#and a few things she thinks kane would want from his room

[pxlheaux]

After talking to her mom for awhile, she agrees to let Rue go to her old room and take what she feels she needs and what she’ll be able to move with her. Annika assures her that she loves her, but she told her what she expected of her since birth and Rue constantly challenged her authority. 

Rue knew how her mom grew up and how her parents treated her. She was the only girl out of 3 other boys and Rue’s grandparents biggest goal was to have a successfully rich family at any cost. They had no regard for what their kids wanted for their happiness and would disown them quickly if they went against their word, something Annika’s 3 older brothers learned the hard way. 

Still, Rue knew she could prove her mother wrong. That didn’t mean she didn’t miss her life.

[wandabear]

CHEERFUL OBLIVION - WANDA MAXIMOFF X F!READER (CHAPTER FIVE)ㅤ ㅤ

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chapter one chapter two chapter three chapter four chapter five chapter six ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

masterlist

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WARNINGS: torture, angst, violence, blood, mentions of death, fluff, angst with a happy ending. Death. ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Jules/Stolas is portrayed by Adelaide Kane. Here. My recommendation and personal request is that you listen to this song, it will lull you throughout the chapter (and the next one): - Comes and Goes (in waves) - Greg Laswell

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ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤCHAPTER FIVE

Her gaze remained on that cup of steaming and hot coffee, so lost in her thoughts that she didn't know how much time passed. The scent reached her nose and made the demon sigh deeply.

Y/N looked down to see her watch, 4 am and they still had nothing.

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This one's for the lonely, the one's that seek and find. Only to be let down, time after time.

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After Y/N and Jules left the Compound, they found a perfect hideaway on an old ranch for sale in Wyoming. The place was abandoned for many years, the owners wanted to sell the place since it was 'haunted'. What they didn't know was that all those screams were thanks to a demon, who loved visiting the place at this time of year.

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Around that house in the forest there was nothing but trees and the black night that surrounded them. ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

‘No, I don't know why you're not there. I give you my love, but you don't care. So what is right and what is wrong? Give me a sign.’

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It was possibly the twentieth time she heard that song in an hour; 'What is love?' from Haddaway. The desperate screams from the room next did nothing but make her yawn. The music was so loud that it could have possibly blown up the door like it was a cartoon.

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After a few minutes, the door opened, letting out an adorable brunette who approached with the cutest smile ever. However, the blood on her face and body and the sword in her hand did not seem to match it. It looked like something out of a terrifying scene in Carrie.

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“Do you think he's ready to talk?”  Y/N asked as she looked up, Jules nodded quickly. She seemed to be in a very good mood and was a bit creepy.

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“I think our big mouth is ready.” Jules said excitedly.

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“Let’s do this.” Taking a deep breath, Y/N stood up from her seat somewhat lazily. As soon as she crossed the threshold, the red lamp that moved on the ceiling from side to side started to flicker.

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The place was full of blood, some stuff lying on the floor, broken glass, as well as a guy tied to a chair in the middle of the room. The song keeps playing, but Jules turns down the volume, so Y/N could talk.

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“Can you stop that damn thing?!” That man shouted tiredly.

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At first glance, he looked like a man in his forties, the dark hair was soaked in blood as were different parts of his body. He looked tired, but not enough to shut up.

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“What?” Jules pouted. “You don't like the song? It's my favorite! I love the 90’s!”

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“It was our best time.” Y/N nodded.

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“It’s the worst song ever!” He spat the blood aside.

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His eyes were not human, they were yellow and had huge, horizontal pupils like a toad's. Sensing the desperation, Jules turned the volume up again, higher and higher.

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‘I want no other, no other lover.  This is our life, our time . If we are together, I need you forever. What is love? Oh baby, don't hurt me! Don't hurt me! No more!’

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“Please, stop!”  He begged one more time.

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“We're not going to stop, you low range scum!” But Y/N smiled widely, leaning down to cup his chin, she kinda enjoyed all this. After all, she was a demon. “Tell us what Abaddon will do! What is her next move?!”  

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But even though Y/N could be intimidating, the demon just let out a laugh. His pearly white teeth were stained with blood.

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“Do you think I would betray Abaddon?” The demon kept laughing as blood began to run down the nose. “She would disintegrate me.”

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Silence reigned for a moment and then Jules laughed, so loud and so sincere that it made the demon look at her blankly. 

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“Oh my- did... did you hear that?" The brunette said without even being able to breathe. She had definitely never heard anything so wrong or funnier.

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“Do you know what I can do to you? Do you know who I am?” Smiling at the demon's confused face, Y/N grabbed the man's jaw and squeezed it so hard with just one hand that the guy started screaming.

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“This is what I hate about low-ranking demons like you, stupid uncultured pawns.” Y/N hissed with enormous hatred and disgust, squeezing harder and harder. “I’m not a Knight… I’m not a Prince, like Stolas here. She’s even more important than you.” 

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The irony and cruelty with which she said that showed that her demonic nature was still inside, of course she didn’t show it unless it was with beings as cruel as that one demon.

Something that Captain America would never accept.

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“I’m primordial.” Y/N said without further ado, summoning her sword which appeared in her hand. Tightening her grip, she rested the sharp point on the demon's cheek. “If Abaddon can hurt you, believe me, I will make you believe that Abaddon is heaven compared to what I will do to you.”

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A small cut on his neck made the demon open his eyes in fear, deeply in pain. It wasn't a superficial cut, but those blades caused death for beings like them. An ex-angelic sword, which was no longer used for good, was not an ordinary sword.

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“Talk and I let you survive.” Y/N ordered once more, before cutting again, this time several sensitive areas.

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The demon began to scream desperately and without further hesitation, began to blurt out everything he had to say.

He spent a long time revealing everything Abaddon thought, believed and would do. So much so that Y/N thought that maybe he knew too much for a low-ranking demon, it was a bit suspicious.

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“She'll go get them tomorrow afternoon.” The toad demon whispered in defeat and pain, in front of those two demons who looked at him with distrust. Jules narrowed her eyes, waiting for Y/N's decision. “...When the sun is near the horizon, when it burns red as hell, she will ravage the place.”

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Nodding slowly, Y/N grabbed the sword again and approached him violently. Even though the demon pleaded for his life, the snake finally pierced his neck with strength. His eyes flashed before he burned.

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She didn't need to know any more than that. “Seven days my ass, I knew that bitch wasn't going to wait that much.” 

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“I need to let them know.” Y/N growled and left that room with some haste and confusion. Didn't expect the redhead to play such a dirty card like that, but if she did it, was because Abaddon  no longer trusted Y/N’s word.

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“What’s our next move?” Jules whispered, afraid to ask.

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Sighing, Y/N placed hands on her hips, trying to think of thousands of possibilities at once. Something that would guarantee them a victory, but it was very difficult with everyone against them. Even minutes.

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“I need you to do something.” she finally said after a few minutes in silence, she had possibly chosen the worst decision of her life. Y/N grabbed a pencil and paper, doodling a sigil. “I need you to go to this place, write it down exactly as I tell you… and Jules? You’ll say exactly as I tell you. No more, no less.”

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Jules frowned and took the paper, confused by so much 'mystery' but when she saw the sigil her eyes widened. “Do you want me dead? They hate me more than they hate you.”

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Y/N approached her friend, placing her hands on the brunette's shoulders. “I promise you that nothing like what you think will happen. Nothing bad will happen if you say what I need you to say.”

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Jules whispered and looked at the doodles. “This means it's worse than I imagined.” 

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“We need big cards, Stolas.” Y/N swallowed hard. Of course the worst would come soon. “I've been thinking about how to stop her, and each idea is one worse than another.”

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Jules didn't say anything, just nodded. 

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While everyone was discussing and planning how to protect themselves from Abaddon's attack, once Wanda explained who the hell she was after seeing Y/N's memories, the sokovian decided to walk away and lock herself in her room, tired of listening to them fight and argue. She was fed up with those loud thoughts and fears.

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This one's for the torn down, the experts at the fall. Come on friends, get up now, you're not alone at all.

The brunette remained silent, sitting on her bed. The tissues around her were quite snitchy. Wanda was quiet as the tears fell, those red eyes and nose showing how tired she was of crying.

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How could fate be so cruel? To say it was fate and  not the decisions of a handful of cruel demons playing with her life? Deciding who lives and who dies.

She squeezed her eyes shut as memories came to her in a flash.

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The knocking on the door made Wanda look up, waiting to see who dared to bother her.

The one who entered was none other than Natasha Romanoff, with a small friendly smile and guilt in those green eyes.

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“Can I come in?”

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“You already came in, right?” Wanda said with a small smile as she wiped the tears and threw the tissues into the trash can. 

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The widow came over to sit next to Wanda. She understood very well the pain her friend was going through, the lies they fell into, losing the one you love most was unbearable.

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“Sorry, everything is… chaos.” Natasha hesitated whether to continue, she chose those words very poorly and scolded herself for it. “It is not our intention to make you feel worse. They want to protect you.”

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“I know.”  Wanda sighed sadly. Didn't want to cause any more problems than they already had.  This was all her fault.

Natasha took a deep breath, grateful for the silence in that place. She was sick of listening to Steve and Tony fight like children. But something caught her attention quickly, something changed in the room. The pictures of Y/N and Wanda that were lying in the trash can.

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“Haven't you heard from her?” The redhead dared to ask, turning to look at Wanda who tensed up at the mention of Y/N.

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“I don't even want to see her again.” The witch hissed angrily, falling victim to endless mixed feelings. She missed her, loved her, hated her, she was furious with her but also missed Y/N’s gaze. The way she held her hand, the way Y/N made her feel safe.

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“But you miss her.” Natasha whispered, placing a supportive hand on Wanda's shoulder. “I'm not judging you, it's not wrong to do so. After all, your feelings were real.”

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“And even though I hate it I could see that her feelings are real too. That's why I feel so angry.”  Wanda turned to look at her friend, with those huge green eyes full of tears. Tears of helplessness and disappointment.  “I feel so… stupid. So confused."

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Anguish threatened to close her throat, making her voice hoarser.

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“She knew me my whole life, knew everything that happened to me and yet didn't do anything.”  Wanda finally allowed herself to let go, so painful that even Nat felt a little tear escape her eyes.  “She let my parents die, Pietro died.”

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“And…” The sokovian breathed deeply, trying to stop herself from crying and trying to come to her senses, to be strong as she needed to.  “And I hate myself for still loving her.” 

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Of course those words were true, she loved Y/N. Couldn't let go of her feelings overnight, even if she wanted to, if Wanda could forget the demon, she would without hesitation.

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The one who didn't hesitate was Natasha, who hugged her friend and cradled her for a while. “I’m truly sorry, Wanda.”

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Natasha comforted the brunette as she vented. Letting the pain take over her was not a good option, and the widow was not going to allow anyone to Wanda her like they did to her in the Red Room.

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“I can't even process what I am, what I'm supposed to be.” Wanda whispered once she sat back down on the bed as Nat brought her a cup of tea. “The Scarlet Witch.”

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She looked down at the steaming cup of tea.

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“I must be something so evil... that I only cause disasters and pain to everyone I love.”  Those words came from the depths of her heart, filled with so much pain.

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“No one can tell you who you are, Wanda. It doesn't matter 'what you're made for' or whether you're 'a perfect weapon', your decisions will always be yours. And you’re not evil.”    Nat took her hand and sighed.

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She wasn't going to let her friend feel the way she felt for so long, not allowing herself to enjoy love and friendship. She was much more than all that pain.

Smiling at her sister, she squeezed Wanda’s hand and then hugged her tightly. Whatever was coming, they were all going to go through it together and win.

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“Friday, raise security to the maximum. Stay alert for any movement.” Tony walked through the workshop. Next to the common area, the workshop was a section that provided controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. 

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It was Tony's favorite place, after the kitchen, of course. He was one of the few who didn't live in the compound.

Stark carefully observed the result that Friday showed on the screen.

Suddenly the door opened, drawing his attention, especially seeing that it was Bruce who entered in a bit of a hurry.

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“Tony.” The doctor took off his glasses somewhat clumsily. “What do you need from me? If this is because of the big guy-”

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Frowning, Tony turned to look at him blankly. “What?” 

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“You sent me a text, you told me to come urgently.”  Bruce looked at him with the same confused face. Even looked for his phone to show him the text.

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“I didn't-”  The man was going to continue but a new presence made them turn around, astonished.

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“It was me. Hi.” Y/N appeared in front of them and quickly raised her hands in surrender as she saw how Tony was immediately about to attack. It was going to be much worse if Bruce brought the big guy to the fight.  “Easy, gentlemen, I'm not here to look for trouble...”

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“You would have thought about it before sneaking around us for so long.” Quickly, as Tony squeezed one of his rings, a rapid nanotech gauntlet formed on his arm ready to fire at the demon. It probably wouldn't hurt, maybe angering the demon, but he'll die trying.

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“I can help you, but you have to listen to me.”  Y/N hurriedly said, taking a few steps away.

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Using her sensory powers, she made sure that there was no one around them. Just the three of them.

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“We don't need your help.” Bruce exclaimed unbuttoning the collar of his shirt, ready to go.

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“Bruce, don’t.”  She tilted her head, looking into his eyes. Even though Bruce tried and struggled to let go of the Hulk to the point of turning red, the big green guy didn't appear. “He knows I'm not coming to hurt you. So stop, you're embarrassing yourself.”

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“How-?” Bruce stammered blankly. Tony just rolled his eyes, lowering his arm.

Once they were sure that Y/N wasn't planning on attacking them, they let their guard down.

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"What are you doing here? If Wanda sees you, we are the last thing you should worry about.” Stark ironically joked as he approached his screen to scan the place again, making sure everything was fine. There was definitely a BIG flaw if Y/N could show up just like that.

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“Do you want the world to survive this catastrophe?” 

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“Believe me, we will do it.” He gave a wry chuckle, they always did. Hydra, Loki, Ultron.

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“This isn't like your movie villain, Stark. It’s not some guy with lightning whips, or a tantrum-y god. This goes further.” Y/N moved closer to look at the screen but Tony quickly minimize it.  “This doesn't just endanger this planet, this endangers all realities.”

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“Realities? What do you mean?” Bruce frowned. “Is a multiverse something possible?”

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“It is not a 'possibility', it is already a reality.” Y/N waved her hand, downplaying the talk, especially when both nerds seemed very interested in knowing more. “But we don't have time to talk about multiverses and alternate realities. We need a plan now, or Chton is going to screw them all up.”

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“What does Chton want? Especially with Wanda.”

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“Chton was a big demon, one of the cruelest beings that ever existed. He was banished many years ago… and wants to come back.” Y/N swallowed, thinking about the chaos that would engulf them all.  “According to an old prophecy, he would do it thanks to a great sorceress who would have the power to handle the Chaos Magic, at such a level that she would break with any reality and modify it to her convenience. So when he does… all realities are going to collapse. One on top of another like dominos.”

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That sounded so terrifying that Tony Stark swallowed hard, lowering his self-loving know-it-all attitude. That sounded chaotic, a world where nothing would make sense.

Not only would they die, all the worlds, all the realities.

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“Do you want your daughter to live a nice life?”  Y/N continued, knowing that would hit deep. The demon tilted her head as she saw the surprise in Stark's gaze, those big brown eyes so wide they would pop out of his head.

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Bruce had his mouth open like a fish out of water, more confused than Tony.

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“I'm not stupid, I know Pepper is pregnant.” The demon took a seat in one of the chairs and crossed her legs, so sassy. “It’s a very healthy baby, by the way.”

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Tony was surprised but hesitant. No one else knew that, only Pepper and him.

They had had an appointment with a doctor outside the compound so that everything would be a nice surprise. They had been trying to plan it for a week until Abaddon threatened to attack them.

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“Congratulations?” Bruce murmured, smiling somewhat happily for his friend.

He went over to hug Tony, who smiled proudly, forgetting everything for a moment. They had decided to hide it until this new chaos passed.

Especially when the Knight of Hell left a box at the door of the compound, with a quite terrifying message.

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“Will you listen to me?” Y/N asked, this time it was more of a plea. 

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Sighing and knowing that it was best to get the upper hand, even if they had to work with a dirty, lying demon like Y/N, it was their best chance to win. The enemy of your enemy is your friend or something like that.  “What do you need?”

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“I need both of you working together.” Y/N sighed and stood up from her seat. “I know Ultron left you a little hurt, but this time... you will truly protect this world. And must keep the secret until it is time.”

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“I don't like the idea of lying to them… again.” Crossing his arms, Bruce slowly shook his head. He wasn't willing to go through the same thing, that almost made the team break up forever and the world needed the Avengers.

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“This time you’ll save their lives thanks to it.” The demon insisted.  “Steve would never allow my help, much less Wanda. We'll say it's your idea.” 

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“That's true, both of them can't even say your name. And if Natasha sees you, she will kill you.”  Tony smiled wryly as he poured himself a glass of scotch.

Showing him the middle finger first, Y/N typed a long amount of numbers on the screen quickly.

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“Friday, save this, please. These are the exact coordinates of the perfect place, where everything will begin. I need us to play with the lead.” She expanded the screen thanks to Friday, showing them the place. 

Tony approached to see with curiosity, it wasn't close at all but the demon was right, it was a good place for a battle.  Far from any kind of innocent victims.

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They kept talking and planning for about two hours, trying to find a solution. Y/N's idea was completely crazy and made no sense at all, but it was the only one available to them.  It was their best shot.

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“Can you do it in 24 hours?”  Y/N asked with some concern. Looking at that screen, the theory was good but the practice could be... difficult. Even for such an advanced engineer.

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“Do I need to sleep?” Tony said sarcastically.

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“Believe me, you will when you die.” Y/N responded in the same way.

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“We know a guy who can help with this… machine.” Thoughtfully, Tony watched the screen, trying to remove and add a few things. How can you build a thing like that from nothing? “We will do the best we can. Three great brains at work... and yours, of course.” 

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“You have to do better than that.”  Y/N frowned. 

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She looked at her watch, hoping that Stolas would score a victory in her mission. She must have already been arriving.

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“Your ‘mission’ is to take back the book. That's at least what they can know.”   The demon took a sheet of paper and quickly drew what the book would look like, since there was no type of information that talked about this. 

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Tony walked over to look at it, raising an eyebrow.

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“The ‘Darkhold’?”  He mocked. “Didn't they have a better name in the underworld? I thought that maybe with so many artists there, you demons would be more creative."

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Rolling her eyes, Y/N  fixed her gaze on Bruce, who seemed to look more attentive at the moment.  “Hear me clearly… You cannot use that book, from any point of view, never open it. The Darkhold holds secrets and curses so ancient they would destroy any reality. It will destroy your hearts, your minds and your souls.” 

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An awkward silence remained for a moment. Despite Tony's sarcastic humor, he understood that this was not the time for jokes, everyone's fate was really at stake. And not just because of the big fight, but because of what came after that.

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“No matter what they promise you… they’ll never give you what you want. It is a trap.”  The demon reaffirmed. 

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After a few seconds and knowing that she counted on them both understanding the task, the presence of a new person made Tony jump.

Jules looked at everyone a little agitated, she seemed shocked but was undoubtedly still alive.

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“It’s done.” Jules grimaced, not very happy with that decision, but when she saw Tony and Bruce her face changed so quickly. Stolas smiled tenderly and waved. “Hi.”

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“I hope this works.” Y/N sighed deeply, for a moment she wondered if it would work but she no longer had time to doubt. The minutes passed and they played with a disadvantage. At the surprised gaze of both humans, she spread her wings for a moment.  Great and enormous wings, so black but still as soft as an angel's, Y/N smiled as she remembered that feeling.

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“Nice.”

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Taking courage, she plucked one of the feathers and moaned in pain. A searing pain, and so unique, a pain she had never felt before. 

Sighing, Y/N approached Tony to hand him the feather, which after snapping her fingers, turned into a blue liquid in a very tiny bottle. 

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“This is something unique, that very few humans have had the pleasure of obtaining. And as you know, none of them are alive.” Y/N said as she looked at that liquid and handed it to Tony, who seemed quite curious as well as surprised. Possibly thinking how much he could use it if he only knew how. “Be careful, don't use it all. I risked my ass with an archangel for that.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Bruce cleared his throat, making her turn.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“An… a-archangel gave this to you?” Bruce stammered and looked at that tiny bottle as if he were holding an important grail.  Everything already challenged beliefs, needed to know more.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“I wish… it’s just my old feather. They just allowed me to get my wings for a moment.” The demon wrinkled her nose and walked away, still feeling a stinging pain. “They think I will use them for battle tomorrow against Abaddon, but it was actually for this, so… no one can know.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“You made a deal with them.”  Stark walked away from her and took that liquid to one of his devices so he could analyze it. “Isn't that worse?”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Y/N shrugged, knowing it couldn't get any worse. “I go one thing at a time.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“In fact, you have two.”  Jules' voice made her turn around, watching as she handed a small bottle to Bruce. 

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

"What are you doing?” The higher-demon approached Jules with concern, whispering:  “That wasn’t in the deal.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“I know, I decided to add some stuff before doing it. It's mine.” The dark-haired woman patted her friend's shoulder, who looked at her in surprise. How dare she? Stolas was going against her own decisions, and yet, her heart softened at the sight of her friend's loyalty.  “I already told you, I'm with you. And they need to come back, so… two is better.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Sighing, Y/N ended up nodding, knowing that she couldn't fight her.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“Wait here, I have to do something before we leave this place.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

That green-eyed girl took everything she needed and put it in a backpack, exactly as Natasha asked.  It seemed that Stark and Banner had a momentary solution, and that made the tension between everyone go down.

But what didn't seem to fade away was the fear she felt, the uncertainty of not knowing who or what she was.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Everyone repeated everything they found about the Scarlet Witch, but no one knew exactly. And of course, although  people didn't say it, since they found out who she was, everyone seemed afraid of her.

Suddenly, three knocks on the door caught the girl’s attention as she tried to close the backpack.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“I'll be ready soon, Natasha.” Wanda said with a low tone of voice and that exquisite sokovian accent.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

But the one who opened the door was not the redhead, but someone else who believed and wished to never see again.

Y/N sighed and closed the door behind her, leaning against the door. 

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“What are you doing here?” The Sokovian quickly became alert, chaos magic beginning to dance around her fingers.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“I know you hate me.” The demon began, the melancholy in her eyes said more than words.

Seeing Wanda again made her heart come back to life, beating once again. Y/N couldn't help but feel sadness when she saw those beautiful reddish eyes because of crying.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“Leave me alone.” Wanda hissed, willing to defend herself if she had to.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

But Y/N didn't do anything else, just slowly approach her and see that woman with loving eyes, even if Wanda attacked her with fury, she would still see the love of her life more beautiful than ever.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“I just want to say I love you.” Y/N stopped in front of her, even though she wasn't going to hurt her, she didn't want to make the Sokovian uncomfortable.  “Please, just let me explain and then I’ll leave.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

So close to home and so far away.

For a moment she allowed herself to get lost in her gaze, hoping to come clean. Y/N knew that it wasn't going to fix things with Wanda, but it was enough to say sorry before chaos broke loose.

Wanda shook her head, unable to believe how Y/N dared to ask to be 'heard'.  “I shouldn't even allow you to be here right now.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“I’m sorry… I'm really sorry for lying to you, I'm sorry for hiding so much from you and above all... allowing them to hurt you.” Y/N said those words with so much sadness, with a lost look and a deep pain in her heart. “It is my fault.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Tears escaped, slowly falling down Y/N’s cheek. A gesture so pure, so sincere that it made Wanda hesitate for a few moments. She would never have thought that a demon could cry. 

All the happy memories with Y/N flashed through her mind, knowing that her beloved's pain was genuine, but her own… That was much deeper and blinding. That one was a lot more painful.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“You are a demon.” Those harsh words made Y/N squirm, she wasn't going to forgive her. Wanda just shrugged, wasn't going to get it so easily. “Your tears don't move me, Y/N. Oh, yeah. Y/N isn't your real name.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“Of course I tried to tell you my name, but you never listen to me!” Y/N tried, really trying to be patient. With any other human being she would have exploded but with Wanda, well, she was the exception to every rule. “I would like you to know the real me.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“The real you?” Wanda giggled sarcastically and tilted her head.  “That sadistic and malicious creature? The one who looked aside when me and my brother were dying of hunger? The one that let my parents die without doing anything about it?”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“I didn't know you and I was doing what they asked me to do. It's millennia, Wanda, millennia being the same and then I met you, and-” She tried to reason with her but Wanda just rolled her eyes, taking her backpack to leave what she considered 'home' for all that time.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“You make me want to be better.” Y/N followed her, until Wanda stopped. For that tiny second, the demon had hope. Maybe those words would give her a chance, at least to say goodbye. 

Wanda turned on her heels, and ending Y/N's anticipation, she finally said. She met Y/N's gaze so that the demon knew, so that the demon understood, that those were really her words and not the pain:  “After everything I saw... I would never love you.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Y/N's hope and heart fell to the ground, breaking completely.

Feeling how the weight on that chest became more and more painful and overwhelming. There were no happy endings for demons.

And to finish stabbing the dagger, Wanda whispered:  “I would never love something like you.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Accepting what she deserved, Y/N nodded quickly swallowing all the pain.

The demon simply decided to lower her gaze and walk out the door without further ado, everything was said and everything was done.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

There was no turning back.

Leaving Y/N behind, Wanda quickly walked towards the elevator, hiding there until the doors closed behind.

Once they did, thanks to Friday who stopped the elevator so she could have a moment alone, the brunette allowed herself to cry uncontrollably for a long time.

Hugging herself, thinking about how much she wanted to go back and hug Y/N, to kiss her and forget everything. Want to go back in time, want everything to go well for the first time in her life.

Coming to her senses, Wanda left the elevator and finally entered the conference room, where everyone was planning what to do, how to attack and what the real mission of all this was.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“But they want her for what she will be.” was heard, they stopped when Wanda entered the room. An awkward silence tenses everything, until the only one who was brave to break it was Stark.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“The Scarlet Witch, Harbinger of Chaos.”  Tony explained to everyone, looking at Wanda, but not in an accusatory way. Strangely, Tony understood the situation thanks to Y/N. 

The girl just played with her rings, feeling uncomfortable and exposed.  “The Scarlet Witch was not just born but also forged. Her power exceeds that of the Sorcerer Supreme, and her destiny was… to destroy the world.” He sighed. “But what we are here for... is to avoid it. I don't think your power is destructive, Wanda.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“What will we do then? We can't hand her over to… that thing.” Steve kept his brow furrowed, totally serious. He was one in that room of those who would defend Wanda until death.  “How do you know all this?”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“Y/N.” Wanda murmured, knowing perfectly well the reason why Y/N visited her room.

To give them information that they could use.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“Do we have to believe in a demon? A demon? That will do it because of the goodness in her heart?” Rhodey exclaimed in a mocking manner, shaking his head. 

Even though he used to be a pain in the ass sometimes, he was right.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“I don't think Y/N is lying here, there's no point in warning us.”  Kate murmured somewhat nervously, noticing all the eyes on her. She stirred as if she sensed many birds of prey ready to devour her.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“Kid, just let the adults talk.” Rhodey narrowed his eyes.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

As soon as she heard his tone, Yelena suddenly stood up and pointed at the man, threatening: “Don't talk to her like that again.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Everyone started arguing again, like the sixth time since they started the meeting, until Tony intervened:  “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Do you want to shut up? I found a way to save all of our lives, thank you very much.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Everyone was silent.

The mood was not easy to bear, everyone was tired, fearful, upset and anxious. Who wouldn't be? A battle was coming up that they didn't even know how to win.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“The plan is simple, I have a place, I have an idea. We need to recover the book that caused all this, but we can't open it or read it. Destroying it is the only solution.” Tony walked around the room, observing his friends one by one. Faces of confusion, fear, and even some with a certain curiosity. “The book corrupts everything and everyone that it touches, our duty is to keep it where it is. Not using it.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Bruce was in charge of explaining and showing them the plan and projections of what they would do.  Friday helped by showing some probabilities, as well as the plans of that machine they would use.

As they had previously deduced, it was a completely out of the ordinary and crazy plan, but it was their only chance.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“So, this machine will…” Natasha said somewhat skeptically, trying to understand.

And she wasn't the only one, everyone seemed a little worried about that sudden 'idea'.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“That will allow us to escape.” Bruce nodded, taking off his glasses. “Not everyone will be able to come, but those who do, know that we will do everything possible to protect this reality. Those who stay must protect the place.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“It’s insane.” Someone said. 

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“It is, but it’s our last chance. So… Who’s coming?” Tony asked, watching as some of his friends raised their hands quickly.

The man smiled with a certain pride, knowing that they would give their lives so that this planet would have another dawn.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Wanda simply remained silent, her gaze as lost as she was in her thoughts. She couldn't even look at her friends, this was all because of her.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Natasha saw her so quiet and placed a hand on Wanda’s shoulder, squeezing it gently. “Don't worry, we won't let them do anything to you, kid.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Looking at her, Wanda simply nodded her head hoping that this was really true.

ㅤ

NAMIB DESERT  TWENTY-FOUR HOURS LATER

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“Are you sure it’s here?” Natasha asked, grimacing as the Quinjet's door opened.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

At least she was grateful that there was no problem parking it, all around them could be seen vast sand dunes, dry trees and a claypan. Some wild animals ran away at the presence of strangers.

Deadvlei was a claypan, between the dunes in the Namib-Naukluft Park. The heat was oppressive, the sun remained high and that meant they still had time.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Grimacing, Wanda went down after Nat who was walking in front with Steve and Tony.

The day finally arrived, and those who had decided to go on the 'mission' were Steve, Tony, Clint, Kate, Yelena and Natasha.

Bucky promised to take care of the place along with Bruce, Sam and the others, delaying Abaddon as much as possible.  The big green guy was going to do everything possible to stop her long enough.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“The mission is to take back the Darkhold.”  Tony left the briefcase he was carrying on one of the platforms in front of them, a briefcase that opened with nanotech and little by little transformed into a kind of quadrangular machine.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Thanks to the help of an old friend of his father's, Henry Pym, Tony was able to use much of his tech to achieve what he thought impossible.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“Everyone has their GPS, right? Come here, around the machine and… press it now.” 

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Listening to what Stark asked, everyone surrounded that machine and finally pressed the GPS button. Quickly, a nanotech suit materialized perfectly around their clothes, except the helmet.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“Good! It’s good!” Stark cheered and everyone seemed less worried. Even curious, playing and watching the material of that advanced suit. “I just need to get all the suits in sync-”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Everything was ready, everyone was ready for this new adventure but a flutter of wings surprised them.

In the distance, two demons approached slowly trying to walk on the warm sand.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“Is it ready?” Y/N asked, noticing everyone's tense gaze on her. Possibly mentally preparing herself for Natasha Romanoff to strike out at her at any moment.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“What  is she doing here?!” Wanda asked, trying not to look at her.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“I’m also here. Hi!”  Jule added, waving at them.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“Did you make this plan with them?” Steve narrowed his eyes and then looked at Tony, who was trying to hide his embarrassed face.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“Calm down, Rogers.” Tony tried to keep the peace. "Get back in your place, you're going to ruin everything! We need them!”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“No, we don’t!” Steve exclaimed, pulling up his shield, ready to use it.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“Come back to your place again, granny. You don't want to break your hip.” Stolas scoffed and of course that almost made Y/N laugh, but it definitely stole a laugh from Clint which he tried to hide.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

After a few minutes bickering, Y/N sighed deeply and ended up shouting: “Shut the fuck up!”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Once again everyone seemed to get into a fight that they did not have the pleasure or privilege of having. 

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“Do you want your friends to survive? Do you want this planet to keep spinning tomorrow?”  Y/N scolded and watched them one by one, even Wanda. Even though the sokovian had so many  reasons to be hurt, her life and the lives of others were in danger.  “Then do what you must. Do what we say! And you’ll survive!”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Her voice was strong and imposing.

And everyone's guilty silence proved her right, especially when a thunder made everyone look at the sky. While they were arguing, huge black clouds began to form, devouring that blue sky. The sun was gone.

Blinking in surprise, Y/N looked up, knowing that there was no more time. The light was gone.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“They’re coming.” She whispered, quickly taking position in front of them.  “Stark, put this damn thing to work. Time to fly!”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Upon hearing that, the avengers prepared to battle whatever was approaching. A breeze of wind rose, slightly moving the dry trees, making them creak.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“What? I thought she would go through the Compound first-” Stark stammered commanding Friday to turn on the machine.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

With a desolate look, Y/N simply whispered:  “They must all be dead by now… this is the only way out. I’m really sorry.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Those words made everyone's blood run cold.

If a dark sky and the absence of the sun wasn't scary enough, knowing that your friends died and not even being there was much worse.

Wanda felt horrible nausea, feeling all that guilt, all that pain.

Especially when seeing Steve shed a tear and clutch the shield tightly to his arm, ready to fight.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“Come on!” Y/N screamed desperately, noticing that the machine seemed to turn on but stopped again as if the power wasn't enough. “Now turn the damn thing on!”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“Can't! Is not working!” Tony became desperate too, typing rapidly on his tablet.  “Friday, help me a little, will you? Make a quick scan.” 

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“How does it not work? You said you could do it!” Y/N growled. 

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“IT WAS TWENTY-FOUR HOURS!” 

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“Prepare to fight.” Steve ordered but Y/N shook her head.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“No fighting, just stay in there!” Y/N exclaimed pointing at him, warning him that if he left his place, it would be worse. The demon turned to see Stolas. “We need to build a barrier.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“Maybe I should turn myself in, and just make a deal.” Wanda mumbled, still thinking about Bucky and the others. She couldn't stop imagining so many bloody and tragic scenarios, and they were all her fault.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Like her parents. Like Pietro. Like Vision, Bruce and Bucky.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“No, Wanda, listen to me…” Y/N approached her but Wanda quickly backed away, not even wanting to look at her. Although something inside begged her to do it, to hug her, to kiss Y/N one more time. She didn't do it.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“I love you, more than anything in my entire existence. You are the first person I have loved since... I was made.” Her voice broke. Y/N was confessing her love from the deepest and most real part of her being, the only good part left in the demon. “I'm really sorry for everything I did. I hope someday you can forgive me, and if you don't, my greatest wish is that you can be truly happy. So please don't give in, not just for yourself, but for everyone around you. Keep holding on.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Once she said that, Y/N turned around and summoned her sword, which held firmly in her right hand. Before the surprised gaze of the others, Y/N closed her eyes and brought lips to the blade, whispering something incomprehensible. A dark and ancient language.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

After that, she brought the blade to her palm and made a deep cut, before Wanda's surprised look.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“We have to do it.”  Jules held out her hand, hoping she would cut it too. 

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

This one's for believing, if only for its sake Come on friends, get up now, love is to be made.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Y/N frowned, doubtful. It was one thing for her, but it was another thing to risk someone else's life. “Are you sure? You don’t have to-”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“I know.” Stolas sighed and nodded solemnly. “I’ll do.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Y/N  took a deep breath before cutting their hands, making some blood drops to begin to fall around them and the machine.

Jules did the same, letting the blood fall in the same places until they met.

Once they connected, both intertwined their wounded hands and began to recite a spell that neither  could understand. It wasn't a known language, it definitely wasn't human. Even Friday couldn't figure it out. An ancient and dark and dark spell, one created long before language was made.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

What surprised most of them was seeing both of their eyes change; using glamor to hide their demonic eyes carried an energy that they had to redirect towards the barrier spell.

They stayed like that for a minute until they separated, sighing relaxedly as they saw how a barrier covered all of them. An invisible barrier to the eyes of any enemy.

A barrier impossible to break, no matter how strong you were.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Frowning, Wanda asked:  “What did you do?”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“What is this?” Natasha asked, a bit worried. She didn't like feeling locked in at all. 

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“Stay inside and don't go out.”Y/N begged , somewhat agitated, that spell did more than just take their energy. Felt everything start to spin but she tried to stay strong.  “It is a powerful blood spell.” 

ㅤㅤ ��ㅤㅤ

Steve approached the barrier somewhat hesitantly and tried to touch it, go through it, but it was like touching a concrete wall. Not even his shield could break it.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“If you could do that, why didn't you do it before?”  Captain America said, a bit suspiciously.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“Because it's a binding spell! It ties one life to the other!” Y/N yelled, already annoyed, tired of answering so many stupid questions. She was about to die, she was giving her life so they could survive and the stupid machine wasn't working. Wasn’t that enough?  “The barrier is powerful and will protect you, as long as we survive.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Everyone looked at them in surprise, understanding what it meant. Even Tony, who stopped looking at the screen to look at Y/N.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“So you-” Wanda whispered in disbelief.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“So...if you guys die...” Kate followed those words. 

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“The barrier will fall. ” Y/N gulped. “We'll try to hold on as long as possible... so Stark, hurry up.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

In the face of an awkward silence, Y/N cleared her throat and turned around so they wouldn't see her that way.

They went from seeing her as a disgusting being to pitying her, and she didn't know which of the two was worse.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

However Jules pouted a little seeing them. “Don't be sad, we'll be fine. You will fix all our mistakes.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“Thank you.” Yelena mumbled. Words they would never have expected, especially coming from someone like her. Yelena nodded nobly, accepting that sacrifice.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“It’s okay. Anyway.” Y/N swallowed and nodded quickly, she didn't know how to react to that. For someone to be  kind to her. Again.  “Do not leave the protection, if you leave it will be more difficult for us and more painful. Don't interfere either. Once the spell is cast and the sacrifice accepted, there is no going back.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

The flapping of wings could be heard, growing louder around them. As if a flock of crows were approaching.

Everyone looked up trying to find the reason for the sound, it became closer and more terrifying. 

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“They’re coming.” Y/N muttered and then looked at Stark, so terrified.  “Do not engage, just fix it and leave.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Before he could even answer, a new presence made everyone turn to look.

As stunning and beautiful as deadly, Abaddon smiled widely as she saw everyone.  A smile that made many feel a horrible chill.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“I think they gave me the wrong address for the party.” The redhead said, strangely cheerful, especially when several demons began to appear behind. Her legion. “Hand over the girl and everyone will die less painfully than I want.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Willing to protect them, Y/N and Jules settled in front of them. 

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“But I’ve to say, these traitors will suffer a horribly, harrowing, terrifying death… And you will see it.”   Abaddon said, licking her fangs in a creepy way. “So Wanda, honey, let’s go. Mommy's tired of waiting.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“She’s not going anywhere.” Y/N said sharply, with a determined look. 

Of course, while she tried to distract the redhead, Stark was working quickly to fix the machine.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“I’m glad we finally met.” The redhead tilted her head to look into the eyes of the witch, who looked at her with enormous hatred. “You're going to watch everyone around you right now, all your friends, die. In terrifying ways.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

But the Sokovian didn't say anything, she just stood steady, without showing any fear. Like all of her friends.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“We will bleed so much pain out of you that you will be left in deep need of therapy for millennia.” The Knight of Hell laughed, followed by everyone around her. “And the only thing you will have is us. Isn’t that sad?”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Abaddon turned to look at Y/N.  “What does it feel like? Neither heaven nor hell wants you! You are not part of any. You’re nothing. You have no purpose.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ This one's for the faithless, the ones that are surprised They're only where they are now, regardless of their fight

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Slowly surrounding Y/N, Abaddon summoned her sword. It was a dark sword, which unlike Y/N's smooth and sharp blade, this one had its edge broken, like sharp teeth, to cause even more damage.

But what she wanted with those words was to cause more emotional damage, break her completely and end the Leviathan in one fell swoop. 

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“And you still don't see it? The one who was going to hurt her so deeply… is you.” Abaddon mocked like a maniac, celebrating the debacle of the GREAT demon.  “Not just your betrayal, the pain we need will be caused by your death… right now, in front of her.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Y/N's face suddenly paled. How had she not thought of that before?

She quickly turned to look at Wanda, hoping that really wasn't true. Y/N had always been the worst thing that happened to her, even when she didn't want to.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“You are her savior and her executor.” Abaddon repeated those words she had highlighted before.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

While all the demons around her laughed cruelly, Y/N remained silent trying to deal with all those voices in her mind. How was she so blind?

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“Okay, I got tired. Kill them all.” Abaddon shrugged and several demons walked towards the avengers, ready to tear them apart.

But Y/N's voice stopped them dead, especially what she had to say.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“You don't have to do this.” Y/N pointed her sword at Abaddon, there was no turning back. If she was going to leave, she would do it with honor. “I challenge you to a duel, you and me. Nobody else."

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“Yeah, I don’t care.”  The redhead was going to ignore her but Y/N appeared in front of the Knight, placing the point of Willbreaker on that pale neck. Making some demons cheer in amusement, making Abaddon feel completely like an idiot.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“I am Leviathan, my name is holy, and you will accept the duel, because I outrank you.” Y/N hissed. Clenching her jaw, you could see in those blue demonic eyes how furious she was. Abaddon couldn't refuse a duel, especially with Y/N.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Completely changing from anger to a pleased smile, Abaddon nodded and bowed. “I accept.” 

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Sighing and lowering her sword, Y/N made sure that only one of them left that place alive.

But what the demon didn't expect was that the demons behind would suddenly catch her, taking her sword away. A rather treacherous move, but what could she expect from a demon?

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Not understanding what it was about, or if Abaddon was not going to comply, Y/N opened her eyes wide especially because the redhead moved away from her to approach Stolas.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“But first, the vermin.”  The higher demon looked at Jules, vicious violence was reflected in those eyes.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

“Let me go. This is between you and me!” Y/N growled, trying to break free, but even more demons held her down.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

… This one's for the faithless, the ones that are surprised. They're only where they are now, regardless of their fight…

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ

Abaddon's wicked gaze fell on Natasha, then pointed her sword at Stolas. “You know who she is, right?”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“She told me everything.” Natasha clenched her jaw tightly, remembering all the things Jules said to her the last time they saw each other. All those secrets.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

The brunette was extremely sincere, to the point that she endured Natasha's punches and screams when she found out who Jules was, and why kept silent about the Red Room.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Narrowing her blue eyes, doubtful that the little demon was sincere, Abaddon kept poking the bear. “Stolas was the one in charge of keeping everything running in the Red Room, so long ago. She was a great demon. Prince of Hell.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

She smiled evilly, feeling the pain and spite in Natasha. And above all, the blame on Stolas. 

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“But I must tell you something, be honest with you even though I love to lie.” The redhead faked a love sigh and placed a hand on her chest. “But one day… she decided to throw everything away and allowed one of the Black Widows, one of the best and most ruthless agents, to escape. Can you believe it?"

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Jules looked down, sad but remembering a dark past. Having mercy had been her 'big mistake'.  She never told Nat that she helped in the 'escape'.

The Knight shook her head, disappointed. 

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“And when she returned to hell, we torture and humiliated her for years, hundreds of years. Well, time passes differently there anyway.” Abaddon shrugged and turned to look at Jules. “Draw your sword, little bird.” 

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

It looked like a small bird about to be eaten by a crocodile, but Stolas did not retreat. Jules swallowed, stepping back and finally summoned her sword. 

It was a smaller sword than Y/N's, leaf-bladed but definitely much better than nothing. Stolas was a fallen angel, but not as important as them.

She positioned herself ready to fight, but Abaddon raised an eyebrow.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Everyone look at the prince of Hell!” The redhead mocked. “Did you think you were going to go against me? Really? She thinks she's in the big leagues.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Everyone started laughing, making the brunette feel even more nervous. She rested her gaze on Y/N, who just looked into her brown eyes, trying to encourage her.

Stolas held onto the grip of the sword, feeling her hands sweating.

But as Abaddon walked away, ready to watch the fight, some demons stepped forward holding their swords. Not just one, there were five.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Astaroth. Oriax. Sitri. Orobas… and…” Jules named them one by one, watching as they surrounded her with a wicked look. Of course she was at a disadvantage, but she wouldn't let them intimidate her.  Stolas wrinkled her nose, looking at the fifth in front of her. “I don't really know you, you must be new. You're going to be a piece of cake.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Finally she smiled a bit smugly, moving the sword in circles and waiting for one of them to take the first step. The tension increased while everyone waited for the first one to make a mistake, and luckily one of the demons ended up giving in to his internal violence, launching the first blow.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Taking advantage of this offensive movement, Stolas blocked the attack and pushed that demon towards the others. Between punches, blocks and stabs, the little demon thanked each of the lessons that Natasha taught her. 

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

All of them watched that battle with sadness and amazement. Without realizing that they were at a key moment for the universe, feeling completely helpless as they watched every time Jules received a hit or a cut.

But even so, the brunette moved skillfully, trying to avoid being attacked by all of them. With that heart beating fast and her breathing labored, Stolas raised the sword and waited again for the attack of four of them.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

The demon that she 'did not know' ended up on the ground, disappearing from the face of the Earth. One down, four to go.

The blood fell down her face, the cuts in so many parts of her body made her recoil like a wounded animal. That tender, sweet look was now a deadly look, and she would die with it until she took her last breath.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

A gasping breath as she attacked again, but this time there was something different. Stolas eyes widened as she felt the edge of a sword stabbing her stomach forcefully.

Behind her, one of the demons smiled maliciously. She fell on her knees, unable to understand.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

A loud beep drowned out the screams around them, Natasha's screams, Y/N's screams trying to break free, the cheers of the demons around.

Those brown eyes filled with tears, feeling that sharp and terrifying pain in her belly. As if something began to boil inside her. An unbearable pain.

And still, she managed to get up little by little.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Leave her alone.” Y/N begged Abaddon, kneeling as those demons held her. “Don’t do this. The fight is between you and me.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

But Abaddon just smirked, victorious.

Especially when another of the demons stabbed Stolas from the front again, and the next as well. Finally she knelt down, trying to bear it but finally the last one of the swords pierced her body.

Y/N kept kicking and fighting trying to get free. Tears began to fall in floods down her face, feeling a deep pain in her heart. A pain that she never thought she would feel for something or someone other than Wanda.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

For someone a demon like her never thought, she would become her best friend. A great friend. A loyal friend.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

So loyal, that blood began to gush from her pink lips but she did not complain. Jules just turned to look at Y/N, smiling with that tenderness that always characterized her since they met.

The one she always complained about, saying 'you should look more serious, Stolas. You’re a demon.'

And now, she would never see again.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

… This is for the ones who stand...

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“It’s okay.” Jules whispered, her gaze on Y/N, one last time. Trying to give her peace, knowing that she would leave as a 'hero'.

Suddenly, Abaddon’s sword pierced Stolas chest from behind, stealing the last sigh from her.

Her brown eyes flashed for a moment before burning, as Y/N screamed in despair. 

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Really terrifying screams, full of pain, like a wounded and angry beast. A sound that would haunt everyone for eternity.  A sound as if a beast was wounded, like a powerful storm in the ocean. 

She would destroy everything in her way.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

The first layer of protection that surrounded the Avengers faded with the loss of Stolas. That terrified Tony, who kept trying to solve the issue and kept talking to Friday. Repeating the process again, unsuccessfully.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

The ashes in the air made her explode, pushing the demons with such force that it surprised them.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

"Y/N...." Wanda tried to get her attention, approaching the barrier but the demon didn't hear her. She was furious, completely blind.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

"Y/N, don't do it. That's what she wants." Natasha said, approaching too but none of them were lucky.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Finally!” Abaddon exclaimed excitedly, swinging her sword.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Do what you have to do and get out!” Y/N yelled at Tony, clenching the handle of her sword tightly before delivering the first swing.

She was tired of being patient and playing the war in the smartest way.

Every furious step approaching Abaddon was every blow she swung with her sword.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

The anger that Y/N managed only made the redhead laugh happily, knowing that she got what she wanted, hurting Y/N deeply. Therefore, her death would be even more delicious.

The sharp blades of their swords meeting again and again made Tony feel even more anxious and terrified. The pressure not only of the moment but of his friends, who were waiting.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Y/N moved with surprising agility, hitting hard but also evading delicately, as if it were a dance.

She looked so confident, so strong, that Wanda even felt a bit proud, although she would never admit it. 

Strange that Abaddon didn’t attack with all her power, and had a very good reason.

Because when Y/N finally slashed her cheek, the redhead unleashed all the fury of the angel of the abyss.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Okay, enough games.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

With blinding fury, like hellfire, Abaddon advanced striking so hard that Y/N feared her sword would break. Amazed by the redhead's brute strength, she frowned when, with one blow, Abaddon sent her stumbling back.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Y/N frowned.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Surprised?” Abaddon teased.  “You are not the only one with help. I thought you were going to use your wings.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Approaching quickly, Abaddon launched a blow making her fall.

Y/N held the swing of the sword with her own, kneeling, using the strength of her legs but the force the redhead exerted began to make her give way.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“You’re just weak.” Abaddon said through clenched teeth, seeing the demon on the ground, she struck again but Y/N moved quickly, evading it. “Like her.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

The Knight hit hard again but only found dust, Y/N stood up nimbly, moving away but always staying alert.

One of the demons was going to attack her from behind, like Jules, but the redhead quickly made it fall back, raising a hand. “She’s mine!” Yelled angrily, and looked at the Leviathan again. 

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Time after time, Abaddon took the lead and hit her hard. Not only with the sword, but also with punches and kicks. Both hitting the ground, crashing into rocks.

Time passed and they both fought fiercely, but unfortunately the redhead had the upper hand, with just a few cuts and blows. While Y/N, she was much worse.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Abaddon's last sword blow cut her stomach and her left eye, crossing her face, losing the eye forever.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Give up, it’s over. She’s ours.” The Knight of Hell boastfully exclaimed.  

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

She had never seen Y/N like that, defeated and tired. And she loved it.

Y/N coughed up more blood than she expected.

The pain in her stomach and back let her know that she had two large cuts, so deep that blood began to fall like rivers. “As long as I’m breathing… it’s not over.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Leviathan was so hard and stubborn, like waves hitting the rock. Time and time again, she would come back.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Why do you fight for them? They are no better than us, look at them…”  Abaddon pointed to her friends, whom Y/N considered her family for all that time. To whom she would have sold without thinking long ago, and she now was giving her life to protect them. For Wanda, the woman she loved; feeling love for the first time in her life, caring about something other than herself.  

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“They’re terrified, hiding while a ‘demon’ fights for them.”  The blue-eyed demon glanced at them out of the corner of her eye. “Why fight for them? They are parasites.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Taking a deep breath, getting as much air as she could, tried to stay alive.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Sometimes I tend to wonder why…  Why I try?” But Y/N chuckled sadly, shaking her head as she tried to catch her breath.  “Because I have been around them all my life, watching these vermin benefit, feed, and destroy everything in their path. They are parasites.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Finally the demon got up with some difficulty, Y/N spit blood to the side.

Everything hurt, inside and outside. 

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“I’ve seen what they're capable of… I just realized how fucked up they are! Just wandering around through life until they die! Which they know is coming, and yet every single one of them is surprised when it happens to them! They came to Hell saying 'oh no! What did I do?! 'How could I have died?!” Y/N laughed, feeling the pain in her body. Thinking how crazy that all sounded and how strange they could be.

Slowly, she limped closer. and watched them one by one. Knowing their deepest desires, their darkest sins.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“They only think of satisfying their own desires, those two you see there?” She pointed at Tony and Steve. “They were about to beat each other so many times… Tony Stark sold weapons! That they destroyed Wanda's home! Remember? Humans kill each other, which is CLEARLY insane…” Y/N sighed as she saw Wanda,  and then turned to face Abaddon again. “But here’s the thing… When it's something that really matters, they fight. I mean, they're lame morons for fighting sometimes…”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Abaddon tilted her head, trying to understand. To her it was just incoherent babbling.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“But they do. They never, never quit…” Y/N held her sword again. “So I guess I will keep fighting for them too.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

The redhead did the same. It was glorious to be able to end someone who wanted to destroy her entire existence, envied since she was made but  also had respect for Leviathan. “It's your death.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Honey, it has been for quite some time. You just don't know.” Y/N smiled mockingly and began to surround her as if she were a wild animal, taking a more alert and less defensive position.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Despite the pain going through different parts of her body, Y/N moved the sword in circles, waiting for the attack.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

…For the ones who try again…

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

And when the redhead attacked, Y/N used the opponent's strength to cut her body and make her stumble. A deep cut across her thigh, making Abaddon limp. 

Natasha's voice reminding her of that move over and over again in their training reached her.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Turning to look at her with murderous fury, Abaddon attacked again but Y/N knew how to defend herself until the Knight used the strength of those invisible wings, hitting her chest so hard and making Y/N fall and slide into the protective barrier.

Worried, everyone watched as the demon stirred in pain. The only one who could get past the protection was Y/N, and if Abaddon realized the spell, she would do her best to destroy it.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Don't… move. Their eyes are on me, just... leave. Soon.” Y/N mumbled in pain, still on the ground, trying to catch air like a fish out of water. The demons' laughter made Y/N  close her eyes for a moment, trying to gather the strength to keep going.  She couldn't stop there.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

She had to give them time, she had to help them.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Y/N opened her eyes when she felt a presence next to her, a soft hand taking hers, to help her up. Kate Bishop gave her a small smile as Y/N placed the arm around her shoulder for support. Yelena quickly approached to help too.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Thank you.” The demon muttered barely due to the swelling from the cut on her face, slowly walking with them towards the barrier.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Kate? I have to be honest with you.” She whispered, swallowing hard. “When I met you… I thought you were a fool, like a weak point and desperate for a friend.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Those words made Y/N shed a tear. Ashamed of herself. “I was never so wrong in my entire existence… because you are my best friend. You are a good person, you have a big heart… so please, never lose it. I was the fool, but lucky to have you all.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“I do believe that you can change.” Kate dared to say,  those blue eyes so red from crying. The archer was the first brave one to step forward to help her, without expecting anything else. “I don't care that you are a demon, you both were my best friends. I'm sorry I was so afraid of you.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

… For the ones who need a hand…

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Thank you.” Kate said as well and hugged Y/N for a moment, surprising the demon who simply nodded barely.

Knowing that it was a noble sacrifice, despite being a completely dark creature.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Natasha tried to dry her tears and just smiled sadly, each one thanked her in her own way. Even with the silence.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“I think this time is going to work. Friday is turning on the machine...” Tony assured, somewhat sadly. “Do you think you can last five minutes?”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Five minutes?" Y/N took a deep breath. “Piece of cake.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

But as soon as she was going to leave, Y/N felt arms around her body. A strong, needed hug, a hug that she had waited her entire life for. The demon closed her eyes, trying not to keep crying.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Please don't leave me here.” Wanda begged, hiding her face in her lover's chest. Nothing mattered anymore, not the resentment, not the past, not the pain. The pain in her voice,  Wanda’s crying broke Y/N's heart.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“We can handle them, I- can handle them. Just don't leave, detka. Please.” The Sokovian tried, raising her gaze to fix her gaze on who she knew and considered to be the love of her life. 

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Smiling with deep anguish, Y/N gulped. “I have to.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

The Sokovian's sadness, the pain just made the demons around her, along with Abaddon, laugh like hyenas. Rejoicing in the brunette's pain because they knew it was all they needed.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“I don’t want you to die.” Wanda sobbed, caressing her face slowly, feeling deep pain when she saw the wound. “I’m sorry.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

And finally, a small and sincere smile, a small light of happiness, returned to those lips.

That was the best ending in the world, how could she not leave being loved by the most wonderful woman in existence?

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

She would leave like a champion. Like a champion of good.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“I love you.” She kissed Wanda’s forehead and closed her eyes as a small tear escaped down her bloody cheek. The demon couldn't wait any longer, even if that kiss lasted forever.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Slowly, her fingers slid away from hers. Although everything in her being, her mind, her heart, begged to stay… she knew it was best.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“You can do this.” The Sokovian said one more time, encouraging her once again.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Turning to look at her and picking up the sword from the ground, Y/N nodded solemnly.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

… For the ones who think they can.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Of course she will do it. For her.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“How long again, Stark?” Y/N growled.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“The process will begin in five minutes…” Friday warned, making Abaddon narrow her eyes.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

And without further ado, Y/N returned to attack Abaddon with enormous force. Despite the pain, despite the injuries, despite the death of a friend. She had love, and it was something much stronger than any evil in the world.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Three minutes!” Tony yelled.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Y/N swung her sword and struck so fiercely that the redhead had no choice but to back away.

Surprised, Abaddon's eyes widened as Y/N kicked her stomach and sliced part of the white long neck.

Blood began to fall, leaving the Knight with no choice but to attack again.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

But knowing those movements, and knowing that Abaddon knew nothing but rage, Y/N turned avoiding her in a spectacular move and dodged the blow, stabbing Abaddon in the chest.

A masterstroke, even making Natasha proud.

Smiling the same way Abaddon did when she killed Stolas, Y/N stabbed the sword even deeper until she was close to her face and looked into those malignant eyes. 

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“I was always superior to you, I just didn't want to settle for little... like you.” y/n whispered before violently removing the sword. The wound in her redhead's chest began to burn until she consumed it in a gasp of pain.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Breathing deeply and trying to stand, Y/N changed her eyes and watched the demons around her.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Abaddon is gone. I am superior now, and I order you not to attack. Anyone who does something I don't like will burn like she did.” Y/N growled at them, looking at them with a murderous look.

The demons simply took a step back and lowered their heads, accepting the orders.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Does this mean we don't have to leave?” Natasha asked, frowning.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

They were about to leave the barrier when Y/N opened her eyes wide and raised her hand, stopping them.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Wait.” Y/N whispered.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

She knew that presence, one Y/N hadn't seen for a long time but knew was around.

After a few seconds, a flutter of wings was heard and all the demons quickly moved away, making room for her to pass.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Slowly, that being walked towards Y/N with a unique elegance. Her curly brunette hair danced with every step she took, the armor shining like a sunny day.  She was a great fighter; the long sword, bearer of truth.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“I see you've gotten what you wanted.” Raphael said as she watched Abaddon’s ashes disappear.  “Well done! I'm here to make sure you keep your deal.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Y/N?” Tony frowned as Friday reminded him that the process was done, they were only one button away from leaving. “Is this about the deal?”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“What deal?” Wanda frowned.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Lower beings should not interfere when adults speak.” Raphael watched Tony as if she were a bird of prey about to pounce on him. And Tony was about to answer, when Y/N intervened.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Wait.” The demon quickly said, expectant of the archangel Raphael's movements. “The deal is that she will be protected and safe. For her to be with her friends, I don't want her to-”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Hold on.” Raphael turned to look at her, letting out an incredulous chuckle. Those blue eyes made her shiver. “That wasn't in the deal. I told you we would take care of her, and that's because I'm here to take her.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Not being able to believe what she was hearing, Y/N looked down somewhat thoughtfully.  “Take her where?”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“We’ll keep an eye on the girl in Heaven, we can't let 'The Scarlet Witch' just wander around there like it's nothing.” Raphael rolled her eyes, walking around to see Wanda more closely, as if it were a 'thing'.  “It is a very powerful weapon. And now its ours.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Y/N? What is she talking about?” Wanda looked at Y/N, who was still somewhat pensive.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“I don't care who you are. You're not taking her anywhere she doesn't want.” Steve stepped forward, holding his shield ready to defend the girl. Like everyone else, they took their place in front of Wanda.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“The process has been completed.” Friday repeated.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Y/N?” Tony asked again, hoping for a quick answer. The screen warned over and over again that everything was ready.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

The tension increased again, no one knew what to do or how to react.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“You know the place, right?” Y/N looked up and met Stark's eyes, who nodded knowing perfectly well what she meant. For a moment everyone believed that the problems had been solved, but apparently they had gotten worse.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Stark, don’t.” Wanda took a step forward, ready to leave the protection.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

“Now!” Y/N screamed and swung at the archangel, diverting her attention so they could escape.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

With a simple twist, so elegant and smooth, Raphael deflected Y/N's attack and stabbed the celestial sword into the demon's chest.

Opening her eyes wide, Y/N met Raphael's blue gaze and then fell to her knees.

A simple cut was already deadly, a stab to the heart of that shiny blade was eternal ruin.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

But nothing was as terrifying as Wanda's cry of pain, seeing the woman she loved dying, slowly fading away. A scream so powerful, that a scarlet witch energy escaped from her fingers with such force that it pushed Raphael and all the demons around her so hard.

The strength of that power made the archangel open her eyes big, terrified.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Wanda couldn't stop crying, fighting with everyone to escape from their arms and go to her. With her last efforts, Y/N threw her sword into the protection so Natasha took it, holding it with some fear.

Giving one last look to Wanda, Y/N smiled slightly before disappearing into the ashes.

Without waiting another second, Tony pressed the button and all the suits activated, and they disappeared in a matter of seconds. 

Leaving them behind.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

… And this part was for her, and this part was for her. This part was for her, does she remember?

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ

Okay,I know. This was so long, and might be the saddest thing I've ever wrote?

But I hope you liked it, finished it on my bday! ✨✨

Finale is coming soon.

here goes some cuties, the most amazing people tags   ✨  :  @wandanatfan @get-the-fuck-outta-here @idontknow-llol @marvelogic @sunsol-22 @alexawynters @kacka84 🐝

Thank you so much for reading me, sweets! ✨ I'm working hard, but there are only two more left!

If you want me to tag you in the next chapters, just comment and I will. 🐝

[knightwriiter93]

Debut of the Ghostly Gotham Knight

A Danny Phantom/Batman; Gotham Knights crossover

Chapter 1: Crash landing into safety

Date: October 17th 2014, Time: midnight, location: Statue of Jim Gordan.

It was raining once again in Gotham the gentle pitter patter of the rain bouncing off the roofs and the street of the city was simply white noise, Nightwing was resting at the base of the statue after dealing with a few gangs. Nightwing was reflecting on the promise he and the others made to the city exposing the Court of owls and their schemes dealing with some old villains here and there, forging new alliances making new enemies... It was a lot. The justice league had offered to lead a hand if it got too much for Nightwing and the others to handle. There was a second funeral held for Batman by the JL Nightwing, who had asked Red hood to give the eulogy as Batgirl and Robbin would be unable to and he wasn't going to be much better. Hood had agreed and to be honest it was definitely better than the one that Jacob Kane had given. Shaking his head to banish the recent memories Nightwing stood up and before he could grapple away...

"DUCK!" Nightwing headed the warning just as a speeding something or another blew past him and in an attempt to stop the whatever it is, managed to bounce along the path a few times before it slammed into the base of the gazebo cracking the foundation a little once the dust settled Nightwing sets faltered for a moment as what he saw was a child a year or two younger then Robbin sliver white hair that seem to blow in a none existing breeze, neon green eyes that reminded Nightwing of the Lazarus waters, a black and sliver bodysuit and a red and white duffle bag across the kids lap.

"hell kid are you alright?" Nightwing asked checking for injuries.

"where... Oh thank fuck." The kid started to ask before slouching. Nightwing watches as the kid reaches into the duffel bag and pulled out an ancient looking PDA that would have Batgirl and Robbin gaging, the kid placed the PDA into his hands patted it and then promptly passed out where a white colored ring blinked into view around the kids wast split into, traveled up and down the kids form replacing the sliver hair with midnight black, and the bodysuit with a T-shirt and jeans before blinking out of sight once more.

"belfry prep, one of our first aid kits I'm bringing in a Meta their injured and had handed me an ancient PDA that most likely has information on it about what the hell I just witnessed."

"understood Nightwing we'll see you and the young charge shortly." Alfred said as Nightwing picked the kid up and after summoning the Batcycle Nightwing drove back to the Belfry questions and worries racing though his mind which ultimately boiled down to; what the hell happened?

Several hours later

Danny jolted awake with a gasp and fell off the surface he had been sleeping on the blanket following him to the floor, where Danny was trying to get his breathing back under some format of control he felt more than saw a person sitting him up and talking to him trying to get him to follow their breathing it was working thankfully and after a few rounds of breathing the world around him fell into focus once more. Taking in his current location Danny took note that it looked like a living room from an old Pinterest board that his sister was raving about before she had left for college.the person behind him was... Robin?

"Wait? Robbin right your Robbin right?" Danny asked.

"that's me alright, You nearly crashed into Nightwing last night, Handed him a PDA of all things and promptly passed out before he could ask what was going on." Robbin said helping Danny stand back up, and placed him back on the couch that he had been sleeping on before hand.

"sorry about that I had only just shaking the bastards that were chasing me but one of them got a lucky shot in. Some kind of Disruptor I think, lost altitude fast and I really didn't want to crash into him if I could avoid it."

"we figured that much." Red hood said as he came up the stairs with a tray of food.

"here you need to eat something" hood stayed placing the tray on the coffee table.

"thank you. And I'm sorry for just dumping that PDA on you guys without context as to what was going on.

"your fine all though we do have questions as to what is going on but they can wait until you've actually recovered from three days worth of flight if the data we currently have is to go by I. Surprise you didn't crash before you nearly bowled over Nightwing like he was a bowling pin." Bay girl said

"hey! I would have dodged." Nightwing said only to get four disbelievingly eyebrows raised at him.

"My top flight speed is 112 mph I really don't think you would have dodged in time." Danny stayed nibbling on some buttered bread.

"Be that as it may we should let our guests finish eating, the bandage needs to be changed, and he still needs more rest before he can answer any questions." Alfred said startling everyone as they hadn't even heard him coming up the stairs behind Nightwing. With sheepish acknowledgments the bats and birds returned back to the task they had been doing before hand.

'what did I get myself into this time?' Danny asked himself as he watched the group disperse into various tasks while Alfred moved over to him with a first aid kit.

~and that's a wrap for chapter 1 y'all I'll see you next time when Danny clarifies everything that had happen and what everything on the PDA means~

[yelenasdiary]

Different Kind of Love || Part III

Pairing: CEO! MobBoss! Natasha Romanoff x Assistant! Reader (Platonic)

Summary: Working for Natasha was never easy and being a low-level assistant for the CEO wasn’t where you thought you’d be after working your hardest for 2 years. After catching you in tears on Christmas Eve, Natasha cold ways start to warm up.

Dark Themes | Language Warning | Mentions of Stalking | Mentions of Sexual Assault | Details of Torture | K | 

Notes: Dylan’s dialog is meant to sound like how a 5-year-old would talk and his nickname is Dyl and not a misspell. 

Different Kind of Love Masterlist

Dylan slept peacefully beside you, the Rugrats playing softly on your TV. He fell asleep hours ago, from snuggling with you to being spread out on your bed with this stuffed dinosaur clutched tightly to his chest. The time on your phone read 3:41 am, your thoughts keeping you from getting a wink of sleep. The photo of Dylan running through the park that was sent to you by Kane had you thinking about how long he'd been watching your son, watching you. 

You thought being in New York would've been safe, too big for Kane to come looking for you both. This wasn't the first time you had to move cities to escape Kane. At Dylan's first birthday party, Kane and a few of his friends showed up to the park and demanded that you allowed him to have a relationship with Dylan. Money was tight and you couldn't afford a lawyer, Kane started stalking you. He used his mates to keep watch over Dylan, you were always followed and felt unsafe. Since moving to New York, you didn't feel watched or followed, it was safe. 

8:17am, Dylan walked into this bedroom, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Mommy what are you doing?" he asked when he saw you placing some of this clothing in a suitcase. "Good morning sleepy head" you turned around to the young boy and smiled softly before walking up to him and scooping him up in your arms, "We're going to go on a little trip" you kissed his warm left cheek. "Where mommy?" his tired eyes looked at you, "it's a surprise" you smiled softly not exactly knowing where you planned on going. 

"Can Nat come with us?" 

"No, baby, it'll just be you and mommy, okay?" you gently brushed his bed hair out of his face, "How about you go pick out 5 of your favourite toys to take and I'll make you some breakfast" you added. Dylan nodded, "okay mommy" he smiled softly as you placed him back on his feet. You watched as he walked over to his toybox and started shifting through the small mountain of toys he had. "Can I take my robot dog that Santa gave me?" he asked just as you were walking out of the room, "of course darling". 

You made Dylan some toast with honey, a kid sized glass of apple juice and a small side bowl of cut up banana, apple and orange. "Mommy, can I draw Nat a picture before we go on?" Dylan asked as he squirmed into his seat, eager to fill his starving belly. "Uh, sure" you nodded, "we can drop it off at mommy's work on our way. Eat up honey, I'm just going to go finish packing your things" 

----

10:39am. 

Dylan held your hand tightly as you both walked into the office. A few co-workers liked to come in on weekends to finish up on urgent tasks, so it was unusual to see a few heads in the cubicles. "Y/n, Dylan, it's a Saturday what are you guys doing here?" You heard Natasha's voice come from behind you. She stood with a worried look with a mug of coffee keeping her hands warm. 

"We're going on a trip!" Dylan boosted, "I wanted to give you a drawing before we left" he added with a smile. Natasha looked at you and squinted her eyes slightly, "A trip sounds fun, where are you going?" She asked Dylan, her eyes slowly moving to look at him. "Mommy says it's a surprise" you smiled softly at Dylan's replied hoping to keep a concerned boss from questioning the sudden plans. 

Natasha placed her coffee of the nearest desk before she kneeled to Dylan and gave him a two-dollar bill, "You'll need a snack for your trip, why don't you go get one from the venting machine" she smiled softly. "Thank you, Nat!" Dylan didn't hesitate to take the bill and skip his way to the venting machine. 

"Can I see you in my office for a moment?" Natasha looked at you, reading your entire body language. "We have to get going, it's a long drive" you watched as Dylan grabbed a chair to stand on, "Be careful Dyl!" you called. "It wasn't a question, Y/n." Natasha spoke sternly as if you were a student in trouble, her head gestured to her office. With a sigh and a last glance at your son, you walked into Natasha's office, she closed the door quietly behind the two of you. 

"What's going on?" she asked. 

"Nothing? I just want to take Dylan to see my parents, it's been a while" 

"Without taking any leave? Without letting me know?" Natasha frowned slightly, she noticed your hands shaking ever so slightly and the worried look in your eyes. "What's going on?" she asked again, this time with more worry in her tone. You sat down blinking the tears from your eyes as Natasha took the seat across from you. "If this is about my absence, I'm really sorry" 

"It's not" you looked at her, "He wants Dylan, he came to my apartment last night….he said he's getting a lawyer….Natasha, I can't afford a lawyer….I can't let him take my boy" you explained as you looked into her eyes. Natasha handed you a tissue, "What's his name?" she asked reaching for her laptop on her desk. "Kane Lowes" you mumbled as you used the tissue to wipe your tears, "he's been watching Dylan in the park, he sent me a photo text last night" 

"Don't say another word" Natasha stopped you, "I'm sorry…" you looked at her slightly confused on her change of tone, her eyes were glued to her laptop screen and a frown. "W-what is it?" you asked. 

"Dear Miss Romanova,

My name is Kane Lowes and I'm coming to you for help with my son who I haven't seen since his first birthday. 

The mother of my son has refused to allow me access to see him since he was born. She has moved from serval states to avoid letting me have any form of connection with my son, she is never home with him, and he is constantly being looked after by a sitter. I have no way of contacting his mother and I do not know if my son is being looked after properly. 

The one time I had seen my son was at his first birthday party at a local party near his mother's parents' home. There she refused to allow me to even say a simple hello to my child and had her father remove me from the surroundings. 

I understand you the one of the best lawyers in New York City which is where I believe my son is now living. 

I'm requesting full custody and I'm hoping you will be able to help. I just want to have a growing connection with my child, if I had a photo of him I would attach it to this email for you to see but unfortunately I don't even have that. 

If you can't help me, could you please refer me to a lawyer who can help. 

Kind regards, 

Kane Lowes" 

Natasha looked at you, "he's asked me to be his lawyer, I got this email last night".

"P-please tell me you haven't replied" your heart sunk. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't know who he was, and it seemed like an easy case to have one those guys out there do it"

Tears filled your eyes once more, "I have to go" you stood up as Dylan opened the door. "Dylan do mind giving me and mommy a moment to chat?" Natasha looked over at the door and gave him a friendly smile, the young boy nodded and closed the door. "I have to go Natasha, we can't stay" you panicked when Natasha gently took your hands into hers. 

"He isn't going to take him; do you understand me? We have a case against him. Do you still have that text message he sent you?" she looked into your eyes as you nodded slowly, "Good. We can used that against him as well" 

"But you've already taken his case…and I can't afford to pay you" more tears filled your eyes at the thought of losing your son. Nat chuckled slightly, "Do you think I'd allow you to pay me? Y/n, he assaulted you. No judge or jury is going to allow him any form of custody, I promise. I'm going to call him and tell him that there was a mistake and Romanova Lawyers will not be taking his case" Natasha's words started to calm you down, "Promise me you and Dylan won't run. I'm not going to allow him to take Dylan, I promise you" she adds. 

Wiping your tears, you nodded. "Good, now how about you go down to your car and get your luggage, I'll have my driver drop you and Dylan off at my condo. You guys can stay there until we deal with this" Natasha insisted, she saw the worry in your eyes, "There is security and he won't be able to step foot on the property" she assures you as you give her another nod.

Natasha showed you out of her office and waited until you had gotten in the elevator with Dylan before closing her office door and walking over to her desk, unlocking her bottom drawer to pick up an old mobile. 

"Bucky, it's Nat. I need you to do something for me. Find out whatever information you can about a Kane Lowes, I'll text through an email address and phone number" she intrusted with a stern tone. "Ooo, a little cat and mouse game" Natasha could hear the smirk forming on his lips, "just information Barnes. I'll be in contact when I can" Natasha hung up the call and placed the mobile back in its drawer. 

----

Natasha's condo was bigger than anything you could picture for yourself. With 7 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms, an exercise room, 2 pools, a spa, a cinema room, a small half basketball court with a single ring, a gaming room, a private Terrance and a beautiful view of Central Park, you felt like you were dreaming. Dylan's jaw dropped when he saw the indoor heated pool, "Do you want to go swimming after lunch?" Natasha asked, seeing the excitement in the boy's eyes. 

"Please mommy!" Dylan looked up at you, his hand in yours while Natasha was giving you both the grand tour. "I didn't pack your bathing suit honey, maybe another time" you hated to disappoint after seeing the pout on his tiny lips.

 "Don't sweat it, I'm sure I have an old pair of Nathaniel's old bathing suit lying around that should fit him"

"Are you sure? You've already done more than enough for us; Dylan will be happy with his toys and a movie" you look over at Natasha. "I have all this space; it'll be nice to have somebody enjoying the pool again" she replied with a soft smile. 

After lunch which was kindly prepared by Natasha's personal chef, you joined Dylan in the heated pool keeping him on the shallow end of course. "Look Mommy!" Dylan giggled proudly as he paddled over to you with floaties on his arms, "I can kick my legs!" he added before the splashing started. "You're doing so good, honey!" you held your arms out for him to swim to you. "Looks like your pro little man!" Natasha entered the room gently clapping her hands at Dylan. 

"Watch me, Nat!! Mommy showed me how to swim!" 

"I'm watching!" Nat smiled softly walking over to you by the pool. "I have to duck out for a few hours, I'll be back before dinner. You two make yourselves at home" she whispered as Dylan swam around. 

----

"Bucky, I told you I just wanted information!" Natasha mumbled to Bucky as she stormed into the hidden warehouse, "Oh come on boss, we all know what you mean by that. Eventually you'd wanna track him down. I was just saving us the extra job" a cold smirk tugged at his lips before he so kindly pulled back the heavy door. Kane sat in a wooden chair, chained by his wrists and ankles. "You really need better listening skills!" Natasha shook her head before walking up to Kane. 

"Where the fuck am I?!" he squirmed in the chair, his voice muffled by the potato bag over his head. "Remove it" Natasha instructed Bucky as he made his way to stand behind Kane. To the left was a countertop already prepared with different tools and weapons neatly set out by Bucky. The bag was removed and instantly Natasha's eyes were met with the same blue eyes Dylan had. 

"What the fuck do you want?! Unchain me you crazy fuck!" Kane spat causing Natasha to chuckle slightly, "We're going to skip the whole 'who are you?' 'What do you want?' crap" her eyes glared deeply at the young man. "Who put you up to this?! Come on, bitch tell me! Is it money that you want?!" Kane squirmed more, pulling at the chains that had left their imprint on his skin. 

"I don't need your money, besides, if I wanted it I would already have it" Nat replied as she walked over to the countertop and picked up the red nail gun. "T-then w-what do you w-want with me?!" Kane's asked in a stutter when Natasha turned around to face him with the gun in her right hand. "We're going to have a little chat" Nat walked up to Kane never letting her eyes leave his, "and if you lie to me, I'm going to nail you to this fucking chair. You can scream as much as you like, nobody will hear you. Once I've used every nail in this gun, I will move onto the next little toy I have. So what's it going to be Kane?" she added with a smirk before looking up at Bucky as he puffed on his cigarette.

"How the hell do you know my name?!"

"I ask the questions, you answer. Got it? Now let's start with the elephant in the room. What do you want with Dylan?" 

"Who the hell is Dylan!?" Kane spat in reply, "I don't know any Dylan!" he added. 

Bucky laughed loudly behind Kane as Natasha took a few steps closer to Kane, "N…n-no I swear! I don't know a D-Dylan!" He stuttered when the nail gun was pressed against the top of his hand. "Liar" Natasha pressed the trigger, forcing a rusted nail through his hand. Kane screamed out in pain and squirmed pulling more at his chains. "Do you want to try that again?" Nat gripped his jaw and forced him to look at her, "What do you want with Dylan?" 

----

You smiled softly when you noticed that Dylan had fallen asleep on the large sofa in the cinema room, worn out from all the swimming and excitement of the large condo. You placed a kiss on his soft cheek and overed him with a throw blanket leaving him to nap. Curiosity got the better of you as you walked the one of the 5 floors to Natasha's condo, photos of her with what you assumed were her friends and family hanging on the walls. She looked happy as the photos went on down the hall. 

It made you wonder how Natasha could afford such a place like this with just being a lawyer and a private detective on the side, her office was plastered with certificates from law school, university, and recognition certificates for her work. The bookcase was full of all types of books covering topics she knew all so much about. 

"Excuse me Miss" the maid kindly spoke while standing in the doorway of Natasha's home office, "The bedrooms for you and your son are now ready and the chef wanted me to let you know that dinner will be ready in 35 minutes" she added. 

"Oh, thank you so much…uhm…which floor are the rooms on?"

"The 5th floor ma'am" she smiled and walked away accidently dropping her keys. "Miss!" you picked them up as she turned around, "you dropped these" you smiled softly holding the keys with a red hourglass symbol keyring catching your attention. "I've seen this before, spray painted on parts of the city. Do you know what it means?" You asked as the maid kindly took the keys from your hand. "That is Miss Romanova's business logo, she takes great pride in it" The maid smiled, "I must continue my work, is there anything else I can get you?" she added. 

"No, thank you" 

You put Dylan to bed not long after dinner, tucking him in as he snuggled his stuffed toy. "Goodnight angel" you whispered before placing a soft kiss on his forehead and leaving the room with the door closed over. "Did he go down well?" Natasha's voice made you jump, "gosh! You scared the shit of me!" You placed a hand over your heart. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean too" Nat chuckled quietly, careful not to wake Dylan. "Are you up for the glass of wine I offered?" She asked with a smile. "Sure, I have some questions" you playfully winked before following the redhead to the roof Terrence. "Questions huh? Well now I feel a little intimidated" Nat chuckled.

Taglist: @marvelogic | @randomnessbecausewhynot | @blackwidow-3 | 

[lyrakanefanaticwriting]

The Grandest Game

Chapter 5

———————————————————

LYRA:

As we walked to my room, I felt oddly nervous and… well, surprised. I didn’t think Grayson would start freaking out once I told him that I was the girl who had called his phone, but telling him was also easier than I had expected. Suddenly, Grayson stops walking, which snapped me out of my thoughts, and I turned to see the door to my room.

“This is your room. Avery’s is the last one right down the hall, so if you ever have any questions you can go to her.” He says. I open the door to my room and walk in, hauling my luggage and backpack into it. I couldn’t stop my mouth from shaping into an ‘o’ at the size of the room, because it was massive. Like the size of my living room, kitchen, and bathroom combined. I looked towards two doors, one for the bathroom and one for a walk in closet. What even is this place? I glanced back to Grayson, who was watching me in the doorway with an almost amused expression on his face.

“What, you’re just used to the richie life, Mr. Hawthorne?” I asked, raising a brow. He raised one back.

“Well, I can’t say that I’m not, Ms. Kane.” He says, using my last name to address me just like how I had used his to address him. Really looking at his face now, I just realized how well his eyes contrasted his suit. I looked away and put my stuff down near my bed.

“Does Avery want us to meet up again to discuss the rules of The Game, or are we unpacking first?” I asked, turned away from him.

“Just put your stuff down and we can head back to the foyer, she just needs to discuss a few more things.” He states. I nod before turning back to him, and walking out of my room. He gets out of my doorway and heads back the way we came from to the foyer.

——————————————————————————

Avery had finally finished explaining how it was all going to go down, and I basically knew as much as when I first got here. Weekends are free for family to visit or just to do whatever you want, breakfast, lunch, and dinner is at 8:30, 12:00, and 5:00, and we’ll get texts from Avery and the other game masters if we need to meet up anywhere to discuss clues.

“But that’s all. You all are free to head back to your rooms, explore, or do whatever you’d like in the house for today, since you just got here. And if you have any questions whatsoever, just send me a text!” She says, holding up her phone. All of us start to walk away, including me, when the girl with braids and glasses from earlier pops up in front of me.

“Hello!” She says, smiling. She had a perfect, toothpaste ad smile and a bubbly attitude.

“Oh, hi.” I say, caught off guard.

“My names Briana Maxford, but you can call me Bree. What’s yours?” She asks me. Oh, I just now realized, she’s trying to get to know the contestants, starting with me.

“Mines Lyra Kane.” I say. Her smile grows.

“Your names really pretty.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“I know this is random but… would you like to explore the house with me?” It was random. But, I had to get to know the other contestants better at some point, so I guess this was a good start. I smiled.

“Let’s do it.”

——————————————————————————

We had mainly been wandering through corridors and finding a gym, basketball court, bowling alley, and more rooms. I didn’t understand how this place was so big. It was like a 5 star hotel with everything you could ever dream of in it. Just then, we find a large entrance to.. something. I turned to Bree.

“Should we check it out?” I asked. She nodded, her eyes sparkling. We walked in and I gasped at the sight of it. It was a library, a giant one, with rows and rows of books. There were swirled staircases to reach the higher shelves, and giant windows to let the sunlight peek through. Finally, for the first time since I had arrived, a real, true smile shone on my face. I loved books. There’s not anything to not like about them, and I had a feeling that this is where I was going to be spending most of my time. Suddenly, I spotted a guy who was looking at the books himself, and spying us as well. It was the guy with the interesting stance from before, the one who had winked at me. Our eyes locked and my smile dropped as he started to walk towards us.

“Well, hello.” He says, with a sly smile. He had a British accent, and I just now realized that people from all around the world could be here.

“Hi.” I say in deadpan. Bree says the same thing, but in a much lighter tone.

“Do you two have names?” He asks us. No, I wanted to say, just be petty. Of course we had names.

“Her names Lyra, and mines Briana, but you can just call me Bree. What’s yours?” She asks.

“Rohan. What brings you to The Game?” He asks, raising a brow.

“The money, of course.” Bree replies, with a half shrug. He nods. Then, he turns to me, a thoughtful expression on his face.

“And what about you? Do you have any hobbies, or do you just brood and give people one word replies?” He asks me.

“I have hobbies. Do you, or do you just corner people in libraries and force them to answer random questions?” I shoot back. His eyebrows raise.

“Of course I do. I write, I fight, I gamble.” He says, a twinkle in his eyes. I narrow my eyes at him.

“Gamblings not a hobby.”

“Sure it is. You should try it out sometimes.” His hands go behind his back.

“If I wanted to watch men dig holes for themselves to roll into, I would have gone to a graveyard.” I say in deadpan. He grins, and even Bree smiles.

“Alrighty. You have fun brooding. And for you,” He says, turning his gaze to Bree, “I hope to see you around sometime.” He smiles at her. She smiles back.

“Same with you, Rohan.” She replies. He nods, before glancing back at me and turning to walk away.

“He seems nice.” Bree suggested. I make a face but nod. Suddenly, we both get texts from Avery. It read, “siNce tomorrow Is a saturday, family is allowed to visit and you Get tHe day To yourSelf. alThough i mAy waNt to have a few worDs with you then, but it won’t take too long.” At first glance, I could tell there was a code in the text. Seeing if she would notice, I show Bree the text, and she just reads it and shrugs.

“More relaxation time. Wanna head back to our rooms?” She asked, since we had already seen almost all of the house. I nodded and we headed back, hoping to not get lost.

——————————————————————————

Back in my room, I check the text again and make a word out of the uppercase letters. NIGHTSTAND. Well, that was easy. Easier than I expected. Going to my nightstand, I grabbed the letter off of it and read what was inside. “Hello Lyra Kane! Welcome to The Game. I am so glad to have you as one of our contestants, and I hope you enjoy your time here. Feel free to explore the house whenever you feel like it, as I’m sure there is always at least one thing that remains unseen. - The Game Masters.” I frowned and reread it. My brain couldn’t stop latching onto the last part, and I felt like I was missing something.

“Remains unseen.” I muttered. Then, a puzzle piece clicks into place in my brain as I realize what the note was trying to say. Remains unseen. A thought hits me as I go towards the desk in my room. I searched it to see if it had anything I needed, when my eyes fell on a small black light. I picked it up and placed it over the blank end of the envelope, to see if there was anything written there, when text starts to appear. I place the black light closer, and start to read it. “MEET IN THE LIBRARY ON FRIDAY, 9:30 PM” It read. So much for ‘having the day to ourselves’. But, if I was going to be here, I had to do something, right? I wonder what Eve would tell me to do. Probably tell me to get close to the Hawthornes, but there’s no possible way I could do that if I can’t even socialize with another contestant. It doesn’t matter. Once I find out what happened to my father, and Eve gives me my money, I can get my family out of this place and never look back. That’s what I’m working towards. And if I can make it happen, then it’ll be worth it.

——————————————————————————

THERES A SIX OF CROWS LINE IN HERE THAT I USED, AND IF U READ THE BOOK U MIGHT RECOGNIZE IT 😜😜

also I wanted this chapter to focus more on the game instead of just grayson and lyras (cough cough love story cough cough- who said that?) interactions so you won’t see much of that in this one unfortunately 😔😢

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Midnight Swan

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: Jason doesn't die in the explosion in this AU, BUT he does team up with Kate Kane in this.

Chapters: 5/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Kate Kane, Bruce Wayne

Additional Tags: Jason Todd Survives The Explosion, POV Jason Todd, Angst, Secrets

Chapter Five: Claustrophobia

I thought about leaving for good. I'd been at Kate's apartment for a week, and she didn't have much to say. Instead, she left little notes of things for me to do. That was probably her way of giving me space. The first few days, Kate asked me to run on the treadmill and pick up groceries. Bruce tried to contact me at school. At first, it was through phone calls, but it quickly escalated to him showing up at my school and pulling me out of class. It was humiliating.

I was on my way out of English when Bruce cornered me by the stairwell. "Jason, can we talk?" Bruce asked. I turned my face away from him. "Jason." He tried to make eye contact with me, but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. "Jason, please." He grabbed me by the shoulders and leaned forward, and I drove my forehead into his nose. I don't know why I did it, but I did. Everyone in the hallway seemed to freeze in place as he covered his bleeding nose, and I ran off. I left campus and got a ride back to Kate's. By the time I got there, she was furious with me.

"You get in a fight or something?" Kate asked as she pulled at my shirt.

I looked down and saw Bruce's blood was all over me. "It's not mine. It's Bruce's," I mumbled. Kate pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "He grabbed me! It was a reflex!" I pushed a hand through my hair and took a breath. I couldn't slow my heart down.

"Jason, let me get this straight... You attacked Bruce in front of other students?" Kate questioned. I nodded, but I couldn't look her in the eye. I thought she was about to chew me out, but she grabbed a face towel from the bathroom and scrubbed Bruce's blood off my face. "You okay?"

"I'm alright... I wasn't trying to hurt him. I only wanted him to let me go to class," I explained. She nodded as she looked me in the eye.

I went to my room and changed shirts before I stared in the mirror at myself. My bangs lay plastered to my forehead, barely concealing the bruise I sustained from breaking Bruce's nose. "Jason?" a voice whispered softly in my ear. I felt their breath near my ear and a hand on my shoulder.

"Stop," I whispered. I shut my eyes and tried to will it away.

"Jason, can you hear me?" It was a woman's voice. I knew who she was. I heard her whenever I was in distress, which caused me even more misery.

I shook her hand off my shoulder and hugged myself as I walked into the corner of the room. I closed my eyes and waited until the woman stopped speaking to me.

"Jason," Kate called me as she touched my arm. I recoiled and held my arms above my head. "Jason... It's me. Kate."

I nodded and put my hands down. "Yeah... Yeah, sorry. I need—. I broke Bruce's nose... In front of other kids. Civilian kids," I whispered. I was past the adrenaline rush as I dove headfirst into full-blown panic. "They're gonna think Bruce is abusing me. CPS is gonna get involved."

"Jason, look at me—."

"I'm gonna get suspended-. I'm gonna have to go back to therapy... Or worse. They'll think I'm a danger—." I started feeling claustrophobic, and I couldn't catch my breath. It was so sudden and intense that I forgot where I was. I hadn't blacked out like that in months, Just when I thought I'd gotten better.

I could taste the gravel in my mouth, and I pressed my palms against my eyelids. I hadn't felt this bad in months. I thought that I was dying. Kate sat on my bed and took a breath. "Jason, you're safe with me. You're in your bedroom in my apartment. You're in your bedroom in my apartment, and you're safe," Kate stated, "If you can hear me, I want you to tell me what you need. Would you like me to open the window so you can get some air?"

I nodded. There wasn't enough air. I was dying. Or at least I felt like it. Claustrophobia. I couldn't open my eyes. I didn't want to see walls around me. I feared the thought of being trapped... Buried alive. I gasped for air until my chest hurt. "Okay, the window's open. The window's open... The window's open, and you are with me. You're with Cousin Kate," Kate said. I tried to focus on her voice but couldn't stop thinking about all my worries. CPS. Bruce's nose. Training. Therapy. Broken. Battered. Useless. Ruined.

"I'm not good enough... Bruce was right," I mumbled as I sank to the ground. "Why'd he keep me around? Is it because he feels guilty? It wasn't his fault that I—. It was my fault, Kate." Kate crouched down in front of me.

"That's not true... C'mere," Kate whispered. I shook my head.

"Kate, I'm worthless. Who am I if I can't be his Robin? What am I if I can't be Jason?" I asked.

"You're not worthless... And you're so much more than Robin. You're his son—."

God, I wished I could cry. If I could shed tears, maybe I wouldn't have felt like my stomach was in knots. "That doesn't mean anything to him! If it did, I wouldn't be alone! I'm always alone! He can't even look at me!" I snapped. Kate sat in front of me.

"I understand that's how this feels right now, but that's not how it is. Parenting is hard... And Bruce is struggling to balance that with his other two lives. He's floundering," Kate whispered, "And you know what? You aren't worthless. You've been through things that no human being should ever experience. You're what? Sixteen? You've lost three parents and seen things that would drive most kids out of their heads... I say you're tougher than most." Kate tugged at my bangs so they'd curl back up. She was uncharacteristically gentle, but it soothed me. I let my guard down long enough for her to put me to bed. She stayed with me until I fell asleep.

When I woke up, Kate sat across from me, eating noodles. "Good morning," Kate greeted. I turned on my side, facing her. "It's not really morning. It's actually dinner time. You look like shit."

"Feel like it... Kate, I'm sorry. I understand if you think I'm too messed up for you to train me—."

"I'm still gonna train you. You're not getting rid of me that easy... And CPS is not going to get involved. I called Bruce and told him you were with me. He was glad you were safe," Kate whispered, "Do you want to see him?" I shook my head.

I wanted to sit up I was too tired to. Kate reached out and rustled a hand through my curls. "Thanks, Kate... But you don't have to treat me like—."

"I'm not treating you like anything. I'm letting you know you're gonna be okay. Do you want some?" Kate offered me some noodles.

"Are you gonna finish yours?" I asked. Kate smiled, and I immediately felt nothing but embarrassment.

"I can make you your own bowl, but if you want to eat my half-finished noodles, knock yourself out," Kate whispered.

I didn't want to be alone, so I sat up and started eating the rest of her noodles. "What else did Bruce say?" I asked.

"He asked me to take care of you until you were ready to go home... Listen, I don't wanna get in between you and Bruce. I think you need a different form of guidance... Something Bruce isn't capable of offering. He wants to focus on being a better parent, not a mentor, and I don't think he knows you need both," Kate explained.

I finished eating before I said anything else. "So you're gonna be my mentor?" I asked. Kate nodded.

Kate nodded at me. "I don't want you to give up on yourself. I'm not gonna let you do that to yourself. We'll talk about the other stuff when you get some sleep. Oh, and I know you haven't been sleeping," Kate replied. I couldn't argue with her. I set the bowl on the nightstand and pressed my face into my pillow. "I want you to call Bruce this week."

"Within seven days or the actual end of this week?" I asked.

"Cute. Call him before next Monday, Jason," Kate replied as she took the dishes to the kitchen. She didn't return after that. I didn't mind because I was too tired to be afraid anymore. I was too tired for everything. All I wanted to do was rest. And rest, I did.

[x-manson-annotated]

X-Manson Annotated Chapter 4 - Part One - CABLE AND COLOSSUS

This section will primarily focus on Cable, but what little it tells us about Piotr and Illyana Rasputin will be discussed throughout this section. Not to bet around the bush, but this section's as rough as it gets. Trigger and content warnings below:

tw rape, tw animal death, tw cannibalism, tw necrophilia, etc.

The first quote here makes me think of a thing Warren Ellis said in his book, "Planetary". He described people who come from this background, this grey, unknown quantity as being "Twilight People".

Piotr's abilities are potentially tied to where he was born? So, mutations have an environmental factor that is associated with the physical makeup of where they were born/raised.

This is coupled with radiation. It seems that this is taking it's cues from the Silver Age interpretation of mutation where they're created by radiation rather than it being evolution/a latent gene.

Illyana Rasputina.

Not Piotr's bio sister.

Possibly not his sister in any sense.

This is the first time she's been mentioned?

Is it possible she is his sister and she simply didn't die at the site? Or at all?

Possibly all of them?

Cable and The Six Pack.

If this is going by the comics their group would have consisted of:

Cable

G.W Bridge

Garrison Kane

Grizzly

Hammer

Domino

The only surviving member is of course, Domino as we'll later see. However, this is somewhere that I fall short. I don't like 90s marvel. 90s Cable is a blank spot for me.

But from what i've learned, Only Cable, Grizzly and Domino are mutants.

Hammer, G.W Bridge, and Garrison Kane are human. Garrison being a human-cyborg.

So, this opens up the possibility of people having cyborg enhancements in this setting. though, this all might take place before Kane had the opportunity to have his limbs replaced.

Domino, Neena Thurman. I'm not sure if her name was given by the time of this being written in 2000.

Twelve Years. Earlier on into the story we have Kitty's narration say that she's lived in her room in Canada for over ten years.

I have some thoughts about why Domino is being held under such strict imprisonment outside of the cult.

First, there's the matter of her power. She has supremely good luck, is it possible that she wants to be here? Do they know about this and have been trying to arrange things so she can't escape?

Then there's what she knows. She's one of the few people involved who survived everything, without being executed by the state. She's also limited in what she can talk about with the Interviewer (possibly a different interviewer than the one we've been seeing).

I think she knows more about a Weapon X-like program that created Logan, Kane, and perhaps even Cable than she's letting on.

See, she's not officially allowed to talk about certain things. I think this last comment is her saying that it doesn't matter if she says anything about them, they'll both be killed by higher ups in the government.

Okay. Here's a breakdown of what I've got concerning all of this.

*Sometimes from the future, sometimes from the past - Comics Nathan being born in the present, but taken to the future, only to return as an adult.

*Canaan. New Canaan is the dominant nation in the future he was raised in.

*The personal space station from and to the future is Graymalkin.

I kind of hate Cable, even in comics.

The first highlighted portion makes me think of this joke by @waitingforthet:

It seems that Cable is making up his whole deal as he goes along.

Feels like a comment on the nature of 90s anti-heroes that were springing up in the wake of characters like Cable and X-Force. Deniable, murderous mercenaries. Disposable ideas. Characters like tissue paper.

Grant Morrison has a quote about this in their book Supergods where they discuss how it was kind of born out of a time when there wasn't an active war that the U.S was participating in. I wish I had a physical copy of the book with me because they explain it more eloquently than I can.

It tracks that people would develop anti-psi protection in a world where psychics are a known and dangerous quantity. I want to know more about this tech that Cable's got. I think him being from the future is kind of bullshit, so I want to know where he's gotten it from.

Also, Jesus christ! I think if broken down, you might be able to see this as Doctor Benway inserting shock for the sake of shock. This becomes a lot more frequent later in the story. But, Jesus.

Nathan count continues to stand at 2.

Joseph being an alias he used feels interesting. I don't know if i'm close, but the interviewer's reaction makes me think that it has some connection to Joseph the clone of Magneto. Maybe some version of him exists, either not as a clone or completely unconnected to Erich.

*The part about him being both the messiah and the messiah's dad will unfortunately come up again later.

*En Sabbah Nur. Also coming up later.

The Four Horsemen:

Erich Lehnsherr - (War, because he's actively trying to stop war.)

Gabrielle Lehnsherr [Haller] - (Famine? Because she was trying to help relocate refugees into the U.K?)

Amelia Voght - (Pestilence because she runs the W.H.O)

Various - Death.

Candidates for Death:

John Kelly

Daniel Cohn-Bendit?

The Professor.

Let's get Cohn-Bendit out of the way, I think this is referring to him:

he was an active politician around when Benway was writing, so it's possible he would have known about him. I don't know if he was included because of Cohn-Bendit's writings from the 70s or from the accusations of him raping minors.

Skipping past all the real world awfulness, I'd like to turn our attention to The Professor:

I think that this isn't in reference to Xavier at all. But in reference to Truett Hudson/Professor Thorton of Weapon X.

Luck Powers in action.

See, i've been saying this from the very beginning about the damn Pate and sausages. They aren't vegetarian. That Grundy woman from chapter one and everyone at the open house ate people meat!

*This is what makes me suspect that it isn't the same interviewer.

**Here, I've developed a theory about why Cable is acting like this:

What if. He is half right and Scott and Jean are his parents. And he is from the future and all that other horseshit. But, here's the rub: He isn't Cable he's Stryfe.

*That was creepy? Not the cannibalism or the animal death, or the multiple murders? Cable and Xavier being weird at eachother with sentences was creepy?

Also, another random shock moment that doesn't really do much for the story. It's terrifying, yes. It's deeply upsetting, yes. But what is it actually doing for the story?

[braveclementine]

Chapter 1

Warnings: None. However, future chapters will contain sexual content so readers that are under the age of 18 may have to skip those chapters (However they are very few so those under the age of 18 can still read a majority of this book. However please keep note of the warnings).

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. I also do not condone any copying of this.

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𝕴 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖍𝖆𝖛𝖎𝖓𝖌 a nice, pleasant conversation with Severus. By nice, pleasant conversation, I meant that my lips, and his lips, were touching and he was holding me in a way that made me want to stay there forever.

But we couldn't. Dad would probably kill me- or Severus- if he walked in on us. Considering he lived here, there was a very high chance of us being discovered.

I lowered my lips from his and said, "You should probably go. Dad'll be looking for me now that the meeting is over." I whispered. A lovely shiver went over me as his lips went to the side of my neck. My hands, which were on the front of his robes, curled into fists, pulling him closer to me.

"In a minute." he whispered. I grinned as he brought his lips back up to touch mine. I closed my eyes and fell deeper into the kiss. I could just barely feel the tip of his tongue on my bottom lip.

"Alright." he said, pulling away as we both gasped slightly for air. "Now, I'll go."

I got up from the chair and he stood and ran a hand through his hair. "It looks fine." I said, handing his his traveling cloak. I, meanwhile, checked myself in the mirror. My hair was a mess. I quickly smoothed it down. Severus kissed the top of my head.

"I'll see you later." He said, his fingers trailing across my cheek.

"Bye." I said and he left the room.

Once he was gone, I felt happy for a little longer before the depression I'd been suppressing set back in. I took in a shuddering breath and tried to push Cedric's death out of my mind.

I went to the dresser in the corner, in the room I got to myself, and quickly pulled out parchment, ink, and a quill. The only way to get my mind off Cedric's death was to write to Harry.

Harry wasn't here. Dumbledore didn't want him here yet. I thought it was bloody stupid that we weren't allowed to tell him a damn thing. There was a large injustice to it. If it wasn't for Harry, none of us would've known that Cedric was dead- or Harry for that matter. And because of that, we wouldn't have known Voldemort was back. (Well except for the fact that I had visions and would've told them unless Peter had managed to get to me before Severus). So, I tried to tell him as much as possible.

In the first couple weeks of June, Dad and I had stayed at our house and I had been really glad about this. Sirius had stayed with us and I had gotten to hang out with Trang every day. I had also explained every detail of last year to her.

Trang had been very alarmed about Voldemort rising- she'd accepted my story without questions. She was also alarmed that I'd been tortured to stop me from preventing the rise of Voldemort, and that a student, my best friend in the Hufflepuff house, had been killed.

I clenched my quill as an image of Cedric lay, eagle-spread on dead grass and dirt, eyes open and blank entered my mind. I quickly pushed it out of my head, trying to think of him alive, soaring on his broom, chasing a snitch, racing me, dancing with me- but even thinking of him alive was painful. A tear dropped onto the parchment. I cursed and tossed the parchment in the trash. I didn't need Harry knowing I'd been crying while I wrote to him.

But now, Dumbledore had made Sirius move into 12, Grimmauld Place. Dad had moved in as well, mostly to keep Sirius company, and so had the Weasley family- minus Percy- and also Hermione. But that meant that I was far away from Trang, for Trang had not moved into the house, and Dad had told both of us that it wasn't a good idea for either of us.

So, we had to contend ourselves to sending letters and only seeing each other on Saturday and Sunday when Dad would let me go back to the house using side-along apparation- we were never allowed to use the floo network.

I knew what it was like to be trapped and so this is why I wrote to Harry telling him as much as possible.

Now we were in the second week of July and today I wrote:

Dear Harry, I know you're looking for information on Voldemort or what's going on. It's hard to say, you know? But you deserve to know so I'm going to try my best. I know you've been watching the Muggle news and getting the Daily Prophet. No, the Daily Prophet is never going to print anything about Voldemort- Fudge won't let them. Voldemort, we've decided, is laying low so you're not going to hear anything on the Muggle news either. I know you're frustrated with Ron, Hermione, and Sirius for not giving you more information. I would find it frustrating as well considering you are the one that came back to tell us Voldemort is here. I've asked Dad to ask Dumbledore to let you come but Dumbledore keeps saying 'not yet'. I don't know what he's playing at. You should probably know, so you're not surprised, that Dumbledore has people following you. I won't share their names just in case, you know? We also aren't at the Burrow, so, while I know you're tempted to fly there- don't. I'm not allowed in the meetings so I don't know what the adults are talking about. It's stupid really. I thought Sirius would let me in even if dad wouldn't, but even Sirius seems to want to keep me out. Says I've been through enough. Bloody hell Harry, I know for a fact he'd let you in the conversation in a minute! It's so unfair! But I won't talk about unfair while you're stuck there and I'm at least here. Even Severus won't tell me anything! (Professor Snape). I'm trying to see if Dad will let me come and visit. I haven't asked yet. I'll let you know soon. I'll send this the minute Sadie comes back from visiting Trang (or if Hedwig shows up before Sadie gets back). I won't tell you to be a good boy or stay out of trouble (though I hope you do). But it is of utmost importance you do your best not to use any magic. The Ministry would love an excuse to put you on trial and expel you from Hogwarts. I'd tell you to stay inside at all times but I can't because I'm inside at all times and it sucks. Write soon, love, Elizabeth

Yes, that looked about right. I was giving him information- Voldemort wasn't doing anything, people were following him, meetings. . . but not too much information.

I set the parchment aside and heard a knock on my door. I quickly pulled some runes homework onto my desk and said, "Come in!"

Dad came in, closing the door behind him. My eyes quickly scanned the bedroom in case Severus had left anything but he hadn't and my eyes flicked back up to Dad. "Meeting done?" I asked a bit coldly, turning back to my homework.

"Elizabeth." Dad said in a warning voice, "You know perfectly well why I won't let you into the meetings."

Yes. Because I had a tendency to try and take things into my own hands and dad was afraid I was going to do something rash and dangerous with the information.

"Besides." Dad continued in a soothing voice, "Fred and George aren't allowed to attend and they're two years older than you."

"Yeah, but you're not supposed to keep me out of stuff." I said grumpily. "We promised not to lie to each other."

"I'm supposed to keep you out of trouble and that's what I'm doing. And it's not lying, it's just not telling you more than you need to know." Dad said sternly. "Now, have you seen Professor Snape?"

My cheeks flushed red. Bloody hell. "Why would I have seen S- Professor Snape?" I asked, letting my hair fall down the left side of my face so Dad didn't see the flush on my cheeks.

Dad sighed. "Alright Elizabeth. We need to talk about this."

"No we don't." I snapped, standing up angrily. "Don't you think your being a bit unfair?" I regretted the words the minute I said them. I ran my hands through my hair, frustrated and sat back down, my anger blown out. "Sorry." I muttered. "I didn't mean that."

"Parents need to keep dangerous things from children." Dad said, standing before me. "but children are never supposed to keep things from parents because they could be doing something that is dangerous."

I narrowed my eyes. "Well maybe you're right about that, but then again, it's a good thing I'm no longer a child."

And I snatched up my letter and stormed out of my bedroom. It was Friday. I couldn't wait for tomorrow. I was going to go straight to Trang's and not come back ever again. Except I said this every Friday when I got angry with Dad, and then ended up coming back because I missed him.

I went up the stairs, retreating from the rest of the house. And then up another flight of stairs into Buckbeak's empty room. Buckbeak was so used to me, I didn't even have to bow anymore. I locked the door behind me and went and sat down next to Buckbeak, petting his feathers.

Sadie flew into the room, dropping a letter into my lap from Trang. She saw the other letter next to me all folded up and ready for mail and stuck out her leg.

"You don't want to rest first?" I asked softly.

She hooted and kept her leg out. I tied Harry's letter to her leg and I kissed her head. "Safe flight Sadie."

She flew out of the room and I leaned my head against Buckbeak, closing my eyes to rest.

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𝕴 𝖜𝖔𝖐𝖊 𝖚𝖕 to someone carrying me into my room. "Dad you're going to hurt your back." I muttered, my eyes fluttering open to see his drawn face.

"No I'm not." he muttered stubbornly.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you." I said sleepily. I really was sorry. I hated when dad and I fought.

"And I'm sorry I called you a child." Dad said though he sounded more amused than anything else.

"Well I guess I can't blame you when I throw childish fits." I muttered.

Dad sighed, laying me down in my bed, pulling the covers over me and sitting on the edge of my bed. "I haven't tucked you in since you were ten." A pause and then, "I am sorry I'm keeping you out of the meetings. I just don't want you to get hurt Elizabeth."

"I know Dad." I said, taking his hand. "I get it, I'm just. . . just frustrated I think. . ."

Dad bent down and kissed my forehead and left his lips there for a second longer and then pulled away. "Good night sweetheart."

"Night dad." I said sleepily.

The door clicked closed softly. I lay awake, my eyes looking up at the ceiling above me. Slowly, I sat up. I crept to the door and looked out both ways, making sure no one was there. Then, I crept back into bed and opened up a side dresser drawer. I pulled out the charm bracelet that I had gotten from Fred in my first year. On it were charms from Cedric and Fred. I fingered the charms on the bracelet that were from Cedric, my pointer finger resting on the Snitch.

'Your going to make a great seeker one day, Elizabeth, I can feel it.' Cedric's voice seemed to whisper through the air. I swallowed hard and tossed the bracelet back in the drawer and buried my head my pillow, my sorrow overwhelming. I took in a shuddering breath and did my best to fall asleep.

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[dindjarinandlysakane]

The Sweetest Taste | Chapter 52 - My kar’ta

When Din Djarin meets a beautiful cake seller from Nevarro, do you think he’s just going to stand back and let her suffer at the hands of her abusive boyfriend? After a lifetime of heartache and pain, Lysa Kane realises she’s not on her own any more and finds an unlikely friend in the Mandalorian. And Din Djarin does not like men who treat women like that, not one tiny bit. Friendship/comfort and maybe something more…

Masterlist

Chapter 52 - My kar'ta

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**This chapter contains brief NSFW content. 18+ only**

The night sky over the cool Nevarro desert was inky black, with every single star visible, twinkling overhead.

It was a stark contrast from the weather just a few hours prior, where a grumbling thunderstorm had belted down rain for over an hour.

The ground underfoot was still damp- the first thing Din noticed as he jumped from his N-1 Starfighter, and his boots hit the, normally, dusty earth just a little way from his small cabin.

Din and Grogu had been out since dawn. Having received a message on the wrist-comm from Carson Teva, who wanted to meet with them to discuss business in a quiet, back-street bar in Mos Eisley.

The meeting had been interesting, with Teva pretty much assuring Din that with the troubles the New Republic seemed to be having with bandits and outlaws on the Outer Rim, he would be kept well topped up with credits for the next Standard year at least!

On the long journey home, Grogu had fallen fast asleep against Din’s shoulder. Snoring softly.

Leaving Din eager to get home, pushing his Starfighter to its limits on the return journey.

It had been Din’s first trip off-planet since arriving back from Nar Shaddaa a little over a week ago. And the Mandalorian was keen to get home and see Lysa. Today having also been the first day that she had ventured into the city, since making her last delivery all those days prior.

Din had spent all of the previous evening showing Lysa how to properly use the speeder bike, which had been a fun couple of hours. At first Din had been rattled to see Lysa speed off, looking like she had little-to-no control over the vehicle in question. But he had been wrong to doubt her. And within just ten minutes she had mastered the precarious speeder easily, enjoying how exhilaratingly fast it moved compared to her sluggish and ancient old landspeeder.

They had made sure that the basket could easily hook onto the back, which it did, even providing Grogu with a fun place to sit, giggling and cooing happily as Lysa did laps of the cabin at a speed. As Din had chuckled beneath his helmet, watching them from the porch, muscular arms folded over his beskar plated chest.

But the basket had been unhooked for now, with Lysa informing Din that she didn't quite want to start back making deliveries yet. Instead wanting to take today to head into town and settle up with a few of the vendors she owed money to for their ingredients, and collect a few things she needed.

She had seemed to him over the last couple of days, a different person to that of a week ago, when she had first woken from her fever, upset and traumatised. Now it was as though that light had returned to her eyes. Her shoulders having untensed and that worried frown slipping slowly away as the days went on.

Din had savoured her closeness this past week, his chest constricting when he was near to her, unable to help the smile that slipped its way into his features when he looked her way. Knowing now that no matter what happened between them now, Din’s heart would forever be hers.

The lights were on inside the cabin now, but they were dimmed, signalling to him that Lysa was likely already in bed. With her having left the lights on low, knowing that he would see them as his ship circled overhead, welcoming him home.

As Din arrived at the top step of his porch, he approached the front door watching as it slid open.

Quietly he went inside only to find Lysa half way across the room, having returned from using the Refresher. Dressed in just her usual short, this time- pale green slip, that ended at her smooth thighs, and bare feet. Looking like an angelic vision to Din.

She smiled happily at their sudden presence, tucking a long strand of mussed-up long blonde hair behind her ear.

He noted that she must have been sleeping, likely roused by the noise from the N-1 landing just outside. The next time he was to arrive back so late he would make sure to park up a little distance away, as not to disturb her. But in a selfish way, he now was glad that he had interrupted her sleep, to allow himself the chance to look at her now, smiling back at him in the twilight.

Lysa’s eyes swiftly fell to the sleeping Grogu still nestled in Din’s arms and her face softened to one of adoration.

“Has he been sleeping long?” she said with a whisper.

Din angled his gaze down to his son as best he could with his helmet half obscuring his view.

“An hour or two,” he commented. “I’m going to put him down and then get freshened up. A Tatooine summer is no joke.”

He watched as Lysa offered him a smile, wrinkling her nose affectionately as she did so. Before she approached, leaning in and pressing a gentle kiss to the very top of Grogu’s head.

Din felt a swell of pride as he gazed down at them both, realising then just how lucky he truly was.

Pulling back carefully so as not to disturb the sleeping child, Lysa gently passed the pair, heading into Din’s bedroom, as he watched her go for a lingering moment. Before strolling silently into the Sleeper just beside that one.

Less than ten minutes later Din emerged back into the living space, having showered, dressed in just his tunic and pants and helmet now.

He rounded the corner into the sleeper to see Lysa sat facing him from her position on his bed, a smile on her face, her head propped up with a pillow.

And from behind his helmet, Din couldn't help but smile back.

“How was Tatooine?” she asked gently.

Din gave an easy shrug entering the room, beginning to re-unbutton his tunic at the collar. 

Din was so used to covering up in front of others, he had not yet become accustomed to walking the length of the cabin without his tunic yet.

“Fine,” he replied tiredly, not having found his day interesting enough to expand on. “How was the city?”

Din was far more eager to hear how Lysa had found her first trip into town since everything that had happened.

“It was good,” she said brightly, her green eyes watching as his neck was revealed little by little. “Visited the market. Everyone was….sweet.”

At her words Din glanced her way, earning a small, but happy sigh from Lysa’s lips.

“Seems like news travels fast when the High-Magistrate comes to Nar Shaddaa to rescue you,” she explained.

Din pursed his lips. “Karga shouldn't have-”

“It’s fine,” uttered Lysa in a soothing voice, giving a small smile. “I don't think any of them had even met Crix, so I think it was all just a surprise to them that I’d put up with someone like that for so long without doing anything about it.”

She gave a small sniff now, her eyes drifting down to her knees for a moment, before she glanced up at him once more. 

“And I can see now how stupid I was, of course I can,” she said in a voice quieter now than before. “But…y’know…hindsight can be a funny thing. I think I’d accepted that that was my life. And that I had no choice.”

Din stared back at her for a long moment, as the room fell quiet.

Lysa swallowed harshly before she spoke again.

“I…uh…I also went back to my old apartment today,” she said with a nod, a soft smile gracing her lips once more. “Just to pick up a couple of things, and I…I bumped into my landlord.”

Din stared up at her instantly, his fingers slipping against a button at his collar.

“...and I uh…I asked about the lease…it’s under Crix’s name…” she explained, her face flushing slightly as she spoke, her eyes instantly dropping from his and instead becoming fixed to a loose thread on the white sheet before her. “...and um, well, he asked if I wanted to take it over…”

Behind his beskar Din Djarin suddenly felt his throat go instantly dry and his heart seem to skip a beat.

“...and, well, I told him I’d think about it…” she said, her unsure eyes drifting back up to Din’s, obscured behind his helmet. “...I just…”

Lysa swallowed hard again, offering Din a sweet smile, her wide green eyes full of uncertainty now.

“...I wasn't sure if I’d outstayed my welcome with you…here…” she explained, taking in a breath and seeming to hold it in place, waiting for Din’s response.

A frown slipped between Din’s brows, his brown eyes roving across her face, his breathing becoming suddenly shallow.

Din didn't want her to leave. Not now. Not ever. His heart aching at the idea of losing her.

“Stay,” he said suddenly, his voice sounding stark in the quiet of the room. “I want you to stay. We want you to stay.”

Lysa gazed at him, with eyes filled with a hopeful disbelief and she opened her mouth to speak, but Din did not give her the chance. Cutting across her now.

“After what happened in Nar Shaddaa,” said Din in a serious voice through his modulator. “...I don’t think I can bear to be apart from you again.”

His gaze remaining fixed on hers throughout.

“And I know this place might not seem like much of a home,” he continued, his voice earnest. “But to us…it is now that you’re in it. If you want it to, it could be your home too…”

At Din’s words, Lysa’s face seemed to warm in front of his eyes. A blushing smile breaking onto her pretty features.

“Ok,” she said with a beaming nod.

“Ok,” replied Din firmly, finally letting go of his breath for the first time in what felt like an age, a relieved smile flitting its way onto his face. His chest swelling with pride.

Din’s heart now ached for her. For the woman sat before him, looking like a vision in pale starlight.

And he knew now that he didn't want her questioning things between them again. 

He never again wanted to see her uncertain about how much love for her he had.

Never wanted to see her doubt how much she meant to him and how much he wanted to hold her close and never let her go.

As she stared back at him now, Din could see the love pouring from her. Her beautiful face a shining light even in the darkness of the room.

And feeling a lump settle in his throat, and a frown settle itself between Din’s brows, he gazed down at her knowing exactly how he felt about her now. 

How he’d felt about her from that first moment he’s laid eyes on her.

The ever-shining sunlight to his dark and pouring rain.

And without warning, Din, with that frown still there and chest rising and falling hard, unpinned his tunic and shucked it from his shoulders. Before reaching over and pressing a hand to the square button beneath the window.

And just before the room, plunged into darkness, he saw Lysa wet her lips gently with her tongue, a warm expectation set within her gaze.

A moment later the room became black, as Din dropped his knees onto the bed one by one, pulling off his beskar helmet as he did so. Throwing it onto the mattress beside them.

And almost instantly he felt Lysa’s hand on his chest, knowing exactly where he was even in the dark. Her palms sliding over his shoulders, as she pulled him close, her lips meeting with his.

Her kiss was soft and sweet and Din felt his chest constrict with the adoration he felt for her in that moment.

Lysa lay back, tugging him on top of her, her fingers threading themselves through his dark hair. Just as Din’s propped himself up with his arms either side of her, penning her in.

Wanting now to right every wrong that had ever befallen her.

Wanting to soothe every hurt.

Determined tonight, to kiss every part of her body that Crix had bruised her.

And moving his mouth from hers, he began to press gentle open-mouthed kisses to her neck, staring from the space just beneath her ear, and travelling down slowly to her collarbone.

Her heard Lysa let out a satisfied ‘mmmmm’, hearing now that she was smiling.

And how Din loved making her smile.

He dipped his head, dropping his lips next to her chest, inching lower, as his rough hands unbuttoned her pale slip slowly, revealing even more skin to him.

A moment later the fabric between them was gone, Lysa letting it slide from her shoulders, propping herself up onto her elbows for a second to toss it aside.

As her back hit the mattress once more, Din’s hands skimmed down her sides, coming to stop on the small of her waist, as his kisses followed, one falling between her breasts before his lips grazed her ribs. Peppering each side with brief and open-mouthed laps.

He knew that Crix had broken and bruised more than a few of her rib-bones over the years. And despite not being able to take those hard memories away from Lysa. Din wanted to do what he could to let her know that the hurt was now gone.

The noise of his lips gently kissing her skin, caused Lysa to emit several soft little moans that were enough to make Din frown darkly, his breathing becoming shallower within his chest now. Enjoying the sounds he was able to ease from her mouth.

Her stomach was next to receive attention from him, followed by her hips, one-by-one, as he slowly moved to her thighs. Positioning himself between them and using his hands to hitch up both legs and press soft wet kisses to those smooth inner-thighs of hers.

He heard her gasp out expectantly, the noise sending waves of arousal coursing through his body.

But he was not done yet. Nor was he ready to finish in kissing away the ghosts of the bruises Crix had once given her. His entire chest constricting, as his thoughts lingered on all she had gone through, and all she had survived.

With Din Djarin knowing that there was nothing she could ever do, for him to consider ever inflicting those same bruises on her.

And so sliding his body up and over hers once again, and propping himself up with one arm taught against the mattress, his face found hers in the dark.

Din pressed a gentle kiss to one cheekbone now, and then the other, feeling her smile instantly at that. Before his lips grazed her temples, once, twice then three times…

…before finally, moving to the space between her brows…

…to that frown line…

…to that place he had once promised himself, long before Lysa had even been his, that he would one day press his lips to.

And it was in that moment, that everything seemed to change. With Din pulling back, feeling his breathing become shallow and that frown that had graced his own brow, returning. As he stared down at Lysa, without being able to even see her in the darkness.

Knowing now that she completed him.

That his existence now felt utterly fulfilled now that she was in it. As though every moment of his life was leading to him meeting her.

And that was when Din Djarin made a decision. A decision which he knew now that he would not regret for the rest of his days.

And so breathing hard, he lifted his face back just an inch, staring down at Lysa…

…as his free hand moved to the window.

And in an instant, Din had flipped the switch…

… opening the shutters…

…with shining starlight illuminating the small room…

…revealing his face, at last, to the beautiful woman before him.

Din gave a harsh swallow, as he stared down at her. His heart thudding inside his chest, almost trembling with apprehension.

Unable to help the fear and worry that appeared in his brown eyes, as he stared wordlessly down at her.

Before him, he saw Lysa blink a couple of times, her green eyes wide, her lips parting gently.

Dank farrik.

What if she found him grotesque?

What if upon seeing his face after so long, she decided that he was not the man she thought he was?

Aside from Grogu and the Jedi, Din had not shown his face to another living being since he was a child, putting on the helmet for the first time.

To him now, this felt like standing naked in a room full of people, vulnerable, with nowhere to hide.

But before Din could worry further, Lysa had lifted her smooth hand to his face, her fingers lightly tracing over his cheekbones and down his jaw, grazing over his bottom lip. As her eyes followed the same path, taking in his every feature.

Before those marsh-green eyes of hers finally settled on his brown ones…

…for the very first time.

And awash in her eyes was a look that told him all he ever needed to know.

A look that told him just how utterly in love with him she was.

A feeling Din reciprocated now, so strongly in return, that he felt his heart might shatter in two if he were to ever lose her again.

A love so intense, he felt that no force in this galaxy could keep them apart any longer.

“Ni kar’tayli gar darasuum,” he uttered aloud, before he could do a thing to stop himself. The words presenting themselves to her, as though she was always meant to have had them.

And for a moment, her eyes searched his…

But Din did not give her the chance to worry on their meaning. As he swallowed hard again, his gaze never leaving hers.

“It means- I will know you forever.”

Din stared down at her as a look of shining awe appeared like morning dew over Lysa perfect features.

“It’s what the people of Mandalore would say to those that they-” he paused, just for the very briefest of seconds, wetting his bottom lip gently with his tongue. “-that they love.”

Din watched, as the frown line between Lysa’s eyes deepended for a split second before her face softened completely.

“I love you,” said Din, with a slight shake of his head, his words honest in the quiet of the night. “I think I loved you from that first time you showed up outside in your speeder.”

A gentle smile slipped it’s way over Lysa’s face, her sparkling ocean green eyes still searching his in the starlight.

“I love you too,” she said breathlessly, reaching up and cupping at his cheek with her hand, as she lifted her head from the pillow behind her head, her lips gently meeting with his.

To Din, her lips tasted like golden honey. 

Like pure sunlight.

Her kiss sweet and delicious, and filled with love in its most truest form.

And like that they remained, kissing at one another languidly, hands sliding over skin.

Enjoying every inch of each other as the minutes slowly passed them by. 

Until those kisses of theirs became far more heated, the swirling vortex of their need for one another getting bigger and more powerful until neither of them could bear it any longer.

Thighs sliding over hips…

Hands fumbling between them, as Din’s dark pants were pushed from his waist and kicked to the floor.

They felt like magnets now, unable and unwilling to part, as they sought their pleasure, so wrapped in one another neither would have noticed if a StarCruiser had crashed into the planet right outside.

Their lips parted for a brief moment, huffing hot breaths into each other’s mouths, as Lysa’s hand found his erect length, hard and throbbing between his legs. Eager to seek its goal in that soaked aching slit between her thighs.

And a moment later, with mouths hanging open, both mirroring the other, eyes locked, Din was there, buried inside her.

Their pace started slow, with Lysa’s hand moving to his muscular bicep, now flexed taught beside her shoulder. Fingernails from her other hand raking through his dark hair.

And Din could only breathe out raggedly, as their hips began to move in sync with one another.

Moving faster and ever faster. 

Lips grazing. 

Tongue’s lapping. 

Both intoxicated on each other.

Lysa moaned into Din’s mouth, her eyes closing blissfully, as her back arched against the sheets beneath her.

Din’s hands skimmed up the bare skin of Lysa’s warm outer thigh, huffing a grunt into her parted lips, as he buried himself inside her time and time again. The wet, sinful noises between them, truly something to behold.

A moment later, her hand moved to his neck and she lifted her face to his again. Her green eyes seeking his in the pale light.

And their eye contact remained as Lysa fell apart first, gasping out, clenching around his hard cock, which now sodden with her juices.

The sensation enough to trigger Din’s own climax, a dark frown gracing his sweat beaded brow, as he came hard, groaning out as Lysa watched him from her own comedown.

“Dank farrik…” he murmured, as Lysa gave a hazy nod in response, her thumb grazing over Din’s bottom lip, as she leaned her lips in close to his.

“Yeah…” she responded breathlessly, as Din eased himself from her now, his trembling arm almost giving out on him. Settling himself down onto his back, onto the mattress beside her.

The two of them breathing hard, their chests both rising and falling hard in the pale light of the stars.

A few seconds later, Din felt Lysa turn towards him, shifting onto her side to gaze at his profile, feeling her eyes on him.

And shifting his own body, he came to face her.

The pair were silent for a long moment, with Lysa’s hand drifting up to Din’s face, her thumb drifting over the hollow beneath Din’s eye gently, where he bore the small marks of more than a few fights he had both won and lost over the years.

Din closed his eyes, even after weeks of removing his helmet in the dark and feeling her contact, he still cherished the feeling of her warm fingers touching a place he had not had touched by another since he was a small child.

“Won’t you get in trouble for removing your helmet?” he heard Lysa ask now, amidst the quiet. “Isn't it against the Creed?”

Her words were caring and soft. And as Din opened his eyes, he looked upon her face, full of concern and love for him, and only him.

Din’s hand moved to her middle, his fingers reaching the small of her waist as he caressed her smooth skin.

“You are part of my family now,” he said, leaning in and nudging his nose with hers gently. “My clan.”

He saw her green eyes seek his lips in the darkness, watching every word as they spilled from his lips.

“I have abided by the rules for so long. Sacrificing so much along the way,” he continued in earnest, knowing that every word was true.

Being a Mandalorian, he had missed out on so very much.

Missed out on what others sought so often. 

On that intimacy, with not only lovers but family too.

But now, Din Djarin was no longer on the outside looking in. For the galaxy had provided him with his own family. His own clan.

“These moments with you-” he uttered now, pulling her hips into his and pressing his hand to the dipped small of her back, holding her so very close. “-we are bonded. And I-”

Din gave a hard swallow now, gazing into the eyes of the woman he loved so dearly.

“I just….I don't ever want to let you go,” he said, letting out a huff of air through his nose, as he reached down, his hand grasping hers.

“You are my kar’ta…” he said, pressing her palm flat to his bare chest, as he translated in a low and firm voice. “...my heart.”

He saw Lysa tilt her head, and tears glint in her eyes in the pale starlight. But she did not let any fall now. 

A smile gracing her perfect face as she shifted closer to Din now and tucked her head beneath his chin. Her hand finding his once more, their fingers entwining neatly.

Both listening to the rain as it began to pitter-patter on the roof of the cabin, but neither allowing sleep to take them just yet.

The two of them, Din and Lysa, basking now in the glow of both the rain…

…and the sunlight.

………………………………………………………

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[blowflyfag]

Hi these are my Kane headcannons I wrote a bit a while back. My history of Kane is a bit different than the cannon stuff since the cannon stuff is kinda cringe fail. Also. Only gonna talk about masked Kane. But! Reality is mine to do what I want so here’s my Kane headcannons. I’m more than happy to go in depth on more stuff! Or explain why I think this.

Kane Headcannons

He wore masks even as a kid, it’s a sensory thing.

He grew up in a single parent house, it was both the funeral home and their home, with a mourge in the basement. They lived in a very small town in Death Valley, but they what they lacked in people the area made up with supernatural occurrences

I think he can see ghosts, with how connected his family was the supernatural it’s only natural he can see ghosts.

Kane liked dancing around with his mom as a little Kid. She often would play stuff on the radio while she worked or while cooking or when even just sitting around. Kane liked these moments… standing near her and swaying and humming along.

Kane keeps his hair long cause it reminds him of his mother, he does a lot of things because they remind him of her. He keeps his hair long, looks to deep into his undamaged eye. He listens to music she liked. He just wants to feel close to her. He’s a fuckin Mama’s boy

Kane is mostly burned and scared on his right side, it’s more prominent on his right arm and neck. His right eye is damaged from the fire.

Freckles!!! Kane has a lot of freckles when he gets in the sun. They’re a bit faint since he covers up but if he does loose some of the covering his freckles will really pop out

Bros Autistic guys.

Kane is mostly non verbal. He’d rather communicate with his body language or sign his thoughts. He only speaks if he really must.

He has such a soft spot for animals and kids it’s insane.

When he was younger him and taker found a clutch of snake eggs under their porch. Their mother No whwre in sight so they begged and pleaded for their mom to let them take care of them.

It ended up being a trip to the vets to make sure the eggs were properly taken care of. And a few weeks later their first pet.

It was a corn snake Kane and Taker named Amber.

Amber stayed in Taker's room. Though Mom would let them take Amber out so she could slither around in the living room while they watched movies.

Speaking of Taker’s room. It’s decked out with zombie movie posters. As well as other posters for horor movies and rock/metal bands. There’s Aldo a purple lava lamp. The typical angsty older brother room

Tumbleweed forts! He would beg Taker to play outside with him so the two would make forts and sit in them. Pretending to be bandits hiding out from the law.

He has a fascination with fire. Even though it is the thing that burned him, scared him, traumatized him beyond belief. The sight of someone lighting a cigarette near him brings his eyes instantly to the flame. Watching it flicker and wave with light and warmth. A controllable flame is a huge comfort.

I’d say Kane is Bisexual with a male lean. He’s very inexperienced when it comes to love. Often he finds himself confused with why his heart beats faster around someone he likes. Tilting his head to the side as he watches from afar. The most romance he knows of is watching late night black and white movies from when he was kept hidden in the basement.

A lot of what he knows is from television actually. Most of the time in the cellar hed just watch tv and learn, infomercials, animal documentaries, old cowboy movies. all “boring to most kids” but to kane it was an escape.

At first Kane fucking despised Taker so much with Paul Bearer’s manipulation. (For my reality Paul Bearer is the one who caused the fire) for years his anger festered and bubbled beneath his skin. Originally Taker went missing before the fire. And Kane learning that he became a wrestler, (not knowing Taker was under Paul Bearer’s control) was even more livid at him, for leaving his mother behind, for leaving him behind, for leaving everything behind. He truly hated Taker in those days, of course he’s come around but he struggles sometimes…

Kane has meltdowns very easily, it doesn’t take a lot to set him off. That’s what happens when he curls up and rocks. He’s trying to calm himself down the only way he knows how.

He really likes big cats, tigers, panthers, leopards. He thinks they’re the coolest animals.

So the Katie Vick stuff doesn’t happen in my reality, however Katie Vick is a real person, she was Kane’s childhood friend growing up. They were both kinda weirdo outcasts so they stuck together. They would mess around with ouija boards and try to find supernatural stuff that they shouldn’t have been messing with.

[veysxrge]

Heya! Its me again. I was wondering if you could write Amos being a cool uncle? (I bet hes the kind to give Carter n sadie money when Julius isnt looking. And this lil rebel streak of his is egged on by Set) I also think he would braid sadie's hair and help her take good care of it! N maybe he teaches Carter how to play an instrument or nerd out about basketball together.

Thank you in advance! I also loved your previous hcs for Amos,they were spot on and very heart melting!!

Amos Kane (T.K.C)

Oh I love this so much, I definitely can do that! I'll probably write a couple different scenarios instead of making a whole oneshot so it'll be easier!

-

There was a knock on the door but it didn't surprise Amos like it would've a few years ago. Instead he walked over to the door with a smile on his face and opened it to see his neice and nephew. They had taken to visiting him more seeing as he's been in their lives pretty frequently.

He let them in with a large smile on his face, "Perfect timing you two, I have something for you guys." Amos said, closing the door once the kids stepped inside.

"Oooh, whatcha got for us?" Sadie asked, walking into the living room and plopping on the couch. She had a habit of making herself at home. Carter stayed quiet, instead opting to watch his uncle go over to his bag.

"Well, you know how I visited England the other day? Well, I decided to go to a museum and ended up buying some things from the gift shop." Amos said, taking out two gift bags and handing them to Sadie and Carter. The two kids exchanged looks before they began to open the bag.

Carter's gift was a silver pocket watch that seemed to be very well made. It had intricate designs that wrapped all around and even very tiny engravings in the watch itself. Cart looked at his uncle with a soft smile, "Thank you Uncle Amos, this is amazing."

Amos just smiled and turned his attention to Sadie, her gift was obviously different. When she opened it she saw a silver tiara, it also looked very well made with red gems edged into the silver. It was stunning, but also... Sadie hadn't wanted a tiara since she was 7.

She was about to say something when she caught Carter's glare, she bit her lip before forcing a smile, "It's beautiful, thank you Amos."

Amos just about beamed at the praise, moving to go to the kitchen, "I'm going to make us some lunch, feel free to wander around."

-

It was early December when the Kane's were all together. There wasn't a whole lot of them, but it was enough to fill Amos' dining room and enough for him to cook a decent amount of food. But dinner was long done, now everyone stayed chatting and Julius was going over to find a movie for everyone to watch.

Sadie and Carter were talking amongst each other in hushed whispers, trying not to draw attention to their conversation. "I think dad would love this, maybe we can get it together?"

Sadie scoffed at what her brother had suggested, "Even if we did, we wouldn't have enough. We're gonna have to wait until next year."

Carter sighed but he knew his sister was right, he was about to accept defeat when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked over to see Amos and his eyes widened a bit, "Uncle Amos, how long have you been standing there?"

Amos smiled a bit before glancing at where his brother was still shuffling through movies. When he confirmed Julius wasn't looking he slid both of them a couple of bills. They looked at it before looking back at Amos, but he just held a finger to his lips, "Our little secret, alright?"

Sadie grinned, shoving the money in her back pocket and nodded. Carter still was processing haven been given more than enough for the present he wanted for his father as well as extra for everyone else. He smiled and looked at Amos, "Thank you."

-

Sadie blew a stray hair out of her eye as she tried to summon a portal. She easily did it before, she wasn't sure how she was having trouble now. She huffed and collapsed on the floor in exhaustion.

Sadie barely registered the footsteps of someone approaching until she felt someone mess with her hair. She turned around to see Amos, not thinking anything of it she just faced forward again.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, Amos messing with her hair. There were occasional tugs and pulls of her hair that made her eyebrow twitch but she didn't think anything of it.

Eventually Amos patted her shoulder, as if urging her to stand up, "That should make it easier."

Sadie was confused, moving a hand to feel her hair. They were pulled back into two french braids. She paused before turning around to look at her uncle, "You're good at that."

Amos just chuckled softly, "I'd sure hope so, considering I do my own hair." He said, pushing a lock of his hair over his shoulder. "I'll teach you sometime, it'll make practice and the real thing much easier without hair in your face."

-

Amos was taking Carter somewhere, but he didn't say where. Carter was intrigued but Amos refused to budge. So instead the teen just followed his uncle in silence, staring at the shops and hoping to maybe come to some sort of guess as to where they were going.

But he had nothing, so he just walked. Eventually Amos stopped in front of a building, Carter tried to find the sign but his uncle was pulling him inside before he could.

Carter looked around the room, surprised to see many different instruments and people playing said instruments. Amos greeted someone before he gestured for Carter to follow him to another room.

Carter hesitated, still confused but at least having some sort of understanding as to what was happening. He would be lying if he said he wasn't a little bit excited when he followed his Uncle into another room.

Amos stood and was holding a bass, "You said you wanted to see me play right?" Carter nodded, "And potentially learn a bit?"

Carter smiled, excited to finally see Amos play and potentially even learn a bit from him, "Definitely."

Amos cracked a small smile, plugging in the bass before sitting down, "Any requests?"

-

I had fun writing these!! I really have to get more into TKC again so I can write actual fics about them. But here are some fun little Uncle Amos stories!! -Vey :)

[timaeusterrored]

(Vax’s mommy issues)

((Tw: mentions of addiction))

“I just think it’s a little convenient is all. She’s not there for nearly 33 years and suddenly she’s interested after he reveals his face? Do we even know if she’s his mother?” Vik asked, following Guadeloupe around the kitchen until she turned.

“Oh I’m quite sure. Even chromed up, V looks exactly like her. And trust me, Vik, I don’t like it either but he deserves to meet his mother at least once. Then he can chose to do as he pleases after.” She explained calmly, then shoved a spoon of soup into Vik’s mouth to shut him up.

Vax showed up a few hours later, trying to not look too excited and failing miserably. The sight hurt Vik’s soul. There was a feeling deep in his chest that this wasn’t going to end well.

“Is she here?” He asked, he sounded like a kid on Christmas asking if Santa came that night. Luckily, Guadeloupe best him to the punch to go with him. Vik watched from the kitchen as Melissa Kane stood to greet her son for the first time. She couldn’t even come sober?

Vik sat at the table, Guadeloupe joining him after a few minutes with a beer. They clinked their bottles together and waited, hearing the soft talking going on in the living room.

It too all of 30 minutes for Vax to go storming out. And Vik’s suspicions were confirmed. He watched Melissa try to follow, stopping just outside. She didn’t come for Vax, she came for V Eurodyne. Husband of a rock legend and a legend himself in the underworld of Night City.

“If you ever contact my son again, I will not hesitate to contact the police. I’d deal with you myself but I raised too much of a good person.” Vik couldn’t help but add that last bit. But it was true.

He was there when Vex had her baby, he was there when Vax woke up screaming from nightmares at an age too young to be having them, he was there for Vax’s first boxing match, taught him to shoot a gun and how to drive. And Guadeloupe was there to house him when V was too scared to talk to Vik about his own addiction. They raised V into the man he was today, not her.

He should call Kerry.

Vax was glad for one thing in the Villa, and that was the bar and the fact that Kerry only stayed here when he was making a new album, which luckily wasn’t now. He downed his second drink and went to pour another when a hand stopped him, silver wedding band sticking out against the golden jewel he normally wore.

He let the bottle get taken from him and sighed, feeling defeated. And hurt. And extremely vulnerable right now.

“She asked for money. Knew her all of 30 minutes, and she asked me for money.” He had hoped Vex would be wrong about her, that their mother would be an amazing woman who just made a rough decision. But no, she barely cared about Vax, only his last name and status.

“I’m so sorry, baby…” Kerry kissed his temple and led V to sit on the couch, then moved to make him an actual drink. Something he’d actually enjoy instead of just drowning in self pity for ever thinking his mother would be a good woman.

“I just… is it so bad that I hoped my mother would be a good person?” He asked when Kerry came back over with drink and made V look at him.

“Your mother is a good woman. That woman is not your mother, your mother is Guadeloupe Welles. And that is the best mother ever right there.” Kerry wrapped his arm around V’s shoulders and gave him a knowing look.

“She’s missin’ out on the most amazing, talented, kindest, and sexiest man alive. And if she was gonna use you for money, then fuck her. She doesn’t deserve to know Vax. She’s lucky she got to him. And she’s extremely lucky I wasn’t there.” She probably was, V had no idea how overprotective Kerry could be when they first met.

V took a drink and sighed. Fuck Kerry knew him too well this was amazing. He rested his temple on Kerry’s forehead, feeling him rub his shoulder.

“Still hurts… I spent years looking for her… wanting to meet her. And turns out she didn’t care about me or Vex at all…” he whispered. “I know I have Vik and Mama but damn I was so excited to meet her.”

Kerry nodded, simply listening to rant because he knew that’s what V needed. His merc didn’t need advice he needed someone to hear him. And Kerry would listen to him for hours if that’s what it took.

[crisalidaseason]

Panic: Dating a demigod

Summary: Carter Kane and his turbulent, chaotic and dangerous life while also dealing with the fact he is in love with a demigod.

Chapter 1: Hello, stranger! I'm here to help!

Pairing: Carter Kane x Original Character (She/They) CW: Blades, fighting monsters, mentions of wounds, cursing

Carter enjoyed watching people. While his father disappeared into yet another dark hole within an archeological site, the Kane boy would either read until his eyes hurt or just watch the people around him - even if they were merely a few researchers. On countless waiting hours at airports or harbors, Carter would watch the ordinary people go around with their daily routines, somewhat missing what he did not remember having: steadiness. As much as he enjoyed his chaotic life with his father, sometimes all he wanted was to have a boring normal life: school, homework, playing outside, doing chores and then sleeping, just like the other kids he saw in countless cities. The habit of watching people stuck with him, even when his life settled - if you could call it settling - in Brooklyn. On the rare weekends off Sadie would force him to take, Carter would go for a walk and carefully watch people around him, some late for work and others going for a run or having fun at the local parks and squares. 

It was peaceful, most of the time.

One particular Saturday, he was already returning to the nome, crossing the square to avoid the busy sidewalks, when he felt it. A vibration on the ground that he knew was nothing ordinary, magic felt different than a simple earth tremor. Carter was already used to trouble out of the blue, but something about the way his entire body went into danger mode felt…different. He stopped walking and watched his surroundings, lifting the mortal veil easily from his eyes. A commotion about forty meters away caught his attention. It seemed to be an abandoned and undone building, but the eerie teal light flickering inside stirred the regular gray and black of the old construction. Carter - with the wonderful hiding advantage of the mortal veil - summoned his weapon and walked in the direction of the building. Hopefully, whatever was inside did not cause much trouble and he would still return home for lunch.

Oh, was Carter mistaken.

The blast of green- or whatever that green like flaming substance was - almost hit him in the head. He ducked again behind a pillar, breathing heavily and trying to find an easy way to slay that snake/dragon. His sword was stained with a dark blue, he had managed to strike the unfamiliar creature a few times, but nothing lethal. 

“I told you to go the fuck away, now the thing is angry!!” they scolded him.

Carter was usually immune to people scolding him in battle - he had a very grumpy sister after all - but he would be lying if he said the stranger did not make him upset. He entered the building a few minutes ago, just to find a girl almost getting blasted by the creature. All he did was jump to action and try to help her, but apparently that was wrong! She was hiding in the pillar next to his, her blue and orange hair all messy and a few bruises and cuts on her arms and face. The creature hissed again and swung its tail in their direction, which forced them to leave their only shelter and run away from the debris. Carter and the girl tried to hide in yet another room.

“If it keeps breaking things the structure will collapse” Carter said “What do you know about this thing?” 

“Nothing! I never saw this thing before” she yelled at him.

Carter knew nothing either. The creature was unfamiliar. It had a triangular head, encased with something hard that resembled a helmet. The body was snake-like, green and teal, with small limbs and a spiky tail. 

“I think the head might be a weak point” the girl managed to say before the monster broke into their hiding spot. 

Carter dodged and swung his sword when the creature tried to bite him. He managed to cut it on its neck, but the scales were too hard to do any significant cuts. He could always do magic, but he had a feeling it would not work properly. Either way, he took his curved wand and quickly drew energy in the air. The spell glowed and suddenly exploded on the creature’s face - just enough for Carter to circle the monster and try to cut its neck on the other side, maybe under the strange helmet.

“Tail!” the girl screamed and he dodged just in time for the tail to swing by his head, causing cracks on the wall. 

He tried to hit under the helmet-like structure, but it was a risky move and he could get crushed. Before Carter could actually commit to anything, the girl jumped above him and he almost went blind with the blast of light that came right after. For a while, he could not see anything, his vision had spots because of the strong stimulus. When he could see something, the snake was struggling to move accurately, just wiggling around and swinging its tail. The girl was in front of him, making strange and quick gestures with her hands before throwing another punch in the air. Amber and lilac flicker of lights exploded from her punch and whatever that was, it made the creature dizzy once more. 

That was his opportunity.

Carter ran, dodging the frantic tail, until he could strike his blade right in the creature’s left eye. His blade successfully ran through the creature’s head, enter and exit wound. He twisted the blade for good measure and took it out. The creature died instantly - he thanked Horus silently - its corpse dissolving in a strange gold and yellow sand. 

“Shit” he heard the girl behind him. 

Carter immediately ran to her when he noticed she would collapse on the ground. He held her by the shoulders while laying the unconscious body on the ground. Her track pants and plain t-shirt were black, making it difficult to see it she was hurt, Carter successfully scanned for any injuries, finding nothing worrying externally. He was no healer, but he learned enough from Jasmine to handle himself in an emergency. With his right hand above the girl’s frame, he closed his eyes and scanned her for any internal injuries, which thankfully were none. Upon doing this, he felt his fingers prickling with the unfamiliarity of her essence, as if his magic knew she did not belong to his world. 

A demigod? It could be. He knew a few of them. 

Carter pulled his phone from the duat - after the third broken-in-battle phone, he never put it in his pockets again - opening his sister's contact to send her a message. He was almost sending it when the girl suddenly took it from him.

“No phones!” she struggled to say “dangerous!”

He suddenly remembered Percy saying something about it and almost hit his own forehead. There could be more monsters around. He sent his phone to the duat once more.

“Sorry” he said “I was going to ask for medical help-”

“No” she said, trying to sit up.

Carter offered and she accepted a helping hand. Now that he could see her better without the looming danger of snake-demonic creatures, he noticed that her athletic frame was trembling horribly and her skin was visibly pale. 

“I really think you should-”

“Hey, I said no” she reinforced “but if you want to help, there is a blue bag somewhere outside” 

It was not long before he found it and brought it to the girl. She took a regular plastic container from it and ate two pudding-like cubes. He looked at her with worry explicit on his face, she did not seem less pale or shaky. 

She has an interesting face, he thought to himself. A thought he tried to shove away quickly. Even pale and tired, her features seemed to draw him to her. I DO NOT have time for this!

“I know” she said “but it helps, just don’t ask me how”

He shook his head, trying not to distract himself. 

“Are you sure the -uh- pudding will heal you? You’re pretty drained” he tried.

“I’m gonna be okay” she insisted “You can go”

He felt bad at just leaving her there, but if she did not want help there was nothing he could realistically do. It seemed she noticed his conflicted thoughts.

“Look” she sighed “It’s best if we pretend we never saw each other, this smells of trouble” 

Carter understood without her saying it explicitly. It was like Percy all over again, two worlds colliding. It was best to keep interactions at a minimum. With his own morality screaming at him, Carter nodded and sent his sword away, slowly backing away to the building’s entrance. 

“Hey” she called and he turned.

Her face was gaining color again, despite the visible tiredness. He had to concentrate harder to listen to her next words. 

“Thank you” she said “I’m sorry I got mad before, I just…panicked”

He nodded, a small smile on his face. 

“It’s nothing, really. Glad I could help” 

With that, he left the building. He looked back one more time, still feeling guilty for just leaving her there in need of help, but walked back to the nome nonetheless - believing he would never see the stranger again. 

[palabraasinnecesarias]

if you stay i would even wait all night or until my heart explodes

ao3 | ff.net ship: ranma/akane rating: T+ words: 3,868

summary:

If there was anything Akane knew better than anyone in this world, it would have to be that Ranma’s insensitivity wasn’t on purpose. And it wasn’t that she wanted to justify the fool, she just felt that she had a better judgment when it came to pinpointing all his flaws, especially the ones that made him a jerk. Crushing on your childhood friend should be fine, as long as you don't act upon it, right? What happens when you do?

When Ranma texted Akane that he was on his way to her apartment so late in the evening, she didn’t bat an eye to reply by leaving the text bubble pressed to tap on the thumbs up, not only because she knew he hated that, but because Ranma barging into her apartment any time of the day wasn’t abnormal. Her response simply was to let him know that yes, she was home.  

It wasn’t that late, a few past nine, except it was a Saturday, and he usually went out with his girlfriend – whoever that was this week. Not that she cared; just curious. They were always pretty, based on their social media pictures, and she knew that was usually the only thing he cared about.  

The light knocks at her door brought her to her feet, dragging her slippers in a quick stumble as she opened the door to be greeted by the mischievous, cheeky grin he always seemed to have just for her.  

“I brought dinner!” he offered, lifting a corner store bag filled with goodies, which she swiftly snatched from his hold to inspect. Her own childish smile overtook the corner of her lips as she snagged a canned milk tea, still cold, and one of the two strawberry sando, hardly considering it a meal. More like a treat.  

“How did you know I was craving something sweet?” she asked in a lively mood, encouraging him to follow her bouncy steps into her living room. It was a small living room containing a hand-me-down loveseat she washed senselessly, and a very sturdy coffee table where they'd be having dinner, per usual.  

“Well, you know me, ‘Kane,” he grinned, “I always know what women crave .” His egoistic remark earned him a very dramatic eyeroll as she plopped on the floor and snapped her drink open.  

Akane scoffed, chuckling insensitively at him, “Whatever you need to tell yourself to help you sleep at night.”  

Ranma followed suit, opening his own drink and gulping almost half of it down in one swing. She couldn’t help but stare at him a few seconds longer, tracing the wrinkles on his furrowed eyebrows with her eyes, holding back a scoff of his own. He seemed dressed for a night out, sporting a red windbreaker jacker over a simple top underneath, his scruffy hair intentionally messy.  

“So, what are you doing here?” She asked too directly, reaching for the sandwich, slowly and careful not to get her fingers dirty as she unwrapped it.  

“Too cool for company?” He teased, his smirk never faltering, and she chuckled at that. 

“I’m always too cool for you.” She glanced up at him, blinking a few times before looking back down at her meal.  

“I was thinking we could watch a movie, or something. Ya’ know, hang out.”  

Akane bit down, her mouth full, pondering with a nod as she chewed. “Jeez, somebody missed me tonight,” she joked after swallowing, and it was his turn to roll his eyes at her, shaking his head gently as he continued to look at her. “What happened to, what was her name ? Why aren’t you with her?”  

She could see him swallow nothing in particular, rather a lump lodged in his throat, and she decided to ignore the buzzing at the back of her mind telling her to shut up.  

“We broke up.”  

“Another one?” Akane wanted to laugh, and her statement rather than question came out almost like laughter, as though it was funny even when it wasn’t. There wasn’t anything particularly funny about her best friend continuously dating new women every few months under the false pretense that he wanted something with them. In fact, she didn’t like it. Sometimes she felt bad for these women.  

She hardly ever met them, and she wasn’t offended that Ranma didn’t bring them along or rushed to introduce them; glad, was more of the descriptive word. Even back in high school, she hated tagging along when he would hang around new girls.  

There was a moment of silence, Akane taking another bite to use as an excuse as to why she wasn’t talking. But he still wasn’t talking, and she hated it when he did that – hide behind awkwardness. They could share silence, not talk all day and it wouldn’t offer any sort of discomfort, but he wasn't good at hiding his own distress. And she could sense it.  

And maybe she shouldn’t have, but her inquisitiveness dragged the question, “What was it this time?” out of her. She was prying now.  

“This time?” He asked back, his black thick eyebrow darting upwards in his own offensive stance.  

“There’s always a reason to your break ups.”  

“Other than not feeling the vibe, there is not.”  

“Uh, yes there are.”  

“Name one.”  

“Okay, last year,” Akane began, shifting her sitting posture as though war was about to begin, and she needed to ensure her tactics weren’t overthrown, “you dated that girl that worked at the ramen shop, the one with purple hair. Dumped her after, what, three weeks because she adopted a kitty.”  

“No, wait! That’s not fair, I’m allergic.”  

“You are not!” Akane laughed loudly, shaking an accusing finger at him, her arm stretched out forward enough that she could almost bop the tip of his nose had she wanted to. But instead, she retracted, her dull fang showing through her toothy grin.  

“Well,” Ranma sighed, “I don’t like cats.” She could give him that one.   

“And then!” Akane exclaimed, reclaiming her aha moment as she easily remembered another one, “that gymnastic girl. You only lasted like two days with her.” That one was absurd to her.  

“Okay, that one was loony.”  

Akane laughed, nodding in agreement, remembering the inane things he endured to get her off his back. She couldn’t seem to accept that he didn’t want to see her anymore.  

“And then the ice skater chick,” she spoke mindlessly, more to herself, thinking out loud, “man, you were into athletes that summer, huh?” She hadn’t expected to see him get as flustered as he suddenly did, and all she could do was flash him a cheeky smile. What a goof.  

“I said one, ‘Kane.”  

continue reading in my ao3 or ff.net account

[rainbows-fanfics]

All'inzio (Chapter 29) EPILOGUE

Summary: A  soldier-in-training, Valerie hopes to join the Valencian Army to avenge  her father’s death under the wing of General Rooke. But when she happens  to catch the attention of Commander Kane, her plans take a different  turn.

Human AU of the Armada from Pirate101, where Kane meets his Queen.

Pairing: Kane/Queen

–

Note: The title translates to “at the beginning”.

–

A figure trailed down the dark corridors of King Casimir's castle. At this point in the night, the rooms were illuminated by candles and lanterns carried by the Valencian guards stationed on duty. The colors from the flames shone on the woman's silhouette as she passed by two men guarding the doors, who dipped their heads in her presence. The only sounds were the steps of her heels pressing against the gray marble flooring. Things were silent otherwise, as others were reasonably long into their slumber. 

Queen had to slow down when she found herself exhausted. She held onto a nearby wall for support as her other hand came to her stomach. Her fingers lightly pressed against the area just above her belly button before slowly trailing down the small curvature that formed within these weeks. Beyond her palm was the source of fatigue, sickness, and worry  she kept bottled up for two months. She managed to hide it through careful planning and sheer luck. But the inevitable time this secret would show in a physical form was one she hadn't exactly prepared for. 

She continued on until she arrived at the last door of the long hallway. She practically collapsed on its surface and removed herself before any more noise could be made. She lingered a few seconds for any activity. Hearing silence, she knocked her knuckles a couple of times gently. A muffled voice replied from the other side: 

"Enter." 

Her small hand pushed the door open. While such a task would normally be done with ease, she was short of breath. She darted in the small space and stepped into the room. She was surrounded by stacks of paper and miscellaneous machinery sprawled out on the floor. Her brown eyes found a figure of a man hunched over his desk, his face obscured by a small prototype his gloved hands were currently tending to. Queen stepped forward and hesitated to speak. Rarely would she enter one of her husband’s work rooms and interrupt him for trivial matters.

Normally, she would be in their proper bedroom right now, waiting for Kane’s eventual return to the mansion. But he informed her he’d be working late tonight. And she so desperately wanted to spend time with him. He’d been so busy lately - cooped up in his work again, even though she scolded him countless times before for sacrificing his sleep….

She took a long breath, attempting to not sound as exhausted as she truly was. "Darling, I was wondering when you'd come to bed..? It's awfully late." 

He acknowledged her with a wave of his hand. "-Shortly. I'm nearly finished with this for the night." 

She bit her tongue. He had a habit of getting absorbed in things when the time became late. She grew lonely the longer he remained away. She was unusually restless tonight. It was becoming more difficult to hide her showing through her nightgowns - their transparent layers doing only so well at concealing her stomach. Even the one she wore now, a golden garment with white trim that loosely came to her ankles, effectively covered only half her abdomen. A long slit in the middle created an opening that would reveal the long curve of her tummy if one stared too long. She discreetly brought her arms down to cover the region as she approached his desk. 

"Kane, it's getting colder the longer you're not beside me. You barely got any sleep the other night, amore mio. I think it's time for you to rest." 

Kane paused in what he was doing and laid down a piece he planned to glue. He stood in his chair and her hands quickly came over her stomach again. She caught this habit and allowed her arm to rest while the other uncertainly found its way to the edge of his desk. He turned and fixated his eyes on hers. She was thankful his gaze did not wander any lower, and whimpered when his gloved finger found its way to her face. He used his thumb to stroke his wife's chin lightly.

"I apologize, cuore mio. I've spent too much of my time here again. I hope you'll forgive me for not remaining by your side when you most need me." 

Her chest grew warm when his face came closer to hers. She could feel his mask press against her cheek while they kissed. She enjoyed every second until he pulled away. Her hands naturally reached for his own, but he passed by her to approach the door. She followed and found herself tired by the time they were in the doorway. Her legs grew weak as she rested a hand on his back. She looked at Kane with pleading eyes.

"Would you mind carrying me back to our room..? I'm tired staying awake for this long. It's so far way..." 

He didn't pry, much to her relief. Without a word, he swept Queen off her feet and carried her bridal-style. Her hands came to the ends of her gown and layered them to hide the bump. Kane was too busy closing the door to notice.  He started the trip back to their temporary bedroom. Queen closed her eyes and relished this moment where she didn't have to say anything. To enjoy his touch after all these hours of being alone...

She snapped back into reality when she was gently laid on the bed. Her eyes followed him as he changed out of his uniform. She chewed on her lip, thinking how she could uncover the news to her husband. She wondered if he would even be happy to learn they were…expecting. She imagined how the situation would transpire if the news wasn't taken so greatly. She reasoned with herself that he wouldn't get upset. She took a deep breath and prepared to tell him...

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

Kane had a lot on his mind tonight. He was so swept up in his work that he hadn't realized how much time passed. He was thankful Queen interrupted the process, otherwise he would've worked himself into the morning. He didn't fancy missing an entire night with her. How could he have been so neglectful? He grew disgusted with himself just thinking about it, and decided tonight that he would not spend another moment away. He realized how fatigued he was the longer he continued to sit still. It was for the best they'd sleep now, and another night he could make it up to her...

When he climbed into bed, he found a strange look on Queen's face. There was something on her mind. She edged closer as her hand fingered its way to his chest, where it remained as she pressed herself against his side. He usually grew touch-starved after not seeing her, but the reasonable part of him was somewhat wary at the coy gesture. He knew his wife well after being married to her for years, now. 

"Before we sleep, I have something important to tell you. Some news I've keeping from you..." 

"-From me?" He asked. It was unusual for her to keep any secrets. "What for?" 

"I didn't exactly know how to tell you. I was a little afraid you wouldn't be too happy about it-" 

She knew he wanted to question her on this, so her finger went to his lips to hush him down. He was about to ask what unfortunate news she was about to deliver. But seeing her insist on continuing kept him quiet. He allowed Queen to gather her thoughts. She was hesitant to relay whatever it was, confirming Kane's suspicions that this was serious. He attempted to think of anything unfavorable that happened between them lately. 

"Honey, do you remember when we went to the King's masquerade party months ago?" He nodded. "And that night, when we...celebrated such a good time?" 

The dots were beginning to connect, but to what, he didn't exactly know. He motioned for her to continue despite the long pause. She began to fidget, toying with the tassels on his clothes and looking away from him. He passed this moment by taking a proper look at her figure. She positioned herself differently than usual, and wore a gown that was loose on her. Before his eyes could wander any further, Queen decided to cut to the chase and inhaled sharply.

"Kane...I'm carrying your baby," Those words left her lips bluntly. "I have been, for a couple months now. At first I thought I was ill, but when it prolonged, I...I realized-"

He felt too astonished for words, but to his surprise, they slipped right off his tongue: "-You're... pregnant?" 

She winced. "I am." 

Now the dots were connected. He had an answer to the questionable habits of hers lately. They never went unnoticed with him, but he hadn't pried, as he trusted she would've let him know if something was wrong. All the times she politely declined alcohol, how long it took her to get dressed in the mornings, the extra trips she made to the restroom, and how easily she grew tired....they made sense.

He rested his hand on his chin as he absorbed this news, his eyes quickly darting over to her stomach. Queen realized what he was looking at and slowly moved her arms so he could see. That's when he found the small baby bump she'd been concealing this entire time. 

"I thought," He began quietly. "I thought we were careful…" 

"We drank a lot that night, remember? It was the only way we could cope with the night," She sighed. "We weren't really thinking…"

He continued to stare at her stomach with widened eyes, trying to imagine his child growing inside of her. It had been many years since he experienced the expectancy of fatherhood, but it was... different, now. This was his wife. Granted, he ceased taking certain precautions at times...But he never imagined receiving this news - not with her. And now that he was, he wasn't exactly sure how to respond...

He was taken aback when he found his hand being led to her stomach. He fought against her grip, but stopped after he saw the look on her face. He was mesmerized when his palm touched its surface. He was left to carefully trail his fingers over the small curve that existed on her abdomen. His baby was there beyond his touch - in the woman he loved dearly...

He felt an usual moisture in his eyes. He ignored it until it crawled down his cheek. He stopped to rub his eye and found a teardrop on his bare finger. He froze, attempting to comprehend the sight. 

Queen gaped at him. "Kane...you're crying… "

"Ah," Was all he could manage. He clenched his jaw and attempted to control the sensation, but failed as another one fell. He rubbed it off with more insistence this time.

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright..?"

"I'm fine," He insisted. He tried to understand why this was happening. He changed topics in the meantime. "Are you keeping it?"

"The baby?" 

He nodded. 

She looked down at her stomach and felt the small bump again. His words repeated thoughtfully in her head. This question hadn't been on her mind so much as it was just spilling this news to him. She was ashamed she hadn't put much thought into it prior to this moment. After a moment, she stopped moving her hand and smiled.

"I want to. Darling, I know you have your sons...and I love and appreciate them deeply. But I never experienced motherhood. I would like to, with your baby that I'll carry…"

She kept her stare on him to see his reaction. He was still tending to the moisture in his eyes. He stiffened at her words. A sound of relief left his lips. His posture loosened as he finally dried the tears.

"Valerie, I've never had a proper partner to share my children with, until now." He took her hands into his own and clutched them tightly. "Perhaps that's why I reacted like this...I feel quite happy."

"..You do?"

"Bearing a child with the woman I love...how could I not be?" His words made her smile. "Not to mention, they'll be as beautiful as you."

The tears began to leave her own eyes. She hastily wiped them away. "And I thought you wouldn't want this…Not another, I mean, with your family-"

"They're far into their adulthoods now. I didn't expect more, but if you want, I will father again." He tilted his head slightly. "It’s not just about that, anyway. It's about raising a child with you, my Queen...and I would be honored to do exactly that."

"Kane…"

She embraced him and began to weep, elated at this news. Seeing the family dynamic they all shared...she longed to have something like that of her own. She was well-accepted into their lives - treated like a mother to Bishop, Rooke, Deacon, even Phule....but she still couldn’t help thinking. The quiet curiosity she’s had, wondering what a child between her and Kane would look like...

"Do you know anything about it?" He asked. At her confused look, he elaborated. "Have you seen anyone at all to know how it's doing?" 

"No…I was nervous telling you as it is. I needed to know what you thought before I did anything.” 

"--Not entirely my decision.” He chided. “We'll see a doctor as soon as possible. To make sure it's healthy before making any haste decisions."

He pulled the blankets over their figures, allowing them to get comfortable. He was calm with this news, which relieved her. She was mindful of her stomach as she moved closer, resting her head on his chest. They were met with peaceful silence. She sighed as the tension left her body. She’d never tire sharing this closeness with him. 

"I am curious about the gender…" She confessed. "I know you have the boys, but wouldn't it be nice to finally have a girl?"

His breath hitched in his throat. His eyes watered again. He tried not to make it obvious as he looked away, holding a hand over his mouth to keep his composure. It went unnoticed as Queen rambled on: 

"I have plenty of names I can think of for a daughter. But a boy would be just as delightful..! We'd love it no matter what, right?"

He swallowed dryly. "Right." 

“Not a chess piece’s name, dear." She teased as he moved to pull the lamp’s handle. “What do you think of Carina? Or Aurelia?” 

The names struck something inside of him pleasantly. But he wouldn’t tell her that, for now. “We’ll decide when we know it’s healthy. Rest.”

He turned the light off and watched the room darken. He waited before laying back on the mattress, where she clung onto his side. Moonlight peeked from behind the curtain, lighting the lower half of the bed. He was thankful for this - otherwise, she would have noticed the tears drying on his face.

A daughter. A little girl as beautiful as Queen, and as smart as him…it was hard not to desire. He shouldn’t have hope - it wouldn't be right, if an expectation formed - but he couldn’t help it. If there was anything he learned from parenting his Elite - boys were rowdy, especially together. It was a nightmare, at times, but…he knew all the imperfections to fix. To do this right, for certain.

He placed his hand over hers. Fatigue hit him like a brick. He was out in only a few minutes. Queen smiled as her thumb trailed over his cheek, wiping the last of the moisture from his face. 

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Midnight Swan

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: Jason doesn't die in the explosion in this AU, BUT he does team up with Kate Kane in this.

Chapters: 1/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Kate Kane, Bruce Wayne

Additional Tags: Jason Todd Survives The Explosion, POV Jason Todd, Angst, Secrets

Chapter One: Crunch

I stood there across from him for the first time since the explosion. I knew if he called for his goons I would be done for, but I could not move. No one else was in the room. It was just us two and no one else. I could see in the dimly lit room that he was staring right into my eyes. Something was different, though. Joker was alone, completely alone. He covered his mouth to feign shock and laughed. “You look familiar, but I just can’t put my crowbar on it,” Joker jibed. Without a second thought, I pulled my mask over my mouth and nose, then hit him with knockout gas. I dragged him down into the underground tunnels of Gotham, the sewers, I bound his hands and feet before he could wake up, and I heard metal whistle through the air and whir past my face. A Batarang?

“Robin?” Kate asked. My blood ran cold. Kate?

“No,” I lied. She looked at the Joker as he lay unconscious and bound at my feet and laughed.

“What the hell do you think you’re gonna do?” Kate questioned. I didn’t answer. “Well, I know you weren’t going to call Bats.” I couldn’t say anything. I didn’t really think that I would get that far. I couldn’t look her in the face.

“I’m not Robin anymore,” I whispered, and she started checking his restraints. “Bats doesn’t know I’m here.”

“I figured that much. Well, where are you going to take him?” Kate asked. I didn’t know what to say. She sighed and picked him up. “I’m gonna call Bats, and you’re gonna tell him what you found.” I shook my head.

“No... I don’t want him to know… I was gonna,” I paused, “I’m gonna chain him to the light pole in front of GCPD.” Kate looked at me and shook her head. I knew it sounded stupid the second that it left my mouth.

“Okay. We’re going to GCPD, I guess...” I followed her up and out of the sewers, and she dumped the clown upside down in the sidecar. She pushed a helmet over my head, and I climbed on her motorcycle behind her. Kate took me to the alley behind GCPD and yanked him out of the sidecar before I could even take off my helmet. He was awake by that time and laughing.

“And I was dumb enough to think it was curtains for you,” Joker cackled, “You’re a little taller since I’ve seen you last.” He looked at Kate. “My, how fast they grow!” Kate looked at me and motioned to him with her head. “What do you wanna do, really?” I shook my head.

“It’s not right… I don't know… I don’t—. I can’t—.” Kate made me look at him. He had this smug grin and a wild look in his eyes.

“The kid doesn’t have the guts,” Joker smiled and cocked his head, “And he knows it.” I wanted to cry, but then I thought about my mother. I thought about the look in her eyes, eyes like mine, and I hit him... And I hit him again and again and again until Kate pulled me off of him. The sound of his bones crushing under my boots wasn't enough. I took a few deep breaths before letting out a scream. I wished that he was dead. I wished he was dead and my mother was alive. I wished that I could allow myself to do what Bruce couldn’t.

Kate held onto me until I snapped back. I turned to look at him, and she shook her head and told me to stay where I was before I heard her grappling hook. Kate put the helmet back over my head. “Let’s go,” Kate commanded. I nodded, and she took me a few blocks away to get me away from the police department. As soon as I got off the bike, I took off the helmet, and I couldn’t figure out what to say. I don’t know if it was nerves or if I was in shock, but Kate put her hand on my shoulder. She took off my mask and looked me in the eyes. “I should take you home,” Kate mumbled. I couldn’t say anything. I stood there trying to tell myself that Bruce would’ve done the same thing even if I knew that wasn’t true. “I’m not going to do that, though.”

I looked at her as if I didn’t know what she was saying, and she put my mask back on gently before she explained something to me. I didn’t hear it. I wasn’t trying to. All I knew was that I had to follow her up the fire escape and into her apartment window. Her apartment smelled nice, not like flowers or candles. It smelled sweet. Kate threw her mask on the couch and looked over at me. I don’t know what the look meant, but I knew she wouldn't tell Bruce where I was.

She showed me where I could find some clothes that fit in a room close to the front door while she slipped into the room closest to the fire escape. I changed into some old military school sweatsuit that I guessed belonged to her, and she’d turned on a single light for me. "Help yourself to whatever's in the fridge if you get hungry tonight," she yelled from the other room. I turned out the light on the way back to the room and lay there, staring at the ceiling. Bruce had told me before that he and Kate were very different, but they seemed like two sides of the same coin.

As much as I'd like to say I wanted the clown dead, I couldn't do it. Not because I couldn't move myself to kill him, but because I wouldn't be able to look Bruce in the eye afterward. I guess what Hamlet said makes sense now. Conscience really does make cowards of us all. I felt like a coward. Bruce held so close to the belief that killing makes us no different, but maybe our reluctance to kill makes us compliant. I've seen firsthand how playing by the rules doesn't always work. Sometimes you can do everything right, and people still end up dead. I closed my eyes and considered whether or not I should tell Bruce what I did. I knew that Bruce wouldn’t really understand. I tried to respect his wishes that I give up being Robin, but I couldn’t go back to walking past people in need knowing that I could help them or at least try.

I couldn’t sleep. Whenever I tried to close my eyes, I would start to reanalyze the night. I spent weeks tracing him and taking out his pals one by one until I knew I could catch him by himself, but it still felt strange. It was almost like he knew I would come for him. He knew who I was, even in an entirely new costume. How did he know who I was? Why didn’t he put up a fight? What did I do wrong? Did I walk into a trap? What was Kate doing there? Was there something that I missed, a mistake that I made? Was I playing into someone’s plan? I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something wasn’t right. It was only a matter of time before I figured it out.