#It brings me pain that you can only put 5 on a team

[what0smart]

Currently building the SeaMoon Family characters

It's funny to think of Stardust as Herb's uncle lol

[charliehoennam]

aftermath.

A/N: nobody asked for this, but all I've seen is Will smut (which I totally love, don't get me wrong) but I need some vulnerable Will

Pairing: Will Miller x f!reader

Warnings: grief, mourning, sad!will, mentions of death, mentions of Will's military past and Tom's funeral

One of the things you've always admired about Will is his strength. He was always the one to put on a brave face and push on. The captain in him had the duty of moving forward and completing whatever mission was at hand, whether it was getting his team to the landing zone or grocery shopping day at home.

It was that very same strength he possessed that got him through the darkest times in his life.

Losing his war veteran grandfather, losing his comrades in combat or to the haunting PTSD that they tried to chase away with substance abuse.

Before you came into his life, before he realized that he was lost in the same fog of that purgatory of PTSD, shutting his emotions out is the only thing he knew. After all that time, he came to believe it was easier than having to deal with them.

It just wasn't a priority; a moment of tears he refused to share with anyone anywhere other than sat naked and alone on the shower floor.

Tom wasn't the first friend he'd lost, but it doesn't mean it made losing him any easier.

It was easy for him to plaster a smile and bury his grief deep down until he felt it was time to unbury it and mourn.

Getting to that point of self-awareness was a victory in itself.

It took so much patience and love and pain, not only on his behalf but yours as well, to help him to understand what he was really struggling with.

He hadn't realized it had gotten so uncontrollable until the incident at Publix - the grand revelation of the weapon he could be, once shred of his humanity, provided the cathartic acceptance of the fact that he needed help.

Upon federal investigation, the story they told was that Tom had been shot and killed in a tragic mugging incident on their consultation trip. Just a boys' night out gone bad.

It wasn't too hard to believe, given they were 5 foreigners in a country that wasn't theirs. The heat from the Feds didn't last long. Thanks to Santiago's few but faithful contacts, that investment was quickly brought to an end.

It's barely 6 a.m. and you're stood in the kitchen making coffee, still processing how this all happened.

Your black dress is simple but elegant and modest against your body. Despite the itchy fabric, you can feel the early morning chill soaking through.

The dripping of the coffee maker lures you into a whirlwind of thoughts. You watch the droplets of dew form on the kitchen window against the cloudy sky which threatens to rain.

You start to second guess the toast when it pops up in the toaster. You're not the slightest bit hungry and you're positive Will won't be either, but you have to try.

He hasn't eaten right in the past couple days. You didn't say anything, but you've noticed the few bites he'd given his food and the way he'd pick at it.

He should've been ready and downstairs by now, so you decide to go up and check on him.

Moving forward is hard for most people, but for Will, it's what keep the pain at bay. The problem is when he stops.

Like a tornado, he's left with the screaming silence and the damage it left in it's wake.

Now that he's home, the mission of bringing Tom home is complete, the hard truth that his friend and mentor is gone has begun to sink in.

You gently knock on the door as you reach your shared bedroom.

"Honey, do you want any help?"

"I'm good, sweetheart. I'll be right out."

You can hear him sniffle despite his attempt to sound as normal as possible. Unconvinced, you turn the knob and open the door.

He's sat on the edge of the bed wearing a simple black suit as he looks back over his shoulder at you with a Marine coin in hand, a gift from Tom when Will confessed about his therapy sessions.

You aren't too surprised to see he changed out of the formal military blue suit he had out on earlier.

The ribbons, the medals, the badges... He couldn't put them on without feeling the crushing and staining weight of guilt.

"Lat minute outfit change?"

The corner of your lips curl in an attempt to smile, hoping to cheer him up with a bit of tease.

"I was gonna wear my dress blues, but..." he trails off for a moment to swallow hard. "Just didn't feel right."

Without a word, you quietly walk over and sit beside him. You're not sure what he needs right now, but you don't want him to feel alone.

"Black is more flattering if you ask me," you speak up.

His beard twitches as he attempts to smile. He knows you just want to help him feel better. Yet all he can do is stare down at the gold coin.

"Five times... Five times. Five close calls. And he survived them all. He didn't deserve to go out like that. He just wanted to help his family."

You fight back tears as you listen to him with an arm wrapped his back as you press your cheek to his shoulder.

"I told Santi to get him in. I said I'd go if Tom was in. Tom didn't even want to go in the first place. He didn't-"

There's a crack in his voice which he catches it in his throat to compose himself. He sniffles letting a tear cascade down his cheek only to wipe it away quickly, hoping you hadn't seen it.

"This isn't on you, Will."

He nods although you both know deep inside that he won't stop blaming himself.

"When you told me you were a marine, I knew the risks that came with that, Will. Every knock on the door had my heart racing. But I decided to stay with you because I love you. There wasn't a person on earth or a God in the sky that was gonna tell me otherwise. I knew the risks and I took 'em anyways because not having you would've hurt more... I don't understand how fate works other than we all end up the same. What I do know is that all we can do is love our close ones and cherish the good memories you have of them."

With a tearful and silent nod, he lowers his head and rests it against your chest. His arms lock around your waist as he surrenders to the tears in your embrace.

The tears quietly trickle down your cheeks as you listen to him finally breaking down.

With your lips pressed against his golden hair, you hold him in your arms and stroke the hair on the back of his neck to soothe him for as long as he needs.

All you can do is hold him through it and he couldn't be more thankful to have you in such a vulnerable moment after having faced them on his own for so many years.

Just the feeling of not being alone was overwhelming enough, but to have you holding him and reminding him of the things that are easy to ignore in grief give him hope.

Although he feels he's coming apart, he knows that he'll have the strength he's always had.

It's different now. It's not the strength to bury and forget; it's the strength to heal.

With a sigh of relief after a long, vulnerable moment, he pulls away from you and nods, mentally assuring himself that he's alright.

Upon arriving at the church, you're greeted by Molly so you offer your deepest condolences due to the circumstances. Just as Will, you find that the guys have all opted to wear normal black suits instead of the formal military uniform and you wonder if it's for the same reason.

"Sorry for that," he sniffles wiping his eyes as he tries to regain his composure, swallowing hard with guilt. "We should get going... I don't wanna be late."

You remind him that there is no need to apologize and that he can take the time to splash some water on his face to help him recollect before leaving.

Frankie doesn't say a word other than to Molly and the girls, apologizing for their loss. Throughout the priest's religious ceremony of easing words, Benny's apathetic eyes are glued to Tom's casket set in front of the church between his military portrait and a beautiful arrangement of white flowers. During Will's heartfelt eulogy, Santiago keeps his head lowered as the guilt consumes him.

The grift and sadness during the wake only follow and weigh heavier during the long walk to the gravesite, lingering among the guests of the funeral like a dark cloud. It's only reflected in depths by the light rain pitter-pattering all around.

The military traditions at the funeral leave a bitter tinge of irony in the boys as they watch Tom's casket lowering into the ground.

Tess's happy big doey eyes are now swollen and red as she cries under her mother's arm, hugging the folded flag as if it were her dad, while Molly holds her other and youngest daughter under the other arm.

Looking over at Will, you see that he's trying his hardest to keep his strong facade as well as the boys.

You slide your hand into his and whisper to remind him he's not alone and doesn't have to feel alone.

With a gentle squeeze to your hand, he nods.

"You with me?"

"I'm with you."

You and Will - as well as the guys and Tom's family - are the last to leave, reminding Molly that you're more than willing to help with anything.

Will, however, lingers a moment to speak to her private and tells her about the fund. You can tell from her reaction, she's genuinely surprised and thankful, relieved to know that she'll be able to pay for the funeral.

Having called your boss the previous day to let them know you wouldn't be going to work due to the funeral, you take the rest of the day off to recover from the overwhelming day after the funeral.

The drive home is quiet save for the rain against the car and the windshield, echoing into the vehicle which you insisted on driving to give Will some mental ease. He didn't put up a fight. He was quite relieved you'd offered.

In spite of being eager to understand how he's doing, you refuse to burden him with constant questions and decide to respect his mourning process. So, you keep a hand on his thigh to remind you're in this together.

He doesn't mind it at all. In fact, he is grateful for your respect and your thoughtfulness. His hand rests over yours and doesn't leave until you have to pull your hand back to turn the steering wheel, but it finds it's way back onto his leg, warm fully welcomed by his engulfing hand.

As you're undressing in your room, Will's hand catches yours while you're unzipping your dress.

"Thanks... I don't know about you, but I'd say this weather is perfect cuddling weather," you share letting the dress hang loosely off your shoulders.

Will smiles shyly as if you'd read his mind and locks his arms around your waist.

"I couldn't agree more."

[lowkeyerror]

By Your Side

Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Word Count: 3.6k

Notes: Set right after Endgame, has aspects of Wandavision, sort of domestic, A lot of comfort from Wanda, I think it's a lil sweet

Summary: Y/n was the youngest member of the Avengers before the blip, she had to do a lot of growing in those 5 years. Through that experience she learned that no one deserves to be alone during hard times, which is why she offers to house Wanda.

An: 2 post... look at me go

Masterlist

It was impossible for Y/n not to fall for Wanda. It was never the girl's intention. In fact, it never crossed her mind, that was until the pair were reunited after Thanos was defeated.

Y/n was a young adult when the blip happened. A member of the Avengers, the youngest official member (sorry Peter). She was in her early twenties, to the team she was just a kid.

Before the blip, she had resented them for that rhetoric, but when half her team was wiped from existence, she felt so small. She felt like a child thrown into the deep end of a pool.

The reality of her situation forced her to grow up. The next 5 years were hard for her. She found herself isolated from the former members of the team. Mostly because Y/n did not give up being a hero.

Partially because it was the only thing she knew how to do. The other part of it was tied to the fact that the world needed heroes, more now than ever.

When Scott Lang came about and somehow was able to convince the team to get back together. It was interesting, they had all changed a lot. However, Y/n had definitely changed the most.

The experience that she had previously lacked was now present. She no longer had any question about her skill or ability. Y/n had a level of maturity that they would have never guessed lived inside of her.

Y/n was a key piece in bringing everyone back. The victory was more bitter than sweet. The losses that were suffered were tremendous.

Everyone had lost a lot, but amongst those who lost the most, Wanda's name popped into Y/n's mind.

Y/n hadn't got the chance to talk to her until Tony's funeral. Y/n stood between Wanda and Clint.

Throughout the whole thing she had stood strong with her head up; When her friends first disappeared, when she lost Nat, and when she lost Tony, but here at the funeral she felt like a child once again.

Y/n's fists were balled at her sides, and she chewed viciously on her bottom lip in hopes of not sobbing.

" You ok?" Wanda spares the girl a glance.

She doesn't speak, instead she closes her eyes and nods.

Wanda doesn't take her answer at face value, yet, she doesn't verbally challenge Y/n. Instead, she forces her hand into Y/n's balled up fists. The redhead interlocks their fingers and gently rubs Y/n's hand. The feeling makes the sob escape the girl's lips.

" Fuck, I'm sorry. I'm alright, it's just-"

Wanda shakes her head," You don't have to do that with me."

" Do what?"

Wanda turns her full attention towards Y/n," I know things haven't been easy the last 5 years, especially for you. You had to grow up before you were ready to. You've done an amazing job. But when you're with me, you don't have to be that invincible hero, you can just be Y/n."

Y/n had tears streaming down her face before Wanda finished speaking. She let her body shake as she began to let go of everything that happened to her. Wanda pulled her away to a more secluded area. She held the girl as she cried like a baby.

Y/n was taller than Wanda, so she stood awkwardly, burying her head in the red head's shoulder. Wanda's hand gently stroked the back of the girl's head.

She could sense that Y/n had been through a lot, but she wanted to know. Wanda knew pain, she was feeling it too, but the way Y/n cried made her put her hurt aside for a moment.

" I want to know what happened to you," Wanda whispers as she holds Y/n.

The hero nods against Wanda's shoulder, seemingly knowing what she's asking. When Wanda takes a peek into Y/n's mind, she feels everything the girl felt for the last 5 years.

The guilt, the uncertainty, the loneliness, the pressure, the sadness, and the pain. She felt it all, and it was astounding to her. Y/n had such a deep connection with her own feelings, it felt like the girl could drown in them.

" I've got you," she holds the girl a little tighter after digging through her memories.

Once Y/n doesn't feel like she can cry anymore, she stands up straight, and viciously wipes at her tears.

" What are- where are you going after this?"

" I'm not really sure, but-"

Y/n cuts her off," Come stay with me."

Wanda let out a sigh, "But I want to see Vision, is what I was saying."

Y/n nods," I think I can help with that."

Once the funeral was over, Y/n wasted no time driving Wanda to S.W.O.R.D headquarters. The hero was quite certain the man's body was in that building.

Wanda was anxious, it was easy to tell. Y/n understood to some extent for those who were blipped it was almost like no time passed. So to a certain extent, the last thing Wanda felt before her return was the heartbreaking loss of her other half.

When the pair arrived, Wanda basically charged in the building. She walked up to the front desk and demanded to see Vision. The man at the desk repeated something about her not having clearance, just a bunch of bullshit really.

" If you don't let her see him, I will start calling in favors from Pepper. Which is my way of saying I will forcibly make you return him, as he is technically an intellectual property that is patented by Tony Stark."

Before he could respond, his radio went off. The security looked uncertain, but gave them directions, and told them to go through the door.

Wanda didn't waste any time opening the sliding door with her powers and strutting down the hall. Y/n trailed behind her, not wishing to get in her way.

Wanda was annoyed to open the door and find the director of S.W.O.R.D, rather than Vision. He was talking, mostly to her, but she was hardly listening.

That was until he pulled back the curtain in the room. Y/n knew what it was as soon as she laid eyes on it. Her eyes widened in horror.

The horror was soon turned to anger, as he then accused Wanda of trying to bring Vision back to life.

" What the fuck is your problem?" Y/n could help herself.

" Hey, I'm just covering my bases here. It's my job and unfortunately, I cannot allow you to take $3 billion worth of vibranium just to put it in the ground. So the best I can do is to let you say goodbye to him here."

Y/n sees the sadness and desperation permeating off of Wanda, as her finger touch the glass that separate her from the parts of Vision," He's all I have."

" That's just it, Wanda. He isn't yours."

Y/n couldn't believe he would say something like that. It was taking everything in her power not to snatch him up and threaten him.

Wanda broke the glass and chaos ensued. The director stayed up in the office while Y/n jumped down to be next to Wanda. Her eyes moved around to the men with guns pointed solely on the red head.

" Tell them to put the guns down," Y/n made no room for bargaining in her tone.

The director complied, and the men lowered their weapons as Wanda approached Vision.

Her hand stretched out over his head. The sight broke Y/n's heart, but what completely shattered it was what Wanda said," I can't feel you."

Wanda walked away calmly after that. Y/n followed behind her. They left the building in silence.

Y/n got in the driver's seat with a heavy sigh. She wanted to find something to say to the redhead, but she knew didn't have the right words. No matter what said Vision wasn't coming back and Wanda wouldn't be hurting any less.

The woman in the passenger seat looked empty. The only thing Y/n could think to do was offer the woman her hand to hold.

Y/n kept her eyes on the road as Wanda stared at her hand. Eventually, Wanda's hand gently intertwined with Y/n's. The driver gave the hand a light squeeze as she took off in the direction of her home.

The drive was long and silent. Y/n didn't mind, she was drained not only from the day, but from the last 5 years of her life. It finally felt like that chapter had come to an end.

The ending wasn't perfect, it wasn't even necessarily happy, it was just over. Now she would have to somehow continue to move forward without really knowing what that means or what it looks like.

When the pair finally arrived at Y/n's, the driver was exhausted. Are slowly climbed out of the car with Wanda trailing behind her.

" I'll give you a proper tour tomorrow, if that's alright. For now all you really need to know is that, that's the bathroom, that's my room, and yours is right across. I'll get you some towels and pj's right now."

She mumbled a quiet 'thank you' and Y/n left her standing in the living room. Wanda noted that Y/n's house had a comfortable aura around it. It felt lived in and cozy.

She had pictures littering the wall, most of them featured the Avengers. It's sweet, and for a moment it made the woman sad. To think that every day Y/n would come home and see the pictures of the people she loved. Half of them wiped from existence and the other half wanting nothing to do with her.

It had to be lonely for the young hero. When Y/n re-emerged from her room with the stuff, Wanda took it graciously.

" Well I'm probably just going to go to bed, but um help yourself to literally anything you want. And don't hesitate to come get me if you need me, ok?"

" Thank you, for everything Y/n," Wanda gave the woman a sad smile.

Y/n shook her head," It's nothing really."

Wanda wanted to argue, but she didn't have the energy. She let the young woman retire to her bedroom, opting to shower and go get some rest as well.

As time moved forward, Y/n found herself struggling. Now that the missing people had returned from the blip, she found it hard to find a place to fit in.

While there was a lack of heroes in the last 5 years, a good chunk had returned to hero work the moment they were brought back. Meaning that Y/n wasn't needed as much as she was before.

This coupled with the reality that most of the people she worked with had opted to retire from crime fighting or had tragically passed on. The reality of it all was hard for her.

It seemed like 5 years ago she had to rapidly adapt to a situation she wasn't ready for, and now 5 years later the same thing was happening again.

The only thing that was different was that this time she wasn't alone. Wanda was in her corner.

At first, Y/n hated relying on Wanda. The woman had been through enough. Y/n thought that unloading her baggage onto the woman was unfair. So she tried to pretend that she was fine, that none of this bothered her in the slightest.

However, it didn't really work. Wanda had told Y/n, on a number of occasions, that her thoughts were loud. This made Y/n try to clear them before she would come home, but then Wanda counter with her mind was empty.

" Just talk to me, Y/n."

Y/n shook her head," It's nothing."

Wanda sighed," It's not nothing if it's bothering you this much."

" You have enough to think about without me dumping all my emotions on you," Y/n raised her voice.

" I would have one less thing to worry about if you would just tell me how you're feeling, so I didn't have to keep guessing."

Y/n couldn't control her outburst," Fine. I don't understand why I can't find any work. I feel so underappreciated by my peers and the citizens. For 5 years, I was one of the few ones coming to the rescue for any of these people. I was a key part in bringing these people back to their families. I pushed aside my feelings and my pain to be a hero, and as soon as I've done all of the fixing it seems like they don't need me anymore. Like I was just a substitute. I gave up so much, and I'm still willing to give more, but now that there's no Iron Man, no Black Widow, no Captain America, and no Avengers, I'm just an afterthought. And-"

Y/n could've kept going if she didn't just break down sobbing. She could've gone on forever. Wanda was quick to wrap her arms around the girl.

" Why do I still feel like I'm not good enough?"

The woman had cried for what seemed like an eternity. Wanda held her, stroking her back soothingly. Trying to provide Y/n all the comfort she could give.

The woman ended up crying herself to sleep in Wanda's arms. Wanda wiped at Y/n's tear stained cheeks with the pads of her thumbs.

She ended up laying the girl down in the bed. She stared at her former teammate for a long while.

Y/n had given up so much of herself to the hero world. She deserved better than this.

" You are good enough, detka," is the last thing Wanda says before leaving the bedroom.

While the woman sleeps, Wanda makes dinner for the two of them. As she cooked, every thought that crossed her mind revolved around Y/n. She didn't know which course of action to take to help the girl. She had to do something to get the girl out of this hole.

When dinner was nearly finished, she went to try to wake the hero up. She was surprised to see Y/n awake with her legs dangling over the edge of the bed.

She almost looked the same as when Wanda first met her. Except now there was more definition to her muscles, a straighter posture to her back, and a somber presence surrounding her.

Wanda took a seat next to her," A lot of people have this perception that being a hero is the one of the greatest things anyone can be. But I've always viewed it as the greatest sacrifice. There's so much of yourself that can be lost while trying to save others, especially when you're working alone. There's this weight on your shoulders, it's like you're carrying the world-"

" But you feel like you're the only one who knows that," Y/n's head rested in her hands.

" Something that nobody tells you until it's too late, is that you don't have to do this. You can give it up whenever you want, there's no one forcing you to pursue this."

Y/n looked at Wanda with glossy eyes," What else would I do, Wanda? This life is all I've known. I've never wanted to be anything, but this. I still want this, I just-"

" Can't do it on your own."

" I don't think I can anymore," Y/n began to tear up once more.

Wanda moved closer to Y/n. " No more tears, detka," Wanda wiped at the fallen streaks.

" Because you don't have to do it alone ever again. You have me, and I'm not going anywhere, alright. I can make some calls, and maybe we can get a team together."

Y/n looked at Wanda in disbelief," You'd do that for me?"

" Why are you always so surprised that there's someone looking out for you?" It was meant to be a joke on Wanda's part, but Y/n didn't see it that way.

" Because for a long time there wasn't."

Wanda was familiar with the look in Y/n's eyes. She'd seen it before somewhere. The way Y/n looked at her made her heart rate increase.

" Well, now and for the foreseeable future, you'll always have someone in your corner."

For a moment, there's no sound. The two just stare at each other. They both seem acutely aware of how close they are. Wanda's hand is a centimeter away from resting on top of Y/n's.

Unbeknownst to either of them, they are leaning into each other. They get closer and closer, and when they are too close, the oven goes off.

They jump apart and Wanda's hand moves to her lap, before she stands entirely," That would be dinner."

Y/n nods rapidly," I'm going to change into something more comfortable, and I'll be there in a minute."

Wanda hurriedly exited the room. Her eyebrows furrowed as she registered the pit at the bottom of her stomach. It was too soon for this in her head. She still wasn't completely over losing the love of her life. Yet she had these complicated feelings surfacing for Y/n.

The girl who had saved her life. Who brought her into her home with no questions asked or any favors needed. The girl who had been the strongest member of The Avengers. The one who never gave up on her cause.

Wanda wasn't ready, but her feelings didn't seem to care about that.

Y/n was in her room with similar thoughts swarming in her head. She had finally figured it out once she got a good look at the former hero. Y/n was falling in love, and she hadn't even noticed. Wanda brought comfort to her in situations that she never knew warranted such care.

There was nothing she could do about it. Though she wanted to stop herself from having romantic feelings towards Wanda, she was already in too deep.

" Fuck," she muttered, as she finally got out the bed and made her way to the kitchen.

Dinner between the two was uncharacteristically silent. Once they were done, they parted ways.

Y/n couldn't go back to sleep after dinner. She blamed it on the nap, but that wasn't it. She was thinking about Wanda; about how close they were to kissing.

She wondered what it would've felt like. If Wanda's lips were as soft as they looked. If they tasted sweet like her chapstick. Would things have escalated if they did kiss? Did wanting to kiss Wanda make her a bad friend?

It was pointless to stay in bed. Y/n decided she was going back to the kitchen for a drink. However, as she opened her bedroom door, Wanda was standing outside of it.

She stared at Y/n, an uncertain twinkle in her eyes. A nervous jitter about her body.

" Your thoughts are loud tonight."

The color drains from Y/n's face almost instantly, and she wishes that she could close the door more now than ever.

" Oh," was all the hero could muster up. Her eyes were trained on the floor, scared to look at Wanda

" I am so scared that if I kiss you, the universal will rip you away from me."

That causes Y/n to meet the redhead's eyes," Wanda-"

" Y/n, the things that I love- the people that I love, all end up being taken away from me. And I don't know if I can handle that happening again."

Y/n searches for the right words, but she doesn't know if she has them," I'm scared too. I'm scared that if I kiss you, it won't mean anything. I'm scared that I can't heal your broken heart. I'm scared that I wouldn't ever be enough for you because I'm not him."

The tone is somber as they stare at each other. Both having this aching want for each other. Both of them, scared of falling into their desires.

" You aren't Vision." She took a small pause. " But I would never ask you to be him. Y/n, you've already helped me heal so much and you don't even know it. You are more than for me. In fact, I think it might even be too good for me. If we kissed, it would mean everything to me."

Y/n wanted to say something. She wanted to speak from the heart, but she was coming up empty. The only thing she could think to do was press her lips to Wanda's.

The redhead's arms locked around Y/n's neck. While the hero's hands rested lightly on the dips of Wanda's hips.

For Y/n it was like she was breathing for the first time; effortless. For Wanda, it was like being brought back to life.

Wanda's lips were soft, and they were sweet like her chapstick, just like Y/n thought they would be.

" I could do that forever," Y/n chuckles against Wanda's lips.

The red shoves the hero's shoulder lightly," You're cheesy."

" I think you meant to say charming."

Wanda pecks Y/n's lips again," No, I definitely meant cheesy."

Y/n squeezes Wanda's hips," Lay with me?"

" I'd love nothing more."

The future for the pair looked dark and uncertain at one point. They each had lost so much that they were scared to claim anything as special ever again. Ultimately, they had nothing to worry about. As they had each other as constant beacons of light in their futures.

[alien-magnolia]

Mine and His <3

Fic Description: As a background type scientist, you aren’t very special in the world of Pandora. That changes, when you are noticed by Jake Sully, and fortunately, his rival, Colonel Quaritch. 18+ MDNI!!!

Tw: Implied non-con, power dynamics, dom-coded! Jake sully + Miles Quaritch, sub-coded hyperfem!reader, fingering, Jake/Quaritch talking down to reader/ bimbofication, ownership, major size kink bc human reader.

A/n: this turned out way longer than I thought, and I originally meant to post it on Christmas.its a bit hard for me to consistently post now. Anyways, merry belated Christmas/ holidays, and hope yall enjoy my first time bringing the very (hot) Miles Quaritch to life!! Don’t we love the balance between a young Jake Sully and an older Miles Quaritch <3 I am planning to make a part two with more intense smut! Stay tuned! (this was lacking a bit 😭) alsooo pls help a gorl out and reblog if you like this!!

The moon rose above you as you made your way to the forest, your mask in tow, and your boots. You were meeting Jake at the edge of the forest. He would not want you to venture in alone. Your tiny human form could not take it, as he would say. The Na’vi man was extremely possessive over you. The leaves rustled amongst the wind, bioluminescent crickets danced in the air.

You stand still as the ferns brush against your leg, wondering where your Jake was. You came to Pandora as a sort of background character — always behind the scenes, never noticed, usually brushed to the side. You were apart of the anthropological and religion team, researching and observing Na’vi culture, religion, and social relations and norms.

Every morning, you rose from your cold, metallic, cot, put on your oxygen mask, and worked at the lab from 8-5. Sometimes you would be invited into the community to learn, yet you never lingered around too long. The other scientists were more fluent in Na’vi than you were, and so, they would make a better impression.

It was only until one night, where the half-moon rose and shone over the sky, swirled as if it was cotton candy, was the night where you became noticed. You, made an impression.

~ Three months ago ~

You stayed to observe a Na’vi ritual, one called the “Sun Dance,” where one ingests a hallucinogenic worm in order to have a vision of their fate for the future, their destiny. This ritual served to breach the gap between the sacred and the normal, the ordinary, to alter reality in which a religion exists everywhere — not only in a book or a house. This was Na’vi religion — Animism.

You enjoyed the ritual and truly felt that you were starting to grow connected with the community. However, you were still a bit unfamiliar with the forest, and accidentally happened to wander onto a slippery log — that also acted as a bridge for a deep canyon below. Your tiny human feet stumbled across the bridge, and then slipped. You landed on your stomach, then realizing the vast canyon below — and that you would face sudden death if you were to drop into it. You screamed out in pain as a branch pierced your leg. You hear heavy steps behind you, you pass out.

You wake up beneath a bioluminescent large plant, with its long tendrils gently swaying over your face. You feel something on your leg, and look to see quite a handsome Na’vi man tending to your thigh, which had a large scrape on it.

“Hey. You’re awake. Almost fell there, girl.” You study his features a bit more. His hair is long, black, his eyes a deep yellow. Chiseled jaw, veiny arms, and wide shoulders <3 adorned with an interesting necklace. You muster the courage to speak to this beautiful man in front of you.

“Yes, I — um, sorry. I should have been more careful. I’m still a bit unfamiliar with the forest, although I’ve done many studies here,” you explain to him. “S’alright. I can take you back to your home base, if ya like,” the man offers, his tail swishing a bit. He must have been excited to talk to you. You blush at the note of attention from him, and agree.

The two of you begin walking back, the Na’vi man stopping momentarily to make sure there were no creatures of harm nearby. You learned his name was Jake. Jake Sully. You watch his long braid sway from side to side, like a pendulum, as you walk behind him. The two of you have been talking, sharing your stories, your journeys, what brought the two of you to Pandora, respectively.

“Was a marine, when I first came here. I was trying to pay for my surgery, to well — get my legs back. M’sure you know, the RDA loves screwing everyone over. ‘Specially me,” Jake explained to you, as he led you through the dark, softly glowing canopy of trees.

“So you weren’t very good at school, then, I assume,” you snicker, trying to poke a bit of fun at him. “And you are?,” he retorts back, emitting a deep hearty laugh, a sound you liked. “I do have a PhD, yes,” you giggle a bit as you look to see his reaction. He only huffs, yet you swore you could see a little smile behind that stoic face of his.

The two of you continued to walk back and engage in this somewhat flirtatious banter. He led you back to your lab, wishing you a goodnight.

“Jake, wait,” you touch his arm as he was about to leave, and he flinched, his ears folding back. He turns to you. “I would want to see you again. It would be nice, I think,” you offer, hoping he would take the initiative. “Hmm. Doubt it. You stay safe, miss PhD,” he retorts, and runs off into the forest.

Yet you wouldn’t take his “doubt it” for an answer.

The following night, you ventured again into the forest, hoping to find him. You might as well take a few pictures, hoping to find your way into the Omaticaya village. You did not find your way there, and instead ended up running into a few creatures. Jake saw, luckily, and saved your “prissy lil’ self” (as he called it) again.

Nights with Jake became a regular occasion. Although you and him had more of a fair share of differences, you found it to be true, that opposites attract.

————

~ Present Day ~

You smiled as you remembered how you first met him. The two of you only went on ‘dates’ together, where he would show you an interesting place he liked in the forest, or take you on a ride on his ikran. Nothing more, just conversation.

Yet, the more you got to know him, the more you wanted him. In a way that surpasses conversations or dates. You really had hoped that tonight, you could go further.

Everything about him was just perfect. His shining eyes, his strong arms, his beautiful voice that made you feel so safe <3.

You hear his footsteps behind you. “Babygirl. How’s my favorite scientist doing?,” he chuckles, his big hands gently gripping your face, giving you a kiss on top of your head. “Good,” you giggle, reaching up to give him a hug. You always have felt so safe in his arms.

“Where are we off to tonight?,” you curiously poke at him as he leads you over a bridge — the both of you hearing the gentle splash of the pond below. “You’ll see, hun. Somewhere real special,” he reassures. Where could this place be? How exactly could you get here, to be spending time with this beautiful Na’vi man, who possibly could be yours??

The anticipation was simply too much to handle. “Wanted t’a bring ya here, to ask somethin’. Was thinkin’ you see, that you could become a true member of the Omaticaya. Pass all our tests and all,” he says, while you lean your head on his shoulder.

You think on it for a bit. “But why, Jake? It would mean that I need a Na’vi body…,” you trail off. “Exactly. Ever since the day I met you, sweetie, I wanted you to be mine. You’re just too goddamn adorable for your own good,” he chuckles. “Can’t make you mine though, officially, without you becoming a tuté (woman) of our people. You will prove yourself to the Tsahik. We will mate, then. For life. You’ll be mine, girl,” he smiles warmly at you.

You agreed, overwhelmed with happiness!! “My Jake, why can’t we mate now?,” you ask, although as a Pandoran anthropologist, you knew the answer. Your human body was no match for his Na’vi strength. If you were to mate now, not only would it be against Omaticaya customs, his sheer power would most likely kill you!!

“Thought you knew the answer there, Miss PhD,” he teases. “How’s about this. I give you a little taste of what’s to come if you join the people of the forest,” his voice shifts to a deeper tone, his eyes a bit hooded now.

A large blue hand the size of your head gently grips your face, turning you towards him. His soft lips plant a few kisses on the top of your head, moving down to your neck. All of a sudden, your oxygen mask gets a little too hot for your face <3 your heartbeat quickens as well.

“Jake…I’d love nothing more than to join the Omaticaya,” you pant, in between breaths as he continues his ministrations. “That’s my good girl. See if those scientists of yours can make you an avatar. Want you to be mine,” he purrs, with a bit of a darker undertone as his large hands squeeze and grope the plush curves of your body — to the point where it’s painful.

You pant and squeal as his fingers trace patterns on your soft tummy, his large face planting a few kisses there as well. “Love this human body, babygirl. Bet your Na’vi one would be even better…,” he praises you. <3

His fingers were getting lower and lower, tracing circles on the hem of your waistband. “Jake…,” you pant out. “Want you…,” a cry, a plea for help. You had no idea how intense your fervor was for him, until now.

“Can’t give you all of me, hun. You can’t take me yet, m’ too big for you. Don’t want ta hurt your pretty little body,” he chastised you, his yellow eyes full of concern.

Just about when you were to agree, to let him give you a taste, that taste that you’ve been waiting for, that taste that your heart (and other parts of you) ached for, the two of you heard a rustling behind, in the bushes.

Out step two steel toed boots, a blue RDA uniform. At first you thought it was someone human — you were surprised to see that it was a Na’vi man wearing the suit. You quickly try to hide, using Jake’s wide chest as a safe haven.

Jake’s eyes burn with rage, disgust. His ears fold back, a low growl escapes his throat, his Adam’s apple moving slightly.

“Miss me, corporal?”

This man had a smug way of expressing himself, hands on his hips. He looked to be a bit older than Jake.

“Forgot about our agreement, all those years ago, Sully?” Jake hissed in response, telling this man, whom he called ‘Quaritch,’ to kindly fuck off.

Quaritch, a man of his word, did not take this as an answer, and continued to move closer.

Until he saw you. He stopped. “Whose this you’ve got here, corporal?” Jake hisses again, standing up this time to shield you from Quaritch. “Leave her out of this,” his tone low, possessive, angry.

“Why don’t you come on out, cupcake?,” his eyes turn towards you. Just like your Jake’s, you saw that they were full of lust, hunger. No affection, though. They were cold, empty. This man was attractive — yes, yet something about him felt off.

Jake reassures you that you don’t have to do it — until Quaritch himself pulls you out from behind Jake’s back. Quaritch circles you, tutting, eyebrows raised.

He turns to Jake. “Got yerself a sweet little toy, huh, Sully? My, my, she’s quite a looker,” Quaritch comments, his voice sickeningly sweet, as his large blue hand plays with your hair. Jake was fuming — ready to start a fight with the man. It was clear that the two had a past rivalry, and never made amends.

It was also clear that the two wanted you.

“How’s about this, corporal? Your little girl here, could very well seal our agreement, don’t ya think?,” he taunts Jake.

“She’s mine, Quaritch. Don’t even think about it.” Quaritch then retorted that it was either this, or his rifle. Jake then agreed.

“Glad we’re on the same page, Sully. She’ll be ours, to share, won’t ya, cupcake? How’s about I show you how we do things where I’m from, hmm?,” his southern accent cooing at you goes straight to your core, between your legs.

You glance at Jake, hesitantly watching. Quaritch then sits down, his giant arms pulling you into his lap, one hand behind your head, the other on your hip.

“Such a pretty girl. Gonna give you something to feel good about,” he chuckles, peppering your face and neck with kisses, his fangs slightly biting into your shoulder as you gasp!!

Jake is infuriated, still watching from the side, although he looks like he is enjoying watching you get ravished by the older Na’vi. Quaritch’s soft lips trail down your soft tummy and waistline, your small hand intertwined with his rough, calloused one.

His fingers trail your waistband — realizing that Jake already pulled off your clothes — your wetness soaked his thigh. <3

“Aww. How cute, pussy’s all soaked f’me. I think I know what she wants,” he taunts you, showing you his big fingers, almost the length of your arm. <3

You nod vigorously, completely forgetting about Jake. “Yes. Please, please, anything,” you beg him. “How’s about you call me sir, hmm, sweet cheeks? More fittin’, don’t’cha think?,” his southern voice drips as if it were melted caramel, seeping through to your inner submission to these beautiful, tall, men.

You were their toy, theirs to own, theirs to play with, theirs to use as they please and see fit. That’s all you could think about, as your tongue hung out, your eyes closed, small hand gripping the watch on Quaritch’s hand, as his two fingers worked and massaged your gummy walls over and over.

You thought of belonging to the two Na’vi men, passed around from the loving arms of your soon to be mate, to the vicious and unrelenting force that was Miles Quaritch, your ‘sir.’ For these two men, you were fine with leaving your life as a scientist behind, just to trail them around.

You were giddy with the thought of it, as you came undone around Quaritch’s fingers, his reassuring words, “let go f’me, cupcake…,” and Jake’s hands behind you, rubbing the small of your back, this was a taste of a life you never knew you wanted.

Now that you had this taste, you were ready to risk it all to keep this.

You fall asleep in Jake’s arms, as Quaritch bids him a ‘till next time,” and your soon to be mate is left wondering what that phrase entails.

Avatar taglist: @aerangi @jake-sullys-whore @drinking-tea-and-be-obsessed @brioffthegrid

[imtryingbuck]

Come back

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader

Summary: The team lose their friend (I’m bad at summaries sorry)

Word count: 3,919

Warnings: Angst. Sad times. Swearing. A grave gets dug up. Brock Rumlow. 

Masterlist   Series Masterlist

  In Loving Memory Of Y/n L/n

    Killed In Action Saving 5 Innocent Children

    Dedicated Agent

    Friend To Everyone

 10/05/1990 - 10/05/2017

“Pass me a donut will ya”

Everyday since the plaque went up 5 years ago, Bucky always reads it. Everyday a small chuckle will leave his lips when reading the quote Tony made sure was engraved in the marble. ‘She always said it and she did tell me once that when she died to have it on the plaque they HAD to give her’ Tony repeated that conversation when they deciding what would be put on the plaque. It was true, did she always say it. He can hear her voice saying the words he reads every day. 

Putting his two fingers to his lips he lightly kisses them, the gently places his fingers on her photo. Her ID photo took 8 tries to take because she wouldn’t sit still or she wouldn’t keep a straight face. In the end they settled on the final one, her with a huge smile on her face. She told Bucky once when he had asked-

‘why are you smiling in your photo?’

‘Because a smile a day keeps the dentist at bay’ 

‘That’s not an expression’

‘Well it should be’

He missed her more and more every day. Today however left a bitter taste in his mouth, today was the anniversary of her death. 

Every year since they watched their friend die, the team makes sure they don’t have missions just so they can celebrated her death as well as her birthday.

Every year on that painful day they gather in the common room and watch all of her favourite films and play all the board games she went crazy over, they would order and/or cook her favourite food. Then they would each blow out a candle on the large donut Tony had specially made for her birthday. 

He remembers that day when Tony surprised her with it a few years before her death. Her squeals made everyone laugh, she made everyone blow out one candle ‘it’s my birthday and I want everyone to get a wish’ and as the years passed they still did it.

They were halfway through the third film when director Fury walked in.

“I’m sorry to interrupt but you guys need to hear this”

“What is it?” Tony asks sitting up from where he was slouching.

“Earlier today there was an attack at SHIELD headquarters”

“How many are dead?” Steve asks. 

“The real question you need to ask is how many are alive Rogers”

“Well?” Natasha speaks up from where she sits next to Wanda.

“None. 28 people are in critical condition” each member of the team murmur their different abbreviations of ‘oh god’.

“Who was it do you know?” Steve questions. 

Walking around the sofa and sitting down on the lone chair Fury sighs “There’s was only one person. With a symbol on their back, take a wild guess which one”

“Hydra” They all speak at the same time.

“Yep. Now heres the reason why I’m here. The computers were tampered with, the IT department has managed to find out what was deleted”

“Go on” Tony says when Fury trails off.

“The file.. the only file to be downloaded and deleted was Y/n’s.”

The teams reaction was different from one another’s however Bucky, Bucky’s heart stopped, he’d gone cold and clammy at the same time, so many questions circled his mind. Why hers? Why now? Why couldn’t they just leave her alone? Why her of all agents?

It was as if Steve could read his mind because it was him that asked “Why hers? She’s been dead for 6 years now. Why would Hydra want her file?”

“We-I don’t know. Now here’s the part you guys are not going to like. Ross wants Y/n’s body to be dug up”

Before anyone get say anything “Absolutely fucking not! You touch her grave I’ll kill you myself!” Bucky shouts.

“Then I’ll bring you back to life just to kill you again” booms Thor.

“Listen to me, I don’t want to do this! Ro-“

“I don’t care what Ross wants. It’s bad enough her headstone needs to be replaced every two months because of arseholes keep wanting a piece of it, now you want to dig her up? It nearly killed all of us watching her coffin go into that hole now you want us to watch it come back up?” Bucky’s left hand is balled tight in a fist as he paces back and forth.

“You don’t have to watch and you need to watch your tone” Fury shot back.

“What are you going to do with her?” Wanda asks before Bucky can say anything.

“We’ll put her somewhere different- safer. It’s just a precaution and we have no idea what they want with her file. We don’t know why they picked her out of all active agents and Barnes I don’t like this anymore than you do, Y/n was” taking in a deep breath “I miss her too. I’m sorry but I’m going to give Ross the go ahead on this. You guys don’t have to to be there when it happens and when we find out what’s going on we’ll bury her again. I promise”

For a full 20 minutes after Fury left they were sitting in complete silence each trying to wrap their heads around the information they were just given. SHIELD headquarters had been attacked by Hydra - using just one person to assassinate so many agents. Out of all the Agents of SHIELD alive or dead they pick their friends file, their friend who they loved and adored the same friend who always had a smile on her face no matter what, the one person who could light up a room just by walking inside of it. A person who was so full of happiness and sunshine yet deadly and damn right terrifying when she needed to be. 

Now said friend who they have grieved for, for the past 6 years was about to have her resting place disturbed. Like Bucky had said to Fury, it nearly killed each and everyone of the Avengers and the Guardians - who came to Earth just to attend her funeral - they knew that the probability of dying on the job was high, of course they did, they just never expected it to happen to her, they had to watch as their friend, confidant, colleague, the better half to all of them lay in a box surrounded with 4 camera crews broadcasting their every move just so the whole world could watch them in their most vulnerable moment. They watched as her coffin was gently placed into the ground, knowing that it was going to be the last time they would ever see her after the soil would cover her.

They broke. Plain and simple, they broke. Worst part of it was is that the world lapped it up, the images of Natasha more famously known as the Black Widow standing at the grave of her best friend in bright colour clothing crying, was every where - people joked about how the deadly assassin was crying, saying she wasn’t as strong as everyone made her out to be because she cried. Y/n was undoubtedly the only person Nat felt comfortable with, the one person who saw Natasha as Natasha, not the Black Widow but her friend Natty. She was actually the first person in a very long time to see Nat cry, it was when the goldfish - that Y/n had brought her after she found out that Nat had always wanted one - had died, she felt so unbelievably stupid for crying over it but all Y/n did was hold her, told her to stop being silly for calling herself stupid. They buried it near the lake, just the two of them. Y/n even had bagpipes playing on her phone which made the redhead chuckle.

Wanda was called a crybaby because guess what? She was crying, she was crying because she was burying her best friend! The first person other than Steve to treat her like a human being. The first person to show her that not all people were bad, the one person who wasn’t scared of her that time when Wanda had lost control of her powers making people run in fear, not Y/n though nope she was the one who managed to help Wanda ground herself.

Steve was also mocked for crying for the loss of his friend, ‘Captain America weeps at funeral’, ‘Captain America is weak’, ‘Steve Rogers needs to give up the shield’. Y/n was the one who taught him how to use technology, showed him how the modern world worked and operated. She was the first person on his side when he wanted to track Bucky down. He loved her, not romantically, but he loved her so much. She made him feel normal, she never treat him like he was nearing a 100 years old who was missing 70 years of his life, like he actually was.

Sam just like the rest was called weak for crying at his friends funeral. The two of them drove the whole team insane when they were together (which was pretty much all the time) Like Steve he loved Y/n, she was his sister, his angel as he always called her. She was his best friend, favourite person in the world. The photo of Sam falling to his knees at the side of his angels grave was blasted all over the internet.

The photos of Tony clinging on to his now wife Pepper made front pages as well. ‘Billionaire Tony Stark cries at funeral of dead agent’. ‘Billionaire Tony Stark has to be held up by woman at funeral’. He saw Y/n as his daughter - shit she called him dad and he introduced her to anyone as his daughter. She didn’t see him as a bank, nope she hated it when he would give her money, one time she had to ask him if she could borrow money from him doing it with tears in her eyes because she felt ashamed of herself for asking. A few weeks later she gave him the money back with interest, when he told her to stop being silly and for her to keep it they argued for nearly 3 hours. She managed to slip the money into his pocket without him even realising it. Tony loved her so deeply, when he and Pepper found out they was having a baby girl they already had her name picked out - Morgan, Y/n’s middle name.

‘God of Thunder Thor spotted crying at funeral’ Like everyone else of course he was crying he lost his friend, she made him laugh, she made confused - once she convinced him that she was invisible and that he was the only person who could see or hear her, for 3 weeks he was absolutely convinced he was the only person on planet Earth who could see her. It wasn’t until Sam got back from a mission that the whole jig was up. He was truly captivated by her but even more so especially after she was able to lift Mjölnir higher up than Steve was able to, waved his hammer around like it weighed nothing. He, like Bucky, blamed himself for her death, he thought no believed it was his fault she was no longer with them. So yes of course he cried.

Bruce wasn’t allowed to attend his friends funeral because when she died he couldn’t control the big green beefy fella - as Y/n called him - from coming out. Fury and Ross said it would be bad and take the attention away from Y/n if the Hulk was there. He agreed. Y/n loved Hulk like she loved Bruce, she wasn’t afraid of the Hulk - Christ she once tried to have an arm wrestle with him! She didn’t once make Bruce feel like he was a freak or a dangerous monster as small minded people called him. No she treat him with respect and kindness. It took 2 months for him to go from being Hulk to being Bruce again.

Clint turned his hearing aids off for months after her death, he remembered her asking him to teach her how to sign language just so he didn’t have to always wear them. That was an interesting experience to say the very least. Clint adored her, adored the spark she carried around, adored the warmth and tranquillity she oozed. Her strength, willpower and willingness that no one could dream of having been one of the many things he loved about her, and what he misses. The day after she died he went home, home to his wife and children where he collapsed in Laura’s arms and cried himself to sleep that night. He too was mocked for being weak.

Then there was the photos of Bucky who was struggling to stand strong. ‘The world’s deadliest assassin cries’ was the headline on magazine’s for weeks or his personal favourite one ‘Winter Soldier more like Weak Soldier’ Like Nat he too was mocked because he wasn’t wearing all black but bright colours - hell they all were, it was what she wanted and whatever Y/n wanted, she got. Her death hit him the hardest. He loved her. He still loves her after 6 years of her being gone. ‘True love is what them two idiots have’ Tony would say. He blamed himself for what had happened to her, he had just turned his back for a second to hand a child to an agent when the whole building came down trapping her inside, he should of done more he always tells himself. Other than Steve she was his best friend, the one person who wasn’t afraid off his arm, the only person who could calm him down after a nightmare. She was the first person he opened up to and not once did she judge him or called him names, after he finished telling her all the things he remembered she got up and walked over to him and pulled him in for a hug, crying her heart out and apologising over and over again. The worst part for Bucky other than losing her was that he never got to tell her how madly in love he was with her. 

“It doesn’t make sense” Steve was the one who broke the silence.

“Which part?” Tony asks.

“Everything. The attack, Y/n’s file, Ross wanting her to be dug up. Nothing makes sense”

“We need to figure this out. We can’t let them do this to her” Sam shakes his head, whilst trying to keep the tears he was fighting back at bay.

“Fury let me into his thoughts. They think they’re trying to find out how to recreate her genes.” Wanda finally speaks.

Once again the room went quiet. Y/n back story was still a bit of a mystery to the team. It was just something she never spoke about, they knew of the scars that covered the majority of her body and they did know of her mutant gene and that was it. 

Y/n was exactly like Logan, better known as Wolverine. Though Logan’s a Beta level mutant whereas Y/n was an Alpha level, the only one of her kind. She had complete control over her abilities, her fighting skills were untouchable and unmatched. She was a part of the Weapon X program, when she was a young child she was taken from the orphanage she was placed at as a baby - and unknown to the team she was subjected to the worst abuse imaginable at the hands of The Facility. Unlike Logan though her Adamantium claws weren’t poisonous.

And what made Y/n even stronger was just like Wanda she had telekinesis abilities, though Y/n was a bit stronger than the other woman.

They didn’t know that Logan had found her when she was 16, with a chain wrapped around her neck that was connected to the wall, in a dark room that only had a toilet - nothing else. Logan had managed to get her out, which wasn’t easy considering she didn’t trust him and he wasn’t her handler. Logan kept her with him for roughly three years, moving around place to place, keeping each other safe. He was growing weak and unable to keep his promise to her, promise being he’d keep her safe. With a heavy heart he took her to Fury, begging the other man to take care of her. And since then she was a highly respected SHIELD agent and member of the Avengers.

They knew if Hydra were trying to recreate her genes they would have an army that would be unstoppable.

“But why dig her up? Hydra has her file so therefore they… they…”

“Tony? You okay?”

“Other than finding out my daughters grave will be disturbed, I’m fine”. He gets up and walks away.

One by one they follow his lead, leaving Bucky and Thor to blow out the candles - making the same wish as the previous years.

For her to come back.

The very next day they all gather at the cemetery and watched with a heavy heart as her grave gets dug up.

Three days later Fury gets a phone call “Fury you need to come to the Pentagon as soon as you can and don’t tell anyone”

“On my way”.

As soon as he got there he meets with Ross. “What’s all this about?”

“It’s not her”

“What are you talking about Ross?”

“Y/n… it’s not her in the coffin.”

“Hold on, you fucking lied to me you told me you wasn’t going to touch her!”

“Fury we brought a dead agent to the Pentagon for a reason”.

“A dead agent? Remember that dead agent saved you life how many times? Oh yeah six. Six fucking times she saved your arse Ross.” The anger coming off Fury made everyone in the room shift foot to foot.

“Sorry, we brought Y/n to the Pentagon for a reason”

“Why?”

“Simple. We wanted to make sure that they hadn’t gotten to her so we checked, and it’s not her. If-if you just look to your left Nick you’ll see the body that was in her coffin”

Fury stood there for a few minutes just staring at Ross before he looked over to where he had pointed. 

There laid the decaying body of a woman, that was most definitely not Y/n.

“H-how is this possible?”

“We don’t know. It’s a possibility that Hydra got her body first, but it doesn’t explain why they would put this person in her place”

“Or she could be alive?” Fury asked hopefully.

“She’s not” Ross puts a hand to Fury’s shoulder “I checked the footage of the attack and it’s not her, I asked some of the agents that could talk if the person had claws and they all said no” Ross hated himself for calling her ‘a dead agent’ even if she was just that, but like Fury had said, she saved his life more times than one. When Y/n was introduced to him, he had to admit he was intimidated by her. But as time went on they gained each others trust and respect.

“Fury you can’t tell the Winter Soldier about this”

“James. His name is James and you honestly expect me not to say anything to the team?”

“We have no idea how any of them will react, especially him and Thor”

He hated to admit that Ross did have a point, there was no idea how the two men who blamed themselves for her death, would react.

Sighing “What are we going to do?”

“I’m not sure. Let’s just hope and pray that they don’t have her I guess”.

The screams of pure terror coming from civilians were muffled by the gunfire and explosions, the bodies of civilians and SHIELD agents scattered amongst the wreckage. Hydra made another attack on the Capital.

The Avengers were able to stop Hydra agents from pushing further forwards. But when the ground started to shake they all looked at each other.

Both Steve and Bucky gulped at the sight of the Uber Tank, memories of seeing it during the war flashed through their minds.

“What the fuck is that!” Tony questioned.

“T-that’s Hydras Tank - I thought I destroyed it” Steve answers.

The rain pour of gunfire came to a stop on both sides, agents of Hydra smirked, agents of SHIELD looked terrified. The rumbling stopped, the only sound that could be heard was rubble still falling in the background.

When the hatch came open they waited with bated breath. Rumlow.

Brock Rumlow climbed up and out of the tank, standing on top with a megaphone.

“Do you like her? She’s a real beauty isn’t she? Took us longer than I care to admit to rebuild her but here she is!” He laughs “Hey so the attack the other week on your headquarters, sorry about that. We just needed something, take a wild guess what” Not receiving an answer he sighs and tilts his head to the side “It was to get your friends file! Jesus do I have to do all the work around here?”

“I’ve got a clean shot” Voiced Clint from where ever he was at.

“Not yet” Steve says.

“Truth to be told guys we didn’t need her file, we just wanted to give you a heads up to what was going to come” Waving his arms towards to chaos “I knew if we took her file it would get your attention, and it did didn’t it. I also know that her coffin was taken to the Pentagon, and I also know that Fury’s been keeping a secret from the almighty Avengers”

“What are you talking about?” Steve shouted.

Rumlow chuckles “It’s about time you spoke Captain America, the secret is… how about I just show you huh?” Stomping three times on the Uber Tank “Little bird why don’t you come out so you can play”

The hatch comes open again, a figure all in black - very similar outfit that the Winter Soldier use to wear - emerged and moving their way to stand next to Rumlow.

“Our little bird here is even stronger than she once was. We gave her the serum and it just enhanced her strength.” Moving closer to the person he whispers something none of them could hear. “Look I’ve gotta go, don’t worry I’ll be taking this beauty with me so no need to cry. I’ll let little bird have all the fun, she deserves it” Placing a kiss to the side of the woman’s head, he pushes her off. “Good luck everyone, you’re gonna need it” Climbing back into the tank, the tracks started to rumble once again before leaving the same way it came.

Nobody moved even long after Rumlow and the Uber Tank had gone. That was until some Hydra agents started to drop to the floor with foam spilling from their mouths.

Little bird as Rumlow called her took one step in front of the other until she was roughly 100 feet on the Avengers.

Her hand slowly came up to her face, removing the bottom half of her mask then the glasses.

They couldn’t believe it.

They didn’t want to believe it.

“Y/n?”

<Previous   Next>

Tags: @bethexo07 @doublebassallie

~ banner credit goes to @sweetpeapod ~

[arlana-likes-to-write]

We'll Be Alright

Summary: The life of an Avenger was never easier. The life of being the daughter to Iron Man and loving the Black Widow was harder, especially when the world calls for their sacrifice.

Warning: major character death, angst with no real happy ending, grief, Endgame spoilers

Word Count: 990

Note: This is not the story I had plan to finish and post today but sometimes you finish a story quicker than you think. You can blame the 400 tik toks I saw today for this one. I have some real angst fics coming up so get ready.

You covered your eyes from the blinding light that came from the Infinity stones. When your eyes adjusted, you watched as Thanos and his army turned to dust. Swept away by the wind but you and the other Avengers remained standing. “Dad!” You rushed over to the man as he stumbled to the ground. Rhodey and Peter were already by his side and his best friend pulled the emotionally distrusted teen away from him to give you space. You fell to the ground, ignoring every ache and pain in your body.

“Hi, angel,” he softly spoke. He tried to smile but it turned into a grimace. Half of his body was burnt and his eyes couldn’t stay focused. You saw Pepper fall to her knees next to you. “Pep,”

“FRIDAY?” You asked, placing your hand on his arc reactor. He covered your hand with his.

“Life functions critical,” the AI sadly said.

“Tony, look at me,” he groaned but turned to look at her. “We’re gonna be okay.” Your head snapped to look at her. She was smiling, desperately turning to keep her tears at bay. How could she say that? You were far from okay. His breathing became labored, wheezing as it hurt to get air into his lungs. “You can rest now.” Tony forced his head to look at you as if he was waiting for your permission. It wasn’t fair. Natasha was gone. Vision was gone. Loki, too. Why was everyone leaving? But you forced a smile.

“Yeah,” your voice cracked and Pepper rested her hand on top of his. “I’ll make sure they’re okay,” you wanted to grab him by the shoulders and scream, ‘Get up! Get up! Don’t leave me too.’ “I love you, dad.” There were sounds and smells you associated with everyone, you were sensitive to both. For your dad, he smelt like coffee and oil. There was always a quiet humming around him that came from his arc reactor. Sometimes you would lay in his lab or on the couch to listen to it, it was a nice reminder that he was here. But now you couldn’t hear it and the reactor was cold. Tony’s hand fell to the side and he was gone, another name added to the list. Pepper kissed the side of his head, burrowed her face in the crock of his neck, and sobbed.

It was as if time froze around you, your hand remained on his chest. You looked down and the tears began to run down your cheeks.

*

The funeral was a blur. You barely registered what was happening around you. Some of the Avengers came up to you, offering their condolences for Tony and Natasha but you couldn’t remember if you said anything to them. The only thing that grounded you was the hold Morgan had on your arm or Pepper whispering reassuring into your ear.

But now the funeral was over and Peter took Morgan off your hands. You put one of Natasha’s sweatshirts on over your black dress and sat by the creek edge. Your relationship with the Black Widow started rocky, with both of you dancing around your feelings for one another. She was afraid to make a move because you were Tony’s daughter and you thought the redhead was too far out of your league. You came together after the team’s fight against Ultron. She was shaken by what she saw and you provided the comfort she so desperately needed. Tony questioned her intentions with you but he came to accept it.

Your relationship was put to the test during the Accords, being on the run, and fighting with her other family to bring down the Red Room. During the 5 years of the Blip, you split your time at the cabin with your father and Natasha at the compound. You watched two of the most important people in your life grieve the loss of their family. Now they were both gone. What the hell were you going to do now? “Mind if I join you?” You heard Wanda ask behind you. Wordlessly, you pointed to the spot next to you. The Sokovian sat down with a sigh. You had no energy to talk, there was a numbness washing over you.

‘I’m sorry about Vision,’ you spoke through your thoughts. She smiled, nodding her head.

“And I’m sorry about Nat and Tony,” Was it ever going to get easier to hear their names? To think about them and not feel pain. “What do you need?” You shrugged, looking down at your lap.

‘To hug them one more time. To hear them say they love me,’ you said. ‘To-’ your throat burned as you fought to keep the tears at bay. ‘I want things I can’t have because they are gone.’ Finally, you looked at her. Her eyes mirrored your own, glossy and red from shedding so many tears. ‘What do you need?’

“The same things you want,” she sighed and a single tear rolled down her cheek and she pushed it away. “Sometimes I wonder who I angered to deserve this pain. It’s like I get my footing and the rug gets pulled out from underneath me.” You saw her grieve her brother, her country, and her actions in Lagos. “How do you move on?” You sighed, taking in the scent of Natasha’s hoodie. She smelt like gunpowder, peanut butter, and the brisk autumn air.

‘I don’t know,’ you said. ‘I’m still trying to figure it out. But life and love wouldn’t be beautiful if it was easy, you know?’ You held out your hand for you to take it. “I think,” you spoke out loud, each word you spoke shook. “The love we shared with Vision and Natasha shaped us, gave us the strength to be okay.”

“Do you think so?” She whispered, taking your hand in hers.

“Yeah,” you smiled. “I think we’ll be alright.”

[ladykailitha]

Royal Pain Part 15

Hello!! We slowly but surely cranking up the tension between the two boys and it's going to be delicious.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14

***

Eddie had every intention of telling Steve about Seth Thursday, but he was thwarted by Robin.

Steve was running a little behind because a tattoo was taking a little longer than he thought it would, so Eddie was in the waiting area for his turn.

“So, don’t blame Miranda for this,” Robin began with a wince. “But she told me about Seth.”

Eddie took a deep breath. “I’m a little disappointed she told you, but I can’t say I’m surprised. Mandy likes to talk.”

Robin hurried around the desk and knelt in front of him. “I only bring it up, because I have a different opinion about telling Steve.”

Eddie frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not against it as a whole,” she said gently. “Bad exes are bad business and that kind of shit can ruin things. I’m just saying not today.”

“Why...?”

Robin sighed, and sat next to him. “Look, you’re a great guy and I totally ship you and Steve. But don’t you think it’s a little early for the seven evil exes talk?”

Eddie snorted. “Thankfully only the one.”

She nodded. “I don’t think you should hide it from him. I’m not saying that at all. I’m just saying have more fun with each other before you going trauma dumping.”

“But I–”

“Want to move slow and don’t know how to say that without trauma dumping?” she finished for him.

He waved his hand in front of him. “Yeah, that.”

She nodded, putting her hand on his shoulder. “Just say you had a rough go at dating the last couple of years and just want to go slow. He’ll understand. Okay?” Eddie nodded. Robin paused for a moment. “And also maybe not do it while you’re in the middle of a literal business transaction.”

Eddie mouthed the word, ‘oh.’ “Point taken. I keep making mistakes like that.”

“That’s because your job isn’t usual,” she explained. “Getting up on stage and playing music for hoards of people every weekend for cash is the dream for a lot of people, but other than the bar owner you really don’t have a boss and your co-workers are your best friends.”

Eddie laughed. He hadn’t heard what he did described that way before, but it was true. His job wasn’t normal, but even though the product wasn’t the usual thing, what Steve and Robin did was essentially retail. They provided a service to a consumer at a price.

He smiled. “Point well and truly made. Thank you. I probably would have fucked it up between us again if I told him about Seth while sharp needles were near my person.”

Robin cocked her head. “That too. I keep saying it but seriously I’m Team Steddie, okay? But Steve has never been wooed and doesn’t know what to do when someone is interested, just at a different speed then he’s used to going.”

Eddie played with his rings. “Steve’s never been wooed?”

Robin shook her head. “Even when he was dating men, they always seemed to expect Steve doing all the romancing. That’s why he forgave you so easily. You went out of your way to remember things about him that even he had forgotten himself. That’s a really big deal for him.”

Eddie blushed. “Jeff and Mandy said to go big, so I just did what I would have wanted to get as an apology.”

She hugged him. “I’ll be sure to tell him that if he ever needs to apology to you.”

Eddie leaned his head back. “Let’s pray he never has to, yeah?”

Robin nodded. “And look, you have this shitty past that means you want to take it as slow and steady as you can but don’t want to hurt his feelings and lose your chance with him. Does that sound about right?”

Eddie took a deep breath and let out with a shuddering sigh. “That about sums it up, yeah.”

She let him go and he slumped against the back of the chair.

“So this is what we’ll do,” Robin said with a small smile. “You’ll hold off telling Steve until Saturday after the gig. Probably on the way to the club and then have a good time with each other knowing you two like each other. How does that sound?”

“Yeah, okay,” Eddie said, his voice shaking a bit.

She patted his hand. “Let me go see how much longer he’s going to be, because we might have to reschedule.”

He nodded.

She got up and went back to Steve’s room. She came out a minute later.

“He’s pissed it’s taking so long to get the colors right,” she informed him. “So because he has to reschedule, he’s willing to do it Sunday before he goes over to Dustin and Suzie’s.”

Eddie’s eyes went wide. “He doesn’t have to do that.”

“I think I pretty much established how much he wants to be with you dude,” Robin told him. “So come to the shop around noon and he’ll work on your tattoo.”

“Yeah, okay,” he breathed. “I’ll you guys there at the bar on Saturday?”

“Yup,” she said cheerfully. “Me and Chrissy will be dressed appropriately. Steve will continue being Steve.”

Eddie shoved his hair in front of his face. “Which is one of the reasons I like him.”

She grinned, wrinkling her nose. “Sap. Now get out of here before you get it all over the floor.”

Eddie laughed. “Yeah, yeah. See you Saturday.”

Robin shooed him out of the shop to his laughter.

“I’ve never seen two stupider people in my life,” Erica said, leaning against the wall to the hallway that led to her and the other apprentices’ rooms.

Robin looked over at her with an even bigger grin. “Well, they are men.”

Erica bobbed her head back and forth. “That’s fair.” She walked back into her room and Robin followed her to check on Argyle and Chrissy.

“How goes the practice?” she asked Chrissy from the doorway.

Chrissy looked up and smiled. “I think I’m getting the hang of knowing how deep I’m going.”

Robin smiled back. “That’s great. I’m glad you’re finally getting the hang of it.”

“Steve a really good teacher,” she said. “I’ve learned so much since I started here and it hasn’t even been a whole week.”

Robin chuckled. “He’s like that. That’s why I love him.”

“How long have you guys been friends?” Chrissy asked. “Because I know you guys weren’t friends in high school.”

Robin laughed. “Actually we were. If you count the last half of his senior year and he absolutely does.”

“You guys don’t look like you could have been friends in any life time if I’m honest,” Chrissy admitted.

Robin cocked her head and shrugged. She moved further into the room. “Everyone says that, but they forget I was in marching band and soccer in high school. It’s not as though we’re complete opposites.”

“That’s true I guess,” Chrissy agreed. “You said your first job together burned down?”

Robin grinned. “Oh yeah. I’ll tell you about it later, I really have to get back up front.” She hesitated before turning on heel and scrambling out of the room, nearly hitting her head on the door frame.

Chrissy giggled.

*

Steve was vibrating in his seat at the table in front of the stage. Apparently, this table was reserved for friends of the band. The only reason Mandy didn’t show them to it last time was because she knew how loud it could be and didn’t want to scare them away their first night.

So now he can see every drop of sweat, every lip quiver, every finger placement. He gulped. He really wished that he had the foresight to sit in the back curve of the table and not the front. His brain was running a full commentary of all the things Steve found gross to keep his dick under control.

Steve was pretty sure he failed when he caught Jeff’s smirk. He was going to die. There was nothing for it. He was going to spontaneously combust, right here in the middle of this lovely bar.

And then Eddie winked. Steve let his eyelids flutter closed and tilted his head back in agony. He was grateful that was the song was the last in their set, because he was about to burst.

He stayed polite and waited for them to exit stage left, before he ran to the restroom. He ran into a stall and with two quick pumps he was coming into a bit of toilet paper. He carefully cleaned up and walked back out there a lot calmer, but embarrassed to the hilt.

Thankfully it was only the girls waiting for him and only Robin gave him a sly side eye about his mad dash to the restroom. So he was grateful for that. He just knew he was going to hear about it when he got home.

Finally band came out and Steve was relieved to see that Eddie had changed into something a little less ‘sex on legs’ and a little more ‘not kill Steve’.

Eddie looked good. He always did. But damn, that outfit he wore tonight on stage was a heart attack wrapped in leather and mesh.

“You guys ready for the club?” Gareth asked, bouncing on the balls on his feet.

Steve laughed. “I’m glad you guys had fun last time. But yeah, I’m ready.”

There were nods and agreements across the board.

“So where are we going?” Chrissy asked as they filed out into the parking lot.

“We decided to walk this time,” Jeff said. “It’s not very far and not worth the gas it would take to get there.”

Robin hopped up and down. “It’s this nifty little club that Stevie and I found when we first moved to Indy. It’s not strictly a gay club but it’s very friendly. It’s called Rainbow High and it has the best cocktail called Evita and it has...”

Steve tuned her out as she rattled on to Chrissy about the club with a fond shake of his head.

Eddie sidled up to him and nudged him with his shoulder. “I think your girl has a crush.”

Steve looked back up at the two girls walking in front of him. He huffed out a laugh. “Yeah. I think she does, poor Miranda.”

Eddie threw his head back and laughed. “I think she’ll live not being pursued by a Robin.”

They walked in silence a moment or two.

“God,” Eddie said, tilting his head back and rolling his shoulders, “it feels good to go out and not have to look over my shoulder every minute of every day.”

“Crazy fan or evil ex?” Steve asked lightly, trying to keep the concern out of his voice. In the back of his mind he kept chanting, go slow, go slow, go slow.

Eddie scoffed. “I’ve had both unfortunately, but no this one is an evil ex.”

Steve winced. “That’s rough. Nothing like a bad ex to make you want to run for the hills. It must take a lot of courage to keep taking a step forward every day.”

Eddie blushed. “I sometimes still feel like a coward, breaking it off with him, but everyone else in my life tells me I did the right thing.”

Steve took Eddie’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Sometimes it’s hard to see how bad it looks in front of us, until someone else shows you.”

Eddie squeezed his hand back before reluctantly letting go. “You sound like you know from experience.”

Steve nodded. “My parents, unfortunately.” He ran thumb over the warmth Eddie’s hand left behind in his palm. “It wasn’t until Robin pulled me aside and made examine the relationships her and most of my other friends had with their parents and see that how they treated me wasn’t right.”

“That why you two ran away together?” Eddie teased.

Steve laughed. “Something like that. Her parents were really supportive.” He watched as his best friend laughed and made wild hand gestures for a moment. “Sometimes we think they love me more than they love her.”

Eddie leaned in close. “What’s not to love?”

Steve blushed.

***

Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Epilogue

Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @pyrohonk​ @renaissan-vvitch @goodolefashionedloverboi @maya-custodios-dionach @messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence @plyerice27 @thedragonsaunt @chaoticlovingdreamer @sapphirecobalt-1 @a-little-unsteddie @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog @itsall-taken @justforthedead89 @emly03 @bookworm0690 @aizawa-emma @redfreckledwolf @thesuninyaface @bookbinderbitch @yikes-a-bee @littlewildflowerkitten @scheodingers-muppet @archermightbegay @hallucinatedjosten @ellietheasexylibrarian @anne-bennett-cosplayer @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @bestwifehaver @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx

[serickswrites]

Bring IX

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

Warnings: referenced captivity, referenced torture, referenced restraints, rescue, mcd

Right Hand was somewhere soft. And warm. And so gentle?

The last thought had them wrenching their eyes open and shooting up despite the pain. “You’re safe, Right Hand,” Hero said from their chair in the corner of the room. They had a book in hand and a mug of something on the table next to them. “How are you feeling?”

Right Hand sank back against the pillows. “Where’s Sidekick?”

Hero’s eyes tightened. “Answer my question first. How are you feeling?”

Why did it matter? What about Sidekick? Were they ok? “I’m fine. Where’s Sidekick, please? I….I need to say something to them.” Where does one even begin to apologize for torturing someone?

Hero put their book down on the table next to their mug. They raked a few fingers through their hair. “Sidekick is in the orchard. Where I buried them.”

Buried them? No. That would mean, “Buried them? What—“ Dread filled Right Hand. This couldn’t be. 

“Villain slit their throat just as I arrived.” Hero’s voice held such sorrow that Right Hand’s own heart ached. 

“But you asked Villain to let them go, I don’t…no.” Tears filled Right Hand’s eyes. Sidekick was dead? This was all their fault. If only they had the guts to defy Villain sooner. 

“I was begging for your life, Right Hand.” Hero’s gaze pierced through Right Hand’s guilt. 

“My life, why? My life is worthless.”

Hero snorted. “Your life is anything but worthless, Right Hand. I saw that you were strung up and tortured right next to Sidekick. It takes a lot to defy Villain’s orders.”

“But I did it too late. I wasn’t brave enough.”

Hero shook their head. “You couldn’t have known, Right Hand. I don’t hold it against you. Sidekick wouldn’t have either.”

Right Hand swallowed around the lump in their throat. “What happens now?”

Hero watched Right Hand for a second before answering. “That entirely depends on you. You’re welcome to stay here until you are fully recovered. Then I’ll take you wherever you want to go. But I’m hoping you will stay here and join me.”

“Join you?”

“Yes. It takes a lot to stand up to Villain. And it takes a lot to admit that you were instrumental in my friend’s death. But it takes even more to stand up against someone that will hurt you because it’s the right thing to do.”

“I…I…I shouldn’t accept. I’ve done terrible things.”

“Then think of it as atonement for what you’ve done. You’re not evil, Right Hand. And I would much rather have you on my team than let you go out and be murdered by Villain.”

Right Hand sat quietly for a few breaths. Join Hero? It had it’s possibilities. But what if they were like Villain. Nobody could be as bad as Villain was as it turns out. “Ok. I’ll stay. But only as long as you can stand me.”

Hero gave a wan smile. “Welcome to the team, Right Hand.” They stood up, tucking their book under their arm. “Rest up. We can go over the terms of your contract when you’re feeling a bit more yourself.”

Before Right Hand could reply, Hero left. “I’m sorry,” Right Hand whispered to the now empty room. “I should have stood up sooner. I’m sorry you had to die. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry I took you.” Right Hand dabbed at the tears rolling down their cheeks. “But I will protect your friend. I won’t let anyone hurt them. I promise.”

Tags: @ha-ha-one@skys-fantasy@keeper-of-all-the-random-things@a-place-to-put-poetry@subval01 @smuwfy-side-blog @friendlylandcrustacean@annablogsposts@st0rmm@freefallingup13@lit-lists@saltyontheside@pieswhump@bookworm7543@st0rmm@whump321@kyommommo@written-by-jayy@straymiku@hopefullywritingahit@idkwhattodowiththisaltiamsorry@freefallingup13 @crabofthewoods @cherry-holic @galaxysmask @thewhumphut @mefattortoise @lthrboy

[kybercrystals94]

Absolute Privilege

Read here on Ao3!

Febuwhump 2024 | Day 5 | Prompt 5: Rope Burns

Bad Things Happen Bingo: Burns

Rated: G | Words: 1091 | Summary: Missing scenes from S2E2: Ruins of War, Omega struggles with what her brothers have had to do because of her. [Character Focus: Omega, Tech]

Omega leans over the cliff, staring into the dark, gaping mouth of the container yawning up at her. She can do this. She has to do this. It is the least she can do for all the trouble she’s brought to the Batch.

Sitting back on her heels, Omega tests the borrowed cable one more time, tugging on it with all her strength. It should hold her weight. She’s been practicing knots with Echo, and she’s pretty sure she did it right.

The rappelling part though…Omega isn’t scared of heights as a rule, but she doesn’t like the idea of free falling if she loses her grip. If only she had a carabiner to latch herself to, and gloves like her brothers instead of her bare hands. Her palms have gained some calluses over the months since she left the sterile halls of Kamino, but they won’t be enough to prevent rope burns.

She sighs. While she doesn’t have the proper equipment, she does have a mission. She has to do this.

Standing, Omega puts her back to the ledge, gripping the cable in both hands. Breathe. She steps back until the heels of her boots are over the lip of the cliff face. Now or never. Omega leans back, allowing the cable to slip slightly through her grip while keeping tension. Another skill she’s learned from her brothers; however, there has always been one of them present to give her instructions. She’s never been alone like this.

If her brothers were here, in her place, they’d be down to the container in moments, taking several bold leaps down the wall. Omega doesn’t have the resources for that kind of bravery, and even if she did, she’s not sure she could muster up the courage. Instead, she practically creeps down the wall. Very slowly. She doesn’t want to think about how hard it will be to climb up with her pack full of precious items. That’s a hurdle for future Omega to face.

Every few steps, Omega stops and glances down to see how close she’s getting to her destination, but it seems to loom an eternity away, further with every step closer. Her hands already ache from the pressure of the cable against her weight. She needs to hurry, to get this over with. Tech and Echo are going to notice she’s gone eventually, and they’re going to know exactly where she went. She hopes to meet them on her way back to the house, a bag of treasures in her possession as a peace offering.

Because it is about time she earns her place on the squad. She isn’t a child, she is a part of a team. And all the players have to pull their weight. It makes sense why Echo was frustrated by the trouble she’s caused to the squad, forcing them to take jobs to take care of her instead of living as they should be living. Whatever that life looked like.

Finally, Omega’s feet step onto the edge of the container. She smiles. That wasn’t going to be as hard as she thought it would be.

<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>

Omega glares at her hands, at the ugly, painful tracks the cable left on her palms when she and Echo nearly plummeted to their deaths. In hindsight, Omega realizes she caused more trouble to her brothers trying to help. She almost got Echo and Tech killed. So much for being a team player.

Echo’s talk with her had helped a little; however, the fact still remains that she is more of a liability than any sort of asset.

“Omega, would you assist me?” Tech asks. He is in Wrecker’s bunk, injured leg propped up. He looks miserable, having been banished to the barracks until their return to Ord Mantell per Hunter’s orders.

Omega jumps up. “Sure, Tech! What do you need?”

“The med kit,” Tech says.

Omega frowns, baffled, but she goes and gets the med kit from its place, bringing it back, and setting it next to Tech on the bunk. “What’s wrong?” she asks.

“Your hands,” Tech says, as though it is obvious. “You have burns from where you slipped down the cable.”

Omega scowls, crossing her arms so that her hands are tucked out of sight. “I’m fine.”

“You will be fine just as soon as you allow me to treat your injuries,” Tech says.

“They don’t even hurt,” Omega lies sourly, “and I already cleaned them. They’re fine.”

Tech gives her a calculating look, as though she is an intricate problem he is trying to solve. She squirms under the scrutiny. “If they are fine and do not cause you discomfort, then why do you keep staring at them?” he asks.

“Because it’s my fault!” Omega cries, trying to keep her voice steady and firm. “All of this is my fault.”

“Pardon?” Tech looks confused and mildly horrified at the outburst. “I fail to see the correlation between you and this failed mission. Granted, it was unwise of you to seek out the lost war chest on your own, but…”

“No! I mean the only reason we took this mission is because of me. And then you got hurt, and then I almost got us all killed going back for the treasure, and…” Omega cuts herself off before she starts rambling. She swallows back the sob in her throat and glares at the floor.

“Ah, I see,” Tech says. “I suppose that is true.”

Omega huffs. Of course, Tech, of all her brothers, would finally see and understand the truth. She doesn’t want to be pacified. She wants her share of the blame placed directly on her shoulders where it belongs.

“However, I fear that you have misunderstood our motives,” Tech says, voice softening. “We took this mission not out of a place of obligation to you, but out of a sincere desire to give you the best life we are capable of giving. We took this mission because we want to take care of you, Omega, not because we are required to.”

Omega looks up, eyes wide. “But I cause so much trouble,” she argues weakly.

Tech shakes his head. “It is our absolute privilege to have you in our care, Miss Omega. Troubles are of no consequence, I assure you.”

Omega sniffs and nods.

“Now,” Tech says, “about those rope burns. May I help take care of that for you?”

With a shaky smile, Omega sits down on the edge of the bunk, holding out the offending wounds. “Thank you, Tech.”

END

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[livelovesimallways]

"Baby Johnson's Arrival"...Pt. 5

(previous)

20 Minutes Later......

"Deanna?..." *closes the door*

*sees who it is* "Oh hell no! I don't know why you're up here, but you can get out! Tell that mothafucker to give me my son and my phone, we're leaving! I'm getting a restraining order and filling for full custody. He'll be lucky if a judge allows supervised visitation."

"I know you're upset right now but just take a moment to think rationally."

"Rationally!??? Look at my face!!" *voice cracking* "This is more than one punch!...I'm done."

"Listen, he had no right to put his hands on you. Nothing in this world justifies that. But with that being said, it didn't come out of nowhere. You named his son after Sean, something he has to live with for the rest of his life. That was fucked up too."

"Well he should've handled that like a man, instead of using his fists! Of course I was wrong, but that doesn't mean I deserved this."

"I'm not saying you did, I just want you to see that there's cause and effect. Going to the courts over this one incident doesn't make sense. It wouldn't be a regular case. He's Michael fuckin Johnson!...The world famous, six time NBA champion, multi-billionaire! Do you realize the rippling damage that would cause? Think about Silas. Labeling his father as an abuser would mess up his future."

"Oh please, only Mike is going to suffer, and rightfully so."

"How can you be so sure? If this gets out, he'll be flooded with lawsuits from people looking for a payday. They'll say he's a monster and use your situation as ammunition. No one will care if they have any real claim, it'll be believable. His reputation will be finished, he'll have to resign from his companies, and he'll forever be blackballed. Silas is his son. No one will want to work with him or put him on a team because of the negative attention his father's name will bring. Sure he'll be rich, but will he be happy? All the comments, ridicule, comparisons...It will take a toll."

"Well, what do you suggest I do then!? I can't be here and I'm not leaving my baby. He's not going to give me custody without a fight. I won't win without telling my truth."

"I know. He's stubborn and not capable of seeing the bigger picture, but you are. You're Silas' mother and have been protecting him since you found out you were pregnant. Continue to do that by letting this go. Everything was fine before today. He knows he messed up and I promise you he won't do that again. Just take a breather, rest, and reset."

*shakes her head* "This is crazy..."

"I agree. It's alot, but you're doing the right thing. I'll go get you an ice pack and some Tylenol."

"...And Silas?"

"Hmm. Maybe I should bring him up after you get some rest. Babies can sense stress. You'll feel better afterwards and that will make all the difference."

A Little While Later.......

"Took you long enough, I was beginning to get worried. Ryan handled his part and got through to Sean's agent. Once he heard the words blackballed he had him make a post addressing the rumors." *rubs Silas' back* "So what happened with Deanna?"

"She's hurting but I think I got through to her. Right now she's resting."

"Good. Did you give her the pain medicine?

"Yes. I told her it was Tylenol like you asked." *with a slight attitude*

"I know you didn't want to do it but it had to be done. I can't trust that she won't change her mind, so it's just a little insurance. Technically Percs have Tylenol in them so you really didn't lie."

"So how exactly will that work in your favor?"

"It's simple. If she goes to the courts, I will have the judge order a hair sample drug test. They leave your system but stay in your hair for up to 90 days. My lawyers will paint a very different picture that you and Ryan will corroborate. I told her ass, I don't play about my kids. She's either gonna fall in line or lose him for good."

[agendabymooner]

matilda ! max v. x ofc (hearth sister!ofc)

“you showed me a power that is strong enough to bring sun to the darkest days.”

summary: sylvie ford wasn’t fond of the older men who stuck around in her life and those who didn’t even try to be there for her, but she couldn’t speak for him. one thing was clear, though: there’s a silent agreement that they’d take a different route from those who brought nothing but pain into their lives. (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)

content warning: angst angst hurt/comfort, use of explicit language, mentions of emotional traumas, brief description of paternal relationship issues (character’s father and max’s dad), emotional breakdown/crying (max) and support (ofc), “you talk of the pain like it’s no big deal”, christian horner is funny- ofc just hates him but he's cool

note: posting this because i want a lil context for the post after this lmfaoooo. i am sharing my view on max’s relationship with jos based on what i experienced btw— i have problems with paternal figures so 🫡 cheers enjoy xx

masterlist

She never once liked any older men to exist in her life. All but one, but it was mainly because Toto Wolff truly cared for Tilly. Otherwise, older men were the shittiest people to exist and they can choke for all she cares. 

The distasteful feeling that she got from knowing Christian Horner had subsided as she continued to work with him and the team. She was outspoken and passionate about what she believed in for that moment. She told him upfront about how she respected him but preferred to keep her personal life separate from her work. She never shared anything about her family. Everyone around them only got the gist of her life, but never did she share to everyone who she was. And with her dislike for her employer, she preferred to keep it that way. 

Toto merely earned her respect as he treated their relationship as if there's no man’s land. At least that was what had happened at the beginning, when he and her sister became official.

The end of the term exam ended and coincided with the summer break of the 2015 season. She wondered who he was as a person and had asked her chauffeur to take her to the Mercedes factory. Toto had surprisingly picked her up from the lobby when the receptionist called him about a “college student who would like to get an interview with him” named Sylvie, asking her if she actually needed some help with her research. 

To which she replied, “It’s nice to know you’re a considerate man. No, I don’t. I don’t have any paper to write. My term just ended, in fact.” 

She then spent her days in the factory with him being stuck on his desk. Oftentimes, she followed him like a duckling and asked him questions left and right about how communications between drivers and the public worked. 

It started there and she continued to visit the factory, now gaining a special access ID just in case she wished to barge in to pester the Mercedes staff with questions. Well, not to harass them but rather ask questions or observe here and there should they allow her to sit in.

Now the frown that she etched in her face while she worked became a permanent part of her routine. Christian once joked that she was Toto’s clone, to which her frown deepened in annoyance before she continued to work on whatever task she had in hand. 

She wouldn’t admit to Christian that she found it hilarious few hours after because her pride was bigger than her fondness of him.

But she was proud of herself for reaching that phase of mentorship. Toto was the only older man she tolerated. Having to grow up with no father and with only sisters — while both your stepmother and mother coparented — would give you that feeling. 

There was just something about father figures that made her feel so little and stupid. Perhaps it was her father’s expectations to make her a prodigal F1 driver — to put the Hearth name back to the motorsports community after being absent from the tracks for thirty years.

Julius wasn’t subtle when he’d put Sylvie in a private schooling program just as she started karting at the age of 5. He’d long given up on Tilly and Stevie, but Sylvie was his star driver. How her mother never got full custody of them, she didn’t know, but she disliked the fact that she had to attend driving classes with her father during his week and somehow still had to take the classes despite not living with him. 

She could remember having her piles of books being stored away once after she ended up on the 7th place of their tournament. He said that she didn’t need all of that kind of intelligence and that her education was an easy thing to pursue— it wasn’t a big deal to him. Everything that she wanted, he’d refuse. He wanted her to focus on racing, because the next time she ended up in such a position he’d burn the books. She began to race and fight against other competitors to get a good shot at winning trophies. She became somebody that she didn’t want to be. 

Maybe it was his arrogance and greediness that made her think that all fathers were the same. That… or maybe because she’d seen how Max’s father acted towards him after landing on 5th in Monaco. She felt her heart breaking at the sight of a defeated Max. She had seen it all before, but to hear it up close this time— it was even worse. She could feel his heart pounding, his need to clear his head and possibly cry it out— she could feel it. Because she was in that position before, and it takes a traumatized child to know one. 

Sure, Sylvie had grown a backbone to tell her father about leaving the academy without his knowledge and had somehow loosened her grip on her own ambitious thoughts, but she didn’t think that she’d witness a version of herself in the form of her best friend. This was what she didn’t see after abandoning her friendship with him. But it wasn’t as if she did it just to spite him. 

She merely needed the courage. At some point, Max Verstappen managed to win against his own father — but there was something about the father figures they’ve had in life that were too determined to keep their children on a tight leash. 

She pretended as if she didn’t eavesdrop on Jos’ berating and merely gave him a curt nod and a stink eye before she approached Max’s drivers room. She could hear him throwing his bag in rage… then silence.

He was seething in disappointment. He wasn’t disappointed in anyone but himself. And the anger that he had told Sylvie that he needed to sit down for a moment. By himself. 

There was just something about their fathers that drove them mad. They’re always too greedy and arrogant, and they both damaged their bloodlines at a young age because of their vile desires and lack of empathy towards others and their own children.

Thankfully, his father had flown back to the Netherlands right after the race. Max, from what Christian had told her (with a sympathetic smile), had retired early to his room instead of partying. Good, she told herself, because he needs someone and some ice cream right now. 

Marinara was going to sleep in Stevie’s room tonight. Sylvie was very good at begging until others cave in to her pleading face, and it obviously worked on her older sister too. So after dropping her dog off, her fluffy sandal-cladded feet made their way into another floor and directly to his room. 

She patiently waited for him to open the door after knocking, her plaid pajamas hanging on her hips while she wore a blue jumper over her white cropped shirt. She could hear the faint footsteps gradually moving their way to the door. She was met with Max’s reddening eyes just as he swung the door open. 

Her hands held a tub of ice cream as she shuddered at the cold water the dripped down her hand, “It’s melting. And there’s less calories on it so you’re not gonna fully ruin your diet.” 

He stared at it for a moment, then looked back at her as he stepped aside to let her in.

The night they spent together consisted of watching Miss Congeniality and Easy A (again). While Sylvie laughed along at some jokes, she could hear how he took deep breaths before regaining his composure. It happened every other minute. 

She decided to put the ice cream on the table and turned to look at him. He, acting as if he wasn’t grounding himself ten seconds ago, asked her with a croak, “W-what?” 

She didn’t answer, observing all of him. His facial features. His surprisingly messy bed hair. His bloodshot eyes. His lips were more plump than usual. His cheeks were tinted pink. She could just tell that he wanted to let it out. But he grew up being told that, “his feelings wouldn’t be a big deal when he’s competing.” 

Sylvie pushed her sleeves back and wiped the tear away from his eyes, smiling faintly at him and breathing evenly. She was more grounded than he was, and her simple gestures helped him get back. Somehow. 

Then his deep breathing method didn’t work out, now quietly sobbing as Sylvie hugged him on his side, her hand circling his back gently. Sandra Bullock’s voice tampered his sound of defeat, but it wasn’t as if it mattered. He could cry for as long and as loud as he wanted. 

She hadn’t even realized how late it was until he fell asleep in her arms, head resting on her chest while she ran her fingers through his hair. She could barely see the digital clock and couldn’t figure out if it said eleven or one, having to squint and adjust a little to look closely. 

These days, she has been able to sleep before midnight. After that intimate moment she shared with her best friend, she had been able to close her eyes peacefully. He’ll have to figure out what helps him sleep better. It’ll be easier if he sought help from professionals— that’s what the team was for. He’ll give them success and in exchange, they make things easier for him. Nobody really knew what eased Max off, because he seemed more calmed and relaxed for the past few races. But that was because he knew that she was only a few footsteps away from him.

It was as if they had their little sanctuary that nobody could find. They couldn’t find themselves in the arms of other people, already used to each other’s affection and the solace that came with it. As if it was normal for friends to be this… considerate. 

Everyone who knew the two as a pairing would simply laugh when you tell them about the peculiarity of their “friendship.” You would think that they’d have intervened by now, but their relatives and friends merely shrugged it off. They returned to their old routine, except they’ve grown. It was normal for their families to see the two together, much to Max’s father’s dismay, knowing that whatever they may have planned was already thought of and agreed on. 

Their closest friends laughed at the thought of their relationship being platonic. What a fucking dream it would be if best friends can just casually buy a house together, or decide to adopt a puppy together (which happens more frequently than not). It would be a wild experience for anyone if their best friends would just platonically steal glances from their other half. 

And friends don’t create their own little family like that. Just the two of them, and their dog. They don’t play mum and dad while they’re just “friends.” No friends would silently agree with raising their kids the way their fathers hadn’t treated them before, just to avoid that pain all over again.

So no, if you were to ask anyone who knew them well — they’d say that Mustang and Cadillac being friends would be a load of rubbish. Even the two knew that the thought was ridiculous. 

Peering down at the Dutchman, she sighed softly while snores escaped his mouth quietly. His weight on top of her was comforting, immediately lulling her to a dreamless sleep. 

They really need to work on not bottling their feelings up.

[loveisfriendship]

It’s all about loyalty Part 3

Author’s Note: Here we are with Part 3. I nearly forgot about this gem. Love the story. 2 Parts and I have only user 1 of the prompt sentences.

Enjoy this part.

Love,

Lis.

Trigger Warning: mention of blood and blood loss, explosion, guns

You all didn’t come very far. The whole warehouse exploded behind you all and everybody was pushed to the ground. The only thing besides the ground that you registered was a sharp pain in your left side. Slowly everybody got back to their feet besides you. You rolled over on your back and hold you side. As you looks at your hands and noticed the blood you cursed under your breath before applying pressure again.

“Boss.” You hear Mattia call out as he and Alessandro run over to you and kneel by your side. Alessandro quickly takes his jacket off and rips it up to press on your wound whereas Mattias jacket is put under your head. The sun is blinding you, besides the ear ringing and the pain from your side. The sun is suddenly blocked when more people come into your view. The 5-0 team stand around you, all disheveled and dusty, but mostly okay. As Alessandro slowly takes of his hands from your wound to see the extent of your wound, you feel blood running down your side.

“Holy Shit! You’re bleeding!” Detective Williams exclaims. You hear someone dialing and talking on the phone.

“No..” you say, coughing and hissing at the pain.

“No ambulance, no hospital. Remember? Not supposed to be out of jail.” You say as loud as you can.

“Boss, it’s serious. That’s not something we can fix.” Mattia says, moving the hair out of your face.

“They are right.” Commander McGarrett says. “But she is also right. We cannot bring her to a hospital.” He says sternly, looking at his team. Whoever tried to call an ambulance hung up by now.

“Max?” Detective Williams asks, looking at the Commander. He nods and before you can understand what is going on, everybody is moving and you are carried to a car. On the car ride you are slipping in and out of consciousness. From time to time you hear, that the bleeding is not stopping.

The next time you wake up, you are on a couch in an office, Mattia and Alessandro in front of you. As your vision clears and your other senses come back to live, you notice that everybody is pointing their guns at each other and everyone is yelling. You try to sit up and try to understand what is happening.

“Stand down.” You half yell, falling back into the couch, not being as strong as you think. But everyone heard you nonetheless. Mattia and Alessandro lower their guns at you words and turn around to you. A millisecond of relieve ran over their faces, before becoming serious again and turning back to the 5-0 team.

You look up to the commander and see he has his gun pointed at you.

“Can someone please explain to me, what the fuck is actually going on?” you ask, trying to sit up again, this time with the help of Mattia.

“You nearly killed my team and myself!” the Commander yells in your face, taking a step forward. But Mattia and Alessandro close the gaps more, so you can barely look at the Commander.

“I did not. I was unconscious when I was brought there. And who is the one bleeding and nearly dying here, huh?” you ask, your patience running thin.

“Okay, let’s all calm down and discuss what is going on.” Detective Kelly says, the rest of the 5-0 team lowering their guns. Detective Williams goes over to the Commander says

“Please lower your gun, Steve. And please refrain from shooting her, we need her for later.”

The Commander lowers his gun but is still breathing heavily and looking at with the most intense stare ever.

“You’re cute when you’re angry, Commander.” you say, trying to lighten the mood, even though your are also very angry.

Before anyone else says anything, you continue: “Let’s recap, shall we? I rushed through the house, saw Donny, threatened to kill him, am being knocked out from behind, from someone we now know is called Wo Fat. And then I am brought to this warehouse, where Donny tries to trick me with a recording from my father, but I smash his head against the metal bars. He leaves, Mattia and Alessandro free me and we meet you outside. Commander McGarret receives this phone call and the whole warehouse explodes. And now we are here. Am I correct?” you say and look into all the faces. Everyone but McGarret nod.

“Good, now where is Donny and who the fuck is Wo Fat?” you ask.

“An old enemy of ours. Let’s keep it at that.” McGarret answers.

“Okay, well… You guys have a specific plan? Do you know where they are? Can I just put a bullet between Donny’s eyes?” you ask.

“Yes, we know where they are. Yes, we have a plan. No, you cannot shoot him.” Detective Williams answers.  You sigh and try to stand up, a bit shaky but with Mattias and Alessandro help, you stand and make your way over to the Commander. You look at him pointedly and say

“Okay, let’s move then.”

Taglist: @geeksareunique @fandomoniumflurry @rahma29417 @letsstarsfalling @fairchild21 @fungk17 @woodworthti666 @honestlyoriginalthing @evyiione @everygoodusernameistaken16 @littlewhiterose @reincarnated-ghost @princess76179 @damedoctoroftardis-blog @make-yourownmemories

[mrs-santoss]

Love at First Sight - Neymar Imagine - Chapter Six

Summary: 

Y/N is scared to fall in love. She fell once, and it was a nightmare. She can't risk it again. But, this lucky boy manages to steal her heart, but unfortunately, manages to break it at the same time. What will Y/Ns decisions be?

Chapter 1 , Chapter 2 , Chapter 3 , Chapter 4 , Chapter 5

All the medical staff ran up to Neymar. I stood there in my place not being able to move an inch. Someone bumps my shoulder while running to him, bringing me back to my senses. I ran up to him. He was laying there in pain, tears falling from his eyes. It was a very heartbreaking view. I couldn't even examine him a just stood there looking at him, holding his hand. "Is it bad? Do I have to stop playing?" he kept asking, looking up at everyone. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see Kylian, motioning for me to speak with Neymar.

"Ney? Are you in...are you in pain?" He looked at me for a second before answering, I could tell he was trying to say something else to me, but couldn't because of other people being around. "No, meu am--no, ma'am, I'm okay. Don't worry" Neymar couldn't continue his game, It would only make the injury worse. All the medical staff members looked at me, waiting for me to give my final verdict. I had to agree with them on this one. Neymar had to leave the game because of his own good. "Unfortunately, you have to leave the game, Ney....mar"

"No, no, no, no, I only need to rest for a few minutes, I'll be fine" "NO YOU WON'T, BEBÊ. IT'LL ONLY GET WORSE, I CAN'T LET YOU RISK NOT PLAYING ANYMORE BECAUSE I LOVE YOU" He looks taken back by my sudden outburst. I couldn't tell if he was mad at me or not, it looks like he forgot about the pain for a second. We put him on the stretcher and carry him inside. As soon as we were out of the camera's sight, I looked at him. "Ney, I'm sorry about that. I'm just really scared something will happen to you right now." "It's okay, amor. It just caught me by surprise. You do realize the whole STADIUM probably heard you calling me "bebê" and telling me  you love me, right?" "I knoww, that was an intense moment, alright? I didn't think it all the way through. I'm sorry." "It's okay, bebê. People are going to find out at some point anyway" We reach the ambulance and place Neymar inside. I go with him as his girlfriend, since my part as a medical staff on the field is done. _____________________________

"Can I see him now?" "Yes, you can, ma'am." I knock on the door and open it slowly, Neymar is laying there looking at me smiling. He seemed okay. According to the doctor, he had a small knee injury that's supposed to heal in a week. While I was waiting for the doctor I went through my phone, scrolling on different social medias. Our team has won the game, I was happy about that. All the other news were about my interaction with Neymar on the field earlier. There were photos of me holding his hand, cupping his face.  There was an actual video of me yelling "...because i love you" going viral. I guess our relationship has been discovered. "Hi, bebê. How are you feeling?" I kiss him on the cheek and sit on the chair next to him, holding his hand. "Hi, meu amor. I'm feeling much better now. Did you see whether they won the game or not?" "Yes, they did, Ney. Congratss!"

"Oh, thank god. I was worried about it." "There are also videos of us about our moment on the field earlier, I think they know." "That's okay, bebê. Honestly, It doesn't really make a difference for me, I love you the same either way. Besides, I can kiss you at work whenever I want now." he winks at me. "About that... I'm sure the coach will talk to me about it tomorrow. He will give me a list of things of how to keep our relationship professional at work." "Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'll still kiss you." "You're crazy." I chuckle at him. "Says the woman who accidentally announced our relationship to a whole crowd at a stadium while trying to yell at me." "Heyy!!! Not everyone heard it., that's physically impossible for me" I smack his arm lightly. He was messing with me. 

Neymar gets discharged from the hospital after a few hours. I decide to stay over at his place for a couple of days so I can take care of him, so we drive straight to his place.

__________________________

Our relationship going public was the most stressful thing I've ever went through. I was already a part of social media for my close friendship with the guys. I was a part of a lot of Neymar's and Kylian's compilations of funny videos. Now, I'm also a part of Neymar's and Bruna's compilations of loving moments videos. Bruna is Neymar's ex-girlfriend. They were in a relationship for a very long time, so they were a very famous couple in Brazil especially. This never really bothered me at first, probably because we were still a secret at that time, but now, it's completely different. I get a lot of messages from people comparing me to her or asking me to break up with Neymar or telling me to kill myself. I only spoke about this to Neymar once. He assured me that he doesn't care what everyone thinks and that it will get better over time. It didn't though. It only got worse. Now, I'm photographed everyday at work or I'm chased by the press at every restaurant I go to with my friends. I was going through a hard time.

The worst part about all of this is how Neymar has been acting recently. He seems to always be in deep thoughts, he's not that flirtatious as he used to be, he rarely invites me to stay over at his place. Even our fun nights as a group with Kylian are completely forgotten. I'm pulled from my thoughts by a waving hand in front of my eyes. I look around me and I realize I'm sitting on the field with Kylian chatting. "Are you still here? Hello? Y/N?" "Yeah, yeah, yeah! Sorry" "Y/N, you should talk to him about this. You look more stressed each passing day. This is not good for you." "I know I should, but I'm just scared of what his answer will be. He's been completely different since our relationship went public. Has he said anything to you?" "No, not really. We don't hang out together, the three of us, like we used to anymore. I admit that there's something going on for sure, but you're the only one who can find out." "I know" I say as I lower my head looking at the artificial grass under me. I feel Kylian's arms around my shoulders, he kisses my head. "Hey, whatever happens, I'll always be your friend. I'm always there for you" "Thank you, Ky. I'm so grateful for you." "Awww, thank you, crazyy. I'm grateful for you too." ______________________________________ I knock on the door a couple times before Neymar opens it. He looks surprised to see me and not very excited. I decided to stop by his house after work, he left before me and I didn't have a chance to talk to him. "Hi, can I come in?" "Yea-yeah, of course, Y/N." he leads me to the living room where he was staying before I knocked on the door. He was watching a movie, it was on pause. I sit on the couch and motion for him to sit close to me. "Ney, you do admit there's something different about us these days, right?" He looks scared to answer, he scratches his neck constantly. He sighs before he answers. "Yes, there is." "Do you have any idea why?" "Yes, I do." "Do you think you're being fair and honest by not sharing it with me, because I personally don't think I'm doing anything different?" I speak in a soft voice, I always speak in a soft voice during these kind of intense conversation. I find raising my voice very unhelpful. "No, I'm not. I should talk to you about it."

"Why aren't you....are you unsure about your feelings?" I know if the answer to that question is "yes", that would totally break me. But, I need to know, I can't continue like this. "Y/N, you're an amazing person. I adore you as a person, okay? You're this soft and sweet person that I'm being a dick to like an idiot. I've been avoiding this conversation because I was afraid." I pause for a moment. I'm forcing myself not to cry. I can't cry in front him, I can't cry in front of anyone. I don't need to continue this conversation anymore to know where this is going, but I still want to ask him why. "What made you feel like this... is it something I did?" He looks at me defeated and cups my cheeks, looking straight into my eyes. "NO, no , no, god, no. You are an amazing person, you have the biggest heart, everything about is lovely, don't try to find the flaw in yourself, please, because you can't find a single one." he pauses for a moment before continuing. "Ever since our relationship went public, I've been seeing a lot of videos about my past relationship. She's become a part of my everyday life from all the videos and the long messages of people wanting us back together, I swear to you, I haven't spoken to her since the day I broke up with her, but, It's about my feelings. I realized I'm not over her yet, I can't be with someone as good as you and still have feelings for my ex girlfriend. All I'm asking from you is just time, can I have some time, can you please not hate me?" I was speechless. I could've been anything. Anything, but this. I swear to you, I heard a crack from inside of me. I studied medicine for almost a decade and I've never heard of this possibility. I could hear my trust, my love, my happiness, our innocence crack. 

"I just... I just.. I never believed another guy when they told me that I'm the most beautiful woman they've ever seen, but...but I chose to believe you." "No, plea-" "I guess beauty isn't all it takes, love at first sight isn't a reliable theory to find your soul mate. I guess, it's my fault for...for jumping into it too quickly? I mean, we could've avoided this, we could've stayed friends." "We still can stay friend-" "No we can't, meu am-Neymar" I guess it's an instinct of mine to call him that. I need to get used to it. I hate this part. "Why not?" "I can't do that. I don't have the strength for that. Maybe, you can move on from this in a day, but, me, I'm not like that, it takes time for me to get used to your absence as my partner." "Y/N, I'm confused. I'm fucking confused. I'm not saying I don't love you. The way you make me feel is..is magical, but, I still have something left from what I've gone through for almost ten years with that other person. I can't just erase that in an instant." "You don't have to do that Neymar. I never asked you to do that. But, your way of coping with this was to avoid me. That's not a good sign." We pause and look into each other's eyes. I guess this will be the last time we will do that. I will miss this. I will miss this the most. A tear rolls down his cheek, as does mine. "I guess I'll see you at work...mr. Neymar" "Don't do this" "Please take care of yourself, okay?" I reached over to kiss him and stopped, this was an instinct move. I guess he wanted to do the same before he realized. I smiled at him, that's all I could give him. I got into my car and drove. I drove for four hours before I stopped in the middle of an empty road. How am I going to heal from this? This is worse than last time. Last time I was cheated on, I only had to work on my trust issues. But, now, I have to work on my whole being.

[dearlavender]

❀°•Arguments•°❀

[Ghost x Male Engineer! Reader]

[Part 1: Rookies, Part 2: Sleepless Nights, Part 3: The Past, Part 4: You're here!, Part 5: TBA]

⋇⋆✦⋆⋇　

"How the fuck long have you known, Price? "

There were rare moments Ghost would lose his temper, they happened few and far between as he'd just take it out on the training equipment.

The older man let out a frustrated sigh as he listened to the masked lieutenant gripe at him, again.

"That you both grew up in the same neighborhood? Since I read his file, but that's not why I requested he be placed into the 141." Price answered, crossing his arms over his chest. His reply only seemed to aggravate the other male more. "He's got skills like no other is a good mate to have on the team. "

"Then why the hell didn't you say anything? " Ghost demanded, standing up from his position of having his hands on the desk.

"It wasn't mine to tell, perhaps you should be asking him. He has been awake for a few days correct? "

*****

Groaning lightly, Benedict bit his bottom lip as he slowly but surely pushed himself off the medical bed. He honestly felt a little exposed without his facial coverings, god only knows how long he'd been wearing them—keeping the ugly scars that littered his face hidden away.

He whimpered quietly as pain shot throughout his body, causing him to put a hand on his abdomen. It had been a few days since was admitted into the base's small hospital, and he was sick of it. Already wanting to get back to work.

"What are you doing? " A woman, a nurse, asked as she walked past his room. Immediately trotting inside and putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Can't sit in here anymore, gotta get some new sights. " He grunted, gripping the drip line pole to give him more balance.

"You haven't been properly discharged yet! You must rest until your wounds have healed fully-! " The nurse argued as she tried to stop him, but she was half his size and felt like a feather trying to push him back into the jail he called a bed. He was not a fan of downtime and would rather be busy than bored.

"I'm fine I-"

"Back in bed, L/N. That's an order. "

Both individuals froze and looked up, gazing at the tall and intimidating masked man who stood against the doorway. The woman immediately stood up straight, even if he wasn't part of the medical team, he was still her superior.

"You can go, I got this." The lieutenant stated with a wave of his hand before fully walking into the small room as she scurried out. Benedict just watched with a subtle surprised expression on his face as Ghost just plopped down onto a chair that was by his bed.

"You wanna talk about why you're here?" He suddenly asked the wounded engineer who still stood. Clad in a blue hospital gown with white pants on underneath.

"I got shot, bloody hell else does it look like?" The scarred man replied, his eyes narrowing at his old companion before he gradually sat down on the edge of the uncomfortable bed.

"You know what I mean Ben. What's up with Alice and Emmett?" Ghost asked, bringing up his mother and father. 

"As I told you, they died when I was a teenager." The engineer answered, half falsely and half honestly. It'd be a quiet day in hell before he ever told the truth.

"Bullshit, they were healthy and well off. You and I both know they wouldn't have just kicked the bucket just like that." The masked male scoffed, resting his elbows on his knees. Losing his patience.

"Honestly, I find it all little unfair you're grilling me about this when you've said jack about your side of the family." Ben rolled his eyes as he spoke, slowly resting himself on his back as he fully lied on the bed.

"Got something to do with the marks on your face?"

That, made his head turn before his eyes shot down to his lap and he turned onto his side. Facing away from his lieutenant. "I'm not talking about this with you."

━

"You cannot be serious."

"I am, and it's final. No more debates on this you two."

Benedict exhaled into his hands in frustration as his shoulders dropped. 

"Your wounds have closed up but you still have more healing to do, so, you can do it at home." The captain restated, sitting back down in his chair. "Ghost, you'll watch 'im and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. You'll both be paid for your leave." 

"If I can't be in the workshop, what the hell am I supposed to do?" The engineer complained once more, he was so not happy with the arrangement and had come close to begging Price to reconsider.

"Benny? Is that you?"

Both men stopped trying to make their way up the stairs of the flat's building as they heard an older female's voice.

"Yes miss Bea." Said male answered as he slung his bag over his shoulder, ignoring the pain he felt as he saw a more elderly woman wander out of a room. Instantly enveloping him in a hug once she saw him before she noticed the silent man behind him.

"And who is this? Have you been on those dating sites again, Ben?" She asked in a low mutter, looking up at the young male.

"Huh? No! No, of course not. He's.. a coworker." Benedict waved his free hand as a small hint of red dusted over his cheeks.

"Ah, I see. Well, it's good to meet you. Beatrix Greene, I'm the landlady here. Thank you for taking care of Ben, he's far too reckless to be left alone." The old woman smiled as she nodded her head over to Ghost before turning on her heel so she could head back into her flat.

"I'll make something so you both can have a hot meal!"

The injured male let an amused chuckle rumble through his throat before he refocused on slowly making his way back up the stairs. She was always doting on him like he was her grandson, even volunteering to take care of his dog while he was away.

"Dating sites huh?"

"Ah shaddap."

[shocked-collar]

also lol strategizing about how you might beat a boss like strade in F&H.....

they always do weird shit with boss fights, so hear me out: to kill him, you need to play around with him and others a little bit, because THOUGH YOU DON'T KNOW, you're working against a silent timer. By casually attacking him, a hit is very unlikely to land. so... Descriptively, he's "too excited" to sit still- your first hint ;3

Every time you're attacked, Strade receives some kind of benefit- that being, being 1 step closer to "2nd form," which is pretty much a team-wipe. yadda yadda, some cool scene about him losing his patience and dragging your party down to his hell-realm, blah blah. So, looking it over and seeing how he can easily land shots, while you can not, the chances of getting him BEFORE that threshold are,, very very tiny. This is when you put on your thinking cap and turn AWAY from the enemy, and towards your friends :)

By attacking your party members, (or yourself for additional points,) he becomes infatuated and aroused, and the fire in his chest begins to burn. Attacking now results in a little more likely chance to hit, but still nothing significant- it's here, if you were smart, you'd talk to him. You can't understand his language, but it seems like he wants more. You need to attack your own party about LETS SAY 7 times, while enduring Strade hits, before his fire consumes him- boom, there's your access point!! He has a cooldown time of 4 or 5 PLAYER moves, so make sure u make those shots count >:3 (Tail or hands first, I imagine)

He can inflict bleeding and poison status affects, and also use a move that gets you, or a teammate, attracted to pain, which can manipulate their fighting patterns. (Can sometimes hit themselves.) This is his signature Coin Flip move(tm). This fight would be a T O T A L VIAL GUZZLER, so I would recommend bringing a Golem, Skeleton, or Blood Golem to be like,,, the punching bag. Moonless and The Girl would also be recommended to be LEFT OUT of this fight. just some other random points !!

BUT ALSO, CONSIDER: A shortcut out of the battle! There's a bonus NPC you can meet- "The Beast" we'll call him. This is OBVIOUSLY Ren, but he is a lost, starving individual, who only wants a bite to eat. By offering yourself (or another party member) as a quick meal, you lose an arm, BUT, gain him as a following NPC !! To skip the Strade fight, you can just take Ren down to see him, and on your first move, choose to speak- there you will find an unlocked dialogue option where you can trade Ren for the rest of the parties safety. He will accept every time. You lost Ren, you've lost an arm, but the battle has been avoided, and you're free to do whatever it is you needed to do after the fight.

I like to think, after successfully beating Strade, you'd get a special weapon- a hammer, in fact :) A hammer with high damage, and poison effects !!

AND NOW THAT I'M ON IT, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF KEEPING REN.

He's a beast-kin, so physical attacks come easy, and his damage is decently high- though his health isn't too good. As a beast-kin, a demon, he can never have Phasmophobia or Zoophobia unless under special conditions- though, if taken through the Strade fight WITHOUT being sacrificed, he has a slim chance of obtaining Erotophobia or Panophobia. He can cannibalize, so keeping him fed is EASY, but his sanity drops like the sun on a winter afternoon.

additional BTD + F&H au notes: (Law, Derek, Celia, Mason, in that order)

Lawrence is a wandering NPC that can show up by chance. He delves into the dungeons by choice, as he feels the entities and creatures understand him better than humanity does. He acts as a merchant ! He sells you random shit he finds while exploring, and sometimes, even from up above before he enters- rarer spawns, like blue herbs, lucky coins, arrows, bone shears, and high-benefit food items. (When purchasing from him, a coin flip initiates. Use your imagination.)

In certain outdoor areas, you can come across Derek taking advantage of the dungeons isolated environment to kill dungeon-divers with no outside consequences. Honestly, he's not much stronger than a Prison Guard, and the fighting pattern would be similar as well- though his bat can trip you up, with a coin flip deciding if he nails you in the head or not, causing the "Fracture or Broken Bone" status effect, and sometimes, "Momentary Stun." By killing him and searching his body, you can get a whopping 120 gold, his bat, and some low-tier armor. (Bonus before-fight scene: If you give him your most valuable item/all your gold, you skip the fight, but take a little damage.)

Celia can be found in certain safer locations, and is similar to the Human Hydra and Pocket Cat in the way that she can take The Girl off your hands. By rejecting, a battle initiates where focus on her hands is practically necessary, due to the tremendous amount of poison damage threatening you and your party. She can also give you the "Severe Physical Trauma" status effect. HOWEVER!! By accepting, you gain lots of alcoholic and smoking items, but lose The Girl. (In the circumstance you do NOT have The Girl in your party, Celia behaves more like Enki, and basically tells you to take a hike. By continuing to bother her, a fight can initiate.)

You can find Mason by chance at any of the altars. He is there to spread his own gospel, asking the player to pray for HIS Lord upon speaking to him. If you accept his preaching, you're thrown into a cut-scene, and left with the "Anal Bleeding" status effect. In turn, you're now FLUSH with healing items, and are favorable to his god, who provides healing (health and sanity) skills and abilities. If denied, you're thrown into a coin-flip, which upon failing, you're left with the same cut-scene, and are killed immediately after. Winning allows you to step away. The coin-flip is initiated once more upon speaking to him again. (BUT, by having Moonless or Ren in your party, you can avoid the coin-flip by handing them off to him !! He still refuses to speak afterwards, though.)

[jumpywhumpywriter]

Brought Back to Life -- The Hero Returns

Warnings: dead Hero brought back to life, attacking friends, pain

IMPORTANT CONTEXT: a new threat has risen that endangers the human city Thomas and his friends live in... but with the strongest member of their team having died 5 years ago, how can they face the danger and survive on their own without her? (Spoiler, they don't.)

This event takes place after "The Final Battle" followed by "Hero Death -- The Afterworld"

"There’s only one person I ever knew in my life who could successfully pull off a stunt like this and still come out on top, who could take down a threat of this magnitude, despite the ridiculous odds.” Tanner paused. His expression looked torn, and Thomas could see many different emotions flash across his features; guilt, regret, wistfulness, hopefulness, and hesitation. But at last, he spoke again, with slow, careful words.

“We can’t do this on our own. We… We need Shadow.”

The whole room went silent as a crypt.

“...What?” Thomas croaked at last.

“That isn’t funny, Tanner. Not in the least.” Roy frowned.

“I know it isn’t. And it wasn’t intended to be a joke.” He sighed, letting his words sink in.

“So… if it wasn’t a joke, what was it?” Roy pressed.

“A… suggestion.”

“What do you mean?” Thomas asked. He could hear his own pulse quickening.

“I mean… what if there was a way to bring her back?” Tanner elaborated.

“And how would we do that?” Roy squeaked.

“I know of something that, in theory, can… bring back the dead. No guarantees, but it might work. If we even decide to take that route, that is.” Tanner looked like he was deeply regretting every single word coming out of his mouth. A long silence followed, and Thomas could feel millions of thoughts and questions racing through his mind.

Is that really possible? After all this time? And even if it is, SHOULD we bring her back? I can’t believe Tanner never told us before… He felt his shock quickly dissolving into hurt and anger.

“So… all this time… you let us believe she was really gone, dead forever, but you knew of a way to bring her back?” He said through gritted teeth.

Tanner winced regretfully. “It’s not that simple, Thomas. To bring someone back from beyond life… There are so many variables at play. It’s impossible to predict the outcome. But more than that, it’s flat out dangerous. The Shadow we get back… If we get her back at all… She wouldn’t be the same. She could try to kill us for all we know, and when dealing with someone as lethal and powerful as she can be… I’d hate to think of the outcome.”

“Who cares about that?!” Thomas’s voice rose angrily. “We could have at least tried to do something, instead of accepting her death as a fact. You’ve been a loyal friend to her for practically her entire life. How could you not want her back? Did you really even care about her at all?”

Tanner’s eyes flared angrily, but he kept his calm. “I did care. And I refrained from telling you this information because I cared. I was thinking only of what was in Shadow’s best interest at the time, not my own. It would have been plain selfish of me to bring her back just to fill the hole of grief. I couldn’t in good conscience put her through that kind of suffering. It’s not a painless process…”

“You could have at least given the rest of us a vote in it,” Thomas’s voice cut in sharply. His hands were trembling at his sides.

Tanner looked at him knowingly, his eyes full of sympathy and wisdom. “I understand why you would be angry at me for this. But I hope that in time you will see that my point was a very valid one…”

“Stop. Just stop trying. Nothing you can say now will fix this. I’m going to get some fresh air.” Thomas whirled around angrily and stormed out of the room.

“Thomas, wait–” Roy started to follow him, but Tanner put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Give him some time to cool off on his own,” he said softly. Thomas spent an entire hour pacing furiously outside, mulling over Tanner’s words, before he composed himself enough to rejoin everyone.

“All right, I’m ready. Tell me about this ‘way to bring back the dead’,” he grunted unhappily.

Tanner nodded slowly. “There was once an ancient rumor that there was a pit of water that somehow generated a low-level magic of its own, even though it wasn't a living thing. Previously it was thought that only a pureblooded bird-folk could produce such magic.” He massaged his temples.

“But anyhow, the pit was discovered to have healing properties that could almost instantly mend slight injuries. And then apparently someone got the bright idea to put a dead body in it and see what would happen, to try and discover if the healing would only work on living creatures. But voila! The dead were raised again, but the person that came out of the waters was not the same as they once were. They were broken, incomplete, and eventually had to be put back down, deemed too dangerous to let live.” He visibly winced.

“It only took a few attempts before everyone finally realized how dangerous it really was, and banned its usage for any reason whatsoever. No exceptions. I have only ever heard horror stories about those dreaded resurrection waters. People who were desperate to bring loved ones back, only to pay the price with their own lives when their once dead friends turned on them.” He suppressed a shudder.

“And to even entertain the thought that we might have to put down Shadow with our own hands if things go wrong… I don’t think I could do that. No even if she were trying to kill me. And that’s the exact reason that so many others got themselves killed trying to raise the dead. Because they would rather die themselves than fight their own friends and family.” His face was stern and serious. “So if we are going to genuinely consider this as an option… We need to be absolutely sure we can deal with whatever comes as a result of our actions. This is not something we can make an emotional decision on. This is a time to think logically and clearly.”

“...How about we vote on it?” Thomas offered. Everyone shared uneasy glances.

“I-I don’t know, you guys… This doesn’t sound like a very good idea to me,” Roy squeaked anxiously. “I mean, sure I miss Shadow… but I don’t think I���m ready to be killed by her if things go wrong.”

“So that’s one ‘no’,” Tanner announced.

Thomas stepped forward. “I vote yes. We /need/ Shadow to help us. I don’t think we can do this on our own. And she never deserved to die like she did in the first place.”

Tanner pinched the bridge of his nose. "Of course it's a tie... which leaves the final choice… to me.” His brow furrowed, and Thomas held his breath, feeling a pit of hopelessness in his stomach. Tanner rubbed his face in distress, the weight of the two options presented before him heavy on his shoulders. He stayed silent for so long that Thomas wondered if he would even answer at all, but finally…

“...I vote yes.” His voice was barely more than a whisper, but powerful with authority and resolve. “We will try… to bring Shadow back.”

Thomas couldn’t believe it. He had made it clear that he didn’t seem to particularly favor the option, which is why his unexpected vote was so surprising.

“For real?” Thomas asked, just to make sure. Tanner’s cautious eyes met his, and he gave a small nod.

“With that being said, we need a plan. And a good one.” He ran a hand through his hair. “If this even works… we need a guaranteed way to safely restrain Shadow and bring her back to the lab without failure for her to recover. No doubt she will be disoriented and confused when she first comes back, which could easily transform into a very dangerous situation for us.”

“I have a powerful sedative I could make and put into a miniature tranquilizer gun,” Thomas offered. Tanner arched an eyebrow at him.

“Are you sure its strong enough to take out one of her species?” He asked skeptically.

Nope, not in the least. But I’m not about to turn down this miracle of an opportunity.

“Yes, it should be more than potent enough,” Thomas said, ignoring his doubting thoughts.

“Then it's settled. Thomas, you get that device ready, and Roy, prepare to help me transport the body." Tanner stood up straight. Roy’s face paled.

“M-Me?” He stuttered.

“Don’t worry, you won’t be anywhere near where the two of us will be when we bring Shadow back. You’re only acting as our helper.” Tanner rolled his eyes. Roy relaxed a fraction, but still didn’t look too happy about the whole idea.

“I’ll go get some supplies of my own together,” Tanner announced, and began walking out of the room. “We’ll leave in an hour,” he tossed over his shoulder. Then he was gone.

---------Timeskip---------

The resurrection waters. Ten minutes before life.

Thomas followed close behind as Tanner and Roy worked together to carry the coffin down the spiraling stone steps to the pit, one in the front, and one in back. It took awhile, going deeper and deeper into the heart of the earth, but at last the small group reached the bottom, where there was a short tunnel that opened up into a shockingly large cavern.

Thomas couldn't help gawking at the sight before him when he entered. In the center, back part of the cavern, there was what appeared to be a large pool of dark water with small stone walls around the edges keeping it contained. What was strange about it, though, was the air above the water. There was an eerie, thick, solid white wall of fog hovering over its surface, that extended from the top of the water all the way up to the ceiling, and some of the mist billowed down the stone steps leading up to the pool, looking like something from a fairy tale. It was truly hypnotizing.

All around, the walls of the cavern seemed to glow with odd, mystical light that seemed to emanate from strange patches of moss or lichen growing on the ceiling and walls, illuminating the fog of the pit. Thomas gazed down at his open hand which held the syringe containing the powerful tranquilizer that they planned to use on Shadow should something go wrong with the resurrection.

Which it probably will, knowing our luck. Thomas forced the unwelcome thought from his mind and turned around to see Roy and Tanner ever so carefully laid Shadow's coffin on the floor nearby, taking a brief moment to enjoy the cavern's ancient, haunting beauty.

"I guess this is it." Thomas jumped at the sound of his voice echoing around the expansive stone-filled underground cave room. He had an unnatural quivering feeling in his stomach as nerves got the best of him, a mixture of fear, excitement, and wonder. A cold chill ran up his spine, and he shuddered. “We're really going to bring her back."

Tanner and Roy exchanged nervous glances as he said it.

"Don't get your hopes up too much. Like I said before, every time this has been attempted in the past, it has always ended badly," Tanner replied.

"Yeah, I still have a really bad feeling about this... what if something goes terribly wrong?" Roy shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

"And that is why you won't be here for any of this." Tanner gave him a reassuring pat on the back. "You'll be far away from any danger. Besides, it might be best if the first faces she sees are the ones that are most familiar, assuming this even works to begin with."

Roy's gaze flitted between Thomas and Tanner before he reluctantly nodded.

"Well… Good luck, then…" He pushed off into the air with his legs, his brown wings carrying him back through the tunnel and up the long spiraling stairway to fresh air. After he had left, Thomas watched as Tanner wriggled his way into a waterproof hazmat suit he had brought along in a large bag.

"What's that for?" Thomas tilted his head to the side inquisitively.

"It's to protect me from the effects of the water." Tanner grunted as he wrestled with the suit. "Remember, the water doesn't just bring people back from the dead, it heals those who are still living. But every time a person uses it, it is said that they lose a small fraction of their soul."

"Oh! Yikes,” Thomas exclaimed.

"So, basically, I'm not taking any chances," Tanner chuckled. Once he had successfully gotten himself inside the hazmat suit, he walked over to the coffin, still laying on the floor, and paused, glancing briefly over at Thomas, who stood next to him.

"It's not too late to back out. Are you sure you're ready for this?" He raised an eyebrow at him. “Keep in mind that we’re responsible for whatever comes out of that pit.”

"Ready as I'll ever be." Thomas tried to sound confident, swallowing the rising fear in the back of his throat. Tanner gripped the lid of the thin-walled stone coffin and heaved it off, causing it to land on the ground with a loud crash that reverberated around the room. Thomas couldn't help a choked gasp.

Laying before him was the legendary Shadow herself, a fallen hero, looking almost exactly as he remembered her. Only now, she looked thin and frail, every bone on her face highly visible beneath her black leather mask. She looked... older. A lot older. The skin was tight around her frame, and her hands looked so small as they still grasped the hilt of her favorite dagger. She didn’t look as degraded as he would have expected for someone who had been dead for five years.

Thomas felt his heart flutter with anxiety as he watched Tanner carefully remove the weapon from her grasp, setting it on the floor nearby before delicately picking her up as if she were made of glass, being extra cautious of her glorious white wings. Her head lolled back in his strong arms as he walked up the steps of the pit, the fog flowing lazily around his feet.

Without hesitation, he started wading into the water until it was chest deep, and then Thomas lost sight of him completely in the white screen of solid-looking mist. He started to pace anxiously as he waited for his return.

-------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, inside the heavy fog, Tanner continued to make his way through the water until he reached a circular, round stone platform that was only half a foot or so beneath the surface.

Here goes nothing, he thought, and gently laid Shadow upon it, the water washing over her so that only the top of her face was free to the air. Tanner stood there for a long moment, simply watching as her wings drifted around weightlessly, the wetness quickly soaking into her white feathers, and sending up hundreds of tiny bubbles.

"Come back to us, old friend," he whispered hopefully, and then began his retreat.

Back outside the pit, Thomas was still walking back and forth nervously. It had been a few long minutes, and there was still no sign of Tanner. His mind had started to wander while he waited as he remembered the last time he had seen Shadow, the day she had died, bleeding out from a fatal wound caused by the sword that had been meant for Thomas himself. Then he remembered with a jolt something that she had said to him before the darkness claimed her life, after revealing that she had foreseen her own death in a vision.

"Hey... don't be sad... this isn't the last... you will see of me... I promise you that."

Shadow's voice echoed quietly in his mind and a realization occurred to him.

Is this what she was talking about? Did she know we would try to bring her back from another vision? He was left pondering the idea until he spotted a familiar figure finally emerging from the water.

"Well? Did it work?" Thomas rushed up to Tanner as he took off his hazmat suit, casting it to the side and running a hand through his hair.

"Patience, Thomas. This kind of thing takes time," he replied, and extended his hand towards him, gesturing for the tranquilizer. Thomas gave it to him and he checked to make sure the device was in working order.

"So now what?" Thomas asked uneasily.

"Now, we wait."

------------------------------------------------------

Eternal darkness, and then... Shadow awakened. In the dark. In the cold. Alone. Her whole body felt so strange. She didn't know where she was. Who she was. Or what was happening to her. Her skin crawled with a thousand spiders as water splashed gently against her face, the only thing that wasn't completely submerged.

Darkness floated around her mind... silent, heavy, and suffocating… a cold weightlessness that filled her head, encapsulated her entire being. She couldn't move. Everywhere was blocked by an invisible wall. She was trapped somewhere. Somewhere small and dark...

Then... Something rose up inside her. A change. A transformation. Pain flared throughout her entire body and primal instincts surged to the surface, flinging her into the backseat as they took control.

And then came the first breath. It wheezed into her aching lungs, the air feeling oddly heavy and unnatural inside of her, foreign. Her heart began to beat and struggled inside her chest, pounding with increasing horror against her ribcage, and her pulse felt strangely distant, yet she could hear it roaring in her ears. Her newfound breaths came faster as panic set in.

Where... where is everyone? What’s happening to me?

Memories floated hazily in her mind... a chaotic jumble of random images flashing by. Her head throbbed from the overload of information. Then she remembered the pain, the cold, the fear. The feeling of Tanner's sword as it slid into her chest.

I... I should be dead. Why am I not dead?

Her mind, grasping for purchase in the endless black abyss, seized upon a new, powerful memory, and reality came crashing back all at once, strength flooding into her cold limbs.

For the first time her eyes flew open, seeing only an endless screen of white hanging above her. She blinked rapidly, centering herself, and finally found the energy and the will to move and dragged herself to her feet, swaying dizzily, the world spinning wildly before her eyes, the sounds and smells around her overwhelming her heightened Falkry senses.

Her entire body was soaked with a strange looking water, and it sloshed around her shins greedily. Shadow gasped and clutched her head as a new wave of searing agony coursed through her mind, every last nerve on fire with pain. An electric buzzing sensation tingled in her spine, like a swarm of angry bees, and she could feel a cold, hard surface beneath her feet.

I'm standing on a rock…?

She stumbled blindly to the right, trying to get a grip of herself, breathing shallowly and beating her wings lightly to keep her balance as the humidity pressed against her skin. Everywhere she looked there was an eerie white fog... or maybe just mist? Somewhere in that fog she could barely make out two dark silhouettes in the distance as she peered through the thick haze.

Escape... must... escape... The thought repeated itself in her mind, a deafening roar that engulfed her completely. Desperation gripped Shadow's heart in its vise-like grip, and she staggered towards the figures. Desperation to escape this nightmare. This unknown place of darkness, death, and pain. She had never felt such powerful, overwhelming fear before. Suddenly, her feet slipped off the edge of the rock and she sank into much deeper water that was chest-high.

Her grip on sanity loosened as the terror overtook her entirely, her wings beating furiously against the water's surface with loud, wet slaps. They were weighed down heavily, but at last she managed to fly a few feet in front of her until she met a solid stone wall, and clambered onto it, dragging herself out of the dark pool.

Her pulse skyrocketed as the figures in the mist came into focus. One was a tall man with hazel eyes and black hair. A small distance in front of him was a younger man who looked to be in his twenties or thirties, with brown hair and eyes.

Something about the second man seemed vaguely familiar, but the feeling quickly passed when she looked back to the first person and noticed the unusually shaped weapon in his hand. It triggered a new, vivid, fractured memory to surface... a bloody battlefield... death everywhere... the haunting screams...

Danger! Her mind cried, overwhelming the small fraction of rational thinking that remained in her hollow, broken thoughts. Danger!

All other concerns were cast to the wind and Shadow's body acted against her will, hurling her from the stone edge directly at the nearest of the two threats to destroy it, her conscious mind dissolving into nothingness as she lost control of herself altogether.

(Who wants me to post the second half?)

Masterlist

Masterlist #2

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