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thephantomcasebook · 4 years ago

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Matt’s “Reasonable” Downton Abbey Movie Sequel Pitch

Since I’ve been known to take extreme flights of fancy ... maybe wedding Downton Abbey continuity to Pulp and Classic Adventure stories in the past ... this time I’m gonna pitch something that is plausible on the Silver Screen.

The Summery:

Set in the Mid-1950′s. Lady Mary Talbot hosts a house party at Downton Abbey, like the old days, before the war. However - during the party - a maid is found dead. Miles from competent investigators, Edward Pelham enlists the help of his childhood hero and older cousin, the Earl of Grantham, George Crawley. Once a famed adventurer and war hero - no one has seen or heard from him since the war ended. He has chosen solitude and exile in the seclusion of Crawley House with his young son and his faithful butler Thomas Barrow.

Together, with the help of old friends, the two cousins try to unveil the murderer that is on the loose in Downton Abbey looking to avenge an old sin from the past.

PRINCIPLE RETURNING CAST:

Lady Mary, Lady Edith, and Tom Branson - Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, and Allen Leech

Lady Rose Aldridge, “Dowager Countess of Sinderby” - Lily James

Mrs. Lucy Branson - Tuppence Middleton

Anna Bates - Joanne Froggett

Thomas Barrow & Richard Ellis - Richard Collier & Max Brown

NEW PRINCIPLE CAST

Captain George “The Comet” Crawley, Earl of Grantham - Henry Cavil

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Crippled during battle while Storming an SS held Austrian Castle in May 1945, George Crawley chose seclusion rather than Downton Abbey. For the last ten years he has retreated from the world. Surrounded by Libraries of ancient texts and Medieval Chronicles - glass cases filled with trophies and artifacts from his adventures - George broods darkly over the death of his men and a betrayal by the one he loved most in Matthew Crawley’s old chair by the fire..

However, his young idealistic cousin rouses the once heroic and valiant adventurer back to action with the encouragement of his son Jason Crawley and Thomas Barrow, who believe George has sat idle too long and must become the leader and man of action he once was.

“Well, well, well ... if it isn’t Captain George “The Comet” Crawley himself. The most Dangerous Man in the whole Empire, this one was ... Once.

“Yes, I dare say, and how are you holding up these days, eh, Old Boy?!”

“With a cane.”

Ms. Sybil “Sybbie” Branson - Jessica De Gouw

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A Genius Mechanical Engineer, Sybbie was once the partner and companion of George Crawley on many adventure and stayed by his side throughout the war. However in 1943, during a mission with their SOE Commando Team in Greece, Sybbie Branson turned coat on the Allies and was revealed to be a Nazi Agent ... Her betrayal caused the unintended death of John “Johnny” Bates Jr.

Captured in Austrian Castle in May of 1945 at great cost in George’s blood and the lives of his men by her fanatical suitor and body guards, Sybbie was tried at Nuremberg for helping design super weapons for the Nazis. However, just before her execution, at the last moment, she was reprieved and recruited by “Operation Paper Clip” ... some believed sparing her life was the last thing George did before going into seclusion.

Ten years later, Ms. Sybil Darcy splits her time in Hollywood as an Oscar winning actress and a Southern California Military Base where she helps develop rockets for a fledgling American Space Program. It is only by chance that on another guilt ridden drinking binge that she awakens at the doors of Downton Abbey - her childhood home - where her International Playboy fiance was invited to Lady Mary’s House Party.

“When I’m in his arms all I can think of is home, and when I think of home all I can think of is you. I know what I’ve done is evil and can never be forgiven. And I don’t ask for it from you ... all I ask is that you wait for me ... please, don’t leave me here alone. I don’t remember what this world was like without you in it, And all I know is that I cannot live in such a world. I know you don’t want to hear it, but I love you, and I’ll never stop ... Never.”

Lady Marigold Fraser, “Countess of Tarahill” - Elizabeth Henstridge

During the “Battle of Britain” and “The Blitz” Corporal Marigold Crawley served as a operator and airwoman in the RAF control room. When George and Sybbie’s squadron was sent to break the Siege of Malta and fight in the North Africa Campaign , Marigold would not be left behind. Thus, she resigned commission and became a War Corespondent for her Mamma and Aunt Laura at “The Sketch” - covering George and his men’s exploits from the ‘safety’ of Sybbie’s mechanic’s hanger. Later, during Sybbie’s arch betrayal, Marigold used her media and diplomatic pass as a Marquess’s step-daughter to rescue a hunted George with the help of local resistance. She went on to cover D-Day, Market Garden, and the Battle of the Bulge while attached to a much darker and violent George and his Commandos,

Marigold was vaulted as a “Female Pioneer in Journalism”. But falling in Love with a Scottish Colonel in the British Airborne during Market Garden, she chose marriage rather than her career. But 10 years later the call of adventure is stirred in the societal matron’s blood once more upon her reunion with best friend George and a Mystery to solve.

“Do you ever think of it, George?”

“The war?”

“Would you think me terrible if I told you that I miss it?”

“What particularly do you miss about the Ardennes or Arnhem Bridge?”

“It’s not the places, not the snowy woods all bundled tight together in our freezing foxhole under artillery fire, or escaping Holland on rubber rafts in the middle of the night ... I miss our men, I miss ... waking up in the morning and knowing that we were apart of something, that it was you and me, and the old chaps, against the world ... I miss being useful, George. I guess, I’d rather like to feel that way again.”

Ms. Caroline Talbot - Daisy Ridley

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Beautiful, Spoiled, Clever, Selfish, and Effete, the co-heiress to “Branson & Talbot Motors” has spent her life attempting to get a rise out of her mother. As most desirable of debutantes and Crown Princess of British High Society, Caroline spends her days scheming and contriving against other society girls, of whom she loves to torment. Her nights in nightclubs spent drinking and dancing, waking up in different beds throughout the poshest London Houses.

She loathes her mother, and blames Henry’s death on George, whose Spitfire shot down the German Bomber that crashed into Henry and Bertie’s train during “The Battle of Britain”. With George and Sybbie having never gotten along with, or been able to stand, Henry - Caroline believes George plotted her father’s death.

However, her arrogance and anger is dropped only in the presence of her best and only true friend, her cousin Edward. The only person in her unhappy life of whom she knows she truly loves.

“JUST SAY IT, MAMMA! WHY CAN’T YOU SAY IT! Why can’t you just say you didn’t love him! I’m certainly not the first unloved child ever born to a widow looking for a cheap thrill! I guess I owe you enough thanks for at least marrying Daddy!”

“Oh, pipe down, you spoiled little bitch!”

“Shut up, you Nazi whore! You two ran off to have your little adventures and you never stopped to think, just once, about me!”

“Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ! Here we are again! What could you possibly want more of?! Huh? You got everyone’s attention!”

“George, leave it!.”

“No, no more, mom! She got everything I didn’t! She got a mother and father, parents! You left me behind so that you and Henry could start your trendy new fashionable family! You took their side against me! You and Uncle Tom! Just so you can continue to play grab ass with your pathetic little trio! I spent years away from home, Christmases at Aunt Edith’s, all because Henry didn’t want me here! MY OWN HOUSE! And still, after all that, his brat wants more! So, what, Goddamnit!? What do you want from me, Caroline!?”

“YOU! I wanted my brother! I loved you and I needed you! And you left me with HER!

Lord Edward Robert Pelham, “Marquess of Hexham” - William Moseley

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Upright and just minded, Lord Hexham grew up on the stories of adventure and mystery that his older cousins, George and Sybbie, were famous for. At the death of his father in the war, he looked up to his cousin George as a male role model.

Thirteen years later, while on break from Oxford - he is not sure what to do with his life. Determined to save his beloved best friend Caroline from a nose dive of alcohol and sex turning into a death spiral, he finds himself at Downton Abbey - a guest of his Aunt Mary - when a murder takes place. But when the Killer leaves a message that it would only be the first. it seems everyone turns to him - as senior peer - for guidance. Unsure what to do, he goes to find his old mentor, George - who has much more experience in this kind of danger and mystery.

“I don’t know, Marigold ... sometimes I think I’m the wrong man for this job.”

“Nonsense. In fact, rising above the bias of an older sister and the person who helped raise you, I just happen to think you’re the perfect man for the job.”

“I feel ashamed sometimes. There are lads out there that don’t have two pounds in their hands. And here I am, a Marquess, leaving Oxford, to snuggle up to my big sister’s beast, because, I’m frustrated.”

“Well, they are fantastic breasts.”

“I’m serious ... I just, I keep telling Caroline that there’s more in life. But I feel like it’s all just words. Neither Mummy nor Papa were ever so ambitious. And it’s not that I want more power, how could I? It’s just ... I feel like there’s something out there, waiting for me to get into its shouting distance.”

Jason Matthew Crawley, Lord of Downton - Unknown (I don’t know child actors)

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Born in 1944 to an unknown mother of whom George refuses to speak of to anyone. Mary and the rest of the family were shocked and confused to find George return from the war hobbled on a cane and carrying a toddler that was unmistakably his son.

Ten years later the blue eyed raven curled boy attends the local Downton school, but is often pursued by high ranking academies for his extremely high intellect. But George refuses to entertain sending him away. Spending most days with Mary,Tom, and Edith, the boy is famed around the county for his Holmesian deduction skills ... and aptitude for machinery - which his father refuses to allow him to pursue. Serving as his father and ‘Uncle Edward’s’ assistant while investigating the murder, they find him a much bigger help than they thought possible.

“You listen to me, Cowboy ... cause I’m only going to tell you once. You stay away from Sybbie, do you understand me?”

“I was just saying that she’s beautiful -”

“Under no circumstance do you go near her or even speak to that woman.”

“But what does a movie star want with me?”

“This conversation is concluded, mind what I say.”

“But, Pop ... wha -?”

“That’s an order, Cowboy.”

“Ye- yes, Sir.”

#Downton Abbey #Sybbie Branson #George Crawley #Marigold Crawley #Caroline Talbot #Jessica De Gouw #Henry Cavill #Elizabeth Henstridge #William Moseley #Daisy Ridley

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typingtess · 4 years ago

Video

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NCIS: Los Angeles Season Eleven Rewatch: “Yellow Jack”

The basics: Fears of a biological weapon attack has Callen and Sam work on the Allegiance while Kensi and Deeks search for several infected people in Los Angeles.

Written by: Andrew Bartels wrote or co-wrote “Allegiance”, “Zero Days”, “The Grey Man”, “Humbug”, “Fighting Shadows”, “Driving Miss Diaz”, “Angels & Daemons”, “Where There’s Smoke…”, “Glasnost”, “Old Tricks” “Battle Scars”, “Fool Me Twice”, “Warrior of Peace”, “Reentry”, “The Prince”, “Smokescreen” and “The One That Got Away”/"No More Secrets" two-parter.

Directed by: Terrence O’Hara directed “The Only Easy Day”, “Brimstone”, “The Bank Job”, “Borderline”, “Tin Soldiers”, “The Job”, “Backstopped”, “Crimeleon”, “Blye, K.” Part Two, “San Voir” Part Two, “End Game”, “Paper Soldiers”, “Descent”, “Ascension”, “Fish Out of Water”, “Blaze of Glory”, “Command and Control” (episode 150, written by Harimoto), “Matryoshka” Part Two (co-written by Harimoto), “Belly of the Beast”, “Payback”, “Mountebank”, “Asesinos” and "Searching".

Guest stars of note: Both Gil Birmingham as Navy Captain Steven Douglas and Medalion Rahimi as NCIS Special Agent Fatima Namazi are back from "Let Fate Decide", the season 11 premiere. In a nice bit of symmetry, Wesam Keesh returns now as NCIS Special Agent Ehsan Navid. He first appeared in “Allegiance” in season five. Nadine Ellis was Navy Lieutenant Commander Karen Quinn in “The Guardian” in season 11. Lesley Fera as USAMRIID Colonel Sandra Kaufman, Kimberley Drummond as Jenny, Brett Davern as Navy Petty Officer Stephen Lamb, A Leslie Kies as Navy Lieutenant Junior Grade Leslie Grant and Siaka Massaquoi as Jenny's Boyfriend.

Our heroes: Reunite with one of the best parts of the Kensi in Afghanistan storyline guest stars of the week.

What important things did we learn about:

Callen: Interviewed the first possible patient with Ebola. Sam: Working outside of the CIC room to see who has been exposed to Ebola. Kensi: Not pregnant and torn. Deeks: Torn about Kensi not being pregnant. Eric: Away. Nell: Found all the info on Lt. Grant’s final movements around Union Station in a cab from LAX. Hetty: Testifying in Washington.

What not so important things did we learn about:

Callen: Excited about the buffalo cauliflower being served on the Allegiance. Sam: Not happy about a tardy Navid. Kensi: Married Deeks to talk to him about everything. Deeks: Worried about losing Kensi if they talk about everything. Eric: Away. Nell: Still visiting her Mom every weekend. Hetty: Testifying in Washington with Harm.

Who's down with OTP: The continuing discussion about having children shifts when Kensi thinks she’s pregnant. Although they’re surrounded by danger all the time, Kensi and Deeks realize they can handle anything as long as they keep the lines of communication open. It is a great Kensi and Deeks episode.

Who's down with BrOTP: Callen and Sam work well together and with Navid.

Any pressing need for a young FBI Agent: Not today. Col. Kaufman was the hero in all this.

Who is running the team this week? Sort of independent study – Kensi and Deeks are running their end of the investigation, Callen and Sam are working with Navid on the Allegiance. Fatima with a late arriving Nell are providing intel as needed.

Fashion review: Callen is in a long-sleeve blue tee. A plum long-sleeve tee for Sam (no henley again) with mustard colored pants (no jeans). Kensi starts the episode in a white, sleeveless top while Deeks starts the day in a white striped tee-shirt that fits poorly and looks worse. Let’s never speak of it again. Later in the day, they wear high-end contamination suits. Callen and Sam wear more hospital style personal protection gear on the Allegiance. After the case in done and they’ve showered, Kensi is in a burgundy v-neck tee, Deeks is wearing a brown-plaid flannel shirt and hopefully that white monstrosity is in a bag for Goodwill. Nell has on a green plaid blouse with puffy short sleeves.

Music: Sounds like Rosi Golan’s “Give Up the Ghost” instrumental is playing during Kensi and Deeks’s final scene.

Any notable cut scene: Not today.

Quote: Kaufman: “It’s my granddaughter, born half-an-hour ago.” Kensi: “Oh look at those cheeks, she’s adorable, congratulations.” Kaufman: “Thank you.” Kensi: “Oh, that’s wonderful. How’s Mommy doing?” Kaufman: “She’s doing well. Thanks.” Kensi: “Yeah, where are they.” Kaufman: “Just across town, Cedars. That’s why I left the Congo a month ago – so I could be home and clear the incubation period so I could hold my granddaughter. But then, Mr. Cargo Container landed on our doorstep and here I am. I guess I’m going to have to make do with pictures for the next 21-days” Kensi: “I’m sorry.” Kaufman: “At least we stopped this thing before it got any worse. You know, for people in parts of the Congo, this is every day for them.” Kensi: “Can’t imagine how terrifying that must be.” Kaufman: “Fear isn’t even the worst part. It’s the isolation. I’ve had to take parents away from their children, babies away from their mothers. That’s the thing with this virus. You have to push away the ones you love the most.”

Anything else: The previously-s are back on the USS Allegiance, the killing of Agent Lee, the fight with ISIS. At Union Station in Los Angeles, a female Navy pilot in uniform is speaking with a younger woman just out of school who is looking for career advice. The Naval Officer, who is on a week’s leave, has a small cough. She blames allergies. Jenny, the younger woman, offers the Naval Officer a ride – her boyfriend is picking her up. As the Navy Officer uses the restroom, Jenny calls her boyfriend. The Naval Officer “took the bait.” Jenny tells her boyfriend they are going to change the world.

On the USS Allegiance, Callen and Sam are waiting for the new Agent Afloat, who arrived 15-minutes earlier. Just as Sam complains about the newbie getting lost on the ship, Ehsan Navid from the episode “Allegiance” appears on the Allegiance. He is NCIS and the new Agent Afloat. He was in Japan and is now assigned to the Allegiance. Traditionally, the old Agent Afloat brings his or her replacement up to speed but Agent Lee can’t do that. It means a lot of Navid that Callen and Sam are there for him.

Callen and Sam bring Navid to the bridge to meet Captain Douglas. The Captain has heard nothing but good things about Navid. There is a sailor who gives Navid the stink-eye. Harm is not available – Hetty and Harm are testifying in Washington about the spies aboard the ship.

The plan is to have Navid with the ship until they arrive in San Diego. Navid is looking forward to meeting the crew. As they leave to show Navid his office, Navid bumps into the stink-eye sailor. He apologies before departing.

Deeks walks into the office as a distracted Kensi passes by. She left for the office before he did – I’m hoping that explains the shirt. No loving wife would allow her husband to leave the house looking like that. Kensi left early because she needed some alone time – “in just me and my thoughts.” Deeks is concerned. Kensi is quiet as she goes upstairs. Fatima has a case for them.

Navid is looking at photos of his family when Callen arrives. He is married with three children. Nine months on the Allegiance will be hard on both Navid and his family. Navid is grateful that his mother and two sisters are helping his family. Everyone gets along – Navid feels so blessed to have his family together. He owes OSP his entire life.

Sam dashes in – there is a case, Navid’s first as Agent Afloat. Connecting to Ops, Sam introduces Navid to Fatima. Kensi seems to know Navid even though she was not part of the LA-based case in the “Allegiance” episode. Deeks arrives – he’s still tight with Navid. The case of the death of Lt. Leslie Grant, the Naval flier in the teaser and a crew member of the USS Allegiance. She was shot multiple times. With the ISIS infiltration on the ship, SecNav was OSP to handle the case with Navid. It is unknown if spies are still on the ship. Fatima notes that Grant’s death came with a warning of possible measles exposure. Sam puts Navid in charge of the case – who gives out assignments. Kensi and Deeks are looking at the crime scene. Callen, Sam and Navid will talk to the Captain and Grant’s crewmates. Everyone is proud of Navid’s choices except Deeks, who wanted him at LAPD.

As Kensi and Deeks are about to leave, Fatima calls them back. The crime scene is off limits – the CDC has taken over. Captain Douglas comes over the intercom on the Allegiance. The ship is under quarantine. All flights are canceled. Everyone is staying put. Commander Quinn, the ship’s doctor from the season 10's penultimate episode, is stopped in a hallway by Sam. She brings them up to speed – it isn’t a measles quarantine. It is Ebola.

Army Col. Kaufman, the military’s expert on infectious diseases is running the crime scene. She has two of her men taking samples to a lab. They are ordered to handle the samples with great care – no speeding. Kensi and Deeks ask her to see Lt. Grant. They can’t – it’s not safe.

Deeks wonders how the original LAPD crime report was a shooting and now it is Ebola. Kaufman has a photo of a dead man in a cargo container in Long Beach port. He was suffocated – the Ebola didn’t kill him but he was infected. Army CID cracked the man’s smart phone which included Lt. Grant’s Facebook page. Grant wrote about visiting LA. Grant was targeted. The Army warned the Navy but the Navy couldn’t find Grant. LAPD did, however.

Kensi wondered about the measles warning. Kaufman said an APB about Ebola is like yelling fire in a crowded theater – the panic will kill people. Deeks asks about Ebola being curable. There are medical treatments for it – Kaufman is recently back from the Congo where she was treating patients – but an infected person needs to be treated right away. Grant was positive for Ebola. The gunshots killed her before the Ebola could.

The new concern for Kaufman is the cargo container. Based on the food and human waste in the unit, the dead man was not traveling alone. His traveling companions are likely infected. Kaufman thinks NCIS should be looking for them immediately.

Fatima can’t ID the dead man but the cargo container is from Somalia. Callen asks if the cargo ship stopped in Hawaii. They did for a day, a day when the Allegiance was also docked in Hawaii. People with Ebola are only contagious when they have symptoms, symptoms that could appear between two and 21-days after exposure.

Callen wants Fatima to trace Lt. Grant’s movements to stop this from being a major outbreak. Nell is expected in the office shortly so Fatima will have help.

Navid arrives to the communications center. Nobody on the ship is showing signs of having Ebola. Captain Douglas will not go into port if they could infect civilians. All outgoing and incoming communications are being stopped except from the communication center. Callen and Sam have to decide if they are staying with the Captain or going to work the rest of the ship. They are going outside of the communication room. Navid is staying. He can coordinate with both Ops and Callen and Sam. Sailor Stink-Eye – not pleased.

Nell arrives with video footage of Grant getting into a Prius with her train station buddy Jenny. Nell can’t identify Jenny – no facial rec, much like the dead man in the cargo container. There is video of Jenny getting on the train with Grant in San Diego. The vehicle, a Prius, was transporting grant reported stolen. Kaleidoscope found the Prius two blocks from where Lt. Grant was discovered.

Kensi and Deeks pull up behind the Prius. The back window is gone. There is blood on the driver’s door handle and the ground. Deeks follows it to a warehouse that looks like the place where Michelle Hanna was held. Kensi is freaking out about the blood, wanting to stop everything until Col. Kaufman arrives. Deeks thinks someone needs their help, he’s going in. Kensi firmly asks him to wait. He agrees.

With Col. Kaufman and her team, Kensi and Deeks enter the building in high end containment suits. Deeks finds Grant’s suitcase, Kensi finds her uniform. Kaufman thinks they were holding Grant until she was symptomatic. Then Grant’s captors were going to “release her into the wild.” The most likely scenario – they were using her as a biological weapon.

Deeks believes Grant fought for her freedom but was sick. She made a run for it. The shooter took out the back window of the Prius but not Lt. Grant. She ran for a block or so before turning into a dead-end alley. She and her captor struggled again but this time Grant was shot and killed. Kensi suddenly leaves the warehouse. Since the Colonel and her team can handle what’s going on in the warehouse, Deeks follows Kensi.

Navid calls Sam – since Grant was not symptomatic until she was held hostage, she could not infect anyone on the ship. This is news to Callen who has a civilian contractor with stomach pains and a rash - early Ebola symptoms. Captain Douglas doesn’t understand how Grant wasn’t symptomatic on the ship but the contractor is ill. Sam, now wearing contamination gear, doesn’t have an answer. Callen calls for his partner – there is a second sick person.

Fatima is arguing with a man named Hasan, an Omani intelligence officer. He wants a date with Fatima for some intel. Fatima’s parents have been trying to set them up for years. She agrees to tea if the information is good. It is – He sends information on Jenny and her terror group – the Mashriq Army.

Kensi and Deeks are in a decontamination shower before putting on their work shoes in a dressing area. Deeks is fine with Kensi taking some time if she’s upset about the case. He’s scared, too. “Just, baby go.” Kensi just wanted to wait for the specialists before going through the door. Reminding her that they go through doors to the unknown all the time, Deeks asks why was today any different. Putting on her watch, Kensi says it wasn’t and now she knows that. Kensi tells Deeks she’s late. “Late, late,” and she’s never late. Kensi doesn’t know if she’s pregnant or not. She hasn’t taken a test because it’s probably nothing.

Kensi’s phone rings. Deeks asks her not to answer it but she does. Nell and Fatima were worried. Kensi, on speakerphone at Deeks’s request, explains that they couldn’t wear the comms with the containment suits. Nell has info on Jenny who used Lt. Grant’s credit card to buy a bus ticket. The bus driver is faking a mechanical issue near where Kensi and Deeks are right now. Fatima warns them that Jenny, real name Sajida al-Eryani, is a terrorist. Kensi tells the women they are on their way and hangs up. Deeks wants to finish their conversation. Kensi leaves, meaning she’s done talking.

Outside the broken-down bus, Deeks is pretending to be a passenger calling his significant other about a bus related delay. Near Sajida, he explains that they need a replacement bus and he’s not getting the Phoenix tonight. Once Deeks is finished with his faux-phone call, Sajida is annoyed about the bus not going anywhere. Deeks offers to split a ride-share with Sajida but she walks away. He follows, pushing the ride-share idea as she walks into an alley to get away from him. In the alley, Kensi hits Sajida with a stun gun. Col. Kaufman and her team arrive with a containment gurney. They’re taking custody of Sajida.

Nell and Fatima call Navid. A Petty Officer Steven Lamb– Sailor Stink-Eye – was friendly with ISIS spy Vincent Davis. They messaged a lot – mostly innocuous stuff. Fatima isn’t so sure about Lamb. ISIS and the Mashriq Army don’t get along. They are not going to team up for a terror attack. Navid is still going to check Lamb out – he’s in the communication center. Covered in sweat and outwardly disrespectful to Navid, Lamb vomits on Navid – another Ebola possible exposure on the ship.

Navid isn’t worried – he’s the father of three young children so he’s no stranger to vomit. He’s also sure he’s got the best crew in the Navy and NCISs top agents working with him. Three more sailors are in sick bay with headaches and vomiting. Nobody has a fever, however. That’s odd.

Kensi and Deeks are sitting with in the bubble Sajida in the ambulance. Deeks explains they know what she did, why she targeted Lt. Grant. Kensi tells Sajida they have a treatment and can help her if she helps them. Sajida thinks they’re lying. She’s studied US tactics. Besides, Sajida tells them she was careful. She’s not sick. Deeks brings up her container friend and asks if Sajida killed him as an act of mercy. She thought it was an act of faith – the man infected himself. He’s a martyr and Sajida thinks she is as well. They will kill thousands of military heroes whose bodies will be tossed into mass graves. Outside of the ambulance, Kensi calls Sajida a true believer – and her boyfriend is likely the same. Deeks is more worried about Kensi than the case. Kensi is going to call Ops.

Navid asks Lamb about Davis. Lamb is not an ISIS spy – he doesn’t have a lot of friends but the one he had was a traitor.

Nell calls Kensi. No luck finding Sajida’s partner. After the call, Kaufman comes with bad news. The samples from Lt. Grant were all contaminated with another person’s blood – likely Sajida’s partner. If he had an open wound near Grant, he’s likely infected. Left out in the public, he’ll become contagious and start infecting others.

Kensi and Deeks are given one last shot at getting Sajida to talk. She is not doing well – she has a high fever. Rash, vomiting are in her future. Kensi says they know Sajida cross paths with Grant in Hawaii, infecting her there. That’s not what happened – Sajida injected Grant with the virus when she was abducted. Nobody on the ship has been infected.

Outside, Kensi goes over what Sajida originally said about killing military heroes. She thought it was the crew on the Allegiance but that’s not the plan. Figuring that they’d release Grant after she had symptoms, Grant would wind up at a VA hospital for observation. In the hospital, Grant would be infecting doctors and patients before anyone knew she had Ebola. The Mashriq Army like attacking military targets – the VA is target.

Calling Ops, Kensi and Deeks are told about Fadel Ali, one of three Ebola hospital workers who quit after one day. The other two are the dead man in the cargo container and Sajida. The problem is the strain brought over in the container is it hasn’t been tested with current treatments yet.

At the VA, Kensi and Deeks see Ali walking toward the front door. He makes Deeks immediately – I blame the shirt – and takes a hospital staffer hostage. He has a syringe with the virus and promises to infect the woman. Kensi tells Ali to put the syringe down – he doesn’t have to die this way. He moves to inject the woman so Deeks has to shoot him. Kensi checks the hostage for any injection sites – she’s clear. Deeks takes the needle away from an injured Ali.

While Deeks is talking to LAPD, Kensi find Col. Kaufman sitting on a bench, looking at her phone. The Colonel has photos of her granddaughter, born half-an-hour earlier. Everyone is doing fine at Cedars across town. She’s been back in LA for a month so she could hold her new granddaughter as soon as she was born. With the man in the cargo container, she is now going to isolate for three-weeks.

The Colonel talks about the Congo and how living like they did for the last half-day is life everyday there. Kensi can’t imagine how scary that is. It isn’t the fear, the Colonel explains, it is the isolation. Parents have been separated from their children – you have to push away the ones you love most. Kensi takes a long look at Deeks.

Everyone on the Allegiance who is sick has a mass psychogenic illness. Rumors started flying. Fear and extreme conditions can manifest into symptoms. Everyone had the symptoms – rash, vomiting – but not the fever that comes with the illness. The ship is out of quarantine. Captain Douglas is proud of the NCIS agents.

Lamb apologizes to Navid. After his friend was a terrorist – he started mistrusting Muslims. He was wrong and is sorry. Navid wants to be friends with Lamb the way he is with Callen and Sam.

Back at the office, Kensi and Deeks are showered and in clean clothes. Kensi announces she’s not pregnant. They’re tentative around each other. Kensi is relieved but sorry she’s made him sad. Deeks is sad but happy she’s not unhappy. He thought about their tough day and added in how terrifying it must have been thinking she was pregnant throughout. She doesn’t want to hear it. Instead, she’s sorry she didn’t tell him right away. Deeks understands – he knows how he feels and he wouldn’t have told him either.

Deeks tells Kensi she doesn’t have to talk about this – they should just go home. Kensi wants to talk to about it. She thinks avoiding the issue because they’re afraid is ridiculous. They work with honesty, not fear. She wants to tell him everything because that’s why she married him. Deeks wants to tell her everything too but he’s so afraid of losing her. She assures him that he’s not losing her. She’s not leaving. They hug and talk about the fact that they thought they were having a baby. The two kiss.

What head canon can be formed from here: After everything that’s gone on in the world these last few months, it isn’t a surprise that this episode hasn’t been rerun on CBS. It is tough to watch knowing what’s going on now. The nice Kensi and Deeks scene at the end is lovely but so much of what’s happened here – especially Col. Kaufman’s speech about living with an infectious disease and the isolation it brings – is just a tough watch for an entertainment program. Sorry for harsh everyone’s mellow but its been a rough seven plus months.

Episode number: Episode four of season 11, episode 244 overall.

#NCIS: Los Angeles Rewatch #NCIS: Los Angeles #NCIS: LA #NCIS Los Angeles #ncis la

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mrs-elijah-wood · 4 years ago

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First and Last Words of Zombies, Run! Characters

This should go without saying, but SPOILER ALERT (up to S8)

Characters are listed chronologically from last appearance alive.

HUGE thanks to @zrtranscripts!!!

Lem

“Help! I’m trapped in here!” (S1M8)

“This world may seem grim right now, but you’ve got so much to live for. Try to see the best in people, Nadia, and in yourself. You’re such a good person. Such a big heart. Don’t let my death change that. It’s the one thing I couldn’t bear. Be brave, honey. I’ll be watching you. Lem out.” (S2M10)

Chris McShell

“Hello.” (S1M17)

“Veronica… If you find her… tell her… her… her daddy loves her very much.” (S1M19)

Maggie Doane

“Hey, Runner Five, good to see you! I don’t know if you knew at the time it was me, but I was the runner whose life you saved a couple of weeks ago.” (5K Trainer - Week 6, Workout 3)

“Oh no, not the kids! I hate the kids, they’re just so - ah! Get off me! Get off, get off!” (S1M22)

Archie Jensen

“I’m here, I’m here! You don’t have to shout, you know. I requested this mission to the Keeley Center, I’m hardly going to be late for a run to investigate my own old offices.” (New Canton 5K Race Mission: Big Cheese)

“They have a plan.” (S2M18)

Francesca

“Hey there! We have not spoken before, I think, although I know we have seen each other. I’m Francesca. I’m – what do you say? - the quartermaster?” (5K Trainer - Week 3, Workout 1)

“No, no, you can’t take me! You won’t do that to my mind! You can’t!” (S2M21)

Esteban Sosa

“Runner Five, you’re with me today. But how rude I am. I am Esteban; Esteban Sosa. I am Director of Logistics and Infrastructure of the New Canton Permanent Advisory Council. Your Sam has lent you to me today. He wasn’t happy… overprotective, I think. But no need for concern.” (S2M10)

“It is very – [coughs] I’m so sorry. Um, it is, uh –” (S2M40)

Major de Santa

“Runner Five, it’s Major De Santa. I’m back. You can stop running now.” (S1M23)

“Don’t - !” (S2M41)

Sara Smith

“Sorry about that. Hey, there! I’m Runner Eight, Sara Smith. How are you doing? Ready to go out and misdirect some zombies?” (S1M2)

“I don’t know what to expect. But I might see my boys again, I think I might. I’ve done what was right. That’s what life’s about, when it comes down to it. Not sitting around, knowing that you’ve used yourself to the full. So I’m square. And you’d better send Van Ark right along after me, Five. I’ll be waiting for him.” (S2M43)

Ernest Van Ark

“If you want to talk, then stop chasing me! I tell you, I’ll use this pistol, I tell you!” (Abel Township 10k Race Mission: Visiting Van Ark)

“What the hell do you think you’re –“ (S2M44)

Moonchild

“Over here, over here! Climb up onto the ledge. I’ve got a way out, but it’ll take three people. Please be quick!” (S3M8)

“Now your aura’s all gold, do you know that, Five? Gold like the sun. We’re both heading in the same direction, man. But I bet I’ll get there first. Race you!” (S3M60)

Simon Lauchlan (sort of)

“Whew… Runner Three, Simon, here.” (S1M21)

“This is going to sting!” (S3M60)

Owen Landis

“At your service. I’m Owen. I guess I’m the new Runner Six, hi! Feels weird saying that, like I’ve just got a brand new tattoo. You know, somewhere personal.” (S2M25)

“Ian, come on. We were almost, well, kind of mates once. Can’t we just settle this like mates? Crack a few tinnies, you know? Come on. Come on, what do you say?” (S5M18)

Evan Deaubl

“Runners, this is an emergency. The gates have stuck in the open position; we’re open to all attacks. The following runners to report to the main gates immediately for lure and distract: Runner Two, Runner Three, Runner Five, Runner Eight. Go, go, go!” (S1M2)

“Thank you. You’re worthy of it. Now go. I don’t want any of you to see this. Get that cup and books out of the country. Steal a plane! Go back to England. The world is depending on you. Make me proud. Run!” (S5M36)

Ian Golightly

“Hello, am I late? Ian Golightly, reporting for duty! Get it?” (S2SM4)

“I want you to shoot me. Please? Yes. Please. I didn’t… I don’t think I…” (S5M40)

Sigrid Hakkinen

“In fact, those were not my orders, Builder. You have overstepped your bounds again.” (S4M2)

“I’m leaving now, and when I come back, it will be with my own private army. ANNIE will protect me. As long as I have her, I have everything. Oh, and by the way, as I know you’re listening, Mr. Yao, you do know I had your sister, don’t you? Well, you’ll never find her now.” (S6M40)

Veronica McShell (technically)

“It has been sixteen months and nine days since the outbreak. In all that time, only one animal has ever been recorded as turning gray. The researchers here and throughout Europe via Rofflenet believed it to be the key to understanding immunity, that it might hold the missing link to a cure. You, however, have just killed it. On behalf of all remaining humans, congratulations.” (S3M14)

“No, I know. But I want to. It’s… beautiful. The closer I get to her, the more I can see...everything.” (S6M40)

Colonel Sage

“Sage here, of Banktown. I, for one, am interested in hearing what the Abel representative has to say.” (S7M2)

“They’re searching the cave for me. They can smell the blood. This is my time. It’s good to… to put this thing right. I believe the best parts of my work will live on.” (S7M39)

Ellie Maxted

“Help! Help, I’m stuck in here! Please help me!” (S3M59)

“What? Where are they – [gasps] Five?” (S8M1)

Lachlan Jones

“I don’t give a crap about Fort Canton. I’m here for de Luca.” (S7M8)

“You don’t know what you’ve done. You’ve destroyed everything. There’ll be no stopping them now.” (S8M15)

Tom de Luca

“Hello. I know who you are. You’re Janine’s people. I’ve got Janine. I’ve got her headset, and I’ve got a message for you: this isn’t you anymore. Not your fight, not your battle, not your war! Who owns the war? Who owns the broken bodies of the soldiers? Not her, not any of them. Not the grasses or the traitors or the snitches or the thieves. Not Janine! Let fate take its course. Nothing could have stopped this. If you leave me be, no one will get hurt. Except Janine, and she’s got it coming!” (S3M43)

“Five, Five, get up here now! Five! My God, she’s fast. She’s strong! Five, code red! Warn the others! Tell Janie - !” (S8M26)

#i have three episodes left of s8 and on god i better not have to update this except for maybe [redacted]. i could accept that death #zrs4 spoilers >>> can we give it up for s4 for having no major character deaths?? sam doesn't count bc he didn't die.#wait hold up i forgot about yang #also way to be for like everyone getting killed mid-sentence #also i counted only quotes when each character was alive bc five hears so many ghosts it would just get confusing #if i forgot someone just let me know and i'll add them!#zombies run

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murtaghsbeard · 4 years ago

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Fiery Cross - Season 5 ep 1

Baby Jamie and baby Murtagh. What magic did they use to make Murtagh’s skin look so young? Murtagh has made a solemn vow to look after Jamie.

Roger can’t even shave himself and Jamie must do it for him. Roger makes a long monologue about his frontier inadequacies. Just what every father in law wants to hear from the person marrying his daughter- I suck at everything in this century! The viewer knows, however, that Roger wasn’t offering much in the 20th century either.

It’s the wedding day. How do they even know this many people?

They have somehow made an incredibly nice home in just a few months. This heroic friend-amassing and manor-building after abandoning everything for operation “Save Roger” is a feat of pure Scottish magic.

Jamie is very into wedding traditions. Why is Murtagh absent today? Aside from the something borrowed, blue, etc Brianna and Jamie continue Claire’s wedding tradition of slugging whiskey. I too would drink whiskey if that was my wedding dress and I was marrying a man nick-named dogface.

Do you think they are making true crime documentaries about Brianna, Claire and Roger back in the 1970s? All gone without a trace. I think about these things instead of paying attention to Roger and Brianna exchange vows.

Ah, I see. Murtagh has an excused absence. The feds are here at this wedding and he is on America’s most wanted list

Wait. If Jocasta is a Mackenzie and Roger is a Mackenzie, why hasn’t she given him the 9th degree about his parentage? Presumably she would know her own family tree quite well. She is also a lady who likes to know everything, which I admire.

It’s a night of drunken tongue twisters to entertain the guests. Marsali gets more fun every time we see her!

As predicted Stephan bonnet is alive and roaming all up and down the province

Ha. Murtagh is hiding out to meet Jocasta in a stick tent. Those scamps.

Oh no. It’s the wedding night and Roger pulls out the guitar and starts to sing. It is nearly unbearable. Bri is unable to request an annulment because the priest has already departed.

A montage of the very sexy time everybody is having. Everyone except John Grey☹️. He is looking very sad on a bench and all these rustic revelers are coupled up or passed out.

Who is this Duncan Ellis and why does he get to propose to Jocasta.

Lizzy is completely boy crazy. Good for her.

Roger gets himself in a tizzy about Jocasta’s plans to leave her Estate to his son. But Jocasta congratulates herself on being some kind of master mind. Her inheritance and churlish behavior push Roger to accept this child of dubious paternity. I never tire of seeing Roger get played.

Claire’s mini hospital is busier than the ER on Halloween

Boss redcoat is very keen to get Murtagh captured and he is turning the thumbscrews on Jamie. He calls Jamie colonel, which seems strange since he earned that rank in a traitorous rebellion. Anyways, Jamie digs out his old kilt and pistols. Jenny is unloading so many of these old trunks from her attic. “Sure, Jamie. I’ll put that trunk of old clothes on a ship for you. I know that’s how all the ladies prefer to see you anyways. Plus, I need the space for a playroom for my 500 grandbairns.”

Roger misses his cue at the military allegiance ceremony...But he is good at memorizing the little speech. Fergus gets a shoutout

Murtagh. Where will you run? What will you do? Jamie releases him from his vow

#outlander #episode recap #john grey #outlander roger #brianna #outlander season 5 #outlander season 5 premiere #roger Mackenzie #fiery cross #outlander wedding #s5e1 #jocasta

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evien-stark · 4 years ago

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✧I Need You✧ Chapter 160

Once the elevator doors opened, you put a hand on Tony’s shoulder, but were nowhere near strong enough to steer him. It would have been a good idea to try and let him rest for a little while. The bedroom would be best. But he trudged in a slow march to the kitchen, and you were helpless to do anything but follow him. But it seemed his sense of planning escaped him once he sat at the island counter, so you stepped up to the plate. He was still an internal mess.

He put his elbows on the counter and buried his head in his hands. In a bit of a spiral. You were in the middle of retrieving a glass from the cabinet, and going to the dispenser on the fridge when he called out. “JARVIS-” Immediately you went stock still, and you didn’t need to be looking at him to feel the wince. Ice plummeted inside the glass in a loud clatter, shocking you back to life as he sighed. Realizing. Catching himself too late. “No. My fault. Right?” He wasn’t talking to you.

After filling the glass with water, you turned and came to stand next to him, setting it down. “It’s not your fault.”

“Yes it is. Come on. Everyone in that room was ready to move. And we’re- ...what are we doing?” The look he cast up your way was nothing short of haunted. He wanted you to have answers. You usually did. But right now…? “We can’t do anything right now. We have to wait for Ultron to make his next move. Until then- I think it might be in everyone’s best interests for you to sleep. You’re working on what- four days no sleep?”

Annoyance bubbled up from him, biting you before he had a chance to stop it. If he even wanted to. He was wearing a look to match as he sat straighter. “Great. So I get forced into naptime while everyone else is picking up the pieces? That’s your plan?”

It took a lot out of you to not react immediately to that. He was burning hot. He was angry. He was devastated. As gently as possible you put your hand on his shoulder first, waiting for him to break. It didn’t take long. His overly taut muscles went slack, eyes dropping. Disappointed in himself without you having to say anything. But more than anything… just incredibly sad.

Lifting, you touched up the side of his neck. And your voice, when you found it, was careful and steady. “We’re on the same side, Tony.” Reminding him. Just in case.

He’d lashed out. That was a natural response. You were the only other person in the room now that you’d removed him. But that didn’t make it okay. His nods were uneven. “I know- I’m… I’m sorry.” Giving up very quickly.

Stepping closer as he turned to face you fully, you embraced him, one arm around him, the other holding at the back of his head. His own arms wound around you, holding you tight. Squeezing. Burying his face in your chest. “It’s okay.” This time. This time it was. You understood.

His next words shred you to pieces. He barely got them out. Muffled by your dress against his lips and not enough energy to properly voice them. “No it’s not.”

Not it wasn’t. None of this was okay. And you still had no idea how to fix it. How to get out of it. What to do. You wished you had any answers for him. But you just didn’t.

LUNA’s voice was a slightly jarring experience as she spoke. “Colonel Rhodes is approaching.”

For a few seconds Tony held you intensely tight, but eventually the announcement actually got past his filters. It might have been that he’d heard someone was coming and was too gone to make out who until he actually saw Rhodey standing a few feet behind you. He was seconds from getting caught, being the mess that he was-

But because it was Rhodey, he went slack again. Rhodey had seen him far worse. ...or maybe this was the worst… hard to say…

You half turned, already knowing that he was here to bring the heat. “I have to make some calls, I know.” Finding Ultron right now was an impossibility unless Tony figured something else out. And he seemed in no state to do so. But that didn’t mean you had no work to do at all. You couldn’t just sit idle.

Strangely, though, without the presence of an audience- or maybe it was that he’d had enough time to cool off- or maybe it had finally registered what had happened- Rhodey was exuding a deep sadness. “I’m headed out to DC. I’ll start laying the groundwork. We gotta get on this.” His eyes were almost dragged down to the floor as he asked, uncomfortable and grief stricken- “Is JARVIS really gone?”

Your nod felt almost dizzying. You didn’t want to be giving that answer. But there was nothing else to say. Tony finally found strength enough to sit back, though he kept one arm curled around your waist. He cleared his throat before getting his voice to work. “Yeah.”

“I’m sorry.” Rhodey had known Tony longer than you. He’d known JARVIS longer, too. JARVIS was a member of this family.

...and now-

“Yeah. Us, too.” Tony had more courage than you to face this, still speaking. Which was incredibly unfair. Out of everyone in the room, you had known him the least. ...that still didn’t make it any easier. But you still felt awful.

Rhodey crossed his arms. “What were you guys doing? Why do all this?” It was easy to tell he was struggling not to get agitated again. Maybe it was fair in some parts. But it also wasn’t going to do anyone any good to keep on shouting. At least he had a little bit more compassion compared to ten minutes ago. Maybe it had finally sunk in how bad Tony was dealing with all this.

But Tony’s strength finally faded, and you were left picking up the slack. “I’m really gonna lose it- if one more person insinuates Tony or Bruce or I made Ultron the way he is on purpose. I really am, Rhodey.” Just giving him a casual warning. Mostly because he should have known better than that. They all should have.

For what reason would any of you make something so heinous? Obviously none. Obviously something had gone terribly wrong. That didn’t excuse it, of course it didn’t. But the fingers needed to stop being pointed.

“Alright- look- I get it- I know you didn’t.” Putting his hands up. “But it doesn’t change the fact that he’s out there somewhere doing god knows what now.”

“We know.” Trying not to bite him verbally. Everyone was asking a lot of you these days. “Ultron was a peacekeeping program- he was for protection. Because of the aliens everyone has just forgotten about. We’re outnumbered. We’re outmatched. We’re a team of five- maybe six- humans, one super soldier, sometimes a Hulk, and one god who comes and goes as he pleases. We can put suits on everyone on the team and it still wouldn’t make a goddamn difference. Because we wouldn’t have enough- we couldn’t protect every human on the planet.” It all started to just pour out of you, backed by Tony’s heightened paranoia and terror.

Rhodey had started looking at you, then he’d gone back to staring at the floor, but by the end of it he’d crossed his arms and found your eyes again. “Yeah. I get it. I’m not saying I disagree. But now we’ve got a mess.”

“I’ll call Ellis.” The first thing on your agenda.

He frowned at you. “I actually think the both of you oughta lay down for a little while.”

Even though you weren’t looking at him, you felt the roll of Tony’s eyes in time with his scoff as he finally found the rest of his body and sat back on the stool, arm dropping away from you. “Why am I not surprised.”

The smallest flare of annoyance touched Rhodey as he spoke, “Because you keep playing the same games, Tones. What’s that Einstein quote about insanity? Doing the same thing over and over-”

Tony held up a finger. “That’s actually not true-”

“It doesn’t matter.” Rhodey cut him off cold. “You’re no use to anyone right now. The both of you.”

There was a sudden heavy silence. The two of you were being labeled currently useless. ...and Rhodey was probably right. The two of you were frayed and falling apart. Maybe rightfully so, considering the circumstances. Tony took a deep breath in but then shook his head. “I need to get you a new encryption drive for the suit. Just in case.”

Rhodey shrugged. “Mail it to me when you’ve had a full eight hours. You know where I’ll be.”

You couldn’t help but balk a little. “Eight hours is asking for a lot.”

He just looked at you. “Not when we need the two of you at full capacity. Everything else can wait. And if it can’t… I’m sure they’ll come get you.”

Tony breathed out a little huff of amusement. “You giving out orders?”

At this, Rhodey grinned, though it was extremely weak. “No point. You don’t listen to them. This is a personal request.” And, even if he didn’t need to, he finished quieter with, “...please.”

So… to that… you had to acquiesce. Naptime.

There were almost no words exchanged as Rhodey went to leave. None that mattered, anyway. But when he stopped to hug you- you nearly crumbled. And when he hugged Tony- Tony was even closer to that edge. Hanging on to Rhodey in a tight grip. Just allowing himself the comfort of family he had left. Maybe no one else would get it. And you couldn’t even bear to think breaking the news to the ones that would. Happy- or Pepper-

Not right now. That was asking too much of you. You just couldn’t right now. Instead you trusted that Rhodey was going to get a headstart on your duties. And bore no ill feelings knowing you and Tony were lying down in bed after he’d left. After all the energy you’d expended, physical, emotional, mental…

Mere seconds after the two of you had laid down and curled up close to each other, it was almost frightening how fast the lights went out.

---

It was nowhere near the eight hours that Rhodey had requested. Three, in fact, and not whole ones either. What felt like every fifteen minutes broken up by either Tony’s night terrors, or your anxiety fueled nightmares. It was almost like trading places. He’d go then you’d go then he’d go then-

Eventually, when the sun started coming up, somewhere exactly about 5:52AM, the both of you mutually without saying as much decided to stop trying. Though the both of you sat on the bed for a half hour longer. In painful silence. Just hurting together. And when that was over it was back to work.

Though you weren’t sure you had the strength to, the both of you went downstairs to regroup with the team. It seemed, at least, like they’d gotten over themselves for the time being. Tony went to Bruce almost immediately and that left you… pointedly ignoring a stare from Steve across the room- which eventually made him upset enough to walk out. That was fine. You went to Natasha who was busy at a computer, sitting beside her.

It was a strange place to make your camp, but she knew the better ins and outs of saving face and playing the game. It really should have been all on you to start doing the legwork, but you found yourself extremely grateful when she said not a word as you tried to debrief her for almost no reason and just seemed to accept that you needed the help.

Calls with Ellis started. Calls with the government started. Calls with the UN started. Some blurred and blended together. Sometimes accidental, sometimes upon request. Rhodey eventually got in to the Pentagon and started sitting in. And you were just as thankful for his guidance, too. Maybe you all had fucked up. Maybe you all didn’t deserve the help. But it was nice to know you had people on your team. That you could rely on some people no matter how hot it got.

It was difficult to explain- even more so when you were extremely hesitant to point fingers at Tony or Bruce (easier to do it to yourself, if it came to it) over Ultron. But anger was immediate, and the world needed someone to blame, as it always did. You tried to curb attention to the immediate. Things needed to happen. Countries needed to be ready. A series of cyberattacks could happen any time now- depending on Ultron’s mood. Which was hard to understand and fickle at best. So how could you advise these people how to defend themselves?

Already the US roundtable was talking about deploying War Machine to the middle east (funny, how it was suddenly no longer Iron Patriot…). Just in case things got so crazy there might be a point of no return. Imagine that. Starting World War 3 over this. Ultron could, if he had a mind to. But did he? The question of the hour. He had the power to turn the entire world against each other. To make it bleed. To turn it all upside down.

...waiting was probably the worst thing to do. And yet it was all you could do. While millions upon millions of security checks were running (through LUNA, no less, in the terrible absence of JARVIS…), Ultron had to make himself known before any of you could do anything. What a terrible plan-

Thank god Maria sent up some intel around nine as reports started flooding in- But you quickly took the gratitude back, silent though it was.

Ultron was apparently keeping very busy. Emptying out robotics labs, jet propulsion labs, weapons facilities… all around Europe. Not really localized, but as you started reading eyewitness statements the picture started to become much clearer. Though it seemed like he wasn’t murderering everyone in cold blood (which… was that a blessing? Or was that worse?), he was being assisted. By a blur. And foggy, nightmarish memories.

So. Ultron had picked up the Maximoffs. No telling how he’d done that. Or why. ...maybe you knew why. And that meant even more trouble.

Your attention was broken up when Steve came stomping back into the room, tablet in hand. He didn’t immediately go to you, so you kept your head down, preoccupied enough without his bitter disappointment plaguing you. But almost like the entire world knew, suddenly the conference call thinned out.

Rhodey was the last face on your screen. “Watch your six.”

You and Natasha answered at the same time, “You, too.”

Just as Tony stepped over, so did Thor and Steve from the other side of the room. He handed the tablet your way. “We’ve got something.”

Tony put a hand on your shoulder, the other one reaching out to take the tablet- which was being more or less slammed into his palm by Thor. You had to take a breath. People really needed to watch their attitudes. Lest another showdown begin. Weren’t they tired? You were. Once he was done looking at it he tipped it your way.

And you could only shake your head at the images. Strucker and List. In their cells. Dead. Peace written in one cell, In Our Time written in the other. Both in blood.

You sighed. “Ultron killed them. Makes sense. He picked up the twins.”

As Bruce rounded over to the group, Tony turned the tablet his way. “And he did a Banksy at the crime scene. Just for us.”

Natasha gave her take, “This is… good.”

Bruce practically boggled. “No. That’s not good.”

She looked back at him. “He’s showing us his hand. This isn’t his pattern.”

You were too tired to hold back the little purse of your lips. “Do we have established pattern? His attacks on these warehouses were opportunistic. This is…” You took hold of the tablet again, staring down at the two dead bodies.

Tony’s voice was quiet, “This is a message.”

Steve crossed his arms tight. “List and Strucker knew something that Ultron wanted us to miss.”

Immediately your hands were a quick flurry as you turned back to the computer, pulling- or- trying to pull all your database files. Everything you’d just built. Everything that you’d had. Everything that should have been out there.

But.

Your hands came down on the keyboard a little too hard. “Yeah. It’s all gone.” Of course it was. But what was it, exactly? “Wiped.”

Tony hummed a little noise of thought. “Well. Not all of it.” As you tilted to arch a brow at him, and he appropriately arched one right back at you the thought clicked.

“We’re going to need a lot more coffee.” You were unable to help saying this with a deep resignation. And the feeling continued as you put a hand to your ear to tap your comm. “Maria… I’m gonna need everything physical out of Damage Control on Strucker and List. And we need to be quick about it.”

She was nothing if not exactly as you asked when she responded a single second later, “I’m on it.”

Pushing yourself to stand, you found that your legs were tingly with sleep. In fact, it was impossible to hide the yawn, though you covered it with the back of your hand and spoke into it midway. “-that’s gonna be fifteen minutes at least. I’m gonna go on a coffee run. Who wants what?”

Fresh air would do you good. Although five orders came in all at the same time so you put your hand up as if they’d all physically assaulted you with information.

“One at a time, please.”

Coffee and pastries. That would fix all this, right?

#Tony Stark #Tony Stark x Reader #INY Chapter One Hundred Sixty

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apehome · 5 years ago

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So I wasn’t satisfied with the moodboard idea (I’ll still submit them sometime but maybe not use them to introduce OC’s. I was (originally) going to make pages for them on this blog but one of the pictures wouldn’t load on the page and (for some reason) it doesn’t save my text edits so, incase I can’t figure it out, I’m just going to post them publically.

And, for the sake of not having to repost pre-existing art work of these OC’s, I’m going to just post new pictures of them here.

You may recognise this description format from a post I did back in November on my MackDreamer blog-it’s the same one but with some minor edits (keep in mind, some OC’s will have backgrounds (as they appear in fanfics such as my Before The Storm) but others might not-that is due to me not using them in fanfics and/or not knowing what to do them XD).

Name: Dolly (signed: ‘D’ thumped over right side of chest)

Age: 16 (Rise), 26 (Dawn), 28 (War)

Species: Bonobo

Gender: Female

Relatives:

Parents: Carlos (father and ‘Tina’ (mother-made up the name)

Siblings: Koba (younger twin brother), Nemo (younger brother), Gavin (youngest brother) and Rose (younger sister)

Mate: Ishmael (formally, deceased) Maurice

Children: Nova (adoptive daughter)

Friends: Caesar, Cornelia, Rocket, Luca, Bad Ape, Malcolm, Ellie

Enemies: Colonel McCullough, AO Army, humans

Loyalty: Caesar’s Colony

Appears in: Before The Storm

Role: Main Character

Personality:

Despite being Koba’s twin sister, Dolly doesn’t share the same resentment towards humans as her brother. Contrary to Koba, Dolly is calm, loving, protective, wise and generally a more benevolent ape than him however, the years of abuse from humans were no kinder to her.

Rise/Firestorm:

In Rise and Firestorm, Dolly was focused on one thing only. Survival, her own and Koba’s. She was very confused and uncomfortable around so many apes and the effects from the A113, making her remember things about her and Koba’s past, overwhelmed her. Dolly’s worst fears were of losing Koba or being taken back to the labs by the humans and Caesar, the forest and their freedom turning out to be just a dream.

Dawn:

After ten years of freedom, Dolly fully considered the Muir Woods her home and the colony her friends and family. Due to Koba being honorary brothers with Caesar, Maurice, Rocket and Luca, and Dolly being close friends with Red’s mother, she was like an aunt to Blue Eyes, Cornelius, Ash and Red.

Dolly felt she had put the dark days of cages and labs behind her but she struggled to understand why the humans mistreated her and Koba and felt sad and anxious when thinking about it.

When the apes encounter Malcolm and the other humans in the woods and realize that the humans are still around, it reinforces Dolly’s crippling fear of losing Koba and her fear of being hurt and abused by humans again.

But her fear of humans quickly turns to fearing Koba when she see’s the monster he had become and when she learns of Ash’s death, she realizes she could no longer protect her brother. That she has to keep her honorary nephews and the rest of the colony safe.

War/Revelations:

Dolly grieves her brother’s death for the most part in Revelations as she constantly thinks back to the days leading up to Koba’s betrayal and feeling like his actions were somehow her fault. That, as his sister, Doll should have been the first one to notice something was wrong.

It isn’t until later that she realizes her brother’s darkness has spread to other apes-including Red, who she tries to reason with when he attempts to kill Cornelia-only to watch in horror as he fights and kills Grey and gets chased away by the other females.

In War, Dolly feels as though her world is crumbling all around her with more and more of her friends being killed and injured in battle every day. By the time Blue Eyes and Cornelia were murdered, Dolly found herself feeling anger and hatred towards humans for the first time-she had always feared them, but never actually hated them or felt resentment towards them.

Her newfound hatred and rage makes themselves known in the base, when the AO army imprisons the colony and separates them from the children and she manages to bite a soldier’s neck before being subdued by Red. Both apes give each other the cold shoulder for the most part, with Dolly only saying: “My brother would die before serving humans.” in response to Red’s loyalty to the Colonel as a donkey.

Dolly is one of the few apes (aside from Lake and Percy) to not resent Caesar for leaving the colony and she makes it clear to Caesar that she doesn’t blame him for what has happened to the colony or for her brother’s death.

(I would like to think that, during the final battle, Dolly would see Red saving Caesar’s life and, just before the soldier could shoot him, she grabs Rocket’s gun and shoots the soldier instead. Saving Red’s life and yelling at him to run and then being reunited with him after the avalanche. Rekindling their relationship as aunt and nephew. I don’t know if I would officially add that here or if it would be better suited in a one-shot or role-play but still!)

After the apes arrive at their new home in the desert, Dolly is happy and content and feels well and truly safe again. She later goes on to marry Maurice, as the two have had feelings for each other for years, and becomes adoptive mother to Nova-which fills her with joy as, due to being neutered by humans from a failed experiment, she thought she’d never have children.

Like the rest of the colony, Dolly was saddened by Caesar’s death and would always remember him for his compassion and all he stood for.

Background:

Koba and Dolly were born in a primate research facility where they were taught Sing Language by their caregiver Mary. The twins loved playing together and were very close to their mother and to Mary.

After their mother was killed by Roger, the twins were sold to Tommy (as they were a bonded pair and had to be adopted together), Dolly became protective over Koba and often tried bit or fought back when Tommy abused her brother.

In the few times they weren’t abused, Dolly and Koba would play and interact with their only friend-Milo.

After their escape from Tommy’s house, Koba and Dolly were both used as lab apes (presumably because Tommy kept their adoption papers and the animal control people kept them on file-which were eventually put in their lab records). Despite being put in separate cages, Dolly and Koba would hoot if they saw each other. The separation and isolation making the need to be together more stronger.

When they are freed, Dolly immediately runs to Koba’s side before joining Caesar. Their liberation and rescue sparks a loyalty to Caesar that stays with Dolly ever since.

If this were a real life person, what would they be doing right now?: Hmm…If Dolly were human…I could see her working as a waitress at a coffee shop and having a scrapbooking and/or journalling hobby.

Some Extra Notes:

Dolly is the first Planet of The Apes OC I ever created (both first OC ever, and first ape OC).

Dolly was given her name by Mary (as she loved to play dress up when she was younger).

Ishmael is a male bonobo who Dolly married sometime before Dawn but Ishmael would eventually reject her when it became clear she could not have children.

Dolly’s fear of losing Koba (and people she loves) comes from hearing her and Koba’s mother take her final breath when she was younger.

While Dolly does fear humans, she doesn’t actually wish harm or death on them and would likely befriend them if they were friendly-unlike her brother.

Dolly, Carlos, Rose, Gavin, Nemo and Ishmael are (c) Me

Everyone else mentioned here are (c) Penated of The Apes

#dolly #pota oc #planet of the apes #pota #planetoftheapes

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rockislandadultreads · 4 years ago

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Previous Bookclub Picks available now on Overdrive

-Summaries and ratings pulled from Goodreads-

The Martian by Andy Weir

4.4/5 stars

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills — and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit — he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

4.01/5 stars

At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State — and she would do it alone. Told with suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

4.37/5 stars

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.

By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.

But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and closed down.

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.

At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen

3.66/5 stars

After embarrassing themselves at the social event of the year in high society Philadelphia on New Year’s Eve of 1942, Maddie and Ellis Hyde are cut off financially by Ellis’s father, a former army Colonel who is already embarrassed by his son’s inability to serve in WWII due to his being colorblind.

To Maddie’s horror, Ellis decides that the only way to regain his father’s favor is to succeed in a venture his father attempted and very publicly failed at: he will hunt the famous Loch Ness monster and when he finds it he will restore his father’s name and return to his father’s good graces (and pocketbook). Joined by their friend Hank, a wealthy socialite, the three make their way to Scotland in the midst of war.

Each day the two men go off to hunt the monster, while another monster, Hitler, is devastating Europe. And Maddie, now alone in a foreign country, must begin to figure out who she is and what she wants.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

4.37/5 stars

On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane's bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War. The lieutenant’s name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood, he'd been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails. As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile. But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown.

Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

3.92/5 stars

Rachel catches the same commuter train every morning. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens. She’s even started to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. If only Rachel could be that happy. And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Now Rachel has a chance to become a part of the lives she’s only watched from afar. Now they’ll see; she’s much more than just the girl on the train...

#libby #libby app #overdrive #overdrive libraries #public library #book club #book club pick #ereader #literature #modern literature #literary #reading recommendations #fiction #historical fiction #book recommendations #book recs #enterainment #adult reads #reading

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boarix · 5 years ago

Text

Wraith in the Ruins: A Fallout 4 Story Part XVIII

Lighthouse

Trigger warnings: canon violence/language/gun, alcohol and drug use. Mature/sexual content - not explicit

Bloody Mess warning!

Please Enjoy!

Marie stood in the doorway, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. After about five minutes or so, she began tapping her foot in a staccato of irritation, “Did you want something or not? I’m very busy.”

Atom’s Assassin didn’t bother to turn around, “You are massing in Crater House, yes? We had agreed to wait.”

“My followers are impatient.” Despite not having been invited, she briskly walked around the chair the ghoul was lounging in to fold her arms and glare down at them, “This is taking too long. You are taking too long.”

Infamy’s leader was toying with their favorite weapon: a combat knife with a serrated, wicked-looking blade. Flipping it around the back of their hand and thumb with remarkable speed, they locked eyes with her, “You have no followers. Those with you follow Atom. Atom rewards patience.”

“Yes, well, while you sit here and patiently wait for this church’s roof to cave in, my followers and I will take back Kingsport Lighthouse!”

“You will be annihilated.”

Anger caused her to react without thinking; swatting the knife out of the ghoul’s hand and sending it spinning to a dark corner. In the space of a heartbeat the ghoul was out of their chair and lashing out with a backhand that sent the young woman crashing to the floor.

“You will bring those Children back to this church. You will all wait.”

As the glowing one moved to retrieve the knife, their radiance illuminated the room which revealed a large number of ferals, standing perfectly still, in arcing rows around the chair. Marie hadn’t even noticed their presence and felt the whole thing to be incredibly unnerving.

“But, what are we waiting for?!”

Turning, the ghoul went to the doorway just as an Infamy runner stepped through. There was a brief, whispered conversation before Atom’s Assassin turned back to her.

Cackling madly, they brandished their knife and spun in a circle, “They are here! Ahahaa!”

“Who? What’s happening?!”

The mad ghoul roughly pulled Marie to her feet and shook her, “It won’t be long now; the Pretender’s doom has arrived in the Commonwealth!”

“Did you make those pants?”

Shaun looked up from the workbench, “Yeah why, are they weird?”

“No, I like the color. Green is a good color on you. They look like they fit nice…”

He favored her with an indulgent smile, “Grandma, do you want me to make you a pair of green slacks?”

“Oh ho, not pants but slacks?” Her smile broadened when he rolled his eyes, “Yes, please make me a pair of slacks.”

“Are you coming back home after ghoul training?”

Wraith didn’t answer at first. She wanted to but since she had no idea how long learning to influence feral ghouls would take, let alone if she was even capable, she didn’t want to make promises she couldn’t keep.

She had intended the past week to be a vacation of sorts, but found herself elbow deep in reports and meetings instead. In addition to the seemingly random attacks, Infamy had taken to raising radiation levels in some of the southern settlements.

She also spent as much time as possible with Danse; helping Curie with his rehab and his occasional skips in memory. Now, with it being her last day, she was spending it with Shaun and found that she really didn’t want to leave at all.

“Oh, honey… I don’t know… There are too many variables to give you a definitive answer.”

“You’re using lawyer-general speak again,” He stuck his lip out and nodded, “I could go with you…”

“No. Absolutely not.”

His caramel complexion couldn’t hide his flush, “Why not. Is it because I couldn’t defeat Infamy? Do you think that I’ll be a burden?” He had balled up his fists, “I know I screwed that up but…”

“I don’t find you to be burdensome. You didn’t screw anything up! I need you to stay and help Mac…”

“That’s brahmin shit! That’s what YOU TELL LITTLE KIDS WHEN THEY WANT TO HELP YOU BUT YOU THINK THEY’LL BE IN THE WAY!” When Wraith didn’t cut him off and start yelling back he lost some of his momentum, “I’m sorry I let Danse and RJ get hurt!”

“You three were a team. Not one of you failed to fulfill… ugh… Okay, no more lawyer speak.” She got up from her stool, “I can’t lose you. And it’s not just you! I’m keeping Mac, Danse… I’m being completely selfish, I know… If I can keep all you strong fighters together, you will be able to keep each other safe, when I’m… gone.”

“Are you going to let the Valentines leave?” Her honesty had taken the wind out of his anger, “I’m surprised you let Grandpa John go.”

She furrowed her brow, “For the last time; I’m not a tyrant! I’m not going to hold innocent people against their will! I want them to stay and I already made my case, plus Curie wants to study Ellie’s pregnancy… wait… Grandpa John?”

Shaun’s blush deepened, “Cause you two… you know… he asked you to marry him. What the heck am I supposed to call him?!”

“I’m sorry, you’re right. Are you going to start calling Mac ‘grandpa’ too?”

“No, that’s weird.”

She nodded after a couple seconds of rapid blinking, “Okay, I guess that tracks.”

MacCready opened the door and stuck his head through, “Hey guys, Danse, Curie, the Valentines and dinner are here so stop yelling at each other and come in the house.”

“Technically speaking, RJ, the workshop is still in the house.”

“Who’s ‘Dinner’, they sound nice.”

MacCready sighed and slumped his shoulders, “Hilarious. You two done?”

“Did Dinner walk here on their own?”

Shaun started giggling, “How many legs do they have?”

Dinner was very nice and the conversation pleasant. Although space was limited the group squeezed together amicably and Valentine, a wonderful story teller, was regaling them with child-friendly versions of the behemoth and alien artifact cases.

“… climb the whole way up with me tied to her back! Of course, I told her she’d do just as well building castles in the air…”

“Mr. Colonel Garvey Minuteman has a castle! He said that grandma Wraith fought a monster there this one time and it was really big!” Duncan threw his arms out wide, knocking his cup off the table. His father neatly caught it however, and not even a drop was spilt. His excitement turned to dismay at the near loss of juice and he hung his head, “Sorry, daddy.”

MacCready tousled his hair, “Don’t be sad, Dunk. Spilt drink never hurt anybody; just work on your aim.”

“I still say I could’ve pulled us up and out with no problem.”

Valentine smiled and shook his head at her, “You are aware of a distinction between could and should.”

Wraith stuck her lip out in much the same way Shaun had, “You never know unless you try.”

“I tried cheese today!” Duncan’s confidence had returned.

Danse grimaced, “You’re a braver man than I. The smell reminds me of the training mats in the Citadel…”

As Valentine finished his tale, with he the unfortunate ending of Imogene, Curie leaned slightly forward and her eyes tracked his mouth with a hungry intensity.

“And this alien artifact, where has it gone?”

“Well… I’m not sure, actually. I was in and out at the time.”

“It’s put away.” There was a warning edge to Wraith’s voice. “I’d have destroyed it if I could.”

“Oh, but why? Surly this item would be of great use, not only to the scientific community, but to the studies of medical…”

“No!” Wraith gentled her tone, “No, Baby Bird. It is evil and cannot be used for anything but.”

“It’s like the One Ring!” Shaun deliberately directed his comment at MacCready.

“Oh, jeez. Not you too! I’m surrounded by nerds.”

“What’s this now?”

“Oh, Danse, it’s from this great book grandpa John let me borrow. You hav’ta read it!”

MacCready smirked, “Yeah, just when you’re finally starting to feel better…”

Shaun took the snide remark rather personally and so his retort had real venom, “You’re face looks better, now that you shaved that beard!”

Danse’s eyes snapped up to lock with the sniper’s, “You grew a beard? A full beard?”

“Yeah, so what?” His shrug was meant to be nonchalant.

Danse expression was unreadable, “Nothing, just surprised.”

“You’re surprised that I grew a beard? I’ve had a goatee…”

“Surprised that you’re physically capable of growing more than those rat whiskers you normally sport.”

Normally such banter would quickly degrade into actual bickering, but after giving Danse the One Finger Salute, (making sure Duncan didn’t see) MacCready laughed and flashed a bright smile.

After dinner, the group settled in to play cards: the children, Danse and MacCready playing Go Fish while the other four grown-ups indulged in Euchre. After a couple of hands, Wraith began making a conscious effort to memorize the evening. She planned on using bright-spot memories like these to battle against future bouts of her berserker rage.

Acknowledging her addiction to Buffout was only a small step in combating her tendency to slide toward madness. She had publicly denied, on more than one occasion, that she was a tyrannical monster but didn’t want to fall into the trap of declaring yourself a savor to the people whose house you’re burning.

“I’m sorry I scolded you, Curie.” Wraith had followed Danse and Curie out the door and across the yard. Watching Danse use a cane made her feel all the more guilty over the decision to keep the artifact’s location secret. “I shouldn’t have spoken to you like you’re a kid…”

“Ah, Madame, please don’t worry about it. Forgive me for saying so, but I feel you have been treating me as your daughter since almost the first time we met.” She arched her arms out to mimic her Miss. Nanny silhouette, “Even when I was just a metal egg.”

Wraith chuckled, “Well I guess it’s reassuring to know that I have at least some maternal instinct.” She took her by the shoulders, “I know why you would want to study it. I don’t blame you but… it has a way of… pulling at you. Shaun’s analogy wasn’t that far off.”

“I… understand. I was only, so excited! Here was a thing from another world! A… a science beyond the capabilities of the one I am only barely familiar with. One with an almost unlimited capacity for healing…” She looked at the clinic door that Danse had just struggled to open, “He gets lost in his memories and he’s still, so very thin…”

“Time, Baby Bird. With you caring for him, maybe not as much as you think.”

“It was a group effort that saved mon amour. Even Monsieur MacCready, with his Beard of Solidarity…”

“His… what?”

She laughed, “Danse had told me a story of how, when a member of your unit is badly damaged, so that they cannot shave their chins, the rest of the group stops this as well. This is done regardless of the team member’s gender, of course. Those who cannot grow a beard will sometimes shave their head… the focus on hair in this instance is rather fascinating, don’t you agree?”

Wraith felt a surge of pride in MacCready, “He takes such care with his goatee. They bicker so much I had no idea that they were that close.”

“Perhaps it is like siblings, oui?”

“How did Mac find out about the hair thing?”

“He came to me and asked what he could do. For some reason telling him the story that mon ours told me made me feel a little better. And when I saw that he was honoring him this way, why, I felt… I’m not sure how to put it…” Curie’s face lit up, “Robert is a protector, and this act was very much him shielding and bolstering my resolve. Which, is what I believe, it is meant to do.”

She could feel the heat of climax pooling below her navel even as MacCready began to shake beneath her. Bearing down as he thrust upward, the breath was driven from them both each time their hips came together.

Their lovemaking would appear a desperate, clinging act; exciting and needful as their first. Yet, it was practiced and refined with each moving in concert toward and against the other. They fought to hush their moans and gasps of pleasure, as to not disturb the sleeping household.

The realization that they might finish together heightened the anticipation of release and Wraith couldn’t stop her cry of passion at the mere thought.

Pushing himself to an almost seated position, MacCready attempted to silence both their cries by kissing her fiercely. Head swimming, he came almost as soon as he felt her muscles contract, somehow maintaining enough control to last until she finished.

Collapsing back to the bed, he kept his arms around her, holding her to him to feel that wonderful sensation of oneness that was almost better than the orgasm.

Almost.

“Shit, Wraith… That was amazing!”

“Ah ah ah, potty mouth. You’re lucky Hancock isn’t here to punish you. Not that you’d mind.”

“Not that I’d mind.”

Wraith nuzzled his chest, “I wish the three of us could be together more. Not that I mind havin’ a bedfellow at every port…”

“Every port?!” He raised his pitch in mock indignity, “Are you sleeping with jabber-jaw?”

She pushed him playfully as she rolled away, “That’s not nice!”

“Ha ha! Doesn’t change to fact that you knew who I meant!”

“I’m gonna tell Piper on you!”

After a bit of cleanup, a check on the children and MacCready settled in her arms, Wraith let her perpetual exhaustion take hold and settled into a light doze. She entered a dream almost immediately.

The cave was dark and full of the echoes of dripping water. At first random and natural, it swiftly changed to a rhythmic percussion.

Voices. No longer was it mere water. A multitude of vaguely familiar voices, chanting her name.

“Wraith! Wraith! Wraith! WRAITH!”

Then, like smaller streams coming together to form a great river, the cries became a defining torrent.

“WRAITH! WRAITH!”

It was cold! And the voices swirled around and through her. She desperately tried to ask them what they needed but when she opened her mouth, their chant poured forth.

“WRAITH! WRAITH! WRAITH!”

Then, with a flash of light, the voices ceased. The darkness returned, this time heavy and oppressively hot. There was a sizzling noise, like a burning fuse. The outline of a figure materialized from the inky black.

“Pippa…” Deacon lifted his face; glasses gone, his eyes shone, as if from within, “Pippa please…”

“Yes! Tell me! Anything. I’ll give you anything! Please, tell me what…”

“Please…” The light from his eyes spread until his whole body glowed.

“DEACON!”

“Please, don’t; you’re killing us.”

The following morning dawned grey and the clouds in the east were leaden with the promise of rain. Wraith didn’t want announce her departure to anyone who may be watching and so planned to use the settlements back, secret door. She had extended a tunnel she found in the basement of one of the original houses, so that it led further into the hills north of Sanctuary. Doubling as Bear’s tannery, it was rarely used by the community due to the odor and its true purpose known by only a select few. After saying her final goodbyes in the kitchen, Wraith, dressed as a male settler, left by the office door and walked briskly to the last northern house on the left.

“I still say this is crazy,” Bear’s deep, rasping baritone rolled like thunder from a dark corner, “like something from Astoundingly Awesome Stories.”

“It’s ‘Tales’, Bear. I thought you were just going to drop off my kit, whatcha need?”

“I never gave ya yer present. Catch!”

Wraith easily caught the object the large ghoul tossed to her. Turning it over in her hands, she gasped in appreciation of the artistry: using the pale hide of the albino deathclaw she had slain on her way to D.C, he had created a helmet in the likeness of her defeated foe. There were a pair of horns, beautifully intricate scales and a visor sporting a pair of faux eyes outlined in blackened steel.

“Oh, Bear! This is the coolest thing I think I’ve ever seen! It’s so light!”

“Light in weight but super heavy-duty, thanks in part to the ballistic weave. There’s some in the suit too.”

“You made a whole suit?!”

“Yeah, I wanna see you in it before you leave. I couldn’t do a final fitting cause it was a surprise, so haveta make sure it fits ya.”

It fit perfectly, of course. It came in four pieces: a vest, jacket, pants and over-the-knee boots. And it wore exactly like her modified wet suit; allowing her a range of motion as if she wore nothing at all.

“I suppose it’s fine.” Bear’s overly critical eye scanned her from toe to crown, “Ya lost weight again.”

“Tch. It’s your imagination. This is so awesome!”

“One more thing,” Not wanting to risk injury, he passed her a wrapped bundle. “I found this in the armory. It was a little bit beat up so I replaced the fittings for ya.”

When Wraith returned the stolen egg to a distraught deathclaw parent, she had found a gauntlet festooned with the sharp, blade-like claws of a deathclaw near the nest. Picking it up, she considered it a consolation prize, but had never once used it. Now, she slipped it over her hand and struck a dramatic fighting pose.

“How do I look?”

“Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. Start calling you General Deathclaw.”

“Ugh, don’t I have enough nicknames?” She embraced him carefully.

“There’s throwing knife pockets throughout, even in the boots, a belt with clips and compartments for extra storage and the jacket should fit over your shoulder holster… are you wearing it out?”

“I sure am! This is perfect; I’ve used Phil the Settler too many times anyway. And if anyone should happen to see me, they’ll probably think I’m a raider boss.”

“Well, I’m happy if yer happy, Wolf.”

The midmorning rain beaded on the armor and rolled into the channels that Bear had strategically crafted; wicking the water away from her eyes and face. She had greatly lamented the loss of her original custom Marine helmet to the ruin of Gunner Plaza, but found that the range of peripheral vision in this new one to be far superior then even its replacement. With the horror of the previous night’s dream forgotten and delighted by the sense of freedom, she flew through the bush unimpeded by the weather and almost completely invisible to any of the Wasteland’s people or fauna.

Just as the warehouse and fence of Wicked Shipping came into view, she felt an odd prickling sensation and instinctively dodged to her left.

A trio of feral ghouls rose from the underbrush.

“Well, Zen time’s cancelled.” She crouched slightly and waited for them to rush her.

“Not to worry, General,” The echoing and otherworldly voice belonged to a glowing one. Dressed in the humble robes of the Children of Atom, he beckoned to her from the shop roof, “come along inside, sister. They surely will not harm their friend.”

Harkness yawned and waved at her by way of greeting. He was sitting in an office chair with his feet up on the desk of one of the former Flynn brothers. “Those are some fancy duds there, General Dragon-Lady.”

She removed the helm and wrinkled her nose at him, “Nice. You two just get here?”

“Nope.” Groaning, he stood, stretched and removed a pot of steaming water from a hotplate, “We headed out from Goodneighbor as soon as I got back. Sun called ferals to him the entire way; it was pretty surreal.” He waved a mug at her, “Tea?”

“Actually, yes, thanks.” She accepted the mug and idly played with the steeper. “You said he called to them?”

“Not very many and not out loud. He says that when you’re done, he will lead them to the Glowing Sea.”

“Like a Pied Piper, huh?”

“I actually think I know that reference.”

“As do I. And I approve.”

Sun of Atom swept into the room with a floating grace that left Wraith green with envy. Almost immediately the prickling sensation returned and she outwardly flinched away from the ghoul.

“Apologies, Mother’s Chosen One; I’ll turn down my intensity.” He smiled warmly at her, “It is extremely gratifying to learn that you are so receptive. Perhaps this training will go swiftly and we each can return to our chosen paths.”

She forced a smile of her own, “I’ll bank on your optimism, but please refrain from using that title,” The forced grin had started to make her cheek twitch, “if you must be formal, please call me General Wraith. Although, I’d prefer you refer to me as…”

“Wraith the Undying?” Harkness had a stole-the-last-cookie grin, “Or maybe, Death in the Shadow?”

Determined not to let him nettle her, she continued as if he hadn’t spoke, “as Wraith. Just ‘Wraith’ is perfect. How may I call you?”

“You may use ‘brother’ or ‘Sun’ as you are comfortable, sister Wraith.” He accepted a mug from Harkness, “Will you be leaving us, brother? I know you are resistant to rads, but it may yet be too dangerous for you to stay.”

“Oh no. I’m not going anywhere. I haven’t finished fixing the fencing and besides I’m going to stay and make sure things don’t get out of hand.”

The ghoul laughed, “I am well practiced, and I can assure you that no harm will come to your friend.”

He leveled a stern gaze at Wraith, “I’m not worried about you harming anyone, Sunny.”

She wanted to argue, but considering their past encounter, felt she couldn’t blame him. Her guilt must have made a clear mark on her face because Harkness’s softened almost immediately and he brought a hand up and rubbed the back of his head.

“I’m sorry. I’m really tired and it’s made me a grouch. Are you two going to start right away? I kind of wanted to watch.”

“I’m afraid there won’t be much to see until the fence is done. I’m holding them here for now but as soon as I let go they’ll either attack or wander off.”

“What about the glowing one in the warehouse?”

“She’s pushed me away every time I’ve asked her. She is very strong and I may be unable to hold her.”

“Was she here already?”

Harkness frowned and shook his head at her, “She came yesterday; just sort of appeared in the yard outside. We left the warehouse doors open and she went in by herself.”

“I believe she heard me and was curious. And now I am feeling that she’s waiting for something.”

Harkness washed his face with his hands, “That sounds really ominous.” Letting his hands fall to his sides, he shook his head to crack his neck, “I guess I’ll go finish up the fence.”

“It’s still raining…”

“The wet fence, then.”

Wraith frowned at his back, “How many ferals are out there?”

Sun crouched over a pack in the corner and began rummaging through it, “I managed to call twelve on the way here…”

“And Our Lady of Perpetual Radiance makes thirteen.” Harkness’s shoulders sagged as he stepped out into the drizzle.

“Lucky thirteen.”

Having found what he was looking for, the ghoul waved Wraith over to him, “We can use this to sit on…” He spread a woven, padded mat on the floor, not unlike a picnic blanket, “no sense in being uncomfortable, any more than we have to.” In one fluid movement, he descended to a seated, cross-legged position and motion for her to sit across from him.

Wraith set her jacket over the back of the chair and removed her boots before joining him. “It’s been a while since I’ve meditated. Over two hundred years, in fact.”

Probably something that would have helped me. I could teach Shaun and we could make mats!

“I think that you will find this to be a very similar practice.” He looked into her eyes, his omnipresent smile warm and disarming, “Why don’t we start with your overall impression of feral ghouls. What was your first reaction?”

She frowned, “Unfortunately the first ferals I came across were some of my neighbors from before… Ms. Rosa and… and her son. They rushed me and… well… I honestly didn’t know it was them until after. Her dress… I recognized her dress.”

“I’m sure, at the time, you had no alternative.”

“I didn’t understand what they were at first. And now; as much as folks think they’re mindless… sometimes I can see a glimmer… when they pick up a teddy or even a pencil, and put it in their pocket,” She lifted her hand and closing it, made a fist around an imagined object, “I can see the flash of memory, of a time when they were people, and not monsters.”

Sun’s smile faltered but he held up his hands when, assuming she had offended him, Wraith attempted to apologize.

“It is alright, sister. I myself am no longer human and because of my glow, am considered to be a monster, even amongst non-feral ghouls. But, having witnessed horrific calamities that those still yet named human have done; I count myself instead as, not a monster, but closer to Atom. And there is a domain that I happily occupy, no matter what others deem me as.”

“If you and Infamy are closer to Atom and doing his bidding, then I say you are well within the realm of monsterhood.”

His smile went out like a candle, “I cannot abide Infamy’s tactics. Their use of ferals as fodder is unforgivable! I would rather see them mercifully slain than used as soulless killing machines.” He steepled his fingers, “When Brother Harkness came to me for help and described who you were, I took it as a sign. I came without hesitation because I knew that it was His will.”

“I can admire your conviction to your beliefs, but they aren’t mine. I’m having a real hard time with this whole plan. I question the idea of assuming the identity of a religious figure. No matter what good I might do, it’s still a lie.”

“I’m not here to convert you. But, I know that you are part of Atom’s plan.” His smile had returned, “Ask me anything. I embrace questioning my faith. After all, what credibility would it maintain if it couldn’t stand up to scrutiny?”

She narrowed her eyes, “Give me one truth.” She leaned away and folded her arms, “Let’s start there.”

“I too have traveled to the Sacred Spring, drank from its waters, seen visions provided by the Mother. Among some that were terrifying I was struck by a singular image,” He abruptly stood up and went to his pack. “I made a sketch as soon as I was able to hold a pencil.” He handed her a piece of paper as he sat down, “The Mother spoke to me; she named them ‘Harbinger’.”

The crude drawing was of an upright, humanoid deathclaw.

“The Mother showed me you.”

“Hmm. That… does look a little like my armor.” She wrestled with the fact that she had just received her gift that morning and no one apart from Bear had seen her in it.

“I left the Capital Ruins because Harkness is a good, trustworthy friend. I had a suspicion of your significance but wasn’t sure until I saw you today. You and the Harbinger are one and the same. I came here to help him, but it has been revealed that I am meant to help you!”

“Okay, Sun. I will agree that you came here with good intentions. And whether or not that,” She tapped the drawing gently, “is me, shall remain to be seen.”

“It is a place to start.” He returned his sketch to his pack and returned himself to the mat. “When you are ready, I’m going to reach out to you, and I want you to describe how it feels.”

Telling herself not to flinch, Wraith closed her eyes and nodded, “A little like a static charge; doesn’t hurt but it feels a little… zappy.”

“Do you feel any impressions? See any images?”

“Nope.”

“Very well. This time I want you to try and push back. I want you to imagine a wall or shield, blocking the zappy feeling. It may help you to think of it as an attack. Find where it is hitting you, and try to stop it.”

For several minutes the two sat across from each other, quietly waging war.

“We should stop for now.”

“Oh, thank god. I have to pee so bad…”

Sun tilted back his head and laughed, “Is that what it is? Your attention was very strong up until about fifteen minutes ago, ha!”

“You mean I’m actually doing something?”

“Certainly. Your light is very bright, even at rest. It is no wonder you’ve been able to ask them for help without any training.”

“My light?” She shifted her weight, uncomfortable but stubborn in her excitement for knowledge.

He laughed again, “Go to the latrine!”

On her way back, she spotted Harkness. At that moment he happened to pull his arms up over his head, stretching and yawning, affording her an opportunity to size him up and watch him move in the light of day.

He really is a big one. At least as big as Danse… he moves a little lighter though…

“You know, General Death in the Shadow, most people would get pretty excited, having someone as important as you, eye them up and down like that.”

“And what? You’re not most people?”

Jeez! He irks my very soul!

“I don’t see wanton eyes filled with lustful assessment. It’s not flattering; it’s scary.” He came to stand directly in front of her. Almost toe to toe, “I see you deciding how best to kill me.” He folded his large arms and glared down at her, “How did you put it? Ah, yes; ‘rip me in half’.”

“Ouch.” Reminding herself that he came a very long way to help and that she did in fact threaten to kill him, Wraith tried hard to be peaceable, “I truly apologize for both my actions and demeanor when we first met.”

He tilted his head to the side and squinted, “That’s it?”

“I’m sure that I would find ripping you in half to be… at least half again as difficult as I may have suggested.”

Letting his arms fall to his sides, his blue eyes widened before he erupted in bombastic laughter. Shaking his head, he patted her none-to-gently on the bicep, “Harley’s right; you are the scariest person ever!”

He had no idea how much those words hurt her.

“Yeah, that’s me; the Commonwealth Monster.”

“Tell Sunny I’m just about done with the fence. I’ll come in and make food when I’m finished.”

Noting the grim line of Wraith’s mouth, Sun turned up his glow and literally gave her his brightest smile, “Harkness is a moody sort of person. He fusses at me a great deal as well.”

“It’s not all on him. I just wish… nope… We need to focus on the ‘here and now’.” She forced a smile of her own, “Tell me about lights.”

“The lights of the soul,” He settled back to the mat, “you may see them in your mind. You’ll call out to them, guide them and push them.”

“So, when you’re pushing at me, my light is where you… aim?”

“If that analogy helps you, then yes.”

“So if I can see your light, can I talk to you? Make you do stuff?” A horrible thought had crept through her mind, “Even if you don’t want to?”

“Ah, yes. This brings us to something very important. Wraith, you must always be the brightest light.” He set his hands together and briefly touched their tips to his scarred lips, “Most sentient beings carry a light inside them and most of those are strong enough to withstand any attempts at manipulation. It is possible to be overwhelmed however, so think of yourself as a lighthouse. Your radiance is a strong beacon of hope and you gather the smaller lights to you. You offer them peace, direction, safety and tranquility.” Separating his hands he waved them in a gesture of dismissal, “You do not ever go to them. Don’t follow the lights!”

“I’m sorry, but why? I know that they aren’t just…”

“Infamy and I are not the only Children who have herded feral ghouls.” Sun’s eyes filled with pain and sorrow, “Some of the other parishioners started to call us The Necromancers.” His smile was sad, “I’ll admit, I thought it was very cool and along with our friends, I began to act like… well, rather high and mighty. Some of us, rather than simply move ferals to more convenient and safe locations, started aiming our small collections at wastelanders who might have offered us some slight.” Now his eyes filled with guilt, “It went too far, of course. People died; people who didn’t deserve that level of admonishment.”

“So, the Necromancers became infamous… then Infamy?”

“Yes. At this point I was still a member, but I was having problems reconciling the deaths… and I wasn’t the only one.” He leaned toward her, “There was a power struggle within the group; those who wanted to return to The Necromancers and those who chose Infamy. Each faction had a leader and when the two faced off, Atom’s Assassin came out on top. Multiple ferals were used in their attack, and once their opponent was lost in a sea of overwhelming lights, Infamy took hold of what little of their mind was left and bent them to their will.”

Brow furrowed, Wraith stuck out her lip, “Wait… and you… you all think I’ll somehow be able to…”

Leaning back, Sun waved his hands dismissively, “Oh, no. This isn’t a coup d’état; it should be sufficient for you to simply demonstrate your ability to herd fearls. We are seeking to establish credibility to the claim that you are Chosen and therefore not a pretender as Marie has claimed.”

Suddenly overwhelmed, Wraith surged to her feet and bolted for the door. At that moment Harkness was heading inside to prepare a meal and so the two nearly collided. Near tears, she muttered an apology as she ducked under his arm and twisted away.

She didn’t get very far. Just past the remains of the semi-trucks were the three feral ghouls she had seen that morning. She stopped and crouched, instinctively preparing for battle. They all but ignored her, continuing to pick unknown detritus from the grass and putting it their mouths. As she watched them she patted herself down, stopping when she realized what she was searching for.

“Need a cigarette?” Harkness, seeming to appear from midair, leaned against a truck cab and offered her a pack.

“No, thanks. I’m after something a little stronger.”

“Oh, yeah. Buffout, right?”

“Christ! Does everybody know?!”

Pushing himself away from the vehicle, he folded his arms and gave her a pitying smile, “Hancock didn’t tell me, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Let me guess…”

“No, it wasn’t Harley either.” He watched as the ferals shuffled away toward the warehouse, “I figured it out on my own. When we met you acted so out of character from what I was expecting that I knew something had to be off. That and the ability to lift me off the ground with one hand…”

“It’s been getting steadily worse; every time I got scared, or even nervous, I’d pop a Buffout ‘just in case’.” It was easier to watch the ferals then meet his eye, “I’d take one and I’d calm down because then I was strong enough to handle what was coming. The times that I’ve lost control… I didn’t take it because I wanted to… no matter who they are or what they’ve done the people I’ve killed are, well, people. When I go berserk there is a good chance I won’t remember the little details of the murders I’m committing. Curie has warned me that it was all psychosomatic; I thought I was controlling myself with the chem when it was actually all in my head.”

“Let’s fight.”

“I don’t wanna fight with both myself and you.”

“No, I mean spar.” He widened his stance, bent his knees slightly and raised his fists, “Harley says you used martial arts to help Cait overcome her lingering cravings. Maybe it’ll help you too.”

“That’s not a bad idea, actually.”

Plus, I might get to sock you one - guilt free.

They spent the next few moments testing each other with quick jabs and minor kicks. Nothing connected as they each skillfully deflected the others probing attacks. Wraith found herself thoroughly enjoying the exchange and let herself relax and focus on the movements of her opponent.

He’s really quick! He may have Danse’s frame but he moves like Deacon. I wish the two of us could’ve done some exercises like this. Although, if it was anything like sparing with Hancock then other things would have… No, he never thought of me that way… What a thing to think about now!

Sensing her distraction and hoping to capitalize, Harley stepped in close and aimed a knee at her midsection. Dropping her hips to guard, she wrapped her arms around his torso and hefted him into the air while swinging him slightly forward. On the backswing she used his body’s momentum to pop him up and over her back and slam him to the ground.

“OOOFFFHA!” Utterly defeated he made the time-out signal with his hands and attempted to gain air into his lungs.

“Ooo! Gotcha good that time.” She hoped her smile wasn’t too obvious, “You let me know when you’re ready for round two.”

Wheezing, the large man took her offered hand and let her pull him to his feet, “No thanks! I don’t want to wrestle anymore today.”

She held on to his hand, “Thanks for this, really. I was freaking out and… you made me feel better.”

Laughing ruefully he placed his other hand atop hers and gave it a pat, “I’m glad you tossing me around made one of us feel better.”

Sun had come to look for Wraith and was confused by the juxtaposition of fighting and laughter, “Are the two of you… well?”

“She’s better and I’m going inside to cook because my ego and I need to prove that there is something I’m capable of being successful at.”

“The… fence looks… complete…”

“Thank you, Sunny. I can always count on you to be mildly complementary.” He lifted a cautionary finger, “Don’t let go of the ferals just yet, I want to make another circuit before you do.”

As the three of them headed back to the office, Wraith felt the now familiar sensation of a mental intrusion. Sun, who was slightly ahead of her, felt it as well and he stopped and turned toward the warehouse. The three feral ghouls had stopped feeding and were standing perfectly still; staring intently at the building that contained the feral glowing one.

“She’s calling us… she… ah, she’s lost interest.”

“Are you sure it’s a good idea to keep her in there? If she’s that powerful…”

“Not to worry, sister Wraith. I am quite proficient in my craft. Even if I cannot move her as I like; I’m confident I can keep her in a state of peacefulness.”

Wraith’s tone was grim, “And if that fails, I am confident in my proficiency of my craft.”

After they ate, (Sun more out of polite interest than necessity) Harkness asked the other two to clean while he made a final check of the fence, “I’m going to circumambulate one last time before you take off their mental leashes. It would be less than polite to let them wander off into someone’s tato plot.”

Wraith and Sun spent the remainder of the day cross-legged on the mat, quietly sparing until the sun made the western hills its grave.

Exhausted from the training, Wraith fell asleep almost as soon as she lay down for the night.

She was back in the cave.

“I have to find the source!”

The dripping water proved directionless; echoing through her ears and reverberating from the rough, pitted walls. She spun in a circle: searching, searching, searching… Drawn to the faint light cast by glowing fungus she moved as though floating. A faint flicker at the corner of her vision caused her to flinch and spin away.

“Pippa, you need to stop.”

Deacon phased in and out of focus, as if he was using a glitching Stealth-Boy, and no matter how she twisted and turned, she couldn’t see him but from the corner of her eye.

“Please stop or we’ll die.”

His voice came from directly behind her. She spun around; putting her back to the mushrooms to see him fully. His tear-streaked face was a pallid green from their illumination.

“Stop what?!” She tried to go to him but could no longer move, “Stop how?!”

As before his eyes began to glow, brighter and brighter it spread until his whole body shone. It created a strobe-like effect when combined with his flickering in and out of sight. Then, ever so slowly, he raised a hand. Clutched in his fist was a single glowing fungus and he offered it to her as if it were a rose.

“This one is yours.”

Wraith’s next three days followed a pattern: breakfast, meditative combat, lunch, meditative combat, sparing with Harkness, dinner, meditative combat then bedroll. Thankful that the cave dream didn’t manifest again, she got some much-needed sleep each night.

On the fourth day she had a breakthrough.

“HA!” Her forceful shout corresponded to a particularly successful mental push. The result of which knocked Atom’s Sun over and made Harkness jump out of his chair.

“What?! What’s happening?!”

Scooping the ghoul from the floor, Wraith spun them round, “Eeeeeeeee! That was awesome!”

“Please!” The glowing one somehow managed to look even more green, “I’m about to be sick!”

“I take this to mean that progress has been made.”

“Yes, very much so.” Grateful to have his feet touching the floor, he wobbled slightly but was smiling, “Congratulations, sister Wraith. Now we will work on refin…”

As if in response to their celebration, there came an incredible psionic pulse from the warehouse’s glowing resident. It was so powerful in fact, that Harkness turned along with the other two to stare toward the building next door.

“Whoa!” Wraith’s voice was hushed in awe, “Radiance just threw down the gauntlet.” She pointed toward the ceiling, “Let’s go check up on her.”

On one of her previous ghoul-problem checks, Wraith had created a makeshift bridge between the roofs of the two main buildings. Once the trio crossed over they quietly moved around the catwalk until they could see the feral glowing one.

And what a sight she was: bathed in light of her own making, Our Lady of Perpetual Radiance stood perfectly upright with her arms slightly raised and palms facing her hips. Sensing them, she turned and took several elegant steps in their direction. Her poise and grace called to mind an expert ballerina. Further, rather than the normal growths, welts and malformed lumps caused by ghoulification, she was adorned in glowing funguses of varying pastel hues. There was a large concentration trailing up her spine to encircle her scalp which made it look as if she had been crowned by luminescent jewels.

“She’s a queen.” Breathless, Wraith couldn’t take her eyes off her.

Tilting her chin slightly downward, Radiance gave the other woman an intensely scrutinizing look while sending out another powerful mental challenge.

“She’s here… for me…”

“Wraith!” Harkness stepped between them, “Hey! Snap out of it.”

“Sister Wraith, we should return…”

Nodding wordlessly she followed behind them in a haze.

The next 3 days passed with much the same routine. The difference being that after her sparing with Harkness, Sun would take her to the warehouse roof where they would alternate trying to connect with Radiance and the other feral ghouls.

This made Harkness very nervous and he made several comments to that effect. When asked “why” he couldn’t properly articulate his forbearance, “It’s dangerous. The other ferals… that is what you came here to learn but her… I don’t know. We didn’t bring her, she brought herself.”

On the ninth day, Wraith awoke with a start and leaped to her feet. She could hear voices, raised in anger, coming from outside. One of them was Marie’s. Quickly donning her new armor, she slipped out a window while activating a Stealth-Boy.

Once outside, the early dawn light shown over a grim scene: the bodies of several ghouls, both feral and clad in Infamy’s darkened Children’s robes, lay across the grass in between two of the semi-truck trailers. A few living members ringed a kneeling, and obviously injured Harkness while Marie held Sun of Atom at gunpoint. A glowing one, whom Wraith presumed to be Atom’s Assassin, sat on the top of one of the trailers, letting their feet swing in and out of the opening.

Marie’s voice was shrill, “How could you?! How dare you kill your own people?!”

“Tch. Don’t waste words on that foolish, old Necromancer.” Infamy’s leader had their dagger out and was playing with it in a way that was clearly meant to be menacing. Pitching forward, they did a perfect flip and landed lightly on their feet. Purposely bypassing Marie and her hostage, they held their blade under Harness’s chin, forcing his eyes up slightly to meet their own, “Where is the Pretender, hmm? Where is Death in the Shadow?”

“She’s no pretender, Infamy. I promise you; Wraith’s the real deal.”

Infamy was intrigued.

“Don’t listen to this… blasphemous lout! He himself aided Morningstar in infiltrating the Apostles of the Holy Light by acting as a member! He is no less an enemy than she is!”

Marie had taken to waving her pipe pistol around as if it was a visual aid. Distracted by her wrath, she was easily disarmed by Sun who, in turn, put her in a headlock with the muzzle at her temple.

“Oh! Unhand me you… bastard!”

Infamy was amused.

“Hear us out. Please, my… please.”

Arching a hairless brow, Atom’s Assassin sheathed their weapon and folded their arms, “I’m all ears. Oh, hahaha; that’s funny cause I haven’t any! Ha ha heeee!” They gave Sun a dismissive wave, “By all means, kill that obnoxious psychotic. Ha! We only need one in our party and I am more than sufficient! Hahaha!”

Instead, Sun released her and backed away with his hands in the air, “She’s barely more than a child.” He directed his emphatic smile at her, “You have your whole life in front of you. You can be anyone and do anything. You can stop this right now; by telling the truth!”

She spit in his face.

Wraith flinched. She was unwilling to act because she couldn’t figure an attack pattern that would guarantee the survival of her friends. At war with herself, her patient side was winning, but the berserker would not be silent.

In a gesture of good faith, Sun returned the pistol to Marie. Raising his hands he turned back to Infamy’s leader. “Wraith is by no means a false profit. In fact she makes no claims of prophecy herself. High Confessor Tektus proclaimed her Chosen because she, being granted the Mother of the Fog’s holy Icon, aided in the preservation of our sect in Far Harbor.” He placed his palms together as in prayer and brought his hands to the ruin of his nose. “I too have made the pilgrimage to the Sacred Spring. Atom has not yet granted me the clarity to fully understand the visions I received, but ultimately, I believe Wraith to be our friend and ally.”

“Lies!” Marie returned to waving her weapon, “She is the destroyer of Crater House! She has slain countless of our brothers and sisters! She is no friend; she is a heartless killer!”

Infamy fixed her with a withering glare, “Be quiet for now or I will silence you forever.” They set a finger to their lips and shushed her. Then bringing the digit away from their face they shook it back and forth in the air, “Ah ah ahhh, Sunny boy. I myself have heard the settlers speak of their leader as a ‘master over ghouls’ and they call her ‘priestess of Atom’ awayyyy up north. If she didn’t start this herself, as you claim, then she certainly didn’t stop it, as I know.” They put their hands on their hips and leaned toward their fellow glowing one, “Infamy doesn’t care much for those to garner fame at Atom’s expense!”

“She is no self-proclaimed priestess, and is prepared to denounce this publicly over Radio Freedom.” Sun smile was sly, “As for her ghoul mastery; we are prepared to give you a demonstration of her abilities… as a Necromancer.”

Marie, in an attempt to hybridize scoffing and laughter, ended up chocking and coughing instead.

Infamy was confused.

“How? Unless my mother was right and I’ve finally gone blind, she is no glowing one; feral or otherwise.” They folded their arms and turned to where Wraith was hiding, “Please, by all means, show me your power.”

Wraith deactivated her Stealth-Boy and walked out to them with her hands in the air, “I’d say you’re far from blind.”

Marie hissed.

“I don’t know how you put up with her.” She gave Harkness a searching look, “How bad are you?”

“I’m fixing to live.”

Atom’s Assassin closed the distance between them remarkably quickly, “Take off your helmet, if you would, General. I’d very much like to see your eyes as we speak.”

Wraith refused to flinch away from the heat as the ghoul placed their face less than an inch from her own. She couldn’t prevent the involuntary gasp of air however, and was once again amazed that a being capable of generating that much heat and light would do so with a complete lack of body odor.

“You’re defiant of Marie’s claim that you are a heretic of the Church of Atom? That these rumors of your prestige are in fact, the propaganda of others and not of your making or design? Do you have the ability to call and control feral ghouls? Did you lay waste to the settlement of Crater House and slay the Holy Guardian at Kingsport Lighthouse?”

The rapid-fire questions put Wraith back on her heels, “Yes.” She lifted her chin defiantly, “I didn’t know that Kingsport was a claimed site. Outside of the… guardian, there wasn’t anyone there when I scouted it for a settlement. I destroyed the war camp at Crater House due to repeated attacks of the established Minutemen settlement, and only after my attempts at diplomacy…”

“I care not for your reasons.” They leaned away and waved Sun over to them, “What exactly did you see on your pilgrimage?”

“A figure with a remarkable resemblance to General Wraith, named as ‘Harbinger’. I know not of what she proceeds.”

“All Atom’s knowledge is granted to the patiently devout.”

The now familiar sensation of a glowing one’s summoning buzzed in Wraith’s mind. Shortly, a quartet of feral ghouls shambled their way over to stand in a row in front of the group.

“Now, I shall release them…”

“Wait! She is but a novice…”

Infamy’s eyes blazed at the interruption, “Atom will protect her, if that is his will. That being said; you have five minutes or I’ll kill you all.” They clapped their hands, “Isn’t this fun?! Wheeeee!”

Marie snorted.

“You can do this, Wraith.” In pain, Harkness’s voice was strained and horse.

Almost immediately the ferals rushed her. This fostered suspicion that they had been ordered to attack rather than simply “let go”. She stayed ahead of them; happy to move them away from her friends.

During her training she had found that tapping into her berserker side had actually helped her when connecting to the ghouls.

Two sides of the same coin, it seems.

Donning her helmet and relaxing her mental self-restraint, she sent out a tentative greeting to her pursuers. As soon as she saw their lights she knew that these were reavers. Atom’s Assassin had deliberately chosen some of the most powerful of his arsenal to test her. Little did Infamy’s leader know that she had been practicing with a feral of Radiance’s caliber.

Come to think of it; why hasn’t she been throwing challenges at Infamy? Maybe I just piss her off…

As she wooed the ferals she felt what could only be an attack from Infamy. Distracted, she stumbled and was hit hard on the side of the head by one of the feral ghouls. Thankful for her armor, she spun away from the reaver unhurt.

Infamy’s attack made her angry, but she channeled it into an attack of her own and broke through to two of her assailants. These immediately rounded on their allies and pinned them to the ground.

Infamy was shocked.

“Well… well...” They snapped their fingers and the guards surrounding Harkness immediately broke away and retreated through the hole the group had cut in the fence. “It seems as though Atom has seen fit to grant you special abilities. We will be returning to the Capital Wasteland now. Once there, I shall meditate long and hard on this Holy Lesson…”

“You CANNOT BE FUCKING SERIOUS!” Spittle flew from Marie’s mouth as she shrieked, “YOU PROMISED ME YOU WOULD DESTROY HER! SHE IS A MONSTER! I WILL NOT LET HER GET AWAY WITH THIS…”

She shot Atom’s Sun, point blank, in the temple.

Infamy, Harkness and Wraith all ran to them but Wraith, already lost in her berserker’s rage, reached them first.

She ripped Marie in half.

At that exact moment the garage door of the warehouse burst open in a white-green blast of radiation. Surrounded in a nimbus of prismatic light, Our Lady of Perpetual Radiance seemed to float across the grass as she came to Wraith’s side. The two of them together was an image out of the darkest of nightmares: Wraith in her blood and intestine draped deathclaw armor and the apparent queen of all radioactive monsters.

The others could only stand back and watch as Radiance reached forward and grabbed Wraith’s head in her scorched and twisted fingers. She pulled her forward until their foreheads met, then spun away toward the south east. Not even slowing down when she met the fence; she simply melted her way through and continued on at a swift pace. All the remaining feral ghouls followed her through.

And Wraith followed with them.

Thank you so much for reading! Like what you’ve read? Looking for more? Please see my master link post in my tags under Wraith in the Ruins. As always, my ask is open for questions/comment/concerns. More to come! =^..^=

#wraith in the ruins #fallout 4 companions #fallout fan fiction #fallout fanfic #fallout companions #rj maccready #maccready #nick valentine #fallout 3 harkness #fallout curie #danse

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hotchocolatefanfics · 5 years ago

Text

Reboot PoTA Couple Theme Songs and their Meanings

Boy did this take me a while to finish! This is something I’ve been working on almost all of 2019 and I’ve finally finished it (2019 was not nice to me-my classes were, but everything else was a blur of getting sick and going from no anxiety to anxiety attacks happening daily. It was just a mess!)

Like the title says, it’s a theme song list for our favorite Planet of The Apes shippings and couples (I only did a few to save time but if this gets popular enough, I could do another involving any shippings and couples that aren’t present here (such as Will X Caroline or Malcolm x Ellie)).

Each couple have their own five theme songs (because one isn’t enough to tell their full story) and each song represents something unique about the couple dynamic or how the shipping can be interpreted and will include a description underneath (some may be longer than others (the more I know on that shipping/more I have to say, the more I write about them)-I apologize in advance for that!). If there’s any information that is missing or details that I overlooked (or even if you disagree with the description) please feel free to share!

Please note that you are not obligated to listen to these songs and you are completely and totally free to add a song to these couple lists. Part of the reason why I made this was in hopes that maybe it would spark a conversation amongst us PoTA fans about our favorite PoTA shippings/couple and explore other shippings.

Also, I didn’t include OC relations here but feel free to add them in your reblogs(you may also re-use songs that are already on these lists if you feel they could describe your OC x Canon shipping)! All love stories are welcomed on this post! (the only rule is there can’t be any underage or huge age difference couples).

My information sources are:

All three Reboot movies, Firestorm, Revelations, The Planet of The Apes Fandom Wikia and also reading a couple of stuff/peaking around on AO3, FanFiction.net, DeviantArt, and Wattpad.

With that said, enjoy the theme songs!

Caesar x Cornelia

Stand by you - Rachel Platten

Better Together - Jack Johnson

Say Something (I’m giving up on you) - A Great Big World

Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down

The Call - Regina Spektor

Description:

As this is a couples list, it only makes sense to start it with the king and queen themselves!

I think it’s more than safe to say that these two loved each other very much.

We saw Caesar and Cornelia’s relationship grow from Rise, Firestorm, Dawn, Revelations, to War and during that time, we’ve seen them grow closer (I actually think that, as their relationship progressed, Cornelia made Caesar a better leader-as she pointed things out to Caesar that he either ignored/didn’t realize/know in Firestorm).

When I personally think about this couple, I think about Caesar: The life he grew up with, the family he left behind when he chose to stay in the forest with the apes, the hardships he had to face in the earlier days/years of freedom and I think about all the stress and the anxiety that he had to have felt during those times. He had to have felt that he had to show strength in the presence of his followers-that would have meant not thinking/talking about Will, Charles or Caroline or letting it be known if he missed them at all.

Then I think about Cornelia. As his wife, she had to have known everything about Caesar. From his childhood to anything and everything he feared and worried about as king and leader. If there was anyone in the whole colony that Caesar could have shown that side to him, that uncertain, missing his family side to him, it would have been Cornelia, and I would imagine that she understood that he missed his human home. That she listened to his worries and comforted him-possibly reassured him if he needed it.

I didn’t know if it’s talked about very much but, as king and queen they’re very similar in personality: Both being compassionate and kind, but also fiercely protective of both the colony and of their friends and as parents, both are (also) protective and loving towards Blue Eyes and Cornelius (examples being Caesar protecting Blue Eyes from the bear and later protecting both sons from Carver in Dawn and Cornelia keeping Cornelius safe in Revelations).

This couple is featured in nearly every fanfic out there and every Planet of The Apes role-play that Tumblr has but I feel like we don’t talk about it enough. In War, Caesar was more than devastated by Cornelia’s death (and by the death of Blue Eyes) as he became vengeful, murderous and (pretty much) ready to kill because of it (remember that man with the wood at the oyster farm where they found Nova?).

If you really want to go there, it says a lot about his and Cornelia’s relationship during the war. That (maybe) the war took such a tool on Caesar (mentally and emotionally) that she became his strength. That (maybe) Caesar was already on the verge of losing it well before the attack on that hill (like having a breakdown or panic attack)-and I wouldn’t be surprised, as he was betrayed by Koba, then by Red and other followers of Koba, and his apes were being attacked, threatened and/or killed by the soldiers.

Maybe Cornelia kept him grounded, reminded him of who he was and what was important and when the Colonel killed her, it broke something in Caesar and when he lost her, he lost part of himself and may have forgotten who he was (only remembering when he realized he couldn’t kill the Colonel).

Blue Eyes x Lake

Kiss The Girl - Ashley Tisdale

Love Story - Taylor Swift

Colors - Halsey

It’s all coming back to me now - Meet loaf

When you’re Gone - Avril Lavigne

Description:

Blue Eyes and Lake clearly loved each other in War. We know they grew up together and played with each other as children though their (romantic) feelings for each other likely came later (around the time of Dawn/Revelations).

We didn’t get to see much of their relationship (due to Blue Eyes dying and/or being sent away in Revelations) but, considering that Blue Eyes was protective of his friends and family (and openly affectionate towards them in War), I think it can be assumed that he would have been a loving husband to Lake and would have protected her if she were in danger.

Lake appeared to love children, so it is reasonable to imagine they would have had children together and she would have, more than likely, been a wonderful mother to them. Lake was also brave (as seen when she defended Caesar in War), which makes it likely she could have assisted Blue Eyes as his queen (if he had lived to become king).

And now, the Fan-Made couples!!!

Caesar x Koba (aka: ‘Caba’)

Little Do You Know - Alex & Sierra

Hold On - Chord Overstreet

A Moment Like This - Kelly Clarkson

Breathless - Shayne Ward

Teddy Bear - Melanie Martinez

Description:

Yes, I absolutely had to start with this one as it’s, if I’m not mistaken, the most common shipping in the fandom (and it’s also my favorite too!).

Caesar and Koba were obviously very close in Dawn (as best friends and honorary brothers) as Koba saved Caesar from that bear in the beginning and Caesar later gifted the pelt to him. This relationship was created when Caesar rescued Koba and other apes from Gen-Sys and continued in Firestorm.

I can’t remember if I got this far into Caesar’s Story, but I wanna say there was a part in the book where it talked about Koba having feelings for/falling in love with Caesar(?)(Please correct me if I’m wrong).

It all came crashing down when the humans showed up and Koba’s hatred of them was reborn and it became clear to him that Caesar still ‘loved’ humans (when Koba said “Caesar loves humans more than apes” he may have actually believed that-it is also possible he may have thought Caesar loved humans more than him).

It eventually leads to Koba shooting him (which means he, essentially, abandoned his love for Caesar in favor of his hate for humans) and then declaring war on the humans-and later, resulted in Caesar having to kill him. Koba’s betrayal deeply hurt Caesar and so did killing him (let’s not forget that Koba’s ghost haunted him in War).

What I’ve noticed with this shipping is it’s all about the vulnerable and damaged side of Koba’s personality and about Caesar’s protective and compassionate heart.

Fanfics of this shipping sometimes follows the story of Dawn (with Pope as the bad guy or with Koba’s betrayal being deeper than just about revenge on the humans) and other times it’s completely different (nodding at the ‘Caesar and The Bonobo’ Beauty and The Beast AU on FanFiction and all other Caba one-shots(all deserve a read!)) but in all fanfics and fan arts of this shipping, there’s always a sense of heartache for the couple (either due to how Koba suffered before Rise or knowing how their relationship ended in Dawn).

Everything about this shipping is tragic and (when well-written out) heartbreaking but at the same time, it can be adorable and beautiful (I’m also tempted to call it irresistible for many fans-seriously, look on AO3, DeviantArt Wattpad, FanFiction.net-literally all of these sites has three or more fanfics/one-shots of this shipping (though I would advise you all to be careful as some of them may be, let’s say, ‘Rated R’)!).

I have not found any role-plays of this shipping on Tumblr (yet!) so I wouldn’t know how the shipping is portrayed in that category (Seriously, are there any role-plays of this? Cause I’d like to know!).

Koba x Stone

I Still Love You - Josh Jenkins

Yours to Hold - Skillet

Grenade - Bruno Mars

Hero - Enrique Iglesias

Immortal - Evanescence

Description:

I’ve, sadly, only seen this shipping on role-play blogs here on Tumblr so much of this is guessed (if anyone reading this has role-played this shipping before or have more experience with it, please correct me if I’m wrong!)

Stone was one of Koba’s friends and first followers in Dawn (aside from Grey) but his motives for following Koba are never talked about (also in Revelations, it says he’s dead but he’s clearly seen alive in War…Does he have superpowers or did he just disappear and showed up again for War?)

(Here’s my guess) Stone likely disagreed with Caesar’s role (to some extent but I doubt he was as extreme about it as Koba was) but what if, his main reason for following Koba had more to do with him having secret feelings for the bonobo than anything else? What if Stone saw and knew that Koba was still haunted by his past and comforted him when no one else would? And by the time the humans reappeared in Dawn, Stone developed his own hatred for the species that had hurt his love?

Meanwhile, Koba, who likely doesn’t feel comfortable talking about his past with anyone and felt betrayed and angered when Caesar disregarded his hatred of humans, probably would have resisted Stone’s affection for a long time before he finally let him in and fully accepted the comfort and love from the chimp (it is also possible Koba used that very sympathy to manipulate Stone into doing his bidding but I’m not sure if he would have needed to as, again, Stone would have already hated humans for torturing Koba in the past anyway).

Now about Stone’s death/survival: Let’s say that Stone survived Dawn (as seen in War). If he really did have feelings for Koba, it’s likely he would have felt guilty and somewhat responsible for his love’s death as he had chosen to agree with him that the apes should go to war with humans instead of talking Koba out of it (to be fair I’m not sure if Koba could have been convinced otherwise after the fight with Caesar in the dam but I think Stone would have had a better chance of reasoning with him anyone else).

Now let’s say Stone had actually died and Koba wasn’t defeated by Caesar. I think it’s more than safe to say Koba would be screwed if he was the one to have to go to war with the Colonel in War instead of Caesar (and it may be reasonable to suspect he may eventually realize the gravity of what he did and would regret it all as the war continues) but if this war took Stone early on, and if Stone and Koba were romantically involved, it’s also reasonable to assume Koba would have regretted that most of all-seeing Stone as the last (and by the time of War, the only) to love him and care about him and feeling lost and alone without him.

All in all, this shipping has a love lost and a sort of ‘dam(sel) in distress’ feel to it.

Koba x Cornelia

Sk8ter Boi - Avril Laringe

When I was Your Man - Bruno Mars

Uptown Girl - Billy Joel

Bad Boy - Cascada

Dear in The Headlights - Owl City

Description:

I have the same problem here-total guesswork!

Based on what little I know of this shipping so far, it reminds me of the ‘outcast falls in love with popular person’ scenario that is sometimes seen in high school movies. But this shipping could seriously work as a love triangle story!

Koba and Cornelia have little to no interaction in the books (the ones I’ve read so far anyway!) or in the movies but it is known that they see each other as honorary brother and sister (due to Caesar and Koba being honorary brothers). It’s reasonable to assume they had mutual respect for each other and that Cornelia was just as betrayed by Koba’s actions as Caesar was.

However, it is never revealed what Koba’s plans would have been for Cornelia had Caesar truly died (there is a chance he could have forced her into marrying him but I also think there's a chance she would have rebelled against him and Koba could have decided to kill her (or kill Cornelius as punishment and then kill her? I dunno know)).

Also, what if Koba had wanted Cornelia as his wife all along and only decided to kill Caesar when he did because the humans ‘conveniently’ showed up (unlikely but maybe)? I think this shipping was born from the idea that Koba always had a secret crush on Cornelia but kept it a secret because she married Caesar and knew he had no chance with her.

Another thought (and this is highly unlikely but still): In the wild, chimps would have multiple mates (Rocket in Rise for example) so there's also a (tiny) chance that Caesar could (in theory) be married to both Cornelia AND Koba-I have never heard of this particular thing happening and I’m not sure if the Caba and/or the Koba x Cornelia shippings are popular enough to warrant that sort of dynamic but it would make an interesting fanfic.

Koba x Pope

Issues - Julia Michaels

Battles Scars - Guy Sebastian Ft. Lupe Fiasco

Love the Way you Lie - Eminem Ft. Rhianna

Next To Me - Imagine Dragons

Courage - Superchick

Description:

For those who don’t know, Pope is the main villain from the Dawn comics. He’s very similar to Koba (as they’re both apes that came from labs) but worse as he enslaved primitive apes and saw them as lesser beings-going as far as calling them ‘stupid animals’.

Anyway, me and a friend made this one up a while back in our discussions and, from what I remember, we had two or three(?) different scenarios for this shipping.

One being that since they were both abused and tortured by humans, they may find comfort in each other (finding it easy to show vulnerability to someone who’s equally damaged) and fall in love from their shared experiences.

In the comic, Pope’s past is only hinted by Koba when he says: “He was like me…A lab ape. Bad Things, maybe worse.” and then his past is never mentioned of again however, Pope does say: “Never show weakness.” after the killing of a human later in the comic. Based on that, it’s reasonable to suspect that Pope may harbor a similar hatred to humans as Koba does and may suffer from demons of his own but keeps it well hidden from other apes.

Two being more about their personalities: Both Koba and Pope are capable of hurting people (as seen when Koba killed Ash and shot Caesar and Maurice in Dawn and when Pope killed the alpha, killed Fifer and Cora and enslaved all the primitive apes in the comic) and both are described by the PoTA Fandom Wiki as ‘cruel and tyrannical’ (with Koba being described as ‘belittling’, ‘unstable’ and ‘manipulative’ and Pope as ‘immoral’, ‘arrogant’ and ‘egomaniacal’).

Considering these traits, it wouldn’t be too hard to imagine one of them to perceive the other’s vulnerability as ‘weakness’ and actually abuse the other (like Pope abusing Koba or Koba abusing Pope). Based on their personalities, it’s possible the kind of abuse they’d inflict on each other would likely be physical, emotional, or mental abuse (or all three).

Third (and this is more of continuation of the second one!), even if Koba and Pope weren’t abusing each other, their relationship would likely be argumentative, unhealthy, troubling, rough and just very dysfunctional.

These are two very damaged apes with traumas that were not properly dealt with or given help for and full of pent up rage and hate towards humans (plus Pope hated Caesar and disrespected his rule). If they were to be a couple, their own traumas and hatred would feed off of each other and may, inadvertently, make it worse (this would likely not be a problem if Pope and Koba were with other people as a person who doesn’t have the same experiences or resentment as them would likely help ‘heal’ them). Maybe their relationship could work but they may need therapy (psychotherapy and/or couple therapy) before it gets there.

Red x Winter

Sorry - Halsey

Please Don’t Leave Me - P!nk

Accidentally in Love - Counting Crows

Secrets - OneRepublic

You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift

Description:

Eeeeeek! This one is my second favorite! I can’t wait to share this dynamic! :D

Both gorillas are first seen in Revelations. Red being manipulative, defiant, aggressive and violent (as shown when he manipulated Grey, lead the soldiers to the building where the colony was hiding in, tried to kill Cornelia (twice and one being while she was trying to help another female ape give birth!) and also when he slapped Cedar) and Winter being fearful and timid (as seen when he faced the wall after the building next to the colony’s hiding place was blown up and when he failed to kill Cornelia (which Red manipulated him into trying to do anyway)). Both are seen again in War, where Winter proves himself as a coward and Red a traitor.

Needless to say, both of these gorillas have very different personality types. The interactions they had both in Revelations and in War weren’t enough to say they were friends (let alone romantically involved) however, Red clearly knew Winter was easy to control. Why else would he consistently manipulate him? And Winter appeared to be afraid of Red. This could be because Red was more aggressive than him and Winter feared confrontation.

However, there’s a lot about the two gorillas that were never revealed (backstory wise. I actually do have a backstory theory for Red but that’s a post for another day). For example, Red was shown to have a lot of anger built up in him and while it is believed to be due to Caesar killing Koba, it feels much deeper than that.

Koba was only leader for a day and or two (or less, my math isn’t great) and Red was willing to kill Cornelia, manipulate and endanger other apes and betray the colony over that? No, this anger didn’t develop overnight. It had to have been there BEFORE Dawn (and it somehow has something to do with Caesar)!

Then there’s Winter. We know his father died before he was born but we don’t know how or what his relationship was/the whereabouts of his mother (this does open the door for speculation of whether or not the circumstances of his father’s death and the relationship he had with his mother could have anything to do with Winter’s fearfulness).

Finally, their relationship: What if Red’s anger and hate was all a mask? What if, deep down inside, he was actually a very hurt, troubled and damaged person and only knew how to show it through anger? And what if Winter’s greatest flaw was actually his strength? Winter was more open about his feelings in both Revelation and in War (whether it be fear, shock, or worry) while Red was very closed off.

What if that difference was what originally attracted Winter to Red? What if Winter, despite being intimidated by Red, viewed him as mysterious and was drawn to him by that. Meanwhile, what if Red was secretly jealous of Winter being so open about his vulnerabilities-even if he knew others would look down on him for it.

With all that said (sorry it was that long!), Red and Winter’s relationship would be built on shared (either expressed or hidden) vulnerabilities and traumatic experiences. Both have flaws and neither of them are weak. They just depend on each other for strength and (in one-shots where they survive War) for belonging as they have no one else.

Blue Eyes x Ash

Bad Day - Daniel Powter

Dark Paradise - Lana Del Ray

Perfect - P!nk

Complicated - Avril Lavigne

Count on Me - Bruno Mars

Description:

This is another shipping I’ve only seen briefly-I’m not sure if there are any role-plays of it on Tumblr (but then again I never really looked either!) but there is a fanfic or two out there of this pairing (again, if I miss something a detail regarding this shipping, please let me know!).

Ash is first seen in Dawn when he and Blue Eyes are fishing together. Right away, it’s pretty clear these two are close friends and likely grew up together (which would make sense as their fathers are so close). Based on the interactions between him and Blue Eyes in that scene and the council meeting scene, Ash can be described as humorous (such as when he poked at Blue Eyes) and confident in himself (like when he was teasing Blue Eyes over the bear incident) and Blue Eyes, is protective of him as he (presumably) protected him from Carver before Rocket and the other apes intervened.

Blue Eyes is left devastated and deeply hurt after Ash’s death and, throughout Revelations, thinks about him constantly and later having a dream about him.

Since I don’t know that much about this pairing, this is where the guesswork comes in: As these two grew up together, it’s more than likely they also knew each other on a deeper level than their parents did-for example, Blue Eyes could have told Ash all his secrets, whatever worries or fears he had, maybe ranted to him about his anger and frustrations with his father or about being prince.

I don’t know if Ash had any issues with his parents (as he and Rocket appeared to be very close as father and son-and we don’t really see Ash interacting with Tinker) but if he ever had a bad day, he’d likely talk to Blue Eyes about it just like Blue Eyes would.

This relationship would be founded on childhood friendship, turned best friends, into lovers. Likely turning into a ‘you’re the only person I trust with my secrets’ kind of relationship while also being a very supportive and protective kind of relationship too.

McCullough x Caesar

I Hate Everything - Three Days Grace

Girlfriend - Avril Lavigne

Hold Me Down - Halsey

You Don’t Own Me - Grace Ft. G-Eazy

Hellfire - The Hunchback of Notre Dam

Description:

I dabbled on this one in my Whumptober one-shots but if anyone’s interested in more of this shipping, there’s a few on AO3 (it’s easily the black sheep of this list but I think it deserves a place here for clarification as to what this shipping could be versus what it sounds like). It’s a weird pairing but it’s worth checking out!

I think we all know Colonel McCullough as the most evil human in the reboot movies (as he is willing to kill apes and any human who is infected with the virus-his own son for example) and seeing how he treated Caesar in War (chaining him up, forcing him and the ape colony to work, having him whipped and tied to a cross with no food or water for days, killing Cornelia and Blue Eyes) it’s easy to see why this shipping would raise eyebrows but it all depends on how one looks at it.

For example, I see the shipping as a possible twist on War: As the war between the apes and AO soldiers unfold, McCullough’s desire to capture and/or kill Caesar turns into something else. He becomes obsessed with the Ape King and decides the best way to defeat him and get rid of the apes would be to destroy Caesar’s life. So he deliberately kills Cornelia and Blue Eyes knowing it will provoke Caesar to go after him and later in the base when McCullough has Red and Preacher bring Caesar to his office, he blackmails Caesar into marrying him (saying that he’ll let the colony live if he agrees).

As a result of it, Caesar becomes McCullough’s “chimp-wife” and is a prisoner in this forced marriage, the ape colony thinks he’s abandoned and/or betrayed them, the AO soldiers and the Donkeys are confused by the whole thing and Red and Preacher (who witnessed the Colonel’s blackmailing marriage proposal to Caesar) are thinking “WTF is happening here?”.

Another way one could see this shipping would be as something funny. Yes, it’s dysfunctional but that could be the point! If one wanted to make a fanfic of this shipping, they could use the dysfunctional aspects of the relationship and make it funny. Think Marge and Homer Simpson for example.

For those who have an issue with this shipping, I 100% agree this relationship would be doomed from the start (if we decide to take it seriously). If McCullough and Caesar were to be married, I can picture the Colonel being abusive and predigest towards Caesar and his species, blaming him for all things wrong in the world (such as the virus, the fall of the human race), likely never showing any love or affection towards Caesar, and poor Caesar would become depressed and miserable from this awful marriage.

Bon x Pope (from the Dawn comics!)

Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis

Follow Him - Peggy March

I would Do Anything For You - Foster The People

Just The Girl - Click Five

All You Wanted - Michelle Branch

Description:

To be honest, I’m not sure if Bon was really this close to Pope as he only appeared once or twice in the Dawn comics BUT! he was one of his loyal followers and while it is possible he only disagreed with Caesar’s rule, there’s another chance that he may have had feelings for Pope (much like my description of the Stone x Koba shipping).

For those who didn’t read the comics, let me sum up the interactions between these two: Bon was one of Pope’s followers and is seen returning back to the zoo after (unsuccessfully) searching for an ape named Fifer who escaped them and informs Pope that there are humans nearby. Bon also took part in the battle between Pope and Koba and was later banished along with Pope’s followers while the primitive apes followed Koba back to the Ape Village.

As this shipping, almost no leg to stand on (and is more made up than the others on this list) allow me to explain it here: Much like Grey and Stone towards Koba, Bon (and a gorilla named Rex) followed Pope-presumably because they also disliked Caesar and/or his rule. As Pope didn’t actually plan on killing Caesar until later in the comics and didn’t realize there were primitive apes, in the beginning, I don’t think there was any manipulation going on from him.

Now let’s look at Pope for a second: Pope was an ape who looked down upon anyone who showed weakness or was primitive and had no problem with enslaving, torturing, endangering or murdering other apes. Like I said in my description for the Koba x Pope shipping, Pope was also a lab ape (with fishnet scars on the left side of his face, shoulder and chest giving us a hint as to what he was put through-though it’s never actually discussed) so it is reasonable to imagine he may have his own demons and traumas, much like Koba does (unsurprisingly, Pope also hates humans).

The thing about Pope that I’m curious about is if he is traumatized from what had been done to him at the hands of humans, does he show it? He likely doesn’t as he appears to dislike seeing it and other apes showing weakness but that would mean that, much like Koba, he’s holding things back, probably much more than Koba was (as Koba is seen in Dawn talking (briefly) about what he went through with humans to Caesar).

Now looking at Pope and Bon, it makes me wonder if Bon could have picked up on that. Like what if Bon saw the pain that Pope was covering up and reached out to him?

That, and it is also possible Bon was into the ‘bad boy’ type.

Phew, glad that’s over! XD

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thecomicsnexus · 5 years ago

Photo

THE WILD STORM #13-18 JULY - DECEMBER 2018 BY WARREN ELLIS, JON DAVIS-HUNT AND STEVE BUCCELLATO

SYNOPSIS (FROM DC DATABASE AND COMIC VINE)

It is raining in New York when Jacklyn King arrives in the alley, summoned by Director Miles Craven and Deputy Director Ivana Baiul. She is surprised to find a crimescene - and horrified to find the victim is Mitch Saunders, her subordinate. Baiul rattles off the timeline - forensics puts the time of death almost immediately after when they know he let IO headquarters yesterday. Baiul is condescending to Jacklyn, but offers to contact Henry Bendix, head of Skywatch, whose computers they just hacked, and who had both motive and means to order such an assassination.

Craven demurs on a diplomatic solution, ordering the mobilization of three CATs (covert action teams) and the beginning of a plan to kill everyone Skywatch Ground Division in New York. War between the agencies may have already begun.

On the Skywatch satellite headquarters, Henry Bendix and his XO Lauren Pennington are wondering if Craven will back off after what they did. Bendix admits that if it doesn't, they could target the families of agents - and also start disabling research facilities. Pennington interjects that wasn't productive when they did it last time, so Bendix gives her an order: he wants two sets of plans, one where they stealthily disable a research site, and one where they leave a public pile of corpses.

In Levin's Diner, in the desert, John Lynch is being watched. Looking up from his greasy breakfast, he locks eyes with a distracted man at the counter, who states that "they all know" what he did, and that he doesn't know what grew from his actions. Musing, Lynch leaves the diner immediately.

That night, he arrives at a farmstead in the middle of nowhere. Musing that the man he seeks used to like being around people, he almost doesn't notice the field of stakes behind the barn, each one topped by a crude arrow, all pointing at the same area of the night sky. Entering the residence via the back door, he sees his target is watching an adventure show on the television, but is also aware of his entrance. Lynch introduces himself, and identifies the man as Colonel Marc Slayton.

In shadows, Slayton tells him there is beer in the fridge. Lynch takes two cans, and throws one to Slayton. He wonders what drew Slayton here. Grinning, Marc explains he looked up his surname. It comes from the Norse word sletta, meaning "level field", and the Old English word tun, meaning a farm. So, he went to be a farmer on a level field, hunting and planting.

Lynch cuts to the point - IO is looking into Project Thunderbook. He tried to destroy all the files, but he left an index that he could watch, so that he could tell if someone ever came looking - and he might not have gotten all the files. So, he has come to warn Marc Slayton.

Slayton accuses him of not knowing what was done to the Thunderbook subjects. Lynch rattles off a potted history of the project - how IO found corpses in ancient burial sites which contained active genetic material they identified as alien. How their gen/active samples were found to plug easily into human DNA. How he went to his best and brightest, and offered them a place in a project to use the gen/active samples to become human enhanciles. And how, despite the unknown factors, despite the dangers, Marc Slayton had been the first to volunteer, stating his desire to push the possible forward and improve the world.

Slayton lashes back verbally, saying his position has changed. As his wrist starts to glow, he explains that the sample he was bonded to turned out to be a genetic engine that grew an organic computer inside of him. It grew other things, too, he says, as a glowing barbed tendril emerges from his wrist. And he has been feeding it. Feeding it enough that he has started to hear it talk to him, hear it pull him towards... something, possibly the other Thunderbook subjects, possibly beings far stranger. It wants to eat people. It can tell there is something unusual about Lynch. And it occurs to him that whatever IO knows, the only person who definitely knows his location... is Lynch.

Slayton strikes out with his barbed tendril, but Lynch dodges right. Firing wildly, Lynch punctures Slayton's beercan, which distracts Slayton, Slayton lashes out again, but Lynch tricks him into burying his tendril in the fridge, then knocks over the fridge and shoots rapidly into it as he runs. The resulting explosion wrecks the kitchen, giving Lynch the space to escape to his car, at which point, he considers Slayton warned, and drives away at high speed.

In the doorway of a closed-down music shop, the homeless man known as "the mayor" is trying to sleep when he is shaken awake by two women, who introduce themselves as Shen Li-Men and Jenny Mei Sparks. Opening a portal, Li-Men tries to recruit him by letting him sleep on Jenny's couch.

At his farm, Marc Slayton is bandaging small cuts in his face. He has decided that he does not like John Lynch, who always escapes the fallout of whatever the situation is, only to return and judge others. Slayton turns to self-pity, remarking he has "hunted" so many humans and "planted" them so that their souls could be launched to the world his alien implant came from. In the mirror, an alien creature with six glowing eyes seeks to calm him, saying he has done so much for it, and that to save himself, he should of course flee John Lynch or IO or whatever authorities they can summon and hit the open road. Crying tears of gratitude, Slayton identifies this being as "the Carer".

In her home, the popstar known as Voodoo sleeps drugged and deeply. A being emerges from the shadows, and placing one massive hand on her head, it orders her to "dream of the world as it truly is".

On the Skywatch satellite, a mission to Mars is undocking. With its drive running and its stealth systems operating, it will be at Mars in a week. On the control deck, Bendix and Pennington are making small talk, when Pennington says that Bendix and Craven have exactly one thing in common. They are afraid of a public scrap. A public scrap would reveal the power games both agencies have been playing. So, while she has compiled a list of people it would be useful to assassinate, and a list of facilities that could be destroyed or disabled, she has also written up a plan to break IO's control on Earth, radically destabilizing life and making it impossible for another polity to take their place.

It is night in New York, and John Colt is recording a video on his smartphone. Though he does not know his birthday by the reckoning of his home, he picked tomorrow as his birthday, long ago, and he makes a point of alerting Jacob Marlowe of its arrival every year, so that he starts the day angry. And he does this because when arrived here, on their spaceship from the homeworld, Khera, Jacob made them assume human shapes, to an unknown end. And then, for a reason he never explained to John, Jacob trashed the expedition by blowing up the spaceship, stranding the survivors here.

As he holds the camera, John marks his birthday as he always does - by temporarily shedding his human disguise to appear in his true form. Holding the phone in one hand and a glass of champagne in the other, John holds the camera to expertly frame his monstrous six-eyed face, and raises a toast to his own continued good health.

In New York, Lucy Blaze - Skywatch Ground Division, codename "Zealot" - is arriving five minutes late to work. However, before her co-workers can reassure her that this is fine, their office is attacked by a pair of I.O. covert action teams (C.A.T.s), who spray bullets across the office. Thinking fast, Lucy directs the last other survivor to the elevator banks to escape, then throws a desk at the attackers using superhuman strength. Using this as an opening, she proceeds to kill all six attackers using a silenced pistol. In the ensuing silence, she radios security for advice.

In a garage in the desert, John Lynch pulls in and addresses the lone employee by name: Alexandra Fairchild. Alexandra is suspicious, so John comes clean - someone in I.O. has started looking into Project Thunderbook, and he is warning all the project subjects so they can properly prepare. Accepting this, Alexandra brews him a pot of coffee and explains that she originally moved here because it is down the road from a town full of nice people who keep to themselves.

John asks if there is anyone around to eavesdrop, which gets Alexandra talking - about how she's been merrily surviving since she got out of the service, armed with nothing but some fake IDs, the "severance pay" that John gave everyone, and her skills as a mechanic who fixes things. How she tried to live with humans - mostly men, some women - and tried to fix them, before giving up in resignation. The tipping point was when she told her then-boyfriend that she was pregnant with their child, and he tried to kick the fetus to death, so she broke his neck with her bare hands.

The alien genetic implant that she got as part of Project Thunderbook wants her to fight. When she fights, it feeds on her anger, making her stronger and tougher every time. And realising the damage she could do to that child, she gave the baby up for adoption and vanished.

At this point, a plume of dust is visible on the road, and Alexandra mentions the other detail - the town down the road contains a family of ne'er-do-wells who like to mess with people. Recently, they stepped over the line, and Alexandra had asked them to stop. When they responded by targeting her, she killed the family matriarch. They are coming for her now. Today she will either die by violence, or vanish in the chaos - and she's not sure she can die. As Alexandra prepares to heft a pickup truck as a melee weapon, John Lynch asks what her daughter's name is.

Alexandra says her daughter should be in the system under the name "Caitlin Fairchild". She thanks him for warning her, and says that John ought to leave before the fighting starts.

As John Lynch drives away, he sees the garage explode behind him, and regrets that his life has led him here.

In New York, Miles Craven is having a video-call with Henry Bendix. Bendix is furious that I.O. would send C.A.T.s against his territory, and vows that Craven will atone. Craven responds that he took no pleasure from the attack, which was a punitive measure in response to the attack on I.O.'s Hightower facility and the subsequent hack on I.O.'s server - actions for which Craven will hold Skywatch responsible. Then Craven hangs up on him.

In Jenny Mei Sparks' London flat, Jenny and Shen Li-Men are explaining the world to the vagrant known as "the mayor", using Jenny's full-wall mind-map. The mayor is visibly agitated, and accuses them of talking about him as though he were not present. Li-Men thinks she has a solution to his predicament, and hands him a pill, saying it is medicine. The mayor responds with paranoia, but Jenny zaps him with electricity from her fingers - he is eating the damn pill.

Once he has swallowed the pill, Li-Men asks him his name. In amazement, the mayor says his name is Jack Hawksmoor.

On a country road with nearby foliage, Marc Slayton is experiencing car trouble. He flags down a passing motorist, who seems helpful, but Slayton undercuts him by asking which secret agency he works for. The man in the car demonstrates glowing eyes and says he works for Skywatch, prompting Slayton to tear the car apart with his whip appendage. Taking his attacker's spines, she starts singing.

In Skywatch Headquarters, Henry Bendix is fuming at the outcome of his last conversation with with Miles Craven. Skywatch has been blamed for an attack on an I.O. installation. Faced with the news from Pennington that their organization is not responsible, Bendix orders the deployment of the Little Stick - an experimental weapon developed in the Eighties, a foot-long diamond rod, which, when dropped from orbit, achieves sufficient velocity to strike the target with the force of a tactical nuclear device.

In London, Li-Men Shen is having a vision - a man, pinioned, his mouth in a gaping, silent scream, while science is perpetrated on his body: skin removed and reattached, treads on his feet, wires in his brain, bugs in his guts. Snapping out of this vision, she names the perpetrators as Skywatch, the secret space agency. The victim, the homeless man known as "the mayor", introduces himself as Jack Hawksmoor. He is still recovering from the drug Shen gave him, but he has a theory - Skywatch kidnapped and experimented on him, to make him into something that could survive and labor in a toxic city. And that he doesn't think he was the only one.

In orbit, a diamond rod - the Little Stick - breaks atmosphere, landing on the Hightower facility with a colossal boom.

In a gas station bathroom, Marc Slayton is having doubts. He regards his work for the being he calls the Carer as holy, but still he feels ill at the necessary killing. The being appears in a nearby mirror, and announce itself as "the Khera", and explains that it is what is necessary. Crying in gratitude and repentance, Slayton exits the bathroom, returning to the scene of three gruesome murders, and pausing only to craft an arrow to launch their souls as the Carer told him, he moves on.

In a small bar, John Lynch enters. Talking briefly to the barman, he sits down with a shy-looking man of Chinese descent in a corner table, and identifies him as Andrew Kwok. The shy man demurs, introducing himself as Philip Chang. John pulls out a scanner, insisting that this device identifies the shy man as Kwok - and that he came to warn Kwok that I.O. is looking into Project Thunderbook. At this, the shy man stops smiling. He explains that while Lynch gave him a new fake identity, he didn't trust Lynch to crack under torture, so he used his money to get plastic surgery and a new fake ID, and moved on with his life. He has a wife now, and two children - Hector & Percival, both named for their mother's love of Arthurian myth.

At this point, John Lynch starts to bleed from his good eye, as Chang explains that he will kill Lynch in the most painless way he can find, and then hide the body. Lynch responds by shooting him in the face, but Chang is able to slow the bullet in midair. Chang boasts that a single bullet will not be enough - so Lynch fires six more. As Chang sweats from holding all of them, Lynch explains that while Chang's ability to hyperfocus made him a great assassin, it left him unable to multitask, which is why he's about to die. Pausing to shoot the barman, who has pulled out his shotgun in response to the noise, Lynch questions why, despite the respect he has tried to show them by giving a fair warning, all the Thunderbook enhanciles have done is boast of their offspring, or try to kill him. As he struggles against the bullets, Chang stutters that this may be because the alien enhancements they have mean that the agents are no longer strictly human, but are driven by goals of conquest or colonization. Lynch muses, says he will see that Chang's kids are cared for, and then shoots Chang in the head. Pausing only to throw a grenade which starts a fire and covers his tracks, he flees the scene.

In New York, Miles Craven is having a videophone conversation with Henry Bendix. Bendix shows footage of the remains of Hightower, and insists that he does not care enough about I.O. to cover his tracks when he attacks them. That he truly believes that the Earth would be best used as a resource supply center for the space-based civilization Skywatch is building. And that if I.O. touches his people again, he will use one of the Little Sticks on I.O.'s New York headquarters, and leave Craven to bury the dead and explain the damage.

Craven responds by saying he will relinquish control of the Skywatch Ground Division offices, but that the surviving agent, Lucy Blaze, is officially barred from New York, on pain of death. With a gesture of contempt, he ends the transmission.

Walking back to his office, Miles Craven meets his head of Analysis, Jackie King, who explains that forensics on Mitch Saunders' phone showed the presence of spyware - spyware that Skywatch specifically tried to erase. Skywatch knows what they did, but not how they did it. But Skywatch's reliance on hardware leaves them vulnerable to basic electronic weaknesses - by deploying countermeasures against the recent bot attack, Skywatch showed where their space station was. Should I.O. require, they can just nuke them.

Miles asks Jackie if she wants a war, and Jackie responds in the negative - she wants an execution, and if Miles will not give the order, she will pursue her goal by other means.

Going to her office, Jackie throws a computer monitor through a glass divider in frustration.

In a Skywatch safehouse, Lauren Pennington is congratulating Lucy Blaze on her recent actions, and his informing her of a new, roving brief, where she covers cases all over America. Lucy wonders if this is a punishment for her actions during the I.O. attack on the New York offices, but Pennington insists - this is all good news.

Besides, says Pennington as she raises a glass of wine, given the current détente between Skywatch and I.O., New York might not be around long enough for Lucy to properly miss.

In Jacob Marlowe's safehouse, Angie Spica has "found" a copy of the machine telepathy data the wild CAT brought back from the Hightower blacksite, and has used it to change how she interacts with her implanted technology. Unprepared, she wonders if she can use it to access the internet... and her technology responds by logging her onto the internet, visualised as a set off central hubs with individual nodes splitting off them in neat patterns.

Angie is amazed at this scene, but is even more surprised when she is greeted by Jenny Mei Sparks, who immediately imposes herself on Angie's electronic view and introduces herself, saying that she is the person who lives here.

The two introduce themselves - Angie as a woman who built a robot suit into herself and is on the run from IO, and who has been taken in by the tech mogul Jacob Marlowe, but is also stealing from him; and Jenny as a woman who is over a century old, not entirely human, distrusts IO and Skywatch, can live inside communications systems, and carries a lot of electricity.

Jenny decides that she likes Angie, and that if Angie ever needs to escape from Jacob Marlowe, she only needs to call, and Jenny will come and help - her and every friend she can bring. With a lazy wave, Jenny Mei Sparks vanishes - leaving Angie's world a little stranger and a little nicer.

Somewhere west of there, John Lynch parks his car in a driveway. He walks a path through rocky grounds in a red twilight, towards a minimalist two-story house with a hexagonal tower sticking out of it. Seeing the front door ajar, he remembers the danger he faced at his previous stops, so he pulls out his gun and moves carefully through the building.

He finds nothing on the ground floor, moving through a spacious and expertly-cleaned house, before checking in the hexagonal tower. And there, a floating woman with glowing red eyes advises him to put his gun away before she makes him have an accident. John recognises her at once: Gloria Spaulding, the woman he came here to see. He compliments her on her house and warns her that IO may be looking into Project Thunderbook, the program which gave her an alien genetic implant, and that she should be careful for a bit, but that considering the obvious costly nature of her house, the care she has taken to protect herself, and her untroubled status, he thinks she will be fine.

Curious, he asks her if she has had a child since they last saw, like Kwok, like Fairchild. Gloria admits she felt a great compulsion to have a baby, but once she had given birth, her normal detached nature reasserted itself, and she abandoned the child with Gloria's mother.

Gloria's detachment always served her well in her IO role as a black bag operative specialising in retrieving items or data. It served her well in the private sector, where her skills have earned her money, and the trust of "all kinds of interesting and spooky friends". But her Thunderbook implant, in addition to granting her superhuman power, also worked to calm her anxieties, to the point where now she feels... nothing, neither positive emotions or negative.

Gloria says that Lynch needs to leave, as she has to pack up and go into hiding, but in thanks for the warning, she leaves him with one in turn: Marc Slayton's implant can remember where it came from.

As the floor tiles starts to float loose, Lynch runs for the door. He makes it to his car as the house disassembles, and as he drives away, in the rearview mirror, he sees a feminine silhouette against the red moon, dragging the substance of the house into the twilight sky behind it.

In Jacob Marlowe's fortress warehouse, Angie Spica is asking Cole Cash for help, as he knows more about guns than she does. Cole wonders aloud what she would do with such information - whereupon, Angie uses her implants to create an object the same size and shape as a handgun bullet cartridge. Without Cole's training, she can only create prop. With Cole's help, she can safely pull apart bullets and guns, scan them all - and she will never be unarmed again!

Stephen Rainmaker was the most dangerous man John Lynch knew even before he was inducted into the Thunderbook program. So much so that nobody could quite define how Thunderbook changed him. On his trip around America to warn his old team, Lynch left Rainmaker until last— for a reason. This is the visit that Lynch always knew could kill him. Meanwhile, Marc Slayton is discovering new things about America, IO and Skywatch.

Miles Craven needs a minute, but Jackie King, who has an appointment with him, insists that he do his job as the head of International Operations. Based on the data her team recovered from their illegal hack on the computers of Skywatch, Cole Cash—the former IO operative they presumed dead but who showed up as part of a wild CAT who interfered with an assassination—is not working for Skywatch, but they now have a positive ID on one other member of the wild CAT, who was an astronaut who died decades ago. She thinks they can investigate more.

Miles Craven lists off his problems: Jacob Marlowe, the tech billionaire whose death he ordered, is still alive. Angie Spica, the rogue IO engineer whose capture he ordered, is missing. Mitch Saunders, the IO office worker who was the victim of a Skywatch phone bug, is dead, and when he attacked the Skywatch office in New York in retaliation, the two heavily-armed teams he sent were singlehandedly shot to death by Skywatch agent Lucy Blaze. Michael Cray, the IO assassin who he ordered to be "retired", is alive and working for a San Francisco division of Skywatch. Hightower, the IO research station, was hacked by parties unknown, and then destroyed from orbit by Skywatch as a show of strength. Craven is left feeling like someone is pulling a con on him, and that they are winning at his expense.

Angry, Jackie responds that Craven only feels like this because he is weak. Craven is angered by this, but becomes defensive, saying he has to be proportionate in his actions. Jackie recites the speech he gave when he took control of IO, about how the agency was beholden to a mission to save the world from chaos and anarchy, and in the service of that mission, they would do great and terrible things. Now chaotic events are assailing the world... and Miles Craven is sleeping in his office and complaining to her. If he cannot be equal to the burden of the times, she says, he should give the job to someone else.

On Skywatch's satellite, Henry Bendix, the agency's head, is talking to Dr Ragnar Helspont, the head of the agency's posthuman experimental reseach office. Helspont has good news—Christine Trelane sent him the medical readouts about Michael Cray, who Skywatch secretly implanted with something years ago which activated recently due to a surge of electromagnetism he received while trying to assassinate Jacob Marlowe.

Helspont boasts that he has been watching all the people Skywatch perpetrated posthuman research on, and says that his mind-control implants will perfectly when the time comes. Helspont wonders why Bendix does not keep these slave posthumans on this space station, to be teleported to Earth on his whim, but Bendix shoots down the idea, saying that if one got free, they could easily rupture the hull and kill everyone.

Helspont mentions that he used to work as part of Project Thunderbook, but left with all his research when John Lynch shuttered the program. Defecting to Skywatch, he was able to create fascinating—and controllable—human variants. Skywatch's previous subjects were prone to neural damage, but Helspont is confident in his work. "Everything in Heaven is fine"

In Jenny Mei Sparks' London flat, Shen Li-Men has recovered from trying to treat Jack Hawksmoor, who is in the shower with a shaving kit and a bag of new clothes. She says he has neural damage which is causing his amnesia and his eccentric actions, and while she can treat the symptoms, she needs to find the cause. Jenny says she just needs to know if Jack is able for the vigilante actions she plans to start, or if he needs to be somewhere quiet, to recover. Jack, clean-shaven, emerges from the shower and defends himself—though he may never fully recover, he is absolutely ready to get revenge on the people who gave him amnesia.

On a country backroad, John Lynch is driving. When he comes across Marc Slayton with, he responds fast, firing a flashbang from a grenade launcher to stun Slayton, and then another to further incapacitate him. Exiting the car, he spells out his position—the whole time Slayton has been trying to track him, Lynch had a tracking device on Slayton's car. Before, Slayton was able to surprise him, but that advantage is gone now.

Lych pulls out his handgun, and explains how fearsome his bullets are. Slayton pulls out his coils, and prepares to lash back, but Lynch fires first—and shoots a hole in Slayton's car's, from the engine to the license plate. As Slayton pauses in confusion, Lynch spells out his position—he does not want to kill Slayton. He does not care about Slayton. But if IO is coming for Project Thunderbook, then they will strike at him from their New York headquarters, and the only way for Slayton to defend himself is with an offense against IO and its head, Miles Craven. Confused, Slayton looks to "the Carer", the hallucinatory embodiment of his alien implant, and it agrees with Lynch. Wishing Slayton good fortune, Lynch gets back in his car and drives away.

In the wild CAT's safehouse, Angie is writing a goodbye letter, explaining her respect for Adri, how she is leaving all her data on Kenesha's computer, and how she hopes to meet them again but will not come looking for more favors. That done, she puts out a message just as Jenny Sparks told her... and Shen appears appears and invite to walk through a doorway in space. Perplexed, Jenny complies and finds herself in Jenny's London apartment. Shen introduces Jack, who Angie immediately recognizes as the New York homeless man known as "the mayor". Angie explains that what finally convinced her to join Jenny's gang was a phantasmagorial visitation from a being whose likeness she produces—who Shen recognizes from her magical knowledge—and who referred to Jenny as having "the authority". Jenny accepts this news without blinking.

On a train somewhere in America, Michael Cray is explaining to a fellow passenger that his former employers were all jerks and he is travelling to New York by train to give one in particular a piece of his mind. She accepts this information at face value, but in the reflection of the window, the face that represents Michael's superhuman implant is smiling.

In the wild CAT's safehouse, Jacob Marlowe, the team's patron, is reading Angie's letter in mild frustration, but before the team can read it, Kenesha bursts in and informs them that an IO research station has just trapped a cosmic particle of immense power, and they need to raid the facility at once to stop any research.

At an open air cocktail bar in Los Angeles, a pair of aliens whose faces resemble the true face of John Colt—and the faces of Slayton & Cray's implants—are ordering drinks and complaining about how difficult it is to manage Earth. They are both glad that nobody else can perceive as as strange—especially when Lucy Blaze walks into the bar and orders a water. The aliens recognize her as "Zannah of the Khera", a former underling of Emp, the rebel who sabotaged the Kheran mission to convert Earth into a slave state. Zannah in turn rebelled against Emp, and so today, the two aliens have to balance Emp & Zannah's agendas, and IO's, and Skywatch's, all in secret, just to give the humans a chance at evolving naturally. And for this thankless job, they have rewarded themselves by choosing to get drunk on this, their night off.

On the Skywatch satellite, Bendix and Pennington are looking out over a view of Earth and a backdrop of stars. Bendix is considering giving Helspont a higher budget. And doing something radical to make Earth more "useful". And killing Miles Craven. As he considers, he sings a children's song and grins maniacally.

REVIEW

By an annoying mistake, there are two issues #13. It will surely bug people forever.

As I said before, this story is too decompressed. Had it been bi-weekly, it would have been acceptable. But it took a bit more than two years to complete and it’s nothing but a big long prologue.

But I’ll tell you why that is great instead. Unlike DCU and MCU... and even the early Image Universe, the world of WorldStorm is cohesive. Everything was designed from the same world. It’s not a panache of properties, all banding together in the same universe. I feel like that is the strongest appeal of Wildstorm, well at least the properties around StormWatch. In these issues we are kind of seeing the groups forming (WildCATS, Authority, Gen13), but as I also said before, I do not know if these properties will take off anytime soon. But at least they are better now than at the beginning of the New 52 (Although StormWatch/Demon Knights was quite good).

Ellis and David-Hunt are also perfect for this title. It’s their work together that delivers amazing action sequences with some mind-bending graphics. Sure, it is pretty violent, but that was to be expected from WildStorm.

One of the moments that gave me the most pleasure, was seeing Apollo and Midnighter, even though, we do not actually see them, it is very obvious it’s them. They have history in the DCU as well, very recently, so I guess that may have... gone away.

Do you think Sam Elliott is too old to play Lynch?

I give these issues a score of 9.

#jon davis-hunt #the wild storm #wildstorm #dc comics #comics #review #2018 #post modern age #the authority #gen13 #stormwatch #wildcats

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