#Dr. Julian Ramirez

[spidermilkshake]

Until September

More RE fanfics--more mutants, more corporate shenanigans. There is fluff! Also a rival company commando is blitzed by a Tyrant, but, uh, this is Resident Evil. Even the nicest scenes are bookended by scary.

Rating: Teen (TW for suggestive language, human experimentation, dehumanization, medical/lab settings and stuff, plus also human adults cuss like human adults, some obvious child neglect and endangerment, alcohol abuse, implied animal abuse)

Mr. X's long first assignment--to be upper-level Tyrant Project researcher Dr. Julian Ramirez's personal bodyguard as he spends his summer at his fancy house bought with his evil corporation money. Having a test mission prototype Tyrant on your property to help flatten any intruders or rival company agents that sneak in is apparently a common perk if the company's board likes your work. Ramirez, uh, has an interesting home life, and T-00 is smart enough to detect some of that despite this being its first experience of humans not poking it in a lab or putting it through combat training in a top-secret facility...

5: Until September

            From that point, after a short cargo helicopter ride and another in the back of a large civilian armored car, T-00… “Mr. X”… experienced the brief life of Dr. Ramirez’s at-home lab.

            Situated in a cozy, deep-red corner of northern California, the man had the benefit of the rural landscape for all manner of reasons. One being his bunker laboratory which he fiddled around with variants of common viral and bacterial elements within, as well as examining various domesticated animal species’ genomes to try and discover another, more advantageous quirk that could be added to the Tyrant project. Some of the sources of these genomes could be found on the small attached ranch property in the form of a somewhat decrepit horse and several large, semi-feral cattle. A highly-pampered golden retriever mix also bounced its way around the property, but it could hardly be lumped in with the farm animals considering how loving and attentive Dr. Ramirez seemed to become on sight of the canine. This animal was about as untrained as the cows—though it balked at any close quarters with the Tyrant, probably smelling something was off about the inoffensive but intimidating newcomer.

            The Tyrant was ushered swiftly into a portion of the swanky abode which bordered the laundry and a small guest room on the first day. Between these two locations, the doctor had prepared a simple rest area for the bioweapon to reside in while it was not to be seen—roughly the size of the small laundry though without the obstructing machines, T-00 noted the heavily-built twin bedframe and the fitting mattress, which it assumed it was meant to rest on. It… was not bad, now that it had a few minutes to contemplate it.

            Okay, it was more than “not bad”. Mattresses were invented for a reason, and the insufficient nature of those holding chamber benches became richly obvious to the beast that had never experienced proper back support before. It had slept a solid nine hours the first night, until summoned by a cheerful call of its nickname—the longest stint of sleep it had ever known.

            Otherwise, the Tyrant which Dr. Ramirez called “Mr. X” stayed a moment, or a meter or two, behind him (depending on what the man requested, and what the Tyrant’s highly-tuned senses for danger dictated). The man spent a lot of time in the small bunker lab, checking fuse banks before booting up huge computers to run an equally massive hypermicroscope device in order to manipulate pieces of dead SARS and Hepatitis delta-virus, picking out segments of RNA and comparing them to Umbrella’s sample slides of base genes. He often made spunky commentary, knowing it was only the so-far nonverbal Tyrant hearing him, but based on his specific, jovial responses it knew he could only be speaking only to it.

            Despite the doctor’s fancy and frequent social life, he was very lonely. After dark fell, no other human occupied the languidly-spread and draftily large house in the hills. The man still chatted happily—sometimes too happily—with his newly-won bioweapon attendant.

            The bioweapon had once or twice also stepped out with him, and a very flinchy, nervous man whom the doctor’d called a “trainer”, to see the old horse and the half-dozen cows. T-00 eyed the dusty, vacantly-staring creatures staying well back from the bioweapon. They behaved much like B.O.W.s with none or very rusty training. The lone horse would come right to the gate for Dr. Ramirez’s trainer, even with the towering creature feet away, though the whites of its eyes flared plainly as it stood, ears pinning and legs shaking for the trainer to check its hooves and teeth.

            T-00 focused instead on the cows, not wishing to interfere unintentionally on the equine check-over. It locked eyes with a large, rusty-brown beast that had very small, stubby horns. The animal stamped its rear legs softly, nostrils flaring. Strange. The creature was fairly small compared to the others in the group, though it placed itself front and center regardless—a “leader” of sorts, making all of the protective motions towards the others that the position entailed. A much larger steer of a mostly black color hid ineffectually behind her—sharing many features with this cow.

            “Come on! We’re done Mr. X,” the doctor called from the gate, the first indication it had quietly shuffled a step inside the paddock area to watch the animals more closely. With an instinctual start, it turned and tromped off after its current objective.

            It wished the animals and its master’s use of the Tyrant as a social interaction stand-in had been the most predictable parts of its mission. No—that honor would go to the once-monthly incident of rival agents attempting to gain access to Ramirez’s nuclear-shielded bunker. Irritated out of its comfortable rest, the Tyrant followed the clinking and ticking of attempts to bypass the lock code and the other measures to find a body-armored individual in front of the small cellar entrance, like a sitting duck as they focused on the loud—annoying—puzzle portion. It wasn’t clear if they ever realized an eight-foot mutant weapon was creeping up on them before it happened. Regardless, Ramirez would have one of the informed Umbrella staff bag up the body and tote it off the next morning as the household came awake.

--------

            It was one week during the hellishly dry heat of summer than Mr. X encountered a true challenge to its adaptable wits—and it began more or less during one of the more predictable, boring parts of its duties. The bioweapon lurked a few meters behind the doctor in his home office, blocking the large window with its even larger back while Ramirez was distracted on the phone.

            The Tyrant could only guess at some of this, but it did recognize the codenames and designations used for various B.O.W.s:

            “So the train was just…? All of them?” Julian Ramirez scrubbed at his patchy stubble, “Jesus… Well, do you know how it happened? …Uh huh, I’m sure it came back inconclusive. There’s never any hypercompetitive, jealous pricks trying to off each other at Umbrella labs, huh.”

            “Speaking of, do you have any idea what they’re gonna do about Birkin?” There was a long pause before a tinny squeak of the other voice picked up, “Oh come on. They practically know it was him. Who else has been sabotaging projects involving T for months? …It was T on that train, right? …Okay, they even know it’s that strain—so who else has access to the Arklay lab who would?”

            There was an even longer silence this time before the other line began to speak again; and once it did Ramirez’s grip on the phone tightened, his dark complexion going sweaty and almost impossibly pale. The change was so extreme that T-00’s senses honed in and it watched its master with mounting concern, convinced the doctor was about to collapse out of some kind of medical distress.

            “… Since when? …Really, that recent?” He finally dredged up his voice again, wiping furiously at his brows and mustache, staring down at his own shaking hand in bafflement as if wondering who put all of that sweat there, “So where was Willy in all this?”

            “…Ah.”

            “So… they’re sure it wasn’t him… Well. I’ll see about giving Teifer a call soon if she’s got questions for me.”

            After Ramirez hung up, he glanced over his shoulder at his house-Tyrant with an indecipherable expression, which had Mr. X straightening up to full attention. Then, with a heavy sigh he turned in his chair towards the squat glass bottle of Pilár dark rum that he kept on one side of the desk and unscrewed the cap in a ritual which usually—T-00 had observed—took place later in the day. The powerful alcohol swirled into a coffee mug and shortly after was slammed into the man’s mouth, eliciting a rough grunt as he fought the burn of the unhealthily-large shot.

            Mr. X relaxed somewhat as Ramirez returned to the phone. The next conversation had more that the bioweapon recognized, but was even more confusing:

            “Hey, Teifer! It’s Ramirez,” he sounded as peppy as always, despite the haggard look in his eyes and the rum flooding into his bloodstream, “Yeah, he told me you needed to hear from me… eh? Ah, he did mention what happened up at the Arklay lab…”

            He leaned back, hooded eyes inspecting his propped-up shoes as he took in his colleague’s words. He rolled them upon a certain part of her story:

            “Hey, hey—you’re getting too stressed. Listen: I get the risk. But Cerberus specimens physically can’t spread the virus. That shouldn’t be your main concern.

            “Those dogs don’t have T in them anymore—they’re kinda like the modern Tyrants, alright? We enhance the genome, we infect—with the delta strain for the Cerberus—and let the mutation take its course, okay? Then when they’re fully baked, we quarantine the specimens, give them a T-virus vaccination, and a course of anti-retrovirals just to be sure before those guys go to training. Which, by the way, you should be able to get a hold of someone at N.E.S.T. with experience training animal B.O.W.s. They’ve got lots of new Hunters coming out of there, they can help you wrangle those dogs when the time comes…”

            “Hm? …Ah… Yeah, see, that one is a problem,” Ramirez’s shoulders finally slouched more naturally, and he got a level, if slightly slushy, tone of voice back, “Rabies is very real and a good explanation for any ‘public eye’ stuff… If the bear story is true you’ll want to get a squad with heavy weapons and track down every rabid animal claim in a five-mile radius, then be sure to bag and burn everything they shoot.”

            “..? Teifer, you know that’s even easier. Quarantine and trace identity, burn the premises, then let the weaponized-virals R&D team see the data.”

            “…What journalist?” At this new turn in the conversation Ramirez shot upright in his chair, “… You don’t have a name? …Uh-huh. … Hm. Well, if he knows too much he probably already knows he’s dead.”

            “Right. See you in fall. Bye now.”

            After Ramirez hung up, he sat for a long while, head in hands. Mr. X let a good ten minutes pass before the alarm bells started to go off, and the huge mutant huffed as it took a careful step forward. At the creak of the floors, Dr. Ramirez raised his head again.

            “Eh?” He twisted around, “What is it, Mr. X?”

            The bioweapon had a number of words that it might have wanted to put out—“Are you well?”, “What was that about?”, “Do you need help?”, or even “What the fuck?”—but it had no idea how to move its throat, or tongue, or lips to do such a thing. He did the next best thing: Mr. X grunted, managing to make the trailing end of the noise rise up in pitch with wordless questions, as humans did in such a situation.

            “Smart fella,” Ramirez gave a soft laugh. “One of these days I’ll have to get you practice in saying a few words. I’m fine. Can you just… turn and check out the window for a while? I have to call my ex,” he added the last part quickly, which while confusing did not hold up the Tyrant very long in turning around and scanning the exterior of the house for potential threats.

            The phone rang several times, with Ramirez left waiting. Mr. X’s pinprick pupils hovered over the entrance gate, then the edge of the pinyon treeline, then over to where the dog was laid out in a patch of dirt by one of the front garden walls. Finally, someone answered the doctor:

            “Linda… hey. No don’t—” there was an insistent buzz of muffled vocals from the speaker, “It’s about the weekend, Linda—look, you want me to just not warn you? Huh?”

            “Okay okay. Look, I just need you to know I have to be out a few hours Saturday to work with someone. Don’t worry—” he interrupted the agonized screech from the speaker, “—I have someone to watch her until I get back. Don’t worry. I wouldn’t walk back on this, mi amor.”

            “… Okay, Jesus, I won’t do it again. Just… noon Saturday, right? I’ll be there.”

            The phone slammed on the receiver. Mr. X peeked back over his lapels in anticipation of a command. There was only so much time in the office, however decorated and airy, that Ramirez could stand and Mr. X tended to agree with this habit. It was in the loft area of the house, and the ceilings were a foot too low for the Tyrant’s comfort.

            “Right. Mr. X?” The bioweapon swiveled around in reply, “I’m going to fetch some things from the basement. Take up a guard downstairs, yeah?”

            Mr. X nodded with eagerness, letting the somewhat tipsy human lead the way out the door and down the stairs. This was an ideal task for both of them, considering the ninety-plus temperatures outside, and once the man had vanished down the too-narrow steps to the musty, refreshingly cool basement level the Tyrant posted himself in a comfortable nook within sight of the open basement door, the front door, and the downstairs hall towards the kitchen area. It watched. Nothing much reached its eyes or ears—except for a distant snort of a horse or cow, a wasp bouncing against the nearest window in a frenzy to find food or shade, and a clatter followed by a Spanish-language curse from the cluttered sublevel. Business as usual.

-------

            On Saturday, the omen which Mr. X innocently overheard came to the doorstep.

            In the morning, with Ramirez nursing a pickle-juice-based hangover cocktail and holding a hardboiled egg like it was a sergeant’s switch from bygone days, Mr. X was confronted with a series of warnings which it knew right away were serious, very serious, and urgent… but that he didn’t entirely grasp right away.

            “Mr. X! Listen—listen,” the man pressed his eggless hand into the lapel of his tame mutant’s trenchcoat, “Today is going to be a bit different. I need you to be… uh… well… different.”

            T-00 stared down at the man pressing himself as close to its face as possible, and gave a low grunt as he tilted his head.

            “Well, I mean…” Ramirez let up on the contact, as aware as they came that pushing the living weapons too hard or confusing them with contradictory orders could come with serious consequences, “Mr. X, you are going to meet my daughter today. She’s visiting over the weekend and will be here until roughly 11 a.m. on Monday.”

            Ramirez waited, as if to hear an acknowledgement from the creature staring him down with wide, perplexed, but still willing eyes. The man sighed, leaning into his hands which had settled on the Tyrant’s chest, “While she’s here, I want you to put your protective orders over me as secondary. While she’s here, you protect her, is that understood?”

            Daughter. Mr. X had not heard anything of Ramirez’s family before, but it had an intuitive sense of what the word “DAUGHTER” meant. The creature took a deep, sharp inhale, then gave a rough, affirmative growl at the same time it bobbed its head.

            “Good… good…” Ramirez reached up and patted the Tyrant on the shoulder, grin of relief almost palpable without flashing it within sight. Mr. X reflexively swelled with the praise.

            “She’ll be here at noon, and you must watch over her very closely until about four. If she needs water, get her a cup and fill it from the fridge. If she gets hungry, take her to the bottom left cabinet and she’ll pick what she wants. Otherwise just make sure no one and nothing hurts her. I’ll introduce you—”

            —and then, the kitchen phone rang, and the pager on the doctor’s hip bleeped with an annoying tone. The man rounded and went to answer, while the biomutant stood silently processing the future orders. Daughter… did that mean juvenile or adult daughter? Probably… juvenile. It would not need to be providing water on demand to an adult, or show an adult to the bottom left cabinet. There was also no reason to limit an adult to that particular cabinet, which only contained the sacks of undiluted nutrient gel for its own fluid intake along with boxes of crackers, jars of peanut butter, and a few bags of veggie chips and other “health snacks” as the doctor had called them. It was… not exactly designed for the task of childcare, and it shuffled anxiously in place as it dawned on him that it would have to figure it out with no more instruction. It could… learn this… right?

            Humans seemed to be fairly unbothered by the duty to watch over their offspring—so it must not be that difficult.

------

            Mr. X had been ordered to stand still inside the gates of the garden in an area half-concealed with shade when the large sedan pulled into the gravel circle at the end of the rural mountain road and crunched to a stop. Its keen vision spotted the small figure step out of the passenger side and quickly have an arm snatched up in a control grip by the small woman who had emerged from the driver’s side. There was a bitter argument between all three, which quelled after a minute or two while the sedan’s engine puttered impatiently. The woman released the little one, who did not run to either parent and instead stepped towards the gate, keeping her large brown eyes on both of them, as if wary of them following her.

            After a minute the car’s engine revved up as it returned down the uneven paving, disappearing in a few seconds around a bend. Ramirez was left wearily standing by where it had once parked, a small bag dangling from one hand (presumably the belongings of his child, packed into a tiny, colorful package).

            Mr. X glanced down at a small sound and was suddenly locking eyes with the absolute tiniest human he had ever seen. Dark hair and cut short, dark skin with a few freckles, and those huge brown eyes which widened further upon noticing the massive, trenchcoat-clad form skulking just inside the property line.

            “Papá!” The shrill voice was at such decibels and pitch that the Tyrant was forced to stagger back. Such a tiny body was so, so loud! The bioweapon resisted the urge to raise up its hands to cup over its ears, but its knees did bend and buckle before the doctor rushed up and grabbed the girl around the shoulders:

            “What’s wrong, m’ija?”

            “M-monstruo!” She pointed straight to the half-subdued, heavily-stressed visage of the startled Tyrant.

            “Oh,” Ramirez hugged his daughter closer and chuckled, as if there was some clear, and obvious, and worse trivial confusion at play. He knelt to where he was halfway between his child and his personal Bio-Organic Weapon.

            “It’s okay, m’ija—this is my bodyguard. I promise, he’s nice, okay?”

            The child peeked over the shabby fabric of Ramirez’s polo shirt, meeting the obviously inhuman pupils of the giant form that had frightened her. Without telepathy, it was unknown if she found a lack of evil within, but she did relent and sniffle up the start of her tears.

            “Bodyguard?”

            “Sí, for work,” Ramirez gave a strained smile, “It’s okay, he won’t hurt you. Look, see? He didn’t mean to scare you.”

            The doctor had slightly pressed the girl further around his shoulder, closer to the colossal form. Mr. X sensed the girl’s resistance to this and took a step slightly back—almost mirroring her trying to push herself back away from it. Its hearts thudded stronger in a sympathetic feedback loop upon seeing the feeble struggle she was putting up against her own father. He was forcing her towards a powerful monster, knowing full well what it could do. What then could it do, a being built for combat?

            It did what only its inbuilt reflexes urged it to do—and bowed its head until it lost eye contact with either of them. Mr. X had assumed Dr. Ramirez’s child would know what a T-103 was. It was now clear that she did not know at all what he was; she might think it was a human. But a big human staring hard at a tiny child was… threatening.

            “You’re okay. C’mon let me introduce you!” Ramirez’s voice chimed out as if no terror or stress was in evidence, “This fella is Mr. X. Don’t ask his real name—it’s secret. He’ll keep you safe so long as you’re here.

            “Mr. X! Eyes up.”

            T-00 reluctantly obeyed, and the first thing its eyes met was the petrified face of the girl still trying to cling onto her father’s shoulder after he’d pushed her to be well within the bioweapon’s reach. Its back twitched before it forced itself to stay completely still, the only other movement he made the uneasy blinking, and the gaze flicking back and forth—from the man, to the girl, to the man.

            “Mr. X, this is my daughter, Mariposa.” He smiled, “You remember I was talking about her yesterday, yeah? Be nice to her. She’s only—how old are you, Mari?”

            Was it… normal for humans to lose track of how old their offspring were? Mr. X felt his brows twitch, and somehow this microscopic expression which went in opposition of her father’s constant push was what Mariposa needed to see to give a quick swallow of nerves and relax a fraction:

            “Ten.”

            “That’s my girl! C’mon now, let’s get your stuff inside,” Ramirez stood up, all but shrugging his little girl off of himself like an annoying weight and picking up the backpack from where he’d set it down beside him. Apparently only Mr. X heard the soft whimper she let out as she stumbled and scurried to put her father back between herself and the menacing giant; T-00 took the opportunity to also do away with this forced close-quarters and took a much larger step back. It hesitated to follow the two into the front door for a few moments, especially as it spied the child sneaking worried glances over her hardly-evident shoulders at the creature.

            “Mr. X! Come on you, get out of the heat!” Its eye twitched a bit at the impatient tone of the order, but ducked his head low to negotiate the entryway and squeezed into the welcome air conditioning. Ramirez had been rushing around the open concept downstairs, dropping off Mariposa’s belongings onto one of the kitchen chairs before scoping around for his own briefcase, wallet, and the keys to his armored truck. The girl meanwhile had posted herself up behind the kitchen island, staring over bewildered and clearly scared at her parent preparing to leave her alone with a monster.

            “Right… that should be it. M’ija, come give a kiss ‘bye for now—Papá’s got to go into town for some last-minute business.”

            “You can’t leave me with—”

            “Shh! Don’t be rude. Mr. X is a big teddy bear, really—relax!”

            The Tyrant itself shot the doctor a dubious look; bear was maybe an accurate comparison at least in terms of size and weight, but… teddy? That was soft and harmless—and Mr. X knew by now it was very much not harmless, and… probably not soft.

            “Papá, please—”

            “No no, you listen. I’ve got to do this and it’s not a choice. You stay here and if you need anything just ask him. I won’t be gone for more than a few hours.”

            With that, Ramirez brushed past the Tyrant and swept out the door. The sound of the latch setting again ushered in a new, heavy silence. The bioweapon could feel the girl’s stare boring into the side of his head—watching him for any sudden moves with the same alertness that a Tyrant might train onto a potential threat. Understanding somewhat, Mr. X held completely still and listened for any indication that the tiny figure was moving out from her cover.

            The click and whirr of the fridge fan cutting on startled them both—Mariposa shrieked, the Tyrant jolted upright so hard the flooring shuddered, and it turned to see that the child had ducked further down and was only barely peeking over the island countertop at it. Briefly grumbling with embarrassment that it had reacted so strongly to so little, Mr. X eyed the floor as it reached up and scratched at the deformed grooves on its jaw. Being scared of something new was one thing… being scared of the box that kept the treats from spoiling was another entirely…

            “Um… Mr. X..?”

            He froze mid-itch at the trepidatious voice; the Tyrant turned to find that Mariposa had crept around the side of the kitchen. While still keeping a chair between herself and the hulking brute, she had cut the space between them by half, maybe more. Without the insufferable pressure of her unobservant (or uncaring) father forcing either of their hands, she seemed to calm down to the idea that this monster was “housebroken”—at least in the sense that it wouldn’t break the house. Not without orders to.

            Mariposa’s nose appeared to wrinkle up in contemplation as the Tyrant continued to watch her, making no move or noise but the normal bassy rush of its breathing.

            “…You don’t say much, do you.”

            Mr. X gave a sluggish blink; it could try to speak a word of two, but it wouldn’t have the slightest idea how the attempt would turn out—and it feared it may turn out like the ugly bellows and groans other Tyrants could more easily produce, so T-00 simply gave a creaky shake of its head.

            “So, you don’t talk?” Another shake, and Mariposa bit her lip as she processed what this meant for their hours stuck unattended together. “But… you listen?”

            It made sure it gave an emphatic nod to this, and then tilted its head as if alertly waiting to listen to her at this very second.

            “Okay…” She stepped out with care and no small degree of lingering trembles from the chair, peeking over her shoulder towards the back garden door, “May I… go outside? I wanna see Benji…”

            Benji. Dog’s name. The Tyrant recalled. The back garden of the house was a forty foot by fifteen foot rectangle with no known toxic or thorny plants, and it was northeasterly. Getting more and more shade soon. It should be safe; it would not be blinded by the California sunshine, and both sunburn and heatstroke would be less able to get at either of them. Mr. X gave a soft grunt that he hoped sounded affirmative and nodded.

            “You have to come with me, huh?” Another nod. “Okay… um… I’m going now.” The Tyrant watched as the small human very warily made her way to the back door, shooting looks its way every few steps as if to brace for the moment the massive form would start pursuing. Waiting until she had her hand to the door’s handle, T-00 started to follow with the lightest shuffling steps it could manage.

            The two of them kept about ten feet apart at minimum—keeping close tabs on each other but not being so jumpy or anxious now. This got even easier in the open space of the garden, especially as the golden-furred canine came loping around the side of the dry clumps of Pampas grass and wagged his whole body on sight of the little girl. T-00 planted its back to the house wall close by so it had the widest field of view and the most sun protection, and for a while it was almost as if the parental badgering, the uncomfortable introduction, and the sheer aura of child-endangerment which permeated the whole situation was no factor. The oblivious and overjoyed dog was a big help with that, and Mariposa bounded around with it as they gave the oversized tennis ball chewtoy a new coat of slobber and montane dust before both flopping down on the patio pavers and engaging in the kind of lazy cuddling that Mr. X could only give a curious stare. It had no context for this kind of contact; it sometimes bordered on violent the way she scratched at the domestic canine, but… Benji seemed to like it, and the dog rolling onto her lap and nuzzling her wet nose into her face was even drawing a few giggles. How… uncoordinated. How… how… something that he couldn’t connect the word for, but knew in its bones the concept of.

            Shit, damn… something. Other-expletive. It was on the tip of its… tongue? Brain? Subconscious linguistic knowledge? It knew what the “good uncoordinated not-serious companionship stress-relief good thing” was. It knew it. But a good word that summed the idea up had somehow not been something it had been exposed to in the growth chamber, it supposed.

            After more than an hour both dog and child were worn out, and their Tyrant chaperone had relaxed more, eyes half-hooded and drowsy. The sound of shoes scuffing nearby had it snapping back to alertness, and on looking down it found a surprise in the form of the little girl craning her neck up expectantly, hand just short of tugging at one of the gigantic hands. Benji padded up close by, wagging away as usual.

            “Mr. X, I’m gonna go in now. Can I take Benji with me?”

            T-00 remembered the dog being allowed inside before—especially when it was as hot as it had been today, so as he unstuck his back from the pebble-stucco of the wall he gave her a slight bob of the head. Benji led the way with tongue wagging in time with his tail.

            In the artificially-cooled interior, Mr. X let out a low huff. His mass was such that it was difficult for him to regulate his temperature once it got much hotter than 25 degrees Celsius. Staying in line of sight of the happy dog and the small child as they curled onto the floor by the couch, tired and joyous, it tried to focus otherwise on letting its system cool off back to normal. But after a moment, Mariposa asked a question, which took the Tyrant a moment to register from its unexpectedness:

            “Mr. X? Are you okay?”

            The Tyrant gave a forceful nod, which perhaps had the opposite effect as the large droplet of its sweat dived from the tip of its nose to the floor at the movement. Mariposa fixed it with an expression that it felt was familiar—maybe it had tried to aim that one at its own trainers, weeks and months ago…

            “Mr. X, do you know where dad keeps the ice cream?”

            T-00 truthfully did not, though the swift flicker of its pupils towards the freezer—where anything “ice” would logically go—betrayed something to the small girl. She stood and joined the hulking bioweapon in the kitchen area of the downstairs, pointing to the freezer section of the fridge.

            “Can you check if it’s in there? I can’t reach…”

            T-00 narrowed its eyes slightly, even as it took two ginger steps closer and reached to open the upper section of the refrigerator. There was a blast of refreshingly chilly vapor as it did so, and after that had passed it blinked rapidly and studied the slim pickings of the contents. There was, however, something which claimed to be “ice cream” within—and in a short motion it plucked the small box from its confines and let the freezer door swing shut and seal while it turned the container about. Not sure what to make of it, Mr. X lowered the package to where Mariposa could read the labels on its side.

            “Ooh…” At the way her eyes lit up, the Tyrant had a panicky feeling that it had just disobeyed Ramirez’s orders for this short guardianship period. But then… with how hot it was, and the man’s daughter had just been outside for so long…

            “…Are you allowed to have one?” Mariposa hesitated at reaching into the box, still lowered to where she could access it. Mr. X didn’t really have an answer. It assumed “no”, since it had never been given one of these “ice cream” things or even informed of their storage area. Almost as soon as it had managed a short shake of its head, Mariposa had pulled out two of the oblong objects and pushed one into the Tyrant’s free hand.

            “I’ll give you one, if you don’t say nothing to papá,” Mariposa smirked. Mr. X lifted up the comparatively tiny frozen treat as it returned the rest of the box to its normal position, and met the child’s gaze again.

            He nodded. Whatever the damn thing was, he was starting to smell it even through the foil wrapping, and whatever it was caused unrelenting rivulets of drool to keep forming at the edges of its tightly-sealed lips. Whatever it was was the good stuff, by the nutrient-hungry standards of a Tyrant. And it was cold as ice, still remaining so after more than a minute in the grip of an overheated bioweapon. Why would Ramirez not let his daughter have one of these, if they seemed so good?

            Oh.

            Oh!

            “Ice cream”, as it turned out, was indefinite proof that the universe was fundamentally good. After what by any numerical measure was only a few minutes, the Tyrant felt like it had experienced an hour of sugary and creamy wonder, all from the three-inch chunk of what Mariposa had specified was an “ice cream sandwich”—the brick of vanilla-flavored goodness wedged between chocolate cookies. T-00 barely knew what these specifications meant but committed them to memory anyways. At least, once it had become able to focus on any other incoming stimuli after the intense deliciousness had faded into the past. It let out an animalistic groan of pleasure before it considered how it may sound frightening to its nearby charge; it needn’t have worried, since Mariposa was licking the melted remnants from her fingers with similar noise and fervor though at a higher pitch and smoother, human vocal tones. Mr. X scooped up the foil pieces where they’d each left them and deposited them in the garbage bin. Mariposa had now settled on the rug in front of the television, petting Benji where he lay half-asleep and scanning through stations in search of something she liked. Mr. X eyed the temptingly large, luxurious couch which he generally was not given much chance to occupy; it was close to where his protective target now was, and he would have good peripherals on each side from there… why… not? But perhaps the most important reason was Mariposa:

            At the heavy creak of the wood flooring under the rugs behind her, the young girl paused in her channel surfing and caught the bioweapon red-handed halfway to the couch.

            “Is the couch, ah… strong enough?”

            Mr. X nodded. Somehow, the couch always held. Of course, it was designed to hold at least four humans weighing over two hundred pounds each, so a single Tyrant weighing almost that much by itself would still be within its design limits. Though, it could still be a fluke. It had only sat here twice before now, so it was still possible… Thankfully, even though it did creak and groan very tellingly, the couch did hold well enough that the Tyrant was able to relax. Mariposa started watching something which showed a number of strange animals—they were larger than humans, though by the way they moved slightly lighter than most Tyrants. Or at least more graceful. The camera zoomed and focused, and T-00 realized these were horses—fully-fleshed, healthy-looking horses, much unlike the half-lamed and raggedy one it had seen in person.

            “The horse only arrived in the American Southwest by chance… Most experts agree that the wild horses we see here are all descendants of domesticated horses brought to the southern part of the continent by the Spanish as early as the 1400s…” The Tyrant almost managed a frown out of pure confusion; despite what the voiceover said, the visuals of the program showed clearly labelled petrogylphs from the area in question from several thousand years prior to the “1400s” which had horses pointed out by convenient labels.

            “Nowadays, amongst the dry chaparral hills and the prairie plains, wild horse herds roam under the protection of a conservation branch of the US government—allowing for a certain number of wild mustang horses to be corralled, auctioned off, and trained to become domestic horses once more so that the many thousands of their wild cousins can continue to run free…”

            Why these apparently thousands of creatures could not do so without something of this sort occurring every year did not make particular sense—but thankfully the program moved on swiftly to another animal from the same region:

            “The Harris Hawk is another wondrous creature found in the American Southwest—one which boasts the title of the only bird of prey in the world which will hunt in packs.” T-00’s eyes flashed at the swift movement on the screen as several handsome-looking birds swept into view, and then looped joyfully into a thermal which took them high over a desert landscape. “Working together in the harsh arid environment, the Harris Hawks can between a group of three catch more than ten times the number of small rodents and reptiles as their closest relatives could on their own, making the cooperative arrangement entirely worth it. Falconers have begun capturing and taming these magnificent birds, bending their amazing talents and social habits to their own purposes…”

            … There seemed to be a pattern here. Animal was found useful—animal got caught and used for human interests. It almost seemed like all of the fanciful camera shots of wild things running and flying and the long-winded narration was just introduction to this idea. Mariposa apparently found this as dry and bizarre as they Tyrant did, and switched the channels again until she landed on one that cycled through daytime gameshows.

            “Alright, Karen—tell me something that frequently gets replaced on a car!”

            “Ummm… the mirrors?”

            This did not appear to be a very smart answer, and yet somehow the answer appeared among the top five of some kind of overall results. The most obvious explanation was that everyone shown was so terrible at operating motor vehicles they had to replace their broken-off mirrors often. Maybe that was the appeal of this game—to watch teams of perhaps the most foolish and ignorant specimens of humanity put these attributes on display to amuse the audience.

            It felt its head bob lower and awoke with a start—panic shooting through it as it realized it had started to drowse mid-watch. But there was… something wrong? No, not wrong; different. There was a slight warmth and pressure up against its side, and the arm on that side was propped up on a low, soft object.

            Mr. X started to move the arm to try and find the flat surface of the couch again, but froze as his palm bumped instead on the frail shoulders of the small girl. It craned its neck down fraction by fraction, trying not to move any other muscles; Mariposa had, beneath its notice, crawled up onto the open section of couch beside the bioweapon, wedging her tiny frame under its limp forearm and nestling her head into the crease and folds of its Limiter coat where its waist met its lap. As if the monstrosity’s leg was a comfy pillow. T-00 blinked as its bleary thoughts woke up further in order to race to the logical conclusion: It had clearly not just “started” to doze off… a sting of unease lit up in its chest and its hackles rose at the thought it had lapsed in this duty. It was supposed to protect her—if she had left the house again—or if that was the moment a rival company sent their agent—or if by pure accident she had gotten injured or threatened—

            Ramirez’s daughter suddenly shifted in her sleep, more onto her back, and as she did so her slender arms grasped up and ended up around the Tyrant’s arm. She was utterly dwarfed by the limb alone, and even the tight hug she had around it was barely making it through his tough sleeve and even tougher skin. Regardless, Mr. X could feel it, and the change had jarred him out of the panic spiral. The Tyrant’s heavily-wrinkled face softened up, and it studied its charge for a moment to ensure she was safe and well. It settled down once more, noting the low angle of the orange-gold sunlight streaking in through the kitchen windows; it estimated the time to be well over an hour later than Dr. Ramirez had said he would return. Its eyes flicked over to the child’s backpack hanging over the backrest of the chair, then to the wind rustling through the Pampas grass outside the window, and then the color and light of the vapid programming still on in the background.

            Ramirez did not return until it was almost dark, and aside from the façade of a bright and attentive reunion with Mariposa that he’d plastered over his clearly exhausted and aggravated inner feelings, the man did not linger on the surprise long absence and instead started throwing together something he’d called “mac and cheese”. Mariposa did not seem enthused, but she tolerated her father’s lazy cooking—especially since she had secretly pilfered the ice cream earlier. The doctor snappishly ordered Mr. X to take up a sentry position outside and leave them to their family time; the Tyrant grudgingly obeyed, shooting a pointed glance down at the lower cabinet where the nutrient gel base was stored but its yearning being ignored. It supposed it would have to wait another few hours. Very unfair, considering it had pulled so much additional weight that day. The bioweapon snorted once it was prowling its usual route in the dark. It was hungry, not starving. There was no danger in waiting a little longer. Mr. X would abide.

[allamericansbitch]

based on this thread, here is a list of famous people who have supported johnny depp and/or made fun of amber heard. fuck all of them:

Aly & AJ

Alissa Violet (Influencer)

Anitta

Ann Coulter

Ashley Benson

Ashley Park (actress from Emily in Paris)

Auli'i Cravalho (actress from Moana)

Bailey Muñoz

Bella Hadid

Ben Shapiro

Booboo Stewart

Chase Hudson (Lil Huddy)

Chase Stokes (actor from Outer Banks)

China McClaine

Chris Rock

Cierra Ramirez (actress from The Fosters/Good Trouble)

Cody Simpson

Connor Swindells (adam groff on sex education)

Cazzie David

Critical Role

Dakota Fanning

Dakota Johnson

Daniel Ricciardo

Diana Silvers

Dillion Francis (DJ)

Dominic Fike

Dove Cameron

Elle King

Emma Roberts

Florence Pugh

Gabby Douglas

Gemma Chan

Halle Bailey

Henry Golding

Ian Somerhalder

Jaime King

Jamie Campbell Bower

Javier Bardem

Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Coolidge

Jeremy Renner

Jessie J

JK Rowling

Joe Perry (Aerosmith)

JoJo Siwa

Jordan Fisher

Julian Kostov (actor from Shadow & Bone)

Justin Long

Kali Uchis

Kat Von D

Kelly Osbourne

Kelsea Ballerini

Kyle Rittenhouse

LaKeith Stanfield

Lance Bass

Lennon Stella

Lewis Tan

Lucy Hale

Madelyn Cline (actress from Outer Banks)

Maren Morris

Matthias Schoenaerts

Michael Clifford (of 5 Seconds of Summer)

Molly Shanon

Nicholas Braun

Norman Reedus

Nyane (popular instagram model)

Olivia Jade

Paige (from WWE)

Paris Hilton

Patti Smith

Paul Bettany

Paul McCartney

Penelope Cruz

Perrie Edwards

Phillip Barantini (director of Boiling Point)

Pokimane (Twitch Streamer)

Reeve Carney

Robert Downey Jr

Rian Dawson (Drummer of All Time Low)

Riley Keough

Rita Ora

Ryan Adams

Sam Claflin

Samantha Hanratty (actress from Yellowjackets)

Samuel Larsen

Seth Savoy (Director)

Shannen Doherty

Sharon Stone

Sia

SNL cast and writers

Sofia Boutella

Sophie Turner

Stella Maxwell

Tammin Sursok

Taika Waititi

Tony Lopez

Upsahl

Vanessa Hudgens

Vanessa Morgan

Vanessa Paradis

Vincent Gallo

Yungblud

Zachary Levi

Zedd

Zoe Saldana

Zoey Deutch

People who publicly support Amber:

Aiysha Hart 

Alex Winter

Alexa Nikolas (actress from Zoey 101)

Amanda Seyfried

Amy Schumer

Anna Sophia Robb

Bianca Butti (Amber's ex)

Busy Philipps

Chace Crawford

Chloe Morello

Christina Ricci

Constance Wu

Contrapoints/Natalie Wynn

Corey Rae

Dana Schwartz (journalist and writer)

David Krumholtz

Dolph Lundgren

Edward Norton

Elizabeth Lail (actress who played Beck from you)

Elizabeth McGovern

Elizaberh Reaser (Esmé in Twilight)

Ellen Barkin

Emeraude Toubia (actress from Shadowhunters and With Love)

Emily Ratajkowski

Evan Rachel Wood

Finneas

Howard Stern

Ira Madison III

Jamelle Bouie (NYT columnist)

Jessica Taylor, Dr

Jon Lovett (podcaster & former White House speech writer & fiance of Ronan Farrow)

John Legend

Julia Fox

Julia Stiles

Julianne Moore

Kate Nash (singer, actress from Glow)

Kathy Griffin

Kristen Bell

Lauren Jauregui

Lena Headey

Lindsay Ellis (YouTuber)

Lindsay Lohan

Lindsey Gort

Mia Farrow

Michele Dauber (Stanford law professor)

Millie Brady (actress in The Last Kingdom)

Mel B

Melanie Lynskey

Melissa Benoist

Monica Lewinsky

Nathalie Emmanuel (actress on Game of Thrones)

Neil Gaiman (writer of Caroline, American Gods, Good Omens, etc.)

Nikki Glaser (comedian)

Patricia Arquette

Rachel Riley

Raphael Bob-Waksberg (creator of Bojack Horseman)

Robin Lord Taylor

Rian Johnson (director of Knives Out)

Ryn Weaver (singer)

Samantha Bee (comedian)

Sarah Paulson

Sarah Steele

Selma Blair 

Sophia Bush

Uzo Aduba

Willa Fitzgerald

Zach Kornfeld (from the Try Guys)

[self-insert-hell]

F/O List!

Main Romantic

Julian Devorak (The Arcana)

#leeching love❤️

Nadia Satrinava (The Arcana)

#a royal romance💜

Mettaton Ex (Undertale)

#love machine 🩷

David and Gwen (Camp Camp)

#camp counselor cuties 🌲

Dr. Flug (Villainous)

#more than chemistry 🧪

Penumbra (Villanous)

#nightshade lovers 🌑

Grelle Sutcliff (Black Butler)

#death’s red kiss 💋

Alastor (Hazbin Hotel YT Pilot)

the love song on the radio 📻

(Note: This tag is purely for my self indulgent stuff! My “official” ship with Alastor is a QPR (aroace x aroace). Plus, I’m on the aroace spectrum irl anyways and I like writing both realistic and unrealistic stuff. Sometimes I just get too hyperfiaxted on a character and may want to self indulge here and there. At the end of the day, Alastor is aroace (romance and sex repulsed) no matter what. It’s why I made a separate tag as I want to respect aroace representation. Also, the tag is for anyone who wants to block it as well.)

Minor Romantic F/O’s

Reagan Ridley (Inside Job)

#great minds think alike 🪬

Human! Bill Cipher (Gravity Falls)

#love gets weird 💛

Verosika Mayday (Helluva Boss)

a succubus’ prey 💘

Angeldust (Hazbin Hotel)

#addicted to you 💗

Familial

Jack and Sally Skellington (The Nightmare Before Christmas)

#my little pumpkin 🎃

Scary Godmother & Company (Scary Godmother 1 & 2)

#familiar spirits 👻

Snow Miser, Heat Miser, and Mother Nature (The Year Without Santa Claus)

#family forecast 🌈

Portia Devorak and Mazelinka (The Arcana)

#the devoraks 🔸

Pines Family (Gravity Falls)

#the mystery family ❓

Eddie, Frank, Howdy, Barnaby, Poppy

(Welcome Home)

A family sitcom 😆

Platonic

Muriel of the Kokuri (The Arcana)

Sebastian Michaelis, Mey Rin, Finnian, Bard Roy, Tanaka, and Undertaker (Black Butler)

Puppycat and Neighbors (Bee and Puppycat)

Demencia and 505 (Villanous)

Soos Ramirez (Gravity Falls)

Charlie Morningstar and Niffty (Hazbin Hotel YT Pilot)

Brett Hand, Andre Lee, Myc, GiGi (Inside Job)

Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, Napstablook, BurgerPants (Undertale)

Seam and Spamton (Delatarune)

Julie Joyful and Sally Starlet (Welcome Home)

QueerPlatonic

Alastor (Hazbin Hotel YT Pilot)

On the Air 🎙️

Asra Alzanar (The Arcana)

#the magician’s apprentice 🔮

Bee (Bee and Puppycat)

#buzzy bee buddies 🐝

Wally Darling (Welcome Home)

#darling dearest 🍎

Potential F/O’s

Bendy and the Ink Machine

Alice and Boris

Steven Universe

Pink Pearl, Spinel, Steven, Pearl, Amethyst, and Garnet

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

The mane six, discord, and muffins/derpy hooves/ditzy doo

OK KO

Proffesor Venomous and Boxman

Ace Attorney

Phoenix Wright

The Amazing Digital Circus

Main cast

BigTop Burger

Main cast

FYI: I’m anti-viv. I just like the pilot.

[0urbladesaresharp]

RESULTS Fandom's Favorite HBO War Character (Round 1)

Thank you so much for the great responses to everyone who participated in Round 1 of the poll. 85 votes were cast in this round, which was way more than I ever hoped would participate! Also, your comments in the optional box and in my Tumblr notes are hilarious. Please keep them coming.

Not too many surprises in this first round, but it only gets tougher from here, folks! Some insights on the voting:

The biggest surprise was definitely the defeat of John Basilone by Ack Ack Haldane. This was a tough one!

The largest vote difference was between David Webster (98.8% of the votes) vs. Roy Cobb (1.2%) The hatred for Roy Cobb is noted and appreciated :)

The closest match-up was between Eric Kocher (51.8%) and John Christeson (48.2%) sadly knocking my boy John out of the running :(

Under the cut are the numbers on who voted who with commentary from yours truly. Round 2 will hopefully be up tomorrow, Sunday, November 6. Hope to see you there!

Dick Winters (82) vs. Don Hoobler (3)

Lewis Nixon (78) vs. Albert Blithe (7)

Doc Roe (81) vs. Ralph Spina (4)

Donald Malarkey (55) vs. Shifty Powers (30)

Carwood Lipton (81) vs. Mo Alley (4)

Floyd Talbert (53) vs. Chuck Grant (32) I'm so sorry

Bull Randleman (72) vs. Popeye Wynn (13)

Johnny Martin (65) vs. Skinny Sisk (20)

George Luz (70) vs. Harry Welsh (15) also very sorry

Frank Perconte (78) vs. Alton More (7)

Joe Liebgott (81) vs. Burt "Pat" Christenson (4)

Skip Muck (51) vs. Buck Compton (34) wow really sorry

Babe Heffron (74) vs. Alex Penkala (11)

Antonio Garcia (44) vs. Joseph Ramirez (41) SO CLOSE

Bill Guarnere (73) vs. John Hall (12) sorry to the person in the comments who I hurt with my pairing here :(

Joe Toye (79) vs. Moose Heyliger (6)

David Webster (84) vs. Roy Cobb (1) LOL (that 1 vote came at the very end)

Ron Speirs (82) vs. Smokey Gordon (3)

Col. Robert Sink (65) vs. Maj. Robert Strayer

Thomas Peacock (47) vs. William Dukeman Jr. (38)

Ed Tipper (51) vs. Earl McClung (34)

Herbert Sobel (57) vs. Norman Dike (28) I would love to study WHY

Patrick O'Keefe (55) vs. Mike Ranney (30) Y'all did my boy dirty

John Janovec (46) vs. James Miller (39) Why do I feel like this was totally a Tom Hardy vs. James McAvoy thing???

Thomas Meehan (53) vs. John Julian (32) They literally both die after like one episode lol

Eugene Jackson (71) vs. Edward Shames (14)

Robert Leckie (70) vs. Dr. Sledge (15) I could feel the dislike for Leckie in those 15 votes

Eugene Sledge (73) vs. Hugh Corrigan (12)

Ack Ack Haldane (65) John Basilone (20) so sorry

Sidney Phillips (54) vs. Bill Leyden (31) how dare y'all

Chuckler Juergens (56) vs. Runner Conley (29)

Snafu Shelton (76) vs. Elmo "Gunny" Haney (9)

R.V. "Burgie" Burgin (68) vs. Ronnie Gibson (17)

Hoosier Smith (77) vs. Jay de'Leau (8) so sorry to that one person who left the sad comment on my poll :(

Chesty Puller (69) vs. Lt. Stone (16)

Manuel Rodriquez (47) vs. J.P. Morgan (38) It's Jon Bernthal. I get it.

Lena Riggi Basilone (62) vs. Vera Keller (23) Lena wins, as she should.

Hillbilly Jones (78) vs. Robert Oswalt (7)

John Hamm (55) vs. John Powell (30)

Stella (46) vs. Gwen (39) this one was actually much closer than I thought it would be

Brad Colbert (74) vs. Bryan Patterson (11)

Ray Person (76) vs. Gabe Garza (9)

Poke Espera (67) vs. Evan Wright (18)

Nate Fick (76) vs. Jason Lilley (9)

James Trombley (53) vs. Meesh (32)

Doc Bryan (75) vs. Godfather Ferando (10)

Q-Tip Stafford (69) vs. Manimal Jacks (16)

Walt Hasser (50) vs Mike Wynn (35) sorry

Shady B Baptista (65) vs. James Chaffin (20)

Rudy Reyes (75) vs. James Mattis (10) these 10 people need to be checked

Captain America (49) vs. Casey Kasem (36) this one was close for most of the polling

Encino Man (46) vs. John Sixta (39) this one was also close

Steven Lovell (57) vs. Jeff "Dirty Earl" Carisalez (28)

Eric Kocher (44) vs. John Christeson (41) the lead was even closer until the last few votes

Pappy Patrick (67) vs. Todd Eckloff (18)

See you crazy kids in Round 2!

@lightthewaybackhome @g-luztrash @moonlight511 @vorarephiliax-blog @offbeatpaikea23 @itstheheebiejeebies @hellshee@mccall-muffin @softguarnere @donaldmalarkeyswhore @softliebgott @thehonourablealgernon @1337wtfomgbbq @multifandomlover01 @incorrectbandofbrothersquotes @incorrecthbowarquotes @lucky-bastards @heystovepipeboys @aerokriegs @t-4georgeluz @hillbillied @contact-right

[supeherosunite]

Original Characters

Pax kent ( cousin of kara) ( Kryptonian cousin / adopted earth sister of Clark) face cam bailee madison

Edith Kent (sister of Clark Kent) face cam Heather Rattray

JaKari Kent (brother of Clark Kent) face cam Laird Macintosh

Lara Kent ( daughter of Clark Kent ) face cam Amanda Fein

Lulu Kent ( daughter of Clark Kent ) face cam Caitlin Fein

Gaia white ( Meta-human with nature powers ) face cam Georgie Henley

Uranus white (Meta-human with nature powers ) face cam Freddie Highmore

Yara smith ( mutant avenger ) face cam Bridgit Mendler

Amity Jones ( young S.H.I.E.L.D. agent ) face cam Drew Barrymore

Lilly Cullen (adoptive daughter of Alice and jasper ) (twilight) face cam Becky Rosso

Violet Smith (profiler) (criminal minds) face cam Haley Lu Richardson

Sammy Brown ( agent) (ncis) face cam Julia Butters

Senara Sohma (Zodiac member) (fruits basket) face cam Emma The Promised Neverland

DC COMICS

Superman

Martha Kent

Clark Kent (Superman)

Jon Kent (Superboy)

Jordan Kent (Superboy)

Jonathan Kent (kon-El)

Lois Joanne Lane

Doctor Emil Hamilton

Tess Mercer

James Bartholomew Olsen

Chloe Sullivan-Queen (Watchtower)

Ryan James

Jonathan Sullivan-Queen (Speedy)

Kara Zor-El (Supergirl)

Alex Danvers (Director Danvers)

Mon-El (Prince of Daxam

Winn Scott (Toyman)

Nia Nal (Dreamer)

Lena Luthor

Batman

James Gordon (police commissioner)

Alfred Pennyworth (Penny One)

Bruce Wayne (Batman)

Selina Kyle (Catwoman)

Kate Kane (Batwoman)

Harleen Quinzel (Harley Quinn)

Terry Wayne (Batman)

Dick Grayson (Nightwing)

Jason Todd (Red Hood)

Tim drake (Red Robin)

Damian Wayne (Robin),

Duke Thomas (The Signal)

Henry King (Gotham)

Luke Fox (Batwing)

David Zavimbe (Batwing)

Minhkhoa "Khoa" Khan (Ghost-Maker)

Barbara Gordon (Oracle)

Stephanie Brown (Spoiler)

Cassandra Cain (Orphan)

Claire Clover (Gotham Girl)

Jean-Paul Valley (Azrael)

Julia Pennyworth (Penny-Two)

Tiffany Fox (Batgirl)

Harper Row (Bluebird)

Flash

Barry Allen (flash)

Iris Ann West-Allen (Eye in the Sky)

Nora West-Allen (XS)

Bart Allen (Impulse)

Wally West (Kid Flash)

Jesse Chambers Wells (Jesse Quick)

Jenna Marie West (Trajectory)

Joanie Horton (Joanie Swift)

Dr. Caitlin Snow (Killer Frost)

Ronald Ronnie Raymond (Firestorm)

Cisco Ramon (Vibe)

Harrison Wells

Dr. Harrison Harry Wells

Harrison H.R. Wells

Harrison Sherloque Wells

Harrison Nash Wells (Pariah)

Maya Wells

Allegra Garcia (Ultraviolet)

Chester Phineas Runk (Black Hole)

Hunter Zolomon (Zoom)

Julian Albert (Alchemy)

Hartley Rathaway (Pied Piper)

Green arrow

Oliver Jonas Queen (Green Arrow)

Felicity Megan Smoak (Watchtower)

William Clayton (White Feather)

Mia Smoak (Blackstar)

Thea Dearden Queen (Speedy)

Roy William Harper Jr (Arsenal)

Dinah Laurel Lance (Black Canary)

Captain Sara Lance (White Canary)

Rory Regan (Ragman)

Zoe Ramirez (Canarie)

Thomas Tommy Merlyn (Dark Archer)

Sara Diggle (Harbinger)

Emiko Adachi Queen (Green Arrow)

Titans/ Young Justice

Garfield "Gar" Logan (Beast Boy)

Koriand'r Kory Anders (starfire)

Rachel Roth (Raven)

Garth (Aqualad)

Karen Beecher (Bumblebee)

Jaime Reyes (Blue Beetle)

Billy Batson (Shazam)

M'gann M'orzz (Miss Martian)

Evelyn Sharp (Artemis)

Courtney Whitmore (Stargirl)

Mike Dugan (starboy)

Beth Chapel (Doctor Mid-Nite)

Yolanda Montez (Wildcat)

Richard Tyler (Hourman)

Henry King Jr. (Brainwave junior)

Joey Zarick (Zarrick the Great)

Cameron Mahkent (Icicle junior)

Others

Beebo (God of War)

Zatanna (Mistress of Magic)

Leonard Snart (Captain Cold)

Ray Palmer (The Atom)

Martin Stein (Firestorm)

Nate Heywood (Citizen Steal)

Amaya Jiwe (Vixen)

Patrick "Pat" Dugan (S.T.R.I.P.E.)

Lisa snart (Golden Glider)

Marvel

Spider-Man

Peter Parker (Spider-Man)

Miles (Ultimate Spider-Man)

Gwen (Spider-Gwen)

Cindy (Silk)

Michelle (MJ)

Avengers

Clint Barton (Hawkeye)

Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow)

Steve Rogers (Captain America)

Bucky Barnes (Winter Soldier)

(White Wolf)

Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel)

Scott Lang (Ant-Man)

Young Avengers

Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel)

Doreen Allene Green (Squirrel Girl)

X-men

Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch)

Pietro Maximoff (Quicksilver)

[new-tampa-fl]

Eternal Epoxy in Tampa, FL

One of the most exciting things to know about Eternal Epoxy is that it’s an amazing flooring contractor nowadays. If you’re planning to upgrade your flooring based on your own preferences, you can visit their store. Besides, they also offer concrete repair and maintenance. In that case, they can fix cracks, chips, and other damages to preserve the integrity of your concrete floors and extend their lifespan. In addition, they can also complete polished concrete projects. Hence, give your floor a stunning, mirror-like finish with their top-notch concrete polishing services. Lastly, Epoxy products withstand the abuse of time, and when installed properly over a concrete base last for decades without any leakages or cracks.

Tampa, FL

If you’re going to visit Tampa, FL soon, you can look for pre-scheduled events in the said place. With that, Eventbrite is one of the most popular sources of information when it comes to future events. First, there will be Food Truck Fest on Market Street this coming Saturday, August 19, 2023, at around 5:00 PM at Armature Works. Second, the Silent Party Tampa: "Turn Up the Music" Viral Hits Edition is scheduled on Saturday, September 16, 2023, at around 9:00 PM at Aloft Tampa Downtown. Lastly, the 12th Annual Tampa Pig Jig will take place this coming Saturday, October 21, 2023 at around 1:00 PM at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park.

Armature Works in Tampa, FL

Armature Works in Tampa, FL is famous. Many tourists worldwide go there from time to time. At present, it’s also a perfect site for exploration. Well, Armature Works sat vacant for years until developers Chas Bruck and Adam Harden of SoHo Capital bought it with a very specific vision in mind. Later on, they had plans to create a modernized neighborhood hangout for Tampa’s waterfront community. Moreover, they also hope to create a national destination aimed to attract visitors from near and far. As a result, SoHo breathed new life into this historic building, determined to recycle as many original materials as possible.

Tampa mayor stresses need for road repairs as city council weighs millage increase

There are many interesting news reports in Tampa, FL area. In a current news article, the topic was about the need to repair roads there. Reportedly, Tampa city leaders recognize the problem of deteriorating roads throughout the community. As such, they’re looking at a plan to address repairs, but that proposal hasn’t come without questions and concerns over how to pay for it. If you step outside Franklin Ramirez’s home in Tampa, you’ll see the problem plain as day. Ramirez stated, "The neighborhood, it's a lot of bumpy roads, and there's a lot of potholes. It causes a lot of damage to the tires." Lastly, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor highlighted the issue on Tuesday.

Link to maps

Armature Works 1910 N Ola Ave, Tampa, FL 33602, United States Take W Columbus Dr to US-92 E 9 min (2.8 mi) Take State Rd 580 E to W Humphrey St in Egypt Lake-Leto 8 min (4.3 mi) Follow W Humphrey St and N Himes Ave to your destination 2 min (0.6 mi) Eternal Epoxy 8870 N Himes Ave Suite 155, Tampa, FL 33614, United States

[adrianatm]

*       CIERRA RAMIREZ+ CIS WOMAN+ SHE / HER—— have you seen ADRIANA RAMOS around? they’re a TWENTY THREE year old HAIR STYLIST known around town as the THE ESCAPIST. not only are they broke af, but they’ve been in town for ONE YEAR. they’re FAIR-MINDED + IDEALISTIC, as well as VINDICTIVE + INCONSISTENT, but what else would you expect from a LIBRA? setting off firecrackers, apology texts sent over missed calls, and late night drives down an empty road.   * OOC INFO: raq. 21. cst. she/her.

hello hello here’s adri! i’ve linked quick things to know like some musings  /  her wanted connections tag so we can throw together a plot if you’re down!  her intro is pretty brief cause i totally didn’t ( wink wink ) write this at 4am after procrastinating all day. you’re welcome to slide in my dms to plot with me or i’ll pop in to plot with you. would love to see ya’ ! 

tw: very brief mentions of parental neglect.

legal name: adriana cecelia ramos

age: twenty-three

nicknames: addy, ana.

date of birth:  October 4th || libra sun, scorpio moon, aries rising

orientation: bisexual

occupation:  hairstylist

tl;dr: a girl who grew up in a tumultuous, disaster family and left home at the ripe age age of sixteen, then lived with people who did not have her very best interest in mind until she finally started to take care of herself completely.  this runaway is a bit of an enigma, in the since that she tends not to stick around for long enough for you to get to know her. but the time she is around she fills everyday with adventure. she’s fun and outgoing, a live in the moment non-committal type.

MUSINGS ///  WANTED CONNECTIONS TAG  //  CONNECTIONS

MORE IN-DEPTH

Born October 4th in the middle of Miami, Flordia to Lelani Silas and Julian Ramos. Adriana’s family was never stable. Her parents were overall just not great and more focused on fighting with eachother ( albeit over their child ) than actually raising their child. In addition, they both had their vices that resulted in their relationship with their daughter being doomed from the start. So, when they did pay attention to her – they weren’t at their best ever really.  Lacking siblings and friends in neighboring kids, Adri had quite the lonesome childhood up until mid grade school when she was finally somewhat capable of sustaining a few school friends.

( contains an unfilled wc! ) At age sixteen, she met her first serious partner. Birds of a feather flock together, as they say. The two both grew up with similar backgrounds and naturally were drawn to eachother from the moment they met. They put together a plan to run away together. They skipped town and moved to New Orleans together with the very little money from their respective part time jobs and connections with her partner extended family members who kindly allowed the two of them to stay in their spare basement apartment. But, it didn’t take long for their relationship to sour along with the stressors of being so young and on their own, her partner wasn’t necessarily perfect either. Two years after running away together the two broke things off. 

Adriana had stashed enough cash to hop on the first train to Lafayette and book a hotel room for a few days. Her life would remain unstable for awhile. Skipping different hotel rooms and cities, odd jobs here and there until she was able to /more or less/ get on her feet. 

At age twenty, Adriana settled in Wisconsin due to finding an old highschool friend with an affordable apartment to share. From then, Adriana worked to get her cosmetology license  ( literally,,, QUITE  a feat for her she worked hard to put herself through all of her classes ) which would finally put her in a place to be able to work on a consistent basis. Blame it on impulsivity or wanting new scenery, but she’d end up packing her bags again after two years when she decided to move to El Dora, Iowa where she has stayed for a year so far. 

PERSONALITY 

A hard worker. Very i want it, i get it myself type of girl because she has definitely had to be for her entire life.

She’s is still good natured, but can be a little closed off or distant when it comes to helping others as she’s had to be selfish for so long to survive, it’s tough caring for other people at times. A pretty big social butterfly.  The sort to get physically close to people ( friends or otherwise) but often neglects something super emotional unless she truly trusts that person.

Adventurous and very prone to be attracted to danger/risk. She’s just a complete risk taker in  every part of her life. Can’t tell her no, that’ll only make her do it sooner. Always down for a party or a late night road trip. Anything spur of the moment? She’s on it. 

She will / has left a town without warning or any real reason. ( just fyi if your muse has ran into her in other towns ) And she will not text back if it feels like they’re clinging to her a bit too much. Very much so an avoidant attachment style but, she’s doing her very best lmao

[afaimsarrowverse]

Zuteilung Sekundärer Geschlechter in meinem Verse

Wer ist was? (Spoiler! Manche verbergen ihr wahres Geschlecht oder wechseln es)

 Omegas:

 Rip Hunter

Ray Palmer

Nate Heywood

Grandma Palmer

Gary Green

Obsidian

Helena von Troja

Mona Wu

Quentin Lance

Roy Harper

Curtis Holt

Quentin Lance (Erde-X)

Maseao Yamashiro

Taiana

William Clayton

Cayden James

Alena

Barry Allen

Cisco Ramon

Joe West

Nora West-Allen

Lisa Snart

Henry Allen

Jay Garrick (Erde 3)

Tracy Brand

Marlize DeVoe

Grace Gibbons

Kara Danvers

J’onn J’onzz

Nia Nal

Jeremiah Danvers

Lar Gand

Lar-Gand (Universum-1)

Kara Zor-El (Erde-X)

Eve Teschmacher

Lex Luthor (Erde-X)

M’yrnn J’onzz

Malefic J’onzz (Prime Omega)

Kate Kane

Barry Allen (Erde-90)

Susan Linden

Sophie Moore

Mary Hamilton

Beth Kane

Mouse

 Betas:

 Martin Stein

Jax Jackson

Leonard Snart

Carter Hall (und all seine anderen Inkarnationen)

Vandal Savage

Gideon – programmiert auf Beta

Clarissa Stein

Lily Stein

Zari Tomaz

Rex Tyler

Anna Loring

Henry Heywood

Hank Heywood

Doris. Heywood

Star Girl

Dr. Mid-Nite

Sydney Palmer

Mrs. Palmer

Ray Terrill

Per Degaton

Felicity Smoak

Nyssa al Ghul

Paul Holt

Rory Regan

Lyla Michaels

Tommy Merlyn

Tommy Merlyn (Erde-X)

Tommy Merlny (Erde-4)

Robert Queen

Shado

Walter Steele

Carly Diggle

Susan Williams

Anatoly Knyazev

Oliver Queen (Erde-X)

Dinah Drake

Raisa

Samantha Clayton

Sheck

Nick Anastas

Christopher Chance

Malcolm Merlyn (Erde-X)

Jesse Quick

H. R. Wells

Ronnie Raymond

Eddie Thawne

Eddie Thawne (Erde-X)

David Singh

Linda Park

Patty Spivott

Cecile Horton

Fred Chyre

Clyde Mardon

Carla Tannhauser

Earl Cox

Caitlin Snow (Erde-X)

Hank Henshaw

Winn Schott

Maggie Sawyer

Clark Kent

Lena Luthor

Non

M’gann M’orzz

Alura

Zor-El

Sam Arias

Ruby Arias

Lucy Lane

Imra Ardeen

Thomas Coville

Julia Freeman

Olivia

Mercy Graves

Lex Luthor

Kelly Olsen

Mari McCabe

John Constantine

Tim Drake

Rachel Roth

John Deegan

Nora Fries

Psycho Pirate

Rick Flag (Erde-X)

Renée Montoya

Luke Fox

Jacob Kane

Tyler Moore

Mrs. Kane

Tommy Elliott

Andrea Rojas

Russel Rogers

Gamemnae

 Alphas:

 Sara Lance (Prime Alpha)

Mick Rory

Amaya Jiwe

Eobard Thawne (Prime Alpha)

Damien Darhk

Kendra Saunders (und all ihre anderen Inkarnationen)

Ava Sharpe

Kuasa

Miranda Coburn

Grodd

Nora Darhk

Jonah Hex

Mon-El (Universum 1)

Laurel Lance

John Diggle

Thea Queen

Renè Ramirez

Evelyn Sharp

Adrian Chase

Moira Queen

Slade Wilson

Donna Smoak

Dinah Lance

Dinah Lance (Erde-X)

Andy Diggle

Amanda Waller

Ras al Gul

Tatsu Yamashiro

Laurel Lance (Erde-X)

Talia al Ghul

Adam Hunt

Chien Na Wei

Ricardo Diaz

Iris West

Wally West (im Vorwort bei der Aufstellung zu „Nennt uns Legenden IV fälschlicherweise als Beta geführt, das war mein Fehler, sorry, Alpha stimmt)

Julian Albert

Harry Wells (Erde-2)

Tony Woodward

Hunter Zolomon

Lewis Snart

Nora Allen

Dante Ramon

Clifford DeVoe

Gypsy

Breacher

Mark Mardon

Goldface

Ralph Dibney

Sherloque Wells

Orlin Dwyer

Alex Danvers

Cat Grant

James Olsen

Mon-El

Alex Danvers (Erde-1)

James Olsen (Erde-1)

Mon-El (Erde-X)

Eliza Danvers

Rhea

Lillian Luthor

Astra

Maxwell Lord

Reign

Pestilence

Purity

Faith

Chastity

Die „Priesterin“

Otis Graves

Starfire

Viktor Stone

Rick Flag

Bruce Wayne

George Li

Roter Drache-Yang

Catherine Hamilton-Kane

Dogson

William Dey

Rama Khan

Ramasy Rosso

Mrs. Rosso

 Trans:

 Malcolm Merlyn – jetzt Alpha (Trans Beta-> Alpha)

Oliver Queen – jetzt Alpha (Trans Beta-> Alpha)

Laurel Lance (Erde Zwei )– Alpha (Trans Beta-> Alpha)

Caitlin Snow – zuerst Beta, wurde zum Alpha, nun Alpha-Beta

Cailtin Snow (Savitar TL) - Alphas (TransBeta->Alpha)

Barry Allen (Savitar TL) - Beta (TransOmega-> Beta)

Thomas Snow – früher Beta, jetzt Alpha (Trans Beta->Alpha)

 Intersex:

 Caitlin Snow – früher Beta, wurde zum Alpha, nun Alpha-Beta

Leo Snart (Erde-X) – Beta-Omega

Sebastian Blood – Alpha-Beta

Cyrus Gold – Beta-Alpha

Clinton Hogue – Alpha-Beta

Michael Daily – Alpha-Beta

Pater Trigon – Alpha-Beta

Sixth Claw Jerry - Alpha-Beta

 Sigmas:

 Darkseid

Granny Godness

 Ohne sekundäres Geschlecht:

 Brainica-5

Charlie (nimmt Geschlecht der Person an, in die sie sich verwandelt)

Mor Novu

Mobius

 Kann sein sekundäres Geschlecht wechseln:

 Garfield Logan (ursprünglich ein Beta)

[fuckyeahcaryagos]

The Resident - Ep. 2x10 “After the Fall” - Press Release

DR. LANE HUNTER'S RELEASE CAUSES OUTRAGE ON THE ALL-NEW WINTER PREMIERE OF "THE RESIDENT" MONDAY, JANUARY 14, ON FOX Melina Kanakaredes Guest-Stars Lane Hunter's (guest star Melina Kanakaredes) victims and their families become outraged when she is released from prison. Bell, although responsible for posting Lane's bail and getting her released, continues to be tortured by her manipulation. Meanwhile, Conrad uses work to cope with the news about his father, and he teams up with Mina, Kit and the Raptor to treat a patient who is suffering as a result of Lane's dangerous treatments. Then, Devon grows worried when he doesn't hear from Julian, and Nic sets her sights on a primary physician (guest star Miles Gaston Villanueva) for their new clinic in the all-new "After the Fall" winter premiere episode of THE RESIDENT airing Monday, Jan. 14 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (RES-210) (TV-14 D, L, V) Cast: Matt Czuchry as Conrad Hawkins, Bruce Greenwood as Dr. Randolph Bell, Emily VanCamp as Nicolette, Manish Dayal as Devon Pravesh, Shaunette Renée Wilson as Mina Okafor, Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Dr. AJ Austin, Jane Leeves as Dr. Kit Voss and Glenn Morshower as Marshall Winthrop. Guest Cast: Michael Weston as Gordon Page, Melina Kanakaredes as Dr. Lane Hunter, Miles Gaston Villanueva as Dr. Alex Shaw, Radek Lord as Grayson Betournay, Elia Monte-Brown as Natalie Ramirez, and Kevin Christy as Roger Stanley. SOURCE:FOX

[theresidentnews]

“After the Fall” Press Release

DR. LANE HUNTER'S RELEASE CAUSES OUTRAGE ON THE ALL-NEW WINTER PREMIERE OF "THE RESIDENT" MONDAY, JANUARY 14, ON FOX

Melina Kanakaredes Guest-Stars

Lane Hunter's (guest star Melina Kanakaredes) victims and their families become outraged when she is released from prison. Bell, although responsible for posting Lane's bail and getting her released, continues to be tortured by her manipulation. Meanwhile, Conrad uses work to cope with the news about his father, and he teams up with Mina, Kitt and the Raptor to treat a patient who is suffering as a result of Lane's dangerous treatments. Then, Devon grows worried when he doesn't hear from Julian, and Nic sets her sights on a primary physician (guest star Miles Gaston Villanueva) for their new clinic in the all-new "After the Fall" winter premiere episode of THE RESIDENT airing Monday, Jan. 14 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (RES-210) (TV-14 D, L, V)

Cast: Matt Czuchry as Conrad Hawkins, Bruce Greenwood as Dr. Randolph Bell, Emily VanCamp as Nicolette, Manish Dayal as Devon Pravesh, Shaunette Renée Wilson as Mina Okafor, Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Dr. AJ Austin, Jane Leeves as Dr. Kitt Voss and Glenn Morshower as Marshall Winthrop.

Guest Cast: Michael Weston as Gordon Page, Melina Kanakaredes as Dr. Lane Hunter, Miles Gaston Villanueva as Dr. Alec Shaw, Radek Lord as Grayson Betournay, Elia Monte-Brown as Natalie Ramirez, and Kevin Christy as Roger Stanley. 

Source

[spidermilkshake]

Gifts

More RE fanfics--more mutants, more corporate shenanigans. This one's actually pretty sweet after the pure monster abuse displayed in the last one.

Rating: Teen (TW for suggestive language, human experimentation, dehumanization, medical/lab settings and stuff, plus also human adults cuss like human adults)

In which we meet a Dr. Ramirez--an Umbrella scientist partially responsible for T-00's existence as a prototype new phase of T-103. This man has some... quirks. Though it does result in hat-related greatness.

4: Gifts

            The Tyrant stood immobile in the center of the much smaller room—not quite a lab, not quite a holding chamber—awaiting another command from the trio of Umbrella staff gathered around it. Dr. Ramirez clapped once with animated fervor, grinning up at the entity towering over him.

            “Isn’t he fantastic?” the man gushed, and the taller doctor standing by the door let out an almost imperceptible snort. T-00 had the continuing impression that Birkin chafed under the energy that the T-103 phase 4’s director put out. It did not find such a reaction particularly reasonable. Dr. Ramirez was clear and concise in his commands, and logical in his procedures, methodology… As far as the Tyrant had seen. As the doctor circled around it once more, hands raised as if presenting the hulking form to the others, it remained passive and still to allow itself to be gawked at.

            “You saw the latest trial run, yes? Absolutely blew the other subjects away! I’m telling you, I was onto something with this one. Imagine the newest wave of T-103s with these improvements, this discretion, this intellect at no sacrifice to power—”

            “You know how I feel about that… ‘intellect’ part,” Birkin sneered, running a hand through his greasy blond hair, “Especially after what we’re hearing from the Arklay labs. You know that’s why those early-model Tyrants were shelved.”

            Ramirez pouted, patting a hand against the side of T-00’s massive bicep as if to console it, “What, Willy—this not enough meat for you?”

            “Don’t start with that,” he snapped back, “I’m just not comfortable with B.O.W.s being left up to their own decision-making. However limited this thing’s is.”

            “He didn’t mean it,” Ramirez stage-whispered over to the bioweapon with a smirk.

            “Stop that.” Birkin scowled and crossed his arms, “I’m just saying that giving it that much higher brain function is unpredictable. Instinct is predictable. And predictable in a killing machine is good.”

            “Well, I’m just saying that I find raging phallic meat-monsters a little ineffective. And gauche. Not to mention creepy,” he cocked an eyebrow.

            “Creepy?!” Birkin’s voice jointly cracked and went shrill, and he disentangled his arms from each other to square up, “You don’t think this thing is creepy?” The Tyrant twitched its head over in a sharp movement as William aimed a strong shove at its chest. The creature’s right hand snaked up and before Birkin could retreat or take out any more frustration on the stoic beast it had clamped a thumb, index, and middle finger firmly around the wrist of the intruding limb. Holding him there against the man’s budding panic, T-00 stared down at this flimsy human in mild confusion, wondering what he’d hoped to accomplish with this.

            “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Ramirez’s voice dripped with an almost sadistic glee. “He’s a level-headed fellow, but he’s not above appropriate response.”

            “C—call it off—!” The doctor had paled sheet-white, completely unable to remove himself from even this very dainty-looking grip. Dr. Ramirez snickered but nodded towards the Tyrant’s expectant glance. The mighty fingers loosened and Birkin went staggering back, glaring at the bioweapon with a renewed wariness. T-00 slipped back into its more docile posture; once the unimportant exchange was over its gaze centered once again on the animation of Dr. Ramirez.

            “Don’t look at ‘im like that,” he laughed, “T-00 wouldnt’ve actually hurt you. He was just getting a point across!” The man’s thin mustache quirked, “Now, if you’d tried that with a weapon you’d not be in very good shape.”

            “So how the hell if anyone supposed to work on these things?”

            “Simply ask them nicely to stay still,” Ramirez scoffed, “Be civil with the big guy, and he’ll be civil with you. You see what I mean about the benefits of that intelligence now, hm?”

            “I know what you’re trying to say, but I for one do not want to be around the first time that malfunctions.” Birkin sighed, “Okay, fine, fine. I’m wasting time here now. I’ll file that recommendation, but I really should be getting a flight back. I have too much work to do testing the new G strain.”

            “Excellent. Well then, might as well get some practice in, off the record,” the smaller man chuckled. The third human, a lab tech furiously jotting notes, winced and jumped in surprise as Ramirez clapped her chummily on the shoulder, “I’ve been ready for this—be a dear and grab my briefcase from the table over next to you, please?” She seemed to hold back her reluctance and displeasure at being asked to do something so menial and passed the fairly large leather case over to him. The Tyrant watched him click a three-number combination into its latch and pop it open, before cheerily slipping something small and dark out. Whatever it was, the man handled it with a bizarre, loving care—unrolling a thin, rigid edge from it and pushing its center out so that its flat form became convex. The bioweapon could not make out what it was even in its revealed state; it was a stiff thing… felted fabric and leather, mostly round, hollow on one side, with a narrow brim surrounding it, one side tilted down to a point, the other upwards and flared.

            “Oh Goddamnit Ramirez.” Birkin did seem to know what it was, all too well. The scientist ignored the other’s derisive tone and held the… object up between his hands—almost with reverence—and nodded towards T-00:

            “Here, T-00—I’ve got something for ya…”

            “Jesus Christ, really?” Birkin snarled, arms crossing again, “You’re giving it your damn fedora?”

            “It’s a trilby, you uncultured swine,” Ramirez gave an indignant snort. He turned back to the bioweapon, beaming, “Can you bend your head down, big guy?”

            T-00 assumed this was an order, or at least close enough. It bent one knee, ducking its head down low enough that the tiny entity could reach it. The felted interior of the strange item was settled squarely onto the top of its skull; it pondered the function of this task even as it stayed bowed for the scientist to shift the thing’s brim about, making adjustments.

            “There we go.” Ramirez chortled, “Really completes the look.”

            Dr. Birkin just blew out a harsh noise of exasperation. T-00 slowly rose back up. Two of its fingers raised experimentally to probe at the unfamiliar item resting over its rough, featureless scalp. The thing was large enough to sit there snugly—though it did not cover all that much. What an… inefficient piece of… head gear? The creature gave a rare blink to express its puzzlement.

            “That’s your hat now, T-00. Should help tell you apart better,” Ramirez snickered, “especially now that you’ll have your new assignment.”

            At this, the bioweapon’s head tilted a few degrees, instantly alert for what the doctor had to say. New orders. It would always obey, but something about the way this human issued the commands made it want to obey with even greater alacrity. Dr. Ramirez had also yet to set it on any objective the creature found truly unpleasant to fulfill—something welcome by now considering the first exercise of its purpose…

            “T-00, you are assigned protective orders. Your assignment—yours truly, the one and only Dr. Julian Ramirez. Prevent harm from coming to me until I or a superior staff member dismisses you. Hmm…” The man appeared to twist up his expressive brows in thought, leaving the Tyrant hanging for the next syllable, “Also, I think you should answer to a pseudonym… let’s see… how’s ‘Mr. X’ sound?”

            “What.” Birkin looked even more disapproving of his peer’s particular charms than ever.

            “Hey, better than John Doe, yeah? Come on, you never listened to any classic radio dramas?” Ramirez gestured broadly to the attentive mutant, “I liked ‘The Man Named X’. And look at ‘im. Fits fantastically!”

            “Somehow doubt any of your damn detective swill imagined any character as a crusty gray monster, seven foot nine and half as wide…”

            “And Dick Tracy couldn’t put a boot through an armored car. We all have our own strengths and weaknesses.” The doctor met the awaiting gaze of the armored car-mangler in question, “So be it. T-00—you will also respond to codename ‘Mr. X’ until ordered to cease doing so. Understood?”

            The Tyrant did. It stood slightly more upright and replied with a slow, creaky nod—unused to the newly-learned gesture. It was “Mr. X”. It was T-00. T-00 was Mr. X—synonymous. It had a name. So be it.

[allamericansbitch]

hey i alphabetized your list of celebs for you to copy/paste into your post to make it easier to read/search, and got rid of a few duplicates. hope this makes it easier to add new people too. hope this is helpful and if not then feel free to ignore me lol.

People who are supporting Depp:

Aly & AJ Anitta Ashley Benson Ashley Park (actress from Emily in Paris) Auli'i Cravalho (actress from Moana) Bailey Muñoz Bella Hadid Booboo Stewart Chase Stokes (actor from Outer Banks) China McClaine Chris Rock Cierra Ramirez (actress from The Fosters/Good Trouble) Connor Swindells (adam groff on sex education) Dakota Fanning Dakota Johnson Diana Silvers Dove Cameron Elle King Emma Roberts Florence Pugh Gabby Douglas Gemma Chan Halle Bailey Henry Golding Jaime King Jamie Campbell Bower Jason Momoa Javier Bardem Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Coolidge Jeremy Renner Jessie J JoJo Siwa Jordan Fisher Julian Kostov (actor from Shadow & Bone) Kali Uchis LaKeith Stanfield Lance Bass Lewis Tan Madelyn Cline (actress from Outer Banks) Matthias Schoenaerts McKenna Grace Molly Shanon Nicholas Braun Nyane (popular instagram model) Paris Hilton Patti Smith Paul McCartney Penelope Cruz Perrie Edwards Robert Downey Jr Sam Claflin Samantha Hanratty (actress from Yellowjackets) Samuel Larsen Shannen Doherty Sharon Stone Sia SNL cast and writers Sofia Boutella Sophie Turner Taika Waititi Vaness Morgan Vanessa Paradis Vincent Gallo Zachary Levi Zedd Zoe Saldana Zoey Deutch

People who publicly support Amber:

Alex Winter Amy Schumer Anna Sophia Robb Bianca Butti (Amber's ex) Chace Crawford Chloe Morello Contrapoints/Natalie Wynn Corey Rae Courtney Love David Krumholtz Dolph Lundgren Elizabeth Lail (actress who played Beck from you) Elizabeth McGovern Ellen Barkin Emily Ratajkowski Evan Rachel Wood Jessica Taylor, Dr Julia Fox Julia Stiles Julianne Moore Kathy Griffin Kristen Bell Lauren Jauregui Lena Headey Lindsay Ellis (YouTuber) Lindsay Lohan Lindsey Gort Mia Farrow Melissa Benoist Monica Lewinsky Nathalie Emmanuel (actress on Game of Thrones) Rachel Riley Robin Lord Taylor Sarah Steele Sophia Bush Uzo Aduba Willa Fitzgerald Zach Kornfeld (from the Try Guys)

shoutout to you anon, this is such a big help and i'm fixing the post as we speak!

[adventseven]

Sweet Tooth Review | SERIES REVIEW

Sweet Tooth is an unexpected delight with a wonderful main character. It's a bright story that can be enjoyed by young and old across the planet. The Netflix Original series is based on the DC/Vertigo comic of the same name by Jeff Lemire and was executively produced by Robert Downey Jr. It stars Christian Convery, Nonso Anozie, Stefania LaVie Owen, Adeel Akhtar, Daniel Ramirez, Neil Sandilands, Amy Seimetz, and Will Forte.

It's about a deer hybrid boy named Gus (played by Convery) who leaves his hidden home after his father dies to find his missing mother. He is joined by former football player Tommy "Big Man" Jepperd and pro-hybrid freedom fighter Bear.

The story takes place 10 years after a global pandemic ravages the world and reshapes society. After the start of the pandemic human children begin to be born as human and animal hybrids, which creates more chaos as The Sick (the nickname for the virus) spreads. Alongside the main story we see the stories of Dr. Aditya Singh, a doctor trying to make a cure for the H5G9 virus, and Aimee Eden, a creator of a safe zone for hybrid children.

Every character in the show is hunted and affected by General Abbott and the Last Men, a xenophobic group of hybrid hunters. They believe hybrids are abominations that must be exterminated and experimented on.

This timely comic book adaptation is a well-made adventure and coming-of-age story. The previously sheltered Gus has to learn how to survive in this new world he’s been thrust into very quickly, a challenge to him at first due to having been hidden in the wilderness of Yellowstone for a decade.

His father, played by Will Forte, instilled an unyielding kindness and survival skills in Gus. An excellent dramatic turn for Will Forte, showing great emotional range.

Gus is the heart of this show in every episode. He's an unlikely hero that goes on the journey of a lifetime. It's hard not to like him as he motivates Big Man and Bear and experiences the new world around him.

It's not your average post-apocalyptic show. The world of Sweet Tooth is at times both savage and civilized.

Some parts of the world have succumbed to nature and are worn down. Other parts are perfectly normal, like the chaos of the pandemic never ripped it apart.

It's also the most well colored post-apocalyptic show I've seen. I compare it to the look of The Hunger Games and some parts of Mad Max: Fury Road.

I recommend this show to everyone looking for a change of pace. It has the drama and weight that rivals an average HBO show but it doesn’t feel totally depressing like other post apocalyptic shows. It may have too much of a YA vibe for some but I suggest people give it a chance.

If you do decide to check it out, what you'll see is a heartwarming show with a talented cast and a driving plot. It's a show that's not to be missed.

SCORE: 9/10

By Julian Hayden

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Advent_Seven

Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/AdventSevenMedia

[blaineandsamevanderson]

Title: Stretch right up and touch the sky Chapter 4

Author: @blaineandsamevanderson

Fandom: Legends of Tomorrow/Arrow/The Flash/Supergirl

Ship: Iris/Eddie, will have many more to come

Rating: G

Summary: Camp STAR is one of the North East’s most popular science camps.  Every year, young minds arrive to learn and explore.  Unfortunately, a few weeks before the camp was to open for the season, a large explosion in one of the labs and the ensuing fire made the camp uninhabitable.  Not wanting his campers to miss out on their summer, Owner Harrison Wells called up Joe West, Owner of Camp Superflarrow, who he knew was looking to expand the science discovery program at his own camp.

Author’s notes: There are a few random counselor names thrown in to fill out the lists.  They will not be of importance.

**

**

“Gimme a boost, boys!”

In a practiced motion, Barry grabbed one of Iris’s hands while Eddie took the other and they lifted her up onto a tall stump by the camp gates.  From there, all the counselors and CIT’s would be able to see her as she made a brief announcement.  After today, such announcements would be done by the head counselors, but as they had just arrived, Joe was letting Iris hand out cabin assignments this year.

“I know some of you have summered with us before,” she was saying and a cheer rose up from most of the returning campers.  Iris grinned back at them before continuing, “This season, we’ve got a lot of new faces joining us and we’ve also got lots of new programs and guest speakers available for all campers.  Dad and Dr. Wells will fill everyone in at the Welcome ceremony, but for now, I’m sure you all want to know where to store your gear.”

Cabin assignment time.

“First up, we have the Penobscot Cabins, which house our younger boys.  Cabin 1, Barry Allen and Eddie Thawne.”

Barry tossed an amused grin over at Eddie, who held out his hand for a fist bump.  “Joe wants you to keep an eye on me, right?” the blond joked, but Barry winced a little at the comment.  Eddie’s eyes widened.  “Oh God, that’s actually it!”

With a shrug, Barry admitted, “He may have muttered something about making sure you stay in the cabin at night….”

Eddie groaned as Iris continued to read off names.

“…Leonard Snart & Jefferson Jackson…Oliver Queen & Winn Schott…Mon-El Daxam & Tommy Merlyn…Bruce Wayne & Steve Trevor….”

After that, she moved on to assigning counselors to the Sequoia (Boys Middle Age) Cabins. “James Olsen & Ray Palmer to Cabin 1…Wally West & Nate Haywood…Cisco Ramon & Curtis Holt…John Diggle &Roy Harper…Rory Regan & Rene Ramirez…..”

Kennebagos (Older Boys) were next.  Clark Kent & Julian Albert, Mick Rory & Hartley Rathaway, Carter Hall & Rip Hunter were paired to watch over cabins while Lex Luthor was given a cabin of his own with fewer boys to manage.

“All of you, make sure to keep your boys out of the girl’s cabins, you hear me?”  Iris teased.  “Our younger girls are in the Acadia Cabins.  Cabin 1 is me, Iris West, & Caitlin Snow.  We’re gonna have fun!”

Barry tracked her wave to a pretty auburn haired girl of about their age.  The summer sun painted her curls in colors that reminded him of fall and Barry blinked before refocusing on the cabin assignments.  Not that he’d remember all of them, but it was good to be able to match unknown faces to names.  “…Sara Lance & Lisa Snart…Kara Danvers & Felicity Smoak…Diana Prince & Eve Teschmacher…Cindy Taylor & Lyra Strayd….”

Next came the Baxter (Middle Girls).  “Lyla Michaels & Jesse Wells…Lucy Lane & Amaya Jiwe…Megan Morse & Thea Queen…Cassandra Savage & Linda Park…Nyssa Al Ghul & Evelyn Sharp…Dinah Drake & Isabel Rochev….”

Finally, she reached the Kennebeck cabins, where the Older girls bunked.  “…Lena Luthor & Laurel Lance…Alex Danvers & Maggie Sawyer…Lois Lane & Kendra Saunders…Patty Spivot & Leslie Willis…Cindy Reynolds & Siobhan Smythe…Helena Bertinelli & Elena Vasquez….” Iris read off, then nodded to the crowd.  “See you all at the campfire in an hour.”

As Eddie helped her down off of the stump, Barry raised his voice to call out, “Wally, help any new Sequoia counselors find their way!  Rip, you got the Kennebagos!”  A happy wave from Wally and an annoyed eye roll from Rip said that they’d heard him.  “Lyla, take the Baxter?  Thanks! Laurel, Kennebecks?”

The two girls started leading their newbies as Iris called, “Acadia & Long Creek this way, Penobscots with Barry.”

Everyone gathered up their gear and began trooping off into the camp, splitting into smaller groups as they headed for their cabins.  As they made their way through the campground, Barry began pointing things out and rattling off bits of information.  Most of the boys in his group had been to camp before and were only listening with half an ear, but some of the newbies peered at the tennis courts, soccer fields and climbing towers with interest.

Once they reached their small cluster of cabins, each with a plaque bearing the name Penobscot and a number, they paired off, hauling their things into their bunks. The cabins were spacious log buildings with large windows that could be opened to allow airflow through the screens. Bunk beds filled the main room and there was a storage room to keep clothes and belongings in beside the small counselor’s room.  At the other end of the cabin was the shower and bathroom, all newly renovated and each cabin had a small, attached porch.

“You okay if I take bottom bunk?” Eddie asked as he and Barry entered the room they’d be sleeping in for the summer.

“Sure,” Barry agreed amiably as he opened the windows, letting the cross draft flow through the room.  He’d already brought most of his things over earlier, but he had a bag with bedding that he dug his sheets out of.

As they began to make their beds, Eddie said, “You were kidding about spying on me for your dad, right…Barry?”

He wasn’t planning on narcing on them, but it was fun to tease Eddie with the idea.  Maybe if he played his cards right, he could get Eddie to take care of the particularly messy criers in exchange for keeping quiet….

“This is more like what I though camp would be like when Alex first started talking about going,” Kara enthused, grinning at Felicity as they entered their cabin.  “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I loved STAR, but I didn’t expect dorms and stuff like that.  Movie camps look like this!”

The dorms at STAR had been large and spacious, each room holding 2 campers, single beds, dressers, desks, chairs and closets.  Each room had a ¾ bath attached, air conditioning, a kitchenette and a tv.  It seemed more like a pre-college experience than a camp, and a pretty spiffy college at that.

Superflarrow was far more camp like, with cabins and many more outdoor activities.  Their cabin was neat and clean, rows of bunks taking up the main room, a large, shiny bathroom taking up one end of the building. The counselor’s room was at the other end and they had their own separate bath.

That was nice.

The bunk beds might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they didn’t bother Kara.

“Do you mind if I take the bottom bunk?” Felicity asked a little sheepishly. “I’m not the biggest fan of heights.”

“Not a problem,” Kara assured the other girl.  Felicity was another transfer from STAR, so she was happy not to be rooming with a total stranger.  Not that she wasn’t eager to meet new people, but what if she didn’t get along with her roommate?  Alex seemed okay with bunking with Maggie, whom they had met on the bus, but she was glad for a familiar face.  “What did you pick for your specialty?”

Each counselor had an area of focus that they would direct activities in.  The cabin pairings were probably assigned so at least one counselor from each cabin would be with their campers at any given time if the other had to go off and lead a sport or class.

“The Camp Radio Station,” Felicity told her with a smile.  “I know not as many campers will take an interest in that, but me and Cisco will be able to have fun with it, doing daily announcements and improving the camp’s audio systems.  I mean, did you see the old school, mega-phone looking speakers nestled in the trees?”

Kara nodded.  “I thought they blended in pretty well, considering someone went to the trouble of painting them green.”  

“I’ll give them points for that,” Felicity agreed, then asked, “Which program are you working in?”

“Voice,” Kara told her.  “Alex says I put the Kara in Kara-eoke.”

Felicity let out a giggle.  “That’s an awful joke.  I love it.”

Yeah, this rooming situation was going to work out just fine!

TBC......

1.      Waterski - The Ski Dock is home base to our fleet of 4 Mastercraft Pro Star Ski Boats. Campers love our ski program:  Waterskiing, wakeboarding, skurfing, slalom, trick and even barefoot with our experienced staff.

2.      Swimming - Crystal clear Echo Lake is home to our American Red Cross swim program. A hard-sand bottom and expansive dock system provides a natural area for swim lessons, snorkeling and a full recreational aquatics program.

3.      Small Crafts - Our fleet of more than 50 sailboats, windsurfers, canoes and kayaks eagerly awaits water-enthusiasts. From Hobie 16s to Vanguard 420s, Sunfish and more….our small crafts staff of 18 keeps close watch on our campers and our fleet.

4.     Camp Owner House - The home of camp owner Joe West.

5.      Dining Hall - One of Superflarrow’s original buildings, our Dining Hall sits at the base of camp, overlooking Echo Lake. Campers enjoy great camp dining in a beautiful atmosphere. Our chefs are proud of their homemade entrees, fresh fruit and salad bars and desserts.

6.      Discovery - Rabbits, frogs, snakes, turtles and other small animals await you at Discovery, located in an original camp building on the shore of the lake. Make your own ice cream, identify birds and plants and learn about different ecosystems on our 150 acres.

7.      Cove - The Cove is a camp gathering area where campers and counselors convene each morning and evening for announcements, birthday songs, intercamp scores and in-camp news-of-the-day. It’s a great place for our camp family to unite after breakfast and dinner. We sing songs and recognize the accomplishments and strides all campers are making.

8.      Archery - Ready…aim…fire!  Our archers learn the skills of the bow & arrow at our Archery range overlooking Echo Lake.

9.      S’Mores Site - A great camp-out area in the woods on Laurel’s grounds. The perfect place to learn about camping… just steps from your own cabin.

10.   All Camp Campfire - Weekly campfires are a wonderful Superflarrow tradition. Whether as a campus or as one camp family, we tell stories, sing songs and enjoy campfire folklore…a camp tradition since our founding in 1949. Superflarrow Family… you’re pretty good company!

11.    Acadia Girls - Our campus for girls having completed 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade.

12.  Science Buildings – Each lab is focused on a particular scientific focus.

13.  Metalsmithing/Woodworking - A growing and ever-popular camp program. Metalsmithing includes the design and crafting of bracelets, belt buckles, earrings, key chains and more in our Metals Studio. Real silver and copper come to life through campers’ creativity.

14.   Ceramics/Arts and Crafts/Studio Arts - A popular camp activity. Join our talented team of potters at Ceramics to learn to throw, build, paint, glaze and fire your clay projects.  Our new Arts and Crafts center is a hot-bed of all things related to sculptures, molds, weaves, tie-dyes, balsa wood airplanes, friendship bracelets, wax-resist paintings, paper-mache masks and much more. Join us down at the Crafts Center.  Painting, drawing and pastels await you in our beautiful Studio Art facility at the top of camp. Come here to illustrate, draw, paint, use charcoal, and try your hand at Comic Book Illustration.

15.   The Grove - A beautiful spot near the Dining Hall for outdoor lunches and birthday celebrations. Our Acadia and Apache campers eat lunch at a cabin-specific table in this area. It is also a place where siblings can eat together and visit at lunch.

16.   Health Center - Our modern, fully-equipped Health Center staffed by a Nurse Practitioner and EMT.

17.   Moosetracks - Each night after evening activity and before bedtime, campers meet at Moosetracks for a quick “Nite-Bite."  Fresh fruit is available each evening…or a snack like milk and cookies.

18.   Kennebeck Girls - Our campus for girls having completed the 7th, 8th and 9th grade.

19.   Penobscot Boys - Our campus for boys having completed  the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade.

20.  Kennebago Boys - Our campus for boys having completed the 7th, 8th and 9th grade.

21.   Sequoia Boys - Our campus for boys having completed the 5th and 6th grade.

22.  Basketball Courts - Camp Superflarrow has 30 glass basketball goals, spread out over 5 regulation courts, 2 of which are lit.

23.  Baxter Girls - Our campus for girls having completed the 5th and 6th grade.

24.  Gaga - Campers love our two turf Gaga complexes with mini-stadium seating.

25.  Basketball Courts - Camp Superflarrow has 30 glass basketball goals, spread out over 5 regulation courts, 2 of which are lit.

26.  Gaga - Campers love our two turf Gaga complexes with mini-stadium seating.

27. Hockey - Our full-size, lighted arena for Street and Roller Hockey. Also home to the famous Sequoia Hockey League. Professional cages, penalty boxes, lights…we have it all for the hockey enthusiast.

28.  Equestrian Center - The Superflarrow Equestrian Center is home to our 22 camp horses, 2 barns, instructional rings, paddocks and 3-acre pasture.  A program well-equipped for the beginner to advanced rider.

29.  Soccer - Another signature Superflarrow sports program. Our two regulation fields are lit and home to soccer players of all abilities. Everyone who wants to play, plays soccer at Superflarrow… in age, gender and skill appropriate groups.

30.  Climbing Towers - Our Climbing Center features two Climbing Towers, connected by a wire bridge more than 50 feet in the air. Our bouldering pavilion is perfect for beginners, intermediate and expert climbers.

31.   Tennis - A signature program at Superflarrow.  15 all-weather courts and an electronic wall and backboard complement our program.

32.  Tennis - A signature program at Superflarrow.  15 all-weather courts and an electronic wall and backboard complement our program.

33.  Handball – A regulation Handball court nestled between the tennis courts for use by all campers

34.  Theatre – Superflarrow Theatre hums with activity. Campers may participate on stage in one of our musical productions (Grease, Annie, Bye Bye Birdie, Oliver, Willy Wonka, High School Musical… to name a few over the past few years) or work backstage. Lighting board operators, sound engineers, costuming, stage make-up, stage managers…we have it all in our professional theatre.

35.  Chef Camp - The Chef Camp facility is home to our extensive culinary arts program. Superflarrow is known for one of the most comprehensive cooking programs of any camp in the northeast.

36. Dance & Fitness Center - Our brand new Fitness center features all current equipment for a complete workout. Fitness is one of Superflarrow’s most popular programs. The Fitness Center boasts a Cardio and Strength Studio, tailored for campers from 2nd through 10th grades. Specialty Fitness programs for campers include, running, weight training, Superflarrow Abs, yoga, triathlon and the Camp SuperflarrowFit Trail. Our General Fitness and Junior Fitness programs provide an introduction to the "world” of health and fitness for all ages.  Our brand new Dance Center with moveable walls feature two separate mirrored studios and hardwood flooring. Campers love practicing their hip-hop, jazz, ballet, modern and tap routines.

37.  Fieldhouse - Ten glass basketball goals, a full court basketball court, professional indoor volleyball court and automatic bleacher seating for 500 make the Superflarrow Fieldhouse the place-to-be. It is the perfect rainy day activity center and all-weather building for hoops, volleyball, ga-ga and group games. It is also home to our big-screen movie center. The Fieldhouse also hosts many of our traditional all-camp events including College Days Closing Ceremony, Dance and Talent Shows & The Quest…to name a few.

38. Gymnastics - Our beautiful Gymnastics Building sits toward the top of camp. A full springboard floor and modern equipment make our 4000 square foot facility inviting for all levels, from beginner to advanced.

39. Library - A quiet area for camp meetings.

40. Camp Office - Behind the scenes, where our wonderful office administrators & staff make it all happen.

41.   Log Cabin - Our authentic Log Cabin is where our teenagers (Bec and Bago campers) enjoy snacks and a little recreational time (ping pong, foosball, pop-a-shot) at the end of a busy day. For you former campers, it’s like a “Canteen.” A supervised place for our teens to hang out at night.

42. Tennis - A signature program at Superflarrow.  15 all-weather courts and an electronic wall and backboard complement our program.

43. Tennis - A signature program at Superflarrow.  15 all-weather courts and an electronic wall and backboard complement our program.

44. Basketball Courts - Camp Superflarrow has 30 glass basketball goals, spread out over 5 regulation courts, 2 of which are lit.

45.  Basketball Courts - Camp Superflarrow has 30 glass basketball goals, spread out over 5 regulation courts, 2 of which are lit.

46. Soccer - Another signature Superflarrow sports program. Our two regulation fields are lit and home to soccer players of all abilities. Everyone who wants to play, plays soccer at Superflarrow… in age, gender and skill appropriate groups.

47.  Volleyball - A regulation lighted beach volleyball court is a favorite camp spot.

48. Baseball - Our regulation Little League Fields are busy with baseball and softball players all day. Batting cages and clinics complement our program. Under our head of baseball, our instructional staff of 5 exposes every camper to baseball (boys) or softball (girls). An exciting intercamp program awaits those desiring a competitive element to the game.

49. Lacrosse & Football - Our full size lacrosse and football fields are busy with action all day long. Great lax and flag football instruction, games, Sports Night Football under the lights and intercamps highlight these active programs.

50.  Camp Entrance - Welcome to Camp Laurel! Enjoy your tour around our facilities, and call us with any questions.

51.   Ropes Course – Multi-Level ropes courses and towers for adventure seakers of all skill levels.

52.  Camp Owner House - The summer home of camp owner Harrison Wells.

[afaimscorner]

Orientierungsfile für mein A/B/O-Arrowverse:

Fics (inklusive Lesereihenfolge):

„Nennt uns Legenden: Die Legende von Alpha, Beta und Omega“:

Legends-Fic, Arrow Staffel 1-5, Flash Staffel 1-3, Legends Staffel 1-2 bis Episode 2.14. Moonshot, diverse Pairings, Hauptpairings: Timecanary, Atomwave und Vixensteel

https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/58db93df00000b7ba606ffa/1/Nennt-uns-Legenden-I-Die-Legende-von-Alpha-Beta-und-Omega

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12424826/1/Nennt-uns-Legenden-I-Die-Legende-von-Alpha-Beta-und-Omega

„Mein Name ist Oliver Queen“:

Arrow-Fic, Arrow Staffel 1-5, Flash Staffel 2, bis Arrw 5.10 „Who are you?“, Oliver/Black Siren-Fic, mit etwas Olicity

https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/5999d0c900000b7b7d0d8a2/1/Mein-Name-ist-Oliver-Queen

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12621748/1/Mein-Name-ist-Oliver-Queen

„Nennt uns Legenden II: Die Legende der Omegas“:

Legends-Fic, nach „Moonshot“ vor „Fellowship of the Spear“, diverse Pairings, Hauptpairings: Timecanary, Atomwave und Vixensteel

https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/59b3c13500000b7b23851542/1/Nennt-uns-Legenden-II-Die-Legende-der-Omegas

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12646244/1/Nennt-uns-Legenden-II-Die-Legende-der-Omegas

„Dinge, denen man nicht trauen kann“:

Flash-Fic, Flash Staffel 1-3, bis 3.18 „Duet“, Julian-Fic, diverse Pairings, Hauptpairings: Julian/Barry und Julian/Caitlin mit Westallen am Rande

https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/59d7585500000b7b7035fc1/1/Dinge-denen-man-nicht-trauen-kann

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12678534/1/Dinge-denen-man-nicht-trauen-kann

„Nennt uns Legenden III: Die Legende von Doomworld“:

Legends-Fic, Episoden 2-15 „Fellowship of the Spear“-2.17, Doomworld-Fic, diverse Pairings, Hauptpairings: Timecanary, Atomwave und Vixensteel, mit Sara/Amaya und Eobard/Ray

https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/59dc93c300000b7b33452178/1/Nennt-uns-Legenden-III-Die-Legende-von-Doomworld

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12683384/1/Nennt-uns-Legenden-III-Die-Legende-von-Doomworld

„Kara Danvers ist meine Lieblingsperson“:

Supergirl-Fic, Spupergirl Staffel 1-3, bis 3.4 „The Faithful“, Danversschwestern-Fic mit Sanvers und Karamel als Schwerpunkt, etwas Kara/James und diversen anderen Pairings

https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/59fd937e00000b7b18da128e/1/Kara-Danvers-ist-meine-Lieblingsperson

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12713392/1/Kara-Danvers-ist-meine-Lieblingsperson

„Nennt uns Legenden IV: Die Legende vom Rudel“:

Legends-Fic, Staffel 3, innerhalb des Zeitsprungs von 3.1 bis 3.7. „Out of the Jungle“, diverse Pairings, Hauptpairings: Timecanary, Atomwave und Vixensteel, mehr AU als die bisherigen Fic da anderer Handlungsstrang für Rip

https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/5a008f1200000b7b13b15d0e/1/Nennt-uns-Legenden-IV-Die-Legende-vom-Rudel

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12716233/1/Nennt-uns-Legenden-IV-Die-Legende-vom-Rudel

 Geplante Fics:

One-Shot-Sammlung

Crisis on Earth X“-Crossover Fic

Nennt uns Legenden V

 Wissenswertes:

+ Diese Fic wurde von der umwerfenden englischen Legends A/B/O-Fic „Handle Alphas with care and cuddles“ (http://archiveofourown.org/works/6430948/chapters/14720536) von yaoigirl22 inspiriert.

+ Was bedeutet A/B/O? Das steht für Alpha/Beta/Omega und ist eine Fanfiction-Trope, die sich vom Tierreich inspirieren lässt und eine Welt postuliert, in der die Menschen neben dem primären Geschlecht auch noch ein sekundäres Geschlecht (nämlich eben Alpha, Beta oder Omega) besitzen. Traditionell funktioniert die Gesellschaft auf Grund von der Existenz dieser sekundären Geschlechter anders als unsere, und es herrscht oft ein gewisser Seximus vor (bezogen auf die sekundären Geschlechter). Autoren nützen dieses Gimmick gerne für Dystopien und/oder gesellschaftliche Kommentare. … Oder dafür um Pornographie zu verfassen. Diese Fic ist mehr ersteres als letzteres. Sorry.

 + Wie funktioniert meine A/B/O-Gesellschaftsform? Aus historischen Gründen heraus werden in der modernen Gesellschaft Alphas und Omegas aber aus unterschiedlichen Gründen nicht besonders hoch angesehen. Betas erhalten bevorzugt Führungspositionen und haben im Grunde genommen das Sagen in der Gesellschaft, da Alphas als zu aggressiv und territorial gelten und Omegas als schwach und flatterhaft bzw. instabil – jeweils wegen ihrem Hormonhaushalt. Im 21. Jahrhundert gilt diese Vorstellung zwar als überholt und veraltet, und es gibt viele Gleichberechtigungsbewegungen, aber viele hängen trotzdem noch den alten Vorurteilen an. Auch deswegen, weil es stimmt, dass Betas eine beruhigende und stabilisierende Wirkung auf Alphas und Omegas haben (wegen den Pheromonen, die sie absondern). In dieser Fic haben alle drei sekundären Geschlechter einen Geruchssinn, der sie dazu bringt zu riechen, was für Pheromone die Angehörigen der anderen Geschlechter gerade aussenden, sprich sie erkennen so die Stimmung der anderen und Hinweise auf Hitze bzw. Brunft.

Omegas erleben sogenannten Hitzen (grob gesagt sie werden rollig bzw. läufig, sucht euch aus welches Tier ihr bevorzugt) und sondern in dieser Phase ihres Lebens Pheromone ab, die bei Alphas wiederum Brunftverhalten auslösen (ja, jetzt haben wir die Tierart gewechselt, sorry) – auf jeden Fall sind dann beide Seiten geil aufeinander und beschließen sich zu paaren und tun das dann auch über einen längeren Zeitraum hinweg – im Falle eines männlichen Alphas verhakt sich dieser meistens im Omega, und sie hängen dann längere Zeit zusammen (und jetzt sind wir wieder bei den Hunden gelandet) bis der Penis abschwillt und entfernt werden kann. Betas hingegen werden vom Geruch der Hitze abgestoßen damit sie nicht zwischen einen brünftigen Alpha und dem von ihm begehrten Omega geraten können, was mit unter schlecht für sie ausgehen könnte.

 + Sorry, keine Mpreg in meinen Fics. Männliche Omegas können nicht schwanger werden.

 + Polygamie gilt als normal, wenn auch überholt. Die ideale Beziehungsform wäre eine Triaden-Beziehung zwischen einem Alpha, einem Beta und einem Omega. Aber im 21. Jahrhundert kommen diese nur noch selten vor.

 + Homosexualität gilt als normal, was sekundäre Geschlechter angeht, und bei den meisten auch, was primäre Geschlechter angeht.

 + Es gibt sogenannte Gefährten, eine geistige wie körperliche Bindung zwischen Alpha und Omega, die einst als heilig galt, heutzutage aber als altmodisch angesehen wird und durch die normale zwei Personen-Ehe esetzt wurde.

+ Bei den außeriridschen Völkern haben die Alphas das Sagen.

 + Rudelstrukturen sind nicht mehr häufig zu finden, entstehen aber automatisch wenn größere Gruppen aller drei Geschlechter viel Zeit miteinander verbringen.

 +Sogenannte Prime-Alphas, zu denen sich Eobard zählt, wurden in unserer Zeit noch nicht identifiziert, gelten in der Zukunft und auf anderen Planeten aber als Untergeschlecht vom Alpha und meinen eine intelligentere und stärkere Art von Alpha.

 +Intersex-Geschlechter sind möglich und oft die Folge von künstlich herbeigeführten schiefgegangen Geschlechtsumwandlungen. Alpha-Beta etwas bedeutet, dass die Person mehr Alpha als Beta Merkmale besitzt, während Beta-Alphas mehr Beta- als Alpha-Merkmale aufweisen.

 + Wer ist was? (Spoiler! Manche verbergen ihr wahres Geschlecht oder wechseln es)

 Omegas:

 Rip Hunter

Ray Palmer

Nate Heywood

Grandma Palmer

Gary Green

Obsidian

Quentin Lance

Roy Harper

Curtis Holt

Maseao Yamashiro

Taiana

Barry Allen

Cisco Ramon

Joe West

Lisa Snart

Henry Allen

Jay Garrick (Erde 3)

Kara Danvers

J’onn J’onzz

Jeremiah Danvers

Lar Gand (auch in Universum-1)

 Betas:

 Martin Stein

Jax Jackson

Leonard Snart

Carter Hall (und all seine anderen Inkarnationen)

Vandal Savage

Gideon – programmiert auf Beta

Clarissa Stein

Lily Stein

Zari Tomaz

Rex Tyler

Anna Loring

Henry Heywood

Hank Heywood

Mrs. Heywood

Star Girl

Dr. Mid-Nite

Sydney Palmer

Mrs. Palmer

Felicity Smoak

Nyssa

Paul Holt

Rory Regan

Lyla Michaels

Tommy Merlyn

Robert Queen

Shado

Walter Steele

Carly Diggle

Susan Williams

Anatoli

Jesse Quick

H. R. Wells

Ronnie Raymond

Eddie Thawne

Captain Singh

Hank Henshaw

Winn Schott

Maggie Sawyer

Clark Kent

Lena Luthor

M’gann M’orzz

Alura

Zor-El

Sam Arias

Ruby Arias

Lucy Lane

Linda Park

Patty Spivott

Mari McCabe

John Constantine

 Alphas:

 Sara Lance (Prime Alpha?)

Mick Rory

Amaya Jiwe

Eobard Thawne (Prime Alpha)

Damien Darhk

Kendra Saunders (und all ihre anderen Inkarnationen)

Ava Sharpe

Kuasa

Miranda Coburn

Grodd

Nora Darhk

Jonah Hex

Mon-El Universum 1

Laurel Lance

John Diggle

Thea Queen

Renè Ramirez

Evelyn Sharp

Adrian Chase

Moira Queen

Slade Wilson(Prime Alpha nach Mirakulu?)

Donna Smoak

Dinah Lance

Andy Diggle

Amanda Waller

Ras al Gul

Katana

Iris West

Wally West (im Vorwort bei der Aufstellung zu „Nennt uns Legenden IV fälschlicherweise als Beta geführt, das war mein Fehler, sorry, Alpha stimmt)

Julian Albert

Harry Wells (Erde-2)

Hunter Zolomon

Lewis Snart

Nora Allen

Dante Ramon

Alex Danvers

Cat Grant

James Olsen

Mon-El

Eliza Danvers

Rhea

Lillian

Astra

Maxwell Lord

 Trans:

 Malcolm Merlyn – jetzt Alpha (Trans Beta-> Alpha)

Oliver Queen – jetzt Alpha (Trans Beta-> Alpha)

Laurel Lance Erde Zwei – Alpha (Trans Beta-> Alpha)

Caitlin Snow – bisher Beta, wird zum Alpha, nun ?

[spidermilkshake]

Requisition

More RE fanfics--more mutants, more corporate shenanigans. There is fluff! Also, deep sadness.

Rating: Teen (TW for suggestive language, human experimentation, dehumanization, medical/lab settings and stuff, plus also human adults cuss like human adults, some obvious child neglect and endangerment, alcohol abuse, implied animal abuse)

Mr. X and Mariposa's rapport becomes stronger--but nice things don't last, and when you are a bio-engineered sentient creature but you count only as property of a cutthroat, eugenicist corporation, you come to know that all too well. This one takes place right before RE2/RE3, by only a day or less.

 6: Requisition

           For a time the pattern continued, and Mr. X did abide about as well as he could. The new wrinkle in the routine of weekend visitations by Mariposa had become a welcome change, and the girl slowly but surely became somewhat used to having an immense, inhuman, and mostly silent shadow. The Tyrant also grew accustomed to the tiny human and her curiously vulnerable status, drawn towards placing itself as a shield between here and even the most minor misfortunes in a way that it could not quite categorize. It was not the placid, logical, natural inclination of loyalty it regarded Dr. Ramirez with (though it did also regard the man, warts and all, with a sort of respectful fondness given that he had been the first to speak to T-00, and of T-00, with the correct regard for its awareness and intellect.) The child brought out… something else, partly an instinct, partly a thought that it could not collect the words for but did feel some control of—and a willingness to continue to feel this… something. It often wondered during the off-time late at night if this perhaps was a feeling that had to do with friendship, and from that it considered that it had not had a friendship before. Docile acceptance of its former neighbors in the holding chamber, yes. Acquainted with the names, faces, and general habits of it first set of handlers, trainers, and keepers—sure. Obedient to its master and willing to work for him until it became impossible, of course. But the other Tyrants, the most reliable trainer, and even Dr. Ramirez were not what Mr. X would call “friends”. The doctor and the trainers were sources of orders and tasks and purpose—they stood well on the rung of authority over any Tyrant’s head, and however kind some of them were at time this felt always incorrect… too distant for the type of bond that it felt must be required. As for the others of its kind… acknowledgement of their sameness, ease of understanding each other’s cues and moods, none of that changed that T-00 had spent precious little time freely around them. Calling something that razor-thin a “friendship” felt presumptuous, and premature.

            But the small girl… she and her Tyrant chaperone were different. Yes. Mariposa and Mr. X perhaps were now friends.

            Through the boiling heat of August, the doctor paid less and less attention to his visiting daughter, and became far more willing to allow T-00 alone to watch over her, as he opted to focus manically on the take-home aspects on his work. As the incidence of stressful, heated phone calls increased, so too did the outings farther and farther from the small back garden plot and its shady patio. Mariposa was adventurous, and while she was hesitant at first she quickly concluded that getting some distance from her father’s distracted cussing was worth whatever danger might be out in the wooded hills and wider pastures of the property. And she also reasoned that there was no danger out there that her monstrous follower could not render utterly harmless with a slim fraction of his strength and lightning-like reflexes.

            Sitting in the shade by the fence line where Mariposa could watch the cows grazing, Mr. X eyed the structure being twisted together and formed in her hand with an expression of contented interest. The long, dried strands of yellow grass here were tough and fibrous, as were the other mixed species of flora poking up through the gaps in the dominant plants. She had asked him to tear some pieces of these loose—those she could not break off herself without scraping and pricking her frail fingers—and pass them to her a few at a time. She was making something. Out of the irregular bits of plant matter, a regular pattern was emerging in a long, unified band. She asked for another of the flowering species. “Daisies”, she called them, by which point he knew she meant the white colored ones that had yellow centers and many small petals arranged in a single-layered radial pattern…

            “Almost done,” she smiled, holding the long, woven piece up and stretched to its full length, squinting appraisingly at it for unknown reasons. “Just one more piece of grass, please!”

            Between two giant fingers, the bioweapon fulfilled the request, and then leaned down a few more inches to watch her looping and twining the grass around both ends of the creation. In a matter of moments they were joined into a continuous band, which she displayed proudly over her outstretched palms.

            “What do you think?”

            Mr. X bobbed his head, though twitched up a wrinkled brow to try and express its confusion. It was unclear what the circle of combined plant matter was for; perhaps it did not have a purpose, and was merely decorative. It did have a pleasant balance of colors and details from the placement of different flowers…

            “Can you duck your head down, Mr. X?” Yes. It could. And it did, holding still as it felt its hat shift somewhat—and the pressure of two small hands pushing on it, and tugging the trilby back into its standard position. Mariposa giggled, “Okay, you can sit back up now.”

            The Tyrant gradually straightened up, noting the absence of Mariposa’s creation with a questioning rumble. Giggling harder, she pointed up to the top of his head, and upon probing with a few fingers he found the delicate flowers encircling the brim of his hat.

            “I wanted to see how it looks on you,” she stifled further laughter, wriggling in place from the effort of containing her mirth, “It looks kinda silly though.”

            Mr. X half-closed his eyes and uttered a low grunt; it did not care particularly if it looked “silly”, excepting that silly always made the child much happier. Mariposa allowed the nearly eight-foot bioweapon to wear the flower crown a while longer, only scooping it off right before returning in sight of the house—unsure how her father in a sour mood might react to seeing his personal Tyrant bodyguard so peaceably “emasculated”.

------

            September changed—though the visits remained. The nature of them grew stranger. Mariposa relied on her backpack more, fussing over the heavy texts and notebooks contained within. Their explorations were fewer (but thankfully much cooler as summer’s heat started to die), and more and more of the child’s time was spent indoors. She very often could be found only in her room which Mr. X found her could just barely squeeze himself into and sit cross-legged in the last remaining open floor space, relegating Mariposa to the bed with her plush toys and her mysterious written materials. If Dr. Ramirez’s slurred shouting over the phone was too loud, she would retreat to the kitchen island, the mutant in her wake.

            Thankfully, that Sunday night the doctor had retreated into his bunker lab for a few more hours, and his daughter had the benefit of a quiet room to spread out her papers and concentrate. Once more, the Tyrant leaned closer to the top of the bed from where he sat, eying and uttering a skeptical grunt over the open textbook and single-subject notebook. Mariposa fidgeted with her pencil and sighed.

            “I know it don’t make sense, but if I don’t do it I’ll get in trouble. It’s homework.”

            “Rrrgh.” Mr. X uttered a groan. Dr. Ramirez had not followed up on his hopes to teach the Tyrant how to speak, but in the meantime it had become practiced in use of tones, pitches, and even exercising its tough, calloused vocal cords enough to try out a number of clumsy, bestial phonemes on its own. It could form an “M”, or an “R”, an “H”, and even “S” and “Ch”—and could distinguish how to make them and choose when to do so. The breathy, plain growls were not gone—but the creature was now far closer to language than most T-103s ever came. The girl shot him a sad but understanding look, catching the low snarl’s meaning from her own long practice.

            “It’s math homework too. I hate math homework…”

            Mr. X glanced at the upside-down numbers and symbols on the pages, one milky-white eye squinting as he struggled to make them out. There was that word again: Homework. Work… Mariposa seemed very young and underdeveloped to be expected to do any sort of work, in the Tyrant’s silent opinion. It would be like barking orders to a being like himself while it was still a half-formed fetal blob in the growth tube. But it did understand very well the concept of grudgingly following a trainer’s commands through a testing range, and so likened it more to that. Mentally at least, she was very much not half-formed.

            Frustrated by the long page of simple math, the ten-year-old finally flopped back and grabbed onto one of her larger plushes—a bizarrely-proportioned and colored horse-like creature. Settling more comfortably, she turned the text and notebook around so that T-00 could properly read the contents.

            “Ugh, it’s giving me a headache… Do you wanna try one?”

            Mr. X peered back up at her, eyes widening with brows raised in alarm. She wanted it to… what now? Her index finger poked out and landed on a short line of words, the only form of instructions that stood out on the page above a few columns of numbered equations, “There, that’s what you’re supposed to do for this row. They’re not hard, but my teacher Ms. Ingels makes me ‘show my work’. I dunno how to ‘show my work’ of just… knowing seven times seven, ugh.”

            “Hmmmmmgh…” Mr. X was not sure what to make of any of it: The teacher’s bizarre expectation, the wording that Mariposa was using for the task, and the threadbare instructions on the page. Times? What times? How does one “times” something—especially an abstract number? The instructions were only more puzzling: “Solve problems No. 13 through No. 21 with multiplication.” “Solve problems” it knew, and it could see the numbered chunks of numbers and symbols, but numbers on a paper and various “X”s and lines did not seem like a problem to solve to the Tyrant. They just were.

            But they made Mariposa unhappy. They were a problem, a very different kind of problem than the monster was used to.

            It picked up the pencil with some awkwardness, its fingers far too large and thick for the thin spike of wood and graphite. Holding the item up stiffly, T-00’s brows screwed up tightly as it studied the little girl’s work so far for clues to what the strange orders meant. She had finished two earlier sections, and had made it to copying the numbers and symbols beside No. 16 before giving it up to the Tyrant’s attempts. It glanced back to No. 15: It had said “11x3”, and the girl had arranged the numbers vertically instead before filling in below the number “33”.

            Wait a moment—

            Multiply. Three groups of eleven. Thirty-three. Now it made sense! Why the book did not just ask, flatly and sensibly, to write what the numbers multiplied together were Mr. X didn’t know. Somehow the compiler of this textbook had less of a grasp of how to communicate than the completely non-verbal non-human.

            “Mrph,” It looked back to No. 16: It read “8x8”. It was childishly simple—not too much to expect for the most mathematically-challenged ten-year-old—but Mr. X still wasn’t sure what Mariposa’s teacher could mean by “showing her work” aside from recording the answer. Now, for the difficult part; the Tyrant moved the tip of the pencil down to the targeted spot at an achingly slow pace, trying its best to not press or move the flimsy implement too hard. It had seen humans write before, and it had seemingly awoken with an innate knowledge of all the shapes signifying the sounds and meanings for English and Spanish at the very least… but it had never attempted to write anything before. A jitter shot through its chest, and it could sense the pores on its forehead beading up with a nervous sweat.

            —very slowly, with the pencil clenched in almost a whole fist, the Tyrant scratched out the number 64 in much rougher, fatter lines than Mariposa could manage. She opened her eyes wide, and exclaimed:

            “Oh! You never told me you could do math!”

            Mr. X’s mouth twitched into the closest semblance of a proud smile as its tough, warped face could manage. It had never seemed necessary to prove its own intelligence. Mariposa had never needed the proof, and had never insinuated he was stupid. Unlike most other specimens of humanity it had met…

            “And you can write!”

            That much the Tyrant hadn’t even known, but the confirmation relaxed the twinges of tension in its neck. It rumbled softly and focused on the next problem. The girl did try to pull the homework away, but with a planted palm and a shake of his head, T-00 assured her that he was willing to finish the task at hand—with an increasing confidence in its ability to not destroy her belongings it filled in the solutions in a matter of moments. Barely containing her excitement, Mariposa swept aside the dull school drudgery and dug out a different notebook in its place.

            “What else can you write? Maybe you can talk to me by writing back!” She had also dug out a different writing implement—a pen, more importantly one with a thicker, chunkier handle—and gave it to the Tyrant. Mr. X tilted its head; it… had not thought of that possibility before. Of course, it had not thought to try and mimic how humans wrote either, and had considered its progressively greater mastery of its voice to let it communicate just fine.

            But the idea seemed to thrill his friend, and he was now curious to give it a try. It hunched its heavy shoulders over the fresh lined sheet and held up the pen:

            I write words.

            Name Mr. X.

            Mariposa. Friend.

            I do good?

            “Yes!” She giggled, “Yes, it’s good! My old 4th grade grammar teacher wouldn’t like it, but he’s a baboso, so he doesn’t count.”

            The Tyrant produced a deep grumble that was practically a purr, and glanced to her meaningfully as he scrawled out another line:

            We talk like this?

            “Yeah,” Mariposa grinned and hugged her rainbow-hued fabric equine tighter. Her tone was excited, in a way that suggested she and the bioweapon were getting away with something. Nervous, and playful. “I wanna know more about you. Papá doesn’t tell me nothing, of course—but you can tell me what you remember.”

            It took several of these nighttime weekend sessions for Mr. X to adequately describe not only what it was, but how it had lived in the spring month prior to coming to her father’s secluded estate. Many times he had to stop, as Mariposa became distressed almost to tears—but rather than becoming afraid of what she was reading she surprised the giant living weapon by insisting upon crawling up into his grasp and clinging onto his Limiter’s lapels, speaking in a cracking, tiny voice how sorry she was.

            She was unable to read his broken messages when tucked up against him like this, so the Tyrant tried its best to let her know the worst of its cold, coarse introduction to life was over, and it was all better now with a deep rumble and a palm resting carefully on her back and shoulders. After the roughest parts were over, it could much more happily recall to her their first meeting from its own eyes.

            First day. I scared you. You scared me.

            Small. Small, but scary.

            … embarrassed.

            She collapsed into giggles at the revelation, unfathomably tickled by the reminder of that day’s terror and the hindsight that came with now trusting “el monstruo” implicitly with her own safety. She read the last little message she had missed earlier and grinned, laughed, all over again. That one word was in the most miniscule letters she’d ever seen the creature manage—their very hidden nature adding further to their meaning.

            You gave ice cream. First ice cream.

            Friend then.

            GOOD friend.

------

            It was a Saturday, with September almost yellowed into nothing like the dry carpet of pasture grass. Mariposa was sleepily sprawled out on the carpet in front of the television with Benji, and old episode of some sort of Western drama playing out before the unimpressed dog and girl. Dr. Ramirez was working on breakfa—er, lunch, nearby in the kitchen—a towel from the freezer wrapped around his neck and the lights over the range in as low a setting as they went as the second grilled cheese sizzled away. A small saucepan sat on another burner—slowly heating up a can of condensed tomato soup. Mr. X leaned against the kitchen’s corner—an eagle’s eye on both of those he had to protect—gnawing contentedly at the reward which Dr. Ramirez had given him for its very punctual reminder that his daughter needed someone awake and sober enough to receive her at 11 a.m. It was something which he’d seen the man given to his daughter before: A “jawbreaker”. The name did not seem all that appropriate—as its jaw seemed to be easily breaking off pieces of it instead. But it crunched pleasantly, and was packed with sugars, so T-00 counted its blessings, ignored the illogical naming, and enjoyed the treat.

            There was a loud series of rapid knocks on the front door. Ramirez almost dropped the grilled cheese he was mid-flip, and he choked audibly before whirling around to the entry hall. Mariposa scuttled up to a seated posture, hidden partly by the couch.

            “Mr. X—see who it is,” the man ordered, and it was clear by his disheveled and tense response that no one was expected. The bioweapon set down the unfinished half of its treat and strode heavily, assertively, to the door, its brows twitching down in irritation. Its hearts thudded in readiness to destroy whatever threat was invading this house:

            —When it opened the door, the Tyrant was faced with a relatively tall man in a dark suit, and darker shades. He faced the huge being with absolutely no shift in his pale, wrinkled face. His black hair was streaked with grey, and T-00 could not miss the hump of fabric on the front of his suit jacket that announced to its sensitive eyes the concealed handgun. The bioweapon reflexively broadened its stance, blocking more of the doorway with its body and leveled a sour glare down into the slick shades covering the intruder’s expression.

            “Stand down, T-00,” the man ordered, and the Tyrant’s hackles pricked up as he silently refused. This was some Umbrella Company personnel, but he’d offered no proof of that beyond knowing its designation, nor any proof whatsoever that he outranked Dr. Ramirez.

            Mr. X instead moved like a striking snake—a fist bunching around the bundle of fabric he’d grabbed by the man’s throat and collarbones—and lifted the pathetic man half a meter off the ground. Before the man could finish yelping in fright the Tyrant’s other hand flicked out and ripped the small pistol out of the harness hidden under the suit jacket.

            “Who is it, Mr. X?” He paused at the voice close behind him, and answered by shifting its broad shoulders more sideways and smoothly displaying the confiscated weapon as the captive intruder’s struggles became visible, “A-Ah! Easy, T-00! Let him down—carefully!”

            Grunting with bemusement, Mr. X obeyed to the letter and gently let the man down onto his feet again. He waited until the stranger seemed to be stable and balanced before loosening its grip on his collar. Gasping, the suited man recoiled for a second as he caught his breath, then adjusted his shades.

            “Very good.” He croaked, “Not to worry, Dr. Ramirez. I didn’t present I.D. or offer any other proof to your Tyrant here. It did very well,” He let out a breath of relief, “and I didn’t even get whiplash, like the last time. A gentleman, this one.”

            “Ah, er, well,” Ramirez blustered. “I’m sure he thanks you.”

            “I apologize for the rude interruption,” the man said, fishing out a company Identification Card as he continued, “My name is Mr. Winters. Operations Director Winters. I’ve come on behalf of Umbrella’s executives of the U.S. branch to discuss something, ah, very important.”

            Dr. Ramirez was already half-sobered-up from the shock, and as he made a show of handing the agent his firearm back he snuck a glimpse past him to the gravel turnaround, and his eyes widened. The Tyrant could see clear over their heads and the rock half-wall of the front garden, and noticed the large, boxy, white commercial moving truck parked next to the unmarked black Crown Vic. As well as the two armed guards by the former, and a Tyrant handler in their uniform gray jumpsuit and heavy boots.

            “Uh. What’s with the truck?”

            “That’s for later. Come, shall we talk somewhere more private?”

            Ramirez curiously took to the polite suggestion as if it were a harsh command. Mr. X allowed them to pass through, but shut the door meaningfully hard in the nosier of the two approaching guard’s face.

            “Mariposa, go play in your room.”

            “Papá?”

            “Go on now. I need to talk to this gentleman here—so go upstairs.”

            The Tyrant watched her climb the stairwell, then as he shifted one foot to follow the doctor stopped him with a harsh command:

            “No, you stay here.” Ramirez then pulled out a chair by the kitchen island for Mr. Winters to make himself comfortable, “I apologize—I send it to guard her when I can’t keep an eye on her. Learned response, y’see.”

            “I see. Rather quick adjustment for a T-103.”

            “Oh yes. This one learns very quick.”

            The agent and Ramirez were soon facing each other across the kitchen island, a glass of iced lemonade out for the guest. Mr. Winters hardly looked at anything, even as he commented on it—and this included the nearby Tyrant.

            “Dr. Ramirez, I’m sure you’ve heard the news by now. Internally, or otherwise,” the man quirked a dark, dry brow at him.

            “Yes…” Ramirez’s face was quite troubled. His forehead was coated in bullets of sweat—and not the heady, steady hangover-sweat he often wore after a night of drunken phone-line shouting matches. “I always had a bad feeling about Birkin… Can’t help but feel the bastard did something to start this off.”

            “Well, regardless of his past transgressions, we won’t have to worry about that man anymore.” Mr. Winters daintily sipped at the lemonade, “Unfortunately, it does seem he managed to release some form of the t-Virus either right before, or as he was terminated. He was not the only source of the situation in Raccoon City, though.” The man leaned closer to the doctor, face completely flat and unreadable despite the grim facts he dispensed, “You know very well, even as far back as July, that the incident with the Ecliptic Express and the Arklay Labs had caused some level of environmental contamination in that area. Ms. Teifer herself consulted you at the time, and thanks to you both exactly 37 infected wildlife and four infected humans were discovered and terminated. I’m afraid that by the time Teifer had any words with you that the waters of Victory Lake were exposed, to some degree, to vector of the Beta strain.”

            “Oh. God.”

            “Yes indeed.”

            “So… the so-called ‘football riot’, and the so called ‘new serial killer spree’..?”

            “An escalation of infection. It’s worse than that by now,” Mr. Winters said flatly. “Which is why I’m here. The board is in damage-control mode, and they have requested certain resources to deal with it.”

            “I-I—”

            “It’s not a request, of course, but I would prefer to make this even an amicable one.”

            “Of course,” Ramirez breathed, defeat and resentment beginning to spring up in his eyes.

            “Dr. Ramirez,” Mr. Winters removed his shades, revealing the pale brown eyes and their softened shape as he stared hard at the dark, worried ones of his subordinate, “Corporate is requisitioning Tyrant T-00 for their own purposes. I’m sorry, but we do in fact need this Tyrant more than you do at this time.”

            “Sir,” Ramirez’s tone grew more incredulous, “Umbrella has… has well over forty unsold and unpromised Tyrants in retention all across its facilities, and you need my prototype?”

            “Yes.” Mr. Winters said, deadpan. “Especially since the first five Phase 4 T-103s were completed in May, and have only recently entered their first training cycle.”

            “What?”

            “Goldman had your specs, and process notes—and all the techs knew what to do. At the very worst, they could be a study group sent to R&D.”

            “I was on vacation.”

            “Sure you were.” The agent stared, “Some people relax at home with… family.” The word seemed to be sneered. “Others arrange a stay by the beach, or in a fine multicultural European city, or on a national parks tour. Some even go swimming with sharks, or they for some reason think they can crawl up Everest. Very few opt to stay actively in their home office, and keep grinding out hours picking apart microbes in a secret laboratory bunker.”

            “So. Why wasn’t I informed regardless?”

            “Obviously… I was not privy to that decision. Not to speak ill of my employer, but such things occur regularly with the board’s decisions.” Winters seemed to smirk, “You love your daughter, yes?”

            “Oh, fuck you, you—”

            “Not so fast. Think for a minute. How many daughters are there, right now, in all the 100,000 citizens of Raccoon City?”

            Ramirez gulped.

            “What does that have to—”

            “This is a disaster, Julian.” The agent’s tone raised. “And you live far from it. For now. All emergency plans of Umbrella’s directors are on a ‘for now’ basis. But that always means that ‘for now’ will mean ‘now’, if nothing is done. 100,000 people is a lot. Even if it doesn’t mean Zombies crawling up into your cushy California home, anywhere close to 10,000 infected without some containment will still mean negative consequences… and believe me, you’d wish this was the Apocalypse if the U.S. government got wind you were involved with that damn virus.”

            “Okay… Okay…” Ramirez appeared to compose himself, licking at salty lips and mustache stubble, “I… I understand. I don’t like it, but I understand.” He sucked in a breath, “My daughter’s going to miss the big lug, you know…”

            “And she can say so, once this mess is over,” Mr. Winters made a face that may have been intended as a smile, but was so so desert-dry. “Its own considerable intellect is what we need. Adaptable. We need T-00 in Raccoon because what’s going on there is changing in scope and severity every day. Infected aren’t even the worst of it, and we need every advantage on the ground we can get.” His jaw went tight, “Umbrella already tried the ‘human touch’, and that first squad are all skeletons by now. If they’re lucky.”

            “A—ack—okay now, I get it,” the doctor winced. He lowered his head a moment into his wrapped arms, and then raised back up with a dazed, sad expression. “I assume you will… collect T-00 within the day?”

            “As soon as possible,” Winters said, though the age lines around his mouth and nose slackened, “I’m willing to give you a brief preparation time, however.” He leaned closer, “Don’t take advantage of it. If the sun sets and that Tyrant isn’t in the truck, things will be poorly for you daughter’s future.”

            Mr. X finally felt his spine unstiffen at the… the… perplexing and terrifying information it had overheard. It finally had processed what this had meant; its gorge rose, and eyes began to water though nothing seemed to have gotten into them to cause the irritation. It was going to leave this place. Leave his friend.

            “Mr. X,” Ramirez’s voice cut into its thoughts, and it fixed its blurry gaze onto its master, “go see if Mari’s alright. Be ready for further orders!”

            The Tyrant’s fearsome, beady pupils tightened with urgent focus, and then it slowly turned to face the stairs and took them at a soft, light-footed march. Once upstairs, it crept fast and suppressed its weight as much as it could and made its way straight to Mariposa’s room. His friend.

            Only friend.

            She was almost spooked at the unusual speed which he had opened her door with, but brightened as she saw the Tyrant squeezing its way in and settling in his usual seated pose by the foot of the bed.

            “Mr. X!” She ducked over the footboard and squeezed the creature’s hefty neck in a hug, “I was scared something bad was happening… You okay?”

            The Tyrant could not muscle out any affirmative noises or motions, though it desired to. It would preserve the joyful relieved mood that his friend had adopted in this moment. Instead, it cinched its brows together and let out a low, toneless groan, reaching out a hand to tell her to provide the thick-handled pen and a source of paper.

            “What’s goin’ on?” She squeaked, “Who is that guy?”

            Mr. X slowly began to scratch out:

            He is Agent. Papá’s superior.

            “What’s he here about?”

            He twitched, the likes of which he would normally reserve for unexpected physicals and harsh training checks, and tentatively started writing again.

            He will take me away.

            I am sorry.

            “But why?” Mariposa whimpered, “You didn’t do anything wrong!”

            No. It wrote, and then: There is city with danger. Infection. Threats. Extreme danger.

            “What… What kind of danger?”

            Released virus. Dangerous infected people. Many people. It tried to explain, in as soft of words it knew without leaving anything important out, then added: They want me. Need help to stop it. Stop it going outside city.

            Mariposa’s eyes became glittering wells, wincing with the pain of what it meant. Their guardian would rip a seam in their brief bond. She was technically twenty times his actual age, but her maturity took the blow much like you would expect for a child.

            “No,” she wept, diving off the footboard fully, knowing the giant form would catch and cushion her against any harm, “Why you? Why now? I thought they put you here! I thought dad was in charge!”

            Mr. X cupped the sobbing form below the shoulder-blades with one hand, the other finding one of her own minuscule hands and enclosing it softly. He let out a very low, very bassy rumble. The vibration seemed to always comfort her, and maybe now it would settle her enough and give them more time. There was never going to be enough time.

            She tucked herself closer, letting tears drop onto the leather and steel of his Limiter’s neck buckles. “I don’t want you to go,” she hiccuped, “You’re the nicest person I’ve ever met, since…” she cut off, and cried hard into the creature’s shoulder. The Tyrant groaned, lightly tightening its grip around her fingers. She wept, “I don’t want you to go.”

            For a long while, the Tyrant held her as she sobbed and vented the fear, and the vulnerability. The beast relaxed and let her be, calm so long as his friend was safely close by and content to let her cut loose the emotions into his own heavily-padded armor. At some point, her grip tired, and with one arm supporting her back, his other arm scooped up the notebook and the thick-handled pen. He balanced the former upon a raised leg, and she hiccuped again as she turned to see what he was writing:

            I do not want to go.

            Her eyes beaded with new tears.

            I will be forced to.

            He groaned, low—plaintive. There wasn’t any other tone or attempt at any consonant that would properly capture how sorrowful the Tyrant was to admit it. Its hand holding the pen moved, flicked, and scratched again:

            Friend. I will miss you.

            I will try to come back.

            Mariposa managed a weak, watery smile, hopeful that this at least was something temporary. Her only very reliable, unjudging companion would return—after the distant, abstract disaster beyond her young mind’s conception. He’d return, right? Nothing would happen… right? The Tyrant was indestructible… right? Right?

            The Tyrant tightened its grip around the child’s back and gave another low, placid-natured grumble. Things were bad. But things could be okay, for the moment.

            “I’ll miss you too, Mr. X…” she said, muffled into the monster’s thick clothing, “Please come back as soon as you can, please…”

            At this point, a heavy, stoic knock sounded through the wood of the child’s bedroom door. Still cradling the girl, Mr. X had stood up by combative instinct, and had to pause himself to set Mariposa safely down on the bed, and then return the notebook and pen to her.

            “But—”

            T-00 grabbed the pen again, and in larger letters wrote:

            STAY. BE SAFE.

            —And then set the pen down. The door hammered again even harder, interrupted by the massive Tyrant opening it in the face of a body-armored and heavily-armed man, who staggered back before reaching up to his radio.

            “Confirmed, we have T-00 in sight.”

            T-00 huffed, aggravated and impatient. Of course he had the thing in sight: It was four feet wide at the shoulders and the guard had been told where it was. Stupid…

            When it ducked under the doorway and stood up into the upstairs hall the encounter could have gone very poorly if not for the booming yet high voice of the handler accompanying the retrieval:

            “Stand down! You fucks, it’s docile. It’s complying. Dumbasses…” T-00 stood still as the handler darted the rest of the way up the stairs and set a palm on its chest. Handlers often did this, whether the Tyrant in question was at risk of damage or not. Usually because even the most fierce, tantrum-ing bioweapon wouldn’t try to hurt a trainer or keeper who had treated it well, or given it any particularly good rewards. But for the most part it was purely a tactic of handlers to stop more idiotic bullet spray from jittery UBCS newbies—unnecessary and ineffective to a great degree. Mr. X would not have tolerated a single stray bullet where Mariposa was concerned. It rumbled—angrily—but fixed the handler with a sharp, eager expression which possibly shocked him. The man hopped back as the Tyrant descended the stairs almost casually, and he called out ahead of the bioweapon his warning that the creature was docile. It ducked its head under the front doorway, the drop of eye contact hopefully communicating it was not going to be resistant to the process.

            “They call you ‘Mr. X’, eh?”

            It froze, lowered head training in the direction of the voice. It would recognize that dry drawl anywhere now as that of Mr. Winters, and followed up with a low growl. It raised its gaze and found the shades a few meters away, and froze again.

            “You’re magnificent,” the agent said as he stepped up well within a range the present handler was wordlessly panicking over, “And you know what’s going on, eh. Well, you know by now that you must go in that truck. Not to worry. We won’t hurt the doctor or his girl if you cooperate.”

            With a low nod, the Tyrant growled a low affirmation, and the man raised two fingers up and towards the waiting truck’s open rear door. Mr. X growled once more in a higher tone of warning as one of the guards it passed by prodded it in the back with the barrel of his rifle, unneeded. It cast a long look around, catching the glare-addled shadow of Mariposa’s face peering through the upstairs hall’s window before he was prodded again and stepped up the ramp into the darkness.