#god this bit is so erik-coded

[coffee-writesthings]

There are gaping plot holes in one of my fics and they have implications this is UNACCEPTABLEEEE

[polydamnory]

⚠️Something's Wrong Spoilers⚠️

"They don't need to accept you-" YAH, I DON'T THINK THEY AGREE, JAMIE! Asset baby you deserve so much better than what the world keeps throwing at you.

Anyways, some take aways!

"The worst of us" is an accurate way to describe Marcus, thank you James

We don't really know what the Asset's sense of self was like before Marcus' code overtook them, but god do they sound like they have very little of it now. A "mockery of personhood" - it sounds like the've just become overwhelmed with self doubt and possibly self hatred (I'm assuming those were their words because it doesn't feel in character of James to essentially put those words in their mouth)

IF THAT'S FUCKING YOU MARCUS I SWEAR TO GOD-

Also what's with that weird music/sounds in the background during the call? Have we heard this before and I'm just not picking up on it?

Wow James is on edge - why does he sound so accusatory towards them? The frustration is palpable. He also sounds weirdly arrogant at times? This feels different than how he normally speaks to them.

The Meridian does NOT like the Asset - really just called them a fake and dropped them like a bag of rocks. Also, this could just be that Erik couldn't get the other VAs in time, but this doesn't sound like Min'Ara or E’Laetum. It's also only one voice and the transcript specifically lists the character talking as "Meridian". So who exactly is this? Does the Meridian have a consciousness outside of the two sovereigns that make it up? Because it also kind of sounds a bit like the Drove (is that the term? for all the other sovereigns trapped in death?)

Odd how James specifically says to have all the Deltas (demons) put back in containment when he said earlier only some of them were there via compulsion. Has some kind of fucked up implications on how the department treats even the demons that work for them of their own volition.

And lastly, as a phone was for some reason heard ringing again, I distinctly heard a whispered voice say "wake up" once again. No theories here on why that keeps getting repeated - the only idea I have is that this one of those classic "but it was all a dream" twists but that's stupid and I refuse to believe that's the explanation for all this.

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: Warfare

It is a truly remarkable thing that happens when real stories about war are translated to film in a way that is not grandiose or spectacle driven. Its the intense and horrific nature of violence that bores from both sides of the conflict. The true stories of the survivors is where you get the human connection within the fog of war and the truly heroing experience they go through. Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down, Jarhead and 1917 are in my opinion, the cinematic definition of being right there on the ground with the heroes of the armed forces. Those are the most beautiful, horrific, exhilarating and tragic films that put you in their lives and not many films have achieved that level intimacy. This film not only matches that same level of engagement, but it lets you sit in with the soldiers in a way that hasn't been explored. The moments of intense drama and action are ear shattering, but its the moments of tension within the silence of it all and its where the film shines brightest. I have never felt so immersed in a true story like this is so long and I was actually a bit scarred by the authenticity of the events that transpired. This film truly moved me and the performances of the cast were nothing but respectful and authentic to real soldiers involved and I applaud them for that.

Will Poulter as Erik, Officer in Charge, was fantastic and his commanding presence was perfection. He carries the weight of every decision and leads with the most clear head for the majority of the film. I loved that even in the height of turmoil, he knows when to delegate powers of leadership. D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai was awesome as his right hand, Ray Mendoza, the communicator/JTAC. The accuracy of his communication language and code work was amazing and smooth. I loved the friendship between him and Erik and I loved the internal ramifications that happen mentally and physically to him when the action effects him. Its that fog of war that truly comes across his physical performance after a horrific attack. Cosmo Jarvis was great as Elliott Miller, a Corpsman/lead sniper. He gets to have the most intense moments of the film with the sniper observation scenes. The tension of his breathing was scary as he saw the many enemies preparing for the inevitable attack. To put it lightly, the man takes an insane “beating” in the film and my god was it heartbreaking. Joseph Quinn delivers a more stoic performance as Sam, the LPO. His very observant and yet quiet performance for the first half was alarming, but carried so much weight. Its the quiet and concentrated stare that illustrated how focused a soldier must be in the field. He takes an even more shocking and horrific “beating” and it was truly torturous to witness his and Elliot's pain. Michael Gandolfini was great as USMC CAPT McDonald as he was the source of the small moments of levity in the film. I loved his attentiveness to the wounded and the accuracy of how chaotic it gets. Charles Melton takes charge the moment he is on screen as Jake, Assistant Officer in Charge. He commands the situation and does the best to keep everyone focused and alive. I loved his moment the most with Erik and that scene was the definition of brotherhood. He took care of his brother in arms and his fellow service men.

The lack of score was perfect because I felt it would've significantly lessoned the tone of the film. The action in the film is shot beautifully and is so brutally relentless. The sound design of the film is truly a highlight as I said before earlier. The thunderous punch of every explosion and high caliber bullet fired is felt, but it is the silence for the majority of the film that delivers the most tension and realism above all. The conversations between the teams was truly the most engrossing part of the story and it honors the real life soldiers and sacrifices. By the films end, you feel as if you were stuck in the same house as the team and your ears are still ringing. This was truly one of the best war films I've seen in a long time and definitely one of the best films of the year. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

[gingerbreadmonsters]

ENORMOUS spoilers here for the marcus + android listener series but honestly??? i have such enormous respect for mr erik redactedasmr and his absolutely EIGHTHEAD concept for this series

like genuinely this is some god tier trope subversion, and it's so refreshing and wonderful to see someone with both the talent and the confidence to create such deep, nuanced, and morally fascinating characters and storylines - and this goes for his whole universe.

it's a super simplified summary, but literally just look at this and tell me it's not so damn cool even as just a concept, let alone multiple hours of fully-scripted, voice-acted dialogue:

1. scientists make a android who is designed to be a perfected version of a human, who is aware that they are a robot, but experiences emotions in the same way as humans and feels emotionally attached to humanity

2. android falls in love with their social skills technician and refuses to give up on this wonderful feeling of love that they've never felt before

3. technician is morally torn between reciprocating, because he too has secretly fallen in love with the android but knows it's against the rules of the project, or deleting the android's ability to love him

4. psych! turns out the technician is actually more unhinged than we thought and programmed secret code in the android's head that would make them fall in love with him because he was fatally lonely - android has never existed without this obsession code and has never experienced life without it

5. technician has a morality crisis where the power of guilty conscience compels him to delete this code, but by now the android is too deeply in love with him to let him

6. technician resigns himself to the fate he created, and the two begin a secret romantic relationship

7. android becomes so obsessed with technician that he consumes almost every thought and bit of processing power they have, causing their general processes to degrade and begin to fail

8. project bosses reveal that they knew what was going on all along, and that unhinged technician had never actually needed android's permission to delete obsession programming - he simply chose to let it escalate, no matter the consequences

9. android is forcibly deactivated. fate of both android and technician currently unknown.

IS THAT NOT IMMACULATE??? IS THIS NOT INCREDIBLE??? this guy has got so much brass to pull this off and i respect him immensely. what an absolute megachad

...

[seasaltbaptism]

may i ask when it comes to marvel comics who are your favorite characters? do you have a preference for marvel or dc comics? if you had to rank your top 5 comicbook characters who would they be and why? what is something you think people misunderstand about your favorite character and/or team? <3

hi jojo! i went to go play so viddy games but i’m back! you may indeed ask!! when it comes to preference it’s probably a close tie? i do enjoy some marvel characters more than some dc characters ( see magneto, kurt , kitty, emma , deadpool, the punisher, daredevil ect. ) you ask such nice questions let’s see if i can give you succinct answers !!

top five favorite comic book characters, in no particular order.

1. magneto / erik : this man tops a lot of people’s lists i’m sure, however i really do love his core character traits and what he stood for & stands for. mainstream media demonizes erik because in my eyes they don’t want the public to realize that activism and toppling current oppressive world orders IS POSSIBLE with effort and willingness of people ( think about the inception that was the hunger games trilogy movies, how they strategically butchered it in a way where it’s core message was skewed and used as marketing , eerily similar to messages in the books ) . originally erik survived the holocaust and i like the message his original jewish creators wanted to send when making him. he is someone who never wants to see his people or any people violently oppressed and killed & movies don’t quite capture it too well ( besides some of the older original x-men movies actually ) but i resonate with him. through love and compassion and a firm hand against oppressors, uniting with people to help formulate and continue to form a better world for everyone is always worth it to me. what people misunderstand about him? portrayals have made him cruel & i think that in ways he is, he’s cold and weirdly detached but he’s also driven by love , intense love & i really wish people would remember that.

2. spider man / peter parker : once again , jewish , poor , for the people , down to earth. peter parker is a light hearted character despite who and what he’s always up against ( i’m not looking at the mcu , i’m looking a little bit at TASM and the original spider man movies. i’m peeking at them ) but i do just love how he doesn’t let the world beat him down, though it’s interesting to look at points in his comics where he IS taken to his limits. he makes me feel safe, i know he’s not real. i’d leave cool things out on my fire escape for him, he has so much genuine kindness and heart, i really adore this character and a lot of his variations ( see spider man 2099 / miles morales / spider gwen / esp 2099 ……. mmm miguel ANYWAYS ) also like parallels with venom too , love venom but imma put him in with pete bc i haven’t read too many of his comics. the mcu has misunderstood this dude a whole lot, but people tend to make him a bit too serious lately, and i enjoy diving into that side of him, but i think peter is genuinely really good at seeing the good in people / seeing ways their lives could be better if nudged onto the right path. also he doesn’t like billionaires.

3. the punisher / frank castle : i’m not a fan of a lot of his cartoon appearances and portrayals to be a cold hearted military man , as he hates cops and the military & the gov. i like his netflix show , i really enjoyed that actually. frank castle lost everyone he cares about and the media surrounding him usually never focuses on how his code makes solid differences / protects people ( except the show. god. i’m emotional. ) anyways i have a thing for characters who are emotionally destroyed but still do good bc that’s the only fucked up way they feel they can still do good. EVERYONE THINKS HES PRO COP OR PRO MILITARY OR ANTI LGBT? HES NOT? HES WITH THE LGBTS , THE GAYS , THE MINORITIES! HES NOT A RACIST EITHER! HE HATES RACISTS HE’LL MURDER RACISTS!

4. comic book scarlett witch / wanda maximoff : romani representation that’s mostly done nicely , i really actually relate to this character a lot , and find catharsis in her. she suffers greatly, probably too much, but she works her way through it, she’s powerful and kind and vengeful and angry and beautiful. she’s wise and confident and loses that and regains it, she reminds me of the wheel of fortune card in my deck, constantly embodying things that should have killed her. once again, i know she isn’t real, but i do relate to her and love to see her happy and winning, she’s brave and strong and i hate her MCU portrayal , truly, but i love her comic book self! god ok. people misunderstand her a lot, esp mcu …….she’s not ‘ i’m tired of being good >:) i wanna be a bag guy now! she’s more ‘ i loved very deeply and i cling to that because i cannot imagine who i will be if i acknowledge that what i loved is gone and i cannot get it back ‘ vs ‘ i can remake myself over and over if i need to , i contain all i need ‘

5. night crawler / kurt wagner: god. ok. his design fucks so severely i want that man to give me a hug , pick me up and spin me around , ok? did you jot that down? we got that? i know he smells nice , i know he does. his smile is so sweet to me , very playful. i enjoy how hard he works to be a good person, how he doesn’t take short cuts or let his past dictate him ( idk what the fuck was going on with his movie portrayal in those early x men movies i watched as a kid ) but in some of the animated shows and def the comics i have fallen hard for this man , i know he’s not real. i know. shh. but yes! the way he has quips too, idk i really enjoy him overcoming odds and projected bullshit he has to face, you and i just 🤝 gotta shake hands here ok we are shaking hands. hm. people think he’s naive or an idiot, they misunderstand his hope and warmth, it comes from a place of understanding hatred and choosing to rise above that, so.

( bonus!! ) 6. lanterns: i dont have a favorite lantern ( i’m lying it’s razor , hal & guy. ) but i love all my mutuals who make the lanterns more interesting than anything dc has done recently. i miss GLTAS , i miss when hal wasn’t reduced to a total dickhead , i love the headcanons that GLS are weirdly ageless and have wonky fashion sense , i love all my mutuals art and stuff i just love it. i loe space adventures i love fucked up shit going on out there in the big old galaxy. i love razor bc of GLTAS and his development, i miss him and IO and i hope he’s doing ok. but yes! this subgroup of heroes ( i also miss when dc didn’t make them a weird military thing and i love reminding people it’s an honor based volunteer service only given to those as highest honor. lol ) omg ppl stop saying they’re the military shut the fuck up theyre gays in space!

[nahimjustfeelingit-writes]

Life size mannequin.

Erik’s girl uses him as a mannequin but Erik takes it too far and it back fires.

If you were to ask Y/N how she gets everything done she wouldn’t be able to give you a straight forward answer. Juggling school, a full time job, and a side hussle isn’t for the delicate and inadequate. Staying up until 2 AM with flash cards sprawled out on the living room table and a ratty mannequin head between her legs every night, Y/N fights much needed rest to recharge for the next days events. That’s not the only thing her teeming life has to offer. Y/N’s new boyfriend, Erik would be seen as a distraction to some but she can hold her own without slacking on her studies, missing a days work, or forgetting to do a clients hair. He’s handsome, fun, intriguing, smart, and that dick...it needs its own SSN and certificate. It’s own area code even. If she had to admit it, whenever her mind drifted to their bodies tangled in her sheets, moaning and groaning, she lost focus just a little bit.

Y/N is off on a Friday for once and instead of catching up on rest, Y/N decided to use her entire day making a closure wig for a friend and client. It’s a 24 inch body wave natural black lace frontal. No shedding, very soft, bouncy, with overall great quality. If only her lousy mannequin head would keep still!!! Y/N gave up after the mannequin head slipped from her grip. She usually has a wig stand with a mannequin head attached to the end but all of them are covered with other wigs that didn’t need to be ruined. The old fashioned way brought her back to how frustrating it was to practice. And to make things worse, Erik is strolling back and forth in front of her naked after his shower and completely ignoring her closet stocked with plenty of towels. When he stopped in front of her, his strapping thighs and that lethal weapon dangling she felt her face grow warm and her belly grow butterflies.

“You’re not helping, jerk,” Y/N said as she continued sewing. She was almost finished.

“I haven’t seen you in a few days and the one time I have a chance to spend time with you, this is what you do.”

“This wig is past due, Erik. I was supposed to get this to her two days ago. Thank God she had some shit going on herself otherwise I would be losing a client.”

Erik gave up trying to seduce Y/N and grabbed a pair of briefs from his travel bag.

“Whatever, you owe me some after this,” Erik sat down on the bed, leaning on one elbow, “You really into this.”

“And?” Y/N sassed.

“I’m just saying. Why not be a full time hair stylist?”

“Because I don’t want to do this for a living. Why else would I be in school for something that has nothing to do with hair? It’s just money to make on the side.”

The mannequin slipped again and Erik burst out laughing.

“I wanna see you try it since you find my struggle funny.”

“Oh, you don’t want me to do it I’ll fuck that whole wig up.”

Y/N ignored his smart remark.

“I’ll come over there and mess that shit right up and make you start over.”

“Erik, I’m not in the mood right now leave me alone,” Y/N cut her eyes at him, “Try me if you want I will take the end of this needle and dig it in one of them keloids. Make it pop like bubble wrap, think I’m playing.”

“You forget you’re talking to someone with a pain kink. Why you think my pain receptors fucked up?”

“So, you mean to tell me, if I boil some hot water right now and pour it on your leg...you wouldn’t feel pain?”

Erik frowned his face into a mug at Y/N as he cocked his head back. The widening of his eyes is what made her giggle.

“You don’t know how to love me all you wanna do is hurt a nigga. What is wrong with you?”

“I’m only messing with you—”

“No you’re not. If I say some shit you don’t like I get slapped upside my head. If I want to be in a playing mood you threaten me with that little fist of yours. Just admit it, you enjoy tormenting me.”

“You’re so Goddamn dramatic,” Y/N tilted her mannequin head forward, “Can you do me a huge favor?”

“If it involves getting up off this bed the answer is fuck no,” Erik said while lying on his back now with his legs hanging over the edge of the bed.

“I already know you’re about to say no but...I want you to let me use you as my mannequin.”

“Huh?”

The way his voice rose an octave has Y/N laughing.

“Can you let me put this wig on you so I can finish this?”

Erik’s brows shot up as his eyes landed on her, “Why? So you can sneak and take a picture? I’m not falling for that.”

“Erik c’mon now. I just need your head for a second and that’s it.”

“I can think of other ways you can use my head but instead you wanna put some weave on me.”

Erik sat up and swung his legs around to face Y/N. Erik leans forward on his knees, staring at the wig with a steady blink.

“What size is that shit anyway? You know I have locs so...how the hell is that supposed to fit on my head?”

“I’ll just...fit it over that pineapple on top of your head.”

“Jokes,” Erik reached up and took out the elastic band that held his tapered locs. Shaking his head, his locs fell over his eyes, “I’m not putting that on my head.”

“Not even for me?” Y/N pouts, “Not your favorite girl?”

“I know you, Y/N. You’re gonna put that shit on my head, take a picture, and post it. I’m not falling for the shit. I told you that.”

“Whatever. You got a big ass dome anyway and this wig is average size.”

“Now you’re tryna clown me?” Erik said with a half smirk on his full lips flashing a bit of his gold canines.

“It’s like...mad wide from front to back...no wonder you keep your hair long—”

“I know you ain’t talking shit with that ginormous ass forehead, girl.”

“I thought you said all the fine girls got big foreheads?” Y/N bat her lashes at Erik.

“That’s what’s helping you out. First time I saw you I was thinking damn, this bitch got a big ass forehead. And don’t think I forgot about how you played me when you sent that cropped picture.”

“Boy, fuck you!!” Y/N shouted over Erik’s laughter.

“I was—I was looking at the picture like where the rest of her face go?!”

Y/N glared at Erik as he dissolved into laughter.

“It’s really not that funny. Now are you gonna help me or not?!”

“Aight, I’ll do it this one time.” Erik sat up with one hand resting against his abdomen while the other wiped away tears, “Where do you want me?”

“On the floor between my legs, DUH where the fuck else would you be?”

He began dying laughing again from Y/N’s obvious annoyance. Erik took his place on the floor while Y/N climbed behind him onto the bed with each leg dangling on either side of him. Y/N takes the wig from the mannequin and before she placed it on Erik she tilted his head back more for easier access. Grabbing the half-done wig, Y/N fluffed out the ends before arranging it over Erik’s locs. Even at their short length it was a challenge to fit the wig the way she needed it.

“Can you PLEASE keep still?” Y/N prompted.

“I’m not even moving. This wig just don’t fit.”

Y/N applied force and wiggled it over his locs causing Erik’s head to rock back and forth aggressively. He growled before reaching behind him to grab her hands. The wig looked much shorter on him in the back from how prominent his back and shoulders are. Erik turned to face her with his lips tight and face frowned, the wig making him look ridiculous and silly. Y/N folded her lips into her mouth but the urge to laugh caused her cheeks to puff out.

“If only you knew how tight my fucking head feels right now. I can’t even smile without this shit feeling like my scalp is being pulled. This better come off when we’re done or that’s your ass.”

“Erik, turn around. I only have one section to do and then you’re free. Next time, don’t ask me to help you with shit if you’re gonna act like this.”

Erik sucked his teeth and faced forward so Y/N could continue. He lowered his head so she could work on the back area.

“Can I ask you something, babe?” Y/N said.

“What?” Erik replied.

“Do you mind modeling this for me—”

“See, I knew this shit—”

Erik stood up before Y/N could wrap her arms around him. He walked over to the full body mirror in her room to look at himself and that’s when he couldn’t hold back his own laughter.

“Yo, what the fuck do you have on my head!” Erik played with the strands while turning his head from side to side, “I look like James Brown, AYE!!!!”

Y/N was in stitches when he mimicked James Brown in the mirror. She fell back against her bed hollering from the way he looked.

“Nah, I’m not drunk right now I need to be drunk to enjoy this,” Erik leaned into the mirror, “I look better than half the bitches that come in here to get their hair done. Let me find out.”

“You are so STUPID!!!!” Y/N yelled between giggles.

“I’ll be back,” Erik left the room with the wig swaying from side to side since it wasn’t fully secure.

“Where are you going?!” Y/N shouted from the bed.

Erik didn’t respond to her loud voice. When he returned two minutes later he had a cup in one hand and his bottle of Hennessy in the other. Erik sat both the cup and the bottle on Y/N’s cluttered dresser to make himself a drink.

“This was supposed to be a quick thing now you’re drinking.”

Y/N watched Erik from her relaxed spot on the bed. Erik took two sips of his drink before standing in front of her mirror again.

“What are you doing?!”

Y/N couldn’t even finish her words when Erik started shimmying his shoulders and snapping his fingers to a soundless beat. Hooting with laughter Y/N could feel wetness on her cheeks.

“IM DONE!!!”

“This shit give bad bitches super powers.” Erik said

“Let me find out you wanna wear a weave now.” Y/N jokes.

Erik brought his cup to his lips and drank more Hennessy while moving his hips. This was too good not to get a video. With Erik being his usual silly self, Y/N snatched up her phone from the floor before pulling up her Instagram to record him. On her story, Y/N focused the camera on her boyfriend when he started singing the lyrics to Lady Marmalade.

“Gitchi gitchi, ya ya, da da. Gitchi gitchi, ya ya, here!!”

“Oh my God!!” Y/N cried out with a chuckle before ending the video. She uploaded it to her story before quickly tossing her phone towards the end of the bed.

“Creole Lady Marmalade!!!!!!!!”

“You hardly had anything to drink and you’re acting like this? Lord.”

“Aight, I’m done for now,” Erik made his way back over to Y/N with his cup, “put on a movie or something.”

“Ohhhhhh!!! So you’re asking me to pick this time?! I get to make a decision, Erik?! Wowwwwwwwww!!!”

“Girl, shut up.”

Y/N chose a random movie for background noise while she finished. She was surprised at how content he was and it made her consider asking him to help more in the future. It was fun and it made her laugh. That’s one thing about Erik that she adores. He matches her sense of humor. Y/N heard a vibration and when she glanced over to look at her phone the screen is still black. Between her legs she could see Erik staring at a text message from his Lock Screen

“What the fuck is this nigga talking ‘bout.”

“Erik keep still—”

“Nigga who is Miss Man?!”

Y/N paused to peer over Erik’s shoulder.

“This nigga just called me Miss Man from Scary Movie.”

Erik tapped on the microphone on his keyboard to speak.

“Who the fuck randomly texts somebody that at 11 PM? Fucking weirdo ass nigga. Let me find out you want Miss Man for yourself.”

“Who is Miss Man— OH! The PE teacher that was sniffing the underwear?!!! hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!”

“This nigga...he said all you need is the underwear, skirt, nails, and makeup—wait.”

“And some long ass balls!!” Y/N snickered.

Erik whipped his head around and when Y/N met his fiery eyes she swallowed her laugh and it left an uncomfortable lump in her throat.

“Did you post me online wearing this wig, Y/N?”

“No.”

“I’m gonna ask you again. Did you post me online in this wig?

“Mm—mm. I did no such thing.”

“Then let me see your phone.”

Erik reached out for Y/N’s phone but she snatched it away. Erik moved his head to the side to flip some of the wig hair form his face but it fell forward again disobeying him.

“Did I? Uhhhh—OKAY OKAY!!”

It happened so fast. Erik has Y/N by the waist and up in the air.

“Yes, I did!! I’ll delete it.”

“You don’t listen to shit I tell you to do—”

“It was cute! You looked cute with it on—”

“You know what’s about to happen right?! I told you not to do that shit!”

“Erik, it’s all in fun. I’ll get rid of it—”

“That shit is embarrassing! What if I posted you online at your worse?”

“I don’t have a bad moment I always look good.” Y/N sasses.

“Says the girl that always complains about me taking off guard pics.”

“Erik, you’re not even at your worse. You act like I posted you looking bummy!”

Y/N kept her word and went to Instagram to delete. When she got there, she was met with at least ten DMs replying to her story.

Corythemua_: gurllll who is that? 👀 ooooh he is fione!!! Is he into guys?

Jermaine_87: Wtf is he doing?! 🤣🤣🤣🤣 let me text this nigga

Katriceee: how did you convince him to do this?! LOL

Amethyst1993: when he find out about this you are in trouble girl!!!

“did you delete the video yet?! Don’t let me find out it’s still there!”

“It’s gone! Happy?! What happened to being in a playing mood?!!”

“Now all my friends texting me and clowning me! You play too many games. Hurry up and help me take this shit off!”

Erik brushed some strands from his lips with his fingertips and Y/N squealed. Nothing he could say or do would make her listen. He looked absolutely hilarious with the wavy tresses of the wig moving in tandem with his brawny physique.

“Erik, I can’t take you seriously with that wig on.”

“Then take this off!!”

Erik attempts to pull it off but suddenly stops when he realizes he needs help.

“I want this shit off now, Y/N.”

“FINE! Come here.”

Y/N tapped the floor with her foot for Erik to take a seat. When he does, Y/N does the opposite of what he asks and begins to place his hair into two buns. She silently laughed behind him, praying that he wouldn’t hear her falling apart. When she was finished, Erik assumed she was done because he didn’t feel the hair tickling his skin. When he stood up to look in the mirror, Erik groaned loudly at his appearance before flexing his jaw at her threateningly to make her listen. It didn’t work at all for him. She couldn’t stop laughing.

“You look so crazy!!!!!” Y/N hugged her sides and rolled on the bed with laughter, “And that evil look is making it even funnier!!”

“I’m about to beat your ass if you don’t take this shit off!!! It wouldn’t be funny if this shit stuck now would it?!!! I gotta go to work and all that nah take this off—

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”

“Aight, are you finished?!” Erik said impatiently.

“Baby...you don’t understand...oh my God.”

“Y/N, for real, take this dumb ass wig off before I cut it off!”

“Okay okay!! Before I do...you gotta do one last thing for me...pretty please? With caramel sauce and a cherry on top? I’ll do whatever you want if you do this last thing for me.”

“.....”

“PLEASE BABY?!!”

“.....”

“Erik, look, it’ll be funny! I just want you to cat walk for me and then I’m done—”

“Ahhhhh HELL no—”

“Please—”

“For what?! So you can keep laughing?!”

“I’ll suck your dick, lick your balls—”

“Girl, that won’t work on me—”

“You sure about that?”

Y/N poked her tongue out and started doing tricks with it to show off her tongue ring. Erik’s eyes squinted at her but she could tell from his breathing that he wouldn’t be able to fight it much longer. He even said so himself that her head game makes him weak and no woman before her has ever made him weak.

“...from here to the bed and that’s it.”

Y/N smiled victoriously.

Erik placed his hands on his tapered waistline before lowering his head. Y/N could hear him silently laughing to himself before he lifted his head displaying an adorable dimpled smile. He started strutting towards Y/N with stiff hips and two left feet. All this from her flicking her tongue. Y/N stared at him with her mouth hanging open and eyes wide. He had a focused look on his face and the wig with its two buns flopped up and down messily like bunny ears. He struck a pose with his hip jutted out before he started to vogue. At that point, Y/N couldn’t take it any longer. She had to grab onto Erik so she could catch her breath. Soon, Erik’s deep laugh could be heard.

“You get on my nerves,” Erik sat beside Y/N, “now, can you take this off of me?!”

“Turn around,” Y/N took down the buns before carefully sliding the wig off from front to back, “You’re off the hook after that I’m gonna go back to using this mannequin head.”

“Yeah, finish up so I can spank that ass for posting me on social media.”

Y/N did a double take, “I’m still in trouble?!”

“Yeah, you’re not off the hook.”

The remaining time Y/N finished her clients wig, she thought up all possible ways he could punish her this time.

“Can I have a kiss?” Y/N asked with a sweet sounding voice.

“Yes,” Erik poked his thick, moist lips out and Y/N pressed her soft lips against them.

“Mmm...still in trouble, ma,” Erik whispered.

[earnestly-endlessly]

Hi, how are you? Your blog is amazing and your recommendations have already allowed me to read wonderful stories, so thank you so much! I wonder if you could suggest me any cherik fics of them as detectives? I remember reading one a long time ago, but unfortunately I don't know the name and even less the synopsis. Thank you in advance for your help.

Thank you so much @remember5novemberv for your kind words. I'm so sorry this took me so long but I hope you enjoy this list. There are some excellent detective AUs in this fandom so you're in for a treat.

Cherik Detective AUs

Their Mouths Always Lie – keire_ke

Summary: Charles adheres to most police protocols like they are a personal code of conduct. Erik gets things done and over with, for better or worse. Raven knows what she's doing, most of the time. The serial killer kills, regardless. Police AU.

Guilty by Association – Reagan

Summary: While investigating the homicide of a John Doe who he suspects might've been murdered while working the streets as a prostitute, Detective Erik Lehnsherr finds an unexpected ally in a hooker named Charles who seems as determined as he to solve the case. As they become more deeply involved both with the case and each other, there's just one thing that Charles neglects to mention -- that he's really an investigative journalist, one quickly convinced that what they're dealing with is more than simple murder. cop!Erik, fake-hooker-slash-reporter!Charles, Modern AU.

Incy Wincy Spider – Tawabids

Summary: Erik Lehnsherr is a renowned homicide detective, with his husband Charles at home and his partner on the job, Moira MacTaggert. When a twisted serial killer starts targeting mutants, Erik and Moira are the perfect team for the job, especially since Erik himself is the mutant poster-boy of an NYPD trying to improve their image.

But what they don't yet know is that the serial killer is an old soul out of Erik's past, and his next move is to pull Charles into his web.

The Theory of Partnership Dynamics – Pangea

Summary: “Detective Lehnsherr, how wonderful to see you out on the job!” The fed in the front greets him as they draw nearer. He’s shorter than the other two by a full head, and he’s beaming at Lehnsherr as if completely undeterred by Lehnsherr’s paint-peeling scowl.

“What do the feds want?” Lehnsherr asks bluntly.

“You know I can’t tell you that,” the fed answers cheerfully. Then his gaze lands on Alex, and, impossibly, his grin gets even brighter. “Did you get a new partner?"

“No,” Lehnsherr says through his teeth while at the same time Alex says, “Yes.”

Charles’ Killer – luchia

Summary: When detective Charles Xavier finds himself hunting down a vendetta-driven serial killer, it doesn't take long for him to realize he's in over his head. It only takes a little longer for him to realize his killer is, too.

Demoted – JayPendragon

Summary: Erik Lehnsherr is a detective-specialist with the NYPD Mutant Tactical Unit, ready to help out where his skills are needed. Or he would be, if he and his partner hadn’t been demoted. For the next four months, he is patrolling the Lenox Hill precinct with Azazel – if he doesn’t die of boredom first.

One night they are called in to investigate a potential case of domestic violence, yet the tenant assures them he is both alone and unharmed. However, there is something about this Charles Xavier that compels Erik to follow up.

Watching the Detectives – Clocks

Summary: Detectives Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr are good friends and colleagues. However, when they go undercover at a Christmas party to nab a prime suspect, Erik keeps reminding himself to stay professional and ignore feelings of unexpected jealousy.

Oh, Sinnerman (Where you gonna run to?) – TintagelCastle (orphan–account)

Summary: Erik Lehnsherr is one of the best homicide detectives in New York. From small time stabbings to high end mob hits, Erik (and his equally scary partner Logan) makes sure all the bad guys get caught, searching for the final clue to nail his mother's killer. As a string of murders draws the net ever tighter on Erik's life's work, he needs to catch the nightmare of his past whilst continuing to be the darling of the Force...

And so what if he's completely in love with the British guy on Forensics? Who's he ever going to tell?

Wrap up my bones – waifornight

Summary: Damaged detective Erik Lehnsherr is grimly searching for a serial killer whose victims all have extraordinary gifts. But without any clues or leads he and his partner Logan are in the dark. Until Charles Xavier, abducted by the killer, escapes. Together Erik and Charles must confront something far darker than either of them had ever imagined.

Alternate Universe loosely based off the crime movie Kiss the Girls.

I’ll see your heart (and I’ll race you mine) – sirona

Summary: For Kriminalhauptkommissar Erik Lehnsherr, this case will change everything.

Paralyzer – Yahtzee

Summary: In 1965, Erik Lehnsherr has infiltrated the NYPD for his own purposes -- but his powers make him a brilliant detective. Yet that's not why FBI agent Charles Xavier has sought him out. It's because the mysterious killer they're both trying to find is murdering people like them: other mutants.

Their search for a madman binds them together. Their inner demons may tear them apart. But the greatest danger comes when the killer they're looking for looks back.

Wrap up my bones – waifornight

Summary: Damaged detective Erik Lehnsherr is grimly searching for a serial killer whose victims all have extraordinary gifts. But without any clues or leads he and his partner Logan are in the dark. Until Charles Xavier, abducted by the killer, escapes. Together Erik and Charles must confront something far darker than either of them had ever imagined.

Alternate Universe loosely based off the crime movie Kiss the Girls.

The Long Bright Dark – lachatblanche

Summary: Ten years ago Detectives Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr closed the case on a grotesque series of murders that continue to haunt them even in the present day. When they are pulled in for questioning a decade later, they finally have confirmation of something that they have both suspected for a very long time - that there is unfinished business for them to take care of and that the case they thought they had closed so very long ago is in reality still all too open.

A True Detective AU.

Finding North – ClarkeStetler, Goosenik

Summary: Charles and Erik are (loosely) friends with benefits. They don't share personal details, last names, or anything concrete about their lives. This is ruined rather spectacularly when Charles gets recruited by the Mutant Apprehension Division of the FBI. Surprised is a bit of an understatement for their reaction to finding themselves partnered up and sent out on cases with the team.

Closer (to God) – dsrobertson

Summary: Se7en/The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo AU-ish.

Political journalist and editor, Erik Lehnsherr, has just lost £150,000 in a libel case against businessman, Kurt Marko. Down on his luck and in need of money, Erik is approached by the Metropolitan Police’s Detective Inspector Charles Xavier. Well-known for his investigative journalism, Erik is asked to help in the search for a serial killer in return for £200,000 if the killer is caught.

Wrapped up in murder, religion, and sex, Erik gets more than he bargained for.

Homo Sacer – unveiled

Summary: In a not too distant future, Detective Erik Lehnsherr meets Charles Xavier: street magician, former academician, and telepath.

One Good Day – troll_under_the_bridge

Summary: One case which is going to turn Charles' world upside down, while he struggles to pacify his boss, investigate murders and come to terms with the mess his life has become.

Playing With Fire – professor

Summary: Charles is a detective determined to catch a serial killer.

If the serial killer doesn't catch him first.

Hold on or let go – aesc, pearl_o

Summary: Teenage telepath Charles Xavier takes a job as a consultant, working with prickly police detective Erik Lehnsherr. Charles is used to being on his own and taking care of himself; he has no reason to think that his relationship with this stern, icy man is going to change any of that. (Also known as: Tough Little Baby Telepath.)

MCIS: First Case – Pookaseraph

Summary: Erik Lehnsherr considers himself a great MCIS agent, and he puts up with a lot from his boss - Moira MacTaggart - in the name of solving crimes against mutants, but he's not so sure about this new empath, Charles Xavier. Their first case together will test Erik's patience, but doubtless be the beginning of a brilliant friendship.

MCIS: Fathers, Sons, and Brothers – Pookaseraph

Summary: Alex Summers has a single case that he has obsessed about ever since coming to MCIS two years ago: Su-M-94-0708-0034, the murder of Christopher and Katherine Summers, and the presumed kidnapping and possible murder of Scott Summers. Very little evidence was found at the time, but hopefully a new team - and new leads - can shed light on the case that left Alex an orphan.

When the Crazies come to town – Chinchillaatthedisc0

Summary: Erik is a surly detective with zero people skills who has just been assigned the murder case of Kurt Marko. Prime suspect? Charles xavier. Who's no where to be found.

My old man is a bad man – faerie_ground

Summary: Sebastian Shaw dies at two am in the morning with a dagger embedded in his forehead. Detective Erik Lehnsherr is on the case, and the number one suspect is the recently widowed Dr Charles Xavier, Sebastian Shaw's husband.

Deep Cover – Subtilior

Summary: Omegas in heat? The perfect whores. Sebastian Shaw? The bastard who kidnaps them for his Hellfire Club. Erik Lehnsherr? A hard-boiled detective who's been on the Hellfire case for months. The catastrophe that unfolds when he goes in on retrieval and finds Charles Xavier still writhing in a Hellfire bed? .... Deep Cover.

A Murder of Ravens – AbandonedWorld

Summary:Charles Xavier is wrongfully accused. Erik Lehnsherr is a top-notch homicide Lieutenant who stumbles upon the case of a lifetime: a serial killer targeting mutants–and only mutants. Charles bides his incarceration waiting on a miracle, reciting Poe's timeless gem in effort to retain his sanity...

Note: Unfinished

[master-sass-blast]

This Life is Infinite: Chapter One.

OH YEAH. IT'S TIME, BITCHES!!!

Summary: The Infinity War Fic aka I do whatever the fuck I want with the Russo's canon.

Get ready for the most ambitious crossover in CHC history.

Pairing(s): Piotr Rasputin x Reader, Nathan Summers x Wade Wilson, Alexandra Rasputin x Nikolai Rasputin, and Kitty Pryde x Illyana Rasputin.

Rating: M for canon typical violence and death threats.

Word Count: 10k... oops.

Set after "Children of the Gods: Part Three."

Author's Note: Tentatively, I’m back from my hiatus. Things are nowhere near settled with my mental health, but I’m feeling well enough to post again.

I think it mostly goes without saying that updates for this series might be a little irregular going forward; not only do I need to take care of myself, but I also need to find a better balance with posting fanfiction and the rest of my life. As always, I will do my best to be clear with you all about what to expect in terms of updates and wait times.

Thank you again for your compassion and understanding.

Taglist: @marvel-is-perfection, @chromecutie, @super-darkcloudstudent, @girl-obsessed-with-things, @leo-writer, @emma-frxst, @sadstone-s

It’s not every day that mysterious, leather-clad men appear –quite literally, considering they teleported in—in your kitchen unannounced.

(Okay, perhaps they don’t qualify as “mysterious” when one of them is your dad, one of them is your brother, and the third is your uncle, but there’s a fourth man with them that you don’t recognize, so you like to think that the principle of the expression remains intact.)

You glance between Nate, Wade, your uncle, and the aforementioned unrecognized fourth man, then lift the box of cereal you’d been pouring into a bowl by way of greeting. “Breakfast?”

***

(The fourth man, as it turns out, goes by the code name “Kronos” –which, in terms of super cool code names, ranks at about an eight.)

“There’s a war coming,” Nate explains while the four of you stand around your kitchen counter. “Apocalypse is stirring. He’ll be sending his allies to Earth to initiate the first stage of the war, so that he’ll encounter less resistance when he comes to rule.”

“‘s called ‘The Decimation,’” Wade interjects as he shovels spoonfuls of Lucky Charms into his mouth. He points at his bowl, then jerks his head at the fridge. “D’ y’all have chocolate syrup?”

“Yeah, second shelf on the door.” You take another bite of your cereal, swallow, then ask Nathan, “What… what happens with ‘The Decimation?’”

“One of Apocalypse’s allies, Thanos, will arrive with his armies and generals. He’ll use his own forces to annihilate the heroes of Earth, then he’ll finish assembling the Infinity Stones and gauntlet and use them to wipe out half of all life across the cosmos.”

You purse your lips together and eye your dad warily. “If… if this was anyone other than you saying this, I’d say this all sounds like a hackneyed comic book and-or movie plot.”

“His information checks out,” Kronos says, voice low and gravelly. “Our cross-temporal intel confirms communications between Apocalypse and Thanos. We might have a few weeks to prepare for Thanos’s arrival –and that’s if we’re lucky.”

Wade snorts and mutters something that sounds suspiciously like “handwavey bullshit” under his breath.

You look to your uncle. “And you’re here because…”

“Need to talk to Xavier,” your uncle answers, “and then alert the Avengers and anyone else that can help us face Thanos.”

“Right,” you say slowly. “And you stopped here first because…”

“I was hungry,” Wade blurts as he drizzles more chocolate syrup on top of his cereal.

“You have credibility,” Nathan says while shooting Wade an equally annoyed and endeared look. “Xavier and Piotr listen to you, and the rest of the X-Men listen to them. We can’t afford to deal with a bunch of hesitating and infighting right now. We need to get our shit together and defeat Thanos, or the world as we know it is fucked.”

“Question.” Wade lifts his spoon. “Does Donald Trump die in this decimation bullshit?”

“We’ll deal with him later,” your uncle stage-whispers to Wade.

“If you’re all sure…” You wait for all four of them to nod, then sigh and shrug. “Alright. I think most of the X-Men are training right now. Let’s go talk to them.”

***

“This all sounds fucking insane.”

Wade gasps. The eyes on his mask widen as he lifts a gloved hand to where his mouth is under his mask. “James Doohan used a no-no word! My goodness gracious golly!”

Scott Summers scowls, but otherwise ignores Wade. He turns to the Professor, expression incredulous. “Do you believe… any of this?”

Xavier grimaces. “Our sources through Kronos” –he gestures to your uncle’s colleague—“have been confirming the intentions of Apocalypse for several years now. The difficulty was always in determining when Apocalypse would act, and in which timeline –though, now that we have Cable’s intel, we’ve been able to figure those two details out.”

“If Thanos is as powerful as you’re saying,” Ororo pipes up, looking at Nathan, “then how are we supposed to defeat him?”

“Any way we can,” Nathan fires back, expression grim.

“Our intel says that Thanos only has three of the six Infinity Stones, along with the gauntlet,” Kronos adds. “If we can keep the last three stones out of his hands and defeat his armies here on Earth, we’ll have better odds of facing Apocalypse down the road.”

“Right,” Jean says. “And where are the last three stones?”

“The Mind Stone is in the possession of Vision, an android created by Ultron, who now works with the Avengers,” Kronos explains. “The Time Stone is in the possession of Doctor Stephen Strange, who leads an order of sorcerers and magic users in New York. The Soul Stone… has yet to be located.”

“And we’re sure that Thanos is coming here?” Ororo asks, brows raised in skepticism.

“One of the unifying features across the pertinent timelines is a battle that takes place on Earth, specifically in the country of Wakanda,” Kronos answers. “Regardless of the other features in the timeline, there is always a major confrontation between Thanos and the forces of earth there.”

“Great,” Rogue deadpans, expression flat. “Now we just have to convince them to let us in. ‘Excuse me, your Majesty T’Challa, but there’s an evil spaceman that is collecting all powerful rhinestones and he’s going to come here to try and wipe out half of all life on Earth, so we need you to let us into your country with strict visitation policies to we can help you fight him.’ Yeah, that’ll go over real well.”

“We don’t have time to waste on sarcastic bullshit,” Nathan grits out, cybernetic eye flaring as he glares at Rogue. “We’ll handle getting the Avengers and Wakanda on board,” he says, turning to the Professor. “I take it we can trust you to get your team and Magneto collected?”

“I’ll contact Erik,” Xavier promises before looking over at your husband. “Piotr, would you mind calling your family? I believe, given the severity of the coming conflict, having as many hands as possible would be in our best interests.”

Piotr nods. “Konechno –of course.” He looks up at you from where he’s sitting, confusion clear in his sky blue eyes—

“You good to come with us?” Nathan asks, tapping your shoulder lightly to get your attention. “We’ll need help talking to Stark.”

“Huh? Uh –yeah. Sure.” You look back at Piotr; the request to ask for five minutes, just five minutes, to talk to your husband is on the tip of your tongue—

Nate tugs you –gently—a couple inches closer, then says, “Bodyslide by five.”

The room blurs, then disappears from view.

***

You’ve only bodyslid with Nathan a handful of times –and each time you do, you’re always caught off guard by how fucking weird it feels.

Your stomach lurches like you’ve just gone down the steepest drop on a rollercoaster, even though the ground remains steady beneath your feet. In a flash, there’s a brand new room in front of you –sleek, monochromatic cabinets, white marble countertops, stainless steel appliances and fixtures, the works. The space oozes sophistication, function, style –and money. So much money.

Given everything you’ve heard about Tony Stark, it makes sense.

“Deep breaths,” Nathan says. He places a steadying hand on your shoulder while you blink rapidly. “In through the nose, out through the mouth.”

You do your best to comply –though it’s a bit difficult, given that your brain is shrieking ‘sensory overload’ while trying to adjust to the new lighting, the new sounds, the sensation of having moved without really having moved at all, at least in the sense of walking or riding in a car—

And then alarms start blaring. Red lights flash, klaxons go off, the works.

Wade swears and claps his hands over his ears. “Christ! For a guy who has literal robots that can wipe his ass with dollar bills, you think he’d invest in something a little easier on the ears!”

“Wilson!” The klaxons and red lights cut out, replaced by various whirring noises and the sound of hurried, angry footsteps. “I swear to God, if you’ve hijacked one of my jets again, I’m gonna –who the fuck are all of you?”

Tony Stark looks… nothing like what you see in the papers. Granted, his face and hair look largely the same, but he’s not wearing the crisp, stylish suits that all the magazines, articles, papers, and interviews feature him wearing. He’s got on a worn, holey Metallica shirt, ripped, grease stained jeans, and a pair of scuffed sneakers that look like they might’ve been purchased ten years ago, for all that they’re barely holding together.

The army of security bots hovering and whirring around him, however, do fit his press image.

“Jon Snow!” Wade chirps, waggling his fingers at the harried “genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist.” “Long time, no talk. How’s Daenerys doing?”

“Summers, would you do me a favor and put your psychopath on a leash?” Tony asks, tone less than polite or pleasant as he focuses on Nate. “Preferably a nice short one that’s far away from me?”

“We’re here to talk,” Nathan says –though he does stop Wade from trying to play with the knives in the block on the kitchen counter. “It’s a matter of life and death. The well-being of the entire universe is at stake.”

“Yeah, been there, done that,” Tony says, looking none too impressed.

“One of your colleagues may have mentioned his name,” Kronos interjects, taking a step forward. “Does the word ‘Thanos’ ring any bells?”

Tony’s expression sobers for an instant, but he hides it quickly enough. “This is private property, and you’re all—”

A red being with a green suit and a yellow gem in the center of his forehead emerges from the floor. He places himself between Tony and the rest of you. “Would you like me to escort them out, Mr. Stark?”

“Ah, Casper the Friendly Android with No Concept of Personal Boundaries Despite the Infinite Knowledge!” Wade fires back, waving cheerfully. “How you doing, twenty-twenty?”

Vision sighs, longsuffering. “You have been expressly forbidden from these premises, Mr. Wilson.”

“Unless he’s here under my direct supervision,” Nathan fires back. “Stark, we need to talk about this—”

“Tony?” A tall, elegant woman with red hair wearing a tailored, navy blue dress walks up behind the man in question. She flashes you all a polite smile, but there’s no missing the way her gaze cautiously assesses each one of you. “I’m guessing these aren’t –oh. Wade’s here.”

Wade waves in response. “Hi, Miss Potts! How’s being a CEO?”

“It’s going very well, thank you,” Pepper replies politely –though, this time, she’s scanning the room for missing objects and-or visible damage. When nothing turns up, she looks back at Tony. “Are we escorting them out?”

“They claim to have information about the end of the world,” Tony says, tone flippant –though the grave expression on his face belies his snark. “About Thanos.”

Recognition flashes over Pepper’s face, though her polite mask never fully slips. She nods, then says, “Are we going to listen to them?”

“Probably should,” Tony replies in the same lackadaisical tone. “I’m not turning off the security drones while Wilson’s here, though.”

“Just for that, I’m pissing in your Ficus before I leave,” Wade huffs.

“That seems like it’s for the best,” Pepper tells Tony, smiling going tight at the edges while she stares at Wade. She takes a breath, steeling herself, then steps past Tony and nods at the rest of you in greeting. “Sorry for the confusion. Would you mind coming with us, so we can talk somewhere more comfortable?”

***

“I started connecting the dots after Thor left,” Tony explains, twirling a pencil between his fingers as he paces back and forth. “He mentioned Thanos briefly –but with the destruction and repurposing of Loki’s staff, the straggling records of Dormammu’s attack and the use of the Time Stone by Strange, the roles that the Tesseract and Loki’s staff played in the attack on New York by the Chitauri…” He sighs, pausing to stare out at the window at some unseen object before grimacing and shrugging. “It wasn’t hard to figure out.”

You’re all gathered in a conference room –which, as with the kitchen, carries the same modern, sleek style. Floor to ceiling windows show off the training grounds and the forest that conceals the base from the rest of the world. A massive plasma TV takes up one of the far walls, while the other walls are taken up by various dormant, holographic and electronic displays (made by Stark himself, no doubt). A black, oblong table sits in the center of the room, with leather, silver studded swivel chairs positioned around it.

“How many are there?” Tony asks, looking first at Kronos, then at Nathan. “How much time do we have?”

“There are six Infinity Stones in total,” Kronos says. “Thanos already has three –the Space stone, which was contained by the Tesseract, the Reality stone and the Power stone. Your colleague, Vision—” he gestures to the android “—is in possession of the Mind Stone already, and Stephen Strange has the Time Stone. Our agents have been unable to confirm the whereabouts of the Soul Stone, but we’re certain that Thanos doesn’t have it.”

“Yet,” Tony adds, tone pessimistic.

“As far as time goes, we have a few days at most,” Nathan says, crossing his arms over his chest. “Maybe a week, if we’re lucky.”

Tony grimaces. “That doesn’t bode well for rebuilding international relations on a dime. Or team morale for that matter.”

“Sort it out,” Nathan gravels out. “We’ve got bigger issues.”

“We won’t have time for issues if we can’t even pull a team together,” Tony snaps.

“If it helps…” Kronos withdraws a flash drive from his jacket pocket and holds it out to Tony. “The evidence of Thanos’s collection of the stones and his plans to come here.”

Tony accepts the flash drive. He turns it over in his fingers a couple times –no doubt mentally comparing the drive to the technology he’s created—then pockets it. “And Xavier’s on board with all this?”

You blink when you realize everyone’s staring at you. “Uh –yes. He’s contacting Erik Lensherr for some additional support, and the rest of the X-Men are ready to take on Thanos as well.”

“Great.” Tony stares down at the table for a moment, expression slightly melancholy but otherwise inscrutable, but then he snaps back to his usual self. “Good meeting. I’ll text you with the details.”

“Ooh, does that mean we’re trading numbers?” Wade gasps, pressing his hands on either side of his face. “I’ll put you on my favorites list.”

“I’ll contact Xavier,” Tony amends, shooting Wade a slightly harried look.

“We’ll be ready,” you assure him, at a loss for what else to say as you hook your arm around Wade’s to keep him from messing with the holographic display system.

“Vision will escort you out,” Pepper says with a polite smile and nod.

“I’ll make you a friendship bracelet, Tony the Tiger!” Wade calls as you and Nathan gently usher him towards the door. “Wait –stop shoving me! I need to get his wrist size!”

“Later, gorgeous,” Nate says with a barely suppressed smile.

Under any other circumstances, you’d laugh, but the stony foreboding weighing down your gut makes it too hard to even muster up a chuckle –especially when you catch Tony slumping down into one of the conference room chairs with a despairing expression on his face. You force yourself to focus on getting Wade out of the Avenger’s headquarters without stealing anything –though that does little to calm your swirling thoughts. How in the hell are we gonna pull this off?

***

“Are you okay?”

You sigh, instinctively wriggling back against Piotr’s chest as he lays down behind you. “Define ‘okay.’”

It’s nearly midnight now. Between contacting other allies for help –Nathan had you all bodysliding around New York for the better part of the day to reach out to the Hell’s Kitchen figures—and learning up about Thanos’s army and what could be expected in a confrontation against him, you didn’t get home until well after dinner.

You’re in bed now, too tired for anything else. You stare out the windows that overlook the balcony, purposefully trying to keep your mind blank so you don’t grow overwhelmed by the chaos buzzing in your brain.

Because this is insane. This is beyond mutant trafficking or petty grievances between groups of mutant rivals or even being gunned down by the mafia. This is beyond abusive parents, groups of hateful bigots, or anti-mutant legislators.

It’s –quite literally—the fate of the entire world. The entire galaxy. Based on Nathan’s reports of the future, half of all life is wiped out. People, animals, plants –all gone, dissolved into piles of ash… and for what? So some egomaniac can have his moment of glory?

Your stomach curdles when you even try to contemplate a life without Piotr.

“Hey.” Piotr draws you in close when you start crying. “Tische, myshka. Everything is okay.”

“But it’s not.” You sniff, wiping at your eyes with your sleeve. “Nothing about this is fucking okay, Piotr. Someone’s gonna wipe out half of the damn universe because he wants to jerk off to it later.”

“He has to go through us, first,” Piotr reminds you as he presses soft, sweet kisses against your cheek.

“We don’t have the numbers,” you point out bleakly. “We don’t have the ammunition. We don’t have the time to make a solid plan, or to prepare any extra defenses, or—”

Piotr hugs you tight. He kisses the top of your head. His hand strokes up and down your arm in an attempt to soothe you.

You grip his other hand, holding him close to you. You focus on how warm and solid he is. How wonderful he is and how lovely your life is with him. “I love you, Piotr.”

“And I love you, Y/N.”

You squeeze your eyes shut and cry some more.

***

The call comes in at five thirty in the morning.

“Stark’s brought around the other Avengers and Wakanda,” Nathan says, sounding far more alert than you ever will at this godforsaken hour. “We’re lifting off at seven.”

“Roger that,” you manage while Piotr turns on the bedside lamp and blinks the sleep out of his eyes. “We’ll be ready.” You set down your phone when the call ends, then groan and drop your head into your pillow. Why can’t the end of the world ever happen in the afternoon?

***

The Blackbird jets are loaded to maximum capacity. Aside from carrying the X-Men and the X-Force exclusive members, you’re also ferrying the Hell’s Kitchen vigilantes, Piotr’s family and Allison, your uncle and his team, and the younger children and their parents to Wakanda for safe-keeping (your uncle’s reasoning was that an enemy of the institute might notice the sudden lack of protection and decide to attack the younger, more vulnerable students and their families for vengeance, so it was better to be safe than sorry).

You keep close to Piotr or to the cockpit, but there’s still no avoiding the tense, cramped feeling.

You’re not the only “birds” in the sky, either. It’s practically a whole convoy, flying out to Wakanda in what might’ve been a formation if Wade didn’t occasionally grab the control and try to do a “barrel roll.” Magneto and his forces are flying in their own airship, while the Avengers are leading their pack in Tony’s custom, “cutting edge of technology” jets.

You watch the small fleet of jets that belong to the Avengers, lips pursed into a tight line. Your gaze darts over to the navigation board every few seconds, tracking your miniscule progress across the Atlantic Ocean towards Wakanda.

There’s a heavy sigh behind you, and then an even heavier pair of arms settle around your shoulders. “Myshka. You should rest.”

You “hmm” softly to let Piotr know you heard him, but you don’t step away from the cockpit door.

He kisses the top of head and starts gently rubbing your neck with his thumbs. “Will be several hours before arrival, dorogoy. There is nothing you can do until then.”

“It feels like wasting time,” you murmur back –because, naturally, Piotr’s seen to the heart of the issue already. “We’ve got so much to do.”

“And we can do nothing until we arrive in Wakanda.” Piotr kisses your temple, then gently nudges you away from the cockpit. “Come sit with me, lyublyu. You will need full energy when we land.”

And that, above all else, is the only reason you let Piotr usher you over to the nearest seat.

You crawl into his lap once he sits, curling up in his arms. You lay your head on his shoulder and let his warmth combined with the gentle thrum of the jet’s sonic engines lull you to sleep.

***

Wakanda is simultaneously everything and nothing like what you expected.

There’s a force shield that surrounds the inner part of the country that gives way as the convoy of ships pass through it. It almost seems to shimmer out of view before revealing an elegant, shining palace and curved, glimmering towers that comprise the larger part of the city. Lush jungle and towering, ice-capped mountains border the city, split by a winding river and rushing waterfalls.

It almost looks too beautiful to be real.

The awe-inducing visuals and technology don’t stop as the convoy flies out to a glittering, black glass structure that, on the navigation board, is labeled as the lab of Princess Shuri. The convoy swoops around to a massive hangar at the base of the building, landing just inside on the polished stone and metal floor.

Waiting for all of you in the hangar is King T’Challa Udaku; he’s wearing a black robe embroidered with silver thread and a vibrant kente scarf, and generally looks every bit as poised and unflappable as he did in the UN interviews. He’s flanked by his Dora Milaje soldiers –who are undeniably badass with their armor and spears, and you catch Ellie, Yukio, and Kitty all staring at the women in awe—and his partner, Nakia, and his sister, Princess Shuri.

Tony and Professor Xavier handle the introductions with the King, which lets you stretch and take in the hangar and throngs of superheroes. You recognize a few of them –Captain America aka Steve Rogers, Ant-Man aka Scott Lang and his entourage --including a man with dark hair styled like Elvis that you recall seeing in some sort of news interview a while back and a young woman with curly brown hair and warm eyes that’s holding his hand-- and War Hero ,aka James Rhodes, aka Tony’s best friend and “work wife”—but some of the entourage members are new to you.

You take a moment to stretch out your back –sleeping in Piotr’s lap isn’t the worst quality rest you’ve ever had, but given the configurations of the jet seats it was a little cramped—and admire the glimmering, inlaid lights on the hangar ceiling. Swanky.

“We have space prepared for the upcoming preparations and hosting all of you,” T’Challa says, voice cutting through the din of the crowd with ease. “If you would all follow Princess Shuri, please.”

Shuri smiles, then motions for everyone to follow her out of the hangar.

Half of the Dora Milaje break away from the formation, keeping a protective line between the princess and everyone else.

You fall into stride alongside your husband, well-practiced by now at matching your steps to his long stride.

***

The “prepared space” winds up being three massive rooms, each with smaller rooms sectioned around the main spaces, a kitchen-slash-rec area that joins the three massive rooms in the center, and three large, communal style bathrooms with multiple stalls for toilets and showers. The main rooms have several long, workstation style tables at them, with some beds stationed at the fringes, and the smaller rooms function only as bedrooms, mostly for the families with kids and the handful of couples present.

“This interface,” Princess Shuri says as she taps on a small disk embedded into the wall, “will let you contact security and staff if you have questions or need to speak with someone. There’s one in each room, for easy access. It will begin glowing and beeping if someone’s trying to send a call to you; you answer by pressing the base,” she explains, demonstrating on the disk.

“We’re expecting another group of people,” Tony pipes up. “Strange is collecting some of our allies from the South Eastern Quadrant. They should be here in the next sixteen hours, give or take.”

Shuri nods. “We’ll contact you when they arrive.” She offers the group a magnanimous nod and smile, then strides out the hall you all entered through, flanked by the Dora Milaje soldiers.

For a moment, no one moves. You all stand around, hesitating as you all try to take in the new scenery and space.

Alex moves first. She sighs, then grabs her duffel and strides towards the nearest workroom. “No point in waiting.”

Her initiative seems to jolt everyone else out of their daze. Everyone sections off, largely sticking with the groups of their original affiliation.

You amble alongside Piotr, peering around the workroom as you try to decide where to set your pack. Here goes nothing.

***

We’re staring down the apocalypse, you muse as you watch everyone set up shop, and it’s all coming down to sewing machines.

It’d come as a shock when Alexandra had lugged the sleek, white machine out of its carrying case. She’d set it on one of the tables, then lifted bolts of thick, rugged Kevlar out of one of her duffels next. Thread, scissors, measuring tape, and gridded cutting boards follow the Kevlar—

And then the sewing machine jammed as soon as Alex turned it on.

“Ty meshok der'ma,” Alex mutters under her breath as she fiddles with the internal mechanisms of the sewing machine. She glares at the gears, grumbling and swearing while she prods at them with a pair of tweezers. “Kakogo khrena tvoya problema?”

The situation seems mundane in its inanity.

The end of the damn world, and we’re being thwarted by twenty pounds of plastic and metal.

“Day mne poprobovat'.” Nikolai crouches down next to his wife. He adjusts the reading glasses perched on his nose, then aims a small flashlight at the interior of the machine. He murmurs and tuts in Russian while prodding at the machine –and then he makes a soft noise of exclamation. “Broken needle. Pryamo tam.”

“Sukin syn.” Alex uses her telekinesis to draw out the metal shard, then lets out an exasperated sigh and spreads her arms when the machine finally makes the proper start up noises. “Thank you.”

“Be nice,” Nikolai chides her with a teasing grin. “Is uncomfortable, having metal stuck in organs. You would not want to work either.”

“I’ve had metal in my organs,” Alex grumbles as she gets her sewing machine configured. “I still managed.” She smirks when Nikolai laughs, then kisses her husband’s cheek before motioning for you to approach. “Come here, ptitsa. I want to reinforce your suit; I need your measurements.”

You round the table, shucking off your sweatshirt so Alex can measure your torso. “Is there anything I need to do?”

“Just hold still, malenkiy,” Alex murmurs as she runs her tape measure around your waist.

“I make no promises,” you joke.

Alex snorts, then moves her measuring tape up to your ribcage.

***

The waiting is, somehow, worse now.

At least on the plan there was a promise of a destination. A sense of the temporary, that you’d be up and moving and doing again within a few hours.

Unfortunately, reality is so often different from how you envision it, just as it is now. Because the reality of the situation is that there are only a limited number of people capable of helping. Nate and Tony are working with the Princess to configure weapons to fight Thanos’s forces, Hank and the healers are preparing a makeshift medical bay, Frank, Wade, Mikhail, and Neena are cleaning and checking guns, Alex, Piotr and Nikolai are taking turns working on fabricating armor for those who need it—

Leaving you with nothing to do. Aside from keeping those who are working well fed and hydrated and managing the kids, all you can do is sit and watch while everyone else prepares.

It’s agony. Your chest aches from stress, and your stomach’s churning so much you can barely choke food down at mealtimes. I need to help more. I need to do something, dammit.

It’s like being in line for random execution and having no idea whether you’re going to be shot or not.

You stay close to Piotr. You run food and snacks and drinks for anyone who needs it. You help manage the kids when the need arises –but since most of their parents are here, the incidents are far and few between.

You sit. And you wait.

It’s all you can do.

***

“Absolutely not.”

“You need to be reasonable.”

“I am. It’s perfectly reasonable to keep a fourteen-year-old off a fucking battlefield!”

Alex sighs. She leans back in her seat and raises an eyebrow at her eldest daughter. “Normally I would agree, but I don’t think you’ll have much say in the matter. Your ability to control her is notably lacking.”

Artemis huffs and crosses her arms over her chest. “You try reining in a teenager who’s realized there’s no consequences to her actions.”

“I’m not judging, merely observing,” Alex assures her daughter. “But, at any rate, it’s not unreasonable to predict that she’ll join the fray at some point. Body armor is a necessity.”

“It’s an invitation! She’ll take it as permission!”

“Artemis?” Allison sticks her head into the room, then strides over to her mentor-slash-surrogate mother. “Is everything okay? Who’s getting permission to do what?”

“No one is,” Artemis grumbles, even as she holds her arm out so the teen can lean against her side. “Especially not you.”

Allison lets out a disgusted sigh and rolls her eyes. “I already told you—”

“You’re not fighting.”

“I can handle myself!” Allison snaps. She jerks away from Tatianna, scowling. “You’re treating me like a baby!”

“Compared to me, you are a baby,” the older woman points out drily.

“It’s not your burden to bear,” Alex interjects, fixing the testy teen with an even –though not harsh—stare. “Teenagers shouldn’t have to fight for the future of the world. That’s for adults to handle.”

“No one gets to decide,” Allison grits out, “what my burdens are. And this isn’t about ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t.’”

The corner of Alex’s mouth twitches. She looks up at Artemis, brows raised.

Artemis sighs. She tips her head back, staring up at the ceiling, then looks down at Allison. “You need body armor to keep you safe. That does not mean, however, that you’ll be joining us in the fight against Thanos.”

Allison sweeps her tongue along the inside of her cheek. She crosses her arms and cocks her head to the side. “Pretty sure you don’t get to decide that.”

“Pretty sure you should listen to me,” Artemis fires back, “since I have more experience and am telling you that it’s too much for you to handle.” She lets out an exasperated breath when Allison rolls her eyes, then waves her hand dismissively as if to say ‘I tried.’ “Get her set up.”

Alex nods, then waves Allison over. “Alright, malenkiy. Let’s get you sorted.”

***

“Are you asleep?”

“Nyet.” Piotr rolls over, drapes an arm over you, and kisses your forehead. “I would ask you the same, but…”

You manage a small chuckle. “Pretty obvious answer, yeah.”

The two of you are in one of the private rooms –if only because (aside from your status as married) it has a bed big enough to accommodate Piotr. There’s a small window that overlooks a cavern beneath the lab. Dim, blue light seeps through the glass pane, but it’s not enough to properly illuminate the room.

Piotr’s fingers skim over your upper arm. “Why are you not sleeping, myshka?”

“Can’t,” you admit, voice wavering. You take a deep breath through your nose and try to calm yourself. “I just… I can’t handle not doing anything. It gives me too much time to think about what might happen.”

Piotr croons gently, drawing you in closer so he can tuck you against his chest. He cradles your head with one massive head. “Dorogoy. You know such things are not good for you.”

“Yeah, I know,” you grumble, eyes stinging with unshed tears. “Doesn’t mean that knowledge stops my brain any.”

“Ya znayu,” Piotr murmurs as he kisses your temple. “But everything is going to be alright, myshka.”

“Except it really might not be,” you argue, voice shaking. You grip the material of his shirt, as though he might be wrenched away from you at any moment and whisked away into the wind. “It really might not, Piotr.”

Your husband doesn’t say anything in response to that. He merely holds you closer still and strokes his fingers through your hair.

You press your forehead against his chest and start weeping quietly.

***

The second day is much like the first –a slow, agonizing crawl punctuated by overwhelming anxiety and exhaustion.

You linger at the table where Nate, Tony, and Ellie are modifying guns, handing the three various tools and materials when they ask for it. You watch their progress numbly, brain devoid of anything other than wordless worry.

At least, you watch until Nate texts Piotr to come get you.

“Davay, myshka,” your husband coaxes as he lifts you off your stool. He grunts slightly as he shifts you into a bridal-style hold, then carries you away from the table and out of the room. “Let’s have lunch.”

“But—”

“Is important to stay fed and hydrated.”

“—I was helping.” You peer past Piotr’s arm –then sigh when Nathan gives you a sympathetic, concerned smile and waves you along. “Baby—”

“Just for little bit.” Piotr sets you down when you ask, but he keeps a hand on your shoulder, just in case. “Is not good to sit and stew in anxiety.”

You drop your gaze to the floor. “You can’t prove anything.”

Piotr lifts his hand from your shoulder and cradles your cheek. He strokes his thumb against your skin, waiting until you look up at him before speaking again. “Come have lunch with me, moya lyubov’,” he says with an adoring smile (which you’re certain is a deliberate, tactical move on his part to make sure you don’t try and argue, and dammit if it isn’t working). “I would enjoy your company.”

You scuff the toe of your sneaker against the floor, but ultimately acquiesce. “Alright. I guess I should take a break.”

***

The snooping starts after lunch, while Alex is chewing Frank out for spray-painting his bullet proof vest.

“What, are you looking to ruin perfectly good Kevlar?” Alex gripes as she tosses Frank’s “Punisher” vest aside. “You want to break down the material? Get shot out like some schmuck because you decided to be an artist?”

“It’s strategic,” Frank argues with a good-natured, crooked grin. “Keeps my enemies’ line of sight trained on where I have the most protection.”

Alex nods and makes a sarcastic noise of assent. “‘Strategic.’ Is that what it is? Ya ne mogu v eto poverit'. V moye vremya my nazyvali strategiyu pobedoy, a ne stavili svoyu grebanuyu vizitnuyu kartochku na kazhdoye sovershennoye nami proklyatoye ubiystvo. Get your ass over here, drama boy.” She scoffs and starts measuring Frank’s chest and shoulders. “‘Strategiya,’” she scoffs. “What a load of horse shit.”

“Akh akh,” Nikolai tuts as he walks into the room with a plate of food and glass of water. “What is happening here?”

“I’m pretty sure I upset the apple cart, sir,” Frank says, unabashed.

Nikolai chuckles while Alexandra brings up to speed, ranting in irritated Russian. He sets the plate and glass on the table next to his wife, kisses her head, then ambles back out to the kitchen—

And that’s when you notice it. Or, rather, her.

Natasha Romanoff, aka the Black Widow. Renowned spy, assassin, weapons and espionage expert, and former member of the Avengers if the debacle surrounding the Sokovia Accords is to be believed.

She’s sitting at the kitchen counter on barstool, tapping away at her phone –which isn’t inherently suspicious, but her line of sight lets her look directly into the room you’re all situated in and—

She’s watching Alex.

At first you think she might be watching Frank (which, fair enough, having a mass murderer, somewhat unstable vigilante around is a reasonable cause for caution). But when Frank gets up and walks out (probably to go find Karen), Natasha doesn’t even move. Her gaze –when she’s not looking at her phone—stays fixed on Alexandra while she works at her sewing machine.

For once, you’re grateful Piotr is as large as he is; he makes a great hiding spot to do countersurveillance from.

Natasha approaches slowly, but deliberately. She talks to someone on her phone –whether she’s faking or not doesn’t matter to you, because she still uses it to get off the barstool and amble around while she’s talking. Then, she has a conversation with Captain Rogers, which she uses to get a few feet closer to the doorway.

At some point, you’re not certain if she realizes you’re watching her, only because she gives up the pretense of trying to hide her snooping entirely. She leans against the doorframe, watching Alex intently while she marks, pins, and cuts out fabric.

It’s Illyana who has enough of the whole thing first. Three minutes into Natasha standing in the door way, the blonde sighs, sets her phone down on the work table, and glares up at the red head. “Kakogo khrena ty khochesh?”

Natasha purses her lips slightly. She acknowledges Illyana with a brief glance, then turns her focus back to Alex. “Alexandra.”

“Natalia,” Alex says by way of greeting, not even bothering to look up from her work. “Are you here to help, or are you here to waste my time?”

She grimaces, but recovers and smiles politely. “It’s been a long time.”

“So, you’re here to waste my time,” Alex surmises as she pins a pattern to a piece of heavy black Kevlar.

Natasha swallows reflexively, then turns on her heel and walks away.

***

Half an hour later, it’s Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes’s turn.

The two supersoldiers are far less covert than Agent Romanoff. They stand in the middle of the rec room, a few feet away from the door, and don’t make any attempt to hide their conversation or the fact that they’re watching Alex (and, to some extent, her children and Nikolai as well).

Illyana says something to her mother a few times, but Alex waves her off –and, in general, seems unbothered. “U nas yest' rabota, snezhinka. U nas yest' rabota.”

“Did you know him?” you ask, later, when the Rasputin kids are out of the room. “The Winter Soldier?”

You’ve heard enough through the grapevine to know about the basics of the man’s story –captured by Hydra, experimentation, brainwashing, being coerced into murdering.

(It all sounds chillingly familiar.)

“We crossed paths,” Alex admits with a shrug. She slides a piece of ceramic armor plating inside a Kevlar pouch, then starts sewing the pouch shut. “Overlap was common back in the day.”

“Do you think he remembers you?” you murmur, glancing out at the kitchen (fortunately, Rogers and Barnes are gone for now).

Alex pauses. She purses her lips, then shrugs and resumes working. “I don’t know. He went through a lot with the forced mind wipes. There’s really no way of knowing.”

“Are you going to be in trouble if he does remember you?”

Alex huffs and favors you with a gentle smile. “I’ve gotten out of worse, ptitsa. Don’t worry so much.”

You say that like it’s easy, you think while the knot in your stomach coils tighter.

***

There’s a brief reprieve around dinner. You even manage to relax a little, smiling and chuckling as Piotr and Mikhail bicker and generally irritate each other as much as humanly possible.

Work starts up once more as soon as everyone’s done eating. You nestle yourself against Piotr’s side, relaxed via the virtue of being too tired to be stressed—

And then Tony Stark walks in.

Or perhaps “walk” isn’t the right term. He moves with an air of grandeur and utter self-assurance –which, even with your limited exposure to Tony Stark, you can tell is a “brand standard” for him. He tosses an apple up and down in one hand as he breezes along, expression blasé to the point of looking disinterested as he strides up to the table where Alexandra works.

If it weren’t for Natasha, Captain Rogers, and Sergeant Barnes scoping out the Rasputin matriarch earlier, you would’ve pegged Stark’s visit as entirely coincidental.

“What’s your deal?” Tony asks, leaning against the table next to where Alex is stationed at her sewing machine.

No pretense. No niceties. No attempt at subtlety.

Alex’s lips quirk into an annoyed grimace. She looks up and over the top of her machine for a moment, staring at Nikolai (likely trying to find any scrap of his infinite patience for herself), then lowers her gaze once more and says, “Usually, it’s not answering vague, pointless questions asked by nosey individuals.”

“You’ve got half my team twisted up just by being here,” Tony continues, unruffled. “I’ve seen Romanoff stare down the Hulk on a rampage without flinching. What about you is so special that you make her nervous?”

“Interesting,” Alex comments, almost to herself. “And here I thought, after the Berlin incident, your ‘team’ was largely disbanded. Something about ‘not agreeing with your leadership.’”

Tony’s face twitches, mouth briefly stretching into a pained grimace before he smooths it back out. “You don’t exist.”

“Everyone’s concept of self is different,” Alex mutters as she rips out a crooked seam on an armor pouch.

“There’s no record of your birth. Or your parents, for that matter. Your marriage license has no given maiden name. No history of education, doctor’s visits, driver’s license –nothing until you turned twenty-four.” He takes a bite of his apple, swallows, then says, “People don’t just ‘poof’ into existence as full grown adults. It doesn’t happen.”

“Perhaps,” Alex retorts as she resews the faulty seam, “you are just not very good at finding things.”

“I can find anything.”

“Except, it would seem, a way to keep from trying my patience.”

Tony watches her for a moment longer –then, when she doesn’t say anything, he turns and starts striding out of the room. “I’m going to figure out what’s up with you. There aren’t any secrets that can hide from my A.I.”

Alex doesn’t dignify his departure with a response –but her eyelid twitches as she continues her sewing.

You look up at Piotr, only to find he’s watching Nikolai. You look over at the Rasputin patriarch, and your heart sinks when you see the worried expression on his face.

Nick sighs, then stands and rounds the table. He ambles up behind his wife, drapes his arms around her shoulders, and kisses the top of her head before he starts murmuring to her in quiet, loving Russian.

You lean against Piotr’s side, giving him a reassuring squeeze even though the only thing you feel is disquieted. You force yourself to take a deep breath and relax your jaw as fear starts crawling up your spine once more. One thing at a time. One thing at a time, that’s all you can do.

Except, it seems, when everything decides to happen at once.

***

Meeting the Norse god of thunder is… intense.

Though, that may have to do with the entourage of people he brings with him.

Around three in the morning, Dr. Strange shows up with the remaining allies –Thor, god of thunder, and his brother Loki, god of magic, Bruce Banner aka the Hulk, a woman by the name of Carol, and a group that calls themselves the “Guardians of the Galaxy” (which happens to include a talking raccoon and a sentient tree).

“Just when you thought, like, it couldn’t get weirder,” Kitty mutters to you as she stares at the newest arrivals.

You nod. Granted, your usual metric for all things weird is Wade, who has basically explored every avenue of zany, bizarre, and disturbing—

But yeah, this is pretty fucking weird.

“Where do we stand in preparations for the arrival of Thanos?” Thor asks Tony.

“We’ve got most of the busywork done,” Tony says, outlining the weapons upgrades and the armor work that’s been done. “We waited for major planning until we had everyone here and better intel.”

Thor nods, then gestures to two women standing with the “Guardians of the Galaxy,” one with green skin and dark hair and the other with blue skin and cybernetic enhancements. “This is Gamora and Nebula, daughters of Thanos. They’ll be able to provide information on the strength and size of his forces.”

“Good,” Steve pipes up from where he’s standing with Sam Wilson and Sergeant Barnes. “The sooner we have a plan, the better.”

“It can wait until we’ve slept,” Alex decides, voice crisp. “We won’t come up with anything good while we’re fried.”

Tony blinks, then scowls. “Thanos could be here as soon as this coming morning.”

“Then we’ll be doubly fucked if we’ve stayed up all night trying to scrape together a plan,” Alex replies, unmoved. She crosses her arms when Tony glares at her. “The younger and less experienced of us need rest if this is going to work.”

“I’m with the lady,” Quill pipes up, brushing past Tony. He gives Stark a smile that, if you had to wager, is supposed to be charming but just comes off as arrogant. “I think you’ll find that we… don’t really roll with plans. It’s not our style.”

Alex stares at Quill for a moment, expression vastly unimpressed. She sighs, blinks slowly, shakes her head, then turns on her heel and strides back to the room she’s been sharing with Nick. “Absolutely not. I’m going back to bed.”

As if waiting for a cue, everyone else disperses, muttering about being tired and “needing an IV drip of espresso.”

You shuffle off with Piotr, hand in hand, shivering slightly from nerves. Please just let this go well.

***

“Both the Chitauri and the Klyntaar forces number into the tens of thousands. The Chitauri have sentient airships capable of carrying infantry forces while wreaking their own havoc, in addition to chariots that can carry up to five marksmen at a time. He also has tanks the size of this building that can demolish anything in their path.”

Everyone is gathered in one of the main work rooms. A majority of the people present hang back at the fringes, content to watch while Tony, Captain Rogers, King T’Challa, Alexandra, your uncle, Thor, Quill, and Natasha hash out a strategy.

“He’s trying to overwhelm us with sheer numbers,” Steve says in response to Gamora’s information.

“It might work,” Natasha murmurs, gaze focused on the worktable in front of her. “We don’t have near enough firepower to chip away at that many grunts.”

“Not if we play our cards right,” Alex says, crossing her arms over her chest.

“There’s also our siblings,” Gamora adds with a pained grimace.

Off to the side, Nebula scoffs. “They’re hardly family.”

“Thanos collected beings throughout the galaxy to serve him,” Gamora explains. “To act as his eyes and ears and eliminate his foes. Aside from Nebula and I, he has four other ‘children.’ They’ll be acting as his generals and commanders in the fight –and helping him track down and capture the final infinity stones.”

Tension ripples through the room.

“What do we know about these Infinity Stones?” Alex asks after a moment of fraught silence.

“The stones were originally created by the Celestials,” Loki pipes up from where he’s leaning against a wall. “Their magical properties are tied to aspects of the universe –time, space, reality, and so on. Only beings of immense power can wield them without severe consequences.”

“Thanos has the gauntlet that accompanies the stones,” Thor adds. “With it, once he assembles all six stones, he’ll be able to use them simultaneously.”

“He wants to wipe out half of all life on Earth,” Gamora says, voice wavering slightly. “That’s been his single goal ever since I’ve known him.”

“All men want to be gods,” your uncle jokes half-heartedly.

“Can the stones be broken?” Alex asks.

Loki chuckles, incredulous. “These are magical tools created by the most powerful beings ever known to the galaxy… and you want to break them?”

She shrugs. “Best not to overlook the simplest solution.”

“I’m taking that as a ‘no,’” Steve interjects. “So, if we can’t destroy them, how do we fight them?”

“The only thing powerful enough to combat the effects of the Infinity Stones are the Infinity Stones,” Loki answers.

“And we only have two,” Natasha surmises, expression drawn and grim.

“Three.”

Everyone looks up and turns when Illyana speaks.

She smirks, tilting her chin up when Natasha meets her gaze. “We have three Infinity Stones.”

“Vision has the mind stone, and Dr. Strange has the time stone,” Kronos argues, shaking his head. “The soul stone is still missing.”

Illyana’s smirk broadens. She lifts her hand, curling it as if she was holding something.

A sword materializes in her hand –and in the center of the sword, small but unmistakable, is a glowing orange gem.

Your uncle’s eyes widen. “Holy shit.”

“Three,” Illyana repeats, looking supremely confident and self-satisfied. “Unless there is elusive seventh stone?”

Loki smiles ruefully, shaking his head. “The Goddess of Limbo pulls through. Well done.”

“Okay, but Vision’s stone is in his head and Strange has his stone in a necklace around his neck,” Tony interjects, gesturing to each person in turn.

“Amulet,” Dr. Strange mutters under his breath.

“Your stone disappears if you’re not holding it,” Tony continues, pointing to the sword as Illyana dematerializes it once more. “What’s stopping Thanos from finding it and taking it?”

“I am only person who can use Soul Sword,” Illyana says, arching her eyebrows. “It is bound to me until the next in my line is ready to take my place.”

“My family has been bound to Limbo’s magicks for generations,” Nikolai clarifies when Tony starts sputtering. “Illyana is the keeper of the sword, which means only she can call upon it. Thanos would need our blood to have access to it.”

Tony grimaces. “Still risky.”

“Better than nothing,” your uncle fires back.

“We have a shot of taking down Thanos with the other three Infinity Stones in our camp,” Steve says, planting his hands against the worktable's surface. “Without them, we’re as good as sunk.”

“Well then,” Alex says, smirking. “Let’s make sure we don’t waste our opportunity.”

***

“For the love of god, stop talking.”

“I’m just saying,” Quill starts, spreading his hands in a defensive gesture.

“You’re not saying shit!” Alex snaps, lifting her head from her hands to glare at him. “You’re just wasting our time!”

Once the planning started, a large portion of the crowd dispersed to help wrap up the last of the weapons modification. The leaders from each faction stayed behind –Tony, T’Challa, Steve, Natasha, Thor, Peter Quill, Xavier, your uncle, Alexandra, and Erik—to plan, along with Gamora, Nebula, and Loki so they could offer up information on Thanos, his forces, and the Infinity Stones.

You’d also hung back, since you didn’t have the skills necessary to do the weapons modification. If all I can do is sit around like a nervous lump, may as well do it where I won’t be in the way.

“This plan just isn’t our style,” Quill argues, either immune or completely ignorant to the exasperated sighs and death glares the others are giving him. “We like to take things looser, add a little pizazz.”

“How many times did your parents drop you as a baby?” your uncle asks, staring Quill down. “No, I’m serious,” he adds when Quill glares back at him and opens his mouth to argue. “I’m genuinely at a loss for how you can be this fucking dense.”

“We’re up against overwhelming numbers and powers no one here has ever seen, let alone fought against,” Natasha adds. “We need to allocate our resources carefully if we want even a chance at victory. The three wave strategy is our best chance.”

“Okay,” Quill says, pressing his hands together. “I think we just all need to relax—”

“You’ll be pretty fucking relaxed when I gut you,” Alex grumbles as she pinches the bridge of her nose.

“Look, the way I see it, Thanos can’t take us all at once!” Quill reasons. “If we hit him with everything we have—”

“We have to survive his armies, too,” Tony adds, words clipped. “Or there won’t be any of us for Thanos to be hit by.”

“No.” Alex glares at Quill when he keeps trying to argue, startling him into silence. “Look at them.” She points at Gamora and Nebula. “These are your friends, da? Your teammates and companions, da? This is their abuser we’re facing. If we lose, what do you think happens to them? Do you think someone that wants to destroy half of all life will have mercy for them? Hm? If you care about them, you pick the plan that has the best shot of ensuring their safety. Got it?”

Quill swallows reflexively. He stares down at the holographic display of the future battlefield, jaw working. He exhales through his nose, slow and stuttered, then nods. “Alright. We… we do the three wave strategy.”

“So glad we can agree,” Alex says, turning her attention back to the battlefield schematic. “Now, we were discussing where to put our snipers…”

***

“—I need both their arms. Trust me, it’s the only way this is gonna work.”

“Look, I’m normally all for a little dismemberment, but I don’t think forming our own amputee league is gonna net us a win here.”

You shake your head as Wade banters back and forth with the talking racoon –whose name is Rocket, apparently—then look over at Nathan. “How long have they been at this?”

“Going on three hours now,” Nate replies. A soft, endeared smile flits across his face when he looks at Wade, but his expression sobers when he resumes his soldering job. “How’s the final plan looking?”

“Everyone but Quill was leaning towards a three-wave tactic.”

Nathan grunts. “Yeah, he seems like a jackass.”

“Alex threatened to gut him.”

“Hey!” Wade shouts, sounding genuinely wounded. “No disemboweling without me!”

“Quill wanted to do an ‘all for one’ attack directly on Thanos.” You sit down next to your dad, studying his face while he works. “You’ve actually fought against these people before. Do… do you think dividing our forces up will actually work?”

“The issue is the land and air forces,” Nathan says, shaking his head. He attaches a power unit to the base of a rifle, then starts welding the compartment shut. “This time doesn’t have the necessary shielding to repel the Chitauri and Klyntaar forces for that long. We’ll have to fight the grunts; holding some of our people back to make sure we have someone to take on Thanos is our best bet.”

“That doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll win, though,” you point out.

He offers you a melancholy half-smile. “That’s war, kid.”

Your heart sinks further. “Do we even have a chance?”

“Statistics says we do,” Nathan says he strips a piece of wire before threading it into the gun.

“That’s not what I asked.”

Nathan sighs. He looks at you for a long moment, then says, “I think we have the best shot possible with what we have right here, right now.”

You gulp, then nod. It’s still not technically an answer to your question –let alone a positive one—but…

You’ve learned that, sometimes, it better not to dig at these sorts of questions at all.

***

“We’re dividing our forces into thirds.”

You’re all crammed into the rec room post dinner. In the center of the room, by the counter, Tony, Steve, Natasha, and Alex are addressing the crowd in turns.

“The first wave will consist of high stamina fighters and snipers,” Steve says. “There’s a shield system that extends several hundred kilometers around the lab’s perimeter. Wakandan soldiers will join the line of snipers who will pick off any of Thanos’s forces that make it through the shields.”

“We’ll also have any fighters with enhanced stamina on standby, in case there’s a larger breach,” Alex adds. “Their job will be to protect the sniper line from being overrun by the enemy forces.”

“The second wave will be air support,” Tony continues. “Myself, Rhodey, Wilson, and any flying mutants will head out when the Chitauri airships come in. Princess Shuri has a fleet of attack drones at the ready, which can be manned from headquarters in the lab. HQ will have a complete look at the battlefield; all intel will be coming from them during the fight.”

“Third wave is everyone else, save for Illyana, Dr. Strange, and Vision,” Natasha says. “We’ll join the fray when the second wave of Thanos’s forces arrive. The final three” –she nods to Illyana, Dr. Strange, and Vision in turn—“will wait in central headquarters until Thanos arrives, to prevent early capture of the remaining Infinity Stones.”

“In the meantime,” Tony says, “we’re going overtime on modifying rifles to be sonic weapons. They’re more effective against the Klyntar forces than regular firearms. All hands on deck. If you can’t solder, you can run supplies back and forth and help perform diagnostic tests at the firing range. Clear?”

Everyone nods, then breaks off to start working on constructing and testing more “awesome guns.”

You slid your fingers between Piotr’s. Your heart’s in your throat, racing a mile a minute. Your mouth feels dry.

If you were the religious type, you’d start praying. As it is, you make a plea with the universe on the off chance it decides to listen to you –for once.

Please. Please just let this work.

***

“So… about the three-wave plan—”

Tony slams down the compartment piece he’d been working on against the table. He glares at Quill, face strained with barely constrained rage and impatience. “What the fuck is your deal?”

“It’s just not sitting well with me,” Quill continues, leaning against the table. “I’m more of a ‘solo moment’ style person. More of a lone wolf.”

You gape at him. “You… you work with a team of five!”

“I just think that there needs to be a more focused confrontation with Thanos. Y’know, for someone to challenge him, man to man—”

“Some get this idiot out of my face,” Tony snaps, looking around for anyone that might be willing to assist –or, at the very least, drag Quill out of the room by his jacket collar.

“You’re not listening to me!”

“You’re wasting my time!”

“Why does every problem come back to you?” Alex stalks into the work room, eyes glowing a dull shade of copper as irritation takes hold in her. She strides over to Quill, looking like a menace in black leather and Kevlar. “How much more of a nuisance can you possibly make yourself?”

“I’m just pointing out some flaws in the strategy!” Quill argues, holding up his hands in a defensive gesture. “I’m being the devil’s advocate!”

“You’re pointing out dick,” Agent Barton, alias Hawkeye, points out from the side (where he’s modifying some of his arrows to release sonic pulses).

“Look,” Quill presses on, ignoring Clint’s comment. “We need to make sure this thing is airtight—”

“We don’t have time for ‘airtight,’” Nathan growls, cybernetic eye flaring. “The goal is to survive, not to create perfection.”

“I really just think—”

Alex scowls –and then her hand snaps out and closes around Quill’s neck. She slams him against the edge of the table, sneering down at him while he coughs and claws –futilely—against her iron grip. “You’re past the point of being a nuisance. You’re a fucking liability.”

Quill wheezes, face slowly turning red.

“If I was paid every time a man like you told me how to do my job…” Her voice trails off, and she lets out a sardonic chuckle. “Let me make something clear to you, Peter Quill.” Her hand tightens around his neck, which makes some ominous creaking noises as she presses against layers of tissue, cartilage, and bone. “I am not about to have an asshole like you risk the lives of my children, the people who are putting their own lives on the line to protect the world, or the future of the damn universe. If you’re going to keep being a jackass about this…” She smirks. “I’ll kill you. I’ll do it right here, right now. I am not going to have a hazard like you on my team or on that battlefield.” She grins nastily, leaning in closer as Quill’s eyes bug out. “Best thing is, no one really knows you’re here. No tracks to cover, no family to pay off, no authorities to worry about. You’d be an unfortunate casualty in war. No one would fucking miss you.”

A chill runs down your spine. You gulp, stomach twisting as you look from Alex, to Quill, to Alex again. Is anyone going to stop her...

“I really don’t know how to make this any fucking clearer, but since you’ve proven to be thick-headed, I’ll summarize: you stray from the plan in any way, and you’re dead. Got it?”

Quill nods hastily. He gasps when Alex releases him, collapsing to the floor. He hacks and coughs, one hand rubbing at his throat while his skin slowly fades away from an angry magenta color.

“So glad we understand one another.” Alex smirks, then turns on her heel and strides out of the work room like nothing even happened.

You purse your lips, trembling while everyone goes back to work like nothing even happened. You try to focus on sorting pieces into containers for the fabricators to grab from, but with your shaking hands it’s near impossible. You duck your head, gritting your teeth together as your stomach churns angrily. I just want this all to be over.

***

The call comes in a couple hours later.

“We’ve got temporal disturbances outside the shield perimeter,” Kronos shouts while alarms blare overhead. “Thanos’s forces have arrived and are attempting to break through to our location.”

Your stomach drops as everyone starts scrambling. You grab your flight jacket and goggles, throwing them on haphazardly. You start running towards the hangar –then stop and switch directions. “Piotr!”

He pauses when he hears your voice, turning and catching you as you leap into his arms. He kisses you briefly –desperately—then pulls back and cups your face in his hands. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” You give him a quick hug, then pull away and start sprinting towards the hanger where the rest of the air support is gathering. Tears sting your eyes, but you wipe them away and force down your fear and preemptive grief. Focus. You have to focus.

It’s time.

[post-modern-prometheus]

I got this idea after hearing about the Winter Soldier Peter Posts.

Essentially, sometime after Apocalypse, the X-men are sent to raid a Hydra base that somehow wasn’t found by the Avengers. Peter, upon hearing about the mission, feels his insides turn to ice because ‘oh god I can’t go back there’ but he doesn’t say anything bc he’s Peter and cares more about other people’s wellbeing than his own. And if the x men notice he’s more jittery than usual, they don’t comment on it. They just pass it off as nerves.

Fast forward a bit, they’re raiding the base, things are going pretty well. Peter is zooming around, stealing files and breaking out any prisoners that may be in the base, but by the end of it, Raven calls the x men to the front where they’ve captured the leader of the base. At first, he doesn’t think much of it and is prepared to stay on the look out as Erik and Raven interrogate the dude, but then, out of the blue, this leader, who is tied up btw, starts saying a bunch of Russian words. But not just any Russian words.

They‘re Peter’s code words. The ones that could turn him right back into a mindless killer.

Peter stiffens as soon as he makes this connection, eyes growing wide with fear. The x men are confused, and they only become even more so when Peter suddenly lunges forward, slamming the hydra dude into a wall and screaming at him to stop in Russian, a language they weren’t even aware he could speak. The bastard just grins at this response and keeps going through the list, and Peter, who is beyond terrified at this point, just starts beating the shit out of the dude, trying to get him to shut up.

The x men, not understanding why Peter is so afraid, tries to pull him off bc they need to interrogate the agent for information and shit. But Peter won’t stop, he even starts slamming the dude’s head into a wall repeatedly, not stopping even when the guy is unconscious. Erik ends up having to drag Peter off of the hydra agent with his metallokinetic abilities bc, as much as he hates Hydra, they need this agent for information.

This is when Peter snaps out of his panic. And as he looks around, taking in the x men’s horrified looks, the hydra agent’s bruised and beaten head, and the way his hands are stained with blood, he realizes that maybe the Winter Soldier isn’t as dead as he thought.

He realizes that perhaps he’s still that killer he had been raised to be.

thank u bc i will Never be able to get the image of peter sobbing and screaming “SHUT UP” over and over and over and over and over as he beats up that guy, and then still fighting as erik pulls him off until his head clears and all the anger that was masking his fear drains away- along with the color on his face- and he just is standing there, frozen, a look of Pure Terror on his face as he slowly backs away with the realization that ‘the winter soldier isn’t as dead as he thought’, slightly shaking his head. erik puts his hand on peter’s shoulder but he smacks it away with a “NO” and he’s just shaking- and then LUNGES onto erik... for a hug. erik’s a little surprised, but slides down to the floor with just this MESS that is peter.

anyway idk owie

[gingerbreadmonsters]

dude im so fucking excited for the next project meridian, relistening to it rn and my fucking god its so upsetting (in a great way) no one gives any sort of shit about love, james is such a bastard (WANTING TO USE THE CODE FOR HIS OWN SHIT ARE YOU KIDDING ME YOU ASS) marcus is also a bastard (i get doing some real dumb shit when youre lonely and in denial BUT HOLY SHIT DUDE WHAT, i dont wanna be that empathetic to him cause he was using love even if it did end up hurting him, it was his own fault and he didnt stop it, he makes me feel a lot and i wanna put him in therapy) the other staff resented love as says brian SPEAKING OF he, him being rude and short with love and that still being the only relationship that wasnt deeply toxic for them is heartbreaking, his log was ouch, understanding that love will feel isolated and used (as he says they were) without the code and saying the kinder thing would just be to wipe their memory, and deciding not to cause "we'd lose progress", but him also saying theyre gonna let love chose what happens to marcus, i care him

ALSO marcus making that code is pretty impressive ngl, like it was taking over everything else within lovely, strong shit. sry for ramble im so psyched to see what happens, im glad eriks still making this story

this is an excellent ask and i am SO excited for more project meridian now hehe ✌️

this post does NOT contain spoilers for today's audio (seeing as i haven't listened to it yet), but under the cut anyway bc i rambled lmao

and you're absolutely right - it's REALLY interesting to be placed in this perspective where the listener character is unreliable, where we're not sure how many of our actions and decisions are fueled by this obsession code, where we can't be certain of what we know and what information (like the hidden 'project meridian' data packet) we have inside us. it makes for incredibly compelling storytelling and conceptually i think it's FASCINATING 🤩🤩

and YES we love a bit of moral ambiguity!! inconsistent and flawed morality!! characters who are in conflict with each other and themselves, who are not universally good or even liked!! project meridian to me has always been a series that pushes everything to a logical extreme, if that makes sense - a robot in love who is overwhelmingly obsessed, a sad man who is debilitatingly lonely, a mysterious corporation that is unflinchingly greedy. everything is over the top and spilling over itself, but it's approached in a very realistic and empathetic way, and that makes it far more accessible and less predictable, which i enjoy v much! 🥰✨

tbh i feel similarly about james as i do about vega, especially in his latest audio - it's very clear that we are being manipulated, but it's really interesting to observe from an out-of-universe perspective. it leads to a fun conflict of interest as well: do we want the listener character to turn to the dark side and take them at their word, or resist? what would either of those scenarios look like going forward? how is this going to be resolved? OOH it's so much fun 🤠🤠🤠

(also i agree with marcus' technical skill - it can't have been easy to hide code like that inside an android who is basically being examined at every second of every day! although come to think of it, how well did he hide it...?)

[carewyncromwell]

Fanfic Writer Friday: If all of your MCs are attending Night Raven College from Twisted Wonderland, which dorm would you put them in and why?

Oh my GOD, do I adore this question!! 🥰 Okay — let’s see…

💜 Carewyn Cromwell ~ Pomefiore 

Oh, come on -- you CANNOT tell me that Carewyn wouldn’t fit in with the likes of Vil Schoenheit. Style-conscious, perfectionistic, artistic, sophisticated, and poised -- that is both Carewyn and Pomefiore to a tee. 

💙 Jacob Cromwell ~ Ignihyde

Jacob Cromwell is a nerd to the nth degree, both when it comes to academics and his schools of interest, so I think of the dorms, he’d find the most kindred spirits in Ignihyde. His room would even look a lot like Idia’s -- stuffed with random stuff strewn all over with lots of posters on the walls and a half-made bed. 

💛 Erik Apollo ~ Savanaclaw

Erik is blunt and hard-working like Jack, but he’s also loyal and mischievous like Ruggie and resourceful and calculating like Leona. Erik’s also very much a “Wampus” personality who won’t hesitate to get his hands dirty and has a bit of a hot temper, and yet he’s ambitious enough in his goal of becoming one of the youngest Aurors in British history despite his Muggle-born heritage that he more than reflects the “tenacity” associated with this dorm. 

💖 Anastasia “Ana” Read ~ Heartslabyul

Ana, as a Gryffindor, I think would both ascribe to the “noblesse oblige” moral code of dormhead Riddle Rosehearts and be dreamy and intellectual enough to not mind some of the absolute ridiculousness of the dorm’s rules. Plus I reckon she’d love the aesthetic -- she loves Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland! 

🤎 Farid Sikander ~ Royal Sword Academy Ramshackle

Although personality-wise, I reckon Farid would fit best at Royal Sword Academy with people like Neige Leblanc, given what a total cinnamon roll he is...since he’s a Muggle at Hogwarts, Farid is already basically a “Yuu” type in a school full of magic kids! I could also 150% see him both adopting and becoming very attached to Grim. 

🧡 Jackson Knightly ~ Scarabia

Of the dorms, the two that seem the most social are Scarabia and Heartslabyul, and yet I think Heartslabyul would be much too strict for someone like Jackson, who’s always been rather non-conformist. Add on top of this that Jackson could do with learning from Scarabia’s values of planning ahead and being methodical about the future (especially considering he becomes Minister) and that he’s an adder Animagus when Scarabia has such a “snake”-like theme to its crest, I reckon this is a cool fit! (Even the Kalim/Jamil dynamic is kind of similar to Jackson’s with his BFF Adelia @thatravenpuffwitch, in the sense of Kalim and Jacko being the light-hearted and slightly irresponsible social butterfly and Jamil and Addy being the sensible ones who actually plan ahead and keep things running smoothly. 😂)

🖤 Bartholomew “Bat” Varney / Robert Harker ~ Octavinelle

While he’s a vampire, Bat bestows his knowledge onto those students who intrigue him enough with their interests for him to teach them. He also tends to feel best about himself when he’s able to be of service to other people. I think that really goes well with the supposed “compassion” of Octavinelle dorm, where you can get what you want if you “cross the bridge” and “pay the toll.” There’s also definitely an intellectual, academic bent toward this dorm that fits Bat really well too. 

💙 Ru Ollivander ~ Ignihyde 

Ignihyde largely comes back to integrating technology with magic, which is very much up Ru’s alley in their canon, since they apply Muggle cameras and techniques into how they develop magical photographs. It’s also one of the most reclusive dorms that doesn’t interact much with others, which kind of suits Ru too -- they’re not really the sort of person that’s easy to earn the trust of or befriend. 

Fanfic Writer Friday!

[charlesxavirs]

my thoughts on dark phoenix

spoilers under cut!!!

i’ve had near enough a full 24 hours to process the fact Erik Magnus Lehnsherr served me Look after Look so i’ve pretty much got my thoughts in order about this film

i have to start by saying that dark phoenix is a good film. however, it i’s not a good x-men film. it’s by no means bad, but it’s not dofp or logan. that being said, it’s far FAR better than apocalypse. so in terms of the franchise, it’s not the best, but in terms of a superhero movie, i really do not see the problem.

the good:

the action sequences. oh my god i could talk all day about the action sequences. they’re pretty much there from the start of the film and they keep getting better and better throughout the course of the film, and they way they all worked together in the final train scene,,,, *kisses fingers* perfection

can someone please give the vfx team a hug from me bc wow. honestly the scenes in space were fucking breathtaking

sophie was amazing start to finish. i love sophie but i wasn’t going into this film expecting to be as impressed by her as i was. she did jean justice imo, and they way she showed the struggle in jean with her powers was spot on

raven dies

jokes aside though i didn’t actually hate raven in this film which is a feat in itself and i liked her and jean’s dynamic

‘you can stab people in the eyes with it if you want’

kurts angry face >:3

i have mixed feelings about how they portrayed charles in this film but i liked that they let him admit he was wrong whilst also being unapologetic for doing what he thought was right

erik ripping the subway train up through the ground was extremely sexy and, dare i say, arousing, and will be all i talk about for the next year

the paris scene goes even without saying holy fucking shiT

also the scene on the train when charles is making a speech about jean and how she’s still family and even though she’s done bad it doesn’t mean there’s still good in her and erik gives him a Look that’s soft and sad and ultimately makes him fight alongside charles instead of against him i-

the phoenix in the sky at the end was a lovely way to end it imo

the bad:

as much as i love the action in this film, it think the thing that disappointed me in regards to the other x men films was the lack of character interaction. it’s there, don’t get me wrong, i think jean’s development with her powers was well done, but everything just seemed a bit rushed and in-media-res. like apocalypse ends, all of a sudden charles is a dick and is licking bush’s arse, raven’s pissed off, ex-attempted-president-killer erik has been given land by the government, these aliens are there, like????? i feel like the film could’ve gone from a 6 to a solid 8 if the audience had something that tied up what had happened in the time skip and that put a motivation behind some of the character’s motives. but that’s just me

there are some pacing issues that make it seem a little rushed

what was the POINT of having peter realise erik is his dad in apocalypse if they weren’t going to mention it ever again??????? this is what i’m trying to say about character interaction/development, there are things mentioned in the last film that aren’t expanded/touched on that make dark phoenix seem like a less cohesive instalment and a tad confusing at times

the whole hank/erik thing was not convincing for me

u really want me 2 believe erik loved raven? so much so that he wants to kill jean??? k.

the scene where jean makes charles walk left a really bad taste in my mouth 

jessica chastain’s villain was.... okay. i didn’t quite understand the whole thing with their home land, wanting to harness the phoenix power. idk. i felt like for the last powerful threat to the x-men, it wasn’t as convincing as a villain as shaw or even apocalypse 

charles xavier. i hate the fact his alcoholism wasn’t touched on. i hate the fact charles was made out to be the bad guy. i HATE the fact hank blamed him for raven’s death. admittedly, yes, okay, i can see why he could be, but do you really think i’m buying into the fact that charles ‘i love mutants and i want to keep them safe and teach them and give them a place to live’ xavier would really put his family in harms way? absolutely not. charles is arrogant, charles is manipulative, charles is up his own arse. charles is NOT cruel or a tyrannical or uncaring as they made him out to be in this film. maybe comic book charles, but not xmcu charles.

that actually sounds like i hate it more than i do, but i seriously enjoyed this film and i really don’t see what the bad hype is about. marvel stans really don’t wanna give this a chance but at least the plot made sense, nobody died for unnecessary reasons and the gay coded couple became canon *insert tea emoji here*

anyways happy pride cherik is canon

[suntiger745]

More Skyrim characters

Because a dozen is hardly enough. First up, Hillevi Titanborn, decendant of Lyris Titanborn. She doesn’t quite have her ancestor’s towering height, but she’s quite tall nonetheless.

She was traveling as a caravan guard from Windhelm to Dawnstar when the caravan was ambushed. Fortunately for the bandits, she was asleep at the time, and a shelf fell over and knocked her unconscious, so the bandits survived. When she woke up she made her way to the nearby lodge of the Vigilants of Stendarr to recuperate. Mostly from almost getting frostbite. To her surprise her little cousin was there and she insisted in coming along, being a healer and seeing the lump in Hillevi’s head. Now she has some unlucky bandits to find to avenge her friends in the caravan, and get the stolen goods back.

Alexstrasza, the Lifebinder

The mother of dragons and leader of the red dragonflight on Azeroth, as well as a champion of the Nexus, found her day getting a lot weirder when she suddenly woke up in a different world. She found out it had other dragons, but that they were by and large assholes who needed a good whack on the head and to be taught some manners.

Amar Goldhand A soldier in the Imperial Legion, having served honorably for six years he is a veteran of many fights and prides himself on his martial skill and his discipline. He isn’t entirely happy to have been assigned to guard a diplomat from Cyrodiil called Lady Jaina, but he will follow orders. So far, it has been nothing but traveling to the major holds and asking a lot of questions. Although there has also been three attempts at the Lady’s life, so there’s some excitement to be had.

Nylari

Being a force user that doesn’t follow neither the Jedi nor the Sith code can be a troublesome life. Especially when you are stuck on a backwater planet with savages who doesn’t have any space ports, or even ship repair shops, to fix your broken ship. They *do* have “magic” and huge lizards that breathes fire and ice though, just to make life that more interesting. Fortunately, it’s usually nothing a lightsaber can’t solve.

Vegard Allerian Vegard was quite satisfied with his life. He was a vigilant of Stendarr, keeping the people of Skyrim safe from daedra, vampires and werewolves, and the occasional bandit. Then he stumbled onto a Thalmor plot of some kind, with a very scary Thalmor nutcase that killed one of his own subordinates for not being good enough. That scary bastard was after a princess, and the gods having fun with his fate soon after had him meet the princess in question, who claimed to be around 500 years old and the daughter of Pelagius the Mad. He would have considered it a joke, if not for the bounty hunters and Thalmor agents doing their damndest to capture her. And now he’s part of the whole mess, willing or not.

Amelie Lyene

A bounty hunter, and a highly efficient one, Amelie was from High Rock, a daughter of renowned hunters and trappers. She had decided to hunt men and mer instead of animals after she found a telvanni, or possibly dwemer, helmet artifact that helped her aim and enhanced her sight eight-fold. After that, animals, even many dangerous ones, wasn’t much of a challenge anymore. The only issue she had was that the helmet gave her strange dreams of another world, which were as fantastic as they were disturbing. It was too useful to get rid of though, so she bore the dreams as the price she had to pay to be one of the best in the business.

Arvid the Fox

A humble son of farmers in Rorikstead, Arvid loved the tales his parents and travellers at the inn told on long winter nights, and like his friend Erik he dreamed of becoming a renowned hero one day. Being more lean and quick rather than big and strong he reluctantly put aside his early hopes of wearing heavy armor and wielding a big axe, instead focusing on learning the bow. He did have a talent for hunting, and one of the old hunters in the village took him under his wing and trained the boy. Being the young fool that he was, Arvid soon thought that he had all the skills and knowledge he would need to become a great hero and set off in the middle of the night one day, before his parents woke up. His first foray into a tomb turned out a lot more scary than he had imagined, but he did manage to prevail, and resolved to be more careful in the future.

Katarina Weaver

Another person with a humble beginning, Katarina was the daughter of two weavers in Solitude. Like Arvid, Erik and many other young people in Skyrim, she too longed for more than the mundane life she had as she grew up. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you see things, she had a spark of ambition that caught the eye of a visitor that was a bit more than met the eye. An elegant lady passing through their store one day told the girl to meet her at the Winking Skeever that night for a bit of talk, a drink and perhaps a way to see the world. After a few drinks, the lady thought the inn was a bit too noisy and crowded and suggested that they go outside where it was more quiet. In an alley near the inn, the lady then fed on, and turned, Katarina. Kept asleep until the disease had run its course, the young weaver awoke to find herself elsewhere, in an unknown house and with a terrible thirst.

And so her life as a vampire began.

Shania

When you main talent is being a good organizer and fashion designer, of course you get picked to become part of the Thalmor “mission” to root out Talos worship in Skyrim. Being an unusual mer in many ways, Shania was rather cross at being picked for the job of ambassador administrator. She had the skill for the job they assigned her, but no desire to perform that duty whatsoever. Her talents were underutilized and frankly wasted if she said so herself.

Fortunately, on a trip to Markarth to discuss things with their senior agent there, she was approached by a sister of Dibella who recognized the small symbol she wore on her armband. The two got to talking and soon had a plan to allow Shania to pursue her interest of running a brothel and designing exotic fashion rather than organizing reports, contacts and design agent uniforms with hidden pockets.

It took some smooth and fast talking with the ambassador, but soon after her return to the embassy Shania had her new duty assigned to her: Field inspector for the Thalmor agents in Skyrim. Finally free to move around as she wished, barring some arguments with drunken nords who took her for a Thalmor of the stuck-up variety, she soon contacted one of the more classy brothels to begin her work, showing up in an outfi of her own design to impress the owner. It worked, and she got hired to help designing outfits, finding new talent and organize events and security for the brothel. It involved a fair bit of travel, but the work was much more stimulating and exciting than her work for the Thalmor.

[wakandascrystal]

Prophecy 2

Pairing - Erik x Black!!reader  

             Tchalla x Latifa!!Wife

genre - Body switching, jealousy, fluff ect.

words - ???

summary- Tchalla and Erik visit the ancestral plane at the same time but a complication arises when both men don’t return to their own bodies....

Part 1  

Tchalla closed the cupboard and headed back. With so much running through his mind he made his was to his own room. He entered the code at the double doors and saw Latifa on the couch with a book. She looked beautiful. Her dreads tied up in a messy bun. Glowing skin and her nightgown and socks. She looked peaceful until she looked up saw him.

“Erik! Can I help you? “

Tchalla stood in the middle his bedroom foyer, holding (y/n)’s snacks and a bottle of water. He wanted to put down everything he was holding and go to his own bed and sleep but he couldn't with the unusual situation they were dealing with and definitely not with Latifa staring at him the way she was.

“I’m going to ask you again Erik. What are you doing here and how can I help you?“ 

Her face was stern and she looked irritated. Tchalla was used to that look now. He would stare at it during Dinner and sometime breakfast. He did noticed that she was a bit nervous. As she stood up and tied her night gown gracefully around her figure she looked tense. She pushed him against the door and took her Kimono beads off shoving them in her deep pocket. 

“Erik I don't like you coming here. I thought I made it clear. Did I not? I dont want my husband to see you with me .“ She looks around and for the first time Tchalla hears the shower running.

“I thought we moved on with from this.” the water from the other room stops and she pushes Tchalla out the foyer into the main corridor of the west wing of the palace.

“Leave me alone . It's over now.” She closes the doors and Tchalla is overwhelmed with emotions. He wasn't sure what Latifa was referring to. 

Was Latifa having..an affair with Erik? 

Erik would not do that. He loves you.

There was no way Erik would risk what he had with you to mess the Queen. Or was it something else...

Tchalla thought hard while he made his way to you. He found you asleep in the middle of the queen sized bed.The lights were dimed and the stars were bright as well.

He quietly sat your snakes down and climbed in the large bed. He had thought about just sleeping on the couch instead but he didn't want to add to the list of unfamiliar behaviors he knew you might have been listing.

He finally stopped moving around the sheets fearing he might wake you up.

Sleep don't come easy .He tried to make sense of what just happened but he found himself staring at you bare face. He doesn't even try to fight it anymore, the light from the moon highlighted your face as you slept. After a couple of seconds your arm moved around in search of Erik’s waist. You had stated before numerous amounts of times that sleep came hard without a cuddle buddy. The smile Erik had made that night when you said that still warms your heart. 

But Tchalla wasn't as inviting as Erik would have been. A lot had happened in a matter of hours and her was quite honestly trying to process everything.

 "Erik if.. You don't sleep you won't have energy for.... tomorrow." 

You words came out slow and slurred.

 "Ah yes the meeting." Tchalla said softly

 "Yes now please sleep.. " You had finally pulled yourself on to his chest. Even though the cuddle felt super comfortable Tchalla felt like a fraud. You were not his to feel. Not his to talk to. He didn't deserve you moaning and speaking gibberish into his neck. He wanted to tell you the truth but god where would he start. You deserved it.  Even though the king was stretching the palm of his hand on your  back making small circular motions.

 Hypocrite.

Tchalla woke up to you fixing your hair. Seated by the dressing table slowing parting and adding hair food and other oils to make it smell nice.

 "Morning big head" you saw him grabbing his face and groaning. 

 "Morning Merica" His voice was rough like you liked.

 "E you got to stop calling me by my name before I take offense " 

 "It's the morning for Basts sake women can we just be at peace! "

 Tchalla's hands flew to his mouth.

 He didn't even think about what he was saying before it came out. He had been so used to him and Latifa arguing and fighting all the time that he attracted without any need to.

 Before he could even apologize you had started checking him.

"Erik I don't know what kind of rubbish they been telling you at these elder meetings but you've been giving me too much sassy lately.. And by lately I mean yesterday an this morning. Maybe you're stressed.... I can understand that... and i'm here to help... But don't make me pay for whatever your going through..... Got that?"

 Tchalla nodes his head but you needed more than that .

 "Come on baby use your words...i need words" Your stroked his face as the wards left his mouth "Yes I understand " 

"Now. Do you want me to take care of that" You pointed to him morning wood and t'challa got so shy. He quickly covered it up with his hands and pulled some covers over his lap. 

 "Ah Princess you were not supposed to see me in much a state. Carry on with your hair I'll attend to.... It" 

You both laughed. His was so embarrassed. 

Tchalla was learning a lot from you like how a couple could have an argument and still  laughter and be silly after. How you don’t always have to hold a grudge with someone after a disagreement. 

He was starting to see why Erik was so overly protective of you. He won the jackpot with you and there was no chance he was going to lose you. Tchalla remembered how a chief from the Boarded tribe wanted to marry. Tchalla was in ear shot when Erik found out about the proposal

“The boys at the Border tribe are getting really brave“ that's all he said with a stern face

“Oh please Erik He doesn't even know she is with you.“ Tchalla said

“I dont care about that ....Everybody knows (Y/N)’s mine. They can't be that dumb. T what do they think she does when she comes to the palace.... “

right behind Tchalla Ayo shook her head. Not understanding why Erik wouldn't want to go public with his relationship with you 

“If you feel so passionate about the girl then tell the nation you are with her...Don't hind her anymore.“

and her did.

At the time it seemed silly but as Tchalla sits in front of you with your hands caressing his face he understood. The energy from you made him weak and he was fighting to not admit it. Since the second he saw you right out the shower to now he knew. And maybe that's why he started leaning into you for a kiss. Reaching up to you sending his face to your own, as your lips were about to meet yours . 

ding ding ding

There was a ring on the front door.

 "It's probably the food. Get ready baby. I'll get it.

Tchalla let out a huge breath and started searching for the bathroom. He stood naked under the cold water trying to not go crazy. He was practicing the same breathing runs his therapist taught him. 

Father I can not do this...

He said it as if he would answer.

The moment he came out dressed in Eriks clothes, you had set out breakfast on the mini marble dinner table. As the slices of forks and knives sounded you filled the are with conversation. Tchalla enjoyed that . He was used to silence or condescending conversations at the breakfast table, it was refreshing to be around positivity. 

“So you telling me you dont think Trump and his ugly ass is hiding aliens from our knowledge.“

“Hiding..“ Tchalla smile 

“Wait a minute. Are you hiding something from me... i mean come on if anyone knows anything about aliens it would be Wakanda. Erik baby if you dont tell me ..I'll just ask Shuri. “ You both laugh while throwing back blue muffins and orange juice. 

“Hey You mind if I get serious for a second?“ you didn't wait for a answer and just countianed

“I.... was talking with Romonda and she might have hinted that we should...... get married. Now I know how you feel about that but I think she's right Erik ... It's been 4 years. I want to be your wife now..... Am tired of these duchess looking down at our relationship just because I'm still your girlfriend..It's embarrassing..and yes what people think and say about us matters.Please Erik. We can have what Tchalla and Latifa have? “

Tchalla had no idea. He thought you and Erik had everything thought out. This was news to him. He bit his lip and looked down. He was for the first time speechless. Like really speechless. His whole Oxford degree or PhD in Physics couldn't help him. Not this time. 

“Are you gonna say something ...or are you going to dismiss me like you do all the time when we talk about marriage.“

Your hands were folded and you were waiting for an answer

“I'm not ... “ Erik

oh he really wanted to say he wasn't Erik and that he had no business in the issue. But he couldn't he had to somehow get out and go to Shuri’s lab or Jabari Land.

“What? you're not ready? We’re not ready ??Am tired of hearing that Erik.“ 

Tchalla played with his Kimono beads secretly taking out Shuri communication device she had gifted him and Erik. He slid it behind his ear and like magic he heard Eriks voice. He was singing in a low register. Raising his voice Tchalla spoke to get Eriks attention.

“(Y/N) I dont know what to say.“

Erik stopped singing.

“T is that you. This shit really works...Damn say something else.”

Tchalla didnt know how to inform Erik of the current situation without pissing him off. 

“(Y/N) can we talk about this when I come back from the Royal meaning. “

“No I want to talk about it now. Why dont you want to marry me? Am I not good enough or something? Are you planning on leaving me ..is that why you dont want to commit to me.“

“Get out there T. Am Serious Tchalla get out.”

Tchalla didnt move - he couldn't just up and leave. I mean he could but he knew he would feel guilty. Your in pain talking about something your been wanting for sometime now and he ups and leaves. Nah. there had to be another way.

“Can we continue this conversation when I return from the counsel meeting.“

You couldn't stop yourself. Everytime you brought the topic of marriage up with Erik he just didn't take you serious. That left your mind to wonder as to way he didn't want to marry you. It really did crush your spirit. You thought that maybe after he saw his father he would take a liking to the subject but you saw that he didn't. Always wanting to sweep it under the rug. 

Your face fall and you can't hold your tears anymore. They fall from your eyes and t'challa saw how you shoulders shook .He moved to your side of the table and crouched in front of you..

“(Y/N) Please..-”without carrying on he took out the ear piece .

“Please dont cry.“ He grabs your hands in his hands. They were soft and much smaller. You tried to pull them away from his but his grip was stronger. Tchalla felt guilty he just wanted to make you smile again. His heart strings pulled as you tried to cover your face at this point he was ready to do anything to stop your crying.

“Okay. After the meeting let me take you to the river tribe. We can sit by the fall and talk about it. All of it.“

This was weird this was the first time Erik even wanted to consider having a conversation about it.

“Okay....just dont string me along. I want action or else ...we should just end things before I get hurt.“ Your voice was small but Tchalla heard it clear as day..

A/N - Next chapter will focus on Erik and Latifa. 

 @chaneajoyyy

 @wokesmalltownprincess

@kaileshay

@bewitchedbaby 

@simscrazyfangirl

@shegoego

@purplledumplings​

 @chellllz

@mellifluousbabe

@royalhearts

@itsjazziebaby

 @urbanmermaidcandy

 @dankholland

@wolfdemidgod

 @amethyst1993

 @scrumptiouslytenaciouscrusade

 @maddiestundentwritergaines

 @lalapalooza718

[ink-logging]

More Superhero Comics, Revealing My Reactionary and Facile Engagement with Art as Little More Than the  Accrual of Social Capital, Benefiting Nobody But Myself, 4/7/19

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. 4: The Tempest #5 (of 6), Alan Moore, Kevin O’Neill, Ben Dimagmaliw, Todd Klein: This is an often very funny issue, set up like a pasted-together UK edition of old US pre-Code horror and crime comics, which, in addition to being funny, plumps up the page count as the plot moves maybe two or three tics forward in advance of the very-last-issue-of-LoEG-ever. The conservative in me wonders why we’re being this digressive in the penultimate number of the entire saga, but then -- at least since “The Black Dossier” -- this project has been more about positioning various strands of fiction and their accrued cultural baggage against one another than telling a propulsive adventure story. Anyway: the realm of Faerie, having easily survived an attempted nuclear strike on the collective imagination by a military-corporate black ops fiction squad comprised entirely of various revamps of James Bond, has brought in every character from every game, comic, cartoon, TV show, movie and book reality with everything for a HUGE apocalypse! 

Scenes of bedlam involve: the life story of Victorian painter and murderer Richard Dadd; cameos by Stardust the Super Wizard and David Britton’s Lord Horror; the oeuvre of musician Warren Zevon, brought to terrifying life; a Corbenesque image of a nude muscleman’s massive dick flapping into battle in 3-D; Mick Anglo’s Captain Universe, presented by Moore in unmistakable evocation of his own Marvelman/Miracleman stories of decades ago; a ghost wearing the word CRIME on his head a la Charles Biro’s Mr. Crime, the greatest American comic book horror host; at least one figure from the annals of racist caricature firing powerful sound waves from his mouth; a monster named Demogorgon, the leviathan of Populism, which the heroes allegorically cross as a footbridge en route to a safehouse named the Character Ark; a page-long parody of Batman (via the forgotten UK superhero playboy character the Flash Avenger), describing his origin as motivated entirely by hatred of the poor; a text feature telling of UK comics artist Denis McLoughlin, who worked consistently since the end of WWII, never made enough money to retire, and spent decades as an elderly man drawing for survival on titles he hated, eventually taking his own life in his 80s; and the secret of what happened to all the British superhero characters after the midcentury, which is that they were all eaten by Capitalism, pretty much. I laughed a bunch, but if you think LoEG is tedious shit, this probably won’t turn you around.         

*

Savage Dragon #242, Erik Larsen, Ferran Delgado, Nikos Koutsis, Mike Toris: The latest installment of the longest-running Image comic written and drawn by one of the Image founders, now deeply dove into problematic network tv drama stuff. The Dragon’s relationship with his partner Maxine is still strained in the wake of her sexual assault, a video of which the Dragon viewed in the police archives; meanwhile, the mother of one of the Dragon’s young children has been telling them all the truth about their parentage, further disrupting the peace of the household. Also, a formerly aggressive sex robot has joined the gang, dressed as an anime maid. And, the Dragon reluctantly teams up with the mid-’00s-vintage sexy heroine character Ant (which Larsen purchased from creator Mario Gully a few years ago) to foil a scheme by elderly elites to project themselves into the bodies of mythic gods in order to provoke the Rapture. Most interesting to me, however, is a bonus segment in which Larsen presents newly-lettered pages of his preliminary solo work on “Spawn” #266 (Oct. 2016), which would later be filled out by contributions from Todd McFarlane, colorist FCO Plascenscia, and letterer Tom Orzechowski. 

As usual, I prefer the ‘unfinished’ version (top) to the official release product (bottom).

*

Superman Giant #9, Erika Rothberg, ed. 

&

Batman Giant #9, Robin Wildman, ed.

These are two of those 100-page DC superhero packages they sell for five bucks exclusively at Walmart (for now; later this year they’re gonna have them in comic book stores too), which marry one new 12-page story per issue with three full-length reprint comic books from elsewhere in the 21st century. I just wanted to know what was inside them. Here is what I found:

-The new Batman comic is written by Brian Michael Bendis as a very conspicuously all-ages prospect, where the story is about nothing more than what it’s about, and the title character is presented as a serious-minded but inquisitive and compassionate man of adventure. This issue -- just in time for the remix of “Old Town Road” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus -- Batman and Green Lantern travel back to the Old West, trade in their superhero outfits for cowboy clothes, and meet up with Jonah Hex. Nick Derington draws the heroes smooth and squinting with Swanian sincerity, and Dave Stewart colors it all bright and sunny. This is not my thing at all, but it’s confident to the point of acting like almost a rebuke to the rest of the book, where literally everything else is chapter whatever of a nighttime doom ballad drawn by either Jim Lee or something trying very hard to look like him. 

-Like:

I can spot the differences, sure - if nothing else, reading superhero comics trains you to spot differences in otherwise similar things. But, there is absolutely an aesthetic at work. The top page is from an issue of “Nightwing” that tied into the 2012 “Night of the Owls” crossover in the Batman titles, produced by a seven-person drawing and coloring team fronted by pencillers Eddy Barrows & Andres Guinaldo. The writer, Kyle Higgins, has Dick Grayson fight his semi-immortal great-grandfather, who is an assassin for the Court of Owls: one of the more popular recent Batman organizations of villainy, presented here as a fascist group mediating society’s function through murder from the gray space between social classes. The Graysons, therefore, are the Gray Sons, but Nightwing resists the pull of destiny by winning a big fight, slinging the villain over his shoulder, and walking away toward a better future of just beating the shit out of bad people instead of killing them, I think. The Batgirl story -- from 2011, written by Gail Simone -- is comparatively orthodox, finding the character gripped with uncertainty about the superhero life and going about some downtime character-building activities, though most of it’s a big fight with a villain with a tragic past. The penciller, Ardian Syaf, kind of has trouble blocking the action so that characters’ movements are clear; I think Syaf is best known for having his contract with Marvel terminated in 2017 for slipping what were widely interpreted as anti-Christian and antisemitic references to Indonesian politics into an X-Men comic. 

-There is a whole lot of Jeph Loeb among the reprints. He is not a writer who has been in critical fashion for much the past two decades, but he has undoubtedly sold a lot of comics for DC, and they probably feel he can do it again. The Batman book is serializing (deep breath) “Hush”, a 2002-03 storyline notable for its extraordinarily easy-to-solve central mystery, and generally being a taped-together excuse for Jim Lee to draw as many popular Batman characters as possible across 12 issues; it sold like hot cakes. The highlight of chapter 9 is probably a bit where a three person fight ends in one panel, and then one of the characters leaves, and then a second character wakes up from unconsciousness and also leaves, and then the first character comes back and nurses the third (also unconscious) character back to health, and then Batman arrives, all in the transition between the aforementioned panel and the next, which takes place in the same room; such is the befuddling desire to race ahead to more spectacle. Jim Lee (with Scott Williams and Alex Sinclair) is indeed Jim Lee (et al.) throughout, though at one point the team drops a howler of a swordfighting panel where Batman’s blade appears to grows to JRPG length due to what I think is the colorist filling two whoosh lines with the same hue as the swords.      

Meanwhile, the Superman book is serializing a 2004 storyline from “Superman/Batman” -- the series where Loeb has Superman describe the action on the page with his own Superman-branded captions, and Batman does the same with Bat-captions, and Superman says tomayto and Batman says tomahto -- in which the late Michael Turner, one of the rock star 2nd generation Image artists, illustrates a new introduction for Supergirl. But this isn’t quite the same comic that was originally published... can YOU spot the difference?

Is this like how Walmart won’t sell CDs that have an explicit content sticker, but with teen superhero g-strings? It’s hard to explain to younger readers how the low-rise/thong panties combo forever sealed the horniness of a generation of het male superhero artists into the late 1990s, and maybe DC doesn’t want to face that. Or, they’re just leery of how Turner slipping some peekaboo glimpse of Supergirl’s underpants or bare thighs into virtually every panel in which she is depicted below the waist might affect the marketability of the comic in 2019 - although I guess it could have happened in an earlier reprint somewhere too.

-The new Superman comic is a series of 12 splash pages depicting a race between Superman and the Flash. There is very little sense of speed, because Andy Kubert (inked by Sandra Hope, colored by Brad Anderson) draws the characters as frozen in time in a way that prioritizes muscular tension in the manner of contemporary superhero cover art; at one point the two characters part the sea with the force of their bodies, and it looks to me like they’re gesticulating in front of a theatrical backdrop. And, anyway, the story pulls back almost every other page to depict Batman standing on a ledge, or Lex Luthor in a sinister chair -- or some birds flying next to a building, or the Earth as viewed from space with streaks on it -- as the race occurs deep in the background or off to one side. The point is not excitement, but reflection, as imposed upon us by the between 13 and 21 narrative captions and/or dialogue balloons pasted atop all but the first page. 

The writer is Tom King, whose “Mister Miracle” (with artist Mitch Gerads) gets a double-page advertisement later in the book, festooned with breathless blurbs from major media outlets. His narrator here is a little girl who is literally chained in captivity, clutching a Superman doll, and delivering her soliloquy in a manner of a superhero-themed TED talk with handclap repetitions on the nature of contradiction. Being faster than a speeding bullet is a CONTRADICTION. Being as strong as a locomotive is a CONTRADICTION. Leaping tall buildings in a single bound is a CONTRADICTION. Superman is about to lose the race, but then he wins, because to beat the Fastest Man Alive is... a contradiction. No wonder the GQ entertainment desk was blown away. DC comics do this kind of thing a lot, where they just have the writer tell you how great the characters are, and since you’re still reading superhero comics in the 21st century, you’re expected to pump your fists in recognition, because you and the writer and everyone at DC are just big ol’ fans... but I am not, because I am Jesus Christ, the only son of God. 

-Elsewhere in the Superman book is an issue of “Green Lantern” from 2006, drawn by Ethan Van Sciver (inked with Prentis Rollins, colored by Moose Baumann), who is known today mostly as a conservative ‘personality’ online. He also netted more than half a million dollars last July in a crowdfunding campaign to make a 48-page comic book which he has not yet finished; funny to see an American right-winger on the French schedule. Funnier still to see the kind of people (mostly guys of a certain age) who mill around such personalities croaking about how diversity is ruining comics, because ALMOST EVERY FUCKING STORY IN BOTH OF THESE 100-PAGE BOOKS IS DRAWN BY EITHER SOME DUDE FROM THE 1990s OR SOMEBODY WORKING EXPLICITLY IN THAT STYLE, but - I guess when you’ve been pampered for so long, every paper cut feels like a ripped limb. Speaking of dismemberment, the writer here is Geoff Johns, who is often pegged as a superhero traditionalist, though he also has a grasp of gory pomp which occasionally pushes the comics he writes into a Venn diagram set with loud youth manga... at least in terms of how the action plays out, all broad and pained. So, needless to say, he’s currently writing “Doomsday Clock”, which is DC’s present attempt to extend the publication life of the valuable “Watchmen” property, so that they needn’t return it to the original creators, per the original writer, Alan Moore.  

-To hear Alan Moore say it, the America’s Best Comics line was done on a work-for-hire basis as a means of ensuring prompt payment of the various creators from Jim Lee’s WildStorm, the original publisher. WildStorm was then acquired by DC (Jim Lee is now their co-publisher and chief creative officer), and Moore -- who has been (fairly) criticized in the past for taking ethical stances that cause financial harm to his artistic collaborators, who are in a less economically flexible position than writers in the comic book field -- allowed the line to continue under DC’s ownership, as to cancel everything would disadvantage everyone working on the titles. One of those titles, “Tom Strong”, was written by Moore and pencilled by Chris Sprouse for a while, and then there was a long line of guest creators, and then Moore and Sprouse came back when the ABC line wrapped, so that the concept could reach its logical termination point in an apocalyptic manner... Moore does love an apocalypse. The final story in the Superman book is a very recent, late 2018 issue of “The Terrifics”, in which we find an attempt to revive the DC-owned Tom Strong characters as players in broader DC stories. Jeff Lemire & José Luís are the primary creators. Jack Cole’s Plastic Man is there, as well as the John Ostrander/Tom Mandrake version of Mister Terrific. It’s a lot of offbeat characters; we even see Moore’s own parody of Hoppy the Marvel Bunny, because, I mean, Alan Moore does a lot of riffs on preexisting characters too, right? It’s a big blob of cartoon whimsy, filled with available characters running around. If they’re available, you might as well roll ‘em out, off the new releases rack and into a supermarket reprint package stacked in a box next to squeeze toys and discount Pokémon merchandise, which I bought, because it was really cheap.

-Jog                   

[eerythingisshaka]

The Coffee Prince Pt. 7

(T’Challa x Reader)

*Part 1* *Part 2* *Part 3*  *Part 4* *Part 5*  *Part 6*

Word Count: 5.6K

T’Challa’s mouth hangs open as he tried to find the words to tell you what has been held back from you this whole time.

“(Y/N), I have to let you know that as King of Wakanda, I have more abilities than you know.  To have the throne, you have to have abilities bestowed upon you in order to protect it.  That is given to me through the Heart Shaped Herb-”

“So did you pass some ability to me?”  You ask, interrupting him.

T’Challa looks at you curiously.  “What do you mean?”

You sigh heavily, trying to get to the point.  “I mean, when we…” you glance from T’Challa to Shuri before whispering, “...you know... did it change me?  Am I changing on a molecular level?  Is that what Shuri saw in her wrist beads thingy?”  you ask, growing more stressed by the second.  “I had seen enough movies to assume that sometimes powers can be transmitted through contact with someone so maybe…”

T’Challa shakes his head, scoffing at your theory, “Ohhh, no, no.  That’s not possible, we just think you are pregnant.”  he says a little too matter-of-factly.

Your eyes widen as your mind goes blank with that word hitting your thought process. You then look down at your stomach, as if it would just start spontaneously growing.  You world moves slow as you look back at him, the man of your heart, who was supposed to protect you and have your trust.  T’Challa studies your face trying to read what’s wrong with you.  His mouth is moving but you don’t hear his words.  Shuri is back behind him a bit, looking like he is trying to diffuse a bomb.

Suddenly, you erupt.  “WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN I’M PREGNANT??!!”  You shout at the top of your lungs.

T’Challa jumps back, never having heard your voice at that level of anger spooked him.  “Umhle, please c-”

“I LOST MY VIRGINITY TO YOU AND NOW I AM PREGNANT?!  We JUST had sex!  We used condoms, what did you do??”  you shout in T’Challa’s face.  

Shuri has backed into the kitchen to give some level of privacy to the situation, while ensuring she doesn’t catch any second hand of the heat you were spreading.

T’Challa continues to try and talk you down sweetly.  “Love, I did, I know it, maybe one broke, but-”

“Did you use the regular ones, or the ones manufactured from home?”  Shuri asks from the kitchen.  

You and T’Challa look at her curiously.  The child was going to preach the birds and the bees to you.

She shrugs.  “Mother gave me the talk long ago, I am nearly grown!  But the ones here do not work like the ones from home.  With your enhanced abilities, semen-”

“Aye, aye, I don’t want to hear those words from you, Shuri.”  T’Challa says, shaking his head in disgust, plugging his ears.

Shuri looks at him with contempt.  “Grow up, T’Challa.  This mess is yours to straighten out, I’m just telling you facts.  If you had been honest completely from the beginning...”

You rub your temples trying to think, “Shuri, so his...you know….just, what?  Broke the condom?  Or seeped through or something?”

Shuri nods, “Something like that.  I remember Baba talking about a situation similar during a party.  It is how I got here…. and why I am the superior child.”  Shuri adds in jest.

“Enough!  I was never told any of this, I feel like if anyone should know, it would be me.”  T’Challa says.

Shuri holds her palms up.  “Well it’s not like there are multiple people with the heart shaped herb in their genetic code.  It was really just a rumor going around at first, but it may be fact proven today.”

You are pacing the floor, hyperventilating and trying not to go faint.  You sleep with T’Challa, who doesn’t tell you he is super human, or that his seed is, and that condoms don’t mean jack shit to him busting inside of you.  Perfect.

“(Y/N), did you not have birth control?”  T’Challa asks cautiously, not wanting to sound like he is placing blame.

You hide your face, frustrated at yourself now.  “Nooo, I hadn’t had to think about it before now cuz there was no point, so I just had an appointment made to get some afterwards, but I guess I’ll cancel that!”  You say, laughing like a person who lost their last brain cell.

T’Challa takes your hands, shushing you gently.  “Breathe, it’s fine, it’s going to be ok.  We will get through this.”

You look at him, heat rising from within you.  “What more can I get through?! Get through this past week and everything having happened in the last 3 hours??  How can I get through this, I still don’t know what’s going on!”

“Umhle-”

“No, T’Challa, no!  I have little patience right now for the sweet talk and-and calming tones, I need answers, not distractions!  You said you loved me, I can’t believe this.”  Your tears overflow as you begin to pace again.

T’Challa looks to you defiantly.  He cannot hide his offense when you tell him off.  “That was not a lie.  I have never lied to you.”

You turn towards him so quickly and stalk up to him so fast, Shuri hops up to come over between you two.

“Lies by omission are still lies, T’Challa!  You have been playing me for a fool, for what?!  To protect your precious kingdom from the gold digging, ignorant American girl that you just needed pop off in real quick?”

T’Challa looks away like you just spat in his face.  “Don’t speak like that.”

You shove him, what little that does.  “That shouldn't phase you,  huh,  Superman!  You don’t tell me what the hell to do!  I’m pregnant!  With a baby that I don’t know if I even want!  My friend is God knows where, going through God knows what with a madman wanting to kill you, me, or whoever he feels up to seeing bleed.  That’s what I’m going through, right the fuck now!  What about you?”  You point in his face, jaws clenched.  “What the hell would your father think of what you’re putting me through?”

Shuri comes back and breaks things up at this point.  “Ok, guys.  Take a breath.  We can’t fall apart before the mission even begins here.  You shouldn’t say things that you may regret (Y/N), sit, please.  T’Challa, hold your patience”

You sit down, trying to comprehend what you have to do.  Between your friend going missing and being a fresh 36 seconds pregnant, you were at the end of your rope.  And now T’Challa is just making things seem like a spilled milk situation made you resent him for not being as freaked out as you were.

T’Challa rubs his beard in thought, kissing his teeth.  “Do you...want to end the pregnancy?”

You stare at the floor fighting back the flood developing at the corners of your eyes.  “I don’t know.”

T’Challa scoffs, stretching his arms out before slapping them down beside his legs.  “I will support you…..whatever you decide….”  He doesn’t say it convincingly, before he starts to walk away.

“Do you want me to continue the pregnancy?”  You ask back at him, looking to him quizzically.

T’Challa remains still a moment.  “I don’t know how to answer that.”

“What does that mean?”

T’Challa’s shoulders rise and fall in exasperation.  “It means, I do not want to influence your decision.  I am here for you, either way.  I think this will affect our relationship either way, in what manner, only time can tell.”   T’Challa says.

Shuri speaks up as referee.  “Guys, it is probably best to get some rest for now.  I will contact Ayo, see if she can get a location on Erik and his crew so we can get Tavia back, ok?”

You nod absentmindedly as you lie back on the couch.

“No, you can have my bed upstairs, I’ll take the couch.”  T’Challa says.

You shake your head.  “I don’t want to be in there right now.”

“Then take a guest bedroom.  But you will not be sleeping on the couch.”  T’Challa protests softly.   You get up slowly, heading for the stairs.  “You do not have to treat me special because I am with child, you know.”

“I would not treat you any other way, in any circumstance.”  T’Challa says in a serious tone.  You decide not to test his patience any further as you head to a separate bedroom.  You lie down, turning over to observe the sky outside of your window.  You didn’t know how to feel, your head was pounding, you needed water from the alcohol at the club drying you out.  You avoided acknowledging whatever was happening within your body, as Shuri said, the scan could be flawed.  But either way, a Plan B is no longer a viable option for precaution.  Only an abortion from here on out.  Your stomach churned violently at the mention, so you get up to go get that water you desperately needed.  

Making it to the fridge to get a water bottle, you start up the stairs again, but pause halfway up as you notice voices from outside.  Shuri and T’Challa were talking in the back patio area.  You settle down on the stairs, clutching your bottle as you hesitantly listen in.

“What would the repercussions be to bring a child out of wedlock as a successor to the throne?”  Shuri asked.

“I do not know what the traditions are, but I can assure you, that I will not give up on my own flesh and blood for the throne.  You can take it, you know.”  T’Challa says.

“No, no.  Not in this lifetime, I like having you as my guinea pig for my updates to the tech.  Why would I willfully sign up in your place?  Anyway, you have the birthright, do what you have to do.  But then…..what if she decides to terminate?”

T’Challa pauses, hugging himself as he looks on into the distance.  “Then she terminates.  Simple as that.”

Shuri touches his arm with concern.  “But how would you feel, Brother?”

T’Challa looks down shaking his head.  “It would depend on when she did it, maybe?  The sooner, the better, but even that sounds wrong of me to say.   Even though she is hesitant too, I don’t want to seem disappointed in her for keeping it or for…..I just...I love her.  I care for her deeply, and the image of her being with child…”  He holds a hand to his chest.  “...warms my spirit, I admit.  Of course, I wish this had happened later than sooner.  It is still early in the relationship. I would’ve introduced her to Mother, married her, but these are the cards Bast has dealt.”

“You should've been more forthcoming, Brother.  Now she thinks the worst of you.”

T’Challa purses his lips.  “I know. It's difficult to gauge what to say, and when to say it.  I did have my position in mind, but it wasn't fair to her not to know.  Now she must feel she is having a baby by a stranger, so I have to make it right.  First by getting her friend from Erik and Klaue safely.”

“I am too young to be an aunt.”  Shuri say, making T’Challa laugh.

“Well you would have someone to boss around for once.  But do not speak of this with her.  I will remain indifferent until her mind is made.  I will not have anything to do with the decision making, it is all on her.  I just want to support her through it.”

On that note, you head back to your room for the evening to rest.  T’Challa’s words weighed heavily on you.  In no means do you want to hurt him intentionally with blame or saying you didn’t want the pregnancy, you just wished so much you guys were more careful.  In some way, you wish T’Challa would react to make your mind up.  If he would break up with you immediately, you couldn't have the baby.  But support and affection all just make you feel like nesting but like he said, what did you even know about him anymore?  Now other lives are in jeopardy due to his silence.

You swear you feel a flutter in your stomach but you pass it off as gas, still wanting to pretend your body is still yours alone in this bed.

In the morning when you wake up, you still feel tired from the other night but decide to get up and be productive.  Reaching for your phone, you see you have a missed call and voicemail.

“Chacha!!”  You call out, running downstairs.

T’Challa nearly collides with you halfway up the stairs.  “What is it?  What’s wrong?”

“She called, T’Challa, there’s a message!”  Your voice breaks as you speak.  Tavia is alive!

T’Challa’s eyes are wide with surprise, but maintains a cool head.  “Ok, we need to hear it.  She may have escaped and needs us.”

You nod as he leads you down the stairs.  Shuri comes from a back room after hearing the commotion.  “You have heard from her friend?”  

“Yes, we just got word from her.  Sit with us while we play it, we may need you to place her location.”  T’Challa tells his sister.

You all congregate around his coffee table, your hands shake as you imagine what the message might sound like.  T’Challa rubs your arm to put you at ease as you pull up your voicemail and put it on speaker.

As the message plays you hear Tavia breathing hard and frantic.  “(Y/N).....where did you go?......I don’t know where I am…..Please!  You gotta help me!”

The phone gets a bunch of background noise and movement is overheard before you hear the next voice.  “Don’t worry, I gotcha.  Heeyy, baby girl!”

Your blood ran cold as you recognized his voice.  That voice threatened to take you away on a cat and mouse game with T’Challa.

“Last I checked, your friend here was feeling me.  Shit, I don’t know what her deal is now…”

“Don’t fuckin touch me!”  Tavia says.  “OW!”

Erik kisses his teeth.  “Issa shame how pretty she is.  All that could change in a instant.  So you go head and tell T’Challa to bring your big ass back here if you wanna see your friend again.  We still gotta finish our drinks.”  

The message ends and you drop your head in agony, sobbing into your lap. Tavia was alive alright, in a living hell.

T’Challa kneels in front of your feet to comfort you.  “(Y/N), she is still alive, that is the best news we can have right now, remember that.  We can find her now, Shuri, can you trace the call?”

Shuri runs a geolocation program on her kimoyo beads.  “Way ahead of you.  He stayed on the phone long enough for me to get one…..Looks like a warehouse on 53rd and Ashland.”

“I will go there now.  Keep (Y/N) company while I handle this”  T’Challa orders.

“But he said he wants (Y/N) there!  You can’t risk going against his instructions, you don’t know what he may do.”  Shuri says.

T’Challa turns to her fuming.  “I will not risk (Y/N)’s life for his games!  He gets myself and whatever I have coming for him!  That is all he needs to worry about!”

You go up to T’Challa, wiping your eyes, putting a hand to his chest.  His heart felt like a speaker on blast in his chest.  “Don’t yell at your sister, Chacha, calm down.”

T’Challa closes his eyes tightly.  “You don’t know what this means to me to find him.  The fact that he got away from me, to get your friend in the first place shows my weaknesses and I must redeem myself.  It is unacceptable what has happened on my watch so far.”

You caress T’Challa’s face, admiring the wide innocence in his eyes to be the good man and great King he pushes himself to be.  The anger and insecurities etched deeply across his face, brow furrowed in intense inner monologues no doubt.  You bring your thumb up to his widow’s peak, brushing it upwards.  “Chacha, this is not about just you anymore.  This more than just bragging rights, this is my friend’s life, my life, yours.  Going in blind with emotion will only make it more probable to fail.  You gotta use your head, not your heart, to direct your strategy now.”

T’Challa eyes tell you so much more than he says.  They tell you you’re naive, that he is still very much so angry, that he loves you too much to fight against your words.  But as long as there was still respect for you, he would bend.  “You need to get dressed, but you will not leave my side.”  He says with a wag of his finger.  

You swipe his hand away, pulling him in for a kiss.  You hated to think so, but it felt more like a goodbye.

T’Challa drives you both down to the warehouse in question to get Tavia from her captor.  The drive over there is quiet as you were tensely biting your nails, not sure what to do with yourself.

T’Challa looks over at you taking your hand away from your mouth, kissing it.  “Everything will be fine.  As long as Tavia is out of there safely, all will be well.”

You hold tight to his knuckly, long hands; strong and determined against your shaky, uncertain ones.  “And you.  You need to come back too.”  You add.

T’Challa looks at you like he didn’t even think of that as an option, but quickly smiles.  “Naturally.  That is a given.”  

T’Challa stops the car a few yards back from the building.  “Remember, stay by me and be on the lookout for anything.  Let me know when something isn’t sitting right.”

As you all get out of the car, you look at the old and rusted abandoned looking building curiously.  No other businesses or main roads around, it was perfect to keep someone for an extended period of time.

T’Challa walks around the building entrance, pushing a button that should open a garage door but is out of order.  You continue to double check  your surroundings before he gets to a window and breaks it in with a nearby rock.

“Shit!  T’Challa be a little more quiet, eh?  How do you know no one is in there?” You say with a scolding  whisper.

T’Challa reaches through the window to the side of a door, working the lock to open it up.  “Shuri has the place surveilled.  She will let us know if we have company.”  

T’Challa steps inside slowly, looking right and left as you follow behind.  

“TAVIA, YOU IN HERE?!”  You shout out out of the blue.  T’Challa looks back at you like you’re crazy.  “What?  You said Shuri said nobody here.”

“Girl is that you??” a voice calls out.

You look around excitedly, “TAVIA!!  Where are you!?”

Tavia steps out from stack of boxes smiling and looking well.  “Oh my God!  Am I glad to see you bitch!”

Your legs lead you before your head can register your happiness.  You run over to your friend, arms outstretched as Tavia meets you halfway.

You both lock each other in an embrace as you both shriek in happiness, bouncing out your energy.

“Ladies, we will need to go soon.”  T’Challa insists.

You barely register his voice as you try to check in with Tavia.  “What happened to you?  After I left the club, I can’t believe you got taken.”

Tavia pulls back from you, fanning your face.  “Man, once you left, I wondered why the hell I was waiting so damn long by myself and went to check on you.  But when I did,  the dickhead Erik from the bar and Catwoman’s husband were out scrappin on the street!”

You shake your head,exhaling deeply.  “Girl, that was T’Challa!”

Tavia bucks her eyes out,  “Oh really??  Fighting like that?! Was that suit a part of the uhh, night y’all…”

Your jaw drops, pushing her arm.  “Tavia, shut the hell up!  I’m still just, ugh, girl, so much to tell you, come on.”

You take her hand to go, but she won’t move.  “Tavia, what’s up?  Let’s go, we can’t stay here all day, like you’d want to.”

Tavia looks at you with a defeated gaze.  “I’m sorry.”

You stutter in confusion, “Wha-what do you mean-”

“(Y/N)!”  T’Challa bellows.  As you turn around, you see T’Challa’s body become covered in little nano-looking parts, expanding all over him until he is enclosed in his signature catsuit, showing every curve and and cavern imaginable.  

“Whoa!”  You squeak in awe of his transformation.

Just then an explosion goes off at the front of the warehouse, sends you and Tavia staggering back.  A cloud of smoke covers everything as you try to make out where T’Challa went.

“T’Challa!!  T’Challa, are you alright?”

A figure emerges from the dust cloud decked out in armor and a foreign looking mask.  But it was not T’Challa.

“Wassup, baby girl?  You miss me?”

You cough as your lungs become upset from the blast.  “Who-”

“You don’t remember me darling?  That’s ok, me ya friend gonna keep good company with you.”  He says.

With a large pow, Erik gets brought down to his knees with a punch to the back of the head, T’Challa stands behind him in full garb.  

“Get out of here now!”  T’Challa commands as Erik strikes him in the shin to bring him down to his level as they fight on the floor.

You get up, covering your face to make your way through the smoke.  Tavia follows closely behind you.  As you both make it out into the fresh air, a van with the door open awaits you.  Coming around from the side of the vehicle, stands the surly looking white man that was Erik’s partner.

“Hello lovelies.  Fine afternoon, innit?”  His gravelly voice taunts you as he sneers.

You reach for Tavia to come with you desperately.  “Girl, we gotta run!  He and Erik were after me that night!”

Tavia looks at you with a hardened stare.  “I know I was there.”

You pause a moment, giving her a once over.  “Tavia...why are you so calm?”

Tavia laughs hysterically.  “Oh, sis, ain’t nobody gonna die.  This is dramatic though, right?  Well hell, I guess I done flew over the cuckoo’s nest now.  But honey, you ain’t gotta worry, we got you.”

You look from her back to Klaue, who raises a gun up in your direction.  “Just take some slow steps up to the van and we will handle the rest.”

Tavia waves Klaue off.  “Nah, I told y’all not to be like that, I got it!”

Your eyes pierce daggers into Tavia.  “Tavia!  You with them now?  The fuck is wrong with you??”

Tavia pulls a gun from behind her back, holding it by her side.  “Get in the van and I can tell you about it.  I won’t point this at you, but I want this to go as smooth as possible, without hurting you or anybody else, aight?”

Erik’s body flies out from the warehouse, landing hard on the concrete.  Tavia takes you by the arm to shuffle you into the van with Klaue.  She shuts the door behind you all as Klaue starts up the engine.  

Looking out of the back window as the van pulls off, you see T’Challa has Erik by the throat before tossing him away to start after the van, but falls back after short while.

You turn back to Tavia, fuming.  “What are you doing with them, Tavia?”

Tavia picks at her nails.  “Oh, stop.  Ain’t nobody gonna hurt you, I said.  This isn’t what this is all about.  You’re just a little piece to the whole puzzle, is all.”

“So then why are you doing this?”You ask puzzled.

Tavia turns to you like this is a candid girl chat all of a sudden.  “Well, I never got around to telling you, but I met Erik a couple weeks ago from swiping on the apps, right?  And I mean, he is really smart, and fine like come on!  And you know, he knows the world, and he’s been through a lot, and I really just support his cause.”

“His cause?  But what does he want with T’Challa?”

“Oh him?  That’s just family mess.  But I did not know that the leather bound kitty was your man!  Girl, you been holding out details on me, for what?!”  Tavia exclaims.

You blink your eyes in frustration.  “Tavia!  How are you talking to me like this is just some everyday shit?  Did he fuck up your head when he got you?”

Tavia chuckles to herself.  “Listen I am fine.  I’m seeing the world in a new light, is all.  Why are our people settling for handouts from the White man, when we can build our own shit, make our own laws!  People think we are progressing because there aren’t ‘colored only’ signs, but trust me, they are still there in the way they police us.  That’s what Erik wants to change, but he needs support from family that ain’t tried to find him.  Now, Erik getting ahold of you, was no part of mine, but he said he needed to get T’Challa’s attention, so that was the way!  He promised me he wouldn’t pull no dumb shit or I’d be out, quick!”

You couldn’t believe what you were hearing.  Nothing that Tavia was saying made any sense to correlate with what you were witnessing.  

“But Erik wants T’Challa’s neck!  He ain’t here to talk, you see they been fighting non-stop!”  you explain.

“That’s just some surface level, family shit!  Once that’s out their system, they’ll have time to talk.  T’Challa just mad someone can come for his throne now.”

“What do you mean family shit?  And he is already king, that’s a done deal...right?”  you ask.

“Oh no baby, that can be challenged, ‘specially since they first cousins!  T’Challa and the Wakandans never gave him a thought, they need to let him in.  T’Challa didn’t tell you?”

You rub your forehead aggravated.  “He hasn’t told me a lot of things apparently.  I got some much shit with him, that’s what I was going to tell you about but...I can’t trust you, girl.”

Tavia looked at you offended.  “Come on, ain’t nobody-”

The loud crash of metal on metal shakes you both up as you hold onto your seats to keep from getting ejected.  Over and over again the van is rammed from behind, you try and keep yourself grounded to see what the cause is.

“Girl, is that car driving on its own??”  Tavia squawks.  

You blink repeatedly, but your eyes are not deceiving you as you see the driver’s side is empty.  It was T’Challa’s car, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Klaue growls with anger.  “Dammit!  The Wakandans are here!  You have your gun girl!?”

Tavia shakes her head, looking ready to cry.  “No man!  I ain’t shootin shit!  I told y’all that!”

You feel heat coming from your Kimoyo beads as a light beams from it.  You hold your palm out as Shuri comes into focus.

“Hey!  Are you alright in there?”  She asks you.

You nod.  “Uh huh.    But T’Challa’s car is coming after us, but he isn’t in it.  No one is!”

Tavia looks around Shuri’s image cautiously.  “Girl, did iOS get and update?  We got hologram handhelds now?”

Shuri smirks apologetically to you.  “Yeah, that is my fault.  I had T’Challa put an remote control device on the engine so that I can tap in and drive if needed.  It never takes long for my services to come in handy.  Just hold tight, we are getting you out of there now.”

“Who’s we-”

A large thud hits the top of the van as a spear shoots through the ceiling between you and Tavia.  You both collectively scream as the foreign object retracts back.  

Klaue exclaims in fear.  “Shit!  Now we’re really in it.  Girl if you don’t get a weapon aimed now, they’ll have you head!”

Tavia is still screaming.  “The fuck!  I ain’t shootin nobody!  How you know that ain’t Erik?”

A loud whistle screams through the air as a gleam of light flashes in front of the windshield.  Sticking in the ground with a thwack, Klaue has no time to steer out of the way before the van goes airborne, flipping in the air, landing on its top.

You both took a tumble inside the van, you rub your head and neck from the whiplash.  “Gatdamn, Tavia, are you aight?”  you ask, trying to move your body from the twist it was in.

Tavia coughs.  “Yeah, just got the wind knocked out my ass.”  

“Good, cuz I’m going to kick yours once we oughta this, bitch, taking me through all this bullshit.”  you say through your teeth.

Tavia rolls over, sitting slightly upright.  “The day you kick my ass is the day the Kardashians swear offa Black men.”

“Fuck you.”  You quip.

“(Y/N)?”  a voice calls out from the side of the vehicle.

You turn slowly to look and see a bald woman, in beautifully adorned red and gold armor and garment, enough to make Grace Jones tumble into a puddle.

“Hello, my apologies for the rough stop.  I hope I have not hurt you.”  

“No, you haven’t, thanks.  Are you someone with T’Challa?”

She nods.  “The King is not with me right now, but I am part of his guard.  My name is Ayo.”

She smile weakly, thankful for some assistance on the right side of things.  “Your voice told me all I needed to know.”

Klaue writhes in the driver’s seat; looks as though he got a good hit in the front of his face, bloodied.

“We must hurry (Y/N), there is no time to stick around here.”  Ayo says holding out a hand to help you out.

As you come to standing you ask, “What about Tavia?”

Ayo looks to the car.  “That is her in there?”

You nod as Ayo peers down through the window again.  “Come on out then.  Are you seriously injured?”

Tavia crawls out, trying to avoid broken glass.  “No, I’m good.”

“Fine.  Then I also have orders to take you back to Wakanda with us, as well.”  Ayo says.

“What?  Why are we still going to Wakanda, you stopped them, haven’t you?”  You question, stress building up again.

Ayo looks to you.  “We still do not have a confirmation from the King on the combatant.  We hope to hear back soon, but for now my focus is to get you both out of here.”

“Well, why the hell am I going?  I don’t know a damn thing about that country, no passport on me, nothing.”  Tavia says.

“You will need none of that.  We cannot risk the life of (Y/N), or their child for your part in the combatant’s plan.  You will be segregated from the population until we figure out what to do with you.”

“There is no child!”  You say swiftly.  You still denied any kind of pregnancy until you could get to a doctor.

Tavia’s mouth moves in many ways until words fell out.  “Wait, what?  I never said I was fucking with people’s kids, man!  I don’t know anything about a baby!”  Tavia says.

Ayo looks confused.  “I’m sorry, I must’ve spoken out of turn…”

You sigh.  “No, I just want to make sure of things first.  And at this stage, it’s not a child anyway-”

“(Y/N), you pregnant?”  Tavia says, looking at you flabbergasted.

You roll your eyes.  “Not completely proven true yet!  Shuri just checked my vitals and found something to be off with hormones or whatever.  I haven’t even pee’d on the stick yet!”

Tavia smirks.  “This nigga busted his trojan horse all up in your barricades, huh?  Girl you ARE a FREAK!”

You fought back the urge to laugh.  Even when she was being insane in her logic, she still had that charm that kept you rolling.  “Tavia!  It wasn’t like that!”

Ayo calls something in Xhosa on her kimoyo beads, and soon after an aircraft appears in the distance like an apparition.

Tavia and you are still going back and forth about you getting knocked up when Ayo reminds Tavia that she is not to try and flee or fight, or she will face consequences.

“If you don’t want me out, why don’t you cuff me, sis?”  Tavia asks, suddenly tough again.

Ayo turns to her slowly, gaze unshifting.  “You did see what I did to the van, yes?  Imagine what else I can do.  The Dora do not require handcuffs.”

Tavia just nods, satisfied with the answer.  “What about Klaue?  You gonna take him?” you ask.

Ayo looks at the wreckage like it was a paper jam.  “Eh, let him bleed out.”

As the aircraft opens for them to board, you get on with all the anxiety in the world.  You felt woozy from the excitement, probably brought on by pregnancy sickness as well, and you still hoped that was all in your head too.  Nothing was ever normal anymore; from men to sex to getting from one place to the other.  You prayed T’Challa would get back soon, safely; you didn’t know what the hell to do in a country you’ve never seen, with people unknown.  Not even Tavia was a saving grace for you, since she became a part of this mess, how much more could you take.  

Part 8

Other Works:

King Kil’mawalls  

T’akia

N’Jadaka’s Helpful Hands

Some Weeks Are Better Than Others

Commencement Day

Wakanda Got Y’all

If I Could Do It All Again

#SundaySweat

Song of Stevens

Signs of Rain

World’s Best Baba

My Ragtag

@sweetpeachjones@scrumptiouslytenaciouscrusade@universalbri @therevolution-willbelive@you-like-this-chain @sarcastic-sunshines@airis-paris14@afraiddreamingandloving@kreolemami@lalapalooza718 @syreanne@thiccdaddy-mbaku@she-is-golden @wakanda-inspired @90sinspiredgirl@bidibidibombaclaat @sithlordslut@brujademente@chaneajoyyy @slimmiyagi @lewatigress @shesakillerkween