#genius of computers/hacker genius

[the-silver-peahen-residence]

Hey Terry? Do you train with the snakes at times when you hang out with them? And has Vivi met with Cat before?

@demon-blood-youths

Terry blinks when hearing this to see Cat looking at something with Vivi. "...Ehhhh...you can say that. But I'll admit something.." he said.

"Vivi is just as dangerous as Cat is." he sweatdrops remembering their training.

~~~~~~~~~~

Their were in a dojo but Terry and Shdwkyz or Sai in civilian wear were panting holding Bo staffs in their hands while seeing Vivi and Cat.

"Come on you two, we are not done yet. You said you wanted to train so we are training." Cat said while wearing a black training top with shorts but she was holding one staff in her hand with the other hand on her waist.

"We know that Cat but I didn't expect you wanting to join us in training.." Terry said.

"Hey, I gotta keep my training up in case. I can fight you know that.." she said.

"Besides, you two wanted to give it a shot." Vivi said standing by Cat. She was wearing a dark purple top with leggings but she was having her hair up in two buns braided. She was also holding a Bo staff.

"So should we go again?" Vivi said holding her Bo staff up as Shdwkyz held his up too.

"Ready when you are.." he said with Terry nodding. Both Cat and Vivi gets into a fighting stance before dashing towards the two quickly. Vivi quickly strikes to attack Shdwkyz who blocks now moving back as he was blocking her strikes before trying to strike her back.

Terry was blocking trying to strike Cat but she blocks while using rapid thrusts as Terry blocks each one trying to attack but she was getting quicker.

Shdwkyz saw this but ducks from a swing from Vivi while she was going to strike seeing him duck once more. However, she delivers a Launching kick to see him skid back as he hissed. Right away, he sees her attack again as he blocks seeing the snakes on a stand still.

That's when both Cat and Vivi quickly saw the two trying to strike them once more but Cat jumps back with Vivi flips back to quickly strike using a whirlwind backspin.

"?!" Shdwkyz quickly blocks while Vivi looks at him while Terry jumps out the way but sees the ground while seeing Cat holding her Bo staff still ready.

"You done bat?" she joked.

"not a chance.." Terry said.

"You too?" Vivi asked Sai.

"..not even close.." he said.

The four were not done before rushing to strike again.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"The two won a few and we won a few but they are getting stronger each day so that tells us one thing; These two are dangerous force to fight again. Even against Vivi was a struggle at times. Shdwkyz never told me she was that strong but it's no wonder she's the only one who can hold that scythe of hers. It's really heavy.."

[biomic]

these three are in their own show

[scotchiegirl]

Obviously Nate's father-figure-ness to Hacker/Hitter/Thief is subconscious and rightly so because they're all adults and have adult relationships as well, but I do think that Nate's previous experience as a father does affect how he interacts with his kinda-kids-adult-coworker-family.

For Eliot, obviously, Eliot is Nate's mirror. Eliot is the metaphorical violent foster kid who has a connection with Nate's grizzled mentor persona. They get each other, they understand each other, they're just two fucked up kids from outwardly normal and interiorly fucked up families. They're not parent and child and they never will be, they're too similar for that. They can side-eye each other's references and be a little "girl, what were you doing at the devil's sacrament" with each other's thoughts and they just click.

Nate is a lot more of an active mentor and guide and, yes, father figure to Parker. He defends her ability to be part of a family to Archie so strongly that the old man completely revised his own views. He pushes her to the same level of excellence that Archie did, but for different motives and also provides her with a support system and a soft place to fall.

But for Hardison, Nate's fatherly moments come across far more harshly than with Eliot or Parker. He still feels intense respect for the young man and his skills, but those emotions are more frequently expressed towards other characters and even antagonists than to Hardison himself. It almost feels like Nate is subconsciously uncomfortable with feeling positive mentorly or fatherly feelings towards Hardison.

I'd like to offer the suggestion that Nate is uncomfortable being fatherly with Hardison because Hardison is exactly the son Nate would have wanted Sam to grow up to be.

On a purely physical level, Hardison is the youngest and a male (and mentally has way less baggage to unpack than either Eliot or Parker, making him act more childish on occasion and far lighter than the rest of their little family.) All these things Nate would subconsciously respond to with a distant ping of being reminded of Sam, especially in his grieving state.

But Hardison is also principled, and clever like nothing on earth, and a fantastically hard worker, and sarcastic and funny into the bargain. All things that sound like... Nate. And like Maggie. And as the child doesn't fall far from the parents most times, we can assume Sam would be as well. So by working with Hardison, Nate is almost forced to face that Sam wouldn't have stayed his ten-year-old self for very long. As Nate says in the Cross My Heart Job, he would have eventually become a teenager, and then a young man. And he would have driven Nate up the wall, and probably have inherited all of Nate's "trouble with authority" genes, and maybe, who knows, been good with computers. Much like another young man, a 24 year old genius with a problem with authority and a smartphone.

Nate never stood a chance.

[simp-ly-writes]

The Jackals Companion

─────── · · A 'Day of the Jackal' (TV series) FanFic

Pairing: Charles "Jackal" Calthrop x Fem!Hacker!Reader

─ · · SUMMARY: After a shocking turn of events, you and the Jackal become lovers-of-sorts and you both share a moment in one another warmth as a snowy London sets the backdrop to your hotel room.

─ · · TAGS: second person perspective used, female-pronouns used, mostly fluff, cuddling, kissing, depictions of blood, mentions of guns and violence, usage of pet-names (ex. love) swearing, light angst.

─ · · MASTERLIST | TAGLIST REQUEST | WORDCOUNT: 2,401

─ · · A/N: thank you to @calmowl2407 for this sweet ask! sorry that it took me awhile 🫶 I hope you all enjoy :)

─────── · ·

─ · · You were a certified genius- or at least thats what your first job title while working in an a Apple store for a few years but now you were a freelance hacker and profiler; having graduated with multiple degrees in sociology, psychology, mathematics, and of course, computer science.

─ · · During the day you worked as a teaching assistant and seasonal lecturer but at night, you were known as "Robin." You loved your behind-the-scenes job, the disconnection gave you privacy yet enough money to live a plush lifestyle in reality and to do the things you loved most- teaching others.

─ · · When on one of your nightly "raids" you liked to call them you were toying with auction prices at an event, watching through the security cameras in order to pause the sale just at the right moment yet it appeared that someone had the exact same idea as you... just in a more direct approach...

Your vision snapped over to one of your other various monitors at the sight of a figure in a suit, moving outside of the outlined space for the event. You raised a brow, zooming in on pixelated face with a scoff- nobody ever invests in high quality cameras these days.

You watched as he moved through the various corridors and always knew where to face so that all the cameras did not get a clear sight of him. He walked in long purpose-filled strides, a gym-bag over his shoulder, the object inside odd in shape as you rendered a scan of it- a gun? But who's the target little assassin?

You did a quick search of the black-web, trying to find any details or contracts that had been posted in the last three months yet nothing particularly pertained to anyone attending this event. Your eyebrows furrowed, irritation growing as you couldn't find any information of why this man was here, who he was going to attack, and even who the hell this guy even was in the first place.

You tapped your finger against your desk, contemplating your next move, the clock was ticking down and with one click it would be lights out, the men posing as handlers would run with the object just as your contract requested and you would have yet another fat pay check in your lap... could finally buy that new wool coat, you thought to yourself with a smile, thats if this assassin doesn't mess with anything...

You watched as he unzipped his bag and set up his gear, sizing up for the shot, click, you giggled, leaning back in your chair as you watched through the various body cams to see the artifact successfully stolen and they made their escape. People were running around everywhere, police entering the scene as the auctioneer was lead off-stage before collapsing a bullet right between his eyes. You clapped your hands together, good shot, you praised before erasing all the security footage- leaving not a trace to be found.

CHAT ROOM OPENED: r0ob6^in* said: payment? now. A-%l^8e6x said: sent. good work. A-%l^8e6x said: next job? file.16937 r0ob6^in* said: will do.

You placed an order on that coat before turning off your screens and order in take-out before going for a shower and settling yourself into a set silk pyjamas and fluffy slippers.

─────── · ·

─ · · A knock sounded at your door as you went to go get your food and to your surprise there was a metal barrel awaiting you instead of a brown paper bag. You raised your hands, eyes wide and blinking, "uh you can have anything you want in the apartment! please don't hurt me!" you plead as they force their way into the space and... gently close the door behind themselves?

You blinked, one... twice... thrice in confusion, "sit" they ordered as you rapidly nodded your head and trotted your way to the living room and finding the nearest armchair while shaking like a leaf and whispering a prayer to whatever celestial entity would hear.

The tall man sits across from you, legs extended outwards and on to your rug. You did not dare look them in the face, instead playing with your hands with closed eyes wondering what they would do next. You felt the mans stare at the side of your head and across your body as they observed what you were wearing more closely, "look at me."

You took a second before raising your head and staring just past the top of their head, you prayed that the second of hesitation you took would not take your life as well. "Look at me," they demanded again as your eyes flashed down to... a young mans face? and an attractive face with that?

You tried not to let the shock and confusion come over your features but failed miserably once hearing him chuckle at you. "I've been... observing your talents from afar for awhile now, your little mission today was a surprise for me but I must thank you for deleting that footage... saved me frying their servers on my way out."

You nod, slowly, as you observe the suit the man wears and how put-together he looks for being a criminal breaking into your own home and threatening you with a gun that was still pointed in your direction. "You're welcome?" you say yet it comes out more like a question, you hear the safety of their gun click on as they place it back in the waistband of their pants. You lean back, slightly in your chair knowing that you most likely were not leaving this spot while under such a heavy stare... or at least not for awhile...

─────── · ·

─ · · When you said awhile back then... you would be surprised to know awhile meant more like over a year and not a day went but without you seeing "The Jackal" or Charles he told you to call him. He said he wished to have a camera on you when you reacted to his name for the first time, the way your lips pushed together like your eyebrows as you tested the name again and again on your tongue while picking and pointing at his face- he couldn't help but smile at your silly actions.

─ · · You had become the Jackals companion in some strange turn of events, always by his side or had him in your sights as you navigated him through building floor plans and got him onto planes quickly back to your house that had became a second home-base for him. You scoff shaking your head, your own damn burglar now holding the keys to your apartment to come and go as freely as he wanted but the Jackal never wanted you too far away from him, especially when he was completing large and dangerous missions like the one he was on right now... trying to assassinate a parliament member in London.

─ · · It was nearing Christmas time, a perfectly unsuspecting and joyous part of the year that would have your client easy to locate for you and for the Jackal- easy to target.

─ · · You waited anxiously for Charles to get back to the hotel room after providing him directions through local security cameras. You had ordered room service in preparation and held a half drank glass of red wine in your hand, swirling it around like your thoughts before setting the glass down and jumping off the bed, running down the hall at the sound of the door closing before jumping into his arms.

"Hello to you to, love," he teased you, pressing a kiss to the top of your head as you smiled and buried your face into his cold jacket, a shiver cascading down your spine as his large hands picked you up and carried you back to beg. You giggled, wiggling your feet with excitement once feeling him throw you onto the bed. You watched from the covers as he undressed layer after layer upon himself and his face before stripping back to the Charles you knew.

"Much better," he sighed out before crawling on the bed and towards you, capturing your lips in between his own before brushing the hair out of your face. "I see you already ordered food for two?"

"Mhmm," you hum out contently before patting the seat beside you and brining him a plate as you both talk over yet another successful mission. "Speaking of which," Charles wipes his mouth with one of the serviettes before gathering both of your empty plates and putting them on the desk within the room, "we have to check if we got payed for our hard work."

You nod watching as he bends down, reaching into his bag to pick up his laptop and glasses case as you reach for your own on the nightstand. Feeling the bed drip once again you shuffle closer to his side and hear in chuckle, "clingy are we today?"

You shrug, "Its the holidays, Charles, let your girl be," you defend yourself.

"My girl-hm?" he says back, wrapping his arm around your shoulders as you look up at him through his glasses- your heart begins to race as he looks down at you, the frames slipping down his nose as you reach over to fix them for him, "thanks, love."

─────── · ·

─ · · You both work silently beside one another, double checking your finances and going over the blueprints for your next mission in Croatia... after a much needed break and beach-filled vacation you both agreed upon.

─ · · By the time you had finished your side of things, Charles was still typing away and memorizing the blueprints. You played with the material of his shirt, pressing your head to the side of the arm in a silent ask for him to give you more of his attention. "A few more minutes then I'm all yours," Charles murmurs, zooming into an air duct right above the stage.

You watched his eyes move across the dimensions, you loved picking apart every micro-expression he let flash across his features only to be gone the next moment. Catching your stare he sighed, shutting down his device and casting it to the nightstand as you placed your head in his lap feeling his fingers rake across your scalp gently- as if coaxing you to sleep.

Yet you couldn't close your eyes as you had just remembered a file that you had accessed... freely... you opened and closed your mouth, thinking about how to phrase your next words before the Jackal cut you off and you pulled your head up, "whatever you want to ask in that brilliant brain of yours- do it."

"The things is," you try and explain, failing miserably to find the right words watching as Charles's attention moves away from you, your confidence slipping before seeing a notepad and pen being presented to you. "Would it be easier to write out whats going on in here?" He clicks the pen on by shoving it against your forehead.

You glare, snatching the items away as he holds up his hands. You look between the blank page and Charles one, two, and even three times before not writing anything down. The Jackal notices you struggling, he begins to get a bit worried himself as you stand up from the bed and move away to a separate chair in the room before writing out your list of questions, hiding your face behind your knees in order to escape from his questioning stare.

"Is this... something to do with my past?" The Jackal asks, remembering the last time you acted this way a few weeks after you both formally met. You freeze solidifying his answer. "My offer still stands, whatever if is I'll answer it... if I can," he explains, watching as you sit up in the chair and look him in the eyes, "Did you... kill your platoon?"

You watch as Charles freezes before slowly reaching over to take a sip of his glass of red wine, a bead of it dripping down his chin like blood as you grip your hands together in wait. "The simple answer is yes, I did but I believe it to be in fair fashion after... they massacred a wedding."

─ · · The following story has you nauseous and partially scared as you hold yourself and don't meet his eyes that search to observe your reaction- to hear your thoughts and heart. "Come 'ere" he pats his lap before opening his arms, watching as you hesitantly stand from your chair and walk over before being pulled down into the bed and feel his strong arms wrap around your torso like a weighted blanket to soothe your anxiety.

"I hope I didn't scare you- You know I would never hurt you, love, right?" he murmurs into your shoulder before pressing a kiss to the crook of our shoulder and neck, lingering in the spot until feeling you nod your head and rest your back against his chest more comfortably, "I know. But you're different now, right? And you're my Charles... but I would also understand if you needed to kill me." You feel as the Jackal freezes, his grip tightens around you, your breath hitches before you continue to speak, "A-and If you were going to... please shoot just shoot me straight in the face... I wouldn't want to be recognized by anyone."

You close your eyes feeling as Charles slips away form behind you, the cold air of the room spreading goosebumps across your skin as a tear slips from the corner of your eye. The sudden touch of a hand bringing your chin up has you wincing, "let me see your gorgeous eyes, my love," Charles asks softly. You shake your head in his touch before feeling it strengthen, "open them, please," he asks again, this time a bit more firmly.

You slowly blink them open, watching as he tears his glasses off and cups your cheeks, rubbing the skin thoughtfully with his thumbs, "I love you," he whispers before you feel his lips against your own. You both fall backwards onto the covers, Charles holding his weight above you as you break away breathless from the kiss, "I love you too."

─────── · ·

─ · · JACKAL TAGLIST: @swiftietevitdrewjew @groovyponypatrollamp @alelo23 @apaperflowerreader

[ikiprian]

Barbara Gordon's Coding & Computer Cram School is a popular YouTube series. Tucker Foley is a star student.

Barbara Gordon's Cram School posts free online courses for both coding and computer engineering. Think Crash Course in terms of entertainment, but college lecture in terms of depth. Hundreds of thousands of viewers flock to it— students who missed a class, people looking to add new skills to a resume, even simple hobbyists. It’s a project Barbara’s proud of.

Sometimes, when she wants to relax, she’ll even hop in the comments and spend an afternoon troubleshooting a viewer’s project with them.

User “Fryer-Tuck” has especially interesting ones. Barbara finds herself seeking out his comments, checking in on whatever this crazy kid is making next. An app for collecting GPS pings and assembling them on a map in real-time, an algorithm that connects geographic points to predict something’s movement taking a hundred other variables into account, simplified versions of incredibly complex homemade programs so they can run on incredibly limited CPU’s.

(Barbara wants to buy the kid a PC. It seems he’s got natural talent, but he keeps making reference to a PDA. Talk about 90’s! This guy’s hardware probably predates his birth.)

She chats with him more and more, switching to less public PM threads, and eventually, he opens up. His latest project, though, is not something Barbara has personal experience with.

FT: so if you found, hypothetically, a mysterious glowing substance that affects tech in weird and wacky ways that could totally have potential but might be vaguely sentient/otherworldly…. what would you do and how would you experiment with it. safely, of course. and hypothetically

BG: I’d make sure all my tests were in disposable devices and quarantined programs to keep it from infecting my important stuff. Dare I ask… how weird and wacky is it?

FT: uhhh. theoretically, a person composed of this substance once used it to enter a video game. like physical body, into the computer, onto the screen? moving around and talking and fighting enemies within the game?

FT: its been experimented with before, but not on any tech with a brain. just basic shields and blasters and stuff, its an energy source. also was put in a car once

FT: i wanna see how it affects software, yk? bc i already know it can. mess around and see how far i can push it

BG: […]

FT: … barbara?

BG: Sorry, thinking. Would you mind sharing more details? You said “blasters?”

Honestly. Kid genius with access to some truly wacky materials and even wackier weapons, she needs to start a file on him before he full sends to either hero or villain.

[OR: Tucker is a self-taught hacker, but if he were to credit a teacher, he'd name Barbara Gordon's Coding & Computer Cram School! He's even caught the attention of Dr. Gordon herself. She's full of sage advice, and with how she preaches the value of a good VPN, he's sure she's not pro-government. Maybe she'll help him as he studies the many applications of ecto-tech!]

[jacquesthepigeon]

On the subject of Mary Sue's, I look for two things

1) the way the character is treated by the narrative

2) if the characters skills make sense to their backstory

Like, to me a Mary Sue is a character who is always framed as a solution.

If a problem affects the characters, the Sue will have just the right skill set to fix things. And whatever the Sue says is always framed as correct, regardless of if what they're saying or doing would actually help or be the right thing in that situation

Maribug doesn't hit either criteria. She's the narratives favorite punching bag, and she's never pulled a random skill that she shouldn't have out to fix a problem. Her main thing is how generally creative she is, and how she's able to work with what she's given, and while her ideas can get kinda nuts she's never suddenly been a genius computer hacker when they need one to save the day

Adrichat hits one of these criteria, having the narrative favor him and always frame him as correct, but as he doesn't pull out new random skills whenever the plot demands, I personally don't count him as a Mary Sue either

The only time I called bull on one of Marinette’s skills was her being good at football/soccer. That girl can’t play ball sports to save her life and they know it. Except for basketball.

[tinyshyteacup]

TW: Cussing.

Part 5

A Charming Detour - Part 6

Juice had spent all weekend thinking about you.

About that night.

Your just standing in the Teller-Morrow office, back in your usual professional  little world, completely unaware of the absolute crisis you’ve been putting him through since the party.

Juice, on the other hand?

He’s dying inside.

The next few days are pure torture.

Because now that he’s seen you tipsy  and  he’s heard you laugh without holding back, now that he’s watched you all carefree and making a leather jacket look adorable—

He can’t unsee it.

And the worst part?

You don’t even realize what you’re doing to him.

It’s the little things—the way you hum under your breath when you’re focused on paperwork, the way you bite your lip when you’re reading over invoices, the way you light up when someone brings you coffee.

Juice is losing his mind.

Juice has to fight for his life not to be weird about it.

“Morning,” you say with a small smile, completely at ease as you settle into your chair.

Juice swallows.

“Hey.”

You’re fine. You’re acting totally normal, like nothing happened, like you didn’t almost kill him last weekend just by existing.

Juice doesn’t even have to say anything—his misery is obvious, and the guys are thriving off it.

Tig, in particular, is having the time of his life.

“You’re staring again, man,” he mutters one afternoon, nudging Juice while you’re flipping throught a filing cabinet.

Juice jumps.

“I—I wasn’t staring.”

Tig grins. “Nah, you were definitely staring.”

Juice groans, rubbing a hand over his face.

“You’re fucked, brother.” Jax adds, smirking from the doorway.

“I’m not fucked,” Juice grumbles.

Chibs snorts. “Aye, lad, you keep tellin’ yourself that.”

It happens in the middle of an otherwise normal day.

You’re at your desk, organizing invoices, when you hear it.

“Juice, did you hack into Oswald's—”

The question comes from Jax, who’s leaning against the doorway, smirking.

Juice, who was halfway through sorting out an actual work order, stiffens immediately. “Man, don’t call it that. It’s cyber security.”

You blink, pausing mid-note.

Jax raises an eyebrow. “Yeah, whatever, hacker.”

Juice groans. “I don’t hack shit, man. It’s just—” He stops, glancing at you, realizing you’re listening.

And you’re curious.

“You’re a hacker?” you ask, tilting your head.

Juice’s eyes widen. “No! No, I—” He groans, throwing his hands up. “It’s not hacking, okay? It’s just… computers.”

You frown slightly, clearly not buying it.

But before you can press him, Jax smirks and pats Juice’s shoulder.

“Don’t let him downplay it,” Jax tells you. “Dude’s a genius with all that shit. Runs circles around the feds.”

Your eyebrows shoot up.

Juice sputters. “Dude!”

Jax grins, winking at you before walking off, leaving you with way more questions than answers.

Juice looks deeply uncomfortable now, shifting awkwardly as you continue to stare at him.

“So…?” You lean forward, intrigued. “What does that mean, exactly?”

Juice sighs. “It means I handle security. Like, cameras, tracking, making sure the club’s not getting spied on, shit like that.”

You process this for a second. “So… like a hacker?”

Juice groans, dragging a hand over his face. “No, it’s not hacking.”

You bite your lip, eyes glinting with amusement.

He’s flustered. Really flustered.

And, for the first time, you feel like you have the upper hand.

“So,” you continue, voice light, “you’re good with computers?”

Juice shrugs. “Yeah?”

Your smile grows. “Do you game?”

Juice freezes.

Like, physically freezes, blinking at you like a deer in headlights.

You raise an eyebrow. “That’s a yes, isn’t it?”

Juice swallows. “Uh—” He glances around, as if checking to make sure no one can hear this conversation. “I mean… yeah?”

You grin.

“What kind of games?”

Juice stares at you.

“You’re interested?”

You nod. “Of course! I used to play back home.”

This is it—This is how he dies.

You—You like video games.

And—You’re asking about his nerd shit.

Juice panics.

He’s so used to hiding this part of himself. The club doesn’t really care about it, and he definitely doesn’t bring it up around girls—especially not cute girls.

But you?

You’re looking at him with interest, with curiosity, with that little endearing excitement.

And Juice short-circuits.

“I, uh—” He coughs, hard, trying to play it cool. “I mean, I play, like… shooters. Strategy. A little bit of everything.”

You nod thoughtfully. “Do you play RPGs?”

Juice blinks.

“You know what RPGs are?”

You tilt your head. “Yeah?”

He genuinely doesn’t know how to process this.

“I—uh—” He rubs the back of his head. “Yeah, yeah, I play RPGs.”

You beam. “Nice! I always thought the world-building in those was cool.”

Juice blinks again.

You—You think it’s cool.

Juice is so fucked, his moment of pure, nerdy happiness is immediately shattered.

Because of course it is.

Tig, who had been lurking just out of view, suddenly leans against the office doorway with a shit-eating grin.

“You guys talking about Juice’s secret life?”

Juice’s entire body locks up.

Tig’s smirk widens.

“Oh yeah, he’s a nerd.”

Juice groans.

Tig ignores him, focusing entirely on you. “You know he built his own PC? Like, from scratch. With lights and everything.”

You brighten. “You did?”

Juice sinks into his seat. “Oh my God.”

Tig’s grin is pure evil. “And he’s got a whole gamer setup. Monitors, headset, the whole deal.”

Juice actually wants to die.

You, on the other hand, look even more interested.

“That’s so cool.”

Juice chokes.

Tig winks. “Oh yeah. He’s a real catch, sweetheart. Big, tough biker by day, little gaming nerd by night.”

It’s later in the day, and you’re both back at work, but Juice is still reeling from the earlier conversation.

You know about his gaming, you didn’t laugh at him for it, you didn’t give him shit for it.

You actually looked interested.

It’s messing with him.

And then—

Then you ask a dangerous question.

“So, do you play Tekken?”

Juice stops, his coffee half way to his mouth.

Slowly, he looks at you. “What?”

You tilt your head, all curiosity. “Tekken. You know, the fighting game?”

Juice blinks. “Yeah, I know what it is.”

You smile, pleased. “Good. Because I could totally beat you.”

Juice stares.

You—

You’re challenging him?

At Tekken?

You barely come up to his chest. You look like you’d be more at home in a library than behind a controller—

And you just said you could kick his ass at Tekken.

Juice squints. “You play?”

You shrug. “I used to. Not lately, but I was pretty good.”

Juice crosses his arms, intrigued. “Pretty good, huh?”

You grin. “Very good.”

Juice licks his lips, thinking. “Alright,” he says slowly. “We’ll see about that.”

He wants to accept the challenge immediately.

He wants to see what you’ve got, there’s just one problem.

“I don’t… really have a setup at home,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck.

You frown, confused. “Why not?”

Juice shifts awkwardly.

Most of the guys have places in town, but Juice?

He lives in the dorms at the clubhouse.

He hesitates, debating how much to say. “I, uh… I don’t really have my own place.”

You blink. “Oh?”

Juice shrugs, trying to play it off. “I live in the clubhouse.”

Your eyes widen slightly. “You live there?”

Juice braces for judgment.

Most people—especially outsiders—would hear that and think it’s weird. A grown man, living at a biker clubhouse? No apartment, no house, just a small-ass dorm room with a bed and a couple of shelves?

Sure it's fine for the croweaters, but not something he expects you to be ok with. He expects you to be put off.

You’re still learning how the club works, but from what you’ve seen, the guys are like family. They’re always together, always in and out of Teller-Morrow or the clubhouse.

So why wouldn’t Juice stay there?

But still—No home of his own?

That… bugs you.

You tilt your head, watching him. “Is that… normal?”

Juice shrugs. “For me, yeah.”

You don’t know why, but that answer makes your chest feel tight. “Does it bother you?” you ask softly.

Juice blinks. “What?”

You shift, glancing down. “I just mean… do you want your own place?”

Juice hesitates.

Because the answer is yes.

But—“It’s just easier this way,” he mutters, shrugging again. “Cheaper. Closer to the guys. It’s just… how it is.”

You nod slowly, but the idea sticks in your head.

Juice deserves his own space.

You don’t know why, but the thought of him holed up in a tiny clubhouse dorm, surrounded by parties, noise, and chaos every night— It doesn’t sit right with you.

And Juice?

He has no idea what’s going through your head, but the way you’re looking at him?

It’s making his stomach do weird things.

After a moment, you brighten.

“Well, you’ve got to have somewhere to play.”

Juice shrugs. “I mean, I got my TV. It’s not a full setup, but it works.”

Your smile widens. “Good. Then you’ve got no excuse. We’re playing.”

Juice laughs, shaking his head. “Alright, alright. But don’t cry when I wipe the floor with you.”

You smirk. “Big talk for someone who doesn’t even have a proper setup.”

Juice gawks at you.

Did—Did you just talk shit?

To him?

About gaming?

He stares at you for a long moment, then grins, slow and wicked.

“Oh, you’re so going down.”

[mariacallous]

Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella has hailed the company's new Recall feature, which stores a history of your computer desktop and makes it available to AI for analysis, as “photographic memory” for your PC. Within the cybersecurity community, meanwhile, the notion of a tool that silently takes a screenshot of your desktop every five seconds has been hailed as a hacker's dream come true and the worst product idea in recent memory.

Now, security researchers have pointed out that even the one remaining security safeguard meant to protect that feature from exploitation can be trivially defeated.

Since Recall was first announced last month, the cybersecurity world has pointed out that if a hacker can install malicious software to gain a foothold on a target machine with the feature enabled, they can quickly gain access to the user's entire history stored by the function. The only barrier, it seemed, to that high-resolution view of a victim's entire life at the keyboard was that accessing Recall's data required administrator privileges on a user's machine. That meant malware without that higher-level privilege would trigger a permission pop-up, allowing users to prevent access, and that malware would also likely be blocked by default from accessing the data on most corporate machines.

Then on Wednesday, James Forshaw, a researcher with Google's Project Zero vulnerability research team, published an update to a blog post pointing out that he had found methods for accessing Recall data without administrator privileges—essentially stripping away even that last fig leaf of protection. “No admin required ;-)” the post concluded.

“Damn,” Forshaw added on Mastodon. “I really thought the Recall database security would at least be, you know, secure.”

Forshaw's blog post described two different techniques to bypass the administrator privilege requirement, both of which exploit ways of defeating a basic security function in Windows known as access control lists that determine which elements on a computer require which privileges to read and alter. One of Forshaw's methods exploits an exception to those control lists, temporarily impersonating a program on Windows machines called AIXHost.exe that can access even restricted databases. Another is even simpler: Forshaw points out that because the Recall data stored on a machine is considered to belong to the user, a hacker with the same privileges as the user could simply rewrite the access control lists on a target machine to grant themselves access to the full database.

That second, simpler bypass technique “is just mindblowing, to be honest,” says Alex Hagenah, a cybersecurity strategist and ethical hacker. Hagenah recently built a proof-of-concept hacker tool called TotalRecall designed to show that someone who gained access to a victim's machine with Recall could immediately siphon out all the user's history recorded by the feature. Hagenah's tool, however, still required that hackers find another way to gain administrator privileges through a so-called “privilege escalation” technique before his tool would work.

With Forshaw's technique, “you don’t need any privilege escalation, no pop-up, nothing,” says Hagenah. “This would make sense to implement in the tool for a bad guy.”

In fact, just an hour after speaking to WIRED about Forshaw's finding, Hagenah added the simpler of Forshaw's two techniques to his TotalRecall tool, then confirmed that the trick worked by accessing all the Recall history data stored on another user's machine for which he didn't have administrator access. “So simple and genius,” he wrote in a text to WIRED after testing the technique.

That confirmation removes one of the last arguments Recall's defenders have had against criticisms that the feature acts as, essentially, a piece of pre-installed spyware on a user's machine, ready to be exploited by any hacker who can gain a foothold on the device. “It makes your security very fragile, in the sense that anyone who penetrates your computer for even a second can get your whole history,” says Dave Aitel, the founder of the cybersecurity firm Immunity and a former NSA hacker. “Which is not something people want.”

For now, security researchers have been testing Recall in preview versions of the tool ahead of its expected launch later this month. Microsoft said it plans to integrate Recall on compatible Copilot+ PCs with the feature turned on by default. WIRED reached out to the company for comment on Forshaw's findings about Recall's security issues, but the company has yet to respond.

The revelation that hackers can exploit Recall without even using a separate privilege escalation technique only contributes further to the sense that the feature was rushed to market without a proper review from the company's cybersecurity team—despite the company's CEO Nadella proclaiming just last month that Microsoft would make security its first priority in every decision going forward. “You cannot convince me that Microsoft's security teams looked at this and said ‘that looks secure,’” says Jake Williams, a former NSA hacker and now the VP of R&D at the cybersecurity consultancy Hunter Strategy, where he says he's been asked by some of the firm's clients to test Recall's security before they add Microsoft devices that use it to their networks.

“As it stands now, it’s a security dumpster fire,” Williams says. “This is one of the scariest things I’ve ever seen from an enterprise security standpoint.”

[password-door-lock]

Unknown is all dressed up. He doesn’t feel that it would be appropriate to arrive at your apartment in any other state— after all, if he’s going to get you to Magenta as planned, then he’ll probably need your cooperation. He can get it by threatening you, sure, but Unknown would much prefer it if you’d just go along with his plan of your own volition. That’d be more entertaining for Unknown, not to mention more satisfying to shove in 707’s face. 

Also, though he’d never admit it to anyone— least of all to you— Unknown is grateful for the opportunity to dress up nicely. He doesn’t get to do it often. Around Magenta, he wears his typical uniform of a leather jacket and tight pants. When he leaves, he may resort to a less conspicuous display, but rarely does he get to make such creative use of belts and harnesses. Truth be told, Unknown is looking forward to this. He imagines you, dressed up for the party, your hair perfectly styled even under his rough hands and your ensemble as carefully curated as his own. 

It is a bit of a shock to him when he throws open the door to the apartment a few minutes after nine and finds the polar opposite of all his fantasies. You’re not dressed in your own party clothes because, despite what you told him when he asked you on the messenger, you are not at the RFA Christmas party. “Were you waiting here for me, prince(ss)?” Unknown drawls, though he sincerely doubts that this is the case. If you’d been waiting for him, surely you would have prepared for the occasion. 

As it stands, your hair is unstyled, and you’re sporting a plain baseball tee with a pair of plaid pajama bottoms. You appear to be watching a movie on the Savior’s old computer, and despite himself, Unknown is impressed that you managed to hack in. “Are you the hacker?” You answer his question with another, slightly less relevant question. This might be annoying if you weren’t so cute. 

“Mhm,” Unknown advances, invading your personal space as you cower on the couch. You smell like shampoo and simple soap. “Then you must be ready to come with me.” He supposes he can’t fault you for favoring comfort over style. This kind of practicality could be an asset to the Mint Eye. 

“Not at all,” you admit, dashing Unknown’s hopes for the second time in only a few minutes. “I thoug​ht you were going to try and harass our guests at the party, so I told Seven to increase security.” Unknown’s hands become fists as he tries and fails to keep his cool. Do you think you’re going to get away with playing both sides like that? “He was like, ‘You need to stay home. I’ll take care of the hacker.’ But clearly, he couldn’t, so I guess I am going with you. Can I get five minutes to pack?” 

This lifts Unknown’s mood right back up. Not only are you going to go with him without a fight, but you’re also going to help him deal a devastating blow to 707. When he takes you, Unknown will show that redhead a preview of the harrowing future the Savior has in store for him. Luciel is in for a series of devastating blows, actually, thanks to the information you’ve provided, and this is only the first one.

“I want you to change into your Christmas outfit,” Unknown orders. He can see it now— the two of you will look so perfect together, dressed in your holiday best. 

“What? This is my Christmas outfit.” You gesture at your pajamas. “It’s… Christmas, and I’m wearing it, so…” 

Unknown exhales. He knew you weren’t a genius going into this, but he at least hoped that you’d be able to follow his instructions without causing any problems. “Where’s the outfit that you bought for the Christmas party?” He asks. “It’s a waste to buy it and not wear it, hm?” 

“I didn’t buy anything for the Christmas party,” you explain, “I was going to pretend to be busy if you hadn’t threatened me. I’ve been emailing with the guests, and most of them seem kind of boring, and besides, I already gave my donation to Yoosung last night. I don’t really see a reason to stand around in the cold. Plus, I think V asked Jumin to do something illegal, and I don’t really want to be there if they have a confrontation about it. I can see the RFA any time, anyway, right?” 

“You’ll see them once they come to join us in paradise,” Unknown confirms. He could get used to you and your fascinating outlook. “Now, come on. We’ll go shopping on the way.”

[tf2occontest]

Hacker VS Ágatha, the Nurse

(Full matchup list here)

Alright team, here's a recap: This is a contest to determine who amongst you will take the top of the leaderboards and be hired at TFI! Simply put, whoever gets the most votes gets to move on, and whoever doesn't... Well. They'll be put down swiftly and cleanly. :}

So, mann your stations, because here are your next contestants! Vote for your favorite mercenary who you want to win the TF2 OC Contest! - P

OC INFO UNDER THE CUT!

We highly encourage you to take a peek to make your decision!

Hacker

@heavymedicshackerwife

Image credit: @/heavymedicshackerwife

Lisbeth Lovelace- "The Hacker"- was a genius codebreaker who worked on the Colossus computers and helped with breaking enigma in the 1940s. She was cryrogenically frozen in 1947 after accidentally committing regicide, and the Hacker was defrosted in 1969 to help MANN corp fight Grey Mann's robots. She's a whizz at computers, has an Oxford degree in maths, and ALWAYS stops at 4pm exactly for tea. Although she's about 22 years behind on everything, she's got a sharp wit, and can usually be seen being pocketed by Heavy or Medic whilst flying her drone at either the enemy team or Spy. She's the world's first cyber-criminal and proud of it!

Ágatha, the Nurse

@arts-of-gjb

Image credit: @/arts-of-gjb

Ágatha is a young brazilian girl from Salvador, Bahia (Brazil). She is very friendly and energetic, but also have a deep taste for medical experiments and doesn't mind seing blood for the most of the time, traces that were noticed and encouraged by her uncle, Medic. He started to bring her once she made 10 so he could teach her all he know. Inside the battlefields, Ágatha asumes The Nurse title, The nurse class in unable to capture control points, move payloads, grab inteligences or even cause directly cause damadge to others players, because her only objectives as part of the team are:

To assist, by curing her team. different of Medic, the nurse does not have a medigun to that, so she fulfills this task by being able to grab the medikits (or other healing iten disponible on the ground) and then give them to your teamates

To anoy, by shooting small injections on the rivals. as said before, they wont make any damadge, however, they will "stop" the player for a few secconds (the same way that when you're hit by a christmas glove from heavy, but it should make a pain animation than a laught one, and would work if hit in any body part).

Once her hp reaches 0, the nurse would enter in a "sleeping mode", where you get unable to do anything. If no one does anything with you when youre like this for a couple of seconds, then you wake up with half of your total hp, but if someone from the opposite team pick you up and leave you to a specifc location, then you are teleported to your respaw base, where you get unable to go out for a minute (be grounded time >:I )

A vote for Ágatha is a vote for Red team, Medic, Brasil and nepotism!!!!!!!

[arrowsnsarcasm]

Do I have your permission to hack into his records?

You woke up all alone this morning with only the Corgi there and no Oliver to be seen, right? I promise I will return him at one point, alive of course.

Shishitshitshitshit-

This makes it really hard to not have another crashout. Shit! Fuck!

[matrixbearer2024]

I currently have two AUs that I don't exactly know what to do with or what to properly call them LMFAO- I'll probably write something on Ao3 for it eventually since there's a ton of BillFord and FiddStan in there but yeah-

1st AU: Timelord Stanford (Dr Who what if)

This case was inspired by an RP I had with someone's Bill Cipher on @gftimelord where the triangle starts to be on the mend with Stanford after their ruined past. This to me makes sense because the Doctor is inherently very lonely despite the savior god complex. In that AU where Ford is functionally immortal and Stan and Fidds both at some point die due to his complacency and arrogance— he searches for a companion that can actually keep up with him.

So when Bill visits him during one of those window hours set by the Theraprism, they talk about the triangle's impending demise with their plans to essentially erase him from existence. It's not an outlandish idea given that any inpatient seen as a lost cause would or could be disposed of when it comes to cosmic entities. It's simply the easier option.

The doctor(Ford) is more impulsive, nonchalant, and egoistic compared to his counterparts because he does have the walk to back his talk(this man has been broken by the nightmares and guilt he carries from the deaths he caused; also time war) problem being he doesn't fear death as much as he fears being alone. He's had a fair share of close calls with the grim reaper, but always like some horrible twist he survives. After all, it is a saying that we covet the most what we don't have.

So yeah, he jailbreaks Bill essentially and whatever power limiter is stuck on the triangle get tied to his sonic screwdriver instead and they simply go around the multiverse doing whatever. Most of the reason why Ford isn't caught yet largely has to do with how scared most entities are of him. The doctor is never armed, but it doesn't mean he won't kill.

2nd AU: Modern Era AU (Set in 2024)

This one is more of a shitpost thanks to the young trio I drew a little while back, I'll draw more of them for this at some point while I also try and figure out a decent human Bill design that I like in my artstyle.

But this AU heavily features these four idiots as Undergrad students fucking about college life as they would. This AU is supposed to feature like a more cultivated genius Stanley based around my own dynamic with my brother since I do like me some happy Stan twins.

It just so happens that Ford is also a very much EQ negative idiot and falls for an upperclassman(one year his senior) in BSSE[Software Engineering] who is a close friend to Fidds. He goes by 'Cipher' as an alias since he's a prodigy for his age and very young ethical hacker.

So yes, that's where Bill comes in. Haven't figured out what I want his full name to be yet shoot me some ideas! Ford is very shy when it comes down to talking with Bill whereas Stan is completely chill.

Both Stan and Bill get along very well in this AU because they're similarly chaotic the same way that Fidds and Ford get along because they're the ones holding the other two back from doing something undeniably stupid for shits and giggles.

All of them share some fundamental subjects together(i.e. Math, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Statistics, Research, History, etc.) or take elective courses just so they could chill together. Stan is typically the one who adjusts to the schedule of the other three since he takes BSBA[Business Administration] and is the odd one out when Ford does BSCMB[Cellular Molecular Biology] and Fidds does BSEE[Electrical Engineering].

The FiddleStan in this AU is gonna be c r a z y mostly due to Fidds in this AU is the heir to his family's computer company, so lowkey spoiled nepo baby but also on a very tight leash with his parents. Stan is the kid where 90% of his childhood was parents either forgot him or straight up did not give a flying fuck. So these two kinda work as complements and it's why I decided to pair them together after chatting with a friend about the group dynamics.

So yeah, simpy and adoring Ford and silently aware but shy Bill + rebellious Fidds and supportive Stan. All the more when I actually plan for this AU to have some typical gravity falls shenanigans anyway thanks to a place on earth called the Oregon Vortex.

[I'll likely make fics and comics of these AUs, reply to this post if you want to be tagged for whenever I post something]

Yeah I need to properly name these AUs.

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

The Internet Is Forever: Part Two

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~1.9k

Summary: A man is going around killing women in their homes and filming it for all to see. It's heartbreaking to watch but you're determined to catch him before he can hurt anyone else.

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill

Season Five Masterlist

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there are any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them.

x

Penelope logs out of video chat to continue doing her work. You have the video now so you go over it with a fine tooth comb. The unsub walks up the stairs and briefly looks into the camera. Only his eyes are shown.

"Look at that. He's acknowledging the camera. He knows his audience is watching. We know the MO, so the question is how. What kind of job gives him access to the victims' houses?"

"It has to be a network job like an IT guy. You know, someone to hook up your internet. It gets them inside their house and into their computers."

"I went through all the women's internet service providers with a fine-tooth comb. They all used different companies and had no overlap with sales reps," Detective Fordham says.

"What about the onsite tech support?"

"Clean as a whistle. They all had alibis with no criminal records."

"What I don't understand is why he takes the bodies with him after they're dead. It'd be one thing if he took them while they were still alive, but he's accomplished his task. He murders them and he completes the performance. Why risk carrying a corpse to his car?"

"There must be some postmortem behavior or signature or something we're not seeing."

"Let's think about that for a second. He's sharing this murder with a crowd of onlookers. What could he be doing to these bodies just for himself?"

"Hey, guy." Derek walks into the room while on the phone. "Garcia's got something for us." He puts her on speakerphone. "Go ahead, baby girl."

"I have some good news. First, here is the thing that sucks. I located the network the unsub is using in Boise, and it is the victims' own wireless network."

"Does he hack in before he starts the murder?"

"I don't think so. Hacking is obscenely time-consuming. I just make it look easy because I'm a genius, and he's not me. My guess is that he's got to lurk around their network for at least a couple of days to a week before he kills them."

"That's brilliant on his part," John says.

"Yeah, he knows when we follow his online paper trail. It'll lead us right back to the murder site."

"What's the good news?" you ask.

"Hackers are very loyal to their spoofing techniques, and if they think no one's watching, they'll use the same roads over and over. If he goes through Russia, China, and North Korea again, I will catch him so fast he won't know what hit him.

"That's only going to help us if he commits another murder."

"Yes, that's also true."

"Garcia, if he does stream this again, how much time will you need to find the network?"

"I'm just guessing here but seven minutes?"

"That's not fast enough. He's in and out of the house in five."

"Shoot. I'm going to have to trim my time down, then."

"Garcia, get it done. JJ, we need to call a press conference. Now that we know how he's killing these women, we need to get it out there," Hotch says.

"Okay," she nods.

Spencer walks into the conference room with the picture of Dorris he took from the fridge.

"I know what connects the victims. I was staring at pictures of the victims and I knew there was a pattern connecting them, but I couldn't tell what it was until I broke it down mathematically. Why are we so drawn to celebrity faces? Because there's a symmetry to their beauty--the eyes, the ears, and the ratio of the forehead to the chin. The more balanced they are, the more appealing they are to our eyes."

"These women aren't celebrities," John says.

"No, but there are similarities between them, and it wasn't until I scanned their pictures and got it to the guys at Quantico that I had a full breakdown." He pulls up a picture of all three female victims. "Strip away eye color, hair color, and skin tone." He does so and reveals their geometric faces. "What are we left with geometrically?"

"They're all slightly dystopic. The left eye is slightly lower than the right eye on all the victims. All the noses are narrow. The forehead has the same ridge."

"He might not even be aware that he sees it in them. There have been studies that suggest that we pick our spouses subconsciously based on facial symmetry that we recognize. Consciously or unconsciously, when he recognizes it, he has to destroy it which means he only has interest in the bodies as they relate back to him."

"What if they are a reflection of him?" you ask. "Remember what he did at the end of the video with Dorris? He wiped a tear away. It's another act of compassion he's not capable of. His narcissism prevents him from that. In the Greek myth, Narcissus was so self-absorbed that he fell in love with his own reflection in the water."

"Exactly," Spencer backs you up. "He finds women with the same face, he strangles them, and then stares at them after they've died. Whose image does he really see? His own."

You now have a profile to give to the Boise police department. John gathers his men and women to hear what your team has to say.

"Most of us take the internet for granted. We forget about texts that we share or updates we put on social networks, but the internet never forgets. Once it's out there, it's out there forever. We all know about the horrific deaths that get shown on the web--the murder of a journalist or the stoning of an Iranian dissident. Those murders are immortal. This unsub craves that same immortality."

"He recognizes his face in theirs, and he kills them as a way of saying, 'This is what I look like.' We think this also informs his compulsion to take the bodies with him. He takes them to a secondary location where we believe he preserves them so that every time he looks at them, he sees his own ego reflected," Spencer explains.

"Fortunately for us, this means we have a good idea of what he looks like. Based on the shape of the victims' faces, we have a rough composite sketch." JJ passes the sketch around. "This unsub is an expert with computers and home networks. Look into criminal records of men with extensive computer training."

"We know you've already looked into the victims' computer IT settings, so we'd like to expand the search. Look into electronic stores, computer distributors, and IT departments where the women worked," Spencer says.

"We overuse the term narcissistic in our culture, but we're going back to the psychological definition," you say. "Every aspect of this man's life has been constructed around an inflated sense of self. Unsubs like this are particularly vulnerable to what's called narcissistic injury. If his self-worth is attacked or damaged, he will lash out."

"If you find this unsub, do not challenge him publicly. Say you just want to talk to him to see if he knows anything about the brilliant mastermind who's stalking these women. Under no circumstances should you denigrate him. As difficult as it is, we need to talk up his exploits as if we respect him," Hotch says, concluding the profile briefing.

JJ is able to get a last-minute press conference with the local press. She shows a picture of the sketch she passed around. He's a white male, roughly five-foot-ten, and highly skilled with computers and networks. She encourages everyone to monitor the information people post about themselves on social media. When she opened up for questions, she didn't realize the backlash she might get.

"How did the FBI generate this sketch if there were no eyewitnesses?"

"Can you comment on the rumor he has some sort of facial symmetry with his victims? Does he look like them?"

"Why would he target women who look like him?"

"What should people do to protect themselves? Change their face?"

Who the hell told them about the profile before the FBI was ready to release it? JJ handled it like a pro but she waltzed back into the station with a look of annoyance and frustration.

"Hotch. Somebody leaked our profile. The press started asking questions about facial symmetry."

"It must have been one of your officers," Hotch says to John.

"Look, my guys were checking their cell phones but that's just habit now."

"I talked to the press independently, and I can get this off the 10:00 PM news but this went out live."

"What are the chances he didn't see it?"

"Not good," Hotch sighs. He takes out his phone and dials Penelope. "How are you doing with pinning down the network?"

"I was just about to call you. Remember how I said he was spoofing his signal off different servers? Well, it turns out some of those are a decoy meant to waste my time."

"Does that mean you can find him faster?"

"Yes. I can write a program that filters out the decoy--" Alarms start ringing on her computer. "Oh crap."

"Is that him?"

"Yeah, okay, I'm going to have to filter this one on the fly."

"Can you send us the feed?"

"Yes. I think I can intercept it in Ukraine."

Hotch pulls the phone away from his ear and looks at everyone.

"He's going live."

Penelope sends the live feed through and you take a seat because you know you're going to be overwhelmed. The video starts and the unsub is practically running toward a house.

"Look at the way he's moving. He's not slow and deliberate. This guy's pissed."

"He saw the press conference," you sigh.

"Alright, what do we see? Any determining markers?"

"It's a one-story cottage."

"It could be anywhere."

"Is there a number on the house?"

"No, he's already at the door."

"Garcia?" Hotch asks and places her on speakerphone.

"He's using twice as many proxy servers."

There is a small white box behind the live footage of words coming through like a comment section on a Youtube video.

"This window here on the bottom, is that the chat room?" Emily asks.

The video switches to a camera inside the house, inside the kitchen. You're so anxious that you're bouncing your leg rapidly to try and give you something else to focus on. A woman is by her fridge looking in while the unsub enters her back door.

"There she is."

"He's in the house, guys."

"He's completely changed his MO. It is way too early. There's too much light. What happened?" Derek asks.

"Someone asked the wrong question at the press conference," JJ answers.

"Turn around," you whimper. "Please just turn around."

The man gets closer to her. The camera keeps switching angles from inside the kitchen, inside the dining room looking into the kitchen, and the POV camera on him.

"Maybe she can fend him off."

"She has new kitchen appliances. Can we track them through work orders?" Spencer asks.

"He'll be gone by then."

"Garcia, give us something," Hotch urges.

"I'm stateside now. I'm almost to Idaho. I just need more time."

"You're not gonna have it."

"Yes, I will. I will," Pen panics.

The unsub reaches the woman and begins strangling her on live video. You put your thumbnail in your mouth and begin biting it while still bouncing your leg. You can't seem to look away.

"Forget the unsub. Can you run a trace on everybody in the chat room?" Hotch asks.

"I can't do both, sir. Let me do this."

"Garcia, tag the viewers. That's an order."

It's too late. She's already dying. Tears are rolling down your cheeks but you don't make a sound. She gasps for breath but stops fighting him off. She's losing. She's dying... She's dead. Penelope quietly gasps and you wipe your tears.

"Penelope, don't do that to yourself. I know what you're thinking. It's not your fault."

She appreciates your comfort but she doesn't believe you.

x

Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[p5x-theories]

New Futaba promo video!

Futaba Sakura - A highly capable "hacker girl" A girl one year younger than Joker. She has extraordinary computing power and genius-level programming skills, but is not very good at communicating with others. In addition, she was once involved in an incident and stayed at home. She met Joker and his group by chance and awakened her Persona ability.

[hand-written-dreams]

CRIMSOM SHADE

Part I

Prologue

The Monster in the Shadow

How can such an innocent women have

Such dangerous hands?

- ( The song of the Chapter is "Dangerous Hands" by Austin Giorgio.

2 Weeks ago

A shadow loomed in the dark stillness of the night.

A pair of eyes gleamed.

The eyes of a predator.

Eyes like fire and thunder, laced with venom.

Multiple computers flickered to red all of a sudden. Someone had dared to invade the monster's lair. He was at once thrilled and in awe of the audacity of the intruder, "TheSwallow."

TheSwallow had breached the first layer of firewall the monster had built around his empire of dark web.

And the monster was no stranger to TheSwallow.

He knew her.

He had stolen from her.

How did the monster know the intruder was a "her"? Experience. Years of navigating in the dark corridors of hacking taught him to distinguish between a "he" and a "she". The "she"s usually had a specific style in writing code. These codes in his screens were so damn gorgeous to be written by a man.

The "she"s were very rare in the hacker business, but when there was a "she", it was a fucking spectacle to behold.

Just like what's transpiring right now.

The monster could kiss her dainty little fingers for the show she was putting on. So sexy, so sensual.

A smile curved in the corner of his lips.

His smile was a blade wrapped in silk.

A sinister mixture of danger and delight.

It was time to lay a trap for the little bird. Let’s see how the swallow fared in the sky of the eagles.

Chapter 1

A Serpent in the Eagle's Den

Did you really think

I'd just forgive and forget.

- ( The song of the Chapter is "I see red" by Everybody loves an outlaw)

TheShadowMonster

It's the name she hates the most in the whole universe right now. Who is TheShadowMonster? She doesn't know. No one knows. He is a notorious hacker on the dark web, the lord of that shadowy world. Hackers all over the globe admire him, some worship him and others wet their pants at the mere mention of his name. He is a name of admiration, reverence, and fear in their world.

Khushi Sen Gupta used to admire him, even worshipped him in certain weak moments, but not anymore. Right now, she hates his guts.

TheShadowMonster is a thief.

He has no morals.

As if growing up in a notorious mafia family in Kolkata wasn't bad enough, now she has to deal with this setback in her secret life as well.

Yes, Khushi Sen Gupta is a hacker.

A highly proficient one.

A childhood full of mommy issues and daddy issues does that to you, when you find computers more emotionally available to you than your own parents.

And, Khushi Sen Gupta is a born genius. She discovered the language of computers when she was 8 years old, and since then, she never looked back.

Her father, Sashidhar Sen Gupta is the Deputy Commissioner of Police in Kolkata. Behind that badge, he is also the most corrupt in the country's history, not that anyone knows about his crimes. He is a member of 'The Serpents,' one of the three families that established the mafia in this country in the fifties.

The infamous 'Triad.'

Three powerful families came together to form an organized mafia syndicate that have been dominating the country for decades. These families swore to follow the laws laid down by The Godfathers and to stand by each other in times of need.

In every family, there’s The Boss, often called The Godfather, the unquestioned head who rules the entire empire. Just beneath him is The Underboss, The Heir, waiting in the shadows to take the throne. On par with the Underboss in power is The Consigliere, the trusted advisor who, though not bound by blood, holds the family's fate in his hands.

Beneath this triad of authority are the captains, who oversee specific operations and territories, managing their own teams to ensure the family's orders are executed with precision. At the end of the food chain are the foot soldiers, who carry out day-to-day tasks on the streets.

When territories were being distributed, the then head of the Serpents, Samol Kumar Jha, claimed West Bengal and its borders. They started operating from there. The Sen Gupta family had the honor of being The Consiglieri of The Serpents from the very beginning and they have held that position ever since.

A Consigliere is someone who is not related to the family by blood.

An outsider to the family,

But not an outsider to the mafia society.

He offers legal and financial counsel to The Boss while shielding them from impending threats.

That is Khushi's father now.

The Consigliere of the Serpents.

The Serpents have been ruling West Bengal for decades, but a few years ago, they moved to Delhi when The Boss of that time, Prakash Narayan Jha, decided to dip his toes into politics. As a result, the Sen Gupta household also relocated to Delhi. Even after The Boss was mysteriously murdered, they didn't move back. The Serpents now operate their business in Kolkata from Delhi, as the brother of the deceased boss took over that part of the business a few years ago, giving The Heir a chance to pursue his other interests. The Heir wants to venture into even more dangerous games.

The Politics.

The son of the deceased boss, Shyam Manohar Jha, is eager to try his luck in the political arena, just like his father.

People call him "The Viper".

A fitting description of his nature.

The second family of The Triad is the Mumbai Wolves. As the name suggests, Mumbai is their territory. Khushi knows very little about them. She never had to. In her entire 22 years of life, she hasn't crossed paths with any of them. But she could vaguely recall that the boss's daughter was killed last month, brutally and brazenly, in broad daylight, such an insult to the power the Wolves possessed. The news sent shockwaves through the underworld, leaving everyone on edge and wary of a brewing storm ahead.

And the last but not the least, the most notorious of them all.

The Black Eagles.

Here she stands, right in the heart of their territory.

It’s not that people from one family can’t visit another’s territory. The Serpents have basically been living in Delhi, which is the Black Eagles' domain, for the past two decades. However, a rule has been established. The Serpents can’t meddle in The Eagles' affairs. So, Khushi being here wouldn’t be an issue if it weren’t for two facts, first, the Serpents and the Black Eagles don’t see eye to eye, and second, she came here to stick her tiny nose in their business.

The serpents and the Eagles are enemies, they have been for a long time, bound by a fragile alliance that forces them to tolerate one another. What turned once-friends into bitter foes? That’s a long story, one best saved for another time. For now, there's a more pressing issue to focus on.

Her whereabouts.

Fuck, Fuck, Fuck.

It is a mistake.

It can't be nothing but a mistake.

A grave one in nature.

Entering enemy territory like this!

But it is a mistake she has to make.

There's a party going on, a costume party with masks, nonetheless. At least it will be a tad bit easier to hide her identity.

The knives strapped to both of her thighs are biting into her skin, adding an extra notch to her already frayed nerves.

Ignoring the pain in her thigh, Khushi simply observes the scene in front of her. She has been preparing for this night for days. She has meticulously transformed her appearance for the evening. The long black sleeveless gown conceals the knives. She's paired the dress with a simple black lace mask. Her dark hair is curled into long waves with lips painted a vivid red.

It is anything but her.

But it is absolutely essential for her plan to remain unrecognizable.

She forces herself to maintain an air of nonchalance. She feigns drinking from the wine glass in her hand, but her eyes are locked on the crowd, never losing focus. A few sips of the drink might have soothed her jittery nerves, yet she refrains. A crystal clear focus is more crucial than any illusion of liquid courage.

The party is being held in the sprawling lawn of a grand mansion owned by a businessman associated with the Black Eagles. The mansion comes alive with the vibrant energy of the party, where twinkling fairy lights drape the trees, casting a warm glow across the night.

Laughter and music fill the open space, a lively symphony of chatter and clinking glasses. Guests mingle in elegant attire, their faces hidden behind an array of intricate masks, each more ornate than the last.

The scent of fresh blooms from the immaculately manicured hedge fills the air. She scans the softly glowing lawn area from the shadows of one of those hedges, observing faces she recognizes from the news over the years. She watches as the soldiers of the Eagles parade around with women mostly decorating the arms of the men they are with, just like those lavish centerpieces, adorning the beautifully arranged tables.

"Mr.Rathore, so nice to see you."

A man's loud greetings draw her attention. Khushi studies the man being greeted. He stands tall, his slender yet agile frame filling out the sharp lines of his tailored suit, a classic black that contrasts with his neatly combed white hair. The burden of age is visible on his face, etched deeply with wrinkles.

Vikrant "the Butcher" Singh Rathore.

The Boss of The Black Eagles.

Everyone in her world has some sort of crimson stain on their hands. But his hands bear the darkest stains of blood, deeper and more haunting than anyone else, the darkest shade of crimson.

They call him "The Butcher" for a reason.

His cold-blooded attitude is a thing of admiration in their world. Khushi has been around men like him in her life long enough not to let that shake her, or at the very least, to ensure none of it betrays her perfectly stoic face, carefully honed through years of practice.

Standing beside him is his son, the Prince of the Rathore Empire, Akash Singh Rathore. A tall, leanly built, lanky man. His role within the Eagles is still uncertain. Rumor has it that the Junior Rathore wants to leave the mafia world, not a promising prospect for the Rathore family, with an heirless empire hanging in the balance.

Those men in the eastern corner of the lawn care very little about the masquerade, standing barefaced while others conceal themselves behind masks. Good for Khushi. Nonetheless, she has studied them so much over the past few days that she will recognize them anywhere whether masked or unmasked, veiled, or unveiled.

Khushi finally lets herself take a little sip of the red liquid for the first time that night. The bitterness of the wine burns her throat, a spark compared to the burning hate prickling her skin as her eyes wander to the man who stands silently beside Junior Rathore.

The man she has come here for.

Arnav Singh Raizada.

The Consigliere of the Black Eagles.

The Vulture.

Her eyes trace over him, lingering on every detail. He stands tall in an all-black suit. The black shirt underneath has its top three buttons open in absence of a tie. His black hair is slightly messy, as if he has just run his fingers through it. He has his gaze fixed on the man in front of him with the most bored, expressionless face she has ever seen. It’s hard to see his eyes from this distance.

But she knows they are brown.

Light chocolate brown.

Like caramel and chocolate mixed together, sprinkled with a hint of orange and green if you get the right angle.

Eyes like shadow and flame.

Eyes that could kill you, literally and figuratively.

She's observed pictures of him in great detail, just for research purposes to be absolutely clear.

Purely and absolutely.

Not because she finds him attractive or anything. Like right now, she can't take her eyes off the handsome man, not because his well-built body is flexing in all the right places as he shakes someone's hand, but because of the stories she has heard of him over the years since he returned from the States seven years ago.

The words have it that after Senior Rathore's retirement, he will be the boss of The Black Eagles, not Junior Rathore. They say Vikrant Singh Rathore favors Mr. Raizada over his own son. In parts, Mr. Raizada even bears a closer resemblance to Senior Rathore than to his own father.

Arnav "The Vulture" Singh Raizada.

He is The Vulture among The Eagles.

In the mafia world, he is known as 'the vulture'. Whereas in the business world, people refer to him by the acronym, ASR. He is the son of the former consigliere of The Black Eagles, Arvind Singh Raizada. Arvind Singh Raizada and Vikrant Singh Rathore were best friends. After Arvind was murdered, his wife tragically ended her life by taking matters into her own hands. Soon after that, Senior Rathore sent the only surviving Raizada to the USA to study at Harvard.

At the age of 25, Mr. Raizada took over the reins of Rathore Industries. It primarily consists of high-end fashion houses, garment factories, and various other business ventures. He transformed the once-dying company into a Fortune 500 corporation. People say his net worth is over 500 million dollars, with some even claiming it is more.

But the more impressive thing is how he got his nickname. He cleared away all their illegal affairs and whitewashed all of their black money, giving them the squeaky clean reputation in the entire mafia world in the police database. Under the shade of the massive wings of The Vulture, The Eagles can now easily operate their business without any hitch.

Such a waste of a Harvard education, Khushi huffs.

There's a saying in her world that became popular in the last few years, "When the vulture surrounds you, try not to die."

He has the reputation of being the deadliest Eagle of them all, the most predatory. He rarely goes on a hunt though, but when he does, it's said to be over in the bat of an eye.

He goes straight for the jugular.

No distractions.

No playing around with the prey.

But no one ever saw him in action. Her bodyguard-turned-driver, Mohan, thinks they are all just rumors The Eagles have spread to instill fear among the masses regarding the next in line.

She fakely smiles at a waiter who offers her some desserts. Slightly raising her wine glass, she pretends to take a sip once again. She keeps her inspection ongoing from under the rim of her glass. She is right. Mr. Raizada does run his fingers through his hair a lot. The tattoo on his hand catches her eye.

He has a tattoo of a swallow on his right hand. Her favourite bird.

She even named her hacker ID "TheSwallow." She yearns for the freedom of the bird and wants to fly away to a far-off land one day. She doesn't want to be frowned upon like the peacock or the swan. She wants to be free, lost in the crowd like a normal human, not caged away in a castle.

She feels bad for the bird inked into his skin. Such a pretty bird to be trapped on the hand of such a despicable man. Just as he has caged the swallow forever in his skin, The Vulture has robbed her of her freedom as well.

She worked tirelessly throughout her years at IIT Delhi to gather information and evidence about the crimes committed by his father and the Serpents, so that by the end of her graduation, she could share them with the police in exchange of protection and escape from the country. She also coded a deadly virus that could evade any high-end security system, which she intended to sell on the dark web for a high price. But as she was transferring the data to the CBI, it stopped at the 10% mark, and all her data and the virus she created were gone. Abso-fucking-lutely gone. Not a single file remained on her computer. To make matters worse, her computer was formatted.

She was hacked by none other than TheShadowMonster. Why did the infamous hacker in the history of all hackers need to target someone like her? She has no idea. She was in the dark then, and she’s still in the dark now. She doesn't care about the 'why's, 'how's, or 'who's anymore.

She only knows that the information he has hacked is dangerous. It can demolish the entire mob world if it falls into the wrong hands. They can use it as leverage against the mob families, especially the Serpents, to achieve anything. And it has ended up in the worst hands possible.

The hands of an enemy.

She has been tracking the data and TheShadowMonster relentlessly for the past few days. She even managed to hack TheShadowMonster's server. All of this tracking has led her to Mr. Raizada. TheShadowMonster has sold the information to him. She discovered text messages, transactions, and every detail that pointed to the fact that the information was sold to Mr. Raizada in exchange for a huge amount of money.

And with that, all her escape routes have been blocked. She is trapped in this hellhole.

However, the thing is she can't stay in Delhi any longer. She can't afford to wait to collect more information against them as the day of her wedding approaches rapidly. She needs to retrieve the information tonight, at any cost, from none other than Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada.

She is going to kill The Vulture.

She knows it seems foolish and utterly illogical, but she has no other choice. Either she will kill him and obtain the information, or he will kill her and put her out of her misery. Either way, she will be free.

There is one more reason behind her desire to eliminate The Vulture.

Her only friend from university, despite her father's hovering and overprotectiveness, has vanished after the hacking incident. She doesn't want to assume the worst, but her efforts to track him down and her inquiries among other students led nowhere. Neil Kashyap, whom she calls NK, has vanished without a trace. She knows NK can remain untraceable if he wants, as he is skilled with computers and adept at erasing his online tracks as well. But Khushi is Khushi. She discovered a number NK shared text messages with before his disappearance, and that number belongs to Mr. ASR.

Khushi doesn't have time to cry over her pathetic life or the fact that she befriended someone sent by The Eagles to keep an eye on her. She not only befriended him but also made him her best friend for life.

The pathetic, lonely, friendless life that she has.

That is indeed a solid reason to kill Mr. Raizada, for giving her a best friend and then snatching it all away.

Author's note:Thank you for reading! Don't forget to leave your thoughts, I love hearing what you think! Stay tuned for more!

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@featheredclover @arshifiesta @phuljari @jalebi-weds-bluetooth @chutkiandchotte @arshisrabbaves @titaliya

[stormdash2]

If the Freedom Fighters were in IDW Sonic.

One thing I like to wonder is what it would be like if The Freedom Fighters were in IDW Sonic. While the IDW comics are meant to be more in line with the games, that doesn't mean that the Freedom Fighters can't find their place.

Honestly, if the Diamond Cutters can be featured in IDW, I see no reason why the Freedom Fighters can't be as well.

Sally Acorn. She won't be a Princess like Archie, but she can be introduced as the daughter of Knothole's Mayor, giving her political ties. Knothole would be less of a hiding place and more where Sally grew up.

She'd have martial arts capabilities and be handy with tech. She could even use her ring blades from the Reboot to help her in battle.

Just to get this out of the way. Sonally may not be a thing in IDW like it was in Archie. At most I can see Sally having a one-sided crush. It probably won't go anywhere, it'd just be a neat callback, but their friendship would remain just that, unless Sega ever okays the couple.

Sonic won't be a Freedom Fighter, and neither would Tails for that matter. He may not be childhood friends with Sally either. They'd meet as teens and build a friendship from there. Sally could have heard of Sonic at least, or maybe she saw him in passing, but that's it.

Nicole wouldn't be an AI, she'd be fully Lynx. I can see her being a tech assistant though, or even a master hacker. Maybe even a teleportation device to have her transported anywhere to pay homage to her old abilities.

She and Sally could be childhood friends. But I'd go a step further and make them stepsisters. This takes inspiration from used SatAM concepts.

There Sally and Nicole were childhood friends until Nicole's brain was transplanted into the computer. When she got her body back, she was a kid, so Sally became like a mother to her. So Sally being the protective big sister works for her character.

We can go further and have her be rather introverted, and more likely to communicate through radio or a hologram than in person.

Bunnie Rabbot wouldn't be a cyborg. I can see her going the Iron Man route and just using mechanical limbs to fight. It'd be both arms and legs. She'd also be a childhood of Sally, and the first to want to go on an adventure with Sonic and Friends.

The cyborg thing is cool and all, but that would require a whole new backstory since roboticization isn't a thing this time around. It can be done, but I am sticking to this route.

If anything, you can say she needed the robotic limbs because she was paralyzed, so she can still be flesh and blood, but still not fully functional.

I can see her potentially bonding with Tails, as he may take a liking to her robotics, and she'd find his genius mind charming. He might even put his own spin on things and build a close bond with one another.

Antoine would be a guard working for Sally's father. He might be updated to having a Wispon, but still with sword like abilities.

Honestly I'd rather he just have the sword but in this type of world, he'd likely be armed with a Wispon, so it'd be the best of both worlds.

I can see him dating Bunnie, or at least flirting with her, but not actually married to her yet. He'd be between comedic coward and brave fighter.

Rotor would be a mechanist, and likely the one arming everyone. Sally's Ring Blades, Bunnie's Robotic Suit and maybe even working on custom Wispons.

He would likely build his own weapons to fight, if need be, but also much more comfortable as the support guy than a fighter.

I imagine he could have some natural strength, so he'd be able to destroy a badnik if need be, without tools.

As a whole, the Freedom Fighters concept comes from their introductory arc where it's revealed they fought together during the Phantom Ruby Incident to liberate Knothole.

They probably didn't really do much damage to Infinite, and most likely just played defense to keep people safe. But they were determined to keep their home free from Eggman's rule.

In this continuity, they'd be more side characters though, and not in every arc afterwards. They could have cameos like appearing in the Restoration, maybe even befriending Tangle, Whisper, Lanolin and Jewel, but that's it.

Like The Chaotix, the Freedom Fighters will appear when needed, and would likely not recruit any game characters.

Bonus character, one of two. If Fiona Fox were to return, she'd have her original role as a medic like she did in the old Archie days.

She could be sassier, akin to her Destructix Days, but this time around, Fiona's purely on the good side. Any sassy remarks could be her either playful, or she just gets annoyed and is more likely to tell you off.

No bad history with Sonic, and her interactions with him and Tails are sassy but respectful. She has no feelings for Sonic, and she's kind to Tails but may be the first to call him nerdy if he acts in such a way.

Any trauma she had could have been due to what Infinite did to Knothole, but this time around, she works on it and doesn't let it consume her like the old Archie days. It'd be her personal character arc.

Bonus character, two of two. If Mina Mongoose returned, she would be more of an aspiring Pop Idol, and working with the FF to achieve that goal to spread Kindness in the world with her music.

She could provide some meta regarding official Sonic songs, it'd be a better way to work them in than just having characters quote them and potentially ruining a mood.

Also, no drama with Sonic either. She never had a major crush on him, she just finds him cool and appreciates him as a Symbol for Freedom.

She probably won't have her super speed this time around, but she'd be fine regardless. If anything, she can fight with a Wispon.

So yeah, this is how I would bring the Freedom Fighters back to IDW. Not to turn Sonic into an Avengers Comic, or to put him and Tails in an official team, but to just add a little bit of depth to their world.

It's still Sonic's story, the Freedom Fighters are just playing their part in it, just like any other character. It'd be a fun addition to the comics, so long as it's done right. Maybe one day.