#i have like mixed feelings on the recon squad

[john-macnamara]

It's 7 PM. It's 7 PM on a Monday afternoon and John gets a call while building his new bedframe. It's from Lewis, so he's got to pick it up whether or not he wants to.

"Hello. You have reached General John MacNamara of the United States Military: Special Unit P. E. I. P.. What do you want, Darcy?"

"We have a problem in Maine. A whole county's worth of people fell off the map in a matter of days."

"Okay, then send in a recon squad and find out what the fuck's going on. Simple protocol."

"...That's the problem, sir. Anyone who's gone into the affected area hasn't come back. Months have gone by, we've lost countless agents on this. Do you think that you could go in? Try to at least find out what's happening?"

John thinks before answering. He's still not in great shape, that hemorrhage is blurring his vision and his head's still pounding daily. But the other option is to send more of his own people to their deaths. He'll be fine, he can't afford not to be.

"Send a copter to the Michigan base. I'll be there before 23:00 hours. How long am I expected to be off grid?"

"Anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, sir. The helicopter is on its way."

John hangs up rather than responding. He has people who can take care of the testing for Curt, and he'll wire any texts from Owen mentioning it to said people. Other than that, it's not like he has much reason to not disappear for a few weeks. He doesn't live with anyone anymore, and he's pretty damn sure he won't be missed. At least, not as the burden he is right now. Maybe this'll be good for him, a vacation in a way. At least he won't be doing any paperwork. As long as he doesn't die, he knows he'll be retrieved by the end of May. Can't have a general gone too long.

Setting down the piece of wood he was working on, John puts his phone away and moves to his closet, pulling out a large backpack. Large enough to store water, food, medical supplies, and his smaller bag filled with weapons and resources of all shapes and sizes. He changes into clothing he knows will last, and slips a bulletproof vest on over it. There's only two other changes of clothes that fit in his bag, he'll have to make them last. Next is any necessary toiletries. He takes a can of dry shampoo, a disposable toothbrush and toothpaste pallets, and a bar of soap. These missions always wreck his hair, might as well do some damage control with the shampoo.

John heads to the kitchen, searching the fridge and clearing out anything that won't last more than a week. He's glad he finished the last of the chicken soup when he got home, it would be a pity to throw any of it. Once that's over with, he snags a banana to snack on while on the way there. Slowly but surely, he clears the house of any weapons he may need. Two handguns, a shotgun, a rifle with a detachable scope, three knives of separate sizes and uses, multiple grenades, flash and otherwise, and his trusty staff.

Finally, John makes a security run of the apartment. Cameras are set, motion alarms are armed, and there are lasers set on every window except for the two in the guest room. As he opens the door, he pauses and steps back inside for just a moment. Just in case anyone actually checks on him (he's sure they won't), he should leave a note at the door. He jots something down, signs it, and tapes it to his front door as he closes it.

As he drives to the base, John feels that familiar mix of anxiety and anticipation crop up inside of him. Solo missions are always their particular kind of experience. One he hates and loves at the same time. This'll go well, he thinks. For once, he'll fight to live, not just survive. Yeah... this'll help him get back to his old mindset. This mission will be good for him, everyone really. Give all his friends a break from his burden while John does one of the only things he's truly good at. He makes a promise to himself that he'll make it out alive and doing even better than before. And John can't break a promise like that, now can he?

[mrultra100]

Ultra's Ramblings- Pokemon Legends: Necrozma

As of me writing this, we’re only one week away from the recently-announced Pokemon Presents presentation, along with the Nintendo DIrect Partner Showcase airing tomorrow. Given how the Switch is basically nearing the end of its lifespan, part of me has a sneaky suspicion that the next console could be revealed at this Partner Showcase. The reason why any of this has anything to do with Pokemon is because after the way Scarlet and Violet ended with its last wave of DLC, there might be anymore big main series games planned for the Switch… or any major 1st party titles at this point. After 7 years of chugging along, it kinda feels like the Switch’s run is almost over.

Now that we’re possibly seeing the end of the Switch, it might be possible that the next Pokemon game being cooked up by Gamefreak could be the first one for whatever this new console could be. Now, it should be absolutely stated that I feel like TPC and Gamefreak should really slow down on their development. People have already been through this. This is the largest media franchise in the world that we’re talking about, they’re already making loads of money, and they really shouldn’t rush these damn things out without taking some more time in the oven. 

If there’s only one (and I do mean one) idea that, despite how both parties have been guilty of rushing the Pokemon games out, I want the Pokemon Company and Gamefreak to make and give more time towards… it’s this

Given how Pokemon Legends: Arceus was one of the more beloved titles in the franchise’s recent memory, it’d make sense for fans to ask for another game like it to evolve on the concepts presented in Hisui. Plus, we haven’t seen either the Ultra Beasts or Ultra Space in a while, so it’d be a great way to bring those two aspects of the greater Pokemon multiverse back.

Now, a Legends game set within Ultra Space isn’t the most common idea for a sequel game, since people have also asked for games set within ancient Johto or Unova, along with how a setting this futuristic and alien wouldn’t fit with the whole gimmick of the last game (I.E. going back into the ancient past to a time where people aren;t used to catching and being around Pokemon). However, using the Ultra games from Gen 7 allows some insight that could help as a work around.

The various dimensions of the Ultra Beasts seen so far are hostile, untamed, and largely unexplored beyond the areas that the player can go in USUM. That sounds just like how the different areas of Hisui were in Arceus

The Ultra Recon Squad have stated that the idea of using Pokeballs is new to them, similar to how the people of Hisui were only starting out with them as well.

With all of that said, I’ve been thinking of ideas and mechanics that this game could not only take from Arceus, but also some improvements from it as well. I’m not sure if a future Legends game could do some of the new ideas presented here (Hell, that extends to future mainline Pokemon games in general), but the thought is nice.

Parts of the Ultra Recon Squad being split into two separate teams (Similar to the Diamond and Pearl Clans from Arceus)

Have the player be an actual character with a story arc and a personality, instead of being a blank slate (Maybe someone like Lillie or some sort of descendent of hers joining the Ultra Recon Squad?). And that could be extended to the story being written better and more involved

Give quite a few UBs their own Ultra Burst forms, just like with Ultra Necrozma. Alongside that, have them be boss battles in the same manner as the Nobles from Arceus, along with the Totem Pokemon from Sun and Moon (And those were already ‘Mons filled with energy from the Ultra Wormholes, so why not?)

Either have the starters be Ultra Variants of already-existing Pokemon, or have them be Poipole and Naganedel (along with two new starter lines to round out the trio)

Have the Pokedex be a mix of Ultra Beasts (The 11 that we already know, alongside a whole bunch of new ones), Ultra Variants of existing Pokemon (Probably “UVs”?), and some regular Pokemon that could be found within the Ultra Wormholes (USUM already made that canon. And maybe a good chunk of returning Pokemon could be Ultra Variants)

Have a level-scaling system present. Any of the area could adjust to the level of a player’s team, from literally just getting their starter, all the way to having a late-game team of fully-evolved ‘Mons

Bring back abilities, along with expanding on them for the Ultra Beasts so they don’t just have Beast Boost as their only ability

Probably make the Z-Crystals like the Plates from Arceus, not only having them play out their original purpose of letting the player do Z-Moves, but also play a much more important role, gameplay-wise. Also have the Z-Moves act faster and more like the Agile and Strong Style moves from Arceus

Have Ultra Wormholes act in the same way as the Time-Space Distortions from Arceus, bringing in Pokemon from other parts of the game that aren’t normally found in the area that the wormhole popped up in

Bring in the Pokemon Storage System from SwSh and SV, mainly to avoid the grind of going to the Pasture from Arceus multiple times

The player is allowed to do anything in any order. Again, level-scaling is a huge element of that 

Voice acting… maybe? Seriously, how has that not been added at this point?

Will any of this ever happen? Probably not, but it feels nice to explain my thoughts on the matter. As much as I wish Gamefreak allowed more development time on game-making, I’ve always had a soft spot for Gen 7, especially with the concept of the Ultra Beasts. As unlikely as this entire idea is, it’s the one idea for a Pokemon game that I wish will happen someday. Maybe we’ll see it be announced next week? Until then, I guess.

[epicspheal]

I have to say Gen 7 probably would've become my all time favorite generation had USUM and Let's Go been proper sequels instead of just alternate retellings. Because there's a lot of untapped storytelling potential between Alola and Kanto (both separately and together as they are rather linked). Admittedly I'm not the hugest fan of the Aether family plot (which is moreso how it overshadows the native Alolans in their own home region), but I found it to be better in SM than USUM. And so it would've been nice USUM had just focused on the Necrozma plot with Lillie (after she returns from Kanto) and Gladion helping the Kahunas, Tapus and Trial Captains fend off Necrozma and using the Aether Foundation's research to help combat the threat. Then in the post-game do a little sidequest with Mohn and then have Lillie along with Gladion be one of the potential Title Defense matches to show how much she's grown since her original journey as well as having her at the Battle Tree as a multi battle partner. I feel like the Ultra Recon Squad was vastly underutilized in the USUM so by knocking out the Aether family story repeat (since it would be a sequel) they could have a more expanded role as they perhaps clash with the Kahuna's ideas for how to deal with Necrozma. I definitely want to see the Kahunas have more story importance and having them be at odds with the Ultra Recon Squad would definitely make both groups more relevant.

And with a sequel we could see how Alola has progressed in terms of it's burgeoning Pokemon League. It'd be cool to see some different trial captains running things (because although they give vague age ranges-I feel like Kiawe and Mina could've aged out of the trial captain role) and we could even see shifts in the Elite Four. It'd be cool to see say Plumeria and Guzma become Elite Four members and perhaps even have Hau as champion (because Hau deserves champion status). They could even show progress on the "Kantonian Gyms" where maybe some of the retired trial captains and elite four rotate on a daily basis with Ryuki to be the gym leader putting an Alolan on the gym tradition.

Then there's Let's GO which could've fit so well in between HGSS and before SM as a bit of a connection between Kanto and Alola. Like personally, I don't see anything bad about Chase/Elaine and Trace as characters but I feel they weren't used to the best of their abilities because they essentially retrace Red's story and Red and Blue's story...while still having Red and Blue (and Green) in the mix. The results being that pretty much none of the six get served by this except for Green (because it's her first time existing canonically so it's automatically a win) and Blue slightly (he's at least his own established character but I feel like the rewrite dampens the impact of his mentorship because part of what makes him such a good mentor in Masters is the knowledge that he was a little shit in the past but grew whereas Let's Go seems to almost retcon that entirely with no mention). It'd be nice to see an older Red, Blue and Green (or make her Leaf just because I like the FRLG canon) be Chase, Elaine and Trace's mentors while they embark on a whole new journey in Kanto with a new antagonist. Since a younger Mina is already present in Let's Go it'd be cool to slightly expand her plot more to give some more insight on the Alola Island Challenge which would tie in nicely to her debut in SM. It'd be cool to see Red, Blue and Green/Leaf reflect a bit on their journeys now that they're adults and see them pass on the torch in a proper fashion to Chase, Elaine and Trace. This could give rise to Trace perhaps taking up the Viridian Gym once Blue accepts the Battle Tree offer. I'd love for Green/Leaf to have more personality expanded upon both on her own and her dynamic with Red and Blue. Maybe get some insight from Blue (or Red himself) about how they finally got Red down from Mt. Silver and how they repaired their friendship. All the while giving Chase, Elaine and Trace their own type of dynamic and story that helps to further differentiate the New Kanto Trio from the OG Kanto Trio. Also once again with enough time passing it'd be cool to see how the gym and Elite Four lineups would've changed. I could potentially see say Brock and Misty going to the Elite Four replacing Koga and Bruno and then us getting new gym leaders to replace them. Since Sabrina begins to take up acting around BW2 maybe she also gets replaced by someone else as well.

[elinor-taylor]

A Troop 2.0

There was no scenario in which Squad Leader Rickett would allow A Troop to fuck this up again. Fair enough, they'd made the mistake of being too recruit-heavy, utilised too many Faretheewell civvies to make it work last time around. Local knowledge, she told the group as they cruised in formation, was all well and good until the fighting started. Then what you needed was firepower and the willingness to use it.

This was a hummer squad now, she said, first and foremost. And hummers didn't tolerate the kind of west gate crap the forest flutterers did. Magic or no magic it was time for action. They'd be as well not to forget who they were.

There was zero chance of that. And no point bringing Green 5 into it either. Rickett knew the image of their last squad leader's decapitation had been permanently branded on the eyes of her team, as it had on her own. And while it was true that a healthy dose of fear proved a good motivator, pure white-knuckle terror did not.

Hummers were tough but not without feeling.

'Faij. Varla.'

'Boss?'

'Check around the well at ground level. I want to be damned sure nobody snuck in or out. Got it? Nobody.'

'Aye, Boss.' The young gunwings dropped out of line and disappeared through the canopy.

'Bomber. Klick. You too. That's a lot of ground to cover. You see the biggun, plus or minus the gobshite, hang back. Await my word.'

'Boss.' The second pair zipped downward toward the forest floor, following the first.

'Free?' Rickett turned to face the young hummer who'd been angling all season to be her second in command. She made a point of not softening her voice. There could be no favourites out in the field.

'Boss?'

'Get to Janet's Table,' Rickett said. 'That's where they were headed. At least we learned that much from the last recon. If they're still there, stay low. We'll catch you up after a sweep around what's left of the village.'

'Boss.' Gunwing Free tapped her feet together and darted away. But not before curling up the side of her mouth in a secretive half-smile that told Rickett their encounter the night before was still at the forefront of her mind.

Rickett didn't reciprocate. She didn't much fancy her head taken off.

***

A shout came from the direction of the shrine just as the sun tipped the hills, casting shadows through the treetops, darkening the woodland below. The girl and the goblin had indeed been there, yes, but they'd moved on. Where they'd moved on to was anyone's guess as the path split off in any number of combinations from there. Something like a vascular system were you to view it from above, which at this time of year, with the trees still laden with leaves, you could not.

'Fuck's sake.' Rickett made the drop from cruise height to ground level in a flit, stopping just short of the ferns, then humming carefully down to her feet. There were some skills that came with being partial west-blooded, at least, so as the only member of the troop with a lick of green to her name, it fell upon her to pick up the scent from there.

It irked the hardened soldier to have to rely on her repressed woodland traits. She would scrub them from her insides if she could, lest she be mistaken for one of those softling shitters. She was so sick of their run-and-hide attitude to what was going on in their own lands. So you dropped your guard, opened the doors and let them in, and now you wonder why you got what you got? Boo-hoo. Pick up a weapon and fight, you dumb fucks. (It was no accident that Borealis had chosen Rickett for squad leader, given they shared a common view on that).

'How long, Boss?' Free asked, from a safe enough length away to ensure any possible retaliatory sparks from the squad lead wouldn't reach her.

Rickett pulled a fern frond from its stalk and sniffed it. She looked about the clearing at the floral offerings. Resting against the stone table, tucked between the sprawling mix of pink and yellow honeysuckle, she spied a humble bunch of nettle flowers. 'Not long enough,' she said.

She felt it then, the subtlest of waves in the air, rippling trails left by a recent disturbance. 'That way,' she said. 'Find them and bring her to me.'

Free didn't need telling twice. 'Yes, Boss.'

The young gunwing called to the others, rallying them together and guiding them away through the trees with all the leadership of a worthy second in command. There was no mistaking her aspiration, or how much she enjoyed her work, both of which might impress or alarm depending on your perspective.

When Rickett was quite sure A-Troop were out of sight, she turned back to the shrine. 'You can come out now, ladies,' she said, shaking her head.

Slowly, Eryl and Mae Skylark crept out from behind a large outcrop of knapwort, where they'd been hiding since the girl and the goblin left some several sun blinks earlier. The sisters met the soldier with heads bowed. They fully expected the worst.

Squad leader Rickett reached out and placed a firm a hand on each of their shoulders, and the rogue forest fairies, eyes closed, held their quivering breath.

Rickett was intimidating beyond measure. Encased in her full combat gear and weaponry, she could blow a jumping flea out of the air from twenty black heifers away, and you simply didn't argue with that.

Well, we're done, Eryl thought.

Agreed, Mae though back.

Rickett paused for a moment to gather herself. 'Don't do that again,' she said.

[harusha]

Before I like... dig a hole for myself, USUM is absolutely gr8 (maybe not story wise considering what they did to Lillie but mechanics and all) if it’s your first experience of Alola and first or second of the franchise, but after SuMo, it’s a bit disappointing (esp considering their release gap).

USUM does make changes to the storyline and trimmed some of the fat off but like... it feels like I’m just trudging along at points b/c I ~need~ to finish smtg I spent money on rather than me genuinely being immersed. Kinda like $40 DLC I paid for twice that I could have used to roll for €nkidu for my ENG fg* account.

Like... as a third version, it’s a bit lackluster as I’ve said before. But, it’s also a 2k17 release when Nintendo is fully capable of DLC (unlike previous third versions. You can’t download DLC onto a DS, a GBA, and certainly not a GBC or GB game).

Furthermore, each third version brought along big changes or enough content to justify it. Crystal had the Suicune plotline and added in the first female protagonist, move tutors, and the first end-game battle facility (Battle Tower). That was like... major back then.

Emerald had changes and new locations like Magma Hideout and Artisan Cave, Scott and the first Battle Frontier(+that one Battle Tower I never used), a “best-of-both worlds” plotline meshing Ruby and Sapphire together, Battle Tents, an entirely new champion+ post-game Steven, etc.

Platinum brought changes to the enviorment w/ the snow (ie. aesthetic, lore, and just more “regional identity”), Distortion World, more incorporation of Cynthia, a new Battle Frontier, Charon, etc.

BW2 doesn’t need a big intro since its status as a true sequel speaks for itself but basically they didnt skimp on post-game either. PWT with cameos from almost every major character in the franchise at that point, Pokestar Studios, White Hollow and its counterpart, etc.

And Yellow stands in a weird spot b/c while it’s a remake, it’s both simultaniously of RGB and the anime.

Like... TLDR SuMo didn’t have enough changes to justify it being both a 3rd version and split if you consider what year it’s released in, competition (super variable but like... Ninty has stuff like Yokai Watch, more 3rd party, etc. now + the advent of mobile game gacha.), and the fact that even near decade old games did more (subjective on pre-GBA ofc), than just re-skinning the same Battle Facility another generation and Battle Agency (good concept on paper and I like that it’s new, but it’s still just one facility and a super luck based one at that; even moreso than the Battle Pike).

Like... there’s a lot for options for variety nowadays with the advent of Steam, more porting, better mobile gaming (that sounds terrible but basically Gr@nblue and F@te for example) etc.

Mantine Surfing, Pikachu Valley, etc. are cute too but how much content is that really compared to what they used to do+what’s on market?

The RR episode could have absolutely been an add-on too. They gave a trailer to it, and there’s barely any relevance in the main campaign outside of Looker’s comment. If one of the main draws in the third version is relegated to 2 hours or so after essentially playing the same game, like... why...

[babblydrabbly]

Distracted (Peacemaker x Reader) Smut

Pairing(s): Peacemaker x F!Reader; Brief Javelin x Reader

Characters: Peacemaker/Christopher Smith, Amanda Waller, Javelin

Rating: M

Word Count: 3.5k+

Warning(s): Smut, language, mentions of blood/violence. Choking, cream pie, semi-rough sex.

Summary: Out on a Task Force X mission, Peacemaker notices you're acting... different. He generously offers to help with what's distracting you. Asshole.

A/N: What's this? Baby's first Peacemaker fic? Takes place before The Suicide Squad (2021). Metahuman!Reader has super strength/speed abilities. Also, what kind of vanilla name is Chris Smith.

---

"Again?"

Amanda Waller arched a brow at your perturbed expression.

"My apologies." She droned. "Am I not stimulating you with enough variety, [L/n]?"

You scoffed, folding your arms in deference. It wasn't about that— It was about the deliberately repeated pairings with Christopher Smith. The dynamic that was becoming a pattern. You never would have worked with someone like Peacemaker on the outside. As much as you appreciated the job always getting done with him, you still bumped heads with him too much on the way to the finish line. He was frustratingly serious and flippant at the same time.

You decided to shut your trap before Waller decided she didn't need you anymore.

"You've got one skillset useful to me, [L/n]. I suggest you get used to the prospect of being paired up with Smith on a regular basis— While you're still around."

You nodded when she dismissed you. You had gotten used to it. You were seeing so much of Peacekeeper you were practically partners.

So, you pointedly sat to next the one called Javelin on the helicopter out of Belle Reve, as far away from Smith as possible. You were about to spend over twelve hours with him— It didn't have to start right away. While Colonel Flag gave you all the spiel on the mission, you glanced over and saw Javelin toss you a nod.

"You're Team B," The thrower noted over the whir of the helicopter. "[L/n], yes?"

"Yeah," you said. Your eyes flitted over the muscular squad member. He looked more like a superhero in his light blue and yellow get-up than the rest of you. You personally kept the lower half of your face covered with a black hard shell mask— Your armor from before you were incarcerated (Yes, you've heard the 'Baby Bane' jokes from the others). Even if you had to get used to working with a bunch of weirdos, you could at least conceal your face from them while you did it.

"You move very swiftly." He complimented, and you didn’t know how you were supposed to take that.

"Thanks," You tried, "I like your... weapon of choice?"

Javelin held his namesake in his arms, his legs spread wide to accommodate it as he rested it against his inner thigh. The innuendo normally would have had you rolling your eyes, but today they lingered, and you wondered if he still looked as broad and muscular without the suit on.

You frowned. Without the suit on?

Were you still staring down at his thighs?

You supposed he was a goddamn Olympic athlete at one point. And prison didn't seem to stop him from his regimen. —There it was again. You blinked and looked away, thankful nobody seemed to notice. Javelin seemed content with the brief introduction, so you left it at that.

Okay, so maybe it had been awhile since you...

You reprimanded yourself. These were not recreational outings. As much as you liked feeling free every once in awhile, you were never in a position to consider doing something so stupid. The last few missions were some of the closest calls you had while on the task force, but now that your job today was more about recon, you could at least let your mind wander to the less... imperative things. You crossed your legs at the ankles in front of you and let mind drift for the rest of the trip.

But christ had prison been rough. And a little boring. You didn’t have to think about Javelin moving closer to you for long— Pressing up flush against you— Before you were imagining yourself against a wall— Hell, right here on this bench— hooking your legs around his waist as he thrusted into you. You pictured him going for two, three rounds, that stupid suit lying on the floor with your back on top of it. You pictured him going down on you too, a handful of his wavy blonde hair in your grasp as you pressed your thighs around his ears. You swallowed behind the mask, glad it was there to hide your face.

You get dropped off an isolated point a few klicks outside the target area, the rest of the team traveling further in to handle the bulk of the mission. You lug some extra equipment in a canvas bag— Guns, surveillance tech— already annoyed by the heat.

The heat of the jungle. Definitely not the heat you'd been feeling in the helicopter. You walked a half mile in total silence just trying to focus on the mission again.

"What's got your tactical suit in a twist?" Smith finally uttered as you got to your destination. You almost forgot he had dropped down the rope onto the ground after you. He stood out against the green around you in his obnoxious red shirt and white pants.

"Nothing." You lied, and you could tell from under his helmet that Peacemaker thought you were full of shit today. Great.

You set up inside a small building— An outpost long abandoned. Whatever organization you were taking down for Waller, they clearly had to downsize over the years. You kicked open the metal door, sending it flying off its hinges. Smith entered first, clearing all the rooms before you joined him. Upstairs, you begin setting up the equipment together. Peacemaker started with standing up a rifle by the window, aiming it at the road below.

You fiddled with a tablet; You went downstairs to put a sensor on the door frame and on the rusted gate blocking the road outside. They were supposed to warn you when any vehicles were approaching, but when you came back up, it lost signal. You did this twice; You batted at the little screen, vexed. There were probably signal jammers over at the main compound that could still reach all the way out here. You thought about how Team A was doing— So inevitably, your thoughts drifted back to the damn Javelin guy.

"Jesus!" You snapped. You were grateful when you didn't break the small screen in half with your strength.

"Okay. What the fuck is wrong." Came Peacemaker's voice from across the room. You stood there without turning around. You took a breath, tossed the tablet onto the bag at your feet.

"Nothing is wrong, Smith. Fuck off." You said. You reached up and unclipped your vest. Beneath it, you felt the cool air of the shelter hit your jumpsuit. You tossed the vest on the floor, then turned around. "When are they supposed to get here?"

He quirked a brow, as if proving his point. Since when didn't you remember the mission details? Rather than give him the satisfaction of thinking you were slipping you waved your own question away.

"God, never mind."

He scoffed. You watched him remove his helmet and gloves, setting them down carefully next to his own pack. He'd made his own area across the room from yours, another tablet showing him a view of the road propped up against the wall. Smith took a seat on the floor; The two of you were going to have to play the waiting game now.

In silence. The thought made you pinch the bridge of your nose right above where your mask stopped.

"You know, I've been at Belle Reve for four years now." You finally relented. You leaned back against your wall, folding your arms over your chest.

"Yeah? So?" Smith retorted. You rolled your eyes.

"So," God— You were really confiding in Christopher Smith. That's what it was coming down to. "I haven't had sex in four years. It's... not a big deal— Nothing's wrong. That's just what I was annoyed about earlier, you know? Consider me over it."

"That why you were ogling the Javelin in the copter today?"

Shit. Shit!

You dropped your arms. "You piece of garbage. You saw that?"

"I'm garbage? You're the one sexually harassing our fellow teammates with your eyes."

"I was not sexually— Nope. I'm done. You're ridiculous." You said. You reached down and went back to your tablet, busying yourself with it idly.

Peacemaker did the same. From the corner of your eye, you just knew he was doing it smugly.

"You know," He said after a few minutes, "If that's all you're bitching about, we can just get it over with."

"Excuse me?"

"You and me. Target's not coming in for another six hours, by the way. You don't need that much time do you, 'four-years-dry'?"

You stared at him from across the room. When you didn't reply, Peacemaker set his screen down so damn casually you consider just shooting yourself in the head.

"You're off your game. I'm not going to let you compromise our objective."

You threw your hands up. "There it is. You're like a broken record."

"What? Am I fucking wrong?"

"No, you're fucking crazy."

"Get over here." Smith instructed in a low voice.

The words shot up your spine, sending a very mixed signal to your brain. Directly across from you, Peacemaker was pinning you with an expectant look— One that was clearly a challenge. It pissed you off.

It was the look he used when he said you couldn't rip a guy's spine right out of his back— It dared you. And when you did succeed, you would shoot him an equally smug look in return. Your back and forths were always crass, always a test of who would back down.

You weren't normally so brutal when you worked alone, but something about Peacemaker brought it out of you. Whenever you were paired together, it was like your powers weren't something you had to hold back. They were something he was always prodding you to embrace. The jabs, the snark— It made you want to punch him in the face.

Standing up, you crossed the room. Smith didn't move as you stepped over his legs, as you leaned down to straddle his waiting lap. He simply watched you shift around until you're comfortably seated, your hands resting on his shoulders. He moved to place his own on your thighs but didn't do anything more.

"Well?" You said.

He shrugged, "Your call."

"What am I gonna do? Dry hump you?"

"Hey, if that's what it takes."

You sighed, running a hand through your hair. "Fuck."

Finally, you reached up, unclipping the back of your mask.

"Whoa, wait—" He started, finally reacting to this ridiculous situation, but you already had it off, in your hand.

"I—" He stared at you. You shifted, feeling nervous as you stared back. It occurred to you that you'd never seen him shocked before.

He blinked. "I've never seen your whole face before."

That wasn't true— was it? You tried to think. "What about in Cuba? We camped out for like three days. I had to take it off to eat at least."

"I didn't look."

"You didn't look."

"I don't fucking know! You wear that fucking thing everywhere. When you took it off to eat I assumed you didn't want me looking."

"Wow. How courteous."

"Fuck you."

"Well, isn't that what we're doing here?" You said, putting your hands on your hips stubbornly. Smith's were still resting on your splayed thighs.

"I can't wear this when we— How am I supposed to...?"

He snorted softly, "Don't tell me you're a romantic, [L/n]."

Nothing about this seemed romantic. Least of all with him. Still, if you were going to take the opportunity, you were going to do it your way. You looked him over.

He had a few tufts sticking out from wearing his damn helmet earlier. You reached up and brushed some of it back into place at his temple first. Smith blinked up at you, his brows pinching together.

"This okay?" You heard yourself asking him. He eventually nodded once, watching you as you placed your palm on the side of his face. Finally, you leaned down and caught his lips with yours in a long kiss. You squeezed your eyes shut, not wanting to know his reaction.

But you felt him return it. Slowly at first— Then he was kissing you back. You moaned somewhere in the back of your throat as he ran his large hands up and down your legs, his fingers folding to grip your ass tightly. You were already reacting, already so touched starved. His lips parted, and you felt him swipe his tongue across your bottom lip, over the front of your teeth. You opened for him, your tongue darting out to meet his hungrily.

You tugged at the front of his uniform. Without a word he reached down to pull it up over his head, the fabric dropping off somewhere beside you. You glanced down at his bare chest. You ran your hands over it, dragged your nails down his pecs experimentally. When you looked back up he was still watching you.

Your mouths crashed to meet again, this time with a fervor that threatened to split your bottom lip with every bruising kiss. You felt his hands on you again, pressing into your sides, your waist. He didn't move to take off your clothes, so you drew your hands to your own chest, pulled the zipper of your suit all the way down to your stomach.

He took the invitation, and you gasped when he roughly reaches in and cups a hand around your breast; He kneaded it, brushing his thumb over your nipple. His other hand worked at your shoulder, yanking the rest of your suit off of you. You reached back and tugged the sleeves off, finally exposing your upper body.

You felt the clasp at your back come undone, and Smith was tearing your bra off next. A muscular arm came around to scoop you up by the waist, bringing your chest closer to him. He leaned down, took one of your nipples into his mouth.

"Smith—" He bit you roughly, and it sent a shock of electricity up you. He palmed your other breast again, tweaked at your nipple until your back was arching into his touch. You squeezed your thighs around him.

Then he was back in your face again, bruising a kiss against your lips as you took a breath. Your eyes flew open when you felt the press of his fingers to your mouth. You shot a look at him, but didn't object when he pushed his index and middle fingers past your lips. You sucked them hungrily, your eyes fluttering shut again.

"Fuck," Peacemaker murmured, feeling your tongue swirl around the digits. You slurped sloppily until they were soaked, until he was pulling them back out with a light pop. He brought his hand down to the base of your suit, where the zipper stopped just above your pelvis. A pair of black panties peaked out from the V shape there, the same shade and material as your bra. You gasped when Smith finally pushed down past the layer of cotton, gripped his bare shoulders when you felt his wet fingers dip right into your cunt.

"Fuck," He said again, because you didn't need any help down there. "You're so fucking wet."

You expected to feel humiliation— To hear a joke about how it really had been while. But all you felt were his warm, thick fingers; He ran them up and down your slit, pressed them in small circles around the peak of you a few times. You cursed, your head falling back. Smith leaned up to kiss your throat, teeth dragging across the base of your collarbone. He bit you some more, daring to take your meta-human skin between his teeth. You cried out, your arm reaching to wrap around his head in pleasure.

Smith slid his fingers up into your pussy. He crooked them, scissoring them inside you. Your hips bucked, unable to resist meeting his short thrusts. You felt him grin against your neck. "Damn, baby."

"Shut up." You whispered, letting your hips rolling down to fuck yourself on his fingers some more. When he slipped in a third you moan loudly.

"Fuck! Fuck me." You demanded, yanking the short hair at the back of his head. A groan left Smith's lips, his head jerking back. Quickly, he removed his hand from your suit, pulling the rest of your clothes further down your waist. You lifted yourself off him, but Smith didn't wait. He picked you up and lifted you both off the floor. You grabbed at him as he laid you down on your back, his body between your legs. Then he was ripping off the last of your suit, tearing your boots off.

"Watch it," You snapped— If he fucking ripped anything you—

"Oh please." He huffed, and your thoughts stopped in their tracks as you watched him lean back on his knees above you, undoing his white pants. His cock sprang free from a pair of just as white underwear, his arousal already thick and ready. You stopped yourself from expressing how the sight of him made you even wetter.

He took a moment to drink in your face, a hint of that smug smirk forming. You growled, pulling him down by the neck again before he ruined the moment with speaking. Smith caught your lips again, his hand running down your naked body. He gripped one of your legs and nudges them apart, planting his knees between you.

Despite his earlier preparation, it was nothing compared to the feeling of his cock pushing inside you. You groaned as he entered you, your walls stretching around his length. Your back arched as you took him in, eyes rolling a little into the back of your head.

"Fuck— Chris—" You shuttered. His hands squeezed your thighs at the sound of his name leaving you. You heard his breath shake, his hips remaining utterly still as you got used to the size of him. Opening your eyes, you looked up to see him waiting for you; You nodded once, another moaning already escaping in anticipation.

It was like a brick wall knocking into you. Smith didn't hold back as he began fucking you— Knew you could take it— what with your powers and all. The idea seemed to drive him, and he began hammering into you, his hands moving to bracket your hips so he could fuck you better. Faster. Your legs wrapped around his waist.

Fuck— You couldn't think. You arched up off of the floor as you rolled your hips to meet Smith's. It felt like he could keep up this pace forever the way he wasn't stopping. Your breathing turned to panting, a high whine escaping you when he shifts just right— he picked you up again. You arched up into his arms, holding yourself up from around his neck as he fucked up into your soaking cunt. You bounced on his cock, a sheen of sweat blooming across your skin.

When you opened your eyes, Smith was still watching you intently— witnessing every little expression on your face while he fucked you. You could hardly discern what he was thinking. All you could focus on was him ramming you, the feeling of his cock hitting and stretching you out.

“Choke me.” He said, and you have just enough wherewithal to oblige. You wrapped your hand around his throat, pressing firmly on either side. You felt the tightness of his skin shifting under your touch. His pulse beat a fast rhythm in time with his rough thrusts. The strength of your grip was a little vice tipping Smith over the edge.

The look on his face, his eyes closed as he tried to control his breathing sends a jolt up you. You used your other hand to slip two fingers down between your folds. They found your clit, making quick work of bringing you to close to climaxing. You shuttered as you felt the tight coil of it building. Finally, with a cry you were coming, squeezing your legs around him as your hips rolling through every wave of it. Smith groaned, picking up the pace, fucking you through your orgasm until your walls were fluttering from the unrelenting stimulation.

“Going to—“ He warned, and you squeezed the hand around his throat harder, making his eyes roll up. You whimpered as you feel the hot spurt of him fill you, his hips finally locking as he pumped you with his cum.

You both took a moment to catch your breath, your hand releasing from Smith’s neck so he could take in a long gasp. His skin was reddened along his throat and chest. You saw the beginnings of your handprint bruising around his Adam's apple, your fingers a mark on his skin. You hung onto him like that, your arms back around his shoulders for balance.

“Fuck.” You finally said. Out of habit, you checked your watch to assess where you were on the mission. He took your chin in his hand, drawing your eyes back up to him. You saw that his hair had fallen back into his eyes, his face glistening with sweat.

“I’m not done with you.” He said. It sent a shiver through you. You felt your walls flutter again, some of his cum leaking out with his half-hard cock still firm inside you. You gasped as he pulled you off of him, guiding you down until you were turning around on all fours on the floor. You glanced over your shoulder, already craving the feeling of him filling you up with his cock again.

And fuck it, you two do take the whole six hours.

[ithinkhesgaybutwesavedmufasa]

Addicted to You

Part 1: The Chain

Summary/Author's Note: As the sister of veteran turned freelance for hire Santiago "Pope" Garcia, you grew up close to his friends and ex-military squad. Frankie Morales always had your heart, in the same way you always had his--the two of you just never seemed to get the timing right. Trying to escape the violence of a military career based family, you turned to journalism and humanitarian work in war torn countries. But three days ago your crew was ambushed and after three days without any contact, Pope is getting the guys back together for a rescue mission. (Follows Canon events very closely with added character and liberties) Thank you to @winters-buck for headcanoning with me about Frankie and getting me pumped up enough to write this.

Pairing: Frankie "Catfish" Morales x Pope's sister!Reader Word Count: 4.6k (idk what happened...) Warnings/rating: (NC-17)/18+ Language, smoking, implied drug use, PTSD, sex/smut, kidnapping, blood, violence, threats, fluff and feelings

MASTERLIST

Present Day Somewhere in Texas, USA

Santiago "Pope" Garcia had always had a talent when it came to lying, but never had that talent been used so willingly on his closest friends. He was a good bluffer. It had helped his career in the military with his superiors, it had helped him on their weekly poker nights, but he had never planned on getting the five of them back together to boldly lie directly to their faces. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall of the locker room as Will looked him over skeptically.

"What did he say?" Will asked, straddling the wooden bench and crossing his arms to mirror his friend.

"He's taking a look at it," Pope sighed, taking off his hat and running a hand through his salt and pepper hair. "He may not be up for this."

Of course he was talking about their friend Tom. Tom, code name 'Redfly' had been their captain back in the day, their leader, and his brutality and no bull shit attitude made him a good one. Pope knew if he wasn't on board with this, then Will would be out, and the rest of them would drop like flies before this even began.

"You know he's the best with something this complex, and he needs this right now," Will said and Pope agreed with a silent nod.

Beyond the concrete walls of the locker room a cheering crowd could be heard albeit muffled. Both men turned and looked in the direction of the noise before Will shook his head and leaned forward on the bench.

"This shit is fuckin depressing," he said.

"Come on let your brother have some fun. Support him." Pope offered with a wave of his hand like Will's brother getting the shit kicked out of him for a couple hundred bucks wasn't a big deal.

"I've been supporting him since the day he was born." Will pointed to the wall that stood between them and the mixed martial arts arena. "That kid's a one in a million talent, going out there playing the fucking clown to a bunch of hillbillies."

Pope started to respond but the door opened and a man dressed in nothing but loose fitting shorts and the med tape wrapped around his hands entered.

"Where are my boys at?!" He yelled in a deep voice like an announcer and threw his hands in the air.

"Benny! There he is!" Pope embraced him before patting him on the back and passing him off to his brother who stood up from the bench.

"Hey, shithead," a familiar voice said in Spanish and Pope turned around to see Frankie, a wide grin on his face.

Frankie "Catfish" Morales, known mostly by 'cat' or 'fish' to his friends, was probably the closest thing Pope had to a best friend. Even though it had been two years since they had last seen one another, Frankie looked exactly like he always did. His dark curly hair stuck out under his trademark, ratted, ball cap. His lips held a full mustache while the rest of his face had what was probably week old scruff and the brightest smile of the group. It didn't hit him until they were embraced in a tight hug just how much he had missed the man.

"How' you doing?" Pope asked, patting him on the shoulder.

"Hanging in there, I guess." Frankie nodded, finally letting go and moving to sit on the bench opposite of Will. "Is Tom coming?"

"Yeah, he said he would be here," Pope nodded looking at all of them in front of him. "You assholes get my texts?"

All of them looked in various stages of guilt, rubbing the back of their neck, adjusting their ball cap, not meeting Pope's eyes. Of course they had gotten his texts and by the tension in the room none of them had responded.

"Yeah," Frankie finally broke the silence. "Yeah I got your texts."

"And? I need a pilot." Pope looked at his best friend.

"I don't do that anymore, man." Frankie shook his head and sighed. "Besides, I lost my license."

"I don't need a pilot with a license, I need a pilot I can trust. And that's you." Pope pointed at his chest and held his gaze.

Frankie rubbed his hand over his face and stood up, leaning back against the lockers and looking up at the ceiling. "Will, you in?"

"I told Pope, if Redfly was in, then so was I." Will turned his sights to his friend and shrugged.

"And what about you, Benny?" Pope said, asking the man who had been quiet the longest.

"Of course I'm in."

Pope ruffled his short, dirty blond hair roughly with a smile and a word of praise and Benny shoved him away with a grin.

"Fuck," Frankie sighed and shook his head. "So, what's the job?"

"Can we talk details later? It's fight night--I got other shit to think about." Benny pleaded, looking around to the other three as the crowd cheered again through the concrete walls.

"Sure, wouldn't want you to be late," Will scoffed and stood, offering a hand to his brother and helping him up off the bench. The three men left the locker room and started down the concrete tunnel that led out to the arena. Benny was in front, holding his fists out in front of him like a true heavyweight and mumbling what sounded like a well rehearsed pep-talk to hype himself up.

Frankie and Pope hung back a few steps beside the other two, falling into step with one another like they shared the same brain. The other boys often joked that they did. Frankie put his hand on Pope's shoulder and rubbed his own beard in thought before he broke the silence.

"So, I got busted. That's why my license lapsed. It's not a big deal." He let the sentence hang in the air before he shook his head and sighed. "Okay, so it is a big deal."

Pope turned and looked at him. "Coke?" When Frankie nodded in agreement Pope rolled his eyes. "Jesus, Cat."

"It's still pending. But I'm clean now--I swear."

Pope nodded as they kept walking. He believed him. Frankie was a man of his word, and he knew he didn't have to prove anything to him. If he said he was clean, then he was clean. And cocaine or not, Frankie was the best damn pilot he had seen in his entire career, he wanted him for this job. No one else was going to cut it. Not when the objective was this important.

"Hey," Frankie said, trying to act casual but sounding anything but. "Have you talked to (y/n) lately? How--uh, how's she doing?"

There it was. He had to hand it to him, it took him longer to ask than he would have thought, but where it was normally endearing how much Fankie was still in love with you, this time it made Pope sick to his stomach. Did he tell him? He should tell him--even if it was just him. It was the right thing to do. Instead, as they approached the arena, the lie fell from his mouth.

"She's uh--she's good. Took a job down south, but I haven't heard from her this week." It wasn't a total lie. Pope didn't look at him and he could feel his friend staring intently at him.

Frankie let it go, even though his expression said he didn't want to. "So, what is this job really? What aren't you telling me?"

Pope looked over his shoulder, "It is what I said. Simple recon. We can talk details after the fight."

"Sure, whatever you say, man," he shook his head as they walked into the crowd and Benny greeted Tom with a cheer and a hug as the taller man started passing out beers he had just gotten from the concession stand. "I'm in." Frankie said flatly and walked passed Pope, taking a beer from Tom and giving him a clap on the shoulder.

Pope stopped short and watched the other man smile and interact with the rest of his friends. Frankie was his oldest friend, and lying to him hurt worse than that time he was shot down in Peru. Frankie had been in love with you for as long as he could remember, and if Pope was being honest with himself, he was the only man that deserved you and that he trusted to take care of you. He thought you guys would really make it work, and the day you called it quits hurt him too. Why wouldn't he want his best friend to take care of his sister? Protect you when he couldn't? Make sure you spend the rest of your life happy.

The four of them sat in the front row as Benny walked up the steps to the raised fighting platform, ducking under one of the ropes and bouncing around like there were springs on his feet. Pope looked back at Frankie and when the other man smiled, Pope returned it but it was a lie. He knew he was going to be crushed when he found out why the gang was really back together. When Frankie found out you were missing, nothing was going to stop him from getting you back--that's the real reason Frankie was the most important part of this crew. Because just like Pope, Frankie would get you back...or burn the whole country down trying.

--

Two years earlier

It was just supposed to be drinks and pool, maybe some darts if he talked you into it--you were a terrible shot and it made him laugh until his eyes watered. Frankie had asked you to go to the bar while he was in town and you had happily said yes. You missed him. And by the look on his face you knew he missed you too.

It was never awkward when you were with Frankie. No matter how much time had passed, as soon as the two of you were back together it was like picking up right where you left off. Gentle touches, knowing each other's drink order, holding hands, it was all so natural. He opened every door for you, bought every seven and seven you ordered, and paid for every round of pool, shoving more quarters into the metal slot and racking up the balls the second the previous game ended.

The first part of the date ended when Frankie tried to teach you how to do a trick shot in the corner pocket. He leaned his pool cue against the table and stood behind you, wrapping his arms around yours and putting his large hands over yours on your own pool stick. He smelled like fresh air, like the woodsy smell of recently cut grass, clean earth, and just a hint of campfire smoke--musky and comfortable and safe. He spoke in your ear telling you where to aim, and even though he had to speak over the other patrons and the juke box it felt like he was whispering just for you. When he pressed himself against your ass, your body erupted in goosebumps. He must have felt it too because he asked, "Wanna get out of here?" And all you could do was nod.

The both of you fumbled into your apartment, he barely got the door closed by kicking it, as you dropped your purse and keys on the floor and started unbuttoning his shirt. Of course all of this would have been easier if either of you could pull away from each other's lips, but that wasn't happening.

"Bedroom or couch?" You said as you shoved his shirt off of his shoulders.

He grabbed the hem of your own shirt and pulled it over your head in one smooth motion. "Both." The two of you laughed and kept kissing as he walked you backwards towards the hallway. "Kitchen. Floor. Shower." He kissed you after each word and you blushed, laughing again at his suggestion. This was the Frankie you remembered. This was the Frankie you fell in love with.

"Got big plans for this weekend, do ya?"

"Yup," he bent slightly and gripped the backs of your thighs, hoisting you up to wrap your legs around his waist. "And they all involve you."

You wrapped your arms around his shoulders and kissed him hard on the lips. His tongue slid into your mouth like it had so many times before, exploring, tasting, moaning softly into you. He knew where your bedroom was, walking down the hall like he lived there and nudging the door open with his hip. Some summers, back when both of your lives were simpler, it was almost like he did live there. He had his own drawers, his own side of the bed, and you made sure his favorite coffee was always in the cabinet.

"Frankie," you breathed against his mouth and his grip tightened on you. You slid your fingers into his hair, removing his ball cap and tossing it behind you.

"Tell me, baby," he mumbled back, putting you down on the bed and crawling over your body.

"I missed you," you said and he froze, looking down at you with those enchanting brown eyes.

He swallowed hard and tried to slow his breathing. "I missed you, too."

The both of you took a moment just staring at one another. He leaned down and gave you another soft kiss before moving to trail his lips down your jaw, moving to your breasts and unclipping the snap in the front. He took each of your breasts in his hands, squeezing and kneading them as you closed your eyes and carded your fingers through his hair again. When he took one of your nipples between his teeth you gasped, arching your back off of the bed and holding him against you.

"You still like that?" He mumbled, moving to the other nipple and repeating the motion, sucking it into his mouth along with as much of your breast as he could. The feel of his teeth against your skin was exquisite and you could have let him do what he was doing all night.

"What do you think?" You laughed as he moved from your breasts down your stomach, biting and kissing his way to the edge of your jeans. "You always were a boob man."

"For your perfect tits? Absolutely." He undid the button and zipper, grabbing opposite sides of your pants and underwear, shimmying them off of your hips.

"Charming." You scoffed, raising your hips to help him as he stood and did the same to his own.

"You always thought so."

He knelt on the bed, stroking his half hard cock before he fell on top of you, making the mattress bounce gently. You gripped his shoulder and rolled him over onto his back, enjoying the surprise on his face and the absolute adoration as your breasts hung directly in front of his face. He started to raise up to put them in his mouth again but you pressed his shoulders back into the bed.

"My turn," you grinned and he nodded, letting you move down his body, kneeling off to the side.

As soon as you wrapped your hand around his dick, his eyes fluttered closed. You worked him slowly before bowing your head and letting some saliva pool in the front of your mouth and letting it drop slowly onto the head and down the shaft. Your hand worked the liquid down, making it slide easier as you pumped him.

"Fuck, (y/n)," he sighed as he watched you. "You're killing me."

"You still like that?" You asked, playfully, mocking his earlier question and he chuckled.

"Smart ass."

You smiled again before taking him in your mouth and you revelled in the way he moaned softly and slid his hand into your hair at the back of your head. You bobbed in tandem with your hand, working the entire shaft as you sucked the head of his cock and his grip on your hair tightened. You took as much of him into your mouth as you could, your lips meeting your fist and a small sound escaped you as he hit the back of your throat. He thrusted up involuntarily and when you gagged slightly, he opened his eyes and looked at you worriedly.

"I'm sorry," he breathed and you shook your head, continuing to suck him off, running your tongue along the large vein that ran the length of him. There was no apology needed, you were just as desperate to remember his body as he was yours. He held out for a few more pumps, rock hard in your hands before he sat up and grabbed you by the arm. "Come here. Come here, baby."

You let him pull you to him as he leaned his back against the headboard and pulled you into his lap. He reached his hand between the two of you and ran two thick fingers along the slit of your pussy.

"Shit," he cursed quietly as he felt how wet you already were. He loved how quickly you were ready for him, it had always been like that. He could have you dripping for him before he even got you undressed and he loved reaching up your skirt or your dress and feeling you against the lace of your thong. "You're so wet."

"You love it," you said as he continued to stroke you and you straddled his hips, putting his arms around his shoulders.

"Always have," he said and it was in a voice tender enough that you weren't sure if you were talking about the same thing any more.

You leaned up on your knees as he took his cock in his hand and lined it up between your thighs. You lowered yourself on to him, sinking down slowly and letting your body adjust to his length. He throbbed inside of you as you paused, letting yourself adjust to his girth. The stretch was intense and you wanted it to last forever, feeling every inch of him as the bottom of your thighs touched the top of his and you settled in his lap. Your fingers found their way into his dark, soft hair. It was a little longer at the ends and you liked the way it curled around his hat, but that hat was currently on the floor with the rest of your clothes so you could touch the soft locks as much as you wanted.

"You ready, baby?"

You nod and hold him close, your breasts pressing against his chest, your foreheads coming together as he wrapped his arms around your waist. "Fuck me, Frankie. Please, please." You whisper the last few words over his lips as he started to thrust up inside of you.

You both released a contented sigh at the same time and it made you smile. Even in your worst days, it always felt like you and Frankie were in sync, two halves of a whole. How your body had missed him, missed the soft way he said your name and the way he held you close to him like he wouldn't be satisfied no matter how close you were.

"I missed you," he said, closing his eyes as he guided your hips up and down, rocking against him as your stomachs brushed together.

"You said that already," you smiled, moaning softly as he hit a particularly sweet spot deep inside of you.

"And I'll say it again," he grinned, pressing his nose against your cheek and kissing your lips.

"Charmer," you kissed him back, soft and slowly.

He dipped his head and kissed your neck, sucking along the soft skin of your throat. You wanted him to leave marks like you both were in grade school, making out in the back of the movie theater, kissing in the bed of his truck, back when things were simpler. His arms tightened around your back as you nosed his hair, breathing him in and kissing the top of his head.

"Fuck," he cursed quietly as you ground your hips down on his lap. "You feel so good, baby."

"Don't stop," you moaned softly in his ear as he picked up the pace. "Harder, Cat, harder, please."

He held you tightly as he looked up and put his hand on the back of your neck. "Look at me." You opened your eyes and leaned back slightly to look down at him with heavy eyes. "God damn, you're so beautiful," he whispered and it made you blush. You kissed him hard and slid a hand between the two of you, frantically searching out your clit as his thrusts started to get sporadic and uneven.

"I'm gonna cum, Cat-" you watched as he looked at you and nodded encouragingly.

"Come on, baby. Give it to me. I got you," he panted close to your face as his cock hit the end of you, pumping up inside of you.

Your orgasm took you suddenly and completely. Your mouth opened but no sound came out as you clenched around his cock and squeezed your thighs around his lap. You felt the heat rise up from your core to the rest of your body in a way that made you curl your toes against the bedspread. You threw your head back and groaned out your pleasure to the ceiling, his name falling from your lips with sweet ecstasy as you clung to his shoulders.

He followed right behind you, spilling himself inside your cunt, the feeling of him hot and wet around his cock and starting down your thighs. He thrust hard, and spaced out, a few more times, grunting a mixture of his pleasure and your name with each movement.

"Jesus Christ," he breathed, leaning back against the headboard and pulling you against him.

You pressed your cheek against his chest, breathing hard as you ran your hand up his neck and played your fingers against the scruff along his jaw. He was still inside you and you clenched your thighs again, an afterthought of a muscle twitch left over from your orgasm. It made him groan again and tighten his grip on your hips.

"Sorry," you laughed softly and he chuckled.

"We still got it, don't we?" He asked, looking down at you with a boyish grin.

"I never had any doubts." You crossed your arms on his chest and laid your head on top of them, looking up into his eyes. You shivered as he lifted your hips slightly and his softening cock slid out of you and you both got more comfortable. It was definitely quicker than the two of your normally liked it to be, but after being apart for so long, you had a feeling anything that happened tonight would be desperate and fast.

He dipped his head and kissed you softly, each kiss punctuated but a soft pop in the silence of your bedroom. He brushed your hair away from your face and smiled.

"You want me to head out soon?" He asked, trying to hide the fear in his face of the possibility that you would make him leave.

"No," you said quickly, shaking your head and staying firmly planted on top of his lap. "No, stay the night. Please." You added the last word sweetly and his face relaxed.

"Sure thing, sweetheart." He nosed your hairline and kissed your forehead.

You knew this couldn't last. You knew he was leaving tomorrow for another mission, another pilot seminar, and you were headed upstate for your job as well. You loved Frankie Morales with all of your heart and he felt the same way--life just always seemed to have other plans. And yet, life was just as cruel as it was sweet because somehow, someway, it always brought you two back together.

---

Present Day Some where in the jungles of Columbia

You weren't sure how long you had been traveling. In fact, when you thought about it, you didn't know much of anything. You twisted your wrists in a desperate attempt to relieve the pressure the zip ties were leaving on your skin.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," you whispered, leaning your head back against the side of the van. The bumps and potholes in whatever shitty road you were on caused the back of your skull to bump against the metal. How had this happened?

The last few days had been a blur. You and a group of journalists were having dinner in a local village. You had teamed up with a group of doctors and, in between travel, were lending a hand providing basic medical care to anyone who needed it in the surrounding towns. You cut bandages, gathered clean water, played soccer with the children, and took photos to add to your collection and publish when you got back to the States. It had been a pretty uneventful trip, enjoyable actually, until Lorea's men had shown up. No one seemed to know what the dangers narcos drug lord would be doing in a place like this.

Before you knew what was even happening, there were guns pointed at your crew, men yelling in Spanish that you only vaguely understood, and you raised your hands above your head shouting back, pleading them to calm down. Did they want money? No, that would have been too easy, and as a traveling journalist that dabbled in humanitarian efforts, money was not something you had a lot of anyway.

A rather large man grabbed you by the wrists and even though you struggled, even though you screamed, it didn't make any difference. A hand on your head made you duck as you were shoved into a van along with a few of the others on your crew and the door slammed shut behind you.

"Stop, stop," you tried as the van revved and pulled away down the street. "You don't have to do this--" The man who grabbed you ignored your words, if it was because he didn't understand English or because he didn't care, you weren't sure.

He jerked your wrists in front of your body and wrapped the zip tie around them, pulling it tight. Your heart was beating way too fast and you could feel the blood rushing in your ears and on instinct you pulled your hands away from him and screamed again, turning towards the door. He yelled something in Spanish and pulled his arm back before punching you in the side of the face. Your world exploded into flashes of white as you hit the floor of the van. With the wind knocked from your lungs, you gasped for air and coughed, your eyes burning with hot tears.

The man driving turned and yelled something over his shoulder, obviously upset at his partner for roughing up the merchandise. Your stomach felt nauseous and the last thing you remember was some kind of scratchy material being put over your eyes and the rest of the world went black.

Tag List: @stevieharrrr​ @zeldasayer​ @winters-buck​ @seawhisperer​ If you wanna be tagged, lemmie know!

[softer-ua]

personal crack wants for this arc

-deku running around on his own trying to avoid hero patrols looking for him and also stopping random crimes constantly because he can't just, not, yk?

what are the other kids doing?

two options:

1. there's a deku retrieval squad. possible student participants:

bakugou - will 100% chase after deku's ass unless the idiot explicitly told him not to, and even then... lmao yeah no he's going to search for deku.

ochako - might help since it's izuku tbh, though she might also want to respect izuku's decision

iida - he's class representative so i feel like on one hand he has to stay, but on the other hand deku is his law breaking bro and i could totally see him returning the favour. momo can easily take over his class representative duties because a) i feel as though she's grown into a real leader for the rest of the class b) she's the real representative let's be honest here

todoroki - is always prepared to break the law but might be busy with family bs

others in the class like tsuyu, kirishima, kaminari, jirou, mineta, etc... i doubt it.

shinsou - might be down but that empty seat in 1-A looking real juicy idk

mirio/the ua big three - probably too busy with hero work

the adults? - idek fuck them

Personal want : a longer bakuiida dynamic, (they've been setup since like... chapter five. "remove your feet from the desk" "fucking no, pissy elite robocop" is there a better love story? the corruption of two rule followers as they run from authority to chase their precious stupid green broccoli friend) throwing ochako into the mix would not be bad either. i feel like it would be super hilarious. though the image of todoroki joining them and stealing a car from endeavor to chase mido 😭😭 or todo can be their acomplice in UA keeping the heroes off their tails. i said this was crack didn't i 😭

i don't want them to find deku right away. let them have a buddy road trip arc and get some development. please by the love of god let this happen

2. Option two: Bakugou gets pissed as hell and of course blames himself for Deku leaving, something along the lines of "i wasn't strong enough to keep up so i became a liability and got ditched" + is greying faster than recovery girl over worry for deku. i bet he trains/works like a beast, but with a side of

depression

you get me? that way both he and deku get training arcs and power ups, but they come with spicy sad gay angst. bonus if they did actually talk before deku left but it was a bad talk and they're mad at each other on top of that.

The rest of the characters are also conflicted but generally try to pick up the pieces.

3. the class become drivers of the new hero side, with said side having suffered so many losses. i kind of want them to disagree on what they should be doing and how they should handle things, with deku an important class figure gone. there's room for conflict there. I'd super dig it if "factions" sort of formed and alongside deku we had groups from the class getting their own development so they're not useless come final fight. id love it if by the end, all the different parties and plots collided. i think horikoshi could do a dope job with it.

but tbh, if deku isn't staying at school I don't want the other kids to keep having lessons either. it's just weird, especially since ua is getting turned into an evacuation zone. all their teachers are heroes too, heroes who absolutely need to be on the field. no time for academia in a national crisis.

im trying to think about who deku could train with...

this decision just opened up the story so much there's like 63634 directions this could go

Yasss give me the Bakugo Iida crack head unenthusiastic ally’s road trip we deserve it 😂

If they try give these kids a single math problem I will lose my mind completely

I am 1 billion percent here for the class splitting into more specific factions, even if it’s not disagreement based I’m still down for them developing their special niches like rescue, recon, offense, defense, whatever

I’m doubling down on Grans involvement, maybe he’s putting his mentor hat back on?

[halsteadpd]

The Beginning: Part 3

Part 1 Part 2

So, so sorry this took so long to post! There's been a lot going on in my life and this chapter itself was quite wordy. I definitely wanted to get the "meet" right so hopefully I did justice. I don't have the time or energy to read through this entire chapter again so hopefully I edited correctly lol. Enjoy the penultimate chapter!

XXXX

This is like nothing she's ever done before.

She's scared but she doesn't want to admit it—her heart beats erratically and sometimes she feels as if it will jump out of her chest. Her friends and family had begged her to not go—it was too dangerous, a suicide mission her father called it. But Erin wanted to prove a point; she wanted to show everyone what the war was about.

When the crew landed on an airstrip near the base they would be stationed at, they were quickly ushered off to the side where a car waited on them. The way everyone was on high alert and held long guns around them added to the anxiety Erin was feeling.

Once on base, they're immediately guided towards a tent filled with multiple maps, radios and phones. The noise of the visitor's arrival gains the attention of the colonel and he places the pile of papers he was looking at down on the desk in front of him. He's old—his hair is salt and pepper coloured and wrinkles dig deep into his skin. It's obvious the military and war has taken its toll on him throughout his life.

When he stands and approaches the small group, he towers over all of them. He clears his throat before speaking; his voice matches his appearance. "Afternoon. I'm Colonel Williams, I oversee everything that goes on in this base." He paces back and forth in front of the group which inadvertently makes Erin stand up taller. "It's my job to ensure we get as many American soldiers back on American soil—that includes you." Colonel Williams turns his back to them and stares off in the distance at the maps on the walls. "You will listen to anything and everything my staff tell you to do. When you're out with a team, you keep ten to fifteen metres between each other. If something blows up I want minimal casualties. Meals are at 0600, 1200, and 1800 hours. Other than that, report on whatever you desire. But stay out of the way of my soldiers. They don't need any distractions right now." He turns to face the group again. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir." Erin replies, her voice strong; she didn't want to show she was intimidated by him.

"Very well then. O'Connor. Show them to their living area."

XXXXXXXXX

Erin and her crew have been on base for less than an hour and as they settle in, she can hear explosions from a distance. She's unsure if they're being purposely set off by the army or whether it's the Taliban. She wants to clarify with one of the soldiers on base but after Colonel Williams' speech, she's too scared to approach. They're not there to distract the staff.

A rather large explosion shakes the camp and she can tell it was close by—the fabric of the tent continues to flap around after the dust settles. It also caught the attention of everyone else on the base; there was a pause of all activities before resuming after confirming there was no immediate threat to them.

"That will be your lullaby for the next three months." Erin hears from behind her. When she turns she sees a dark skinned man standing behind her with his arms crossed. "We haven't gotten a break from them for a while now. Good luck sleeping tonight." He says dismissively as he returns to his task, clearly not daunted by the experience.

Later that afternoon, Erin and her crew are going over final details before they embark on their first recon mission the next day. They're all experiencing something new and had the crew not volunteered to come with her, Erin would've felt incredibly guilty bringing people into a warzone. They all knew that there was a chance of not coming home.

For the first day, they want to film what a day looks like in Afghanistan. They've been given permission to interview some soldiers, however their faces need to be blurred in order to comply with the military's rules and to keep the soldier's identities a secret.

In this distance, the sound of concrete exercise equipment being dropped can be heard.

XXXXXXXXXX

He's really been slacking on his fitness lately. As much as he tries to keep himself busy, reminders of home intrude his brain. Memories of that night still haunt him, often leaving him without an appetite. He's lost some weight and knows he needs to keep as much weight on as he can—it's the one thing that will keep him alive in a bind.

The lack of food mixed with missing workouts is hurting him today. He's taking longer rest periods to compensate for the fatigue.

In the dusty sunlight, he spots the media group sitting at a table. The base was alerted of their presence for approximately three months; they were told to not get sidetracked with the new distractions—it could get them all hurt or killed.

There's two men and a woman sitting, pouring over notes thoroughly. He can't help but notice how small and fragile the woman looks. The war is no place for her. It's people like her that get kidnapped and held for ransom. She shouldn't be here.

He's not a big fan of the media; they often vilify soldiers as the enemy. The thing is Jay never signed up for a war or invading another country; he just wanted to serve his country as a proud American. Sometimes he thinks about how he could've done that on American soil, without blood on his hands.

Feeling eyes on her, Erin looks towards the general workout area and notices a man sitting on a bench behind some dumbbells that rest at his feet. She notices him shake his head in what looked like annoyance before he returns to his bicep curls.

XXXXXXXX

The next morning, Jay is getting ready for patrol with his squad. He's slinging his vest over his shoulders when he sees three new people join in his periphery—the media group. Soon, they are joined by Colonel Williams and all the soldiers straighten up immediately.

"At ease. Today, you'll be escorting our fine visitors during your patrol. Understood?" Colonel Williams asks. "Don't forget to introduce yourselves."

"Yes sir!" One by one, the members of the army introduce themselves to Erin and her two crew members. When Jay stands in front of her, he once again notices how petite she is—he feels even more dread for her as he towers over her.

"I'm Halstead." He says, holding out his rough, calloused hand towards Erin. When she puts her hand in his, Jay can't help but notice how soft it is—how undamaged and unmarred it is.

"Erin Lindsay." She says back, smiling with her dimples in full effect as she takes in his sea green eyes that squint in the harsh sunlight. Summer is ending—thankfully—but the sun is still strong against their skin. There's a moment of anticipation between them—almost like tension before Jay lets go and rubs the back of his neck nervously. They both share a shy laugh before Jay interrupts the awkwardness.

"I'm, uh, going to go finish getting dressed." He points over his shoulder before immediately turning, not waiting for Erin to acknowledge his words. He doesn't know what has gotten into him, he's usually more in control of his emotions and feelings. Of course she's drop dead gorgeous and her smile makes his legs shake—but he had just gotten out of something apparently messy and Afghanistan is the last place he should be looking for fun. Right?

Jay straps on his knee and elbow pads before securing his helmet and sunglasses. He slips his radio into his vest before putting on his gloves. Grabbing his gun, he stands prepared with the rest of the group.

They've decided that Erin and her crew will be located in the middle of the group in case of an ambush from behind. The media is never given military weapons to defend themselves and are given the bare minimum equipment—they'll get helmets and vests.

Once they've confirmed they got everything they need, they set off west. There's not much to see on this side but the last thing the US Army needed was attention for getting journalists killed. Terrorists generally didn't care about laws to protect medical and media personnel. Regardless of the safer path, they are still scoping out any suspicious behaviour and the chance of getting blown up by a landmine is still there.

XXXXXXXXXX

He doesn't know why, but he's incredibly nervous for her. He's thankful to be a part of the back group so he can see her at all times. The vest is weighing her down—she's drowning in it and he can see her struggling under the weight. One of the squad mates showed her how to rest her hands on the front of the vest to make it more comfortable, it doesn't look like it's helping.

When the group begins to slow down and ultimately comes to a stop, he's on high alert. Jay's eyes skirt the landscape while also keeping an eye on the team. Based on the leader's body language, he knows something is up—it's not a drill.

Quietly, they're all ordered into the ditch on the side of the road and they lay on their stomachs. The media group seems to cower as they wait for their next instructions. They all wait a few minutes before sounds in the distance grow nearer. Jay's heart is beating fast and his respiration rate is up, but during his time overseas he's learned how to control it. When he peers over to his left towards Erin and her crew, he can see the fear and anxiety on their faces.

Unlike soldiers, civilians aren't trained to the extent as they are. They've gone through intense drilling and teachings to prepare for stressful situations in country.

The sounds grow closer and everyone is looking up from the ditch to see who crosses their path. Noticing it is just a couple of civilians with farming equipment, they all move out from the side of the road, some of them confronting the citizens.

Two of the group mates search their person and through the translator ask questions about local terrorists on the hit list. Jay stands back and observes their surroundings and the conversation, not wanting to be surprised by anything. Ambushes happen often and he'd prefer that it didn't happen now—not when she was here.

"This is vile." He hears Erin say to her camera man. "Innocent people being searched for what?" The man raises the camera to shoot the scene but Erin blocks it. "Let's at least give them some semblance of privacy. The rest has already been stripped away."

Jay realizes that Erin is right. Never in the U.S. would something like this happen; they had rights to privacy and unlawful search as citizens. What difference did it make here? Did it really matter whether or not civilians could be in with terrorist groups? Was he really the good guy in this situation?

A lot of the things he's forced to do aren't done by choice. He's there to follow orders. Many of the things he does or has seen being done overseas goes against his personal values; it sometimes makes him think that maybe he should've been a doctor after all.

After a few more minutes, they move forward with their patrol once declaring the two villagers clear.

Later that night at camp, Erin steps in front of the camera to record her segment for her news station. Jay's eating dinner and has a clear view of her—the light shines brightly on her face as she holds up the microphone. She looks focused and determined—Jay can tell that it's definitely her passion.

If only he could find his.

XXXXXXXXX

The next day is his off-day, and he doesn't have much to do. The pain of Ava leaving has dissipated and he no longer thinks about her as often as he used to. He continues his routine of working out and cleaning all his equipment throughout the day before scrimmaging with some of the others with a game of soccer.

The sun is setting in the distance meaning soon his day of rest and relaxation will be over. He'll be back to the war soon.

During dinner, Jay sees Erin sitting alone and after a couple of seconds deliberating, he decides to join her. She's surprised by the sudden presence next to her but she welcomes it. She's beginning to feel home sick and being here helps her empathize with what all of those on deployment feel. Jay notices a dejected look on her face and immediately knows what she is feeling—he experienced the same during his first tour.

"Everything alright?" He asks as he digs into his food, clearly ravenous from his day.

"Yeah…" She sighs. "It's just an entirely different world out here. It's not like home."

"Meaning?" Jay questions, not sure what she is referencing to. Of course it's a drastic change compared to what they are used to—he assumed she would have been ready to see that; he assumed she was the only one capable of making it out of here.

"Honestly, I don't even know how to explain it." Erin drops her fork onto the table. "I would love to go home but I need to be here—people should know what you guys go through on a daily basis. You don't have the luxury of calling it quits whenever you want."

"That's fair. But you're not here long right? Just a few months?" Jay offers, hopefully in solace.

"Yeah, I'm allowed to go home early if I want but I don't want to. Not when so many Americans are left behind." She sighs deeply and presses her fingers to her temples, wanting to relieve the built up tension.

"It's not being left behind, Erin. We signed up for this." Did we really sign up for the things asked of us though?

"Why'd you do it? Sign up?" Erin asks, wanting to know how he ended up more than halfway across the world. Surely he had a family that worried about him and his choices.

"Well, I had this whole plan set up for me in my life since I was in high school." He chews and swallows the bite of food in his mouth. "But when I started working towards those goals I realized that it wasn't for me. So I signed up for the army." He shrugs as if it wasn't a difficult choice to make.

"Do you regret it?" When she notices Jay's hesitation, she backtracks and hopefully clears up any fear for repercussions he may have. "This is all in confidence, I won't be submitting any of this. I just wanted to know."

"Sometimes." Jay nods somberly. "Those days where you lose your friends or when firefights go on without any end in sight are the worst. But then you're reminded of everyone else you have left that you need to fight for. And the ones that died for you."

"You're incredibly humble to say that." Erin smiles before reaching out to his free hand and squeezes it in comfort.

He's sure he looks like a deer caught in headlights. The soft skin of her hand rested on the rough and calloused one of his electrified every sense and nerve in his body. His mouth dries and he knows it isn't the type that will be soothed with water; this isn't something he has felt for a long time—this isn't something he expected he'd feel for a long time. I'm in trouble.

"Thank you, I really needed that." Erin says before she grabs her plate from the table and leaves him sitting there, absolutely stunned.

XXXXXXXX

Over the next few days, their dinner "dates" become a routine. They talk about their day and talk about things from back home. For Jay, it feels nice to connect with someone that isn't a soldier—it almost makes him feel like he is home. It brings a sense of security and comfort over him; in a warzone that's more than a blessing.

However, every night he sees that familiar look in her eyes—fear. He's never broached the topic, not wanting to overstep but it tugs at his heart strings a bit. He knows she's there voluntarily, but this life isn't one for a civilian. When he remembers that thought, he immediately feels for those who live in the countries that have been terrorized by soldiers flying in from every country that can afford a war. This isn't a life for anyone.

Their dinner routine slowly transitions more to an evening routine. Instead of exclusively talking at the table while they eat and going their separate ways, they'll talk late into the night—getting to know each other more and more.

Whenever they wake up the next day, the other is on their mind.

When Erin goes out with other groups, he worries. He knows it's dangerous to let his mind sway—distraction on the job could result in death or injury. It's hard to ignore the fact that everyday he falls more and more for her. It's the first time in months he's actually felt something other than anger and hurt and he welcomes it. When she eventually returns to base safe, he breathes out in relief and a metaphoric weight is lifted off his shoulders.

Others have begun to notice how much time they spend together—some tease him about it. They call her "Jay's Girl."

He tries his best to hide the crew's banter from her, not wanting to embarrass himself; he's sure she doesn't feel the same way. Just like him, she's here to do her job before flying back home. Soon they may not even see each other again—she's a New York girl and he's a Chicago native.

What Jay doesn't notice, however, is Erin's behaviour when he's not paying attention. The lingering glances; the soft smile on her lips when she sees him return from a mission; the way her anxiety skyrockets when she hears an explosion and knows he's out. He's been blind to it all.

He's kind and charming and he listens to her, hanging onto every word; she's never met someone like him. Not to mention, he's physically attractive which compliments his incredible personality. But Erin remembers the Colonel's words from her first day—the last thing she wants is to be a reason why he didn't make it home. Even if he didn't have anyone waiting on him, he still deserved to have his life back there.

XXXXXXXXXX

It's one of the last few warm nights that Jay will experience on his tour. In the mornings it's beginning to get cold, so they all bask in the warmth as much as they can in the afternoons and early evenings. There's a carefree attitude that surrounds the camp—there's a team guarding them while everyone else engages in some sort of recreational activity.

Jay's showing Erin how he cleans and maintains his gun. They're so focused on the task that they slowly melt away from their environment—all that matters to them at that moment is that they are together. Their shoulders lightly brush against each other but neither of them decide to move away to avoid the contact.

He hears it before seeing it, but the sound makes him turn around. In a split second, he's seeing a fiery explosion from the rocket launcher aimed towards their base.

"AMBUSH!" Someone yells out.

The camp is in a frenzy after that. Nobody has their equipment or guns nearby—currently their only defense are those on the border of the base. It's evident those soldiers unfortunately won't last long before succumbing to injuries from bullets and bombs.

Jay pushes Erin to the ground and orders her to hide under the bed—it likely wouldn't do much but it was her best chance at survival. He's glad he was near his gun but the fact that he doesn't have any vest or helmet is concerning.

The explosions continue and Jay moves forward—towards the combat. He can see a few of his friends lying on the ground; they had no chance during the surprise assault. As he fires at the attackers, thinking about how dumb it is to attack a military base. They're in their element—they have all the equipment and ammunition needed. Not to mention all of those deployed in the area were currently on base. They'll easily outnumber their attackers.

Explosions continue and based on how close they're getting to him, he realizes they're likely in the base now—all of the soldiers who were too close to the fire likely didn't have enough equipment or troops to defend their territory.

While Jay continues to move forward—using his gun as his only defense—he notices something dark fly over his head. When he turns his head back to see what it was, his eyes widen in horror as he sees Erin out in the open with her camera crew, filming the fight.

"ERIN! WATCH OUT!" He takes off in her direction but the second he starts running, the bomb explodes. The smoke clouds his vision but nonetheless he continues towards his target. Some of the equipment close to their sleeping quarters had been blown up; their attackers had likely scoped the place out without anyone noticing.

When the dust and dirt settles, Jay can feel himself almost pass out. Lying in a heap are Erin and her two crew men, unmoving.

"ERIN!" He yells out again, keeping an eye out for any movement from her—there isn't any.

By the time he reaches the group, he notices the camera men are okay, they're slowly making their way into seated positions, continuously coughing while trying to rid their lungs of smoke. When Jay flips Erin onto her back, he takes in the blood gushing from a wound in her shoulder and consequently, it begins to leak out of her open mouth and nose when her body is shifted.

"Erin, please say something." He checks for a carotid pulse and when he finds a weak one, he quickly picks her up bridal style and runs her to the medic's tent. Blood continues to come out of her wound at a rapid pace, pressuring Jay to run even faster.

Once he arrives, he places her down softly on the bed; it's here he finally realizes he's crying. He goes to wipe his eyes when he notices blood covering his hands—his knees begin to shake and he thinks he's going to be sick. The medic begins to rip Erin's shirt off of her and begins to place heart rate leads all over her chest. Her right hand hangs off of the bed and not wanting her to be alone through this, Jay takes a few steps towards her.

Before he gets to her, hands wrap around Jay's shoulders and begin to push him backwards, ushering him out of the tent before the flaps are closed, cutting off any sight of her.

XXXXXX

I've worked so hard for this, please leave a review!

[thatringboy]

Aaaaaaaand here’s Maei’s wife: Yangyue!

Generational Warrior

”My father was a fool for living life so vicariously. However, there is some beauty in living every day like it’s your last.”

A captain of the Millelith stationed in Liyue Harbor who’s family has a long history of service.

General Information

Name: Fa Yangyue

Age: 25

Affiliation: Millelith

Birthdate: February 23

Starsign: Pisces

Constellation: Fulgur Anguis

Weapon: Polearm

Vision: Electro

Voice Claims

CVA: Su Lin

JVA: Sayaka Ohara

EVA: Erin Ebers

Voice Lines

Good Morning: Ah, good day, Traveler

Good Afternoon: Have you seen Maei? I need to know if she ate lunch or not

Good Evening: Evening, Traveler, where do we set off to tomorrow?

Good Night: *Yawn* Goodnight, shall we reconvene in the morning?

When It Rains: Stay away from me, I don’t want to accidentally shock you

When It Snows: Someone once told me that we could eat the snow if it becomes thick enough. I don’t see the appeal, do you?

When It’s Sunny: Ah, feeling the sun on my face rejuvenates my spirit!

Favorite Food: I am always in the mood for some herbal tea and some sugar candies. Maei may have told you this, but I have a giant sweet tooth

Least Favorite Food: My food must have a certain level of spice. I will throw up any bland food I consume

About: Vision: Mine belonged to my father before it came to me. One day at work, my squad was pulled to help a caravan of travelers who were under attack. I only found out that my father was among them when I arrived to see him be impaled on the sword of a Treasure Hoarder… we only had a few minutes to whisper our apologies to each other before he passed and his Vision awoke for me in his wake. For my service during that fight, I was promoted to Captain. The title is a reminder of how I failed as a daughter to support my father’s dream

About: Interests: My interests? Uh… I… *Sigh* this is embarrassing but all of my free time is spent taking care of my mother and spending time with Maei. I don’t have any hobbies… well, I guess I enjoy singing from time to time. I also like traveling to foreign nations for work purposes as the Millelith’s foreign affairs captain

About Childe: Childe, the eleventh Fatui Harbinger. I have no personal quarrel with him - we even work together unofficially for some… recon missions. However, given Maei’s history with his organization, I keep my distance even when we work unprofessionally

About Hu Tao: Little Miss Hu, the Millelith has mixed feelings about her. I find her to be quite exciting to be around. You never know what she will say next

About Xingqiu: *Sigh* If I get another complaint from his father about the Millelith letting that boy run around the harbor without an escort, I’m quitting my job and becoming an adventurer full time with Maei. He’s a young man with a Vision, he doesn’t need a bodyguard. I am also a fan of a book series he recommended to me: A Legend of Sword. Sadly, I haven’t had the time to tell him my thoughts on the series

About Xiao: I met him while I was stationed in the Stone Gate a few years ago. I thought he was a regular adventurer who bit off more than he could chew, so I slew the monsters pursuing him and administered first aid. Only afterwards did he reveal his name to me and told me that if I was ever in need of assistance, to call out his name. That was seven years ago, before I met Maei… I wonder what he’s doing now…

About Diluc: He works with Maei, or did a few years ago. I’ve only met him through letters we’ve exchanged, but he seems completely different than his reputation among my peers. At first I thought he was a bloodthirsty monster who’s only goal was to purge the world of evil. Turns out he just has daddy issues like me

About Keqing: She’s nice outside of work. When I received my Vision, she’s the one that gave me pointers on how to control my new powers. I hold a lot of respect for her and her position

About Ningguang: I feel bad about the loss of the Jade Chamber, but she is remarkably resilient. I know Liyue is in good hands with her

About Ganyu: Keqing and Maei often compare me to Miss Ganyu. I don’t see it, but maybe she would know more?

About: Family: My mother currently lives in Qingce Village even though she is still on the younger side. I try to visit her with Maei whenever I can to keep her from being lonely. I have a few cousins in service as well, Kun and Fugui. I’ve even introduced Maei to the entire extended Fa Family! M-My father? … he was my hero. He was the only Fa who never joined the Millelith and instead was an adventurer. He would bring back stories of adventures he went on all across Teyvat and I wanted to be just like him! Until I turned sixteen and my eyes opened to how hard and unproviding that lifestyle was. I joined the ranks of the Millelith with my family and like them, ostracized my own father because I was too stubborn to see how much he loved his job. We had an argument that night and didn’t speak for five years until the night he died. I never got to show him my favorite posts or sing to him… I never introduced him to my wife… I never got to truly forgive him and myself… *sniff* sorry, Traveler, let me compose myself.

About: The Adepti: You know, I was a participant in the battle against Osial. It WAS supposed to be my day off, so I used my free time to explore the Jade Chamber as I had an invitation from Madam Keqing, but SOMEONE decided to raise an ancient god of the sea! I had to grab the nearest weapon and start fighting off the Fatui right there! To be honest, it was rather cathartic. Maei later asked me how many of the enemy I took out and her eyes lit up like I had never seen before. When the chamber went down, I simply hopped onto Cloud Retainer’s back and flew to safety. While I was on her back, she actually spoke to me. She thanked me for saving Alatus’ life that one time and then congratulated me on my anniversary with Maei… how did she know that?

About: The Qixing: It is my duty as a Millelith captain to serve the Qixing. I would gladly lay down my life for my government and my people… don’t tell Maei that. She gets uneasy when I make that vow

About: The Millelith: While the Millelith stands guard, evil shall never prevail!

About: Her Scar: My scar? It’s an embarrassing story to be completely honest… it was the one and only time I ever tried fishing. I tried to throw my line into the water and the wind picked up, snapping the hook back in my face. I was lucky to not lose my eye!

About: Timeline: Well, I joined the Millelith when I was sixteen, met Maei at nineteen, married her at twenty, got my Vision at twenty-one and now I’m twenty-five. Yeah… early adulthood for me was a bumpy ride…

About: Hair: I’m actually a pretty good hairstylist. I do Maei and I’s hair myself. Her hair is hard to brush and her scalp is sensitive, so I wake up early to do her hair before heading to work. If you couldn’t tell, my love language is acts of service. Before Maei, I had long hair I put into a top knot, but I cut it short so that I can spend all my time with her… that’s a little cheesy, huh?

About: Electro: Electro is the element of eternity. I suppose that fits me, coming from a family that has served Liyue for dozens of generations. Yet this Vision belonged to my father; the black sheep of my family. Perhaps his eternity was more living every day like it was his last than continuing a legacy. I wonder what my personal eternity will reveal itself to be…

[believerindaydreams]

It's Saturday night, I'll write some Colonel Autumn being a dick to Arcade fanfic if I wanna

Autumn

Defending Paradise Falls. Ha.

Up to now the arrangement has been going smoothly enough- the Enclave lets their activities slide, even pays half again what Ashur would for a first pick at quality captives. Given the alternative of being sent north to the Pitt, most people are only too happy to be taken to the shelter of Raven Rock.

Part of the bargain, though, was to save them if anyone should break through the defences- and so that's what you and your men are doing here, responding to Eulogy's urgent plea. Standing at the gate of a settlement wreathed in flame.

"Sir," one of the men says. "Shouldn't we be assisting?"

You watch the slavers, firing for their lives; and the flag of the Temple of the Union waving above Hannibal Hamlin's incinerator squad. A sense of overweening disgust takes you.

"Let them wipe each other out. We'll move in when it's over."

They wouldn't trust the assessment from anyone else; but you're Colonel Autumn, darling of the Enclave, and your word is iron law.

So they hold fire until the battlefield is only a cemetery, bodies of slavers and slaves scattered, and then you nod and they move in. Plenty of flame here to cleanse the corpses, scour this place for keeps.

Ashur will be displeased; well, let him be. It doesn't do to let any one faction in the Wasteland grow too powerful, and there's still too much risk of him rejoining his former allegiance. A Brotherhood with the Pitt's resources at its command could break the Capitol balance of power.

And as for Hannibal...well. President Eden doesn't care for non Enclave heroes.

So he's a particular priority to locate; and when your men report him in the clinic, defended by an Enclave Eyebot of all things, you raise an eyebrow and follow.

They aren't joking. Half its metal fronds are gone, it bobs up and down in a faltering pattern, but it's still functioning somehow. Impressive. They usually explode after the slightest tap-

wait, is this one of those Duraframe models? Damnit, this should have been scrapped already.

It does its best to zap anyone who goes near it; and any of your men could down it at need but they're all holding back, perplexed and disturbed. No one's ever hacked an Eyebot like this before.

There might be a good explanation, of course.

You nod at the Eyebot, draw your gun and place it down again. In its place, you hold out a super stimpak. It beeps, twice, and when you move forward it allows you.

Hannibal is alive, if barely; a medkit will keep him that way for now. The others- a mix of silver Temple armor and those new-fangled Follower coats- aren't wounded quite so badly, you can afford the resources to patch them up.

Somewhere around the second bottle of purified water wasted on someone who might not even be good Enclave material, you realise that you've slipped back into character, Lone Wanderer instead of colonel, and that's a foolish thing to do with your men watching in silence. They shouldn't watch their leader showing softness, or aimlessly pocketing ammo like a common prospector. Maybe it's been too long since you've travelled with Boone.

"I will fight you," Hannibal mumbles, training a lever-action rifle on you.

It has been too long. Taking this sort of risk doesn't befit this uniform. "I'm not trying to kill anyone. Shut up and let the Enclave save you people."

He lets the gun drop, but maintains a hard stare. "I never heard that your men ever left your Vertibirds."

You lean in close. "I stole this colonel's uniform so these folks wouldn't shoot me. They don't know I'm the Lone Wanderer."

His pained face eases into a smile. "That isn't a title to be claimed lightly."

"Believe me, I don't."

He chuckles, accepts the vodka you offer him. "I remember forging a claim just that mad and making it stick...all right then, Colonel. How about the slavers, any of them make it out?"

"No. We made sure."

"Good...Arcade? Arcade, we did it. We're still alive, and it's thanks to your medic skills."

The Follower he's attempting to wake groans, covers filthy glasses with the sleeve of an even dirtier coat. "Take two stims and call me in the morning. I'm done in."

One of the others is waking now, a short woman who was still clutching her shotgun when she passed out. "Hannibal? Arcade? You feel as good as I do?"

"Just about," Hannibal says warmly. "And I'm very proud of you."

She snorts at him. "Enough soft soap. I only helped murder, oh, every slaver in Paradise Falls."

None of your men would talk back to you like that.

For a moment, you wish they might.

*****

Arcade

Well. This is good and bad.

It's good, because the last time he was conscious had left him fairly sure it would be the last. The trip here was meant to be recon, not a full-fledged battle; Hannibal's insistence on always being prepared is all that had saved them. Well, and his own battlefield skills, which have improved of necessity on this coast. And Simone carrying so many guns that everyone in the pen could take one.

And the small Eyebot that's been their secret weapon, going in for the kill in tight spots. He's sure it made the difference between their life and death at the last, when Eulogy and his minions were taking them on personally.

And considering that, thinking of blowing up ED-E seems hugely ungrateful.

He repacks his depleted doctor's bag, feels the heavy weight of the detonator in his pocket. One quick movement and it would be over. Nothing to tie him to a piece of technology that he had no business dealing with in the first place.

An Eyebot bound for Navarro, never even making it out of the Wasteland; and if it reached its goal it would find nothing but dust.

Arcade raises the detonator unobtrusively, looks at the Eyebot. An Enclave scientist is trying to mend it, cursing under his breath as it beeps cheekily, bobbing up and down.

He sighs and doesn't fire, walks back into the clinic to meet Hannibal, who's beaming with pleasure.

"All well then?"

"Frankly, I could have done without the Enclave swooping in to loot everything. Simone's giving me plenty of lip for that. But we've found a few more survivors and the Colonel's men are helping out." His voice softens. "And Paradise Falls is broken forever. We can go back to the Memorial and be at peace, now."

"Actually, Arcade Gannon will be coming with us."

Arcade jumps- not least because he hadn't heard the colonel's footsteps. "Sorry?"

"Can I speak bluntly to you two?" Autumn asks, in an undertone.

"Shoot," Hannibal says, evenly. "Because he seems taken aback by this."

"See, it's like this...my men checked the records, they say he's a deserter. That means either him or his head. I'd rather it be him, you know?"

The soft drawl is attractive, but not enough to distract him from the content. "That's a- a mistake?"

"We have good records," Autumn says, looking apologetic. "And the Eyebot...the Eyebot was a give-away, you know. They wanted to know who did that. And more than that..." His voice lowers. "I need help. Badly. We're supposed to go back to Raven Rock today, and I don't even know where the damn place is."

Arcade looks around to see if any Enclave soldiers are here to witness this remarkable statement. They aren't.

"You get into some funny situations when you're the Lone Wanderer."

"Oh! Boone's friend!"

"...you know him?"

Arcade gulps down an incriminating statement. "Yeah. He shows up at the Followers tent for help with his addictions, he has a weakness for Steady. And moonshine. I tell him to cut back and he never does."

"Sounds familiar," Autumn says dryly. "My vice is vodka- he talks about me? Because I've met more talkative Deathclaws."

"Ooh...um, not that much. But apparently you pay well and you don't sleep enough."

"True enough...and look, I'll be honest with you. This scares me. An in to Raven Rock is the biggest thing I've ever been caught up in, and in twenty minutes I have to head there with no backup. Maybe you could come along?"

"If you're unwilling to go back," Hannibal says, squaring his shoulders. "We'll help you. I don't approve of people being held under duress."

"But I could do so much good by finding out how they tick," Autumn says quietly. "Even if it kills me."

"It will kill you," Arcade blurts out. "You don't know what you're doing here."

The door swings open, a soldier marches in and salutes. "Sir. The Vertibird is warming up."

"You don't have to go," Hannibal says, loading his gun; and Arcade knows that's meant for both of them.

"Duty calls," Autumn says.

And his solemn tone decides Arcade like no rational argument could; a man walking into hell of his own accord with no idea how to get out. Because he's trying to save the Wasteland, because there's no one here to help.

And it isn't even Autumn's responsibility, or heritage, or guilt.

Arcade steps in front of him. "I'm convinced. I'll come back to the Enclave."

It's the thing he's been running from all his life; and he won't let an innocent walk into it alone.

"And the test came back on this, sir. Scientists say it won't explode, but they can't quite figure what it does."

Autumn takes the weapon, gingerly pockets it. "We'll let them loose on it at base."

"Tell the Followers," Arcade starts, and stops. "Tell them I'm dead."

Boone would understand, feeling like destiny has caught up. He won't have the others trapped too.

"I'll honour that," Hannibal agrees. "Godspeed, Follower."

If it's the last time anyone will call him that, there isn't a better man to say it.

That's the last thought he has, as they go outside and start for the Vertibird; because Colonel Autumn doesn't take a chance and shoots him in the back.

The Eyebot that witnesses the act goes down next.

[belliesandburps]

Non-Kink:  Top 12 Best Stealth Action Games

I was inspired by my dear pal, @twistedtummies2, to share a lil bit of non-kink related stuff about myself with’chall.  One thing to know about me is I’m a huge lover of video games.  I may not have as much time to PLAY ‘em much these days, but dammit if they aren’t one of my biggest joys beyond writing and the great outdoors. 

And my favorite genre in all of gaming is the stealth action genre.  Anyone who knows me knows that I adore the Metal Gear Solid series, but I also love a whole bunch of other stealth action games because, to me, this genre is the one with the most meat to come back to.  Stealth action done right is you being put in a room or outpost or whatever with a bunch of bad guys, and trying to carry out an objective without engaging with the enemies.  OR, it’s picking off the bad guys one by one, quickly and quietly.  Oooooor it’s you try to be sneaky, get caught, say fuck it, and wage war with an armada of Russians because isn’t it always Russians.  XD

I love that so many stealth action games can play out so many different ways.  And the feeling of escalation, like trying to be sneaky, and being overwhelmed when you’re caught and having to escape a hectic situation?  That, to me, is more thrilling than ANY set piece or scripted, linear mission from any game I’ve ever played.  It’s why I’ve replayed many of these games time and time again, and haven’t even THOUGHT about most of the biggest AAA blockbusters upon beating them.

Now, this list is subject to change.  I have a few games I need to play and they may beat out a few on this list.  But for now, here’s my Top 12 Best Stealth Action games because on top of being a thirsty old bastard, I loves me some espionage and bandana action.  :P

12) Batman: Arkham Origins (2013)

This game gets a lot of flak, but believe it or not, it’s actually my favorite in the Arkham series.  It’s City with a new coat of paint and a few more bugs, but City was still awesome, and so is this game.  It had plenty of clever predator stealth sequences, with more enemy variety to shake things up, that always made wiping out the bad guys swiftly and silently deeply rewarding.  AND it had more stealth action boss fights.  City had Mr. Freeze and a single predator fight rehashed twice with Two Face and Harley.  Origins had Mr. Freeze again, but with new additional options, and a pre-fight stage where you had to stay outta sight.  It also had Deadshot, the best of the three basic “predator boss” types, as well as TN-1 Bane as the final boss, and damn if it wasn’t intense.  With more gadgets and clever ways to mix and match, I think this game would be higher, but it’s still a great one for lovers of more approachable stealth action paired up with excellent brawler combat.

11) Assassin's Creed (2007)

The other AC games may be better, but AC1 is the only game in the series to stay consistent and simple with its design philosophy.  Here are targets for you to assassinate, here are bolstering crowds with beautiful cities to Parkour across or hide within, and at every turn, there are hiding spots but also enemies, making situations escalate organically and entertainingly with each assassination.  Hence why, despite most people regarding AC1 as the weakest entry, it's my personal favorite.  It's the one I replay the most and the one that just stays consistent with what it advertises.  No more, no less. 10) Hitman (2016)

I've yet to play the other Hitman games, and by accounts, each sequel is better than the last.  But you've seen the Jackie boy vids.  What more need be said?  :P

9) Death Stranding (2019)

Death Stranding's kind of a jack of all trades in the stealth action.  On one hand, you have conventional stealth action where you're infiltrating enemy camps and can either pick off all the bad guys one by one or go nuts and fight everybody head on.  On the other hand, you have BT's, whom you sneak around by holding your breath and moving slowly, lest these ghostly monsters drag you out to a tarpit for a boss fight.  The stealth is fairly simplistic but functional.  Combat as is would be fairly shallow, were it not for the sheer quantity of options you have in any given battle.  Seriously, you have a sticky gun that lets you snatch cargo straight off a bad guys back then immediately bludgeon him unconscious with it, and snatch HIS cargo to smash his BUDDY out cold with that in one fell swoop.  The way situations can organically just bleed from stealth to action and give you options for both makes it a blast.  And the boss fights against Cliff and Higgs are almost all I could ask for from stealth action battles. 8) Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020)

I DO wish the game had some stealth action boss fights, but far as superhero games are concerned, no game has better stealth action than Miles Morales.  It hits fast and is deeply gratifying.  You have corridors with as much as twenty plus bad guys, and you can clean it out in minutes thanks to being able to hide in plain sight through invisibility.  Venom Takedowns with let you wipe out a chain succession of enemies all at once.  Corridors have TONS of environmental advantages to wipe out a bunch of bad guys with one move.  And unlike Spider-Man or Arkham, if you're caught, just go invisible, flee, and go right back to picking off baddies in seconds.  It's like playing a predator sequence in an Arkham game on steroids...and in fast forward.  And the sheer volume of enemies you're often up against keeps it from feeling too easy. 7) Ghost Recon: Breakpoint (2019)

This game SUCKED at launch.  Like, it was actual trash that became a chore to finish when it first came out.  But fair's fair, Ubisoft stuck with it and the end result is one of the most customizable experiences I've ever had in gaming.  Like, this game is straight up now designed to let you change the entire experience simply by pausing the game and flipping a new options on and off and have it immediately go into effect.

I hated the injury mechanics of the first game because it slowed you down and led to a lot of random, unfair deaths because you could never predict which attacks would be critical and which wouldn’t.  So now, I can turn them off.  I thought bad guys were brain-dead.  So I can make them smarter.  I thought constantly slowing down when I'm running from bullets was detrimental, so now, I can make stamina limitless. 

I thought some areas had way too many guards to viably take out without co-op buddies...soooo I can activate an entire squad of AI partners all throughout the game with me and there's a lot of coordination you can do with your team for really covert missions...and you can even customize their look to create a team that looks as cool or goofy as you want.  It’s a really dorky thing, but I LOVE customization in shooters and being able to fully customize, not just yourself, but your team to look however you want in missions is really fun.

And if you think the enemies are too easy to take down?  Turn on Terminator mode and have T-800's storming the place.  Yeah, freakin’ Terminators.  XD

The game gives you literally all the options you could ask for to have an experience perfectly tuned to what you WANT to have.  And the options you have make it so the game can feel like an entirely different, borderline strategy game instead of a solid third person shooter.  You can activate a drone now to coordinate your three AI buddies to stop and go where you want, mark targets for them to eliminate and have your eye on the entire battlefield.  It's honestly staggering how many options this game has.  And were the missions not so boilerplate and were the boss fights actual boss fights and not just reskins of basic enemies, this would be one of the best games ever.  As is, it's a genuinely impressive comeback story!  6) Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (2016)

Mankind Divided is the game Cyberpunk WISHES it was (Spoiler Alert: Cyberpunk isn’t very fun or responsive yet).  It's a game with some spectacular level design where there are dozens of ways around any given enemy and tons of options for any mission.  You have a wide assortment of augmentations to let you sneak or fight your way through any scenario and they give you the tools to use your robot powers in really clever ways for navigation purposes.  This is a game where even the simplest side mission has about a dozen different outcomes, and most of them are wholly organic.  What it needed was more...well, GAME.  After all, MD is a third of the game it was meant to be.  But it IS a marvel of stealth action goodness. 5) The Last of Us: Part 2 (2020)

I have a BUNCH of issues with this game, but on the subject of stealth action, TLOU2 is one of the best in the genre.  Every single encounter is highly difficult, but has dozens of variations.  The levels are all designed with tons of varied cover spots and hidden paths to let you navigate as you either pick off the bad guys one by one, or sneak past them.  The enemies range in their weaponry, but possess self preservation, so they aren't just standing around shooting aimlessly. 

And on top of that, combat is brutal.  Every bullet counts, and you feel the impact of every shot fired.  The melee system is simple but complements gunplay fantastically.  So if you wanna save bullets, you can shoot someone in the leg, and as they stagger, you can bumrush them, grab a hammer or brick you find on the ground as you're running and bludgeon them to death to save bullets.  The game also has a great lil "MGS4 Battlefield Stealth" system.  Several encounters have humans and infected, and you can pit the two against one another and either sneak around the carnage or use it to pick off the harder enemies.

The game also has a FAR better predator fight that's basically David's fight in the first game, but with way better mechanics.  The boss increasingly upgrades their weapon each time you attack them, the environment is perfect for this fight, and if you're caught, you aren't just dead, you have a means to escape a hairy situation.  TLOU2 may have been deeply polarizing, story-wise, but as a GAME, it's terrific.  And best yet, once you beat the main game, there's an encounter mode that lets you skip all the BS and just jump right into every single stealth action encounter and boss fight throughout the whole game risk free.  What's not to love about that? 4) Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater HD (2004 / 2010)

MGS3 is the first really great linear MGS game.  It ditches that terrible fixed camera, simplifies the controls, and has more than ten rooms where you do any sneaking.  Its best moments are proto-MGSV outposts, where you have an area with tons of guards and multiple paths to your objective, and a whole lot of opportunities to get creative.  It was also the first MGS game that made combat just as viable as stealth.  You CAN actually just punch your way through the bad guys now, and the end result is shockingly fun thanks to all the weapons and more intuitive controls.  But the real star is the boss battles.  MGS3 has some of the best bosses of any video game I've ever played in my life.  And MOST of them incorporate stealth beautifully.  To the point where you can eliminate half the bosses with any of 'em ever even knowing your location, and giving you a plethora of variety in the bosses themselves AND the means in which you fight them.

3) Splinter Cell: Blacklist (2013)

Splinter Cell's an odd series.  The story is nonsense yet also pretty drab and simplistic.  Sam Fisher REALLY isn't an interesting character, none of the characters are except the villain and anti-hero scumbag.  But as a VIDEO GAME, Blacklist is the peak of linear stealth action.  MGS3 had boss fights, and THAT was the biggest mark for the game.  And Blacklist only has a single boss fight, which is basically a slightly elongated version of Deadshot's "fight" in City. 

But the moment-to-moment gameplay is out of this world good.  You have brilliant level design that makes sneaking from A to B deeply gratifying, but you also have insane mobility that makes you feel like the biggest badass when you play.  There can be a room full of guards.  And like a game of chess, with the right moves, you can end them in seconds, which requires skill to pull off, rushing the first guy and taking him down, shooting his buddy, then using execute to auto-kill up to three guards you've marked who were in range.  It's about using the systems the game gives you to maximize efficiency on the field.  And you can pick off bad guys using your environment, or climbing a plethora of terrain. 

The game almost plays like Arkham half the times when you're climbing walls or pipes and dropping down on bad guys or shooting them from overhead.  It has a huge variety of gadgets to aide you as well, and combat is incredibly difficult but doable.  Sam can only take a few hits before he's dead, but the means to shake off enemies is fair, and recovering from a slip-up is more fun than it is frustrating.  The campaign has several excellent missions which would satisfy a person as is.  But it also comes with over a dozen bonus missions you can access from your allies, each one taking place in entirely new settings with new enemies and storylines, each one with simpler and more streamlined objectives (perfect stealth, predator missions where you kill all the enemies, and survival waves where you have to fend off increasingly harder enemies).  AND it has the best kind of co-op.  Like Peace Walker, you can play any side mission with buddies.  But it also has missions exclusive to co-op, designed to be fully embraced with a buddy you can play with on the couch or online.  It's a game with tons of content, and all of it is mostly excellent. 2) Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015)

MGSV is the best game I've played.  That's because it's a game that hits all of my buttons.  The outposts are examples of perfect level design.  Each one is designed with a huge array of cover spots and multiple paths, direct or secret, to an objective area.  As a result, every mission allows you to get in, carry out your objective, and get out without raising a stink.  And when you screw up, it doesn't feel like punishment, because the combat of this game is fantastic. 

Everything is highly responsive, so your inputs happen with no delays.  You can go from diving to shooting from the ground in a tenth of a second.  And combat lets you seamlessly go from shooting, snatching guns from bad guys and blowing away with it, to taking breathers behind cover or with a human shield.  The enemy AI is the best the series has ever had.  They have way more self preservation, they're liberal with grenades, have way more variety in their weapons, and actually use turret guns and mortar cannons now. 

The missions themselves can be resolved tons of different ways.  Assassination missions play out like small-scale Hitman missions, without the frustration of screwing up and restarting because missions are so short, you just roll with the punches.  And the overall feel of a mission changes dramatically, depending on your loadout, the paths you choose in the level, your playstyle, and the time of day you select when you start a mission. 

There are only a few major downsides to the gameplay.  The bosses lack variety, like, I REALLY wish MGSV had more XOF assassins like Quiet to confront along with the Skulls and MoF.  Some missions are a bit too samey, and there aren't enough larger scale outposts.  Some more enemy variety wouldn't have been remiss.  And finally, the open world itself is pretty lifeless.  It works to complement the missions, like giving you a whole stretch of land to carry out ambushes or battle the Skulls anywhere you please.  But open world games are best when they have more to react to and engage with, or secrets to find.  Oh yeah, and the main villain should've had a boss fight, a stealth action shootout at that because that’s what the OG plan was until Kojima decided to be slightly more pretentious than usual. 

But beyond that, this game is a freakin' masterpiece.

So why is number 2 on the list even if it's the best game I've ever played?

Because this game exists... 1) Deus Ex (2000)

Deus Ex isn't as mechanically good as MGSV.  It's even that good mechanically, like, playing it now, it feels pretty clunky and not the least bit smooth.  Still fun, but you feel the age.  So why is it number 1?  Simple.  Deus Ex is the most open-ended video game ever made.  It's a stealth action RPG where every, and I mean, EVERY single level has dozens upon dozens of different paths to choose and make your own.  It has class specialization, meaning the build you create gives you a whole ton of new paths and strategies to use for hacking or flexibility. 

Every single mission takes place in a sprawling area.  You have an objective, obstructions blocking your way, and a whole bunch of guards.  You can blaze right to a solution, resolving a situation in minutes.  Or, you can take your time and find any number of different paths to your goal.  And all throughout each mission, there's tons of things to find as you explore.  There's entire other side missions with their own plethora of options.  Lots of really clever flavor text.  Upgrades to bolster your augmentations.  And really ominous messages you can find that'll come into play later. 

The bosses may lack variety but each one is a perfect stealth action battle where you can choose any number of options against the bosses, right down to running away from them and the game outright acknowledging that the boss enemies weren't killed.  Best yet, it's a game designed to be broken.  Unlike Human Revolution, all the bosses are recurring characters you spend plenty of time with.  But you can outright blow them away WELL in advance and the game will acknowledge their deaths and keep going anyway.  If you engage in a boss battle during a designated boss fight, but avoid them or run away, then that boss will turn up again for a rematch later. 

This is a game where you can create your own cover spots or platforms by gathering vending machines and dumpsters and piling them on top of each other.  Where specialization changes the entire feel of the campaign and incentivizes repeat playthroughs just to come up with different builds and experience missions in whole new ways.  And best yet, this is a game where when you're in a hub, whatever you see around you, you can interact with.  If you see buildings in the distance, you'll be able to go in and explore, and there's always something to find. Deus Ex is number one because there will never be another game like it.  It's debatable that no other game will ever be as FUN as MGSV, but no other game will ever be as open ended as Deus Ex because it's literally impossible.  The game is clunky and cheap looking because the engine it was built on was a low-memory one.  They traded in graphics fidelity and more impressive flow for the sake of creating a vast video game with an impossible amount of content to constantly stumble upon.  And unlike all the other games on this list, that open endedness actually DOES translate into the story, giving you dozens of different branching paths to the story, and sadly, only three fairly weak endings, but damn, if the journey up ain't a blast.  

I have a whole slew of other lists I’ve been meaning to post for the better part of two years, and honestly, they’re fun to write.  So, who knows?  Don’t worry though, they won’t get in the way of bellies or burp content either.  XD

[imaginesnkdorks]

Hii, thank you so much for blessing my dash with so much SnK content!!! I love it. Also, can I please get a scenario about Levi's s/o comforting him after what happened in the 57th expedition. Thanks!!

Humanity’s Strongest

Pairing: Levi x Reader

Genre: Angst, Fluff

Warnings: Character deaths

[A/N: Yay! You can never have too much SNK content. Took a while with this, but here ya go. Sorry as I am veryyyyyy rusty.]

It’s only ten in the morning? I feel like I’ve been cleaning for hours, yet time barely passed. I can’t stop fidgeting when I’m nervous. I’m literally a giant ball of nervous energy!

“You’re going to drive a hole on that desk is you wipe it one more time.”  Came a voice behind me. I didn’t even notice someone coming in.

“Levi.” I let go of a deep sigh, and let go of my rag. “Aren’t you happy I’m cleaning?”

“Not when you’re only focusing on one spot. Or doing it out of nervousness.” He walked closer and sat down next to me. He looked at me, clearly encouraging me to talk.

“Tomorrow’s expedition seems bleak.” I said, dropping onto the chair beside him. It’s barely been a month since the last one and we’re off again. We’ve barely buried our dead – at least those that we could still burry.

“Aren’t all our expeditions like that?” He smirked at that. Of course, he’s right. A Survey Corps expedition is never complete without a single death or more. It’s not like we like it that way. Shit happens. There’s still a lot we don’t know about titans. Especially that a person could turn into one.

“I know.” It’s all I could say to that. “Did you come here to make me feel even worse?”

He grabbed my hands, which were still fidgeting, and held on to them. “Tomorrow will be different.” I looked at him as if he sprouted an extra head. I can’t believe it, Levi is being optimistic?

“What?” He asked, suddenly annoyed. His eyes giving that intense look I’ve always loved.

“Nothing.” Moving to intertwine my hands with his, I went on to do our ritual. The one we do before expeditions. “Promise you won’t die.”

He made a face at that, a mix of sadness and determination. His grip became firmer before he answered, “I promise. Promise you won’t die either.”

“Promise.” We both know it’s pointless – we can’t control anything out there. What we can do, however, is try. I was able to live through situations I never thought I could with just the thought of Levi. It makes me feel all warm inside to think that I have that same effect on him.

His hand traveled from mine to my face. “I know I tell you this every time, but be careful. Especially tomorrow, we might face the Armored Titan.” He’d never say it out loud, but I can read the worry in his face. I know it’s a reflection of mine.

“You too, humanity’s strongest.” His lips curved up at my use of that moniker. It is true, he is humanity’s strongest. I’ve seen him fight and it was the single, most encouraging thing I’ve ever seen. He’s like hope in human form.

Silence settled over us, and the comfort I’m used to feeling whenever I’m with him and he alone started to set it when we were so rudely interrupted.

“Oh, Captain Levi, Y/N!” It was Eld, followed by the rest of Levi’s squad. Their faces redden as their eyes settled on Levi and me. Yet another intimate moment interrupted. Levi and I straightened up, and I can see just the tiniest speck of red on Levi’s ears.

“Y/N, will you be having dinner with us?” Petra, ever friendly, asked. I nodded at that. It’s also our tradition to stay together as much as possible before an expedition. And I like that time spent here with his squad. Having Hange as my squad leader is certainly… annoying at times. See, she’s probably the only one with the guts to tease Levi.

“Ah, good evening.” Eren bowed as he joined us. He looks every bit like a normal boy. Nothing that would hint at his ability to become a titan.

Everyone was a little on edge, which is a given since we’ll be leaving the walls tomorrow. But not even that could stop Oluo from running his mouth off. Despite everything, it was nice having dinner with them. And certainly, sleeping in Levi’s arms is something I could never get tired of.

“Black flares!” I reported to Hange as we continued our journey. We’re on supply duty… or maybe canon duty? See, Erwin had the brilliant idea to capture the Armored Titan, which he was so sure would appear on this expedition. However, it wasn’t the Armored Titan.

“It’s almost decimated the whole right flank! It seems to look very feminine, aberrant too. It hasn’t eaten a single soldier, but dragged a bunch of other titans with it!” The soldier reported to us. Chaotic is an understatement.

“I see. Moblit! Fire the flare!” Hange commanded, before turning over to me, “Y/N, relay the news. You know which squad.”

“Yes!” Not everyone knows where Levi’s squad is positioned, but I’m amongst those that do. I took off and hurried to where Levi is. It didn’t take me long before spotting Levi.

“Message to pass along! Right flank recon has been destroyed! Pass this on, to the left.” I told him and his team the moment I was close enough. Thing is, Levi is the only one who really knows what’s going on. I had to censor the message.

“You heard Y/N Petra, go!”

“Yes, sir!” Petra dashed off to relay this info. Just when she started heading left, black flares went off.

“Eren, you fire it!” Levi commanded. I was already riding beside him the moment he finished.

“What a mess. We let it penetrate deep into our formation.” Levi said softly so that only I could hear.

“It isn’t the Armored one. Apparently, it’s leading along a pack of titans.” Black flares just won’t stop from going off now. “Be careful, Levi.” I told him before riding back to my squad.

“You too, Y/N.”

         I was amazed at how composed I was during the whole ordeal. I was able to follow Hange’s every order and help set up our traps in a timely matter. And yes, not much shaking of hands now.

         It didn’t take long before the screams of our fellow soldiers echoed through the forest, accompanied by the heavy thumping that could only belong to a titan. In a heartbeat, Levi and his squad appeared closely followed by the titan.

         “Fire!” At Erwin’s command, a barrage of traps blasted onto the titan. Sparks flew and the smell of smoke wrapped around us. Levi dropped down beside me, a silent conversation going on between us, before joining Erwin on a branch above.

         Attempts to extract whoever’s inside the Titan failed, due to its ability to harden its skin. Tsk, this is definitely harder than I thought.

         “Y/N! We’ll be firing the canons, aim it at the wrists.”

         “Yes!” Calibrating the canons is easy enough for me, and all that’s left to do is to load our explosives. Finally, free enough to take a proper look around, I saw Levi atop the titan’s head.

         “Ooof. It’s really impossible to just use blades?” I asked Levi the moment I joined him.

         “Yes. But that hardly matters. Hey!” He began, addressing whoever’s in this titan, “why not just come out? We don’t have time to waste. So… What do you think will happen to you now?”

         I looked at Levi and as I expected, his eyes have that dangerous glint that never fails to give me shivers. Seeing him like this right now makes me very excited to be back home – in bed with him. Is that weird?

         “Do you believe you can escape? I wish you’d consider all the trouble we’re going through… As I recall, you killed my troops in various ways. Did you find it fun? Right now, I’m having fun. Well, so are you, right? I think you can understand me. Oh right… I wanted to ask you something. Is it okay if we cut off your hands and legs? They’ll grow back, right? I’m talking about your limbs, not the Titan’s. We need you alive, after all…”

         It was possibly the most terrifying Levi has ever been, I wouldn’t be surprised if –

“Gaaaahhhh!”

         “Y/N! Are you alright?” Levi inquired, grabbing my shoulders.

         “Yes, just startled.” The titan went on screaming! Levi helped me get back to my feet before stomping on the titan. Which I doubt is the best idea.

         “Levi!” I warned at the sight of three titans, sprinting towards us – well, at the titan whose head we’re still on.

         “I got it!” Levi said before jumping off and get rid of the new titans. We didn’t get a chance to breathe, though, as more titans made their way towards us.

         “Y/N, get out of there!” Levi screamed as these titans are after the same titan we were – the female titan. A blur of steam and titan limbs took over for the next few minutes.

         “No!” It’s a failure. I can’t believe it! The female titan had other titans eat them.

         “Tsk. All those deaths can’t be just for nothing.” Levi probably had the same thoughts as I do. It is a devastating waste of life. But what else can we do?

         “I’ll go get my squad. Stay safe, Y/N.” All I could do was tell him the same thing.

         It didn’t take long before we were rushing out of the forest. My mind was a mess, which isn’t great given where we were, but the flash of thunder-like light and a scream of a titan grabbed my attention.

         “That’s Eren’s scream?” I wondered out loud… no! “Levi!”

         “Y/N, stop!” Hange tried, but I’m already off my horse and on my way to where the sound and light was from. I have a really bad feeling about this!

         It wasn’t difficult to make my way towards them, as Eren’s titan was making a racket that can be heard all over the forest. This is bad. Wherever he is, is Levi’s squad. And the Female Titan as well.

         “Gunther?” No, this can’t be… Eld, Petra, and Oluo? Levi’s whole squad… “Levi, where are you?” Was he able to reunite with them before? I felt cold… I feel sick. Where is he?

         The steady thumping of a titan’s footsteps can be heard nearby. I have to know what happened here. I got closer to where it was and saw Levi. “He’s alive!” Relief flooded me, however, it was short lived. The female titan sensed Levi right behind it and went for him!

         It was over in a flash. Levi blinded the titan and severed the muscles holding its arms up. However, I just now noticed someone else – a new recruit? She went in for the nape!

         “Stop!” Levi and I screamed at the same time. I was too slow… Levi pushed her away and stopped the female titan’s hand. He was able to take Eren back, and we soon found ourselves rushing back to the others.

         We stopped at a field to regroup – treat the injured and take count of the bodies. The bodies that we were able to retrieve. I’ve almost forgotten, but everyone in Levi’s squad is… gone. He was limping towards where their bodies were.

         “Levi.” I wanted to tell him to stop. To take care of himself first. But I understand what is going through his mind right now. They were my friends, too.

**

         Our travel back wasn’t pleasant. The dread of what’s waiting for us back home is also weighing down on our shoulders. And Levi was quieter than ever.

         I made my way to the dining hall and found it empty. Of course, it would be, it’s only me, Levi and Eren here right now. Once I was done making tea, I went to Levi’s room. Laid on his desk was a couple of Survey Corps patches.

         Setting the tea set down, Levi grabbed my hand before I could pour us a cup each. I felt his need of me in his touch.

         “I wasn’t able to help them…” He said so softly I wouldn’t have heard it If I wasn’t sitting so close to him. I held his hand tighter, trying to make him feel what I was about to say.

         “It’s not your fault.” A sight only me is privy to appeared before me. Tears welled around Levi’s eyes, and he looked as heartbroken as I feel.

         “I know.” Where words fail us, actions didn’t. I pulled him into a hug, careful of his injured leg.

         He grabbed me so hard as if I was the only connection to life and he should never let go. It started as a whimper, but soon he was crying. I was, too. What can I say? Definitely not It’ll be alright. But I told him that anyway.

         Calming down a little, I was able to help him take off his gear and uniform. After bandaging his ankle, we laid down on his bed. Tired physically and emotionally. We were holding onto each other so tight.

         He was sniffling, still not done mourning his fallen comrades.

         “It’s okay to cry, Levi. In my arms, you’re not humanity’s strongest. You’re just Levi, the man I love.” I felt him nod, before kissing me. I didn’t care how tearful the kiss was. All I want to do is to make him feel home.

         “Y/N, thank you.” I didn’t know it was possible, but he hugged me even tighter. “Thank you for keeping your promise.”

         It was then that I decided to keep that promise forever. I’d do my best and live, I’ll make sure Levi won’t experience pain this great again.

[epicspheal]

So a few weeks ago I learned that the XY Plot was supposed to have aliens and that was cut for time and because some on the staff thought it might be too weird.  You guys can read this here. All I can say is “wow”. I mean honestly given what snippets are shown in the article I have mixed feelings. Like most in the Pokemon community I definitely think that XY’s story could’ve been handled way better than what we got in the final product. And honestly, alien worlds/species are some of my favorite topics so I feel like just on concept alone I would’ve liked this a lot.

However, judging by what was said in the article I’m not too sure it would’ve worked. Not because it was too weird, or too ambitious but just the writing in Pokemon has almost always been a case of untapped potential. From my perspective (not an expert writer, just a hobby writer) Gamefreak’s plots tend to all fall into the same trap of “this is an interesting concept but we’re not going to expand upon it in a satisfying manner”. 

The Ultra Megalopolis and Ultra Recon Squad of Gen 7 are good examples of this (plus they tie into all of this because aliens). Conceptually I think the Ultra Megalopolis and Recon Squad are some of the most interesting concepts the series has put out. And yet many in the fandom see that their inclusion was hollow (and with regards to the Recon Squad I’ve seen more than one person say they were pointless). It’s easy to see why though as Ultra Megalopolis is ultimately just a hallway where all you can do is get your ass kicked by Ultra Necrozma, get a poipole and see the other members of the recon squad. We know vaguely that the citizens of ultra megalopolis are more technology dependent that the regular Pokemon World, it would’ve been nice to actually see that in action by being able to explore the city and see their devices. Maybe they have robots take care of everything? 

And then the Ultra Recon Squad themselves. It would’ve been cool if say, the duo that ends up in Alola ends up appearing more often than just giving us plot relevant tidbits. Maybe seeing them at the beach and them complaining about how unused to all of this sunlight they are. Or them exiting one of the restaurants and them remarking on the cuisine (with an option in the post game to dine with one of them like you can the Kahunas). These are little things that would flesh out both the characters but the world they come from. Circling back to Gen 6 scrapped plot I can see some of the same happening. We get the revelation that Diantha and Valerie are aliens but would we get chances to have meaningful interactions outside of plot specific points to see them as characters? Would they do something like Caitlin’s Villa in Unova or the restaurants in Alola? Because if you introduce aliens to me, I’m going to want to learn a lot about them. Obviously you can’t include everything as it can quickly turn info-dumpy, but being bare bones isn’t that great either.  I’m curious to know what other people’s thoughts on a full scale alien plot in Pokemon is, though

[infernalyearning]

S = Sad, H = Hands, I = Impression, and P = Pet Names for any f/o(s) you want!

((long ass answer incoming, i went on paragraphs sorry about that)) 

S = Sad (How do they cheer themselves/others up?)

Doppio: While he’s pretty open visually, Doppio does tend to be rather secretive. Chances are even if he’s noticed being upset he’ll dodge any questions regarding it. He tends to keep things vague, preferring to just think over anything bothering him rather than facing them head-on unless the situation calls for action. He’s much more in his comfort zone trying to cheer up others. He’s straightforward and once he’s got a handle on the root of the situation he’ll try to offer some advice on moving past the problem.

Melone:  He’s a drama queen, that’s for sure. For Melone, the best way to navigate any sadness is through it. Obviously he won’t let it get in the way of his work, he’s a professional and he can push his feelings to the back of his mind when he needs to but he’ll need a minute to process and it’ll show. He’s an open book really. His emotions hit hard and fast but luckily that means given the time and space to mope as he sees fit he’ll fully bounce back in a couple of hours (usually a max of 24). He’s got extensive files on most of the people who are regulars around them and that includes his notes on some of their favorite things. If you’re feeling upset and Mel catches wind of it, expect to find some kind of gift from him along with a tight hug and an offer to play with your hair.

Risotto: Riz tends to keep himself a bit closed off, even more so now that he’s leading the hitman team. Even if he’d rather have others around, he’ll force himself to isolate in his sadness, allowing himself those moments alone to let his emotions get the better of him. Screaming, crying, as long as its away from prying eyes. It’s not so much a cheering himself up as it is accepting or swallowing those feelings and trying to move on with all of them bundled in his chest. To an extent he can’t offer much comfort to his teammates when things seem hopeless, only a few warning/encouraging words (often veiled as something much more harsh). Occasionally though, he does get (and take) the rare chance to set his hand on someone’s head or shoulder, offering a silent “I’m here. I’m with you.” alongside the slightest ruffle of hair and barest hints of a worried smile.

Prosciutto: Pro’s go-to pick-me-up for himself is a freshly opened bottle of hard liqueur. Actually, he’s got a bit of a talent for drink mixing and going through the motions of prepping a cocktail calms him about as much actually drinking does. Like Risotto, he’s a self soother to an extent, though he’d rather have the distraction of others when facing his low points. Distraction is the name of his game, regardless of who’s upset. In his eyes, the best cure for wanting to cry is to turn your brain off and start swiping credit cards. Go big, he doesn’t want to go home. With others, while he’s willing to offer the same distractions, first he’s going to make sure you know exactly what he thinks of the situation and of you. Prepare yourself for a strangely blunt but kind and supportive lecture while he scowls the whole time, as if he’s threatening anything to bother you.

H = Hands (How do they like to hold hands?)

Doppio: It’s a pretty basic situation with him, your typical downward palm and typically pretty loose. He’s more a fan of linked elbows when walking compared to hand-holding so it can sometimes lead to a lot of hands brushing and bumping against one another. He’s much more proactive in hand holding when sitting or laying down, with a favorite being to take one of Taralli’s hands in both of his and squeezing tight.

Melone: Mel’s already a very physically affectionate person and it reflects in his “hand-holding”. It’s never just a hand, he’s always getting his arms involved. Whether it’s draping an arm over a shoulder, around a waist, holding onto/linking arms, etc. His hand holding is practically cuddling and he loves interlaced fingers.

Risotto: Riz tries to be a gentle giant when he can. He doesn’t often initiate hand-holding; partly because he’s so tall and doesn’t want to draw attention by leaning down to grab a hand but also because that sort of affection out in public is risky when you’re in Italy’s largest gang, even if you are on the assassination squad. However, he still has his preferences. Falling into his somewhat old-fashioned habits he rather enjoys the princess/bridal-esque “my lady” finger-hold position (perfect for giving him the chance to give hand kisses). He’s also fond of linked index fingers and wrist-holds. 

Prosciutto: Much like Doppio he isn’t fond of holding hands while he’s walking and like Risotto he prefers not to draw the attention of hand-holding in public often. He isn’t a very physical person in general, preferring to resort to more physical interactions when he’s being serious about something emotional. Generally, any hand holding initiated by Pro is going to be a bit of a surprise, with his go to being simply to put his hand on top of his partner’s, occasionally interlacing fingers from there. It’s always in private and typically when sitting side by side. 

I = Impression (What was their first impression?)

Doppio: He and Taralli were rather awkward at first. Taralli wasn’t sure what had prompted such a sudden important job assignment after primarily working only in general recon. Doppio was on guard a bit but maintained his friendly demeanor, figuring if he’d been trusted enough by the boss to be chosen as a personal guard/assistant it must be fine. In all honesty both of them began as very wary of one another.

Melone: He prefers not to form first impressions if possible, looking at anyone knew as a bundle of questions waiting to be answered and filed away. He’s curious by nature so the first thing he wants to do is gather info, either by observation and background checks or by simply a friendly interrogation. Amaratti’s a pretty spacey kind of guy and while he thought the questions were a little strange coming out of nowhere, he was happy to answer and thought Mel seemed like an interesting sort of guy. They got along pretty well from the start.

Risotto: Risotto and Vitello’s first meeting was, a bit confusing. They’ve got a strange understanding of one another. When Vitello arrives he’s well aware that he’s the odd one out as the leader of these new additional soldiers sent to replace the recently deceased. Meanwhile Risotto’s well aware of the possibility Vitello’s trio was only sent to keep tabs on at-risk traitors. It’s a tense exchange but a respectful one. They both felt the early need to keep an eye out for anything suspicious from the other. Perhaps too close of an eye.

Prosciutto: Oh it’s horrendous. Riz was wary of the new trio but Pro was ready for blood. He keeps it hidden but he cares extremely deeply about his teammates and seeing Sorbet & Gelato be replaced was already rubbing him the wrong way. Pile on top of that the fact that these three could’ve been sent with the sole purpose of spying on and killing the rest of the team, and you’ve got a natural recipe for high tempers. Torrone’s “sweet as pie” routine wasn’t exactly helping anything and as much as Torrone hates putting on the act, he also relies heavily on it and hates being called out on it. They got into a bit of a spitting match that pretty much boiled down to: “two-faced viper” “paranoid tight-ass”. (They both later apologized for things getting out of hand and decided to try and start over.)

P = Pet names (What pet names do they use?)

Doppio:  Stellino, Dolcezzo, Luce dei miei occhi

Melone: Bellissimo, Anima gemella, Bambolo/Bambolino

Risotto: Cuore mio, Innamorato, Piccolino

Prosciutto: Caro/Carino/Carimisso, Gioia, Amore mio

[banditthewriter]

Whatever It Takes - 10 - Billy Russo

Part 10! I uh, I’m still sorry?

Tags are at the bottom. Let me know if you would like to be added to one of my tag lists! Enjoy!

*****

The clean smell of the hospital and the bright lights in the waiting room made you feel worse somehow. You and Karen had gotten there almost an hour ago but they weren't allowing you back. And since you weren't next of kin, you weren't given any information.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Frank’s phone was dead so Karen couldn't get in touch with him. He was supposedly still in the hospital, but even after numerous pages, he wasn't anywhere to be found.

You wanted you scream. You'd started to contemplate bribing a nurse but you doubted that'd get you anywhere.

“I'm going to go page him again,” she said but as soon as she stood up, the elevator doors opened and Frank stepped out.

She ran to him in a blur. He caught her around the waist, the force of her colliding with him almost slamming both of them into the elevator doors. He carried her a few feet away, his hands in her hair and whispering in her ear.

She hadn't seen him. He'd called to tell her what happened, but this was the first time she'd seen him. Both of them were so wrapped up in each other that you doubted they knew you were still sitting there.

Frank noticed you from the corner of his eye. He half carried Karen back over to you and sat down beside you.

You barely got to take a breathe before he pulled you into a hug.

“Thanks for keeping her sane,” he whispered before he pulled back. “I heard your pages but I didn't want to leave while Bill was in surgery. I told a nurse to let you guys know what was going on but I guess they didn't.”

Karen opened her mouth, probably to complain about the nurses, but you beat her to the punch.

“What surgery is he having?”

Frank nodded a bit, his hand never releasing Karen's as he leaned back into the fairly uncomfortable chair like it was a feather top mattress.

“Internal bleeding to start with. Plus he got a face full of glass and cement so they are trying to fix that too. Told me that his best bet will be a plastic surgeon and they don't keep one on hand.”

You winced at that. Not that his looks mattered to you, but you knew that he was a little vain. Maybe more than a little vain, but it wasn't like he didn't have good reason.

“How bad is it?”

Frank motioned to his own face with his free hand.

“Left side is basica–”

“Not his face, the internal bleeding.”

Frank seemed surprised. He gave a slow nod before he started to explain. The logistics weren't your forte but what you could tell was that the internal bleeding was minimal.

In hearing how Billy had gotten blown backwards by the force of the second floor collapsing, you were reminded that this all started because the two of them were mixed in with something bad.

“What the hell did you two get involved in?”

Frank looked around in a panic before he stood up and motioned for you both to follow him. You thought he'd say something in the elevator, but he was quiet until you got two floors up and into a vacant lobby.

“This shit touches everything,” he said as he leaned against the wall, his eyes moving around to check for anyone that might overhear. “Bill and I were deployed. It was a goddamn mess over there, we did things that we couldn't stomach. We were blunt instruments and we were good at it, but the things we did? There's consequences to that.”

He told you about the CIA contact and how he was using them as a hit squad. He kept the story as vague as possible for the two of you, but he painted a vivid picture. Apparently the CIA guy came back to the states with the intention of making Billy and Frank do it all over again. Since Billy had used the money he earned over there to start Anvil, Agent Orange thought it was owed.

“We weren't going to go through that again so we came up with a plan. I tailed the guy, did recon. Billy put together the other side of the plan by involving Homeland.”

Madani. You felt something sour start to spread in your stomach as you began to make the connections.

“We had this guy right where we wanted him. Fucker must have had someone in Homeland because he knew we were setting him up. He showed up at Anvil two days before we were due to bring him down.”

Two days before they would be free of it and the plan was literally blown to smithereens.

“What about Agent Orange?”

Frank shook his head and then banged his hand against the wall.

“We had ‘im! I went outside to take down the last of his crew while Billy had him incapacitated. The damn psycho set off a bomb, almost killing him and Bill.”

You took that to mean that Agent Orange got away. Karen voiced that concern.

“So he got away?”

Frank grimaced.

“I had some of the guys from Anvil check out the rubble before the emergency services got there. Nothing but his guys and the few Bill lost.”

So were they still in danger? You caught the look on Karen's face and knew she was thinking the same thing.

A nurse came through the lobby and froze when she saw the three of you.

“Mr Castle, Mr Russo has been moved to recovery. He's still sedated, but would you like to see him?”

Frank gave you a quick look before he nodded. He squeezed Karen's hand as he passed her and followed the nurse.

Karen moved to sit on one of the couches, her hands clasped together and pressed to her lips. You knew her mind had to be swirling just as fast as yours was at that moment. You sat beside her and crossed your arms over your stomach.

You were glad that Billy was okay but the knowledge that they were both still in danger?

Your stomach felt like it was filled with lead.

------

“Miss Y/L/N? Miss?”

You jerked awake at the sound of your name. A nurse was standing over where you had fallen asleep on one of the couches.

“We were told we were allowed in here,” you said as you blearily glanced over to where Frank and Karen were napping propped up against each other.

“It’s not that,” the nurse said with a kind smile. “Mr Russo has woken up.”

You sat up. Your phone said it was around noon so you’d been at the hospital for about eight hours. If Billy was already awake, that was great news.

“We should wake Frank,” you explained as you started to stand up but the nurse stopped you.

“Actually Mr Russo heard who all was in here for him and he asked that you be the first person that he saw.”

Was it possible to swallow your tongue? You felt like you had. Another glance at Frank and Karen showed them still very much asleep. You gave her a quick nod and stood up.

As she led you to his room, she explained that he had some bandages on his stomach but those would be covered by his gown. She also said that he had bandages on his face.

“Those are obviously more apparent,” she explained as the two of you stopped in front of a closed door. “He might be a bit disoriented right now from the pain meds. He should try to stay as calm as possible as well, okay?”

You nodded your assent before she opened the door to let you in. It closed behind you but you didn’t pay any attention. All of your focus was on the man in the bed in front of you.

There were scratches and bruises on his arms that were very obvious as they rested on top of the sea foam green blanket that was draped over him. Some of them had bandages on them but most of them weren’t covered. You knew there was the bandages on his stomach, but those weren’t visible. And then there was his head.

He wasn’t completely covered in bandages, but it was a near thing. The way they were wrapped, you wondered if they had to shave his hair.

Your focus on the bandages meant that you were able to catch the moment his eyes opened.

“Billy,” you breathed in relief as you moved over to his side, your hands carefully covering his hand that was closest to you. “How are you feeling?”

His free hand moved slowly towards his face, sluggish, but stopped just shy of actually making contact. Then he turned his head a bit so that he could still see you through where the bandages were.

“Surprised when the nurse said you were here.”

You nodded and looked down at where you were gripping his hand. Maybe too tightly. You released it a bit so that you wouldn’t hurt him worse.

“Karen came over an absolute mess and told me what happened. Of course I came.”

His dark brown eyes stood out stark amongst the white bandages. They looked clouded, from pain or from the drugs, but they were intent on your face. You weren’t sure how long he stared at you in silence, but you weren’t about to be the first one to speak.

His free hand curled into a loose fist at his side.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he said as he pulled his hand from your grip.

It surprised you. You released his hand but didn’t move from beside the bed.

“I want to be here,” you tried to explain, voice plaintive as you met his gaze head on. “You were hurt and I want to be here for you.”

He shook his head, more vigorously than he should have.

“You wanted space; I was giving you space,” he said pointedly. He turned to look away from you, his eyes boring a hole in the wall across from the bed. “You should leave.”

“Billy, I–”

He slammed his hand down on the rolling table that was half over his bed, the tray and its contents falling to the floor in a loud crash.

“Goddammit Y/N, just leave!”

You backed away as he stared over at you, his eyes wide and clear. A nurse opened the door and looked around at the mess and then at the two of you.

“Miss, maybe you should…” She gestured at the door, obviously asking you to leave.

Your lip gave a pitiful wobble as you looked away from Billy’s intense gaze. The nurse gestured again and you gave a nod before you moved to the door. Unable to help it, you glanced over your shoulder and saw that Billy was still watching you.

“I’m sorry,” you mumbled, not sure if you meant it for him or the nurse, but you quickly made your way out of the door and then down the hall.

At the lobby you’d been sleeping in, you quietly gathered your things. Another nurse was nearby so you stopped her to ask if she’d be on this hall for a while.

“Rest of my shift so a few more hours,” she said curiously.

You motioned over your shoulder to where Karen and Frank were still asleep.

“Can you tell them that Y/N had to leave? Work,” you offered, an obvious lie but it would have to do. “Just tell them I’ll call them soon?”

The nurse seemed curious, but she didn’t press. She gave you a nod and then reached out to grab your wrist.

“You okay?”

You gave her a tense smile.

“Thanks,” you mumbled before you pulled away and hurried to the elevator. You didn’t want to take the chance that Karen or Frank would wake up before you could get out of there.

It was obvious that Billy didn’t want you there and you weren’t about to overstay your welcome.

X

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