#half hanging out of a helicopter. while below

[joelalorian]

Masterlist

Welcome to the madness that is my medicated mind! Hope you find something you enjoy. 18+ MDNI, warnings/tags included on each individual fic. No use of y/n, ever.

Series

Tides of Desire: TLOU no outbreak AU. Joel Miller is a luxury yacht captain running charters in the Caribbean. You join the crew as a deckhand and unexpectedly complicate Joel's peaceful existence. Basically the TLOU bunch on a Below Deck yacht. Complete.

Fall Into Me: dbf!Joel x f!reader. Joel is hanging on by a thread as a single father to a tenacious 10-year-old Sarah. Feeling like he's drowning, like the world is about to spit him out, he needs some help before he breaks in half. At your dad's insistence, you show up in his life and change everything. Complete.

Petals of Affection: A cozy, floral mystery in three parts featuring Jackson!Joel x f!reader. A secret admirer gifts you a different flower and a riddle ten times before you put the clues together and discover that he's been right in front of your face the whole time. Complete.

One-Shots

Lost Cause: Joel thinks you shouldn’t waste your time on him. You disagree. Inspired by the song Save Me by Jelly Roll. Some of the lyrics have been woven into the story.

One-Shots

Fevered Flame: Marcus Pike x f!reader. When Marcus Pike lost himself in work after that debacle with Teresa, he didn’t expect to take on a sizzling new case in the quirky town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Nor did he expect to meet you, an up-and-coming agent also looking for a fresh start. An unprecedented heatwave, mind-boggling art thefts, ancient Aztec legends, this case had the works. How would he ever solve the case with the temperature rising between you both?

Series

Lycoris Radiata - Coming Soon!

One-Shots

Blown Away: How were you to know that Dave York blowing you a kiss in a quaint coffee shop one morning would change your life?

Whisked Away: Dave York is full of surprises. A secret getaway leads to the next step in your life with Dave. A follow-up to Blown Away, but could be read as a standalone.

One-Shots

beneath the silent boughs, whispers of danger flow: An adventure planned to impress you goes sideways, leaving Frankie scrambling to get you both out alive. Summer Lovin 2024 challenge fic.

Beacon of Hope: Rough weather leads to a helicopter crash. Is it real or all delirium? Written for @/almostfoxglove's angst challenge.

neighborhood watch: When someone - or something - starts causing mischief around your new neighborhood, you and your neighbor Frankie are paired up for the new neighborhood watch.

Sweetness in the Stars: While prospecting on a recently colonized moon, Ezra discovered a strawberry patch amidst the lush forests. Knowing how you missed the sweet fruit and longing for a way to get closer to you, he took you back to the grove to harvest the juicy, plump berries. Afterwards, Ezra treats you to an unexpected, sweet treat. Happy Pedro Hours charcuterie challenge fic.

a hero's blessing: The Norse goddess Frith weaves the fabric of destiny for every living being. A Norwegian gift of a thousand thanks unlocks a destiny which Marcus did not see coming. An Offering of Frith challenge fic.

[aspiring-writer-hidden-voice]

“Where’s My Super Suit?!”

I’ve had this idea in my head for a long time and finally got around to typing it up! Enjoy!

Izuku

-He would at first be dumbfounded by the sight of the empty slot where the suit should be. Had he misplaced it? No, of course he would never, but the green haired freckled hero would stand there with the most perplexed expression on his face while mumbling under his breath with hands gesturing to follow the footsteps he had taken into the room.

-“I’m so sure that I had put it back after receiving it after modifications were made.” Stroking his chin while in deep thought. “Positive that this afternoon was when I last entered this room…”

- You sheepishly reveal it from the hiding place you had stuffed it into when the news had flashed the villain attack footage literally just outside.

“You’re what?” You call while stuffing the bundle of fabric into the nearest cabinet. No answer came from the other room, prompting and fueling your curiosity to the point where you peeked around the corner to find him retracing every single step he’d taken inside until coming to a stop at the entrance. He still hadn’t noticed you, none too surprising since he was busy mumbling under his breath while gesturing with both scarred hands. A part of you wanted to hand it over immediately when seeing distress flash within his features as a a helicopter crash landed in the street below with a billow of black smoke threatening to bloke the window’s view completely. This was a special day though and didn’t want him to go gallivanting off if it could be helped, it had taken you weeks to reserve a table at that restaurant that he’d been expressing interest in, and yet your resolve dwindled every passing second as seeing the pro hero become more distressed. Especially when hearing him second guess himself. With a clear of your throat, earning his attention immediately, and shamefully hanging your head led him to the cabinet where you revealed the suit. “Don’t worry about it. I can always make another reservation for some other time—”

His lips meeting your cheek silenced the rest of your half-hearted attempt to assure him that you weren’t disappointed at the turn of events. “Go get ready, Y/n, I can’t wait.” And with a flash of that smile that makes your heart pound, he had slipped out the nearby skylight window. Izuku did not disappoint; less than twenty minutes later he was waiting within the entranceway of your shared residence dressed in your favorite outfit on him. Seeing you instantly made him brighten up and that smile of his made your being warm from the inside as he offered you his arm. “Shall we?”

[leftistfeminista]

Petition to stop a Pinochet ‘death flight’ helicopter that became UK gamepark prop

They are making a milsim game out of a horrific method of murder of leftists, and perhaps even more sadistic, the torture of leftist women. Below is a testimony of what a survivor endured-

The brutal contrast between the fate of my male comrades and my own is a jagged pill to swallow. Each time I'm forced to endure the crude spectacle of the helicopter rides, the parading of my nearly nude body above the cityscape for prying eyes to consume, a piece of my dignity withers away.

Pinochet's tactics, as cruel as they are ingenious, serve not only to humiliate but also to disorient. By using the lives of female Comunista as a source of pleasure, of spectacle, they effectively weaponize our gender. We are stripped of our ideological armor, reduced to the level of objects to be used and displayed.

And the worst part? The guilt gnawing away at my insides, that I live while my brothers are tossed away like unwanted debris. The survivors' guilt is a constant companion, a bitter reminder of the high price of my existence. I'm watching helplessly as my male friends are tossed off the side and killed. As they all get thrown away one by one I expect that I'm next, but instead they end up hanging me from the helicopter half-naked until I'm sick, humiliating and torturing me even more. Dropped into the sea, I felt the breath snatched from my lungs, replaced by the icy grip of the abyss. The promise of death's sweet release would dance before my eyes, only to be cruelly ripped away as the bungee cord yanked me back into the bitter air. Each drop was a betrayal, each rise a violation of the natural order of life and death.

On the surface, being spared from death might seem like a gift, but in reality, it's a torment of its own kind. We're left to grapple with the guilt, the shame, and the knowledge that our bodies have been used as tools in this twisted war. It's a living death, a constant battle against the rising tide of despair and self-loathing. Grief for my lost comrades swelled in my heart, a tempest trapped within the confines of my chest. They had been torn from life, while I, in all my femininity, was denied the purity of that sacrifice. I was made to live, not as a martyr, but a trophy, a testament to our worst enemies' lust and depravity.

How do I feel? Betrayed, used, humiliated. Yet, paradoxically, there's a perverse form of empowerment in it too. In being reduced to nothing more than our bodies, we've been given a weapon, albeit a cruel one. Our captors may rule our bodies, but our minds remain our own. They may have claimed our dignity, but they cannot touch our spirit.

Every catcall from the crowd below, every lustful gaze from our guards, is a burning coal added to the fire of my resistance. It may be a different form of warfare, one fought not with guns and ideologies, but with body and will, yet it is a battle nonetheless. And I refuse to be defeated.

The sharp dichotomy between the freedom of the helicopter rides and the confinement of the junta’s pleasure is a mockery of our struggle. And yet, in this mockery, I find a renewed sense of purpose. I may be a spectacle, a plaything, but I am also a symbol. I'm a stark reminder of Pinochet's brutality, a living testament to his regime's degradation.

Each ride is a torture, each leering gaze a violation. But each also strengthens my resolve to resist, to endure, and to fight back. For every female Comunista paraded over the city in nothing but a thong, there's a spirit that refuses to be broken, a heart that continues to beat in defiance.

As I hang above the city, my body on display for all to see, I draw upon the deepest reservoirs of my strength. I endure the gawking crowds, the lecherous guards, and the demeaning spectacle because I must. Because my spirit demands it. Because I am a woman. A woman of passion, a woman of resistance.

Above all, I am a Comunista. And no matter what they do to my body, they cannot touch my soul. For my soul is mine, and it flies free, even as my body is bound and paraded. It soars above the city, above the pain, and above the pleasure, a beacon of defiance against the Like a puppet on a string, I'm flung over the city, a grotesque spectacle of Pinochet's ruthless regime. The biting wind cuts through my scant attire, each gust an icy dagger sinking into my exposed skin. My body becomes an unwilling canvas, painted with the cruel strokes of shame and humiliation under the leering eyes of the spectators below.

The hum of the helicopter rotors blends with the cacophony of my heartbeat, drumming a rhythm of dread and despair. My pulse is a wild thing, thumping against the cage of my ribs, desperate to escape the horror of my situation. The cityscape below blurs into a dizzying tableau of my impending doom, its towering structures mocking my helpless predicament.

I feel the mocking stares of the spectators piercing through the whirl of wind and noise. Their laughter is a bitter wind that chills my spirit even as the terror burns like a wildfire in my veins. It's a perverse carnival, my dangling body the star attraction, and my fear, the intoxicating scent that feeds their twisted entertainment.

Yet, beneath the layers of terror and humiliation, a defiant ember flickers in my soul. Every icy gust of wind, every mocking laughter only serves to fan its flames. They may have bound my body, stripped me of my dignity, but they cannot quench my spirit. It burns brighter with each passing moment, an unyielding beacon amidst the chilling winds of my plight.

The sight of the city sprawling beneath me is a grotesque mirror of my torment. Like me, it hangs in a precarious balance between its past and its present, between the ideals it once held dear and the reality it now endures. I feel a perverse kinship with it, a shared understanding of humiliation and defiance. It's a bond forged in the crucible of our shared suffering, unbreakable as the spirit that continues to fuel our resistance.

The stark contrast of my fate to that of my fallen comrades doesn't escape me. The male comrades were dropped to their death, their defiance silenced in the blink of an eye. But we, the female Comunista, we're forced to endure a far more insidious fate. We're not just silenced, we're used, paraded, and reduced to mere objects of pleasure and mockery.

Yet, each terrifying moment suspended above the city, each jeer that reaches my ears above the roar of the wind and rotors, renews my commitment to the cause we'd all pledged our lives to. They may have tethered me to a bungee cord, but they cannot tether my spirit. It's a wild thing, untamed by fear, undaunted by humiliation.

My fear, raw and tangible as the biting wind against my skin, becomes a fuel for my resolve. Each pulse of terror that courses through me transforms into a battle cry, an affirmation of my indomitable will. I may be Pinochet's spectacle, his object of amusement, but I am, first and foremost, a Comunista. And no amount of fear, no degree of humiliation can extinguish the flame of resistance burning in my soul.

As the city flies past beneath me, and the wind bites into my flesh, I close my eyes. I embrace the fear, the shame, the guilt. I allow them to wash over me, to seep into my bones. For it's in these moments of abject terror and humiliation, that I find my greatest strength. I am more than the object of their derision. I am a symbol of defiance, of undying spirit. I am a Comunista. And I will not be broken. The dread was choking, consuming me from within as I watched my comrades - men I'd once proudly stood shoulder to shoulder with in defiance of Pinochet's regime - plummet one by one from the helicopter. Each fall was an echo of a silenced voice, a splash of horror in the ocean of my mounting terror.

Then, they unceremoniously shoved me towards the edge. My heartbeat pounded a furious drum roll in my ears, the clamor of my impending doom. I braced myself, ready to meet the end with the steel resolve of a Comunista. Yet, as I plummeted, the expected icy hand of death did not come. Instead, the bungee cord tethered around my ankles yanked me back, launching me on a dreadful pendulum swing between life and death.

Suddenly, I was an unwilling marionette in Pinochet's macabre puppet show, left dangling and twirling under the disapproving gaze of the sky and the leering eyes of the city. My humiliation was painted on the vast canvas of the heavens, a spectacle for all to gawk at. The wind, once my ally in the freedom chants on the streets, now turned a bitter foe, nipping and tearing at my exposed skin with icy teeth.

My world became a whirlwind of chaos and confusion, turning end over end in a dizzying dance of fear and degradation. The city, once a symbol of our struggle, now distorted and morphed into a mocking audience, drinking in the sight of my plight. The wind carried their jeers and laughs, each one a piercing arrow, sinking into the soft underbelly of my dignity.

The sky turned a theater, the city a captive audience, and I the reluctant star, yet with every jeer, every gawk, every gust of wind against my skin, my resolve only hardened. For each moment of humiliation was a testament to my spirit, a testament to my fight. The sight of my male comrades' end was a chilling reminder of the stakes. I was alive, albeit in a nightmare, and that meant I still had a chance to fight.

[naavispider]

Part 8! EIGHT!

Whole fic

Thank you to everyone who's left a comment or a kudo so far, it's so nice to read them all 🥰 Sorry there was no update yesterday, I went to see the move again in IMAX 😍

The sky was streaked with orange and pink, and there was a slight breeze where Spider had been resting against a boulder, but the air was warm as he fought to keep his eyes open. He'd been almost content to watch the squad as one by one they completed Iknimaya, (hoping that at least one of them would meet their end), until after a couple of hours the final recom soared triumphantly into the dusk.

Spider was exhausted. They'd hiked for a day and a half non stop, he'd eaten very little food, and his body was still trying to recover from the trauma at Hell's Gate. His arms and legs ached from the climb up the mountains, and the binding around his wrists was becoming more and more uncomfortable. He closed his eyes while breathing deeply against the warning beep coming from his exopack, as if daring it to run out of oxygen faster. He wasn't bothered - truthfully, if he ran out of air in his sleep, sat against this rock, then it wouldn't be that much of a loss. At least Jake and Kiri and Lo'ak and the others would be safe.

Lost in his thoughts and sleep deprived haze, he didn't hear or sense the Colonel's ikran approaching until it was right next to his face.

"Wake up kid," Quaritch commanded, from his seat atop the giant bird.

Spider looked up, shielding his eyes as the last light from the sunset illuminated the clouds behind Quaritch blindingly. He could only see the man's silhouette.

"Hop on."

It took Spider a moment to comprehend. He briefly considered running - there was no one left on the ground to hold him back - but immediately realised a) he didn't have the energy and b) the recoms would surely just snatch him up from the sky. He didn't really want to get up, but he rose slowly like a robot, assessing how best to climb onto the ikran without the full use of his hands. He stepped up onto the ridge near its spiracles, and before he knew what was happening, Quaritch's huge hands had lifted him up until he was straddled on the ikran in front of him.

He shuffled as best he could into a comfortable position, while also trying to put as much distance as possible between his back and Quaritch's chest. The space between them seemed to simmer and burn into Spider's skin. The ikran could sense the tension too, screeching loudly beneath them. Spider struggled to find the footholds that would give him some sense of stability. He felt his foot find its purchase somewhere below, but immediately retracted it when he realised he'd placed his foot on top of Quaritch's boot.

Quaritch leant forward, unsheathing his hunting knife, and cut Spider's hands free. "Hang tight," he murmured, and Spider grasped hold of the thick tendrils protruding from either side of the beast's head.

"Yah!" Quaritch shouted as they took to the sky. Spider inhaled sharply as the ikran took off, slipping slightly down its back and gripping tighter to hold on. Without any kind of banshee harness, this was going to be interesting.

Spider didn't have the energy to pay attention to the orders Quaritch was delegating into his communicator. Instead he stared at the forest below. Was it really only a day ago that he'd watched the forest from the Scorpion helicopter, comparing it to that of riding an ikran? Ironic.

It had been a while since he'd ridden an ikran. The last time he'd done it had been with Lo'ak, who had convinced him that it would be fine, and when Jake had soon found out from Tuk what the boys had done, he'd banned Lo'ak from flying for a week. Thinking about Lo'ak pulled at something in Spider's chest, and he suddenly longed for his effortlessly carefree brother.

When he slipped again, it became clear that Quaritch needed to bring an arm around him to hold him in place, resting his huge hand on Spider's chest. He was so exhausted, he didn't know whether to roll his eyes or cry.

The two didn't speak for a while. Neither one knew if the other felt more or less awkward than themself. Wainfleet streaked past them as they chased the Sun over the horizon. After a few minutes, Spider's exopack beeped again.

Quaritch's ears pricked behind him. "Everything all right there?"

"No," Spider replied, trying to sound as annoyed as possible. "I'm almost out of air." He pointed to the small warning light flashing on the exopack.

"Jesus, kid!" Why did Quaritch sound annoyed? "Why didn't you say so?" It was too confusing. "Lucky we don't have to stop... I've got one here..."

Quaritch pulled his pack around and rummaged until he found a spare oxygen canister, handing it to Spider.

Spider took it and exchanged it expertly for one of the two depleted ones within the exopack. Hmph. Quaritch gestured for Spider to hand him back the empty one, which he did.

"Kid, you were gonna tell me you were running out right?"

Spider shrugged noncommittally under Quaritch's arm.

A few too many awkward seconds passed before Quaritch spoke again, clearly weighing each word before they came out. "You know... if you were trying to prove a point there, I'd rather you didn't."

"I wasn't trying to prove a point."

"Well then, when were you gonna tell me? When you had five minutes of air left? Does that seem sensible to you?"

Spider wanted to be silent, but he also wanted to shout and scream at him. He wanted to yell that how the hell would he know that the recoms had packed spares? Why did Quaritch even care? He glowered to himself with barely repressed annoyance.

"I didn't tell you because I had no idea you cared so much."

Another few awkward seconds. Spider silently thanked Eywa that despite the uncomfortably close proximity, at least they didn't have to look at each other for this conversation.

"Spider I- I made my feelings crystal clear for you last night. Toe the line, accept the situation, and I will look out for you." The recom's voice was rough.

"You think you're looking out for me?" Spider laughed out loud. "You're clueless."

More seconds.

It was Spider who continued. "Dads don't act like this."

More seconds.

"Easy there, kid."

Spider didn't reply. It was all he could do to stop his shoulders shaking as he stared out at the now dark horizon. The forest was lighting up below. The Sun had set. Quaritch shifted his grip on Spider, keeping him from sliding. If Spider looked down he could see the bioluminescent dots on Quaritch's forearm, blurring behind unshed tears. All he wanted was to sleep. He wouldn't be able to hold off much longer.

"Where are we going?" he mumbled.

"Back to base. Need to pick up some kit."

Terror released into Spider's every cell. "I'm not going back there!"

"Jeez... calm down. I'm not giving you back yet. We head out west again in the AM."

I'm not giving you back yet.

Ignoring that last word as best he could, Spider for once tried to do what Quaritch said. He breathed deeply as he allowed the extraordinary amount of adrenaline to break down in his bloodstream. He was so tired.

Finally closing his eyes in defeat, he accepted he was safe under Quaritch's grip, and allowed himself to drift into an uneasy sleep.

*****

He was flying with Lo'ak. Flanking them on either side was Kiri and Neteyam. They were soaring free through the mountains. He looked over at Kiri, standing majestically on her ikran, wind in her hair, smile brighter than any light. And then she was gone. An arrow shot straight through her from above. She fell haplessly down as all he could do was watch. His scream caught in his throat.

*****

An hour or so later, Colonel Quaritch brought Cupcake down to land on the hard tarmac of Bridgehead. He didn't want to be here any more than the boy did, but the engineers had developed some handy pieces of kit now that they'd tamed the mountain banshees - including proper flight harnesses. It was worth coming back for a night to restock and rest before setting off properly in the morning. They all deserved a night in a bed.

Spider shifted in his sleep as they landed, but Quaritch held him tighter. He only realised the boy had passed out when he started hearing muttered Na'vi. Quaritch carefully disconnected his queue from Cupcake's and took Spider into his arms as he dismounted. The others all landed and dismounted behind him.

"Squad," he began, surveying his team. "Today was an outstanding day. I'm a proud son of a bitch of each one of you. Tonight, sleep well. Briefing tomorrow at 08:00, breakfast mess."

The team slapped their thanks to their banshees and ambled off with their arms round each others' shoulders to find the avatar sleeping quarters within the base, still high from the flight.

Quaritch followed behind, carrying the slumbering Spider. Once through the airlock he made his way to the living quarters, hoping General Ardmore had retired for the night. It was getting on for 2AM. Deciding to put Spider in an empty guest dorm room, he laid the kid down on a bunk and removed his mask and exopack. Still the boy didn't wake. Quaritch stared down at him. As far as their relationship went, it had been a pretty terrible day. And yet, with Spider asleep, Quaritch could finally see through his mask. The boy looked so innocent like this - so peaceful, aside from the frown that was creasing his brow, betraying his dreams. That feeling rose again in his chest.

This boy was going to be the end of him.

He stepped back, turned off the lights, and left.

[panamacitytrip11-02-2022]

Day 3 - 11.04.2022

Started the day off strong by waking up around 11:30 pm (sorry so the day before, technically) with Leanna screaming, jumping on the bed, tripping, and going into the bathroom before waking up. She apparently was half awake and kept thinking there were spiders in the bed, then on the ceiling and then on the wall. To be fair, we did have decor which could be interpreted as spider-like although it’s a stretch. Pics are below. Anyway, I went straight into calm-this-person-until-they-are-fine mode which yes, I’ve had practice with a ton of times since every person I’m in a relationship with has nightmares. Eventually I had to wrap my arms around her in a hold to tell her she was fine and then she fully woke up! We eventually went back to sleep but a while after, since we weren’t sure if Leanna was going to back into nightmare-land.

When we woke up again in the morning (yay no more nightmares!) I started off by sitting outside with Janice and Leanna in the morning while we all drank coffee. It was so nice seeing how much Janice loved the view, just as we had when we first sat out there. I then had to prepare for and take my meetings for the day but it wasn’t too bad. While I did that Leanna, Janice, and Jared went down to the beach and hung out with their fam. I was done with everything (more or less because when am I really ever completely done) around 12:30 - 1:00. We decided we wanted to check out some of the shops right below the hotel so we made our way down to see if there was anything we wanted. It was mostly a kitschy tourist store but in a sense that’s what we wanted. I always forget to get items on trips and wanted to get something that actually says Panama City Beach on it. I found a hat that I actually really liked with Panama City stitched on so I bought that. I’ve never in my life been a hat-wearer but I felt like it was time to try something new and for once I thought I looked cute in it. We ended up also going to the place next to it and I bought a cute yellow cover—up and a clear dry bag for my phone to go in. I really want to take pics of fish, if I can.

After the shopping we walked back to Mike’s friend’s room where Leanna and I split Chipotle bowls. Everyone tends to eat around activities rather than at the normal meal times which is always bit of a struggle for me. We ate our bowls almost as a snack (hence why we split it) at around 2:00 because we knew we were going to have an early dinner. I had rice in my bowl which I hadn’t had since before I started doing keto which was a nice treat. After our meal and hanging out for a bit I went upstairs to our room to take a shower and get ready for our early dinner. I decided to put on my Fall dress (the Nicole Richie one) and it was hit with everyone. I really need to get more cute dresses cause compliments are nice.

We went to (yet again) another Italian place although this one was a lot better than Olive Garden. Called Carrabba’s Italian Grill, I got the lobster ravioli which was amazing. It was just enough pasta so I wasn’t too full or too hungry after, and it was filled with just enough lobster. Leanna and I also got Shirley Temples. I forgot how much I loved those and it was Leanna’s first time! She said she enjoyed it. After dinner we were discussing doing karaoke since we kept hearing people singing directly below us at “Shuckums” which I keep calling “Schmucks.” After we got to the room and sat down, however, we decided against it and I wrote in this journal. We knew we needed to get to bed early, anyway, given that we were going to wake up the next day at 6:00 am to see Mike and John off at the first leg of the triathlon. Pics below!

The “spiders” in Leanna’s nightmare.

Emails in the morning aren’t as bad when you have this view!

The blue-green water and a military helicopter that flies by quite often since we are near a military base.

Lele and I at dinner and my amazing lobster raviolis.

The view at sunset and the walkway into the beach lit up at night.

~Tess~

[blackbat05]

✍️ hmmmm Rick Flag Or Dubois stuck on a mission that neither wants to be on?

Hello dear! Ahhh thanks for asking!❤️ This is interesting!🤔 Initially I was thinking about doing it for Rick Flag but I thought why not try a different character this time and viola! Product is finished! I hope I did justice to your ask and to Bloodsport as well because Idris Elba is😘 Enjoy!

Warnings for anyone who reads this: Cursing (but it’s Robert Dubois y’all😂)

***

Reckless

Robert Dubois x Reader

‘Just stay out of my way!’ The grumpy marksman turns on his heels, leaving you speechless. The hot flush in your cheeks didn’t lie - you were embarrassed. For a good reason. The most recent mission in Bolivia was almost botched. And all because you had selflessly went back into the burning building to rescue a remaining child.

Half a dozen pair of eyes were on the both of you, quickly reverting back to whatever they were doing when Robert unceremoniously left you standing there.

‘He doesn’t mean it,’ you flinched at the contact, realizing that it was only Cleo. You gave her a wan smile, ‘It’s ok Cleo, I know when I’m not wanted.’

Unfortunately Amanda Waller didn’t give a damn two weeks later, when you saw him walk in. Predictably, his protests were shot down the moment he stepped foot into the same room as you, Waller reasoning that your ability to stay invisible was much needed for this stealth mission - retrieval of files from a highly guarded army base in Belize.

It was supposed to be simple. In and out. But with the squad, nothing was simple.

Harley was caught by an unsuspecting guard who had came early for his shift, causing alarms to blare throughout the compound.

‘Fucking hell,’ Robert curses. He grabs the drive, making his way out of the vault. Where the hell were you?

He gets his answers as he finds you dragging an unconscious guard into the janitor’s closet.

‘Where were you? You were supposed to stand guard.’ He chides, stating the obvious.

‘Oh I’m sorry,’ your voice dripped with sarcasm. ‘Then maybe I should have just let the guard walk in and shoot you while I stand there and do nothing!’ You felt a little satisfaction as you saw his stunned expression.

‘Look, I know you hate me so can we just get this mission over and done with?’ You shut the door once the guard was inside, revealing another guard that had spotted you and Robert and was running towards the direction with his gun raised.

But with Robert’s back facing the attacker, even he wouldn’t have enough time to react. So you did what you had to.

Placing your hand on his shoulder, you stood in front of him, turning both of you invisible. The guard was evidently confused, blinking his eyes twice before heading down the hallway.

‘God, that was a fucking close one.’ Robert breathes out, not knowing the state that you were in as you released your grip on his shoulders.

Your powers made you invisible. It didn’t make you invincible. The guard had shot in your direction which meant that the bullet would have hit either one of you anyway.

Slumping towards the ground, Robert finally sees the patch of blood that is becoming bigger just right below your rib cage.

‘Shit- ah fuck!’ Robert was a military man. So he did what he could think of first - slow down the bleeding. He rips a part of the curtain, giving a good wrap around your injury. Not exactly sanitary, he knows. But it was what he had to work with so far.

‘Hang in there alright? Hey don’t you dare sleep!’ He raises his voice, feeling rushed for time. Was that… fear?

Robert manages to keep you awake until the both of you reach the helicopter where Rick was waiting. The rest of the journey remained a blur as Robert attempts to keep you awake by asking you every question he could think of.

But the moment the helicopter lands at Belle Reve, you black out as you were whisked away by medical personnel.

‘She’ll be alright Dubois,’ Rick tries to reassure him, being one of the few people who knew about the man’s complicated feelings towards you. He grunts, leaving for his cell to scrub the grime and traces of your dried up blood off him.

——

You wake up to a pounding headache and a feeling that you had just been ran over by a one ton truck. Your tried to lick your lips that were cracking, in desperate need of some water.

Your movements must have attracted attention as Robert was at your side instantly.

Getting your voice back, you looked at him furtively. ‘How did you…?’

‘Flag,’ he responds. ‘He told me the moment when you were alright. Said that he would get me in here himself.’ You nod numbly, unsure of what else to say next.

‘Don’t do that again. Please.’

Placing the cup of water at your beside, you turned to face him directly in the eye. ‘I thought you hated me.’

Robert gives a heavy sigh, finding the right words to continue. ‘I don’t… look. When you ran back into that burning building, I was so scared. That maybe there would be two bodies instead of one.’ He pauses, registering the shock on your face.

‘Yes I know, Flag almost beat me up. Told me that it was immature and unlike me.’

‘Damn right,’ you smiled. ‘You could have just told me that you were concerned about me. I would have listened.’ Taking his hands, you gave it a reassuring squeeze.

‘Maybe. Maybe not. Who knows because you’re so damn stubborn.’ Robert mumbles, eliciting laughter from both of you.

‘Please. Promise me that whatever you do, just be careful.’ He says it with such seriousness that you wonder where the Robert you knew went.

‘Deal. As long as you tell me what’s going on in that head of yours.’

‘Deal.’

***

A/N: Literally gave me more excuse to procrastinate. I just want to do my exam and get it over and done with!

[fa-headhoncho]

Untitled TFATWS Fic: Part 2

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Prompt/Background: After turning yourself in to the government following the events of CA:TWS, they lock you up for the crimes you committed during your time at Hydra. Spending years there until Captain America got you on parole during the blip to help fight Thanos. Now, after doing community service acts and helping the broken society, when they give the new Captain America the shield, you’re thrown back into a life you didn’t want.

Word Count: 1719

Reader: Female

Warning: parole officers? canon level violence, john walker

Author’s Note: uh, hi. i'm shit at fighting scenes so... Also, slow burn, I'm sorry. I'm a whore for slow burn fics. GIVE ME IDEAS FOR A TITLE PLEASE

Masterlist Part 1 Part 3 Part 4

=====

“So, how’d you end up here?” Walker screams over the loud roaring of the helicopter, trying to make conversation as the pilots drive you where you were going. You roll your eyes at him, did he really not do any research before recruiting you on this mission?

“You’re the one who cut my parole.” You scoff, not looking up to speak to him. You were too busy fiddling with the tactical gloves they gave you. The velcro sticking to the material of the ridiculous suit frustrated you, it was too tight. It matched Battlestar’s, red and blue but yours didn’t have a star on the side and his wasn’t as fitted. “Why did you, exactly? I haven’t been on a real mission since my Hydra days and you bring me into what? Taking down a terrorist organization that we have little to no information on?”

The Captain shakes his head, a small smile slipping onto his face. “You’re a good asset, a great addition to the team I’m building.” He simply answers before looking out of the open door of the copter.

You roll your eyes once again, if he thinks you’ll be a part of his team then he’s really in for it. This was just one favor you were going to do for him before you would be released out into the public again. You owed him this but you weren’t about to become a team with this imposter.

Deciding it would be better to not respond, you just vaguely nod your head. You weren’t about to tell him off in fear that he’d just snap his fingers and have you back into jail for not complying with him.

“They’re right there.” He suddenly gets up and holds onto the tether above for stability. The helicopter carefully lowers as he exits, throwing his shield before hopping down onto the truck.

Standing up, you lean over to get a better look to see who else was fighting. Anger bubbles up as you see Sam being pinned down and Bucky being restrained by masked figures. “You guys didn’t tell me those two were going to be here!” You turn to shout at Battlestar.

The dark-skinned man just shrugs, a sly grin on his face, “You wouldn’t have come.” He merely offers before jumping out and swinging in to help his friend. Letting out a frustrated groan, you follow him.

Using the rope to drop down, you land on the other semi where Sam is. Two of the masked people have him pinned down. They were too distracted with the two landing and throwing the shield around to notice you sneaking up behind one of them.

You swiftly kick right under the back of their knee causing them to fold back slightly. You take the advantage and spin, the roundhouse kick sending them off the side of the trailer. Sam looks up at you from below, a pained expression on his face.

“Oh no, not you too.” He sighs out in which you return with a sad smile. He lets out a groan before turning to deal with the other enemy holding his right arm down. You help him stand up just as Battlestar lands right beside Walker.

“Sam. John Walker, Captain America.” Walker decides this was a good time for introductions and sends the Avenger a salute.

“Lamar Hoskins.” His sidekick steps in after they do their little forearm bang. The two look at you, waiting for you to introduce yourself but you just glare at them.

“And that’s (Y/N) (Y/L/N).” He points to you.

“Yea, we know.” Bucky spits out, side-eyeing you. You don’t even need to look at him to know he was pissed off. The guilt starts to wash over you but you push it down. It wasn’t the time now to talk to him, you needed to focus on taking down these abnormally strong people.

“Looks like you guys can use some help.” The Captain continues before turning and hitting the redhead with his shield. The rest of the Flag Smashers pounce as well. The four that were on your side try to come at you causing Sam to try to fly away. Noticing that they were all targeting Sam, you unhook the bolas from the side of your suits.

Using the rope to swing the balls at the end around, you throw it to wrap around one of the guy’s bodies. It tightens around him and you give it a hard tug, sending him to the floor. They still manage to pull him back down and attack him.

The guy you were fighting grabs the rope and pulls you towards him, you let out a surprised squeal at his strength. You release your grip on the rope before he could tug you down to his level but the person you thought you knocked off wraps his arms around your shoulders.

You struggle against the man, his fingers digging into your shoulders would definitely leave bruises but you didn’t care. It’s been a long time since you’ve been out in the field like this and you were trying to think back to your Hydra training to figure out an escape.

The man you pulled down finally gets up and drags his feet over to you. Behind him you see Bucky jump over and help Sam with the two other Flag Smashers. The man gets close enough and you use the leverage the other has on your upper half to lift your legs and swing them around his neck and jerk your body to the side.

The movement causes the guy to release his hold on you, letting you and his partner fall off the side. You luckily catch the side of the metal, watching the guy roll onto the grass on the side of the road. You turn back to see the other guy hovering above, his foot coming up to step onto your fingers that were gripping on for dear life.

Just as he was about the step on them, you see Sam’s wings hit him off. Letting out a sigh of relief, you pull yourself back onto the roof of the trailer. Sam was still fighting off two of the Flag Smashers but Bucky was nowhere in sight.

Then you hear grunting from below so you peak your head over to see Bucky hanging on by the bottom of the truck with a guy trying to stomp his arm off. Sam seemed to be handling the one person on him so you decide to help the super-soldier first.

“Bucky! Hang on!” You call out to him, looking around to figure out a way to get him safely off the bar.

“That’s what I’m doing!” He yells back while tightening his grip inside of the torn metal.

You watch the new Captain America and Battlestar struggle slightly to keep the soldiers off of them but you weren’t too concern about them, Bucky was your main priority now. Taking out your knives, you throw one at the woman attacking Sam. It slightly stuns her before she rips it out and throws it aside. “Sam! Go get Bucky, I got this.” You demand and he just nods.

The woman turns to you as Sam flies off right before the woman plows through the road sign. She lets out a roar before charging at you. She swings her arm to hit you in the face but you dodge it. It didn’t take a scientist to realize that these people were super-soldiers so you knew that the last thing you wanted to do was take a blow from them.

The years of training with the former Winter Soldier have taught you well for this standoff. She tries to recover from the miss but you elbow her in the ribs making her go off balance for a few seconds. Taking the opportunity, you kick her chest to send her lying on her back.

You walk over the woman, scowling down at her before leaning down and sending a hard punch to her head, knocking her out. You peak over at the other two just as the gunshot goes off. The person behind Battlestar retracts but doesn’t loosen his grip on him. The other takes advantage of Walker being distracted and throws him off the back of the trailer.

The man jumps over to you and tries to wind up a punch but you barely dodge it, tripping over the woman you just knocked out. “Fuck,” You whisper out, eyes flicking from the man in front of you over to Battlestar getting tossed off like a ragdoll. The rest of the group turns to you, seeing you as the last person standing.

They get distracted as the Captain appears again, a sense of hope washes over you but he just gets shit on. They were easily attracted to him since he was the star of the show so they let the one guy handle you. You look straight past him as he takes his time to stalk over to you. These people were cocky and you couldn’t blame them. They just took out four well-known figures, well-known fighters, and were left with you.

It wasn’t an ideal situation and you needed to find a way out. You couldn’t even keep count of the super-soldiers since they kept popping up and you weren’t enhanced enough to take them all on nor were you about to get captured. Seeing the road sign approaching from behind the man sparks an idea in your head.

Making eye contact with the Flag Smasher, you throw your last tool past him. He watches it zoom past his head and looks at the sign approaching. He braces himself for the impact, busting through the metal before whipping back around to look at you. But you weren’t there.

You used your last bola to wrap around the metal bracing and use a steel grip to hold onto your end. Letting out a grunt at the rough pull as the rope drags you off the trailer to hang from the sign. You let out a sigh, watching until the soldiers and trucks are out of view before jumping down onto the ground.

This was a lot more complicated than Walker said it was going to be.

_____

taglist: @crowleysqueenofhell @mischiefmanaged71 @thewinterrbucky @lizajane3 @ahahafudge @spookycereal-s @a-girl-who-loves-disney @kittengirl998

[angstyaches]

Half of All Bus Rides

There was interest expressed in motion sick Payton, so here they are! It’s quite long and I’m not adding a cut because cut fics don’t seem to get as much interaction for some reason.

CW: motion sickness, anxious sickee, emetophobia (secondary character who does not actually see or experience the emeto), burping and a little hiccupping, heavy on the stomach noises.

___

Countryside and highway flashed by as though the bus had been doing two hundred kilometres per hour instead of the eighty-five it was actually doing. Payton’s head was spinning at almost the same speed, and they were drinking deeply of the dry air from the vehicle’s air conditioning system, drawing breaths deep into their lungs before slowly letting them go.

They certainly did not feel sick. Nope. There was no way that motion sickness could possibly be hitting on their first trip with Autumn as their girlfriend. Their stomach must have been clenching from nerves. Of course; a five-hour long bus ride was a big deal. Sharing close quarters. Needing to be funny and interesting, while also being careful not to annoy her. Yeah, it was just a lot of pressure and Payton was overthinking.

“I still think it’s weird,” Autumn mumbled, her head tucked against Payton’s shoulder.

They looked at her, grateful that her eyes were shut so she wouldn’t see how washed-out they inevitably looked. “What, baby?”

“You know. Lucy.” Autumn gave a dazed shrug. “It’s weird that we know nothing about the relationship, and yet here we are, going all-expenses-paid because of someone she’s sleeping with?”

Oh, right. The two of them had been talking about Lucy’s mysterious romantic life before Payton had spaced out. They made a low sound in their throat that they hoped would convey agreement as well as finality. They were too dizzy and uncomfortable to keep making conversation, but they knew that if Autumn tried to keep talking, they would force themself to keep up.

“Is it okay if I go for a little nap?” Autumn’s voice sounded tiny, and it made Payton’s heart flutter.

“Go ahead,” they said, trying to settle their own head comfortably against the headrest.

__

Every time she woke from dozing, her head was a little lower on Payton’s torso, until eventually her ear was pressed right against their stomach. It was much more comfortable than their chest, where the clasp of their dungarees had been digging into her head.

Next time she woke, it was to a symphony of gurgling, but it was so soft that it barely drew her out of her nap. She simply stirred, eyelashes fluttering open and closed again, nuzzling her cheek instinctively against Payton. The noise started up under her head again, which made her frown and shift again. Why was her pillow rumbling so angrily?

Payton seemed to sense the disruption in her sleep, because they touched her head gently. “You okay?”

“I’m fine, P. Are you?”

“Yeah, I’m good.”

Autumn didn’t exactly believe them, but didn’t want to make a big deal out of it either. Maybe breakfast had just left them feeling a little gassy, and talking about it would just embarrass them for no reason. Still, she tucked herself up even smaller and wriggled her head into Payton’s lap, in case the weight of her head was making things worse on their stomach. She tucked her knees up to her chest, checking that her feet weren’t obstructing the aisle.

She settled down, though she had no intention of falling asleep again. She made a little happy sound as Payton stroked some hair back from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Then, Payton propped their elbow on the armrest to support their chin, and seemed to fall into a light sleep themself.

Autumn was wide awake though, staring at the offensive-to-the-eyes bus seat upholstery and listening to Payton’s belly churn and slosh non-stop for about five minutes. It really didn’t sound good, but Autumn didn’t want to disturb Payton in the middle of a nap. A particularly deep rumble seemed to stir a lot around in there, so much so that it stirred Payton too. They shifted in their seat, prompting Autumn to lift her head from their lap.

“Sorry,” they murmured.

Autumn frowned, resting a hand on Payton’s stomach. “For what?”

“Disturbing you while you were slee–” Payton’s eyes widened slightly as they turned their head. Their belly jumped under Autumn’s palm, sending a gurgle up into their throat so that they burped and then hiccupped deeply against the back of their hand.

“How..?” Their gaze fell downwards as they noticed the pressure being applied to their stomach. “How’d you know my stomach was upset?”

Autumn raised her eyebrows in helpless confusion. “Baby, I could hear it bubbling away next to my ear. You couldn’t hear any of that?”

“Oh. No. I could feel it, but I didn’t realise it was being loud... Mmm.”

Payton sighed as Autumn rubbed her hand back and forth across their stomach. They tried for a grateful smile too, though it was watered down by the nausea that was draining every other aspect of their appearance and personality. All they could do was prop their elbow on the armrest again and cradle their head, eyes squeezed shut.

“I suppose I should have mentioned that I get motion sick on, like, fifty percent of all bus rides.”

“It’s okay,” Autumn chuckled. “There was a fifty percent chance you’d have gotten away with not mentioning it, huh?”

“I guess.”

Autumn slipped a hand inside the front of their dungarees, so her palm was on the fabric of their t-shirt. She massaged a gentle circle into their belly, paying close attention to Payton’s reaction. They let out a wince and brought a hand up to still hers, and she brought it to a stop.

A couple of silent beats passed, where Autumn’s hand cupped the slight outward curve of Payton’s stomach, and Payton’s hand hovered on the outside of their dungarees like a supervisor to Autumn’s. Autumn was just starting to think that everything had settled down, when the peace was broken; deep in Payton’s gut, something shifted and caused a lengthy rumble that was audible even to ears that weren’t right beside it.

“You heard that, right?” she teased softly, hoping to get a response out of Payton more than anything.

Their chin was almost touching the clasp on their dungarees, their mouth in a tight line as they swallowed so hard that Autumn saw their throat move. Any hint of playfulness dropped away and she sat upright, taking her hand out of Payton’s dungarees.

“P?” she asked.

Payton pressed the back of their hand against their mouth without opening their eyes, sitting forward in the seat. When they spoke, their voice was dripping with notes of queasiness, like they were on the verge of letting out a constant stream of burps.

“Can you see if someone’s got a plastic bag or something?”

Autumn nodded, feeling her throat tighten with sympathetic anxiety. She started to slide out of her seat, but paused when Payton touched her arm.

“Don’t let Lucy know I feel sick.”

Autumn frowned. “What? Really?”

“Yeah, trust me.”

A few rows down, Lucy was asleep with her arms folded across her chest and her head resting against the window. Beside her, Donnacha had headphones on too, and his eyes were closed, but Autumn could tell he was awake by the way his thumb gently tapped against the edge of his phone, keeping time with whatever he was listening to. He squinted at her after feeling the tap on his arm.

“Yeah, what’s up?” His voice smacked of impatience as he tugged his headphones down around his neck.

“Do you have a plastic bag or anything that I could take?” Autumn crouched next to his seat and kept her voice low. “Payton’s not doing so good.”

Annoyance or sleepiness or whatever it was, it vanished from Donnacha’s face. “No. Sorry, I’ve got nothing.”

Autumn nodded across Donnacha’s lap. “Do you think Lucy’s got anything we could –?”

“No, no, no, don’t tell Lucy,” Donnacha hissed.

Autumn huffed lightly. “Payton said that too.”

“It’ll start a whole thing.” Donnacha waved his hand. “Um, I think there’s a rest stop coming up, if Payton can hold on until then.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, should be in the next…” Donnacha looked out the window. “Five or ten minutes or so.”

“Great. Thank you.” Autumn wrung her hands as she straightened up, holding onto the back of Donnacha’s seat to keep the bus’s motion from swaying her. When she returned to her seat, Payton had their head against the back of the seat in front of them.

“No bag,” she said softly, scooping the back of Payton’s neck into her palm as they rested their head on her shoulder. “But we’re making a stop in a minute. We can take a little walk, go to the bathroom, get you some Sprite, maybe.”

Payton groaned weakly.

“Think you can hang in there for a few minutes?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

____

Autumn checked the time as she lingered at the base of the stairs that led to the rest stop bathrooms. They still had a little time until the bus was scheduled to leave again, but she couldn’t help feeling nervous when she had no way of knowing how Payton was doing. Her heart lifted a little when she saw them emerge, slowly making their way down the steps.

“Hey, baby,” Autumn sighed as she pulled them into a hug that was only returned half-heartedly. She rubbed gently at their back. “Did you get sick?”

“No,” Payton muttered miserably. A tight belch gurgled high in their chest, and they pulled back a little, rubbing at their breastbone. “My stomach’s churning like I’m on a boat, but nothing’s coming up.”

Autumn put a hand on Payton’s tummy in sympathy. While she traced a little circle just below their ribcage, she felt a rumble develop under her fingers, and heard it too; it sounded like a tiny helicopter trying to take off, and it somehow must have succeeded, because suddenly Payton was letting out another belch against the back of their hand.

“Sorry,” Payton mumbled after, putting their own hand on the spot where Autumn had been massaging.

“Don’t be.” Autumn chuckled quietly as she watched Payton press on their stomach again, coaxing up another belch. “Is that helping?”

“It’s doing… something,” they admitted, though that ‘something’ might not necessarily have been good. Judging by the way the colour in their face was changing again, it might have been the exact opposite.

Autumn was about to ask for clarification, but that was when Lucy appeared, sauntering over from the direction of the convenience store.

“Alright, losers?” she asked, sunglasses flashing in the sun as she stirred the straw in her iced coffee. “Bladders empty and ready to go?”

Autumn smiled tightly. “We’ll catch you up, Lu.”

“I was going to ask if either of you wanted to swap seats for a bit?” Lucy asked, rolling her head to one side. “Donnacha’s so boring on long trips. I want to chat.”

Autumn felt Payton tighten their grip on her hand, nervous energy heightening as they silently pleaded with her not to leave them.

“Maybe a little later,” Autumn told Lucy. Sweat tickled the back of her neck as she scrambled for something to say that wouldn’t draw attention to Payton and their washed-out face and shaky hands. “We – we were going to nap a little for the next part of the ride. I really didn’t sleep well last night.”

Even though her sunglasses were practically opaque, Autumn could tell Lucy was rolling her eyes. “Fine. But one of you owes me. Can you at least recommend some music for me to listen to? I’ve already burned through my playlist.”

Autumn glanced quickly at Payton; this was the kind of thing they were usually more than happy to step forward for, an opportunity to talk about music while also helping out a friend. Her heart sank when she saw that their eyes were glazed over, like they hadn’t even heard what Lucy had asked.

“Sure,” Autumn piped up, untangling her hand from Payton’s and reaching for her phone.

Payton felt their body sway a little at the absence of even the tiniest bit of support from Autumn. The girls leaned in to look at Autumn’s phone screen, but the whole scene seemed burnt-out in Payton’s vision, melted and warped in the afternoon sunshine and the smell of gasoline and exhaust fumes.

“No! None of your weird show music,” Lucy was saying to Autumn, and that was when Payton would usually have kissed Autumn on the head and told her that her show music wasn’t weird.

If only their belly hadn’t been hurting too much for them to focus.

They were shaking, feeling like a lamb being led to the slaughter, as the three of them slowly made their way back to the bus.

“Here.” Autumn handed Payton a bottle of Sprite as soon as they had both settled back into their seats. “Take some little sips.”

The sips were good, at first; Payton hadn’t realised how parched their tongue was, or how much their throat had started to hurt in the process of trying to throw up in the bathroom. The bubbles gave the illusion of cleaning out their oesophagus on the way down, making them feel like tiny sponges were scrubbing them clean on the inside. It was a good feeling, and they were feeling a little more confident about this leg of the journey already.

“You good?” Autumn asked as the bus began to pull away from the stop.

Payton nodded, stifling a fizzy burp that was just a direct result of the Sprite bubbles. They held the closed bottle against their knee and closed their eyes, humming lightly in response to Autumn laying a hand on their leg.

They barely moved for the next twenty minutes. They weren’t sleeping, but Autumn seemed to believe that they were, because Payton heard her take her book out of her bag and attempt to quietly turn the pages every so often.

However, under the still surface, Payton felt worse than before. The bubbles they thought had helped relieve the nausea were still forcing burps up their throat, growing tighter and tighter every time, bringing Payton closer and closer to tasting the sludge left over from their breakfast.

“Baby?” Payton pried their eyes halfway open, finally letting a hand rest on top of their churning belly.

Autumn looked up from her book, eyes wide and concerned. “Are you going to be sick?”

Payton nodded, and Autumn whispered “shoot” under her breath, hurrying to dump snacks and bottles of water into her handbag, so that she could hand Payton the plastic bag from the convenience store.

Leaning forward with the bag open under their face, Payton tried to thank her, but only managed to make a noise – which sounded a little like “mmmrpphl” – before there was a stream of something hot and soupy rushing up their throat and dripping into the bag. Their diaphragm lurched violently, like it was getting revenge on their stomach for some unknown past transgression, and the vomit burned their chest and tasted horrible. On the bright side, by the time it was falling out of their mouth, Payton was able to stay relatively quiet, with just the occasional cough or shallow belch slipping out.

“Sorry,” Payton mumbled when they were given a chance to breathe, thinking of the passengers in front of and behind them.

“Don’t worry, baby, nobody’s paying any attention.”

Payton reached out to touch Autumn’s leg, ending up squeezing her knee quite hard as another wave of nausea dragged their stomach contents up and out of them. If they were squeezing too hard, Autumn didn’t let them know.

The retching finally turned into quiet, dry coughs. Payton scrunched the top of the bag shut because the smell was keeping their stomach from settling. They rested their forehead on the seat in front, feeling like they could black out for the rest of the bus ride.

“Hey. You feeling better?” Autumn brushed her fingers across the small of their back.

Payton gave a heavy sigh through pursed lips. “Yeah.”

“Yeah?” Autumn seemed enthused – or maybe just relieved – at this response. She gently pried the plastic bag out of Payton’s grip. 

As soon as their hands were free, they rubbed at their eyes with their knuckles, brushing away pained tears that had sprung up with the nausea. They then folded their arms across their belly, feeling it settle into a dull knot. It hurt, and was far from comfortable, but Payton would have taken it over the churning and gurgling any day.

Autumn saw the difference on Payton’s face too, as they sank back in their seat with their eyes closed. The tension that had drawn their eyebrows together, that had made them clamp their lips tightly shut, it had all melted away. She finished tying up the bag and considered cuddling up to Payton’s side like she’d done earlier, but she really didn’t want to disturb them or tempt fate again. 

Instead, she went back to her book, taking Payton’s hand when it rested casually on her knee again a few minutes later.

___

They were some of the last off the bus, thanks to Autumn making sure that Payton took their time in moving. Colour had returned to their face, but they were still exhausted and their hands trembled a bit as they got ready to go.

The sun was almost all the way down, and Autumn had to squint in the fiery-orange light to see where Lucy and Donnacha were standing, waiting for them.

Lucy shuffled over with her sunglasses in her fist before they could reach her. She was shuddering visibly and shaking out her arms, like she was covered in bugs that she was trying to get rid of.

“I think – no, no, I know someone threw up on the bus! I could smell it. Donnacha kept telling me I was crazy.”

“I never said you were crazy,” Donnacha yawned, stretching his arms over his head. “I said ‘Lucy, shut up and let me sleep’.”

She scoffed and tossed up her palms. “You guys didn’t notice it?”

Payton swallowed, guilt piling on top of their lingering stomach ache. Next to them, Autumn tilted her head and hummed.

“Oh, I’m not sure about that,” she said, quickly putting her hands behind her back to hide the trash bag that she planned on disposing of at the first bin she came across. “I’m sorry about that though, Lucy. Does – does vomit really bother you?”

“Do not get me started.” Lucy waved her hands, which indicated that they should all take the statement literally, and not get her started. “I want to go. When are they going to open the luggage compartment? I’m dying for a wee.”

As Lucy turned to direct a larger portion of her complaining in Donnacha’s direction, Autumn pulled Payton a little closer by the waist, and they leaned their face into her neck.

“Hey, in theory, if it’s only half of all bus rides, the trip home should be a picnic, right?” she whispered, grinning as Payton jabbed her lightly in the side.

[hale-13]

Shackled

By Hale13

For the Summer of Whump Day 7 Prompt - Collared

Peter Parker had been missing for one full week and Ned was losing his mind.

Words: 2502, Chapters: 1/1 (Complete), Language: English

Fandoms: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)

Rating: Gen

Relationships: Peter Parker & Ned Leeds

Characters: Peter Parker, Ned Leeds

TW: Angst

Read on AO3 or below the line break.

“Ned honey?” His mom said, knocking on the frame of his cracked open door and poking her head in. Her expression was as careful and neutral as it had been for the last week – ever since Peter had gone missing on his walk to school.

Ned had spent most of the morning between classes trying to text Peter (seriously – it was just super rude to not be in school and not tell your friends. Who did that?) before both he and MJ had been called to the office. Principal Morita was both gentle and firm as he questioned them about Peter’s possible whereabouts and ‘were they covering for him? No one was in trouble they just needed to know’. May hadn’t called Peter in sick and had no idea where he might be so, naturally, they assumed his best friends might have some clue. Ever since he had gotten his powers Peter had been pretty flaky but, so far, he had always at least sent some sort of message to someone if he had Spider Business.

May, more frantic now, had tried to alert the police but had been shot down since Peter had been missing less than twenty-four hours and was what they would classify as ‘troubled’ with his absence record and disciplinary record at school. Tony Stark, who had been May’s next call, had gone into full panic-helicopter-mentor mode and had hacked into cameras all over the city to try and find out what he could. Unfortunately, the footage seemed to have been wiped leaving them with no leads other than Peter’s discarded book bag and cellphone left in an alley not far from the school.

Finding this had finally spurred the police into motion and had prompted an Amber Alert and search parties made up of May’s co-workers and Peter’s friends. Tony was surveying things via the Iron Legion while he spent most of his time in his workshop in the Tower; using FRIDAY and probably lots of illegal methods to try and track Peter down.

Ned had been helping May and MJ just about everyday after school since to hang up flyers and ask around to see if anyone had seen Peter but, so far, no luck. His parents had been doing what they could to help as well but Ned knew they could see him cracking under the pressure and worry.

They had, in fact, pulled him into a conversation the night before to tell him they wanted him to talk to a therapist, that finding someone missing after the first fourth-eight hours was really hard and they wanted to do what they could to prepare him for all eventualities and that they would always be there for him no matter what.

Ned liked to think he was a pretty chill and easy-going guy for the most part so he won’t say that he’s proud of how he handled that conversation. At least his parents didn’t get too upset when he skipped school with MJ to keep looking that day.

“Hmm?” Ned asked, not bothering to look up from his computer where he was pretending to write his English essay but seeing his mom’s cautious expression in his peripheral vision anyway. He didn’t like that she looked at him like he was made of glass that might shatter at any given moment.

“Your father and I are going to go grab some dinner and maybe see a movie. Want to come with us?” She sounded so hopeful and a small, angry part of Ned hated how normal they were trying to make things. Didn’t they understand that his best friend since kindergarten, his only friend other than MJ, was missing and could be… could be…

“No thanks,” he said instead, trying to keep his tone as neutral as possible and pretending not to see the hurt look on his mom’s face when he turned down her offer.

“Okay,” she said, her tone soft with just the barest edge of disapproval. He was just glad that she didn’t try to force him into going but he had a feeling that he was due for another ‘family chat’ soon. “Text me if you want us to bring you something back.”

“Thanks,” Ned mumbled, still not looking up even when his mom let out a sad sigh and left, pulling his door back closed. Ned sniffed and wiped his tired eyes, he had a headache that was brewing and he wanted nothing more than to sleep but he couldn’t. If it was him missing he knew that Peter wouldn’t take any breaks looking for him so Ned couldn’t either. They had to find him.

Hearing the front door shut, Ned closed out of his essay and pulled back up Karen’s systems, still on his computer from the last time he and Peter had hacked into the Spider Suit, and went over the data she had managed to extract from Mr. Stark’s AI, FRIDAY without him knowing or, more likely, without him trying to stop them from taking the info for themselves. It was Tony Stark after all. The data itself was a disappointingly small amount and nothing that really helped point him in any kind of definitive direction. His phone buzzed against the desk, pulling Ned back.

From: MJ

Anything?

Ned rubbed his eyes again, little lights dancing over his vision at the pressure and typed out a quick ‘No’ in response before tossing his phone to the side. Something had to turn up eventually. He just knew it would.

As if summoned, taps sounded on his window and Ned froze, not daring to hope. He waited and the taps sounded again, more incessantly this time, and Ned jumped up from his desk – banging his knee in the process and nearly falling – but making it to the window to unlock it and throw it open. It couldn’t be…

After a week of being missing, Peter fell through to land roughly on the hard wood flooring of Ned’s room.

“Peter,” Ned said, breathless and voice full of emotion as tears pricked his eyes, reaching out a hand to help Peter up and then backing away when his friend flinched violently away from him.

“Sorry,” Peter said, his voice rough as he forced himself to his feet with a disingenuous smile on his face that didn’t reach his eyes. “Sorry.”

Ned narrowed his eyes in concern. Peter was pale, his face thinner than it had been the last time Ned had seen him. He was wearing dirty sweat pants and a shirt that may have been white in a previous lifetime but was now yellowed and dirty. His clothing was covered in rips and tears, bloody skin in various stages of healing peaking through and staining his clothes. His fingers were twitching in time with the tic in his left eyebrow and his eyes were shifting all over the place like he was looking for something.

Worst of all had to be the half broken metal collar with wires poking out around his neck and the clear electrical burns surrounding it.

“We need to call May,” Ned said, rushing to his phone. “We need to call Mr. Stark.”

“No!” Peter said, limping quickly across the room to block Ned from his phone. The hand that touched his was cold and clammy with sweat and Peter was quick to remove it once he realized he was touching Ned. “They can’t see me like this, especially May. You have to help me,” he pleaded.

“Peter,” Ned said sadly as he took in how broken and tired his friend looked. “You need to go to the hospital – I’m not a doctor! I can’t fix all of… this!” He exclaimed, gesturing to all of Peter with an exaggerated movement.

Peter flinched again and crossed his arms across his abdomen, hunching in on himself. “I know,” he said, voice rough and broken. “I know but I don’t want them to see… I don’t…” he made an abortive movement to gesture at the collar. “I almost got it off but I couldn’t… please help.”

“You promise to let me call May and Tony right after?” Ned asked, slowly reaching out to rest his hand on Peter’s shoulder. He wanted to pull him into a hug but he figured that wouldn’t go over too well just yet. Peter nodded hurriedly, some of the tension leaking out of him with Ned’s agreement, and he let himself sink ungracefully to the floor. “Why didn’t you just break it?”

“It uh,” Peter said, squeezing his eyes closed and wetting his lips. “It suppresses my powers.”

“Whoa,” Ned muttered, sitting next to Peter and surveying the collar more closely. Peter twitched his chin down and hunched his shoulders again and Ned just waited for him to relax enough for Ned to get a closer look. The collar was a thick and heavy dull metal and was seated tight enough around Peter’s throat to dig into his skin and chafe; Ned winced sympathetically. The red light on the front was blinking dimly, poking out from a thick black box that Peter had clearly torn into at some point. Peter was uncharacteristically quiet while Ned stared but every muscle in his body was tensed like he was ready to run if necessary. “Can I hug you?” Ned blurted out earnestly making Peter jump a little in surprise.

“I… um you… what?” He asked leaning back so he could look at Ned more fully.

“You look like you need a hug,” Ned told him, reaching his arms up but taking care not to touch Peter. “So can I hug you?”

The nod Peter gave him was wobbly and wooden but, the second Ned wrapped his arms around him and pulled him in, Peter went limp, mashing his face into Ned’s shoulder before letting out a quiet and broken little sob. Peter’s own arms were shaking as they wrapped back around Ned, crying harder and wetting the front of Ned’s shirt with tears.

Ned could feel his heart breaking in his chest but that was overshadowed by a feeling of anger so strong that it nearly turned his vision red. Peter had been his best friend since they were kids. Peter had always been there for him no matter what. Whoever had dared to do this… well Ned didn’t pity what was going to happen to them. In lieu of letting out his frustrations, Ned just pulled Peter in tighter, shushing him and carefully patting his back.

“Sorry,” Peter whispered a few minutes later when he pulled back, using trembling hands to wipe his reddened eyes and chapped cheeks free of tears. “I didn’t mean to break down like that on you,” he said with a humorless laugh.

“Peter…” Ned wanted to tell Peter that he could always break down around Ned if he needed to. Peter was his brother in all but blood – Ned would always be there for him – but Peter shook his head violently to stop him, reaching up to let blood stained fingers brush the collar – his nails ragged and torn down to the quick.

“Please,” he begged, looking like he was barely keeping it together and Ned nodded.

“Okay Pete. I’ll look at it,” Ned reassured, moving his hands slowly up to touch the skin-warmed metal around his friend’s throat. “Does this have a tracker in it? A stun feature?” He tried to keep it professional but Peter still grimaced at the questions.

“I disabled the tracker and the electricity I think,” Peter said. “I just can’t see the mechanism to release it and I just… I need it off. I can’t…” his breathing sped up and Ned gripped his shoulder tightly in solidarity.

“It’ll be okay,” Ned said again, cautiously sorting through the loose wires to look into the black box just under Peter’s chin. “When you said this suppressed your powers did you mean all of them?”

Peter gulped, his Adam’s apple bobbing painfully against the metal as he gave a tiny nod. “All of them,” he confirmed.

“What about your hearing?” Ned pressed, pulling his hands back from the locking mechanism of the collar. Peter frowned at him before paling further at the realization.

“Oh,” he said, reaching both hands up to grip the collar. “My hearing…”

“If I take it off,” Ned cautioned, “and all your senses come back at once…”

“That would be bad,” Peter confirmed. “It would be very bad.”

“I know you don’t want me to,” Ned started, ignoring the way that Peter was shaking his head. “But I really think we should call May and Mr. Stark. They’re worried about you and Mr. Stark has that sensory deprivation room for your overloads.”

“I can’t do that to May,” Peter said firmly. “I already went and got myself kidnapped I can’t put her through this.” His voice was more steady than it had been since he had arrived and Ned felt like rolling his eyes at Peter’s typical self-flagellation.

“Happy then,” Ned suggested, desperate. Peter bit his lip, considering for a second, before nodding his consent prompting Ned to leap for his phone, dialing Happy before Peter could stop him.

“Look Leeds,” Happy grumbled into the phone, the background noise muffling his voice slightly. “I already told you – we’ll call when we know something so just-,”

“Peter’s here,” Ned blurted out, sitting back down next to his friend and pulling him into a half hug that Peter fell into willingly, curling up into Ned’s side. “He’s here. “Whoever had him put this… they… look he doesn’t want May to see him until he’s fixed up some so can you just come get us?” Ned asked following it up with a ‘Please’ as an afterthought.

“The kid’s with you?” Happy asked, sounding like he was running. “Put him on the phone.”

“He wants to talk to you,” Ned said, offering Peter the phone which he, reluctantly, took.

“Hey Happy,” Peter tried for chipper but fell spectacularly short and Ned winced a little. “I’m okay they just put… look I don’t want May to see me like… to see… can you just come get me please?” Peter sounded teary again and Ned plucked the phone from his hand to put back to his own ear.

“You’re coming right?”

“On my way,” Happy confirmed. “Give me eight minutes.” And with that he hung up the phone leaving Ned to drop it into his lap.

“I should probably text MJ,” he told Peter, not making any effort to move. “She’ll be pissed if she’s the last to know,” he joked and Peter snorted.

“Probably,” he agreed, letting his eyes slip closed and his breathing even out.

He needed to text MJ, call his mom and let her know Peter was back and that he was going to visit, pull Peter out into the living room to wait for Happy. But, Ned decided as Peter gripped Ned’s hoodie a little tighter, it could wait for just a few more minutes.

[remmushound]

Curse of the Clan part 8! @brightlotusmoon @scentedcandlecryptid @digitl-art-monstr @selfindulgenz

Michelangelo didn't have the slightest idea where he would find a time seamer. He wasn’t even sure he knew what a time seamer was! He assumed it was something to do with time, since it was right there in the name, but beyond that he had no idea. When he was faced with the possibility of having to do such a daunting task alone, his brothers all busy with their own missions, it only served to make his mind even more blank. He couldn’t do this alone— not something as important as this! So he decided to call the most knowledgeable yokai he knew to help.

“DRAXUM! HI!” Michelangelo ran forward, hugging Baron Draxum’s bony body and giving quick, excited chirps. almost like a kitten who wasn’t quite sure how to meow yet.

“Hello orange turtle child.” Draxum sighed and brought his hands to rest on Michelangelo’s shell, though it wasn’t quite a hug. “What’s the problem this time?”

“How do you know there’s a problem?”

Baron Draxum raised an eyebrow. He pulled away and crossed his arms, tapping his right pointer finger on his left bicep as he waited. Michelangelo, knowing he had been called out, decided to just get to the point before Draxum judged him even harder.

“Okay, sooo…” Michelangelo explained everything quickly, which seemed too fast for Draxum to keep up with. Several times he asked Michelangelo to slow down or repeat words. Both parties were relieved when Michelangelo finally reached the end of his story. “...and now I need to find a time seamer! Do you know of any yokai it might be?”

“Hm…” Draxum tapped his lip, his eyes staring off into the distance as the cogs churned in his mind. “The… name sounds familiar, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. There are so many yokai with so many variations that it would be impossible to deny such a creature’s existence. Some yokai are known to be able to manipulate time, but such creatures are the old yokai and they still live in their homelands. There are certainly none here in the city that I know of, but I doubt I know every yokai.”

By then, Baron Draxum was practically ignoring Michelangelo as he started to pace, lost in his own thoughts. If Michelangelo hadn’t moved out of the way, the faun would have trodden on him. The box turtle was used to the lost look and calculating eyes, so he just stood by and patiently waited for Draxum to get his words out.

“Hm… I am of no use to you on my own without knowledge of such creatures, but I suppose I could aid in your search by increasing your chances of accidentally running into someone who does know...” Baron Draxum’s eyes sparked to life quite suddenly and he snapped. “And I know just the place!”

***

Donatello had wanted to fly in a helicopter, but he always imagined it would be with his brothers and April and Splinter. Not alone thousands of feet in the air with a bunch of armed guards he didn't know and didn't dare try to. For all his confidence and ambition, he was just as anxious as Raphael was in new environments, except without the violent outbursts of uncontrollable aggression. Donatello had his fair share of outbursts, sure, but his were more controlled than the snapper turtle could hope to achieve, and he only ever let himself stoop so low once or twice in his life. He tried not to think of that.

They passed over an ocean, the Pacific from what Donatello could tell. After hours of waiting, ocean turned to mainland as they passed over villages and cities that shined even brighter than New York. Though Donatello had no anxiety looking down upon the cities far below, his hand still went to grip at his carapace to reassure himself he had the hover shell with him in case he did happen to fall. He leaned as far over the edge as he dared to watch the blurred, bright buildings, and he felt sad when they passed over the city and came to a forest blanketed in beautiful white snow.

Donatello leaned back inside. His hand went, of course, to grab for his bo staff before he remembered it wasn’t his. Even if it was his by ownership, the wood finish almost as smooth as his tech bo had been, he still forced the bubbling hatred of the weapon to the front of his thoughts. This was a primitive weapon from a culture lost to time! Why should he be stuck with something so old, something so simple? Something that was such a downgrade from the tech he knew!?

Donatello gave a loud, long sigh and slumped. His hand went to his neck and gripped at the necklace hanging down over his plastron. A sea-turtle shaped chamber protected the fragile and beloved memory chip within. The heart of his dear Shelldon. He could feel the gentle mystic energy pulsating from it and closed his eyes to better feel the life energy within.

“Soon…” He whispered to the necklace, bringing the chamber up to press it gently to his lips. “You’ll be back soon, Shelldon…”

The journey took another half hour before one of the armed guards stood up to address Donatello, yelling over the scream of the blades as they worked to keep the helicopter in the air.

“This is the drop point!” The voice called.

Donatello peered over the edge of the helicopter. “I don’t see any places where we could land.”

“Exactly!” The guard called.

Donatello turned to the guard just as a parachute was shoved against his chest.

“Put this on! You’ll have to jump! When you reach the drop zone, there will be a path. Follow it toward the mountain until you reach a cave.”

“What do I do when I get to the cave?” Donatello easily slipped into the parachute.

“You wait for us to come back to get you.”

“Aight, bet.” Donatello went to the edge.

“Wait— let me make sure you’re properly secured—“

“BON VOYAGE!”

Donatello fell backward out of the helicopter. The rush of air and adrenaline was always one of Donatello’s favorite sensations. He closed his eyes to enjoy the rushing chill, one hand holding Shelldon’s Heart securely while the other groped for the pully of the parachute. He pulled it after several passing moments and his body immediately jerked up as the parachute bore him into the air. Only then did he open his eyes, his free hand going to grab at the wires holding him.

Donatello looked down at the forest under his feet and up at the helicopter still hovering in place. Once he was sure the brunt of the wind was over, Donatello dare let go of his necklace to grab the wires on the other side of him to help guide his path.

By the time his feet touched down, his entire body was already numb from the weightlessness and the chill of the atmosphere. He was used to flying, sure, but not for so long without landing. He was relieved for a moment when his feet touched down, but quickly became just as uncomfortable with the cold wetness of the snow. Before heading off, he opened the supply bag that Bishop had provided him with. To his relief, tucked safely inside was a hoodie and hats and gloves made specially for his hand. He wished he had put them on before he had started to freeze, but it was better late than never. More importantly, there were shoes. He suited up and swung the supply sack over his shoulder, abandoning the parachute in favor of traveling light.

He supposed he had deviated a bit from the intended drop site, since it took a while for him to find the path that he had been told about. He did find it eventually though, and he followed the instructions to head toward the mountains. The trees reaching up to the skies blocked out most of the light around him, but the trail seemed surprisingly well-kept for something so hidden from the rest of the world. He couldn’t imagine anyone would spend their time coming out here to trim this one particular trail in this one terrifying forest. It was something so surreal it made Donatello get tingles up the spines of his shell and he grabbed once more for Shelldon’s Heart to comfort himself.

Donatello almost screamed when the silent forest rustled. Something jumped onto the path, and Donatello grabbed for the bo staff. No matter how rudimentary, it could still get the job done if it needed to. Then Donatello was almost glad that his brothers weren’t around to see him scream, because the creature certainly wasn’t scream-worthy.

It was a fox. A small, ginger fox with black ears and legs, it’s underside and muzzle as white as the surrounding snow. Eyes of amber stared back at Donatello, the fox hardly reacting to the shout beyond tilting its head in a question.

“Ugh.” Donatello scrunched up his nose, pulling his bo back to his body and waving his foot at the fox trying to get it to run away. “Go away. Shoo.”

The fox stood up. Donatello immediately pulled back, grabbing his staff and holding it in a ready position as the fox advanced on him. Yet, even as it continued to get closer, Donatello made no attempt to hit it. He fell against a nearby tree, still holding his staff out in front of him. His eyes squeezed shut and he pulled his head deeper into his shell as he tried to keep the fox away. He opened his eyes after several long seconds and blinked the tears away. The fox was just sitting there innocently, head still titled it stared at Donatello like he was insane.

“Oh uh… hello.”

Donatello yelped as the fox jumped to prop its legs on the bo staff, snapping at Donatello’s head. Donatello covered his head with his hands trying to protect himself, but he soon realized the fox wasn’t after mauling him. He realized it a few seconds too late, however, as the fox snatched his goggles from off his head and ran off with it.

“Hey! My tech!” Donatello jumped up to chase after the fox as it disappeared into the forest. The minute he stepped from the forest trail, two heavy weights landed on his shoulders. Donatello screamed for the third time, trying to swat whatever the animals were away. The animals gave what could have almost been a mocking giggle as they grabbed the shoulder straps of his battle shell and lifted it off of his back. “MY BATTLE SHELL!”

The tanuki gave another chuffing giggle as they disappeared deeper into the forest with the precious gear. Donatello was near tears— no, he realized, he was crying. He hugged his supply sack tightly to his chest and rubbed his thumb across the smooth chamber of Shelldon. He fell into the snow, hugging both supply and his precious drone’s heart and praying his brothers would hurry.

[leon-scott-kennedy]

So Covert, I Hardly Knew Him

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV

Part V: Evacuate

Files flashed past on the screen, the download stalled at 94%. Close, but not quite. Leon needed a few more minutes, but Ada hadn’t followed him back to the lab. He cursed and glanced back at the screen just as new info flitted across the screen, and for a moment, he forgot to breathe.

“No...” Leon choked. “That’s not- No-”

A shrieking alarm blared, the grating sound echoing through the cursed halls. Surprisingly, the emergency light over the busted door flashed red in a steady pulse of danger.

Leon growled. “Fucking Ada. That’s my move.”

“All personnel, please evacuate the facility,” a soothing voice instructed to an empty wasteland of death, destruction, and decay. “Unauthorized access has been detected. The facility will self-destruct in 7 minutes.”

For a moment, Leon stood mesmerized by the comforting flicker of familiarity of the ridiculousness of his emanate death until Ada sprinted past the door at full speed. Not even a cursory glance in his direction. Typical.

“7 minutes? What’s wrong with the standard 10?” Leon said. Breaking from his stupor, he spun back to the screen. The computer had progressed a few percent. “Come on. Come on!”

If the information gleaned could be trusted, then Leon’s unscathed escape had jumped the priority queue. The situation now proved to be more significant than initially assumed. Wilson’s betrayal had been one thing, but this? Even the tiny fraction of information Leon learned threatened the entire foundation of democracy that his government was built on.

DOWNLOAD COMPLETE

“... self destruct in 4 minutes...”

“Fuck.” Leon none too gently snagged the drive out of the port, shoved it into the front zippered pocket of his leather jacket, and sprinted for the door, fumbling with his phone. He nearly dropped the phone, but he managed to tap a few commands and slip it back into his jacket while at a full run. “That elevator better be working.”

An enraged roar echoed through the halls. Leon’s heart stuttered in his chest. Dark hallways. The stench of decay. Screams and moans of the living and dead. Racoon City. That terrifying roar never left Leon’s nightmares.

“Oh fuck,” Leon wheezed. “Not again.”

Leon raced after the retreating mercenary, not daring to look behind him as he retraced their steps through the maze of corridors until he hit the main juncture. The lights above the elevator door slowly and steadily blinked down. Ada stood beside the door, arms crossed over her chest, glaring at the lights like she alone had the power to speed them along.

“What did you do!” Leon skidded to a stop beside the elevator and jabbed at the up button in righteous fury until Ada smacked the back of his hand like a child.

“So quick to lay blame,” Adad said, but her attention wasn’t on Leon. It was back down the hall they’d fled.

Another roar echoed through the building. This time closer.

“God damn it, Ada!” Leon followed her stare to the end of the hall. In the shadows, a lumbering, hulking outline of one of the Tyrants from containment, fully animated and extremely pissed off. “Oh, what the hell.”

Leon jabbed frantically at the elevator button as if he could magically speed up its descent with his urgency, and this time, Ada didn’t stop him. The elevator dinged. Only one of the doors slid open and barely enough for them to squeeze through, but they both scrambled into the lift. Ada immediately darted right, but Leon nearly fell through the massive hole cut in the bottom of the elevator car. He flailed for a moment, arms windmilling before he caught his balance and collapsed into the side of the elevator and abused the close door button. Ada’s backdoor wasn’t quite a mystery anymore.

The Tyrant sprint down the hall, growing alarmingly closer at an increasingly worrying rate. The door started to slide closed, but the Tyrant was close enough for the pulse of its deformed heart to be visible through the shrinking gap in the door. The elevator shuddered and jerked into motion, smoothly rising.

The grating tear of the metal doors below being ripped open echoed through the shaft. Both Leon and Ada peered down through the gaping hole in the floor at the Tyrant clawing its way after them, then at the tiny lights above the door that blinked with each sub-level. At this rate, they weren’t going to make it.

“Self-destruct in 2 minutes.”

The elevator jerked violently, knocking Leon back into the wall as the gears and motor ground against the force pulling them down. Suddenly, the car dropped several inches, and the emergency brakes screeched to a halt, locking them in place. Metal creaked and strained. Together, Leon and Ada pried open the elevator door to find the car about four feet short of the main floor.

Leon eyed the short wall of concrete. “I really don’t fancy getting cut in half.”

“Would you prefer the alternative?” Ada holstered her handgun and stepped up.

A crack echoed through the shaft. A quick glance down at the Tyrant climbing the elevator shaft was enough to have Leon drop to his knee and boost Ada up through the shrinking gap. One last look down, Leon hoisted himself up over the ledge with minimal help from Ada seconds before the elevator car shuddered and slipped another few inches. A large deformed hand grasped through the hole, pulling the car further down.

Relief at avoiding being cut in half by seconds is brief because Leon was up and running, sprinting after Ada in the darkness. He caught up to her halfway across the factory floor, grabbed her arm, and urged her faster as the timer ticked down.

Ada was first to scramble up the rubble that blocked the door.

“6 -5 -4 -3 -”

Leon hauled himself up through the narrow gap, again grateful he’d never been one to hit the gym, and threw himself out of the factory, tackling Ada to the ground as a deep rumbling boom erupted behind them. The heat of the explosion ripped across him. He tugged his leather jacket up over their heads to shield them best he can from the bits of debris that rained down.

As the smoke cleared, Leon noticed they weren’t alone. A string of troops armed with assault rifles stared them down from the treeline.

“We’ve got company.”

The team was well organized. Guns held tight at the ready like they expected Leon and Ada to suddenly rush them, the men approached in close formation.

Leon slowly climbed to his feet, silently drawing his weapon and strategically placing his body between the advancing men and Ada. The men wore no identifying markers. Just simple black tactical combat gear, helmets, and goggles.

“Drop your weapons,” a man yelled. He stood at the center of the group, the only clue that he held any position of power in the small militia, and more alarming, he had no accent. No discernible accent. Just American.

“Fuck,” Leon cursed under his breath, and then louder, “we don’t want any trouble.” But he wasn’t stupid enough to drop his weapon. So instead, he let it hang loosely from his thumb as he slowly raised his hands in surrender.

A sharp pain shot through the base of Leon’s skull. He clutched the back of his neck and spun just in time to watch Ada lower an empty syringe. “Ada.”

The betrayal wasn’t what shocked him. He knew Ada would try to take the data from him. He knew her priorities, but what he didn’t expect was for her to casually step over him as he staggered and fell, his vision growing foggy with every passing second.

Momentarily, Ada paused to dig through his pockets for the thumb drive. Once again, he found himself at the mercy of Ada Wong. His vision swam. Ada was already on the move before he could even form a protest or think of fighting her off.

“Thank you, Ms. Wong,” the masked commander said. “Your help has been invaluable.”

“The money?” Ada asked. She continued casually past the armed troops towards the tree line. The whirl of a chopper overhead broke the eerie stillness of the forest.

“Already transferred. I’d ask you for the research files.”

Ada didn’t break stride as a harness dropped from the chopper above. “Consider it my bonus,” she said.

Leon clawed at the ground, trying to climb to his feet, to follow her, but his body felt heavy, his muscles vaguely cooperative. “I was the job.”

Ada looped her arm through the harness and tugged, testing the integrity. “It’s just business, Leon.”

Two men grabbed Leon under the arms and hauled him upright. His legs gave out. “It always is,” he slurred, head drooping.

“Have fun, boys.” Ada waved cheekily as the chopper lifted her into the air.

The last thing Leon saw was Ada Wong dangling from a helicopter over the treetops as he struggled feebly against two armed men. They wrestled him to the ground far too quickly and pinned him so whatever concoction Ada had injected could take full effect. He could only hope it was a sedative because a replay of Spain wasn’t high on his list of priorities; the eggs hatching, the constriction of organs, the loss of control as his nerve system was hijacked. Regrettably, he didn’t find out because the butt of a rifle smacked him in the back of the head.

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[theonetheycallhannah]

The Treatment of Captain Syverson-Prologue: Onset of Injury (Sy)

Characters: Captain Syverson, various OMCs

Summary: Sy’s POV, the night and the mission that ended his military career and set him unknowingly on a path to true love.

Catch up on all chapters right here!

Word Count: 1.9k

Warnings:  Language, violence, attempted military talk, feels…

Author’s Note: Okay friends, most of what I know about military ops I learned from watching movies…so, this may not all be accurate. But I think most of the terms and jargon are in line, even if this mission wouldn’t necessarily go down like this.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately for me, Henry is not mine, le sigh, and all mention of him, his characters, any characters from his films, or his precious doggy, Kal, are strictly for transformative and recreational use. I neither ask for, nor accept payment for the work I post on Tumblr or AO3. Unbeta’d because this is for fun and escapism.

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@summersong69

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@bloodyinspiredfuck

@agniavateira

@oddsnendsfanfics

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Hope I’m not forgetting anyone! If you want to be notified when I post a new chapter or work, I’ll be happy to add you to my tag list! Stricken blogs are getting personal messages from me when a new chapter is uploaded because Tumblr’s faulty tagging system will not stand in the way of me delivering what the people want!(?) lol! (Although…their lackadaisical notification system might…sorry for that. I have no control. lol!)

X@X@X@X@X@X@X@X@X@X@X@

Captain Logan “Sy” Syverson had done a hundred briefings like this one. They were going into a compound with some low level goons, mid-level players, and one big boss. Two teams. Two entrances. One exit. The roof. Air extraction. Minimal undesirable casualties. Five or six mid to high level prisoners.

“Alright ladies, here’s the plan. The compound is central city. Alpha team, we’ll get dropped off by transpo two blocks south of the front entrance, Bravo team, same for you, two blocks north of the back entrance. Bravo, you head east and down once inside, Alpha will go west and up. Standard flanking formation. Stay frosty in there. These guys aren’t cub scouts. They will shoot on sight. Do your best not to be seen. Once the lower levels are cleared, we work our way to the top where we should find the big Kahuna. Do your best not to kill anyone in a suit. Tac gear only, unless it’s your life or theirs. These guys have intel the brass wants. Supposedly.”

Heads were nodding. Lopez raised his hand. The other guys laughed, but Sy appreciated the respect.

“Ricky?” He pointed at him to accept the question.

“Sir, what about evac?” He stood tall and sharp. He was new to the team, but Sy liked him already.

“That’s a great question, and thank you for raising your hand. Take notes on teacher’s pet here, class.” Everyone including Lopez laughed.

“There’s a stairwell to the roof in the master bedroom. That’s the LZ for our helo. They should be less than five mikes out, so we shouldn’t have time to order pizzas or anything after we clear the compound. So once the call is made, you won’t have long to get up the stairs. The helo can’t stay grounded for too long without drawing attention. We will need to keep an eye out for unfriendlies off compound being warned about our presence, and for survivors. Listen, I can’t stress this enough. I know it’s not easy to kill. And I don’t encourage it if it’s not necessary.  But these are bad people and they would kill you, the man next to ya, your sister, your parents, or your dog if they could.”

Aika, Sy’s German Shepherd whimpered in the corner but was ignored.

“Kill them for your brothers. For your neighbors. For the children you don’t even have yet. Because what do we do?”

“We embrace the darkness and the suffering.” His teammates that had been there for a while repeated the first part of the sin-eater credo.

“And why do we do it?”

“So that our fellow man is free to live in peace.” they finished the mantra as they had so many times before.

“Fuckin’ A. We roll in one hour.”

~~~~~~~~~

The drop and the entry had gone off without a hitch. Sy's Alpha team were like shadows, the very finger of death for the unjust and evil in the compound. Everyone they encountered was quietly subdued, whether by strategically placed blades, silenced firearms, or in some cases, the literal snapping of necks. Bravo team was just as successful. But Alpha team wasn't finding many prisoners.

The real problem came, though, when they reached the top floor where the big kahuna was supposed to be. Everything had gone dark, even though it had been lit up like Christmas, the Fourth of July, and the Super Bowl all in one when they were making their approach to the compound. Someone had squawked. Raised a silent alarm. Something.

"This…this doesn't smell right, captain." Harztler voiced what was running silently through Sy's mind. "This level was like Times Square when we got here. Now nothing? It stinks."

"I can smell it, Jake. I don't like it." he activated his comms. "Bravo team, we are sitting ducks up here, what is your twenty? Over."

"Sir, we are wrapping up down here, and getting the targets ready for evac. We should be on route in less than ten mikes. Over."

"Push it to five if ya can, private. We don't like the look of this bedroom. Over."

"Is this the moment to be questioning someone's taste in interior design, captain? Over."

"Shitcan that disrespect, private, or you'll be digging latrines alone next time we have survival drills. Over."

"Understood, sir. Will try to push to five mikes. Over."

"That'd be best. Over and out." He signed off with Lopez, amused at the inferior officer’s joke, even though he couldn’t show it openly.

Hartzler has just started to suggest possible reasons for their unease when the sound of rapid automatic firepower rang out from one of the floors below them.

“Fuck.” Both men said in unison followed immediately by frantic shouts from Sy’s radio.

“*crackle crackle* we are taking heavy fire! Kominski is down! Lopez is hit! Alpha team! Captain, do you copy? Over!"

"I'm on my way, Fuller. Hang tight. Over and out." Sy said and looked at the men on his team, "Hartzler, you and Goldberg signal the Helo for evac ASAP and get to the roof. Schmidt, Freeman, you two come with me to back up Bravo team. We meet at the LZ in five. That's not a big window, gentlemen, we'll radio if we hit any snags. Clear?"

"Clear." a round of nods and affirmations came from the rest of the team. Sy turned for the exit to the room, checking his clip, and putting one in the chamber. Stakes were higher than ever.

The last three steps to the ground floor were half blocked by a slumped corpse. Kominski. Sy fought the emotion building in him as he remembered David showing him photos of his two young daughters, Charlotte, who was seven, and Renee who had just turned five. And his gorgeous wife Sasha. His high school sweetheart. He was distracted enough  by thought of the soon to be grieving girls, that he missed the pool of blood, Kominski's blood, on the black tile steps. His knee twisted unnaturally. And he could almost feel the protest of his muscles and tendons.

"Fuck! Mind your footing on these last few, boys." he winced, limping on toward the firefight. He signaled the men behind him to stay against the wall and follow him quietly until he gave the signal to attack. There were three men in tactical gear firing from behind a bar in the corner, pinning what was left of Bravo team in their position behind an overturned dining table. It was just Fuller and Lopez now. Sy took the opportunity during a slow point in the enemy's fire to enter, managing to shoot all three immediately, single handedly ending things.

"Alpha team, secure the area. Fuller, Lopez, what is your status?" Sy asked the men.

"Lopez is hit pretty bad in the leg. We've got a tourniquet in place. I am…uninjured. But our prisoners have been…neutralized by friendly fire." Well, fuck. That was the mission blown.

"Ammo?" Sy asked, frustrated.

"Depleted, sir." they hadn't planned for this.

"Fuller, you and Schmidt get Kominski up the stairs, pronto. We ain't leavin' him in this hell hole. Freeman, you watch their backs. Keep 'em covered in case there are any more of these assholes lurkin' around the place. Lopez, I'm gonna help you up them stairs. Can you get up?"

"I'll try, sir."

"Okay, roll out." Sy went to help Lopez to his feet. The boy wasn't hardly 160 pounds soakin' wet.

It was slow going, with Kominski and Lopez in tow, but they made it back to the bedroom just as the sound of the helicopter began to grow, and the roof began to quiver from the wind kicked up by the blades.

Sy made Schmidt and Fuller go first, as they had the biggest burden. Then Freeman, in case they needed another hand getting Kominski's body into the hold. His knee burned after the four flights he'd already done supporting Lopez, but the private had lost so much blood. He thought he'd have to carry him up this last flight to the roof. The boy was pale as a…sheet. He didn't let himself think of an apparition.

When he felt safe enough, and ready, he told Lopez the plan and hoisted him over his shoulder on his uninjured side. His knee protested angrily, but he proceeded, ignoring the pain, forcing it down with those emotions about the Kominski family.

Relief washed over him as he made the last step and his boot crunched against the loose pea gravel of the roof top. They were almost out of the woods.

Until a massive explosion in the HVAC unit knocked him off balance and took him down to his knees, Lopez's added weight a contributing force in what he was certain was now a broken leg bone given a very clear and distinct pop he'd heard even over the noise of the fire and wind. He had heard it from the inside. He thought  it would be the tibia, but his knowledge of anatomy wasn't anything to write home about. He dropped the boy with an agonized howl. The heat from the blast bit at his back as he tried to find the strength to stand. But he couldn't. His team was charging toward him and the private. And for once, he was overjoyed to receive help. Fuller and Freeman got Lopez under each arm and dragged him the few yards to the open hold. Schmidt helped Sy up as best he could, but the Captain was in excruciating pain.

"Captain, we gotta go. These assholes are gonna blow up their own property to get us. Come on. It's not far. You can make it." Schmidt let his CO lean on him all the way to the helo.

Sy noticed tied up in one of the bucket seats of the hold, a man in maroon silk pajamas and brown leather loafers without socks. An Iraqi, early sixties, hair and beard still dark black. Their primary target. Mostafa Kassab.

"Where'd he come from?" Sy shouted at Hartzler.

"He was hunkered down in that corner over there when we came up to signal the chopper." the sergeant lit up with pride. "Fuller told me their prisoners didn't make it. I'm glad we found Kassab up here, or the mission would have been a total waste.

As they took off, Sy looked from the covered body of Kominski to the prone form of Lopez, who was paler than ever and glassy-eyed. It was hard in that moment to think that even ten of Mostafa Kassab could be worth one of these men he was lucky enough to call friends.

As he examined his knee, beginning to swell and looking a much different shape than he ever remembered, he thought about what this could mean for him, as a captain, as a soldier…as a man. If he could even call himself a man if he had to take away the title of captain and soldier. This was his calling. He wasn’t sure how he’d go on if…but, he’d wait to think about that when he got back to base and the medic’s tent. After all, what was the worst that could happen? It wasn’t like he was hurt bad enough to earn a discharge letter…was he?

Up Next: Chapter One: Evaluation

[lexa-lives-in-us]

Oooooh does this mean an epic car chase?? Like full-on action movie chase??? with beau and yasha on motorcycle(s) following closely behind or being completely unhinged and piloting a helicopter 👀👀👀

Part 6 of ???

Read 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

The Bugatti skids through the asphalt of Boulevard Saint-Marcel, covering the screams of innocent civilians as Dairon struggles to keep it on the road.

Marion, next to her, alternates between pressing a hand against her heart and laughing in pure, unbridled freedom.

“When’s the last time you left the Chateau?” Dairon asks, jerking the wheel to the midpoint to straighten the car.

“Oh, decades. Before Jester was even born.” Marion breathes out, followed by an expletive that Dairon does not understand, too focused on trying not to crash into the car ahead of them.

“We need to get out of city traffic, this car is fast, but also too recogniza-”

Dairon doesn’t even finish their sentence, as the screeching of more wheels reaches their ears.

Marion turns to look outside her own window, and Dairon can see two darker cars now following them.

As they see a turn for Rue Froidevaux, they jerk the wheel once more and jump into it, nearly avoiding an elderly couple crossing the street.

Taking advantage of the temporary lack of cars on the street, Dairon slams their foot on the pedal, and the Bugatti shoots forward with a ridiculously powerful roar.

Dairon feels their body being pressed against the seat of the car, the gun digging in their back holster painfully, and a grin spreads across their features.

“Charming.” Marion laughs, one hand pressed against the roof of the car and the other one holding onto her own seat. “Try not to kill us, darling. I still very much would like to finish what we started in that elevator.”

Dairon slows just lightly, the traffic now too intense, and checks the rear view mirror to notice the two cars now having become three. Well, fuck.

Dairon slips a hand in their back holster, freeing themselves of the gun digging into their back, and holds it out to Marion.

“Keep this for me, please.” they mutter, scanning the street with expert eye. They can hear sirens in the background, and they are not surprised to realize that the Paris Police has now gotten involved.

Dairon aims for the roundabout, knowing this will take all her focus to try and get out of it as smoothly as possible while also attempting to lose at least one car, and mutters: “This is about to get bumpy, Marion.”

Marion hums, and Dairon doesn’t have time to stop her, because the roundabout is right there, but only witnesses the Ruby of the Sea lowering her passenger window.

Dairon has to jerk the car into a drift, as they hit the heavily trafficked roundabout, and Marion extends one arm outside the window... Taking aim with Dairon’s gun.

Marion shoots twice, in rapid succession, and what follows is a horrible screeching sound, and one of the three black cars front flips into the traffic, both front wheels completely blown.

The remaining two cars are too focused avoiding the first to respond to the fire, and Marion raises her window again and leans back against the seat, just as Dairon brings the steering wheel back and skids onto the traffic of Boulevard Pasteur.

They turn to look at Marion, who is calmly straightening her hair up using the reflection in the mirror of the sun visor.

“You’re staring, darling.” Marion smiles, pressing a thumb under her lips to fix the lipstick Dairon must’ve smudged a few minutes back.

“You are most certainly a sight to behold, Marion Lavorre.” Dairon can only say, checking the rear view mirror again. The two cars are still behind them, although much further away.

For whatever reason, that makes Marion blush, as the woman releases a low chuckle.

“Well, thank you.”

The traffic lights become red in front of them, and Dairon has to slam her foot on the break in order to avoid the cars in front of them, and they instinctively shoots an arm out to keep Marion’s body from jerking forward.

They maneuver the car around the others, gaining a series of honking and screams from the other drivers, and they turn briefly to see with horror that the cars are now tailing them again. But unfortunately, they are also lowering their own windows to take aim.

But then...

Dairon feels it before she sees it.

The wave of energy released by the rocket of Yasha’s bazooka as it impacts against one of the cars is strong enough to kick their car forward as well.

It’s pure chaos, and as they start onto Boulevard de Grenelle, Dairon begins to hear the horrible whirring sound of a helicopter. So not good.

Beau’s black motorcycle nears Dairon’s window, so they lower it.

On the bike, Beau is trying her best to keep the vehicle steady, as Yasha whirls around on the backseat, dress half ripped but still somehow together, thighs clenched around the hot motor of the bike. That can’t be pleasant either.

Both of them look absolutely wrecked.

Beau has a deep gash cutting through her cheek, and blood staining the front of her once white blouse. Yasha’s arms are covered in new cuts and bullet holes, but the both of them have a determinate expression on their faces.

“Dairon!” Beau screams above the absolute chaos. “You have to get her out! They want her!”

Dairon has no fucking clue what is going on. They don’t know why these people are after Marion, but they are going to die before they let them get their hands on Marion Lavorre.

Dairon opens their mouth to ask how, since they are now speeding onto a fucking bridge, but as the famous sight of Pont de Bir-Hakeim comes into view, the helicopter flies past their heads, twirling in a very dangerous way as it makes a full one-eighty maneuver.

A moment later, a rope ladder unravels from inside the flying vehicle.

Dairon turns to look at Marion, and Marion looks back at them, for the first time truly scared.

“Shit.” she says, and Dairon can only agree. Shit indeed.

They both watch as Beau speeds in front of them, and as Yasha grabs onto the ladder and holds onto it.

Beau brings herself underneath it, then fully and recklessly launches herself into the air, trying to grab onto the ladder as well... And missing.

As the rope slips through her fingers, and as Dairon releases a strangled noise of fear, Yasha’s hand slaps onto Beauregard’s yanking out and upward in a quick motion.

Beauregard starts climbing the rope, making her way around Yasha and then up, with way too much ease and familiarity for Dairon lickings. They’re gonna have a talk with her.

Dairon brings the car under the ladder, thanking God that it’s a convertible.

They can hear the police sirens getting closer and they can see the other car nearing them faster than they’d like.

Wind hits both of their faces, and the helicopter lowers just slightly to allow them to grab onto it.

“GO!” Dairon screams, and Marion manages to unlatch the seatbelt and grab onto the rope. With the help of Yasha, still hanging onto the ladder with one hand -Dairon just briefly wonders where the fuck she left her bazooka- Marion makes her way up.

Dairon focuses back on the road, trying to keep the car steady enough to allow her the same maneuver as Beau, but fully knowing it’s going to be much harder.

And then, from the corner of her eye, they see the mouth of a rifle being positioned from outside the car window, right behind her, and they know what’s about to happen before it does.

The shot is clean and perfect, something that Dairon actually admires, and blows the Bugatti’s back tire off its wheel.

Dairon jerks the steering wheel, drifting with the car to avoid the civilian traffic, and the Bugatti finally flips.

The impact is annihilating, and Dairon feels the cracking of her right wrist as it snaps in the crash, but then the car keeps flying...

...Right past the guard rail and into the river below.

The last thing Dairon hears is the horrible, blood curdling pained scream of one Marion Lavorre, before the car plunges into the waters below.

[dragonrajafanfiction]

Tokyo Tower (End) The Script is Rewritten

*waggles eyebrows* Hinted at in the chapter Butterfly Effect, little decisions lead to huge consequences. :)

"Is the King General's legacy?" Chisei's back was against Tachibana’s.

The deadpool in front of you has not only evolved a snake tail, but even evolved a pair of membrane wings. In the legends of countless ancient civilizations, the difference between ordinary beasts and gods and demons is the power of flight.

These Deadpool have very little human to them; they are far closer to wild dragons, dancing in the air.

The legendary dragon deadpool has appeared in the world.

 "Go back to the elevator!" Chisei shouts to you. But he himself suddenly burst past you, sword executing a swift arc of twisted light.

 The flying beast in front of you folded its wings like a raging gargoyle and lunged at you with its blade-like claws, but hit Chisei’s longsword before it could pounce over the railing and cut you open.

The sword made a rhythmic whoosh-whoosh sound, brightly spinning out of Chisei’s hand and through the air like a helicopter's rotors, before stopping suddenly, firmly grasped in your hand. You draw your claw dagger. “Those words give me Deja vu. You were saying?”

Having lost Onimaru to you, Chisei draws his remaining sword Dojigiri as a deadpool pounced from the top of the tower. Just as it neared reaching him, it cracked in half. Dojigiri had split its body in two and with the sharpness of that sword, the wound took a few seconds to show.

Another Deadpool swooped up from below the observation deck and swung its tail at you. You might not be an expert swordsman but you swing the blade automatically in the manner of a slashing dagger, only this dagger was much longer. The blade cut so easily through the deadpool, like a carving knife cutting a fresh ham, severing through the skin and muscle fibers smoothly, the bones cracking in pathetic resistance. You’d never felt anything cut through dragon tissue like that. Your eyes sharpen and widen with the thrill of killing! You swing again and the head goes flying off!

“Leave these to me! You go back to the elevator!” You call, your voice filled with a mocking sort of laughter. Your hair is flying in the rain as you run off to confront your next victim who slashes at you and collides with the sword blade. You roll and parry and sidestep, dancing with each opponent until you find an opening and then you go in with Onimaru, stabbing through and cutting out, leaving grievous wounds with it. The long sword forced a bit more distance from your opponents than you were used to, so your claw dagger served more as a parry weapon, than your main killing blow, punishing those who dared reach inside the hitbox of Onimaru to get at you with a lost finger or a cut wrist.

You dance back into the observation room to join the others. Sakura and Bondarev were gathering what little weapons were strewn across the floor.

“The elevator isn’t on the floor any more!” Bondarev shouts. “I do not know who is summoning the elevator below but they took our weapons!”

You turned toward the voice briefly, but had to turn back to fend off another attacker. Every instinct told you that was BS. There was no one else here unless Caesar and Zihang were coming up too. Bondarev was a military man and a strategist, not some old coot in a sweater waiting to retire. You still remember him on skis, his sleeveless shirt showing immaculate physique while he stood in minus 3 degree weather with a wind chill of minus thirty-three. LIke some Siberian Heracles. And now he had taken dragon blood to bolster his aging strength, not to mention give himself a significant healing factor.

He was delaying for some reason. Was he still trying to kill you? It would be wise to assume so. You’re not getting on the elevator. You got a very bad feeling that Bondarev was not going to let you leave this tower alive.

Chisei Gen also retreated into the room and swung his long sword clean, throwing away the black blood on it. The three of them regrouped, Sakura holding a sword with both hands, Bondarev holding the blunt end of a two-meter-long European lance, the tip of which resembles a crescent moon.

"Come on!” Chisei beckons to you. “Crow and Yasha, they will think of something."

You see the shock and dismay in his eyes when you back away and shake your head.

He tries again. “MC! We need to put aside our differences right now!”

“Some things cannot be put aside I’m afraid.” Bondarev sighs sadly. “I killed her best friend in Black Swan Bay. She was young. Barely a woman. I have no right to ask her to fight by my side.”

You sneer at his performance. Then you rudely and sharply cut through his bluster with facts. “If I get on that elevator, he’s going to kill me. The same way he killed her. He won’t kill you. At least… not directly. He’ll manipulate you into dying, giving up your life by choice. That’s how it works… right Bondarev?” You look at him directly. “How can a master spy like you not know your precious asset would be here to save you?”

A very dark shadow obscures your face and when you look up, the sky above the glass ceiling is seething with deadpool. The deadpool let out a shrill whistle and swoop down as if the black mountain of clouds hanging overhead had collapsed.They smash that glass ceiling all at once and come flying in, their jagged bone wings snapping violently open. 

You roll and flee the group waiting for the elevator, putting as many deadpool as you can between yourself and Bondarev. Z’s words to you ring in your ears. He said, ‘your ride will be here shortly’, right before Fingel came crashing out of the sky. He wasn’t referring to leaving with Fingel, he meant your alternate way out that was waiting for you, waiting for this moment. The rope that dangled from the Tokyo Tower saved Fingel from death. And it would save you too.

In the distance came the sound of a bell tolling twelve o'clock at midnight. The sound of the bells are unusually cold to the ears, and Tokyo seemed to be transformed into a ghostly medieval city in this rainstorm, with the bronze bells on the churches roaring and the devils laughing wildly in the shadows.

The deadpool creatures no longer have hands. Judging by the puckered scars at the joints, they appear removed by some kind of surgery, replaced with curved metal serrated scimitars granting them a long reach but no grappling ability except for their prehensile tails. So long as you target their wings, they wouldn’t be able to climb back up the tower very easily. That fearlessness that moved Chime Gen to praise you in front of your peers takes hold of you again.

The beasts chase you like seagulls, creeling, getting in each other's way and bunching up. You slide like a baseball player under a canopy of razor sharp blades and jump up behind one, slamming Onimaru into its back and dangling from the hilt to cut the wings off the other beasts. You brace yourself on it, like riding a rodeo show horse. The monster beneath your feet heaved and rolled, howling in pain but was more occupied with defending itself from being overwhelmed by its own brethren than attacking you.

You were eye to eye with them in mid air, using the deadpool dagger to cut into their wings, tearing the membranes. You stab into the space between the joints and the biomechanical working of the muscles is so strong, it nearly wrenches your dagger from your hands. The deadpool creatures with damaged wings start to fall from the sky, unable to keep up their flight but they still have the strength to glide back onto the platform.

You twist the sword and leap back onto the platform to regroup. One beast rears up to battle but then its head snaps back to the sound of a distant rifle. You dash in to slit its throat. You grin! Somewhere on the roof of a far building, Mingfei was still there with his sniper rifle! You calculate in your head. You know he was shooting before. You make a conservative estimate for his ammunition and assume he still has your rifle and ammunition as a back up.

This was good news because reinforcements were arriving on the Deadpool side. More of them are climbing up over the railing, their scales shimmering. In addition to the dragon-like Deadpool, there are more of those snake-like Deadpool from Genji Heavy Industries, and they are all converging on the observation deck. 

The demon hordes of Herzog and Bondarev had amassed against you.

A buffeting downdraft came from above. Huge black shadows descended from the sky. The support from Crow and Yasha in the form of helicopters finally arrived. The elite of the Executive Board of Japan stood on the landing gear and fired. Intense firepower pinned down the group of Deadpool.  The helicopter’s heavy rapid-fire machine gun poured out a rain of bullets without a care in the world -- or a care for you for that matter! You’re forced to take cover from their reckless rain of bullets that could easily kill you as much as they beat back the Deadpool! 

You snarl in your heart, cursing Bondarev again. The helicopter slowly approached the observation deck. The Executive Board's plan was apparently to open the way with a barrage of bullets, allowing their three leaders to jump directly onto the aircraft.

 "Follow me!" Through the broken windows and heaving mass of bodies, you see Chisei bend down and pick up one sword after another. These blades began to spin in midair. He could wield them without touching them! He used these blades to open the way. Deadpool could not approach him when the royal blood was burning.

The Hydra members were inspired by the leader's godlike bravery, and the Gatling machine guns roared even louder as the barrage of bullets drove Deadpool and you to the sides, leaving the way for Gen Chisei and the others, but pushing you farther away from your rope! You wished you had a ballistic weapon in your hand right now so you can shoot Bondarev! He seemed to realize that, like the King, you were betting on an alternative and was forcibly moving you away from your desired position.

Chisei didn’t seem concerned for you any longer. Who knew what that snake whispered in his ear to wipe away your warning words. The helicopter lowered the ladder and approached the observation deck, and the men stopped firing to wave desperately for Chisei to jump up quickly.

A new black shadow shot out of the observation area like an arrow, having taken a mighty leap, and bit the hanging ladder. The men on the landing gear were stunned. They didn't even think that these ferocious beasts had such intelligence. They seemed to be completely suppressed by the rain of bullets, but in fact they were waiting for their chance to attack!

For a bloody meal, these things are happy to trade their lives. A second black shadow swooped out of the tower and latched onto the first one’s tail. The men’s eyes are wide with terror as they shoot at the deadpool who had bitten the hanging ladder. But the battered Deadpool didn't let go. Its mutilated face seemed to be wearing a maniacal grin as more and more of them bit its tail, hooking their bodies upward with their metal blade appendages. One black shadow after another swarms into the cockpit, the men’s guns still roaring, but to no avail. They could not expel those who had come to feed. The helicopter had become their coffin.

Chisei watched in silence as the helicopter moved away from the observation deck, like a wounded eagle going to find a place to heal, but it didn't get very far before it lost its balance and plummeted toward the square.

The helicopter landed in flames.

With no helicopter and the elevator taking its sweet time getting here, Chisei took quick stock in the situation. Bondarev was still limping next to his guardian Chisei, sticking close to him. If anything happened to Chisei, you’re not sure how you would face Chime ever again. But so long as that viper was next to him, your survival couldn’t be guaranteed. So you keep your mouth shut about the rope and keep your distance.

You’d have to find a way to separate those two, not only physically but mentally, but time was ticking. There were too many enemies, not enough weapons. From this high in the air, you couldn’t use your Soul Skill. It was too wet inside and out to use fire. So long as those deadpool were swimming all over this place, there was no way you’d be able to use the rope and escape scot free. You had to beat these things to escape!

You hear a sudden low, melodic snarling.

Chisei recited the long lost language and his Soul Skill, Majesty, was released, expanding slowly, the borders glowing with a faint luminescence. He walked to the center of the special observation deck where his ability could just about cover the whole area. This was Chisei’s coup de grace. While it was overwhelming, he would be as weak as a baby later. But this would be your last chance!

You rush toward the staggering deadpool, a whirling dervish with twin blades. Black blood splashed in fountains and ran like waterfalls off the observation deck. This was no time for finesse or art killing. You fell on them like a mad beast while they could not move. How long did Majesty endure the last time you saw it? Around 30 seconds to a minute? This would be a greater fitness test than anything you had experienced in Black Swan Bay. You had to kill, de-wing or disable dozens of deadpool in 30 seconds.

It was an incomparably bizarre scene. The deadpool were prostrate on the ground, unable to even lift their heads, inert pieces of meat for you to slaughter. The floor tiles cracked and they sank inch by inch into the concrete floor platform.

What world would Renata think of you now? Or even the loving father version of Dr. Herzog that you used to believe existed? You imagined them watching the clock, cheering you on. Vera applauding and whooping, saying you can do it. In your head, these fantasies seem to be extending the time longer than thirty seconds, but you try not to think about it. Every second lost would never return. You had to take every one and kill two or even three deadpool per second and not think about the clock.

Then it was over. A deadpool hissed at you and swiped out one claw. You leap back and sever it at the same time. You look towards Chisei and Chisei looks back at you. He opens his mouth to speak but vomits red. You look around as the deadpool raise their upper bodies even as their lower heavier bodies are still stuck. They’re so insanely ravenous that they pull hard, and in their attempt to drag themselves, pull their own bodies apart! Their naked vertebrae, stripped of flesh, dripping black, gives the scene the new appearance of a zombie apocalypse as they crawl forward, cutting you off from the elevator. But they’re still weak. You can still kill them.

You shake your head at Chisei as he gazes at you from across the gap. It shocked you. He should be concerned about Bondarev. That man had his invisible shackles around his mind, but he hesitated. He wanted to save you. But you knew that the minute you were ‘saved’, you would be in the clutches of Hydra and that was the end.

You would take your chances with the deadpool horde. 

Chisei finally turned back, staggering and near collapse. The deadpool slithered after him, slowed, but still active.  He was still making an effort to support what you felt was a malingering Bondarev when suddenly Bondarev fell to the floor, pulling Chisei to the ground. 

Majesty released further and the beasts were starting to attack closer to full speed! You’re dodging and slashing and Mingfei was still firing to give you back up support, but if Chisei didn’t leave now, he would die. Time was truly up!

You gasp, momentarily torn. If you left the edge of the tower now to go help Chisei get to the elevator, you’d be completely committed to that route with Bondarev. But if you lost Chisei…

Chime’s cry echoed in your mind. Brother!

You chew your lip hard and turn to go back to the Observation deck to help! But as you do you see that someone else is carrying Chisei!

Sakura Yabuki had leaped up and grabbed Chisei’s arms and carried him on her back. She didn’t look that strong but she was. Apparently, she’d tired of his delay and was hauling him like a sack of potatoes to get out.

Now you just needed to secure your own escape. The half bodied deadpool were no match for your twinblades and you laughed at cutting them down like mere chickens. You felt free to expend the last of your energy doing this. Your escape was now guaranteed. You’d run the gauntlet and once again come out the winner!

Surrounded by corpses, you look around. There were no more deadpool coming. You straighten in confusion. Was it something you said?

As one swarm, the deadpool abandoned you to chase something else and your heart twisted in despair and tears sparked from your eyes. You screech in desperate fury! “No! Chisei, you idiot, you didn’t! You didn’t sacrifice yourself for that MAN!” 

You scream at the flying figure above you. The person, however, was not Chisei. It was Sakura! Using a ballistic grapple hook like Batman, she was soaring over the top to the observation deck through the broken windows!

You stomped your foot in a fury! That Bondarev siren song of suicide! What was she thinking? Did Sakura not think you might have a way out? Did she figure that you were giving Chisei a way out by killing yourself? You weren’t like everyone else in the Japan Branch! You didn’t give your life away like them!

Sakura didn’t deserve to be used as food for Bondarev! 

Sakura was climbing to the top of the central spire of the Tokyo tower, the huge radio tower on top of the observation deck, while being pursued by every deadpool in the tower. Just like in the elevator shaft, they ignored you completely, sweeping by and slithering and trailing drool. Once they got to the base of the spire they started to kill each other to be the first to climb up while suppressive fire rained down from Sakura’s last remaining gun. 

Lu Mingfei shifted his focus from you to the tower in support of Sakura. You follow her trajectory closely the way she climbed, the way she was lining herself up with you on the top of the tower. She was lining herself up close to you. 

You feel a slight shiver and your eyes widen. She really did believe in you. She believed you had an alternate way out!

She’s now standing up at the top of the radio tower and bows deeply in thanks to Mingfei for his support. 

She was going to jump and that whole horde was going to follow her down into the void. Your heart is beating. A spotlight was on you. You had only one chance at this. You slip Onimaru into your belt. You climb the safety railing as she takes her leap of faith, a wave of black scaly bodies falling in a beautiful, horrible arc. 

You throw yourself off too.

At the critical moment, your bodies align and your eyes meet. You sweep up with your claw dagger. The hooked claw rends the bloody fabric that the deadpool found so irresistible. Then you wrap that arm around her slender waist  and reach out for the rope you knew was there, the rope that had saved Fingel not too long ago from the same fate. 

The sudden stop pulls your shoulder out of its socket and your arm nearly releases but by then, Sakura has recovered her senses and grabs hold of you before you can fall, clinging to the rope herself.

The tattered wet and bloody clothing continues the rapid descent Sakura should have taken had you not been there. Had you not climbed the steps. Had you not loved Ruri Kazama enough to obey his words and not Caesar’s.

The deadpool continued their fall after the clothing and you could hear the disgusting continuous splatter of their bodies slamming into the concrete and bursting apart in an ebony fountain.

Sakura Yabuki supports you and helps you cling to the rope. She’s completely topless and her body is warm against yours in the cold rain.

“I have to ask you, because I don’t understand. Why save me? Chisei killed the man you loved. It would have been easy to let me fall. Let me die. To let Chisei feel the pain you felt that night. Some would even call it justice.” She gasped out the words. 

You’re both shivering and out of breath.

You stare at her with frigid eyes. “I don’t know what justice is, first of all.” You snap, angry and desperate, your emotions swirling in a hurricane in your mind. “And second of all, I didn’t save you because of Chisei.” Your eyes sparkle in the dark with unshed tears. “Third of all, I’m sure he is feeling what I felt that night, because he thinks you’re dead right now. But unlike Chance, you will come back!”

Sakura Yabuki sobered. She didn’t know you, but you had the feeling she was listening closely and understanding.

So you continue, each sentence a shouted exclamation above the rain’s metallic rhythm on the tower struts. “I didn’t come here with morals or life lessons that teach me mercy. I’m no better than he is.  I was raised by Dr. Herzog for God’s sake! Chisei Gen was raised by that child-murderer Bondarev! We both kill first and ask questions later. Our father figures just tried to rip each other’s throats out! It shouldn’t surprise anyone that we’re going to hurt each other, so don’t think I care for him! The only true difference between us, in truth?” You pause, your eyes wide.  “I just hang out with better people! Caesar, Chu Zihang, Lu Mingfei, and Ruri Kazama. They’re my world. I will do things that will please them. So I look better. But I’m not better!”

Your voice lowers to a dull snarl in her ears. “I could have just walked away, easily! I could be eating a warm bowl of ramen noodles, right now!” Your snarl turned to a soft bitter laughter. “But Chime… Chime would never have forgiven me if something happened to his brother because I did that. I could have let you fall. But Chance is gone. I might have another chance… at love. That is.” You again crack a brief joke. “But Chime wouldn’t want me to hurt his brother by letting you die.” 

Your laughter takes hold of you, but it’s painful. It was just a way to stop from crying. “I’m only here because of my boyfriend. You heard that right. It’s so stupid.” You shove Onimaru back into her hands. “Here, take his dumb sword back. I don’t want it.”

Sakura looked down at you and a small smile graced her features. “Fair. Still, I must thank you. Farewell. Until we meet again.” Sakura Yabuki slid down the rope, speeding down the rest of the way down from Tokyo Tower. You see her land and she’s gone in the blink of an eye. 

[yellowcanna]

Duo Heroes, Double Black

Summary:

“We are broadcasting this live above U.A High School and you won’t believe what we are seeing! Everyone, please take a look!”

In the middle of a no-longer-empty track field, were three black vehicles. The cars were parked in a straight line with the perfect distances apart from one another. In front of the line of cars was a table oddly standing out in the middle of the field with black sunshade set over it.

Men dressed in black suits stood in a perfect line between the cars and the table. They stood up straight, chin held high and hands folded behind their backs. It was obvious that these were well-trained bodyguards.

However, those weren’t what shocked the audiences sitting in front of their TVs. No…rather than the men and the cars...it was that single man prostrating on the ground, his attire making him stand out from all the black.

“ALL MIGHT! IT’S ALL MIGHT!” The reporter screamed, causing the microphone to ring from her sharp voice. “The former No.1 Hero who hasn’t been seen since the announcement of his retirement!! But…just what is this current situation?!”

What was the current situation?

That was what Toshinori wanted to know.

Rating: T

Genre: Crossover, comedy, fluff, shounen-ai (mild boy love)

Pairing: Soukoku (Dazai x Chuuya)

Author: Canna / Yellow Canna

Status: Complete

AVAILABLE ON AO3

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Story Beta’d by Nanami_ontheShore

It began on an ordinary Friday.

The afternoon sun was strong, heating up the land below. There wasn’t a single sign of any clouds in the azure sky.

This was supposed to be a peaceful day for friends and families to gather and celebrate the coming of the weekend.

CRAAAAAASH

Unfortunately, this Friday was destined not to be a peaceful one.

 “U.A has been invaded by unknown enemies!”

“Men in black are surrounding U.A High School!!”

“Could this be a Villain attack?!”

“We are awaiting the helicopters to get a better look—”

“Black cars can be seen barricading the entrances to U.A High school…!”

“The police are at the scene…!”

Every news channel was going crazy with Japan’s entire attention all directed to one school.

U.A High School.

“We interrupt everyone with an emergency broadcast.” The newscaster announced sternly as she sat before the camera. “This morning at 9:24 am, unknown vehicles were spotted breaking entry into U.A High school. The emergency gate of the school has been activated, but according to witnesses, the gate was blasted apart by an unknown force which is speculated to be some sort of psychokinesis Quirks.”

As she spoke, a screenshot appeared by her left. It was a picture of the U.A High school gate, where the thick metallic barrier was wretched.

“Police and Heroes are now at the scene. We will move over to Furi-san, who is currently at the sight.”

The screen changed to a man that had the appearance of a ferret with curly brown fur. He was standing amongst a mass of people—all of them being reporters judging from the equipment they were holding.

“Thank you, Tanaka-san.” The man had to shout into the mic in his hand to be heard. “I am currently at the front of U.A High School, but due to police and Hero involvements, we are unfortunately unable to get any closer!!”

He then stepped to the side and the cameraman raised the camera, shooting pass the crowd to give the audiences a look in the distance.

Thanks to the police pushing all the reporters back, they were able to create an empty space around U.A High School’s gate. The camera was easily able to capture the black vehicles blocking the entrance with men in black suits and dark sunglasses standing guard.

“As you can see, there are currently five black vehicles barricading the gate! Their identities and goals are unknown, but neither police nor Heroes are taking any action! It appears that they are not Villains!! As of yet, no one from U.A High School has stepped out to give us any information. We can only—” Furi then paused, hand going to the Bluetooth in his ear as he tried to hear whatever was being said.

After a moment, the man’s beady eyes lit up and hurriedly turned back to the camera.

“The helicopter team has just arrived! We will switch over to Saito-san who will give us an air view of just what is happening within U.A!”

Once more, the scene changed, this time to a woman with bob cut hair.

“This is Saito!” She shouted through the noise generated by the helicopter's main rotor. She had safety equipment tied over her body as she leaned over the open door of the helicopter. Her clothes and hair were flapping wildly in the wind as she gestured for the cameraman to get closer to her.

“We are broadcasting this live above U.A High School and you won’t believe what we are seeing! Everyone, please take a look!”

The camera then turned to the world outside. For a moment, the entire screen became white due to the difference in lighting, but the lens soon adjusted to show the audience just what was going on inside U.A.

Everyone sitting in front of the television had their eyes bulging out in shock at the sight.

There, in the middle of a no-longer-empty track field, were three black vehicles identical to the ones surrounding the gate. The cars were parked in a straight line with the perfect distances apart from one another. In front of the line of cars was a table oddly standing out in the middle of the field with black sunshade set over it.

Men dressed in black suits stood in a perfect line between the cars and the table. They stood up straight, chin held high and hands folded behind their backs. It was obvious that these were well-trained bodyguards.

But those weren’t what shocked the audiences. No…rather than the men and the cars...it was that single man kneeling before the table, his attire making him stand out from all the black.

“ALL MIGHT! IT’S ALL MIGHT!” The reporter all but screamed, causing the microphone to ring from her sharp voice. “The former No.1 Hero who hasn’t been seen since the announcement of his retirement!! But…just what is this current situation?!”

What was the current situation?

That was what Toshinori wanted to know as well.

The loud noises of helicopters rang in the air, followed by the reports’ screams as they constantly flew over him, casting short moments of shade over his burning body.

The former No.1 Hero has been kneeling here for a good hour now. There was a layer of sweat coating his body with the strong sunlight burning into his back. Even his hair became drier than usual.

To make matters worse, the scorching sunlight wasn’t the only thing drilling holes into his body. It was the eyes of the hundreds of students that made it all the more painful. When another shadow passed by him, All Might didn’t need to look up to know another helicopter had arrived, carrying more reporters to film his shameful situation.

He really wanted to crawl into a hole and die!

The loud sizzling sound was constantly tempting Toshinori. Unable to help himself any longer, he snuck a glance up to the chief who had just slapped a piece of beautiful wagyu onto the hot iron pan. The aromatic smell of meat only added to his torture as he swallowed hard.

“Here, Chuuya! Ah~” A cheerful voice sang as the young man with chocolate brown hair waved around a thin slice of finely cooked wagyu on the tip of his silver fork.

The man with pumpkin-orange hair glanced at it skeptically but still leaned over to his partner. The black chains bounding both of their arms between them jingled from his movement. A pair of rosy lips opened up and wrapped around the beautifully cooked beef.

His lips closed around the fork before he slid back. Just like that, the man took away the juicy beef from the fork, his lips wiping off the juice on the silver fork and leaving behind only a thin trace of his saliva. 

“Hmm…it’s not bad!” The redhead commented with mild surprise as if expecting otherwise.

“Why of course!” The brunet said. He happily stabbed his fork into another slice. With the same fork he had fed the redhead, he brought the piece of meat into his mouth. “I did tell you that this store got the best wagyu recipe in Musutafu!”

“You said the same thing in Hokkaido and that place was shit.” The orange-haired man retorted, raising his empty glass as a man in a black suit stepped forward. He picked up the bottle of wine from the ice and elegantly refilled the glass.

“It was your fault for not realizing it was April the first.” The brunet shrugged, waving his glass with half-melted ice. A different man came up. He took the empty cup, dumping out the water and the melted ice to replace it with new ones. After that, he pulled out a bottle of whiskey and filled the glass with the golden fluid.

“How about I strangle you with your bandages and hang you on the rooftop on Halloween?”

“Chuuya! I never knew you were into that kind of play!”

“You—”

“Um…” A voice cut in just before the two could start bickering.

Umber and icy blue eyes instantly snapped to the No.1 Hero kneeling before them. The poor man was shivering badly, looking to be on the verge of tears as he looked pleadingly at the two youngsters. 

“C-can we please take this somewhere else?”

It was truly a pitiful sight.

Anyone with a shred of sympathy would immediately escort the former Hero indoors and provide him with the finest treatment if they had saw him acting like this. Unfortunately for him, the two people in front of him had anything but sympathy.

“Oh?” The brown-haired male rested his chin in his palm. “I thought you liked attention. Or could it be that the audiences aren’t enough?” He said while nodding, as if agreeing with his own words. “After all, wherever you go you’re always surrounded by the media. That’s right! Let’s invite them into U.A right now! I’m sure they’ll be thrilled to see you! Especially with your spectacular battle last month! I’m sure the entire world is dying to see their Hero again!”

“I’M SO SORRY!” The No.1 Hero screamed off the top of his lungs as his forehead met the ground in a loud bang. The sound was so loud that even the students watching from the window cringed. “PLEASE FORGIVE ME!”

“What…is going on?” Iida muttered as he stared out the window with the rest of his classmates. None of them had any idea what had happened. They were just having breakfast in the cafeteria when the gate was blasted open and these cars charged into the school property.

At first, everything had been a mess. It was like that time with the reporters all over again. Everyone thought it was an attack from Villains, but rather than Villains, these people in black suits came out. At the centre of these bodyguard-like men were two people, instantly standing out from the “Extras” as Bakugou would call them.

These two were dressed in black suits like the rest of the men, but with more taste and uniqueness. The fiery-haired male with a fedora wore a crimson dress shirt underneath his suit with a leather choker around his neck.

The tall brown-haired male wore bandages that could easily be seen underneath his suits.

They looked young, perhaps having just entered their twenties. And what really caught the students’ eyes about them were that thick black chain. The chain looked to be around half a meter long, with one end wrapped around the shorter man’s left wrist while the other end wrapped around the taller one’s right hand.

The events after that were a blur.

All they saw was All Might scrambling out there while Principal Nezu announced for everyone to calm down. Due to all the reporters and the intruders outside, classes were temporarily stopped until the school could calm the situation.

But no matter how they looked at it…how could any of them be calm?!

BANG

Everyone jumped and turned their eyes to the shorter male who had just slammed his feet onto the beautifully crafted oak table—which even to now, no one had any idea how they transported. As if knowing he was going to do that, his companion had picked up the plate of wagyu and his whiskey to prevent the food from being flipped over by the sheer pressure. Those with more sensitive hearings even hear the cracks in the wood that was threatening to split it in half.

“Sorry?” The fedora-wearing man wasn’t loud, but in the absolute silence, his words clearly reached the student’s ears. “Sorry for what?”

“I…should have told you about my confrontation with All for One.” All Might admitted meekly, looking nothing like the No.1 Hero he used to be.

“And?” The brunet swirled his glass of whiskey around, seeming to enjoy the sight of the adult grovelling at their feet.

“I…” All Might’s voice faded and his sweats were coming out like waterfall now. He obviously didn’t know what else to say, but knew that he could never say that! Was there something else he should be apologizing?!

Even the students were affected by his nervousness. All of them were looking at their Hero worriedly, wondering just what in the world was going on.

“To think that they would make All Might…just who the heck are they?!” Kaminari choked, unable to continue looking at the sight.

“I’ve never seen them before. I don’t think they’re Heroes?” Yaoyorozu stated unsurely.

“Rather than Heroes, they look like some sort of Yakuza?” Kirishima pointed out.

“But do Yakuza wear suits?” Ashido asked.

“No way! All Might would never bow Villains or Yakuzas!!” Hagakure shouted, earning nods of approval from everyone within hearing range.

“Even the media have no idea,” Uraraka said, flipping her phone around to show the others. The helicopter had changed location in order to capture the two people being protected under the sunshade. Although they were able to catch the two men on camera, they were just as clueless as the students.

“It can’t be…could it? But…” Hearing that familiar mumbling, all eyes were turned to Midoriya.

“Hey nerd, you know something don’t you?!” Bakugou spat. Surprisingly, his voice didn’t snap Midoriya out of his thought. The green-haired boy’s muttering became faster and faster as he eyed the two men sitting outside. As his muttering increased, his eyes were shining brighter and brighter until they were practically sparkling.

“Black suits, chains intertwining their hands, hat, bandages…!”

“Deku-kun?” Uraraka was about to give her friend a pat on the shoulder when…

“WHAT DID YOU SAY?!”

Everyone jumped and all turned to Uraraka’s phone, where the scream had come from. The scene switched back to the female reporter who had a mixture of shock and horrified on her face. She hurriedly turned to the camera and put on the best professional face she could muster.

“IT’S THEM!” Midoriya shouted, his voice overlapping with the reporters’.

“We have just received the identity of the two mysterious men! You won’t believe it!” The woman shouted, barely containing her excitement.

“IT’S DOUBLE BLACK!”

“IT’S DOUBLE BLACK!”

Her and Midoriya’s voice shouted at the same time, causing countless jaws to hit the floor.

“YOU’VE HEARD IT RIGHT!” The reporter continued. “THE MYSTERIOUS MEN THAT INVADED U.A HIGH SCHOOL ARE NONE OTHER THAN THE DUO HEROES, DOUBLE BLACK!!”

A second of silence filled the entire cafeteria before everything fell into chaos.

“EEEEEEEEEEEH?!?!”

“D-D-Double Black?! That Double Black?!”

“The Port Mafia?!”

“The infamous duo?!”

“Why are they here?!”

“B-but aren’t they based in Yokohama?!”

“Are they seriously Double Black?!”

“The real deal?!”

“THEY REALLY ARE HERE!” Midoriya cried louder than anyone else as he snapped his head to his classmates. Stars were practically dancing out of his eyes from how brightly they were glittering.

“Double Black! The first underage Heroes in the histories of Heroes!!” Midoriya began to rant while frantically scribbling into his notepad.

“They debuted at fifteen and started their own Hero Agency in the heart of Yokohama! Since then, Villain activities in Yokohama has been zero! Yokohama became the very first city to ever achieve a zero crime rate! Their black suits are their signature Hero uniform! To this day, no one knows exactly what their Quirks are! All they know is that one of them has the ultimate offensive Quirk while the other has the ultimate defensive Quirk! They are the perfect duo that has ever—!”

“Okay, okay, we get it! You can stop now! We all know who Double Blacks are!” Kaminari cut in.

“But why is the Double Black here?” Ojirou asked the question they were all wondering. After all, everyone knew that Double Black—or the entire Port Mafia in general—never leaves Yokohama. They were always holed up inside that city and never bothered with anything happening outside.

They never even showed up at the Hero Billboard even though they ranked fourth—or third now since All Might retired. And those rankings they got was from the entire population living within Yokohama.

“And why is All Might bowing to them, gero?” Asui added.

Silence fell over them, even Midoriya, who finally seemed to snap out of his fanboy mode and remembered the situation his mentor was in.

The next moment, their idol—the former No.1 Hero, finally gave them the answer to the question that had been bothering them for the past hour.

“I’M SORRY! PLEASE FORGIVE ME, MY SONS!”

Those who were leaning against the window slipped and tumbled to the ground.

Those that were eating choked and spat out their food.

Those who had been standing normally and quietly observing…fell into a trance.

For a whole minute, everything was quiet.

And then, that serene silence was shattered by deafening screams ten times louder than before.

“HIS WHAT?!”

▬▭▬ ▬▭▬ ✦✧✦ ▬▭▬ ▬▭▬

It was merely human instinct to fear the night.

To the humans living within this society, night time was evil, for that evil took form during then. In Japan, crime activities became eighty percent higher during the night. When the last ray of sun left the land, Villains will emerge from the shadows to terrorize the city.

However, there is one place that welcomed the night.

That place is Yokohama—Japan's second-largest city with a population of over three million. The people that lived in that city enjoyed the night more than the day because in Yokohama, there was no time safer than the night.

This was all thanks to the living legend that walks within the darkness of their city.

They were an odd pair, dressed in black suits with a single black chain binding them together.

Just simply hearing their calm, steady footsteps and the jingling sounds of chains was enough to bring peace to the neighbourhood.

Catching a glimpse of their shadow was considered good luck.

They were the Pro Heroes that operated as one and shared a single Hero name—Double Black.

No one knew where they came from. Their Hero licenses were real and confirmed by the government, yet their records were unable to be found. No one even knew where they went to school.

Four years ago, the two of them—both at the tender age of fifteen—suddenly appeared within Yokohama and boldly announced the entire city as their territory. In the beginning, everyone took them as a joke.

They were children, after all.

However, in less than a week, these two children swept through the city like a hurricane. In a blink of an eye, they eradicated all Villains dwelling within Yokohama and even ripped out organizations that had been taking root in that city for years.

The Villains they had defeated were completely broken, both mentally and physically. Even if their bodies recovered, their minds could never be healed. No one knew just what happened to them, but one thing they can be certain of was that whenever the name Double Black was mentioned, they would break down. It was as if Double Black were using these Villains to send a warning around the world.

But Double Black didn’t stop there. They didn’t eradicate the Villains, but Heroes as well. All the local Heroes were thrown out of the city together with their agencies.

“Yokohama is now under our protection, so you’re no longer needed.”

“What’s the point of keeping you around when you can’t even clean up these shits?”

These were the infamous words that the Double Black had spoken and were trending even to this day.

It was also these words that sparked war between the Heroes of Yokohama and Double Black. The government has deleted all footage concerning the fight that had broken out between the Heroes, but witnesses of that night could still tell the tales of how Double Black single handedly crushed all the Heroes in just one night.

After the Heroes of Yokohama were chased out, they filed complaints to the police and the governments. They were hoping the government would do something about the pair, yet they didn’t do anything. Not only did they not punish Double Black for attacking other Heroes, the government even allowed Double Black’s request of not allowing anymore Heroes into their city.

Since then, Yokohama only has two Heroes.

In the beginning, the people of Yokohama had mixed feelings. On one hand, the Double Black completely pulled out all Villains rooted in their city. On the other hand, Double Black had also pulled out the Heroes that had been protecting them all this time.

Then later on, the people of Yokohama were livid.

It didn’t take long for them to discover how Double Black functions.

Double Black only acts during the night, as that is apparently their work hour.

Despite being Heroes, they were completely treating their profession as a standard job.

After their work hour, they will not act upon any of their Hero’s duties. Even if a bank robbery were to happen right in their face, they will walk around it and continue on with whatever they were doing. Even if they came across a dying person, the most they would do was call an ambulance and continue on with their lives.

The people of Yokohama began to protest, wanting the two teenagers that called themselves Heroes out of their city. But as time passed, these protests vanished without a trace.

The reason was that despite Double Black not acting during their off-hours, the moment night came, those who committed crimes during daytime would face the wrath of Double Black. It was said that the retaliation they were met with was worse than committing crimes during the night.

Whenever a Villain was collected from Yokohama, anyone that saw them would always say the same thing.

“It would have been better if they were dead.”

Yes, these Villains were beaten and abused to the point where death would be a blessing. At the very least, dying could free them from the suffering Quirks and current medical equipment cannot heal. That was how broken and beyond saving they were.

Double Black would never kill the Villains, yet all Villains would have been better off dead. Due to the concerns this news may bring to society, the government was quick to seal it off. It wasn’t hard, for that no one had ever witnessed Double Black engaging in enemies due to them operating only in the shadows.

The governments were concerned about the images Double Black may give off to Heroes in general. They needed to show the entire country that the future Heroes were striving. This was a time to show that Heroes are superior to Villains, especially with the symbol of peace leading them.

But more than anything…they cannot go against Double Black.

They can use all the righteous reasoning, but in the end, it all came down to fear.

The Japanese government was afraid of the duo Heroes they allowed into the society. 

Unlike the naïve citizens, every single person in the government knew what these two teenagers were capable of. Not even the No.1 Hero—their adoptive father—can stop their rampage once they began.

The last thing anyone wanted was for these two to defect from Heroes and turn into Villains.

That and they simply can’t come up with the right argument against them.

“It just turned out this way after our battle, what are we supposed to do? If we let them go, innocent people would get hurt! Or are you suggesting that we Heroes should mind the welfare of Villains when we engage in a fight?

In that case, why don’t we set up a press conference right now and explain it to the world how Heroes should operate from here now on out! Let’s also not forget the new laws and restrictions needed to be placed on Heroes!

Firstly, Hero cannot attack Villain in the head! We wouldn’t want these Villains to suffer any head injuries or die, right? The stomach is another no! You never know what organs you might accidentally damage. Ribcage should be off limits as well! It would be dangerous if a broken rib punctured the lung or heart, wouldn’t it? On top of that, we have to worry whether or not they have heart conditions. Damages in the limbs would also be risky! If you don’t control your strength right, they may be disabled for life and we wouldn’t want that now, would we? We must illegalize any Quirk with destructive properties—such as fire, electricity or mental Quirks that directly attacks the brain.

And—”

Needless to say, neither the police nor the government would sit down to talk with Double Black ever again. If they really agreed to all of those things the Double Black had suggested, then both citizens and Heroes will start a riot.

The name Double Black, in many ways, brought more fear to Villains than All Might. No, compared to the devils wearing the skin of human children, All Might could be seen as an angel in comparison. Before anyone knew it, the crime rate within Yokohama dropped at an alarming rate.

In no time at all, Yokohama has become the first and only zero crime city.

This was a feat that not even the No.1 Hero All Might could achieve.

Despite never taking a step off Yokohama ground, Double Black became famous throughout the world and was ranked fourth on the Hero’s Billboard.

For the past four years, Yokohama was ranked first in the most ideal city people wanted to move to. The pricing for houses skyrocketed in a single week, up to the point where it became impossible for any outsider to move in, and no Yokohama citizens in their right mind would want to leave a zero-crime city.

The Double Black constructed their agency at the heart of Yokohama. The building was enormously tall, built in sleek black with modernized design. The locals would call this agency Double Black’s watchtower…or the God’s watchtower. It was a symbol addressing all Villains hiding within the shadows that they were always overseeing this city.

The Double Black didn’t stop there, however. Now, four more identical buildings were being constructed next to the existing one. Many people questioned it, as no one saw the need in having so many buildings.

In one of a rare interview with one of the Double Black, the man simply said this:

“It’s a business. As Heroes, we must constantly think of what we can do for the people we protect. Yokohama has become a zero-crime city, then what should we, as Heroes, do next? Of course, it is to help improve our country’s economy. That’s why my partner and I decided to merge our agency with our newly established trading company—The Port Mafia.”

And so…the Port Mafia was established.

Many people thought the two Heroes were joking. Who has ever heard of professional Heroes having a side job? Yet these two young Heroes did. Not only that they did it, but their company even flourished and the Port Mafia was now one of the leading trading companies and Hero agency within Japan.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call these two young Heroes living Legends.

Now these two Legends had left Yokohama and were inside Japan’s most distinguished Hero school.

“Imagine our surprise~” Dazai Osamu laughed as he sat with his partner on the couch inside the principal’s office. “To suddenly see our dear father live on the television, facing All for One in that wimpy form~”

“Uh…!” Toshinori who was still kneeling on the floor took an invisible jab into the heart.

“And all by himself! Truly the model of how all Heroes should be, isn’t that right, Chuuya?” Dazai continued to speak in that exaggerated tone of his, looking over to his partner who was anything but impressed.

The petite but muscly young man had his legs propped up on the table with his elbow pressed into the armrest and his cheek against his knuckles.

“So,” Chuuya eyed the man on the ground, “you lot were so confident you didn’t even need backups, huh?”

“No, that’s not it, we had backups.” Toshinori tried to explain, but the two young men weren't having it.

“Ah, those Heroes were your backups?” Dazai chuckled light-heartedly. He set his teacup on the table and his fingers along the rim, creating a small vibration into the air. “I’m sorry, they hadn’t done anything at all so I thought they had some cosplayers standing there for moral support!”

“Dazai-kun.” Nezu frowned, unable to overlook the disrespect the young man was clearly displaying. All the Heroes went all out in that battle and some were severely injured. For the brunet to say such a thing was pure insult to those Heroes. “Those Heroes fought their all—”

“And?” Chuuya cut in. “What did they do? Did they capture anyone from the League of Villains?”

“No, but it was thanks to them that—”

“So they got nothing to show for the result.” Chuuya snorted. Blue eyes narrowed over the white creature sitting on the opposite couch. “All you did was ruin a perfectly good opportunity to take the League of Villains down.”

“Chuuya!” Toshinori chided disapprovingly.

“Chuuya’s right.” Dazai hummed, completely ignoring their adoptive father and focused on the mouse, or bear—or whatever it was. “If you had waited a couple more days to assemble more Heroes into your little operations, the League of Villains wouldn’t have escaped. However, you prioritized the name of U.A over the safety of the entire country and you dare to preach us?”

“I did not prioritize U.A,” The principal said calmly. “They had captured one of our students. We have no time to—”

“No time?” The brunet smirked. “How? From what I see, he could hang on for a couple of days. The League of Villains went through all this trouble to capture him was to turn him to their side and showcase him to the world to break society's view on Heroes. Do you think that after all the trouble they went through, they would kill him just because he rebelled?”

“But young Bakugou—”

“—wouldn’t have died if you had waited a day or two.” Dazai finished for Toshinori. “And even by whatever miracle that he pissed them off and made them accidentally kill him, he’s just one life. That is where your plan failed. As long as your school’s name doesn’t get tarnished and that one student whose life obviously worth more than the rest of the country is safe, everything else doesn't matter.”

“Dazai!” Toshinori gasped. “You know it’s not like that!”

“Really?” This time, it wasn’t Dazai who responded, but Chuuya. “Because that’s how it looked to me, old man.”

“So what if your little school’s name got tarnished?” Dazai said. “Rip it apart and make a new one. If you don’t want that, then create a bigger gossip to cover up yours. If you’re incapable of doing even that, then give it five years and people will eventually move on and forget about it. You think reporters will still make news of you when there’s no news left to make and everyone’s tired of listening?”

Despite talking to Toshinori, Dazai’s eyes shifted to the principal who had kept silent despite the youth berating him.

“If it was me, I would gather all the Heroes in the top twenty Billboards and have the long-distance fighters supporting ex-No.1 here. With One for All launching an attack on the League of Villains, it’s obvious that All for One will appear. He told you about that little underling he picked up, didn’t he?”

Dazai looked over to Toshinori.

“What?” Toshinori stared at Dazai and Chuuya in shock. “You two…you knew? You know who Shigaraki Tomura is?!”

“When did you know?” The Principal asked, face turning grim as he regarded the two young men.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Chuuya huffed. “The moment we learned that All for One became a babysitter, this guy searched it up—starting with every orphanage in Japan.” He said as he jabbed his thumb at his partner.

“As long as the person got records, they can easily be tracked,” Dazai replied. “All for One hated you One for All holders. You’ve always been a thorn on his side. Then what can he do to get back at you? The only thing would be your master, dear father. Why wouldn’t you think he’ll use this against you?”

“Why…why didn’t you tell me?!” Toshinori coughed as he clenched onto his side.

“What would you do if I did?” Dazai questioned. “Save him? He’s beyond saving the moment Shimura Nana decided to abandon her son—his father. If she had really wanted to protect her family, she should have kept her child close or better yet, don’t give birth. Can you really say you’re surprised by the way things turned out?”

Toshinori gritted his teeth before going into another series of violent coughs. Blood was pouring out, but neither of the two sitting there looked like they cared.

“Tell me,” Dazai whispered softly - despite his cold, harsh words - as he looked at the two in front of them. “Did you guys seriously think you’ve won?”

Neither of the two in front of them answered.

“You captured All for One but the League of Villains escaped. The Symbol has retired. Everything went according to All for One’s plans. A new era for Villains is beginning. The Heroes, on the other hand, lost the only pillar that’s been their support for the past decades, and let’s not mention how incompetent most of them are. The world has now been reset into a clean slate. So let me ask you again, did you really think you’ve won?”

Dazai took another small sip of his tea before setting it onto the table.

“What is considered winning…was if you guys had done everything you could to capture that brat you guys called Shigaraki Tomura. He’s the one All for One created his plans around. You’ve let All for One lived for so long, what difference would it make letting him live longer? Which brings our discussion to our earlier topic—how the matter could have been easily resolved if you had waited for the other Heroes. For example, just having Hawks alone would have been able to change the outcome. With his speed, he could easily have stayed out of the fighting range and stayed hidden. The only time he needed to come out was to capture the escaping Villains you let go of.”

“…Dazai-kun, Chuuya-kun.” Principal Nezu spoke after a long while, setting the tea down onto the table as he looked at the two young men sitting before him. “If you two were to assist us, what do you think would be the casualty rate?”

Nezu had phrased it by casualty, not success…because they already knew the answer to that.

Had these two joined in, the success rate in capturing all of the Leagues of Villain, including All for One himself—was a hundred percent. What was more frightening was that this one hundred percent would still be if the two had worked alone, without the interference of other Heroes.

They only learned of this after the League of Villain’s attack on USJ, through Toshinori’s call with his sons.

The League of Villains was originally hiding in Kamino. When Chuuya and Dazai moved into Yokohama, All for One—for the first time in his life—was met with a mountain he couldn’t overcome. A battle happened one night…one that was never documented or recorded because it was over as soon as it began. With Chuuya alone, he singlehanded destroyed all the Nomus and critically injured All for One.

Had Kurogiri not warped them away, they would have died right then and there. No…not even that. With Dazai’s nullification Quirk, they wouldn’t have a chance in escaping. The only reason they were able to leave was that Dazai and Chuuya had no interest in any of them. It was no secret that Double Black never chases after Villains that left their territory.

It didn’t matter to them whether or not the Villain that fled was All for One. To them, All for One was the same as the other thugs that ran from them with their tails between their legs. They were all opponents that could be easily crushed anytime they wanted.

It wasn’t like Nezu never considered asking the two for help. It was simply that the pair made it clear the moment they became Heroes that they had no interest in peace or the safety of the world. They were only interested in looking after their territory, which was Yokohama.

“This isn’t about us.” Chuuya said, narrowing his eyes at the principal. “It’s about you. This bastard already told you what you should have done.”

“But if you must know, I can enlighten you.” Dazai said as he laced his fingers and set his hand on his knee. “If Chuuya and I were involved, the casualty rate would be zero. If you had formed a plan properly without putting that kid and your little school’s reputation first, your success rate would have been a hundred percent.”

The principal sighed, not saying anything to defend himself as that was the truth. They had let go of the League of Villain in order to preserve the school’s name and Bakugou.

Toshinori couldn’t argue either, as it was true that he failed in capturing the League of Villains. Although there were many things in which he disagreed with his two sons, he knew he wouldn’t win against Dazai in an argument.

“Chuuya, Dazai.” Toshinori sat upright to face his two boys. “I’m sorry for making you worry. I should have told you beforehand regarding—”

“Worry? Who?” Dazai blinked, tilting his head in mock-confusion.

“Eh?”

“You reaped what you sowed.” Chuuya deadpanned.

“Wait, aren’t you the least bit worried about me?!”

“Nope.” The two replied in perfect sync.

That was the last blow Toshinori needed.

With his body still recovering from his fight against All for One and having knelt in the burning sunlight for a whole hour (plus another hour in the principal’s office), his frail body finally gave out. The blond hurled out a large amount of blood before he fainted, face landing into the red puddle he had created.

Dazai sipped on his tea purposely loud. After drowning the tea in one go, he set the cup back onto the table and clapped his hand. The door to the principal’s office opened as two men in black suits walked in. One grabbed Toshinori under the arms while the other took his legs. Just like this, the two carried the former No.1 Hero out of the office.

“Well then, I do believe we’ve intruded long enough.” Dazai got up with Chuuya in toll. “These are the paper works and vacation forms our daddy has signed.”

Dazai waved and a man came up to set a stack of paper in front of Nezu. The principal took a glance at All Might’s signature signed on the top of the paper. It was certainly his signature, but Nezu knew for a fact that the blond man would have never signed it.

“Of course!” He chimed all too cheerfully and grabbed the stack of papers as if afraid Dazai and Chuuya would take it back. “Do let him rest up!”

“Tch.” Chuuya clicked his teeth, shoving his hands in his pockets as he followed his partner out the door. Just before the two leave, they heard Nezu spoke up.

“Dazai-kun, Chuuya-kun. I look forward to the following months.”

Neither of them said nor acknowledged anything as one of their men closed the door to the principal’s office. When the pair turned to leave, they were greeted by a familiar face coming from around the corner.

The moment Aizawa Shota saw these two, his eyelids began to jump and his eyeballs felt dryer than usual. For a moment, the raven wondered if it was too late to turn around and pretend not to have seen anything.

“Well if it isn’t Uncle Shouta~” Dazai greeted while Chuuya tipped his hat.

Aizawa let out a small sigh as he walked up to the two younger Heroes.

“You two made quite the scene.” He stated unhappily.

“Now, now, don’t say that! We’ll be colleagues from now on, please do show us the rope, senpai~”

“Colleagues?” Aizawa was taken back by this. “What is this about?”

“Weren’t you being called in by the principal?” Dazai smirked as he and Chuuya walked past the raven with their men carrying an unconscious Toshinori.

Aizawa stood there as he watched them go.

He suddenly got a dreaded feeling and hurried towards the principal’s office.

▬▭▬ ▬▭▬ ✦✧✦ ▬▭▬ ▬▭▬

Toshinori couldn’t begin to describe what this feeling was as he slowly woke from his dream. It had been so long since he was able to wake up feeling so refreshed and energetic. Being the top Hero, he rarely had any time for breaks. To be able to sleep five hours a night was already a blessing for him. Many times, he had even woke up in the middle of the night upon hearing the echoes of sirens.

He blinked at the warm sunlight spilling over his face. Very slowly, minding his injuries, he sat up. He looked around the room and was stunned by what he saw. The room was enormous.

The bed was enormous.

He was lying in a king-sized bed with an entire wall in the room filled up with windows, facing the direction of the ocean.

Toshinori looked down at the thick crimson quilt covering his body before pushing it away. The moment his bare feet touched the red rug under the bed, he couldn’t help but marvel on how soft it was.

“Where is this?”

Toshinori whispered as he walked up to the large glass panels showcasing the city. He looked over all the buildings before his eyes landed on the giant Ferris wheel in the distance, right beside the ocean. Toshinori didn’t know why, but that Ferris wheel feels oddly familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before…

Click

The sound of the doorknob turning jolted him out of thought. Toshinori spun around and was surprised to see two familiar boys walking in.

The pair also seemed surprised that he was awake. One gave a very faint smile while the other maintained his stoic face.

“You’re awake, grandpa.” The white-haired boy with unevenly cut hair said.

“Young Atsushi, young Ryuunosuke?” Toshinori smiled widely as he walked over to the two children that were the same age as his students.

“It has been a while, grandfather.” Ryuunosuke greeted politely with a slight bow.

“It certainly has.” Toshinori chuckled. With looking for a successor for One for All and everything else that followed, he couldn’t find the spare time to visit these two adoptive children of his sons. Even when he called, their talks were always brief and minimal. Truthfully, Toshinori never knew how to interact with these two young boys. In many ways, these two young boys were harder to talk to than his sons.

“How are you two? What school did you two enroll to?”

“We did not enroll to any schools.” Ryuunosuke replied, his face still holding that usual sternness.

“No school?” Toshinori frowned. “Is Da—I mean, are your dads still homeschooling you?”

If that was the case, then it wasn’t good. He had never liked Dazai and Chuuya’s decision to homeschool the kids, even if they did have exceptional talents and powerful Quirks. After all, they are youths! They should enjoy the joy of school and making friends!

“Ryuunosuke and I already have gotten our Hero licenses.” Atsushi replied. “During Dazai-san and Chuuya-san’s absence, we will be overseeing Yokohama as the new Double Black.”

“…Come again?” Toshinori blinked, barely able to process the words. “Heroes? But you’re both fifteen!”

“Dazai-san and Chuuya-san debuted at fifteen as well.” Ryuunosuke pointed out.

“Yes, but they’re different—wait, how did you even get the license without doing the test?!”

“Dazai-san and Chuuya-san took us to the government’s Hero department and they deemed us suitable to become Heroes.” Atsushi replied.

Toshinori froze as he remembered that something similar had happened in the past. When he was called over to hold a congratulation ceremony for his sons…half of the room looked like they were about to tear up, and it wasn’t with joy.

What have you done, my sons? Toshinori wanted to weep. He wondered just what in the world happened for the Japanese government to approve of underage Heroes not once but twice.

“Wait…overseeing Yokohama?” Toshinori whirled around to stare at that Ferris wheel. That was why it looked so familiar! Wasn’t that Ferries Wheel the same one in Yokohama?!

“Then I’m in…Yokohama?!” Toshinori all but shouted and turned back to his grandsons. “How long was I out for?! I need to go back, I can’t be here!”

“You shouldn’t move so much,” Atsushi advised. “You’ve been asleep for three days. Your body is still healing from—”

Toshinori stopped listening from then on.

Three days?

He had been asleep for three days?!

“Then today’s Monday?!” He shouted, unable to believe he slept for this long. How?! Why?! “I have a class to teach, I can’t—”

“There is no need to concern yourself over such an insignificant matter.” Ryuunosuke said as he activated Rashomon, blocking Toshinori when the elder tried to walk around him.

“Dazai-san and Chuuya-san have filed your vacation form for you.”

“They what?!”

Atsushi kindly handed him a paper. Toshinori quickly took it from the boy’s hand, eyes widening in disbelief at what he was seeing. This was the U.A employee vacation form with his signature on it! But he never recalled sighing anything like this! And more importantly, he had taken three months off?!

“Where are Dazai and Chuuya?!” Toshinori shouted only to break into small coughs.

“They are taking your place in teaching at U.A during your break.” Atsushi replied.

Toshinori stared at the white-haired boy, then shifted his gaze to the black-haired one.

Blood splattered out of his opened mouth before he tipped backwards and fell onto his back. He seemed to struggle a bit before his limbs gone completely slack.

The two boys just observed their grandfather lying on the finely polished wooden floor. As if waiting for this moment, men and women dressed like doctors rushed into the room, preparing all sorts of equipment as they carried Toshinori back to the bed.

The two boys walked out without another word and into the long hallway of the Port Mafia headquarter.

“Heroes…huh?” Atsushi mumbled, looking out the window that made up one wall of the hallway. “Even though I knew this day is coming, it still feels surreal.”

Ryuunosuke walked beside Atsushi, hands tucked in his pockets as he too looked out at the city that was so familiar yet foreign at the same time. But at the least, some things never changed.

“We will begin patrol at sunset.” He announced. “We must uphold the name to gain the civilian’s trust.”

“That’s true.” Atsushi smiled, pulling out a phone from his pocket to see the news about the appearance of Double Black still trending. “Now that the Villains know that Dazai-san and Chuuya-san are away, there’s no doubt that they will make moves in Yokohama.”

He put his phone away before turning to Akutagawa. “You looked more relaxed now that Dazai-san’s gone. Do you still hate him?”

“No,” Akutagawa said curtly. “My grudges against him were gone the moment he died back then.”

Atsushi smiled a little, as if glad. “Remember that we need to keep the Villains alive.”

“Naturally.” Ryuunosuke looked at Atsushi, a little irritated that the other would remind him of this. “You do well to remember too, White Reaper.”

“I know.” Heterochromatic eyes gazed out at the lively city.

It was time to introduce the world to the new Double Black.

▬▭▬ ▬▭▬ ✦✧✦ ▬▭▬ ▬▭▬

“So there you have it!” Dazai announced, standing in front of a group of dumbfounded kids. “For the next three months, the two of us will be personally training you. All of your other courses will be postponed during this time.”

“I-it’s Double Black…it’s really Double Black!!” Midoriya looked like he was going to hyperventilate at any moment. How could he possibly keep calm when the most mysterious Heroes of all time were standing right in front of him?!

“S-sensei?” Yaoyorozu raised her hand hesitantly, unsure if that was the right way to call out to them.

“Ah, just Dazai is fine.” Dazai waved before gesturing to his partner. “And you can call him Chibi.”

BAM

The teacher’s table completely shattered under the pressure of the petit man’s palm. The sight startled the entire class. Their faces turned white as ghosts and Yaoyorozu looked like she was greatly regretting her decision to speak up.

“Just call me Chuuya.” Chuuya growled.

Never had the class nodded so fast in their entire lives.

“Don’t scare them, Chuuya~” Dazai sang. Despite saying that, he seemed to be enjoying the students’ reactions. “Look at them, they’re so scared that they can’t even talk now.”

“WHO THE HELL’S SCARED?!” Bakugou shouted, but was ignored as Dazai looked back to Yaoyorozu.

“Go ahead.” He said.

“Ah, yes…” Yaoyorozu hesitated, but still asked the question that’s been on the entire world’s mind. “Are you two really All Might’s…?”

“We’re his sons.” Dazai confirmed, purposely omitting the word adopted.

Despite already hearing this last Friday and every single news talking about it throughout the weekend, they were still shocked. After all, who wouldn’t?! The world’s No.1 Hero, the Symbol of Peace, had sons!! And these sons were none other than the famous duo Heroes, Double Black! The one that achieved in creating a city with zero crime rate!

“And if you must know, Chuuya and I got two lovely boys, which means your All Might-sensei is a grandfather~” Dazai beamed, dropping another bomb and these students’ jaws broke through the ground.

“WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!”

“Alright, enough chit chat!” Chuuya interrupted before anyone could voice their questions. Go change into your training uniforms and gather outside in the field behind the school in fifteen minutes! Anyone who is late will be punished!”

Then, the man turned and walked away, the chains binding his left arm dragging his partner with him. Although they didn’t know what was going on, no one dared to defy the feisty redhead. They hurried into the change room and changed into their school training uniforms. Fifteen minutes later when the students arrived at the field, their jaws dropped at the sight of a helicopter there.

No, that wasn’t even a helicopter! That’s a freaking military transport aircraft!

“Quit dawdling on your feet and get in!” Chuuya snapped out orders from the plane’s open hatch.

Class 1-A looked at one another before they walked over and entered the plane one by one. However, before entering the shorter half of Double Black would stop them to put a weird digital watch around their wrists.

“It’s to check your heart rates.” Dazai said helpfully beside his partner who continued to put these watches on them one by one.

No one thought anything more of it.

Once they were all inside, the hatch closed but none of them even noticed as they were too busy admiring the interior.

“Alright kids, grab and seat and buckle your seatbelts.” Dazai hummed as he and Chuuya walked through the kids.

“We’ll be taking off in one minute, hurry and sit down!” Chuuya repeated his partner’s words firmly.

The kids quickly found a seat for themselves and buckled their belts like the good children they were. After exactly one minute, the engine of the plane roared into life and there came the unpleasant sensation of being pulled off the ground.

Chuuya and Dazai just stood there, neither of them seemed to be affected as they stood over the pilot and watched them take off.

“Sen—Dazai-san! Where are we going?” Iida asked from all the way back.

“You’ll see,” Dazai only gave them a meaningful smile.

The flight was around forty minutes long. Not being able to see anything from where they sat, the kids had no idea where they were going. However, since the two men were Heroes hired by U.A, they knew nothing bad would happen to them. They just chattered quietly about their new teachers and the exploding news of their idol’s private life when Chuuya and Dazai suddenly walked back to them.

All of them instantly clamped their mouths shut and gave the two new teachers their full attention. After all, this was Double black!

“Now, let’s begin today’s first lesson,” Dazai said as he stepped forward to draw everyone’s attention to him. “What would happen if someone without any safety equipment falls from fifteen-thousand feet onto solid ground.”

“They die of course.” Kaminari answered without any hesitation. After all, what else but death awaits someone dropping from that kind of height?

“Wrong. There still is a very slim chance of survival if you angle your body just right to protect your upper body from the impact.” Dazai corrected. As he said that, the floor beneath their feet began to pull apart right from the center as a bright beam of light covered everything in sight.

“Gah! My eyes!”

“What is that?!”

“The floor’s moving!”

Gasps and shouts echoed throughout the plane as the floor fully pulled apart, revealing nothing but blue beneath them.

“We’re flying over the ocean?!” Uraraka spoke with a mixture of awe and fright. She nervously stared at her feet that were dangling over nothing. Although it may be rude, she still pulled her legs onto her seat, much like many of her classmates.

“Now then, next question,” Dazai continued lightheartedly, as if not noticing the teenagers’ panic. “If someone without any safety equipment falls from fifteen-thousand feet into the ocean, what would happen?”

No one answered this time.

The moment Dazai asked this, all the kids were staring at him in disbelief and horror.

“The right answer is, you will die for certain. Your bone will shatter the moment you hit the water, as falling from such height will be no different than falling onto concrete. Even if you manage to survive the impact, you will be swallowed by the ocean and drown. Isn’t that wonderful?”

“…Eh?” Midoriya blinked before his eyes slowly widened as the realization of their situation hit him hard.

“From a drop this height, it will take about a minute for you to reach the ocean. Keep in mind that this is neither U.A nor private property. The law of Quirk usage applies to all of you~”

“In other words, if any of you use Quirks, I will pummel you, got that?” Chuuya clarified. “Now off you go!”

“Wait, Dazai-san! Chuuya-saAAAAAAN?!!!!” Midoriya cried as the chair seat beneath him suddenly disappeared. His seatbelt also failed to work and just like that, he was freefalling from the sky with the rest of their classmates.

Everyone was screaming and crying for their lives as the carrier plane became smaller and smaller.

“I DON’T WANNA DIE!!!” Kaminari sobbed.

“GERO!” Asui croaked.

“SAUVE-MOI!!” Aoyama screeched.

“THIS ISN’T REAL! THIS ISN’T REAL, RIGHT?!” Hagakure shrieked.

“KYAAAA!!!” The usually quiet Koda was pale and screaming off the top of his lungs.

“E-E-E-EVERYONE!!! C-CALM D-D-DOWN!” Iida yelled despite panicking as well. “I’M S-S-SURE THE TEACHERS WILL SAVE US!!”

“Y-Yes!” Yaoyorozu choked out. “S-surely they wouldn't…!”

“WE’RE REACHING THE BOTTOM!” Uraraka notified them.

“A-ARE WE SERIOUSLY NOT GOING TO USE QUIRKS?!” Sero shouted.

“B-BUT THEY SAID THEY’LL BEAT US IF WE DO!” Kirishima shot back.

“FUCK! WOULD YOU STOP SCREAMING IN MY EARS?!” Bakugou roared, pushing away a screaming Mineta who had stuck to him like glue. This goes to show how desperate the little pervert was to survive.

“WE’RE NEARING THE GROUND—I MEAN WATER!” Sato shouted.

“AAAAAAH!” Ashido shut her eyes and braced herself, unable to watch.

Midoriya gritted his teeth and put his arms over his head.

Just split seconds before they reach the water, they stopped.

The wind was no longer roaring into their ears and smacking against their bodies.

It was as if time had suddenly stopped. All they could hear were their own heavy breathing and their intense heartbeat. When the class looked to one another, they saw their classmates suspended in midair with a layer of crimson light covering their body.

“This is…Quirk?” Midoriya whispered. Before he was given time to figure what this power was, the light disappeared and all of them were mercilessly dropped into the water.

Clap Clap Clap

When the students swam back to the surface, the first thing they heard was the sound of slow claps.

Midoriya turned to the source of the sound and was shocked by the sight of a motor yacht right beside them! They were all too preoccupied with the fear of dying that none of them noticed this luxury boat.

On the deck of the yacht were Double Black. Dazai was leaning his elbows on the steel railing, clapping his hand while his partner sat on the railing right next to him, swirling a cup of wine in his hand.

“How?!” Uraraka gasped at the sight of the two men. She looked up at the plane still in the sky, then back down to the duo Heroes.

“I wonder,” Dazai replied with a mischief smirk. “Though if you have time to be stunned, I would hurry and swim.”

“What do you mean?” Yaoyorozu asked.

“Well, it’s now 11:32 am. The sun will set in around eight hours. You are to reach the shore without the use of your Quirks before sunset. Anyone who fails to do so will receive punishment~”

“Wait, what?” Tokoyami couldn’t help but ask. What did this man say?

“Sensei!” Iida raised his hand.

“Dazai is fine.” Dazai waved to the class president.

“You don’t mean that we’ll have to swim to shore within eight hours?!” Iida yelled in disbelief.

“Yep, that is exactly what I mean!” Dazai clapped while his partner took a sip of his wine.

The kids stared at them for a bit longer. When the news finally registered in their brains, they immediately burst out into an uproar.

“WHAT?!!”

“THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE!!”

“THERE’S NO WAY!!!”

The two adults listened to the complaints for a couple of minutes before Chuuya finally spared them a glance.

“If you have time to complain, then hurry and get your ass moving.”

“But that’s just impossible!” Ashido shouted. “We’ll die from exhaustion before we get to the shore! I don’t even know where the shore is!”

“It’s over there, is it not?” Dazai helpfully pointed towards the direction of the shore. Everyone followed his finger and saw the city in the far, far distant. So far that they can’t even make out the outline of the city.

“This is crazy!” Sero complained. “No one can swim that far!”

“Even when you’re going to die?” Chuuya asked.

“We’ll die?!” Kaminari gaped.

Seeing the group still not getting it, Chuuya jabbed his thumb to the other end of the yacht.

Everyone cranked their head around. When they looked over the other side of the boat, they saw some men dressed in black suits holding a large hose that was ejecting crimson fluid into the sea.

“W-what’s that?” Hagakure questioned with a shaky voice. They all had a really bad feeling about this.

Midoriya squinted his eyes, swearing he saw something mixed in the chunky red fluid. Were those...fish parts? And bones?

“Well…” Dazai drummed his fingers along the railing. “Fish, chickens, cows, pigs, all kinds of meat mixed in together.”

“Eh?”

As the students stared at the two Heroes with eyes wide in disbelief. Before any of them could open their mouths to ask, they all heard a sharp yelp.

“Who pushed me?” Mineta asked, looking around the water before letting out another startled noise.

“M-Mineta-kun!” Midoriya frantically shouted Mineta’s name while the others slowly swam away from the boy.

“Mineta-chan, calm down!” Asui immediately followed up.

“Don’t move, Mineta-kun!” Iida shouted.

Seeing the pale faces of his classmates, Mineta stopped flapping around in the water. Although their expressions varied, all of them had fear in their eyes as they stared at Mineta.

Mineta suddenly got a very bad feeling and he slowly turned only his head around. He came face to face with a gray dorsal fin sticking out of the water surface.

At the same time, similar-looking fins slowly glided through the group as something in the water brushed by their bodies, sending chills down their spines.

“S-SHARKS!!!!!!!”

The entire class screamed, their current situation finally sinking into their brains. They started flapping their arms and kicking their legs to swim away.

“Are they stupid?” Chuuya watched the children jumping around the water like sardines. “They seriously thought these reef sharks would attack them?”

“It’s always human nature to fear nature’s predators.” Dazai chuckled. “Even back in our time, sharks, in general, had been used to instil fear into people from getting into the water. They naturally grouped all sharks together and wouldn’t bother to learn which ones attack them and which one doesn’t.”

Chuuya stared at the reef sharks gobbling up the meat. Though there were two curious ones swimming after the kids, probably trying to figure out what they were. That of course, earned more screams as the kids swam faster.

“They’re going to exhaust themselves within thirty minutes.” The redhead stated dryly. The look in his blue eyes showed that he was anything but impressed.

“Then it’s a good thing we planned ahead.” Dazai snapped his fingers. A woman in black suits came up to them with her hands folded behind her back, ready to receive orders.

“Release the first great white in thirty minutes.”

“Yes sir.” The woman bowed before she hurried off to relay the order.

Dazai picked up the bottle of wine on the stand beside them, refilling Chuuya’s glass before his own.

“We should do this more often.”

“Terrorizing kids?” The redhead arched a brow to his partner.

“Taking a vacation,” Dazai corrected.

Chuuya couldn’t help but smile and sipped his wine. Well, he couldn’t deny that he was having a good time. They never had the luxury of being so laid back when training their own sons. Or rather, being laid back was never an option when facing off against those two brats.

That and the work both of them had to do.

Since they were running a Hero agency and a trading company side-by-side, free time was scarce. After the painstaking years of rebuilding everything from scratch, they finally had the opportunity to take a short, well-deserved break.

“What are we doing tomorrow?” Chuuya asked curiously as he looked up to his partner.

“How does three nights at a private hot spring with a full view of Mt. Fuji sound?” Dazai asked.

Chuuya turned to the brunet and lifted his wine.

Their glass gently clinked together, creating a melodic sound in the air.

“Not bad at all.”

As for what Class 1-A will experience on Mt. Fuji for those three nights…that will be another story.

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[emetophobiahelp]

The Sopranos

Masterlist of warnings below the cut

Season 1 S1E1: In a chase scene with Tony and Christopher, you see Tony chasing a guy down with Christopher and Christopher bending over, presumably sick, though only the posture is visible (and nothing heard) S1E5: Mentions throughout of Meadow feeling n* from drinks but nothing seen or heard. After mentioning AJ would be sleeping over with a friend, Father Phil goes to the restroom and v*. Audio only. S1E7: The kids break in and drink wine. During basketball, one of the kids holds their stomach and runs off camera g* to v*. Audio only. S1E8: When digging up the body Georgie says he’s going to p* then runs off to do it. Audio only, you do see him in the background hunched over with nothing visual aside from posture. S1E12 After someone blocking an assassination attempt goes into a donut shop and walks back out, it abruptly cuts to a visual and audio scene of Junior v* from the backseat of a car. Season 2 S2E3: Walking into the kitchen at the beginning to collect Meadow there’s a girl on the floor v* into a trashcan. Audio only, heard before you see her. Mute when he walks into the house if sound is triggering. Audio continues until scene changes to Tony in the car. When Janice gets the mail and walks inside the home later, it pans to v* on the walls and floor from the party. Safe to look when you hear the door shut as she leaves. Later on you see Meadow cleaning the mess (only soap on the floor) and g*/coughing as she does so. S2E13: All scenes are audio only. Tony clutches his stomach after a bad dream and rushes to the bathroom to v*. You do see him moving to bend over the toilet. Second time is waking up after the threat of being made to eat something. You see him rushing from the bed and hear v* offscreen. Third time is when Artie goes upstairs to talk with Tony. You see him rush from the bed to the bathroom and v*. He does crawl off the bed at one point to be sick again with them helping walk him. Though he coughs and sputters it ends before anythingi s heard. At Pussy’s place Tony grabs his stomach and rushes to the bathroom but there’s no audio. When Tony goes back up to the top of the boat where Sylvio is, he sees Sylvio clutching his stomach by the back of the boat. Mentions n* but nothing happens. If d* is a trigger be advised that every time he v* he also has gas and it’s a frequent sound effect during all the dreams. Season 3 S3E5: Possible Trigger. Bobby Sr. has lung cancer and does deep, hacking coughs, occasionally with blood. Off and on throughout his scenes. S3E7: After Paulie tells Tony nothing will happen once Adriana and Chris are married, he holds his hands up in defeat and he and Tony walk offscreen. It immediately cuts to Junior being pulled back from over the toilet with a gasp. At the end of the scene Junior says batter up and is carried back offscreen to v* again. You hear audio as it shows Tony but nothing is seen. Season 4 S4E2: After telling Adrianna she could be in trouble for bringing someone to family dinner with Tony, mute or look away for the next 15 seconds. She will say “oh my god” and immediately v* (very graphic audio and visual). V* remains on surfaces until the scene ends. Safe when the scene changes to the doorbell ringing and only missed dialogue is calling for a wastebasket. S4E6: There’s a scene transition from Artie to a far away shot of Chris and someone else (Eddie). As soon as it closes in and the music has started, Eddie leans forward from the front of the toilet and begins v* for the next seven seconds. Audio and visual. Safe visual when it shows Christopher looking in the mirror with some background coughing. S4E9: Tony gets into a fight in the kitchen. When it’s over, he g*, covers his face with his arm, g* again and v* brielfy (audio and visual) before going half offscreen to v* in a kitchen sink (you see his back half only). Safe when you hear the water running. S4E12: You get a few seconds of warning. Tony apologizes for the mess in the limousine (implied only) and Furio mentions how Brian v*. He’s helped to the helicopter and as he walks towards the camera he bends forward and v*. Full visual, very light audio. Safe when Tony calls him “old faithful.” Unsafe again when Tony yells something while urinating with Furio. Furio looks at the spinning rotor and then back to see Brian once again v* repeatedly by the copter. Again slight audio, full visual, about three seconds. Season 5 S5E1: Slight choking during lunch at a golf club as someone suffers a stroke. Person is hit with a brick and collapses, seizing for a long time until they are ultimately killed. There are choking noises during the seizure that might be distressing. S5E4: After a friend says “where’s the patient” it cuts to someone passed out with v* visible on the toilet. S5E5: A running theme of this episode is Adriana developing and being diagnosed with IBS. Nothing explicit seen or heard but frequent mentions/scenes of her being distressed and people discussing her having d*. S5E9: A joke during work on the construction site doesn’t go over well, prompting Finn to look visibly n*. Cuts away before anything is shown, but cuts back to Felicia over him as he’s bent over, again visibly looking n*. There’s a final shot close up on them but again, nothing explicitly shown. S5E11: A scene at the therapists leads to a joke about the Honeymooners (One of these days Alice). Tony spits out a mouthful of water in amusement. Tony tries to shoot a coach in the dream and makes some potentially triggering sounds as the bullets melt. Season 6 S6E1: Opening scene: In the car Agent Harris starts coughing and they pull over. Car door opens and he leans out to v*, audio and visual. When Barbara calls Tony about needing to leave Junior, after Tony tells her “go, go” it cuts back to Barbara and Junior v* in the background. Audio until it cuts back to Tony, Junior has a handkerchief so no real visual. S6E2: Scene change from helicopter lights bearing down to someone on a hospital bed pulling their breathing tube out in confusion, making several g* noises as they do so. Can be triggering. S6E4: Talking to Paulie, Tony v*. Audio and visual. There’s little warning so when Paulie says he’s “just repeating what Phil told him,” mute and/or look away. You miss Tony saying that they better understand their obligation (he v* on himself almost immediately after saying obligation). S6E5: Episode ending with very slight spoilers. Tony fights with Perry and leaves him on the floor. You only miss him smiling so I’d strongly advise ending the episode after you see Perry on the floor. If you want details: When it cuts from Perry to Tony in the bathroom, he rushes to the front of the screen and v* graphically and with audio into the toilet. Wiki says it’s blood and while I partially agree, there’s more than blood so be warned. There’s an overhead audio as he continues, he moves back to the sink to wash up and smile at himself before moving back to the same front view as he runs back and v* all over again, the episode ending to the sounds of him continuing to v*. S6E8: Tony picks up AJ (you’ll know the scene) and AJ v* almost immediately after Tony says, “you gotta grow up, you’re not a kid anymore. You gotta grow up.” Audio and visual for the next twenty seconds. Look away after he says you’re not a kid anymore because it’s a very quick cut from his last line to v*. S6E9: Chris discusses business in the car with Corky. Audio cues work better for this one. The conversation lulls and music takes over: “Sometimes I think about Saturday’s child And all about the times when we were running wild I’ve been out searching for the dolphins in the sea” When the “I’ve been searching” line starts it will pan to the back of Chris’ car and then around to the driver’s side where he has his head hanging out, v* a moment later before the line finishes being sung. Visual and audio despite the music. Safe ten seconds later. S6E12: Julianna crawls away from the couch where she’d been cuddling with her lover and towards the camera to grab a small trash can and v* into it. Dark lighting so slight visual, light audio. Audio is over once the scene changes. S6E18: A wreck happens and when the passenger moves around to break the window and help the driver, the driver v*/coughs blood (only) a few times. The driver chokes and makes distressing noises with all the blood. There’s very little warning on the next instance. Tony takes peyote with a friend and continues on with the person. I give it 20 seconds before you need to mute and/or look away. As soon as light flashes indicating a scene change Tony is going into a bathroom and v* graphically and with audio. From the moment he takes the peyote and the bottle hits the table with a clunk you can safely skip the next minute and miss it. It’s safe again when he’s sitting back and looking up at the light. S6E21: A woman cries out in surprise and abandons her car (with two babies inside). The car starts to move on its own and runs over someone - almost immediately after, it cuts from a crowd to someone shouting, “oh shit!” and then back to the crowd where a person leans over and v* with audio and visual.