#now that i know the game is event-based rather than time-based i don't feel pressed to rush around

[draconicace]

haven't even finished my first playthrough (though i'm getting close) and i'm already planning my second

[coldgoldlazarus]

I guess that's the other reason I decided to stop, with Arknights. The whole Games As Service endless grind was bad enough, the "you can't ever fall off/take a break because you'll never be able to catch back up" was worse, but it also just didn't help any that the handling of the difficulty curve was also going in a direction I didn't care for.

I liked the moderately challenging stages, where there was enough of a strategic requirement that you couldn't just plunk down any ol' operator anywhere and win guaranteed, but there was still the freedom to try to figure out your own strategies using your personal roster, and with some trial and error of a few failed attempts, find a way to best utilize nearly any combination to beat it. (And usually with juuust enough breathing room to recover if you made a fumble midstage.) Those All Three Star guides were great for a reason after all.

But it really felt like, after a while, the difficulty reached a point where it really stopped being fun, and was oriented solely to like, the sweaty crowd. CC was the worst about this, and thankfully at least optional, but I could still feel some of that design philosophy in a lot of Chapter 6 and certain events, too.

There was no longer that same sort of freedom, now it's like, your options are either: (have and) bring an extremely specific combination of lesser characters/archetypes; or just (have and) bring or borrow Surtr or Holungday. And no matter which option gets chosen, the timings are so tight and the required strategy so precise that even the slightest fumble or mistiming could completely tank an attempt, leading in to upwards of fifty tries before finally lucking into a win, and by that point feeling so frustrated that it smothers any hint of satisfaction in the crib. Basically, no longer able to meaningfully choose your team, and all but required to either cheese or use a guide or both on the strategy front. Plus, for the events, a time limit to work with.

And yeah I know that sort of extremely technical execution-based gameplay is fun for some people, but for me it really isn't. That stuff was just a waste of time, energy, and cognitive power that left me too spent to be able to focus on the story cutscene rewards afterward.

And like, borrowing a Silverash or Eyja was a thing from pretty early on, but I still feel like there was a point where those aforementioned Three Star guides having to break up the theme with the addition of an OP six star went from like, an infrequent thing for mainly challenge mode stages, to happening with every single event boss on the normal mode stages, along with a few non-boss ones as well.

Yes, you control the buttons you press, you don't have to level or use the OP ops, but it shouldn't feel like the game is punishing you for making that choice. Or for just not having (and leveling) a specific operator or archetype in the first place. Or for being a late joiner, or being an early joiner like me but taking a few hiatuses from the game. At that point, is it really a choice?

I loved the game for being enjoyably challenging, when it was actually being a challenge. I hated CC for being just actual bullshit, and I could feel the bullshit spreading elsewhere as things went on. The fun came of figuring out what could be done with what I had, rather than from having to find a guide on what needed to be done and execute its instructions perfectly. Along with having to hope a friend would have an E2 Level 90 Ifrit for me to borrow.

Basically, I loved Arknights, but I don't think it loved me, because I feel like the devs always meant it to be a diffent kind of game than the one I was first enjoying. And that's a real shame, honestly.

[4dtk]

Would I be able to request linking hands during sex or goodnight kiss with Yuta? I'm feeling so soft for him right now, I don't know what to do with myself

yuta is a bit rough in this but only because he loves u a lot <3 kinda based off the sugar daddy hc’s i wrote

warnings: sugar daddy!au, dom!yuta, sub!reader, dry humping, clothed sex, car sex, unprotected sex, breeding/creampie, clit stimulation, cowgirl, irl p*rn at the end

taglist: @goingbananasoverpotassium

N*SFW UNDER THE CUT, MINORS DNI!!!

yuta can hardly contain himself when he sees you strutting down the stairs, and it’s a whole minute that he stays frozen in place. your outfit hugs you in all the right places, neck and wrists adorned with jewels and his shameless efforts to spoil you with the fattest amounts of cash. it just so happened that the shaky breath is only a fraction of what he fully feels, stoic face doing wonders in the room full of businessmen.

nothing screams dangerous like a bunch of hungry men and women looking to better themselves in a man-eat-dog world. it was filthy, how rich everyone was to the point it was almost criminal — from bribing the media to sleeping with another at a promise of a business deal — and yet it was normal.

everything yuta knew up to this point was normal, being in an inherited business that his senile father was soon to give up. it was only right that he had to take it up in the absence of his older sister. he didn’t blame her, with how corrupted everything was, but even he couldn’t leave it to the youngest.

you had broken that barrier of ‘normal’, showing that life was about shouting at the arcade games when you lose or sticking a flower into your friend’s hair. not numbers, not stocks, something that was lost in his early years of teen life.

you were the epitome of youth, and it all works out when you find yourself struggling with finances. with one call to the mysterious man (who never looked like a university kid) who visited your campus under the cover of a foreign student, you’re pleasantly greeted with a letter saying that your bills had been paid in full.

yuta never intended to bring you in his world of business, but it seemed inevitable enough once he’s bought enough gifts to cover every child in the world. you ignore all, well most, and run straight to him to wrap your arms around his neck, accepting his question of whether you’d be his partner, which only urges him on to spoil you tenfold.

yuta smiles at the memory once you reach the foot of the staircase, enamoured with you, even if you decide to test him sometimes. the worse times was when you were doing it unknowingly.

a possessive arm curls around your waist, feeling around the fabric that he chose himself in the high-end designer store just a week ago. it’s such a good colour, too, contrasting against your skin that it enhances your beauty. yuta is smitten.

“what took you so long?”

you shrug bashfully, “sorry. my hair wouldn’t get into the style that i wanted. pain in the ass.”

yuta doesn’t reply, rather focused on warding off anyone who stared at you. they knew you were yuta’s, and yet their eyes still roam over you and he’s unable to do anything, merely an heir set to take on inheritance.

“you look stunning, by the way.” it’s whispered by your boyfriend later when you take a break at the bar, downing a glass of water. you weren’t ready to get drunk at one of his events yet. “i’m sorry you have to come along for all my events...”

you shoot him a sympathetic smile. “i knew it was in the contract before i dated you. i knew it was going to be a given when i became your girlfriend. what better way than to show off the sick dress you bought me too, right?”

yuta smiles gently, scooting his body towards yours which sat on the barstool. his words slur. “i know. we never stay for the end though, sooo...”

“yeah because you can never keep your hands off of me.” there’s a smile against your skin, caught red-handed in the act as he presses pecks along your skin. it’s his way of showing that you were his, if not for the crazy expensive dress, if not for his glowers towards people who liked to stare. this just happened to be one of his favourite methods.

you two are sat alone at the bar, looking bored around the party and not seeing his parents once, but yuta doesn’t give much thought to it. “what d’ya say we leave the party right now? go back to my place and fuck?” your mouth drops at the lewd word. he asks like he’s a pick-up artist in a club, thanking the heavens you knew him and he was’t some creep.

“yu! we can’t just leave — didn’t you mention this was an important event? and what about keeping your image?”

he rolls his eyes and lets the alcohol talk, “yeah but i’m not exactly mingling around, am i? might as well leave.”

if someone told you yuta was the cheesiest man to grace the earth, you wouldn’t believe it, but liquor flipped everything upside down. his hands grope your thighs, squeezing and his breath paints the inside of your neck with the odour of whiskey.

“fine. let’s scram right now.” you whisper, grabbing the intoxicated man of boyfriend, tugging him along to the exit of the large events room. the wind brushing across your face feels like any other, possibly the same one that you could relish in if you were running along highways like a normal couple.

yuta swiftly brings you to the car park, guiding you with a hand on your back to where his car was. sticking his keys into the ignition, he scowls.

“there’s no gas.”

you laugh, “how? didn’t we come here in this earlier?”

yuta slams his head on the wheel, “yeah but we might’ve used the last of it, probably lost from when the valet drove it in too.”

“yeah so? who said car sex was any less good?”

yuta turns to you slowly to see how you smile, makeup and all, hair messed up from the run and he thinks about how long you could’ve taken earlier.

“i’m sorry, but, i hope you’re ready to get crazy bedhead.” your lips stretch into a wider grin.

“s’kay, i didn’t like how my hair was anyway,” you move over the stick shift, parking your legs on either side of his body, excited at how you could feel his hardening dick through his trousers. “not if you’re going to be pulling it tonight.”

yuta chuckles at your boldness, moving his hands right down to your ass. “didn’t i tell you that you’re gonna have to work for it, first?”

biting your lip, you challenge him by dumping your hips right onto his pelvis, the friction earning a soft moan from the both of you. a raise of his eyebrow from yuta encourages you to move, grinding your pussy right onto his cock.

“s’wet, baby, can feel you through my pants.” you giggle, sheepish, at having leaked so fast, but yuta doesn’t mind. “promise to fuck ya once you cum for me, okay?”

it’s embarrassing how fast you nod and you get right to work, using his length to get off. it’s gratifying, how even through so much fabric and layers, his cock still manages to make you feel like you’re floating on ecstasy.

the sewing of the pants presses against your clit each time your hips gyrate onto his, willing you to only move faster. yuta watches you quietly, body hot under the suit he dons for the night. a hand around your waist guides you along with a choked voice, “that’s it... right there, darling.” and the words make you warm instantly, cheeks heating up from how raspy he whispered the words to the sheer pleasure that’s shown on his face.

you can feel how drenched your panties are, possibly staining his Dolce & Gabbana suit for all it’s worth. the familiar feeling of an approaching orgasm makes you moan out louder into the car, which is parked far away the others. works in favour, and not, you’re just thankful the man wasn’t adamant on making you blow him like he did before in an abandoned parking lot.

he liked it, you liked it, but it was way too risky. this, this was better, you liked the interior of his sports car anyway.

your moans mix with yuta’s softer grunts, who can feel your impatience and decides to help you, putting some pressure on your clit through your dress until you jolt at it. your mouth pulled into a silent ‘o’—it’s all you know through yuta’s many spontaneous instances where he didn’t care where he fucked you, leaving you to quieten your moans to the point of silence.

“lemme hear your pretty voice, grind against me—” your orgasm hits fast right as yuta groans our, rutting against his finger to ride it out as much as you can. it’s not enough that you want him, him, him, but yuta knows that he keeps his promises well and goes on to unbutton his pants while you slowly come down from your high.

within a few strokes, he has the tip already teasing your entrance, exposed to the air-conditioning of the car long ago. inch by inch, he slips in his cock, head falling against the headrest from how your walls automatically hug him. “stay there. i’ll do the work, okay?”

nodding was all you knew, wrapping your arms both around your boyfriend’s neck and the headrest. the thrusts that start aren’t too slow, but they aren’t fast, either, taking the time to savour you and your pussy in the parking lot. yuta moves his hips into your dripping cunt, groaning into your lips when you move to kiss him. hovering awkwardly over his pelvis was terrible for your thighs, but it was worth it as he pounds into you.

“mmf— y-yuta...!” your tongues mingle with each other’s, the sole contributor to the muffled, cutoff moans that leave your lips each time. yuta moves to your neck, drool dropping out the corners of your mouth. you can hear feel the car moving, the windows fogging up despite the AC, yuta’s fiery, hot kisses on your skin.

the whole situation was hot, pulling away to look at yuta with your features pulled into pleasure. despite the position, you tap his hand that’s holding your ass, heart and pussy fluttering when his fingers curl around yours. he holds your hand tightly, hips still delivering unrelenting thrusts into your clenching hole.

“you’re always just so goddamn beautiful, aren’t you?” he murmurs out in between breaths, staring at you with downturned brows and perspiration lining them. “all mine. you’re all mine.”

“yes- yes yes, all yours, yuta!” you whine and preen to the praise, now moving your hips despite the borderline painful ache in your quads. even with your neglected clit, you still find yourself reaching your high and with each slide of his fat cock along your walls, it only makes your pussy wetter.

“haah... uh- uh!” his free hand comes round to play with your clit, finally, even if you weren’t asking for it, drawing a squeal from you. eagerly you move your cit against it faster, the combined movements of your ass against the hammering of yuta’s hips into your glistening cunt.

“c-cumming! i’m cumming, y-yuta-!” pleasure washes over you like a wave as you arch your back to feel more of him. he halts just a little for you to get used to the sensation, of your body convulsing and hole squeezing ’round him and your juices dribbling all over his cock until he moves again. whimpering, you hide your face in his neck, moaning endlessly at the overstimulation.

your name is groaned out by yuta at the apex of his orgasm, pelvis fucking up into you even when he spills hot, white cum into you. it’s followed by a string of profanities that sound almost like nothing, letting his seed leak into you until he becomes soft. even then he refuses to pull out, taking in your sweat-filled skin and how your body fits against his.

“we really actually need to find a way home. too embarrassing to go back into the party and ask my mom for the keys to her Porsche.” you giggle against him, breaking away from the embrace.

“we could take public transport.”

“reeking of sex? i don’t think so, baby.” your laughter is like music to yuta’s ears, going right back to burying his face into your neck. i love you, he wants to say, and it’s hardly the place, but he whispers it anyway. tints of red appear on his face when you return the sentiment; you were his, truly.

edit: DAMN (irl p*rn, don’t click unless you’re comfortable)

[arhvste]

❝ YOU WANT THIS! ❞

— iwaizumi hajime x reader

— an: based off of ‘be honest’ by jorja smith because she’s sexy

— dt: megan thee stallion because it’s her birthday and i have nothing else to offer to my queen right now </3 so here megan, you might like iwa if you ever watch hq

— warnings: suggestive content [not explicit nsfw but it is still suggestive]

“i know you want me”

iwaizumi kept his distance as he watched you softly sing to yourself, emptying the remaining clean crockery remaining in the dishwasher. he had intended to help you, but seeing you like this always caught him off guard.

forever in your own element, unaware of what was lurking past your direct vision, you paid no mind as your boyfriend leaned against the sturdy door frame, eyes never once tearing away from your body.

“every day, not only when you're lonely, yeah”

your body moved so naturally around the kitchen, every drawer and location for every utensil memorised like the back of your hand. not once did anything interrupt your flow. hands grabbing and tossing things to where they should be, iwaizumi watched as music from the speaker dominated the atmosphere.

“you see, you think you know me”

had the dishwasher not been open, anyone could have mistaken your kitchen activities as a private show for anyone who happened to be watching rather than just chore.

your hips moved on beat to the song as a mischievous twinkle glinted under the dimmed kitchen lights, your silhouette seductively moving identically to your own body; you were simply alluring to watch.

“but you don't even know nothing about me, yeah”

the lyrics strung out your lips as you finished up with the plates and utensils. your boyfriends old aoba johsai jersey adorning your frame and his grey calvin kleins fitting your waist and thighs, iwaizumi bit his bottom lip at the tempting sight of you in his clothes in your shared apartment.

he’d well and truly claimed you and he had every intention to reinforce that fact at this very moment as he stood up properly and quietly wandered over.

“you see my, thick thighs”

you jolted at the new presence behind you. well sculpted chest pressed up against your back and calloused hands secure around your waist. iwaizumi grunted as he felt you tense up however, that was only momentarily. the second his hand dipped down to graze over your thighs, you felt at ease once more.

whenever you found yourself so close in his touch, a wave of security and and relief crashed over you, he was the only man capable of holding you in such a way, both physically and mentally, iwaizumi hajime had truly made you his.

“lost when you look into my brown eyes”

tilting your head up, iwaizumi brought his hand up as he dragged his fingers along the bottom of your jaw demanding your eyes to interlock with his. that once mischievous twinkle in your eyes now gone, but replaced with a strong desire with tints of lust scattered scarcely in your gaze. iwaizumi’s own stare holding a strong dominance and want for you.

you read each other like your own favourite books as you relished in the feeling of the pads of his fingers running up and down your neck and jaw before finally letting you drop your head back down.

“see, my little waist can make you switch sides”

his previously free hand retreating back to your hips, thumb circling the side of your upper thigh, he cleared his throat slightly at the feeling of your waist backing up dangerously against his own. you were testing the waters before entering risky territory you knew you wouldn't be able to leave and iwaizumi was slowly, but surely growing slightly impatient at your little game.

“you never know the devil in a disguise, so why don't you stand up, baby, and”

you hummed as your boyfriend ran his hands up and down your sides, body swaying in time with yours as his fingers reached up the fabric of the aqua material. the sides of your torso growing warm under his touch, you pulled away out of his touch slightly in means to provoke him and of course he never failed to notice this behaviour.

“tell me, tell me, tell me do you want me on top?”

iwaizumi pulled you back as close as he could into him as you airly laughed at his rough play with you. his hands gripping your hips and you swayed them in time, he encouraged your movements as you threw your head back and flashed him a playful grin before dropping your head back down.

“so let me show you, show you, show you, i don't need to back it up”

your playful smile still tugging at your lips, you purposely dropped down slightly to press up against where you knew your boyfriend was most sensitive. he clicked his tongue at your misbehaviour as his fingers hooked under the white trimming of his boxers that you were currently modelling for him and him alone.

“don't wanna hold you, mould you, scold you, split you in half with my heart”

his thumbs teasing your skin above the waistband as his fingers teased the skin under the grey material, he smirked as he had you exactly where he wanted you. you gasped as he teasingly tugged at the waistband slightly before you brushed his hand away in attempts of scolding him despite the fact butterflies in your stomach countered your intentions.

“i just wanna love on you, trust in you, honour you, please, do the same on your part”

paying no mind to your ‘telling off’, iwaizumi let his hands find their way back up the jersey again sending shivers up and down your body. lips pressed up against your ear, he permitted his hot breath to fan against the shell of your ear as you whined unsure of whether you wanted him to stop or continue.

that didn’t matter anyway, he was going to make that decision for you.

“be honest, you want this”

the athletics trainer muttered along, his words only loud enough for your ears to catch. hand dipping out the jersey, he brought it back up and let his fingers dance along the base of your neck where the material refused to cover. dragging his fingers up once more, he hooked his fingers under your jaw as he guided your head up allowing him more access to your neck as he hummed in praise for your obligation.

“but i can be heartless, regardless of my conscience”

licking his lips, iwaizumi took advantage of the acces you had granted him as he proceeded to press kisses along your neck and jaw as you continued to sway your hips against him, your own hand reaching up to his neck as he marked the territory he demanded was his.

“be honest, you want this”

your breathing now short and shallow as you felt yourself grow excited at his faint possessiveness over you.

his claim over you always so rough and present, but never once overbearing or concerning. he had taken you so abruptly, but not to the point where you didn’t like it. no, you quite liked his strong desire for you to be his and his alone. it felt satisfying know he wanted you as much as you wanted him, the two of you holding an equal balance of both love and lust for one another.

“but i can be heartless, regardless of my conscience”

iwaizumi pulled away and admired the now painted canvas of your skin. a new masterpiece to memorise along with the countless others he had previously painted on your skin as well as the countless others to come.

now sick of the lack of skin-to-skin contact, iwaizumi pulled your waist towards him as he guided you to your shared bedroom, dim city lights from below the apartment windows calling you both in for another night of intimacy.

“w-wait let me turn off the speaker-” you protested but was cut of by a soft pinch left on the side of your hip from your impatient boyfriend.

“leave it on, i like it.” he tutted as your eyes widened before you nodded allowing him to take over the way he liked.

the second you entered the bedroom, the door was kicked shut but not to the point where the song that had caused this event was drowned out.

despite the fact your mind was currently scattered and you only had clear thoughts of your boyfriend and your own selfish desires, at that very moment, you had decided that just maybe doing your chores in your boyfriend's clothes later at night in the future was a clever move.

especially if this was going to be the outcome.

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[roswelldetails]

RNM 2x12 - Crash Into Me

EPISODE SUMMARY:

WELCOME TO CRASHCON — As the town prepares for CrashCon, Liz (Jeanine Mason) and Max (Nathan Dean) attempt to piece together who may be behind a potentially deadly plan targeting the festival.  Elsewhere, Maria (Heather Hemmens) and Isobel (Lily Cowles) take drastic measure to learn more about the night Mimi (guest star Sherri Saum) disappeared, while Michael (Michael Vlamis) is forced to do someone else’s bidding.

DETAILS:

Max is secretly practicing with his powers.  Was Max's "light cardio" actually just him trying to strengthen his powers?

Max has a land line. Hee. Which Liz doesn't mind answering for him.

Liz is looking for a pen on his desk when she finds the empty vials of the antidote.  Max plays them off as being leftover from when he had amnesia.

Liz mentions that the phone call was Max's bank calling to verify a deposit for him. 

Max is choosing not to worry about Michael because he and Isobel can feel that he's not badly injured or in serious danger.

Liz called Dirk:

"He said before she left she was getting nonstop calls from a 575 number. The Sunset Mesa facility where Mimi DeLuca lives."

"Wait, Mimi was calling your mom before the abductions?...Mimi was always obsessed with alien movies. Maybe fiction and reality are blurring. Your mom is working with Flint Manes who spent years making an alien-killing weapon while at Caulfield. What if your mom found out Rosa was killed by an alien? She'd want revenge."

Note: Max and I apparently think alike, because this was my assumption going into the episode as well. For the sake of detailing and not making this confusing plotline any more confusing...Max and I were both wrong. 

Also, I love that they mentioned cell service issues during Crash Con.  That is extremely realistic and makes a ton of sense, speaking from experience at like, concerts and baseball playoff games and such.

Maria gets Liz's voicemail and immediately confronts Mimi.

"I just got a message from Liz. Mom...when you disappeared, it was Helena Ortecho that took you...You didn't have butyricol in your system when they found you. You know Liz's mom. You'd remember if you spent a month with her.  Mom, are you covering for Helena?"

"Everything is going to be fine."

"I'm not fine. Alex and Michael are missing."

"Helena is a lot of things, but she won't hurt your friends. I'm sure… (Isobel walks in) You're the blonde. The one that Rosa was afraid of."

"Hi Mimi...I'm your cool Aunt Isobel.  Hopefully we can get to know each other under better circumstances sometime. Sure about this DeLuca?"

"Desperate times call for desperate alien invasions."

Isobel's first trip into Mimi's mindscape:

"Show me what happened the night you disappeared, Mimi."

Mimi turns to see headlights approaching. It's the hunting van. Helena is driving it. After they greet each other they talk in the van.

"I saw her. I saw her in a vision.

"I didn't believe you. I had to see it with my own eyes."

"You saw her.  You saw Rosa."

Flashback to Liz and Rosa arguing over Rosa's necklace in 2x01.  Just as a note, Isobel is in Mimi's head, not Helena's, so she shouldn't really be able to see this flashback since Mimi wasn't there when Helena saw Rosa.

"This is a good thing, Helena. Your daughter is alive. She needs you."

"When Jim Valenti was dying, I came home to say goodbye. He kept saying Rosa could live again, that she was preserved."

"But you didn't believe him. No one ever believes us."

"If Rosa is alive, it means Jim was telling the truth. Which means everything else he said could be true, like aliens are real and Jesse Manes has a weapon that can kill them. It means I have to go to war, Mimi. First, you need some shoes."

Then Mimi somehow kicks Isobel out of her memories, which gives Isobel a nosebleed. But Mimi doesn't seem to know what happened.  It's almost like she has a kind of subconscious protection on her own mind, somehow.

Note: the hunting van must not be Flint's, because Helena is driving it when she first considers teaming up with Flint, I assume based on the above.  Maybe she was the suspicious figure in Flint's house when Max and Kyle were hiding in the closet? And what about the car that Rosa blew up? Did she have access to multiple vehicles? Am I overthinking this?? Haha.

Kyle's tip to Max:

"I found this at Flint's, but it's from a florist my dad used when he was in the doghouse with my mom. I finally guessed the password today. Rosa's birthday. The only thing on it is a note my dad wrote to Helena. It's a lot of romantic crap followed by details for a storage unit he had up near Haystack Mountain."

Haystack Mountain is an off-road vehicle recreation area about 30 miles northeast of Roswell.

Michael working on the "bomb". Charlie is working on the toxin nearby and Helena is keeping an eye on both of them.

"This entire process would be more efficient if I could attach the release chamber to the other side."

"Ay, mijo. Now is not the time to get creative. Time is running out. Follow the blueprints exactly."

"You don't look like an obedient soldier. Who'd she take to force you to do her bidding?"

"A friend. It's complicated. Why are you helping her? Jenna's free."

"Flint Manes has a sniper rifle on the roof pointed at her bedroom window. If I step out of line and something happens…"

"You'll never forgive yourself."

"I'll never forgive myself anyway. Helena has me formulating a pathogen that I invented when I was 17.  It's a poison that dismantles specific DNA. If targeted your death is quick and ugly. A bleeding from every orifice kind of deal… I thought that I was saving people. Okay, imagine a weapon that you could drop into a populated city and the only people targeted would be al-Qaeda leaders and their direct descendants. Okay? In the right hands my weapon could prevent innocent civilian casualties and save our troops."

"I'm guessing these are not the right hands? Why am I building the bomb when the inventor is under Helena's thumb?"

"I do chemicals, not mechanics. And technically it's not a bomb. It's a catalytic toxin atomizer that was developed in a top secret operation involving weapons specialists from both the Army and the Air Force."

"Project Shepherd. One more question for you, Charlie. Whose DNA is that poison you're making gonna target?"

"Judging from conversations I've heard between Helena and Flint, it's alien DNA. Like, literal aliens."

This is actually the part of this story that's crystal clear to me. We've been getting tidbits on this dating back to 1x12, when Flint told Alex about his "smart bomb".  Jesse told Jenna in 2x04 about Charlie's toxin that could pinpoint specific DNA, and even used a similar metaphor in explaining it as Charlie did in this episode. The part that doesn't make sense to me is, why did FLINT need Michael to build it, if he developed the blueprints?

Liz and Rosa in the lab discussing Max taking the antidote.

"He's only supposed to take a drop when he has amnesia. It's not vitamin C. In high doses it could cause surges of adrenaline that could be dangerous."

"No offense, but you sound like a mom. Like a real mom, the kind who actually give a duck. Oh I just figured out what autocorrect is. It's hilarious."

"Speaking of moms, ours hasn't reached out to any of your old dealers and she hasn't shown up at any of the churches in town, so you got any other ideas?"

"It's CrashCon. We usually find her wearing the loudest t-shirts and flirting with the richest nerds."

"Yeah, but Flint and Jesse Manes hate aliens. I mean it's literally their only hobby. If she's with them, I'm betting she's lost her affection for the simple charms of UFO novelty kitch."

"Wait, if you were going to get revenge on aliens, CrashCon is the perfect place. There's all kinds of conspiracy theorists and press. You know how mom loves attention."

"You think something's gonna happen tonight?" 

"Papi is there by himself setting up. I think he should come home."

Note: my phone autocorrected duck to fuck. So I guess that tells you something about me. 😳

Also I just realized that for once ROSA and not Liz is the one who put the pieces together! Good for her. I wonder if that's purposeful since she's the daughter who is more like their mom? Like, she understands Helena's motivations better than Liz or something.

Steph and her father are going to CrashCon together. Kyle helps her with her makeup. Super sweet, but rather pointless since the scenes of Steph at CrashCon were cut. Mostly just including this here as a reminder that she's there in case it comes up in the finale.

Max and Cam, who got her job back!

"Thanks for the assist. I'm guessing that guard wouldn't let me through with bolt cutters unless I had an officer of the law present."

"Oh well, don't be jealous, Evans. Valenti has me on desk duty. So this little adventure is my lunch break."

"Valenti did the right thing, giving you your job back."

"Yeah well, you know, apparently some local bartender gave her reason to doubt the events the night of the gala were my fault. So I owe you."

"I've lost track of who owes who what at this point."

They break into the storage unit. It's empty except for an empty shelving unit, a locked chest, and a puddle of purple alien goo.

"What is that?"

"It looks like embryonic fluid. There must have been a pod in here."

Note: no, Max! Pod Goo evaporates upon contact with Earth's atmosphere/air. So it's not pod goo.

There isn't a super clear shot of inside the chest, but Max pulls out a love letter from Helena to Jim Valenti. I can transcribe it if you want me to. It's pretty easy to read and frankly, there's nothing important there. My heart is forever yours...it feels good to actually love and be loved in return...blah blah cheesy platitudes.

But seriously. Just send me an ask if you need me to transcribe it.  But I'm gonna skip for now.

Isobel is chugging acetone straight from the bottle in the middle of the Pony.

Isobel's second trip into Mimi's mindscape:

"Mimi. I know you think you're doing the right thing, but Helena is holding people hostage. We have to understand her motive."

"You all think I'm losing my mind. But I just...slip out of my time and into a different one every once in a while. Sometimes Maria's. Or Mama's. Other women in our future or past. I saw you when you were a baby. The sky was red."

"What can you tell me about your time with Helena? She had you for a month."

"We were in a motel. We watched movies. We laughed and gossiped. She wanted to trigger my visions...gather information."

"What information? What did you tell her? What did you see?"

"What's important is Helena will take care of our girls. I'm not afraid. That's enough."

Mimi kicks her out again.

"I tried.  She's fading."

"She's tired. It's harder when she's tired. Come on, Mom. I'm gonna take you back to Sunset Mesa."

"Maria, you just have to look for the signs in the water. You have to believe. Go on, you'd better hurry."

"Hurry where?"

"CrashCon closing night! You don't want to miss the fireworks. You always loved the fireworks."

Max and Cam going through the chest of letters back at Max's house:

"Okay, all these notes are from Helena to Jim Valenti. This is from the week Rosa died. I mean even 20 years after their affair she's still writing and he's still saving her letters."

"Pining after an Ortecho for years and years. It's so weird. Who does that. This is a receipt. It's a money transfer he made around the same time. He paid Daniel Fuller a thousand bucks."

"Fuller was the county coroner. Okay we still don't know how Noah got Rosa's body into the pod, right? But Jim had Project Shepherd connections to the morgue. So maybe if Noah knew about Jim and knew that he'd be grieving Rosa, he could have told him where to find the pod, right, and maybe he didn't even take the pod back until after Jim died."

"I mean, this is all a bunch of conjecture."

"Jim pulled me aside at high school graduation, he said I was the kind of guy the sheriff's department could use. Look, I mean maybe… I mean, he never let on, but maybe he knew I was an alien, right? Maybe he knew more than that."

"Okay, Evans? Breathe. You're looking a little clammy. What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"No. See, something's going on, and you're gonna tell me or I'm out, I swear to God."

"Okay you can't tell anyone."

"You know I won't."

"Okay, I've been taking this antidote that Liz made. No...she doesn't know. But its rebuilding some of my memories from before the 1947 crash, right? I was just a little kid, but I had a destiny. I had responsibilities."

"Right, you're the savior."

"Yes! Well, maybe. But I was starting to remember these symbols from our old language, right? I remember what they mean, but it's like the meaning is just out of reach. And I'm out of the antidote. And you know, Liz is getting suspicious. So…"

"No."

"I didn't say anything."

"Really? Can you tell that to your face? I am not using my friendship with your girlfriend to steal alien steroids for you. Okay? Our partnership has limits."

Michael and Helena:

"It's done. So now what? You inject my spine with your mind-eraser?"

"We only used the butyricol on Jenna Cameron because there was still work to be done. And Flint was afraid she'd ruin it for us. You told Flint Charlie was creating a toxin that would kill aliens. But if you wanted aliens dead, you'd be testing it on me right now. 'Cause that's what I would do if I was a criminal mastermind."

"I needed Flint for the schematics and the muscle. Our agendas didn't need to align perfectly."

"You don't have to do this. If you kill anyone tonight, Liz and Rosa will never look at you the same."

"That ship has sailed. Besides, I'm not killing anyone. If disaster never strikes, justice won't be served. Do you want to see Alex or not?"

Liz tries to get Arturo to go back to the Crashdown.  She tells him that the kitchen is backed up because it's so busy.  The interesting part of this exchange from a character perspective though:

"Papi, please. I have a bad vibe, all right? A gut feeling I can't shake."

Diego walks up.

"Who are you? Elizabeth Ortecho doesn't do feelings. She believes in facts and evidence."

"No, I do feelings now.  I've evolved."

Alex is chained up in the house.  There's a takeout box and coffee cup next to him. He's humming a song under his breath. Michael walks in and they talk.

"Guerin, you were right. They used me to get to you. My dad hit me over the head and then he swiped the piece of the console. And then Flint showed up with a gun to my head."

"Did anyone hurt you?"

"Nothing I can't handle. Helena's been weirdly motherly. She's bringing me clothes and meals."

"Your leg."

"Yeah they took the prosthetic. I tried to bludgeon my brother with it. Come on, use your powers. Get me out of this."

"Helena dosed me with something. I'm basically human until it wears off."

"Okay then find something that'll break the cuff or my wrist. I don't care."

"Alex, tonight at CrashCon, your dad plans to release a toxin that kills anyone with alien DNA...Helena made Charlie and I build an identical device, but one that targets a different DNA. She somehow got her hands on your dad's cells. She knows your dad killed Kyle's dad. She wants revenge.  But she wants him to take himself out. When he pulls the trigger on us tonight your dad's gonna die because of a device I built."

"No, that is not on you, okay? Now let me out of here."

"I can't. The atomizer will kill anyone in your dad's direct line. You are safer here."

"Are you serious?"

"And I gotta go. I'm gonna come back for you."

While Michael explains to Alex, we get a flashback to Helena in her totally fake blonde wig at the hospital in 2x02.

Helena disguises herself as Jesse's maid using her totally fake blonde wig and switches out the bombs while Jesse is in the shower.

The @ladiesofrnm have their first scene all together! (With Max...and eventually Michael…) reading through Helena's letters together. Michael makes quite an entrance. Afterwards:

"You're such an idiot! You don't comply with a kidnapper's ransom demands. Without telling me."

"Alex was in trouble. He had to go."

"Mikey, where are Alex and Charley?"

"They're safe. Your mom doesn't want to hurt them."

"Look I don't get it. Does she want to kill aliens?"

"No. She's avenging her murdered lover."

Back to the house where Helena talks to Charlie:

"This atomizer contains the poison that kills anyone with alien DNA. I need you to destroy it."

"Does Flint know that you have it?"

"Flint. Jesse really broke that boy. Some people were never meant to be parents. You can go when you're done.  The door's unlocked. Flint's rifle shoots blanks."

"What's to stop me from leaving now?"

"The knowledge that that deadly device only exists because of you. You decide. I'm off to CrashCon. I hear there will be quite a show."

Note, when Helena says Flint's name she says a word in Spanish that I can't make out and isn't in the closed captions.

Max and Liz's conversation about racism and privilege:

"I want to help. Your mom's not the villain here. All right? She's going about this all wrong, yes. But Manes is already a murderer. I mean, if he'd succeeded today…"

"I know...I could have lost almost everyone I care about in a moment. I remember every day what it was like to lose you and Rosa. I don't think I could survive that again. She could've built a decoy bomb that wouldn't have hurt anyone."

"He'd just get angry and do it again."

"Yeah, but he's not the only one that this would hurt. I mean, the headlines if she gets caught? Illegal Mexican Immigrant Slaughters Decorated American Vet via Bioweapon. People will line up to lay bricks at the border wall. But hey, maybe the president will talk about my family at his rallies. That's gonna be fun."

"That's not gonna happen. This will get covered up like every other strange death in this town."

"In case you haven't noticed those cover-ups don't tend to protect the Mexicans. Even when…"

"Even when Rosa died. You can say it, Liz. It's okay. It's fair. Rosa got blamed. White people didn't. Okay? I get it."

"I know you're on my side, but you don't get this. And that's not your fault, that's just the reality of our experiences. If I mess up. If I so much as roll through a stop sign, it reflects badly on any Mexican who came before me. And it hurts any Mexican who comes after me. I used to think that nothing would ever change that, but lately I think...maybe if something extraordinary happened it could."

"Extraordinary? Like what you're doing in your lab?"

"I've discovered something that could be the key to curing people who have no hope otherwise. I can't walk away."

"So you're gonna turn my family's stem cells into the hottest commodity?"

"No, I won't. I...we'll find a way to synthesize it or replicate it."

"Is this about the people you're trying to save or about becoming the poster girl for immigrants everywhere? You want the president to talk about your family because of you. Because you saved the world."

"If those in power see what happens when people are given opportunity…"

"You want the glory."

"I want recognition. I want to be the example I never had. And people who want glory, they're just in it for selfish reasons. People like Jesse Manes want the glory. He wants to be a big American hero. He wants the parades, he wants the medals. If he sets off his alien atomizer at CrashCon, a handful of twenty-something's will die of some mysterious ailment and it's barely gonna make the news. That's not what he wants. We're missing part of his plan."

"First, something violent. Large-scale that'll draw media attention. And then, once all eyes are in Roswell…"

"He'll blame the violence on the aliens. He only gets his parade if he makes people afraid and then he destroys the thing that they fear. If he makes people think that you're terrorists before he kills you."

Graham Green's reveal at CrashCon.  Graham is announced and takes the stage as Max, Liz, and Rosa arrive to find Michael, Isobel, and Maria nearby.

"Hey, you guys shouldn't be here."

"I was held hostage, Max. I deserve to ride the Sizzler until I barf cotton candy, and maybe watch a bad man die."

"You guys, we think that…"

Graham Green starts his presentation.

"Hello loyal fans and devoted supporters! You patience is about to be rewarded. Today I am thrilled, nay, honored to show you the result of years or painstaking work. The moment we've all been waiting for. Irrefutable extraterrestrial proof! A bona fide alien artifact!"

Graham pulls the curtain and reveals what appears to be something similar to Michael's console, only it is complete and intact.

Flint brings Alex food and they discuss Flint's motives:

"If you're doing this to impress dad, it is never gonna work."

"I'm not trying to impress dad. His shutdown of Project Shepherd was an inform decision, but he's trained me my entire life to take it on.

Flint goes to leave but Alex stops him.

"Do you remember when mom used to drive us to the res, and you would sit at the loom with Granddad? Weaving stories. When was the last time you made something, Flint? Anything that wasn't built to destroy?" 

"Around the time that mom decided that to leave dad, she had to leave us."

"She didn't know what he would do to us."

"He didn't do anything to us. Me and Clay are fine. He'll, even Gregory is coming to see dad today."

"...You are wrong. We are all dad's victims. Sure, he beat me up, but what he put the rest of you through was abuse too. He made you watch while he kicked my ass… He scared you into thinking that there was only one type of man that you could become."

Alex manages to knock Flint out, steal the key to his handcuffs, and free himself.

"You're so pathetic. You don't know me at all. This has nothing to do with dad and everything to do with our history. Aliens are a foreign threat. They're invaders."

Back to CrashCon, where the gang discuss the alien object:

"Alex's piece must have been the last one that Manes needed to finish building it. Where's he been keeping the rest of this?"

Sanders appears out of nowhere.

"Kid, I seen that thing before. Your mother built that back in the old barn. I don't know what it is, but it is definitely explosive. I always wondered what'd happened to the pieces."

"Maybe Harlan or Tripp Manes gathered them up. Rebuilt it."

"Yeah but if Manes is gonna use that to blow up CrashCon, it's gonna make Graham Green look like the bad guy. No one's gonna think an alien planted it."

"Unless they follow the money. I got an alert from my bank this morning. A $10,000 deposit had cleared."

"You think Manes set it up so that the investigation would lead to you?"

"If I become the world's first alien terrorist and he takes me out, the world cheers."

"Guys, you need to do whatever you can to get as many people out of here as possible, okay? Get help."

"Hey, where are you going?"

"Michael and I have studied this material before. It's part tech, but it's also part organic. And if it's part organic, that means it can be killed. I gotta get back to my lab."

Diego sees Max toss Liz his keys.

Max and Michael sneak backstage and convince Graham Green to let them have a moment with the alien ship thingie. Max takes photos of it with his phone.

"Do you think we can destroy it?"

"No. The pieces want to be together and now that it's complete if we break the bonds with brute force we risk a violent reaction."

Max hears voices whispering and reaches out to touch the alien tech. The alien symbol forms under his hand and he pressed it.  There's a surge from the tech and it almost appears like Max is absorbing something from it. The voices get a little louder. When he breaks the connection it almost seems like it takes effort and he seems stunned.

"What the hell just happened to you?"

"Nothing. I think this is a remote. I think this controls a ship."

"It's a what?"

Gif by @maxortecho

Note, the way Max laughs when he says nothing is oddly similar to how he responded to Cam when she called him out on his weird behavior from the antidote. Like he's hiding something or brushing off the worry or something. 

Sanders interrupts before Max can respond. Points out that the top of the stage is varnished which is highly flammable. 

"Wait, if this is fresh varnish, this whole platform is set up like a tinderbox."

"There's gonna be fireworks tonight."

"One spark'll light a fire. I mean, this whole thing, the whole platform will go up."

"If this giant remote goes kaboom aliens will be framed as terrorists. You have to get out of here."

"What? No. I'm not going anywhere."

"Max you are all sorts of worked up right now. What happens when you're worked up?"

"Sparks fly. Right, okay. Yeah. I'll go."

Before Max leaves he spots something on one of the display boards that makes him pause. He grabs it before leaving.

Charlie is working on her chemicals in the makeshift lab when Flint sneaks up on her and puts a gun to her head, demanding that she gives him the atomizer.

Maria and Rosa hurry through CrashCon discussing each other's alien biology and Mimi's vision. They spot Gregory Manes and decide to try to get him to leave since the Manes bomb would kill him. He has 12 kids with them so they suggest that he take them to the Crashdown for free milkshakes. He recognizes Rosa, but they tell him she's Rosa's cousin. 

Liz works in the lab while blasting Alanis Morissettte - great call back to last year when she told Michael that Alanis helped her channel Rosa's creativity. She says to herself:

"Destroy the organic cell membrane. Disable the nanotech." 

She mixes some chemicals which react and explode her flask and start a fire. Really don't know if that's supposed to represent success or not. 

Flint and Helena talk at CrashCon. She is surprised to see him.  He tells her that he cleaned up the mess at the house. 

We flash back to the house which is on fire.  Charlie is chained up and trapped.

Liz hurries from the lab and doesn't realize that Diego followed her there.  He sneaks his way into the building while Liz rushes for the car.

Speaking of cars...they're in the middle of nowhere. Where's Diego's car? I had the same thought last week when Max and Kyle were searching Flint's house and they almost got caught. Whoever pulled up in the hunting van should have seen their car!

Maria and Rosa are helping get the kids loaded onto a bus when Rosa points out Pisces to Maria. Call back to 1x03 when Maria tells Liz that she and Rosa used to compete to see which one of them could spot the constellation first. It gives Maria an epiphany. Pisces is "the water sign" which was one of Mimi's clues from her vision.  Maria goes to follow the sign. She runs into Max who tries to get her to safety. They spot Flint Manes carrying the atomizer. Max tells Maria to get out of there and hurries after Flint. He tries to sneak up on Flint, but Flint is able to disarm him and beat him up. Flint sets the atomizer to go off in two minutes and then throws it like a Hail Mary into the crowd. Max chases after Flint while Maria goes after the atomizer. She pushes through the crowd and spots another clue from Mimi's vision - a poster of aliens asking "Do you believe?" The atomizer is sitting below it. Maria grabs the atomizer and takes off running with it. Cam spots Maria and follows. 

Flint beats Max up again and then pulls a gun and threatens to shoot Max. Max disarms him and is holding the gun to Flint now. He laughs and asks Max if he's really going to shoot a soldier. Tells him that he already pulled the trigger to kill Max by setting off the atomizer. Max tosses the gun aside, and uses his powers instead to kill Flint,

Michael and Isobel are trying to keep the stage from catching fire, but then the fireworks start going off into the wind (which blows the embers towards the fair). The hay bales easily catch on fire. Isobel used her powers to hold back the flames.  She can feel that something is wrong with Max and send Michael to find him. 

Instead Michael finds Jesse and Alex. Their exchange: 

"You know, I actually started to believe that you had changed."

"You never could tell friend from foe. I actually counted on it."

"Hey I know exactly who you are. You were gonna let all of these people die and you were gonna let the aliens take the blame."

"It's high time they got blamed for something, I think. I'm gonna drag them from the shadows."

"Yeah and then what? You're gonna use the atomizer to kill them all? Then you become some hero by destroying the enemy that you created?"

"American children are gonna read about the events of tonight in their history books... And don't worry about collateral damage, son. That's just an unfortunate aspect of war. You know that better than anyone, Alex."

"You're gonna become your own collateral damage if that thing goes off. Helena Ortecho switched the devices. That's not gonna kill aliens.  That is set to destroy your DNA. If it goes off, you are going to die in a puddle of your own blood."

"What are you doing? Are you bluffing to protect the aliens?"

"What I'm doing is I'm trying to protect our family. Dad, if that goes off it kills all of your direct descendants. Flint and Greg are somewhere in here. And I don't care how much I disgust you, I am still your son!"

Greg runs up looking for help responding to the fire. He spots the atomizer and immediately recognizes it as a weapon. Alex tries to get him to leave. Michael runs up and Jesse pulls his gun on him. Greg steps between Michael and the gun to protect Michael for Alex.

Maria throws the atomizer off into the desert and immediately begins bleeding. Thankfully Cam is there to try to help.

Max kills Flint which in turn gives him another heart attack. Liz arrives as he's collapsing and starts CPR. Rosa runs up and tries to get Liz to let her step in to help Max so that Liz can stop the alien device from exploding… And cliffhanger.

MUSIC:

1.  Valley Queen "Chasing The Muse"

2.  The HawtThorns "Give Me A Sign"

3.  Everclear "Everything To Everyone"

4.  Alanis Morissette "All I Really Want"

5.  Gary Numan "I Am Dust"

[renegadewangs]

Ace Mindhunter - 1st Interview

Characters: Simon Blackquill, Athena Cykes, Shi-Long Lang, and a rogues gallery of AA villains. Fandom: Ace Attorney. Pairings: N/A. Warnings/rating: 16+, I would say. Talk of heavy themes such as death and abuse, plus cursing. Spoilers for every AA game up to Spirit of Justice, AAI2 included. Gratuitous amounts of headcanon for antagonists. Summary: Simon Blackquill is roped into a Behavioral Analysis project along with Athena Cykes. They must sit down with convicted murderers for interviews, in hopes of finding out just what drove them to their convoluted crimes.

((A/N: This fic is based on Mindhunter, which is not only a good series on Netflix but an actual book written by John Douglas, the FBI agent who played a very important role in the Behavioral Science Unit from 1977 to 1995. Behavioral Science aimed towards serial killers is a real thing and it’s fascinating. As an additional note, the prison’s setup is based on AAI2′s explanation of how it all works over there, so if you never absorbed any info from that game, you might be a bit lost. 

Anyway, mind the warnings up there and enjoy!))

1st Interview Dee

Date: June 5th 2028 Time: 2:02 PM Location: Interview Room. Dee Vasquez was a woman in her mid forties, though the only reason Simon Blackquill knew this was because the paperwork in front of him told him so. Her short hair was as black as could be and her features showed virtually no wrinkles. Just as most other convicted felons, she was wearing the standard prison uniform of black and white stripes. There was also a metallic bracelet around her wrist, which ensured she couldn't leave the room without suffering a nasty disciplinary shock. Harsh as it seemed, that measure still paled in comparison to the shackles Simon had worn up until half a year ago. His own wrists itched at the mere memory of it. He had seen her around death row during his own incarceration, but he'd never paid her any mind. She had been very adapt at keeping to herself, just as he himself had been. There was something to be said about the company of fellow inmates, but that 'something' was not Simon's cup of tea. He'd had Taka. As far as he could recall, Vasquez had never been in the company of a therapy animal. “I will be recording this conversation. Is that all right?” he asked, sliding a device towards the center of the table which stood between them. As he felt it best to have her agreement on tape as well, it was already cementing the sounds in the room. Vasquez glanced down at it from the corner of her eye, but said nothing. Her expression, one of boredom, implied that this interview would be more troublesome than advertised. 'An easy start', Lang had told him. 'A pain in the arse', Simon concluded at this time. “... I shall accept that as confirmation.” “Hm.” Simon drew in a quick breath through his nose, then peered down at the prepared statement he was meant to give. Even looking at those words made him feel more formal than he would ever hope to be. Still, it was expected of him to say these things out loud. “Now, I am here on behalf of Interpol's Behavioral Analysis Unit,” he ultimately began. “What you discuss with me is subject to Interpol's confidentiality clause and cannot be used against you in your applications for parole. I'll be asking you about your family history, antecedent behavior and thought patterns surrounding the crime you have committed. Our goal is to compile several psychological profiles and, ultimately, use them to create a statistical analysis which will not include your name.” Vasquez crossed her arms over her chest, sitting back in her chair. “What is the meaning of this? I was convicted almost twelve years ago.” “The lady is quite observant,” Simon replied dryly. “As I've already stated, your answers will not serve as a weapon we may wield against you. Rather, by delving into your history and psyche, we hope to corner and disarm others like you.” “Others like me?” “Those who would take another's life and avoid their responsibility in the matter. Specifically, those who go to asburd lengths to shift the blame of that crime onto an innocent bystander.” “Innocent? Hardly.” Simon felt his eyes narrow at the statement. “You don't believe that Will Powers was unrelated to Jack Hammer's death?” “That is not what I said. However, I believe that no man is innocent.” The air with which Vasquez had uttered that statement was so very nonchalant, it came across as a fact of life rather than biased opinion. She still hadn't glanced Simon's way yet, either. She did nothing but stare up towards a far corner of the room. Why she had even agreed to sit across from him was difficult to estimate. Perhaps she'd simply wanted a change of scenery. Simon placed a hand on the table and leaned forward. “Even if no man is innocent, you are the one donning the garb of the common criminal.” “... Shouting.” “I beg your pardon?” “Out in the courtyard. Two men are shouting. Do you hear them?” Closing his eyes and straining his ears, he could indeed distinguish it. A pair of deep voices was engaged in an argument somewhere. That something so faint would catch Vasquez's attention was ludicrous, but then, perhaps anything was more interesting than Simon's words. Taking in a few seconds of the silence which reigned, he thought back to what had roped him into this situation in the first place. ------- Date: June 3rd 2028 Time: 4:23 PM Location: Simon Blackquill's Office. Even with all his past research into the Phantom, Simon had rarely ever spoken to anyone from Interpol. Perhaps it was because he didn't want them to hinder his work, or perhaps it was because Interpol itself hadn't deigned him worthy of their attention. If indeed it was the latter, the events of five months prior must have left such a grand crater that Simon, who was standing in the middle of it all, could no longer be ignored. To have a senior investigator visit him in his humble office would have been considered sudden overkill, were Simon not aware that Shi-Long Lang was long-time friends with the Chief Prosecutor. Simon's first impression was that Lang had walked through the door with extreme reluctance, perhaps even distaste. There was a particularly stiff slouch to his walk which implied as much, but it was the tone of voice which set it into stone. “Simon Blackquill. We meet at last.” “Not for lack of effort from my hand. And that's Prosecutor Blackquill, if you don't mind.” Lang's mouth curled into something of a smirk. As he made no attempt to approach Simon's desk and instead lingered near the door, Simon in turn decided not to get up from his chair. Courtesy was a favor to be repaid, after all. “Quite right. You did not clear your record for nothing. I have to say, though, the image of pencil pusher doesn't suit you at all. Lang Zi says: A wild wolf has no place among tamed retrievers.” “You must have gained the wrong impression of a prosecutor's duties from some of my colleagues. I tend not to push pencils unless the intention is for them to go up a culprit's nose.” “Getting confessions in any way you see fit, huh? That's a Twisted Samurai for ya.” Despite Simon's grin matching Lang's own, there was no covering the elephant in the room. Small talk, no matter how tinged with dark humor, was small talk all the same. The folder clutched in one of the Interpol agent's hands must have been there for a reason. “Agent Lang, humbled as I am that you would travel all the way here to speak with me, I doubt either of us are the sort to beat around the bush. Why are you here?” “Interpol has a project for you.” “I don't work for Interpol. I work for the Chief Prosecutor.” “And that Chief Prosecutor has so kindly agreed to relay all your most challenging cases, so that you may work with Interpol on a part-time basis.” A wild urge to protest dawned on Simon, only to die down as quickly as it'd arisen. If the Chief Prosecutor had agreed to this, it must've been important. Not only that; if Interpol needed assistance from a 'pencil-pushing prosecutor', they must've been desperate. He leaned forward and folded his hands together atop the desk, a very different sort of fighting spirit being born inside him. There was a fire the likes of which he'd never known; a fire which had spent the last five months smoldering due to lack of oxygen. “Is this about the Phantom?” he asked, convinced that he already knew the answer. “No,” was the unfortunate response. Lang finally approached the desk and allowed the folder to drop. It hit the wooden surface with a soft thud. His sharp gaze met Simon's head-on and when he spoke, it was in an impatient manner. “The Phantom is not your concern. It should never have been your concern to begin with.” “Agent Lang-” “Interpol has failed spectacularly in the past, but now that we have that mutt on a leash, I can assure you that the matter is ours to deal with as we see fit. No, you had best forget about it and focus your skills on more pressing, more recent problems.” Simon's eyes flicked towards the folder, then back up to Lang's face. “What is this project, then? Why does Interpol have need for my skills?” “Surely, you must have noticed. Over the past decade or two, Los Angeles has become a hodgepodge of extravagant murders, each more contrived than the next. People can howl all they want about this supposed Dark Age of the Law and how it may or may not have ended, but Interpol sees things differently. There is not a single city in the world which hosts this many desperate and innovative criminals. If there really was some sort of dark age, it was born from the killers themselves. Knowing that much, we need to take into account that fixing the court system won’t do a lick of good.” While disagreement was the first thing on Simon's mind, he decided to give the notion due thought. He visualized Geiru Toneido, who had murdered her own father by suffocating him with udon dough only a few weeks ago. That in itself was already a terrible tragedy, but her attempts to deceive everyone around her instead of accepting her own guilt had bordered on ludicrous. No common killer should have gone that far. If criminals were the ones taking advantage of the Dark Age of the Law to get away with their crimes, then criminals were indeed the root of it all. It came down to people who believed they deserved to get away with their crimes, even if the court system would normally say otherwise. “Then... What, exactly? You believe our water supply to be contaminated?” “I don't believe much of anything, Prosecutor Blackquill,” Lang said dryly, shaking his head. “FBI, CIA, Interpol... They're all scrambling to make sense of it. The Behavioral Analysis Unit-” “Behavioral Analysis?” “No need to act so surprised, I'm sure you know damn well what that unit does. Anyway, they believe the only way to get answers is to take a long, hard look at some of the killers we've caught so far. And I'm not talkin' about means, motive and opportunity- those were already established during the conviction. I mean the actual why of the matter. What drove a human being to that point in their life? Childhood, family, mindset... If we can find a pattern, we can solve murder cases a whole lot faster through profiling. Maybe even prevent them from happening in the first place.” Simon released a deep breath through his nose, closing his eyes. “You believe that I ought to be the one to take this long, hard look.” “Again, I don't believe anything. I just do as I'm told.” Lang stepped back from the desk, instead wandering towards the window. “You have a degree in psychology. You have experience with constructing psych profiles. More important than any of that, you have walked the halls of death row yourself.” “You're barking up the wrong tree, Agent Lang.” “I don't think I am. You were virtually one of these killers yourself. They know your name, your reputation. And you know them.” “It is precisely because I know them that I cannot participate in this project,” Simon insisted, his voice taking on a low growl. “I know what it's like to hear the screams of those less lucid than myself. I have been forced to consume that paltry fare the guards claim to be meals, have had to endure the humiliation of sharing a shower with complete strangers. Every day, I recall how it feels to awaken on a hard cot, asking myself whether today would be the day that I die. I am a free man now, Agent Lang, with no intention of returning to that cage willingly.” “No one said you would set foot in death row. The interviews would take place in a specialized visitor's room and the participants of the study may be rewarded for cooperation if you see fit. Consider it an opportunity to pull these poor saps into more pleasant surroundings for a few hours.” “More pleasant surroundings?” Simon snarled, rising to his feet at last to stare Lang down. “Asking them relive their greatest mistake is considered pleasant to you? They already have more than enough time to reflect on what they've done.” “Which means they should be able to answer your questions with ease,” Lang rebuffed. “Listen, I’m not here because I thought I’d give you a fair shot at the job. It definitely wasn’t my idea to send a prosecutor of all people. If it were up to me, one of my most trusted men- or women- would go in there with a list of questions, but these killers don't open up to just anyone. We need to get just the right information to profile them. You fit the bill perfectly, Power of Suggestion and everything, and that's why it’s my job to persuade you to do it. If we don't find out what prompts these people to jump through hoops for killing, you're going to be taking on a lot more cases where the defense will want testimony from clowns and orcas. The Chief Prosecutor agrees, the LAPD agrees, Interpol agrees...” The hawk feather in the corner of Simon's mouth had seen better days, by now. He'd started chewing the tip of it at the start of Lang's tirade and now, fifteen seconds later, the bite marks were irreversible. The proposition made perfect sense, but that didn't mean Simon wanted to do it. Did he even have a choice? Lang didn't seem like the sort to give up easy and if that was how Interpol wished to play, perhaps it could be used to Simon's advantage. He slammed a hand down on his desk to be certain he had Lang's full attention. “I want the Phantom.” “Come again?” “If Interpol demands that I must be the one to interview these killers, then a humble prosecutor such as I is in no place to object. However, I will do a thorough job of it. As the Phantom has claimed at least two victims within our fair city of Los Angeles and went to extremes to cover it up, they have the necessary attributes to fall within the case study.” “I've already told you the Phantom is not your problem.” “If I am to accept this project-” “That's just an excuse and you know it. No one speaks to the Phantom, do you understand? Not even me- and believe me when I say that I would give an arm for the opportunity to exchange words with them. A high-profile liability like that is out of our league.” “Then, we will have to rise to the necessary level, won't we?” Simon grinned, his fingers curling along the desk's surface. “If you wish for me to compile profiles on these killers, then I will do so. However, my one condition is that should these methods be proven successful, Interpol will arrange for an interview with the Phantom. If they do not agree, they'll have to find themselves another former inmate with a psychology degree who excels at drawing the truth from people.” For a few seconds, there was nothing. Then Lang threw his head back and laughed. “All riiight, that's what I like to hear! A passionate predator is a successful one. I'll see what I can do!” “... Good.” “Looking at it from the official point of view, you'd be aiding Interpol as an external consultant and that involves a healthy helping of paperwork. Confidentiality clause and all that. I've got most of the forms here for you to sign.” Lang meandered back over to the desk to indicate the folder. “But more important than the bureaucracy of it all is the more substantial situations. This project requires discretion. We can't be seen as hassling the inmates, or they’ll take measures against us. You need to keep your head down for the most part and play nice with the other kids.” “I understand.” “We can't have you processing your findings in the Prosecutor's Office, and so, you'll have your own little spot in L.A.'s Interpol headquarters. Report there tomorrow morning and they'll show you where to go. Now, as for the matter of your partner-” “My partner?” “You can't very well sit across from a convicted killer by yourself.” “I fail to see why not. I interact with killers before their conviction on a daily basis. That is part of my job as a pencil pusher.” “It's not a question of your grit, it's a question of what Interpol would say if they knew we weren't taking proper precautions. Needless to say, we got in touch with Athena Cykes-” “You did what?!” “Will you stop barking across my words?” Lang snapped at him. “Athena Cykes has partnered with you before and despite her age, she's supposed to be the best when it comes to processing emotional responses. You can draw out all the answers you want with the Power of Suggestion, but we need to know the feelings hiding within those words and that's where her special ability comes in.” “You refuse to let me meet with killers by myself, yet you claim it's wise to have a 19 year-old girl by my side?” “That 19 year-old girl has more of a reputation than you give her credit for. She's a feisty young pup, too. Ready to jump into the action.” “You've already spoken with her?” “She's already agreed.” “Then I refuse.” “Blackquill-” “Prosecutor Blackquill. And I will not allow that girl anywhere near convicted butchers.” Lang grit his jaw, his nostrils flaring. Then he threw a glance down at his watch and shrugged his irritation off. “Fine then. Have at it by yourself, see where it gets you.” ------- Date: June 5th 2028 Time: 2:05 PM Location: Interview Room. This interview was headed nowhere at the most rigid of paces. Simon would have dismissed further attempts as a waste of his time, were it not for Vasquez's MO. She had been convicted on charges of manslaughter out of self-defense, and if indeed it had been self-defense, why had she not outright admitted to that from the start? Why target Will Powers? Had it been out of a grudge, or had she taken advantage of an opportunity regardless of who she trampled under her heel? In order to construct a proper psychological profile, he would need far more answers than Vasquez was willing to provide. The door slammed open quite suddenly and in walked the one person Simon hadn't wanted to see here. There was not a single shred of intimidation to be found in her, as if she'd walked into a grocery store as opposed to a prison. She pulled up a chair, smiling as brightly as ever, and dropped herself down on it. “Buen día! Sorry I'm late! The subway was delayed!” she proclaimed. A pause, then she leaned in closer to the recording device. “This is Athena Cykes, by the way. In case that's needed for documentation.” While Vasquez didn't turn her head, Simon could see that her eyes had moved towards the newcomer. “What are you doing here?” he asked Athena, as he thought he'd made himself quite clear towards Lang. “I'm here to help with the interview, of course! Looks like you don't have any notes yet... That's great, I was worried I might've missed something important! You've already done the explanation and the statement thing, right?” Simon managed to stop himself from grumbling and hit a button to pause the recording. This next bit didn't need to be saved for posterity: “I told Agent Lang that I would handle the matter by myself.” “Right. And Agent Lang told me that you told him that,” Athena replied cheerfully. She took out a small, colorful notebook even as she spoke. “But he also said that you're my peer, not my boss, so if I wanted to take the job you couldn't stop me.” Once again, Simon had to fight a hard battle to swallow his next words. His fierce gaze moved from Athena to Vasquez, only to note that the subject of their study was no longer looking bored. A hint of a smile had come to being on her face. Was she mocking him? Athena hit the button on the recorder again, then turned her attention to Vasquez. “It's an honor to meet you, ma'am! I have to say, I love your work. Samurai Summer, Dynamite Samurai... The original Steel Samurai is great too, of course, but there's something about those old movies that just can't be replicated.” “... You saw Dynamite Samurai? A young girl like you?” Vasquez sounded almost suspicious of the claim and Athena must've caught onto that in a heartbeat. “I did! I must've seen it ten times! When I was growing up in Europe, those old movies would rerun really often in a whole bunch of different languages. Did you know that in the German version, they changed Uncle Samuel to Aunt Sammy?” “... Because Samuel was so effeminate and close to Hiroshi, it raised questions for some.” “Right! I always thought that was weird. But you were the producer, so I've gotta know. Do you think that the change messed with your artistic vision?” “The decision was not mine to make. A producer has no influence over localization. Men felt threatened by such progressive notions and so, they did as they pleased.” Athena started scribbling down a few notes. Simon attempted to read them, only to find himself unable to decipher her handwriting. Hieroglyphs would've been preferable at this point. “That must've struck you as very unfair,” Athena surmised. Though she stopped writing, her pen remained pressed against the paper. “I'm sorry, I didn't have time to read through the profile Interpol gave us, so I'll have to ask a few obvious questions. Will that be all right?” Vasquez glanced towards Athena, only for a second or so. “... Go on.” “What was your family life like, growing up? Were your parents happily married? Any siblings? Things like that.” “My parents were just fine. I had no problems with either of them. They had no problems with each other.” Vasquez paused and her arms, crossed over her chest as they were, strained visibly. “I have two older brothers.” “Really? I don't have any siblings myself, but I hear that brothers can be a pain sometimes.” “They were exceptional pains.” “So you didn't get along with them, huh? Why not?” “They were bullies. They would destroy my things and walk away without so much as a lecture.” Athena was taking notes again, and Simon found himself doing the same. It was a relief that they were finally getting some answers, but at the same time, he was frustrated. Why was it that Vasquez would respond to Athena, but not to him? Who was the master of the Power of Suggestion, if not him? … Well, he supposed the remainder of the interview would solidify just why Vasquez was so difficult to work with. “What about your family later in life? Did you ever get married?” “I was married four times.” “Four times?!” Athena reached for the folder in front of Simon and flipped through the papers. “But it says here you were only 34 years old when you were arrested.” “No one said they were long marriages.” “What happened? Did you marry them too soon, or were you just fast to settle on divorce?” Vasquez reached for Athena's pen and pulled it from her grasp. Simon reflexively prepared himself to interfere, should there be a need, but violence was not at all Vasquez's goal. She held the pen between her index and middle finger, twirling it up and down even as she regarded Athena with a cold stare. “I was naive. I learned the hard way that men consider themselves stronger than us. The only way to survive is to be stronger than them.” “What do you mean? Did any of your husbands ever hurt you?” “Not with their fists. It was their words, their actions behind my back... My first husband found himself a new girlfriend only three months into our marriage. My second husband squandered our money. The third husband thought I should give up on my career and instead become a mother. My fourth husband was just like the first. What a joke.” “You didn't think to talk these problems through with them before slamming down the divorce papers?” Simon asked. Vasquez ignored him, instead raising the back of the pen to her mouth as if it were a cigarette. “Ah... What my partner is trying to ask is whether you communicated your concerns with them,” Athena said, and Simon felt his nose crinkle at the political wording of it all. “They would not listen,” was the ambiguous response. “Hmm... But you found other men who would listen to you, right? Even if you didn't marry them?” “Are you referring to my friends in the mafia? Or perhaps that spineless director?” “Either, really. If they listened, they listened.” “My mafia friends in particular were very good to me. They recognized my strength. As for Manella, he loved to play the part of my doormat. Masochist that he was, he was inspired by my treatment of him. I didn't even need to lift a finger. A good scolding already served as enough intimidation. One doesn't often meet a man who makes his presence worthwhile simply by being yelled at. His resulting scripts brought in good money. Still, I would not say any one of those men listened. They only did as they were told.” Athena flipped to the next paper in the folder, describing in full detail the crime Vasquez was accused of. Most prominent was a photograph, showing a man impaled on a fence while both Vasquez and another man watched in horror. “What about Jack Hammer? Did he listen to you after you made that accident with Manuel disappear?” “He had to. That does not mean he wanted to. His revenge proves that.” “Right, right... You blackmailed him and-” “Not blackmail. I reminded him of his place,” Vasquez said quite sharply. “Sorry. You kept him in his place and after five years of that, he decided he'd had enough. He came to you in disguise and tried to kill you, so you defended yourself. Or at least... That's what the report says. Could you say in your own words what happened?” “My own words... They are the same. I agree with that statement.” Before Simon could process it was happening, Athena had snatched the pen from his hand. She used it to take a few more notes. When she continued with her questions, her voice was more subdued. “Do you regret how things ended?” “I am in prison. So yes. I regret it.” “But... What about Jack Hammer's life? Do you regret ending it?” “Not at all. Jack Hammer was a murderer who should have been executed for Manuel's death. The way I kept him in line for those five years was too mild a punishment. Perhaps he came to me that day because he knew that as well. Perhaps he wished to die for his crime.” Athena exchanged a glance with Simon, who could give her no proper response. She shook her head, looking frustrated. Perhaps she could see something- or hear something that he could not. Was there a hidden meaning in Vasquez's words? Simon didn't need to ponder the matter for too long, as Athena was the one to bring that truth into the light. “Ms. Vasquez...” she began, her knuckles whitening around the pen. “The way you keep talking about men, you act as if they're all beneath you. You're filled with anger towards them. But whenever you talk about Manuel, your heart betrays grief. You must've taken his death especially harshly. Were you in love with him?” At last, some wrinkles came into being on Vasquez's face, similar to the cracks which formed in the casing of Athena's pen. “... Had Manuel been my fourth husband as opposed to the wretch I did marry, it would have lasted.” And there it was. The grandest portion of the why they'd been searching for. Simon was at a loss for words, though it didn't matter. Just as Athena had led the conversation, she brought it to its proper conclusion. “Thank you for your honesty, Ms. Vasquez. It must have been painful for you to recall such things. I have one more question for you, if you don't mind.” “One more, then.” “If you believed that Mr. Hammer's death was justified and he would have killed you, had you not defended yourself... Why didn't you admit that to the police? Why go to such lengths to frame Mr. Powers?” Vasquez brought the broken pen to her lips again, not realizing that the blue ink was staining her lips. She looked thoughtful, the most minute of frowns tugging at her eyebrows. “Is that not obvious? It is because I didn't want to go to prison.” To Be Continued

[thejohncamp3ablog]

Is the DCEU in trouble, i don't think so by looking at the stats!

Contrary to popular belief, i think all in all DCEU will emerge as the winner in the long run !

A few things based on some hard facts and numbers rather than opinion and of course, I do point some speculation, which can be perceived as my own opinion in regards to the success of the DCEU or DC Films.

We have all been witness to internet false news, scoops that don’t turn out true, negative articles towards the DC Extended Universe. So far it sounds like a bunch of old man that do not want to see Super hero movies with a deeper script than punch, get punched, fight back!

It started with Man of Steel back in 2013, which critics call divisive, but monetary the movie is the biggest Superman solo grossing movie, now in terms of sold seats Superman 1978 might take the crown, but back in 1978 we didn’t also have piracy on the internet, BluRay/DVD sales, streaming etc. , so let’s just assume that a movie did what it did and then VHS sales were hard to track due to the lack of internet, tracking sites and tools for us mortals to use and find how much it generated after being released on home entertainment. I am sure that someone at Warner’s knows how much it did in VHS sales, but I personally don’t have this info. Basically, coming to the conclusion that both movies did fairly good in their respective times and conditions of release.

Man of Steel finished it’s run at 668 Million USD worldwide and added another 67 Million in DVD sales, that’s it not including the money it made from streaming and TV rights to various giants like Netflix. Now with all that being said, a Rotten Tomatoes score of 55 % is a bit of a head scratcher to me, since this movie has great and complex story, amazing visuals and one of the best musical scores out there for a superhero movie, along with TDK trilogy, Superman 78, Spider-man original trilogy, Batman 89 etc. You can like it or hate it, still the movie launched the DCEU and made many people that laughed at the idea of a Superman movie in 2013, after Superman Returns performed not especially high for WB, watch out for his next movies.

Now Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad the next movies in line to come out from the DCEU were bashed critically by the same RT reviewers, even worse than MOS, again the movies both performed very good in the Box Office, enough so that combined with Wonder Woman, it gave them enough money to go past the critically beloved MCU both domestically and internationally on average gross per movie. Have in mind that Marvel the teacher’s pet and favorite, is now a franchise associated with success on critical and financial terms, where there is turmoil just as much as any studio, directors leave, writers leave, people get replaced in parts without re-boots etc., but lacks the same negative press 24/7.

What I look at today is the more facts versus hear say, facts are that currently, the DCEU is doing the following average numbers per movie domestically $339,513,662 Million and internationally $776.500.000 Million, compared to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe $291,576,450 Million domestic average per movie gross and $743.700.000 Million. So, all said and done, if DC keeps on giving in the same financial aspect, we can expect the average gross per movie to remain in DC’s favor, I don’t see how Justice League doesn’t do 850 M plus or much more ( 1 Billion is the magic number) and I from what we have seen and heard about Aquaman, I think it is safe to say it will be really easy to reach that 800 M mark, which is all it needs for the trend to continue in 5 movies, reaching a good 5 Billion in 6 movies. For comparison, MCU’s first 6 generated around 3.8 Billion and they all were highly praised.

Now here is where things get interesting, we are waiting for a Batman movie by Matt Reeves, who made an Ape franchise profitable and this is something that we have seen lately, where anything non superhero related tanking at the BO, so expect The Batman to be a smash for WB. It’s possible that he gets back to his Billion dollar days as seen previously with Nolan’s last two movies, and as reported WB/DC are looking to do a trilogy. So we might be looking at a 3 Billion franchise there alone, something no Marvel solo character has done so far. Also, coming up is a Suicide Squad 2, a movie which in the hands of a great director like Gavin O'Connor could overperform the first one (made 745 M USD worldwide without China). So with a critically loved sequel, a better script and a great villain, this is another contender for the 800 M + club. Then we have Wonder Woman 2, the first movie is now closing in at 819 M worldwide gross, which we already know the sequel will beat as internationally people didn’t know the character as well as they do other properties from the 90s. We know superheroes can move pass 400 M USD worldwide once they are established to the local audience, so with WW2, i personally expect a 850 M + worldwide gross or more.

Then we have the Flash movie that will feature a Flashpoint story, and probably will feature some additional characters like Wonder Woman and others, so you know with the popularity of the TV show we are in for a winner here, another possible 800 M + movie is a no brainer. Batgirl by Joss, I would say, based on female lead action movies resurgence and adding the fact that DCEU fans will turn up to see it, it’s possible that this will be a 600 M + movie or least have this to be its finish number worldwide. Joker origin movie with Martin S. producing, that could be huge, depending on who they cast and the look and feel of the movie, Nightwing is another movie that by associating itself with the Bat world is a 650 M + optionally, Gotham City Sirens with a brand new Catwoman another one that can easily do 650 M +. Black Adam and Shazam, based on the fact one has the Rock and the other will be a more fun kid oriented flick, both can overperform, but at their lowest we are looking at 600 M +, then we have a Green Lantern Corps movie, which if done right can be a contender for those upper 800-900 M + BO numbers, if done right! So, with the DCEU ranking in good money, and possible sequels for Justice League and Batman, Wonder Woman fighting for that billion spot, I am definitely not worried for them.

On the other hand, Marvel are still protected by the fake news media, and their whole YouTube movie talk family, taking it easy on all their movies by default. But facts are Spider-man Homecoming (who’s profit went to Sony not Disney just FYI) is considered a success, but all I see is a Spider-man movie featuring the biggest seller in the Marvel family Iron Man that is still behind Spider-man 3 which was terrible! Also let’s not forget that Spider-man’s IP (Intellectual Property -all rights to merch and games etc.) is 3 times more valuable than Superman and Batman combined, so when MCU fans attack Batman V Superman for underperforming at 832 Million, then considering popularity, a single Spider-man movie should be easily a 1.5 + Billion dollar movie following that logic right?

I see Inhumans (already cancelled by ABC for a 2nd season) and Iron Fist holding the records for lowest rated superhero shows and movies with 7% and 17 % and I see a Defenders show in Netflix that didn’t perform better than any of the solo stuff on Netflix in terms of streaming numbers. Also, all MCU movies featuring the Avengers like: Marvel’s the Avengers, Age of Ultron and Civil War have performed with a 100 Million or more less in the BO over time, so if Infinity War doesn’t manage to rake in more than the original movie back in 2012, then the budget of the movie will kill it financially. People try to compare it to how Star Wars The Force Awakens performed in the BO* (BO- Box office), but that movie was 40 years in the making since the first original hit cinemas in 1977, and no one considers the prequels (episode 1 to 3) as successful and they didn’t really feature the original cast. So with that being said, with MCU giving people 2-3 movies per year, I think their audience has been solid but, not really taking them past a billion very often, so lets say this movie is a bigger event that The Avengers back in 2012, should be able to make 1.6-1.8 Billion right? Well, the only thing we haven’t seen from them is a full cast assembly and a good villain, the first is promised, the second is very doubtful for now. Anyway, I don’t think Infinity War will win general audience, with a plot about magic stones as much as MCU fans think, and I don’t think a pink giant will be a villain that will have regular movie goers running to the cinema, but it might catch up to the original, or do a “Iron Man 3” numbers 1.3 B USD. It is not easy doing Avatar or Star Wars numbers, Avatar at the time it came out, had a first ever 3D movie experience feel to it, not a lot of people went because they like sci fi as much, but more or less to see an event, this feel is now gone and I don’t expect the follow ups to score this pay day again.

You have each individual star in that movie from the entire MCU line up, plus additional actors for villains and supporting cast showing up, and we know RDJR charges a minimum of 15 M just to show up, not mentioning the backend, then we have Chris Evans who might have gotten 300,000 USD for the first Captain America movie, but since Winter Soldier I doubt that he gets paid even close to that number, he is getting  around the 10 Million for sure, and you can assume Scarlet, Mark, Chris H. etc., are not far away as numbers, so a movie that is spending close to 200 + Million on salaries and another 200 M on the movie itself or more, should be aiming for a 1.6 B at least.

This year Marvel escaped the long stick of the critics, since they all love them so much, but we know GOTG Vol 2 was just not good at all, Spider-man was not the best movie of the franchise, it managed to save itself with the MCU origin story and Iron Man crammed in it, but was pretty basic Spider-man storytelling and Thor 3 is up with a movie advertising itself as a Thor vs Hulk scenario, which from the trailers we already know, will not happen for more than 10 minutes.

So while you little bloggers point to the downfall of DCEU and call it as such, all i see is its rise and the decrease in attention for MCU movies slowly and effectively by general audiences, even FOX are doing more interesting things with X Force, New Mutants and Deadpool 2. Even with critics pretending that movies coming from the MCU in the style and quality of the Incredible Hulk, Thor 2, Iron Man 2, Hulk (which is only referred to as non MCU, but actually continues the story in TIH as it left off with different actors), Ant-man and other super basic movies that have 0 re-watch appeal, I can tell, that if Marvel/Disney don’t start putting 110 % effort in their solo movies and stop relying on their team up’s to carry water for their other movies, they will lose the box office very soon. Not to mention that Avengers 3 and 4 have 1 year time in between them and will most likely leave audiences waiting for the full conclusion, which might leave some people pissed off.

All in all, they might perform good, considering it will be an all-out war and someone in the MCU might die for real this time, and I don’t mind if they perform good, not at all. Still I just don’t see how people would come and see your movies for over 10 years when you don’t evolve with them (your audience). Most of the fans of the MCU are young guys (of course not only, it’s all ages and genders, but they do have a lot of kids as fans as well) and they haven’t stopped growing, just because Marvel has at some point. When they reach that 25 + age range, these films will lose some of their appeal to them.

See you in all in cinemas across the world on November 17th for the first ever DC shared universe event that has the entire League united!

Geek on!