#and cannot be disarmed or restrained

[theiyah]

Did a little reference sheet for Blaize :)

Here's what I think about this lovely genasi:

They use all pronouns because my feelings towards his gender depend on my mood of the day.

[thestarsofpines]

a little wip of a combination of prompts and AUs I've seen that I just had to give my own take on.

Damian was bored. He’d followed Father around for most of the night, listening absentmindedly to the trivial blabbering of rich socialites that tried to suck up to the prince of Gotham. He could only handle it for so long, patience quickly running out as a few shoved their own children his way, perhaps hoping the young heir would make a friend and create easier access to the Wayne wealth. Pitiful. 

The young teen stood off to the side of a polished dance floor that had couples mingling and swaying to the soft classical music playing. He’d picked up a drink and was sipping at it slowly, just to have something to do with his hands. He itched for something to do that wasn’t making small, meaningless talk.

He hears footsteps approaching, perhaps a bit heavier than intended, as if it was a warning for someone that they were approaching.

“Little Badger, we talked about this in great detail earlier, you are not to leave my sight-“

Just as a man moves to place a hand on Damian’s shoulder, the teen turns around and glares at the man. He takes in the details of the man quickly; older, likely mid forties if not older, gray hair pulled back into a low ponytail, vibrant blue eyes that at first are narrowed at him in perhaps annoyance before they turn wide with shock. The man recovers quickly, expression turning apologetic as he steps back.

“Oh-my most sincere apologies, I thought you were someone else!” He breathes out, and his expression shifts again to one of slight surprise as he takes in more of Damian’s features from the front. “My, you two do look quite alike.” He says easily, hand coming back to rest beside him before he places both his hands behind his back. “I do apologize again, young sir…?”

Bruce spots this interaction, politely ends the conversation he was in, and makes his way over to investigate. 

“Damian Wayne, my son.” Bruce slides up to the pair, standing easily at Damian’s right. “Vlad Masters, yes?”

Said man’s eyes widen ever so slightly at the easy recognition and at the fact that he could’ve accidentally torn into such an influential young man as he’d been planning to do to whoever he was looking for, but he recovers quickly again.

“Yes, I was just apologizing to your boy here, Mr. Wayne. It seems he has quite a lot of physical similarities to my godson.”

Damian remains silent, but nods in the direction of the billionaire. Something isn’t sitting right with him about Masters, but he can’t put it into words. He’ll allow Father to handle the situation, for the moment. 

“Oh? Why, that is quite interesting.” Bruce smiles, open and disarming. He places a hand on Damian’s shoulder, and gives a subtle squeeze. “What’s the young man’s name?”

“Daniel,” And the grip tightens ever so slightly. “He is the son of some old family friends who unfortunately cannot take care of him anymore, so I’ve become his legal guardian in their stead.”

“How kind, opening your house to a youth in need.” Bruce continues, pushing for more information. “From experience I know how hard that can be. Raising a teenager is no cakewalk that’s for sure.”

“Oh yes, I do recall hearing of your experiences with adoption; you’re up to four adoptions now, yes?” There’s a hint of something in Vlad’s eyes, likely aware of the information seeking nature of this conversation but unconcerned by it. Intriguing. “I can hardly claim to have such kindness, one fifteen year old is enough for me.”

Damian has to physically restrain his face from reacting. Perhaps this is another cloning situation. Perhaps this Vlad Masters should be higher on the priority list of people to investigate closely. 

“Oh, well I do believe I have taken up enough of your time, Mr. Wayne. I really must get looking for Daniel, as we do intend to leave soon.” Vlad holds out a hand to the two, smiling confidently. “It was a pleasure to meet you both.” 

Bruce takes it and shakes it politely; Damian’s following is more forced in its gentleness. Vlad Masters unsettles him and it is driving him mad that he cannot pinpoint why. 

“Enjoy the rest of the gala, Vlad Masters. Perhaps our paths will cross again soon.”

[lesbiansforboromir]

Iconic elements of Film!Boromir's character that everyone remembers;

Very into Aragorn, has multiple meaningful scenes with him where he is clearly disarmed, awed, unnerved and yet eager for his approval and companionship. His acceptance of Aragorn's right to the kingship is treated as a vital part of his character arc and even his last words before his death are entirely about Aragorn.

Awkward, often stalling or stumbling over his words, says things that leave uncomfortable silences and often makes loud declarations of intent, very earnest in all his mannerisms and always says everything in a guileless way. Very upfront and open about his emotions, to the point of making Aragorn uncomfortable in his attempts to connect with him about his fear for Gondor's safety and his own inner turmoil surrounding his father.

Immediately ring-obsessed. He argues with Elrond about the Ring's usage and clearly is not swayed by further arguments, in fact is sent by his father specifically to get the ring and so is technically a traitorous element in the fellowship from day one. Eagerly ensures he has a place in the fellowship at the Council of Elrond and is blatantly suspicious with his treatment of both Frodo and the Ring from then on. No one in the fellowship trusts him and for good reason.

Kinda a liability! Doesn't really offer anything to the Fellowship other than another sword arm, and one that seems sub-par in comparison to his comrades considering his underestimation of the Hobbits and the multiple times he has to be saved in Moria. Has no real expertise or wisdom to offer, barring obvious declarations like 'this will be the death of the hobbits'. Indeed the one moment of apparent unique wisdom he offers 'one cannot simply walk into mordor' is so widely viewed as foolish advice that it's one of the most enduring memes of the internet to date. Only has one moment of apparent skill in his final stand against the Uruks where he kills about 5 by himself before he is hit by 3 arrows and rendered helpless. Very much characterised as 'the normal guy' and 'the himbo'.

Has a nice, supportive and loving relationship with Faramir, his little brother that looks up to him adoringly and with a sense that he could never measure up to Boromir and that Boromir is his better. Protective of faramir.

Hah that was fun and now, completely unrelated, here are TRUE AND IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT BOOK!BOROMIR!!

Has one (1) line of dialogue about Aragorn and his kingship that essentially reads 'Well I don't care about Kings but if mythic heroes from legend could come and help my people we'd be grateful (press x to doubt)' and then he NEVER! VOICES A SINGLE OTHER OPINION ABOUT ARAGORN! FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE. This includes his very last words which don't mention Aragorn or the Kingship once.

Clear-spoken! Makes concise speeches full of relevant and important information when in an official capacity. Always has a tone of well-meaning half-humourous sarcasm, making casual and comfortable jokes at his own expense or sometimes lightly teasing his fellows. Otherwise restrains his disagreements to darkly humourous complaints, strained and weary reactions or clear unemotional declarations of his concerns depending upon the recipient. Takes the phrase 'you'll have to pry my feelings from my cold dead hands' entirely literally, NEVER reveals the true extent of his internal struggles until the moment he is literally dying. In fact is entirely silent whilst Aragorn is asked to describe Gondor and waxes so lyrical he doesn't even notice Boromir get up and leave.

Asks one (1) clarifying question at the Council of Elrond about why they aren't using the ring, accepts the answer entirely and never mentions it again UNTIL Galadriel tempts him with it in Lothlorien. Doesn't even WANT to go on the fellowship and is more dragged along by Aragorn with the pretext that 'Gondor is on the way to Mordor so we'll tag along.' Is utterly trustworthy and has no ulterior motive in arriving in Rivendell other than his search for an answer to his prophetic dream. In fact his whole behaviour and personality changes immediately after Galadriel's mental interrogation and he BECOMES awkward, unnerving and unsure in his speech all of a sudden.

Has a WEALTH of knowledge, experience and personal skill that he uses to save the fellowship multiple times. Saves them all from freezing to death on Caradhras through his preparedness, his arguing with Gandalf and his personal durability. Hacks the head off wargs when they are attacked in the night. Remains lucid whilst the fellowship is paralyzed with fear by the Balrog and stalls it's approach using his horn to allow them time to flee. Fights alongside Aragorn at every opportunity, including charging with him at the Balrog as Gandalf is fighting it. And not only that, he regularly is proven right in his advice (that is rarely heeded) and is well informed on both his own peoples history and Rohan's position, even against Gandalf and Aragorn's doubt of their character. Actually saves Merry and Pippin initially from the Northern orcs whom he drives away entirely before he begins taking them back to the others, is only stalled when they are ambushed by Uruk-Hai. Continues to fight on even with far more than three arrows in him and actually yanks a few out before collapsing against the tree. Definitely not a normal guy, nor a himbo, just exceptional in a more mundane way than everyone else in the fellowship (except the Hobbits).

Never mentions his brother a single time, somehow got him to stand and defend the bridge of osgiliath with him whilst knowing that it would likely kill them both so not all that protective. Faramir meanwhile cannot say a single uncomplicatedly complimentary thing about his brother and in fact cannot stop telling Frodo (a man he has imprisoned for half a day), about what a stupid, reckless and prideful man Boromir was and how he's far better in every single way.

WOW HAHA ISN'T THAT INTERESTING! COOL! Book Boromir is my favourite character by the way haha I'm suffering incomprehensible horrors :)

[feyhunter78]

"You Know Other Men??"

So I based this off that one incorrect HOTD quote that goes:

Reader: "You are the most jealous man I know."

Aemond: "You know other men??"

You ran your hands through your hair, beyond frustrated, as you watched Aemond clean the blood from his sword. You had not been married for very long, but your courtship had been nearly a year, so you believed you understood Aemond’s moods quite well. Clearly you were mistaken.

“You seem upset, dear wife.” He remarked, glancing up at you, blood splattered across his face.

“Upset? Do I really?” You asked mockingly, your voice high-pitched and strained.

“Yes, you are doing that thing where you smile, but you are actually quite angry.” He said, a mischievous smile on his perfectly pink lips.

You want to strangle him, you want to kiss him, gods perhaps you would do both. “You did not have to kill Lord Edwin.”

Aemond raised an eyebrow. “You are my wife, it is my duty to defend your honor.”

“He was merely informing me that my skirt had been torn.” You protested; eyes wide in disbelief.

Aemond finished cleaning his sword and set it on a nearby table, turning fully to face you. “Why was he looking near your skirts at all? He was aware you were a married woman; his eyes should not linger below your chin.”

It’s maddening how good he looks covered in blood, and you have to restrain yourself from grabbing him and dragging him back to your shared chambers.

“He was being kind. Just like Sir Dorin, Lord Balter and that barkeep in Fleabottom, all were merely being kind.”

Aemond stepped closer to you, tilting your chin up with one finger. “Sir Dorin was clearly lusting after you, I caught Lord Balter pawing at your bodice, and that barkeep was intentionally trying to get you intoxicated so that he could have his vile ways with you.”

“Sir Dorin was assigned to protect me, Lord Balter was simply admiring my necklace, which he intended to purchase a duplicate of for his betrothed, and the barkeep was only giving me drinks because you were paying for them.” You counted off the explanations on your fingers, eyes fixed on Aemond.

His smoldering gaze was slowly chipping at your anger, and when his hand came up to grasp your waist, fingers splayed, your breathing picked up.

“I hear no reason for why they should have lived.” He said simply, dipping his head, his nose brushing along your cheek, voice low and vibrating through you.

“Aemond.” You sputtered, flabbergasted at the way he could so easily circumvent your words while smoothly disarming your anger with the barest touch.

“Y/N.” He purred, lips brushing against yours. “Do not be angry with me, sweet wife, I cannot help but be protective. You are so beautiful, and I know if you were married to another, I would stop at nothing to steal you away from him.”

Your face was hot, your resolve all but crumbling, as you felt yourself lean into his touch. “How far would you go for me, my love?”

Aemond’s hand gently cupped the back of your neck, lips against yours as he spoke. “I would kill for you, y/n, you know this. You have seen this.”

You toyed with the lapels of his coat. “But if I was not yours, what would you do?”

He meshed his lips fully with yours in a searing kiss, the hand on your waist like a vice grip, as he skillfully took you under the taste of mint on his tongue, so unique and so Aemond. Ever the man of duty, he was always presentable, always in perfect condition. Never did you find his appearance unpleasant, even now when he was covered in an innocent man’s blood, you craved his skin against yours, pushing yourself flush against him, uncaring if your dress got ruined.

“I would hunt you and your husband down, captivate you with my words and actions, take you to my chambers and make you see stars over and over until you forgot your wretched husband ever existed.” He said, pressing heated kisses to your skin.

“But I would still be married.” You reminded him.

“I would take you in front of your husband, let him see how his wife writhes on my cock, how she begs for the pleasure only I can give her.” He growled.

You whimpered at his words and squeezed your thighs together.

He smirked, his fingers caressing your clothed side, gently creating a confusing mix of emotions to bubble within you. “Then after you finished, babbling my name, too cockdrunk to form a proper sentence, I would make sure he saw as I seeded you. Make him watch as I ensure that my son takes root within you.”

“Yes,” you breathed out, hand fisted in his tunic. Your chest brushed against his as your breathing turned rapid, your pupils blown wide with lust.

“Then I would kill him, feed him to Vhagar and bring you home.” He finished, pressing a sweet kiss to your clavicle.

You blink in confusion as he pulls away, an unbothered expression on his face. “I think you are the most jealous man I know.” You said, hand still clinging to his tunic.

Aemond hummed lowly, his eye roaming your face. “You know other men?”

You rolled your eyes and playfully smacked his chest. “As if you did not know. Their blood is on your sword, dear husband.”

“Better their blood on my sword, then their hands upon your skin.” He responded, shrugging as he fought back a smile.

“You are insufferable.” You said, shrieking with laughter when he swept you into his arms and kissed you.

“And you are lovely.” He said, connecting your lips once more, you both smiling into the kiss.

Tag list: @nyctophilic0vitnir, @svtansdaddyx, @fan-goddess, @dc-marvel-girl96, @shintax-error, @bellameshipper, @the141bandicoot, @the-phantom-of-arda, @haydee5010

[mezzy-1]

Radiant Recruitment (Valorant X Reader Part 3 // MISSION)

Name: Y/N 

Class: Radiant

Callsign - Nomad

A few weeks had passed since you had been recruited by Valorant to help with the interdimensional attacks.  Your power over radiant energy was stronger, and you had even mastered shifting into energy.  An alert went out to all the agents and you were sent on your first mission.

(GIF from Infamous: Second Son)

Omen

Lotus was a beautiful temple, devoted to ancient beings and immersed in their mystery

Sadly, you couldn’t take time to marvel at the stone carvings, as you were pinned by a barrage of lead

The shots grew closer and louder, each one destroying more of the stone wall you hid behind

You were stuck in the hall to Site C, and backing further towards the waterfall embedded in the wall

Pure shadows formed into a large orb between you and the shooter.  As the orb encircled you, a shape twisted out of the space behind you

“You cannot be alone Y/N, it is too dangerous.”  Omen scolded while pulling an Operator from his back

“I have you as backup, I’ll be fine.” you reassured, placing a hand on Omen’s hood to readjust it

“Take this,” he placed a Sheriff in your hand, “we will not let them win.”

Taking advantage of your cover, you slid into the shadow and waited.  The barrel of an Ares poked in and an agent stepped through

Grabbing the gun quickly, you disarmed the agent as they tried to fire the gun in response.  You pulled them into the smoke and shot twice

Breach’s double slumped to the ground with a heavy crash, the Ares still in your hands.  You decided to take it as to even the odds

“That was, impressive Y/N.”  If Omen could still smile, you guessed one would be spread across his face

Making your way through the temple, you and Omen moved stealthily while getting closer to the Spike

Walking into the amphitheater in B Site, you checked for any sign of movement before stepping inside

Immediately an Alarm Bot exploded towards you, and Omen quickly threw himself in front to take the hit.  He stumbled back while an automated turret blinked to life

“I did not see them Y/N, they were waiting in ambush.”  

“I’ll handle their toys Omen, just wait here.” you whispered before activating your abilities

You dashed in and tossed a pulsing ball of energy into the air

Solid energy slammed down onto the turret, pulsing into it and expanding outward.  Pieces of scrap littered the room 

Before you could take another step, a Nanoswarm erupted at your feet and you hopped back.  Knowing that Killjoy was likely biding her time, you decided to call in help

“Omen!  Teleport across here and start firing!  Trust me!” you yelled to the phantasmal agent

Smoke began to form on the raised platform in B Site as you charged through the swarm.  Spotting Killjoy training her gun at Omen’s teleport, you shot before she could

Omen reformed as Killjoy fell, looking on in silence.  He nodded to you before continuing forward

“Y/N, you are injured from the trap.  Are you in any pain?” he pointed to the scratches and scoring along your legs

“I'll be fine, but I appreciate you asking.”

Arriving near A Site, you made your way to the stairs and put a hand onto the wall.  Omen watched and curiously approached

“This wall leads directly into where they have the Spike, but they’ll see me if I come through.”  You looked over to Omen.  “Mind putting shadows behind this wall?”

“I’ll do one better Y/N,” Omen sent a wisp of shade through the wall and another towards the entrance to A

“They will flee in terror when we strike Y/N.” Omen’s rage was barely restrained.  You phased into the wall and fell through into a waiting cradle of darkness

Omen’s Operator let a round spiral through the air.  The sound signaled you to leap from the shadows

You crawled out from the clinging darkness and readied your Ares.  Bracing for the knockback, you steadied your legs and pulled the trigger

A torrent of bullets screamed from the barrel.  Each round cracked brick, scattered stone, and crashed into the temple

Caught between the onslaught was Yoru, who reacted quickly and teleported away.  You heard him appear somewhere close to the site and waited

Yoru walked out from a corner and began sprinting towards you

Realizing it was a clone, you shot it’s head then moved back into the darkness Omen provided and repositioned

Yoru had swung the corner in an attempt to counterattack but met his end through your Sheriff

The Spike was located at the ascender.  Running towards it with a defuser ready, you came face to face with, yourself

Your mirror jumped from the ascender, kicking you down and causing you to fall onto the gravel.  A Shorty was pointed in your face by a smirking double

“You really are quite the disappointment.  Seeing you like this, it’s kind of sad that I thought we might be similar.”

Your mirror kicked you in your chest and sent you away from the Spike.  They readied a shell in their Shorty

“This is pathetic to see.  I’d feel bad for you, but I doubt it would make a difference.  I’m going to enjoy ending your poor little existence.”

As your mirror gloated, your eyes caught movement appearing behind them.  Pebbles began to shift as your mirror’s shadow grew longer

“I was hoping for more of a fight.  Any last words?” your clone taunted

“Behind you.” Omen whispered as he finished forming behind them

Spirals of darkness tore through the air and twisted into your double.  Omen’s Paranoia blinded them while you rose to your feet and shot the mirror

“Thanks for the save Omen, I wouldn’t be here without you.” you smiled at him as you finished defusing the Spike

“I was only doing my part Y/N.  But I do appreciate your gratitude.”

“Oh I haven’t finished thanking you yet Omen.  I can do better than just a simple ‘thanks’ you know.”

Omen turned his head towards you in confusion

“You and I are going to take a day off.  We should go somewhere and rest up.”

“But my condition-”

“That’s why you should pick!  Where do you want to go Omen?”

“... I would like to visit the forests near here.  It is innocuous and beautiful, and we can spend time together Y/N.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea!” you replied

Chamber

Fracture may have been abandoned, but it was never forgotten

Chamber was visibly uncomfortable as you and him entered the ruins and began your sweep

“Is there something wrong?” you asked, checking over your Vandal one more time before looking over to Chamber

“Non, it’s nothing.  I find myself distracted by other affairs, but I have plenty to concentrate on here.”

You playfully batted him in the arm and stepped forward into the moss covered ruins of Fracture

Before you could take the stairs upwards, a bullet missed your forehead by a single hair.  Over at the site, you heard the sound of footsteps and Spike being planted

You and Chamber reflexively took cover behind a wall.  You began to gather radiant power in your hands.  Chamber unholstered a Headhunter

The sound of Chamber’s Trademark came from behind, and he swung around and landed a shot right into an enemy Reyna

She had been lurking in the underside of the Spike site, and could have killed you 

“For that I think you owe me a date Y/N.!” he took aim at the stairs while you began to run towards the site

Breach’s double lept out to open fire but was promptly shot by Chamber.  You were almost up the stairs but wall of jade erupted, blocking your path

A grenade flew over the wall and burst open, explosive shells showering you momentarily

Chamber grabbed you and rolled, keeping you from harm

“We don’t have much time, we have to rotate Y/N.”  Chamber dusted himself off while helping you up, taking a Rendezvous card from his pocket

“No, I can phase through the wall and defuse it.”

“Y/N, there’s at least 3 agents over there.  C’est impossible!”  Chamber warned as you embraced him for the last time

He grabbed both of your hands, and you could feel the metal card contrast against his warm palms

Raze bounced over the wall and Chamber twisted and shot her mid air.  You took your moment and transformed into pure energy

Dashing through the wall, you slammed the ground and a wave of force sent the enemy Sage upwards

You shot her before moving to the Spike, which had been hidden behind a crate

“I always wondered what my mirror would look like.” a voice came from behind you, and instantly you were on the ground with a bullet wound

Turning around, you came face to face with yourself.  It was uncanny and the Phantom being pointed at you made it even more frightening

“I know mirror implies an exact copy, but I thought you’d at least be a little different.  Oh well…” your clone mused

You felt around for your Vandal, but your double kicked it away.  You reached for a side arm but felt nothing, save for Chamber’s card

“Don’t squirm, I don’t want to waste any shots on you.” your mirror spoke

“My, two of Y/N.  I must be the luckiest man in the world.”  Chamber joked as he teleported in, Tour de Force ready

Earlier as Chamber held your hand, you had taken the card.  It had been activated when your double had been gloating 

“NO!” your mirror screamed as Chamber’s gun punched a hole through their sternum.  You quickly defused the Spike and rested once it stopped

“Y/N, that’s 3 times I saved you.  I think that earns me something, no?”

“What did you have in mind?”

“Dinner, and don’t worry I know an excellent place in Paris.  My treat of course.”

“That sounds wonderful.”

Iso

Most missions with Iso were easy, mainly because you and him worked so well together

This one was an exception, as the Omega Protocol had decided to launch a Spike attack in a metro station

You and Iso were the only ones that snuck in.  You had used the abandoned tunnels to get in and start your counterattack

“Baochi zhending Y/N, we can’t afford distractions.” Iso loaded bullets into a Sheriff and you followed suit

“But you’re going to listen to music like usual?” you pointed at his earbuds

“It isn’t distracting, it gets me to focus.  I can send you some recommendations when we’re done.” Iso began strolling towards the platform

When you both reached the stairwell, Iso activated Double Tap while motioning for you to make your own move

Particles of radiant power erupted under the stairs and flowed outward near the top.  Suddenly a rival Phoenix sent a flash around the corner, blinding you

Two shots echoed, and as your eyes cleared Iso stood before you covered in a shimmering coat of radianite

“Let’s take care of them.  I’ll take the lead from here.” he raised his Sheriff and made his way up the stairs

Entering the platform, you could hear the Spike counting down farther in the hall.  Carefully, you navigated kiosks and stalls searching for movement

A single shadow moved behind you, and you turned to face an Omen appearing.  You rolled and shot, a direct hit to center mass

Iso’s training had paid off, you’d have to thank him for the lessons later

A sniper bullet harmlessly bounced off his head, a purple flash showing the Double Tap had worn off

Blazing forward, you came face to face with Sova.  He tried to shoot once more but you grabbed his Operator and punched him with a radiant fist

“Y/N, I can see they have the Spike here.  It’s down on that platform.” Iso pointed to a flight of stairs leading down to the tunnels

“I can enter and defuse, but you’re going to have to cover me Iso.”

“Don’t worry,” Iso readied a wall of radianite, “they won’t touch either of us.” 

The wall launched forwards with you behind, and bullets rattled against it.  Each shot leaving ripples in the structure

You darted left, then shot at the first person you saw.  An enemy Yoru fell while you shifted into radiant energy

Springing from your hiding spot, you phased through an enemy Deadlock’s wires towards their source

You sank your fist into her chin before moving onto the Spike.  Your form shifted back and you readied the defuser

“So this is my mirror, strange.” a voice came from the shadows

Your own double stepped out from a pillar and took aim with their own Sheriff.  In their eyes was an unnerving coldness

“Well it’s not worth considering anyway.” they spoke as they began to pull the trigger

Instantly your mirror was surrounded by a grid of hexagons and was pulled into the floor.  Iso had used Kill Contract on your double

You finished defusing the Spike but soon after, violet sparks appeared in front of you and someone exited the domain

“Na hen jianden.  I guess that version of you didn’t train enough.”  Iso straightened out his hoodie 

“I suppose so.  Speaking of that, are we still on for training later?”

Iso looked over at with a raised eyebrow 

“You want to actually train, after all of this?  I’m amazed that you still have energy for that.”

“I don’t really mind training at the range.  It’s like you said, there's something relaxing about taking time and aiming.”

“True, but I am going to be making a hotpot for dinner later and I’d like you to come by and taste it.”

“In that case we should probably skip going to the range, I can rest up over dinner with you then.”

“We’ll hit the range afterwards, but for now we should rest up.  You did excellent work Y/N, that deserves something.”

Gekko

“Vaya Y/N, up here!”  Gekko alerted you while reaching a hand from an industrial vent.  He gripped your hand and pulled you in

The Kingdom facility in LA was already destroyed but a few more had popped up nearby.  Gekko and you were sent in to see what was happening

“Mira Y/N, there’s guards laying everywhere.  We should take a look.”  Gekko peered through the grate before kicking it out and dropping the to the floor

“They’ve all been shot,” you took out a Phantom and switched the safety off, “do you think it could be-”

Gekko tackled you to the ground as knives flew at you.  Jett’s double floated above the ground and got ready for another volley

You reached a hand forward and sent a crackling ball of plasma towards her.  It zapped through the air and impacted against her

Gekko slid the action back on a Ghost, and finished her off with a single shot

“Ay mierda, of course these putas are here.  They probably have a Spike too, we should move.” Gekko summoned Dizzy and held her close

You followed the halls around while trying to listen for a Spike.  The noise grew as you got closer to the center

A ball of poison enveloped you and Gekko.  He fell back and tossed Dizzy forward and you followed her

You eased along the wall, then listened for Dizzy to shoot.  You caught Viper wiping goo off her eyes and shot

Gekko grabbed Dizzy and put her back, then looked ahead with a sudden shock

You saw that the Spike was placed on an upper floor with only one set of stairs leading upwards.  There was only one way forward, and you had to attack directly

“I’ll cover you with Thrash and then you can do the rest.  Vamos Y/N!” Gekko guided Thrash forward while you charged alongside her

The creature impacted at the top of the stairs, disabling a waiting Killjoy and Cypher.  Your shots connected to the vulnerable agents and you called Gekko up

“Nice job!  We’re unstoppable right?” Gekko celebrated as he made his way to the Spike.  On his shoulder was a smaller Wingman he was petting

“Y/N!” he yelled as a bolt of plasma hit him square in the chest and sent him over the handrails.  The Wingman had grown and was barely holding onto Gekko

“You got too confident, you shouldn’t be so quick to call victory.” your own voice spoke to you

Your double held a Vandal and sneered at your disadvantage.  The Phantom wasn’t aimed, and any move would get you shot

“I guess I shouldn’t either, I’m going to finish this and then move on to Gekko once I’m done.  Sorry.”

The sound of a Spike being defused caught your mirror off guard, and their eyes shifted over

Wingman was defusing the Spike, but Gekko was nowhere to be seen.  Your double aimed at Wingman but you hit them with a quick jab 

The Spike was finished and Wingman jumped at your double, slamming them off the floor and chittering angrily as they fell

“Calma Wings, I think we’re good.” Gekko pulled himself up from the edge and you helped grab his arm

He tumbled into you.  You both lay on the floor, tired from the adrenaline

“We should probably get out of here before the cops arrive and Kingdom gets wind of this.”

“That’s a good point,” you sat up and started to rise to your feet, “where should we lie low?”

“I know this awesome taqueria a few minutes from here.  It’s 100% authentic too, the entire menu is in Spanish.”

“Can you translate it then?”

“Por supuesto Y/N!  I’ll even pay too, it’s my idea.”

Viper

Inside the frigid cold of the American Northwoods, you and Viper had decided to follow up on rumors about a Kingdom research facility

Viper had found the location from old contacts she had, and you came to help as back up

Your ability to phase through matter proved useful, as it gave you and Viper easy access to the building

Walking carefully to avoid the cameras, you and her made your way into the lower levels 

“Stop Y/N,” Viper paused and put her back to the wall, “I hear something around the corner.  Stay close to me and follow.”

“Understood.” you took your Ghost and crept behind Viper as she turned around the corner and froze

“Shit.” Viper gazed over the railing towards a collection of machines, pipes, and consoles below.  Across the room was a group of 3, all mirror agents, setting a Spike

Viper dropped down with you, then launched the Toxic Screen from her arm.  The pieces rained down along the industrial maze

She turned the mists on and got her weapons out.  She carried with her a Phantom and Ghost

You took point and moved along a large pipe, keeping your head below it to stay in cover.  A part where the toxins blocked the route appeared

Sounds of machinery revving and spinning along the ground grabbed your attention.  A Boombot raced out of the toxins towards you

Before it could explode, Viper shot it and signaled to charge into the toxins.  Your radiance gathered into the tips of your fingers

A volley of plasma rushed through the toxins and incinerated the path forward.  Following behind, you peeked the corner and shot as you left cover

An enemy Raze fell to the floor with a primed grenade clattering from her hand.  The explosion sent you backwards into some pipes

Gekko’s mirror came running towards you with a shotgun

Green smoke cut his vision, and in a second you had disappeared from your spot and had a Ghost to his back.  You pulled the trigger

Once more you channeled your power, and began to transform into energy.  Moving through walls and pipes, you arrived at the Spike

Buckshot hit your back and you tumbled to the floor in a daze.  You felt the barrel of a gun touch the back of your head

“I never really thought I’d see my mirror up close.  It’s so weird.” you heard your own voice muse

Whipping around with your Ghost, you brought the barrel up to your own double.  They rolled and kept you in a standoff with their own gun

“Even if you shoot me, you’ll be too weak to defuse the Spike.  Why not just give up now?” your clone taunted you while training their Specter on you

“I don’t need to shoot you, I just need to defuse the Spike then?” a smile crept onto your face

“That’s not going to happen,” your mirror’s eyes narrowed, “you aren’t getting out of here alive.”

“Neither are you.” Viper growled, stepping from a shadow and firing at your doppelganger.  A Toxin Orb flooded the space with mists

They fled into the facility, and away from you.  Quickly, you reached the Spike and defused it as quickly as possible

As it settled, the cloud of toxins dropped around you.  Viper strolled up to you, then eyed the Spike

“Good job Y/N.” 

“I took out 3 agents and defused the Spike.  It was more than a good job!” you retorted

“Is that so?  You did well, but you needed my help in the end.”

You crossed your arms and leaned against a support pillar

“Don’t be so dramatic Y/N,” Viper picked up the Spike and shoved it into your hands

“We did our jobs Y/N, that’s enough for a day.” 

“It’s worth a day off at least.”

“Could’ve been worth dinner, if you hadn’t needed a rescue at the end.”

“Then I’ll pay this time,” you began to walk out with Viper, “where are we dining?”

“Somewhere with a good wine list, and of course we’ll have to dress up.  I assume you have fine clothes Y/N.”

“I have something tucked away for special occasions.” you winked over at Viper

“I can’t wait to see it then, Y/N.”

Neon

“Ughh, these guys are such a pain to deal with, right Y/N.” Neon shouted while pressing her back to a wall

“I agree, but can we talk after we send them packing?” you yelled back from behind a crate.  You took another magazine and tossed it to Neon

“Please Y/N, you and I don’t need to worry about anything.” Neon loaded the mag into her Bulldog

“On 3?” you signaled

“Yeah,” Neon nodded to you, “3!” 

She threw up a wall of energy and dashed in.  You followed suite and chased in with your Stinger

The Spike was already beeping away.  The Omega agents had set up in a market near a waterfront

Stalls full of produce, fish, and baubles had been abandoned by their owners.  Bridges crossed the waterfront and connected the market

You and Neon were fighting near a warehouse and were making your way over one of the concrete bridges to the Spike

Neon and you ran inside the cover she made before shots ripped through the wall.  You both hid behind a cart filled with bottles

The walls began to fade out and you glanced over to some of the bottles that had fallen out.  You spotted Iso’s double through the reflection

“Neon, shockwave on the cart!” you ordered.  Arcs of electricity jumped from her arms to the cart, then into the ground

You turned and fired at a stunned Iso, his arm jerking as tried to shoot.  He hit the ground with a heavy thud

“Y/N, I can see the Spike!  It’s across here near that statue!” Neon pointed to the Spike while getting ready to sprint

A rumble came from underneath the bridge.  Suddenly it began to split apart and both sides started to rise up

“It’s one that let’s ships through.  Dammit, they must’ve hacked the controls!” you slammed your fists against the cart in anger

“Nah, I don’t think it’s a problem Y/N,” Neon began to grin, “I have an idea.”

“What were you- Hey!” you were surprised when she grabbed you and hoisted you over her shoulder

“Hold on Y/N!” Neon took off down the street as the bridge continued to raise.  Wind flew by your face while cars blurred around you

Her speed carried you and her upwards, and in one great stride she cleared the gap between the halves

“Kumusta ka Y/N?  Are you still with me?” 

You breathed a sigh of relief and slid off of her back.  You shakily got to your feet and started to move forward with Neon

“I’m good, but don’t do that again please.” you groaned

A wave crashed forward from the sea below and swept Neon away.  Gold spirals and floating bits of surf animated the wave as Neon was pushed into the ocean

You moved quickly to target Harbor, shooting him down.  You ran to the coast but a round of buckshot almost sent you over the edge

While holding on, a familiar face, your face, stepped into view.  Your mirror looked down at you dispassionately

“I expected a lot more from my double.” your clone racked another shell in their Bucky and aimed downward

“This is probably freaking you out and all, but honestly,” they moved their finger to the trigger, “who even cares?”

It was almost hopeless, Neon couldn’t fire electricity with saltwater around and you couldn’t really attack from your position

One of your hands slipped and your grip tightened in response.  Particles gathered around all of your hands as a reflex  

Your double let out a sadistic laugh

“You haven’t won yet, so I wouldn’t celebrate too early.” you gritted your teeth and more energy gathered around your free hand

“Let’s fix that then.” your double pulled the trigger and you loosened your grip and fell

You dove into the water and swam straight down.  The unstable particles in your fist made contact with the sand 

A geyser sent you upwards to a surprised mirror.  They quickly aimed another shot at you 

Bolts of lightning hit them, and they fell to the ground in jerking spasms.  Neon had grabbed your hand and rode up with you

“Salamat Y/N!”  Neon quickly sped to the Spike with a defuser in hand

You arrived just as she finished defusing it.  Taking a moment to relax, you took a seat from a stall and exhaled deeply

“That was a lot.” you looked over at Neon while she picked up the Spike

“I agree, but it was kind of fun right?  When we went over the bridge, that was awesome!”

“It was scary, but I’m glad we made it out in one piece.” you caught Neon staring at a food stall

“Hungry?”

“Y/N, you have no idea,” she stretched her legs, “I could eat everything here.”

“Well let’s find a place nearby,” you suggested.  Neon’s eyes filled with anticipation

“I saw this one spot with a ton of rice dishes that smelled amazing a few kilometers away.  We should check it out!”

“Yeah, but let’s shower off a bit because both of us are covered in seawater and grime.”

“Sure, but when we’re done I’m racing you to the place.  Loser buys the food.” Neon smiled at you with sparks in her eyes

“You’re on.”

Cypher

Bind had never been a particularly important location to you, but the stories that Cypher had told you made you much more driven to root out Kingdom’s presence

Currently, you and Cypher were on an assignment to steal data from Kingdom and find more radianite refineries

You and him finished downloading employee names.  Herrera, Johnson, and Kimura flashed across the screen

“They’ll have nowhere to hide now, eh Y/N?”

“Serves them right for destroying this place in the name of profit.”

“Of course,” Cypher opened a feed to his camera.  He froze, looking closer and then taking out a Vandal

“We have visitors, and they seem to have a Spike with them.  Let’s not let them take more from my city.”  Cypher used his camera to mark one of the agents

“Y/N, take them out and I’ll advise through my cameras.”  

You grabbed a Vandal from your sling, and stepped out to the battlefield.  Sneaking along the wall, you stalked the outline of the agent before it stopped transmitting

“They removed my dart, not that it matters at this point.” Cypher whispered through your radio

Sparks of energy flooded your palm and bonded into a mass of burning plasma.  You tossed it over the wall and listened to it explode

You moved quickly through the archway and felt melted glass crunch under your boots.  Eyes darting around, you checked for enemies and caught the reflection of something gold

You spun around and fired before Chamber’s mirror could pull the trigger on his headhunter

“Nice work Y/N.  Chamber can take his secrets to the grave.” Cypher praised using your earpiece

“Can you give me information on who else is here?” you asked while moving through to the hookah bar

A sudden tripwire alarm cut through your radio and you dove to cover before bullets hit the ground to your right

The three shots from your Vandal dropped Neon’s double that had gotten caught by one of Cypher’s traps

“I knew someone would fall for that.  Thanks for cleaning them up.” Cypher’s tone was calm despite your beating heart

“Just letting you know, I can see one other agent on site with the Spike.  Looks like Sage to me.” 

“Understood, moving towards the Spike.  Thanks for the advice.” you spoke while beginning to phase through the wall 

Arriving onto the site, you could see the Spike and nearby Sage had a rifle trained on hookah’s entrance

Quickly, you moved around the metal shelter and fired a round into Sage.  Running over to the Spike, you began to defuse

Immediately, you felt pain arc through your leg and collapsed to the ground.  You reeled on the ground but tried to move over to the Spike before another shot rang out 

“Cypher!  There’s someone else here, they-” the radio went silent as someone began emerging from the from the shadows

“My, it seems like my mirror doesn’t measure up to the real thing.” your double spoke while loading another round into their Marshall

“I wonder where the next shot is going to come from.” the mirror taunted while moving out of your sight

You crawled into the shelter to defend yourself and slumped against the wall.  You could shoot through it but the Spike would finish you off if you couldn’t defuse it

“If you weren’t such a disappointment, you may have actually been fun to fight.  Instead you crawled into a metal coffin to die.” your double’s voice echoed around you

A round from an Operator fired through the wall of the shelter, clearly meant to show your mirror had upgraded

“Don’t worry Y/N, I have you covered.” Cypher’s message cut through the radio static

Suddenly your mirror was highlighted through the wall, and you fired right for their head.  You watched them drop through the bullet holes

Sounds of the Spike defusing relaxed you as Cypher approached your hiding place

“How did you-”

“Chamber’s corpse.  I used Neural Theft to scan for your adversary.  I knew if I helped you just a little you could triumph.”

“Thank you Cypher,” you struggled to get to your feet and Cypher knelt down.  Cradling you in his arm, he carried you out of the shelter

“Y/N, you don’t have to thank me.  You would’ve done the same for me, but if you wanted to show some gratitude then I have something in mind.”

“Which is?”

“I know a wonderful restaurant we can eat at when your leg has been healed.  Does later tonight work?”

“Definitely!  I can’t wait!” you exclaimed while holding Cypher a bit tighter

Fade 

Stakeouts were usually quite boring, but not this assignment

While watching a shipment of Radianite moving from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, you and Fade had been sent back to Istanbul to monitor for attacks while it docked

Now you and her were fighting a team of agents hijacking the boat at dawn.  You and her hid in the shadow of the boat while moving into the cargo hold

“Y/N, wait.” Fade commanded while reaching for her Ghost.  “Before we enter, we need to-” 

The sound of a Spike being planted sent fear rattling down your spine.  Fade looked over as if sensing your worry

“Don’t let it control you Y/N.  I need you to stay calm and fight alongside me.” Fade placed a hand on your shoulder

“I’ll be alright, just tell me where to shoot.”

Fade smiled and gathered a mass of writhing shadows in her hands.  Lobbing the bundle deeper into the ship, it rose up like smoke with two piercing eyes 

“Go Y/N, öldür onları!”

Dashing across the water and into the cargo hold, you saw two agents hiding amongst the crates and pillars.  They were highlighted against the shadows and industrial lights

You were against Omen and Reyna.  Orbs of pure shadow appeared throughout the room while the click of metal boots echoed through the space

Gathering energy into your hands, you compressed it into form and strained to hold it in your fist.  You waited for them to make the first move

Reyna’s Leer appeared in front of you, sending you to the nearest cover to break line of sight.  You narrowly avoided a spray of metal before hiding behind a girder

To slow down her assault, you let loose a volley of energy and fired back to suppress the attack.  A stray bullet hitting a light gave you an idea

Taking a moment, you shot every light you could see and repositioned.  Waiting in the dark, you stopped your radiance momentarily to blend in

Firing a small wave of bright particles away from your spot, you watched as muzzle flashes from the other side tracked the decoy

Shooting quickly, you managed to hit Reyna and took a second to aim for Omen.  When you had him in your crosshair he was already teleporting away

“Damn it.” you whispered while keeping low to the ground and peeking for any sign of Omen

Something behind you moved and you shot

A rat scampered out from a nearby barrel and dove into a vent for safety

Instantly, you swung to the side to avoid a knife aimed for your neck.  Moving back, you could barely see Omen against the darkness

A knife fight against him would be impossible, especially in the dark where he could freely attack

“I can feel you getting nervous Y/N.”  Fade yelled from across the cargo hold.  “Don’t let him intimidate you!”

Fade was right, and in a moment of pure calm you developed a plan.  Radiance flooded your body but instead of letting it take you completely you held onto your physical body

Bright light surrounded you, and suddenly the trails of shadow coming from Omen while he shifted around 

“Fade, do you see where he is?”

“Evet Y/N!  He’s to the right!”

You shot at Omen and hit him directly while he lunged with his knife.  The weapon clattered to the steel floor of the hold

“It was smart to create your own light Y/N.  We still have more to do though.  Gidelem Y/N.”  Fade pointed to a latter leading to the upper deck

You climbed ahead of her and caught a glimpse of the morning sunrise.  It was a deep orange with rose colored clouds

Hiding near a cargo crate, you spotted the Spike in the middle of the ship.  It seemed to be unguarded, but there were plenty of places for someone to hide

“I’ll flush them out with Prowlers.  Tamam Y/N?” 

“Got it Fade, ready when you are.”

Two bestial creatures oozed out of dark miasma near Fade’s arms, low growls rumbling from their tensed jaws

Darting towards the Spike, the spectral hunters split and began searching the nearby tarp-covered barrels and crates.  A roar sounded with accompanying gunshots after

You moved in towards the Spike while the assailant fought off the Prowlers.  Fade crept behind and broke away to secure the area

Stepping closer, a slight resistance met your shin.  In an instant your legs were tangled in one of Cypher’s traps

Knowing he would attack someone caught in one of his wires, you made a plan with what you had around you.  A barrel leaking oil gave you an idea as you shot the trap 

Freeing yourself, you fired at the oil barrel and dove into the spill.  Sliding along the floor, you aimed and shot Cypher from a low angle

Able to defuse the Spike, you made your way to the device ready to end the battle

That’s when you locked eyes with a familiar face

“It must be unnerving to see your reflection like this.  Well only for you, I’m not too worried about it considering you’ll be dead in the next minute.” your mirror spoke

You narrowed your eyes and took aim at the doppelganger, but around you something began to move about

Kingdom’s security appeared, filling the top deck with armed guards in flak armor.  They barked orders at you and your mirror, oblivious to the volatile Spike

Your double merely smiled and leaned against a crate, unfazed by the development while reveling in their victory

One of the guards training a pistol on you took a step closer, then froze.  Through her face mask you could see her pupil dilate before she fell onto the ground hyperventilating

Darkness and the vague forms of monstrous beings crept over the deck like a growing shadow.  Each guard ran or collapsed screaming in terror

Your mirror’s eyes filled with darkness, causing them to flee by jumping from the boat

“Dinlenmek Y/N, it’s over.” Fade stepped over to you.  Trails of fear gathered at her feet and pulsed with every step

“Thanks for the help, it was looking helpless back there.”

“Rica ederim, it was nothing.” Fade finished defusing the Spike while ambivalent to the chaos around her

“Fade, we should probably get out of here before these guards get their vision back right?  Don’t you have a safehouse nearby?”

“Evet, but I know a better spot.  It’s a cafe in Maltepe, we can wait there for a bit.”

“I guess I could eat something after this,” you picked the Spike up, “what food do they have?”

“Simit, kahvalti, menemen.  The usual kinds of breakfasts, and any of them will taste good.”

“That sounds wonderful!  I can’t wait to try them.”

Deadlock

Snow lazily drifted down onto you and your winter jacket.  The cold night you had spent at Icebox was peaceful until you heard the sound of a Spike

Ice crunched under you as you walked carefully towards the office area and listened for movement

Behind you, a sound startled you and you aimed your Guardian at the source

“Vent rolig ned Y/N!” Deadlock hissed while putting her arms up.  “It’s only me, I came as soon as I heard the Spike.”

“You scared me, I thought you were one of the Omega agents.  Sorry about almost firing.” 

“Think nothing of it, it was only a reflex.  We need to make our way towards the Spike, la oss gå.” Deadlock unholstered a Vandal and pointed to the corridor into the offices

Sneaking towards it, you and Deadlock kept a sharp eye for any sort of movement.  Deadlock raised her hand and ordered a halt

“I don’t like this, it looks too easy to walk up there.  Hold on Y/N.” Deadlock tossed a Sonic Sensor onto the entryway of the corridor

“Y/N, I’ll go towards the back through the cargo yard.  You follow me and cut through the offices, we’ll clear them as we work our way into the site.”

“That sounds like a good plan, let’s go.” you said while taking a deep breath and tightening your grip on your Vandal

Stepping closer to Deadlock, you followed her lead through your new path.  She tensed and pushed you out of the way

A round pierced the snow behind you, leaving a sizable hole in the ground.  Ducking into the nearest cubby, you spotted Deadlock doing the same across from you

Realizing that the shooter had to have fired from a higher vantage point, you guessed they had to be shooting from behind the slope near Mid Broiler

You made sparks shoot from your hands before engulfing it in energy.  Deadlock saw your plan and fired suppressive shots blindly at the sniper

Twisting out of cover, you threw a fistful of explosive energy towards the broiler and moved in while it rained fire

Moving around the corner towards the sniper, you spotted Jett’s double watching plasma cook the steel around it

You shot quickly, narrowly avoiding her retaliation before overwhelming her with bullets.  She fell into the snow lifelessly

“That was a clever move Y/N.  Flott jobb.” Deadlock saluted you before the sound of the Sonic Sensor exploding drew her attention

Deadlock and you aimed towards the disturbance before a smoke blocked your vision.  It was a dull brown and had fallen out of the sky

“Helvete, they want us to fight here.  Make your way to the Spike,” Deadlock placed her Nanowire Wall into the smoke.  

“Let them come for us, I won’t lose here.” She punctuated by loading a round into her Classic

Moving up the stairs towards the Kitchen, you got ready to sneak around to the site.  A wall of fire blocked your steps

From the opening to Mid Blue, Phoenix shot through at you with his own rifle while moving forward.  You had high ground but were trapped by flames

He moved under Tube and closer to you, keeping you from running via suppressing fire

You couldn’t go forward without burning, nor try your luck outside without being shot.  Using the adrenaline you made a quick assessment of the surrounding kitchen

A plan formed in your head, and you readied your Vandal while moving to the side of the opening 

Phoenix’s Curveball swung through the entry and popped, blinding light filling the kitchen.  Your eyes averted, but saw a ball of fire land into the room 

A sneaker wreathed in flames stepped into the room.  Phoenix was engulfed in fire, and confident where he stood

Shooting your target, you knew you already had Phoenix beaten.  The sink exploded open and a pipe burst open

Water sprayed Phoenix down, and in his shock he didn’t catch you swinging out and finishing him off

Knowing you had little time left, you ran towards the Spike and hopped down from the hallway.  Your body filled with energy and began to unwind into pure radiance

Passing through a wall, then levitating through it, you appeared on the Spike site and scanned for threats

Brimstone was in the middle of calling down a smokes at the site to wall it off.  As soon as the pods dropped, you shot his back and moved to the Spike under the Ascender

You readied a defuser, and got low to defuse the Spike.  An arm shot through the wall and into your ribs

Searing pain spread through your torso, and as you crumpled to the ground you saw the rest of a glowing figure step out of the wall

“I can’t believe you fell for a trick that you just used!” your own mirror jeered

While frost ate at your face, burns stung every breath you took through broken ribs.  Looking at your mirror with a mixture of hate and fear, you realized the Spike was active still

“Hurry up and die, or are you going to need some encouragement?” the clone threatened while energy began to gather into their hand

In an act of defiance, you launched plasma towards the clone and through a smoke.  It harmlessly burnt the side of a yellow cargo crate

“Was that really your best attempt at a counterattack?  I mean it was so slow I stepped out of the way!”

Your plan was already in motion, as through the smoke a thin line traveled towards your clone

Instantly, they were entangled in a cocoon of threads, Deadlock’s own Annihilation dragging them away to their death

Deadlock sprinted through the smoke while the wires yanked your rival away.  The cocoon disappeared into the smoke as Deadlock finished defusing the Spike

“Y/N how bad are your injuries?  Kan du puste?  Are you bleeding?” she was barely able to get the questions out while looking beginning to dress your wounds

“I’ll be okay, it was just some burns and shock.  Don’t worry, they won’t get rid of me so easily.”

“Takk gud at det går bra.”  Deadlock sighed while helping you to your feet

“It just needs some time to heal.  We should rest in the meantime, I could really use it after today.”

“You’ve more than earned it Y/N.  I can get Brimstone to supply us with some fresh ingredients and we could make dinner together.” 

Deadlock’s cheeks were red either from the cold or from your emphatic response of “YES!” 

Reyna 

“¡Esas malditas!” Reyna shrieked as she choked the life out of an Atlas operative.  Her anger was barely contained she continued to crush the soldier’s windpipe

The guard fell lifelessly while a soul orb drifted from the corpse and into Reyna’s waiting grasp

“Y/N, come closer.  I won’t bite.”  Reyna beckoned you closer from across the plaza.  Pearl was normally calm but her frenzy had transformed the district into a battlefield

“Wait, can you hear that?  It sounds like a-”

“Claro Y/N, it’s a Spike but why would they bomb their own city?  How desperate they are to kill us.”

Picking the guns from the soldier, you armed yourself with his Phantom.  Reyna sported her Vandal and toyed with the soul she held in her hand

“Vamanos Y/N.  I can’t wait to tear into more of them.”

“That makes two of us.” you flipped the safety off the Vandal and started for the wooden doors that led to B Site

A screech pierced the air as a glowing hawk flew out from the door frame, bursting into light

Your eyes filled with green light as you felt Reyna pull you to the side of the door while shots rang out 

Splinters of wood showered the area as bullets punched into the doors.  Your vision began to clear and you decided to retaliate

“Reyna, I need you to cover me while I move in!” you shouted while staying low and charging energy into your hands

Reyna’s Vandal spat a flurry of rounds into the doorway, and you seized the opportunity to go straight through the opening

Energy pulsed inside your hand, and you released the growing power against the wall.  It buried itself into it before launching down the corridor at blinding speed

Shifting around the door, you caught Skye’s double reeling from the energy blast.  You went for the kill and fired

“Bien hecho Y/N, such power deserves to be shown.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet, Reyna.  Now let’s finish them off.”

“Por supuesto.”

You and Reyna moved down the alley from cover to cover, making sure that an ambush was almost impossible

Turning towards the entrance to B Site, you were greeted with a sudden explosion of chemical flames that clung to the ground.  They blocked your approach 

“Y/N, I can hear enemies coming from behind us.  Let’s welcome them.” Reyna grinned with a sadistic joy

One of Fade’s nightmares splashed down in the alley, glowing eyes marking you and Reyna.  Roars came from further away, and a lilac wall of energy pushed into the alley

Iso’s mirror was obviously using the cover to move in on information Fade had given him, and Brimstone had blocked the path forward

Reyna gritted her teeth and scowled, pulling the soul she had stored into her hands.  You nodded to her and rushed forwards

Passing through the wall, you met Iso pointing a gun at you while two Prowlers flew towards you and Reyna

Particles collected into your hands, and you locked eyes with Iso as he began to shoot.  You directed your power to your feet and sent a shockwave downward

Landing behind Iso, you swept his leg and shoved him down.  Your first shot met his Double Tap but the following bullets put him down permanently

Both Prowlers twisted around and lunged for you, and out of the corner of your eye Fade’s mirror readied a sniper rifle

A phantasmal eye blinked into existence, its gaze catching Fade and fixating on her from its spot in the middle of the alley

In the moment of safety, you shot Fade and the Prowlers disintegrated.  Turning around, you spotted Brimstone’s mirror before Reyna’s Leer blinded him

You shot him before Reyna could and watched a soul orb float out from him

“You work faster than I can kill Y/N.  Very impressive, I knew I would like working with you.”

Throughout Pearl, the sounds of boots and heavy gear signaled the arrival of more Atlas units.  Reyna got a confident look on her face

“Y/N, be a dear and defuse the Spike.  I will handle the rest of these soldaditos.”  Reyna sauntered off while activating her Empress form

Beginning to inspect the site, you couldn’t see any sort of movement or soldiers around.  The Spike was hidden under the tower area, directly under the pillar. 

 You moved towards it carefully, checking for any incoming enemies and removing a defuser from your person.  From a ways away you heard the sounds of Reyna’s massacre

Right as you began to defuse, something dropped from the ceiling.  A shimmering form fell onto you and put you in a chokehold before forcing you to the ground

A strike to your jaw disoriented you and your assailant took your Phantom.  You reached to hold onto it but merely tapped it as it was torn from your hands

“For someone meant to be me, you leave a lot to be desired.” 

Your mirror reveled in the face they had you completely beaten from their surprise attack

“I know Reyna is here somewhere too, but from the sounds back there I guess she’ll have her hands full.  I wonder if she’ll die to the Spike or to me.”

Combat and gunfire from the other side of Pearl proved Reyna wouldn’t be coming back

“Let’s finish you off first.  There’s only room for one of us and I don’t think you measure up to the real thing.” your double aimed the Phantom at your head

The gun clicked harmlessly, and your mirror realized you had dexterously flipped the safety on when they stole it

Energy flooded your hands and you jumped towards your mirror.  Pummeling them rapidly, you unleashed your radiance onto them and finished them off

The Spike began to spin faster, but you calmly deactivated it without a second thought

“Is that your mirror Y/N?  It looks like you made an example of them.”  Reyna purred as she walked towards you

“They spouted something about being the ‘real version’ before I beat them.  I don’t think they’ll make that mistake again.”

“You have come so far Y/N, I think we should revel in our victory.  Crushing our enemies is something to celebrate, de acuerdo?”

“We should do something  then, I want to hear more about how you rampaged through those Atlas soldiers.”

“We’ll catch up over dinner Y/N, I have a special place in mind once we return.”

“Oh?”

“Make sure you wear your best, I know I will.”

“I’m looking forward to it then.”

(Hidden within one of the stories is some lore for an upcoming post. See if you can spot it, because it relates back to the unearthed archives I'm posting!)

[rpvmsx]

@forestofforever from here

His most immediate response is a hearty chuckle. Perhaps he's just a nervous laugher? Although his shit-eating grin would suggest otherwise.

"My, that's a cute little thing. What exactly do you think you're going to do with that?" His eyes flick down to gesture to the blade, though he cannot see it.

The confident facade falters for just a moment as he swallows, a sudden flash of memories, and their associated emotions, hitting him as he feels the pressure of the blade. But they rather quickly resolve back into a grin of renewed vigor, a flash of teeth. Sharp teeth, biting his lip in a deliberate attempt to call attention to them.

A gloved hand reaches for Sylvester's, hoping to disarm him or, at the very least, restrain him. He's not as quick when he's hungry, but maybe a small distraction will even the odds. "Dinner? Personally, I'm famished, and really this is no way to treat a guest."

[rreskk]

Heads or tails

TW: Smut, slight bdsm? (not heavy though).

Summary: You can pick heads, Trevor’s dominance over you, or you can pick tails, Trevor’s submission to you. 

(If you don’t like this stuff, pls go away. I only write for the dirty sluts (aka me).  -Might delete later lolz

HEADS  YOU PICKED DOMINANT TREVOR PHILIPS. ENJOY BEING FUCKED WITH, WHORES. 

-----Dominant Trevor Philips-----

His supreme sense of domineering control, you are forced into his wrath. His friendliness doesn’t count when he is feeling you, licking you, tasting you until you only scream his name. That’s what Trevor always fantasises about; the sight of you pleading for him to fuck you up further. It makes him feel wanted and appreciated, almost craving your tongue to spit out his name whether it’s out of love or hate. He is a ticking time bomb and the only place he’d want to explode in, is inside you. There are no doubt abouts about it.

His hand will lend you a groping sensation as he toys you around, fondling your skin and aching your muscles. Trevor worships your body even when he’s abusing it, taking time to watch every inch of your face cry when he gives you the best hour of your life. Your hair suddenly becoming a tool for him to mangle and pull, feeling the adrenaline rush when he hears you cry out in pain. It makes him drool uncontrollably. He couldn’t get enough of you.

His husky voice ruling you to obey his commands or you’ll be punished. Trevor hopes each time you’ll put up a fight so he can desperately and physically dominate you, teaching you another lesson that you CANNOT beat him. If that makes him feel God-like, then you must be damned. He’ll punish you while reassuring your perfect behaviour, hassling and humiliating you to sob and project your everlasting admiration to him.

Trevor’s not to be hoaxed with. He will make you feel sorry about it. That’s why you can’t get enough of him.

TAILS YOU PICKED SUBMISSVE TREVOR PHILIPS. I BET YOU LOVE BEING CALLED MUMMMY. 

-----Submissive Trevor Philips-----

No matter how thunderous and intimidating the man is against the familiar people he encounters daily, with the snarl of your lips, he is down below, holding his head up high like an obedient dog. Whispering how sorry he was for being a menace, you’d jester him into begging for touch, adjuring you to strike him with all your core power. Trevor knows his place with you, balancing out his uncontrollable behaviour from outside of the bedroom, tasting the same medicine of treatment he assigns on other people.

Disarming his authority over his own actions, you’d stroke his hair as he pathetically kisses the inside of your thigh, yelping whenever you’d close your legs on him. In regards to formally punishing him, you’d restrain his movement and toggle over his hopeless body. Trevor’s big mouth splutters and falls into incomplete words, moaning and groaning at the sight of you watching over him. His eyes fuelling with secrets that no one else knows apart from you. Secrets of how pathetic and easy he is to cum with under the grasp of your control.

Even though he is unable to correct his sentences, he’d yap and beg, even when you are pressing your foot against his lower chest, watching him twitch and grow. One hand around his neck, one hand holding his crotch, any physical and erotic contact, he yearns for you more. He’d finish within seconds of your hand around his cock, but he’ll do anything his darling desires, waiting for his permission to cum.

Trevor likes the sensation of being overpowered after surrounding himself with people who overmined his stability and strength. He is not as scary as he seems. Not when he’s under your spell.

[atkrnina]

memento mori (2)

one clean cut, and it'd be over. 

Quaritch held her long braid firmly in his hand, as he considered the thought. 

"only three fingers, sir," 

a man said, nodding at her hands. 

he huffed in dissatisfaction. she had still cost him two men. besides, her involvement in reaching Jakes children must've meant something. perhaps he was just reaching, but it was worth a try. 

"pack her up. she's coming with us," 

then he took her bow and removed the dagger from the leather band around her waist.

—

Tiya awoke in what could best be described as a living nightmare. it was loud, and small. aliens surrounded her and she was disarmed. whatever they had done to her, it was clouding her senses.

her hands were restrained, her right leg felt cold and heavy. 

"it's awake, sir," 

a large hand reached for her neck, grabbing her firmly. 

she hissed and snarled, as much as she could while her body didn't feel like her own. 

"seems like we found ourselves a fighter. safe your strength, you'll need it, sweetheart," 

Tiya attempted to bite him when he pulled his hand back, but she was too slow, far too slow, resulting in the alien reacting way in time. He put his arm under her chin and pressed her neck against the back of the machine they were in. 

"what a warrior you are, I cannot wait what you have in store for us," 

his words barely reached her ears, it was too loud. she wished for the silence of the forest, for the comfort of her home. Tiya wished for this alien to leave her alone, to die. To leave this planet at once and to never come back.

as her yellow eyes glanced out of the machine, she looked down at her home, her beautiful home. where they had lived so peacefully, until the sky people returned. bringing nothing more but death and destruction. whatever they touched, they destroyed.

Tiya refused to let them destroy her, too.

—

their home was cold. crowded. Tiya still felt besides her when they pushed her past humans in strange clothing, past unknown rooms. Yet the warrior hadn't given up. 

the aliens that held her, didn't hold her particularly firm. they still thought her to be too weak. either that or they thought her to be stupid.

in a well chosen moment, Tiya forcefully tore herself from their grip, running down the cold corridors and past the terrifying humans. they were so small in comparison to her, yet so lethal. without their weapons, they'd be nothing. 

a good hunter, was always a good hunter, and a good warrior, if need be. on the back of an Ikran or a pa'li. Even without a weapon, they were good at tracking, concealing their tracks and being one step further than their opponent. humans couldn't do any of that. they couldn't even breathe their air, without a mask.

shouting erupted from behind Tiya, as she kept running, her legs only carrying her with an unusual struggle. blood started to pour again from her wound. when she eventually found herself in a room without an exit. humans besides her stumbled away in fear, speaking and shouting in their demon tongue, as she whipped their precious stuff over with her tail. 

terrified and angry she looked around for an exit. her throat felt tight, her lungs were aching for air. 

she wondered what Tsu'tey would say, if he'd see her like this. surrounded by the enemy, disarmed, trying desperately to put on any kind of fight. 

the tall alien that had shot her, who had sat besides her during the ride back,  stood now towards Tiya, as she frantically stumbled backwards, the pain in her right right thigh too prominent too ignore it longer. 

but her visage remained distorted in rage, as she hissed and snarled at him continuously, while her throat felt tighter and tighter. 

"hold fire, i'll give it thirty more seconds until she's out,"

"yes, colonel,"

the Na'vi looked awful to him, with her right leg that was covered in blood, and her blue skin that looked paler in the artificial light of the room she had trapped herself in. it were her eyes that conveyed unwavering rage towards him and the rest of his kind. 

she had knocked everything over with her tail. glass crunched beneath his feet as he approached her. 

her big yellow eyes met his and she gave him one last hiss, before falling on her knees, into the shards of glass, wheezing for air. 

"mask, please," 

he commanded, as he crouched besides her. maybe he should let her wither away, she was still a killer, after all. 

the fight hadn't left her entirely. Tiya watched as the alien came closer to her, using all her remaining strength to bury her fangs in his neck, earning a painful grunt, followed by a sharp hiss, as he tore her away, dragging her teeth over the sensitive skin on his neck. 

"shit! colonel are you alright?" 

blood immediately poured from the bite, his blood stained her chin and lips, as she finally gave into her oxygen loss. it felt like falling asleep, but worse. because she wasn't at home, she wasn't safe, with her people.

"where's the damn mask?" 

another marine stumbled besides him, pressing the mask on the woman's face and mouth. 

"let the scientists see her for that wound,"

he pressed a cloth to his neck that another scientist had handed him. the bite stung awfully, she had definitely known well where to hit him. he hoped he didn't contract any illnesses from her saliva, as there was no way that these Na'vi were clean. 

"keep her restrained and always in sight,"

—

Tiya awoke after a dreamless sleep. in a small, glass cube with white interior. this entire room was too small for her, Tiya had never been forced into such a small space before and her ears twitched nervously. when she sat up, she immediately saw the unfamiliar white cloth around her thigh. the pain had subsided slightly. 

the cloth was wrapped firmly around her blue striped skin. she didn't trust it. it came from these aliens, these sky people. Tiya knew that nothing good ever came from them.

so she began tearing it off her skin, hissing quietly to herself. her tail whipped in distress, as she dug her fingers into the cloth to rip it off. Tiya didn't want this. any of this. she wanted to go home. 

it didn't take long until her captors noticed that. 

"why are they so stupid?" 

one of them huffed. 

"i'll go in and see if she talks," Quaritch decided.

his neck still hurt. he ended up getting stitches just like she did for her bullet wound. 

Tiya stared in shock at her wound. it was strangely flicked with black strings. her ears flattened as she pulled at them, wanting them out of her skin at once, or else she would feel like she had been poisoned. it hurt, when she pulled at them. blood began seeping out of her skin, as she hissed in frustration and in pain. 

she prayed to Eywa that everything would be fine, that she would be freed soon, she prayed for strength and guidance for whatever came next. her hand laid on her colorful neckpiece, as she felt her heartbeat. 

it was calm around her. too calm. 

when the door to her cell opened, she immediately hissed at the alien who entered, taking a defensive stance that still hurt her wounded leg. the alien towards her put the mask over his mouth and nose, as the door behind him shut. the alien was odd, all of them were. however, she had never seen one so close to her. 

their eyes were so small, they probably could barely see at night, so were his ears. Tiya wouldn't be surprised if he had issues hearing his enemies when they approached him from behind. hearing was a sense that was crucial for the Na'vi hunters. no,  he was no Na'vi. he was an alien, a monster who tried to walk among them, but failed miserably. with his odd hands, and the even stranger clothes. 

"tell me your name," 

even his voice sounded odd to her, especially when speaking in his demon tongue.

her tail whipped aggressively back and forth, yellow eyes fixated him. all he got was a snarl. he hadn't expected more. even when injured, Quaritch was sure she would fight him to death. because she was an animal, like the one who had killed him. the old him.

"tell me your name and maybe you don't die for what you did," 

Quaritch insisted, threatening her. he knew she understood him, she had to. the Na'vi simply didn't want to answer. she wouldn't, unless he made her.

the woman hissed at him again, it was her only reply. she did not fear death, her time was just borrowed, and she had no problem with giving it back to the great mother.

"fine,"

----------

thank you for reading so far! let me know what you think, I am always open for recommendations and improvement :))

[tup-ika-5385]

Umbaran Shadows and Blue Milk Ice Cream

Summary: 

Nearly six months after Umbara, Tup still can’t push away his alarm as he wakes up in a familiar darkness. After a nightmarish encounter, he finds comfort in a quiet moment with his vod.

Inspired by old rp threads with @clonetrooperdogma and @umbaranshadow!

AO3 Link: Here

_______________________

Cold shadows and familiar mist filled Tup’s vision. When he closed his eyes, he’d been safe in the barracks, but now dull purples and neon reds surrounded him on all sides. His stomach clenched with dread, but he knew he was back on Umbara. 

Crouching in a dark trench, he could feel the grit between his fingers, and chills went up his spine as he heard a terrifyingly familiar voice, guttural and irate. With a sharp intake of breath, he muttered, “I-It can’t be–”

Turning around, he nearly came face-to-chest with General Krell, the Besalisk towering over him like always, looking down his nose at Tup. He glanced around, for an escape or one of his brothers, he didn’t know, but he was completely alone. 

“Well… CT-5385… looks like you’re all alone. Run out of brothers to kill?” Voice dripping in cruelty, Krell gestured behind him to a pile of bodies, stacks of armor bleeding with golden-yellow and blue. At the word “brothers,” his lips curled with smug irony.

“G-General Krell, I-I… how–” Tup flinched despite himself, thinking of all the lives he’d taken on that force-forsaken planet, and how many brothers had died by Krell’s hand.

In the back of his mind, a small portion of his subconscious realized that he was dreaming; he had to be. So with his arms still shaking, he curled his hands into fists and turned to Krell, eyes angry.  “You’re not a General anymore, you don’t deserve that honor. And Captain Rex said we’re men! Not numbers! A-And you’re dead! You can’t hurt any of us, not anymore!”

Krell gave a harsh laugh, seeming to get taller as he towered over Tup. “Pitiful… is that what you tell yourself in order to comfort your little clone friends? You are men?”

He leaned down so he was face-to-face with Tup, a harsh hand jabbing his chest. “You are an experiment! An abomination!” 

Knocking aside his helmet, Krell gripped Tup’s head in one large hand, gesturing to his armor and hair. “You think these little trinkets make you an individual? Make you human? They don’t! You and the rest of you clones… are nothing but meat shields! Pawns in a higher game– one that your incompetent little minds cannot comprehend! You were made to die for nothing!”

Tup struggled in Krell’s grip, reaching for his blaster but coming up empty. His feet scrabbled as Krell lifted him off the ground. Chest bursting with helpless rage, Tup grit out, “I-I’m not afraid– Do your worst!” Feeling around his belt, Tup managed to get a hand on his vibroknife.

Krell’s voice took on a sickly-sweet tone. “You should be very afraid, CT-5385... I may be dead, but you are not. You cannot harm me, but I am more than ready to harm you...  Just ask Dogma.. He’s already had a taste.. A small one but, an experience nonetheless.. His real pain will come from killing you.”

Tup’s eyes widened when, all of a sudden, Dogma appeared beside them, gun in hand, shaking and looking as distraught as Tup had ever seen him, and that’s when Tup made his move. With an angry yell, he struck in one swift blow, aiming for Krell’s arm around his neck, but with a simple wave of his other hand, Krell knocked the blade across the room. He smiled cruelly at Tup in a way that sent chills down his spine. “As I said.. pitiful.”

Disarmed but not fully restrained, Tup put all his strength into a last ditch swing, aiming for Krell’s jiggling throat sack like he wished he’d had the courage to do all those days ago. He thought to himself, knowing it could be the last thing he did. “For my vode, who I wish I could have helped when it mattered…”

Rough hands restrained Tup’s, and all of a sudden, a single shot of blasterfire went off. A burning pain pierced Tup’s abdomen and the world faded to black.

____________________

Jerking awake with one hand on his vibroknife, Tup gasped for breath, still feeling the non-existent blaster wound in his chest. He took a few shuddering breaths before standing up, making his way to the fresher. He splashed his face a few times, trying to stop his hands from shaking. “J-Just a dream, di’kut…”

He looked at his reflection in the mirror with a sigh. It’s been six months since Umbara, to the day, and it still shook him up inside. He grimaced at the small bags under his eyes, hair a tangled mess. Shaking his head, he grabbed a hairtie on his wrist and corralled it into a poor attempt for a bun, hands still fighting for steadiness.

With his heart still trying to beat out of his chest, he sighed to himself. There’s no way he’d be able to fall back asleep after a nightmare like that. He muttered tiredly, “Maybe I’ll head to the mess, get something to drink… try to clear my head.” 

Exiting the fresher, Tup made his way to the mess hall. He hoped Dogma was getting better sleep than him; he’d heard his vod muttering in his sleep earlier, but had decided to let him be. As he walked down the halls, he checked his chrono, learning that it was nearly 0200. Rounding the corner, Tup looked up and nearly collided with another trooper still in their blacks. 

The other trooper had been almost racing the opposite direction when their paths met, and Tup started when he recognized their familiar V-shaped tattoo. “Sorry, I– Tup? What are you doing awake?” Dogma jumped a little at the realization, shoulders tense.

Tup gave him a brief smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Hey Dogma… couldn’t sleep. Bad dreams…” He glanced at his brother, noticing a familiar worry-line on his forehead. “... you okay? You look a little stressed.”

Dogma straightened, biting his lip and looking away from Tup. “No, I’m fine.” He fidgeted with the sleeves of his blacks, a tell they’d both shared since Kamino, so Tup pressed a little.

“Do you mean “no, I’m not fine,” or “yes, I’m fine?” Because it sounds more like the first one to me, vod.”

Dogma hesitated, glancing back at Tup reluctantly, noticing for the first time how messy his hair was. Tup’s hair had two main states: down and relaxed or up and tight, passing any GAR inspection. Unless someone else was trying out new hairstyles on him, Tup didn’t really do messy buns, except for now, that is. Paired with his fake smile and minutely shaking hands, they didn’t give Dogma a good picture. 

Head tilting in quiet concern, he ignored Tup’s question, asking, “What about you? Nightmares don’t usually have you this worked up.”

Tup sighed, running one hand through his hair. “I’ll be okay in a little. It’s just… Krell again…” He wrapped his arms around himself. “I was back on Umbara, and he was there… calling us meat droids and pawns. I tried to fight him, b-but I was useless. Couldn’t even throw a punch at that stupid throat sack of his… a-and then he ordered you to shoot me…” 

Hands shaking as he clenched them into fists, Tup rubbed his forehead in defeat. “... sometimes I wish we could forget Umbara altogether…”

Dogma went pale at the mention of Umbara, breath catching in his throat. “Wait, you– that’s… that’s not possible! He-he can’t–” He broke off, shaking his head rapidly. 

Swallowing thickly, Dogma’s eyes filled with dread. “He… he told me that I was going to hurt you– that your blood would be on my hands… I-I dreamed I was on Umbara, and there was a blaster in my hands, and–” He gripped his head with his hands, eyes shut tightly as he started to hyperventilate.

Tup’s eyes widened in surprised concern. “Woah, Dogma, hey… it’s okay, vod…” He reached for Dogma, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder, telegraphing his movements so Dogma could push away if he wanted. 

Lightly squeezing his shoulder, Tup spoke again. “None of this is your fault, a-and none of it was your fault back then either. Krell’s gone; h-he can’t hurt us anymore.” 

He gestured to his clean blacks, not a spot on them or any sign of injury. “Look, see? I’m okay, Dogma. We’re okay…” Slowly, not wanting to startle him further, Tup leaned forward to tap their foreheads together, like they’d do as cadets, the arm on his shoulder light enough to allow Dogma to escape if he needed space, but heavy enough to ground him back in the present.

Dogma forced himself to calm down a little, fighting to sync his breathing to Tup’s. He leaned into Tup’s embrace until the tightness in his chest started to ease a little bit. Voice hoarse, he muttered, “Yeah, I… Sorry– Sorry…” He stayed like that for a little longer before pulling away, finally managing some semblance of calmness.

Tup let Dogma pull away, looking relieved as he calmed down a little. Focusing on Dogma kept his own worry at bay. “I don’t mind, Dogma… you don’t need to apologize, vod. Especially not for that.” Looking around the empty hallway, he decided to sit down so his back was against the wall, and after a beat, Dogma joined him. “Sorry for scaring you, I-I just… it made me worry too, you know?”

Dogma nodded in understanding, not that he’d ever blame Tup for his own issues. He let out a small exhale, looking away again. “Still, it’s a bit of a coincidence that we both had the same dream.” Dogma muttered, breath slowing as he was reassured by Tup’s presence.

“I heard Kix call it the anniversary effect one time, maybe a month after the campaign. Besides, we’re closer than most vode; it’s not too surprising that we’d share dreams.” Tup gave him a small smile, this one reaching his eyes a little more than the last one.

Leaning back against the wall, Tup huffed to himself as he felt his stomach grumble lightly. He hadn’t been very hungry at dinner that night, with the mess hall unusually quiet. Glancing back at Dogma, he asked, “Have you eaten since training, Dogma? Didn’t see you at late-meal tonight.” 

Dogma hesitated for a beat longer than he should have, knowing he’d been caught. “Wasn’t hungry… why?”

“Well, I was heading to the mess hall before we ran into each other. Do you want to come with me? We could both use a midnight snack. Besides, it’d be nice to not be alone… unless you were planning on going back to bed?” He gave Dogma a slightly smug look, knowing full well that neither of them would be sleeping anytime soon. 

A look of mild annoyance made its way onto Dogma’s face, knowing he was caught. He sighed. “Fine, I’ll go with you. Just because I have nothing better to do. And you’re right, a snack wouldn’t hurt.”

Tup grinned, starting to stand up before offering a hand to Dogma, which he hesitantly accepted. “You know, I think there’s still some ice cream in the stasis freezer. Perfect for a midnight snack– or a 0200 snack, I guess.” He clarified as Dogma opened his mouth, about to correct him on the time. 

They made their way to the kitchen, where they found and easily made their way through a half-carton of blue milk ice cream. And if they sat a little bit closer than usual on the durasteel benches in the dimly-lit mess hall, neither of them said anything.

[jemgirl86]

I genuinely cannot believe how many people seem to not only be alright with, but seem absolutely giddy about, a grown woman, a substitute teacher no less, fighting a child. Not subduing. Not restraining. Not disarming. Not even grabbing long enough to just remove the kid the from the room. No, honest to God fighting, like they’d fight a man on the street. It’s actually depressing. Nobody finds anything weird about this. I’m not some new age out of touch living on a commune weirdo, but I thought we all agreed that grown ups fighting kids was crazy. You can’t just fight a kid because they’re disrespectful. I’m sorry, I can’t stop thinking about this. It’s insane to me. She went to work and fought a kid who is a third her size, when she could’ve just left the room. Who does that?

You know, at the school I went to for kindergarten, the principal paddled kids. You weren’t getting suspended or detention unless you did something crazy. For a run of the mill rule violation, you got paddled. I never did lol, but other kids did regularly. Sometimes parents or grandparents would come whoop their kids in front of the class. I don’t agree with it. I don’t personally believe in spanking or corporal punishment, but I’m just saying, I went to a school where it happened regularly. My point is: that’s not even what this was. Corporal punishment is bad enough. This was worse. This was a sub losing their mind. I just cannot wrap my head around it.

ETA: Made the mistake of commenting a condensed version of this on a Tiktok that was literally just a news clips saying that both the student and teacher had been charged, and now every Tom, Dick, and Harry, is replying to me trying to debate me about why they should, checks notes, be able to fight children who disrespect them.

I feel like I’m in the fucking twilight zone 🤪

[bridgertonbabe]

Can we see Colin’s reaction to Philloise and Franchel?

Philloise had been keeping their relationship secret, wanting to find the best time to let their friends and family know that that they were in a serious relationship (with the only people knowing being Sophie and Benedict). It was when they were visiting Aubrey Hollow with the twins that Oliver began grumbling because he had forgotten his favourite toy and Colin volunteered to fetch it from their flat. He apparated there and back but upon his return he fixed Eloise with a quizzical stare and asked where it was she slept in the flat. "Coz I've only just realised the bedroom you used to sleep in has now been turned into an office." he remarked. "So where exactly do you sleep now?" Silence filtered through the kitchen of Aubrey Hollow as Eloise maintained Colin's stare - and then she made the mistake of glancing at Phillip, which Colin followed and suddenly the pieces all fell together. "No." he uttered. "No." he began shaking his head frantically. "NO!!!" he practically screeched. "No, no, no!" "Colin, dear, please calm down," Violet tried to intervene as he startled the babies. "NO! I cannot believe this!" he fumed. "How could you prey on Phil like that and take advantage of him?!" "I didn't prey on him!" Eloise raged. "We fell in love-" "FUCK!" Colin yelled. "Not again! Not this again!" "Fuck." Little Amelia echoed much to her mother's chagrin. "Right, outside; now!" Colin declared. "We're duelling over this!" "Oh, you cannot be serious," Sophie sighed. "Fine by me!" Eloise jumped to her feet and marched out after him where she proceeded to magically beat his ass.

Having seen how poorly Colin had taken Benophie and Philloise getting together, Francesca had a much more direct approach. While she and Michael had kept their relationship private while they had been away touring, as soon as they had become official and arrived home she knew it was better just to get it over and done with. Michael joined the family at Aubrey Hollow for a gathering and as soon as Colin appeared Francesca disarmed him and struck him with the body-bind hex and muffling spell. “Michael and I are in a relationship. We’ve been together for nearly six months now and no he didn’t take advantage of me, I was the one who seduced him. We’re very happy and we’re looking for a place to live together and we’ve even talked about getting married one day.” she told him bluntly. Colin’s eyes widened and a muffled scream emited from him as his paralysed body vibrated. “If there’s anything else you want to tell him while he’s restrained, I’d do it now if I were you.” Francesca mentioned to the other couples. “Eloise and I are engaged.” Phillip stated, causing Colin’s muffled screaming to go up an octave as his face reddened even more. The whole family agreed to keep a seething Colin restrained for an hour so he had time to come to terms with the news and calm down, but even once he was released he was still absolutely pissed.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

A federal judge in Oklahoma has ruled that a federal law prohibiting people who use marijuana from owning firearms is unconstitutional, the latest challenge to firearms regulations after the conservative-dominated US supreme court set new standards for reviewing gun laws.

Lawyers for Jared Michael Harrison argued that their client’s second amendment right to bear arms was violated by a federal law that makes it illegal for “unlawful users or addicts of controlled substances” to possess firearms.

Harrison was charged after being arrested by police in Lawton, Oklahoma, in May 2022 following a traffic stop. During a search of his car, police found a loaded revolver and marijuana. Harrison told police he had been on his way to work at a medical marijuana dispensary but did not have a state-issued medical-marijuana card.

His lawyers argued the portion of federal firearms law focused on drug users or addicts was not consistent with the historical tradition of firearm regulation, echoing what the US Supreme Court ruled last year in a case known as New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen that set new standards for interpreting the second amendment.

Federal prosecutors argued that the portion of the law focused on drug users is “consistent with a longstanding historical tradition in America of disarming presumptively risky persons, namely, felons, the mentally ill, and the intoxicated”.

A US District Judge, Patrick Wyrick, agreed with Harrison’s lawyers, ruling on Friday that prosecutors’ arguments that Harrison’s status as a marijuana user “justifies stripping him of his fundamental right to possess a firearm … is not a constitutionally permissible means of disarming Harrison”.

“But the mere use of marijuana carries none of the characteristics that the nation’s history and tradition of firearms regulation supports,” said Wyrick, who was appointed by Donald Trump.

Wyrick highlighted that under Oklahoma law, marijuana can be bought legally at more than 2,000 store fronts in the state.

Attorneys for Harrison, as well as the US attorney for the western district of Oklahoma, prosecuting the case, did not immediately comment.

The ruling came after a three-judge panel of the Fifth US Circuit Court Of Appeals in New Orleans on Thursday ruled that the government cannot stop people who have domestic violence restraining orders from owning guns. The panel referenced the Bruen decision. Two of the three judges on that panel are Trump appointees.

The Justice Department has said it will seek further review of the appeals Court’s decision.

In September, a federal judge in Midland, Texas, ruled that a firearms law that bans those under felony indictment from buying guns was unconstitutional. In that case, the US District Judge David Counts, also a Trump appointee, also echoed Supreme Court language in the Bruen case, saying there was “little evidence” the ban related to being under indictment “aligns with this nation’s historical tradition”.

[beardedmrbean]

The U.S. Capitol Police had cameras outside the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, but they were not monitored, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

Capitol Police saw the flash of police lights on the camera, rewound the video and saw the break-in, according to the sources.

It is unclear whether or not the cameras should have been monitored at the time.

The Washington Post was the first to report this detail.

Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger on Tuesday said his department is looking at providing added security for members of Congress after last week's assault on Paul Pelosi.

"The USCP has engaged in a review of Friday's incident," Manger said in a statement. "We believe today's political climate calls for more resources to provide additional layers of physical security for members of Congress. This plan would include an emphasis on adding redundancies to the measures that are already in place for congressional leadership. Hopefully you can understand that we cannot disclose the details about these improvements because our country cannot afford to make it easier for any potential bad actors."

Paul Pelosi was attacked early Friday by a suspect, 42-year-old David DePape, who allegedly used a hammer to break into the Pelosi residence in the upscale Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco just before 2 a.m. local time, according to the federal complaint.

The intruder then went upstairs, where the 82-year-old Paul Pelosi was asleep, and demanded to talk to "Nancy." Despite being told that the speaker was not home and would not be for several days, DePape said he would wait and started taking out zip ties from his backpack to tie up Paul Pelosi, according to the complaint.

According to the complaint, Paul Pelosi told DePape that he needed to use the bathroom, allowing him to get his cellphone and call 911. Two police officers arrived minutes later and entered the home, encountering DePape and Paul Pelosi struggling over a hammer. The officers told the men to drop the hammer, at which time DePape allegedly gained control of the hammer and swung it, striking Paul Pelosi in the head. The officers immediately restrained and disarmed DePape, while Paul Pelosi appeared to be unconscious on the floor.

The officers later secured a second hammer, a roll of tape, white rope, zip ties as well as a pair of rubber and cloth gloves from the crime scene, according to the complaint.

MORE: Suspect in Paul Pelosi attack wanted to break Nancy Pelosi's kneecaps, according to court documents

Paul Pelosi was struck at least twice with the hammer, sources told ABC News. He was hospitalized following the attack and underwent successful surgery on Friday to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands, according to a statement from Nancy Pelosi's spokesperson, Drew Hammill. Nancy Pelosi said Monday that her husband "is making steady progress on what will be a long recovery process."

DePape is facing a slew of state charges, including attempted murder, residential burglary and assault with a deadly weapon, as well as federal charges of assault and attempted kidnapping. He pleaded not guilty Tuesday during his arraignment on state charges and denied all allegations. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Friday. He has yet to be arraigned on the federal charges.

[electrivolt]

@rockheadcd​ asked : The way he nurses a sore jaw isn't anything short of begrudging, but Roark always had the means to keep a level head when it comes to injury, be it to others, and especially himself. The skin just above bone is tender, beginning to discolor—but there's blood in those tuscan eyes, and he wants to retaliate, but no, this wasn't anything worth throwing his fist back for.

He just wasn't expecting someone to really vent out their frustrations hours after losing a gym battle, one in which Roark determined he'd be using a higher tier team, and ultimately taking his position seriously. He understood very quickly why this particular trainer had a very spotty collection of badges from different regions—and if being escorted out of several of them was likely, he was pretty sure this trainer was never allowed to come back.

"—Really?" ( is that all you got? he wants to ask, itching to handle this himself, and yet... ) the gym leader sighs as this poor trainer only fumes at Roark's lack of reaction, his hands balling up once more, asking if Roark didn't quite hear him. Oh, he did. He heard him. And so did Sunyshore's gym leader.

To wait for sunset was already bad enough, even if it was one of the few days in which Roark would be heading home before nightfall, but he never had to figure he'd need to prepare to get jumped ( was it even getting jumped if he wasn't alone to begin with? ). Sure, he'd deal with his fair share of sore losers from time to time, but they didn't actively try to hurt him—maybe verbally, but never physically. He was not the kind of person whom someone should fight, and he certainly did not dress to hide that fact.

So when this rotten loser comes to color the other side of his face, Roark is quick to take advantage of sloppy, rushed rage, and glides a forearm between his body and the other's, grabbing his arm, turning, and tossing him to the ground. He's already back to nursing his jaw the moment he lets go, stepping back to be out of arm's reach. Ugh. He can taste a little blood in his mouth, probably from accidentally gnashing his teeth against the inside of his cheek.

His father taught him how to disarm and to skirt around fights—but on the other hand, his Furfrou was not taught by anyone except survival and a healthy dose of anger. Oops!

Volkner is perhaps a little too used to angry challengers, anything from verbal assaulting with their wild accusations and spat out insults, to the few bold enough to try and get physical, forgetting already of the reputation as a delinquent that kept preceeding him. He was far too used to having to fight for his life, one way or another, for a challenger throwing a tantrum to ever really intimidate him.

What does surprise him is to see such behavior directed at Roark of all the people when there's always been nothing but praises sung about him. Logically, he knows it shouldn't be this surprising— they're all gym leaders, there are bound to be bad encounters with challengers that cannot quite accept their defeat and learn from it. Just because he is the bad one everyone is warning people of, it doesn't mean he's going to be the only one dealing with this.

It still doesn't sit right with him, an uncomfortable feeling at the pit of his stomach.

He should’ve expected this poor excuse of a trainer to retaliate— he knew the type well enough, he should’ve seen this coming from the moment he had to basically be forced out of the gym. ( he should’ve done something before the bastard even tried to lay a hand on Roark, just what was he doing standing there and not stopping him sooner— )

When the first hit comes, there is that moment of shock, the realization of what just happened hitting just a moment too late. When he sees a bruise beginning to form already, hears the pained hiss that follows, even sees the asshole trying to go for another hit? He just sees red.

Volkner moves without thinking, fists balled up and shaking with hardly restrained rage. He’s stepping in the moment this miserable excuse of a human being gets up, eyes burning yellow— and then there is no hesitation, just a knee shoved into the guy’s stomach and a cracking sound as a fist connects with his nose, sending him right back to the floor, much more forcefully than before. He’s only vaguely aware of the stinging of his knuckles, of the blood that is most definitely not his, just standing there above him, daring him to get up again.

“Wanna try that again?” And he’s positively bristling, not unlike a Luxray against a threat to what belongs to it, more than ready to keep going if he has to. He waits, glare still fixed on the guy, waits and waits with rage still held tightly and threatening to double down, until he finally takes the single chance he’s been offered to leave before Volkner really lets it get bad.

He takes a moment to watch whatever direction he picked to run off, waiting to be sure he’s not returning ( not now that he knows there’s a threat, at least... ), and then Volkner allows himself to let out a breath, let anger simmer down just enough, still there within reach, put away just enough to let his concern take over. It still takes a few more moments for bright yellow to fade back into cobalt when he catches sight of the bruise once again.

( should’ve really doubled down while he had the chance, actually, who knows if the piece of shit is petty enough to wait— )

“... Sorry.” He’s not really sure if that’s for the spectacle, or how long he took to react. Maybe both, after he’s tried for so long to help, and yet tried so hard to be better than what people still so stubbornly believed of him. ( maybe a pointless thought when he couldn’t bring himself to regret his own actions, but still— ) “Let’s just— let’s go get you some ice.” He could try to really let go of his anger later, when they’re back home and together and Roark was alright. Maybe he was allowed to hold onto it just a little longer, for now.

[bigboysfalldeep]

Officer Brady is on his way through a more isolated, wooded area out of town. Just the usual patrolling at night. There is no other vehicle on the road, and he is still a little pissed that his partner called in sick 5 minutes before the start of the shift. Without any replacement available, he was bound to do the shift on his own. Normally, this wouldn't be allowed, but in a small town, things tend to be different.

He is driving along the road when he sees a car standing at the side, with two guys standing by the trunk, seemingly looking for something. Brady slows down and stops right beside them. He cannot see their faces or hear their voices, but they seem to be around 20 years old.

Brady rolls down the window, takes his flashlight, and illuminates the scene. Two young men, one a little shorter, the other quite tall, look at him. Both, avoiding the blinding light, lift their hands to look at him.

"What are you doing here? At night?" He says, his deep voice ringing through the forrest around him. "Ehh." The small guy says this, exchanging nervous looks with the other guy. "Our car broke down." The big guy says it, his voice rough and husky. Turning the torch towards the hood of the car, Brady thinks deeply. "Do you need help?" He says, and at first, the tall guy shakes his head before the small one nudges him with his shoulder.

"That would be great, officer." He says it, his voice so soft and smooth. Brady nods, parks the car a little further down the road, and steps outside. Cautiously, he unbuttons his holster, just in case. As he walks towards the youngsters, he notices the small guy lighting up a cigarette, while the other one scratches his arm nervously.

"What's the problem?" Brady scoffs, his hands at his hips, just inches away from his gun. "I don't know." The guy says, blowing smoke towards Brady, who frowns, waving his hand to wipe away the dust. "What is that?" He coughs, taking a step closer to their car.

"Just some herbs, to calm me down." The guy said, grinning, taking another deep breath of his cigarette. "Smells disgusting." Brady says this before he gets dizzy. "Are you okay, officer?" The guy said worringly, taking a step towards Brady, who steadies himself against the car. "Yeah, it's fine." He coughs, blinking multiple times. Again, the guy blows out, this time right at the officer's face, the dust invading his nostrils, his mouth, and his eyes.

"What the fuck, dude?" Brady comes to his senses and pushes him away, but then he stumbles, one arm at his forehead, the other at his holster, desperately trying to draw his pistol. "You... you are arrested." He says his vision is getting blurry, and his head and body are heavy. "I don't think so." The guy says so triumphantly and disarms Brady rather easily.

Then, the other guy appears from behind him, restraining him with ease. "Jack, I think this is a mistake." He says, holding back Brady, whos still trying to fight back. "Shut up, Danny boy." Jack grunts, getting closer to Brady. "This is perfect." He chuckles, looking at the officer, unable to get free. "But.. hes a.." Interrupting him, Jack barks loudly. "SHUT THE FUCK UP." Danny gets silent, while Brady ceases to struggle. "Let me go. I don't know who you are, but you should listen to your friend." He says it slowly before Jack gently lifts his chin to look into his eyes.

"Thank you, Officer, but no." He says this, taking another deep breath and blowing the smoke right into Brady's mouth, who takes all of it in. His eyes roll back for a second, and his body gets stiff. "What are you doing to me?" He groans, but Jack cackles. "You're mine now." Jack pats his cheek and motions for Danny to let go of him. "Get inside the car; look out for any intruder."

Danny nods and leaves. Brady stands there, dizzy, confused, and helpless, as Jack walks around him. "Nice body." He smirks. Now, behind him, he hugs him, stroking him through his uniform. "Fuck you." Brady says it derpily, but something in his mind is enjoying this. "So resentful." Jack says, wrapping a hand around the officer's neck, slightly chocking him. At the same time, he places a hand on his shoulder, right by his neck.

"Now listen, officer." He whispers into Brady's ear. "Focus on my voice. Just my voice. As I lead you deeper and deeper into your mind, Jack's voice gets even smoother, softer, and more arrogant at the same time. Brady shakes his head, but the grip around his neck tightens intensely. "As an officer, you were trained to serve, conditoned to serve, and made to serve. And now, I will reactivate that part of you, the best part of you." Jack's voice invades the cop's mind. Every word feels so heavy, so toxic, yet so right. "Dont, please." Brady begs. 

"You now want it. You know how you are meant to be, don't you? Jack grins and lets go of him. The officer drops to his knees, steadying himself against the cold floor. Catching his breath, he coughs again and again. But Jack lifts his head again; this time, he puts the cigarette into Brady's mouth, and instantly, he takes another deep breath, the smoke filling his lungs and the taste filling his mouth.

"Good Officer." Jack pulls at the cigarette one last time and throws it away. "Now get up." He watches Brady get up, his eyes foggy and his body stiff, with his muscles bulging through the tight uniform. "What do we have here?" Jack says, searching every pocket of the jacket until he finds a wallet. "Ah, gotcha. Vince Brady. Is that right?" The officer nods mindlessly.

"Officer Brady, can you hear me?" Jack smirks, putting a hand on the shoulder once more; this time, he pinches him firmly before leaning into him again. "Yes." Brady says it in a dull voice. "Good. Now listen to me. You are mine now. You will do as I say, when I say it. Understood?" Jack grunts, and Brady nods.

"Now. Strip." He demands, and the officer followed his command. Brady takes his jacket off, his vest, his belt, his holster, his shoes, and his pants. Jack watches him closely, stroking his cock through his jeans. "That's what I like." He says, looking at the huge bugle in the cops briefs. "Get inside the car, backseat." He points at the car, and as Brady gets inside, Jack collects the uniform and puts it into the trunk.

"Is he ready?" Danny says once Jack is in the car, he is also in the backseat. "Not yet; get us home while I finish him." Jack turns to the officer, who stares into the void; all that is left are his briefs, socks, and gloves. He leans into him again, pinching his shoulder. Brady's eyes roll back into his head instantly, and his cock moves rapidly.

"Officer Brady. When I touch you, when I speak to you, when I want you to, you will strip just like before, get on your knees, and worship my cock. When I am generous, you can take it into your mouth, understood? Licking his lips in expectation, Brady nods. "For now, I need you to follow my voice, even deeper into your mind." Jack starts stroking Brady's chest, his nipples, his tummy, through his abs, and down to his crotch.

"I want you to put all of your resistance, all of your will to fight back, and all that's left of your old self into your cock, making it harder than ever before." The officer groans, bending his body, and Jack feels the man's dick swelling more and more. "Good boy." He smiles, but you can only cum when I allow it. Without my permission, you must not cum once." He says, stroking him again and again, enjoying the sight of this bulky man on the verge of his dick errupting.

"Now, Officer, when I snap my finger, you will cum, and with that, you will be my mindless tool, my fucktoy, wearing your dirty, stained uniform all day, sucking my cock whenever I need you too." Brady groans loudly, unable to hold back any longer, and his dick is already leaking harshly.

'snap'

With that, the cops dick shoots a massive load, once then twice, moaning loudly. And instantly, his body slumps into the seat of the car, his will and personality gone forever. "Good boy." Jack smirks triumphantly and looks at Danny, who was rubbing his cock while driving. "That's always the best part." He grins, and Jack slides his hands into his jeans. "Now it's my turn."

[monstersdownthepath]

Monster Spotlight: Clockwork Soldier

CR 6

Neutral Medium Construct

Bestiary 3, pg. 57 (pic from 2e Bestiary 3, pg. 49)

Construction Requirements: Craft Construct, and a caster level of 12 (this cannot be bypassed). Geas/Quest, and Heroism. Craft (Clockwork) with a Craft DC of 20.

Specially crafted clockwork gears make up the internals of the Soldier, and the total price of these pieces must equal or exceed 1,000gp. Clockwork Soldiers are created without weapons; one must be provided for it, which tends to increase the base price considerably.

Cost to Build: The carefully constructed machines nevertheless have to be continuously reinforced. They ARE meant to be frontline guardians, after all, and because of this they require extra care to protect their vulnerable mainsprings and logic engines. All this extra care adds up to a 19,000 to create just one!

Among the expensive, fragile, and notoriously finicky Clockworks, the humble Clockwork Soldier is the most boring but likely the most practical one. Like all Clockworks, their logic engines give them problem-solving capabilities and the power to ape intelligence and tactical thinking despite having an Intelligence score of ---, able to perform complex tasks and maneuvers without receiving verbal orders from their creators. In addition to their mimed intelligence, Clockwork Soldiers also have reinforced mainsprings that grant them Efficient Winding, doubling the amount of time they can go without being wound back up, and can go even further than that by entering Standby, which is how they usually get the drop on the party.

While in Standby their mainspring doesn’t wind down at all, allowing them to remain indefinitely in place if need be... Yet their digital minds do not slumber. They remain awake and aware, scanning their surroundings in case something approaches that’s not supposed to. Unlike many creatures which enter stasis or hibernation, Clockwork Soldiers do not take minutes or hours to regain consciousness, no, they spring into action immediately. They already possess a +6 to Initiative due to their built-in Improved Initiative feat, but if they begin combat while on Standby, they gain another +4 on top of that, which is usually enough to put them close to first place in the turn order.

Bad enough if one gets the drop on the party, worse if they activate after the frontliners have already passed by to leap right into the face of the softer targets. Able to wield any weapon with equal skill thanks to their advanced programming and thus infinitely customizable (their base 20 AC assumes they haven’t been given a shield or additional armor), the sample Soldier comes equipped with a +1 Halberd, making its two attacks each round deal 1d10+14 damage, tripled on a critical hit. Halberds also naturally have Brace, making charging one down to close the distance... unwise.

Of course, the most dangerous weapon Clockwork Soldiers have available is yours. Their hands easily and firmly lock around anything they grip, not only making them excellent beasts of burden, but allowing them to initiate grapples or attempt to disarm their foes as standard actions without provoking Attacks of Opportunity. Once they’ve pilfered their desired item, they can turn it back against the owners with ease due to their universal proficiency. ... or just throw it aside. If there’s multiple Soldiers it becomes even worse as one can initiate a grapple while the others stab at or disarm the restrained victim!

All in all, very plain minions with very simple tactics (plus the surprise factor of them seemingly springing to life), but their universal proficiency and humanoid shape means a DM wishing to up their threat can do so easily by simply giving them different weapons, armor, or even simple magic items. More usefully, though, they make for good “background” minions; that is, creatures that stay harmlessly in the background as laborers or even just decoration for the world... until suddenly they’re not, in a similar vein to city guards.

In fact, in more technologically advanced cities, Clockwork Soldiers make excellent city guards!

You can read more about them here.