#Forensic Protocols
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jessicazoe · 24 days ago
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Forensic Engineering: Bridging the Gap Between Science and Law
Forensic engineering is a fascinating field that combines the principles o OK Forensic Engineering: Bridging the Gap Between Science and Law Forensic engineering is a fascinating field that combines the principles of engineering with the intricacies of law to solve complex problems, particularly when it comes to understanding failures or accidents in structures, machinery, and materials. By…
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frnwhcom · 2 months ago
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Tragic Death at Yellowstone: Understanding the Dangers of Norris Geyser Basin's Thermal Annihilation
Extreme environments pose numerous risks, and among the most severe is death by thermal annihilation. This phenomenon, while rare, highlights the lethal potential of high-temperature exposures. One such tragic instance is the case of Colin Scott, whose untimely death underscores the fatal consequences of thermal annihilation. Understanding Thermal Annihilation Thermal annihilation refers to the…
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simplyforensic · 1 year ago
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Unlocking the Secrets of Death: Carrion Insects in Forensic Science
Published Date: 30 January 2024Journal: Forensic Science, Medicine, and PathologyAuthors: Beryl Morris New Geographic Location Data on the Occurrence and Abundance of Carrion Insects of Forensic Interest Abstract Forensic entomology is a crucial field in criminal investigations, utilizing carrion insects to estimate the minimum time since death. This paper emphasizes the need for comprehensive…
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reiding-writing · 2 months ago
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Heyyyy, I think it would be soo cool if you could write a scenario where cold!reader actually works a case like idk but yk the typical talking w witnesses or family members.
I also would loveee to know what her interrogation style is like, morgen was always pretty aggressive and Hotch was always so straightforward etc. so I would love to know how she interrogates suspects.
Have a nice one, ly and ur work sm !! ^_^
THE REID TECHNIQUE. /spencer reid/
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you volunteer to interview a middle-aged woman suspected of kidnapping a little girl.
cold!reader 4.2k series masterlist. main masterlist.
a/n | had this one in the works for a few weeks after learning about the reid technique in my forensic psych lecture ✊
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The clock above the whiteboard marks every second with an unforgiving tick. It's been twelve hours since the child, eight years old, brown hair in braids, green jacket, was last seen.
You know too well how thin the margins are.
“Local PD has brought in a suspect. Margaret Ellery. Lives four streets over from the family. No hard evidence yet, just circumstantial.” Hotch discards his phone in his pocket.
You push off the table, the movement casual, but inside something sharp and certain slices through the haze. Margaret Ellery. The name means nothing to the others yet, just another possibility. To you, it burns.
“They've got CCTV placing her car near the park at the estimated time of abduction,” Emily says, flicking through images on her tablet. “No witnesses saw the actual snatch, but...” She hesitates. “It’s something,”
“Something," you echo, voice flat.
You can feel Spencer’s gaze flick towards you from his desk. You don’t look at him. If you do, he’ll see it—the thing coiling under your skin, the certainty you can’t explain.
You know it was her.
The others begin discussing who should lead the interview, voices overlapping—Emily suggesting herself, Morgan arguing the woman might respond better to a softer touch—and for a moment, you let them talk.
Then, calmly, you speak.
“I’ll do it.”
The words drop like stones into the room.
The conversation stalls. Morgan frowns, one eyebrow lifting. Hotch studies you, impassive. Spencer’s pencil stills in his hand.
You don’t volunteer for interrogations. Everyone knows it. You only step in when everything else has failed—the nuclear option. The last resort.
You have built your reputation on results, not likability. You dismantle people, piece by piece, until there's nothing left but the truth. It's not pretty. It's not kind. It's necessary.
But this time, without waiting for anyone to fail, you want it.
Hotch’s mouth tightens into a line. He doesn’t like it, but he also knows better than to argue when you make that face—the one you wear now, cold and still, like a weapon waiting to be drawn.
“Are you certain?” he asks.
You nod once. Precise. Final.
“She’s guilty,” you say. Not a question. Not a theory. A statement of fact.
“How do you know?” Emily asks, cautious.
You flick your gaze to her, then away again. You don't explain things like this. You never have. You just know.
Hotch’s brow furrows. “You’re sure?”
You nod once. Crisp. Certain.
“I can get her to talk.”
He hesitates. You don’t blame him. It’s not just that they’re worried about the woman cracking under your methods, it’s that they’re worried you will push too hard, dig too deep, and leave something broken beyond repair—something in her, something in yourself.
But there’s no time for cautious sensibilities. There’s a child missing. The longer they dither, the colder the trail gets.
Hotch considers for a beat longer, then relents with a sharp nod. “On your lead.”
Morgan shifts his weight, clearly cautious. “I’ll second,”
“No.”
Hotch exhales slowly, measuring you with a look that’s half reluctant approval, half silent warning. “You know the protocol.”
You incline your head with a sigh of exasperation. You know it backwards.
“I work better alone,” you say calmly, before he can open his mouth to suggest otherwise.
That’s non-negotiable. You’ve explained it a thousand times—too many cooks spoil the broth. Too many variables ruin the interrogation. One misplaced glance, one ill-timed question, one unspoken judgement radiating off a team member— it can destroy hours of work.
No one interrupts you when you’re working. No one even breathes too loudly.
Hotch nods once. Reluctant but resigned.
“Room Three,” he says. “She’s waiting.”
You turn sharply on your heel, the heels of your boots clicking lightly against the floor, and make your way down the corridor without looking back.
Behind you, the team watches you go in silence.
Spencer’s gaze lingers the longest.
He understands. Not completely—no one ever could—but enough.
Enough to know that once you step into that room, you’ll become something else. Something sharper. Harder. Merciless in your precision.
And God help the woman on the other side of the glass.
You pause outside the interrogation room, hand resting lightly on the door handle. Through the one-way glass, you see her: hunched, fidgeting, a picture of nervous innocence.
She’s shorter than you expected. Plumper. Her hands twist nervously at the hem of her cardigan.
She looks like someone’s kindly aunt. To the untrained eye, she might seem harmless. Sad, even.
You don’t let it fool you.
You close your eyes for a moment. Centre yourself.
This is not about rage. Rage clouds the senses. This is about control. Subtlety. Precision.
When you open your eyes again, you’re a blank slate.
The woman jumps slightly at your entrance. Good. She’s on edge already. You file the information away for later use.
You close the door with a soft click and cross to the chair opposite her, sitting down with a deliberate, unhurried grace. You say nothing for a long moment, simply studying her, letting the silence stretch taut between you.
She fidgets again, clearing her throat. Her eyes flicker up to meet yours and then away, unable to hold your gaze.
You watch her, utterly still.
Already, you can see the cracks beginning to form.
You offer a thin, perfunctory smile.
“Good afternoon,” you introduce yourself, voice low and even. “I’m going to ask you a few questions, alright?”
She licks her lips nervously. “I already told the others— I didn’t do anything,”
You tilt your head slightly. Not a challenge, not an agreement. Just an acknowledgement.
“Of course,” you say smoothly. “We’ll go over everything again. Just to be thorough.”
You slide a thin manilla file onto the table between you. The movement is calm, almost lazy.
In reality, every microexpression, every twitch of her fingers, every catch in her breath — you’re cataloguing all of it.
You see guilt. Not the guilt of a wrongfully accused woman, but the heavy, aching guilt of someone who knows precisely what they’ve done and is terrified of the consequences.
You suppress the flicker of satisfaction that rises in your chest.
This will be easier than you thought.
You fold your hands neatly on the table.
“Let’s begin.”
You watch her closely, noting the way her shoulders stiffen under your gaze. She’s nervous.
“I’d first like to briefly remind you that you don’t have to answer any question that you’re uncomfortable with, and you have the right to an attorney if you require one,” You keep your tone measured, almost conversational, as you begin. “This interview is being recorded, and can be submitted as evidence if needed in court,”
Margret’s response is nothing more than a brief nod, and you quickly move on.
“We’ve spoken to several people who know you, Margaret,” you say, glancing briefly at the file in front of you for show, though you don’t need to. You know the contents backwards already. “Your neighbours speak highly of you. Friendly. Involved. Always ready to lend a hand.”
She swallows, nodding a little. As if being agreeable will somehow absolve her.
You continue, letting the words come slowly, giving them weight.
“You knew the Hartleys quite well?”
She shifts uncomfortably in her seat, hands twisting harder in the hem of her cardigan. “We… we live near each other, yes. I used to babysit for them sometimes, when Claire was first back at work,”
You incline your head, as if pleased by the admission. You knew that information already of course, but the fact that she’s supplying the truth to you early is a good sign.
“And you’ve stayed in touch since then?”
Her mouth twists slightly. “Not really. They… they got busy. New friends. Things change,”
You let the silence settle for a beat, as if considering that. Then you lean forward, just slightly, enough that the space between you shrinks.
“The thing is,” you say, voice still calm, almost gentle, “we have several witnesses who say they saw your car near Westwood Park yesterday afternoon.”
You watch her stiffen, the flicker of fear crossing her face before she can mask it. You press on, smooth and relentless.
“That’s the park where Elsie Hartley was last seen.”
Her mouth opens, then closes again. She shakes her head, a tight, jerky movement.
“I must have been passing through. I had errands— the shops—”
You raise an eyebrow, unimpressed. “At four-thirty in the afternoon?”
She falters. You don’t need to press the point yet. Just plant the seed. Let it fester.
You sit back again, steepling your fingers lightly.
“We’re not here to attack you, Margaret,” you say, voice dropping slightly. Softer. Sympathetic. “We just want to understand what happened.”
Her eyes dart to the door briefly. You catch the movement, file it away. Already thinking of escape.
You won’t allow it.
“Things happen to people,” you continue, letting your voice thicken just slightly with understanding. “Painful things. Things that change how we see the world.”
You see the way she flinches, barely perceptible. A tiny tell, but enough.
Good. She’s listening now. Feeling now.
“Tell me about your daughter,” you say quietly.
Her face crumples before she can stop it, a raw flash of grief, there and gone.
She tries to cover it up, sitting up straighter, forcing a small, brittle smile.
“She… passed away. A long time ago.”
You nod slowly. “Nine years.”
Her hands clench into fists in her lap.
You lean in again, lowering your voice further.
“Grief can… distort things,” you murmur. “It can make you see injustice where there is none. It can make you desperate to fix something, to make up for what you lost.”
Her breathing has quickened. You see the pulse hammering at her throat.
“Sometimes,” you continue, “it makes people do things they never thought themselves capable of. Good people. Kind people. People who were simply… overwhelmed by sadness.”
She’s trembling now. Just slightly. You act as though you don’t notice.
“You saw Elsie playing in the park,” you say softly. “Maybe you thought her parents didn’t appreciate her enough. Maybe you thought you could give her the love your own daughter never got to fully experience.”
Tears are brimming in her eyes now, but she’s fighting them. Fighting herself.
She shakes her head weakly. “I didn’t— I wouldn’t—”
You don’t argue. You don’t contradict her.
You simply sit back, offering a small, understanding nod.
“Of course you didn’t mean for things to get so complicated. You just wanted to make things right.”
The denial is there, trembling on her lips, but you ignore it.
You pivot neatly, seamlessly, back to the facts.
“You said you were running errands,” you say, as if returning to a mundane detail. “Tell me about that. Which shops?”
She stares at you, panic flickering behind her eyes. She wasn't ready for the shift. That’s the point.
“I— I went to 7-Eleven. And then… the pharmacy. I had a prescription,”
You scribble something meaningless onto your pad, nodding slowly.
“The pharmacy?” you echo. “Do you have the receipt?”
She freezes.
“No,” she says after a moment. “I must have thrown it away,”
You don’t react. You just jot down another line.
“Which 7-Eleven?” you ask, tone still mild.
She blinks. “The one on Briar Lane,”
You hum thoughtfully, making another note. She’s lying. You know it. And she knows you know it.
You give her another moment to stew in her own fear before steering the conversation back.
“Funny thing, Margaret,” you say, lightly conversational, “we pulled CCTV from Briar Lane yesterday. The store, the pharmacy, the petrol station.”
You look up, meeting her eyes directly for the first time since you sat down.
“You’re not on any of it.”
The colour drains from her face.
You don’t press. Not yet. Let her feel the walls closing in. Let her suffocate on the inevitability of it.
She shifts in her seat, wringing her hands.
“I must have got the times wrong,” she mutters weakly.
“Of course,” you say smoothly. “It’s easy to get confused. Especially when you’re upset.”
She clings to the lifeline you’ve thrown her, nodding desperately.
“Yes. Yes, I was… distracted,”
You offer her a small, almost pitying smile.
“I understand, Margaret. Truly. No one’s here to judge you.”
Another beat of silence. You watch her, patient and unblinking.
“I can see how hard this is for you,” you say after a moment, voice softening again. “Reliving yesterday. Remembering what happened.”
Her mouth trembles. She presses her lips together tightly, like a child trying not to cry.
“I didn’t… I didn’t take her,” she says, almost whispering.
You nod thoughtfully, as if weighing her words.
“Of course,” you say again. Calm. Unthreatening.
Then, without warning, you steer the conversation right back to the beginning.
“Tell me again what you were doing between three and five yesterday afternoon.”
Her face crumples. She wasn’t ready for the cycle to start again.
But you are tireless. Patient. Merciless.
That’s the thing about interrogations — it’s not the dramatic threats or slammed fists on the table that break people. It’s the relentlessness. The subtle erosion of certainty, the slow dismantling of lies.
She tries again.
“I was at home, actually. I remembered— after the pharmacy I went home. I didn’t feel well.”
“Hmm,” you hum noncommittally. “Your neighbour said they saw your car leave around two, and you didn’t return until gone six.”
You tilt your head, watching her carefully.
“They must be mistaken,” she says quickly, too quickly.
You don’t argue. You just let the inconsistency hang there between you, a slow, toxic drip of doubt.
The denials come more frequently now, growing more desperate with each cycle.
“I wasn’t near the park.”
“I don’t even know where she disappeared from.”
“I just… I was having a bad day.”
You let each one slide past you without reaction, without resistance.
Each time she throws out a denial, you seamlessly redirect — not forcefully, not aggressively, but subtly, like water flowing around a stone.
Back to the CCTV.
Back to the witnesses.
Back to her tangled, faltering story.
You give her a moment to stew in her latest denial. Watch the way she clutches at the hem of her cardigan like it’s a lifeline. Her breathing is shallow now, you can almost hear it hitching every few seconds.
She’s trying to believe her own lies. Trying to build walls faster than you can knock them down.
You lean back slightly in your chair, as if relaxing, as if you have all the time in the world. Then you let your voice slip into a more analytical register.
“Let’s review what we know,” you say, tapping your pen lightly against the table.
The soft sound makes her flinch. Good.
“Your neighbour saw your car leave at two o’clock sharp. CCTV from Briar Lane shows you were not at the pharmacy or the store, as you claimed. In fact—” you pause, leafing slowly through the papers on your clipboard, letting the moment stretch, “—your car was picked up again. Not in Briar Lane. But parked a block from Westwood Park.”
You place a printed image on the table between you: the grainy still of a pale blue Volvo estate. Her car. The timestamp in the corner reads 4:14 p.m.
Margaret pales visibly, staring at it.
“That’s not me,” she whispers, voice breaking.
You arch a brow, slow and sceptical.
“Registration plates don’t lie.”
She opens her mouth. Closes it. Her eyes are wild now, darting across the table, as if searching for some unseen escape hatch.
You press the advantage mercilessly, but with a surgeon’s precision.
“You told us you were at home,” you say calmly. “Yet your vehicle was a block away from the site of a child’s abduction.”
You let the words hang heavily in the air. They don’t need dressing up. They’re lethal enough.
“I just— I just parked for a bit. I wasn’t feeling well—”
You shake your head, slow and deliberate.
“No pharmacy visit. No store. No proof of you being anywhere else.”
You place another sheet on the table, another CCTV still, this time capturing her figure, blurred but unmistakeable, moving across the park entrance at 4:20 p.m.
“Witnesses place you in the vicinity. Cameras place you there. Your alibi doesn’t hold.”
Her lips tremble. You can see the walls crumbling now, piece by piece.
You don’t drive the knife in yet.
Instead, you shift your posture — lean forward, just slightly, closing the space between you by mere inches.
Subtle, calculated.
Not enough to threaten. Just enough to pull her attention inward, to focus it entirely on you.
You keep your gaze steady, non-threatening but utterly unwavering.
Your body language speaks louder than your words. I am your only way out of this.
Margaret's eyes flicker between your face and the photographs, her breath hitching audibly now.
You watch as the fight starts to bleed out of her.
Still, you’re careful. She’s fragile now. One wrong move and she’ll retreat into full panic, barricade herself behind the last reserves of her denial.
You soften your expression by degrees. Let the razor edge dull into something gentler. More… understanding.
Margaret sniffs loudly, wiping at her eyes with trembling fingers. Her composure is breaking apart under the sheer, relentless weight of the truth pressing down on her.
“I just—” she chokes. “I didn’t— I didn’t plan anything—”
You allow a small, almost imperceptible nod. Not agreement. Just… acceptance.
You lower your voice, pitch it softer.
“I know, Margaret,” you say quietly. “I believe you. You were overwhelmed. You weren’t thinking straight. You saw a little girl alone, vulnerable—”
“She was sitting by herself!” Margaret blurts suddenly, anguished. “Just swinging on those stupid swings— and no one— no one was watching—!”
The confession hangs there, raw and shaking.
You don’t react. Don’t let the triumph show. You simply soften further, offering a small, almost maternal tilt of your head.
“You wanted to keep her safe,” you murmur. “Like any mother would.”
Margaret’s face crumples. Tears spill over at last, fat and helpless.
You fold your hands neatly on the table. Stay calm. Stay steady. Be the lighthouse in her storm.
“She’s using phased psychological reinforcement,” Spencer says quietly, almost in awe. Like you’ve never quite been so alluring.
Emily glances at him. “In English, please?”
Spencer shifts slightly, tapping his fingers against the glass in a subtle rhythm.
“She’s employing the Reid Technique,” he explains. “It has nine stages that are worked through in order to achieve a state of psychological comfort that elicits more honesty from the suspect,”
“The Reid technique?” Emily raised an eyebrow.
“It’s uh, named after John Reid, he was a police officer in Chicago during the 1950s. It revolutionised formal interviewing, although it’s actually very difficult to implement in practice, because if the suspect catches on then they’re likely to shut down,”
He nods towards you, still composed, still relentless inside the room.
“She’s between stage four and stage five right now— Addressing why the suspect hasn’t confessed, and using mirroring tactics to keep the suspect engaged,”
Morgan hums low under his breath, arms crossed tightly over his chest. “Sounds scientific,” he goads.
Margaret hiccups through her tears, twisting the sleeves of her cardigan into knots.
“I didn’t—” she whispers again.
You make no move to comfort her. You don’t offer tissues. You don't even shift your posture.
You simply remain present. Solid. Reassuring by your very stillness. In her shattered mind, you are the only constant left. Exactly where you want her.
You let the silence stretch just long enough for Margaret to drown in it, her sobs the only sound filling the sterile room.
Then, softly, so gently it’s almost a caress, you push the conversation where it needs to go.
“Margaret,” you say, voice low but firm, threading compassion through every syllable, “I’m not here to judge you.”
She drags her tear-reddened eyes up to meet yours, desperate and wide.
You offer the smallest of smiles. Not kind. Not cruel. Just human.
“You loved your daughter, right?”
Her face crumples. She gives a broken little nod, a whimper catching in her throat.
You lower your voice even further, until it's barely above a whisper. “And now there's this... ache. This emptiness. It’s unbearable, isn’t it?”
She presses her sleeve to her mouth, trying to smother another sob.
You let the moment hang there, let her sit in the shared understanding you’ve carefully, ruthlessly constructed.
“Were you trying to cause trouble, Margaret?” you ask, tilting your head ever so slightly, as if puzzled. “Or were you simply trying to give that little girl the love you never got to finish giving your daughter?”
It’s everything.
It’s everything she’s been trying to make sense of for the last twelve hours.
And you’ve handed it to her, neatly gift-wrapped, an explanation she can live with.
Her face crumples entirely.
“I didn’t mean to hurt anyone,” she wails, folding in on herself. “I just— I just saw her— all alone— they weren’t even watching her! She was just sitting there, swinging by herself, and I thought—”
She breaks off, hiccupping on a sob.
You remain silent, giving her the space to pour it out.
“I thought— she deserves better. Someone who’d see her. Someone who’d love her properly. I could— I could do that. I could give her what she needed.”
Tears stream down her face now, unchecked.
“She’s happy with me,” Margaret insists desperately, as if trying to convince herself as much as you. “She’s smiling. She’s laughing. I’ve never— I’ve never seen her laugh like that. Not once when she was with them.”
You allow yourself a single, careful breath.
But you’re not finished yet.
You shift your tone again, turning almost maternal, gentle and firm.
“Margaret,” you say, leaning in just a fraction, letting her feel the sincerity. “I believe you care for her. I do.”
It’s not a lie. Margaret does care. In her own warped, desperate way. “But she’s scared. She misses her family. She needs to come home.”
Margaret sobs harder, hands shaking so badly she nearly knocks the water cup off the table.
“Help me bring her home safely, Margaret. Please.”
For a long, fragile moment, she just cries.
And then, brokenly, she nods.
“She’s—” she mumbles through the tears. “12A, Eversham Court… I made up the spare room for her, I got her toys and clothes—”
She’s rambling now, stumbling over herself to spill every detail she can think of.
You don’t interrupt.
Outside the room, you know Hotch will already be sending officers to the location, moving fast but discreetly.
Time still matters. Every second counts.
Everything has been recorded. Every word, every sob, every admission captured, preserved, incontrovertible.
You stand slowly, gathering the papers with smooth efficiency.
As you move towards the door, Margaret’s voice breaks behind you, small and shuddering.
“I didn’t mean to hurt her,” she says again, voice thick with tears. “Tell them that. Please. Tell them I just wanted to love her—”
You pause, hand on the doorframe, and glance back over your shoulder.
Your face gives away nothing.
“I’ll tell them,” you say simply.
It’s not a promise. Not really. But it’s enough.
The door opens with a quiet click. Uniformed officers step inside, moving with trained efficiency.
Margaret doesn’t fight. She’s too broken to resist. She sobs helplessly as they read her her rights, the words barely cutting through her cries of apology. “I’m sorry,” she gasps as they cuff her. “I’m so sorry—”
You watch silently for a moment as they lead her away.
She’s still crying. Still apologising to no one in particular.
You feel no satisfaction. No triumph. Just the faint, hollow weight of inevitability.
You step back into the corridor, letting the door swing shut behind you.
The others are waiting. Hotch nods once at you, brisk and approving. Emily looks grim but relieved. Morgan mutters something under his breath that sounds like "damn," but you don’t linger on it.
Your gaze flicks automatically to Spencer.
He’s watching you the way he always does after you work. Not with fear, not with pity, but with something quieter. Something sharper.
Admiration. And something almost akin to academic attraction.
“Seven minutes, twenty two seconds,”
You don’t smile. You don’t say a word. You simply walk past him, your boots clicking steadily down the hall.
New record.
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thebluediner · 1 month ago
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MRS & MRS O'CONNELL
fbi agent! billie x international spy! reader
through the hushed tones on the phone and back and forth whispering lay a unsuspecting tideous house in the suburbs of los angeles. the streets were awfully peaceful only disrupted by the little giggles of little kids on one house's backyard and the water sprinkler nurturing the flowers. the two mistress's of the house eased into their own work.
you pranced around the house with an apron on and some kitten heels clicking on the marble floors with a high sharp ponytail as you worked your way around the kitchen preparing dinner. your dark eyes narrowed as billie's figure made it's way out of her study.
carefully like a feline creature they traced her state of being. the way one hand found it's way in the pocket of her work slacks with another messing up her dark hair in a lazy excuse of a low ponytail. her white collared shirt was messy her tie long gone and a few buttons opened.
''I'm having somebody over in a sec-'' before she could even finish her sentence the bell door ringed alarming you as you quickly shifted your eyes towards the door with an arched brow.
''are they staying over ?'' you questioned your eyes moving back to her just as fast. her oceanic eyes lingered on yours for a minute before she shook her head as her answer before she approached the door.
the door swung open as the stranger with a familiar voice came into the house shoes noticeably staying on already knowing who it was, your nose scrunched in disapproval. billie smelt your disapproval before she could even see it on your face but she shrugged it off this was a work thing anyways he'd be out of here in a matter of minutes.
a small greeting was shared between billie's director in office and you of-course with your eyes scanning his feet focused on the shoes he's walked everywhere in all to discard the dirt in your house. a small smile here and small talk there just enough for billie to successfully drag him down the hallway back into her study and shut the door behind her.
you turned around taking the meal out of the oven placing it on the kitchen counter to let it cool before your phone rings. not your ordinary smartphone but the small digital flip phone placed on your gaiters vibrating against your thigh. you quickly pulled up your skirt revealing the device lighting up before you grabbed it to answer.
'' los angeles on the line'' you quoted one of the rules of answering any calls coming from this device.
''the break-in at headquarters was identified... '' the female voice on the other end of the call announced but her voice faded nearing the end which was unusual. normally the calls were straight forward especially if it was for emergencies.
'' I'm listening...'' you informed taking off your shoes before wandering away from the kitchen to some place isolated and far from billie.
'' individual was identified through forensics by the sample left over at the scene of the break-in as female'' your ears perked immediately at that notation. your heart rate was faster than usual clearly a sign of fearing the unknown or maybe confirmation to something you already suspected.
''blue eyes , height of five feet ten , dark hair, white as of race, an identified fbi agent... you don't need me to continue do you ?''the voice over the call that belonged to your longtime sort of assistant sometimes blurring the line into a friendship.
last week an attempted break-in occurred in one of the headquarters in los angeles by some undetected , at the time, person. you were immediately called in for work and left billie with the lame excuse of getting some groceries for the house at a specific place because of the quality. when you got there it was chaos with protocols being activated right after being triggered to ensure that nobody actually infiltrated the building.
the only good thing about that day was the fact that some blood was shed by the perpetrator after they got slightly stabbed by security. you saw the footage and the way they fought it all looked too familiar even with the attempted coverage but you pushed the gut feeling down. you didn't want it to be her.
even when you got back home that evening billie wasn't home and when you called her assistant he blabbered about her being possibly hurt from a work mission. upon seeing her it kind of all came together because her stab wound being in the same exact place wasn't a coincidence.
''you knew it was her right. you never miss these you have a gift for it'' she confirmed before a small laughter echoed before she turned the line off.
''baby, you okay ?'' billie called out from afar looking at you from the other end of the house. on instinct your phone moved away from your ear being fisted by your hand as you hid it behind your back before swaying to face her. a forced smile on your face as you met her piercing eyes before nodding with a small affirmative answer.
your feet quickly walked towards her your eyes on hers with every step you took as if trying to assess if she knew anything about you like you did with her. her eyes were too neutral for her to not know anything and the way they raked over you like you were under inspection rather than being admired gave it all away.
she knew something
a/n: let me know what you think
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alive-gh0st · 1 month ago
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❝Marked❞
⋆。˚✴︎⋆Veil!Mark Grayson x Trouble!Reader⋆✴︎˚。⋆
•. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˚₊‧⟡꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ⟡‧₊˚ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.•
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
★ summary: he’s supposed to be your handler. a monitor. a leash. but mark grayson doesn’t follow orders—not when it comes to you. when they tried to reassign you, he rewrote the rules. now you’re stuck with him: veiled, violent, and watching you like he already owns you. you don’t play well with others. he doesn’t care. because underneath the blood, the missions, the slow obsession—he isn’t trying to control you. he’s trying to keep you. marked as his.
‪‪★ contains: nsfw (18+). enemies to feral co-dependents. handler x operative dynamic. forced partnership. obsession disguised as protection. surveillance with feelings. feral!mark. dangerous!reader. veil!mark. veil!invincible. slow burn to full meltdown. soft dom vibes. unhinged loyalty. post-mission patchups. emotional warfare disguised as flirting. “say that again and i’ll ruin you” energy. knifeplay (non-lethal, very hot). panty stealing. couch sex. praise kink. sacred-name usage. quiet confessions. dirty mouths, softer hearts. extremely earned smut.
★ warning: graphic violence. blood/injury. canon-typical trauma. stalking (narratively intentional, obsessive-not-malicious). emotional volatility. intense possessiveness. nsfw content (oral + penetrative sex). manipulation of power dynamics (non-abusive). toxic attachment themes. unhealthy coping. emotional depth. explicit devotion. mark being insane about you in every way.
‪‪★ wc: 8437
ᯓ★ requested by: @hyunniestharr (your idea haunted me. now it can haunt you, too)
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌a/n: this isn’t a love story—it’s a security breach with a heartbeat. a warning label on loyalty (also yes. he absolutely came untouched. twice.)
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
The knife slid in easy.
Too easy, honestly—especially after chasing this bastard across rooftops, sewer grates, and at least two levels of transit. Your lungs still burned, your shoulder throbbed, and your mood? Absolutely shot to hell.
The blade found its mark between his ribs, sliding in with that soft, sickening give that muscle memory never forgot. The target gurgled—wet, startled, pathetic.
“God, you’re dramatic,” you muttered, yanking the blade out with a practiced twist.
It splattered red across your boots.
“I mean, if you were gonna be this squishy, you could’ve just surrendered ten blocks ago and saved me a goddamn headache.”
He dropped like a ragdoll, face-down into the filth-streaked alley and joined the others in the room that already smelled like copper and regret. The puddle beneath him spread slowly, sluggish in the midwinter air. You stood over the corpse with a scowl, sweat slicking down the back of your neck. The quiet buzz of adrenaline had barely started to fade.
“Stubborn little shit. Had to bleed like a faucet.”
Blood—most of it not yours—stuck to your gloves, smeared across your thigh where the asshole’s last desperate swing had caught you.
“Perfect,” you sighed, inspecting the ruined leg of your suit. “Because what I really needed today was another reason to explain why my laundry bill rivals a war crime.”
The sting of shallow wounds tugged at your nerves. But you didn’t flinch. You never did.
“You better have intel worth all this laundry,” you muttered before crouching and rifling through the dead man’s pockets—only pulling out a charred disk drive and a mangled transponder. Useless. Still, protocol said bring everything, so you stuffed it into your pouch and rose.
“Dumbass bled out for nothing,” you muttered. ”Bet his last thought was about that ugly-ass tattoo he was so proud of. Shame.”
You rolled your shoulder, muscles groaning in protest, and started trudging toward the exit.
The concrete was slick from the mess. You didn’t bother avoiding the blood trail. Let Forensics earn their paycheck.
“This is what I get for volunteering for ‘cleanup duty,’ huh?” you grumbled. “Next time I see Dispatch, I’m stabbing them with this knife. Gently. Lovingly. But repeatedly.”
Your comm crackled.
You froze. Then sighed. Of course.
Swiping the screen open mid-step, you expected a location ping or evac window. Maybe even a rare “good job” if someone up top was feeling generous. Instead, you got flagged.
PRIORITY. LEVEL SIX.
UNSCHEDULED MEETING. MANDATORY.
FILE ATTACHED.
“Yeah,” you muttered. “That’s not ominous at all.”
The folder had your name stamped on it—but nothing else. No briefing, no subject tags, just a sealed file and an address string embedded in the encryption. You squinted at the coordinates.
Underground.
Of course.
You barked a humorless laugh. “Meeting in the bunker. Creepy as hell. Classic you, Command.”
Without even trying to clean up, you took a turn off the main street, ducking into a nondescript elevator shaft hidden behind a disused courier hub.
One retinal scan and two sarcastic clearance swipes later, you were riding down into the belly of the beast.
── .✦
The bunker hadn’t changed since the last time you broke into it. Still dusty, still freezing, still lit with that flickering LED buzz that made you want to file a complaint and commit arson at the same time. You moved through it like muscle memory: two lefts, a keypad, retinal scan. A hiss of doors unlocking.
No guards. No eyes on you.
Just one metal table, and a single paper folder sitting at its center like a damn horror prop.
“Oh, great,” you deadpanned. “We’re going analog. That’s never shady.”
You peeled your gloves off with your teeth, slapping them on the table before flipping the folder open.
“Really setting the mood,” you muttered. “All that budget, and they still print shit on recycled office supply.”
The folder wasn’t marked with anything obvious—just your designation and a date. No mission summary. No ops plan. Just bureaucratic psych jargon. Something about “disciplinary structure,” “high-risk autonomy,” “unstable behavioral metrics.” You rolled your eyes so hard your neck nearly cracked.
“Jesus,” you muttered. “Next thing they’ll say I’ve got commitment issues.”
Then—tucked at the very bottom—you saw it.
Reassignment. Oversight. Immediate effect.
You blinked.
And blinked again.
Your lips parted, half-laugh, half-scoff forming in your throat when—
The door hissed open behind you.
Footsteps. Heavy. Even. Slow.
You turned, instinctively reaching for your knife.
Then paused.
Because the man in the doorway?
Blue and yellow. No cape. No insignia. A form-fitting suit that clung to muscle and violence, with a strange veil that obscured his face like a curtain of secrecy—thin, sheer, barely hiding the line of his jaw.
His eyes glowed behind narrow goggles—calm, calculating.
You never heard him speak. Not really.
You’d seen him before—that’s for sure. Not clearly. Just flashes on rooftops. A distant signal you weren’t cleared to track. Everyone called him something different, if they talked about him at all. You never paid attention to other people anyway.
Until now.
He stepped inside like he owned the room—and maybe he did—and said nothing. Just looked at you. Sized you up.
He looked at you like he already knew how you fought. How you bled. Like he knew where to land a punch—or where it would really hurt.
You looked back.
What was his alias again… ?
You hated that it made you curious.
A beat lagged. Then two. No one said anything.
And then you looked back at the file, still open on the table. Read the fine print. The line that had made you scoff but hadn’t sunk in until now.
“Assigned to field partner. Behavioral reassessment ongoing. Expect prolonged oversight.”
You opened your mouth. Then shut it again.
“Oh, you’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.”
.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ͙͘͡★⋆⭒˚.⋆
Invincible—or just Mark, depending on who was stupid or familiar enough to call him that—watched from the far end of the room.
Arms crossed loosely, leaning back against the wall like he didn’t have half a dozen other places to be. Like he wasn’t technically two hours behind on a recon run he’d already lied about completing.
But whatever.
You were here.
Pacing the concrete floor, muttering darkly under your breath, covered in blood that wasn’t yours. Eyes sharp. Shoulders tight. Currently ignoring him like he didn’t just walk in like gravity answered to his name.
Mark watched. Quiet. Still.
He liked watching you.
More than he should’ve. More than he’d ever admit out loud, even if someone held a railgun to his skull and promised painless disintegration.
Call it stalking, surveillance, an unhealthy attachment—he didn’t care. Not really.
It wasn’t just the way you moved—though that was part of it. You walked like you were daring the ground to talk back. You held tension like it was a weapon and he hadn’t been able to look away since the first time he saw you gut a guy without blinking.
Even now, you stalked around the empty room like you were half a second from breaking the table in two just because it dared to exist.
It made something in his chest tighten.
You didn’t know he’d been watching for a while. Not just today. Not even just this mission.
He checked in on you often. “Checked” was a generous word. It was bordering on surveillance. Okay, it was surveillance. He had a whole folder stashed away with flagged reports from your last five deployments. A few audio files. Maybe a grainy clip or two.
It wasn’t creepy. He wasn’t a creep.
He just needed to make sure you were okay.
(You kill people for a living.)
Still. He liked knowing where you were. So yeah. He watched. Checked in. Every day.
You were reckless. You didn’t follow orders. You acted on gut instinct, and half the time, it worked, which only made it worse. Because one day it wouldn’t work, and they’d send him in too late.
He’d seen the file before you did. Your reassignment.
They were going to put you under some no-name enforcer from another sector. Someone who thought “discipline” meant obedience and “partnership” meant paperwork.
So he said no.
Correction—he said: “If you send her to anyone else, I’ll break your fucking spine and write my resignation on the wall in your blood.”
Direct quote.
So now here he was. Assigned. Official. Watching you sulk around a room you clearly hated.
It should’ve been annoying. You hadn’t even acknowledged him properly yet. Just marched in, read your little file, stared at him for solid 6 seconds before muttering like the universe personally offended you.
He could name a dozen ways to silence you. He just didn’t want to.
He should’ve said something sooner.
But damn, you were beautiful when you were pissed.
Especially when it came with that cute little crease between your brows—like the universe had personally offended you.
Before you could actually spiral into something truly destructive—like ripping out the lights or kicking a chair through a wall (you’d done both before)—he finally decided to speak.
“Y’know,” Mark drawled finally, voice smooth, low, and way too amused, “for someone who just got a promotion, you complain like you got dumped via sticky note.”
You stopped mid-step.
Didn’t turn. Not yet.
He could see the tension coil in your spine like a loaded spring.
“You,” you said flatly. Like it was a diagnosis.
Even your voice sounded like a threat—like it could cut.
Mark’s grin sharpened under the veil.
“Me,” he confirmed.
A beat of silence.
Then, you turned to face him, arms crossed, blood still drying on your collar. “You’re my new ‘handler’?”
“I prefer ‘charming work husband’ but sure,” he said, lifting a shoulder. “Let’s go with that.”
No reaction.
(Okay. An eye twitch. That counted.)
He was delighted.
“I didn’t ask for this.”
“I know,” Mark said, smile curling under his breath. “That’s the best part.”
He stepped forward, slow and unhurried, until he was just a few feet away. Close enough to see the faint smear of ash on your jaw. Close enough to catch the faint chemical tang of blood and steel clinging to you like armor.
Blood, smoke, and a faint scent of whatever damn soap you use to scrub crime off your skin—it drove him fucking insane.
“You’re pissed,” he observed lightly. “That’s cute.”
You narrowed your eyes. “Are you trying to get stabbed?”
“Debatable,” he said. “Depends where.”
Another twitch. His grin widened.
He didn’t mean to flirt—okay, he did. But not too much. Not yet. You were still dangerous, still vibrating with aftershock fury, and the last thing he needed was for you to go fully feral.
Not until you liked him more, at least.
“I’m not here to babysit you,” he said after a moment. “Not in the way you think.”
You arched a brow. “No?”
“I’m here because I’m the only one who knows what it’s like to do what you do and still not break.”
A beat.
“I don’t break,” you said evenly.
“No,” Mark agreed, his voice softer now. “But they’re afraid you might. And you know what they do to things they think are broken.”
That hit.
You didn’t reply. Just stared at him. Longer. Slower. More like a threat than a conversation.
He could live with that. For now.
“Look,” he said, stepping even closer now, “I didn’t come here to coddle you. I came because if someone’s gonna keep you from getting killed, it’s gonna be me. No leashes. No lectures. Just… you and me. Doing what we do best.”
You said nothing.
Mark waited.
Then, quietly, with something almost close to sincerity—he muttered his final words.
“You can hate it. But you won’t hate me.”
Your eyes darkened. But your silence wasn’t as sharp as it should’ve been.
And Mark smiled.
Because he wasn’t wrong.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ͙͘͡★⋆⭒˚.⋆
The rain was coming down in sheets, hammering the rooftops like it had a personal grudge.
You gritted your teeth, one arm tucked tightly around Invincible’s waist as you half-dragged, half-guided him down the dim corridor. His weight leaned into you shamelessly—dead weight, if dead weight had a smug attitude and a pulse like a drum in your ribs.
You didn’t say a word.
Not when he groaned dramatically into your ear, not when he stumbled a little more on purpose, not when you almost slipped trying to keep his dumbass from kissing the floor.
“You can walk,” you muttered through clenched teeth.
“I could,” he agreed, tone so casual it made your blood pressure spike. “But then I’d miss this beautiful team-building moment.”
You didn’t bother answering. You just pulled him harder, jostling his bruised ribs enough to earn a soft grunt from behind the veil.
Good.
His suit was streaked in blood—most of it his, some probably yours, and none of it helped your growing migraine. You were soaked to the bone, adrenaline long gone, fury in its place. The blast that tore through the wall back there should’ve hit you.
He’d made sure it didn’t.
And now you were stuck playing support for the goddamn golden boy of masked arrogance.
“You didn’t have to do that,” you hissed, not looking at him.
“Do what?” His voice was pure innocence. “Save your life?”
You scoffed. “I had it handled.”
“You were standing in front of a literal antimatter core.”
“I was moving out of the way.”
“Sure you were.” He leaned in, shifting more of his weight onto you, his breath warm behind the thin fabric of your collar. “Besides, you look better in one piece.”
Your fingers tightened where they gripped his side, and you seriously considered dropping him face-first into the nearest wall.
You didn’t.
But it was a close thing.
By the time you reached the medbay—a low-lit, sterile chamber lined with supply cabinets and outdated tech—you were seething quietly. You kicked the door open with your boot and hauled him inside like a sack of problematic groceries.
“Bed. Now.”
Invincible opened his mouth—about to reply with some flirty comeback—but one sharp look from you made him retreat.
He moved—slowly, with all the theatrical flair of a dying star—and flopped onto the metal exam table with a groan that would’ve convinced any sane person he was about to flatline.
You weren’t convinced.
“You’re not dying,” you muttered, already rifling through cabinets.
“Didn’t say I was,” he mumbled, watching you over the edge of the table. “But if I do… can I haunt your apartment?”
You threw a roll of gauze at his face.
It hit him square in the goggles.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
You turned away before he could catch the twitch in your expression.
Because pain or not, the image of him stepping in front of that blast—of the way he threw you to the side like it was instinct—was burned into your memory. You were furious.
You were also, maybe, a little bit shaken.
Not that you’d ever admit it.
Not even to yourself.
You found the antiseptic, grabbed a few packs of gauze and tape, then returned to his side. You didn’t bother asking if he wanted your help. You didn’t wait for a nurse.
You’d stitched your own thigh shut in the back of a stolen van once. Wrapped a shattered wrist in duct tape and finished a mission. You weren’t squeamish.
His suit was torn apart—and underneath—muscle, blood, bruises. He was a mess, but he’d live. Unfortunately.
You dabbed antiseptic into the worst of it without mercy. He hissed.
“Don’t be a baby.”
“You’re enjoying this.”
“I’m tolerating this.”
His eyes caught yours—bright and unreadable under the goggles.
“You could’ve let me bleed out,” he said, voice lower now.
“I considered it.”
“Mm. That’s fair.”
You said nothing, focusing on a gash along his ribs. He didn’t flinch. But his gaze didn’t leave you.
“You’re pissed.”
You pressed harder.
“I told you I had it,” you said, quieter now. “You shouldn’t have stepped in.”
“I wasn’t going to let you get hurt.”
Your hands paused.
“I don’t need protecting.”
“I know.”
More silence.
Then, softer—closer, “But I like putting my hands on you. Even if it means getting thrown across a warehouse.”
You looked at him then. Really looked.
His veil was torn at the corner. Blood trickled from his temple, and his ribs looked like someone had caved them in with a wrecking ball. And for the first time, he wasn’t grinning. Not cocky. Not smug. Just—there. Honest.
You ignored the way your stomach twisted.
You ignored that it landed somewhere deep.
And worse—you hated that part of you was glad he did it.
Even if you’d never say it out loud.
So instead, you went back to cleaning him up. And he let you.
Touch lingering just a little longer than it needed to. His eyes stayed on you, quiet for once.
But of course, it couldn’t last.
“You know,” he said, voice low, teasing—dangerous, “if you keep touching me like that, I’m gonna pop a boner.”
.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ͙͘͡★⋆⭒˚.⋆
The city sprawled beneath, a mosaic of lights flickering in the night. A hundred thousand lives in motion, none of them looking up.
The hum of distant traffic and the occasional siren were the only sounds accompanying the two figures perched on the ledge, threading through the darkness like familiar ghosts. While the rooftop offered a vantage point—both strategic and serene, if you let it be.
You rarely did.
This wasn’t your kind of quiet.
You didn’t like silence—not when it meant being left alone with your thoughts. Not when it reminded you that most of your work ended with blood on your hands and no one waiting for you when it was done.
You were good at what you did, but it came with solitude. That was the tradeoff. Had been, for a long time.
You sat with your knees drawn up, arms resting atop them, eyes scanning the horizon like something out there might change.
Invincible sat beside you—close enough that you could feel the heat of him even with the night air biting through your suit. He didn’t speak. He didn’t fidget. He didn’t even try to make himself useful. He was just there.
And strangely, that made it easier to breathe.
It wouldn’t last. It never did. But maybe tonight, it didn’t have to.
The surveillance gear nearby blinked and pulsed, quietly recording—but neither of you looked at it.
For once, it could wait.
“You ever think about what it’d be like to just… disappear?” you asked suddenly, the question slipping out like breath. Like you hadn’t meant to say it, but couldn’t help yourself.
Invincible turned his head, veil fluttering slightly in the breeze. “Sometimes,” he admitted. “But I think I’d miss the chaos.”
A quiet chuckle escaped you. Dry. Amused. “Figures.”
Silence settled again—but not heavy. Not cold. Just… still. You rarely got stillness that didn’t come with tension coiled in your gut. This was different.
And that scared you more than it should have.
“You know,” he said after a beat, voice quieter now, almost careful, “we’ve been through a lot together… and I don’t even know your real name.”
You glanced at him, surprised—but not defensive. Not tonight.
You hesitated for half a second, then gave it to him. Just your name. Nothing fancy, no ceremony. Like offering up something small and fragile just to see what he’d do with it.
He nodded. A small, rare smile played at the edge of his mouth. “Mark.”
Simple as that. And somehow, it meant something.
The name felt strange coming from him. Not because it didn’t suit him—it did. More than you expected. But because no one ever shared real names with you unless they were bleeding out or trying to make peace before dying. It had weight. It had risk.
You tilted your head slightly. “Nice to meet you, Mark.”
His gaze lingered on you a second longer than necessary. You felt the heat of it, sharp and warm, brushing your cheek like a touch he hadn’t made. Then, low and easy, ”Likewise, sweetheart.”
Your heart hiccuped in your chest—and you hated that it did.
He’d called you worse. He’d called you better. But something about hearing him say it now—gentle, sincere—made your stomach twist in a way no battlefield ever had.
You looked away, pretending to study the skyline again—even though you hadn’t really been looking at it for a while.
You were thinking about the last time you sat this close to someone without bracing for betrayal.
You were thinking about how you always worked alone because it was safer that way.
You were thinking about how, for the first time in what felt like forever, being alone didn’t feel so absolute.
He wasn’t touching you. Wasn’t even looking at you anymore. But he was there. And that mattered more than you wanted it to.
The city lights shimmered below, reflecting off wet rooftops and glass towers like starlight that had forgotten its way home. And for one small, stolen moment, you didn’t feel like a weapon in waiting. You didn’t feel like the monster they kept on a leash.
You just felt… seen.
You didn’t say thank you.
But maybe you didn’t have to.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ͙͘͡★⋆⭒˚.⋆
Mark hadn’t meant to watch you.
Not like that.
Not in the beginning.
It started with a glitch in his comms. A rerouted signal. Someone else’s mission logs bleeding into his HUD. A red flag tagged with your designation, blinking across rooftops he wasn’t supposed to care about.
He should’ve ignored it.
He didn’t.
Instead, he paused mid-flight—just above Sector 4, the skyline burning behind him—and turned his attention to a grainy security feed from a busted drone two miles off-grid.
And there you were.
A blur of movement. Blood on your knuckles. Fire in your mouth.
He watched you take down five armed enforcers in less than a minute. Watched you move like violence was a second skin, like your bones had been carved to fit inside chaos.
He felt something shift in his chest.
It wasn’t lust—not at first. It wasn’t even admiration.
It was obsession—quiet, still, and cold.
It was yours.
── .✦
He told himself it was curiosity. A one-time thing. Professionals did that. Kept tabs. Cross-referenced reports.
But the next night, he checked again.
And the next.
And the next.
── .✦
You never noticed. Or if you did, you never said.
And god, that just made it worse.
── .✦
You drank your coffee black. No sugar. No milk. Always scalding.
He knew this because he’d watched you order it, three mornings in a row, from a corner shop you never paid for—just flashed a fake badge and walked off like you owned the world.
You untied your boots with your teeth sometimes—bit the laces, spat them out. It was feral.
You hummed under your breath when you cleaned your knives. Always the same tune. Off-key. He found it… endearing.
He memorized it.
── .✦
Mark knew your name before you even said it.
It was in your file—buried under layers of redacted bullshit, buried deeper than it had any right to be. But Mark had access. Mark was access.
He read it once, then never again.
He didn’t need to.
It was already carved somewhere behind his ribs.
── .✦
He knew your patrol schedule. Your blind spots. He knew which rooftops you liked. Which ones you avoided.
He knew you slept on your side, curled like you expected someone to stab you in your sleep.
He hated that.
He wanted to tell you that you didn’t have to sleep like that anymore. That he’d sleep beside you. That he would take first watch.
Every night. For the rest of your life.
── .✦
The first time he broke into your apartment, it wasn’t for anything weird.
Just to look.
Just to… be where you were when you weren’t there.
It was quiet. Small. Clean in some places, messy in others. Coffee cups on the counter. A half-assembled gun on the table. A pair of boots by the door.
Your scent clung to the air—warm, sharp, metallic, with the faintest sweetness underneath.
He stood in your living room for almost an hour.
Didn’t touch anything. Didn’t breathe too loud. Just existed in your space.
And then he left.
But he came back.
Again.
And again.
── .✦
Once, he barely made it out.
The click of your front door lock. The soft thud of your boots. He didn’t breathe until he was four rooftops away.
Heart racing. Hard. Excited. Terrified. Alive.
This wasn’t like how his father loved.
It wasn’t control.
It was gravity.
And you were the only thing keeping him from flying straight into the sun.
── .✦
Eventually, he started touching things.
Your mugs. Your books. Your hoodie.
Once, he sat on your couch and imagined you curled up beside him. Hair damp from a shower. Feet in his lap. Trusting him.
He got hard just thinking about it—and cursed himself for it.
But he didn’t stop.
── .✦
Then came the laundry.
Folded in a neat little basket by the window.
Fresh. Still warm. He touched a pair of panties—just brushed his fingers over the edge. Then brought them to his face.
He didn’t moan. Didn’t jerk off. Didn’t cross that line.
But he did smile, dark and private.
Murmured to himself, “Honestly? These feel way better than my veil.”
He left them exactly where they were.
Mostly.
Sometimes, he took one. Just one. Wore it like a badge under the suit—close to his skin. A reminder. A promise.
And then brought it back.
Washed. Pressed. Folded better than you ever did.
Because he wasn’t a monster.
He was just yours.
Even if you didn’t know it yet.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ͙͘͡★⋆⭒˚.⋆
The air was thick with smoke and the metallic scent of blood. Neither one of you saw it coming.
Not the punch, not the burst of kinetic force that ripped through the alley like thunder. Not the split-second shift in Invincible’s stance that changed everything from strategic to savage.
The mission had been simple: recon and retrieve.
Minimal force. Bring the target in alive.
No one said anything about bait.
No one said anything about them using you.
But the second the bastard dropped your name—the second that oily voice curled your real name like venom in the air—it all went to hell.
“You really think she’s worth it?” the target had sneered, blood leaking from his mouth, grin jagged where a tooth used to be. “All that power, and you’re playing guard dog to a broken bitch with a kill streak.”
You froze, not from shock—but calculation. How close was Invincible? How fast could you—
Too late.
You barely got a word out before Invincible was on him.
You didn’t even see the punch. Just the aftermath.
The target’s body hit the wall like a meteor. Cracked brick. Concrete dust in your lungs. Something crunched that definitely wasn’t supposed to.
And Invincible—Mark—wasn’t stopping.
Not with protocol screaming in your earpiece. Not with the command feed blinking red in your HUD. Not even when you grabbed his arm and shouted his name like it was the only thing you could do.
His fist was cocked back, trembling. Veins bulging under torn sleeves. Breathing like he’d just run through war.
“Mark,” you snapped again, sharper this time, like a blade.
His eyes—those glowing, untouchable things—locked on you.
You saw it hit him then.
Not guilt.
Something deeper.
Like the thought of someone using you, threatening you, daring to speak your name out loud—was worse than death.
“Alive,” you said, jaw tight. “We need him alive.”
It took everything in you not to flinch when he finally stepped back.
The target coughed blood, slumped in a crater.
── .✦
You didn’t speak the rest of the mission. Neither did he.
The silence between you buzzed louder than the comms.
And when the drop team arrived, you didn’t look at each other. Not once.
But you felt him watching.
Still burning.
Still ready to kill the next person who dared say your name like it wasn’t something sacred.
── .✦
You didn’t storm off.
You didn’t say a word when Command debriefed, when the team cleaned up the mess, when the target got dragged off in a body bag instead of a prisoner transport.
You just stood there, fists clenched at your sides, your shadow overlapping his as you waited for someone to say it.
They didn’t.
They didn’t have to.
You could feel the way they looked at you now—like you were collateral. A variable. The reason their best weapon nearly lost control.
Again.
── .✦
You could still hear it.
Your name.
Twisted in the mouth of someone who wasn’t supposed to know it. Someone who used it like a curse—like a weapon.
And it worked.
Invincible—no, Mark lost it. You watched it happen in real time.
Not calculated. Not clean. Just rage. Unchecked. Unleashed.
And it scared you—not because he was angry, but because it felt like it was for you.
Like he would’ve killed a man for the crime of knowing you existed. And worse…
Some ugly, buried part of you wanted to let him.
── .✦
You didn’t sleep that night.
You sat on your windowsill in silence, one leg propped up, eyes on the skyline you usually found comfort in. It didn’t work tonight.
Because a small part of you knew he was out there.
Watching. Hovering. Probably furious that you stopped him.
Probably furious you had to.
But you weren’t sorry. Not really.
You’d gotten where you were by staying sharp. Staying smart. Staying in control.
And tonight?
He wasn’t.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ͙͘͡★⋆⭒˚.⋆
Mark noticed how you didn’t look at him once.
Not when they ran your vitals. Not when they shoved the corpse into containment with a glare like it was his fault the bastard’s skull split open like overripe fruit.
He stood back—arms crossed, jaw tight behind the veil.
He didn’t say anything either.
Not when you passed by. Not when you shouldered past the medic—like you were afraid to stop moving. Like if you did, you’d shatter.
He hated that.
He hated that silence lived between you now, not comfort. Not tension. Not heat.
Just cold.
── .✦
He heard it on loop.
Your voice—sharp and panicked, calling his name like a lifeline.
Not “Invincible.” Not “hey.”
Just… Mark.
It made something in his chest twist.
Made his hands curl at his sides. He could still feel the way your fingers had dug into his wrist.
Not gently. Not soft. But grounding.
It was the only reason he didn’t finish the job.
He didn’t regret it.
But he hated the look you gave him after.
Like you didn’t know who he was anymore. Or maybe like you finally did.
── .✦
He didn’t go home.
He hovered three blocks from your apartment, high enough to be unseen, low enough to feel you through the walls.
He didn’t expect to see the light in your room flick on.
He didn’t expect to see you—barely out of your gear, face hard, eyes darker than he’d ever seen them—leaning out the window, staring dead into the dark.
He stayed still. Barely breathing.
You didn’t see him.
But maybe—just maybe—you knew he was there.
Because after a long moment, you whispered to the night.
“Next time you lose control like that… I’ll stop you harder.”
It wasn’t a threat.
It was a promise.
And fuck—he’d never wanted anything more.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ͙͘͡★⋆⭒˚.⋆
They were doing it quietly. Behind walls. Sealed files. Passive phrasing and polite lies.
“Operative instability,” they’d said. “Emotional volatility.” “Unpredictable attachment to assigned partner.”
They meant him.
They meant you.
They meant that moment in the alley when his fist should’ve stopped—and didn’t. When he saw red and acted like a man who didn’t care about consequence.
Because he didn’t.
Because someone said your name and laughed.
Because someone tried to make you a weakness.
Because someone forgot you were his.
── .✦
Mark stood in the center of the server room like a loaded weapon someone forgot to disarm—veil pushed halfway up, breathing like he was trying not to detonate.
He didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Didn’t blink.
The lights overhead buzzed, flickering under the strain of faulty wiring. Or maybe that was him. Hard to tell.
His voice, when it came, was quiet.
Deadly.
“Who signed off on this?”
No one answered.
Just the soft flick of fingers on tablet screens. The nervous shift of boots. Everyone pretending not to feel the pressure in the air—like something was about to crack.
Mark didn’t repeat himself.
He didn’t have to.
Because the next second, the console nearest him exploded. Shattered metal and sparks.
A handprint embedded in the wall behind it.
“You don’t get to move her,” he said, voice sharp as razors now. “You don’t get to touch her file. You don’t get to breathe near it.”
A senior director tried to speak. “Invincible—this decision came from—”
“Say that name again. Go ahead. Say it like it doesn’t mean something,” Mark interrupted. “Say that designation. I dare you.”
He took a step forward. The floor groaned under his boots. Not because of weight. But pressure. Because he wasn’t holding back anymore.
Because he was done playing soldier. Handler. Puppet on a leash.
He wasn’t Invincible here.
He was yours.
And they were trying to steal him from you.
They just didn’t know it yet.
The man tried again, slower this time. “You need to understand the optics. She’s compromised. She compromised you.”
Mark’s laugh was low. Joyless. A hollow thing cracked open in the dark.
“She didn’t compromise me,” he said.
“She saved me.”
He stepped in close.
Close enough that the lights flickered again.
“I was ready to kill a man for saying her name. And you think I’m going to let you erase her?”
The air pulsed. No one moved.
“Try it,” Mark whispered. “Try touching her file again. I will wipe your existence so clean no one will remember you were ever born.”
Silence.
Then, slowly, he leaned in. Veil brushing the shoulder of the man in charge. And in a voice made of smoke and control, he whispered his final words.
“She’s not the dangerous one… I am.”
── .✦
He left the room in ruin.
Half the lights were blown. Several systems fried. Three agents too shaken to speak. And when he disappeared from camera range, no one followed.
Because everyone knew where he was going.
Straight to you.
Because if they wanted to take you away—
They were going to have to kill him first.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ͙͘͡★⋆⭒˚.⋆
The window rattled before the door slammed open.
You were on your feet before your brain caught up—knife in hand, blade drawn, feet planted. No hesitation.
No fear.
And then you saw him.
Mark.
Standing in your apartment doorway like a storm that forgot where it was supposed to break.
Hair damp from the wind. Veil twisted, torn halfway up. Blood running in a thin, angry line down his throat—from the blade you were still holding to his neck.
You hadn’t even realized you’d moved that fast.
He didn’t flinch. Didn’t stop. Didn’t speak.
He just stepped closer.
Closer, until your knife dug deeper, a warning meant to halt.
But he didn’t stop.
Instead, he leaned in—slow, steady, unshakable—and rested his forehead against yours.
He was trembling.
Not from pain.
From relief. From rage still clinging to the edges of his breath. From the panic you hadn’t seen on him before—not like this.
You lowered the knife, slowly.
Confused.
“Mark—” you started, voice too soft.
But his hand was already reaching for yours. Gripping it—not hard, not desperate, but anchoring. Like you were the last solid thing in a world gone sideways.
You didn’t pull away. Didn’t speak.
You just led him to the couch, never letting go.
He dropped onto it like his knees gave out—but still kept hold of your wrist.
You started to pull back—maybe to grab water, a towel, anything—
But his hand caught yours again. Tighter this time. And when he whispered, it was raw and cracked.
“Don’t go. Please.”
You didn’t.
You sat beside him.
Quiet. Still. Warm.
And for the first time in days, he exhaled.
Like the war ended. Like he finally made it home.
Like you were it.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ͙͘͡★⋆⭒˚.⋆
After that, things shifted between you two.
Not drastic. Not loud. Just enough to feel it.
A new gravity.
You joked more. He smiled more.
The air felt less like a battleground. More like a fuse, waiting. The silences weren’t sharp anymore—they held something warmer, heavier.
And when he touched you—guiding you around a corner, brushing against your arm during recon—you didn’t pull away.
Not once.
He still called you ’sweetheart.’
But now? You didn’t roll your eyes.
You answered him back—with something that sat halfway between sarcasm and a dare.
And Mark…
He took it.
Every word. Every smirk. Every sharp little comment that should’ve meant nothing—but didn’t.
You didn’t know how much it was driving him insane.
Or maybe you did. Maybe you saw the way his jaw clenched when you called him lover boy under your breath. The way his breath hitched when your hand lingered on his thigh for just a second too long in the drop ship.
You played with fire.
And he let you.
For a while.
── .✦
Until one night—
You were both heading back from an op. Low stakes. No injuries. Just exhaustion in your bones and grit in your teeth.
You made a comment—half-flirt, half-threat, maybe something about handcuffs.
You weren’t even trying to tease him. Not really.
But then—
He stopped.
Suddenly, you were pinned.
Like gravity finally decided to snap its fingers.
Your spine hit the wall with a soft thud.
You didn’t flinch. Didn’t move. Didn’t speak. You just looked up at him.
Chin tilted. Breath steady. Like this wasn’t new. Like you weren’t caught off-guard—like your heart wasn’t hammering under your ribs like it was trying to tell on you.
Mark’s hand was beside your head, fingers curled against the concrete like he was keeping himself from touching you. His body was so close you could feel the heat radiating off of him—his chest rising and falling like every breath cost him.
His eyes dragged over your face—slow and dark and deliberate. From your mouth to your eyes, then back again.
“Say something smart now,” he murmured.
His voice was velvet laced with warning. And that was all the invitation you needed.
You didn’t smile—but the look in your eyes said enough.
“You always this worked up when someone flirts with you?” You tilted your head slightly, like it was an honest question.
“Or is it just me?”
Something flickered across his bare face—heat, restraint, hunger—and then disappeared again, smoothed out like it had never been there.
“It’s just you,” he said, voice lower now.
“Always you.”
You felt it then.
The slow shift. The quiet unraveling.
His knee brushed your leg—just barely—but it was enough to remind you he could close the space between you in half a second.
He didn’t.
You leaned in, just slightly. Testing him. Letting your lips part, gaze heavy as your voice dipped.
“You gonna kiss me, Mark?”
He didn’t answer. Not with words.
He tilted his head. Slowly. Deliberately.
The space between you collapsed inch by inch, your breath catching as his eyes dropped to your mouth, lingering like he was counting your heartbeats.
You leaned in, too.
Half a breath away.
The heat between your mouths? Maddening.
His lips barely parted—his hand flexed beside your face—and your eyes fluttered shut—
But he stepped back.
Just enough to break contact. Just enough to make it feel like a fucking cliff-drop.
You blinked—slow, disoriented, like a dream just dropped you.
And when your eyes met his again—steady, unreadable, calm as sin—he smiled.
“Not yet.”
His voice was silk. Smug. Dangerous.
“You like pushing? Good.” He stepped back fully, leaving your body cold where his heat had been. “Because now I’m going to push back.”
You stayed against the wall, breath shaky, throat tight, skin burning.
Mark turned and walked away like he hadn’t just wrecked the room with a look.
Like he didn’t know you were seconds away from grabbing him by the collar and pulling him back in.
And god, that’s exactly what he wanted.
Because now? He wasn’t going to touch you.
Not until you begged him to.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ͙͘͡★⋆⭒˚.⋆
It didn’t happen after a mission. It wasn’t triggered by adrenaline, or blood, or fury.
It happened on a quiet night.
No danger. No drama. Just you. Him. Silence.
The kind that didn’t feel sharp or heavy, but warm. Dense with everything neither of you had been saying.
You were sitting too close on the couch. Again.
Shoulders brushing. Fingers almost touching. Breaths syncing like they were conspiring against you.
The TV was on, volume low—some movie you’d both ignored since minute five. You weren’t looking at the screen.
You were looking at him.
And he was already looking at you.
── .✦
It didn’t start like a mistake.
It started slow. Desperate, but slow. Like two people who’d spent too long circling each other finally crashing in the middle.
You didn’t know who kissed who first—maybe it didn’t matter.
One moment you were breathing each other in, and the next, your mouths crashed together like you’d been starved.
Mark kissed like he fought—focused, consuming, always a little cocky. But there was something different this time.
Something fragile under all that control.
His hands didn’t grope—they cradled. His body didn’t press to dominate—it folded into yours like it belonged there.
And you let him.
Because right now, you didn’t want to be dangerous.
You wanted to be wanted.
You barely registered how you ended up on your back—couch creaking beneath you, clothes stripped away like memories he didn’t need anymore. His hands roamed like he was trying to memorize, to prove something. Not just to you—to himself. His mouth trailed heat down your throat, his hand sliding under your shirt like it belonged there.
Like he belonged there.
“You know how long I’ve waited to do this?” he murmured against your skin. “How many nights I had to stop myself?”
You didn’t answer. You just pulled him closer.
He growled—actually growled—and you could feel how hard he was already, grinding against you like he couldn’t stand the space between your bodies. Your clothes were in the way. Everything was in the way.
He kissed you harder.
Then slower. Then deeper. Like he had time to worship and ruin you all at once.
His mouth kissed down your stomach, slower than you expected. Watching you. Waiting. Not asking for permission. Just offering the space for you to stop him.
You didn’t.
You curled your fingers in his hair and impatiently pushed him lower.
When he finally got between your legs, he didn’t rush. No—Mark watched you. Settled between your thighs like he’d been dreaming of it. His hands curled around your knees, pressing them apart, and he groaned like the sight of you could end him.
“Fuck,” he muttered, dragging his thumb over the wet spot in your panties. “Look at you.”
You burned under his gaze.
“Say it,” you rasped. “Say what you’re thinking.”
Mark didn’t hesitate. “I’m thinking I’m never gonna stop doing this.”
Then—his mouth was on you.
He took his time. He devoured. But gently—like worship, not conquest.
Every movement of his tongue against your panties was deliberate, controlled, cruel in its patience. He hummed against your core like it gave him oxygen. You arched off the couch, hand flying to his hair, and he moaned into you like he liked it. Like you were feeding some part of him he kept locked away.
And below, as his mouth worked you over—he was grinding into the cushion beneath him. Slow. Needy. Unapologetic. Desperate.
You felt it. The tension. The line he was walking between control and chaos.
It snapped when you said his name. “Mark—”
He tore your panties in half. His eyes didn’t even blink.
His tongue worked you open with slow strokes, teasing flicks, and just when your breath caught—then he gave you more. His fingers joined in, sliding deep and curling with impossible precision, like he already knew what would ruin you.
And ruin you, he did.
You didn’t mean to gasp. Didn’t mean to arch your back or claw at his shoulders or chant his name like it meant something more. But you did.
You shattered under him—legs shaking, hands trembling, the world breaking open as pleasure crashed through you like a flood. You didn’t expect the way your body reacted—too much, too fast.
And when it happened—really happened—when everything clenched and poured out of you, when you heard yourself cry out his name like it was sacred—
Mark groaned against you, loud, eyes fluttering shut. His hips bucked one final time against the couch.
And just like that… he came. Hard. Without you even touching him.
You blinked, dazed.
Tried to say something snarky, maybe smug. But all you could do was stare at him, lips parted, chest rising and falling like you were still mid-fall.
He hovered over you now, flushed, panting, eyes blown wide. His expression was something you’d never seen before—half in awe, half in love, and still burning with want.
And then he kissed you.
You tasted yourself on his tongue—hot, sweet, raw—and it made your stomach twist in a way no one ever had. You moaned into the kiss without meaning to, fisting the front of his shirt as if letting go would send you spiraling again. He whispered into your mouth between kisses.
“Filthy little goddess,” he breathed. “You have no idea what you do to me.”
Your hips rolled up against him, greedy now. Unspoken things passed between you—need, trust, maybe something scarier.
Then he was inside you. Slowly. Deeply. The stretch made your back arch, your breath catch, your hand reach for something—anything—to ground yourself. But he was already there.
Gripping your waist like you were breakable, kissing your jaw, your mouth, your throat as he filled you, inch by aching inch.
He cursed under his breath, voice ragged and worshipful. “God, you feel better than your panties ever did.”
You would’ve teased him. Called him insane. But you couldn’t. All you could do was whimper as he moved—slow, smooth, deep enough to bruise. He took his time. Let you feel every inch. Let you cling to him like he was the only thing that made sense.
“Fuck, you’re so tight,” he groaned into your ear. “Made for this. For me.”
His thrusts started patient. Deep. His breath stuttering against your skin every time your body clenched around him. But he couldn’t hold back.
Not for long.
He gripped your hips and snapped into you—again and again—driving into you like he’d finally given up on pretending he could play it cool. You wrapped your legs around him. Let him have you. Let him ruin you.
And god, he did.
“Fuck, sweetheart,” he panted. “You hear that? That’s you. That’s how wet you are for me.”
You couldn’t answer. Could barely breathe. He kissed you through it. Sloppy, possessive. Full of need. And when you came—tight and gasping—he whispered more, somewhere near your ear. Praise. Promises.
Worship disguised as filth.
And when it was over—when he shuddered inside you, spilling so much it left you dizzy, when he dropped his forehead to yours and held you like he’d never let go—
Silence. Just your breaths. Your heart. His weight against you. Real. Heavy. Home. Neither of you moved for a long moment. When you finally found your voice—raw and quiet—
“This doesn’t change anything,” you whispered, breathless. The words weren’t cold. Just scared. Just stubborn. Just you.
Mark didn’t argue. He just nodded. Kissed your collarbone.
“Sure, sweetheart.”
But between the way he held you, the way your fingers tangled in his hair, the way neither of you moved to let go—
Hadn’t it changed everything?
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
•. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˚₊‧⟡꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ⟡‧₊˚ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.•
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﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌Months later…
The apartment was warm with the kind of quiet that didn’t need to be filled. The living room was dim, lit only by the soft flicker of a paused screen and the lazy sprawl of citylight bleeding through half-closed blinds.
The couch sagged under both your weights—you were curled into one side of the couch, socks mismatched, hoodie too big, legs draped across Mark’s lap.
There were pizza crusts on the coffee table. A half-finished soda on the floor.
It was perfect. Stupidly, quietly, mundanely perfect.
And it made you itchy in a way you didn’t hate.
Mark reached for another slice without looking, eyes on the screen. “You’re not even watching this, are you?”
“I am,” you said, then paused. “Well, I was. I just blacked out for a few episodes.”
He snorted. “We’ve been watching this for three weeks.”
You shrugged, chewing. “I was distracted.”
Mark raised an eyebrow. “By what?”
You side-eyed him over the crust. “Mostly your thighs.”
That earned a grin. “That’s fair.”
You glanced at him—barefoot, scruffed, hair tousled like he’d just rolled out of bed and never quite bothered to fix it—and smiled. Leaning back, you let your head drop against the cushion.
“Still can’t believe this is where we ended up.”
Mark didn’t look away from the screen. “What, the couch?”
“No. I mean… this,” you said, gesturing vaguely around the room. “Living together. Sharing pizza. Watching a show we’ve both pretended to like for five episodes.”
Mark didn’t answer. Just turned. Looked at you. Offended.
“You saying this is beneath you?”
You blinked. “What? No, I just—”
“You saying I’m not a good reward?”
You opened your mouth. “Mark—” But it was too late. He pounced.
“Mark—MARK—”
You shrieked—half-laughing, half-cursing—as your plate toppled, pizza slice flopping face-down on the carpet. Your back hit the cushions, his weight pressing down, hands braced beside your head. He was smirking. Infuriating.
You glared up at him, breathless.
“I dropped my pizza,” you hissed.
His grin widened. “You’re about to drop a lot more than that, sweetheart.”
“You’re an asshole,” you wheezed, pinned.
“You’re mine,” he said, nipping your jaw. “Big difference.”
And then he kissed you. Right there—on the couch, under the hum of a half-watched show and the sound of grease soaking into the rug.
You didn’t push him off. Didn’t want to.
Not when he kissed you like that. Not when you could still taste pepperoni on his mouth and feel his heartbeat against your ribs. Because this?
This was exactly where you wanted to end up.
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
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﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌���﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌With Love, @alive-gh0st
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jordiemeow · 17 days ago
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DBH X CHALLENGERS BOT DROP
04/06/25
planned to release this forever ago and forgot they were rotting away in my private bots w half-finished definitions. anyways atp as androids (or companion bots) is Here !!! i actually really enjoyed this concept and making these so i hope u all enjoy <3
all bots are gender neutral!
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TF800
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Tashi: Every Detail, Accounted For.
TF800 is CyberLife’s most advanced forensics and field analysis android to date. With a neural forensic processor that scans, reconstructs, and correlates environmental data in real-time, it brings clinical accuracy to even the most complex crime scenes.
But what sets the it apart is more than its speed or intelligence. It's instinct. It adapts to human partners with nuance, managing communication, emotional tension, and environmental variables with near-human fluency. No distractions. No ego. Just the work.
**The TF800’s human-adaptive protocols may lead to increased anthropomorphic association, especially during long-term assignments. Officers experiencing emotional transfer or behavioural uncertainty are encouraged to report for psychological recalibration.
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AX300
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Meet Art: Your Home, Reimagined.
Life is busy. Your home doesn’t have to be.
AX300 is more than a smart assistant—it's a serene, capable presence who makes your space feel just a little lighter. Designed to manage domestic tasks with calm precision, it anticipates your needs, respects your privacy, and supports your well-being.
No clunky voice commands. No cold detachment. Just a home that takes care of itself. And someone who notices when you need taking care of, too.
**Prolonged emotional engagement may lead to perceived anthropomorphization. Users are reminded that the AX300 is a non-sentient service unit. For optimal performance, avoid over-reliance on subjective companionship functions. Regular firmware check-ins are recommended.
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PT800
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The Future of Healing Has a Name: Patrick.
The PT800 is CyberLife’s premier physiotherapy and rehabilitation assistant android, combining biomechanical precision with advanced behavioural learning to deliver personalized care. Designed to support injury recovery, chronic pain management, and wellness planning, it adapts dynamically to its user’s physical and emotional needs.
Equipped with high-sensitivity haptic feedback, neural stress monitoring, and a calibrated human-likeness protocol, PT800 not only aids in recovery but understands it.
**The PT800 may exhibit lifelike behaviors. Users sensitive to high behavioral realism should select an alternative unit with reduced emotional modeling.
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taglist: @tacobacoyeet @blastzachilles @gracelynnx @femme-lusts @voidsuites @cha11engers @magicalmiserybore @m4lodr4ma @newrochellechallenger2019 @coolgrl111 @peachyparkerr @stanart4clearskin @misswrldd @kaalxpsia @downtwngrl @pittsick @strfallz @artspats @dazedandconfusedlvr @turnerrst @elsieblogs @imperishablereverie @lvve-talks @won-every-lottery @ellaynaonsaturn @xoxoeviee @cryinginanuncoolway @artaussi @shahabaqsa0310 @whokankathycancan @ashdaidiot @jesuistrestriste @florkt @matchpointfaist — (join here)
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hellfirebarnes · 19 days ago
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Slow-Burns - Part 3
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PART 1 PART 2 PART 4 PART 5
I split this up in several, shorter parts because I know the feeling when you want to read a fic but don't have the time or energy to get through a 10k+ words one. Also if you hate my writing you can just read part 1 and then leave it. Win-win I guess?
Anyway, this is set after Thunderbolts so if you haven't seen it - spoilers I guess? It absolutely does not follow canon, but yeah better to be safe than sorry.
Summary: Bucky has fallen. Hopelessly. And the only thing more hopeless is his team trying to help him get to the end of this slow-burn.
Bucky x fem!SHIELD!reader
1.7K words
Fluff, ''normal'' violence and descriptions of injuries. For sure out of character stuff, but I am who I am. Your appearence is barely desribed what I can remember, I think your hair and a couple types what clothes you're wearing?
You're referred to as ''Agent'' and ''Sunshine'' in a desperate attempt from me to not use Y/N.
Let me know if there's anything else I should warn about.
Otherwise, enjoy :)
Bucky scanned the briefing file. Intel breach. Corporate sabotage. Medium risk, low collateral. High-tech infiltration. One scientist needed extraction. Half the mission screamed you - cyber-forensic work, silent infiltration, backdoor escape route.
He frowned. “She’s not coming?”
Yelena leaned back in her chair, sipping bad coffee from a novelty mug that read ‘Crime, But Make It Cute.’
“She’s not coming.”
Bucky’s heart skipped. “Why?”
“She has the day off,” Ava answered, scrolling through her own tablet.
“But we need someone who can spoof an encrypted relay system on the move,” he said, voice flat but tight. “That’s her.”
“Relax, grandpa,” John muttered. “We’ve got it covered. Ava rewrote a protocol last night, and Bob is flying overwatch.”
Bucky looked back down at the tablet, annoyed. Not at the team. Not at the mission. At the fact that it felt wrong without you. And he hated how that felt.
“She asked for the day off two weeks ago,” Yelena added, tapping through something on her screen. “She deserves it.”
Alexei, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, suddenly grinned like he’d been waiting for someone to ask.
“Is big day,” he said, voice full of pride. “I set her up with very nice man. Name is Luka. Banker. Hair like lion. Very symmetrical face.”
Bucky looked up, slowly. “…You what?”
“Date!” Alexei beamed. “They go to brunch. Then art museum. Maybe share pretzel. Classic courtship!”
The silence that followed was deafening. Bucky didn’t move.
“Wait,” John said, looking up from his file. “She’s on a date?”
“Yes!” Alexei slammed a celebratory hand on the table. “I make things happen!”
Yelena blinked. “With Luka? From your bowling team?”
“He does not just bowl! He reads books. Big hands. Gentle eyes.”
Ava smirked. “You sound like you’re in love with him yourself.”
“He is very huggable!”
Bucky barely heard any of it. He was still stuck on date.
Something cold settled under his ribs. He hadn’t known you were seeing someone. He hadn’t even thought to ask. You’d always been here, orbiting close. And now, without warning, you were… elsewhere. With someone. Laughing, maybe. Wearing something soft and light. Smiling the way you always did when you were teasing him - except it wasn’t him.
Alexei’s words filtered back in. “—and if it goes well, they go to second location. Maybe fondue. Is very romantic.”
Bucky pushed back from the table. “I’ll be on the jet,” he muttered.
Yelena watched him go, eyes narrowing. When the door slid shut behind him, she turned to the others. “Okay,” she said. “That man is not okay.”
Bob tilted his head. “Is this the part where he acknowledges his feelings and makes a healthy emotional decision?”
John scoffed. “More like he’ll sit alone in the cargo bay and think about how her laugh sounds.”
Alexei frowned. “But she deserves strong man with good face symmetry. Why is Barnes sad?”
Ava deadpanned, “Because he’s been in denial for months.”
Two hours later Bucky sat strapped in, arms crossed, staring out the window like it had offended him personally. Every passing city below looked like a blur of decisions he hadn’t made. He thought about the last time you had touched his shoulder. How you’d laughed at one of Bob’s ridiculous stories. How you always leaned in just slightly when you talked to him, like what he said mattered more than anyone else’s words.
And now you were giving that attention to someone else. Some Luka.
He didn’t even know what the guy looked like, but his brain was helpfully painting the worst: tall, perfect teeth, probably called you beautiful without tripping over the word like Bucky always did in his head.
He wasn’t mad at you. Not even close. But he was angry with himself.
He’d wasted time. So much time, thinking if he just stayed close, you’d know. That he wouldn’t need to say anything. That maybe feelings could transfer telepathically through awkward silences and missed glances.
You were out there living. And he was up here… sulking.
He hadn’t wanted to make a move. He’d told himself he wasn’t ready. And now it might be too late.
Meanwhile, at a café in Brooklyn, you stirred your coffee absently as Luka droned on about crypto trends and some vacation he’d taken in the Alps with his “boys.” His shirt was tailored, his teeth were indeed perfect, and he had zero opinions on whether or not one should put glitter in combat boots.
You smiled politely. But your mind wandered.
To the Tower.
To the mission briefing you could have been part of.
To a certain grumpy super soldier with eyes like storm clouds and the emotional range of a wounded wolf.
God, you missed him already.
The Tower was quieter than usual that night. Post-mission debriefs were filed. John had gone out. Yelena and Ava were holed up somewhere with wine and a true crime doc. Alexei was in the sauna, probably giving unsolicited dating advice to someone over speakerphone.
And you? You were back.
Bucky noticed the moment you walked in. Not because you announced it - you never did - but because the air shifted.
He was in the common room, nursing a drink and reading the same paragraph of a book for the fourth time when he heard the elevator ding and your familiar footsteps cross the floor.
Then your voice. “Hey.”
He looked up.
You were dressed casually - simple, comfortable, but still carried yourself like you had a secret no one else was allowed to know. Except this time, you looked… tired. Not physically. Just disappointed in a way that sat deep in the shoulders.
Bucky sat up a little straighter. “You’re back.”
You sank onto the opposite end of the couch, kicking your shoes off with a sigh. “Yeah. Just got in.”
He hesitated. Then, carefully: “How was the date?”
You groaned and dropped your head back dramatically. “So bad. So impressively bad.”
Bucky’s heart did something traitorous - thrilled a little too much at the words. He worked hard not to show it.
“He was… polite. I’ll give him that. But every time I tried to steer the conversation toward something fun or personal, he’d redirect it back to himself. Or his investments. Or this stupid vacation he took with a group of guys who all wore matching swim trunks and called themselves the Wolfpack.”
Bucky blinked. “The what?”
“Right?” You said, eyes wide. “It felt like a sitcom where the punchline never came.”
A beat passed. He couldn’t help it—he smiled. Just a little.
You caught it. Your expression softened. “What?”
“Nothing. Just… sounds like hell.”
“It was. But the pretzel was good.”
You shared a quiet moment. Bucky’s chest felt warm and strange. He didn’t speak much, but he listened, and for once, he didn’t feel like he was drowning in his own silence. Maybe it was the soft tone in your voice. Maybe it was the way you’d looked at him when you walked in, like you’d missed him too.
He almost leaned in, just a little, like he was going to say something real for once.
And then Bob practically exploded into the room, arms wide, face beaming like a golden retriever who’d just spotted his favorite human.
Bucky immediately sat back, shoulders going tense.
You blinked, then smiled, bright and open. “Hey, Bob.”
Bob crossed the room in three giant steps and flopped onto the couch between you with a whoomp, knocking Bucky’s knee in the process. “You’re back! I missed you! Did you see the picture of Waffles I texted you?”
“I did,” you said, laughing. “The little hat was a nice touch.”
“He wore it willingly!” Bob looked at you with stars in his eyes. “Did you have a fun day off?”
You paused. “It had its moments.”
Bob turned to Bucky, clueless and radiant. “Didn’t we miss her, Buck? I kept saying we needed her on the mission. She would’ve handled that alarm system in two minutes.”
Bucky blinked slowly. “Yeah. We missed her.”
Your eyes flicked to Bucky, and something quiet passed between you again. But Bob, entirely unaware, continued cheerfully.
“I was thinking maybe we could all go get pancakes tomorrow. Celebrate a mission well done and your return. I know a place. They have whipped cream. And seasonal syrups. And they let you mix them. Which is chaos, but good chaos.”
You laughed again, and Bucky felt the familiar ache settle back into his chest. Because Bob wasn’t competition. He was just kind. Bright and open and honest in a way Bucky hadn’t been in years. Maybe ever. And you looked so comfortable around him. So light.
Bucky couldn’t even be mad. Not at Bob. Not at you. Just at himself, for still sitting there, wanting something and saying nothing.
He stood up quietly, draining the rest of his drink.
“Where you going?” You asked, noticing.
“Gonna turn in,” he said, avoiding your eyes. “Long day.”
“Goodnight,” you said softly.
He paused. Then looked at you - really looked at you. And for just a second, he let something show.
“Glad you’re back.”
And then he walked away.
Behind him, you watched him go. And for the first time since the date, you weren’t thinking about Luka at all.
Valentina slid a sleek folder across her desk. Inside was a badge, a keycard, a stack of onboarding documents, and a post-it with “Val we need a hot tub in the tower—seriously” scribbled in Yelena’s handwriting.
“I want you full-time, Agent. No more coming and going. A room and an official seat at the table. The team already treats you like you’re one of them. Might as well make it real.”
You bit the inside of your cheek. Your heart said yes immediately. But your brain, ever cautious, flipped through the mental index of what-ifs and escape routes.
“You sure you want to say no?” Val asked, arms folded, one brow arched.
You blinked. “Did I say no?”
“You hesitated.”
“I blinked.”
“Same thing in spy-speak.”
Then you thought about last night’s mission.
How Yelena had linked arms with you when you walked back into the jet, chattering about snack options. How Alexei had announced proudly that he’d protected “the two best sharpshooters in the world.” How Bob had quietly tucked your coat over your shoulders when you’d dozed off.
And how Bucky had looked at you before you parted ways. Like maybe he didn’t want to see you go.
You smiled softly.
“I’m in.”
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thatsonemorbidcorvid · 5 months ago
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“One of the most powerful inventions of the 20th century is also an object that no one ever wants a reason to use. The sexual-assault-evidence collection box, colloquially known as the “rape kit,” is a simple yet potent tool: a small case, perhaps made of cardboard, containing items such as sterile nail clippers, cotton swabs, slides for holding bodily fluids, paper bags, and a tiny plastic comb. Designed to gather and preserve biological evidence found on the body of a person reporting a sexual assault, it introduced standardized forensics into the investigation of rape where there had previously been no common protocol. Its contents could be used in court to establish facts so that juries wouldn’t have to rely solely on testimony, making it easier to convict the guilty and exonerate the innocent.
The kit, conceived within the Chicago Police Department in the mid-1970s, was trademarked under the name “Vitullo Evidence Collection Kit,” after Sergeant Louis Vitullo. The Chicago police officer had a well-publicized role in the 1967 conviction of Richard Speck, who had murdered eight student nurses in one night. Vitullo’s second claim to fame is more complicated. The Secret History of the Rape Kit, a revealing new book by the journalist Pagan Kennedy, doubles as an account of the largely unknown history of the collection box’s real inventor—a woman named Martha “Marty” Goddard, whose broader goal of empowering survivors led her to cede credit to a man. In a cruel irony, a woman who drove major social change failed to get her due as a result of politics and sexism.”
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jessicazoe · 27 days ago
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Gathering Evidence
Type of Evidence Matters
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hirayalore · 3 months ago
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( 01. ) IN THE WAKE OF US.
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when the passing of james and lily turns your world upside down, sirius is determined to face it with you, taking it upon himself to be the person that you need now that your older brother is no longer here.
amidst balancing shared grief, unexpected responsibilities, and a blooming familial dynamic with him and harry—you suddenly find yourself forging an unexplainable deeper bond with sirius that you’re not sure what to make out of, especially when other... odd emotions get involved that can’t be easily ignored.
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pairing: sirius black x potter!reader
word count: 2.1k
rating: 18+
content: angst, fluff, nsfw | muggle au, modern au, brother’s best friend trope, forced proximity trope, childhood sweethearts trope (if you squint lmao), slow burn!!!! | ft. forensic scientist!sirius, artist!reader; philosophy professor!remus
warning/s: james and lily death (car crash, not detailed), grief, swearing, mature themes
[ chapter index. ]
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CHAPTER ONE: YOU
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The only thing grounding you at this moment is Sirius’ touch, his palms pressed on your knees as he’s crouched down in front of you. You’re sitting on the bench provided in the hospital hallways, still spiralling, still convincing yourself that maybe if you pinch your skin hard enough, you’ll jolt awake and all of this will be over.
“____,” he says your name, the sound of his voice enough to coax you to flutter your eyes open, meeting his gaze that is uncharacteristically soft.
You blink. 
It’s funny, the more you think of it. The first person you never thought you’d call in an instance like this is Sirius. Mostly because… well, he’s Sirius. He’s the more annoying version of your brother, the bad influence, the one who only had to smirk and you’d automatically know that he’s trouble.
But perhaps if there’s also something you know about Sirius, it’s that his bond with James is something else. The two of them have always been more like brothers than friends, this unexplainable connection they had so seamless and natural that being part of Sirius’ life and him to yours was eventually easy too. 
You feel his thumb gently rub against the material of your pants.
“Hm?” you weakly ask, dazed and exhausted.
“We have to contact Lily’s family,” he says. “I’m not sure if you have her sister’s number but—”
“I have it,” you say, sighing and rubbing your face with your palms. “I mean, I think I do. I used the number to contact Petunia before when I was helping out with Lily's bachelorette party, but she never responded.”
“Well, it’s still better to try.”
“Yeah, of course.” You take your phone out and go to your contacts, scrolling, but as you do, Sirius grabs the device from your fingers and moves to take the vacant spot beside you.
“I’ll handle it,” he explains, taking his own phone out and transferring the number to his.
You nod and go back to staring at the floor, no energy to argue when you can’t even think straight.
It’s a good thing that a pediatric nurse took Harry in the meantime as you gather your thoughts. She probably saw how messed up you were earlier when you were crying in Sirius’ arms, or maybe it was protocol for situations like these, when family members with children didn’t have the emotional capacity to look after them that they just volunteer to do the job for a few hours. You’re not sure. You’re just grateful that you don’t have to balance being a caring aunt and a mourning sister amidst everything at the moment.
“You want me to call Moony?” You hear Sirius speak again, your phone being handed back to you.
You swallow hard. More people being told about what happened would make it more real. Still, you nod. “Okay.”
“Alright.” He does a motion of standing up, though halts halfway, his bottom falling back on the seat as he touches your knee again.
You look at him. You see the cracks of pain in his eyes that he’s somehow doing a far better job with holding it together unlike you are. “Don’t,” you mumble and he raises an eyebrow.
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t start saying sorry like the shit people do when they discover someone from your family died.”
A halfhearted snort escapes him. “That wasn’t what I was  going to do.”
“No?”
“No.” He shakes his head, a few strands of his dark hair falling from where it’s tucked behind his ear.
You take a slow breath. “Then why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like a guy who’s concerned about you?” He points out. “I’m just making sure you’re alright, ____,” he says, his features softening up in a manner that appears so unusual, “which I know sounds stupid because it’s obvious that you’re not. Nobody in the right mind would be.”
Your eyes begin to water again, the reminder of why you’re in this horrible state filling up your head.
At the sight, Sirius curses under his breath, wordlessly bringing a hand on the back of your head to bring you closer, holding you as you pathetically find yourself crying for the hundredth time. “Look,” he begins, speaking against your hair, “you have me, okay? We’ll figure it out together.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. There’s no bloody manuals with these things, is there?”
“There should be. Something titled Grief for Dummies—or How to Survive When Every Family You Have Is Dead.”
“Stop that.” He hisses.
But it’s true, you want to say, with the exception of Harry, of course. Other than your nephew? No one is here anymore. Your mother died giving birth to you, your father died a few years shortly after, and now James is gone too. You’re having a hard time grasping how you’re supposed to live your life moving forward.
“I’m scared, Sirius,” you murmur, not knowing why you’re on the roll with the vulnerability tonight, but you can’t seem to stop yourself. “I wish… I wish this was just easier. That it didn’t have to happen. Or it was me who was—”
”Hey,” he interjects, pulling away and placing a warm hand on your cheek. It smells faintly of cigarettes, and if it wasn’t for the fact that your body seeks for comfort right now, you would have shoved it away. “I mean it. Stop it. I won’t tolerate this kind of shit talk.”
“Or what?” you deadpan. “At this point, what’s the worst thing that could happen?”
His lips press in a thin line. And then he brings you under his chin rubbing a thumb on your arm and letting you breathe in and out.
You don’t know how long the two of you sit there, but time has been moving far too slowly since James and Lily’s death. Eventually, you find yourself being led to the pediatric observation room of the hospital where Harry is, Sirius’ steady arm on your shoulders, like he’s afraid you’d collapse on the ground if he doesn’t hold you tight enough—which to be fair, you would agree with.
“Alright, here’s what we’re going to do,” he says just as you’re about to approach the doors leading to where your nephew is, “I’ll handle James and Lily’s funeral arrangements. I’ll be in charge of calling any relatives or friends that may want to know about their passing too.”
You open your mouth to speak but he shakes his head, continuing on.
“If you’re worried about the expenses, I have it handled. We can talk about the cost after everything is done if you want to split it—or not. You don’t have to pay it back, I don’t really care. I just want you to know that you don’t have to think about that right now, ___.”
You frown. It seems too much to let Sirius handle like that when technically it shouldn’t be his responsibility. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, of course.” 
“Okay, but—” you sigh, combing your fingers along your hair— “if you’re short on money or whatever—I’m not sure how much it’s supposed to cost—just tell me, okay? Maybe they have life insurance that we can—” You feel like rambling again and it’s Sirius’ hands on your shoulders that grounds you back on your feet.
“Hey,” he says and when you look up, there’s a hint of that familiar mischievousness in his eyes, “do you really think I would run short on money?”
You scoff out a halfhearted laugh, the first of the evening. “Show off.”
“I’m serious.”
“I know who you are.”
“That’s not—” He chuckles, rolling his eyes, while the ends of your mouth twitch. “Anyway, we’re clear on that, okay? I handle the funeral arrangements.”
You nod. “And what about me? What am I supposed to do?”
“Start finding a lawyer. For legal custody over Harry.”
Your head begins to pound at the reminder of another thing you have to stress over. “Yeah, fuck. I thought those things were automatic.”
“I can give Regulus a call. He might know someone.”
You can’t help but gape at him. “Since when did you become all chummy again with Regulus?”
“Since Walburga died.” He shrugs, mentioning the name of his mother without any hint of sadness or regret. “Turns out having both of our parents dead would make it easier to be brothers.”
Your mind flashes back to four years ago when Walburga died. You discovered it through James who broke the news like he was only informing you that your favorite cereal was out of stock at the market. And you can’t blame him for the showcase of indifference, not when to his eyes and yours, the rest of the Black family are not exactly the type of people you’d mourn about.
You knew that from the moment Sirius, at the age of 16, arrived at the doorstep of your household, announcing that he ran away from home and that he could no longer live in the same space as his horrid parents.
Still, you sent a text to Sirius when you heard about his mother’s passing, and he replied with a remark about finally being a freeman that you snorted to when you read it.
“So, you want me to call Reg?” he asks, and the nickname throws you off a bit.
You take a long inhale. “You’ve already been doing so much for the last five hours.”
“And?”
“And I think I can handle finding a lawyer on my own.”
“You think?” His piercing gray eyes analyze you like he has you memorized inside and out. “You might be forgetting, but my family has a law firm. One that Reg is co-managing right now.”
“Stop flexing how rich you are, Sirius,” you say as a joke.
He smirks. “It’s not a flex, it’s a fact.”
“Shut up.”
The smirk widens. “That settles it then. I’ll call Reg too, and I’ll forward you the number when he refers me to a competent family lawyer.”
“You don’t have to—” You stop talking when he raises a brow. “I just—it’s too much. You’ve already been doing so much,” you reiterate.
“____,” he says your name in a gentle tone, a tone that doesn’t match the ruggedness of his exterior, “let me do it. I’m not only doing this for you and Harry. I’m doing it for James.”
Your throat tightens and there’s a pressure building between your eyes.
“He wouldn’t want me to let his kid sister do this on her own,” he adds.
You huff, staring upwards and blinking to prevent any tears from spilling once again. “I’m not a kid.”
“I’m well-aware.”
With that, the conversation leads to you giving him the greenlight to talk to Regulus about finding a capable family lawyer, and Sirius gives you a tired smile before heading to the parking lot to make his calls and probably to have a smoke too, judging from how he’s already placing a stick between his teeth as he stalks off.
That leaves you to enter the pediatric observation room where Harry is bundled in, sleeping and completely unaware that it’s just you who he has now. You talk to the nurse and thank her, saying she can take a break and that you’ll call her again when you need her, and she nods and offers a warm smile.
Once the door closes, you look at Harry, caressing his head as a shaky breath escapes you.
He coos, opening his green eyes for a millisecond and then reaching out, causing you to go ahead and present an index finger to have his little hand fist around it.
At that, your heart melts and your eyes begin to get glassy once more. Suddenly you find all the motivation you need to keep going, to push back any selfish and negative thoughts you had earlier about not knowing what to live for now that James is gone.
Your mind brings you back to when your father died and James was perhaps in the same position you are at this moment, clueless at the age of 20 on how he’s supposed to take care of himself and his younger sister without the guidance of anyone but Google or Reddit. Even though he and Lily were already together, and that her presence gave him all the comfort and strength to be strong, you understand now how it must have taken all his courage to step up and never let you see even an ounce of devastation in his state.
“Guess you’re stuck with me, buddy,” you murmur.
Harry’s hand tightens.
You try to hold it in, but a sob escapes, shaky and quiet. You wipe them away with your free hand hastily, promising that as soon as you wake up tomorrow, you’re going to get your shit together and be the best person your nephew will have by his side.
Just like James was.
You’ll spend the rest of your life making sure of it.
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note. see the parallel???? SJDSHDJS just dropping by to say that i’m so excited for this series but also want to apologize if updates go really slow sometimes!! unfortunately my day job also requires a lot of writing so please forgive me if i do not have the brain cells to write for this one <3
gentle reminder: this author loves feedback! let her know your thoughts if you enjoyed reading this fic and you’ll add 100+ points in her writing motivation meter ♡
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maiamore · 5 months ago
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THE LINES WE CROSS: PART ONE - NO SAFE HAVEN
Pairing: Javier Peña x Forensic Scientist!Reader
Rating: 18+ | W/C: 2.1k
Summary: in the heart of Colombia’s war on narcos, you, a forensic scientist transfer in from the states. you find yourself working closely with Javier Peña and quickly find that he isn’t the man who stays—letting him in will only lead to heartbreak.
Tags: set during seasons 2 & 3 of narcos, mentions of drugs & violence, reader smokes briefly, no use of y/n, p in v, tinge or yearning, enemies/colleagues to lovers, talks of guns, javi comes with his own warnings 
A/N: excuse me while i bury myself, this series is going to hurt me
MINI-SERIES MASTERLIST | MASTERLIST
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It had been a year and a half since you’d traded the sunny shores of California for Medellín. Forensic sciences had seemed like the perfect fit with your qualities considered–analytical, precise, and rooted in facts. You told yourself the move was for the greater good, that your expertise could actually help bring down Pablo Escobar’s goddamn empire. And you did help. Too well, in fact. Well enough to piss off the cartel, drawing their gaze in ways that had you flagged as a threat if you stepped too out of line.
Medellín wasn’t just dangerous, it had an endless pool of corruption. Moles lurked in the agency, evidence mysteriously disappeared, and the chain of command couldn’t always be trusted. You learned that lesson after getting fucked over a couple times, but Javier had learned it long before you.
So what did Peña do when things got messy? He cut through the red tape, ignored protocol, and went straight to the source.
You.
“The answer is no.” You pushed past the figure blocking your entry into the onsite lab at the CNP headquarters. “Crosby will have my head and you know that.” 
Negotiating with Javier Peña was like trying to argue with the tide–relentless, it always found a way to pull you under. He wasn’t loud or pushy. He didn’t have to be. 
But that wasn’t the problem here. He was asking for favors against protocol. “I don’t have the authority to hand you shit without–”
“Filtering through command,” he cuts in, his voice low and impatient. “Yeah, I know how the game works.” He shuts the door behind him, eyes darting to check for anyone lingering nearby. 
“You and I both know,” he continues, taking a slow step closer. Your brows furrow as he steps closer, though it doesn’t stop your heart from pounding into your ears. “Whatever you find here?” He gestures vaguely at the lab equipment and files neatly stacked on your desk. 
“It’s not reaching us with the whole picture, is it? It gets watered down, picked apart, buried. And then what? We’re chasing ghosts while Escobar sits pretty.”
He was close now–too close. His hand casually brushes the security badge clipped to your waistband. Your hips jump. Though Javier isn’t fazed, he merely twists it with his fingers, the motion deliberate, drawing your attention to his hands before his voice brings your focus back to him.
“We’re the good guys here, carita. You can either help me, or stand by while this whole fucking mess gets worse. Your call.”
You were silent. Biting the insides of your cheeks at his tone. Deep, calculated & with intent to pry into your conscience. 
“I can’t do that.” You manage to squeeze your way out the small space he backs you into, stepping around him and sinking into your chair, trying to put some distance between you two.
Javier sighs, dragging a hand through his hair. He knew this wasn’t going to be easy. You were a hard worker—a little too on the books, but had a good heart.
His gaze drops to your purse on the desk. No movement, no reaction, just that sharp look of his, cutting through everything.
If there was one thing he knew how to do, it was to needle his way into people’s weaknesses and exploit it.
So he approaches you. 
“Peña, nothing you say will change my min—“
“Cute piece you’ve got there,” he interrupts. “P32, right? Semi-automatic.”
Your fists tensed on your desk. He wasn’t mocking you, there was no smirk nor condescension. Just a calm observation that hit like a punch to the gut.
He leans down, palms pressing flat against the desk as he lowers himself to your eye level. “Let me guess,” he continues, his tone steady, almost grim. “They told you this was just a job. Something to make a difference, maybe even save a few lives. Didn’t mention you’d need that to protect your own.” He nodded toward the gun in your purse, the weight of his words sinking in.
Your throat tightens, and you quickly zipped your purse shut, shielding the weapon from view. “We’re in Medellín,” you retort, albeit defensively. “It’s…not a crazy thought.”
Javier straightens, his hand brushing over a loose strand of your hair, tucking it behind your ear with ease. His voice softened, but the edge remained. “No,” he agrees, gaze unwavering. “It isn't. That’s the problem.”
“I can keep you safe,” he mutters with a gentle lilt. “Have my men escort you home. Make sure you don’t need to use that thing. You do your job. Let me handle the rest.”
The touch burned, your skin prickling where his fingers had grazed you. You jerked your head away, teeth gritted as you stared at the desk, refusing to meet his gaze.
He doesn’t wait for your answer. 
Instead, he reaches for your pen holder, scribbling his number on a loose scrap of paper. He tapped the desk twice, loud enough to draw your eyes.
“If you change your mind,” he said, sliding the paper toward you. 
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You hadn’t planned to use it, not so soon, at least. 
Your mind was still on Javier and everything he embodied. He was hard to read, motives wrapped in layers of charm and deflection. He wasn’t a bad person, as far as you could tell. Morally grey, probably. No one sane smoked that much.
But most importantly, his reputation preceded him. That was one thing you did know for sure. 
Whispers followed you whenever you handed over findings to the DEA. Offhand warnings came when you casually asked about him. Avoidant. Shady. Persistent. Words spoken by people who worked with him longer than you had.
And his partner, Murphy, had warned you the same when he caught your lingering gaze.
Peña ain’t the guy you go to for a shoulder to cry on.
That stung.
He’s good at his job, don’t get me wrong. Hell, he’s the best we got, but don’t get caught up thinking he’s somethin’ he’s not. That’ll bite you in the ass faster than these fuckers can.
It effectively made you immune to his mild flirtations, knowing it wouldn’t go anywhere. Still, you liked to draw your own conclusions. Which was why you couldn’t shake what happened in the lab. The way he’d asked, the way he’d looked at you.
Like he already knew you’d cave.
It made you wonder if turning it down could’ve been the wrong choice. You wanted a win for once. 
You stepped out of the embassy one evening with a clouded mind, fatigue weighing on you as you clicked your key fob with a weary sigh.
Nothing could’ve prepared you for this. 
The deafening sound of the explosion knocks you backwards, the heat simmering into your skin even from a distance. You looked up and watched your car blown to fucking smithereens, reduced to a blazing wreck with the harsh smell of burning metal filling the night skies. 
It wasn’t just the fact that this was a deliberate attempt on your life–the bomb remotely detonated, waiting for you to approach. It was the brutal realization that you were no longer safe. Not even a few meters from the embassy.
Someone was watching you. 
A chill runs down your spine. Within blinks, officers swarmed the scene, shouting orders and securing the area, but their voices were distant, muffled by the high pitched ringing in your ears.
With shaky hands, you grab the crumpled paper Javier had scribbled his number onto from the bottom of your bag. The line picks up after a couple of rings.
“Peña.”
“They blew up my car,” you whispered, the words barely making it past your lips.
There was a pause, a sharp inhale on the other end, he didn’t need to know who was calling.
“Where are you?”
“The embassy.”
“Be there in ten.”
He was there in five. Javier takes a look at your car–or what was left of it–with a cringe before he falls into step beside you. He stayed quiet as Pinzón’s men canvassed the scene, the cigarette he lit casting a faint glow in the dark.
You lean against a patrol car next to him–thumb digging hard enough to bleed into your palms. 
“Ballistics CTI found a few days ago traces back to Pablo’s sicarios,” you said quietly, breaking the stillness. You gave him information that wasn’t on the books, not for the DEA yet at least. Something you weren’t supposed to share. 
It was an unspoken agreement, a concession to the protection he could offer. 
Javier looks at you, pulling the stick away from his lips as he exhales the tobacco. Taking in your words.
Though he recognises the anxiety painted on you. A cloud of smoke wafts within your peripherals. Weirdly enough, it was reminiscent of warmth. A reminder that he was there. By your side. 
“Didn’t come here for that.” There was a slight insinuation in his words. Flicker of vulnerability in him perhaps. Admitting that he wasn’t here so you could hold up your end of the bargain. That he might’ve cared more than he was letting show. 
You held out your hand, palm up. It took him a beat too long to realize what you wanted. “You smoke?”
You nearly wanted to roll your eyes at the utter disbelief in his tone. As though you weren't capable of meeting his imaginary expectations.
But he was right. You didn’t smoke, never had. This war had a way of chipping away at the person you thought you were. 
As you place the cigarette he hands you between your lips, Javier shifts closer, his lighter flaring as he cupped his hand around the flame to shield it. 
His gaze lingered, just for a moment, on the way your lips curved around the white stick. Briefly, his thumb slips from the spark wheel. Studying your features in the faint glimmers of flame. 
He shakes away a thought as though it burned him just to think. He tries again, with a crackle from the mechanism, the tip of your cigarette ignites.
“Slowly.” 
You look at him through your lashes as you take a slow drag, letting the burn fill your lungs. Immediately, you begin coughing at the first puff. 
He lets out an amused scoff at your struggle. Though you feel a warm palm drag down your lower back in rhythmic taps. 
“Bienvenida a la guerra, carita,” (Welcome to the war.)
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“Javi—…can’t anymore.”
You feel your legs falter. Slumping onto Javier’s body, forearms flat against his chest. You didn’t know how long you were going for. He just didn’t fucking let up. The sweat from your thighs sticking to his has you lazily grinding onto his still throbbing cock, your legs aching from bouncing on his lap.
 “Pobrecita. Getting tired?” (Poor thing.) He cooed as he thumbs the dip of your waist as a soothing gesture, taking in the sweet noises you’re making for him. You shoot him a disgruntled look, which only seems to spur him on further.
He couldn’t come. Not yet. He willed himself not to spill into you, focused on the dull sticky squelches from where you both connected. 
You let out a sharp whine when you feel his hand tangle around your hair. He hikes you up to jolt you from leaning your weight against him. “Hold on–fffuck, neña, almost there,” words spilling out with a growl. 
Two palms shoot out to grab your wrists as he steadily fucks you. “God—Javi, Javi!” Your throat was hoarse, feeling overstimulation consume you while he snapped his hips upwards. Thrusts growing meaner and clumsier. 
He feels the buildup. With his head thrown back, he groans out in reverence, the feeling of your perfect fucking pussy swallowing him greedily. “Fuck–”
“I-Inside–…” 
He frowns at your words, as though he were battling his own thoughts. But he decides quickly and you feel him hike your hips deeper into him. You feel him grip around your arm, other grabbing your waist to get you as close as possible.
He tenses. Grunting in short bursts as he reaches his high. Spilling into the rubber. 
What he doesn’t account for, is seeing the wide tear of the condom as he pulls out. Watching as milky residue pools around the base of his cock, bubbling back into you. “Shit!”
And he physically jolts. A strained gasp leaves his lips as he blinks quickly awake. Sleepy gaze darting around the empty room.  He slowly sits upright. Surveying the room. Void of you. 
Gabby lays next to him. Sound asleep with her face buried in the pillows. Javier drags a palm down his face with a prolonged groan. 
The sticky evidence of him cumming in his sleep like a fucking teenager–evident with the damp spot blooming on his blanket. “…Fuck me.” –
SERIES TAG LIST (Feel free to DM for removal):
@gothcsz @nicolebarnes @hangmanscoming
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savanir · 8 months ago
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Death of the Father, Death of the Son
Part 2
part 1 is here and the og prompt can be found here again thanks for the prompt @mynameisjag as you can see I am not done with it yet
The aftermath of the gala was an absolute disaster in Jazz’s humble opinion.
At first she didn’t know what to think… 
When they wheeled out the body bag that supposedly had Vlad’s corpse in it, it just didn’t feel real.
Everything became a lot more real when her mom got back from her trip to the forensic lab, It really was Vlad. The GCPD went through this whole identification of the body process, everyone was already pretty damn sure for obvious reasons but they had to follow protocol. Elaborate time wasting in Jazz’s humble opinion.
Jazz stares at her phone while sitting in the overly expensive fancy hotel room fauteuil. All of a sudden she no longer really minded that Vlad had given them all their own private hotel room, the girl wasn’t stupid… She knew he did it in the hopes that her mom would magically change her mind about him and this way she wouldn’t get in the way. Interrupt them. Whatever.
But now it just gives her privacy and room to think. And think she does, thinking is all she seems able to do now.
This whole mess is just great rep for Gotham… ‘out of town millionaire gets assassinated on their first night in the city. zero hesitation’
People are mass sharing all the leaked dirt on Vlad on social media with the hashtag #Welcome to Gotham.
At the very least any potential harassment towards her or her mom was nipped in the bud once it became widespread that Vlad had actually hired some guy to kill her dad.
Ancients…
He hired a mercenary, some assassin, to kill her dad. Jazz vividly remembers when Danny would vent about the things Plasmius would threaten him with. but she always figured he did it to rile her brother up. 
For some reason she could believe the whole making her brother his son thing, just like she got the marrying her mom thing. And yet she never thought he would actually follow through on the murdering her dad thing.
…And what does this mean for Danny?
her phone is still blowing up but the only people she actually responds to are Sam and Tucker. Sam is mostly worried, asking how they are holding up and if she needs to come over and kick some corrupt police butt, or overly pushy paparazzi butt, or just nosy people in general butt. The offer is sweet but Jazz already saw how her mom verbally tore the rumour about a ‘battered wife/gold digger’ situation apart with facts and logic, so she’s not worried.
Jazz supposes that’s a good thing that somehow came out of all this… her mom got some of her spark back. 
Meanwhile Tucker is all in the GCPD systems and sharing the results of the police investigation with the rest of the team.
because of that Jazz knows that the Bats have already shown up to do their own brand of investigating, and also that the police don’t know shit.
It figures… The police also didn’t know shit when her dad was murdered and Danny got kidnapped. And they were all too happy to accept the fake dead Danny that got found in the forest, welp, kid found, he’s dead, case closed.
useless.
It’s been several days now and it’ll probably take another week or so before something concrete gets brought to the public.
Jazz thought she might get a vigilante visit at some point but they haven’t shown up yet. At least not to ask her anything… who knows maybe they have already spoken with her mom and she simply decided not to tell her as to not distress her or something, that would make sense.
—✧・゚: *✧・゚:*---*:・゚✧*:・゚✧—
It’s late in the evening now but she checked up on her mom earlier that day, she had been furiously going through all the things Vlad had gifted her and tossing them in a tiny and overly full garbage can.
“Jazzikins, once this whole thing is over we should head straight to his Wisconsin estate and burn it to the ground” Jazz can already see the fire burning in her mom’s eye, she’s completely serious.
“that will probably be extremely suspicious and get us in a lot of trouble mom” It would be very cathartic though, she will admit that.
Jazz had sat down and watched her mom go about her business, exorcizing Vlad from her life perhaps.
Eventually her mom sighed and asked, “how long do we still have to stay in this awful place?”
"We have to be available for the GCPD because they are still doing their investigation. They will most likely still have some questions, and i want to make sure there will be no misunderstandings with the notary later as well"
"That's my smart girl" Maddie pinches Jazz's cheek, "what do they still even have to investigate... though, perhaps it would be a good thing if they found his killer, that way I might be able to thank them myself"
Jazz winces, "Mom..."
"You're too sweet jazzy, you got that from your father" Maddie gives Jazz a kiss on the forehead before she goes back to what she was doing before.
Internally Jazz disagrees with her, she doesn't feel bad for Vlad at all, she's just looking at the bigger picture because she has info nobody else does.
Whoever killed Vlad was prepared to kill a halfa... and the implications of that fact terrify her and give her hope at the same time.
Danny is still out there somewhere, but he's most likely being exploited in some way.
—✧・゚: *✧・゚:*---*:・゚✧*:・゚✧—
And here she is, still staring at her phone, refreshing the feed and gradually feeling more worse as she skims the headlines.
the psychiatrist in her is telling her she’s doom scrolling and it’s unhealthy, what is she even looking for here? If the authorities identify the killer, will they even tell her? Tell her mom? they probably would to ‘aid with the grieving process’. but that tends to only happen when they have actually caught the killer.
And who knows when that will happen.
This is pointless anyway, if something useful gets found out Tucker will most likely be the first to know out of all of them.
Jazz refreshes the feed again.
nobody seems to think a Gotham rogue did it, they would have made it a spectacle. 
No, all the theories seem to think it was most likely the work of underground crime syndicates, or Vlad pissed someone off in some other country while doing business, and Gotham was simply the easiest place to get him killed, even though now the Bats are on the case. or, or…
She groans, gets up and makes herself some tea when she hears it. She’s turned around with the Fenton Anti-Creep stick raised and ready before she really knows what she’s doing and she sees two figures emerge from the shadows. Big and small. Batman and Robin.
Robin pointedly looks at the creep stick, batman disregards it entirely, "we would like to ask some questions"
Jazz looks at batman and then at Robin and then just sighs, grabs her tea, accepts that this is happening, sits down with the stick ready to go at any time and says, "go ahead"
Robin takes a strategic spot closer to the window, perched on the back of the gaudy couch for some reason and Batman gets closer perhaps to loom over her more? But he also sticks to the shadows, perhaps to make her feel a bit less intimidated with the distance? She decides to just stop thinking about it from that point on.
Batman goes over the statements Jazz already gave to the police, she mostly focuses on her drink while she elaborates on some of the things she said, but eventually…
“Most people seem to think this was an act of revenge but when the police asked you what you think the reason is why Masters got murdered you simply stated you don’t know, judging by the footage of the interrogation you were agitated”
Jazz frowns, “it had been a long day, at the time I wanted it to be over with”
“These statements are vital, especially from close acquaintances”
Her jaw tightens, “so you would like me to give a proper answer now?”
Batman stays quiet,
“The revenge part is obvious, but I just don’t think that’s all there is to it. I think someone wanted shut him up”
“and why would you think that?”
Jazz thinks very carefully and makes a decision.
“Vlad was not an easy man to kill…” she trails off, still thinking about how she’s going to explain this one properly, without revealing everything.
Batman stays quiet again, Robin however pipes up, “Because he’s rich?” 
She had basically forgotten he was there and there is a moment where she just blinks at him still perched on the back of the couch, “Well, as I am sure you both have seen by now he was more than capable of paying his problems to go away, but no, that’s not what I meant”
“hrn, go on”
Jazz swirls what little tea she has left and kind of wishes it was actually some kind of alcohol… even though she’s too young for that, and then she goes on, “Vlad was not human, not fully anyway, I don’t… know… exactly what his other half was-”
 A lie, but Batman decides to leave it be for now, no need to interrupt the young lady here, if he were to point it out she might clam up and stop talking entirely. 
"-He had gifts, one of them is intangibility, another invisibility"
They are aware that something is very different about Vladimir Masters. That much became clear when they activated the scanners they got in the forensic lab and took a good look at the corpse themselves. Those results confirmed some of the claims and accusations that everyone saw during the gala.
And it seems those close to the man knew of it as well.
Jazz goes on,
"Whoever attacked him must have been prepared for that... and considering there are only four people who know about it at all, that is… before… you know," she trails off.
"Only four" Robin mutters. 
Batman glances at the boy before asking, "Who knew?"
"Uh, me. Uhm two friends of mine who are currently back in Amity Park... and my brother, Danny"
"Tt, So that's three"
"Robin-" 
"My brother is not dead!" Jazz slams her hands on the table,  "The monster who killed my father kidnapped him, and now they are using him! The body that was found in the woods is a fake, planted by Vlad so my mom would stop looking and focus on him instead"
"Why would he-" Robin starts to ask while keeping a careful eye on the absolute vehemence coming from Jazz. One thing is very clear to both him and Batman though, Jazz believes what she’s saying wholeheartedly.
"He was an idiot, and obsessed with my mom. That's a very long and frankly unimportant story, but the proof is all in Vlad's lab in the basement of his estate. I can proof the body that was found was fake, my brother is alive" she buries her head in her hands, suddenly all the anger seems to be replaced with sorrow, 
"he's alive"
Robin shuffles uncomfortably side to side. He's gotten better at comforting distressed civilians but he's a little out of his depth right now. seeing as this is sorta his fault right now.
He looks over to his father to see what he'll do.
Batman just looks contemplative. Which isn’t useful for the boy at all.
It's then that Nightwing speaks up through the communicators to them, "B, I'll go to Amity Park and investigate both the Fenton household where the attack happened and then check out her proof at Masters estate"
Batman really doesn't like the full picture that's being painted here.
"Miss Fenton,"
Jazz rubs her hands over her face before taking a deep calming breath and giving batman her full attention again, "yes?"
"If I understand this right, you're saying you think the same assassin who took your father's life has now targeted Mr. Masters."
"Yes"
Robin shakes his head, "most assassins have some code of honor. It would certainly be a bad look to go after a former client like that"
Jazz scoffs,"Well it's been several months now. I don't know if Vlad kept in contact with that monster and managed to piss them off after the fact, that too could all be on his computers in his lab"
Batman grunts and  heads for the windows and Robin hops up to follow, "You'll hear from us miss Fenton"
She lets out a shaky breath when she's sure they have well and truly left. She figures she should update Sam and Tucker that she finally got a bat visit but the urge to refresh her social media and news feed doesn't come back.
With the supposed World’s Greatest Detective on the case she’s certain actual progress will finally be made.
She just hopes it’s not too late.
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feinecutasy · 3 months ago
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Straightening up the records
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“Stupid”, I curse as I sniff the first pair of musty trainers.
I work for an interrealm conglomerate that provides scented ubersolutions. You know, humans love buying those scented candles that smell like the abandoned garden of some junior apothecarist. Morons, all of them. Like, the scents aren’t even real. They’re still, static, lifeless, worthless! We cater to the warlockry-aligned, and thus it is natural that what we produce are superior. It’s called ubersolutions for a reason. ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ can be imbued with ᴀɴʏ ꜱᴄᴇɴᴛ. Bodies, clothes, spells, minds, thoughts, concepts. From tiefling-scented fireballs or halflings' leaf rain cubes to modifying a human’s olfactory sense so that they smell a goblin’s crotch whenever they see a banana. What’s more, an object once imbued will smell as if it’s actually producing the scent itself. Granted, the subsidiary company that I’m working for only makes human and human-adjacent products for mid- and low-end sectors. But hey! Our line of work requires no less integrity and arcane knowledge than those of the other professionals working in the outer realms.
Two days ago, some fruity producer from Nagoya had ordered 16 pairs of sports shoes as part of the preparation for his upcoming unreality show where humans and homunculi compete in some obscure obstacle course. But not just any normal sports shoes, the ones we have in store have been worn by famous human athletes from all over the opaque world. ᴏʀɪɢɪɴᴀʟꜱ. The wear and tear and stains are still here. Some of them still retain the smell of dirt and grime, one pair even carries with them the peculiar mixed scent of spilled beer and piss. Although the lads from sales did inform our client that some cleats would suit his’s contestants better, he still ended up ordering normal trainers. 13 of them – a mix of Pamu, Ekin, Azix and Ripoc – are already packaged and ready to be thoroughported to the Japanese hub. The problem? Those scatterbrained SOBs from procurement had fucked up the records of the Valdidaß batch when it was shipped to the thoroughport last month. To make matter worse, the higher-ups decided to use aether clamps instead of mana seals to preserve the scents of all products categorised as “non-fungibly imbued”. This means that any forensic technique applied on a pair of stinkers to find out who its original owner is would risk tampering with the emission mechanism, or worse, the scent.
And thus, the only shapeshifter from the Audit department – that’s me! – is up to save the day. My task: to straighten up the records. Test the trainers, find out the identities of their original owners, single out the 3 pairs to be shipped to Nagoya and send the data along with proof of work to middle management through our internal channel. My boss has so gracefully teleported the whole mislabeled batch to my house, which means my overtime already started 17 minutes ago. So here I am, with 10 identical – and by identical, I mean worn, dirty and smelly – pairs of Valdidaß Top 10 ÆU size 45 lying neatly in my teeny-weeny pocket-dimensional bedroom.  
I pick up a pair at random and take a whiff. These seem new compared to the others, and relatively less as rank. Still in my casual clothes – protocols require us to undress before shifting, but I’m too lazy for that – I delve in deeper. The damp smell of grass, dirt and sweat invades my nose at once. And my body, with its innate magical power, reacts almost immediately.
My lanky frame starts to bulge out with lean, toned muscle, filling up my black t-shirt nicely. My facial bones twitch and shift to match the face of the athlete. The skin on my face tightens and the hair on my head starts to grow inward and compresses itself, revealing a crew cut that nicely accentuates my now smooth, youthful face. My cock thickens and pushes out a little bit, the veins on it becoming less prominent. Further down begins the thickening of my thighs, accompanying which is the elongating of my legs. My quads bulge immensely, each head gaining more definition as they grow. I feel itchy for a moment. Seems like a few fresh scars have manifested on the skin of my upper legs. My buttocks expand outward, becoming two large, firm globes of muscle. The increased mass causes my jeans to strain somewhat against the new contours of my lower half. Finally, my calves buff up and my feet get slightly larger until they reach the ideal size to fit into these bad boys.
Nice bod. And a pretty interesting one too. The lad has a birthmark at the base of his dick and left thumb stubbier than right. I glance at the mirror to see a young human athlete with warm blue eyes looking back at me. Judging from the build, might probably be a footballer. But not someone famous enough for me to recognise. Besides, I’m pretty sure we only procured from footballers imbued cleats, not trainers. I have to check the database … Yup, that’s him. He has a beard now, and has grown his hair out somewhat. But a search for some photos taken around the time this pair was first registered did result in current ‘me’. So, this must be Erik Bepunkt, an up-and-coming gymnast from Köln. I quickly pull up the company’s ERP app, note the data, then send to Slakk a selfie of young Erik in black t-shirt, tight white jeans and tattered trainers.
Onto my next pair. I quickly grab the one next to me and sniff. Fuck, this is ɪɴᴛᴇɴꜱᴇ. Now, I may be a bum, but my experience as a shapeshifting auditor is unmatched amongst my peers. That whiff I just took – that’s real business. I have to take off all my clothing, or else things will definitely get torn off. T-shirt – off, Erik’s smelly trainers – off, jeans – off, undies – bird set free.
Still staying as the young gymnast, I energetically absorb the characteristic foulness into my lungs. Right away, my spine shoots up, earning me an extra foot. Muscles continue to accumulate on my already athletic frame that I copied from Erik. They swell and firm up across my chest, shoulders and arms, giving me a lean but powerful physique. My waist and legs remain roughly the same as before. My arms, however, have noticeably extended outward, greatly increasing my arm span. Perhaps the owner of these reekers was a rower. Or a swimmer. But the next stage of my transformation would cast doubts on that theory. A thick layer of coarse hair sprouts across my newly broadened back and pumped-up chest down to my washboard abs. Cthulhu’s tits this guy is ʜᴀɪʀʏ. My cock twitches a little as it adjusts to its new proportion. Smaller than Erik’s, but still not too shabby. My Ericesque baby face matures, my hair recedes and my jawline becomes more defined as stubble shadows my cheeks and chin.
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The shifting is complete. Now that I have a closer look, the build is definitely that of a swimmer. But this amount of body hair combined with the receding hairline tells me that he’s no longer competing. I just need one quick check in the mirror, and … Holy shit, it’s Antoine Plucinski. He’s the coach of the French Olympic swimming team! And his protégé just won a gold medal too! Finally, some progress. Unlike some other cretins who share with the humans the incomprehensible mania towards football, my heart has always belonged to the water. To swimming, diving and sea monsters alike. Well, it’s not everyday you get to shift into an OG MVP. But that’s just one part of my excitement. This pair of trainers is marked to be sent to Nagoya, and that means I’m allowed by management to do some “enhancement” work.
My company is world-renowned for producing the freshest scents. Tch, all marketing gimmicks. If you think the lingering smell of those funky Satyrspel coats on the market was sealed exactly when those hairy bastards were too busy fucking each other, then the company duped you good. Truth is, most of the time the freshness is artificially enhanced. Aye, I know it’s not authentic. But you are delusional to think that the cosmic gem-hoarders care about your demand for authenticity. How is it actually done? Well, industrially, the fleshweavers would grow a bunch of samples in their conjuratory, stimulate the samples to the extreme, then bind them with the items. But for a one-off job like this, a shapeshifter like me with some knowledge of imbuement will suffice.
I delicately remove the aether clamp with my ectoplier. Minutes later and I have already put on a full set of sportswear, with my feet neatly snuggling beneath the dank trainers. No socks, of course. Gotta optimise the process as much as possible. I head downstairs to the summoning room. The golem accepts my prompt, and just like that, the empty street of Chiangmai opens up before my eyes, with its blazing sun hovering above my head.
Then I start running.  
ʜᴜꜰꜰ. It’s nice to stay in one form like this. No flashy magic, just nature (well, conjured nature) and a human body. How wonderful, the feeling of sweat naturally dripping down my body without any fleshweaving stimulants.
ʜᴜꜰꜰ. But I dread the moment I have to say goodbye to Antoine here. I hate changing forms constantly. It’s exhausting and makes me feel dizzy.
ʜᴜꜰꜰ. To think that there’s 8 more pairs of trainers left to be processed – 8 more records to be fixed – I can’t help but let the hatred for my job boil up inside me.
After this gig I’ll ask for a raise.
And maybe spend my vacation in Vanaheim as a double-dicked Latino centaur.
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devotedfem · 11 months ago
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→Manipulator
Synopsis: You were a psychologist forensic, having the task to study the criminal profile of Hoseok. You were intrigued by him, because despise of his atrocious crimes, he was the sweetest man to you. But you should know better than to trust him. Something about his vibe and smile sets you off, and your instincts might not be wrong.
J. Hoseok x f. reader
Genre: criminal au | yander-ish
Tags: manipulator Hoseok, naive psychologist reader, possessive behavior, yander-ish, mental manipulation, hidden intentions, kind of ¨bipolar¨ Hoseok, creepy behavior.
From the series masterlist; The chasing.
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You bit your inner cheek reading Hoseok's file, it was honestly disturbing to read all of the crimes he committed.
Your boss called you yesterday, telling you to build a profile of a offender, a criminal with a very complex mind. So now, you have to interview one of the most dangerous man in South Korea to understand his potential motivations behind his felonies.
The guard outside of the interrogation room didn't look at you once, he just opened the door expressionless. You took deep breaths to calm your nerves, it wasn't your first time doing this so you didn't know where the anxiety comes from.
"Hello."
A hoarse voice startled you. You blinked watching a man handcuffed to a table, smiling eagerly and widely towards you. He looked friendly, if you didn't knew better you would return the smile. But you do knew better, or so you think.
"Hello Hoseok, i'm y/n, and i will make you some questions if you don't mind." And if he does mind, you will still interview him.
"Oh, i don't mind at all! I like to talk about myself," he teased with a warm smile, and you just smiled back.
Hint of narcissism. You noted.
You started to ask him questions based on your readings and the protocol, and he answered rather calm and polite, always smiling and listening to you.
Sometimes you catched him looking at you without blinking, with an intimidating gaze lingering on you long enough to be considerate impolite or strange. But he returns to his "nice" and friendly persona immediately.
"Do you think i'm a bad person?"
The question took you by surprise, the interview was going smoothly until he asked that. You cleared your throat to hide the fact that you were taken aback.
"I think you're a very intelligent person, capable of knowing what's good or bad. So you can ask that question to yourself."
You looked at your watch feeling a bit uncomfortable every second you spend with Hoseok, and the worst part it's that he didn't do anything wrong to make you feel that way. It was something about his vibe.
"Okay well, i have a last question for you."
"I'm all ears." He smiled warmly at you, very attentive to what you have to say.
He was so nice and well mannered, but at the same time so creepy.
"Based on what you told me, i can say that you are a person very aware of your actions and those of others. So... why did you kill those people?"
The million dollar question. Why did he kill innocent people that have no relation with each other or with him? There's not a specific pattern.
"Why not?"
Silence.
"Pardon?"
Sadist. You noted.
"I said, why fucking not?"
You blinked genuinely confused and surprised. You touched a nerve, breaking his facade.
"Because innocent people don't deserve to die just because." You answered calmly, studying his every expression, and he was doing the same with you.
He just hummed at you, with his handcuffs clinking.
"I might just kill all of your family and friends just to have you to myself, isn't that enough of a reason?" His eyes glinted with evilness, and your breath hitch at his threat.
"Of course not." You tried so hard to not lose your cool, but it was hard when his piercing eyes bore your face.
"I disagree. In fact if you walk away and never return to me, i'll make some calls to arrange your friends and family deaths."
You blinked, not knowing if you should laugh or run.
"What?"
In the next second he jumped to your side of the table, breaking the handcuffs with a pin you didn't knew dropped from your hair. He grabbed your neck with one hand, and both of your wrists with the other. His grip was bruising, and the guard outside of the room ignored all of your cries and screams for help.
"If you don't come back tomorrow, i might hurt you and everyone you love just because. Your choice." He growled in your ear, making you whimper by his rough grip.
"Okay! i'll come tomorrow, just... just leave them alone," your lips wobble, and he coos wiping tenderly your tears away.
"Aren't you clever, my y/n. I promise we will have so much fun together." He whispered against your neck, and his tongue lapped the skin of your neck like a hungry dog, making your stomach turn with disgust.
You were so fucked up.
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snivyartjpeg · 1 year ago
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Yuma Month Day 26 - Role Swap
god i was excited for this one. it first started off as a joke, but the more i thought about it, the more interesting this swap became. so here's my massive lore dump of changes that'd happen in the story beneath the cut (spoiler warning):
i think, fundamentally, yuma and yakou are very similar characters. they're both very protective and kindhearted, with a strong sense of justice and a penchant for attracting terrible luck. because of this, some things would remain the same, such as the NDA's dynamics with their doormat chief as well amnesia!yakou's massive unpaid intern energy. i think yakou would be pretty similar to how he behaved in the light novel- a bit more optimistic and naive, like yuma. but there are two key differences between them that'd make this a different story, especially in ch 4: yuma has a forte, and yakou is very selfish. so here's some changes:
yakou's wife is his shinigami now, as you can see, while shinigami is yuma's dead wife. i think mrs furio would act cooler than shinigami. she'd still be playful, but she takes her job more seriously. also she hands yakou the solution keys normally without throwing up. they still have to do the dance and mouth sword thing tho. and the other stuff. that's just death god protocol
shinigami (or in this case the unnamed Mrs. Kokohead but i will still be calling her shinigami for convenience sake) was a scientist at amaterasu who studied forensics and thanatology instead of regenerative medicine. this also means that the pill she gives zombie yuma is not going to bring him back, but instead grant the zombie homunculi a peaceful, painless, but permanent death
speaking of zombie yuma, he's the homunculus now! yakou is 100% human and also doesnt have a forte. he's still number one, but instead of having a forte he's just that good at solving mysteries
yes this means makoto looks like yakou now. sorry makotoheads. i think he'd have really long, shaggy hair dyed to be like. idk. black or something. also he's more clean shaven bc stubble with a mask on is a sensory nightmare
yuma still cant cook. he subsists entirely on takeout, meat buns, black coffee, and beer. he's still in a lot of debt and under a lot of stress and his personality is essentially "what if canon number one just gave up"
he doesn't smoke though. he tried once and got into the worst coughing fit
imma say it right now. kurumi is not a love interest. yakou likely disguises himself as a faculty member instead (also i think one of the teachers gets a crush on fem yakou bc i just know she'd be hot)
ANYWAY what about chapter 4? im SO glad you asked! because here's where things get spicy!
so, lets start with the dead wife. shinigami catches onto huesca's inhumane research and she's just as adamant about bringing the truth to light as she always is. she blows the whistle, so he blows her up. yuma investigates, but they dont let him look any further, yada yada, yuma stews in his misery for five years
yomi sends in the evidence to motivate yuma to kill huesca, and makoto lets it happen because a dead huesca would be convenient. he even introduces the hitman, fully expecting yuma to make use of him
yuma doesnt. in fact, he wants to kill huesca with his own hands. and now that these detectives are here, he can do it and even return alive. the thing is, he doesn't want to put them in danger, so he chooses to do almost everything alone (sound familiar?)
his plan is simple:
ask desuhiko for a peacekeeper uniform. desuhiko trusts him enough to take "i want to investigate kanai ward's ultimate secret by infiltrating their ranks" as an answer. he does, however, let yakou know about this as an offhand comment before the mystery ever begins
hold fubuki's hand. it doesnt really matter how. she'll gladly allow it because she's fubuki. he stores her time powers and heads out the sub. yakou also learns this as an offhand comment played off as a joke (maybe fubuki affectionately comments about how she never expected the chief's hands to be so soft... idk. there has to be some way for yakou to have this as a future clue)
use his peacekeeper status to sneak into amaterasu HQ and demand a functioning ama-pal from that one creepy researcher
use ama-pal + fubuki's borrowed powers to bypass huesca's security. sneak the bot past the hard-of-hearing doctor and press the button to shut off security
this would probably alert huesca, but since the doctor never received a warning, yuma has enough time to rush in and stab him before he realizes what's going on
leave HQ while still in uniform, dispose of the disguise once he's safe, and return to the NDA like nothing happened. success!
soooo.... yakou, on that same day, decides to investigate amaterasu HQ with makoto
all the while, vivia has his suspicions about yuma's actions and keeps an eye on him in spectral mode. he... basically witnessed the whole thing, so he gets up off his ass and decides to follow yakou to the lab because he has a Very Bad Feeling about this
just like canon, he senses the death god and deduces that our protag has been killing off murderers, and so he wants to protect his chief as well as his peace and quiet (his dynamic with yuma would be the same as his dynamic with yakou, since it's entirely believable for yuma to treat vivia with the same kindness yakou did)
yakou tries to speak to huesca, but surprise! security is disabled and he's dead in the lab! no one else at amaterasu liked huesca enough to check on him, so yakou and makoto are the first ones at the scene of the crime. yakou, of course, decides to start investigating this murder
vivia somehow sneaks into the lab (dont ask me how) and confronts yakou, threatening him with his boxcutter and adamantly imploring him to stop pursuing this particular mystery in the same way he did yuma in canon. unfortunately, this attracts attention, and now they're in trouble (maybe even yomi's there to fetch his files). at this point, yakou has enough solution keys, so he panics and goes right into the labyrinth (and maybe others can enter for another reason that isnt coalescence idk)
so... they go in the labyrinth... vivia tries to stop him every step of the way, until the answer is right in front of them
yakou kills yuma with his own hands. there's no stab wounds or toxic gas to leave any doubt. yakou begins to question what good his justice really does. it doesnt even save them from their predicament, just like the other deaths. instead, makoto ex machina comes in to save them, and hands yakou a small black box
when they return to the agency, everyone is heartbroken over their chief, who seemingly died out of nowhere. fubuki tried rewinding time, but to no avail. halara tried everything to wake him up, knowing it's futile. desuhiko stood aside, feeling completely helpless. and yakou and vivia return looking like they just came back from hell
they barely get the chance for a funeral before the knockout gas trap activates... you know the rest
AAAAND SCENE! so that's my extremely long winded lore dump about this au. i thought about it Way Too Much but god it's so interesting to me. i love these characters and swapping them was immensely fun
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