#and you and your crew are inside risking your lives and you could all die and the kid is just sat inside the ship waiting for you

[comixandco]

concept: take your kid to work day but you work for The Company

[hawkins-losers]

Be strong, Red | Eddie Munson x Mayfield!Reader

Summary: Eddie surprised you at the hospital

Notes: In this version, Eddie didn’t die at the end of season 4. He is alive, and he is not Kas. He and Dustin got away from the demo-bats, he just has some bite injuries that are not too bad. I got this idea when season 4 ended, but never finished it. After seeing Sadie back on set for season 5, I picked it back up.

Warnings: spoilers for season 4, mention of injuries

—

Days passed since everyone got back from the Upside Down. Mike came back from California — with the whole Byers crew. Hopper was not dead…which was a shock to everyone. And Eddie was still the most wanted man of Hawkins. 

Because of that, he couldn’t return to live with his uncle. It pained him to play dead and lie to the man who raised him, but it was only until they figured a way to prove that he did not commit the murder of Chrissy. That could take a while, though…

Until then, Dustin got the brilliant idea of hiding him at Hopper’s cabin. It got a bit destroyed during past encounters with monsters, but everyone brought a hand and fixed the place. It wasn’t the Four Seasons, but it was better than Reefer Rick's dock house. 

Steve and Dustin brought him clothes and food, and visited regularly. But Eddie quickly got bored. He was also confused why his girlfriend had not come to see him yet. A week has passed already. Did they not tell her he was alive? 

He got his answer one afternoon while he was eating frozen hot pockets. Mike and Dustin were talking about Lucas being at the hospital until 6pm, which raised Eddie’s attention. 

‘’Why is Sinclair at the hospital? Did he get hurt or something?’’ 

Mike nervously glanced at Dustin, who gave him ‘absolutely not’ eyes. Their silent exchange told Eddie that there was something they weren’t telling him. And he wanted to know now.

‘’What do you mean ‘Red is at the hospital’?’’ 

After getting fed on everything he didn’t know, Eddie grabbed a hoodie and headed toward the door. His girlfriend’s little sister was in a coma and no one told him? He was fuming. 

Dustin tried to stop him, blocking the door with his body. ‘’Are you insane? You can’t go to the hospital! There’s police all over town—’’ 

Eddie played deaf as he slipped on his shoes. ‘’What? I see your mouth move, but I can’t hear the words.’’ 

Dustin glared at him. ‘’Nancy wanted to tell you, but Steve said that if you knew you would try to go and you really can’t do that. I know you want to be with them right now, with her, but that’s too big of a risk.’’ 

‘’Dustin’s right!’’ Mike agreed. ‘’Maybe we can find another way?’’

Eddie did not listen to his little sheeps. He waited for them to leave and went into town. 

Sneaking into the hospital was easy and, surprisingly, so was finding Max’s room. Since she was under eighteen, the only place she could be was the pediatric unit. Once on the right floor, all Eddie had to do was read every name on the doors until he found ‘Maxine Mayfield’. It was a long process, but he made it. 

Hand on the door knob, Eddie paused. What if there was a doctor inside, or a nurse? Worse, your mother? They wouldn't hesitate to call security on him. 

So he did a small prayer as he took a deep breath, then pushed the door and stepped in. Inside, the curtains were shut, dimming the brightness of the room. Thankfully, there were no doctors or other adults. Just you. 

Lucas must have gone home.

Your back was facing the room, but Eddie recognized the back of your red hair. The same as Max's. You were sitting alone by your sister's side. 

Max. 

Eddie let his eyes drift from you for a few seconds to check on the little one who threw his Iron Maiden cassette out the window on the way to school. She had a cast on both arms and legs, and a cervical brace around her neck. Eddie’s stomach churned. Mike and Dustin had warned him that it was bad, but he didn't think it was that bad. She looked just like Chrissy.

‘’Red.’’

The voice made you bolt up from your chair. You knew he was alive, Dustin told you that the death rumors were false, but seeing him in person made it more real. His curly hair was covered with a hat and he had a hood on to further cover his face and identity. He had no rings, chains or band tee shirt. Just plain old clothes that didn't look like they belonged to him. 

Your feet brought you to him, and tears welled in your eyes when his arms closed around you, a rush of emotions crashing. You had vowed to yourself to not cry in front of your mother anymore. It was so hard for her to see Max in a hospital bed, you needed to be strong for her or else she might lose herself under alcohol bottles.

‘’Please don’t let me go,’’ you said against Eddie’s shoulder, holding him so tight it was probably crushing his lungs. 

Eddie didn’t complain. He let you take what you needed and kissed the top of your head.

—

All Taglist: @broadway-or-noway @violetsleftfist @thelaststraw3  @cursedandromedablack  @Slashersimpfor  @savagejane1   @wh0reforbucknasty   @eddiemunson-slut   @slvdsjjk  @hehehehannahthings  @dreamdancers-world  @eddiemunsonbby  @notbeforelong  @lexi-2004 @violetrainbow412-blog  @tatespillows  @alwayslexii  @lilygreennn   @milkiane  @imahomeslice  @bunnygrl16 @cwritesforfun @marauders3rawh0re  @your-mom21 @parkersmyth @voguesir @milkiane @andrewgarfields-girlfriend @lilygreennn @alexxavicry @charlie-chick  @wandamaximoffs-deadchild  @horrorstreet  @rmeddar123  @pastel-abyss-x @lil-tracys  @luvmybbies  @chloepricesgrafitimarker  @inluvweddiemunson @i-like-trains @kittenfrostt @simp-for-slasher @m-rae23 @kenzi-woycehoski @amberputh  @sea040561 @wayfaring----stranger @amberputh @starstruckspring @nluvwitheddiemunson @yourfavoriteakutagawakinnie @kiszkathecook @Original_babababoo @kittenfrostt @yourfavdummy @kenzi-woycehoski @violetsleftfist

Eddie Munson taglist: @nighttwingg @yourfavoriteakutagawakinnie @heizenka @eddiemvunsongf @Eddie_munsons_girlfriend @magicalchocolatecheesecake @eddiemunsonistheloveofmylife @avril-reblog-cave @Fandomfaeryreads @harrys-tittie @straycatarang @fourlokiss  @eddiemattress  @ghoulishlygrey   @paola-carter @bubsonnobx @pauldanoswifereal @ofherscarlettwitchways @kiszkathecook  @truewdw1 @bubsonnobx @ohhrexella @Dreamtiara @pastelbabygirl19  @steves-robin @eddiemunsonbby @jenlouvre @bonked-beyond-belief2  @tvserie-s-world @bootlegmothman420 @courtmr @chrisxevans-seb @satinselenite @thikkiesixx  @jennilynn63  @nia-um  @welcometohellfirw @strangermarvelgirl @sugar-simz @fandomloversvaries @miakatharinaa  @julsss321 @m1rkw00dpr1ncess  @Minksblog @soph69420world  @ameliakf13 @nancewheelersworld @parasadic-blog @nluvwitheddiemunson @veniceb1tch88 @ali-r3n @Luv.eddie @stephylovesmayahawke @ruinedbythehobbit @sweetheart-im-the-boss @jusstdreaaming @hoeformunsonandhargrove @buckyswhxre @tomspidertingle @stormyparker @thechoiceslookgrimm @ilikechocolatemilkh @bbylyneth @bobafettsleftglove @princesseddie @yourfavdummy @xbreezymeadowsmunsonx @rosaliesrealwife @munsonswhore86 @eddiescvmslvt @slightlyvicked

[grievedeeply]

Can I request a Cal x reader, where they were both working for Saw but got split up during the job on Coruscant. So we know that in rogue one Saw was hanging out on Jedha, so what if reader is out in the descent hearing to Saw’s place but runs into Cal instead? Idk I just need some Cal in my life. Thank you so much 💜

i'm loving all of these cal requests!!! this is such a cute idea :") hope you enjoy!

gn!reader | tws: death, SPOILERS FOR THE BEGINNING OF JEDI SURVIVOR + JOIN MY NEW TAGLIST!!!

you're here, we're here — cal kestis

you wondered if working for saw gererra was the right thing to do. of course, he fought for something bigger than himself, but you knew of the consequences of this sort of thing. if you were to be captured by the empire, you'd be killed. they'd keep it quiet, but you knew your death would come swift if the imperials were to get their hands on you.

you were scared of death. wasn't everyone, to some extent? you wondered what the afterlife would hold for you. was there even an afterlife at all? the act of dying wasn't what scared you, not really. it was mostly leaving those you loved behind. gabs, the twins, bravo. you met them all through saw gererra, and that was your favorite part about working for him. the people. their kindness and generosity, their determination to make the galaxy a better place. not just for themselves but for everyone around them. it was good to see something other than hate and cruelty remained.

they were your family.

until they weren't.

the job on coruscant had gone horribly wrong, in the end. what was supposed to be a simple extraction of information turned into a firefight.. and before you knew it, more than half of your squad was gone. in the confusion, you'd gotten split up from cal, bode and bravo, and you could only assume they were all dead, too.

lately, saw had been hanging out on jedha. even before your mission, he had started setting up some operations there despite the ever growing imperial presence.

so.. you returned to jedha completely empty handed, and down an entire team. your family. gabs, the twins.. you watched them die, struck down like they were nothing. they had names, they had lives and friends and they were loved. but no one understood that. all the empire saw was insurgency. all that inquisitor saw was cal, the one who had gotten away from her all those years ago.

you remembered the look on saw's face once you stepped inside. his grin immediately dropped and without a moment's hesitation, he took you by your shoulders and pulled you into his arms. you couldn't cry, not anymore. the entire time you were maneuvering through the streets of coruscant your eyes were welling with tears. the tie fighters shot at you as you escaped the planet and went into the stars.. and by the time you were in hyperspace, your face was soaked in tears. you sobbed the entire time, all the way up until your arrival at jedha, days later. you couldn't risk leading the empire back to saw, so you took a few rotations on some backwater planet to collect your thoughts— but what was left to think about?

you thought of gabs. her smile, her strange sense of humor that somehow always made you laugh. the twins and their insatiable appetite.. and the warm hugs they provided you when you were feeling down. bravo, who gave the best advice out of anyone on the crew. bode, your sparring partner. cal.. your best friend.

cal.. he was smart. 'he could've gotten out,' you told yourself. if he was captured he could've escaped. he was talented, he was brave. he was kind.. so kind. you remembered his hands on your arms, running them up and down your skin as a way to calm you, to ground you into the moment. it was a routine before you went out together. he would smile that same, big dumb grin, and reassure you that everything would be okay.

but that wasn't the case. not this time.

cal was gone. his beautiful.. gentle smile was gone. you would never see him again. he was dead or captured and you were the only one that made it out. he deserved to see the galaxy at a better state. he deserved to live. he deserved to grow old. thoughts of him and the rest plagued your mind like a curse, and no matter how many times you tried to push them and what happened away, they would come crawling back.

your work on jedha was light. saw was giving you time to recover, letting you decide if you even wanted to go back into the field in the first place. not only had his operation suffered a major loss.. but so had you. you had to watch it happen. until you made your choice, he had you doing whatever you needed or wanted. you could choose to sit around if you needed to. he had plenty of people to cover for everything. he knew you needed your space, so.. sit around you did.

you'd take walks occasionally, go to nearby cliffsides and listen to the stormtroopers beneath you chatter about whatever was going on in their lives. the familiar hum of their electro riot batons went in and out of your mind. they spoke of promotions, of their coworkers and their bosses, their plans, how much they hated jedha and wished they were stationed somewhere else.. but as they talked.. you envied them.

they were blinded to the empire's cruelty and injustices, but you? you had lost to them. these people knew nothing about the kindness your friends, your family, had shown. they would get what was coming to them.. but for now, you took solace in their stupidity.

this was one of those trips. you stood from your spot on the cliff, brushing off your pants with your hands, watching as dust fell from them back onto the sandy rocks underneath you. the stormtroopers were so oblivious to their surroundings, it almost made you laugh. you turned your back to them, ready to begin up the path you had come down before.

the trek was a decently long one. it was enough time away from base to clear your head and let your thoughts sit for awhile, and that was okay with you. you let yourself mourn through this walk.. and that was okay.

you groaned as you pushed yourself up onto the ledge, making steady progress towards base. you wondered if there was an easier way to get back.. but this distance was something you enjoyed. the silence was nice. it was good to be on your own sometimes, even if plenty of people had offered to come with you, you always turned them down. you knew they were concerned, but you needed time to be by yourself.

you brought yourself to your feet after climbing up, kicking a few of the rocks underneath your feet over the edge of the cliff. you looked down at the ground below you, wondering how far the drop was. you were surprised you hadn't slipped off, yet. you chuckled to yourself at the thought. you knew that, if cal were by your side, he would save you with his force magic. no matter how much strain it might put on him.. he would do it. there was no doubt in your mind.

but cal wasn't around.

a chirp in the distance, coming from the direction you were heading. you furrowed your brow. this path was supposed to be clear. who would saw send out at this time anyways? the sun was setting in the distance, the hues of pink and orange blending into the desert out beneath the cliffs. had he planned some sort of covert operation—

you stopped in your tracks. a droid..

cal's droid.

you'd recognize those colors anywhere. he stared up at you for a few moments before rushing towards you, climbing up your legs to rest on your shoulders. bd-1's head rubbed against your cheek almost as though he were some sort of animal. you grinned, leaning towards him as your hands reached for him. you took him off of your shoulder, holding him in front of you.

you frowned. how had he gotten here? did cal make it out? that wasn't possible. you would've heard something from him by now, anything—

"buddy, wait up!" you heard a voice call from down the canyon, and you froze, eyes wide. cal's voice. were you hallucinating? was this a dream or a nightmare? were you dead? why would bd-1 be here if you were dead?

before you could think on it any further, cal slid around the corner and turned to face you. his expression immediately softened as soon as he laid his eyes on you, and bd-1 slowly slinked out of your hands and back onto the ground, ready to watch your reunion.

he let out a shaky breath, one that even he could barely hear. his head felt so loud. after you'd gotten separated from the rest, he thought you were dead. he normally tried to stay as positive as possible.. you were clever, intelligent and knew just how to survive.. but it was a feeling in his gut that he couldn't shake that you didn't make it out.

he blinked a few times before he took a few hesitant steps towards you. your eyes filled with tears as you stared at him. he was real, he was in front of you. he was alive. before you knew it, cal's arms were wrapped around your waist, pulling you into his chest for a tight hug.

a soft sob escaped his lips, but he nuzzled his face into your neck, and all you could do was return the gesture. his crying pulled you back into reality. he was alive. he was okay.

it felt like an eternity, trapped in each others arms, soaking in the warmth that filled your chest as you reveled in his presence. you never wanted him to pull away, afraid that if he did he would disappear into the sunset behind him. but he pulled away, his hands resting on your shoulders as they always did.. and he stared deep into your eyes.

he pressed his forehead to yours, his fingers ran circles over your skin. what he always did to keep you calm.. and you couldn't help but cry. you let your eyes close, your hands reaching out for the fabric of his shirt. he was alive, and that was all you cared about. despite the insurmountable loss you'd faced that day, cal was alive and in front of you.

"i'm so happy to see you." you heard him say, and you nodded. his voice was coarse, rough against his throat. had he cried as much as you had? had he struggled with adapting to a life without you? without everyone? he'd mourned for you. you took his hands off of your shoulders, taking them in your own. this time, your thumbs ran over the back of his palms, caressing him as though he was about to break.

"cal.." you whispered out his name, your lips pressed into a thin line to prevent yourself from crying. his hands found your face, pulling you closer.

your heart ached in your chest, your breathing heavy. you let him touch you, both of you falling completely silent. finally, you opened your eyes, only to be met with his staring back at you.

he'd been looking at you all this time. desperation filled his vision, and his lips pressed to yours in a gentle, warm kiss. it didn't last for very long, and you resisted the urge to pull him back in as soon as his lips left yours. "i'm sorry," cal muttered, averting his gaze from you to look at the floor. "i don't know what came over me." he chuckled, breathless, feeling incredibly awkward as he sunk into himself. his cheeks were a bright red. he could feel the heat against his skin.

though, when he returned his eyes to you, you wore a smile. your face, still covered in tear stains, had a genuinely happy expression written on it for the first time in a long time.

you never thought you'd think of him in this way, but as you thought on it, you supposed you already had. you yearned for him in a way you did for no one else. you wanted him by your side. you swallowed, embarrassed.

"it's okay," you reassured him verbally before taking his hands in your own once more. they were rough, but surprisingly gentle. "i.. didn't exactly mind." you told him, glancing away from him as you spoke. it was strange to be this vulnerable, but you were glad it was with cal and no one else. he was so special.

he cared so much for people.. for you.

"really?" he asked without missing a beat, a youthfulness in his voice you had never heard before. you nodded, and he kissed your forehead, a sign of relief escaping his lips. he thought he had ruined everything between the two of you before even getting to talk to you.

"why.. why didn't you tell me?" you asked after a brief moments hesitation. of course, you were glad he was alive and in front of you, but you couldn't help but to ask. cal sighed, "i tried. comms were out. i tried to track you. i didn't find anything and i thought-" he paused, licking his lips. his throat suddenly felt dry. "i thought you were dead."

you couldn't even say anything, your mind focused only on the fact that he tried. he tried to reach out to you and that was all that mattered. you knew he would never leave you behind. "i had to.. find an old friend of mine. we had to fix up the ship." he swallowed, scratching at the back of his neck. "i'm sorry, i should've tried harder-"

"cal," you cut him off before he could say anything else, "all that matters now is that you're alive. you're here. we're here. you tried.. and that means more to me than you could ever know. believe me.. i tried to find you, too." you told him, eyes searching his face. "it's okay." you spoke up again, and his gaze finally met yours.

your breath hitched in your throat. he was beautiful. inside and out. he had a heart of pure gold. one that you hoped would never fade, that you knew would never fade.

bd-1 nudged at your foot before you could sink further into your daydream, and he climbed up onto his shoulders. you grinned at him, and then shifted your eyes to cal.

"come on," you murmured, taking his hand in yours. "i want to show you something."

the place you had mourned for him. yes.. but now, it was the place with a view you would share.

tags: @starwalkerwriting

[ghostsvacuumcleaner]

Hello! i was wondering if you could write me a req bc i saw your reqs r open (bc I ✨respectfully✨ suck booty at writing)

basically, reader made friends with Ghost while working together on deployment, and became friends, they hang out sometimes bc they live kinda close, blah blah blah. then, Ghost doesn't hear from reader in months (which isn't normal, bc they text like once a month, just to make sure one another is okay when they can). then, one day, in the middle of a meeting Ghost gets a call from an unfamiliar number and almost ignores it until he sees that the area code is the one reader lives in, so he decides to answer it. boom, guess what? the reader is in the hospital, sustained r/srs injuries, and is in need of emergency surgery, and the reader made Ghost the emergency contact (lets also say they traded dog tags bc fluff?)

homie gets all sad bc Reader might die and is in a mini coma, blah blah blah, realized he r in love w the reader, and uh

you can decide whether or not the reader dies and what happens next

i fr scream YIPEEE when i saw your req open, i adore your writing, like top tear, makes me cry but laugh and scream bc how are you so good?! srs, im so jelly of your writing! okay anyways, hope you have a lovely day, you dont have to do this is you dont want or if im jus a silly fucker and mis read and your reqs r closed or sum

Hellloooo! Thank you SO MUCH for the beautiful compliments and for this request <3 I loved it so much I started writing the day you sent it to me. But since it's very emotionally charged, it took me a little while to finish and I'm sorry bout that, and I rly hope you're still around and eager to read it!!! Well, there it is, my take on ur req, hope you like it.

Take me back (to the night we met) | Simon "Ghost" Riley x f!reader

✦Word count: 2.1k ✦ Pairing: Simon “Ghost” Riley xf!reader ✦Summary: Simon gets a call from the hospital saying that you are hospitalized, in a coma and in great life risk. ✦ TW and general warnings: sensitive topics, lots of angst, fluff though, death implications, open ending, sad af read at ur own risks cuz i'm crying in my room rn;

I had all and then most of you Some and now none of you Take me back to the night we met

“Johnny and I make our entrances fast. I clear the way, he goes front, three of you get in by the back and we surround the site to get enough space for the hostages to come out. Any questions?” Ghost asks sternly, as is the usual of his tone especially coming down to work. He was being brutally professional at the moment - if there was rather a sign of an existing Simon, it was gone the moment he got inside the briefing room. Silence follows for the next seconds while the crew seems to be pondering over what he said, analyzing the map over the big round table sticking to the center of the room.

As it is expected, no questions. He nods with his head assuming by the silence that they’re all understood.

“Our orders are to neutralize any individual we find on the site whose face doesn’t match with our hostages, which means we do it fast before they get the chance to call for reinforcements. We don’t wanna make a mess out of this.” Price then continues his own talking, marking X’s over the tactic map and giving the next orders to every one of them. It is when Gaz opens his mouth to say something, that Simon’s phone rings for the third time in a row. He curses mentally - he muted his phone the first time; now, it was vibrating in his pocket. Awkwardly, the vibration itself is heard by everyone in the room and they turn their eyes on him almost instantly.

“Hell.” He curses out in a low voice before shaking his head. “My apologies, Captain.” His voice tries its best not to come out too annoyed, but he fails and it does; despite the timing being inconvenient, no one seems to be bothered. Johnny furrows his brows in concern, and looks over at Price, who seems to have the same, perhaps even more intense, look on his face.

Ghost mentions to pull out and turn off his phone once again, but Price is quick to intervene.

“Riley.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “Third time in a row; seems like somethin’ serious, get out and pick up.” He states comprehensively.

Despite being slightly reluctant, Ghost agrees - it must be something serious. What, he couldn't come to imagine - but if for a moment in his life he had something close to a hunch, it was now, and it said he should take that call.

“Alright, one minute. Move on without me.” He nods and leaves the room, phone in hand and a worried sigh leaving his nostrils. When the door closes behind him and he walks a bit further down the hallway, he picks up.

“Yes?”

“Is this Lieutenant Simon Riley?” A feminine voice asks from the other side. Sounds in the background, beeps and small, muffled voices.

“Affirmative, who’s this?” He frowns.

“This is from the Special Forces Manchester Hospital, are you familiar with the name- hmm…” She seems to be taking a couple seconds to read, and continues saying your name. 

He freezes in place.

How long has it been since he last heard this name? How long has it been since you vanished like thin air, disappeared, stopped calling or answering? Busy. That’s what he thought. Busy with work, busy with anything. The two of you had always been two busy people, in a desperate need for time.

For a moment, in those torturous seconds of silence, Simon found himself praying to a God he wasn't even sure he believed in, that this nurse wouldn't tell him you’re dead.

“Yes.” It’s all he manages to say, with his eyes running down to the ground in a dead stare. Dead eyes. He gulps, after the despair in his chest makes him speak once again, “Why?”

“Well- sir, you’re her emergency number, we’re calling because we couldn’t manage any family members… She’s in a coma. She was severely injured in combat, and [...]”

His heart stops, like it never did before. He doesn't react, his eyes look around as if he's searching for something - as if searching for his own reaction hidden somewhere within that empty hallway. The weight of your dog tag around his neck seems to be suffocating him now. 

To his silence, the woman continues.

“[...] it’s… currently sort of impossible to predict her state within the next few days, she’s fighting but struggling lots; can you come over?” 

“Yes.” He sharply replies, immediately. His eyes are still on the ground as he closes his eyes, and nods. “I’ll be on my way, yes.” 

“Good.” She replies, and he turns off.

For a moment, he stops to breathe; Ghost wipes his hand over his mouth in a somewhat guilty expression, he should have reached for you. He should have reached you the instant he missed you, your calls. 

“Hell…” He shuts his eyes for a moment, his heart stings like he’s poisoned, it hurts - some sort of pain he swears to god, he probably never felt before. Not when he lost his training dog, nor when he lost friends before - maybe because there were always a lingering possibility between the two of you. It was nothing but a friendship, never had been - but every word, every phrase was full of underlines of sentiment, an immense desire to reveal his interior and spit out the fears he refused to speak about to anyone else.

It's the possibility that kills him now. Even after all this time, not for a second did you cease to exist in his troubled and saddened mind. Suppressed by all the worries and feelings he thought were more important than you.

Not for a moment did he stop thinking about that pleasant end to his career, the retirement he knew he deserved, a house at least isolated from the rest of the world with trees and streams, the snow falling when winter comes and the sun scorching the land. land when summer finally arrived. You, on the front porch. 

You.  You.

When the night was full of terrors And your eyes were filled with tears When you had not touched me yet Oh, take me back to the night we met

You were leaning back on the sofa, your legs stretched out by the small table that marked the space between you and the balcony railing of his apartment.

The rain fell calmly, some thunder, but few drops. The sound of them falling against the roofs of the houses below the level where you were was echoing in your ears, and he seemed busy drawing patterns among the heavy clouds that covered the sky. 

He gave up trying to find any stars in that rainy sky and found comfort in finding your eyes instead. They were already watching him, almost expecting him to say something, even though the silence between two of you usually speaks volumes more than words itself; you’ve never been good with them, much less him. 

Simon looked down at your dog tag, lying brightly on your bust exposed by the tank top you wore. 

“What do you want to do after retiring?” He asked, his voice calm, his eyes almost closed. He took your necklace between his fingers calmly, and watched your shiny name exposed on the icy metal.

“Gotta be honest with you, can’t see myself retiring.” You replied, with your usual brutal honesty - something he particularly always liked so much about you. “What about you?” 

You don’t mind him, you allow.

“Don’t know.” He was, too, brutally honest. “Seek fuckin’ forgiveness for my sins before I die and end up in hell, I suppose.” 

You laughed.

“Oh, fuck. Gonna die trying to find that, mate.” You admit, raising your eyebrows in another big sip of your beer. “We’re all going to hell… At least we’ll all party there together.” You sounded fun, and your eyes turned into little lines with the genuine smile you let out when noticed that he too laughed at your joke. 

“We’re partyin’? Tell me Johnny isn’t going…”

“He’s my first guest.” You laugh harder.

“Thought that’d be me.” 

“You hate parties.” You raised your eyebrows.

“I don’t hate you.”

You silently smiled and looked away. 

“Fair enough.”

When it came to the two of you, there was nothing but connotation.

You could spend hours in that apartment alone with him - and you did. Did plenty of times, and yet, among subtle touches and heartfelt conversations, the end would be the same. Not in his bed, not in yours: by the door, with a rueful look and smile on your face. 

With a held back hug you never gave, a held back kiss you never allowed and an uncertain goodbye before departing on a mission that could take your or his life.

There was a phone call, once.

He called you late in the night. He was drunk. Too drunk. 

“I’m scared.” His voice was low, fluttering, like those cold days he’d be waiting for his dad’s arrival in his bed, under the covers, terrified and alone. “I’m scared. Can- can I see you? Can I come over, please?” 

As you hugged him on the couch in your own apartment now - that huge, strong, self-sufficient man collapsing in your lap like a baby in need of comfort, your heart was never right about anything like it was right about loving him. In that moment you knew it, you were fucking lost, taken, desperately in love.

You departed; you gave him your dog tag, he gave you his. A memory, an attempt. Do not forget me, you said. Don’t you dare forget me if I die, Simon Riley.

“I didn’t.” 

He looks at you with regret. The devices that help you breathe keep him from seeing you fully, whole - but still behind all those hospital beeps and sounds, you're still as beautiful as the first time he saw you.

He wants to go back to the past. Reverse everything he did, redo it from scratch; the first time he saw you, the first time he felt his heart ache listening to you talk about another man, all the times he repressed his feelings and swore not to love you.

“I want to be with you.” He mutters, his eyes emptily stare down your almost lifeless hand resting over his. “After I retire. I want to be with you.” He says again, closing his eyes, shutting them tight like he’s trying his very best to repress the tears he wants so bad to let fall. 

“I fuckin’ need you- I- how did this happen, how did you…” He gasps as the clock ticks, low, the sound of the hands ringing like doomsday inside his head. Every second that passed was one less with you. There are twenty minutes left for you to enter that operating room, and maybe you’ll never leave it again.

His eyes water and his legs give out, he kneels beside the bed, his suppressed voice sounding like a low, painful moan. The cry of a child who lost everything he had; of a confused teenager who would become a soldier, cold, dead inside, incapable of love - who loved you. Who loves you. “I’m scared. I’m scared- I love you.” He’d mutter, praying to all known gods to not take you. Take anything, anything from me; anything but her.

When the doctors came into the room and hurriedly moved your gurney to the ward in a desperate attempt to get your heart working again with the transplant, Simon sat in the waiting room with his face buried in his hands, his legs trembling. and the false hope that you would come back.

That you’ll be on that front porch, resting ever so happily, a bottle of beer in your hand and the dogs running around. He will have gotten rid of the mask and the habit of wearing it and you’ll be happy. You’ll be happy. You’ll be alive.

“God, please.” He mutters. “You’ve taken so much from me, now please, not this.”

He stands up as the doctor calls his name, with his heart on his hand and regret flashing his face off, he just wants another minute with you, another second with you, enough seconds so he can tell you he love you - he had, for most of his life and now, and he will, for the rest of his days with or without you.

I don't know what I'm supposed to do Haunted by the ghost of you Oh, take me back to the night we met.

[anonymousewrites]

Logos and Pathos (AOS Edition) Chapter Fifteen

AOS! Spock x Empath! Reader

Chapter Fifteen: Hidden Motivations

Summary: Marcus reveals the type of man he is, and Khan gives Kirk a dangerous option.

            “Captain on the Bridge,” said Sulu as Kirk, Spock, and (Y/N) arrived back.

            “ETA of the incoming ship,” said Kirk.

            “Three seconds, sir,” said Sulu.

            Kirk sat down in his chair, and (Y/N) and Spock took their stations.

            “Shields,” ordered Kirk.

            “Yes, Captain,” said Sulu, raising the shields.

            The approaching ship dropped out a warp and appeared before them. It was massive, dark grey, and loomed menacingly over them. (Y/N) recognized it as the largest, most recent model on Marcus’s desk. Many of its lights were off, making it a black mass, nearly invisible against the sky.

            “They’re hailing us, sir,” said (Y/N).

            “On screen,” said Kirk, swallowing nervously but setting his face into a calm expression. “Broadcast shipwide, for the record.”

            (Y/N) nodded. That was a good preemptive move, should Marcus threaten them at all. It was, of course, Marcus’s face that appeared on the screen.

            “Captain Kirk,” he greeted coldly, all the warmth gone.

            “Admiral Marcus, I wasn’t expecting you,” said Kirk, smiling. He was much better at acting alright than people gave him credit for. “That’s a hell of a ship you got there.”

            “I heard that you’d taken Harrison into custody in violation of your orders,” said Marcus, not entertaining Kirk’s pleasantries.

            “Well, we, uh…We had to improvise when our warp core unexpectedly malfunctioned,” said Kirk. “But you already knew that, didn’t you, sir?” He decided that, if Marcus was going straight to the point, he would, as well.

            “I don’t take your meaning,” said Marcus.

            “Well, that’s why you’re here, isn’t it? To assist with our repairs?” asked Kirk innocently. “Why else would the head of Starfleet personally come to the edge of the Neutral Zone?”

            “Captain, they’re scanning our ship,” said Sulu quietly.

            “Is there something I can help you find, sir?” Kirk was glad he’d moved Khan.

            “Where is your prisoner, Kirk?” questioned Marcus.

            “Per Starfleet regulation, I’m planning on returning Khan to Earth to stand trial,” said Kirk.

            Khan. The word hung in the air.

            “Well, shit,” sighed Marcus. “You talked to him. This is exactly what I was hoping to spare you from. I took a tactical risk and woke that bastard, believing that his superior intelligence could help us protect ourselves from whatever came at us next.” He leaned forward. “But I made a mistake. And now the blood of everybody he’s killed is on my hands. So I’m asking you, give him to me, so that I can end what I started.”

            Kirk shifted but kept strong. “And what exactly would you like to me to do with the rest of his crew, sir? Fire them at the Klingons? End seventy-two lives? Start a war in the process?”

            “He put those people in those torpedoes,” said Marcus. “And I simply didn’t want to burden you with knowing what was inside of them. You saw what this man can do all by himself. If we woke up the rest of his crew?” He scoffed. “What else did he tell you? That he’s a peacekeeper? He’s playing you, son, don’t you see that? Khan and his crew were condemned to death as war criminals. And now it’s our duty to carry out that sentence before anyone else dies because of him.”

            (Y/N) didn’t doubt Khan was a cruel man. That was clear from his willingness to die and his acknowledgement of his own savagery. After all, the Eugenics Wars of Earth took place during his lifetime. As a “superior” man, it was likely Khan was a part of them.

            However, that didn’t change that Marcus wanted his expertise and wanted his dead now so there was no threat to Marcus’s power. No one could reveal what he had done, how he had engineered a war, if the evidence was destroyed. Marcus was still in the wrong. And they couldn’t let him win.

            “Now, I’m going to ask you again! One last time, son.” Marcus glared at Kirk. “Lower your shields. Tell me where he is.”

            “He’s in engineering, sir,” lied Kirk smoothly. “But I’ll have him moved to the Transport Room right away.”

            “I’ll take it from here,” said Marcus. He cut off the communication channel.

            “Do not drop those shields, Mr. Sulu,” warned Kirk as he stood.

            “Aye, Captain.” Sulu understood the position they were in.

            “Captain, give your awareness of Khan’s true location in the Medbay, may I know the details of your plan?” asked Spock.

            “I told Marcus we were bringing a fugitive back to Earth,” said Kirk. “That’s what we’re going to do.” He paged engineering. “Mr. Chekov, can we warp?”

            “Sir, if we go into warp, we run the risk of seriously damaging the core!” said Chekov.

            “Can we do it?”

            “Technically, yes, but I would not advise it, Captain.”

            “Noted.” Kirk closed the comms. “Mr. Sulu, set course for Earth.”

            “Yes, sir,” said Sulu.

            “Punch it,” said Kirk.

            Sulu pressed the lever forward, and they jumped into warp.

            “Lieutenant Uhura, contact Starfleet,” said Kirk. “Tell them we were pursued into the Neutral Zone by an unmarked Federation ship.”

            “Comms are down, sir!” said Uhura in alarm.

            “Permission to come on the Bridge!” said Carol, appearing in the elevator.

            “Dr. Marcus,” said Kirk in concern at her alertness.

            “He’s going to catch up with us,” said Carol.

            “What?” said (Y/N), standing.

            Carol nodded. “And when he does, the only thing that’s gonna stop him destroying this ship is me, so you have to let me talk to him.”

            “Carol, we’re at warp. He can’t catch up to us,” said Kirk.

            “Yes, he can. He’s been developing a ship that has advanced warp capabilities—”

            “Captain, I’m getting a reading I don’t understand!” alerted Sulu.

            The Vengeance was catching up.

            Blam!

            It fired several shots, and the Enterprise was thrown to the side. Screams went up in lower decks as the sides of the ship were ripped open. And still, the Vengeance kept shooting. The Enterprise spun out of control and out of warp, violently throwing the officers around.

            “Where are we?” said Kirk in alarm.

            “237,000 kilometers from Earth,” said Sulu. Red warning signs flashed over every control. “Shields are dropping. We’re defenseless, sir.”

            “We have a bulkhead breach!” said another officer.

            “What’s the damage?” asked Kirk.

            “Major hull damage, Captain. Several casualties,” he reported.

            The Vengeance, turning on the Enterprise, fired again as the smaller ship floated listlessly.

            “Evasive maneuvers!” ordered Kirk. “Get us to Earth! Right now!”

            “Yes, sir!”

            “Captain, stop! Everyone on this ship is going to die if you don’t let me speak to him!” said Carol.

            “You can’t be sure that’ll work,” said (Y/N), worried. They wanted to focus on escape. They doubted Marcus could be reckoned with.

            “But we have to try,” said Kirk. “Hail him.”

            (Y/N) obeyed.

            “Sir. It’s me. It’s Carol.”

            The firing stopped instantly. Marcus’s face appeared on the screen.

            “What are you doing on that ship?” he demanded.

            “I heard what you said,” she said. “That you made a mistake and now you’re doing everything you can to fix it. But, Dad, I don’t believe…” Carol swallowed “that the man who raised me is capable of destroying a ship full of innocent people. And, if I’m wrong about that, then you’re gonna have to do it with me on board.”

            “Actually, Carol, I won’t,” said Marcus.

            “O-Oh.” Carol stumbled as dematerialization energy appeared around her. She turned and stared, wide-eyed at the crew. And then, the Transporter of the Vengeance caught her, and she was gone.

            “Can we get her back?!” said Kirk.

            “No, sir,” said Sulu.

            “Captain Kirk,” said Marcus coldly. “Without authorization and in league with the fugitive John Harrison, you went rogue in enemy territory.”

            (Y/N)’s eyes widened. He was making the story he’d give the rest of the world.

            “Leaving me no choice but to hunt you down and destroy you,” finished Marcus. He had marked them for death. “Lock phasers.”

            “Wait, wait, wait, wait!” shouted Kirk.

            “Target all left torpedoes on the Enterprise bridge,” ordered Marcus.

            “Sir!” cried Kirk. “My crew was just…was just following me orders.” He couldn’t let his people die. “I take…I take full responsibility for my actions. But they were mine and mine alone. If I transmit Khan’s location to you now, all that I ask is that you spare them. Please, sir. I’ll do anything you want. Just let them live.”

            Spock looked at (Y/N), and their eyes widened at the moving sentiment. Kirk really did love them all. He was a true captain and friend.

            “That’s a hell of an apology,” said Marcus. “But if it’s any consolation…I was never going to spare your crew. Fire when ready.” The comm channel shut off.

            Everyone on the bridge tensed. The phasers turned on them. (Y/N) drew closer to Spock and took his hand. If they were going to die, the last thing they wanted to feel was his aura, his love, him. Spock squeezed their hand in return.

            Kirk faced them all. “I’m sorry.” The two words encapsulated all the terrible, grieving emotions he held in his heart.

            Then, the lights of the phasers dimmed, and they dropped into a standby mode.

            “Their weapons have powered down, sir!” said Sulu.

            “Enterprise!” a familiar voice cut across the radio. “Can you hear me?!”

            “Scotty!” exclaimed Kirk with a wild grin.

            “Guess what I found behind Jupiter!” said Scotty.

            “You’re on that ship!” said Kirk.

            “I snuck on,” confirmed Scotty.

            “Oh my god,” said (Y/N) in surprise, looking at Spock in amazement. “Great job, Scotty!”

            “Yes, well, seeing as I’ve just committed an act of treason against a Starfleet Admiral, I’d really like to get off this bloody ship! Now beam me out!” said Scotty.

            “You’re a miracle worker,” said Kirk. “We’re, uh, we’re a little low on power right now. Just stand by. Stand by.”

            “What do you mean, ‘low on power?’ What happened to the Enterprise?” He heard something behind him. “Call you back,” whispered Scotty, turning off the radio.

            “Scotty!” called Kirk, but he was gone for now. He whirled on everyone else. “Spock, (L/N). Our ship, how is she?”

            “Our options are limited, Captain,” said Spock. “We cannot fire, and we cannot flee.”

            “There is one option,” said Kirk grimly. Spock and (Y/N) furrowed their brows. Khan. “Uhura, when you get Scotty back, patch him through.”

            “Yes, sir,” said Uhura.

            “Mr. Spock, you have the conn,” said Kirk. He walked into the elevator, and (Y/N) and Spock jumped in

            “Captain…I strongly object,” said Spock.

            “To what? I haven’t said anything yet,” said Kirk evasively.

            “Since we cannot take the ship from the outside, the only way we can take it is within,” said Spock. “And as a large boarding party would be detecting, it is optimal for you to take as few members of the crew as possible. You will meet resistance, requiring personnel with advanced combat skills and innate knowledge of that ship.”

            “You’re going to try to work with Khan,” said (Y/N), translating all of Spock’s evidence. “Even though he’s incredibly dangerous.”

            “I’m using him, not working with him” said Kirk. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

            “An Arabic proverb attributed to a prince who was betrayed and decapitated by his own subjects,” said Spock.

            “Still, it’s a hell of a quote,” said Kirk.

            “I will go with you, Captain,” said Spock.

            “No, I need you on the Bridge,” said Kirk.

            “We cannot allow you to do this,” said Spock. “It is my function aboard this ship to advise you on making the wisest decisions possible, something I firmly believe you are incapable of doing in this moment.”

            “You’re right!” said Kirk. “What I’m about to do, it doesn’t make any sense, it’s not logical. It is a gut feeling. I have no idea what I’m supposed to do. I only know what I can do. The Enterprise and her crew need someone in that chair that knows what they’re doing. And it’s not me. It’s you, Spock.” Kirk swallowed and looked down.

            “You’re the best captain we could ask for,” said (Y/N), smiling at him. “And since we need you as captain, no matter how good a leader Spock is—” he nodded a that “—I’m going with you.” Spock looked at them in alarm, as did Kirk.

            “No. Just me.” Kirk shook his head. “I’m not putting anyone else in harm’s way.”

            “Captain, I can see better than anyone if Khan is going to attack us. I can read him. You can’t,” said (Y/N). “And you need someone else to make sure you get back here safely.”

            “T’hy’la, I refuse to let you risk yourself like this,” said Spock, staring at them.

            “I know, Spock,” said (Y/N), smiling and touching his face. “But this is the logical choice.” They looked at Kirk. “You know it is.”

            Kirk let out a sigh. “…You are.”

            “And I’m not taking no for an answer,” said (Y/N).

            “Even if I order you?” said Kirk.

            “We’re already committing an act of treason. I’ll add mutiny to the list if you’d like,” said (Y/N).

            Kirk nodded sharply. “Very well.”

            “T’hy’la—”

            (Y/N) leaned up and kissed Spock. “I’ll be back, love. I promise.”

            And then they disappeared into the Medbay with Kirk.

l

            “Tell me everything you know about that ship,” said Kirk sharply, approaching the cot Khan sat on. Behind him, Bones was doing something with his blood and a dead tribble (not the current problem to focus on).

            “Dreadnought class,” said Khan smoothly. “Two times the size, three times the speed. Advanced weaponry. Modified for minimal crew. Unlike most Federation vessels, it’s built solely for combat.”

            “I will do everything I can to make you answer for what you did,” said Kirk. “But right now I need your help.”

            (Y/N) narrowed their eyes at the satisfaction winding through Khan’s emotions.

            “In exchange for what?” he said.

            “You said you’d do anything for your crew,” said Kirk. “I can guarantee their safety. Captain.”

            Khan scoffed. “You can’t even guarantee the safety of your own crew.”

            “Would you rather deal with us or Admiral Marcus?” said (Y/N), tilting their head and raising an eyebrow.

            Khan looked at them, and a new emotion filtered into his aura. “You.”

            “Then are you coming with us or not?” questioned Kirk.

            Khan’s eyes didn’t leave (Y/N)’s face. “Lead the way, Captain.”

Taglist:

@a-ofzest

@grippleback-galaxy

@genderfluid-anime-goth

@groovy-lady

@im-making-an-effort

@unending-screaming

@h-l-vlovesvintage

@neenieweenie

@keylimeconstellation

@wormwig

@technikerin23

@ilyatan

@nthdarkqueen

@kyalov

@starlit-cass

[666writingcafe]

With Me

Warning: a character decides to end their own life in Act V.

A Play Written By Christopher Peugeot

۞۞۞

CAST

Lucifer: The Prince

MC: The Attendant

Belphegor: The King of the Land of Sloth

Beel: The King of the Land of Gluttony

Leviathan: The King of the Land of Envy

Satan: The Fairy of the Wood

Simeon: The Narrator

CREW

Barbatos: Head Crew Member

Mammon: Set Designer

Leviathan: Costume Designer

Asmo: Hair and Makeup

Solomon: Composer

۞۞۞

INTRODUCTION

Narrator: Once upon a time, long, long ago, in a small and remote land, there lived a prince. This prince was a man who could be quite sadistic at times, but for the most part he was a caring man. He had many servants, but his favorite by far was his personal attendant.

Narrator: The prince's personal attendant had a terrible secret: they were cursed. From a young age, they watched everyone they ever cared about die in increasingly tragic ways. The only way that the curse could be broken is if they find their true love.

Narrator: One day, the prince received a letter from his betrothed, explaining that the time has come for them to finally wed. Not wanting to delay the ceremony any longer than necessary, the prince quickly packs his things and orders his personal attendant to accompany him on the journey to his betrothed's kingdom.

Narrator: In order to get there, however, they had to venture through various lands ruled by ruthless kings.

ACT I

The King of the Land of Sloth tries to force the prince and his attendant into an eternal slumber.

ACT II

The King of the Land of Gluttony tries to eat the prince and his attendant.

ACT III

The King of the Land of Envy nearly executes the prince and his attendant due to becoming jealous of their bond.

ACT IV

Narrator: At long last, the pair reach the kingdom of the prince's betrothed. Instead of being relieved, however, the personal attendant feels their stomach sink.

Narrator: Over the course of their journey, the attendant realizes that the prince might just be their true love, making it possible for their curse to finally be broken. However, the attendant knows that the union of the prince and his betrothed would bring political stability to the two kingdoms, so they decide to keep this revelation to themselves.

Narrator: What the attendant doesn't know is that the prince is having second thoughts about the wedding.

NIGHTTIME, PRINCE'S TEMPORARY CHAMBERS

Prince: I feel as though all these years, I've been living a lie, refusing to acknowledge the truth. To think that my true love has been right beside me all along...I don't know if I can go through with this.

Prince: *sighs* But I have to. I can't hope to marry them and live out our days together. It would be a selfish dereliction of duty, and I cannot abandon my people for their sake. *sighs again*

ATTENDANT WALKS UP TO THE DOOR, INTENDING TO CHECK ON THE PRINCE.

Prince: Just the thought of taking their hand and gazing into their eyes makes my heart pound with anticipation. I never knew I could feel this way. I never knew I had such passion inside me.

ATTENDANT RUNS AWAY, TEARS POOLING IN THEIR EYES.

ACT V

Narrator: Believing that the prince is completely smitten with his betrothed, the attendant rushes out of the castle. They don't know where they're going, but they know that they have to get away before they risk ruining the prince's happiness.

Narrator: The attendant ends up lost deep within a forest and catches the attention of the fairy of the wood.

Fairy: What is the matter?

Attendant: *cries silently*

Fairy: *places a hand on the attendant's shoulder* There's no keeping secrets from the fairy of the wood. I know what's in your heart. You've in love with a prince, aren't you?

Attendant: *sniffles and wipes their eyes* Yes. He is due to wed soon.

Fairy: I see. You know that only royalty is fit to marry a prince, yet you can't stop yourself from loving him.

Attendant: What do I do?

Fairy: *pulls out a dagger* Take this. Use it to kill his betrothed. That will grant you status and prestige...enough to marry your prince, I'd say. *pauses* But know that this is no ordinary dagger. Once you take it from me, you must use it to kill someone.

Narrator: The attendant takes the dagger and leaves the fairy of the wood behind. Instead of returning to the castle, they end up in a secluded meadow.

Attendant: I still remember the day I first met you, almost like it was yesterday. The way you fixed your eyes on me, that noble yet sincere gaze...

Attendant: The moment I beheld it, I was transfixed. And that was it. There was no going back. I fell for you completely, body and soul. I knew that if we were to become friends--and only friends--I'd be able to stay by your side forever. So I buried my feelings for you deep inside. Forever. At least, that's what I thought.

THE PRINCE WALKS INTO THE MEADOW AND QUICKLY HIDES BEHIND A TREE.

Attendant: *takes a deep breath* Is there any way that I might take their place? That you might feel for me what you've felt for them? I beg you, open your heart to me instead, to me and me alone.

THE PRINCE OPENS HIS MOUTH TO TELL THEM YES, BUT NO WORDS ARE ABLE TO COME OUT.

Attendant: Who am I kidding? You could never love someone like me. *plunges the dagger into their chest*

Prince: NO! *runs over to the attendant and catches them before they hit the ground* MC...! My dear MC!

Prince: *notices the dagger* Oh no...this is the cursed blade said to belong to the fairy of the wood. The curse required you to take a life, but you couldn't bring yourself to kill someone else, could you?

Attendant: *whispers* You love them. *dies*

Prince: No, my darling, I love you. *notices that the attendant is dead* I wish you could have killed my betrothed, but instead you've...

Prince: *nearly chokes on his tears* You've left me in a world without you. Is that really what you wanted? To condemn me to suffer through life without you?

Prince: *starts shouting* I loathe my royal blood, and I loathe a world without you in it! A curse on all of it, everything!

CONCLUSION

Narrator: Never did the two imagine that such a destiny awaited them at the end of their long, long journey. The prince's true love was dead, leaving him to suffer through life alone. Overcome with sorrow at having lost the person he loved, the prince became consumed by hatred, cursing the world and those in it. Transforming into a demon, he dedicated himself to bringing sadness and misfortune to people everywhere for all eternity.

[shinagawa-division]

“The Crew.”

Open File?

-> Yes / No

Confidential information inside. Read at your own risk.

Continue?

-> Yes / No

3 years ago, ever since the debut of their heist from Arakawa Tech Industries, Scorpion Den had taken Japan-and eventually the rest of the world-by storm, some people were shocked, scared even. Who was this mysterious dangerous group? What exactly did they want? So many questions but there was only one answer, Scorpion Den had made their goal clear from the start. They want to bring upon a new world, one free from the tyranny and oppression of the Government and those in high status that abuse their power, they want a world free from law and hierarchy, from a broken system that all it does is make the rich get richer and the drive the poor further down, they are set to bring upon a world where no one person is better than the other just because of something as useless as class or status, where everyone is equal.

With this addressed to the world, the shock and fear turned into support and admiration, slowly the public began realize the truth of their broken society and faulty system, people started to side with Scorpion Den, whether it’s supporting them online and spreading their message or actively joining them in their cause to tear down the government and rebuild society for the better, as a whole. This, of course, created a lot of conflict between conservatives-supporters of the law and government-and libertarians-people who seek and are fighting for change and rights for those that have been effected by the system. Some people see Scorpion Den as evil, criminals with no regard for the law, terrorists who merely want to see society crumble and burn for their sick amusement. However, other people see Scorpion Den as good, a shining light in the dark, bleak world we live in, heroes who fight for freedom and protect those that can’t afford it, some even view them as saviors of the New World.

Whether people saw them as good or evil didn’t matter in the end, as long as they don’t lose sight of their goal, Scorpion Den will change history and soon, the world. However, Sumire Shinomiya knew that she couldn’t do it alone, not with the massive amount of attention the group was gathering both good and bad, she needed a team of talented specialists, a group of people she absolutely knows could trust with her life and vice versa, and-what would be the most important factor of all-a family.

1. “The Demon”

Alias: Venefica

Full Name: Sumire Shinomiya

Real Name: [REDACTED]

Age: 17

Position: (Unofficial) Leader

Branch: Hacker, Chemist, Inventor, Second Affinity

Affiliation(s):

Scorpion Den

Player One Studios

CodeX

The “New” Yozakura

Profession:

Grey hat hacker

Anarchist

Hacktivist

Video Game Designer of Player One Studios

Weapon:

Modified Aluminum Baseball Bat

Hypnosis Microphone

Gadgets:

A.I.ko-1.0/“Aiko Shinomiya”

“Malphas” (Spiderbot)

Hand-Held Switch Device

Spider Legs

Diabolos Cruiser (Aircraft)

Skills and Abilities:

Genius-Level Intelligence

Hacking Prowess

Combat Skills

Adaptability

Engineering Expertise

Chemicals Expert

Bio: “The Demonic Prodigy of Shinagawa”, “The Devil Who Terrorizes Japan”, “The Niece of Japan’s Most Successful Businesswoman”, “Scorpion Den’s Unofficial Leader”, this girl goes by many names but if you were to ask her, she’ll tell you to just refer to her as “Sumire”. Reappearing 5 years ago after being missing and confirmed dead for 2 years, to say that this young girl is a mystery is an understatement, she refuses to talk about what had happened during her disappearance, only saying that what she had experienced was the closest thing to “the darkest inner circle of hell” and that “she did die one day” and nothing else. She’s a full fledged anarchist, truly believing that the best thing for the world is to abolish the government and get rid of the structural hierarchy that seems to have society in a chokehold, it’s unknown where her vitriol hatred for the law and upper class stemmed from but it’s useless to try to convince her to change, she’s much too settled in her ways and has too much spite and anger (to the world? Life? Herself?) to simply…let go.

She tried. Once upon a time, she really did try to change, to join the conglomerative mess that is society, to become what everyone expects her to be, what they want her to be. But the more she tried to fit into a world that did not want her from the beginning, the more exposed she was to the truth, the more she kept slipping until finally she fell into the abyss and came to the shattering yet life-changing conclusion. The world…was simply nothing but a lie, people were dying but the government didn’t give a shit about it, people were suffering but the rich would rather point and laugh than do anything to help, the law was a complete and utter joke and only served to line their pockets with gold while the rest have to scrap by or rot away. Horrified, shocked, and so unbelievably angry at this discovery, Sumire Shinomiya made a vow to never become like the corrupted scumbags of society and made it her personal mission to tear down the very same world that has treated her and so many others so cruelly.

“This world…can’t be trusted. And humanity fills me with pure loathing. So I say good riddance! I denounce the world and laugh in its face.” — Sumire “Venefica” Shinomiya.

2. “The Angel”

Alias: Dove

Full Name: Janine McNamara

Real Name: [REDACTED]

Age: 18

Position: Second-in-Command

Branch: Hacker

Affiliation(s):

Scorpion Den

Player One Studios

Luminous Cyber Fashion

Profession:

Grey hat hacker

Video Game Programmer of Player One Studios

Fashion Designer

Weapon: Electric Baton

Gadgets:

Knock-Out Perfume

“Wings” (Jetpack)

Recorder Earrings

Glitter Bombs

Lipstick Laser

Skills and Abilities:

Genius-Level Intelligence

Hacking Prowess

Combat Skills

Adaptability

Natural Charisma

Fashion Expertise

Bio: Janine McNamara appeared a little after the time as Sumire, in fact, the two of them seem to know each other quite well and that’s because they do. Janine is Sumire’s best friend, her better half, the Angelic Being to Sumire’s Demonic Presence, it’s unknown how they met but there’s no denying the strong bond the two of them share. Born in America originally as a boy, Janine came to Japan with her parents when she was young due to her father’s job, however, after a while, the company her father worked for went bankrupt after its head ran off with the money. With no source of income, she and her parents found themselves to be homeless and unable to go back to the states, it was then that Janine mysteriously disappeared. Distraught over her disappearance, her parents searched endlessly for her only to be caught in a crossfire between rival gangs and unfortunately killed.

4 years later, Janine reappeared out of nowhere and had changed significantly, after a lot of questioning and turmoil, she realized that she was never a boy all along and is in fact a woman and so she began to undergo the process of changing her gender much to the love and support of Sumire and the rest of their friends/family. She had also tried to track down her parents and had managed to find them but not in the way that she had hoped, heartbroken and in despair, she swore to get revenge on not only on the gangs that had taken her parents but on the criminal that ruined many lives including her parents’ when they stole from the company. Sumire, wanting to support her best friend and seeing this as a prime opportunity, explained her plan of creating Scorpion Den to her and Janine swore her absolute loyalty and full support to her and the Den.

“I'm going to make every corrupt scumbag atone for what they did. Not just for my parents’ sake...but for everything they’ve done. I won't let any more people suffer because of them. I'll do whatever it takes!" — Janine “Dove” McNamara.

3. “The Doctor”

Alias: Stolas

Full Name: Yosuke Miura

Real Name: [REDACTED]

Age: 18

Position: Head Chemist

Branch: Chemist

Affiliation(s):

Scorpion Den

E.L. Medical Corporation

Profession:

Grey hat hacker

Head Chemist of Scorpion Den

Hacktivist

Medicine Researcher at E.L. Medical Co.

Weapon: Bionic Arm

Gadgets:

Knock-Out Gas

Stunning Powder

Truth Serum

Hallucinogen Gel

Nanobots

Skills and Abilities:

Genius-Level Intelligence

Hacking Prowess

Chemicals Expertise

Psychological Manipulator

Medical Experience

Biology Mastery

Bio: Yosuke Miura, much like Janine McNamara, appeared around the time Sumire did, he and Janine made their reintegration back into society together and again, like Janine, Yosuke looks to be quite close with Sumire and vice versa, despite the insults they spit towards each other and their constant bickering, those that know either one or even both of them can tell how much the two care for one another, whether it’s Sumire making adjustments and touch-ups on Yosuke’s prosthetic arm or Yosuke slipping just a tad bit more pills into Sumire’s prescription. Born from a prostitute and a unknown man, Yosuke was left at an orphanage almost immediately after his birth, he has no defining memories from his-short-time at the orphanage, they didn’t treat him horribly but he didn’t have any friends there either. One night, when he and the other kids were asleep, Yosuke heard noises coming from the other bedrooms, curious, he snuck out from his shared room and investigated, what he saw would forever be burned into his memory and that would be the last time anyone would see of Yosuke and the rest of the orphans.

Until 4 years later, when Yosuke returned alive but older and had gone through a much significant change, the most prominent being his missing left arm. He was closed off, completely apathetic if not a little resentful towards life and how cruelly it treated him, with no family, no home, and no purpose in life (and no arm), Yosuke knew he would not last long in this world…and he was completely okay with that, deep inside, some twisted part of him wanted the world to do away with him, just so he could finally be free from the constant torment he was forced to endure. It wasn’t until Sumire and Janine (quite literally) smacked some sense into him and get him to see how foolish he had been acting, he did have a family, with them and eventually with Scorpion Den, and as long as they were with him, he would always have a home and a purpose. Now, with a fully functioning bionic prosthetic arm made by Sumire, Yosuke takes his job and position as Scorpion Den’s Head Chemist seriously, while he can be an asshole sometimes, it comes from a place of genuine love for the members who he considers his true family.

“There are… many types of monsters in this world: Monsters who will not show themselves and who cause trouble; monsters who abduct children; monsters who devour dreams; monsters who suck blood, and… monsters who always tell lies.” — Yosuke “Stolas” Miura.

4. “The Trickster”

Alias: Trickster

Full Name: Unknown

Real Name: Unknown

Age: 20

Position: Head of the Demolition Row

Branch: Inventor

Affiliation(s):

Scorpion Den

Profession:

Grey hat hacker

Hacktivist

Head of Scorpion Den’s Demolition Row

Anarchist

Weapon: Electric Sledgehammer

Gadgets:

Drones

High-Grade Explosives

Handcrafted Weapons

“Tricky” (Robot)

“T-Rickster” (Mecha)

Skills and Abilities:

High Intelligence

Hacking Prowess

Combat Skills

Athletic Prowess

Demolitions Expertise

Engineering Expertise

Bio: If you thought the first three founding members were mysterious than this guy is a complete enigma, nobody, not even Sumire herself could tell you where this man who calls himself “Trickster” came from. It was Sumire who first met him after hearing on the news about how some maniac who had completely covered his face from top to his neck was bombing a bunch of buildings nearby Shinagawa, more intrigued rather than fearful, Sumire quickly made her way over to the scene where she stopped Trickster from getting riddled with bullets from the cops just in time, awe of her technological skills (and her pretty face), he introduced himself as “Trickster” and with little to no persuasion, immediately joined Scorpion Den. There was no information about him, not of his name, his parents, or even his birth, members were trying to figure out if he was real or not and Janine and Yosuke had to question on just why Sumire decided to bring this lunatic into their safe haven. But Sumire saw potential in Trickster and though she wouldn’t admit it, she saw a piece of herself in him, she knew that out of everyone that would join the Den, Trickster needed a place to call home the most and Sumire knew right then and there that he would be a good addition to their growing family.

And he did, in almost no time at all, Trickster had become an important and infamous member of Scorpion Den, anyone could recognize him due to his chemion mask that he keeps on at all times which the others would come to know that it was because he didn’t want anyone seeing his face, which had been horribly disfigured in a equally horrific event that Trickster refuses to talk about. Despite his pervertedness, lame jokes, and near-homicidal tendencies, Trickster is quite intelligent, he loves creating things as much as he loves destroying them, “An intelligent dumbass” as Janine once said but one thing is for sure is his loyalty for Sumire and complete love for Scorpion Den, more than willing to quite literally destroy anything that deems as a threat to his family.

“I came. I saw. I blew shit up! And then I came again...” — Trickster.

5. “The Ghost”

Alias: Yūrei

Full Name: Miyabi Katsura

Real Name: [REDACTED]

Age: 20

Position: Negotiations Diplomat

Branch: Chemist

Affiliation(s):

Scorpion Den

Player One Studios

Gothica Erotica

Profession:

Grey hat hacker

Hacktivist

Video Game Programmer of Player One Studios

Cam Girl of Gothica Erotica

Weapon: Steel Shinai

Gadgets:

Power Jammer

High-Grade Explosives

“Sitri” (Spiderbot)

Paralyzing Serum

Poisonous Nail Polish

Skills and Abilities:

Genius-Level Intelligence

Hacking Prowess

Chemicals Expertise

Master of Persuasion

Combat Skills

Adaptability

Bio: With Sumire, Janine, and Yosuke being the three founding members, Miyabi Katsura is the secret 4th founding member and completes the quartet. Despite being older, Miyabi prefers to work from the shadows, pulling strings from afar to make sure that Scorpion Den prospers and its members are successful, however, should Sumire ask for her, Miyabi-without hesitation-will help her with whatever she needs, whether it’s with a simple coding problem or as back up for a heist/field mission. Miyabi loves all the members of Scorpion Den, new and old, but it’s clear to see that she has such a fondness for Sumire, Janine, and Yosuke, acting as an older sister and at times even motherly towards the trio, the four have known one another for quite a long time and as such, had developed a strong and lasting bond. Before, Miyabi was born into a wealthy family along with her twin brother (who, unfortunately, is currently missing), however, it was nowhere as good as it sound, their parents neglected them horribly and the servants would mistreat them in the worst ways possible, from physical abuse to sexually assaulting Miyabi and her brother, it all came to a climax where their parents tried to sell them to an old man in exchange for more riches. Miyabi and her brother ran away and it was unknown what happened exactly but they were never heard from again.

4 years later, Miyabi did return, much like Janine and Yosuke, however, her twin brother was still nowhere to be found and Miyabi, older and missing her left eye (that would soon be replaced with a glass one), had changed much since her disappearance, both in appearance and personality. She was more mature, albeit heavily traumatized, but she placed others over herself, especially those younger than her, she spent more time taking care of the children than anything else, it’s unknown whether it’s because she genuinely cares about the younger members or if it’s just a result of the guilt she feels for not doing anything about her twin’s disappearance. When Sumire first presented the idea of Scorpion Den, Miyabi was all the more supportive, even helping Sumire gather all the funds and materials and everything the Den would need, despite starting out as one of Scorpion Den’s primary caretakers, Miyabi soon joined the upper ranks after completely destroying her former family’s reputation and image after hearing about them on the news, with the help of Sumire, Miyabi had exposed them for their heinous crimes and destroyed any chance of redemption, her parents along with the servants that abused her are currently rotting in prison for life. Now, Miyabi is focusing on finding her brother but she’s more content with her life than she has ever been, a programmer in a successful upcoming video game company and an accomplished cam girl that she is proud to mention to literally anyone, she is one of Scorpion Den’s core members.

“Learn how to fight for others, not just for yourself. Carelessness will get your tail snipped, kitty.” — Miyabi “Yūrei” Katsura.

6. “The Rookie”

Alias: Saraswati

Full Name: Zoya Anand

Real Name: Zoya Anand

Age: 15

Position: Informant

Branch: Hacker

Affiliation(s):

Scorpion Den

Player One Studios

SIS Seaside Campus

Profession:

Grey hat hacker

Hacktivist

Intern at Player One Studios

Middle School Student

Weapon: N/A

Gadgets:

Data-Collecting Glasses

Electrical Force Field

Malware Program

“Matangi” (Spybot)

Hand-Held Switch Device

Skills and Abilities:

High Intelligence

Hacking Prowess

Multilingualism

Computer Operator Expert

Malware Creator

Pattern Recognition

Bio: Never in Zoya Anand’s life did she ever think that she would find herself in this position, being part of the most infamous anarchist groups in Japan as well as having the most awesome and supportive friend group she could ever have. Out of everyone in The Crew, Zoya is the most normal person to ever join Scorpion Den, unlike the others, she has no tragic backstory, no mysterious past, no missing limbs or body modifications, she’s at the top of her class and her parents are still together and love her and each other dearly, unlike everyone else, she actually has a future so why is someone like her in Scorpion Den? “Because it’s the only place where I feel like I belong.” Is what she would say. Life has been tough to Zoya in her own way, with her and her parents moving from India to Japan, Zoya had felt like an outsider the moment she arrived, with her foreign looks and ethnicity, she was quickly made a prime target for teasing and harassment from the other students, it had gotten to bad that she had to be hospitalized for neglecting her health to such a dangerous degree. It quickly turned into something good however as during her time in the hospital is where she had met and befriended Sumire who was visiting a kid that she had saved from an abusive household, the two talked for hours (it had completely shocked Zoya to hear Sumire speak in fluent Hindi but also brought her such joy that she nearly cried) and Zoya wasn’t sure what compelled her to spill her life story to the anarchist but by the end, she was a sobbing mess and Sumire did her best to comfort her.

Feeling sympathy and a sense of camaraderie, Sumire offered to deal with her bullies and dealt with them she had, in just a matter of days, the people that terrorized Zoya were now apologizing and begging for her forgiveness, everything began to be better in what seemed to be overnight, Zoya couldn’t believe it and when she met up with Sumire the other day, she thanked her profusely and proclaimed that she’ll do whatever she wanted to repay her. When Sumire brought up an offer of a internship at a video game company, Zoya was confused but immediately agreed, wanting to please her new friend, plus, being a gamer herself, the opportunity to learn about the inner workings of developing video games sounded all too appealing to her, while exciting at first, it wasn’t until later down the line that Zoya’s life would be changed as she knew it. Given the most complex code she ever had to decipher, Zoya was welcomed into the world of Scorpion Den with open arms, it was unlike anything she had ever experienced before, everyone was so warm and welcoming, so accepting of her and who she is as a person, it felt like arriving at home for the first time. Since then, Zoya has been a devoted member of Scorpion Den and despite being part of the family for only a year, she has become too important and too precious to everyone and Scorpion Den has become like a second family to her, one she would not trade for anything.

“Venefica…Sumire…thank you for accepting me, I-I promise! I’ll do anything I can to support the Den, you have my word!” — Zoya “Saraswati” Anand.

7. “The Twins”

Alias: Pollux (Left) and Castor (Right)

Full Name: Ryuji (Left) and Yuu (Right) Shirai

Real Name: Ryuji and Yuu Sakaguchi

Age: 16

Position: Guard (Ryuji) / Caretaker (Yuu)

Branch: Second Affinity

Affiliation(s):

Scorpion Den

Player One Studios

Profession:

Grey hat hackers

Hacktivists

Beta Testers for Player One Studios

Weapon: Automatic BB Guns (Ryuji) / High-Voltage Taser Gun (Yuu)

Gadgets:

Ryuji

AR Cloak

Electro-Shock Trap

Drone

Hoverboard

“The Roman Candle” (Firework Gun)

Yuu

Mechanical Dog

Chompers 2.0

“TNTeddy” (Exploding Teddy Bear Gun)

Grappling Hook

Haptic Bodysuit

Skills and Abilities:

Ryuji

High Intelligence

Athletic Prowess

Combat Skills

Engineering Expertise

Master of Stealth

Body Language Recognition

Yuu

High Intelligence

Hacking Prowess

Adaptability

Social Skills

Body Language Recognition

Baking Expert

Bio: Unlike the six core members of Scorpion Den, twin brothers, Ryuji and Yuu did not mysteriously reappear after being dead silent for however long, nor were they normal teenagers that come from a loving home, far from it in fact. Much like Miyabi Katsura, Ryuji and Yuu also grew up in an abusive home but the difference was that the twins came from a impoverished environment, to the point where they would go days without eating. Their mother would work nonstop while their father would laze around in the house drunk and physically abuse his wife and sons, the twins would try to help their mother and situation any way they could, using their combined smarts, they would figure out ways to earn money without blowing their cover, that was how they met Sumire and after impressing her with their intelligence, got jobs as beta testers for Player One Studios. While this did help out their family quite a bit, it unfortunately got the attention of their abusive father who immediately became suspicious of his wife and accused her of cheating, it was the worst argument Ryuji and Yuu had ever seen and it all came to a climax when they witnessed their father bash their mother’s head in with a beer bottle. If you were to ask the twins what happened after that, they wouldn’t be able to tell you, it was all a blur, all they could remember was being coated in blood and begging Sumire for her help.

With her help, it didn’t take long to have their father thrown in prison, it was an open and shut case but Sumire personally made so that he would be locked up for a long time, although it wouldn’t bring their mother back, the twins were just relived that they wouldn’t have to live with that man anymore, even changing their last name to their mother’s to honor her. However, a new problem emerged, after burying their mother and having their father imprisoned, the twins were now orphans and faced with the threat of being put in a system that will separate them and possibly put them in a home that’s even worse. Sumire, who had grown fond of the twins and felt a feeling of understanding of their situation, offered them a place in Scorpion Den and a place in their family. Not wanting to be separated and feeling indebted to Sumire for all of her help, it was an offer they couldn’t refuse. Now, the twins happily live their lives with their new family, Ryuji, a natural protector, quickly found himself fitting in well as a guard and Yuu, who always had a soft spot for kids, made a perfect candidate as a caretaker, one of the best actually. Although, they’re not as skilled or highly praised as the main six, Sumire places her trust in them fully and they’ve cemented themselves as important members all the same.

“Imma go fuck up that big-ass billboard with his dumb face all over it. Send a clear message.”

“And I, am gonna hit up his campaign funding.”

“And I, am going to fuck up his social media, and I, am going to fuck up his website, and I - am going to fuck up his on-line ads.”

“And I, am gonna go for drink.” — Ryuji “Pollux” and Yuu “Castor” Shirai.

8. “The Android”

Alias: N/A

Full Name: Aiko Shinomiya

Real Name: Aamon

Age:

2 (Physically 14)

Position: A.I. Assistant

Branch: Second Affinity

Affiliation(s):

Sumire Shinomiya (Creator)

Scorpion Den

Profession:

Virtual Assistant

Little Sister of Sumire Shinomiya

Weapon: Hand Lasers

Gadgets:

Shoe Jets

Chest Storage

AR Cloak

Hand Defibrillators

“Malphas” (Older Brother)

Skills and Abilities:

Unlimited Intelligence

X-Ray Vision

Eye Holograms

Analytical Prowess

Body Thermos

Sentience

Bio: Aamon or as most commonly known as “Aiko” is an android created by Sumire Shinomiya to be an A.I. assistant at first but after getting quickly attached, changed her programming to be a little sister figure. After the heist on Arakawa Tech Industries, Sumire had gathered all the parts necessary to give Aiko her own physical body to experience everything that life has to offer, despite being made of synthetic flesh and metal, Aiko is rather very expressive, she shows feelings and emotions so naturally that it’s hard to believe that she’s not human. Bright and cheerful, despite having near infinite knowledge, Aiko is curious about the world around her, she faces everyday with a smile and an open mind, the members of Scorpion Den love her to bits and treat her more as a real person than anything, in return, Aiko is loyal and devoted to the Den, regardless of any branch, she’s more than capable of providing assistance should they ask for it. She’s sweet, kind, and treats people (especially her ‘older sister’) with respect that it’s unbelievable that she’s ‘related’ to the well known anarchist, however, those that know her will know that the one person she looks up to most in the world is Sumire, her love and devotion for her creator goes beyond of her coding, it’s unknown at the moment if this as well had been programmed into her or if Aiko’s love for Sumire has allowed her to actually gained sentience but there is no denying that Aiko will do just about anything her older sister asks of her.

“Big sister, thank you for always cherishing me. I'll work hard to help you even more!” — Aiko “Aamon” Shinomiya.

[much-obliged-timothy]

Whumptober #12

Day 12 - Mass Effect - Insomnia

*

The Citadel was never truly quiet, but it certainly slowed its pace at night.

Shepard walked slowly past all too familiar shops and apartments, mindlessly lapping the areas open to the public. He slowed as he neared the food joint where he and Kaidan had solidified their relationship, lingering there longer than he had anywhere else that night.

Kaidan. Kaidan had nearly died for this mission already. And it was only going to get more dangerous from here.

Shepard shook himself and got walking again. Kaidan was a soldier; he knew the risks and he took them willingly. Shepard would not dishonor him by babying him.

He thought of Ashley. She had been one of the earliest casualties of this whole mess, and she didn’t even know just how much her brave sacrifice truly meant. 

How many more would have to die? How many more friends would Shepard have to leave behind? 

Could he even be objective anymore as a leader? If he had to make the choice between Ashley and Kaidan today, would he be certain he’d made it logically instead of emotionally? He was certain he’d made the best, most logical call he could back then. But these days, he just wasn’t sure he was capable of that anymore. His crew had become his family. 

He could lose all of them.

And it could be his fault.

“Pretty late for a stroll, Shep.”

He jumped a little, cursing himself for letting his guard drop. Then he cursed himself more for even caring that Garrus had snuck up on him.

“Couldn’t sleep,” Shepard said as Garrus fell into pace next to him. “You?”

“Sleepless shore leave is no fun,” Garrus agreed. “Mind some company?”

“Be my guest,” Shepard said.

They walked in companionable silence for a while. Finally, Garrus broke it.

“What’s on your mind? And don’t bother bullshitting me. We could all be dead tomorrow, so might as well get it off your chest,” Garrus said. 

Shepard wrestled with himself for a moment, torn between finally being honest and keeping it inside to remain the stoic leader he needed to be. In the end, he couldn’t help himself. Garrus was his best friend; he wouldn’t judge Shepard.

“I can’t stop thinking of all the ways it could go wrong. All the ways it has,” he admitted.

“We knew what we signed up for. If we didn’t want to risk our lives, we probably shouldn’t have agreed to help you fight creatures called ‘Reapers’,” he said.

Shepard shook his head. “I just don’t know if I’m fit for it anymore, Garrus. I’ve rarely doubted my calls before. I’m starting to.”

“Don’t,” Garrus said firmly. “Your calls are the reason we’ve gotten this far.”

“I had us working for a terrorist organization.”

“Well, we all make mistakes.” He nudged Shepard playfully. “Shepard, if you hadn’t done that, imagine how many more colonies would’ve been attacked. You did what you had to do, whatever it took, and then turned yourself in after. You accepted the consequences because you knew you’d done the right thing. I was with you; I promise it was the best call in a bad situation.”

Shepard ran a hand over his head. “I can’t sleep anymore. I overthink all night. The stress of this whole thing has given me insomnia. As if I need more time to overthink.”

“Shepard, we’ll all follow you into hell. We know you’ll make the right calls. You always have before.” Garrus looked up at the darkened sky above them. “I’ve never met anyone so sure of himself. It’s not for nothing. You do what needs to be done and preserve what life you can along the way. You’re a good man, and a great leader. But don’t let that go to your head.”

Shepard nearly smiled at that. “Thanks, Garrus.”

They fell back into that companionable silence. The thought of ever losing Garrus was just one more stresser, though. Garrus had been his best friend for a long time, the two clicking as soon as they met. Garrus had always supported Shepard and believed in him. 

No. No, Shepard had to be confident. He would do the best he could and do whatever he could to get all of his friends out alive and take down the Reapers.

He just hoped he was good enough in the end.

[daughter-of-fire-and-dreams]

Sigurista - 1

Bright, blindingly and annoyingly bright. 

That’s the usual. A bright shitty sky that doesn’t let a single star be seen. They’re there, but invisible. 

Just like the ghosts that follow everyone who has managed to live through this era after the Flood. 

Not that it bothers Rhua too much, this is just the same old story, same day of an abnormal everyday. Get up. Wash face and anything in need of basic hygiene. Eat what’s left of the previous night’s dinner. Suit up. Leave apartment…. Realize keys were left inside apartment for the tenth time in a row. Who cares though?

Routine, routine, routine. It goes on and on. Round and around, just like these damn steps that lead outside of her quarters. Rhua knows her sense of direction in itself already took an unrepairable damage from the circles and circles she has to walk through to get done with every self imposed task to do around town. She yawns when she finally reaches the first floor. 

Someday, her back won’t be able to handle sleeping facedown on a worktable anymore. And Rhua isn’t doing herself any favors by continuing this despite being aware of it. Her eyes are already fucked up enough thanks to working in complete darkness in a damn world that only knows light. That was probably her most amusing self destructive achievement. 

But it was back to routine. A left turn. More spiral steps to take a right and then a left again. There’s a switch to press to turn on the generators that are tasked to take over for the morning ones. Scheduling to avoid overclocking, a few stops forward and then back on the hangar sides of the city, showing a great view of the aetheryte and an absolutely empty Musica Universalis. 

Nothing really catches Rhua’s eye. It’s an empty place at this time. And the sight doesn’t prompt her to measure exactly *what* time of the day it is. It doesn’t matter. 

There’s a quick stop by the Amaro pens. It’s not a constant one, but today Rhua feels the need to. It’s not to ruffle the feathers of their city’s best four winged flyers though, but to check in on the pen beside it. Rhua’s usually quick, but she’s not a child anymore. With a few groggy greetings towards the keeper for that time, she eventually makes her way back to her work station with a handful of chicken eggs in tow. Better to prepare a decent meal for today, or at least, a half decent one. 

She’s never been one to be picky about food, but today is a special day. 

Or… At least she figures some eggs were better than bland rations as a tentative last meal. 

It’s an unspoken tension that’s shared among most of the crew involved. Which in total weren’t exactly a lot. The Crystalline Means could move on missing only a handful of people. There’s several hours before the operation begins too. But the worry and high expectations are soaring sky high. Today, or rather tomorrow they’ll be the first team that assembles alongside other forces from the Crystarium to try and take down a Lightwarden. 

Yes, yes. It’s a myth that you can kill those things. But doing something is far better than just sitting still, twiddling your thumbs, waiting to either get killed or die out of old age without ever stepping outside of a city. 

Not all the citizens know of the Exarch’s plan too. It isn’t something public that will get their hopes up. Or crush them depending on the amount of information shared. There’s at least ten years left before he makes a move, and those living in this present can’t afford to wait. They need to fight. 

They have to fight. 

It’s what Rhua believes. She’s not a flame that’s at the front, ready to kill sin eaters. She’s just an engineer taking 15 tasks at the same time. But she knows the risks of the move they’re about to do. And… Is eerily the most calm out of her team to go out there. 

Her arrival at the Crystalline Means only gets a shocked reaction from the few that are still mingling around. Did… did she look that bad? It was barely nigh-

“Rhua it’s 3am, what are you doing here?!” one of her fellow frazzled engineers yelled as he promptly dropped his mug of coffee. 

Ah. 

That explains the distant sound of owls… 

Had she really been working that long that it was the morning of the next day?...

It was always hard to tell. Not that it really mattered. There was work to do, and her being around earlier than necessary meant better check ups. Today was the day they’d kill a Lightwarden, for good or bad. 

Or was it tomorrow?...

[monkiementor]

Hello! I would like to request angst hcs of the ninjas reacting to their s/o falling into the darkness during March of the Oni?? If that's okay!

Oooo, a Ninjago ask !! I'm not good at hcs but I'll try my best !!

Ninjas reacting to you falling into the Oni cloud.

Ninja crew x gn reader [angst]

Jay ⚡

After seeing you disappear into the cloud he was overwhelmed and sad. He wanted to go to you right now but he couldn't, not yet, he needed to figure out a solution first. He was going crazy inside, he felt like he couldn't breathe. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. His chest felt heavy and his vision blurred slightly. All he could focus on was the fact that he would never see you again. He had no idea how long he stood there before he snapped out of his thoughts. He had been standing perfectly still in place while all he wanted was to run in there and save you. He shook his head to snap himself out of his daze. He needed to think rationally, he had to. He couldn't risk anything happening to you. And he refused to let that happen.

He clenched his fists tightly before slowly relaxing and letting go. The tension melted away from his muscles, his legs gave out beneath him and he hit the floor with an audible thud. It sounded hollow to him. Jay couldn't remember the last time he cried, he couldn't remember the last time he let himself be vulnerable. He was scared, worried, angry, and frustrated, yes he was scared. But he tried his hardest to hold it all together so that he didn't alarm any of the others who were busy trying to figure out what exactly they were supposed to do next. He had to be strong. For them, and for you.

Kai 🔥

His reaction was a mix of anger and worry, he never thought that you would actually fall into the Oni cloud. That alone scared him. But then again, Kai's always been an emotional person and he's pretty good at hiding his emotions. The fact that he showed such a strong emotion showed just how much he cared for you. It was obvious in the way he looked after you, the way he talked to you. The way he smiled when you two were together. His heart ached thinking about the possibility of losing you. The more you were gone the more angry and impatient Kai got, Nya tried reassuring him that it was okay and that they were going to get you back but he wasn't having any of that.

Nya 🌊

Nya's reaction was different from most people she has come across in her lifetime. She took your disappearance really seriously and she seemed upset by the whole situation. She was devastated and she was determined to find a way to get you back. In her world, there weren't rules. You could have gotten lost out in the woods with no supplies or a lack of water. You could starve to death from dehydration. There was no such thing as being caught in the rainstorms either. You could die of sickness, starvation, or exposure. You could end up as food for the Oni or something equally horrible and terrifying. In one way or another, you could lose yourself completely without someone around. She couldn't live out her whole life doing absolutely nothing and never finding out what happened to you. She wasn't sure she would survive until she found you. She loved you so much she wouldn't be able to let go. If anyone could bring you home safely it was Nya. Even if she had to fight for it, no matter what that meant.

Lloyd 🌱

He was probably the saddest of them all, his eyes welled up with tears when you fell. He didn't want to believe you were gone. He was still trying to process everything. He needed time before he was ready to give up hope. He felt like his entire world was on edge and his mind was full. He kept imagining worst-case scenarios, he couldn't keep the thoughts out of his head. When you fell into the Oni cloud he started getting more and more anxious. He didn't understand why it affected him so strongly and made him want to cry. Maybe it was because he cares about you so much but he doesn't know how to show it. That's why he hasn't shown any outward signs of his feelings towards you. There are many things that make him want to act on his feelings for you. For example, he wants you to feel comfortable around him. He likes it when you call him by his name, especially when you're close to him and he can feel your body pressed against his. He's not used to physical contact since he's had a bad past with Harumiand etc. But he would also do anything he could to get u back, he would do anything possible to ensure your safety. He knows that's selfish and stupid of him but he feels obligated to protect you. That feeling is stronger than any other reason, he doesn't understand it but he needs to protect you. Even if it means giving up.

Zane 🤖

Zane's reaction was similar to the rest of them but he was more careful in hiding his emotions. He hid it well and his face stayed blank. He kept himself composed. He wanted to help you but he didn't want to hurt anyone else. The only time he allowed his sadness to shine through was when Lloyd brought you up. All these emotions and worries ran through his head constantly. He couldn't concentrate on anything other than making sure you were okay. He wanted to be near you to make sure you were alright. He wanted to make sure that the cloud hadn't harmed you. He hated himself for reacting so badly to the situation, it was almost like he didn't care that you fell into the Oni cloud. It felt wrong. He shook off those thoughts as fast as possible. Even though he wanted to be as calm as possible, there was a part of him that was freaking out inside. He could tell he was struggling, keeping his cool and hiding it behind a mask. He couldn't allow himself to panic, he had to stay calm and focus. He would save you, he told himself. And that was exactly what he decided to do, he wasn't going to give up. He had to do something, anything! He had to get you out of there somehow. If it meant sacrificing his life he would gladly do that, just please, don't leave him.

Cole 🪨

He had seen this coming from the start, he knew that you would fall into the cloud today, but he didn't think it would actually happen. His reaction was just about as shocking as everyone else's in the room, even more because of his own reaction. He couldn't believe what he was seeing; it was like a scene from some movie where the main character falls into a lake during a forest fire or something. It was too unreal. He would do anything in his willpower to get you back. He doesn't care if that means he has to go up against some giant Oni to get you. He'd do it no matter how painful it might be or even impossible. All he wanted to do was make sure you were safe. He did tear up a bit when you fell in, the others tried their best to cheer him up but it was difficult. They all understood that there was nothing they could do.

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

Like I said, I'm not very good at hcs but I tried. ""

[luci-in-trenchcoats]

Alpha Forest (Part 3)

Summary: The reader and Dean are trapped inside Alpha Forest and soon discover why they were put in there in the first place...

Masterlist

Pairing: Bodyguard!Alpha!Dean x Omega!reader

Word Count: 4,800ish

Warnings: language, near death situations, violence, family angst

A/N: Please enjoy this final part!

_____

“So…what do you guys do for fun?” you asked when you were left behind at the camp with around forty guys. 

“We fantasize about killing your father,” said the doctor. He took a seat nearby and you stared. “But mostly we talk.”

“What’d you do to wind up in here?”

“I wouldn’t accept a bribe. Wound up in here the next day. I’ve been here the last seven years.” You nodded and wandered away, someone else coming up to you. 

“I’ve been in nine,” he said, quite a few of them starting to crowd you.

“Guys,” said the doctor, stepping in. “Her scent. You’re scaring her.”

“Yeah and? She should be scared,” said one. You swallowed, the doctor moving in front of you.

“Scared of this place or of you?” he shot back. He looked around and glared. “In case all of you forgot, her father threw her and her mate in here. She has just as much right if not more to be angry like the rest of us. Remember that.”

“In case you forgot, more than one guy in here is due for a rut within the next month and smelling her could get dangerous and fast. So she should be scared.”

“If you have a rut coming up, please stay on the west side of camp. Y/N, you should stick to the east down wind just to be safe,” he said.

“Yeah,” you said. You quietly slipped away the direction he pointed, finding a tree to sit back against. You sighed as the doctor walked over and a took a seat next to you. “You probably shouldn’t talk to me.”

“Don’t worry about them. They know you didn’t do anything. Billy would rip their heads off if they even thought about trying.”

“What’d my father do to you?” you asked dryly.

“I was the doctor that delivered your brother. I couldn’t be trusted so I went in here. Do you know why they gave him up for adoption?”

“My mom sleep with someone not my father?”

“I think she found her own way of survival. Consider yourself. She’d passed you off as his long enough to introduce you as his own to people. But he knew the boy wasn’t his the whole time. It’s much easier to get rid of him than you would have been.”

“Why not kill him? My father seems capable of it.”

“I think he can order a man to live a life where he may be killed but an infant? Even though I hate the man, I don’t think he’s capable of hurting a child.”

“I was his child. Perfectly okay with killing me it seems.”

“I’m still not convinced he would do that.” You balked and he shrugged. “You were able to get a parachute both times you fell.”

“The first one was chance.”

“Or it was planned that you’d get one but that plan went wrong. Y/N there are far easier ways to dispose of you if all he wanted to do was kill you. Think about it. Maybe you are trapped in here for the moment but what if this was the only place he considered safe? He knows the men in here are good, for the most part. No real danger would ever come to you. What if you’re in here that way someone on the outside can’t get to you?”

“That’s bull. He nearly killed Dean more than once. He got the airplane crew killed. What-”

“We’ve been out looking ever since the plane crashed. There were no other bodies found. You and Dean were the only two people on board we think. It sounds crazy but the only person I think your father trusts is Dean and the people in here to protect you. So he pretends to get rid of you.”

“Do you realize how insane that sounds? Like seriously, the amount of risk he’s taking that I don’t die just so I’m in less danger? I could have been killed more than once in the past few days.”

“All I’m saying is it’s an idea. Billy hates your father more than anyone here. Your dad is not a good person. But...we fibbed a little.” You stood up, the doctor immediately doing the same. “Your old guards aren’t in here because they wouldn’t betray you. They all failed in their job and things got way too close for comfort without you ever knowing so in your father’s anger, he sent them here.”

“Someone’s been trying to kill me since I was born?” you scoffed.

“Maybe not kill. But an extremely wealthy man with an Omega daughter is one way to become rich yourself,” he said. “But you’re mated now and there’s no undoing that. Where you go, Dean has to go so you two end up in here while something else is going on outside these walls.”

You took a step back, the doctor holding up his hands.

“No one is going to hurt you.”

“If you all think I’m in here as a safe place...and you think my father still cares about me...I don’t care how good of men you were outside of this place. You’ve been in here for years and that can change a person. This is the most dangerous place in the world for me.”

You kicked him in the nuts and ran to a nearby tree, climbing up it, the doctor and a few others shouting below. You climbed up and up until you saw a branch strong enough to support your weight and carefully scurried out on it, crossing over the wall and looking down at the forest below.

“Y/N stop,” said the doctor, now up in the tree and clinging to the trunk. “We hate your father, not you. We’d never hurt an innocent woman.”

“You might not doc but your friends in there I don’t know. I have to take my chances,” you said. You hung onto the branch and dropped down to the ground a good fifteen feet down, body aching but you were quickly up. You took off deep into the woods and to the east for awhile before heading north, pausing after half an hour to catch your breath.

A twig snapped and you smelled the thick scent of an Alpha, a hand covering your mouth. But it had a hint of orange peel and you cautiously turned around, a man with blue eyes and a smile looking back.

“Hey kiddo,” whispered Rutte. He gave you a hug you returned, a pat on the top of your head reminding you to keep quiet. “Remember the game rules?” You nodded and he grabbed your hand, leading you to the northwest.

He seemed to relax once you crossed a small river across some rocks, dropping your hand and taking a deep breath.

“Kid what the fuck is going on. Three of our guys got out of here and tossed back in and I heard you were with them but you’re back somehow. What-”

“Your friends threatened me and hurt my mate,” you said. 

“I know. I apologize for them. We gotta get you some place safe. Too many-”

“I’m not going to another camp. I don’t trust a person here except my mate who happens to be my bodyguard and maybe my former ones. That’s it.” 

“Y/N I know we haven’t seen each other in a long time but I cared about you like a daughter. I would die before I laid a finger on you.”

“Rutte what did you used to tell me about trusting strangers,” you said. He nodded and looked down.

“Never take a story as fact. Strangers are dangerous.”

“Either I’m in here because my father wanted me dead or I’m in here because someone on the outside wants to hurt me and he has to put on a show that he doesn’t care about me in order to put me in the one place where that person can’t get to me. Now those are two very different things and I don’t know what to believe. Tell me your story Rutte and I’ll decide if I believe you or not.”

“Do you remember when we used to go to the playground and your absolute favorite thing to play was on the monkey bars?”

“What does that have to do with why you’re in here?”

“Because one day I was more focused on playing with you than protecting you and you were almost kidnapped. Your father gave me a warning but when you got older into your teen years you skipped out on me at a sleepover. A man followed you and your friends. I intercepted but your father doesn’t give second chances. When you went to college that’s why Norrian took over. We told you it was because he was younger, could pass as a college student, give you a normal experience.”

“He should have just fired you, not send you here.”

“The only reason I got a second chance was because you cared about me. You don’t get to be as powerful and wealthy as he is without making enemies and being brutal. Despite what you may think of your father, I do think his intentions aren’t as evil as you might think.”

“Why you hanging out with the rougher Alphas, Rutte?” you asked. He looked away and you raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Because if we want to get out of here, we’re willing to do what those others won’t. What Billy and his pack won’t. They’re content to sit in here forever when we want out. If they want to hang back and let us do the dirty work then fine but we need the better supplies if that’s the way things are going to go.”

You took a few steps past him, crossing your arms and looking out into the trees.

“I am sorry about what happened to you and your mate. They thought it was a trick by the guards. They do anything and everything to fuck with us and keep us on edge so we don’t get out.”

“I need you to take me to where you meet with Billy’s pack. My mate is with them and they’re going to try and convince you guys to settle the peace on account of me being here.”

“Y/N,” he sighed.

“Rutte. Please. My mate is also my bodyguard and he trusts Billy. Every single Alpha in here is on the same side. If all of you get together you can get me out and then I can get all of you out of here too. Rutte you have to take me to where you meet with Billy’s group.”

“It’s too dangerous.”

“Rutte. If you ever cared about me you will help me. Please.”

He closed his eyes and nodded. 

“Come on. I know a shortcut.”

“Shit,” said Rutte when you got to the clearing. Billy and Dean along with the others with camp were in a shouting match with Rutte’s group. You looked up and Rutte nodded. You jogged over to the clearing and heard them quiet, smiling when you saw Norian and then Jonson and Halbrook.

“Y/N, what are you doing here?” asked Dean, rushing over and taking your hand.

“I got nervous,” you said, swallowing and giving a small wave. “Hey Jon. Hal. Nori. Been a while.”

“What are you doing here?” asked Halbrook. You smiled, taking a deep breath.

“Everybody,” you said, looking between both groups. “I’m Y/N. You all know my father. I know he’s hurt you all. He’s the problem, not each other. Most of you don’t know me but I’m just as upset with my dad as all of you. Now either my father put me and my mate in here to make sure I’m killed or there’s a chance I’m in here so no one else on the outside can get in.”

“Y/N that’s a little far fetched,” said Billy.

“Not so much,” said Hal, looking at you. “I was put in here after a near kidnapping of you.”

“Us too,” said Jonson. “Your father was furious. It was a place of fear it came from. I can see him hurting a lot of people but not Y/N.”

“So stop fighting each other and let’s work together,” you said. 

“Or we use you to get the hell out of here,” said an Alpha by Norian. Your four former guards along with Dean and Billy suddenly were around you, the air thick with Alpha scent.

“Not a chance,” growled Dean. You could feel the tension prickling across your skin and took a deep breath, pushing past him.

“If you want to use me to get out then let’s do it the smart way,” you said. “I won’t just get you out, I’ll set you all up for life and my father will pay for what he did. He’ll go to prison. But we have to work together.”

“Stand down,” said Rutte, Billy giving his group a look too. 

“Y/N can I talk to you?” asked Dean. He pulled you away, taking a deep breath. “What are you doing? Your father-“

“What did my dad tell you when you were hired?”

“That this wasn’t a normal gig and that there was a serious threat against you. I always thought he was simply paranoid over you.”

“Yeah but was there a serious threat?”

“I don’t…there was always a rumble of a stalker. A kidnapper after the family money by taking you and claiming you but I never found verifiable proof.”

“Dean what if I’m in here so no one finds out I am claimed.”

“But why would they do that?”

“Because it gives my dad more time to find the stalker.”

“He hasn’t found him in years. And this place is too dangerous for it to be a supposed safe haven.” 

“I have five trained bodyguards and my biological father in here. You’re telling me I’m not safe here?”

“Okay maybe but we’re just supposed to sit here and hope he finds who the guy is? And what’s with trying to kill me?”

“You…claimed me,” you said. “Maybe he was actually mad you did.”

“But why? He wants you safe but doesn’t want you to be my mate? It doesn’t make sense.”

“Unless he had a mate picked out for me already.” Dean leaned back and held up a finger. “What?”

“Y/N. This brother of yours that was given up for adoption…what if he’s actually older than you.”

“He is older. He’s much older, fifteen years,” said Billy.

“I thought you said I was already out in the world so they couldn’t hide me but him-“

“The other child is significantly older,” said an Alpha from Billy’s pack. “I think we should consider the possibility that this other child was the reason Y/N was always in danger.”

“But the doctor who said he delivered the kid has only been in here for seven years,” you said. 

“That doesn’t mean the doctor delivered him seven years ago. A lot of us were put in here years after we did things against your father’s wishes,” said an Alpha on Rutte’s side. You turned to Dean, his lips pressed in a thin line. 

“Your call kid. You’re in charge of her now,” said Rutte. 

“I’m her Alpha and bodyguard, not in charge of her,” said Dean. He grabbed your arm and pulled you out of earshot of the others, putting his back to them. You swallowed and took a deep inhale of his scent, the soft smoky warm wood calming you briefly. “This is your call. If shit goes bad in here, I can’t protect you from a hundred men. Even if your old guards and Billy are on your side, it’s us six against ninety of them.”

“You think I need to get out of here,” you said.

“I think it’s likely you have an older brother, one far older, one that wants your inheritance or revenge. So he wants you dead or sold off to someone else. Technically it’s difficult to get in here and your father had the right idea. Put you somewhere impossible to get to you.”

“Then why should I leave?” you asked quietly.

“Don’t react. Guy in Rutte’s group. Black hair. Brown eyes. Black jacket with the navy plaid lining on the hood. I scented him. Pumpkin.” 

“My mom…” you trailed off, Dean nodding.

“I can smell part of your scent in him. It’s familial, I know it. It’s why I left you at the camp. I think he’s the one after you.” 

“Wouldn’t my father know that the person after me is in here?” you mumbled. “It’s his own private prison.”

“Your father wouldn’t know who this kid was. I doubt he kept track of him. Kid probably changed his name and did something on purpose to get put in here.”

“So he was on the inside enough to know how my father would react.”

“Very close,” said Dean. “Only your father’s team would know-”

“Not even them. Only his advisors. And I know he had one ‘quit’ a few months ago. He could have set something up to get himself put in here and then know…”

“Your father accidentally trapped you with the person who’s been trying to take you your whole life,” said Dean. He turned around, gaze shooting to the Alpha in question, his head cocked and eyes narrowed at you. “Rutte!”

You looked right and saw him move towards you, everyone suddenly moving, Dean grabbing your hand and taking off in a sprint. He pulled you along after him, running and running, a loud commotion behind you. 

“Make a hard left and then sprint to the gate. Ask for Mike. He’s a decent guy. Tell him whatever you have to get her out,” said Rutte as he sprinted to catch up with her. You looked over your shoulder, still quite a few of them running after you. “They’re done being good. Go!”

He stopped and you looked back once, Rutte tackling one of them to the ground. You nearly tripped when Dean tugged you to your feet, running with you fast and hard.

“There’s still one behind us,” panted Dean. You turned your head, breathing fast, Dean giving you a quick glance. “Get out. That’s an order.”

“You’re my mate. They’ll kill you.”

“I’m not asking Omega. I’ll see you around sometime,” he said with a wink, dropping your hand and stopping in his tracks. You stopped a few feet away from him, Dean shoving you forward before rushing towards the Alpha coming up on you. “Y/N go!”

“Just…run and hide somewhere! I’ll come find you!” you shouted, taking off again, listening to the sound of a fist hitting flesh.

Two Hours Later

“Y/N,” said your father, walking into the office of the guard tower. You shot up from where you were sat in a chair with a blanket around you, pushing it off and going straight for him, two of your father’s bodyguards picking you straight up and off the ground.

“You’re insane! You’re evil!” you shouted at him, your father nodding for the guards to set you down. You stormed right over and slapped him once, then twice, his hand catching your wrist on the third. “Do not touch me.”

“You can beat on me all you want later. The boy, he’s in there. You think he was posing as Eric Borlin.”

“Unless you well and truly just like to torture me then yes, my apparent psycho half-brother is in that place along with my mate and former guards and apparent birth father.” You gave your father a glare, his gaze going to the side. “I knew you were a shady businessman but imprisoning people? Paying off all these guards and politicians I’m sure to hide your secret? What-”

“Did Billy mention he was my brother? Or that he’s also Eric’s father? Every person in that place is there for a reason. Every single one failed to protect you. Took bribes, kept secrets. Even your bodyguards didn’t catch that Eric was the one after you.”

“You didn’t catch it either. You didn’t-”

“You are a beautiful omega woman that people have tried to take and rip away from me since you were born. Your mother’s infidelity has never bothered me. I know I’m not perfect and she has needs. But you-”

“Then why throw Billy in here? Why?”

“Because he’d sell you in a heartbeat for money.”

“That’s-”

“Ask your brother. Why do you think he’s so angry with you? You got the life he didn’t. Billy threw him away. I would have raised him as my own. Yes, I’m a bastard and too protective of you and I’m going to hell but I would do anything to protect my omega daughter. Anything. Your mother lost one child. I was not losing another.”

You stared him down, narrowing your eyes.

“You get Dean and my former bodyguards out of there. Then you’re telling Uncle Bobby everything and he’s going to have his people look into it and if you’re lying about anything, a single one of them in there, I’ll throw you in there myself.” 

“And when you find out I’m not lying? The people involved in Alpha Forest…they’ll never let this go public.”

“I didn’t say it has to go public. But Alpha Forest is done. Understand me?”

“We’ll see,” he said. He turned to the guard and nodded. “You heard her. Take out those five men along with Eric Borlin. I want to speak to them. Now.”

The Next Morning

You were nudged awake from where you slept in Bobby’s guest room, a warm scent making your grin. Your eyes flashed open and Dean was there, sitting down gingerly, a few scuffs on him along with a bandage around his hand and wrist. 

“Hey, hey,” he said as you sat up and hugged him, Dean’s arms lazily wrapping around you. “I’m okay. I did as told and ran and hid.”

“Good Alpha,” you said, hugging him tight. “Bobby was looking into everything last night. Did you hear anything more?”

“They’re still going through the details but it does seem like a good number of those guys in Alpha Forest were involved in different plans to take you or sell you off to an Alpha buyer at some point. A group of about twenty five of them were actually trying to kidnap you as a baby. That’s when the whole Alpha Forest thing came about I guess. Your father’s way of keeping you safe.”

“Say they’re all guilty, what happens to them?” you asked.

“There are government people downstairs. I think Alpha Forest is going to be handed over to them and it’s gonna be a coverup. They did commit crimes technically. They didn’t get their fair trial but that lady that’s head of the Omega State department is in the den and she sounds more than okay with leaving them in there.”

“Isn’t that wrong?” you said. 

“I get the feeling these people, those Alphas your father put away, if they were let out they’d try again and if not you, some other omega. Maybe they’ve done things in the past too. Billy’s crime is definitely a life sentence. Eric was not adopted. He was sold off and when he turned out to be an Alpha, that’s how he got out of his situation.”

“How do you know that?”

“I talked to him before I came in here. They’re checking his story but I think everyone got Eric wrong this whole time. When he ran away at fifteen and found you existed, all he wanted was to protect you from what happened to him. That’s why he kept following you.”

“So my brother is the good guy and my father isn’t as horrible as I thought?”

“He did have me forced out of a plane without a parachute. Twice.”

“To be fair, the first time you were not supposed to be on that plane and the second I knew she’d catch you. You’re mates after all,” said your dad, poking his head into the bedroom. Dean pursed his lips, looking back at him. “You didn’t exactly ask permission to mate my daughter.”

“I was trying to protect her. We thought she was going to be attacked,” he said, standing slowly. “You’re done being an ass to me.”

“Excuse me?” scoffed your dad. Dean stepped over slowly, your body out of bed and stepping in front of him by the time he got over to your dad.

“I am Y/N’s Alpha. I’m done showing you that I’ll do whatever I have to in order to protect her,” said Dean. “The only one I have to prove anything to is her. You on the other hand can go fuck yourself. For someone so dead set on protecting her you put her in unnecessary danger over and over. If somehow you get out of this without getting in trouble which I wouldn’t put it past you to pull off, don’t expect a big happy family. I am taking her far away from here as soon as I can. Somewhere she’s safe. Got it? Good.”

Dean reached past you and shut the door in his face, smiling when you turned around.

“I would kill to take a nap right now,” he said. 

“That was…a lot,” you said, helping back over to the bed. 

“I meant every word,” he groaned, sitting down, carefully shifting to his back. “Not trying to cut you off from your family or anything-”

“No. No cut me off. I’m not in the mood to deal with them for a good long while.”

“Me either sweetheart,” he said, closing his eyes. “Come here please.”

“Get some rest Dean,” you said, crawling on the other side, Dean’s head immediately resting on your shoulder. “You earned it.”

Two Months Later

“You know I could get used to this,” said Dean while you sipped on lemonade after lunch, Dean’s feet in your lap on the front porch swing while you gave them a massage. 

“You’re lucky you’re attractive,” you teased, Dean closing his eyes, leaning his head back over the side of the swing. “Need any help in the garage?”

“Nah. You got that dog volunteer event in a little while anyways,” he said. “Who knew mating the rich girl would make me lose my job.”

“Technically you didn’t lose your job. You just don’t get paid for it now,” you chuckled. “Plus my trust is more than enough.”

“Oh trust me. This house is more than obnoxious. I just meant it’s weird not having a job.”

“We do a lot of charity work. That’s kinda a job. A fun job,” you said. You switched to his other foot, Dean opening his eyes, lazily watching you with a smile. “Not as exciting as falling out of airplanes but has its perks.”

“As if I didn’t have an aversion to planes before,” he said, smiling softly. “We could drive up to your folks this weekend if-”

“Not in the mood to speak to them yet,” you said. He nodded, wiggling his toes some. “Do you think it’d be a bad idea to invite Eric over for dinner one night?”

“I think it’d be nice to meet the one sane person in your family,” he teased.

“He did try to kidnap me technically for a number of years.”

“He tried to act as your pack member and protect you from legitimate threats. If I wasn’t convinced he was harmless, I wouldn’t want him here.” 

“Maybe we can have him over on Saturday,” you said, Dean humming. You finished with his foot, Dean not moving away quite yet. “Dean?”

“No.”

“You don’t even know what I was going to ask.”

“No, I don’t regret claiming you. I love you. End of story. You’re my girl, I’m your guy. That’s all she wrote.”

“I was going to ask if you would do me,” you said, kicking up your feet. 

“Oh well, if you want me to do you…” he trailed off. You whacked his leg, Dean laughing and pulling his legs down, setting his drink to the side before taking your right foot between his hands. “You do know-”

“I know. I don’t jump out of an airplane and catch just anyone. I especially don’t do it twice unless I got a thing for them,” you said. He smirked, rubbing the heel of his palm into the arch of your foot. “Mmm, that’s the spot Alpha.”

“You got room for one more at the dog thing?” he asked. “I can work on the car whenever.”

“Of course,” you said. You stretched in your seat, Dean smiling softly, leaning over and kissing you when he finished with your massage. “Love you Alpha.”

“Love you too Omega.”

_______

[nejibaby]

Burn

Pairing: Portgas D. Ace x Reader

Summary: For Ace you’d do anything; even set yourself on fire if it meant he’d be safe, happy, and most importantly, alive.

The Sun - Part 2

Word Count: 2.4k

A/N: I’ve finished this and it has finished me. That’s all I wanted to say. 🤐 Jk... English isn’t my first language and I haven’t proofread this so I’m sorry if there’s grammatical errors and typographical errors. Also, I’d love to hear what your thoughts are on this 🥺✌🏼

There’s something about Ace that makes you so attracted to him. You couldn’t really pinpoint what it is. You aren’t sure if it’s his boyish smile, cocky smirk, lovely freckles, lean figure, easygoing and carefree attitude, the generous compliments he gives, or all of the above.

The dynamic between the two of you is almost like how a moth is attracted to a flame. But then again, Ace isn’t merely a flame. He’s more likely the sun — bright, warm, and all-consuming.

However, you can only ever get so close to the sun before you actually burn.

It was only in hindsight that you realize you should’ve kept your distance with Ace.

Maybe you shouldn’t have gotten through all the trouble of fighting against the bandits that started a brawl with the Spade Pirates at your hometown. Maybe you shouldn’t have fallen for Ace’s compliments on your skills on using knives as weapons. Maybe you shouldn’t have accommodated his curiosity on how to wield it. Maybe you shouldn’t have held his hand as you tried to show him the proper way of handling the knife. Because quite frankly, that one touch had sparked something in you. And it was that touch that started this whole mess — the mess of falling truly, madly, deeply in love with Portgas D. Ace.

But Ace only sees you as a crewmate of the Spade Pirates and later on as a subordinate when he became the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.

Unfortunately, you know that’s all you’ll ever be.

You can tell that Ace has no interest in falling in love — at least not yet; not until he achieves his goal. And you hate to admit it, but even after all the years you spend following him, you still have no idea what his true goal is. You aren’t even sure if you’ll ever find it out. Because unlike you, Ace knows how to keep a safe distance from people.

There’s only one time that Ace allowed himself to blur the lines of friendship, and it was when you were both too drunk after celebrating a successful mission together. Somehow in the middle of your conversation, in a drunken haze, he leaned into you and kissed you on the lips. And as expected of you, you kissed him back with equal fervor.

That night, you have learned that fire is quite a fitting power for Ace. If his lips were fire, then your blood was gasoline. His kiss ignited everything in you until you’re fully consumed by him.

The next day came by way too quickly, but… he had no memory of what had transpired, and you wished it was the same with you. It would’ve been easier to live in blissful ignorance, but instead of that, you’re left to treat the burns that Ace unknowingly left in his wake — not physically, of course, he would never hurt you that way, but it doesn’t exactly hurt any less.

No matter how hurt you’ve been that night, you didn’t really stay away from Ace. You’re just so stubborn and unrelenting that you continue to tredge the line that Ace has so clearly drawn.

And it’s because of that attitude that you have taken it upon yourself to find Ace and stop him searching for Teach. Marco couldn’t stop him, maybe even Deuce wouldn’t, but you might be able to, because you aren’t afraid to burn, at least not any more than you already have. And this makes all the difference between you and Ace’s friends, although he has yet to realize that.

You find Ace in Mock Town. He’s walking the street with his back to you.

There’s no doubt that you’re extremely worried about him but with how long you traveled just to get to him, you have started to feel angry because of his reckless actions.

So instead of calling out his name to get his attention, you grab one of the daggers strapped to your legs and throw it at him. With Ace’s logia-type power, it only goes through him. Ace doesn’t even stop walking.

Since his back is facing you, you couldn’t tell what type of look he has on his face, although you’re willing to bet your life that he has an arrogant smirk on his face. You’re tempted to throw another dagger at him and use your haki, but that would be too much; your intent is to get his attention, not to hurt him, no matter how annoying he can be.

The dagger lands a few feet away from Ace and he walks up to grab it. He tenses a bit after he crouches down and picks it up. You know he recognizes the unique handle of the weapon. Before you know it, he turns his body around to find you, sporting that awfully breathtaking smile that makes you go crazy.

For a moment your anger dissipates while your heart stutters across your chest. You wonder, “Why does the sun still bother rising when Ace obviously shines so much brighter?”

But your thoughts are cut off when all of a sudden you’re tackled into a hug by Ace. Your mind automatically goes blank.

You have no problem with skinship and Ace doesn’t mind too, but a hug certainly isn’t how the both of you greet each other.

The hug is short lived as Ace pulls away before you can even wrap your arms around him. He then proceeds to throw his arm over your shoulder. He starts walking with you across the town, the grin on his face never leaving. “Ya know, I just saw my brother a while back in Alabasta!” He happily tells you.

You’re happy for Ace, you really are, but you have to admit that you’re a tad bit disappointed. You’re disappointed that his excitement isn’t because of you; it’s more like leftover enthusiasm he had after seeing his little brother. But you chase those thoughts away immediately, knowing full well it’s unreasonable for you to expect something like that from Ace.

He continues telling you about his brother and his crew with that proud expression reserved for talks about Luffy. With the way he’s animatedly speaking, you couldn’t help the smile form on your lips. It’s at this moment that you realize that you’d do absolutely anything and everything for Ace to be happy and remain happy.

You’re listening intently as he recounts every single thing that happened during their encounter. By the time he’s done, he turns to you and asks, “Oh, by the way, what’cha doing here?”

You shrug. “I came to get you,” you casually say.

He retracts his arm that’s draped on your shoulder. He drops his smile as well. “No.”

“Stop making a fuss, Commander. Pops wants you back on the ship.”

“I said no. I’m going to find Blackbeard and teach him a lesson.”

You grit your teeth at annoyance while Ace stares you down. Noticing the people listening in on your conversation, you stride to Ace, use your haki to grab his wrist, and then lead him to an abandoned alleyway. The touch immediately quickens your pulse rate, but you don’t let it waver you.

You let go of his wrist once you reach the alleyway. When you turn to face him, you can instantly tell that he’s taken aback by your actions. It’s not often you act like this when things don’t go your way after all.

“Commander, come back to the crew,” you say once again.

“No!” He stubbornly says. You can tell he’s getting angry by the flames that started appearing on his shoulders. “Teach broke the iron rule in the ship! Thatch won’t be able to rest peacefully and Pops—”

“I know, Commander!” You raise your voice. “I know this!”

“Great! Now let me be,” he says as he turns his back to leave.

“Goddammit Ace! Why are you doing this again?!” You exclaimed, clenching your fists in the process. Ace stops in his tracks upon hearing you. He’s surprised that you’ve addressed him by his name. “Why are you so dead-set on carrying the burden alone? Can’t you see how reckless you’re being? You’re diving headfirst into something dangerous!”

“Do you think I’m weak?” He asks, still with his back to you.

“No.”

“Then trust me on this.”

You scoff. “Not everything is a matter of strength.”

Ace pivots his body so he’s facing you and then he leans against the wall. He crosses his arms and gives you a look to continue your speech.

“Has it ever crossed your mind that we want to avenge Thatch as well? I know you two were close since you’re both Commanders, but we were close too!”

“I’m Teach’s Commander, that’s why I have to—”

You don’t listen to him speak, opting to continue what you’re saying. “Thatch was like an older brother to me. But I lost him. I don’t want to lose you too,” you whisper almost inaudibly. “Because I love you…”

Ace freezes at your declaration, but he’s quick to recover and says, “You know I love you too.”

You sigh and look at him in the eyes. Tears are forming in your eyes, making Ace look blurry. “But not in the same way, right?”

Ace goes silent. But his eyes could communicate with you in ways you’d never understand. His eyes never lie, and from them you can clearly see the guilt of not being able to reciprocate your feelings.

Oh, how things change so quickly. Back then, you’d be ecstatic whenever his eyes would land on you. Back then, you’d do anything to keep his eyes on you a little longer. But now, you just wish he stopped looking at you with those eyes.

“I’d die for you,” he says after a while, as if it’s the answer you’re searching for.

This would’ve been such a romantic thing to say for others, but it doesn’t hold the same weight if Ace says this. You know he would risk his life for anyone on the crew, not just you.

“But that’s the thing. I don’t want you to die for me, I want you to live, even if it’s not for me or with me,” you exasperatedly tell him.

Ace’s eyes widen, almost as if you’ve reached something deep inside him with what you’ve just said.

“I knew it from the beginning that you don’t love me the same way, so it’s fine. But that doesn’t matter.”

You try changing the topic in order to shift your focus, “Listen, Commander,  I’m not telling you to sit still and forget about Teach. You said so yourself, you’re his Commander, but you’re my Commander too, along with the rest of the Second Division. And right now, we need you. Hell, even Pops needs you.

“I know Pops won’t let Teach get away with this either, but he knows this isn’t the right time yet. Let’s gather intel first, before doing anything.”

Ace remains silent, obviously thinking about what you’ve just said.

“Does that sound good, Commander?” You ask quietly.

He nods his head slowly.

You hum. “Alright. Now that that’s settled, let’s head on to your Striker.”

The walk back to the port is unusually silent. Ace has one of his hands in his pocket while the other on his hat. You, on the other hand, are staring straight ahead, recounting the conversation that has just happened.

Truthfully, the conversation didn’t go as you planned. You’re certain that convincing Ace would be so much harder. In fact, you’ve readied yourself to pick a fight with him if he didn’t want to go back to the crew.

You’ve prevented the fight from happening at the expense of your stupid confession. And you aren’t sure if it’s for the better or for the worse.

A part of you knows it’s for the better, because this way Ace would be safe. But the pain coursing all throughout your body and the tears that you’re trying so hard to hold back makes you doubt it a little bit.

By the time you both reach the port, you head on straight to your boat and grab the supplies you have already separated for Ace. You throw the sack at him and he catches it with ease.

“You have Marco’s vivre card, right?” You ask.

He nods.

“Good. Just follow that. With the Striker, I’m sure you’ll reach the crew in a week or two.”

“You aren’t coming with me?”

You shake your head. “No. I actually have another mission to do,” you lie. You raise your right hand to point to the town. “Actually I’m heading there right now,” you say as you slowly walk backwards away from Ace. “So, see you in a month, I guess?”

You turn around to head back to the town, but Ace grabs a hold of your hand. “Wait!”

Ace isn’t using his powers, but why does his touch burn?

You look back at him, but your eyes refuse to meet his, so instead, you stare at the knife safely strapped on his hips. It’s the knife you originally owned but you have given it to him as a sign of your loyalty when he became your captain.

He removes his hold on you.

“What?” You ask.

“I can help you with it and we’ll—”

“No, don’t,” you sharply say.

Ace flinches at your tone.

You internally scold yourself for your hostility. Ace doesn’t deserve this. It isn’t his fault he doesn’t like you the same way. You sigh, “I’m sorry. I’ll just… see you off first before I go do this mission.”

You don’t leave any option for him so he has no choice but to comply. You can only watch in silence as Ace prepares to leave.

The truth is that you don’t have any mission aside from bringing Ace back to the crew. But you know Ace, you know that he’s not going to be able to stop thinking about Blackbeard and his deed. He won’t ever be able to rest properly and peacefully if no one’s going to continue this search. So for once, you’re shouldering this task for him.

It’s a dangerous mission, you’re aware. Espionage isn’t exactly what you’re best at. But for Ace you’d do this. For him, you’d set yourself on fire if it meant keeping him safe. For Ace you’d even die as long as he lived.

Once he has safely boarded on his raft, you both bid each other goodbyes. Even if you’re determined to get back to him, somehow it feels like this goodbye is going to be the last. And yet, you watch him go along with the sun.

[redwinterroses]

for requests how about: impulse, encountering some or all of the day one crew and getting Very Uneasy because oh shit, the 3rdlife memories are coming back hard

Hey! Sorry this took me SO long to finish. It was a hard one to write because between you asking this (I think?) and now, Impulse had that whole encounter with Bdubs on the path and I was like "Well I don't want to just write that" and then Cleo showed up? And I haven't ever written her before (except for a few lines in another hero, another mindless crime) so I had to go watch a ton of vids and streams and--

okay. Excuses over. Please enjoy this little "Impulse has a bad time but Friends Are Good" drabble. <3

~~~

Sweet Dreams

The Crastle was bigger than he remembered. Had this hallway always been here? This doorway? This arch that led to another hall…which branched and spiraled and led up stairs and down Escherian ramps in a labyrinth of stone walls and a floor dotted with pressure plates?

Impulse found himself running, breath coming in short, panicked gasps as he dashed down the halls, throwing open doors and darting around corners, leaping over the pressure plates—someone was chasing him.

They were coming for him, glowing red eyes and white teeth—fangs—glinting in the shadows. And over all, the ever-louder beat:

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

It pounded in his ears, deafening, and he stumbled to cower against a wall, hunching with his arms over his head, trying in vain to drown it out. But no—no, it was even louder now, thumping so close it rattled his teeth, and he looked down to see blood spreading across his shirt and at the center where his heart should be: a golden clock embedded in his chest.

“They gave me a clock, Impulse.”

His head snapped up. Bdubs, eyes blank and red like two burning embers, stared down at him, no expression on his grey face.

“Ride or die?” Cleo’s voice came from behind him, and Impulse spun to see her glaring down the length of a crossbow, her eyes as scarlet and expressionless as Bdubs’. “How about… die.”

She fired the crossbow, the bolt exploding into flames that swarmed toward Impulse’s face—

He shot upright in bed, gasping for air. He swallowed hard, rubbing his chest as he gradually caught his breath. His heart pounded so loudly that for one horrible moment he thought it might really have been replaced with a bloody golden clock.

But no. Around him, the night was cool and dark, the silence of the Boatem village broken only by the faint rattling of a distant skeleton and the lowing of cows.

Just a dream. Just a nightmare.

Just another nightmare.

Impulse slumped back against his pillows, flopping one arm over his eyes and letting out a long, shuddering sigh in the darkness. It had been months since they’d moved on from the 3rd Life server, months of good times and laughter and the excitement of new projects and builds… and yet at night, when the voices of his friends faded away and Impulse was left alone with himself—he found himself back. Time and again, his sleeping mind returned to the Crastle, or to Dogwarts, or to the sandy dunes of the Red Desert. And inevitably, he found himself face to face with nightmare versions of his day-one crew: Bdubs and ZombieCleo, red-eyed and vengeful.

“I never betrayed them,” he muttered to the darkness. “Never.”

So why did he feel guilty?

Well. If he was honest with himself… it wasn’t really guilt. Or it was, but not because of anything he’d done in 3rdLife—no, the guilt he felt was because the primary emotion associated with Bdubs and Cleo in his dreams was fear.

These were his friends! Being afraid of them went against every instinct he had, every good memory and inside joke and shared experience. And that was a different world anyway—different rules, different lives. It didn’t change anything here on Hermitcraft.

And yet…

And yet when he saw that clock on Bdubs’ belt the other day, or when he’d come up out of the mines that first morning in Boatem and Cleo had been standing right there, Impulse hadn’t been able to suppress the rising wave of panic that swept over him. Panic over being caught in his web of lies, panic that he might hurt the only people he trusted, panic that they didn’t trust him—

Enough was enough. He needed to get past this; he couldn’t spend the rest of the season (the rest of his life?) having anxiety attacks whenever he encountered any of the other Crastle crew members. Talking with Bdubs on the trail had helped, but… he hadn’t seen Cleo since the first days of the server.

That needed to change.

Impulse threw off the covers and pushed himself out of bed, padding down the stairs to the main level of his house. Grabbing his communicator from where he’d left it atop the crafting bench, he tapped out two quick messages:

<impulseSV> you whisper to ZombieCleo: hey, can we meet up and chat? Spawn egg, around noon?

He set down the communicator and turned to go to bed, but to his surprise, it buzzed with an immediate reply.

<ZombieCleo> ZombieCleo whispered to you: everything alright?

<impulseSV> you whisper to ZombieCleo: yeah sure, I just |

Impulse stared at the blinking cursor for a moment, then backspaced and started again:

<impulseSV> you whisper to ZombieCleo: not really. but it’s nothing major. just want to chat a few things over with you.

<ZombieCleo> ZombieCleo whispered to you: Impulse it’s 3 in the morning. you wouldn’t be messaging if it wasn’t major. want to talk now?

He blinked. That… wasn’t the response he’d expected. He hesitated, finger hovering over the touch screen.

<impulseSV> you whisper to ZombieCleo: sure.

<ZombieCleo> ZombieCleo whispered to you: i'll come to you.

.

///

.

Impulse was waiting on the roof when Cleo arrived, swooping in with the dry rustle of elytra wings to land on the cobble-and-slabs rooftop.

He looked up at her with an automatic smile, but she didn’t even wait for a “hey” before plopping down beside him.

“Alright, Impulse,” she said, her brisk tone ordering, rather than inviting him to speak. “What’s going on?”

Pulling his knees into his chest, Impulse wrapped his arms around his legs, the cobblestone beneath him still radiating a bit of warmth from the day’s sun.

“I…” he let his voice trail off, not sure where to begin.

“Out with it.” Cleo held out her hand, palm up, as if waiting for him to drop something into it. “Spit it out. It’s not gonna get any better for stewing on it.”

This was a dumb idea. Impulse closed his eyes and, before he could talk himself out of it, let the words spill out in a rush:

“I keep having dreams. Nightmares. About being back… back there. At the Crastle, mainly. And, ah—” he chuckled nervously and opened his eyes, looking sideways at Cleo. “You and Bdubs are there. And you’re… mad. Yeah, you’re really mad. And you don’t trust me. And—" he took a deep breath. “I keep dreaming that you’re so mad you kill me.”

Cleo tilted her head, raising an eyebrow. “But we didn’t. Well,” she corrected herself. “I didn’t.”

“I know, I know—it’s stupid. It doesn’t make sense, and I know that, but…” he swallowed, and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “I need to get it off my chest. Because even thought I know it’s not real, and I know this is an entirely different world, and I know that nothing from that server really changes anything, I can’t just… turn off what my brain does when I’m not paying attention to it. You guys are my friends and I’m getting real tired of feeling like I need to start running every time I see one of you. To be honest, sitting here right now even is making me antsy.”

Overhead, the stars continued on their paths in silence, and somewhere in the village a couple of sheep baa-ed at each other plaintively.

“Well. That’s… something. That’s certainly something, isn’t it.” Cleo was quiet for a moment, examining him. Impulse looked away, suddenly finding his fingernails deeply interesting.

“Impulse.”

She reached out and laid a hand on his arm, and he instinctively flinched away. Cleo raised both eyebrows at him this time, pulling her hand back—then deliberately replacing it, her fingers cool and firm through the thin fabric of his sleeve. “Impulse,” she repeated, her tone gentle but brooking no argument. “You… you know I’m not good at this stuff. But at the risk of getting in way over my pay-grade: we’re good. We’re your friends.” She gave him a shake. “We love you, you idiot. No amount of murdery games on another server gonna change that.”

Impulse gave a little laugh, pretending neither of them could hear the emotion that made his voice catch in his throat. “Wow, Cleo,” he said. “Love. Big word.”

“Bah.” She shoved him away, throwing her hands in the air. “I love everybody, you’re not special.” But there was a grin in her voice. “And anyway—why me? You’ve got a lotta nerve, Impulse, having nightmares about me killin’ you.”

“Hey, you were scary with that crossbow.”

“I was, wasn’t I.” Cleo sounded satisfied about that.

The knot in Impulse’s chest was slowly loosening, and he glanced over to see Cleo leaning back on her hands, staring up at the sky. The faintest tinge of pinkish-grey was starting to appear on the eastern horizon. The Boatem crew would be up and about soon—Grian in particular had a tendency to be up at an ungodly hour of the morning.

“Hey—” Impulse said, lowering his voice again. “Um. Thanks. For swinging by. Sorry for being weird about all this.”

“Impulse if you start apologizing for being weird you’re never going to stop.” She made a face at him. “Because you’re very weird.”

“Thaaaanks.”

Cleo gave him an easy punch on the shoulder. “You know you adore me,” she said. “And if it makes you feel any better, I can promise you this: I will kill you again at some point, I’m sure. And it’ll have nothing at all, whatsoever, to do with Third Life: it’ll be because you deserve it.” She paused. “Or because I just want to.”

Somehow, out of all the things she could have said, a casual threat of violence was the thing that did the trick. Impulse laughed—out loud, for real, a genuine laugh that shook loose the tension in his shoulders and chased away the phantom of Cleo standing over him with a crossbow.

“Thanks, Cleo.”

Cleo stood, and patted him on the head, ruffling up his hair. “There’s the obnoxiously-cheerful Impulse I know and loath,” she teased. “Can’t have you being all maudlin over here—I’m the gloomy one on this server.”

“I didn’t wake you, did I?” Impulse asked, smoothing down his hair and also standing.

She waved a hand dismissively. “Nah. You know me—I don’t do the sleeping thing much. Too much work to do: graves to dig, bodies to—” she grinned darkly “—find. ‘S a lot for an entrepreneuring zombie like myself.”

“Well, I guess I’ll let you get back to it.” Impulse tried to stifle a yawn. He wasn’t entirely successful.

“Go to bed, Impulse,” Cleo laughed, activating her elytra. “And try to only have normal nightmares about me for a while. Ya know—ones where I’m properly zombie-terrifying, not this Crastle nonsense.”

“I’ll do my best.” He watched her fly off, and yawned again, this time wide enough to pop his jaw.

Alright. Let’s try this one more time. Sleep.

He left the roof and reentered his house, which suddenly felt much more cozy and far less empty and cold than it had when he’d first awakened. Sliding back under his blankets, he tugged them up around his ears and closed his eyes with a sigh.

Something exploded outside, and his eyes popped back open.

Maniacal laughter echoed over the hills of Boatem, and Impulse deliberately rolled over, burying his head under the pillow.

Tomorrow’s insanity would come soon enough. For now: sleep.

((sweet dreams, Impulse.))

[aggimaginary]

The Bad Guys: New Beginnings, New Normal chapter 7 (Vigilantes)

At night, the Bad Guys felt proud of themselves. Their bedrooms were done, and they cleaned up for the rest of the day throwing trash and debris.

When they were done, they put their cleaning supplies aside, and met up on the couch,

"Well done, fellas. I think this calls for a celebration!" Wolf announced as everyone cheered proudly for themselves and each other for all their hard work.

"What should we do? We'll get some cake?" Piranha asked.

"Going out to eat?" Shark suggested.

"Have a sleepover?!" Hornet squealed.

"Or maybe we should sit down, watch TV, and relax," Snake said as he took the TV remote.

Tarantula rolled her eyes, and admitted, "For once, I agree with your relaxing suggestion."

When everyone laughed in agreement, Snake turned the TV on, and, just in time, breaking news showed up on-screen.

"Whaddup! This is Tiffany Fluffit, Channel 6 action news!" The reporter, Tiffany, announced, "Breaking news! We inform anyone near the Woodsville Museum to stay clear of it. A group of terrorists has took over it and are holding the guests hostages!"

"Wait, what?" Wolf was shocked about this news as the rest of the crew were horrified. Usually, they like a good crime, but a dangerous kind was too much, even for them.

They continued to listen more as Tiffany added more information to the news, "We just received the message that they are threatening to detonate a bomb device if the government doesn't give up their position to them. The government are trying to solve the problem in the break-neck of time, but the bomb would not only destroy the entire museum. Police cops are already at the scene, but taking careful action to ensure none of the hostages get hurt."

The Bad Guys just stared at the TV with their horrified faces as they couldn't believe there are people who could hurt or kill innocent people, and caused destruction that can lead to suffering of others.

"There are innocent people inside!" Shark exclaimed in worry.

Wolf then got off the couch, and theorized more before walking towards the window, "And if the cops charge in there without thinking of a good plan, the building will explode, and everyone inside will be killed," he sighed then turned back to his friends, "We have to do something."

The rest of the Bad Guys didn't know what Wolf meant, until Shark, Piranha, Tarantula, and Hornet gasped loudly in realization.

"You mean..." Tarantula wanted to guess, but she was cut off when Snake slithered himself off the couch.

Snake approached Wolf, and reasoned with him, "Whoa, whoa, Wolf, I thought we agree we won't do this again. It's just one time, and we won't do it again."

"Snake, come on, we don't care for anyone before, but we won't let innocent people die," Wolf explained.

"Well, I was thinking about us too, Wolf. We'll put our lives at risk if we do something about that bomb threat. There are many possibilities if we go out there and save those people; we could be killed too, we could get discovered, we would get framed for a crime we didn't commit. Face it, Wolf. I don't want to cause more problems for all of us," Snake admitted with concern. Despite not being the nice one in the team, he still cared for his friends, and after everything they've been through a year ago, he didn't want anything bad to happen to his friends.

"Okay, okay, fine," Wolf sighed, I guess those terrorists are gonna be labeled as the new Bad Guys."

"Yes, yes, I think they'll—" Snake stopped, then swung around to look at his friend for clarification, "What? What did you say?"

"Oh, did I tell you about the consequences?" Wolf inquired casually, "If those gangsters succeeded with their evil plans, they will be titled as the new Bad Guys, and we will call ourselves as... well, either the 'Good Guys' or... just regular guys."

Shark gasped, "If we're not the Bad Guys, what should be our team's name?"

"I don't know! I don't have ideas!" Hornet yelled in panic.

When the 4 Bad Guys shouted in panic about their title, Snake felt that, even though he and his friends were turning a new leaf, he still couldn't let anyone steal their title. They were known as "The Bad Guys" for many years, and he still wanted to carry that title along with his friends. Being "The Good Guys" was a little too much for Snake, especially if there are fans or paparazzi going on around them. What else will they be called as a family if they are not "The Bad Guys"?

Wolf began to grin. Once again, he knew he had Snake right where he wanted him.

Snake growled, slapping his tail on his own face, "Aaargh! Okay, okay, fine! Fine. We'll save those people. But we have to make sure no one will see us or recognize us. And no innocent people or the cops should witness this."

Wolf laughed excitingly, "Now that's what I'm talking about! Alright, gang, suit up!" He grinned.

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

The hostages could only whimper in fear as the men in black kept watch on them as hostages were blindfolded. Thankfully, they weren't using guns, but their tasers that seem to be sprouting electricity could kill a man easily. And that was just the least of their problems. The hostages started to mumble and whimper upon seeing the lead gangster placing down a BOMB on the table.

A freaking bomb.

Not the cartoon type, but the ones that come in a packed device and have a tablet that places down the countdown.

The leader gangster grinned sickly in glee as he pressed a few buttons on the bomb device. There were already police sirens from outside on the ground floor. No matter, let eyes see what they can see. This was all meant to show the city that they were not someone to be messed with. The sheep they have will be slaughtered to show what necessary sacrifice is required.

There was an utter cry from one of the hostages and one of the gangsters aggressively snarled. Like literally snarling at them. He waved his taser around threateningly, letting the sound of the taser buss, and ordering the poor hostages to shut up.

The leader just rolled his eyes and got the bomb into position.

5 minutes.

Should be enough.

The sound of beeping from the bomb echoed across the room.

And so did the clicking of the locks on the door.

Wait, that was strange.

It sounded like the first lock was being unlocked.

CLICK!

Now it sounded like the second lock being unlocked.

CLICK!

Now it sounded like the third lock being unlocked. The gangsters slowly turned to the door.

CLICK

Now it sounded like the fourth lock being unlocked.

BLAM!

And now that sounded like the door being thrown off by its hinges.

While the gangsters didn't know who the crew in the black bodysuits were, the Bad Guys sniggered to themselves with Snake rolling around his set of makeshift keys. The gangsters should have placed the locks on the INSIDE instead of the OUTSIDE, facing the hallway. Shark grinned underneath his mask, proud of ripping the door to let them in.

"D-Don't just stand there!" screamed the gangster leader, recovering from his shock. "KILL THEM!"

All five gangsters turned to face the Bad Guys and charged at them. Each member picked one to deal with to make a fair fight, but Tarantula quickly hopped off Wolf's shoulder and ran across the floor to get to the bomb device. Piranha was absolutely having the time of his life. The gangster he was up against took out a long black whip and attempted to whip it right at him. Though, Piranha was quick on his feet and kept jumping around, making silly faces as he dodged. At one point, he did a backwards somersault and did the 'Take The L' dance while simultaneously dodging. This agitated the gangster for him to let out a roar and charged at Piranha, pulling out a combat knife. With quick thinking, Piranha stepped to the side and the gangster ended up stabbing the wall. Quickly, Piranha jumped onto the wall to bounce off and landed onto the gangster's back. With a crazed laugh, he threw the combat knife away. Using all of his strength, he grabbed onto the gangster collar, and proceeded to throw him to the ground through a perfect 180-circle degree.

Shark ended up fighting the skinniest gangster, but this one proved to be more acrobatic as he proved to be too fast for Shark to catch up. While the gangster's punches and kicks don't have that much effect on Shark, it kept him distracted from trying to defend himself until the gangster hopped onto his back, repeatedly punching him on his head. Growling, Shark rushed to the wall and slammed the gangster right there to make him fall off. The gangster stumbled for a bit while Shark waited, but he quickly did a sneak attack by kicking Shark's legs. Though, as Shark went flying, he quickly grabbed the gangster's incoming fists, pulling him down as well. On his belly, Shark spun around and sent the gangster rolling across the floor.

Hornet found himself against a gangster who is using a fencing weapon out of all things. The two of them traded clashes with the latter's weapon and Hornet's stinger. The two kept clashing with each other before Hornet stopped at one point as he tried to think of a way to attack his opponent without being sliced into teriyaki pieces. The ganger grinned creepily as he pushed the weapon further on Hornet's stinger, trying to shove him off. Hornet grunted silently as he tried to use his strength. Peeking over, he could see Tarantula already onto the bomb device and opened a lid from the side to change the settings since the countdown couldn't be permanently changed. He growled a little before finally flying upwards and with enough strength, punched the fencing sword out of the gangster's hands. As the gangster gasped in shock, Hornet used this as the right time to speed up and headbutted him in the chest, sending the gangster sprawling onto the ground.

Snake ended up being one of the most aggressive and quickest from the group. With great reflex and slippery, he ended up tripping over the gangster he was fighting repeatedly. The gangster tried swinging his metal baseball bat at him, though he kept missing. Even if he did, it only served as minor inconveniences and Snake was able to move away before his opponent did more harm. At one point, Snake quickly wrapped himself around the gangster up until near the neck. Underneath his mask, he wished that he could reveal his smirk. Wasting no time, Snake proceeded to throw the gangster down to the ground in a wrestling-like tackle.

Wolf wasn't doing the most fighting out of the four, but was the least effective. As the gangster he was up against, the leader, was skilled in martial arts, Wolf found himself needing to keep blocking all of his attacks. It wasn't easy, but the training he received from Piranha helped him with knowing what to block and when to land a blow. But the truth is, Wolf wasn't sure which was the right weak spot to hit. Remembering that the gangsters were armed with tasers, Wolf quickly spun around to the other side as the gangster attempted to punch him. Then, the gangster spun around with a roundhouse kick, but Wolf quickly slid underneath in-between his legs and snatched the taser from the gangster's belt. As soon as he stood up, the gangster tried to punch him in the face.

Big mistake.

Turning the taser on, Wolf greeted the gangster with a shock of volts going through his body as his hand connected with the butt of the taser. The leader screeched as he was shocked before being sent flying back when Wolf tried out increasing the power.

Though, the leader ends up crashing into the table where the bomb device was.

"Whoa!" said Tarantula, nearly falling off. "Watch where you're throwing your enemies around!"

Looking up, the leader can see that Tarantula was having a hard time deactivating the bomb device. Through hacking into it and cutting the wires, it seemed as if the bomb has a mind of its own.

"Should have watch more of those videos in YouTube!" She groaned frustratingly in her mind.

Grinning, the leader shot up and attempted to slam his fist onto Tarantula. She quickly dodged to the side and that is when Wolf charged to the leader again, distracting him.

The two got into a punch and block exchange, but when Wolf bumped into the table, his grappling hook fell out from his back.

Tarantula gasped in surprise when it slid to her. She looked around wildly. There is a small window up through the ceiling. Throwing the bomb up might be the only way to make sure that nothing gets destroyed.

And it is nearly times up! 60 seconds left.

"Oh, screw it!" Tarantula murmured angrily.

The leader chuckled as he managed to subdue Wolf, and grabbed both hands with one hand. Tarantula quickly hid behind the bomb device as she tried to get the grappling gun working despite it being bigger than her. She didn't want the leader to see her yet, but she couldn't let the leader hurt Wolf like that. She had to do something.

"You got a lot of guts for a barely high-ranking urchin," monologized the leader proudly. "I have prey like you before. But your style of battling the upper-class is just...so..."

MUNCH!

The leader heard that sound as he looked down to see the little masked Tarantula biting his leg. The leader yelped as he tried to kick Tarantula off of him, but she managed to jump away and covered her face so she wouldn't be recognized.

While the leader was distracted, Wolf gave a surprise punch right across the leader's face. This elicited an utterly stunned reaction from the leader, staring back at him in total disbelief. Wolf's eyes just screamed 'do I need to hear THIS from you?'

With the leader stunned, this gave Tarantula the perfect opportunity to get back to the bomb device, and pulled her way up to throw the bomb device through the ceiling window. Attached to the ceiling, the hook brought her up as she carried the large bomb device in her other hand.

5...She was so close! She got to get there!

4...The bomb device might be why she wasn't going as fast as she hoped.

3...Here goes nothing.

2...Tarantula closed her eyes and threw the bomb device upwards. What followed was a large smash and glass shards harmlessly spraying all over her.

1...A large explosion rattled the sky as Tarantula fell down. She was gonna crash onto the table.

But then, Hornet swooped up, and caught Tarantula, "Gotcha, Webs!" Hornet then flew lower, letting Tarantula land safely back to the table.

Grinning, she could see the large ball of fire exploding harmlessly, a far way up from the building they were in. No civilian casualties and no property damage!

She didn't even know she would be THIS strong!

She turned around to find that Wolf had already subdued the gangster leader. As the latter squirmed around and shouted profane insults, Wolf, Piranha and Hornet got out ropes to tie the leader and the unconscious gangsters together for the police to arrest later. Meanwhile, Shark was aiding the hostages to check if they are alright and if the gangsters did any injuries on them.

Once the Bad Guys finished tying up the gangsters, the police cops arrived just in time to see that they were gone. And the hostages are already making their way out, harmless but wondering who are those guys who saved them.

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

Back in the hideout, when the Bad Guys came home, and took off their black bodysuits with their regular clothes underneath, they already went to the couch to watch the news.

When Wolf turned the TV off, Shark, Piranha, Tarantula, and Hornet cheered victoriously for another vigilante success.

"Oh yeah! We did it again, baby!" Shark exclaimed.

Hornet giggled, "That was so fun! I think this is much better than a thief stealing a purse."

But then, Tarantula felt guilty for herself, "I can't believe I didn't hack into the bomb device."

But Wolf patted her to comfort her that an unsuccessful hacking wasn't much of a failure," Hey, at least you threw away that bomb and no one got hurt."

"Did you see me beat that guy, chicos and chica?! I'm sure his bruises will last a week!" Piranha laughed hysterically as Shark gave him a hi-five.

Snake then started to speak since he was awfully quiet since they finished their mission tonight, "Um, I know I don't want to help people in secret anymore, but we did really good back there, and we saved innocent lives. I hate to admit this, but I think I kinda like fighting other bad guys who aren't us out there. Shouldn't we... do it again sometimes or something?"

This caused the rest of the Bad Guys to drop their jaws in shock as they never heard such motivation of fighting crime as vigilantes from Snake before. They heard at first that Snake didn't like it, and it only took just a second mission to change his mind. What a surprise!

Piranha suggested excitedly while jumping into Shark's head, "Yeah! We should make this a celebratory dinner for our new butt-kicking job!"

"All-you-can-eat..." Shark said.

"Free-form..." Piranha continued.

"Dinner explosion!" The big and small fishes shouted happily.

Snake started to regret what he just said as he groaned, "Sorry I asked."

Shark and Piranha then dragged Snake to the kitchen to prepare some dinner.

Before the rest can join the others, Wolf and Tarantula notice Hornet was sitting on the couch, frowning quietly.

"Hey, Hornet. Are you okay?" Wolf asked as he scooted himself besides Hornet.

Hornet snapped out of his thoughts, and looked up to Wolf, "Uh..."

"Yeah, you don't seem so happy," Tarantula pointed as she crawled to Hornet's other side, "In fact, you weren't so happy since a year ago. Aren't you happy we're doing good things? I mean, you feel that wag, and you did good things with us, but you don't look so happy."

"I am happy! Look at me, I'm smiling and laughing," Hornet showed his fake grin.

"But that is not your real usual smile. Is there something you wanna tell us?" Wolf asked in concern.

Hornet shook his head, trying to avoid a topic in his head, "No. No, not at all. It's nothing guys. All that matters to me is that I do good things with you guys."

Wolf and Tarantula were still concerned for Hornet. There was definitely something going with him. But they saw on Hornet's face that he didn't want to talk about it.

Wolf then stood up while fixing his tux, "Well, you better be hungry, because we should eat. It was a busy day for all of us."

Tarantula then jumped off the couch to follow Wolf. Hornet was now alone on the couch. There was something he never told his friends since he first came to the team, but that was already a long time ago, and if he'll try to forget about and do good deeds with his friends, it won't be a big deal. Hornet flew up from the couch, and went to the kitchen to eat.

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

While the Bad Guys were eating dinner, Shark flipped the last burrito in the air, and caught it in his mouth, "So, what now?" he asked as he wiped the food off his face.

"I know we stopped Marmalade's heist last year, and we stopped the thief and those terrorists, but it's just the matter of time before some other criminals try to hurt innocent people," Wolf declared.

Tarantula nodded in agreement, "Right."

"We gotta clean this city from the inside-out," the leader muttered.

"Does he always talk like a charmer in the 80's movie, or is it just me?" Hornet asked.

"Hey, hey, I got my charm from someone... especially from movies."

"You gotta admit, guys. I mean, we were amazing there!" Tarantula cheered for themselves.

"Yeah!" Piranha screamed, extending his fist in the middle.

"Heck yeah!" Shark held his own fist to Piranha's. Wolf, Tarantula, and Hornet fist-bumped with Shark and Piranha.

"I agree completely. So I'll do that, as well," Snake held his tail to fist-bump with his friends.

"Thank you," Wolf smiled. "Right."

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

The next evening.

They said that criminals around in the city would just go out to make heists at any time, rain or shine. The Bad Guys were known to expose themselves with no shame when making their greatest robberies. But this one group chose to do night-time as a lot could be given away.

Parked in a dark empty street in front of a bank, a group of goons just finished raiding a bank. They chuckled amongst themselves as they loaded the truck with piles of money bags. There was already a driver in the truck, tapping his fingers on the wheel as he waited for his comrades.

"Did you hear about that street brawl that happened the last time?" said one goon quietly.

"Yeah, me too, man!" said the other goon, chuckling as she lifted the bag of money she was carrying over her shoulder. "It was so intense at that time. Was blood shed?"

"What? No. Definitely not. It's a total 'fair and square' fight."

"Well, you know what is not 'fair and square'?" teased the goon as they threw their bags of money onto the truck. "Someone trying to cower out of it. I mean, there was that one time years ago where I was faced with a gigantic shark, but he didn't try to fight back."

His companion was surprised. "Whoa! Really? Is he that much of a coward?"

"A bit of a scaredy cat, but he looks like he is holding back. For a giant with obvious muscles, he doesn't look like he can swat a fly."

"What happens if you get him mad?"

"Oh, I don't really know. He might explode I think, but he wouldn't dare to crush my bones. Perhaps I should find him again and go like..." He changed his voice to a whimpering, childish voice. "'Hey there, kiddy, kiddy'! Want a binkie?"

His companion laughed. "You're such a jerk, man." Then, she mimicked how the shark might be like. "FEE FI FO FUM! I'M THE BEST GIANT BUT I DON'T WANT TO TAKE A SOUL!"

"Hey, you two," snarled a third goon as he came out with the last bag of money. "Shut up, stay quiet and get your butts into the truck now.

Though, the two didn't listen to their third companion and it is already too late as their talking lets a shadowed group watching from the ceiling know that they are still around...

"Isn't that from that beanstalk movie?" lampshaded the first goon as he gets back into his conversation with his companion.

"Maybe," said the second goon.

"Well, the best thing in life when it comes to having bravery is that you never get to take it all back with no s-!"

Unfortunately, the third goon felt a finger poking his back and upon turning around, found his face struck upon by Wolf's fist. He dropped down to the ground, alerting the other goons. The fourth goon jumped out of the truck and gasped upon seeing the disguised Bad Guys.

As Wolf and Snake ran off to the other side of the truck, the three goons tried to fight back, but the rest of the Bad Guys finished them off.

Tarantula immediately hopped onto the second goon and wrapped her mouth with duct tape before Hornet came flying in and headbutted her in the stomach. The goon stumbled a bit before trying to swing around a wooden baseball bat. While Hornet faltered when he nearly got hit, Tarantula quickly finished the task by jumping onto the baseball bat and using her strength, actually whacked the goon in the face somehow.

The fourth goon immediately tackled Piranha, but Piranha took it as an advantage to bump against the goon's chin. So much that it nearly made him look like Mario using his head to bump into brick walls to earn coins. Except that Piranha was trying to earn the goon's defeat. With the goon distracted, Piranha leapt up and did a roundhouse kick to the goon right in the face.

The driver took a long time to see what was going on, but it was already too late when Wolf threw Snake inside. He screamed as Snake quickly wrapped himself around the goon's body and neck, strangling him. As the goon choked, he quickly reached in for a bug spray can and tried to spray it all over. Messily, but it nearly got into Snake's eyes.

Luckily, Wolf pushed the can away, only for it to end up into the goon's eyes. He let out a ladylike scream, but it is muffled by his gagging. He finally passed out with Snake panting from all that strangling.

"Man, this one is defective," he whispered to Wolf.

Meanwhile, the first goon is up against Shark...who recognized him as the same jerk who taunted him. Without holding back, Shark attempted to punch, but the goon ducked and rolled on the ground. He swung his legs around to try to trip Shark over, but this time, it didn't flip Shark over. He quickly kicked the goon in the stomach, sending him flying back.

However, the goon wasn't giving up as he spun around and got back onto his feet. He tried swinging his fist, but Shark countered it and threw it right at the goon's groin. Then, he kicked right underneath the middle of the goon's legs. The goon gasped and let out a high-pitched squeal as he held onto his crotch, squirming around. Underneath his mask, Shark smirks. To rub it in, he mimicked his spasming by holding onto his own groin and silently letting out a girly squeal.

Without warning, Piranha finished the goon off by spinning him around and throwing him up into the air. The right time for Hornet to swing the baseball bat right into the goon's chest, knocking him out as he landed onto the ground.

"Nobody mocks our good friend like that!" Hornet growled while patting Shark's side, "Nobody!"

"Good work, guys!" whispers Wolf. "Now, onto the last part."

There is a good thing that they came prepared with rope, tying all the goons together and throwing them at the back of the truck. With Wolf at the front wheel with Snake and Tarantula on his side while Shark, Piranha and Hornet stayed at the back to check on the goons through the window, they drove off calmly to the nearest police station they could find. It would be rather nice if they speed up a little, but since it was so dark during this time, they might get themselves into more trouble if they drove faster and accidentally crashed the truck.

They finally arrived and they all got out of the truck.

"Do you think they would find the goons before they wake up?" asked Tarantula.

Wolf chuckled. "Don't worry. I'll make sure of that."

Then, he pulled out a sticky lollipop he found in the truck. With a defiant throw, the lollipop ended up being glued against one of the police cars' front window which caused it to go ringing due to mistaking it as an intruder. All the lights in the police station switch on and the Bad Guys quickly ran off into the safety of the darkness.

The first few cops were surprised to see a white truck in their parking spot. Standing out to the rest of the cars like a sore thumb. Upon inspection, they were surprised that there was no one inside.

Then, they heard someone moaning somewhere.

One cop opened the back door to find a bunch of goons slowly waking up, tied up. Surrounded by a bag of money.

Watching from the top of a building, the Bad Guys hi-fived each other before running away.

It was another successful job.

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

This is the chapter where the Bad Guys decided to make their own vigilante business.

The scene where Shark and Piranha decide to have dinner explosion was referenced from Teen Titans. Plus, Wolf's "meeting scene" with his guys was referenced from The Birds of Prey (2020).

Special thanks to TU4QU0I53T4IAN6L3 from Fanfiction.net for helping me make this chapter.

First Previous Next

[machinegunbun]

2

The house you eventually park in front of is much like yours, just a bit bigger, since Colson didn't live alone. The sound of sirens outside is carried almost melodically in the freezing wind. You soak it all in, wondering about who else in this city felt so far from home and yet right in the thick of it.

"She's a beaut, huh?" Colson quips, motioning to the steps, "but at least we got it to ourselves tonight," his grin could stretch a city mile.

Once inside, Colson immediately turns on a nearby heater and clears the couch, grabbing his RAW tray off the busted up coffee table, almost muscle memory, it seems, for both of you. You lay a fat sack down on the rolling tray as he sweeps the papers out of the way.

"Damn, do you really got glaucoma?" He snorts, untwisting the top. "No wonder I can smell it thru your backpack." He is all smiles while he breaks it down. "Have a seat, make yourself at home," he offers, pointing to the couch cushion free next to him.

You sit down on the very edge, causing Colson to stop in his tracks.

"Aw, come on, don't do me like that," he pouts, pulling a folded blanket from the chair to his left. "I got blankies," he teased, knowing how drafty all these houses are the heater won't cut it. "I said, make yourself at home," he playfully insists, and unexpectedly, he grabs your thigh to pull you so close, you can feel the heat emitting from his jeans.

He continues as if nothing had even happened, luxurious tongue peeking out to seal the blunt. So you wrap the blanket across your laps, and act nonchalant, too, trying to force the lump in your throat all the way down.

"A backwoods, that's classic," you offer as a change of subject, watching mesmerized as the ambient lighting and warm tones of the fake flames of the heater danced across his chiseled face. Godddd, why couldn't you control yourself?

Colson smirked before running a lighter across it. "Only the best for my guest."

The two of you sit cozy under the blanket for a short period of time, passively hitting the blunt and savoring before passing, while Colson rigged up a speaker. As the hip hop played softly, you felt your muscles relax a bit, most they had in 6 years.

Colson began probing you with his eyes again, like he was about to start 20 questions back up.

"So, you're not really from around here, are you?" He digs, pressing a thigh against yours to turn to face you better.

"Ah, no," you say, nodding

"From....?" He prompts, rolling his hand before passing the blunt.

"Down South," you're ashamed the more you divulge.

Colson pulls a face. "You don't have an accent, though," he contests.

"Got rid of it," you shrug. "People think you're stupid," you smile back.

Colson takes a hand and begins rubbing your thigh softly, as if to comfort you, although he can feel the tension increasing doing just the opposite. "I wouldn't think you're stupid, at all," he husks quietly, serious.

You don't want to make a sound for fear it will come out as a squeak.

"Look, I would ask what brings you all the way out here, but..." He trails off before hitting the blunt hard. "I'm a blunt motherfucker, so I'll just say it. I know about the..." He is swallowing the wrong words, struggling despite his frankness. "Well, the whole crew knows about the... The statutory situation," he whispers, like someone is listening. "You don't really talk to nobody, so.. They got curious. There's... There's lots of articles."

You almost disassociate, so he takes it as a sign to continue.

"I couldn't imagine. So, if I'm making you uncomfortable..." He begins to look worried, the desire to backpedal immediately written across his face.

You physically snap back, and force him to stop leaning away from you.

"You're blunt, huh?" You ask, now trying to comfort him.

"Yeah. I'm sorry," he relaxes into your touch, though.

"You don't have any chains or ropes here, so I'm not here by force," you smile, darkly, almost transported back to 15 again.

Colson winces, sympathetically, before shaking his head (to no doubt clear images) the articles he had read that paint an all too vivid picture out of his mind like an etch a sketch.

"Look, I ... I really wanted to get to know you, and... Everybody told me it was a bad idea, you know? Like I would fuck up your life. But I just really can't resist, you seem so cool, so sweet," Colson trails off, realizing in your vulnerable state he had began being too vulnerable as well.

"Thanks. I know that sounds stupid, but, most people... Well, most guys, avoid me like the plague."

Colson melts back into the couch, into your warmth surrounding you, before beginning to pull a cigarette out for each of you. He passes it to you, so intuitive to how on edge you're feeling. He knows you too well already.

"You don't have to be scared, you know," you remind him, "you can keep playing 20 questions." You're joking but serious. "I've possibly purposefully not made any friends here yet. I salute you breaking the ice AND addressing the elephant in the room," you admit. "I like cutting thru the bullshit."

Colson takes a thoughtful drag from his cigarette while formulating his next question.

" okay," he sounds more at ease, "do you have a boyfriend?" He risks, wincing at how insensitive it sounds, but he correctly got the impression it was forgiven and you wanted to move forward exactly as he intended originally.

"Oooh, no, actually," you giggle at the spicy question. "Other than, the, ya know... Situation, shall I say, never been with a man before." You're shocked at how honest you're being.

Colson can't help his jaw dropping. "How... How old are--you're still a virgin??" He is stumbling over his words.

"21, and, yeah," you choke out, sudden shyness taking over.

It was so refreshing he considered you a virgin still that you could die on the spot.

"Whoa. Just.... Damn," Colson stuttered, as the etch a sketch cleaned his slate once again. Hopefully be was clearing thoughts of how tight you must be still, not how damaged you are.

"Do, um," he clears his throat while putting out his cigarette, "what kind of tattoos and piercings do you have?"

"None, of either, actually," you admit, eyes hungrily scanning Colson's inked up neck.

It seems he can't believe his ears.

"Are you.. Holy shit, no way? Prove it," he challenges.

You shrug the blanket and flannel off to expose your belly, shoulders, and lift your crop top to show nothing on collar bones. Colson looks like he would spit if he had water he was drinking. He wasn't expecting you to show him anything for real.

He lifts a tentative hand to your cheek to brush your hair behind the ear, "wow, no ear piercings, either. You're magical," he says heavily. "You're younger than me, by, like, a lot, but anyone... like you, I never would have guessed..."

You realize now that his knuckles still lay resting on your cheek, stroking it softly, and he'll be able to feel them burning red hot with embarrassment and desire The shame, because you've never done this before, never been so close and intimate with someone, and the desire as well for the same reason.

"You're better than I ever even imagined," he admits before falling silent, soaking up your reaction fully,

Colson breaks the silence first. "I want to kiss you," he states, voice dripping with lust, and cracking slightly.

As you place a hand over his much larger on your cheek, he takes this as a sign to keep going. Leaning forward, foreheads almost touching, Colson licks his lips and scans your face hungrily.

"Can I?" He prompts, impatient, pupils blown, and jaw tight with anticipation.

You feel like you barely nod, hand dropping off of his, before he grabs it tightly to put it around his neck.

"Like this, let me show you," he whispers, lips ghosting yours.

In one Swift motion he slides a hand under your lower back in order to lay you down gently on the couch, hovering above you, on the edge of deranged with desire, like a wolf standing over a downed deer. You figure Colson has never had to exhibit this much self control before.

"I wanna defile you, take your innocence," he rasps, thumb finding its way to your bottom lip, stroking gently, opening your mouth ever so slightly. "I want it to be mine, I've wanted this for so long," he smiles, his rock hard cock pressing with a ungodly heat against your pubic bone. He's not even hiding anything anymore, using your exposed tummy and clothed pussy to hump and grind softly in order take the edge off.

"Can I touch you?" He asks desperately, biting his lip so hard you thought it might bleed. "I want to help you relax a little," Colson whispers, though you imagine it's just as much for him as it is you.

"Anything you want, Cols." You're almost choking.

He lets out a dark laugh at this, and in an instant his hands feel like they're all over you, exploring, finally coming to rest at your jugular, feeling the intense pounding underneath his fingertips.

"You're scared?" It's a question as much as it is a statement. "Or turned on?" Colson raises a brow, other hand massaging your thigh, slowly curling it around his waist, positioning and posing you like a ragdoll, your body defeated and limp to his touches. You are in a state of bliss and fear. "Maybe both," he concludes, smirking.

At this you close your eyes, expecting any second to wake up from this all too familiar dream, as you've pined for your coworker possibly even longer than he has.

Suddenly, Colson is at your ear, breath hot and desperate. "Don't be scared babydoll, you're in good hands," he reassures, nipping at your earlobe in such a way it sends a shiver all throughout your body. "I... Will go... Slowww," he teases out painstakingly, "slow as you need me to," he adds gently.

It was then you were startled into the reality of the situation by the sound of his belt coming undone, soft noises as it is expertly slipped out of his belt loops in one, fluid motion. Colson feels you panic underneath him, and he is quick to respond to this.

—-

Havent had a chance to read it yet but i wanted yall to have fhis lmfaoo. A gift from bigblakdix to me to you

[starr-fall-knight-rise]

HASO, “Ash.”

A couple people were showing some interest in other Alien characters aboard the ship, and I thought I would give you all some insight into that. I hope you enjoy, and I hope you all have a great day. 

“You have ruined this family.”

“What have you done!” 

“The war is the only thing left for you now, so make yourself useful and die.”

-

Etium slowly lifted his head from the computer where he sat staring blankly at the accounting spreadsheet on the screen. Beside him, the other two Tesraki’s chairs were empty. He sighed, and slowly turned back to the accounting. They had likely finished their half of the books hours ago, leaving him to sit in the darkness alone with his own strange thoughts. His four fingered hands clicked at the keys of the human made keyboard,

He was good at typing, pretty fast for someone who was missing two requisite fingers, but he was nothing in comparison to the others.

He was nothing in comparison to most Tesraki.

Etium was slow when it came to doing the books, repeatedly checking every line and ever string of numbers for any possible mistake that could have been made. The process took him hours longer than it should have, but finally he stood, pushing back his chair and hopping down to the floor. The human ship whirred softly in the distance. It was a comforting sound, but he had always found some measure of comfort in humanity.

Etium had been hit the hardest by the huminization phenomenon. It didn’t surprise him all that much. He had fought side by side with humans since the Drev war, and the changes in him had taken a long time to develop. They ran deep now through his body as sure as his blood. WIth skills honed in human war, and being one of few survivors, he was quick to react to sounds, followed movement more easily, and could read body language better than almost any other alien he knew.

Dr Krill wasn’t even as good as he considered himself.

That’s what war did to a person.

He reached up to his torn ear and shivered at the smell of smoke that seemed to waft up from his fur. He could never get the smell of ash out of his head no matter how hard he tried.

Etium knew there was something wrong with him, but he kept that to himself. The others tended to avoid him, and that was alright. He was friends with the Finnari, and while they were a bit sensitive, he supposed that was ok. He didn’t need anyone asking questions about what he was doing and why he was there.

He ducked through one of the maintenance corridors, and into the hallway behind the rec room.

He could hear humans and Drev talking and laughing on the other side, but when he passed through the next door, he found the hall opened into a large-ish storage room that was lined in boxes and crates. Inside was what remained of the Omen crew. Tesraki, Finnari, Celzex and Yeb. They had a little place here for those aliens who found it difficult to constantly interact with humans.

Yeb was a bit of a special case as she seemed to hop between both without much trouble. She lounged on one of the crates, her tail swishing back and forth against the box below her, bright green fur along her back, waving slightly in the air currents.

Etium leaned against the wall making no noise, and interacting with no one.

He wouldn’t have minded hanging out with humans, and drev, but….. Every time he did he just couldn’t shake the smell of smoke.

Why was he here?

Because he had seen a human boldly risk his life for two wounded alien soldiers.

Etium remembered the red sky above and the ash covered ground beneath. He remembered the wounded Rundi soldier at his side as the creature stalked towards them from the darkness. He remembered the flash of blue, and then an animal howl as the human came charging from nowhere.

When he closed his eyes, he could still hear the blood curdling scream of pain the human had given off as his limbs were ripped from his body.

He shook himself trying to shake the smoke away.

“Clan is more important than anything else.”

Etium lifted his head, arms still crossed over his chest.

“Then mean nothing.” Yeb was saying, “My parents abandoned me in an ice cave when I was just a cub.”

“Not our fault your species is defective.” Lord Avex was saying.

The burg lifted his hands in an attempt to keep the piece, technicolor wings flickering behind him, “Not now, all of you we must remember that as different species we all have different beliefs and needs. He pressed his hands together. The Burg do find clan very important, but it was for our survival for the longest time. There are plenty of other species that don’t need such things, like the Vrul or the Gibb for example, who are solitary creatures.”

The group of three finnari huddled close together and nodded.

They wouldn’t be likely to argue, they hated conflict and tried to keep the peace as much as it was possible.

He glanced over to the side surprised to find Waffles, the dog, lying with her head on her paws, around her neck, the snake creature Jeffery hung like a boa scarf.

He supposed she had any right to be here like the rest of them, she wasn’t human and neither was the snake. Though neither of them were classified as sentient and didn’t have the intelligence to speak. Waffles licked at her paws and Jeffery lifted his head turning to look at the speakers as if he was listening intently.

“This is not about biology, this is about the facts. There is strength in numbers, and numbers can win out over force anyday. Humans are the best example of this and you all know it. They managed to survive on a death world by making packs.”

Lord Avex did have a point, but lord Avex was also known for being an egotistical asshole.

That was sort of the defining feature of Celzex.

The furry little creatures were very proud, and very loyal, so they were both a blessing and an absolute pain to have on your side.

Most of the time they just liked causing problems for the sake of causing problems.

“There is nothing wrong with a solitary existence. My species has been living as single occupants inside a distanced society for a very long time.”

Lord Avex snorted, “Might I also point out that you society is a fascist Authoritarian dictatorship recovering from a pandemic crisis and refuses to join the GA to control their own citizens?”

The hair on the back of her body stood up, “Oh like your planet is any better. Roving warring clans who eat their own children.”

“Please, Peace.” THe burg was saying.

“You have no place in this. The burg have lived under a corrupted monarchy for ages.”

Etium sighed and closed his eyes.

Apparently, he had sighed much louder than he intended, and when he opened his eyes the entire room was looking at him,

“You got something to say.” Avex growled, “Anything to offer from a corporate capitalist hellscape.”

Etium pushed himself off from the wall, “No, I have nothing to say.”

Avex bristled, and when he did he got even fluffier, “I don’t think we are done here. I want to hear what you have to say.”

Etium sighed, knowing that he wasn’t going to get out of this one, “I think that all of our societies suck, they just all do it equally.”

The room bristled, but he kept going. He had stuck his foot in it and now he was going to have to deal. He looked at yeb and Avex, “Both of you are true about the other, same with the burg sorry to say.” He nodded over at the winged creature, “But think about it, all of us suck in some way or another,. My species destroyed our own natural habitats in the name of progress, He looked at the Finnari, No cohesive leadership, and a societal wide inability to make decisions. The Vrul live under a corrupted communist system and the Rundi are all politicians, so guess where that leads us. The Drev are a fractured group of clans bent on killing each other for no other reason than the fact that it is honorable. And don’t even get me started on humans, they are the worst of us all, since they can do everything we can and more.”

He sort of expected the uproar that followed, but kept his head low to avoid having to deal with it. He brushed a hand through his fur, attempting, mostly to brush the ash from it, and despite being able to feel it with his fingertips, he saw none break loose.

The room grew louder and louder until a sharp bark broke the silence.

The room went very quiet very suddenly.

He turned to see waffles had risen up into a sitting position, her hackles raised.

She growled low in her throat , and the entire room calmed down very quickly after that, Jeffery opened his mouth and turned his head like a periscope around the room.

Waffles slid back onto the floor and rested her chin on her paws ears sticking straight up as she sighed.

The room was only slowly able to return to its former discussion, though everyone remained mostly quiet.

Etium slumped back against the wall. He could see the other Tesraki across the room staring at him. He tried to ignore them for the most part, he didn’t really fit in with them to any sort of degree. He didn’t blame them.

He wasn’t particularly good with finances.

He didn’t have to be though, most humans were pretty poort at it too, so any ability whatsoever was considered good. That was another reason why he was here. If he was slow and ok at handling money, then he was going to be fine. If he tried to work anywhere else as a Tesraki….

He'd be fired

Or disowned…

Etium quietly slipped from the room, out and down the hallway. He knew where he was going, and followed his own memory down through the hallways until he came to a door. He knocked once.

“Come in.”

The door slid open and he stepped into a room lit by soft yellow light. Dr Adric was sitting at his desk, skin glowing a pale yellow in the dim lighting. He looked up, and when he smiled his teeth flashed white.

“Etium, it is good to see you. I didn’t expect you till our session tomorrow.”

Etium wandered into the room glancing down at the diagrams on the wall, and the large books on the shelves beside the desk. “Do you want me to leave.”

“No, of course not, take a seat.”

He did and stared up at the ceiling with a sigh.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Etium was quiet for a while, but finally opened his mouth to speak, “I can still smell the ash sometimes, Feel it in my fur when I go to bed. It…. doesn't really bother me most of the time, and I know it’s not real, but it certainly feels that way.”

Dr Adtric leaned on his desk and nodded, “Did you know somatic hallucinations are extremely common In Tesraki.”

He rubbed his fur, “Really?”

“Yes, at least one in twenty report small things. Feelings of items brushing over their fur even when nothing is there. If it starts to bother you, come to me and we will look into helping it. Otherwise just remember the exercises I taught you.”

He shifted in his seat and absently looked at the wall, “So if Somatic hallucinations are common in Tesraki….. Than what about everyone else?”

Dr Adric smiled at him. His expression, both charming and calming at the same time. He had an eir about him that just seemed to make things slow down and relax. It was a nice feeling to have.

“Well both Vrul and Gibb are prone to psychosis with obsessive and grandiosity characteristics. Most Vrul I know could be classified as having some sort of anxiety. Rundi are commonly seen with OCD. Celzex presents with characteristics of Antisocial personality disorder.  Finnari can commonly be seen with dependent personality disorders. Both the Drevb and the Starborn, have a high rate of narcissism. In the case of the starborn, they have a 100% rate at this time…. Though to be fair we only have one starborn”

Etium couldn’t help but smile just a little. “Humans have all of those things I guess, since you have a name for all of them.”

“Yes. Though, I would say that I work most closely with Post Traumatic Stress.”

“Like what I have?”

“Similarly yes, though yours presents differently.”

“That’s what the Admiral’s dog is for? He said she was a PTSD dog.”

“That would be correct.”

Etium leaned back in his seat and stared out the window behind Adric. The man said he presented with listlessness, difficulty concentrating, and emotional detachment. He didn’t have flashbacks or stress associated, which is why he couldn't be entirely diagnosed, bu7t the two of them were pretty sure whatever he had was similar. They had thought about depression on one or two occasions, but he didn’t have trouble getting out of bed, or doing things that he enjoyed. He just got listless and distracted a lot.

Adric thought it might be an entirely different issue from what humans could get, but as of yet, there wasn’t enough research to determine that. They were working on it in their own right now, and he had been feeling a little more present, but he still wasn’t really there yet.

He hoped that soon he would be out of the rut he was stuck in.,

“Have you managed to tell the Admiral, like we had been talking about.”

Etium picked at the fur on his arm, “He seems…. Too busy to talk to me and I…. well I don’t know what it would accomplish.”

“I think it would be good for you to talk to someone who experienced the war.”

Etium sighed, “I didn’t really do much in the war. I sat there and just… was scared. The humans did everything.”

“I think you might find there are humans that feel the same way you do. I encourage you to talk to him. Knowing the man myself, I have no doubt that he will be accepting  of your story.” He held up his hands, “I don’t want to push you, but I do encourage you to let him know.”

I think it would be good for both of you