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momotarotea · 4 months ago

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Sonic Big Bang 2024!

So part of why I've been quiet recently is that I've been working on my contribution for the @sthbigbang event!

Of course, I had to write a Shadamy fic. I also did an illustration for my fic, as did the immensely talented @waywardvessel

@sofibeth-arts

and @morefluid-thanwater!

Working with you three was a pleasure, and I hope you all enjoy the finished piece!

If you'd rather read this on AO3, here's the link!

Without further adieu, I hope you all enjoy ARK Angel :)

Summary: Life is a series of decisions, but what if one had gone differently? What if Amy’s pleas to Shadow on the ARK had fallen on deaf ears, and he hadn’t agreed to save the world? The only thing left to do would be to fight to save the world herself, wouldn’t it?

Discovering Shadow in an abandoned lab hadn’t been on Amy’s to-do list that day, but neither had heading into space, watching Sonic almost die, or anything else from the events of that day. With the Space Colony now plummeting headfirst towards the Earth, it seemed that she would be adding ‘begging Shadow to save the human race’ to her impromptu list of tasks, too.

She’d stopped in the corridor to give herself a pep talk when she’d spotted him - fear having gripped her momentarily at the sight of the pitch-furred hedgehog. After a deep inhale to steel herself, she darted over to him at the window, a fire in her stomach and determination on her face. Every step made her feel like her heart was going to beat out of her chest. He’d been nothing but trouble for her friends up to this point, and whether it had been intentional or not, she couldn’t help but hold it against him. He’d framed Sonic for his wrong-doings, tried to stop them at every turn, and now, he had refused to go with the others when they had rushed to the cannon’s core in an attempt to stop the ARK from destroying their world. She hated to admit it, but deep down, she knew he was the only hope. He was the only one who knew the space colony well enough to do anything meaningful in the time they had left - but getting his help would be no small feat.

“Shadow, we need you!” She yelled, practically tripping over her own feet to come to a halt next to him. She couldn’t back out on her plea now. He would either refuse, or save them all. There were no half measures here.

His eyes - the colour of blood, and just as spine-chilling - swept over the expanse of space before him, turning to her. “It’s all going according to plan,” he murmured, fixing her on the spot with a withering glare. “There is no reason for me to help them. Besides, there’s no way to save anyone.”

He was so matter-of-fact. So cold and clinical about so many lives being taken away for a crime committed years ago, by a handful of people who may not even still be alive… Did he not see what he was doing? What he was allowing to unfold? His life so far hadn’t been easy, by any stretch of the imagination, but to destroy the Earth over it?

“There has to be!” She found herself blurting, her fists balled at her chest, “I know that people fight over the most trivial things,” she began, voice wavering and tentative, “Some people…” She continued, trying to pick her words carefully and think before she spoke, as she so often didn’t. Rage would not get the better of Amy Rose today. “…may be selfish like the professor said… But they’re basically good. If they try their best and never give up on their wishes… They always have a reason to be happy.”

The pink hedgehog paused for a moment, trying to gauge Shadow’s reaction to her words so far. His face was hard to read, stoic and brooding as he was, and with the whirlwind of emotions swirling in her head she was struggling to separate the facade of nonchalance from any underlying emotion or sign of doubt. She swallowed hard, brows furrowing, as she put the last pieces of her plea together. Her nails bit into the palms of her hands, a tentative step forward bringing her closer to him as she pleaded, “That’s why you should help them out! Saving them is a good thing! Shadow, I beg you, please do it for them. Give them a chance!”

The lab fell into near silence, the only sounds the beeping of long-abandoned equipment and echoes of Amy’s voice as it faded away in the enormity of the room.

His eyes hadn’t left hers, not for a moment, but now, they flickered over her, regarding her as if this was the first time he had seen her, and she had just asked the world of him.

Now that she thought about it, that wasn’t far from the truth.

He turned back to the window. She searched his face for an answer - for even an incline of what he may say - but he gave away nothing. Instead, Shadow closed his eyes.The air felt thin, time seeming to fray and threatening to snap. It couldn’t have been longer than a moment, but to Amy, it felt like eternity.

Then, his face twisted in a sneer.

“No.”

Amy gasped as Shadow’s eyes opened. She could feel the hate wash over her.

“You talk about what they want, their hopes and dreams and wishes - but what about mine? Am I supposed to give up, to pander to people who have sought to harm me? To use me?” His expression darkened, shifting to something that sent a chill down her spine. “Why should I?”

He snarled, turning sharply to face her head on. “Why should I save them? These people who, by your own admission, are selfish?”

“That’s not what I-”

“I won’t help them. They can all go to hell!”

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, welling and threatening to fall. She’d shrunk further away from him with each word, feeling less and less like she was capable of changing his mind, and more like she was being scolded for her naivety. Blood rushed in her ears, the pounding of her heart deafening her as the fire she had felt in her stomach was all but put out by his words raining down around her.

She’d failed. Fallen short.

But somehow… something told her she couldn’t just give in. Laying down and taking whatever she was given wasn’t her style. Maybe once upon a time, but not now.

“But Shadow, I know that under all of the pain you're good! I know you-”

“You know nothing!” He spat, quills bristling as a sharp, derisive followed. “You want to save them? Do it yourself.”

The fire roared. It licked against her insides, boiling her blood and building pressure in her system. It was like her veins were no longer for transporting oxygen - they were a part of a boiler system that was over pressurised, and the safety valve was ripped away. She was ready to blow, and unfortunately for Shadow, he’d blocked the last outlet for her steam.

She realised what she’d done when the palm of her hand started stinging, and his face snapped towards the glass he stood in front of. She’d slapped him. Hard. So hard, in fact, that there was already a red handprint forming on the side of his muzzle. It looked sore, and any other time, she would have apologised profusely - but the rage that still simmered forbade her from showing remorse. Before he could retaliate, she found herself racing out of the lab and down the hallway in the direction her friends had taken, straight for the Cannon Core.

The soles of her boots on the sheet metal of the floor drummed in her head, seeming to sync with her thundering blood. Every second mattered. Gerald had given them twenty-seven minutes. Some of that time had already slipped through her fingers, so Chaos only knew how long she had now.

The walkway she was on came to a junction, causing her to slow and eventually stop. The corridor had split in two, open doorways yawning to the left and right with no clear indication as to which was the way to the cannon core. To the left, purple walls and strobing lights lit glass floors and moving platforms, while the right glowed an ominous red, the hexagonal pathway seeming to go on forever.

“Red means danger,” she murmured to no one in particular, taking a tentative step towards the right-hand door. Rings of light seemed to race up the walls towards the entryway. It was almost as if they were trying to push her away and convince her to go down the other route, but that just served to convince Amy that this had to be the right way. Of course the mad scientist who had set the ARK on a crash course with the Earth would want to keep people away from the metaphorical off switch for his plan.

With a quick scan of the corridor she found a rail that ran along the roof, with a handle hanging from it. If it did what she thought it did, it could be a quicker way to traverse the tunnel before her. Manoeuvring herself to see further down the twists and turns and realising she couldn’t see the end, or even the light that might mark it, she concluded that any boost to speed she could give herself would be a welcome one. With that in mind, she backed up a few steps and ran, leaping for the handle. The jolt of inertia was enough to slide along the rail, and before long, she was travelling at a good pace.

The tunnel twisted, throwing her violently in one direction, and then the other, with lights flashing and dissipating all the while. It was making her feel queasy. In desperation, she shut her eyes tight in hopes of a temporary reprieve, but the lights came to a sudden stop. She cracked an eye open, squinting to get a better look at where the light ended, to see where the rail went once the transition to black was made, but with horror she realised it was the open expanse of a new room, cyan sparks of electricity punctuating the otherwise pitch black. The rail came to an abrupt halt, the handle hitting the stop plate at the end with a thunk, and she was flung forward into the empty air.

Amy shrieked, the possibility that this was her end, not the collision with the Earth, briefly filling her head as she searched for something to grab or land on. Columns hung from the ceiling, too far away for her to use to stop her descent, and all around her was nothing but blackness. A void.

But, as her limbs wheeled, panic rising, she saw the familiar glow of the tunnel she had been launched from. Had she tipped forward? Rolled in the air somehow to look back at where she’d come from? No, she couldn’t have. The columns were still above her - this had to be new. That, and now that she was thinking more critically, this new light was more orange than red. That had to be the way forward.

Below her was a stone outcrop that stopped just before the orange room. That was her target but she was falling fast. Landing wouldn’t be as easy as it sounded. Not without an injury, anyway.

She’d seen Sonic spindash his way out of situations like this before, but he normally had an enemy to aim for. Whoever had been here before had done a good job of clearing out any hostiles - too good a job. If she could just slow her fall somehow, then she could land without fear of breaking a leg - or worse.

Then it hit her. Her hammer. She’d used it before to make a small wind tunnel. If she could just time it properly, she could decelerate just before she made contact with the ground.

She held out her hands, her signature hammer appearing in her grip with a plume of smoke that was quickly whisked away as she gained speed. Once her vision cleared, she took stock again. She needed to act in five… four… three… two-

Panic struck her. She’d over estimated. The ground was approaching faster than she had expected. Eyes wide, veins icy with dread, she hefted the hammer, swinging it as hard and fast as she could in a circular motion.

A gust of air caught her. She slowed. And, with only a few quills windswept and out of place, she landed. With a deep exhale, shoulders dropping in relief, she allowed herself a moment to gather herself before taking on the next section of her journey.

Amy shook herself. She had to get moving again - the ARK was still plummeting. The Earth was still in danger. And, as much as she trusted and admired Sonic, she wasn’t sure he could do it on his own this time.

The path ahead was maybe ten feet long before it dropped into a chasm. Why there was such a large pit inside a space colony, she didn’t know, but it was going to be difficult to get over. A running start wouldn’t go amiss, but even an olympic long jumper would have trouble with a gap so wide.

Absently, she hefted the hammer, flipping it in her hand as she puzzled over her dilemma. If only she could use something like an enemy as a stepping stone, or-

She paused, closely inspecting the hammer in her hand. An idea flickered in her mind like a lightbulb. That might just do it.

She shook out her arms and hands, leaning forward and focusing on the glow of the next room. This jump had only two outcomes - suicide or success - and she had to have the confidence to make sure it was the latter.

Rearing back and filling her lungs with the stagnant air of the chamber, Amy committed to her stunt, surging forward and charging at the crevasse. Her whole body felt like it was pulsing. Between her heartbeat, the cadence of her feet and adrenaline, she didn’t know which to blame.

As the end of the stone walkway approached, her mind’s eye replaced it with the white line of a long jump pit, and a yell tore from her throat. She threw herself into the abyss, leaping with all the strength she could in hopes that it would reduce how long she would have to spin her hammer. It was a new skill after all, so the less she had to rely on it, the better.

She sailed through the air, the grip on her hammer turning her knuckles white; it would sting once she let go, but she was too terrified of dropping it. There was still so far to go, so much nothing to cross over, but she could feel that her fall had begun.

With everything she had, Amy swung the hammer, letting herself twist with it in the air and hoping to land on solid ground.

One,

Two,

Three full rotations, and she could feel herself getting dizzy. Keeping her eyes open had been a mistake for her stomach, which churned and protested, but she wouldn’t know when to stop otherwise.

Four,

Five

Six rotations. The longer she spun, the more she felt like maybe she’d missed the edge, and was just spiralling into the void of nothing below, but something told her that she had to persevere. There seemed to be more and more orange in her blurry view of the world, which surely meant was at least close to the other side.

One…

More…

Turn…

She slowed, stopped, and staggered, the world still spinning even though she wasn’t. She’d made it. Her idea, insane as it was, had worked, and as her vision cleared the orange glow she had aimed for snapped into focus. What had once been an octagonal tunnel, now squared off with panels of glass, pulsed with amber light.

Her heels clicked a staccato against the floor as she wobbled away from her landing spot, head swimming and hands shaky. Amy’s grip on her hammer faltered, the weapon slipping from her fingers and disappearing in a puff of smoke, and all she could do was watch. Much more effort might bring about another appearance of her breakfast, which wasn’t something she was keen to experience.

With each step, the haze of dizziness cleared. It was like she was wading through the last of a thick fog, finally emerging into the light of day. Unfortunate that the daylight in question was only the rest of the room, not the end of her journey, but at least the end was approaching.

The back of the room split off into a T junction. To the right was a dead end, while the left path gave way to a room of shifting, spinning cubes and display panels that showed only the same amber light of the previous rooms swishing back and forth.

Now that her stomach had settled, Amy risked picking up the pace, following the corridor as it curved to the right. Cubes tumbled in the air, bathing her in their warm glow - but she had no time to enjoy it. Chaos only knew how long she had left before the ARK would collide with the Earth -or if she’d be able to stop the collision - but she had to try. Just because Shadow had refused to help, that didn’t mean she had to accept her fate. She could do this. She had to believe she could, because if she couldn’t, then-

The familiar sound of her heels on glass gave way to sloshing and a low buzzing sound. She’d been so preoccupied with her fate, so focused on her goal that she hadn’t realised she was in a new area. Three inches of fluid lapped against the soles of her shoes, the translucent amber liquid looking like it belonged in a reactor, not on the floor. The unnatural, tangerine hue almost gave her pause, but as she splashed through it she found herself having to think fast once more.

Lazers and a metal barrier barred her way. She estimated that she would be able to slide under the barricade if she timed it right, and that the chance of getting the amber liquid on her skin - or worse, in her eyes or mouth - was worth the risk. She sped up, running until she was maybe two feet away from the lazer-wall and dropping into a slide.

Her nose grazed the metal, but she was under, and otherwise unharmed. Much to her relief, the liquid that coated the floor didn’t seem to be acidic, either, but for the time being that was the least of her concerns.

Before her was a six foot wall, edged in the same metal as the barrier was made of, and no other direction to go. She knew she couldn’t jump that high. If she were lucky, and had a decent start, she might be able to get enough of a grip with her fingers to haul herself up. Possibles and maybes didn’t save the world, she knew, but neither did people who didn’t at least try against the odds.

Backtracking as close to the lasers as she dared, she eyed the run-up she’d given herself. It should be enough.

Would be enough.

Had to be enough.

Filling her lungs, she rocked back. A fizzing sound and the smell of burning quills rolled over her. Too far. With a flinch and a quick pat of the affected area, she squared her shoulders, and took another deep breath…

Before running full speed at the wall.

She charged, picking up as much speed as she dared before hurling herself upwards towards the ledge.

Her body slammed into the wall, chest and ribs screaming with the impact, but the tips of her fingers had caught on the ledge, holding her against the frigid surface. She wheezed in a breath, grimacing as she did, and walked the fingers of one hand onto the ledge until her palm sat against it. She repeated the process once she was sure her grip was sound, slowly grappling her way onto the surface until she was able to swing a leg up and roll onto the floor, panting with the exertion.

Amy wanted to stay there. Sprawled on the floor, where the fate of the world wasn’t in her hands, and nothing more was needed of her, but she couldn’t do that. Even if Sonic could do this without her, she was sick of being the extra. The back up. The ‘just in case’. But not any more. That was going to change.

She staggered to her feet, bathed in the crimson glow of the next corridor. It looked so similar to the first, but even though it had only been a few minutes since, that first rail ride felt a lifetime away.

She crossed the threshold at a run, feeling the slope of the floor dip down towards the heart of the ARK. She was ready for this. She was going to make a difference.

The ground levelled out sharply, more of the amber swill from a few rooms ago coming into view in a roiling torrent past a sheer drop - one that she knew now that she could traverse with ease, thanks to her hammer. With a hop, skip, and a jump, she launched herself into the air, and realised just how far she would need to go.

From this angle, she saw that the orange flow rushed towards her, cascading down and away from where she assumed she needed to be. But, it plateaued - and presumably, flowed in the opposite direction on the other side.

Smoke billowed around her as the hammer materialised, but quickly dispersed as she spun in the practised cyclone that had delivered her safely across the chasm before.

The world around her was a blur, flashes of colour and light that only made sense when she broke from the tornado she had created and let herself take it all in. She could see now that she had been right about the flow of water. It did flow the other way, with an equally steep slope that flowed into a pipe. That had to be it. The inlet to the canon core.

Her trajectory landed her just past the section of level ground, a few paces into the decline, and the flow swept her off her feet with a splash. Control would be hard won, she realised, as her form took the path of least resistance, swerving from left to right at an increasingly alarming pace. When her body started to rotate, threatening to have her careen down the space-age log flume head first, she felt her heart skip a beat. Relinquishing the control of her direction was one thing, but her orientation was something that wasn’t up for debate.

Small adjustments to compensate for the swivel seemed to keep her facing the right direction, much to her relief. “Thank Gaia,” she found herself whispering, hoping that her small praise would be enough to convince any higher power that she was grateful for this mercy, and to continue sending it her way.

A crackle filled the air, the sound of an intercom creaking to life. Amy glanced around to find the speaker, even though she knew it would be of no use to her to know where it was. She was left only with the sound of a vaguely familiar voice echoing around the pipe she was stuck in.

“All of you ungrateful humans,” it began, tone foreboding and morose. Was that… the scientist? The one who had made Shadow? “Who took everything from me…” It was! A recording of him couldn’t mean anything good. She found herself searching frantically for an exit; Something in her chest told her she needed to get out of this tunnel. “Will feel my loss, and despair!”

As the last of Gerald's announcement ricocheted around her, her body was thrown around the curve of the pipe and light winked into existence in front of her. It was the end of the water way, she realised, but not quickly enough to avoid being dumped onto the floor unceremoniously.

She groaned, checking where her limbs had contacted the ground for any signs of damage - it was mostly small cuts and scrapes, but she had the feeling there would be bruises in more places tomorrow - and dusted herself down, rising to her feet cautiously.

There it was. The cannon core. And between her and it were Sonic, Knuckles, and-

“What in Chaos’ name is that!?” Amy shrieked. She had seen some sights in her time, but this? It was grotesque. Calling it anything else fell short of the true horror of the lumbering beast that shook the ground with each step. Its skin seemed to pool around its joints and feet, like it had an excess of it that refused to slough off despite its best efforts. Tubes protruded from all over its body at odd angles, leaving wounds that looked jagged and inflamed, ready to rupture at any moment.

The least offensive part of this behemoth was the canister on its back full of fluorescent green liquid that sloshed with every movement, the glow it provided highlighting the folds and wrinkles of the too-loose skin that covered its body.

Between the disgusting lifeform in front of her and the fear writhing like a snake in her stomach, retaining her lunch had become no easy feat. But, she was convinced that adrenaline was the only thing keeping her from vomiting.

“Amy!? What are you doing here!?” Sonic yelled, incredulity and fear clear in the crack of his voice.

“I asked Shadow to help us, and he refused,” she proffered, holding her hands out and summoning her Piko Piko hammer. “So I came to help instead.”

“No, no way,” the blue hedgehog said, shaking his head. “You need to go back and-”

A roar interrupted him, the beast clearly annoyed that it was being ignored.

“We don’t have time to argue!” She spat back, hefting the hammer and looking to Knuckles for back up. If anyone would understand, it would be him.

The echidna looked between his friends, knowing that by supporting Amy, he would put her in harm’s way, but by supporting Sonic, he would give Amy the impression he didn’t believe she was capable of helping them. He gave an irritated sigh, and turned to Sonic. “She’s right, we have to get the Master Emerald into that shrine now or we’re all toast! Amy,” he turned to her, violet eyes burning, “You need to keep that thing busy while Sonic and I get to the shrine - think you can do that?”

She nodded curtly, her expression settling into one of conviction as she focused on the monster that lumbered towards them now, trying to decide if she was insane for agreeing to this, or brave for even trying. For now, she would go with the latter.

As her friends raced for the shrine, a heaviness settled on her chest. Her blood felt cold, like she'd had a bucket of water dumped over her and the raging inferno she had stoked when she began this journey had been drowned. This thing was horrifying. Even its movements seemed unnatural, like its muscles weren't intended for its skeleton, and every stuttering step made the loose skin of its joints undulate sickeningly.

She choked back the bile that rose in her throat, refusing to take her eyes off it on principle alone. It probably already knew she was terrified, already knew that she wanted to turn tail and run until her lungs screamed for her to stop - but she wouldn’t. Not today.

Her hammer felt leaden in her grip. The weight of the world, of her friends lives, of her own future - they all seemed present in its heft. She took a shaky step forward, feeling the fear rise but knowing she couldn't let it overwhelm her. Another step followed the first, the façade of confidence settling over her like a warm, comforting blanket.

This was it. Her chance to prove herself. “Never fear,” she began, swiping the hammer to her side and shifting her weight to run. “Amy Rose is here!”

The biolizard lunged for her, snapping its toothless maw. If she were any slower, it would have crushed her arm.

She ran to the right, hoping for an opening where she could hit it hard enough to at least give it pause. But the beast lumbered after her, pivoting in the shallow puddle of water it wallowed in and sending ripples over the lip with each thunderous step.

Keeping a distance between her and its mouth was Amy's top priority. Visions of what would become of her if she didn't played in her mind, and she had to physically shake her head to banish the thoughts. She needed adrenaline. Optimism. Not fear.

Amy stole a glance over her shoulder. She hadn't covered much ground, but already the monster seemed to be tiring. Its breathing was heavy. Laboured. Ragged.

How was it so tired after barely moving?

That was exactly it, it turned out. The thing barely could move, and so what little it had already managed was a gargantuan task for its body. If she could exhaust it - however briefly - that would be an advantage, one that was sorely needed.

With that in mind, Amy re-doubled her efforts, antagonising the beast by shouting over her shoulder at it. The lumbering started to slow, and it wasn't long before the biolizard came to a halt.

Steam seemed to billow from its mouth with each exhale, and each inhale seemed hard won. There it was. The opening she needed.

Skidding almost to a stop, she pivoted on a heel and ran at its side, torn for a moment on where to hit it. The side was easily accessible, fleshy, and likely to do some internal damage if she could hit it hard enough, but the pipes that wound around its form gave her pause. They had to have a purpose. Transporting something, most likely - something that it needed, or else its creator wouldn't have left them there.

Those pipes all seemed to converge on its back. Whatever they held was either flowing to or from there.

Hoping her guess was correct, Amy leapt. Her mind flashed back to her leap of faith across the chasm. But she had overcome that, just like she would overcome this.

She crested the mass of crimson flesh, her boot slipping on loose skin as she landed. The shaky breaths beneath her shifted the pipes she'd followed. Just as she thought, they all appeared to connect to a device on its back.

That had to be it.

A yellow glow pulsated atop the machine, growing brighter with each inhale, and dimming with each exhale. Surely, that wasn't a coincidence? It had to be a life support - or have at least some impact on the biolizard's continued life.

Having convinced herself, she did what she always did when all that stood between her and victory was a metal box.

She swung her hammer at it.

The familiar crunch of her hammer connecting with metal brought a smile to her lips. The device crackled with electricity, pops and fizzes an audible indicator of broken connections.

Beneath her, the biolizard screamed, its cry akin to a yowling cat, and shook itself violently enough to throw her to the ground.

She skidded across the paved pathway, scraping her shoulder in the process. But as pain pulsed through her, she couldn't help but wonder how it had been so easy to defeat something that had been touted as the ultimate life form.

And then it moved.

Toothless jaws snapped at her, missing by mere inches. She flinched away, scrambling to her feet and bolting away.

This time, the biolizard didn't make a move towards her though. It's feet were planted firmly in the murky orange pool, and no sloshing could be heard.

What she did hear, though, was scarier than any eerie silence. It was like a blockage being cleared from a pipe at high velocity, a resounding poh noise, followed by stone crunching and skittering away.

It took every ounce of courage she had to turn and look behind her.

A ball of what she could only describe as shadows tore towards her, purple energy crackling across its surface like lightning.

she threw herself out of the way, keeping her eyes trained on the monster. Its maw opened again, energy swelling in its throat, and another popping sound exploded from it, firing the orb at her.

There would be no more wearing it out. The shadows seemed capable of following her, this new ball proved, as it swerved towards her at frightening speed. Dodging was the only option.‘Think, Amy! Think, think, think!’ She chastised, eyes darting across the beast in hopes of finding an answer.

To her surprise, she found it - a cord that ran from its mouth to its back. If she was fast, and careful, she could get to its back from there to do some more damage, and avoid the shadows at the same time.

There was no time to second guess herself. Raising her hammer again, she charged, side-stepping the second orb in the nick of time. A yell tore from her throat, half from terror and half from the rising sensation in her chest that goaded her to do better, to be better - to be a hero.

She reached the cable just as a third ball started forming. With precision achieved by pure adrenaline, she made her first step onto the tube, following quickly by her second. It felt surreal. The narrowing of her focus to include only the pound of her veins, her boots on the wire as she barrelled up to its back. Her foot had been on its back for hardly a heartbeat when she slammed her hammer into the side of the still crackling unit.

The casing cracked open, chips of metal spraying from the gash. She hefted the hammer back over her head, slamming it down onto the orange dome.

Glass shattered, spraying her with shards that sliced at her arms and cheeks. She hissed, the tiny cuts stinging individually and as one, the sensation overwhelming.

A familiar rage built. One she’d experienced a thousand times before but never quite this intensely. She swung again, and again, the crumpling sound mixing with the yowling to create a truly ear-splitting cacophony. But in her rage, everything had quieted.

When the world pitched, it took a moment for her to realise why. The biolizard was shaking, trying to throw her off, but as she fell, her hammer caught on one of the pipes, jolting her to a stop.

Another yowl, the tugging clearly causing it at least some discomfort. She could feel the noise in her bones, the vibrations rattling her. But this could be worse. In fact, this could be a fantastic opportunity to end this whole thing, here and now.

Bracing her feet against its side, boots sliding on skin too big for its frame, she pulled.

The cable popped out of the socket, spraying amber ichor as it flailed, and for what she hoped was the last time today, she hit the ground.

She rolled away, knowing that she needed to dissipate the inertia if she wanted to walk away from this encounter rather than limp. Now that her hearing had returned, she could tell just how distressed it really was. The screaming and sloshing as it thrashed in what she assumed was agony was deafening - but it seemed like her ordeal was over. Now she just needed Sonic and Knuckles to get the chaos emerald back out of the shrine and-

Cobalt lightning crackled around the shrine, the master emerald pulsing with power and spinning in place. A flash of blinding light painted the chamber white and Amy threw up her arms to shield her eyes.

Before she risked opening them again, though, a roar shook her to the bone. It was the same sound as the Biolizard had made when she’d damaged it, only lower pitched.

She whirled, hammer in hand ready to deal what she hoped was the killing blow, and was met not with the defeated form she had left, but one that had reared back to let out one last yell. With the beast on its back legs the looseness of its skin was more prominent, the disproportionate nature of its form more obvious. The pressure it was exerting on its stubby legs made them shake, the open wounds all over its body weeping, blood and pus running over the ripples and folds of its body.

Her stomach churned, but before her mind could comprehend the truely sickening parts of its visage, a flash of blue enveloped it, and it was gone.

Turning back to the shrine, she took the steps two at a time, reaching Sonic and Knuckles at the Master Emerald’s plinth. “What was that?”

Sonic opened his mouth to speak, but the answer never came. The ARK pitched to the side, the artificial gravity of the ship momentarily failing, suspending them above the ground. “Since we’ve stopped the Chaos Emeralds… why is the space colony still on a crash course to Earth?” Knuckles managed before gravity kicked back in, throwing him, Sonic, and Amy to the ground.

“The prototype is still alive, and he’s controlling the space colony as its falling to Earth!” Eggman announced through the ARK’s communication system. This new information settled like a brick in Amy’s stomach as the trio staggered to their feet. She’d failed to kill the biolizard, and now, it was going to destroy the Earth anyway. All that she’d been through, all that she’d done… It was all for nothing, after all. “He’s become one with the space colony, and is determined to keep it on its collision course!”

Dumbfounded, she looked to Knuckles. He was the guardian of the Master Emerald - surely, there was something he could do? But the echidna wasted no time in turning to Sonic. The blue blur stared his friend down for a beat, his grass-green eyes flickering to Amy and back, as if considering something but discounting it before it had even had time to gestate. “I need to go super,” the hedgehog announced, taking a step towards the master Emerald. “But I don’t know if I can do this on my own.”

Her body moved before her mind could catch it. The pink hedgehog stepped forward, hammer evaporating into smoke, hands balling to fists. “Let me try, too!” There was no room for argument in her tone, but that didn’t stop her blue beau from trying.

“Ames, no, you can’t-”

“You don’t know that! Just because I haven’t before doesn’t mean I can’t!” His eyes were wide with shock, and something else. Awe, she hoped, but equally it could have been disbelief. When he sighed and held his hand out for her to take, though, she knew it didn’t matter. He was going to let her try, and that meant that at the very least, he believed there was a chance.

She took it, the pair raising their hands above their heads and studying the ceiling of the shrine. Like icicles forming on a window sill, their energy seeped from the stonework, forming the seven gems that had started this mess, and would give them the power to end it.

The emeralds descended, hovering for a moment before spinning faster and faster around them.

She could feel it. The tumultuous power, crashing into her like waves. The eddies lapped at her, like ice water around her ankles, and rose steadily until she thought she might drown. The emeralds were moving so fast now that they were a blur. It was impossible to tell one from another. Another wave of chaos energy crashed into her, almost knocking her to her knees - but she stood strong in its onslaught, feeling the cold sink past her skin, chill her blood and freeze her bones.

White light flashed from between them, hands separating as the power split. Sonic glowed with the golden light of his super form, and Amy too shone, but with a rose-tinted gold of her own. The frigid chill of chaos energy was nothing like her own rage. So alien, so… different. So… other. It was somehow both exhilarating and terrifying.

Sonic seemed to take it all in his stride - but then, he had been super before, hadn’t he? She’d always wondered what it felt like, and now that she had experienced it, she could understand how he used this power to save the world all those times before.

Sonic shot her his signature cocky grin, pointing to the roof. Up and out. She nodded, and the duo crouched in unison, extending their legs as if to jump, but instead shooting clean through the walls of the cannon core.

When Eggman had informed them that the biolizard had ‘become one’ with the ARK, Amy had been sure that he was exaggerating. The truth, however, was much more horrifying than she’d imagined.

Its flesh had wrapped itself around the muzzle of the eclipse cannon, the once loose folds of skin stretching and contorting to accommodate its new metal appendage. It was dragging the space colony with it, under what steam she didn’t know, and was headed straight for the planet she called home.

“Sonic, Amy! Can you hear me?” Eggman’s voice boomed. “He’s very weak without his life support system. Aim for the red swellings to damage him! You’re our last hope!”

Weak without his life support… Her hunch had been right! The device was keeping it alive, and now, with the machine broken, they at least had a chance of winning.

The hedgehogs shared a knowing look - one that held the promise to win, or die trying - and shared a definitive nod.

Sonic blasted off, a trail of light marking his path as he weaved towards the monster. It was slow, cumbersome, but even so, if one of its limbs connected… she dreaded to think what the damage could be.

They had to do this quickly.

As Sonic ploughed into the first of the swellings, bursting through the thin layer of skin, Amy realised that she hadn’t moved. She’d been staring, horrified at what was in front of her.

She shook herself, furrowing her brows. She couldn’t just float here and do nothing.

It didn’t take long to find another of the sores Eggman had mentioned - the thing was riddled with them - but before she pushed off to make her first attack, something caught her eye.

Beneath its mass, a glow was building. Amethyst and ruby and aquamarine. It was mesmerising, and as it roiled and grew, she wondered what is was.

Her question was answered as the orb grew and stretched out towards her, a beam of searing energy missing her by mere inches. It was danger. It was pain. It was certain death.

A fire having been lit under her, she flew in a wide arc towards the pustule she was now aiming for, careful to keep an eye out for the beam of energy now that she knew it was capable of such a feat. The closer she got, though, the more its flailing limbs and snapping jaws made her hesitate. Even with her super form, the hurdle of failure loomed large above her, every time she hadn’t been strong enough, or fast enough playing on repeat in her mind.

She rolled out of the way as one of its arms thrashed at her, the disorientation of unfamiliar momentum causing her to bounce off its scaly hide and careen down its spine to float to a halt only a meter or so before it merged with the ARK.

Silently, she cursed herself. How could she help Sonic to kill this thing if she couldn’t even get close enough to its weak spots to do anything?

It was then that she spotted it - the blistered skin just past the curve of its side. A glance to its head confirmed that the beast was preoccupied with Sonic, and from this angle, it wouldn’t be able to get her with the beam until it was too late - for it, at least.

With speed she hadn’t possessed before the boost of the Chaos Emeralds, she launched herself around and ploughed into the thin, inflamed skin. It burst with enough force to fire her towards its head, her inert body tumbling head over heels at speed. In space, there was no friction to slow her, no end in sight to the vomit-inducing spinning. Not, at least, without some intervention.

From seemingly no where, its huge head swung towards her faster than it had any right to be capable of. She lifted her arms to cross over her face defensively knowing that she hadn’t the time to move, and was launched by the force of its nose connecting with her ribs.

She was like a pinball in a machine - moving at blinding speed with a trajectory that would inevitably result in collision.

And collide she did.

The ARK loomed large as she careened towards it, her form tumbling in the vast emptiness of space. Dizziness crept in on her, but before it could take hold, pain blossomed across her back and shoulder.

She’d slammed into the ARK, and from the crunching and crackling coming from behind her, she’d likely hit a window. That, or she’d done more damage to herself than she thought.

“Ouch,” she whimpered. The sound was half-reflexive, half-genuine, as she cradled the shoulder that had taken the brunt of the hit. “That thing really packs a punch…”

With a groan, she propped herself up on her elbows, watching as Sonic ploughed into the beast that had just thrown her like a ragdoll. She felt so useless. Managing to absorb enough Chaos energy to transform had been a shock, as had defending herself against the prototype of Shadow before it had teleported outside, but even now, after all of those achievements she was starting to feel like she wasn’t enough to fix this.

Her nails bit into her palms even through the padding of her gloves. Giving up was the easy route, the one she’d sworn she’d abandoned back when she’d helped Gamma fight its programming. She had to keep trying, or else what had all of this been for?

She took a long, slow inhale, filling her lungs to the brim and holding the breath for a second to centre herself, then released it in a steady, foggy stream. The world needed saving, and while she trusted that Sonic would do his best, she didn’t want him falling short because she’d thrown in the towel.

Gingerly, she rolled onto her stomach, aware of every slight movement as pinpricks of pain rolled through her. Were it not for the lack of gravity, she wondered if she would even have managed that, let alone bring her knees up to kneel on the observation deck window.Now that she’d been given the chance to stop, the adrenaline that had brought her this far was waning and the exhaustion was starting to creep in. Maintaining a super form was so tiring… how did Sonic do this?

Knowing that she couldn’t let herself be swept to shore, that she had to stay in the sea of energy until the danger had passed, she forced herself to open her eyes. At first, all she saw was her own reflection staring back at her through a spiderweb of cracks in the glass. But, as her eyes adjusted, she saw something else. Someone else.

Shadow. And he was staring back at her, looking like he’d seen a ghost.

He’d underestimated her ability, just like everyone else did, and had expected her to perish long before this point. That had to be it.

One, last act of defiance, then. Before she ended this fight and did what so many thought was impossible for her.

She pushed herself off the window of the lab, threw her arms behind her, and stuck her tongue out at the ultimate lifeform with gusto, before turning and flying back to where Sonic was fighting the biolizard.

It was childish, she knew, but his perception of her was the last thing she was worried about right now.

More of the pustules that covered the lizard had been ruptured, she noted, which felt like it would at least help. If this behemoth was capable of feeling pain, it had to be in agony by now. Wounds wept, blood and pus and chaos energy oozing from each and every one. This thing, relentless as it was, had to be put out of its misery.

She balled her fists, ready to weave her way towards the monster and hit more of its sores. Sonic had managed to destroy so many of them, and she didn’t want to end up as just the distraction again. She’d done so much today, been through so much. Now wasn’t the time to trip over the hurdle.

She flew towards the beast, feeling every injury she’d sustained so far screaming at her to stop, that she’d done enough, and she could call herself a hero now. But heroes didn’t give up just because they had a few bruises and cuts, or because they’d been thrown around like a rag doll. Heroes kept going.

With the lack of resistance from the expanse of space, she gained speed quickly, tearing through the chasm between her and her target, but in her periphery, something caught her attention. A white-gold glow - not Sonic’s gold, nor her own rose-gold, but a new one.

It was Shadow, and he was in his super form.

“What- what are you-”

“This thing is my prototype,” he began, his blood-red eyes focused on the biolizard. “It’s time I prove my superiority.”

He burst forward, leaving her to trail behind as he slammed into one of the sores at speed she struggled to see, let alone emulate, and when he was thrown backwards by the force of its skin splitting, he didn’t pause to look for another. He used the arc of his trajectory to fly around it, looking for another spot to damage.

This was the difference between her and real fighters, she thought to herself. For all she knew, this was Shadow’s first time in a super form too. And he was dealing with it so much better than she was. Granted, he didn’t need to fight so hard to change the direction he moved in with the help of his air shoes, but something about the ease with which he moved, the confidence… she was jealous.

“Can both of you hear me!?” Eggman yelled. There was panic in his voice, and Amy couldn’t in good conscious say she blamed him for it. “Atmosphere entry in about 4 minutes! Hurry!”

There it was. Four minutes. 240 seconds. Barely any time left to save the world.

She summoned her hammer, determined not to fall behind. It felt so light to her now, with chaos energy coursing through her veins, but that just meant she could put more of her strength into the swing.

There was a pustule where its skin met the ARK that Sonic and Shadow seemed to have missed. She pivoted towards it, swinging her hammer above her head ready to deal her first blow. As soon as she was close enough, the hammer smashed into the skin, eliciting a screech of pain from the beast as it thrashed in agony. It swung its clawed hands at Sonic, missing by at least three feet, and did the same to Shadow, failing to catch him with its claws.

Its head whipped around, more sluggish than it had been when it had thrown her into the observation deck window, and the motion tore its skin.

Now that she looked more closely, the movement of its arms had torn the skin at its shoulders, too.

It was falling apart, right in front of their eyes.

Sonic and Shadow looked frantically for another swelling to hit, another weak point to attack, but their lack of movement told her they found nothing. The end was nigh.

Amy floated to the broken device on its back, seeing that it still crackled and fizzed with electricity even now. The wires that remained attached still trailed its body, inert and empty of life-giving energy. She jammed the handle of her hammer under the unit, using the head as a lever, and separated the metal oval from the biolizard with a crunch. She reeled back.

The hammer connected with the unit, sending it careening towards the biolizard’s head, tearing the wires out of itself, or out of the biolizards skin.

The explosions from it started small. The size of a basketball, perhaps, or a little larger, but they seemed to set off a chain reaction.

The three hedgehogs dispersed, re-convening to watch as the monster went up in flames.

It was dead. The Earth was safe.

They’d done what had felt impossible just fifteen minutes ago.

As the three of them regarded each other, Sonic and Amy looking battered, bruised, and exhausted, they couldn’t help but smile. “We did it…” Amy breathed, releasing her hammer for it to disperse into smoke.

“We did,” Sonic beamed. There was something in his smile - relief, maybe, and pride - that she hadn’t expected. She’d thought he was so sure they could do this. He’d given no reason for her to think otherwise. But it seemed as though he hadn’t been as confident as she’d thought.

Shadow huffed, crossing his arms and turning his gaze to Amy. “Was that outcome in doubt?” To him, it seemed as though it wasn’t. Like the moment he was involved in something, it would go exactly as he planned.

“Heh, maybe not,” Sonic said. His smile grew wider, another small laugh escaping him, before he pointed to the ARK with his thumb. “We’d best get back, or the others will wonder what happened!”

He was gone before either of them could speak. Amy turned to Shadow, ready to chastise Sonic in his absence, but found that the surly being was staring intently at her. She couldn’t meet his eyes, instead looking away and scratching at the side of her head.

She’d slapped him, made faces at him, and now, it seemed, she owed him an apology. But first, she had to ask him something.

“What made you decide to help?” She blurted, chancing a glance at him and finding that he was still staring. His eyes flickered away from her then, though - the smallest hint of embarrassment on his face.

“I… I don’t know.” He said, but with the way his eyes searched the speckled sky, she wasn’t so sure that was the whole truth. “Maybe your words just needed time to sink in.”

All she could muster was a tired smile. She wished she could be more energetic, her usual enthusiastic self, about this change of heart. But everything was taking its toll. She was exhausted. She could feel her eyes fluttering, and she ached everywhere. “Well, I’m glad you came to your senses, Shadow,” she managed, placing a hand on his shoulder. “We couldn’t have done it… without… you…”

The world seemed to blur. The stars that had been so sharp, so defined, only moments ago. Now, they looked like street lamps through a rainy window, particles dancing in ways she knew couldn’t be real, but they mesmerised her all the same. It made her realise just how tired she was. How leaden her limbs felt. If she could just… close… her eyes…

They closed for a moment, the white-gold of Shadow’s super form disappearing and reappearing further away. But he didn’t seem to be moving. He was facing the ARK, but the jets of his shoes were off, and his posture hadn’t changed from when she had last seen him.

Ah. She was the one moving. She could see it now. Her own glow was gone, and the stars were getting smaller. She was falling. Falling towards the Earth. And worst of all, she didn’t even had the energy to panic. The bliss of exhaustion had fogged her mind, and falling felt like the rest she needed.

She blinked again. The white-gold of Shadow’s form was closer now. Had she stopped falling? No, something told her that she was still plummeting. Maybe it was the angle he was at? She wasn’t sure.

The only thing she knew for certain was that he looked terrified. Ruby eyes were wide, mouth open in a yell, gloved hand outstretched as if he were begging for her to take it. But she couldn’t. It was too much. She was too tired.

The world went dark.

Everything ached. Her back, her shoulder, her legs. Everything. Even her eyelids seemed to ache, but she needed to open them. The murmuring around her was deafeningly loud and too quiet for her to understand all at once, with a peal of piercing ringing permeating both. Would the light of the world be that bit too much? The thing that overwhelmed her senses? She hoped not. She needed to know if they’d succeeded - if the biolizard was dead. Somewhere in the soupyness of her waking mind, she thought they had - but everything was fuzzy from the point she’d hit the ARK.

Cautiously, she cracked an eyelid open slowly, testing her surroundings in the smallest increment possible. Once one eye was fully open, she chanced the other. Everything was so blurry. The blobs of colour that crowded around her reminded her of her friends. Blue, yellow, red… and white, too. The bat that had helped them was that shade of white, she recalled. Rouge, was it? That sounded right.

Her head lolled towards the blue smear, each blink sharpening her unfocused gaze.

“Did… we win?” She croaked, voice hoarse.

“Ames! You’re awake!” Sonic rushed to kneel beside her, brows drawn in concern and worry in his eyes as they came into view. “How you feelin’?”

This was the most attentive he’d ever been, she thought to herself. It was… nice. The attention from her crush. But something about it didn’t feel as good as she always thought it would. She must have hit her head harder than she thought.

“I’m fine.” She sounded so weak. “I guess I have you to thank for that, though.” She managed a smile as he helped her to her feet, almost falling when her knee gave way and he caught her. The worry seemed to spread on his features, but he was trying to mask it. She could tell, from the way he tried to force his face back into the cocky grin he usually sported.

“Nah, Ames,” he breathed. “We were almost beat, but then Shadow showed up and finished the thing off. I started back to the ship, and then…” the words died in his throat, his green eyes shifting guiltily before he turned to look to his left, away from the observation deck windows and towards the shadows that enveloped the entrance to the room. “You… you passed out. And Shadow saved you. He caught you before you - before you fell.”

It was all coming back to her now. His face as he hurtled towards her, eyes wide and full of fear.

She followed Sonic’s gaze, her own settling on the hedgehog who was mostly obfuscated by the dark. Shadow. He’d saved her life, even after what she’d said, what she’d done - oh, Gaia, she’d slapped him, hadn’t she?

Her legs felt like jelly again. Of all the individuals to piss off, she’d chosen Shadow, and not only that, but it seemed like he’d forgiven her too. You didn’t save someone you disliked, did you? But then, he had saved the humans, or at least helped to, and he claimed to hate them.

“I- I see.” She choked out. She swallowed hard and chewed nervously on her lip. She had to apologise. That had to be the first thing she said to him. But how do you do that? Maybe ‘sorry for slapping you for trying to blow up the Earth’ was enough, she wondered, but shook the thought from her head. As soon as she could stand on her own, she needed to have an answer.

“Yeah, it was weird,” Sonic mused, bringing her out of her thoughts and back to the real world. “By the time I realised, he was already half way to you, and he looked-”

“Worried,” Amy said, and he nodded in agreement.

Amy sighed. Of all the things she’d had to do today, of all the fears she’d faced… Apologising to, and thanking, the one who’d saved her seemed to be the hardest one.

She tested putting her weight on her legs. A part of her was pleased that any damage wasn’t permanent, but a small part of her still dreaded the conversation she was about to have. With a weak smile to Sonic, she limped over to her saviour.

He was sat against a wall, seeming to be fixated on a spot in the middle of the floor with a barely perceptible frown on his brows.

“Hey.”

He startled, and jerked his head up to meet her eyes.

“Hello.” His gaze was… intense. A vermillion blaze that felt like it would burn her where she stood. But this time, the heat was… comforting. Like a blanket on a cold night, or… like her own, well restrained rage that burned below the surface. He was like her, she realised. Someone who held part of themselves at bay for fear it would be too much.

He motioned to the ground next to him. She swallowed hard again, hurrying to settle against the wall and almost forgetting to tuck her dress under her. As she settled, glancing over to her friends who hurried to pretend they hadn’t been staring, her usually steady hands shook.

She didn’t look at him initially. She was too ashamed of herself, and it seemed like he had no desire to break the silence either.

“I’m sorry I-”

“I shouldn’t have-”

They spoke in unison, stopping as soon as they realised they were talking over each other. Silence fell again. After a few moments, he waved her on.

Her throat felt dry. She knew that he didn’t hold her actions against her. He wouldn’t have saved her if he really disliked her. But navigating this conversation would be difficult regardless. She fiddled with the hem of her skirt. “What made you do it?” She began, chancing a look at him. Those eyes were upon her again, those eyes that simmered with an anger that she now understood was not for her. “I mean- what… Why did you come and help me and Sonic? I thought that you… that you wanted the Earth to be destroyed?”

His gaze lingered for a moment, shifting from one eye to the other and then cutting away to look back at the floor. “Humans are awful.” The silence that dragged out made her think that perhaps he wanted her to say something, but she didn’t know what. “I would have had no remorse if they had all met their end today. I wanted it, even, and you know that, but…” his voice petered out, as if he didn’t want to verbalise what he was about to say. He let out an exasperated sigh. “But you… you were ready to die for them. For people you don’t know, for people who don’t know you and don’t care about you.”

He turned back to her, eyes searching her face, as if he would find something written there that would put his mind at ease.

A smile spread across her face, a tiny laugh whispering past her lips. “Thank you, Shadow. That… that means a lot.”

He gave a kurt nod, moving to stand, but she caught his arm and his attention again. As he looked back to her, something pressed against his cheek. Something soft. Something soothing.

It was her lips, pressed delicately against the cheek she had slapped only hours before.

She sank back to sit against the wall, a self-satisfied smile still on her lips, as his own face started to burn.

She’d kissed him. This girl, who he’d snarled at and insulted. Who had stung his face with her palm. Had kissed him.

And, stranger still, it had left him wondering what the sensation would feel like had she caught his lips rather than his cheek, as his face began to burn.

Thanks for reading, and I really hope you enjoyed this fic :)

#amy rose #shadamy #shadow the hedgehog #sonic the hedgehog #shadamy fanfic #shadamy fanfiction #sonic big bang 2024

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jadeylovesmarvelxo · 2 years ago

Text

Confession 🌸💕

Steve's attack in the Upside Down cements how you feel about him but you think he still loves Nancy.

You don't realise he's in love with someone else.... You.

❤️🌸 18+ Minors DNI, very fluffy, slightly angsty one shot.

If you enjoyed this leave a like or reblog ❤️ I don't give anyone permission to copy, repost or reuse my work 💕

❤️

The bites were bad that was the first thing you noticed as Steve collapses against the cave he was beside.

You rush over to him immediately, the wound around his neck is severe and it makes your anxiety around this whole situation even worse.

Would he be okay? How far could he go before he needed to go to the doctor?

The wounds on his side need bandaged quick and you rip off a piece of your shift to use it as a makeshift bandage.

"This will hurt for a minute okay but we need to bandage this up" he nods and adjusts himself so you can wrap the shirt around him, he winces, hands running through his hair as a pained moan escapes him.

He's covered in dirt and blood and grime, you shouldn't find him attractive like this but you do... God, you had been smitten with Steve since last year.

Ever since you became friends with Robin, ever since all the shit that happened on July 4th.

The experience bonded you, Robin and Steve, being part of the Scoop Troop team, facing the Russians, Steve getting beat up, the drugs they fed all three of you, sharing secrets it connected you.

Steve got his mojo back and started dating, charming girls, being himself and along the way you got to know him better, you helped each other deal with the trauma from July 4th and the days surrounding it.

Sometimes you would have movie nights with Robin and you would wake up nestled into Steve.

"You looked so comfy I didn't have the heart to move you"

The truth was you could happily stay there forever.

That kick started all the butterflies in your belly, heart racing, feelings for him.

Now here you were with him in The Upside Down, along with Eddie, Nancy and Robin because Steve had been dragged into the gate that led to it. Watergate.

You didn't hesitate as you jumped in after him, your heart was pounding, fear mixing with the need to protect Steve and you ended up here along with the others, beating the shit out of those demobats who attacked Steve.

You smile as he's all patched up.

"There, all better" his gaze is soft as he stares down at you.

"Is he okay?" Nancy comes up to you both and you nod.

"All fixed up" you give Steve a small smile and move away, not wanting to see the way Steve looks at Nancy, you know he's still in love with her.

Nearly losing Steve has made you realise that you're head over heels in love with him but it was hopeless because he wouldn't want you, not if he could have Nancy.

Even if he did feel the same you would be a second choice and you didn't want to be that.

"Hey?" Steve's hand connects with yours, his thumb circling around your palm.

"Yes?" you try to ignore the way your heart speeds up at just his very touch.

"Thank you, sweetheart" you shrug like it's no big deal but then pause for a second.

Fuck it, you may die in this hellhole world so if you did you would rather go out with no regrets.

Ever so gently you kiss his cheek, hand rested on his chest.

"I'd do anything for you Steve" his breath hitches and you move away, not looking at the others.

"Let's find some way out of this shithole yeah?"

🌸💕

A week had passed everything was back to well not normal but a now monster free town...

An earthquake had rocked the town after Vecna's defeat and The Upside Down's destruction.

Clean up, restoration and recovery was happening and you were helping Stev go through things in your house that could have donated to help those in need.

Eddie was in hospital after a vicious demobat attack, he nearly died but thankfully managed to pull through, his name had been cleared by a miraculously returning Jim Hopper of any involvement with the murders of Chrissy, Jordan, Freddie.

Max was okay, her leg and arm had been broken during Vecna putting her under his curse a second time but she was healing.

Hawkins would heal too in time.

Steve's hand on your shoulder breaks you out of your thoughts and you continue folding up clothes.

"You okay?" he asks concerned and you nod.

"Just glad this is all finally over" he grins and hoists up one of the boxes to put in his car.

"Shit, tell me about it. Will be nice to not having to worry about facing monsters, worry about losing people I love" he looks up at you and your stomach sinks a little.

He must be talking about Nancy.

"Yeah...you know Jonathan and Nancy broke up?" he surprises you when he tells you he already knows.

"We talked, we talked a lot actually" oh, you figured they would at some point you just didn't realise it would be so soon.

"I'm happy for you Steve, you and Nance are back together right? I know you love her. I'm happy for you" turning away you will the tears not to come, curse yourself for not saying sooner.

Not like it would make a difference if he didn't feel the same way.

"We aren't back together honey" okay, this does shock you and you turn back to Steve confused.

"I thought...you still love her?" he walks over to you, his gaze intent on yours.

"For a long time I did but not anymore and I told her that. Truth is? I'm in love with someone else"

Someone else? "Who? One of the girls you dated recently?" he shakes his head.

"No, that was just sex, me losing myself in that because I couldn't have what I really wanted, who I wanted because I wasn't sure how she felt" he smiles, gaze tender as he looks at you.

"Can you not think of who it is hmm? I'll give you a hint? She's brave, beautiful, kind and so hilarious. She makes me laugh like no one else has, I've fallen in love with her like I have with nobody else and she's standing in front of me right now"

He loves me, tears pool in your eyes and he wipes them away softly.

"Little birdies have told me you obviously feel the same and I'm clearly a dingus who needs to be told everything"

Dustin and Robin, this makes you giggle and he gently kisses your forehead then looks into your eyes.

"I'm just wondering if they are right? Usually are. Being both geniuses and all" to answer his question you kiss him and he's kissing you back, hands running up your back, tangling in your hair.

Briefly you pull away.

"It's always been you Steve, I love you too" you kiss again and he whispers those three little words over and over again.

I love you.

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington #steve harrington angst #Steve harrington x y/n #Steve harrington imagine #steve harrington x you

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perpetuelledaydreaming · 1 year ago

Text

Ivy | chapter twelve

listen to: Somebody Else - The 1975, Favorite Crime- Olivia Rodrigo (playlist here)

warning: violence, blood.

word count: 1.5k

series masterlist + read the next chapter early on my ko-fii!!

Carole Bradshaw would have never said that her son had anger issues. She wouldn't admit it. Bradley was sweet as honey and caring as Goose; he was nothing but kind.

But two things can be true at the same time.

When Goose was still alive, there wasn't a school report that said otherwise. Bradley always played nice with other kids, Bradley always made friends wherever he went, and Bradley wasn't shy or rude to other people. After Goose passed, though, things started to look less shiny.

Bradley got into certain fights. Sure, it might be because someone was picking at a smaller kid, and Bradley acted out to defend him. Carole was never mad over that; she fiercely fought teachers and principals that said she should be upset and that Bradley should be sent to therapy. She knew her son. She knew how he truly acted. He was soft with her; he took care of her. He was more mature than any other kid. He wasn't a bully, he didn't have problems, he was fine.

Then, one day, Bradley broke a kid's nose. He was only ten.

He didn't mean to. He just got so angry when the kid said that Bradley wasn't allowed to celebrate Father's Day since he didn't have a father. He got to therapy afterward, and even later in life, when his mom passed away, he still went for a little while. He had recently returned after your break-up when he had made a hole in the wall almost as big as your head.

It was strange, the things he could recall now that he drove over the speed limit to the base. Dozen memories flying by.

He remembers his mother crying until she falls asleep. He remembers how his father played the piano as he sang. He remembers how your lips tasted the first time you kissed. He remembers his mother stroking his hair as she sobbed silently. He remembers that night in the bar when you walked away after Jake left. He could remember the feeling of his knuckles beating after he broke that kid's nose when he was ten. He remembers your broken moans. He remembers how you cried the night you left him. He remembers the way you laughed with Hangman that day after a dogfight. He remembers how when you disappeared, so did Jake. He recalls the way you were crying in the shower. He remembers how his knuckles beat when he punched the wall next to his face.

He now could only listen to his heartbeat, the way it was thundering. It was all he heard. He walked passed the hallways of the base without really feeling he was there. It was as if time had gone still around him. Only his breathing and his heartbeat. His memories. He entered the hangar as if he was a ghost.

And suddenly, he felt like he had taken his first breath as his amber eyes fell on Jake.

It breaks. It suddenly all breaks. Everything with you it's cursed; it is poisoned. There's no way things can be like before because Jake took it away. He took you away from him. Bradley's heart raced, each beat thudding in his chest like a war drum as his feet began to move toward Jake. A torrent of pain overwhelmed him, his veins twisting like a tempest as he walked toward Jake. He knew what he was going to do, not because of a conscious decision -no- but as he felt the tendons of his knuckles straining against the force he exerted on them.

The weight of his fists, as if the weight of the world, had transferred into his hands. With furrowed brows and eyes burning with intensity, Bradley approached Jake.

Jake barely had time to register Bradley; neither Coyote nor Payback honestly knew what Bradley was doing; he seemed okay. They didn't quite understand it. How Bradley pulled Jake by his right shoulder, Jake didn't even get it. His brows furrowed quickly before the first blow landed. A jarring crack filled the space between them, reverberating through their bones. The same pain Rooster had felt before shot through his hand, vibrating up his arm.

Jake fell on the floor, the metallic tang of blood flooding his senses. He held his nose and then gazed back down at it, blood. He barely had time to wipe it off before Rooster was leaning down to continue, but before he could, Payback and Coyote were suddenly trying to hold him. Jake watched Bradley for a moment, the way Bradley's eyes had turned darker, the way his cheeks and neck were red, the sheer hatred in the way he was looking at him.

"HOW FUCKING DARED YOU!?" he screamed at Jake as he struggled with Coyote and Payback.

He knew.

Jake could be better and walk out of there, especially now with Phoenix, Bob, and Fanboy entering the room with concerned expressions. But Jake had had enough. He'd longed for you so much time, and he knew that you longed for him too. If you weren't together, it was because of Rooster, because you were still grieving his relationship with him, and he still loved you. If Rooster had stopped thinking that you owed him something, you would've stopped believing that. Jake wouldn't have had to live from moments when he had to steal.

You could've been together if it weren't for him.

"You are so blind, aren't you?" Jake chuckled, blood running down his face. Coyote and Payback turned to him wide-eyed, and Rooster stopped moving for a second as he glared at Jake.

Everything stopped for a moment, the desperate dance of Rooster on Coyote's and Payback's arms. Phoenix, Bob, and Fanboy stared at them, confused.

"She wasn't happy with you, Bradshaw," Jake breathed out as he sniffled the blood on his nose. "She was happy with me,"

The silence was deafening as it dawned on everyone present in the room what they were both talking about. Jake's sea-foam eyes held Rooster's amber eyes.

And then Rooster slipped away from Coyote's and Payback's hands.

"You son of a bitch!"

Jake fought back, his fist cracking against Rooster's jaw, carrying all the anger he had held for months, Rooster tried to strike back, but Jake held his wrist as he gave another swing, his knuckles red after he finished. Grunts and groans accompanied the thuds of flesh connecting with flesh, the sound of the people that surrounded them trying to stop them, and the echo of their thuds ricocheting through the hangar.

In the midst of it, time seemed to slow down. Jake could see the beads of sweat trickling down Rooster's forehead, mingling with the blood of his busted lip. Rooster could feel the blood of Jake in his knuckles, how it tainted them. Jake could remember the first time that he kissed you. Another punch. Rooster could still see those dog tags in his hands. Another swing. Both of them knew better, and yet they continued. The room became a blur of faces, colors, screams, and tugs of people trying to get them away. Pain merged into the chaotic symphony of the hangar.

And then, Jake almost crashed into the floor.

It was a split second. Rooster didn't mean it, one final, desperate lunge. He almost managed to collide his intertwined fist against Jake's already bloody nose. Instead, his elbow collided with something else.

"Fuck!" you cried as you landed on the floor, holding your nose.

Both men snapped their heads toward you. The adrenaline suddenly began to ebb, leaving behind aching muscles and battered bodies and concern as they watched you on the floor, blood dripping from your jaw as you watched them. Silence enveloped the room as the two men watched you lay there, panting and bruised, the remnants of their anger scattered around them. Blood dripped from their split lips and busted noses, mingling on the concrete floor of the hanger.

Jake was the first to lean down while Natasha and Fanboy were already helping you stand up. He didn't say anything, though; he just held your face, examining your nose until he was sure it wasn't broken. His eyes met with yours, and you could feel it, the weight of the heartache and shattered dreams.

Rooster stepped up after Jake gave a step back; Coyote quickly held his friend and walked him towards a chair, leaving the two of you behind. With tears in his eyes, Rooster glanced at your nose. Guilt tighten his throat, anger seething from his eyes. You could feel it. Quickly you shook your head and took his hand.

"It's not your fault," you whispered to him. "I'm so sorry,"

He didn't manage to say anything. Instead, he looked back at Jake for a moment. They locked eyes, their shared pain etching lines of understanding on their faces.

And then, Admiral Simpson came in.

"WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING HERE?

an: sorry for making you wait so long!! I was super sick in June which left me with little energy to do anything if I was honest and all throughout July, I have been working on moving to DC! Thank you so much for waiting! I hope you enjoy this short chapter! Next one is bigger, I promise.

Taglist: @laracrofted @double-j @inky-sun @alanadetigy @teenwolf01 @beebslebobs @materialgirl01 @daisyhollyxox@piceous21@elicheel @supernaturaldawning @midnightdevotion @hangrymama @ashann7 @maverick-wingman @snap-crackle-and-pop-blog @ebonyhogan24 @teddyluvs2sing @happypopcornprincess @untoldshortsofthefandoms @xxshea-barnesxx @sweetheart-im-the-boss @je-suis-prest-rachel @bregarc @imagineteller1 @abaker74 @lilylilyyyyyy @nemtodd-barnes1923 @loveless-simp @fucktthisworld @deliciouslydisturbed365 @laluneveillesesureux @emma8895eb @tandefeaffe @potato-girl99981 @jstarr86 @my-soulmate-is-mycroft @mirrorball-6 @grxcisxhy-wp @that-one-random-writer @dempy @zbeez-outlet @djs8891

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simple-seranade · 2 years ago

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What’s a god to a nonbeliever?

Jimmy is done with the jokes, the lack of respect.

Joel wants to see a toy? Oh, Jimmy will show him a toy.

TW: body horror, non-consenual body transformation, hurt/no comfort, blood, swords

(credit goes to this post by @theminecraftbee , sorry if the tag is unwanted lol)

______________________

“Jimmy, this is ridiculous! Let me GO!” Joel strains against the ropes pulled taught against his skin, wincing as the skin chafes.

That damned smile doesn’t leave Jimmy’s face. It looks so wrong, all sharp and so cold it burns. “Now why would I do that? I need you to play a game with me, after all.”

The words send a slimy kind of fear racing up Joel’s spine, and he fights back a wince at the feeling. “What in my name are you on about?”

He can’t move as Jimmy turns away from him, dragging the steel of his blade across a nearby anvil with a wicked screech. “Well, you see, Joel, you’ve been under the delusion that I’m a toy! Such a silly thought, coming from such a big, powerful god, right? Clearly, toys are just so far below you that you never cared to see what they actually were!”

The god barely restrains a screech as the sheriff spins, holding the horrifically sharp blade to his throat with practiced ease. “But not to worry,” Jimmy continues, tone as sweet and acrid as cyanide. “I’m here to help you!”

The metal is poking his throat now, burning hot from the desert sun. “T-Tim-”

“That’s the Sheriff to you.” With a jerk of a hand, the blade leaves Joel’s throat, leaving a thin line of gold as ichor drips from the newly opened wound. “And as your Sheriff, I’m going to show you something.” Jimmy leans in close, and for a split second Joel swears his brown eyes gleam red.

“I’m going to show you what a real toy looks like.”

Joel can only choke back a scream as Jimmy shoves a vial of potion down his throat, the taste thick and ashen and sickeningly sweet. It slides slowly down his throat, coating it and making him cough. His lungs seem to tighten, something tickling in the back of his throat as he coughs again. Golden ichor splatters against Jimmy’s white shirt as blood enters the fray, Joel near heaving in an attempt to clear whatever the hell is in his chest-

Until suddenly, he can’t cough.

His eyes widen as the air fizzles out of his lungs with nothing but a quiet wheeze. He tries to breathe in, get more air, only for nothing to happen. His mouth is open, he knows what he’s doing should be resulting in filling his lungs with air, but instead there’s just… nothing. A hand comes up and presses his chest, only for it to cave slightly under the pressure. The god fights back the urge to vomit at the sensation, feeling things shift inside him.

“Rule one: Toys don’t breathe.”

He turns his panicked gaze to Jimmy, who looks at him with nothing but ice-cold apathy. His heart pounds in his chest as he feels his strength seep away bit by bit. Even holding his arm up feels like an impossible task, and he can only watch as it falls limply to his side.

“Rule two: Toys don’t move on their own.”

He’s frozen in place as he feels the steady thump in his chest begin to slow. His gaze is simply stuck looking up at the Sheriff.

“Rule three.”

Joel feels the irrepressible urge to scream with lungs and vocal cords that are there no more. The Sheriff leans down close, his face inches from the god’s as a divine heart takes it’s final beats.

“Toys have no heart.”

Joel screams and sobs from the glass prison of his mind as all connection with his body is severed. He doesn’t know how long he’s stuck there as his world becomes overwhelmed by pain in every single nerve, all while being unable to move a muscle. He’s even shrinking, getting smaller and smaller and Jimmy’s shadow looms over him. He doesn’t even notice when the pain stops, internally shouting from a conscious no one can hear.

He’s vaguely aware of rough hands picking him up carelessly, squeezing what should be his stomach and is instead stuffing.

“This is really your own fault.” Jimmy says, almost conversationally, like Joel could even respond. “You gods are all the same. So caught up in the sound of your own voices, you forget where your power really comes from.”

The Sheriff leans in close, holding the now-doll up by a single arm.

“A god is only as strong as their worshippers think them to be. And call me a heretic all you like, but even a ‘god’ such as yourself holds no candle to someone who never believed in the first place.”

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ladybellissima · 1 year ago

Text

Finding Love Katakuri x Reader Part 19

The strong waves of the sea clashed against the surface and let thousands of water droplets covering the sand. The sound was calming, relaxing, but the situation wasn't nearly comfortable. Finally after running like crazy, Luffy reached the ship with the others and was met with a horrible sight.

Big mom' s pirate crew were surrounding the Sunny with their ships, while Chopper and the others had a hard time in fighting Perospero. Trapped inside his candy, not only the ship was unable to move, the others were slowly running low of air.

"You bastards… Get your hands off of my nakamaaa!", Luffy shouted angered and was about to crash the candy, but a familiar mochi wall stopped his attack.

"It would be better to think about yourself straw hat.", a dangerous voice got his attention and he was met with the angered gaze of (Y/N)'s husband. Katakuri Charlotte.

Growling they looked each other in the eye like waiting for the other to attack. Katakuri was already exploding inside of anger to finally meeting Luffy, who destroyed everything they had been working on really hard the past few days and on top taking his wife, but to see that (Y/N) was missing ,let his blood pressure raise and body tremble even more.

"Where is my wife.", he growled dangerously and let Luffy raise his eyebrows.

Before Luffy was able to answer, a loud explosion erupted by the ship and Perospero screamed out in pain. The candy slowly disappeared and let Luffy's crew on the ship cough exhausted. Badly wounded Perospero fell down to his knees, while his look found the serious one of his brother.

"Brother…Katakuri…. I am so sorry… I tried my best to help you out and to make it up to you…", he whispered and fell from the ship and down onto the beach uncouncious. Brulee looked after him worried and called out his name over and over again.

But not only did the Charlottes lose a fight.

"Pedro!!!", Nami and the others shouted shocked, while their loyal friend, who guarded the ship with all he got, took his last breath and crashed to the ground.

" What's the meaning of this!? ", Luffy growled and felt his heart stop for a moment, after noticing his crying crew.

" Luffy… He safed us by attacking Perospero and activating a bomb, he… he is dead…", Nami cried out with the others and let him gasp of shock, but before he could really comprehend what happened, another scream of pain echoed through the air. Quickly jumping on his ship, Luffy found Katakuri, who stepped on one of his crew members.

" Get off of carrot you bastard!!", he shouted and attacked him. Katakuri quickly blocked his attack and found himself trapped in Luffy's big gum hand. Bored his look found his angered one.

"Good, now that I have your attention. Tell me immediately… where is my wife?", Katakuri growled pissed. His mind was racing of thousands scenarios what could have happened to her. The moment the straw hats had arrived, his heart skipped a beat and hopefully, he looked out to catch a glimpse of her beautiful face. To see her bright smile again, to see that she was okay and finally safe by his side. But then the clouds darkened, after realizing she wasn't there, while his mother was stomping through the woods like a maniac. And the first question which haunted his mind was.

What did they do?

Distracted by his worries, Luffy was able to grab his sister Brulee and with Katakuri still in his other grip, he jumped into a mirror, which laid on the ground, to enter the mirro world. Falling down onto the floor, Brulee quickly crawled away and out of the dangerous atmosphere. Smirking Luffy got up and balled his fists.

"Now I can fight you without any distractions…", he spoke angered and crashed the window to stop anyone to get back to his ship.

Katakuri growled in anger and got into a fighting stance.

"(Y/N) is worried about you mochi guy!", Luffy started seriously and let Katakuri stop in his tracks.

"I am not an asshole and I told her that I will tell you her message. Even if you don't deserve it. ", he added.

"Where is she? What have you done to her. I will kill you.", Katakuri shouted angered and pulled himself together to get informations about her whereabouts.

"She is on the way to cacao Island with Pudding and Sanji. We never hurt her and protected her of any harm. She wanted to stay out of this to avoid getting in your way…", he spoke and got into a fighting stance as well.

"Now that you know I can fight you. I am glad that I asked for her forgiveness, because I am gonna beat you here and now! ", Luffy announced seriously, while Katakuri thought about his words.

"That sounds like her….Your crew is the reason of her getting in trouble in the first place. Why did you then kidnap her? For informations? What intention did you have.?! ", Katakuri asked angered and images of her last kidnapping popped up in his mind. Could he really believe his words that she was okay?

" We did nothing. It was an accident. One of my crew members thought she is in danger.", Luffy spoke seriously and had a staring contest with him. Katakuri was deep in thought about what to do. It seemed possible and it sure was believable that (Y/N) said those things.

" For now I have to believe you and trust in her. She is still recovering and weak, but a bunch of idiots like you wouldn't notice. I am glad she is in good hands now and not with the enemy anymore.", Katakuri spoke and hoped that his sister would have a good look on her. Luffy felt a stinging pain in his chest of hearing that. He didn't realize that her wounds were that bad.

" I will fight you and after I got rid of you I will take her back where she belongs. You will pay for taking her away from me.", he growled and shot mochi balls into Luffy's direction. Dodging and jumping out of the way Luffy smirked.

"Sorry (Y/N), I will sure overdo it. ", he thought and collected his energy to start his fight with the strongest of the sweet commanders.

xxx

The fresh air blew against her face, while they flew with high speed towards cacao Island. In a way it felt good and let her ease the pain in her legs. Sighing deeply (Y/N) realized how exhausted her body and soul was. Sitting now on this carpet she was finally able to rest a bit.

"Katakuri…", she thought and missed his presence beside her. She knew it was better to join Pudding then getting to the ship. And she knew that he would have been there. But she also knew that things would become complicated if she and everyone else was there. His mother with her hunger pang, Luffy and his crew, siblings of him who were ready to fight. She would get in the way like at the tea party and that would only cause problems again.

"We are almost there.", Pudding called out and pointed to an island in the distance. (Y/N)'s gaze met hers and Pudding quickly turned away.

Was she afraid of her?

Shouldn't it be otherwise?

After all she was the one who played evil tricks. Silently (Y/N) watched her uneasy gaze unsure of how to speak with her. Sanji pulled her out of her thoughts by tapping her shoulder and nodding towards Pudding to go on. Sighing she got up and sat beside her on the top of the carpet, her look directed to the beautiful view of the sea.

"I have to admit, I was really surprised of your actions…", (Y/N) started and got her attention immediately.

"I found you really nice, kind and beautiful. I felt comfortable around you and told you my fears. It was relieving in having someone to talk to. To share the same fate connected us in a way.. But it was all a lie…or is there a chance that of all the kind words you told me, that there was something the truth? ", she asked sadly and let Pudding gasp of shock. Ashamed she avoid (Y/N) 's gaze for a moment to collect her thoughts. She never had planned to become friends with someone. She gave up on this dream many years ago, but out of nowhere (Y/N) stepped into her life and all her sadness, nightmares and fears to get hurt again, were clouding her mind about what was real.

"(Y/N) I am sorry… ", she spoke and looked up to the beautiful woman beside her.

"I also got in trouble because of you right? The styling, your time passing in showing me some places. I know now how important tea parties are for Mama and how quickly she could take someone's life.", (Y/N) shocked Pudding in coming straight the point.

"I am sorry (Y/N)… I was jealous. I was frustrated about getting treated so kindly. No one ever did that… and I was jealous that you were pushed into a marriage, which lead you to your luck and have someone you like…I didn't believe it. I couldn't… but believe me that I never wanted that the party escalated that much. I am so sorry that big brother Katakuri and you fighted because of me. I am relieved to see that you are still getting along well… ", Pudding spoke while tears rolled down her face. (Y/N) sighed deeply and hugged her for comfort which let her cry even more.

" Our fight would have come sooner or later… It helped a lot to say what was on our minds…", (Y/N) spoke calmly and let her cry.

" I forgive you, but you have to earn my trust again. I still believe that you are a good person Pudding. And even if you don't believe me. I think you are beautiful. I would never lie about something like that. ", she told her and brushed her tears away.

"(Y/N) ~swan your kind words are touching my heart. Pudding~swan don't cry.. ", Sanji interrupted them with his love sick cheering and let the two girls chuckle.

" I will also help you with the cake. It will be finished faster. If Katakuri and Mama likes my doughnuts then it sure will help you too.", she spoke and surprised everyone.

"(Y/N)~swan could bake doughnuts?! How sweet like youuuu..", Sanji spoke, while Pudding felt her jealousy take over. But in a way it was different with (Y/N), because she knew that her heart would always belong to Katakuri. Nodding happily she hugged her again and felt relieved to finally had spoken about everything with (Y/N).

"We are here!", Pudding told them happily and took (Y/N) 's hand of excitement.

"Let's get things started and bake a wedding cake for Mama!", she spoke more than motivated than before.

Entering cacao Island they were met with the whole cake Islands top chefs. Pudding knew that Sanji would get in trouble as a known enemy of them. So she erased their memories and let them believe that the tea party was held like planned. Taking his hand in hers she waved happily and told them how happy she was as his wife. (Y/N) found that quite impressive how skilled Pudding was to trick everyone so quickly. Sanji didn't mind either because he was in his own world of hearts after feeling her beautiful body pressed against his. Leading them into a kitchen, (Y/N)'s eyes got big like saucers of the high tech equipment and variations of sweets.

"Great isn't it? Baking sweets is our main priority so we Charlottes only work with top ingredients and machines.", Pudding announced proudly and ordered the chefs around to take their plan into action.

Chiffon started to make the base chiffon cake and was relieved to have (Y/N) 's help. She was stunned how quickly and skilled Katakuri' s wife handled the dough. Seriously she worked on her own dough,while thinking about her sister Lola, who didn't have such a luck like her brother.

"Is your baby okay Chiffon? I noticed that he wasn't with you, but wasn't able to ask sooner. The little one must be missing you dearly..such a sweet baby boy.", (Y/N) 's caring words let her smile brightly.

"Don' t worry he is a tough one. Did you also plan in having one?", Chiffon asked happily and let (Y/N) cough furiously. Shocked she waved her hands in front of her flustered. "I.. I… Think that's too early to speak about. You see Katakuri and I are taking things slow. So..", she stuttered embarrassed to even think about the act in making one.

His trained body on hers, taking her roughly and kissing her….

Red as a tomato she quickly avoid Chiffon's amused expression and worked again.

Kissing him…

The thought of it let her heart flutter, but she knew all too well that it was a forbidden touch. Biting her lip bitterly she tried to push the longing feeling away.

" Did he show you what's behind the scarf?", Chiffon asked out of the blue and surprised her. It was like she knew what (Y/N) was thinking. Sighing she gave her a sad smile.

"No. I think he isn't trusting me enough to show whatever he is hiding underneath.", she spoke calmly while getting the dough into a form. Chiffon felt bad for asking.

"But it's okay. I have to earn his trust first. I will wait as long as he needs and if he still doesn't want to… Then I accept it. Because I like him the way he is. With and without this scarf.", (Y/N) smiled brightly and let Chiffon gasp of her beautiful words.

" Look Chiffon your cake is ready. Good it looks amazing. And the smell! Incredible! ", (Y/N) pulled her out of her thoughts and she looked at the childish and cheering girl beside her. Chuckling she gave her a friendly clap on her shoulder and hoped that (Y/N) would always stay this happy her entire life.

#katakuri x reader #karakuricharlotte #romance #fanfiction #charlotte katakuri #one piece

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aventurine83 · 1 year ago

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Lilia Vanrouge x Reader

✿Briar's Secret [Part 2]✿

Notes: Angst, fluff? Meleanor's little sister!reader, chief strategist!reader, human-fae war era.

Contains my twst OC Midnight.

Midnight followed his beloved princess out to where the humans stood their ground, fully armed and ready to take the lives of whoever approached them. Midnight himself was a human, in fact, he was the very one who had once attempted the assassination of princess [Y/N] Draconia. The very princess to whom he had sworn complete allegiance and the fragile threads that vested his life.

He had grown up an orphan, forced into an occupation as brutal as assassination by his own race. His arctic blue eyes had held the coldness of all the winters, kindness was far from what he had. He had taken the lives of numerous fae kind, his hands were stained with deep smears of their blood that would unceasingly serve as a recollection of his immoral deeds that were nothing short of perverseness.

Yet this very princess whom he had been told to assassinate, had forgiven him, even taken him as one of her own. She'd made him the leader of her private military squadron- the Midnight Solstice. He remembered not what his real name was. Midnight was the name the princess had given him. And it was the only name that held any sort of importance to him.

He'd foolishly fallen in love with her. He, a lowly human, had fallen in love with a fae princess. He had fallen into the trenches of admiration for a woman who would never be his as was decided by the differences between their races. He could never dare to tell her he loved her.

Not only that, the princess held someone else close to her heart. [Y/N]'s heart belonged to the Right General of Briar Valley's army, Lilia Vanrouge. Midnight understood quite little of why she loved him, given how they constantly bickered with each other, but he could not bring himself to intervene in his princess' love. He would follow her to the bitter end. That was his duty as her trusted assassin.

Face to face they now were, with the Knight of Dawn, Henrik and the rest of the Silver Owls in glistening metal armour over which the light bounced off to yonder.

"We come to negotiate peace. If you make no move, we shall listen to your demands." [Y/N] declared. Even at a time like this, Midnight's princess did not hesitate to show kindness and forgiveness to those who were willing to resonate with her pleas and respond in kind.

"Peace?! With you damned witches? You think you have any right?!" Henrik yelled in quite the odious manner. Midnight clicked his tongue, having to hold himself back from wrenching off that insolent pig's head.

"Then you leave me no choice." [Y/N] scanned the grounds. She had bought enough time apparently. Midnight could also spot Princess Meleanor, the General and his aide running with the egg into the dense woods of Briar Valley.

"Hah! As if an immoral creature like you is capable of anything!" Henrik jabbed a short, stubby finger at her. Midnight had to inhale to calm himself. No stabbing big ugly pigs with foul mouths and no cutting their miserable fingers. He had to wait for [Y/N]'s orders.

The fae princess took in a deep breath before whispering. "Remains of the worlds beyond, assist my need to conquer that which has been sought. Reign of Conqueror." [Y/N] staggered, Midnight helping her up as a dense, crimson mist dissipated across the grounds. Midnight shielded himself and [Y/N] with his defense magic, watching as every soldier fell into a deep sleep, one which could never be awakened from. No true love, no magic could awaken them. They'd rot into bones in this very manner. They were as good as dead.

[Y/N] coughed up blood, falling to her knees. The usually sprightly princess looked now pale and sickly, the pieces of her face shattering into red fragments and slowly scattering into the winds.

"Princess!" Midnight crouched beside her. His heart felt as if it had been beat with a hammer. Panic flashed in his eyes. He had known this would happen. He had let her do this as he was in no position to disobey the orders of one who had saved his life.

"Midnight." The princess clutched the arm of her trusted assassin weakly. "Did I do good?" Her other arm had already broken away into crimson fragments, the very same shade of crimson as her beloved Lilia's eyes. Her torso was now slowly breaking up into similar pieces.

"Of course, princess." Midnight struggled with his words. He disliked how awkward he was with words. He disliked how he could not say the words [Y/N] wished to hear. He hated himself. So much.

"I love you, Midnight. Tell big sis Meleanor I l-loved her. Baul and the castle staff too." the princess spoke weakly. She was now almost gone. "I wish I could see big brother Levan one last time." she choked on a sob. The assassin's heart broke as he held her. He struggled to breathe, struggled to come to terms with reality as he watched his loved one perish in his arms.

"And tell that idiot Lilia-" [Y/N]'s face was now fading away. "He had better marry me. I love him."

And with that, the last of her was gone. Princess [Y/N] Draconia, gone from this world, without a trace.

✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿

NOTE: DO NOT REPOST OR PLAGIARIZE MY WORK!

#malleus draconia #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #twst #lilia x reader #lilia vanrouge #lilia vanrouge x reader #diasomnia #diasomnia x reader

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monimccoythings · 1 year ago

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Arlong x Healer!human!reader Part 1

I will keep writing as long as I get this ideas, these will be all unconnected, just oneshots. I have some stories I would like to try however I've come to find that it is really difficult to write Arlong with a human reader, since he is so bigoted and hateful of humans, I also worry I'm going to make him too ooc for my taste. But I'm slowly getting comfortable with what I want to write and how I want to write it.

PS: Since this bitch of a website only allows a limited amount of characters, this one will have to be cut in half.

Tw: mentions of blood.

The only thing your Island had ever known was peace. Anyone with good intentions was welcomed there. Fishmen and humans lived together comfortably, there were even mixed couples with hybrid children running around. No fight got too serious and no race thought about submitting the other, because all of the villagers understood and knew too well what it was to be subjugated.

Since your mother arrived with you to this island several years ago, you had used your ever growing knowledge about medicine to help your neighbors and friend's lifes get a bit easier. You felt a bit proud of the small clinic you had established and wouldn't change your quiet life for anything in the world.

But one day things changed.

There had been a terrible storm the night before, and some things had been carried over to the sea, nothing too serious, just some furniture, some cloths and part of the roof of a barn. But still, people would want them back, so you decided to help them a bit.

That's when you saw him. A huge unmoving mass laying on the shore. 'He must have been brought by the tides' you thought. Your healer instincts immediately kicked in, he looked like he had been pretty battered. He had very ugly looking cuts, and seemed to have lost a lot of blood. Still, he seemed to be breathing, though with several difficulties. You had to act quick.

You called for Omar, your fishman friend, since he was too big and heavy for you to carry around without risking a back ache. Things seemed normal, just another patient to help. Little did you know that you had bit off more than you could chew.

The second he was laid on the bed, he magically sprung alive and lunged at you like a wild animal, his eyes madly moving one side to the other, baring his teeth and foaming at the mouth. The only thing stopping him from tearing you to pieces was the quick intervention of your friend, who even his prime, was barely able to contain that sharkman's fury. "How is he able to do this?? he is on the verge of death!" You couldn't answer. You found yourself unable to, because the look of deep hate coming out of that fishman's eyes had rendered you speechless. Nobody had looked at you that way. Ever.

After a bit of struggling, the man fell unconscious again from exhaustion. But your heart was still beating furiously inside your chest. If Omar hadn't been there... No. There was no time to think about that, he needed your help. Whether he wanted or not.

Your friend didn't seem so convinced when you decided to send him home to his family. He was reluctant to leave you alone with a dangerous patient. You quickly reassured him that as long as he was unconscious everything would be fine, and if things got rough you would call for him immediately.

After he left, you immediatly went back to action, getting all the materials needed to clean his wounds and start a blood transfusion. You wisely decided that fishman's blood would be the most appropiate given his inherent hostility towards humans. Still, the amount you had wouldn't be enough to make him healthy again. Guess you'd have to call your friend back after all.

As you were cleaning his wounds you couldn't help but marvel at the bulging muscles underneath your cloth. This fishman was enormous, even bigger than some of your neighbors. Gosh, he barely fit into your biggest bed. You shook your head, this was not the time to fantasize, you had to call your friend back and several other fishmen from the village. It was going to take a while...

After several days waiting quietly near his bed with your very overprotective friend by your side, the mysterious fishman seemed to regain consciousness at last. And boy did you regret it.

He was the most hateful, abrassive, headstrong, and rudest patient you ever had the displeasure to meet. How anyone could be so full of hate, you didn't know. At least he wasn't attacking you, he was probably feeling weak due to those days he spent unconscious. Or maybe it was because your friend was always there, supervising, just in case.

Arlong, as he was named (or as he had barked at you when you politely asked) had a deeply rooted hatred for humans, considering you all the scum of the earth and an inferior race to exploit and control. When you told him this island was based on peaceful coexistence between human and fishmen, he was outraged calling it shameful for the fishmen people.

When Omar's hybrid kid, Corcho, came by to bring some food to his Papa, Arlong's face morphed into a sneer of disgust. You had to ask him, because since the child was part fishman, he shouldn't have had any trouble with him. To which he answered that it was the child's fishman half what had kept him from pouncing at him.

You couldn't keep quiet anymore, and decided to call him out on his extremly bigoted behavior towards people that just wanted to help him. He scoffed at you, saying that you humans were just mud for Fishmen to step on.

You snapped at him that you didn't understand how someone could still choose to hate when there could be a chance of both races living peacefully, it was plain stupid. That seemed to do it.

With a snarl and a surprising speed for someone in his frail state he grabbed you by the neck. Omar quickly adopted a protective stance in front of his child, ready to attack without risking your safety.

"You should watch your tongue, human." He spat the last word as if it was venom. His webbed fingers applied the smallest of pressures to your neck, signaling you that he could do much worse if he wanted to. You watched with steady breaths how his eyes scanned your face, in search of fear, pupils dilating like a predator when his eyes met yours. For a second, nobody dared to utter a word, both of you lost in each other's eyes. He carefully sniffed you, and when he found no trace of fear, he harshly let you go with a grunt which turned into a wince of pain.

Omar quickly pulled you away from him, but you barely acknowledged his presence. Your focus was on the wounded fishman in front of you. You tentatively approached him, ignoring your friend's protests. "Don't touch me." He warned, panting. Desperate, you tried to give him something to drink.

"You are hurt, have a glass of wa-" "I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP, HUMAN." He bellowed at you, slapping the glass out of your hand. After a couple of minutes he started breathing normally again. But the memory of what had just happened hung heavily over the room. Arlong was violent, abrassive and a menace to humankind, but you couldn't ignore him in his time of need due to your Hippocratic Oath. You were stuck between a rock and a hard place. What exactly had you gotten yourself into?

#arlong x reader #arlong #opla #one piece #one piece live action

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greyskyflowers · 1 year ago

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I've discussed it before and since one of my older post about is it being liked again, I'll discuss it again!

Feral Zoro

Feral Zoro gives me so feelings.

The crew goes nuts during battle sometimes and that's not something you can just turn off. And sure, the others can be wild and fierce but Zoro has battle carved in his bones. The rumble of war drums and old prayers said before battle to wrathful gods are all layered in his pulse.

And all that desire, that relentless fury and strength, went from protect myself and my dream to protect them and their dreams.

Protect Luffy.

Nami.

Sanji.

Usopp.

Robin.

Chopper.

Franky.

Brook.

Jinbei.

Sunny.

I imagine that mantra is louder than anything else during those fights, the urge to protect and defend.

Don't you dare let them get past you. Don't you even think of losing this fight. You have to be the best because if you aren't that means someone else is... And what if that person is the enemy?

Failure is not an option because someone is relying on you.

You can cry with grief until your eyes are swollen and dry like the world feels at that moment, or curse every god you can think of with snarled anger at the sky, or let yourself drift away for a little while all the agony and pain you put your body through comes racing in with thunderous noise, later.

But now... Right now you hold it together.

There is no other option.

You stop when your blood has soaked into the earth so much it's started pooling on the surface or until your body gives up and moving is almost a foreign word.

You can rest when they do. When they are safe. You don't stop before then because you can't.

And while I think Luffy is fantastic at leaving it all out in the field, Zoro really lets himself slide into that mindset in a way far different from Luffy.

And I can't imagine it's easy to settle down after those battles. I'm not talking about the small battles or the ones where they leave a little beat up but okay overall.

No.. I'm talking about the ones that change them. Where at some point, or perhaps multiple, the thought crosses their mind that this might be it.

I've never been in a situation like that obviously, but I know how I get when I get anxious and overwhelmed. Even once the problem is fixed and things settle back down, I'm running around checking on things and watching everything. Heart still ready to start running laps again and nerves pulled tight.

That's a work environment. Granted a very important and stressful work environment but no one will die at my job. My loved ones will not be hurt because of something I do or don't do at work.

Now take that to a scale that comprises of the big battles they've had. That's a whole lot of feeling and adrenaline to just let go of.

And I love after fights where the crew just kind of all go limp and happy because it's done and Luffy won because of course he did.

But...

I think Zoro probably paces a lot those nights, silent and one with the shadows. Heavy boots making the softest thud, the gentle chimes from his earrings, and the quiet noise his swords make as they knock against each other.

Pacing the deck over and over if they're on the Sunny.

Up and down hallways if they're someplace different.

Even around the room.

He just embodies that caged tiger vibe.

They can't rush him. He has to relax on his own but they all help.

He's a little unpredictable and wild eyed like this but they're not scared of him, could never be truly scared of someone who is such a huge part of who they are.

They settle him like a tiger.

With space to spread his legs and get out any extra energy. They let him pace his territory and check on them, even though tigers aren't pack animals. They coax him into the kitchen to eat and replace the energy his body burned through, even though he doesn't register he's hungry. They patch him up with slower movements than normal and try to calm him each time he tenses up and his muscles jump.

Sometimes he stays bloody and raw until several hours later, when he's finally calm enough to take off all the grime and blood like it was a final layer of armor left from the battle.

Sometimes it takes longer, and they wait it out with him until he's ready to come back.

And they'll die before they tell anyone but Zoro's a cuddler, especially after episodes like that. Cat like cuddles all the way.

#one piece #zoro #luffy #sanji #tony tony chopper #nami #brook one piece #usopp #franky one piece #robin nico #jinbei #mugiwara pirates #straw hat crew #mugiwarapirates #strawhats #thousand sunny #setting sail with greyskyflowers

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hazbinned · 23 days ago

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@sirserpentine - HEAVEN SENT / WISH AWAY YOUR SINS. Pentious & Alastor Swap.

"I wish, with all of my heart, that your soul were even darker than mine! That way, nothing could ever keep us apart AGAIN!"

That was the last thing that Alastor could remember saying to Pentious before his afterlife as he knew it was turned upside-down. For a beat, everything had turned to white, much like it had when Adam had struck him through with blessed steel; his ears were filled with a ferocious ringing, and he could not feel anything in his own body save for a static-like tingling sensation that almost drove him to madness. It was as though his circulation had been cut off, as well as his vision and his connection to everything around him, all five senses dormant, resigned from their respective stations—

And then he was back.

All around Alastor was the suffocating scent of smoke and the heart-jolting din of screams and cannon-shots. Below him was utter desolation, debris and burning rubble shoved aside by squealing sinners as they tried to flee from the monster beyond the hill.

It was then that the Radio Demon realized that he was witnessing all of this from a bird's-eye view. How could that be? There was nothing beneath him! His shoes kicked at air, and at his back he heard— felt— wing-beats.

Horrified eyes maneuvered, finally, from everything around him to what was actually part of him. His hands, first. His sleeves were different, he realized with a sinking feeling in his chest and a tightening throat. They were no longer red, but light-colored and bore no tears. His skin had somehow salvaged its pigment; the same color that had belonged to him in life.

Light-headedly, Alastor reached behind him and touched... feathers. The feathers of a bird's wing.

His smile dropped.

It was for this reason and this reason alone (his stitched-on mask was gone!) that Alastor joined the chorus of screams!

Zooming toward the nearest heap of shattered glass, it was like everything around him had disappeared. The world was only Alastor and his thoughts, blood rushing to his head and then to his own racing heart. Flying was second nature to him, somehow. Frowning was as simple as breathing.

His landing was rough. He stumbled forward, and he knelt near the glass and stared at his reflection. Another scream leapt out of him, this one smothered with his hands— his hair was a silver-purple color with darker ends extending upwards in points, like the stripes of a cat! His teeth were still sharp, but gleamed white as he expressed himself candidly. His monocle was heart-shaped and encased in gold, and his eyes matched his teeth and his hair (a healthy combination of white and lavender); who was he? What was he? He moved up, so as to see more of himself in his makeshift mirror— he did have wings! They were large, with the luxurious feathers of an egret. He moved down again— there, atop his head! His ears were smaller, pointier. Somehow, he found that he liked them this time around, even though he had despised his prior set. Betwixt them was the utter lack of antlers— nothing at all!

Working himself through his crisis, Alastor tried to think. He couldn't put answers to the big things like the how or the why, but he could put answers to the what if he just committed himself to processing what he was seeing. His ears, the stripes, his more predator-like features— he was a cat instead of a deer, with a willing Cheshire grin, much like the feral neighborhood cats that he and his mother had doted upon when he was a child.

His mother had adored the cats. Alastor had adored his mother, so he had adored the cats, too. They had fed them scraps.

Alastor, in his entire existence, had never seen a cat like this. Not one with wings, and not one in a pristine pastel suit and tie. It looked like something that someone would wear to an Easter picnic, back in the days of penny-farthings and 'how do you do's.

He was overwhelmed by the urge to laugh (or start hyperventilating), so he opted in their stead for the secret third option: to get help. This had to be some kind of mishap! Perhaps he had been hit on the head, and was dreaming? He was no angel, even if some strange part of him liked it (the part that did not dread anyone seeing him like this)— he was the Radio Demon! Dreaded, feared, terrible! He never ceased smiling, and he never felt the need to look for assistance.

Alastor betrayed himself in both of those ways now, as he took to the air, skirting the ground as he weaved in and out of sinners. Few seemed to notice him, busy with their own task of fleeing the bombardments. Alastor gained some height to avoid collisions, eyes ever searching for the one he knew.

Pentious.

Minutes ago, Pentious had been right there, elbow-to-elbow with him on the grounds of the Hotel. They had been saying their painful adieus. His dear Partner Director had prepared to ascend to Heaven again, and would, as always, leave Alastor to his lonesome for another dreaded period apart.

That was what had spurred the stag's emotional, how-very-improper comment. Or screech. It was much like the one that escaped him now, although this one was filled with hope and relief and a even shred of joy as he sighted Pentious atop the hill, sitting proud upon one of his vehicles!

This was good. Pentious could help, and he wouldn't judge him for how he looked. The two of them would figure this out together, just like they always did.

Alastor made a beeline for his partner. As he neared, though, the hopeful feeling in his head was replaced again with the sickening sense of 'something's not right.' He backpedaled and lingered in the air halfway through.

Pentious was a Sinner again, but that wasn't all.

Something was wrong. Pentious' vehicle was heading in the same direction as everyone else, but Pentious was in no hurry. He seemed to be enjoying himself. From his vicinity came the loud noises and the flames and the destruction.

It hit Alastor in that moment: Pentious wasn't one of the horrified denizens of Hell... he was what was horrifying them.

Oh, dear, thought the Radio... Angel...? to himself. Have I lost my mind?

There was only one way to find out.

Alastor grimaced. 'Yes' was the answer to his own inquiry; he made the decision to hurdle toward his friend, lips forcing themselves into what would become an uncertain half-smile.

"Pentious! HELLO!" Alastor yelled as he hovered above the tank. A cannon-shot drowned out his words. He tried again... this time, a shriek! "PENTIOUS! WHAT IN THE BLAZES ARE YOU DOING?!"

A silver lining: his voice was still his voice, perfect and radio-filtered.

#sirserpentine #♠️ : ace in the hole / alastor.#♠️ : heaven sent / verse.#{ This is maybe the most insane post I've ever written. I'm so excited. }

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piercethewon · 9 months ago

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❝🧸Hitori Kakurenbo.❞

Kim Sunoo

• Synopsis:

Everyone knows how to play hide-and-seek, one of the most universally known games to ever exist, capable of trespassing every limit in time and space. The rules are simple, if you are the seeker, you count up to ten before your hunt starts, once you have found your prey, you stab them three times in the chest.

• Genre: Horror, tried humor at the beginning, sci-fi. One-shot.

• Featuring the rest of Enhypen members and Choi Beomgyu from TXT.

• Warnings: Violence, blood, knives, injuries, mentions of drugs, swearing, friendly teasing, demons, suggestive jokes.

• Word count: 5k.

―Twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven… twenty-eight…― Sunoo’s heart was beating faster and faster with anticipation, his eyes were closed shut, forehead pressed against his arms as he leaned onto a big old tree, feeling the rough texture of the wood with his hands. He was pretty sure an insect was resting on the back of his hand, but he could not look yet, it was against the rules.

―Twenty-nine…― he paused, dramatic, as if to hold onto the adrenaline rush that flooded through his veins. He waited a bit longer, teasing his prey, imagining how they must be feeling, shaking in fear (or excitement?) inside their hiding spots, or maybe just ready to run for their lives, he was about to find out. ―Thirty! Ready or not, here I come!― he shouted loud enough for the entire forest to hear, and off he was to begin his hunt.

You might think it is a bit unfair to play hide and seek against six people in such a huge place with plenty of potential hiding spots, but the truth is that Sunoo has mastered the game after so many years of playing; all he needs to beat his friends is a strategy, light steps, and his sharp hazel eyes.

The plan was simple, he first needed to find Heeseung, because the eldest gets tired easily and at some point, he makes himself partially visible on purpose. Then, there is Jungwon, who simply sucks at the game and does not care about winning, as long as everyone is having fun.

Jay is in third place, he tries his best, but it is never enough; Sometimes Sunoo pities him enough to pretend he did not see him, but it is all worth it after the round is over and he gets to hear the older boy’s giggles as he tells the rest of the group how he “evaded” the seeker with his unmatched hiding skills.

Unsurprisingly, Riki is usually found right after for two reasons: One, he likes to hide near Jay to tease him, and two, that kid is way too tall. It is hard for him to hide behind bushes or climb trees without getting caught, but the competitive spirit is there.

Fifth place is Sunghoon, who is not fond of the game… or games in general. He kind of just sits between big trees and stares into the void, dozing off to the sounds of nature and the faint smell of pine trees. His ability to sit still for a long time gives him an advantage.

And last but not least, Jake, the biggest obstacle for Sunoo on his road to victory. The seeker does not consider himself a competitive person, but when it comes to hide and seek he feels like his pride is on the line, thus making him try harder than he would in any other game; on the other hand, the older boy would risk his life to win rock-paper-scissors or even bingo, the most boring game in the whole world, it does not matter to him as long as he wins.

The reason why Sunoo must catch Jake in last place is because he wants him to believe he is winning, only to crush all of his hopes at the last second, you know, like a good friend would, and Sunoo is just petty like that when it comes to asserting dominance over his favorite game.

The seeker grinned to himself, savoring yet another win even though the game was just getting started and there was not a trace of his friends on his radar. His steps got faster, getting closer to a particularly big bush where a lazy player such as Heeseung or Jungwon could be hiding.

His race got cut short though; only a few seconds after he started running, he heard a loud thump behind him.

―I win!― it was Jake, with his right hand placed on the big tree, his breath heavy and his hair a complete mess. ―I climbed the tree and jumped when you left, it’s over!―.

Sunoo stared at his friend, dumbfounded, flabbergasted even. ―What the…― his shock was interrupted by the rest of his friends, who heard Jake shouting and decided to come out of their hiding spots; all of them looked as confused as Sunoo. ―That’s not fair!― he complained, stomping his foot on the ground like an angry bunny.

―Should’ve checked the clouds, sorry mate but I won this one― Jake grinned, sticking out his tongue to annoy his friend even further.

―C’mon Sunoo, it’s just a game, let’s just start over― Jungwon stepped in, eyeing the rest of the group in hopes they would do the same.

―Yeah― Heeseung added ―From now on we can only hide in a three-meter radius away from the base, how does that sound?―. He was not sure either of his friends heard what he said because they were too busy firing lasers at each other through their eyes ―Was the game ever that serious?―.

Sunoo sighed, visibly annoyed ―Whatever, let’s head home now, it’s getting dark―. It sounded like an excuse but it was true, the sun was setting, the forest was getting darker by the second, and the road home was quite long. The boy started making his way back to the city, not bothering to look back at his friends who just decided to follow in an awkward silence.

―We can decide and write rules for hide and seek when we get to Sunghoon’s house, we’re staying the night there anyway― Jay proposed after ten minutes of walking in complete silence, loud enough for Sunoo to hear, as the latter was a few steps ahead from the rest; needless to say, he was completely ignored.

―Wait a damn minute― Jungwon stopped in his tracks, his eyes moving fast as he counted all the people before him ―Where the fuck is Sunghoon?―.

(...)

―I can’t believe I’m letting you guys inside my house after you abandoned me in the middle of nowhere…― Sunghoon complained for the nth time after his friends came back to the forest, only to find him lying in a fetal position under a low pine tree ―What if the spirits of nature had claimed my soul and turned me into a hallucinogen mushroom or something―.

―Don’t worry, we would’ve smoked you―.

―Riki, what the fuck?―.

―What? If you can’t be our friend anymore, at least I want you to be a black stain in my lung, close to my heart― the youngest tapped his chest in a solemn motion, giggling after Sunghoon pushed him inside the house where they were going to have a sleepover.

―My parents and my sister are out to visit some relatives, so the house is ours for the weekend― the mushroom boy explained, heading to the kitchen in hopes of finding something to feed seven hungry young adults for dinner. The rest of the guys gathered in the living room, sitting on every surface possible.

―So, are we going to decide on rules for hide and seek?― Jay suggested once more, taking his phone out and opening the notes app. Sunoo and Jake had been quiet since they left the forest, both boys were sitting on opposite sides of a large couch, staring at the walls with their arms crossed like a dysfunctional married couple ―What’s the point of making rules if Jake is going to break them― the younger one said.

―I know a special variation of the game with rules we could follow― Riki meddled before Jake could speak, which is a relief considering that hell was about to break loose anytime soon between the hide-and-seek masters. ―It’s called Hitori Kakurenbo, I used to play it in Japan with my sisters when I was a kid― he continued.

―But there are seven of us, how are we supposed to play hitori if we are not hitori?― Heeseung asked, genuinely confused, because if his Duolingo classes had not failed him, the translation for “Hitori kakurenbo” would be “Alone hide-and-seek”.

―I don’t know, I didn’t make the game― Riki shrugged ―All I know is that if you don’t follow the rules, an ancient demon will eat you alive, stab you to death, or both in a 2x1 deal! You can even get the deluxe expansion pack and let the demon haunt your house and terrorize your family for eternity!―. Everyone in the room collectively fell silent after the clarification; it was only then that they took account of the concerning sounds that came from the kitchen.

―Sounds good, maybe Jake will follow the rules if we play with a demon―.

―Sunoo, you can’t be serious, there’s no way that’s real― Jake rolled his eyes ―It’s just creepypasta―.

―Uhm, actually…― Riki raised his hand and pointed at the ceiling, mimicking a nerdy voice ―It’s Japanese folklore―.

―There's no fucking way you guys are summoning a demon to play hide-and-seek inside my house, by the way― Sunghoon’s face emerged from the kitchen door, he was covered in what seemed a mix of eggs and flour.

―Oh, c’mon, I know how to make them leave after the game is over!― Riki pleaded.

―The kid’s probably messing with us, I don’t think we’re at risk here― Jay added.

―I smell something burning…― Jungwon changed the subject, snorting after he saw every color leave Sunghoon’s face as he rushed back into the kitchen.

―I think it’ll be fun― Jake said, trying to make eye contact with Sunoo, but the latter just faced the wall again. Something was starting to tickle the Aussie boy’s stomach, and it was not the hunger this time ―I say we take a vote, raise your hands if you want to play Hitori kakurenbo―. One by one, the six boys were holding their hands in the air, some of them hesitated more than others, but there was a hint of curiosity and anticipation in all their faces.

Sunghoon soon joined, entering the room with two plates full of home-made waffles, a little burnt, but their scent was sweet and warm ―Fine, just explain the rules and we can play tomorrow night―.

―I prefer pancakes―.

―Fuck you, Jay―.

(...)

―This is so embarrassing―.

―C’mon Sunghoon, literally no one’s looking at us― Sunoo reprimed him because obviously there was nothing weird about seven young adults walking out of a department store with a medium-sized bear plushie that had a silk bow tied around its neck along with a heart-shaped card, just a normal Saturday afternoon for unemployed people. Also, Sunoo was not the type to feel embarrassed by things like this, he liked the black bear they had picked and made Jay pay for.

―We look like high schoolers trying to help a friend get a girlfriend― Heeseung said between his teeth, his ears were getting redder by the second even though he was not carrying the toy itself; he was in charge of the plastic bag that contained some other materials needed for the ritual. At least they had not run into any of their classmates yet.

―Nice bear, Lee, is it for your mom?― The mocking voice of Choi Beombyu startled the oldest, it seems like he spoke too soon.

―Actually, it’s for your mom. Valentine's is coming soon, you know?― Riki replied with a grin. It was a lighthearted convo, all of them were friends who liked to tease each other, so they just held some small talk before Jungwon urged everyone to go back to Sunghoon’s house before sunset.

After the boys had entered the Park’s front yard, the youngest of the group stopped everyone in their tracks, standing in front of the door and holding a T-pose ―I think Sunoo should be the one to do it, because he is the master of hide-and-seek―.

―I thought you said everyone could play at the same time― Jay inquired, confused by the sudden change of plans ―Are we really going to let him summon an ancient Japanese demon all by himself?―.

―He will be fine, it’s not scary at all, it’s just a bear!―.

―I’m not worried about him getting scared, I’m worried about him becoming besties with the demon!―. That was a valid point considering that Sunoo had a special and very enviable ability to become friends with almost anyone, including animals, and Jay thought their little group was fine with seven people, there was no need to invite anyone else to their sleepovers.

―Why are you guys deciding this on your own? I live here!― Sunghoon tried to step foot into the conversation but was brutally ignored by his friends, who were too busy throwing the stuffed bear at each other.

―I think Jake should go― Sunoo passed the toy ―He is the reason why we are playing this in the first place!―.

―That’s not true!― The latter replied, handing the plushie to Jay ―He should do it, it’ll be fun to see him scared―. Some of the neighbors who passed by were now staring at them, some looked concerned, and some looked annoyed by their yells.

―Okay everyone, stop!― Jungwon raised his voice, effectively stopping the chaos. He snatched the bear from Jay’s hands and pointed at Sunoo and Jake with it; the scene would have been kind of funny if not because of the boy’s sharp eyes and stern tone; he could be pretty intimidating when in a bad mood. ―You guys are going to play together against the demon― he stated, not leaving space for discussion or complaints ―Maybe some teamwork will keep you from fighting every two seconds―.

The decision was made and there was no turning back now, the two chosen boys entered the house with heavy steps, bringing all the materials needed for the ritual with them.

Sunoo and Jake made their way to the living room in complete darkness; it was past midnight and they were not allowed to turn the lights on, their only source of light could be the TV and some candles, so the first step was to light up the room with some.

―You are in charge of the candles and the water, I’ll prepare the toy― The youngest said, taking the lead, and even though Jake hated being bossed around he felt a little creeped out at the moment and the least he wanted was to argue with his friend.

Sunoo dropped the contents of the bag over the glass tea table: Scissors, red thread, a needle, a bag of rice, a nail clip, and a sharp knife. He had to focus because it was a long procedure and forgetting any of the steps could ruin the ritual completely, so he changed the channel on the TV to an animal documentary to get some peace from the sounds of birds and the gentle, soft-spoken narration.

First, he had to cut the bear open and take out all the stuffing. He decided to cut the back to not ruin the overall appearance of the toy, there was no need to make the little one self-conscious about its appearance. Then, he filled it with rice and pieces of his nails, a tasty offering, and a mirror self to focus the demon’s anger, respectively.

The last step was to sew the plushie shut with red thread, but there was a slight inconvenience: Sunoo had never in his life used a needle. He accidentally picked his fingers a few times, making drops of blood stain the rice inside the bear, but he got the hang of it eventually. After he was done, he tied the toy’s arms and legs with the remaining thread.

“And just like that, the little possum evaded its predator by pretending to be dead… There is a high chance that strategies of this nature will come to be the most effective means of escape, as most predators find joy in the morbid act of playing with their food while it’s still alive…”

―Yeah, fuck that, if a demon is chasing after me, I’m not playing dead― Jake spoke back to the TV narrator as he returned form the bathroom where he had to fill the tub with water and salt. ―I made a circle of salt around our hiding spots, good luck hiding under Sunghoon’s stinky bed―.

―As if hiding inside his sister’s closet is a better idea, weirdo― Sunoo retorted, holding the bear plushie up for his friend to see.

―If I ruin Sunghoon’s clothes he would literally kill me, and there were no other spots left…― the older boy tried hard to defend himself, because there was no way he would hide inside the parent’s room or the kitchen were all sorts of potentially dangerous things were stored, what if the demon turned the toaster into a deadly bazooka of carbs? ―Anyways… I got the salt water here― he placed two glasses on the table ―Are you sure you want to do this?―.

That was a good question, but at this point they were too far in to go back, so might as well give it a try and see what happens ―Yeah, I’m sure― they looked at each other in the eyes, and for the first time in forever, no one was shooting lasers. ―Let’s name the bear―.

―What about… Choi Beomgyu?―

―No! That would curse him!― Jake definitely knew that, he just thought it was funny.

―Well, what about Osito?―

―Like "little bear" in Spanish?― Sunoo tilted his head, looking at the damaged toy. He thought the name was a bit too obvious, but giving a cute name to a demon would maybe make it less scary, plus it was almost three in the morning, time to start the ritual, they had no spare time to fight ―Sounds good to me―.

They headed to the bathroom, where the smell of salt was so strong it reminded them of the vast ocean… or brine from a cheese factory, either seemed like valid options. Sunoo looked at Jake one last time for reassurance before he threw the rice-stuffed bear inside the tub. ―Sunoo will be the first it! Sunoo will be the first it! Sunoo will be the first it!― he chanted with a stern voice, firmly staring at the sunk toy and trying his best to imitate Jungwon’s demeanor from earlier.

Jake rushed out of there to hide inside Yeji’s room; unlike Sunghoon’s room, hers was a bit messier, but he tried his best not to touch anything and just hide in the closet. Before the game started, both boys had decided (meaning they played rock-paper-scissors) Sunoo would be the first one to play.

Back in the bathroom, the seeker made his way back to the living room, sat in front of the glass table and closed his eyes ―One, two, three…―. His heart started beating faster like it usually does, but not from anticipation this time. His body felt heavier than usual, his voice trembled as he kept counting. ―Four, five, six, seven…― suddenly, the TV went static, filling the room with an awful noise that made every muscle in Sunoo’s body tense painfully, but the burning sensation inside his chest kept him from actually processing what was going on, all he could do was keep counting ―eight, nine, ten! Ready or not here I come!―.

There was no time to be scared, he was the seeker, he was the predator, that stupid bear was at his mercy, the demon was his prey, not the other way around. He picked up the knife and went back to where the plushie was. Inside the bathroom, Sunoo was met with an even stronger smell of salt that pierced his nostrils more than before.

He was taken aback for a second, but he quickly recovered and took the bear out of the tub, smashing it on the ground. ―Osito, I found you!― he stabbed its chest, piercing through the black fabric and causing some of the rice to escape. ―Osito, I found you!― second stab, a tad fiercer this time ―Osito, I found you!― Last stab, his breath was heavy, his voice had grown hoarse from yelling at a seemingly inanimate object, but its mere presence made the small room’s atmosphere heavier, thicker. Could the ritual be a success?

―Now Osito is it! Now Osito is it! Now Osito is it!― Sunoo was getting tired, as if all of his energy was being drained, which was weird considering that he was used to having a fucked up sleeping schedule. He dropped the bear and the knife inside the tub and left the room in a hurry, snatched the glass of water from the table and sprinted to Sunghoon’s room, locking the door behind him.

The sides of the bed had been strategically covered with a few boxes, a desk and long blankets that hung to the ground to make the perfect hiding spot. Sunoo made his way under it, carefully placing the glass of saltwater beside him.

He was not completely sure of what he was supposed to do at this point, because according to Riki, the demon would start to roam around the house and its presence in the room would be noticeable, but how was he supposed to know when the demon was far away enough to end the game?

A few minutes after Sunoo calmed down, he started to realize how stupid this idea was. Riki had gaslighted everyone into playing a forbidden game, stating that it was the only way Jake would learn to follow the rules of hide-and-seek… Sunoo felt both annoyed and proud at the same time.

“Our studies suggest that the perpetrator of this crime used fear as a weapon to make his victims escape the safety of their homes…”

―Huh?― Sunoo’s heart jumped out of his chest after he suddenly heard a voice coming out of the TV, but something was not making any sense, did Jake leave his hiding spot only to change the channel? Wait, no, the sound was way too clear to come from far away, someone must have turned on the TV in Sunghoon’s room.

Were his friends messing with him? Was this a trap all along? No, that could not be the case because he would have either heard the door unlocking or the window opening, and none of his friends were swift enough to do that in complete silence. What the fuck was going on?

It took everything in him not to leave his hiding spot, essentially because, again, it was against the rules, and according to Riki it was the riskiest thing to do during the game, he could only leave after he made sure the demon was on the opposite side of the house.

Right when he thought that the situation could not get any creepier, he started hearing a metallic sound. At first, he thought it came from the TV, but as the creaking became progressively louder, he realized someone was trying to open the door lock from the outside, so painfully slow it made goosebumps spread through his body. Sunoo held his breath, seconds turned into hours of torture mediated by the fear of the unknown until finally, he heard the unmistakable sound of the door opening. Something was inside the room with him, and it was not human.

He started to panic, frantically looking through the gaps of his hiding spot in search of the demon, but it was too dark inside the room to see anything. He remembered the glass of salt water in front of him; Riki had told him that keeping the hyperosmotic liquid inside his mouth was the most effective way to protect himself from any harm.

In no time, Sunoo started feeling like someone was pulling his clothes, his hair, his fingers, he heard whispers, whoever was inside the room was cursing at him, demanding him to come out of his salty refuge; speaking of salt, the circle that Jake had drawn earlier was melting, unexplainably turning liquid and dispersing, there was not much time left before the demon catches him and mercilessly ends his life right there, getting sent directly to Hell with the same weapon he had stabbed the bear earlier.

He reached out to grab the glass, but it was accidentally knocked over by his trembling, frigid hands. Time froze, all Sunoo could hear was the beating of his heart, and all he could feel was cold water dampening the sleeve of his shirt, but it was not over yet.

He quickly snapped out of his trance, he was scared to death, but he would not give up without trying; there was another glass of salt water in the living room that Jake had prepared in advance for his turn, and that’s where the boy was headed next.

He kicked the boxes that covered one side of the bed and did his best to escape from under it as fast as he could, then he ran like the Devil was chasing him, and he might as well be.

―Catch me if you fucking can, Osito!― the bear’s name was kind of ruining the seriousness of the situation, but Sunoo was determined to get that damn water and win this game once and for all. He reached the living room, luckily the TV and some candles were still on so there was enough light to see the tea table.

He was so close, the key to end Hitori Kakurenbo was right in front of him, but seconds after he had crossed the door to the room, a strange force grabbed him by the ankle and made him stumble and fall flat on the ground.

Suddenly, all the candles died and the TV was turned off, it was pitch dark inside the room and all Sunoo could do was struggle against whatever had him trapped by his leg and pulled him in the opposite direction from where the table was.

He used all his strength to free himself, breaking free from the grasp of the demon, he reached the position where he thought the water was before the force brutally pushed him over the table, breaking through its glass surface and, once again, spilling the water on the carpet floor.

Sunoo screamed from the pain, he could feel as small pieces of glass dug into his skin, his leg was badly hurt, and he was unable to stand back up.

He could faintly hear a commotion outside of the house, his friends were alerted by the noise and were desperately trying to enter, but it was locked shut. The demon grasped his leg once more and dragged him through the broken glass, eliciting more cries from Sunoo who was very close to losing consciousness from the pain.

Was the game going to end like this? Had his pride taken him far enough as to lose his life for a stupid argument about hide-and-seek rules? Did it ever matter in the first place? He was too tired to think about it, maybe he could seek answers to all of his questions after reaching the eternal state of rest, but that was not going to happen tonight.

―Stay away from him!― it was Jake’s voice, or at least it seemed so ―I win! I win! I win!―. Sunoo felt as cold salt water splashed all over him, cleaning his wounds, and purifying what was left of his spirit. He was completely awake now, and the TV had turned back on, set to static, along with the candles.

―What the fuck just happened?― he managed to ask in a whisper, but the front door was kicked open before the older boy could reply. Their friends rushed inside, turning all the lights back on, fear and worry were painted all over their faces, especially Riki’s.

―I wanted to come earlier, but I was locked inside the closet― Jake explained while he helped Sunoo sit on the floor. Sunghoon immediately left to look for a first aid kit after seeing Sunoo’s bloody injuries. ―I filled a bucket with water from the bathtub, I couldn’t see anything, I just threw it where I thought you were―.

―I guess I’ll have to buy a new table for Mrs. Park― the room was a complete mess, there was shattered glass and salt water all over the floor, a few plates and decorations that previously were on the table were now broken as well, some of the neighbors had been alerted by the commotion and were waiting outside the house for an explanation, everything was a mess, but Sunoo felt strangely relieved. Osito was right at his feet, its fabric was torn apart and covered in wet rice; the knife was nowhere to be seen. ―Let’s go to the forest and burn that thing― there was a silent agreement to that, there was no way they would risk having what was left of the bear somewhere in the house.

It was barely six in the morning when Jungwon had extracted all the glass pieces off Sunoo’s body and treated his wounds, while the rest of the boys cleaned up the house. All of them were now heading back to the forest where all this had begun.

―So… You came out of the closet, Jake?―.

―Is it really the time to be joking around? Yeah, I came out to help you and left you all wet, is that what you wanna hear?― he rolled his eyes.

―Yeah, thanks for that― the younger boy giggled ―Sorry for being so on edge for a kid’s game―.

―No, I should apologize for cheating―.

―Can we let Jay write rules on his notes app?―.

―I would totally love that―.

#enhypen #enhypen fic #Sunoo #Kim Sunoo #Sunoo enhypen #enhypen angst #enhypen horror #sunoo oneshots #enhypen oneshots

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