#and apparently they don’t send things between warehouses

[onlythebravest]

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[arachnixe]

What Passes For Wholesome

(Part 4 of Night’s Longing - Previous: Dinner’s On Me)

Four people dead in one night. One person missing, along with her clothes and valuables, making her the obvious suspect.

That would be the national news story if this were most other cities, but if there’s anyone that even the cops here fear, it’s Clan Sarthe. They’ll be reminded to look the other way again. The cleaners will do their work, some families will file their missing person reports, and nobody will have any answers.

Liz speculates that they’ll go with drugs as the official explanation this time. Bunch of meth-addicted girls who disappeared after a particularly indulgent binge, it happens all the time, right? The only thing to do is to increase government funding for the war on drugs once again. The cops get more funds, and the clan takes its cut from the cops. Everyone’s happy.

There won’t even be a warrant for my arrest.

Still, this is an indulgence we can’t repeat, as she reminds me. Three vampires going on a reckless binge like this? It’s too much work to be dealing with on a regular basis. Time to lay low for a bit.

The way she says three vampires makes my heart flutter. The way she praises how skillfully I killed my roommate, the way she showers me with kisses and compliments, and the way she holds me close and strokes my hair and calls me “sister” ease my doubts. Of course she’ll take care of me just like she takes care of Vicky, and even if I’m left without an income or home of my own, I can live with the two of them.

Their home is a cozy apartment through the tunnels under the warehouse district, exactly where that cell of vampire hunters planned to strike. The older, wealthier, more powerful vampires live much deeper underground, while those of similar social standing as my sisters live up here, closer to the surface. If my blood family’s plan had been allowed to proceed, my found family would be dead. I shudder at the thought.

Fortunately, I am welcomed here, since it’s not unusual to have a live-in human bloodbag, apparently. Liz’s property: that’s what I’ll have to be as far as the others in the clan are concerned. After all, I can’t quite pass as undead the way attention from hot vampires can make me blush so easily. Still, Liz promises me, to her and Vicky I’m absolutely one of them.

They haven’t shown anyone the proof of how I’ve killed for Clan Sarthe. It remains safest, Liz says, to avoid suspicion at all rather than try to broadcast proof of my loyalty and invite the possibility that it won’t be enough for influential naysayers. We’ll show off the evidence of my heroism only when we must.

Of course, while we’re laying low, I am also their bloodbag. It’s so much easier for my family to deal with their cravings as long as I’m there, happy to get passed back and forth between my sisters, a shared resource to be drained of blood until I black out multiple times daily.

I don’t know how many days I pass in this interminable, delirious haze, often waking up only long enough to have something shoved in my mouth—either for the sake of calories or for someone else’s orgasm—to then feel the sting of my sisters’ fangs and drift out of consciousness again, sometimes waking up sandwiched between two naked bodies fast asleep during the day. I know that I’m being used, but isn’t it so much less degrading than working food service for minimum wage and sending every penny I earn to my landlord? I feel happier than I can remember since that very first time I loved someone and felt loved in return.

Once Liz decides it’s safe to go hunting again, our first night out together as sisters is like a dream come true. They teach me the rules of the hunt: how to identify when you’re stepping on another vampire’s toes, how often we can feed and stay within the quota—Vicky’s hot tip is that tourists are basically freebies—and the best neighborhoods to stalk.

“And don’t forget to have some pride, Hanna,” she tells me during one coaching session. “Yeah, you can pick off as many homeless people as you like without the city giving a shit, but that’s beneath us. You’ve gotta find someone who’s well fed and lives a leisurely lifestyle. That’s the good stuff.”

The cannibalism thing gets easier every time, but even Liz agrees we should indulge in it far less frequently than ordinary feeding. Partially draining some lonely drunk after midnight and leaving them to wake up dazed in an alleyway? Basically harmless. Slicing someone to pieces and leaving a partially dismembered body? That does draw significantly more attention, and eventually the clan will come down on us. Still, even without getting my own dinner out of it, just going out with my sisters and sharing a night of hunting humans with them is more than I ever thought I’d get to experience. It’s beautiful.

I almost feel ashamed about how I rob some of these people when Vicks and Lizzy aren’t looking. Best to do so with the rare few I’m allowed to kill and eat, rather than the ones we expect to wake up with a nasty hangover the next day. The dead ones won’t miss their wallet, cash, jewelry, cards, and ID, so I can use them to make a few purchases just for myself.

By now I’ve got a modest amount of money stashed away that Liz doesn’t know about and over a year prepaid on the storage unit where I keep my vampire hunting gear. Yes, Liz told me to pawn it all since it’d be bad to get caught with any of it in my possession, but my personal collection includes powerful amulets and even such treasures as the family sword—swiped from my father’s corpse—which is itself a weapon as much of steel and silver as ancient theurgy. It seems like a poor decision to let tools like those drift around the open market where they might pose a risk to innocent vampires.

I feel a little bad about keeping these secrets. It’s not that I don’t trust Liz… or Vicky for that matter. It’s just that my sisters have made it clear that they’d prefer me not having too much independence.

When I talk about getting a job, Liz finds countless reasons why I shouldn’t. It’s true that I’d hate it, that the bus routes are terrible around here, and that I no longer have to worry about bills. Also she’s willing to spoil me with clothes and nice food and other gifts just like she does my other sister. Worse, if I made friends outside the clan, I might start developing sympathies for humans, and it’s far better to avoid that sort of complication, isn’t it?

She’s doing a fine job isolating me from having any support network or resources outside our family. I remember a conversation with my old roommate Madison who told me behavior like this is a huge red flag that someone intentionally doing these things is an abuser, which makes me uncertain enough to inspire a conversation with Liz.

“Of course I’m isolating you, babe.” She pulls me into her cool embrace. “I don’t want you to get any second thoughts about joining our family, wondering if you should try to rejoin the world of the living. You know that’s a temptation that most newly turned vampires get, right? It’s important to learn that for all the pleasures that being a creature of the night entails, you are trapped in this world now as permanently as the rest of us.”

She knows how to put it in terms that make this feel right, doesn’t she? She’s really treating me like a newly turned vampire. “But…” there’s still that nagging uncertainty. “What if I got a clan job like you so I could have a little more money of my own?”

“Ah, but then you’d be less dependent on me, and you must know how good it feels to keep you in the position you're in now. Like this…”

Liz pushes me to my knees, and without a word I know what she wants from me. I lift her skirt and put my well-trained mouth to work.

“See, babe? I don’t even have to worry that you might say no. You and I both know you only have a place to live because you won me over by being such a good girl who knows how to make me very happy.” She exhales with a satisfied shudder as my tongue effectively demonstrates her point. “You’re all taken care of thanks to my good graces, and it’s so, so smart of you to continue listening to everything I tell you to do.”

Maybe I shouldn’t find that as cozy an arrangement as I do. Maybe it shouldn’t make me desperately happy to let her indulge her lust for control. Liz is just so obscenely attractive when she’s possessive and even a little bit cruel. Besides, is it even really abuse if my sister is totally up front about her intentions like this? Well then, maybe a woman as hot as her deserves a pass on being an abuser. Maybe I don’t have a way to escape. That’s okay. I don’t want to. And if I’m in danger from her, well, maybe I’m at my most comfortable when that’s the case.

Vicks doesn’t get off on the whole control thing so much. I think she just likes having a pretty, free-use girl in arm’s reach who also happens to laugh at her goofy sense of humor. She’s incredibly casual about treating me as her personal plaything, grabbing at me without warning and demanding sex or blood or someone to talk to or whatever strikes her fancy in the moment.

One night I wake up and discover she tossed all my old clothes away, replacing them with an array of exclusively slutty outfits for her own amusement. Heated voices from the other room make it clear that I was not the only one who was not consulted about this decision. I pick out a loose crop-top that hangs off one shoulder and a pair of mini shorts that emphasize the goods far more than they conceal. Honestly, I’m kind of impressed by how well they fit. Vicky’s been putting her thorough study of my body to good use, I’d say.

“How the hell are we supposed to take her out of the apartment when she doesn’t own anything that hides her obvious hunter tattoos, Victoria?” The sharp sound of a slap carries into the bedroom.

“C’mon, Lizzy. I know you can hit harder than that. Please? It might knock some ideas loose if you do.”

An even louder crack reverberates through the apartment as I enter the room and find Vicks on the ground, straddled by a furious Liz with a hand on her neck.

The thing is, I’m a simple girl. You can’t force me to dress in an incredibly revealing outfit and then put on a show like this without my gay ass getting turned on by it.

“Aw, you two getting started without me?” I can’t resist teasing, leaning against the doorway in a deliberately seductive pose that shows off my top’s plunging neckline and my bare legs. I know I look great in this fit.

The distraction works wonders, and I enjoy watching Liz’s eyebrows shoot upward in a way that flatters me very much as she stares in my direction. “Oh,” is all she manages to say at first. Then, “Can I change my mind on this being entirely a bad idea?”

“Damn. I knew those shorts would nicely show off how thick her thighs are.” Vicks bites her lips in a way that flashes one of her very sexy fangs, her signature move. “It’s good to be a genius.”

“Almost as good as defusing an argument by being hot and slutty in front of my sisters,” I reply, opening the bedroom doorway in a wordless invitation.

That’s the start to a particularly fun evening for sure, and although we do eventually have to get me some less revealing outfits, I promise Vicky I won’t wear them more than necessary as long as she reciprocates the favor. It takes no pushing at all to get her to agree—one fun thing about Vicks is that she enjoys being objectified at least as much as she enjoys objectifying me.

---

Now that I’m actually conscious most of the time, I’m excited to learn more about the day-to-day reality of vampire life. It’s not all stalking the night, drinking blood and having erotically charged encounters with sexy women who don’t (usually) know what they’re getting into. Vicky is as unemployed as I am, but Liz has career ambitions, working her way up the clan hierarchy from the bottom. There’s a lot of political maneuvering involved, it seems, with vampires no stranger to cutthroat tactics, and Clan Intelligence seems to reward underhanded tactics more than most divisions.

“Good evening, Elizabeth. Taking your dog on a walk?”

“Ylio. What do you want?” Liz’s voice is chilly as she addresses the tall, vulpine creature accosting us on our way to meet up with Vicks at the Carmine. I recognize the name from the many times she cursed it within earshot. This is her main rival, a vicious thing gunning for the same promotion that would grant Liz access to much more of the secrets our externally embedded clan members feed to us.

“I heard you and that vapid waste you call a sister acquired a bloodbag for yourselves.” They look me up and down as though appraising me for defects. “How on earth did a pair of low-class children like yourselves manage that, I wonder? What did you buy it with?”

Liz strokes my head in a way that uncomfortably reinforces the impression that I am nothing more than her pet. “Have you considered that I’m simply that charming? Developing a personality might do wonders for you as well, if you could manage it.”

The other vampire snorts derisively. “As though a poor, fat cow like you has anything to offer besides a pair of oversized tits.”

“And where’s yours then, since you have so much more than I for luring a human into your service?” My sister bares her fangs. “Ah, right. I remember. Your last was over a decade ago, and you lost it almost immediately afterward.”

“It wasn’t my first and won’t be my last. Unlike yours, a fluke, I’m sure, and I will be surprised if little Victoria doesn’t impulsively ruin it sooner than later.”

Despite myself, I grin. Ylio has no idea.

They catch me and quirk an eyebrow. “Ah, I see. You’ve found the type of pathetic, lust-fueled meat that would be perfectly happy to die from a vampire’s kiss. All too many of those in this era, aren’t there? Our propaganda works wonders.” They lean down to eye level with me and flash a smile of their own that they must imagine to be charismatic. “But easy come, easy go with this type, hmm? All it needs is an invitation from someone older, richer, and more powerful. Perhaps with a little… extra… push…“

That look in their eyes, a flash of red… Oh, they’re using vampiric hypnosis on me.

I lower my eyelids and part my lips. “Wow, it’s true…” I say as though entranced. Hypnosis is not a gift all vampires have, but it is a gift all vampire hunters are trained to resist. “You really have no personality to speak of.”

With a surprised guffaw, Liz pats my head in praise. “Damn, I guess us low-class children have you beat, Ylio.”

The other vampire glares, straightening to their full height. “Watch yourself, child. There are many ways to lose a pet.” With a prim turn on their heel, they depart.

“It’s a status thing to have a personal bloodbag, isn’t it?” I don’t wait for Liz’s confirmation. “That one is definitely going to try to kill me.”

“Then I’ll have to keep you close, my dear.” My sister’s words are meant to be comforting, but I hear a certain amount of worry in her voice.

Ylio’s threatened by my presence. Just by having me around, my keeper’s reputation is improved. She’s elevated herself a notch in the hierarchy, and that’s the sort of respect that might clinch the promotion she’s after. Still, it’s clear that one is underestimating me. They don’t know that I’m much more than just a bloodbag to my sisters.

Liz pulls me along. “Let’s head on up to the Carmine, babe. I need to dance some of this anger out.”

---

I’m not much of a dancer, so I leave Vicks and Lizzy to enjoy each other’s company on the dance floor while I grab a drink at the bar. “Hey, Jax. Rum and coke?”

The bartender gives me a quick wave of acknowledgment as she slaps a spout into a new bottle of well whiskey. With quick, confident motions, it takes her no time at all to work her way through all the drinks in the queue and get to mine. Not for the first time, I wonder just how long she’s been tending bar. Jax definitely mentioned Al Capone at some point, but that also might have been a joke.

Before long, she sets my glass down with a wink. “Here you go, Hanna. Victim-coded, just how you like it.”

I take a sip, and sure enough it’s double strong. “Appreciate it! On Vicky’s tab, yeah?”

“I know the score. You have fun, kid.”

It’s nice to have a night where I’m not on the hook for either hunting dinner or being dinner for my sisters. Tonight, we’re just here to chill, and even Ylio wouldn’t dare try something here.

I scan the club. We’re well-stocked with humans tonight, but they don’t have anything I want right now. They barely register at all as people to me these days. I palm a silver coin—a small trinket, easy to conceal, easy to explain away—while I meander through the crowd. With a little bit of silver, close enough proximity, and the right skills, it’s simple enough to pick the vampires out even when I don’t know them all yet.

A tingle, a subtle warmth… no, this one is putting the moves on her own prey. That one looks too intoxicated to be interested in me. Another one just isn’t my type. Oh, here we go.

The tall dapper woman wearing an expensive looking suit and looking woefully out of place here in the club makes my breath quicken. One hand runs through her short-cropped strawberry blonde hair while the other holds a seemingly untouched glass of liquor. She carries herself with an untouchable confidence that borders on swagger, and the crowd practically parts for her wherever she moves.

Yeah, Vicks and Lizzy will absolutely understand why I need to flirt with this woman.

“Hey there,” I smile up at the hot butch. “I just wanted to say that you’re super hot. If I thought I had a chance with you, would you call me vein?” I tilt my head to expose my neck and waggle my eyebrows.

The woman blinks several times in rapid succession. “Was that meant to be one of those ‘pick-up lines?’ Does this usually work for you?”

“I, uh… yeah. Kinda?” I laugh self-consciously, feeling my face turn red. “Most vampires I meet seem to like the puns.”

“You know what I am, and you choose to pursue me?” She tilts her head in a gesture of curiosity. “Odd.”

Wow, she has that Old Vampire accent that’s so hard to place, the one that feels like a blend of every country and every age the speaker has ever lived in. It’s light, just gilding the edges of her words, but if you’ve heard older vampires speak, it’s easy to listen for.

“That’s me. I’m a bit odd, but I’d really like to get to know you.”

“Hmm. No thank you.” The look of pity she gives me breaks my heart. “If it helps, I am sorry. I am just not here in pursuit of carnal pleasures. Good night.” With that final word, the hot vampire turns away and leaves me alone.

I’m crushed.

Vicks and Lizzy, done with their dancing for the moment, have grabbed a table, and I rejoin them. Someone’s hand on my back attempts to soothe me, but I am inconsolable. “I fumbled the hot butch,” I moan into my hands.

“You fumbled the hot butch,” Liz agrees.

“Shit, is that her?” Vicky whistles softly under her breath. “I can’t blame you. I think I’d devolve into wolf whistles and howling if I tried to chat her up.”

“You said she’s probably really old?”

“Yeah.” I don’t try to hide the longing from my voice. “She’s got the same kind of accent as old Eberhard.”

“No kidding?” Vicky makes the soft whistle sound again. “That’d put her at 300 years old or something.”

“Closer to 400.” Liz shakes her head. “Assuming Hanna’s right, but she is pretty good at this sort of thing.”

“Why do the old ones have to be so stodgy about casual fucking?” Vicky’s lamentations start to sound as mournful as mine. “The four of us could have a hell of a night together.”

“Maybe I could try again.” I’m in denial. I know it. “Someone that old probably lost friends to vampire hunters over the years. I could impress her by showing her some of the photos we took of my—ah, those dead Boltmans.”

Vicky perks up at that. “It was pretty badass. They would have wrecked our shit.”

“Thinking they needed to save the world from a secret plot to bring about Dracula’s return,” I add. “Ha. I almost wish they were right.”

Liz grabs me by the chin and forces me to face her, wearing a serious expression. “You be careful about saying something like that.”

“Wh—“

“That is a highly political topic. Believe it or not, vampires do not broadly agree on whether we would be better off if we were united under him again.”

I give a tiny, earnest nod. My sister fixes my gaze with her own until she looks satisfied that I understand the gravity of what she’s told me.

A familiar voice interrupts us. “Do you ladies mind if I join you?”

It’s her, and she doesn’t wait for a response before smoothly gliding into a seat at our table.

“I could not help but overhear some fascinating snippets of conversation.” The handsome butch I fumbled earlier leans toward us. “You are all quite awful at secrecy while intoxicated, it would seem.”

“H-hi…” I sound pathetic. My crush is obvious.

“Hey, what’s up?” Despite what Vicky said earlier, she’s doing a much better job than I at keeping her composure, even if she’s not at her most eloquent right now, offering no better than that line and a flirty nod at our new companion.

Liz, as usual, is the best of us. “Please forgive the two of them. My name is Elizabeth. This is Hanna and Victoria.”

“Carmen. It’s a pleasure.” The elder vampire’s speech is formal, but her demeanor is so much less stiff than earlier. She’s putting on the charm, I realize, and that’s making it much harder to keep myself from blushing harder than ever. “And I would love to hear more about the woman who killed multiple members of the Boltman Clan.” She lowers her voice conspiratorially. “As well as anything she has heard about the Cult of Dracula.”

[thr-333]

Lol I can totally see big Leo and the kids in the events of the movie... oh wait, that's bad 😨😱

Deep breath in, out slowly, carefully. The difference between meditative breathing, stealth and panic attacks wasn’t all that different. Which was fortunate because Leo was currently multitasking.

“Move quietly,” He ordered, voice low enough to only get picked up by April and CJ by his side, “We get in, get it, get out, if they catch us before we reach it, retreat,”

“We have to get the key no matter what,” CJ reminded, tensely staring down at where it had already been placed in the keyhole, waiting to be activated.

“We don’t have enough fire power to go toe to toe with the foot,” Leo shot right back, “If we’re found out stealth goes out the window, I’ll portal right to it, but you two retreat,”

“Roger,” April said with only a half mocking salute. CJ nodded, determined.

“Get the key, stop the Kraang,”

Leo motioned for them to move out. The three slipping quietly through the shadows while the foot soldiers listened to their leaders speech. Leo kept his gaze locked on the key. The thing that would let through apparent monsters set on destroying the world. Past him had failed to stop it. His little brothers had grown into teens among the apocalypse.

Future Leo had sent CJ back, alone. If he was able to send anyone back to safety it would have been one of his brothers. Which meant only one thing:

None of them were left to send back.

Leo was not letting that happen. Ever. He was taking this mission seriously, which meant the kids had to stay behind. Despite their arguing, this wasn’t some villain of the week they could have a playdate with.

They reached the platform where they no longer had the benefit of a crowd for cover. From here out it was solely reliant on the shadows. CJ looped around to the other side when Leo signalled. April stayed watching his back as Leo skulked onto the stage. He melded with the shadows, the key in his sight, it was in his reach. The secret to his brothers safety and happiness-

“Hey! You villains!” Every eye in the warehouse snapped up towards the hole in the ceiling. A little turtle standing proudly with two more at his side, “Get ready to be pounded like a boss!”

“RapH!” Leo’s voice cracked on the yell. Most foot soldiers distracted by the little snapper dropping down in the middle of the crowd. The leaders by the stage however noticed Leo, cover blow.

“You!”

“Me,” Leo smirked, snatching the key. He didn’t have time to make a portal, jumping over foot brute and flipping to the edge of the stage.

He looked out scanning the frenzied crowd for hints of color. There were flashes of orange, and explosions in purple. Red was everywhere, on the foots masks, being spilt on the ground, red, red, red, RED!

“Raphael!” He shouted his little brother bursting out of a dog pile, red projection wavering around him.

“Hi Leo!” He smiled, snaggletooth catching the light.

A foot soldier was running up behind him, like the leader was towards Leo. The foot leader grabbed hold of the key at the same moment Leo tried to jump after his brother. It was a split second decision, they key or his brother. It was ultimately the wrong decision but Leo would always choose his brother.

He let go of the key, jumping and landing inbetween Raph and his attacker. Their blade got parried to the side, and received a punch to the face for their effort.

“Raph what were you thinking!” Leo shouted, turning to his brother. Slashing out in the same moment to drive back their assailants.

“You needed help!” Raph shouted right back, little face screwed up in a furious expression, “We’re helping!”

“This isn’t helping!” Leo kicked a foot soldier, ribs cracking under the blow, “Helping would be staying home! I told you to stay at home!”

“You were doing something dangerous and you wanted me to stay home?!” Raph got pushed back by Leo as he manoeuvred the little turtle around deadly blows, “What if you got hurt?!”

“That doesn't matter!” Leo growled, sparing a moment to look Raph in the eyes, “It’s not about me!” 

“Yes it-” The ground shuddered, Leo pulled Raph in close, blue light arcing around him. 

Pink light flooded the place, drowning out the blue glow of his ninpo. Leo pressed Raph’s shell in tight against him. Eyes wide at the the creatures silhouetted by the light. The worlds doom.

“Tough guy you need to get going,” Leo said gently, grip on his sword tightening.

“What? I’m not leaving you!” Raph shouted, trembling. It made them stand out against the sea of foot soldiers bowing to their new masters.

“Raph please,” Leo begged, standing up instead of comforting his brother, stepping between him and the threat. 

Leo could see CJ off to the side looking at the Kraang stricken. April was with Mikey and Donnie, shielding the two with her bat. Leo was front and centre.

“Leo please,” Raph gripped onto his wrist, hand trembling. The Kraang were approaching. 

“Everything will be ok,” Leo looked back, smile strained at the edges, “You need to trust me alright?”

Raph didn’t answer, Leo shook him off. Swords drawn with the intent of being the only thing standing between the future and his brothers.  He aimed for a fleshy appendage, only for his blade to glance off. The pink tentacle apparently being made of something other than flesh and blood, closer to steel.

“Leo!” a little voice called, probably Mikey. Leo recognised that before he registered he was being thrown back, the pain of the blow coming seconds later.

“Stay here!” Was heard off to the side, “Aprrrillll O’ NEIL!”

A bat came down on the appendage reaching for him. Leo rolled to his feet as April defended him. He looked to the side, eyes locking with CJ. His eyes flicked to the key. Casey read him like they had been fighting side by side for years, apparently Leo dosent change in some regards. 

The future boy started sprinting after the key as Leo made portals to distract the Kraang. One here use their own tentacle to hit themselves. Another, under their ‘feet’  throw them off balance. Jump through that one, strike hard, strike fast, disappear again. Portal in front of April, protect her. He needs to make one for his brothers, wherever they are. Send them back home, away from this battle. But he can’t get a moment. Strike after strike comes he needs to stay on the move, focused on the two aliens while CJ tries to stop the third.

Where are his brothers. Where are his brothers. Where are-

“Like a boss!” Anywhere but there!

Raph came flying in, half formed projection around his fist. It made an impact but did nothing except make Leo’s heart beat three times as fast.

Raph got slammed right in the plastron by an appendage. Leo jumped catching and cushioning the other with his body.

“Leo!” His other little brothers called, voicing sounding closer.

“Stay there!” Leo barked, bodily pushing Raph behind himself.

“Do you care for them?” The head Kraang mocked, slithering closer purposefully slow and imposing, “Your compassion will be your undoing warrior, just like those before you, this thing you call love, is meaningless in the face of Kraang,”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Leo held his sword readying for a fight. Then he threw it hard and fast past the Kraang. “Casey now!”

The key was ripped from its hold at the same time the katana stuck into the ground next to the human. Casey jumped through the portal no hesitation, Leo remotely closing it right behind him.

“NO!” Kraang screeched as their self made fleshy portal slammed shut.

Leo took the opportunity, Raph tucked under one arm. He threw his next sword as he ran it wedged in the ground next to Mikey and Donnie. The two clinging to each other for dear life.

“Go now!” Leo yelled to break them out of their stupor. The Kraang attention snapping back to him. Mikey was the one to pull Donnie in, Leo closed the portal before the Kraang could give chase.

“You pest!” Leo managed to dodge around the strike, putting Raph on his protected side. 

With one hand he fished around in his med pouch. Keeping an eye on the Kraang as he jumped backwards towards April.

“Leo I can help!” Raph wriggled in his grip.

“Not now tough guy,” Leo breathed, fishing out one of his scalpels.

 It went from small knife to full blade in a flash of blue. Another one had a portal made and was redirecting a tentacle back at their attacker.

“April!” Leo called throwing the sword the rest of the way. It lodged into the ground next to his sister but she didn’t jump in.

“Leo hurry!” He was trying he was really trying.

 He gave up on looking back making a full sprint towards the portal door. He had almost made it, they were so close. Then a screech tore though his body. The kind of ear bleeding sound that sent you off balance.

Worse than the pain his portal flickered.

He could feel his ninpo like a candle flame. Barely there he sheltered it trying to keep it alight long enough. When April saw him make the last jump there she followed. Disappearing as his portal wavered at the edges.

Leo let himself fall forward focusing all his energy into keeping the door open just a second longer. A little bit more. Then he felt something pull him back. No, not him-

“Raph!” His brother was ripped out of his arms, spikes slicing along the length of it.

Leo twisted around as he fell watching terrified as the tentacle wrapped around his little brother pulled him back. To the sharp snarling smiles of their enemies that had killed him in another timeline.

He saw his own fear reflected back. Eyes rimmed with panic as Raph reached out. Desperate like the toddler who had slipped over on Leo’s I’ll advised ice skating trip when they were kids. Tears welling up in his eyes as a precuorser to a terrible sobbing cry. Leo tried to grab him back but he was a mile off. His hands met empty air as his vision filled with blue.

The candle within him flickered out.

[swanimagines]

Bastard and the Blood Princess [Chapter 8]

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As the evening grew darker, the pub’s interiors grew in noise volumes. Everyone else around you was laughing and clinking their glasses together - a group of people at the other side of the pub was apparently celebrating someone’s birthday and they made the most noise, but the situation wasn’t much less noisy in other tables either.

You and Kaz ate in silence, with you trying to not look at Kaz as his discomfort very clearly came through. The waitress had asked Kaz while looking at you if he’d like to buy today’s special for his girlfriend, and he had immediately barked at her, correcting her that you were his acquaintance, or actually less than an acquaintance. The waitress had given him a weird look as he handed her some coins to pay for you both, and you were trying to suppress a smile at her confused expression.

And now he was stiff, occasionally squeezing his cane with his other hand while eating, chewing slowly - you recognised the signs, and you knew it was because he didn’t particularly enjoy sitting with the daughter of his arch enemy, eating as if you were on a date. You knew he despised the feeling. So you sighed and leaned forward.

“Kaz, should I–”

Kaz interrupted you. “Who were you writing a letter to? Your father?”

You froze - how did he know? You opened your mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. “I–”

He scoffed, the fork clattering on the plate as he raised his head a bit. “I’m not stupid. An ink bottle in the bathroom? I’d think someone like you would know how to lie better.”

You blinked at him as he slowly raised his eyes to meet yours, and then you groaned. “Well, I hoped this wouldn’t come up. The truth is… I have a boyfriend in Dime Lions. Or well, had. And I think he was the one who ratted me out. He swears he isn’t the one, but I know it’s just a trick… I was intending to send a letter to him to threaten him that once I come back, I’ll gut him too once my father is out. But I was interrupted and the ink bottle spilled on me, I was in so much rage that I forgot everything around me. I lied because… well, it’s still a delicate subject for me and–”  you ended your sentence abruptly, pretending to choke back a sob. “I don’t want to seem weak. I’m not. Love is a weakness, and those who seek it are to be victims of their own heart. I think that I knew, deep in my heart, what my father truly is and I sought comfort from Tiernan, which was stupid.”

Kaz thought for a moment and then huffed. “So, the rumour was true. The Blood Princess and Tiernan Dwyer being involved.”

You suppressed back a snort. Idiots, seeing chemistry between you and Tiernan.

“Was it that obvious?” you mumbled, lowering your spoon slightly. “I thought I was good at masking my feelings.”

Kaz picked up his fork again. “There was a bet going around. Jesper betted on you two not being together because according to him, he's basically a love doctor and knows love when he sees it, and the way you looked at Tiernan wasn't it. Everyone else in that group betted on something more going on. And now Jesper would lose a fair share of money for it if I were interested enough to tell them this.”

You sighed. “What a shame. Seems like I bring nothing but bad luck for that man.”

Kaz shifted before picking up another piece of carrot. “He needs a kick of bad luck sometimes.”

—

On the road again, the sun had set an hour ago and darkness had descended over the valley like a shroud. You could barely see, and you both knew it was dangerous to ride without seeing anything, but the job wouldn’t wait - you’d need to be at Rotrov before sunrise, you’d need to snatch the uniforms in the middle of the night. There’d be a lot more guards during daytime, but at night only one or two. Or that’s what Kaz told you. You guessed a warehouse for uniforms and weapons branded by Little Palace symbols weren’t a popular thing to snatch.

You passed a bridge, the sound of water flowing below it, making you think of that old farm your father sometimes brought you to on business trips only a few years ago. You weren’t able to adventure though, you were mostly babysitting toddler Alby and watching as he mashed toy carriages together while babbling something unintelligible. But when you were sitting outside with him, you heard birds, water flowing in the creek, wind blowing through the trees, rustling leaves.

There, you felt content. A little vacation, away from the grime of Ketterdam, away from your cellar. Your father tried to teach you to feel empowered through torture, and you did in a way - but when you sat on that blanket, looking at Alby playing, you found yourself wanting to stop the time and sit there for the rest of your life.

You always brushed it off though. Ketterdam was merciless for the weak, especially for women. If you sank too deep into some stupid flower girl dreams, you could as well end up in a pleasure house.

“We’re getting close,” Kaz’s voice pulled you away from your thoughts. “We’ll have to leave the horses here. By that little pond over there.”

You did as he told, dismounting your horse and guided her next to the pond. She immediately dipped her head down and began to drink greedily, which made you smile a little and give her a pat. Kaz came to stand beside you, and pointed towards the small building behind the bushes, and its open window in particular.

“There, you see that window?”

“Yes, I see it. That’s our way in?”

“No,” Kaz replied, and you turned to look at him. “It’s your way in. You’ll open the door for me once you’ve taken out the guard.”

You narrowed your eyes at Kaz. “This is that test, isn’t it?”

He didn’t reply to your question, and instead made his way behind the fence. “The guard has just switched his post with his colleague. You can get in right away, but we need to make it seem like nothing is stolen, and that the guard slipped and hit his head. You need to hit hard enough for him to not realise what’s happening, it needs to look like an accident. Otherwise, they’ll–”

“Inform the Little Palace that they need to check their guards, which could sabotage our plan. Got it.”

Kaz nodded and then gestured to you to come closer to the fence. “There’s a crack here. Slip through.”

You took in a deep breath and carefully slipped through the crack in the fence, and crouched down as you sneaked your way to the window.

The torch of one the guards almost illuminated your form as you scrambled towards the window, and you glanced back at where you last saw Kaz - but the man had disappeared. A suspicion of it being a trap crossed your mind, maybe he had known you’re lying about the letter? Maybe he guessed that you were trying to trick him? Dirtyhands was skilled in detecting lies, you had heard. Which you had taken as a challenge, but in moments like these, you cursed yourself for not being more careful.

But the fact that you getting caught could sabotage the plan of getting to Little Palace for him too was the thing that made you push up and get yourself through the window.

The hut was smaller than it seemed from the outside. There was a small closet which supposedly held at least some of the uniforms, and the guard himself sat on the chair near the window, his dirty boots lifted on the table, and you heard deep breaths with occasional, faint snoring. The chair was slightly tilted backwards - which was a perfect setup. Luck was clearly on your side tonight. You’d just have to make the chair fall down hard enough to knock the guy out, it would look like he had fallen down while sleeping.

So, you sneaked up on him and in a swift move, you slammed the chair to the ground. The guard cried out and you jumped back, realising you hadn’t hit him hard enough. Shit.

Blood stained the floor as he continued moaning in pain, and you were just about to kick him in the head, but then a torch light illuminated the hut, making you crouch down. “Bocharov! Are you alright?”

Shit, shit shit shit.

You quickly made your way to the closet, pressing yourself against the back wall, praying to Ghezen that any of your body parts wouldn’t be sticking out.

The torches illuminated the closet briefly, making you squeeze your eyes shut for a moment, and when you opened them again, you saw how three men had entered the hut.

“What happened?” one of them asked, and the man, Bocharov, groaned.

“I slipped.”

“You were sleeping again? You know General Kuznetsov won’t like that.”

“He makes us work for an inhuman amount of hours for just a few vlackhi. It’s not fair if we aren’t allowed to rest.”

Judging by the sounds, someone helped Bocharov to stand up and the third man spoke, “You have a wife and kid to feed, so you’d better have your priorities up with it. Now, come to get patched up - work can wait for a little longer.”

The four men then exited the hut, Bocharov being assisted out by two of his comrades, and the door shut. You swallowed, staring at the door for a moment longer, before you slowly made your way out of the closet and unlocked the door, carefully peering outside.

No sign of Kaz.

“Damn it, Brekker,” you grumbled and turned your back to the door, going to the closet and carefully taking out two uniforms, and then seeing a set of knives at the back of the closet. You stared at them for a moment, trying to decide whether to take them or not. You didn’t have a weapon against Kaz, and time was running out - that would be a perfect opportunity. You turned around again to lay the uniforms on the chair by the door, and paused upon seeing Kaz standing there. 

Damn it.

You masked your surprise by rolling your eyes. “I thought you’re leaving me here.”

Kaz’s eyes shifted to the uniforms in your hands. “It did cross my mind, considering you almost ruined my plan. Come.”

“What a gentleman,” you mumbled, but followed Kaz out of the area. And soon, you were back on your horses, the uniforms tightly secured at the back as you began your journey towards Os Alta.

—

You’re enjoying his company, a voice at the back of your head said. It’s messing up with your plans. Are you really trying hard enough to make up a way to get rid of him?

You clenched your jaw, trying to keep your eyes on the road and not glance back at Kaz. You scowled at your thoughts and whispered, “Shut up.”

Of course you were still planning, giving your everything for those plans to work. You were about to snatch a knife from the closet, but you weren’t quick enough. You were planning to kill him at that motel, but then the non-creaking floorboard messed up with your plans. You were trying, but luck wasn’t on your side. And now time was running out, you’d need to make up a new plan once you’d be out of Little Palace. To get rid of Jesper and Inej would be a remarkable problem, though. But, a small voice still snickered, saying you're only trying to make excuses.

Again, Kaz’s voice interrupted your thoughts. “We’re almost at the Palace. Let’s go change clothes, and find some distraction.”

You turned to look at him. “Distraction?”

Kaz scoffed at your question. “We can’t just put uniforms on and walk through the gates without anyone trying to identify us. We need to blend in.”

You pursed your lips and sighed, before turning your eyes back to the road. “Right, that's true. Where will we change clothes?”

Kaz passed you with his horse, and gestured towards a pond that was barely visible behind the thick hay. “There’s a small warehouse hosting gardening supplies around the creek, near that pond. Go there to change, I’ll go find our distraction and take my turn after that.”

You slowed down your horse as Kaz started to ride away, and you yelled after him, “And what exactly is our distraction?”

Kaz didn’t reply, which made you groan. Typical. You started to have a feeling that this man would drive you crazy eventually, in one way or another.

---

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[passivenovember]

Billy tugs his phone out of his pocket, clumsy fingers swiping notifications from the home page. 

He’s got four emails from Cosmo, a missed call from Maxine, and a message from Joyce that lights up his screen with the same sprawling, letter-esque type that all people born before 1983 seem to use. 

Billy, Joyce says, and Billy imagines her index finger tapping furiously, glasses perched on the tip of her nose, Hop ate some bad seafood. Won’t make the party. I’m sorry, kid. Love you so much. Breathe in, have fun, breathe out. Love, Joyce Byers.

Billy hadn’t noticed the time.

“This is fun,” Eddie says, suddenly. 

Billy looks up, startled out of his swirling little daydream. “Sure,” he says distantly. Things have settled in the dust. Soft, intimate conversations flutter around the room like butterfly wings, brushing Billy’s skin and sticking to the sweat on his brow. 

He’s relieved to be out of the spotlight. A good meal can take the edge off of things, sending people into a heady, comfortable space where nothing matters as much as it did before. 

Scarecrow is asleep on the couch. Everyone else is gone.

Billy considers the clock on his home screen and the prickly meaning of 10:23 shining over the last picture he took with his mom before boarding the plane last Christmas. His feet hurt, his throat’s dry, and really what would it matter if he took off?

It’s not like Steve would toss a rock through his living room window. He might send someone after him, like. Chrissy or Eddie or Dustin, who Billy learned spent every summer at a camp not far from Mammoth Lakes. He’s been gathering information all evening, building his arsenal. No matter the case or the friend or the scenario, Billy could take them–

“Should we go check on Steve?” 

Billy looks up from the empty pit of his cell phone screen. It’s gone dark. The room has cleared out, with art majors and registered nurses running back to whatever warehouse Steve keeps them in, and it’s down the the bare bones.

Billy. Scarecrow, asleep on the couch. Robin and Chris, probably, sitting on a bathroom floor somewhere misty-eyed like El and Max are when they’ve had too much to drink, doing each other’s hair and throwing compliments at each other like confetti. And Munson. 

Always Munson. 

Eddie wags an eyebrow, patting at his shirt pocket for a packet of cigarettes. “Want?”

“No,” Billy says, wrinkling his nose at the bright orange package, “Thanks.”

Apparently, people still smoke Dosal’s. 

Apparently, this is 1982. 

“Suit yourself, Blondie,” Eddie fishes a pale slim between two fingers and pinches the butt with his teeth, patting around all over again for a lighter. Billy wants to play the Hypocrite, insisting that smoking real cigarettes is bad, even though his lips are lightning pricks of jealousy. 

“They’re having a moment,” Billy says finally.

“Who?”

“Nancy and Steve.”

“Awful long moment, if you ask me.”

“Nobody did.”

“Gee, thanks,” Eddie quips back. He gets a flame started. Smoke pouring from his nose like a dragon, “You should go up there,” Eddie says, eyes bright with mischief.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I can’t just go up there–”

“Don’t wanna cause a scene?” Eddie blows smoke through his nose, the flat, sweaty face of his palm lining circles through the air, “Dude. Party’s dead. It’s not like anyone’s around to see and even if they did, they won’t remember or care once the hangover kicks in.”

“Oh, and you don’t count?”

“‘Course not, Blondie, I’m just stirring the shit. Besides,” Eddie smirks, “You go up there and find out what’s keeping him, and I swear I’ll punt the Wheeler kid over my shoulder and we’ll be gone in time for Nancy to storm, broomstick flying, out the front door.”

The edge of Billy’s cell cuts into his palm, its corner pressing deep enough that Billy feels his pulse thumping through centimeters of metal and plastic. “Where’s Chris?”

“Went for a sleepover with Robin and the baby. Chrissy loves kids.”

Billy doesn’t remember that. He doesn’t remember much of anything–

“Are you serious?” Eddie rolls his eyes, “That’s what you get for staring at your phone for twenty minutes, Hargrove.”

Billy starts. “Twenty minutes?”

“It’s true what they say about radio signals and microwaves and cell phones frying your frontal lobe, you know–”

The ceiling starts thumping overhead. “Wait,” Eddie says to himself. To Billy. He holds his palm upward, cigarette smoke curling up through his fingers like fog from a sewer grate.

Someone slams a door. 

And then someone else comes thundering down the stairs, their footfall so heavy that Billy glances at the knick-knack shelf with mirth.

He holds his breath, terrified and suddenly, heart-wrenchingly sober–

And then Nancy rounds on him.

She’s crying.

Eddie says, “Wheeler,” like he knows something they don’t know.

Nancy ignores him. Her eyes somehow catch and tear open on Billy’s smooth, concerned gaze. He wants to say something to her. He wants to apologize and scrub the thundering sound of her footsteps from the stairwell.

She stalks to the foyer, snatching her purse off the now bare antique table that had bags and jackets piled high not even twenty minutes ago. “Mike,” Nancy says, her eyes glued to the floor as she digs around for her keys.

Scarecrow doesn’t rouse from his spot on the sofa. He’s drooling, a little.

Billy clears his throat, “Is everything–”

“Michael Wheeler,” Nancy says, with all the pissed-off, righteous terror of a girl who spent too long at her mother’s knee.

Mike sits with a startled sound, “What, what happened? Is everything–”

“Get up so I can drive you home.”

Mike stares wildly around the room, dimly lit like all rooms are at the end of a monumental evening. “Where is everybody?” Mike’s wide, nervous eyes land on Billy. “Hey, do you have any more of that tater-tot casserole?”

“I–”

Nancy grabs her brother by the scruff of his neck, “You don’t need more casserole, I can get you McDonald's on the way home.”

“Home,” Mike repeats, scrubbing sleep from his eyes, “What happened to you and Steve–”

Nancy hauls Mike to the front door, shoves him through, and slams it shut behind them.

The house falls silent like someone hit the mute button. Like Nancy ripped the button out of the wall and they’re stuck in this weird, floating space between alive and. Something else. Radio silent.

Eddie clears his throat, “Anyway–”

“Mike told me he doesn’t like tater-tot casserole,” Billy says thickly. Feeling. A little bit like a tiny ceramic figurine in the center of a snow globe, full of wonder as emotions swirl brightly all around him. 

Maybe he’s just drunk. “He said he wouldn’t eat it.”

“Right.”

“But he did,” Billy tries heavily. “Mike was the first person I met when I got here and he made me feel like shit, but then. He ate the casserole.”

Eddie nods, taking a languid drag from his still-lit cigarette. Billy thinks that Steve is going to throw a fit when he comes down here and finds his vintage, 1970s furniture smelling exactly like the decade they were manufactured in.

Billy shakes his head, willing it to clear. “It doesn’t make sense. Nothing makes sense anymore.”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“I just mean that. Why would Mike eat the casserole if he hates it?”

Eddie shrugs, “Maybe he was lying?”

“But why would he eat my casserole if he hates me?”

“Maybe he was lying,” Eddie says again, flatter this time. He puffs on his cigarette, studying the drunken flush on Billy’s cheeks. It goes on forever and forever and then he ashes his cigarette in the tray Steve uses to keep loose change in, leaning forward on his elbows. 

Eddie’s head gets huge and wobbly like a bobbledummy. “Can I be honest with you, Billiam?”

“--Billiam–”

“Can I, though?”

“Sure?”

“You’re a great guy,” Eddie says lightly, full of feeling, and Billy starts to shake. “I’m being serious. You’re the best guy Steve’s been with in longer than I can remember, you just. I think you judge people too harshly.”

“Me?”

“You.” Eddie determines. He leans back, cool as a frizzy-haired cucumber. “I just think, like. You’re getting all misty-eyed over the drunken realization that maybe Mike didn’t hate you as much as you thought he did, and earlier you seemed surprised that Nancy didn’t try to kill you with a paring knife, and you’re attributing it all to some garlic bread and a fucking tater-tot casserole.”

Billy’s ears feel hot. Red hot and sunburned, under the weight of Eddie’s scrutiny. Maybe he’s right, maybe he’s wrong– “What should I attribute it to, then?”

“You,” Eddie says, lighting another cigarette. “I’ve known you for half a day, Hargrove, and I can tell. You’re cool. Way cooler than you give yourself credit for.”

–

Eddie makes up some bullshit lie about needing to go home. I work in the morning, he says, so Billy lets him go.

And then he climbs the stairs, two at a time while flickering memories of the party-set-up dance just out of reach. He’s never actually been anywhere beyond the landing on the second level of Steve’s house. The attic drawstring dangles in a lazy, barely-there breeze, and Billy’s surprised to find more doors than he anticipated, stamped along the hallway in calm, quiet darkness.

He imagines them leading to spare bathrooms. Closets that span the entire floor. Libraries and knicks that lead to the unpolished servant’s quarters. 

It’s magical like the Brothers Grimm stories his mom used to read to him, and Billy has the foreign, intense urge to open every single door and peer into the darkness like Nancy Drew.

Nancy Wheeler.

But the door on the farthest end of the hallway spills gold onto the carpet from a tiny, amber sliver, and Billy’s heart thumps wildly, battering against his ribs at the thought that Steve’s in there, Steve’s just down the hall–

Billy knocks twice with the hardest part of his knuckle. Just like his mother used to before Neil went missing and before Susan made her laugh at the grocery store, back when Billy had huge feelings but couldn’t put a name to them. Back when his bedroom was a fortress. 

“Steve?” Billy says. Someone shuffles behind the door, their shadow casting long enough to reach like phantom fingers into the hallway. “I think I’m gonna head out–”

The door swings open.

Steve’s been crying. 

Right away, Billy’s heart skips a beat and starts thumping backward, eager to turn back time and retrace every step until things start to make sense again. “Oh, you didn’t have to open the door,” Billy says, shyly, “Sorry. I didn’t want to bother you.”

Steve shrugs. He won’t meet Billy’s eyes when he says, “Is everyone else gone?” Like he hopes they’ll come thundering up the stairs, one right after the other, to save him from this.

Billy tries to push the thought away and fails. “No, they’re all gone.”

“Did you have an alright time?”

“Yeah,” Billy says softly, surprised to feel his heart opening like a flower in the light of that truth. “Your friends are really great, Steve. Chrissy was a doll and Robins–”

“Robin.”

“Yeah. Dustin actually knew where Mammoth Lakes is on a map, like. I was so surprised. And he’s been hiking near the mountains at that nerdy little summer camp–”

“--Camp Knowhere–”

“Right. Science camp,” Billy smiles, feeling hot all over from the booze, “And Eddie was great, too, y’know. For a nosy piece of shit.”

Steve starts at that, his spine going ramrod straight like maybe Billy’s words electrocuted him. “You. You spent most of the night with Eddie?” 

“Yeah, he’s cool,” Billy chuckles, and. Steve makes a face, like. A trademark, Big-eyed-terrified-jealous-asshole kind of face. It’s adorable. “Steve. Are you jealous?” Billy asks, amused.

Steve turns beet-red. “No.”

“Oh my god, you are.”

“I’m not jealous of Eddie Munson,” Steve spits, rolling his eyes so far back Billy thinks they may never be brown again, “He’s a nice guy, I just. Can’t believe you found anything he said so interesting that it took you an hour and a half to come up here.”

Billy falters. “I thought he was one of your friends.”

“He’s a work friend,” Steve says sharply, “That’s not the same thing. Nancy said he was making eyes at you all night.”

And. 

For the first time since Steve started turning Billy’s heart on its head with the sound of a shovel on his driveway, Billy wants to knock Steve’s teeth in. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

Steve looks bashful, staring at the floor. “I don’t know. Nancy said that–”

“Fucking Nancy,” Billy spits. His arms burn, and his muscles pull tense. “She has no right to run up here and tell you that anything was going on, Steve, because she’s full of shit. Eddie’s a cool person. He was just being nice.”

“Like how he’s been ‘nice,’ to every other guy I’ve–”

Billy tries to put a lid on the fire that sentiment starts, burning through his stomach. That Billy’s not special. He’s just like every other guy Steve’s ever brought home. “Eddie loves his girlfriend,” Billy reasons, “Chrissy, remember her?”

“Yeah.”

“Good,” Billy says, crossing his arms over his chest. “What does it matter who I spent the night with, anyway.” 

“Billy–”

“I still had a good time. I thought that’s what you wanted?” 

“It is what I wanted.”

“Then why are you acting so weird?” Billy's jaw aches. He wants to hinge it shut. Yearns to fold himself into Steve’s arms and forget everything. Nancy and the kitchen, Nancy and the Hallway–

But. 

He’s drunk. And when Billy’s drunk, his mouth runs away with him. Steve’s hurt him, whether or not he meant to is inconsequential, and Billy’s suddenly pissed off. Furious. He bares his teeth. “It’s not like I could’ve spent any time with you.”

Steve picks up on it immediately, his eyes blowing wide with regret. “Bill–”

“When you weren’t saddled up in the next room, smoking until your eyes dried out and ditching me so I could bake bread in the kitchen like your little kept boy, you were locked up in here with Nancy.”

Steve’s baby browns flash red with anger. “Like you were, with Munson?”

“What are we talking about?” Billy snaps. “Where is this coming from?”

“Nancy just said–”

“You’re throwing a fucking fit because I was spending time with one of your friends?” 

“To be fair,” Stee quips, smiling softly, “Eddie’s pretty cute.”

“I’m not in the mood for this,” Billy shakes his head, driven crazy with sorrow, “That’s bullshit, Steve. You don’t get to be mad at me.”

“I’m not mad at you, baby.”

“Don’t call me that,” Billy says, “I’m pissed at you.”

“Alright, Jesus–”

Billy feels his fuze stop, ready to detonate. “Why are you rolling your eyes and acting like this isn’t a big deal? It is.”

“I know.”

“I come up here and you start bitching at me about Eddie Munson. I’m not the bad guy, here. I wasn’t the one who disappeared for an hour to talk to a girl I once called ‘baby,’ on the phone.”

Steve doesn’t say anything. 

His mouth opens and closes, working around a comeback, but Billy isn’t in the mood to give him that chance. 

“For months, Nancy’s been this huge thing hanging over my head. Ever since we got snowed in that last time, and. Steve, I didn’t ask to be a bigger part of your life. I didn’t ask you to scrape my driveway, or bring me ice melt, or grow flowers to decorate my classroom with. I didn’t want any of it. I don’t deserve–”

What Nancy said to me. Robin’s kindness. 

This.  

Love.

You. 

Billy takes a deep, steadying breath. “I’m sorry,” He says, tugging a hand through his hair. When their eyes meet, Steve’s are warm. Sad. Billy wets his lips, “I don’t want to bitch back and forth. Tonight was really fun. Really. I loved it.”

I love you.

Billy turns, grateful that the world is less of a dreamscape, now. He’s ready to go home, ready to disappear, But then–

“Nancy said she overstepped, tonight.”

Billy stops. His hand clutches the banister.

“She told me she opened her mouth and ruined what we had, and. To be honest, I’m not really surprised. I should’ve expected that she would say something fucked to you because she does that. Always has. It’s one of the reasons we broke up in High School and never got back together again, even though–”

“--Steve–”

“I just. We’ve never really stopped caring about each other, and it’s unhealthy. I was living in denial because it’s always been platonic on my end. But I think in some weird, step-ford wives kinda way, maybe Nance–”

Billy whirls, his body catching on fire, “I don’t want to hear that she’s in love with you, Steve.” 

Steve watches him like a bear caught in a trap. 

Billy’s voice cracks right down the middle. He hates it. He’s going to drown. “I swear to god. If you tell me that she’s in love with you and after all this time, all this shit you’ve done to make me like you. Steve, if you stand there and say you love her–”

“I’m not in love with Nancy Wheeler, Billy, I’m in love with you.”

Billy blinks, shocked when tears cling to his lashes. 

He’s grateful that Steve isn’t close enough to see them, poised and ready to break like waves over his freckles. “No,” Billy says, not. Believing it. He can’t. He won’t. Billy shakes his head, “No–”

“Look–”

“--This is insane,” Billy says, “We’re fighting. We’re having our first fight.”

“Yeah,” Steve says sheepishly, “It sucks, but. It’s kinda nice, too. Refreshing to have it all out there.”

“Stop,” Billy says, breathless. “This isn’t right. I’m supposed to call you an asshole, and you’re supposed to kick me out and I’m supposed to not sleep, and. Cry to my sister on the phone. I’m supposed to realize I fucked up big time, and come back tomorrow with flowers and apologize for getting so drunk and ruining our lives–”

“You don’t have anything to apologize for,” Steve says. He tucks his hands into his pockets, gaze steady on what he wants. “What’s happening is my fault.”

“It’s not,” Billy says thickly. He wants to stand on the stairway banister and say it’s his fault. All of it. His insecurity, his depression, his brain bullshit, making everything difficult since that first January day–

“It is, though,” Steve says, taking one step closer. “I shouldn’t have invited Nancy tonight. I should’ve done more to make you comfortable, and even though I knew all the shit with her was tearing you up inside, I didn’t do anything to stop it. I should have.”

“It’s okay–”

“It’s not okay, Billy, you’re supposed to throw shit and call me an asshole because I deserve it,” Steve says. “We’re having our first fight, remember?”

He’s on the verge of smiling, but. 

Billy can feel heartache like an incoming rainstorm, emotions like clouds gathering somewhere neither of them can see but when the rains come and wash away everything that was there before, they can start over, bathed in the light of the dawn.

“I don’t know what she said, exactly, but Bill,” Steve looms closer, his eyes swamped with emotion, “You’ve gotta believe me. It’s not true.” When his hands cup Billy’s neck, they’re warm. His thumbs brush lightly over Billy’s jaw. “I’m so in love with you, Billy.”

Billy presses into them, like a cat, “Okay.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t say it earlier. I’m sorry–”

“That’s the thing about a first fight,” Billy says, grinning softly, “I think we get to have makeup sex, now.”

Steve holds terrifyingly, shockingly still, and then. 

He moves.

Billy kisses him. He presses all his weight into Steve, pushing and pulling until their bodies meld into something new. 

Steve sucks on his tongue, hands scrambling to touch every part of Billy he can find. They stumble, unsure on love-drunk legs, knees knocking along the hallway and into the bedroom. 

Billy hums low in his throat. Steve’s tugging on his shirt, pulling the starched fabric downdown down until the blood stops pulsing up through his brain. 

“Off,” Steve says, panting into his mouth, “Off, baby, please–”

“Buttons,” Billy grunts, and they go flying, a handful of tiny stars that leave scratch marks on the wallpaper.

This is the shirt Steve picked out for him. So they could match. They’re matching right now, two halves of a whole, and Steve gets him on his back, says, “Let me eat you out, baby. Please–”

“Yes.” Billy’s mouth chokes around a half-baked thought, that. Good boy. Steve, Billy, both of them. 

“Thank you,” Steve says, like a prayer, and it’s ridiculous. 

Billy wonders if it’s the start of something. Of love. Fifty more years draped button-downs and pressed khakis and Steve, salt-and-pepper gray around the temples and everywhere else. 

He gets Billy’s pants off.

Billy moans because he wants to see it. The room is cold, and Steve is warm, and Billy tucks into it like an animal fending off the winter, and then he’s hot.

On fire.

Steve gets his mouth on Billy. Licks up his balls and swallows his cock down to the root, nose buried in the curly blond husk that pillows him. Steve gives head like someone’s told him he’s got ten minutes left to live. It’s break-neck. Harsh. The world is drowning and the sky has been torn open, and this is Steve’s dying wish. 

“Shit,” Billy says to the ceiling, “Shit, Steve, I’m gonna–”

Steve pulls off with a wet, satisfying pop. “I’ve got lube in the drawer,” He says, voice hoarse through the fog of pleasure surrounding them. 

He doesn’t ask. 

He licks a stripe from Billy’s balls to his swollen, pink head, and says, “Open it for me.”

Billy doesn’t have the wherewithal to think so he gets on his knees and crawls, starving, to the beside table. 

“Jesus Christ,” Steve says. He follows Billy up the mattress. Steve’s cupping his ass, petting it, spreading it open. 

He spits on Billy’s pucker, and.

There are fingers, pressing lightly at his rim. Steve says, “I’ve wanted this for years,”

Billy drops the lube, says, “Years?” But then he’s being split open. Fucked open on Steve’s tongue, strong and sure and slick, in all his most tender places.

His face hits the mattress. He’s suffocating, and death smells like cedarwood and vanilla. Billy’s dripping a puddle onto it, ruining the duvet and the sheets too, probably, but.

It feels amazing. It’s amazing–

Billy’s radioactive. Steve’s got him by the kneecaps, keeping him open and receptive, and Billy’s cock hangs heavy and swollen when Steve pressed two fingers in alongside his tongue.

Billy’s makes a noise, like. 

His lungs are giving out. His heart has grown lips to speak, after all these years, and–

“Is it okay if I–”

“Want you,” Billy gasps, tasting cotton on his tongue. He can’t manage more than that.

Steve pulls away, pressing a soft, sweet kiss to the base of Billy’s spine. “Lay on your back, okay?”

Bily does as he’s told. 

His shirt is tangled frustratingly around his elbows. Billy twists onto his back, anyway, watching as Steve tugs his own pants down just far enough for his cock to bounce free.

It’s perfect.

It’s long and thick, pink at the tip next to a pretty brown freckle, and Billy wants to get his mouth on it. He tries to sit, obeying when Steve keeps him pinned to the mattress with a strong, gentle arm across his chest. 

His pupils are blown wide, eating up all the honey-brown Billy loves so much. “I want,” Steve starts, gasping when Billy’s fingers tug at his length. “Fuck–”

“Where’s the lube?” Billy demands. 

Steve fumbles for it. When his fingers close around the bottle, he squirts a generous amount onto Billy’s waiting palm and sits back, watching through eyes half-lidded as Billy’s fingers tease and play with him. 

“You’re big,” Billy says softly.

“Jesus, you’re gonna give me a complex.”

“It’s a fact,” Billy twists his fingers and Steve lights up like Times Square. He wants to do it again, “You’re gonna feel so good, Stevie.”

Steve drops his forehead to Billy’s chest, tongue laving hot over his collarbone. “You talk way too much,”

Billy tugs on his cock a little harder, relishing the little ah ah ah’s Steve can’t hold back. He’s got Steve where he wants him, that pretty pink head bumping softly against his hole, and Billy needs this.

Steve’s heart and body and love, more than he’s ever wanted anything in his life.

It’s terrifying.

It hurts and it really, really doesn’t when Steve slides home. Kisses all over Billy’s face and says, “I love you,” like he’s a virgin who’s just seen God for the first time.

Then he moves, sliding out and back in, out and back in.

Thrusting and then pounding, folding Billy in half until Steve is all he can feel inside of himself, all he can see staring down from above.

“I love you,” Steve says. Keeps saying, when Billy whimpers that he’s going to come. Steve quickens his thrusts, “You’re gorgeous. You’re so tight, baby, so perfect. Come for me, alright? C’mon, let me see you–”

It’s all the gentle reverence Billy could never, ever deserve. 

He has no choice but to lie there and take it.

–

“I like your ears.”

It’s hot, under the duvet cover. Billy’s covered in sticky, warm sweat. It’s Steve’s and it’s his and it’s theirs, making it difficult to stay put but impossible to pull away. 

Steve’s got a leg thrown over Billy’s waist. 

He’s propped on his elbow, gazing down at the soft, rounded shell of Billy's ear, fingertips tracing up and around until he tugs on the lobe.

“Ow,” Billy swats his hand away. “Dick.”

“You’ve got Dumbo ears.”

“Is this the best you can come up with in terms of pillow talk?”

“Freckles and pink cheeks and perfect lips. Long eyelashes and wonderful hair and now the ears, took?” Steve ignores him, leaning down to ghost the shell with his lips, “You’re like a cartoon character. It’s like God wanted to make everyone else feel bad about themselves because of how detailed you are.” 

His breath tickles.

Billy laughs, high and bright, “God, you’re insane.”

“What do you expect? You’re the main character and I’m just a supporting role–”

“--shit, what time is it–”

“--I’m not even a supporting role, I’m a cameo. An NPC–”

Billy pats around under the covers for his phone, realizing that it’s probably still lying face-down on the coffee table. 

“--It’s really only a matter of time before you find some other person who’s as perfect and detailed as you are, and then you can have perfectly detailed babies and live in your perfectly detailed house–”

Billy sits, drooping his legs over the side of the mattress, “I live in an IKEA showroom, I don’t think you’ll need to worry about that.”

“Hey, where are you going?” Steve demands. “I thought we were gonna have a sleepover?”

Billy’s stomach swoops. 

His brain kickstarts, trying to think of a reason he can’t sleep over tonight, but his synapses fumble the ball and he sits there, starched button down dangling between two fingers. 

Suddenly, he can’t breathe.

The walls are closing in, and Steve says, “Billy, what’s wrong?” And Billy thinks no one should ever want anything from him. No one should ever get this far–

“Hey, why are you breathing like that?” Steve sits, palms spreading warmly over Billy’s stomach where he slots in behind him. “Where’d you go?” 

Billy’s mouth dries up. Outside the window, the sky is starting to gray, a little, dawn slowly and softly approaching. Billy has no idea how long they’ve been here, lying like this together, but he knows he never wants to leave.

Won’t survive it ever ending. 

But it will.

It will–

Steve presses a kiss to the back of Billy’s neck. “Talk to me, Billy. Please.”

Billy shakes his head.

“Let’s lay down,” Steve tells him, and before Billy knows it he’s tucked under the covers again, folded in and around the soft, supple places Steve has made for him. 

Billy counts to one hundred, then.

Listens to Steve’s breathing for as long as it takes his own to go calm. Finally, he sits with his back to the headboard. Steve watches him, patient.

Always patient. 

Billy takes a deep breath. “When you were up here with Nance–”

“--Billy–”

“What did she tell you?”

Steve’s fingers play with the knobs of thread on his duvet. Like the rest of his house, it’s old. Quilted. Probably a hand me down from his mother, and her mother, and hers before that. “She told me you were afraid of me.”

Billy waits. Listens.

“You know you don’t have to be, right?” Steve looks up at him, eyes thick with worry, “You know I would never do anything–”

“It’s more than that,” Billy says. “My mom. She wasn’t always gay. Or, maybe she was, but she wasn’t always married to Susan.” His knuckles turn white on the lip of the duvet cover. This is stupid. This is so fucking stupid. “Before our family was like it is now, there was. My dad.”

Steve nods. Waits.

“He was an angry man,” Billy swallows and his throat clicks. “He liked. Blood.”

“Baby, if it’s hurting you, we don’t have to talk about this.”

“I have a lot of problems, Steve,” Billy says. “Something’s wrong with me.”

Steve shakes his head, “You struggle with mental illness. That doesn’t mean something is wrong with you, Billy.”

And.

Steve’s shaking. His jaw is set, strong and resolute, ready to argue Billy’s case for him. Ready to lay these things to rest because they’re in love.

Steve says he loves Billy. He really believes it, and.

Billy toes the edge of a cliff. “I’m gonna tell you something I never say out loud,” He whispers, “Is that alright?”

“Of course, you can tell me anything.”

“I know, but,” Billy sits up straighter, tugging a hand through his hair, “I need to say it because. Look, Steve, I.”

Billy’s going to throw up.

He closes his eyes. “I love you, okay? I fucking love you, too, and I can’t. Goddamn do this, if you don’t know the whole story–”

“Alright.” Steve sits, taking Billy’s hands in his own. “Tell me. Go slow.”

Billy opens his eyes, and all he can see is Steve. 

Beauty. 

Kindness. 

He realizes, then, that he’s shaking. That he would do anything to keep this. 

It makes him brave.

“Okay,” Billy starts, staring down at their hands because that’s easier. “I moved out here because I knew there were kids that needed someone to care about them, but I miss my family. I haven’t unpacked my house because I can’t see myself fitting in here, but. I never really fit anywhere, except for with my sister.” He stares out, to the foot of the bed. He counts the shadows, seeing his father’s face in every single one. “Steve, I. I didn’t expect to fall in love with you.”

Steve laughs, “Same, you’re way too cool for me.”

“No, I’m serious. I didn’t expect to fall in love. Not with anyone,” Billy says, “Ever.”

Steve’s smile falls away. “That’s not possible,” He says valiantly, “Someone would’ve come along and loved you. You’re a beacon for it.”

Billy gasps, “I don’t deserve you.”

“Yes, you do.”

“Steve, I used to be a piece of shit–”

“--So did I–”

“--I have panic attacks,” Billy admits in a rush, like he’s ever been good at hiding them. “I overthink things, and I spiral–”

“--I love you, Billy–”

“--I have to go to therapy two times a week. My favorite color is gray. Well, blue and gray, but–”

“--I love you, Billy,” Steve says, again. He rubs his thumb across the back of Billy’s hand, smiling softly. “We were neighbors before this. I know you.”

Billy watches Steve’s thumb, timing his breaths to its careful, loving swipe. “There was something else Nancy said,”

“What?”

“That I can’t keep stringing you along if fear is what I feel.”

Billy realizes, half a second too late, that he’s dropped a bomb. Steve pulls away from him, brow furrowing. “Stringing me along?”

“No, not, like, in the literal sense–”

Steve gets out of bed. He’s naked, and it feels wrong to look when the roof is caving in, but Billy can’t help it. 

“Nancy said that? I can’t believe Nancy said that, that’s so–” Steve’s eyes close like doors. “I don’t understand why you’re afraid of me.”

“Not you,” Billy says sharply. “She got that part wrong.”

“Then what? Tell me what I can do–”

“You can’t do anything!” Billy snaps. The room is silent. Outside, there are crickets. Night birds. Billy’s chest aches, pain springing fresh in his voice. “The fear is mine. It’s inside me. Ever since I was a kid, and. With my dad, I just.”

Steve watches him. 

Billy shakes his head. “I feel like I have a lot of work to do before I can love somebody.” 

A dam breaks. 

Billy doesn’t realize he’s crying until Steve crosses to him, pulling Billy to his chest. “Love isn’t something you have to work for, alright? You don’t have to spend years working on yourself until you think you’re perfect enough to love someone, you’re perfect now.”

Billy hiccups, his throat closing just a little. 

“Billy, please believe me,” Steve says. 

Billy wants to. More than anything, but.

He pulls away, scrubbing at his face with the back of one hand. It takes everything in him to say it, but he has to. He owes it to himself and to Steve and to this brand new, perfect, fragile thing growing between them.

“I love you,” Billy says gently, “I do. I’ve loved you so much for so long but I feel like I don’t know who I am. I haven’t known since the second I moved to Hawkins, and I just. Need to see my mom. And my sister. I need to go home and be with my family before I can–”

“When does your spring break start?”

“I don’t know,” Billy says, “What day is it?”

“If I knew, I’d tell you,” Steve smiles in spite of himself, thumb lifting to wipe the tear tracks from Billy’s face. “I could’ve guessed, you know? You’ve never really been happy, here. I thought I was helping.”

“You are.”

Steve nods, threading their fingers together. He watches their hands for a moment, and then sighs, his neck rolling his eyes to the ceiling. “I think you should go home early.”

Billy frowns. “But–”

“If you need space, I can give it to you,” Steve looks at him, smiling small and sad, “It hurts that you don’t see yourself here and I’ll miss you like hell for those two weeks, but. If that’s what you need to feel sure about this–”

“--I’m sure about you, Steve–”

“--Then yourself. Take care of you first,” Steve grows serious, eyes tracking the curves of Billy’s face, “I want you to feel okay. That’s the most important thing.”

Steve presses a kiss to their hands, and Billy loves him. It rumbles down through his bones, spreading like wildfire until his skin catches aflame. 

It hurts.

It hurts, and it really, really doesn’t when Billy lets out a deep, trapped breath. “Okay. I’ll miss you,”

“I’ll miss you, too.”

“You won’t run away from me when I get back?”

Steve leans forward, his breath ghosting the shell of Billy’s ear. “Where else am I gonna go?”

–

Billy sleeps in Steve’s bed that night.

When he wakes and the room is empty, his phone charging on the nightstand, he opens his Southwest App and buys a ticket. 

One way, home.

--

from the new chapter of if snow loves the trees and fields

[ily-fictional-women]

Ashes to Ashes || Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Assignment #1

Summary: Once again plans are made, and this time feelings are shared. Nothing could go wrong again, right? 

Pairing: big sister!Yelena x fem!reader

Warnings: None that I know of, but if I should add anything let me know! 

Word count: 1077

a/n: Here’s a link to this fics masterlist. (Reblogs are welcome and critiques/advice are heavily encouraged, but please no translating.)

“So, how about your first assignment together?” Valentina hands the two each a copy of the same file. The mission location is Pakistan, apparently, some biotoxin is being engineered there a being used on soldiers. This biotoxin enhances their strength and stamina, the problem is that it kills them not so long after use.  

After skimming the file Y/n looks at Valentina questioningly “Valentina, while I trust your judgment for missions why are we getting involved in governmental affairs? I highly doubt this contract pays enough in the first place.” 

Valentina scoffs at Y/n “It’ll pay you both 15 thousand after my cut I think it’s enough. And as far as it comes to governmental affairs go this is more about espionage which both of you say you excel at. Your main point of the mission is to retrieve the biotoxin so I can get it to the person who contracted this mission.” Yelena finally speaks up “And how long will we have if we accept this mission?” 

“Typically you would 24 hours but with large odds of casualties you’ll get one week.”   

Without any other thought, Yelena finalizes her answer “We’ll take it.” 

“Great. You both will be leaving tomorrow at 5 pm sharp I’ll send you the location tonight.” 

As Valentina lets herself out Y/n smacks her arm hard “What the hell was that Yelena?! You didn’t even consult me if I wanted to get into this. You don’t need to speak for me!” Yelena rolls her eyes dramatically “Y/n you need to calm down. While I didn’t consult you I think this mission would be good for both of us.” 

While Y/n didn’t want to admit it, Yelena was right. They lost each other for five years, and while those five years will always feel different for the two deep down they both needed each other. “Okay, fine. I’m gonna go to bed though. Make yourself at home or whatever.” The coldness from Y/n did hurt Yelena but it was understandable. Y/n felt abandoned the same way she felt abandoned by Natasha. To Yelena, it felt like she lost both of her sisters but with time she hoped she could get Y/n back. 

Remote Warehouse, 5 pm 

Yelena looks over to a very obviously tired Y/n “So, how does this whole thing usually go?” Her voice was louder than usual so she could be heard over the blaring helicopter. Y/n yawns loudly “They pick us up with supplies in whatever transport vehicle they have then drop us off near where ever the mission is supposed to take place. From then on it’s up to typically me how the rest of it is carried out. And after the mission is complete I call for an extraction which usually comes a few hours after the call.” 

Once getting onto the helicopter Yelena tries to fill the silence by speaking into the headphones she and Y/n were wearing “Do you go on these assignments often?” 

Y/n shrugs though “I used to when I needed more money but not as much anymore.” There was mostly silence between the two until Y/n tried to take a turn filling the silence “Yelena what was it like dusting?” 

“It was weird. When I left to go clear my head I turned to the faucet trying to splash water on my face and collect myself. But the water went through my hands then the rest of me was gone. And for you and everyone else that was 5 years. But for me, I came back as fast as I had disappeared. And the stranger part was I could see the bathroom change around me, like whatever brought me back wanted me to know something happened. It was overwhelming when Ana told me everything that happened. It was terrifying.” 

Everything Yelena told Y/n finally set in. She always knew it wasn’t Yelena’s choice to leave Y/n but hearing her say this finally set in those ideas. 

Pakistan 1 pm

Once the two landed they each rummaged through their own bags grabbing their own weapons. After handing Yelena an earpiece she runs through the plan with her. “I looked over the military facilities map, if we head straight ahead from here there should be a lookout tower. I need you to get up there and watch for anyone else. I’ll need you to be my eyes for this because I’ll be going to the storage center where the vials should be kept. As long as we stay quiet we shouldn’t attract much attention.”   

“One question.”   

“What is it, Yelena?” 

“Why do I need to be on the lookout? What if you need my help?” 

“You’re better with a sniper Yelena, and if I need your help which I doubt I won’t, I’ll ask for it.” Yelena put up her hands defensively at how snippy Y/n’s reply was “Alright, whatever you say.” 

Everything started according to plan. Yelena took out the guard at the watch tower taking his rifle and watching over Y/n carefully as she entered the storage facility. Opening the suspected crate that would hold the vials Y/n was met with nothing. “Looking for this?” Y/n turned around fast seeing a shorter but very strong-looking man holding a briefcase. Immediately Y/n ran at the man kicking him square in the jaw causing him to fall on his back. 

Y/n pressed onto her earpiece “Yelena, we have a problem.”  

“I was about to say the same thing. What's your problem?” 

“They planned ahead for someone stealing the biotoxin.” As she said this more soldiers rushed in, using the briefcase Y/n hit 2 guards at once with it and stunned the other with her spider bites. Y/n huffed “What’d you see that was a problem?” 

“There’s a truck coming in and by the looks of it, it’s probably holding more biotoxin.” The only reply she got from Y/n was a few grunts “You okay over there?” But then she heard a gunshot. “Y/n? Y/n?! Do you hear me?!” 

“This is general Khan speaking, whoever you are, I suggest you leave now for your own wellbeing. Consider this message as an act of mercy.”  

Yelena knew Y/n specifically said, “If I need your help which I doubt I won’t, I’ll ask for it” but this felt like an exception. 

[domi-scu]

Work and a bit of fun

Tuesday was very much a work-heavy day.

I woke up to rain and storm. Actual thunder and lightning storm which is my favourite and I don’t get nearly enough of those in Southampton. So while it meant it wasn’t very hot, I enjoyed every damn minute of it. It also made the day much less annoying as I didn’t have to worry about ‘missing out’ on doing anything fun and could focus on getting through some emails.

I did set up my little office in the garden under a roof and with a steady supply of Armenian coffee, I watched the rain. I even had to grab a jumper how much it cooled down but it made for a nice cosy setup which I am certainly not complaining about. I have to say, I ended up being a lot more productive than I expected. I also tried the hotel meatballs with tomato sauce before leaving for today’s events.

I cannot begin to tell you how much difference a good night of sleep made. I was able to hold a conversation today which I’m sure was appreciated by everyone who spoke to me unlike yesterday when I was just a zombie.

We have learned a bit more about the man who owns the area where today’s (and yesterday’s) events took place. The bit where we are, is a small artsy bit with the most incredible buildings and art. While the other side of the area is apparently where the richest of the richest have their properties. The man who owns it is currently petitioning to officially make it into a separate city just outside of Yerevan. Absolutely insane, but in a good way.

As I’m sitting outside before the start of the first panel, I think I was adopted by a little black dog. He brought his bone really close to me which I thought was adorable. I soon found out the reason though- there were two more dogs walking past and I think he was worried they’d steal his bone, so he used me as a human shield as they walked past. Omg, my heart- can I take him home??

The music management panel was great with some really interesting questions but I could not take my attention away from the interpreter. I’ve never seen one in action and as someone who often has to translate between my family and Alex, it was impressive to see a professional who is actually good at it and doesn’t have to search for the right word every damn sentence. I wish I could do that.

Once again, we moved over to the warehouse/ venue/ bar- first for a DJ set and then for a Georgian artist called Tamada. It was a mix of listening to the music and popping out to talk to people. I had some amazing conversations with women who are doing some really great work around here in music management/ label area about copyright issues. One of them is moderating the panel I’m attending later in the week so I’m now looking forward to it even more. The conversation also made me want to do more for the industry in Slovakia, so I really need to kick it up a notch and figure out how to go about it.

Tamada’s set was so much fun and so busy. Once again, absolutely not the kind of music I usually listen to but I had so much fun. I still had a relatively early night though as tomorrow is a tourist day and that’s a good enough reason to wake up early.

All in all, I went to bed thinking that if PRS send me to these kinds of things at least once a year, they certainly don't need to worry about me quitting.

[reversecreek]

Several thwacks of a vintage postage stamp covered lunchbox saw Ramona entering the party -- she scoffed out a hasty apology per collided limb, apparently used to the hazard adopting a clunky tin square as her handbag posed the general public but showing no signs of relenting. By the time she reached Lara, miniature, glowing chandeliers dangling off each lobe and a tie loosely knotted and covered in badges, one of which simply said ‘COMMIE DYKE’, she looked like something that often found itself residing on a web in a dark nook of an antique warehouse, a forgotten relic glittering with a faint shimmer of gold dust. “Bruv,” she exaggerated the London in her inflection, Brixton-bordering-Cockney. “Thank fuck you’re here.” Ramona started absently fingering one of her necklaces, pendants suspiciously hard and tooth shaped. “Some cunt over there’s proper throwin’ a fit ‘cause she broke her bangle. Not to be controversial but I don’t care that you broke your bangle,” she cited a dated Vine with just as little empathy, slamming her lunchbox onto a stool and popping at the clasps like a businessman conducting his briefcase. “Like, fuck. Take a round trip to Accessorize.” Inside her bag was utter chaos. She had to fish through for a while to find a loose pill, inspecting it with a squint to assure it wasn’t just an old TicTac. “Reggie sends his regards, b-t-w.” Always sporting a silky paisley bandana and an open shirt, Reggie could never seem to decide who he had the hots for most between them, a little like a broken compass’ flickering pointer. He was always giving freebies as a result, apparently under the impression that it’d only take a little charm for Ramona to retire her lesbianism. “He only gave us one. Think he wants us to peck over it like claymation chickens having a breakdown. Good thing I’m a visionary. C’mere.” Popping it on her tongue, she gently flapped it twice with a grin ghosting her mouth, index finger demanding Lara closer -- frankly, she didn’t mind if it wouldn’t taste nice, so long as she’d still get to taste Lara. @ncghtshifts​

[lexosaurus]

The Illusionist

Dannymay2021 prompt: Illusion

My Hero Academia x Danny Phantom crossover  Word Count: 5262 Read on: [ao3]

---

“A kid?” Shouta asked. 

The muffled sound of an explosion echoed from the other side of the phone line.

“He can’t be older than sixteen.” Kamui Woods' voice crackled through the receiver. “Eraserhead, this is going to sound crazy, but the kid has multiple quirks. We can’t get near him. He keeps...shit, he just flew through another wall!”

Shouta shifted his cell between his shoulder and ear, launching himself up a wall and onto the roof of a low building. He surveyed the distance and saw a bright green light flash from across the city.

That must have been them.

“We need you to nullify the quirks so we can contain him till the Illusionment wears off.”

“Alright,” Shouta said, jumping off the roof. “Send me your location. I’m on my way.”

It was a new villain, one that the public had dubbed ‘the Illusionist.’ His quirk was simple, yet effective. If he touched someone, he could make them hallucinate their worst fear. 

So far, the heroes and detectives on the case hadn’t been able to figure out much about the Illusionist himself. He never struck the same victim twice, and he didn’t seem to stick around long enough for pro heroes to find him. Not to mention, the majority of his attacks happened in dark alleyways to the local homeless population, far from any cameras that would have been able to pick up his face.

And that fact made Aizawa’s blood boil. Because these weren’t attacks of revenge. No, they were attacks from someone who thought it was fun to mess with the disenfranchised. Someone who enjoyed exerting their powers over those they perceived to be less than, like some kid on a playground squishing ants beneath their sneakers.

The Illusionist’s influence was powerful, and each victim reacted differently. For some, they just froze up, lying motionless until they were found. For others, they lashed out at anyone who dared get close. 

And in a society filled with countless unknown quirks, those of his targets who did lash out—though victims themselves—still needed to be dealt with.

The good news was, the quirk’s effects weren’t permanent, and he seemed to require a fairly long recharge time in between each attack. So the pro heroes never had to deal with more than one victim at a time.

So far, the heroes and police force had figured out two ways of dealing with the Illusionists’ victims. Either the victims were knocked out or put to sleep in some way, which seemed to instantly nullify the hallucination, or the victims were captured and taken to the police station to allow the quirk’s effects to naturally run their course.

Considering the heroes really wanted the victims brought in as peacefully as possible, it had been no surprise to Shouta when the other heroes started calling him in for assistance. Especially when the victims’ hallucinations caused them to fight back.

Such as, apparently, this one.

Shouta sprinted around a corner, panting. The cool night air brushed against his face, chilling his skin. He glanced down at his phone, only to see that Wood’s location had moved once again.

Which meant that the unstable, overpowered victim was on the move. 

Wonderful.

Just then, his phone lit up.

Shouta didn’t wait to see who it was. “What is it?”

“Eraserhead,” Kamui Woods said. “We’re going to lead him to you. Meet us over by the abandoned antique warehouse. And keep your phone on you, he’s a flight risk. Literally.”

“Understood. Any injuries?”

“A few civilians, but medics are already on it. Nothing serious.”

“Good.”

Shouta hung up and changed his course. He weaved between buildings, kicking up water as puddles splashed at his feet. 

If the heroes needed to lure the kid so far away from people, then things weren’t looking good. 

Which meant that he needed to end this. Now. 

But he didn’t make it to the warehouse. Not before a flying, glowing figure appeared through the wall, crashing into him first.

On instinct, Shouta activated his quirk and sent his capture weapon to the glowing figure, but his quirk had no effect. As soon as the scarf landed on the boy, he jerked away, phasing the scarf through his body.

Shouta blinked, deactivating and reactivating the quirk again. But just like the before, nothing happened. The figure—the boy—just continued to float in the air, his glowing green eyes staring wildly into the hero as if Shouta were the most terrifying human on Earth. He raised his hand, and a neon green swirling ball began to form around his fist.

“Watch out!” a voice behind him yelled.

Aizawa ducked just in time. The green blast hit the wall just above him, burning into the bricks like acid.

“Eraserhead, hurry!” Best Jeanist yelled.

Shouta tried again to activate his quirk, but it was no use.

The boy screamed, powering up an even bigger blast than last time.

“Eraserhead!”

Tree roots shot out in front of Shouta just in time. The blast hit Kamui Woods’ shield, splintering the roots and sending pieces flying through the air.

“Shit!” Shouta deactivated his quirk and jumped back, falling in line with the heros. “He’s resistant to my quirk!” 

“We need to get him away from the residential area,” Best Jeanist said. “Force him to the industrial complex.”

“You’re not forcing me anywhere,” the teen roared back in a thick accent. His white glow ebbed and flowed around him as if he were drunk. “I won’t let you get me!”

“What is he seeing?” Shouta asked the three heroes behind him.

“A kidnapping of some sort,” Hound Dog replied.

“He keeps referring to us as ‘Operatives’. We’re unsure what that means.”

Apparently their talking only angered the glowing teen further. He raised a fist and his eyes brightened, changing from green to blue. “You’re not taking me!”

“Go!” Best Jeanist shouted.

The heroes jumped out of the alley just as the teen released the glowing blue energy ball, coating the pavement in a shockwave of jagged ice.

“How many quirks does this kid have?” Kumai Woods exclaimed.

Aizawa landed on the roof and released his capture weapon. “Doesn’t matter. Get him to the warehouse. I have a plan, but I have to make a call first.”

“Got it!”

The heroes jumped off the roof, chasing the kid out the alley and through another building.

“Don’t lose him!” Hound Dog yelled, running around the corner after him.

Shouta stayed back, pulling out his phone and pressing one of his emergency contacts. He watched as another blue beam glowed from a few blocks over, followed by a burst of green.

What the hell is that kid? 

He couldn’t believe what he’d witnessed. The kid could talk, could communicate, and yet he had multiple quirks? In the ten seconds Shouta had seen him, he was witness to flight, phase-shifting, glowing, cryokinesis, a green energy beam, and immunity to Shouta’s quirk. 

And yet, the kid wasn’t a nomu. He had intelligence. He seemed like he could have been a regular teen. A glowing one, sure, but a regular teen nonetheless.

So how did he end up with multiple quirks? And how did he become the Illusionist’s latest target? The Illusionist had only ever targeted homeless adults before. How did this teen get caught up in the mix?

Unless he was homeless himself.

The ringing stopped, and a tentative voice picked up from the other line. “Sensei?” 

Shouta breathed a sigh of relief. “Shinso, I need you to come to the field. I’ll send you a location. We need your quirk.”

“My quirk?” Shinso asked, disbelief evident in his voice.

One day Shouta would crack through that massive layer of insecurity Shinso still clung onto about his quirk.

“Illusionist hit a kid with multiple quirks. We can’t get near him and he’s resistant to my quirk. We need you to subdue him. Put him to sleep.”

“Okay. I’ll be there soon.”

“Sending a location now.”

Shouta hung up and forwarded his location before darting over to the scene, using the sound of the kid’s frantic attacks as his GPS. 

His feet pounded on the concrete. His quirk and capture weapon may have been useless against the kid, but that was fine. All he had to do was stall for time before Shinso could subdue him.

There was a loud bang, followed by a crash. Shouta skidded around the block and, using his weapon, launched himself onto a nearby roof.

There was a large hole in the side of a building that thankfully appeared to be empty. Dust clouded the air, but through it Shouta could see the kid backing into the building like a cornered animal, his arms raised and glowing a threatening acid green.

Kumai woods stepped forward slowly, his arms raised above his head. “We don’t want to hurt you!

“Don’t—don’t come another step!” The teen growled, stumbling to the side. His voice had an odd, echoing quality to it. “I’ve escaped your stupid compound once, and I’ll do it again!”

Shouta jumped down from the roof, landing in front of the heroes. He crouched down, trying to appear as non threatening as possible. “What compound?” 

The kid let out a bitter laugh. “Don’t act stupid! You were gloating enough last time!”

“We’re not going to take you to a compound,” Kumai Woods tried.

But reasoning with someone under the Illusionist’s influence was futile. Heroes and police officers had attempted it before, and it never worked.

“I’m not an idiot! I know what you do to people like me!”

Shouta froze, alarm bells going off in his head. Something was just... wrong. On a fundamental level, something wrong had happened to this kid. And based on the way his eyes darted around the empty room, he looked about a second away from making an escape.

Okay, Shouta had to stall. If the kid thought that the heroes were kidnappers, then maybe he could draw this out.

He tilted his head questioningly. “Sorry, I’m new here.” He felt his coworkers’ eyes burning against the back of his skull. “I wasn’t here for the last time.”

The kid’s distorted eyes locked onto him. “I’m sure you’ve read the reports.”

“Haven’t had time, actually. This is my first day.”

“You’re still wearing the suit. You’re still with them.”

Shouta stared at him for a moment. The kid’s stark white hair floated as if defying gravity, and the glow around him had almost an ethereal presence. But what stood out the most to him was his clothing. He was dressed like something out of a laboratory. His suit was thin and rubbery, with rubber gloves and boots to match.

He was definitely the product of a science experiment. There was no doubt about it. Likely a trafficked kid taken from another country and transported here for human experimentation.

Aizawa felt sick.

“Where are you from?” he asked.

“You know where.”

“I told you, this is my first day. I just moved here. I don’t know you yet.”

Apparently, that wasn’t good enough for the teen. “I’m not saying anything. You can ask Operative K over there.” He nodded towards Best Jeanist.

“What sorts of things did they do to you? Last time?” 

“I—I don’t—” the teen stuttered, the green glow flickering out from his fists. He clamped his hands over his ears. “Shut up!”

“I don’t want to do those things,” Shouta continued. “I don’t want to...use you like that.”

“It doesn’t matter. If you’re with them, you’re here to take me. And I can’t, I can’t do that again. I’ll never let you take me. I’m smarter than your whole organization and you know it.” His eyes brightened with a frantic energy, warping until one eye was green and the other blue. “I’ve escaped from your stupid white compound once, and I’ll do it again.”

Aizawa rose slowly. 

This wasn’t looking good.

Hurry up, Shinsho. 

The kid raised his arms, and a swirling mass of green and blue encased his fist, traveling up his forearms and swallowing his elbows. It pulsated and grew, casting a shadow over the teen’s face.

“Eraserhead!” Hound Dog warned.

“I’m not going quietly.”

Shouta readied himself to dodge when a flash of purple caught his eye.

“Hey kid!” Shinso called out.

Glowing green and blue snapped over to the source of the new voice. “What?” he hissed.

Shouta could almost see the satisfied smirk under Shinso’s mask. 

“Go to sleep.”

The effect was immediate. The mass of energy faded from the kid’s hands, leaving only his natural white glow. He lowered himself to the ground until his toes were touching the cement, then his knees, and finally his head. Then, just when his eyes fluttered close, a white ring appeared at his waist, traveling up his body replacing the glowing, ethereal teen with a small European looking boy. 

“Whoa,” Shinso breathed.

Despite the protests behind him, Shouta slowly made his way over to the teen. His white hair had changed to black, and his skin had lost its glow completely. His laboratory clothes had been replaced with ripped jeans and a dirty white and red shirt. 

He looked...plain. Boring and scrawny. If Shouta hadn’t witnessed the terrifying figure just moments ago, he could have passed the boy off as just a quirkless kid.

Whatever he was, he was asleep.

“Good job, Hitoshi,” he said, turning back around to face the heroes. Not to his surprise, his husband and other child were among the group. “Present Mic, Todoroki,” he greeted.

Hizashi—ever the optimist—gave Shouta a cheerful wave along with a chipper, “Hello!” while Shouto stood quietly behind the heroes.

“Who is he?” Shinso asked, eyeing the sleeping teen warily. 

Best Jeanist made his way over to the group. “Some kid with multiple quirks. Likely from experimentation. With his amount of quirks, we have no idea what he’s like mentally. We need to get him to the police.”

“We sent them your location already. They should be here soon,” Hizashi said.

“Good.” 

Shouta gave the kid one last glance. 

What happened to him?

---

It didn’t take long before the police, led by Detective Tsukauchi, arrived at the scene. They were able to get the kid into quirk inhibitors, load him into the back of a car, and bring him into the station before he woke up.

Yamada brought the boys back home before meeting him at the station. Shouta made a mental note to grab Shinsho his favorite take-out meal tomorrow for his immaculate quirk usage.

When they arrived at the station, they brought a couch into one of the interrogation rooms, put the kid on it, and waited.

Shouta almost felt bad for him. It would have been scary for anyone to wake up after a traumatic hallucination wearing quirk inhibitors in a cold, unfeeling room. But unfortunately, nobody had known the extent of his quirks. Victim or not, he was still unstable.

Aside from sitting upright, the kid hadn’t moved an inch, and he couldn’t seem to be able to pass the inhibitors through his body like he had with Shouta’s capture weapon.

Which was good. That meant that the quirk inhibitors were doing their job.

Shouta stared at him through the one-way mirror. He’d been half expecting the same frantic energy from the teen boy as before, but the teen just sat there quietly. His slumped body language screamed resigned, while his eyes were slowly shifting around the room as if to memorize every speck of dust in the air.

“You would never suspect that kid would have multiple quirks,” Yamada said next to him. “He just looks so...tiny.”

Aizawa took a large gulp of his much-needed coffee. “And yet, he does.”

The door behind them opened, and a woman stepped through. She stopped in front of Detective Tsukauchi. “He’s not registered. We scanned the database and found no record of anyone with multiple quirks that fit his description. In addition, we ran the sample of the green substance from his projection quirk and couldn’t find any matches to any known compounds on record. We’ve sent the samples out for further testing.”

“No matches?” Shouta asked. 

“Interesting.” Detective Tsukauchi said. He turned towards the interrogation room’s door. “I believe it’s time to talk to our victim. Suzuki, I want you to stay outside. I think having more than one adult in the room may scare him off. Use your quirk, though. I have a feeling our victim may be a bit wary.”

The woman nodded and stationed herself next to Shouta. She stared at the boy, blinked, and then her eyes began to glow.

“It’s showtime.”

The moment the doorknob moved, the black haired teen’s body language shifted to something more alert, more guarded. His blue eyes tracked Tsukauchi’s movements until the detective had sat down in his metal chair.

“Hello,” he said. “I’m Detective Tsukauchi. Don’t worry, you’re not in trouble today. Would you like some water?”

The teen didn’t respond.

“Do you remember what happened?”

Based on previous victims’ responses, they had always been able to remember the hallucinations, but they couldn’t recall their actions or where they were during those times.

“It’s okay if you don’t. Again, you’re not in trouble.”

But the kid wasn’t relaxing. If anything, he looked more guarded than before. “If I’m not in trouble, then why am I here?”

“You were hit by a quirk,” he explained. “Have you heard of the Illusionist?”

The teen shifted. “Maybe.”

“He’s a villain who makes people experience their worst fears.”

A spark of recognition hit the boy’s eyes, but it was quickly masked by the previous reserved expression. “So I got hit.”

“Yes. So far his targets have all been random attacks.” Tsukauchi opened his manila folder, pulling out photographs and handing them to the teen. “This was from earlier tonight. Do you remember any of this?”

He scanned the photographs, and Aizawa watched as the color drained from the teen’s face. He stared at the folder in silence for a moment before his shaky voice said, “If I’m not in trouble, I’d like to leave.”

“We just have a few questions we’d like to ask in order to help us catch him.”

“I want to leave.”

Detective Tsukauchi seemed unphased by the kid’s request. “Alright, can I get your name? We can call your parents to come pick you up.”

As expected, the teen didn’t like this. He shoved the photographs back into Tsukauchi’s hands, leaned back against the couch, and crossed his arms. “I’m eighteen. Can I go now?”

“He’s lying,” Detective Suzuki whispered next to them.

Recognition sparked in Shouta’s brain. He remembered her, she had a Lie Detection quirk. It was quite useful for police work.

“In that case, we were unable to obtain any record of any adult with your quirk combinations. Japanese law dictates that every citizen must be registered in our quirk database. So if you are unregistered, then we’d need to go through the registration process before we can release you.”

“I’m not a Japanese citizen.”

“You here on vacation?”

The kid glared to the wall. “Something like that.”

“American?”

“Yeah.”

“How long have you been visiting?”

The teen shrugged.

Tsukauchi jotted something down in his notebook. “Then I’d need to see your passport and visitor’s documentation for the official record, since you are now a victim in an ongoing investigation.”

The teen’s eyes narrowed, and he slumped down further into the cushion. “I don’t have any.”

“What happened to it?”

The teen shrugged.

Yamada leaned into Shouta’s ear. “He’s backed into a corner.”

“Yup,” Shouta took another swig at his coffee. “He can’t get out of this one.”

The teen huffed, frustration and a tint of fear strewn across his features. He ran a hand through his messy black hair. “Listen, can I just go? I don’t remember anything, okay? I was just sleeping and then all of the sudden I...I...he got me. But I swear I wasn’t doing anything, and I didn’t see his face.”

Detective Tsukauchi nodded compassionately. “I’m very sorry that this happened to you. It’s a very vivid and traumatic experience to go through. Unfortunately, we’re in a bit of a bind currently seeing as you are either an unregistered quirk user, or you have no proof that you’re in this country legally. Now if it’s true that you’re eighteen, we can’t let you leave without contacting the US embassy to get your identification.”

Any color left in the teen’s face vanished. “What if...what if they can’t identify me?”

“Can’t identify you? For what reason?”

The teen stood suddenly and walked over to the wall. His hands trembled, and he looked downright terrified.

Who was he scared of?

He picked at the ragged hem of his shirt. “I don’t—I’m not exactly…they—they just don’t know I exist.”

Shouta glanced at Suzuki, who seemed perplexed. 

“Is he telling the truth?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Suzuki said. “I don’t know how it’s possible, but he at least believes that he doesn’t have citizenship in Japan or the United States.”

“Even though he’s American.”

“Exactly.”

Aizawa’s brows furrowed, and he looked back at the teen, who was pressed up against the wall wringing his wrists with his fingers.

“Can you give me your name?” Detective Tsukauchi asked.

The teen bit his lip. “Uh it’s—it’s…” His voice was strangled. “It’s Danny Fenton.”

“He’s telling the truth.”

Detective Tsukauchi gave him a comforting smile. “Okay, Danny. And do you know where you were born?”

“Uh…The United States.”

“But, and correct me if I’m wrong, you have no birth certificate? And no documentation to show legal entry to Japan?”

“I—yeah.”

“And you’re here in Japan now. Where have you been staying exactly?”

Danny’s eyes darted around the room. “I don’t know...around?”

“Okay,” Detective Tsukauchi shut his manila folder and stood. “Again, you’re not in trouble. You were a victim of a very serious crime, and we’re here to help you. I’m going to make a quick call, and I’ll be right back. The door’s unlocked if you need anything.”

If anything, that only made Danny look more anxious than before. He nodded, his face sheet white, and he tugged at the inhibitors on his wrists.

“What’s gonna happen to him?” Yamada asked quietly. He was dressed in his civilian clothes, and his hair was thrown up into a messy low bun. Without his uniform, his compassion towards the child shined out like a beacon. 

It was one of the many qualities that Shouta loved about him. His strong sense to protect the innocent, his caring nature to kids and those who were vulnerable in society, and the kindness he radiating from his being were qualities that were rare even among heroes. 

“We’ll contact the US embassy, but if the boy’s telling the truth and he doesn’t have a social security number or birth certificate, then he’ll get picked up by Musutafu’s social services and he’ll be put into the system.”

Yamada stared sadly at the child through the mirror. “He’ll just run away again.”

“He will,” Shouta agreed.

“I wish we could help him.”

Shouta sighed. “We can’t save everyone.”

“But you see it, don’t you?” Yamada asked. “There’s something going on that the kid’s not telling us. How else could he have gotten multiple quirks? Do you think it has anything to do with the League?”

Shouta glanced back at Danny, who was currently crouched against the wall with his head in his hands. He looked so small, so fragile. Aizawa could only wonder what events had led him here.

Just who was Danny Fenton? 

“Shouta, we can’t let him out on his own. We just can’t.”

Shouta sighed, running his thumb along the side of his coffee cup. “I know,” he said.

And he meant it.

---

“So…” Shouta started. 

Danny just looked tired. 

It had been a long night. Detective Tsukauchi got a hold of the US embassy’s emergency line, but they didn’t have any records of a Danny Fenton that had left the United States, nor did they have a single missing children’s report of a Danny Fenton, nor could they supposedly dig up any information of a Danny Fenton based on the information that Danny himself supplied, specifically that he was born in Illinois in a city called Amity Park.

It was as if he didn’t exist.

Detective Suzuki’s quirk was powerful, and it didn’t seem like Danny was able to fool it. After he met her and she explained her quirk to him, he finally admitted he was only fifteen. So then who was this kid? If he was from Amity Park, why did the United States have no record of him?

The heroes knew he had parents, but apparently—and Suzuki confirmed this—they’d disowned him, giving him to some shady organization. Danny wouldn’t say to who ended up with custody of him, but from what they’d been able to piece together, it hadn’t been good.

And any further digging just resulted in Danny clamming up.

So Danny was a runaway, one that apparently didn’t exist in either country he had lived in. And there was something out there that had terrified him into escaping to Musutafu and hiding here.

But he wouldn’t say what.

Regardless, the Musutafu police department now had a case of a minor in Japan who didn’t have any parents, guardians, or any known relatives in the country, nor did he have any record of housing at any point.

It was as if this kid were a ghost or something.

“What’s gonna happen to me?” Danny asked, hugging himself in his chair.

He seemed smaller up close. Too small.

“Well, social services will take you and place you in foster care,” Shouta responded.

“Oh…” Danny looked down. “You know...you’ve seen my powers. I’ll just disappear the moment we leave this building.”

Shouta raised his brows.

Of course, they all knew it. But the kid certainly had guts for admitting it out loud.

“Who are you running from?” Shouta asked.

Danny blinked at his bluntness. “No one.”

Shouta leaned in. “Is it the League of Villains? Are you connected with them?”

Danny’s arms shot out from his sides, waving frantically in front of his face. “No! No, I swear! I’m not a villain!”

“I didn’t say that.” 

“I…” Danny looked lost. 

“You have multiple quirks. That’s something the league’s been experimenting with. And they’re not shy about using real people to do so.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what to say. I’ve never met them.”

“But you weren’t born with multiple quirks,” Shouta said. “Something happened that made you this way.”

He could see as all the pieces slowly crumbled inside Danny. The kid went from looking confused, to downright terrified. 

Bingo.

Aizawa’s instincts never failed him.

“Please, just let me go,” Danny begged. “I promise I won’t do anything. Please don’t hurt me.”

Shouta’s eyes widened. “Kid, slow down. I’m not here to hurt you. Okay? I’m on your side.”

That didn’t seem to help Danny at all.

Shouta set his arms on the table where Danny could see them. “You know, one of my foster kids has multiple quirks.” It was a half lie, but he didn’t think that Shouto would mind.

Sure enough, that seemed to pique Danny’s interests. “Really?”

“Yeah. Great kid, about your age. His father was experimenting with creating children who could house multiple quirks to offset his own quirk’s disadvantages, and my foster son came out of it. Just like you, he spent a lot of his life hiding too. He was alone, and scared. He didn’t know what to do or who he could trust, so he just hid.”

“What changed?” Danny asked.

“He asked for help,” Shouta said. “And we were able to bring him into a stable home.”

Danny’s eyes clouded over, and his face transformed into one of longing. As if he were visiting a memory that had long since abandoned him.

“We can get you that help too if you ask for it.”

“I...I can’t…”

Shouta sighed. “How long are you going to keep hiding? Running? Are you really okay with spending the rest of your life out on the streets?”

Danny ducked his head down. “It’s not so bad,” he muttered.

“But kid, you deserve so much more than that.”

The teen’s shoulders shuddered. He sniffed, and his hand shot up to wipe his eye.

Shouta refused to look away from him. “I don’t know how you got here, I have no idea what you’ve been through, but I know that you didn’t deserve it, and that regardless of what you think, you deserve a safe place to go home to.”

“I...I…” he croaked, curling into himself. Tears splashed onto his cheeks. 

“You’re strong, you’ve done so much alone. Now we can help you.”

“I can’t…”

“You can, Danny.”

At that, Danny broke. He squeezed his eyes shut, twisting his hoodie in his hands. Shouta watched as he tried to muffle his sobs, but he couldn’t. His body shook as his emotions poured into the open.

Shouta didn’t know how long this kid had been holding it all in. Just how many days, weeks, months had he been shoving everything down, too focused on surviving each day to be able to stop and feel?

Pain stabbed Shouta’s heart. He remembered that torment all too well, one of homelessness, of abuse, of not knowing where his next meal was coming from and fighting for the bare necessities. Although he wasn’t so much of a soft, touchy-feely guy himself, right now he wanted nothing more than to reach over and hug the crying teen.

When it seemed like Danny was finally able to pull himself together, Shouta leaned in and asked, “Will you let me help you, Danny?”

Danny scrubbed at his eyes and nodded.

“If you want,” he said, making sure to articulate each word clearly. “I can assist you in getting placed in a good home. There’s another option too.”

“Yeah?”

“The other option is you can stay with me.”

Danny stilled, his eyes shooting open and his lips dropping to form a small ‘o’.

“My husband and I have a city approved foster home, and we also happen to have an open bed at the moment. Given your unique situation, I have the option of housing you if you’ll let me.”

Danny didn’t respond. He just continued to stare at Shouta in shock.

“Of course,” Shouta said quickly. “If you are uncomfortable with that, and it’s okay if you are, there are other good foster homes out there that I personally know and can get you placed in. It’s whatever you prefer.”

The teen closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he finally looked back at Shouta, he had that same longing expression as before. “If it’s alright...could I stay with you? At least for a little while?”

The corners of his lips tugged up. He remembered all too well when Yamada turned to him just before Shouta was about to age out of the foster system and asked him if he wanted to move in together. He remembered the shock, the surprise that anyone could possibly care that much about him, that anyone would want to live with him.

And now, he had a family. One that was about to become a little bigger.

“Of course. I’d love to have you.”

---

Thanks for reading!

[check out some of my other fics]

[puniyo]

Kinnporsche Episode 7 Theories – Reading too much into the unreadable (actually just too bored waiting for a doctor’s appointment like Kinn) Part 1

So, here I am, neglecting my fic but coming up with things about Kinnporsche (just because this doctor’s appointment is taking ages and I have the same patience as Kinn). Come discuss ideas with me, I don’t bite (not often). Bear in mind these are my own thoughts, aka, thoughts of a very sleep-deprived person who is running away from life’s deadlines.

Spoilers for the series! I haven’t read the books yet.

“Traditore” – “Riposa in pace” – “Amen.” So Mr. Don accuses Vegas of being a traitor before Vegas wishes him a good rest in peace. The minor family is the one sending people to mess with the major family and then pretending to catch them to elevate their reputation. Vegas is playing the roles of good and bad cop, and he is just tying loose ends. He is torturing someone when he knows who they work for and all the background story. Long story short, he is enjoying the process of torture for the sake of it. That is scary.

Pete does not shy away from violence and apparently Vegas is aware of that. In a very subtle way though. After Vegas extracts whatever that was, he walks closer to them and Pete is the only one looking at him (Arm is uncomfortable, Big is half-turned, Porsche has completely turned away). Pete has a relaxed stance when Big is hitting the prisoner. Pete is using a rifle (?) (I have zero to negative knowledge about firearms so apologies) during that last warehouse assault, which is definitely more lethal than a simple handgun.  

Pete is seen worshiping a god when he walks into the minor family’s compound. I find this interesting because I think that deity was Guan Di/Guan Yu, the deity of war. According to my Asian heritage, we have a holiday in the calendar dedicated to this deity and both the police and triads worship him. So it was interesting to see Pete doing so as well. Besides being a symbol for righteousness, it is supposed to protect his followers from wicked acts (I haven’t rewatched the episode so let me confirm on a second rewatch).

Kinn is very secure and confident of his sexuality and I absolutely love this instead of the usual whining male figures. Porsche is also comfortable with this and he fuels Kinn’s desire. He is not the one to initiate intimate acts (yet), but damn he knows how to fuel it. I also like that the crotch grab this episode was a nice contrast to the one in episode 4.

Something that disappointed me: how come Big, Pete and Porsche couldn’t take care of the intruders in the casino or at least put up a stronger offense? They were literally kicked and slammed by their enemies quite easily. I want to see a very, VERY competent fighter in Pete, as a contrast to his soft figure. A cinnamon roll that can kill. Would love that.

Macau is definitely not as innocent as he tries to look. He goes to the same school as Porschay (same uniform). I can see him doing something to Porschay in the future but Kim comes in time to destroy his plans.

Porschay is so blinded by love that you can see hearts and stars in his eyes. So innocent compared to his brother’s mature love. Great foil to each other.

Porsche realizes that Vegas is not to be trusted in the party when he mentions the bar by the beach. I hope that Porsche learns to distance himself from Vegas in the future episodes. I want to see him more assertive in refusing whatever Vegas gives him.

Kinn is crying after that mind-blowing hand job. Damn the rollercoaster of emotions that he went through (rage à guilt à regret à thrill and lust à elation à relief) and that he made us go through. If Porsche had not hugged him, I would. (Mile is just PERFECT).

K.Korn putting business above family. How did his wife feel? How did young Kinn feel? From the interactions between father and son in episode 5 and now 7, it feels like Korn tried and is trying to raise a blade more than a son. I can imagine his fear in losing the family business to the minor clan (they look more like thugs who do things the thug way instead of a refined sense of power – if this even makes sense) but if he is trying to make a killing and terror machine out of Kinn, he is going to be proven wrong. I really hope that Kinn proves to him that business and love can go together.

[drarrily-we-row-along]

Day 56: Phone Call

Harry's mobile rang and he couldn't help but smile as he reached for his back pocket. It had taken a while but Draco had finally come around on mobiles, he called him almost every day on his lunch and it was one of Harry's favorite parts of his day.

"Hey you," he greeted. "I was thinking pot roast for dinner, would you pick up some carrots on your way?"

"Harry," he gasped and the hairs on the back of Harry's neck stood on end, his entire body tingling like he was about to fall off a cliff.

"Where are you?" he asked. "I'm coming for you."

"Too late," the other man rasped.

Harry shook his head, and grabbed his wand, "No-"

"Please," Draco begged, breath rattling in his chest, "Listen," he gasped, "to me."

"I'm listening," Harry whispered, he couldn't get his voice to come out any louder, it felt like he'd swallowed glass.

"I love you," he said. "So much. You," he broke of, a cough rattling around in his chest. "Are the best thing that ever happened to me."

Harry's breath caught on a panicked sob, "Draco-"

"You," he gasped, crying out in pain, "you saved me. Love yo-"

The phone call ended abruptly and without a thought, Harry immediately apparated, through the wards into the Ministry and straight into Ron's office. "Where is he?" he said the moment his feet touched the floor.

"Circe's tits!" Ron exclaimed and Harry was vaguely aware of something shattering as Ron startled. "How the bloody hell-"

"Where is he?!" Harry shouted.

"Draco?" Ron shook his head, "You know I can't tell you that, mate. You're not-"

"I don't care. He's dying! Tell me where he is or I will bring this building to the ground."

(Read more below the cut)

"What-"

"Tell me!"

"Alright," he said, looking down at the file on his file, "Here-" he said thrusting the file at Harry.

He looked at the coordinates and apparated into the warehouse they'd sent Draco to. The moment his feet touched the ground spells were being fired of at him, but Harry was so desperate, so terrified, that his magic exploded from his body, knocking down every person standing in the room.

Without thinking, he started to move. "Draco!" he shouted as he started to jog through the rows of cases, "Draco," he begged, his heart thundering so loudly in his ears that he was afraid he wouldn't be able to hear a response.

He was almost to the end of the warehouse, about to turn back, when he glanced down a row and saw him, crumpled on the ground, blood pooling absolutely everywhere.

"Draco," he gasped, running to him and lifting him into his arms.

Draco's eyes fluttered weakly and that was all the hope that Harry needed. He apparated with the other man in his arms, taking him to St. Mungos, and screaming "Help!" as soon as they landed.

Healers seemed to rush from every side, a fact that Harry would be profoundly grateful for later, and Draco was laid out on a stretcher to be moved into a room.

A healer caught Harry as he tried to follow, "Let us work," she said.

"But-"

"No," she told him firmly, "I know you are terrified, but we need to be able to work and having you in there will only distract us."

"He's my life," Harry whispered.

She nodded, "I will do everything I can. Please. Stay here and we'll update you as soon as we can."

He stumbled when she let go, collapsing onto the floor by the door. Harry wasn't sure how much time had passed as he sat on the floor with his head down between his knees, shaking and trying to breathe before Ron and Hermione found him.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione murmured.

"Did you find him?" Ron asked, "Did you get to him in time?"

Harry looked up to see Ron's face ashen, Hermione's eyes wide with concern and he cracked, splintered into a thousand pieces that he didn't know if he'd ever be able to put together again.

His best friends were at his sides in an instant, Hermione wrapped her arms around him from the left and Ron around both of them from the right. And Harry cried. He wept, heaving, ugly sobs that he could hardly breathe around.

When he finally managed to calm himself down enough to take a deep shuddering breath, he whispered, "I don't know."

"What?" Ron asked, rubbing his hand in soothing circles along Harry's back.

"I found him and he was alive, but just barely."

"Okay," Hermione said, "Okay. We'll wait with you, alright?" she asked.

He nodded and rested his head against her shoulder, still ensconced in their embraces. Time seemed to be hardly moving at all but eventually the same healer who'd stopped Harry from going along with Draco came out of the room.

Harry looked up at her, his heart lodged so completely in his throat that he couldn't get any words out.

"He's alive," she said and Harry had to fight not to start sobbing all over again. "He's still unconscious and we won't know the complete extent of the damage until he's awake-"

"Can I see him?" Harry begged.

She nodded, "Yes. It might be some time before he wakes up, though. And like I was saying, we won't know the extent-"

"I don't care," Harry said, "I don't care one bit, whatever happens we'll work through it. I'll do anything."

"Okay," she said softly, "Okay. Go ahead inside."

Ron and Hermione helped him up and followed him into the room but stayed near the doorway as Harry approached the bed. Hermione conjured a chair for him near the bed and he gave her a grateful little nod, it was the best he could do.

He brought Draco's hand to his lips and brushed a kiss over his knuckles, "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "Please come back to me, my love," he said, voice tight. "I can't-" he couldn't push any other words out through his throat, he broke down crying again, pressing Draco's hand against his lips.

Hermione stepped over and rubbed Harry's back, Ron came to the foot of the bed and murmured, "He'll pull through."

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

Two weeks. Harry had spent two weeks in St. Mungos; he hadn't left to go further than the bathroom in Draco's room for a quick shower or downstairs to get some food to bring up.

At first, he'd watched Draco almost constantly, begging him to wake up, but he'd slowly allowed himself to start doing other things while he waited; reading books aloud to him or the newspaper, knitting scarves while he talked to Draco about whatever came into his head that he'd donate to the gala that raised money for children orphaned by the war, and napping in the chair that Hermione had made for him.

He was working on a crossword when he caught a glimpse of movement from the corner of his eye. By this point, though, he'd thought that the other man was moving so many times that he finished writing in the word he was on before looking up.

Time stood still as Draco's eyes fluttered slowly open.

"Draco?" he whispered.

Draco turned his head slowly, his eyes catching on Harry's.

"Hey," Harry gasped, dropping the cross word, his eyes filling with tears as the took Draco's hand in his and pressed a kiss to his fingertips. "You scared the shit out of me," he said weakly.

"Harry?" Draco rasped, voice hardly making any sound at all.

He nodded, "How are you feeling?"

"Hurts," he whispered.

"Hold on," he murmured, pulling out his wand and sending a patronus to the healers station. "I love you," Harry said. "Godric, I love you."

"I've heard you," Draco said.

"Sorry?" he murmured.

Draco's fingers weakly squeezed Harry's and Harry took that to be a good sign, "I heard you," he said. "I lost count of how many times you said it."

He pressed another kiss to Draco's knuckles, not sure what to say.

A healer came hurrying in, "Oh, Mr. Malfoy, you're awake!" she exclaimed. "You gave your boyfriend quite a scare, love."

He nodded, squeezing Harry's fingers.

"Let's get you up to testing, so we can get a better picture of your recovery plan."

Draco looked over at him, "You'll be here?"

"I'm pretty much never leaving your side again," Harry said, only half joking. "Yes, I'll be here."

-------

When they returned Draco to him, the other man was smiling and a bit of color had returned to his face. He seemed to be in the middle of a conversation with the healer bringing him back to Harry.

He glanced up and gave Harry a smile as she put his bed back in place.

"You'll be happy to know that he's going to be okay," she informed Harry. "We'll have to do a bit of work to re-train his body," she added, "but he'll make a full recovery."

"Thanks," Harry said, shaking her hand before moving back to his chair at Draco's side.

"Hey," Draco murmured.

He took Draco's hand in his and brushed a kiss over the back, "Hi."

"You've wanted me to quit the aurors for a while," Draco said.

"Yes," he affirmed because it was true; being an auror was dangerous and it was always fighting not only the bad guys but also corruption within the system. "But I understand the appeal of doing good things to help people," he added, because he did, he understood it all too well.

"Could you help me with something?"

Harry laughed, "At this point you could ask me to do pretty much anything and I would."

"Do you have a piece of parchment?"

He looked around, digging through the stack of books and magazines that Hermione had left him until he found a piece of scrap paper, "Will this do?"

He rolled his eyes, "I suppose it will suffice." And what a ridiculous thing it was to have missed his haughtiness.

"What do you want me to write?" Harry asked.

Draco cleared his throat, "Dear Head Auror Weasley," he started and Harry looked up at him in shock. "Write it down," he chastised.

His fingers trembled a little as he started to write.

"I hereby tender my resignation, effective immediately. Signed, Draco Malfoy."

"Do you mean it?" Harry asked.

Draco nodded, reaching up to cup Harry's face. "I'm sorry."

Harry turned his head to press a kiss to Draco's palm, "It doesn't matter anymore." He kissed his palm again, "You're going to be alright and you won't be in that kind of situation again. We're okay," Harry breathed.

"We're better than okay, I hope," Draco replied softly, almost a question.

"Better than okay," Harry affirmed with a nod and a smile.

And Harry was quite content to spend the rest of their (long) lives being better than okay.

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

Day 55: Music | Day 57: Text Message

[hoe-imaginess]

cornered | dabi

dabi x reader

requested prompt: Villain F! Reader got secret information about the League, but is cornered by Dabi who is deciding what to do with her

word count: 2.2k

a/n: this honestly just turned into a little chase scene... hope it’s alright

⤰⤰⤰

You were teeming with triumph as you hurried down the alleyway.

Part of you knew that you were cruising on a premature celebration; you’d succeeded in your furtive plot, and taken the information you needed from the League. But obtainment was one thing—now came escape.

The benefactor of your risky mission required that you deliver the information to a warehouse near the old side of the city, the same place you’d made the deal in the first place. So there you went, almost as soon as the deed was done. You’d taken a sonorous route as a precaution, just in case you had any pursuers. But now, satisfied that you had no tail, and that you were mere moments away from collecting your due pay, you made haste to your destination.

The warehouse was empty and darkened, no lights giving illumination inside or out. You thought that was inconvenient at most, but not necessarily suspicious. Therein lay your mistake.

You pushed inside the warehouse and waited to be greeted. No one came.

Increasingly antsy, you moved around the gloomy interior as carefully as possible. You thought better of finding the lights and switching them on, so you continued your tepid investigation in the darkness, if only to idle while you awaited your patron.

Halfway into your search, you decided against testing your own patience, and pulled out your burner phone. Almost in the same instant that you dialed the confidential number, an offensive smell invaded your space. That, too, you found inconvenient, and nothing more. It was an old warehouse, you reminded yourself, as you put the phone to your ear. Nothing odd about a rank odor.

You heard the phone ringing through the speaker, and then, you heard the ringing in the warehouse.

Puzzled, you moved the phone from your ear and listened closely. Yes, there was a simple ringtone resounding through the place, and yes, it had to be your benefactor.

Still, the line continued to ring, and ring; the tone in the warehouse sounded in tandem. It was clear to you that you would be receiving no answer. And it was then that suspicious took its root.

You followed the ringtone in the dark, until you could see its faint glow yards away. By then, the horrid smell had turned almost intolerable, but also decipherable: like the stench of overcooked pork, stinging your nostrils with every inhale.

You envisioned a dozen nasty sources for the stench, some imaginatively morbid, but the scene you found upon following the ringing overwhelmed you.

A burnt corpse lay strewn on the floor. The scant moonlight coming in from the warehouse rafters gave poor illumination to the scene, but you could see quite clearly the blackened body, its form mangled by fire—a fire that hadn’t smoldered very long ago, if the heat coming off the body was any indication.

Beside the body lay the cell phone. It gave its last ring as your call went unaccepted, then the screen’s light gave out.

Your benefactor was dead. That much was certain. The rest was a mystery that buzzed in your head, quickly gaining into panic as you realized the demise that had befell the now-corpse was likely one you were meant to share. Why else would the man have been killed this way? Why here? And by whom?

The question was quickly answered.

“You must’ve taken the long route to get here,” a voice came in the darkness. “I’ve been waiting a while.”

You spun toward the sound, and took a step backward the moment you spotted a figure leering beyond the burnt body.

“Who are you?” you asked, unwilling to play the part of the victim, not when this assailant clearly had lethal purpose.

“Naive of you not to expect this, ya know,” he muttered, and moved out of the shadows.

You were just short of thinking that his voice sounded familiar, when he came into full view of the moonlight to reveal himself.

Dabi.

With hands in his pockets, and a joyless smile on his face, he carried the aura of a man who had all circumstance on his side. And you knew very well that he did.

“I figured if you were dumb enough to double cross us, that you’d also be dumb enough not to cover your tracks.” His foot tapped the forgotten phone on the ground, the one which had belonged to your late benefactor. “Eavesdropping on calls is easy enough, if you have tech savvy acquaintances.”

You tried to remember the League associates you’d met, and what their quirks had been. You couldn’t recall any with the capability to exploit your schemes, but that certainly didn’t mean you hadn’t been ignorant to assume you’d get away with this betrayal so easily. Apparently, you’d underestimated Dabi’s mistrust in you.

“As for whatever information on us you’re willing to sell,” he began, “I’ll be needing that back.”

You stood tall, proud to stand your ground, even as your hands started to fidget anxiously.

“Did Shigaraki send you?” you asked.

“He doesn’t know I’m here. But I’ll tell him the gist of it later, after I handle it. I’m curious. What exactly do you have on us?”

“Nothing,” you declared calmly, and without a haste of defense. “I have nothing on you.”

“Yeah?”

He kicked the burnt body with the cap of his boot. A piece of the crisped limb crumbled under the minimal force, and scattered along the concrete like debris.

“Is that what you were comin’ to sell to this guy?” he asked. “Nothing?”

You bit the inside of your cheek, knowing the evidence and ambience were stacked against you. But you weren’t about to be cowed. You met his stare, matching his menace with defiance.

With the gravity of this situation quickly rising, you felt the warm brush of your quirk ready itself, prepared to defend in whatever way possible. You’d seen enough of Dabi’s power—and worse, his cruelty—to know that the dreadful anticipation you felt was fully justified.

“Bet you thought you were good at this sneaking around stuff, huh?” He took a step toward you; you stepped back. “I’ve been suspicious for a while, but honestly, I was more curious to see what you’d do, and how you’d do it.”

Now he was walking around the burnt body, forcing you to circle in the opposite direction.

You decided to drop any pretenses, lacking as they’d been in the first place.

“How long have you known?” you asked.

He shrugged. “Like I said, I’ve got an eye for this sort of stuff. And lately, it’s been on you.”

The threat behind his words suddenly made you hyperaware of the corpse between you two, of the putrid smell steaming off of it. Morbid fantasies seized you, and you realized you might soon be joining the heap of ash at your feet.

“So, I’ll ask again. What is it that you have? And what did this guy want with it?”

“I thought you were well-informed,” you returned, risking his patience, buying yourself some time.

He gave a gruesome, humored smile. It was a grisly contrast to his lifeless, torched victim below.

“I guess it doesn’t matter what you have on us,” he finally said.

The debased smile on his face remained, but there was a threatening descent in his demeanor, a pointed narrowing of his eyes that put a shiver down your spine.

“No one’s ever gonna get it, anyways. I’ll make sure of that.”

In the instant that his flames illuminated the gloom with their cyan, you turned on your heels and dashed into the darkness.

You didn’t know how spry Dabi was, or how easily he could catch up to you. But with what his long-range firepower could make up for, you doubted it mattered.

With most of the structures in the warehouse silhouetted against the dainty moonlight, traversing the interior in haste was nearly impossible. Even as you ran, you could still smell the cooked flesh, following you and dizzying your senses.

You couldn’t pinpoint the entrance, nor an exit. It left you stumbling practically blind through the poorly lit building, and you were thankful once you floundered upon a wall. You stumbled along, fingertips moving across the brick to guide you.

Somewhere behind you, Dabi was on the move. Now he spoke, his voice low and reverberating in the darkness.

“You’re startin’ to piss me off,” he called after you. “This’ll be a lot easier if you stop running.”

It occurred to you that he might want you alive, so that he could drag you back to Shigaraki Tomura, and face punishment at his hands—literally. That put heat into your steps, and you stumbled along that much faster in the darkness, hoping against hope that some source of escape might present itself.

The footsteps were behind you again, and quickly gaining. You moved carefully over junk strewn on the floor, and found yourself near a door. You twisted the knob, breathed out a quick sigh of relief to find it unlocked, and slipped inside.

You found yourself in a spacious room, an office of some sort. The first thing you noticed was the window across the room, throwing moonlight through its pane and brightening the dusty interior. You went to it quickly, and tried to wedge fingers underneath the frame and haul it open, to no avail.

“Come on girl, don’t make this hard,” Dabi called into the room. He was just beyond the door.

You bit your lip to keep a groan of frustration down, and hid in the corner of the room. As you did so, the door creaked open. You heard his boots crunching over the wooden threshold. Then the sound of the creaking door moving again. It closed, and clicked. He’d locked you both inside.

Then came silence.

You waited for him to speak, but nothing came. You peered out from your hiding spot, searching for him in the darkness. You saw only a faint outline of his form, the scant moonlight catching off the leather of his outfit.

“If I have to light this place up with you in it, that’s fine,” his voice echoed in the dark. Then came his punctuated, languid footsteps somewhere in the room. “But it’d be easier if you’re alive. I still have some questions for you.”

The thought of enduring what would probably be a horribly sadistic interrogation made your skin crawl. He wasn’t just here to catch you in your trespasses, but to squeeze information out of you, too.

Dabi moved across the room, searching for you. You couldn’t see him now, his silhouette hidden by stacked boxes and other clutter in the darkness. There was a side door that led to the outside, you knew. And you knew it had to be on this side of the building. You’d clocked it in your previous visits to the warehouse as an escape route in case of an emergency. This more than qualified.

But the dark gloom was so profound that locating the door was nearly impossible. This room was denied even a sliver of the moonlight.

At the least, Dabi was apparently as lost as you were. That, or he was taking his grueling time in his approach—which sounded much more fitting, especially knowing his fire might do him well if he needed to illuminate the room somehow. But clearly, he was toying with you. At least for now.

Just then, his footsteps stopped somewhere in the darkness. You waited, and waited some more. You wondered if he was expecting you to make a move, to expose yourself by sound. But you refused; the gloom was your ally, and you would utilize it in full.

But just as you thought you were safe behind the boxes, one of the shadows in the corner forsook its concealment, and he appeared.

Then, as you tried to flee, he slipped over to block your path. “I don’t think so,” said his shadow.

His cruel confidence gave his silhouette the appearance of something taller, something more menacing. The burnt odor returned in full force, and you realized it must have been radiating off his corrugated skin.

An instant later, you felt the wave of fire, and shrieked as the flames fed through the fabric of your shirt, singing delicate skin.

You dove for the floor, and rolled onto your back to extinguish the flames. But the damage was done, and as you backed yourself against the wall, your skin seared with fresh pain.

He stopped in front of you, leering down. His attack had merely been one of intimidation; he’d purposely grazed you, but the surrounding wooden boxes gladly kindled his fire, and quickly caught ablaze.

The flames rising around the room threw a sheen of blue over his expression: rigid and lacking mercy. You wondered if your schemes, your complicity in this act of betrayal, was worth whatever was to come next.

Your throat was tight. The dry, hot air choked you. But all you could do was glare up at him in a desperate show of defiance.

"You’re gonna regret ever thinking you could get away with this," Dabi said with a smile.

Indeed, you were thinking that very thing, when he reached for you.

[hawaii5-0gurl]

Find Her

Characters: Steve X Reader, Danny, Kono, Chin, Lou, Grace, Wo Fat

Word Count: 5409

Warnings: Language, Angst, Character Death? Torture (mildish), Fluff ending

A/N: Request from @coffeewithoutcaffine. I hope you like it.

I loved getting requests if you have one, send it in.

“Can I request Steve X Reader, where she’s on the team and gets kidnapped by Wo Fat and tortured and its pure angst with a happy ending?”

A/N#2: Feedback is always appreciated. Good or Bad. Also I would like to say I’m sorry for part of this. I may have hurt my own heart.

Tumblr Masterlist

“Y/n are you ready to go?” Steve asked as he came into your bedroom.

“Go ahead without me. I have a few things I need to get done before I head into the office.” You looked you from tying your boots. “Should only take an hour max.”

“You sure? I can help.”

“Yeah, I’m sure. Go before you’re late.”

“Ok.” Before leaving he came into the room, gave you a quick kiss and left for work.

You started locking everything up to leave when you get this uneasy feeling in your stomach. You pull your gun out of its holster an keep it at your side as you continue to lock up. Nobody was in the house, but the feeling was still there. After holstering you weapon, you lock the front door and make your way to your truck. Being sure to hold your self-defense rod in-between your fingers.

You walked down the sidewalk to the driveway, and around you truck to the driver side. You went to open the door when you heard footsteps rushing up behind you. You immediately swing your hand behind you. It collided with a person’s side. You whipped around to see a man holding his side. You started fighting, kicking and punching but he was able to block almost every single one of them. He pulled out what looked like a police baton and started swinging. You were able to grab the baton, but he quickly pushed you back against your truck to hold you in place.

“Not so tough now Y/n.” he got cocky as you tried to push him off.

“You sure about that?” leaving a confused look in his face. You used as much force as you could and kneed him in the groin. He fell to the ground, grabbing himself.

You leaned over him. “Dumb-Ass.”

You went to cuff him but before you could you felt a sting on the side of your neck.

“Ouch!” You grabbed where the pain was and looked to the side only to see Wo Fat with a syringe in his hand. Then everything went dark.

- At 5-O HQ hours later-

“This is Y/n, leave a message and I will get back to you soon.” Steve was calling you again to see where you were.

“Has anyone heard from Y/n yet?” Steve started asking the team when you hadn’t showed up.

“No” Kono and Chin said simultaneously.

“I haven’t either,” Danny said. “Did she say when she would be in?”

“She told me that she had a few things to do before work, but it wouldn’t take more than an hour.”

“Maybe they are just taking longer than she thought.”

“I’m sure that’s it. Y/n gets sidetracked sometimes.” Chin said trying to explain why you’re not here.

“Well yeah, but I have called her a few times already and she’s not picking up.”

“Here let’s try this. She has one of those squares to locate her keys, right?” Kono questioned Steve.

“Yeah, I bought a few after she kept losing her keys. I have one on mine too.”

“Let me see yours.” Steve handed over his keys. Kono placed them on the table and started typing to see if she could track down Y/n’s squares.

“Here we go.” She slid the table screen to the big screen. “There’s your keys here at HQ and there are 2 here, which is…  At your house? Y/n’s at home?”

“Why wouldn’t she answer your calls if she was home this whole time?” Chin asked.

“Alright, Danny and I will swing by there and see what’s going on.”

Steve pulled up, out front of his house. Your truck was still in the driveway. Steve went to the front door, while Danny went over to your truck. Steve was about to unlock the door when Danny called out to him.

“Steve, we have a problem.” Danny called out, causing Steve to look over at him. He was holding up your keys and phone.

Seeing him holding your keys and phone caused him to get a sinking feeling in his stomach.

-Abandoned Warehouse-

You were finally waking up. You were still groggy from whatever Wo Fat injected you with. You tried to move your arms and legs but quickly realized that you were tied to a chair. You looked up to see WoFat’s leaning up against a table.

“Look who finally decided to join me.”

“What do you want?” already annoyed with this.

“What? No hello. Straight to business.” He got up and started moving towards you. “Alright, I want to know where Shelburne is.” Coming to a stop right in front of you.

“Who?” You have no idea who that was.

“Shelburne.”

“I have no clue who you are talking about. Who the hell is Shelburne?”

“The person who killed my father! Don’t act dumb, where are they?!?” He was getting mad, he leaned down grabbing your wrists and part of the chair.

“I DON’T KNOW!”

WoFat’s obviously didn’t believe you. Next thing you know, you’re being slapped across the face.

“I know Steve knows. He would have told you about them. So where are they.” He was starring you down. “It only gets worse from here on out Y/n.”

“I DON’T FUCKING KNOW!”

“Fine. We will do this a different way.” He pulled your gun off the table. He pointed it dead center of your forehead. When you didn’t flinch, he moved it off to the side and shot off a round. Again, you didn’t flinch. You just looked more annoyed than before.

“You realize I have to write a report on every bullet fired from my service weapon.”

“I just pointed a gun at your head, and you’re worried about paperwork? You do realize I can just shoot you.”

“I’m not afraid to die. I know what I was getting myself into when I became a cop. Hey if you shoot me, I don’t have to do any paperwork. Just so you know if you do shoot me. 5-0 will be on your ass like white on rice.” At this point you were leaning forward to get as close to his face as you possible could.

“wow, you are a special kind of stupid. Aren’t you?” He raised your gun just enough to shoot you in the leg.

“UGH! Son of a Bitch!”

-McGarrett Residence-

Steve had called the team. They showed up a few minutes later.

“The house is secure, but I found boot prints on the side of the house.” Chin came up to the rest of the group.

“I found a couple of cigarettes over by those trees and bushes.” Kono held up an evidence bag before handing it off to one of the techs for DNA testing.

“Have you checked your security cameras yet?” Danny said as he pointed to the camera above the garage. It looked like it had been shot.

“Kono do you have a laptop?”

“Yea.” She went towards her car, everyone followed close behind.

Steve pulled up his security system up on the laptop. He went back to the time that he left. He looked at the back cameras first. He saw a man looking in the back windows but couldn’t see his face. Then he went to the front cameras. You were coming out of the house and going to your truck. when a man lunged at you, and you fought back. Then a second man came out and stabbed you in the neck. He began yelling at the first man. He got up off the ground and called someone. A car pulled up seconds later. The first man proceeded to pick you up and put you in the trunk of the car. This is when the second man turned to the camera, wave and shoot.

“Wait, is that…” Danny started to talk but Steve cut him off.

“Wo Fat.” Steve looked frustrated and had to walk away. He ran his hands down his face to try and compose himself. Danny was instantly by his side.

“Hey, we are going to find her.”

“Kono is there any way to we can see who the other guy is?” Lou asked to get thing moving along. Kono was instantly on the computer looking for a good image. When she found one, she put it through facial rec.

“Got him. This is Kehlani Koa. He has a wrap-sheet a mile long. Burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, car jackings to name a few.”

“Are you able to get a plate on that car?”

“No, the car wasn’t turned enough for that.”

Steve came back over, “you got an address for this guy?”

“Yea, already sent to your phones.”

“I want this guy alive.” He looked around at the team. He had anger and frustration in his eyes. “Danny let’s go.”

-Warehouse-

“You Son of a Bitch!” Now you were pissed off. “What’s wrong with you!? Were you not held enough as a child? What could have caused you to be so psychotic!?”

“If you would stop with the sarcastic comments and tell me what I want to know…” you cut him off.

“Well since you apparently are hard of hearing let me say it again.” You cleared your throat. “I don’t know who the fuck Shelburne is, You Dumbass! I can’t give you information that I don’t know jack shit about! Then again I wouldn’t give it to you if I did know.” You whispered that last part so he couldn’t hear you.

He pulled out a knife and he stabbed you in the thigh. Lucky for you he missed the femoral artery. You tried so har not to scream and give him the satisfaction. Then WoFat’s phone went off, he pulled it out of his pocket and left the room.

“Holy Shit that hurts!”

You start to move your arms to see if there was any wiggle room with the ropes. There was little, but it was just enough. You know you must get out of here. You slowly start to move your arms around to get the rope over your hand. Eventually getting them free. Then you quickly untied the other hand, before moving to your leg that didn’t have a knife sticking out of it. you worked as fast as you could while being careful to get the second leg free. You know that if you pull out the knife, you will bleed out eventually and risking it would be dangerous.

You slowly got up, trying not to touch the knife and not to jostle the leg with a the gsw. You couldn’t put a lot of weight on either leg. You ended up sitting back down. You ripped strips off your overshirt and tied them around the bullet hole as tight as you could. You start thinking again. You ripped off a few more strips of your shirt. You put them under your leg with the knife, making sure they make an x in the back.

“This is so stupid.” You said to yourself ad you reach for the knife. You pull it out while trying not to make a sound. Then you tie the strips over the knife opening. You have lost quite a bit of blood, but your adrenaline was still going. Not knowing how much longer it was going to be around you knew you must move. You get up again. Knife in hand and slowly start making your way to a different door than the one Wo Fat went out of.

-Koa Residence-

Unfortunately, when Steve and Danny got to the house Kehlani was already dead. They started searching the house. When Danny got to one of the back rooms, he found photos of Steve and Y/n all over the walls. There were maps with different locations that corresponded with some of the photos.

“Hey Steve! I found something!”

Steve came into the room and paused when he saw all the things on the walls. The others were right behind him as he walked into the room.

“He was following you guys.” Danny said as he was looking over all the information on the wall in front of him.

“No. He was following Y/n. Come look at this.” Chin said from a different wall. “This is all her. Driving, shopping, surfing and her just hanging out on the beach.”

“This is so creepy.” Kono said as she walked to a new area. She found papers on imports and exports, various warehouses and random places around the island.

“So what? Wo Fat hires this guy to watch Y/n, kidnap her then what? He ends up dead here. What’s the endgame here?” He turns to everyone to see if anyone has anything that makes any sense. “Why would he want Y/n?”

Everyone just kept going through all the papers in the room. There was so much of it that it was hard to make sense of any of it. Lou went to the closet. When he opened it, he found a large map on the back wall. It had a bunch of “Xs” in different areas. There were also a few circles with addresses as well.

“I got something.” He pulled the map off the wall. He brought it out and places it on the desk in the middle of the room.

“Does anyone know what these are circling?” Everyone started looking closely at the map to try and figure out what they were.

“This one is HQ.” Chin pointed to one of the circles.

“That’s my house.” Steve pointed to another.

Kono was on her phone typing away at the other addresses.

“This one is Y/n’s old apartment complex. This one is a bank, and that one is Kamakonas’.”

“These are probably all the places that she was at the most. This is how he followed her around the island.” Steve was starting to get even more and more uncomfortable the longer they were in the room.

“What about the group of X’s over here?”

“They look like a bunch of old abandoned warehouses.”

“About how many are there?”

“Maybe 10 to 15.”

“That’s too many to search. Call Catherine and see if she can get a drone or satellite footage in the area. I want to know if anything is going on down there now.” Chin went off to the side and called Catherine.

Steve looked over to the window to see a man standing in the backyard. He was on the phone. Once he saw Steve, he took off running. Steve ran over to the window, pulling it open to jump out to run after him. Danny followed close behind.

The man ran through yards and alleyways. Steve was able to catch him when he tried to climb a 6ft fence. Steve grabbed him and slammed him to the ground. Then pulled out his gun and pointing it at him.

“Where is she?!” Steve wasn’t wasting any time.

The man stayed quiet and just stared at Steve.

Steve pulled this guy up by the collar of his shirt and slammed him against the wall. “I don’t make me ask again! Where is Y/n!?” He cocked his gun, that’s when Danny stepped in.

“Steve, you shoot him. We won’t find her. We need him to tell us where she is.” He turned his attention to the suspect. “If you don’t tell him where she is, he’s going to make you regret is. He’s a lunatic and will do what ever it takes to get her back. Now, where is she?”

-Warehouse-

You made it out of the warehouse without being seen. You needed to find out where you were. You start looking around to see if you can recognize anything. All you see is the shoreline, warehouses, shipping containers and the jungle.

Trying to swim is probably the worst idea. Bleeding in the ocean, with sharks is a no go. They would get you before you could get anywhere. Heading towards the warehouses and shipping containers seems like the most logical way to go. Try and find a vehicle, but there are way too many nooks and crannies for people to be hiding. Also, it would be too much noise if you did find a vehicle.

So, at this point your best bet would be the jungle. You could go until you don’t see the buildings anymore. Become Katniss Everdeen and climb a tree to hide out on.

Before you had the chance to really make up you mind, you heard yelling and banging coming from the building behind you. As quickly as you could you start running towards the jungle. You got about 30ft in front of the tree line before you heard a gun going off.

You ducked down and looked back to see Wo Fat coming towards you. You get up and continue running.  He kept shooting at you. After a little bit he had stopped shooting. You stopped running. You decided now you needed to get off the ground, you made sure to look to see if Wo Fat was around. When the coast was clear you found a tree and started climbing. It hurt like a bitch to climb but you had to do it.

You were able to get up into the tree, you made sure that your legs laid along one of the tree branches. Now you had to stay quiet and not move. Which was more difficult that you have anticipated, but you made it work.

After a while, you saw the sun was starting to go down. The adrenaline that you once had was long gone. The pain had come back with a vengeance. Now you were starting to get tired. You had to fight to keep your eyes open. You just needed to wait a little longer. At this point you knew Steve and the rest of the team were looking for you. You just had to hold out until thy got here.

Just as your eyes were closing again. You heard voices and gun shots, coming from behind you, back towards the building.

“This is it.” you said to yourself. You gripped the knife a little tighter. It was your lifeline.

-The Team-

Steve’s phone started going off, Kono’s name popped up on the screen. He quickly answered it.

“Go ahead.”

“Catherine said there are men in the area. There was a gunshot that went off a few minutes ago. Chin is still on the phone with her… What?”

Kono started talking to Chin. She must have pulled her phone away from her ear because Steve couldn’t understand what she was saying.

“Kono what’s going on? Kono!”

“Steve It’s Y/n. Catherine found her. We need to go now.”

“We are coming back now. Kono I need you to take this guy back to the palace. Put him in a cell and meet us there. Send everyone else to the warehouses.”

Steve and Danny got the man back to the house and into Kono’s car, she left quickly. Everyone else was already on their way to the warehouses. Steve and Danny got into Danny’s car and took off. Steve was driving way too fast.

“Steve, I understand that you want to get to Y/n but you can’t do that if you’re dead.”

“We aren’t going to die Danny.”

“Driving like this we might. I want to be able to go home to my daughter. So Slow Down!”

Steve slowed down just enough to please Danny but still fast enough to feel like he would get to you in time.

After arriving at the warehouses, everyone split up, to search all the rooms. Once one building was done they moved on to the next. Steve and Danny showed up when they were down to 5 buildings left. They jumped in and started searching with the rest of the crew.

When they got to the last building there was guards around it and on the 1st floor. One by one they were taken down. Each one of the guys took a room. They were all coming up clear until Chin yelled for Steve.

Steve entered the room Chin was in and saw a table with your empty holster, a knife and your wallet. Then he saw the chair that had rope on the ground next to it in a puddle of blood. He could only assume it was yours. There were shoe prints on the ground leading out one of the doors.

“Chin.” He pointed to the door, before they went to the door. Steve opened the door. He followed the trial of blood until it stopped. Danny and Lou had joined them at this point.

“Which way would she have gone?” Danny asked as they were looking around.

“I don’t know. Its obviously not back towards the buildings. We would have found her during the search.” Lou stated.

“She wouldn’t have tried to swim either. If she’s injured would be the worst thing to do.” Chin added.

“The jungle it is then.” Steve pointed and started walking that way.

The men started heading to the jungle. When they were about 15ft from the tree line, Steve spotted Wo Fat. Wo Fat started shooting and running. The guys quickly ran to the trees to get cover.

Steve ran after Wo Fat. He was able to sneak up on him. they started fighting. Steve was able to get the gun away from him. Steve was also able to pin him to the ground and cuff him. Then he flipped him over. Danny was there, he had his gun pointed at him. Steve stood up and pulled his gun out as well.

“Where is she?”

“I don’t know.” Wo Fat had no emotion on his face or in his voice.

“Where is Y/n!?” Steve was back down on his knees, with one had on Wo Fat’s shirt. Holding him slightly up off the ground.

“I don’t know, but I can’t imagine that she has much longer.” Now he had a sadistic smile on his face.

“Duke!” Steve yelled. Duke came over pretty quick. “Take Wo Fat, put him in one of the squad cars and watch him.” Steve turned back to Wo Fat. “She better be alive when I find her, or your dead.”

“Guys we don’t have much time. We don’t know how bad her injuries are. Everyone spread out. Find her.

---

You started hearing the voices get louder. Then you started seeing the lights of multiple flashlights.

“Damn it, Damn it.”

Then a man was walking past your hiding tree. You moved slightly trying to see who it was. When you did, the knife fell off your lap. It landed right next to him.

“Shit.” You said quietly to yourself.

The man quickly looked up, his gun and flashlight aimed at you.

“Y/n?”

“Chin! Thank God, sorry about the knife.” A sense of relief washed over you. you were finally able to relax.

Chin got on his coms, “I found her. She’s up in a tree.”

“And I will need help getting down.”

“And she’s going to need help getting down.” Chin let out a small chuckle.

The fire department had to bring in special equipment in to get you down. They couldn’t get their truck that far in. The paramedics were on the ground, ready to start working on you the second they got you down.

When you were on the stretcher, you had fallen asleep. The paramedics started working on you as fast as they could. They had to hurry and get iv’s set up to get blood and fluids back into you. they were also rushing to get you back to the truck, going quickly trying not to jostle you around too much.

Steve was by your side the entire time. When you guys were in the ambulance, he was holding your hand. He was also trying not to get in the paramedic’s way. On they way to the hospital your heart started slowing down, and eventually you had flatlined. The paramedic started CPR. Steve was still holding you hand but he had started talking to you.

“Y/n, I love you. Sweetheart please don’t leave me. You are so stubborn and strong, and you always fight back. Please fight. Please… Please…”

He was trying to keep his voice steady, but he was crying too much. His voice was shaky, and his breathing was off. He just kept saying “Please” to you. just before getting out of the ambulance he kissed your hand. When it was time to get out, the paramedic had to climb on the stretcher with you to keep doing compressions. Then you were wheeled into the hospital, Steve stayed with you as long as he could before a nurse stopped him and he had to let go of your hand.

The rest of the team came into the hospital shortly after. Steve immediately came over to them. Danny was the first one in. He brought Steve into a hug, and just held onto him.

“It going to be ok. She’s going to be okay.” Danny tried to calm him down.

“She flatlined Danny. She’s not okay.” He started crying harder.

Everyone was on the verge of tears at this point. Danny let Steve go and got him to sit down. All they could do now is wait.

-Hours Later-

The tears had stopped. Everyone was getting anxious. Steve and Danny had been taking turns going up to the nurses’ desk to ask what was happening or what was taking so long. They had gone up about 10 times in the last hour alone. They got the same answers every time. They didn’t know or you need to wait for the doctor.

Just as Danny was about to go try again, a doctor came out.

“Y/n Y/l/n’s Family?” Steve shot up and out of his seat and was in front of the doctor in a matter of seconds.

“Is she okay? Please tell me she’s okay.” Steve looked like he was on the verge of tears again. Everyone was standing around him waiting to hear what the doctor had to say.

“Yes. She’s going to be okay. We were able to get her heart going again. She’s out of surgery. The surgery went as well as can be, but…” Steve’s heart just about dropped when the doctor said “but”.

“But she may not have 100% function in her legs. Her injuries were extensive, and with her moving walking or running for as long as she did, caused more damage. I have explained all of this to her already. Now she’s resting.”

“Can we see her?” Danny spoke up, Steve was in a state of shock and he wasn’t saying anything.

“Of course, but only for a little while. She needs to rest.”

The doctor walked over to one of the nurses and asked her to take them back to see you. She knocked as she opened the door. “Y/n? You have a few visitors if you’re up for it.”

“okay.” Your voice was a little horse from the surgery.

Steve was the first one through the door and he was by your side. He leaned over and kissed you on the forehead. Then just left his forehead resting on yours. You reached your hand up and put it on the back of his neck, just holding him there. After a few moments just being like this, someone cleared their throat causing you to let go of Steve.

“How are you feeling?” Danny was the first to speak.

“Like I just got hit by a tank. ya’know the usual.” You gave all of them a small smile.

You guys talked for a few hours. You were simply happy to be back with them. You were a little worried about Steve though. He wasn’t talking very much he was just staring at you. You are about to start yawning but you try to hold it in. Kono noticed what you were doing so she decided it was time for them to go.

“Guys I think we should let her rest. She looks like she’s about to pass out.” Kono gave you a small smile before pushing all the boys except Steve out the door.

After they were gone, Steve pulled his chair closer to your bed. He grabbed ahold of your hand. You could tell that he was trying to hold back his emotions.

“Steve.”

“You died.” He was quiet. He wasn’t looking at you, he was staring at your hand. “You left me y/n. you can’t do that to me again. I won’t be able to handle that.” You saw tears starting to come down his cheek. You let go of his hand and he lifted his head up to look at you. when you saw his face, it just broke your heart. You quickly moved over and pulled him onto the bed to lay down next to you. after he laid down, he put his head on your chest. You pulled him as close as you possibly could. You didn’t even care about the small amount of pain going through your legs. He needed you. he may be a big, strong guy but even tough guys have bad days. This was his worst nightmare.

“Never again. I won’t leave you.” You kissed his forehead and started running your fingers through his hair. “I promise.”

You both fell asleep like this.

-A month later-

You had been working really hard to learn to walk again. You did physical therapy four times a week. That’s all the doctors would allow. You were able to walk for the most part but sometimes you needed assistance. The doctors were comfortable with sending you home early because of all of your progress.

You were already to go you were just waiting for Steve. He walked in with one of the nurses, pushing a wheelchair. You didn’t want to sit down but it was hospital policy.

After a quick ride home, you got out of Steve’s truck faster than you normally would have. You had gotten to the door before Steve was even able to get around his truck.

“Wait for me Y/n.” he jogged up to you. “Ya’know just because you can walk again doesn’t mean you have to practically run ahead of me.”

“I’m sorry, I’m just glad to be home, sleep in my own bed, have normal food and not having someone checking on me every two seconds.” You turned to him.

“well at least let me open the door for you.” He smiled at you, then moved in front to open the door.

You walked in and it was unusually dark. You walked to the light switches and flipped them on.

“SURPRISE!!” All of your friends were there.

“oh my gosh!”

“Welcome home!”

There were balloons, streamers and a giant “welcome home” sign. Everyone was blowing party whistles. Then Grace and Danny popped giant confetti cannons. They were all laughing and cheering. You realized Steve hadn’t walked in with you. You turned around and through all the confetti you see Steve down on one knee. Your eyes went wide, and your hands went up to your face.

“oh shit.”

“language y/n.” Danny said holding grace’s ears.

“Sorry.” You turned around briefly to apologize before looking back at Steve.

“Y/n, you have made me the luckiest man alive. As soon as you walked into my life, I understood why it didn’t work with anyone else. I could watch you for a single minute and find a thousand things that I love about you. I’m crazy in love with you. I want to be your protector and your provider, and I love you beyond all measure. I can guarantee if I don’t ask you to be mine, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life because I know in my heart, you’re the only one for me. Y/n Y/m/n Y/l/n will you marry me?”

“Yes!”

Steve stood up, you grabbed his face and kissed him. when you pulled away Steve slipped a ring on your finger. Everyone had started cheering again. They started coming over to you and Steve, to congratulate you. everyone was so happy.

After everyone left, you went up to Steve and wrapped your arms around him.

“I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you, Mr. McGarrett.”

“I can’t wait either.” He kissed you again. “I love you Y/n.”

“I love you too Steve.”

[impulsivefanwriter]

A Tiny Spark Leads to a Roaring Flame (But Flames Can Always be Doused by Water)

Heeyyyyy so y’all know the Reverse Thanos Snap AU for SPBNR? Basically everyone but Smith/S!Kai gets sent to the M!verse. Everyone. The entire population of S!verse Ninjago City & a few surrounding areas. Except poor Smith. Essentially it happens because S!Garmadon tries to send Smith to a place where he can't mess with his plans, and ends up sending everyone away from Smith to take him out of the equation. 

The second part to this AU is that the S!Ninja end up searching for Kai in the chaos and grab the Red Ninja before jetting out of there with the Bounty. Except... they didn’t grab Smith (who’s still home), but rather Red (M!Kai).

Red thinks the S!Ninja are babysitter clones created by Garmadon after he somehow turned Lloyd younger without his memories & is trying to raise him to be his new General #1. With this in mind, he pretends to be S!Kai, and waits for the moment he can rescue Lloyd.

What would happen in the S!Ninja discovered his deception/their mistake of grabbing a wrong Kai and mistake Red for a recreated Aki (aka Bizarro Evil Clone Kai) before he could enact his plan?

Well, this is that idea. (Title inspired by how a crack AU spiralled into a beautiful angst-fest)

Enjoy. :3

-----*-----

Red was going to get Lloyd out of here tonight. 

Away from these Not-Friends made by Garmadon to emulate the Ninjaforce. Away from this flying ship built to emulate Master Wu's ship, so familiar and yet so off. Away from this false reality and back to the real everything where they could hopefully get his memories back and his age back and everything back to the way it was before the city descended into chaos.

He just had to... bide his time. Be patient. 

FSM, he was bad at being patient. 

His hands itched to grab Lloyd and run now, but he was horribly outnumbered and without his mech. No matter how badly he wanted to, he couldn't rush this. If he did, he would make everything worse. Like he always did.

But fate- or rather, Lloyd- had other plans.

The little version of his younger brother- yes, they were roughly the same age normally, shut up, Lloyd was still his younger brother- had been... eying him weird all morning. Not like Not-Jay and Not-Cole and Not-Zane, but like Not-Nya. Like he actually knew instead of suspected. These babysitter clones seemed to think he was the Not-Kai, and if that was the opportunity the universe was going to give him, then by the flames of the departed world was he going to skip this chance to save Lloyd.

Currently he stood on the deck of the ship as they parked in the sky a few meters above the docks on the outskirts of the city. It wasn't the docks with the Bounty warehouse, curse his luck, but it wasn't the endless sky or the empty ocean (though it was still too close to that murky, haunting water for his liking. Water was his sister's domain for a reason). At least he could sneak Lloyd off in the cover of night, maybe find someone in the city who wouldn't recognize the Son of Garmadon this way and would be willing to help them hide until they could make it back to the real ninja.

"Kai," Not-Zane spoke suddenly next to him. 

Red would never get used to the way his voice... lacked the same effect the real Zane's had. The effect that Kai and the rest of his team had assured their friend over and over was unique, special, but in a good way. To embrace it. That it wasn't noticeable, but when it was, that it was so Zane that his friends didn't care that it was different. 

This 'Zane' sounded much too different than his own. He hadn't recognized Kai's tested line of 'road work ahead' when they passed one of the many construction signs littering the city (even more so since the chaos happened a week ago), and instead had responded with 'a great deal of work to fix in the city'. 

Seriously, Garmadon, do better research on your clones.

Not-Zane was also much too... calm. Too 'wise' compared to the wild teen that was Zane. And he walked without heelies or whatever Zane used to slide around like a boss, though he was still silent. And that meant, like now, he snuck up on Red fairly often- and Red was training to be a Ninja, so that took serious talent. 

"Kai," Not-Zane said again, and Red finally broke his gaze from where he'd been staring over the railing, planning tonight's escape route. "Lunch has been made for over an hour. Are you alright?"

Red forced his brightest smile. "Course I'm alright! Just trying to figure out what happened, as usual."

Why Lloyd was suddenly like, 8, and without his memories. Why the Not-Friends were on this Not-Ship and had mistaken him for Not-Kai. Why the city was in a state of disarray and chaos. 

Not-Zane studied him, then turned to give the city a sad look. "I'm not sure myself. My scanners can't seem to figure out what is happening. It is as if... blocked by some force."

Red winced, then expertly disguised the move by leaning against the rail. Zane never would use 'my scanners', despite how often Red and the others assured him it was okay. Yet another reason why this wasn't his friend.

"You know Ninjago City," Red said with a weak laugh. "Always one crisis or another. Always those annoying Garmadon Attacks"

This seemed to satisfy Not-Zane, who nodded thoughtfully. "This event definitely seems to have Garmadon's hand in the mess."

He patted Red on the back. "Well, don't worry yourself ragged, Kai. Come in for lunch soon, alright? We have training for Lloyd later."

Ah, right. Training. AKA what Red assumed was how Garmadon was planning to shape this impressionable version of his friend into his new General #1.  

"I'm ready for training now, Zane!"

Speaking of Lloyd- 

The little gremlin came up from the hull with the rest of the Not-Ninja. Red hated when the entire group was together; it was way more difficult to act as Not-Kai around them, especially around Not-Nya. 

For starters, Not-Jay had a notch in his eyebrow that the real Jay never had. He was missing the iconic freckles, and the scarf, and the fluffy hair, though you could always say it was just a wardrobe change. What you couldn't change was the personality differences. This couldn’t be Jay. Jay was anxious and quiet, his jokes (while plentiful) said more timidly and his newest ideas shared with hesitance that only shrank after years of encouragement. He would never be this loud, ever. 

Not-Cole was the leader, probably because Lloyd was so young. But even then, in Red's team, Nya would probably take second-command. Cole was their sturdy support, yes, but he was chill, laid-back. Ready to follow and support his friends to the ends of the earth with his tunes and occasional sarcastic wit, but not lead. Not like Not-Cole, who was more serious and commanding and didn't. listen. to. music. Red hadn't spotted a single record or boombox in the room in the hull. That was a tragic oversight on Garmadon's part. The members of his research team should be Fired.

And then there was Not-Nya. Who wore a dress with confidence that his sister would love but never publicly wear. Who had short hair- Nya had tried that style once, and decided it itched around her neck too much- and jewelry, and a giant flying Samurai mech suit. His sister had the Water Strider Mech, and Not-Nya had a flying combat suit. Sure. Close enough. Personality-wise they were similar. 

Similar at first glance. Nya was fluid and adaptable to whatever role she needed filling. She was spunky, and as fiery as him when it came to tempers, though she knew how to keep hers in check (she had to, right? No one called her hot-headed and impulsive and reckless and blamed her temper for mistakes or damage or whatever the news comments liked to say about the Fire Mech). Not-Nya was also adaptable and independent-minded, but she seemed more rigid. More doing her own thing. 

Point was, everyone wasn't actually his friends, despite how much they tried to prove they were. And they kept acting like he was this Not-Kai, who was just as hot-headed but apparently more mature and training-oriented and basically the better, cooler (or hotter, perhaps, for the fire theme of the red ninja) him, since his acting never seemed to fully convince them. Trying to impersonate a standard he couldn't seem to reach, some legendary hero he wasn't- er, wasn't yet! Yeah! He just needed to prove himself, be better, and he'd be fine. Just... fine. Yeah.

Mini-Lloyd (Red was tempted to call him L'ilyod in his head, but that felt wrong somehow, like he was infringing on some kind of copyright law) stared at him like a goddamn falcon, and he wasn't talking about the bird that circled the ship. He had this bowl-cut Red would tease him about endlessly after all this was over- seriously, how had Mr. Fabulous Hair started with this mess? Garmadon probably didn't even have hair, so there was no way the guy knew how to style it, and it was very evident based on Mini-Lloyd's hairdo. 

Red noticed that all of them were staring, actually. Despite his relaxed rest against the rails, his fingers behind his back clutched the cool bar with a dull shake. He didn't notice how the metal seemed to glow red under his touch. 

"Training, right, we should get onto that," Red tried. "What do you want to start with, Lloyd?" 

"How about a little game?" Lloyd asked with complete innocence. "What we were playing last week before we got interrupted."

Oh sh!t. 

"I-I don't know, shouldn't we start with stretches? Or how about some sparring, that's always more fun than a game!"

"But I wanted to continue our game..." Mini Lloyd said, and FSM's sake, he couldn't deal with that pouting look.

Okay. Okay, don't panic. Think logically. What kind of game would an 8-year-old Lloyd like to play with him? Something physical, so no board games- he liked to test his mettle against Zane on those, and sometimes he would almost not-lose. Logic puzzles also fell more on Jay's area. Trivia, especially music trivia, was a bubble between the anxious motormouth and Cole. Video games fell on team building, and wouldn't classify as a training warmup.

"Well," Red said, taking a hopeful stab in the dark. "There's not too much space on the deck for... tag..."

Lloyd nodded, looking satisfied. The Not-Ninja looked- well, their expressions were hard to read because of how different it was compared to his friends. But Red was a master of deception (well, fire, but eh, technicalities), and he had them fooled, and he just had to keep it up until nightfall so he could rescue Lloyd and explain in a safe location-

"HE'S NOT KAI!"

Orrrrr improvise. Okay, yep, he could improvise. 

Red lunged forward and grabbed Mini Lloyd's wrist from where he had his hand extended in an accusatory point. He ducked under Not-Jay's attempts to grab him- fast, but not as fast as his Jay, his Jay who could disappear from an awkward social interaction in the span of a flickering lightbulb- and dragged his younger brother with him as he vaulted over the railing. Not-Zane almost managed to yank him back onto the Not-ship, but his icy grip caught only empty air as Red pulled Lloyd into a tight hold and ducked.

He hit the dock below with a stumble, rolling back onto his feet and taking off with a very stubborn green ninja in tow. It took all his strength to drag Lloyd (kicking and screaming like he was being kidnapped or something when Red was just trying to rescue him, for FSM's sake. Lloyd didn't know that, but he could still try to be at least a little more considerate.)

The wooden docks creaked and shuddered underfoot and Red grimaced; whoever rebuilt them after the latest Garmadon attack had shredded them like newspaper clearly hadn't wasted any unnecessary change. It certainly didn't help that Lloyd packed quite the punch for someone so small. Red definitely would come out of this with bruised shins and arms from where Mini Lloyd tried to push him away, but it would be worth it to keep his teammate, his younger brother, safe.

Then green filled his vision and broke his hold on Lloyd's wrist, sending him skidding across the dock planks as he was sent flying. When he finally rolled to a stop, neck and shoulder stinging from where the blast had caught him (no burns, just jitters like he'd been shocked), he had to take a few seconds to re-orient himself. Did the Not-Ship have cannons or something? What hit him from behind, so close it could have hit Lloyd?

Lloyd. Was Lloyd okay?

Red pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the bleeding scrapes on his hands and legs from where he'd gotten banged up by the splintered docks. His gaze, sharp and frantic, searched for signs of green. The warning of more blasts, the flash of the fabric of a gi, anything.

He spotted his brother in the arms of Not-Cole. No, no, no-

And suddenly Not-Nya was there, given a boost by Not-Jay. Her grip was as if she were wearing the robotic mech suit, harsh and powerful and near in-human. She threw Red back to the dock floor as her face twisted with the fury of a storming ocean. A resounding crack rang out over the harbour.

Red couldn't tell if it came from the planks under him or his own shoulder.

She pinned him to the wood, barking accusations and threats in his face faster than Not-Jay could talk. Red blinked through a haze of pain, trying to focus on her face and words. She was missing the beauty mark on her face, he noticed. Yet another tell she wasn't his sister.

"-scar on the wrong side-" And it was hard to hear again over the ringing in his ears. He tried to throw her off, get back to Lloyd, anything, but he was-

Useless. 

Her hands suddenly got in his face, slamming his left cheek to the wood. She was close- close to his face, close to his eye, close to his scar- pushing and prying as she tried to do something. Red picked up in his struggling, his attempts to free himself turning to desperate shoves and wild clawing like a trapped animal. He wouldn't let this creation of Garmadon's finish the job that teen had started all those years ago. 

"Or better yet, he needs to shut his damn mouth."

The flash of a knife. His vision half-blurry. Blood- so much blood- and a lasting scar.

"-contacts-" "-red-" "-struggling-" "-we know what he- it- is already-" "-not the real Kai-" "-wish-" "-Garmadon-"

He had to get away. Get Lloyd away from them now.

In one surge of strength- and yep, his shoulder definitely wasn't okay after that move, as if he'd ripped it not just from its socket but from its very attachment to his body- he knocked Not-Nya aside. If he could’ve seen through the red haze, he might have noticed red embers dancing around his fingertips as his desperation and fear tapped into something deep in his soul.

He tried to shoot to his feet, tried to run for Lloyd (held so tight in Not-Cole's grip, surely they were hurting him, he couldn't let that happen-). He roared, "LEAVE MY BROTHER ALONE!", but before he could take another step through Not-Jay and Not-Zane in his path, the docks gave one last ominous shudder  before deciding it had finally had enough.

The planks crumbled underfoot like charred firewood in a crackling campfire, and Red was sent tumbling into the frigid ocean water below.

[zemodaddy]

Hey so i finally completed the first chapter of the zemo x reader fanfic. Make sure to read the authors note at the end and i hope you enjoy.!

Synopsis:

Y/n is an ex-avenger who, after the blip was forced to work for the US government. You trained to be an assassin/spy and your gifts of wielding flames made you invaluable. When you were assigned to follow Bucky you find him helping Helmut Zemo escape from his prison cell. What is he up to? Should you stop him?

Warnings: violence, lots of swearing, angst, fluff and in later chapters extreme acts of hatred towards John Walker :)

Shades of Him

They replaced him. They replaced him with a random guy and stuck Steve’s shield on him. You were staring at the TV in disbelief. You thought of Steve like a brother and he definitely wouldn’t have wanted this.

After the blip you had no job, the avengers pretty much all separated and that left you without anything to do, and that meant no income and no income meant no home or food. You couldn’t exactly find a normal job because most people were afraid of you. A trained assassin and spy who could wield flames wasn’t really considered normal. That left you with no choice but to accept the deal the US government offered you. Do their dirty work and you wont end up homeless.

Your newest mission was to track Bucky to make sure he followed the rules set upon him for his pardon. You are close to him, like you were close to Steve. Hiding the fact that you were following him everywhere he went was kind of hard but you managed. You had to manage.

So finding him and Sam visiting a German prison kind of surprised you. Had this got to do with his therapy? Surely not. They left around an hour later and from then nothing more suspicious happened. A quick google search and a deep dive into some public records showed that a high security prisoner resided at this prison. Not just anyone. Zemo.

Interesting you thought. Later that night you followed Bucky and Sam to an old garage. You waited outside for 5 minutes before entering, trying to keep to the shadows of the room. The two men seemed to be in the midst of a heated discussion. “You want Zemo to help us?” Sam looks exasperated. Bucky looks a bit apprehensive as he says “Look let me walk you through a hypothetical, can I do that?” He begins to explain an elaborate escape plan for Zemo. Your mind was wizzing with thoughts as you tried to figure out your next move. He really isn’t in the right headspace, same old Bucky, you roll your eyes. “What are you guys doing?” You step out of the darkness. The two seemed to jump out of their skin, clearly not expecting you to be there.

“Y/n? What are you doing here?” Bucky asks. They both looked so shocked by your sudden appearance that you had to suppress a laugh. “I was following you.” He doesn’t look happy. “YOU WERE FOLLOWING ME?” He raises his voice. You weren’t scared because you knew he loved you really. Keeping the same tone as him you shout back “YES AND YOU’RE HELPING A CRIMINAL” “I SAID HYPOTHETICALLY DIDN’T I”. Sam looks like he could start laughing any moment. You weren’t even sure if you should laugh or arrest them. Suddenly your phone buzzes. “Then please explain to me why I just got a message saying that ZEMO HAS ESCAPED FROM PRISON?” Sam looks mad now. “You’re kidding me Bucky” he says. “Look we don’t have any other leads, we were at a dead end.”

You knew that the two were looking for information on the new super soldiers serum. “He blew up the UN, he killed king T’Chaka!” Before Bucky could reply to Sams argument, the sound of a door shutting sounds through the garage and guess who walks in. Helmut fucking Zemo. Your hand flies immediately to the dagger on the side of your thigh. “Woah woah woah” Sam starts walking towards him as Bucky tries to hold him back. Too bad he didn’t see you slip past them and push Zemo against the wall with said dagger against his throat. “Your going back to prison” you pass him a sickly sweet smile. He looked surprised by you holding him against that wall but didn’t fight back. Not with the blade in your hand starting to heat up against his skin. “y/n let him go” Bucky looks frustrated.

“He can lead us closer to the serum, just let him breath for a second” Zemo did start to look a little breathless. Good, he should be scared of you. Reluctantly you let him go. He starts to talk “if I may”. At the same time the three of you go “NO”. He looked a little displeased by the response but didn’t have any other option but to oblige. “Apologies”. After further debating and a lot of disagreements you and Sam finally agree to trust Zemo.. for the time being anyways. “Alright Zemo, where do we start”

You mentally set a reminder to always have an eye on Zemo, how could you not with a guy like him. He seemed to be sending you anxious glances in return, which to be fair you did nearly choke him to death. He leads you to a large warehouse containing numerous cars of different ages, sizes and colours. Probably stolen you think. After grabbing a case full with clothes for zemo you all head to an airstrip. In the middle of which was a private jet. You look at it in awe. “So you were rich all this time?” Sam asks. “I’m a baron Sam, my family was royalty before your friends destroyed my country”. Shit. Those cars weren’t stolen then..

The mention of his country makes you think back to that battle against ultron. You were very tempted to leave the avengers after nearly wiping out the entirety of a population of a country. But they convinced you to stay, where else could you have gone anyway? You think a little longer about the aftermath, when you helped after the battle with the injured, and loved ones finding their dead. It was one of the saddest moment of your life, until the blip. No one else helped from the avengers, they didn’t even visit the memorial..

“Y/n you coming?” Sam was saying from the top of the stairs. Lost in thought you were stood in front of the plane. Maybe I should stop getting distracted you thought. Entering the jet the seats on the right were already occupied by Sam and Bucky, leaving the only other seat opposite Zemo free. Great. As a gentle reminder you check your dagger on your thigh, almost like a warning that if he tries anything he’ll know what’s coming. Zemo swallows looking where it would be and ask his butler person for a drink. Was that his butler or the pilot? Rich people problems you thought. The plane sets off and you look out of the window daydreaming a little.

The other three talk lightly until the mention of Buckys list, which ends in zemo being choked yet again. You smile a little, enjoying the mini acts of revenge for the people he’s hurt and killed. You feel a bit sleepy but then they start to discuss where you were going. “Do we want to live in a world full of people like the red skull” Zemo shakes his head lightly “that’s why we’re going to Madripoor”. Confused, Bucky explains the place’s history in the Indonesian archipelago. “It’s kept its lawless ways but we cannot go in as our selves” Zemo says. Uh oh that can’t be good.

You were right. Zemo had handed you a bag full of clothes and a pair of heels. You stared at yourself in the full length mirror that resided in the toilets. “You have got to be kidding me” you say aloud. Your were wearing a dark purple silky dress that reached only just halfway down your thigh. It exposed most of your arms, shoulders and a lot of your chest. Thankfully there was a black leather jacket in the bag too, however on the shoulders sat a blanket of fur, similarly to Zemos coat that he took from the warehouse. Your heels were also purple. You thank the lord you took the time to train in heels too because you never know when the situation arises when you happen to find yourself in those monstrous shoes.

“This” you point at yourself “is not happening”. “Ah my baroness has arrived” Zemo says, amusement glinting in his eyes. You glared at the word ‘baroness’. “Here put this on darling, to finish it off”. He holds what seems to be a lipstick in his hand. You already knew what shade it was before taking it from him. “Do you have some thing for purple or is that just me?” Sam and Bucky both laughed.

You had to admit, the dress didn’t look bad, in fact it looked expensive. To say you were uncomfortable was an understatement, not necessarily for what you were wearing, but for the hand now draped around your waist. Zemos hand. He said that no matter what, you couldn’t break character. Bucky was playing the role as the winter soldier; you felt bad for him, the memories this must bring up. You can’t even begin to imagine. Sam however, wore an extravagant and abstract red suit that kind of looked like a dress. It was funny to see his reaction to which he comments that he looked like a “pimp”.

A car pulls up beside you and you all pile in. Of course you were sat next to zemo in the back. After around five minutes you arrive in lowtown. A place where you could apparently find a gall called Selby. That hand snaked back around you as you intermingle with the crowded streets. The high density of the crowd forced you even closer to Zemos side leaving practically no space between you now. You could feel his warm body against yours, sending a shiver down your spine. He looks down on you. His eyes seem to be softer now than they were before and he gives you a quick kiss on the temple as if to reassure you that you’re safe. You tried to keep yourself from shaking him off of you but as you carried on walking, you got used to him a bit more. Sam and Bucky followed the two of you, both with grim faces.

Finally, you come to a bar, most people around you watching carefully as you all enter. Zemo orders the both of you a shot and Sam gets his usual. This turned out to be something containing whatever the barman cutout of a snake. The sight of it made your stomach drop, and to your astonishment, Sam actually drank it. He looked like he wanted to be sick but, no matter what he had to stay in character. Bucky gave a slight nod, he didn’t get a drink, not as the winter soldier.

You had let it be known of who you wanted to see and as you waited a man came up behind Zemo and you. He immediately guided you away from this man so he was in front of you and Zemo in front of the man. He knew you could hold your own, you had made that clear already, but he wanted to protect you. For the act of course. “You ain’t welcome here” the man stated, placing a hand roughly on zemos shoulder as he turned to face him. “I have no business with the powerbroker, but if he insists he can either talk to me” Zemo points at Bucky. His hand then slipped to yours, holding it tightly. “Or bring Selby for a chat”. The man looks displeased and walks away. You had many things you wanted to say to Zemo at this moment, but sticking to your character was more important. As he continued to grip your hand, other men started to menacingly prowl towards you all. Zemo gave Bucky the order to attack and so he did. A fight quickly broke out between them all but Bucky was far too strong for them all. This ended in Bucky holding one of the guys that remained standing against the bar table. Finally someone called to say selby was ready to see your group. This was going to be interesting.

Notes

Okay i left this on a little bit of a cliffhanger but the next chapter should be out in a day or so. This is my first fanfic i have published so I’m interested to see what everyone thinks. If there’s any spelling or grammar mistakes then umm you didn’t see anything. I hope you enjoyed!

@killsandthrills @aisling1985 @booklover2929 @arianalilyblack @your-pixels-are-showing @kenna-1904

[whomst-art-thou-whomst-whomst]

Texts from The Lost Tomb, part 3

I didn’t mean for this to stray into angst but like the lack of updates with Li Cu in LTR?? I had to do it to em.

Wushanju Crew Chat, 11:05pm

Li Cu: what’s up losers I’m outside

Li Cu: someone come on and open the damn door

Wang Meng: Language:(

Li Cu: fine, someone come on and open the damn door please

Snake Eyes Chat, 7:00am

Wu Xie: hey are you awake? Sorry I missed you coming in:) was finishing up some work. How was the end of your first semester? Did that geology paper go well? Did the food budget work out or do you need some extra money next semester?

Li Cu: yeah about your work

Li Cu: heard a little rumor

Li Cu: about you going through some stuff during ur recent trip

Li Cu: some stuff you maybe forgot to mention

Li Cu: and you told me we gotta check in with stuff, so this is me checking in, okay

Wu Xie: oh? What stuff?

Li Cu: idk just like

Li Cu: THE STUFF WITH YOU ALMOST FUCKING DYING FOR FUCKING MONTHS AND THE WAREHOUSE SHIT AND ERJING AND PEOPLE HURT YOU AND WHAT THE FUCK IS A THUNDER CITY AND NOONE FUCKING CALLED ME ABT THOSE PARTS ONCE

Wu Xie: oh. That stuff.

Li Cu: yeah asshat I’m in the kitchen whenever you’re ready to explain your fucking bullshit. Also you’re out of milk wtf how am I supposed to make breakfast here

Main Chat, 11:14am

Wu Xie: okay so it’s possible I fucked up a little bit.

Wang Pangzi: THERES JUST SO MUCH YOU COULD BE REFERRING TO I DONT KNOW WHERE TO START

Zhang Qiling: What’s wrong?

Honorary Wu Chat, 11:30am

Wang Pangzi: KID IM SO SORRY THAT PUNK IS A TRAINWRECK BUT YOU KNEW THAT

Wang Meng: Welcome home, Li Cu <3 not much has changed, ultimately.

Wang Pangzi: IT DIDNT EVEN OCCUR TO ME THAT HE WOULDNT TELL YOU EVERYTHING ABOUT IT ONCE THE REST OF US FIGURED IT OUT

WAIT HOW DID YOU FIND OUT

Li Cu: it’s okay. not your fault, uncle. Doesn’t matter how I found out. Wait wait hold on what do you mean “the rest of us figured it out” who figured it out

Wang Pangzi: SAY HELLO LIU SANG

Liu Sang: …hello.

Wang Pangzi: SAY MORE THAN THAT.

Liu Sang: uh…so you’re Wu Xie’s protégé, huh?

Li Cu: oh well howdy there homewrecker

Liu Sang: Excuse me??

Zhang Qiling: I think someone on the roof is calling me and I should go find out.

Wang Meng: I would also very much like to be removed from this conversation.

Wang Pangzi: AHAHAHAHA KIDDO IVE MISSED YOU

Li Cu: all I’m saying is aren’t you the little creep who’s obsessed with Xiao Ge

Liu Sang: ???

Zhang Qiling: Li Cu is referring to a brief period of irrational thought on Wu Xie’s part, where he mistakenly believed you to be a threat to our relationship.

Liu Sang: what do you mean a threat??

Wang Pangzi: WHAT DO YOU MEAN TIANZHEN HAD “A BRIEF PERIOD OF IRRATIONAL THOUGHT”

YOUVE MET YOUR HUSBAND RIGHT

Wang Meng: can you please take me off this chat.

Liu Sang: Wait, so Wu Xie told you about me, but…reading between the lines, he didn’t mention the cancer or anything bad that happened? Oh yikes.

Li Cu: don’t change the subject “Liu Sang”

if that is your real name

Like yeah you’re right abt it but still

just saying

heard you got good ears but I’ve got snake powers

kinda

so like no more funny business okay you superhearing harlot

Wang Meng: LANGUAGE, LI CU. IN THIS HOUSE WE SHOW GOOD MANNERS.

Wang Pangzi: LMAO OH DO WE NOW

Zhang Qiling: Li Cu, this is all unnecessary and childish. Please apologize.

Li Cu: you say that now bruh but apparently you weren’t complaining when he was all “idol this” and “idol that”

oh and hey Wang Meng while we’re here can I show you my business class grade report later bc Wu Xie is all “what matters is that you learned and enjoyed the experience” blah blah all eat pray love you know how he gets and I want to actually discuss areas to improve so that when I take over this joint I do better than Wu Xie? Tho that shouldnt be hard lol

Wang Meng: hurtful but accurate. I’ll bring my best red pen:)

Liu Sang: oh my god. I’m too jetlagged to keep up with any of this.

Wang Pangzi: BEST. DAY. EVER. IM SCREENSHOTTING THIS FOR HEI XIAZI.

Not A Homewrecker Chat, 11:52am

Liu Sang: Okay, we started off on the wrong foot.

Li Cu: I agree let’s start over

Start with how your little prank game almost got ppl killed

Liu Sang: And I seriously regret that. But we moved past that.

Wow, he seriously skipped over so much bullshit but didn’t skimp on mine, huh.

Li Cu: AHA so you ADMIT IT

Liu Sang: I’d like to think I’ve grown since then. That I’ve come to see Xiao Ge as a person and mentor, rather than an idol. I count Pangzi and Wu Xie as my close friends. I’m going to be staying here with them right now, I hope you can be okay with that.

Li Cu: see in my head you were going to be a lot less mature about it and I had a bunch of great follow-up insults planned

Liu Sang: I figured. I’d like us to be friends, though. Or at least not enemies.

Li Cu: okay but only bc you don’t know me yet so you won’t judge too much for this and I need to get this out to somebody I’ve been thinking about it for hours and my friends are still in finals and I’m stressing a little bit maybe

Liu Sang: ?

Li Cu: I yelled at dad

*Wu Xie sorry autocorrect

Liu Sang: …uh huh.

Li Cu: I yelled at him earlier. for keeping all that stuff from me. He started crying

Liu Sang: Wu Xie has been pretty emotional since we got back. Not necessarily your fault.

Li Cu: I made him cry right there at the kitchen sink and it felt like maybe the worst thing I’ve ever done

Snake venom and stabbings, no tears

Me saying I wouldn’t have gone to his funeral, all tears

Which I know was shitty to say but I was really mad

Liu Sang: If it’s any consolation, I think Wu Xie can understand the concept of being led by his emotions to make bad decisions…better than most people.

Li Cu: Xiao Ge came in then and looked weird

Like weirder than usual

Like he didn’t know which of us to be more mad at

Liu Sang: A common problem for the iron triangle, I understand.

Li Cu: I just ran out I didn’t have words right then and I feel stupid

but whenever they come back from their walk I’m gonna say sorry and stuff bc i could’ve come home to his funeral and I’m mad about it but also like. I could have come home to his funeral. I can get mean when I’m in a freakout mood. It’s not like I was scared or anything at all I don’t get scared really anymore ever but just like. Freaked out.

Liu Sang: He’s probably going to say sorry, too.

Li Cu: sorry I called you a homewrecker. Didn’t mean to slut-shame either

Liu Sang: I admit that after the initial shock, it was pretty funny. Super hearing harlot, it should be on my business card;)

Li Cu: this situation with Wu Xie is weird but kinda good ya know. And I have these freakouts sometimes that something maybe bad could happen to this situation. So consider this a shovel talk. But like, also not a shovel talk at the same time.

also I appreciate you saving his life and whatnot

Liu Sang: Noted. Now. Coffee?

Li Cu: sounds sick.

Be in the kitchen in 10. You can pick out what we watch for the household tv show tonight. no way is Wu Xie choosing some dry documentary about gravestone rubbings again. Pangzi just watches real housewives reruns and Xiao Ge won’t watch tv after he caught the last half hour of A Walk To Remember. Also i need my phone now to send some $ to Hei Xiazi since I owe him for…providing some intel

Liu Sang: Not even surprised.