#[A Strykers Edge- Blade]

[strykingback]

Starter for @x-whiskeylullaby-x (For the MFT2!!!)

_________________________

"WHOOOOOOO!!! We hope Round One of our fights have left you excited folks!!!! From silliness happening to a war of attrition between good and evil! This time we have a fight ready for you this time folks!!!!" Blade said pointing towards one corner of the colosseum.

OST: The Cursed Child...

"Back during the Age of Antiquity of Remnant, was it the The First Champion of Remnant, Shaka Ishvalda who shall represent Remnant this time, No! Will it be the Champion of Remnant who had his friend join him despite not being picked as a Champion to save the world!!! No! No! No!!!" Blade said as Hermes would would walk through the tunnel... feeling his memories start to go through his mind.

"It is this man!!! He who walked a path of pain being labeled as the Cursed Child by the Oracle of Light and Darkness for Baphomet and Solaris! Yet, when tragedy struck when the once former Champion of Remnant during the Bronze Era of the Age of Antiquity would become corrupted with power, his armies would take the life of his beloved. Desperate and begging the Gods to bring her back they refused!!! But did he give up? NO!!!!" Blade continued with the Ancient Remnantites feeling the pressure around them as even the most well attuned mages knew who this man was...

"I-I-It's Him..... that Cursed Child!!!!" One ancient remnantite said....

"Haaaah... you dont mean?!?!"

"He was the only one who spat in the gods faces, taking fate into his own hands! Many times he experimented even from the pleading of his own family and the villagers who cared deeply about him. He didnt stop until... he had done it! He was able to bring someone back from the DEAD!!!! Yet as the Gods found out they cursed him with immortal life and the loss of his light magic!!! Therefore he would be punished... and would lose everything and everyone. Until in this new time... he would be tortured even further... further than any person should be! Losing his sanity then years later regaining it and as blessed by the God of Darkness himself regaining his Light Magic!!!!! He is The Man Who Rejected The Gods!!!!!" Blade would say as Hermes walked onto the stadium taking off his cloak revealing himself.

"What a splendorous introduction...." Hermes thought to himself with a smirk.

"HERMES NIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[toomanyf4ndoms7]

Mortal Kombat: Before the End: We used to be friends.

Summary: Although you abandon your past, you’d be surprised who can find you again.

Chapter List.

Chapter List part two.

Things had changed since he started his new Black Dragon clan. What was once a pair of recruits had multiplied into a force of anarchy. But to prune the weak from the strong, he had each of his recruits face each other for the privilege of joining him. The first to engage was his original recruits, Kira and Kobra.

Predictably, Kira killed Kobra. Her expertise and lethality coming out over Kobra’s sloppy recklessness. It was that deadly skill that earned her the chance to pick the next two recruits. Within months, the clan grew from a pipe dream into a force of anarchy, all under a more disciplined rule than Kano ever had.

They were camping out in an abandoned BD warehouse, an easy place to lay low until they had a new objective. Kira was sitting on a nearby crate.

“I gotta admit, I thought our target would be a little tougher.”

‘Life is full of disappointment.”

Silence. Kira and Kabal had an understanding. Kira pulled out one of her knives, twirling it like a student would with a pencil. She stopped twirling to look to her mentor.

“You know, a few of guys on our supply run went missing. Should we be worried?”

“We’re done for today. Rest up.” Kabal ordered, not looking to his apprentice.

Kira shrugged, hopping off the crate.

“Alright, see you.”

Alone at last, Kabal looked at his reflection in the glass. How he had changed since that fateful day. Had the burns healed-

“Kabal?”

Kabal quickly put his mask back on, turning around with his hands ready to draw his blades.

The source of the interruption was an old friend. Kurtis Stryker. Kabal felt his hardened edge waver a little.

“Stryker? What… you shouldn’t be here.”

“I could say the same thing to you. Making a new clan? Hanging out with criminals? Attacking government buildings?”

Stryker ran his hand down his face, desperation clear in his body language.

“This isn’t you. This isn’t the same guy I cracked jokes with over coffee, the same guy I fought alongside.”

Kabal folded his arms.

“It’s my life, stay out of it.”

Stryker walked close to his former partner, reaching a hand up to touch his mask.

“Whatever you’ve been told, it’s not true. You’re more than just what you used to be-

Kabal smacked Stryker’s hand aside, backing away from his former friend.

“That’s easy for you to say. The world thinks I’m a freak. A monster. Even you thought I was a lost cause.”

“Kabal, that’s not true-

“Bullshit. If it wasn’t, why’d it take you this long to find me?”

Stryker was silent, he had his reasons, but Kabal didn’t want to hear anything. He pointed his hooksword at Stryker’s throat, the cold steel touching his skin.

“If I ever see you again, I won’t be as kind.”

Stryker looked at Kabal one last time as he backed away to the exit.

“Me neither. See you around.”

Kabal was left alone once more, his only retort being weak and hopeless.

“I hope not.”

——

After his failed attempt to rescue his former partner, Stryker made his way to a nearby cafe. He needed some way to clear his head. Coffee usually did the trick.

Unfortunately, the world wasn’t done kicking Stryker while he was down.

“Hey, Kurt.”

“Oh… hey, Cage.”

Johnny sat opposite him; his expression more concerned than the trademark smirk Kurtis had seen in his film career.

“You okay? You seem a bit… down.”

Stryker sighed, a common occurrence nowadays.

“It’s Kabal. He’s gone rogue and I don’t think I can pull him back.”

Johnny was silent.

“Look, I don’t know about Kabal, but there’s a big threat coming, and we need all hands-on deck. Are you in?”

Stryker scratched the neck of his head. To this day, he still didn’t know why Raiden picked him in the invasion all those years ago.

“I don’t know, compared to a bunch of ninjas and superheroes, I’m just-

“Stryker. Just because you don’t have crazy magic powers doesn’t mean you’re not important. You’re determined, crafty, and able to make the choice to fight even when you’re outclassed.”

Johnny offered a hand to Stryker, flashing a genuine smile.

“So, what do you say, die hard? Up to save the world one more time?”

Stryker looked at his own hand for a moment. This could be a chance to help Kabal. Or at least make sure he can’t hurt anyone else.

Stryker took Johnny’s hand, pulling himself up to his feet.

“That was from Time Smashers. You stole that speech from your own films.”

“Is it really stealing if I came up with it? Come on, there’s one more place we’ve gotta go.”

Johnny crossed Stryker off his list. That left only two more major recruits.

Fujin and Kung Lao.

[imrmarket]

With A CAGR Of 2.9 %, Surgical Scissors Market And Is Projected To Reach USD 501.01 Million By 2032

Surgical Scissors Market Size Was Valued at USD 373.84 Million in 2023, and is Projected to Reach USD 501.01 Million by 2032, Growing at a CAGR of 2.9 % From 2024-2032.

Surgical scissors can be explained as specially designed scissors, surgical scissors are surgical instruments used during an operation for cutting sutures, and cutting and dissecting biological tissues. Surgical scissors are usually made of surgical steel (Stainless Steel) which is less expensive and most popular in surgeries, and their blades can be either curved or straight. Some of them also have tungsten carbide reinforcements along their cutting edges, as their hardness allows manufacturers to create sharper and more durable scissors.

Surgical scissors are typically required in the medical for cutting skin, cutting sutures, and dressings. These Scissors may have long or short handles, and their blades can be straight or curved and serrated or smooth. The tips may also be sharp or blunt. These Scissors used in cutaneous surgery can be either completely stainless steel (most popular, least expensive) or have tungsten carbide inserts to strengthen the blades. Today surgical scissors are an important piece of instrument in medical practices.

Market Dynamics:

Driver:

The increased use of surgical scissors in surgeries such as ophthalmic surgery, oral and maxillofacial surgery, wound dressings, dermatology, and others is driving market growth. Also, the increasing demand for precise and accurate surgical instruments in the medical sector to be used for various long hours of procedures and operations is leading to a surge in the demand for highly efficient scissors to maintain sharpness for many years even with heavy use, and such huge demand is bolstering the market growth.

Opportunities:

The ever-rising demand for small and sharp surgical scissors for detailed and precise operations is expected to further boost the market growth in the coming future. Furthermore, the ongoing technological advancements such as innovative scissors with diverse functions and durable materials along with the increasing number of surgical procedures are acting as growth opportunities for the Surgical Scissors Market.

Get A Free Sample Copy Of The Surgical Scissors Report:

https://introspectivemarketresearch.com/request/16517

Market Segmentation Surgical Scissors Market:

By Product Type

Reusable

Disposable

By Material Type

Steel, Ceramic

Tungsten

Titanium

Others

By End User

Hospitals

Ambulatory surgical centers

Clinics

Home care settings

Others

By Region

·         North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico)

(Bulgaria, The Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Rest of Eastern Europe)

(Germany, U.K., France, Netherlands, Italy, Russia, Spain, Rest of Western Europe)

(China, India, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, The Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Rest of APAC)

(Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Israel, South Africa)

(Brazil, Argentina, Rest of SA)

Inquiry Before Purchasing This Report:

https://introspectivemarketresearch.com/inquiry/16517

Top Key Players Covered In the Surgical Scissors Market

Arthrex, Inc. (United States)

B. Braun SE (Germany)

Thermo Fischer Scientific (United States)

Stryker Corporation (United States)

Purple Surgical International (London)

Scanlan International (United States)

Teleflex Incorporated (United States)

Olympus Corporation (Japan)

World Precision Instruments (United States)

BD (United States)

Geister Medizintechnik Gmbh (Germany)

Key Industry Development In The Surgical Scissors Market

In April 2022, Carl Zeiss Meditec acquired two manufacturers of surgical instruments (Kogent Surgical, LLC and Katalyst Surgical, LLC) to further strengthen its position as a solution provider.

In February 2022, United States Surgitech was awarded a three-year agreement with Premier, Inc. in the laparoscopic surgical instrument category, including disposable laparoscopic electrodes, as well as reusable and fully disposable laparoscopic scissors.

Read More Related Reports:

https://introspectivemarketresearch.com/reports/hearing-care-devices-market/

Purchase This Report:

https://introspectivemarketresearch.com/checkout/?user=1&_sid=16517

About us:

Introspective Market Research (introspectivemarketresearch.com) is a visionary research consulting firm dedicated to assist our clients grow and have a successful impact on the market. Our team at IMR is ready to assist our clients flourish their business by offering strategies to gain success and monopoly in their respective fields. We are a global market research company, specialized in using big data and advanced analytics to show the bigger picture of the market trends. We help our clients to think differently and build better tomorrow for all of us. We are a technology-driven research company, we analyze extremely large sets of data to discover deeper insights and provide conclusive consulting. We not only provide intelligence solutions, but we help our clients in how they can achieve their goals.

Contact us:

Introspective Market Research

3001 S King Drive,

Chicago, Illinois

60616 USA

Ph no: +1-773-382-1049

Email : sales@introspectivemarketresearch.com

LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook

[moonbaby26]

Title: First Meeting

Pairing: Peter Maximoff x Reader

Summary: Set during X-Men: Age of Apocalypse, you were with Scott, Jean, Jubilee, and Kurt on their fateful mall run, returning home just in time to meet the speedster who saved all but one from the destruction of your home.

Warnings: None really except minor violence with you also being around for the subsequent Stryker mutant-nappings.

Chapters: Next Chapter Here

Peter Maximoff x Reader Masterlist

————————

Yes, it’s true you’d been under a decent amount of stress lately. Mostly self inflicted, because you had such high expectations of how you wanted to finish out the semester. But as Jubilee rolled her eyes for the second time, you realized you were now wasting your breath trying to explain the amount of consistent studying it took to maintain the high GPA your teachers had come to expect from you.

“We are going to the mall, (Y/N).” Jubilee breathed, as if reiterating this one more time was about to take all the life from her.

Your younger friend could have a flair for the dramatic. You now looked to Jean as the last voice of reason. But you could see by the smile she was barely holding back, that you had already lost. You suspected rightly that this new student, Scott, had had a lot to do with why Jean was suddenly so eager to skirt the rules and leave the grounds without permission.

You relented, but crossed your arms all the same as you gave your terms. “Fine, if Kurt wants to see a mall, then we’ll take him. But I’m driving.” Scott deflated slightly at that, but you didn’t miss a beat. “At least that way if anything goes wrong, I’ll answer to the Professor, not you all.” Of this group, you were the oldest (though not by much), and there was no sense in them getting in trouble over something like this.

Besides, it wouldn’t kill you to get a couple new outfits. You rarely if ever bought anything nice just for yourself. But it wasn’t like you had anyone around here to impress anyway...right?

——————-

You weren’t really sure how long you’d all been gone at the mall. Long enough to grab some lunch at the food court together, and waste a decent amount of time and change in the arcade. You hadn’t bought any clothes after all, nothing had struck that right chord with you. But you just remembered a smile on your face all the same, one hand held confidently on the gearshift and the other loosely on the steering wheel as you’d rounded past the mansion’s tree line, beginning to slow the car.

You’d just pushed in the clutch, and then-

You slammed the brakes, only gasps rather than laughter erupting from your friends beside you then as you all took in the scene at once. Debris and bits of ash still floated down gently from the sky as you’d ripped off your seatbelt, jumping from the car and breaking into a run. Your heartbeat had been in your ears as you’d entered the stunned crowd.

You picked out Hank, the first staff member you’d clearly seen, grabbing his arm as you found your voice again. “What on earth happened!?”

His head turned towards you, but his mouth just started to open and you could see in his eyes that he was trying to answer the same thing in his own mind. You’d never seen the brainy “Beast” at such a loss for words.

“Um...it blew up?” A new voice sounded off so matter of factly, then suddenly beside you as you turned to look at a person you’d never seen before.

A boy? No, a man? He seemed about your own age, that kind of in between really. His silver hair framed the sides of his face as he stared back at you, his hands on his hips. It was a surreal moment, your adrenaline still in full bore as you’d looked down to a weathered RUSH band t-shirt and a cool leather jacket that at any other time you may actually have been jealous of. You looked back up to his dark eyes in astonishment.

The stranger raised an eyebrow as your eyes connected again, him seemingly still waiting for some kind of response from you.

All the while, the X-Mansion that had been your home, your refuge for so many formative years just sat smouldering in rubble behind you.

“Where’s my brother!? Where’s Alex!?” Scott’s cry had finally broken the silence as you’d turned yet again.

“Pretty sure I got everyone,” The guy with the silver hair said almost defensively.

And that’s when it first hit you, the building was in complete ruin, but you knew about how many people were there on any given day. The crowd around you, that would be about everyone. But how could they all be outside? All be alive? An explosion that large would have been instantaneous. The building wasn’t just burning, it was leveled.

Scott ran from you all, and your heart felt heavy, knowing surely not everyone could have survived. But you saw Jean and Kurt run with him, helping him, so you again looked back to the stranger.

“You got them out?” You asked incredulously, unsure what that could even mean for this person’s true abilities as you gestured to the survivors standing in equal confusion all around you.

“Of course.” Again that matter of fact tone from him, now almost bordering on smug. But the surprises just continued as he abruptly outstretched one hand to you. “Peter,” he said, grabbing your own hand before you could even react and shaking it awkwardly.

“What?” Was all you could manage, possibly hearing your own brain seize internally at last as you looked down to this stranger’s hand still clasped warmly around your own.

You were done. Really, it was already too much before the unmistakable pulse of helicopter blades broke over the treetops and the downdraft of several of the craft then circling around you began whipping your hair into your eyes.

A woman screamed in warning somewhere behind you. Her voice sounded familar, but you didn’t look back. You just felt Peter’s hand squeeze tighter around yours, why hadn’t you let go?

But you were falling now. No, not metaphorically you hoped, but maybe you would have laughed about that thought if there’d been any more time before your knees hit the ground.

The paramilitary type men now streaming from the helicopters had launched some kind of pulse over the crowd.

Reflexively your mutation flared, your own energy field trying to shield yourself and Peter, but not well enough. Not fast enough as you only succeeded in keeping him conscious just a few moments longer than your peers.

Peter was still holding onto you, the surprise in his eyes quickly fading as they closed.

But your eyes were still open, fear surely in them though as you realized you could not will yourself back to standing. Whatever weapon these men had used was clearly designed to target those of your kind, taking your energy, blocking your powers.

“Her.” “Him.” You heard distantly, but forcefully as the darkness finally began to overtake the edges of your sight. A man was now walking through the fallen mutants with authority, pointing and calling out to who he wanted his men to collect.

And within moments that man’s boots were then inches from you in the soft grass. Your free hand clung to the earth, the other still holding Peter’s hand as if that grip could somehow hold your consciousness to you.

“Resistant to the pulse? Haven’t seen that in a while.” The man commented coldly from above.

You could still just make out his features as he paused, his boot rising up suddenly to kick you solidly in the ribs. It made a sickening sound, a crack as you collapsed the rest of the way down, the air leaving your lungs with the hit.

You buried your face into Peter’s jacket with the pain, stifling whatever pitiful sounds you didn’t want the man to hear. You could smell cheap cologne against the leather then. You tried your best to focus on that scent as you closed your eyes. This wasn’t over. You were going to get out of this. Somehow, some way you were going to help Peter as he had already helped so many of you. You owed him this.

“Take both of these two.” The military man said, then stepping over you both as if he’d done nothing more than vanquish a couple insects that had crossed his path.

——————

(Continued in next chapter here)

[evelynendar]

Hydrus contact names

Inspired by @loreoflemons hope ya don’t mind me jumping in!

———

Raiden: Mr.Electric ⚡️

Fujin: Airhead /lh 🌬

Liu Kang: The Chosen One 🙄

Kung Lao: Bwananananananana Hat Man!

Bo Rai Cho: Uncle Bo 🍻

———

Hanzo: 360 no Scope-ion 🔥

Razor: Baby bro ⚡️🔥

———

Kuai: Grandmaster Blueberry Ice 🧊

Bi-Han: Edge Lord 💔 ⛓🖤☠️

Smoke: Tomas the tank engine 💨

Sektor: 🖕

Cyrax: Nothin but Net

Hydro: Hydro homie

———

Sonya: General Blade

Johnny: Hollywood 😎

Jax: Stronk 💪

Kenshi: Mr. Takahashi

Stryker: Call if arrested

———

Kano: Kanoroo 🇦🇺

Kabal: He’s a runner he’s a track star 🏃‍♂️

Kira: Kiki

Kobra: Simp

No Face: Scary Arson Man

Tremor: Rock n Roll

———

Kotal: KK IN A WEELCHAIR

D’vorah: Bug Babe 🐛

Ermac: Big Mac

Reptile: Sy 👑

Erron: Salsa Man 🤠

Ferra/Torr: Chaos Duo

———

Cassie: Commander Cool

Jacqui: Qween 💕

Kung Jin: ugh This Bitch /lh

Takeda: a- 💕

Spike: Pokémon

Karma: Mini Mac

Perice: snek boi 🐍

Eris: Nagin 🐍

Frost: Elsa ❄️

———

Kitana: One True Kahn 💙

Jade: Sassy pole lady 💚

Mileena: Nom💗

Skarlet: scary blood lady🩸

Nitara: Vampire lady 🩸

Rain: Umbrella hater ☔️

Baraka: TEKATAN

Sheeva: Grapple me mommy /p

Shang Tsung: yOuR sOuL iS mInE🐍

———

Nightwolf: Kiba’s Dad 🐺

Teimu: Dad 🕰

Jaz: Mum 🖕

Certion: Aunty 🌱

Shinnok: Uncle edge lord 👹

Quan Chi: Shinnok‘s Bitch

Geras: sand gramps 🏖⏳

Kronika: new era oooooh⏳

——————————————————————

Milo: Flower power 🌸🌻 - @loreoflemons

Ombra: Death Metal 🤟 - @theelderhazelnut

Lady Xuna: Galactic Mommy /p - @bisexualjohnnycage

Emma: One eye buddy 👁 - @ever-moonlit

[wexarexmadxhere-archive]

Wade Wilson; Muse Info

Full Name;  Wade Winston Wilson Nickname; Deadpool Face Claim; Ryan Reynolds Gender; Male Pronouns; He/Him/They Marital Status; Single Sexuality; Bisexual/ Polyamorous Age; 47 Date Of Birth; 1975 Occupation; Freelance Mercenary Residence;  Canada  Species; Mutate Family; None Verses; None Biography/Timelines; Deadpool (born Wade Winston Wilson) is a Canadian freelance mercenary who became a superhuman with an accelerated healing factor from the Mutant Workshop program. Wade Wilson was a soldier and mercenary with enhanced reflexes and agility due to him being a mutant, putting him far beyond the average human. During the Vietnam War in mid-late 1973, a young Wade was a member of a black ops group called Team X under the command of William Stryker. The team also included James "Logan" Howlett, Victor Creed, Christopher Bradley, Agent Zero, John Wraith, and Fred Dukes. He did as his leader ordered when it came to killing people, with Stryker even going so far as claiming that Wade would be the perfect soldier if it weren't for his inability to stop talking. Six years later, after Team X broke up, Wade was captured and taken to Stryker's base at Three Mile Island, where he was experimented on for the Weapon XI project. He was the first Team X member to be killed by Victor, and his body was used as a catalyst for the Weapon XI project. With Victor's help, Stryker gathered and collected the DNA from mutants whose powers could be used collectively within one body without destroying it, with Wade being the host body. By then, Wade was gone, and was now known as Weapon XI, "The Mutant Killer" - Deadpool (as Stryker explained - a "dead" mutant who had other powers "pooled" up into him). Stryker also seals Wade's mouth and gives him an adamantium skeleton. Wade, now called Deadpool, was sent to fight Wolverine after Victor was defeated. Dr. Carol Frost said the project was not finished, but Stryker said to do it anyway. After freeing the captured mutants, Wolverine is stopped by the now active Weapon XI - Deadpool. Using Chris Bradley's power, Stryker was able to control him to kill Wolverine. They fight as the other Mutants flee. With the other powers, he had from several other mutants (including Cyclops' optic beams, Wolverine's healing power, John Wraith's teleportation, Chris Bradley's technopathy, and Wade's prized blades used as two retractable arm blades) he was ready to fight and kill Wolverine. Logan faces Weapon XI alone and eventually climbs one of the nuclear reactors, Weapon XI follows in an instant using Wraith's teleportation ability. Logan puts forth his best effort but is pinned down. Just as Weapon XI is about to decapitate him (at the command of Stryker), Victor later joined to help Logan as he shoves Deadpool away, and both of them fall into the reactor. Victor catches Logan, explaining the only reason he saved him was so he could kill him himself. Logan and Victor eventually end up back to back to fight Wade from both sides. They finally catch him and stab him, but he teleports across the reactor. Victor attacks Deadpool as he fires on Logan with his optic blasts. Logan falls over the edge of the reactor as Victor is caught jumping at Weapon XI and shot back. Logan climbs back onto the reactor, and just as Weapon XI is blasting Victor into the ground, Logan runs, jumps, and slashes Weapon XI through the neck. Weapon XI holds his neck as Logan kicks him into the nuclear reactor, his head falling off as he tumbles below, with the lasers still firing. Later, Wilson revealed to be still alive, began to put himself back together.

[pupyzu]

could I get name ideas for vampire royalty/a vampire prince please?

under the cut!

Acheron Afton Alaric Amaranth Argent Ashes Athan Blade Cassius Chalice Chaos Cloven Cullen Damien Daniel Dante Demetri Demien Drachen Draegan Drake Draven Dred Edge Edward Eldritch Elio Emmett Enigma Garrett Glacier Gnash Grail Granite Grendel Hades Hamlet Jasper Kieran Labyrinth Laurent Layre Lazarus Lestat Leviathan Liam Lore Louis Lucifer Luther Lynk Marcus Masen Morrow Nebula Nightshade Obsidian Orpheus Prysm Quinn Ragnor Raul Raven Requiem Rogue Sabre Salem Satan Shadow Shayde Silas Steele Stone Storm Stryker Talon Tempest Thunder Vail Valhalla Vincent Wolf Zen Zephy

[queenxxxsupreme]

Demons

A/N: I miss Logan :(

Warnings: just super fluffy, domestic Logan is my favorite okay, also lumberjack Logan is my favorite

Word Count: 2.3k

Summary: Logan’s past comes back to visit him.

The cold air was bitter and frigid as it whipped around the front yard. Logan lifted the ax up and brought it back down on a chunk of wood. The log split in half. He stuck the blade of the ax into the stump being used as a table and picked up the two logs from the snow covered ground. 

The sound of tires turning off of the main road and on to the gravel driveway caught his attention. He looked towards the edge of the woods the driveway peeked out of. With a cigar between his lips, he picked up his ax, pulling it from the stump. 

He waited patiently for the car to come into view. It was black with tinted windows. At first, he thought it was perhaps a government vehicle. But the familiar scent of an old friend made him ease up. 

The driver’s side door opened and Storm stepped out. Scott Summers emerged from the passenger side. Logan sighed, pulling the cigar from his mouth to flick the ashes to the ground. 

“You’re a hard guy to find.” Scott commented.

“You ever think maybe that’s because I don’t want to be found?” Logan countered, raising one brow. He looked to Storm, who wore a friendly smile. There was something off about it. She was worried about something. 

“The Professor needs you, Logan.”

“I don’t do that anymore. Sorry you came all this way for nothing.” With the blunt side of his ax resting against his shoulder, he made his way through the little path he dug out in the snow to the front porch of his log cabin. 

Storm and Scott followed him, unwilling to take the Wolverine’s answer. 

“We aren’t asking you to sacrifice yourself, Howlett. We just need your help.”

“Sorry, bub.” Logan kicked the front door shut behind himself but Scott caught. Logan sighed, rolled his eyes, and made his way towards the kitchen. 

The smell of coffee filled the air. This told him that you had gotten up recently.

“You guys are a pain in my ass, you know?” 

“You’ve got a nice home.” Storm complimented, ignoring what he’d said.

“Looks comfy.” Scott added.

The sound of soft footsteps coming down the stairs caught the attention of the two uninvited guests. Logan turned to put his ax down on the table and pull of his gloves.

“James, why do I smell smoke?” You hadn’t even come down the stairs entirely so you had yet to see the two X-Men in your living room. You were dressed in a pair of short shorts you’d worn to bed the night before and one of Logan’s red flannel button downs. The shirt wasn’t buttoned up and you weren’t wearing a bra, but you managed to close the shirt around yourself before the guests could see anything. 

“Sorry, doll.” Logan muttered, taking his cigar from his lips. He put it out on his palm, hissing just slightly at the pain. 

You caught sight of Storm and Scott and started to open your mouth to greet them when you saw what Logan was doing.

“Now why the hell would you do that, James?” You crossed the room, your bare feet padding against the wooden floor. You took his hand and took the cigar from him. You placed it down on the table and examined his palm. The burn was already fading. 

“You worry too much.” A little grin tugged at his lips. 

“Because I know you too well.” You let his hand go and crossed your arms. Your eyes found the ax on the kitchen table. Before you could say anything, Logan picked it up and put it over his shoulder. “Thank you, James.”

“James.” Scott snickered. Logan glared at him for a second time. 

“I’m Storm.” Storm held her hand out for you. You smiled as you shook her hand.

“James didn’t tell me we were having company. Otherwise, I’d be in a little more appropriate clothes.”

“It’s not company if they weren’t invited.” Logan grumbled. He moved across the kitchen to get coffee.

You sighed when you saw that he was still wearing his boots, tracking snow in through the house. 

“We used to work with James years ago.” Scott tried to keep a straight face but it didn’t work. Using the Wolverine’s real name was something he, for whatever reason, found amusing.

Logan started to cross the room to get to the Cyclops but you stepped in his way, putting your hand on his chest. 

“Don’t start a fight in my house.” You warned him. There was a teasing tone in your voice, one that he adored. 

He looked down at you and bit back a smile. You, however, didn’t shy away from smiling up at him. 

“We won’t be bothering you two for long, Logan.” Storm told him. He lifted his gaze to look back at her. 

“I told you, I don’t do that anymore.” He shook his head and made his way back to the door, passing between both X-Men. “I’ll be back in in a little bit, doll.” He called over his shoulder to you. 

You nodded your head, crossing your arms as you watched him slip out of the front door.

Scott followed him while Storm stayed.

“What do you need him for?” You quietly asked her. She looked to the front door and then back to you.

“Mutant children are disappearing in Arizona. We’ve found the facility responsible. It’s a research lab.”

“And you need him?” 

“We have reason to believe the people who run the facility are from Logan’s past.”

You nodded softly but said no more.

Storm offered you a small smile and a nod before she left through the front door. 

Your stomach twisted up into knots. Logan’s past was anything but kind to him. He’d told you everything. It took time for him to trust you when you first met, but after one particularly bad nightmare, he broke down and told you all about the trauma and pain he’d endured in his long life. 

But you also had your own demons that haunted you, visiting you on nights when storms raged on the mountain you’d claimed with the brooding Canadian. Before you met him, you’d been through horrible things, similar to what those children were facing.

Being a mutant wasn’t easy. Everyone had their own horror story to share. You’d never met a mutant in your life who had a cookie cutter history.

You went over to the large windows in the living room to watch Logan and the two guests. He seemed to be ignoring them mostly as he continued to chop firewood for the house. A few minutes passed before they left. 

You decided to go out and talk to him. You slipped on a pair of snow boots and grabbed a coat from the rack behind the front door. 

Outside, the air was brisk and icy. The wind blew into your face what hair you didn’t have up in a ponytail. You crossed your arms over you chest, shivering just slightly, and followed the path through the snow Logan had created earlier that morning.

His back was to you but he heard you coming. The head of the ax was stuck into the stump as he bent down to pick up the pieces of firewood. When he stood back up, you placed a hand on his back.

“I’m a little busy right now, doll.” He muttered. He was clearly upset, angered by what his former co-workers told him no doubt. He tossed the two chunks of wood into the large pile he’d made.

“You should come inside. Keep my company.” You smiled softly, stepping around him to stand next to him. He looked to you out of the corner of his brown eyes but only held your gaze briefly. He picked the ax up once more and sat another log on the stump. 

“Don’t want to hurt you, doll. Move.”

“No.” You answered firmly. You put your hand on his arm. “Come inside and talk to me.”

“Don’t want to.” He muttered, trying to move away from you but you refused to let him go. He didn’t bother to pull his arm away from your hand. He knew you’d get what you wanted no matter how he acted. You were good at handling his tantrums.

“I think it’d be good for you to come inside. Just for a little bit.” You placed your hand on his cheek, your thumb brushing along his scruffy jaw. “Please?”

He sighed from deep within his chest and nodded softly. 

You smiled, content, and turned to walk back to the house. The ax was left wedged into the stump. Logan followed you, his eyes trailing over the back of your bare legs.

“Shorts outside, doll?” He teased just a little, raising a brow at you. You looked over your shoulder to him, smiling. “It’s below thirty out here.”

“Oh, I know. But I know that when we get inside, you’ll keep me warm.” You held your hand out for him. A smile finally broke through his lips. Your heart fluttered at the sight. You’d never grow tired of that smile.

Once inside, you took off your boots and coat and started for the kitchen, wanting a hot cup of coffee. Logan followed closely behind you. After you poured him and yourself a cup, you turned to face him. He took the mugs out of your hands and placed them on the counter. Then his hands wrapped around your hips and he lifted you up on to the counter by the sink. 

“We don’t have to talk about why they were here.” He said, leaning forward to kiss your neck. You closed your eyes and tilted your head to the side, humming softly at the feeling of his warm lips.

“Hmm.... Yes we do.”

He sighed, burying his face in your chest as if he thought that would cease the conversation he didn’t want to have. His forearms rested on the countertop along your thighs, his hands hooked around your backside. 

Your hand came up to cradle the back of his head, your fingers softly brushing through his thick, dark hair.

“Talk to me, James.” You quietly pleaded. “Tell me what they told you.”

He was silent for a while. Finally, he pulled his head from your chest and looked up into your eyes. 

“It’s Stryker.” His voice was low. 

“The woman, Storm, she said that there are children disappearing. Mutant children.”

“Yeah.” He nodded stiffly. “But they’ve got the rest of the team. They don’t need me.”

“Those kids do.” You murmured.

He held your gaze. On one hand, he wanted to yell at you for guilt tripping him. Sometimes you did it so well he was almost sure that was your mutation. On the other hand, he wanted to thank you for being supportive. You both knew he was going to end up going to help those kids. It was who he was. He wouldn’t let innocent children suffer just because he didn’t want to return to the life he had before you came along.

“They need you, James.” You brushed your fingers back through his hair. “They could be going through hell.”

His hand came up to cup your jaw, this thumb brushing across a scar that cut through your lips. There was a brief moment where he saw the pain in your eyes, the horror of the nightmares you'd been through years before you met him. But that look disappeared and you kissed the pad of his thumb.

“I wish I could’ve been there for you.” His words were quiet but filled with guilt, guilt he didn’t need to be carrying. He leaned forward, his eyes closing as he rested his forehead against yours. “I would’ve saved you from that place.”

You placed your hand on the back of his and smiled softly.

“You’ve already saved me plenty, James.”

The way you murmured his name like he was some sort of saint always drove him crazy. Normally, anyone who called him by his birth name would be the receiver of a nasty beating at the very least. But you said it with such softness, such a tender tone that he’d never heard before. You were the only one allowed to call him James.

He let out a heavy sigh as he pulled his head away, his eyes opening to meet yours. You wore a delicate smile on your lips.

“Go. Be the good man I know you are.” You patted his chest then leaned in for a chaste kiss. “I’ll see you in a few days.”

He lingered there between your knees, relishing in the happiness he’d welcomed into his life. He didn’t want to move, to be honest. He wanted to stay there in the warm cabin he shared with you. He wanted to go upstairs to bed and fall asleep with your head on his chest.

“Love you, doll.” He muttered out the words, leaning in to kiss you once more.

“I love you.”

He took a step back, his hands dragging along the tops of your thighs before he finally let you go and turned to go upstairs. He needed to leave. The sooner he rescued those kids, the sooner he could get back to you.

You watched him go, climbing the stairs with heavy clunks of his boots. The smile fell from your face and worry replaced it. You didn’t want him to see your concern, your dread. He’d only stay longer and those kids needed him.

You knew he’d be okay. He always was. However, you also knew that whatever demons from his past he was going to face who have a negative effect on his healing. It had taken him so long just to be comfortable around you to do so much as sleep. Now, years after he’d left the X-Men, he’d be returning to face the very being who haunted his nightmares.

Taglist: @jennylovelyheart​ @jensensjaredsandmishaslover​ --you guys said you wanted tagged in everything I did so let me know if this isn’t your cup of tea :)

Note: thinking of making a tag list for Logan. Let me know if you want to be on it!!

[screaming-skvll]

“I don’t get it. OK, bows are one thing, I guess, but this? How does this make sense?”

“Well, it’s got a sharp edge, see, and if you swing it at something, it cuts the thing. That’s how it makes sense.”

“Smartass. I mean what sense does it make that something like this came out of the Black Armory?”

“Maybe swords are just an eternally recurring form. We didn’t see many bladed weapons around here for a long, long time, but then the Hive show up on the Moon swinging around those big choppers of theirs, and somehow the desire for choppers of our own is reawakened. Could be the Armory experienced a similar resurgent impulse when they decided to add this to their catalog.”

“But from what I hear about why the Armory was set up in the first place, the whole point was to develop advanced super-weapons to fight off something really bad, like whatever ended up bringing on the Collapse. Focusing on personal small arms is one thing, I guess, but what the hell did they expect this to be any good for?”

“What if it wasn’t the final product?”

“But this is what the frame schematics make.”

“Yeah, but what if this design is just a first step? We’ve seen what Hive swords can do—more than just physically cutting stuff. Maybe the Black Armory meant to make a sword like that, a sword that cuts... beyond cutting. Maybe this was just a first step.”

(Stryker’s Sure-Hand w/ Refurbished Black Armory)

[hxttrick-archived]

✂

Send me ‘✂’ and my muse will kill yours. Right now.

FINISH HER!

What was the purpose of this woman being here? Apparently, Stryker and Kabal found her roaming the outskirts of the emperor’s territory and believed her to be a threat, a spy under Raiden. That seemed all too impossible. This woman looked too innocent to be a warrior, let alone a spy. And yet, in all of Kung Lao’s years, living and dead, he knew damn well not to let looks deceive him. Raiden deceived him and everyone here…and he continues to stew over an untimely demise caused by the thunder god’s mistakes.

She was a beautiful woman; maybe if she’s good, she could serve as entertainment or a consort, but what good was a living being in a palace filled with revenants and demons? Asking questions for answers had sounded like the best option, to get an understanding to why in the realms someone like her was here of all places, but…Empress Kitana had, what seemed to be, a better idea. Yes, a better idea for her, and her alone.

Kung Lao wasn’t dull; he knew the reason why. As if Liu Kang was going to choose someone like this woman over his undead cerulean queen.

Maybe it would be best to kill her, to anger Raiden by sending him the head of this civilian to him, to show that. Kitana thought it was a good idea, and she put Kung Lao in charge of the execution. To kill an innocent… From behind the steel mask he wore to hide his utter shame, he was frowning, and no one was going to know, but who was he to disappoint?

There he stood in front of the female, hat removed and ready to use, and before the Emperor and Empress, he would give them the entertainment of slaying before them. “Yueliang, was it?” It was the first thing to be said. “You said that was your name. I see you come from China, but where you come from does not matter here. By royal decree, for suspicion of trespassing and serving as a spy under the Thunder God Raiden, you are hereby sentenced to death. No last words; you get the swift and painless slice, by my hand.”

His hat’s blade glistened as he rose it up, and upon gripping the edge tight enough, he winds from one side and swings to the other. A simple decapitation. Through the mask slits, he watched the life drain immediately from her eyes and skin losing enough color to render her dead. With a swift kick to her abdomen, Yueliang’s body falls backwards and the head rolls to the floor. Blood spewed from the large open wound, of neck and head. That pretty little head of hers will make a nice surprise for Raiden…

[strykingback]

"Oh so that fuckin' mouse is locking my friends up and thinks he's hot shit! Aight then I just need that bitch-ass mouse to run the ones with me!!!!" Blade said getting in a fighting stance ready to take on Mickey.....and hopefully not get vaulted.

[toomanyf4ndoms7]

Mortal Kombat Invasion: Battle for Earthrealm: Sonya Vs Kano

Summary: On the bank rooftop, two rivals meet once more.

Okay, I may have been too hasty.

When Sonya ran up the stairs to find the red light that she assumed was Kano, she found herself on the Bank Rooftop alone. No Kano, just the giant Tower that seemed close yet far off in the distance.

Sonya sighed. Though she neglected to mention it among her allies, she had her own doubts. She was a soldier, and as damn good of one she was, this was another story.

“How am I supposed to deal with this?”

Suddenly she heard a familiar voice.

“Don’t worry love, you won’t have to.”

Sonya swerved just in time to dodge Kano’s trademark knife swung towards her throat. She took her fighting stance as Kano walked out of the shadows.

“I’d say you’re getting sloppy, but that’d imply I had any respect for you in the first place.”

Kano still wore the same sleazy grin as always along with the metal plate over his red bionic eye, but his head was now shaved bald and wore a sleeveless red and black tunic, a pair of shiny black tights with red seams, and black boots with his trademark knives strapped to the back of his shins.

“Aw, don’t be like that. Don’t you want to know what I’ve been doing?”

Sonya’s face was stone as she gave her response.

“No.”

Kano gave a shrug, cracking his neck and loosening his shoulders.

“Fair enough, let’s get to the fun.”

Kano lunged at Sonya with a fierce hook, finding it blocked and countered by a sweep to his legs.

She didn’t have long to rest as Kano took a knife from its holster and swung it at her legs. Sonya jumped back and avoided any major damage beyond a slash wound across her left thigh.

As Sonya hissed in pain, Kano grabbed her by the shoulders and head butted her with his metal plate, trying to regain her balance.

As soon as she regained her control, Sonya countered Kano’s strikes and twisted his arm behind his back, taking a satisfied grin as he cried out in pain. She kicked him away and was about to knock him out before Kano suddenly stabbed her deep in the leg, grabbed her again, and tossed her into one of the stone gargoyles lining the roof.

The force of the throw caused cracks along the gargoyle and sharp pain to Sonya’s back. Kano gave a satisfied chuckle as he pulled out his knife and walked towards her.

Sonya groaned as she tried to get back on her feet, only causing herself more pain, before speaking through gritted teeth.

“Fine, you win. Just make it quick.”

Kano grabbed a lock of Sonya’s hair, hoisting her head up in the process to meet his. He mocked her with his sadistic grin.

“Now ain’t this a surprise. Brave Miss Blade, surrendering. I don’t think Danny boy would be too happy about that.”

The knife edged closer.

“But, what the hell. Let’s make you smile ear to ear.”

As Kano prepared to drag the knife across Sonya’s face, he was unaware of what would come next.

“Wait.”

Kano looked irritated, overlooking Sonya emptying a pocket of pink dust into her hand.

“How about a funeral gift?”

As Kano stared in confusion, Sonya suddenly blew the pink dust into Kano’s face, blinding him for a moment. In his struggle to regain his sight, Kano tore off a lock of Sonya’s hair.

Sonya had bigger things to deal with than the missing lock, as she did a handstand and grabbed Kano with her feet., tossing him off the rooftop. Sonya watched Kano fall from the rooftop, hearing a satisfying sound of something hitting the ground.

“That was for you, Daniel.”

“SONYA!”

Sonya turned to see Jax, Kabal, and Stryker at the stairway. Seeing the knife in her leg, Jax rushed over to help.

“What happened?, he questioned as he wrapped his hand around the blades handle.

“Kano ambushed me. Almost had me before I-

Jax took the knife out of Sonya’s leg, causing her to groan in pain as Jax wrapped the wound in bandages. She glared at her superior.

“You couldn’t have given a warning?”

“I remember when you scraped your knee and refused to admit it, so you tell me.”

Rolling her eyes at the memory, Sonya continued.

“Anyway, I tossed him off the building and saw him hit the floor. He’s gone.”

“Good riddance.”

Sonya got back on her feet, supported by Jax as the four made their way back down to continue their journey.

Despite the pain in her left leg, Sonya felt satisfied. After all this time, Kano was gone.

[marketerefforts]

Single-Use Medical Device Reprocessing Market Research Report 2023 - Industry Size, Share, Demands, Regional Analysis & Estimations Till 2028

The Single-Use Medical Device Reprocessing Market Report, in its latest update, highlights the significant impacts and the recent strategical changes under the present socio-economic scenario. The Single-Use Medical Device Reprocessing industry growth avenues are deeply supported by exhaustive research by the top analysts of the industry. The report starts with the executive summary, followed by a value chain and marketing channels study. The report then estimates the CAGR and market revenue of the Global and regional segments.

Base Year: 2021

Estimated Year: 2022

Forecast Till: 2023 to 2028

The report classifies the market into different segments based on type and product. These segments are studied in detail, incorporating the market estimates and forecasts at regional and country levels. The segment analysis is helpful in understanding the growth areas and potential opportunities of the market.

Get | Download FREE Sample Report of Global Single-Use Medical Device Reprocessing Market @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-17569

A special section is dedicated to the analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the growth of the Single-Use Medical Device Reprocessing market.  The impact is closely studied in terms of production, import, export, and supply.

The report covers the complete competitive landscape of the Worldwide Single-Use Medical Device Reprocessing market with company profiles of key players such as:

HYGIA Health Services, Inc.

Johnson & Johnson

Medline Industries, Inc.

NEScientific, Inc.

ReNu Medical, Inc.

Stryker Sustainability Solutions

Sure Tek Medical

VANGUARD AG

Want to add more Company Profiles to the Report? Write your Customized Requirements to us @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/get-custom-research-17569

Single-Use Medical Device Reprocessing Market Analysis by Device:

Class I Devices

Sequential Compression Sleeves

Tourniquet Cuffs

Pulse Oximeter Sensors

Class II Devices

Microdebriders

Cautery Electrodes

Laparoscopic Graspers

Scissors

Forceps

Scalpels

Orthopedic Blades

Drill Bits

External Fixation Clamps

Electrophysiological Cardiac Catheters

Single-Use Medical Device Reprocessing Market Analysis by Geography:

North America (USA, Canada, and Mexico)

Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Rest of Europe)

Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, South-East Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Rest of Latin America)

The Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East and Africa)

Key questions answered in the report:

 What is the expected growth of the Single-Use Medical Device Reprocessing market between 2023 to 2028?

Which application and type segment holds the maximum share in the Global Single-Use Medical Device Reprocessing market?

Which regional Single-Use Medical Device Reprocessing market shows the highest growth CAGR between 2023 to 2028?

What are the opportunities and challenges currently faced by the Single-Use Medical Device Reprocessing market?

Who are the leading market players and what are their Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT)?

What business strategies are the competitors considering to stay in the Single-Use Medical Device Reprocessing market?

Purchase the Complete Global Single-Use Medical Device Reprocessing Market Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/buy-now-17569

About Us:

DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research report provider, enriching decision-makers, and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research reports, customized research reports, company profiles, and industry databases across multiple domains. Our expert research analysts have been trained to map client’s research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise, and meaningful data at a lightning speed.

For more details: DecisionDatabases.com E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.com Phone: +91 90 28 057900 Web: https://www.decisiondatabases.com/

[texanredrose]

Omega’s Strength (Pt 4)

Yang leaned back against the wall, arms crossed over her chest with Blake and Weiss beside her while Ruby stood in the middle of the loading bay. Across from her in their make shift ring was Nigel, who seemed more than a little apprehensive about facing off against the young woman hefting the huge sniper scythe like it was nothing. The twin SMGs in his hands didn't seem like they'd be capable of standing up to the cutting edge of Crescent Rose, even if he did combine them into their pole ax form.

"Okay, so! We've got about three days before we disembark to infiltrate the abandoned base. Before then, we'd better get some practice in working with each other," Ruby said, the cheer in her voice grating on her sister's nerves. Most of it came from sheer impatience, wanting to be the first one to fight just to keep the thoughts at bay. "We're going to start with some one-on-one drills, and then some cooperative ones against hard light opponents and Weiss’ summons. Sound good?"

"Uh, couldn't we do some old-fashioned, 'two truths one lie' bonding instead?" Nigel offered with a weak smile.

While the rest of his team laughed, Yang shook her head. "This guy's supposed to be a solider?"

"It takes all types, Yang," Blake replied, nudging her shoulder lightly. "And we played that game the day after initiation."

She winced, opting to remain silent rather then dredge up any more memories from their time at Beacon. As the battle began, she had to admit that she'd judged him a little too harshly; the young man displayed a genuine amount of skill and focus as he reacted to her sister's fighting style. It actually took Ruby a solid minute to land a hit, sending him sprawling and taking a chunk out of his aura level in the process. They wouldn't be able to push each other as hard as they had in school, where their recovery time could be easily monitored and adjusted, but he still had some fight left in him.

With the gunshots to cover their conversation, Yang glanced at her partner and cleared her throat. "Congrats. By the way."

At first, the Faunus raised a brow before seeming to sense why the blonde was so terse. "Thanks. I'm sorry I wasn't the one to tell you."

"It's whatever."

"No, it's not," Blake replied, and she could see how her partner turned to look at her from the corner of her eye. "Yang, I know you're going through a rough time right now and I'm sorry for the part I played in it. I never meant to hurt you again."

She sighed, turning to meet those concerned amber eyes. "Oh, come off it, Blakey. This isn't your fault, same as before. We've talked about this." Shaking her head, the blonde glanced away a moment before returning her lilac eyes to the Faunus beside her. "Look, I'm not mad I went into heat. It was bound to happen eventually and better last week then in the near future, yeah? And it could've been worse, so it was probably for the best." A frown touched her lips and she looked away. "It's just reality. Face it, Blake. I'm not mate material anymore. That's... that's just how it is. I've accepted that."

"You're lying through your teeth right now." The Faunus' voice became tight, her volume lowering to keep everyone else unaware of her anger. She didn't have the same inscrutable mask the Schnees favored but she kept her ears up and her face smooth, leaving her eyes and voice to convey the emotions, something they did all too well as Yang could practically feel her partner's heated stare boring a hole through the side of her head. "Did you talk to Winter about this? Did she say any of this?"

"I got mounted and I have no mark to show for it; does she really have to put it into words?" Her left hand slid down, grip tightening on the metal of her prosthetic. "We already talked about it. I told her I made a mistake. I shouldn't have bitten her."

"Yang." A hand laid on her shoulder, pulling her gaze back to Blake. "Did you mean it? The mark?"

She wanted to look away and deny it but... she couldn't. From one Omega to another, between partners, she could admit the truth just once. "Yeah, I... I did." Her shoulders fell and her gaze dropped. "I dunno why I thought... I just... in the moment, it felt mutual, ya know? But I was wrong." Shaking her head, Yang shoved everything aside, drawing herself up to her full height. "None of it matters now anyway. In a few days, it'll be like nothing happened." Her lips turned down at the corners. "And to her, nothing did."

With a thump, Nigel landed flat on his back, breathing heavily and staring at the ceiling while Ruby stumbled away, hefting Crescent Rose with only a small wince. "Okay! So! That was pretty good!"

"Lady, you got a funny definition of 'good'," Oswald said, smirking and cracking his knuckles. "Guess I'm up next?"

"Stand down, O-man. I want the next fight." Stryker called out, heading over to help her teammate up while carrying her over sized, serrated falchion with the other hand, resting the flat back of the blade against her shoulder.

"Oh, great!" Ruby laughed, collapsing her own weapon down and storing it on her back. "I'm sure Weiss would-"

"Actually, I think I'd like to have a go at Yang." The blonde's eyes snapped to the Alpha's. "What'd'ya say, Blondie?"

Yang furrowed her brows, her frown growing more severe. Well, she wanted in on the action, but she had a feeling the woman wasn't going to take her seriously as a combatant. No better time to disprove that than now, she supposed, though Blake quickly grabbed her arm when she pushed off the wall.

"Maybe it isn't such a good idea, fighting an Alpha straight off the bat." The Faunus' ears twitched, as if she had more to say but chose to keep it to herself, and that had the woman gritting her teeth in barely contained frustration.

"Winter rejected me; if she wanted a say in who I'm around, she missed that chance." With a jerk of her shoulder, she pulled herself free of Blake's grip, Ember Celica expanding to cover her forearms in the next moment. "And I don't want a mate anyway."

If she said it enough, she'd believe it.

It was an old fashioned tradition- and one she'd rather liked- for mates to pit their strength against each other as a sign of trust. Back in the day, it arose out of practical necessity; everyone had to fight to keep the Grimm at bay and everyone needed a training partner. Most often, Alphas were too protective of their mates to stay on the sidelines and Omegas often faced the same problem, the former rushing in to beat back an attacker while the latter would defend their mate from any foe. Betas tended to control themselves a little better but they felt the inclination, too, and often lept into the fray themselves. During their time training together, she'd somehow tricked herself into thinking Winter saw their bouts as something similar, a way of testing each other and feeling the other out. It was why she always withheld the final blow, never wanting to push too far; it wasn't about winning or losing, it was about improving side-by-side.

That romantic streak helped land her in this situation to begin with, though, and she shoved all those thoughts aside. This was about one thing alone: fighting. They had four new comrades-in-arms to acclimate to and the sooner they did it, the better. Alpha, Beta, Omega- none of that mattered at present.

As she took her spot across from Stryker, Yang felt her entire being focus on the impending bout, all too ready to fall into the soothing rhythm of combat.

"Ready?" Ruby called out, a hint of trepidation in her voice. "Go!"

The Atlesian immediately swung her blade around, holding the grip with both hands and readying for a sweeping strike to ward Yang off. Except, she'd learned a thing or two since the Fall of Beacon and didn't fall for the obvious advantage her weapons' smaller size would grant her to dart in for a quick first strike. Instead, she brought her fists up, curled loosely so she could snap to defense or offense depending on the situation, and shifted her weight to the balls of her feet. So acclimated to facing off against Winter, she almost started her usual bob and weave, trying to bait out the woman's first attack, but she had a feeling it wouldn't take nearly so much to provoke a reaction from Stryker. Throwing a quick jab with her left, Yang shot out a single round, testing the woman's defenses.

Rather than take the shot and shrug it off or blocking with her weapon, Stryker made a show of jumping to the side, rolling back to her feet and charging towards the blonde. A sloppy waste of energy- ducking would've accomplished the same thing considering how high she'd shot- but Yang set aside her mental critique to remain focused on the battle at hand. She watched the jagged edge of the blade as it swung towards her, skipping back to stay just out of reach while watching the woman's footwork. 

She carried her momentum forward with every strike, either unable or unwilling to change course once committed, and that proved to be a weakness Yang could exploit with ease. 

The blonde bided her time, moving to keep the blade out of reach but never so far away that she couldn't close the distance if she so desired. It almost seemed like Stryker was being intentionally ostentatious with her fighting, leaving herself far too open for someone of her presumed experience. Bearing that in mind, Yang waited for another sweeping strike before darting to the woman's undefended side and delivering a medium strength hook to the spot just below her opponent's ribs.

If she'd sparred against anyone else, it would be a full strength blow, coupled with the concussion of her weapon and powerful enough to send them clear across the cargo bay. This time, she gave the woman a warning shot, a bit of encouragement to take the fight seriously, and she wasn't disappointed when Stryker rolled with the momentum and brought her sword around for a full strength counter attack. Before the Fall, she might've tried ducking beneath it or rolling out of the way, maybe shooting at the ground to aid in her escape, but now Yang merely set her feet and raised her right arm, allowing the prosthetic to act as her shield. 

It had taken months of training to become accustomed to the idea that the flimsy bit of metal fed by her aura would ever be as good as flesh and blood, but she'd come to rely on the construction as her fighting style changed. The teeth of the falchion tried hard to gouge into the metal but her aura flared, reinforcing the artificial limb as she absorbed the shock of the blow without budging an inch. 

The sudden, jarring impact threw the Atlesian off, her own footing shifting to maintain her balance as eyes opened wide.

Deciding to send the message loud and clear, Yang quickly rotated her prosthetic arm in a circular outward motion, shock having made Stryker's stance too weak to prevent her blade from being moved and trapped between the blonde's arm and body. With that threat effectively neutralized, she shifted her hips and threw her weight into the motion while slamming her left hand against the side of the blade, turning a quick half circle and dragging Stryker with her until her grip gave out, separating the soldier from her weapon as she went sprawling. Although disarming her opponents typically fell outside Yang's forte and style, working with her father to reestablish equilibrium had given her a little insight into not always relying on her offensive strength alone. 

With a dismissive grunt, she lifted her arm and let the falchion fall to the ground.

"I can see my previous advice went unheeded." Winter's voice at once grated on her ears and made her heart stutter in her chest, lilac eyes quickly snapping to the door leading into the cargo bay, where everyone not already present- with the exception of Ren and Nora, likely up in the cockpit- stood, watching the demonstration with various degrees of amusement. None could be found in the Alpha's expression, though, arms clasped behind her back as she tilted her chin up a little. "You're not taking this seriously. You have joined forces with survivors of the Fall of Beacon, individuals who are well and above what your skill level was when you were their age." She paused, gaze landing on Stryker as she pushed herself to her feet. "And perhaps even now."

"Well, pardon me, Specialist." Stryker growled, raising her chin defiantly. "Perhaps you'd like to show us how it's done?"

Yang's shoulders tensed. Immediately, she wanted to shoot the proposal down; not only did she not want to be used in a territorial power play between two Alphas, she didn't really want to spar against Winter again, not so soon. Being in close proximity hadn't started feeling normal yet, not enough time had passed to take away the sting, and she didn't trust herself not to get distracted or, worse, betray her own turmoil in the middle of the fight. 

However, after the initial panic passed, she acknowledged that there seemed to be no easy way to get over her heartache, but the unpredictable rhythm of battle had always helped her sort through her thoughts. 

Yet again, fighting against Winter... it still seemed like too big a risk to take.

"Do you honestly need a visual demonstration?" Winter's tone, cool and crisp and dripping with well earned condescension, cut through her thoughts. "I'd thought you were trained better."

"Apologies, Specialist." The other Alpha gave a salute, though the lazy execution conveyed a distinct level of mockery. "I didn't realize you'd retired from the front lines."

The words pricked at Yang's pride. Were they mates, it would be well within her right to step in and offer her own opinion. Despite lacking that distinction, though, she'd still chosen Winter as a mate, she'd been willing to bond with the woman, and the insinuation that the Alpha couldn't back up her word with skill angered the Omega. 

Many things she would let slide, but not that.

"She's just trying not to embarrass you," she said, taking a few steps forward and then turning around, ensuring Stryker was only able to see her side and not her back. Raising her fists, she resumed her ready stance, lilac eyes falling on Winter. "But I like to actually break a sweat during training."

The Alpha remained silent for a moment before sighing, striding forward purposefully. "I would hate to waste your time. I trust the rest of you will be paying attention."

"Absolutely," Stryker replied, obviously miffed by Yang's dismissal, but the Omega didn't rightly care.

She watched as Winter pulled her blade free of her hip, hitting the button that separated her dagger out before the battle even began. To some extent, that mollified Yang's wounded pride a little; if nothing else, the woman at least saw her as a competent combatant, warranting none of the beginner tricks that she so often played on others. 

They'd sparred against each other enough that it seemed only natural to start near the top of their respective abilities, and the Omega repaid the gesture in kind, clenching her right fist harder to activate the plate in her palm, red dust threading between the grooves in preparation for her first strike with her prosthetic. From the corner of her eye, she could see the worried look on Ruby's face, barely assuaged by her decision to allow the display to continue.

"Ready? Go!"

No hesitation, no breaks- Winter flew forward, sped along by her glyphs, and Yang could hardly blink before both of her arms shot out to block the Alpha's first few blows. Sparks flew as metal met, her opponent not bothering with the test of strength and instead flipping her blades around to try from a different angle. Their sparring sessions usually came to this in one form or another- the flash of steel as Yang defended herself, throwing the occasional jab to create distance and waiting for the right moment to strike. She couldn't allow Winter to create too much distance, though, or allow either of her weapons to remain free, because the moment she did, a white Beowulf or Nevermore would come bursting to life from a glyph to harass her, and then she'd be defending herself twice over with little to show for it. 

Instead, she had to balance remaining within striking distance with defense, all too aware that the biting edge of either blade would be enough to weaken her defenses, and throwing a punch where she could. They hardly ever landed, the woman's quick movements and incredible flexibility merging with the grace of a dancer, and any time it looked like she might've robbed her opponent of her sure footing, a glyph would appear to stabilize her.

They traded blows for a few minutes, shuffling back and forth, before the woman made to retreat, aided by her glyphs, and Yang immediately gave chase with a burst from her left gauntlet. The moment her foot hit the ground, though, she turned her body, right fist cocked back and ready to unleash the first in her counter offensive even as a summon began to take form just out of her direct line of sight. She threw every ounce of her weight behind the blow, but the telegraph was too obvious, allowing Winter to dodge; it worked out well, allowing the Omega to spin and slam her fist into the side of a Beowulf's jaw, it's gaping maw disintegrating with the rest of its body as the one strike managed to dispel it entirely, a wreath of flame issuing from the line of her knuckles and scorching the floor. 

Usually, the heat would force Winter to take a moment and collect her bearings, but this time she seemed to press forward regardless of the sweltering temperature, flipping the shorter blade in her off hand around and beginning a series of strikes that had Yang twisting to keep her prosthetic between blade and flesh, blocking each blow until she could press forward, lowering her shoulder to deliver a devastating uppercut with her left that just barely clipped the Alpha's chin.

Had the hit landed solidly, it probably would've taken a chunk of aura and significantly impaired Winter's senses for a moment. As it stood, her head snapped back and the rest of her followed in a fluid backflip that might've looked to the naked eye like she'd avoided the blow entirely, landing in a crouch and shooting forward in the next moment to attack again. Always aggressive, always pushing every defense Yang had- she could feel the sweat accumulating on her brow and rolling down her spine as she worked to block and bob and weave, the sounds of gunshots ringing through the air as she used her blasts to either avoid, close, or disperse yet another summon. 

The longer the fight wore on, the more glancing blows got through her defenses, and the more strikes she landed in turn. On the one hand, she probably had more stamina, and blow for blow could last longer if each one landed, but Winter knew her weaknesses a bit too well, never hitting hard enough for her semblance to flare bright. The Alpha would bleed her dry with papercuts before being foolish enough to try and win a contest of brute force, and both of them could sense the tipping point approaching.

She'd somehow managed to land a solid punch against the woman's left side with her right, hampering her movements slightly, but Yang had gone on the offensive too often in order to get that, allowing a bit of her hurt to spur her forward. The Omega's aura was likely dangerously close to having the fight called, so the next time Winter retreated, she flicked her right wrist and cycled to yellow dust, lightning arcing along her prosthetic and she shot forward, ready to land the last blow. A white Beowulf blocked her path for a moment, but she jumped up and over it, spinning around so she could bring her fist down on top of the Alpha. At least, that's what it looked like she planned to do, but a shot from her left pushed her past Winter, allowing her to whirl around.

Fist cocked back, feet planting themselves as her hips twisted, Yang had every intention of following through and delivering the strike that she'd always held back in every previous bout. She couldn't impress the woman, couldn't sway her, so why not release the rage and anger and hurt in a decisive way?

Yet, her body went stock still, fist still a good half foot from making contact and cackling with undischarged lightning.

She couldn't do it. 

It had nothing to do with the pragmatic concerns, that they shouldn’t be pushing each other this hard considering the stakes; she couldn't take the last blow and potentially insult the woman. Winter had taken it easy on her, remaining on the ground rather than forcing Yang to deal with an aerial opponent; this wasn't about trying to outdo the other or prove who was stronger.

It was never about that.

Chest heaving and blinking sweat from her eyes, Yang noticed that the Alpha hadn't bothered turning around fully, only barely looking back at her out of the corner of her eye and over her shoulder. 

Then, she noticed that Winter had flipped her sword around so that it protected her back, anticipating the attack and prepared to use the flat of her blade to knock aside Yang's fist. She could've easily dropped down, pushed her shoulder into the Omega's gut and flipped her using her own momentum, but she'd held back as well.

"Holy shit," someone said, and with her heart beating so loud in her ears, Yang couldn't properly tell who the voice belonged to, but that didn't matter.

Haltingly, she drew her fist back, gulping in as much air as she could manage while Winter straightened up, blue eyes scanning over her form. "Are you hurt?"

"Sore, but fine," she replied, both hands still curled into fists. Talking to the woman shouldn't be this hard, shouldn't feel like a thousand claws digging into her chest to rip out her heart, but there it was; they were comrades and nothing more. "How's your side?"

"I'm quite certain it'll bruise." The woman offered a small smile. She probably meant the comment in a kind way, acknowledging the strength it took to leave any sort of mark without breaking someone's aura first. In combat, very few could pull it off, and the only exception that existed adorned Blake's and Weiss' collarbones- mating marks, which seemed to fly in direct defiance of aura and science.

The reminder stung.

"It'll fade," she said, sourness infecting her tone as she turned on heel and started walking away. "Just like before."

Shame and self loathing rose within her again, making bile appear in the back of her throat. Tears threatened to fall but she forced them back; this wasn't about anything other than getting back to normal and she'd likely have to face off against the Alpha several more times before she would stop acting like a kicked puppy.

Her feelings didn't matter.

With a quick motion of her right arm, the lightning that had remained trapped in her artificial limb discharged in a bright flash, leaving the whole thing smoking lightly. Yang reclaimed her spot beside Blake, ignoring the worry shining bright in amber orbs and crossing her arms over her chest. The metal felt hot against her skin but she wouldn’t budge, wouldn’t show an ounce of her inner turmoil.

"I'll trust that served as sufficient proof," Winter said, her voice as steady as ever. She stood facing her countrymen, hands clasped behind her back and appearing for all the world like she hadn't spent the past several minutes fighting a battle that ranged all over the enclosed space. How the woman could so consistently resume her normal poise would forever confound the Omega... even if she did still admire it. "They may be taking it easy on you for now but you've still much to learn in the way of real world application of your techniques before you can hope to match them. There is a distinct difference between being graduated and being blooded; remember that you haven't earned the second title yet, and they have. You'll learn much more that way."

Apparently through with her lecture, the Alpha turned, missing the glare thrown at her back by Stryker and heading straight for the doors leading back into the ship. With only a bit of trepidation, Ruby cleared her throat, trying to resume the training by calling out Oswald and Blake, pitting the Omegas against each other. Probably a good idea, considering the way Weiss' jaw immediately clenched, blue eyes riveted to her mate's back as the combatants prepared to face off. Yang trusted the Alpha's restraint but, considering the demonstration previously, some part of her worried how far everyone would push before someone snapped.

"So... you and the Ice Queen, huh?" She sighed through her nose, turning her head slightly to see Qrow leaning back against the wall beside her, the smell of whiskey heavy on his breath. It really shouldn't surprise her that the 'errand' he'd ran involved replenishing his liquor supply. "You two make a good pair."

"You hate her," she replied, turning her attention back to the fight. Unlike the previous two rounds, Oswald and Blake seemed to be decent matches, combining long range and short range attacks effectively. Where her partner had flexibility and her clones for distractions, her opponent had a good amount of brute strength and determination, not to mention a surprisingly solid stance. No matter what, Blake couldn't seem to get around his guard, his movements even faster than Ruby's- no, wait. 

Yang squinted, focusing intently on his shield arm. It seemed to flicker from one position to the next- an illusion semblance, forcing Blake to aim for a target that might not even be there. Clever.

"I don't hate her." He puffed out a bitter laugh. "Let's just say, she reminds me of someone I used to know. It sucks being trapped in a memory by yourself." Red eyes glanced her way. "Feel like you probably know how that feels."

"You're doing great at this pep talk thing, by the way."

"This ain't a pep talk. It's a 'pull your head outta your ass' talk." He straightened up, reaching up to the collar of his shirt and tugging it aside, putting the mark there on display. Yang had seen it before, briefly, but never learned who gave it to him or how long he'd walked around with a mark and no mate, just a ghost he tried to drink away the same as his semblance. "You're not stupid enough to end up like me, Yang, so stop acting like it. When this war's said and done, you've gotta find a way to keep going. Hell, even now, you can't just give up again, alright?" He straightened up his shirt, scratching at the hollow of his jaw. "Way I figure it, either you need to get back with her or move on. Walking around pissed off every day of your life ain't gonna cut it."

"Guess that decision was made for me then, huh?" Yang pushed away from the wall and turned, stalking off towards the cargo bay exit. "I'm done listening to this."

Maybe she couldn't stay angry at herself forever- it might die out eventually- but listening to her uncle try and smooth this over... she didn't know what happened to him because he wouldn't tell her. Far be it for her to feel guilty over a story she didn't know; she'd done that for enough years already.

His point remained, though. She couldn't keep sniping at Winter to soothe her wounded pride and broken ego. The feelings weren't mutual and that wasn't anyone’s fault- she couldn't demand that the Alpha return them for her sake.

"Yang." She stopped, looking back at Weiss, whose own gaze remained riveted to the ongoing battle. "Why didn't you use your semblance?"

"She didn't hit me hard enough," the Omega replied, furrowing her brows slightly. That much should've been obvious.

"You've been stomping around, angrier than a hornet's nest for the past week, and bleeding it off through your solo training hasn't quite done the trick." Blue eyes flicked over to her, and it should be uncanny how much she resembled her older sister but that never seemed to strike Yang quite as hard as it should. Perhaps it came down to how they'd met or the months spent at Beacon, but she could always clearly separate the sisters, just as most anyone could separate her and Ruby; their shared features always managed to look off just enough that she couldn't mistake one for the other. "You should have more than enough fire coursing through you to have brought a little bit of heat to the fight."

Brows furrowed, she turned to glare at the shorter woman. "Sorry to disappoint."

"Who'd you disappoint? Me, Winter, or yourself?" The line of her shoulders tightened as Weiss turned her attention away from the fight, setting her hands on her hips. The Alpha looked her up and down, expression pinching into one of minor annoyance. "Given the state of your clothes, I'm leaning towards the latter. Seriously, when was the last time you showered?"

She opened her mouth to snap back with a response but the words caught in her throat. Instead, she shook her head. "Look, if you're just going to give me a hard time-"

"You're doing that well enough, don't you think? Beating yourself up on the inside." The Alpha held her gaze, seeing if she'd balk, but Yang had both hands clenched into fists and her jaw set, just barely restraining herself. "Really, I wish it was more difficult to read your mind recently, but you might as well be putting everything up in neon lights!"

"What. Do you want. From me?" She could feel the red swirling into her eyes, fire burning in her blood as her anger began to boil. First Blake, then Qrow, and now Weiss- would there be no end to this torment? How many times would it be shoved in her face? "What's it gonna take?"

They stared each other down and though a little voice whispered in her ear that she should avert her gaze, she refused. Weiss had her mate and the Omega refused to let herself be swayed again, beholden to her instincts when only her sense had any merit left. She'd known from the beginning her heat was doomed and she'd let useless emotions and hope convince her otherwise. 

That mistake she wouldn't- couldn't make again.

"Stand by your team," the woman said, even as Ruby called an end to the match. "And when you stumble, let us help you up. That's what we're here for- and this time, we will be here. Don’t shut us out."

Blue eyes shifted to focus on Blake, who seemed to be working out her left wrist while exchanging a friendly handshake with Oswald. For his part, he seemed winded but in high spirits, and seeing as the only one to perform notably poorly was their team leader, Yang couldn't help but wonder how much longer until tensions began to rise on team SNOW. 

Considering how many times Stryker had looked her way since the end of her spar against Winter, she could only imagine how bruised the other woman's ego was; hopefully, her team would find a way to sooth the injury rather than exacerbate it.

"So, that just leaves Wisteria and Weiss!" Ruby called out, a cheery smile curving her lips. "After this, we'll go grab some food and talk about ways to improve." Silver eyes darted around the cargo bay before she cleared her throat, not a soul meeting the proposal with anything other than resigned acceptance and putting a dent in her pep. "Uh, on second thought, food in an hour, free time until then?"

"That sounds perfect," Weiss said, flashing a smile at her partner while taking Myrtenaster in hand and settling into her stance. "Ready when you are."

Wisteria pulled her whip free, the coils unfurling while the metal chain on the very end hit the ground with a sharp chink, and nodded.

"You looked good fighting Winter." Blake's voice pulled her attention away from the impending fight, not that she was very invested for the combat’s sake.

The blonde could see Stryker's pouting in her peripheral while looking at the fight and it made her feel a bit smug; that's what she deserved for daring to imply Winter was anything less than an expert in combat. "I still feel a little off balance."

"Balanced enough to toss that Alpha aside like she was nothing," the Faunus said with a forced chuckle, biting her lip the moment after. "You... think she's going to give you trouble?"

"Nah." Lilac eyes darted across the cargo bay, briefly catching Weiss and Wisteria trading plumes of fire before focusing on the grumpy Alpha for a moment. "I think it's just a military thing. She's got something to prove; it has nothing to do with me."

When she looked back at her partner, the disbelief was written plainly in her expression. "She's obviously interested in you."

Yang shook her head, ignoring the worrisome crack of lightning that issued from Wisteria's whip. "Stryker's interested in getting one over on Winter. I'm just the person who can give her that."

It should've stung, but it didn't; no one would be sincerely interested in her, and she'd gone through quite enough to cement that fact in her mind. At the very least, she had no illusions about the Alpha's intentions, no way she could possibly misinterpret that flirtatious tone of their first meeting or the cocky banter before their bout. 

It perhaps served as the only category in which Stryker could conceivably beat out Winter.

"As long as you're aware, Yang." Her partner sighed, obviously treading a fine line between pushing too hard and not far enough. "About what you said earlier... for what it's worth, I don't think Winter sees it as nothing."

She almost snapped out a response, anger flashing through her, but somehow managed to keep the words in check. Blake was trying to help but it just made the pain worse, images flashing in her mind. 

Dutiful Winter, trying so hard to toss her base nature aside and be the pragmatic soldier- she hadn't quite succeeded in remaining entirely detached and likely saw that as a failure of some sort, as if resisting the call of an Omega in heat remained something any Alpha could do with enough determination. 

"Maybe. Doesn't change the facts though.” She mumbled. “We don't... see each other the same."

The Faunus sighed. "If you say so."

That seemed to be as far as Blake was willing to push at the moment, relenting to the other Omega's stubbornness. Personally, Yang believed her to be trying far too hard for something that would never happen. Even if she somehow magically could be around Winter without feeling like her heart was about to be ripped from her chest, things would never be like they were before, that mutual respect and trust that came so easily when they trained against each other laying in fragments around her mind. She'd wanted Winter to see her as something more than her sister's teammate or an Omega who had failed in the one moment when triumph was paramount.

As lilac eyes returned to the battle before them- Wisteria's dust whip certainly had versatile uses but Weiss hadn't even seen fit to try summoning yet, though her defense seemed hardly able to keep up- Yang's mind wandered through her memories, sifting through the days after reuniting with her team. Between working through Blake's lingering guilty looks at the prosthetic replacing her lost arm, Weiss' erratic mood swings between unrelenting joy at their reformation as a team and the constant need to live up to her own impossible expectations, and Ruby hitting her emotional limit and unloading all the fears and insecurities that were born that fateful night as Beacon fell, Yang had enough things to focus on that shoving her own problems aside had come naturally, but her time spent training with Winter brought a different sort of liberation. 

She'd never met the woman properly before the Fall and had no memories to compare against when it came to their battles. The Alpha didn't have a picture in her mind of how Yang used to be, treating their every interaction the same, and with that came a strange sort of comfort. None of Blake's babying her, or Weiss' razor edged concern, or Ruby's worries; just the rhythm of the fight and a new bar to surpass, a new challenge to overcome. As much as she'd come to rely on her team like she did before, she couldn't escape the memories of their days at Beacon, when everything felt simple and straightforward. 

With Winter, she'd had that again- no complicated, painful goodbye to mar their time together.

Well, not until recently, at least.

Beyond the gratefulness she felt for having a glimmer of that old mindset back, she'd started to fall in love with the woman's poise, her quiet but forceful demeanor, her unrelenting pressure and passionate defense. Winter could be calm as a placid lake or as angry as a hornet's nest and anywhere in between, just as emotive as her sister but requiring a bit of finesse to coax it out. The Omega thrived during the times she could do such, because it seemed like the woman genuinely found her puns amusing and listened whenever she got started on a story, even the ones she obviously embellished. 

Perhaps she'd tricked herself into thinking polite interest meant something more, that a compliment about her style or strength weren't just methods of improving her morale. Maybe Yang's attention wasn't the reason the Alpha would tell stories from her early days in the Atlesian military or her own Academy days.

It seemed possible that every interaction had only existed in her head as something more than a comrade in arms interacting with another. She'd wanted to believe, fervently, that she could be desirable... but there remained no single moment she could turn to in her recollection that displayed as much.

Yet... their little exhibition match felt so much like they always had. A good workout but not a serious threat against one another- their auras hardly ever took enough hits to be concerning, almost like they weren't able to bring themselves to risk harming the other. They didn't fight against each other in earnest often; if Yang wanted a real test, she'd go up against Ruby, her sister's speed a good way to get around her heavier movements. Weiss and Blake often had to get too close to do serious damage, unless the Alpha summoned, but those tests were better served against Winter's own summons, so that neither wasted precious aura while honing their concentration.

Out of everyone available, I think I have the most experience fighting you, if it comes down to that.

They fought against each other most often but never hard enough... she'd obviously misinterpreted the reason for that. She thought it resembled Blake's bouts against Weiss...

She'd thought wrong.

The fight between Wisteria and Weiss ended on an amicable note, with the Alpha using her glyphs to rob her opponent of footing and the Beta being too hard pressed to recover adequately. With Myrtenaster against her throat, Wisteria yielded, and even Yang had to admit she'd learned quite a bit from the exhibition. Team SNOW obviously had a ton of experience fighting in regulated, supervised matches, but the raw demeanor Team RWBY had adopted on their quest to defeat Salem's agents went above and beyond what could be taught in any classroom. Loss and pain had taught them what instructors couldn't and everyone seemed keenly reminded of how much they'd grown since their Beacon days.

Yang, however, didn't feel nearly as optimistic despite all that. Blake and Weiss were obviously still getting acclimated to keeping their instincts in check, their fresh bond nearly pulling both into the fights. Discipline and the lack of a truly dangerous threat had kept them on the sidelines but the battlefield wouldn't be as kind. A cry of pain, a groan of effort- it wouldn't take much to distract one or both of them, which meant plenty more training in the days ahead. Even if they had a heading now, the time traveling to their next fight would be used honing their skills as much as possible.

That's why the Omega found herself standing in front of the Chief Engineer's quarters once more. This time, it wasn't to seek out some scrap of a memory; her fight with Winter had made it clear that she needed to close the chapter on her infatuation for good. Perhaps it would get Stryker to cool her jets a little, focus more heavily on the battles ahead, and give the lot of them a clear mind. The Alpha might've been able to put the events behind her and move on as if nothing happened but, as long as Yang kept coming back her trying to relive something that never truly existed, she would continue feeling strange around Winter.

Best to do it quick, like ripping off a bandage. Go in, put the furniture back, take the blankets to the laundry, and wipe the slate clean. It really stood as her only option.

Yet, she hesitated.

What's wrong with me? She frowned at the door, hands still curled into fists. Her anger at herself hadn't abated in the slightest, despite Blake's efforts to cajole her. At least Uncle Qrow and Weiss had kept their 'advice' to themselves, allowing her to leave without any further conversation after the last match ended. Just go in and do it. You can't keep walking around like this. You're distracting everyone. Get your head on straight.

"Yang?" The blonde blinked, turning her head to see her sister approaching her. "You left the cargo bay pretty quick. Is everything alright?"

"It’s going great," she replied, a sour note in her tone that made her sigh. "Sorry, Sis. I didn't know you wanted me to hang around."

"Well, I meant what I said about the hour downtime. I think everyone needs to get their thoughts in order." She walked closer, and it struck her again how much Ruby had grown. Where before she'd hardly come to the Omega's shoulder, now they were nearly eye to eye. Aside from gaining considerable combat experience during her time traveling with the broken remnants of Team JNPR, the Beta had also grown taller and leaner, the baby fat in her cheeks whittled away. But she hadn’t lost her smile. "But I wanted to check on you. We... haven’t really talked much lately."

"Yeah. Sorry about that." She sighed, shaking her head. "I've been kinda... out of it is all."

Silver eyes darted to the door. "Your heat really did a number on you, huh?"

Yang frowned, looking towards her feet. "That's one way of putting it."

"I'm sorry it didn't go well this time. I know you really hate not having the suppressants because of how bad it gets." She heard the contact more than felt it, her sister's hand lightly grabbing onto the prosthetic just beneath the anchor. "We'll try to find some next time we borrow Altesian cargo to resupply. And maybe, once this is all over, you can start looking for a mate?"

At first, she wanted to chuckle at the Beta's concept of 'borrowing' but felt her amusement cut by a sharp knife, brows furrowing into a scowl. "That's not going to happen. Ruby, I know it's hard to understand, but... that's not in the cards for me anymore." She lifted her right hand, tapping her thumb and forefinger together, the clinking of metal against metal echoing in the hall. "This... most Alphas aren't going to look past this. I'm not as good as I used to be."

"But you're so much stronger!" She should've expected her gear head of a sister to see only opportunities where others saw deformity; honestly, she should probably be grateful the Beta hadn't done something foolish to justify having one of her own limbs replaced with a weaponized prosthetic. "You're really getting the hang of your new fighting style! I mean, the way you disarmed Stryker and moved against Winter? Even Weiss admits you've pushed her sister harder than she ever did! And that last battle when-"

"Ruby," she said, trying to be forceful without betraying her anger. It shouldn't surprise her how optimistic the Beta could be but that didn't mean she wanted to hear any of it. "None of that matters. There's more to life than being a Huntress. I wanted a family of my own down the line and that's... that's not possible now." Yang pulled her artificial limb out of her sister's grasp. "This thing? It's a hunk of metal. Just because I can use it to fight doesn't mean it replaced the flesh and blood I lost." Lilac eyes traced along the prosthetic, her lips curled into a grimace. "Omegas are supposed to protect the people they care about most and be the gentle, supporting heart of the family. I can't do any of that." Metal creaked as she clenched her fist, pushing the gears to their limits. "I lost my arm because I wasn't strong enough to defend my partner. I let you run off to fight a war alone- I practically sent you to do it. I can't even keep from hurting myself, who's going to trust me to hold a child, even my own?" Beneath the boiling rage coursing through her veins, she could feel the sadness, that endless pit of despair she felt so ready to be dragged back into, and refrained from doing that by the barest margins. "Sometimes, this is the hand life deals you. Literally." She tore her gaze away, glaring at the door to the Chief Engineer's quarters. "It's shit and it's terrible and it's nothing at all like what you wanted. You just have to accept it... I just have to accept it."

Silence descended upon the sisters, with the blonde keeping her scowling gaze focused on the door ahead of her.

"I thought you... didn't spend your heat alone." The younger woman spoke tentatively.

Yang winced. "It would've been better if I had."

They fell quiet, the only noise being the swishing of fabric as Ruby stepped close enough to wrap her arms around her sister. The moment she registered the hug, all anger and pain fled from her system, her shoulders dropping as she glanced at the mop of hair pressing against her chin. "I'm sorry."

With a sigh, she carefully extricated her arms and returned the embrace properly. "Don't be. I did this- all of it, and I have to accept the consequences."

"Well, you know you're not alone, right?" Her sister muttered into her shoulder, squeezing tighter. "Blake, Weiss, me- we're all here, rooting for you. Jaune and the others, too."

"Yeah. I know." Yang felt her lips twitch into a smile. "Tell you what. After we kick Salem's butt, we'll have a big party- bake a whole bunch of cookies for everyone, stay up late playing video games, and pretend like we didn't just save the world from absolute evil. Just like old times, right?"

Ruby giggled. "It's only like old times if you tell really cheesy jokes all night, you know." They separated slightly, a small fist lightly knocking against her shoulder. "And for what it's worth? You've always been the heart of our family." Her smiled grew even larger. "Dad, Uncle Qrow, and I would've been hopelessly lost years ago without you there to set us straight!"

The Omega chuckled, shaking her head slightly. "Whatever you say, Sis." She patted her younger sibling's shoulder. "You should head up and grab some food, plan out what you're going to say to everyone. I've... got some things to get in order first."

"Okay. Don't be late!" With a flick of her cloak as she turned, Ruby started towards the stairwell. "Love you, Yang! See you in a little bit!"

"Love ya too, Rubes." She waited until the Beta disappeared before allowing her expression to fall. At the very least, her sister didn't push too hard in reassuring her and soothing her injured pride; neither did she seem too keen on addressing Winter directly. That boded well, since it meant she could maybe put the issue to bed after this. Assure everyone she'd moved on and be done with it. Hopefully, they'd believe her.

If she was really lucky, maybe she'd believe herself, too.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Yang palmed the door open, stepping inside after another moment's hesitation. Nothing had changed since her last visit and she did her best to breathe through her mouth as she began moving the furniture back into place. Resetting the room to its default state... it stung, slightly. Washed away any resemblance to her memories, distanced her even further from them, but that was the whole point of the exercise. Most Omegas either didn't bother with such or would restore everything to its pre-heat state before leaving their temporary nest. Had she the choice, she would've left everything as it had been... but it just encouraged the emotions she needed to kill.

It took a few minutes but she managed to get everything set back against the walls. Now, all that remained to even hint that anything had happened were the blankets, still stacked and folded on the bed, save for the one she draped around her shoulders during her last visit. Tentatively, she inhaled through her nose, eyes fluttering closed as the scent filled her lungs. Hers and Winters intertwined, but not the way mates would be. The tang of salt, the sweet undercurrent of sex, coupled with their individual scents made it clear that they'd been together but that the singular occurrence remained just that. Once the sheets were washed, the scent would die out completely within a couple weeks, only discernible to those in heat and maybe Faunus. In two months' time, it probably would be gone entirely.

Yang went and gathered them up, turning her head away so she wouldn't be tempted... but the pain in her chest stopped her. If she washed them, it would mean the destruction of the last trace that anything existed between them, no matter how brief. As terrible as it sounded, some part of her desired a memento from it all. She had no mark, no child, no words of affirmation- just blankets drenched in the scent of herself, Winter, and sex.

Wash them, burn them, throw them through the cargo door- just get rid of them somehow.

Lilac eyes glanced down, looking at the fabric gathered in her hands.

As long as they exist, you're going to remember.

With a sigh, she let them fall back to the bed. She should probably be ashamed of herself- always clinging to stupid hope when sense said otherwise- but the Omega couldn't bring herself to destroy the last remaining proof that, for a glimmer of a moment, she'd been worthy. Even without her arm, she'd been at least a warm body and a friend dear enough for the Alpha to consider easing her agony.

Yang would never have a mate... but she at least had friends.

Tears pricked at her eyes. "I've made a lot of dumb decisions. Might as well make one more."

She turned, ready to finally leave the room for good- and she meant it, this time- but her feet wouldn't cooperate. Despite having compromised so much already, she felt as if one more had to be made before she could be entirely satisfied. 

Yet, it probably remained the stupidest one she could make.

You're an idiot.

Growling, she turned and snatched one of the blankets from the bed, throwing it around her shoulders and marching out of the room. When the door closed behind her, she turned, punching the door control repeatedly until the metal crumpled, electricity crackling for a few moments before the whole thing shorted, the lights in the hallway flickering briefly as the door's indicator lights all powered down. Locking it probably would've been the better long term plan but... no. If she happened to go into heat again, she couldn't bear going back to that room. It would be an even greater torment that her first stint.

Yang looked left and right, clutching at the blanket and hurrying towards the stairwell. She kept her ears and eyes sharp, unable to rely on her sense of smell at all, and scurried to her quarters as quickly as possible. Once there, she closed the door and locked it, snatching up the handheld game from her dresser top and sitting down on her bunk.

"Guess picking up bad habits runs in the family." The blonde muttered, pulling the blanket around her shoulders tighter and inhaling deeply as the game started up. 

She had about twenty minutes to kill, anyway.

[adamantiumfcrged]

Power Description

Regenerative healing factor :: By the time he reached adulthood his capacity to regenerate from near or fatal wounds was rapid enough that even a bullet to the head would prove to take only minutes to recover from. Adding to that the fact that his bones themselves are unbreakable, which protects his nervous system, brain matter, and some of his vital organs, it is practically impossible to keep him down for any length of time; even sedatives tend not to last long as his system and metabolic rate is superhuman.

Heightened Senses :: Like his namesake, he has enhanced senses; particularly olfactory and auditory. He can hear across extraordinary distances and is able to determine location of people or creatures based on scent when others would not. This often gives him just that extra edge necessary in a combat situation, especially when any attempt at subterfuge is being used against him.

Superhuman strength, stamina, agility and reflexes :: If it was not for the combination of his regenerative abilities, and his superhuman strength, stamina, and agility, there would have been no way for him to have survived, much less carried and adjusted to the additional weight of the adamantium treatment he underwent. His true physical prowess is a result of not only his mutation, but of a history of training, of fighting, and exerting himself to the extremes when he can. He moves much as his namesake, capable of inhuman bounds and leaps, crossing seemingly impossible distances with a single jump or climbing up surfaces that would otherwise be insurmountable.

Delayed aging :: An affectation of his regenerative healing ability, his body is almost entirely in a state of stasis. He shows no sign of his hundred or more years of age, having seemed to stop aging at the prime of his adulthood. Perhaps, if he lived long enough, the barely perceptible increments of aging might begin to make themselves known.

Adamantium-bonded skeleton :: The result of an experiment that he underwent at the hands of Stryker after he believed that he would need the additional armament and impervious in order to defeat his half-brother for the supposed death of his love, the experiment is one that he volunteered for, though he still does not remember the how, or why at the current point in the timeline. Combined with his regenerative abilities, and his strength, the internal armor makes him practically immortal.

Claws :: Logan has a set of three claws on each hand that extend from between the four knuckles on either hand. After the procedure performed on him by Stryker, the claws that emerge are more blades than claw shaped, razor sharp and curving slightly inwards towards his hands. The once bone claws are now, as all the rest of the adamantium coated bones in his form, indestructible. He has the ability to extend or retract his claws at will, and can even operate them individually, as he often proves by giving the proverbial bird with an adamantium claw. There is no material, except for adamantium itself that can withstand the damage from his claws, be it piercing or slashing damage there is very little that has a chance to remain impervious to his strike if he connects.

Weaknesses:

Though most probably would not see it as such, to Logan one of the major flaws of his abilities is the fact that he does not age, or if he does it’s as such an imperceptible rate that he can not see the difference when he looks at his own reflection. It is probable that that stems from the fact that he does not remember any of his life before his escape from Stryker’s facility, and without knowing how old he truly is, where he came from, his name, there is no way for him to learn who he really is, and what his life has been, who he has known, and where he has been, and what kind of person he was before.

The search for his past, which has remained a mystery even in spite of recent events including his run ins with Stryker, has been a driving goal of his for all of the life that he can in fact, recall, and this is something that others have attempted to use against him in the past, and might do so again. Even still, his longevity .. and possible immortality have made it all the harder for him to come to any sort of attachments in his life.

In the long term scheme of things, it is something that he has had to force himself to come to terms in in regards to his personal relationships with those around him. It is a guarantee that he will outlive ninety nine percent of the people that he knows, or will ever care about, and it is that knowledge that often keeps him closed off from those around him in an attempt to keep himself from suffering the pain of their loss later in his life. He has seen lovers die, perhaps even for their tie to him, and his ability to outlive and outlast even the end of the world weighs heavily on his shoulders. He doesn’t want to always be the last man standing, and he worried that when it comes to it, he will be.

On a more commonly acknowledged scale of drawbacks to his powers, however… the one that has proven particularly irksome for him is the fact that he is, in fact, entirely coated in metal. That makes travel through conventional means either impossible, or extraordinarily complicated, and is a weakness that Magneto has used against him on multiple occasions. The additional weight of the metal in his body, while not a problem to him, causes technical issues at times, as well; he wears through suspension on motorcycles and cars at an incredible rate.

He also finds there are times when his strength gets away from him. When his temper flares, or if he loses control of himself, or even upon waking from his sleep, it is not rare for him to find the bed collapsed beneath his weight in the tossing and turning (when not in the Institute, whose beds are made for such things), or to find headboards snapped of scarred by his claws, or tables that creak and snap beneath his hands when he isn’t paying attention.

His regenerative ability also has the drawback that things such as medications or even alcohol have no lasting effect on him, making it close to impossible to keep him sedated for any examinations or travels, or even something that could be taken for nausea ineffective, and make it near impossible for him to ever get truly intoxicated – though that doesn’t keep him from trying on occasion.

Family: His brother in arms, Victor Creed, aka Sabretooth; John and Elizabeth Howlett (& Thomas Logan as his biological father) for his parents though all parental units are deceased, and a son by Itsu, Akihiro Howlett, though he is not aware of his son’s survival.

APPEARANCE

Eyes: His eyes are a tawny brown, though the specific shade tends to alter just slightly given his mood, shifting between a paler tan to a darker, stormier mahogany. His eyes are sometimes the most expressive feature of his face, coupled with the thick eyebrows that square off over them.

Hair: Logan’s hair is dark; a mahogany hue with shades of a darker almost black mingled within. It is most often kept parted down the middle, and swept up and back, curling in on itself somewhat in a practiced unkempt look that does, ironically or no, resemble slightly the mane and fur tufts of his code name’s namesake. Even if not styled, it has a natural curl to it, and is somewhat unruly, and has never been seen any shorter than perhaps any pictures of his time spent with Team X and even that was not quite regulation. He is also somewhat known for his sideburns that creep along his jaw, and are thick, and squared off.

Height: Perhaps shorter than one might initially recall, Logan stands at only five feet and nine inches. His build is stocky, however, and with the addition of the internal adamantium coating, he weighs in at just over three hundred pounds.

Body: He is a little on the stocky side, more bulk than lean, especially given his ‘petite’ frame (though his height probably not something anyone would opt to comment on to his face at least). His face is definitely boxy in shape and frame, and in general he is rather furry.

Other Distinguishing Features: He has practically nothing in the way of scars, as his regenerative abilities heal any wounds, even those that were left by the adamantium bullets that took his memories from him.

Wardrobe: Given the high destruction rate of his attire, he opts for the casual. Jeans and a white wife-beater are a particularly common sight, with combat or hiking boots, and usually a leather jacket of some sort or another as the material tends to last longer than others. Occasionally, he might wear a long sleeved flannel with the sleeves rolled up, most often left unbuttoned and untucked, and for a particularly nice occasion, he might button and tuck, respectively.

PERSONALITY

Taciturn :: - adjective; 1. inclined to silence; reserved in speech; reluctant to join in conversation; 2. dour, stern, and silent in expression and manner.

Stubborn :: - adjective; 1. unreasonably obstinate; obstinately unmoving: a stubborn child.; 2. fixed or set in purpose or opinion; resolute: a stubborn opponent of foreign aid.; 3. obstinately maintained, as a course of action: a stubborn resistance.; 4. difficult to manage or suppress: a stubborn horse; a stubborn pain.; 5. hard, tough, or stiff, as stone or wood; difficult to shape or work.

Honorable :: - adjective; 1. in accordance with or characterized by principles of honor; upright: They were all honorable men. 2. of high rank, dignity, or distinction; noble, illustrious, or distinguished.; 3. worthy of honor and high respect; estimable; creditable.; 4. bringing honor or credit; consistent with honor.; 5. (initial capital letter) a.(used as a title of respect for certain ranking government officials.) b.British. (used as a title of courtesy for children of peers ranking below a marquis.) Abbreviation: Hon.

Surly :: - adjective,-li�er, -li�est.; 1. churlishly rude or bad-tempered: a surly waiter.; 2. unfriendly or hostile; menacingly irritable: a surly old lion.; 3. dark or dismal; menacing; threatening: a surly sky.; 4. Obsolete. lordly; arrogant.

– Quiet; Logan doesn’t believe in using ten words, when one would do, and is not above using silent forms of communication to get his point across. He isn’t one to debate, though arguing is something he’s not above when it comes to getting his way or his point across. Still, as often as not, he’d just as soon do what needs to be done rather than sitting around and jawing about it all day.

– Stubborn; What he might at times call being strong-willed, or resolute, is really just plain stubbornness. There isn’t much of any other way to describe it. He doesn’t often change his mind, and from those that have tried it’s often described as something akin to the water versus mountain scenario. Or talking to a wall.

– Morality; The truth of the matter is, whether Logan cares to admit it or not (and he won’t), he’s not as much the monster that he thinks he is, though that is not to say he’s warm and cuddly either. He does bite, and he has no qualms about killing when he has to. But he doesn’t like watching people get hurt that don’t deserve it, and in the end he can’t, or won’t, stand by and watch. He might, on the circumstances, just leave… but with the latest of associates to affect his actions he’s more likely to actively interfere.

– Cranky; He’s quick to go from happy to mad, from sad to mad, from confused to mad, from asleep to mad… pretty much anything to cranky is a pretty easy and guaranteed conclusion. Still, he has a sense of humor that keeps him entertained, even if at other people’s expense at times, but more often than not his humor would be considered a very private joke… like… just his.

Ambitions

Uncovering his past :: Perhaps postponed, but never forgotten, this has been the driving goal of his existence for literally as long as he can remember. Without knowing who he is, where he came from, what he has done, and how he became what he is, he knows that he is missing part of himself, his essence – his soul if he believed in such a thing.

Xavier’s Institute :: One of his more prominent aspirations at the moment is to keep the Institute running and operational, and more importantly than all of that, perhaps, at least to him is safe. People he cared for died to protect the mutants, and to preserve the way of life for the children at the school, and he would be doing them an injustice if he allowed harm to come to them now.

Brotherhood of Mutants :: He suspects that they will only continue to cause problems for the Institute, and for the world in general if left unchecked, and hopes to see them mostly eradicated.

Fears

Never knowing :: One of his biggest fears is that he will never know who he was before, or perhaps even more so, forgetting again. Without any knowledge of how he came to lose his memory, he is afraid that he will one day forget everything all over again, like someone hitting a giant reset button on his brain.

Knowing :: At the same time, Logan is afraid, especially given the most recent rounds of conversations with Stryker, that he may come to learn of who he was before, and that Stryker would be right… that he was nothing but an animal, and a monster.

Betrayal :: As it is incredibly hard for him to trust anyone, or allow others to trust him, he fears at times that he will only end up hurt, having come to trust the X-Men and the children at the Institute… or perhaps worse, that he will betray their trust and abandon them when they need him.

Likes

Creature comforts :: While Logan has learned to get by with little, he does enjoy the creature comforts of life; good food, good booze, good cigars, comfortable clothes, semi clean sheets, a hot shower… relative privacy, these are things he can appreciate.

Tracking :: Part of the hunt, he enjoys tracking for the sake of it, following his prey with his heightened senses, and he finds it good training as well to ensure that he can find who it is he needs to when the time comes.

Good looking women :: Brunettes, blonds, redheads… there’s really not many of them that he can’t find something to like about, but the particularly attractive ones generally garner a second look… or third… he is only a man, after all…

Solitude :: He had long ago become accustomed to the point of being alone, and in some ways it is all he knows or can remember… and there are times when he simply needs to get away and have some quiet time and space to himself.

Freedom :: Logan dislikes the feeling of being confined or controlled, be it physically restrained or pinned, or being ordered around and told what to do. It simply grates against his nature, and direct opposition isn’t often the way to get him to do anything.

Speed :: The feeling of going fast, and the feel of the wind in his face is something that he revels in, particularly when it comes to motorcycles. He does not, however, like flying…

Fighting :: There is an animalistic side of his nature that he cannot ever really hide, as much as he might wish he could at times, and there is something about a really good knock down drag out fight that just gets the blood flowing like nothing else.

Xavier Institute :: The place was Charles’ vision, and while Logan and the Professor may have had some disagreements in the end, the man had a place of respect that few in Logan’s memory, and he has set himself to making sure the place keeps on its feet as long as he’s around. And… the kids ain’t that bad, either… once you get past the fact that they’re kids.

Wit :: While Logan is rarely one for witty repertoire, he does enjoy a battle of wits, even if one of the participants isn’t him.

Trust :: Not something that he’s accustomed to giving or receiving, he still likes the way it feels, even if it does make him a little nervous in the end.

Dislikes

Technology :: Not the devices themselves, so much as having to figure out how to use them all himself. He’s never been one for the gadgets, and would prefer it if he never had to operate a computer, or a phone more complicated than pick up and dial…

Betrayal :: Trust not being something given or earned lightly, those that break trust, or their honor with him are among the basest of creatures as far as he is concerned, though there is the jaded part of him that almost expects it from everyone.

Prejudice :: Though he might not ever come out and admit it, those that assume any one set of people are one way or another, simply because of one set of factors, are just plain dumb. Any one person has the potential to be an ass, or an angel, and it all depends on the world around them, so to say all blonds are dumb, or all mutants dangerous frustrates him rather a lot.

Bullies :: Picking on those supposedly weaker than oneself only proves that the bully is weak, and feels the need to prove something to the rest of the world… and while Logan doesn’t mind the occasional pissing contest, or competition, making yourself feel better by punching the little guy really is a coward’s way of life.

Being crowded :: Something akin to claustrophobia perhaps, though mostly only in regards to being around a lot of people, something that Logan’s not overly comfortable with. More people equal more possible threats, or possible human shields for the other guys.

Sleeping :: While it might be one of the things even he needs, that doesn’t mean he has to like it, and he certainly doesn’t like the nightmares that it brings with it. If he had his way he’d just as soon not sleep ever again.

Magneto & Brotherhood :: Trouble. Really that’s all it boils down to. Even with Magneto neutralized and thus not allowed into his secret club, or able to wear the special decoder ring, Logan expects that the group will be nothing but trouble as it has been in the past.

Stryker :: He knows enough about the man to know he was dangerous, and not afraid to use any tools at his disposal to get his goals; including but not limited to torturing and experimenting on mutants, setting mutants against each other, using their powers against other mutants, and using children as living bait. If the man had any sense, he’d stay dead.

Being controlled :: Logan decides what Logan does. Anyone that thinks they can manipulate, control, blackmail, or order him around has got another thing coming and he will go to extremes to prove that point when he feels particularly affronted.

Lack of vices :: Particularly, a lack of cigars and beer at hand.

Habits

Smoking :: Something he’s always done, though he doesn’t quite remember why, but he’s always had a thing for cigars, and that’s one of the few 'luxuries’ he’ll spend money on or go out of his way to get. He’s almost always got a cigar in hand, in his mouth, or at the very least in a pocket.

Drinking :: A fan of beer, and a fan of whiskey, he somehow just feels more at ease with a glass or a bottle in his hand, despite the fact that it takes more than he could really drink in one go to get him actually drunk.

Speed :: He loves going fast, the feeling of power and speed especially on something like a motorcycle, and he was particularly fond of Scott’s sup'ed up motorcycle that he .. 'borrowed’ a while back.

Fighting :: It’s in his nature, and he’s got a bad habit of picking them even when he should just let things go. That, sadly, is not in his nature…

Strays :: He has a habit of picking up strays, if only for a short amount of time.

Honesty :: Logan doesn’t believe in playing nice, in coddling people, or find much purpose in active deception. He prefers to tell the truth, the whole truth, and really without much thought to the effect that would have on the feelings of others around him.

Luck :: Bad luck, that is. Logan has a habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or at least that’s how he’d put it, though others might say he was there just at the right time. For them.

Defensive :: In the antiquated use of the term, meaning a thing used for defense, it is in Logan’s nature to defend himself, and those around him that need it, or can’t defend themselves, though he tried at times to ignore this instinct.

[sapanas]

Surgical Retractors Market Analysis, Cost, Competition, Applications, Outstanding Growth, Business Opportunities and Key Findings

Surgical Retractors Market Synopsis

Market Research Future (MRFR) postulates that the global surgical retractors market is anticipated to garner USD 1,103 million, grabbing a CAGR of 7.8% during the forecast period (2017-2023). Augmenting number of surgical procedures is considered to favor the market growth. Also acknowledged as a surgical detractor, retractors are referred to as surgical instruments which are generally used to separate the edges of the surgical incision or the wound. They are handheld instruments which are used by the surgeons during any surgical procedures. Such instruments are used by the robotic method or manually and are available in different sizes, shapes, and style for different surgeries.

Surgical Retractors Market Potential and Pitfalls

The global surgical retractors market is expanding at a healthy CAGR during the appraisal period owing to several growth factors; the augmenting number of surgical procedures being one of them. With improved surgical treatment and technological advancements with increased success rates across the world, the market for surgical retractors is considered to flourish. As per WHO, more that 35% of the world population were suffering from major cardiovascular diseases back in 2015, which required surgical procedures. This boosted the market growth across the globe.

Several private sectors along with the governments across the world are highly investing in research and development activities which is further influencing the market growth to a large extent. As per the data provided by the Office for National Statistics, the gross domestic expenditure on R&D back in 2016 was USD 35.2 billion in the U.K. With the rising number of cesarean surgeries across the world, the demand for C-section retractors have increased. Moreover, technological developments like the emergence of automation in surgical instruments are predicted to improve minimally invasive surgeries. This has created a high growth potential for the overall market. For instance, the emergence of 3D retractors and atraumatic laparoscopic retractors have ensured greater safety during post-operative complications and surgeries. Moreover, the rising incidences of chronic diseases have boosted the number of surgical procedures, thereby contributing to the growth of the market worldwide.

On the contrary, the high cost of surgery and its products are considered to impede the surgical retractors market growth throughout the appraisal period. Additionally, strict regulations imposed by the FDA for the approval of surgical equipment is considered to vitiate the market growth. Also, the dearth of skilled professionals along with low reimbursement scenarios is some of the other concerns likely to hinder the market growth in the coming years.

Global Surgical Retractors Market: Segmental Analysis

The global surgical retractors market has been segmented on the basis of design, product type, application, product usage, and end user.

By mode of product type, the global surgical retractors market has been segmented into self-retaining retractors, hand retractors, wire retractors, table-mounted retractors, and accessories. Among these, the self-retaining retractors are anticipated to witness the highest CAGR owing to the technological advancements. Also, the increased expenditure on medical instruments is estimated to fuel the segment.

By mode of design, the global surgical retractors market has been segmented into angled or curved frame retractors, fixed or flat frame retractors, and blade or elevated-tipped retractors.

By mode of product usage, the global surgical retractors market has been segmented into tissue handling and dissection and fluid swabbing.

By mode of application, the global surgical retractors market has been segmented into urological, obstetric & gynecological, cardiothoracic, abdominal, head, orthopedic, spinal, neck, aesthetic surgical, and others. Among these, obstetrics & gynecology segment is predicted to occupy the major share owing to the rising incidences of gynecological disorders such as PCOS, cervical cancer, and uterine cancer.

By mode of end-users, the global surgical retractors market has been segmented into ambulatory care centers, hospitals & surgical centers, and others. Among these, the hospitals & surgical centers are likely to dominate the global market as surgeries are mainly performed in hospitals.

Surgical Retractors Market Regional Insights

Geographically, the surgical retractors market span across regions namely, Europe, America, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa.

Considering the global scenario, America is estimated to dominate the global surgical retractors market and is likely to retain its dominance in the coming years. The growth is credited to the augmenting budget for R&D activities by the commercial pharmaceuticals, government, and biotechnological companies. The increased adoption of advanced technologies has resulted in the market expansion in this region. Moreover, collaboration efforts by several market players have contributed to the growth.

The European region is predicted to occupy the second-largest position in the global market due to the strong presence of academic and research base coupled with the availability of funding for R&D activities in this region. Moreover, with the increased number of plastic surgeons coupled with a favorable regulatory framework, the market is sure to expand in this region.

The Asia Pacific region is likely to experience a significant growth owing to the accelerating demand for better treatment facilities coupled with the rising prevalence of diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Moreover, the constant R&D investment by the major players along with the efforts made commercializes their products are estimated to influence the market growth in this region.

Get Premium Research Report, Inclusive of COVID-19 Impact Analysis, Find more information @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/surgical-retractors-market-7019

Surgical Retractors Industry Updates

TeDan Surgical Innovations has offered access to minimally invasive approaches with its flagship product, the Ultravision Retractor Series, such as mini-thoracotomy and mini-sternotomy procedures. The Ultravison CT-1000 Retractor Set comprises an anatomically, unique conforming blade design which is aimed towards reducing the post-operative pain and intra-operative rib trauma.

Surgical Retractors MarketCompetitive Dashboard

The prominent players operating the global surgical retractors market are Medline Industries Inc., Integra Lifesciences Holdings Corporation, Becton, Henry Schein INC., Teleflex Incorporated, Stryker Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, Terumo Corporation, Invuity Inc., Arthrex Inc., RTI Surgical INC., The Cooper Companies INC., Medtronic, Dickinson and Company, Globus Medical INC., and B. Braun Melsungen AG.