#alone in the mists with no backup

[fractal-quadrilioquy]

So I might possibly be good at virtuoso.

[intheclearblueskies]

How You Met

| Masterlist |

Tanjiro Kamado:

You met in the Final Selection.

He saved you from a demon, although neither of you ever got each other's names. You survived and went on to become a Slayer with the others.

Nezuko Kamado:

You met in Asakusa.

Well, maybe not met, per se, but you accidentally bumped into the Kamado siblings and apologized. You offered to buy them both some food, but Tanjiro politely declined and they kept going.

Zenitsu Agatsuma:

You met shortly after you got your first assignments as Slayers.

You were on your way to a village when you ran into Zenitsu, who immediately noticed that you were a girl and started groveling on his knees before you, begging you to marry him.

You tried to push him off, but he kept at it until he recognized you as one of the ones from the Selection. He then started begging you to protect him until you knocked him out with the handle of your sword and fled.

Inosuke Hashibira:

You met during the battle with Kyogai.

You were one of the ones who came as backup, although you mostly kept outside the battle due to the two boys rushing in immediately and leaving you on standby (your exact words were 'This is total bullshit', but Tanjiro pleaded for you to stay back in case they needed fresh backup. You couldn't say no). You helped guard Nezuko's box when Inosuke barged out of the house, adamant to fight.

You tried your best to fend him off, but you unfortunately sustained a nasty shoulder wound from his sword and collapsed, leaving Zenitsu to guard Nezuko alone.

Giyuu Tomioka:

You met during one of his visits to a Wisteria house.

Your family dedicated themselves to helping the Pillars, although you secretly detested them for their general behavior (Sanemi cussed you out when you accidentally spilled a pail of water on him, Tengen's tastes were a bit expensive, and both Obanai and Muichiro were too cold). So far, the only nice ones were Mitsuri, the love pillar, and shinobu, the insect pillar, although Shinobu's aura kinda freaked you out.

But one day, an injured man with unruly black hair in a ponytail came to your door. The water pillar, it seemed, a taciturn man whose name was Giyuu. You were wary around him, but he proved to be kind enough that when he left the next morning, you hoped he would come around again.

Kyojuro Rengoku:

You met during a demon attack on your village.

A rogue demon was going around killing and eating. It nearly got to your family, but luckily the flame pillar Kyojuro arrived and killed it just in time.

Your family vowed to repay the favor someday. You were so impressed with his exuberant demeanor and his moves that you were determined to meet him again.

Muichiro Tokito:

You met on the way to a hot spring.

You had just finished your job for the day and were on your way to relax in a well-known spring. On the way, you accidentally bumped into the mist pillar. You apologized, and he merely kept walking without acknowledging you.

It irked you, and you vowed that if you ever met him again, you'd give him a piece of your mind.

Shinobu Kocho:

You met at the Butterfly Estate.

You were badly wounded after a fight with one of the more powerful demons, and you were rushed off to the estate. While you healed, you met your superior, the insect pillar. She was rather kind to you during your stay, and when you were healed, you gave her a box of dango from your home village as a thank-you.

Gyomei Himejima:

You met during one of his vists to a Wisteria House.

You had grown rather curious about the taciturn man, and so when he visited, you went to his room and offered to talk while you both ate. Your parents were wary of it, but he didn't mind, so you two sat and talked for hours.

You were surprised to learn that he was blind, but he intrigued you with his stories. When he left the next morning, you hoped to see him again.

Sanemi Shinazugawa:

You met during a battle with a demon.

The battle against Lower Moon Six was a little tougher than you anticipated, but right at the last moment, Sanemi came in and stole your kill, slicing the demon's head off and winning the fight.

When you complimented him on a job well done, he curtly answered, "Tch, whatever. Don't be so damn careless next time; that demon nearly cut off your arm."

He was right, of course, but his tone and rude phrasing seriously pissed you off. You sent him off with a middle finger before going off to sulk back at your residence.

Akaza:

You were walking home late at night when you realized you were being watched. You drew your katana and looked for the source, but you could only find a pair of yellow eyes watching from a rooftop. It thoroughly creeped you out, but you weren't looking for a fight, so you sped up your trek.

Douma:

Your meeting was brief, but it stuck with you.

You were the student of the retired Ice pillar just yesterday, and while you were running an errand for them they were attacked by a Kizuki and killed. You came back to their body, and for the second time, you were an orphan. Now with nowhere to go, you stumbled upon a cult and a man with a plastic smile who called himself their leader. You politely refused his offer to stay, only meaning to stay the night before finding your hometown to make a new life. You left the next morning with some new friendships, food and a little more money, but his false endearing smile burned itself into your mind. You vowed to meet him again when you got your life on track.

Kokushibo:

Your family was sort of famous for being one of the first branches of the Wisteria family, the ones responsible for sheltering slayers and helping them out. Your ancestor was one of the ones helped out by the first slayers (and one of your paternal grandmothers became a Breath of Ice user -- a long-lost art now, only cultivated by one of your aunts).

You were now a slayer yourself and were on a mission when your squad was ambushed. One of them started screaming about an 'Upper Kizuki' and begged for someone to call for a pillar before they were killed. You were hidden in a knot of a tree, watching breathlessly as this mysterious person (a tall demon with long, unruly black hair in a ponytail) gracefully struck down your squad members.

Just as you were about to leave your hiding spot, you caught his eyes -- all six of them, to be exact. The sight of his unblinking, cold yellow irises made you faint from fear.

... Hours later, you were awoken by a worried Kanroji as she and Obanai looked over the area. Most of your companions were gone, probably to be devoured, only leaving you.

Muzan Kibutsuji:

You were going about your night as a shop employee in Asakusa when a handsome-looking man in a suit and fedora walked in. He seemed gravitated to something, going straight for the back, where you kept your stuffed animals.

He picked out a small stuffed rabbit and walked up to the counter. He flashed you a charming smile and handed it over.

"How cute," you commented with a small smile of your own as you rang him up. "That'll be 1,200 yen."

He pulled out a coinpurse and picked out some coins. He handed the correct amount to you and put it back in his pocket.

You nodded, handing him back the rabbit. "Thank you, sir. Have a wonderful evening."

"Thank you," he spoke for the first time, his deep voice resonating with you and making your cheeks go pink.

Even a while after he left, you stood there stunned. Secretly, you hoped he would come back again.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni:

By your 21st birthday you had completely given up on getting married; you were still trying to find a suitable match, and your parents were still losing hope in you. Your father had hoped that someone would want to marry you, but here you were: still single and depressed. What a mood.

One day, a demon attacked your village and managed to separate you from your parents. You screamed, bracing yourself for the killing blow... but suddenly, the demon was struck down by a blade, just inches away from you. You watched in awestruck horror as it began to disintegrate, and a man with long black hair in a ponytail stood before you, his hard eyes turning softer as he beheld you.

He made sure you were alright before bringing you back to your worried parents. Your father offered anything as a thank-you, but the man simply said he didn't want anything. He left after politely declining tea, leaving you gazing pensively at his back (and trying to ignore the stunned stares your parents were giving you).

"...shit, he's hot. Hope Dad doesn't try to set me up with him, boy would that be embarrassing."

[emeritus-fuckers]

Could you do Hc's of the Ghoulette's comforting a polyamourus person. Love your tumblr! Xx

The Ghoulettes comforting a polyamorous person

Cirrus

Honestly, willing to kick ass of anyone who made zir poor partner upset.

She does not take kindly to anyone bullying her friends, let alone people ze chose to date.

You're getting carried around while she and Cumulus organize a pillow fort for you to cuddle together.

Keeps an arm around you whenever.

Growls and glares at anyone who even looks at you wrong.

Plenty of affection, kisses and nibbles. And nuzzles.

Cumulus

I've said it once before and I'll say it again.

Cumulus, despite how sweet she is, is the fucking scariest when she's angry.

Nobody, and I mean nobody wants to get her mad. And while in most cases it's because they just don't want to do anything wrong to such a lovely person... Some of them have actually witnessed her fury and would so anything to avoid it from happening ever again.

For you, though? She's the kindest, most cuddly Ghoulette ever.

She's gonna spoil you with affection, kisses, cuddles, everything.

Cirrus and her will absolutely not leave your side until you feel better.

She doesn't let anyone bully her partner. And neither does Cirrus, since the two come together. You date one, you date both.

Sunshine

She hates it when her partner is sad.

They should be happy and enjoying their partners! Like her!

You will get lots of kisses and love bites. She’s trying to cheer you up in a…chompy way.

Gets the great idea to pick you up and carry you outside to go explore the garden. Fresh air helps her feel better, maybe it’ll help you too!

If it’s a nice enough day? She’ll grab all the other ghoulettes. You’re all dating after all…and picnics are fun!

Plus that’s more people to come up with ways to make you feel better…though Cumulus is quite amused when you get shoved in her tits.

That usually makes things better.

Aurora

If she notices that you're sad, fae will cuddle up to you with a small pout.

They don't like faer darling being sad! She has to help!

She's still used to the standards of the pits, so by default, fae brings you things she likes.

Her favorite clothes and jewelry so you can have some comfort of her being there eve when she has to leave.

You might have to stop faer from bringing you dead animals (Ghoul are... sorta like cats. In many ways.) and ask her to bring you actual food instead.

They're gonna be extra clingy to you and smother you with kisses and hugs until you feel better.

Might get Swiss to help her out with cheering you up. You're probably dating xem, too.

Mist

Mist is…not the greatest at comfort.

He’ll try! But she needs backup.

You’ll be settled in his lap, right in kissing range as he texts another partner for help.

You can talk about whatever with her as you sit there, ranting if needed or just about something that makes you feel better.

Omega shows up quickly to help, just because he’s with Terzo doesn’t mean he’s not still in the polycule of the pack,

You end up sandwiched between Omega and Mist, with the Water Ghoul sliding you snacks and a plushie of either a comfort character or your favorite animal.

Just don’t mention that she has that stuff.

~

Cirrus, Cumulus and Aurora written by Nosferatu.

Sunshine and Mist written by Death.

Taglist: @charlie-is-a-menace @copias-fluffy-asscheeks @randodummy @tuttifuckinfruttifriday @calliedion-dungeon @randominstake @callmeicaro @thecuriouss @nuntia @dio-niisio @mamacarlyle @mybotanicaldemise @igodownjustlikeholymary @natoncesaid

[junglemax]

willow knows the mist better than anyone else, so she decides to help adam copeland.

[drabble]

Adam opens the door and is surprised to see Willow standing in front of it, holding some cream and a wash rag. “Oh, uh, hey, Willow.”

“Hey- oh, jeez, they did a number on you,” Willow’s smile drops quickly into a wince. She shakes her head, “Sorry, that was a bit rude. I’m here to help!”

“Help? Willow, I think I’m okay-“

“No offense, Adam, but I got misted too. And as it looks to me, you got it way worse than me. Let me give you some tips and tricks, please? And I got stuff to at least get the black stuff out of your eyes.”

“I don’t know-“

“Please?” Willow uses her best puppy eyes and pout.

Adam sighs, and opens the door. “Alright, fine, come on in.”

“Thank you! You won’t regret this, promise!” She practically bounces in.

Adam closes the door and sits on one of the benches. “Is this magic cream or something? Will it solve all of my problems?”

“No, but you’ll look a lot better,” she hums. She puts some on the rag and starts wiping it off of his face. “See? It’s going away. You’ll look back to normal in no time.”

“I don’t think that’s the problem, Willow,” Adam sighs, closing his eyes so Willow can get around his eyes. “The problem is I don’t feel normal.”

“Yeah, the mist does that to you,” she sighs back. “It’s their way of trying to control you. If you slip too far, you won’t come back and they’ll take control. That’s what happened to Skye.”

Adam hums. “How’d you get out of it?”

“A mix of having a wonderful friend- Kris- behind me, and just fighting through it. And it’s gonna suck- you’re gonna wanna slip in and stay there. It’ll feel a lot better than everything else, at first. I almost did, but like I said, I fought through it. Having no mist in my system feels so much better, trust me.”

“Well, I appreciate the talk, but I think I was gonna fight through it no matter what.”

Willow huffs suddenly. “Well, who’s gonna be your backup?”

“Huh?”

“Who’s gonna be that one person who’s behind you and tries to help you no matter what?”

“I got friends everywhere.”

“Yeah, but are they prepared to focus on you and you alone?”

“Hey, what are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying,” Willow says, “that I could be that person.”

Adam laughs. “That’s real cute, Willow. But as I told you before, I’ve got this. I’ve dealt with the big, bad and ugly before. I went through Christian and his dino buddy.”

“Did the dinosaur have evil magic powers? I don’t think so. Adam, the House of Black are a whole different type of evil. You’re gonna want somebody in your corner, and I’m offering it to you.”

“Okay, how about I cut you a deal?” Adam says. “If I start feeling real yucky cause of this stuff, I’ll call you. Alright?”

Willow thinks about it for a second, and then nods. “Alright. I can handle that.” She holds her hand out.

Adam takes it and shakes. “Perfect. Thanks for cleaning me up; I was just gonna take a shower to get rid of it, but this is good, too.”

“That stuff stains if you don’t get it out immediately,” Willow says, standing up. “Besides, now you smell good.”

Adam chuckles. “Whatever you say.”

[darkx-the-dragon-kn1ght]

Pokémon Reborn Screenshot Let's Play: Chapter 17

Well…hello again, everyone. The end of college is slowly creeping towards my location, but Pokémon continues to be my rock in these trying times! Although, given the revelations of the last chapter, that may be turning into a double-edged sword with all these twists and betrayals…and we’re not even past the third Gym yet! I’m terrified for what’s coming next in this play session alone, to say nothing of the rest of the game!

There’s gonna be a lot to do in this part, no doubt- but first, we need to go over what happened in the previous chapter to lead us to where we are now.

Xera continues her expedition through Rhodochrine Jungle, finding the way to the PULSE blocked by yet more vines.

After clearing one half of the vines blocking the way forward, Xera overhears a conversation between several Team Meteor members: a Grunt, as well as two higher-ranking members, a Private currently dubbed Agent Grass and an admin currently called Commander Ponytail. Commander Ponytail discusses how a “demonstration” in North Obsidia Ward is just about ready, and he takes his leave- but not before planning to take Victoria with him.

While continuing to explore, Xera encounters and catches a Shiny Scatterbug, who she names Monarch.

Finding her way back to Beryl Ward and to Beryl Library, Xera encounters a stranger searching for books. The person politely greets her and asks if she’s heard of a phenomenon called “dreamsickness.” She has not, and the stranger takes their leave.

Xera briefly returns to the Reborn City Police Department, having found all four missing police officers as well as the Growlithe of the fifth, who was found deceased. As thanks for her help, the chief allows Xera to take the Growlithe with her; she accepts, gaining Blaze the Growlithe.

Back in Rhodochrine, Xera finds Amaria. She has followed Borealis’ trail to Rhodochrine, and has also been able to confirm several of Team Meteor’s leading officers are guarding the PULSE. It seems, due to losses of the PULSEs in Obsidia and Jasper Wards, Team Meteor is now on high-alert.

Xera finds another abandoned house, the man inside wanting to start growing food so he can continue to live in the jungle- and for that, he needs a Sunkern. Xera trades Summer the Sunkern to him in exchange for Deci the Carbink (and an Exp. Share).

With the path clear, Xera is able to approach the PULSE, which is guarded by Borealis, ZEL, Taka, and Ace (Agent Grass is there too, off to the side in her own world). The Meteor admins are quick to corner her as well as reveal Amaria’s hiding spot- but luckily, Fern, Cain, and Heather arrive to provide backup for the duo. As each Trainer engages a different Meteor officer, Xera is free to confront Ace.

Xera is successfully able to defeat Ace and shut down the third Tangrowth PULSE- but just as she claims victory, Heather is suddenly thrown back and knocked unconscious, having been beaten by Agent Grass. Borealis reacts in horror to this, ordering his Crobat to fly Heather someplace safe.

Agent Grass and Ace confront Borealis about his decision to let Heather- an enemy- escape, with Agent Grass in particular deeming Borealis a traitor. Before she can take further action, however, Amaria rushes in to hold her back, buying time for both Borealis and Xera to escape back to Beryl Ward.

Running down the only street into Beryl Ward, Borealis is ambushed by the RCPD- thanks to Xera finding the officers, they were able to put together a sting operation and trap for Borealis at Amaria’s behest. 

The police chief unmasks Borealis, revealing his true identity: Corey Molinar, former Gym Leader, and Heather’s father. Corey derides the chief for trusting him solely because he was once a Leader, then manages to escape in a cloud of mist. The chief orders the officers to search for Corey at his residence.

So yeah- Corey was one of the villains all along! I may have guessed it ages ago, but I’m still sad about being right! So very sad! And now we have to confront the consequences of our actions and Borealis/Corey’s- mostly the latter’s, though- and…I guess meet up with the officers at wherever Corey’s house is? Oh boy, this chapter is going to wreck me, I’m getting bad vibes from all of this- 

*CW: suicide and depictions/discussions of such

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

Part 13

Part 14

Part 15

Part 16

Part 17

Part 18*

Part 19*

[terry-gator]

TSAMS Continuity AU: ....Where'd The Body Go?

[Teek is seen standing over the pod that previously held the W.I.P. Eclipse body, their eyes wide as they couldn't believe that the pod was empty.]

Teek: Where....where'd the body go?? It wasn't even complete yet, it didn't have the right arm yet!! Or a completed leg for that matter!

[Teek then presses the side of their head, calling Crescent Moon in a panic.]

Teek: Crescent Moon!! Pick up, pick up!

[The line is picked up, though it's followed by Crescent Moon screaming and the sounds of Eclipse, Solar, and Moon chasing him down.]

Crescent Moon: Kind of busy getting chased here, what is it??

Teek: The body's gone! I came into my workshop and our new Eclipse's body was gone! My hard work, stolen!

[Teek cried dramatically as Crescent Moon got nearly tackled by the currently unfinished Eclipse.]

Crescent Moon: Yeah about that, that body is running around and trying to pin me down, and apparently he has all his memories!

Teek: WHAAAT??? Oh no no that just won't do, he isn't even complete yet! You have to knock him out or something so I can complete him!

Crescent Moon: I would if Solar and Moon weren't also chasing me!

Teek: .....Oh dear....well don't lead them to my base!

Crescent Moon: Excuse me?!

Teek: I can't have them finding out about me yet, dear Crescent Moon! Besides, along with the previous information of Clipsy having all of his memories, that means that the cloud down here works!

Crescent Moon: Well he isn't at your beck and call anymore, I had to install that programming previously from a drive!

Teek: A drive that I still have, Crescent Moon.

Crescent Moon: What are you insinuating?!

Teek: Oh simple really! ....I no longer have a true use for you, dear Crescent Moon. It's really disheartening because you were such a good maintenance man for my security systems but I suppose I can go back to doing those myself~.

Crescent Moon: YOU FUCKING BASTA-!!

[Crescent Moon gets hung up on then tackled to the floor and held up by Solar, being kept in a vice grip.]

Solar: I got the little edgelord, thank whatever god.

Moon: You again...I thought I taught you a lesson last time but you just had to come back and try harming my family.

Crescent Moon: Heheheh...are we not family, Moon?

Moon: No, and we never were.

[Eclipse approaches Crescent Moon with that wide, unmoving grin on his face.]

Eclipse: Why....why did you make me, hm?

Crescent Moon: ....I didn't do it alone, you know. I...I just took care of your programming, backed up your memories in a cloud. I didn't think it would work. Teek's the one who made your body and any backups they have just in case. Your current one isn't complete as you can see.

[Crescent Moon has a nervous smile on his face, his orange eyes flickering.]

Solar: So that's why you wanted my arm so bad...

Moon: Crescent...who the hell is Teek?

Crescent Moon: Oh that's funny, you think you would know since you and Sun replaced them as the DCA!

[A silence falls over them as Crescent Moon reveals that bombshell to them...]

Crescent Moon: Oh lemme guess, Fazbear really did wipe all traces of them out of their systems like they claimed.

Solar: There.....there was a DCA before you and Sun?

Moon: Guess so...if he's to be believed.

Crescent Moon: C'mon, I can tell you all about it, you just gotta let me go!

Moon: Not happening.

[Crescent Moon's smile falters before he starts releasing his hallucination mist. It seems to effect Solar right off the bat as he suddenly lets Crescent Moon go, a fearful expression on his face as he started seeing his worst fears happen in front of him.]

Solar: No, no, I can still be useful, no-!

Moon: Solar!

[Moon doesn't seem to be as effected, coughing as they went through the mist and grabbed onto Solar's hands.]

Moon: Solar, pay attention to my voice, the damn kid's just using his hallucination mist catnap ability thing!

[Solar seems to somehow be holding back tears as he seems to shiver, the hallucinations somehow getting to him even more. Eclipse, meanwhile, hadn't been effected at all seeing as his mind was already so broken from coming back again. They went and chased Crescent Moon through the hallucination mist that was enveloping the area, searching for him.]

Eclipse: Come out come out, wherever you are so I can tear you apart!

[Eclipse then laughed maniacally, which startled Solar as he was still suffering from what the hallucinations presented.]

Moon: Solar, it's going to be okay, I'm here, I won't leave you like this.

[Solar can't even speak, clinging onto Moon in a hug, his stiff rays creaking as they shrunk into his head a slight bit. The hallucinations seemed to get worse and worse until the mist finally dispelled now that Crescent Moon had properly escaped...though now Eclipse was holding a piece of Crescent Moon's body in his hand, specifically Crescent Moon's left arm, which was somehow still functioning.]

Eclipse: Couldn't tear the little shit apart more...but I managed to tear this thing off that could help with finding out more about my other creator...

[Eclipse presented the arm to Moon and Solar, though looked annoyed when he realized Solar wasn't going to respond.]

Eclipse: Tch, what's his deal? Can't handwe a wittwe hallucination mist?

[Eclipse laughs while Moon gives Eclipse that glare, holding Solar closer to his body.]

Moon: Shut. Your mouth.

[Eclipse raised his hands in mock surrender while Solar just keeps clinging onto Moon, not fully recovered from being forced to witness the manifestation of his fears appear in front of him. Moon keeps Solar steady while he yanks the arm from Eclipse.]

Moon: The fact it's even still functioning is a miracle, now to just copy whatever is on this thing.

[Moon, with Solar still clinging onto him, manages to go over to the desk computer and starts copying the data into it. Solar still hasn't said anything, which does worry Moon.]

Moon: Solar, hey, you okay?

[Solar clings onto Moon tighter in response, burying his face away, not wanting to remotely look anywhere else in the moment.]

Moon: And that's a no...now I have even more of a reason to tear that wannabe apart.

Computer: Data upload complete.

Moon: Lovely! So, what exactly was on there?

Computer: Journal entries, audio files, and backed up information on Teek Gator. This backed up information seems to have been decrypted and copied before, Moon. I can also see some scrapped security footage on Teek within the backed up data.

[Moon lets out a long, exasperated sigh.]

Moon: That's the third Gator sibling I've heard Monty has that's just great...

Computer: Would you like me to read out the information here on Teek, Moon?

[Eclipse impatiently taps their foot, wanting to know about their other creator, though not wanting to admit it.]

Moon: Yeah sure go ahead.

Computer: Teek Gator was made long before you, Sun, Monty, Millie and Terry as it appears. It does state that they were the original attendant but was due to be...scrapped....because they became too expensive to maintain.

Moon: Too expensive...? Computer, how was it too expensive to maintain them?

Computer: It appears that they had....glitches, bugs, and viruses constantly show up in their systems as stated in this backup data. They also had a night mode that was the most infected, it seems...

Moon: That's not...not really a good excuse to just scrap a living being, they could've fixed it if they just installed anti-virus software on Teek but I guess that was too much for Fazbear.

Computer: Fazbear sucks.

Moon: Yes, yes it does. Anyway, what about that security footage? What's it of?

Computer: I...personally watched it while the rest of the data was being copied into my systems. It's not pretty, Moon. I can give you a basic summary.

Moon: ...Summarize away.

Computer: Teek was in their infected night mode and...killed a Fazbear employee with several children asleep nearby.

Moon: ....Well shit.

Computer: I'm sorry...do you want me to keep going?

Moon: Yeah just....just tell me if it mentions how they planned to scrap Teek.

Computer: It says here that they were going to send a prototype to do the job, which they did...but it states here that the prototype was never found and neither was Teek.

Eclipse: Well they've still gotta be around if I was made and woke up here, no?

Computer: You are...not wrong.

Moon: At least we know they could still be here, we've just gotta find out where they are exactly. Oh, by the way, keep that data safe in your systems, I think Monty's gonna need that later if we end up telling them about their older sibling.

Computer: Already done.

Moon: Thanks...Eclipse you can go hunt Crescent Moon down if you want I don't really care...I'm gonna just...focus on Solar and tracking Teek down.

Eclipse: Heheheh...well then...goodbye for now, Moon.

[Eclipse finally leaves the daycare and goes after where they saw Crescent Moon go after tearing his arm off. This left Moon and Solar alone in the daycare behind the desk. Moon starts using the computer to try and find Teek like he said he'd do while also trying to be a comforting presence for Solar since they still weren't doing well from the previous ordeal.]

[climbthemountain2020]

Hope of Spring - Chapter 15

Find Ch. 14 here :)

Also on Ao3!

Penny opened her eyes to blood and chaos. The winnow had left her breathless, but she hit the ground, spun to survey the violent surroundings, and immediately took off without waiting for directions. She’d winnowed in with Rhys, so she knew she’d be able to project his powers, but her only goal now was to reach Tamlin. She reached for the ribbon in her mind, feeling blindly down it, and allowed impulse to guide her as she sprinted through the melee.

It had been warning her all day to go to him, why had she not listened?

Her vision had only given them enough warning to see that Autumn was still working with Koeschi, despite Brialyn having died years ago. Beron had clearly been keeping this tightly under hat, but Rhysand was pale after he revealed Eris had been trying to warn Night Court about this for months. After her vision, everyone had immediately donned armor and set off to Spring, save Elain, who stayed with the twin wraiths and the children, and Feyre, who delayed to put out a call to their allies for backup.

Penny pushed through the hysteria crawling up her throat and threatening to choke her before she could focus long enough to find him. She jumped around soldiers with clashing swords and ducked as she rounded large mounds of weaponry. Spring had still been rebuilding from the devastation of Hybern, and there were scarcely enough people to fight off an incoming army, especially not one with fire magic.

The ribbon tugged her to turn east as she approached the town near the rolling hills covered in blood, and she encountered a group of Autumn soldiers marching towards the houses on the outskirts of the village. She knew the people who lived there–farmers, with wives, children. She slid to a stop, focusing on pushing the soldiers back with a push of her hands, but she’d underestimated Rhysand’s power. The soldiers were suddenly…not that anymore. A mist of red fluttered on the breeze as understanding and horror dawned on Penny.

“Oh shit. Oh fuck. Oh god.” She forced her legs to move, carrying her on instinct alone, as the townspeople looked at her in awe from their windows. She pushed the soldiers out of her mind; she could only focus on one singular thought.

My mate. My mate. My mate.

As she cleared the final hill, she beheld in horror that it was Tamlin at the front of his soldiers, fighting with Beron and holding the line. He looked exhausted, shirt torn, armor barely assembled. It must have been so sudden, and yet all he’d thought of was to protect his court. She didn’t break her sprint as she crested the hill, moving with only him in mind.

Every shot of flame rolling over Tamlin, barely shielding himself, was sending her panic skyrocketing. She willed herself to go faster as her feet all but flew to close the remaining space between them. He looked up just in time to see her approach, his beautiful green eyes filled with a terror she’d never beheld there before, but her urge to protect him, claim him, destroy anything or anyone who was a risk to him was all she could feel.

Without a second thought to how violent the consequence would be, she threw Rhys’ power out at Beron. It should have been a direct hit, but his shields were invisible and strong against it. He turned to her and grinned with blood staining his face, his attention off Tamlin. Good. She barely had time to slide to a stop and throw her own shields up.

“Penny, you have to go!” Tamlin bellowed across the field. “Please leave. Penny, please!” Begging. He was begging.

“No.” She gritted her teeth at the onslaught of fire against her shield. She’d told him she was staying once, and she’d meant it forever.

Tamlin used the moment of distraction to collect his sword, lost in the previous fray. He attempted to bring the sword up to Beron, but another Autumn soldier was there in an instant, pushing him back with sharp tendrils of flame. She heard Tamlin’s scream as the fire burned his shoulder, and it distracted Beron just enough for him to drop his own shield momentarily. It was all she needed. She threw her arms forth with the intent to blind him with Rhys’ shadows while Tamlin impaled the Autumn soldier and came to strike again at Beron.

Even without sight, Beron was too lethal, and he struck out a bellowing flame on instinct that engulfed the entire right side of Penny’s body. She hadn’t put her shields back up. The pain was unlike any she’d ever felt–the agony blinding and unreal. She couldn’t maintain her hold on him as she dropped to the ground, shrieking and sure her skin had melted entirely from her body. She heard Tamlin roar her name as she fell.

He, of course, could not fight the call to help his fallen mate–even unaware of what called him with such an overwhelming need to get to her, to protect her. Ignoring any remaining battle sense he had, he ran to her, unable to fight the base urge to keep her safe above all else. Penny opened her eyes just long enough to see him bowing over her, his eyes wide, and Beron’s sword through his side.

“No.” She whispered as he collapsed to his knees beside her. Suddenly the agony felt like nothing; she felt nothing but horror. “NO!” She screamed as he kneeled, looking into her eyes with what felt horrifically like a goodbye, his hand grazing her cheek as a singular drop of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

She caught him as he lurched forward. “No, no, no. Tam. Tamlin? Please. Just hold on. Hold on! Okay, we’re going to get someone. We’re going to—Help! HELP!” She screamed hysterically. “Someone, please.” The sob came out of her hoarsely. Tamlin slumped to the ground in her arms as she looked desperately around them.

She felt the ribbon in her chest flapping like a flag in the wind. And then she felt nothing but rage. She whipped her head up at Beron, who ripped the sword from Tamlin’s side and raised it as though he meant to cleave her head from her shoulders next, his eyes dark and cruel and fixed solely on her. She felt the fire creep up her legs, her stomach, her hands. Not Beron’s fire, though–hers. She felt it fill her eyes as Beron’s filled with terror. Before he even had the chance to drop the sword, she screamed a sound so unholy that the entire battlefield appeared to halt, as if time itself had stopped.

Then, in a display so horrific it made the earlier mistings seem peaceful, Beron gasped in pain as he burned from the inside out. The fire consumed him so quickly he didn’t even have time to scream as his skin and eyes melted, his mouth frozen open in horror, fire burning so hot that he was reduced to cinders in the wind in seconds.

Penny barely registered the Autumn soldiers behind him immediately falling to the ground in surrender and reverence and terror. The entire battlefield carried a whisper like a horrible song, testifying that an unknown female warrior had killed the High Lord of Autumn, but Penny cared about nothing but the male laying in her arms, his heart slowing, slowing, slowing.

Please. Please Tamlin. Please don’t leave me.

She grasped blindly for that ribbon, simply flowing in her chest, its glow the dimmest of lights, and she held it tightly, pulling its shreds toward her. She was sobbing, she could feel her chest heaving.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she knew without looking that Feyre was there. She knelt beside Penny.

“It’s okay, I am going to heal him. He’s going to be okay, Penny.” And the relief was so much that Penny slumped to the ground. It was only then she began to register how hot she was. The fire had all but consumed her. Was the adrenaline wearing off? Or was this the fire magic? He didn’t even touch me…

She felt ill, muscles cramping and sweat running down her neck and back. She vomited into the grass next to them. She collapsed and rolled to her back to gulp down air and see the sky, but her vision was blurring, and she couldn’t catch her breath.

“Penny?” She heard Feyre’s voice distantly, felt her touch her arm and hiss at the contact. “Penny!” She tried to turn her head. Couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t focus. Everything felt so far away. Was Tamlin okay? Was Tamlin okay? She made to reach for that ribbon again to check, but every movement, even in her mind, was absolute agony.

“Feyre, she’s burning out.” Rhysand. Penny tried to croak a response, but could summon nothing but a dry, aching sob as her body twisted on the bloody hill. “--water in the manor. The bath in the master.” She was swept up and the pain was so vast and endless she felt she might vomit or pass out or cease to exist entirely. Death would be a welcome comfort, so long as Tamlin was safe.

Was he okay? She could barely think the thought, let alone ask.

They were moving, and water was running. “Drop her in the tub. Feyre, I am going to turn the water on and you’re going to freeze it as soon as she’s in it.” She felt the smallest bit of relief as the cool copper of the tub touched her back, but it immediately turned to pain as she felt it heat and burn below her. “Fuck! Feyre, now.”

She was burning, burning, burning. Maybe she never made it out of her home. Maybe this was the fire the suriel had told her claimed her. Maybe this was the end, and these last few months of bliss had been her scared, tired mind trying to comfort her before the depths of death took her below.

“WHAT’S HAPPENING?” She heard a roar distantly, as though coming through water. Tamlin. The thought sighed through her with a relief so deep she almost couldn’t feel the suffering of the fire eating through her skin. She’d die here. She’d die just like Beron had. But Tamlin would be okay.

“Rhys, knock her out. Now!” It was the last thing she heard before darkness claimed her entirely, and the anguish bleeding into her very bones, blessedly, ceased to exist.

[smol-lydia]

After Hours: A Viktor x Fem!Reader Fic Pt 2

Summary: Standing on the freezing streets of Piltover, you’re having a hell of a shift trying to bring customers in to your club for drinks. You see a pair of Academy students headed your way--one is eager enough, but the other is much more of a challenge to win over, and you like a challenge.

Part One 

SFW, sorry bbys, just flirting and sexual tension here not getting to the spicy parts yet these bitches wouldn’t stop TALKING god forbid, Viktor being cute and flustered, reader just doing her best here 

----

By 1:30 am, you’re over dealing with customers. Your last party has left, yet another group of businessmen twice your age who leave you with a bad taste in your mouth but you say nothing, pocketing their tips with a wince once they’ve left. 

Technically, you’re supposed to stay on the floor until the end of shift, but you decide to slip into the dressing room instead. If any of your co-workers want to rat you out, that’s on them, but they all seem preoccupied. 

You sit on the small plush stool in front of the vanity, looking at yourself in the mirror. You’re not supposed to leave the club in your formal dresses, and this one, with its corset boning, isn’t the most comfortable to begin with. Most of the girls, bleary eyed and intoxicated, stumble home in something close to loungewear, but that won’t do for tonight. 

Not when you’re supposed to meet Viktor. Is it a date? You’re not really sure, but you know that you want him to see you looking pretty rather than sloppy. That the thought of spending time with him makes you nervous, though not entirely in a bad way. 

You touch up your makeup in the mirror; darkening the eyeliner, adding extra glue to make sure your lashes stay in place. A swipe of pale pink lipstick on your lips. 

You kick off your silver heels under the vanity and your throbbing feet thank you, curling your toes in the plush carpet. Fifteen minutes until you were supposed to meet Viktor, and you still have no idea what to wear. 

You keep a few outfits in your slim wooden cubby, often used as a backup in case there’s a spill or some other accident and you’re forced to change. You paw through the options, frowning at each one. Janna above, this shouldn’t be so difficult, and yet. 

Truth be told, you haven’t been out with anyone in a long while. Given your line of work, you have a low tolerance for bullshit and even less patience, and that didn’t exactly lend itself well to dates, or relationships. You got used to being alone, and besides—with how you used any opportunity to visit your family, you never considered yourself truly alone. Chin in your hand, you sigh. 

What if Viktor didn’t show up at all? Maybe he was stringing you along—he wouldn’t be the first. You couldn’t shake the sense that Viktor was far from the type, but the anxiety in the pit of your stomach was a persuasive bitch. 

Even more so when you glanced at the clock and realized it was five minutes to 2 am. 

“Shit!” 

You reach into the pile of clothes and pull out a black sweater, buttery soft and oversized, that had a habit of falling off one shoulder. Pink skirt. Knee high boots. Your black coat with the pink bow at the waist. It would have to do, as you spritzed a little vanilla perfume and grabbed your handbag to rush out the door. 

“What’s with her?” You hear one of the others mutter as you pass them by, and don’t bother to respond. 

They never actually cared to know—a fact you had learned the hard way. 

When you leave the club, you see a fog has rolled in over the Piltover streets, coated everything in a hazy, chilled mist. You huddle into your coat, grateful you aren’t out trying to entice customers now. 

At first, you don’t see Viktor at all and with your heart in your throat, you think maybe he hadn’t shown up. This is what you get up for opening up, you think, muttering to yourself in your native tongue, the usual curses. 

“Miss (y/n)!” 

Fuck. So he hasn’t stood you up after all, and may very well have heard the unflattering commentary you were whispering like a crazy person. Well, this is off to a rousing start. 

Viktor isn’t outside of the club, which makes sense if he’s being cautious and actually cares about you and your job. He’s a few feet away, cane in one hand, leaning against a lamppost. He tucks a newspaper under his arm, and you can’t help but notice once again how devastatingly good-looking he is, with his dark hair mussed and his cheeks slightly pink in the cold. 

You look up at him—he’s so damn tall—and it’s as if your brain shorts out, wiped completely blank. The only thing you can think of to say is, “Hi.” 

You relax into your real voice with him, not bothering to suppress your accent, and it’s nice, to let this aspect of your mask slip, at least in this moment. You realize you’ve been staring—at the beauty mark above his lip no less—and quickly compose yourself. 

“I hope it isn’t too much trouble. To, erhm, be staying up this late,” you say to Viktor, hands in the pockets of your coat. 

You two start walking down the street, towards a nearby 24 hour cafe that you often frequent when you can spare a little tip money and don’t have the energy (or the sobriety) to cook in your little room. 

Viktor shrugs. “No trouble. I often keep late nights.” 

You’re not drunk per se, but you certainly aren’t sober, either, and you giggle, stumbling. “Busy, huh?” 

Viktor reaches over with his free hand to steady you. “Careful, Miss (y/n).” His hand lingers on your arm, and you can feel the heat of it through your coat and your sweater. 

You want nothing more than to press yourself against him, and gods, what was wrong with you? Clearly you were tipsier than you thought. 

“Y/n.” 

“Hmm?” He furrows those lovely dark brows and looks at you in confusion. He hasn’t moved his hand from your arm. 

“You don’t have to call me Miss.” 

There’s that dust of pink across his cheekbones again, and he swallows, removing his hand. “Right. Of course. Y/n it is.” 

You’re in front of the cafe now, and you look up at it, and then at him. “Is this alright?” 

He seems lost in some thought. “What? Oh, yes.” 

You’re caught off guard by what Viktor does next; a small gesture, really, but one that lingers. He holds the door open for you, as if you were a proper lady, gesturing for you to walk first. 

“Thank you,” you murmur. 

“Of course,” he replies. 

The cafe is empty at this hour and you slide into a booth, Viktor opposite you, as an exhausted waitress places glasses of ice water in front of you both. In the beat of silence that follows you feel all your old insecurities taking root in your brain: what are you doing, spending time with an Academy student who shouldn’t be wasting his hours with the likes of you? 

You fiddle with the straw in your glass, wondering if this was a mistake. The waitress returns with two mugs of coffee and some kind of fried potato dish, perfect for keeping a hangover at bay, though your appetite is gone by now. 

Viktor pushes the dish towards you. “You should eat something. I mean, um, so you don’t feel like death when you wake up.” 

You twirl your fork in your hands. “I’m not that drunk. Unlike your friend.” 

Viktor laughs softly. “Jayce never knows his limits.” He cocks a brow. “Though your mastery of that drinking game was quite impressive.”

You take a bite of food. Heaven, though you won’t admit as much. “It’s a talent,” you say after swallowing. “Not all of us can go to the Academy, I suppose.” Maybe the barb is overkill, but you can’t help the bitterness that seeps through. 

Viktor regards you over his mug of coffee, his amber eyes taking you in. “Fair enough,” he murmurs. “I know my circumstances are more….unusual.”

“That’s one word for it.” 

“Especially given I was never enrolled in the Academy properly.” He gives you a sly grin, and you almost drop a forkful of potatoes. 

“What?”

His expression shifts from sly to somewhat sheepish. “My parents saved for months to get me the uniform, though they didn’t understand why I wanted it so badly. I got dressed and started attending classes as though I belonged. No one questioned it, at first.” 

You can’t help but laugh. “You sneaky bastard.” 

There’s that endearing blush again, and you find you keep wanting to tease him. Wondering what it would be like to truly get Viktor flustered. 

“No one would take a chance on me.” Viktor takes a sip of his coffee. “A poor cripple from the Undercity? They couldn’t see beyond their own bias, so I had to make my own way. Of course, I was found out eventually, but the Dean was impressed by my chutzpah and offered me a place as his assistant while I studied.” 

You take another forkful of food. “I suppose we both have our masks, then.” 

“Is that what brought you to your line of work?” He asks. 

You shrug. “I wanted something better for my family. I figured that I would try my luck. Not exactly cut out for the Academy.” 

Those amber eyes are on you, intense. “I don’t believe that for a second.” 

“What?” 

“Y/n.” He bites his lower lip, drums his fingers on the table. Looks very much like he’s holding himself back, though from what you’re not entirely certain. “You are not unintelligent. That much is obvious.” 

You push aside the plate of food. “Most everyone just sees me as…” You gesture up and down at your outfit. You like your style, but you wish you could be seen as more than just an object. 

“You are. More than that, I mean.” Viktor runs his hand through his messy locks. “Your style is quite unique, (y/n), don’t misunderstand…I mean…but it is not the only thing I noticed or enjoyed about your company.” 

You blink, taking in his words with some measure of surprise. Viktor seemed like he wanted to be anywhere other than the club, so this is news to you, and it’s disorienting. At least, that’s what you tell yourself about the dizzying feeling that has you digging your nails into your thighs to steady yourself, as though you were in a free fall. 

After a pause, you reach for your water, taking a sip. “I’m surprised you noticed anything about me,” you mumble.

“Oh, I certainly did.” He raises a brow and you are once again left with the sense that Viktor is full of kinds of surprises, an enigma you can’t fully puzzle out. “Tell me, (y/n), if you could study at the Academy, what would you want to learn?” 

“Art.” There’s no hesitation. Maybe there should be. You don’t share your sketches with anyone, and you spend your days off drawing anything and everything, just for practice. “I know it’s not practical—“

“I would be inclined to disagree,” Viktor says softly. “I may work in the sciences, but I would argue that art is equally necessary in this world. Both do good, albeit in different ways.” 

The sound of chimes interrupt whatever you plan to say next. It’s four bells, according to the nearby clock tower outside and you rub your tired, aching eyes before realizing you’ve likely smeared your makeup. Have you really passed all this time with Viktor so quickly? 

He seems to register as much as well. “It’s late.” 

You nod. Even the coffee isn’t helping much at this point. 

“I should get home.” You reach to leave a few coins for the bill, but Viktor beats you to it, dropping the change on the scrawled paper. 

“Viktor—“ You protest. 

“My treat,” he says mildly, and you sigh. “Now, I would be a very bad date if I didn’t see you home.” 

You feel as though all the oxygen has been stolen out of your lungs, your heartbeat picking up significantly. Date? Now you’re the one blushing as you slide out of the booth, Viktor following behind you with his cane. 

The word reverberates in your mind over and over. Date. He considered you his date. Silly, maybe, for you to be so taken by the idea but you can’t remember the last time you had been taken out on a date, let alone one with company so enjoyable rather than the usual insufferable Piltie companions you dealt with. 

“Viktor, you don’t have to go to all the trouble…” You trail off as you walk out of the restaurant and onto the fog-coated cobblestones. Surely he had classes in the morning, other responsibilities. Couldn’t spend half the morning sleeping like you and your odd nocturnal schedule. 

He stops, right in the middle of the deserted street, prompting you to stop as well. Leans in and for a brief, heart stopping moment you think he’s going to kiss you. 

He doesn’t, though. Simply takes two slender fingers and places them under your chin, gently tilting upward so that you, short as you are, can look up at him. 

“I don’t have to, (y/n), but I wish to.” 

Your mouth goes dry at the simple touch, knees damn near incapable of holding you up, and for all your supposed intelligence you can’t think of a blessed thing to say, so you simply nod. He releases his touch and continues walking, and you quickly take the lead once more.

Your small room that you rent from a perpetually absent landlord isn’t too much further, maybe two or three blocks that pass in comfortable silence. Finally, you stop in front of the stucco townhouse. “This is me.” 

Viktor raises his eyebrows at this and you rush to clarify. 

“I, um, rent the attic room. Nothing too thrilling.” Do you invite him inside? Would that be too forward? Especially given the late hour, and the implications of your workplace? Janna, this is confusing, and why you don’t date. Too messy. Better to just be you and your cat, spinster forever. 

“Thank you,” you manage to say, finally. “For a…nice evening.” Gods, you sound like an idiot. 

“You’re welcome.” Viktor looks down at his shoes, then back up at you. “Perhaps we can do it again sometime.” 

You are about to say yes when he leans in, catches your lips in a sweet, hesitant, kiss. One that you want to deepen, given in to the hunger beneath it, but are too afraid to, a small mewing sound at the back of your throat at your repressed yearning. Viktor tastes like coffee, and you could get drunk on the way his hands hover at your waist, skimming at your ribs. 

All too soon he pulls away, your lips tingling from the contact, stunned by the gentle touch of the young student in front of you. 

“Good night, Miss (y/n),” he says quietly, leaving you with the unfulfilled urge to pull him inside by his tie and have him half a dozen ways. 

For now, you slip into your room, one finger ghosting over where Viktor had kissed you, waiting to wake up from whatever dream this must be. 

[meeeeeeese]

Looking for answers

The pact commander, after a nasty excursion to a demon infested mine, decides to seek out help from an... alternate source. It doesn't go well

(spoilers for EoD, what lies beneath, and fractals of the mist I suppose below the cut)

length ~ 1k words

Rugan was in a bad mood, sitting in a brooding silence in a cabin outside the Gyala delve. It had only been a few days since they’d had to retreat and come up with a new plan to deal with the demon in the mines and since then Rugan had kept himself busy with menial tasks; clearing out kappa, dealing with berserk miners, repairing haywire mechs, anything to avoid having to reflect on the events of the prior days. However, the large charr had run out of tasks and now sat cleaning his admittedly impressive arsenal of weapons. His trusty rifle and pistols had been cleaned and stocked with ammunition, grenades checked to be in working order and now he was working on polishing some of his backup weapons, those that were kept more as mementos than any serious part of his arsenal. An old standard issue Iron Legion pistol, a rusty priory dagger still glowing with unstable enchantments, Caladbolg… the shattered blade still brimming with vestiges of its former power. Rugan’s eye lingered on it for a moment before painful memories made him move on to the next weapon. After Caladbolg was a sword of strange make, made of stone and crystal. Enshrouded with darkness but glowing with a ghastly purple light, a fractal sword imbued with abyssal might. It was from the fractals of the mists of course, Rugan held up the blade as he recalled the memory of its acquisition. It was a reward, for the completion of one fractal in particular, Sunqua Peak. 

Rugan had always thought that Sunqua Peak was an odd fractal. A woman sits alone on a mountain, her grief stirring up the elementals into a frenzy. When fractal explorers come to calm her, she flies into a rage and attacks, once subdued she sits down, and the fractal ends, with no resolution. Each loop it was the same, her grief getting stronger and more volatile the deeper you go. But in the very deepest reaches of the fractals something… changes. Something new and utterly alien reveals itself, showing the truth. The mountain keeper, named Ai, was not suffering naturally. She was being predated upon by a darkness feeding on her doubt, sorrow, fear and... guilt. And with truth revealed, the demon could be defeated, and the darkness banished. Rugan considered what he’d recalled, the entity in the depths changed something, did something to render the demon vulnerable.

“I wonder… could I learn how to do that...?” He said to himself. It was a long shot, but better than sitting around doing nothing. Gorrik had told Rugan to get some rest but, maybe there was something he could do to help the demon expulsion investigation. He packed his things and set out for Lions Arch   

---

Rugan felt an uncomfortable vibration run through his bones and horns as the teleporter activated, Dessa’s crackly voice came through his communicator

“Locking on to Sunqua Peak.”

“annnndddd-“

“Engaging teleportation matrix, good luck”

Everything flashed a bright blue and Rugan felt the sensation of falling for a brief moment. And then his claws touched down on the rain-soaked soil of Sunqua Peak. He took a long breath as he felt a familiar heaviness at the edge of his senses. “good” he thought, it was here.

He walked forward, looking around for another sign of its presence. His function gyro, a little arial drone hovering above his head blipped and directed his attention towards a mote of crimson fire burning away, undeterred by the torrential downpour. There it was, the tell-tale sign that the Harbinger of Woe was ready to reveal itself

Rugan stood in front of the fire, braced himself, and said “Harbinger, I want to talk”

The world shifted. A darkness came over the fractal and gravity bent, ever so slightly, sending pebbles skittering towards the fire. Cutting through the proto-reality, an imposing figure stepped out of the nothingness. It was tall even by charr standards with armour like the night sky, planetary cataclysms visible in its vast bulk. Its face was hidden by a vicious spiked helm.

He clenched his fist, claws digging into his furry palms as the Harbinger’s aura flared to life and a wave of dread swept through him. It felt like… the Gyala demon, but less directed. Testing, not predating. He fought the urge to run away, to tell Dessa to extract him from the fractal and whisk him away to safety. He gritted his fangs and murmured to himself “NO. I'm a soldier. I Don’t. Run.” As if he was half reminding himself, half convincing himself it was true.

As Rugan worked up the nerve to speak, the Harbinger spoke, its voice was deep and loud, like the first rumblings of a thunderstorm.

“Again, you return. Your capacity for pain is… truly limitless. Have you come to take my challenge again?”

“No! No, not this time. I… I have a question for you.” Rugan replied. The harbinger stood silently, so Rugan continued,

“back in Tyria I’ve got a demon problem, down at the bottom of a mine there’s a demon gorging on a ley-line, possessing anyone it comes across, we’re having trouble expunging it. But your able to, right? It was by your power that the demon was driven out of AI, allowed her a happy ending. So, I need to know; how can I do that?”

The harbinger remained silent for a moment. Its gaze invisible beneath its celestial armour, but Rugan could feel its eyes upon him, watching, considering.

“well, if you’ve got nothing to say” Rugan said, tired of the silence “then I’ll be leav-“ he was interrupted by the harbinger speaking at last.

“You’re asking the wrong question.”

“You assume that there exists some alternate hidden path to victory, that with some clever trick you can bypass the challenges ahead. But I have no such thing to offer you, the demon in that woman’s head was banished through supreme martial might alone. I merely… extended the loop”

“Your strength is… undeniable. You triumphed over my challenges after all, and through that strength you were able to save Ai. So, if you really want to defeat the demon in the depths, the question you should be thinking about is this; if you are strong enough to save others, WHY. ARE YOU NOT. STRONG ENOUGH. TO SAVE. YOURSELF?”

The harbinger’s last words echoed through stormy air of Sunqua peak. Rugan stood frozen, trying to find the words to respond

“I wonder if you’ll be able to puzzle it out. Until then, I’ll be watching.”

“w-wait, hold on-” Rugan managed to voice out as the harbinger of woe vanished in a blaze of celestial might, and then Rugan was alone on the mountain, his fur soaked by the pouring rain. He grabbed his communicator “Dessa, I’m done here, take me back.” Dessa’s voice came through “what, already? are you-“ “NOW” Rugan snapped back, and the familiar sound of the extraction teleporter starting up began to sound.

---

Rugan stepped out of the portal to the fractals, feeling the sun begin to warm his now thoroughly soaked fur. He was out of the Harbingers aura of dread but somehow, he still felt terrible. He began the walk out of Fort Mariner and towards the nearest bar. He had a lot he didn’t want to think about and, quite frankly, he really needed a distraction.

[wanderingwolfwitcher]

❝ this ground harbors evil. ❞ from triss!

"Don't even need my medallion to tell us that. Can feel it, soaking the soil. Cursed battlefield, remnants of one of the many wars between the Kaedweni and Aedirnian armies. All that death, suffering and rage tends to leave behind an imprint. Had to lay a few battlegrounds like this to rest, in my time. Cleanse and silence them. Looks like I’ll have to do it again."

Eskel’s deep, calm voice returned to the redhead Sorceress amidst the buzzing of his medallion, viper eyes looking about the muddy, rain soaked earth and forest surrounding where they stood in the Lormark wilderness. His enhanced senses alone, along with a Cat Potion to extend them further, were plenty to be able to see in the darkness, but for the sake of her physical limitations, one of his hands held an active Igni Sign, lighting the way for her, while his other held his rune enchanted silver sword down at his side. Turning them into a beacon as well, to draw the attention of what was out there in the night, be it physical monsters or occult beings. The rain fell freely and heavily around them, pelting the trees and bushes, the growing wind lifting up his cloak about him, as his eyes searched the wilderness, listening to the natural howling of the wind... and unnatural howls carried upon it that had nothing to do with the weather. The cries of the damned and the restless, sensing two living folk standing upon their graves. The clashing of swords, shields and the screams of pain... reenacting their final moments over and over again by nightfall, perhaps not even truly realizing they were long dead. He would never wish such a fate on another, especially not on warriors... the agony of one death alone serving some indifferent monarch should have been enough suffering. Would have been enough, in a fair world.

Now and again, he saw spectral and physical shapes alike out there in the rising mist, drifting through the air and shambling respectively... the fallen of both sides, doing battle with one another, amid the trees. The Witcher had some idea of what they would have to expect... but he was ready for any surprises. This wasn’t an exact science, but Witchers had been taught to take precautions, and anticipate the worst. He aimed and concentrated on several spots of greenery around them, casting more Igni Signs, lighting them up into torches to illuminate the clearing they stood in, before rearranging his fingers, concentrating and casting the Yrden Sign several times as well around their vicinity, setting the glowing violet wards down on the earth and grass, forming a perimeter of traps. When he was done laying them, his yellow gaze returned to the freckled redhead’s emerald pair, and his hooded head nodded, mutilated features serious, speaking a warning to her as a precaution. He could certainly depend on her magical knowledge and powers, the only Sorceress he had any trust for, but all the same, this was a matter out of Triss’ usual expertise. These were Witcher matters. He would have to watch her back, as she did the same of him... silently appreciating the backup and company she provided on this particular contract for Queen Saskia. He certainly wasn’t about to turn down either, from how few and far between it was for him normally. Her portals sure didn’t hurt either, making their travels far easier, not having Geralt’s discomfort with them.

"Be on your guard, Triss. No telling what will rise here. The extent and power of the curse. Wouldn’t even count out a Red Miasmal. Your magic will come in handy, especially some fire for the reanimated corpses and Revenants. The Specters and Wraiths will be more trouble... whatever you do, don’t let them make contact with you. Last thing I need is to have to perform another exorcism. I'll make them corporeal with the Yrden Sign, we just have to lure them into these ward traps, and we can disperse them together."

@withouthonor

[cerberussyndrome]

here where the moon shines

Summary: What is truth, really? Or: Rin tries to die for her village. Isobu doesn't let her. Another thing I wrote snippets of, and did some plotting for, but never finished.

cw: major character death (kakashi), canon-typical violence

In years to come, Obito will remember it in pieces: his burning eye, the hot suffocation of panic, the fevered mantra of their names looping in his head. He will recall, intimately, the phantom taste of iron in the back of his throat. He will close his eye and there, waiting for him, will be a clearing, a child-corpse, the bright moon shining down overhead like an indifferent god.

--

Five months after Rin gets back to the Leaf, she walks through T&I, chin up and her hands crammed in her pockets.

...

And there, there is Obito, there is her best friend again, there is all the hope left in the world.

--

Here is the thing with secrets: to keep them, you must divorce them from their context. And so, because Rin was not, in the eyes of the general public, a living human sacrifice, it meant that the demon in her gut never punched three holes through Kakashi's torso. It meant that the demon did not exist at all.

Kakashi was Anbu. Kakashi was, as a rule, divorced from context because context would reveal him as an individual. Anbu did not have individuals. Anbu was a collective and a nigh untraceable one at that.

All this to say that the truth is variable. But the public truth is this: Kakashi takes an A-rank mission outside of Fire County and is presumed killed in action two weeks after the estimated return date comes and goes. The body is never recovered, so they bury an empty coffin into the hillside. Few come to the funeral.

--

Rin escapes from Hidden Mist and makes her way back to the Leaf alone. For various reasons, she quits medic work and takes a job in Intelligence.

--

Five months later, Obito is exchanged with Hidden Rock for another prisoner of war. When he comes back to the Leaf, he does not talk about the time between being dug out from under the cave-in and being given back to his village.

--

NOTES:

Okay so explanations.

I think I’ve seen this concept in a couple different places? But the one I remember enough to cite is “Turtle Song” by Yumi Take on FFN.

BASICALLY Rin doesn't die in the clearing because Isobu heals her (a la Kurama and Naruto at the Valley of the End) (and/or does the coral release thing, who fucking knows). Isobu then possesses her and kills absolutely everyone around them, starting with Kakashi. The only reason Obito survives this blatant rampage (despite being too shocked to move out of the way) is because witnessing Kakashi's death gave him the Mangekyo, and therefore Kamui.

- Obito restrains Rin w/ Mokuton

- Backup arrives. (Probably Minato? IDK). Rin's seal is properly fixed. They head back to the village.

- the Third makes the decision to keep Rin's status as a jinchuuriki/vessel under wraps. (International politics are a dick and technically they don't have any definitive proof that Hidden Mist tried to screw them over.)

- Cover stories!

- cover story 1: Rin is kidnapped by Mist, escapes, and makes it back to Konoha on her own. (You will note the lack of Isobu.) Rin quits being a medic (possibly with some semi-public excuse about Mist having fucked up her chakra coils at some point during her imprisonment) and joins T&I/Intelligence. (She, like Kushina, needs an excuse to basically never take missions out of the village.)

- cover story 2: Kakashi took a mission about a month before Rin's escape and is declared KIA after failing to respond/return by the estimated date. His body is never recovered, though further intelligence confirms his death. His name is put on the Memorial Stone. (This cover is necessary because of two reasons. 1) Kakashi was operating as a member of Anbu at the time of his death, and making an official cover story is SOP when Anbu are KIA. 2) Isobu killed Kakashi, which would be obvious to anyone giving him an autopsy. Since Rin having Isobu is an S-ranked secret, Kakashi's body is cremated and his coffin empty when they bury him.)

- Five months later, Obito is released by Hidden Rock after being kept as a prisoner of war since the Battle of Kannabi Bridge. Hidden Leaf trades some of its own hostages for this. (This cover story is necessary to explain the time Obito spends in T&I making sure he's loyal and examining the heart seal.) (It also gives Obito an excuse for why he literally can't talk about the missing time.) (Why he has an arm made of plant matter is mostly chalked up to an experimental medical technique and left at that. The fact that Obito can use Mokuton is a secret, mostly because no one can figure out how to replicate it.)

- Rin and Obito's relationship is kind of a mess? Like, they're so, so happy to see each other, but god has everything gone to shit.

- Rin and Isobu's relationship is complicated af. Rin masters being a vessel by the time she's twenty, let's say, but the influx of chakra when Rin was way too old to naturally adjust to it has fucked up her chakra control too much for her to be a medic anymore. Rin, a prodigy of a medic and really freaking invested in that career path, does not really take this well. Then there's the whole 'my first meeting with this demon was when it was stuffed inside me against my will with the plan for it to fucking flatten my home during a war' and 'my second meeting with this demon was when it saved my life but then stabbed my teammate/crush in the chest'. Things on that front aren't great. I can't imagine Isobu is too happy to be away from the ocean, either. And honestly it's not like the first part of that shit show was his fault, anyway.

[9r7g5h]

Rewind and Retry Part 1

Fandom: My Hero Academia, Boku no Hero Academia 

Rating: T

Genre: General

Summary: He must have taken enough damage to knock him unconscious, and that was why he was now remembering this of all things. Because why else would four-year-old Deku be looking down at him, hand outstretched, offering to pull him out of the water?

Words: 4117

Parts: P1, P2

AN: I'm new here (I haven't even finished season 3 of the anime yet, and I'm watching the first movie tomorrow with two of my people. We're making katsudon together! :D), but I've fallen in love with this show, and I've fallen hard. I have a ton of fic ideas, and I'm looking forward to writing them as I continue to learn about the world and the characters. I'm sorry if people seem out of character or if I get things wrong, since I'm not caught up yet, but this one especially didn't want to wait since I did have one specific scene spoiled for me. Hopefully you all still enjoy! I'm just glad to be here! 

Disclaimer: I do not own MHA.

He had no fucking clue what was going on.

He knew what had happened - Tokoyami had caught wind of a group his agency had been after for a while and called in for backup. He had been the closest, the warehouse the group had claimed as their own right on the edge of his patrol. Feathers had filled him, Dunce Face, and (annoyingly) Deku in after the extras appeared, and the four of them had burst in to take names and kick some ass.

A normal Tuesday, and a good way to end his shift, if anyone was to ask him.

But instead of the three enemies they had been warned about, almost triple the number had risen from the darkness, throwing quirk after unknown quirk against the newly minted pro heroes, trying to force them back into a corner to take them down. Something Katsuki had refused, point blank. He didn't care if these shitty asswipes outnumbered them over two-to-one, he knew the people at his back.

Knew that electricity, shadows, and the strong arms of his friends companions had him.

Which was what had led him to jump for the sprinklers above. He knew the water would work against him, diluting his sweat, but it would give Dunce Face the perfect conditions to take out a bunch at once, turning the tide in their favor. He might not get the credit of a final blow, something that would smart later when he was alone in his apartment, but right now wasn't the time for egos and pride.

It was about making sure they all got out alive so he could beat them later, so he could show them he was the best so he didn't have to go to another friend's funeral anytime soon. So he jumped, the explosions already building in his palms, ready to set off the sprinklers that would end this.

Except he never landed. He never landed because so many quirks landed instead, too many sensations for him to process as his body froze, muscles tensing, everything about him boiling to a halt as he felt too much within a second to spare driving him into the ground below. His palms fizzled and sparked, and it must have been enough because he felt the rain, the pure clean mist brushing over his skin as multiple voices screamed for him, the loudest (always the loudest) a terrified "Kacchan" with a hand reached out and-

"Are you ok, Kacchan?"

It's not a full grown man's hand. It's not a full grown man's voice. It's not the eyes of a full grown man looking at him, but the eyes and the voice and the hand of a small child, one firmly burned into his memory, that meets him. That's held out to him. That asks about his well being, concern and fear edging the words as he speaks.

"The brain does strange things while in danger," Recovery Girl had once said, during their mandatory first aid classes, "things to protect itself from harm. Wounds will be ignored, trauma will be funny, and if someone is knocked out, their mind might fill in the emptiness with something else. A memory, or a dream so life-like it feels like one. Why, I do not know, but it can lead to some interesting results when interacting with head injuries during rescue missions..."

"That was a really big fall! Are you ok?"

That had to explain it. He must have taken enough damage to knock him unconscious, and that was why he was now remembering this of all things. Because why else would four-year-old Deku be looking down at him, hand outstretched, offering to pull him out of the water?

Katsuki knew how this memory had to go. He knew that, last time, he had knocked away Deku's hand. Had called him useless, worthless, the same tired phrases that had somehow still managed to live into their high school days. Had continued to think that, somehow, the most genuine friend he had ever had was looking down on him just for asking if he needed help. Instead of accepting, Katsuki had slapped away Deku's hand and begun hating the boy, something he had only within the last few years been able to stop. Had been able to apologize and begin to make amends for, even if he did occasionally fall into his old habits. Even if his twist of emotions occasionally made it hard.

"Kacchan?"

He knew what he was supposed to do, in this weird dream memory his mind had created to keep itself safe. He should replay what had happened, despite the regret he now had for the action and the many that would come to follow. It was the safe route, the known, easy. But...

"I'm ok, Deku. Thanks."

A cocky smile as he took the outstretched hand, using it to help pull himself to his feet, because when did he ever choose easy? He let the other boy fawn over him, praising his strength for coming out the other side of "such" a big fall without a scrape, the others calling down their praises from the log above. Because of course they did - this was what his childhood had been like, from what he remembered.

No wonder his ego had been so large, and it had been so easy to turn against Izuku. Too many people made it easy to do so, even Izuku himself.

"You know," Katsuki finally said as they climbed up the riverbank, looking over his shoulder, "you got to me fast. It was pretty impressive. Maybe Dekus aren't useless after all."

A piss poor attempt at a compliment, no apology in sight, but still it made the other four year old gleam, his smile the brightest thing Katsuki remembered seeing. It wasn't much, it was nothing in the grand scheme of things, but it still felt good, seeing that smile. When he was awake, in the real world, that smile was often fake for the world, tinged with exhaustion around their friends, and often just gone around him, Izuku letting his hero mask fall in the safety of one of their homes, trusting their strained and slowly rebuilt friendship with this, at least. He knew others saw more, held him when he cried when he got there too late to save someone, let him rant and rage at the injustice in the world, could easily make him laugh without trying; but he at least had what he had, and that was enough. More than he deserved.

And here, in this memory dream, tiny hand holding tiny hand to pull Izuku over the last bump to get him back on the main path, his smile still the widest Katsuki ever remembered it, it was enough.

"Let's head home for today." The others agreed, though it was clearly an order, not a request. The other boys quickly fell back in line behind them, though if the other three wanted to question why Katsuki still held so tightly to Izuku's hand, none of them said a word. Instead they all just quietly marched back along the path they had blazed so many times before, passed through the hole in the fence, and slowly began peeling off as they reached their own streets to go home. A peaceful journey, all things considered, when normally their group was rambunctious and always causing trouble, but a peace that was happily accepted until it was just the two of them. The two of them slowing to a stop in front of Inko's building, hands still clasped tightly together.

"Kacchan? I should go inside now." Izuku made to let go, but paused as Katsuki gave a squeeze, his signature scowl burning into the side of the building. "Kacchan?"

"You can become a hero if you want," Katsuki finally said, using their linked hands to pull Izuku into a hug. "You'll have to train, because right now you're just a shitty nerd who's going to break all your bones and get yourself hurt if you try and become a hero, because you're too weak to protect yourself and help anyone, but if you train, you can."

And fuck, he could already feel Izuku shaking, his shoulder growing wet again as he cried into the fabric of his shirt, little hands clutching at him. Even in this made up world he wasn't good at this kind of shit, couldn't get through a single day without making him cry, because he was clearly just the worst and-

"Thank you, Kacchan." Izuku interrupted his internal scolding, lifting his head to show that yes, he was crying, big fat tears covering his cheeks, but he was also smiling. A smile wide and pure and enough to soothe the ache that had been building in Katsuki's chest for who knew how long. "You're the best, Kacchan, and if you say I can become a hero after I train, I'm gonna train the hardest and become a hero right next to you! We'll be the best heroes in the world."

"You're getting snot on my shirt, shitty nerd." And yet he made no try to move away as Izuku buried his face back into his shoulder, holding him close, his free hand rubbing soothingly over his back. "You'll also have to stop being such a crybaby, but it's ok for now. I'll protect you when you cry."

A watery laugh as Izuku finally took a step back, rubbing at his ruddy cheeks, only spreading the water and goo instead of getting rid of it. Disgusting, and yet he couldn't help his small smile, even as he refused to look down at the mess on his shirt. "I'll do my best, Kacchan. I'll see you later?"

"Of course, nerd. And who knows? Maybe Deku will be the name of a famous hero one day."

He didn't stick around for the renewed waterworks, especially as Inko opened the door to their apartment and called for Izuku, not paying attention as she waved to him as she watched him walk away from her happily sobbing child. And honestly he barely paid attention to the rest of the day. Katsuki knew he got home somehow, the house shockingly familiar to how he remembered it (though, no true shock there). It was strange, going from living alone to once again living under your parents, especially when you dropped roughly twenty years and a couple of feet, but he got through it without exploding anyone or anything, honestly enjoying the simplicity of it all.

Who knew he would have missed cartoons and snuggling with his parents on the couch? Absolutely wild, even if the old hag was still too naggy for his taste.

But going to bed, feeling exhaustion pulling at his eyes, Katsuki was sure it was a sign he would be done soon. Who fell asleep in a dream and didn't wake up in the real world? He'd probably wake up in the hospital, Deku hovering by his side like always and a doctor to rattle on long enough to piss him off. He would forget this small feeling of absolution, this slight lessening of his guilt, and life would go back to normal.

Except it didn't.

It didn't, because he woke up at five the next morning in a body that was still too small, in a room he hadn't lived in for years, with just enough control of his quirk to not set the All Might themed bedspread on fire.

It was then that maybe, just maybe, he started to panic.

Or, rather, not panic, because Ground Zero didn't panic. He left that bullshit to the extras, to the people it was his duty to save. No, if anything, he just became increasingly concerned that he was still four years old, still apparently trapped in whatever coma dream he'd been forced into.

When he woke up he was going to steal Feather's kneecaps and beat him with them. Who gave out such shitty partial information like that? How the fuck had he survived his time as a sidekick and made it to being a fully registered pro if he couldn't even use his sentient quirk to get a head count?

Shit he'd have to beat out of him later, once he woke up. Because right now, even as he did the wrist and arm exercises that had become natural to him over the last decade (?), he was only four. Physically four years old with all the memories of his mid-twenties, and the bullshit that came with it. Meaning Feathers was also some sniveling brat, and wouldn't survive a Howser blast to face yet.

If he even existed here, seeing as this was all in his head.

Damn it. He could really do with blowing something up.

Instead Katsuki slipped out of bed, careful to avoid the long since memorized squeaking portions of the house as he searched. For what, he wasn't entirely sure - for something off, for some kind of sign that this wasn't real, for a wavery patch in the scenery that would force his brain to accept the truth and force him awake. That's how it happened in the movies his idiots always forced him to watch, which was the most he could go off of. It's not like he was knocked unconscious regularly, and even when he was pulled into a rescue mission, he often just focused on getting the people to safety. He didn't stick around to ask in depth questions about what they had dreamt about when they woke up, though maybe he should start.

Might be good to know if this was common, for the future. Just in case.

But by the time his dad scooped him up and delivered him to the kitchen for breakfast, both of his parents asking worriedly if he had slept alright, the entire house had been thoroughly searched. Books had been flipped through, dust bunnies had been chased from under the couch, and he had even given himself a shallow cut on the palm of his hand, the pain doing nothing to wake him. Nothing had flickered, no one had offered him some weird colored pills in exchange for the truth; life, as far as he knew, was perfectly in order.

It fucking sucked.

Even if the first breakfast he hadn't had to make for himself in months was fan-fucking-tastic (a sentiment that got him smacked on the back of the head for swearing), it was also wrong. He didn't want to be stuck as some helpless toddler. He wanted to be back in his adult body, fighting villains to protect the city, rising through the ranks, all that jazz. He had shit to do, damn it, and lazing around in a coma while his brain replayed happy family wasn't going to cut it.

Though, it was cute when, after breakfast, Izuku's voice called for him from behind the door, asking him to once again come play.

"I should ground you for your language, you damn brat," Mitsuki growled even as she grabbed his plate and dropped a kiss onto his forehead. "But maybe Inko's brat will be a good influence on you. Get out of here, and be back in time for dinner."

His dad just smiled and slipped him a few bucks, enough to get both him and Izuku some lunch from a vendor near the park, and within a few minutes he was gone. Gone out the door, down the stairs, his hand automatically reaching for and grabbing Deku's in his own as he continued his search for the thing that would wake him from this... not nightmare, it couldn't be a nightmare with how brightly Izuku was smiling at him, something he hadn't done in years, but from whatever this was that kept him from his reality.

Even if the small warmth in his hand was nice, he still knew he would have to let it go, and the sooner the better.

So they spent the day searching - not that Deku knew, no, he just followed Katsuki close behind, asking questions and rambling into the silence when he got no response, filling the air himself. He'd always been good at that, taking what should have been awkward and making it easy, allowing others to exist within his presence. Deku had never needed an audience, just a friend or two to hear him out and, unlike him, he was content.

A closeness Katsuki was grateful for, even if he'd never show it. Because as the day wore on and nothing activated the cutscene worthy awakening he had imagined, his totally appropriate concern just continued to grow, only held at bay by the mumbling and hand.

What if he didn't wake up?

Statistically he knew it was unlikely. Even in just the few years he and his class had all been working, things had come so far in the medical field. Not everything could be fixed, no, but most limb damage could be healed, and the last person to exist in a long term coma had been decades ago. New quirks helped advance everything in leaps and bounds, and even just a few days ago people had been asking if this was the end of mortality as humans knew it.

Utter horseshit, of course, but the basis was there. Statistically, he would be up and moving within two weeks.

Statistically.

He'd always been good in school, but still, he didn't want to run the numbers.

"Kacchan, how do you train to be a hero?"

He’d almost forgotten that he had company, Deku’s constant stream of conversation cut off when he’d used the few bucks his dad had slipped him to buy them some late afternoon ice cream. Again, he’d been rewarded with another smile and a perky “Thank you, Kacchan!” before he had fallen silent, the two of them snacking in quiet. But now, by the uncharacteristic furrow between his brow, it was clear the little four year old’s brain was working hard, trying to come up with the answer on his own.

“By working out, duh,” he replied, taking a bite of his own slowly melting treat. “You don’t have a quirk to train, so you need to train your body instead. Lots of running, lifting heavy things, shit like that. You need to make yourself strong enough to keep up with the rest of us, otherwise you’ll be too easy to beat. Then you really won’t be able to be a hero.” He tried to curb his annoyance and language - he was speaking to a child, after all, even if his last memory of said “child” was him covered in blood, again, from pounding villains into dust. He’d have to wait until he woke up to see if that blood was someone else’s, though he already had a lecture prepared if it wasn’t.

He’d carried that fucking nerd home from the hospital too many times to not have one ready, though he also knew it would just be the same apologetic smile, promise not to do it again, and few weeks of Deku being extra careful before it happened all again. At least he had stopped breaking bones so easily, not that it was much of a reassurance when he was almost bleeding out from getting impaled.

Katsuki was sure he was going to go gray before 30, and it would all be Deku’s fault. Once he woke up, that is.

“Could you help me?” Again pulled out of his thoughts by the same little voice, determination etched into every soft baby feature. “Kacchan is so amazing, with your help I’m sure I could train enough to be a hero too! Maybe even as great as All Might!”

And fuck it, he had already changed so much in just a single day. Instead of being the bully he remembered being, instead of reliving the past he felt shame for, at least in his head he could be kinder. Not soft, of course, because he didn’t do soft, wasn’t actually sure if that was something he could do, but he could at least do this.

“We can start your training at school tomorrow. I don’t want to hear any whining that I’m being too mean, ok? I won’t help a crybaby.”

If he hadn’t known otherwise, Katsuki would have thought that Izuku and his mother both had a water-based quirk centered around their crying, because the sheer amount of liquid that came from such a small body should have been impossible. But it was Deku, so all he did was throw some napkins at him and tell him to eat his ice cream, that they would have to go home soon and he didn’t need him sobbing in public like a baby when they walked. Easier said than done, though soon Deku was successful, even if he was still wiping at his eyes as Katsuki led him back home.

“Remember, Deku, we start tomorrow! No chickening out on me. Got it?”

A determined nod was all he got, his poor friend almost shriveled from dehydration by the time they got home, but it was there. The same spark he had seen when they had both first gotten into UA, that same little gleam that said he was ready to become All Might’s successor - even now it existed within this four year old phantom his memory had created.

He had a good imagination, he’d give himself that. At least if he was going to be stuck in this memory dream coma for a while, which was looking to be more and more likely the longer this went on, he wouldn’t be as bored as he’d always thought he would be.

It was still boring as fuck, because holy shit being four again was its own kind of torture. Even with having been out of school for a few years, he was still far beyond anything the teachers wanted to teach him. Sure, his hands shook a bit when he held the pencils, something that annoyed him to no end (just something he would have to practice, the muscle memory lacking in this and, most likely, the quirk usage as well), but he could read and mostly write and easily breeze his way through anything they put in front of him. The only thing that kept him entertained, besides the idea of training Izuku come the break, was playing with his own quirk at the table, small sparks playing across his fingers.

He knew he couldn’t push it, at least not yet. Not that he hadn’t tried - once again awake at five in the morning, wrist and arm exercises completed, he had tried to gather the control he once had over his powers. Focusing on his pores, on the building of sweat in his palms, the muscle twitches that ignited everything; it was all there, just under the surface, but weak. He couldn’t force the sweat production, not like he could when he was older. He could sense the muscles in his forearms and his palms, could feel them move sluggishly as each tiny little spark set off in his hands, but it was nothing like the almost painful spasms that gave him his larger blasts. And he knew even if he could let off something larger than these tiny pops, his shoulders couldn’t handle it. That all had come from years of training, from building himself into someone who could actually handle his quirk and not be destroyed by its power.

Maybe he could do the same for Deku. He didn’t know how far this dream would go, but maybe, if it went far enough, by the time he became All Might’s successor, he’d actually be ready to accept it. Or at least maybe keep him from breaking himself so badly, something the poor nerd needed all the help accomplishing.

And even if it was all in his head, even if he would forget all of this when he woke up in reality, even if none of this was real, it still felt good to have Deku smile at him when he asked how his training would start. It was entirely selfish, but he had over a decade to make up for, and this small little bit of fake reparations helped.

“Are you sure you want to do this, Deku?”

Another nod, his eyes watery but determined as they stood away from the others in their class. The boys Katsuki normally played with watched curiously from the sidelines, but none of them moved to interfere.

“I’m ready, Kacchan!”

“Then get ready to die!”

He could do this, at least until he woke up.

[darkx-the-dragon-kn1ght]

Chapter 17- Part 10

Oooh, he’s got his own battle theme- that’s how you know things are serious. Which theme is this remixing, though? It definitely sounds familiar, sorta- ah, I can’t focus on that right now.

Anyways, I decided to lead with Glare to scope out the battlefield without risk of poison or anything of the sort. And since all we’ve got is Skrelp, I can’t use Crater or Blaze, so- let’s try and get rid of this mist for the sake of something I wanna try. First, we’ll paralyze the Skrelp with Glare™.

Then we’ll send in Breeze to do her thing!

Now, with the Attack/Sp. Attack boost, whatever attack she uses to clear the mist should do half-decent damage to the Skrelp as well. For that, I’ll use Twister- maybe it’ll also make the Skrelp flinch!

No flinch, but that’s fine- because with the mist gone and the Field…is Corrosive Field? Huh, so he really does have both Fields, maybe I should’ve given someone a Telluric Seed- no matter! Switch in to Kirin, who shouldn’t die to this next attack-

Well, she didn’t die, but the Field damage plus attack damage did a number on her. So, I’ll heal her with a Super Potion until Paralysis procs or the Skrelp uses a different move.

Oh? Oh- Corey’s switching out, that’s- okay-

Um…okay, this only slightly messes with my planning. First things first, send Glare back in to play interference-

OH COME ON- why does Pursuit follow me everywhere I go??

Alright, enough of this! Intimidate for the Attack drop, Glare™ for the Paralysis!

There! Now, if all it’s doing is using its own Fire attacks-

-like that one, Crater should be safe to come in and deal some big damage.

Oh! I know what theme this is a remix of now- this is Deoxys’ theme! I cracked the code!!

I don’t even need to Focus Energy this, Earth Power alone should still do a good chunk.

But…not if he switches…? Is he going back into Skrelp? Or maybe he’s using…oh, oh geez, here we go-!

Oooookay, okay, okay, this is still fine! Back to Glare once again!

It can Nasty Plot all it wants, but it’s not gonna save it from being paralyzed like the rest of its- HOLY SMOKES VENOSHOCK DOES HUGE DAMAGE-

Look at that! That was one attack! Oh my gosh!

Well, um- the Paralysis went through, now for this next part, Glare needs to his Screech. She can outspeed the Crobat now that it’s paralyzed, thank goodness…

She’ll go down with this next attack , but she goes down like a champ.

And into Riptide!

Sheer Force-boosted Ice Fang with -2 Defense should be huge here-

WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE CROBOT STILL OUTSPEEDS WHILE PARALYZED?? I knew Riptide’s Speed was bad, but not THAT bad!

Okay, this is still fine! Backup plan, bring in Kirin!

And the reason I wanted to get rid of the Corrosive Mist was to make sure this next move would work and change the Field. What move could that be? FEAST YOUR EYES!

SHE’S GOT PSYCHIC TERRAIN, BABY! And she outspeeds the Crobat while it’s paralyzed!

But she can’t take another attack like this- will Psybeam boosted by STAB and the Field be enough to kill in one hit?

It…was not. Well, uh-

If Crater can outspeed and hit one Lava Plume, it should be-

Ooooh- fine. Even if I beat the Crobat here, there’s still the rest of his team to contend with, and things look grim from there. So, let’s just reset- I know what I need to do now, anyways. I need to get rid of the Corrosive Mist much faster, then set up Psychic Terrain immediately.

Previous

Next

[a-table-of-fics]

Cull to Adventure, Chapter 16, Draft 1, Part 3

Cull started, turning to see three other Octolongs, all with short black tentacles and pale skin singing backup for their distant companion. They swiftly Super Jumped to their fellow before he could even lift his Dualies up.

“You’re going to be our test case,” they sang in unison. “We hope that you don’t mind!”

With that, they laughed in unison before backflipping off the stage.

“…Y-you did just hear all that,” Cull asked, “Right, Sheldon?”

“Yeah,” Sheldon confirmed. “Wherever you are, it has incredible acoustics. I’ll have to look into…”

He trailed off, remembering the situation.

“A-anyway, they said something about you being a test subject for their Octoweapon? All the more reason to stay where you are. You don’t need to go into that alone.”

“Right… Just want to make sure the Toxic Mist wasn’t doing anything to me…”

He kept his Dualies out, just in case something else happened, but did not move to the Launchpad. His eyes darted, looking for any hint of what this “Octostomp” might be. Whatever it was, it was hiding its identity well in the ink.

“Do you have any idea what that Octostomp might—?” he began to ask Sheldon, before a loud hiss made him jump to see a purple stream of inky steam launch into the air. It burst into a cloud above him, raining purple ink.

He winced in pain as the downpour reached his platform and started to pelt him with enemy ink.

“What’s going on, Agent 4? Are you all right? Speak to me!”

[untilteddocument]

After-Action Archive Phoenix Point 2nd Gig - Corrupted Horizons

Welcome, one and all, to the After-Action Archive! This is my second playthrough for Phoenix Point, and in the interests of (comparative) brevity, I'm only doing two reports for this one, for content that was released after my previous playthrough. Suffice it to say, gameplay is pretty much the same, but there's new story stuff in play.

So, we know that humanity has largely come together into the three factions of New Jericho, Synedrion, and the Disciples of Anu. Not every line is so clearly drawn, however. There are plenty of independent havens and remnants of settlements around, all trying to do their own things, whether it's just surviving or trying to contribute to turning the tide.

In the latter case, sometimes, the effort is valiant but futile.

Other times, it goes horribly, horribly right.

We investigated a distress signal from some lab, whose affiliations, let alone their motivations, remained elusive. What we found was a new type of creature, the Acheron, a manmade Pandoran analogue that hosted a new, "corrupted" strain of the Pandoravirus that attacked our minds, sapped our willpower.

It was a terror to behold, not too offensively powerful itself but capable of calling hordes of Pandorans to its side. What's worse, it was tough to kill and highly mobile, meaning that if you weren't on the ball immediately, chasing it down past all the backup it yelled for constantly would quickly become a Herculean task.

Sure, we were able to kill the one we saw, but that wasn't the only one that got out, and soon Acherons became a regular fixture of our mission profiles. Ever-larger and more dangerous variants dogged our scavenger teams, joined in attacks on havens, roamed areas where we followed the elusive footsteps towards knowledge and with knowledge survival and victory.

All along the way, we tried to fight back any way we could. We learned a mutagenic treatment that could purge the Corruption, though it didn't protect against reinfection. We followed up on the lab's data and did some creating of our own, giving rise to the golems of our new age, the Mutoids.

Made of raw Mutagens, the Mutoids proved adaptable and capable, melding human and Pandoran abilities into an effective whole. Also importantly, they were immune to the Corruption, allowing a bit of leeway in sojourns into the mist.

Eventually, we were able to track down Specimen Zero, one of the original escapees, and while it wasn't nearly as dangerous as the variants that we'd been fighting for weeks at that point, it was more important than the lot of them, because it contained what they did not: a clue on how to end this for good.

Our investigations led us to a Pandoran Lair where the prime Acheron had come to live, and with them, the original strain of the Corruption, which we needed to create a proper vaccine. On the plus side, Synedrion was doing some investigating of their own, and we could coordinate with their agents in the field.

Roll Call

I had a feeling we would need to bring some of our best to the fray, so I sent the Cavalry Squad, our largest unit. First in the crew is Caleb Khachatryan, one of my longtime veterans. While he started as an Assault, his personal skills led him along, I felt, a more...accurate path, so I had him mix his starting skills with the Sniper's trade.

Kitted out in Synedrion-standard sniper armor, I also went in with a Synedrion Pythagoras sniper rifle and Deimos assault rifle; while they aren't as brawny as New Jericho's gauss weaponry, Synedrion laser weaponry gives a range, accuracy, and ammo capacity advantage while actually doing more damage on unarmored targets. I also included a Hera paralyzing pistol, for any instances where a live capture was more warranted than a kill. Finally, there's his Disruptor bionic head augment. Aside from a sizable accuracy boost, it also gave him the ability to, well...Disrupt a target for a turn, disorienting them such that they can't use their Willpower. Against Acherons, I've noticed that this is a crucial option.

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

Next up is Alicia Murray, a recruit from a New Jericho haven. A Technician by trade, she puts her engineering chops to work operating those honkin' big robo-arms and patching up machines and meat alike. As a support unit/healer, I figured mobility would be essential, so I gave her a combination of Assault training, in large part for the Dash ability, and Propeller bionic legs for their speed boost and added Rocket Leap functionality for scaling walls and crossing gaps. Aside from that, her Remote Control ability lets her compound the efficacy of any robo-buddies on our team, which we'll get to.

Aside from her VVA-2 Tech Arms, I outfitted her with a Gorgon Eye laser PDW, a fusion of New Jericho and Synedrion weapon design, along with reloads for both. Not the biggest damage dealer, but there's more to a mission than that.

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

Joining her in much the same role is Vaclav Wagner, a comparatively raw recruit who spent most of his time training and little to none in the field up to this point. Still, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed can make up for that somewhat, and his skills weren't to be scoffed at. At this point I put most of his training towards upping his stats, leaving cross-training for later.

He has the same combo of Tech Arms and PDW as Ms. Murray, but I did notice his Quarterback personal skill, which boosted his throwing range. With that in mind, I decided to outfit him with some of the other trademarks of a Technician's kit. A Watcher Gauss turret and a Scorcher laser turret (the latter from the same research that gave me the Gorgon Eye) would provide a lot of extra firepower, and his Remote Deployment skill meant he could use that throwing arm to get them to better vantage points. To make sure he could carry everything, I gave him a Neural bionic torso, which doubled his carry weight and still allowed for Tech Arms to be attached.

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

That's enough support talk, though; let's get to the damage.

Margareta Hamilton is outfitted as one of my most potent attackers. Her training mixes Assault and Heavy skillsets, with an eye towards what I call the Jedi build, a melee-focused version of the infamous "Terminator build." Like the Terminator, a Jedi exploits the Assault class's Rapid Clearance ability by cheating on the AP cost of their chosen attack, in this case melee strikes. Normally melee attacks require two Action Points, balancing out the refund from Rapid Clearance, but the Vengeance bionic torso breaks that symmetry by reducing the cost by one. Coupled with her Phoenix Shock Lance, a heavy-duty Phoenix Project original, she can carve through waves of enemies by herself, provided she can follow the kill chain well enough.

Similar to Caleb, I also equipped her with a Neurazer close-range paralyzer, for much the same reasons, and just for kicks, I had her pack on a New Jericho Deceptor heavy machine gun, in case there are times when range is more important. Speaking of kicks, I also gave her Propeller bionic legs for that extra burst of speed and mobility, giving her that much more leeway for bridging targets.

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

Last among our humanoid squad members is Emmet, currently the only Mutoid I've put into service. Named as a callback to the holy word used to animate the golem of Prague as the Jewish people's protector, I made them anything but a lumbering brute. Instead, I combined human and Pandoran skills to create a mobile and perceptive sniper, with accurate and silent attacks. In addition, I gave them the ability to Instill Frenzy onto the rest of their teammates, making them speedier and letting us press the attack.

Their kit is, I think, well-suited to their style. Wearing Styx-class infiltrator armor (mostly for fashion; without Infiltrator training, that stealth bonus isn't getting put to work), they bring a deadly combination of weaponry into battle. First is a Sanctifier acid pistol, inspired by Disciples of Anu projectile research. While it doesn't do much damage on its own, that acid will tear apart armor at first, then whatever's underneath. Next up is a New Jericho Raven piercing sniper rifle, capable of ignoring armor to bring that characteristic damage as directly as it can. Finally, they also carry a Hera paralyzer pistol, just in case.

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

Last but not least would be Zappa, a Synedrion Aspida. Capable of autonomous movement, its mobility and support features make a vital part of our team. In recent revisions, vehicles received some extra capabilities in the form of add-ons and alternate weapons, allowing for flexibility in deployment.

I stuck with the reliable default Tech Arms in this case for accuracy concerns, as the alternate laser cannons or neural turret are a touch trickier to aim, even at something as big as the Acheron. Also, the Tech Arms' ability to heal might prove important. I also installed a psychic jammer, protecting nearby allies from psychic attacks ranging from neural disruption to mind control. Lastly, experimental thrusters gave it the ability to hop over obstacles and onto ledges, a necessity for navigating the rugged terrain of a Pandoran Lair.

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

With my team assembled, I began the trek to the Corrupted Lair. The Cavalry, which is a Disciples of Anu Tiamat-class airship, isn't the fastest thing in the sky, but my faster craft did fine putting out any fires while they sauntered menacingly towards their destination. At last, in the biting cold of Antarctica, the squad deployed and prepared for a fight.

First thing they saw coming in was two Acheron Achlys Champions, advanced variants. Just to show you the kind of bullshit that meant they'd be dealing with:

That's a heck of a scroll bar. All those abilities, twice over. I knew that we'd have to hustle and neutralize them as soon as possible. On top of that, nearby was a Terror Sentinel, a sessile living alarm system that lets loose a psionic scream if anyone encroaches on its turf, and it was close enough that we'd need to deal with it if we wanted to go anywhere. Thankfully, those aforementioned Synedrion soldiers were near enough that they could lend their assistance.

They set to work throwing some poison grenades at the fellow on our left, so we put some more focus on the one in front of us. I saw that this Acheron variant is able to trap people with immobilizing goo, which I wanted to research to devise a countermeasure, so I resolved to paralyze one for capture.

I sent Zappa forward and started hammering it with jolts from the Tech Arms, which ran afoul of one of the more annoying abilities of the Acheron; every time it takes some form of damage, it becomes resistant to it until the next round. This meant that every hit of paralysis past the first was working at half efficiency, so this would be somewhat uphill. Still, we brought more than it could take, and a round or two later, we had the Acheron fully paralyzed and ready to be dragged to containment.

While we were busy with that one, I had Caleb spare a moment to disorient the Acheron on our left with his Disruptor head, which stopped most of its shenanigans for that turn, but didn't stop it from dousing Zappa and Margareta with immobilizing goo. Thankfully, both of them were equipped to leap out of it, so it wasn't too onerous.

On their end, the Synedrion pair was doing well enough, but they were starting to split their attention between their target and my capture, so I ran one of my folks over to them to brief them on our plan and have them follow our lead. The other Acheron then played host to a series of precision shots from them and us, putting it down with more fuss than we'd hope, but less than we dreaded. After that was the Terror Sentinel. It wasn't a pushover, of course, but a few good sniper shots and a final swing from Margareta's shock lance put it down before it could scream at us.

In the process of all this, we also caught sight of the core to any lair: the Spawnery.

A massive living structure, it contained egg pods that maintained the Pandoran population. Its armor was impressive, though fortunately for us, it had no aggressive capability. It was just a matter of bringing more kick than it had ass.

Problem was, even with the two Acherons taken care of, the lair had plenty of Pandorans to defend it, as they quickly demonstrated. The Synedrion soldiers quickly started taking fire from Triton snipers at the far end of the map, while a trio of Arthrons (one heavily-armored Shieldbearer and two agile Brutes) loped around the Spawnery's chamber and made for our squad with killing intent. I could also see further reinforcements on the way, so if we just stalled for time, it would not be in our favor.

Worse, Margareta had used up a lot of her Willpower getting to and cutting down the Terror Sentinel, and I didn't think I could spare a turn for her to Recover. It would require too much for her to intercept the Arthrons from where she was. Emmet and Caleb were in good sniping positions, but they were putting their shields to use after every move, so sniping them was tricky. I also needed to assist the Synedrion troops, who were pinned by Triton sniper fire and about to get smashed by closer-range reinforcement. The Pandorans had the terrain advantage, and we couldn't get good shots in without exposing ourselves to danger.

Thankfully, this was within expectations.

Vaclav's time to shine was now. I had him throw one of his turrets up onto a high ledge. Not only did this provide a good view of the Spawnery if it had a spare moment to direct fire that way, but it had a clear shot at one of the sniper Tritons, and by any power you wanna name, I took that shot. This led to one of the big advantages of turrets. They can only fire once a turn, but that burst is much meatier than any assault rifle, more than a problem for anyone in its sights even if some of the bullets miss.

The best part is, Technicians snap this limitation in half.

Even with flagging Willpower reserves, I put as much of it as I could into my Technicians' Remote Control ability, which lets them give a target vehicle or turret a free attack, or an extra turn's worth of movement to a spider drone. With those extra bursts, I was able to take down that sniper, and Margareta put some of her reserves to use leaping across to help with a shotgun-wielding Triton giving our Synedrion buddies trouble. It was a quick takedown, but the damage was done; the Synedrion sniper's head was actually disabled, so I rushed them over to my Technicians to patch them up.

All the while, I was hammering at the Spawnery with whatever I could spare. A stray shot from Emmet brought down a section of the wall covering the Spawnery, so I had a decent shot in, but trying to brute force it like that usually requires far too much attention. The usual trick is to disable the egg pods lining its sides, but I could only disable half of them without being in range of another Terror Sentinel, plus a Triton with an armor-piercing assault rifle. It took a bit, but with sustained whacking from Margareta, a good burst or two from the turret, and spare sniper and PDW fire, it finally went down. Now, the only thing left was to pack up and get the hell out.

Easier said than done.

Fresh reinforcements were already starting to push in, though the terrain gave us plenty of cover. Honestly, if we just ran out at top speed, my team would have made it pretty handily.

However, the Synedrion troops weren't nearly as mobile, and I just couldn't leave them behind.

I had Alicia pick up Vaclav's turret and join Zappa to scout out ahead and make sure our escape route was clear. Meantime, Margareta doubled back to pick off an Arthron Myrmidon and a Triton coming up on our rears, and the rest of my crew fought a decently-paced running battle. The way confirmed clear, I had Zappa double back and pick up the Synedrion sniper, being slower than their comrade, and hopped it back towards the exit. Keeping our Synedrion buddies safe was slower going, but before too long we were home free. Not unscathed, sure, but we had everything to show for it.

[stressedoutcanary]

Hold On - Jason Todd x Batgirl!Reader

Summary:

"Hey! I see a vent inside, maybe if we get to the roof-"

BAMMMM

"Of course, just shoot open the lock and alert whoever's inside. What a great strategy! Why didn't I think of it?! Oh I know, because it's dumb!"

Warnings: Language, Canon typical Violence, Occasional Angst lets be real it's Jason we are talking about, Kidnappings..?

Word count: 1.6k

A/N:- I...should be studying right now buttt I had fun writing this and yes, I took the title from the song Hold On by Chord Overstreet, I think it fits this perfectly.

I wasn't going for a series but here we are.

Part 2, Part 3

•°•°•°•°

It was a quite night for Gotham. Every person was busy with their own work and so were you, even if it was a little different from what people down below on the streets were doing. As of yet, you had stopped two muggings, busted a few armed two-face goons trying to rob a bank and were currently running across rooftops.

'Maybeee I can get off easy today, go home, microwave the pizza that has been waiting for me in the fridge, get a nice, warm shower and then straight to bed'

You hummed to yourself at the delightful thought as you sat on a gargoyle overlooking the city. You were enjoying the feeling of the light breeze on your face. It was soothing in a way. Not long after, you were startled by your comms crackling to life out of nowhere as you heard Oracle's automated voice in your ears.

"Batgirl I am going to need you to check out the area near Gotham Central Park for any visible strange activity. There are several missing persons reports filed this week that I have tied up to that particular region."

'So much for a warm bath and a good night's sleep, way to jinx yourself (Y/N), you dumbass'

"Isn't that park under construction or something? You know after the whole Justice League fiasco last month?", you questioned.

"Yep but people still go there, in the mornings for walks and at the nights for certain activities."

"Of course they do, I swear, people here are on a whole different level." You sighed. "Alrighty then Babs, I am on it."

•°•°

After climbing up a couple of fire escapes and swinging off of numerous rooftops you finally reached your target destination. There was a deafening silence when your feet landed on the damp grass. You took in the misted surroundings and decided to look around for something out of the ordinary. There was a broken bright neon sign by the corner of the street which caught your attention, you could only make out the last bit, it spelled Parlor.

'That seems awfully familiar. Something about it is odd but I can't quite place my finger on it'

You were lost in thought when you felt someone move behind you, there was rather little time for you to react so you choose the 'hit first ask questions later' option. You clenched your fist, twisted your upper body and delivered a quick, staggering blow to the shady figure lurking behind.

.

"OWW!! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

.

"HOOD?!"

Sure enough, Jason was on the ground clutching his ribs looking like a hurt puppy.

You moved your hands up and massaged you temples. You do not want to deal with him. Not today and if possible not ever. Even though you never let it show, you always avoided a run in with him. He may have become a part of the family again but you were far off from forgiving him.

You watched with narrowed eyes as he got to his feet and and dusted off the grass from his jacket.

"So on a Scale of one to Demon brat, how much do you hate me?", the smirk on his face and the way he wiggled his eyebrows at you almost made you want to smack him with a crowbar yourself.

"What? Dami?! I don't-- I don't hate Damian, he just gets on my nerves sometimes, something you do all the time.", you enjoyed, maybe a little too much, the way Jason's smirk turned into a small pout. You smiled a bit as you shook your head at his childishness.

"Before you start chucking batarangs at me I want to make this clear; No, Oracle did not send me here to be your backup or whatever, I just happen to be investigating the same thing which obviously led me here to you. So how about we work on this together and watch each other's back", Despite the uncertainty of your rejection, he sounded hopeful. It seemed as if he was ready to build the old, worn out bridges of your relationship back up again. It sent an unexpected warmth through your chest.

"Just like old times?"

"Just like old times.", Jason repeated as you both did a rather unsuccessful fist bump and grinned like idiots.

•°•°

You walked up to the seemingly abandoned building, Jason examined the door for traps whereas you decided on taking a look through the glass window.

"Hey! I see a vent inside, maybe if we get to the roof-"

BAMMMM

"Of course, just shoot open the lock and alert whoever's inside. What a great strategy! Why didn't I think of it?! Oh I know, because it's dumb!", you whisper shouted with a scowl. Jason just shrugged and tilted his head to the side, pointing towards the now open door.

"Ladies first, so lead the way, unless you're scared.", it was a playful challenge on Jason's part, one that you were more than ready to accept.

"Oh you're on Red."

You stepped inside and it was all business from there on. You took in the condition of the room; dusty desks, broken glass, oddly placed mannequins and footprints leading up ahead into a long hallway.

"They seem recent enough", Jason gave a slight nod at your discovery.

Considering the darkness of the hallway, you and Jason shared a look and switched on your night vision lenses. You both started taking cautious steps, the occasional soft thud of your boots being the only sound in the vicinity.

The end of the hallway was forked up and there were two rooms at the end of each passageway.

"How is this place so big! it didn't seem this huge from the outside", you could hear the exasperation in Jason's voice. You figured not getting to hit someone might be getting to him or that he was just bored.

"Look I will take the right, you take the left, our comms are already connected, if any one of us finds anything we tell the other and remember we do not engage in a fight alone. Am I clear or do you want me to write that down for you"

"Yes ma'am, but just so you know you are starting to sound like The old man", you rolled your eyes at his comment and went on ahead towards the right as he went the other way.

•°•°

You scrolled through the torn down bookshelf kept in one of the rooms and you were making a mental note in your mind that there were a lot of medical journals in the bunch, when your comms buzzed.

"I am sorry", Jason whispered in a soft voice and you froze for a spilt second, eyes widening.

'No (Y/N) don't listen to him, he doesn't know what he is saying, just focus on finding those missing people and get this over with'

With that thought you tried continuing your investigation as if you had heard nothing.

"I said, I am sorry (Y/N). I know you heard me. I also know you've been avoiding me, cutting me out and you don't have to reply if don't feel like it but...I just wanted you to know..."

"Now is not the right time for this Hood and...for what it's worth I am not looking forward to a forgiveness session with you...", you felt awful for cutting him out the way you did, your heart clenched at the harshness of your words as you clicked off your comms, but you refused to have this discussion right now. If you were being more honest to yourself you just couldn't bear the emotions it would bring, so you chose the easiest way; completely shutting him out.

It was few minutes after the highly uncomfortable talk with Jason that a wall poster had caught your eye. You moved your hand over it, somewhat wiping off the dust, there was something scribbled on it making it harder for you to read the actual text. You squinted, trying to make out the words

"The people need...perfection...and that is what Pretty Dolls Parlor strives to achieve."

You scanned the area near poster for fingerprints and clicked your comms back on.

"Hood, get over here, I found something and I think this is the make or break kind of information", you were waiting for scan to complete, concern creeping up your mind when there was no reply from the other end.

"Red Hood? can you hear me?"

Nothing.

"Red?! Answer me Damnit!!"

A whole lot of Nothing.

As soon as you heard the chime of the scanner signaling its completion, you sped the other way towards the left corridor, towards Jason.

'Jay please be okay, please be okay, please be okay.'

By the time you reached Jason's location you were panting from the lack of breath and were already cursing yourself for bringing Jason along. To say that the man can take care of himself might be an understatement, he is basically a lone wolf, but still the thought of something happening to him while he was with you hurt like hell.

You looked around frantically and almost jumped out of your skin when you stepped on a gun. You heart almost stopped, it was Jason's. To make matters worse, there was no other sign of him or of were he went. You picked up the gun holding it securely in your hand. You could literally hear your heart pounding in your ears.

Suddenly, through the reflection from the glass window in front of you, you caught a glimpse of a man wearing a blank white face mask, you turned around, immediately switching to a fighting stance but that only did so much for you. A flashlight was switched on and shoved near your face, the night vision of your lens intensified the light, blinding you completely.

Before you could react, a metal pole connected straight with the back of your head and just like that you were lights out on the ground.

°•°•°•°•

Author's cute little extra Note:

*wiggling my eyebrows rn*

I might be a little too obsessed with the Arkham Knight game hehe.

Well that ended well for you, didn't it?? Jason's gone missing and you get a nice concussion to garnish your anxiety level? No? Okay I will stop talking now.

Tell me if you want to be tagged for the next parts.💕