freewillacquired

[freewillacquired]

{out of mutations} That's all for tonight folks! I'll be back here in two weeks, on 9/13. I'll see everyone then! =)

[freewillacquired]

“So you’re the one the witch is protecting? Too bad you won’t see her.” (Crow verse

@illbringthechaosmagic

"What do you mean?" Matt said, already getting defensive. "Who are you? Where is she? What've you done with her?" The questions spilled from his lips as he felt a sense of urgency rise within him. Had someone targeted Wanda because of him, or for some other reason? It didn't really matter, though... He just had to find her, and quickly, before she was badly hurt. "Tell me!" Matt pressed, not wanting to waste any time...

[freewillacquired]

“He’s here… Matt you need to get out of here, please.” (From Leigh)

@mxrvelouscreations

"Who?" he asked, though one look at Leigh's face told Matt all he needed to know. "David," he growled, feeling his whole body tighten and stiffen. His fists clenched at his sides. "I can't, Leigh. This is part of why I'm here. I have to see this through, and he needs to pay for what he's done. But you should get somewhere safe. I don't want you here when I confront him. I don't want you to have to see this." It would only upset and scare her if she did, he knew...

[freewillacquired]

Matt had been just as unprepared for this scars to go away as Leigh had been. If he was being honest, there was a part of him that really never thought it'd be possible to stay. He never supposed the Crow would follow through and grant him what he wanted, especially since he'd been granted so much already. He'd been allowed to come back into the world of the living, even though he was still technically dead, so why now would the Crow let him stay and actually give him his life back. Surely there were other people more worthy that he of that monumental of a gift?

Yet... it seemed that that's exactly what the Crow had done. Appearances could be deceiving, though, and so Matt waited for Leigh to check his heart, even as he held his breath. Not only did she say his heart was beating, but it wasn't long before he had the biggest urge to take another breath again, a feeling reserved only for the living, and one that he hadn't had in a long time.

Matt decided to give into that feeling of wanting to take a breath, in and out, over and over, sounding like he'd run a mile for all his excitement. "Yeah... yeah it's got to mean something!" The Crow wouldn't straight up punk him, would it? What a terrible joke to play on someone that would be, and frankly the bird or... whatever it was didn't seem like the joking type.

As Matt tried to contact the Crow in the usual way he'd been able to up unti now, he found that he just... couldn't do it. He didn't receive any answer, didn't see it, didn't sense it's presence... nothing. "No, I can't," he answered Leigh. The emotion was too much for him as he started crying. Was this real? Was it true that he was really alive again? It was so hard to believe, and yet all the evidence was there.

He wrapped his arms around her, holding onto her not only because he loved her, but because he needed someone to cling to right now. After everything he'd been through, finally something had gone right. "I'm gonna take care of you, Leigh. I really am. I'm not going anywhere. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but with you," he said, fighting back tears.

"Matt... the marks.... they're gone." (Leigh; @mxrvelouscreations

@mxrvelouscreations

"Hmm...?" Matt asked, not quite awake yet. He'd been enjoying his time with Leigh, just being content to catch up with her, get to know her better, and have part of the life he lost back again. He'd fallen asleep in her bed - innocently enough, he wasn't about to be a jerk and rush her into anything - for comfort purposes on both their parts, and he slept like a rock. But as he was waking up, he heard Leigh gasp, and...

"What do you mean, they're gone...?" he said, rubbing his eyes and immediately realizing he didn't feel the ridges of the scars the crow had put on his face. He flung the blankets off himself and went to the bathroom, peering at himself in the mirror. Sure enough, it was just as she'd said, the dark markings were gone, and his face looked like it did when he was alive. Even his color was healthier.

"Holy shit, you're right!" he said as he made his way back to her. "Even the... the scars are gone. There were... it wasn't just markings, I was scratched and there were scars, but they're-..." He kept feeling his face in shock. "They're gone." He stood there for a second, wide-eyed and stupefied. "What d'you... suppose that means...?" He was almost afraid to hope. "I look alive again. I feel alive again. "Do you think... maybe... I am?"

[freewillacquired]

Matt couldn't help the way he grinned ear to ear, hearing Wanda say she'd want to keep practicing kissing and having her snuggle up to him in his hold. "I won't let go, Wanda," he whispered. "I promise." His eyes fluttered closed as he returned her gentle kiss, one hand lifting to hold her cheek as he did so. This felt so good, and it made him so happy, that he knew it was the right thing to do, staying with Wanda. It seemed like it made her just as happy, and that of course made it all the better.

"Maybe..." he said. "Love is a really powerful force. If anything was gonna be able to reach all the way past death itself to bring two people back together again, I'd say love had a pretty good shot." He smiled and leaned into her touch as she combed his hair with her fingers. "Okay. Sounds good to me. After all, it doesn't really even matter how or why I'm here... only that I am, right?" He nodded, giving her a squeeze in his arms. "Yep, really. Nobody else has a warmth like yours. At least, not that I've ever felt. It's the best thing for me right now, like a balm for a wounded soul," he said, leaning into her.

❝ i missed mornings like this with you. ❞ (to Matt - could be crow verse)

Matt smiled over at Wanda, hearing her warm sentiment and feeling no small amount of contentment in bed beside her. They used to comfort each other to stave off nightmares in the laboratory, whenever they were permitted to be in the same cell, and Matt hadn't forgotten how much those morning had meant to him. Apparently, they'd left an impression on Wanda as well.

He didn't know what had become of the Crow. Matt felt its presence still, deep inside him, but he hadn't seen it or had it command anything from him in days. Other strange things had been happening too, such as his heart deciding randomly to start beating again at times, or his skin taking on a healthier hue. He also could swear that the markings on his face were beginning to fade a bit. Was he only imagining it? Or was he... becoming more alive by the day?

"Yeah... me too," he whispered in reply. "I just missed you. Everything about you." It was the truth. Wanda got him through some really terrible times back in the labs, and he'd gotten so attached to her. Maybe that's why, when he was resurrected by the Crow, he'd wanted so badly to seek her out first, even just to see her one last time. "I wish we could stay like this forever, but... I know it has to end sometime," he said, still assuming the Crow would eventually return for him and push him to finish his revenge.

[freewillacquired]

On the one hand, Matt did wish he knew how long he was going to be permitted to stay here with Wanda too. The uncertainty of never knowing when he was going to be yanked back to the world of the dead again was difficult to bear. But Wanda was right... knowing wouldn't make the situation any better. It wouldn't change anything, it would only make him sit there and worry in anticipation of that time when he knew he'd be taken back.

"You're right... I think it's better not to know. It might even be good to just assume each day is my last. Then we'd really make the most of our time together, huh?" he said with a little smile. "That way we'd get all the carpe diem with none of the anxiety and paranoia." He gave her shoulders a little squeeze and nuzzled her hair affectionately. Smiling at her promise, he wished he could just... stay. Not only for himself, but for Wanda. She was an amazing woman who deserved the best, not to always have the people she loved taken away from her.

"It's okay. I don't blame you," he said gently. "Don't keep going back there in your mind. It's over and done with. You gotta learn to forgive yourself and move on. That's what I've had to do since... I found myself in this really weird situation with the Crow. Only worry about what you can do, and what you can change, not what's in the past." He sighed, wishing he could take her pain away. "And you didn't deserve it either. Neither did Pietro. We were all innocent. It's Umbrella and Hydra that were to blame."

"Let's not think about any of that right now," Matt said, much preferring to steer Wanda toward happier things. "So... we get some rest tonight and then... what do you want to do tomorrow? We've gotta live it up right? Make the most of the time we have?" he asked with a big grin.

"I can't sleep... I keep dreaming of you leaving.." (for the crow au)

"I'm not gonna leave you, Wanda," Matt said without thinking, even though he knew he couldn't promise her that, not really. "I'd never leave you willingly, and if anything takes your from me, then I'll claw my way right back to you. I came back once, I can do it again," he said with resolve. "Here... I'll hold you. Maybe you'll be able to sleep then. You need your rest."

He hated to think that he was the reason Wanda was losing sleep, but he understood why she was upset. She'd lost a lot... her parents, her brother... so of course she was going to be afraid that she'd lose him too. "I'm not going anywhere," he whispered as she settled into his hold.

[freewillacquired]

Rationally speaking, Matt knew that Wanda had a point. She did have a dangerous job, and the chance of her getting injured was always there, but that didn't make it any easier for Matt to process or accept. He loved Wanda, so anytime she got hurt, it was going to affect him negatively. On top of that, he couldn't help but blame himself, since he hadn't been there to protect her. But this line of thinking was stressing her out while she was trying to convalesce, and so he was ready to let the conversation lie. "Okay. Sorry," he whispered. "I'll sop. I don't want to upset you."

He knew she wasn't going to take kindly to being told she didn't have all the information, or that as badly as she thought she wanted to join him in death, she couldn't possibly understand how wrong she was. Now that he'd seen the world of the dead, felt the emptiness and the cold, Matt never wanted to go back there himself, let alone see Wanda go there.

"I'm sorry... that's not what I meant," Matt said. "I'm not trying to speak for you or make decisions for you, I'm just trying to tell you that you don't understand what you're really asking for. I've been there, in the world of the dead beyond this one. It's not a good place. It's lonely, dark, cold... I don't want that for you, and you wouldn't want it for yourself if you knew. I'm trying to help you, Wanda. I'm trying to warn you."

He stopped showing her the flashback the moment she asked him to, but he was saddened to hear her get the wrong takeaway from what he was trying to show her. "No, you're not. Umbrella's the reason I died. Hydra is. But I wanted you to live. That's what I was trying to show you," he insisted. He reached up to wipe away her tears. "I guess I'm not very good at explaining anything..." he said, giving up for now and falling silent, lying against her.

“Matt… I-…” (an injured Wanda for the Crow!Matt)

"Wanda? Wanda?!" Matt rushed to her side. Seeing that she was injured, she felt instantly responsible for getting her involved with this whole revenge plot of his. He was invincible, she wasn't. Maybe she was more powerful than he was, even with the help of the Crow, but she was more vulnerable than he was. "It's gonna be okay... don't worry..." he said, trying to reassure himself as much as her. "Where are you hurt?" Matt tried to look her over to see where and how she might be wounded...

[freewillacquired]

Nemesis was a model patient. He was quiet and didn't struggle, he didn't pick at his bandages, and he followed any and all instructions and orders the Octarians gave him. He didn't have a reason to disobey them, since they were doing him a favor by allowing him to have this surgery in the first place, and they were treating him was far more consideration than Umbrella even did. Plus, he wanted the surgery to be a success, so he was motivated to do as he was told.

If he was being honest, Nemesis was a little scared of needles. He never used to be when he was human, and to be fair they didn't really hurt that much at all, but it was more what they represented that scared him. Umbrella had used so many needles on him, putting god knows what into his body, and usually immediately afterward, he felt pain or started mutating or something else terrible happened. But he knew he was in good hands with the Octarians, and so he held still and let them inject what they needed to.

- - - - -

The highest ranking Umbrella officer who had been observing the surgery with Dr. Neil spoke up the moment Dr. Florence asked how many surveillance devices were present in the room. "Enough," he said, answering the question, but making it clear with his blunt tone that there wasn't room for any argument on the subject. "The Umbrella corporation needs to fully understand and be apprised of what is done with its assets, after all," he said with a smug sort of arrogance.

@freewillacquired

It had been months since any contact with the Splatverse.

Gherkin, without any warning, appeared again. They chattered in Inklish at Tyrant 176, and soon, the Tyrant was taking Gherkin to Quarantine for the usual checkup.

They passed KRAKEN and Nemesis, and Kraken smirked, "Wish I could watch haha."

Gherkin nodded, a devilish grin under the child-size facemask 176 put on them.

KRAKEN looked up at Nemesis, "So Matt... I assume Gherkin will have news. You heard three more ailing Tyrants got sent, right? Hope they too did well."

[freewillacquired]

Maybe he could have saved her, and maybe he couldn't, but Matt would always wonder. Leigh didn't know for sure any better than he did, and so her dismissal of the idea as impossible did little too convince him. He was ready to just trop the subject, since it seemed to be bothering her, but when she began to put herself down again, he couldn't stay silent. "No, I wouldn't have," he insisted. "Well, I'm not like everyone else. I wouldn't have though less of you then, and I don't now either. I wouldn't lie to you, Leigh."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm dealing with," Matt said darkly. "I may not have ever seen him outside of work, but I'm guessing he's the same violent, arrogant asshole he always is, no matter where he is or what he's doing." He really couldn't see how a despicable human being like that could be anything other than what he was at his core. People like that never change, because they don't want to. "I can handle him, please don't worry about me."

Matt understood Leigh's reluctance to believe what he was saying. Hell, he didn't think he would've believed it himself, if he wasn't living it right now. Well... unliving it? "It's true, I swear it. I didn't believe the dead could come back to life either, until it happened to me. And really... I'm not... actually alive. I'm something in between. My body is room temperature, even cold at times. My heart isn't beating. I don't even need to breathe, except to talk. Try to listen to my heart, if you don't believe me. Feel for a pulse. Go ahead," he said, holding out his wrist to her."

"Yeah... that's exactly what I mean. I'll go back to being dead," he said gently, trying to explain what was going on without upsetting her too much. "It brought me back to that I could set things right, punish those who hurt me and are continuing to hurt others, and make it stop. Once that's done, I'll be taken back, because I can't stay here... I'm dead." He shrugged a little, a sympathetic look on his face. "I know... I'm sorry," he whispered.

“Can I help y- Matt?” (Leigh for the Crow verse; @mxrvelouscreations

@mxrvelouscreations

After breaking into an Umbrella facility to get some answers regarding their shady research projects, Matt had become one, subjected to horrific, torturous experimentation. He'd lost his life, unfairly and without finding the answers he sought. There were a few faces and names that he remembered being around him in those final, painful days... but Leigh hadn't been one of them.

"Leigh? From my old apartment building, Leigh?" Matt asked, his face contorting as he looked over at the crow perched nearby. "Why her? She doesn't have anything to do with what happened to me... does she?"

The crow cawed loudly, almost harshly, as if urging Matt not to question its guidance, before flying off. Matt followed, from where they'd been peering into the bar around to the back where they could easily break in. Once inside, Matt saw that the place was empty. It was pretty late at night, after all. He slowly wandered around, looking at this and that, still not sure why the crow had led him here.

The bird cawed loudly again, landing on the bar. Matt went to it and took a seat, as would any other customer. The crow then flew over to the door and pecked a little bell above it as it went by, ringing it loudly. Matt smirked as the bird returned to the bar, landing right in front of him. "Can I even drink anymore?" The bird cawed and eyed him, and somehow Matt understood. He chuckled. "Good to know."

But then Leigh came out to see who had entered the bar, and-... Gosh, she looked beautiful. Matt had a little crush on her, back in the day, but nothing had ever come of it. I wish I'd made a move while I still had the chance, he thought sadly.

"Hi, Leigh," he said with a weak smile. When he was alive, this probably would've been the most awkward situation for him, but in his current state, he felt no fear. He wasn't sure whether that was something the crow was doing or whether death just drained all the fear out of a person. "Sorry to just drop by unannounced like this, but... I need some information, if you've got a minute to talk."

[freewillacquired]

{out of mutations} Alright, that's all for tonight. I should be back here again in two weeks as scheduled on 8/30, unless I need to skip for work. I shouldn't have to, but if I do, I'll let everyone know as soon as I find out. Goodnight! =)

[freewillacquired]

Was getting in Nemesis' face a good way to wake him up? Probably not. No one would probably appreciate waking up to a dinosaur's face right in theirs, but Eight didn't think about that. Instead, they began to make a purring noise, and plopped down next to him as they stared down at him expectantly. In their jaws were two packs of cookies they managed to find while poking around a bodega, and while they had been gentle enough not to break the packaging, it was... a little wet. Nothing that could be wiped off, but dinosaur saliva was probably another thing no one wanted to deal with.

It was the thought that counted, at least.

(( @ofmonstrs because Eight wants to bug their friend lol))

@ofmonstrs

Nemesis had managed to get in a little nap when he and Eight had stopped to rest for a while. Traveling and searching for food was a full-time job, after all, and quite tiring. Especially when one was lugging around as much thick muscle and as many heavy tentacles as Nemesis was. The aforementioned tentacles were somewhat autonomous now, acting of their own accord whenever Nemesis slept. They still acted within the realm of his own personality, but while he slept, he wasn't directly controlling them. They gently reached out to affectionately curl around Eight's snout and shoulders, by way of saying hello.

After a moment, Nemesis began to stir, and the first thing he saw was dinosaur snout in his face. He probably should've been more alarmed by that, but after everything he'd been through, this was sadly not the scariest thing he was used to seeing. "Hel-lo..." he said, grunting as he sat up, but when he saw what Eight was holding in their mouth, Nemesis' one blue eye widened with excitement. "COOOOKIEEESSSS!!" he exclaimed. He graciously took one of the packages from Eight. "Ewwww..." he said playfully before laughing a little at the saliva that dripped off the package.

"Here... Let ne... oten this... thor you..." he said, taking the other package and opening it so it'd be easier for his friend to eat their own share. With that done, he ripped open his own package and dropped a couple cookies into his monstrous maw. "Mmm..." he said in approval.

[freewillacquired]

It had been a good night. A great one, if Matt was being honest. They'd had so much time to just talk. Time they never had before. It felt good to have the time to learn about Leigh and to confess certain things to her that he wished he'd done before. It was no wonder that, after a night like that, they both fell asleep so peacefully. That should've been his first clue, really, because... dead people don't sleep. Since the Crow had brought him back from the realm of the dead, he hadn't slept a wink. His heart hadn't beat. He didn't even need to breath except to talk if he wanted to. But after the Crow had left and given him that ultimatum, there had been signs...

The more time he spent with Leigh, the more he felt for her, and the more at peace he felt, the more changes were happening to him. His skin was becoming a healthier color. Here and there, his heart would start beating again. It felt good to take breaths, and they were happening more and more involuntarily as time went on. He was warmer. And of course... Leigh had noticed the scars had been fading.

Maybe Matt might've noticed more of these signs for himself had he not been so focused on her. All of his attention had been on Leigh lately, and on grasping desperately to have back even just a little bit of the life he lost. Last night, though... had been a big clue. He'd fallen asleep with her. Not just closing his eyes and staying quiet and still so she could sleep. Not pretending, or lying there wishing he could feel the peace of sleep himself. But actual, deep sleep. And everyone knew... that the dead don't sleep.

Now, with her having informed him of his absent scars and upon seeing them for himself, Matt suddenly became aware of all that he'd missed. "My... my heart's beating," he said as Leigh came to wrap her arms around his neck. "I'm breathing. I actually need to breathe." He said all of this with his eyes wide, scarcely believing it. Hearing Leigh's hope that the Crow might have granted him that second chance he'd wanted so badly, and not just for show but actual life, Matt wondered if she just might be right.

"Lemme... try and call it," he said. "I-... It would always come if I just... Hold on..." He closed his eyes and thought of the Crow, trying to will it to come to him and show itself. It had always worked before, but... he realized right away that it didn't feel the same. There was an odd silence to his mind now. Not in the bad way, but the weird echo of the afterlife wasn't there. The voices, the visions, they were all gone. And the Crow? Well, it never answered him. "Do... do you see it anywhere? Do you hear it?" He asked Leigh, looking around the room. Nothing was there. Only Leigh. "I think... it's gone. Gone, gone."

He was alive again. He knew it, even though he was still afraid to come out and say it. Matt should be happy about that, right? And he was, but... the emotion hit him like a ton of bricks and he just started to cry. It was a little embarrassing. "Sorry, I just..." he said, unable to get a handle on the flood of gratitude, happiness, and relief he felt at having his life back. He wrapped his arms around Leigh and hugged her. "I love you," he whispered.

"Matt... the marks.... they're gone." (Leigh; @mxrvelouscreations

@mxrvelouscreations

"Hmm...?" Matt asked, not quite awake yet. He'd been enjoying his time with Leigh, just being content to catch up with her, get to know her better, and have part of the life he lost back again. He'd fallen asleep in her bed - innocently enough, he wasn't about to be a jerk and rush her into anything - for comfort purposes on both their parts, and he slept like a rock. But as he was waking up, he heard Leigh gasp, and...

"What do you mean, they're gone...?" he said, rubbing his eyes and immediately realizing he didn't feel the ridges of the scars the crow had put on his face. He flung the blankets off himself and went to the bathroom, peering at himself in the mirror. Sure enough, it was just as she'd said, the dark markings were gone, and his face looked like it did when he was alive. Even his color was healthier.

"Holy shit, you're right!" he said as he made his way back to her. "Even the... the scars are gone. There were... it wasn't just markings, I was scratched and there were scars, but they're-..." He kept feeling his face in shock. "They're gone." He stood there for a second, wide-eyed and stupefied. "What d'you... suppose that means...?" He was almost afraid to hope. "I look alive again. I feel alive again. "Do you think... maybe... I am?"

[freewillacquired]

"Yeah?" Nemesis asked, relieved to hear that. Of course things may go wrong from here, as they could with any surgery, but at least thing had gone well so far. That was already enough to uplift him. "Don't cry... I'n o-kay," he tried to reassure Kraken.

Nemesis was achy, as most people were post-op, but he already felt so much better. The feeling of constant, oppressive pressure inside his head was gone, and he swore he could breathe a bit better too. It felt like the roof of his mouth and sinus cavity had shrunk or something. He supposed that maybe they had found an abscess near the implant and drained it, or that they'd made some other improvement, having no idea that they'd replaced his previous implant with a much smaller one. Whatever the reason for his relief, it was so nice to feel.

His head felt a lot less like a heavy bowling ball sitting atop his shoulders too. It took less effort to lift and support it than it had before. He watched with curiosity as a brand new visual overlay began running diagnostics and calibrations. So far, everything seemed really nice to him. He hoped it lasted, though, and that the virus didn't start causing problems for him medically.

"I theel... a lot detter... ac-tu-al-ly," he admitted. "Ny head... theels lighter... and there's not... so nuch... tressure in-side." That was the objective truth of things, and now time for a little joke. "Do I still... hath ny handsone good looks?" he asked Kraken before laughing lightly. If he was cracking jokes, then you knew Nemesis felt pretty good.

@freewillacquired

It had been months since any contact with the Splatverse.

Gherkin, without any warning, appeared again. They chattered in Inklish at Tyrant 176, and soon, the Tyrant was taking Gherkin to Quarantine for the usual checkup.

They passed KRAKEN and Nemesis, and Kraken smirked, "Wish I could watch haha."

Gherkin nodded, a devilish grin under the child-size facemask 176 put on them.

KRAKEN looked up at Nemesis, "So Matt... I assume Gherkin will have news. You heard three more ailing Tyrants got sent, right? Hope they too did well."

[freewillacquired]

Matt was glad that Wanda was honest with him, even if the truth wasn't always rosy. Trust was important to him, especially given everything that each of them had been through and how many times they'd been betrayed or misled by other people before. He hated that she was so adrift in the world, and that the only person that helped her feel safe and grounded was someone who... didn't know how much time he had left in the world of the living. All he could do was make the best of it, for her sake, while he had the chance.

"Maybe not, but I can mean it real hard," he whispered with a pensive smile as he settled into bed with her and she lay her head against his chest. His arm slipped over to wrap around her shoulders and draw her protectively and affectionately close to him. "I wish I could tell you for sure how much time I have, but that's not in my control. But I promise that, for the time I am here, I'll do everything I can to make you happy, Wanda. I'll do anything you want, I'm all yours," he said with a smile, turning his head to kiss her hair.

Hearing her say she wished she had been able to get him out of the jointly run Hydra/Umbrella facility, and essentially blame herself for his death, Matt's heart broke. "It wasn't your fault," he said. When she didn't move or say anything to that, he laid his hand on her cheek and guided her to look at him. "Hey... It wasn't. It was Umbrella's fault, and Hydra's fault, not yours." He stared at her intently, pleading with her to believe him.

"I can't sleep... I keep dreaming of you leaving.." (for the crow au)

"I'm not gonna leave you, Wanda," Matt said without thinking, even though he knew he couldn't promise her that, not really. "I'd never leave you willingly, and if anything takes your from me, then I'll claw my way right back to you. I came back once, I can do it again," he said with resolve. "Here... I'll hold you. Maybe you'll be able to sleep then. You need your rest."

He hated to think that he was the reason Wanda was losing sleep, but he understood why she was upset. She'd lost a lot... her parents, her brother... so of course she was going to be afraid that she'd lose him too. "I'm not going anywhere," he whispered as she settled into his hold.

[freewillacquired]

Oh, goodness, I've got such a bad case of the giggles right now. Not that that was a bad thing right now, but by the time his new friend actually went to work on his face, he'd better stop. Unless.. he wanted her to rearrange a lot more than just his infected face pocket.

She really was so much cleaner than him, and it gave Nemesis a pang of guilt to think of what putrid substances might happen to get all over her during this impromptu surgery procedure. But at least when it was all done they could both get cleaned up and hopefully feel a bit better. "I'll do ny dest... to show-er... when we're done."

The alcohol was indeed having not only a pain relieving effect on him, but an inebriating one as well. His tentacles flopped around behind him like wet ramen noodles, curling and coiling, barely able to support their weight. They didn't seem angry or unhappy, though, just... noodley. Maybe kinda silly? Chill.

"Well... it's deen na-ri-na-ting... thor a long tine..." he said by way of explanation as to why the infection was so... juicy. Marinating might not have been the best word, though, since connecting something this gross to food was... not a great idea. But as she shooed him back, he stopped touching the offending squishy area and crammed himself into the shower stall as well as he could. Thank goodness they could do this someplace with a drain.

"Ready... when you are," he said, giving another thumbs up and getting out the last of his giggles before what would no doubt be the most disgusting of procedures...

Inspect -( if you want to give things a try from scratch. Nemesis always looked like he could use some company )

{ Hello! I'm so sorry, I was supposed to get back to you and I completely forgot. I don't mind starting something, but I know nothing about your muse. Your rules and bio pages aren't visible to me because your blog only comes up as an inset on my dash, not as a full page. Maybe you have it set to private or something? But that's why this is going to be a little sparse, because I couldn't find any info about your muse. Nemmy could absolutely use some company, though. ^_^ }

Nemesis was used to fending off undead, and even trying to help survivors of this apocalypse. He was just as used to getting yelled at, having rocks thrown at him, or getting shot at by those very same survivors. What he wasn't used to... was anyone actually sticking around to talk to him, much less someone caring about his welfare. So he'd flinched a little to realize that someone was now... checking him for wounds? Weren't they afraid of him? Didn't they think he was ugly and monstrous like everyone else did?

He stared for a moment, just watching them fuss over him, bewildered by their concern. "It's o-kay..." he said around his large teeth and without the aid of lips. "I can't... get in-thec-ted... any-way." At least not any more so than he already was. Good thing he wasn't contagious. "I'n not hurt.... dut thank you... thor car-ing."

[freewillacquired]

Matt shook his head, unable to let go of his guilt. "Wanda, if I'd never come back, you wouldn't be feeling this pain right now. You never would've gotten injured in the first place. How does that make it anything but my fault? I can't just... do whatever I want and not worry about the collateral damage, that would-" He swallowed hard, coming to a realization. "It makes me no better than the people who killed me and hurt you..."

As Matt heard her yet again state that she wanted to go with him, to die, he felt an unbelievable amount of frustration rise up inside him. How could he possibly convince her that life was worth living, even if he wasn't there with her? If he didn't give her some hope, her own desire to follow him into death might cause her to not heal properly. Mindset was so important during recovery from serious injuries. "No you don't," Matt said with an almost eerie seriousness. "No you don't." How could he prove it to Wanda, that she didn't really want what she was asking for? That she should have hope still?

The Crow gave him many ways to punish his enemies, to force them to feel the pain of their victims. He could force visions into their heads, make them feel his pain, make them feel the fear and despair they caused their victims. These were meant to give evil people a taste of their own medicine, to give their victims justice by having their killers go through exactly what they did. But... could he use those abilities it for a good purpose instead? Could he use them to show Wanda why she should stay alive?

Matt felt silent for a while as he thought it over. He could... show her what death was like. Not... the pain of actually dying, but... what was on the other side. The darkness. The coldness. The limbo of fear and uncertainty. Was that what she wanted to go toward? Was that better than here? No... No, he couldn't do that to her.

Alright, well... he could show her how much her brother had wanted to live before Hydra killed him. Maybe knowing how hard Pietro fought, letting her feel his will to live, might change her mind about so casually throwing her own life away. No, he decided on that option too. It would be too much for her. Too cruel. Even if it illustrated a point, it would hit her way too hard.

Ah! I've got it! He had to be gentle, though. She was injured, and she was an empath. Too much emotion, too vivid a vision, and it would overwhelm her. "Wanda..." he whispered, lifting his hand to gently laid over her heart. "Just... close your eyes for a second... and feel this..."

Flashes from Matt's point of view, as the monster known as Nemesis, would've come into her mind's eye. Soldiers flooding a hallway, blocking his escape. He focused on someone far ahead, someone he'd told to go on without him. Wanda would've seen herself through Matt's eyes, and at the same time felt a strange sort of peace wash over her. He was alright with never getting out of there, alright with dying, if it meant she would be safe, that she would live. His death would mean something. He would mean something. If only she would live. He could be happy with that. Matt could die happy, saving a woman he'd come to care so much for. There was an ache in his chest, but it was a good one...

Matt stopped the vision before... the worst occurred, before the soldiers made short work of him, not wanting to upset or stress her out too much. "If you die... it was all for nothing..." he whispered, his voice raspy with emotion. "Do you understand now? Life is a gift, and I gave mine up so you could still have it. I wanted that for you. I still do."

“Matt… I-…” (an injured Wanda for the Crow!Matt)

"Wanda? Wanda?!" Matt rushed to her side. Seeing that she was injured, she felt instantly responsible for getting her involved with this whole revenge plot of his. He was invincible, she wasn't. Maybe she was more powerful than he was, even with the help of the Crow, but she was more vulnerable than he was. "It's gonna be okay... don't worry..." he said, trying to reassure himself as much as her. "Where are you hurt?" Matt tried to look her over to see where and how she might be wounded...

[freewillacquired]

The Crow: Salvation Clip - Alex helps Erin think of her life a little less trivially by showing her how much her sister Lauren had wanted to live.