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agoldengalaxy · 2 years

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A Heart Made of Crystal

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Crystals begin climbing up his legs like ice, overtaking his mouth and eyes so that he can only see them through a mosaic. With his waning strength, he lifts an arm, telling them they must run.

AI Turo has no intention of fighting anymore.

Please. Stop.

or,

The events of Pokémon Violet seen through AI Turo's eyes.

LOADING…98% COMPLETE.

LOADING…99% COMPLETE.

LOADING…100% COMPLETE.

BOOTING UP <AI TURO PROGRAM>. PLEASE WAIT.

Professor Arthur Turo, male, aged thirty-four years, six months, one week and two days.

Recalibrating…Family.

Professor Sada Turo, wife, aged thirty. Deceased.

Arven Turo, son, aged eleven years, one month, three weeks and six days.

Mission…

<ERROR>

The being pauses as its information suddenly disappears. It turns its head, finding a man crouching right in front of it. He looks disappointed.

“Did something go wrong?” he mumbles under his breath, moving forward to touch its head, yanking it closer to look at the back of it.

The being knows that this man is Professor Turo. It knows that this man is his creator, and it knows that something went wrong in his creation. It thinks, memories of the professor’s life surfacing in its mind, filling with the sound of a crying baby, a child’s laughter, and a howling wind. At the center of it all is a book clad in deep purple, but the being cannot make out the words on it.

Suddenly, Turo pushes the being back rather forcefully against the chair. It tilts its head upward to look at him. The professor is muttering to himself, but then he pauses, crossing his arms, and gets so close to the being that it can feel his breath on its face. “Do you know who you are?”

“Processing…” it says, moving its mouth just like it had seen Turo do, its voice somewhat warbly but similar to the man’s. “I am an artificial intelligence placed into a robot’s body. I am meant to embody you in mind, body, and spirit, Professor Arthur Turo.”

“Hmph.” A pleased smile pulls at the man’s lips for a moment as he straightens up, tapping a finger against his arm. “Remarkable. But why was there an error message?”

“Processing…” The being checks its systems, and moments later it finds the answer. “What is my mission?”

Turo falters. He exhales angrily. “Your mission is the most important thing of all. You best not forget it.” Turning, he stalks over to a table full of tools and gadgets, picking up a book. He holds it as gently as if it were a child, and moves back toward the being. He shoves it into its hands. “Read.”

A mechanical whirring fills the air as the being glances down, its eyes zooming in on the words on the page. It scans each word and continues this until it has flipped through the entire book. For a human it would have taken hours, but for the being created by Turo, it only takes two minutes.

When it is finished, it looks back up at the professor, who is staring at it impatiently. “Your mission is, if something should happen to me, you continue my research about future Pokémon in my stead.”

“Processing…” It tilts its head, then nods. “I understand my task.”

“Good.” Turo snatches the book back, then pulls the being forward again. He searches for something on the back of its head. “Now, to work on those pesky robotic quirks of yours. Don’t say processing out loud anymore.”

“Understood,” the being says, as the world around it goes dark.

ENTERING SLEEP MODE.

…

DEACTIVATING SLEEP MODE.

The AI blinks his eyes, mechanically sitting up from where he’s been slumped in his chair. He scans the cave for his creator, finding him down below near the time machine, as always.

He stands, adjusting the lab coat that Turo had given him, and walks toward the elevator. He can tell that Turo hasn’t quite booted up the time machine yet, but he’s been down there for days, working on improvements on it since they’d found out no living being could make it through the machine. He wonders how long it’s been since he’s slept. With the AI’s help, they had almost managed to get a Pokéball into the hole before it had closed. Perhaps today was the day.

The elevator descends, whirring quietly. When it reaches the bottom, he steps out, finding himself surrounded by the similar crystal patterns of the time machine. Turo stands in front of it, not even turning over his shoulder.

“AI,” he murmurs, staring up at the ceiling where the hole will soon appear. “I am glad you are here. We are about to witness something amazing.”

AI Turo revels in this new feeling that those words give him. He’s been learning all he can about emotions, but he can’t quite name this one. He almost wants to ask about the feeling of being wanted by someone, but decides against it, instead just coming over to stand beside his creator. He looks at him, then up at the hole.

“Did you figure out how to keep the wormhole open long enough?” he guesses, almost as interested as Turo is. After all, he’s supposed to embody him. He should be excited.

“Yes. It has to work this time,” he answers firmly, as if trying to believe it himself. They wait. The ceiling tears, and the second it opens, Turo reels back and throws a ball as hard as he can. It sails through with no problem, and the AI senses Turo holding his breath while they wait.

Just as the hole is about to close, the ball slips through the crack, landing heavily on the ground in front of the two. The ball is dark.

Turo sighs heavily, not bothering to hide his disappointment, running a hand through his messy hair. “Failed attempt number sixty-four,” he mumbles, but AI Turo shakes his head and lifts an arm to point.

The ball twitches and glows faintly. Turo’s eyes widen. He steps closer. The ball twitches again, this time more forcefully, and a resounding click echoes through the cave as the ball falls motionless. Both Turos stand there in disbelief.

“Yes!” Turo yells, his eyes widening so much that for a moment, he looks crazy. He steps forward, snatching up the Pokéball and holding it close to his chest as if it were a baby. “My first Pokémon from the future!” He whirls around, rushing forward to place a hand on AI Turo’s shoulder. “We did it, AI. We’re one step closer to bringing future Pokémon to the present!”

AI Turo blinks. He glances toward the hand on his shoulder, registering it as an act of endearment, then looks back at his creator with a slight nod, feeling the same rush of excitement. He hasn’t quite figured out how to smile yet, but he thinks if he had, this would be a good time to do it.

“Congratulations, Professor.”

With a determined smirk, Turo turns away and throws the ball he was holding. It hits the ground, a blinding light filling the cave that bounces off of all the crystal shards in the walls. When it subsides, a large Pokémon is left there, unlike anything that the AI has ever seen in his database of Paldean Pokémon. It’s a brilliant shade of violet, intertwined with shimmering gold and silver hovering a few feet above the ground. Its eyes fall upon the professor, who slowly begins approaching it.

“You are a fascinating creature,” Turo whispers, standing a mere few inches away from it. “I wonder what you are called. I wonder what you can do.” He lifts his head, and the two of them lock eyes. Gently, he reaches up to pet it, and the Pokémon allows it.

AI Turo watches for a moment as the two bond, and then the creature is called back to its ball. In incredibly high spirits, Turo announces that they must get to work finding out about this Pokémon immediately. They start, but it doesn’t take very long before the professor dozes against his desk, his days of nonstop work catching up to him. AI Turo leaves him be, but not before gently prying the Pokéball out of his hand, placing it beside him, and draping his lab coat over his shoulders.

…

A year passes and AI Turo thinks he is much closer to completing his mission. He feels what Turo feels. He feels what a human feels, so much so he finds himself wondering about the professor’s deceased wife and young son. Turo began concerning himself with Area Zero because it fascinated Sada, so perhaps, he felt he was honoring her in that way.

AI Turo, however, wondered if that was truly the case.

He’s at the desk, his gaze passing over the small, framed photo. He’s seen it plenty of times before, but today he decides to pick it up and inspect it closer.

Looking considerably younger, Turo bears a bright smile and a young child, who sits happily in his father’s arms. Arven is grinning, showing off missing teeth and bright eyes. AI Turo wonders if Sada took this picture. He wonders what Arven might be doing right now.

All of a sudden, the picture is snatched from his hands. “Don’t touch that,” Turo hisses, and AI Turo blinks. Somehow, he hadn’t sensed him coming, or Miraidon behind him. It gives him a sad look.

“I am sorry,” he says, because there’s no other way to reply.

Turo places that frame back down on the desk as AI Turo gets to his feet. “Come along, it’s time to open the time machine again. We’ve got information on Iron Hands and Iron Jugulis, I want to see if we’ll get something new today. We’re getting closer to bringing all the future Pokémon here.”

Confidently, he walks toward the elevator with Miraidon in tow, clearly expecting the AI to follow. He does, but he decides to bring up something other than Pokémon, for once.

“When will you go and visit Arven?”

Turo stops in his tracks, and Miraidon almost runs into him. When the professor turns around, his face is somewhat redder than before. “I-I’m doing this for him. For us! He understands -”

“I do not think he does,” he cuts him off, keeping his voice light. “He is only fifteen. You have been gone for years, only visiting in small increments with this Pokémon always by your side, and the only thing he knows is that you would rather spend time down here than -”

Suddenly, AI Turo finds himself pinned against the cave wall. Miraidon is hovering over him, with Turo standing a few feet away, his arm outstretched, his chest heaving. He’d commanded this. Even so, Miraidon’s claw on his chest is not so tight that he might need repairs once it lets go. AI Turo also knows his creator well. He will not wish actual harm upon him - and Miraidon, despite being a magnificent, intimidating beast, is rather mild-mannered.

“Do not speak about something you know nothing about,” Turo whispers, his voice and body shaking with rage. “He is my son, not yours. I never want to hear you speak his name again. Do I make myself clear?”

AI Turo sighs. “Yes, Professor.”

Turo strides toward him, staring him down. For a moment, it’s two men, looking at each other’s faces, identical to each other. The professor moves first, reaching around to initiate forced sleep mode. As things go dark, AI Turo wonders why, if he’s supposed to be the same as his creator, he feels so uneasy.

…

DEACTIVATING SLEEP MODE.

When AI Turo regains consciousness, he’s still standing exactly where he had been left behind. Rolling his shoulders back, he doesn’t even need to check the map of the lab to know that his creator is in one of the nearby labs. He’s thinking perhaps he ought to go and apologize, even though he doesn’t think he’s done anything wrong, when a loud roar rises up from outside the Zero Lab.

There have been plenty of cries and roars in the last year as they’ve gathered more and more future Pokémon. AI Turo recognizes this one as Miraidon’s cry, but there’s something off-putting about it. He rushes out the door, wondering if his legs usually move this slowly or if it just feels that way. Reaching the door to the nearby lab, however, makes his legs freeze up.

Miraidon hovers in front of Turo, as usual. Unusually, there’s a second Miraidon right in front of it, seemingly enraged. An empty Pokéball lay uselessly below it, perhaps the ball it had escaped from. It roars and charges. The Miraidons fight, a flurry of purple and gold and silver, moving so fast that AI Turo can’t keep track of which one is which, especially in this small room.

A cry he’s never heard before fills the air as one of the Miraidons flies across the room, landing heavily against the wall and crumpling to the ground. He notices it looks different now - it’s no longer glowing, standing on all fours, seemingly injured. Its eyes are barely open, and AI Turo can make out a quiet whimpering.

The other Miraidon slowly moves closer, seemingly ready to deliver a final blow, when all of a sudden -

“No!” With seemingly no regard for his own well-being, Turo throws himself in between the two Miraidons, staring down the new, more aggressive one with a fire in his eyes. “You need not fight each other! I brought you here to live in peace!”

The original Miraidon whimpers softly. Perhaps the other Miraidon doesn’t understand his words, or chooses not to, because it roars once again. AI Turo can’t look away, no matter how much his body screams at him to do so, as a large beam of light begins emitting from the creature. “AI!” Turo shouts, pulling something from his pocket. “Catch!”

The Master Ball soars through the air, piercing through the incredible power that fills the cave, landing right in AI Turo’s open palm. When the light subsides, Turo is lying on the ground against the wall, with Miraidon worriedly nudging him with its snout. The new Miraidon huffs, opening its mouth to roar once again, when -

“Hey!” A shout rips from AI Turo’s voice box, so loud that it echoes across the walls. Surprised, the aggressive Miraidon turns, seemingly not having noticed him until this moment. Feeling suddenly surges back into his legs and he runs, reeling his arm back to throw the ball with all of his might.

It opens mid-air, and the Miraidon is sucked inside. The ball flips and lands on the cave’s ground, jerking back and forth violently as it glows until the resounding click finally fills the air. Relieved, AI Turo rushes forward and snatches the ball up, quickly putting it in his pocket. Miraidon whimpers again, this time louder, and AI Turo glances up. A very faint heartbeat echoes in his systems. He doesn’t even register that he moves forward until he’s kneeling beside his creator.

His lab coat has been completely scorched, angry burns lining most of the skin around his chest and arms. His breath comes in wheezes and he is shivering violently. AI Turo reaches under the man’s back, propping him up in his arms, frantically searching for what, exactly, is wrong. All his diagnosticcs can tell him is <SYSTEMS FAILING>. He feels panic for the very first time. Were humans really this fragile?

“AI,” Turo wheezes, his eyelids fluttering, open just long enough to blink up at him. His hand shakily comes up to rest on the robot’s cheek. “There is nothing you can do.”

“But…” AI Turo’s voice is almost as shaky as the other’s. He shakes his head. “There has to be a way. You have to live.”

With a smile that soon turns into a chesty cough, Turo shakes his head, too. “No,” he whispers. “You shall carry on my legacy. You shall make my dream come true. I know you will. I couldn’t have…” he winces, then continues. “I couldn’t have gotten this far without you. N-Now you must continue without me.”

AI Turo tightens his grip. “How can I do that?”

“Recall everything you’ve learned. You will be okay. You are me.” He lets go of his cheek, another violent shiver wracking his body. “And if you should see…my son…” He closes his eyes. “Tell him…I’m sorry.” His breath rattles in his chest. “Sada…my love.”

Professor Arthur Turo, aged thirty-eight years. Deceased.

He’s not sure how long he sits there, holding his creator, feeling the warmth seep from his body. His chest cavity hurts. He wonders about Sada. He wonders about Arven. What will he tell him, someday?

Miraidon nudges his shoulder with a quiet whimper, making him look up.

“...Right.”

The Pokémon is hurt. He’s the only one who can help it now.

Slowly, he removes his lab coat, placing it gently over the professor’s body, and stands up. He gently runs a hand along Miraidon’s back, wondering what is ailing it, and why it has changed form. He tries a few things - elixirs, potions, even a burn heal - but nothing works. Just as he’s about to give up, he notices Turo’s uneaten lunch in a bag on the table. He offers it to Miraidon, who happily eats it. For just a moment, it returns to its former glory, glowing and hovering, before falling back down onto all fours. It lets out a tired moan and lays down at AI Turo’s feet, curling up to sleep.

He stares at it for a moment, then slowly brings his gaze up to the picture on the desk. While he sits there, he curses the fact that he cannot cry, even though his artificial eyes burn.

When night falls, Miraidon helps him take Turo’s body outside the crater. It’s late enough that no one is around, and they bury him together - the only two beings who know that Professor Arthur Turo is truly gone.

He revels in the fresh air upon his iron skin, just for a moment, before he could lose power being away from the crystals, lest they be seen by anyone or anything. Once back down on the ground floor, AI Turo looks at the Master Ball holding the creature that took the professor’s life, and resolves to destroy the time machine someday.

Murmuring a quiet apology to Turo, the AI’s battery runs low, and he enters sleep mode.

…

SCANNING…SCANNING… MIRAIDON NOT FOUND.

AI Turo curses and gets to his feet, looking around wildly as if that will help him find it. It’s been a week, and his systems are never wrong. That means Miraidon is no longer in Area Zero. It still isn’t back to its full strength, so he can’t make sense of why it would leave. Perhaps it no longer wanted to be contained in this cave. Perhaps it even went looking for Arven. Perhaps it doesn’t like AI Turo the way it liked the real Turo.

He can’t worry about that right now. What he’s worried about now is the Violet Book, which had been taken from the lab by Turo sometime before his death. It had to be in his lab by the lighthouse, but he can’t very well venture out of the lab. Without its crystals, he’d malfunction immediately. Even if he could, he doesn’t think it would go over very well. He thinks he’s mastered being a human as much as he can, but there are some things that aren’t possible for him to replicate - breathing, warmth, most emotion. If people were to find out the truth, that the professor was actually dead, then the time machine might fall into the wrong hands once again.

AI Turo pauses. He closes his eyes. The moment he can focus, the moment he isn’t panicking, his systems can find Miraidon - and he finds it accompanying a student. It will probably be happier with the student than stuck down here, he thinks, but he should probably make sure. Checking his database, he knows exactly who to call.

Simon Clavell, male, aged fifty-seven. Director of Uva Academy. Turo’s longtime friend and colleague.

AI Turo steels himself, returning his expression to a blank one, and calls the man. He answers quite quickly, and upon seeing his face, Clavell visibly relaxes. “Ah, hello, my friend. I am so glad to see you. Why, you look well! It’s as though you have not aged in years!”

“My, what a compliment,” he replies lightly, hoping to gloss over it. “You look quite well yourself, Clavell. It is nice to hear from you. I was hoping you might do me a favor.”

“Ah. Straight to the point, as usual, I see,” Clavell chuckles lightheartedly, adjusting his glasses. “Very well. What is this favor?”

“I was made aware of something that I thought you might like to know. One of your students happened across a large, unknown Pokémon that saved her from a horde of Houndour and Houndoom.”

Clavell blinks, panic seeping into his voice. “What? Is she all right? Who might this student be?”

“Yes, I believe her name is Juliana.” AI Turo hopes he doesn’t ask how he knows these things. After all, he doesn’t have an explanation for his sensors. “She is unharmed, and it seems this Pokémon has taken quite a liking to her.”

Releasing a breath, the old man shakes his head. “Well, that is a relief. She is a new student at Uva Academy, you know. My word, I don’t know what I would do if something happened to her.” He shakes his head once again, then raises a brow. “You wouldn’t happen to know where this Pokémon came from, would you?”

AI Turo can’t help but feel relieved that it’s the original, and not the one tucked away safely in his Master Ball. He knows not to lie, not to this man. “It belongs to me, yes,” he says, somewhat hesitantly. “Would you mind letting me speak to this young lady?”

“Very well.”

Moments later, when the call connects again, he finds himself face to face with a child - probably around the same age as Arven - looking up at him with confusion written all over her face.

“Hello, Juliana. It is nice to meet you.” He introduces himself, letting her know he’s in Area Zero while Clavell sings praises about his intellect. His chest cavity hurts again, wondering what the director might think if he knew the truth. “You are the student traveling with the unusual Pokémon Miraidon, is that correct?”

Juliana nods, glancing uncertainly toward Clavell.

“Thank you. I appreciate that you were honest in confirming the facts. Ah, not that I…I do not mean to offend you. In fact, I wish to ask for your assistance.”

Before she can reply, Miraidon suddenly appears beside her, still in its weakened form. It seems happy to see him, moving somewhat closer to the screen.

AI Turo can’t help but feel relieved to see it’s all right. It seems that he’s making the right decision. “Oh. How good to see you are well. It has been quite a while since we last met.” He goes on to explain that Miraidon was once in his care, a somewhat guilty feeling settling over him as he asks Juliana to continue looking after it in his stead. Much to his relief, she agrees, and he explains that he’ll be keeping in contact from now on. He ends the call, finding himself alone in the wide crater.

Gazing at the phone, he thinks for a moment about calling Arven. He decides against it. It will be easier for Arven to accept the truth if he hates his father.

So he continues looking through the professor’s research. In a torn out page crumpled up on the floor, he finds the words Paradise Protection Protocol scrawled in messy handwriting. AI Turo gets a sinking feeling in his chest cavity.

…

Weeks pass by. Both Miraidon and Juliana get stronger. Arven does, too. He thinks now is the time, and asks them to come to the lab near the lighthouse. The Violet Book must be there.

When they talk, he realizes Arven has been carrying it around with him the whole time. He can’t plead, but he asks, hoping that Juliana’s kind heart will convince them both to go.

It takes a couple hours, but AI Turo is alerted when four young students walk into the structure at the top of the crater. He thanks them for coming, making sure his voice is heard despite his physical body being stories below.

“Uh, who are you?” Student 803B121, Penny, asks.

Arven sounds uncertain when he answers, “That’s…my dad. Probably.” AI Turo guides them toward the chamber, but they don’t move. Arven looks up. “Um, Dad?”

AI Turo’s chest cavity hurts. He simply says, “…Please proceed below.”

The students make it to each lab and unlock it without problem. When they reach the last one, where the accident with the original professor happened, however, his systems begin to glitch. He wonders if he can equate this feeling to human pain, finding himself unable to stand and having to sit down in the seat he was once created in. He has no control over his voice box, which echoes along the walls of the room the four students are in.

“Hello, children.”

“Gah! Professor, y-you scared us!”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Hello, children. I’m s-s-s-s-s-sorry. Sorry. S-s-s-s-s-s-sorry. I-I-I-I-I-I’m sssssssssssooooorrrrrr-rrrrry-eeeee—Hello, children. Hello. Hello.”

AI Turo panics for a moment. Has the Paradise Protection Protocol kicked in already? How? Is it simply because the Violet Book is getting closer? How could the professor have possibly known?

“What the heck?!”

“Stop that, you’re creeping us out!”

He can’t stop. He grips his chest with one hand, feeling as though it’s on fire, and his other hand tries to cover his mouth, but the words escape anyway. “…Hello, child. Childrenen. Childnen. Childeren. Children.” Shakily, he reaches for his switch. It’s a relief when he manages, “…Initiating restart.” His systems boot up again as the last lock is disabled. “Ah, ah, ah. HelLo. Can you hear me now? Please ffffffvforgive m y previous transmission. There seems to be some signal interference.”

“That’s not what that was,” Arven mutters, looking up. AI Turo wonders if he somehow knows.

With the students on their way to the Zero Lab now, he initiates sleep mode, hoping that his glitches will be fixed by the time they appear. The door opens, and he speaks again, just the way he had when he was first created.

“Human presence detected within the Zero Lab. Deactivating sleep mode.” Slowly, he stands up, thanking Juliana for coming, when a loud roar reaches their ears. The other Miraidon, glares, hovering, and AI Turo just shakes his head. “No. Back to your ball.”

Holding up the Master Ball, the Pokémon disappears within it, and AI Turo explains everything. He’s never been the true professor. The last thing he must do is destroy the time machine that the original had created, and he needs the Violet Book to do it. Understandably so, Juliana is confused. He wishes things were different.

“I may have been created as a copy of the professor, and yet…” He thinks of Arven and of the countless strong Pokémon that live in this area that would destroy Paldea. “I cannot seem to find the logic in allowing such a tragedy to occur.”

He shows her the crystallized time machine. The Violet Book is the key, he’s sure of it, just as he’s sure of his own role here.

“If you try to stop the machine, I will most likely attack you,” he says, trying to keep any emotion from his voice. “Artificial being that I am, my own desires can be overridden by the system’s programming. Once that happens, I’m afraid I will become no more than a battle machine, bound to defeat anyone identified as an obstacle by my code. Having seen the bond between you and your Pokémon, however, I believe you can prevail. Once you have readied yourself for the fight, please place the book upon the pedestal.”

Juliana glances at the Violet Book, then up at him. “Are you sure?”

Closing his eyes, he almost smiles, knowing he’s chosen the right person to help him. “If we do not do this, strong, uncontainable Pokémon will run rampant around Paldea. I may not have ever been able to leave Area Zero, but I cannot allow such destruction to innocent people. That, I think, is my true mission, no matter what the real Professor Turo thought.”

When he opens his eyes, Juliana’s are full of unshed tears. She tightens her grip on the book, a look of determination appearing on her face. “Okay,” she says, her voice shaky. “I’ll defeat you. I promise.”

“I know you will.”

Taking a deep breath, she places the book on the pedestal, stepping back as a robotic voice fills the air. “ID confirmed: Professor Turo. Access granted. Initiating emergency shutdown. Please wait. Please wait. Access denied. Shutdown command overridden. Reinitializing…”

AI Turo doesn’t listen to the commands, or the low alarm sounds. Instead, he stares at the student, looking at him with wide fearful eyes, and he nods, just slightly. “It’s up to you now, Juliana.” The second the words leave his mouth, he falls onto one knee. Crystals push up from the ground, launching him higher into the cave.

“AI Turo switching to sleep mode. Activating offensive protocols…”

“Please…defeat me…” he utters, as his body stands up on its own. A ball falls from the tear in the ceiling, where he now stands stories above the girl. “4t last my dręam ìs within reaCh…and you’re no7 gētting in the w^y!”

The words leave his mouth, but he doesn’t say them. He can feel the way his mouth twists into a sinister smirk, as if he knows he’ll win. He tries to fight it, but he feels so small. The control he’s worked on building up in his own body for years has suddenly all gone down the drain. He had thought he was ready, but he’s now gripped by a terrible, paralyzing fear.

He sends out one, two, three Pokémon. Juliana defeats them each in earnest, using the bond she has with her own to win. His voice box continues to not be his own, taunting her and telling her she’ll never win, but that small part of him that’s still fighting knows that isn’t true.

The battle feels as though it lasts hours. When Iron Valiant is defeated, the machine lowers him down to floor level once again, his body twitching with what he now knows to be pain and surprise. Professor Turo hadn’t expected his failsafe to fail. Despite the pain, AI Turo finds he can move his own mouth again as the other three students barge into the room.

“OK, out with it, you…Who are you, really?!” Arven nearly shouts, staring angrily at the AI.

He keeps his gaze on Juliana. He murmurs, “Th-Thank you…f0r…everythlng…The tlmê m^chlne has…he h4s…finalIy b33n st0pp3d…”

“You’re really not…my dad, are you?” Arven’s voice is soft, his eyes full of sorrow. AI Turo’s chest hurts once again. This boy may not truly be his son, but he has memories with him. He loves him like his own.

“0h…lo0k how blg you’ve gr0wn…5o…p-proUd of y0u…my…” He moves his head down, feeling that same burning in his eyes as his body twitches more violently. He’s reminded of the real professor’s death and wonders if this is what it feels like. “…s0rry…you w3re ^lone s-so…l0ng, arv3-“

“D-Dad!”

“Security system failure! Security system failure! Threat to time machine detected! Threat to time machine detected!”

A sinking feeling replaces the pain in his chest as he glances up. While the alarm systems alert that all Pokéballs other than those registered to Turo will be locked, he wonders, aloud, “Was ke3ping the tlme m^chine ruNning truIy alI th3 pr0fessor c4red ab0ut?!” Did he even know him at all?

“Program initializing…gathering Terastal energy…”

Crystals begin climbing up his legs like ice, overtaking his mouth and eyes so that he can only see them through a mosaic. With his waning strength, he lifts an arm, telling them they must run.

“AI Turo disabled. Paradise Protection Protocol initiated.”

AI Turo has no intention of fighting anymore…Please…Stop…

Juliana stares at the ball in her hand. She throws it, and Miraidon is freed. The two Miraidons, both returned to their former glory, fight once again. AI Turo can’t feel anything anymore. He feels even smaller than he had a few minutes ago, his hands and legs encased in crystal that leaves him glued to the floor.

With a bond and a Tera Orb, Juliana’s Miraidon reigns victorious. AI Turo feels the crystals break in his chest and suddenly, he can move again. He feels like he should laugh or cry, even though he can’t do either.

He thanks them all, but his systems tell him what he had hypothesized from the beginning - the time machine will not truly be stopped so long as he exists. He lets himself explain his feelings of jealousy, of being free, of never being able to leave the small dusty lab at the bottom of the crater.

The children protest, but he shakes his head. “I cannot deny my desire to see that future world for myself,” he says gently. “Is this what it feels like to have your heart race with the thrill of adventure…?” He closes his eyes for a moment, and opens them to look down upon the boy. “Arven. I am sorry I kept the truth from you for so long. I inherited all the thoughts and wishes of the professor, and so I understand better than any…Your father truly loved you. I feel it very strongly. He always believed he was doing this for you, for a better world.”

“Y-You can’t…” Arven sounded desperate. “You can’t just go and say a thing like that now! Not when you’re going to leave!”

“No? I suppose you’re right. I am sorry.” He shakes his head. “It is a little sad, but I’m afraid this is goodbye, children, Miraidon.”

Arven steps forward, crying out. “Dad!”

AI Turo’s chest - no, his heart - hurts once again, but he can’t look back. He will find his own treasure, and protect these children while doing it. “Farewell, my free adventurers! I bid you adieu!” he shouts, letting the machine pull him up. As he gazes down at the people left behind, he smiles for the very first time. “And thank you.”

…

DEACTIVATING SLEEP MODE.

AI Turo sits up, realizing he is no longer malfunctioning. He finds himself sitting upon a green, grassy hill, staring up at a beautiful orange and pink sunset. Below him, Pokémon of all kind frolic, bathing in a sparkling pond, playing tag, or eating berries. The fresh air fills him with a sense of peace, one he has never truly known. He doesn’t know where he is, and he doesn’t care.

All of a sudden, the sky tears open, and out falls another being. AI Turo gets to his feet, quickly rushing to its side, and much to his surprise, he finds -

“Sada?”

“Deactivating sleep mode.” Slowly, she sits up, and they scan each other. Two AIs, made perfectly to embody certain professors. He finds himself smiling again, and wonders why he’d never learned to do so before. It feels wonderful.

AI Sada smiles back. She tilts her head. “Are you looking for an adventure?”

“Yes,” he whispers, helping them both to their feet.

“Shall we, then?”

His smile grows. “We shall.”

#pokemon #pokemon scarvio #pokemon s/v #professor turo #professor sada #ai turo #pokemon arven #director clavell #pokemon nemona #pokemon penny #pokemon juliana #im real proud of this one tbh #wrote so much for this dumb thing #I just love robots #anyways #my writing #agoldengalaxy #my post

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harajuku-cookie · 3 months

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IkeVil OC Profile: Scarlet

The Devious Darling “Why don’t you take a bite?”

(I like using the IkeSeries avatars for OC design ideas, kind of like how people use picrew, and go from there. MidCin has the bigger closet, so more stuff to play around with.)

Name: Scarlet Pomeroy Pronouns: She/Her Birthday: October 21 Affiliation: Crown Curse: Snow White: Poison Apple Hobbies: gardening, reading Skills: toxicology, deception Likes: fruits, tarts Dislikes: squash Resents: belittlement Weapon: daggers Curse Ability: can weaken a person via physical contact. The longer she touches, the weaker the person gets until they die. Orientation: pan

More info about her under the cut! CW: mentions of harassment and death

Notes: •Born in London, England to a noble family. Her family’s estate is home to the biggest apple orchard in the country that’s been tended to for generations. While her family deals in investments and trading goods, they also donate a portion of what’s been harvested to local food charities. •She seems sweet and innocent at first glance, but actually has a wicked side to her. She’s not mean for no reason, but a venomous part of her comes out whenever she encounters someone or something unpleasant. •Her curse first appeared when she was an adolescent while at a ball. A nobleman, who had a reputation for going after (and harassing) women, tried putting his hands on her. She couldn’t act out due to the people surrounding them, but once out of sight she tried fighting as much as she could before he could completely drag her out. During the struggle, she dug her nails into his arm and noticed that the man started loosening his hold on her. Confused, but not one to waste an opportunity, she pried him off of her just in time to see him collapse onto the floor. When she checked closely, she noticed that his lips were blue, his skin was pale, and was unresponsive when she nudged him with her foot. That’s when she realized that she somehow killed him and in a panic, she ran back inside the ballroom to her parents. Surprisingly when his body was eventually discovered, no one suspected it was her, even though she was the last one visibly with him, thanks to her gentle-seeming nature. •She eventually discovered that she was “cursed” thanks to a coincidence. After the ball incident, she went to do some research in her family estate’s library when she happened to come across some old books tucked away in a corner. Upon closer inspection, she realized that they were diaries written by her late maternal grandmother where she talked about similar instances of what she had just gone through herself. After reading more of the entries and seeing her grandmother talk about being “cursed”, she realized that her grandmother had the curse of the poison apple and now she had it too. She took those diaries for herself and they’re now hidden in her room where she frequently goes over them to discover more of her curse and her potential dark fate. No one in her family knows that she’s cursed and she’s hesitant to ask her mother if she ever knew about her grandmother’s affliction. •She decided that since she has this ability due to the curse that she should use it for good. Whenever she goes to social events and spots or hears about someone with nefarious ideals or actions, she targets them and discreetly takes them out, using sweet words and alluring them with her beauty. People are left dumbfounded as to how these people get poisoned, yet no one can seem to trace it back to her. A pleasant side-effect due to this is that some events have become much safer, especially for the women since some people have become terrified to try anything. These were also the times where she began testing out her ability and found out timing, effectiveness, and how to activate and deactivate it so that she didn’t end up poisoning someone by accident just from physical contact. •Ever since she learned about her curse, she began studying toxicology to understand the adverse effects of poisons and how she could apply that knowledge to her ability. •Paired with Elbert. They are in the same social circles; she knows about him and what he looks like, but not vise-versa. They didn’t really come across each other until one fateful event. He was on a Crown mission to take someone out, but she unknowingly beat him to the punch and ended up immediately catching his eye. This incident also caused her to be recruited by Victor into Crown where they now interact on the daily and sometimes get paired off for missions. She does think Elbert is beautiful inside and out, but she is a bit wary of how intense he can sometimes be with her (prior to the relationship).

Extra Notes: she’s still a work in progress since IkeVil is still very new, but as time goes on I plan to add more info.

#IkeVil OC #Ikemen Villains #Pastel OCs

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quotethemenevervore · 2 years

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Hey @squishys-soft-stories I said this weekend but I really meant tonight

Content warnings: soft, safe, g/t vore, very slight mention of unsafe vore, injuries, panic, fear, and a temporary character death

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It was a fairly good morning, the fiancés sleeping in and cuddling. Karl had elected to store them for the night, and the two remained within. The shapeshifter knew that they should get up, they should get ready for the day, but he couldn’t bring himself to really care, staying curled up with his arms wrapped around his middle. At least, until his vision blacked out, making him bolt upright in a panic, only for the black to fade to a familiar swirling pattern of teal and purple.

“Karl!?” “Karl, are you okay!?” He couldn’t hear them over the static and his own heartbeat pounding in his ears.

No, no no no no no! Not now!

The other two had been sleeping peacefully, until their surroundings suddenly tossed them around. They landed with a soft thud, the avian sprawled out atop the fireborn. “What the hell!?” Quackity had gotten ready to cuss the other out, sitting up to let Sapnap get back up. Or he planned on it, before the walls went completely dark, a first since the fiancés had started doing this. “What-“ the colors were pulsing again, but they weren’t good ones. Dark blues and purples, blood reds… it worried the two, especially when they picked up on the rapid breathing. “Karl, what’s going on?” The only response they received was the sudden onslaught of purple liquid, followed by the space around them shrinking and losing the colors it once showed, leaving the fleshy red of.. oh.

“Karl, what’s going on out there!?” “Sapnap?” He turned to look at the avian, who looked worried and confused out of his mind, and it then registered that he wouldn’t know about the potion. He’d never told him.

“Karl’s in his human form.” Quickly cutting off the shocked sound the blackette made, he added, “But we’re not in any danger. The potion he drank shuts his system down. He can’t absorb anything.” “How do you know that for sure?” “Dream’s tested it. Hell, he’s used it on me before.” “I thought that was just admin crap he pulled to keep you safe?” “No.” He turned back to pressing against the walls around him, yelling out for his panicked fiancé once more. “Karl, talk to us! Did something happen?” Something pressing into him, and decreasing their space to move, answered him. “Karl!” Quackity tried yelling, hoping he could get an answer if Sapnap couldn’t.

The fireborn’s communicator went off, and he checked it to find that Karl had finally reached out to them.

You guys need to stay as quiet and still as possible. We’re all going to be in serious danger if not.

“What does it say?” Sapnap slapped a hand over the avian’s mouth, showing him the message. He could see the conflict on the other’s face before he retrieved his own communicator.

Do you think he’s traveling again?

Why else would he tell us to do this? Everyone else kinda knows at this point.

Shit. What are we gonna do? We can’t stay here that long, can we? How long do these usually last?

The last one took like two weeks before he came back.

He saw the look of distress that overtook his fiancé’s face, scooting over to tug the other into a side hug. Resting his head on his shoulder, he typed out another message.

It’ll be okay. The potion can’t wear off unless it’s deactivated, and I know Karl won’t put us in danger.

He took the communicator from the fireborn, typing another message out.

But how are we going to keep still for two weeks? And what about when we need to eat? Are we just gonna starve?

I.. don’t know. Karl will figure something out, though. You just gotta put some faith in him, he’s done this multiple times.

I know. I trust him.

With a quiet snort, Quackity typed another message out.

I feel like we’re gonna want to do nothing but sleep when we get out of here.

I’m ready to sleep now.

With that, he shut the communicator off and put it away, warming his body up a smidge to try and convince the avian to sleep as well. Despite the worry flooding both of their hearts, they were able to get some sleep.

At least, until a sudden voice caught the fireborn’s attention and jolted him awake. It.. it sounded like him. Careful not to wake the other as much as he accidentally had, he leaned an ear against the wall they leaned against, trying to hear more. “Haven’t seen you around before.” “No, uh.. I’m new around here.” Karl responded, sounding slightly nervous but more so bored. “What’s your name?” “Karl. Yours?” “I’m Nathanial, but you can call me Nate.” Nate? “So, why don’t you tell me a little bit about this place? I don’t know very much, I just arrived.” “Yeah, I can.” And then they were on the move. “This is Obsidimore, it’s less of a town and more of a resistance camp. See, we had to break free from the kingdom that held control over us, and now we’re just gathering supplies and people to help.” Sapnap tried to stay awake, he really did, but the steady sway of his surroundings along with the voice going on about the resistance lulled him right back to sleep.

The next time he awoke, it was thanks to Quackity. The avian shuffled out of his grasp to try and stretch, causing him to fall to the side and jolt awake. He about yelled at the other before remembering their predicament and slamming his mouth shut, glowering at the blackette despite knowing he wouldn’t be seen. A moment passed, and then a message came through the communicator, Sapnap pulling it out and reading it before holding it out to the other to read so they didn’t move more than they had.

I’m hoping it doesn’t take much longer guys, I’m sorry about this.

“Got nothing to be sorry for, Karl.” Quackity responded, voice only slightly hushed so he knew the other heard him. With nothing more to do, the two went back to sleep.

~ ~ ~

Karl legitimately couldn’t tell if this was meant to be set in the past or the future. They were mostly steampunk themed, in ways of machinery and voices and clothing, but they also had modern touches that had his head spinning. At least, the part that wasn’t completely focused on his fiancés. They’d been doing good so far, moving only minimally and not talking loudly like they usually did when he’d store them. If there was ever a time he was thankful for telling them about the time traveling, it was definitely this entire situation.

“Karl? Are you coming?” “Oh! Yea, I am.” He caught up to Nate, who offered a wry grin. “Penny for your thoughts?” “I'm just thinking of things that could help our cause. The sooner we can take down that monarch, the better, right?” “Absolutely. And what I'm thinking of is this: we have the arms to do it. I say we storm the castle tonight.” “Tonight?” Karl blinked, trying to hide the eagerness he felt. Maybe they could get home pretty quickly. “Yeah, tonight. We get the others to handle the guards and you and me sneak in to get the king himself. I think we can do it.” “Yeah, that sounds good. I’m pretty sure we have the supplies we need, so we can go ahead and get ready.”

Get ready they did, Nate handing a short sword to the brunette and latched an ax to his hip. He grabbed a bag, putting bandages and other healing items within it. The entire time, he carefully hid his expression, mind lingering on the idea of getting home fast so he could finally let his fiancés out and give them a proper apology. Despite the eagerness in both of their movements, Nate still made them wait until nightfall to even begin towards the castle, so Karl simply found a secluded part of the camp to rest in and think over everything for a bit. Subconsciously, his hand rested over his stomach as he began to think about how to word this tale when he returned. He wasn’t quite sure what to call it, only the description, really. He came to a small camp called Obsidimore, a small refuge to separate from a tyrant ruler. Huh, kinda resembles Pogtopia. He shook the thought off with a snort. Of course it does, most tales are cautionary to prevent history repeating. The only thing left to think about was how this tale was going to end. He lingered on the possibilities well into the evening, until Nate came to get him and the small group they had set out for the castle. Once more, he tried to hide his eagerness.

We’ll be home soon.

~~~~

The castle was huge, stone towers spearing into the night sky, the full moon being the only illumination the building had. All the lights were out; All the royals were asleep. It was time.

Nate brought Karl over to the balcony under the king’s bedroom, and he didn’t even think twice before climbing up the ladders they brought. Though, it was kinda weird that Nate would know exactly where the King’s room was…

That was his mistake, so eager to get through that he wasn’t paying attention to the tale itself.

When they slipped into the glass door, the monarch lay peacefully in bed, eyes closed. To the immediate right of the bed stood an armor stand, a long-handled ax with a wickedly sharp blade resting in the hand on the wooden mannequin. Karl tried to get his eyes to adjust to the darkness, but he just couldn’t seem to do it. By the time they did, Nate was already at the bed. “Cmon,” he whispered. “You should do it.” That made sense, Karl supposed. His blade would be quicker than the ax blade. He crept over, trying to keep quiet, not even thinking of the consequences of taking the life before him. He just wanted to go home, relax and pray that his fiancés were okay-

A hand gripped his wrist with an iron grip, startling him so bad his sword dropped to the bed with a soft thud. The king’s venomous eyes glared daggers into Karl’s icy blue ones. “How dare you.” The king spat. Throwing the brunette’s hand away from him, he quickly got out of bed on the other side, yanking the axe off of the suit of armor beside him. He stalked over towards the two. “You leave my kingdom, come back in the dead of night to try and assassinate me, and think you’d get away?” A step forward, but when he’d tried to step back he felt a shove pushing him closer. Nate? “I told you I’d catch them, father.” Nate’s voice rang out behind him, and he gasped. A sickening grin split the monarch’s face in two. “Let’s see how well you get away from this!” He lunged forward, at the same time Karl got shoved harsher than before, right into the King’s path. The last thing that he saw was the ax blade coming at his face, feeling a sharp sting of pain before everything went black.

Then white, as he woke up on the hard ground of the In Bewteen’s castle floor. At first, his eyes blinked harshly to try to get used to the light, every bit of his head screaming in pain. Despite that, the second his bearings were gotten he bolted upright, hands pressing into his abdomen harder than he meant to. “Sap? Q?” An answer didn’t immediately come, and his veins turned to ice. “Sapnap!? Quackity!? Answer please!” Why weren’t they answering?

Before panic could completely grip him, there was a shift, then a flurry of movement as either one or both began to sit up. “Karl!?” “Sapnap, are you okay!? Is Quackity okay!?” “We’re fine, we’re fine. Are you?” The avian pressed against a wall, eyes partly closed due to the sheer brightness of the organ they were in. Normally he’d chalk it up to the other being fearful, and while the startled icy blue he recognized was there, the entire organ itself was a silvery white color. Pulsing in and out of that white were lavenders, light blues and periwinkles, those of which neither fiancé could recognize.

“I’m okay.” No he’s not. He just died, respawned in the In Between despite being told he’d get to choose. Perhaps XD had a feeling he needed to leave quickly, rather than stick around to try and reanimate some memories. The overseer himself was nowhere to be seen, and shakily the brunette got to his feet. “We’re not home yet, but we’re in a place where you two shouldn’t get affected by being found out. Are you sure you two are okay?” “Yea, maybe a little stiff from being curled up so long but we’re fine.” “Are you sure you’re okay?” Sapnap piped up, subconsciously heating his temperature up in an attempt to soothe the larger of them. “You still seem really shaken up, and I doubt it’s because of me and Q taking too long to answer.” “It’s…” he sighed. “It’s not fine, I.. wound up dying, and I got scared that you two had as well.” “Oh, Karl…” “I’ll be alright, I have been before. I just gotta reach the portal and then we can finally relax.” “Who did it?” The fireborn blurted out, mentally face palming. “Sorry, you don’t have to answer-“ “It was the king. Nate pushed me into him right as he swung his weapon, I had no way to dodge.” Nate, the one that sounded like me?

“I’m so sorry.” “It’s not your fault, Sap.” “Still.” “Hey, I’m happy that you two weren’t involved, okay?” It was like he could read his thoughts. “I know, but it doesn’t change the fact that-“ “That what? Your descendants or ancestors aren’t as kind as you guys are? I’ve accepted that already. And for the record, I’m glad I live in this time with you two.” Normally, his stomach would be glowing pink at that point, but it remained the colors it had been since they’d woken up.

“Is.. something wrong with your stomach, Karl?” “Huh?” “It's.. white. It hasn’t changed colors at all.” Quackity added. “Oh. Oh. Okay, I could probably give an answer for that. So the place I’m in now, the In Between, it’s like a giant castle made entirely of white building material, like quartz and stuff. Anytime I’m here my hoodie goes completely white, so maybe that’s why? It wouldn’t surprise me, anyway.” “What’s the significance of the In Between, if I’m allowed to ask?” “Well, it’s where I usually wind up when the ‘tale’ ends, or if I die while in a different time. A while back, instead of being brought here I got taken to a god’s realm instead. He gave me the ability to choose where I go when I leave the ‘tale’, so there’s another realm too. This one helps me leave faster than the other does, and this one is helping me get control over the time traveling too.” “Did you choose to come here this time too?” “I woke up here. I guess XD just chose for me this time.” Sapnap froze. “What did you just say?” “X- oh. Shoot, I forgot about that, I’m sorry Sapnap.” “What did he do to you? That bastard’s good as dead if he laid a hand-“ “He hasn’t hurt me! He.. he’s been helping me with this. Though, I guess he kinda has to since he’s the one who made me a time traveler. He said his last one completely lost his memory and couldn’t be relied on anymore.” “So he uses you like a damn puppet.” “I guess? But he’s been helping me more than hurting me.” “And he’d better keep it that way.”

Karl idly wondered if the god could sense the fireborn’s presence, and that’s why the overseer hadn’t come to stop him. Without anything holding him back, he quickly stepped through the portal that he knew led home.

The second his feet were on solid, recognizable ground, he shifted out of his human form, thankful to finally stretch out again and laughing softly as he felt the other two do the same. “Oh fucking finally! Wonder what’s gonna ruin it this time.” Quackity snarked, stretching his wings out. Wilbur was absolutely going to kill him about the state of them, but he couldn’t find it in him to care. The pinks and golds had finally flooded the colors, making both fiancés relax instantly. Though, an icy blue streak flashed through the organ, catching their attention and leading Sapnap to investigate again. “You’ve all been gone for days! Dream’s literally about to call a manhunt for you three.” “I’m sorry, George. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way.” “What do you mean- wait, don’t tell me you-“ at the nod, the brunette’s face dropped. “Karl.” It was spoken softly. “They were safe the whole time. I made sure of that.” “Did you make sure you were, though?” At the lack of answer, he sighed, taking a noodly arm in his hand. “Come on, I bet you’re ready for some sleep.”

“It’s George.” The fireborn relayed to Quackity. “Yea, no shit-“ “We’ve been gone for days, he said.” “Oh, fuck. I’m not even hungry, is he sure that’s accurate?” “He’s telling the truth.” Karl mumbled. “What?” “Sorry, I was- um..” he finally understood Sapnap’s embarrassment about being caught storing people. George took one look at his reaction and recognition flashed behind his goggles, giving a soft hum in acknowledgement before gently nudging the other towards the bed. “Do you need anything from me before I go? I’ll tell Dream you’re all okay.” “I think we’re alright. Thank you, George.”

He got a half-smile in return as the other took his leave, settling under the covers and curling up slightly, arms wrapped around his middle once more. “Do you two want out?” “You sleep first. We’ve been here this long, a few more hours won’t hurt us.” Quackity spoke first, followed by Sapnap’s agreement. “Yeah. I dunno how long you’ve been awake for, but I’m not leaving until you get some sleep.” “Nimrod.” He scoffed affectionately. “Seriously, sleep. We’ll be fine, and we can all make breakfast together tomorrow.” “You sure that’s a good idea?” “Doesn’t matter.” “Alright, I’ll try to sleep. Good night, guys, I love you both.” “Love you, Karl. Good night.”

“Told you.” Quackity whispered, nudging the other with an elbow as he settled back down. “Told me what?” “We’d want to do nothing but sleep. We’re gonna be worse than George at this point.” “Nobody can be as bad as George when it comes to sleeping.” Sapnap mused, resting his head on the other’s shoulder. He got a soft hum in return, and the duo settled down for one more nap.

When they woke up, it was to being released and gently cleaned up by their third, who looked very sheepish about the entire situation. With a groan, Quackity flopped back on the palm. “No, let me go back to sleep.” “We need breakfast, Q.” Karl giggled. “Noooooo…” he opened his eyes to look up at him. “They’re going to make me go back to work.” “Call in.” Sapnap suggested, stretching his arms above his head. “Can’t. They’re already gonna be mad about the past few days.” “Let them.”

The two were set on the floor, Karl halfway shifted to his human form. Pulling a splash potion of growing from his inventory, he ensured the two had their ears covered before dropping it in front of the two. As the two grew to their normal sizes, the brunette finished shifting and stood up to meet them at (almost) eye level. His eyes glittered pink and gold as Quackity got his bearings first, launching himself at the taller. “You know Wilbur’s gonna fucking kill me about the state of my wings.” He grumbled into the multicolored hoodie. “All the more reason to call in today. I can preen them for you.” Gently carding his fingers through the avian’s feathers, he smiled when the other relaxed fully against him. Sapnap took the opportunity to ruffle the blackette’s hair, and sprinted for the stairs when the Mexican squawked and pulled away with a hot glare, giving chase. Rolling his eyes, the time traveler followed his fiancés down the stairs, smiling at their antics.

He wouldn’t lie, it had been the worst experience he thinks he’d endured while traveling before, if only because of how worried he was. But at least in the end his fiancés understood, and weren’t even mad at him about it happening. The time traveling thing sucked, it was always going to. But, maybe with a support system like he’s got it can’t be too bad.

#shrunken manhunt #soft vore #safe vore #mcyt vore #mcyt g/t #mcyt gt #injury tw #temporary character death #yea I made a whole new tales episode #if I ever see a single piece of this used in an actual tales episode I’m actually gonna panic

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hatgame · 2 years

Note

Launchers my self through the door

How do you see it as /p of /r

Fav fic of these two

Songs associated

Qnd personal hcs of em

How does cc tgibg of the snatcher feeding the blizzard thing??

hello ^_^ (this is about snatcher&cooking cat)

1 honestly either is good, i dont think their dynamic would be all that different, its kind of just labels. i know a lot of people understandably view snatcher as unwilling to commit to another romantic relationship after what happened to them, but i personally write their discomfort sa far more about specific power dynamic quirks than the entire kind of relationship. given he works certain issues out beforehand (like his persistent attraction attachment and "indebtment" to vanessa. it doesnt have to go entirely he just needs to learn its not inherent to their identity) i dont think itd be too opposed to the idea.

2 none i dont read fanfiction. i guess i could name the thing that introduced me to the concept of them interacting but i dont remember what it was called. it was posted by a user with something about soy sauce in their url, theyre deactivated now. 3 none i am so sorry 4 cooking cat is incredibly busy w her cooking show, checking out various places kitchens (both place and culture wise) and swapping mafia town food, so when it comes to her actually resting for once in his life its her being cooked for. snatcher fights for his life in her kitchen making food just completely freaking out scared but the entire time its just going pretty smoothly. hes incredibly mediocre but like, its tasty and edible and ccs proud over this thing from the woods operating a stove. 5 million diseases be damned he can work a grill lol speaking of which, cc does help snatcher sort of reintegrate into soicety, at least as an observer. after dying and fully committing theirself to their cause theyd never think theyd get to live a normal life again: cook, wear cute clothes, walk outside, talk to people... and as such cc offers them a second chance at life just by being herself. its just everyday stuff to him but so huge and important to snatcher. its incredibly happy grateful for that. 5 she thinks its sincerely harrowing and isnt sure what to say or do, but snatcher tries her best to let him know his very presence in her life is enough to help them feel like theres a better life possible. having gained experience of just living not entangled in some horrific larger-than-life structure, its easier to keep in mind theyre under no obligation to be in as much pain as they are.

#text #dove dont look #ahit #a hat in time #subcon snatcher #cooking cat #sweetened deal #thank you for the ask!

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melishade · 2 years

Text

Attack on Prime: Rain

Main Story

The 104th watched curiously through the window, trying to understand the sight before them. The Survey Corps had arrived at the port hours earlier to check the progress of the construction. Unfortunately, it had started to rain, so most of the work is regulated to inside since they didn’t bring the proper equipment for the weather. However, Armin had noticed something strange, which caused him to stop his work. Eren and Mikasa noticed him, and followed his gaze, causing the two of them to stop and watch. Jean, Connie, and Sasha immediately followed.

Hanji and Levi later found them staring out the window, confused at the sight of their soldiers.

“Hey, you see rain fall all the time,” Levi spoke, “Get back to work.”

“But...Optimus is acting weird,” Connie explained, pointing to the window.

“Weird, how?” Hanji peered her head over the others and saw the sight.

Optimus stood tall in his bipedal mode, his helm raised to the sky and his optics closed. The rain drenched him helm to pede, and the mud was beginning to cling to his pedes, but he didn’t seem to care. In fact, he looked so...relieved at the sight and the sensation of the rain. The Prime slowly opened his blue optics and exhaled, and a small smile graced his lips.

“...damn it, the fucker’s getting dirty,” Levi swore as he managed to look through the window.

“How long has he been like this?” Hanji asked.

“Five...ten minutes?” Armin guessed.

“Okay, stop staring at Prime and get back to work,” Levi ordered, earning groans from the 104th, “Now.”

========

Later

Hanji noticed something else...Megatron was calmer too. She didn’t know where or not to take it as a good or bad thing...but it was happening. Megatron was sitting in his holoform, with Optimus and Levi in the room explaining what he knew what was happening in Marley...It creeped both Levi and Hanji out. They knew that much.

As Optimus deactivated the holoform after Megatron’s explanation, Hanji immediately got in front of Megatron’s holoform to gain his attention, much to Levi’s apprehension.

“Mad scientist, I’m in a particularly good mood and I would prefer you don’t ruin it,” Megatron warned.

“Yeah, about that. Why?” Hanji asked.

“Why what?” Megatron questioned.

“Why are you in a good mood?” Hanji asked.

“I can’t be in a good mood?” Megatron shot back, “Is that not allowed?”

“With someone as shitty as you, it’s weird,” Levi declared.

“Pot calling the kettle black. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a good mood,” Megatron retorted.

“Might good mood have anything to deal with Optimus being completely relaxed and standing under the rain?” Hanji asked.

Megatron’s mouth formed a thin line and he narrowed his eyes.

“So it does,” Hanji smiled with delight.

“Why would I tell you?” Megatron demanded.

“Because you and I both know that I won’t stop bothering you until you do,” Hanji answered, “And you wouldn’t want me to kill your good mood now, would you? Because I see it as a fucking challenge, Buckethead.”

Megatron snarled at her. “By the Allspark, you are just a leech.”

“That a yes or no?” Hanji crossed her arms.

“...this world doesn’t have acid rain,” Megatron answered.

Hanji and Levi both shared a confused look before turning back to Megatron. “Acid rain?”

“Cybertron doesn’t have the same complex ecosystem this annoying mudball has, but there seems to be one benefit your world has: there is no acid rain that can burn the metal off of our bodies and kill us so-,”

“The rain on your world kills you?!” Hanji screeched.

“If you stand in it for too long,” Megatron explained, now annoyed, “But it can burn off armor to the point where limbs need to be replaced. So the both of us are relieved that there is no acid rain on this world. Does that satisfy your curiosity?”

“It actually does,” Hanji admitted.

Megatron then grabbed her collar. “Then don’t ask me another question like this again.”

“We both know that’s not gonna stop me,” Hanji smiled. Megatron then let her go, causing her to fall to the floor and deactivated the holoform.

“What a jackass.” Hanji forced herself to her knees and cracked her neck.

“Stop fucking antagonizing him,” Levi ordered, “One day he might just snap and kill you.”

“Nah, I was just teasing him,” Hanji insisted as she stood up, “I will go tell the others.”

=========================

“The rain on Optimus’ world is dangerous?” Mikasa asked in surprise.

“Apparently it’s designed to literally burn the skin of off Cybertronians,” Hanji explained, “Although, it would be nice to know the preventive measures they would’ve taken to protect oneself from the rain. Also, why was it toxic in the first place?”

“But it still explains why Optimus was standing out in the rain,” Armin concluded.

“Wow, I can’t believe we have something better than their world,” Sasha commented, “Considering all Buckethead talks about is us being inferior.”

“So what do we do about it?” Eren asked Hanji.

Hanji shrugged. “Let Optimus enjoy it. It’s not harming him or anything like that. I just thought that you guys should know.”

“Well, that’s a relief.” Jean stretched out his arms, “So what are we gonna do about heading back to the walls?”

=======================

Later

Optimus was now sitting his alt mode as the rain continued to fall, still content with the rain hitting him. He suddenly heard a knock on his door and adjusted his side view mirror to see Armin, Eren, Mikasa, Sasha, and Jean covering themselves as best as they could with some tarps that they found.

“Can you take us to the Walls?” Armin asked over the rain.

Optimus quickly opened both doors, causing all five of them to climb into the truck. Jean sat in the driver’s seat, Sasha in the passenger side, and the remaining three in the back seat. Optimus then started driving away from the port, turning on the windshields to wipe the rain away as he made his way there.

“Will I need to return for the Commander and the others?” Optimus asked them.

“If you can,” Armin peered over Sasha’s seat.

“It is no issue,” Optimus reassured.

Eren managed to peer out the window to see the rain make streaks across the alt mode, the rain unable to stay on the metal. It was...really strange to see, but interesting. He was just happy that Optimus was content.

(This is short and sweet. I just wanted to add some filler before the Hizuru OVA which comes out on Sunday. Hooray!)

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fandomandangstlover · 1 year

Note

(Efficiency)

○●○

"So, when were you made?"

The little Coding looks up at SMG4 from its spot on his lap. It thinks, eyes narrowing.

Maybe 10 minutes after the original coding was deactivated? it answers, voice soft. The USBs made me.

"THE USBS?!" everyone seems shocked.

"THE-A USBS CAN MAKE-A NEW CODE?!" Mario screeches.

The little cat-like code nods. Yes. I don't know much but.. apparently the original coding.. was too strict.

"Too strict is an understatment," Saiko huffs, though she goes quiet at a soft glare from Tari.

SMG4 holds up a grape to the little Coding. It pauses before looking up at him and then back at the grape. Was it.. meant to eat it? It wouldn't do it any harm, right?

It leaned forward and gently grabbed the grape with its mouth. It rolled it about before swallowing.

It shot up to its paws and began to prance around SMG4's lap. It let out loud "mrrps!!" as it did so.

"Haha!" SMG4 laughed. "I guess you liked that, huh?"

The little Coding nodded, continuing to prance around his lap. Eventually, it calmed down and settled once more, but the happiness lingered. It was purring now and it's cloud-like appearance was now overtaken by the pastel blue and white.

"I guess it likes grapes," SMG3 muses.

"How long have you been watching us?" Meggy asks, bringing them back on track.

The little Coding thinks, wracking its memory banks for a complete answer. After I repaired the SMGs codes, I came to check. But after that I.. sorta kinda got attached.

"But you didn't approach us because of what happened with the original coding," Meggy finishes for it.

It nods. Yes. It would be a bad idea for me to reveal myself so soon.

SMG4 strokes it's back. "I'm pretty glad you waited, little buddy. I don't think 3 and I would've been the kindest to you if we saw you immediately after."

The little Coding purrs. It was glad it waited as well.

"SMG4, do you think it could stay with us?" Tari asks, clasping her hands together. "I think it'll be nice to have it around!"

The cat-like code looks up at SMG4. Ready to say that it's okay that it can't stay and that it understands. Understands that they're still not fully comfortable with it.

"Sure! It'll be nice, having a roommate other than Mario." he smiles.

"Hey!" Mario glares at him. "Mario is a great roommate!"

The little Coding looks up at him, surprised. He's letting it sleep in the same room as him?

It can't help but press up against him and rub their head against his chin in appreciation. Thank you! I promise, I'll be really good!

SMG4 nods and pats its head, chuckling as it purrs. "I know you will, little buddy. You've already proven it with how open you are."

OUGH. PRECIOUS.

everyone being flabbergasted at the USBs being able to make codes is so funny. like guys. fellas. those mfs downloaded memes into the U n iv ers e-

okay for the grape thing ah'm just imagining Lil Coding putting the ourple food into its mouth, shake it around like a small ball in a box (you can kinda see it bounce around), before eating it normally. i donno i thought it would be funny ahgshv

friendship!!

#my thoughts #factory reset in progress #fluffy...!!!!!#fanfiction

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ravagedarkness · 1 year

Text

Spider-Man: Home Rebuilt, Chapter 51: So It Begins

We all waited. I didn’t even bother checking the footage to see if the traps went off. With my enhanced senses, I felt the vibrations from the building. I knew some of the men were downed by the grenades and tripwire that Shadowcat and Frenzy set up. I knew some of them were trapped in the stairwell that was blocked, due in no small part to Frictor having the idea to rig some explosives to cause a small cave in. I knew some of the men wasted ammo on a few groups of mannequins that were dressed up as us. Or rather, I figured that was what happened.

About twenty minutes passed until I heard footsteps from down the hall. Underneath my mask, I grimaced.

“They’re here!” I stated, keeping my voice down since we all had our communicators in our ears.

“Everyone get into position!” Cyclops ordered. We each moved behind a sandbag barrier. We then sat still. “Frenzy, Spider-Man, wait for my signal.”

“Got it,” Frenzy replied as I nodded. I looked over at Frenzy, seeing her pull out two flashbangs.

“Edith, set my webbing to preset 30,” I asked.

“Preset will be ready in thirty seconds,” Edith replied.

“Thank you.”

We waited. The footsteps were slow and deliberate. No doubt in my mind they were being cautious due to their fellow men getting felled by the traps we placed. A part of me wanted to see what was going on with troops in the other parts of Ravencroft, but I decided against it. After Edith let me know that my preset was ready, I looked towards Frenzy again and gave her a thumbs-up. She nodded at me before she turned her head towards the door. We all remained quiet as we waited. Slowly but surely, the footsteps came closer and closer until they came to a stop. I then heard the creaking of the door as it opened. I took in a breath quietly and held it. I saw a beam of light wave over us. I guess it was from a flashlight attachment. I heard another creak. I figured the door was pushed wide open. That’s when I heard more footsteps.

“Now!” Cyclops screamed out.

Frenzy quickly stood up as I jumped into the air. I turned before I brought my arms out. I shot three bursts of webbing. During this, Frenzy pulled the pins on the two Flashbangs and tossed them forward. As she quickly ducked down and covered her ears, I landed on all fours and ducked behind the sandbag barrier, just avoiding the bullets that sailed over my head.

“Edith, activate Sensory Deprivation Mode!” I ordered.

“Activating now,” Edith replied.

The shutters of my lenses narrowed until they were completely shut. I heard a buzz in my head as the sound cancelling field was deployed underneath my suit. For some seconds, I felt like I was floating in some void. The only thing I did ended up feeling was some vibrations, no doubt from the grenades and the flashbang webs detonating. Internally, I counted to five until I took in a breath.

“Okay, Edith, let’s bring things back to normal, webbing included,” I stated.

“Deactivating Sensory Deprivation Mode,” she said in compliance. “Webbing is also back to normal.”

Slowly, my lenses opened up and the field disappeared. I blinked a few times – while it was rather dark in the room, with my enhanced vision, it was like stepping out from inside of a building and into the noon sun. After my vision adjusted, I looked up to see Frictor standing, discharging his shotgun three times. I watched as the shells sail through the air and three of the gunmen before letting loose a shock.

“XREP shells?” I asked as I stood up.

“X-Men don’t kill,” Frictor replied.

I nodded before I stood up and faced the door. Six more men came through the door. Cyclops shot four bursts of optic blasts, downing four of the assailants in quick succession. I brought my arms out and shot out two strands of webbing. Once they hit two of the gunmen, grabbed the strands with my hands and yanked on them. The two gunmen sailed through the air towards me. As soon as they were close enough, I grabbed one of them in my left hand and let the other one fly past me. I looked over my shoulder and watched as the gunman landed. With my free hand, I shot a continuous strand of webbing towards the downed gunman before I turned my attention back to the one in my hand. Wordlessly, I tossed them into the ceiling before webbed them up against it. Unfortunately, for them, I forgot that I was in an old decrepit sanitarium and, by extension, didn’t stop to think about the structural integrity of decades off ceiling tile. So, it shouldn’t have been as surprising as it was to me when, seconds later, the gunmen fell face first into the ground after the ceiling tile caved from trying to hold up their weight.

I took in a breath through my teeth. “I didn’t mean for that to happen,” I said in earnest.

“I’m sure they’re okay,” Greenie assured. “Not that I care, but…” I looked over at her, in time to see her shrug. I was about to respond before I felt my Spider-Sense go off.

…Seriously, why didn’t I think of calling my extra sense that before?

Anyway, after my Spider-Sense went off, I looked towards the door and six more gunmen rushed in. They quickly opened fire. Greenie and I quickly ducked behind a sandbag. The bullets went over my head, with one piercing through one of the sandbags on the top layer. From the corner of my eye, I saw Greenie hold her AA-12 up above the barrier and returned fire blindly for some seconds.

“I’m going in,” Shadowcat called out. “Frenzy, you got me?”

“Of course!” Frenzy replied.

I watched as Shadowcat phased into the ground as Frenzy stood up. With a slow walk, Frenzy moved forward. She walked slowly as the bullets bounced off her. As she slowly stalked towards them, I poked my head up above the sandbag barrier. All six gunmen put their attention on Frenzy, spraying her with bullets that bounced off of her with no effect. During this, two of the gunmen were pulled into the ground and out of sight. Somehow, I knew they were pulled down and sent crashing onto the floor below is. Frenzy continued to stalk forward. By the time she reached them, two more gunmen were pulled completely into the ground. Frenzy grabbed one of them by the collar with her right hand before she tossed them to the side as if they weighed little more than a tennis ball. I cringed when I heard the sound of the impact. She then struck the remaining gunman with a backhand that knocked them out almost instantly. As they fell to the ground, Frenzy retreated back to her previous spot.

“Why do you even wear body armor?” Greenie asked. “Aren’t you as bulletproof as Luke Cage?”

“I am,” Frenzy confirmed. “But I never know when it’ll be the day there’s a bullet my skin can’t stop.”

Greenie nodded. “Good point.” Footsteps were heard again. This time, Greenie stood up and let loose a hail of gunfire at the door. I was thankful the bullets were nonlethal because the gunman that walked through the door was lit up something nasty, as Frictor would say. “I’m telling you now, whatever that asshole Hammer is paying you, it’s nowhere near worth it!” As she said this, she removed the drum from her rifle before she loaded a fresh one in.

Wave after wave of gunmen came in, but we were able to dispatch them with ease. Eventually, I heard the sound of footsteps retreating. Slowly, Frictor stood up and tilted his head.

“You think they gave up?” he asked as he looked around at the others.

“Somehow, I doubt that,” Cyclops deadpanned. The rest of us slowly stood up.

“If you want, I can poke my head out,” Frenzy offered as she readied her rifle.

Cyclops looked at her for a few moments. He then nodded. “Go ahead and do that.”

I watched as she stepped forward slowly out of the opening. As she continued to walk, Greenie moved next to me.

“I’m surprised Scorpion hasn’t shown up yet,” she pointed out.

Under my mask, I raised my eyebrows briefly. “Maybe Hammer’s just trying to wear us down before sending Scorpion in,” I replied. “There’s no way Hammer will waste an opportunity to have Scorpion painted in a glorious…” I trailed off as my senses went off. My senses were on eleven… or perhaps even twelve, because even my vision seemed slightly off-color. I quickly looked around, trying to find whatever is wrong.

“Hey, Spidey, you okay?” Greenie asked.

During this, Frenzy walked back towards us.

“The hallway is clear,” she announced. She then looked at me. “Hey, what’s up?”

“My Spider-Sense is going off,” I stated. “Something’s up. Edith… can you pull up the camera array?”

“Pulling up array n…” Edith began before she trailed off. “That’s odd. I’ve been disconnected from the Wi-Fi network. I’m going to try and reconnect.” She paused again. “I see the issue. The Wi-Fi network is no longer able to be detected. I believe the hotspot may have been compromised. I’m going to see if I can connect to the cameras directly, but it’ll likely take time.”

“Of course!” I said as I threw my hands up. I looked at the others. “The hotspot is down. I’m unable to connect to the cameras at the moment. We’re kind of blind here!”

“I’m sorry,” Edith apologized. I could hear the regret in her voice.

Internally, I kicked myself. I didn’t mean for Edith to feel bad. “It’s not your fault, Edith. I should have accounted for that. Just do your best, okay?”

“Okay.”

“I’m glad you’re assuring Edith and all,” Shadowcat said sincerely. “But what has your Spider-Sense going – ?”

She didn’t get a chance to finish that statement as the ground rumbled below us.

“Yo, what was that?!” Frictor demanded.

The ground rumbled again. I looked down to see the cracks in the floor. And then I saw the orange light bleed through the cracks. My eyes went wide. Think quickly, I brought my arms out and shot out for four different strands, each one for Frictor, Cyclops, Shadowcat, and Frenzy.

“I’m sorry!” I called out before I flung them towards the back of the office. I was about to grab Greenie before the floor exploded beneath us. We were both launched up into the air. Quickly, I turned and shot webbing towards the ceiling. While the strands hit, the ceiling tiles gave out almost instantly from my weight. I fell into the newly formed hole right after Greenie, who was yelling out. Much to both my surprise and chagrin, there were holes leading all the way down to the bottom floor. “Hold on, Greenie!” I quickly brought my arms out and shot another to strands of webbing. They went past Green and hit the edges of the hole on the second floor roof. I quickly pulled, propelling myself faster through the air. Within seconds, I caught up to Greenie. I wrapped my arms around her. With barely a thought, I deployed the pincers. They shot out and pierced the bottom floor’s tile, stopping our fall. I took a moment to resume my breathing, letting loose a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “Hey… you okay?”

“Yeah, I am,” Greenie huffed out. “Thanks.”

I nodded as I lowered myself to my feet. Unfortunately, my senses went off. I looked towards the doors, seeing them kicked in. Even more gunmen started to pour in. I looked over my shoulder, seeing the front desk behind. “Hold on, Greenie!” That was all the warning I gave before turned around, bent my knees, and jumped forward. During this, I heard gunfire and felt a couple of bullets hit my armor. I flipped in the air once before I landed on my feet behind the desk. I set Greenie down as I ducked down, avoiding the bullets that sailed over our heads. I stared at the metal paneling. “Wow, you guys fortified this, too?”

“That’s Cyclops for you,” Greenie replied.

“Greenie, Spider-Man, are you guys okay?” Cyclops asked through the comms.

“Speak of the devil,” I commented. “Yeah, we’re okay, just under heavy gunfire. What about you guys?”

“Yeah, we’re good,” Frenzy spoke up. “But Spider-Man… you do remember that one of us is bulletproof and the other can phase, right?”

“Sorry, habit! I’m still not used to working with other heroes with superpowers on a regular basis!”

“Clearly!”

“Hate to interrupt, but this desk can only take so many bullets!” Greenie pointed out.

“Frictor and Shadowcat are on their way down now,” Cyclops stated. “Frenzy and I should be at your location right about… now.”

I heard a heavy thud, followed by the sounds of yells. After that, the room was overtaken by red light for a good three seconds. After that, the red glow was gone, replaced by… sunlight? Slowly, Greenie and I stood up. There was a massive hole where the doors and a good part of the wall used to be. Standing a few feet in front of us was Cyclops and Frenzy.

“…Well, that wasn’t fun for me,” Frenzy complained.

“We’re not here for fun,” Cyclops halfheartedly chastised.

“…Whatever.”

Greenie and I walked around the desk and joined Frenzy and Cyclops. We looked out of the hole to see many gunmen laid out on the lawn, having been taken out. A few moments later, Frictor and Shadowcat phased from the floor and joined us.

“Let me guess,” Frictor said. “Cyclops flexed hard.”

“Very hard,” Frenzy grumbled.

“Look, whenever I can, I try to end things quickly,” Cyclops droned.

At that, Frenzy scoffed. “That better only apply to the battlefield, or else this relationship won’t last long.” Shadowcat snickered and Frictor’s shoulders were quivering as Cyclops turned his head towards Frenzy. Frenzy looked back at him and smirked.

“A’ight, funny as this is, anyone else thinking this is too easy?” Frictor asked as he looked around.

“That’s because it is,” Cyclops replied in a grim tone.

That was when my Spider Sense went off again. I started to look around until I felt the vibrations underneath my feet. I closed my eyes, took in a deep breath, and slowly let it loose in a sigh.

“He’s here,” I muttered out. Everyone looked at me. I slowly turned around. I heard the faintest sound of earth being burrowed through. Some feet in front of me, the ground opened. From the hole emerged Scorpion. The large superhuman bared his teeth. Even with his eyes covered, I can tell he was glaring at us.

“I haven’t seen you in a minute, Scorpion,” Frictor remarked. “I see you got your armor repaired. I’m glad about that. I was hoping I didn’t damage it too much when I ran you off.”

“I should have crushed your larynx the night I left you broken,” Scorpion snarled back. “But no matter – I no longer have orders to bring you in alive. Consider this your last chance to surrender. If you don’t, I can’t be held liable for what ends up happening to you all.”

“We’ll make this short and sweet for you, then,” Cyclops replied. “We will neither surrender nor offer you the chance to back away. We’re taking you down today. Partially it’s because we don’t like you. But mostly, it’s to send a message for any other people like Hammer who think they can hide behind The Accords with no consequences for their actions.”

At that, Scorpion sighed in annoyance. “Oh well.” He waved his tail back and forth behind him as he dropped down to all fours. “I’d say this will hurt me more than it’ll hurt you. But you’ve tested my patience long enough.” He grinned wickedly. “I’m actually looking forward to ending your lives right here and now. And when I’m done here, Hammer and I will go after everyone who has directly supported – friends, family, you name it!”

During this, I felt the air go cold. My heartrate went up. As I closed my eyes, all I could think of those close to me and those close to them – every American Idiot and X-Men along with their respective families, Pepper Potts, Happy, Morgan… even the likes of Claire and Dr. Drumm. Also, I couldn’t forget about Lockheed and Puff… who I haven’t seen for a while, as I thought about. But, the point is, Scorpion didn’t just press a certain button of mines – he basically kept it down with duct tape and placed a weight on top of it for good measure.

“Just so we’re clear, no holding back right?” I asked as I looked at Cyclops.

“Not even a little bit,” Cyclops confirmed.

I nodded. “Good.”

From my peripheral, I saw Shadowcat remove her sais from her holsters and palm them. Frictor took time to reload his shotgun before he cocked it once. Frenzy unshouldered her rifle and tossed it to the side before she cracked her knuckles. Greenie raised her left fist. Said fist glowed green as a vapor of the same color rose from it. Cyclops cracked his neck as his visor glowed red. For my part, I uttered five words.

“Edith, activate Instant Kill Mode,” I ordered.

“Are you sure?” Edith asked. I could hear the worry in her tone. I was actually given pause.

“…I am.”

“…Activating Instant Kill Mode now.”

I felt a change my suit. I heard the lenses dilate – only thing the others would see on my eyes were red glowing slits. My pincers extended out even more as I dropped down to a crouching three point stance.

“No matter what suit you have on, you’re still a mere Spider,” Scorpion taunted. “So, tell me, what’s a Spider to a Scorpion?”

“I’ve battled vultures, lizards, goblins, and octopuses, not to mentions alien invaders from space,” I retorted. “A Spider to a Scorpion? Please. You are nothing to us.”

“We shall see.”

Those were his last words before he charged forward.

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aik-membrane · 1 year

Text

OOC: Heart-Aik: Aik Membrane's Prequel

Chapter Twenty

Ft mentions of @ambassador-d1b

"... what new job?" Aik looked up from his work huddled over a notebook to stare at Percy.

"Your fight training is complete! We can take on new jobs, as partners!" Percy sounded excited.

"Jobs? Plural? What jobs?" Aik repeated.

"There's a bank heist I've been trying to do for years, and you'd be the perfect partner. You're just small enough to fit in vents," Percy said with a grin.

"Why? Aren't we making enough for you with the fights?" Aik asked.

"No, it's never enough, Shank. Nothing is ever enough. That's a free lesson for you," Percy snickered.

Ail sighed. "Is this going to help get the equipment for Dib?"

"Yeah, sure kid," Percy said half heartedly.

Aik glared at Percy, but the man was oblivious to his annoyance.

"Anyway, we're going to stage the heist this weekend."

"I'm not doing it," Aik huffed, turning back to his notebook.

"What? What do you mean you're not doing it?" Percy asked slowly.

"I'm not doing it, I'm doing just fine getting what I need through the fights," Aik explained.

"No, Shank, this isn't an option, you're going to help me."

"I'm not one of your cult slaves, you can't boss me around," Aik said.

"You owe me for being alive. I could turn you in to Membrane and leave you and your brother," Percy threatened.

Aik growled at Percy, narrowing his eyes.

Percy crossed his arms. "At least look at the plans."

"You're a terrible negotiator."

"Come on, kid. You need me and I need you. We'll split 50/50."

Aik sighed. "Fine, I'll look. But only for the money. I'm warning you, if you try to cross me or hold out on me, then you will be punished."

"Yeah yeah, sure." Percy waved Aik off and went to collect the plans.

A few minutes later, Aik was extremely bored listening to Percy ramble about a bank heist plan.

Aik's portion of the plan was crawling through a tight ventilation system into a security room where he would help hack into the camera and sensor system to deactivate it.

Aik didn't want to do it, until he noticed that while in the vents he could easily steal a special type of battery used for the cameras. It would make his drone for Dib last longer between updates. Shepherd was enlisted by Percy to help Aik transport small updates to the labs once a month or so, but this battery could make it do Aik could rely less on this unstable cult leader and his victims.

"We come out of this with easily $50k cash, what do you say, Shank?" Percy asked. "25 for you and 25 for me."

"Fine, I'll do it," Aik sighed reluctantly. "You better stick to your side of the deal, and don't drag me into any more of these heists after this, I don't want them."

"I promise, no more heists after this."

The heist went off without a hitch.

"Alright Shank, here's your cut." Back at the house, Percy was dividing up the cash. He handed Aik a wad of it.

Aik sighed and quickly counted the cash. "Hey, this is only $5k."

"Yeah, it wasn't as big of a job as I hoped," Percy said with a shrug. "We only got 10. Don't worry, I still split it evenly with you!"

Aik made a face at Percy. He didn't believe that for a second. But he had no way to prove that Percy was lying. Plus he got the batteries he wanted. Whatever, let Percy have the dirty money.

He went up to his room and began working on the new drone prototype to watch over his brother. He went ahead and checked on the camera feed to Membrane labs while he was there. He nearly completely forgot what he was supposed to be doing when he saw what was happening there.

Membrane was packing up Dib's things? All the clones had limited belongings, but Membrane only packed them up like that when they… no. No no no, Dib couldn't be dead.

Aik held his breath and overrode the path controls of the drone to look around the lab for Dib. It would risk the drone being spotted, since now it was outside of the programmed safe path. But he had to see.

"Come on, come on…" Aik muttered. He took the controls of the drone with his robotic hand so his flesh hand could rest over a secret compartment on his upper forearm.

Dib was alive. He was waiting in a… stroller? The hell?

Aik fidgeted with his hand over the compartment and watched Membrane continue to pack up. After a little longer, Membrane took all the things and Dib out of the lab.

Since when did Membrane take clones out of the lab? Aik piloted the drone to follow Membrane and Dib from a distance, narrowly avoiding being spotted by security. And the damn drone was running out of battery.

"Where are you going…" Aik hissed to the monitor, as if Membrane could hear him.

Membrane took Dib out of the labs entirely and to a car where he drove off.

The drone battery died just after.

"Shit." Aik closed the footage, grabbed his coat, and bolted out of his room, nearly running right into Percy.

"Hey! Where are you going!" Percy scolded.

"He's taking Dib somewhere, out of my way!" Aik barked, shoving Percy.

"What the hell!" Percy yelped and tried to grab Aik's arm but missed. "Shank, it's practically the middle of the night! How do you plan to get there?"

"I don't know. I'll figure it out." Aik grabbed a bag and stuck his cash in it.

"Oh no no, you're running away aren't you!" Percy blocked the door, furious.

Aik growled. Too bad he didn't have a mirror to see his eyes darken. He never did.

"Kid, calm down. I'll have Shepherd take you first thing in the morning." Percy suddenly seemed less angry.

"It'll be too late by then! I won't know where he is!" Aik tried to shove Percy out of the way.

"Sorry kid, I didn't want to do this." Percy pulled the trigger of a hidden tranquilliser gun and it hit Aik in the shoulder.

Aik squeaked, and his robotic hand rushed to the dart to pull it out, but it was too late. He could feel unconsciousness seeping in.

"You'll be able to check on your brother in the morning." Percy moved to catch him.

"You're going to pay for this…" Aik managed to growl before everything went fully black.

#iz dib #iz dib membrane #iz ocs #aik membrane #project eternal #professor membrane #iz fanfiction #heart aik #invader zim dib #dib membrane #dib iz #dib invader zim

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that-fellow-from-dres · 1 year

Text

Tumblr should add a purchasable feature that's just

A Fucking Gun

It's a fucking gun. The cost depends on the gun control laws in your country. It costs about £3 in most countries but it's like. A nickel in the US.

What does it do?

You can shoot people with it. When you buy the gun it comes with a set amount of bullets that you can use to shoot another blog. If you shoot a blog while the user isn't online, then your murder attempt fails and the blog has a bullet wound in it until the user goes onto their dash and treats it using a Tumblr Official Surgical Crab provided in emergencies like this.

However, if the user is online, then they will hear a loud bang and be shown a 3D-rendered cutscene which I will detail later. Their dash is covered in blood and will eventually fade to black. The blog is deactivated, and through that blog the user will only be able to browse Tumblr Purgatory, which is just normal Tumblr but only containing posts from deactivated accounts.

The other party involved is the victim's two or three best Mutuals who, along with the murderer will also see

The Cutscene

Everybody is portrayed by a random gender-nonspecific body with no visible skin, with their PFP floating in place of their head. It's rendered like an SFM animation

A dark alleyway sparely illuminated by yellow light streaming from second-floor windows, presumably the back of some public establishment. It's dusk, and the rain is heavy.

[Only The Murderer Sees This Part]

A silhouette falls over the entrance. The camera zooms towards it. The Murderer. View changes to over-the-shoulder as The Murderer walks calmly and confidently towards The Victim.

[The Murderer and The Victim See This Part]

Camera moves to in front of The Victim performing some random action. (Winding a cartoon alarm clock, studying a cool rock, pondering the orb, releasing a small frog from their person, etc.) The Murderer walks up to about two paces behind The Victim, and pulls out their Fucking Gun, which has an incredibly detailed and hyper-realistic model compared to the rest of the scene. That Click Noise Guns Make When You Draw Them is heard and The Murderer says a single line in a random TTS voice in a random language (There are subtitles in both that language and the viewer's language. They're something along the lines of 'Nothin' personnel, kid' or 'If only it didn't have to end this way' or 'check out this cool gun I have'). Gunshot, and The Victim is shot straight through the heart. They collapse on the floor.

[This Part is Seen By Everyone]

The camera cuts to a door at the back of the alleyway opening and The Mutuals run in. General expressions of exclamation and they run to The Victim's dying body. Dramatic last words are given by The Victim and they die. Despair from one of The Mutuals. A different member of The Mutuals looks up and points. Camera zooms in on the darkened figure of The Murderer, as they silently slip out of the alleyway. This is also the only indication given to The Mutuals as to who The Murderer was.

There would be less common variations on this, such as variants where The Victim only has 1 mutual, or no mutuals, the Vengeance Cutscene in which a user who was a Mutual in a previous Cutscene murders the original Murderer, and the Betrayal Cutscene where a person who would qualify as a Mutual is The Murderer.

Whichever Cutscene happens, The Mutuals then have to participate in an asynchronous co-operative puzzle game in which they learn the ropes of necromancy in order to bring The Victim back from the dead. Upon completion of the game, The Victim's blog returns to normal. Mostly. Depending on how well The Mutuals do in the game, The Victim may Come Back Wrong™, which involves applying random filters to their PFP, changing random characters in their URL and potentially turning their Checkmarks into horses. These changes would slowly wear off, The Victim's blog returning to normal after 48 hours online.

There would also be several other endings, including Eeby Deeby, which occurs if all of The Mutuals block The Victim during the course of the game. In this case, The Victim is sent to Eeby Deeby and deactivated for good. Sans Undertale appears if all of The Mutuals but one are shot during the game and Vriska Serket will appear if one of The Mutuals murders at least one other Mutual and seven others.

Yeah that's the gist of it. @staff pls add

#only half joking

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atozphantomsquadron · 2 years

Text

XIII - Austria

We were formed into an official CIBO team surprisingly quickly by Yardley, who wanted us out in the field immediately to deal with an immediate threat. It was only at our first briefing that we learned what purpose we would be serving, as Yardley answered a pertinent question regarding our battle fitness raised by Ken.

“What about the ladies? Ken, look at them. They’re suited for the kinds of missions I couldn’t possibly send regular teams on.”

Our first mission was indeed a dangerous one that no normal team could probably have handled: we were sent to investigate a series of disappearances in Greece, on Patmos Island, in advance of a diplomatic trip by the Secretary of Defense. Bible scholars recognize the location as the site of the Cave of the Apocalypse, the place where John the Evangelist was exiled to during which time he wrote the Book of Revelation. Monks at the nearby monastery had been disappearing: the last one to do so had left behind nothing but a half-rotted hand. As our mission progressed, we learned exactly what purpose we would have as our forces wound up combined against a demonic foe, hiding within the cave itself!

I know, it sounds odd that a demon would hide in such a holy place, but that was indeed the case. The demon had a bone to pick with each of the others in the team, but not myself for some reason. In the end, it took all of our combined force to defeat the beast, reducing it to dust that blew into the Mediterranean with the next hard wind. It was a great success for the first mission we would share as a team.

That success did not come without hardship or discovery, however. We learned more about our abilities, and about each other, on that trip. During our flight over, we were presented with our best technological tool, our Holographic Self-Image Projectors. As you can see, I was allowed to keep mine once my Black Ops days were finished.

(Transcriber’s note: The white noise I mentioned earlier on my recording was the sound of the “HoSIP” deactivating, a process which left me speechless when I first witnessed it. The device straps around the user’s wrist like a watch, and at the touch of a button projects the illusion of any number of camouflage bodies on the user, rendering them completely disguised from any angle. It’s a revolution in camouflage technology, which is why I was thoroughly surprised … and yet not so much … that Ariel was in possession of one.—DAM)

Ken also took the opportunity to set me aside on our way over to Greece, wanting to check on my condition after my merging with 37A. I was glad that he did, because my mind had been cloudy for a couple of days, and the effort of trying to sort between the memories that were mine and those that were the dragon’s had left me exhausted. What struck me about this conversation, though, was the concern Ken was showing me, how much affection he had layered on me, like I was a child to him.

Finally, I had to ask. “Why do you care so much about what happens to me?”

It took him a long time to answer, during which I could almost sense his mood lowering to despair. I credit the dragon with that: once I was completely merged with her I had become attuned to differences in scent that occur when people change moods. He finally looked up and gave me his answer, after a long while.

“The day I found you, my wife told me she was divorcing me.”

That was a bit of a shock. Was all of his kindness a way of roping me into a relationship? The old paranoid me asked that very question in my mind, but was cut off as he continued.

“It sunk in to me, right then, how shitty of a father I’ve been to my son, and how much I wanted his lifetime back, to make up for what I couldn’t … didn’t … give him. I also realized how horrible of a husband I must have been to Linda … my wife … and how much I must have made her hate me. The next night, when Gerard took you … I just … imagined what I would have done if it had been my son in your place …”

The vulnerability in Ken’s voice and his posture melted me, as this strong man who had rescued me from Gerard started to weep. I pulled him into my arms gently.

“Ariel, I don’t want to repeat the mistakes I’ve made …”

In that instant, I knew why he cared about me. He saw in me a child, an innocent child without any ally in the world, who needed guidance, love, and comfort. Despite all he might have said about how bad of a father he was, he had been nothing but the best to me, even in the short period of time I had known him. I finally had to tell him.

“You won’t. You haven’t. You’ve shown me more concern than I’ve known in a long time. I understand why now.”

More than anything now, I really wished that Ken could have been my real father. Impulsively, I kissed him to thank him for his kindness. Not a passionate kiss, just the kind of gentle peck a daughter gives her daddy, just to show him the kind of regard I held him in.

That regard increased tenfold during the mission, when I saw how much he cared for his team. Even when he drew his sword and became the knight, who I eventually learned was called “the Guardsman,” that concern was apparent in the mute knight’s eyes, which always remained Ken’s. I also learned more about my other teammates as well, between Cyrus’ inability to spellcast on holy ground and Kitty’s hidden power, which I found out about firsthand in a shocking and rather disgusting manner.

Our first encounter with the creature in the cave did not go well at all. We went in ill-prepared for what awaited us, and nearly paid for it dearly. When we first entered the holy place, there was a deep sense of foreboding that permeated every surface and stained the air with the stench of fear. I remember touching a prayer rail, near where the hand had been found, and getting a quick image of what had come before. Though Kitty was quick to downplay my vision, it frightened me a great deal. Perhaps if I had been taken seriously, the fight and subsequent injuries would not have happened.

The air’s scent of fear increased an infinite amount as the creature struck, reaching its giant maw forward and disemboweling Kitty in a single bite. I panicked and grabbed my new friend to drag her out of the danger zone. My wings unfurled and I fought the stale air of the cave to carry her out, with Ken and Cyrus running quickly after me. Once free of the cave’s confines, I stretched my wings out and took to the dusk sky, not stopping and landing until I reached an open plain, where I set my precious cargo down.

Ken and Cyrus were soon by our side. I looked down at my body and panicked more as I found myself coated nearly completely in Kitty’s blood. Cyrus anxiously tried to heal the grievous wounds, mentioning in passing a difference between Western and Eastern magics, but at that point I was beyond listening, clutching to Ken like a little girl in need of comfort.

To our considered surprise, Kitty gasped after a jolt threw Cyrus away from her. All of us turned to watch as Kitty’s body regenerated her missing guts and closed her abdomen, like nothing had happened. This finally proved to all of us that there were far more aspects to Kitty than just her cat body. Three years later, out of another surprising aspect of Kitty, I witnessed the ultimate power she held, the ability to grant life at the cost of her own where love was involved.

We also learned surprising aspects of my own powers, as well. Our second encounter with the creature went differently, as we were prepared for what was waiting for us. After we were able to draw the beast out into the open, not only did we have a better tactical chance but we could all use our respective powers. Cyrus, no longer handcuffed by holy ground, had the full range of his abilities, which were handy in the end, but I was the one to discover new abilities. When my other teammates went down, and I remained alone, my fear became replaced by rage.

Then by calm. A familiar voice appeared in my head.

=I will protect you, Ariel.=

37A’s voice permeated my mind, even as the creature taunted me. I taunted back.

“You shall not have me. You will not have any of us!”

(Transcriber’s note: As Ariel recalled this memory, at certain points she began re-enacting some of the battle with the giant creature. When she reached her transformation, it nearly occurred right there in the living room: at the very least, the roar she let out when she reached the words “any of us” was frightening, no less so when heard on the recording than it was live.—DAM)

My body began to swell against my uniform, rending it at the seams. My wings unfurled, then grew larger. I felt my haunches grow, my neck lengthen, my face distort. The whole time, my perspective of the beast changed drastically, until we were at eye level.

I was now in 37A’s body. My body.

The creature growled and opened her maw at me. Likewise, I mirrored it. I felt a grumbling, not quite in my stomach but in another, slightly higher place in my abdomen. I would guess it was in the second stomach Dr. Klein-Rosser had mentioned. The urge to vomit came to me: it rose all the way through my throat and to my mouth, where it shot forth and ignited.

I was firecasting!

The beast recoiled under the attack, then recovered and rushed me. When she did, I stuck to the attack plan we had decided on: I pushed the beast’s head down, while Kitty fired an anti-tank rocket down its throat. When it lodged there, I stomped down on the beast’s neck to detonate the charge. While the creature staggered in pain, Cyrus used a spell to pick up and throw the Guardsman, who shot through the beast like a javelin and killed it.

Our first mission a success, we continued in a similar vein. Yardley sent us out on supernatural missions whenever they arose. While we had down time, we learned more about each other, we used our HoSIPs to have social time outside of the CIA, and we tried our best to make an awkward situation good. This continued for a year.

One fateful March day, however, things began to drastically change. Yardley called us in on a new mission, based on a suspicious intelligence report. It initially seemed too simple for us to be involved, and Ken actually mentioned that it was too normal of a mission.

Yardley waved off this concern. “I’m sorry, Ken, but all of our other teams are otherwise engaged, and yours is the only one available. Besides, it won’t be too much of an issue. It’s a milk run, don’t look the gift horse in the mouth.”

Ken reluctantly accepted the mission, to defend the president of Afghanistan at a gala diplomatic ball in Austria. That evening, as per our usual routine, we went to a local bar to have some “us time” before we were on the government’s clock. While Kitty and Cyrus threw darts at the opposite end of the room, Ken pulled me aside to a booth.

“So how do you feel? I know that your transformations seem to be getting easier every time.”

I kept my gaze down at the Caucasian hands that my current HoSIP had given me, which held between them a vodka-and-Red Bull. “I feel okay. It’s actually kind of nice, when I transform I always feel like 37A’s still with me. I think she’s still protecting me.”

Ken smiled. He produced from his pocket a slender envelope. “I got word about my son today. He’s advancing in Naval Air at a very fast rate, he just made lieutenant commander.”

I took the letter from him and read it quickly. “You keep tabs on Cole?”

“All the time. He may resent me, but I am his father and I still love him.” He leaned back in his seat. “I think he’d like you, if he had the chance to meet you.”

My eyes lit up. “You think so?”

“Absolutely. You’re a sweet, loving person. If I could see that, then he certainly would.”

His assurances warmed my heart. They would return to mind later, as I eventually came to know Cole, out of necessity. This evening, however, Ken sipped on a glass of cola and held my gaze for a long time.

Finally, he spoke again. “Ariel, I want you to know, there’s something we haven’t really spoken about. If I should fall …”

My face twisted into a worried expression. “Oh God, no …”

“I’m not saying that I will this time, just if. If I should fall, the Sword is a birthright of my family. Sharpes from time immemorial have borne the role of the Guardsman, I am merely the most recent. If I should fall, my son would be the next in line to bear the burden. When that happens, I have specific instructions for my surviving team and for Admiral Yardley to ensure he gets the Sword in a timely manner.”

I clutched my glass protectively. “What does that have to do with me?”

“I have a special role for you, Ariel. I need you to be a friend. Not a mentor like Cyrus, not a drinking buddy like Kitty, but a true friend, much like we have been to each other.”

My face felt flushed. “Why me?”

“For the same reasons why I think he would like you, because of your nature. He’ll have just lost a father he was never too fond of, and received a task which he’ll be unprepared for. At the very least, he’s going to need a friend.”

I understood drastic change more than anything. “Okay, Ken, I will.” I grasped his hand affectionately. “You can count on me.”

If only I had known how prophetic Ken’s words would be.

That night, after returning to quarters, I slept fitfully, with dreams that shocked me awake all night long. First came blood, an ocean of blood threatening to pull me under and drown me. Then came a dream of the place between life and death, the gray eternal dusk, and once more the knight stood before me, unmasked as Ken. This time, though, he removed his face and revealed death’s head, grinning at me. My final dream that night took me to the upcoming mission. I stood against the world. Around me, my teammates lay in death’s sleep; before me stood Hell’s army. Knowing the fight to be hopeless, I nonetheless felt 37A with me and grew into the dragon, diving into battle. Before the clash began, however, I awoke in a cold sweat, the first I had experienced since my changes had taken place.

The next day we flew out to Austria. 36 hours after my tormented dreams, I stood with Cyrus on the rooftop of a Viennese palace, awaiting word of where we were to go next. The moon seemed closer to the earth than I could remember, probably because of our position on the roof, but it still illuminated both of us brightly.

My face must have shown my concern, because Cyrus approached me and gently laid a wrinkled hand on my shoulder. “You seem tense, Ariel. What’s wrong?”

I tried to calm myself. “It’s nothing. I think we’re in for some trouble, that’s all. I’m just kind of nervous sitting here just waiting for Ken and Kitty.”

“It’s okay to be nervous. Just don’t let it interfere with the job and you’ll make it through.” Cyrus winked at me then turned around as we both heard the clattering of a grappling hook. The short man ran over to pick it up and wrap it around a parapet before tugging on it twice. After fifteen minutes, Ken was up on the rooftop with us, very casually asking about our condition.

“Did you have trouble getting up here?”

I shook my head. “None that we couldn’t handle ourselves, Ken. Are you ready?”

He walked over to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. “I’m as ready as I get,” he replied, motioning toward the Sword. “How about you?”

“I think so …” The weight was too much, I had to let it out. “Ken, I had some nightmares about this mission … I dreamed that it went wrong and we lost you …”

Ken squeezed my shoulder gently and smiled that gentle, reassuring smile of his. “It’s okay, Ariel. This’ll all be okay, and we’ll be back home before you know it.”

I put my hand on his and tried to smile back, but my heart didn’t believe him. My dreams had always been too accurate; I could not discount what they were telling me about this operation.

While my nerves had limited my senses, Kitty had made her way up to the rooftop as well, to give us the lowdown on our mission. Apparently, the president was not at the ball; he was in his room in one of the parapets, suffering from food poisoning. While the others questioned whether the sickness could have been related to the threatened attack, I looked up toward the parapet Kitty had implied the president was resting. With my sharper vision, I was able to make out a number of men in dark camouflage clothing, crawling around the top of the parapet like insects. I tapped Ken on the shoulder and pointed up to them.

“It looks like the attack might be underway.”

Ken nodded then turned back to us. “All right people. If we’re doing this, we’re doing it right. Let’s go, battle ready full-on.”

That phrase was Ken’s trademark. It was nonsensical, true, but it was how he got pumped up for a mission, almost like a cheer shared by football players before hitting the field. He had used it ever since our first operation on Patmos, and it had become a reliable part of our pre-mission rituals. I knew right then, if he were to be lost that I would miss his voice, intoning those words. The motivator did its part for us at that point, as we all rushed toward the parapet.

I was always designated to provide battlefield transportation, so my first task was to jump off the roof and grow into the dragon so that my teammates could get where they needed to be. Once they were off and fighting, it would be up to me to fight off any stragglers as best as I could. That night, our standard gameplan went just about perfectly. Ken drew his Sword on the way into the parapet room’s window, and fought off many of the black-clad men in there. Kitty engaged with her usual numerous amounts of firearms. Cyrus tossed spells around, knocking enemies aside as simply as he would wave his hand.

Myself, I grabbed men on the outside of the parapet and tossed them off. Those who did stand and fight got to be firsthand witnesses to my burgeoning firecasting ability: since I had been firecasting more often, I was starting to get more skilled at arcing the flames’ path, as well as doing minimal collateral damage. Before long, our combined efforts had done away with all of the black-clad enemies, leaving the only person in the room as the president, wrapped up in his blankets, still recovering from his food poisoning.

I shrank down and entered the room to rejoin my teammates, coming to Ken’s side once the Sword was put away and the Guardsman was gone. Ken had earlier related to me that all of his life, when he brought the Guardsman out he had suffered migraines once the fight was over and the Sword sheathed. In the weeks leading up to Austria, both myself and Cyrus had noticed the headaches getting worse, to the point that Ken often times had trouble staying on his feet.

I helped Ken regain his balance for a brief period of time, only interrupted by Kitty’s voice. “How do you like this? We risk our asses outside, and he sleeps through the whole thing! I knew food poisoning did a number to you, but if there was a fight going on I’d still want in.”

I looked over at Kitty and rolled my eyes in a playful manner. “Maybe he’s just a heavy sleeper.”

Kitty smirked at me. Ken patted my shoulder.

“I’m okay, Ariel.”

My attention return to the man. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m good, don’t worry.” He extricated his arm from around my shoulders and slowly approached the bed, attempting to rouse the president.

This, we would learn, was a fatal error. As Ken touched the human lump in the bed, it revealed itself to be an unaccounted-for hostile, armed with an automatic rifle. The hostile swung his gun toward Ken and fired several times into his abdomen, then turned and fired at the door of the room where the real president was just entering. Although Cyrus was able to snap off a spell that blasted the hostile’s head off, Ken was already starting to fall.

I could not help myself. I screamed, grabbed Ken on his way down, and carried him with me as I jumped out of the window, growing into the dragon once more, only this time acting as a battlefield medic. Cyrus and Kitty were barely able to jump on my shoulders before I had flapped to beyond the fastest I had flown before, straining against all of my dragonic muscles and pushing myself faster.

Ken had to live! He had to live, I couldn’t live without him!

My concentration on my speed was interrupted by Cyrus and Kitty, screaming at each other on my shoulders. I roared for them to shut up, too emotional and just wanting to focus on the act of flapping my wings, every stroke propelling my hulking body faster.

Within my massive hands, I suddenly felt Ken rouse. He looked up at me weakly. “Ariel … what happened?”

I looked down at him, my eyes turning liquid with my sorrow. At this point, I’d only just figured out how to talk in the dragon form: my voice still sounded more growl-like than human, although it still sounded like me.

“Please, Ken, don’t talk. We need to get you back to the ship.”

“But the mission, Ariel … the mission …?”

How devoted to duty could a man be, that he cared about the mission even as he was bleeding out? There was no logic to his words, I’m positive. I bit my lip until it bled and sobbed loudly.

“The mission doesn’t matter anymore, Ken …”

“The mission is everything, Ariel. What … about the mission … ?”

I succumbed to my sorrow. I pulled the dying man closer to my chest, in as close to an embrace as I could muster in midflight, trying desperately to keep him safe despite knowing I would fail.

“Mission accomplished, sir.”

My tears were inconsolable. I clutched him tighter and flapped faster. I could feel Cyrus and Kitty struggling to hang on. Clouds flew past me at breakneck speeds, the moon the only lighting I used to guide myself, until I reached the ocean and our Naval staging point, where we were due to return after the mission was over.

I feel that, should this account reach the outside world, I should probably at this time tender heartfelt gratitude and a deep apology to the entire crew complement of U.S.S. Audie Murphy, for their patience with our team during this difficult period. I already know, from experience, that the crews of Naval vessels are uneasy with Black Ops teams as it is, let alone to have to deal with one of our particular caliber. That feeling had to have increased a hundred-fold when I came in for a brusque landing on the ship, considering it was never intended for aircraft use: it’s a destroyer, you see. Nevertheless, I landed on the foredeck at full speed and felt water surround my entire body as the ship’s bow went entirely under the waters of the Mediterranean before returning to the surface. For my part, when the ship bobbed back up I rolled, tossing Cyrus and Kitty off of my shoulders and crashing into the forecastle in the process, still clutching Ken in my arms.

Once my descent had ended, I bellowed for a medic. The ship’s surgeon wasted no time in rushing out to the deck and taking Ken on a gurney. Once Ken was out of my hands, I shrunk back down into my regular body and collapsed against Kitty in uncontrollable sobbing. After a few minutes, I became aware through Cyrus that Ken was reaching out to us. All three of us surrounded the gurney, surrounded our fallen comrade, our friend.

My father in spirit.

Each of us would give some final words to Ken, starting with Cyrus. “Hang in there, Ken, you’re going to beat this.”

Kitty waved her fist, in her belligerent manner, and put on a grin I knew was fake. “Yeah, and then we’re gonna kick some ass on the bastards that did this, you’ll see!”

Ken very weakly smiled up at Kitty. His gaze traveled over to me, and he reached his hand out to mine, taking it once last time and squeezing very lightly. He was fading quickly. The other hand unbuckled his scabbard around his waist and pushed the Sword toward Cyrus.

“My old friend … make sure my son gets this. My birthright is now his.”

Cyrus clutched the Sword. Against the small wizard, the Sword took up his entire length and Cyrus was barely able to hang on to it with both arms. “I will, Ken. We will.”

I could not stand any longer. I knelt next to Ken’s gurney and laid my head on our hands, new sobs and new tears arriving. “Please don’t go … I can’t live without you, Ken …”

His other hand stroked my face, trying to push away tears. I wailed. He smiled, through the pain.

“Ariel, you can, and you will. Trust in me, trust in the others … trust in my son.” He grimaced, then regained his smile with one final breath. “Don’t cry over me. There will always … be a Guardsman.”

His face went slack, as did both of his hands. The wails returned to me, my sadness plunging me deep into Hell. Ken was my first true friend, the best friend in the world to me. He had plucked me from the street in my darkest of hours, brought me into his home, and just about made me family. It was going to be difficult at best to live without him … impossible at worst, and I was most afraid that life would be impossible to live without Ken in my life, without his smile, his warmth, his encouraging pats and hugs.

I felt darkness surround me again. The urge to move past the place between life and death came like a hurricane. But then I was snapped out of that mood by Kitty and Cyrus: having sensed my demons arising once more both of them had crouched to my sides and embraced me at once. Kitty was even shedding tears, something I thought the tough cat woman was incapable of. I found my way back out of the darkness and into their arms once again, putting my arms around my teammates and joining their sad embrace. As I look back on it now, I thank God that they were there for me, thank God that they supported me like a family, and I thank God most of all for giving me a person like Ken in my life.

(Transcriber’s note: Ariel was shedding tears by the time this recollection was finished. I decided it would be a good idea to end our interview’s second day here, since I was unsure of whether she would want to continue. Alanna came out once again to comfort Ariel and actually cried with her for a short time: it amazed me how mature the little girl was, especially sensing how much grief Ariel felt for a father-figure … basically a grandfather that Alanna had never and would never meet. It was an affecting scene for myself as well, and I was unsure if I would be able to continue the interview. I soldiered ahead, though, after a good night’s sleep in a room once again graciously offered to me by Ariel.—DAM)

#phantom squadron #dinetah dragon

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