#but i feel like he might be approaching an explosion of his own. just a little later down the road

[confused-stars]

the thing about post-season 1 Ritsu is that he comes across as so well-adjusted, completely mentally healthy, and i don't buy it for a second

[nouearth]

breaking news.

bruce wayne x male reader headcanon.

summary: bruce has been making national headlines once again, but this time, you're caught up in it.

warnings: bale!bruce, panicked!reader, media frenzy surrounding relationship with bruce!

dating bruce wayne in public included explosive media coverage when the news of your relationship first leaked. for weeks upon weeks, it was all every news outlet and the public could talk about—gossip about. people couldn't flip through their tv, or scroll through their phone without seeing:

THIS JUST IN: BRUCE WAYNE, MULTI-BILLIONAIRE PHILANTHROPIST AND PLAYBOY, CAUGHT IN ROMANTIC RENDEZVOUS WITH... A MAN?

it all started with a photo; a voyeuristic shot that framed you and bruce sitting in one of the restaurants that he'd invested in, holding hands and laughing by the candle light. it was one of the many dates where he closed business for the night for privacy reasons—to keep you safe from the public's eye. and judging from the angle, it was evident that it was one of the employees that had managed to stay back in the building.

to be honest, it was tasteful. nothing scandalous or even remotely explicit, especially if you had to compare to the scandals of men of bruce's status. as much as you felt like your privacy was invaded, you couldn't help but feel relieved when you saw bruce's smile in the photo. the way he looked at you with such doting eyes, his thumb caressing over the bridge between your index and thumb, the plates of food left cold because you were addicted to his company, and vice versa.

it was an intimate moment that was ruined by selfishness—greed.

for a brief moment, you felt... scared. the windows in your apartment were immediately shut and blinded by curtains; the locks in your doors were triple-checked; your passwords were immediately changed to new ones you'd probably forget in the future. you felt eyes on your back, pierced through the walls, watching your every move even if they hadn't.

and as much as you teased bruce about leaving him after your fifteen minutes of fame, you needed him more than ever.

"bruce, what do i—what's happening?""alfred's coming, you're at home, right? i'm talking with my security team right now and—"

it wouldn't be long until people found out who the 'mysterious man' in question was.

in less than an hour, your social media presence had a tenfold increase. photos on your feed received more comments and likes you could ever count. many of them ran with the narrative that you were simply an object of bruce's undisclosed desire for men, his boy toy. and before you knew it, the news outlet began reporting the same, including their own findings of your life.

dating bruce wayne in public included him hugging you as soon as you arrived to his manor. it was a protective instinct that had been brewing since he heard how panicked—how afraid you were—on the phone. while multiple phones rang off the hook, bruce took the time to let you breathe into you, to find a sense of peace as he held you, comforted you with affectionate words in your ear, affectionate touches that rendered you calm and ultimately safe again.

dating bruce wayne in public included bruce addressing his relationship with you in a press conference. it was silly that it had come to this point, but he made sure his feelings regarding how the news outlets had turned a relationship between two men into a media frenzy were known.

"yes, i am in a loving relationship with (M/N)." "no, i am not dating a man for relevancy." "who wears the pants—really? security, let's escort him out, please?" "no, my fiancé is not what those rumors have suggested." "and yes, (M/N) is my fiancé. be kinder, and i ever so might have the fleeting thought to invite you all to my wedding."

dating bruce wayne in public meant that you were advised to keep your answers as vague as possible when you were approached by paparazzis. there were few times where you could escape, but they came in massive groups, bombarding you, and the security team that bruce had hired to protect you, with questions that would guarantee the tabloids massive engagement, but you wouldn't falter.

"ah... yes—he's doing very well, thank you." "oh? my coat? bruce gifted it to me on my birthday a few years ago!" "what do i like... uh, cooking! i make a mean burger—ask bruce yourself!"

and as the public began to know you more, through your timid answers, to the wary and tired smile that only emphasized the dark circles on your face, you were rather... charming? compared to bruce, they've quickly fallen in love with how personal you could be at times. where bruce was always stoic and formal in his answers, you stuttered and answered with a laugh, unexpectedly cracking a joke in between.

it didn't take much interaction before the public realized what made bruce fall in love with a man like you.

dating bruce wayne in public included you becoming quite of a celebrity yourself. alongside bruce's, your day was documented from the very minute you stepped onto a sidewalk and started your day. what was your order at the local coffee shop? what did you like having for lunch? your favorite movie? your favorite thing about bruce?

you were a hot commodity and everyone wanted a piece of you.

though, that never stopped your weekly dates with him. golfing, swimming, hiking, eating; you'd hear the clicks of photos being taken from the shadows, and it was bruce who always held you closer, by the shoulders or by the hand to remind you that you were safe with him.

"they'll get tired of us eventually.""hopefully..."

with him by your side, it wasn't so bad that the camera flashes never failed to blind you whenever you two shared a sweet kiss.

nouearth. please do not repost, plagiarize, or translate my works. andif you like this story, please reblog and leave a like!

[dilemmaontwolegs]

Shades of Grey || CL16 {1}

Summary: You may be the newest F1 driver for Williams but you have known Charles since your karting years. Being rival drivers never changed the fact he was your friend and would always look out for you, on and off the track. The only problem was you wished you could be more than friends. Warnings: 18+ only, reader injuries, angst. Word Count: 2k

F1 Masterlist || Part One || Part Two || Part Three || Part Four || Spotify Playlist

Adrenaline was always running through your veins the night before a race. It was the same explosive mix of brimming excitement laced with a hint of fear. So when the track was closed and the flood lights went dark you would quietly leave your motorhome and walk the grid. 

The silence was peaceful in a way that couldn’t be found at any other time. 3am was like a parallel universe where all the distractions and worries were lost to the stars above. You were in a world of your own.

“You should be sleeping,” Charles said as he looked down where you lay under the starting lights. 

You hadn’t even heard his footsteps approaching as you imagined the track, your fingers twitching with the memory of its banks and turns. Though it was cold asphalt beneath you, it was the memory of the moulded seat that you felt against your thin clothes. 

As the first and only female driver there was a pressure that the other drivers would never feel. You had to fight for not just your position but for all the future female drivers who aspired to race in Formula One. If you didn’t meet the expectations then it wasn’t just your future at stake and you felt the weight of that every time you sat in the car. It drove you to push harder and test the limits of the car, it drove you to practise more than the other drivers. 

You were pulled from your thoughts and looked up the length of his body. You took in everything from the loose grey sweatpants to the plain white t-shirt and then to the eyes that had been witness to your greatest and worst moments. 

“Lie down,” you said as you patted the cold ground beside you. “It’ll be like old times.”

“We’ve come a long way since F3.” Despite the words, he laid down beside you and you laced your hand with his. He had always let you take comfort in the touch since he knew how nervous you got, even after years of racing. Those nerves had only increased after your recent debut into Formula One. 

“Does it get easier?” you asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the silence of the night. 

You looked across at him, the moonlight illuminating his eyes that seemed torn between wanting to calm you and wanting to be honest. “It doesn’t get harder.”

You lost yourself in his eyes and remembered dreaming of a time when you thought the friendship might be more. That dream had slipped away as his career took off and yours remained the same. Your paths had no longer crossed often but you had still tried to keep in touch despite the newfound distance. If friendship was all you could have then you would take it if the alternative was having nothing. But you would always ask yourself ‘what if’.

“You’ll catch a cold lying down here all night,” Charles said, cleaving through the moment and shaking you from your daydream. “Vamos.” You groaned but let him pull you to your feet and he slung his arm over your shoulders. “Can’t have you anything but your best for tomorrow.”

“Maybe it will be the day I finally beat you.”

Charles chuckled. “Would I still have to be your slave for a week?”

You laughed at the reminder of the challenge that had been set years ago and shook your head. “I wouldn’t know what to do with you for a whole week.”

He looked down the corner of his eye at you and his lips twitched up. “I’m sure you’d think of something.”

Your heart skipped a beat at the deepening in his tone and the way he swallowed afterwards like the words were thick with meaning. Were you reading too far into it? Was it just hope leading you to misunderstand the innocent statement? 

You would never be brave enough to ask him and risk making a fool of yourself, so you parted ways when you reached your motorhome. 

“Goodnight, Charles,” you murmured as you reached the first step and turned, the added height leaving you eye to eye.

He leaned in slowly and you froze as his cologne infused with the air you breathed before his warm lips pressed softly to your cheek. “Goodnight, Y/N. Sweet dreams.”

You hated starting towards the back of the grid but there was only so much you could do with a car that didn’t have a big budget like some of the other teams. Still, Williams had given you an opportunity no other team had so you would make the best of it. 

The first light turned red and you began your starting sequence. At lights out the world faded away. There was no one and nothing but four wheels and the track. 

Accelerate, brake, turn, repeat.

Your pace was strong but it wasn’t enough and though you overtook a McLaren, an AlphaTauri and a Hass, the leaders were coming from behind to lap you. You kept aside on the straights, letting Max, Lewis and Checo overtake with their DRS that you couldn’t match and then a familiar red Ferrari appeared in your mirrors. 

The last straight of the lap was coming to an end but Charles moved to take the outside and you spared a glance as he passed. You swore he looked right back at you despite the concentration he needed to keep on the tight corner he was entering. 

It all happened so quickly but on the contrary time seemed to slow down. 

You turned your steering wheel into the corner and felt the tension pop as the entire console dislodged from the locking system that held it in place. The corner was rapidly closing and you were stuck on a collision course towards the barrier with a console that wouldn’t click back into place. You slammed your foot on the brake and all four wheels locked, tread burning plumes of smoke as the friction melted the rubber.

Charles turned into the corner and you begged the universe to let him pass before you reached him. A shudder rippled through the chassis as your front wing clipped his back tire and a new fear gripped you as he spun back around to face you. For a moment you were face to face and his gloved hand reached above the halo as if he could save you from what was to come. 

You took comfort in that small gesture and crossed your arms over your harness to brace for impact. 

Weightlessness washed over you as the car hit the gravel side on and the right hand tires dug in, the shift in the mass lifting the left hand wheels off the ground. Pain exploded through you as the entire weight of the car slammed down into the gravel and flipped too many times to count. 

Sky. Gravel. Sky. Gravel. Sky. Grass. Sky.

Your radio crackled in your ear as the world stopped spinning and you stared up at the blue sky over Imola. “Are you okay?”

The taste of copper filled your mouth and when you tried to speak only a pained wheeze came out. You couldn’t understand what was happening as the sky turned grey, the sunlight fading before your eyes. 

“Y/N!” 

You could hear Charles screaming over the ringing in your ears but you couldn’t answer him, though you desperately tried to. It was getting harder to breathe through the bubbling in your chest and the little air you could pull was laced with smoke and fumes. 

You looked up at the grey sky again and felt the sudden heat against your back. Not clouds. Smoke. 

You reached for the harness and screamed through the pain of trying to unbuckle them with the ribs that were undoubtedly broken. 

“Let me go!” Charles screamed. “Help her!” 

The heat was unbearable even with the fireproofs and there was a moment where the world seemed to fall silent, like the very air had frozen still. The bubble burst out in a shockwave. White hot light flashed blindingly bright and in an instant the pain was gone. 

The track was empty and the debris had long since been cleared. The only reminder of the horrific crash were the deep gouges in the grass verge and the damaged concrete wall that had stopped you going any further. 

You didn’t belong here. You didn’t belong in this black and white world, this place where all the colour had faded away like a photograph left in the sun. Where you had once seen the world in vibrant blues, lively greens and…Ferrari red, it was all now shades of grey.

Was this the end? Was this how your eternity would be spent, anchored to the last place you remembered?

“Happy Birthday.” A quiet voice broke your revelry and a moment of warmth filled you as he unknowingly stepped through the spot you stood. A shiver went down his spine and the petals of the bouquet he held trembled before he placed them on the scorch marks that stained the concrete wall. 

Your birthday? How much time had passed while you stood rooted to the track?

“I’m sorry it took so long to visit.” He sank to his knees on the grass, not caring about the mud that stained his jeans as he dropped his head in his hands. “I miss you.” 

You wished you could ease his pain but the hand you placed on his shoulder went right through. Arthur’s didn’t though, and you watched as his brother comforted him in a way you no longer could. 

“I miss you too,” you whispered to the wind that picked up down the straight. 

“She was so nervous before the race. What if she felt something was going to go wrong? What if I missed something?”

“Charles, you can’t beat yourself up wondering ‘what if’. It was an accident, and it doesn’t make it any easier to swallow but they happen,” Arthur said as he sat beside his older brother. “You’ve read the report, the steering console malfunctioned.”

“Arthur’s right,” Pierre said as he arrived with his own bouquet of flowers, placing them beside Charles’. “There was nothing anyone could have done.”

Charles sighed with defeat and seemed to shrink in upon himself as he plucked out the black blades of grass. “I could have told her how I felt. I always thought we would have time, I always thought I would have her.”

Your soul shattered at his admission and if you could cry in this state the track would have become an ocean. All those years wasted when if you had just told him how you felt you would have found out he felt the same. 

You would give anything to have that time back.

“You’re talking like she’s dead already,” Pierre snapped and you jerked your head around to him. “There’s still a chance she could wake up.”

Charles scrambled to his feet and the agony in his eyes nearly drove you to your knees. “Shut the fuck up!”

Charles ran his hands through his hair and tugged at the stands until he screamed to the heavens above. Birds erupted from the treelines and took flight at the piercing sound but Pierre just shook his head sadly.

He didn’t want to have hope. He didn’t want to be shattered by it again.

“She’s not Jules, Charles,” Pierre said, flinching when his friend glared at him. “Just go visit her, if anyone can bring her back it’s you.”

Charles turned his back and started to walk away without a goodbye and you took a step without realising it, then another. The invisible anchor that had kept you trapped at the crash site untethered from your feet and you were able to follow Charles. 

He paused beneath the starting line and looked up at the lights you had laid beneath. Gone were the stars that you could wish upon, now only dark grey clouds remained.

“If anyone up there is listening, I could really do with a miracle, or a sign, or anything. Just something. Please.” His voice broke and he wiped his eyes on his sleeve before sniffing and departing the grid.

Click here for part two.

[hyperactively-me]

Ok, humor me plz. Princess!reader finally gets fed up with shit and out of frustration slaps king!ghost in the face. The need to slap a bitch in this fic is increasing by the day lmao. I can imagine he like grabs her arm when she is walking away from him while he is talking to her and she reflexively just slaps him. On the inside she is like "aw fuck" but the outside she just has fire in her eyes.

wow oh wow, yeah, this would 100% happen. love to see it. love this, thank you, anon!

You were on your second to last day of travel. Tomorrow, you will reach Kastron and officially begin your new life. Lovely.

It was the evening, sun low in the sky. Pinks and oranges fall in between the cracks of the trees, casting golden shadows all around. Honestly, you loved the forest. 

You take one look back at the hustle and bustle of the servants setting up camp. When was the last time this whole journey you had a moment to yourself? Taking a breath, you turn and start exploring the forest around you. The leaves beneath your feet made a comforting, rhythmic crunching sound merging with the distant symphony of singing birds and the gentle rustling of leaves in the air. The air was filled with a soothing earthy aroma, a reminder of your garden's numerous plants and flowers. You couldn't help but notice how the sunlight filtered through the leaves above, creating intricate patterns of light and shadow on the forest floor.

You bask in the sunlight for a moment longer. The sun is starting to dip lower on the horizon, a chilly wind picking up, blowing your hair. Taking a long, deep breath in, you make your way back to camp. 

That’s when you catch a glint in the corner of your eye. Armor. Helmetless, yet a balaclava still covers his idiotic face. Not that you’ve seen it before. And there Ghost is.

He's standing in a clearing, practically marching toward you like a soldier heading into battle. The intensity of his anger is palpable, radiating off him like heat from a furnace. He strides forward purposefully, like a soldier going into battle, each step echoing with frustration and resentment. 

The sight stops you in your tracks, sending goosebumps up your arms. His demeanor is unwavering, his countenance a blend of rage and exasperation. It's as if his entire being is consumed by the storm of emotions brewing within him, and you can practically feel the crackling tension in the air.

Your heart begins to race as he gets closer, the sound of your own pulse pounding in your ears. You're split between the impulse to flee and the realization that running will only make matters worse. So you hold your ground, your breath seizing in your throat as he approaches.

As he comes to a stop just a few paces away, a charged silence hangs between you. His chest rises and falls rapidly, his eyes locked onto yours with a mixture of fire and frustration. You can almost taste the words that are poised to spill from his lips, words that could either alleviate the tension or ignite an even more explosive reaction.

You search for words, for some explanation or apology that might defuse the impending confrontation, but your mind feels blank, all thoughts evaporated.

“What were you thinking?” he's seething.

“I—”

“What were you thinking?” 

His hands flex at his sides. 

Your mouth flounders, trying to find an explanation.

“What, you thought I ran off?” 

The words slip out before you can think twice, your own frustration rising to meet his anger. His eyes narrow, a mixture of surprise and something else you can't quite decipher flickering across his face. The tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife, and you're both caught in a standoff, emotions swirling like a whirlpool between you.

“Something could’ve happened—”

“Nothing happened!”

“You could’ve been hurt. Or lost. Or kidnapped. Or killed.” 

You scoff, throwing your hands up in the air animatedly. 

“Yeah, you only care about your little fiance running off because you can’t control her every move, her every—”

“No, that’s not—”

“Oh, I’m sorry, your majesty, did I step out of line? 

“Stop.”

“Oh, please, forgive me, your majesty, I forgot that I’m supposed to be the perfect little wife—”

“Enough.” His voice is sharp, cutting through the air like a blade.

The forest seems to bear witness to this clash, the rustling leaves and the evening sounds seeming to echo the turmoil of your exchange. He takes a step closer, his frustration still evident but tempered by something else. His chest rises and falls with his breaths, his gaze locked onto yours. 

You wait for him to say something. When he doesn’t, you scoff, not even bothering to look at him as you push past him, knocking your shoulder on his chestplate. Immediately upon passing him, he seizes your wrist to halt your movement, his grip iron-tight, whipping you around to face him. In response, before you can even think about what you’re doing, your hand instinctively meets his cheek with a forceful slap, right across Ghost’s face. 

The sound of the slap is followed by a stunned silence. He doesn’t let go of your wrist, but his eyes widen in shock. His free hand comes up to touch his cheek where the sting of the slap lingers. You’re breathing hard, trying to yank your wrist out of his grip. Suddenly he drops your wrist, watching you stumble back from the force, giving you space.

His expression is a mix of offense and regret. He rolls out his jaw, tugs his balaclava more securely on his face, hands flexing at his sides. The last of the days sunlight filters through the trees, casting a gentle glow over his armor. For a moment, you don’t regret it. Hell, he’s been nothing short of overbearing and a nuisance since you met. But, for some reason, a small part of you feels bad. Maybe his anger had its roots in concern, but the way he expressed it had only fueled your own frustration. 

“I’m tired of feeling like my every move has to be scrutinized,” you admit, your voice carrying a touch of weariness. “I can take care of myself.” 

“Yeah, well, you’re gonna have to prove that to me, sweetheart.”

“I’ve got plenty of time,” you say quietly.

He sidesteps you, a range of emotions flickering across his face. 

“Don’t run off like that again,” he murmurs. “Fuckin’ hell.” 

You nod slowly, wringing your hands. 

“I’m sorry.”

“Go,” he commands, hand resting on his hilt. 

You look up at him, his foot tapping, waiting for you to go. With that, you turn on your heel and make your back up to camp. He follows on a few feet behind you, his shadow cast over you as you head back.

- - - - -

(masterlist)

[artemismoorea03]

DP x DC: Reaction Time

Based on the Danny Phantom Episode: Flirting With Disaster

(Another idea I've never seen anybody else use so I'm going to go with it)

When the United States sent up a new Satellite the Justice League had conflicting feelings about it all. Yes, it wasn't any danger to the Watchtower and was nothing more but a mild annoyance. Mostly because 'Axion Labs' had built the damn thing after constantly refusing to share their specs with any competitors and everybody was very tightly lipped about it. They had no idea if it were safe, what it was capable of, and it was ugly.

It turned out that the satellite was just the processing unit but that due to 'Secret Axion Labs technology' was able to access any and al devices to allow world wide alerts to go out in a matter of seconds. Which wouldn't have been a bad thing if A) The Justice League had even a glimps of what data they would be sending, B) Axion Labs could even be trusted - which they couldn't, and C) if the owner of Axion Labs wasn't also on Batman's personal "Watchlist" for a multitude of reasons one of which was blackmail and fraud.

Batman didn't trust it and specifically made any possible adjustment on their equipment that they could to prevent anybody from hacking into their systems or finding out their personal information.

For a few months things were fine until one day things suddenly changed.

It was a rare mid-day meeting to talk about the increasing number of Lazarus Pits popping up around the world when a sudden bright green laser shot out from the middle of Illinois and hit the ugly satellite.

In seconds every Justice League member was on their feet and at the window, watching the situation with wide eyes while Martian Manhunter multitasked and started trying to locate the source of the problem. Batman watched as he obnoxious round dome on the satellite suddenly morphed into something green and almost alive. It was glowing and face like as it laughed, it's voice echoing through space as it boomed.

"IT'S OVER, CHILD! YOU CAN'T STOP ME NOW!"

Batman was thankful that he had updated the security on the Watchtower and his stuff back in Gotham City but now he was left spiraling and concerned. What happened to the satellite? Why was it suddenly sentient?! WHAT THE HELL WAS HAPPENING?!

"There are two figures approaching the satellite." Superman said, "Without a ship."

"What?!" The collective comment formed as the satellite began to move on it's own and Batman pulled up the camera's from the outside while pulling up more information from earth.

The outside cameras showed what looked like two teenagers - one in a red suit that definitely wasn't meant to be a space suit and one in no suit at all just a helmet and what looked like some kind of jetpack!

Pink lasers shot out of the satilitte down the earth, making Batman fear the worst as news became flooded with a glowing green face of a man with long white hair in a mullet and a black and white suit of some kind. He was laughing wildly.

Suddenly earth was thrown into chaos.

Street signs changed, electronics came to life all over not just America but the entire planet as one by one areas were struck by pink lasers. The teenager with the mask flew at the satellite with glowing green energy shooting out of their hands as it effortlessly bounced off of the machine.

"Whoever that kid is, he seems to know what's going on." Flash said quickly, "We might be able to hack into the helmet and form some kind of communication."

"Maybe I should go out there." Superman suggested.

"Not yet, that glow could mean trouble." Batman grumbled and Superman deflated slightly, "Let's try to contact the kid." He said, getting to work on hacking into the kids helmet when the second kid in the red suit suddenly slammed into the one in the mask, trapping them in the middle of some kind of hoverboard.

Suddenly there was an explosion, a crack in the back of the jetpack as the kid tried to break free, firing a blast at the red one, throwing the two of them apart. The red one went limp while the green seemed surprised at their own actions before flying towards the satellite, flying in front of it. The teen pulled off the jetpack, turned it on, then let it go as the satellite opened what looked like it's mouth and swallowed the jetpack.

Which - understandably - exploded and destroyed the satellite in turn. The faces were yanked off of the news, all of the machines which had been powered up were suddenly shut down and fell harmlessly to the ground.

Disaster had been averted in a matter of minutes and just as quickly both teens vanished.

"What the hell just happened?" Gawked Superman.

"I don't know... but Axion Labs has a lot of explaining to do." Batman glared. "Let's find out as much as we can about the Illinois location."

"Amity Park Illinois." Flash said, already having information pulled up. "It's - oh."

"Oh?" Green Arrow repeated.

That was never good.

"Uh... yeah, looks like this isn't gonna be an 'on the way conversation'. Looks like we have a new meeting topic."

They learned about the kid they had seen, Ghosts, and half a dozen attacks that probably should have at least caught the attention of Justice League yet they had never even heard of these things.

They had never heard about Danny Phantom or the problems Amity Park was having but that was going to change from that moment on. They were taking a fieldtrip to Amity Park. To meet Danny Phantom, figure out what was happening, talk to Axion Labs, and figure out how the hell they hadn't heard about any of this.

[sinisteryanderescribe]

Hello Sia I was thinking of what Norton's reaction if Nurse Reader if she got invited into the manor

Maybe in the ashes of memories timeline Nurse Reader is like an employee that the manor hired to help with Alice, because she isn't feeling well during the part 2

Then Nurse Reader saw Norton doing during the night or something

A Memorable Face

…………………………………………………………………………….

…………………………………………………………………………….

Norton is likely to experience a range of emotions upon encountering you at the manor. Given his experiences in the mines, he might initially feel a mix of surprise, confusion, and perhaps even a tinge of gratitude upon seeing you again. The memories of the explosion, as well as the care and kindness you showed him during his recovery, could resurface, evoking a sense of nostalgia and perhaps even a renewed appreciation for you.

Moreover, Norton might undergo a transformation as he realizes the significance of you being at the manor. He may be compelled to reflect on his past behavior towards you, recognising how you had treated him with kindness and respect despite his initial coldness. This realisation may lead Norton to feel a sense of remorse and a desire to make amends for his past demeanor. Even though you may be a class higher than him, he couldn’t help but admit to having a soft spot for you.

Norton's heart raced as he stepped into the opulent halls of the manor, his mind still reeling from the enigmatic invitation that had brought him to this place. The memories of the mine explosion, the acrid scent of smoke, and the agonizing pain that had wracked his body flooded back with every echoing footstep. As he navigated the grand corridors, his thoughts drifted to the you who had tended to him during those dark days of recovery, your unwavering kindness a stark contrast to his own initial aloofness.

Meanwhile, you who was just hired by a strange manor just walked out of Alice’s room after tending to her, a sweet but noisy little thing she is. As you wandered the ornate halls of the manor, a sense of anticipation mingled with trepidation, your thoughts inevitably turning to the enigmatic figure of Norton, whose distant demeanor had not dulled the empathy and care you had shown him during his convalescence.

You’ve always wondered what could have happened to the man. After the accident of the explosion the news stated that there were no survivors but there was a few who got heavily injured and some who were reported missing…

It was under the moon's silvery gaze that your paths converged once more. Norton, his troubled gaze scanning the dimly lit ballroom, caught sight of you, a familiar figure amidst the gathering. Time seemed to stand still as your eyes met across the room, a torrent of unspoken emotions swirling between them. The years had etched lines of wisdom and resilience on your faces, yet the bond forged in the crucible of adversity remained palpable, an invisible thread that connected their souls.

For Norton, the sight of you reignited a long-buried ember of gratitude and remorse. His steps faltered as he approached you, the weight of unspoken apologies and newfound appreciation heavy on his tongue. As he stood before you, the flickering candlelight casting a soft glow on your features, he found himself at a loss for words.

…you were still as beautiful as ever.

In that fleeting moment, you beheld the man you had once nursed back to health, your hand tenderly cubbing his cheek, grazing your thumb on his cheek. His gruff exterior now softened by the passage of time. The echo of distant pain lingered in his eyes, yet beneath the surface, you glimpsed a glimmer of vulnerability that had eluded you before. As your gazes locked, an unspoken understanding passed between you, bridging the chasm of silence that had separated you for so long.

The touch of your soft skin stirred a tempest of emotions within Norton, kindling a fervent desire to express the depths of his guilt and remorse. Yet he didn’t know when to start.

With a reverent touch Norton gently wrapped his arms around you, drawing you into the shelter of his embrace. He found solace in the gentle curve of your waist, his touch a whispered vow of unyielding devotion. Pressing his lips against the crown of your head, his breath mingling with the soft tendrils of your hair.

“ Norton…”

The man said nothing but with a whispered sigh, he nuzzled his nose and face in your hair, inhaling the delicate fragrance that enveloped you. The heavy scent of your perfume stirred a symphony of memories, each note a testament to the enduring imprint you had left on his heart.

There’s so much to ask but right now, you stayed silent as you melted in Norton’s arms…

[daytaker]

Can you do how the brothers would react to a mc who bottles/masks their emotions? im autistic and tend to do this slot due to my autism. sorry for any english mistake i made, it's not my first language

Hi Anon! I'll do my best! 🫡

Demon Brothers React to MC who masks their emotions!

(Some specific attention to masking autism appears at points, but I tried to focus on general emotional masking.)

Each brother will catch on to what's happening with you at their own pace. I'll list them in the order I think they'd either catch on or effectively behave as if they have caught on (in Beel's case).

Beelzebub

Beel might not be the first to actively understand, "Oh, this person is masking their emotions," but he will never act as if there's something wrong with how you behave. He's very chill and often quite stoic himself, so he doesn't see this as a sign that you're arrogant or boring or otherwise "lacking" in some way. That's just the way you are.

Because he sees this as "just the way you are," he doesn't make any special provisions for how to treat you. When you're not emoting, you're not emoting. On the rare cases where you're visibly upset, you're upset. Beel is a good, dependable demon to have around at times like this, because he's quiet and nonjudgmental. He's willing to hug you, or not, depending on what you want. You can talk to him, or you can just sit with him and not say anything. Basically, Beel is a blessing and probably the person you're able to feel connected with the soonest.

Lucifer

Lucifer, being very perceptive, will probably have an inkling from the start that there's more going on behind the scenes than you like to show, but it will take some sort of incident for it to hit home. Maybe something shocking happens and you seem to dissociate rather than "act shocked", for example. Or you explode into a sudden rage after smothering your feelings for too long. Eventually, the mask always slips, and Lucifer will catch onto this quite quickly.

When he feels he understands the basic situation, he'll be protective of you, but in a standoffish sort of way. He'll recognize your need for alone time and put forth extra effort to keep his brothers from pestering you when you seem especially worn out. He's also the sort who might put into place or recognize some sort of nonverbal way of communicating your needs. Texting emojis, for example, or whether you leave your door ajar or closed. He doesn't tend to come out and specifically ask you what's wrong, though. He's more cautious in his approach.

Asmodeus

Asmo is most likely to recognize it after spending time together and watching your social battery drain and then die completely. If you're the sort of person whose self-control erodes when you become socially exhausted, you'll probably make it clear at this point that you have stores of intense emotions that you keep hidden.

After this, he'll be surprisingly attentive to your needs. He tries to preempt any potential explosions of emotion by taking you to get massages or buying you lotions and tonics meant to soothe you.

He'll also be protective of you, getting between you and his brothers if he thinks they're going to bother or overwhelm you. And if any of his brothers seem like they don't understand why you act the way you do, he'll come to your defense.

Satan

Satan has plenty of experience learning to suppress his emotions, so it's not much of a surprise to him that this is what you're doing. The reason he doesn't figure it out sooner is probably because he's less interested in spending time with you at the beginning than some of the others. As you start to interact more often, though, he'll recognize the masking behaviors.

Satan hates to be questioned about his feelings, so he won't do that with you at all. Instead, he'll just recommend you a few books and show you the best local places to pet cats. Sure, those happen to be his best coping strategies for dealing with big feelings, but what works for him might work for you too. After that, he feels a sort of unspoken camaraderie with you, and you become someone he likes to sit with quietly while you each do your own thing.

Mammon

Now we're getting to the brothers who struggle to understand the situation. Mammon feels put out when he doesn't get the reactions he wants to his statements and behaviors. He's a theatrical guy, and even if the response he gets isn't positive, he still wants to get something. He's not quite sure how to react when he doesn't get anything. This will make him a little insecure with you, which he might in turn mask as frustration. He'll probably be confused the first time he sees a major slip, and he might need one of his brothers to nudge him in the right direction to understand what's going on.

After he gets it, he'll be much more considerate of you. He won't get frustrated with you for your lack of visible emotions, and he might seek out other ways to express (and receive) affection, because that's something he really craves from any relationship. He still wishes you'd react more to his shenanigans, but he might get up the nerve to just ask you directly what you think about things instead of hoping for some sort of reaction that will tell him what he wants to know.

Leviathan

Levi is an interesting case. There are a lot of headcanons about Levi being autistic, and I'm not here to argue for or against that. But in the case that you are an autistic person who masks, he might not recognize what you're dealing with as remotely similar to him, because whether he's on the spectrum or not, he barely masks at all. He's extremely emotive, very open about his special interests, and generally wears his emotions on his sleeve. He'll perceive masking as coldness, or maybe even haughtiness, and he might resent you for it unfairly. At any rate, he'll probably feel uncomfortable with you until either you slip so badly that he has no choice but to start to realize what's happening or, like with Mammon, someone explains it to him.

As I see it, your relationship with Levi could progress in two different ways.

The first is "rather slowly." Even if he understands that you're masking your emotions, he still doesn't quite know how to deal with such a lack of enthusiasm, and he often worries that you're bored. He's an overthinker, and he can never quite convince himself that you don't actually think he's an insufferable loser, because if you mask your emotions, how does he know that the emotion you're masking isn't disgust?

The second is "the good listener." Sometimes, Levi just wants a sounding board to jabber at about his special interests. If you don't feel bothered by that, he'd probably love to talk and talk and talk...and talk and talk...and talk... and talk and talk about whatever games, manga, idol groups, or anime he's into at the moment. If you're interested in those things too, you could really bond over this, especially if you text him your own thoughts and ideas about these subjects. Reassurance that he isn't actually boring you to death is always a good thing for him.

Belphegor

Belphie, more than any of his brothers, isn't too interested in working through difficult relationships to get to understand the other person. If we treat this scenario as one where Belphie isn't just trapped in the attic from the start and instead has time to interact with you the same way as his brothers, he'll probably find you fairly cold and unreliable. He also seems, to me, less interested in adjusting his treatment towards you once he is made aware of your situation. I'm not a Belphie hater! I want to put that out there now. I'm fairly Belphie-neutral. But he does strike me as the most traditionally selfish brother, and being extra conscientious of you and your feelings doesn't seem like it would be his top priority.

At the same time, he's used to Beel, who isn't an overly emotional person either, so it might not bother him much. He just isn't probably the best person to go to when you need emotional support. But he'd be a decent friend when you're both in a good mood. Out of all of the brothers, he's probably the one who would be least compatible with you in any kind of romantic relationship.

[slayfics]

Explosive Tendencies a slow but fanfic about the readers developing relationship with Katsuki Bakugo.

Chapter five: the test exercises are finally here.

Chapter links

With the written tests completed, the test exercise was finally commencing. It was revealed that the test exercise was for two students to go up against one of the U.A. teachers.

Katsuki had stormed off practically as soon as he was told his partner was Izuku. You watched as he walked off and Izuku's face fell. It was clear Izuku would have liked to strategize with him especially given that they were paired against All Might.

You weren't exactly shocked that even those circumstances didn't persuade Katsuki to talk to Izuku. The rest of the class seemed to just pass off Katsuki as hating Izuku and being a bully, which wasn't exactly wrong. However, it was painfully obvious to you that things ran even deeper than that.

Katsuki didn't just simply hate Izuku, there was something about Izuku that triggered Katsuki's own insecurities. As if Izuku being a good hero would make Katsuki less of one. You couldn't really understand why though. What was it about Izuku that triggered those insecurities so deeply with Katsuki?

Even more, it baffled you that Katsuki clearly had so much he wanted to prove to himself. He was already an amazing hero and you all had only been at U.A. for just a few months. Could he not see how everyone else looked at him in awe? Sure fear and disdain too, but the admiration and passion he sparked in everyone else by far outweighed the negatives.

After strategizing with your own partner you decided to walk over to check on him.

"How are you doing?" You asked, approaching Katsuki.

"How the hell do you think? Out of everyone I could have been paired with I get stuck with that fucking loser," He barked, still agitated at the pairing.

"Yeah, I figured you'd say something like that," You laughed.

"Then why even bother coming over to annoy me?" He asked.

You tried to ignore his signature attitude and get to the point before he stormed off again.

"Well, Aizawa said they picked these match-ups for various reasons. Including interpersonal relationships. I think there's a clear reason they paired you with Midoriya. They want to see if you both can push aside whatever this bad blood is for the sake of taking down a villain. As much as you hate it, imagine if you and Midoriya did have to work together on a mission as pros one day."

"Don't you think I figured that shit out already? I'm not dumb."

"Then what are you doing sitting here and not strategizing with him? You two have the toughest teacher," You responded.

"I'm going to show them that I don't need to work with that nerd ever. I'll take care of it myself," He grumbled.

"You'll take care of All Might... by yourself. I thought you just said you weren't dumb?" You replied, pushing out the rest of his patience.

"I said I'd handle it! Why the fuck are you here trying to help me anyway," He yelled and shoulder-checked you as he left. Even though he'd never admit it, he knew you were right, but it was going to take a beat down from All Might before he'd admit it to himself.

Inevitably, the match between the two boys and All Might had left them in bad condition. You couldn't help but feel a bit proud of Katsuki while watching the match. Even though it pained him he did work with Izuku in the test even letting him use one of his gauntlets. This of course only happened after he tried to take on All Might single-handedly with no success. However, you knew how hard that was for him and after seeing how fiercely he fought in the exercise you felt you had to visit him.

A few other students were crowded around Recovery Girl's door waiting to hear about others who had gotten hurt in their matches. You sat on the floor while you waited for Recovery Girl to come out and announce it was okay for everyone to come in and visit Katsuki and Izuku.

The hall was filled with echoing voices of students talking about their own matches mixed in with anxious comments about those who were hurt. You noticed quite a few students were here to see Izuku. Finally, Recover Girl came out announcing that Izuku was awake and well enough to have visitors, however, Katsuki was still knocked out and not likely to wake up for a while. At that news, you grabbed your stuff and left. A few classmates noticed your swift exit but didn't call after you, as they were too anxious to get in and talk to Izuku.

Some time later you decided to try and visit him again. This time you found he was awake and able to have visitors.

"You look like crap," You said walking next to his bed.

"You came here just to tell me that?"

"No, I came to say... that I'm proud of you. I know it wasn't easy for you to work as a team with Midoryia but you did it," You replied. Katsuki's face scrunched up and he seemed to wince internally at your comment.

"Shut the hell up I don't want to hear that shit from you. Just go back to saying I look like crap or get out," He said, turning his gaze from you to the ceiling.

You couldn't help but laugh. Even though he had done it and overcame his pride for just a bit to work with Izuku his resentment toward him was not letting up.

"Well, you do look like crap. All Might beat the shit out of you... but you weren't ever going to give up and that's pretty admirable. Glad you're feeling better," You said and left the room.

Katsuki’s eyes widened at your short-lived praise. It was praise that came with no judgment attached, unlike the feedback he had gotten since starting U.A. You didn’t tell him anything he did wrong or could have done differently. You didn’t berate him for not getting over his pride sooner or being too mean. You only focused on the positives and that wasn’t something he or anyone else around him did.

Tags: @unofficialmuilover @anon-mouse233 @maddietries

[lilisette]

Masks Under the Chandelier | Caleb/Reader

About: A fic idea wherein you and Caleb meet months later in a gala. To you, this person is a stranger you just met. But to this person, you were more than that...

Pairing: Caleb/Reader

Notes: Might actually write this tbh... Caleb is my favorite ngl hahaha...

Warnings: Spoilers for Chapter 4! Please do not read if you haven't read it yet!

Imagine there is a gala or some high class event where you have to attend, perhaps as part of the event's security detail. With all the Metafluxes and Wanderers going about, it's important that the organizers call a few hunters to protect them from harm. But them going in uniform will no doubt alert the guests so you have to go undercover and dress up in a formal party outfit, a gown or whatever you wish to wear.

And by chance, because of all the important people there, the organization that kidnapped Caleb (since he is not dead idc what the game says) is invited to attend too. So they send Caleb, undercover of course, to attend.

Caleb donned a new persona, dyed his hair, wear contacts and all to ensure no one would recognize him. He attends and lo and behold, he bumps into you while wandering the event hall.

While Caleb has a new persona, his voice is still unchanged and when Caleb, in shock, whispers your nickname, cause- wow you looks amazing-, you turn toward him in shock and-

"Pipsqueak?" "Caleb?" "I-" Caleb almost responded to your call, but quickly remembered that he isn't Caleb now... He could never be anymore. "Sorry miss...?" The hope that was evident in your eyes dimmed, and his heart broken all over again when your eyes softened, a sad smile gracing your face. "I'm sorry, I thought... I thought you were someone I knew for a moment." You said, the distance between you and him so close, yet so far. There was an invisible wall between you and him now, and he hated it.

You and him talk for a bit, about why you both were there. Caleb keeps getting distracted by you because he has never seen you like this before, dolled up and oh so beautiful under the crystal chandeliers. There were many times where he almost slipped up and mention something that only the both of you know, but he caught himself. And god does he hate it. He's your best friend from childhood dammit (yes zayne exists but he likes to think you prefer him over zayne), why can't he...

Why can't he be close to you anymore?

It's ironic, Caleb thought, that you were telling him, a stranger, things that he as Caleb never knew. He asked you about who you have mistaken him for, and the answer shook him to his core.

"My childhood friend. He is... well, was, my best friend." You say wistfully, staring off into the crowd and imagining what would it be like if he was still here with you. He was about to make another comment, but stopped when you opened you mouth to continue. "And perhaps... If he was still around... We would've been something much more than that." The guilt and sadness that pierced through him then was so overwhelming it almost made him kneel. And yet, like a glutton for punishment, he asked. "You think you two would've been lovers?" "Not without us being honest with each other for once. But eventually... Yes."

You two talk for a bit more until you both feel a spike in the air, your watch that was disguised as a bracelet alerting you to wanderers in the area. You tell him to not alert everywhere because it will incite panic, and made your exit.

Unbeknownst to you, he trails after you, just like the time before the whole explosion happened. He watches you take down the wanderers with ease but then he sees a wanderer spawning just behind you, and without second thought, he uses his own evol to fling the wanderer away.

But before you could turn to see who it was who saved you, he hides behind cover. And before you could approach the spot, the wanderer stands up again, giving him ample time to slip away.

He watches you return to your post afterwards, and when you spot him again, he asks you whether you're okay and-

"Yes I am, thank you for your concern. Though..." You trailed off, your mind still stuck on the mystery of who saved you back there. "Is there something wrong?" "No! No. I just... No, it's nothing, probably just my imagination." You said, looking away and into the crowd of guests who were unaware of the Wanderer sighting, missing the look of guilt that was plastered all over his face.

Caleb, even under a different persona, was constantly worried about you. He waited for you to report to captain Jenna and escorted you home after the whole event. Before opening the door to your apartment however, you turned towards him.

"You don't have to do this, you know." "I insist." He expected you to open the door and leave, and you two will never see each other again, but instead, you looked towards him and smiled. "I thought about what you said. I think... I think you're right. I should start moving on." You said, and before he could ask why you were telling him this, you handed him your phone. "If it's alright, can we exchange numbers?"

Caleb knew he shouldn't do this. The organization specifically said that he was not to contact you at all costs. But well, Caleb reasoned with himself, they didn't say he cannot contact you while under a new persona. So he gave you his number as well.

The moment you entered your apartment and him in the elevator, he leaned against the wall and sighed.

What the fuck did he just get himself into?

[kpop-fanatic-lover16]

Turn Traitor - Hwang Hyunjin

Pairing: Skz Hyunjin x fem!reader

Genre: Mafia!au, enemies to lovers!trope, supernatural!au

Word count: 29k

Warnings: murder, talks of death, panic attacks, mentions of hell/satanic behavior (it's light not heavy), torture, drowning, suggestiveness, some intensive fight scenes, fighting scenes aren't written well...let me know if I missed something.

Disclaimer: none of these characters depict or display the members of Skz accurately. The personalities are purely fictional for the plot of this story.

A/n: it's finally here!!!!! Yeahhhhhh 29k is my apology for not posting sooner. Once again this is different from what I've written before and my writing style has changed some. Anyway hope you enjoy!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Darkness…emptiness…despair. Three feelings circling the room like tornado clouds that were waiting, begging, to form a funnel of destruction. Those dark clouds began to form overhead, blocking the ceiling, thick and rolling. Just like a real storm, the atmospheric energy erupted goosebumps over your arms; hairs on the nape raising uncomfortably. Just looking at him, you knew his mind was completely lost in his anger.

“You’re scaring me,” your voice was weary, only ever seeing this emotional reaction twice in your life. Both of those times being from your father not your older brother.

His words flowed through his eyes, like a river of death daring anyone to pass through and suffer the wrath of its currents. He was a raging river of death.

They would all pay. All of them.

“Minho,” you whispered, it took all your courage to approach him in his anger to lay a hand on his left cheek. His eyes were glossed over in anger. “Minho, please stop.”

Lee Minho. Storm user and Darkness user.

When the clouds flashed with lightening, fear struck through you. Out of fear of what might happen, a strong thick fog of pure white shot from you and filled the room from floor to ceiling, taking all of the anger and atmospheric energy with it. A hand reached out to you.

“Y/n,” came his breathless voice. Like an echoed whisper calling for you. “Let go.”

You grasped the hand tightly as ice cold tears streamed down your face, hair completely white, skin ice pale. A hiss sounded in the distance when your hand intertwined with the person reaching for you.

“Y/n!” the voice was strained. “Let go!”

In an instant, the fog drew back to you with the speed of light. The room became silent as you collapsed to the ground. When you came back to your senses, Minho was staring at you with wide fearful eyes. Another person had joined the two of you. He was familiar to you, familiar like family.

Chan. Healer and…Death.

“Sit up,” he instructed, lending you a hand to help you into a sitting position. He too hissed when his skin touched yours, which confused you. “What are you feeling right now?”

Your head was throbbing, but more so you were freezing, “I’m cold. I’m so, so cold.”

“Has this happened before?” Chan was now directing his attention to your shocked brother. Chan slapped a hand on Minho’s shoulder to redirect his fearful gaze to him. Minho had registered the question and after another moment he shook his head slightly.

“What happened?” your voice was meek, recovering from the moment previous.

Chan peered down at you as he thought for a brief moment. How was he going to explain to both of you just how important and dangerous the skills performed minutes ago were?

“Y/n,” Chan set himself onto one knee to look into your eyes and at the same level. “As you know you are a White Mist user. But what I think you just demonstrated out of an emotional explosion belongs to a White Fire user. A one-of-a-kind user that only appears every ten millennial's.”

“What?” you furrowed your eyebrows. Minho took your hand in his and gulped.

“Do you not remember what just happened?” he asked you, concern wrinkling his handsome features. You only shook you head, remembering the fog. Out of your own fear, you squeezed his hand in yours for reassurance. He gladly gave it.

“There was only a white fog that filled the room. I couldn’t see, I could only hear your voice echo in the distance…”

“Y/n, you were on fire.”

Chan nodded, “Pure white fire. It’s similar to fire in the way that it hurts to touch it, not because it’s hot but because it’s so cold it burns. Like ice made into fire.”

Now you were looking at your hands, your arms, your legs, even touching your face and hair trying to find any trace of burn or scorch marks.

“I’m assuming the fog you experienced is what was happening in your mind as your body lit up in the flames,” Chan continued. “The amount of time you were on fire is what is concerning me and needs special attention training to control it from happening. You could be very vulnerable if you go into that state again.”

“What do you mean the amount of time? I was gone for only a minute.”

Chan and Minho shared a concerned look. Minho shook his head, “No, more like an hour.”

Now you were terrified.

Y/n. White Mist user. And…

White Flame user.

Years passed; seasons changed frequently. You spent every waking hour, in the rain, the heat, the wind, and the snow, learning to control your new gift discovered the night of your parents’ murder. By dedicating your time to training, you were taking every opportunity to be reliable for Minho, the now head boss over Mafia Grim—your home, your family, your lifeline.

Despite being sent to the very top of the tallest mountain in your homeland and told to remain there until you had mastered the ability, your brother often came to join in on teaching you how to train; Teaching you things he’d learned from your father before he died. Sometimes he’d bring his other network friends who became his inner circle as years passed on.

Only when you completed your training with the masters of the mountain did you return home.

Though there was a problem when you returned. The other opposing mafia, Mafia Malefic, knew you and Minho were hiding something from everyone else when you were sent to the mountains for years. To them, it had to be something vital since Minho sent you away the same night the rulers of Mafia Grim were slaughtered.

And the boss of Mafia Malefic? He wanted to know what it was you were hiding.

The crickets chirped and sang in the darkness of the night, providing the only other noise next to the sound of footsteps walking down the gravel dirt path to a warmly lit-up cabin. It was a cool evening and despite it being almost the peak of summer there was smoke coming from the chimney on the roof.

With a determined step, he walked up to the door and lifted his fisted hand to knock, but before his hand came down on the dark wood, the door unlocked and swung inward. His determination stopped faintly when he realized just how little power he had here.

Inside the cabin was warm. Almost to an uncomfortable level. The light inside was a warm glow from the raging fire located to the left of the front door. Plants of all different kinds hung from the roof, sat on windowsills, stood on handmade stools and benches, some even resting on the wooden floors. Brown dried herbs hung over the fireplace and even some fresh green ones were tied to start the drying process.

With a skeptical gaze, he scanned the rest of the cabin. Every other wall in the cabin had a floor-to-ceiling shelving system with hundreds of bottles. Most of them were either labeled, in colored bottles, or in some sort of compartmentalize box.

“Good evening.”

The voice startled him as his attention flew to the person standing by a table of instruments. The Healer raised his eyebrows as his hands (left hand with a cleaning cloth, right hand with a dangerous looking knife) worked. The blood on the knife didn't go unnoticed.

The Healer was strange. He wore attire completely unfit for his title, such as a hoodie with the hood pulled over his cap, and a pair of dark baggy sweatpants. Only socks. No shoes. His decorative jewelry flickered in the light whenever he moved with enough motion.

“Hwang Hyunjin,” Chan continued. “New Mafia boss of Malefic.”

Hwang Hyunjin. Electricity and Fire user.

“Healer–”

“Chan.”

Hyunjin startled at the interruption. He took a moment to recompose himself before starting again.

“I’ve come to ask a favor of you.”

Chan looked down to finish wiping the knife and then set it down among its companions. He reached for a set of gloves and began to slide his fingers into them.

“Hyunjin I’m afraid your father did not teach you just exactly where I fall in line with the two Mafia’s,” his hands reached for something underneath his table. The bottle he placed down on the table was rich with green liquid. “And where my abilities stand.”

“I was told you could tell me something I want to know regarding Mafia Grim,” Hyunjin spoke, walking closer to cool off from the fire.

Chan ignored him, “My role is neutral. I do not bend to either Mafia. Thus, the abilities I possess are not on the table for those to bargain with at their own gain.”

“Is you holding information on them from me and everyone else not a clear violation to your said neutrality?” Hyunjin reached to grab one of the bottles off the shelf closest to him when his hand lit up with strong licks of pain and almost brought him to his knees before it flickered out as if it hadn’t even touched him.

Chan was staring at him with strong focused eyes, daring him to do it again. With a calculated step, Hyunjin stepped away from the shelf remembering who was in charge here.

“Like I said,” Chan took the green liquid and poured it on the cloth and began to slowly coat the instruments, watching it sizzle and burn the impurities coating them. “It does not matter what I know. Only that by me remaining neutral means that I will not grant you knowledge for your own evil gain.”

Frustration hit Hyunjin hard at the Healers words, “Do not talk to me of evil gain. You are Death itself. There is nothing pure about what you are or anything you’ve done for that matter.”

An explosive force jolted through Hyunjin as wind whipped around him so strongly, he lost his balance. Purple waves and black smoke like tendrils erupted from the Healer. His voice was a loud echo as it dropped a few octaves.

“I am both Life and Death! Leave or you will discover what I have done to only a few by yielding the power of both!” The Healer’s voice was booming viciously. Hyunjin fought his way to the door, grabbing the handle and opening it with much difficulty. But in the midst of his escape heard Chan’s last words.

“What you seek to gain will result incompatible with what you desire the most—”

Hwang Hyunjin wanted power. And he knew Mafia Grim had it. He wanted it; he wanted the power so badly.

“Destruction.”

The sun hadn’t broken the edge of dawn when you woke. Now that you were home, it was hard to get used to your bed and the routine. This time of day you’d already be out on the peaks playing and training with the air as the sun rose. Being in a room wasn’t going to stop you from continuing your morning fun.

It was cool when you stepped outside. The stars were fading away as the light from the sun began to diminish them to sleep. Your eyes scanned your surroundings for a comfortable place to put yourself for the morning, which after a moment of deciding, you settle on the roof of the fortress.

Once you were perched right on the top of the roof, your eyes slide shut as you reached deep inside you for your power. Everything was quiet. The smell of sweet dew filled your nostrils, and the feeling of a thick cool mist touched your skin in a gentle greeting.

When you opened your eyes, the fortress and land around you was enhanced by the thick mist. Not fog, with that you couldn’t see the beautiful mountains beyond and the trees filling the valley.

“Is this a morning ritual?” came a soft voice to your right. You simply smiled at him as he took a seat next to you.

Jeongin. Force field and invisibility user.

And a part of your brother's inner circle.

The two of you sat side by side in silence for the morning. Jeongin watched your powers work in interest and awe. He’d only visited you when you were off the training schedule. Minho had only told him the things you could do since he’d seen them in person. It was amazing to have you back home and experiencing all that you had learned.

“This is only a tiny sliver of my power in its calm state,” you mumbled, not wanting to disrupt the beautiful silence. Jeongin’s heart thundered in excitement as he only imagined what it would look like in all its glory.

“Breakfast?” he asked after the sun finished peaking over the edge of the horizon. He took your hand in his and together you climbed down the roof to enjoy the rest of the morning.

Once inside, Minho came to you looking slightly rushed.

“There you are,” he looked at the two of you standing together. “Somethings happened. Meet me in my office.”

You looked at Jeongin as Minho scurries off to go find everyone else. He shrugged causally but kept focused as the two of you walked to the said office to wait on everyone else.

When everyone has gathered around, Minho began.

“I just received news from the Healer that the Ancient Peacemaker passed early this morning.”

“The last one?” Han was in shock at the sudden passing. “But that means–”

“Mafia Malefic is no longer suffering repercussions from when they disrupted the peace between us by killing my–” Minho glanced at you, “our parents.”

“War is upon us now,” Han sighed out.

Han. Illusion and Time Master.

“Does Chan know if it was an ill murder or natural passing?” Jeongin spoke up. Since Mafia Malefic had already done something horrific, it wouldn’t come as a shock if they were behind it.

Minho clenched his jaw tightly, “Chan said there was foul play. I could taste blood in the air the same time it happened.”

“It has to have been done intentionally. Whoever committed the crime is using it to frighten enemies and to assert dominance,” Han spoke, but his mind was far away reality, lost deep in thought. You shifted uncomfortably at the sudden realization that you weren't safe. 

“So, what does this mean for us?” you piped up. “I mean, what do we do moving forward? What if Mafia Malefic is behind this and they took out the Peacemaker to get to us again?”

“We keep our guard up. Chan spoke of a funeral. A funeral which everyone in this land attends to honor the Peacemaker before a new one is born,” Minho answered. The room was heavy. “I can only hope that if both Mafia’s are present the means of the funeral will be enough to keep any attacks from sprouting. Though I can’t promise anything. Mafia Malefic would be stupid for showing themselves after all these years despite their attendance being mandatory.”

“Then I guess we will have to see,” you replied, standing up from your chair with a mission you wanted to complete. Worry was striking your heart and you needed some peace of mind. 

“Where are you going?” Jeongin asked, stopping you from flying out the door.

“I don’t want you going far with the Peacemaker dead,” Minho warned. You shot him a smile. Where you were headed off to be was a place no one would dare attempt to attack you.

“Don’t worry. I won’t go too far.”

The sun was now high in the sky directly overhead, beaming down hot rays against your head and skin. It was uncomfortable but the last thing on your mind as you trekked through the forest with a quick step. Birds sang in the distance, and everything was lush and green. What did that mean? There was water close by.

In only but a couple hundred feet did you start to hear the sounds of rushing water. Then you were upon it. Clear rushing water sparkling under the sun with pebbles and rocks at the bottom. It was about knee to ankle deep like you remembered it.

No one else was here except for the person you were expecting. He stood on the other side of the bank smiling at you with the prettiest smile. He looked the same as you’d left him that night in Minho’s office. The small path of dry rock sticking out from the rivers current gave him a way to you.

“I thought you might show up,” the Healer smiled at you warmly when he reached you, taking your hand in his and bringing it to his lips politely. His lips barely touched your skin before he was pulling away and returning to his herb picking.

“Then I suppose you know the exact reasoning behind my presence?” you inquired, walking to the water’s edge.

The water sparkled up at you like it was giving you an eye smile. Without even lifting a finger, mist fiddled upward from the water surface and caught the reflected light in a warm hug, casting a rainbow. Chan watched from the corner of his eyes, knowing full well that it took an incredibly strong mindset to be able to perform one’s skill without lifting a finger. On the inside, the Healer was chuckling to himself as he remembered the visitor in his cabin all those years ago who wanted to understand what you were.

Oh, he was going to have a field day.

“I know of your intentions, yes,” Chan nodded, taking out a cloth and placing some herbs on one side and folding the rest of the cloth over top of them. “But I cannot grant them.”

Now you were looking at him. “Why not?”

“It is for your own gain,” Chan only smiled. “You of all people know my ways.”

“What if I were to give you something in return?” the two of you held eye contact for a moment. The slight glint in his eye was a peek of interest.

“I’m forbidden to accept or bargain if it be for your own gain,” Chan made his way to you as you stood from the bank of the river. “Though, I am listening.”

“Two twines of Mullein herb from the deep pockets of the Senator caves.”

Chan’s jaw clenched, hard. He desperately needed the herbal medicine for his chronic cough patients.

“Five twines.” he bargained.

“Three.”

“Four and a bushel of Feverfew and we have a deal.”

You lifted your chin slightly, “Fine, deal.”

Chan smirked slightly and stepped away to pick fruit from nearby trees. It was silent for a few breaths as the wind rustled through the tree trees and the soft flowing of the water behind you made your heart yearn to jump in and swim.

“So,” Chan smiled once more. “Tell me what you request.”

“I thought you already knew my request?” you teased, pressing your lips into a line to hide your growing smile as the Healer quirked an annoyed eyebrow at you.

“What I know could make or break you, Y/n,” Chan warned lightly. “Tread carefully.”

Now you were slightly nervous. He was right, but this information wasn’t for you, it was for your brother.

“Will Mafia Grim fall?”

Chan was surprised. He was expecting some request at your own gain. Perhaps he didn't know you all that well...that made him nervous. You watched as the surprise in his face changed to a grim and darker shadow. His eyes held an apologetic glint in his eye.

Your stomach dropped at what he was telling you. Instantly you looked away, your thoughts running a million different miles at the revelation. What were you going to do? How were you going to protect Minho?

“Will it be Mafia Malefic who does it?”

Chan didn’t respond.

Without another word you began walking back in the direction you came, needing to get as far away from the Healer as you could to avoid him being injured. You were about to explode. You could feel it.

“Y/n!” Chan’s voice stopped you in your tracks. “Mafia Malefic will not be responsible for the downfall.”

A breath of tension as your mind began spiraling. Chan’s eye shifted to sadness.

“Y/n, you will be the downfall of Mafia Grim.”

And then darkness covered your eyes.

Chan watched as your eyes fell shut and just like the night in the office, thick flames of white fire shot up in a perfect circle around you. Fire engulfed you entirely as a pulse stronger than anything Chan’s ever felt washed over him in waves. This time it was double the amount of strength it had once been.

But then a cloud appeared over the two of you and a thick drizzle began to fall as thick rolls of fog came over the river and seeped from the bottom of the treeline. Chan stood in amazement as he watched the drizzling water put out the fire slowly.

Once the fire was extinguished, Chan realized just how much exertion the outburst took from your body. You fell to your hands and knees as you regained consciousness. Chan came over and laid a hand on your shoulder as he extended a cup of medicine he’d created with his skill.

“Drink.”

You did with strong, fast gulps. The drizzle was beginning to make you feel cold and weak.

“I’ll take you back home,” Chan mumbled, lifting you up before taking you in his arms and beginning the walk back to your home. His words were the last thing you heard before slipping into an exhaustion ridden sleep. “Just call for me when this happens. I will always help.”

Months later you were worse. Chan’s words rang through your head like a ritual chant, taunting you over how you’d be the one to make Mafia Grim fall. It kept you awake, distracted you in the mornings, and made you suffer in so many other ways. And with the news spreading fast that someone (probably Mafia Malefic) had murdered the Peacemaker, the tension was high.

Most nights you thought to grab your things and disappear permanently before anything happened. During the day you avoided Minho as much as you could without being suspicious, but you knew he was catching onto your weird behavior. You tried your hardest to remain unbothered, but your thoughts were restless. Constantly bothering you.

As for the others, Han and Jeongin seemed slightly out of the loop on your behavior and were instead putting on full focus after learning the passing of the Peacemaker. Things could change at any minute and they needed to be prepared. Nobody was stopping Mafia Malefic from attempting to slaughter the rest of you before the funeral. Nobody except for Minho; he wouldn’t allow it. Not after losing both parents.

By the time the funeral for the Peacemaker came around, your emotions were getting out of control. Episodes like the one you had at the river began to happen frequently. You would wake up after being unconscious and find yourself in bed drenched in sweat or on the floor heaving for air--sometimes in different parts of the house at night. They were hard to understand and to control.

“Hey,” Minho’s hand gently grazed your elbow as he took a seat beside you the night before the funeral. His eyebrows were furrowed softly, “talk to me.”

After dinner you disappeared fast, prompting him to look for you. He found you in your room on the floor, fog filling the floor and a chill so cold he almost couldn’t enter.

“I’m fine, really,” you insisted, trying to avoid this conversation without suspicion. “Minho, I promise.”

“How long have you been having episodes?” he pushed. You debated on telling him the truth.

“Since the day we found out the Peacemaker passed.” Truth. Minho listened intently. “I think since Mafia Malefic is no longer facing consequences, I’m nervous about them attacking us and making us fall.”

Lie.

“I won’t let that happen,” Minho’s eyes were hard and determined. He hugged you strongly, holding you in his arm comfortingly. The sudden show of affection only made you feel worse. Tears slipped past your lashes as you squeeze him back. 

You had to leave as soon as possible.

It was the morning of the funeral when you got up from bed and sensed for the first time in a long time, peace. It was strange but welcome as you got ready. It was smart to wear something formal yet protective in case of an attack.

Minho, Han, and Jeongin did the same with their apparel in preparation for the funeral. Once everyone was ready, the four of you gathered into the main foyer and circled up. Minho watched the clock and just as it struck 9 o’clock, he nodded.

You stepped forward, extending your hands out for Han to grab and for Minho to take, leaving Jeongin  placing his hand on your right shoulder. Heavy thick rolls of fog erupted from underneath you and engulfed the four of you as you apparated to the Cliffs of the furthest mountain range.

The sky was gloomy as if it understood the situation and mourned for the Peacemaker. Deep dark blue puffy looking clouds rolled in from the west despite the early morning. Those clouds filled Minho’s soul with relaxation as he took a deep breath through his nose. This was just what he needed to start his morning. Just like a fresh cup of coffee. 

“Minho,” Jeongin spoke up, speaking through his teeth. “Your 12 o’clock.”

Directly ahead stood the trio of Mafia Malefic’s inner circle. They all stood in pitch black leather with thick dark royal blue cloaks sitting off their shoulders. Their leader was absent, but that didn't deter them from looking intimidating.  

“Figures,” Minho mumbled below his breath. “They always overdress any occasion.”

The broad muscular one in the center caught your attention first. He was very familiar to you due to your observation training and studying the night previous. 

Changbin. Blade Conjurer and Darkness User.

He was Mafia Malefic’s most lethal weapon; literally. He could conjure up any blade known to man and that mixed with his darkness...he was not something to be trifled with. His accomplice to his right was not to be reckoned with either.

Seungmin. Mind Controller and Whisper User.

Seungmin, in your option was much more dangerous. He could infiltrate anyone and anything without even lifting his finger if it weren’t for his limit; he was cursed with it years ago after crossing a bad line with a Witch Cursor. This limit however didn’t stop him from using his skill dangerously.

“Remember what we went over,” Han said to you, noticing Seungmin’s gaze now homing directly on you. A wicked smirk lit up Seungmin’s face indicating he heard what Han had said with the use of his Whisper skills.

“What doesn’t kill him, disappoints me,” you mumbled back to Han under your breath. Now Seungmin was smiling wickedly with a playful glint in his eyes like he was ready to have some fun. He was in for a rude awakening.

The last one was Hyunjin’s second in command. He seemed softer and if you viewed his skill from an outside perspective, it seemed weak, but have you ever tried to look into the sun and won the challenge?

Felix. Sun and Light User.

It was rare to see Felix use his powers to harm others, though he could do it and create massive damage. He was often used to help the other two in combat, providing loopholes and pockets for them to use to their advantage. Felix enjoyed making people happy rather than destroying them.

Despite all three of them being able to hold their own, one of them was missing.

“Only time will tell,” Minho said to you as he noticed your eyes sweeping the area for said person.

Felix himself was observing you and your family, homing in on you more specifically. Changbin raised his chin up slightly in defense while glancing over at Seungmin to figure out his assessment.

Han scared Felix in most ways because of his skill. He’s been on the short end of that skill and paid for it heavily, having been bed ridden with petrifying nightmares for weeks. Seungmin helped control the worst of it but barely managed to keep Felix at bay.

As for Jeongin, he was a lot stronger than meets the eye and very light on his feet which made his close up attacks lethal and dangerous. Despite Changbin’s fierce abilities, Jeongin has given him a run for his money not once, not twice, but three times over. Changbin has never once slipped since then but only dreamed of delivering such a blow in return. Jeongin always managed to evade it.

Now Minho, Felix had heard of him but didn’t know what to expect considering he was only a child before his parents died. However, he was expecting him to be strong and not worth stirring up.

A brisk wind washed over Felix right as his eyes landed back on you. You were the one nobody knew anything about other than the Healer himself. Rumor has it something bad happened at your expense the night your parents died and the only ones to witness it were Minho and the Healer. When you were sent away to the mountains, Felix knew whatever you possessed, Minho didn’t want anyone to know about it. All of them wanted to know just exactly what you had up your sleeve. Just how dangerous you were and what to look out for. Especially since you were now known by whisper as Minho’s strong hand. That wasn’t common in a Mafia according to tradition.

“How easy is it to get into her head?” Changbin whispered to Seungmin. Felix didn’t have to possess the skill of Whisper to hear what the Blade Conjurer had asked.

“Aht,” Felix clicked his tongue in disapproval. “Orders are orders. You aren’t to do anything unless boss says.”

“I didn’t tell him to,” Changbin countered, eyes still focused on you. Felix pinched him under his armpit.

“You’re insinuating it,” Felix bit back.

Just then, the world began to fall away. The ground was being replaced by old cottage wood flooring and the sky was being blocked out by an old hay roof forming overhead. Panic struck through Felix like a lightning bolt and his knees buckled at the impact of how fast everything was changing. How fast the one place his nightmares stemmed from was forming around him.

Walls closing in and ear deafening screams—

In the blink of an eye it disappeared, leaving Felix gasping for air as he re-centered himself. Changbin was experiencing the same as he too recovered. Felix’s eyes shot to Han, Illusion Master, who was returning the gaze with a sharp warning look.

Felix looked at Seungmin who was glaring at Han.

“Get away from her mind right now!” Felix demanded, knowing the only reason Han did that was because Seungmin had been poking at your head.

Seungmin looked away and faced his group before lazily casting his gaze to the open cliff. “She dared me to try it.”

Just as you were smiling to yourself over how easy it was to taunt the Mind Controller, you felt the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and the atmosphere held a strong buzz. Minho took your hand right as a blue buzzing light with great magnitude struck the ground twenty feet away. A person, more specifically a male, stood on the now smoldering black ground as he adjusted himself. Loud cracks and popping left him as he took steps towards you.

He stopped in front of you, eyes scanning your figure, your face, searching your eyes. His gaze pressured you unlike any other. He was undeniably handsome. His eyes were a fierce almond shape with dark luring iris’s, his jawline sharp, lips plump and gorgeous while his nose was straight. His hair was long behind his ears and on the sides of his temples, pitch black in color. Just like his skill, his hair had a kinked curl to it.

Hyunjin. The most lethal Mafia boss to ever rule Malefic. There was no explaining what Hyunjin had done in his reign. It was nothing short of evil.

“Hyunjin,” Minho acknowledged, stepping up beside you.

Hyunjin didn’t tear his eyes away from you, “Minho.”

“Look at me when I’m talking to you.”

Hyunjin only cracked a small smile as his gaze moved to Minho briefly. “I don’t listen to little boys.”

Hyunjin’s attention flew to the strong painful frostbite feeling as his left hand. It burned badly and almost floored him—then it quit. Hyunjin was already looking at you.

“That’s a warning,” you said simply.

“An Ice User,” Hyunjin smiled, noticing his inner circle had gathered behind him. “I could have sworn you were a White Mist User. Shame. I was hoping for a challenge.”

Though Hyunjin’s words rang out, he was very unsure of them. No Ice User had ever given him that much pain. You were something entirely different and he wanted to know what.

Jeongin snorted loudly, having seen your skills up close, knowing that Hyunjin would actually break a sweat going up against you. Hyunjin didn’t miss the mockery.

“We’re not here to fight,” Minho cut in, stepping in front of you. “Though I have complete justification to do just that.”

“Wise thinking.” All of you turned to the new voice. The Healer was wearing something other than his hoodie for once, opting for a black button up and some dress pants. His hair was styled, and he smelled of pine.

“I might advise you to wait until after the funeral is over to avoid adding an additional coffin,” he was looking at Hyunjin as if he would be the one dead. “I’m sure your inner circle would agree.”

You caught the wink he sent you before leisurely walking over to where the coffin rested. Hyunjin gave you a once over before spitting at Minho’s feet.

You let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding as soon as they were far enough away. The four of you shared looks before making your way to the seating area.

Hyunjin mumbled under his breath just enough for Seungmin to hear right as the ceremony started.

“Break her.”

The ceremony was just about halfway done, led by a local preacher. During the ceremony he explained just how much a Peacemaker takes care of his community and how much he contributes. Until a new Peacemaker is born that duty falls to the people for the time being. It was very factual and informative for you to know such things.

But what occupied your mind instead of the preacher speaking during a scripture reading, was if the duty fell to the people while the Peacemaker was gone then you needed to leave town by tonight to avoid disaster.

Thoughts of you destroying everyone here at this moment made your heart race. What if this was what Chan meant by you being the downfall? Or would it be through other means? There were children here from the town along with women and babies. There was no guarantee you would not harm them in the process.

Within minutes, your emotions had taken over and you were beginning to panic. All you could see were the images passing through your mind like a film canister rolling through a film camera. No training had ever been given to control your emotions due to the calm and peacefulness of the mountains. This hadn’t come up before.

Do it.

No, no. You couldn’t have an attack right now. You had to fight it.

Just let it happen.

Now you were slightly shaking, breaths becoming staggered, numbing rushing through parts of your body. Tunnel vision and dizziness. Your stomach turning with nausea. While your thoughts were fogging over, so was the ground. Just like all the other attacks, thick fog began to creep along the ground, alerting some people as it crept past their feet underneath their chairs.

Hyunjin noticed the fog instantly and looked at Seungmin to see him concentrating deeply. Hyunjin was now more than confused as the fog was an indicator of a White Mist user. You could be both an Ice user and a White Mist user, but they weren’t very common.

When you felt that ice cold feeling in the middle of your spine, you panicked. You looked up frantically to see Minho glancing back at you worriedly. From across the aisle, Chan looked at you, knowing exactly what was happening, but remained seated. What sent you into pre-attack was the look on Hyunjin’s face.

Gotcha.

And then a faint breathless whisper right next to your ear, “Do it.”

Chan threw a protection spell around you as thick white fog exploded from you, right before white flames covered you. A drop of sweat fell from his brow as he knelt down on the ground, trying with all his might to prevent those fleeing away from you from injury. Mafia Malefic was up in an instant rushing to attack. Chan was faster, knowing this was not the fate he’d seen many years before. Chan released the protection spell and split the cliff in half, opening it to the fire pits of hell, letting the rift separate both Mafia’s. Hyunjin halted at the edge, ready to attack if things came to that. 

Minho was fast at work, getting the rain from the clouds to begin a soothing treatment to calm you. Han and Jeongin remained still at the command of Minho, waiting to jump in and help when called. They took it upon themselves to be physical barriers between you and Mafia Malefic. Though they were your family, it did not settle the nerves spiking in their bodies over the sight of you. 

Just before Minho could release the rain, you attacked.

White fire shot straight at Mafia Malefic, aiming at Seungmin who barely dodged. But he wasn’t quick enough to dodge the second as he was hit with a wall of more fire. Minho watched in complete shock and horror as you shot to the sky and put out that thick white mist to snuff everyone out into a disadvantage.

Hyunjin whipped his blue loud popping electricity right from his fingertips as he strategically felt through the mist for any movement. Then he felt it. That ice cold feeling he felt at his hand in stark contrast to the heat coming from the bottom of the split cliff. He spun around just in time to dodge your attack and used a zap attack to try and disable you. When the mist cleared just enough for Hyunjin to see, you had a white fire shield blocking his attack. Your eyes were glowing white, filled with a hatred he’d never seen before.

A cold chill ran down his spine.

“Hyunjin move!” Felix called out right before white fire bolts were raining down on top of him. But Hyunjin was moved not on his own accord.

Jeongin had moved him with the help of his skill to spare him from the worst of the bolts. His shoulder was on fire and his hand was injured, barely escaping the edge of death. 

“Don’t attack her!” Han called, using his time skills to know the exact moves you were about to use only seconds before they happened. “You all will die!”

Felix emitted light allowing for better vision. Changbin was now battling you with a blade of mass destruction, however to Hyunjin’s horror, you had your own blade made of the same fire as your shield, repeating spar after spar of sequenced moves to exhaust Changbin.

Then, Changbin was struck down in two moves, completely defenseless as you arched your weapon. Just before you could deliver a devastating blow, you were knocked out cold. You fell to the ground, still bright in white flames. Changbin conjured a massive weapon and made a move to bedhead you. Minho acted fast and used a lightning bolt to block the attack.

“Enough!” Chan roared; hand still extended toward you after using an Anesthetic spell. He was knelt down by an unconscious Seungmin who had deep rose-pink marks on his skin. His clothes had seared holes and his skin was paler than a sheet of paper. Hyunjin came over and took a hold of Seungmin in his arms, wincing at how cold he was. They needed to get back home immediately.

“Don’t touch her!” Chan demanded when Minho went to roll you over onto your back. The flames had ceased and you were now unconscious, but that didn't mean you were safe to be touched. “Or you’ll end up just like him.”

Everyone looked at Seungmin to see if he was still breathing. Barely. Guilt swarmed over Hyunjin knowing he told Seungmin to get into your head which is why you attacked him first. Hyunjin feared if he hadn’t asked Seungmin to do it, he would have been the one you attacked instead.

“You told him to get into her mind didn’t you?” Minho asked, fury slipping off of him like a deadly poison. Hyunjin ignored him and kept looking as his friend, examining wounds he’s never seen before. “Answer me!”

“You are to blame!” Felix cut in. Tension rose as Felix's voice became louder. “He never should have gotten into her head, but you should’ve told everyone what she was! By hiding her and keeping us in the dark is the reason both of them are in this state.”

“I don’t have to tell you anything!” Minho’s voice thundered. Deep rolls of thunder sounded in the distance. “Why would I after you attacked and killed my parents and the Peacemaker? Why would I tell you what she is when all you would do was kill her too?”

Everyone was silent.

“I’d rather keep her a secret and have you lose someone out of sheer stupidity than reveal her and have you take her from me,” Minho’s words were like a knife, cutting through everyone. “At least then you’d know how it feels.”

Hyunjin released Seungmin and extended his hand that was now popping and whirring with electricity. Changbin limped forward and put a hand on Hyunjin’s chest, facing him.

“Not right now,” his voice was strained. He was putting all his strength into his step. “Seungmin is top priority right now.”

Hyunjin shoved Changbin away and faced Minho again. The two Mafia bosses said nothing as it slowly began to sprinkle. Rage was pulsing through Hyunjin’s heart and he wanted nothing more than to rip Minho to shreds.

“What is done in the dark always comes to light,” Minho snapped, instantly grabbing the fist punch Hyunjin threw at him, taking the chance to deliver his own attack. Han jumped straight into the middle and pushed the both of them apart, clearly at his wits end. Hyunjin threw him a dirty smirk with an eye roll as he slow began to back away.

“Stop!” he demanded Minho in a low voice when he made another step to jab. “Don’t let him get under your skin.”

“Get Seungmin back to your headquarters,” Chan looked to Felix who nodded once and helped Changbin haul Seungmin onto their shoulders.

Hyunjin began to laugh slightly, wanting to taunt Minho. “You’re a coward, Minho. You couldn’t even train her to kill me the second I was in front of her. One day you’ll be bowing before me asking for mercy.”

Minho gritted his teeth, “I won’t be there. I’ll be at your cremation. And the best part about it will be her doing it.”

Another sharp laugh escaped Hyunjin as he glared at Minho. What terrified him was he actually feared you doing something like that to him. Not a moment later, Hyunjin was transporting his team back to headquarters.

Chan sealed the cliff back together within seconds afterwards and got straight to work. Minho stood by Chan's side, praying you'd be okay, and he wouldn't lose you. Han placed his hand on Minho's shoulder when Chan was unsuccessful three times in a row. It didn't look good and there was no telling what the outcome would be.

Later in the evening, Hyunjin knelt down next to Seungmin’s bed waiting for Chan to come by. The groans of pain coming from his close friend worried him with every passing second. He couldn't touch Seungmin for fear of hurting him further and his patience with Chan was running thin. 

“Why did you do it?” Felix asked from the door. Hyunjin let his head fall to the edge of the bed at the question.

“I shouldn’t have,” Hyunjin mumbled looking at Seungmin once more. “I just wanted to know exactly what she was and why they were hiding her. My inability to stand by and observe almost cost me.”

“You should have known since that night.”

“I didn’t want to believe she was the one who did it.”

Two sets of footsteps echoed down the wood floor hallway, nearing the room Felix, Hyunjin and Seungmin occupied. A few more steps echoed and then Changbin appeared with Chan by his side. The two of them said nothing as Chan clapped a hand on Felix’s shoulder before entering the room. The Healer came over to the bedside and moved around Hyunjin who got up from the floor and out of the Healer's way.

After some long painful minutes of Chan examining Seungmin, he spoke.

“He’ll recover,” he looked through his trusted bag and pulled a few bottles out. “Do you have any clean cloth I can borrow? And a warm basin of water?”

Felix was leaving the room without moments pause to fetch the things Chan requested.

“His wounds will take time to heal,” he continued, “But just like his curse, the wounds will leave their mark.”

“What are those wounds if I may inquire?” Hyunjin asked. Changbin placed himself beside the Mafia boss, curious as well.

Felix came back with the said items and aided Chan in his practice. Chan took the cloths from Felix and answered, “These wounds are frostbite burns. The areas that are worse will leave their mark, but some of them can be persuaded.”

“How?” Changbin asked. Something about the idea of somebody possessing the ability to create wounds like this didn’t settle with him very well.

“I think your boss can tell you that,” Chan replied, dabbing a medicine-soaked cloth onto a burn traced from Seungmin’s left shoulder down in front of his chest to his ribs. Seungmin stirred at the contact and let out a deep groan before his eyes were peeking open. Changbin went around the bed and sat down on the mattress.

“Son of a–” Seungmin groaned, heaving breaths of air as he fought the pain. This face contorted and then slowly relaxed as relief washed over his body. Chan drew back and began to work on another burn, less bad than the previous.

“What is she?” Seungmin gritted out. Sweat covered him now as his body began to fight the wounds on its own. “And why did she explode like that?”

“She’s a White Mist and Fire user,” Chan glanced at Hyunjin who remained expressionless. “She’s the first one of her kind in 10 thousand years. As for why she exploded, she’s dealing with a lot mentally. Don’t blame her for the explosion when you’re the one who poked her.”

“How was I supposed to know when you wouldn’t tell me what was happening?” Hyunjin snapped. Felix gave him a warning stare.

“You wanted to kill her,” Chan simple stated.

“Can you blame me after hearing and seeing the horrors of that night?” Hyunjin barked out irrationally, halting when he realized he had revealed something he meant to keep to himself.

His team stared at him dumbfounded. Hyunjin jumped to answer before they could bombard him with heated questions. “Yes, I was there.  I saw a bright light flash and I watched her go into such a state of shock that even I almost forgot what happened. Her parents were dead when she woke up. I didn't do it.”

Chan was now looking at Hyunjin very seriously. Felix had to sit down and both Changbin and Seungmin had grown still, well as still as Seungmin could get.

Hyunjin gulped, “I saw her in the room her parents were, and when they revealed some sort of information to her that was when I saw the bright light. When I looked once more, they were both dead. She was crying over them right as I was discovered in the hallway by a guard.”

“Did you see anything else?” Chan pushed, giving Seungmin a bored look when the Mind Controller spit a nasty word at him over the pain. 

“No…” Hyunjin lied.

He did see something else. He knew you saw him but now he was sure you hadn’t been conscious when you saw him. Your eyes had been the same glowing white.

Chan sighed deeply. The stress growing on him hadn’t been this strong in years. He needed to take some time alone to think things over and understand exactly what was going on here. When Chan was leaving, promising to check on Seungmin in the morning, Hyunjin pulled him aside.

“There’s something else." Hyunjin said, his mind reeling over the question. "Do you know anything about soulmates?"

Back at home, the second you regained consciousness, you were in Minho's room under the covers. It took you a few minutes to fully understand why you were in his room. Memories of the funeral came flooding into your mind the instant your feet were on the floor. The rush made your head throb and panic filled your heart when you couldn't remember what happened after you exploded.

Your feet carried you fast across the wooden floor to the door of Minho's room. It opened with a bang against the wall behind it as you threw yourself into the hall, catching your balance on the wall in front of you. Everything was dark. It was night outside and there was no sound in the house. 

"Minho?" you called out loudly, walking down the hallway in a panic. "Han? Jeongin?"

No answer.

Fog began to seep in through the windows and underneath doorways the longer you walked the floor plan of your home, looking and searching for any signs of life other than your own. The entire house was dark and no one was in their rooms asleep. Their rooms were a mess from getting ready for the funeral just like you left them and there was no note left for you explaining what was happening.

When you came to the living room, you collapsed on the floor in the center of the room, letting out a sob as tears streamed down your face.

Y/n, you will be the downfall of Mafia Grim.

The words stung your heart and you gripped your hair, yanking at the stands. How could this have happened? It was just like the night your parents died. Why was it that when you experienced an episode as strong as you did that night and like the one last night, that people died or disappeared? What was the root of all of this?  

A tear escaped your eye at the sound of Chan's words repeating itself over and over in your mind. Taunting and tormenting you to the point of no return. You couldn't live with yourself over what happened. The truth of the matter was Minho was gone. Han and Jeongin were gone and there was no way of getting them back.

The mountains were the place you needed to go, to escape. You needed to get far away from everyone.

Hours later, deep into the forest is where you found yourself, aimlessly trying for the mountains. Each step you took only quickened as your breathing became heavy and you felt your chest caving in with your pulse rushing in your ears. This panicking had to stop, or you’d explode again. You could not bare to loose control again. More tears were streaming down your face. 

“Don’t tell me,” a voice echoed loudly, halting your steps as you frantically began glancing around you. “You're running away to try and be….mmm what could it be? A hero? A protector? A good sister?”

You whorled around to see none other than Hyunjin. He smirked deeply, “Don’t make me laugh.”

Despite your current state you couldn’t help the snarl coming from your lips, “Says the one who’s a clown making a joke out of his choice of location right now.”

A wicked sociopath smile creeps onto his face as he tucks his fingers behind his back. “Then you’re the perfect punchline to my little joke.”

“Bite me, see what happens.”

“It would be fun.”

He didn't deserve a response. With a quick step you turn back around and began walking in the direction that you were going in before he showed up and stopped you.

“I know what's happened,” he called. You hated the way your feet stopped in place at his words. “Running away will not get them back nor can you find them yourself all alone.”

A scoff coughed up from your chest, “Oh yeah and I’m supposed to believe that you know what I can and can't accomplish on my own?”

“I know you are capable of finding them on your own, but I also know that if they're gone, you're going to be next. You're venerable Y/n. I know it and so does whoever it is that killed the Peacemaker and took your family."

Silence passed for a beat. His words rang true in the air and you hated it. You hated how he was right and more importantly, you hated how you knew this from the beginning and chose to ignore it.

“What are you proposing I do then?” you inquired, throwing your hands up dramatically as you let every defense you had up, down. You were tired. So incredibly tired. 

“I don’t reveal my plans to prying ears.”

You glanced around realizing he wasn't referring to you, and suddenly you felt a hundred different things listening in on the two most dangerous people in the valley. You had to agree with him on keeping this conversation private.

“You’ll just have to trust me.” he finished. 

For a moment you gave it a thought, going over every scenario and instance you could conjure up before finalizing your thoughts. Maybe if you went with him, he could help you get Minho back. With a few steps you stood in front of him, “Lead the way.”

He smirked once more and extended his hand for you to take. Unbeknownst to you, Hyunjin noticed the tears on your face. He would fix this, he just needed you to accept his offer and then he would know.

You furrowed your eyebrows and rejected his hand. Hyunjin only rolled his eyes as you spoke, “I said I’d follow you, not take your hand.”

Hyunjin looked at you incredulously, “Do you know just how far you’ve walked? It would take us three hours before we reached my headquarters.”

Three hours?! Had you really been so lost in your thoughts that you didn’t realize just how far you’ve walked?

“Fine. But we’re going my way not yours.”

“No deal.”

“I don’t know you which means I’m not allowing you to take us through your means of apparation.” You snarled meanly.

Hyunjin glared at you, “I could say the same thing except for I didn’t almost kill everyone so automatically my way seems safer.”

Pain struck you in the chest at his words. The thought of Minho being dead almost had you dying from a broken heart. A huff escaped you as the guilt overwhelmed you. You hadn’t meant to almost kill everyone. But according to your anxiety that’s exactly what you meant to do.

A breeze blew by as the two of you stood together. It was warm and welcoming, drying up the tears welling in your eyes. You turned your head away from the Mafia boss and simply nodded, placing your hand in his. To your surprise, his hand was gentle and soft. Hyunjin only gripped enough to keep a hold on you as pops and zaps filled your ears followed by a bright electric blue flash.

Your feet sunk into the surface underneath you slightly as you took in your surroundings. 

The room was welcoming, white furniture, dark cement-colored walls, herbs and plants decorating the window to the East. A lush white carpet gave cushion to your feet and a great white comforted bed sat quietly on the south wall. The rest of the room was spacious. A bathroom sat directly opposite the bed.

“Rest if you need and get cleaned up,” Hyunjin spoke, lighting a candle over on the desk. “When you’re finished, touch the wire running along the wall.”

Sure enough, there was a very thin wire running along the perimeter of the room, almost snug with the wall.

Then he was gone. For maybe half an hour you stood in the middle of the room questioning and wondering just exactly what you were thinking when you agreed to come with him.

Eventually, you explored the bathroom (a huge white tub, a shower with three different shower heads, a toilet with enough buttons to confuse you, two sinks and a linen closet full of the softest towels you’d ever touched) long enough to waste more time before deciding to shower. It took longer when you couldn’t figure out how things worked. What kept you even longer was the hot water and how baffled you were to find the exact scent of shampoo you used.

To say you were skeptical when you finally touched the wire running along the wall, would be an understatement. You were officially creeped out by your scenario. After a few seconds, small bead-like pulses of blue light began running down the wire toward the door. When you were out into the hall, both sides of the hall lit up blinking in the direction you needed to go, like an airport runway.

With a good, paced step, you follow the lights all the way into an open dining room. The hallways were similar to your room but much darker due to the small number of lights igniting the ceiling. The floor was marble which was slightly darker than the other flooring you'd been walking on.

After a few minutes, you came upon the dining room, entering it. Discomfort swarmed you like a beehive when you saw who was sitting at the table.

Changbin and Felix.

Even looking at you seemed detestable in Changbin’s book as Felix turned his head to face you, providing a simple nod and then he was returning to his plate. You remained at the entrance not daring to move. Their presence reminded you why you agree to go with Hyunjin in the first place. Your family.

“We promise not to bite,” Felix’s deep voice echoed slightly. “If you can promise the same.”

No answer.

“Changbin,” came a higher, smoother voice. You looked to your left to see Hyunjin descending a set of stairs into the dining room. “Care to greet our guest.”

Changbin scoffed slightly, “I won’t entertain your jokes Hyunjin.”

A lick of flame stirred inside you. Hyunjin ticked his tongue rapidly at his Blade Conjurer. “Now, now, don’t attempt to stir anything out of its sleep.”

“Don’t speak of me as if I don’t possess a soul or contain feelings,” you interrupted. Now you had all three of their gazes trained on you. Felix glanced at the other two before nodding.

"That's fair," he said lightly, "Apologies."

It took you a bit before you sat down at the table and even after completing that task, you didn’t eat.

Changbin complained about the only vacant seat being next to him when Hyunjin went to sit down. With little care, Hyunjin simply put the chair next to Felix who didn’t seem to mind at all, though he'd always been a more reasonably tolerable person in Mafia Malefic.

“So, in order to help you, I need your full cooperation,” Hyunjin began, taking a bite out of his food. “Then I can tell you what we'll require to complete our task.” 

Your full cooperation? Like hell you were going to give in that easily. “I need to know exactly what I’m getting myself into before I give you my full cooperation.” 

“No deal.”

He says that a lot… 

“Put yourself in my shoes for a minute,” you stared straight into his eyes as you spoke. “I’m in the opposing Mafia’s headquarters, sitting with the opposing enemy, being offered help that won’t be revealed until I sell my entire cooperation over to the boss. Now you tell me, would you say yes if you were in my shoes?”

Felix gulped and reached for his cup awkwardly, giving Hyunjin a look before taking a drink. The Mafia boss didn't like the look his second in command gave him. Hyunjin only stared back at you, looking as if he knew something you didn’t.

The tension in the room was palpable and not getting any thinner. How long was it going to be like this before two dominant personalities agreed on equal control or one of the two caved? You needed to keep your independence and not rely solely on Hyunjin to help you find Minho, Han, and Jeongin. You needed to make it clear that the Mafia boss couldn't control you.  

The room began to get cold. The hair on the back of your neck stood up as fear zapped down your spine. No, no, no, no, no... 

You were up from your seat in an instant and backing away from the three of them. You knew why there was only three of them dining with you tonight instead of four. You knew they would all be in the same state if you didn't get out of the room. This was a mistake. No matter how evil they were, you couldn't kill them when you needed their help.

"Y/n," Hyunjin began softly, standing up. You panicked and held out your hand for him to stop.

"No, please, don't come near me," your voice was loud as the rolling mist began to filter in through the openings in the room. "I don't want to hurt you."

For a split second in the moment of Changbin getting up and yelling for Hyunjin to take care of you and get rid of a potential attack, you saw Hyunjin's gaze soften slightly as he ignored your cries for him to stop coming closer to you. How could he feel and react this way toward you with so little information and knowledge of you? How could he when he didn't know you? 

"Kill her now!" Changbin's voice rang through your ears as it bounced off the stone and echoed. Panic filled you to the brim, choking you as you looked at Hyunjin fearfully right before everything exploded. You saw Hyunjin jump toward you; a warm touch engulfed your body sending a spark through you right before you lost consciousness, and everything went black. 

The next day you found yourself next to your window, looking out. Due to the sworn secrecy, you never knew exactly where Mafia Maleifc's headquarters were. Now that it was daylight and you could see everything in vast majority, you knew exactly where you were. Hidden deep on the other side of the main valley in a deep forest canyon where the second biggest valley lay. Hyunjin must have had someone enchant the place to hide it from the view. From what you could observe, it appeared the fortress was built into the side of the canyon wall. 

Rich green and deep cement colored rock was all you could see from your window besides the massive drop to the sloping rock below your room. It was beautiful and private which was comforting. It soothed you like when you lived in the mountains. No one to bother you or see you. It was like you'd never be harm to anyone again. Though you knew better than to think that. 

A light caught your eye. It was the wire summoning you to Felix's office.

Last night didn't end very well. When Hyunjin refused to see your side of doing things, and you became anxious, that thing inside your head began to chant for you to get out of the building. You lost all consciousness and when you woke, you were back in your room. 

Chan had been there next to you, tending to you and nursing you back to your healthy state. He informed you hadn't injured anybody, thankfully, and everything around you stayed intact. That information struck you with surprise. 

"Hey," Chan's voice was soft as he gently laid your awaking figure down against the soft comforter of the bed. "You're okay, just take your time."

Your body felt hot, and your limbs ached deeply. Out of all your attacks this was very different. What confused you even more was the white figure-eight like band wrapped around your left thigh, right below your hip. You would find this later when you changed into something for bed. Unlike most of your attacks where you felt anxious and afraid after the fact, you didn't feel anxious or out of control after today's attack or while you were in the middle of it. You needed answers. 

"What happened?" you asked after a minute of silence. "Why am I feeling this way?"

"Explain to me what you're feeling," Chan countered. He knew exactly why you were feeling this way. Hyunjin had him on standby before it happened, knowing that it would. Chan also knew exactly why the attack felt different for you. Now he was curious to know what you'd felt and seen on your end. 

"I feel hot and achy," you explained, tapping into your central NeuroSystems to try and understand what else was different. There was something pulsing that was helping you stay grounded and feeling calm. You shut your eyes slowly to really search for the source of that feeling. Endorphins. It was Endorphins that were keeping you calm and... happy. When you went to explain more you couldn't collect your thoughts to overcome the feeling.

"What do you feel, Y/n?" Chan was sincere. You blinked a few times, trying to find words to explain it.

"Chan, something happened. Something I can't even place." to your relief, Chan only nodded as if he understood. "Do you know what it is?" 

"I do," Chan nodded. But before you could launch into a heap of questions, Chan continued, "It is not my place to tell you why you are feeling this way, however, I can tell you that from now on, you won't have another attack like you used to have. You won't hurt anyone ever again."

Now you were buzzing with questions. "How is that possible?" 

Chan shushed you and pressed a firm, yet gentle, hand on your shoulder to lay you back down against the pillows. "I can't be the one to explain it. Just know that you should have full confidence to practice and learn to know your true powers without harming anyone."

Chan refused to give you anymore answers as he helped you recover and mend you before you went to sleep for the night. Before he left you, he promised to be at your disposal whenever you needed, all the while encouraging you to take and work with Mafia Malefic. It took a few tries, but eventually you promised to try before giving up completely. Truth be told, you didn't know if asking for their help in finding Minho would be useful or not and you wouldn't know until you went to the office. Tomorrow you would make your final decision.

So here you were, standing by your window, dressed in clothes that were comfortable but easy to defend yourself in, as you stared at that pulsing blue wire. One side of you knew you needed to go, and the other half was stubbornly keeping you in place. It wouldn't hurt to keep them a few minutes. Deciding to be fashionably late satisfied your stubborn side enough to move you from your spot and follow the pulsing blue light. 

You arrived at a double door entrance into a pit-like room with shelves and shelves of books and a great table in the center. A great big hole at the top provided the light into the very bottom where you located Hyunjin and Felix. They were both talking in low tone voices, having a deep conversation about something. You sent a rush of mist like water droplets to fall over them, announcing your arrival. They got the message and looked up to see you staring down at them.

One look at the stairs made you want to curse. Surely, they didn't go up and down that many steps daily. You'd be winded and done for the day if you attempted to descend those. Without much thought, you carefully climbed over the railing and jumped off the edge, allowing the water droplets in the air to slow your descent, enjoying the way the rush of wind flowed through your hair and across your face. You landed softly on the floor at the bottom of the pit right in front of Hyunjin and Felix. 

"Good morning—"

"You're late." Hyunjin cut Felix off, giving you a roll of his eyes. 

"And you woke up on the wrong side of the bed," you sneered at him. Who does he think he is?

"I don't sleep in a bed." Hyunjin rolled his eyes again. Doesn't sleep in a bed? Then where—no you don't need to know. That wasn't important right now. 

"Enough," Felix dragged out, extending his hand for you to take, which you did. He began to pull you toward the middle of the room. "We have work to do."

Hyunjin grabbed your arm right as you went by him and pulled you back, pressing his lips to the shell of your ear. "Keep your tongue tied, or else I will do it for you."

The rush of endorphins flooded you and you thought you were having a different reaction between your legs, like urinating yourself, but remembered the band around your thigh. It was becoming warm. The reaction had you stumped, and you could tell Hyunjin knew exactly what was happening to you. The slight smirk on his lips didn't go unnoticed by you. You yanked your arm out of his grasp with the little remaining control you had and spit at his feet. 

"I'd like to see you try." you revealed in the disappeared smirk and anger now prevalent in his eyes. 

Felix led you over to the center of the pit right next to the table. Before him was a great map surrounded by books on different areas in your country. There were also a few history books, mainly on the Peacemaker and Mafia Grim. Your hand reached for the book on your family when Felix stopped you.

"We'll have time to read that later, right now you need to tell me all the events leading up to the Peacemaker's funeral."

"All of them?" you asked, anxiously to reveal everything that had happened. Hyunjin came over to the table and sat down at one of the chairs, busying himself with a pen and a sheet of paper. Felix only nodded.

"Well—"

Hyunjin interrupted, "And in as much detail as you can remember." 

A scowled appeared on your face at his interruption and audacity. Felix took the pen next to him and threw it at Hyunjin's head, completely ignoring the cry and fury on Hyunjin's face once the pen made contact. You didn't miss the small smile that appeared on Felix's face as he turned his attention back to you. Hyunjin seemed to let it pass which struck something inside you. And then, a small smile broke across your face too. 

The rest of the morning you shared all that had happened leading up to the funeral. You kept some personal things, like your attacks, to yourself only informing how many had occurred since then. 

"There has to be a correlation between everything happening around us and also directly to you," Hyunjin spoke up, focusing on a spot on the table as he tried to make sense of everything in his head. The room became silent as the three of you thought through all the information to see if there were any red strings attached. 

"More importantly," Felix reached for the Mafia Grim history book. "Is there someone angry enough to take out Mafia Grim all at once?"

"Let's not acknowledge the elephant in the room," Hyunjin's tone dripped with sarcasm as he let his feet come off the table surface. Felix raised an eyebrow at you when you didn't say anything despite the words being directed at you. 

You rolled your eyes, "I have no doubt that it could be Mafia Malefic that kidnapped them. How you could be playing me right now like a cat with yarn, reveling in the fact you have complete control. However, I'm willing to play my cards."

"It's not as simple as us just kidnapping them," Felix spoke, heaving a sigh as his body relaxed into his chair. "If we wanted to get rid of Mafia Grim completely, which we can't, it would've been done long ago. Not now all of a sudden."

"You tried to before," you gritted out. "What's stopping you this time?"

Hyunjin leaned forward, clearly pissed off. "How about the fact that in order to take Mafia Grim down completely, you would have to be weak. To our unfortunate luck, Mafia Grim has displayed and demonstrated the exact opposite for as long as I can remember. Also, how about the known fact that Mafia Malefic wasn't responsible for killing your parents."

"Choose your next words very carefully," you said. Felix raised his eyebrows at you in surprise.

"As if you'd be stupid enough to attack me in my own home," Hyunjin scoffed. "You might work on that temper while you live under my roof." He got up from his seat and straightened his tight shirt. "And while you're doing that, maybe educate yourself on what happened the night your parents died instead of believing what everyone feeds you."

You shot up to attack when you heard him mumble, "Thought you'd at least have your own spine."

Felix pressed a hand to your stomach area and stopped you from moving forward. When Hyunjin had gone, you settled back into your seat and let out a strong huff. The view of the Mafia Grim book stared at you as you let your anger fester inside you. You needed to find them. You needed to get your revenge on whoever did this. Felix ran his fingers through his hair as he opened the Mafia Grim history book and jumped back into your investigating.

Every morning for two weeks, you gathered in the office with Felix and sometimes Hyunjin too. You narrowed possible areas and potential people on the suspect list. It was gradual and none of them were solid enough to completely know for sure. Every night you continued your search, sometimes asking Minho to send you some sort of sign on where they were. To help you in your search to find him.  

One particular morning you positioned yourself in front of Felix at the table with your head laying on your folded arms, listening to him go over some information regarding the Peacemaker and some of the enemies he had. You weren't really listening due to how physically exhausted you were from last night's events when you went walking to clear your mind.

Your feet carried you far until you came upon a river rushing rapidly. It was pitch black out with only the half crescent moon creating little light to guide yourself. 

In the spur of the moment, you let your fog creep onto the water as you took a seat at the bank of the river to watch. You played with the fog like it was smoke in your hand, enjoying nature in its stillness. The stars twinkled above you in masses of millions, comforting you oddly enough. It didn't take much to prompt you to stick your feet into the rushing water and let the water soothe you. 

A cricket began to chirp as you released a slight mist into the air to create some humidity for the life around you. In the peace of the moment, you closed your eyes and asked deep down for Minho to send you some sort of sign. You waited. A breath...nothing. Defeated, you huffed a breath and hung your head shamefully, letting the tears fall down your face. How was it that you couldn't find him? Were you so weak that you couldn't even find your own brother?

The feeling of something touching your leg had you flinching away. You looked at what had touched you only to see a small white rabbit twitching its nose at you curiously. The thundering of your heart was all you felt as you slowly relaxed and extended the back of your hand to its nose as an offering of peace. It inspected your hand briefly before hopping closer and nibbling on the plant by the water. Its fur was soft as you stroked its back lightly. 

"Hello," you whispered out to it. It carried on as you continued to pet it gently. 

A force sealed your lips completely shut as your body lifted into the air. Panic nearly choked you as you struggled against the strong force taking control of you. The sight below you of the rushing river that you were now suspended over had you thrashing harder. Your eyes scanned the clearing desperately to try and see who was behind this. A hooded figure in the trees was all you saw right before you went under the water. Having not taken a breath of steady air before you were bound, you were already struggling for air.

The force pulled you deeper into the water all the way to the bottom of the river. Rocks scrapped against your body as you thrashed around to fight against whatever was holding you. Having no more strength and will to hold your breath, you inhaled deeply. Water burned your nostrils and throat as your lungs lit up in flames at the amount of water now occupying the air space. More water filled your stomach and lungs as you continued to fight. Black clouded your vision, and you were still inhaling water after a few seconds longer. Within a few more second all your strength left you and you went still. This was it. This is how you were going to die. 

Everything became light for a brief moment of your consciousness before something solid wrapped around your frame and you were being pulled upward. Gravity weighed on you greatly as you landed on bank. A strong hand violently pressed into your chest, forcing water up your throat and nose. The feeling had you regaining consciousness, coughing and vomiting water onto the grass. Everything hurt. Everything.

Huffing and slight coughing was next to you as you looked at your rescuer. Hyunjin.

"Is she okay?" a voice filled the air as you began vomiting again. Hyunjin crawled over to you and held you up as best as he could while you heaved for air. He looked through the dripping wet strands of hair hanging in his eyes and on his face at the Light User and Blade Conjurer who were standing a few feet away.

Hyunjin only nodded, patting your back slightly. He let you collapse onto the ground when you stopped vomiting.

"Who was it?" Hyunjin asked, looking to the two standing. They exchanged a glance.

"We didn't see who it was, but they ran away as soon as we attacked to keep their identity hidden." Changbin spoke up. 

"Get her back to headquarters," Hyunjin mumbled, making a move to stand. "I need to check the perimeter and track down who it was."

You reached out for Hyunjin's arm when he began to move away. Hyunjin stilled as he felt your hand. Words could not form in your throat due to the rawness in your vocal cords, but Hyunjin didn't need words when all you did was squeeze his hand. 

"Changbin," Hyunjin huffed, slipping an arm under your neck and the back of your knees. "Run a perimeter around the river, and hurry."

Hyunjin lifted you in his hold as he motioned for Felix to grab onto his shoulder. The three of you were back at headquarters in seconds. Heat surrounded you as you began to cough violently, water scraping its way out of your lungs and onto your chest. Everything still felt on fire as Hyunjin laid you on a surface. 

"Call for Chan immediately," Hyunjin began beating your back to help you cough up more fluid. Within another minute, Chan was walking through the door, eyebrows furrowed at the sight of you. 

"What happened?" he asked, replacing Hyunjin's place as he pressed a stethoscope to your wet chest to hear what was happening inside. 

"It was an attack from someone," Hyunjin said, taking your hand that reached for him. Chan looked at your joined hands and pondered deeply about it as he went to work on drying up the water on the inside of your lungs. It hurt like hell, like you were becoming ash, but the IV in your arm, inserted before Chan began working, was helping you stay hydrated during the process. 

"Okay," he pulled out some bark and gave you a cup of steaming tea. "Take a sip of the tea to soothe your throat and then eat the bark."

Hyunjin got behind you and braced you into a sitting position, acting as your anchor. The Healer aided you when you struggled to swallow and slowly, you began to feel better. Your head fell back into the Mafia boss's shoulder from exhaustion when the pain ceased into almost nothing. 

"Y/n," Chan's voice was tender and caring. "You can't go off on your own like this."

"I'm well aware now," you grumbled, voice still hoarse. 

"Did you see who it was?" Chan asked, packing his things back up. You shook your head and watched Chan and Hyunjin exchange uncertain glances.

"I only saw a hooded figure." 

​​​​​​Hyunjin unconsciously squeezed your elbows gently in his hands, leaving you feeling warmer than you had a few seconds ago. His presence, being your rescuer, comforted you and made you feel safer. It was reassuring. 

Felix's words sounded distant as you slowly came back to reality. He didn't seem to notice you had dosed out of reality for a bit. After a few minutes longer, you noticed the light Felix had created to give light to your materials laid out on the table. You focused on one individual ray of light and reached deep within yourself to cast a thin layer of mist right at the light. 

A rainbow appeared softly, shining brightly for a second, then fading as the water evaporated into the air. 

Felix caught the rainbow in the corner of his eye and paused in his sentence. He'd never seen anyone do that so closely to him. Subtly, he moved the light a bit closer to you as you created more mist. The rainbow was a lot brighter this time, lasting longer. You hadn't registered the silence until the door to the office opened. Hyunjin stepped into the room and closed the door. At his presence you sat up straight. 

The last you saw of him was when he walked you to your room and enforced more protective spells around it to help you feel safer while sleeping. Truthfully, you wanted him to stay with you and hold you due to how fearful you were, but you kept your mouth shut and nodded simply when he bid you a good night. 

"Good afternoon." Hyunjin greeted, he set down a cup of hot tea, from herbs left by Chan, in front of you and rubbed your back lightly. "How are you feeling?"

You offered him a small grateful smile as you nodded and pick up the mug, "Better."

Hyunjin was satisfied with the answer as he dragged up a chair to sit on. 

"So Changbin could only trace the attackers whereabouts two miles South before they disappeared," Hyunjin was pointing at the location points on the large map of the valley. "If they headed South then that only leaves us with three options. The Healers cabin, the Breath Takers located in the sharp points of the mountains, and lastly the Peacemaker's Ruins."

Breath Takers...soul sucking monsters. You prayed that Minho, Han, and Jeongin hadn't been taken by those things. Unfortunately, there was a very high chance, and it made your stomach turn. 

"Did Chan see anything?" Felix asked, surprised at the mention of the Healer. You thought about Chan. If anyone saw anything it'd be him.

Hyunjin shook his head, "Changbin did find traces of Feverfew near the area. I questioned Chan about it, and he said someone broke into his supplies a few days ago and he's been trying to catch them. Now that he sees a connection, he's not pleased. Needless to say, whoever this is, they won't try to cross him again."

"I think we should call it a day," Felix began to close up books. He looked to you, "You need rest."

There was no arguing with him since you felt so tired. Sleep sounded wonderful; you might have considered a bath if the fear of drowning wasn't going to give you a heart attack. Somewhere deep inside, you knew you had to overcome that fear though. 

Felix departed when Changbin came to get him for other responsibilities. It was just you and Hyunjin now. There wasn't any tension or animosity between the two of you which was welcome. The two of you slowly began to clean up the office and reorganize it, silently. You made no effort to strike up a conversation due to your sudden shyness. The question you wanted to ask seemed a bit personal and you didn't want to come across as nosy.

"I think that's all," Hyunjin finally broke the silence and turned to face you. He gave you a short smile before making his way over to the stairs. 

"Wait, Hyunjin?" your voice came out rushed as if you were afraid that he was suddenly going to disappear on you. He paused by the steps and gave you his attention, watching as you came over to his side. "Will you let me take you to the top?"

"Take me?" Hyunjin raised his eyebrows in surprise. You looked away for a moment from slight embarrassment, but nodded, nevertheless. The mafia boss pondered over the request for a moment before deciding to let you take him to the top of the steps.

"Okay," you breathed realizing you didn't think you'd get this far and wasn't sure exactly how you were going to take hold of him to get him up to the top of the stairs. You reached down and gently took his hands, wrapping them around your waist and securing your arms around his neck. The new proximity brought your faces closer together and pressed your bodies flush against each other. You knew you couldn't hide the small blush that appeared on your face as you tried to focus on lifting the two of you to the top of the stairs.

"Y/n, wait," Hyunjin whispered. You opened your eyes and looked into his, suddenly feeling your heart beating faster. What was wrong with you? If Minho saw you like this, he'd bury you into the ground himself and disown you until his death. You felt Hyunjin's arms wrap around you a bit tighter. "Let me show you something."

You didn't dare say anything this close to him, so you simply nodded, putting your trust into his hands. There was something about the way he held you that made you never want to leave his arms again. It was as if there was an invisible pull keeping you tethered to him. The feeling made you sick to your stomach since you didn't know what it meant, and you had been raised to hate this man with your entire being. All of that was slowly unraveling.

Within a flash of light, the two of you disappeared from headquarters.

Rushing wind whipped around you and the roaring of water filled your ears. A waterfall. When you heard the sound of water and noticed that you were extremely high up, you tightened your grip on Hyunjin. Heights didn't agree with you well and often intimidated you while the sound was traumatic. This waterfall seemed to be the tallest you've ever been to or seen.

"Are you afraid of heights?" Hyunjin's voice penetrated over the roaring water of the waterfall. You looked at him.

"I'm afraid of a lot of things," you admitted. The expression on his face changed. It was one of understanding. 

Hyunjin slowly released you, keeping a hand firmly grasped onto your arm to secure you, "Me too."

He pulled you down the side of the waterfall down to a small hidden path just wide enough for one person to walk on. Hyunjin went first, keeping his hand in yours all the while guiding you along the edge of the waterfall, right underneath it. You focused your attention on the mist pouring off the waterfall, moving it away from the two of you to keep you dry against the cooler weather. Hyunjin thanked you through his body language right as he went under the rushing water. 

"Do you trust me?" Hyunjin paused, waiting. 

You looked at him for a second wondering why he was suddenly asking you this after you agreed to let him take you from the office without so much as knowing just exactly where he was taking you to trusting him through your fear. His question was a genuine one, asking for reassurance that you felt comfortable and safe before moving forward. It was new. 

"Only if you promise not to throw me over a cliff," you joked. The joke settled well with Hyunjin, and he took it as a yes that you did in fact in this moment, trust him.

"Then close your eyes for me."

A rush of chills decorated your skin as you closed your eyes for him. Hyunjin noticed the bumps appeared on your skin and smiled to himself. Gently, he took both of your hands and pulled you through a hidden archway right under the waterfall. Your ears picked up on the gentle falling of more water as you smelled a deep water-like earth smell mixed with floral. The rush of the waterfall was gone. Hyunjin stopped slowly and stepped to the side.

"Okay, open."

A soft gasp left your lips as your eyes looked at the scenery in front of you. The two of you were inside a beautiful cenote. Flowers lined the walls, drinking from the water falling through the open hole in the river. The light reflected off the water making it sparkle. Small beams of light reflected onto the stone walls not covered in deep magenta flowers. The sight was amazing and one you'd never seen. 

"It's beautiful," you smiled at Hyunjin, stepping forward to dip your hand in the water. It was lukewarm and crystal clear.

"Do you want to swim?" his voice was careful. You looked back at him with a puzzled look. Hyunjin only smiled, "The water has healing minerals in it. It'll help soothe sore muscles and replenish the body, but if it's too much for you considering last night..."

The thought was sweet. "But I don't have a swimsuit, and I won't go in naked." 

Hyunjin laughed, his laughter echoing off the walls. "I wouldn't ask you to get naked, and your training clothes are sewn to make you a swimsuit if you ever find yourself needing to be in water."

Hyunjin, being a man, gulped down the idea presenting itself. He had to stay focused, or he would lose his control and blow everything. You raised one eyebrow right before your skeptical look changed into shock as Hyunjin unzipped his shirt and pulled it off. He was sculpted like a Greed god with broad shoulders, big arms, and a toned chest with a few abs. He tied back his hair and transformed his pants into shorts before stepping into the water, sharing your gaze. 

What was this man doing to you?

"The water is nice," he taunted softly, splashing water onto his skin to make it shine against the light. You swallowed hard. 

"Turn around," you chided. Hyunjin laughed and rolled his eyes before turning around. His back is ripped too??

It took you a few minutes, but you eventually figured out how to transform your outfit into a two-piece bathing suit, not thrilled with how much it was lacking in coverage, but satisfied enough with what it was covering. You placed your clothes next to his and tied your hair up just like Hyunjin had. You took a deep breath and slowly stepped into the water, letting it engulf you up to your waist.

"Okay," you said softly. "You can turn around."

Hyunjin only looked over his shoulder, wishing he hadn't as his insides turned inside out after seeing you in your swimsuit. Your chest and neckline looked so soft to him and your shoulders too. He wanted nothing more than to touch you and kiss every inch of skin on those areas. Wanting to show you just how much you affected him. Playing it cool, he smiled and treaded into the water further; he swam closer to the water softly falling over the edges of the wide whole in the middle of the cavern and waited for you to join him, which you did with deep breaths. 

Since the water was still and crystal clear, it was a bit easier to force yourself to walk toward Hyunjin. He met you halfway and took your hands in his, helping you feel grounded. It wasn't as hard when he was touching you.

The two of you soaked in the mineral water and allowed the water to heal injuries and sore muscles, which you in fact had quite a few. Hyunjin had a few cuts and bruises on his back and chest that you watched heal wondering if he acquired them while trying to save you last night.

"How do you know about this place?" you spoke after a long while. 

"Chan told me about it a long time ago," Hyunjin said, swimming a little closer to you as the conversation struck up. "Over the last few weeks, we've been bringing Seungmin up here to help heal his wounds."

Guilt overwhelmed you at the mention of the boy you'd almost killed. You thought about going to apologize in person, but he was so well hidden in the compound that it was difficult for you to build up the courage to seek him out. It did bring you some comfort that a place like this was here for him during his healing process. Not knowing how you gave him the wounds, scarred you beyond measure. 

"Oh," you replied softly, looking away for a moment to tie your thoughts back together after wondering about Seungmin. Maybe Hyunjin would be honest with you, so you took a leap and asked, "Is he okay?"

Hyunjin raised his eyebrows slightly before nodding gently, "He's recovering. He's awake more now that his wounds are mostly healed. With time he'll be back to his normal self."

You only nodded. Hyunjin noticed the guilt even before you asked the question. He sees that a lot in you whenever things go sour or mentions of past horrors come up in conversation. Hyunjin avoided those if he could in order to make you not feel deep levels of guilt that might manifest itself.

When your legs began to get tired you caught yourself slipping into the water a bit further. Hyunjin moved before you registered it, taking you in his arms and holding you up. You inhaled heavily at the close proximity and looked into his eyes. They were a beautiful chocolate brown with sparkles of reflected light coming down as he looked into your own eyes and searched your face. 

Hyunjin Mafia of Malefic was incredibly handsome through his visuals but also through the way he held himself when he walked or stood, when he sat down and gazed over a crowd, but more importantly through the way he touched and handled you. His hands being gentle and respectful as they held you at your waist and the soft gaze in his eyes when he looked at you made you melt slightly in place. It was very hard to keep your distance when he gave you nothing to stand on, keeping you suspended all the time.

The longer you stared at him, the closer he pulled you into his chest. His soft skin against your own was addicting and enticing. With every passing second, your heart rate sped up, beating rapidly. And just when you didn't think it could progress further, Hyunjin pressed his lips against yours for a brief second. 

You gasped, pulling back slightly to stare at him with surprise. His grip on you tightened a bit as he waited for you to say something. Something about the way he pulled back didn't sit right with you as you moved your hands to rest just under his ears and returned the kiss. This time Hyunjin didn't allow for either of you to pull back as his hand moved to hold the middle of your back, to press you against him, and the other holding the underside of your left thigh.

When he needed air, which took him a long while, he pulled back and inhaled deeply before attending to your neck. You tipped your head back to give him better access to your collarbones and Jugular area enjoying the way his hot plump lips felt against your skin. He kissed your chest before his lips came back up to kiss yours, hard. You did not miss the way his hands were kneading the flesh of your skin while his lips bruised yours. 

"Hyunjin," you breathed out, closing your eyes when you felt his hands at your waist. He rested his forehead against yours, heaving for air as his brain fogged up. 

"If you say my name like that again," Hyunjin panted, kissing your lips again. "I will not be able to hold myself back."

A small laugh escaped your lips before you ducked your head into his neck. Now it was his turn to laugh as he squeezed you in a hug, resting his temple against yours. The water was a bit warmer as your powers let heat flow from you. You couldn't tell if it was the minerals in the water or Hyunjin that were making you feel better; you wanted it to be the latter. 

For a few hours, you let yourself forget all your stress as you swam around cenote with Hyunjin, being playful and bold with him. You let him kiss you and make you feel like a queen, you let him touch you and worship you like you were going to be gone from him in the next second. He let you do the same, kissing him deeply and letting himself be shaped by your touch. It was healing for the both of you even though you both knew things would not be the same when it was time to return to headquarters.  

By evening, you had showered and dressed yourself into some more comfortable clothes. It was close to dinner time and despite having a very intimate moment with Hyunjin and still trying to wrap your head around the feelings you were experiencing, it did not deter you from your search for Minho. The idea of Minho finding out what you did with Hyunjin in that cenote made you laugh softly to yourself. He'd blow his top off at just the thought. 

First, you needed to find any strengths or weaknesses on Breath Takers and also more history surrounding the three areas suspected from this morning. This strategy had been one of the first of many you learned when growing up under your parents. Always start with information to better able yourself. The library was where you were going to start.  

The problem for you was going to be finding it. The hallways all looked the same but if you walked long enough you might find it and get more information before dinner started. Minutes had passed and you were slowly leaving a trail mist on the floor to help you find your way back when you came upon a windowed hallway. It piqued your interest enough to make the right turn, seeing that the windows looked out over the river. It was a bridge hallway. 

The water rushed below, surrounded by deep green trees and shrubbery. Suspended at the same level as the hallway was a balcony with seating and tables to sit at. The longer you observed it, the more you were able to see what was behind the glass window beyond it. With a few more steps, the light glaring on the glass disappeared and you saw it.

A shelf full of books. 

When you entered the library, it was so quiet you could hear yourself breathing. Taking in the books made you realize that this wasn't a normal library with books labeled and sections on display to help your search. All of the books were of a deep brown with thick heavy spines, dozens of pages, and no titles on the front. Maybe you could get lucky.

You decided to start on the left side and work your way back and then repeat on the other side coming from the back to the front. If you picked up a few books every now and then, glancing through them, you might get lucky and find the section you were looking for.

So far you had found factual books on intellectual studies such as herbs and plants and guides on how certain life forms grew and prospered under a specific instruction. There were at least three rows from top to bottom on understanding all forms of skill as well as those who use them. You'd be lying if you said you didn't get caught up a little in those books. It was especially amusing for you to discover that Changbin's kind was actually huge softies. You just had to gain their trust and full comfort level in order to see it at its peak. 

"Trying to find a way to befriend Changbin?" a voice scared you into dropping the heavy book as panic rushed through you. 

Seungmin, was leaning against the bookshelf on the opposite end of the isle with his arms crossed in front of his chest, watching you. The panic eased almost immediately, but not through your own means. It was almost as if it never happened.

"Taking away my panic so I don't attack you?" you countered, picking the book up from the floor and putting it back on the shelf.

"Maybe," he replied, remaining in his spot. He quirked an eyebrow at you pulling another book off the shelf and skimming through it; repeating the action a few times. "Wouldn't be the first time."

You were a few seconds short of biting back something harsh, when you remembered what you had done to him the last time the two of you were this close to each other. You only heaved a sigh and continued to look through the books. Seungmin followed silently which seemed to be putting you a little on edge the more you were looking for information. 

"You're digging for something," he suddenly spoke, finding his comfort in leaning against another shelf. 

"How incredibly observant of you." 

"The information you're seeking is not in this library," he said, straightening up into a normal standing position. His words made you falter slightly in your reach for another book. If what you were trying to find wasn't in here, then where was it? When you looked back at Seungmin he was observing you again.

Then he spoke again, "If you're as smart as I think you are, I'm willing to trade information."

"No way." you shot down the offer immediately. There was no way you were going to unfold your families' secrets just like that. 

"Only specifics." he bargained lightly. "More specifically, information about you."

Now you were puzzled, "You don't want information on my family to exploit them?"

"Don't need it when I can simply convince the information out of them."

The two of you stood silently with heavy tension as you thought over what he was offering. Whether he was trying to take advantage of you or gain strength for himself through other means, it was hard to tell. Seungmin was hard to read. The longer the silence went on, the more impatient he was becoming.

Something didn't feel right. You shook your head slowly, finally coming to a decision. "No."

Seungmin smiled widely, retreating slowly. "Very well. You know where to find me if you change your mind." Seungmin turned and was almost out of sight, "and you will."

After hours of searching after your encounter with Seungmin, you were exhausted. He had been right about you not being able to find anything. And he was right about you dying to gain information for your benefit that only he had. It did take a few hours of you sitting in your room, torn over your own self-ego and the surrender of yourself to Seungmin's will; ultimately, you did give into his wants, having no other options. 

When you entered the hallway, you stood for a minute pondering over what he meant by where to find him. You had explored most of the compound in the weeks you had stayed, but Seungmin's area or room was one you didn't go looking for in case he wanted to kill you outright, which he was more than justified to do. 

You supposed you could just start walking and hoped to find his quarters soon.

His door was the only one you'd seen, so far, that was solid black and had no handle. For a moment you didn't know how to approach it. You tried to push inward and with no luck, it remained shut. The second thing you tried was a knock. Nothing. A sigh escaped you as you pondered over any other options. Your fingers grazed around the door for a button and you inspected the floor for any triggers. There was no physical way in. If there was a mental one, you didn't know how you would use that. 

"I should do this to my room," you mumbled to yourself, realizing how much protection was provided. Maybe you could ask Felix to help you on that. You inhaled deeply and closed your eyes. You needed to think. How would you get into this room? You had to put yourself in the shoes of Seungmin. 

You started by voicing specific words meant to open things—like abracadabra or open sesame. When those didn't work you imaged the door opening for you. Again, nothing. You turned to walk away when you paused. The last stretch of hope extended your hand to where the doorknob would've been. Your fingertips came in contact with cool metal as you wrapped your hands around a doorknob. 

You breathed a sigh of relief but also cursed the Mind Controller. The doorknob had been so black that it was invisible against the same black of the door. A mind trick without any effort. You pushed the door inward after turning the handle and walked into the room. To your surprise, you raised your eyebrows and paused halfway in the door. 

"You heard all of that didn't you?" you started at the Mind Controller who was sitting in a chair facing the door. His hands held a stopwatch that was paused with a good five minutes recorded. 

"Glad you aren't completely stupid." he only smiled, setting the stopwatch down on the table in front of him and gesturing to the chair opposite of his. He watched as you followed his request without question. The room was very dark and simple. The room you were in was a living/study area. From what you could tell there were two other rooms; one to your right and the other to your left. The air was cold to you and you were confused to see that there was a fireplace but no fire going. 

"Start one."

You looked at Seungmin for a moment only realizing a second later that he was asking you to make a fire. You shook your head. "My fire doesn't bring warmth," you told him. Seungmin looked like he was trying to figure out how to ask why, but you beat him to it. "I've tried." 

Seungmin tilted his head back slightly as of remembering just what your fire could do. He smirked slightly, "I know it doesn't."

"Why ask?" you grumbled as you looked at him. He sighed and pulled back the collar of his shirt to reveal one of the now faded pink scars. 

"Because this is a wound from powers unknown to most," he shrugged. "Doesn't mean you aren't capable of igniting a fire that produces warmth. Though if you really tried, I suppose you're right." 

You furrowed your eyebrows and grew uncomfortable at his assumption regarding your lack of trying. It wasn't because of lack in effort, but in pure ability. You weren't gifted the skill to provide warm fires. "Just because they aren't warm doesn't mean they won't burn you." 

"Now that," he uncrossed his legs and stood. "I figured out the hard way."

He walked over to one of the shelves and collected two large books. One that looked older and the other looking merely untouched. Seungmin set them on the table in front of him and motioned for you to take a seat across from him.

"Now, the information you need is in this book here," he laid a hand down on the book to your right while he rested the other hand down on the book on the left. "And the information I want to know will be recorded in this one."

"Recorded?" 

Seungmin nodded, "I'm half the reason all the books here are written the way they are. I either stole the information or asked people to explain."

"Why do you want my story?" 

"Because," Seungmin leaned forward. "You are and will be legendary."

"And what's in the other book."

"The last bit of the Peacemaker's enemies."

Hours later, you were walking out of Seungmin's room with a rushing heart. You pulled the door to as you tried to wrap your mind around the information revealed to you moments ago. Everything made sense. All of the information clicked for you and you had no time to spare. 

Just as you went to take a step, there was a gravitational pull at you. It was comforting, familiar. Tears were welling up in your eyes at the feeling, having not felt it in so long. You were practically sprinting in the direction of the pull coming to a door on the other side of the compound. Your hand closed around the handle and turned the knob pushing it inward. 

Then your heart dropped to your stomach. 

Jeongin was barely holding himself up at a desk in front of Hyunjin with Felix next to him. Tears streamed down your face as they all turned to see who had opened the door. Jeongin breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of you, squeezing you into his embrace when you sprinted to his arms. 

"Oh my gosh," Jeongin was huffing and puffing, locking you into his arms tightly. "You're okay, oh my gosh." 

He hushed you softly while carding his fingers through your hair comfortingly, barely comprehending you standing in front of him. He took all your tears as you sobbed into his neck and held him closely.

"It's okay," Jeongin whispered, kissing your temple. "You're okay."

 "Okay," Hyunjin spoke up breaking the moment. "That's enough. Release her."

Jeongin ignored Hyunjin's command as you sunk further into his embrace at the voice of the Mafia Malefic's boss.

Felix saw how Hyunjin was getting worked up over watching Jeongin, but you needed this moment.  Carefully, he stepped forward and laid a hand on your back when enough time has passed. Jeongin glared ever so slightly at the touch, yet knowing what Felix was trying to avoid, he softly helped remove you from his embrace into Felix's arms which you didn't want.

"Stop," you interjected, when you tried to pull away from Felix, but his grip tightened. 

"Y/n," Hyunjin's voice rose in warning, eyes dangerously staring at you to stop resisting.

"Let her be," Hyunjin only rolled his eyes at Jeongin's words. Jeongin eventually got you to calm down and go with Felix, assuring you that he wouldn't be leaving. 

"Please," Hyunjin grumbled, standing from his chair. "Just because you are standing here does not explain your actions and why you are here. I will protect everyone here in this room except for you. "

"If you love her," Jeongin leaned onto the desk, getting right in Hyunjin's face. "Then tell her."

Love me? What?

"If you say it again," Hyunjin's voice mumbled for only Jeongin to hear. He leaned closely, threateningly, "I will kill you in front of her."

"Y/n," Jeongin turned to look at you. Hyunjin tried to interrupt but Jeongin was looking straight at you. "Do you have any kind of marking on your body that wasn't there before?" 

Now you were dead still. You hadn't told anyone about that and even at the cenote, Hyunjin hadn't seemed to notice that it was on you. That mark. You knew it had significance. 

"Perhaps," Jeongin continued, "A white figure eight?"

"How do you know that?" your voice was barely above a whisper. Felix heaved a heavy breath. This is not how he wanted this conversation to go.

"Show her," Jeongin was now directing his stare straight at Hyunjin, demanding that he show the matching mark. Hyunjin made no move to do anything only staring at Jeongin with a look that could kill. He wanted to be the one to tell you when the time was right, not through the means of this moment. 

Felix looked at Hyunjin almost pleading with him to just reveal the mark. This had gone far too long. "Hyunjin. Just show her."

Hyunjin finally looked at you and saw the confusion in your eyes and how wet they were from crying. He didn't want to be the cause of that. So, Hyunjin unbuckled his belt and unsnapped the buttons connecting his shirt to his pants, and folded down the waistline of his pants to reveal the same mark wrapping around only his left hip bone.

Your knees gave out at the sight of it.

Your mind was reeling with thoughts as to what that actually meant and if your mind was steering in the direction you thought it was, the sight of the mark wasn't good for you. In fact, it would throw your entire plan completely for a loop and you would be doomed.

Felix helped to stabilize you as the information hit you like a fast train. This could not be real. A part of you was overjoyed by this information, and the other was terrified, having this information confirmed. All of it being so new and only in the span of a day. 

"Soulmates," Jeongin stood up straighter, staring at Hyunjin with a strong glint in his eyes. "If I could kill you without it affecting her, I'd do it without any hesitation."

"Soulmates?!" you gasped; your suspicions being confirmed. "Kill him??"

"I think you've over welcomed your stay," Hyunjin looked at Jeongin, after hearing the desperation in your voice. He needed to speak to you alone. "Since you can't be trusted, enjoy a cell." 

"You have no idea what you're doing." Jeongin shook his head, standing unafraid of what Hyunjin might do. "If you trap me, she will die."

"Over my dead body." Hyunjin's voice rang out, sending a rush of shivers over everyone's skin. "She's mine. I'll do anything it takes to ensure her safety."

Jeongin opened his mouth to reply, but Hyunjin beat him to it. Electricity lit up Hyunjin's fingers threateningly, "Say goodbye." 

"No–" you were out of Felix's hold in seconds trying to keep Jeongin with you for a little longer. He could confirm who had done this and tell you how to get to Minho and Han. It didn't matter to you how he was standing here now without them.

When you went to reach out for him, a strong hand wrapped around your bicep and pulled you back. Hyunjin held you by his side.

"Y/n stop," Hyunjin demanded when you applied every ounce of energy into trying to escape his hold. "That's enough!"

"Go to hell!" you screamed in his face. Within the next second, he held his hand out to Jeongin and sent him away.

Hyunjin gave one look to Felix and the second in command was out of the room in a matter of seconds. When the door shut behind him Hyunjin released you. This gave you the perfect opportunity to turn and slap him hard. 

Hyunjin recovered and grabbed the hand that came back up to slap him again, "I said that's enough! Listen to what I have to say." 

"Do you think I care what you say?" you growled through gritted teeth. "What was that? Lying to me about this mark we share that will change everything? Who do you think you are to keep that from me?"

"Yours." Hyunjin was now looking deep into your eyes. They searched your face for acceptance and a kind of wanting you weren't used to seeing. He drove you mad.

You swallowed the knot in your throat, half lying to yourself, "I don't want you." 

Hyunjin let go of your hand with his jaw clenched tightly and turned away to put as much space between the two of you as he could. His eyes avoided you as he gathered a few knives. The rejection was something he was expecting but didn't want to hear. Not when he tried so hard to build trust. Not when he thought even for a moment that you returned the affection. 

"Hyunjin," you closed you eyes as instant regret hit you. "Tell me why Jeongin was in here. Tell me why you chose not to tell me?"

"Jeongin," Hyunjin snapped. "Is the one that attacked you. He attempted to drown you. Forgive me for putting him far away from you."

"He was forced!" you exclaim. "I know who attacked me. I need Jeongin to help me go fight and get Minho and Han to safety."

"Absolutely not," he instantly shot you down. "I will not let you out yourself in danger. I will deal with Jeongin and take care of everything."

You watched as he grabbed a bag next to the desk and hoisted it onto his shoulder. He walked up to you and tried to grab you hand, but you moved away from him. His hands gathered the front of your shirt and he forces you closely to him. 

"Maybe when things settle down," he slowly moved his lips to your ear. "Then you'll kiss me like you did under the falling water and touch me like you love me and can't control yourself." 

You hated yourself deeply for the way your breath escaped shakily at his words. It affected you in ways you didn't want and made you want to cry at how cruel he could be. This was toxic, he was toxic. Why did it give you such a thrill? 

His lips kissed your cheek lightly before letting go of you slowly so you could stabilize yourself back onto the floor.

"Then I'll go by myself," you mumbled. 

Rage was pulsing through you as he began to walk away from you. Out of spite, you reached for his hand and as gently as you could, stepped up to his side. Hyunjin stilled when your hand came up to his jaw, turning it to you. You stood still for a second before shoving his jaw up and back as white fire-like ice ripped up through your hand and into his neck.

Hyunjin cried out and got out of your grip as fast as he could, eyes wild and high on alert as he dropped the bag on his shoulder and touched where you had attacked. His eyes flashed angrily as he counterattacked by trapping both your hands into a twist with his own, holding them against your stomach and pinning you to the desk with a strong force. Now that he was leaning over you, Hyunjin gritted his teeth before sending a huge wave of pulsing electricity shooting into your body. Bright blue static lines popped through you as you screamed loudly from the pain. 

Hyunjin let it go after a long brutal minute, practically shoving himself off of you and gathering his things in a huff. He was fuming and needed to leave before he did any crucial damage to you. A minute long of being electrocuted seemed to just about disable you from attacking him again. 

"Screw you, Y/n." Was all he called out before leaving you shaking on his desk; the buzz still pulsed through you and tears cascaded down your cheeks silently. 

Changbin was the one that came to you after what felt like forever, only being a few minutes in real time. He wrapped you in a blanket before touching you and carried you to the medical ward where someone treated you for Shock. To your grateful surprise, Felix stayed with you during the entire procedure and made sure you weren't alone. For a brief moment you wished Felix had been your soulmate instead of Satan himself. 

You were safe to shower in water and move about, but you would feel weary for the next day or two. 

Hyunjin picked up a rock laying on the ground at the edge's cliff and hurled it out into the deep drop. This is where he had gone after your fight; the only place that was familiar to him, comforting to him.

He roared out as he threw another stone. Tears rippled down his face as his heart ached to the point of no return. His tears were hot against the cold air and he felt the rocks bite at his knees when they hit the ground. Stinging erupted from his scalp—his fingers working up knots in his hair over and over again. 

"This cannot be happening," he pleaded out loud to himself, desperately trying to run through the events that had just happened. The words you said to him and the look in your eyes when you found out he was your soulmate. Hyunjin would rather be dead than to be feeling what he was feeling right now. His breath was coming how in short huffs as the tears continued to fall down his face.

"Is she dead?" he asked.

"You'd know if she were," came the reply. Felix stood not to far off from where Hyunjin was kneeling. "You shouldn't have handled it the way you did."

Hyunjin was not in the mood for a lecture. His sorrow turned to anger as he got up from the ground and faced Felix. "Fight me. Distract me from my thoughts."

Felix tilted his head down slightly, an unamused glint glossing his eyes. He raised his hand and a flash of light so bright blinded Hyunjin in half a second. He closed his eyes and submitted himself to the dark, thriving off the sounds in his ears and the sensations through his hands and feet. Felix was deathly silent on his feet, but every once in a while, he slipped up.

click.

Hyunjin attacked behind him and opened his eyes slightly to see if the attack had given him his sight back. The light was gone but Felix had blindsided him and thrown a nasty punch to the back of his head and made direct contact. Growling from frustration, Hyunjin stomped on the ground, sending a pulsing wave of electricity. Felix was up in the air in seconds, dancing on sun beams and narrowly missing the waves before arching his next attack right at his friend.

Hyunjin blocked.

The light absorbed Felix into nothing, leaving Hyunjin to guess where he would appear next. He waited with his eyes on the next cloud in the sky, mere seconds from blocking out the sun. Right as the cloud covered the ball of fire, the Mafia boss caught sight of his second in command coming back from the light with a series of more physical attacks. Hyunjin geared up another attack, only for Felix to blind him again and deliver the final blow.

Felix stared down at his friend laying on the ground, "You need to talk to her and explain everything before it's too late."

"I already tried that." Hyunjin grunted as he took Felix's outstretched hand. "That's why things ended the way they did." 

"You aren't trying hard enough." Felix boldly spoke. "You better get yourself together and treat her the way she wants to be treated." Hyunjin glanced at Felix to see the hard serious gaze he was giving him. "Minho was right you know. She is her own person and needs to be treated as such. You'll never lose her if you do that."

An angry roar left Hyunjin's throat. He was now left alone on the cliff's edge. Alone to his unending thoughts. 

It was only a few hours later when you woke. Your mind was only thinking of one person and one goal the second your eyes opened, but they were harder to reach because of your condition. The effects of Hyunjin's attack made it very difficult for you to function properly. Even something as simple as walking was challenging.

When you could move without struggling too much, you sought out the person on your mind. It didn't take you nearly as long to find him this time around, having desperation at your back and hateful revenge in your hands. 

The leaves crunched underneath your feet as you stumbled to the front door. The lights were on inside and the forest around the building was silent. Inhaling, you reached for the knob and pushed inward.

The fireplace was glowing brightly, igniting the inside with light. You barely glanced around, looking to make sure there was nobody else inside. Completely empty. This prompted you to investigating all the walls for a trap door or secret latch that would open into another hidden room. However, there was nothing.

Panic filled your throat as you racked your brain to figure this out. There was no telling how much time you had left. Sounds outside had you searching for a place to hide immediately. The corner behind one of the chairs next to the fireplace seemed good enough. 

Though as you ran to the hiding spot, your foot hooked on the edge of the rug on the floor and you fell face first into the wooden floor. The sounds we're getting loud and you had to make sure it didn't look like anyone was in here. Your hand grabbed the edge of the flipped rug to tug it back into place when you saw a hidden latch. 

It was now or never, you pulled the latch upward and climbed under the trap door, trying your best to place the rug back before you pulled the latch shut. It was pitch black in the small space you were limited to. Praying the rug was in place, you lit your hand with the white fire to inspect the space. 

There was a ladder leading from the small square space you were crouched on top of down into the darkness. You shot the fire down the hole. It disappeared after lighting up what looked like a hallway. 

This had to lead to Minho.

You quickly made work of the ladder and landed on the cold stone floor at the bottom. A gasp escaped you at the sight of the hall. Bloody dead bodies hung on the walls like trophy's on display. Fear was drowning you as you walked as fast as you could down the hall. You became very uneasy when you saw who was hanging above the door at the end of the hallway.

The Peacemaker.

When you opened the door you gasped again. Minho and Han were shackled to the wall. The shackles had needles on the inside, sticking them through their wrists and ankles as some sort of deep purple liquid filled their bodies. It looked as though Jeongin had been here before escaping as there was a place for a third victim.

"Minho," you whispered frantically, lifting his head and seeing if he was dead. He was incredibly weak, but he opened his eyes to see if he heard your voice or if he was simply imagining it. 

"Y/n," he couldn't even say your name properly. You moved to check and see if Han was also alive, finding him to be in the same state as Minho.

"Y/n," Han's voice was slightly better than Minho's as he called for you.

"Yes, yes," you touched his face tenderly. "I'm going to get you out of here."

"Y/n," he looked at you. "Run."

The source of his fear stepped into the dark stone room and leaned against the wall, eyes directly on you. "Y/n," Chan greeted you stone-faced, putting his hands in the front pocket of his hoodie. "Oh Y/n, y/n, y/n. You finally figured it out."

You slowly rose from your crouch and held your head high. "With some help."

"Oh yes," Chan reached behind him and dragged Seungmin into the room and tossing him onto the floor at his feet. "I'm well aware."

"You won't hurt him," you gritted out at Chan. "I won't let you."

"Why would you want to help the one person that is the key to my betrayal?" Chan furrowed his eyebrows and quirked an eyebrow at you like you were strange. "He may have given you the last piece to your puzzle. But ultimately, he did what I asked him to do."

Seungmin's eyes shut in shame as The Healer clapped a hand on his shoulders and squeezed tenderly. Chan looked back at you and your stone still figure. The new bit of information wasn't comforting in the slightest knowing he had a spy in the middle of Mafia Malefic. There's no telling how long this had been going on. 

It was more baffling to you that Chan was behind all of this. He was the valley's Healer and caretaker. Always willing to extend a hand to help and soothe during the hard times. Seeking to care for his patience's and at a beckoning call at any hour of the day or night. Why was he doing this after all that? After all he'd done to help you during the last five to six months.

"Should we tell her, Seungmin?" Chan taunted him, gliding his fingers through Seungmin's midnight black locks before gripping them between his fingers tightly and yanking back hard. Seungmin cried out as Chan put his lips to the Mind Controller's ear. Seungmin's hands went back to try and control how hard Chan was pulling as you took a step forward in panic.

"Wait, stop! Don't hurt him."

"I think we should tell her," The Healer's voice was airy as he kept a strong hold on Seungmin's head. You had enough of this. You widen your stance and let your fire consume both hands to form your attack. Chan slowly moved his gaze to you and chuckled.

"Let him go or I will make you." you said smoothly. Seungmin opened his eyes to see you circling over to him.

"No," Seungmin grunted out. "don't!"

Chan only smiled. The floor began to shake roughly destabilizing you and just as it stilled, the floor split open to reveal hell at the bottom. You grabbed a hold of the closest thing near you to ensure you weren't meeting fate too soon. Huffs of air escaped your chest erratically. Seungmin only watched you from the corner of his eyes in horror.

The Healer was calm as he spoke "Let me tell you the whole story."

"Back before your parents died, I had issues with an old friend. Because what I wanted went against his rules and regulations and he had a higher position of power than I did, he kept me under his thumb and prevented me from leveling out the three-power party system that the valley had been running on for centuries. For years he kept me under that thumb; he did that for so long that I had to play an entirely different part from what I wanted," Chan laughed incredulously at the recalling of his memories.

He loosened his grip on Seungmin's hair but didn't let go. Your grip was weakening, and you peaked at the open ground, wondering if you could hold on for much longer. 

"So, while I waited to take out both the highest Mafia's in the valley, I worked my way into both of them. Seungmin came in very handy with that. His little encounter with the Witch Cursor. Of course, it wasn't actually a Witch Cursor, but rather an encounter with me. He would've gone free, but he decided to challenge me and put up a good fight, almost defeated me. I think you know how it ended though considering how beautiful he looks in my clutches." A sadistic smirk appeared on his lips as he looked at the Mind Controller. 

"Once I had him under my control, I was able to infiltrate Mafia Malefic with ease. The best part is he knows how to break the control I have over him. Most curses come with a catch and well, that's just the thing—Seungmin here can't repeat it once it's been said. Which works out perfectly for me. Now my next step was to infiltrate Mafia Grim, and it was too easy. My pawn for the perfect match,"

You readjusted your grip and tried to move toward Seungmin. To your horror, Chan tightened his grip again, making Seungmin cry out once more. It made you pause again.

"You. You were born and from your birth I saw that you were different. No one knew, but I sensed it. The night when your parents died, I was there. I was there when they told you exactly what you were, and I saw the very second you lost all control. That was my chance—my opening into taking down Mafia Grim. To kill your parents while you had your reaction and to be there for you when you woke up. It just so happened to work in my favor that Hyunjin was just outside the room, watching you."

The sudden news of Hyunjin not being responsible for the death of your parents had your mind spinning in chaos. Your attention was long gone away from Chan and Seungmin as memories of that night flooded your head. How could you believe him? Was he really telling the truth and revealing what had been lost to you for so long? Or was he playing you like he had everyone else in his life.

Your head hurt and the palms of your hands were growing sweaty.

"And you were so gullible too. Taking everything I said very seriously, listening to Minho's suggestion for you to train in the deep mountains far away from gaining your full potential next to Minho, that you'd gain full control of your gift and be stronger than everyone in the valley including me. Well, I couldn't let that happen, so I strongly encouraged Minho to send you away."

"Stop," you begged, not wanting to hear anything more.  

"Now that I have a full grasp on exactly what you are all thanks to Seungmin, I can finally finish my plans," Chan chuckled darkly. 

You needed Hyunjin now, knowing you couldn't do this alone. But there was no sign of him coming to your aid. Especially after the way you treated him the last time you saw each other. Would he be willing to listen to your even after all that had happened?

The ground shook again as it sealed shut. Chan released Seungmin and shoved him in the opposite direction you were, where he stopped himself from injury before turning back to The Healer. If only he had his limit lifted, he could do an ungodly amount of damage that he's been saving up. You came over to him in order to shield him from Chan.

"You're useless to me now." Chan's face went back to bored as looked at Seungmin. Slowly, he strolled over to a table full of instruments. "It's time for me to go, really wish I could stay but, I'm late to destroying all of you." 

And in that second, you attacked. Chan barreled out of the way as your fire came raining down on him. He watched carefully as your white eyed figure watched his every move. Truth be told, he was a little nervous over what you might do to him now that the soulmate bridge had been completed. Chan made his attack when he thought you'd be least expecting it and watched it hit you square in the stomach. While you were down and standing back up to recover, Chan threw his next attack at Seungmin who was still on the floor. 

Chan took a step back when you blocked the attack without even so much as putting very much effort. Chan's gaze darkened as he faded into the the dark. You felt him through the air as you waited to see where he would reappear. A warm feeling vibrated through the air making that spot your target. Splitting pain licked your ribcage area as you looked down to see the edge of knife sticking through your stomach. It hit you straight in your core, taking you down so far that you couldn't even think about getting up. Seungmin yelled your name, but you couldn't see anything. The only feeling was the one in your middle, consuming you inside and out. The knife was pulled back, ripping your insides up even more.

Chan suddenly felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up right before a surprising wind picked up and he saw flashes of blue followed by loud pops and zaps filling the air. Hyunjin appeared inside the room, attack mode on and ready. He looked at Chan for a brief moment before seeing you on the floor. Chan began to walk backwards, stepping into the wall behind him as he dissolved into ash and disappeared. 

Seungmin flipped you over and began to inspect you as Hyunjin rushed over. His eyes went to Minho and Han—both pinned to the walls and shivered in fear at the sight of them.

"What happened?" Hyunjin demanded, taking you into his arms. He felt you gravitate toward him and pull him closer to you. The instant his body was on yours the feeling in your middle began to settle though it was still very painful. Blood was everywhere.

"There's too much to explain," Seungmin shook his head, tears slipping past his eyes. "We have to make sure she's okay."

Hyunjin was deep in the dark, but he heard your call and felt your pain which brought him here. There would be time to explain later; right now, he needed to tend to you. 

It hurt when he picked you up in his arms and took you back to headquarters, which to you was a flash of time due to your fading in and out of consciousness. The softness of his bed cradled you gently as he laid you down against the mattress and helped you settle into a comfortable position. Hyunjin moved the hair from your face while looking over your body for any physical lacerations, finding nothing visible to his eye. He called for Changbin the second they were in his room, needing him be on guard while his mind was otherwise directed toward you.

"What happened?" Changbin asked, appearing in the doorway with a nasty looking weapon drawn in his left hand. "Who did this?"

"That's not important right now," Hyunjin stated calmly, fitting his hand around the back of your neck to cradle your head while his other hand held your waist gently. "Y/n, open your eyes sweetheart."

You could hear him, you could feel him; you just couldn't respond. Hyunjin's gaze went to your left hand briefly pausing before taking the his thumb and index finger to aggressively pinch your palm. A small flinch was your reaction. 

"I got you baby," Hyunjin mumbled. "Just hang in there for me." 

"I'll go get the doctor." Seungmin volunteered, worry straining his voice as he left the room to go find someone to help. Hyunjin said nothing in response, only pulling you closer in hopes that he could help relieve some of the pain.

"Changbin," Hyunjin began, moving hair out of your eyes to keep you as comfortable as he was able. "Send a group to The Healers cabin. You will find the inner circle of Mafia Grim down there. Use caution and take an expert in medicine and torture instruments with you."

"What happened?" Felix asked when he arrived. 

"That question has expired," Changbin responded with a bit of attitude as he followed his orders. 

Felix only walked further into Hyunjin's room, coming over to the other side of the bed to sit. Hyunjin acknowledged him with a look and then focused his attention back to you. The room was still as no one breathed and the time ticked by slowly. Slowly, you felt yourself falling into a warm dreamy place, a comfortable slumber. The voice of the medical personnel filled the room just as you slipped into darkness. 

Cool. Soft. Damp. 

Hours later you were coming to your senses again, one of those being the cool, soft, and damp object at your forehead. It was a cloth being pressed to the skin of your forehead to help soothe. The owner behind the touch was intentional yet light in their touch which felt nice next to your now subsided pain. You opened your eyes slightly to see Hyunjin leaning over you with the cloth in his hand. 

"Hyunjin," you breathed out, trying to focus. "Chan..."

He shushed you softly, not wanting you to worry about what had happened before you passed out. "Don't worry about him."

"He's controlling Seungmin," you continued, this timing trying to sit up. "You have to help him."

"Y/n, lay back down," Hyunjin demanded softly. You looked around the room for Seungmin or anyone else that was at The Healer's cabin. You felt Hyunjin place his hand on the side of your face, drawing your panicked gaze back to his calm one. "Everything is under control. Right now, I need you to rest. You won't be able to help me stop him if you aren't in good shape."

"But—" Hyunjin shook his head gently while pressing into your shoulder. You fell back against the pillows again feeling just how weak you were after the intense blows aimed at you. It had been years since you felt this exhausted. 

Hyunjin put the cloth back on the side table next to his bed and reached for the glass of water, but paused when our hand came up to grab his forearm. He looked at your hand and took it in his gently before turning his attention to you. You pulled his arm toward you to cradle your connected hands into the curve of your neck. 

"Thank you," you closed your eyes as you spoke, losing confidence and becoming too shy to look into his eyes. Hyunjin squeezed your hand in his as his response, leaning down to press a kiss to your forehead. 

"Never thank me," you opened your eyes to look at him, confused. Hyunjin ran his thumb over the back of your hand as he continued. "It's my job to answer to your calls and to care for you. That goes for even sharing the truth with you and keeping you informed, which I didn't do. I'm sorry, Y/n."

It was still a problem that he chose to keep you in the dark for so long. Some of it couldn't be helped like the block of time you where you both were purposefully separated from each other by the means of Chan to further push the gap between the bonds. Chan had come close to being successful by making it harder for the two of you to become connected even after you returned from the mountains, if only he had prevented Hyunjin from bringing you home with him that night after the funeral. 

"I forgive you," was all you said. Hyunjin nodded, squeezing your hand again. "It's going to be a slow, long journey for us, but I'm willing to put in the effort if you are."

The look of relief and joy on Hyunjin's faced didn't even surface what he was feeling inside. It would all be worth it in the end if it meant he could try to win your heart little by little. The small nod of his head killed off any remaining tension between the two of you. Mistakes would be forgiven and the two of you would grow to know each other over time and accept what was between you.

"Just please don't attack me like you did the other day," Hyunjin said as he got up to change the water, he'd been dipping the cloth into. "I'm a strong man don't get me wrong but that was terrifying."

Your laugh hit him straight in the chest, making him feel bubbly on the inside. 

"It's good to hear that," came Felix's voice as he entered the room with food for both you and Hyunjin. He helped you sit up and set the tray in your lap then setting Hyunjin's on the desk in the room. 

"How's the progress going?" Hyunjin asked Felix through his teeth—a small bag of herbs was wedges between them. He returned with fresh water warm water that he set back down on the side table. 

"It's slow, but we already know where Chan lives so we'll start there."

Your ears perked up at the mention of Chan. "What's happened while I was out?" 

"Y/n–" Hyunjin's sentence fell silent as he looked at your pleading expression. 

"Please," you begged. "Tell me." Hyunjin nodded without hesitation and motioned for Felix to continue talking while he dug into his food. It had been a long minute since he last had a good meal in his stomach. 

"Seungmin revealed everything to us once he knew you were going to be okay. Mafia Grim is being treated downstairs for their injuries and lack of nutrition."

The mention of your family had your heart aching in worry. 

"Han, even in his recovery, is working on finding ways to break the bind Chan has on Seungmin so his limit can be removed. Since it wasn't a Witch Cursor's doing the spell might be persuaded. Seungmin mentioned there being a loophole through all of Chan's words and curses." 

Felix took a grape from Hyunjin's tray and popped it in his mouth while you pondered over the information. It was a lot to take in but nothing you couldn't figure out. 

"What did he say to you?" Hyunjin questioned, looking at you curiously. His question made you inhale deeply, trying to recall all the words The Healer had said. 

"He just told me his real intentions and that he planned to eliminate the system between my family and yours. His plans came into place once the person stopping him was dead," you explained, shivering at the memory of the Peacemaker. "The Peacemaker was the one person stronger than him up until he killed him." 

"That all checks out," Felix nodded. "We checked all of the timelines, and it matches up."

"Then let's get ready to take him down, " Hyunjin nodded determinedly. The three of you sat in silence for a while, thinking over all that happened and imagining what would happen in the future.

This was going to be messy. 

A few days is all Hyunjin would allow for everyone to get ready for a planned attack. Mafia Grim was still recovering, but they assured Hyunjin that they wanted to fight despite their condition. 

Hyunjin received a message from Chan himself yesterday to meet him at the Peacemaker's ruins today. He has no doubt that Chan knew he was bringing everyone. In fact he assumed that is exactly what Chan wanted. 

A knock sounded against Hyunjin's bedroom door. He watched you open the door and peer inside. You walked inside closing the door behind you, his eyes watching your movements. The wound from the knife had healed completely and your strength came back, giving you confidence in each step. Slowly, you approached him. 

"Are you ready?" you asked, taking his hand in yours when you stepped up beside him. His hand squeezed your hand back gingerly in response. You wanted to tell him you appreciated him, but the words got stuck in your throat.

Hyunjin saw the emotions behind your eyes and how your mind was turning. Boldly, he dipped down and pressed his lips to yours for a split second. He pulled back just far enough to look into your eyes, looking for rejection. A smile appeared on his lips the second he felt you raised up on your tip toes to kiss him back.

"I love you," he mumbled against your lips. His confession made you pull back. He wasn't afraid of rejection now. "I wanted to say it in case something happens."

"Nothing will happen," you insisted. "You and I will come back to each other when this is done." 

Hyunjin only squeezed your hand again like he was hoping your words were true. 

Another knock interrupted the moment you two were having. It was Changbin letting you both know that everyone was ready to go. Hyunjin nodded and grabbed his jacket that was laying on his bed before pulling you with him to where everyone else was waiting. 

Just outside Headquarters, everyone was gathered in battle attire. They stood tall and ready for anything thrown at them. Minho looked to you the moment you joined everyone outside and glowed with pride over the person you'd become. 

There was no hesitation in your steps to meet him where he was standing and give him a tight hug. His arm wrapped around your shoulders and his other hand cradled your head into his neck as he kissed your temple. 

"How are you feeling?" you asked him. 

"I'm much better," he smiled at you. A sharp sting erupted in your left hip as Minho smack it playfully. You stuck your tongue out at him as you checked on Han and Jeongin. 

"Okay, let's go!" Hyunjin announced. And just like the day of the funeral, Mafia Grim gathered and Mafia Malefic made a circle so you and Hyunjin could apparated everyone to the Peacemaker's Ruins, where Life and Death was waiting for you. 

Wind howled on the high cliffs. Huge arches and stone pillars made up a worn structure that was built possibly thousands of years ago. It had mixes of Greek and Roman architecture with intricate designs carved into the stone. Long ago a vast assortment of plants had inhabited the area, though when the Peacemaker's of the land die, so does the life around their fortress. 

Minho, Han, and Jeongin stood strongly behind you with all their guards up. Mafia Malefic had similar stances though with a different approach. They looked almost relaxed. A quirk of your eyebrow had Hyunjin smirking playfully. 

What did he have up his sleeve?

"I'm glad to see everyone," Chan's voice echoed off the stone. "Well...almost everyone."

The wind halted in its tracks, leaving the silence eerily loud. Everyone waited for Chan to make a move, having no interest in a casual conversation. 

"What's that one spell everyone uses for magic?" Chan asked, rhetorically. You glanced at your blind spot to make sure you were covered. A nerve hit you uncomfortably, making you ignite your palms with flames. Then Chan remembered, "Oh yeah!"

Everyone drew their attack of choice at Chan's realization. 

"Abracadabra!" Chan's voice boomed as the ruins shook violently and crumbled to pieces. The ground split and divided you from the rest of your family while dividing Mafia Malefic in the same way. Deep purple fire and lava flowed through the cracks in the ground as the middle of the ruins—a complete circle—was left untouched. Chan appeared in the middle of it with his hoodie and sweatpants, sparkling jewelry and a wicked grin. 

It was very hard for you to find your balance as the ruins continued to shake, pushing everyone to different heights, far from each other's reach. You jumped to the middle of your platform when lava bubbles burst erratically around you. It was very hot around you and the cracks of lava were widen enough that it took some effort to jump over. 

"I needed an audience for when I destroy the valley," Chan smiles cheekily with a shake of his shoulders, almost childlike with his excitement. "And then I'll enjoy killing you off individually."

A high pitch laugh squeaked from him before the middle of the ruins lit up in purple flames. Chan drew up a satanic cult-like symbol in the middle of the Ruins as if he were happily drawing a logo and let that glow brightly when he was done. Dark clouds in the sky formed overhead at the summoning of the symbol, flashing with purple lightning and releasing rain so dark it looked like the night sky was bleeding. Chan raised his hand to the sky and touched a lightning bolt that came down to strike him. He became a vessel that controlled the energy into the lines he'd drawn on the stone. With every drop of rain, the symbol began to glow neon purple, slowly becoming complete.

You had to stop Chan before the symbol finished forming. Inhaling deeply, you let all the built up strength you had sit in the middle of your chest as you allowed your power to consume you. The Healer only smiled at your white eyed figure before taunting you forward with his index finger. Though it wasn't you that attacked him first.

Blue electricity struck in three places around Chan as Hyunjin jumped from his lower level rock and landed at the same level as Chan. He whipped out long dangerous buzzing and popping whips for each hand as he began snapping at the ground around him. The Healer formed a crossbow and arrow of sharp bone. He shot his arrow before Hyunjin could attack, but the Electricity User was very gifted with his skill, simply whacking the arrow off its course. Chan raised an eyebrow irritated before creating his own whips of marrow. 

Changbin and Felix immediately got to work, providing Hyunjin with advantages through darkness and light while Seungmin, to your surprise, took a seat on his rock platform and crossed his legs comfortably. There was no time to argue or question the Mind Controller. You turned to Han. 

"Give me some cover," you said to him. He nodded and created an illusion that you were moving toward the fight down in the middle of the Ruins when in reality you were climbing to the highest platform where Minho was standing. Jeongin went with you at your request, moving some of the rocks to aid you in your climbing.

"What are you doing?" Minho roared over the pounding rain. He was trying to figure out how to stop the rain, but it was different from the H2O he was so familiar with. It was almost like blood from its thicker viscosity. 

"Stopping the rain is going to take too long. You need to work with Jeongin to split the rock from the inside out. If we break the circle then his plan will be demolished!" Minho squinted against the blackness at you and nodded looking at Jeongin who was assessing the rock below with furrowed brows. 

"If we break the rock from the center, the entirety of the Ruin's will explode taking everyone with it," Jeongin called out. You huffed worriedly and looked for a possible solution quickly. "It would be better if we disrupted the circle from the outside inward."

"Okay, do it. " you nodded. Jeongin and Minho left you standing at the highest platform, getting to work. 

Hyunjin suddenly let out an explosion of electricity as sparks went flying and a fire caught on some of the dead vines nearby. Changbin was now going head to head with The Healer as he reinforced his strong up-close combat. Chan wasn't too bad himself but he would tire quickly if he kept battling the Blade Conjurer for much longer. A cry from the Blade Conjurer had the hairs on your neck standing up. Chan was laughing maniacally as Changbin held onto his throat, clawing at it. Felix stepped forward with a dark look in his eye; a look so dark, he could've easily surpassed as Chan's accomplice. 

"Oh look," Chan smiled, leaning forward. "The sun after the rain."

Felix simply stared at Chan. You held your breath as you anticipated his attack. Then he closed his eyes—everything stopped. The rain, the lightning, the wind, and all sounds. Felix opened his eyes, lifted them to the sky and split the clouds in half to accessed the sun. He took in his hand a beam of light and broke it into ten different light orbs that began to circle around him at a moderate speed. The clouds shut and time remained as the rain began falling again. Chan's eyes widened as Felix drew from each orb and blasted with power so strong and bright you couldn't see how it hit Chan. 

The Sun User did it over and over, finding new ways to use the light given to him so lethally that you thought Chan was dead.  Though it didn't last for very long as Chan came back full swing with a black cloud of shrill screams that snuffed all the light Felix had. Chan was badly injured. Whelps, burns, and his vision half blind. 

"Now!" Jeongin cried out. Minho absorbed all the energy in the clouds and bought down a massive lighting bolt upon the edge of the ruins. Rock burst into a million pieces as the lightning took off a huge chunk of the circle, but not enough to break the symbol. Chan looked to the circle in panic and threw his next attacks aimed at Minho and Jeongin. Han stepped up to pull the attention off the two on the rocks and was now attacking with mind bending illusions that were testing Chan's limits, though never surpassing them.

Changbin was clawing at his throat again when Han wasn't there to distract him from the pain. It looked as though Chan struck him with some sort of allergic herb to keep him from attacking again. All of this was happening so fast and you knew you had to take down Chan long enough for Minho to have another strike at the circle. You backed up to the edge of the highest platform you remained on from the beginning and inhaled, running into a jump before you exhaled. 

"Jeongin!" you called out. Jeongin looked to you in the midst of defending himself and understood what you were asking of him, having done it a million times when you were growing up together, only this time it wouldn't be for fun and it could be the last time you did it.

Fire consumed you as Jeongin grabbed a hold of you using his Force and hurtled you down straight into the middle of the fight, right at The Healer. When you hit, a blast of ice fire exploded and pushed everyone back off the circle. No one dared to attack when they looked up to see both you and Chan in a globe of your white fire.

"This has to stop Chan," you spoke, watching to see if he would get up. His hoodie was no longer solid, but decorated in an assortment of holes while his hair was tousled and the exposed skin on his body scratched and bleeding. He gritted his teeth at you, deciding to stay on the ground.

"You don't understand," he chuckled out breathlessly. "This circle encompasses Truth, Lies, Control, Power, Life, and Death to their fullest. You cannot destroy this circle. Everything I've done, all I am is in this circle. If you kill me, everyone will parish. The valley will be gone. Is that what you want?"

Out of all the things he'd said to you over the course of your lifetime, this seemed to be the hard truth. If there was no way for this to be stopped then everyone was doomed. Chan did not miss the slight defeat in your eyes as you thought over all the things he was saying to you. There had to be a way out of this. Both Mafia's already won so much, this couldn't be the end.

"I told you," Chan growled. "You will be the reason Mafia Grim and Mafia Malefic fall."

You sunk to your knees at his words. Seungmin took in a breath, watching you closely. "Come on, Y/n."

"You are the reason all of us are going to die."

The guilt was overwhelming you and you couldn't even bare to look back at Hyunjin and the rest of them. No one knew about what Chan had said to you. Nobody knew of the words that plagued your mind for months after Chan had revealed it to you. When things turned around a few days ago and it seemed like Chan had made that up to scare you from taking him down, you felt at ease with the words, but no, you were back to feeling like you were going to throw up.

"But what if you made it all go away?" Chan persuaded, his tone airy and curious sounding. "Just say the magic words and I'll fix everything."

"Think!" Seungmin bellowed, his voice coming down like thunder across the Ruins. You felt another attack coming on. This is exactly what Chan wanted from you and you were about to grant him his wish. How could you stop it? There had to be a loophole. There had to be something in his words that revealed the truth to defeating him. Seungmin said there was a way to figure out the loophole. 

"Think!" Then— 

"But I can destroy a little bit of it," Chan looked over at your now extended hand over the tied neon purple connecting Control, Lies, and Truth. You quirked an eyebrow at him, "Right?"

Instant you broke the tie between all three, watching Chan fall to the ground screaming and crying in pain. Meanwhile on the rock platform, Seungmin inhaled deeply as his limit was released entirely, giving him back his full potential. Chan cried out again on the stone as he felt a part of him die, having put everything into this circle to destroy all of you and having saved none of it for himself. 

Seungmin landed on the stone with a echoing sound as you released the globe of fire. Everything felt heavy against to as you walked passed Seungmin who was making his slow steps toward The Healer. 

Your eyes made contact with Hyunjin. He took you in his arms and pulled you close to him, kissing your head deeply to say how proud he was of you. 

Chan, grunting through the pain, looked up to see Seungmin staring down at him with his hands in his pockets. Seungmin leaned forward and squinted his eyes mockingly. "Didn't see that coming, did you?" 

Without lifting a finger or so much as putting any effort, Seungmin entered Chan's mind and took full control of everything, bending him to his will completely. 

It was almost two weeks later. Everything was slowly coming back to normal after that battle at the Peacemaker's Ruins. Seungmin had Chan reverse everything, removing all the markings and dispersing the clouds and rain. The process shredded Chan into pieces until he was nothing, gone in a wisp of ash. 

To see Seungmin at his fullest strength was powerful and rewarding. He looked more relaxed and lighter than he ever looked, smiling and laughing when Felix ran up to crush him in a hug and ruffle his hair. Even Minho congratulated him. When he looked to you, he bowed deeply, holding it for a few seconds to express his gratitude toward you. 

Your bone crushing hug surprised him when he lifted himself back into a standing position. Seungmin didn't normally do hugs, nonetheless, he returned it with just as much vigor. 

After two weeks, you found yourself at much more ease that you had when you returned from the mountains to come home permanently. It's like The Healer's looming hidden dark energy was the root of how you felt all those months. Now that it was gone, you were free to move around as if nothing in the world could stop you. It also aided your relationship with Hyunjin. 

Like now. The heavy comforter weighed upon your back as you lay awake, tracing random shapes onto the chest beneath you. Short clipped nails dragged lightly against the back of your bare shoulder, admitting goosebumps all over your body. Hyunjin moved his free hand to rest on your bare waist and rub circles into your hip softly. 

"You are so soft," Hyunjin murmured quietly against your forehead. It was sweet compliment for a sweet moment. 

Last night after taking you on a day trip to the mountains, he asked you to spend the night with him the moment you two returned. Your response was a tender kiss to his lips.

Hyunjin smiled against your lips and pulled you against him to enjoy the feeling of you. Since you were just outside his door, you were lifted into his arms and carried passed the door. Hyunjin kissed and sucked against your bottom lip as he laid you on the bed.

"Hyunjin," you looked into his eyes once he was settled over you. "I love you and I do want you."

His heart almost stopped beating with how hard your words hit him. Hyunjin leaned down and kissed you hard like the time in the cenote, "You don't know how much I love you."

Both of your lips connected again in a fervent kiss that continued into a heated make out session. Hands gripping skin, fingers carding through hair strands with heavy breathing and dizziness. All you senses could feel was Hyunjin. Everything you felt, heard, and tasted was him. Likewise for Hyunjin. You were so soft to him and addicting, he couldn't stop.

"Hyunjin," you heaved a breath after the third time. "If we continue much longer, things will change significantly."

"Just tell me when you're ready," he mumbled, kissing your nose before worshiping your neck in kisses and massaging your side with his palms. "Take all the time you need, darling."

"I don't need time," you said. Hyunjin raised up to look at you. "I just need to make sure you're ready for that change."

"I'm ready for anything as long as I get to do it with you."

This lead to the following morning where you were laying in his arms enjoying the moment together. It was early in the morning and the sun was barely peeking over the horizon. Normally you would be asleep during this hour but the feeling of Hyunjin next to you, kept you awake. 

Hyunjin's eyes were shut but he was awake with you, feeling the happiest he's ever felt in his life. If he got the chance to go to sleep with you in his arms and then wake up in them too, he'd be on cloud 9.

"What do we do next?" you asked after a while of silence, thinking about the valley, about Mafia Malefic and Mafia Grim, what it would mean for both parties moving forward.

"That's your call sweetheart," Hyunjin squeezed your waist. "I think it's good if both Mafia's stay separate, but no matter what happens, I want to be with you."

"You always will be." 

The same day, you left Hyunjin and the others to go back to Mafia Grim's headquarters. There was a lot you needed to take care of plus spending time with Minho, Han, and Jeongin. Everything was the same as you left it that night, even down to the shoes you wore to the funeral laying by the front door. 

"Minho?" you called out, flashbacks of when you called out his name that night filled you, only this time you got a reply. 

"In the kitchen!" he called back. You began to make your way to the said kitchen, smelling food cooking the closer you got. Han was sitting at the bar behind the sink while Jeongin was nowhere to be found. Minho stood by the stove, stirring whatever was in the pot. 

He opened his arm to you as you settled into his side for a hug. Both him and Han looked a whole lot better than the last time you saw them. All three of them were still being treated for the substances put in their bodies. 

"Where's Jeongin?" you asked, going over to Han for a hug. The Illusion Master stuck to you like a koala while you took a bite out of his food. A long whine escaped him as you did so, shoving you away. 

"He's sleeping still," Minho answered. "I thought you'd be with Hyunjin."

"I was," you responded, not missing the way his hand gripped the utensil a bit harder. "But I wanted to see you guys and talk."

"About you siding with them or staying with us?" Minho refused to look you way, still stirring. Han looked at you with sorry eyes, getting up to give you and Minho some space to talk.

"Are you gonna say it or just stand there like a stubborn child?" you asked, your tone becoming bitter after his sassy question. "No need to extend gratitude to those of us who worked hard to save you."

Minho set the spoon down on the counter and looked at you, his eyes filled with annoyance and his jaw tight. "Do not sit there and tell me that just because they were capable of one nice thing that it dismisses all the other horrors they've committed!"

"Of course not!" you insisted. "But we're not all innocent either Minho and you know that first hand."

"So what you want to become all buddy buddy with them?" 

You got up from you seat to stand in front of him. He looked away, knowing he couldn't look into your eyes as your older brother and cave into what you wanted. 

"No," you answered. "I want you to accept that I can't change anything and that I won't pick sides. I will be a part of Mafia Malefic and Mafia Grim."

Minho huffed loudly, staring at your feet in anger. "What if I don't want to let you go? What if I want you to still be my baby sister that I love so much?" 

"Then you'll get to see me twice as often," you reasoned with a smile. He wasn't smiling though he was looking at you now. The two of you shared a long hug that was much needed after everything that went down since you got home. "You'll never lose me."

You felt someone on the other side of you join the hug and looked back to see Han and a reluctant Jeongin. The four of you had a brief group hug before Minho couldn't stand being vulnerable any longer. 

"So this means you're the boss of Mafia Malefic, right?" Han piped up.

You smiled to yourself knowing Hyunjin would not like that phrase if he wasn't included, "Yes, yes it does."

[yuusishi]

Hola :>

Remember that one request with the s/o who's always on the verge of passing out cuz of constant nightmares? Can I get that again, but w/ Riddle, Lilia, and Jamil?

. . . NIGHTTIME TROUBLES

pairings : Riddle Rosehearts , Lilia Vanrouge , Jamil Viper x gn!reader

genre : fluff

cws/tws : mentions of nightmares (obv.)

a/n : this might be my last req before the hiatus 😥 also see previous part here

Riddle Rosehearts !!

Before you two got to know each other, whether or not you're a student of Heartslabyul, he will not condone you slouching so hard and falling asleep multiple times in class (neither will Trein 💀).

If he already scolded you for it, he's definitely going to feel a bit guilty after you explained your condition, apologizing immediately after for scolding you before knowing.

As you two get closer and into a relationship with each other, he learns more about your constant nightmares and tries to find things to help.

There's not exactly much he can do, he's not as tech savvy as Idia or as powerful and can do mind-altering magic like Malleus. The most he does is serve you some light tea to calm you down when you wake up suddenly in the middle of the night.

He rubs your back gently as you come down from your panic and then ushers you back to bed once you've calmed down, holding you tightly but not to the point it's suffocating.

Will try to get you excused from class if you only got less than 4 hours of sleep that night since there's no way you'd be able to focus with that. He'd just pass you the notes to copy after class.

Will definitely let the teachers know about your condition (with your consent ofc) to let you get excused, they probably think that you've been cursed or something.

Lilia Vanrouge !!

Your lover is Lilia? Then there's nothing to fear! He's a father after all.

A father who's lullabies can put a crying baby to sleep instantly.

It's a mixed bag with him to be honest. One day he could be taking care of you when you wake up panicked from one of your nightmares, telling you that it isn't real and that you're okay, and the next he could be asking if you'd like him to sing one of his famous lullabies, sometimes both!

He took care of Silver who's NRC's resident sleepyhead, he doesn't mind taking care of another one! Especially since you're plagued with nightmares and because you're his lover.

At first, maybe giving you a little scare throughout the day might help a tiny bit, but then he saw that slowly it was losing its effects.

Similar to Malleus in the previous part, he doesn't want to use any body-altering spell on you for the sake of your safety. Even if the briar prince's magic is more potent that Lilia's, it never hurts to be careful.

At times where he can't be with you, such as you two not being in the same class, then he has one or two of his little bats accompany you and watch over you in case you pass out somewhere unsafe.

Especially if you have alchemy class that day with potion-making instead of just discussions, you falling asleep in front of a cauldron with a potentially explosive potion isn't exactly ideal, after all!

Jamil Viper !!

You had to admit, it was a bit nerve-wracking telling Jamil about your condition at first, considering the amount of things he has on his plate already.

But it was impossible for him not to notice when you were always dozing off in class and during lunch breaks to the point it was affecting your health and grades.

He was the one to approach you about it and it basically killed him inside when he realized you weren't telling him about it for his own sake.

BUT! At least he knows about it now, and since it happens during nighttime he can spare some of his time for you.

He’d prepare some tea and light snacks for you if you asked after waking up from one of your nightmares, oftentimes both of you just sit in a comfortable silence as you slowly calm down, the only light source being the lamp that's softly emanating yellow light next to both of you.

Sometimes he asks if you want to tell him about it to get it off your chest, but he never pries if you don't want to talk about it. He doesn't know just how terrible those nightmares you have are, but he'd never belittle you about them because of how much trouble they obviously cause you.

He'd also try to get you excused from classes if you didn't get much sleep that day, he tries to stay with you in the dorm/infirmary for as long as possible before he gets called to go back to class or when some Scarabia students need help.

(Kalim has definitely tried to hire some doctors or even mages to try to help you, thankfully you and Jamil stopped him just in time before your dorm would've become a 2nd clinic).

[outofgloom]

POWER (II)

“Kapura...”

He was lying down. He had not been lying down a moment ago. He had been standing in a cold, clammy chamber crowded with much larger beings. He had been trying to—

“Kapura!!"

He sat up and blinked. Blinked again. A black Pakari was bending over him, too close. The eyes were very...worried, yes. That was ‘worry’, wasn’t it?

“Are you okay?” the voice said again. “I was worried...”

Worried. He’d got it right.

 “…that I was on my own.” The Pakari was Hafu, of course. The Po-Matoran pulled him up to a standing position.

“What happened?” Kapura said, checking his body for damage.

“I’m not sure, but it seems like we've both had a hard landing.”

Kapura registered his surroundings. They were at the bottom of a shallow, rocky ravine. Behind them there was a wall of earth, but ahead the slope was gentler. Probably climbable.

“Where are we, and where are we not?”

“Oh, don’t start with that again,” Hafu said flatly.

“The chamber...I don’t remember.”

“There was a sound—an explosion I think. It might have been in another part of the tower. I saw the Great Smith react. He did something to the air and space—twisted it like before. Then I woke up with sand in my mask.”

Kapura shifted his feet.

“There is a great deal of sand.”

Hafu sighed. “Let’s get our bearings. Up there should be better.” He pointed up the rocky slope.

It was a short hike, although the incline was treacherous with loose gravel. As they emerged, they could see that the sun had passed the top of the sky.

A single sun. No stars.

“Are we back on...Mata Nui?” Hafu asked, more to himself than to Kapura. “The Turaga said it was destroyed.”

“The air is warm,” Kapura said, “like Po-Wahi.”

Ahead, there was an expanse of wind-carved canyons and stone shapes, spreading to the horizon, where they blurred into mirage.

“It does feel like home, I guess.”

“I wonder if Artakha sent us here to keep us safe. You said you heard a noise?”

“That’s right. Just before the Smith did…whatever he did. Something happened in that tower...”

Hafu squinted into the distance, looking for signs of life. A faint breeze stirred the air, but nothing else.

“Whatever it was,” Hafu continued, “I’m sure it’d be no problem for the Smith, and the others. They're all powerful beings, and that tower was impregnable. I examined the stonework myself. Stellar quality, as one might expect from the Great Beings, but—”

Hafu stopped. Kapura’s hand had settled on his shoulder, nudging him to turn. The Ta-Matoran was looking off to the left, following the lip of the ravine. Hafu saw that the shallow crevasse extended about half a kio into the distance before it ended abruptly against a low ridge of stone. That ridge piled into another, and another beyond that.

There was a black scar across the series of ridges, as if something had scorched the stone. Strewn here and there were gigantic blocks of dark granite—even at this distance, they could be seen. And even closer, Hafu realized, partly embedded in the earth, was another shape: A rampart and crumbling wall, still partly intact.

Pieces of the Great Beings' tower, blasted to fragments.

“By Mata Nui...” Hafu murmured. “Whatever the Great Smith did...it must have brought part of the tower with us. But such destruction—Wait!”

Kapura was already marching toward the ruins determinedly. The Ta-Matoran was always faster than he appeared. Hafu jogged after him, trying to catch up, but strangely found that he could not. He was not used to this kind of exercise, he supposed.

By the time Hafu reached the piece of the tower they had seen, Kapura was sitting atop a pile of gigantic stones. The Ta-Matoran waved as Hafu paused to catch his breath.

“Have you…have you found anything?” Hafu called out.

“No bodies,” Kapura replied.

“Well, that’s good news.”

“There is something.”

“Ah, what is it?”

“Under the stones here,” Kapura replied. “I can’t move them.” The Ta-Matoran slid carefully to the ground as Hafu approached, and pointed to a gap between the slabs he had been sitting on. Something could be seen glittering in the dark.

Hafu looked morosely up at the heavy blocks.

“If I had my tools, this would be a lot easier…”

The two Matoran worked together to shift the carved stones. They were wedged tight, but with the right application of force, first one and then the other toppled away. A cloud of dust rose and Hafu coughed as he scrambled over the remaining stones to see the prize, hoping it had not been crushed. Kapura was already there, of course.

It was a hammer. Gigantic, covered in strange runes. It still glowed faintly. It was the Hammer of Artakha.

Neither Matoran spoke. Hafu looked around, almost expecting the Great Smith to appear and scold them, but nothing happened.

“Should we...?” Hafu looked at Kapura, but the Ta-Matoran shrugged.

After a few moments, Hafu reached out slowly, reverently. He tapped the haft of the hammer with a finger. The runes on its surface flashed, and then the hammer flickered into a series of shapes: a bent, rotating tool, some form of chisel or wedge, a pickaxe, and other stranger forms. It happened all in an instant, and Hafu shrank back. Artakha’s tool reverted to a hammer, as before.

“What should we do?” Kapura asked. “We should return it, shouldn't we?”

Hafu hesitated. “I’m not…sure…” He reached out again and gripped the handle of the hammer firmly. It came away in his hand, and he almost toppled over with surprise, thinking that he had broken it. But then he realized that the entire tool had simply shrunk and become lighter to match his size.

“Incredible,” Hafu whispered, hefting the tool and feeling its balance. He looked at Kapura and smiled. “I could get used to this.”

Hafu’s head snapped back, and his entire body seized as a strong electric shock emitted from the hammer. His mask jarred loose, and he fell heavily to the ground.

The hammer clattered from his grasp and rolled away, flickering and buzzing until it struck a stone and stopped. Smoke rose from Hafu's body. He did not move.

A long quiet moment passed. Then, a shadow fell over the hammer, and another hand reached out and gripped the handle in a very precise way, raised it.

Two eyes looked at the tool thoughtfully out of a red Pakari. The tool had clearly been warded, except for those with...certain knowledge.

“I don’t know why the Great Being chose to sacrifice me along with the others, back in the tower,” he mused. “I have served him well, and it saddens me. Maybe he didn’t know I was there...but he knows everything...”

The red Pakari turned to look at the unmoving body of Hafu. There were burn-marks on his armor, but his heartlight was beating faintly.

“You were not supposed to survive either, just like me. That is clearly the Great Being’s will, though Artakha interfered...And so...”

The hammer went up, and shifted into a blunt form. It hung in the air for a moment.

The eyes behind the red Pakari glanced down, then sidelong, then up. They narrowed. Thoughtful.

Out in the distance, across the wind-carved plain, what before had seemed to be a sparkling mirage had faded as the sun fell behind clouds. Now it was clearer: Far away, the shape of a mighty fortress rose against the sky, flanked by strange spikes of stone. And beyond that, there was gleaming ocean.

“And so...”

One moment, there were two Matoran amidst the ruins: one standing, arm raised, one sprawled on the ground.

The next moment, there was only one.

* * *

Context: Like its predecessor, this story fragment is set within the unknown landscape of possible futures which branch from the end of the unfinished Bionicle serials; specifically, the serial The Powers That Be, which trails off at a moment when a group of characters (including Hafu and Kapura) are being targeted by a mysterious murderer (the Great Being Velika), to be either killed or recruited to his cause.

[mayhem-neverending]

Kakashi Hatake x f!Reader

Listen.

I feel like although there's a lot of Kakashi fics, there's a good majority of them that are pure smut. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, I love Kakashi smut, I just want there to be more pining/loving from sadboi!Kakashi who needs to be held so tightly he might break.

Summary: Reader has a peculiar jutsu that comes in handy when she and her team are in a very tight spot. Due to the nature of this jutsu, an exchange is made and you experience your comrade's thoughts/memories that are strongest around the time of the transfer. You're sure Kakashi never meant for you to see what he exchanged with you.

Warnings: Smut, cursing, fainting, angst, teacher-ish/student relationship (Kakashi is 29, Reader is 24)

Word count: 3,353

Although a proficient ninja, times like these were the true reason for making you an addition to teams on dangerous missions.

You held onto Sakura while Naruto, Sai and Kakashi continued their attacks in the forest not far from the Hidden Leaf Village. The three Akatsuki members who they battled had terrifying strength, and you wondered if you would make it out of this alive.

Despite being out cold in your lap, Sakura had minimal injuries. You were thankful they hadn't done more damage, not only for her safety but because you didn't want to expend too much chakra. You were sure that the others would need it later.

Naruto came whizzing passed you and slammed into a tree not far from your right. He crumpled to the ground, breathing heavily.

"Naruto!" You shouted. You began moving Sakura's head carefully from your lap, but Naruto moved his head up and made eye-contact, giving an almost imperceptible shake of his head. You nodded in response.

With Naruto's crash being so near, you decided to move Sakura's limp body further away from the action. You carried her easily as you jumped into a tree and leapt a few hundred yards out of the way. You placed her down gently against a gnarled trunk and turned back to the fight where explosions and shouting could be heard. There was no doubt that when she woke she would know where to go.

You made your way swiftly back to the battle ground. As you approached you could see that one of the Akatsuki had taken the brunt of one of Naruto's attacks and you silently cheered. You arrived at the clearing they had created and watched at the tree line. Your purpose here was as back up, and Kakashi had made it clear that that was your only job. You would not get involved unless he called upon you.

Kakashi used a lightning attack while Sai distracted his opponent. It seemed that the man was hardly affected. He coughed and let out a raspy laugh. Their strength frightened you. Even with your incredible reserves of chakra, you would be no match for them and you hoped desperately that you wouldn't be called into it.

You studied their attacks for maybe fifteen minutes before Sai was out of the game. He fell near the tree line a ways away from you, so you hurried to retrieve him. He was half conscious and muttered a 'thank you' as you carried him to the same place you had deposited Sakura.

Once he was placed down, you assessed his wounds. He had a good extent of them, you winced at the sight of his broken femur on his left. There wasn't much you could do about that there, so you coaxed some pain reliever in his mouth, wrapped his other wounds, and headed back to the fray.

Your team was holding their own better than you could have hoped. You watched as Kakashi, who had become a sort of mentor to you, matched his opponent punch for punch. Naruto was fairing a little worse, but the Nine-tails had yet to appear so he was doing pretty well too.

At that thought, Naruto came flying passed your head. Your eyes widened as his disheveled body slammed through a series of branches and he fell to the ground.

You looked back to see Kakashi had looked back at you, the red of his Sharingan flaring. You nodded to him, jumping from your position and down to Naruto.

"I'm okay," He grunted as you hovered over him.

He tried to sit back up but you placed your hand on your chest, not letting him move. You activated your medical ninjutsu before he could say another word, assessing the damage. You gasped at the extent of his injuries.

"I'm okay," He repeated, but his eyes could hardly focus on your face.

"Stay down, Naruto," You sternly replied, your ninjutsu working at his injuries.

"You're new here, Y/n. You have no idea what I can do," He argued, trying to push you away.

"You don't even have the strength to move me, what do you think you're going to do out there?"

He gritted his teeth, eyes finally focusing on your own. You were impressed at the fire behind them, even more impressed that he pushed you away in one smooth motion.

"I have to do this, for Sasuke,"

You heard someone approaching and whipped around to see Kakashi running towards you, panting.

"Naruto, are you okay?" He called.

"Perfect," He growled, standing back up.

"Listen, I think I figured out a way to finish this, are you up to it, Naruto?" You looked between them in disbelief. That child was not okay!

"Ready, Sensei,"

Kakashi knelt down to you, still breathless. "I need your kekkei genkai, Y/n," His gaze was intense and your breath stuttered at seeing his Sharingan so close.

You nodded. You looked him over and placed a hand on his exposed neck, assessing the amount of chakra left in his body. You blinked when you realized he was near empty.

"How much do you need? You're almost empty, Kakashi."

He sighed. "For this to work?.. I need to be almost full."

Your eyes widened a little, this was going to be an intense transfer. And despite the situation, your cheeks reddened as he stared at you in his disheveled state. "I-I'll do the best I can,"

He smiled tiredly at you. "That's all I ask. Are you ready?"

You took a deep breath and nodded, steeling yourself. He pulled his mask down, exposing his plump lips. You barely had time to glance at him before he was pulling you in.

Your lips crashed together in a searing kiss. You began pouring your chakra reserves into his network where your lips touched. It was absolutely electric and you could just make out his stuttering breaths as he surprised you by sliding his tongue against yours. Your fingers dug into his hair as he pulled your body closer, nearly knocking you both over in your kneeling position.

You could feel the chakra leaving your body in droves. Soon, it would be replaced with memories, thoughts, feelings from Kakashi. That's how the exchange always worked. You felt wrong to desire knowing his innermost thoughts, and so intimately, but that desire burned through the kiss. If this man wanted everything you had, you would be more than happy to give it to him.

Your hand slid out of his hair and down his chest. Never had you given so much chakra before; you could feel all of the energy leaving your limbs, filling him. He kissed you hungrily, kissed you harder than he needed, sucking your bottom lip, caressing your tongue with his own. All he had to do was touch his lips to yours for your kekkei genkai to work. Somewhere distant you remembered explaining that to him, but now you were feeling the last bit of chakra you could give climbing out of your throat and rushing into his body.

You pulled away, your vision hazy as you looked at him through your lashes. He was breathless, his neck and cheeks aflame. Somewhere in the background you heard a gagging noise. Your mind swirled as his memory exchange started tugging at it.

Your eyes fluttered shut. You wondered what you'd be in for.

Kakashi laid you gently on the ground and swiftly pulled his mask back up. He stood up, his knees a little wobbly. His body felt amazing, your chakra licked at his insides like lightning.

"Naruto, let's go,"

"Hai!"

You had performed this jutsu many times before, but never had you seen yourself in them. The thoughts were important, recurring, or highly charged that you received. Nothing was ever a random thought, it was all important to that person, at least within that time frame. That's why you were shocked to see yourself in that first memory.

You watched your chest heave, saw your hair had fallen from its clasp and frame your face. You lunged at Kakashi, whom you saw this through. He deflected your attack, but you caught him off guard by kicking the back of his knee. He fell forward and you rushed him, tackling him and grabbing his hands so that he couldn't move.

You remembered this, and smiled. It made your heart sing that the first time you had ever taken him down in training was an important memory to him.

You watched as he managed to flip you around, straddling you. You could feel everything, as if his body was your own due to the jutsu, and felt heat travel up his neck as he stared at you. You had never saw yourself as terribly pretty, but you could feel it in him; he thought you were gorgeous in this moment.

The next image was in his dark bedroom. You could feel that he was in bed, his heart racing. He reached out as tears ran down his cheeks. He closed his eyes and your heart stopped when the image of your face pressed against his chest as you curled around him appeared. You could feel some of his anxiety falling away at his thought. Was he- did Kakashi think of you as a safe place? He imagined himself tangling his fingers in your hair and took deep breaths. Your heart broke for him.

The image changed to one of his students. Young Naruto was running around, chasing Sasuke and Sakura was sighing and swinger her legs on a bench. You felt contentment in his heart and yours swelled with happiness. He loved these kids so much. You wondered how many more memories you would see, since this was the most chakra you had ever given.

The image swirled and you were transported to a bedroom - the same as before. Due to the hazy quality of it, you could tell that this was going to be some kind of fantasy or dream.

You choked suddenly at the image before you. His bed was a disaster of pillows and blankets, and in the center, was you. You were splayed out on his bed, biting your lip, eyes half closed. You watched through his eyes as he rubbed himself against your folds. You could feel that what he was feeling was his own hand. You felt him pump himself to the image of him slowly pumping into you, watching your own breasts bounce and hearing yourself whine.

"Kashi," you sighed out, arching your back.

He leaned in and kissed you, hand caressing your breast and moving down to circle your clit. You were in such a state of shock you thought your body outside of your mind you had probably stopped breathing too.

Was your mentor and friend just thinking about this all the time? You shook your head mentally. Maybe it was just a recently charged moment. Actually, that didn't make it much better.

The image whirled again. You felt yourself salivate. There was Kakashi himself in the mirror before you. It was another fantasy. His muscles rippled as he held you by the throat with one hand, the other holding your leg up by the knee has he rutted into you.

He was gripping himself hard at the image. You could feel the head was slick with precum. "You like watching, baby? You like seeing Daddy's cock destroying your pretty pussy?"

"Yes, Daddy," You whined.

You could hear him grunt aloud in the memory. He opened his eyes and you saw the thick ropes of cum covering his stomach, could feel the heaviness of his breath.

His sense of relief at his release was overcome by guilt. He rubbed a hand over his face and sighed. You furrowed your mental brows in confusion, despite being absolutely astounded by what you were seeing.

He raked his fingers through his hair. "Why do I have to love you?"

His memories faded and your mind turned to black.

"Is everyone okay?" Kakashi's voice waded through your subconscious. Confusion coursed through you, where were you? What was going on?

Memories of the battle, of your chakra transfer, or Kakashi's memories rushed back to you. Your fingers twitched and your heart pounded against your chest. Slowly, you managed to force your eyes open.

Sakura was leaning over you, working her medical ninjutsu and she smiled when your eyes found hers. "Y/n, I'm glad you're okay,"

You managed a smile. "I didn't even do anything, don't worry about me."

She helped you sit up. You looked around you and saw everyone on your team in various states of injury. Naruto was out of it, Sai and Sakura awake, although Sai was in obvious pain. Kakashi looked wiped, even with the extra chakra you had given him.

You were still in the woods, but considering everyone was alive, you knew that they had won the battle.

Kakashi caught your eye. "I've sent Pakkun to get back up. They should be here anytime to help us back to the village."

You nodded, having a hard time keeping the eye contact. The revelation that your longtime friend and mentor was masturbating to you was fresh in your mind.

And that he loves you. A tiny voice said in the back of your head.

"There they are!" You heard Pakkun call from somewhere in the trees. Before you could blink, Shikamaru, Ino, Choji and four medical ninjas were before you.

You got to your feet as two of the medical ninja pulled out there stretcher to load Sai onto. They rushed back to the village while Kakashi explained what had happened to Shikamaru. The other two medical ninja took Naruto away.

"Y/n, Sakura. Head back to the Hokage's office. I'm going to show them where the bodies are. I'll be right behind you."

The mission report took a couple hours. The whole time, of course, you avoided eye contact with Kakashi. At the end, after the door had closed, he caught your arm with his gloved hand.

"Thank you," He looked at you seriously. "The mission would have been lost without you,"

You nodded, your face reddening. "Of course, anytime,"

He let go of you. "Do you want to go have a drink? On me?" He smiled, his hand rubbing the back of his head.

You schooled your features so as to not let away your mild alarm. Would it be rude to say no? Would it come off as out of character for you? You had gone to share a drink with him a few times before.

"I'm really tired, raincheck?"

He nodded with a smile. "Okay, I'll hold you to it,"

You had taken a long hot shower and had slowly eaten some food when you heard a knock on the door. You were lost in thought and it startled you. You looked at the clock. It was already past nine.

You got up and peered out the window. Kakashi stood at your door, running his hands through his hair. You stepped back and frowned. What could he possibly want that couldn't wait until tomorrow?

You unlocked the door for him. You could feel his nervousness in waves as he looked down at you in the doorway.

You motioned him in and he stepped forward almost hesitantly. "Kakashi,"

"Y/n,"

You waited for him to continue. You watched as he struggled to collect his thoughts, which was a trip. You had never seen him look unsure of himself like that.

"What's going on?" You leaned against your kitchen counter facing the table, where you motioned for him to sit.

He sat, perched at the edge of the chair. His fingers twitched. "I know how your kekkei genkai works, and I was wondering..."

You narrowed your eyes, but the blush that was slowly taking over his ears was also creeping up your neck.

"You know how it works, but you still decided you wanted to stick your tongue down my throat?" You sassed.

He choked, his eyes widening. You wondered if he could get any redder and failed miserably to hold back a laugh.

His shoulders loosened at the sound, but he still looked anywhere but you. His foot tapped on your hardwood floor.

"It's fine, don't worry about it," You offered.

"What was it that you were wondering?"

He cleared his throat. "Well, I- You weren't acting like yourself - after the mission and I just-" He cleared his throat again. He could probably hear your heart pounding if he could hear past his own. "What memories did you see?"

You looked down at your hands. You didn't know how to approach this. Should you lie? You had liked Kakashi for awhile but you didn't want to embarrass him.

"I saw you watch team 7 train." You said quietly. You looked up at him, his shoulders tensed again. It was like he could see right through you with his piercing gaze.

He took an audible breath. "What else?"

You spared him a glance. "I saw you.. wake up from a nightmare,"

He tapped his fingers on the table. He looked like he wanted to ask you again.

"If that's all-" You started.

"There's more." He stated dryly.

You watched each other for a few moments. "Tell me,"

"I think you know," You stated quietly, playing with your fingers.

He exhaled shakily, a pleading glint in his eye. "Just tell me, please,"

"Kakashi,"

"Please,"

"I was - I was in your imagination and I saw-" You breathed in deeply, embarrassed for him and yourself. "I saw myself. Under.. you. In a, you know, compromising, um, position."

He took a deep breath, closing his eye. "And-" His eye shot open.

"I saw us.. in the mirror. You know what we were doing."

He looked like he was going to explode. He stood up quickly, nearly running to the door. "Thank you for telling me,"

You grabbed his wrist and he stilled. When he looked at you, it was with a mixture of shame and fear. "Kashi,"

You liked the way his nickname fell off your lips. "Stay,"

It was now or never. You pulled him into you, hugging him to you. He was rigid at first, but slowly relaxed into you. "You know I like you too, right?"

Kakashi pulled back in surprise. You tapped his covered mouth. "Why don't you take this off?"

"I-" You reached up, pulling his mask down. He didn't protest, and quirked his lips into a half smile. He leaned down, and you met in a slow kiss. His lips were soft and he sucked your bottom lip in to nip it. It took no time for the kiss to turn heated, and you were pulling at each other's clothes, stumbling back towards your bedroom.

Kakashi backed onto the bed, and you climbed on his lap. He looked at you with his half lidded eye. You kissed him roughly, pulling his hair. Heat pooled in your core as you sloppily kissed across his jaw and down his neck. He groaned when you sucked a hickey in the crook of his neck. You could feel his heart beating rapidly in his throat and it gave you butterflies.

He felt along your curves, tracing them gently even in this heated moment. He pulled your face back to his and continued kissing you. He rocked his hips against you, and you moaned softly at the friction.

He pulled away, gasping. "Y/n,"

"Why don't we take this slowly?"

"What do you mean?" You murmured, reattaching yourself to his neck. He inhaled sharply.

"Let me take you out,"

You pulled back and looked at him, raising your eyebrow. "You're saying you don't want to-" you grinded your hips against his "-do this- right now? You would rather take me out?"

He bit his lip, nodding. You pouted and he grabbed you by the chin. "Let me do this right, please,"

You licked your lips. "Let me get dressed, then,"

"I didn't mean now," He chuckled breathlessly.

"It's called a compromise, Kashi."

[fractualized]

Alright. Let's break down this "oh" of an ending. NEGATIVE NANCY, COMING THROUGH

Spoilers, ho!

Ending a story is hard, if they're long or short. Whether you wrap up key threads or leave them open, you want some kind of takeaway that puts a period on things. Even in comics, where we know these characters will go on and on, ideally a story will end in a way that just... fits. Even amateur fic writers have loads of WIPs just sitting there because exactly how to end this damn thing eludes them.

I don't know if Rosenberg had an ending in mind when he started The Man Who Stopped Laughing. I don't know if he decided he'd figure it out by the end of it's year-long run. I don't know if DC Editorial lets people do that; it sounds insane, but if you've been paying attention to their current level of editorial "oversight," which I imagine is supposed to make concurrent titles mesh together reasonably well, I wouldn't be shocked if they let people wing it. Or, more likely, perhaps DC Editorial swooped in and made Rosenberg change the ending he had planned and that's why the result falls flat.

In any case, after 11 issues of enjoying myself, I'm left feeling deflated.

But let's start where #12 does, with the Joker who's been told he's John Keyser, a toxin'd henchmen that the real Joker made into a doppelganger for funsies. He approaches a hotdog vendor.

I'm stuck on "Hello. I've been looking for you"?? I didn't catch that on my first read. Joker has a favorite hotdog vendor? lol

Shut up, Waffles!! All we have is your word for it!!

In any case, hey, Keyser Joker has already been Jokering this long, so yeah, why not keep going? And why not with help from poor woobie Jason, fresh from nearly getting himself killed in Gotham War?

Bruce did not fix Jason at the end of Gotham War, so his adrenaline is still triggering fear in his brain. But Keyser Joker has a solution for that!

It's a tiny dose of Joker toxin to take the edge off of Bruce's programming. Joker makes a point of saying that the effects are only temporary, though. (And like, I assume this is just the quick-fix solution Rosenberg came up with to pull off his own ending when told Bruce's plans for Jason over in the other titles.) Jason is skeptical of this "help," naturally, but Keyser Joker brings up their matching interest: getting rid of the other Joker.

Jason, why you gotta ruin Albert's good time? 🙄

Cut to Red Hood dragging a clown henchman through the streets of Gotham.

But "his" face being blacked out and some of the dialogue clue the reader in: things aren't what they seem.

DERAIL TIME: what is up with this batmobile?

Like from some other angles, it looks sportier, but in most of the panels it looks like an old Buick? lol ANYWAY.

With the flaily way this person jumps off the bike and runs, I was sure that this was Keyser Joker and we might see Batman interact with him. Alas.

It's Ravager, who survived last issue's explosion. She's helping Jason 1) distract Batman and 2) get Albert out of harm's way, far from Keyser Joker's plan.

Naturally Keyser Joker is planning something more destructive than he's led Jason to believe. Also like…

The idea that Keyser Joker really is this John guy, not the real deal, is still not sitting fucking right with me. Seeing him here in another costume, with a goofy death train with mismatched eyes just like his, it feels like a signal that he actually is Joker and Waffles is either lying or mistaken somehow. Like compared to the other Joker, who we haven't seen in a costume? Who left Gotham for weird reasons? I really thought there was going to be a reverse reveal.

And since it doesn't come, I guess it's a good time to mention that! There is no reverse reveal of who the real Joker is. Things get a little muddy later, but…. hrm. HRM.

That said, the other Joker does something pretty dang Jokery: he shows up in a dirigible with his face on it.

Killer Moth and a bunch of clown goons (that aren't supposed to be available because of Gotham War but WHATEVER) attach the dirigible to the train and it's pretty chaotic!

I love when villains are like, "Look I may kill people, but an endangered gorilla?! Get outta here!" 😂

Jason also arrives in style.

I guess he was observing Ravager's distraction?? Which feels like it defeats part of the purpose of having her do the distraction. But then he couldn't have this cool entrance in which he bludgeons people with a motorcycle. Trade offs!

Meanwhile, Real Joker makes it to the front of the train to confront Keyser Joker. One of Real's goons offers to shoot Keyser, but Real Joker wants to make this personal and kills the poor hench so he can do it himself.

Jason coming in like YEEEEEAAAAHHHHH 😎

Then he gets the bad news.

Keyser is as casually suicidal as your average Joker! Also "Real" Joker never acknowledges Red Hood's identity, afaik. It's always Keyser Joker. Details like this got me thinking that reverse reveal was coming, AND YET.

That aside, next comes a fun comedy beat.

Real Joker going right for the hair!

Jason isn't going to let this be the end of it, of course, and once again Killer Moth must suffer at his hands.

Jason shoots so many clowns. Just never the one he wants. 😞

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaait wait wait. You're telling me that Bruce knew about the imminent TWO JOKERS situation. But he decided to prioritize a report of Red Hood dragging a clown through the streets. When in the same breath he's saying there are other people coming to the scene with him, so he obviously could've sent someone else? On the same day Batman #139 is like "oooh Bruce is totally onto Joker now"? This is what you're telling me?? Augh.

Well, we can't rely on Batman right now, clearly, so it's up to Jason.

Meanwhile, Keyser Joker has told the other one that he actually does have a secret way off the runaway train safely. After they fight some more, the tune starts to change.

Alright so, this "deal," which would sort of start them back at square one, doesn't bother me because obviously it's on shaky-ass ground and one of them is definitely killing the other before this issue is over. What does bug me is the "franchising" line, for two reasons:

1) Is this supposed to imply that Real Joker is the one who was behind Joker Incorporated in the Batman Incorporated issues, not a third one?

2) I was just SO SURE it was another indication we were getting a reverse reveal. Joker absolutely does not love the franchising idea. That's kind of been the point of this whole series. The genuine Joker in Keyser Joker's hallucination/memory said that having two Jokers around is stupid. HRRRRMMM.

Anyhow, they leave the train together, though the escape plan is literally just jumping off, which has more issues than they bargained for.

So do you think, assuming the Gotham War writers actually communicated at least a little, that Zdarsky asked Rosenberg what he needed Jason for at the end of TMWSL, and Rosenberg was like, "oh I need him to heroically crash a toxic blimp and almost die?" And then Zdarsky was like, "er, I need him to heroically fly a plane into a magic meteor and almost die?" And then they just shrugged and closed the Zoom?

But yeah, the blimp crashes, and I'm sort of confused because I thought that earlier Bruce was saying that even if the toxin gets into the water, it'll still make it's way to the city. So for one thing, it's still exploding in the air and it's still gonna drift. And the parts that dissolve in water are still gonna drift. There's a part to the equation missing here.

But these two are just thrilled at the excitement.

Until the sudden yet inevitable betrayal.

BUT WHO WAS JOKE

Shortly after this, Ravager shows up with Manhunter, who also survived last issue's explosion. (It just doesn't come up at all. Like it doesn't have to, I guess, but it's just weird that there's not a word or wound about it.) Ravager dives into the water looking for Jason, because she instinctually knows he did something grand and dumb. She finds him among the clown bodies and brings him to shore.

Nothing can kill this man! He came back from the dead with nine lives! And also maybe that Lazarus resin from TFZ is still helping, I dunno.

Elsewhere along the shore, what's left of both Jokers' crews find themselves waiting in the same spot for the Joker they expect to be triumphant.

You know what. I'm soured on Waffles now. Leave him.

And then, from the water…

And that's it. That's how it ends. With a sort of snide cop-out?

Like, it's Joker's POV, so yeah, you could say the dickish tone is just him. But following this story for a year, and then seeing it end with simply the old "you'll never know which Joker prevailed," it doesn't feel clever or whatever this is going for. It just feels obnoxious.

Honestly, it feels like the same takeaway as freaking Three Jokers. 😐 That it doesn't matter who Joker is. All the lead-up to this, where maybe we get a tiny bit of depth and development, even if just in this story, eh. Doesn't matter! We're ending this with blah payoff.

On the other hand, the part of about about there being more questions, about this ending not being tidy, makes me think that this is leaving open the possibility that Keyser Joker actually was the real one. After all, we don't get a flashback to the actual events. The events we see are part of a hallucination, and Keyser never said he had clear memories of being the real or the fake one. He just went from assuming he was the real one to taking Waffles' word for it that he was the henchman.

Also, Keyser Joker was always the Joker giving narration. And the narration boxes for the Final Joker at the end remain in his style. So it seems like we actually have a huge indication of which Joker prevailed-- unless we're meant to assume that if the other Joker prevailed, he merely took over the narration.

I mean, this is what we have. So if I can just choose what I want to believe, I'm going to believe both that Keyser was actually the real guy and that he won. But it puts a real sour taste in my mouth to be super engaged with a story and wanting an ending that says something about Joker's character… and the ending is just that one murders the other and you don't know who, neener neener. It's anticlimactic. It's a predictable direction that I thought SURELY Rosenberg wouldn't go in. It feels like a dick move.

And... what else is there to say? So ends my year of consistently buying a comic, I guess. Nothing else has really grabbed me like TMWSL did, though City of Madness looks promising. After the multiverse and Gotham War stuff, I'm not about to start picking up Zdarsky's Batman. #139 had plenty I should enjoy, but it's soured by Zdarsky deciding to bring a canonical take to the three Jokers concept for some ungodly reason.

A new three Jokers take feels extra stupid after a year of a story about two Jokers. And the second Joker in TMWSL isn't even taken into account in Zdarsky's story. Based off that #135 scene, it really looks like he's going to say that Darwin Halliday accidentally copied TKJ Joker somehow. lmao Why. Why do we have to do this. Why can't this just be one of the things that gets retconned away. I just want my murderclown to be fun.

I need to get back to my list of unread older comics. Or read One Operation Joker! I didn't think I was interested, but I think a random goofy premise is actually just what I need.

[ravencincaide]

Omiai 

Summary: You were going to be married off whether you liked it or not. But that did not mean you had any intention of being an obedient doll. And if you were lucky, your future husband might just call it off for you. 

Pairing: Samurai Chuuya x fem! Rebellious reader

Inspired by a  request by anon: arranged marriage and unladylike behaviour 

Warnings: Misogynistic worldview and arranged marriage, cursing, samurai and stubborn (rude) daughter.   

______________________________________________________________

“Absolutely not!” You glared at your parents with an unusual amount of anger and hate, your eyes shifting from your mothers apathetic expression then to your father’s stern gaze and then back to your mother. It seems you had the best chances to plead your case with her; “ I am not marrying that– that brute!” 

Your finger was raised and pointed towards the opposite side of the tea room where another group of samurai sat. They were dressed all in black; looking almost sickly pale against the interior of the room; wooden panels, low dark brown wooden table and a muted grass green tatami mat covering the entire floor. Their katanas laid innocent on the ground beside them, their hands grasping the small cups of green tea as if they were precious jewels. The exception was a young, ginger haired samurai with almost glowing blue eyes. His hands were crossed over his chest, a scowl of annoyance on his face. The katana laid in his lap- a silent threat towards anyone who’d dare approach him. 

The brute. 

“ Y/N behave!” your father snapped at you with a firm and strict tone while your mother slapped your hand down back to your side so you’d stop pointing towards the ginger. “This has already been decided and approved by both clans. You should consider yourself very lucky!” 

“ Lucky?!”  you screeched making several of the samurai flicker their eyes towards you in surprise- a silent judgment towards your shameful emotional  behavior. You didn’t care. If anything you hoped they’d find your emotional state so repellent that they’d call  off this entire marriage ensemble “ I’m not marrying him!” You repeated, staring down at your tea with such hate that it was surprising how the drink didn’t combust into flames. 

Your mother sighed heavily at your behavior and picked up her own cup before taking a large sip of the bitter green liquid. “ Y/N it’s enough of this childish antics” She spoke slowly between sips of steaming liquid. “Men need women; and women need men. That’s the way of life.” You growled under your breath, biting back a rude remark and replacing it with a simple defiant; “ No!”  It was accompanied with you crossing your arms over your chest, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge the tea that was pushed closer to you by your mother. 

A silent threat to behave- which you ignored. 

The tension in the tea house was rising for each passing moment; like your display of insubordination was some new kind of entertainment and threat wrapped in one explosive package. The samurai you had pointed out earlier, the ginger-haired one with piercing blue eyes, seemed to be observing the scene with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance. His gaze locked with yours for a brief moment, and you could feel the intensity in his expression. It was as if he understood your rebellion against this arranged marriage, perhaps even empathized with it- yet not enough to help you out of it. 

You growled and tore your eyes away from him, turning back to your parents. “ I am-” 

“ Y/N!” your mother, who never raised her voice, snapped at you, beginning to lose her cool. “You cannot expect the protege of our closest ally to go unmarried or without an heir.” 

Your eyes flickered back to the ginger, noticing the way he seemed to take a sudden interest in your conversation. You scrunched your nose up in disgust- showing clear disapproval at his amusement; “There are plenty of prostitutes to pick from on the main street if that’s all this is about!” you spat back. 

“ Then you better make sure you do a much better job than those cheap whores” your father snapped back. Your jaw dropped at his words, making you momentarily lose your anger. You barely noticed how the other samurai hurried to leave the room, chuckling to themselves. The moment your parents stood up however you snapped back out of your daze. 

Your mother spoke before you could break the silence; " It's enough of this nonsense." she declared, her tone leaving no room for argument. "You will marry Chuuya Nakahara and that is final.” her words then turned soft as she came over and rested a hand on your shoulder “ The clan heads and matchmakers decided to give you a rare possibility to talk to your fiance prior to marriage. Face to face, alone. Try to make the most of it.“ As your last move of defiance you shook your mothers hand off your shoulder earning yourself a heavy sigh.

Your father gave you one firm look. “ No matter what you say or do, the marriage is already decided on. So try to get along. You’ll be married to each other for a long time” he fixed you with a firm stare before both of your parents left the room, closing the fusuma silently yet firmly behind themselves. 

You were left alone with that smirking bastard. The look on his face told you he found your fathers words amusing. The slight glint in his eyes was condescending- somewhere between a merchant assessing property and a man curious to know how much better a wife could be above a street whore. 

“ To hell with this!” you snapped walking towards the only window in the room. You pulled it open, pausing only when you heard his chuckle of amusement. The chuckle died away the second you placed one foot on the windowsill.

“ Oj, get back in here. I’m not intending to chase after you, little girl” Chuuya muttered matter of factly. 

You rolled your eyes then looked back over your shoulder and stuck your tongue out at him. “ To hell with you and all the other condescending men!” You exclaimed before jumping out of the window. 

Your feet landed lightly on the ground below, inches away from the sharp gravel of the simplistic zen garden. You flickered your eyes up to the window where you could see Chuuya, he was looking down at you with an unreadable expression on his face. You felt confident- cocky even as you raised your hand in a lazy wave before you started walking. You followed the thin path between the wall of the teahouse and the garden, eyes focused on weak spots in the wall that surrounded the area.  If you remembered correctly there was a part of the wall that was under construction so if only you could get there then– 

Rounding the corner of the teahouse you froze as you came face to face with two bored looking samurai in the middle of sharpening their blades. The moment you appeared their eyes were instantly on you. Their unfamiliar attire and lack of manners meant they belonged to the other clan. Typical. 

You took a step back. Then cursed as you heard voices behind you. You had the choice of attempting an escape or staying put and getting caught and brought back without a fight.  That thought didn’t sit well with you. Without a seconds thought you made a run to the right- through the zen garden in the direction of the hole in the wall. If only you’d get past it then blending in with the others would be a piece of cake. Seeing your movements the men jumped up from their seats, yelling after you. 

They weren’t faster- in fact you were done scaling the wall and were almost on the other side- but you did not expect additional men to be stationed there. These ones wore familiar clothing and unimpressed looks on their faces.

 No doubt your parents doing. 

You gulped as the two men approached you, blank stares on their faces. “ Say you wouldn’t be able to point me in the direction of the bathroom?” You asked in a half shaky voice as you slowly inched away. Your eyes scanning for a potential exit. 

You saw none.

With half a dozen men surrounding you within a moment and without proper weapons, your options were limited at best. “ Okay okay I surrender” you raised your hands up in defeat showing you were not going to make another escape attempt as the men came closer to you. Seeing an opening you made a dart past them only to have one of them catch your arm before twisting it behind your back;

“ Oww! That hurts– hasn’t anyone ever told you how to treat a lady before” you sneered at the foreign samurai as they dragged you up, over and down from the wall and back towards the tearoom; kicking, screaming, spitting and hissing all the way back. 

They brought you inside but didn’t let go immediately. Instead their eyes were focused on Chuuya who had observed the entire situation from a distance. 

“ What?” you snapped at him, making another feeble attempt to get loose from the samurai. 

Chuuya came up to you slowly, unbothered by the way the two samurai held your hands firmly behind your back, almost dislocating your shoulders. “ Fuck off I’m never going to just settle down and marry you!” you yelled. 

Instead of being discouraged, Chuuya came closer and closer to you. Reaching out he rested a gloved hand under your chin before tilting your head up so you were looking him in the eyes. 

Hateful met amused. 

“ And I will definitely look forward to this marriage” Chuuya taunted, a confident cocky smirk on his face. He was silently urging you to continue with your little rebellious attempts. To continue being this interesting. Because the look in his eyes told you one thing and one thing alone; he was looking forward to locking up that wild spirit of yours- like tricking a rare bird into a golden cage. 

Suddenly it was all very clear to you.

To him this was all just a matter of time before you’d kiss the ground he walked on. And then you’d become as boring as the rest of the submissive women in Yokohama. Like all the other perfect Japanese brides. 

And then he’d be done with you. 

It was painfully clear that you could continue to struggle and resist, keeping his attention. Or submit and be free of his interest- of his attention. You just had to choose. 

The choice was not a hard one to make. 

[mandos-mind-trick]

Carry Me Home

Summary: You live a quiet life, away from stress and danger. So of course Fate had to drop you right in the middle of an active battle to meet your soulmate.

Pairing: Commander Cody x reader Soulmate AU

Warnings: NSFW, smut, unprotected sex, no foreplay, Soulmate AU, brief violence and description of a battle, as usual reader has a bit of a backstory just so the story flows better.

A/N: This one I think is my least favorite so far. I've fought with it all week and just decided to go with it. I love Cody, but goddamn is he hard for me to write.

MASTERLIST

Getting dropped right in the middle of a battlefield was not how you planned to spend your weekend. 

You were sitting down to enjoy your favorite book when you had the sudden uncomfortable sensation of being pulled through a thin tube and instead of your comfortable chair, your butt hits dirt. 

It takes a second for you to fully comprehend what’s happening. Your apartment has disappeared, and instead you’re outside. It’s very loud where you are as the ringing in your ears begins to fade. Your vision aso clears, and you find yourself staring up at...a helmet? 

There’s a figure directly in front of you, just inches from your feet. He’s kneeling behind a rock, blaster in hand. He’s dressed in armor, armor that’s familiar to you. You’d seen it countless times in the news, and a few times on your own home planet. 

This is not good. 

It’s only a matter of seconds, but it feels like a lifetime that you stare at him in shock. You don’t have much time to think it over as he reaches for you, tugging you behind the rock far too easily. He covers your body with his just moments before an explosion rains debris right on you. 

“Stay down!” He orders, pressing a hand into the back of your head. 

You’re compacted into a rather uncomfortable crouched position, but you’re not about to move as he goes back to firing. Your hands cover your ears as explosions rain from both sides. Your heart is pounding, feeling like it might beat right out of your chest. You close your eyes, praying this is some cruel dream your brain has thought up. You’re panicking, but you have every right to. 

This is not what you had pictured when you had thought up your weekend plans. 

You’ve always preferred a quiet life. You weren’t adventurous or impulsive. If you were going to do something, lots of planning went into it first. You were perfectly happy spending your weekends relaxing at home with a holonovel or a film. 

Not in the middle of a major battle. 

How did you come to be here? 

Or better yet, why were you here? 

You’re stuck far too long in that position, tucked into a ball behind the rock as blaster and cannon fire flies over your head. You’re stressed beyond belief, adrenaline pumping through your body. Your home planet, Alderaan, was involved in the war heading the relief effort and taking in refugees. You had heard countless stories about what it was like, but none of them could compare to actually being in it. 

How the clones do this time and time again is beyond you. 

You’re shaking, joints protesting as you’re helped to your feet. The blaster fire has stopped, the world seeming far too quiet after that absolute nightmare. His grip around your arm is tight. He’s not holding you to keep you steady. 

He practically drags you through the battlefield, past dead and injured troopers. He doesn’t seem affected at all, your weak legs trying to keep pace with his determined stride. You try not to look, your stomach churning at the thought of all of those people dead, and for what? 

It doesn’t take you long to figure out where he’s leading you as you approach who you assume is the Jedi General in charge, judging by the look of him. 

“Who is this?” He asks as you come to stand in front of him. 

“Unsure, sir. She appeared in the middle of the battle.” The clone says. 

“Appeared?” He asks in disbelief. 

“Out of thin air.” The clone answers. “Right in front of me.” 

“Strange.” The Jedi mumbles, stroking his chin as he stares at you for a moment. He turns to another clone. “Escort her back to the ship. Keep her in a holding cell until we return.” 

The clone holding you releases your arm, the other taking his place. You’re led to a gunship, your eyes drifting back to where the first clone and the Jedi are standing for just a moment. 

“What are you thinking, sir?” Cody asks, looking at Obi-Wan. 

“I don’t think she’s dangerous. Nor is she a spy.” Obi-Wan answers. 

“Then why do you think she appeared here?” 

Obi-Wan smiles at Cody, a familiar glint in his eye. “The Force works in mysterious ways. Perhaps she was sent here to help.” 

***

You sit in the holding cell, fingers tapping on the table anxiously. You’re still shaking a bit from the adrenaline rush, your body very unused to such high levels of stress. You tried to avoid it for that very reason. The trooper that had brought you to the cruiser is standing in the corner behind you, watching you carefully. His unwavering stare is also making you nervous, even though you haven’t done anything wrong. 

You grab the cup that’s sitting on the table, taking a sip of the cool water. He had at least been decent enough to get you some water. You’re terribly thirsty after sitting in the middle of a battle for what was probably close to an hour. You’re also starting to get hungry, or perhaps that’s just the nerves twisting away in your stomach. 

You’re not sure how long it’s been, not that having a window would have told you much. The eternal darkness of space wasn’t a good indicator of time. 

“Apologies for the wait,” The Jedi says. “There was still much to be done after the battle.” 

“No apologies necessary.” You say. “I would expect as such after a battle like that. Not that I’ve been in many battles.” 

“I am Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’ve already met Marshall Commander Cody.” He introduces them. 

You tell him your name as he takes the seat across from you. 

“Cody’s already told me his side of the story. I’m interested to hear yours.” 

So you tell him. “I had just gotten home from my job at an art museum on Alderaan, and I was getting ready to settle down and read some of the new holonovel I’d picked up when all of a sudden I felt like I was being pulled through a tube and then I’m sitting in the middle of a battlefield.” 

Master Kenobi stares at her for a few moments, stroking his beard. “That is very odd indeed. I do believe you. Though, unfortunately, with no way to verify your identity, we have to remain suspicious of you and your motivations.” 

You understand, you really do. No doubt Separatist spies constantly tried to infiltrate the Republic. You were very far from a spy, however there was no way to prove that. Unless...

“Senator Organa.” You blurt out before he can stand. “Senator Organa knows me. He and his wife often attend charity galas at the museum. He can vouch for my identity.” 

A small smile tugs at Master Kenobi’s lips. “Of course. I will get in contact with the Senator as soon as possible. Until then, I am afraid you will have to remain here.” 

You nod. “I understand.” 

He nods to the clone in the corner. “Nova will remain with you. If you need anything, he can get it for you.” 

***

Obi-Wan and Cody make their way up to the bridge, Cody replaying the conversation in his mind. It’s very odd, this situation. He’d never heard of anyone teleporting before, much less straight into the middle of a battle from halfway across the galaxy. 

“What do you think, sir?” Cody asks. “Do you believe her?” 

“I do.” Obi-Wan says. “I cannot sense any danger in her presence here, though we cannot be too certain.” 

“What do you think it means, her arrival? I’ve never heard of anything like this.” 

Obi-Wan smiles. “I believe congratulations are in order, Commander. I think you’ve just met your soulmate.” 

Cody stops walking, blinking in shock. His soulmate? She can’t really be...can she? He hadn’t put much thought into his soulmate, like most of his brothers. There were far bigger things to worry about, and considering they were forbidden from initiating their bonds, most of them tried to ignore the existence of soulmates. 

Of course, he knows most refuse to follow the rules regarding their soulmates. Many clones have met and keep contact with their mates. Many, not just clones, view the rule as being just another way to dehumanize them. 

So many don’t listen. 

Cody hadn’t put much thought into what he’d do. It’s easy to pretend you can follow the rules when you’re not facing it yourself. He figured he’d deal with it when the time came. He’d hoped perhaps that time wouldn’t come, or the war would be over before it came. He didn’t think it would happen right in the middle of a battle. 

He doesn’t think his General is wrong, either. 

He can feel it, the stirring in his chest that he’d overheard his brothers whispering about. The tugging, begging him to go back and just be in the presence of this mysterious teleporting girl once more. 

“Sorry, sir?” Cody asks, quickening his steps to catch up to the General once more. 

“It’s a rare soulmate link, though I’ve heard of it happening twice now since the start of the war. One soulmate teleporting to the other’s location.” 

Cody’s heart clenches in his chest. If the girl is telling the truth, if Senator Organa does verify her identity, then this must be the answer for her strange appearance. But why now? Why did she have to show up now? 

Why couldn’t fate have waited for the war to be over?

***

You look up as the energy shield of your cell drops. The time feels like it’s gone by faster this time, possibly because it hasn’t been as long. It’s impossible to tell, without knowing the time. 

Commander Cody enters your cell, his helmet tucked under his arm. He’s handsome, well, all the clones are handsome, you think. You take a better look at him now that you’re not so nervous. He wears his hair in regulation cut, and his face is clean shaven. He has a scar on the left side of his face, what looks like a crescent moon at his temple and a line trailing down his temple and across his cheekbone. You wonder how he got it, what had caused such a cruel looking injury. 

“The General spoke with Senator Organa. He verified your identity and backed up your story.” Cody says. 

You breathe a sigh of relief. You knew you had nothing to worry about, but yet you had still been nervous. What if they hadn’t been able to reach Senator Organa? What would have happened to her then? 

“If you’ll follow me, we’ll get you somewhere more comfortable.” 

You push yourself up from the table, your legs wobbling a bit. You feel unsteady from sitting for so long so soon after your extreme adrenaline rush. You grip onto the table, keeping yourself steady while your legs wake up. 

“Are you alright?” Commander Cody asks. 

“Yeah.” You laugh. “Just not used to teleporting, being on a battlefield mid battle, being interrogated, you know. Like everything that’s happened today.” 

A smile tugs at the side of Cody’s mouth. “I guess that would be rather jarring. Well, where you’re going there’s a real bed.” 

You nod. “Okay. I think I can manage to get there.” You let go of the table, forcing your legs to be steady. You turn to Nova, still dutifully standing in the corner. “Thank you for watching over me, Nova.” 

He shifts slightly, almost like he wasn’t expecting it. “Y-You’re welcome, ma’am.” 

You turn back to Cody, taking a couple test steps to make sure your legs will hold you. He’s got a smile on his face, a small one, but still a smile. You follow him from your cell, glad you’ll never have to see it again. You hadn’t been treated badly, but sitting at that table in the blank, windowless room for hours hadn’t exactly been the best experience of your life. 

“We’re heading to a GAR resupply station. There will be a ship there that will drop you off back on Alderaan.” Cody says as you walk beside him, his pace slower than you really need. 

“It will be nice to be back home again.” You say. “Not that you’ve been unwelcoming. It’s just...this life isn’t really for me. I prefer something slow and low-stress.” 

“I don’t blame you.” He says. “This life is easy for us because we were designed to handle constant, high levels of stress. It’s...not for everyone though.” 

“That’s for sure.” It falls silent for a few moments as you walk through the huge cruiser. “Did your Jedi General figure out why I teleported right to you?” You ask out of curiosity. You’d thought through every explanation you could think of and none of them made sense. 

“He had an idea why.” Cody says, clearing his throat. “It’s...it’s complicated.” 

“I mean, I did teleport halfway across the galaxy. If that has a simple answer, I’ll be floored.” 

Cody glances around, slowing his pace even more. He speaks quietly, like he doesn’t want anyone to overhear. “He thinks it may be our soulmate link.” 

Your steps slow to a stop, Cody pausing as well. You stare ahead of you in shock. You hadn’t thought of that possibility. You’d never heard of that being a link, but then again, you’d never looked much into soulmates. Like many, you simply knew you’d find them eventually. You had no distinguishing marks or any of the more common links that were obvious. You’d considered perhaps you didn’t have a soulmate at all, and though that thought made you a bit sad, you’d accepted it. If it was meant to happen, it would. 

And apparently, it had. 

“I...didn’t even know that was a possibility.” You say. 

“Neither did I.” Cody says. “Apparently this is the third time it’s happened since the war started.” 

“Well, that’s reassuring.” You say. “We’re not the only ones.” You stare at him for a moment, an unreadable expression on his face. “Why do I feel like there’s more?” 

“Well, there is.” He says, and you begin walking once more. “Us clones, we’re not allowed to initiate our bonds. If we find our soulmate, we’re supposed to reject them like the Jedi.” 

“Oh.” Your shoulders fall a bit. Of course it makes sense. They’re supposed to be loyal, unshakeable soldiers free of distractions. There’s nothing quite as distracting as a soulmate bond. 

You feel a bit disappointed. You’ve just found your soulmate and now he’s telling you he has to reject you. You know how painful it is, how debilitating it can be to go through it. Most don’t come out the other side the same. How can you when you’ve just lost half your soul? Half of your very being? 

“That’s...” You swallow the lump forming in your throat. “I-I understand...why...” 

A gloved hand touches your face, sliding along your skin. You look up, that hand cupping your chin. You look up into those dark eyes, getting lost in the deep brown of them. They’re so soft as they stare at you, wide with emotion. You’d read once that eyes are the window to the soul. You can tell a lot about someone by their eyes. 

“Luckily, most of us don’t agree with that rule.” He says quietly, like he’s afraid someone might walk by and hear. From what he’s saying, it could be dangerous if the wrong person walked by and heard. “It’s not fair to us or to our mates. Most of you have waited long enough.” 

“Too long.” You whisper, swallowing the lump in your throat. 

“I can’t promise a life, or a future. Any of us could die at any moment. But when the war ends, I will do everything I can to find you.” 

***

Your time with the 212th is short. You spend a suspicious amount of time with Cody. For being a Marshall Commander, he certainly has a lot of free time. You meet many, many clones, and do your best to memorize each and every one of their names. 

All too soon you’re landing at the GAR station, your time with them at its end. Cody escorts you off the cruiser, leading you through the bustling station to where the shuttle is waiting to take you back to Alderaan. 

“I hope the war doesn’t bring us to Alderaan.” Cody says. “As much as I’d like to see you again.” 

You smile. “I do hope to see you again soon, but preferably not on a battlefield again.”

Cody smiles down at you. “I’ll keep in contact as much as I can.” 

“I’ll be waiting.” You say, looking up at him. Oh how you want to kiss him, but you know you can’t. “You know where to find me.” 

Cody lets his fingers brush yours just for a moment. “I’ll never forget.” 

You look back as you board the shuttle, your chest already aching. The thought of being apart at all is nearly unbearable, and you can’t even say how long it will be until you see him again. 

If you see him again. 

No. You refuse to think that way. 

You will see him again. 

***

The war is over. 

It ended rather abruptly, and came with the restructuring of the Republic into the Galactic Empire. Nothing about it feels right to you, mostly because you haven’t heard from Cody since the war ended. 

He had sent you a quick message before he left on a mission, and then the war had ended. 

That had been a year ago. 

You haven’t heard from him since. 

You refuse to believe he’s dead. You would have known. Even without initiating your bond, you would have felt it. The pain of half of your soul fading away to nothing. The discomfort, the never-ceasing chill of half of you being gone. You haven’t felt that, which means Cody is alive somewhere. 

It’s been a long year. 

You’ve been going through the motions, checking every chance you can for a message, some sign from him, but you’ve heard nothing. It hurts, but you know he wouldn’t do that. Not without reason. You hope he’s safe, wherever he is. You hope he’s safe and healthy and whole. 

You don’t want to lose him. You barely know him, but the thought of losing him is driving you insane. Your thoughts have slowly been taken over by Cody. You know it’s the bond, the deep yearning to see him and be close to him again. You’re meant to be together, not a galaxy apart with no contact. 

You worry you may go insane if you have to keep on without him. 

Luckily for you, that doesn’t happen. 

It’s your day off and you had planned to spend it sitting on your couch relaxing. Your comm is sitting on the table, waiting for any sign from Cody that he’s alright. You’d give anything just to hear his voice again. You’d sell an organ to see him again. 

A knock on your door pulls you away from your thoughts. You’re not expecting anyone, but random visitors aren’t that unheard of. A neighbor or a coworker stopping by. You’re not really in the mood for company, but maybe that’s just what you need. 

Except you’re not expecting who’s behind the door. 

Your stomach twists painfully, your heart thudding in your chest. Your mouth drops open, the air in your lungs whooshing out in a gasp. 

He looks good. Or, at least, he looks uninjured. You know it’s him. Even without the scar, you would have known. He’s not in his armor, dressed down into civilian clothes instead. You want to yell at him, you want to slap him. How dare he leave you for a year without so much as a message. But as you look into his eyes, that idea melts from your mind. There’s dark circles under his eyes. He looks tired. His eyes are shining in the lights of your hallway and there’s a sadness to them, no, a guilty look to them. 

“Mesh’la.” He breathes, and you’re moving before you even realize it, practically throwing yourself into his arms. 

He wraps his arms around you tightly, almost painfully. You don’t care, relief flooding through you. All the horrible thoughts that had plagued you, all the anger and the fear and the anxiety melting away simply by being in his presence once more. 

He backs you into your apartment, the door sliding closed. He doesn’t loosen his hold on you, keeping you close to his chest. “I’m sorry.” He breathes, his breath fanning your ear. “I’m so kriffing sorry.” 

“Why?” You ask, your voice thick with tears. You’re not sure when they started, but they’re slowly soaking his shirt. “It’s been a year, Cody. A year since I’ve heard from you. The war ended and then...nothing.” 

“I know.” He pulls back slightly, looking down at your face. “I’ll tell you everything, just let me hold you for a moment.” 

And so you do. You stand there for the better part of an hour, just holding each other. Time and time again your hands run along his back, cheek pressing into his shoulder just to make sure he’s really here. 

Once you manage to separate yourselves, you move to the couch. He tells you everything, about the war ending, Order 66, the inhibitor chips, losing control of his mind, waking up after Kashyyk, the horrible things they’d been forced to do, deserting the Empire. He had wanted to contact you as soon as he left, but he knew it was too risky. He’d found Captain Rex who’d helped him, hiding him and once it was safe, getting him here to you. 

“Oh, Cody.” You say, tracing your fingers along his scar. It’s the first time you’ve touched him, really touched him. He’s so warm, the press of your skin against his sending little sparks through your body. “I’m so sorry.” You draw him in, his face pressing against your neck as you hold him. 

“Why did it have to happen this way?” He asks, wrapping his arms around your waist. 

“We can’t change the past.” You say, running your fingers through his short curls. “We can only keep moving forward from here.” 

He breaths a long sigh out, relaxing completely into you. He’s heavy, your body slowly falling back onto the couch. He follows, his lips brushing against the skin of your neck. 

“I’m ready to live your boring life.” He murmurs. 

You can’t help but laugh at that. He had once remarked that your life was boring when you’d told him you intended to spend your time off at home reading. You knew he had meant it lightly, and he wasn’t wrong. Compared to his life at the time, yours was very boring. 

“Don’t let me go.” He says quietly, pressing a kiss to the side of your neck. 

A smile tugs at your lips as your back hits the cushions, Cody shifting slightly so he’s not crushing you under his weight. “You have a year to make up for, Cody. And I have some vacation time I’ve been meaning to use.” 

“Good.” He says, dragging his lips up your throat. “I don’t intend on letting you leave this couch for a while.” 

You pout a bit as he kisses the corner of your mouth. “The bed is more comfortable.” 

“We’ll get there eventually.” He murmurs before pressing his lips to yours. 

You sigh against his lips, wrapping your arms around his neck. The swirling chaos that had been driving you crazy for the last year is beginning to settle now that he’s here, in your arms, pressed against you. Most soulmates don’t last more than a few days once they meet. It’s been over a year since you met him and you hadn’t so much as touched him. 

“Cody,” You sigh against his lips, his body pressing closer to yours. You can feel him, hard against your thigh. “I need you.” 

“I’m right here.” He says, pulling away from your lips. He cups your face, calloused thumbs stroking your cheeks. 

You smile, reaching up to cup his cheeks. He really is real. He’s really right here. “You are.” 

He makes quick work of your clothes, dragging his fingers along your exposed skin. Every touch is like lightning, your body thrumming with energy. It reminds you of when you’d met, appearing on that battlefield, the adrenaline pumping through you. He had to have known, deep down. He’d saved your life without thought, keeping you safe until the battle was over. 

He’d saved you, stayed with you until he couldn’t. Now it’s your turn. 

Your fingers trail along his back, feeling every ridge of muscle, every raised scar. You want to kiss them all, but that’s for a later time. His teeth sink gently into the side of your breast, making you gasp. You’re already wet, probably leaving a wet spot on your couch. 

You’ll have it cleaned later. 

“Please, Cody.” You breathe, pressing your hips up against his. “It’s been too long.” 

“I know, mesh’la.” He says, kissing your sternum. “I’m so sorry.” 

You sink your fingers into his hair, drawing his lips to yours. “Don’t apologize with your words.” 

He smirks against your lips, shifting his hips slightly. “Yes, ma’am.” 

A shiver runs down your spine. You have the former Marshal Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic naked on your couch, and he had just called you ma’am. You feel a bit powerful, so unlike how you normally feel. 

You’ll have to explore that later. 

You slip a hand between your bodies, lining him up. He presses into you slowly, taking his time. The stretch burns, and you regret not prepping a little, but he’s slow, easing your tension with gentle kisses and the touch of his hands. 

He pauses once he’s seated inside you, giving you a moment. You’re overwhelmed with feeling, the bond between you two strengthening. You can practically feel the link, the cords tying you together multiplying and strengthening into something unbreakable. 

His lips press against yours, his hands taking yours, lacing your fingers together. You’re connected in every possible way. 

He begins to move, dragging his hips slowly against yours. You moan against his lips, squeezing his hands. He feels so good, you feel so good pressed up against him. It’s been a long year waiting for him, and this very moment has made up for most of it. 

You moan his name as he thrusts into you, fingers gripping his. He moans in your ear, whispering to you, speaking near nonsense as you lose yourselves in each other. 

You cum, clinging to him so tightly you’re worried you might bruise him. He offers no complaints, his body going lax over yours as he cums, emptying into you. You both stay there, uncaring of your sweaty skin or the fluids leaking between your legs. You’re both breathing heavily, holding onto each other like you might disappear if you let go. 

He goes to pull away after a few moments, but you wrap your arms around him tighter, keeping him still. 

“Stay?” You whisper, just needing to feel him. 

He smiles, pressing a gentle kiss to your lips. “I’m not going anywhere.” 

(P.S. Don’t worry, they do eventually move from Alderaan to some small farming planet where they live happily ever after.) 

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