#her in the tank is giving Lara Croft I can see why they changed it I think

[messrmoonyy]

Thinking about concept art Tess on this fine morning

[whatusernamex3000]

Kacxa Week 2019 Day 6: Free Day - Halloween

Just your typical Halloween fluff. Lots of ships! All aboard!!!!

..

.

"Hey Acxa have you seen my Paladin suit?"

From down the hall he hears her shout, "uhhh no." He swore under his breath as he dug through all his clothes. "But you're not seriously going to wear your Paladin suit for Halloween. That's just dumb," Acxa added as she walked into the room.

Keith eyed her suspiciously. "Fine. I'll just wear my blade suit." Suddenly the back of his head was hit by a balled up shirt.

"Absolutely not. You will not be wearing your work clothes to my first ever Halloween party."

He playfully rolled his eyes. "you're the boss," he said, pulling her in for a kiss. He was so relieved that he was finally as tall as her. Three years into their relationship.

"Damn straight. Now you better figure out what you're going to be." Acxa booped his nose before heading off to the bathroom to shower.

"Well what about you? You shot down the couple's costume idea I wanted us," he pouted.

"Well I'm sorry that I don't know what the point of dressing up as salt and pepper would be," she teased before closing the door and starting the shower. "Now remember I'm going to meet Romelle so you can go ahead and help the McClain's and Holt's with party decorations."

"Yeah alright." He yelled through the door.

"And get a better costume!"

So Keith found himself alone, buying a 12 pack of beer and a cheap Halloween vampire kit. He'll be Dracula, and Acxa would think it's incredible because she'd have no idea what the hell he was. But hey, it was better than nothing. The costume kit came with cheap plastic teeth, a cape, and fake blood, it was perfect for what Keith was going for. And for $10 how could he say no.

When he returned, Acxa was gone. He assumed she went to Romelle's like she said she was going to. So Keith quickly changed into his cheap Dracula costume and headed to Lance and Katie's house.

He was pleasantly greeted by a very enthusiastic Mario. "Keith! You're here early!" Pidge exclaimed, pulling him into a hug. "It's been too quiznacking long. I've missed you."

Keith smiled as he returned her hug, it had been a little over a year since he had seen her. "I've missed you too Pidge."

"Easy there mullet. Don't get to clingy with my lady," Luigi shouted at him jokingly.

Keith glared Lance down and lifted Pidge into the air and spun her around. He and Pidge always had a special relationship, being that they knew each other far before Voltron. "Okay, okay, you can put me down Keith. Lance is going to pop a blood vessel," she teased. He obliged and set her down beside Lance.

Smirking, Keith greeted Lance with a quick "bro hug" before giving him a hard time about Pidge. "She's really grown up hasn't she?"

Despite the fake, overly large mustache, Keith could still see Lance blush. The two have been living together since they stopped being Paladins. Everyone had a bet as to when they were finally going to stop pussyfooting around each other and date.

It's been nearly five years since Allura's sacrifice, and things finally felt normal. Or as normal as their lives could be.

Suddenly Keith was tackled by Wario. "Keith buddy!"

As much as he pretended to be annoyed, he loved Hunk's hugs. "Good to see you too bud." Hunk put him down and eyed his outfit.

"Dracula huh? Not too bad."

"Yeah, you're really not giving up on the whole "goth loner" schtick any time soon huh?" Lance teased causing Keith to shoot him a death glare.

Pidge was laughing uncontrollably. "Leave him alone Lance. I think he makes a very nice shitty Dracula."

Keith missed this.

Slowly every single one of his good friends had shown up accept for Acxa and Romelle.

Shiro and Adam showed up as Tarzan and Jane, or in their case, Tarzan and Jenson.

Shay showed up as Belle from Beauty and the Beast. She was a little bit peeved at Hunk for not being her beast. Keith wished he didn't hear Hunk promise to show her his inner beast later.

Matt and Nyma were Jack Skelilngton and Sally.

Veronica and the MFE pilots were the power rangers.

A few more rebels and blades showed up. Sam and Colleen Holt even showed showed up. Sam was dressed in a suit that was covered in clocks, while Colleen was in a green dress covered with leaves, sticks, and flowers. Claiming to be father time and mother nature respectively.

Ezor and Zethrid showed up dressed as Captain Hook and Peter Pan. It was cute because when they showed up everyone asked Ezor why she wasn't captain Hook. She already had the eye patch. So within minutes of showing up, the two vanished and returned with each other's costumes on. Hence Ezor in a pirate outfit that was one size too big, and Zethrid in a Peter Pan outfit one size too small. Adorable.

An hour into the party, and he hadn't seen his girlfriend or his pseudo sister. Keith didn't know how or why, but he was always somehow surrounded by amazing women. Allura, Pidge, Acxa, Romelle, Ezor, Zethrid, his mom, Colleen, Nyma, and dozens of other blades and rebels that he's come across.

He was alone at the kitchen counter talking to a girl that just joined the blades, Aria. She was telling him about her life and how her parents kicked her out because she was gay. For most of her adolescence she was homeless until now. The Blades gave her a home and she thanked him. He only just met this young Galra girl, but he vowed that if anything happened to her, he would kill everyone in the room then himself. Eventually, he ended up being about five or six beers deep when he heard all his close friends laughing.

Aria also seemed to notice the growing laughter as both of them made their way to the dining room, aka the dance floor. His friends parted for him and his jaw dropped at the sight, his fake teeth almost falling out.

Acxa had finally arrived. She had dyed her hair jet black. She had given herself a black scar on her right cheek. But most importantly she was dressed in his Paladin armour, carrying around a stuffed black panther. Apparently there were no black lions available.

She noticed his stupid face. "You like?"

He closed his mouth and checked her out. She was supposed to be him, yet he doubted he ever looked that good. "Oh you're so dead," he teased before giving chase. Acxa squealed with glee as he chased her. Eventually he finally caught her as Aria may or may not have gotten in her way by accident.

He brought the two of them to the bar and made introductions as he made his girlfriend and new friend a drink. "... So I'm just really thankful for the opportunity to have a place." He heard Aria say as he returned with their drinks.

"So… where's Romelle?" He was asking when a blade in uniform walked passed. Keith shot Acxa a glance mouthing "not fair" causing her to just laugh. The blade he was checking out ended up being tackled by Kosmo.

His eyes widened. He had no idea how Kosmo got here. Keith made his way to the blade that was being mauled, and for the second time his jaw nearly hit the floor. "Romelle?"

The blonde altean was giggling uncontrollably as Kosmo licked her face. "Oh heya Keith."

Kosmo stopped his attack and allowed Romelle to stand up. Acxa was suddenly by his side with a handkerchief, handing it to Romelle. He turned and gave his girlfriend another death glare. "I guess that's why I couldn't find my blade uniform either."

Romelle answered since Acxa pretended not to hear him and take a sip of her drink. "You'd be correct," she teased. "So what do ya think?" She asked doing a quick twirl. Keith could've sworn he heard Aria gasp slightly.

He took his chance to check her out as she spun. For being his blade uniform, he was shocked by how it highlighted her curves. Despite her being basically his sister, he had to admit that she looked hot. And he could tell he wasn't the only one that thought so as he caught Aria blushing. "Hey Romelle have you met Aria? She just recently joined the Blades."

Romelle stopped her twirling and introduced herself, claiming that she wasn't a blade jus stealing his uniform. But it did give him the idea to maybe start allowing non-galra to join. "I love your outfit. What is it?"

"Oh," Aria said looking down at her outfit realizing just how much skin she was showing. She had on hiking boots, a grappler, skimpy hiking shorts, fake bandages wrapped around her arm and thigh, and a tank top which helped show off her… assets. "well… it's one of my favorite female warriors in Terran fiction, Lara Croft: The Tomb Raider."

"I don't think I've heard of her, but I bet she's hot," and Keith caught her whisper, "like you."

The four of them sat around and drank before Acxa vanished to converse, or most likely make fun of Ezor and Zethrid.

Keith was explaining to Aria about how her and Romelle met when two fist slammed on the table interrupting them. He looked up to see his girlfriend. "You owe me twenty bucks."

He raised a single eyebrow, "uhhh why?"

"Cus unless I'm mistaken," she stepped aside to show what she was talking about. "Mario and Luigi are making out."

"Finally!" Romelle shouted causing Aria to look at all three of them with a confused look.

Keith gave her a reassuring look, "It's a long story."

[positivelyamazonian]

Not to question your preferences but isn't Legend was tr1's vision but made in 'updated' tech? You did heavily criticized the game for it's outfits & hypocrisy from the devs. Is there anything you find in legend similar to tr1? Like Lara's character for example. I thought legend was what they were going for in tr1 but more 'out there'. trU felt more closer to tr2&3's Lara imo & the less I say about anni the better. Aside from the pr abomination, you think CD did a gj with Lara's portrayal?

I’ve answered before when being asked about my opinion on LAU’s trilogy - I just can’t find the ask now, but it should show up eventually in the “my answers” tag - and why Legend is the one I most dislike from that trilogy; in fact, I’d say it’s the TR I most dislike ever. I don’t see the resemblance with TR1; if at all, Crystal was trying to go for TR1 resonances when making Anniversary… which they upright stole from Core Design’s, btw. But Legend? I can’t really see the similarity at all.

Just to summarize what I’ve said before, in other asks, for me Legend is an abomination and so it’s their Lara’s portrayal - which is not Lara but actually LAUra to me, they are different characters. But I guess you don’t want to hear again about changed bio, canon divergences, mommy issues and so. You ask me about the rest. Will try to syntethize it.

Even if I forget LAUra is just raiding tombs to find her disappeared mother and has deep family issues, a big amnesia concerning everything that has happened to her before - since she’s been rewritten, revamped, rebooted and erased of all her character arc in Core’s era - I still think Crystal did a very poor job with her portrayal. Crystal Dynamics’ version of Lara is James Bond-esque. She looks and acts more like a secret agent or an action soldier than a tomb raider, or a pseudo-archaeologist, which was her real nature.

She has forgotten her politeness and delicacy to act towards her enemies with rudeness and passive-aggressiveness, justified with her damaged soul because she lost her mom and needs to find her. Her lines and dialogues are very cliché, she just throws narcissistic and pre-cooked sentences that sound very inflated (”every breath of yours is gonna be a gift from me”, “repeat that thing again when you were begging for your life”. “this is a tomb I’m gonna make them feel at home”) that are good for a bombastic Hollywood blockbuster but don’t portray the real spirit of Lara, who talked little but very effectively. LAUra is all jabbing and jabbing. She just says things to see the effect they cause, but are void of any meaning.

Furthermore, LAUra has no moral guidelines. She uses the artefacts she finds as weapons against her enemies, something that Classic Lara would have never done. She’s just focused on the goal, which is to find her mother, and releases very dangerous powers on her enemies just to crush them if it suits her. Classic Lara never used an artefact in this sense. In fact, all the Tomb Raider arc was based in taking ancient artefacts to be stored away from power hungry and genocidal sociopaths because they’re too dangerous to be handled. LAUra uses the Excalibur sword mercilessly against soldiers only armed with mere firearms, not on equal footing. And does it again in Underworld when assessing herself the right to handle Thor’s belt, gloves and hammer. Which is directly immoral and a barrier Classic Lara never dared to cross.

When Crystal Dynamics portrayed LAUra in the LAU trilogy they were only wanting to appeal to the crowd fans’ mass who only had a superficial grasp of the character, and contented themselves with viewing a supposed Tomb Raider who in fact managed herself more than a villain, or a James Bond, and of course based more their work in the movies than in the classic games.

The movies should not be considered canon since the directors never played a real Tomb Raider and only elaborated about the idea they had of Lara. Same with the comic series artists and writers. And to these people who never bothered to play a real Tomb Raider, turned Crystal Dynamics to when elaborating LAUra and LAU trilogy. Of course, they had never cared for Core Design’s canon in the first place, so why bother to do so.

There you’ll have EXPLOSIONS!!!! And DEEP CLEAVAGES!!! AND LOUIS VUITTON PANTIEES!!! And very very snarky PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE REMARKS no one asked for because YOU ROCK!!! And interminable BATTLES with lots of ENEMIES and eternal BOSS FIGHTS with talking bosses and inconsistent difficulty!!! AND A VERY EPIC SOUNDTRACK WITHOUT LARA’S THEME!!!! And now rescue your POC DAMSEL IN DISTRESS because you’re the hero and must save HERRR!! And KILL ALL THE GUYS!!! And now use the EXCALIBURRRRRR BECAUSE THEY STAND BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR MOMMA!!!! And now threaten your old friend but now villain enemy who doesn’t give a shit about your personal goals BECAUSE SHE HAS TO PAY!!! SOMEONE HAS TO PAY!!! MY MOTHER DISAPPEARED YOU OBVIOUSLY STOLE HER!!!! I’m gonna shoot and yell and threaten and go berserker in a mindless rampage because you want to know WHERE!!! IS!!! YOUR!!! MOTHEEEEEEEEERRRR!!!

But in the meantime you also need a high-tech specialist to guide you through the adventure and he’s constantly telling you what to do because you will get lost surely and a PhD lecturer to teach you about History and Archeology because you aparently have no idea about it. Welp.

Oh yes, she still wears pants and top, she still has dual pistols, she still uses medipacks, and vehicles, and raids tombs, sorta, because the puzzles are an insult to intelligence. Does that make her Lara again? For me it doesn’t. Lara Croft went of adventures because it was fun and had a very strict moral code about it. LAUra probably would have stabbed herself with the Dagger of Xian and become THE DRAGON!!!! And then DRACARYS!!!! Or use the meteorite artefacts to mutate herself and become A POWERFUL ABHORRENT BADASS MUTANT!!! Or stick Amulet of Horus in Seth’s face BECAUSE I AM GONNA BATTLE YOU ANYWAY AND KEEP THIS SHIT BECAUSE MINE!!! And of course, accept Karel’s offer in TRAOD as long as he can bring your Mom back.

I am sorry but context is everything. If Lara Croft is just a girl with shorts and tank and dual pistols, then anyone can do Lara Croft. The thing is that she was something else. And for that, I have not the least sympathy for this Hollywood-esque, James Bond female agent who is all the time looking too cool and too angry to mind anything but find the absent mother.

No, definitely I don’t see anything coming from Legend that reminds of TR1, or in LAUra that reminds me of Lara except some gadgets any character could have. Sorry for the rant, you asked. :)

[avalindin]

Analyzed for the better

Loki/Marvel fic

Chapter 10: Cold as Hell

_____

Previous Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

_____

*A/N: Slight trigger warning for violence ahead

The display of objects in front of them scattered from metals to wood and melted to shattered bits as Strange helped her ease her powers more. She lifted her hands and sent an empty mason jar flipping wildly through the air. She snapped her fist closed, turning the small glass jar into sand that piled to the floor. Cody wiped her forehead, dizzy as the doctor took notice.

“That’s enough for today. You’ll need to dial it back for the baby.”

There was a lump in her throat to stop her from being a smartass. She shook her head and drank as much water as she needed. She was still nobody but if she could control her powers to the point of no one having to look over their shoulders to her, she would do what was necessary.

 “Talk to me, Cody.”

“No. I just want to sleep.”

“There’s something else.”

“There’s always something.”

For the things she could control with her powers, she couldn’t find it in her to control her feelings as her lit tattoos gave her away. She pushed her white hair that fell from her ponytail back into place.

“Whatever you say. If you feel like growing balls and being honest, we’ll be here.”

Strange handed her another bottle of water as she choked it down as well.

“I’m no good here, Doctor. The world went to shit and I had no skill set before it did.”

“We all had to start somewhere.”

“I didn’t start anywhere.”

“Try me. I’m in no position to be judging anyone.”

He unwrapped the bandages at his hands and looked at the clock. The Captain would return for her and she needed to talk to someone. From what he had seen, Cody was under a constant spotlight since she almost lost her baby and even further when she was Loki were found in Stark Tower. She’d stopped seeing Dr. Suresh for the sake of protecting her and the little nephew that was persistent on visiting Cody and checking on her health. Steven admired the young boy and wished that Cody would find a positive emotion for once.

“Daddy left before I was born. I went to public school. Mom kicked me out at 16. I hitched it all the way to Vegas and danced until I got married to someone I thought loved me.”

“That’s it?”

“It doesn’t matter. I turned in one monster for another and they just keep on coming.”

“Can I give a spoiler?”

“What would spoil it?”

“I looked at an x-ray.”

“Yeah?”

“You’ve given birth before.”

She turned her eyes down as the glowing on her skin dulled.

“Yeah. It was a boy. Husband found out I was leaving. He kicked until I was down. I shot him and I… I don’t know. I couldn’t save it. People didn’t care how bruised and broken I was. They were going to leave me to rot.”

“Then the world went to shit.”

“And now I have people that want to care about me and I don’t know why.”

“We’re just looking out for the little guy.”

They turned to the sound of Steve’s voice in the doorway.

“Fuck,” Cody muttered under her breath.

Her return to normality ended with a roll of her eyes as she gathered her things. Strange helped her to her feet and noticed the bit of red around of the coils of the gold bangle. Two more months had gone and she was learning to control her powers beautifully but as she said before, there was always something.

“Hey. Maybe you should take off the bangle.”

“No. I don’t want to tempt anything.”

“Tomorrow. I’ll be here to make sure nothing happens. You’ve done well so far. We need to talk about your health.”

“I’ve been drinking Simmons’ tannis root drink.”

“Don’t try and get out of it. Tomorrow, hag!”

Cody smiled and flipped off Strange as Steve drummed his fingers.

“What? Got somewhere you need to be?”

“Ladies and gentlemen, she finally talks!”

“Damn. Here I thought that you were enjoying my silence.”

He kept his mouth closed and tried to keep his eyes from her fuller chest through her sweaty tank top. Steve didn’t dare look at her stomach. He swallowed the lump at the back of his throat and did what he could to steady his arm.

“Cody.”

He touched her arm for a second, not ensuring an ugly look as she stopped with him out of the way of the soldiers and scientists.

“What’s up?”

“I do have somewhere to be. Are you going to be alright?”

She was a bit stunned that he wasn’t going to be by her.

“Uh, yeah. Are you? Wouldn’t want to think that you’d be defenseless without me.”

Steve smiled and instantly felt like the kid from Brooklyn.

“Holy shit. Is that a smile? Did I just break the fucking mold with you?”

Steve blushed and turned in the other direction as attention was brought to him instead of her.

“Watch your mouth, Cody.”

“Virgin!”

His smile grew out of her what line of vision she would have seen. Cody turned in the direction of the café and ignored whomever she was sure was staring either at her or her belly. She straightened out her sweater to cover herself but with the clothes she was given, it was either the edge of her stomach or the tattoos on the top curves of her chest.

She stopped with an empty tray in her hand as she thought of Loki. She felt bad for not thinking of him for so long. Loki opened his eyes, feeling something, her and it made him smile. He closed them again and focused on Cody. The more time passed, the more he was able to think about many things, including Cody. Behind Strange’s back, Loki learned many things that Cody was unable to. Such things like astral projection.

His form turned and saw her motionless in the hungry sea of mortals. Nothing had changed about her with the exception of their baby in her womb and the Captain at her side. He stood in front of her, so close to caressing the side of her cheek. A strand of her ghastly white hair passed through his finger and made him draw back. Cody could feel a bit of warmth disappear from in front of her and it made her want to cry.

Stop it, she thought to herself, it’s only hormones.

Loki kissed her cheek and made her tattoo glow. Cody snapped from her daze and zipped her sweater, making Loki smile to the extent of his new powers. He turned, stopped by Strange’s glowing hand at his neck.

“Get back to the cell before I kill you myself.”

Loki gasped, shaken as he tumbled to the floor of his cell. He turned his head to Strange enchanting the outside of the cell. He left Loki without a word, no knowing that he was able to slip through a few cracks but he would be sure to tell Tony when he returned. Things were changing quickly and he would have to leave along with so many others.

Cody turned to put her tray back until she met Hoppy’s excited eyes.

“Lara!”

His arms wrapped around her legs, making her smile enough to hurt.

“Hoppy!”

She steadied herself and did what she could to hug him back.

“Where are you going? It’s lunch time!”

“I’m not sure.”

“You can’t leave. Auntie says you need to eat for the baby. The baby is taking calcium from your bones and if you don’t eat, you could snap like a twig.”

“Are you sure you’re five? You sound like a doctor.”

“I have a tutor and I told Auntie I wanted to be a doctor when I got older.”

“That’s amazing,” she beamed as Hoppy led her to the food, “Where is she?”

“Working. She said she would get me something to eat but I told her I would do it myself. I don’t think she heard me. Where’s the Captain?”

“The same but I’ll be fine on my own. You, however, are still a kid. You need to be careful.”

“I have you.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Beans, please.”

Cody helped him load their plates with food and made their way to finding available seating. She stomached what she could with some of the food tasting off.

“Are you alright, Lara?”

“It’s just different is all. The mashed potatoes are okay though.”

“Because of the baby?”

“Yeah, but it’s okay.”

“Yes, it is.”

Hoppy climbed on his chair and poured some of his milk into Cody’s cup to make sure she had more. Cody accepted her full cup back and sipped as Hoppy made sure she drank.

“Better?”

“Yes, milk is better than cheese.”

“Thank you, little Doctor Suresh.”

“You are welcome, Lara.”

“You know you can call me Cody, right?”

“They call you Cody. To me, you are special.”

“So, I’m still Lara Croft?”

“You might be Kali the destroyer. She is known from where my parents are from. I remember how you looked like the last time I saw you.”

Cody pushed the food around her plate and felt the faintest bit insecure. Sometimes children were brutally honest.

“Is that… bad?”

“Some people are scared of you. They don’t understand,” he shrugged as he started on his pudding.

“What don’t they understand?”

“Many think that Kali is scary. They only look that she is a destroyer, that she is covered in darkness.”

“Isn’t she?”

“Yes, but she destroys only to recreate. She destroys sin and many bad things. People say things about you, that you saw the devil and that’s why you look like a ghost. You’ve seen too much darkness in your life.”

Cody blushed as she tucked her white hair behind her ear.

“That’s not exactly wrong. What else?”

“Don’t know. She is strong and is pure. She has no form and full of potential, whatever that means.”

“You think I’m a scary looking Goddess?”

“I think you are my friend and if the Devil comes for you again, you will be the one to show his soul to Hell.”

“Thanks, Hoppy. He better pray that he never shows his face.”

“Because you will keep everyone safe?”

“Everyone, even you. I promise.”

He wiped his face and failed to hide his growing smile from Cody.

-

Loki ignored the tapping on the glass as he kept his eyes to the ceiling.

“Stop being such a bastard.”

He smiled to the sound of the male sorcerer that mentally trapped him in his cell.

“Haven’t you heard? Your claim would prove to be true.”

“Stop being a dick. We need to talk about the woman carrying your child.”

Loki calmly restrained himself to show the male doctor no emotion for him to play on.

“If it were not for my cock being in her…”

“Shut up. Don’t make it gross. How did you enter astral form?”

“Supreme sorcerer and you can’t answer me that? You are but a child. I have had decades to master the arts of your simple mystics.”

“She’s doing fine. Thank you for asking. If you are going to do that again, then she needs to know.”

“She will not wish to see me.”

“If you talk to her…”

“That was why I did it in the first place! She turned my promise to her, her ring to ashes and gave them back to me. If she does not wish for me then I will make sure she is watched over, her and my child.”

“The bangle is protecting her for now but whatever is haunting you is giving off a great amount of celestial energy. Care to explain?”

“It is well beyond your understanding.”

“That’s okay. Your daddy issues are just going to affect whatever relationship with your child.”

“As long as she is safe that is all that matters.”

Loki turned from him and sat with his feet crossed. Strange waved his hand, weakening the enchantments around the cell.

“Do your magic responsibly, Loki. Don’t make me come back.”

He waited until the doctor was well out of his earshot. Loki reclined back on his bed and focused on Cody. He felt himself raise from his body, now uninterested in how he looked down to himself and wandered the base to look out for Cody.

Cody sat in Dr. Suresh’s office, staying with a sleeping Hoppy as Mira returned.

“Oh my goodness,” she sighed as Cody moved from the chair.

“I wasn’t sure if they were going to give you my message. I couldn’t remember your extension.”

“No, no. That is alright. I’m glad he was with you.”

She stripped off her jacket and covered Hoppy. Cody looked down to Hoppy’s hand grabbing hers as he slept soundly.

“He never stops talking about you, my dear.”

“I’m glad that he survived. I thought I scared him away after last time.”

“He idolizes you. He wishes to marry you, you know.”

Cody covered her laughter.

“That’s only because he thinks I’m Kali the destroyer.”

“He told me about nightmares that he’s had since the incident but whenever there is a mention of you, he matures so quickly.”

“I got to witness that firsthand. He forced three glasses of milk into me.”

“His tutor says he refuses to be idol. How are you?”

Cody pulled her sweat shirt down over her stomach.

“Adjusting. No nightmares, no complications with the birth.”

“You are not happy with that?”

“I’m happy enough. I can feel something coming to take that away.”

Mira wrapped her arms around Cody, not too quick, as Cody was gradually comforted by her embraced. She hugged her back and could feel a bit of warmness run through her. Loki kept himself as quiet as he could bear as he pressed himself tenderly to Cody’s back. He would have given anything just to touch her again. He felt it as Hell to have her so close with the consequences of his actions to keep him from her forever.

“You are safe…”

Cody hid her tears as she left Hoppy and Mira and made her way back across the base. The cold of night greeted her face as she tried to pull her sweatshirt together. From what she remembered, it was near the end of October. There was no smell of sea water but she no longer cared where they were. Loki watched her stopping here and there to catch her breath as she ventured the grounds without the Captain. The wind picked up and played with the white strains of her hair. He knew he didn’t have to worry for her. The people around her no longer cared to look in her direction when she walked by and with her new powers, she was more than capable of protecting herself.

Steve rubbed his eyes and sat in silence with everyone else around him. Simmons was more quiet than usual as she went back and forth between her work and voicing her options to the group. Strange arrived with no problem as Stark looked out to the repairing city underneath him. There was so much suspicion and worry. There was no trust or safe place to gather as they sat cramped in the quintjet.

“Still no word from Thor?”

“No. She needs to be moved.”

Strange sighed as he flexed his shaking hands.

“We can’t put her back in the tower if she isn’t mentally ready.”

Tony choked back his fifth espresso, ready to take on what was ahead.

“We are pulling a lot of resources for one person and we don’t even know if she wants to be helped.”

“Ross is in Europe,” chimed Simmons as she closed her work, “there have been some success in clean up and with the rate they are going, he will be back sooner than expected.”

Tony looked to her hand sans her engagement ring.

“Do we have anything to really worry about,” asked Strange as the lights of the base came in sight.

“Fitz is busy. Loki is locked away and I think, Mr. Stark, now is the time to tell them.”

All eyes shifted to Tony.

“Thanks, Harriet Jones. I finished the compound but she’ll be on a separate bit of land away from whomever may tell.”

“Stark, what is the point of taking somewhere secluded if someone is going to snitch to Ross.”

“Steve, you really shouldn’t talk. You asked for my help and that is what I am doing. I’ve been going through a rigorous process to make sure that doesn’t happen…”

“He is going to find her and make sure she’s chained up…”

“…because time is ticking and I want to get her out…”

Steve and Tony were inching closer together with faces as red as Tony’s armor.

“…she’s still terrified and no one has asked her what she wants…”

“… at least she’ll be safer under our eye…”

“No!”

“We can’t lose anyone else! Come on!”

A sudden bit of turbulence rocked the jet as Simmons was thrown to the floor. Strange caught her, using his magic to steady the craft before it descended too rapidly.

“What the hell was that?”

Simmons screamed as Loki’s astral body appeared from nowhere. They all looked to the fear in his pale face.

“He’s here.”

Cody didn’t look to the light flickering under her door as she took the bangle she removed and placed it on the floor next to her bed. She shrug it off and tried to let the darkness put her to sleep. The cold did help as she tucked the sheets around her and drifted off the best she could. Her stomach quivered a bit but she knew that was to be expected. She had the baby and it was enough to put her calmly to sleep most nights.

She dreamed, immersed in the darkness around her. She no longer felt heavy or stuck to her mattress. The blanket around her began to slide but she didn’t mind. Her body felt weightless as her limbs began to feel petrified. There was no more cold as the last of the blanket slipped from her and a warmth encased her. Through she dreamed of nothing, her heart raced in panic to the cold lips at her shoulder. Her sweat shirt was pulled from her arm as large hands roamed her skin.

No…

She was frozen, unable to wake herself as she felt him nuzzle against her skin more.

“Oh, how I’ve missed you my creature.”

Thanos did know how much he had been straining himself over the countless nights to search for the Chitauri’s new appointed mother. He didn’t care for her name because not only was it too simple for him to acknowledge her by her given name, it was far too weak for what she really was. He had been meditating by himself with the snap of the impatient Chitauri at his back, crying out for her. A riff of raw energy he knew was her stabbed his veins with a chill locked onto her dreaming image as she slept. He knew she could not run forever.

His hand didn’t know where to start. It roamed down her arm to the side of her stomach of all places as it rested for a moment.

“You have been keeping it healthy. I would never hurt you enough to take it away but it’s father will burn when I find him. They marvel you with fear as I would allow it but with you by my side to unlock your true potential.”

He gently pulled her arm back to his waiting lips and kissed her skin as it unpainfully festered to a crumbling gray. Cody watched in horror as the gray spread across her skin to underneath her clothes. Fear began to settle in as the discolor started to cover her belly. Thanos’ fingers left her skin for a moment and pulled at her clothes. Cody sealed her eyes away from the nightmare and screamed.

Steve was already the first one off of the Quinjet as Strange tried to find a way into her room. His sling ring wasn’t working and he feared for Cody as he called ahead with Simmons for help if anything was to further get worse. No one noticed him as he ran through everyone trying to help Stark reboot the electrical grid of the Air Base. He stopped the second he saw Loki’s form outside her door.

“What are you doing,” he shouted as if he were really there.

He didn’t care about Loki using his magic, there would be time for that later.

“Save her!”

Loki grabbed Steve by his throat and hauled him through a portion of her wall that he weakened. Steve scrambled to his feet and was stopped by the whispering that filled the room. Her things and her dressers were untouched as far as he could tell apart from the choking dark mist that clouded her room. His head spun as he tried the fight the wave of the mist that stung at his skin. Steve turned towards the bed.

Cody’s skin was crawling with her new skin as it glowed between the crumbling cracks. Thanos’ teeth raked at her skin to tease her but she did not want it. She only wanted him gone. Before she could move, his hand formed to her breast, roughly cupping her as she tried to fight him away. He chuckled into her ear to strength her mortal shell expelled.

“Please fight me, creature. Peel the skin away and make me bleed.”

He bit into her shoulder as she cried out in pain. Steve was able to move forward once he saw the blood oozing from the bite mark on her shoulder. He tried to move her as her limbs were frozen still.

“Cody!”

She flinched at the sound of her voice. Thanos snarled at his moment being interrupted before he could have her. His other hand wrapped around her arm and closed it until tears fell from her eyes.

“They don’t know when to quit. I wonder if they would love you in pieces.”

Horror filled Steve’s eyes as he saw a large darkening bruise at her arm. More marks appeared on her skin as he stood defenseless over her.

“Cody,” he called as he pressed his brow to hers, “You need to listen to me. You need to wake up.”

Thanos hurled her to the floor. Cody’s whole body shook as flashbacks of Charles ran through her mind. She tried to at least protect the baby. Thanos knew not to hurt what she wanted but he would make sure his ears were filled with her screams. He pushed himself into Cody enough to pin her to the rocks as they dug painfully into her back. He sucked painfully at her neck to leave marks.

“All I ask is for compliance,” he sighed as he he traced the dimming tattoos on her chest with the edge of his tongue, “Either be mine or be shackled as the monster you are. Either way, I win and you will be mine.”

Tears streamed from Steve’s eyes as he heard the dark voice frightening Cody. Steve held her face with both of his hands and fought the blistering mist as he lowered his head to her. Steve kissed her lips and wrapped his arms around her as he felt her shaking worsen. Thanos felt a beam of light blasted him back from Cody.

Steve fell to the bed next to Cody as light filled his vision. He didn’t realize how tightly he was gripped Cody’s hand as he looked to Thanos’ sanctuary around him. He was ready to fight his way through the creatures that had almost reduced New York to dust until something stopped him.

“Wait…”

The Chitauri settled and looked behind him to Cody as she settled herself on her two feet. Her clothes were spotted with blood and her skin was littered with fresh bruised but she stood tall as if they weren’t there. She pushed herself from Steve and made her way to a snarling Thanos. Cody raised her glowing gray hand over Thanos as his limbs were forced to the rocks beneath him. The Chitauri knelt near Cody, almost urging her as she looked down to Thanos.

“You think you are powerful than me, creature?”

Cody licked the blood from her lip with a smile.

“I’ve come from monsters worse than you. I want nothing that you have.”

She lifted her foot and stomped down hard on Thanos’ neck. His whole body jolted to the new strength now that she was free of his powers. He choked and forced what little breath he could as Cody straddled him. Through the pain and the defiance, Thanos’ craving for Cody worsened as she was seated so close to his cock. Cody looked into his sad dark eyes with so many questions littering her mind. She didn’t care.

“I want to be the last thing you see, you piece of shit.”

“You may try to kill me. Try and I will make you watch as I take all that you love.”

“Cody, we can’t stay here.”

She looked over her shoulder to Steve and still smiled. From the look in his eyes, she could imagine how she looked. Her crumbled skin covered her completely and her eyes glowed over. She didn’t care if she looked like a monster.

“I know. I’m not.”

She turned back and leaned over Thanos. There was some satisfaction as his eyes gawked at her chest coming into his vision. They turned to horror as her thumbs covered his eyes and pressed down hard. Cody planted her feet to the stone setting around her and used every bit of strength and power to press harder.

“I gave you a chance,” she snarled as Thanos thrashed underneath her, “I gave them all a chance!”

Thanos cried out in pain, doing anything to will the pain away. The Chitauri banged their fists to the stone and shrieked with delight to his pain.

“You don’t get to have me.”

Cody stopped and rocked off of Thanos’ chest. Steve ran to her and helped her up as the swarms of Chitauri fell behind her.

“Your turn…”

They all ran to Thanos with their claws drawn as his screams intensified. She looked up to the stream of light that she didn’t remember being there. Cody looked over her shoulder and single time to see Thanos pull himself to his feet. Half of his golden armor was shredded from his body and he swung his mighty fists, missing most of the Chitauri that slashed at deep wounds. The last thing that she saw was Thanos tripping over the edge of Sanctuary to the deep void of space below.

Steve and Cody both jolted awake as the mist vanished from her room. He stumbled from the bed and turned on every light until it stung his eyes. Steve fought to regain his gasping breath and forced himself back to the bed as Cody tried to move. Every shift of her limbs sent pain to her every nerve.

“Cody, don’t move.”

Her small cries of pain made tears fall from his eyes as the door opened behind him. Strange ran to Cody’s side.

“What the hell just happened?”

“I-I don’t know.”

“I couldn’t get in so how did you?! Her wall are perfectly intact.”

He wasn’t sure what to do about the change of her skin. He turned and made a portal to his operating space.

“Go get Loki. Don’t ask questions. Go! Stark help him!”

Steve ran from the room and made his way to the cells. Loki woke in time as he saw Steve race for him.

“I know who it was. I know what happened!”

“Shut up and move! Now!”

Steve flung his door open, leaving them both to run for their lives for Cody.

“S-Stop it…”

She knew they couldn’t hear her. She could feel herself healing. They had a job to do and it just so happen to be her. Cody forced her breaths to steady, though it took hours. There were thing she could and could not remember. Her vision blurred with uncontrolled tears she didn’t even know she was shedding. The pain dulled slow enough for her to move herself the best she could the last thing she could remember was the soft green eyes that were happy to see her.

Her body jolted awake. Her bones and her skin ached harshly.

“The baby wasn’t harmed.”

She turned her head to Loki as he sat in the bed next to her. Her head felt groggy as she smiled to him. It felt good to feel his hand in hers. She couldn’t find it in herself to be mad.

“He found… me but it’s okay. It’s all okay now.”

“He almost killed you.”

“I was there, Loki. I saw him go over the edge. He’s not gonna hurt us anymore…”

She had never felt so weak in her life as she pulled his hand to her lips for a weak kiss. Loki didn’t know what any of the machine where that she was hooked up to but as long as he helped her, he wouldn’t step in the way.

“I don’t know what she did,” said Steve after enough time had passed in silence, “but I think Thanos is finally gone.”

“I wouldn’t bet anything on a celestial being, Captain.”

His pale hand smoothed back the white hair that blended into the pillow. He made sure he would remember the tube snaked under her nose to help her breathe and the bandages that hid the bruises and the cuts that would be healed in a matter of hours. His magic made sure of it. Whatever he had done to her with the Chitauri metal, it was adapting wonderfully to her anatomy but it was nothing for himself to be pleased about. In exchange of him staying by her side for the night, he told them everything about Thanos and the dangers around him.

“You didn’t see it, Loki. She,” he wasn’t sure what he had seen, “she made sure he stayed down.”

He wouldn’t have been surprised from the story Steve had told him. He kept his tongue to himself and the rest of the night drifted. Steve had moved his chair to the outside of the room to give Loki and Cody the privacy they deserved. His heart broke as he kept his feelings for Cody to himself. Loki moved as carefully into her bed as he could manage. He wrapped his arm around her and didn’t dare let go. His hand wandered to her stomach out of habit to feel the baby.

There was a stark of energy that made him worry but a glowing bond to his hand made him cry. He held the both of them close and didn’t fall asleep so that he would take in as much of them as he could before their time was cut off. Loki pressed his lips to Cody’s head as she slept.

“Thank you for fighting, my love. I don’t know what I would have done if I had lost either of you."

_____

Tagged: @808-anon @angryschnauzer @angelus80 @atinyfangirl @cerys1212 @clairelovexo @damageditem @echantedbytwh @hallotom @itsjustelen @jennphoenix @justahopeless-dreamer @lokilockedcougar @lostsoul1011 @lovehiddles4everme @marvelousmissfit @mazda098 @megaflowerfangirl @missdibley @mrshiddelston @mypreciousmind1 @nicole-stewart-loves-cookies @osb1anon @ourladybinxthings @peskipixi @prplprincez @ririsutty @roamingbadger @quoting-shakespeare-to-ducks @sarabeth72 @servent-alearika @sevanya @shamvictoria11 @siyoteodiara @sketchbookthingz @starrynight35 @startingtoenjoylife @the-lady-mischief @tinaferraldo @tomkurbikston @vdcster @wolfsmom1