#But otherwise? He'd of not batted an eye beyond that...

[fastfists]

Been thinking...and as much as Knuckles values Sonic's advice and morals, he probably would've sided more with Shadow (and Espio). NOT that he'd be okay with killing Mr. Tinker since to him even if he's technically Dr.Eggman this new personality or being isn't the same...however, he would have advised someway to keep a close eye on him so if there was a chance he'd regain those memories or Dr.Eggman returned, he could be swiftly dealt with or it could be prevented. After all...the only reason he hasn't killed Eggman is because he is trying to honor Sonic's wishes of no killing...but that doesn't mean he wouldn't if he has to. To him, at this point, Eggman has forfeited any chances he may have had to change and he doesn't see him ever truly.

[aziraphale-is-a-cat]

DPxDC Warlock Batfamily

They're not warlocks in the traditional sense, no fancy spell work or obvious theming. In fact, most anyone less magically attune than John would just assume they were metas like anyone else on the team, but they weren't.

It took a while to notice, just passing off the magical fluctuations around them as the ebb and flow of the natural world, or maybe some residual curse vibes from Gotham (ew). But it was too consistent. When Batman slipped into the shadows it pulsed, and when Oracle seized control of nearby computers it surged. When Nightwing took his inhuman leaps into the air simply trusting that he would reach his lading point it soared and when that nightmare of a Robin brought a room to darkness it rested like a heavy weight on his shoulders.

They weren't individual users, their eclectically cohesive group structure was too uniform for that; but they weren't some family of sorcerers either, being quite obviously unrelated by blood save for a few. The most likely answer was that they were all warlocks in service to some common diety, taking on aspects of its power to enforce it's will upon the mortal world- and John really hoped it was a helpful entity, because they were in deep shit.

Peeling the partially liquefied tentacle off from across his chest, Constantine sat up and brought his hand up to cup his bruised face. He prayed to whatever was least likely to hold a grudge that their little hail Mary there had bought them enough time to perform a summoning.

"Hey Bat, get your patron on the phone, this is getting fucking Eldritch."

"What the hell are you talking about," Hal Jordan pushed himself out of the rubble with a massive green fist construct. "Bats isn't a magic user."

"Hm." Batman grunted as he picked bone shards out of his gauntlets. "I'll need to get something for the ritual."

Everyone present sat up to look at him like he'd grown another head, except Superman and Wonder Woman who seemed a little excited.

"I'm sorry, you're a magician?" The Flash pipes up from behind the ruins of an old altar, only to receive a level glare from his black clad coworker.

"Warlock."

"Oh."

Constantine grabbed onto some chains hanging from the precariously damaged ceiling, rising to his feet. "We don't have much time; that thing's off licking its wounds in space or something, but it'll be back. You go off and collect whatever artefact you have from wherever you hid it and I'll start drawing the circle, where are we pulling your Patron from?"

Batman nodded in agreement. "The Infinite Realms."

"Fucking Hell."

-

The Watch Tower was crowded when Batman returned flanked by two other members for his little hero coven, carrying a small case decorated with constellations and nebulae.

Wonder Woman stepped up to look at the container, obviously curious, but not touching it.

"It will be wonderful to see him again, Batman. After this is dealt with I hope to hear the tales of my sisters from beyond."

"He'll definitely be happy to chat after we're done," Nightwing commented. "I hear he's been training with Pandora."

Red Robin nodded to that, an exasperated look on his face as he likely anticipated a long and drawn out conversation about different kinds of swords. Amazons liked their blades.

John gave that idea some concideration, Amazonian ghosts probably get up to some killer fights without having to worry about, ya know, death. He called out to the Dark Knight, "I've got the circle done, now we just need your call."

The three of them walk over to the summoning circle unceremoniously carved into the watch tower floor, Batman narrowing his eyes at the damaged paneling but saying nothing otherwise. The Dark Knight opens the case in his hands and pulls out what appears to be a small model space station.

The Coven spread themselves evenly around the circumference of the circle and Batman begins the ritual. "Salve patrōnem, egō stellam vocō." He throws the model space station into the circle where it appeared to float as the symbols in the ground lit up.

Slowly, a figure formed in the center, first as hands holding the model and spreading out over its arms and to its body in the shape of a young boy. He seemed to be wearing a black rubber hazmat suit with white accents and green lichtenberg figures crawling up his left arm. White hair appeared and with it piercing green eyes that seemed to be fixed on the toy in his hands. A cape flowed out behind him less like fabric and more like the endless void of space littered with stars and a cold weight settled on the room.

"Damn B, y'all really fucked up the floor this time."

Red Robin snorted, "Nice to see you too, Danny."

[hawkinsbnbg]

Steve was a late bloomer. He didn't expect to present as an omega right after seeing a bloody Eddie Munson into the ER.

His biological changes weren't a problem at first. He found his perky tits and even newly-slit cunt easily acceptable. They just felt right on his body.

His peace only lasted until he visited Eddie in the hospital and slicked his underwear beyond repair.

It was embarrassing and also pathetic because he was quite certain Eddie didn't want him that way.

He knew the alpha just flirted with him for fun like everyone else.

To fix it, Steve began wearing scent blockers religiously, dressing in more layers, and using pads to keep his slick from leaking out and ruining the sterilized air.

So far, it was a success. No one batted an eye when he got a little wet whenever he sat beside Eddie's bed.

Even Robin—his platonic soulmate who had always been in tuned with him—didn't pick up his inappropriate behavior.

As for Eddie, the alpha just became friendlier with him; kissing his hands, giving him more flatteries, hugging him tighter and longer than the others, etc.

Though Steve was flustered by the new development, he reminded himself that it likely meant nothing to Eddie.

Still, he couldn't stop finding excuses to see Eddie nearly every day.

Eventually, Eddie was discharged, went through every PT session with admirable strength and determination, and recovered beautifully.

They held a party to celebrate it and Steve was rosy cheeked with joy when Eddie stuck by his side the whole time. And even followed him everywhere like a lost puppy.

It was cute.

Even though Robin kept saying otherwise.

Eddie seemed to decide they were best friends now. Because wherever Steve went, the alpha would be right beside him.

Steve didn't find it as annoying as he had thought. Since Robin and Vickie were in their moonstruck phase, she couldn't spend as much time with him anymore.

He was happy for her, but it was also kinda lonely. A problem that Eddie's constant presence had quickly resolved.

They would hang out and do everything together; cooking, doing chores, listening to the music, watching movies, getting high, and even sleeping.

It wasn't right for an unmated omega to get so close to an unmated alpha, but their bond ran deeper than their carnal instincts. A few cuddles wouldn't hurt their friendship.

Or so Steve told himself.

Because he had to change his panties at least thrice a night before going to bed to not disturb his friend with his situation.

"Where are you goin'?" Eddie muttered sleepily just as Steve tried to get out the alpha's arms.

On the other hand, his body had been acting weird lately. Producing more slick than usual and becoming more sensitive.

It might be his fault for letting Eddie into his nest all the time, but it wasn't like he could help it, either.

Jesus. Even Eddie's raspy voice already made his cunt pulse with want.

Steve felt thankful that he didn't give up his scent blockers. Otherwise, he'd no doubt smell like a bitch in heat right now.

"Nature's call," Steve mumbled, frowning slightly when Eddie's hold just got tighter around him and the musky scent grew thicker.

"'S your slick, isn't it?" Hot lips pressed to his ear, making him stop cold. "Yeah, I can smell it. Been wanting to taste how sweet you are, omega."

Steve gulped dryly, his brain turned hazier and hazier with lust. And yet...

"W– Why didn't you say anything?"

"And chased you off?" Eddie chuckled and squeezed a hand between his thighs, feeling his wetness and scratching his clit lightly through the cotton. "No way, baby."

Steve closed his eyes and drew in a shaky breath, choking on the scent of a very aroused and virile alpha.

He didn't know why his blockers didn't work, but the heat of Eddie's palm on his clothed cunt was distracting enough that he just stopped questioning it altogether.

"Be gentle with me," he craned his neck to meet those dark wild eyes.

"You got it, angel," Eddie rolled him on his back and kissed him sweetly. "Gonna worship your pretty cunt for the rest of my life."

And Eddie did.

Eating him out every given chance and everywhere; on the bed, in the kitchen, in the back of the van, on the couch, in the shower.

And when Steve's heat arrived a few days later, Eddie had happily stayed up all night just to suffocate in the sea of slick before knotting him over and over again in the morning.

Which, consequently, triggered the alpha's rut and led to Steve being kept in bed for another week.

And by the end of it all, he was thoroughly bred and ravaged.

Eventually, Steve figured it out once they became mates. His blockers still worked just fine.

Eddie was the problem.

He was a horn dog who had sniffed out Steve's slick and got addicted to it.

But fortunately, Eddie had agreed to make do with his used panties whenever Steve was too sore to let him near his cunt.

The only problem was that Steve now had to guard his favorite pairs very closely.

[saatoruus]

summary ⭑.ᐟ your spouse/bf/etc xiangli comes home late from work (as usual) after not seeing you at all. he missed you sooooo much you wont be able to walk without wobbling for the morning after !

w.c. 900

warnings ! anypov, lovesick xiangli, no dialogue, nsfw, tame/vanilla, sex !!! mdni

a.n ´ˎ˗ just a littl one for tonighttt.... ive been 2 busy w commissions and staring at him ingame to rly write much but (batting eyelashes) its always so fun when i do !!! stay tuned for ur next installment in ???yrs

xiangli wasnt usually one for intimacy, nor did he exactly have the time to indulge in anything like that — not with countless responsibilities, the moon tree lodge, festival and his regular expected research progress. god, if anyone needed a break, it was yao.

and that's exactly what he got when he started properly going out with you, 'work breaks' in copious amounts. it was a wonder how he even kept his head on straight most days. in fact, his situation was almost entirely flipped on its head after you two were official. the both of you went at it like damn rabbits; whenever he'd have a gap in his schedule or some time to kill without it being long enough to take you out somewhere nice n' proper, it'd usually result in two tangled, out of breath bodies pressed up so close it almost seemed like you had melded together into one.

it was especially frequent when he finally got home after a lengthy day—and near night—at the academy without being able to see you briefly inbetween projects, his coat being slipped hastily from his shoulders, those soft lips pressed so tenderly up against yours, ever gentle, despite the gnawing need in his chest for you close to him. his hands would always follow that same path: starting on your hips - a gentle squeeze, a tug so you'd be pulled flush against his own - so close that the hard outline of him was evident against the crease of your thigh meeting your hip, despite clothed. up your waist, achingly slowly, as if you weren't desperate enough for him already, he took his sweet time, always, making sure you soaked in every ounce of pleasure and anticipation he gave you.

those long, deft fingers would trace every little line and section he could; as if a calculation, his quiet appreciation for your anatomy, your soft skin beneath his fingertips. after your waist it was your chest, the cold of his robotic arm sending goosebumps rising in its wake. by now, he was grinning, aptly aware of each shuddering little breath that left you, each soft gasp or feeble grasp at his pants waistband, you were just as lovesick as he was, and it made his eyes near sparkle in the dim light of your livingroom.

it wasnt long before the two of you, beyond worked up, were in your shared bed; soft orange glow from the lamp in the corner settling beautiful shadows across that pretty face of his. the way he looked at you when you were together, sex or not, had your heart swelling in your chest, drawing out a smile every time. he was infinitely gentle until specified otherwise, more than happy to give it to you rougher than normal when you wanted it. but tonight, the dull, slight sound of his robotic hand working the sex between your legs was just a quiet background element behind the two pairs of laboured, heavy breaths and mumbled kisses.

it was almost painful how good he was with that damn thing. granted, he was renown for being... practically a genius, it was unsurprising that he'd made something so seamlessly human in its motions—despite how scrambled your poor pleasure-drunk brain was as a result of the metal fingers on and around you, you were always quietly impressed by the fact, especially in moments like these when he really put it to use with you.

his free hand, the warm one with stars marked across the knuckles, was on your face, in your hair, anything close to you - he loved just feeling you, skin on skin. desperate, incoherent and slurred-together praises were mumbled against your lips and your neck as his hips rolled, meeting yours in the middle with a wet, gentle sound. you had been going at it so long, so passionately and slowly that you were fit to burst by the time he started suckling marks into the expanse of your throat, licking and babbling softly into the skin there.

he always relished in the way your legs would wrap his waist when you got close, your hands squeezing and pulling him so close it was almost hard to continue at the pace that brought you to the brink - but he always did, eager and more than happy to please his beloved, even when the tight wet of your sex held on so tight he swore he saw stars. it'd be criminal for him not to fill you up to the brim every time, how could he not? he'd watch with nothing but love written all over his face as it leaked out in a drool when he pulled back - not before peppering you in kisses and praise, naturally - his hands palming the hair from your eyes as he made sure you were satisfied and alright.

it was difficult to properly respond right away often times, with the aftershocks of your shared orgasm making your legs twitch and your entrance squeeze around what was once him nestled sweetly inside. but when the pair of you were confident the other was ready for either another round or some snuggling turned sleep, he'd oblige.

© saatoruus ! do not repost, translate, plagiarize or use my work anywhere

[tragedybunny]

A Lovely Night - Astarion x F!Reader - TW: Mentions of past suicide attempts

Just an idea that came to me that I had to write. I promise next thing up is one of the requests that was waiting for awhile.

You and Astarion share a quiet night at camp and end up getting to know a lot more about each other and your relationship.

“Astarion, honestly,” you scold, fussing with one tent pole. “You’re making this difficult on purpose.” 

“I don’t know what you mean, my Dear,” he smirks, and moves suddenly, the half-finished tent collapsing on itself. It’s just a little game to maximize his time with you. The longer you two work at this, the less chance the others have to steal you away. 

“Gods, I’m going to sharpen one of these into a nice, pointy stake.” Your threat is undercut by a poorly concealed smile.

“Oh, what a cruel thing to say.” He widens his eyes at you, all feigned hurt. 

“That’s it, set it up yourself!” Throwing your hands up, you start to walk away, when he catches you, arms around your waist, pulling you in. 

“Fine, fine, I apologize,” little kisses pepper your neck as you squirm, still playing at a show of indignation, and start to giggle. 

“Let me go, you vile beast,” you’ve twisted until you face him, and he brushes his lips against yours. 

Words die away, and you rest your forehead against his, arms looping around his neck. Another soft kiss and the two of you have forgotten the tent entirely. 

Someone groans intentionally loud enough for you both to hear and the two of you dissolve into laughter. Astarion lets you go. The two of you really should make sure you have some place to sleep tonight anyway.

When the tent is finally up, you settle next to each other by the fire. Gale’s cooking again, which Astarion finds preferable. Sometimes when unoccupied, he stares at you like a parched man at a cool stream. Reaching for your hand, his fingers brush the scar on your wrist. At first, he hadn't noticed it existed, his mind divorcing itself from his body when he was intimate with you. Later he'd found it, when he was trying to study and memorize every bit of you while denying the ever-growing place in his heart that you occupied. 

You hadn't told him about what led to it, and he hadn’t known how to ask. Tonight you jerk back as though burnt when his touch finds it, and he wants to be hurt. But you've given him space and patience, he could at least do the same for you. 

So he hooks his arm around your waist and pulls you close until your head rests on his shoulder as you both stare at the crackling fire. "Favorite season," he asks. It's a little game the two of you invented, learning otherwise small details about each other. You knew the larger parts of his past, Cazador and all, and he knew the broad swathes of yours. You left home because you disagreed with your parents, he'd started to figure you for a noble before you'd all but admitted it, and you were a Warlock who couldn't say much beyond that. But the tiny details of you, those you could be free with. 

"Spring, it feels full of second chances and rebirth." You nuzzle your face into his shoulder. 

"Summer," that's the rule, you both have to answer, "it's the only time the night feels alive, even if it is short." 

A sympathetic noise and you kiss his cheek. "A pet that's not a dog or cat?"

"Rabbits," he answers without hesitation. 

"Really?" 

"They make a rather compliant food supply in a pinch."

"Astarion!" You try to sound scandalized, like you didn't know you were in a relationship with a vampire. Playfully, you swat at his shoulder. "Pets are not for eating." 

Scratch gives him a look from across the fire, the mutt never far from your side. "I thought we weren't judging each other," he scolds with a smile. "Your turn."

“What could I trust you with? Maybe something more appropriate like a raven,” you snicker, and he rolls his eyes knowing you can see him. “Oooh, maybe a bat.” 

“Are you making fun of me? You know, if we had anything like that, the neighbors would figure me out for sure, and then there’d be a mob after me. Is that what you want?” 

“Well I can’t trust you not to eat the rabbits it would seem, so what am I supposed to do,” the last word is squeezed out between giggles. Gods, it’s amazing to hear you laugh, even if it is at his expense. 

“Fine, no eating any pets. I promise,” he uses the same honeyed tone from the first days of knowing you, stifling his own laughter. It’s absurd, and wondrous, it almost feels like you're talking about real possibilities of some future beyond all this. 

“What about chickens? What if we had a farm with a bunch of chickens. Would I have to chase you out of the hen house like a fox?” 

“Madame, I’m highly insulted, you would think so low of me. Also, birds are harder to catch than you would think.” Arms crossed, he pouts. 

“You poor thing,” you kiss his temple, “I’m sorry for offending you.” Settling back down, you sigh wistfully. "That would be nice, wouldn't it? A little farm, the middle of nowhere, after we deal with everything."

"If that would make you happy. I'll refrain from any untoward curiosity about your chickens." Not that he ever expects you would really want that with him, you'll come to your senses after all this. 

"Deal. Seal it with a kiss?" He barely gets the agreement out and your lips are on his, gentle at first, waiting for his lead to something more fervent. Lips part, he invades your mouth, the noise you make music to him. A small step, a moment of desire that doesn't send him hurtling back into the abyss. 

"Dinner is done, if you two can tear yourselves apart for a few minutes," Gale practically scolds from across the fire.  

You pull away, blushing, another musical laugh echoing around him. “We can continue this later.” Reluctantly, he surrenders you to dinner, and the conversations the others pull you into. 

After what seems like an eternity, the two of you are finally alone again, the dying fire casting a soft light through the walls of the tent. In the flickering shadows, he watches as you begin to strip, casting the day away as you toss your garments to the side. The sight of you unclothed no longer sparks anxiety, now just a casual expression of your comfort around him. He drinks you in, alluring and unguarded. You are, admittedly, very pretty, but there's something beyond that. It’s that heart of yours, full of kindness, even for someone like him. 

"Why do you always have to play the hero?" He'd accosted you once after yet another noble deed.

"I can't just look away when I could've done something. This is a choice I make every day Astarion. To try to do what's right." You tapped his nose lightly with a finger, and he glared at you. "Even when it comes to you, my dear bloodsucker."

Somehow that was even more amazing to him. Kindness and goodness didn't just come to you, you fought to be that person. He suspected it was against a past that had tried to teach you the opposite.

You reach for the loose nightshirt you'd pulled from your pack. "Leave it off, please." Pausing, you give him a questioning look. "I just want to feel you tonight." 

The way your eyes softened at that made his still heart tremble. "Alright, Love."

After you settled among the blankets, he lays down in your arms, back pressed to your chest, your arms wrapping around him. He knows the touch of his skin brings a chill to yours, but that’s what the generous pile of blankets is for, so he pulls them over the both of you, trapping the warmth of you. 

"This is nice," you say, kissing his neck and shoulders until he feels the tension in his muscles giving way, and he relaxes in your embrace. 

Inhaling, his nostrils are filled with the scent of you. It's the most wondrous thing, and somehow it clings to everything now that you share a bed; blankets, pillows, even his clothes. He's surrounded by you all the time, and even more amazing, he smells himself on you, tangible proof you’re really his. His in the way that you gave yourself to him, just as he was yours. 

Something still feels unsettled in him though, a curiosity, no a concern, from earlier. “Can I touch it?” He blurts without thinking. 

Feeling you stiffen behind him, he curses, you’d had such a lovely evening, and now he’d ruined it. An arm unwraps from him, and you hold it where his fingers could find it. “Go ahead.” 

Two fingers caress it, running along your wrist, deep, straight, no jagged edges. A sharp blade and no hesitation, did they find you before it was too late, or was magic needed to bring you back? A cry tries to tug its way out of his throat, but he clamps his lips shut. There was almost a world without you, a world where you weren’t there to find him on that beach. The thought presses down, threatening to strangle him, and he tries to blink away tears. But he can feel your pulse thrumming under that scar, you’re here, you survived, and you found him. “If anyone ever makes you feel like this again, I’ll tear their throat out.” He knows you can’t say the why or when of it, but he’ll be damned if it ever happens again. 

“Hmm,” you don’t elaborate, but let him keep on with the small circles he’s now rubbing on your wrist. 

“What?” It was probably a stupid notion, look how far you’d brought this group, whatever your past, you didn’t need protection anymore. 

“It’s just different, thinking about someone trying to protect me.” 

“I do try…” Not that you could tell, apparently. 

Your arm shifts back, and before he can be anxious, it finds its previous spot, encircling his chest. Lips bury themselves in his curls and back down along his neck again. “I know. I meant, I don’t know, emotionally.” You huff, and he finds one of your hands to squeeze. “If I was happy never mattered much before.” 

“Well, it matters now.” There’s a deluge of emotion threatening in your words behind a dam that barely holds it back. That’s not for tonight though, or any night soon, he knows you have to finish this fight first. But when he can, when you’re ready, he’ll be there, repayment for the way you hold his heart with a delicate touch. 

“I think I’m starting to realize that.” Another kiss, this one on his ear, making him shiver. “I love you, Astarion.” 

“I love you too. Just…please don’t ever forget that.” It’s all gone entirely too serious. “Withers doesn’t need any more of our gold.” 

Behind him, you make a sound that’s half laugh, half sob, your face is wet where you press it into his shoulder. “Just whine at him, it seems to work well enough on the rest of us.” 

You pull him tight against you, and for this moment, everything is perfect and wonderful and lovely. Tag List:

@micropoe10 @spacebarbarianweird@writingmysanity @mxxny-lupin @azu21 @tallymonster @dependsonthedream @sunfire-ancunin @bambamwolf87 @fayeriess @lumienyx @lisrelly

[bleuangel88]

But bad things happen when they go about them alone, and my heart ached for Spoon when he got carted away. It was also frustrating that the girls mostly took for granted that he'd find his way out of a mess that they knew led to Mickey facedown in the sand by the water and in a hospital bed.

Not that Candy wasn't a great assist, but they also knew there wasn't much the poor girl could do. Otherwise, she would've freed herself or saved Ashely a long time ago on her own.

Interestingly enough, it was chilling when Agent spoke to Spoon about his tattoo and loss during Harlan Coben's Shelter Season 1 Episode 5.

Not only did Agent imply that Spoon is no stranger to loss, that it's a familiar bedfellow for him, and that there is some profound sadness behind Spoon's smile and deflection via humor, but Agent suggested that Spoon would experience great loss again.

They also offered to have a special someone placed in the tattoo whenever Spoon was ready. And up until this point, it's felt like Mickey is Spoon's entire world and that somehow, in some way, that person would be Mickey.

But then we had Spoon's connection with Candy, and it was pure devastation as things went from bad to worse for them.

Spoon recalled a time he spent with his grandparents, and seeing Candy in her former life, when she was a young, happy kid with her mother before life dealt her shitty hands, her mother died, and she got human trafficked.

And it just hit you in the gut that Spoon Spindell, as pure of heart as he is, could represent a time that Candy loved most in her life, of innocence, happiness, and hope.

Spoon got to represent all of those things to Candy in her final moments, and he gave her that gift; he was that gift.

But in turn, like a sin-eater, it came at a significant cost to him, as he had to watch her die in front of his eyes, and with her went a bit of his innocence and purity.

The light left his eyes every bit as much as the life left hers.

She got shot trying to save him, and you know he will internalize that a bit. He looked so shaken and thoroughly traumatized from that point forward, even though he must've had the ability to communicate with Mickey so they could rescue the girls in time.

For as long as Spoon has that temporary tattoo, Candy's name will slot into that spot. And this work will keep taking all these bits and pieces from Spoon in a way that makes you sad.

It also makes you reflect on things like Bat Lady's tombstone as an ode to the loss of her childhood because of the Holocaust.

While what she has these teens doing is far from comparable, it makes you a bit angry that she's subsequently stripping these kids of their childhood and innocence by encouraging them to be part of this world.

It was also noted that Spoon was on Bat Lady's wall, and it's evident that Mickey's presence and friendship have saved Spoon from something, seemingly a lonelier life. But goodness, I'd love it if this series delved more into who Spoon Spindell is beyond the supportive instant best friend who found a sense of purpose when Mickey arrived.

And I sure as heck wish we could understand the depth of how Candy's death affected him without the narrative shifting because there wasn't enough room to cover that ground within this hour.

He's a fascinating enough character who we haven't gotten to spend a lot of up close and personal time with outside of his role as a supporter, so now is the time to dive into that.

[ataviisms]

@bruz3r said "Fuck!" He growls as a tussle ends up with Waylon pinning him to the ground and their impact reverberating against an already weak foundation that has the ceilings and walls tumbling to block their only exit out into the main sewers. By every definition BEYOND the literal, he was FUCKED.

he should have known better. these are his sewer tunnels; he knows them better than anyone. and he had known that this one in particular was close to caving in, walls and ceiling cracked and crumbling from years of disuse. but he hadn't been thinking about it when he'd caught the bat snooping around. just reacted, jumping the caped crusader the second he got the chance. not realizing that a fight would be enough to collapse part of the tunnel around them both.

waylon looks up just in time to see the ceiling coming down, bringing up an arm to cover his eyes. large chunks of concrete land hard on his back, breaking apart further when they hit his scales. good thing he's so big. good thing he isn't human. otherwise he and the bat would both be crushed beneath the weight.

they're buried alive when the dust clears. he can't see the bat underneath him, but he feels him there. smells him still. waylon tries to stand up. it takes a minute, but finally he arches his back and flexes his shoulders enough to push away some of the rubble. he doesn't know if the vigilante is alive or dead and, at the moment, he doesn't really care. he's more concerned about the fact that the only exit from this tunnel is now blocked. he could probably dig his way out, but that'll take time. and it might cause another cave in.

" aww shit. "

[sonxofxgondor]

Anonymous asked: Since you are the Boromir Blog, I’d humbly like to offer you my Boromir headcanon.

So, we all know that Faramir is the forgotten child. Nothing is ever good enough and Denethor doesn’t bat an eye at him unless he has something to complain about. Boromir is the absolute favorite. I have concluded that this means that Boromir is most definitely saddled with sky high expectations for everything he does. Faramir can’t do anything right, Boromir isn’t allowed to do anything wrong.

And this entire situation is worse since Boromir grew up in a period of heavy societal unrest. His country is falling apart at the seams and he is the one supposed to keep it together. This expectation has been put upon him since he was little too, so he probably has an extreme fear of failure. With their mother passing away and Denethor rather ignoring Faramir’s existence, a lot of the bonding and comfort tasks were probably shoved onto Boromir too.

Boromir has to be perfect at everything he does; the perfect brother, the perfect son, the perfect noble, the perfect soldier, the perfect protector, the perfect everything. Boromir is this (/\) close to burning out, but if he were to do that, countless of people would die. This man is ten minutes and some bad news away from collapsing on a good day, but nobody other than Faramir gets to notice because he has to keep everything up. If he doesn’t live up to Father’s expectations, he also can’t keep his ire away from Faramir. If he doesn’t live up to expectation, his people will lose their lives.

TLDR: I hc that Boromir was raised to be the ‘perfect older sibling’ type on steroids + the looming threat of his country collapsing. I think not enough people account for the fact that Denethor wouldn’t be good for his other son either, it just goes in the opposite direction than Faramir. I am so sorry for the rant, I just need someone to yap to.

Anonymous Messages!

AH! OKAY! Firstly, thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to message me, Nonnie! I know it might seem silly to say, but truly, it means the world to me that you feel comfortable to do so. Never apologize for sending something to me - I LOVE hearing your thoughts and opinions on things, whether it be of my own work or just the wonderfulness that is our beloved Steward-Prince. My inbox is ALWAYS open; I value your time and friendship beyond what words could express. I also want to say thank you for the lovely compliment! I only hope and pray that I do Boromir justice! Our dashing boy deserves nothing but the best - and I do hope that my writing continues to provide that for him and you.

Secondly, that headcanon SHOULD be solid canon, and no, I won't hear otherwise. More so seen in the movies than in the books, it's clear that Boromir feels to be under constant stress and pressure. Not solely from his position as steward-prince or as captain, but as brother and son, like you mentioned. Look, Denethor was obviously devastated after the death of his dear wife. He went mad with grief. He lost part of himself when she was gone; he'd never come to love again. HOWEVER. That doesn't make what he's done to his children alright or appropriate. Bouncing off of what you've said, I find that Boromir had to be more than just a brother-figure to Faramir. Both father and mother when he was only a boy, a protector and provider. Not that he would've minded much, though, for it's very obvious that he adores little brother and loves him more than, well, literally anything. I mean, heck, JRR makes a point about this in his OFFICIAL works.

But back to your point, 100% yes! It isn't that Boromir can't mess up, he isn't allowed to. No mistakes may be made. No time for accidents or imperfections - its the demands of both his father and his kingdom. Boromir, as you beautifully wrote, must be PERFECT in all ways. Naturally, I find him to be a people pleaser, too. He hates to see others upset. He'd do whatever he had to in order to make things better - even at the cost of his own happiness. Personally, I believe, Denethor trained him for such a role. Almost too good, Boromir, now as an adult, is unable to overcome this intense sense of perfectionism. It's why the ONE RING was able to manipulate him and drive him to near MURDER. Boromir fears to be imperfect, worries so greatly about letting others down. Sauron understood this and used this against our dearest man! Really, had it not been because of the Ring's influence, I do think that, eventually, we would have seen Boromir completely snap. Not violently, of course, but just be so overpowered by exhaustion and defeat. There's only so much a man can bear before he crumbles.

In all honesty, Boromir is someone who needs soft attention and kind words. He's carried an entire kingdom upon his shoulders, never been allowed to rest and actually take time to himself. Sure, Denethor favors him over Faramir, but have we ever seen Denethor actually be gentle to his eldest son? Least, when the years of boyhood were replaced by man? Congratulating your child over a victory against Orcish invaders is awesome and all, but sometimes, your child would like to be told that they are loved, also. I would NEVER say that Faramir deserved his treatment, but, consider Boromir for a moment. He's only seen as a soldier in his father's eyes, a physical pawn, someone who looks great and does well at his job. Do I think Denethor loves Boromir? Yes, I do. Do I think that he has said as much to him face-to-face, especially in recent? No, I don't. Much like we saw in the ROTK movie, Denethor loves Faramir but didn't say so, not even at the END. By the powers of his depression or the palantir regardless, Denethor doesn't see either of his sons as his babies, his little boys, the treasures born of his beloved wife.

Boromir and Faramir are means to an end for Denethor, though those ends fork onto two very different paths. Faramir is the son who can do all but right; Boromir can do all but wrong.

And no matter how you look at it, it's beyond heartbreaking!

[queen-of-writing-bad-things]

Henry Danger Reader Insert | Captain Man x Reader: SEASON 4

Episode 8: Back to the Danger Part 1

It was just another "normal" evening in the Man Cave. Everyone had assembled for a relaxed, fun-filled evening, Ray, Henry, (y/n), Schwoz, Charlotte and Jasper, everyone was there, all of them ready to watch Dog Judge, one of the hottest shows on TV and to say they were excited was a huge understatement. It was a big episode that night and they were getting ready to watch it together, cooking popcorn, popping sodas and apparently for Ray, finding batteries for his vibrating soap. Yeah, no idea.

It was one of those lame products from the shopping channels, the ones that come on in the early hours of the night when everyone but him is asleep and with his girl snoozing next to him and unable to say no, he'd ordered himself a bar, believing that it would clean him better than normal soap. There was a downside though and it was typical of something that came from those hyped-up, oversaturated ads, there were no damn batteries, so Henry had been sent off on a mission; venture down below into the storage room and dig out some high-voltage power packs, ones that would be able to kick his soap into vibration. 

"Hey. What's up, guys?" The boy greeted his friends as he came up the tube, the freakishly large batteries in his hands as he stepped down from the pad and trotted down the stairs. Now, (y/n) wasn't particularly happy that he'd been sent down there, bickering with Ray like they were an old married couple, for three main reasons; one, she thought that for twenty dollars, her boyfriend's little gadget should've had batteries included or two, he should've never bought the stupid thing in the first place (twenty fucking dollars indeed). And three, the big one really, it was his toy so he should've gotten off his ass and done it himself. The storage room was where they kept him, locked up tight so he couldn't move, see, think, feel or touch, and despite all that, she hated the idea of any of her friends getting too close, feared that they'd somehow get hurt by his rage and malice. "Do you know what time Dog Judge—"

"Ahhhhh, hurry! It's about to start! Somebody turn on Dog Judge!" Schwoz shrieked as he came running in, interrupting Henry and shoving him harshly onto the floor in his stampede, the bucket of popcorn under his arm flying everywhere. He belly-flopped onto the couch as Henry groaned and got to his feet, the genius uncaring since he needed to sort out the TV and apparently, Ray didn't care much either, not when he saw what the kid had retrieved. 

"Hey, give me those eight-volt batteries." He told Henry, holding his hand out impatiently, which earned him a sharp smack on the arm from his sweet girl, who wasn't pleased with how he was behaving. Still, at least he'd shut up now that he had the batteries, which had enough charge to power a goddamn car, so why the soap needed them was beyond her. Henry hand them over, ignoring the mild ache in his side from where he'd hit the tiles since it was useless whining. "Yeah, sure, here."

"Uh, what do you need eight-volt batteries for?" Charlotte asked. She hadn't heard this story before and therefore, wasn't in the know, but she guessed that it had something to do with why Ray kept batting his eyelashes at (y/n) and why he was buttering her up constantly, more than usual anyway. He only did that when she was slightly annoyed by one of his antics and wanted to get back into her good books, so it had to be something to do with this, otherwise, she wouldn't be eyeing the batteries with such disdain.

"For my vibrating soap," Ray responded simply, holding the bar up so she could see it and the slot where the batteries were meant to fit into. Okay, that confused the teen for so many reasons that her brain short-circuited and she struggled to comprehend why he'd feel the need to buy that, so she could see why her friend was kinda pissed off. "But why would you need—ugh, never mind."

"Don't ask, he won't even explain it to me, the big dumb, doofus," (y/n) told the girl, shaking her head fondly at her silly boyfriend and his expression softened too when he saw how she wasn't mad, more amused at his ridiculous purchase, but his eyes turned hard suddenly, the minute his gaze returned to the batteries and he realised something dreadful. "Ah, dark nougat!"

"Sup?" Henry questioned, wondering why he was getting so pissy when his girlfriend was the one smiling at him. Normally, he couldn't get happier with her around, especially when she was healthy and happy too, but he wasn't cheerful right now, he was grumpy again and everyone knew about it when he started kicking off. 

"These are seven-volt batteries! These won't make soap vibrate!" Ray snapped, throwing the useless packet on the ground since they couldn't power his soap. Honestly, he was such a child, and (y/n) rolled her eyes at how dramatic he was being, strolling over to pick up the batteries from the floor since she hated a mess and knew that he would be in no mood to pick them up after getting so excited, only to be ultimately disappointed. Henry looked at his boss awkwardly, praying for support from the woman since he liked her the most, but she wasn't paying attention, so he had to stutter an apology instead. "Sorry, I thought they w—"

"Jasper, are you upstairs?" Ray interrupted him, picking up the radio on the supercomputer's control panel that allowed him to contact the boy in Junk-N-Stuff and he spoke as he briefly admired the sight of his girlfriend bending over, the ghost of a smirk passing over his face. Henry had failed him, his own sidekick had fallen at the last hurdle and now, he was useless just as much as the batteries he'd brought, so he had to count on someone he rarely counted on, the boy who brought him so much irritation. Jasper.

"Yes, sir!" The boy's cheerful reply quickly as he had very little to do in the store apart from sitting there and helping the occasional customer, so he was always eager to answer anyone's calls. Ray's were special though, Ray's meant that the boss wanted him and Jasper could never resist helping Captain Man, even when he had him doing the dullest, most laborious tasks imaginable, like trudging all the way down and into the dingy storeroom for some batteries.

"Since Henry hates me and wants my soap to be perfectly still..." Ray began, drawing a frustrated protest from the kid he was picking on. 

"Soap doesn't need to move!" Henry argued, and he was right, most people just glide the slippery bar over their bodies (or get their girlfriend to do it for them), so the fact that he was whining about it when it was his dumb idea was infuriating.

"Will you please go down to Storage Facility J and get me a pack of eight-volt batteries." The man requested, moodily tugging his girlfriend onto his knee when she tried to walk away after tucking the seven-volt ones into a drawer. She gave in, cuddling into his chest with a roll of her eyes since he'd just get even worse if she left him hanging and she'd be lying if she said that having his beefy arm cross over her back wasn't comforting. 

Meanwhile, Jasper didn't care about the amount of effort he'd have to put in to go down into the basement and instead, he drew enthusiasm for his task, desperate to please Ray because he was his hero, in every sense of the word. "Aye-aye, Captain!"

"Why you gotta be an embarrassment?" Ray groaned into the radio, hating that nothing he said dismayed the kid or got him to be normal, but Jasper was already gone, running to the elevator so he could find some batteries and carry them to him, much to (y/n)'s relief since she was rather fond of him. She took the radio from Ray's large hand and put it back on the control panel, looking up at his handsome face, which was being marred by his grouchy frown.

"He just wants to make you proud, stop being such a grumpy-pants." She told him quietly and he grunted in response since he knew she was right, but he'd never admit it. Jasper irked him and always would, end of story, nothing could change that, but at least she could stop him frowning, her fingers stroking over his eyebrows so the lines on his forehead disappeared. 

His eyelids fluttered shut and his face leaned into her touch when she pressed a kissed the gap between his formally angry brows, Ray thinking that he'd died and gone to heaven when she trailed her lips down; a kiss pressed to the tip of his nose and then on his lips. It was a peaceful moment, a fleeting moment and it passed all too quickly, the tranquillity shattered when Charlotte, Henry and Schwoz started screaming at the TV.

"Oooh! Look! Dog judge!" The teen girl cried, pointing at the screen when the commercials finally ended and the infamous pouch appeared with the golden title. Upon hearing that one of their favourite shows was finally on, (y/n) hopped out of her boyfriend's hold in a flash and they scooted to the couch, Ray jumping over the back of it ungracefully so he could sit down in the middle. 

Henry groaned at how he kicked and bashed his head as his legs swung over, seeing that it just made more sense for him to briefly stand up so (y/n) could squish in too, more in the man's lap than sat on the cushioned bench, so he was able to sit back down on the end. All five of them huddled in, Ray shifting pulling his girl further into his lap so he could "make room" and tuck his nose behind her ear, his favourite viewing position.

They all giggled as the opening credits rolled, the familiar sound of the voiceover hyping them up as they waited for the fresh scenes, grinning when they finally began rolling. As usual, the Bernese Mountain Dog was upon the Judge's bench, presiding over some dumb case because it was a dumb show, highly entertaining, but very dumb, that's why people liked it, including the Man Cave team.

"There's no way that my client—We interrupt this program for breaking news." What the butt? The first hadn't even finished when a news bulletin fell flashed up on the screen, obviously stating that at some big story had broke, so big that Dog Judge didn't matter and everyone in Swellview had to be told at that very moment, but it still pissed everyone off, drawing jeers from the five in the hideout.

"What?!" "No!" "Jeez!"They exclaimed and rolled their eyes as their excitement was killed, Henry and Charlotte thumping their fists against the leather-backed couch, Schwoz crushing his popcorn in fistfuls and Ray huffing hot air onto (y/n)'s neck as her head lolled against his shoulder. None of them was very happy, but to be fair, this breaking news update was highly important and needing for their attention.

"Hey, I'm Trent Overrunder. Mary is out sick today."

"Uh, I'm right here." The reporting pair started, making (y/n) growl lowly in her throat when she heard the man dismiss his coworker for the millionth time. It really got under her skin how he never failed to humiliate and belittle poor Mary on live television and sometimes, she just wanted to punch him in his stupid face, forcing Ray to peck her cheek to bring her anger back down. He knew how much it irked her, but he didn't want her to get wound up over some dick on the TV, he wasn't worth his sweet girl's attention.

"Breaking news. The Swellview Clocktower is ten seconds fast. Since it's impossible to adjust the clock, Vice Mayor Willard has decided shut down the power in Swellview for exactly ten seconds and then turn it back on." 

"Tick-tock about a great idea," Trent explained whilst Mary did her own weird thing, causing the mouths of everyone listening to drop open. That was a stupid idea, surely, the clock could be adjusted, but at least everyone was getting a warning, no matter how fucking irritating it was. It would be tomorrow or in a few days so that everyone had a chance to make arrangements and plans...right?

"They're shutting down the power to this whole city?!" Charlotte gasped. She had seriously underestimated how dumb the authorities were and she shared the same agitated look with the rest of her friends, who were all equally pissed. That was a lot of hassle and they already had enough of that in their lives; this was just another wonder-plan from the omniscient, omnipotent City Hall.

"We live in this city!" Henry exclaimed too, looking at (y/n) and sharing a frown with her as she slumped against her boyfriend's chest, an attempt to draw comfort from the warmth he seeped through her clothes.

"Now, we wanna give you plenty of warning before the power goes out but we—" Trent tried to tell the city that he knew that something like this needed preparation, but he wasn't important, he wasn't powerful, hell, he wasn't even the president, so he couldn't do anything to stop the power cutting two seconds later, which plunged the entire Man Cave into darkness. 

Silence. It was weird, the Man Cave was never quiet or dark, not even when everyone who lived there had gone to bed; the generators were always running, the computers were always running and because it was a superhero's hideout, the phones were always ringing, not to mention that every machine had at least one light that flickered and illuminated the floors, the walls, everything. 

Nothing had ever seemed so spooky as the lights going out in her home and (y/n) buried her face into Ray's neck, turning in his lap so she could cling to him as she knew that the safest place she could be was in his arms. 

He pulled her against him in a tight hold, silently freaking out for a second too at the unexpected blackout and he hated hearing the tiny whimper that escaped her lips as she kicked away her flight, fight or freeze instincts. 

It was just the dark, nothing to be scared of, not when he was around, although Henry didn't make it any better.

"Argh, argh! What's touching my neck?" The boy groaned, feeling a wisp of air caress the nape of his neck and something wet slide across the exposed skin peeking out from his shirt and the news that he could feel some gremlin breathing on him made (y/n) clutch at Ray's t-shirt even harder. She'd struggled through plenty of horror movies and knew that this was how the poor souls in those movies were picked off, one by one, and the ensuing chuckle made her shriek too, fearing that some mad strangler was amongst them, but no.

"SCHWOZ!" Henry bellowed, recognising the man's accent-heavy laugh and he swear he would've killed him if he could see what he was doing. God, did he lick the back of his neck? What a weirdo and Ray wasn't too pleased either, still trying to calm down his girl, whose nervous personality crawled back over her newfound confidence when robbed of her sight and put in a dark, creepy room.

"Stop it, you're freaking (y/n) out, ya freak!' He snapped, kissing the woman all over her face whilst simultaneously running his hands upon and down her back, two sensations that calmed her racing heart and loosened her grip on his shirt. 

Okay, she was calm now, aided by the fact that the lights flickered back on as quickly as they shut off and their eyes strained under their brightness but it was good to see again. What wasn't so good was that the minute the computer and all its systems rebooted, a very, very, very important alarm began to ring, (y/n), Schwoz and Ray instantly recognising its shrill blare and they didn't need to look at the screen's message to know that they were in deep shit.

"Oh my god!" Ray exclaimed, running to the computer with the genius and girl so they could read the full description and their hearts leapt into their mouths when it read how there had been a failure in Storage Facility J and its containment unit, which meant only one thing and it wasn't good at all.

"Fuck, when the electricity went out, Drex's containment unit lost power!" (y/n) gulped, feeling like she was on the verge of a panic attack when the saw how their greatest enemy's prison had unlocked during the outage, meaning he had regained his thoughts, feelings and the ability to move, and if he could move, then he was wandering around down below, the place where they kept weapons, gadgets, and god knows what else. Her shaking hand slowly felt around for Ray's, their fingertips brushing after a few seconds of wafting around and that's when she found out. His hands were shaking too.

"Drex is free?!" Charlotte cried, causing a thunderbolt of terror to strike all of them as they realised that terrible fact. Ray didn't know what was worse, the thought of having to face him again, the man who knew how to beat him or the thought of his sweet, precious girlfriend being at risk again, haunted by the man who still held an obsessive love for her. 

And that wasn't their only problem, Henry had been mocking him when he went down to get the batteries, in fact, anytime anyone went in there, they laughed at his face and jeered, so he was probably on the raging warpath right now, which added to their panic. Wait, batteries...

"But dude, you sent Jasper down there to get batteries for your dumb vibrating soap!" Henry remembered, and everyone tensed. Oh god, the kid was alone with Drex, the madman, the brute and god forbid, he remembered how Jasper had tricked him last time because otherwise, he'd be dead already, something Ray's conscience couldn't handle.

"Well, I had to cause you got the wrong batteries!" He hissed back, lashing out even though he didn't mean to. He knew that Jasper would have never ventured down there if he hadn't asked him to and if he got hurt, well, that was on him.

"Why would anyone want their soap to vibrate?!" Henry pressed on, uncaring that they were wasting precious seconds and pointing the finger of blame when there really was no need.

"It tells my body dirt that I mean business!"

"GUYS! We need to go help Jasper before that asshole hurts one hair on his curl-less head!" (y/n) yelled, stopping the argument there as she willed her body to keep its tears to itself. 

This was no time for crying, a helpless boy needed their help and Ray and Henry quickly agreed, the former grabbing onto her hand even tighter so they could sprint over to the tubes together. Honestly, he didn't want her to go down with him, terrified that Drex would focus on her and break his heart by harming her, but she'd just refuse. She knew that he'd never let her get hurt by that dick and if anything did happen, her superpower could more than make up for it, so she was staying by his side, for better or worse.

"Down the tube!" They all yelled once they'd skidded onto the tube pads and slapped their belt buckles, (y/n) wrapping her arms around her boyfriend's waist as they squeezed in together. It was weird being sucked down, they were usually going up and out to save someone's life, but this time, they were heading down into the darkness and facing the unknown. 

~

Down in the storage unit, Drex was doing a number on Jasper, duct-taping his entire body into one long, sticky cocoon that left him immobile on the floor. A final strip was plastered over his mouth, silencing his protests since they were endlessly annoying to the supervillain, who just wanted to use him against his old buddy Ray, that pathetic excuse for a sidekick, Henry Hart and his sweet, little cupcake, (y/n). She'd come crawling back to him when he removed her boyfriend and his heroic adventures from existence, a plan he'd craftily concocted in the few moments he'd been awake, and even if (y/n) didn't see sense and rejoin his side, he'd beat her so hard that she wouldn't have a choice. 

Leaving Jasper to wriggle and mumble against the duct tape, Drex moved onto the next step of his scheme, prising open a locked box full of Captain Man's best blasters, bombs and other weapons that could kill a man, and he quickly started loading up his belt, but not before he did one thing. The true brilliance of it all came together when he grabbed one of the larger guns, which was honestly more like a mini cannon, and he programmed it to fire in less than a minute, tucking it into a shelving unit where no one would find it until it was all too late. He couldn't have Ray following him or, if he did, getting back to the right time, he needed to leave destruction in his wake, so that's exactly what he was gonna do. The Time Jerker's Time Machine, it was just waiting for his rampage.

"Here we go, yeah..." Drex muttered as he punched in the right time coordinates, the time, date, and year etched into his brain so deeply that he didn't even have to think about it. He smirked as the portal illuminated and swirled with blue mist, knowing that this was his door to victory, the evilest way he could tear apart Ray's life and rifle through the leftovers. After all, you can't protect against something that you don't remember happening.

Seconds later, Ray, (y/n) and Henry arrived down the tubes, landing with their fists clenched and their minds ready for a fight since they knew how insane this guy was, but upon seeing his friend, Henry immediately switched priorities. Poor Jasp, he looked so helpless tied up on the floor and he needed to tell Henry about everything Drex had done, the portal, the hidden blaster, but his words just vibrated and dissipated against the tape, making his efforts futile. He wasn't hurt, that was the main thing, so they could focus on Drex, not that it stopped the boy's panic. "Jasper!"

"Oh, look. It's Ray, Henry, and my dear cupcake." The lunatic smirked at how Ray instantly pulled (y/n) and Henry behind his indestructible body, shielding them from anything his ex-best friend could do. He knew that Henry wanted to go and help, he knew that his sweet girl would fine if she got shot, but it was in his instincts to protect them, especially from this blaster-wielding monster. How could he call her that, how could he claim to love her when he was pointing a weapon at her heart? 

"You ain't going nowhere, Drex. There's three of us and one of you." He replied, slowly tiptoeing down the stairs so he could square off against the man. Safety in numbers, right? Three superheroes against one man with a grudge didn't sound so bad and unlike last time, Ray was gonna let them help because he didn't want a box shoved on his head or the sight of his girl stolen from him, but that didn't mean that he let his guard down. That's the one thing you couldn't do against Drex, who didn't take his threats seriously at all.

"Oh, no. Then I guess you have me trapped here." He snivelled in a stupid, sarcastic voice just to get under their skin and he did, especially with Ray and especially when his sick smile turned on the woman in the room, who was trying to keep her breathing normal and her fists from swinging at his irritating face. Why did she love him once? How could she think that asshole was a tender, loving soul who'd keep her safe? "And you, cupcake, I can't wait to taste those lips of yours again or hear you scream my name..." 

"The Time Jerker's Time Portal..." Henry gulped when their enemy leapt across the room to stand next to it, ready to make his jump. Now, they were getting the picture and the fact that he'd turned it on was terrifying, particularly for Ray as he pushed his girl back more, sick to the stomach from Drex's words. No one, specially this guy, got to sinisterly speak to his girlfriend like that, no one got to talk about her honeyed lips or wish to feel them against their own like he did and no one got to subtly threaten her like that, malice hidden under the sexual undertones. What a bastard. "Get away from that thing!"

"Mmmm, no, I don't think I will." Drex jeered, taking delight from their rapidly rising anger and how Captain Man held back the woman who should've been his girlfriend. He internally scoffed at how she was raring to go, pushing against his muscly arm whilst also clutching at his shirt sleeve, which told him that underneath her superpower, confidence and wisdom, she was still the same girl that he bruised and broke all those years ago. Perfect...

"Drex! I swear to god if you don't get away from that thing, I'll—" (y/n) snapped, causing her boyfriend to jerk his head to look at her with panicked eyes, him petrified that her sharp tone would make the villain lose his temper and fire. Ray didn't mind getting blasted, in fact, he'd take the pain on hundred times over if it meant her and Henry would be safe, but he couldn't cope with her being bullied or tortured by her ex, the only man who still haunted her dreams and turned calm nights into episodes filled with screams, sweat-drenched bed sheets, ragged breathing and whispered promises that he couldn't hurt her anymore. He could though, he was standing right there and not afraid to bite back.

"You'll what? You'll hurt me? You'll use that little superpower of yours to stop me? Don't think your boyfriend can protect you, cupcake, don't think I'll ever stop hunting for you and don't think anyone controls me." He screeched, lunging forward just a step to make her flinch and she did. (y/n) gasped at his sudden movement and momentarily shrank into Ray's back, spooked by both his tormenting words and the thought of his cruel hands marring her skin again. Her relapse into fear sparked rage from Ray and Henry, the former feeling his fury rise up at yet more threats, each perfectly calculated to terrorise her girl and the latter, who felt his fists clench when the woman who deserved nothing but good for the kindness she showed every day, was subjected to the jeers of a man who didn't deserve to be in the same room as he, let alone know her on an intimate level.

The boys barked back in angry shouts, jumping to the defence of their beloved (y/n), but their cutting replies were silenced when the tubes dropped again, signalling that more people from upstairs were coming to join the fun; Charlotte and Schwoz.

"Oh, hello, everyone." Schwoz greeted cheerfully. He wasn't feeling that polite or chirpy really, it was just his nervous fear that told him to be nice, a niggling strand of DNA that argued that a disarming smile would soothe a predator and keep him safe, something he could never feel with Drex in the room. He remembered this dick all too well, along with the pain, the fights and the anguish that came with his brief stint in the Man Cave, so it was no surprise that Charlotte froze like a deer in headlights. 

"SHUT UP!" Drex shrieked at the genius, fed up with any niceties, pleasantries or warnings from the three heroes for him and Charlotte to leg it back upstairs where it was mildly safe. "Oh my..." They recoiled at his volume, winced at his harsh tone, but all the same, they walked down the few steps from the tube pads, a show of bravery that was rather admirable as Ray tried to keep the situation under control.

"All right, now..." He started in a soothing voice, trying to somehow dissuade Drex from whatever he was doing or wherever he was going, but it was no use. They were enemies and enemies don't listen to each other, not when the author of your last demise and the woman of your obsessive desires were hidden behind your enemy's back.

"Look's like my ride's here-eh! This has been fun...cupcake, see you...some other time!" Drex smirked at his little pun. He took one last crazed gaze at his former lover, he fell back into the portal and let the blue swirls of time carry him off to the past, much to the terror and shock of the Man Cave team, all of whom were helpless to stop him. "NOOOOO!"

"He got away!" Henry groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration at how they were so close to tugging the villain back into their custody, but he'd evaporated before they could do anything. What were they meant to do now? They couldn't follow him, it was too dangerous, too reckless and too unpredictable, right?

"Not for long!" Ray replied curtly, weighing up the pros and cons in his head before coming to a terrifying yet thrilling conclusion. They couldn't let a scumbag like Drex roam free through time and allow him to terrorise civilians in the past or future, but then again, he also had his companions to think of; his loyal sidekick and best friend, Henry and his dear sweet girl, the one he wanted to marry, (y/n), both of whom had superpowers... Okay, that settled it, against his better instincts, they had no other option and when Charlotte chimed in, his mind was made up. "Yeah, you guys gotta go get him!"

"All right then, I'm game! Let's go kick his ass!" (y/n) exclaimed, stretching and popping her muscles like she was loosening up for a fight and technically, she was. She was following Ray and Henry, no matter what they said and she was fairly sure that Drex wouldn't go down lightly, so they needed all the help they could get.

"Come on, sweet girl, kid, let's go back in time—" Ray started, smirking at how he could use one of his pre-thought of quips for this situation and at how his girl's hand slipped into his and squeezed tightly. He had thought about banning her from following them, arguing that she would be safe in their fortified home whilst he and Henry tracked down Drex, but he knew it would just infuriate and hurt her. 

"To fight some crime!" Henry butted in before his boss could finish the quip, thinking that it was one of those moments where they went fifty-fifty on sharing the coolness, but no. Ray had wanted that one all to himself, a bit like how he wanted to have (y/n) all to himself and for Drex to keep his dirty mitts off her, but Henry couldn't see that, so he just received an angry earful. "You let me finish the rhymes!"

"Sorry!" The boy frowned, wondering at his sudden tetchiness, but he let it go, preferring to focus on the task at hand, finding Drex, hurting Drex, dragging him back to the Man Cave and all the while, not dying. And hey, he'd be tetchy too if his girlfriend was walking into a figurative minefield, so deep down, he knew where Ray was coming from.

"Okay, guys, listen, while we're gone, you need to protect this time portal at all costs...and don't watch Dog Judge without us! I mean it!" (y/n) told Schwoz, Charlotte and Jasper, who was still tied up on the floor, but listening all the same. 

The three nodded solemnly, knowing that the machine was their safety line and their only way back home once they took the plunge and dived in, so they were gonna swear to her; the portal would be kept safe. With their promises made, Ray, Henry and (y/n) turned to the portal with serious eyes, thumping hearts and a burning determination to bring back their escaped prisoner.

Henry dived in first, taking the first step unto the breach as he seized his bravery with both hands and thought 'fuck it'. You only live once and if he died jumping through a time machine, then so be it, he knew that he will have died for the greater good. 

Ray and (y/n) were up next, still clutching at each other's hands so they would leap alone and the woman took a step forward, determined to follow on from the boy straight after his feet disappeared, but a tight hold tugged her back.

"Hey...I love you." Ray whispered, unable to keep the words in despite the peril and pressure surrounding them. They had no idea what they were about to face or what was on the other side and the idea of not being able to say again if something went wrong; he just had to tell her one last time, let her know that he still and always would love her, like he had for years, more than Drex ever could.

"I love you too...always." She smiled back, connecting their lips for a brief moment, a silent vow between them that they were going in together and no matter what happened, their love was eternal and there was nothing Drex could do to tear them apart.

She pulled back, stroking her fingertips from his cheekbone to his jaw with a soft smile, wondering at how she'd managed to find a man like him to piece her back together after breaking under his former sidekick's cruelty and he kissed her knuckles. 

Breathing deeply, they started running, their footsteps and heartbeats in tandem as the blue mist consumed them together, their bodies tumbling into the unknown and wherever Drex would lead them. If only they knew that seconds after they drifted through the vortex, the door behind them slammed shut.

~In the Past~

Henry, Ray and (y/n) blinked as they landed in a completely new time, their heads spinning and their tummies clenching from how it felt like they'd been shoved in a blender and taken on a merry-go-round. They vaguely heard shocked gasps around them as they came too, including a small boy asking how they had been able to magically appear out of thin air and then they noticed. The time machine had worked.

Upon hearing the boy's voice, the three took a look at their surroundings, absorbing the sights, smells and noises of what appeared to be some kind of fair or festival. There was the peculiar aroma of popcorn mixing with hot dogs, numerous caravans and stall chocked full of games, gizmos and snacks and plenty of people around wearing a variety of clothes, none of which definitively told them what era they were in. 

There was the boy and his mother, who looked vaguely modern and then a man and a woman next to them, both panicking about their sudden apparition in all of their nineteen-twenties flapper gear. "They're witches! Witches, I tell ya!"

"Uhhhh, okay... All right, we're not witches." Ray chuckled awkwardly at the man's strange, dramatic reaction and calmly held out his hands to signal to him that they weren't gonna hex him or something. Henry quickly nodded and reiterated the point, still struggling to get his head around the past five seconds and how he was stood in a different place, in a different time and yet, something felt familiar, he just couldn't work out what.

"I mean, they're guys, so...if anyone's a witch, it's me...not that I am! I am witchless, witch-free, I have a fear of cauldrons and black cats and...why are you holding that whistle?" (y/n) stammered nervously, her attempt to diffuse the situation falling flat when the man took a silver whistle from his pocket and blew a long, sharp note. Well, that didn't sound good. "Security! We got witches! Witches!..."

"Come on, guys, we gotta go find Drex." Ray ignored the screams, preferring to focus on what they'd set out to do. That guy was probably just a nut and they didn't have time for his mindless accusations, so he merely tugged his sweet girl away with Henry following closely. There was one slight problem though, they still had no idea where they'd landed or if it had even worked properly, something that troubled the boy. "Wait, dude...where are we? The future or the past?"

"I don't know...uh, let's see. Look's like the nineteen-fifties." Ray answered, looking around until his eyes settled on a secluded corner where there was a diner, neon lights and post-war attire. 

The massive sign saying "nineteen-fifties" was a huge giveaway too, so he reasoned that they'd gone back seventy years, but things were much much complicated than that. Taking a look for himself, Henry came to a much different conclusion when he saw a doughnut stall with a seventies theme; discos, flares and the colour brown. Okay, what the hell was going on? Two eras together? 

"Uh, no, looks like the nineteen-seventies."

"Yeah, I've got the nineteen-sixties over here." (y/n) poked them and gestured to another area, where yet again there was a striking difference in the fashion again. There was a kooky Beetle car, flower-power splashed on pretty much everything, not to mention the peace and love that permeated from all the hippies about the place. Three decades standing side by side was weird and for the guy who was having a really bad day and a stressful time generally, it was all too much. "Oh my god, what's going on?! Sweet girl, what's going on?!"

"Fod Fest." A gentle, warm voice came from behind (y/n)'s shoulder as her boyfriend shook in her arms, muscles quivering from the pressure of it all. Her fingers slid into his hair as he pressed her face into her neck, her usual routine for keeping him calm kicking into action just as a polite, young man came over and greeted them. He was smiling brightly, not at all phased by Ray's outburst or how the woman in his arms was snuggling up to him. 

His girlfriend had cotton candy, he had a bag of popcorn, so it was safe to assume they were friendlies, but something about them was odd and (y/n) could swear that they had some quality or feature that she knew but hadn't felt for nearly thirty years. Still, the guy's words were perplexing, especially when you've just taken a tumble through a time portal, so blinded by his confusion and the need to stay out of trouble, Ray took his words as a literal greeting, like namaste or aloha.

"Uh, Fod Fest to you too." "Good Fod Fest. " Ray and Henry replied, ensuring that they bowed and held their hands together in a prayer-like manner. They didn't want to upset these people, they obviously had some deep-rooted, spiritual traditions and who were they to not follow suit? It was a well-meant gesture made with the best of intentions, but from the frowning of the dude and how his girlfriend shuffled awkwardly from one foot to the other, it looked like they'd said something weird.

"No, today's Fod Fest. The Festival of Decades." The man explained and suddenly, everything made sense. It was fine, they hadn't broken the space-time continuum, they hadn't accidentally ripped holes into the fabric of time and blended the decades together, it was meant to be like this. Well, that was a huge relief and now that she thought about it, the name began to ring a bell in (y/n)'s head, something she'd seen on a blog about Swellview's history.

"Oh, right, I think I've heard of that. It got cancelled in the early two-thousands, but let's not get into something that hasn't happened yet." She laughed breathlessly, quickly shutting up when she realised that she was sounding crazy by talking about the future, well, what she assumed would be the future. If Fod Fest ended, then they had to be in the past, right? The only question was when...

"Okay, and, uh... so what year is it actually?" Henry asked, struggling to say it without sounding as weird as the young woman had, but e couldn't pull it off either, not without sounding strained squeaky.  "Yeah, I mean, what year is it, like, right now?"

"It's nineteen-eighty-nine." The man told them slowly, wondering if they were safe to wander around the festival by themselves or whether he should take them to the lost and found tent. He just had to talk to the crazy ones who didn't know what year it was, typical. Still, they seemed happy with the news, especially the kid, whose eyes went wide along with his smile when he heard that he was living in a moment fifteen years before his birth.

"Eighty-nine! It's nineteen-eighty-nine! I loved it now! It's a good year that we're in..."

"I know it's nineteen-eighty-nine, man! I loved it! I love being here...in the moment."

"Whoa, great year! I'm two years old, that's not weird at all! Great year though, really love it, man!" The three babbled together, letting the excitement sink in. Wow, Henry hadn't even been born yet and Ray and (y/n) were still children, well, one was a child, the other was a toddler and they were all geeking out about it and not just about that. 

As children of the eighties, Ray and (y/n) were strong defenders of the opinion that things were better back then from the music, to the TV shows and to those golden days of their youth, so to be reliving that experience was mind-blowing and their hands excitedly squeezed together.

"Now, go on. Get out of here." "Yeah, we got all we need from you." The boys' smiles dropped when the mission's seriousness came creeping back in and they quickly dismissed the friendly couple, who walked off gossiping about how rude and strange they were.

"So, it's nineteen-eighty-nine and we have no idea..."

"Holy shit, look, he's there!" (y/n) gasped when her eyes flashed over the crowd scurrying around the festival and landed on the black bandana-blond hair combo that belonged to her ex-boyfriend. Ray's arm immediately curled around her waist, forgoing holding her hand since it wouldn't be enough to protect her if something went wrong and he growled at the sight of his former sidekick. 

Drex had bought a snow cone for himself and was moodily crunching away at the flavoured ice as he observed his surroundings, thankfully not spotting them in the crowd. Good, they wanted the element of surprise, but it would be difficult when a six-foot, hulking man was ready to rip his throat out without a second thought, his blood burning in his veins for every second of pain he'd inflicted on his sweet girl. "Drex!"

"How dare he buy a scone cone...here...in the past!" Ray hissed, feeling (y/n) lay her hand on his chest so he'd stay back, not just for their surprise attack but also because she valued his safety just as much as he valued hers. Everyone always seemed to forget that Drex matched or hell, sometimes surpassed his fighting prowess and had been known to leave Captain Man for dead when they fell out, so to let him charge in clingy would be stupid, like a lamb to the slaughter.

"Jerk..." Henry grumbled too, feeling the urge to jump the guy and punch his face until it bled, but again, the voice of reason kept him back. (y/n) saw that they were ready to charge and honestly, she wanted nothing more than to hurt the man who'd hurt her for so long too, but they didn't even have a plan, they weren't even in uniform for god's sake, she just wanted something to aim for before they went for it. "Let's go get him."

"Okay, okay, let's think about this first! We can't just storm in and starting punching, we're in the middle of—" She scolded them, struggling to stop them from marching forward since she was a lone woman and they were two, strong guys, both more than capable of simply taking an arm each and lifting her so she had no choice but to follow them. Her toes dragged along the floor as they steamed forward, ignoring any wise protests of how they should work out a plan of attack first and decided whether to pincer first and punch later or vice versa, but (y/n) didn't need to worry. She nor Drex were gonna be the ones to stop the bloodshed before it began, that would be up to the crazy witch man.

"That's them! There they are! Look, there they are, right there. Them's the witches!" He tattletaled to two security officers, pointing at the boys who had their fellow "witch" still tucked under the arms with her feet swinging and they quickly released her when the officers looked them up and down. Shit, why was nothing ever simple? (y/n) turned around, straightening out her shirt, and glared at her boyfriend, who she saw as the ringleader in their little scheme, before moving on to the guys in blue. She didn't remember people being this crazy and could swear that the notion of warty women with black, pointy hats and green skin had been left in the Middle Ages. "That true? You guys witches?"

"No!" Henry denied it immediately, looking at the security officers like they were in a sane and they were sort of, anyone who'd believe that stripe-wearing loonie had to be. Okay, yeah, it was a bit weird that they'd come out of nowhere but there would be a reasonable explanation once they thought of one, not that it would convince these two. "This guy says you're witches."

"Yeah, well, he's an idiot." (y/n) told them, gesturing to the man's cheerful, twenties clothes and dorky face with a limp hand and bored expression. He stepped forward with a mean glare, not appreciating the witch's insult, but he daren't move any closer, not when she could curse him at any moment or set her fucking-huge warlock boyfriend on him at the snap of her fingers. No, he'd sit this one out and let the officers do their job.

"Hey, uh, look, we will explain the thing right behind those berry bushes," Ray told them, gesturing to the thick shrubbery a few metres away whilst also winking at Henry and squeezing his girl's hip. The "discussion" would be real fun and quite brief if he had anything to do with it, especially since these two looked like they ate doughnuts and sat on their asses for a living. They'd be far away enough to take them quickly, quietly and without too much mess, then they could get back to finding Drex before he sloped off and luckily, they fell for it. "Okay, let's go talk behind the bushes."

"Okay, let's go." Henry smiled at the men as they were led away into the leafy, green foliage, Ray and (y/n) rambling about how they loathed witches, had never met any and certainly weren't members of a coven. They climb into the heart of the bushes until they were satisfied that no one could see anything and that's when the fists started flying.

As (y/n) kept watch, Henry and Ray swung punches at the unsuspecting security officers, who quickly collapsed into unconsciousness and settled on the damp, mossy earth. They'd be fine, sleeping peacefully with nothing but a mere scuffle and the rustling of branches to tell anyone looking that something had gone down there and the boys walked away feeling proud, one more than the other. Ray saw the way his girl admired his physique and stature when he fought as himself, a rare sight, and strutted like a peacock as they emerged from the bushes, his hand settled in the small of her back.

"All right, now, come on. We gotta take care of—uh-oh." He told them seriously, (y/n) shuddering at his commanding, baritone voice and his piercing eyes looked over to the snow cone vendor, only to see that their target had gone, wandered off to god knows where. Shit on it.

"Where's Drex?" Henry exclaimed, his head snapping from left to right as scoured the exhibits and doohickey stalls for any sign of the big lug, but he came up with nothing; no bandana, no weird, kung-fu tunic, no belt stuffed full of weapons, nada. Whether he'd seen the skirmish and legged it or just decided to move on, they didn't know, but now they had no way of guessing his next move.

"Security. All security to the berry bush area." An announcement suddenly came over the tannoy and Henry groaned at the sound of more guards coming their way. Great, they'd taken two out and now the whole damn pack was coming, meaning they were about to become vastly outnumbered. Fod Fest was becoming inhospitable for them and with their modern clothes on, they stuck out like sore thumbs, prompting (y/n) to grow breathless as she held onto Ray's forearm.

"Ray, we need to get out of here." She said, her voice panicked but still level and he understood her urgency. Getting locked up in nineteen-eighty-nine would be no good for them and it's not like he could whip out a Captain Man get-out-of-jail-free card and pull some strings; his fame hadn't been generated yet, so a hasty exit was there only retreat, even if Henry wanted to stay and sniff out their enemy. "What about Drex?!"

"We'll get Drex later, let's go!" He snapped, grabbing his girlfriend's hand again so he could lead her out of danger, which was fast approaching as every security guard in the area hunted them down. He knew that Henry didn't get it, he knew that he was desperate to find that guy and lock him back up, he was too, but he was also desperate to keep his sweet girl safe, something he wouldn't be able to do if they were separated into different cells of the county jailhouse. 

"Go? Go where? Dude, it's nineteen-eighty-nine, we have no idea wh—" Henry snarled back, his fear running his mouth as he argued with his boss. They were wasting precious seconds, but he did have a point. They didn't have any friends in this time, no Man Cave, no Jasper, no Charlotte, hell, they didn't even have the proper technology, so where did he expect them to go? His mom and dad probably hadn't even met yet, (y/n)'s family weren't from Swellview, Ray hated seeing his father, so who was left?

"Wait, shut up for a second. I know exactly who we can go to. If my memory is correct and it usually is, we can go to—" (y/n) butted in, her synapses connecting in one perfect moment of memory-powered brilliance, which left her with an idea. There was one guy left in Swellview who'd be old enough to help them out and if he was still the same genius as he was in the future, then he'd be easy enough to convince that time travel is real. They just had to pray that she had her dates right and that Henry focused long enough for them to get there. "Oh my god!"

"What?" The couple asked, wondering what had prompted such a strong reaction from him and they turned to see what was so horrifying behind their backs. It wasn't a cute girl, someone he knew or Drex eating another snow cone, it was just a woman, talking on a very old-fashioned phone and minding her own business. Ah, jeez.

"Look how big phones were in the eighties." He breathed out in horror and shock, feeling the weight of the device in his hands. It dwarfed his PearPhone and he couldn't help but giggle at how lame society used to be, much to the annoyance of both the woman he'd snatched it from and Ray and (y/n), who couldn't believe what a millennial he was. Ugh, kids are so annoying, technology used to be bad, big deal, everything has to start from somewhere. 

"Dang it, Henry!" Ray growled and grabbed the phone from his hands, throwing it with all his might so it smashed through a car window. The owner gasped and ran to see if her phone was okay, which it probably was since it was an actual brick, and (y/n) shoved the boys towards the exit before more police could rock up. God, it was like being on vacation with two irritating children and she was the tired parent ferrying them around and watching for danger, which, when hunting Drex, was around every corner.

~Swellview Tech University~

"I'm telling you, Ray. He's here." (y/n) told her boyfriend as they navigated through the halls of the old uni campus in Swellview. By the time (y/n) attended, it had moved into a much grander, more modern building, but she wasn't there to see her old teachers or take another class on the thermodynamics, she had dragged her friends there to see a student, who she swore attended STU in the late eighties. 

"I trust you, sweet girl. I think it's the corridor on the right." The man replied as he studied the map they'd been given at the information desk, some room details scribbled down on the top corner. After jogging his memory, Ray vaguely remembered being told that their friend studied there too and had been the one to slyly ask for the room number whilst (y/n) stood with Henry and kept him away from all the college girls walking around. He had to be reminded that although they might've seemed young, they were all old enough to be his mom in their proper time, a fact that made him shudder and back off for a bit, although he still admired a few from afar. 

They headed down another crowed hallway, dodging the jocks, who checked out the hot lady walking past, the geeks, who had their noses buried in science books (the story of (y/n)'s life), the plastics, who walked around in hoards with their Chanel heels and everyone else in between, who filtered in and out of the smelly dorm rooms. College never changed and for Ray, it was a new experience, for Henry, it was a thrilling promise of what was to come and for (y/n), it was a rush of memories from a time when she thought she knew everything but had yet to live in the real world. 

"In college, dorm room life, am I right? What's up, bro? Awesome, awesome!" "Nineteen-eighty-nine! Hey, freshman fifteen? No shame in that!" The boys grinned as they rambled at the students, who just moved on to their next lesson or just anywhere that didn't involve any weirdos talking to them and (y/n) rolled her eyes as they reached what they thought was the right door. Okay, if she and Ray were right, then all their hopes were behind that door, culminating in one guy, who was still a stranger to them and yet they knew nearly everything about him.

"Okay, it looks like this is his dorm room, so you two be cool and don't freak out." The woman told them, mainly looking at her boyfriend since he was known to be the one to freak out, but he was fine, perfectly calm. He had her by his side, he wasn't nervous and besides, this guy was one of his closest friends, in the future anyway, it would be fine. Henry was the one to look out for, he didn't even know who they were about to meet.

"I'm always cool...except for when you guys do that!" Henry mumbled, only to look at his companions and pull a face when he realised that Ray had pulled his girlfriend into a soft kiss, not for any particular reason, just because he felt like it, not that it made the kid feel any better. His lips curled in disgust as they lingered and smiled into the kiss, fully aware that he got all squeamish when they showed each other affection and deliberately moved against each other just to hear him groan. Aw, he was cute when flustered, but they had to pull away when he knocked on the door, a move calculated to break them apart and it worked, the whiteboard falling from the panel meant they had to. Meanie.

"What? I haven't kissed him for nearly an hour, what do you expect me to do when he's stood there looking all cute?" (y/n) giggled when their noses brushed together as they pulled away, returning to a respectable, standing position as they heard some shuffling come from behind the door and some heavy footsteps scurrying towards it. Ray chuckled at her words, feeling his heart clench at how she called him cute and irresistible and was unable to stop himself when his lips dropped to kiss the top of her head, one last show of love to tide them over as the door finally opened.

"Yeah, what do you guys need?" A moody, grubby youth came out of the room and holy shit, it was Schwoz! But not the Schwoz they knew and loved, no, young Schwoz had hair all over his head, no bald shine, and it fell in silky waves down to his shoulders. His fashion was wildly different too; gone were the bright shirts and overalls he normally teamed and they'd been replaced with grungy jeans, a long-sleeved white tee and a navy plaid shirt thrown over for a splash of style, not forgetting his earrings. He had that attitude of a student struggling through college and yet, (y/n) knew that he must've been one of the best on-campus judging by the sheet of complex equations written on the notebook tucked under his arm. God, it was good to see a familiar face, even if he looked them up and down with disgust.

"Schwoz!" Henry grinned as they saw him, struggling to keep in his chuckles at the sight of the genius in his youth, the hair being the funniest part, and even Ray couldn't withhold a laugh. He just knew that Schwoz used to study here, he had no idea what he looked like, he just knew the man who started working for him in the early two-thousands. "Uh, nice...nice hair..."

"How do you know my name?" Schwoz asked the kid, studying his face for a moment before deciding that they had met...yet. The thing was though, he looked at him with such familiarity and warmth in his smile, it was like the kid knew him like an old friend.

"Because I—uh, look. Can we come in for a second?" Ray stopped himself before he said anything weird, remembering that this Schwoz didn't know him, this Schwoz wasn't the man who answered his every beck and call, this Schwoz would freak out if he started rambling about how they'd come from the future for his help. They'd have to handle this delicately and behind closed doors, nowhere near the gossiping kids that littered the hallways around them.

"Yeah, I have a question about time dependence in quantum mechanics and someone told me that you can help me." (y/n) lied, smiling sweetly as Ray's arm slinked around her waist and soothingly stroked her hipbone. He had no idea what she was talking about, knowing nothing about the nerdy science stuffy that she and Schwoz debated, but it seemed to make sense to the little guy, who nodded to and fro for a few seconds before responding.

"I don't know you guys. You can go talk to Professor Miller, he'll explain it." He dismissed them, shuffling nervously at the thought of letting three unknown people into the place where he ate, slept and studied. They looked friendly, but he was too wise to let that blind him, this was a uni campus, he knew all too well how cruel some students were. He was no teacher, despite understanding the concept, and even though the girl was really pretty, he was too shy...

"Okay, well, I want to hear it from you so, we're just gonna come in here." (y/n) muttered as she pushed Schwoz backwards a bit and left Henry and Ray to forcefully take his arms so they could drag him into his room, Ray taking over when the little man started to struggle. Henry and (y/n) checked to see if anyone had seen and it looked like they hadn't since no one moved to rush over and help, allowing them to quickly duck in and slam the door shut.

~

So, it turns out that it's quite tricky to convince someone that you've travelled thirty years to the past through a criminal's time portal because you're looking for another criminal. Ray, Henry and (y/n) had drilled it into Schwoz a million times, retelling their backstory, the buildup to the problem and their journey over and over again just to get him to believe them, but each time he just scoffed and laughed in their faces. He claimed that they were pulling his leg and talking out of their asses and since they had no proof, all the three heroes could do was go around in circles.

"It's true!" "We're from the future!" Ray and Henry exclaimed as they said the same phrase again to Schwoz, who just chuckled as he sat in a big, comfy chair that was just one curiosity in his dorm room. It wasn't particularly clean, but then again it was a guy's room so no surprises there, and it was strewn with laundry, research papers and random crap that all screamed Schwoz. "Poppycock!" 

"Look, I know that it's hard to believe, but in the future, we're all friends!" (y/n) told him energetically, trying to inspire some belief in him whilst also making sure that she didn't say anything too strange. How could she tell him that they were science buddies, mechanic pals and engineering chums? They spent long hours soldering through the nights, afternoons repairing circuit boards and mornings arguing over which equation was better for which problem. He was the first person who knew how she felt about Ray, the one who had coached her all the way and then some more when he returned after that argument. He didn't know it, but he was one of her best friends and it was infuriating that she couldn't let him know that.

"Uh, coworkers." Ray corrected her awkwardly, not feeling the same rush of affection for the small dude as she did, well, he wouldn't admit that he did. Yeah, yeah, Schwoz was great and he'd be nothing without him, but he didn't have to know that. He just had to trust them. "But we know everything about you."

"Okay, then. Uh...what's my favourite schnack?" Schwoz asked, wanting to determine if they were telling the truth or not and only the people closest to him could answer these questions. He wasn't the most outgoing guy and only revealed his private thoughts, feelings and quirks to those he felt comfortable around, ergo, his future self must've shared some personal stuff if these three were his friends.

"Worms." Ray and (y/n) replied immediately, their voices overlapping since they both knew the answer like it was obvious. On numerous occasions, they'd come down from the sprocket and seen the genius slurping up something dark, slimy and stringy, scolding him when they realised that he was eating those vile, tinned worms from his homeland. It irked them, but that was Schwoz, the most irritating little bastard around.

"Okay, uh...what's my sister's name?" He asked next. He loved her but was equally embarrassed by his horselike sister and so he wasn't quick to talk about her with many people.

"Winnie." (y/n) answered quickly, having many "fond" memories of the woman who galloped around her home, whinnying and braying as she munched on sugar cubes, carrots and polo mints. The way she bolted when spooked or slept standing up, not forgetting how she always found a way to stagger in when she and Ray were being...friendly. God, that fucking laugh, those bucked teeth, they always ruined her hopes of getting fu... "And what does she look like?"

"A horse," Henry answered, also familiar with Winnie and all of her wonderful antics and he didn't even need to look to see Ray prickling as he loomed over his girlfriend. She unnerved him and whilst he tolerated her visiting the Man Cave, he always became cranky when she was around, possibly because he wasn't able to get any.

"Okay...what do I have on my bottom?" Schwoz smirked as he gave them the most challenging question of all, one that only a handful of people knew and they were all family. It was a bit weird that they knew about his favourite food and his sister, but that could've been just a miraculous coincidence, they had to pass this final test.

"A birthmark." Ray rolled his eyes, having known that it would come down to this and he resisted the urge to cover his sweet, innocent girlfriend's ears to protect her from such an image. Ugh, Schwoz's ass, not a topic for a lady's ears, but she'd heard it all before, the marks on his butt being a source of pride for the man since they had several peculiar features that told a funny story. "In the shape of?"

"Florida," Henry replied, feeling equally grossed out by the topic and he didn't have a girlfriend to hug away the disgust with, so he just stuck to folding his arms across his torso, much like how Ray had his draped over (y/n)'s shoulders so he could secure her back against his chest. At least he had her to sweeten the situation, even if the room did smell weird like old feet and boiled cabbage. "Which is next to?"

"A mole." (y/n) sighed, momentarily letting her head drop back against Ray's pec before she straightened so she could stay focused. It's not like she wanted to be reminded about the mole or the birthmark, but if it got him to believe them then she could deal with it as long as she got another kiss afterwards. Kisses were good, she liked kisses. "In the shape of?"

"Japan! You have a really weird ass, end of story!" She carried on, sending the man into a mind-boggled state as he was now fully convinced that they were who they said they were and it confirmed his suspicions about so many theories and possibilities. 

"AYYYY! You guys, you really are from the future!" The genius exclaimed, stroking at their faces and hugging their bodies to him slightly as if he couldn't believe they had come from a different era, something which was really awkward since (y/n) and Ray were already in a half-hug and Henry was a moody teen and allergic to most physical affection. 

"Get off, she's my girlfriend! We told you!" Ray exclaimed, protectively curling his girl against his body when Schwoz tried to rub her cheeks to see if her particle matter was any different than his. Of course, it wasn't, she was physically fine and Ray was the only one who could pat her down like that, plus it was Schwoz, the guy who irritated the hell out of him. Either way, he knew who they were now and was gonna let them crash with him until they figured everything out, which was easier said than done.

~Half an hour later~

Well, this sucked. It had been ages since Schwoz's big test and yet, the three superheroes were nowhere near guessing where Drex was. They'd bounced ideas back and forth, coming up with wild ideas and impossible scenarios, but nothing stuck because they had no proof or methods of confirming them. So, they were left with one solution; steam some tighty-whities, sit and mope, or pace and worry.

Schwoz took the first option, deciding to finally do some laundry since he had guests over and his underwear was full of wrinkles, Henry took the second and sat quietly at the side of the room where he could gather his thoughts and Ray, well, he was running with the third, almost creating a groove in the floor as he retold the story of Drex with a soda in his hand. (y/n) was sort of doing the last one, only she was more concerned for him and the way he was gonna have a heart attack if he didn't calm down.

"And then what happened?" Schwoz asked as he steamed the underwear on the washing line that stretched across the room. (y/n) stood still, observing her boyfriend as he was reminded of the whole disaster yet again and buried deeper into his anxiety, her eyes flickering to the way his fingers were bending the aluminium can as they clenched.

"And then, Drex jumped into the time portal, so Henry, (y/n) and I followed him through and that's how we got here in nineteen-eighty-nine." He finished the story and by the look of amazed satisfaction on Schwoz's face, it was a perfect ending for an epic tale. He couldn't believe that his future self was embroiled with so much adventure and danger with a superhero and his sidekicks no less...he loved it.

"Hey, I have a question for Schwoz," Henry said as Ray took a long swing of his grasp soda, giving (y/n) an opportunity to cross the room and shyly get close to him whilst Henry turned to look at the genius. 

"Yes?"

"What are you doing to your underwear, dude?" The boy questioned, knowing what he was literally doing to them since he had eyes and was looking right at him, his query was more about the why, which Schwoz didn't guess, so he just stated the obvious. "I'm steaming them."

"But why?" Ray muttered to himself, sharply turning again so he could lean his arm on the wall, this time spotting that his dear, sweet girl was tiptoeing towards him as he lost himself in thought.

"To get the wrinkles out," Schwoz replied, thinking that he was the recipient of the aloof question. What? He liked to have soft, tidy underwear and whilst his roommate thought he was weird, he enjoyed making everything neat, not that you'd get that idea from the state of his dorm. 

Ray growled at his naive stupidity, spinning around harshly to bark out his frustration. "Not that, Schwoz! I'm not talking about your college panties! We gotta know why Drex came here to nineteen-eighty-nine!"

"Hey, calm down, we'll figure it out, okay? We're here with you, doofus, and whatever he's up to, we'll figure it out together." (y/n) was quick to put her hands on his cheek and chest when he started snapping and throwing the tighty-whities around the room in a fit of frustrated emotion, which Schwoz wasn't used to yet. He didn't know what his future boss could be like and neither did he know that it was usually his girlfriend who was the one bringing him back down to Earth, so he just muttered grumpily when their lips brushed together to ease the hero's mind.

"Maybe he just picked a random time and place," Henry noted, breaking the couple apart before they could get carried away. He didn't know Drex as they did, so he just assumed that he'd seen his chance to get away and took it, diving in after setting the coordinates to take him anywhere that could take him away from Captain Man, but that was a foolish belief and so not the villain's style. He played unfairly, calculated and planned every move whilst leaving nothing to chance.

"No, we know Drex. He doesn't do something without thinking about it first and he always moves to hurt Ray and get to me, so he must've picked this year for a reason." (y/n) sighed, leaving Ray's hold so she could look at the kid as he drank from his lemon-lime soda and made naive guesses. He understood what she was saying and knew that if anyone would know about the guy, it would be those two and he knew some stuff too, like how much he liked inflicting pain and how he'd spent years planning his revenge. She was right, randomness was too easy, so now, they had a connection, a lead and all they had to do was follow it - easier said than done.

"There's gotta be something about today," Ray stressed, putting his large, warm hand on his girl's shoulder and kneading at the tense muscles he found there. He wished he could do more to make her feel better and knew that his stress was rubbing off on her, but he couldn't relax and therefore, she couldn't either, not when they had a problem like this.

As they struggled to think of anything, there was a soft knock at the door, stealing them from their brainstorm when a smart-looking man with a clipboard appeared and a bored child stomped behind him.

"Hey, Schwoz. Everything okay in here?" The man asked, smiling at the genius who didn't seem to be stressed or freaked out about his sudden appearance and a quick glance at his badge told (y/n) that he was part of the campus staff and not a threat. She joined Ray when he stood beside Henry and let her head fall against his arm as they both folded their arms and tried to look as normal as possible. Just four friends hanging out, nothing to see here...

"Yeah, I am just steaming my underpants," Schwoz told him, returning to his work to make it look like they weren't discussing the work of a supervillain and the man bought it because he steamed underwear a lot. That, and Schwoz was one of the weirder students he checked on, so nothing he could be doing would surprise him, not even the presence of two adults and a teenager in his room. Just Schwoz things... "Ah, smart."

"Uh, guys, this is my friend, Yim, from campus security." The little man introduced the new one, who gave a little wave to the strangers as his son tiredly sucked on a lollipop and let his eyes drift around the room. It was never fun going into your parent's workplace, especially when that workplace was a smelly, dirty, university accommodation block, stuffed to the brim with rude college students. Also, what was his name again?

"Yim?"

"'Sup, Yim?"

"Let me guess, Yim is not your name." The three heroes greeted him, each taking on their own views for how Schwoz said his name. Ray was mildly confused, Henry just straight-up didn't care and (y/n) suspected that the genius' accent was wreaking havoc again, particularly when his eye twitched at the sound like it pecked away at his restraint.

"It's Jim. I'm Jim." He smiled, pointing to his name badge to let them know that he had a very normal name and he wasn't the oddball, Schwoz was. Ugh, couldn't this guy go away? (y/n) was getting bored and was tempted to close her eyes as she leaned against her boyfriend, but refrained since she knew that it was rude, so she just settled for looking up at him and admiring his sharp jawline, striking blue eyes and the way his soft, fucking kissable lips were pressed into a thin line.

"So, Yim, who is—" Schwoz pointed his steam at the boy next to the campus helper and the man turned to look at the child, acting as though he'd forgotten all about him. No wonder the kid was bored, he wasn't getting any attention or fun, making the woman feel sorry for him as he licked at his candy. 

"Oh, this is my son, Tango. Today's National Take Your Kid To Work Day." Jim explained, smiling at them all politely and they all nodded slowly as they small talked, but for Ray, it was like everything had fallen into place. That day, that date, holy shit. He'd worked it out, nineteen-eighty-nine, the day it all changed, the day he changed, the day when his life pivoted and made him who he was, he knew why Drex had chosen this particular time. Oh, god... 

"I wanna go to a zoo!" 

"No zoo! Go get in the van!" Tango whined at his dad, only for his desperate pleas to be harshly rebuked. Something told (y/n) and Henry that they weren't on the best of terms, something that would cause a whole lot of resentment down the line and as they were awkwardly witnessing that, they didn't notice how all the colour had drained from Ray's face, leaving him breathless and absolutely terrified.

"You all stay safe now." Jim smiled again, acting as though he hadn't just broken his son's heart and the sidekicks found it hard to be nice to him after how the kid had walked off sniffling. Aw, if they weren't on a super important mission or in the wrong time, they'd have taken him to the zoo in place of his lousy father or at least told him to keep smiling. Poor Tango. 

"Okay."

"You probably shouldn't yell at your kid like that."

"He's gonna hate you when he's older!" They called after him as the floor closed and Ray was free to start pacing again, only this time, he was more than onto something, he was holding it, figuring it out. He was there.

"Ahhhh, my favourite commercial! Have you guys seen this one?" Schwoz cheered as Ray lost himself in thought once more, ignoring the TV and some dumb commercial about an old lady looking for beef. Of course, they didn't remember it, it was too old and they'd either not been born or were too young to care at the time, which meant he was the only one laughing. "She never knows where the beef is."

"Turn that off!" Ray yelled, scaring the bejesus out of Schwoz who wasn't expecting the volume in his right ear. Instantly, Henry and (y/n) picked up on the man's tetchy mood and how it wasn't his usual grumpiness, this was something more. This time he was actually concerned about something big and it was clearly making him snap and lash out, so, Henry launched the countermeasures or rather, he pushed (y/n) in his boss's direction so she could sort it out.

"Ray, sweetheart...what's going on in that head of yours?" She asked him softly, reaching out to slide her hands around his waist and hug his body to her, prompting his arm to come around her smaller figure so she'd stay there. Her warmth pressed against was comforting and grounding, two things he really needed as one idea bounced around in his head and no matter how he looked at it, he didn't like what it meant for them.

"That guy, he said it was Take Your Kid To Work Day." He said, biting his nails as he mulled over his words. it was a nervous habit, a thinking habit and it made (y/n) pull his hand to her chest before he could ruin his manicure. He sighed at how she cared for him, how she tenderly kissed his knuckles like she was worshipping the skin there and it made his all ready clouded judgement go even foggier. 

"Yeah, so?" Henry shrugged, not seeing any correlation between the Jim guy and the need for some serious analysis of a dumb national holiday.

"So...oh my god!" Ray gasped, choked, spluttered when it all came crashing together at once, the jigsaw finally complete in his mind. It was National Take Your Kid To Work Day, nineteen-eighty-nine, and he knew exactly what Drex was planning and it made him...scared. Just scared. Nothing big, nothing dramatic, a genuine fear that shook him to his core at how strongly it took hold and struck deep, just like the villain had planned it. It didn't have to be complicated, it just had to be unexpected and that's exactly how it had attacked. 

"Ray, what's wrong? Tell me what's wrong, right now." (y/n) panicked as his lower lip trembled and she stood back so she stood side by side with Henry, both of them seeing the realisation and terror spread across his face. His hands shook without her body to hold onto and the kid could feel how the woman subconsciously drifted towards him until their arms brushed, a tiny, physical connection to keep them both sane.

"My dad takes me to work today, young me, eight-year-old me. My dad takes me to Glass Tech for Take Your Kid To Work Day!" He explained, thinking that they'd piece it together just like he did, but they didn't know what he was on about, too fearful and shaky to think properly so they looked at him to spell out, which made tears spring in the corners of his eyes as his blood ran cold. 

"Henry, sweet girl, this is the day that I become indestructible! Don't you see?!"

"Yes! Sort of! No?!" Henry cried when the man seized their outer shoulders and squished them together with his super strength, not that they felt with their adrenaline running so high. 

Henry, the poor kid, wasn't clued up enough or bright enough to make the link, but (y/n), the sweetest, brightest girl around, she knew. She knew all too well what it meant and why her wicked ex had zeroed on the day, her lips quivering as she struggled to say the words.

"That's why Drex came here! He's gonna stop me from going to work with my dad, so I don't get densitised!" Ray exclaimed, still clutching their arms tightly as (y/n) gulped with a dry mouth and Henry felt the cold, cruel truth hit him like he'd crashed into a brick wall. That man, that fucking psychopath, he...he was so brilliant, so malicious, it sucked the air out of the room and left them choking. 

"So you don't become indestructible..."

"Which means no Captain Man," Ray stated grimly, acutely aware of how hard he was holding them so his hands softened, but his gaze remain stern and his body remained frozen. Everything was born on that day, his power, his career, his fame, his friendships, his entire life was decided the minute he was fried and without it, he, they, were nothing.

"No Kid Danger..." Henry too was floored. What would become of Swellview if Captain Man disappeared? All the criminals he locked, all the plans he foiled, all the people he saved, none of it would have happened and his childhood would become normal but a lot less bright. Just how much did Captain Man change the city? Just how much did he change Henry Hart?

"No Miss Danger... You never become Captain Man, we never meet and...we never fall in love." (y/n) whispered, a tear falling down her cheek at the thought of her life being rewritten and Ray faltered, feeling his own eyes water at the thought. Everything came down to the densitisation, their meeting, their friendship, their love, none of it would happen if Ray stayed as a normal kid and became a normal man. 

He would have probably gone to college, done something average and found a...nice girl along the way and all the while, she'd follow after him, six years behind and more than likely encounter Drex waiting for her unsuspecting soul. She'd have no doofus to save her, no friends to comfort her and she'd probably go along with it because he'd be the one who'd been there and whispered false promises to her heart. A world with no Ray and (y/n), a world where it was Drex and (y/n), with Raymond Manchester scratched out of the picture - it didn't bear to think about.

"Drex would still be your boyfriend," Henry mumbled, not able to comprehend how their lives would vanish in an instant and the two that deserved to be together, the two that were so close to the big moment would be ripped apart and defencelessly left to go on without knowing that true happiness was just down the road.

"And I wouldn't have ever known you or seen you or loved you, but he would've. He'd be with you, hurting you and I wouldn't even care." Ray gulped, fighting back his tears as she jumped into his arms and whimpered, holding in the sobs at the thought of losing him and then not even knowing it. Was it worse to be ignorant of lost love or to be allowed to mourn it and feel its loss? She wanted a choice and Drex, in his true fashion, was taking that away from her.

"I don't want to forget you. I don't want to love him again, not when I love you." (y/n) sniffed, feeling his face bury into her hair and maybe the sensation of a couple of tears hitting her scalp, but she wasn't sure and she'd never ask. This was hard enough as it was, she didn't need to poke more holes in his heart, she could never bring herself to do it.

"We have to stop Drex. I'm not losing you, sweet girl. Not to him, not to anybody." Ray told her firmly, looking up into Henry's determined eyes and he could tell that he felt the same strength rising in him. These were their lives, the experiences, their friendships, the Man Cave was home to their family with Captain Man as their leader and if Drex thought he could take that away so easily, well, he had another thing coming. "Let's go! Let's go!"

Seizing her hand, Ray and (y/n) ran from the room as fast as their legs could carry them, Henry not far behind them. He knew where Glass Tech was, he knew that his father would be confused as hell and it would be painful to see him after years of resentment, but they had to do this. 

He had the ring all ready to go, eleven years in the making, and he was damned if he was gonna lose that after what felt like a lifetime of waiting. There was one small problem though...

"Wait! Do you guys have any money on you? Our cards won't work." (y/n) skidded to a halt when she realised that any hopes they had of paying for a cab or getting the bus were dashed when she realised that in nineteen-eighty-nine, their bank accounts didn't exist, which meant no easy payments and no withdrawals. Shit. Seeing that she was right and that they were screwed again, they ran back down the hall, coming to a sudden stop as they reach Schwoz's dorm room and tentatively opened the door.

"We don't have a car."

"Or a bike." Henry and Ray told him sheepishly as the genius stood awkwardly, them having left him in quite a hurry. Well, duh, he figured that they hadn't brought something with them, although it would've been cool if they had a hover-car or teleportation device. Y'know, something cool and futuristic, something he might invent sometime in the future...

"Can you give us a ride?"  "We are still pretty hungry..." The boys went on, making (y/n) facepalm at how terrible they were at asking for help. They were coming across as rude and she could see that Schwoz's frown was deepening, so she decided to push the boat out a little bit and see if she could use her winning smile to sway the genius a bit. After all, it worked when they finally became friends, so she was hopeful and pushing her luck.

"If we could just borrow, like, twenty bucks." The woman told him nervously, rubbing her hands together until Schwoz shrugged slightly. Well, that was worth a shot, but they had to remember that this was a college dorm room, loans and crippling debt was permeated throughout the walls and the students were all broke, including Schwoz. Twenty bucks would be a stretch for him because he lived on cheap soda and ready-made microwave food, but then again, they were friends and colleagues in the future, so maybe he could find them something. 

It wasn't like they were overflowing with brains, brawn yes, intelligence? no. They needed all the help they could get, they weren't going up against some two-bit villain, they were going up against Drex, and more importantly, he could see that they needed help when Henry asked the most important question of all, the one that had boggled philosophers and scientists alike, the query everyone wanted to be answered...

"Where is the beef?"

Yeah, he was so helping them.

[medaknight4]

Frozen Assets

Chapter 2: Following Leads

Nikila listened to the echoes her feet made with the cold cobbled stone as she paced along the stronghold's Wall of History. Her steps made for an easy rhythm to tap her chisel to as she scribed her experiences into the tablet she held. The reverberations that resulted soothed her, wrapping around her in a warmth that reminded her of Vinik, who was elsewhere in the fortress.

The approach was three pronged, like the trident on her back: she would gather information from Matua, Les would go talk to the Archivist about records, and Vinny would see if the other members of the Fortress had heard anything. Simple. Unfortunately, the Toa of the Green was being cagey with her. Nikila figured this was somehow payback for earlier. It wasn't her fault she could bite with the best of them. And now it was biting her back. The Toa had been jumping through niceties and hoops for almost an hour before she felt confident enough to start digging deeper.

“So all of this is Brotherhood approved?” she asked cautiously.

Matua nodded. “They had final say over every letter sent over here, including how to transcribe the Wall. Of course, our additions have to stick to their standards as well but I assume you knew that to be a given.”

Makes sense. “You can't go easy on my parts?” She had built up a decent rapport with the Toa of Plantlife. If she didn't shoot her shot now, she might never get to act on her hunch again. “Do they have a centralized repository at their headquarters, then? They must get regular updates from their territories often.”

Matua smiled without looking back at the other Toa. “I wouldn't do that if I were you. Not a soul but their chosen few know the location of the organization's nest. I suspect it's actually multiple places to keep a close eye on strategic hot spots.”

Now there's an interesting word choice, comparing them to Rahi, intentionally or otherwise. “Is there a reason they dropped a fortress in one without such qualities?” Nikila looked around, not only to scan the depressing architecture but to help her observation land should Matua look back. “Kind of the middle of nowhere. Cold as an Ice Bat, too.”

“The Brotherhood's foresight is beyond my own, I suppose. They are guardians of the Known Lands just as we are, and have a wealth of information. Information they would gladly give if one were to ask for, nicely.”

Nikila backpedaled without breaking stride. “Of course. The issue is simply where to start looking for their aid. We've been searching for our Matoran across the Silver Sea for millennia now and have yet to find a representative of theirs anywhere.”

“From what I've heard, you've been dotting along islets and the coasts; Makuta tend to oversee the larger islands and the centers of the continents. I can send a missive to the South. It will take a while to get to its heart but I know a few Brotherhood agents there personally. I can vouch for them, and you to them.” A moment's pause. “I think Flail and Mace are talking Vinik's ears off right now; they'd really appreciate his stories, from what you've told me.”

Nikila quickly lowered her rising finger, her follow-up clenched in her throat. Aw Karzahni, he clammed. Time for damage control. “His mind is a Protosteel trap for yarn but his ear for concrete detail could use some work. Plus, he prefers the spoken word. He'd probably be bored out of his gourd carving all this prose.” Her work was in shorthand, of course. She didn't know how long she had. Matua is smart enough to figure it out when it was to be reported, right?

The ceiling shook with an armor rattling boom, dust sprinkling down upon the two Toa. Nikila bolted down the corridor, her tablet and chisel clattering on the floor. Matua stole a glance at the symbols on the newly chipped stone, a single word in the sea of letters searing into the warrior's mind as he followed to investigate the commotion:

Madness.

----

Lesovikk sighed. “So that's a no to Idris and Sarda, then?”

“Eeyup.”

“And of Cordak?”

“Only bits and pieces here and there. There hasn't been anything since the island was abandoned. At least, nothing official. There was never a Makuta assigned to it, so the Brotherhood effectively knows nothing.”

The Toa clenched his fist, disheartened. Just this once, he hoped to not feel like a hound yanked by its chain through the mud of an aloof world. Were the former defenders of Cordak chasing their tails as the time's arrow left them behind, leaving only dust and echoes in its accursed wake? The chill of the fortress basement was nothing compared to the despair that ran through his body. A frozen waterfall in his sinking stomach. “Karzahni.”

“Not there either.”

The offhand comment from the Archivist snapped Les out of his depressed stupor. He stop to ponder the possibility, however small. “You… have information regarding Karzahni?”

“From only a handful of anecdotes, yes. Three, to be precise, from deep in the Southern Continent. One of Mutran's scribes took what was regarded as firsthand accounts from a Le-Matoran named– ”

A razor-thin chance, along with decades of annoyance and begrudging respect, took hold of Lesovikk's autonomic nervous system; he blurted without thought. “Defilak!? That hot-headed– if any Matoran could saunter out of Hell, it would be him.”

The sudden volume from the usually quiet Toa startled the Archivist, almost enough to not question about the outburst. Almost. “How did you know…” The realization hit the registrar like a ton of the tablets she often worked with. Three deviant Toa looking for lost Matoran. And this one just asked about Cordak. The Archivist's wings sagged with the weight of the realization before her curiosity beat out her bout of melancholy. “So that's why Matua allowed you in here. Was he one of yours?”

Lesovikk would have continued with his tirade but the words fizzled out upon contact with the inquiry. “Yes,” he replied, curtly. “He is still my charge, despite the unwanted criticisms.” The Toa decided to take a play out of his Brother's book and pivot to something more lighthearted.

“Can you believe there are Matoran out there that can hear about our exploits and think 'yes, but you could have done this'? Defilak is one of those. Like he has it in him to become a great Toa-hero.”

He paused; Les hadn't used chutespeak in millennia. Defilak liked how it sounded, so he taught every other Le-Matoran on the island how to use the strange syntax. Or tried, at least.

“I didn't realize you've been to Metru Nui,” said the Archivist.

“Not I. Defilak claimed that knowing how to speak other dialects of Matoran would help me more effectively communicate with foreign powers.” Lesovikk chuckled softly despite himself. “Your local Trader visits the City of Legends twice and he thinks he can change a whole island.”

“Hmm, a headstrong Le-Matoran with the instincts of a Kavinika,” remarked the registrar. “I can see how he would last this long.”

Lesovikk reflected on the insinuation. Some breeds of the wolf-like Rahi were said to never let go once they bit down on their prey. Of course the two butted heads before the Turaga went mad: they were reflections of each other: loyal, territorial beasts that knew what was best for the pack. The Toa was about to respond when the Archivist preempted an apology.

“Sorry for the snark; I get cranky when I'm cooped up down here too long.” She experimentally flexed her wings and stretched her arms above her head. A few stray feathers brushed the sides of the cobblestone walls when an explosion rocked the chamber, unleashing a cloud of dust from the floor above. The Archivist recoiled, pinning her wings to the side to reduce her profile. “I didn't do that, right?”

Lesovikk's mask glowed as he tapped into the Kavinika's heightened hearing. “I have a nasty feeling that our unwelcome guests have returned.”

----

“And that's how we almost fought a Rock Lion,” Vinik concluded, wrapping up his tale. He gave his audience of two a glance, his mask screaming for a reaction without a sound.

“Wow,” muttered Mace in quiet awe. “Somehow the avoidance of conflict was more engaging than the urge to engage with and the results of the conflict itself.”

Flail nodded sagely in agreement. “I liked the part where they didn't hurt the big, loud kitty more. That would have been mean and bad.”

“Have you ever had that kind of experience?” Vinik pondered aloud. “Where you knew you had to help out in a dire situation, to help a creature in need despite the danger or costs involved?”

“When the heart of an island is on the line?" A young Toa of Fire hopped off a stack of supplies in the corner and approached the conversation. "Of course.”

Flail smiled and waved. “Oh hey, Hover! Glad you made it through the fight from before.”

Mace frowned and lightly elbowed their comrade in the side. “Toa Lhikan has been with us for almost a year, now. I do believe his name should be used more often when he is spoken to.”

An understanding expression graced the bright yellow mask of the rookie. “It's fine, Mace, really. They have a hard time with names. It's why you adopted the convention as well, right?”

The other Toa stared daggers at the observation, readying a retort, but they relented. “Astute as always.”

“See? I told you Hover likes it. It's much better than Greatswords. Too long, and doesn't sound as good.”

Vinik didn't hear this latest back and forth; he was too busy reminiscing about the previous members of the Toa Cordak. They were all very much like this in the beginning: a disparate group of warriors that could compliment each other one moment and grind each other's gears the next. It did take a few hundred years to smooth out the real contentious parts of the team, but when they used their different strengths to bolster the whole, they were a force to be reckoned with. Did Destiny hold this in store for these Toa as well? Tragedy was an inescapable truth of the title but would it reforge them into stronger stuff? Only time would tell.

Vinik was shaken back to reality.

“Hey Gauntlet, you okay?” Flail asked worriedly. They laid a massive, gentle hand on the Toa's shoulder. “Didn't you see my hand waving in front of your face?”

Vinik blinked a few times before responding. “Apologies, my Sibling, I was lost in thought. You reminded me of… friends of mine, who I knew long ago–”

The wall opposite of the group burst open with a great cacophony, spraying debris into the chamber and nearly knocking its occupants to the ground. A stray rock struck Mace in the head; they crumpled over into a newly formed heap of Protosteel. Vinik cursed and extended the claws on his gauntlet, their blades shining in the newly lit room. “Come no closer, demon, lest you face the wrath of a Fortress of Toa!”

Three figures stepped through the crooked gash: two with grins as wicked as Vinik's claws, and the other towering over them both. “We are here for the Stone,” said the imposing blue and gold figure. “Relinquish it or die.”

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[atendersun-archived]

Oh no, a bat just flew into the window and started breaking everything is it Aluin? Who knows, it could just be a bat.

As knowledge as the insomniac was in various areas of expertise, he could have definitely used a read or two out of an encyclopedia. Even an otherwise unremarkable journal entry citing different types of bats would have been appreciative more than anything at that point. Especially in regards to the well-being of the unknown creature, because of course the first thing the blond could think to do at the sight of something so unusual was try to lure it in with pieces of a banana.

"You gonna hurt yourself", he gently chastised, holding out the piece he could have very well just eaten himself at that point. To him, it must have just been either a juvenile creature, or just one not all too acquainted with the concept of manners due to the assumed reality that it was a genuine creature of the night. Any assumption that it may have been a familiar face, or even something associated with him by relation, was well above his head for the time being due to not being a hundred percent certain his old friend could even become a bat in the first place. It would be something he'd have to ask them in the near future, but until then his attention was completely set to trying to give lots of love to the small intruder.

"You know.. You probably shouldn't make too much very noise, or else you gonna make Bunny come in here. She a big Doberman doggie, so she can eat you all up."

As empty of a threat it happened to be in reality, he tried at what he could to not reveal that fact in his completely calm, yet still guiding demeanor. Truthfully, his so called guard dog relied just as heavily on her beauty sleep as Match valued a good rest. Hence why both dogs belonging to the young man were well beyond fast asleep in another room with a white noise machine to keep them lulled long enough to last until morning. Even so, he figured he'd give it a hand just as a means of distracting the destructive fellow long enough to catch him between two careful hands.

"You is very lucky that I keep lots of tattered clothes in my house for projects, 'cause then I can rip one up for turning it into pannies for you. You gonna have to wear the diaper until I can call somebody to make sure you is safe to go outside, because I don't want you poopin' in my house. But don't you worry too much about having to wear clothes, little baby, 'cause Muu gonna make sure it is comfy on your little booty. I should give you lil spankin' for breaking some of me things, but you is just a baby. And because I love you very much. I.. I would give you a kiss on your litte head, baby, but I'm not sure where you've been."

Eyes would briefly squint in thought over what any past form of himself would have done in the same situation. Which may not have been the best question to really consider knowing he'd pretty much been content to eat foreign objects found on the ground well into a rather embarrassing age. Still, he also couldn't help himself from wanting to create memories that went beyond what he otherwise felt he'd missed out on in his early adult years. That and he simply didn't have it in him to withstand his own taunting over being so much more skittish and uncertain that he'd ever been as an actual child back in the day.

"Also.. I feel like if I did give you little baby kiss, and you was really Aluin, you'd murder me. It probably already doesn't feel so very safe to be so tiny and unable to say words, huh? I'm sure we can figure out how to have communication and boundaries though.. How about one squeak is gonna be yes, and two is no? Can Muu just give you a little kiss on your head because you is cute enough to eat you all up?"

In wait for a reply, he rambled further, "The diaper though is, ah.. non-negotiable. I think it to be karmic for when you was telling people I wore diapers. I'm very sure you was only doing that because you was calling me a baby, but you'd be surprised by how.. funny life can be sometimes."