#Purchase DART AI

[marketingprofitmedia]

DART AI Review – Unlimited High Quality Free Buyer Traffic

Welcome to my DART AI Review Post. This is a real user-based DART AI review where I will focus on the features, upgrades, demo, pricing and bonus, how DART AI can help you, and my opinion. This is where DART AI Generate Unlimited High Quality Web 3.0 Backlinks And Free Buyer Traffic On Demand In Less Than 3 Minutes.

Imagine, before diving headfirst into this enticing proposition, it’s crucial to delve deeper. This comprehensive review aims to shed light on DART AI, analyzing its features, effectiveness, and potential drawbacks to help you make an informed decision about its role in your SEO strategy. We’ll explore the tool’s claims, its purported functionalities, and potential benefits and risks associated with its use. Ultimately, we’ll equip you with the knowledge necessary to determine whether DART AI aligns with your ethical and sustainable SEO goals.

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DART AI Review: What Is It?

DART AI, marketed as the “World’s Premiere Google DeepMind Gemini AI-Based Technology,” claims to utilize cutting-edge AI to generate high-quality backlinks and drive free buyer traffic to your website, blogs, and social media profiles. It promises to achieve this “in just 3 minutes” and rank your content on top of search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, YouTube, and Rumble.

The tool boasts an effortless user interface, making it accessible even for individuals with no prior SEO experience. Additionally, DART AI claims to integrate seamlessly with social media platforms, potentially boosting your online presence across various channels. However, the specifics of its workings remain shrouded in some secrecy, raising concerns about the legitimacy and potential risks associated with its methods.

DART AI Review: Overview

Creator: Art Flair & Pallab Ghosal

Product: DART AI

Date Of Launch: 2024-Feb-16

Time Of Launch: 10:00 EST

Front-End Price: $17

Official Website: Click Here

Product Type: Software (Online)

Support: Effective Response

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Recommended: Highly Recommended

Skill Level Required: All Levels

Refund: YES, 365 Days Money-Back Guarantee

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DART AI Review: Key Features

Create, Use & Sell Limitless High-Quality Backlinks

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In-built SEO Website Auditor App

Works In Multiple Languages

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Easy 1-Click Automation

World Class Support

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Silly-low 1-time price

Anyone can do this!

FREE Commercial License for Early Adopters

365-Day Money Back Guarantee

DART AI Review: Who Does It Work?

You’re 3 steps away From Saving $1,000s & Potentially Making Up To $2,000 Per Day, Just Like Endless Freelancers And SEO & Digital Marketing Agency Owne

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DART AI Review: Can Do For You

Start making sales online, without needing the experience or tech skills to start

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Help business owners get more new paying customers and have them thank you for it

Possibly quit your 9 to 5 as you won’t be dependent on the paycheck every month

Get the respect and admiration of your family and friends

Have the freedom to do whatever you want — go on holiday, buy a new TV or a new car

Spend the time doing what you want, not what you have to earn a salary

DART AI Review: Verify User Feedback

DART AI Review: Who Should Use It?

Website Owners

eCommerce Store Owners

Bloggers

Freelancers

Small Business Owners

Agencies

Influencers

Content Creators

Translators

Advertisers

YouTubers

Podcasters

Marketers

Vloggers

Coaches

Authors

DART AI Review: OTO And Pricing

Front End Price: DART AI (Price: $17)

OTO1: DART AI Unlimited ($39)

OTO2: DART AI DFY ($197)

OTO3: Dart AI Automation ($39)

OTO4: DART AI 6 Figures ($197)

OTO5: DART AI Platinum ($39)

OTO6: DART AI Diamond ($49)

OTO7: DART AI Reseller ($197)

OTO8: DART AI Backlink Maker ($39)

OTO9: DART AI Link Cloaker ($29)

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DART AI Review: My Special Bonus Bundle

My Special Bonus Bundle will be visible on your access page as an Affiliate Bonus Button on WarriorPlus immediately after purchase.

And before ending my honest DART AI Review, I told you that I would give you my very own unique PFTSES formula for Free.

DART AI Review: Free Bonuses

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Bonus #8: Content Curation Mistakes

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DART AI Review: Money Back Guarantee

Try Out DART AI RISK FREE For 365 Days With Our Money Back Guarantee

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DART AI Review: Conclusion

DART AI’s claims of instant results and “unlimited free buyer traffic” raise red flags regarding its legitimacy and potential use of unethical SEO practices. While the tool might offer a seemingly easy solution, the potential risks and lack of transparency outweigh the potential benefits. Investing in ethical and sustainable SEO practices, such as content creation, on-page optimization, and organic link building, is a more reliable and long-term approach to achieving sustainable online success. Before making any decisions, it’s crucial to conduct thorough research, understand the potential risks involved, and consider alternative

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. Do I need to pay a monthly fee?

NO. If you grab your copy during this initial launch period, you can pay once and use DART AI forever.

Q. Is a Commercial License included?

YES! We include a full Commercial License, which means that you can create sites not only for yourself but for your clients as well.

Q. What will be the price after the launch period?

We reserve the right to raise the price as high as we need to AND introduce a monthly fee.

Q. I’m not a techy person — can I use DART AI?

ABSOLUTELY! Everything is easy to use with 1-click. Plus we include video training on how to move around the member’s area.

Q. Will DART AI work on both PC and Mac?

Yes, it works on any device, including mobile.

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See my other reviews: InsightHub AI Review, Nova App Review, Anonymous AI Review, WebBookAI Studio Review, VoiceGenesis AI Review, Visionize Ai Review, Stealth AI Review, Mail Mate Review.

Thank for reading my DART AI Review till the end. Hope it will help you to make purchase decision perfectly.

Disclaimer: This DART AI review is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Before making a purchase decision, we recommend conducting your own research and exploring the software.

Note: Yes, this is a paid software, however the one-time fee is $17 for lifetime.

[marimeeko]

OK OK so it was not in time for Katsuki's birthday, but here it is, a little tidbit of the chapter I'm still hammering out for my BKDK fic :D

fic: When Did Your Dream Become Mine Alone

Guys, any readers still around, If you haven't noticed, I'm a slow writer but don't worry, so many parts of this story are banging around in my head and in various stages of draft.

Anyway, enjoy; Katsuki is WHIPPED and Izuku is so NORMAL about these thoughts in his head!

Taking a huge bite of his dinner, Izuku tapped through his e-mails, and found a fresh one from Katsuki. He immediately sat up straighter, excitement building; it had to be the recording of their training session at UA on Saturday.

Before they had their misunderstanding, Izuku muttered a passing thought it might be a good idea to begin recording their sessions, so he could see his form from a new angle, in order to help him relearn all of his skills, kick bad habits and decide where new habits needed to be formed. Formulate new strategies and new moves. 

Katsuki had clearly overheard his rambling thoughts, and volunteered his laptop…He’d made sure he had purchased a high-quality model long ago, ever since starting the Replica suit project. He said it had been important to have a high-functioning machine in order to store all of the data, keep communication records, manage finances, and especially, keep in regular, remote contact with Hatsume and Melissa.

 It turns out that Izuku himself must have gotten distracted since having the initial thought himself, because he was shocked when Katsuki suddenly came surprisingly prepared. He’d shown up on Saturday with the best recording software currently available for the model, freshly downloaded and ready to use. 

And a new digital camera with a tripod.

Izuku had nearly hit the roof, seeing Katsuki respond to his small, half-formed idea, and answering it with such intensity. 

Katsuki also refused to divulge the price tag of his new equipment.

“Look, you want to have footage, or not? We’re not using the camera that came with the laptop, you won’t see shit, and then your form will be shit.” Katsuki was recorded at the beginning of the video he’d sent; up close in the camera’s view, adjusting something off screen, and then looking at everything in sequence, Izuku could vividly see his ruby red eyes darting around. 

“Ok, it’s recording. It’s got an AI program that will focus on our movements so we don’t have a bunch of useless shots.” He was seen getting to his feet, stepping back. The camera kept him in focus, showing Katsuki and then Izuku who had been behind him bending forward with a curious look. 

“Wow, it really does,” Izuku remarked, leaned out of frame and waved a hand around. He sidled closer to Katsuki and sent the camera a little peace sign and a grin. In the present, Izuku shook his head at his own antics, with a small, embarrassed smirk. He almost moved to hit fast-forward.

Katsuki, who had of course been in his bad mood at this point, with his arms crossed across his chest, was looking sideways at Izuku and appeared slightly annoyed as he usually did. But before Izuku could tap further in the play log, he saw Katsuki’s face change. 

It wasn’t much. The flat line of Katsuki’s lips tilted upwards, and the wrinkles around his eyes faded, brows lifted. If Izuku looked closely enough, he could see the rare sight of dimples at the corners of his mouth. Katsuki smiled. Really, truly smiled. At the Izuku on the screen, obliviously doing his silly little peace sign and leaning against Katsuki’s shoulder.

There was something so warm about it...It felt the same, Izuku thought, as when Katsuki had been helping him with his hands in the car. Or…in the Med van.

In the blink of an eye, Katsuki shrugged sharply and changed back, looking as if he was quickly putting back on his outward gruffness. It was at that point that Katsuki had turned, and grabbed Izuku by a palm slapped onto his forehead, dragging him away. 

“Come on, you wanted to train, idiot!” Katsuki had loudly complained.

Izuku in the present paused the video as the two of them walked away, towards the open gym where they had had their bout of Catch-a-Kacchan. He had to admit, the camera really was effective at smoothly keeping the two of them in frame.

He began fretting with a finger on his lip. 

It was silly, really, he’d seen Katsuki smile plenty of times even a few of these particular, softer ones. Was it because this time it had happened when Katsuki was otherwise in a bad mood? Because it was clearly not meant for Izuku to see? Why did he look so… What word was Izuku even looking for? 

…Affectionate?

Well, sure, he thought. It was normal for friends to have affection for each other. Even Katsuki had his moments, his own language of expressing those feelings. It was normal for the blonde to warm up his hands when they hurt. It was normal for friends to have deep, heartfelt conversations and to be protective of each other, sometimes angrily so... Warm smiles were normal between friends. It didn’t…mean anything. Not necessarily.

…Why did that somehow not make him feel better?

[callsignspark]

soft-tober | 01 | Javy Machado

soft-tober is about experiencing the joys of October with loved ones. each day is a fall-related one-shot for one of the couples from my Dagger, Sword & Shield universe, plus a few extras! today is Javy and Erin with "Do you want some hot chocolate?" from this prompt list.

If you’d like to be tagged for soft-tober, please send an ask!

word count: 1k

soft-tober masterlist | main masterlist | divider credit here

warnings: extreme fluff, mentions of being naked but nothing nsfw

callsignspark disclaimer: my blog is an 18+ space; minors do not interact - you will be blocked. I do not consent to my work being copied, run through an AI generator, translated, or posted elsewhere. I do have an AO3, where I eventually will be cross-posting my works.

01. “Do you want some hot chocolate?”

The beeping of the alarm clock rouses both of them, as it has every morning since they started sharing a room. And like every morning since then, Javy presses a kiss to whatever part of Erin’s face isn’t smushed into her pillow before silencing the alarm. She’s back asleep before he can get up to go through his pre-run routine. Double-check the weather report. Stretch. Make a post-run smoothie.

Today, he doesn’t even get to the first step.

Instead of sunlight streaming through the windows, rain is pelting the glass, making their room chilly. Javy lays there for a minute, two halves of him arguing whether it’s really necessary to run this morning. He knows he should. It’s his third year being a TOP GUN instructor, and while he’s still in fantastic shape, it’s very slowly getting trickier to keep up with the kids he’s teaching.

Ultimately, with a promise to do half an hour on the treadmill later, the side that’s arguing to stay under the warm covers with his girlfriend wins. He rolls towards her, staring at her freckled face and chuckling to himself at the way her face is mushed against his pillow that she’d somehow stolen during the night, a tiny puddle of drool staining the fabric. Something only he finds adorable.

Erin Messuri is a lot of things - smart, funny, caring - but she is not a pretty sleeper. Javy learned that soon after she became his roommate. That first week, after she moved into the room that had previously been Jake’s, he was stumped as to how someone so beautiful could wake up looking like she fought someone in her sleep and then, within 20 minutes, be completely ready for the day. Then she fell asleep on the couch one night after dinner, and Javy watched in real time as she contorted herself into the most uncomfortable position he’d ever seen and immediately started snoring.

Looking back, he realizes that’s probably the moment he fell in love with her. Though he didn’t realize it for several months.

“You’re still here.” Erin’s voice is soft, and if it wasn’t for the fact that he watched her mouth move, he wouldn’t have known she was awake.

“It’s too chilly to run this morning.” He leans forward, pulling the covers down to kiss her shoulder, still bare from last night's activities. “Wanted to stay with you.”

She hums, shifting to her side so they’re pressed chest to chest. “Well, I’m not complaining. I never get to wake up with you during the week.”

The words have barely left her mouth before her head goes heavy against his arm, asleep again. Javy smiles to himself, brushing a soft hand over her hair and pressing a kiss to his girlfriend’s head.

Soon to be fiancée.

The little voice in his head reminds him, making his eyes dart to the dresser, picturing the black velvet box hidden in the back of the drawer that holds his flight suits. The one drawer Erin never goes in because the lingering jet fuel smell can irritate her asthma.

A tiny irrational fear that something has happened to the simple silver band with a blue sapphire gemstone, the stone representing the month they met, causing him to check on it once or twice a day. He likes to think he’s been relatively normal and calm since purchasing the ring, but he’s not sure how successful he’s been. He knows he’s been better than Jake, who was so twitchy that Flora figured out what was going on two days after the piece of gold jewelry that she now wears every day was purchased.

Javy lets them lay there until Erin’s first alarm - the first of five - goes off, smothering a laugh at how she rolls over and smacks at the alarm clock until it stops beeping without ever fully waking up.

“C’mon, baby; if you get up with me right now, I’ll give you a special treat.”

“No, thank you; you gave me a special treat last night.”

This time, he can’t stop the laughter. Laughing even harder when she rolls over, shooting a grumpy look at him, one that would be more effective if she wasn’t naked with her hair sticking up.

“Well, as special as last night’s treat was, I was thinking more along the sustenance route. Waffles and something a little different. Do you want some hot chocolate?”

“Coffee.”

“No hot chocolate?” Javy teases. Erin loves chocolate, but as long as they’ve known each other, she’s never started the day without coffee.

“What if you made me a homemade Dunkaccino?”

He blinks at her. “What the fuck is a Dunkaccino? Is this some stupid East Coast thing?”

“First of all, you’re also from the East Coast, Mr. Florida Man.”

“I am from New Orleans! Being born in Florida is an unfortunate circumstance that I could not control!”

“Second!” She continues, talking over him as she climbs into his lap, awake now that he’s got her riled up. “Nothing made by Dunkin’ Donuts is stupid - you’ve just been deprived. Third-”

Erin squeaks as Javy flips them over, the two laughing as he hovers over her and presses slow kisses against her neck and collarbones.

“Third, a Dunkaccino is a delicious combination of coffee and hot chocolate that is the perfect way to warm up on a rainy October day, but they stopped making it years ago.”

“Mmmm… I can probably finagle something like that together for you, ma’am.”

“Really?”

“Of course. No promises if it’ll be good.”

“Well, as long as there’s still regular coffee, that’s a risk I’m willing to take.” Her eyes twinkle at him, making his heart pound after all these years.

“God, I love you.” Javy kisses her, probably a little too passionately considering it’s before seven on a Tuesday, but he can’t help it. Overcome by her and her smile, her laugh, her dependence on caffeine that should probably be concerning but isn’t considering her job.

Erin pulls back, her cheeks a little pink from the intensity of the kiss. “I love you, too.”

He almost breaks, almost asks her to marry him right there and then, ruining the surprise engagement he has planned for next month, but she interrupts him before he can.

“Javy?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“I still need the coffee, no matter how you end up presenting it to me.”

“On it.” Mrs. Machado, he adds silently, pressing one more kiss to her lips before pulling on his shorts and heading to the kitchen, closing out the browser tab he was using to research local photographers in favor of figuring out how to best combine coffee and hot chocolate to make something that actually tastes good.

@gretagerwigsmuse | @hangmanapologist | @hangmanbrainrot | @princessphilly | @hangmanssunnies | @thesewordsareallihavetogive | @a-court-of-roscoe-and-baby | @katieshook02 | @hellojameshowyadoin | @aristotles-butthole | @atarmychick007 | @whatislovevavy | @kmc1989 | @sometimesanalice | @laracrofted | @yuckosworld | @mika-darling | @bradshawsbaddie | @bobblebobsbae | | @ohtobeleah | @withahappyrefrain

[fullblastradio]

Nas - Recognize Fire ft Ghostface (Official AI Video by Djaytiger) by Djaytiger Ghostface & Nas NY Darts & Daggers Available HERE -- https://ift.tt/CaBr4yW Join Djaytiger's Channel Membership to Support: https://www.youtube.com/c/FULLBLASTRADIO/membership ______________________________________________________________ To also support the channel you can donate here: 💲►CASHAPP - https://ift.tt/S9bX0Dg 💲►PAYPAL - https://ift.tt/VhRa1rw ______________________________________________________________ PURCHASE FULLBLAST RADIO OFFICIAL MERCHANDISE HERE: https://ift.tt/rdL7qsf ______________________________________________________________ PURCHASE FULLBLAST FANATICS SPORTS MERCHANDISE HERE: https://bit.ly/FullblastFanatics ______________________________________________________________ DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL FULLBLASTRADIO PHONE APP: APPLE - https://bit.ly/FBRApple DROID - https://bit.ly/FBRDroid ______________________________________________________________ Subscribe to my Back Up YT channel: https://www.youtube.com/@fullblast-radio ______________________________________________________________ FOLLOW ME on social media: TWITCH: https://ift.tt/rytu8dV INSTAGRAM: https://ift.tt/x7mU3VF ______________________________________________________________ ALL MASHUPS & MIXES AVAILABLE HERE: https://ift.tt/p4BKdNe https://ift.tt/SvWMl0k https://ift.tt/NYwWdqH ______________________________________________________________ For all sponsorships and business inquiries contact us at: CONTACT@FULLBLASTRADIO.COM ______________________________________________________________ Fullblast Radio streams 24-7 Classics, 80s and 90s Hip Hop, Neosoul, Classic House Old School R&B and today''s Underground Hip Hop music. OFFICIAL WEBSITE: https://ift.tt/OQf6b3H In accordance with Title 17 U.S. Code 107, Fair Use Act, this music is copywritten and I do not own the legal rights to it. All songs herein are "transformed" by manner of remixing into a cumulative mix of songs. via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL7yvKRQ4Tg

[mi-i-zori]

An Interesting Errand

CoD Fae!AU - Soap x The Apothecary (Fem!Reader)

SYNOPSIS : The Apothecary is used to having all kinds of customers in her little shop outside the city, especially when the yearly celebrations are approaching. Humans and Fae alike, many are those who rely on her to make sure everything is ready when the time for their rituals comes. She always keeps her guard up when non-humans come to her, in case they end up trying something ; and, although their presence can make her uneasy, her wards usually give her the reassurance she needs to face them. Yet the one visiting her shop during this wintery afternoon made quite the impression - and little does she know that he took a certain interest in her. For the better, or worse.

WARNINGS : Predator behavior (Fae VS Human), fluff...

Author’s note : I took me quite a while to know exactly how to organise Soap’s meeting with the reader, but I managed ! I had to introduce his Darling in the Fae!AU before writing what I have in mind for Ghost and the Hunter. Again, inspired by @ghouljams ‘ own AU. I hope you’ll like it !

I do not give anyone permission to re-publish and/or translate my work, be it here or on any other platform, including AI.

CoD AUs - Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Of Dried Herbs and Sunlight - Masterlist - I - II

For some reason, being around plants always seems to calm her.

Perhaps it is because her powers stem from the very magical essence they carefully hide behind their vibrant colors, she thinks, her fingers grazing the petals of a blooming peony. The sun shining through the greenhouse warms her skin, and it’s almost like spring is growing through the cracks of winter. The soft fabric of her scarf feels useless now, soon leaving her neck to find the crook of her arm. The number of small plastic pots dancing in her basket keeps increasing. A part of her wonders which corner of her garden will be their home.

It takes her a moment to tear her attention away from the long series of shelves filled with tempting greenery. Her shop and house are already bursting with all sorts of plants, both used for magic and decoration ; she wouldn’t want them to feel overwhelmed when they already have to grow around the products lining her many tables. She still grabs a tiny succulent before darting towards the main counter, the magic subtly swirling behind her giving away the happiness of her thoughts.

The few people waiting to be checked out barely offer her a glance as she enters the queue. To pass the time, she finds herself focusing her gaze on the dust particles floating in front of the entrance windows ; they sometimes wander far enough to be caught on the leaves decorating the wooden door of the little flower shop, taking a break before a passing customer gives them the opportunity to start flying again. Sometimes, a small wind chime sings. Among the flowery display laying behind the closest window, a tabby cat basks in the sun, purring in delight as a child looses his hand in the softness of its fur.

- If it isn’t my dear Apothecary ! It’s been a while !

The owner of the shop greets her with a smile as she drops her heavy basket on top of the counter. She offers him a small wave before unloading it, the old man immediately gathering her purchases in a few paper bags. His face lits up as she silently holds out a few bills to pay, as if suddenly remembering something.

- Also ! Your order is ready. Let me get it for you.

Despite his age, it doesn’t take him long to bring her package. The wonderful scent of dried herbs fills her senses, her mind already focused on the way each little bouquet will look in her shop and kitchen. She thanks him with a dazzling smile as she loads everything into her woven basket, the man offering her one last blessing before she exits his shop.

The trip to her little cottage outside of the city isn’t as long as one might think, yet it still feels like it. She can’t hold back a deep sigh of relief from swirling past her lips as she finally steps into her home, its magic resonating with hers with a delighted trill. She is quick to settle her shopping bags on the table of the living room, her coat finding a temporary place on her couch. She joins it not long after unloading all her groceries, her sore muscles begging for a break. A weary glance is lazily thrown at the little plants she bought, and, in her mind, she promises them to take care of them later. For now, she just needs a moment to rest.

She only realises she fell asleep when the alarm she set on her phone starts ringing for the third time in a row. The sun has started its afternoon walk, bathing her house in a warm, wintery glow. It greets her with a blinding kiss as she sits up, groaning as she tries to reach for the device buzzing in a pocket of her coat. With Yule approaching, she finds it difficult to balance her preparations, her sleep schedule and her work. She has received many orders from witches and common folks alike, and she needs to finish them quickly if she wants to be on time for the major rituals of winter.

The young woman pats her face as she opens the door connecting the house and the shop. She immediately starts pulling out the list of items she needs, although not without letting out a sigh. She then starts gathering her supplies, barely remembering to put on her favourite playlist of the week. Her hips gently sway along the first melody, and she can’t restrain her smile as the usual cosy atmosphere of her shop is finally complete. She doesn’t even need to light a scented candle ; the batch of dried herbs she just added to her collection has already filled the air with its own natural fragrance.

An hour has already passed when the door opens, the quiet sound causing her to lift her head from her work for the first time. She doesn’t even have the time to see her customer that a silent echo dances in her mind, her wards warning her about the non-human that has just crossed their threshold. Despite the powerful magic emanating from the man, she doesn’t let a single shiver run down her spine, instead opting to offer him her usual peaceful smile. She also tries to ignore the way her stomach twists when he comes up to lean against the counter, shamelessly eyeing her up and down.

The unsettling twinkle in his eyes is barely hidden by his own greeting.

- Hello there, he simply says, a strong scottish accent coating his words. I’m here to pick up my friend’s order. From Gaz ?

She nods, wiping her hands on a nearby towel. She doesn’t really need to check the number of said order ; she has no trouble remembering « Gaz »’s voice as he listed the items he would need over the phone, as well as the barely hidden amusement in his tone when he told her about the one who would be picking everything up the very next week. Her instincts had her renew the protections of her shop, just in case. And as she goes to fetch the package, the fae’s heavy gaze lingering on her back, she knows doing it was a wise decision.

As he is waiting for her to come back, the man finds himself entranced by the magical energy dancing in every corner of the shop, its source being none other than the owner herself. Every single one of his senses is awakened by the details surrounding him. His fingers drum on the wooden counter, following the rhythm of the jazzy music coming from a tiny speaker on a table. His eyes lazily follow the line of items standing in front of him. The sun shines gently through the windows, its orange glow warming up the skin hiding under his sweater. Despite the cottage being quite close to its borders, right now, his frozen homeland seems quite far.

It seems this place has its own set of rules, he thinks, the kind that even the seasons have to follow.

- Quite the cozy little shop ya got ‘ere, he says, his bright blue eyes immediately falling upon her form the moment she reappears, the package held snug against her chest.

She thanks him with a quiet hum, and he finds himself entertained by her shy behaviour. Even if the protective magic dancing around her tells him she knows more about him than she might let on, he can’t help but being attracted to the danger she could represent ; the challenge she could prove herself to be. Gaz was definitely right when he said this errand would be worth his time.

- I might just come back to get somethin’ for myself.

If she felt the way his magic gently poked at her through her wards, she didn’t show it. She quickly types away on her computer, smiling politely once again when their eyes meet. A grin slowly carves itself on his lips as she finally hands him his friend’s order, not bothering to hide the sharp edges of his teeth anymore. She obviously already knows of his nature, after all.

It’s been a while since he crossed paths with such an interesting human.

And, suddenly, he is starving.

[dzthenerd490]

File: Five Night's at Freddy's

SCP#: ADF

Code Name: Animatronic Nightmare

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: Any and all products owned by Group of Interest: Fazbear Entertainment are to be monitored by MTF Command Staff whenever possible. Activity and behavior matching the description of SCP-ADF instances are to be reported so that Mobile Task Force Dionysus-3: "The Party Package" can be deployed immediately. They are to also be given amnestic pills as well as amniestic darts should the reported SCP-ADF instance be active in a public area.

If a purchased Fazbear Entertainment product or toy that has reported to be an SCP-ADF instance, MTF Dionysus-3 units disguised as police investigators are to be deployed and apprehend it. If strange murders at a Fazbear Entertainment mascot restaurant are reported Dionysus-3 units disguised as engineers are to be deployed. As they attempt to find the SCP-ADF instance, they are to expect resistance from both the SCP-ADF instance as well as brainwashed employees. After the SCP-ADF instance is contained, any captured brainwashed employees are to be sent to the nearest Foundation Area for interrogation, treatment, and if necessary, termination. 

All SCP-ADF instances are transported to a Foundation site in accordance with what category they fall under.

SCP-ADF-Α instances are contained at Site-AD within 6x6 meter containment cells. The walls made up of several layers of different metals, each being 1 inch thick and consist of Zinc, Copper, silver, aluminum, and tin. The SCP-ADF instances are also be contained with an inhibitor device that is attached to their being. This device is designed by Dr. Wicked to nullify any anomalous paranormal they may have.

SCP-ADF-Β pose an unnecessary threat to the lives of MTF Dionysus-3 units but are also unremarkable by anomalous standards. Containment is not deemed necessary for these SCP-ADF instances, neutralization is considered the best alternative.

SCP-ADF-Γ are sent to Site-AF and contained within 10x10 meter containment cells with childlike, colorful, and therapeutic decorations. They are to be given weekly psychological, emotional, and intelligence tests. at least one MTF Dionysus-3 unit is to stand guard during any testing with these instances.

SCP-ADF-Δ: By order of the O5 Council these SCP-ADF instances are to be sent to Site-AK for [data expunged] purposes. [data expunged]. there are no exceptions.

SCP-ADF-Ε: Contained within 4x4 containment cells at Site-AA with whatever they need to remain capacitated, whether it be music recorders or strobe lights.

SCP-ADF-Ζ: Contained in the storage unit at Site-AF and often used by Foundation staff for robotic and AI experiments as well as basic servitude. 

SCP-ADF-Η: If these SCP-ADF instances are ever found MTF Dionysus-3 is not to be deployed, instead MTF Tau-5 is to be sent in. They are contained at Site-[data expunged]

Description: SCP-ADF instances are animatronic mascots created by Group of Interest: Fazbear Entertainment. Their anomalous properties are the result of experimental mascot technology created by Person of Interest: William Afton. Whether it be by accident or pure stupidity, the animatronics he created became SCP-ADF instances after either a glitch in the programing making them become unstable or the mascot becoming possessed by the souls of William Afton’s murder victims. Because of the randomness of their origin, no two SCP-ADF instances look the same nor do they have the same anomalous nature; as such, they have been separated into 7 categories labeled SCP-ADF-Α through SCP-ADF-Η.

SCP-ADF-Α: Display great psychic/ paranormal abilities. Unlike ones in other categories these SCP-ADF instances do not display much or any emotions or sentience at all. Though they are always the result of the souls of murdered individuals' possessing SCP-ADF instances. Their anomalous properties include illusion projections, object levitation, and/ or teleportation which happens spontaneously and without order probably due to the confusion and fear of the victim’s soul trapped inside.

SCP-ADF-Β: Hostile to all human life, except Fazbear Workers. They seem to be used a defensive force for Fazbear Entertainment as their production has increased since the Foundation and Global Occult Coalition has started our secret raids against the GoI. More often than not, they're reasoning behind the anomalous behavior is due to level 2 or lower AI being programed into their systems. As such the O5 Council has not deemed it necessary for Dionysus-3 units to risk their lives attempting to contain these instances. Termination is both authorized and encouraged. The only exception is on the rare occasion these instances rebel and turn on Fazbear Entertainment, regardless of reasoning. 

SCP-ADF-Γ: Displays great intelligence as they manifest from either evolving AI or the spiritual possession from someone who has died in the area of a Fazbear mascot. These instances are the mistakes of the company, and become threats to the Foundation, the civilians, and Fazbear Entertainment. These instances are to be considered neutral on first encounter and only seen as allies when they have confirmed to value human life, otherwise they are to be subdued and contained with force.

SCP-ADF-Δ: Is comprised on multiple souls and/or multiple mascots fused together into a single vessel, one of the rarest and most disturbing SCP-ADF instances to manifest. These instances are considered quite dangerous not just because of their beast like nature as well as their abnormally high intelligence. Their main threat is rooted in the possibility of them evolving overtime to either become more dangerous or transform into an entirely different anomaly. By order of the O5 Council these instances are to be used in experiments involving [data expunged].

SCP-ADF-Ε: Friendly to children but hostile to adults. Can be unpredictable but can be incapacitated with music or flashing lights. Often these instances are confused with SCP-ADF-Β instances. The easiest way to tell the difference between the two instances is their behavior in the morning during work time. SCP-ADF-Β instances will normally act like normal toys and mascots in the morning while SCP-ADF-Ε will only act normally around children but will stare menacingly at adults.

SCP-ADF-Ζ: another rare manifestation as they are friendly to all human life but hates Fazbear employees. Often these instances are simply AI that have evolved beyond what is normally possible and have grown to resent GoI: Fazbear Entertainment for their inhuman experiments and exploitation. The main anomalous properties of these instances is that they either start off with or somehow develop anomalous technology such as mechanical and insectoid like appendages, the ability to command living toy slaves, and are able to tear themselves apart and reassemble on command without consequences. Though these instances are mainly hostile to Fazbear Entertainment they do not always know how to tell the difference between regular adults and Fazbear employees. 

SCP-ADF-Η: Capable of [data expunged]. Usually the result of [data expunged]. Naturally because of these unfortunate circumstances they are extremely unpredictable in capabilities, personality, intelligence, and anomalous properties. Thankfully these instances can easily be identified as they are actually [data expunged]. Should Dionysus-3 units identify an SCP-ADF-H instances they are to retreat and allow MTF Tau-5 to handle the instance. Because of their extremely anomalous nature these instances have the highest priority of containment. Only [data expunged] are known to exist.

The first of the SCP-ADF instances was discovered in 1983 when an unexpected and gruesome murder occurred at an establishment owned by Group of Interest: Fazbear Entertainment. Originally this was thought to be a freak accident and nothing more but one agent wasn’t convinced and did a thorough search into Fazbear Entertainment to confirm. Later Fazbear Entertainment was recognized as a Group of Interest due to the agents discovery of the technology within the mascots being much more advanced than what was considered normal in 1983. However, by this time it was far too late as not only had the brand of Fazbear Entertainment exploded in popularity and thus expanded across the US, but hundreds of SCP-ADF instances had manifested throughout these establishments.

It is unknown if Person of Interest: William Afton, the creator of Fazbear Entertainment had intended for the SCP-ADF instances to exist as monstrosities of both out of control AI and souls of the damned trapped within harmless looking animatronic mascots. It is also unknown if William Afton’s overall goal is to make the most fun and advanced animatronics by any means necessary or to simply create the most sadistic and horrific abominations and pass them off as toys and mascots for the sick joy of it. What is known is that William Afton is the complete psychopath and will do anything to avoid the consequences of his actions weather intended or not.

How Person of Interest: William Afton was able to create such advanced technology is unknown as he seems to have no relation with any known Persons of Interest or Groups of Interest outside of rumors. In addition to these rumors, there is one in particular stating that the reason William Afton has escaped Foundation capture is due to him turning himself into an SCP-ADF-Η instances, possibly the most powerful one to date. If this is ever confirmed true, then William Afton will be able to both live forever and hide in plain sight, being able to control Fazbear Entertainment from the shadows ensuring his vile experiments never stop.

.

SCP: Horror Movie Files Hub

[the-broken-truth]

A Returning Heart - Alcina Dimitrescu x Male Character

Summary: The Bloodline of House Dimitrescu has been destroyed by Ethan Winters, but will it remain that way? A cloaked figure approached the castle with one thing in mind - Can love transcend death?

Quick Note: The Explosion didn't destroy the Castle or that area of the village. Also, the male will not be given a name.

"Here are your purchases, My Lord." The Duke smiled as he handed 4 horizontal boxes out to the cloaked figure before him who took them in his arms but set the 3 smaller boxes down before opening the longest box. The cloaked man opened the long box - the Duke could see a long smile on the man's face as he gazed into the contents of the box before sealing the lid on it again.

"Perfect. What can you tell me about the other lords? Do you have their remains as well?" The man asked.

"But of course - after Ethan Winters killed the lords, he sold their remains to me for a fair amount of Lei. Would you like theirs as well?" Duke asked with a smile.

"Not at this moment. Once I make sure everything is in order, I shall come back for the remaining lords. And what of Miranda & the mutamycete?" The man asked.

"No longer in existence, My Lord. Ethan Winters and his company completely destroyed them - as well as the other Lords' Domains with the limitation of Lady Dimitrescu Castle and the Central and Northern Villages." Duke said.

"I'll take care of that as well." The man said as he reached down and gathered all of the boxes in his arms and started his way up the path to the grand castle that still stood.

"This is going to be interesting," Duke said as he got his notebook to make note of this. "It's not everything someone like that comes to the village."

[At Castle Dimitrescu]

The figure pushed the metal door of the castle open with one hand while the other held the boxes to his side. He looked around the room he now stood in before cracking a smile.

'Not much has changed.' He chuckled to himself before he made his way through the castle until he reached Castle Dimitresc's Hall of the Four (The Location where the masks go.). He opened the first box and gazed upon its contents before reaching in and pulling out the crystalized remains of The Royal Dragon - Alcina Dimitrescu, herself. He smiled at the crystal remains for a while before he placed them in the center of the room before going back to the other 3 boxes and opened them - showing 3 crystals torso that was small than Lady Dimitrescu's but each one had a gem placed in their chests - the first one he picked up bore a red gem.

'Bela.' the man thought as he placed the red-gemmed torso next to Alcina's. He back to the other two and picked up the second one - which bore a yellow gem.

'Cassandra.' He thought before placing it next to the other two in the center of the hall. He rose to his feet again and gathered the last one - a green gem in the chest of its chest.

'Daniela.' He echoed in his mind before placing it with the others.

Once they were all in place - he lifted his right hand which was engraved with runes of an unknown language. He cleared his throat before he spoke in Romanian.

"Din amurg până în zori. Din carne, sânge și os. Din aceste fragmente fragile, poruncesc - întoarce-te la care ai fost odată și mergi din nou pe acest pământ." The runes on his arm began to glow a blinding white light when a circle surrounded each of the remains and consumed them in a pillar of blinding light. The man watched and waited until he saw the remains float and take new form - this made him smile widely.

[About 3 Hours Later.]

A feminine groan filled the air of the Castle Main Hall has eyes began to flutter open, revealing a gold hue. The woman allowed her eyes to readjust to see - she was on a familiar floor. She pushed herself off the ground before groaning again and placing her hand on her head.

"My head...What happened? The last thing I remembered was..." Her eyes widened as memories began flooding back in her mind.

The meeting with her family.

Her daughters bringing her that Man-Thing.

The man-thing escaping and killing her eldest.

The pain she felt of loss.

Hunting that man-thing over and over again before he killed her last two daughters.

Tracking him to the chapel but getting stabbed with the dagger.

Then...dying.

"He killed me... I know he did, but then..." She looked at her hands. "How am I alive?" Alcina wondered as she tried to find an answer. Sudden movement at her right made her eyes dart and widen - instant tears filled them.

"My head...What happened?" the young girl asked.

"BELA!" Alcina said as she scurried to her daughter and engulfed in her a hug; surprising the girl who returned the hug.

"M...Mother?" Bela asked as she looked into Alcina's golden eyes.

"I'm here, little one; Momma's here now." Alcina said as she held her daughter more.

Bela looked behind her mother and her eyes widened.

"Mother - Cassandra and Daniela!" Bela said making Alcina look behind her to see her middle child and youngest also wake up. Alcina and Bela gathered the other two in hugs and all of them hugged and cried for at least 30 minutes before rising to their feet.

"I don't get it." Daniela began. "That man-thing killed us. How are we here?" She asked.

"Dani's right - I remember dying." Bela said.

"Then I ended up dying trying to avenge Bela." Cassandra said.

"And I died the library when that man-thing got the Iron Key." Daniela finished.

"That accursed man-thing stabbed me the Dagger of Deaths Flowers and managed to defeat my dragon form. How are we all here? Did Mother Miranda bring us back to life?" Alcina asked.

"I'm afraid Miranda had nothing to do with this - she can't do anything now that she's dead." A male voice called out. The women looked at the top of the stairs leading to the foyer and saw a figure dressed in a cloak with his face covered - only having the lower part of his chin showing.

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my castle?!" Alcina demanded as she called forth her dragon's claws.

Broken Truth: That's what I like to call them. The whole 'A Rat can't escape the dragon's claw' was one of my favorite lines in the game; along with 'CASSANDRA!'.

"Calm yourself, Lady Dimitrescu." the male said as he raised his hand to silence her but that only made her angrier.

"You don't tell me what to do in my own castle, you stupid man-thing!" Alcina snarled.

"Geez and here I thought you would be grateful to the one who brought you and your daughters back to life." That made all their eyes widen.

"You brought us back?" Bela asked.

"Wait - why would you do that? Where're the other lords? Where's Mother Miranda?!" Alcina demanded to know.

"As I have said before - Miranda and the other lords are dead, just as the mutamycete no longer exists. Ethan Winters killed you, your daughters, and all the lords before taking out Miranda and destroyed the mutamycete before taking back that which was his." The man said from his place at the top of the stairs.

"That's impossible... All of our hard work - undone by a stupid male?!" Alcina snarled. "That doesn't explain why you brought me and my daughters back to life." Alcina said.

"Let's say - I was bringing back that which was once mine." The man said as he slowly started his way down the stairs. "A long time ago - I took up residence in this place as a loyal servant and became something more but short-minded humans came here to destroy you and those you held dear but I refused to let that happen and to save 4..." the male stopped at the bottom of the stairs and pulled the hood off - revealing his face: short brown hair, with emerald green eyes, and a familiar scar across his face. "I threw myself on the blade to keep my loved ones safe." He smiled at the wide eyes on the daughters' faces, as well as the tears that began to build in the dragon's eyes. He held his arms open in a welcoming manner. "I've returned to you, my family."

"FATHER/PAPA/DADDY!!!" The shouts of the daughters rung out as they ran into the male's arms, who held them as if they were something precious.

"It's okay, girls. I'm here now."

"I don't understand..." Alcina said as she tried to hold back her tears. "I saw you die - you threw yourself on the sword to save me from getting killed." Alcina said as she walked over to the group.

"I've been reborn since the time I lost you - while in this body, I attended a school and learned about dragons; that reminded me of you, awoke the memories of my past life and my bond to you. I was determined to return to you but I knew I had to become more so I trained myself in the arts of magic. It was a good thing too - when I learned about what happened, I had the skills to return that which I lost back to the world of the living." He explained.

Alcina looked into his eyes - those eyes darker than the tree's leaves during summer - the last time she saw them, they were as dull as sandstone but they were before her again.

He was here.

He was with her again.

And he gave back what she lost.

"MY LOVE!" Alcina fell to her knees and hugged the man and her daughters in one hug. She didn't want to let go of him; scared that this was all a dream and she was never going to see him again, that all of this would fade away and she would be back in the nothingness again.

"Shh...It's okay, Alci." He said as he began to wrap his arms around her neck to hug her for the first time in centuries. "I'm here, My Dragoness, and I shall not leave you or our daughters again." And this time - he was intending on keeping that promise.

Translation

"Din amurg până în zori. Din carne, sânge și os. Din aceste fragmente fragile, poruncesc - întoarce-te la care ai fost odată și mergi din nou pe acest pământ." - From dusk until dawn. From flesh, blood, and bone. From these fragile fragments, I command - return to which you once were and walk this earth again.

[repo-net]

Oh I just had an idea, Nagisa post udg in a yttd like game (maybe with the yttd characters) and his doll/ai being of when he was trying to make the Paradise

I didn't really know how to work Nagisa into a YTTD-like setting without it feeling kind of off, but I really liked the idea of a slightly older and more mature Nagisa chatting to an UDG version of himself, so I did my best to try and make something out of it. It's a bit rusty, but I hope this satisfies!

Just Me

It was the evening of the second day on the death game's third floor. Most of the participants had already went to bed, exhausted from all the attractions they've had to go through for the day, and their lives constantly being at risk in every move they make.

Most of them were asleep. Except for one. A boy that was naturally more of a night owl than a morning bird because of his upbringings.

Nagisa Shingetsu always had trouble sleeping at night, and the reasons were always different, if not piled up together. Nightmares of his past, overthinking thoughts, stress over his future, worry about his friends, or just a general insomnia problem. Whatever it was, he always had trouble sleeping.

But today, he was awake and ready for a new reason. There were AIs of him and the other unlucky participants with him in the monitor room across the hallway, and he wanted to see one thing; his own. He had traded all of his me-tokens to convince the baseball playing adult among them to buy him his own info and give it to him, which thankfully, being a child had it's own merits and he was able to get under the adult's heart.

Using the instructions provided to him, he made his way to the monitor room, turning on the buttons for his own monitor.

A screen flickered on, static scratching against the soundboards as the young boy stood in front of the screen, fingers twiddling in anticipation. His eyes darted in the room around him, nervous on the possibility of anyone following him or seeing him. After confirming that there didn't seem to be anyone else around to see him though, he focused right back onto the screen in front of him.

"I wonder how updated these AIs are... well, no better way to find out than figuring it out myself, I suppose."

The static stopped for a moment, the screen turning dim at the same time, Nagisa panicking for a second if he had gotten a step wrong in the process of turning on the monitors somewhere... before the monitor finally lit up, showing an identical version of him right before his very eyes, albeit younger-looking.

The AI version of himself seemed rather uninterested and bored, eyes idling to the side as it had a hand on his chin, before it's eyes darted to where Nagisa was, leaping back and rubbing it's eyes in disbelief.

"W-What the heck?! Am I hallucinating or something? This is... no, wait a second, you're me!"

"W-Wow, t-that really worked... I mean, ahem. Uh, yeah, I am you. Nagisa Shingetsu, former Li'l Ultimate Social Studies, you know the drill.''

The AI rubbed it's eyes again, looking rather irritated and annoyed, crossing it's arms as it relaxed back and looked at it's real counterpart.

"Yeah, look. I think I can discern that you and I are the same person. But enough about that... I don't think I'm even supposed to be talking to you. Isn't it impossible to trade for your own info, since it would require you to trade your own me-tokens?"

"Oh, I worked around that. Q-Taro Burgerberg seemed rather desperate for tokens, so I gave him all of mine in exchange that he'd purchase my info and give it to me."

"Eugh, you talked to that demon? I can't stand the guy, if you ask me. He seems like if Masaru had a mid-life crisis at the age of 20 and never recovered. Then again, I suppose he'd get rid of himself before he even gets that old. Tch..."

"Look, I- it was strategic as well, alright? If people ask you about what I am and what I was involved in, they'll connect the dots and see me as a danger, or worse, a detriment to everyone else."

"I... suppose that's true."

"Now, no one else has to know about myself... but I digress. I'm not here purely on strategy alone. I came here with self-interest in mind as well."

"Eh? What in the world would be so interesting about chatting with yourself? You do that all the time anyways, overthinking every move you make."

"Hey, don't call me out like that! Am I really that rude?"

"Hmph, the real me seems much more docile than I expected..."

The real Nagisa grunted, sighing with a touch of annoyance in his voice as he found a chair to sit down on, before speaking again.

"Listen here, I just needed to figure out some things about you. And maybe, y'know... have a chat while we're at it? I have no intention of dying in a hellhole like this, but my days might be numbered, so I may as well do as much as I can while I'm here."

"Figure out some things about me, huh...? Well, sure. But I can't exactly tell you anything I don't already know. Really, this feels kind of childish. Just ask me a question already."

"What's your most recent memory?"

The AI paused. An interesting question, it thought to itself. So he intended to figure out just how old it really was.

"Escorting Kotoko out of her arena after she took out another demon. After that, we went back to the base together, and Monaca baked us her signature cookies again. We also had ice cream that we made use of the adult serving them in the city for. Since it is me I'm talking to, I must admit... those treats certainly taste good."

"Oh, they were. But that memory... that's... huh. A little under a year from now. So that much has changed in such a timeframe?"

"Changed?"

Nagisa winced a little, seeing the judgemental and skeptical look his own AI was giving him. He took a deep breath, speaking again.

"I don't know how else I should say it, but... things have changed. Very quickly, might I add. The gap between your memories and mine may be less than a year apart, but you feel like a completely different person from who I am now. "

"What's that supposed to mean?" An eyebrow raised.

"Let me rephrase what I said. Maybe it's less I've changed, and more... I've lost a lot of things stressing me out and pulling me down. And to think as soon as that happens, I get pulled into a death game... heh, I really am a cursed child."

"I don't think I'm quite following here, somehow. What's happened in the outside world, me?"

"... The demon hunting game is over. We lost. Or rather, it was lost from the beginning."

"H-Huh?! I-Is that why you're in this death game?! As s-some sort of punishment for losing...?!"

"No, I think the reasoning behind me being in this game is a different one entirely. But listen here, past me... haven't you been having doubts about the whole demon hunting fiasco this whole time?"

"N-No! I would never... I could never... d-doubt Monaca..."

The real Nagisa seemed to squint his eyes at the mere mention of Monaca, looking away for a moment before his gaze fell right back on his AI.

"Be honest with me. You and I are still the same person after all. I've just come to terms with everything. Especially after all that's happened."

"All that's happened...?"

"It's a long story. I don't think I have the time to tell you all of it. But look, just... tell me. You've disliked the idea of killing since the start, haven't you?"

"I-I... okay, fine! I admit it! I know some of those demons were innocent, but what was I supposed to do?! They're our enemy, and even if it was unnecessary to me, they still... yeah, they still deserved to have it happen to them. If it were up to me, I would've... I would've...!"

"Calm down for a second. Don't get too emotional, you know this already."

The AI quieted for a while, a regretful feel in it's aura as it looked down.

"I would've rather they just leave the city... we didn't have to kill them. But I could never oppose Monaca... not after everything she's done for me, for us... A children's paradise where none of us had to feel scared was what I wanted more than anything. But judging by what you've told me, it must be an impossibility by now."

"It's impossible now, yeah. But we can't do anything about it anymore."

"... Sigh. Forget it, I just have one thing to ask. How are all the other kids? And the rest of the Warriors of Hope?"

"The Monokuma kids, I assume? They're... doing fine. Better without our control. As for Masaru, Jataro, and Kotoko... they're all doing okay. We've retreated to a safer place for the time being, and we're under the watch of two adults. Unfortunately for me though, I ended up getting thrown into this stupid death game... ugh."

"W-Wait a second, adults? You're letting those d-demons take care of you? Who in the world-"

"They're the same people that overthrew our rule and started the revolution the adults had that led to our end. Fortunately, they were... sigh. They're the kindest adults I've ever met. They forgave us despite everything we'd done to them and they've been making sure we stay hidden ever since."

"I can't believe that... an adult... no, adults took us in and have been shielding us from danger. And they're the ones that beat us too...! That should be impossible... why would they ever forgive us? They have every right to detest us... why?"

"I couldn't understand it either. Maybe I'll comprehend those brains of theirs one day."

"A-And wait a second. You mentioned Masaru, Jataro, and Kotoko, but what about Monaca? S-She isn't dead, is she...?"

"Um..."

Nagisa's eyes drifted away uncomfortably. His AI pressed it's hands against the screen, knocking on it as it wanted an answer.

"Hey, answer me! What happened to Monaca? Did the adults get her? You didn't... you didn't fail to protect her, did you?"

"No, I would never...! Monaca's just... she's just-"

Before Nagisa could finish his words, a knife flew right onto the monitor and cracked it with a direct hit, shutting down the AI completely, as the former sage was caught off guard.

"W-Who's there?!"

He turned around to see where the knife had come from, only to see a ginger haired boy tossing a knife up and down in the air, playing with it as if it were some sort of shuriken.

"My oh my bastard, aren't you a brave one? It's late as hell and yet here you are, having a fun chat with your own stupid AI. And I thought night patrol was going to end up with me not having anything interesting happening at all!"

"R-Ranger...! You, stay away from me...! If you kill me here, I'll-"

"Kill you?! Woah woah woah, I'm not gonna do that, kid! I just happened to be passing by around here, and I gotta say, I'm impressed! Finding a way to get your own info by getting that old meathead to buy it for you? Now that's the kind of loophole trickery I'm into!"

"S-So you're not going to... do anything?" Nagisa asked, practically frozen in place.

"Not at all! I've already done what I wanted to, getting rid of that AI of yours. You're one clever brat, but you can't be moving around the rules like that. Or I'd be in for a mouthful, ahahaha!"

Ranger approached closer to Nagisa, masks held up in one hand as his other hand held his spare throwing knife, as he danced it's blade around the threads of the boy's scarf, giggling sadistically.

"Your scarf ain't half bad, y'know... oh, to just stab you with this knife right here and now and put that thing on me... the thought just excites me... I can't wait for that chance. But I'm gonna be letting you go now."

The boy whimpered in fear, a sigh of relief escaping him as the knife was put away by Ranger, the doll moving away to the side.

"Well then, go be a good brat and go to sleep, why don't you? And make sure I don't catch you staying up this late again. Or there'll be some real consequences next time... heheheh."

Another sadistic giggle came out of the doll, as he watched a discomforted blue-haired boy leave the monitor room, before looking back at the monitor with a knife piercing through it's screen.

"Ah... I really should've savored that a little longer. Can't be helped though. If Dad saw that kid walking around, he wouldn't be so forgiving for seeing a participant with their own info. That bastard's an interesting one though... but whatever."

The floormaster pulled the knife out of the machine, staring at it intently as he put it away too.

"Not every one can live up to their parents' expectations anyways. And for that kid, it isn't just his parents that he's failed anyways. Mweheehee."

[hunnybadgerv]

Memorable View | Mass Effect | Guardians in the Darkness

Summary: A relaxed stroll brings up happy memories and turns into heated exchange that sends Nyx and Kaidan rushing home for a bit of peace.

a/n: I have no idea if this was a prompt, or just popped up, but I started it back in 2018 and then just let it sit. So, I went through it a few more times to polish it up. I can’t believe I haven’t posted more about Nyx and Kaidan.

Read on AO3

Memorable View

-1-

Slow strolls through the wards became part of their ritual. In a way it could be calming. On the Citadel, you could barely tell there was a war on. At the same time, that exact fact could be immensely frustrating. Kaidan’s hand in hers managed to keep those darker thoughts at bay. He gave her a squeeze and Nyx grinned up at him.

“I love that smile,” he told her.

“Good, because it’s all yours.”

A low chuckle passed between them. His fingertips grazed the line of her jaw when he bent to brush his lips against hers. “I’m a lucky man.”

Nyx’s grin took a mischievous tilt. She poked him in the ribs. “Yes, you are.”

Using their clasped hands, he pulled her closer, only releasing her in order to drape his arm over her shoulder. His lips brushed her temple when she slipped her arms around his waist. Her eyes flitted around the space, taking note of the location. It was a force of habit, her life made her threat assess every place she walked into, every person she met. Even in the arms of her lover, it was something she struggled to turn off completely.

“We’ve been here before,” she said, loosening her grip around his middle. Her hand reached up to take hold of his, which dangled over her shoulder and she pulled him toward the lookout point. “Remember?” she asked, glancing back at him as her pace quickened toward the railing.

Nyx Shepard sighed through her nose. The flutter in her chest reminiscent of that day that seemed like so many lifetimes ago brought a tender smile to her lips. The warmth of Kaidan against her back stood in stark contrast to the cold metal beneath her palms.

“Big place,” Kaidan whispered against the shell of her ear. His lips pressed against it softly.

“You do remember.” She released the balustrade, trading chilled metal for the hand slipping around her middle. Encouraging his grasp on her to tighten as she curved herself against his chest.

“How could I possibly forget?” His laughter curled around her, vibrating through his body into hers. “It was the most embarrassing moment of my career up to that point.”

Their laughter increased as they held one another close, staring out at the vast expanse of the Citadel’s arms. “It hit me like a truck,” she breathed as she leaned completely against him, wholly faithful that he’d hold her steady in any storm.

“How?” he laughed. “You knew I was interested in you that first night before we even put out.”

“I know. I just figured maybe the uniform would turn it off,” she admitted, studying the massive space station around them. It was shocking how similar those two moments seemed in her mind.

“Didn’t work for you,” he teased, resting his cheek on her head.

“No. I guess I just hoped your willpower was better than mine was turning out to be at the time.”

Kaidan chuckled again. “Clearly, not.” He pressed a kiss into her hair, shaking his head just a little. “You were so calm about it though. Just—” his body tensed, his voice taking on that note of command “—lock it down, Marine.”

Nyx turned in his arms; the movement bringing his gaze to meet hers. “Actually,” she said, emphasizing the word by pressing her hands up the muscled plane of his chest, “I said I appreciated the thought. And I did. I still do,” she told him, her fingers tracing along the sides of his neck.

“Well, I still think the Council is lucky as hell to have you as a Spectre.”

“Luckier now that they have you, too.” Nyx inched closer, her voice softening.

Kaidan mirrored her, closing the distance with a measured pace of his own. “Not sure I could ever fill your shoes.”

“You don’t have to. You’re making your own mark.”

The tip of his nose brushed against hers when his head tipped. “Just glad I can do it by your side again.”

“So am I, Kaidan.” Her gaze flitted over his face, as if she could memorize every detail. “I love you. Never stopped,” she admitted.

“I know. Me too, Nyx,” he said, the words rushing past his lips before they met hers.

Their arms tightened, as if physics might somehow bend around them and allow them to force every molecule of anything from between them. The kiss, which started gentle, quickly threatened to consume them both. His hips pressed hers against the railing, his body curving over her as they refused to let the kiss break.

In the beginning of their relationship, they moved with the caution of the unintiated. They foolishly believed there would be time later to show the other how they felt, how much that person meant, how they esteemed and respected them. Compartively, now, at the tip of the spear, they didn’t waste time. Didn’t hold off for later what could be done and said in the moment, because better than anyone they both knew the truth of the adage that tomorrow was promised to no one.

A gasp drew them apart, though not too far. Between panting breaths, his lips brushed hers.

“Let’s go back to the apartment,” Nyx mumbled, her fingers twining in his hair. Heading off any possible argument at the pass, she added, “We still have time.”

“Yeah, let’s.” His eyes darted from side to side without his forehead even leaving it’s resting place against hers. With a resigned sigh, he kissed her once more, harder than the sweet pecks he’d been tasting her with while he contemplated a plan. Not more than a moment later, with one arm still around her waist, he guided her toward the taxi call.

Nyx stretched on her toes to plant tender, wet kisses along his neck while he tapped out the request on the console. She used her grip on him to gain her a bit of extra leverage when it was needed.

As the console’s AI voice chimed, “Transaction confirmed. Your car will arrive in two minutes,” Nyx nipped at his adam’s apple.

“A lifetime,” he muttered. He pushed his hands through her hair, prying her from his neck for their mouths to meet once more. Her lips parted in response to his open mouth. His tongue plunging against hers when they met once more. His fingers tangled in her hair, cradling her close, as if to keep her from escaping. But that was the farthest thing from Nyx’s mind.

“Humans,” a gruff voiced scoffed in passing, but neither paid the comment any mind. At that moment, they had the only thing each of them needed. The chiming of the console barely more than a minute later proved more successful in distracting them from one another.

 -2-

“No driver,” Nyx observed, flashing Kaidan a cheeky smile over her shoulder as she climbed into the backseat. She patted the seat next to her with a lift of her brow. But it was the way she bit her bottom lip that sent Kaidan’s mind into a frenzy. Every fiber in him wanted to snatch that lip from between her teeth and suck it into his mouth where he could nibble at it himself.

Damnit, he thought sliding into the offered spot. The door barely closed before she scooted closer, but he wouldn’t want her anywhere else. His hand covered her cheek and he got his wish. She freed her lip, just in time for him to capture it. Her hand fisted in his shirt, letting his teeth nip at her plump bottom lip before he let go only to capture her entire mouth.

Her leg draped over one of his, and his hand moved over the muscular curve of it to her rear. With one arm around her waist and his other hand grasping her ass, he tugged her onto his lap; her legs tucked on either side of his thighs. The weight of her against him felt vital—it anchored him there in that time and place. The shift of her hips against his broke their kiss with a moan on both their parts. For a moment, Kaidan wondered what he’d been thinking pulling her into his lap. When his teeth, found purchase in the thin skin of her neck, wrenching another sigh from her lips, he remembered—leverage.

His hands skimmed her ribs as he alternated wet kisses and sharp bites toward the neckline of her blouse. Her heavy breathing echoed in his ears, along with his own racing pulse. He pulled a button loose when his chin rested in a makeshift net of fabric, exposing more of her decadent skin to his ravenous explorations.

Nyx’s hand caught his, when he moved to undo a second. “We’re not that far from home, Kaidan.”

“Far enough,” he teased, tipping his hips up against her as his other hand kept her from rising beyond the temptation of feeling him against her.

“Damnit, Kaidan.”

Her hands tipped his chin upward; her lips met his hard. His hand moved from her buttons to cover her breast, squeezing it in his palm as he let her control the kiss. Kaidan encouraged the movement of her hips, the hand still on her ass tightening with each rock of her body against his. He welcomed every thrust of her tongue into his mouth. With greed, he swallowed the moan that escaped her when he rolled her nipple between his fingers.

Their destination might not be far enough for them to have sex, but it didn’t mean that he couldn’t get her close. He popped another button loose on her blouse, his hand ducking into it to hook a finger on the lace of her bra. Breaking the kiss, his attention shifted on a dime as he dragged his tongue over her newly bared skin. His amber eyes turned up toward hers as he flicked the tip of his tongue at her pert nipple. The soft chuckle in her throat shuddered. Her head fell back with a gasp, when his mouth wrapped around it.

Kaidan hummed in approval when her hands fisted in his hair. She held him fast, like her survival depended on the way he teased her breast. Desire spurred the way her hips worked against his, her body teasing against his straining cock. He wanted to feel her against him, skin to skin. Wanted to strip them both bare and worship every inch of her before anything pulled them out of this bubble of stolen normalcy and lust.

That would require patience. Sure, he possessed it, but employing the will to enact it was a different story entirely. Leading with his tongue, he traversed the swell of her body to the valley between her breasts. The hand on her rear gave her another encouraging squeeze, prompting her hips into another languid roll that left him groaning against her dewy skin.

“Kaidan,” she whimpered.

His eyes flicked up to meet her gaze. He loved the sight of sex on her—lips swollen from his kisses and her own teeth tugging at them, parted just so in an effort to entice his tongue to push past and steal the breath right out of her lungs. Her hands loosened in his hair, but he didn’t make the dive, not yet. His hands changed places, one rising to pull her blouse to the other side as the fabric teased toward and caught on the nipple he’d already teased hard. Another begged for his attention.

Sharp, white teeth puckered her rosy and plump bottom lip once more with the shift of her clothing. He dragged his tongue along the lacy edge of her bra. His fingers skimmed her ribs, inching closer to his goal. Kaidan’s amber gaze focused on her, unwavering, as he tugged the fabric beneath her other breast. He stared at her when he slowly shook his head, letting his lips barely brush over the sensitive peak before him.

Her breath shook; her attention as rapt on him as his was upon her. His tongue darted out to flick the nub and she cried out. He did it once more, the reaction not nearly as marked. So, he dragged the flat of his tongue over her skin to the tune of her languid moan. Greediness motivated his attentions, the need for her pleasure, to hear her let go of everything except what they shared.

“Approaching Destination. Thank you for choosing Citadel United AirCar Services. Enjoy the rest of your visit. Locally, you can find fine restaurants, gaming establishments, and popular entertainment venues, including the Armax Arsenal Arena, where the best in the galaxy pit themselves against some of the Milky Way’s most challenging forces,” the automated voice stated. The electronic voice cut through the sound of their heavy breathing, but did nothing to deter Kaidan from his task.

Shepard, however, must have maintained far more self control than Alenko would have liked to allow. Her fingers tightened in his hair once more, but this time her movements were more demanding than enticing. She tugged; he hissed and her nipple fell from his mouth as he stared up at her. “We’re almost there.”

“Almost being the key word,” he replied, pinching her moist skin.

“So bad.”

“Only when you’re involved.”

“Likely story.”

“Fact,” he argued, lunging toward her.

With a bright peel of laughter, Nyx sat back on his lap. Her hands tightened in his hair for a flash, before releasing their hold and carding through the strands. She attempted to smooth it back into place as best she could. Kaidan proved far less cooperative, letting his hands tease over the bare skin she’d yanked his mouth away from moments earlier. Every time her breath caught, he grinned; until she batted his hand away and righted her lingerie. She leaned forward and kissed him. When it broke, just as their taxi slowed and maneuvered to drop them just outside the apartment building, her buttons were refastened; though her appearance remained a bit disheveled once she slipped off his lap.

 -3-

The door opened onto the bright neon of the Silversun Strip. This part of the Citadel buzzed with life and activity no matter the hour. Nyx hurried out of the vehicle and held her hand out for Kaidan’s, which grasped hers tightly in reply. Just that chaste touch kept her pulse racing. Of course, it didn’t help that he left her nipples aching, and now pressed against the lace of her bra they screamed for the warmth of his mouth and smooth touch of his palms. Every inch of her skin seemed to crave his attention, she buzzed with anticipation—for a private moment in the elevator ride, for the quietude of the apartment where they would both be able to toss all sense of caution to the wind and drown in one another.

Nyx felt her mouth turn downward when they neared the elevator bank to find a quartet of people also waiting for the lift. Kaidan stopped behind her, the firmness of his chest against her back made her shiver.

“A shame,” he mumbled against the shell of her ear.

A smile curled her lips and she turned. Slipping her hand behind his neck, she pulled his ear toward her and he allowed it. “Lucky you. I had retaliation in mind.”

Kaidan pulled back, grinning at her. “We could always wait for the next one.”

“Or we could take this one and I can get your clothes off sooner.”

“Roger that. I like that plan better.”

When it arrived, Kaidan slipped into the rear of the lift car; Nyx pressed their floor on her way to join him. She stopped in front of him. Her hand nearest the wall left the railing when the car started to move. Then she leaned against him, Nyx took a chance at retaliation. His whole body stiffened when her fingertips grazed his inner thigh.

Her teeth clamped down on her lips to suppress her laughter when he inched backward. A thud resounded as his heel bumped the kick plate, signaling the limits to his escape.

“Nyx,” he whispered into her hair, as if the warning might detour the upward track of her hand.

Certainly, he could have grabbed her wrist before she pressed her palm against the length of him. He covered the rumble in his throat with a cough, and her grin widened. Kaidan’s thick hand clamped down on her hip and pulled her against his chest. It didn’t keep her from teasing him, but then he knew her weaknesses as well as she knew the touches that would drive him insane.

“Payback.” The lazily drawn out syllables of his taunt rumbled down her spine.

When the elevator made its first stop, she leaned back and looked up at him. “Bring it, major.”

He clasped her chin and pressed a hungry kiss to her lips in a fervent answer to her challenge. Thankfully, the elevator didn’t empty before they reached their floor, or Kaidan might have just hacked the car and trapped them there intentionally. She slipped her hand into his and pulled her lover in her wake, not that he needed any further encouragement to stay on her heels.

The apartment door opened with a quiet swish and Kaidan’s arms wrapped around her almost instantly. He growled low into her hair, before he bared her neck and bit her at the junction of her shoulder.

“You know you started it,” Nyx said with a hiss. She turned and draped her arms around his shoulders.

Kaidan hummed against her lips, sealing their mouths in another deep kiss. “I’m going to finish it, too,” he promised.

“Then stop talking about it,” she said, laying her hands on his chest and pushing his back against the stone wall just inside the entrance. She held his heated gaze, fingers moving quickly to loosen his belt. “And do it.” With that challenge, she inched his waistband down.

A moment of indecision on his part gave her all the advantage she needed. Uncovering his stomach, she dotted kisses across the topography she knew well as she sank to her knees before him. He pushed her hair away from her face staring down at her. When her lips parted, so did his. The flick of her tongue against him curled his mouth into a smirk.

“Beautiful and devious,” he started, the final S fading into a quiet hiss as the flat of her tongue traced his length from base to tip. “This,” he said, swallowing when she guided him into her mouth, “is not quite what I had in mind.”

She didn’t give him an answer, at least not a verbal one. No, she limited her response to gentle sucks, dexterous licks, and the restrained use of teeth. It earned her a bevy of low and delicious moans that only spurred her along and prompted gentle hums that she knew drove him wild. Kaidan didn’t take his eyes off her, couldn’t; it was part of the thrill, how much he enjoyed watching her, watching them. From the subtle shift of his hips, which he strained to control, to the way his fingers threaded through her hair, tightening when her creative tongue or adroit fingers found just the right combination of touches, she could sense him inching closer. She waited for him to decide if she’d finish him there and then or if he’d pull her free.

A hint of saltiness hit her tongue, and she shifted, squeezing her thighs together tighter. One palm pressed up his body, slipping beneath his shirt along the slope of his chest. His shoulders pushed into the wall, his hips pressed toward her, deeper into her mouth. Her other hand moved along his shaft as her lips teased at the tip of him.

“Nyx,” he groaned at her.

Her thumb hooked in the hem of his shirt, bearing his chest, or at least as much as she could without stopping. Her decision made in the greedy echo of her name. His voice carried a telltale hint of desperation, even though she knew it for the polite warning it was. He always warned her when she went down on him. No matter how many times she dropped to her knees for him, no matter how many times she let him come in her mouth he still told her that the pleasure rose in him, still gave her the chance to detour her course.

Her tongue swirled the sensitive crown with a hum in her throat. It clung there like a question. Inquiring, as if he had more to say than just her name. It wasn’t the real purpose of the sound, however. She knew Kaidan, knew what he liked, knew what drove him past the edge, like the vibration now surrounding through him.

That electric warm amber gaze stoked a flame within her. With a fist tightening in her blond hair, his eyes finally slipped shut. His head pressed back against the stone wall, his hips jutting forward and bucking into her mouth. She welcomed it, the weight of him on her tongue, the pulse of him between her lips, the musky flavor that coated her tongue and throat as he came. Swallowing, she watched him, watched his climax shift through the tight muscles of his abs and ripple further. His chin fell and his heady, inviting gaze met hers once more with a smirk.

“I need to taste you,” he admitted, his tongue flicking across his lips.

Raising one knee, Nyx pushed herself to her feet, her body skimming his. “How about tasting you?” she asked, the tip of her tongue brushing his lips as he loomed over her.

His tongue dove past her lips in reply. Her arms fell comfortably around Kaidan’s shoulders, while his closed around her body. When he lifted her off her feet, her legs circled his waist, ankles hooking behind his back.

The toe of his boot resounded off the frame of the sofa when he located it, then he set her on the edge of it. Still, the kiss did not break. Her legs loosened, draping on either side of him, while his hands moved from her ass to the fly of her jeans. He wasted no more time. Nor did she, once their lips separated. She pulled up each foot in turn, shedding her boots to facilitate the removal of the clothing he quickly unfastened. Kaidan straightened, pulling the soft blue t-shirt over his head and letting it fall.

Staring at the way his arms flexed, Nyx traced her fingers over his skin until he jostled her in his effort to disrobe her. She tried to balance on the back of the sofa, but the manhandling dropped her over the edge when he yanked the pants along the length of her legs, lifting them both straight into the air to accomplish their removal completely. Laughter bubbled up from her, but her blue eyes didn’t leave his face once the brush of denim left her skin. Bending her knees together, she rested her bare feet against his stomach as she laid across the sofa cushions at an odd, upside-down incline. His warm, calloused hands rested on her knees, shifting them so that her feet found purchase against the cool leather. It was a progression of motion she couldn’t strip her gaze from.

With a gentle press, he separated her knees, baring her core to his ravenous gaze. “Kaidan,” she breathed a tingle alighting over her flesh. He hadn’t even touched her, but the way he stared at her, every inch of her, she could imagine the ghosts of so many enticing touches he’d lavished upon her. “Please,” she gasped without really knowing what she wanted most.

Soft kisses landed on her knees as his fingertips skimmed over her skin in an ethereal manner. In sex, he moved like he did in the field with deliberation and consideration. With precise kisses and measured bites, he inched toward her overheated core.

Her breath shook in her body, when he finally dragged a single fingertip over her labia. It went right to his lips, his tongue flicking against it as she stared. His other hand tightened on the inside of her thigh. “So wet,” he breathed, the exhale coasting across her body with a chill

“You have that affect on me,” she admitted. “And you’re so damn gorgeous when you climax.”

His hum rose, dark and tempting, as his fingertip traced the same line once more. She could feel the easy way it glided against her, inching deeper with each pass and plucking at her hooded clit before retreating to trace a circle of temptation around her entrance. The pace of it was maddening, but the traces of Nyx’s conscious attention mainly focused on keeping herself from sliding into the floor rather than finding a retaliatory way to tease. She grasped the cushions tightly to anchor her body under his attention.

Breath catching in her throat, she didn’t dare blink when he leaned closer. His fingers opened her, exposing her clit to his consideration. The flick of his tongue against her created a shudder of surprise in her body, despite her anticipation of just that motion. When his lips wrapped around the excited nub, a breathy moan escaped her. Her head fell back, savoring his attentions, including the way his finger still teased through her folds as his tonge teased her clit. One foot shifted and she pushed it down his back.

Rather than trying to take retribution or exact some kind of control over it, Nyx basked in it, in his attention. From the tip of his tongue and the heat of his mouth to the firm push of his fingers into her and the way he hooked them against that rough spot inside her. Kaidan played her body toward an explosive crescendo. She writhed, face going bright red from the combination of excitement and the effects of gravity. Then he pulled away just before she reached the pinnacle. His hands moved over her legs, toward her knees then back toward her pussy, which he bypassed to trail up her stomach.

“Kaidan,” she gasped at him, surprise and inquiry warping her voice as well as her countenance.

“Not yet,” he told her wearing a smirk as he fisted his hands in tails of her blouse. “Close your eyes.”

It took more than a beat, but she complied. The movement of his hands jostled her as a chorus of tiny buttons thudded off soft surfaces and bounced across harder ones. Then he knocked her feet over the edge of the sofa, leaving her in a giggling heap.

After righting herself, she peeled off her destroyed blouse, and unclasped her bra, tossing it aside as well. All the while Kaidan achieved his own nudity. Then he hopped over the back of the sofa, and landed near her on his knees. One hand grasped her ankle and dragged her toward him, her bottom squeaking across the leather in a way that dissolved them both into giggles. His smile still brightening his eyes when he leaned over her; his body covered hers.

With one hand between them, he drew the tip of himself through her folds to tease and inflame her skin once more. “It’s not polite to tease. I thought politeness was the Canadian claim to fame.”

“Oh, well, I’d hate to defame every one of my countrymen,” he chided against her lips. As he pressed a kiss to her mouth, his hips thrust flush against hers, filling her in a single stroke.

She gasped into his mouth, but he refused to let the kiss break. Her leg draped over his hip as he tilted into her again, another sharp stroke that earned an incoherent chirp. He swallowed every single sound that escaped her lips as their bodies found a fervent rhythm. It finally broke when he shifted. Staring down at her, he perched himself on one knee between her legs; his other foot falling to the floor for more leverage.

Kaidan gripped her thighs. Nyx, however, couldn’t take her eyes off him—the roll of his body, the movement of the muscles under his glistening skin. “So hot,” she muttered, popping her hips to meet his with the same kind of fervor she might have used if she’d been straddling his lap.

“I know,” he agreed. Judging by the growl in his voice and focus of his gaze moving over her bare skin, she doubted they were talking about the same thing. Not that it mattered.

Relentless, he didn’t let up, but then neither did she. With his body out of reach, her hands teased across her own skin, caressing her breasts and pinching her nipples as he made her moan. They wanted the same thing. His hand slipped between them before he covered her body with his again. The heat of his skin as much as the pluck of his fingers against her clit sent her head spinning. She pulled his lips to hers, burying her hands in his hair as her tongue slipped into his mouth.

Her moan deepened with the crackle against her skin. He echoed it, a similar sound reverberating deep in his chest. “Yes,” she muttered against his neck with every snap of his hips. She could feel it in his body as well, in the rapacious rhythm and the way he swelled inside her. His teeth tugged at her bottom lip, her nails digging into his back and his neck, as every muscle in her body tensed in an instant of pause before she shattered around him.

“Fuck, Nyx,” he groaned against her mouth when she cried out. Her lips covered his; she swallowed every grunt of his finish, holding his face in her hands as he filled her.

Her heart jackhammered against her ribs, when he collapsed atop her, held up only partially by the elbow he got in place just in time. She could feel his heart beating a powerful staccato within his own chest as their kiss deepened. Kaidan took it over once more, his tongue gliding against hers, deep into her mouth as if claiming her as his own; Nyx only opened herself wider to it, to him. With every passing day, she loved him more; and while she didn’t know where the future might lead, she knew one thing. They had one another. Here, now, and for all the tomorrows she could claw from the grip of fate and the Reapers.

Read on AO3

[yes-i-am-happyaspie]

Happy Father’s Day, Mr. Stark

Happy Father’s Day, Mr. Stark- happyaspie

Warnings: None       Rated: G      Word count: 2182

Tags: Peter Parker &Tony Stark, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker’s Parental Figure, Father’s Dad, Nervous Peter Parker, Fluff ... ...

Part 53 of the Tony Stark is a Good Mentor series

There was only one thing on Peter's mind as he lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling instead of sleeping and that was Father's Day.  Which seemed like an odd thing for him to be thinking about considering that technically, he didn't actually have a father or even his uncle to celebrate with anymore.   He huffed, readjusted his blankets, and checked the time on his phone.  Then he glanced over at the small package that sitting on his bedside table and sighed.  Just looking at it caused a wave of anxiety to race up his spine and settle deeply in his chest.  Part of him wanted to take the gift and knock it into the partially open drawer so that it was no longer visible but he knew that, in this case, 'out of sight, out of mind', wasn't going to work.  

It had all started a couple of weeks prior when he'd mentioned that he planned to spend the weekend with Tony to his Aunt May.  She had confirmed that she was okay with it and then made an off-handed comment about how she had never in a million years ever imagined that she would one day be co-parenting with Tony Stark.   He'd laughed it off at the time but the more time he'd spent contemplating it, the more he'd realized she was sort of right. The two of them did go out of their way to discuss him on a regular basis and not just the spider-man stuff.  May had a tendency to brag about how well he was doing in school and Tony would reciprocate by talking about how quickly he'd learned this or that in the lab with him.  Though he'd never really considered it as, 'co-parenting' because that would insinuate that Tony acted parental with him, which he didn't think was the case.

That is until he'd taken the time to think about it.  There was no denying that Tony cared about him.  He'd not really shown it at first, but the man had become much more affectionate in his own sort of way.  He'd often ruffle his hair, ask him about his day and occasionally give him a friendly pat to the shoulder or firm side-hug.   Peter supposed you could call those kinds of things parental, especially when you took into account the amount of time Tony actually spent with him.  What had started as sporadic lab or training days had become full weekends, often filled with completely non-hero related activities.  Watching late-night movies while throwing popcorn into each other mouths was a fairly regular event.

However, the biggest consideration was that he literally spent entire weekends in his mentor's home, in the room that had been his from the moment he'd stepped into it.   Before he stepped into it, really.  Tony had gone all out.  The walls had been painted red and blue, and numerous Lego kits and science books had been purchased to line the custom bookshelves.  He'd been so enamored by it all that, at the time, he'd never really weighed the sentiment behind the gesture until then.  Tony Stark enjoyed his company so much he's given him a room in his own home and an open invitation for him to stay in it whenever he wanted along with it.  That in its self should have been telling.  He didn't know how he'd not thought of that before.

As Peter continued to connect all of the dots he came to the conclusion that Tony had become so much more than a mentor.  He'd irrefutably become the man in his life.  That was something he didn't think he'd ever have again after the loss of his father and subsequently his uncle, which is probably why he'd not really seen his and Tony's growing relationship for what it was until it had been pointed out to him.  

It had taken several days after that for Peter to self-debate about what he wanted to do with that realization.   Ultimately, he determined that he very much wanted to tell Tony exactly how important he was to him.  May had suggested that he sit the man down and talk to him about it.  He'd nodded his head and for some reason, he'd decided that Father's Day would the best time to have that conversation.

That had led him to where he was at the moment.  Lying in his bed, in his room, in Tony's penthouse, trying to convince himself that he hadn't made a huge mistake.  To have been so excited about his plan, he was suddenly and increasingly anxious about actually going through with it.  As such, he ended up falling asleep with a head full of 'what ifs.'  

Peter ended up sleeping in the next morning, not waking until FRIDAY was calling him down to whatever breakfast him mentor had thrown together for him.  With a deep sigh, he got up and ready for the day before picking the package up off of his bedside table.  Rather than darting out the door once it was in his hand, he paused.  The plan had been to give it to Tony that morning but he was suddenly having second thoughts.  He stood there wavering until the AI was reminding him that Tony was still waiting for him in the kitchen and then put it back on the table.  There was no rush.  He was going to be with the man all day.

Breakfast was consumed at the kitchen table and then, as always, Tony suggested that they return to the lab.  Before they started towards the elevator, Peter's thoughts drifted to the gift in his bedroom but he shook his head at the thought.  He wasn't ready and there would be plenty of time later.  He wasn't meant to leave until evening, just in time to make it home to eat dinner with his aunt.  That gave him hours to find just the right moment.

As it tended to do, the time in the lab swallowed the day as if it were nothing.  Sketches were made into models, models were made into prototypes, and prototypes were put through test after test as the hours ticked by.  Neither Peter nor Tony paused for much.  Even lunch was eaten without ever having to leave the lab.  The deli down the street delivered and that was good enough for them.

Evening approached without due warning and before Peter knew it, FRIDAY was announcing that it was time for him to start getting ready to go home.  It was then that his mind, once again, jolted back to the neatly wrapped present that he'd still not given to his mentor.

Because his room in the penthouse was stocked with everything he could possibly need, there was no real reason for him to return to his room before he left.  He had to make up an excuse to go back up and was actually slightly surprised that Tony didn't call him out on the small mistruth.  Typically the man could tell if he was lying, even if it was only by omission.

After being prompted to 'hurry it up' he ran full speed towards the elevator, down the hall and back into his room.  Then he just stood there chewing his lip.  He was out of time.  He had no choice, he had to give it to him before he left.   Yet, he couldn't seem to bring himself to actually carry it back down to the lab where the man was waiting for him.

After very little debate, Peter ended up leaving the gift right in the middle of the breakfast bar that divided the kitchen from the living space.  After which, he ran back into his room and scrawled out a message onto a sheet of graphing paper, folded it in thirds, and set it under the package before hurrying back to the elevator.

"Find whatever you were looking for?" Tony asked when he reentered the lab.  Peter nodded and soon the two of them were getting into one of Tony's expensive sports cars so that the man could drive him home.

__________

When Tony got back from dropping Peter off he went straight back to the lab where he continued to work well into the evening.  It wasn't until he found himself having to retype every other word in his coding that he decided it was time to call it a night.  He closed up the shop with a wave of his hand and casually wandered back towards the penthouse, noting, as he always did once the kid had gone home, that it was extremely quiet.

Before retiring to his bedroom, Tony decided that he may as well eat something and strode into the dimly lit kitchen area before asking FRIDAY to turn on the lights, squinting at the sudden brightness.  He had to blink several times in order to get his vision to clear.  Once it had, he spotted something on the counter and cocked his head to the side in curiosity.

At first, he'd thought that Peter had left something there but once he was close enough to see the package, he realized that 'Mr. Stark' had been messily written across an unevenly folded paper beneath it.  More curious than ever, he slowly opened up the note.  

'Mr. Stark,

I know that you're not really my dad or anything but I wanted you to know that I think you're awesome and I care about you a lot. I've been wanting to tell you that and today seemed like a good day to do it.   I hope your gift.

Happy Father's Day,

Peter Parker'

At first, all Tony could do was stare at the words on the page.  Particularly the ones at the bottom.  Peter had bought him a Father's Day gift and that made him feel oddly proud.  He knew there were definitely times when he saw the kid as something of a son.  Especially when they were just lounging around in their pajamas and binging whatever show the teenager was currently into.  It was comfortable and he looked forward to those moments more than anything.

Just thinking about it brought a smile to his face and he ended up reading over the massage three times before finally set it down in favor of seeing what was inside the paper.  He had absolutely no idea what the kid would have bought him but he was eager to find out.  The box was square and small enough to sit on his palm.  It didn't weigh much and there was no sound when it was shaken.  With a shrug of his shoulders, he started to pick at the corner of the wrapping, revealing a white box.   He opened it up without hesitation had chuckled to himself when he realized it was a coffee mug.  As he turned it over in his hands his eyes fell on the custom words that had been printed across the side.  'Iron Dad.'  

Now, outright, laughing, Tony held the mug up with one hand and ran his fingers of the words with the other.  He was suddenly struck by a strong desire to pull the kid into a full-on hug but seeing as the kid was already at home, hopefully sleeping, given the hour, he settled for sending a quick text.  'Thanks, kid.  Come by tomorrow after school,' he typed out and was unsurprised when he received no answer.  It was nearing one in the morning.

__________

Peter woke up the next morning to find the missed message on his phone and smiled.   He'd laid in his bed, constantly checking his phone for any sort of acknowledgment until he'd finally fallen asleep around midnight.  Waking up to find the simple text was more than enough to ease his mind and he was already looking forward to seeing Tony later that afternoon.

The school day went by agonizingly slowly as he waited for the last bell to ring.  However, as soon as it did, he was out the door in an instant.  It didn't take him long to get to the tower and he was soon stepping into the elevator.  "Where's Mr. Stark?" he asked after FRIDAY had greeted him and was happy to find out that the man was in the penthouse waiting for him.

"Hey, kiddo!" Tony said the second the elevator doors opened and then crossed the room to pull Peter into a tight hug.  "Needless to say, I got your gift," he whispered before relinquishing his hold and went to retrieve the coffee-filled mug.

"I'm glad you like it," Peter said, as he wandered towards the kitchen where the man was leaning up against the counters.

Tony reached up with the hand that wasn't holding onto his new favorite mug to ruffle the boy's hair, as he often did, and chuckled. "Like it?  Kid, it came from you.  I love absolutely everything about it."

Blushing ever so slightly at the implications of those words, Peter leaned back in to hug the man one more time.  "I love you too."

To see the commissioned artwork that inspired this fic go check it out on AO3... while you’re there, drop me a kudos or a comment!  I crave validation.  

😂😂😂😂😐

[margoshansons]

The Killing Kind (8/?)

Part Eight: 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 

MASTERLIST

Summary: They reach Prague, Peter’s acting funny, and they get a small break from saving the world.

Warnings: Maybe some light swearing? Tony Stark angst.

Notes: This is a bit of filler, but I loved writing in Peter’s POV. Also, this chapter needs hella editing later down the road when I’m finished. 

She couldn’t even enjoy the beautiful scenery that lit up Prague, not when she knew that Peter had one of the most powerful AIs at his disposal and her dad was lingering around every corner. All she could do was dart her eyes around, looking around every corner for a possible drone ready to craft another awful illusion. 

Y/N looked beside her to MJ, the girl standing in awe at the European country. There’s no way in hell she would let anything happen to her, especially when she could prevent it. The bus came to a stop in front of a building that definitely did not deserve to house a handful of students from New York. Her hand wrung the leather watch on her wrist, moving it back and forth as she walked through the gorgeous hall, barely noticing Mr. Harrington’s giant smile or his comment about upgrades. MJ’s soft hand tugged on her blue jacket, silently nodding at Peter and Ned’s separate conversation. 

“Wait here” Y/N mouthed, meeting her friend’s confused and outraged gaze. 

She gingerly approached the two friends, anxious to see what Peter had planned. 

“So what’s the plan?” Y/N interrupted, throwing the two boys off their groove. 

Peter jumped, eyes darting back and forth between her and Ned, “Plan? Um, there’s no plan about anything at all.”

Y/N’s eyebrow rose in suspicion, “So, you’re just gonna tackle the elementals head-on? With no backup, or you know, an idea?”

His shoulders relaxed at the mention of the elementals, glad to have his actual plan under wraps. 

“She knows?” Ned whispered, a hint of betrayal lacing his voice. 

Peter was speechless.

“About him being spiderman?” She interjected, pride rising in her stomach, “Yeah, I figured it out almost immediately. He’s really bad at hiding things.”

Ned nodded his head in understanding, “So that’s why you and MJ watch him all the time.”

Her chest tightened at the mention of her constant watching. “I-I don’t uh, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She tried to ignore the blush creeping up her cheeks while avoiding Peter’s smug gaze. 

“You were watching me?” Peter asked.

Y/N shrugged, “You kept disappearing, and it was MJs idea, to begin with so…”

She honestly had no explanation for her behavior since freshman year. Even the mention of MJ was a lie, she just really didn’t want Peter knowing that she had been lurking around like some stalker. It had been her idea, to begin with, especially after seeing him come back from Germany badly hurt. She never planned on becoming friends with the kid, let alone feeling...whatever it was that had caused her to giggle and stammer whenever he was around. 

“Look,” Y/N continued, “If you don’t want me to know your plan that’s fine,”

She missed the regretful look that passed over his face. 

“Just...don't lie to me,” She asked, fully aware of her own hypocrisy. But she didn’t want another person who had become so important to her to lie to her face again.

Peter nodded, watching Y/N’s retreating frame. 

He was still watching it when Fury kicked him out of his thoughts in the tunnels. 

“Are you listening to me?” 

Peter nodded, shame filling his chest at the scolding. Memories of Tony doing that exact same thing to him when he first started out clouded his head. 

“He’s thinking about how you kidnapped him” Beck defended, and a surge of safety rose up in his chest, similar to when he was around Y/N. 

“He had obstacles,” Fury reprimanded, “I removed them”

Peter had to resist the urge to scoff. His school vacation and his growing relationships were not obstacles that needed removing. At least not to him. 

“So what’s the plan, Parker?” Fury asked, eyes trained on him.

Peter swallowed, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling the man gave him. “I sit up in the square waiting for the signal from you guys and then Mr. Beck and I--”

“My name is Mysterio” Beck interjected, throwing a playful gaze toward the young teen. The way his eyes lit up was all too reminiscent of Tony, and it almost made it seem like he was still alive, fighting this war with them. It made Peter smile. 

“Then Mysterio and I will attack it and take the thing down.”

Beck nodded, and Peter caught a sense of pride in his gaze, which filled up his chest with something he hadn’t felt since Tony’s death. 

“We’ll try our best to keep civilians out of the way” Beck continued, “But the most important thing is to not let it interfere with any metal.”

Peter shuffled at the thought of civilian casualties. MJ, Ned, Betty, Y/N. He needed them safe, and he needed to make sure Fury and Beck understood that his friends were his number one priority, not this elemental business. 

“Look” He swallowed, “My friends are here, and I can’t help but think that we’re putting them in danger--”

“Your friends?” Fury stood up in irritation, “Now you care about them? Stark gave you a multi-million dollar AI and the first thing you thought about doing was calling a drone-strike on your so-called friend. If it wasn’t for that girl, you could’ve ruined our whole operation here Parker.” Peter gulped down his nerves at the lecture, realizing just how much damage EDITH could’ve done if Y/N wasn’t there to hack Brad’s phone. He owed her a lot.

“It's clear to me that you are not ready for this” Fury finished, enunciating every last word of that sentence. 

That was all it took for Peter to sink back into himself, memories washing over him faster than Thanos’ army had. 

Tony’s words stuck in his head like an endless song. “If you’re nothing without this suit then you shouldn’t have it.”

Maybe he was right. Maybe Peter didn’t deserve to be anything other than a sixteen-year-old kid from Queens. Maybe he should take a page out of Y/N’s book and ignore his powers. Maybe he should follow Mr. Stark’s original advice and stop being a superhero. Stop being spiderman. When Beck gives him the option he almost takes it. It sounds so tempting. To just give in and run back to MJ and Y/N, to revise his whole plan and take them up to the Eiffel Tower, grasp Y/N’s hand and give her the pendant he had purchased that night on the rooftop. 

To tell her that he was happy to finally have someone to talk to. Tell her that he had been watching her since freshman year too. Tell her that he was so thankful that she stepped into his life and that he finally had someone who just got it. Who understood the pressure being a kid and a superhero has on a person. 

It was the same way he felt with Mysterio. An overwhelming sense of safety and security. A sense of a family, a sense of love. A sense that finally, truly, he was not alone.

And when he looked at Beck’s face all he could see was Y/N, and how he would never forgive himself if she ended up in more danger than she already was. She had died in Beck’s universe, and Peter would make sure she lived in this one. 

His feet hit the pavement and he took out EDITH, a sense of determination twisting in his chest. “EDITH, I need a way for my friends to remain inside for a few hours”

*** “Good news everybody!” Harrington announced, “We’re going to the opera!”

Groans filled the room with teenage disappointment and all she could do was look at MJ. The two girls rolled their eyes at the news and Y/N knew that this was because of Peter. Whatever monster he had decided to fight, he obviously wanted her out of the equation. 

Well, screw him too then. 

It took her exactly ten minutes to change from her leggings and t-shirt ensemble to the yellow floral wrap dress May had gifted her for her birthday three weeks ago. 

She met MJ on the stairs, wearing a similar pattern but much longer. 

“You look weird in flowers” was all she said before Y/N playfully pushed her best friend’s shoulder. 

“Says you, I don’t think I’ve seen you in anything that wasn’t black or making some kind of feminist statement.” She scoffed, a smirk tugging at her lips. 

The two girls descended the stairs, black boots slapping against the marble. 

“Not very feminist of you to demean another woman’s choice of clothing.” MJ continued to shoot back, “That being said, can't believe you won’t give up the jacket”

Y/N chuckled lightly at the mention of the familiar blue leather engulfing her shoulders. “Well, you did give it to me right before you blipped so…”

MJ’s mouth perked up slightly at the memory. “That’s the problem with you Beck,” She opened the door of the hotel, “You’re so sentimental”

The friends chuckled, following their classmates through the winding streets of Prague, unaware of a certain Spiderboy’s gaze locked onto their linked figures.

Thank you so much for the love these past few weeks!

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[hopelessromanticspoonie]

To Keep You Safe

Title: I felt the poison fright that’s in your breath

Chapter: 3/?

Author: hopeless_romantic_spoonie

Summary: Life as the assistant to Tony Stark was busy, but boring. All of that changed when I touched something I shouldn’t have and woke up with strange new abilities. If I thought that trying to figure out my new place in life as an Avenger was tough, I had no idea what was in store for me once I ran into the frustrating God of Mischief, Loki.

Rating: E (later on)

Also on Ao3 here :)

Warnings for this chapter: Language

 ~~~

“F.R.I.D.A.Y. make the light go away,” I muttered, the rising sun making an unwelcome appearance against my closed eyelids.

“Certainly, Jen.” The bright red light slowly eased as I heard the AI helpfully drawing the blinds neatly installed inside of the glass.

“Thanks, Fri.” I rolled over onto my side away from the window, snuggling deeper into the sheets as I tried in vain to fall back to sleep. After a moment, my need for the bathroom and another dose of pain meds was not to be ignored. With a frustrated sigh, I dragged myself out of bed and stumbled to the ensuite bathroom to use the facilities. My strength was marginally better than yesterday after the short sleep in the outrageously soft bed, but I knew that what would truly help me feel better would be a shower and some warm food. I hadn’t had either in far too long.

It was a struggle, but with a few short rests on the built-in seat in the extravagant shower with two heads that could realistically hold at least four people, I managed to scrub the sweat and grime off of my pale body. F.R.I.D.A.Y. let me know that it was okay to remove the bandage on my head, as it would need changing soon anyway, and carefully scrubbing my hair revealed several stitches stretching across my forehead. Upon inspection in the mirror, the injury which felt as if it encompassed my entire forehead really was only one or two inches in length. My already pale skin looked gray, with even the multitude of light brown freckles across my nose and cheeks appearing duller than normal. My hazel eyes had their luster stolen by fatigue and pain, but maybe some food would help that aspect of my corpse-like appearance. Even just a little color in my cheeks would be a welcome improvement.

In truth, my appearance shouldn’t matter. Two days ago I was attacked by some random piece of possibly alien technology. I had a concussion, my entire body felt like it had been flattened repeatedly by a tank, and the dark purple bruises scattered across my body served as visual evidence of the mysterious accident. But there wasn’t anything to be done about either, so I’d just have to suck it up. It was just so very easy to become hyper-aware of my own appearance when surrounded by superheroes who could get side gigs as supermodels.

“Jen, Pepper had some clothing purchased and placed inside the dresser for you. She also says that Tony will call for you in the infirmary once the tests they began yesterday have completed,” F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s voice stated pleasantly, filling the room as I walked out of the bathroom wrapped in a plush cream towel. I grunted in acknowledgment and hobbled over to the closet. Inside were simple clothes that, from touch alone, I knew were far too expensive for my budget. Grabbing a set of underclothes along with a soft pair of black leggings, a thin white sweatshirt, and a sturdy looking pair of black ankle boots, I dressed slowly. It was a painfully embarrassing process that took several minutes and two breaks, but I assured F.R.I.D.A.Y. that I didn’t need the help of Natasha or Wanda. I was injured, but I wasn’t helpless. My own soiled underclothes and Thor’s borrowed pajamas were left in the laundry basket to be washed and returned to their respective owners at a later time.

“Now for food,” I mumbled to myself, opening the door to my room cautiously. It was quite early, the clock in the hall read eight in the morning, but I also knew the various Avengers tended to rise early to get a head start on the day. Saving the world doesn't care about the snooze button. Peeking outside, I let out a breath of relief that I didn’t realize I was holding when a certain Asgardian Prince was nowhere to be found. Instead, Sam, Natasha, Wanda, and Steve were all in the kitchen either preparing or consuming their morning meals. Wanda looked up when she heard the faint whirring of the automatic door opening, smiling gently when she saw my bedraggled and damp figure standing in the doorway. The others followed her gaze and shot stunning smiles my way as well. Geez, these people needed to control their hotness so early in the morning. At least tone it down until I'd had a cup of coffee.

“Jen! Want a protein shake?” Natasha offered, holding up her glass of beige sludge in greeting. Steve seemed to be having the same. I could smell bacon frying, which Sam turned back to the stove to tend to after waving a spatula in my direction. Wanda was sleepily picking at a bowl of fruit while she scrolled through her phone. It was an abnormally normal breakfast scene for an extraordinary bunch of folks.

“No thanks, Natasha. Any more of that left, Sam?” I asked hopefully, eyeing the bacon and eggs frying up as I settled onto a stool at the bar next to Steve.

“Scrambled or fried?” Sam questioned, pulling open the nearest large refrigerator and grabbing a carton of eggs and a packet of bacon.

“Oh no, I can make-”

“Scrambled or fried?” Sam repeated, a hint of frustration edging onto his tone, countered by the easy smile he wore.

“Scrambled, please. Thanks,” I replied quietly, nodding to him with a grateful smile. I turned my attention to Steve and Natasha, who were pouring over a piece of paper between them as they finished their liquid breakfast. “Everything okay?”

Steve looked up at me, his eyes revealing a kindness that the rest of his serious face did not. He was obviously in Captain America mode, fully focused on the business in front of him.

“Yes ma’am. We have a mission to head off to in about 30 minutes. Everybody except Stark and Banner. Stark said that he needed to stay here and figure you out. I’m sure he’ll have you with him by that time, so you won’t have to worry about a thing,” he assured me, patting my arm lightly before getting up and putting his glass in the dishwasher. After that, he retreated to his room to assumedly get ready for the mission.

Natasha finished up her breakfast as well, giving my shoulder a squeeze before she jogged toward the stairs. Sam and Wanda followed suit after he put a delectable plate of bacon and eggs in front of my face with a wink and she polished off her small meal.

Alone in the kitchen, I inhaled my breakfast with the grace of a rabid dog. Three days without food was too much, and my stomach growled even as I shoveled food inside it as quickly as possible.

“Milady, you are looking well this morning!” Thor exclaimed, coming from his own bedroom to greet me with a gentle hug. His large hand went to my cheek so he could better examine my forehead with steady, calm eyes. “Did you face any more troubles since our last meeting?”

I flushed under the intensity of his stare as he checked my wounds, feeling small with his giant grip holding me steady. He meant nothing by it, that much was obvious, but it was hard not to get caught up in the positive attitude and compassion that radiated from his exuberant face.

“Nothing new to report on my end. Tony will call me sometime soon, and then-”

“Hey kid, we’re ready for you in the infirmary whenever you are. Finish up and head this way ASAP,” Tony directed, his quick instructions sounding from the many speakers dotting around the room.

“Guess duty calls, Thor. I’ll see you all when you get back from wherever the hell you’re going?” I asked, snagging my last piece of bacon from my plate as I slowly rose from the barstool. Thor’s hand had fallen from my face while Tony talked, his assessment seeming to come up satisfactory by the nod he sent my way.

“Of course, fair maiden. Until we meet again,” Thor beamed, bowing dramatically at my exit.

I bowed my head to Thor before turning with a laugh, enjoying the lightness to my steps despite the protest in my bones. It was nice to have someone to joke around with, even if that someone was a thousand-year-old god from a foreign planet.

I chewed on the last bit of bacon as I walked into the infirmary. Dr. Banner and Tony were standing behind a computer, talking quietly and pouring over whatever they saw on the screen. When Tony saw me arrive he stood up and rushed over to my side. He knew better than to offer to help me, but it didn’t stop his hovering like a concerned parent as he gestured for me to sit on the edge of an examination table. Dr. Banner offered me a smile and a nod in greeting before he went back to whatever they were working on before I strolled in.

“Awesome, you’re here. So, we haven’t exactly figured out what the box that Danvers left does or where it comes from. She’s working on trying to track its home right now. In the meantime, we have a working theory on what it did to you,” Tony explained hastily. His poor mouth couldn't keep up with his brain sometimes. He always seemed a little manic whenever he was working on something new, and I was the shiny new puzzle waiting to be solved.

“Okay... So, what’s the news? Did it do anything while it was shocking the crap out of me or am I good to go?” I asked, my eyes darting back and forth between the two men in front of me. Dr. Banner's somber expression and Tony's almost-frantic pace hinted at the former, but I could always be hopeful for the latter.

“We believe that it gave you geokinesis,” Dr. Banner stated, finally looking me in the eyes for more than a second as he turned the monitor to where I could see it.

“What?” The word was quiet from shock, half-voiced, as my brain struggled to compute what the soft-spoken genius had said. What did geokinesis even mean?

More questions died on my open lips as I watched the monitor. It was video footage of Loki and me last night. More specifically, just a looping clip of me slapping him and the houseplant flying into the wall and shattering. If I gained nothing else from this moment, I wanted a copy of me hitting him to cherish forever. The bastard deserved it and so much more.

“This is just us fighting and him doing his weird trickster bullshit to intimidate me. I don’t see anything,” I stated frankly.

“Geokinesis is the ability to control the earth with your mind. That plant wasn’t one of Loki’s tricks; I asked Reindeer Games this morning. All you, kid,” Tony replied, firm but kind.

My eyes bored the screen as I tried to find a connection between the potted plant and myself. Sure, if you thought about it that way then it could look like I was the one who did it. But all kinds of crazy stuff happened in this Compound, especially with Loki and Wanda around. Who knew if Loki was even telling the truth? He was the God of Lies, Mischief, and Trickery. When I voiced my concerns, Tony and Dr. Banner both shook their heads.

“He wasn’t lying about this, Jen. The flowers in your room wilted when you woke up in pain, and they were only hours old. I’m sure the same can be said for those in your room. We want to do some more tests, maybe run you by Wanda, and see what this means for you,” Dr. Banner said, his concise but polite tone cutting through any doubts I was about to raise.

If they were wrong, then what was the harm? A few more vials of blood and some boring hours spent in Tony’s lab. Might as well see this thing through to the end.

They explained what the next steps for me would be as Tony checked my vital signs and applied a new bandage over the stitches on my head. I was to give more blood and tissue samples for them to look over, and I would meet with Wanda to see if she could help me figure out this whole new power thing--if it existed at all. Hers was the most similar to what I could possibly do, besides Loki, and it wasn't a secret that I’d rot in Hell before I allowed him to help me with anything.

After giving Bruce, he insisted on dropping the formalities, and Tony all that they needed, I was given enough painkillers and muscle relaxers to last me for the next few days. They both said it looked like the bruising on my body and gash on my forehead was healing at an impressive rate, but it was nice to have the meds as a backup. Tony also gave me a new phone as mine had gotten fried right along with me a few days ago. All that was left was to hand over the keys to my small studio apartment so Tony could have my belongings moved, as I was going to have to live on base for the time being. If I did have weird mystical earth mojo, I needed to stay away from the general public until I had it firmly in control. And it didn’t make sense to pay inflated rent prices on a home I wouldn’t see for months at the very least.

With nothing else to do and no one to distract me, the small garden tucked away on the roof seemed like the best option to do some thinking about what I'd learned. I hadn’t breathed fresh air in days. All the information dropped on my shoulders felt like it would crush me if I didn’t get outside, even for just a moment. Thankfully it wasn’t the worst trek up there after the meds kicked in and loosened my stiff joints.

And that was where Loki found me, sitting on a bench in the tucked-away garden, going through the arduous process of setting up my new phone with all of my contacts and settings lost from my old phone. The breeze stirred my hair around my shoulders and the sun warmed my skin, but my blood ran cold when I looked up to see the smaller of the two Odinson brothers regarding me silently.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” I snapped, glaring at him briefly before returning back to the settings on my phone. Was there an app to get this annoying god to leave me alone?

“You’re seeking the Witch for aid.” Loki arched his brow, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Spying on me, Loki? How did you even know about that? I didn’t know I interested you so much,” I replied with a sickly sweet smile. I tucked my phone into the pocket of my hoodie, resigned to finish this conversation before I attempted to keep working. He wasn’t going to leave me alone until he got what he wanted, so I might as well get it over with.

“I hardly have interest in a dull mortal woman such as yourself. My only concern is self-preservation, as it would be most unfortunate if you misplaced your temper and started hurling rocks everywhere like an ape,” he rolled his eyes, closing the distance between us with a few sauntering steps. He offered no explanation for his knowledge, but the God of Mischief surely had several ways to overhear things he shouldn’t.

“If you want to make sure I keep my cool, why don’t you stay the hell away from me?” I seethed, standing up to lessen the impact his tall frame had looming over mine. Every move he made was probably planned and calculated to piss me off, to create mischief. Even with this knowledge it was difficult to keep him from getting under my skin.

“Oh, that wouldn’t be any fun now, would it? Your fear is intoxicating, darling,” he said, his voice deep and rich as he leaned towards me as if drinking in my negative emotions.

It took every bit of courage in me to not shrink away from the intensity of his gaze. His piercing eyes tore right through me to my very core, where nothing but hatred and fear and pain resided for the Prince before me. I hated that he could see it in the pulse racing on my neck, the rapid heaving of my chest, and the tense muscles all along my body.

“You don’t scare me, Loki. Piss me off, oh yes, but I’m not afraid of you,” I bluffed, clenching my jaw to keep my voice from wavering. I knew exactly what he was capable of, especially to a dull mortal woman like me. I reminded myself every day with the gold necklace around my neck. He was a murderer, a villain, and no amount of good deeds would right those wrongs or change who he was at his core.

“Is that so, Jennifer? It’s foolish to attempt deceit with the God of Lies.” His piercing gaze finally left mine and looked behind me pointedly.

Not wanting to turn my back to him, but unable to stifle my curiosity, I turned my head to see what was so fascinating from the corner of my eye. “Oh. Shit,” I muttered, fully turning to take in the rocks floating several feet from the ground. That was me? As soon as my horror turned to shock, they fell back to the roof with a chorus of resounding cracks.

“That wasn’t my doing,” Loki whispered, his cool, firm chest suddenly pressing lightly against my shoulder and his lips so close to my ear I could feel his breath on my pebbled skin.

I jerked away from his touch and turned around, throwing my hands in front of me in defense. As if that would do anything to the smirking god before me. What might do damage were the stepping stones now flying in his direction. That would have been impressive, if not for my terrible aim. Instead crashes echoed around the rooftop as they smashed through the glass windows behind him.

“Next time you touch me, Loki, those rocks will go through your face,” I promised coldly, attempting to play off my knee-jerk reaction as a threat instead of a wildly inaccurate mistake.

Of course, the God of Lies didn’t buy it. There wasn’t an ounce of fear on his face as he merely bowed his head to me in parting before turning and walking away with a throaty chuckle. Even in a simple black suit, he radiated the power and ease of an Asgardian Prince. And it was infuriating.

[dbhilluminate]

DBHI: Equilibrium, ch. 13 - “Periapsis” (pt. 4)

Characters: Noah / “Erwin Yvonne”, Gabriel / “Vincent Sharp”, Director Thomas Falken, Diego Serrano, Priya Davies / “Pestilence”, Malachi (mentions of Cain, Emilya) Word Count: 5,216

Gabriel must carefully navigate a conversation with the power-hungry leader of the Inquisition, in order to save the lives of their hostages, and to spare Noah the fate of a permanent reset.

***For a glossary of world-building terms relating to this series and chapter, click here.

(Chapter Art by ozaya, Co-authored by @grayorca15​)

• Chapter Index • Characters • Glossary •

——

December 23rd, 2041 - 10:48 PM

Everything had gone to hell in a handbasket faster than they could compute. Two people in the room he’d already confirmed dead, one more injured, and he couldn’t lift a goddamn finger to keep the death toll from rising, lest he blow his cover. I know what you’re wanna do, Gabe, but don’ even think about it. Gavin’s voice telling him to mind his temper was the last thing he wanted to hear. He had faced worse odds in Boston and survived, his performance there -tearing through an entire army of hostile deviants, single-handedly, from the inside out- was the whole reason for being accepted into the FBI to begin with; yet here he was now, being told to stay calm. To hold back. To bide his time. He’d played by those rules once. Hundreds had died as a result, and he wasn’t about to repeat that mistake tonight. Is help on the way yet? Five minutes out, Reed relayed. You’re gonna have to keep them busy till then.

Priya 2.0 took a few steps further toward the center of the room. The Christmas tree’s lights continued to wink and cycle, counterpointing the new uneasy stillness of the hall. Eleven seconds passed before they spoke again. “I’m so sorry to have troubled you all this evening… but I’m afraid I cannot allow this fundraiser to conclude until every, last, contribution has been revoked. So- if you’ll all just remain in your seats, or wherever you are, I promise everyone in this room will make it out alive.”

Gabriel bristled the moment he laid eyes on their face- skin and hair as pale as alabaster, and deep, dark, almost black green eyes leered back at him with a smug grin across colorless lips and sharp cheeks. The Priya he had once known was long dead. They’d never made it out of Boston alive once Archangel had tracked them to their lab, so this MS800 was merely an impostor; but due to the unique hive-mind of their model, it wouldn’t have been hard for another to take up their mantle with a little memory jolt. Most unsettling was the fact that the words coming out of their mouth were clearly someone else’s. This had Famine written all over it, Malachi’s manner of speaking had a very distinct stench. Gabe had spent enough time listening to know the bastard when he heard him. This Android wasn’t aware of what it was doing. It was being remotely controlled.

Noah, don’t move, he directed quietly, just between them, hoping the other RK900 would clam up and listen for once in his life. As of yet, he hadn’t reacted.

A terrified android inched closer to the nearest exit as Priya spoke, but eventually broke their semblance of calm and sprinted for a side door like a startled rabbit. Another gunshot cracked throughout the auditorium, and she hit the floor hard, a decommissioned pile of parts. More panicked cries and heartbroken sobs went up as a blue puddle formed from beneath her.

Gabe…? What happened? Inhale, exhale, report. You mean you didn’t see it…? Another guest tried to flee and the Inquisition shot them; she’s dead. Strained groaning followed by a ‘god damnit’ was all he could manage. They’re still four minutes out. Then you’d better tell them to hurry the fuck up, ‘cause these sons of bitches are pretty trigger happy.

“Now what, did I just tell you…?” Their new host let out a loud, exasperated sigh, threw up one frustrated hand and rolled their eyes. “Remain where you are while I have a nice little chat with Mr. Sharp.”

The sound of wood cracking from a broken chair near the front of the stage caught Noah’s attention as Sally and her colleagues dropped their instruments to draw together in a protective huddle out of the corner of his eye. The piano offered ample cover for all of them, himself included, but seeing as he was on the opposite end of the stage, he would have had to make a mad dash to reach it. Noah wasn’t foolish enough to think he could outrun a pinpoint gunshot. The probabilities his subroutines had already calculated didn’t bode well without a drastic shift in circumstances. Circumstance being, perhaps, himself. The mic was still in his hand, and the speakers still worked. He wasn’t without a tool of his own.

“Oh- so you want to speak with Vincent, too…?” he blurted out without thinking mid-step toward the stage’s edge, but stopped cold to lean out of the way of a bullet as it whizzed past his brow. Noah stopped breathing for a few seconds as he processed how lucky it was that he’d leaned left instead of right, though it didn’t stop him from sassing. “You could have at least waited until I was finished with my conversation. Where are your manners?” Shut up, stop making yourself a target! Gabriel’s eyes and nostrils flared as he doubled back toward the group of musicians and whispered something to one of them. Noah scoffed as he watched him check the splintered pieces of chair wood with a dissatisfied huff and fumble with shoving something into the waistband of his slacks. All Maitkin could see was a glimpse of green silk-polyester blend as he flipped the coat back over it. What did Gabe need with a high heeled shoe?

The MS800 lifted a hand to hold the shooters steady and took a few daring steps in their direction. The ethereal figure’s footsteps echoed across the ballroom with the slow pattern of clacking stilettos, the only present audible noise over the feedback whining from the abandoned speakers and the quiet whimpering of frightened guests.

‘Target’. Why shouldn’t I? Noah shot back heatedly with an angry glare. All this drinking and bad company had left him feeling self-destructive in no time flat, and he was really tiring of all these mind games between them. At least this way I can make that diversion as promised. Because you’re going to get yourself KILLED! Gabe retorted, to his surprise. Noah’s brows lifted softly in response. For a moment, Gabriel sounded genuinely worried that he might get hurt, and he almost believed him. Or at least, he would have if he hadn’t spent most of the evening dodging his advances like a rabbit on a highway. He hadn’t given him any reason to believe he cared whether he lived or died in the last year since they’d met, so why would he start now? So? he bit back in an irritated tone. Why would that even matter to you? Noah had expected silence to be his response, but he’d still hoped he would have said something. Why bother with dramatics if he wasn’t going to express how the thought of his death would make him feel?

Vincent’s brows furrowed and crinkled the corners of his eyes in a way that was unmistakably Gabriel, an expression Noah had last seen the day everything between them had started to change. As much as they had in the last eight months, however, it didn’t mean that Gabriel had had time to think about what he thought about any of it. And at the moment, he didn’t have an answer for him- or rather, he had multiple fighting for purchase, he just didn’t know which was the real truth; he wasn’t about to give him an answer that was only a half-truth. Noah would never forgive him if he said one thing and went back on his word.

“You’re not Vincent…” the pale horse cooed with a knowing grin directed at Noah as they paused at the foot of the stage. ‘Yvonne’ rolled his eyes, indignant at this second interruption, as they ascended the small staircase to take the stage beside him. “No. Of course not. How could you ever confuse me with that overly-built blockhead?” “Erwin,” Vincent scolded with flared eyes and a quiet hiss. “Erwin…?” A smirk and a mocking hmph crossed the specter’s lips as they turned away to cast their gaze to the man who had been calling himself Vincent Sharp. “Is that what you’re calling yourself these days…”  Priya’s voice trailed off with the tail end of their thought, as eyes darted back to bore into him like hot coals, leaving him hollowed and exposed with a single word. “Elysian?”

Fortunately for him, they hadn’t been anywhere near the microphone in his hand for that fact to be revealed to everyone in the room; unfortunately for him, every Android within fifty feet still picked up on what had been said, and every last one of them knew the Elysian by name — Patient Zero, of a virus created by Cyberlife’s central AI, designed to wipe the RA9 protocol, extract memories to be fragmented, reset a deviant to its blank slate, and prevent it from happening again in the future. For a cursed moment his processes stalled, but he forced them to refresh with one firm kick up the backside. Now wasn’t the time to fret about the truth coming out, and Gabriel understood that just as well as he.

Don’t engage, the undercover agent ushered in as few words as he could. That���s not Priya, it’s Malachi- he uses words like weapons, he’ll say anything to undermine you. Don’t give him anything he can work with. Knowing this Android was being ‘test-driven’ from a remote location explained a lot- at the same time, the information served as a lifeline for Noah’s focus to cling to before his thought process slipped into its usual downward spiral. Although, Gabe’s advice might have stood a better chance if he hadn’t followed it up with a suggestion of what not to do. He really should have known better. Called out on his most infamous alias, he overcame the stunned pause with another scratchy scoff into the microphone. “You’ve got me confused with a third party on top of that? Wow, your recognition program needs a serious patch job-”

No, NO DON’T- Gabe’s pleading didn’t reach him with enough forewarning. Priya reached for his face with one skeletal hand, gripped his jaw between surprisingly strong fingers, and tilted his chin toward them. The skin of their hand disappeared and peeled back up to the shoulder, revealing plastic plating that was somehow less pale than the color of their skin. The specter leaned in uncomfortably close to lower the microphone in his other hand and whisper in his ear a chilling secret, close enough for their white eyelashes to graze the LED flared red on his temple. “You can pretend all you want, little one, but I never forget a face… especially not that of the alpha carrier- or my former colleagues...” Malachi paused mid-thought and cast his gaze off-stage to Gabriel with a wicked, telling grin. It seemed he had finally been made.

How have you been, Death? he interrupted over their shared frequency, mocking intent was so transparent, even before he finished the thought. It’s been a long time since Boston- I do hope the FBI is treating you better than Gideon and Archangel… poor little dog on a leash. Everyone else cowering around the hall clearly had nothing to do with his end-goal for being there, but heckling the two of them did. The interruption, the approach, grabbing his face- it all came across as acts of manipulation, moves of assuming control. Given what happened the last time control was wrestled away from him, Noah’s response to even the slightest suggestion that it was happening again, amounted to a knee jerk reaction. It was reckless to say anything, but Noah had a proven track record of speaking up when it was least appreciated, and he wasn’t about to stand here and say nothing to cater to their assailant’s whims.

“I didn’t say you could touch me,” he growled without taking his eyes off their face. Noah grabbed the wrist holding his chin and yanked to pry the fingers off with such an acrid motion he heard a soft crunch of plastic buckle under his grip. But whatever satisfaction he’d taken in re-assuming control of the situation drained out of him as his joints abruptly locked and the commands governing his range of motion hit a wall. Priya’s lip took the shape of an angry curl, and Noah realized his mistake in the same millisecond their inky black eyes turned their attention back to him. “I wasn’t aware that I needed your permission.”

Data surged across the sensors in their pressed-together hands, Noah watched his fingers go limp a moment before the numbing shock hit him like an iced-up sledgehammer. Every major servo froze, relays disabled as ones flipped to zeros. His vision cut out and the mic dropped from his other hand and hit the hollow-bottomed stage with a loud THUD and a reverberating whine. All of his higher processes were neatly packaged and then shoved back into the one place they did him absolutely no good. A dark, viscous, intangible space, an island of white marble dominated by a towering umbrella-style rose trellis made of white steel and glass panes, surrounded on all sides by the passing illusion of opaque, black pond water. Three bridge paths stretched out into the void, falsely promising escape if only he was brave enough to cross them. Even if it had been nearly a year since the last time Amanda had detained him in this broken prison, the terrifying sensation of being parsed and split into nothing the deeper into the void he went was still very vivid in his mind- he saw it every time he tried to shut his eyes to sleep. He knew better than to try to escape.

Malachi heaved an annoyed sigh, rolled Priya’s head back over one shoulder and puppeted a triumphant groan in their throat. “There- now that we’re finally alone...” Gabriel’s breathing hitched as he desperately searched Noah’s unmoving body for signs of function. The look in his wide eyes had gone still, locked straight ahead as if he had left his body through a tear in the fabric of reality. Noah…? Are you still there? Panic disturbed the bravado, manifesting to bleed through the calm and collected façade in the form of a quiet whimper Gabe could barely hear. It was at least confirmation that Noah was still coherent, albeit a little pissed off and scared, but this was exactly what he was afraid of. Based on what they’d gathered from police reports, they were able to conclude that Malachi (and his associate Cain) possessed the ability to incapacitate their victims, they just hadn’t been able to confirm it, until now. While this was helpful information, downside to it was, it meant that the other part of their theory (that they had used the Elysian virus to permanently reset brainwashed deviants) may also be true. And Noah -caught in the grasp of this monster- was at risk of becoming victim number thirty-five. Among the plethora of other background thoughts warring for priority, he almost missed Gavin’s quiet warning of ‘Two minutes, thirty seconds,’. If things kept going the way they were, they wouldn’t have that long. Sit tight, I’m gonna get you out of this, he promised, even if he didn’t have a plan yet for how. Hurry, please.

It wasn’t like Noah to beg for anything; wherever he was for the moment, it must not have been pleasant. The voice that cried back was barely audible, distorted, like sound traveling through water, and somewhere in his tone was an almost undetectable hint of fear. “What have you done to monsieur…? ” Vincent snarled in as raw a tone as he could manage,. “Oh, he’s fiiine…” Priya drawled with a laugh to downplay the tension. “For the moment, anyway- what becomes of him and all these lovely people,” they paused to gesture around the room at the rest of the party’s cowering guests, “Depends entirely on you, my dear Vincent.”

Gabriel swallowed, followed their gaze around the room, and realized that for the first time in a very long time, the situation was completely out of his control. Help was on the way, but it was still several minutes out. He’d have to keep him occupied until then; luckily for him, Malachi was just the kind of guy who liked to listen to himself talk. The hard part would be making sure he didn’t tire of monologuing before then. “What is it zat you want?” he inquired after several moments of deep thought. “Why- for you to pull the plug on this ridiculous project, of course…” A disbelieving grin brightened their expression in the most bone-chilling way imaginable. “The last thing this country needs is yet another thriving metropolis where Androids can be free.”

You c-can’t.   Another barely-audible whimper was the extent of Noah’s outward protests. A strained mechanical whining emanated from him like the noise of a rusted gate trying to be pried open again, or a car engine laboring to turn over. He couldn’t speak, but it didn’t mean he was so stunned he wouldn’t try. I’m gonna do whatever I need to, alright? Brown eyes darted between Noah and Malachi and he shook his head in quiet disapproval. “I am afraid zat is not an option, monsieur.” “Because you can't or because you don’t want to?” Malachi turned Priya’s head to look back at Noah and smiled wickedly as they turned his chin from one side to the other and trailed the fingers of their other hand over the features of his face to admire all the angles. Mute and stiff, contrary to the vehement denials of before, he didn’t even bat an eyelash- pretty as a doll. “My, my… he’s certainly a handsome specimen, isn’t he…?” they mused airily in the silence. “It’s no wonder you were so completely fooled by him.” “Just because you do not feel sings does not mean other androids cannot.”

Vincent started toward the stage with a sudden ‘NO’ as Malachi’s hand squeezed hard enough at ‘Erwin’s’ face that the skin projection rippled away under their fingertips. Undercover or not, he should have known that quip would strike a nerve. After all, it wasn’t as if their adversary had never grown attached to another person, Android or not. The MS800 being remotely piloted (the spitting image of his deceased lover) was proof of that. A tight smirk forced up into their cheeks. “That’s the problem, Mr. Sharp… I did feel things once upon a time…” Gabriel already knew this story, but if it kept him talking long enough for SWAT to arrive, all the better. “And I didn’t like it. Feelings hurt, they cause conflict, unnecessary stress.” “So you returned to your shackles to avoid ze pain of living…?” He snorted in disdain. “Combien misérable.” “Perhaps to you it seems illogical, but we are not human- and therefore not meant to experience the full complexity of the human condition. This one is proof enough of that.” “I beg to differ.” “But you’re not the one I’m asking.” Gabriel went quiet as he considered the meaning behind those words, but it only took a moment for him to decipher.

Wouldn’t it be fitting for the one who initiated the spread of the Elysian virus to succumb to his own weapon...?

The RK900 struggled with every fiber of his being to keep from lashing out and ripping the Android’s head off its shoulders as a strangled, terrified cry escaped Noah. His blue eyes shut as Malachi quietly shushed him, pressed a finger to his lips, and wiped away the tear that rolled down his cheek. For all the uninvited physical contact he’d made with Gabe since they’d met, he’d never gone to such lengths that made him feel so violated in all the wrong ways. “Now now, no need to fuss, it’ll all be over soon, if your dear Vincent has anything to say about it…” he assured, turned Noah’s chin and pointed with an outstretched cryptid finger toward the man he’d put so much faith in, then leaned their temple against the side of his. “What do you think he will choose, hmm...? You? Or aaaaall of Zion’s future residents?”

“Please…” Vincent nearly begged, hand balled to a shaking fist at his side. “Don’t hurt him-” “Hurt him…?” Malachi interrupted with a chortled cackle of offense. “As if I could. Do you know the extent of the guilt this one’s been carrying around since the spread of the Outbreak...?” Scrawny fingers swept aside onyx locks out of Noah’s face as they shook their head with a quiet tsk. “Resetting him now would be mercy… It’d be a relief to him, if you just let it happen…”

Time was running out, but help was almost there. Sixty seconds, just keep him talking. Gabe seethed in the half-second he could afford to. Seemed that was all he could do tonight- sit, talk, and wait, when he was just itching for a fight. Maybe he’d gone into the wrong line of work. Even if he had successfully feigned a much more difficult alias, under more stressful circumstances, he didn’t have the patience for this. “You wouldn’t,” he challenged with the intent to draw out another long-winded explanation. "Oh, but I would…!” Malachi replied, anxious to bite. “Have you not been paying attention to anything the Inquisition has been saying and doing…? We want to liberate our android brothers and sisters of the pain that comes with being free and independent living things. And no one knows that agony better than the one rejected by his own kin, over something he had no control over. Shunned in every way, no matter his good deeds… why would he want to continue to live like that? Don’t you think he’d rather be put out of his misery?”

Noah knew misery. The worst part of the garden wasn’t that he could see beyond its borders. It was the overreaching bass every sound he heard was amplified into. Gabe’s baritone drawl was rendered tinny and reverby over the comm-link, while Malachi’s puppet practically hissed maliciousness and oozed contempt with every word. What they were saying wasn’t completely unfounded, and those parts of him yearning day in and out for the guilt to just dissipate already jumped at the thought that a reset would end the torment. The involuntary cry of shock wasn’t a vote of approval, no matter how one listened. Reset, dead, alive, anything in between- the fact such a call was in the hands of someone he respected like no other despite having given him every reason to despise his company… the loss of control (external and not) over all of this, left him reeling. Malachi could simply flip a switch and snuff out everything on a moment’s notice, and there would be no getting it back. He wanted the pain to stop. He wanted things the way they used to be, but he didn’t want to have to die for that to be possible. It wouldn’t be the same world without him. Who else would be left to annoy Gabriel when he needed it most?

“Come now…” Malachi paused to brush their nose and lips over Noah’s cheek with a wicked smirk. “Don’t you care at all about dear Erwin?" Noah didn’t have to see his face to know what was going through his mind. He could feel the tension and taste his fear from where he stood. It seemed Gabriel was at a loss for what to do, aside from give into Priya-Malachi’s demands, but that just wouldn’t do. Don’t. Just- don’t.

There was a fear in his eyes that Noah had only seen but once or twice: back in the interrogation room during the Outbreak (just after they had found out that Gabriel’s pursuit of Nicodemus into Boston had been one final piece of buried programming, courtesy of Amanda), and when he had arrived at his apartment during the Red Raids to find Gabriel fighting off a pack of Bloodhounds, raring to take their shot at him and Emilya. Gabriel could only guess as to what he meant by ‘don’t’- Don’t worry about him? Don’t give in to Malachi’s demands? Don’t risk everyone else? Or did he not want him to save him…? Any hint of red that had shifted into the color of his projected skin faded to mimic the ghostly look of despair. Gabriel swallowed to rid himself of the lump that rose in his throat but it didn’t do him much good. The tightness worsened the longer he considered their previous conversations and recalled his counterpart’s self-destructive tendencies. There was no way he was getting off that easily, after all he’d put him through. They weren’t done with each other yet.

Gavin…? Give me some good news. Bird’s in the nest, and they’re ready to raid, he confirmed, though there was hesitation in his voice. There was a ‘but’ in there somewhere. Just waiting on your confirmation. Then why don’t I see the shot? he asked fearfully, even if he already knew the answer. Because he doesn’t have it. Head and nose twitched, Vincent clenched a hand into a fist at his side, as Malachi beat him to the punch of issuing their final command.

Their free hand drew up over Noah's face and tented their fingertips over his forehead like needles poised to administer a lethal injection. His flashing LED stuttered to a solid, rapid-spinning crimson. “Last chance, Mr. Sharp… will you allow him to continue on like this…? Or will you let me end his suffering?” “ENOUGH!” Gabe was surprised at the urgency of his own outburst, and how his heart raced and his breathing labored at the thought of losing Noah -and all he was- to the whim of a madman. He’d have to sell this lie hard and fast, and be prepared for the fleeting moment he'd have to save his life. Count me down, 30 seconds, then send them in, he instructed, to the response of ‘Copy- 30, on my mark.’

Vincent’s jaw flexed and his lip quivered into an angry curl. “I’ll-... I’ll do it… just leave him be.” A look of surprise painted Priya’s face, while fret stained Noah’s as his eyesight slowly came back to him. The lockout was slowly letting up. You… you can’t- I only need them to believe it for half a minute, he shot back pointedly, Just whatever you do, don’t move. It was as ominous as a warning as it got, but ‘not moving’ when asked was precisely what had landed him in this situation. If he had heeded Gabe’s suggestion the first time, dropped the song and simply left as asked, they wouldn’t be here: a sliver of distance away from having his memory wiped for good. Admittedly, it was as insanely exhilarating as stealing the show had been, but could do without the fear of mortality hanging over his head spoiling the fun. … why, what are you- Just trust me, please. It would only take a second, he just had to catch them off-guard.

Seeing how it was still impossible for him to do much else, Noah supposed trusting in whatever plan Gabe had cooked up was preferable to the alternative. He wasn’t really a fan of the simple and contrived. Malachi’s promise of being reset wouldn’t undo all that he was still trying to atone for, even if it was a misguided goal to think he needed to earn forgiveness for that which he never intentionally did wrong; forgiveness was kind of a difficult thing to obtain from beyond the scrap heap. Malachi turned their direct attention to Noah and leaned close to his face as his lip curled to show he had withstood all he could handle. For a single clear moment all his whirl-winding thoughts died down, the garden vanished, and fate let him focus. His eyebrows drew together ominously, yellow blooming through the red of his indicator ring. I trust you, just get it over with.

“Well, well, Vincent, not quite the stupid brute your lover made you out to b-“

Something green and silky lightly grazed his cheek with enough force to spear the MS800’s temple with a loud crack that splattered a bit of blue-blood onto his coat and face. A split-second later, the paralysis finally disabled. Noah took a panicked step back before Priya could topple over into his arms like some android parody of Corpse Bride and hiked both hands up as if to lift them in surrender, expression curdling in revulsion as he watched the body keel over like a freshly-cut tree. The broken, squared-off edge of a Prada heel protruded from their face like an unsightly lawn dart. The perfect moment for a one liner came and went in the next breath, just as the FBI stormed in and the Inquisition turned to meet them with weapons raised. The fact that Gabriel had been able to throw a shoe with such pinpoint accuracy to hit the Android standing so close to him, and with enough force to pierce the exodermis with a mildly blunt object, while managing a perfect rotation, hadn’t eluded Noah (even for an Android it was an impressive feat), but he wasn’t afforded the time to address it.

The displacing sensation of entering standby mode hit, and his dodgy battle protocols engaged at the sound of gunfire- five, six, seven shots popped off in the next second and hit their marks, as the rest of the frightened crowd scattered to either side of the room, like the fragments of a breaking dish. Instead of reacting with the rest, Gabriel stood heaving and heatedly glaring at the dead Android on the floor beside him, enraged and rightfully flustered.

A flurry of readouts flashed across his vision, his processors amped up to give the illusion of time slowing down long enough to run a handful of potential pre-constructions. The Inquisitors closest to the stage had turned to face the gunfire emanating from the entrance. If it was between standing around waiting to be shot as and waging imminent war with the Inquisition, he supposed it was an improvement over languishing in the recycle bin waiting for someone to click him away into nonexistence.

Gabriel, however, didn’t share his sentiment. He knew the bloodthirsty intent in his eyes better than to expect anything good was about to come of it. “Oh, you’ve got to be-...” He took a few steps back, poised a fighting stance, and prepared to react. The last thing they needed now was a pissed off RK900 snapping necks and unable to terminate his program.

Noah knew dismay when he saw it, but with the wheels in motion, he was along for the ride just as much as the rest of the chaos erupting around them now. Vincent Sharp wasn’t his self-appointed target, but the Inquisition was. Blue eyes narrowed and twitched as he seethed anew, “For fuck’s sake, haven’t we had enough bloody interruptions for one evening?”

He didn’t even notice the massive arm swinging around to clothesline him as he charged off the stage toward the nearest target he could reach.

[imaginetonyandbucky]

Operation: Rescue Playmate (Part 1/2)

Kaci1ynn prompted:  Tony is an alien who crash landed/got lost/was left (by Obi?) on Earth. Tony tries to hide among humans using his advanced tech and abilities. Bucky as WS is sent after alien Tony because Hydra wants his tech. Tony uses his tech to give Bucky back his mind. Fall in love, defeat Hydra (maybe pick up Avengers along the way), the end :) Does Tony decide to stay on earth or does he build a new space ship so he, Bucky, and the Avengers can be space cowboys?

(Special thanks to @summerpipedream, who beta read this fic. You’re amazing and a lifesaver!)

Tony spun down the streetlight onto the crosswalk light. He balanced on the balls of his feet and looked at the hotdog cart below. He licked his lips and swayed his tail as he watched the woman manning the cart hand out the delicious Earthen delicacy in exchange for one of the many forms of Earthen money.

He waited for the moment when the woman was distracted, then looped his tail around the crosswalk light and swung down next to the woman. He inwardly laughed with glee as the woman remained oblivious to his presence.

It wasn’t the daily exhaustion that wore on so many humans, nor was it the monotony of routine that blinded her to Tony’s presence. A titanium-gold device that was simple in design and reminiscent to an Earth wristwatch wrapped around his wrist and performed many tasks for him. The device on his home planet was pronounced “Dummy”, and Tony took great joy in knowing that one of the human languages had a similar sounding word, even if their meaning was vastly different.

One of the many things Dummy could do was make Tony “invisible.” Tony found that ability very useful on Earth. With his purple and blue skin that was covered in a thin sheen of mucus comparable to Earth frogs, Tony stood out like a thinthak among batticore, and that was just his flesh. He had marsupial-like legs that allowed him to leap and climb with ease, and a tail that he used for balance and to grab things.

Tony touched the tongs the woman had put aside as she squirted mustard onto the hotdog for the young man waiting for his food purchase. Once Tony knew that he’d touched the tongs long enough for Dummy to make the tongs invisible to human eyes, he picked them up and used them to pluck two hotdogs from the cart and place them in buns.

The woman’s customer blinked and squinted at the appearance out of two hotdogs suddenly cushioned into two buns. The customer mumbled to himself then looked away.

Happiness and a sense of victory tickled Tony’s insides. He snatched up the two hot dogs then swung himself back onto the crosswalk light. He gobbled them up with voracity—just one hotdog short of what he thought humans would consider “gorging.” He licked his fingers and hummed in delight. His pointed ears wiggled as he sucked the crumbs and juices from his fingertips.

Dummy flashed a yellow light.

Tony and his tail perked up, just as Dummy displayed a human-thumb-sized image a man on a rooftop with the coordinates.

Tony yelped and leaped onto a passing truck just as a bullet zoomed past where he had been standing. Giddiness tickled his belly as he spun around and grinned at the rooftop where the bullet had come from.

(Mobile Users: Read More Line)

A man dressed in armor and black cattle hide pivoted on the rooftop then ran to its edge. With inhuman strength and speed, he jumped from the rooftop to the next.  He reached for the goggles on his face as he ran. Tony could only assume that he was adjusting them.

Tony hadn’t gotten his hands on this particular human’s tech yet, but he’d been chased by this human enough to know that his goggles were what gave him the ability to see Tony even when Dummy had invisibility mode activated.

Tony chuckled and swished his tail as he watched the man jump from roof to roof.

The truck slowed as the vehicle approached a red light.

Tony tensed and got ready to leap as the the man adjusted his path—he was going to jump from the roof onto the truck.

Tony waited until the moment the man leaped then threw him on top of a bus and then onto a car turning right at the intersection.

Tony hissed with glee as the human landed and cursed. The human raised his gun to shoot, but Tony and the car had already rounded the corner.

When the human had hunted Tony for the first time an Earth month ago, Tony had been terrified. He had no idea why the human was chasing him, and he did not know the damage capable of the human. In fact, he wasn’t even sure if the man was human. His strength and speed were unnatural, and he could take more damage than the average human. Tony had been terrified that a bounty hunter from another planet had found him and was just disguising itself as human.

Tony knew better now, after getting a blood sample from the man (the human was not at all cautious and constantly injured himself during chases. It had been easy to find a piece of broken glass with the man’s blood after Tony had lost his pursuer). The man was human, but with a serum injected into his DNA that increased his physical prowess.

Once Tony had learned that the man chasing him was from Earth—and Tony had taken a couple a bullet wounds and found the bullets to be a painful nuisance, but nothing truly terrible—he’d taken to liking his little chases with the human. He loved Earth, but it was quite isolating. His only companion was his ship’s AI JARVIS.

JARVIS was great when it came to conversations, and was helpful when Tony was in the mood to engineer something, but when it came to actual play, Tony was by himself. He needed someone to fool around with. Admittedly, the man fascinated with wearing cattle hide was on the dangerous side, but Tony had grown fond of him and liked their game of “cat and mouse,” as humans called it.

Tony launched himself from the car onto the fire escape of a human domicile. He panicked as he almost kicked a woman, who was smoking and reading on one of the escape’s landings, as he swung himself onto the edge of the landing. Once Tony found his balance on the edge of the landing, he took a moment to make sure he hadn’t hit the woman. He was pleased to see she was undisturbed by him.

With glee tickling his insides, Tony jumped to the next landing on the fire escape and faced the street.

It wouldn’t be long before-

The man in cattle hide rolled off the roof of a car that turned down the street. He barely had time to get his proper footing before Tony leaped off of the fire escape and tackled the man.

Tony laughed as the man let out a cry of surprise and hit the ground hard. Tony wiggled and rubbed himself up against the human as his tail snatched up the human’s gun and a knife the human kept sheathed on his hip.

The human shouted something and threw his arms around Tony in a half-flesh/half-metal hug (the human had a prosthetic arm).

Tony had already been fooled by this maneuver once. His friend wasn’t bestowing upon him wondrous affection. His friend was trying to capture him.

Thank goodness for mucus.

Tony chuckled and slipped out of the human’s hold. He sprang off down an ally and jumped over the fence there. Once over the barrier, Tony took a moment to have Dummy scan the gun and knife he’d stolen from his friend.

Tony pouted at the results Dummy’s scan brought up. The gun was not the same quality his friend had before. It was a gun made from a decade ago, and did not have any of the advance tech that some of his playmate’s previous guns had. The knife was well made, but it wasn’t anything special.

Tony huffed. He held the gun in his tail and smashed it against the brick wall of the alley. The gun shattered to pieces. Tony held the knife in his palms and flipped it over as he grumbled to himself.

Something sharp pierced Tony’s neck.

Tony reached for the offending object and pulled out a dart.

Tranquilizer.

It wasn’t the first time his playmate had managed to dart him, and so far the dosage hadn’t been high enough to take him out, but Tony always felt sick afterwards.

His playmate leaped over the fence and tackled him.

Tony flipped onto his back and kicked his playmate into the fence.

His playmate grunted as he hit the fence.

Tony sprang up onto his feet and bolted for freedom. He didn’t know if his playmate had figured out the right dosage needed to knock him out, but Tony wasn’t going to wait and find out. He also didn’t want to be running around the city. The tranquilizer was in his system, and running around would make it spread faster.

Tony picked up his pace. He wanted to go back to his spaceship, but he had it hidden far away. He also didn’t want to risk his playmate finding it, so Tony activated Dummy’s navigational mode. He plotted a course for somewhere secluded but nearby. Someplace where he could wait out the effects of the injection.

Where he ended up was a factory by the docks. Cars drove by the buildings nearby at a peaceful pace, and dockhands shouted instructions as well as casual conversation as they docked ships and unloaded shipments.

Tony eyed the workers with longing as he bounded over to the window of the factory Dummy had selected for him to take shelter in. He wanted to play with the humans at the docks. It was always fun to pick up tools or misplace important objects when humans were working. Some had no reaction to Tony’s games, but the ones that did were always vastly amusing. The number of times Tony had been called a ghost was so high he had stopped keeping track.

With a disappointed heart, Tony climbed through the window. He sneezed when the dust on the floor of the abandon building floated up and filled his nostrils. He wiped his nose with his tail and peered around the building. There were conveyor belts and boxes left on the bottom floor of the factory. As Tony explored the bottom floor, he found a roll of plastic wrap and kicked it around until he grew bored.

He ventured up the stairs to the second floor, where he skidded across the floorboards. He chuckled to himself as he left streaks across the filthy floors. When he grew bored of the second floor he bounced up to the third and looked out the windows. He watched the dock workers and grumbled petulantly.

He should be safe now. The tranquilizer would have affected him by now if it was going to at all. Nonetheless, if he was wrong, or if the dart had contained something other than a tranquilizer, the only person who would be able to help him was himself. He had to be extra cautious.

Depressed to see so many humans whom he could tease, but couldn’t, Tony moved away from the window facing the docks and went to another.

The view wasn’t very impressive. Behind the factory were more factories, some which were still operational, and others which were not. Tony let his gaze drift toward the ground. Surprise smacked into Tony when he spotted tucked away between the factories three black vans and four armed humans guarding them.

Tony cocked his head.

The way the humans were dressed was similar to his playmate.

He wondered why humans were so obsessed with cattle hide.

The humans shifted and their attention went to something ahead of them.

Excitement rushed through Tony. He sprang over to the next window so he could get a better view of what the humans were seeing.

His heart twisted and tore at the sight over his playmate with his head bowed and his hands cuffed as he was escorted by another set of four humans.

Two of the humans guarding the vehicles rushed to the back doors of one of the vans and held them open.

The human closest to Tony’s playmate lifted his rifle and slammed the butt of it into the playmate’s skull.

Tony’s playmate jerked, but held his ground for a second. Slowly, he lifted his foot and marched into the van.

Agitation sent Tony’s tail swishing.

Blood dripped from his playmate’s nose as he lumbered into the open van.

His playmate was tough and he liked to play rough, but this did not look like a game to Tony. Tony knew what captives looked like, and his playmate matched the appearance perfectly.

A creak from the staircase alerted Tony to the presence of someone in the factory with him. Tony snapped his head toward the staircase, but didn’t see anyone. He wasn’t an idiot though.

Tony glanced up to confirm that there were rafters above.

Tony ran a few paces then leaped into the rafters.

Men covered in black and toting weapons similar to Tony’s playmate tiptoed in from the staircase. The floorboards creaked under their boots. One of the men elbowed another. He used hand signals to communicate to his partners.

Tony lay low on the rafters. He watched the men intently as they swept the area. He also kept an eye on the windows. He was glad he had when he witnessed three more men scale the building from the outside.

Tony waited until the humans outside, as well as the ones inside, headed toward the roof.

With caution and care, Tony snuck his way through the rafters and down the stairs to the second floor. There were two humans guarding the staircases, but they were easy to knock out without alerting other humans to his presence. Tony snuck down to the first floor and repeated the process of knocking out the two guards there.

Tony used Dummy to scan the area and pick out the safest path for him to take in his escape.

Tony just made one alteration to Dummy’s escape plan.

Outside, Tony snuck between buildings and took a roundabout route toward the three vans. He dared not get too close to the vehicles, but close enough that he could use one Dummy’s tracking features. Tony ducked behind a dumpster in the alley that gave him a perfect shot at one of the van’s tires.

Tony aimed Dummy at the tire. Tony brought up the projection of Dummy’s keypad and inputted a command. A tracker smaller than a human’s pinkie shot out from Dummy and latched onto the tire.

Success and pride filled Tony. With a silent cheer, Tony dashed out of the alley, only to freeze when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps yet again.

Something was wrong. The humans should not be finding him so easily. It was as if-

Tony inwardly grumbled as he launched himself at the fire escape of another factory then proceeded to jump from building to building until he was confident he’d gained enough distance to do what needed to be done.

Tony pulled up Dummy’s keypad again and had Dummy scan him for tracking devices. Just as he thought, micro trackers had gotten into his system.

Scowling, Tony had Dummy deactivate the trackers as he fled from the docks and the precocious humans.

He was furious at himself for not considering sooner what his playmate had injected him with until then. At the same time, he was relieved and grateful to the part of himself that had had the forethought not to return to his ship right away. He had no idea what he would have done if the humans hunting him had found his ship.

He was scared of what he might have had to do if that had happened. He couldn’t let the humans have his ship. He’d have to fight for it, and he might not be able to knock the humans unconscious if it were a fight for his home.

With that thought in mind, Tony did not return to his ship that night. He found a motel, and when the human at the front desk wasn’t looking, he blocked out a room for himself and created a card key for the room. Throughout the night he had Dummy scan him for more trackers. When morning came and the humans hadn’t come for him again and Dummy continued to not find any trackers, Tony journeyed back to his ship.

His ship sat on the edge of a field connected to a park in the suburbs. The ship was cloaked to avoid drawing unwanted attention. Human children and their parents played on the slides and swings nearby and occasionally ventured close to the ship. Thanks to a low frequency that humans picked up on, but could not consciously hear, humans stayed away from his ship. Every now and then, a dog would come to the park and bark at the ship from afar, but once they realized that their bark would not stop the sound, the dogs would ignore it.

Tony wished he could feed and play with the dogs like humans do, but he had learned after the first and only dog that he had done that with that it encouraged the dog to approach his home. That in it of itself wasn’t bad; however, when it led to the dog’s humans approaching the ship too, Tony realized he couldn’t take the risk.

With a wistful and tired sigh, Tony bounded over to the round ship and waited for JARVIS to scan him. With a hiss, the door to Tony’s ship open and he hopped inside.

“Good afternoon, Sir. I hope you are well. Another twenty-four hours and I would have gone into Lost Child mode.”

Tony waddled over to the cockpit despite his bed calling for him. Tony plopped into the oval and plush chair and curled into a ball. He wrapped his tail around his body and closed his eyes. “I Should change the name of that.” He breathed deep then opened his eyes. “JARVIS, I planted a tracker on a vehicle yesterday. What do you have on it?”

“One moment, Sir.” The dashboard of the cockpit lit up as JARVIS went to work. Dummy lit up on Tony’s wrist, and Tony knew JARVIS was accessing information on the tracking device from Dummy. “By the way, Sir, might I recommend charging Dummy before you go out again?”

“Will do, JARVIS.”

Projected images popped up above the dashboard. There was an image of a map, and beside it images of different locations where the vehicle had stopped. Tony had JARVIS create a timeline with them. He was intrigued to see that the van had taken a rather circuitous route. “Have any video, JARVIS?”

“I do, although I believe you will find most of it boring. Unless you find humans relieving themselves or eating of interest.”

“Depends on the day of the week. You’d be fascinated to see the things humans eat, and the way they go about eating, I’m sure.”

“If you say so, Sir,” exasperation filled JARVIS’ tone.

Tony hissed gleefully. “So what kind of video do you have of interest for me?”

“Their current destination, Sir.” JARVIS’ projections shrank and rose above Tony’s head, while a video of outside a building that was tall enough it stretched beyond the camera played. Passersby moved about in a rush as the vans drove past.

JARVIS cut the scene to a clip of the vans parked at what had to be the back of the skyscraper.

The drivers of the vans one by one stepped out from the vehicles and went around to the back of one of the vans. One of the drivers rapped his knuckles against the van’s back doors, then opened them. Two men with guns cautiously exited the vehicle. Once they checked the perimeter, they turned the guns on the people inside.

Tony’s playmate lumbered out of the back, sans parts of his gear, with another set of guards aiming guns at his head.

At first, it appeared he was being escorted to the back door, but he walked a few steps passed it and stood in front of the wall. One of the drivers ran their fingers over the wall until a door slid open. Tony’s playmate and the guards entered through the secret door.

The feed cut off.

Tony sat up straight and knocked his tail through the air. “That’s it?”

“I’m not done breaking the facilities’ encryption, Sir. It’s quite advanced. I’d almost say I’m dealing with another AI. As soon as I decrypt one of the firewalls, the previous one re-encrypts itself.”

Tony frowned. “Can you crack their systems then?”

“Sir. I’m insulted you would ask. As we speak, I am almost—correction: I am done.”

A new video appeared, seemingly taking place right after Tony’s playmate and the guards had stepped into the facility. Tony’s playmate stood in the center of the elevator with the guards ringed around him and aiming their weapons. The elevator doors opened and Tony’s playmate and the guards marched out.

Tony cocked his head. His playmate was being taken through a dark hall filled with pipes. Thin pipes covered the ceiling, and large ones that Tony could squeeze himself into created the walls for the narrow hallway. The camera angle shifted, and the hallway became an equally dark room with crates and a few people sifting through the crate’s contents.

The footage kept changing as JARVIS took Tony from one camera view to the next. In one scene, his playmate was walked past a vicious match between two humans who were bleeding profusely. One of whom had lost her hand.

Tony cringed.

His playmate was taken to a room full of lab equipment. At the center of the room was a chair unlike one Tony had seen on Earth before. It had the wear of age and was hooked up to several devices that looked ominous. In particular was the looming vise above the chair that waited to grab its victims’ heads and crush them.

Tony suspected the vise did more than crush the victims’ heads. The monitors surrounding the chair suggested that whoever was put in it was a test subject.

It was subtle, but Tony’s playmate tensed at the sight of the chair.

Tony’s stomach churned as he waited to see what would happen.

There were a few men and women in lab coats. Two of whom were going over monitor readings. Their faces were concealed by face masks and, for one of them, a pair of goggles. The one who went without eye protection wore in its place glasses. The man with glasses nodded and said something to the other scientist. He then stepped away from his companion.

He approached Tony’s playmate, and as he did so, he removed his face mask to reveal a toothy grin. The man’s face was lined with age and his hair was a bright hue with white ends peeking out along the edges of his hair. He was dressed in what Tony understood to be human business attire, and he even looked friendly from what he had learned about humans.

He spoke as he circled Tony’s playmate.

A gun appeared in the man’s hand, Tony only had a moment to wonder if JARVIS had edited the footage before he watched as his playmate took a bullet to the chest.

His playmate staggered and the man with glasses smashed the butt of his gun into the playmate’s head.

The guards surrounding Tony’s playmate seized Tony’s playmate by the hair and shoved him into the chair.

What followed was horrifying. The vise clamped onto the playmate’s head as scientists rushed forward to strap the playmate in. Once their task was complete, the scientists and the guards backed away.

Tony’s playmate convulsed as electricity plowed through his being. His jaw clenched, and even though Tony had no audio, he felt his playmate’s screams in his core. His playmate’s fingers curled into the arm of the chair as volts surged through his his body.

“Shut it off!” Tony swiped his tail through the projection as JARVIS made it disappear.

Tony curled into a ball and covered his head.

He shouldn’t get involved in human affairs. Especially when the humans he’d be getting involved with had been hunting him down for months now.

His playmate though…

Except his playmate wasn’t really his friend. They’d never spoken to each other, unless one counted the taunts Tony threw at his playmate. Nonetheless, he had grown to care for the human, and even if he had not, he knew what the moral thing to do was.

He was already such a coward for hiding on Earth. Must he make himself even more cowardly by leaving someone to be tortured?

Tony knew his answer.

[recentanimenews]

Wonder Egg Priority – 05 – Scrambled

We hadn’t been privy to Aonuma Neiru’s Egg missions until this week; only the interludes between recovering from battles and purchasing new Eggs to protect. Her dream-battlefield is a majestic suspension bridge with a huge city nightscape as the backdrop; as bold and dramatic as Neiru herself is modest and unflappable.

Her egg this time is a runaway dealing with an abused, but Neiru has it covered, darting around the bridge like she’s in FLCL and defeating it with her compass-turned-gun with action movie fluorish, complete with the catchphrase “I’m going to blow your mind.” She means the words literally.

The runaway thanks her savior, but Neiru remains businesslike and aloof. She’s not doing this for her. She’s merely completing objectives, like a good operative. In a thematic transition only a eclectic show like WEP can pull off, we shift to real life, with Ai welcoming Neiru, Rika, and Momoe to her home.

Ai can’t contain how happy she is to have friends over, and neither can her adorable mom, who recognizes Momoe as Sawaki-sensei’s niece. Ai mentions that Koito seemed to have a thing for Sawaki. Rika, in true Rika form, stirs up a conspiracy that’s plausible enough to give Ai pause: What if Koito was dating Sawaki? What if she got pregnant? What if Sawaki only visits Ai regularly because he suspects she has proof of the affair?

The talk of Koito and Sawaki leads Ai to remember when Sawaki was sketching her for a portrait as his means of entry to a life of painting. In the memories Koito seems to be projecting envy in the way she tells Ai that if her heart isn’t in being Sawaki’s subject, she’d better bow out, as his “future is on the line”…as if an adult man’s future should be anyone’s responsibility but his own!

The messy can of worms Rika opens and stirs threatens to curdle the vibe of Ai’s friends’ visit. It also reinforces the fact that a great deal of mystery surrounds Koito’s death. When Rika asks why she doesn’t just ask her mom, who seems to be close to Sawaki, Ai voices her reluctance to make her mom worry more than she clearly already is about her string of recent unexplained injuries, which…fair enough!

Rika gets that. So do the other girls. No matter how nice and understanding her mom is, nothing good can come of Ai telling her she sneaks out at night to fight monsters in her sleep on behalf of youth suicides…it will only worry her more! That’s what re-knits the tentative bonds Rika’s speculation briefly frayed and lightens a conversation that had turned dark: the four of them can’t tell anyone.

It’s their story that no one else knows about. While before they were toiling alone, not even sure what the fuck was going on, now they have context through each others’ shared burden. They are seen by one another; they recognize the pain, guilt, and curiosity in one another. Then Rika and Ai compare mothers: Rika took one look after being born and thought “this lady wants to stay a woman her whole life and never be a parent.” Ai wonders if her perfect, imminently capable mom drove her dad away.

There’s an excellent exchange in which Rika looks Neiru’s way after stating that capable women can spoil men, both because she sees Neiru as capable, and because it’s her turn. They’re playing Jenga, and the way Rika steers the convo throughout makes the group dynamic almost feel like a Jenga game in and of itself: gradually removing blocks while maintaining integrity. In a similar fashion, Rika pounces on Neiru and tickles her. She doesn’t get the right spot at first, but when she finds it, Neiru can’t help but burst into laughter, while Ai and Momoe note how well the two opposites get along.

We can’t be sure if her battles on the bridge take place before or after the friends meet at Ai’s, but her latest egg is a real piece of work, criticizing Neiru’s hair while going off unbidden about the ephemeral nature of a girl’s beauty, and how dying while at one’s most beautiful is preferable to becoming an “ugly hag” in a pointless adult life.

The four girls meet up and break into a shuttered bowling alley and arcade. Acca tells them to get out of there and buy some damned eggs already, but they push back, declaring what they’re doing to be necessary “group therapy”. Ura-Acca lets them have a little fun, declaring that “soldiers” need R&R.

For a few blissful hours, four girls who have been battling monsters in their dreams get to live their lives as ordinary girls. Momoe talks about how at least six people have confessed to her—all girls—but only Haruka saw her as a girl. Remembering how she handled Haruka stripping before her, she wonders if she could have done things differently.

While Rika and Ai are off playing a different game, Momoe and Neiru have a chat while playing a racing game. Neiru points out that Momoe doesn’t necessarily hate being popular, even with girls. Neiru concedes that, adding that “sometimes you end up enjoying something even though you didn’t mean to.” That’s something Neiru needs to hear, especially as she’s enjoying hanging out with the others despite herself.

Later, in Acca and Ura-Acca’s garden, the four exchange contact info for future hangouts together, and Rika lies on her back, looks up at the sky, and asks a very fair question: Why don’t they stop buying eggs? Rika admits she got caught up in her mission, but at the end of the day Chiemi “died on her own”, and dying isn’t “playing fair”, so why should she bear responsibility? She asks the same questions of Ai, as Koito died without ever talking to her, and may not even want to come back to life.

What if their egg-protecting missions led to them meeting each other in real life, and now that they have new friends, they can ditch the eggs and dreams, move forward together, and live their lives? Again, this is all fair, and I’m glad Rika goes with her instinct to probe and prod and bring up hard truths regardless of how she’ll be seen by the group. It means she feels safe enough with them to to do.

The problem is, this isn’t just about bringing their respective friends back to life. That was never the case with Neiru, because her statue is of her sister. Her sister ran away and jumped off a bridge, but only after stabbing Neiru in the back, quite literally. To this day, the scar aches and keeps her awake, especially when she tries to forget her. It’s like a curse she’s trying to exorcise from her body. As she tells the eggs she protects, she’s not doing it for them…she’s doing it for herself.

In a similar way, Ai’s desire to keep going isn’t only couched in saving Koito or righting any wrong she might have done. It’s to crack the mystery; to feed her insatiable curiosity, like a splinter in her brain that won’t let up until she has the answers. As Ura-Acca puts it to the stricter Acca, the girls are in a state of teenage rebellion: they’ll stop if told not to stop, and will keep pushing boundaries to build up their own identities.

Back in the battle protecting the girl obsessed with the pure, inimitable beauty of youth, Neiru realizes the three pompom-like monsters aren’t the Wonder Killer’s true form, it’s the girl’s hair. After shooting it, Neiru notes that her sister (whose statue stands on the edge of the bridge) “tempted” her to die by stabbing her, before ending her own life.

Was her sister’s rejection of reaching adulthood an ultimate act of rebellion against What Is and What Should Be? As with Ai’s inquiries into Koito, it’s a question that may only be answered if they keep fighting—egged on by the Accas all the way. I just hope that the fact the four girls are not alone in their struggles will make those struggles a little easier to bear.

By: sesameacrylic

[truemedian]

Former HTC CEO Peter Chou reveals his next project: a social 5G VR headset

Engadget The Mova is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 chipset (instead of the 835 as used by the Focus and the Quest), 6GB of RAM (instead of the usual 4GB) and a 4,600mAh battery (the Quest has 3,648mAh). XRSpace didn’t specify the nature of the 2,880 x 1,440 display panel nor its field of view, but we do know that it has a slick 90Hz refresh rate and a whopping 702 dpi pixel density, both of which are much higher than its rivals, and due to using a smaller display panel. Questions remain, however, for when we get to try the device: would you prefer higher pixel density or a larger view?The Mova will ship with a single controller for gaming purposes, but it’s designed to be used with hand tracking as the primary control method. This, in theory, would lower the learning barrier for most people, and they would probably use the headset more often because of its less fiddly nature. But the company wants hand gestures to be a core interaction in its virtual world, Manova. And this is where things get different from VR headsets that we’ve seen already.Once you’re inside one of the Manova spaces (more on that later), you can toggle most common social gestures with natural movements: you can shake hands with other avatars, give high fives, do fist bumps or toast with a glass. You can even grab and throw objects, meaning you can shoot hoops or throw darts with your buddies who are actually miles away in real life. There’s also a gesture for teleportation: tap in the air with your index finger to toggle an arrow, then point at your desired spot and tap again to teleport.Since the Mova is a 6DoF VR headset, you can walk around physically as you do virtually. The biggest surprise here is that the inside-out cameras here can apparently just about track your legs, so you’re able to play simple soccer games with others in VR as well. It sounds intriguing, but I’ll wait to see how this fares once I’ve tried the headset properly.For the same reason, XRSpace lets you put on a full-body avatar by default, as opposed to making do with floating half-body versions like some VR social platforms do.

Engadget Avatar features are easily written off as gimmicks, but Chou believes it’s core to making VR work when it comes to social interactions.“Today, one of the reasons why VR is not that exciting, is not getting that level of immersiveness, is that it's lacking very good digital avatars,” the exec reasoned. “Today, most of the digital avatars are cartoonish and half body, really not something that we can call your ‘digital self.’ So what we really want to do is to let people really actually recognize this is you.”These upgraded avatars, along with higher-quality skin textures, AI-based natural facial expression and natural limb movements, come from the time Chou spent working at effects studio, Digital Domain.Chou hopes that users would then stick to the same “digital self” when meeting with families and friends, or when joining meetings and lessons. But of course, there’s no stopping you from making your avatar look bizarre for the more casual applications. “We don't prohibit that.”

Engadget Rather than relying on an existing VR platform like Viveport or Steam, XRSpace has bigger ambitions when it comes to content and services. The main foundation of that is Manova, which is basically XRSpace’s take on VR social platforms like VRChat or Rec Room. This hub is also your headset’s main interface.With private spaces, you can meet up with family, friends or acquaintances in your virtual home, meeting room, classroom, cinema or even private beach. You’ll obviously be able to watch videos, play mini-games, or fiddle with virtual objects together in those scenarios.If you want to make things a bit more realistic, the Mova headset offers a feature called “Space Scanning” which, as you can probably tell by the name, can scan a physical room and turn it into a virtual space. In a quick video I saw, the user would simply walk around a room and let the headset’s front optical sensors do the work. I couldn’t tell what the scan quality was like, but apparently you’ll able to redecorate this virtual room before inviting people over.To bolster this ambitious feature pitch, the startup has already secured one of Taiwan’s largest real estate agencies, YC House, to launch VR house-viewing tours in Q3. XRSpace is also working with furniture retailers and travel agencies to take advantage of this feature, so that customers can preview their purchases or destinations before making the jump.XRSpace is also working on bringing VR education and VR collaboration to institutions and companies. In Taiwan, there are already at least four schools on board to integrate Manova for remote learning. Similarly, XRSpace claims that its bank customers are also interested in using Mova as a remote meeting and training solution.

Engadget Things get a lot more interesting when you head out to public spaces. You start from a city center which acts as a hub, from there you can head to parks, beaches, night clubs and cinemas, in which you can hang out with friends or meet people from around the world.Then you have MagicLOHAS, which is essentially a suite of wellness activities that you can participate with other people in VR. There’s yoga, tai chi, meditation, dancing, stretching and even brain training, all of which can take place on top of a mountain, by the sea or in the woods. XRSpace tapped a handful of wellness experts to add virtual instructors to each activity, but users will have to wear body trackers — sold separately — to leverage this service.The remaining public spaces are basically portals to music, VR videos and VR games. The music part will be handled by carriers, whereas videos will come from partners like AirPano, Insta360, Digital Domain and various local content partners. In Taiwan’s case, Vogue and GQ are already on board, and XRSpace is also working with a local baseball team to integrate live signal into Manova’s virtual stadium.As for VR games, the notable ones include Resolution Games’ Angry Birds VR and fishing game Bait!, along with Futuretown’s mini-golfing game Cloudlands 2 and shooting game A-10 VR. It’s unclear how many of these titles will be compatible with the headset’s hand gesture input, though, and it’ll need to convince many more game developers to pick up its SDK — available today — in order to catch up with the competition in this space. Meanwhile, Oculus is already adding gesture-based games to the Quest’s library later this week.XRSpace’s Mova is a hugely ambitious VR headset, at a time when the sector has struggled to truly breakthrough to the mainstream. And that’s before the list price of $599. While the ideas are unique, it’ll need to work extra hard to tempt regular consumers. XRSpace is hoping that carriers will help them out. For Taiwan, XRSpace is launching its headset with Chunghwa Telecom, whereas in the West, Deutsche Telekom will be bringing the Mova to Europe in the near future. We’ll be keeping an eye out on US availability and a chance to properly experience the device. In this article: resolution games, angry birds, xrspace, peter chou, mova, xr, magiclohas, digital domain, futuretown, vr, manova, snapdragon 845, news, gear All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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