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hanzajesthanza · 4 months

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explanation of milva's pregnancy and regis' "poll" (baptism of fire chapter 7)

for those that need it. i made a similar post a few years ago, but it was a little more meandering and "well, it could be this, it could be that." but after rereading this scene a bunch more times since then, i'm now more certain of what i have to say about it.

at the end of the novel, it's revealed that milva has been pregnant for the last two and a half months. since then, she has wanted to abort the pregnancy, but has hesitated.

“I spent too long dragging my feet, meditating, hesitating. Now it won’t be so easy…”

currently, she is in the first term, it’s the tenth week of her pregnancy, as regis… decuded, somehow, him being “something of an expert”. and she later tells geralt that the pregnancy was conceived in mid-to-late june, the sunday after the summer solstice. and it’s late august by the end of the novel, when this conversation takes place.

milva knew she was pregnant, as the dryads could tell, but her procrastination (partially) came from there not being a right time to involve herself with it, as she was busy running intelligence for geralt and leading scoia’tael commandos in july.

then, geralt set off from brokilon in early august (around the 5th/6th), and milva followed, feeling guilt out of wanting to abort her pregnancy. she wanted to save his child, ciri, in exchange for the abortion she was about to have performed.

‘(…) For I would like you to find your Ciri, Witcher. To find her and get her back, with my help.’ ‘So that’s why you rode after me,’ he said, wiping his forehead. ‘That’s why.’ She lowered her head. ‘That’s why you rode after me,’ he repeated. ‘You set off to help rescue someone else’s child. You wanted to pay; to pay off a debt, that you intended to incur even when you set off… Someone else’s child for your own. A life for a life.’

the abortion she was planning to have would have been her debt, and following geralt and saving ciri her “baptism of fire.” these are two of the largest themes of the novel (see eithne speaking of debt in ch. 1 and regis speaking of baptism of fire in ch. 5).

milva had a peasant upbringing, in a village in upper sodden. she was taught the very strict functions and definitions of a woman (why she is so enraged about the peasant clogs insulting her in chapter 4 by insinuating that she's not a virgin, and therefore no use to them to hunt a vampire).

she defines womanhood as this traditional homemaker with children running around the feet. and, not wanting to come into this “mother hen with an egg” womanhood, fled home after she killed her stepfather.

(from chapter 2, after they witness the rape of the peasant girl:)

‘(…) I ran away from home. I didn’t want to sweep the cottage and scrub the floors. I wasn’t going to wait until they arrived and put the cottage to the torch, spread me out on the very same floor and…’

from there, she became a hunter, a killer—not maria, but milva—red kite. she killed men for brokilon, led false dryad scalping expeditions, leading them right into traps. this is “the blood that calls her” now.

‘What kind of Red Kite am I? A mother hen with an egg, not a Kite… Milva laughed with the dryads on the battleground, pulled arrows from bloodied corpses. Waste of a good arrow shaft or a good arrowhead! And if someone was still breathing, a knife across the throat! Milva was treacherous, she led those people to their fate and laughed… Now their blood calls. That blood, like a wasp’s venom, is devouring Maria from the inside. Maria is paying for Milva.’

the blood she spilled is blood she will have spilled—through abortion, or pregnancy (or, miscarriage, as it so tragically happened).

milva was conflicted about her pregnancy because it (a symbol of womanhood, the very traditional womanhood she had fled) conflicted with the identity she had come into since she had escaped that life (as a hunter, as a killer). remember that geralt calls her “half-dryad, half-woman,” when mocking the company as it was formed by the fish soup. milva feels this divide herself, tearing her apart, between hen and kite.

milva wanted to have the abortion because she did not want a child, to have a child conflicted with her identity and, i mean, just generally, her life (hard to hunt toting around a baby on your breast). but she also felt guilt that she planned abortion, because of her culture and social norms.

so she wanted to, but hesitated, wanted to, then hesitated again.

she was planning to head back with dandelion once he balked, but since dandelion never faltered as she had predicted him to, she didn’t have a chance to leave the company.

she didn't want to tell the rest she was pregnant, you can guess why, because she to them was milva and not maria, she didn't want to divulge her vulnerability.

‘I thought I’d drink some ergot or some other decoction, and you wouldn’t even notice, wouldn’t even guess (…) I saw how Dandelion puts on a brave face; but thought him weak, soft, not used to hardship. I was just waiting for him to give up and then we’d have to offload him. I thought if it got hard I’d go back with Dandelion… Now just look: Dandelion’s the hero, and I’m…’

during this time, she also didn't want to have the abortion, because it would have slowed the march and prevented them from travelling. similarly, she felt guilt because if she was to carry it to term, it would slow their company even more.

also, how in hell was she supposed to find someone to perform an abortion in this wilderness, in this warzone, anyhow?

well, by some miracle chance, they happened across a barber-surgeon. in a cemetery of all places. what luck for her, a medical professional makes himself known. (this meeting was on the first night of the full moon, the 18th of august).

The root of the [mandrake], which is a valued ingredient in medicine and herb lore, long ago had great import in superstitions, particularly among the Nordlings; human effigies (called alruniks or alraunes) were carved from it and kept in homes as revered talismans. They were believed to offer protection from illnesses, to bring good fortune during trials, and to ensure fertility and uncomplicated births.

but then, of course, the nilfgaardian stampede in the refugee camp happens (chapter 4, mid-day of august 19th) and said barber-surgeon turns out to be a vampire (chapter 5, dawn of august 20th).

and again, milva having being raised in the forest, and being a smart girl, and a human, fears supernatural things with fangs which sprout from darkness and simply disappear into thin air.

‘Don’t take the piss, Witcher,’ Milva growled. ‘You know more about vampires than we do. You’re mocking Dandelion, so tell me. I was raised in the forest, I didn’t go to school. I’m ignorant. But it’s no fault of mine. It’s not right to mock. I–I’m ashamed to say–am also a bit afraid of… Regis.’

so it takes her some time to get over her fear, until said thing with fangs explains himself and assures his friends (chapter 7, late august) … and that’s where we find ourselves now.

milva finally gets a chance, ten weeks into the pregnancy, to get some medical consult (of course regis knew long before this, actually the day after they met, for when she puked after punching the peasant clogs in the face—but he says nothing and just “smiled strangely”).

I think Regis realised the truth. But he kept quiet. He kept quiet until he couldn’t keep quiet any longer. When we stopped to make camp in a deserted woodmen’s shack, Milva led him into the forest, spoke to him at length and at times in quite a loud voice. The vampire returned from the forest alone. He brewed up and mixed some herbs, and then abruptly summoned us all to the shack. He began rather vaguely, in his annoying patronising manner.

so, what is happening in this “husbands and fathers” scene? why does regis poll the men, and why does milva choose not to have the abortion?

regis polls the “husbands” of the company because he wants to pressure geralt into speaking with milva.

(also, my opinion: i think milva probably asked regis to tell all the rest all about her situation, because regis is eloquent and has no anxieties about these subjects, and milva herself is terrified. i can 💯 believe that she told him, ‘oh hell, i don’t know how to say it, you tell them all…’)

‘She demanded,’ Regis began a short while later, ‘that I prepare and give her a strong and powerful… medicament. She considers it a remedy for the problem. Her mind is made up.’ ‘And have you?’ Regis smiled. ‘Without talking to the other fathers?’

this is a good time to remember that regis can be very coy, and sometimes likes to get to his point “rather vaguely.” (unlike the very direct and action-oriented milva (lady of the lake, ch. 7)!)

for instance, in chapter 5, when revealing himself, regis does not tell all the rest himself that they shouldn’t pity him and view as a wretched creature, that he’s actually very powerful, but rather he gets geralt himself to admit that regis’ value would be “bloody high,” so high that he doesn’t believe that anyone could afford it. it's only when geralt admits this that regis finally smiles and “fucks off,” as it were.

so, as it was then then, regis doesn’t immediately state what he believes or what he wants here—rather, he peppers the others with questions to get them to come to their own conclusions, just as a wonderful philosopher does. much to geralt’s annoyance:

‘Regis, you seem to be conducting something like a poll among us. Why? You’re the physician. The agent she’s asking for… yes, the agent. The word medicament doesn’t suit me somehow… Only you can prepare and give her this agent. And you’ll do it should she ask you for it again. You won’t refuse.’ ‘I’ve already prepared the agent,’ Regis said, showing them all a little bottle made of dark glass. ‘Should she ask again, I shall not refuse. Should she ask again,’ he repeated with force.

regis indeed will provide the abortive substance to milva, he won’t refuse here. as geralt points out, he’s the physician, he’s even already prepared the agent. regis doesn’t truly care about the results of this “poll” if one of the company were to refuse and express their disagreement. it’s milva’s decision.

he’s actually not asking them for their approval, at all. so, what does he want? why does he ask? what is he asking for?

‘What’s this all about then? Unanimity? Total agreement? Is that what you’re expecting?’ ‘You know very well what it’s about,’ the vampire answered. ‘You sense perfectly what ought to be done. But since you ask, I shall tell you. Yes, Geralt, that’s precisely what it’s about. Yes, that’s precisely what ought to be done. And no, it’s not me that’s expecting it.’

ah, more vagueness (which confuses dandelion, and potentially the majority of the fandom).

‘Could you be clearer?’ ‘No, Dandelion,’ the vampire snapped. ‘I can’t be any clearer. Particularly since there’s no need. Right, Geralt?’

what regis wants is for geralt to talk to milva before she decides to go forward the abortion. because her pregnancy and his child are tangled up (her debt, her baptism of fire), which are making it difficult for her to make a decision based on what SHE wants. there's cultural pressure to keep the pregnancy, and quest pressure to drop it.

regis wants geralt to give her his shoulder to cry on, and to tell her something like: "i'm not expecting you to have an abortion just so you can help me out with finding my kid. we'll stick with you as a company, no matter what." and it's not regis that's expecting this, as he says, but milva.

again, if milva keeps the pregnancy, this will mean difficulty imposed upon on the entire company, as she ceases to be a "use" and instead becomes a "millstone" for the company to protect (also this may be why dandelion didn't understand what regis was asking geralt for. because dandelion is also a millstone for the company).

geralt has to tell milva it's okay to be vulnerable. that, uh, being pregnant is #valid? because you see how milva has come to view herself, as a hindrance:

‘You didn’t expect this when we set off, did you? When you let me join the company? You thought: “So what if she’s a peasant; a foolish, country wench?” You let me join. “I won’t be able to talk to her about brainy things on the road,” you thought, “but she might come in useful. She’s a healthy, sturdy lass. She shoots a straight arrow, she won’t get a sore arse from the saddle, and if it gets nasty she won’t shit her britches. She’ll come in useful.” And it turns out she’s no use, just a hindrance. A millstone. A typical bloody woman!’

this talk with milva is hard for geralt, because this means he has to step up and be a leader (which he did not want to be, as he expressed at the start of the novel!)

‘Right,’ the Witcher said, resting his forehead on his clasped hands. ‘Yes, too bloody right. But why are you looking at me? You want me to do it? I don’t know how. I can’t. I’m not suited for this role at all… Not at all, get it?’

so, he's reluctant to speak to her about this, but, well, tough.

It’s now or never, he thought. I can’t run away from it. There’s no point putting it off. It’s got to be done (…)

he speaks to her, providing his support, and offering some significant words about debt and sacrifice:

‘(…) You offered me help in a moment when I needed help very much. There’s no way of paying off a debt like that. It’s impossible to repay something that has no price. Some say everything in the world–everything, with no exception–has a price. It’s not true. There are things with no price, things that are priceless. But you realise it belatedly: when you lose them, you lose them forever and nothing can get them back for you. I have lost many such things. Which is why I can’t help you today.’

‘But you have helped me,’ she replied, very calmly. ‘You don’t even know how you’ve helped me. Now go, please. Leave me alone.’

geralt doesn’t tell her to not have an abortion, but rather provides his support for her no matter her decision. he tells her that he doesn’t expect her to sacrifice her pregnancy for his child, that he cannot repay her if she does. and he reminds her that “some things (…) when you lose them, you lose them forever. i have lost many such things,” he’s talking about the pregnancy, as well as his own child, ciri.

directly following this exchange is the scene of regis throwing the medicament into the bushes, which confirms that milva, no longer feeling the burdens of identity and guilt, decided to keep her pregnancy.

her deciding to keep her pregnancy means something to the company, though: that they will all be extra vulnerable, because soon milva will have to stop riding horseback and will have to rest and deliver. but geralt expresses that he (and the rest) are willing to take on that burden, to slow down the march for milva to carry her pregnancy to term, because they're a company, they're brothers in arms. they sacrifice for each other!

this is reflected in the next scene, the “change of plans” geralt informs regis about, saying that he no longer wants them to go through ysgith as they had previously planned (because it’s too dangrous for milva, which is what regis argues back to him about—“i would say even more than [physically] fit. the hormones…” ... lol, regis).

this is a huge moment for geralt’s character development, as he has come to identify himself as having a company, and then to value his company. in the beginning of the novel, he was willing to sacrifice anything for ciri, and now he has realized that there are some things (some people) which he is unwilling to sacrifice for her.

‘(…) I understood it was urgent. That it was important for you to acquire the information and set off to rescue your Ciri as quickly as possible.’

‘It is,’ Geralt said, looking away. ‘It’s very important to me. I want to rescue Ciri and get her back. Until recently I thought I’d do it at any price. But no. I won’t pay that price, I won’t consent to taking that risk. We won’t go through Ysgith.’

resulting in this reaction from regis, somewhat commending, and intrigued by him:

‘Geralt,’ the vampire said, still not taking his eyes away from the Witcher. ‘You’re a strange man. To make myself clear, I wasn’t being critical. Right, then. We give up on Ysgith, which is dangerous for a woman with child. We cross to the far bank of the Yaruga, which you consider safer.’

their new direction to across the yaruga, however, turned out to be just as dangerous, and with tragic consequences.

#i'll probably make this into a video at some point so don't feel bad if you don't wanna read allll this text lol #the witcher books #c: milva #milva barring #maria barring #book: baptism of fire #analysis

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mcrdvcks · 3 months

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Down Bad - Chapter 17

Chapter Summary: The squad adjusts to life on Pabu after Tantiss.

Word Count: 10.6k+

Pairing: Hunter x fem!Jedi Original Character

Notes: and the story after season 3 begins! this one has something new in it that i haven't done in this fic, so just a warning! speaking of...

TW: mentioned torture (not heavily described), smut, unprotected piv (please be safe!), slight inappropriate use of vibroblade

Series Masterlist - Chapter 16 → Chapter 18

AO3 Link For Chapter

The shocks stopped as one of the clone commandos turned off the chair momentarily. Amina lifted her head from her chest and looked around the room briefly.

She knew she was bleeding; she could feel the dry blood covering her arms, only to be replaced by more blood from the cutting they were doing with a vibroblade.

In a cruel way, she should be thanking Palpatine, since them cutting her skin open with a knife was not nearly as bad as the things he had done to her. She’s pretty sure that glowing serum Hemlock gave her was supposed to make her feel more pain, but she didn’t feel the difference.

The trooper put down the bloodied blade on the medical table beside her as one of the troopers positioned by the door opened it, letting an interrogation droid enter.

“Oh, fun. An interrogation droid.” Amina sarcastically commented, “what are you going to do? Inject me with chemicals? Peel my skin off? Torch me?”

Hemlock walked into the room, with Emerie walking behind the glass on the other side. “Your strength is admirable, Skywalker. But I am still wondering what will it take to break you? To make you scream?”

“There are a lot of things that can make me scream. You and torture are not one of them.”

The interrogation droid hummed to life, its metallic arms extending towards Amina with a menacing whir. Amina tensed as the droid drew closer, its cold, lifeless eyes boring into hers with an intensity that sent shivers down her spine.

Hemlock watched with a predatory gleam in his eyes as the droid hovered over Amina, its needle-like appendages poised to strike. "Let's see how long that bravado lasts," he muttered to himself, a cruel smirk twisting his lips.

---

Amina sat up straight in bed, the blanket falling to her waist as she looked around the dark room. Hunter laid beside her, soundly asleep.

Her breath was shaky as she slowly got out of bed, careful not to wake Hunter or Omega, who slept in her own room.

Amina stepped outside, the cool air slightly calming her down. Out the corner of her eye she spotted Crosshair standing outside the other house, where he and Wrecker lived, and where Omega split her nights.

Crosshair noticed her gaze and nodded in acknowledgment before returning his attention to the night sky. She hadn’t known him for long, but at times it seemed like he didn’t like her. Or maybe she was just imagining it.

She thought their conversation before her, and Omega were taken to Tantiss meant something.

"Hey," she said softly as she neared him, her voice barely above a whisper.

Crosshair turned to face her, his expression unreadable in the dim light. "Can't sleep?" he asked, his voice gruff.

Amina nodded, shivering slightly in the chilly air. "Nightmares," she admitted, unable to meet his gaze.

Crosshair studied her for a moment before gesturing for her to join him by the railing overlooking the sprawling landscape. "Tell me about them," he said, his tone surprisingly gentle.

Amina hesitated for a moment, unsure if she wanted to share the details of her nightmare with Crosshair. But there was something about his presence, something about the way he stood there with a quiet understanding, that made her feel like she could trust him.

"It's... it's nothing," she began, her voice barely above a whisper. "Just... memories, I guess."

Crosshair raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying her attempt to brush off the subject. "Memories?" he prompted, his tone gentle yet insistent.

“Yeah, when I was on Tantiss.” She responded. Tantiss happened a month ago, and most of her wounds had healed; the electrowhip wounds, her knee, and the cutting on her arms.

But her mind went back to how before she was taken to Tantiss with Omega, and how she killed those 3 Inquisitors. Or how she Force choked those operatives when Hemlock made her fight them. Maybe the Emperor did more to her than she thought.

The door to the house opened as Hunter walked out, looking over at Amina and Crosshair, “you alright, cyar’ika?”

As Hunter stepped out of the house, his concern for Amina evident in his voice, she offered him a small smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I’m fine just couldn't sleep," she reassured him, her voice soft but firm.

Crosshair remained silent, observing the exchange between Amina and Hunter with a detached curiosity.

Hunter nodded, though he didn't look entirely convinced. "Alright, just let me know if you need anything," he said, his tone gentle yet protective.

Amina nodded in response, grateful for Hunter's concern but also eager to change the subject. "So, what are you doing out here?" she asked, turning her attention back to Crosshair.

Crosshair shrugged nonchalantly, his gaze returning to the night sky. "Couldn't sleep either," he admitted, his voice low and gravelly.

There was a brief moment of silence as Amina and Crosshair stood side by side, each lost in their own thoughts. The cool night air wrapped around them like a comforting blanket, offering a moment of respite from the chaos of their lives.

Suddenly, Amina felt a surge of courage wash over her, emboldening her to ask the question that had been weighing on her mind since they first met. "Crosshair, can I ask you something?" she began, her voice hesitant but determined.

Crosshair glanced at her, his expression unreadable in the darkness. "Depends on the question," he replied, his tone guarded.

Amina took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. "Why do you... why do you seem to dislike me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Crosshair's brow furrowed in confusion, clearly caught off guard by her question. "I don't dislike you," he replied after a moment, his tone defensive. "I just... I don't know you."

Amina nodded, understanding dawning on her face. "Fair enough," she said, her tone gentle. "I guess we haven't exactly had a chance to get to know each other."

Crosshair remained silent, his gaze fixed on the horizon as if searching for answers in the darkness. “Omega likes you, so does Wrecker, and Hunter. That’s good enough for me.”

"I understand that we haven't had the chance to get to know each other," she began, her tone gentle. "But I want you to know that I'm here if you ever need someone to talk to. You don't have to face your demons alone."

Crosshair's jaw tightened slightly, his gaze still fixed on the horizon. "I appreciate the offer," he replied, his voice gruff. "But I'm not one for talking about my feelings."

“Neither am I.” She shrugged before patting his shoulder gently, “but the offer stands.”

As Amina re-entered the house, she found Hunter sitting on the small couch, his expression a mix of concern and exhaustion. He looked up as she approached, his eyes softening at the sight of her.

"Everything okay?" he asked, his voice laced with worry as he stood up to greet her.

Amina managed a small smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yeah, just couldn't sleep," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Hunter frowned, his concern deepening. "Nightmares again?" he guessed, already knowing the answer.

Amina nodded, sinking onto the couch beside him. "Yeah," she admitted, her voice barely audible.

Hunter wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close in a comforting embrace. "You know you don't have to go through this alone, right?" he murmured, his voice gentle yet firm.

Amina leaned into his embrace, drawing strength from his presence. "I know," she replied, her voice barely more than a whisper.

There was a brief moment of silence as Hunter held her close, offering her the comfort and support she so desperately needed. In that moment, Amina felt a sense of peace wash over her, temporarily driving away the lingering shadows of her nightmares.

“I killed those Inquisitors.” She spoke quietly.

He rubbed her shoulder, “when the Empire came here?”

Amina nodded, “I didn’t just kill them, I… I- I slaughtered them.” Her gaze went downward, “it wasn’t even protecting myself, I- I didn’t have to go that far, but I did. I killed them just like the Emperor or Vader would.”

"Hey," he said softly, reaching out to tilt her chin up so their eyes met. "You did what you had to do to survive. It's not your fault."

Amina shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "But I enjoyed it, Hunter," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "I enjoyed the feeling of power, of control. It scared me, how much I enjoyed it."

Hunter's heart clenched at the pain in her voice, his own emotions roiling beneath the surface. He knew what it was like to struggle with the darkness within, to grapple with the choices they were forced to make in a galaxy torn apart by war.

“I thought that by escaping Coruscant and Palpatine, that I would feel better. But I don’t. I somehow feel worse. It’s almost like he’s controlling me, dictating my every move. But he’s not, it’s all… me.”

He reached out, gently wiping away the tears that streaked her cheeks. "Amina," he said softly, his voice filled with compassion, "you're not alone in this. We'll figure it out together, I promise."

Amina looked up at him, her eyes searching his for reassurance. "But what if I can't control it, Hunter?" she whispered, her voice trembling with uncertainty. "What if I... what if I become like him?"

Hunter's heart clenched at the raw vulnerability in her words. He knew all too well the temptation to succumb to the darkness, to let it consume him until there was nothing left but a hollow shell. But he also knew that Amina was stronger than she gave herself credit for, that she had already faced more darkness than most could imagine and emerged from it with her humanity intact.

"You're not like your brother, Amina," he said firmly, his gaze unwavering. "You're stronger than you know, stronger than he could ever be. And no matter what happens, I'll be right here beside you, every step of the way."

Amina's heart swelled with gratitude as she looked into Hunter's eyes, seeing the sincerity and unwavering support reflected in them. Despite the darkness that threatened to consume her, she found solace in his presence, in the warmth of his embrace and the strength of his words.

"Thank you, Hunter," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "I don't know what I would do without you."

Hunter brushed a gentle hand across her cheek, his touch grounding her in the moment. "You don't have to do anything alone," he assured her, his voice filled with conviction. "We'll face whatever comes our way together."

With a sense of determination burning in her chest, Amina leaned forward, pressing her lips against Hunter's in a tender kiss. In that moment, all the doubts and fears that had plagued her melted away, leaving only the reassuring warmth of Hunter's love.

As they pulled away, Amina rested her forehead against his, her eyes fluttering shut as she savored the feeling of being truly and utterly loved. "I love you, Hunter," she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath of air, the words slipping from her lips for the first time.

Hunter's heart skipped a beat at her words, his chest swelling with a mixture of joy and relief. He had known for some time that his feelings for Amina ran deeper than mere friendship but hearing her say those three simple words filled him with a sense of warmth and contentment he had never known before.

"I love you too, Amina," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion as he pressed his lips against hers once more, savoring the taste of her sweetness. In that moment, surrounded by the quiet stillness of the night, everything else faded away, leaving only the two of them and the unspoken promise of a future together.

As they finally broke apart, Amina couldn't help but smile, her heart overflowing with happiness. She had never imagined that she could find love in the midst of such chaos and uncertainty, but here she was, wrapped in Hunter's arms and feeling more alive than ever before.

"Come on," Hunter said, his voice soft but determined as he took her hand in his. "Let's go back to bed.”

---

The sun had barely begun to rise over the horizon when Amina awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside her window. Stretching languidly, she glanced over at the sleeping form of Hunter beside her, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

She had slept better that night than she had in weeks, the weight of her nightmares lifted by the comforting presence of Hunter by her side. And though she knew that the challenges they faced were far from over, she also knew that as long as they faced them together, they could overcome anything.

Quietly slipping out of bed so as not to disturb Hunter's slumber, Amina made her way to the kitchen to start breakfast. As she worked, the events of the previous night played over in her mind, filling her with a sense of warmth and contentment she hadn't felt in a long time.

"Good morning, cyar'ika," Hunter's voice broke through her thoughts, causing her to turn around with a smile.

"Good morning," she replied, her smile widening as she took in the sight of him standing in the doorway, his hair tousled from sleep and a lazy grin playing at his lips. She turned back to the stove and gasped, taking the pan off the stove.

He walked over, looking at something black in the pan, “what… were you trying to make?”

She put the pan down on the stove turning around to find herself chest to chest with him, “panna cakes.” Amina mumbled, “but, I guess I’m not a good cook.”

Hunter chuckled softly, reaching out to gently tilt her chin up so their eyes met. "Hey, it's the thought that counts," he reassured her, his voice warm and reassuring.

Amina couldn't help but smile at his words, feeling a sense of warmth spread through her chest at the sight of his genuine smile. "Thanks," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Besides," Hunter continued, his gaze softening as he looked at her, "I'm sure they still taste great."

Amina raised an eyebrow skeptically, but before she could protest, Hunter reached out and grabbed a fork, spearing one of the burnt panna cakes from the pan and taking a bite.

He chewed thoughtfully for a moment before swallowing and nodding in approval. "See? Not bad," he said with a grin.

Amina watched him with bated breath and skeptical eyes, watching his hand come up to his mouth, “you don’t have to eat it, Hunter. I know that it’s bad. But it’s not my fault! Cooking lessons weren’t a part of my Jedi training!”

“It’s- ” he coughed, “not that bad.”

“Baby, it’s practically like a burnt rock.”

Hunter chuckled softly, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he took another bite of the burnt pancake. "Come on, Amina, it's not that bad," he insisted between chews, though the grimace on his face betrayed his words.

Amina couldn't help but laugh at his exaggerated reaction, shaking her head in mock disbelief. "You're just saying that to spare my feelings," she teased, though there was a hint of genuine gratitude in her voice.

They heard Omega yawn as she walked into the small kitchen, “did Amina try making breakfast again?”

Amina glanced sheepishly at Hunter before turning to face Omega with a wry grin. "Yeah, I thought I'd give it another shot," she admitted, gesturing towards the pan of charred pancakes on the stove.

Omega chuckled softly, shaking her head in mock exasperation. "Well, at least you're trying," she said, a playful glint in her eyes. "Do you need any help?"

“Sure. Let’s try it again.” Amina said, grabbing the ingredients and putting them on the counter.

Hunter kissed her temple and walked out of the house and went next door, where Wrecker, Crosshair, and Echo were.

Wrecker stood up quickly, “is there breakfast? I’m starving!”

Echo rolled his eyes, “you already ate 2 pears.”

“Yeah… but that was an appetizer!”

“Well, Amina and Omega are cooking breakfast.” Hunter said.

“You mean, failing to?” Crosshair added.

“Probably. We should go check on them to make sure they didn’t burn the house down.” Hunter replied quickly, realizing he shouldn’t have left them cooking alone in the house with no supervision.

As Hunter and Crosshair rushed back to the house, they were met with the sight of smoke billowing out from the kitchen window. With a shared glance, they quickened their pace, concern etched on their faces as they approached the source of the commotion.

Pushing open the door, they were greeted by the sight of Amina and Omega frantically waving towels in a futile attempt to disperse the smoke that had filled the room. The smell of burnt panna cakes hung heavy in the air, mixing with the sharp tang of charred ingredients.

"What happened?" Hunter asked, his voice laced with concern as he hurried to open the windows to let in some fresh air.

Amina looked up sheepishly, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Well, it turns out that cooking isn't exactly my strong suit," she admitted with a rueful smile.

Omega chuckled softly, shaking her head at her friend's culinary misadventures. "I tried to help," she offered, though her grin betrayed her amusement. "But it seems like we might need a little more practice."

Crosshair raised an eyebrow, his expression skeptical as he surveyed the burnt remnants of their breakfast. "You call this breakfast?" he remarked dryly, though there was a hint of amusement in his voice.

“It wasn’t completely my fault,” Amina said, waving the towel around, “it was also Omega’s fault!”

Omega sheepishly chuckled, “yeah, I guess we’re both bad at cooking.”

Wrecker and Echo entered as Wrecker walked next to Hunter and Crosshair, “aw, man. No breakfast?”

“Unless you want burnt… panna cakes?” Echo responded, narrowing his eyes at the black object in the pan.

“We could always go to the market for breakfast again?” Omega suggested.

Omega’s suggestion hung in the air for a moment before Wrecker's face lit up. "The market it is!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands together in excitement. "They have those fruit pastries I love!"

Hunter nodded, smiling at Amina. "Sounds like a plan. Let's clean up here and then head out."

As they quickly tidied up the kitchen, Amina couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. Cooking was clearly not her forte, but she was grateful for the support and understanding from the squad. Even Crosshair's dry humor couldn't dampen her spirits.

With the kitchen back in order, the group made their way out of the house and towards the market. The early morning sunbathed Pabu in a warm, golden light, and the gentle breeze carried the scent of the ocean. It was a perfect day for a trip to the market.

As they walked, Amina found herself falling into step beside Hunter. She glanced up at him, a small smile playing at her lips. "Thanks for the save back there," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Hunter chuckled, shaking his head. "Anytime, sweetheart," he replied, his tone warm and affectionate. "Besides, I wouldn't want to miss out on those fruit pastries either."

Amina laughed, feeling a sense of lightness she hadn't felt in a long time. The nightmares and fears that had plagued her seemed to fade into the background, replaced by the simple joy of being surrounded by people who cared about her.

The market was bustling with activity by the time they arrived, stalls filled with colorful produce, handmade crafts, and a variety of delicious-smelling foods. Wrecker wasted no time in making a beeline for the pastry stand, his eyes lighting up at the sight of his favorite treats.

Omega tugged at Amina's sleeve, pointing towards a stall selling intricately woven jewelry. "Come on, Amina! Let's go look at those!" she said excitedly, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

Amina nodded, allowing herself to be pulled along by Omega. Hunter watched Amina and Omega from a distance, a soft smile on his lips. He could see the change in Amina, the way she seemed lighter, more at ease. It warmed his heart to see her beginning to heal, even if the road ahead was still long and uncertain.

"Looks like they're having fun," Crosshair remarked, his tone casual as he came to stand beside Hunter.

Hunter nodded, his gaze never leaving Amina. "Yeah, they are," he said quietly. "It's good to see them smile again."

As Amina and Omega browsed the jewelry, Omega picked up a delicate necklace with a small, intricate pendant. "This one's beautiful," she said, holding it up for Amina to see.

Amina nodded, her eyes sparkling with interest. "It is. Would you like it?" she asked, holding the necklace out to Omega.

Omega's face lit up with excitement. "Really? You'd get it for me?"

Amina smiled warmly. "Of course, Omega. Consider it a gift."

Omega's grin widened, and she threw her arms around Amina in a tight hug. "Thank you, Amina! It's beautiful!"

Amina chuckled, returning the hug. "You're welcome, Omega. Let's get it for you."

They approached the vendor, who smiled at the sight of Omega's enthusiasm. "Ah, you've got an eye for quality," the vendor said, nodding approvingly as Amina handed over a few credits in exchange for the necklace.

As they continued to browse the market, Hunter and Crosshair kept a watchful eye on them, making sure they stayed safe in the bustling crowd.

Omega was already wearing her new necklace, proudly showing it off to Amina. "It looks great on you," Amina said, her voice filled with genuine affection.

Omega beamed, her eyes shining with happiness. "Thanks, Amina. You're the best."

Amina ruffled Omega's hair playfully. "I'm just glad you like it."

As they continued to explore the market, Amina couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment. For the first time in a long while, she felt a sense of normalcy, a moment of peace amidst the chaos of their lives.

Hunter caught up to them, a warm smile on his face. "Find anything else interesting?" he asked, slipping an arm around Amina's waist.

Amina leaned into his embrace, feeling the comfort of his presence. "Just enjoying the sights," she replied, her voice soft.

“Look at those dresses.” Omega said, pointing to a vendor on the other side of the walkway, “can we look around?”

“Sure. But maybe after breakfast.” Amina responded, looking around, “where’s Wrecker and Echo?”

“Right here!” Wrecker called out, walking towards them carrying a large box. He opened the box to reveal an assortment of fruit pastries.

Hunter looked from the box up to Wrecker, “why are there so many? There’s got to be 30 in there.”

“28, actually.” Echo said, “he’s already ate 2.”

As Wrecker proudly displayed his box of pastries, Echo's deadpan remark elicited a round of laughter from the group. Amina couldn't help but chuckle at Wrecker's enthusiasm for food, shaking her head in amusement.

"Twenty-eight pastries, Wrecker? Are you planning on sharing with the entire market?" Hunter teased, a playful glint in his eye.

Wrecker shrugged, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Hey, you snooze, you lose," he replied with a wink before digging into another pastry.

Amina rolled her eyes good-naturedly, shaking her head at Wrecker's antics. "Well, at least save some for Omega and me," she said with a smile, reaching for one of the pastries.

Once they had finished their breakfast, Omega's excitement over the dresses proved contagious, and they found themselves making their way to the vendor to browse the colorful array of fabrics and designs. Amina watched with amusement as Omega flitted from dress to dress, her eyes wide with wonder.

"These are amazing," Omega exclaimed, holding up a vibrant red dress with intricate embroidery.

"They really are," she agreed, reaching out to run her fingers over the soft fabric.

Omega turned to her with a grin. "Do you think Hunter would like this one?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Amina chuckled, nodding in agreement. "I think he'd love it," she replied, imagining the smile that would light up Hunter's face at the sight of Omega in the dress.

Omega squinted her eyes and looked through the rack, pulling out the dress in a different size, “do you think it’ll fit?”

“Fit you? No, it’s way to big.” Amina responded.

Omega frowned, “no, not for me, for you.”

As Omega held up the dress in a different size, suggesting it might fit Amina, Amina couldn't help but feel a surge of uncertainty. The thought of trying on a dress, let alone wearing it, filled her with a sense of vulnerability she wasn't quite prepared to face. After all, she had spent the better part of her life as a Jedi, trained to be a warrior, not a fashion model.

But as she glanced at Omega's hopeful expression, her resolve softened. Omega looked up at her with wide eyes, waiting for her response. Amina took a deep breath, pushing aside her apprehension. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to try it on," she said with a hesitant smile, reaching for the dress.

Omega's face lit up with excitement as she handed Amina the dress, practically bouncing on her toes with anticipation. "Yay! I can't wait to see how it looks on you!" she exclaimed, her enthusiasm infectious.

---

“Add 2 tablespoons of- ” Amina looked up from the datapad at the pan, hissing in dismay and taking the pan off the burner.

She had been trying to make some sort of rice dish that Shep makes, he had even given her the recipe, but it seems like not even having step-by-step instructions can help her.

Amina sighed, picking up the towel on the counter, wiping her hands off. The front door opened as Hunter walked in, “did you burn food again?”

“Yeah.” She pouted, “I was trying to make you dinner for our date night, but I guess I can’t even follow a recipe.” Amina’s arms crossed over her chest, trying to cover her arms as her legs crossed in front of her.

“What are you doing?” Hunter questioned.

“What do you mean? I was just telling you about how I burned the food.”

“No, not that. You’re… curling in on yourself. Trying to hide your skin.”

Hunter's observation struck a chord with Amina. She hadn't realized it, but he was right. Without even realizing it, she had instinctively crossed her arms over her chest and folded her legs, a subconscious attempt to shield herself from Hunter's scrutiny.

"I... I didn't even realize I was doing that," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "I guess... I guess I just...” Hunter gently grabbed her shoulders and stood in front of her. Amina looked down, “when I put on this dress I felt pretty, but then I saw all the scars.” She mumbled, her eyes on the soft white fabric of the skirt.

"Hey," he said softly, his voice filled with warmth and reassurance. "Look at me, Amina."

Reluctantly, Amina raised her eyes to meet his, her expression guarded. Hunter could see the vulnerability lurking behind the facade of strength she so often projected, and it tugged at his heartstrings.

"You are beautiful, scars and all," he said earnestly, his gaze unwavering as he searched her eyes for any sign of doubt.

Amina tilted her head to the side, seeing the jagged marks on her arm, covering her skin almost completely. "But they're... they're so ugly," she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath of air. “And they’re everywhere.”

Hunter's heart clenched at the pain in Amina's voice, his own emotions swirling with a mixture of sympathy and concern. He had seen the scars that crisscrossed her skin, reminders of the horrors she had endured at the hands of the Empire. But to hear her speak of them with such self-loathing broke his heart in a way he couldn't quite articulate.

Gently, he reached out and cupped her cheek, his touch tender and reassuring. "Amina," he murmured, his voice soft but firm, "those scars are a testament to your strength, not your weakness."

Amina's gaze flickered up to meet his, her eyes swimming with unshed tears. "But they're... they're ugly," she whispered, her voice filled with pain. "I don't want you to see me like this, Hunter. I'm supposed to be strong, but I feel so... broken."

Hunter's heart ached at the raw vulnerability in her words, his chest tightening with the need to comfort her. Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close in a tight embrace. "You are strong, Amina," he whispered against her hair, his voice thick with emotion. "You're the strongest person I know."

Amina buried her face against his chest, her tears soaking through his shirt as she clung to him desperately. In that moment, she felt safe, protected, loved. It was a feeling she hadn't allowed herself to experience in a long time, a feeling she had almost forgotten existed.

"You've been through hell and back, Amina," Hunter continued, his voice gentle but resolute. "But you've never let it break you. You've fought tooth and nail to survive, to protect those you care about. And that, my dear, is the true definition of strength."

Amina trembled in his arms, overwhelmed by the intensity of her emotions. For so long, she had buried her pain beneath a facade of strength, unwilling to let anyone see the vulnerability lurking beneath the surface. But with Hunter, she felt like she could let her guard down, like she could be herself without fear of judgment or rejection.

"Thank you, Hunter," she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath of air. "Thank you for always being there for me, for seeing past the scars and loving me anyway."

Hunter pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head, his heart swelling with love and gratitude. "Always, Amina," he murmured, his voice filled with sincerity. "I'll always be here for you, no matter what." He pulled away, gently kissing her lips. “And, you want to know what else I think?”

Amina sniffed, “what?”

He put his hands on her waist, picking her up and setting her down on the counter, her legs wrapping around his waist. Their lips met in a tender kiss, filled with a mixture of love, longing, and desire. Amina's fingers tangled in Hunter's hair as she pulled him closer, deepening the kiss.

Hunter's hands roamed over Amina's body, tracing the curve of her waist and the line of her spine, igniting a fire within her that threatened to consume her whole. She melted into his touch, her heart racing with anticipation as she surrendered herself to the intensity of their connection.

Breaking away from the kiss, Hunter leaned his forehead against Amina's, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he struggled to regain control of his emotions. "I think you look incredible in that dress.”

Amina's cheeks flushed with warmth at his words, a shy smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "You really think so?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Even though it had only been a short while since Tantiss, Hunter always seemed to compliment her any chance he got.

Whether it was saying that her hair looked nice, or her pants looked good on her, Hunter always found a way to make her feel special.

Hunter nodded, his eyes dark with longing as he gazed into hers. "Absolutely," he replied, his tone filled with sincerity. "You look... breathtaking."

His head moved downwards, his hair brushing against her skin as he kissed a large burn mark on her chest. Amina sighed in response, her hands resting on his shoulders, “think you can prove that to me?”

Hunter looked up at Amina with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Oh, I definitely think I can prove it to you," he said, his voice low and husky with desire.

Amina's heart raced at his words, her skin tingling with anticipation. "Well then, what are you waiting for?" she teased, her lips curling into a playful smile.

With a smirk, Hunter leaned in and captured her lips in a passionate kiss, his hands roaming over her body with a hunger that sent shivers down her spine. Amina melted into his touch, her fingers tangling in his hair as she kissed him back with equal fervor.

He put a hand on the small of her back, pushing her off the counter as his other arm held her from underneath, and walked to the bedroom. Amina's heart raced with excitement as Hunter guided her, her skin tingling with anticipation. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair as she kissed him deeply, her body craving his touch.

Hunter carried Amina effortlessly, his muscles tense with anticipation as he made his way to the bedroom. He kicked the door shut behind them, the soft click echoing in the room as they were enveloped in a cocoon of intimacy. Amina's breath caught in her throat as Hunter gently laid her down on the bed, his eyes burning with desire as he gazed down at her.

"Maker, you're beautiful," Hunter murmured, his voice husky with longing as he traced a finger along the curve of Amina's jaw. She shivered at his touch, her skin ablaze with desire as she met his gaze with equal fervor. Without a word, Hunter leaned in and captured her lips in another searing kiss, his hands roaming over her body with a hunger that left her breathless.

Amina moaned softly against his lips, her body arching into his touch as she surrendered herself to the intensity of their connection. Hunter's hands moved with purpose, trailing down her sides and slipping beneath the hem of her dress, his touch igniting a fire within her that threatened to consume her whole.

He kissed the freckle on her jaw and moved down to the hollow of her throat, licking, and sucking at her skin. Amina shivered under his touch, her fingers tightening in his hair. He knew she loved it when he kissed that freckle, she never even had to say anything for him to know.

Hunter pulled back for a moment, looking into her eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked softly, his voice filled with concern.

"Yes," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "More than okay."

Hunter smiled, kissing her gently on the lips before moving back to her neck. His hands traveled up her sides, pushing her dress up higher and higher until it bunched around her waist. He paused, looking at her with a question in his eyes. Amina nodded, giving him permission to continue.

His fingers trailed along the waistband of her underwear, teasing her skin as he kissed a scar on her shoulder. "You're so beautiful, Amina," he murmured against her skin, his breath hot and tantalizing.

Amina's breath hitched, her heart racing as his words washed over her. "Hunter..." she began, but he silenced her with a kiss, his lips soft and demanding against hers.

He moved down her body, his lips trailing over her collarbone and down to her chest. He kissed a large burn mark, his lips gentle and reverent. Amina's eyes fluttered shut, her hands clutching his hair.

"You're perfect," he whispered, kissing the edge of another scar, which spanned from her shoulder to her arm. He lifted himself up slightly, as he undid the buttons of her dress in the front.

Hunter moved down, licking the length of a scar next to her belly button as his fingers traced her over her underwear. Amina's breath hitched at the sensation, a shiver running down her spine as she felt his lips against her skin.

His fingers rubbed circles on her pussy through her underwear Amina arched into his touch, her body responding instinctively to his every move. "Hunter," she moaned, her voice barely more than a breath of air.

Hunter’s lips trailed over her belly, placing soft kisses on her skin as he moved downward. “You’re incredible, Amina,” he murmured against her skin, his breath hot and tantalizing. He kissed along the waistband of her underwear, his fingers still rubbing circles on her pussy, feeling her wetness seep through the fabric.

Amina’s breath hitched, her hands clutching at the sheets as she surrendered to his touch. “Please,” she whispered, her voice barely audible, her need evident in the way her body responded to him.

He moved up her body, kissing the middle of her stomach, “what do you want, sweetheart?”

Kriff, she loved it when he called her that. Hell, she just loved his voice.

Amina's breath caught in her throat as she looked up at him, her eyes dark with longing. "I want you," she whispered, her voice trembling with need.

Hunter's lips curved into a tender smile as he kissed a spot in the middle of her breasts. "I can do that," he murmured, his voice filled with promise.

With gentle hands, he slid her dress up and over her head, revealing her delicate curves and the intricate web of scars that crisscrossed her skin. Amina's cheeks flushed with warmth as she watched him, her heart racing with anticipation.

He leaned in to kiss her, slowly and gently as his hand slipped under her underwear and a finger entered her. Amina moaned into his mouth, cupping his jaw.

Hunter continued to kiss Amina, his lips moving with purpose and intent as he deepened the kiss, his tongue teasing hers in a dance of desire. As his finger slid further into her, Amina's body arched with pleasure, her moans muffled by his lips as she clung to him desperately.

“Can you do another one?” he asked, his lips brushing hers as he spoke.

Amina's breath caught in her throat, her body buzzing with anticipation. "Yes," she whispered, her voice barely audible above the sound of their ragged breaths.

Hunter slipped another finger inside her and swallowed her moan with his lips. She broke off the kiss, her head tilting slightly upwards as she caught her breath and he sucked on her jaw.

"Oh my-" Amina breathed out, her hands sliding from his jaw back into his hair. Hunter's fingers moved within her, his touch sending waves of pleasure coursing through her body. She arched into him, her back lifting off the bed as she sought more of his touch.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Hunter murmured against her skin, his voice husky with desire. He kissed her neck, his lips trailing down to her collarbone as his fingers continued their relentless rhythm.

Amina could only nod in response, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she surrendered herself to the sensations overwhelming her. Hunter's fingers moved with purpose, his touch igniting a fire within her that threatened to consume her whole.

"You're so responsive," Hunter whispered, his breath hot against her ear as he continued to pleasure her. "I love how you react to me, Amina."

Amina moaned in response, her hips moving in time with his fingers as she chased the release she so desperately craved. Hunter's words only fueled her desire, sending her spiraling closer and closer to the edge.

"Hunter, I'm..." Amina's words trailed off into a soft gasp as Hunter's fingers hit a certain spot inside her, sending waves of pleasure coursing through her body. She arched into his touch, her back lifting off the bed as she surrendered herself to the sensations overwhelming her.

"Mm, you're what, sweetheart?" Hunter murmured against her ear, his breath hot and tantalizing as he continued to pleasure her. His fingers moved with purpose, his touch igniting a fire within her that threatened to consume her whole.

"I'm close," Amina managed to choke out, her voice strained with desire. Her hands still gripping his hair, her knuckles turning white as she fought to hold on to the rapidly fraying edges of her self-control.

"Good girl," Hunter whispered, his voice filled with praise as he increased the rhythm of his fingers, driving her closer and closer to the edge. He kissed her neck, his lips trailing up to her jaw, and then back down.

"You're doing so well, Amina," Hunter murmured, his voice filled with admiration as he felt her body respond to his touch. He leaned in and captured her lips in a searing kiss, his tongue pushing it’s way into her mouth.

Amina moaned into his mouth, her hips rising to meet his as she sought more of his touch. Hunter's fingers moved with purpose, his touch driving her closer and closer to the edge until she could no longer hold back.

With a cry of release, Amina shattered into a million pieces, her body convulsing with pleasure as wave after wave of ecstasy washed over her.

Hunter held her, kissing her face and caressing her neck. Amina opened her eyes, blinking before looking down. “You’re overdressed,” she pouted, her hands going down to the hem of his shirt.

Hunter grinned, his eyes sparkling with desire as he leaned back slightly, allowing Amina to tug his shirt off over his head. He tossed it aside, his muscles rippling beneath the dim light of the bedroom as he returned his attention to her.

She gestured further down, pointing at his pants, “what about those?”

“Needy, aren’t we?” Hunter grinned, his eyes sparkling with desire as he leaned back slightly, allowing Amina to tug his pants and boxers off. He kicked them aside, his muscles rippling beneath the dim light of the bedroom as he returned his attention to her.

"Better?" he asked, his voice low and husky as he moved back towards her, his gaze never leaving hers.

Amina nodded eagerly, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she watched him. "Much better," she replied, her voice barely more than a whisper as she reached out to him.

He kissed her again, his hand brushing over the side of her neck before standing up and moving to the end of the bed. Amina pushed herself onto her elbows, “what are you doing?”

Hunter grabbed Amina by her legs and dragged her to the end of the bed, her legs spread out as he stood in between her. He gazed down at her with desire burning in his eyes, his chest rising and falling with anticipation. Amina looked up at him, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she met his gaze with equal fervor.

Without a word, Hunter leaned down and captured her lips in a searing kiss, his tongue pushing its way into her mouth as he deepened the kiss. Amina melted into his touch, her hands reaching up to tangle in his hair as she kissed him back with equal passion.

Hunter's hands roamed over Amina's body, his touch gentle yet possessive as he traced the curve of her waist and the line of her spine. Amina arched into his touch, her body responding instinctively to his every move as she surrendered herself to the intensity of their connection.

Breaking away from the kiss, Hunter trailed kisses down Amina's neck, his lips leaving a trail of fire in their wake as he moved lower and lower. Amina's breath hitched with every touch, her skin tingling with anticipation as she felt his lips against her skin.

Hunter reached the edge of Amina's underwear, his fingers hooking into the waistband as he stood up and leaned over to their dresser, pulling out his vibroblade. He unsheathed it, using the sharp end and cutting her underwear down the center. She always loved when he had that blade in his hands.

Amina watched him with anticipation, her breath catching in her throat as she felt a rush of excitement course through her veins. She spread her legs wider, offering herself to him without reservation.

Hunter's eyes darkened with desire as he discarded the ruined underwear, his gaze locking with Amina's as he returned to the bed. He grabbed her thighs, bringing her closer to him, his cock teasingly brushing against her entrance.

Amina's breath hitched at the sensation, her body tingling with anticipation as she felt him pressing against her. "Hunter," she murmured, her voice thick with desire. "Please..."

Hunter's lips curved into a tender smile as he leaned in closer, his eyes meeting hers with a mixture of love and lust. "I've got you, Amina," he whispered, his voice filled with reassurance. "Just relax and let me take care of you."

With a gentle yet firm motion, Hunter guided himself inside her, his cock sliding smoothly into her warmth. Amina gasped at the sensation, her back arching off the bed as she surrendered herself to the pleasure coursing through her veins.

Hunter groaned softly as he felt her pussy enveloping him, his hands gripping her thighs as he began to move with slow, deliberate thrusts. Amina moaned in response, her nails digging into his shoulders as she rocked her hips to meet his rhythm.

Their bodies moved together in perfect harmony, the sounds of their moans and the creaking of the bed filling the air as they lost themselves in the pleasure of each other's touch. Hunter's movements were gentle yet purposeful, his thrusts deepening with each passing moment as he drove them both closer and closer to the edge.

Amina's head spun with ecstasy as she felt herself teetering on the brink of release, her senses overwhelmed by the intensity of their connection. "Hunter," she gasped, her voice a breathless plea. "Don't stop..."

Hunter's lips curved into a knowing smile as he increased the pace of his thrusts, his movements becoming more urgent as he chased his own release. He leaned in closer, capturing her lips in a searing kiss as their bodies moved in perfect synchrony.

Their passion ignited like wildfire, consuming them both in a blazing inferno of desire as they surrendered themselves to the ecstasy of their union. Amina's nails dug into Hunter's back, her body trembling with pleasure as she felt herself hurtling towards the edge of oblivion.

With a cry of release, Amina shattered into a million pieces, her body convulsing with ecstasy as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her. Hunter followed closely behind, his own release crashing over him in a tidal wave of sensation as he emptied himself inside her with a guttural groan.

They lay together in the aftermath, their bodies tangled in a mess of limbs as they basked in the warm glow of their shared passion. Hunter pressed gentle kisses to Amina's forehead, his arms wrapped protectively around her as they savored the intimacy of the moment.

"You're amazing, Amina," Hunter murmured against her skin, his voice filled with adoration. "I love you."

Amina smiled up at him, her heart overflowing with love for the man who had captured her heart. "I love you too, Hunter," she whispered, her voice filled with sincerity. "Thank you for loving me, scars and all."

---

Meditating overlooking the sunrise was still something she did, even if her enjoyment of it was far less than before.

She thought it would be easy to rid her mind and soul of what happened to her curtesy of the Emperor. Sure, Hemlock tortured her, but that was barely an appetizer compared to what Palpatine did.

Amina opened her eyes, looking over at Batcher who lay beside her on the rock. She petted Batcher, as she licked Amina’s face.

And she was bored. For most of her life she always had something to do. Work at Watto’s, train with the other younglings, fight in the war, go on missions, and now, there was nothing left to do. Which is what she wanted, but right now it seemed hard to even turn on her lightsaber.

Batcher put her head on Amina’s lap, as she stroked her mindlessly. “Amina, Rex is almost here!” Omega said through comms.

Amina picked up her comm, “okay, I’ll be there soon.” She stood up, with Batcher following her as she made her way to the top of the mountain. The large ship landed, as Rex walked out, shaking hands with Hunter, and then Echo.

Rex turned over to Amina, “General, Hunter told me you were having a bit of trouble, so I called in a favor.”

She raised an eyebrow, “a favor? From who?” Amina looked up at the ship as a tall figure walked out, her lekku longer than the last time she had seen her. “Ahsoka?”

Ahsoka offered her a warm smile, her blue eyes filled with understanding. "Rex called in a favor," she explained, stepping forward to embrace Amina in a hug. "He said you could use some help."

Amina returned the hug, feeling a sense of comfort and familiarity wash over her. Despite everything that had happened, Ahsoka's presence reminded her of a time when things were simpler, when she still believed in the ideals of the Jedi Order.

"I'm glad you're here," Amina said sincerely, pulling back from the hug to look at Ahsoka. "I could definitely use all the help I can get."

Ahsoka's gaze softened, her expression filled with empathy. "I heard about what happened," she said gently, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm so sorry, Amina. No one should have to go through what you did."

Amina nodded, her throat tightening with emotion. She had tried to bury the memories of her time in captivity, to push past the pain and focus on rebuilding her life. But the wounds, both physical and emotional, ran deep, and sometimes it felt like they would never truly heal.

"Thank you, Ahsoka," she murmured, her voice barely more than a whisper. "For coming all this way to help me."

“Of course.” Ahsoka said, a small smile lining her face, one Amina recognized. It’s a tired smile, one she knows she’s worn many times throughout her life.

“Why don’t you come with me? We can sit down for a little bit?”

“I would like that.” Ahsoka said, as Amina led the way to her and Hunter’s house.

“It’s small, and we don’t have a lot yet.” Amina closed the door behind them.

Amina led Ahsoka through the modest living space she shared with Hunter on Pabu, offering her friend a seat at the small table in the corner. Batcher settled down at their feet, her tail thumping against the floor in a friendly rhythm.

"It's not much," Amina admitted, gesturing around the room. "But it's home."

Ahsoka smiled warmly, her eyes scanning the room with genuine interest. "It's perfect," she replied, her voice filled with sincerity. "You've done a great job making it feel cozy."

Amina returned the smile, a sense of pride swelling within her chest. Despite the challenges they had faced since escaping from the Empire, she had worked hard to create a sense of normalcy for herself and Hunter, to carve out a space where they could heal and rebuild their lives.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" Amina offered, moving to the small kitchenette to retrieve a couple of glasses.

"A glass of water would be great, thanks," Ahsoka replied, settling into her seat with a contented sigh.

As Amina filled a glass with water from the dispenser, she couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude wash over her. Having Ahsoka here, in their home, felt like a balm to her soul, a reminder that she wasn't alone in her struggles, that she had people who cared about her and were willing to stand by her side no matter what.

Returning to the table, Amina set the glass of water in front of Ahsoka before taking a seat opposite her. Batcher nudged her hand, and she absentmindedly scratched behind the droid's ears as she waited for Ahsoka to speak.

"So," Ahsoka began, her tone gentle but curious. "How have you been holding up?"

Amina sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly as she thought about the question. "Honestly?" she replied, her voice tinged with resignation. "Not great."

Ahsoka's expression softened with sympathy, her eyes filled with understanding. "I can't even begin to imagine what you've been through," she said softly. "But I want you to know that I'm here for you, Amina. Whatever you need, whatever you're feeling, I'm here to listen."

Amina swallowed past the lump in her throat, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. “I mean… like I told Hunter, I thought that when I escaped from Palpatine that everything would be better. No more torture, no more mind games, but then, when I turned on my lightsaber, it was red. I wasn’t sure if it was me who did it, or Palpatine.”

"And then right after, I ended up killing three Inquisitors. Then, of course, Hemlock took me and Omega, and... I Force choked those operatives, then killed Hemlock," Amina continued, her voice trembling with emotion.

Ahsoka reached out and gently squeezed Amina's hand, offering her a reassuring smile. "I can't imagine how difficult that must have been for you," she said softly. "But you're here now, Amina. You're safe."

Amina nodded, her eyes brimming with tears as she struggled to contain her emotions. "I know," she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath of air. "But sometimes it feels like... like I'll never be free from the nightmares, from the memories."

Ahsoka's heart ached at the pain in Amina's voice, her own memories of trauma and loss resurfacing in the wake of her friend's confession. She knew all too well the burden of carrying the weight of past traumas, the constant struggle to move forward in the face of overwhelming darkness.

"You're stronger than you realize, Amina," Ahsoka said earnestly, her voice filled with conviction. "You've faced more than most people could ever imagine, and yet you still have the strength to keep fighting, to keep pushing forward. That's something to be proud of."

Amina looked up at Ahsoka, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "But what if I'm not strong enough?" she asked, her voice tinged with doubt. "What if... what if I can't do this anymore? He wrecked me, Ahsoka. More than I’d care to admit.”

Ahsoka reached across the table, gently taking Amina's hand in hers. "You are not alone in this, Amina," she said softly, her voice filled with empathy. "You have people who care about you, who want to help you heal. And together, we can face whatever challenges come our way."

Amina squeezed Ahsoka's hand, feeling a glimmer of hope flicker to life within her chest. Despite the darkness that threatened to engulf her, she knew that she wasn't alone, that she had friends who would stand by her side no matter what.

"Thank you, Ahsoka," she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath of air. "For being here for me, for understanding."

Ahsoka smiled warmly, her eyes sparkling with affection. "Always, Amina," she replied, her voice filled with sincerity. "I'll always be here for you, no matter what."

Amina gave her a half-smile, “when did you get so wise? I was always the one giving you advice.”

Ahsoka chuckled softly at Amina's teasing remark, a twinkle of amusement dancing in her eyes. "I guess you could say I've picked up a few things along the way," she replied with a playful grin. "But don't worry, I haven't forgotten all the wisdom you've shared with me over the years."

Amina smiled, a sense of warmth spreading through her chest at Ahsoka's words. Despite the hardships they had faced, she was grateful for the bond they shared, for the friendship that had sustained them through the darkest of times.

---

She stood in a grassy field two days later, her lightsaber in hand. She hadn’t turned it on or used it since Tantiss.

With a deep breath, she closed her eyes, igniting her saber. As she slowly opened her eyes, she was met with a familiar bright blue light emanating from her lightsaber. Amina twirled the lightsaber, the familiar hum resonating in her ears. It felt right, it felt like hers again.

Sami, one of the young kids who Omega was imprisoned with on Tantiss, walked over to Amina. “Is that… a lightsaber?”

Amina nodded, turning it off, “it is.” She kneeled down in front of the young Pantoran.

Sami’s eyes were wide with awe. "Can I see it again?"

Amina smiled and ignited the lightsaber once more. The blue blade hummed softly, casting a gentle glow over Sami's face. "It's amazing," she whispered, reaching out a tentative hand toward the blade.

"Careful," Amina cautioned gently, moving the lightsaber slightly out of her reach. "It's very powerful."

Sami nodded, pulling her hand back. "Did you make it yourself?"

"I did," Amina said, deactivating the lightsaber and clipping it to her belt. “A long time ago.”

"Wow," Sami breathed, clearly impressed. "You're like a real Jedi."

Amina's smile faltered slightly at his words, memories of her past flooding her mind. "I used to be," she said softly, standing up. "But not anymore."

Sami looked up at her, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Why not?"

Amina sighed, ruffling her hair affectionately. "It's a long story, Sami. Maybe I'll tell you about it someday." When they tried to find the homes of all the kids taken, they were unable to find Sami’s parents, so she was still staying on Pabu. “Do you know why the Empire took you, honey?”

Sami hugged herself, “no.”

"You have the Force too. It's what makes me a Jedi. Hemlock was using you and the other kids for his experiments to help the Empire," Amina explained gently, watching Sami's expression closely.

Sami hugged herself tighter, her small body trembling slightly. "I don't want them to take me again," she whispered, her voice filled with fear.

Amina's heart ached at the sight of the young Pantoran's distress. She moved closer to Sami, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "They won't, Sami. I promise," she said firmly. "You're safe here on Pabu. We'll protect you."

Sami looked up at her, her eyes wide with hope and a glimmer of trust. "You promise?"

"I promise," Amina replied, her voice steady. "And you have Omega, the squad, and everyone on this island to protect you.”

Sami wrapped her arms around Amina’s neck as she quickly returned the gesture, hugging the young girl back. “Thank you,” Sami whispered.

“Of course, honey.” Amina pulled away, her hands on Sami’s shoulders, “but, there may come a day, far ahead in the future when you’ll have to protect yourself. How about I teach you some of the basic of the force, hmm?”

Sami's eyes lit up with excitement, her small hands clasped together in anticipation. "Really? You mean it?"

Amina nodded, a playful glint in her eyes. "Absolutely," she replied, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "But first, we need to find a quiet spot where we won't be disturbed."

Sami grinned from ear to ear, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I know just the place!" she exclaimed, grabbing Amina's hand and pulling her along.

Laughing, Amina allowed herself to be led by the eager young girl, her heart light with joy at the prospect of sharing her knowledge of the Force with someone so eager to learn.

They soon arrived at a secluded clearing nestled in the heart of the forest, the sunlight filtering through the dense canopy of trees above. Amina couldn't help but feel a sense of peace wash over her as she took in the serene beauty of their surroundings.

"This looks perfect," she said with a smile, turning to Sami. "Now, let's get started."

Sami nodded eagerly, her eyes shining with anticipation. "What are we going to do first?"

Amina thought for a moment, considering the best approach to introduce Sami to the basics of the Force. "How about we start with something simple, like meditation?" she suggested.

Sami tilted her head to the side, a curious expression on her face. "Meditation? What's that?"

"It's a way of calming your mind and connecting with the Force," Amina explained patiently. "It can help you focus your thoughts and tap into your inner strength."

Sami nodded, her expression eager as she listened intently to Amina's words. "Okay, how do we do it?"

Amina smiled, gesturing for Sami to sit down on the soft grass beside her. "First, find a comfortable position," she instructed. "You can sit cross-legged or kneel, whatever feels best for you."

Sami followed Amina's instructions, settling into a comfortable position on the grass. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind of any distractions.

"Good," Amina said softly, her voice gentle and reassuring. "Now, focus on your breath. Inhale slowly through your nose, and then exhale through your mouth. Feel the air filling your lungs, and then releasing back out into the world."

Sami nodded, her brow furrowed in concentration as she followed Amina's guidance. She took a deep breath in, filling her lungs with air, and then slowly exhaled, feeling a sense of calm wash over her.

"Keep breathing like that," Amina encouraged. "And as you do, imagine yourself surrounded by a warm, comforting light. Let it wrap around you like a blanket, filling you with peace and serenity."

Sami did as Amina instructed, picturing the soft glow of light surrounding her in her mind's eye. She focused on the warmth of the light, letting it soothe away any tension or anxiety she felt.

As they sat in the clearing together, Amina guided Sami through the meditation, helping her to find a sense of inner peace and tranquility. For the first time in a long time, Amina felt a glimmer of hope stir within her heart, a sense of purpose and meaning that had been missing since her escape from the Empire.

Omega and the squad were on their daily walk through the forest, something Hunter suggested a few weeks ago, when Wrecker spotted Amina and Sami sitting on the ground.

Omega looked over at what Wrecker was watching, noting how Sami, who was shy and soft-spoken, listened to Amina closely.

Hunter came over, standing behind the two, a small smile growing on his face watching Amina interact with Sami. After watching for a few moments, Hunter decided it was time for them to continue their walk, taking one last glance at Amina.

When they finally finished the meditation, Sami opened her eyes, a smile spreading across her face. "That was amazing," she exclaimed, her voice filled with wonder. "I feel so... calm."

Amina returned the smile, her heart swelling with pride at Sami's progress. "You did great," she said warmly. "Meditation is a powerful tool, and with practice, you'll only get better at it."

Sami nodded, her eyes shining with determination. "I can't wait to learn more," she said eagerly.

Amina chuckled softly, ruffling Sami's hair affectionately. "We'll take it one step at a time," she promised. "But for now, why don’t you go back to Shep’s? We’ll meet at the same spot you found me at tomorrow.”

Sami nodded eagerly, a smile still lingering on her lips. "Okay! Thanks, Amina!" With a wave, she scampered off, disappearing into the foliage of the forest.

As Sami disappeared from view, Amina let out a contented sigh, her heart full with the knowledge that she had made a difference in the young Pantoran's life. Turning her attention back to the task at hand, she reached out with the Force, sensing the familiar presence of her lightsaber at her side.

Perhaps things could get better. Perhaps they already were.

if you don't know, panna cake is just star wars terminology for pancake :)

tags: @callsign-denmark

#tbb hunter #tbb hunter x oc #tbb hunter x reader #tbb hunter x you #tbb hunter x fem!jedi #the bad batch #the bad batch fanfiction #hunter tbb x oc #sergeant hunter x oc #sergeant hunter x reader #tbb hunter x amina skywalker #star wars fanfiction

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s10127470 · 3 months

Text

Video Game Idea: Marvel vs. Capcom 4: Heroes Return

Hey! Marvel vs. Capcom is popular again! And it's all thanks to the recent account of Marvel vs. Capcom: Fighting Collection, a compilation pack of all the arcade MvC games and Marvel arcade games Capcom produced that's being released later this year.

This has gotten many people excited for three reasons...

This is the first time we've heard anything new about the Marvel vs. Capcom series in almost a decade!

This is the first time the games have been complied together

This possibly means that the Marvel vs. Capcom may actually be returning for a new installment in the near future

And this led many people to speculate and give ideas on what a Marvel vs. Capcom 4 would be like.

And since I like coming up with game ideas, I figured I'd hop on the train.

So sit back, relax, and join me while I take you on a train through my idea for the game....

Marvel vs. Capcom 4: Heroes Return!

(This is gonna be a short one, so bare with me)

Gameplay-wise, Heroes Return would essentially follow the same mechanics as Fate of Two Worlds, from the combat system to even bringing back being able to switch between three characters.

The new gameplay addition would the modified Team Combos.

Here, either two or three of your team can perform a Hyper Combo.

And it would be accompanied by actual names for the Combos, and a cool ass cinematic!

For the look of this game, it would bring back the cel-shaded look of Fate of Two Worlds, but obviously a little more polished with the advanced technology of today’s consoles.

Now we come to undoubtedly the most important part of the game: the roster.

Heroes Return would feature the biggest roster seen in the series by far, with a total of 100 characters (with there being 50 characters evenly for both brands).

And those 50 characters on both sides would be split evenly into two groups: Heroes and Villains.

Let’s start off with Capcom, since they deserve to go first after the bullshit they went through with the last game.

On the Heroes side, returning from the previous games we have….

.Ryu

.Chun Li

.Mega Man

.Viewtiful Joe

.Phoenix Wright

.Dante

.Amaterasu

.Strider Hiryu

.Arthur

.Morrigan

.Monster Hunter

.Captain Commando

.Jin Saotome

.Frank West

As for the new Heroes, we have….

.Leon Kennedy

.Claire Redfield

.Luke

.Kimberly

.Victor von Gerdenheim

.Apollo Justice

.Lady

.Regina

.Masamune Date

.Sissel and Lynne

As for our Villains, the returning baddies would include….

.M. Bison

.Wesker

.Vergil

.Sigma

For the new Villains, we’ll be getting….

.Juri

.Vega

.Dr. Wily

.Manfred von Karma

.Grandmaster Meio

.Strider Hien

.Alastor

.Demitri Maximoff

.Lord Raptor

.Fatalis

.Scumocide

.Nemesis

.Alcina Dimitrescu

.Carlito Keyes

.Tyrone King

.Cyclops (Tyrannosaurus)

.Nobunaga Oda

.Hideyoshi Toyotomi

.Yami

.Astaroth

.Commander Sith

Now we come to the Marvel side of the roster.

On the Heroes side, our returning faces would consist of….

.Spider-Man

.Wolverine

.The Hulk

.Captain America

.Iron Man

.Thor

.Venom

.Cyclops

.Storm

.Psylocke

.Colossus

.Iceman

.Doctor Strange

.Iron Fist

.Deadpool

As for our new Heroes, we have….

.Nightcrawler

.Mr. Fantastic

.The Invisible Woman

.The Human Torch

.The Thing

.Ant-Man

.Wasp

.Daredevil

.Elektra

.Luke Cage

As for the Villains, the returning baddies include….

.Doctor Doom

.Magneto

.Sabretooth

.The Juggernaut

.Dormammu

.M.O.D.O.K.

.Ultron

In terms of new Villains, we have….

.The Green Goblin

.Doctor Octopus

.Carnage

.The Abomination

.Red Skull

.Baron Zemo

.The Mandarin

.Loki

.Enchantress

.Mystique

.Pyro

.Toad

.Baron Mordo

.Steel Serpent

.Diamondback

.Annihilus

.The Kingpin

.Bullseye

As for the stages, this game features total of 30: with 15 representing Marvel, while the other 15 represents Capcom.

On the Capcom side, we have….

.Genbu Temple

.Castle Wily

.Movie Land

.Courtroom

.The Demon World

.Kamiki Village

.Kazakh City

.The Ghost Town

.Zeltzereich Castle

.Metro City

.Space Fleet

.Fortune City

.Castle Dimitrescu

.Ibis Island

.Odawara Castle

As for the Marvel side, we have....

.The Daily Bugle

.The Weapon X Facility

.The Gamma Base

.HYDRA Island

.The Valley of Spirits

.Asgard

.The Danger Room

.The Sanctum Sanctorum

.Harlem

.The Baxter Building

.Asteroid M

.Shadowland

.The Negative Zone

.Jotunheim

.Latveria

And finally, this game would actually have a Story Mode! Being the first in the franchise to do so.

The first of actual worth....

Anyway, the story is pretty simple. It's essentially like Marvel Ultimate Alliance, except with Capcom thrown into the mix.

Essentially, an alliance between various Capcom and Marvel villains have been formed, led by M. Bison and Doctor Doom, who plan on using their combined skills and abilities to conquer the world and further their respective goals.

Luckily, this manages to catch the attention of Dr. Light and Nick Fury, who decide to retaliate by forming their own alliance of heroes to fight against them.

Once again, really simple story, but what will really make it engaging are the world-building and characters iterations.

The world of Marvel vs. Capcom has always been interesting to think about, since it appears to be a world where the Marvel and Capcom characters co-exists with each other.

But we've never really been given an in-depth look on what the world is like or how it works.

From what it seems like, the two brands have always shared this world.

And if that's the case, it would be cool to see how the corners of Marvel and Capcom connect to each other.

Or maybe this could like Battleworld from the Secret Wars event, where their world is the result of the Capcom worlds and the Marvel Universe being merged into one huge world!

As for the characters iterations, I can see so many between the Marvel and Capcom characters.

Some of the ones I can think of the top of my head include....

-Cyclops and Ryu being friendly rivals akin to the latter and Ken. Well, before Ken....ya know, fell off.

-Spider-Man and Morrigan being total besties and often throwing quips together while in battle.

-M.O.D.O.K. and Dr. Wily getting into constant arguments and trying to prove whose the better genius.

-Toad constantly simping for Juri, who as you would expect, isn't having any of it.

-Iron Man being a big brother figure to Mega Man.

-Hulk being an absolute dog person around Amaterasu.

-Deadpool constantly hitting on Chun Li, complimenting her thick legs, only to get his ass kicked every time.

-Magneto and Vergil bonding over their "I'm better than you" personalities, usually talking trash about their fellow villains behind their backs.

-Venom being Claire's big buddy and always telling her to...

youtube

Well that's all I have for now!

Let me know what you guys think about idea of mine's.

But most of all, let me know what you all think about the roster, since I believe that's the most important part of any Marvel vs. Capcom.

When making it, I wanted to make sure that both sides were perfectly even.

And for the Marvel side of things, I wanted to include faces from all over their universe rather than just utilizing the ones who are the big names in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

And addition to that, there will be no MCU SYNERGY at all in this game.

Because we all know how much it helped the last game....

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suncklet · 2 years

Text

What Your favorite Robot Master says about you!~✨️

Cut Man: You're gay

Guts Man: You're gay

Ice Man: You're gay

Bomb Man: You're gay

Fire Man: You're gay

Elec Man: You're gay

Metal Man: You're gay

Air Man: You're gay

Bubble Man: You're gay

Quick Man: You're gay

Crash Man: You're gay

Flash Man: You're gay

Heat Man: You're gay

Wood Man: You're gay

Needle Man: You're gay

Magnet Man: You're gay

Gemini Man: You're gay

Hard Man: You're gay

Top Man: You're gay

Snake Man: You're gay

Spark Man: You're gay

Shadow Man: You're gay

Bright Man: You're gay

Toad Man: You're gay

Drill Man: You're gay

Pharaoh Man: You're gay

Ring Man: You're gay

Dust Man: You're gay

Dive Man: You're gay

Skull Man: You're gay

Gravity Man: You're gay

Wave Man: You're gay

Stone Man: You're gay

Gyro Man: You're gay

Star Man: You're gay

Charge Man: You're gay

Napalm Man: You're gay

Crystal Man: You're gay

Blizzard Man: You're gay

Centaur Man: You're gay

Flame Man: You're gay

Knight Man: You're gay

Plant Man: You're gay

Tomahawk Man: You're gay

Wind Man: You're gay

Yamato Man: You're gay

Freeze Man: You're gay

Junk Man: You're gay

Burst Man: You're gay

Cloud Man: You're gay

Spring Man: You're gay

Slash Man: You're gay

Shade Man: You're gay

Turbo Man: You're gay

Tengu Man: You're gay

Astro Man: You're gay

Sword Man: You're gay

Clown Man: You're gay

Search Man: You're gay

Frost Man: You're gay

Grenade Man: You're gay

Aqua Man: You're gay

Concrete Man: You're gay

Tornado Man: You're gay

Splash Woman: You're gay

Plug Man: You're gay

Jewel Man: You're gay

Hornet Man: You're gay

Magma Man: You're gay

Galaxy Man: You're gay

Blade Man: You're gay

Pump Man: You're gay

Commando Man: You're gay

Chill Man: You're gay

Sheep Man: You're gay

Strike Man: You're gay

Nitro Man: You're gay

Solar Man: You're gay

Block Man: You're gay

Fuse Man: You're gay

Blast Man: You're gay

Acid Man: You're gay

Tundra Man: You're gay

Torch Man: You're gay

Impact Man: You're gay

Bounce Man: You're gay

Hope this helps!~~💕🥺👍

#megaman #yeha

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racefortheironthrone · 1 year

Note

What was Captain America's attitude to German soldiers in WWII? Obviously he despised anyone who was actually a Nazi, but what about just ordinary soldiers?

That's a very good question!

Because of who he was, Captain America had an unusally broad experience of WWII compared to other soldiers in the U.S Army.

As a super-soldier and leader of the Invaders, he spearheaded the Allied effort against super-scientists like Zemo and Zola, HYDRA agents like Strucker and the Red Skull, and Nazi super-soldiers like Master Man, Baron Blood, Warrior Woman, U-Man, etc. Moreover, the Marvel Universe version of WWII significantly differs from real-world history in that both American and Russian super-soldiers were involved in the Battle for Berlin that ended with the Human Torch turning his fire on Hitler himself.

As a special forces officer, he served in conventional front-line and behind-the-lines operations (often with the Howling Commandos) in the European theater from Anzio and Monte Cassino to the Normandy landings, Arnheim, the Battle of the Bulge, the crossing of the Rhine, and the liberation of Diebenwald; in the African theater from Tunisia to Wakanda; and even in the Pacific Theater, although there he was mostly doing intelligence and special operations work rather than front-line service.

As the symbol of the American war effort, however, Rogers was dispatched to fronts that American soldiers were usually not engaged in, whether that's fighting with the French Resistance, or being dispatched to the Eastern Front to demonstrate America's commitment to the USSR and counter Nazi super-science and super-soldiers sent to break the stalemate at Stalingrad.

Between his broad wartime experience and his experience with HYDRA sleeper agents after the war, I don't think Steve Rogers is much of a believer in the "myth of the clean Wehrmacht."

At the same time, he's also not a believer that there was something inherent about German culture that made it vulnerable to fascism and Nazism - indeed, Cap is very insistent that fascism can happen anywhere and must be fought everywhere:

#marvel #marvel meta #captain america #steve rogers #wwii #fascism #nazism #hydra are nazis

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heckcareoxytwit · 1 year

Text

A short story about Jim Hammond, the first Human Torch.

Marvel Age #1000, 2023

----------

However, there's one thing I have to nitpick about this. I know that this is science fiction but...wasn't there supposed to be a controversial racial segregation in the 1930s? The African American policemen were working with the White policemen in the same building. And one of the detectives looks like he's dressed in the modern setting instead of the 30s setting.

Then again, Marvel comics have the Howling Commandos who are the racially-mixed military squad in World War II. Consisting of several White-Americans, one African American, one Jewish-American, one British man and one Japanese American as they were chosen by Nick Fury.

#wednesday spoilers #Human Torch #the human torch #Jim Hammond #Invaders #the invaders #marvel age 1000 #marvel age #marvel

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sonofcoulson · 1 year

Text

1945 Agent Carter and the Howling Commandos

Feature presentation!

This is Peggy Carter's first and possibly only movie with her name in the title.

Peggy, the Human Torch (Jim Hammond) and the Howling Commandos dealing with Hydra cells left after the war.

Espionage! Infiltration! Fighting bad guys!

We open on a memorial service for Steve. They believe he is lost to the icy waters he crashed into.

Peggy Carter, Howard Stark, the Human Torch (Jim Hammond), the Howling Commandos, Colonel Phillips etc attend. Then they share Steve stories at the wake.

Emotions are still raw, especially for Peggy and the commandos.

Howard is still looking for him, the SSR has stopped funding the search so Howard is using his own money. Peggy suggests, however hard it may be, that they try to move on. Howard doesn't believe Peggy, he knows she can't move on. He can't either so he won't give up.

Cut to two young adults being chased down the street in liberated Paris. They are kidnapped. They try to reason with their captors, the young man says, "Do you know who I am?" and the kidnappers know exactly who they are. Not the response he was expecting.

The young woman says "Our father has money, he can pay you". But they are not interested in the money…Hail Hydra.

Back at SSR HQ (or 'the playground') Jim is discussing a mission to locate and take out a Hydra bunker (believed to be in northern Italy) with Peggy and Howard. As they finish Peggy is approached by Lord James Montgomery Falsworth, member of the Howling Commandos, revealed here to be a major financier of the SSR. It was his children, Brian and Jacqueline, that were taken, in Paris, just like their mother. There is no ransom note either, also like their mother.

He is trying to maintain a stiff upper lip but failing miserably. Jim offers to stay and help. Peggy points out that, unfortunately, Hydra won't defeat itself. They resolve to find them. Jim wishes them luck and sets off for Italy.

Cut to Brian and Jacqueline in a holding cell with other prisoners. A Hydra scientist, Werner Rheinhardt, enters carrying the Obelisk artifact in special safety gloves. An armed guard insists one of the prisoners hold it, bare handed. They turn to stone. The stone person is taken away.

They then start harassing Brian to do it, so Jacqueline steps in to volunteer, despite his protests. To their relief, she does not turn to stone. Instead, Rheinhardt utters, 'discovery requires experimentation' and she is taken away as Brian is beaten unconscious with the butt of the guards rifles.

Peggy, Howard and Lord James and the other HCs have travelled incognito, posing as journalists. In their hotel room Gabe and Howard present them with discreet gadgets they designed and produced together. All are impressed with Gabe's hidden talents. Howard laments that he is too well known now to go with them and hopes they don't blow themselves up with the exploding toaster. Jacques excitedly says, "There's an exploding toaster!?". Howard points out that he was joking. Jacques looks disappointed. Howard says maybe next time.

They have traced Brian and Jacqui's last known location to a small café near the city centre. They make discreet enquiries and deduce there is a new waiter who served them on the day and hasn't been to work since.

They go to his address and he seemingly isn't home. Jacques suggests a small controlled explosion to blow the lock. Gabe counters that to be more discreet, then should use the laser disguised as a pack of cigarettes to cut the lock. Jacques is disappointed.

They cut the lock and enter, the apartment is empty but the bathroom window is open. Lord James spies a man on the rooftops who flees. The gang take to the streets while Falsworth squeezes through and pursues across the rooftops of Paris.

The suspect is very good at rooftop running, but not quite as good as Falsworth and they engage in a thrilling chase. Lord James is in constant communication with the team using their walkie talkies disguised as American quarters. Peggy has an idea if he can force the man down to street level.

He is able to corral his quarry down a fire escape and through an apartment window and down the main staircase into the street. The team then begin to cut off his escape routes, through coordination with Peggy, until he is forced down a narrow sidestreet. There he sees Peggy, having not spotted her in the apartment, pleads in French for her help from a gang of pursuing thugs. Je suis désolé, says Peggy pulling out her pistol, my French is a little rusty. The suspect turns away from her to flee again but is punched out by Dugan instead.

Jacques offers Peggy French lessons. She says she lied, she's actually fluent in French, but it was a good line. Jacques looks disappointed.

Falsworth is praised by the group for his amazing free running skills, they ask where he learned them. He says he studied under Georges Hébert who in turn had learned these skills from "indigenous tribes he had met in Africa" (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkour) for a special military project in WWI.

Peggy surmises that he was the mysterious WWI hero Union Jack. Peggy and the gang are astonished and asked why he didn't show those skills (rooftop running, parkour, amazing feats of agility) before. He says Steve did all that stuff and was better at it too.

Peggy says oh pish posh (or something else peculiarly British like that) and tells Falsworth to take the compliments.

They take the suspect for questioning.

Back at the Hydra research facility, Rheinhardt is monologuing to Jacqui about how few people could survive contact with the Obelisk and how they are yet to exactly determine why they do. From what they have discovered by interrogating and dissecting other survivors they believe it is something to do with their genetics being different to other humans. Genetics, muses Werner, you appear to share with your mother. Jacqueline asks if they took her mother, if she is still alive. Werner says she escaped and they don't know how (he is irritated by not knowing things).

He resumes monologuing. There are mentions of a ritual, he says, for beings such as you…to awaken their true potential. The ritual involved crystals and Rheinhardt has actually managed to procure some. He instructs the guard to break it and leaves for the observation room.

The guard follows the instructions and the gas from the broken crystal turns both them and Jacqui into stone. Rheinhardt is disappointed as he believed they were finally getting somewhere. He tells his assistant to put the stone bodies into storage.

Brian, meanwhile, is about to have the latest batch of Hydra brand super soldier serum. It uses the blood of the Obelisk survivors to make up the gaps in Erskine's original formula. After the procedure, they are surprised to see he has survived as the last 47 batches have resulted in death for the test subjects.

Their success is short lived however as Brian, unaccustomed to the super-strength, breaks the lab and accidentally kills the technicians.

The café waiter/suspect wakes up in the basement of an abandoned building. He is interrogated by Peggy (good cop) and Dum Dum (bad cop).

He eventually confesses that he was blackmailed under the threat of being revealed as a Nazi collaborator. An old contact had heard of the Falsworth children coming to Paris. The Café was a favourite of the Falsworths in the interwar years. They had installed the young man as a waiter with instructions to call if they came to the café. They ask for the number and Jim radios Howard to call back to base to trace it to its origin.

The young man says he couldn’t do it before because he was too scared.

Peggy says "Do what?"

The man says that he is now more scared of what will happen if he is found out. He says they are executing collaborators.

Peggy says perhaps they can come to an arrangement, then she realises his intentions. It is too late. He bites the hidden cyanide capsule and dies.

"It's Hydra" says Peggy, "of course it's bloody Hydra."

The number then comes back as Austrian. Howard, glad to feel useful again, will fly them. Dugan realises, entirely too late, they could have used the hand-held hypno-beam disguised as a hair dryer.

The Hydra research facility is masquerading as a grand hotel. Peggy checks in with Howard as he's terrible at espionage and is under strict instructions to keep his mouth shut. Her German is still good and she even manages an Austrian accent. Their disguises are top notch and so they go to their room without suspicion. They do some reconnaissance and Peggy finds an area that is off limits to guests and the staff don't know what's in there.

Peggy goes back to the room and calls reception for help as her "hair dryer" has an American plug. It is secretly the hypno beam. She convinces the receptionist to let the Howling Commandos in the service door. They are disguised as staff and the hypno beam makes the receptionist tell anyone who asks that they are new.

Howard, putting on a slightly different accent, plays the brash American tourist (not a big stretch for him) and wanders into the restricted area and starts taking pictures. The receptionist makes a fuss about not being allowed in there.

The Howling Commandos rush over and Gabe, who also speaks good German, assures them that they'll take care of it. Peggy hurries over with the pretense of rescuing her 'dummkopf' American husband.

The camera is actually a portable x-ray scanner and shows a secret door that is sealed electronically.

The receptionist is starting to get suspicious when Gabe activates the EMP joy buzzer which lets them in the door. They slip away unnoticed in the ensuing chaos. When the lights come back on the receptionist goes to check up on them and they are gone. With no knowledge of the secret door they reason that they simply didn't notice them go past.

They gain access to the underground bunker (it's always an underground bunker isn't it?), stow their gear and change into Hydra uniforms. Jim Morita uses the UHF Pin to radio for backup with instructions on how to get in.

They try to go stealth mode for a while but arouse suspicions when they don't know some of the new Hydra protocols. Howard confirms it with his feeble attempt at a 'Hail Hydra'.

Aware that Hydra research subjects tend not to survive, they launch a full on assault of the facility with back up already on the way.

Jacqueline awakens from what we now realise was terragenesis and has gained pyrokinetic powers. She and her brother make their own way through the compound, with somewhat unintentional violence.

They are heading away from the labs, towards the centre of the huge underground complex of corridors and tunnels. Peggy's team are heading down through the tunnels to reach the labs. They all converge near the centre of the complex.

Lord James is obviously thrilled that they are both alive and seemingly well.

His kidults tell him to stay back and relay some of their harrowing experiences. They are both afraid of their powers.

Human Torch arrives. He destroyed the Italian base and left an SSR clean up crew. He followed a lead from that base to Austria. Word in Italy was that Werner Rheinhardt is the last head of Hydra.

Seeing Jacqui's fear, the Torch remembers his own struggles in learning to control his own powers.

He reassures her that she can't hurt him and he will help her learn to control it.

Brian wants to be left behind and is distraught at all the death he has caused. Peggy and Lord James convince him to join, albeit reluctantly.

Rheinhardt has escaped to a storage facility.

As it turns out, the kids powers prove useful in accessing the escape tunnel, though the transport is long gone.

Werner is desperately trying to load up as many artefacts as he can before he escapes, especially the Obelisk. He laments that he cannot experiment further on Jacqueline as she not only survived but gained powers too. He is relieved to hear they have more samples of the batch of serum that gave Brian his powers.

Peggy's team arrive, with backup (and the Torch) and get the drop on Werner. They arrest him and his goons. Peggy volunteers to interrogate him.

In the chaos of securing the base, Brian is able to destroy the whole batch of serum. Howard is livid at losing a possibility to complete Erskine's work. Peggy however, approves. She believes that Steve was unique and worries that they could end up with hundreds of Johann Schmidts running around instead.

She sees that Brian has recognised that risk too and that says something about his character.

Peggy arrives at the Playground after her first interrogation of Rheinhardt at the Rat.

Colonel Phillips has been leading the debrief. He notes that Jacqueline and Brian have been reunited with their father. He says their presence here indicates they have some degree of control over their powers.

Jim Hammond says their training is going well. Jacqueline says she hasn't set anything on fire today, at least, not by accident. The two are clearly getting on well.

Brian is more reticent. He hasn't managed to get through a training session without injuring an instructor. Peggy volunteers to help him as she has some experience with super soldiers.

Phillips asks if she got anything useful from Rheinhardt. She says he may have lost his marbles, he keeps going on about blue angels. Besides, she has seen the results of his experiments for Hydra and isn't sure if gaining his knowledge is worth the moral cost.

Colonel Phillips says there are two big announcements. First, after days of research and fact checking and double checking, it appears Hammond was right. Werner Rheinhardt appears to be the last head of Hydra. It's over.

(Many congratulations all around. Apart from Peggy who shakes her head).

Second, he is retiring.

(Various reactions).

He'd been thinking about it and, with the last piece of news, it just seemed like a good time.

He hands over to the new Agent in Charge, John Flynn.

Flynn: Hello everyone. A pleasure to meet you. If I could get straight to business…with the war over and Hydra defeated-

Peggy (interrupting): Don't be so sure they're gone. We have to-

F (interrupting back): Settle down, sweetheart.

P (standing): What did you just say to me?

Howard manages to convince her to stand down. Flynn continues. They will be relocating the SSR base from London to New York. Effective immediately. Everyone will have to relocate. Uproar. Colonel Phillips settles everyone down.

Flynn says the Falsworth children will need to stay on base until they are deemed to be safe. The Falsworths are not happy.

Flynn is starting to get flustered. He apologetically tells Howard that they can longer justify spending SSR funds on a futile search for Captain Rogers. Howard points out they are his funds and he can damn well do what he pleases with them. He walks out. Peggy follows him, leaving the debrief in chaos behind her.

Howard apologises and said he had heard rumours that Phillips was retiring but didn't realise he was being replaced by a moron. He says they should have asked her to take charge. She agrees. This lightens the mood somewhat.

Howard: Listen I was thinking of starting up my own agency.

Just think…you, me, the boys. If Union Jack over there comes with us we can run it our way, the right way. Be like a shield of armour around the world.

Peggy: I'll think about it…

Will you really keep looking for Steve?

H: I have to.

P: You can't move on?

H: I can't. He was my friend.

P: I suppose I can't stop myself helping broken soldier boys either.

Howard leaves her to consider her future with the SSR.

Mid credits:- Lord James Falsworth has just agreed to join Howard's new project and is trying to get the SSR to release his children. Jacqueline and Brian approach him with a theory about their mother.

Post credits:- From a deep dug mass grave in a forest (with Hydra's grand Austrian hotel dilapidated in the background) a person digs their way out. They spend a moment processing their survival. Then they notice they look different from how they remember. It is…Baron Blood!

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