takes the cake for this one.

RELATED: Grey's Anatomy: 10 Times Meredith Was Actually A Jerk

At times, Jackson and April were simply adorable together, but that doesn't change the fact that Jackson behaved like a jerk for the better part of their relationship. From kicking her out to jerking her around, to pretty much bullying her, Jackson did some pretty terrible things to his ex-wife.

8 BAILEY: HIRING ELIZA MINNICK

The storyline involving Eliza Minnick dragged on a lot longer than it probably should have. This created some pretty notable drama in the halls of Grey Sloan, and it also presented a rift between Bailey and Richard. These two have one of the most beautiful relationships on the show, so seeing them at odds was pretty disheartening.

RELATED: The 5 Best (& 5 Worst) Episodes Of Grey's Anatomy Season 13

Dr. Bailey probably has the cleanest conscience out of anyone on Grey's. Nevertheless, this one's on her. Hiring Minnick to replace Richard was just blatantly disrespectful, especially considering that Richard had been Bailey's friend and mentor for decades.

7 DELUCA: HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH MAGGIE

Maggie's had a pretty bad track record when it comes to relationships, but none of the problems have really been her fault. The fling with Deluca was fairly cringeworthy and several fellow doctors - including Meredith, who would later end up dating Deluca - frowned on it.

RELATED: Grey's Anatomy: Every Season Finale, Ranked

No matter how wrong the relationship was, nothing excuses how Deluca treated Maggie. He was threatened by her and therefore was completely disrespectful toward her.

6 JO: HIDING HER LIFE FROM ALEX

The drama that went on in Alex and Jo's relationship has seemingly gone by the wayside now, but when it was at its peak, Grey's wasted no time dragging it out for all it was worth. The couple went through a significant on-again-off-again phase, and this was mostly due to the fact that Jo had not been honest about her past.

None of this is actually her fault, though, as she'd had a terrible upbringing and had struggled and fought constantly. But she probably should have been a little more truthful with Alex, a little earlier.

5 ALEX: THE WAY HE TREATED GEORGE

Alex Karev's behavior in the early seasons of Grey's, compared to his behavior now, is a great example of how beautiful his evolution was. Going from the pompous ass of an intern to the sweet, gentle pediatric attending is nothing short of an admiral thing.

But before Alex became the Alex we know now, he did his fair share of questionable things. Singling out George and mercilessly bullying him, for example, was needless and unfair.

4 MAGGIE: HER CRUSH ON NATHAN RIGGS

Maggie has not done a lot of bad things during her time on Grey's. She's is normally known for being morally correct and kind. Most of her bad decisions normally stem from poor judgment rather than any kind of malicious intent.

RELATED: Grey's Anatomy: 10 Hilarious Memes Only True Fans Will Understand

Her crush on Nathan, for example, was a poorly executed storyline from the beginning. Maggie is not the kind of person who falls all over a guy, so the portrayal of her when she had the hots for Riggs just did not feel genuine.

3 OWEN: BOTH OF HIS MARRIAGES

Owen has done some questionable, reckless, and just completely stupid things during his time on the show. He is not the mysterious, misunderstood trauma surgeon that Grey's introduced in season 4; he's now become something of a vague shadow of his former self.

RELATED: Grey's Anatomy: 10 Times The Show Broke Our Hearts

Owen's done some selfish stuff, but his ultimate peak of selfishness was definitely his marriage to Cristina. And his marriage to Amelia. Both of these relationships paralleled each other to a ridiculous extent, and both time Owen destroys the marriages with infidelity and pressuring his wives to have kids.

2 AMELIA: RECKLESS BEHAVIOR

Amelia is often portrayed as being impulsive and absurdly immature. She was the youngest Shepherd sibling, often shown obvious favoritism - particularly by Derek. Due to her upbringing, Amelia was used to her reckless behavior being excused.

But this carried into adulthood, and the next thing you knew, she was performing life-or-death surgeries with a giant tumor pressing on her brain.

1 MEREDITH: REJECTING PEOPLE

One of Meredith's most prevalent issues is her constant rejection of those who try to get close to her. Whether that's family members, Derek's family, or new relationships, Meredith remains guarded to the point of harmfulness.

This was damaging to her relationship with her own sister, Lexie, for quite some time. It also prevented her from calling Derek's family to notify them of his major injuries when he was put on life support.

NEXT: Grey's Anatomy: 10 Storylines That Have Aged Poorly

source https://screenrant.com/worst-thing-main-character-greys-anatomy-done/

[foxx-queen]

“okay i get it you’re a great thief and don’t want to go to jail but i’m the exhausted af detective that’s assigned to catch you i stg if you let me bring you in so i can sleep i’ll get you a good deal” au alex/astra pls

i changed this up a lil bit i hope you still like it!!

‘You seem off your game today’.

Without lifting her head from the floor, Alex groans, and snaps, ‘shouldn’t you have fled by now?’

A low chuckle, and Alex shouldn’t be so familiar with the woman’s laugh, by that dry sound of amusement, but she is, and she hates that it thrills her a little. ‘You’re hardly giving chase. I see no harm in hanging around’.

Alex opens her eyes slightly to look at the woman straddling the window sill, her leg moving back and forth in a hypnotic fashion, her lips quirked in amusement. She lifts her leg, bracing her foot against the frame to lean her elbow on her knee, and props her chin in her hand. ‘Besides, you’re always rather fetching when you’re flustered’.

‘I really do hate you, you know’.

‘Of course you do, Alexandra. Thats why you keep letting me get away’.

‘Do shut up, Astra’. Alex rolls onto her side, and props her head in her hand. Her back aches, and she didn’t have nearly enough coffee to deal with this. She hasn’t slept properly since Astra began her crime streak, and its a mercy she hasn’t passed out in the middle of a confrontation before. ‘You know I’m not letting you slip away on purpose’.

‘Right’, Astra drawls, slipping off the edge of the window to crouch on the floor beside her, ‘the decorated detective who has supposedly never lost a suspect suddenly finds it impossible to catch me, a mere thief’.

Alex snorts. ‘You’re hardly a common thief’. She rolls back onto her back again, and shuts her eyes. She wonders if she could just fall asleep here. ‘I still can’t fucking figure out what you’ve been stealing. Either its something that these idiots don’t want to tell me about, or they don’t even know you’ve stolen it. I don’t know which one bothers me more’.

Astra laughs, rich and delighted, and says, ‘did it occur to you that perhaps I haven’t stolen a thing?’

Alex opens her eyes, and turns her head to stare at her. Astra’s mouth curves, a pleased, smug expression, and Alex groans, thumps her head back against the floor. ‘Now you’re just teasing me’.

Astra leans over her, her hair swinging down, her curls tickling Alex’s cheek, and suddenly it is very hard to think about right and wrong and the fact that she should slap cuffs on the woman while she’s close enough to reach, but all she can do is stare up into Astra’s bright, gleaming eyes, that strangely unidentifiable, yet beautiful colour, and Astra runs a finger over the edge of her jaw, and murmurs, ‘well, that can be arranged’.

Alex swallows, and deliberately focuses on the woman’s previous words. ‘You honestly expect me to believe that you’re not stealing anything?’

Astra hums, trailing her fingers down Alex’s neck, a featherlight touch that doesn’t feel threatening, and Alex thinks she should worry about the fact that she’s never felt threatened by Astra. ‘Well, think about it, Detective. What patterns do you see?’

Alex shuts her eyes, trying to concentrate despite the distracting touch of Astra’s fingers. ‘Well, you leave absolutely no proof behind. I haven’t accused you publicly because its my word against yours. And you seem to enjoy this’.

Astra chuckles, and leans down, brushing her lips over Alex’s forehead, and Alex shudders, biting her lip. God, this woman is going to be the death of her. Literally, if she doesn’t get some rest soon. ‘You don’t exactly seem to mind it yourself’.

‘Come now, Detective, concentrate’. Astra’s lips press against her temple, her thumb stroking over her jaw. ‘Put that beautiful brain of yours to use’.

Alex groans, and grumbles, ‘what the fuck do you think I’ve been doing every night for the past two months?’

Astra chuckles, nibbling at her earlobe, and murmurs, ‘you’ve been thinking about me every night? I’m flattered’.

‘If this turns out to be some kind of complicated ploy to make me notice you, I’m never speaking to you again’.

Astra laughs, rich and deep, a vibration against her neck, and Alex shivers. ‘If I’m not mistaken, I caught your interest before this began, Detective’.

Alex remembers the night she met Astra, at a dinner party celebrating Kara’s promotion to detective, that her new partner had invited her to, and it had taken her a moment to realise that the woman leaning against the wall with her hands shoved deep into the pockets of her leather jacket was not, in fact, Kara’s mother. There was a kind of lazy arrogance to her posture, an ease that told Alex the woman was comfortable in the space, and comfortable in her body, but the hard line to her jaw softened the moment she saw her niece, and she wrapped Kara in a crushing hug that lifted her off the floor. She decided that she liked the woman, then, when she saw how honestly happy she was for Kara, and definitely liked the way the woman looked at her when Kara introduced them, a curious, almost admiring look, an intense thing that didn’t leave her all night.

Alex didn’t expect to go home that night with Kara’s admittedly gorgeous aunt.

She didn’t expect to find her at the scene of a burglary that she’d been tipped off to, almost three weeks later, only two days after their last date.

Looking back, she realises that Astra didn’t look at all surprised to see her there.

She sighs, running her fingers absently over Astra’s arm, like they’re in bed again, rather than sprawled on an expensive carpet in an expensive room in an expensive house, and she’s caught Astra stealing. Again. ‘Alright’, she grumbles, palming Astra’s belt for any signs of what she might’ve stolen, ‘here’s a pattern; everyone you have stolen from is rich, powerful, and ultimately corrupt. Whenever I investigate your thefts, I ultimately find evidence of corruption that no one seems to have been aware of before. Money laundering, bribery, blackmail, judges, politicians, a police captain. Everyone forgets about your theft and my failure to capture you because I end up being responsible for arresting those people’.

Astra smiles against her neck, pressing a kiss to the hollow of her throat, and murmurs, ‘they’re calling you the Defender. Fitting’.

‘And they’re calling you the Shadow, because we have absolutely no idea how you manage to get in and out and avoid all security measures’. Alex gives up, removing her hand from Astra’s belt and resting it on her hip. ‘And you don’t seem to have stolen anything tonight’. She frowns, staring into Astra’s pale green eyes, crinkled with mischief, and says slowly, ‘you… you really haven’t stolen anything, have you?’

Astra kisses her, quick and fierce and pleased, and purrs, ‘well done, Detective’.

Alex sighs against Astra’s lips, presses back, runs her tongue over Astra’s bottom lip, and then pulls away. Astra makes a displeased sound, and Alex says, ‘okay, but, I could still arrest you for trespassing’.

Astra rolls her eyes, her thumb sweeping over Alex’s cheek, and she drawls, ‘if you really are that keen to get handcuffs on me, Detective, we could simply go home to bed’.

Alex blinks, keeping her expression schooled to disguise the heat the just slammed against her ribs, pooled down into her stomach, and says, ‘before we go anywhere, you have to explain to me what you’ve been doing’.

Astra sighs, tilting her head back in an over exaggerated look of exhaustion, and says, ‘you’re the Detective, you tell me’.

‘Astra, I swear to god -’

‘You hit on it the first time, Alex’. Astra’s voice has softened, and Alex remembers what its like to lie curled beside Astra in the dark, to feel the woman’s fingers brushing gently over her skin, her lips at her forehead, the soft melody that escapes her in a low, vibrating hum, and she sags a little, leaning against her. ‘I’m fighting corruption in the only way I know how. I’m taking the information my sister gives me, drawing attention to it, tipping you off, and trusting you to find the evidence’.

Alex stares at her. ‘How did you know I’d… manage? What if I fucked it up?’

Astra shrugs, and says simply, ‘because you’re a good cop, Alex. I have faith in that. In your ability to do your job. In the fact that you’re a good person’. Her eyes soften, warm, and she leans forward to kiss her again, tender and sweet. ‘I trust you, Alex’.

Alex shivers, and lifts her hand to cup the side of Astra’s face, to kiss her back, and she murmurs, ‘then can I make a suggestion?’ Astra makes a noise of agreement, kissing the corner of her mouth, her hand sliding into her hair, and Alex pulls back to look at her. ‘How about you stop breaking into people’s houses, and instead become a CI for me?’

Astra frowns slightly. ‘You’re really that against the idea of me breaking the law?’

‘No’, Alex says, and there is a vehemence to her voice that she didn’t anticipate, ‘I’m against the idea of you getting caught by someone who won’t care about who you are’. She swallows, running her thumb over Astra’s bottom lip. ‘I’m against the idea of you getting hurt’.

Astra blinks, a momentary look of astonishment, and her face softens. ‘Allow me to think it over?’

Alex nods, leans forward, and rests her face against Astra’s shoulder. She sighs, and says, ‘can you do that in bed? I need some goddamn sleep’.

Astra kisses her forehead, concern lacing her voice when she says, ‘I truly had no idea my efforts were exhausting you, Alex. Let me take you home?’

‘Take me to yours’, Alex says, and she doesn’t care that it sounds like a plea, ‘I always sleep better with you, anyway’.

Astra tilts her head up, and kisses her again, soft and warm and as comforting and enticing at it always it, and says, ‘anything you want, Alex. Anything’.

And Alex knows that Astra will listen to her.