#THE EXPRESSION THE BROWS EVERYTHING YESYESYES

[shoutogepi]

S/O begging to be choked

with Todoroki Shouto, Bakugou Katsuki, & Shinsou Hitoshi

𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞 : ✘ 𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐰 (𝟏𝟖+)

𝐡𝐜 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭 :

and i decided to add my other two boys ;)

𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 : it’s been a hot min since i’ve tried headcanons... perhaps they’re all into it... perhaps this is indulging my choking kink *laughs nervously*

𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐢 ❄️

reluctant about it at first, but after seeing how much you love it, he finds he thoroughly enjoys it.

he’s a switch, so this time you had asked sweetly if he would dom you. how could he say no to you pleading for him to fuck you, when you look like that?? mans is whipped. 

just getting into a rhythm with it, your legs bent over his shoulders as he rocks his hips into yours, he starts to pound your writhing body into the mattress. he hits a special spot when you’re in this position, and this fucker knows it, too— uses it to his advantage.

right when he thinks he’s got you right where he wants you, you whimper out “choke me baby, please~”

shocked as hell but damn it, he spoils you in every aspect of life, of course he’s gonna do what you ask.

he’s never choked you before, let alone anyone... but you may have just awoken a dormant kink o.o

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“Mmm baby,” Shouto groans in your ear, breath heavy in his chest as his cock glides deeper inside of you. “You feel so good— so warm, so wet for me.” 

Your legs widen around his waist, ankles crossing behind his back in an attempt to push his hips closer to yours. You’re panting, head thrown back into the sheets and wrists pinned down by his tight grip, moaning as he starts to pick up the pace. “Aha— Sho, fuck yes, all for you!”

He takes your ear between his teeth, nibbling at your skin and washing the side of your face in his hot, ragged breath. His mouth moves to kiss and suck at your jaw, and you stretch your neck so you expose everything to him, wanting for him to mark your throat. 

“Sh-Shouto, choke me baby, please~” you whimper, eyes fluttering closed. 

Shouto’s so shocked that his hips actually falter, leaning back to look at you and make sure he heard you right. Even though he’s frozen to the spot, you’re restless for him— you shake one of his hands from your wrist and place it around your neck instead, squeezing his thumb and forefinger on the sides of your throat. Wiggling your hips, you urge him to start thrusting again, wanting nothing more than for him to rearrange your guts.

It takes him a second to recalibrate, putting all his weight on his free hand, and just barely pressing down on your neck with his other. But when he does, he groans at how you back arches, a fucked-out expression blooming on your features as your fingers dig into his skin.

Experimentally he give a few shallow thrusts, and when he’s satisfied with the desperate mewls that leak from your mouth, he shoves his cock deep inside of you, all the way. Squeezing at your throat just a little harder, he begins to fuck you eagerly. Excitement courses through him at the image of his hand around your neck, his cock harder than ever as your choked voice moans out his name again and again.

“You look so pretty with my fingers around your throat, baby,” he huffs, watching your tits bounce as his hips smack against yours. The lack of oxygen makes you feel dizzy, cunt twitching snug around his cock as you near your peak. “Gonna cum for me already, like it that much? Fuck babygirl, I like it too...”

𝐛𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐠𝐨𝐮 💥

enjoys fucking you roughly in the first place, this mans will not hesitate to fulfill your request.

you and bakugou have hot, rough sex on the daily. he’s got a lot of pent-up aggravation (somehow, even tho he’s screaming “DIE” every 10 mins), but you happen to like it when he takes it out on you between the legs. 

he’s taking you from behind, smothering your face into the pillows as his hips pummel yours, the slick slap of your skins filling the room.

fucks you like he’s got somewhere to be— fast and hard. 

but the thing is, he’s got the stamina of a young stallion, so he’s been drilling into you for quite some time now, ignoring your throbbing clit and whines for attention.

so when you moan out “fuck katsu, choke me, choke me”, you don’t think he’ll hear you. 

biiitch, you’ve never been more wrong in your life. 

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Your slick is slowly dripping down the back of your thighs, each swing of Bakugou’s hips spreading it even further. A little puddle of drool is collecting below where he’s pressing your face against the comforter, your jaw hanging open and weak moans pouring out.

“You’re so fuckin’ loud,” Bakugou grunts, clapping a hand over your already-raw ass, causing you to clench around his thick length that’s plunging deep inside of you. “S’like you want the whole place to know how good you’re getting fucked, huh princess?”

His calloused fingers brush over your neglected clit when you don’t respond, your body seizing up. You let out a long moan instantly, pushing your ass onto his abs in pleasure. “Yessss Katsu, I love it!”

He snickers, pulling your hips back to meet his as he pushes his cock into your wet cunt with ease, watching how your body swallows him whole. Taking a second to spit on the base of his dick, he slaps your ass again, grabbing the flesh there and jiggling it.

“Fuck Katsu, choke me, choke me,” you mumble, starting to slam your ass back to meet his thrusts.

You’re yanked upright abruptly, his hands on your elbows and then one wrapping around your neck so fast you barely have time to realize he’d heard you. His thick fingers coil tight around your throat and you gasp for breath, his grip just loose enough so that you can take in a measly puff of air. Your back is arched perfectly now, on your hands and knees as he begins to plow into you without restraint.

“Fuckin’ dirty little girl,” he growls, loving the way your body looks contorted in his grasp. You try to moan but it comes out a garbled mess, Bakugou’s hand too tight around your throat for the noise to come out regularly. He’d be lying if he said your request didn’t make him ache with a fresh wave of lust— he bares his teeth as he furrows his brow and staves off his impending climax. “Gonna make me bust, you’re so sexy like this, shit..”

His admission sends chills down your spine, and his grip on your neck eases up enough to hear your whines pour out as his fingers start to play with your clit. You sob, your head spinning as you hurtle closer to the edge he’d been keeping you from crossing for so long now.

He chuckles when you start to shake, only pounding his cock into you harder. “If you’re gonna act like a slut, I’ll treat you like a slut.”

𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐮 🔮

dom daddy shinsou, is it really a surprise that he’ll take the ball and run with it?

with shinsou’s nonchalant, intimidating aura, he’s definitely the one to take the reins during sex. make no mistake, he is the one in charge. 

he loves to take his time with you and make you squirm until you’re crying for his cock, and then once he’s sure you’re ready for it, he’ll fuck you into next week, just like you beg him to.

he’s doing just that— toying with your overstimulated clit as he leisurely drags your dripping cunt along his thick cock, sitting back and whispering degrading things into your ear while your eyes roll back. 

you’re a blabbering mess, squeezing down on him as he sits you flush against his thighs, nestling his hot cock all the way inside. “uhhnn, choke me, daddy~” falls from your open lips, your eyelids fluttering almost shut as you lock eyes with his sinful, violet gaze.

he doesn’t have to say a word— you’re in for it now. 

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Shinsou moans in your ear, his deep voice making butterflies flutter in your stomach. Little do you know that while he loves to tease you and prep you for him, it makes his cock leak and throb for you— he’s been wanting to sheath himself in your tight cunt for a whole hour now, and finally, he does. Your mouth falls open as he guides your hips up, your wetness sliding down his length and into his lap. 

You can barely keep your mewls of pleasure in as he starts to bounce you on his thighs. He reaches down and thumbs over your slick clit, your eyelids struggling to stay open. 

“How’s that feel, kitten?” he grumbles, savoring the way your soft tits move with each drop of your hips. He fights the desire to latch onto your nipple with his mouth, tongue moving across the bottom of his front teeth instead.

“Fuckkkk, feels so good Toshi,” you cry, and his thumb starts to circle around your swollen clit faster in reward. He bucks his hips up into yours, making you shriek in pleasure. As he starts to pick up the pace, you move in tune with him, nose coming to nudge his cheek as you whine for him. “Uhhnn, choke me daddy~” you mumble in his ear.

Shinsou is still for a moment before his hand laces around your neck, gentle grasp soon becoming firm. With a steady hold on your throat, he pulls your body down to seat yourself on his cock even harder, making sure to rut his hips extra deep as well. Your cunt trembles, hugging his cock tight while you throw your arms around his muscled neck, your head dipping back in sheer ecstasy. He wraps his free arm around your waist, hand cupping your ass to throw your body onto his lap while your bouncing begins to get messier, off-balance. 

“Nnn, love your tight little cunt, kitty. You look so cute with my hand around your throat like this...” he rumbles, enjoying how your skin feels slapping against his. You’re so soaked at this point that you glide easily on his cock, only getting wetter by the minute with his fingers on your rapid pulse. “Didn’t know you were such a little whore— you like being choked? Like having daddy choke you, hmm?”

You can barely respond, eyes crossing as the head-rush starts getting to you. “Yesyesyes fuck yes daddy~” you whimper, his thumb stroking over your throat. Your clit grinds against his pelvis as you abandon any kind of rhythm with your hips, desperate just to feel his cock stretch your walls and deliver you to euphoria. 

Shinsou smirks through his labored breathing, watching you unravel on his cock with pleasure. “C’mon cutie, cum on my cock. Cum and I’ll fuck you hard and fast with my hand on your throat, just like you want.”

[imaslutforremusandsirius]

Daddys pretty slut

Remus just hits different amirite girls and boys and gays and theys

We love us an unbothered Daddy Remus

Warning: 18+, very smutty

Have fun!

“I’m sick of your tantrums, get over here.” Remus grits out. 

You were bored and decided to touch yourself a bit, whilst the boys were out, doing Merlin knows what. And just as you were about to cum, Remus came burstig through the door.

“Thought I wouldn’t know, hm? You’re really smart, pretty, not even bothering to hide your scent from your werewolf boyfriend.” He is mocking you and frankly you deserve it.

You wanted to slap yourself. Remus had told you so many times just how easy it was for him to distinguish not only your scent in a large crowd, but determine your emotions as well. And right now, you are soaked and needy. 

Your voice came out meek when you tried to beg for forgiveness. “Daddy I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean to!”

Remus closed and charmed the door, walking over to you in heavy strides. “You should be thankful I didn’t tell the boys what is going on or this conversation would be very different. You know how they get.”

That did something to you. Sirius would have bend you over already, calling you every possible name in the book. James would probably fuck your face so hard you’d have trouble talking afterwards. They would give you the exact opposite of what you crave.

But Remus approached these situations differently, because he gave you precisely what you want and more. You want to cum? He’ll give you ten more. You want his cock in your mouth? He’ll have you suck for hours on end. You wanted him to stop? He wouldn’t touch you for days, until you were delirious with desperation. You have to be very careful what you wish for, but it actually doesn’t matter, because you lose either way.

Remus took off James’ burrowed flannel, looking at you with a thoughtful expression. You could see the clogs in his head turning and he sat down on the bed, leaning his back against the headboard. 

He sighes, as if bored and you’d really think he was, if you wouldn’t have seen the slight glint of spitefullness in his eyes. He wants, no needs to punish you. He is livid, anger nearly boiling over, but he didn‘t let it show. He knows how antsy you get when he slips into the role of the calm dom.

You felt vulnerable sitting with your naked body against his fully clothed chest, tucking your head under his chin. 

“I thought we fucked the bratiness out of you already. How long has it been since we touched you? Seven hours and you’re already leaking like a pathetic whore?”

You whine quietly as his fingers harshly brush through your cunt, pinching your clit. “M’sorry Daddy.”

He kisses the back of your head, two fingers pushing inside, thumb against your clit. “You will be.”

Remus spreads his legs, automatically opens yours as well and wraps one arm tightly under your breast. His right hand keeps fucking you in a lazy rhythm, taking his time. He might not tell you that for the sake of scaring you, but this was his way of making sure that you were warmed up, ready to take whatever he gave.

You are panting already, pushing back. His long, thick fingers feel so full inside of your soaking pussy, rough pad of his thumb rubbing deliciously against your clit in soft strokes.

„M‘gonna give you so many cummies, baby, that you won‘t want to cum for a week,“ he spoke, lips brushing against the side of your temple. You knew better than to answer, and tried to kiss him but he pulled back.

„No, you don‘t get kisses. Sluts don‘t kiss their Daddys on the lips. Eyes on my hands, slut.“

You turn your head again, tearing up slightly of being denied your kiss.

„Daddy please, wanna kiss you so bad“, you whine, pussy clenching when he picked up his pace.

„Kiss my cock later, you don‘t get to have my lips. You don‘t fucking deserve it, slut. Why are you crying, hm? Ohh, you gonna cum aren‘t you. Fucking slut, you like this? Want Daddy to treat you like a fucking whore?“

„Yes! Yesyesyes m‘your whore, please wanna cum!“, you mewl, eyes rolling back.

„Daddydaddy m‘gonna cum, ple- ah fuckk“, Remus hand is fucking you so fast your chest is heaving with the effort to take the pleasure.

„Head back, open your mouth“, he commands. You comply instantly, letting him spit in your mouth, sucking bruises on your jaw.

Seeing him treating you so carelessly, spitting on your face and fucking you while he sat there, completely unbothered and calm, did it for you and you came hard. Your screams muffled by his hand on your mouth, his hand so big it covers your entire jaw.

„Pathetic whore, keep your voice down. S‘not not like anybody will come to help you out. Should be grateful that I‘m being so merciful.“

He kept fucking you for what felt like hours, and your already reached your sixth orgasm of the night.

„C‘mon babygirl, one more for your Daddy? One more for me baby, please?“, he cooed at you, lips smearing gently against your sweaty brow.

„Hurts, Daddy, don‘t wanna“, you babbled, so fucking tired. „Everything hurts Daddy.“

„Mm poor baby...How convenient that I don‘t give a fuck what you want, hm? You give me one more and I won‘t tell the boys anything.“

„Yes Daddy, everything for you. You forgive me Daddy right? Not mad anymore?“

Remus pushed his fingers back inside, gliding in easily, not giving you an answer.

„Daddy please, don‘t be mad, m‘your good girl. Fuck Da-“

He chuckles darkly, speeding up and curles his fingers harshly. Leaning down he bites your shoulder hard, squeezing you in his arms as you cry out, cumming on his fingers for the seventh time.

You are slipping in and out of subspace, babbling nonsense, nosing at his soft neck, stubble scratching your flushes cheeks.

„Hi Daddyyy“, you giggle between kisses, „Gonna fuck me now?“

„ Hi baby“, Remus croons, pressing his lips on yours, muttering against your lips. „M‘not Daddy anymore, baby. I forgive you, come back f‘me hm?“

His tone soft as he cuddles you, kissing all over your face, taking your shirt to clean up the mess you made with your cum.

„Ow, hurts, Daddy, Remus“, you tried to close your legs, but he spread them again, overpowering you without trying.

„Shh, be good, gotta clean you up before the boys get back.“

Finally letting go he let you pass out, tidying the room, before he slid in next to you, falling asleep just as fast.

He‘ll let this be your dirty little secret for now. You were his baby first anyway.

[lala-ladybug]

Healing Hands: Chapter 4

Yesyesyes I’m super excited to share this one with you guys!! The game is finally beginning, ahhhh!!!!

Jasonette Sword Art Online AU

Read here on AO3

Tag list: @iloontjeboontje

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Chapter 4: Goddamn wimps, all of them

Marinette opened her eyes, squinting against the bright sunlight. She stood in a huge village square filled with hundreds of people, the gaps between them growing smaller as more and more players appeared. The sun shone merrily, and an excited chatter began rising in the air. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It felt good to be back.

“Marinette!” She looked around to see Alya and Nino waving a few yards away. She broke into an excited smile and jogged over to meet them. They must have spawned in relative to their actual locations since Kagami, Luka, and the others from her class were already there.

“Hey guys!” Marinette said breathlessly. “Almost didn’t make it. Thanks for the call, Alya.”

The brunette gave her a quick hug. “Anytime, girl. Now you and Lila can show us the ropes!” She bounced excitedly.

Marinette barely caught herself from rolling her eyes and just nodded instead. Of course Lila would be able to help teach the others how to play. It definitely wouldn’t just be Marinette teaching everybody. Again.

Meanwhile, Max and Nathaniel were remarking on how realistic the textures of the cobbled streets were. Marinette did a double-take when she saw Adrien standing next to them. He had an immensely intricate and ornate suit of armor. There was an excess of spikes, ribbons flowing from every joint, and every inch of him was covered in metal. A tall helmet adorned with skull decals cast a shadow over his grinning face.

“What are you wearing?” She spluttered. He pointed a thumb to his chest with some difficulty, the thick metal creaking with the movement.

“This bad boy is the toughest armor in the game! I may have made a few embellishments of my own, so now I look even cooler.” He stated with pride.

Marinette shot a look at Luka, who wore a light set of simple leathers. He grimaced and shook his head, warning Marinette not to question their friend’s surprisingly atrocious taste in fashion. Or serious misunderstanding of armor weight classes.

“You know you could’ve picked any armor you want, right?” Adrien asked.

“Oh, I know. I crafted this set during beta testing!” Marinette spun around to show the boys, gladly welcoming the change in subject. She was dressed in a light suit of armor, the metal tinted a deep red. Black fabric peeked underneath the gaps, a strong yet flexible design of her own making. A simple grey cloak hung off her shoulders, concealing the quiver behind her back.

While Luka and Adrien complimented her brilliant design, she spotted Lila. She looked a little out of her element, hanging back to awkwardly watch a conversation between Kim, Alix, and Kagami, oddly enough. The three were dressed in heavy sets of armor, lamenting about how there weren’t any monsters to battle yet.

Chloe sauntered over to join them and, having heard how even Kagami was itching for a fight, wrinkled her nose. Marinette giggled to herself. This was going to be interesting, to say the least.

* * *

Jason’s eyes snapped open and he threw out an arm to steady himself. The transition from logging on was dizzying, but the sensation faded with every deep breath he took. He noted the smell of freshly baked bread wafting through the air. Damn, even he had to admit this tech was impressive. Dick and Tim stood next to him, wearing blue and red-toned armor respectively. Tim was looking around wildly, grinning like an idiot.

“Timmy!” Cassie Sandsmark sprinted towards them to tackle her boyfriend in a hug. Oh great, looks like the rest of the kiddy patrol was here too. Looking to where Cassie had run from, Jason indeed saw various members of The Team. Connor looked just as nauseated as Jason had felt after joining. Roy stood next to him, unmoving as he stared down at his very realistic-looking hand. Ouch. Jason had to have some sympathy for the poor kid, not that he’d ever tell him that.

Bart and Garfield, on the other hand, appeared to be having the time of their lives. Bart got into a running stance and Garfield gleefully jumped into the air, both falling flat on their faces. Jason snorted as he watched Jaime help his boyfriend up. Jaime asked him, “Whoa there ese, what gives?”

Bart shook his head and muttered, “I don’t have my speed.”

Garfield furrowed his brow and strained his face. “You look like you’re either really constipated or trying to shift,” Artemis informed him.

Ignoring her, Garfield locked his panicked eyes with Connor’s. “I can’t shift either, SB.”

“Der kaolc ym nrut,” Zatanna intoned quietly. When nothing happened, she nervously said, “My magic doesn’t work either.”

Jason rolled his eyes. Goddamn wimps, all of them. “Looks like all you supers will have to stoop to our level.”

“Stay whelmed everyone,” Dick stepped in to mitigate half the group’s outrage. “It’s just a game, we don’t exactly need our other skills right now.”

Before they could say anything else, an enormous bell mounted in the center of the town square began to ring. A hush fell over the crowd. The sky darkened as red hexagons interlocked to create a massive dome around the town.

A tall being flickered to life in the air above them. The hooded figure floated high overhead, their face eerily concealed.

“Attention players,” the figure raised their hands. “I welcome you to my world.” Well that didn’t sound ominous, Jason thought to himself. He felt the mood from the others shift into high alert.

“You may call me the Game Master, and I am the only one in control of this world. You may have noticed that the logout button is missing from your main menu.” The figure paused dramatically. “I assure you, this is no defect in the game. It is all as I have designed it to be. You cannot log yourselves out, and no one outside the game will be able to remove you forcibly. If anyone tries to do so, a transmitter inside the VR headset will emit powerful microwaves into your brain that will end your life.” Shit, shit, shit. This was just supposed to be a dumb game he played to make Replacement shut up about it, what the hell?

“Of the 10,000 players, 215 have already died because their family or friends ignored this warning and attempted to remove their headsets. Media outlets have been reporting on this, so it is safe to assume the danger of your headsets being removed has passed.” This guy had to be joking. Though if he wasn’t, Babs would surely research everything within her power to try to remove them safely.

“One other feature of the game is that you are no longer able to revive players. If your HP drops to zero, your avatar will die and the headset will destroy your brain.” Jason’s eyes widened and his head whipped to Dick. He ran a hand through his hair, looking just as horrified as Jason felt.

“The only way for a player to return to the real world is to clear the game. You are currently on Floor 1, the lowest level of the castle. If you make it to the dungeon and defeat the level boss, you may progress to the next level. Defeat the final boss on Floor 100, and you will clear the game.” This motherfucker couldn’t be serious.

The game master, god what a pretentious prick, raised his hands and began to disappear once more. He said, “Good luck, players,” before disappearing entirely. The sky returned to its cheery blue.

 A beat of silence passed before someone started screaming. Then the thousands of players erupted into a cacophony of sound.

* * *

Marinette stood stockstill amidst the chaos. She felt more than heard masses of people panicking around her. Her eyes darted back and forth without truly seeing anything, mind racing to figure out a solution. If there was no way to safely remove the headset, then they’d have to beat the whole game. What about the Kwami? Could they connect with their miraculi? What about the small powers they’d each accumulated over the years? If those were accessible, then they might stand a chance, but god if they weren’t--

A hand on her arm made her snap her head to attention. It was Adrien, his jaw clenched tightly. She gripped his arm in return, the small reassurance barely that. Around her, the new Order looked to their leader for orders, direction. And behind them, her classmates....

Most were white in the face. Max had his hands clenched in his hair and was muttering to himself about the likelihood that the headsets actually could kill them. From the way he was shaking his head, she guessed it was a definite possibility. Lila looked like a cornered animal, twitchy and desperately looking for an escape. Even Kim and Alix wore uncharacteristically serious expressions.

“Well?” Chloe prompted Marinette. The latter took a deep breath. Better focus on solving the smaller problems first. “Your VIP package came with a house on the first floor, right?”

Chloe blinked in surprise. “Yeah, it did,” she replied uncertainly.

“Good.” Marinette whistled and gestured for the rest of her friends to gather around. “Listen up! We don’t know how everyone else is going to react, so it’s best for us to go somewhere safe to lie low for a while. I can teach everyone the gameplay, and we’ll do our best to help beat the game.”

She looked Alya and Nathanial in the eye, since their hands seemed to be shaking the most, and said with all the confidence of Ladybug, “Think of all the bullshit Hawkmoth’s put us through. We are not going to die here. That’s a promise.”

Marinette drew her bow and half-strung an arrow, holding it parallel to the ground. “Chloe has a house on the first level. Let’s go.” She nodded to Adrien, Chloe, Kagami, and Luka to establish a perimeter around the rest of the class as they moved. She exhaled a quiet, shaky breath and led the way out of the square.

The crowd did not part easily. People were sobbing, shouting, hyperventilating. They needed to get out fast before the shock wore off.

Someone stood in front of her. The poor soul was probably just as scared as they were. She put her bow back in her inventory, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible.

“Excuse me,” Marinette gave a little half-wave to get their attention. “May I please get through?”

“Oh, sorry,” He had a deep, male voice. One hand gestured to the direction she was headed as he stepped out of her path. “Go right ahead.” His hands weren’t shaking as the other crept towards his belt. Not good, not good.

A flash of silver was all the warning she got before Luka pulled her back. A knife collided with his hastily raised shield, shedding sparks as the assailant nearly dropped his weapon in surprise. Marinette dropped down to sweep her leg beneath Luka’s shield, knocking the man off his feet. He gave a shout of surprise as he went down, and Luka disarmed him in the confusion.

“Come on, move it!” Marinette shouted over her shoulder. She re-equipped her bow and surged forward, picking up the pace to get the hell out of there. Such a large group was an easy target, they had to get out of the open and fast. People were starting to react beyond their shock, and more of them were bound to get violent.

Her eyes scanned over the buildings in front of them. There. A momentary break in the throng of players allowed her to spot Slipcut Alley, a favorite shortcut of hers. It was only a few yards away. The alley was too narrow for anything but a single-file line, but it provided cover and was hidden by a spell that only other beta testers would know about. It was their best option.

She squared her shoulders and pushed through the last of the crowd. She turned to face her friends, who gathered around her as they too made it out into the small clearing. Chloe, Kagami, and Adrien were watching the crowd behind them, ready to defend against any other attacks.

Marinette put her bow away one more time and asked, “Do you trust me?”

Shaky nods and wide eyes. That would have to do.

“Then follow me,” she said, and walked straight through the wall before them.

* * *

“Our first step should be finding shelter for the night,” Dick said sharply. “We can figure out the rest tomorrow, but it’ll do us no good if we die tonight.” Tim nodded, ever the protégé.

“And just how do you suggest we do that?” Jason countered. He couldn’t help it if it came out a little accusatory. He did not sign up for a damn death trap.

It was Garfield who had the answer. “Well, in order to do anything, we need money. So we need to start killing some monsters!” He palmed his fist with a resounding smack. “And then we can see about an inn or something.”

Connor rubbed his chin. “That’s not a bad idea, kid.”

“Just tell me where to hit them,” Roy said in a low voice, sounding about as pissed as Jason felt.

“Let’s split into three teams. Alpha squad will be Artemis, Wally, Bart, and myself. Tim, Roy, Gar, and Connor will be Beta. Jason, you’re with Jaime, Cassie, and Zatanna for Gamma.” Great, Jason was the only non-super there. What a grand old time that’ll be.

He made to leave the square and disappear into the panicking crowd, but Dick held his arm. “Hey, I’m trusting you to keep them safe,” he kept his voice low. “It’s been a while since they fought without powers, so keep an eye on them.” He then turned to address the rest of the team. “Alpha will take north. Beta, go south and Gamma see what’s west. Meet back here at sunset. Alpha will secure lodging before engaging enemies.”

“What, no pep talk?” Wally elbowed Dick. The latter didn’t crack a smile as he said, “Just stay alive.”

Beside him, Garfield swallowed hard and said weakly, “Noted.”

Jason rolled his eyes and jerked his head in their assigned direction for the other three members of Gamma squad to come with him. He’d follow along as long as Dick made good plans, and Jason didn’t exactly have any better ideas for now.

He put on his very best I know exactly how to kill you and I’ll do it if you don’t get the hell out of my way face and lead the way out of the packed square. The crowd parted easily before him, and they were out on an open street within a matter of minutes.

”Where to first, ese?” Jaime asked, shifting nervously from foot to foot.

Good question. Jason looked around for a map or something that could tell him the way out of the damn town. When he glanced back for a quick headcount and only counted two, he cursed and asked Cassie, “Where the hell is Z?”

She pointed at a nearby stall where the magician was chatting with the vendor. Zatanna waved to them, then sauntered back over to the rest of the team. “The shopkeeper says there’s a bridge further down this street and to the left that’ll take us west out of the town.”

Cassie frowned. “Was that a player with their own shop already? Man, we are behind.”

“Oh, no it was an AI.” Zatanna readily supplied. “An NPC?” She added on seeing the confusion on her companions’ faces. “Honestly, was I the only one to do research on this game before playing it?”

Jaime sheepishly scratched his head while Cassie squeaked, “Well....” Jason had to agree with them, he just did this to keep Replacement happy. And get Dick off his ass, the meddling prick.

Zatanna shook her head. “Look, AI stands for artificial intelligence, and NPC is a non-playable character. They’re computer-generated people, not actual players.”

Jason caught enough to surmise that these NPCs were created by the same maniac that locked them up in here. He crossed his arms and asked, “How the hell can we trust their word if they’re controlled by that fuckin’ game master freak?”

Cassie bit her lip and had the good sense to look concerned.  Zatanna just shrugged and said, “I guess we’ll just have to find out. We can try following their directions but stay cautious in case it’s a trap.”

“Fine,” Jason sighed. “Let’s go.” He was already resigned to the absolute stupidity of the situation anyway.

They made it to the end of the street without incident, and turned where the shopkeeper had directed them to. There was a bridge, spanning a merrily bubbling river, and open fields dotted with trees beyond it. Jason could smell the greenery and apple blossoms from here.

“Wait!” Jaime threw his arm out. He made a face, then sneezed. “Aw man,” he gave a tremendous sniff. “Can’t eben escabe allergies in a video gabe.”

Cassie laughed at her friend and slapped him on the back, which only made him sneeze again. Dumbasses, they didn’t have time for this. Jason rolled his eyes for what felt like the umpteenth time that day and walked up to the base of the bridge. He slowly, carefully stepped across and edged his way to the other side.

The other three followed suit, and upon joining him, Zatanna said cheerfully, “Seems like we can trust the NPCs!”

“For now,” Jason muttered, still not convinced. He turned his gaze to the rolling hills before him, warm breezes sending waves that shimmered through the knee-high grass. He didn’t see any monsters, but there had to be some... right?

He used two fingers to swipe the air in front of him, opening his inventory. At least he remembered that much from the tutorial. He equipped the crossbow he’d loaded in when he created his avatar. Damn, that night in the Batcave felt like it was a week ago.

Jason took a wary step forward, into the grass. “Fan out,” he directed the other three. He didn’t turn to watch as he heard them draw their own weapons and creep up to flank him.

A rustle in the grass ahead had him throw a clenched fist into the air to have the others hold their positions. He waited until the movement stilled, then crept forward a few more steps, careful to keep his footsteps silent. He was within feet of it now, whatever it was. He hoisted up his crossbow to brace it on his shoulder and trained it on the last place he’d spotted movement. There was a sharp inhale behind him, and then Jaime sneezed loudly.

The head of a wild boar whipped up and it lunged for Jason. “Shit!” he yelled. Damn kid and his perfect timing. Jason blindly jumped backward and fired a bolt at the same time. It met its target and the boar shattered into glittering dust that resembled pixels. In front of him, a notification popped up that 20 copper coins, the crossbow bolt he’d shot, and a boar tusk had been added to his inventory. Huh, that was surprisingly easy.

“Wow, that was so crash!” Cassie pumped her fists in the air. “This game is gonna be a piece of cake.”

“Not so fast,” Zatanna frowned. “Remember, this is only the first level. It’s bound to be easy. It’s only going to get harder from here.”

Jason turned around to face them. “And just because that little shit was easy to kill doesn’t mean they all will be on this level.” He noticed Jaime hanging back, looking embarrassed.

“Hey kid,” Jason jerked his chin at him. Jaime's head snapped up. “Do you want to try the next one or wait by the bridge until your allergies clear up?”

Jaime opened his mouth to respond but had to sneeze again. “I think I’ll just waid by the bridge. I’b really sorry guys.” He trekked back to where they’d come into the fields.

“And then there were three. Ladies first,” Jason mockingly bowed, gesturing to the open fields beyond where the boar had been. Zatanna smirked and Cassie stuck her tongue out at him, which he returned with a rude gesture.