#and considering Jason’s an expert on this stuff himself he knew it wouldn’t really do long term damage.

[jasontoddenthusiastt]

BFTC isn’t really a case of terrible characterization for Jason so much as it was a terrible case of victim blaming. Like yeah, some of the things Jason did were a bit extreme compared to his “better” appearances, but that’s nothing new and pretty much true of many stories that aren’t utrh or lost days. The bad parts are are also definitely exaggerated by fans.

The story isn’t centered on Jason. Of course every other character’s description of Jason would be knee-jerk dismissive and misunderstanding, since (again) the intention was to make Jason out to be the cartoony bad guy villain. But if you look past the layers of grime they added, the bare bones of his characterization are not entirely incorrect. It’s a biased story in which their intended criticisms of Jason’s morals often fell short, so to compensate they deliberately cranked up his motivations to be more extreme and unrealistic (but one which, nonetheless got Jason’s overall thoughts and goals relatively consistent with stories that portrayed him accurately).

Yes, him shooting Damian was out of character, but granted we’re all in agreement that it was a true case of “bad writing decision”, I don’t think it’s hard to look past. The only other bit people probably complain about (which felt iffy at worst) was him being “a bit enthusiastic” at times in trying to convince Dick to become another lethal Batman (you can just as easily say Jason wouldn’t have been personally invested enough to have acted in the way he did). I don’t care though because he was probably doing it for shits and giggles, and it was funny watching him push their buttons on his spare time while being excellent at his job. Same old ‘none of them deny that he’s effective, they just can’t get behind the killing’ conflict.

Looking past the fact that Jason still had a valid point, the “he’s the bad guy” plot falls apart for other obvious reasons, which happen in the 3rd issue. It’s kind of hard to focus on how much of a bitch Jason’s being when the other characters are written in an infinitely more problematic way (which ends up happening in most “hate Jason” stories). Not only did they heavily imply Jason is a victim of SA, but the way Dick/the batfamily treats Jason about this is … horrible. Arguing that this was a case of character assassination for Bruce and Dick would be more realistic than using this story to claim Jason is a Bad Person™.

Even though Bruce does have a bad track record with his perspective on victims of SA.

Hey. Maybe listen to the living person begging you to turn it off.

Geez. I wonder why he never felt safe enough to confide in Bruce or any of the rest of them. Implying that enduring what he did made him “broken beyond repair”, that he needs to be “fixed”, and saying verbatim, “you are my greatest failure”, not “I failed you greatly”. Then deciding on behalf of Jason that a bunch of people who weren’t involved in what happened to him should all know about this so they can decide what should be done. And everyone agrees with this garbage. Unbelievable.

Aka, any sort of healing he may have tried to accomplish was ruined by you lot. When exactly am I supposed to see that Jason was evil all along.

The story collapses in on itself in the third issue because where Dick is supposed to be at his prime within the arc, he just sort of rambles about how Jason was a shitty victim and then awkwardly shifts to talking about personal growth and coming to accept his own heroic destiny.

I do resent this, but not because “Jason sucks here”. Jason’s “bad portrayal” pales in comparison to the problematic mindsets given to the other characters (namely Dick) which were framed as good-natured intentions and “tough love”. As for people who describe this as “vilifying Jason to prop up Dick” … I don’t really know what to make of that.

[americasmarauders]

American Pie--Jason Todd.

author’s note: this has been on my drafts for an eternity. I finished this out of pure self-pressure and shame instileld by a tag game @batarella tagged me. I literally finished this in the treadmill, which I found is my favorite place to write.I wanna thank @batarella and @offendedfishnoises for being real troopers and encouraging me and proofreading this. 

words: 2284

Beware: curse words (cause i’m a potty mouth), Jason being a shy pinning boy. I reccomend you listen to (or at least look at the lyrics for) American Pie by Don McLean and OUr Song by Taylor Swift.

Silence.

         Excruciating silence. That was what Jason remembered from death.

         He remembered thinking ‘This will be the day that I die,’ before the world turning black and silence overtook his entire being killing what was left of his soul.

         After that it is all he remembered: silence.

        He used to think music was everything. When he was bored, he used to bolt out to the most random songs in his room at the Wayne Manor, to the point of an angry Bruce storming to his room and quietly turning down the volume.

        It took him a while to look fondly at those memories, and he still wasn’t sure if he did look at them like that. He was at the point of just thinking of them as just that: memories so far away from who he was, he considered them to belong to a different person entirely.

        Music just didn’t hold the same wonder and joy as it did. Jason didn’t belt out whatever song he wanted anymore, he just idly stood by as any song came on whatever radio he was listening while he waited on his patrols.

        It was like the music died with him.

        He sipped his drink as a light jazzy tune sounded in the background of his mind. He didn’t pay any attention to it, rather he was engrossed in his own sorrow to listen to any of the diner’s songs.

        He hummed in indifference, looking up from his cup and looking around. It was the middle of the afternoon, and the diner was mostly empty. There was a girl in the back, messing with the jukebox. Jason took a good look at her.

        She was wearing a plaid skirt, with a bright orange cropped blouse. She wore her hair loose. She looked too engrossed in her song choice to realize anyone looking at her. He glanced at the table next to her: filled with books and old cups he assumed were once filled with coffee.

        He heard an angry curse and saw her shaking aggressively the jukebox. “You, know,” he spoke up, “I’m not an expert on jukeboxes or anythin’ but I’m pretty sure that’s not how they work.”

        She looked at him bewildered. She narrowed her eyes at him, almost as if she were trying to dissect him in a split second. “This machine swallowed my quarter and will not let me select a song.”

        He abandoned his cup and got up, heading towards the weird lady. “Let me see if I can help.”

        She stepped aside and left room for him to see what happened. “By all means.”

        He quickly analyzed it. He glanced at the woman next to him, her arms crossed over her chest, meticulously analyzing what Jason was doing. He hit the spot next to the coin slot and heard the coin going down the mechanism. He got up and said: “There. All fixed.”

        “I can’t believe it!” she exclaimed. “I’ve been trying forever to get this thing to work and you come here and just make it work in seconds.” She turned to the jukebox and muttered, “Don’t you love me anymore, you silly machine?”

        Jason laughed. “I’m Jason,” he said, extending his hand.

        She took it and shook it. “I’m Y/N.”

        “Well,” Jason stated awkwardly, “I’ll leave you to it, then.”

        “No, wait!” she said. “Sit with me. I see you’re there all alone, and I need someone to listen to my thesis,” she explained. “You seem like a nice guy, you know? What do you say? I’ll buy you a milkshake,” she smiled.

        Jason pondered. It wasn’t like he had anything else to do. And maybe a little company would do him well. She seemed perfectly nice, albeit a little weird. Why not?

        “What are you working on?” he said, sitting opposite to where she was.

        She smiled and went on and on about her research. To be completely honest, Jason only understood about half of what she was saying, and every time he made a funny face she would pause and patiently explain it again until his face melted into something resembling understanding. She would smile at him, and his heart hiccupped every time she did.

        She bought him a drink, and they stayed at the diner for a while. Jason discovered she wasn't from Gotham--not that it was hard to see, she had invited a complete stranger to sit with her in a shady diner in one of the worst neighborhoods of the city. She was a student, getting her master's in something too complicated to explain in the hours they spent together. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she talked about her research. Jason liked that.

        He offered to walk her home. She refused. He smiled and gave her a knowing look. "Listen, I'm sure you know Gotham ain't a safe city,” he said. "Imagine it at night," he should know. He was a witness and victim of the horrors of Gotham.

        She budged. He carried her books for her. She seemed grateful. She tried the whole afternoon to get him to talk about himself. Jason didn't want to scare her off, so he gave her the bare minimum. Do you have a degree? No, but I'd like to. What do you do? I'm a freelancer. Do you have any siblings? No.

        Looking back at the moment she stood in front of her building, lit by streetlights, eyes twinkling with something Jason wouldn't recognize until much later, he knew he should have kissed her. He shouldn't have held her at arm’s length for so long. Alas, he had. He didn't kiss her. She says he was a perfect gentleman. He knows that. It doesn't mean he doesn't have regrets.

        She gave him her phone number. "I liked talking to you. If you're ever around the diner again, call me. I'll save all the good stuff for you," she winked. He laughed. He saved her phone number as if it was the most precious thing in the world. It kinda was.

 #

#

He texted her. He went to the diner, intentionally. He had to see her.

        No, he didn't. He didn't have to see her. If he didn't, it would have been another 'what if' of his life. He would survive, and maybe regret that he had chosen what he had chosen. The difference was he wanted to see her. And he hadn't done something he wanted in a very long time.

        He was the first to arrive. He sat by the window, looking at the city. The sun was setting, there was an orange glow illuminating the diner. He awkwardly fiddled with his straw, stirring the milkshake (strawberry as always, he wasn't an animal like Tim) calmly. He heard the bell ringing.

        She walked in and Jason swore she was an angel. The light hugged her, and he thought she was there to save him. Save him from himself, from the nightmares, from his job, from his trauma. She smiled at him and he was goner. Second time seeing her and he was gone. He fell for her.

        She was wearing glasses, her hair tied, sweatpants and a Gotham University t-shirt. Her bag hung from her shoulder, her hand wrapped tightly around the strap.  She wasn’t nowhere near as dressed up as last time he saw her. It didn't matter. She was beautiful either way. She fixed her glasses as she sat in front of him.

        She ordered some tea, and Jason thought who orders tea in a diner. She did. Y/N was extraordinary that way.  She said she had thought about him. He somehow believed her. He smiled back at her and sipped his milkshake.

        “I brought you something,” she said. She dug through her purse and took out a book.  She slid it to him over the table. His hands unfurled from his cup and grabbed it. His eyes skimmed over the hardcover. Shakespeare’s Sonnets. A rare edition at that. “I think you might've read it already,” she shrugged. “You mentioned you liked Shakespeare. I was walking through a book shop near the University and I saw this edition and I thought of you.”

        Jason flipped through the book, the smell of dust filing his senses. That was the smell of a good book. A book that had seen many lives. He loved it. He looked at her, her eyes expecting a reaction of him. He offered her a shy smile. She took it and her smile was so bright it almost blinded him. “Thank you. I—I— It’s very thoughtful of you.”

        “You’re welcome, Jason,” she replied. “I thought you would like it.”

        “Yeah,” he breathed out. He held back once again. He wanted to tell her that he loved it.  That it was probably one of the best gifts he had ever received. “I liked it.”

        She reclined on the seat and smirked. “It’s quiet here, isn’t it?” she said.  Jason looked at her quizzically, his hands resting on the book. He saw her get up from her seat, a coin on her hand. She put the quarter on the jukebox and selected a song. She seemed proud of herself as Jason watched her with nothing but wonder. She sat in front of him again, as a piano played on the background and a voice of a man sounded through the tune.

        “I love this song,” she stated. “Don’t you?”

        Jason shrugged. “I don’t know it.”

        She was shocked. “You don’t? That’s a first. Someone that doesn’t know ‘American Pie’.”

        “Isn’t that a movie?” he asked. With the limited popular culture knowledge he had, he still knew some things.

        “Yes it is, but it was a song before that. By Don McLean. 1971,” she hummed with the tune. “It’s like poetry.”

        He gave her a funny face. “I hardly think it’s like poetry.”

        She gasped, pretending to be offended. “Betrayal,” she whispered, but soon after she smiled. “It’s because you’re not appreciating it enough,” she answered. She grabbed another quarter of her purse and got up. She pointed to him as she walked to the jukebox. “Listen to it and pay attention.”

        “Fine,” Jason huffed. He didn’t want to tell her that his appreciation for music had died with him. Not yet.

        He listened to it. Really did. Truthfully, he hadn’t understood a single word of what he meant, but Y/N seemed happy that at least he had somewhat liked the song. It was catchy. But he would hardly classify it as poetry. 

        "I'll convince you. Music is everything," she said. 

        So it began her quest to culture Jason, as she called it. He found it endearing to say the least. His judgement was seriously clouded. 

        She would send recommendations to him, writing extensively how these songs were everything to her. Because of that Jason would pay extra attention to it. 

        It felt strangely personal to listen to them with them in mind. It was like listening to a part of her soul. It might as well be that. She was entrusting him with a part of her, and he wasn't exactly worthy of that. 

        He felt dangerously unprotected around her. Jason was constantly toying with the line between keeping up his eccentric bad boy façade and opening his heart to her. Who was he kidding? He already had opened his heart to her. He just hadn't told her yet. He didn't know if he was going to. 

        Reading the sonnets suddenly felt extremely personal too. It wasn't about appreciating art anymore. He was living the love poems. He was feeling everything Shakespeare was describing. Desperation rose in him the first time he realized that. 

        How was he supposed to continue with his job--oh God, his job--when there was someone out there that cared if he was dead or alive? How was he going to blackmail a drug lord when he himself could be blackmailed? What was he going to say to Bruce? What was he supposed to do?

        A soft pop song played on the radio. They were going through pop songs now. Y/N had said it was imperative that he'd listen to Taylor Swift. And Jason could admit she had a point. 

        As he drove through the quiet highway, his hand itched to hold hers. They were driving to Metropolis. She had said there was an exhibit that they couldn't miss. A science exhibit. Jason didn't care for science, but she did, and seeing her with that glint in her eyes was the best part of his day. 

        Fuck it, he thought. His hand left the shift and encapsulated hers. He could feel her gaze on him, he knew she was smiling. His heart almost jumped out of his chest. Thank God, he was alive. 

        She turned down the volume of the song. His eyes shifted to hers for a second, her expression neutral. "What's wrong?" He said, his voice bordering desperation. 

        "We don't have a song," she said, quietly. "We don't have a song," she repeated. 

        Jason's worry dissipated into thin air, and he opened a smile. "Of course we do."

        "How? I don't remember ever--" she trailed off, looking confused at him. His eyes once again went to her, his smile soft. 

        "How about laughs, the soft sound of cars outside? The jazzy tune you always play on the fucking jukebox," he heard her laugh, his hands squeezed hers. "Reciting poems, you rambling about whatever you discovered? Huh?" he hummed. "That's our song."

        She smiled at him one again. And that was when he knew what he was supposed to do. 

        He was supposed to live. And he was going to live with her by his side. 

author’s note: here is the link to my masterlist and  the link to my jason playlist

[jasontoddshoe]

Strictly Business // Jason Todd

Chapter 3 - Brothers Do That

Warnings: Language, sexual themes, bit of a longer chapter

Master List

Jason was still hugging you tightly, even in his deep slumber. You’d been laying there cuddling him for an hour now, not wanting to wake him up despite how bad you had to pee. The feeling came and passed every few minutes, which was kind of a good thing because Jason kept snuggling closer to you every once and a while. Nuzzling his head deeper into your chest, giving you a tight squeeze before relaxing again. Your fingers ran through his hair softly, making him hum quietly in his sleep.

“I wish you’d wake up soon, I have to pee so bad” you whispered to yourself, looking down at his head.

“What if I told you I’ve been awake for twenty minutes” he mumbled back. You groan and started to try and wiggle out of his grasp. He hugged you tightly, fighting to not let go.

“I’d say you’re an ass, do you know how many times I almost peed myself” you asked, a small laugh coming from your mouth as you pushed against his shoulders. “Jason let go please!” You laughed, desperately trying to get the much stronger man to let go.

“If I let go you have to come back” he commented, staring up at you. You nodded in agreement and he finally loosened his grip. You were able to get up and do your business pretty quickly after that. “Took you long enough” he grumbled as you crawled back in next to him.

“I’m sorry your highness, I didn’t pee fast enough for you” you rolled your eyes, scooting closer to him. “My turn for a titty pillow” you stated happily, laying your head on his chest. He laughed lightly, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you to lay on top of him.

“I was not using you boobs as pillows” he scoffed, shaking his head.

“No, you were trying to suffocate in them though” you retorted making him flush slightly.

“Wouldn’t be the worst way to die” he shrugged after a moment of silence. You rolled your eyes again before closing them and letting out a puff of air. “It’d probably be my preferred way to die, for when I die again”

“Suffocation by boobs?” You asked with a laugh. He nodded, both eyebrows raised.

“I’m being dead serious” he stated, making you laugh even more. You shook your head against his chest, scooting up a little higher.

“I know, that’s why it’s so funny” you smiled.

*********

“Hey Jason, I just realized that I don’t have a dress for the gala so we probably need to get me one at some point” you commented, walking into the manor library. Jason looked up from his book and gave you a nod before returning to his reading. You tried to catch a glimpse at the cover as you walked over but failed to do so before sitting down on the leather couch between his spread legs. He let go of his book to put his arms around you as you laid against his chest. “I’ll be glad to get out of the manor for a little bit too. No matter how big the house I can’t stay inside for forever” you mumbled to yourself, though Jason hummed knowingly.

“We’ll go tomorrow, take the lambo to the mall. Sound good?” He asked, resting his chin against your shoulder as his book rested in your lap.

“Ooh, fancy car. I feel so rich around you people” you laughed lightly. “Even though you’re the ones with all the money, I’m getting to use it”

“Yeah me too, definitely way different from how we grew up” he mumbled, angling his head downward more to continue his book. His lips rested against your shoulder and his nose was almost squished shut there too. He wasn’t kissing you technically, jest resting his face there.

“Penny pinching turned into doing whatever for some cash or food” you sighed softly, shaking your head. “You’re lucky to be out of that now. You have a pretty good life now Jay” you glanced around the large library with a small smile. “I mean look at all these books, you must be in heaven”

“Pretty good, but not perfect. House this big gets lonely and brothers get really annoying really fast” he stated bluntly making you laugh lightly. “It is nice to not have to steal or beg for cash anymore though. I know I’ll always come home to nice warm shower and good food”

“Must be nice” you muttered without a second thought. Jason went quiet for a second, seemingly absorbed in his book but really it was in his thoughts.

“How are things for you now? And don’t give me one of your bullshit answers. You know I know when you lie” he stated, flipping a page smoothly. You sighed and laid your head back in the shoulder his head wasn’t on.

“They’re ok. I mean I have my own apartment but it sucks that I still have to steal to pay for rent and food, keep my water and electricity running so I can shower. I’m so far into debt to people that I’m not gonna be able to get away from living like this for a long time” you explained honestly. “And I feel terrible stealing from people, it really weighs in your conscience you know? But it feels like I have no other option”

Jason didn’t know how to respond. He knew that would’ve been your answer but he didn’t what to say, or what he was supposed to say. He was horrible with words and he felt horrible hearing that his childhood best friend and teenage girlfriend? Lover? He didn’t know what to call those few years where things had changed between the two of you, admit she still pretty much lived the shitty life they grew up in. He was about to open his mouth to say something back but he was cut off by the voice of his younger brother.

“(Y/n)!” Tim called, looking around the library for you. You smiled slightly and sat up a little bit much to Jason’s dismay. He grumbled and pulled your back against his chest again. “Oh there you are” he commented, grabbing a chair from a nearby table and pulling it over to face you. “I need help”

“With?” You asked curiously. Normally it should be you asking him for some help, as he’s the smart one.

“So there’s this girl” he started making you laugh lit ghoul and tilt your head at him. “Don’t look at me like that” he mumbled, shifting in his chair awkwardly for a second.

“You came to the right place, Timmy. I happen to be an expert in that department” Jason stated, shutting his book and wrapping his arms around your waist securely.

“I’m not trying to smash and dash here, which is where your specialty lies. I’m actually having like real relationship problems and she a girl so” he trailed off pointing to you. You let out a laugh as Jason’s cheeks turned a little red and he scoffed.

“What’s going on bub?” You asked, laying back against Jason comfortably and Tim took a deep breath.

“Ok so my girlfriend, I love her to death and she knows all about the me being Red Robin and all that good stuff. But she says that I don’t pay enough attention to her even though I’m really trying but my caseload is just very large and I am stressed and I haven’t slept in four days” he rambled, leaning forward and plopping his forehead on your leg tiredly.

“Oh my god Timmy, you need to go to sleep then, first off don’t do that to yourself. Secondly, you have so many people in this house to help you with cases, don’t take the full workload on yourself. Thirdly, have you talked to her about it?” You tried to hit all of the points that he brought up.

“Yeah kind of, she just said that I need to take better care of myself and make sure to keep time in my schedule for her because she kind of feels neglected. Now I feel terrible and she’s mad at me” he whined. You put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a small squeeze.

“Tim she’s not mad at you she was just saying how she felt. And you do need to take better care of yourself by the way. Right now you’d be considered clinically insane because of your extreme lack of sleep. So go to sleep, give some of your cases to Dick, and call her when you wake up. Even better FaceTime her right when you get up, sleepy boys are adorable” you instructed, sitting him to look you in the face. “Take tomorrow off, invite her over and just have some quality time with her after you have had a good night’s sleep. Don’t worry anything about Bruce either I’ll talk to him, Ok?” You asked, cupping one of his cheeks. He nodded tiredly and stalked out of the room.

“I’m still kind of offended he insinuated I can’t hold a relationship” Jason whispered to himself.

****************

“Hey (y/n), you ready?” Jason asked, fiddling with his keys as he walked into his bedroom. He looked up from his hands at the perfect moments to see your head turn toward him, though you still had you back to him. You had on a pair of black ripped skinny jeans and some black sneakers to match. A cream colored off shoulder, flowy blouse adorned your top half. Though it was a fairly simple outfit, Jason’s breath hitched slightly in his throat.

“Uh, just give me one second please” you replied, slipping a few silver bracelets on and grabbing your phone. “Ok now I’m ready” you smiled, starting to walk toward him. “You look really good Jay” you raised an eyebrow at him, patting his chest as you walked by.

“So do you” he commented, raking his eyes up and down your form. “Shall we” he cleared his throat, turning around to start his way to the garage. You walked by his side all the way there, waving to his family members that you passed on the way out.

You took a deep breath and raised your eyebrows as your feet hit the white cement. There were so many luxury cars in there you thought you might faint. You knew the Waynes were loaded but seeing it in person was a whole different perspective on just how rich. Jason walked over to a line of five Lamborghinis, going straight for a dark red one.

“Do you all have matching lambos?” You asked, walking past a black one and a royal blue one to get to his, most likely Bruce’s and Dick’s namely. On the other side of Jason’s sat a gold one and an emerald green one.

Jason followed your line of sight and sighed. “Yeah, even Damien who can’t drive” you gave Jason a smile as he opened the door for you to get in.

“Thank you sir” you commented, settling into your seat. You took the few moments you had to yourself before Jason got in to stare at the inside of the car. “Holy fuck this things costs more than I probably would” you mumbled, running your hand across the dashboard.

Jason plopped into the driver’s seat and pulled the car out of the garage. He was about to keep driving but Dick sprinted out and stopped in front of the car. Jason had to slam on the brakes, shooting an arm over like moms do when they stop short. You grabbed his forearm tightly and sucked in a breath. He put the car in park and started to get out.

“Dick! What the hell man?” He asked angrily. “Were you trying to get me to run over you?” He asked, walking toward his brother. He left his door open so their conversation was completely audible.

“No, I was just trying to get you to stop. You left your wallet dumbass” Dick replied, pushing Jay’s wallet into his chest.

“You couldn’t have thought of a more conventional way of giving it back? Like maybe calling me and not jumping in front of my car and possibly hurting yourself, or (y/n)?” He asked, shoving his older brother’s shoulder. Dick eyed him with a small smirk.

“You didn’t mention yourself” he stated matter of factly. Jason scoffed adjusting the signature leather jacket that sat on his frame.

“That’s what you’re fucking worried about right now? Are you kidding me?” He practically growled at Dick. “You know what? Nevermind, just get the fuck out of my way and don’t get yourself fucking killed” Jason flipped him off while storming back into the driver’s seat. “Fucking asshole” he whispered to himself, shaking his head and revving the engine at Dick who hadn’t moved fast enough for his liking. As soon as dick was just enough out of the way that Jason wouldn’t hit him, he sped down the long driveway.

“Jay it’s alright. Yeah, it was stupid of him to jump in front of a moving car, but no one ended up hurt right?” You mumbled, placing a hand on top of one of his that had a death grip on the gear shifter. His hand relaxed slightly at the initial contact but quickly tended back up as his jaw clenched.

“That’s not the point (y/n), he could’ve gotten someone really hurt. He jumped in front of a fucking moving car, with you inside it. How fucking stupid can you get?” He grumbled, glaring at the road in front of him. You let out a sigh know he probably wasn’t going to let it go at the moment.

“Ok, I get it. But don’t let it ruin your day Jay. Yes your brother did a dumb thing that pissed you off, he’s your brother, they do that. Just don’t stew on it for hours, it’s just gonna piss you off even more” you said, rubbing your hand up and down his arm softly. He stared at the road in silence for a little while before glancing over at how.

“I don’t know how the hell you do that” he stated, moving his gaze back to the traffic in front of him. You furrowed your eyebrows.

“Do what?” You asked confused. He cocked an eyebrow at you, tilting his head slightly.

“Calm me down so fucking fast” he replied. His hands were visibly relaxed now, as was the rest of him. His death grip on the steering wheel was relaxed to a casual hold and his jaw wasn’t clenched tight anymore.

“I’ve known you since we were kids, you learn a thing or two in that amount of time” you giggled a response, settling back into your chair comfortably. A small smile came into his face as you two fell into a comfortable silence.

***********

“God no” Jason shook his head at the horrible dress in your hands. You had only taken it from the store clerk to be nice but as soon as Jason saw it he was protesting. “You need to learn how to say no to people” he stated, taking it from your hands and hanging it up on a random rack. He grabbed your hand and pulled you away from that whole section of the store and into a different one.

“I feel like I’m shopping for the prom I never got to go to” you commented randomly, running your hands across a few of the dresses in front of you, the soft fabric brushing your fingertips comfortably. “Ooh this would be comfy” you stated, pulling one off the rack. “Yeah Nevermind” you stated as soon as you saw the bodice that looked like it would squeeze you until you suffocated.

“How much longer are we gonna be here?” He whined quietly, flipping through some dresses himself. His eyes scanned over a couple of them and he sighed.

“Jason we’ve been here for like fifteen minutes” you laughed, shaking your head at him. “I don’t like anything in here” you sighed. “Can we go somewhere else?” You asked him. He let out a breath of relief and nodded.

“Yes” he answered, making his way toward the door rather quickly. You caught up to him and walked quickly to keep up with his long strides.

“Slow down for the short people please. Not all of us were blessed with being 6’4” you commented, grabbing his shoulder. He gave you a sheepish smile before slowing down to your walking pace.

“Sorry” he said. “There’s another shop” he said, pointing toward a store that looked super nice. Along with looking super nice, it also looked extremely expensive. You stared at the beautiful dresses in the window for a second, but ultimately shook your head.

“Why don’t we go to that store over there?” You asked, pointing to a different store that looked much cheaper though it was still a pretty nice store. He shrugged and started walking toward it. He seemed very determined to spend as little time as possible shopping.

“I already like this place a lot better” he mumbled, going toward a rack of dresses. “This is your size right?” He asked, pulling one off and passing it over to you.

“If I don’t want to breath, maybe” you laughed, hanging it back up. “My size is over there” you said, pointing to a rack labeled with your size number. He nodded and went over to it. “We could start grabbing ones that could work and I’ll try them all on. It might go quicker” you suggested with a shrug.

A few moments later your arms were loaded with dresses and Jason even carried a few himself. He was almost acting as a personal stylist for you. He pushed you into a fitting room lightly and sat down outside. You started actually looking through some of the dresses and immediately getting rid of ones that you didn’t like.

You slipped into a simple, black long sleeve that was pretty cute. But the sleeves were quite itchy and you didn’t know if you’d be able to handle that for a whole night. A sigh left your mouth as you opened the door to find Jason. He looked up from his phone at the sound of the door. When he caught sight of you, he tilted his head to the side in thought.

“I mean you look good, it’s pretty” he shrugged. You raised an eyebrow, feeling like he had a ‘but’ coming. “But-“ there it was. “You don’t look like you like it” he finished. You hummed quietly, giving him a small nod as you turned around to change. You went through about a million more dresses before finally getting to the last one.

It was a lovely red color, loose mermaid style dress. A sweetheart neckline lined with silver jewels adorned the top. It was fairly simple, the only other ‘bling’ being a silver jeweled belt to match the neckline. You slid it up your body, zipping it up the most of the way by yourself. Though you were only able to get it about three quarters of the way done up before giving up with a sigh.

“Ok I have the last one on but I need help” you stated, walking back out to the waiting area. Jason looked up at you once again and he stopped moving. He stared at you for a moment with his lips slightly parted as his cheeks flushed slightly.

“Ok” he cleared his throat and got up to walk toward you. You turned and moved your hair for him. He zipped it the rest of the way and luckily it fit comfortably. “You look-“ he struggled to find the words he wanted to say as you turned around and looked up at him with those eyes he could get lost in for hours. “Wow” he breathed out, dropping his shoulders he hadn’t even noticed had tensed.

“Thank you” you smiled up at him. He was extremely close, your chests were almost touching. You both stood there for a little while and held the eye contact that you had. Your eyes flicked down to his lips quickly, god how you’d missed those. Mentally, you slapped yourself in the face, telling yourself to knock it off. “So this one then?” You broke the silence, stepping back from him and going toward the changing room again.

“Yeah, that ones great” he answered, walking back to his spot in the couch.

*********

After buying your dress, you had gone and got a pair of shoes to go with it which didn’t take very long. You and Jason were on your way to the food court to get lunch before you back to the manor. It was silent between the two of you, which was slightly awkward but mostly comfortable.

You took your stuff to a table and sat down with it while Jason went to grab some food. When he returned, he was talking to someone. Almost instantly you recognized him and smiled brightly.

“Roy Harper in the flesh” you commented happily as he strutted over. He smiled back at you and instantly brought you in for a hug.

“It’s been way too long (y/n), why didn’t you tell me you were gonna be back in town?” He asked, pulling away from you and sitting between you and Jason, who’d taken the chair across from you.

“I didn’t know, it was kind of a spur of the moment thing” you replied honestly. Jason raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything as he started eating. You noticed the Wayne boys normally did that, as soon as someone else came in they’d just sit and observe the conversation going on. Must be the detective in them.

“Well I can’t stay for very long, but I’m throwing one of my signature parties tomorrow night, you guys should drop in for a little while” he offered, leaning his arm on the table as he awaited your answer. Jason opened his mouth to decline but you were faster.

“Of course Roy, we wouldn’t miss it” you smiled sending a look in Jason’s direction. He shut his mouth in defeat and went back to eating quietly. “I remember Jason used to be a party animal, wonder if he still is” you commented, making Roy turn toward him as well while letting out a chort laugh.

“Jaybird? Of course he is, didn’t lose that part of himself” he clapped a hand down on Jason’s shoulder, who rolled his eyes in response. Jason sighed and sat up a little bit.

“I do love a good party” he sighed, making you and Roy smile.

“Perfect” Roy left shortly after that, leaving you and Jason alone again. Jason gave you a look that made you shake your head.

“What?” You asked, already knowing his answer.

“No parties doll, you forget I’m babysitting you” he answered, pointing at you with his fork.

“And you can babysit me there. Come on Jay, today is the first time I’ve left the manor in three days. I hate being cooped up in there” you explained. “I won’t wander off too far by myself” you tried to convince him. He sighed and thought for a moment. “I promise that you’ll still be the one who gets to take me home at the end of the night” you smirked, leaning forward on your elbows that rested on the table.

“Fine” he grunted, shaking his head. “But you’ve gotta stay by me the whole time”

“Deal” you smiled happily.

Taglist: @mortifiedmoon // @myraticm // @brainwashedbyhitoshi // @avengerdragoness // @thefemalethatwrites

[dyde21]

The Pathfinder Crew

@anxiouspineapples has officially ruined me in the best way. I’m rereading the PJO and HoO series, and I’m currently waist deep in Mass Effect: Andromeda and loving every minute of it. So many emotions and feelings are being brought up by both series. Here’s hoping to add my little two cents to the ME:A AU for PJO that Meg is crafting with @suchastart. They’re both amazing, check out their blogs if you get a chance! :D Anyway, here’s a short little story, the rest under the cut! Enjoy!

XxXxXxXxX

Percy was honestly a little surprised by how easily his crew had fallen into place. He had never expected to end up becoming pathfinder, but life didn't seem to care what he planned. It seemed even escaping the milky way galaxy wasn't enough for trouble to stop finding him. Setting down his cup of coffee, he looked out the large window, watching stars float by. It was hard to think it had been over 600 years since he had last been on earth. It felt like just months. But, his old home was gone.

Now here he was. Stuck on a new ship, with a title he never asked for, and a crew he never expected. Thousands of people looked to him to lead them. Him. The boy that got kicked out of six schools in six years. Now he was responsible about calling the shots that could make or break the very chance of survival in this new harsh galaxy.

Now normally Percy could brush off most things, keep going with a witty joke and a smile. But, to say he was scared as hell would be the understatement of the century. He was in way over his head. Dropping his head to the table, he let out a long drawn out sigh. He was screwed, but he couldn't back down. Too many people were relying on him, he had SAM, and he had already established a settlement. Backing out now would only sow chaos and cause the already dangerous situation to deteriorate even more. Whether he wanted to or not, he was stuck with the job.

Gently he drummed his fingers on the cold metal table, his head still pressed against it. At least... at least he knew he wasn't alone. He had a hell of a crew, that was for sure.

Piper was their resident negotiator. That Asari had a way with words, and had even earned her the nickname “charm speaker.” She could convince anyone to do anything with enough time. Now, often times Percy had to take the lead and act up as Pathfinder, ensuring first contact went smoothly. But when it came down to negotiations, Piper took the lead. She could keep tensions low, smooth out situations, or just find them the supplies they happened to need, for a reasonable price. She also had a habit of convincing others to do her work around the ship for her, without them ever knowing. Especially poor Jason.

Not that Percy thought Jason minded. The Turian was close to Piper. Perhaps even romantically, but Percy was never the best at that kind of stuff. He just knew they worked well together, and when in doubt they were safe to pair up on missions. Jason was perhaps one of the most reliable crew members he had. Level headed, determined, and honest to a fault, Percy had mad respect for him. Unfortunately, he also had a habit of butting heads with him. Both of them were a little... strong willed, and when they disagreed, or they got competitive, it usually took Piper and Annabeth to calm them down before it escalated. Don't get him wrong, Percy trusted Jason with his life and saw him as a brother, but man, that Turian could get under his skin. But he wouldn't have it any other way.

Frank was their resident Krogan. With a surprisingly calm temperament for a Krogan, Frank more than made up for it in raw combat ability. Even where Percy surpassed Frank with his SAM-enhanced body, Frank just seemed to be a bundle of potential, always moving forward. Percy also valued him as a friend as well. The usually level headed Krogan could be counted on for advice, tactical or personal. Percy knew he could send him on any job and Frank would get it done efficiently, without a word of complaint. At least, aside from the few times he had seen Frank get mad. When Frank got mad, it was borderline terrifying. Krogans were scary enough when upset, but Frank just seemed to be out to prove a point. Nothing stood in his way when he found his temper lit. But those moments were few and far between, Hazel usually intervening before it could reach that far.

Hazel was their Angaran Envoy. Having been sent with them when they first made contact, Hazel and Frank had quickly fallen in line together. Percy wasn't quite sure what it was between those two, but they clicked. Perhaps in a different way than Piper and Jason did, but clicked never the less. It just seemed natural for them to be together. Like they had been waiting their whole lives to meet, and it was almost to be expected. Hazel was powerful with her own electromagnetic charges her race naturally had. Perhaps one of the most adept that Percy had met in their brief time together. She was also one of the most level headed on the crew. Perhaps due to being older than many of them, though still young by Angaran standards, she mothered them a bit. Many of the up-keeping duties were handled by her, with Frank assisting. Percy couldn't quite put it into words why, but with her around the place felt more like a home than a military vessel in the stars.

Perhaps on the opposite end of the spectrum was Leo. Another human like himself, Leo was their mechanic. Handy-man. Demolitions expert. Basically anything that could involve fire, usually would, and Leo would be at it front and center. Percy was amazed Leo hadn't been burned with the amount of fires that started around him, he would swear up and down that he was immune to it. His personality was just as bright, always cracking a joke, and easing the tensions that came with their tense mission. Even with his chaotic plans, Leo always managed to pull through for them in the end. That didn't even touch on the constant upgrades he made to their equipment, making their life easier and easier. At least until one goes a little haywire and they end up with a coffee stain on the ceiling that they just can't find a way to remove. He was also the reason the message board no longer allowed images after he started a meme war that ended up taking too much of their focus. Despite all the chaoticness, Percy trusted Leo with his life. He was like an annoying little brother to him, one that Percy wouldn't trade for the universe.

Pushing the mug away from him, he stared at the logo on an owl printed onto the gray mug. His thoughts turned towards his last crew member. Annabeth. It was her mug after all, she had taken his a while ago so he had returned the favor and was using hers.

Annabeth was... perhaps what kept him going, if he was honest with himself. He had known her since his time at the academy. Originally they were always bickering, but slowly they had grown closer. Percy couldn't really pinpoint when they had started getting attached at the hip, but it must have happened at some point considering they were recently made “official”, as Piper put it. They realized they had too much at stake, too much could happen, to let time pass them by. Percy had worked up the courage to ask her out, and a month later he couldn't be happier.

Annabeth was the person he relied on most in the crew. Her brain was as good as SAM's in his opinion. She could form a battle plan in a heartbeat, and could read people like a book. Aside from the fact she could hold her own in a fight just fine, she could give Percy the advice he needed, or give the team a plan to ensure their victory. He couldn't even count the number of victories against the Kett Annabeth had given them with her strategies.

Originally it had been just suppressed comments about his waking order, or research goals. When someone asked him plans about settlements, it was impossible for Percy not to notice how much advice she wanted to give, yet tried to hold back on out of respect for his new title. Percy approached her one night, asking her if she would like to take charge of planning out settlements. He could still see the number of architecture and urban development books he knew lined her room. Annabeth had agreed all too eagerly, only pausing to ask if he was sure.

Now Percy kept her at his side on all his missions, not wanting to be separated from her, and trusting her judgment completely. He knew if he was going to make it through this mission with his head on his shoulders, it would be because of her. Then again, it wasn't like he could convince her to stay behind even if he wanted her too. They had been separated while exploring an ice planet. A large Kett attack party had ambushed them, and Annabeth had been knocked out cold. Desperate to save his partner, he had managed to blow up one of their cargo ships, and run off on his own to lure their attention. He knew they were after the pathfinder more than his crew and his plan had worked.

Perhaps a little too well.

Percy had found himself stranded near a dying heat lamp, the cold slowly freezing his body. He had been just about to pass out when a familiar voice reached his comms, and he saw a suit running towards in the distance. When he had woken up, it had been a few days later in the infirmary, to an upset looking Annabeth and a relieved looking Piper. It had taken him a while to hear the story of Annabeth's conquest for him once she had woken up and realized he had been missing for three days before they found him.

Shaking his head from the thoughts he let out another sigh. Maybe Annabeth should be pathfinder after all. Surely the universe would be better in her brilliant hands.

At the sounds of his door opening, he tensed. His back muscles shifted, as if to lift him up, but his will power failed him and he let his head remain on the cold metal. “Yes?” He asked, really not in the mood to talk to anyone but knew duty was probably calling, like always.

Whoever had entered made no noise, but he heard a soft sigh. A few footsteps. Then a plate being placed on the table next to his head. A familiar hand wound it's way through his hair, gently massaging his scalp as shivers shot down his spine.

“Hey.” Annabeth's voice was gentle, a far cry from it's usual teasing, playful tone.

“Hi.” He mumbled, rolling his head so he can look up at her.

Annabeth wore a soft, amused smile as she continued to play with his hair. “Are you okay?” She asked patiently.

Percy paused, looking her deep in her stormy gray eyes. “I am now.” He mumbled, a unable to suppress the small smile that crept on his face.

Annabeth just laughed. “Here, I brought you cookies, now talk.” She said, sliding the plate towards him.

Sitting up finally, Percy was surprised to see a plate of blue cookies, with blue frosting. He felt a warmth in his chest as he looked at them appreciatively, before looking back at Annabeth. Leaning forward, he quickly gave her a chaste kiss before grabbing a cookie and digging in. “How did you know?” He asked between bites.

Annabeth just shrugged. “Cause I know you. I had a feeling you could use these today.” It was true, Annabeth wasn't quite sure how she knew. Just after all the time she had spent with her seaweed brain, she had a sixth sense for something being wrong with him. She was glad she had stocked up on supplies during their last trip to the Nexus. Being in a new galaxy meant getting a bit creative with recipes, but with enough research she had managed to find a reliable way to make cookies, and perhaps more importantly, blue food dye. “So what's wrong?” She asked again, gently pressing the issue.  

Percy sighed, finishing up his cookie. He looked at Annabeth, determined to brush the issue off. However, her concerned gaze pierced through his walls as his shoulders sagged.

“I just... do... do you think I'm okay being the pathfinder? I should just let you do it...”

His head dropped as he stared down at the table. “I know you wanted the job before I ended up with it...”

His fist clenched on the table. “There's so much at stake and I...” Percy paused as he felt a hand cover his, slowly smoothing out his fist and unclenching it. She took it in her own, entwining their fingers gently. “Look at me.” Her words were soft, but firm.

Glancing up, Percy saw her staring back at him with fierce eyes. They almost looked... angry. But he could tell concern was hidden in them as well.

“You can't say that Percy. Everyone is looking to you, because they trust you.”

“That's the problem! It's not me they should trust. Piper's the one who can keep the peace, Frank is the one smashing the machines. Jason could probably do the job better than I can, I just have it because I'm human. You're the smart one. I would be dead in a snow-pile without you. I shouldn't be leading you. I-”

He was cut off as he felt her hand cover his mouth, her gaze hardening. “Don't say that!” She snapped.

Annabeth felt a lump of frustration building up in her. How. How could he be saying all of that.

Annabeth was aware of the pressure that came with the title of Pathfinder. She was always afraid of the pressure getting to him, and was determined to do what she could to buffer it. She made an effort to filter many of the angry Nexus messages to the ship, and ran interference with the frustrated people of the Nexus who couldn't see that Percy was trying to carry the whole initiative on his shoulders. But the job was still his, and she would never get in the way of that. In fact there was no one, including herself, who she trusted more to fill the shoes of Pathfinder.

“Percy, you've done more for this universe than I could have imagined. You introduced a brand new race into the Nexus. You've settled planets, letting life begin on these otherwise lifeless rocks. You've pulled our crew together, and you lead us day in and day out.” She explained, feeling the words bubbling out of her. Annoyingly, she felt tears beginning to build up in the corner of her eyes despite herself. “You almost threw your life away to save mine on that God forsaken ice planet.” She managed to keep her voice steady, despite it's almost need to shake.

Annabeth's mind flashed back to that night she had woken up in the infirmary. She had remembered seeing the wave of attackers coming in, and she had ducked behind cover. What she had failed to notice in all the snow though, had been the grenade that had landed on the other side of the crates. When it blew it had sent them flying, clubbing her in the back of the head and knocking her out cold. When she had woken up she had found out she had also been shot during the scuffle, though the wound was minor. When she had looked for Percy, determined to make sure he wasn't guilt tripping himself over her injury, her heart had stopped when she had found out he wasn't there. He wasn't anywhere.

Piper had physically restrained her to keep her from running out into the snow in her casual clothes.

The second in command, Annabeth had brought the full force of the weight of the pathfinder's name in finding Percy. They had called in reinforcements for their search party, and Annabeth had went for two nights without sleeping as she scoured the snow for him.

When they had finally found him, half frozen to death, she hadn't left his side until he was up on his feet.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts of that horrific day, she looked at Percy. “We choose to follow you Percy, because of who you are.” He might not see it himself, but she saw him for what he truly was.

Their pathfinder was their hero. Kind, and empathetic to a fault, he had a way of bringing everyone together. Piper may be more skilled in the actual art of negotiations and speaking, but Percy's air around him drew people towards him. His bravery and courage kept her heart fluttering whenever she saw him taking charge on a mission, his usual goofy demeanor being replaced by a serious, surprisingly mature, leadership. Whenever she formed a plan that made her pause, always being afraid of the risks and unwilling to endanger any of her friends as may be needed, Percy always immediately took the job and plunged forward without hesitation. He'd take on the dangerous job as if it was natural, seemingly glad to do so as his friends wouldn't be in danger. This spoke nothing of his actual strength. She knew SAM was helping him out in that regard, but his skill on the combat field let her devise more strategies with such a powerful tool in her arsenal.

She wasn't quite sure which smirk, goofy smile, or carefree laugh had won her heart over, but she knew it hadn't taken too long to warm her heart again.

Getting up, she moved over, sitting on his lap and draping her arms around his shoulders, lacing her hands behind his neck. “Percy. You're doing a wonderful job. You've guided us farther than I allowed myself to hope for. Besides, you're not alone. We're here for you. I'm here for you.”

Percy couldn't hope to fight the grin that crept all over his face. “I wouldn't have it any other way.”

He paused, his head drooping slightly. “Thank you. Seriously. I... I need you by my side, Wise Girl.”

Annabeth just leaned forward, nudging his head up with hers before she kissed him. After a moment she rested her forehead against his. “I need you too, Seaweed Brain. Never forget that.”

Shifting off his lap, Annabeth reached for a cookie and sat munched it happily, sitting next to him and staring out into space.

Resting his head on her shoulder, Percy ate another cookie himself. He still had doubts about being pathfinder, but he trusted his crew. He knew that with all of them by his side, he would find a way to get it all done. He that with Annabeth at his side, he could make Andromeda his home. Looking over at her, seeing her lit up by the soft lights from space, he felt a warmth in his chest. That was wrong. He knew that with Annabeth at his side, he was home.

[midnightstarsky]

VS Cartel AU Chapter 2 Part 2

This is my cross-over fiction of vatanim sensin and the narcos history/tv show. This is the second part of chapter 2. I hope you guys enjoy this! The other parts of chapter 2 and all of chapter 1 are already posted, just check the vs cartel au tag on my blog.

Note: I don’t own any of the VS characters or narcos characters. These are characters based loosely on history so I any similarities are due to that.

All of these parts can be found under vs cartel au tag on my blog, where you can also find gifs and previews for the story and narcos show. And you can find a mash up trailer. 

Hope you enjoy!

This one takes off where part 2 ends, where we get to see Leon’s first day at work, where we learn a bit more about the world he’s just entered into. Leon gets an angry call from Hilal, apparently they have an unwelcome guest. 

content warning: This is a cartel fic, so there will be mentions of violence and drugs from this point on from the story. So canon typical violence for a show like narcos is to be expected.

Chapter 2 Part 2

                                              Chapter 2: Magical Realism

Hilal and I finally left for our new apartment, our new home for the next two years. Or so we thought.

After unpacking a few things and setting up the house a bit, I left Hilal to rest and set off for the US Embassy where the base of operations for the DEA and any military groups the US sent to Greece for advising worked. It was where I would find my new partner, my brother. Ali Kemal had spent the last year working on his own in Greece, I was here to make sure he wouldn’t be on his own when we took down our father. And I couldn’t let him have all the fun, now could I?

Leon approached the front of the embassy and smiled.

His brother smirked, “Why the hell is that caterpillar still on your face, thought you would have given up growing a mustache by now.”

Leon rolled his eyes, “Hello to you too, bro. Missed seeing your face in person, facetime just doesn’t really capture how much of an asshole you can be.”

“You missed me, that’s so sweet,” Ali Kemal grinned, “I was too busy to miss you.”

“Right,” Leon said, “Come here.”

“No hugs,” Ali Kemal said as he backed a bit.

“Too bad,” Leon said as he grabbed his brother in a tight hug.

After a moment of stiffly standing there, Ali Kemal sighed and wrapped his arms around his younger brother, “Glad to have you back in my life, Leon. Life was too quiet without your constant need to fill it with your poetry.”

Leon chuckled, “I knew you liked listening to literature, you’re too lazy to read it yourself so you need me to add culture to your life.”

“I’d hoped your wife would knock out the arrogance out of you but even she can’t manage that,” Ali Kemal responded cheekily.

“It’s part of my charm,” Leon replied.

“Right,” Ali Kemal replied before changing the subject, “How is Hilal?”

“She’s good, a bit tired after the trip,” Leon replied.

Ali Kemal paused outside the door, and asked quietly, “And how is mom?”               Leon stuck his hands into his pockets and stared at the floor.

“Uh, she’s good,” he offered.

“She’s still mad we accepted the assignment to Greece?” Ali Kemal cut in.

Leon nodded before saying, “More like she was begging me not to go for the last couple weeks since we told her we were joining you, and practically demanding us to get you to return.”

His brother snorted, “That’s not happening, I’m not leaving until we get Vasili.”

“I wasn’t about to tell her that,” Leon shot back, “She’d never let me leave if she thought I was going after Vasili, I told her we were going after some low-level cartel members we’re following from Chicago.”

We had both assumed that our mother had left Greece probably because she knew her husband was involved in some criminal organization and that she wanted no part of it. Considering the dangers of being involved or connected to cartels, we also thought that she was probably trying to protect us as well. We ended up being half right.

Ali Kemal raised an eyebrow, “Did she buy that?”

“Yeah, I think she did,” Leon responded easily.

She didn’t.

His brother sighed, “We’ll tell her the truth once this is all over, no sense worrying her or putting her at risk of knowing too much.”

Leon nodded.

They spent the next hour introducing Leon to the distinct groups based in the US embassy in Athens, Leon met with the military advisors sent to advice the Greek government on any terrorist threats, they met with computer experts sent there to monitor Russian intelligence in case of any hacks, and they met the chief guys tasked with running the surveillance and tracking unit.

“Welcome to the DEA nerds,” Ali Kemal said as he gestured to a group of five people.

“Asshole,” one of them muttered before standing up.

Leon smiled as he shook his hand.

“I’m Jason,” he said, “I hope you’ll be nicer to work with than your brother.”

“I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Leon smiled.

“So, what do you got for me?” Ali Kemal cut in as he crossed his arms.

Jason grabbed some papers, “We’ll been listening in on some calls and think there’s a kidnapping with one of the persons of interest, we should have more information soon but we think this m-19 group might be involved.”

Ali Kemal read over the files, “See if you can get some names, I’ll see if my informant knows anything.”

Leon glanced over, “M-19? Like the group from Colombia?”

Ali Kemal glanced, “Yeah, they’re inspired by them, those idiots don’t really understand that the 19 stands for the date of the election that group claimed was screwed with.”

“Shouldn’t the Greek police do something about them? I mean a guerrilla group is dangerous,” Leon offered as he glanced through some photos of a house in the mountains.

Ali Kemal scoffed as Jason smiled.

Leon glanced between them, “What?”               “These are just a bunch of fools who got inspired by their professor or something and decided to hide out in a house in the mountains and post online videos about how they’re going to liberate Greece,” Ali Kemal explained, “Problem is, they’re just a group of about 20 people and their lead, who renamed himself Vladimir the Great”

Leon looked at him in disbelief, “Seriously?”

“You can’t write this stuff, bro. I doubt these kidnapping will end up being anything more than a minor event,” Ali Kemal chuckled before checking his watch, “We got to go, Ambassador Crawford is waiting.

Leon handed Jason the papers as Ali Kemal ordered, “I want to know more about the chatter as soon as possible, time is always of the essence with these guys.”

“Since you asked so nicely,” Jason grumbled under his breath.

“You’re the best, Jason!” Ali Kemal called as they rushed down the hallway, “Crap, the ambassador is going to kill me, we were supposed to meet with her ten minutes ago.”

Leon groaned, “You’re terrible, bro. Now she’s going to think that I’m the younger taller version of you. Worst way to make an impression.”               “Please, everyone always love you, you exude charm that fools everyone except apparently your wife,” Ali Kemal snapped back as they came into view of the secretary, “Also, you’re not that much taller or younger than me.”

“Late again, Ali Kemal?” she eyed him.

Ali Kemal smiled, “You look great today!”

“I’m not the one you should charm,” she responded as she typed, “She’s just about had it with you.”

Ali Kemal’s smile disappeared and he shoved Leon inside, “Hurry.”

Leon stumbled into the office to see a sharply dressed woman with dark hair turn around and scowl at his brother.

“Ali Kemal, what have I said about annoying me?” she warned.

“That I’m this close to being sent back to the US,” Ali Kemal responded as he brought his fingers up to emphasis the very small margin of error he was allowed.

“And how do I look now?” she demanded as she sat down.

“Glad to see me?” he offered.

Her frowned widened, “This is the last time, do I make this clear?”

“Absolutely,” he said solemnly.

She didn’t seem that convinced, she turned to Leon, “I assume you’re his brother, DEA agent Leon Papadakis?”

She was eyeing him suspiciously, and he swallowed before talking.  

“Yes,” he replied before saying, “It’s an honor to meet you, I hope I will do this country and you proud during my stay here. I can assure you that I will do my job efficiently and responsibly.”

His sincere look must have won her over because she noted, “I have a feeling I’m going to like you more than your brother over here.”

Leon grinned as Ali Kemal huffed.

“I’m wonderful,” Ali Kemal protested.

The ambassador raised an eyebrow, “No, Agent Ali Kemal, you most certainly are not.”

Ali Kemal looked to protest but she cut him off, “I have another meeting in five minutes, get out of my office and see what your supervisor has for you.”

They nodded before filing out.

Ali Kemal gestured down the hallway, “Go meet Yakup, our supervisor here.”

“Where are you going?” Leon asked.

“I’m going to check over some files,” his brother replied as he walked away.

Leon’s meeting with his supervisor went well, Yakup was a friendly looking man who Leon guessed wasn’t going to give his agents a tough time. He told Leon that he wanted them to report to him daily when they were sent out of Athens. Yakup then became stern as he told Leon to behave himself. He added that he didn’t want to hear about any funny business, there were too many reports of agents and marines getting caught up with local women and parties and putting themselves in compromising situations.

“No funny business,” Yakup ordered, “I don’t want to hear a story that we lost classified files because of some drunkenness and fooling around.”

“I’m married, sir,” Leon replied strongly, feeling the need to defend himself.

Yakup eyed him, “Hmm.”

Leon brandished his wedding band, “Happily and devotedly married, sir.”

Yakup brightened, “That’s wonderful, good to know your brother is the only one I have to worry about.”

Leon was starting to realize that his brother may be somewhat of a loose cannon.

But Yakup changed subjects, “You’ve been briefed on your mission here?”

Leon nodded.

“Good, you and your brother will be working with the Greek police force, you will provide intel to them and accompany them on missions, but you will respect their commanders’ orders. We have to work with the Greeks not jump in and act like we own the place, understand?”

Leon indicated that he did.

“Good, just a few more things and you’ll be all set…” Yakup said as he grabbed some papers.

Yakup was probably the nicest man you’d ever meet in the DEA, but he was also intelligent, resourceful, and loyal to the men and women who served under his command.

He also was obsessed with disguises. An unhealthy obsession with fake facial hair.

              Leon and Ali Kemal exited the embassy as Leon glanced around, “That was interesting, how long did it take for you to piss off the ambassador?”

              “About a month into my mission,” Ali Kemal shrugged as Leon gave him a look, “What? She doesn’t like that I always check in on her to give her my reports.”               “Bro, you only do that because you’re constantly begging her for money or visas for informants,” Leon pointed out as his brother eyed him suspiciously.

              “How do you know that?” he asked.

              “While you were checking files, Yakup filled me in on your habits,” his younger brother remarked as he put on his sunglasses.

              Ali Kemal muttered under his breath, “I’m a delight.”

              Suddenly, a ringtone went off. Ali Kemal grabbed his phone and answered it.

              “Hey, Hilal,” he said as Leon looked up, “What’s going on? Who? Seriously?”

              Leon was worried now he leaned over, “Is Hilal alright?”

              Ali Kemal handed him the phone, “Your wife has a surprise guest in your new apartment.”

              He grabbed the phone worriedly, “Hilal, sweetheart, is everything alright?”

              “No, everything is not all right, Leon,” Hilal replied angrily, “that witch had the nerve to enter our home.”

              “What?” Leon managed confused.

              “Get over here as soon as you can, because I’m this close to stabbing her with her heels,” Hilal threatened.

              “Hilal, just tell me you’re safe,” he pressed.

              “Oh, I’m safe, she’s the one who should be afraid,” Hilal muttered under her breath.

              “Who?” he questioned, calming a bit.

              “Yildiz, the cartel princess has decided to grace me with her presence,” Hilal mockingly, “If I have my way, it will be the last thing she’ll ever do.”               “Hilal,” he warned.

              “I won’t lay a finger on her,” Hilal promised after a moment, “For now.”               He sighed, “Thank you, we’ll be right over.”               “Hurry,” she said.

              He hung up and look as his brother, “Looks like dad already knows I’m here.”

              His brother was thoughtful, “Funny that.”

              “We can wonder about that later, my wife is contemplating murdering her own sister,” Leon said as he rushed over to his car.

              “I’m sure Hilal wouldn’t,” Ali Kemal offered as he entered the car.

              Leon turned to him blankly, “You’ve been away from my wife for so long you’ve forgotten her talent at holding grudges and the extent of her hate for our fathers and anyone remotely connected to their cartel. I swear, one day I’m going to find dolls with pins in them and I really don’t think I’ll be that surprised.”

              Ali Kemal just eyed him, “Floor it.”

They arrived at the apartment to see a red Ferrari parked outside.

              “Yildiz is definitely here,” Ali Kemal noted as Leon turned to him, “What? I keep track of a bunch of people, Yildiz goes out a lot around town in this car! It’s not that unusual that I recognize her car!”

              Leon didn’t want to touch whatever that was with a ten-foot pole, “Come on.”

              They entered the apartment building and made their way cautiously towards Leon and Hilal’s apartment.

              He approached the door and kept a hand ready to grab his gun as Ali Kemal tensed behind him.

              Suddenly, the door opened and both men raised their guns up.

              To point them at a furious Hilal, who raised an eyebrow at them.

              Leon immediately put his gun down apologetically.

              “No, you have the right idea,” Hilal said as she extended her hand, “Give me the gun so I can shoot her right now.”

              “Hilal! You can’t shoot your sister!” Leon hissed.

              She frowned, “Why the hell not?”

              He looked up to the ceiling, “Lord help me.”

              Ali Kemal stepped in, “We still don’t know if she’s involved in the cartel, technically she may have never done anything wrong.”

              Hilal shot him a withering look, “She’s complicit, that’s reason enough.”

              Leon placed his hands on her shoulders, “Darling, I know you’re angry, but we can’t let our anger get in the way of our mission. We have to take down our fathers to bring justice for all those victims.”

              “They’ll pay for what they’ve done, Hilal,” Ali Kemal promised, “We’ll make sure of it.”

              “But not this way,” Leon pressed.

              Hilal looked like she wanted to argue but that’s when a voice rang out, “Hilal? Who’s that at the door?”