#remember to pirate the winter soldier today!!!!

[serotinals]

Happy 10 year anniversary catws… remember your herstory

[written-in-flowers]

Disillusionment: Hongjoong x Reader

Pairing: Hongjoong x Reader

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 16k

AU: futuristic!au, rebellion!au, lovers to enemies, enemies to lovers again.

Genre: Angst (lots of it), tiny microscopic bits of Fluff

Summary: During her career as a Lieutenant of The People's Republic, Hwang YN has witnessed things she'd rather forget and learned things about those she served. On the day of her ex-boyfriend's execution, she must decide if she really is fighting for the right side.

Warnings: disabled!reader (she is missing her left ear and eye, and has a bionic leg), PTSD, graphic depictions of violence, guns, war, descriptions of poverty, mentions of child trafficking, general injustice, corrupt people being corrupt, assassination attempt, and conspiracy.

A/N: This is my EXTREMELY LATE entry into the Outlaw: The Project collab I did with @ssaboala and several other lovely people. My entry is for our beloved leader, Kim Hongjoong. I hope you guys really enjoy this <3

***

You sat in the meadow alone. A sea of grass dotted with purple flowers should be a sight of wonder and awe, yet you found it hard to enjoy. A sight juxtaposed to the bustling, noisy city a few miles beyond, you used to find tranquility and quietness in the meadow. It’d once been a place of safety and gentleness; you could gather your thoughts here, basking in the sun and silence. But, not anymore. Silence only pushes forward things you’d rather forget. Yet, you could not think of anywhere to be but here right now. 

They’re executing him today. In a few hours, Kim Hongjoong will be led onto the scaffold in the city center, have a noose put around his neck, and a door will open from under him. You squeezed your eyes shut at the image in your head. Hongjoong, with his determined, defiant eyes glaring at the painted faces of the city people, standing proudly on the scaffold. He won’t cry. He won’t give President Yoon the satisfaction. It’d been the same back in The Academy. Whenever an instructor or commanding officer gave him a near impossible task, hoping to break him, he never let them see the strain. It was why they liked him so much; why they spoke so highly of the soldier who never backed down, who did not accept failure as a result. Hongjoong had once been Prestige Academy’s brightest star, with a shining military future ahead of him. But, one terrible act changed all of that. 

‘No, YN. I’m not going back.’

‘Hongjoong…’

‘This ‘Republic’ has gone too far. Look around you, YN. These people have done nothing to us. They’re innocent.’

‘They are aiding the rebel forces. They’re not innocent.’

‘Yes, they are! They’re hospital patients. They’re human beings. YN, I’m sorry. I can’t do this anymore. It’s not right.’ 

‘Hongjoong, no! Please, come back! Come back!’

You fought back the visions in your head. The thick lump in your throat slowly built up remembering that night. You remembered how the heat of the flames mingled with the crisp winter chill; the smell of burning wood and bodies still clung to your nose all these years later. No amount of lifeless corpses, exploding bombs, or screaming women could drown out the one image stuck in your head. He’d removed his helmet, so you saw his cobalt blue hair, his light skin and his eyes. His beautiful brown puppy eyes that melted your heart every time you saw them. They’d looked at you with disgust and shock. They’d torn away from yours with pain and that same determination. The last haunting image was his white uniform gradually fading into the dark night; you recall running after it before being attacked by a rebel fighter. By the time you’d put a bullet in him, Hongjoong was gone. He’d abandoned you in the midst of a raid; he’d turned his back on everything he knew and joined the rebel forces beyond the barriers. He soon enough became their leader, leading a squad dubbed ‘The Pirates’. They gained the name because of their hovercraft bombings on Republic outposts, where they’d then touch down and scavenge whatever they could from wreckage. 

He became the ‘Pirate King’, and with one single act imprinted himself in Republic history. 

The ping from your wrist broke you from the cruel memory, and you looked at the small watch face to see an incoming call. When pressing the answer button, you prepared yourself for actual conversation today. 

“Yes?”

“Lieutenant,'' said Captain Shin, “The execution will be happening in approximately six hours. Preparations for the Victory Parade are starting, and we need you to come down here.”

“What for?”

“You’re in one of the last floats, sir.” 

You exhaled deeply. The “Victory” Parade is being called ‘the beginning of the end’ by news outlets. It’ll not only make a spectacle of Hongjoong’s execution, but give the people false hope. What you hated most is that you and what’s left of your team will be “stars” of the show. You preferred to forget your “greatest triumph” and move on with your life, but it seems you won’t get that. 

Your mission to capture and subdue Captain Kim Hongjoong cost you lives. Task Force 66 had eight members. After storming the “Valiant'', Hongjoong’s base of operations, only four of you remained. Sitting in the grass, you thought of the admirable, courageous people you’d become so close to be snuffed out in President Yoon’s war against the rebels. Jax, a springy girl who loved explosives and fire power; Jisung, a sharpshooter eager to prove himself; Miyoung, an older woman whose age didn’t stop her from taking down foes twice her size, and brilliant Ryu, a guy you swore had a computer for a brain. They’d died helping you capture Hongjoong. They’d given their lives in service to The Republic. 

A Republic that did not care about them. 

“Right. Be there soon, Captain,” you replied somberly. “Over and out,” you said. 

“Over and out,” said Shin, and you both hung up. 

Gingerly, you unfolded yourself from your sitting position and stood up. You gave a small stretch as you gave the meadow one more look. You should put the whole place to the torch. Briefly, you thought of scorching this sacred place to remove all the beauty and memories it held. Memories of you and Hongjoong frolicking in the grass as children; playing and laughing until the sun went down. Memories of days spent under the trees that outlined the meadow, reading or listening to music. Everything reminded you of him. It was as if its taken pieces of him for itself. Every single blade of grass and blossom reminded you of the boy who made you feel happy when you felt like dying. You wanted to burn it all away. If the meadow didn’t exist, then neither would your memories. 

You turned away from the meadow and headed back into the small forest at the edge. Moving through thickets of bushes and trees, you let the fresh air and damp earth fill your lungs. You pushed out that night from your mind. Which night? You don’t even know anymore. The night you both met. The night he left you. The night you both met again. All the nights sharing kisses in each other’s arms, whispering words of love and promises of forever. You flushed them from your mind as you found your car waiting on the side of the road. One of the government hovercrafts painted in black with The Republic eagle and olive branches on the hood, you knew you’d be back in the city in less than an hour. The faster you could leave the meadow, the faster you’d leave those memories behind. 

Soaring high above the main road, you saw yourself in your windshield reflection. Where you once had a full, unblemished face, you now had a cybernetic eye and ear piece attached. The steel implant started at the crown of your skull and remained fitted to the left side of your face. Pieces of shrapnel and ear splitting blasts caused you to lose sight and hearing; the doctors said you were lucky. The shrapnel from the bomb could’ve lodged into your skull and you’d be dead. Instead, you suffered a ruptured eardrum and your entire left eye. Scarring from the fire stretched like rivers on a map from your eye socket and across your forehead, cheek and jawline. Not the prettiest face, but the new eye came with lots of perks. Infrared vision, night vision, and scope abilities gave you more advantages than the average soldier; you heard pins drop from several feet away with your new eardrum. If one pulled off your denim jeans, they’d find the bionic right leg. One of the few times you ran into Hongjoong after his defection left you with a grievous leg injury that not even the Republic’s medical technology could heal. 

‘Yield. Yield now and tell your men to retreat, and I’ll spare you.’

‘I’d rather die!’

‘You can’t win this, YN. We have the upperhand. We have the trains and the sectors. Please, my love, yield and surrender. Please, I beg you.’ 

‘If you have the upperhand, Pirate King…then I’ll chop it off!’

And so you did. On a field of damaged earth and bloody corpses, you’d pulled out a hatchet from a dead soldier’s head and swung it at Hongjoong. He tried blocking it with a knife, but instead your blade went deep into his wrist. It didn’t completely sever the hand; you remember his screams of pain and wish you could take them all back. You sometimes thought of what it might’ve been like if you had surrendered. Would he have accepted you back? Would you two have grown to love one another again? You don’t know. You hoped he would. He promised forever, hadn’t he? 

You snorted as you reached the city gates. Ahead of you, you saw the long line of citizen vehicles below slowly making their way in and out of the silver city beyond the tall gates. In your government issued hover car, you flew to the tops of the walls where official vehicles came and went. Flying between the two sky-high towers, you lowered your window. A guard in black and white stood in the toll booth window, holding out a gloved hand. You handed him an identification card, which he scanned on his computer. 

“Welcome back, Lieutenant,” the man said in a gruff voice, giving a stiff bow. 

“Thank you, soldier.” 

You’d cried that night. Everyone thought it was the morphine high the doctors kept you on, but it wasn’t. Not entirely. You hadn’t meant to hurt him so brutally, but your own pain overwhelmed you. He’d told you that he’d be at your side forever. You were supposed to move through the ranks together, go into military training together, and maybe settle down to have a family. You’re meant to grow old side by side. He’d said as much the first time you kissed him, sixteen and the world at your fingertips. You couldn’t see yourself being with anyone else; you never loved anyone the way you loved Hongjoong. It was supposed to be forever. 

Then, the night the Republic bombed that hospital changed everything. You regretted that particular incident; you’d been a soldier of the Republic, who followed orders regardless of the severity. The people of Sector 5 were housing and aiding groups of people charged with crimes against The Republic. You and Hongjoong were part of Squad 245, a group assigned to put down any signs of dissent in the different sectors. Like every attack, you started with a blanket of bombs that created craters in the ground, blowing up people and crumbling buildings. When the initial attack ended, you touched ground to take down the rebels hiding out there. Hongjoong saw the hospital before you did. He’d seen the fires blazing within, the stone walls collapsing to the side, and people stumbling and crawling from the ruins. Most of those in the hospital were innocent women, men, and children who’d happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. You aren’t proud of the harm done that day. 45 people died in that bombing, and more became permanently injured. Everyone around you said they deserved it; they helped rebels escape “Republic justice”. What even is the Republic’s justice? Killing innocent people with nothing to lose? Oppressing those they have deemed beneath him? People they claim need them, when really it is the other way around.

The you back then would hate the person you’ve become now. She’d call you a traitor for thinking such thoughts. But, that little girl in her white Republic uniform doesn’t know about the things she’d end up witnessing. She won’t know about the time she witnessed Republic soldiers kidnapping sector children to sell on the black market to city elites. She hadn’t witnessed the terror and fear those children showed when she stepped into a Republic truck; some of them as young as eleven-years-old. That stupid, blind fool would damn you for shooting each of those soldiers in the head, and releasing those children into the forests beyond. She’d try finding excuses; she’d try to rationalize and justify such horrors because to accept that her precious government is evil destroys everything about herself. 

She’d have to admit that Hongjoong was right, and that she should’ve followed him into the cold night. 

You flew on the sky lane, and saw the tall triangular building of the military headquarters, nicknamed ‘The Pyramid’, in the distance. You also spotted the long lines of traffic backed bumper-to-bumper. Preparations for the parade meant to precede Hongjoong’s appearance were already underway, with workers setting up streamers, lamp posts decorations, flags, and barricades up and down the street. An irritable sigh escapes your lips when you realize you’ll be in traffic forever. You had places to be. Swerving out of the line and merging into a lower lane, you parked your car in an empty spot by the sidewalk. You’d come back for it later. 

The Republic City used to be a place called ‘Seoul’, until the new regime took over decades ago. Towering buildings going high into the sky were decorated with neon lights and advertisements. People crowded the trash-riddled streets, and made it through the general smog created by the hover cars flying high between the buildings. You can’t imagine your city being anything other than what it is now. The people in the sectors beyond the wall think Republic City is a mecca of opulence and beauty; where food is plentiful and everyone is rich. It could not be farther from the truth. Ever since the war began nine years ago, the luxury of Republic City plummeted. Walking through the concrete sidewalk, hands in your jacket pockets, you saw a young man slouched against a brick wall. Seeing his ragged clothing, full shopping cart, and paper cup sitting at his feet, you wished you could show the rebels that they’re not the only ones suffering. 

You saw a street food boat sailing a foot above the street. A portly man sat at the side, turning meat skewers over on a blazing fire. Quickly, you caught up to it. 

“Hey,” you greeted him, “Can I get two of those?” 

The man’s eyes lit up when he saw you. “Hey, you’re that Lieutenant from the TV.”

“Um, yeah, I guess.”

“Wow, you’re a real hero, ma’am,” he said. “I heard about those kids you saved. I can’t believe our government was letting soldiers sell little kids like that. I was really shocked, but they were lucky you came along.”

“It’s no big deal.”

“It was to them and their parents. Here,” he picked up two fresh meat skewers, and put them on a paper plate. “Free of charge.”

“Sir, I couldn’t do that to you-”

“-I insist,” he said, pushing the plate closer to you on the counter. “You've done more for us than our own president. Don't worry about it. Besides, it’s Victory Day.”

‘Victory Day’, is what they called it. What victory? You stuck a bill into the tip jar on the counter, bought a drink, and thanked him. You walked up to the young man by the wall, and handed him the two skewers. 

“Here,” you said. 

His eyes widened at the sight of the two long meat and vegetable sticks. “Wha-Really?”

“Yeah,” you told him, “I’m not really hungry.” You gave him the food, and watched him greedily begin eating them. You noticed what he wore: threadbare clothes that might’ve been flashy and fancy at one point, and leather shoes that were worn out and fading. “What happened?”

He paused, reluctant to answer as he wiped grease from his mouth. “I used to work in the steel industry,” he said finally. “I ran the distribution before those bastard outlaws ruined supply lines and Sector 2 joined the rebellion. I…I lost everything. I can wait for this fucking war to be over,” he washed down the food with the orange drink, then said, “Maybe things will get better, right?”

“Yeah…maybe.” You fished in your pocket for a few bills, and stuck them in his cup. “For some shoes,” you said, “Winter’s gonna be coming soon.”

“Thank you,” he beamed, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” 

“Hey, you’re Hwang YN!” a high-pitched voice said behind you. 

You turned to see three young boys standing on the other side of the sidewalk. Each of them wore the soldier play sets the toy stores sold: black “bulletproof” vests with black gloves and helmets. The one who spoke smiled excitedly at you, holding a toy machine rifle across his back. 

“You’re the one who captured the Pirate King!” he said, pushing black strands from his eyes. 

“I am.” 

“That’s so cool!” his friend, red-haired and freckled, said with a smile. “I saw the little movies they played in the theater before the real movie started. They showed you going into that big ship with your gun like this!” he pulled up his own toy gun and made shooting sounds as he waved it around, “And the rebels running away!”

“You really showed them!” the third boy, blond and blue-eyed, said. “They were really scared of you!”

“I guess they were,” you shrugged. “You kids going to the parade?”

“Heck yeah!” said the first boy. “We’re going to watch the soldiers’ march and see the tanks! I want to be a soldier like you one day!”

“Me too!”

“And me!”

You couldn’t help remembering a young Hongjoong saying the same. When you’d both see the soldiers marching on Founder’s Day, he’d excitedly tell you how he’d be one of them someday. You both would be. 

“You’ll make great soldiers,” you said, trying to keep the sadness from your voice. “Once you’re trained up at the academy.”

This made all three boys jump excitedly. You high-fived each of them as they ran along the street, pretending to shoot invisible foes down the sidewalk. Moving further down, you watched the city continue to thrive around you. You made a turn down a familiar road towards The Pyramid, trying not to recall walks to headquarters with Hongjoong. You’d both wave down one of the floating street vendors to grab snacks before going to work. Hongjoong always bought the barbeque skewers, which you’d both eat as you walked. You stopped at a crosswalk when a delivery boy waited for the green light. On the side of his trunk, you saw the local news lines running through a screen. 

‘Pirate King Captured! War’s Ending in Sight!’ 

You remembered that today is meant to be a celebration. People filled the streets below, dressed in their best and preparing for the parties they’ll be having tonight. President Yoon planned to make Hongjoong’s execution a spectacle; it’s meant to symbolize the beginning of the ending. Members of your team still searched for Hongjoong’s crew, who’ve gone underground since his capture. They will be found soon enough, and they’ll also be executed. Once the Pirates are defeated, the rest of the rebellion forces will kneel. Then the Republic could begin to thrive again. 

A ringing sound from your ear piece interrupted your thoughts once more. Answering the call, you spoke first:

“YN here.”

“Lieutenant,” it was Shin again, “Are you on the way?”

“Yeah. My ETA is ten minutes. Why?” you passed the delivery boy, feeling his eyes on you but tried not to think about it. 

“Because, well…I wanted you to know that the Containment Center contacted me a few minutes ago.”

You froze. “And?”

“It appears The Pirate King has requested to speak with you.”

Every nerve in your body froze. Suddenly, your chest tightened and you stuffed a hand in your pocket. You looked at yourself in the reflection once more, seeing the damage on your face, and asked, “Why?”

“He didn’t give a reason,” he said. “All people headed to the noose are allowed a last request, and his request is to speak with you.” Shin paused, then continued, “It wouldn’t hurt to hear him out. He might even beg you for his life like the coward he is.”

“He’s not a coward,” you heard yourself snap at him. “He might be a pathetic rebel scumbag, but he is also a great soldier.”

“Forgive me, sir, but I…” you heard his hesitation, and suddenly the formal voice broke, “He killed Jax. He shot her in the back like a coward. He wouldn’t even give her the respect of killing her face to face.”

Jax. Your heart weighed heavier thinking of the wiry, stringy girl with neon green hair who loved explosives. She joined your team when you needed a demolitions expert, and she came highly recommended. Always smiling and laughing, you’d grown to enjoy her company and Shin had taken to her immediately. They’d been an odd but cute couple, with tiny Jax pushing the tall stern Shin from his comfort zone. Then the Pirates captured a group of Republic troops, and Jax happened to be among them. You’d done everything you could to get her back, but by the time you raided the rebel hideout, Jax and the other soldiers were dead. Shot in the back of the head like livestock. You couldn’t prove Hongjoong did it, but he’d given the order. His men do nothing without his say-so. Much like your own. 

Sometimes you forgot not everyone loved Hongjoong like you. 

“I understand, Shin,” you replied. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I loved Jax too, but she didn’t die in vain. Because of her explosive lines we uncovered the rebel hideout and discovered their plans to break into The Pyramid through the underground tunnels. She…She was a good soul.” 

“She was, sir.” You heard him pause again, then he said, “I take it that you’ll oblige his request?”

You shouldn’t. You should decline it and leave Hongjoong to die without ever seeing your face. After everything that has happened between you both, you shouldn't give him the satisfaction. He left you, so why shouldn't you leave him? You knew if you met him, you'd only end up crying and you cannot be seen leaving his containment cell in tears. 

“Yeah," you finally said, “I’ll see him.” 

You didn’t know what you’d say to him, exactly, but…You wanted to see him one last time, you guessed. 

“Very well, sir. Over and out.”

“Over and out.” 

You hung up the call and finally reached headquarters. The high wired fence kept a wall between the headquarters to the citizens of the city. Having left your car behind, you walked through the citizen entrance. The guard here wore a black and white uniform, and he nodded when you gave your identification card. You noticed his short, stocky stature, and saw he wore his visor low on his face. You couldn’t recall ever seeing this guard before. 

“Where’s Private Lee?” you asked impulsively when he handed you back your card. “He normally does the morning shift.”

“He was ill, sir,” the guard answered back. You’d heard that voice before, you knew you had. “I’m filling his spot until he gets better.”

You saw his name badge, seeing the words 'Kung Shinjin’ with the ‘private’ rank insignia on it. “Private Kung, is it?”

“Yes, sir. At your service.”

“I’ve never seen you before,” you said, “When did you enlist?”

“Two months ago, sir. They transferred me from Sector 2 after training.” 

You found that odd, but you didn’t put it at the top of your list. Hongjoong took up too much space in your head. 

“Hm, alright,” you said finally. “Welcome to the Pyramid, Private Kung.”

“Thank you, sir.” 

You walked up into the white building, and noticed the lack of people inside the main lobby. You guessed everyone’s at the capitol building downtown preparing for the parade and execution. You need to pick up the pace. Shin will no doubt want to talk before the parade begins, most likely to go over itinerary and the parade routes. You told him to keep an eye on them, since Hongjoong’s crew are bound to make an appearance. They'll want to retrieve their captain, and won't hesitate to kill to do it. 

Walking into the white and beige main lobby, you noticed two workers near the elevator doors. On a trolley, they rolled tall stacks of boxes towards the steel doors. On one of the boxes you read the name “Sal’s Bakery”. You guessed it was the President’s special celebration treat. He often did this to show appreciation to the military leaders. You expect you’ll have a box waiting on your desk in your office. Walking by them to the opposite elevator, you peeked inside to see dozens of thin white boxes with the bakery logo on them. You saw one worker, a young man with black hair hanging in his face, press the elevator button. The other man with him had short dark hair; both of them wore face masks as required by the Pyramid. A small tinkling caught your enhanced ear, and you saw the second worker drop a ring of keys. 

“Oh, hey,” you picked them up, “You dropped this.”

The worker turned to you, but his face mask hid half his face. “Thanks,” he said, taking the keys. 

“No problem,” a thought then occurred to you, “Hey, how much to take one of those off your hands? I have a friend in Containment who could use some decent food.” 

The two workers shared a look, then the short-haired one said, “Fifty.”

You scoffed at the price, but you supposed that’s what breaking the rules costs. You dug into your pocket for your wallet. You tried not looking at the box or the van for too long. More memories came flooding back to you. Hongjoong chewing on another hot, fresh donut from the box, smiling at a joke you told while you walked to class; him washing it down with a coffee and telling you that you were as sweet as the donuts. He’d always leave you the chocolate frosted ones because he knew how much you liked them. It became a special place for you both before classes. It’s another thing you’d burn down to kill your memories. 

You handed the worker the money, and he handed you a box. Opening it, you saw six glazed jelly donuts, still hot and fresh. “Thanks,” you said with a nod and left the workers to their deliveries. 

Entering the elevator, you pressed the level 8 button and let the doors close. The Pyramid is twelve stories tall, with General Bok’s office at the very top. The Pyramid was the epicenter of the military base, with housing and training grounds being right behind it nearby. You’re so accustomed to seeing more soldiers here, since the Pyramid is where mostly everyone worked. But, with preparations and security details in place, nearly everyone is at the city center. You honestly preferred it this way. Less people to congratulate you, or tell you how much they admire and support you. What you did wasn’t easy and you never wanted to go through it again. Your eyes landed on the -10 button on the panel. 

The Containment Center remained underneath The Pyramid floors starting on ground level and going down ten more floors. The most dangerous or high-profile prisoners remained on levels -9 and -10, so that’s where Hongjoong is kept. You felt the steel box gradually descending, getting further and further from the low levels, and you thought of the time you and Hongjoong had an assignment in Containment.

Your instructor, Major Yoo, sent you to the jails to interrogate a Republic traitor and learn why he’d been caught sifting through a commander’s desk. After intimidating and questioning him, you learned he’d been threatened into the search by a high-ranking officer. When you both passed this information to Yoo, he asked you both what should be done next. You’d suggested arresting the officer immediately, but Hongjoong advised patience. He said they might learn who the officer is working for if they kept surveillance on him. He’d been right. He’d gotten high marks and an award for capturing the traitor, his rebel contact, and the information he’d been passing them. 

You were so proud to call him yours. 

Your watch pinged again, and you pressed your ear piece. 

“Hey Lt,” a smooth voice said over the phone. 

“Hey Boggs,” you said. “What’s up?” 

“Shin wanted me to tell you that the parade is gonna start soon,” he said, “And to hurry up. You know, because you’re the star of the show.”

You scoffed, “As if. I’m not the one getting executed today. Tell Shin I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“YN…” you heard the seriousness in his voice. Boggs rarely ever used your real name. It was always ‘Lieutenant’ or ‘LT’ or ‘Hwang’. “I know this isn’t the best time, but when this is over and done with, I…I think I’m dropping out of Task Force 66.”

You didn’t ask why or protest. “Because of Sticky?” 

“No, because of Jisung…”

Jisung. Another soul lost to Task Force 66’s hunt. The youngest of the whole squadron, he’d become everyone’s little brother. Fresh from the Academy, he had the sharpshooter skills you were looking for; a marksman to rival Jung Wooyoung, best sharpshooter in the entire force. You’d see Jisung make near impossible shots, shoot at multiple moving targets, and never miss once. Sadly, even the far distance couldn’t keep him safe. He’d wanted to impress you, you supposed. He always sought your approval and praise, which you found endearing. “How did I do, Lieutenant?” “Lieutenant, did you see that?! I got him right in the eye through his own scope!” 

‘Lieu-Li-Lieutenant, I want to g-g-go ho-home…’

Private Do Jisung died in a battle fighting rebel forces in Sector 8, an industrial area of factories and refineries supplying the capital. You’d learned Hongjoong and his crew would be there, hiding out underneath an abandoned chemical factory, and you couldn’t miss the opportunity. You couldn’t stop yourself from picturing you and Jisung moving side-by-side in the large factory.  The grenade came through one of the broken windows, rolling and stopping by a few boxes labeled ‘chemical hazard’ on them. You didn’t have a chance to see who’d thrown it, but you did see Jisung dive right in front of you. The small grenade set off a chain reaction, causing barrels and boxes of flammable chemicals to explode all around you. His legs blown off in the blast, the medic couldn’t get to you because of the raging fires. You remember dragging him through the building, heat and smoke filling your lungs, until you brought him outside. You’ll never forget his ashen face going into shock. He died right there in your arms. The medic wasn’t needed. Jisung was only twenty. 

“What about Jisung?” you asked, watching the elevator numbers slowly go down. It’s slower underground. You hated it. 

“It’s the officials,” he said. “They told Jisung’s parents he died in an accident, but that couldn’t be right. The factory turned out to be a dead end, remember? Kim and his crew weren’t there, and the place was empty. I only saw one person there, and they got away before I could catch them. Why would they say it was an accident when it wasn’t?”

“They don’t really have proof that the guy you saw was there,” you explained, though something about it sat wrong with you. 

“But you saw that grenade go through the window.”

No explanation for that. You vividly recall the small black ball going through a lit up window and smacking onto the floor. You’d heard it seconds before Jisung, who then pushed you out of the way. 

"Maybe they don't want to admit we were caught off guard," you finally said. 

But you knew the opposite. Something about the entire situation bothered you, and Boggs knew it too. You wondered if Shin suspected the same thing. 

"So, you're leaving us then?" You asked, trying not to seem disappointed. "Where are you gonna go?"

"I don't know. Maybe get a security post like my dad did. We can talk about that later," he said. 

"How's Sticky?" 

Pak Sunmi. Quick thinking and tough, she joined your team with four years of service under her belt. Slight and long, Sunmi had many specialties but the biggest was getting into places others can’t. Not only with her good looks and non-threatening appearance, but with the parkour skills she picked up at a young age. You swore she flew through the sky when she ran, jumping and flipping and sliding like the wind carried here. You once joked she must have sticky hands to be able to hold onto surfaces so easily, and the nickname stuck. 

During your capture-and-detain mission on The Valiant, Sunmi crossed paths with Jeong Yunho. Him being several inches taller did not stop Sunmi from taking him one on one. You didn’t see the fight yourself, but Boggs had found her lying unconscious in the ship’s upper deck. The hospital medics told you she suffered severe cranial damage, and would need to be kept in the hospital until her surgery wounds healed. 

“She’s holding up,” he answered. “Her head hurts like a bitch, and she’s trying to get used to the metal plates in her skull, but she’s good. She convinced the doctors to let her see the parade."

"Is that safe?"

"I don't think so, but I'm not a doctor." He then added, "She said she wanted to talk to you too. Something wasn't right about what happened to Jisung, and she mentioned what happened to her too."

"What do you mean-

‘-Level -7: Containment Center Administration Offices and Directory.’

“I gotta go,” you told him, “I’ll see you later.”

“Alright, Lt. Over and out.”

“Over and out.”

You stepped out of the elevator and walked over to a receptionist desk where a young woman with orange corkscrew curls sat typing. 

“Excuse me,” you said, “I’m-”

“-Lieutenant Hwang,” she smiled, “Yes, I was told you’d be on your way here. He’s in cell 03 on level 10.” She punched in a few numbers, and a label popped out of a printer on the desk. “Here, scan that in the elevator and it’ll take you further down.”

“Thanks.” 

You turned to leave when her voice stopped you. "Um, Lieutenant?"

"Yeah."

She nervously rolled her pencil between her fingers and said, "I just wanted to say…I think you're a real hero."

Her words didn't shock you like they should. "For capturing a well known rebel outlaw, yeah-"

"-No, for what you did for those people in the lower sectors," she corrected. "I had no idea people outside the city suffered so much until I saw them on television. Those poor children…they must've been so scared, and those women…It makes me sick thinking about it. You were so brave to go into that town and do what you did. I don't think I could've done that."

The border town. That's what she's talking about, you realize. You and your squad rode out to a town on a border to refuel and stock up supplies. When you arrived, it was chaos. Women were rounded up like livestock in a pig pen; dead men hung from posts and roof tops, naked and burned. You first thought it'd been outlaws who raided the village, but to your horror, you learned it was a Republic squadron. You confronted their commander, who you discovered initiated the attack. He claimed they'd been harboring rebel soldiers. You saw right through his lie. 

And shot him point blank. Just like the other three. 

A young journalist hiding in a crate captured the "heroic moment" on camera and survivors of the raid told him their stories. Their suffering at the hands of the Republic opened up the eyes of city citizens, who'd been kept ignorant to the plight of those outside. The news started a string of charity events and fundraisers for the poor, homeless people in the sectors. Being charitable became trendy, and you kept being invited to gala after gala as a speaker. You hated it. You've never been good at speeches. But, the money went to the people who needed it the most. Seeing the sunken faces of starving children curl into smiles as they carried home sacks of oil, grain, and water made the "trend" worth it. 

You thought you and the crew would be imprisoned for killing the commander and his men but it never came. In fact, they awarded your squad medals of honor and heroism. General Bok declared the offending squadron as war criminals and deserters of the Republic; a bullet is what they deserved. He proclaimed your squadron personified everything the Republic stood for. 

You knew that wasn’t true. 

"It was the right thing to do," you shrugged. "Those people weren't the enemy. They were innocent." Much like the people in that hospital. You felt sick all over again. 

"I'm glad that at least there are some good soldiers still out there," she said. "Hopefully with The Pirate King dead, the war will end and everything will be alright."

You didn't have the heart to tell her how the war ending meant nothing. 

"Hopefully. Have a good day."

"You too."

You went back to the elevator down to the tenth level, pressing your label against the scanner until the doors closed. The government did a good job convincing people that the world will be as it was when the war ends. All their problems will be solved and things will return to normal. You didn’t see how that could be possible. Both sides have gone too far to ever be what they once were.  

When the doors opened again, the chill of the underground levels pinched your cheeks. White walls, linoleum floors and fluorescent lighting gave the holding cells a sterilized look. Walking down them, your footsteps made almost no sound, as if the walls absorbed the soft taps instead of bouncing them back. No wonder people went insane down there. You walked past several guards posted at doors or coming around corners, all of them nodding at you when you passed.

High-profile prisoners of the state had large cells locked behind two sets of doors. The first room you entered had a guard sitting behind a desk and another standing ready by the door. With a show of your label, the desk guard let you through. The door guard opened the main door into another small room with a thick, steel door on the other side. He opened this for you, then let you walk into the antechamber. 

“Fifteen minutes, Lieutenant,” the guard said, voice muffled by his mask. 

“Don't worry. It won't be long. Thank you, soldier.” 

He popped open the steel door, and you walked inside. In a room of white, he stood out like a sore thumb. Dressed in an orange jumpsuit, The Pirate King looked vastly different from the boy in your memories. Hongjoong’s cyan hair hung over his eyes and undercut on the sides

 He had more ear piercings, indicated by the small holes your bionic eye picked up instantly. He wasn't taller, but he'd gotten buff for sure. Years of being on the run and fighting Republic soldiers certainly took their abuse on his body. However, what caught your attention instantly was his left hand. Made of steel plates, you saw the thin wiring between them every time he moved his hand. Since he kept his sleeves rolled up, you saw it went well past where your hatchet cut him. When he turned at your footsteps, he paused. He kept his eyes on your face, stunned and unable to look away. He'd once looked at you that way. At the Prestige Academy Winter Ball, where he told you that you outshone every girl there. 

"I know," you said. "Not as pretty as I was at the winter dance."

"You'll always be beautiful to me," he replied, and you didn't see a trace of a lie. Not even when your sensors checked his vitals and pupils. "I didn't do that to you, did I?"

"No. One of Song’s bombs did," you replied. You then lifted your pant leg to show him your metal leg, "You did this." You then looked at his hand again. His screams from that fight echoed in your ears; the blood that spewed and gushed from the wound and his pained cries churned your stomach. "They couldn't fix it?"

"No. Yeosang said you'd cut it almost in two," he said. "Thankfully, he and Mingi made this for me. It's not a shiny Republic model, but it works." He stared at your leg, "You didn't upgrade?"

"I didn't want to."

"Long pants at training?"

"Shorts still. I wanted to inspire my men."

"Like a true Republic Lieutenant." You hated hearing that. Hongjoong noticed this change in you, and said, “Are you not a Lieutenant?”

“I am,” you straightened up. 

He eyed you closely, not speaking. You hated it when he did that. It was the look he gave when he interrogated a prisoner, and wanted to read them. You squirm underneath his stare. He didn’t say anything at first, but you knew he would soon. He walked forward and sat a foot away from the glass. You did the same, pushing the plastic chair aside. Leaning forward, you pressed your label to a scanner, and a flap opened. 

"I got donuts," you said, pushing the box through the hole to him. 

Hongjoong hesitated. He looked between you and the donut box, and you saw his jaw clench. “I thought you might be hungry,” you instantly explained. “If you don’t want them, you don’t have to eat them.”

“No, it’s good,” his expression instantly changed back to a casual one, which threw you off, “Thanks.” 

Gingerly, he opened the box and stared inside before picking out a donut. You watched him eat the first once, shutting his eyes and taking in the sweet treat. Your hands curled up into fists as you bit back the lump in your throat again. A vision of a blue-haired boy eating a donut, wearing his white academy uniform, and smiling at you crossed your mind. It plunged a knife into your chest, and you regretted coming here. 

“Why did you ask for me?" You asked him, not masking your discomfort at all. 

"I wanted to see you."

"Why?" 

"Because I'm going to be dead in a few hours, and I wanted to see your face," he admitted openly. 

"Why?"

"Because I still care about you."

"I was sent to capture you," you said. "I was assigned an entire task force to hunt you down, subdue you and bring you here to your death. I haven’t seen you in three years. The last time I did see you, I nearly chopped off your hand and you severed my leg." Anger festered in your stomach and couldn’t stop it from surging hotly. You leaned in closer to the glass, glaring at him. Why did he do this to you? Why does he still have this effect? You hated the uncertainty. You hated the ‘not-knowing’. "Why did you ask me to come?"

Hongjoong hesitated over his donut, then said, "I wanted to know exactly when a loyalist, a servant of the Republic, lost her faith."

You knew what he meant, but didn't respond. 

"The YN I remember would blindly follow any order her superiors gave her," he said. "She did whatever they asked, no matter how morally wrong it was. You…you're not her anymore. I’ve heard about the things you’ve done out there in the field. People I’ve met always mention a Republic woman with one eye saved them, or came to their side when they needed it. A true Republic soldier would sooner shoot a person than offer her hand. So, when did it happen?"

You'd avoided talking too much about it. If you went too deeply, it'd open up things you wanted locked away. You stared at him, arms crossed, and couldn't stop thinking of the little boy who you met at a fancy dinner party years and years ago. 

"The kids," you heard yourself say. "I was on patrol with my crew when we came across a supply outpost. We'd finished sweeping out rebel hideouts along sectors 4 and 5, and decided to regroup with others in the area there. The plan was to refuel, restock our supplies, then head back to the camp. I'm there giving cover as my team started refueling when I noticed a black truck near one of the fuel spouts. It had the Republic seal on the side, but it didn't look like any truck I recognized. It reminded me of those supply trucks that come in and out of bases." You took a second, picturing the large truck sitting at the edge of the small camp site. There'd only been one other group there at the time, so it could only have been theirs. "I was walking by it when I…" you gulped thickly, "Heard someone inside." You held yourself tightly. It'd been sweltering hot that day. The humid heat stuck your clothes to your skin, and you thought you might die from the heat. "I saw some soldiers not paying attention, so I used my baton to open the back. They…I saw…I…they looked so small, and so scared."

"The kids?"

"It was boiling in that truck, and the air smelled horrible," you said, gulping the lump in your throat. "They had these water jugs attached to their cages and I saw candy wrappers and chip bags on the floor. They were dirty, tired and hot. One boy looked like he might pass out. I gave him my water, and asked who they were and why they were there. A girl told me soldiers went into their town and killed everyone…and took the kids…I…I couldn't believe they were Republic. I thought the soldiers might be outlaws pretending to be soldiers to get through barricades easier." You bit the inside of your cheek to keep the tears back. Too many things threatened to make you cry, and you wouldn't leave here crying. "I confronted the driver. He didn't even seem scared or bothered. He said that a commander ordered them to round up some kids for an indoctrination process. I had no idea what that meant, and he said I didn't need to know…"

"Indoctrination?"

"It was a lie," you waved it away. "One of his comrades came up to us next, recognized me from the Academy, and told me the truth. He said some big commanding officer gave him and his squad money to smuggle kids into the city. I was…it was sick. I couldn't believe him. I thought he was making it up. I," you squeezed your eye shut as you remembered what you did next. "I shot him. No questions. No comments or concerns. I pulled my side arm out and shot him point blank. I did the same to the driver and the third person on their team."

"Then you freed the kids."

"Then I let them out, yeah. I want to say that this was a one time thing and I didn't dig into it deeper, but I did. I contacted Internal Affairs and they did an investigation. Do you want to know what they found?" 

"What?"

"That there was an entire child ring going through our government," you spat in disgust. "Elite officials would contact someone within the patrol squads to go into active rebel areas, kill everyone, and take the children. Then they'd…it was horrible. I thought those responsible would see justice and be imprisoned, but nobody was. The lower level guys were jailed, but not the ones above them. Those people received no consequence at all. Not even after the news came out about it. Nobody was punished. They were let go."

"Republic Justice only applies to the poor," Hongjoong said, "Not the ones meant to uphold it." 

"I was disgusted. I'd sworn an oath to uphold and defend the laws put in place by the Republic," you replied. "I swore to protect and serve the people of this country. I bled, I fought, and I killed for this nation, and then to turn around and see the people who made those same oaths breaking them. It made me question myself, and I hate that." 

"I know what you mean," he said. "That's how I felt when I saw Republic soldiers shooting wounded people coming out of a burning hospital.”

Your eyes glanced at the clock in the room. It’d been ten minutes already. 

“You’re not a bad person, YN,” he said. “Even I know what you did in that little border town. You saved those people-”

“-I didn’t,” you cut him off. “I came way too late to do anything meaningful-”

“-Your little heroic act opened up people’s eyes to what’s going on outside the walls,” he said. 

“People only know about it because a journalist happened to capture it live.” 

“The things you’ve done since then prove you’re not a bad person,” he said. “The people of the Republic respect and admire you because you genuinely care about them. You see injustice being done and stop it, rather than leave it be. How many of your comrades will say they would’ve done what you did? Not many.” He let your words hang between you, and he finished his donut. “Did they punish you for shooting the guy?”

“No,” you said. “They gave me a medal.”

He snorted, “For killing one of your own?”

“They deemed the squad who did it as war criminals, and said that’s the Republic’s justice at work,” you sighed, shaking your head. “The Republic’s Justice…What the fuck does that even mean?”

“It means killing people who don’t comply with their rules or make them look bad,” he said. "It means covering up their tracks, inventing stories and intimidating people into silence."

“I should’ve gon-” 

You stopped yourself before the words fully came out. Hongjoong and you both stared at one another. You wouldn’t tell him about all the nights you envisioned having followed him, and being together. “I wish you had too,” he said softly, “But then we’d both be dying and I don’t want that.”

“Even after everything?”

“I never wanted you dead, YN. I still don’t, even if you want me dead-”

“-I was only following orders-”

“Then why didn’t you kill me?”

You hesitated. 

“When you found me in the lower deck of my ship-”

“-Is it really a ‘ship’ if it’s on land?-

“-You could’ve shot me on sight,” he pressed on. “You could’ve put a rain of bullets through me, and made up a story afterwards. I wasn’t armed. I wasn’t threatening you. I didn’t put up a fight. Killing me right then would’ve been the easiest part of your day, but when you burst into that room with your rifle trained on me, you didn’t pull the trigger.”

“They ordered me to bring you in alive, and despite my own morals, I follow instructions,” you excused, though this wasn’t true and he knew it. 

“It’s pointless to lie to a dead man,” he told you. “If you were only following orders, why didn’t you kill me when you had the chance? Hm? You know that there's the high possibility I'll escape or that my public execution could stir up more trouble outside. You can tell anyone who would listen that you’re just doing your job, and you can pretend you’re a loyalist all you want, but you and I both know the real reason you didn’t shoot me.” He pushed the donut box aside and came right up to the glass. The hostility and animosity of the previous minutes softened, making you fall into his big brown eyes like you used to. “And they know it too,” he whispered. “Don’t go to the parade.” 

His sudden warning threw you off. “What?” 

“Don’t go," he pleaded. "Please. Promi-”

“-Time’s up, Lieutenant.” 

“I love y-”

A large hand gripped your arm to pull you up. Your eyes remained focused on Hongjoong. What did he mean? Sudden dread and fear filled your bones. Hongjoong didn’t say anything else, but you saw the tears pooling in his eyes as the soldier pulled you through the chamber door. What was going to happen at the parade? A possible jailbreak could be the only explanation. Perhaps Hongjoong coordinated his capture so that he’d be in the Pyramid, where his forces could strike an assault on the city. He doesn’t want you to be there when the fighting starts, but if he thinks you’ll sit by while it happens, he’s clearly forgotten a lot about you. The soldier roughly pushed you from the main room and back out into the hallway. You gave him one last glare before heading back to the elevator. If Hongjoong’s crew intended to sabotage the parade in any way, people needed to be warned. You tapped the ‘call’ button on your watch, which linked to your ear implant right away. 

“Lieutenant,” Shin’s voice came over the line, “The parade is gonna start soon, and I'd like to go over routes before-"

"-How many men do we have on the street?"

"Pardon?"

"How many men are currently on patrol?"

"A hundred or so," he said. "Why?"

"The Pirates are going to be there," you said, punching the ground level button with your fist. Anxiousness sparked the nerves already wiring your body. You watched the numbers begin to climb slowly. "Kim just as good as told me himself. I don't know where they're going to be or what their plan is, but I want those men armed and ready."

"Hold on," it was Boggs, "We're fighting?"

"-Boggs!-"

"-I'm not sure," you continued, impatiently watching the elevator rise from the ground. “I don’t know anything for certain, but I want firepower on the ground.”

“The General said he didn’t want any guns,” Shin managed to gain control of the communicator again. You heard Bogg’s deep voice somewhere in the background, “We’d be defying direct orders.”

“He’ll understand once I explain it,” you said.

Your mind began moving a million miles a minute. You addressed your wrist band and scanned around for the map application. A map of the city projected from the small screen. You saw red lines going through the parade route, lines you yourself drew up. “Captain,” you called Shin, “I want squads one through five scanning the rooftops, and squads six through nine sweeping the buildings. Ten, eleven, and twelve can stick to the city center, and thirteen can surround The President’s car.” 

“I’ll get right on it, sir,” Shin replied. 

You heard a bit of commotion and grunting before Bogg’s voice came through. “Lieutenant, what do you need from me?”

“Contact the armory and get on the radio channel,” you said, “Tell everyone the news and start getting them geared up.” 

“-Damnit, Boggs! Give me my communicator!-

“-And then I want you and Shin to meet me here at the Pyramid,” you told him. “If The Pirates are in the city,” the elevator finally reached the ground floor, “One or two of them are likely to be on the route from here to the city center.” 

“You got it, sir,” Boggs confirmed. “Want me to alert Sunmi?” 

“She's not in fighting condition. Get moving.”

“Yes, sir.” 

You both hung up and pressed the top floor button. Dialing another number in your wristband, you waited until the person answered. 

“General Bok Kyungmin’s office, Jalissa speaking,” said a melodic woman’s voice. 

“Jalissa, this is Lieutenant Hwang YN,” you told her, “Is General Bok still there?”

“He is, Lieutenant. Would you like me to patch you through to him?”

“As soon as you can, please.”

“One minute, please.” 

You curled your hand into a fist to stop it from shaking. Hongjoong's warning rang in your head. If it was an attack, his warning sounded odd. The pitch. The inflection. The way his eyes watered when he whispered it to you. It didn't sound like a threat or an amused warning. He didn't want you to go there. Hongjoong protected you, of course, but he never tried stopping you. He'd go with you. He’d strap on his own weapon to give you cover. Hongjoong, this time, did not want you in the way. 

"Lieutenant Hwang," General Bok's raspy voice sounded in your ear, "I just heard your man Boggs over the radio. Is this threat legitimate?"

"I'm afraid it is, sir."

You explained to him that you'd obliged Hongjoong’s last request for a meeting and what he'd told you. Bok listened without interrupting, but you sensed the apprehension on the other end. You told him the plans you put into motion, and your suspicions. 

"I figure it is better to be safe than sorry, sir," you finished, standing outside and scanning the area for Boggs and Shin. "If The Pirates are here, whatever plans they have could impact hundreds. I say we issue an evacuation plan."

"No," he said abruptly. "To evacuate at this stage will let them know we're onto them. This might be our best chance at capturing the rest of them."

"Sir, there will be civilians on the street," you said, stunned by his words. "I think we should be trying to avoid as few casualties as we can. If they have bombs, sir, they will kill hundreds."

"And send everyone into a panic?" He said. "There will be hysteria in the streets if we start an evacuation. Keep this news as down low as possible. We don’t want a riot on our hands. Stay at Kim’s side and don’t take your eyes off him.”

“But, sir-”

“-That’s an order, Lieutenant.”

And you always follow orders. “Yes, sir,” you said defeatedly. 

“You and the rest of your team go to the Containment exit and escort Kim to the city center,” he said next. “I will meet you there.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

He hung up without another word, and you moved into action. The exit for Containment was located behind The Pyramid, in a closed off section that required special permission to pass through. You pressed your badge to the gate, and walked through into a garage of black armored vans and trucks. You relaid the General's instructions to Shin as you found the Containment garage entrance; you told them you'd meet them at the city center instead. Going to an emergency cage, you unlocked the gate and pulled out one of the automatic rifles lined up. Clicking on the magazine, you double checked the safety button, and then slung it over your shoulder. You kept your side arm attached to your thigh, so you only checked the clip for bullets. Your foot tapped as you waited for Hongjoong’s truck; his warning came back to you. Coupled with the General's odd orders, you couldn't stop the unsettlement poking at your nerves. 

The elevator doors from the Containment Center opened, and you saw Hongjoong, wrists and ankles chained together, surrounded by four soldiers dressed in black uniforms. You would've thought they were twins with their long bodies and height. They kept their visors down, and guns to their chests. They must've been ordered to shoot-to-kill if Hongjoong tried escaping. Turning around, you faced the two soldiers from earlier. They gave each other a glance at the sight of you, looked at Hongjoong behind them, and then back at you. 

"At ease, soldiers," you told them, "General Bok has instructed me to accompany your escort team."

"That isn't necessary, Lieutenant," one of them said. "We can handle him from here."

"I'm not asking," you said a bit firmly. "Let's get him loaded in and move out." When they didn't react, you glared, "I said 'move out', soldiers."

They all exited the elevator and you walked beside Hongjoong. 

"What are you doing here?" He asked, unbothered by the soldiers around you both. 

"What a Lieutenant is supposed to do when a rebel terrorist warns them of an attack," you answered. "I informed my superiors and put safety precautions in place." 

You reached the Containment truck. The President had this truck especially made for prisoners heading for their execution. The size of the usual large vans, the back of the truck is made of shatter-proof glass lined with steel borders. Only the prisoner is meant to be loaded in there with two guards. You intended on being one of them. His men will come for him, and you'd be ready if they did. The two soldiers went to the front seats, while you loaded Hongjoong into the glass cage. Sitting across from one another, your back to the front driver's seat and his to the back doors, you two were once again alone. 

"You shouldn't be here," Hongjoong said. "I told you not to come."

"If you think I'm going to let your little pirate friends attack this city," you said, "You've clearly forgotten things about me."

"That's not what I was talking about," he leaned in closer to you. “They’re planning to kill you.” 

Once upon a time, you would’ve scoffed and brushed him off. Yet, after seeing how the Republic handles ‘problems’, you hesitated before speaking. “You’re lying,” you decided. “You’re trying to throw me off, and it’s not going to work.”

“When have I ever lied to you, YN?” he asked you, eyes pleading with you. “Your friend, Jisung? The one who died in that factory explosion?” 

You glared, “What about him?”

“The intel you received about that place wasn’t real,” he said. “We were never there. They told you to go there because they hoped you’d die in the explosion they set up.”

You thought back to the factory, a building made of stone and wood, full of plastic and wooden crates and barrels of hazardous chemicals. Back then, you simply thought whoever owned the factory left behind the materials. Yet, truly digging into your mind, you never heard of a business not completely gutting out their factories or warehouses. They might have abandoned equipment, but not materials, especially expensive and rare ones. Then, you recalled the little click and thump that happened seconds before the explosions. You remembered Boggs telling you about the person he’d seen. 

“You blew up that factory,” you said, frozen in place in your seat. You hardly noticed the truck reaching the gates. 

“You really think I did that?” he sneered at you. “My crew might be known for blowing stuff up, but we don’t do it pointlessly. If I bomb a place, it’s for a specific reason. It’s to make a statement. We had no reason to light up that factory. It was in the middle of nowhere, abandoned, and useless to anyone but the homeless. We would’ve wasted our resources blowing it up.” He paused, “He wasn’t the target. The building wasn’t the target. You were.”

He let the words hang between you for a few seconds before the truck stopped at the main gate. He must be lying. 

“I’m sure they didn’t mean for your comrade to die, but these things happen in war.” 

He never lied to you. Not a single time. No matter which side you move to, Hongjoong never lies. Meanwhile, your government lied countless times. You didn’t want to show him any uncertainty. The clear truck finally made its way onto the streets where people lined the sidewalks. Several of them saw Hongjoong, and you saw the hard glares and the objects they threw at him as it passed. You heard muffled jeers through the glass, people thankful that he is going to the noose. Yet you couldn’t help notice the few people who recognized you sitting in there with him. They waved their Republic flags, beamed brightly at you and called out your name. Students from Prestige Academy still in their crisp white uniforms, jumped up and down to get a tiny nod from you. Your heart fell into your stomach. They had no idea. 

“They love you more than they hate me,” Hongjoong smiled slyly. “I wonder why that is?”

“Shut up,” you said quietly. 

“Could it be that they see you as a hero?-”

“-I said ‘shut up’, inmate-”

“-That they see you as someone who gets things done?-”

“-What part of ‘shut up’ do you not understand?-”

“-Unlike our president who sits back and does nothing to help his suffering people? The same president who sat by as officers violated and abused innocent children? The same man who did nothing to punish those responsible for dozens of raids on border towns where innocent women, children and men were slaughtered like animals?” He leaned forward, eyes locked on you. “The person whose reputation you tarnished when you shot those soldiers?”

It made sense. You hated to admit what Hongjoong said could be plausible. You’ve seen what happens to those deemed enemies of the state. You watched several executions of people who may have shed a bad light on the president specifically. A lieutenant who uncovered disturbing, disgusting truths about him and his officials could very much be next. But why didn’t he simply have you arrested? The answer came to you through the people on the street. A woman on the street holding a magazine with your whole face on it told you why. She held your face. Not Yoon’s. You thought of the vendor from this morning. 

‘You’ve done a lot more for people than Yoon for sure.’ 

“He’s in his mansion,” Hongjoong continued, “Gorging himself on delicacies that people could only dream of eating. He throws these grand parties at his home while people all around him struggle to put shoes on their kids’ feet. He could stop this war at any point; he could call a cease-fire and discuss negotiations with the leaders, but no. He lets it continue because he’s secretly being paid by war profiteers who are reaping the benefits of this ongoing war. He doesn’t care about the poor. He only cares about the rich,” he then said, “The people saw you defend those who needed you, and they saw that their leaders wouldn’t do the same. You wouldn’t use their hard earned tax money to have all this fan fare over an execution. You’d put a bullet in my head and call it a day.”

“It’d be cheaper, for sure.” 

“Do you read the papers at all?” he asked. 

“I’m not always near a newsstand.”

“President Yoon’s public approval went down by 15-points when the news about the kids came out, and when people saw nothing was being done,” he said. “It went down even further when people learned what was going on in the sectors outside of here. People saw him doing nothing about it, and lost trust in him.” He gazed over your face, eyes landing on your lips before going to your eyes, “They saw you at those border towns, giving food to starving kids, and saw someone who can be a leader.”

“I’m not a leader.”

“Yes, you are, and they don’t like that.” 

“I don’t believe you,” you said. “You’re trying to get me off my game. You’re using this to distract me so when your men show up, I’m not fully aware of it.” 

“You know I’m telling the truth,” he said. 

“Where did you even get this information?” you asked irritably. 

“Yeosang came upon it a few weeks ago,” he replied. “When he hacked into the intelligence main frame in hopes of finding plans for the new bombs your people are building. He found a locked file, and being nosey, he broke into it to find a list of people labeled as ‘person of interest’. He found that the Intelligence Division had been tasked with keeping surveillance on certain people: politicians who spoke out against the Republic, billionaires who they’d bribed into supporting the cause, and people suspected of working for the rebellion. He cross checked that list with the names of people who died under ‘mysterious circumstances’, and a good chunk of them are dead now. Poisonings, accidents, and unsolved murders were a common theme.” He paused, looking over your face once more, “Your name was on there, YN. It’s why I came here. You have shown your distaste at the Republic, and there’s a strong likelihood you’ll join the rebel cause. If you do, you’ll have all the information we’d need to defeat them.” He saw your hesitation, and said, “You know they’re corrupt enough to do it.”

It sounded too coincidental. It sounded like the sort of thing an enemy would come up with to distract you. Yet, was Hongjoong truly an enemy? A real enemy wouldn’t give away his own jailbreak. Had you captured any other rebel leader, they wouldn’t be with you right now. As the truck went up the street, you considered his words again. 

Boggs mentioned seeing someone throwing the grenade into a window seconds before the explosion. If they wanted to go unnoticed, they’d wear all black to blend in with the night. You remembered the factory again. Most rebel hideouts showed signs of someone having lived there: sleeping bags, empty food cans, tables and chalkboards with photos and maps taped on them. The factory really looked empty with old cobwebs and dusty floors. Only chemical barrels remained behind in the rusty factory. But, were they really abandoned there or did someone place them there? You’re not sure. 

“You’re not a stupid woman, YN,” Hongjoong said. “They would’ve asked you to escort me to the platform, so then they can shoot you and blame me for it.” You saw his face become hard, holding back whatever emotions swelled up inside him. “That’s what they told you when you radioed in, right?”

And you always follow orders. 

Except the times you did not; the two times where you broke your oaths to The Republic and shot your ‘brothers in arms’. You’d indirectly and unintentionally exposed the corruption and perversion infecting your government. By releasing those children and liberating that town, you showed that you took your oath to ‘protect and serve’ seriously, while those above you did not. You turned back to the street where more people jeered at Hongjoong and cheered for you. 

“Why are you telling me this now?”

“Because they can’t hear us here. They think you won’t believe me, which is why you're here.”

Because you always follow orders. 

Your superiors believe you’re a blissfully ignorant soldier who does what they say without question. Yet, lately you’ve been proving them wrong and they can’t have that. You tried thinking of all the ways that he could be lying, but another fact always contradicted the first. 

“Be vigilant when we step out of this truck,” he said. “Wooyoung isn’t the only sniper up high.”

“How do I know he won’t shoot me and let someone else take the blame?”

“Because he isn’t a snake like them. He has his reasons for joining us, and for wanting to help rescue you.”

“Like what?”

“It’s not my story to tell.” 

The truck drove through into the city center. A large roundabout circling a golden fountain, you leaned against the window to see three beautiful statues: one was a woman with a blindfold holding two scales to signify The Republic’s blind justice; the third was a soldier crossing two swords over his head to signify the Republic’s strength and force, and the third was an androgynous figure holding a dove on their finger which signified the Republic's peace and prosperity. Three things that the Republic no longer had: peace, justice or strength. At the end of the motorcade stood Republic Hall, the courthouse and city hall combined. Standing up tall and made of white marble, you remembered you and Hongjoong receiving your graduation papers on the front steps. You’d both made your vows there like every other official did. Only difference is that you both upheld your promises. 

“I solemnly swear to uphold the justice, peace and strength of The People’s Republic,” Hongjoong said softly. “I wonder which one of us actually meant that when they said it: us or them?” 

The crowds here thickened throughout the morning, so people stood right up against the barricades keeping them off the street. Your chest filled with dread realizing they all stood underneath very tall stone buildings. If Hongjoong’s men have planted any explosives, they’ll be in those buildings and the people below will be casualties. You’d wanted to evacuate but The General disagreed. Why would he do that? These people have no part in his war on the rebellion. They shouldn’t be there. It didn’t matter how many uniforms carried weapons now; they’ll all be caught in the crossfires. The people standing on their balconies and hanging out of their windows will get the worst of it, since they’ll likely be closest to the explosions. You noticed, though, the amount of unoccupied windows. Their curtains drawn, they showed no signs of life behind their frames. People watching on television? Why watch on the television when it’s  happening right outside their window? You envisioned Jung Wooyoung, a member of the sniper division, sitting behind one of them with his rifle trained right on you. But, right behind that came the vision of a faceless, nameless Republic sniper who is also only obeying his orders. 

These pictures made every nerve in your body sink into adrenaline. Fight mode. No flight. Always fight. 

The truck eventually stopped right at the steps of the building. Standing in front of them was a wooden platform a crew constructed overnight. A basic gallows with the Republic flag hanging behind it, a singular noose hung from the rafters above a trap door. The young girl still in love wanted to reach for him. She wanted to hug and kiss him deeply one last time. She wanted to confess everything she felt, and how sorry and stupid she was. Your eyes met his as the truck came to a complete stop. 

“I don’t want you to die,” you said quietly, as if the universe might hear you and hasten his end. 

“I don’t want you to die either,” he said solemnly. “I love you, YN. I always have. I still do. I don’t think I’m incapable of loving you, even if you chop off my hand.”

“To be fair, you blew up half my face and crippled my leg.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt you either. I thought I was…” the words died in your throat. “I…” you squeezed your good eye shut, “You shouldn’t love me.” 

“But I do.”

“Why?”

You saw the two soldiers climb out of the truck. “Because even when we both went for blood, grappling and fighting one another, I still missed you. I missed you in my bones, love.”

“You shouldn’t.”

“But I do.”

“But you shouldn’t,” you said through gritted teeth, your mouth going dry and throat closing up. 

“You’re not a bad person, YN. You just work for bad people. You’re still that girl who used to feed stray cats, give money to the homeless, and always tried to do the right thing despite what other people said. You’re a good person.” 

You saw them rounding to the back of the truck.

“I’m not that person anymore.”

“She’s in there. I know she is.”

“And she’s a fool,” you spat back at him, tears burning your eyes. No, you can’t cry now. “A fool who believed in the goodness of people; who believed that at the end of the day, justice prevailed. She thought she was fighting for the right side. The good side. There is no good side in a war-” they reached the back doors and stood to open them, “-Just a lesser of two evils.”

The roaring crowd finally reached your ears as the doors opened. You jumped out before anyone noticed your face, and stood aside for Hongjoong to be guided onto the pavement. You didn’t want to think anymore about what Kim Hongjoong feels for you. It only made your job harder. You couldn’t be distracted right now. Tapping your earpiece, the normal vision on your bionic eye changed to the infrared vision. It picked up the yellows, reds and orange heat of the people on the ground, but your eye swiveled away from them to the buildings above. You saw more figures blocking the view, but your eye stayed on the empty ones. Your good eyes searched for Shin and Boggs, who’d you’d told to meet you here. Perhaps they’d been held up. 

Or worse. 

Once the soldiers cuffed him again, doing their best not to tighten around his metal hand, you all began walking to the platform. There, you saw three people seated behind a podium to the left of the noose right by a set of stairs. General Bok sat farthest from the stairs, whipping his head away when he spotted you approaching; Vice President Han, a portly man with a shiny bald head and small thin-rimmed glasses on his long nose, and President Yoon. President Yoon was a tall, narrow man with thinning black hair and tight tanned skin. The plastic surgery often popular in the city showed in his thin nose bridge and puffy lips. You realized then that you hated him. Innocent children were trafficked and sold into sex slavery, and he didn’t seek justice because they were not Republic children. If anything, he benefited from it or took part in it. To him, the people in the sectors are not human, and should be treated as such. They are not important. They do not matter. What kind of president does that? Like Hongjoong said, he could stop the war at any time, yet insists it’s important that it continues. It is destroying his country, and he doesn’t care because it is not affecting him personally. The idea of this man having a hit list didn’t sound entirely off base. The two men with her were no better. 

You took your position at the bottom of the staircase, gun at your chest and ready to go at a moment’s notice. Your squadmates still remained missing. Shin told you they’d been around the city center. Your infrared vision did not pick up anyone in the buildings or roofs above. Then, someone called out to you:

“Lieutenant Hwang, please come up here and join us.”

Yoon had spoken, and he stared at you with a friendly smile. It felt as if someone filled your insides with snow. 

“Me, sir?”

“Yes,” he nodded, beckoning you up the steps. When you shakily reached the landing, he said, “I’d like you to be here with us,” he said, “You are responsible for The Pirate King’s capture and incarceration. I think it’s only right that you share some of the spotlight.”

“I was only doing my job, sir. I didn’t do it for any glory or-”

“-Like Bok said,” he laughed, “Modest until the end. Come. Don’t be shy.” 

He guided you to a spot a few feet behind him. You glanced over to Bok, who did not meet your eyes. Coward. If he is in on this assassination attempt, the least he can do is look at you. 

The soldiers walked Hongjoong across the stage, and your eyes met his. You noticed his watered with tears, even if he kept his composure and defiance up to the very end. Your own eye teared up again. Every laugh, every cry, every success and failure together flashed before you. The boy who loved glazed donuts and coffee, who wrote songs and loved music, was walking to his death because of you. You brought him here. You hunted him like a dog because the men around you said so. And how trustworthy are they? You watched them walk him right underneath the hanging noose. Your eyes stayed on him. You wanted to put every piece of him to memory before you lose it forever: the blue hair he genetically implanted to look cool, the perfect proportions of his body, the several piercings he had, and his bionic hand. Yeosang and Mingi did quite a job on it. You saw blinking lights right around the vital signs to keep track of his heartbeat which remained steady. 

“Welcome, citizens of The Republic,” Yoon began his speech, his voice booming over the cheering crowd. “I thank you all for being here with us as we celebrate this triumphant day. This day will be marked in history as the beginning of the end of our struggles-”

You remember when those hands used to expertly disassemble and assemble rifles in record time. They were capable of pain and pleasure in equal amounts. You missed them. You missed him. Perhaps you’ll join Boggs and resign from command. You don’t want to do this anymore. You don’t want to live in anguish forever. You then noticed his middle finger bouncing in his palm. Your bionic eye is still searching the buildings, your good eye focused on the finger. What was he doing?

“-The outlaw you see standing before you is a man who has-”

A blue light began blinking in a series of spaces and dots. Morse code. Your wristband went off in your ear, and you chanced a glance at the screen. A message from Unknown came through. Without tapping it, the message opened on its own. 

‘Apartment building on your left, fourth floor, third window from the corner.’ 

Infrared vision showed nobody there. You should’ve known. They’d wear reflective gear to conceal themselves. Zooming in on the window in question, you spotted a shadow behind the frilly white curtains. The incoming breeze made them billow inwards and the sniper had trouble hiding behind the window sill. You saw them. They wore the skull cap and mask of a sniper. You couldn’t let them know you’d seen them, otherwise they’ll abort the mission. 

“-Kim Hongjoong, you stand convicted of high treason,” said Yoon, “Piracy, destruction of Republic property, murder-”

Staring into the crowd, you saw him. Short and slight, a young delivery man kept his bike parked on the sidewalk against a brick wall. You recognized him from earlier in the day, the delivery boy who had the newspaper printed on the side of his bike. Though now he’d removed his helmet to show a mop of black hair curtaining a pale, handsome face. Kang Yeosang’s apologetic eyes met yours as you spotted something in his hand. You recalled the man from his days serving the Republic. He’d been part of the squad who defected at the hospital bombing. His skills with technology were only outmatched by Shin, who helped build the Pyramid’s firewalls and security systems. Your eye zoomed in on his hand, which you just made out through the crowd of people. You realized what it was right away. You shook your head at him. 

But, the blast did not happen in the street. The explosions came from far off in this distance. One large one that shook the very ground you stood on, followed by several more. Right at the same time, you saw several people in the crowd withdraw weapons from under shirts and jackets, and aimed fire at the officers on the ground. Your body swung into action. Pushing Yoon aside, you fired at the fighters on the sidewalks, using your eye as a scope to hit the right targets. Bullets punctured through the wooden stilts holding up the stage, blowing past you and the others on stage. 

“Evacuate the street!” you shouted, finding cover behind the President’s podium, “Set evacuation plans in order-”

“-That’s not my order, Lieutenant-” said General Bok, who’d taken out his own pistol to fire back, “-Negate tha-”

“-Get as many people down the street as you can,” you said over the radio, “We need to reduce the civilian casualties-”

“-Lieutenant,” Bok gave you a stern warning, and you glared back. 

You started giving orders through your earpiece, and watched all of them moving into action right away.  More explosions came from your left, and you realized they’d blown up the Pyramid.  But how? The two delivery men at the elevator. They had several long boxes with them that you thought to be donuts. You remembered Hongjoong’s reluctance to eat them you gave him, and it clicked instantly. The Pirates just destroyed communications, ammunition, artillery, and any support the Republic had left. You tapped your earpiece multiple times, hoping to get a radio through, but you were met with dead silence. 

“YN!” 

Hongjoong and the bullet reached you at the same time. Your enhanced ear caught the whizz of the bullet that would’ve struck your face had Hongjoong not pushed you down. It’d come from the direction of the apartment building. You don’t know how you know, but deep down you did. Using both hands, Hongjoong pulled down the wooden podium to shield you both from more gunfire. In the midst of the chaos, he must’ve broken free of his bonds. His face inches from yours, he said:

“Do you trust me?” 

Your brain couldn’t process his words. It could only comprehend your racing heart and need to get away and find your squadmates. 

“YN,” he said more forcefully, “Do you trust me?”

“Yes.” 

It came out in a single breath. You said it without thinking, and this time you didn’t take it back. The rush of wind came through next as a whooshing sound came overhead. Yoon and the other officials might not recognize the Valiant, but you and Hongjoong did. A metal hovercraft built with the fragments of wrecked Republic ships, the Valiant was various shades of black, white and gray. Hongjoong and his crew truly leaned into their ‘pirate’ nickname by molding their aircraft like the old pirate ships. The engine caused surges of hot air to blow through the streets, blowing people back onto the street. It lowered down above the gallows, and the hull opened to reveal two people standing there: Choi San and Choi Jongho. San still wore the delivery man uniform, while Jongho wore a Republic guard uniform. Officer Kwang. You should’ve known when you didn’t recognize him. They threw down a rope ladder, and Hongjoong took your hand. 

“I can’t,” you told him. “Not without my crew.”

“You can contact them later,” he said, quickly grabbing the ladder and bringing you over to it. “Start climbing. I’ll be right behind you.”

“Hongjoong-”

“-Go!” 

He took your rifle from you, aiming it towards the guards coming up the stairs. You put your foot on the first ring and started to climb. That’s when the second bullet went past you. Then a third. Then a fourth. The sniper clearly planned to carry out their mission regardless. A cold sweat went over your whole body, causing your hands to slip on the slim rope, but you kept climbing. The wavering ladder made you a moving target, and the sniper isn’t that good. You looked down at the halfway point to see Hongjoong still on the ground. You called out to him, but he didn’t hear you over the wind and gunfire. It’d been at that moment that a deep pain shot through your body from your leg. The sniper’s tenth bullet found home in your shin, having broken the skin and lodged into the bone. You thought your entire leg went numb, only feeling the searing pain every time you lifted your leg. You gritted through the pain, continuing your climb. You need to get to the top, to safety, to where you can defend Hongjoong the best. 

Another bullet sailed through the air into the back of your right shoulder. A lucky shot that burned in every pull upwards. You kept going. You did not stop or look around. The rushing winds made you deaf to anything anyone said to you. Your left ear picked up muffled sounds and static, which irritated what little bit of eardrum left inside. Then a third bullet caught you right when you reached the ramp several feet above the stage. 

“Fuck!” 

You screamed in agony as a bullet grazed your earpiece. Thick streams of blood wet the side of your face, and white noise filled your damaged ear before going silent completely. You felt the cartilage of your left ear as Jongho dragged you away from the edge; your finger went right through the split skin and it burned further. Your good ear-now truthfully good-only picked up the howling winds coming from ahead of you. The newest wound paralyzed the whole left side of your face. You could feel the mechanical ear malfunctioning still, clicking and shooting pain into your brain. The pain spread quickly to your eye, which started seeing static. Both enhancements connected together, one began malfunctioning once the other cut off. You felt blood atarting to seep from under the eye piece, and your chest tightened again. 

“Hongjoong,” you huffed, doing your best to hold back the agonizing pain in your ear. You felt shocks of pain spark every time you opened your mouth, and you couldn’t help pressing a hand to stop it. “Hongjoong….”

“He’s on his way,” Jongho said. “Sit down. Let me see your ear.” He checked your severed ear and he winced, “Damn, that looks bad. Here, put this there and hold it. Yeosang could fix you up really quick.” 

You took the rag from nearby and pressed it to your ear. However, the pain didn’t mask your concern for Hongjoong. One by one, his crew began appearing from the ladder: tall black-haired Jeong Yunho, who immediately rushed for the cockpit at the front of the ship; handsome Park Seonghwa, who grabbed a weapon from the rack and started firing down below; slender Jung Wooyoung who put down his tripod bag and knelt down to aim his sniper rifle into the buildings around the center; pink-haired Song Mingi, the one likely responsible for the explosions, who still wore his delivery man uniform, and Kang Yeosang in his delivery boy jacket. He spotted you grunting and doubled over in pain, and rushed over to you. 

“My…ear,” you growled, not wanting to remove the rag from the wound but also not wanting to press down. “It’s…broken….I think.”

“Come on,” he took you by the arm, “Let’s get you to the medical bay-”

“-But…Hongjoong-”

“-Hongjoong would want you to think about your damaged ear,” he said, ignoring your request and pulling you further into the ship. 

Your wounds made it hard to walk. You stumbled and fell into a wall before someone came up on your left side. Hongjoong. You knew it from the flash of blue you saw in a reflection. He said something, but you couldn’t hear him. Every muscle in your body went limp as your brain registered the sterile, silent infirmary in the ship’s second level. Yeosang and Hongjoong rested you on a metal slab, the bright light above you stinging your eyes and the hard metal being hard on your aching bones. 

“Just relax, Lieutenant,” said Yeosang, who went to work with a bottle and syringe, “You’ll be fine in a few seconds.”

“Hon-Hong-Jo-oo-ng-” you forced yourself to say through a loosening jaw. Any mechanics keeping your jaw straight now malfuctioned, making it nearly impossible to speak. 

“I’m right here, YN. I’m right here,” he shielded you from the bright lights above. His eyes full of panic and concern, he cupped your face and pecked your lips. “I’m right here. You’re safe now.”

“Hon-” 

A sharp pinch to your vein interrupted you. Morphine. Ulta-Morphine from the look of the aquamarine liquid filling the tube and going into your arm. The needle’s sting did not even register with the rest of the pain you felt. You took deep breaths, trying to steady your heart. You kept your eye on Hongjoong, unable to care or think about anything else. 

“I-I…” 

The right side of your jaw slackened, and you lost the ability to speak at all. “It’s okay,” Hongjoong said, “You don’t have to talk. Just rest, okay? Yeosang is going to fix it.”

He didn’t understand. You lifted a hand to his face, despite the burning pain in your shoulder, and he pressed it to his cheek. A sharp metallic taste filled your mouth, and you turned your head to spit it out. Everything hurts, but you needed him to know. You needed to tell him before it all ended. 

“Lo-Lov-ve-e yo-o-”

“I know,” he sniffed, kissing the top of your head. “I know.”

He did it all for you. He risked his life to save you. Even when you both fought and maimed each other, your love never waivered. The morphine finally hit your body, and all pain alleviated at once. Slowly, Hongjoong’s face faded to black. 

 ****

“Will you be able to fix it, Yeosang? It’s gonna heal, right?”

“I fixed the eye with no real problems, but the ear is lost. The bullet went right through the cybernetic pieces around it when it slashed her ear, so the whole piece short circuited and bursted in the canal. She’s lucky we got to it in time. It could’ve made her brain dead.” 

“Alright, but will she be okay, Yeosang?” 

“She’s stable now, but the ear will take time to heal completely. Once that’s happened, I can refit her with a new enhancement. I don’t feel safe doing it until it’s healed.” 

Hongjoong stayed beside the medical bed, watching a medical droid carefully changing the bandage around your head. It took a few hours for Yeosang and his assistant droid to patch you up, but you made it. They had to shave half of it to access the pieces attached to your skull. Yeosang and the medical droid managed to remove and patch up your bullet wounds, but your bionic pieces concerned him the most. He held your hand gently in his, kissing your knuckles. It’d been so long since he touched you this way. He remembered the days when he took any chance he could to touch you, whether hand holding or brushing hair from your face. He always had this need to feel some part of you; as if he needed to be sure he hadn't dreamed of you. Now, he had to wait until you’d become unconscious to hold your hand. 

"You must love her a lot," he heard Yeosang say, fixing up an IV next to your bed. "To risk getting executed for her."

"I do."

Yeosang didn't question his feelings for you like some of his crew members. He understood it better, perhaps, seeing as he'd defected like Hongjoong did. He'd been one of the physicians in his unit, and Hongjoong recalled him saving people from the hospital fire. Yeosang dragged them to safety, bringing them to a camp where rebel physicians worked on them without interference. He had people on the Republic side whom he loved, and would do anything to get back, if he could. 

"They'll blame it on her," he said to Hongjoong next. "They'll say she helped you and brand her a traitor."

"I know." He paused, "But they already thought that when she killed those men."

He'd heard about your heroic deeds through the channels. When he heard a loyalist lieutenant open fire on her fellow soldiers, he never thought it'd be you. He shouldn't have been surprised though. The Republic kept their citizens ignorant to the corruption and crime going on behind the scenes. They didn't know that their president was in the pockets of war profiteers and millionaires looking to cash in. They didn't know the things soldiers did to the people in the sectors, and how those people struggled to survive. They didn't know the fear, intimidation and pain with which the government used to hold power over them. You hadn't known, and you reacted far differently than he'd expected. When Kyungmin told Wooyoung a lady with one eye saved him and several other children, he questioned the boy further. When Jisoo tearfully explained to Seonghwa that a female soldier shot her captors at point blank, he needed to know more. 

It seemed he wasn't the only one who solved problems with bullets. 

Quick, heavy thumps made him turn around, and he saw Seonghwa standing in the doorway. He'd taken off his stolen Republic uniform, and wore a gray t-shirt over black pants and boots. Hongjoong noticed him panting and clutching the door frame. Soon, more footsteps came and Wooyoung and San appeared behind him.

"You need to turn on the TV," Seonghwa breathed, rushing to the monitor on the wall. "You need to see this. I can't believe it. They just announced it."

"Announced what?"

He turned on a monitor in the room where he saw the Republic news station covering the story. Lee Seojoon sat at her usual anchor desk, a solemn face despite her professional tone. 

"-At precisely two-forty-two this afternoon, President Yoon Byungho was pronounced dead. The fearless leader of the People's Republic received several severe gunshot wounds during the Victory Parade this morning. Republic law enforcements cannot say whether Kim Hongjoong, the rebel Pirate King, fired those fatal shots, but it is being investigated-"

"He's dead?" 

Hongjoong found this hard to believe. He knew he'd put a few bullets into the old man's back, but he hadn't seen him fall. His personal guards must've rushed him out of the battle and into the hospital. Hongjoong sat there imagining the man taking his final breaths and knowing he'd lost. The rebel leaders will soon hear of it, and plan an attack. The Vice president will no doubt take power, but he is weak compared to Yoon. They'd blown up their main command base and military center, and there is little resistance left in The Republic. It will fall and so will anyone who helped uphold it. 

He looked back at you, sleeping soundlessly in Ultra-Morphine Land. He had you back. He had you here with him again. He could protect you. You might not love him right away again, and things will never be how they once were, but you were in his life again.

That was the real victory. 

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Yet Another Disney Rant, Because...

... Bob Iger is just not reading the room...

Bob Iger, CEO of Disney for those who may live under a rock, did some talking today in the wake of WISH flopping... In addition to a centennial year full of financial flops...

Never mind the many ways Disney as a corporation could go about this set of failures... He chose to say stuff like:

“THE MARVELS was shot during COVID, and there wasn't enough supervision on set [from execs]”

Also...

He stated that the **creatives** at the studio "lost sight" of "what their job should be"...

That is... "Entertain first. It's not about messages."

So we're kowtowing to the defective geese that honk "WOKE WOKE WOKE" at everything that so as much moves?

This ain't it, Bob...

More executive interference is not the answer. Remember how buckling Disney Feature Animation top to bottom with execs that warded off the creatives every step of the way worked out?

Ideally, they should just let the filmmaker do as they please (and be open to suggestions, of course) with a reasonable budget at their side. We saw a taste of that in big budget moviemaking this year pay off quite nicely... BARBIE and OPPENHEIMER, hello!!

Disney made that happen on a few occasions outside of all-animated features. Remember how they gave the director of MOUSE HUNT and THE RING a massive budget to make a goddamn pirate movie? In an era where pirate movies were considered "box office poison"? Yeah...

Now let's look at some of Disney's biggest hits when Iger was in charge. The STAR WARS sequel trilogy and ROGUE ONE? No messages? No themes? Not political? Whatever qualms one may have with the sequel trilogy, the one thing you can't say is that they're not political or have some kind of message. It's always been the people vs. space fascists, who are very clearly based on real-life fascists. Aaaaaaall the way back to the original 1977 STAR WARS, which George Lucas based on the Vietnam War, the Richard Nixon administration, you get the idea!

The AVATAR sequel that opened just a month after Iger's return? Like, need I say more?

Marvel? Absolutely, for all the MCU's faults, they are political and message-y. All the IRON MAN movies, THE WINTER SOLDIER, CIVIL WAR, RAGNAROK, BLACK PANTHER, CAPTAIN MARVEL, they all chipped at something like that. If not that, then they're all basically propaganda for the military industrial-complex. Not the desired political message, but it is one nonetheless. If we're saying "dial down the messaging in these movies"... See how contradictory this all is??

Animation, both Disney Animation and Pixar. ZOOTOPIA, made a billion, the whole damn thing is an Aesop-like parable of prejudice. MOANA, very much a parallel to colonialism and environmentalism. FROZEN II is also about colonialism in some way or another, sins of the past. ENCANTO's generational trauma is completely rooted in its setting's history. Even something like COCO or TURNING RED (the latter greenlit when Iger was in charge) are still political in some way or another - having representation in a large white male-dominated field, that these movies exist and are somewhat doing something for representation. All art is political, really. It's silly to suggest that art isn't, or that art doesn't have some kind of "message".

If this was about poorly integrating the messages into the narratives, like - say - STRANGE WORLD does, then I would understand... But this reads to me as "hey now, don't get political, just giving the masses mindless entertainment comes first"...

Like... Why?

These dunderheaded statements don't make any sense to me.

Especially when the whole history of Disney films and entertainment has some kind of "message" or theme or idea that it's all relaying to the audience. Hell, they made a ton of World War II propaganda films back in the day! You think something like, say, BAMBI was just about cute deer and forest critters? And not about how human beings carelessly cause mass destruction to an animals' habitat and callously take the lives of animals? You think DUMBO was just a cute elephant tale and not at all about prejudice and not othering others for their differences? Or how's about movies like THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME and MULAN? Which were slandered as "politically correct" (the late '90s version of "woke") back in the day? Hell, it doesn't have to be overtly political. It can be a personal kind of message, like there was in - say - MARY POPPINS. Like hey, maybe be nicer to your kids?

Like, there's messaging in Disney's legacy. It's how stories work and connect. And that's aaaaall the way down to the parks, too. Hell, a whole park in Walt Disney World - Epcot - is *supposed* to be educational, didactic, and pushing a message in some way or another. Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, etc. etc. The future, space, the world around us and how we must keep it safe. C'mon now.

Instead of meaningfully addressing the situation, and realizing that what was popular circa 2015 isn't all that big anymore and that maybe Disney should be less concerned with how "Disney" they should make their films, it seems to me that Iger just wants to meddle in the productions more and tailor-make them for audiences that are far smarter than they'd like to believe. Prolonging the funk that they're in...

Like, look at other distribution companies. BARBIE is first and foremost Greta Gerwig's movie, not "Warner Bros. Discovery's BARBIE". OPPENHEIMER is Christopher Nolan's movie, not "Universal's OPPENHEIMER"... Disney needs to get past this "Disney's [Insert Movie Title Here]"... If they did that, they'd be able to make more dynamic movies that the public loves, stuff that wouldn't normally be associated with them. This is why they regularly don't lock acclaimed directors for more original productions, or ones that aren't 20th Century Studios or Searchlight. If they do get one, like Best Picture winner MOONLIGHT director Barry Jenkins, it's because they're attached to some Disney franchise extension. Like wouldn't it be so cool if Jenkins was directing his own movie for Disney and not a fucking tech demo LION KING prequel? They may as well have put him on a Marvel movie!

I mean, yes, Disney did try this a few times in the more recent years to little success. Ava DuVernay directed the massive flop that was A WRINKLE IN TIME (based on the classic novel), and Gore Verbinski didn't find pirate treasure with THE LONE RANGER (based on a character from old radio dramas from the '30s). Even animation familiar Andrew Stanton, who was behind some of Pixar's most beloved films, couldn't turn his John Carter of Mars movie into a franchise starter.

Disney has a sorry history of that, unfortunately. In the '70s and '80s, they turned down the likes of STAR WARS, BACK TO THE FUTURE, and a rather curious Steven Spielberg alien movie that would later morph into E.T.

It even goes back to Walt Disney's later years. Upon seeing TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRG, he remarked "That's the kind of film I'd like to make, but I can't."

Disney has long pigeonholed themselves, they spend too much on their movies, and it's also just fucking hard to second-guess the zeitgeist when something is a year out from release... That should be the evaluation from Iger, NOT "less messaging" and "more executive interference."

I know what Disney CAN be, but it just seems like - between the two Bobs - they actively don't want to pursue that. Well, for the most part. I did say on a piece three-or-so posts ago that I still see interesting stuff coming out of Pixar, 20th Century Studios, and Searchlight. Films like TURNING RED, BARBARIAN, THE MENU, and such have been the highlights of these past couple of years of the Mouse House's movie offerings in my not-so-humble opinion. POOR THINGS looks ten times more interesting than half of the stuff that came out from Disney this year alone.

You may say "but it's all about money." Yeah, I get that! But audiences are clearly rejecting the same ol' same ol! If Disney wants money, maybe they should stop doing this same ol' same ol thing!

A suggestion you know?

As for what he said about sequels today... Iger repeated some well-worn statements there, sorta-kinda "we make too much of them" and "now we'll only make them if there's an artistic reason"... Ehhhhh, maybe do something cool with the sequels to old chestnuts. What if TOY STORY 5 or ZOOTOPIA 2 said "screw it" and went all PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH-style soft reboot on these franchises? People will keep coming for sequels if the storytelling doesn't feel like moldy oldies. Your stale old favorites. "Disney, the way you always liked it."

Right? Another suggestion.

Add-on: It's as if Bob Iger, David Zaslav, and El*on M*usk are in a race to see how they can devolve and strip the respective companies they run of what makes them special.

[brookston]

Holidays 3.19

Holidays

Adopt a Dinosaur Day

Carpenter Day (Mexico)

Certified Nurses Day

Client’s Day

Commemoration of the Victory over Kadhafi (Libya)

Day of Equality (Finland)

El Pujilay (Bolivia)

Father’s Day (Belgium, Bolivia, Honduras, Italy, Portugal, Spain)

International Client’s Day

International Read To Me Day

Josefistag (Liechtenstein)

Kashubian Unity Day (Poland)

Let's Laugh Day

Minna Canth Day (Finland)

National Automatic Door Day

National Backyard Day

National Certified Nurse Day

National Day of Oil (Iran)

National Stretch Mark Day

Oil Nationalization Day (Iran)

Operation Iraqi Freedom Day (US)

Pet Passport Day (UK)

St. Joseph's Day (traditional beginning of Frühjahrsbierfest in Munich)

See If You Can Find Someone Who Remembers Honey West Day

Swallows Day (traditional return to Mission San Juan Capistrano)

Taxonomist Appreciation Day

Unity Day (Kashubia)

What the Heck Was That Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Bockbier Season begins [lasts 2 weeks]

Chardonnay Day (Cakebread)

Chocolate Caramel Day

National Oatmeal Cookie Day

Poultry Day

3rd Sunday in March

American Chocolate Week begins [3rd Sunday]

Buzzard Sunday (a.k.a. National Buzzard Day) [Sunday after 15th]

Root Canal Awareness Week begins [3rd Sunday]

Silly Sunday [3rd Sunday]

Independence Days

Alexostan (Declared; 2017) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Albert Pinkham Ryder (Artology; Saint)

Alemund of England (Christian; Saint)

Alkmund of Derby (Christian; Saint)

Beer Appreciation Day (Pastafarian)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Film; 2004)

Festival of Anna Perenna (Goddess of the Circle of the Year; Ancient Rome)

Fourth Sunday in Lent (Western Christianity) (a.k.a. ... 

Bretzelsonndeg (a.k.a. Pretzel Sunday; Germany, Luxembourg)

Carnaval de la Laetare (Stavelot, Belgium)

Laetare Sunday (Anglicans, Lutheranism, Roman Catholicism)

Mothering Sunday (UK)

Refreshment Sunday

Rose Sunday

The Sunday of the Five Loaves

Goddess of Fertility Day (Pagan)

Greater Dionysia (Ancient Greece)

Joseph (Christian; Saint) [traditional beginning of Munich’s Frühjahrsbierfest]

Maxwell Smart Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Mojoday (Discordian)

Only 287 Drinking Days ’till 2024 Day (Pastafarian)

Quinquatria (a.k.a. The Mivervalia; Festival to Minerva; Ancient Rome)

Saint Joseph (Western Christianity; if this date falls on Sunday, the feast is moved to Monday March 20) [Austria, Canada, Belgium]

Tara Puja (Buddhism)

Xenocrates (Positivist; Saint)

Zoot (Muppetism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Lucky Day (Philippines) [35 of 71]

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 13 of 60)

Premieres

Amos ’n’ Andy (Radio Series; 1928)

Blackboard Jungle (Film; 1955)

Bob Dylan, by Bob Dylan (Album; 1962)

Born on a Pirate Ship, by Barenaked Ladies (Album; 1996)

The Bounty Hunter (Film; 2010)

Bright Lights (Disney Cartoon; 1928)

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Film; 1921)

The Day the Universe Changed (UK Documentary Series; 1985)

Deathtrap (Film; 1982)

Dressed to Kill, by KISS (Album; 1975)

Erased (Anime Film; 2016)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Film; 2004)

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (TV Series; 2021)

Faust, by Charles Gounod (Opera; 1859)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Film; 2010)

Green Eyes, by Jimmy Dorsey (Song; 1941)

Kate & Allie (TV Series; 1984)

Mickey Down Under (Disney Cartoon; 1948)

The Nutcracker Suite, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Concert Suite ; 1892)

The 100 (TV Series; 2014)

Point of No Return (Film; 1993)

Porky’s (Film; 1982)

The Runaways (Film; 2010)

The Shaggy Dog (Film; 1959)

South Pacific (Film; 1958)

Takin’ It To the Streets, by The Doobie Brothers (Album; 1976)

Tommy (Film; 1975)

Today’s Name Days

Josef, Josefa, Josefine (Austria)

Ida, Josip, Josipa, Zlata (Croatia)

Josef (Czech Republic)

Joseph (Denmark)

Joosep, Joosu (Estonia)

Joose, Joosef, Jooseppi, Josefiina, Juuso (Finland)

Joseph (France)

Gero, Josef, Josefa, Josefine, Joseph (Germany)

Chrysanthos, Dareia, Hrysanthos (Greece)

Bánk, József (Hungary)

Giuseppe, Giuseppina, Pino, Quartilla, Quinto, Sibilla (Italy)

Daris, Inga, Ingrīda, Ingus, Jāzeps (Latvia)

Juozapas, Juozas, Vilė, Vilys (Lithuania)

Josef, Josefine (Norway)

Bogdan, Józef (Poland)

Daria, Hrisant (Romania)

Jozef (Slovakia)

José (Spain)

Josef, Josefina (Sweden)

Daria, Daryna, Darusia, Ilaria, Laria (Ukraine)

Donahue, Donavan, Donovan, Dorian, Joe, Joey, Jose, Josef, Joseph, Wyatt (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 78 of 2023; 287 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of week 11 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Fearn (Alder) [Day 1 of 28]

Chinese: Month 2 (Yi-Mao), Day 28 (Bing-Zi)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 26 Adar 5783

Islamic: 26 Sha’ban 1444

J Cal: 17 Ver; Threesday [17 of 30]

Julian: 6 March 2023

Moon: 5%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 22 Aristotle (3rd Month) [Xenocrates]

Runic Half Month: Beore (Birch Tree) [Day 9 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 90 of 90)

Zodiac: Pisces (Day 28 of 29)

Calendar Changes

Fearn (Alder) [Celtic Tree Calendar; Month 3 of 13]

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 3.19

Holidays

Adopt a Dinosaur Day

Carpenter Day (Mexico)

Certified Nurses Day

Client’s Day

Commemoration of the Victory over Kadhafi (Libya)

Day of Equality (Finland)

El Pujilay (Bolivia)

Father’s Day (Belgium, Bolivia, Honduras, Italy, Portugal, Spain)

International Client’s Day

International Read To Me Day

Josefistag (Liechtenstein)

Kashubian Unity Day (Poland)

Let's Laugh Day

Minna Canth Day (Finland)

National Automatic Door Day

National Backyard Day

National Certified Nurse Day

National Day of Oil (Iran)

National Stretch Mark Day

Oil Nationalization Day (Iran)

Operation Iraqi Freedom Day (US)

Pet Passport Day (UK)

St. Joseph's Day (traditional beginning of Frühjahrsbierfest in Munich)

See If You Can Find Someone Who Remembers Honey West Day

Swallows Day (traditional return to Mission San Juan Capistrano)

Taxonomist Appreciation Day

Unity Day (Kashubia)

What the Heck Was That Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Bockbier Season begins [lasts 2 weeks]

Chardonnay Day (Cakebread)

Chocolate Caramel Day

National Oatmeal Cookie Day

Poultry Day

3rd Sunday in March

American Chocolate Week begins [3rd Sunday]

Buzzard Sunday (a.k.a. National Buzzard Day) [Sunday after 15th]

Root Canal Awareness Week begins [3rd Sunday]

Silly Sunday [3rd Sunday]

Independence Days

Alexostan (Declared; 2017) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Albert Pinkham Ryder (Artology; Saint)

Alemund of England (Christian; Saint)

Alkmund of Derby (Christian; Saint)

Beer Appreciation Day (Pastafarian)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Film; 2004)

Festival of Anna Perenna (Goddess of the Circle of the Year; Ancient Rome)

Fourth Sunday in Lent (Western Christianity) (a.k.a. ... 

Bretzelsonndeg (a.k.a. Pretzel Sunday; Germany, Luxembourg)

Carnaval de la Laetare (Stavelot, Belgium)

Laetare Sunday (Anglicans, Lutheranism, Roman Catholicism)

Mothering Sunday (UK)

Refreshment Sunday

Rose Sunday

The Sunday of the Five Loaves

Goddess of Fertility Day (Pagan)

Greater Dionysia (Ancient Greece)

Joseph (Christian; Saint) [traditional beginning of Munich’s Frühjahrsbierfest]

Maxwell Smart Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Mojoday (Discordian)

Only 287 Drinking Days ’till 2024 Day (Pastafarian)

Quinquatria (a.k.a. The Mivervalia; Festival to Minerva; Ancient Rome)

Saint Joseph (Western Christianity; if this date falls on Sunday, the feast is moved to Monday March 20) [Austria, Canada, Belgium]

Tara Puja (Buddhism)

Xenocrates (Positivist; Saint)

Zoot (Muppetism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Lucky Day (Philippines) [35 of 71]

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 13 of 60)

Premieres

Amos ’n’ Andy (Radio Series; 1928)

Blackboard Jungle (Film; 1955)

Bob Dylan, by Bob Dylan (Album; 1962)

Born on a Pirate Ship, by Barenaked Ladies (Album; 1996)

The Bounty Hunter (Film; 2010)

Bright Lights (Disney Cartoon; 1928)

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Film; 1921)

The Day the Universe Changed (UK Documentary Series; 1985)

Deathtrap (Film; 1982)

Dressed to Kill, by KISS (Album; 1975)

Erased (Anime Film; 2016)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Film; 2004)

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (TV Series; 2021)

Faust, by Charles Gounod (Opera; 1859)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Film; 2010)

Green Eyes, by Jimmy Dorsey (Song; 1941)

Kate & Allie (TV Series; 1984)

Mickey Down Under (Disney Cartoon; 1948)

The Nutcracker Suite, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Concert Suite ; 1892)

The 100 (TV Series; 2014)

Point of No Return (Film; 1993)

Porky’s (Film; 1982)

The Runaways (Film; 2010)

The Shaggy Dog (Film; 1959)

South Pacific (Film; 1958)

Takin’ It To the Streets, by The Doobie Brothers (Album; 1976)

Tommy (Film; 1975)

Today’s Name Days

Josef, Josefa, Josefine (Austria)

Ida, Josip, Josipa, Zlata (Croatia)

Josef (Czech Republic)

Joseph (Denmark)

Joosep, Joosu (Estonia)

Joose, Joosef, Jooseppi, Josefiina, Juuso (Finland)

Joseph (France)

Gero, Josef, Josefa, Josefine, Joseph (Germany)

Chrysanthos, Dareia, Hrysanthos (Greece)

Bánk, József (Hungary)

Giuseppe, Giuseppina, Pino, Quartilla, Quinto, Sibilla (Italy)

Daris, Inga, Ingrīda, Ingus, Jāzeps (Latvia)

Juozapas, Juozas, Vilė, Vilys (Lithuania)

Josef, Josefine (Norway)

Bogdan, Józef (Poland)

Daria, Hrisant (Romania)

Jozef (Slovakia)

José (Spain)

Josef, Josefina (Sweden)

Daria, Daryna, Darusia, Ilaria, Laria (Ukraine)

Donahue, Donavan, Donovan, Dorian, Joe, Joey, Jose, Josef, Joseph, Wyatt (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 78 of 2023; 287 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of week 11 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Fearn (Alder) [Day 1 of 28]

Chinese: Month 2 (Yi-Mao), Day 28 (Bing-Zi)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 26 Adar 5783

Islamic: 26 Sha’ban 1444

J Cal: 17 Ver; Threesday [17 of 30]

Julian: 6 March 2023

Moon: 5%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 22 Aristotle (3rd Month) [Xenocrates]

Runic Half Month: Beore (Birch Tree) [Day 9 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 90 of 90)

Zodiac: Pisces (Day 28 of 29)

Calendar Changes

Fearn (Alder) [Celtic Tree Calendar; Month 3 of 13]

[3friesshortofahappymeal]

Fic Writer Review thank you @redvanillabee you caught me on my computer...definitely procrastinating writing...

1. How many do you have on Ao3?

Just six

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count?

19,535

o.O

3. How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

Just two so far. Agents of SHIELD and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. If I can ever get it together I'll add more.

4. What are your top 5 five by kudos?

What Happens on Kitson... (1112 Words) Agents of SHIELD - What happens when Daniel stumbles on the security footage from a casino on Kitson.

My first published fic. *wipes a tear* I am 99% sure @hecckyeah had a hand in enabling me to write this so thanks for that buddy. :)

The Family We Fought For (12,955 Words) Agents of SHIELD - She would run into walls if that’s what it took. This time, however, he might not be able to pick her back up. He was used the worry, the fear, to people he cared about throwing themselves into danger. He was used to the feeling of standing at the edge of an abyss and trying not to fall in. They were her family? How could they let her do this? A collection of reunions post-finale.

I caught the crazy and did a multi-chapter fic. I think for the foreseeable future I will be sticking to one-shots. lol

Space Puffies Strike Back (2017 Words) Agents of SHIELD - A mission goes awry when an old nemesis reappears... A sequel to "What Happens on Kitson..." Daniel Sousa has an experience with our beloved space puffies. The timing is not convenient.

Backup (1174 Words) Agents of SHIELD/The Falcon and the Winter Soldier - Sam didn’t know how they were getting overrun. It was either bad intel or betrayal. He hoped for the former but it was usually the latter. He folded his wings and dropped in behind Bucky who promptly shouted, “Where the hell have you been?” “Oh you know, I thought I’d take the scenic route!” Sam fired back, then shouted into his comms, “Hey! Any way we could get some backup here?” “Lucky for you, we’re already here. On your right.”

The Mascot (1895 Words) Agents of SHIELD - My girlfriend wanted a cat. I said no. So we compromised and got a cat. -Internet Proverb Daisy and Kora adopt a cat on the Zephyr. Daniel is reluctant.

5. Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Absolutely. Usually on a Saturday night after a few drinks. And I do it in batches.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

I don't think any of my fics have an angsty ending. There's been attempts at angsty middles. But I'm really just here to make sure everyone has a good time.

7. Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve written?

Backup. I'm not sure if it counts since it's all Marvel/MCU but I'm counting it since Disney Marvel seems to forget the Agents of SHIELD exists. That fic is pure chaos and might be one of my favorite things I've written.

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Nope. Not that I know of anyway.

9. Do you write smut? If so what kind?

I'd like to. But I am horribly intimidated by it. I've done "fade to black" and a rather heated sparring scene. Might dip my toe in one of these days because I have an Idea that will not leave me alone.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope. Not that I know of.

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Sorta. Backup was inspired by a text exchange between me and @butjustourselves. I just ended up running with it.

13. What is your all time favourite ship?

I have so many on rotation it's a little insane. I'll do a top 5

Jack and Sam from Stargate SG-1 Daisy and Daniel from Agents of SHIELD Castle and Beckett from Castle Phryne and Jack from Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Will and Elizabeth from Pirates of the Caribbean 14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

My Agents of SHIELD Fantasy AU. Had a lot of trouble coming up with a coherent plot. Decided "why not just do serial one-shots that are loosely connected?" and that has improved things greatly. So, one of these days, that might happen.

15. What are your writing strengths?

Snappy dialogue. And making people laugh.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

I have the opposite problem as @redvanillabee lol. I can't really be serious for one goddamn minute. Profound emotions? Nope. Not here. And describing surroundings. I forget to do it or I'm just like "they're in this room. Y'all have seen the show so you know what I'm talking about."

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Uh. Fine I guess? Just don't use Google translate. You'll get obliterated for that.

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Published? Agents of SHIELD. Unpublished? As a preteen I wrote a screenplay called "The Fridge Raider" which was basically an Artemis Fowl/Tomb Raider mashup and I don't think I'll ever be that brave ever again.

19. What’s your favourite fic you’ve ever written?

It depends on the day. But Backup and What Happens on Kitson... are winning today.

To me, Backup really feels like a Marvel One-Shot or something pulled right from one of the shows and I am VERY proud of that.

As for What Happens on Kitson... I mean you always remember your first. ;)

I am also tagging @hecckyeah even though I know you've already been tagged. DO IT

@porgs-in-space @steeleholtingon and @thereadersmuse

[theunredeemable]

“Hi there! I’m Ruby Rose.” She held out her hand towards Ilia, who stared dumbly at it before remembering her manners.”

“O-oh!” Taking the offered hand and giving what she hoped was an appropriate shake, she smiled at the pirate. “I’m Ilia.”

“Ilia, huh? Pretty name for a pretty girl.” She winked at the other woman, causing the faunus’s scales to turn a bright pink. “Big Puma said you’re looking for a new crew?” Trying to get her blush under control, Ilia gave Ruby a confused look. Ruby just laughed as she signalled for a drink. “That’s what we call Tukson. Just like how he calls me Red. We’re just a big ol’ family here. Aren’t we, big guy?”

Tukson grunted slightly, placing two large glasses in front of the pair, pouring in an amber drink as he shook his head. “Big old family of misfits is what we are.”

“Damn straight.” Ruby beamed in delight at Tukson, taking her glass as soon as it was full and taking a deep swig from it. Placing it back down on the counter, she frowned at the glass and looked at the man with what Ilia could only describe as puppy eyes. He let out a low sigh and refilled the glass, making sure to place a small umbrella in it. Ruby broke out into a huge grin of delight, that the Atlesian spy found incredibly cute.

“I...suppose that makes sense.” Picking up her own drink, she gave it an experimental sniff as she continued. “But yes, I am looking for a new crew. Somewhere I don’t have to hide what I am anymore.”

“Tired of that military life, then? Can’t say I blame you. I’ve heard some scary things about The Nevermore’s captain.” Ilia spluttered in surprise, choking on her drink. Ruby simply smiled as she watched, bemused with the evident shock as she held out a napkin for her.

Taking the offered cloth, Ilia attempted to pat dry where the drink had spilled on her clothes, giving the other woman a curious look. “How did you-”

“Did I know? It’s rather obvious really. Tukson said you want to escape the empire, which means you’re tired of their way of life or running from something. You’ve got that fancy Atlesian accent you only get from certain upper tier schools. You’ve just arrived on station, and the only Atlesian ship to dock today has been The Nevermore . Now, either you’re a very talented stowaway, or you’re a deserter. I’m placing money on deserter.” Ruby counted off each reason on her fingers, a small smile never leaving her face as she looked at Ilia. “Am I right?”

Ilia looked shocked, and briefly considered lying before nodding her head. “You….are correct. Winter Schnee is a better captain than most, especially for a Schnee.” The name near dripped with malice and hatred. Though it was largely an act to help sell her story, the hatred was something long buried within her and all too real. “But it’d be only a matter of time until I was reassigned again, and to someone far less forgiving of faunus crew members.”

Ruby nodded knowingly. “As I said, I can’t blame you for getting tired of being under the empire’s thumb. But if you join my crew, you won’t have to worry about ever being treated like that again. The Sanguine Dream doesn’t tolerate such sentiments. Much like here, we’re a family on my ship.”

Ilia, having just braved another drink of the surprisingly sweet and delightful alcohol, started to choke on it again at the name of the ship. “I-I’m sorry…did you say The Sanguine Dream !? You’re the infamous Crimson Rose?”

Ruby beamed in delight, offering a mock bow from her seat. “One and the same! Fastest ship in the Expanse.”

“You know….you’re the reason The Nevermore has even been assigned to this sector. They’re meant to be hunting you down.”

Ruby raised an eyebrow and that, then shrugged as she finished off her drink. “Well, if that’s true they’re headed in the wrong direction. They just jumped out of the system.” Getting up from her seat, she patted Ilia on the shoulder. “Finish your drink, it’s on me. And when you’re ready, head to docking station 72B. I’ve got some more business aboard the station to finish, but then I’ll take you to your new home.” Ilia nodded in conformation, and Ruby started to head off, calling to the station’s owner once more. “Hey, Big Puma! Get any more of those parts I requested in?”

“Go ask Mell. She got a new shipment in, might be that it includes what you're after.”

“Thanks, I’ll go check out her stall.” Ruby waved Tukson goodbye as she moved away, leaving Ilia alone as she vanished into the crowd. Weaving her way through the mass of people, the pirate captain did a mental checklist of all she had left to do. Recruiting a new crew member hadn’t been on the list, but was quite a pleasant surprise. She smiled briefly at thinking of the faunus, especially on how cute she was. “Hmm...I should probably call ahead.” Slipping in a comlink into her ear, she tapped it and waited for an indication it was on. “Ciel, you there?”

After a few seconds, a beep played in answer to her question, before the voice of her subordinate came in. “Yes Captain, I’m here. Are we almost ready to leave? We’re already behind schedule.”

“Soon, Ciel. Soon.” Ruby chuckled at the exasperated sigh from Ciel. “Just got a few more things to take care of.”

“Ma’am, with all due respect, what’s the point of bringing me along to keep you on schedule, if you never stick to the schedule?”

“Maybe it’s cause I like your company, or maybe it’s so you can loosen up and get to know your fellows better. It’s been five years Ciel, you don’t have to stick to the Empire’s strict time schedule.”

“I know Captain...but it gives me comfort being on schedule when away from the ship.”

Ruby paused midstep, tilting her head in thought, before resuming her path. “I never thought of it like that. I’ll try to do better in the future, but this was a special circumstance. We’re bringing a new family member aboard.”

“I see. What does she look like?”

“Brown hair, gray eyes. Super cute.”

Ciel sighed, and Ruby imagined she was shaking her head on the other side. “Anything else to go on, Captain? Something a little more identifiable?”

“Oh believe me when you see her you’ll agree she’s cute.” Laughing, Ruby paused to briefly examine a weapons stall, humming as she glanced over the various guns there. “Do you think Yang would like a new gun?”

“She already adores the custom one you made for her, now please focus.”

“Right, sorry. What else. Oh, she’s a faunus. Chameleon I think.”

“I’ll keep an eye out. Does she know to come here?”

“Yes, I told her to head to you when she’s ready. I may have forgotten to mention that you were there, so don’t scare her too much.”

“Of course, Captain. I’ll behave. How long until you return?”

“Shouldn’t be too long. I’m just checking in with Mell to see if any of the parts came in. See you soon.” Turning off her comlink, she looked up at the bright neon sign reading ‘Mellon and Berry’s Robotics’, though several letters were unlit due to age. Shaking her head with a smile, she entered into the built in workshop, calling out over the sound of power tools at work. “Still haven’t fixed the sign then, Mell?”

Sparks stopped flying as Mell put down her blow torch, looking at Ruby from behind her welding mask. “I’ll fix it when I need to. You can still find yer way easily enough.” Lifting up the mask to reveal her grease covered face she beamed at Ruby, wheeling her wheel-chair over to the captain. “What brings you to my neck of the woods today then, lass?”

“Big Puma said you might have some things for me.” Ruby smiled brightly at the auburn haired mechanic, bending over to give her a hug before looking at the chair. “Robotics on the fritz again?”

“Nah, Berry thinks she can make more improvements to them so she’s tinkering again. Aren’t ya Berry?”

“They can always be better! I demand the best for my wife!”

Mell gestured in the vague direction of the voice. “I woke up with her trying to tinker with them in the bed, despite the fact that they’re perfectly fine!” She near shouted the last words, but a fond smile never left her face. “Anyway, come over here Red. Let’s see what we got.”

“Good to see you Berry!” Ruby shouted into the adjacent workshop, receiving only a grunt of acknowledgement. Chuckling, she followed Mell over to where several large crates sat waiting.

Mell picked up a data-slate and started swiping through it with a hum. “Now let’s see...Tukson, Ivory, Orchid, Mason, Ah! Ruby.” Tapping on the name, she read through the invoice while nodding to herself. “Hmm, well we got a few of the parts you wanted, but not many. But we did get something else for you.” Tapping the data-slate a few more times, the crate started to float.

Looking at the crate, Ruby smiled at seeing the secondary data-slate lying on top. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Depends on what you think it is.”

“A list of ships that might be carrying the parts I’m after?”

“Then yes, it is what you think it is.”

“Mell, you’re the best!” Quickly glancing through the device, her smile grew wider. “Oh, this is perfect. Ciel will love going through this.” Beaming with delight, Ruby hugged Mell again. The mechanic chuckled lightly, returning the hug.

“Yeah, yeah I know I’m the best. Now go ahead and take your stuff and get out of here.”

Nodding, Ruby put the slate back on top of the crate and started to push it out of the shop. “I’m going, I’m going. See you next time Mell. Take care Berry!”

“Bye Red, good to see you!” Berry cried out, though never left her private workshop, causing Mell and Ruby to laugh.

                        --------------------------------------------------------------

Ilia made her way through the station, weaving through the people in the crowded market as she tried to reach the elevator that would take her to the docking platforms. While she didn’t know what she expected, she didn’t think that a simple neutral station would be so populous. What astounded her the most was seeing people from all corners of the galaxy getting along. She had paused outside one bar where she saw Atlesian soldiers drinking and conversing with those from the Regime, surprise evident on her face. Outside of this station, they’d be mortal enemies, fighting and dying on the whims of people they had never met to protect their territory. Seeing them drink together, laugh together, had given Ilia something to ponder over as she walked.

So distracted by this line of thought was she, that she stopped paying attention to her surroundings and walked straight into a mountain of man. The force of their impact knocked her on her rear. “Oof!” blinking she looked up at the individual who slowly turned to look down at her. Feeling a spark of fear, she looked up at him in turn, eyes wide at the masked face that greeted her. Turning in full, he reached down towards her, arm tattooed and large, and offered her a hand.

“Are you ok, Madam?”

Blinking, Ilia gingerly took the offered hand with a sheepish smile. “Y-yeah. Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”

The giant helped her up, almost sending her flying with the strength behind the action as she stumbled to find her footing. “Nonsense, such things happen more often than you think, so there is no need to apologise. Now, is there anything I can do to assist you?”

“U-uh yes, actually. I’m trying to get down to docking station 72B. I’m not really sure which direction I’m meant to be going though?”

The man nodded, tapping the chin of his full face mask as he turned to look about. “Understandable, it is very easy to get turned around in the markets, but you are in luck.” He pointed to an elevator a short distance away. “That over there will transport you directly to Deck B, and from there it is a matter of simply following the signs to the correct station. If you get lost, one of the guards will be more than happy to find your way.”

Ilia nodded and opened her mouth to reply, but another voice cut her off. “Lieutenant! You’re needed at Dandelion’s. Another drunken brawl broke out.”

The lieutenant sighed, shaking his head as he rolled his shoulders. “Sorry madam, duty calls. I hope you find your way.”

“Oh, of course. Thank you, sir.” Ilia watched the man walk away, marvelling at the way the crowd of people parted before him, either out of respect or fear she could not tell. Probably a mix of both, she mused quietly as she went the direction shown to her. Stepping into the elevator, she soon found the button to take her where she needed, and waited as the machine moved. Readjusting the back on her shoulder, her foot tapped impatiently as the hum of machinery filled the air. It took several minutes, but soon the doors reopened before her, revealing that she had traded one busy area for another.

Stepping out onto the deck, she watched as several workers ran about in controlled chaos. Some were simply unloading cargo ships, directing the crates to the various service lifts that would take them through the trading station. Others were in the process of refueling shuttles that would soon be departing. Looking up, she found herself standing on platform 43B. A glance to her left showed the numbers descending, and ascending to the right. Nodding to herself, she took off in the direction she needed, keeping a careful eye on the platform numbers, and the people rushing around her. She didn’t want a repeat incident of running into someone, especially when this time there were fuel canisters and hanger controls that could accidentally be hit.

Twenty minutes later she finally found herself standing at platform 72B. It was far quieter than any of the other platforms she had come across, the red coloured shuttle having already been refuelled. Quickly glancing around, Ilia didn't see any sign of the pirate captain, and made her way towards the ship to wait. As she approached, the rear door to the shuttle hissed open, lowering as a semi-familiar face appeared. The woman walked out of the ship, still looking at her data-slate. "The ship's all ready to leave as soon as you get the cargo aboard and our new crew member arr-" She stopped as she finally looked up, eyes wide in recognition. "Operative Amitola!"

"Operative Soleil!" Both stood there, mouths agape, before pointing at one another and speaking in unison. "What are you doing here!!"

"I work for Captain Rose." Ciel stood a little straighter, pride emanating from her. "Why are you here, Amitola."

"I'm sorry, you're working for The Crimson Rose? All this time?" Ilia looked astounded. "We thought you had died…"

"I almost did… Ruby saved me after I was left behind by the Empire. I couldn't go back after what they did… so I joined her crew. But that still doesn't explain why you're here."

"Ah, I see you two already know each other! That saves on introductions." Both jumped at Ruby's sudden appearance. She smirked at the pair as she pushed the crate out of the service lift she had ridden in. "Ilia here is joining our family, just like I said."

Ciel sighed, shaking her head as she moved to help Ruby load the cargo. "You might have given me more to go on than just descriptions, Captain."

"Probably should have, but it worked out in the end. Come along Ilia!" Shaking her head, the Faunus Operative followed closely behind. "Got all your belongings with you?"

"Yes ma'am. At least, everything I could carry."

"Then make yourself comfortable. Time for us to head home. Oh, and Ciel, I got you a gift." The captain passed the data-slate over to Ciel, who instantly brightened up as she started to work her way through the information and decrypting it's secrets.

"Ah, wonderful. Thank you captain."

"Thank me by finding a good target. We still need a lot of parts for our little project. Now, Ilia. Come help me out in the cockpit." Nodding, Ilia once again followed behind Ruby and took a seat in the co-pilot's chair, helping her new captain go through the process of getting the ship ready for launch.

A short while later, the shuttle flew through the void and away from the station, carrying Ilia to her new home for the coming months.

[misc-headcanons]

Winter Soldier AU: Law

(The final part of @sindela​ ‘s Winter Soldier AU scenario request, featuring Law and the reader! This ending is a bit more hopeful than the last two entries, but I tried to keep a decent amount of angst in here)

The moment Law saw her at Sabaody, he recognized her. It didn’t matter that the lower half of her face was covered, and her fitted uniform emblazoned with the World Government logo hid most of her body; her (e/c) eyes were burned into his memory. But this was all wrong. It couldn’t be her. It couldn’t be. She’d been executed by the Marines years ago, the only member of the Doflamingo Pirates to get caught. Doflamingo had been insulted by her death--not out of any sentiment, but he was annoyed that one of his crew could have gotten caught so easily; Law had been heartbroken that his best friend had died, and not even Corazon could comfort him for days after he’d heard the news.

But she was alive, and she was bearing down on Law quickly. As she ran, she reached for her sword--a blade covered in a layer of Sea Prism stone--and focused on the Surgeon of Death. Law raised his hands. “Room!” As the borders of his Room stretched to encompass the area around him, ____ switched tactics and drew a pistol strapped to her other hip. She fired two quick shots that grazed the side of Law’s left ear. Law saw her eyebrows furrow above her mask and he thought about how he could disarm and restrain her long enough to figure out what the hell was going on. She raised her gun to fire again. “Shambles!”

As another bullet flew towards his chest, it suddenly swapped places with ____ just in time; he grabbed her dominant hand and twisted it downwards to make her drop the gun. “Drop it, ____.” His voice was firm until he said her name. “I don’t want to hurt you if I don’t have to.” She cocked her head and after a few seconds of struggling, she dropped her pistol. Law cautiously stepped closer, doubting that it would have been that easy to get through to her. His hunch proved correct; ____ quickly unsheathed her sword and slashed at Law’s chest. He immediately brought out his own blade to defend himself. Their swords clashed, and Law felt a wave of nausea from how close the Sea Prism blade was to him. 

____ swept under Law’s left leg and he fell back onto the ground. She raised her blade and without hesitation, she stabbed downward. “Shambles!” Law disappeared, and in his place was one of the bullets she had fired a few seconds ago. She whipped around, ready for Law to attack her from behind while he had the advantage. He raised one of his hands and used Shambles again; her arms and legs fell from her body in four different pieces, and her torso fell to the ground. She closed her eyes calmly, waiting for him to finish her off. He carefully picked up her sword and kicked it away from her severed arm before gathering her other limbs. When she realized she was still alive, she looked at him quizzically.

“What are you doing?” 

He froze as she finally spoke; it had been years since he had heard her voice. “I’m taking you with me,” he replied. “Whatever they did to you, I’ll find a way to reverse it. Conditioning, memory repression...whatever it is.” He waved down Bepo and Penguin, who had finished fighting off a pair of Marines. “Oi, grab her arms and legs,” he ordered. The two pirates looked at their captain quizzically, but they picked up the woman’s body parts and tucked them under their arms. “I’ll take her torso.”

“No,” ____ protested firmly. “If I can’t carry out my mission, I will not be taken captive by my target. Kill me.”

Law shook his head and reached forward to pick up her torso. “Not an option,” he replied. “Even if you don’t remember, we’re still friends. I’m not losing you again.”

“You are not my friend,” ____ said angrily. “You are my assignment!” When Law’s hands got too close to her, she snapped her jaws and jumped forward to bite at him and tear out one of his veins. Her severed arms flailed wildly and blindly scratched at Bepo and Penguin. They both jumped at the sudden movement and quickly bound her separated wrists and feet together with some rope. 

Law pulled his hand back and glared at her. “Goddammit ____, stop,” he growled. He clenched his fists and felt his fingernails digging into his palms. “I didn’t want to do anything else to you, but if you’re going to keep trying to kill me--” ____ ignored him and lunged again, and Law easily dodged before swiftly placing his hands on either side of her head. Using his Devil Fruit ability, he yanked off her head and held her by the ponytail with one of his hands. Her severed head trashed wildly and she yelled in frustration while she struggled pointlessly to escape his grasp. Law sheathed his sword and picked up her torso before tossing it over his shoulder. He turned back to Penguin and Bepo. “Come on, we have to move,” he barked. The three (or rather, four) of them took off and made their way across the Archipelago, avoiding any clashing Marines, pirates, and Pacifista they came across. They eventually made it to the shore of one of the small islands on the southern side of Sabaody, and the top of the Polar Tang opened; Shachi, another member of the Heart Pirates, popped out and grinned at the sight of his fellow crewmates.

“About time, Cap! What took you so—” He eyed the mass of limbs that they were carrying. “Who the hell is that?”

“Long story,” Law called back curtly. “Open the main hatch and once we’re in, get us out of here!”

Shachi nodded and went below deck to open one of the larger entrances onto the Polar Tang. Bepo, Penguin, and Law rushed onboard and inside, and Bepo set down ____’s legs to close the hydraulic-sealed door behind them. The metal walls of the submarine hummed as the main engine came to life, and soon the crew was underwater and quickly moving far from Sabaody. Bepo leaned against the wall and breathed a sigh of relief. “Finally,” he said. “I was starting to think we might not--ow!” ____’s bound legs kicked up at Bepo’s shins, and he glared at her head. “What’s your problem, lady?”

“Hey boss, who is she?” Penguin shifted his weight as he held her arms tightly against him so she couldn’t resist his grasp. He glanced at the World Government logo on her uniform. “We holding her ransom or what?”

____’s head scowled at Shachi’s suggestion. “My designation is 05, and there is no point in holding me ransom, pirate,” she replied matter-of-factly. “If I’m a failure to them, then my life is worthless. I won’t go back to my handlers until my mission is complete.” She swung her head in a futile attempt to attack Law, and his grip on her hair tightened as he held her up to his face. 

“You’re not going back to your handlers at all,” he said angrily. “And your name is ____.”

“I don’t have a name,” ____ replied heatedly. “I was created to aid the World Government and eliminate threats to—”

“No,” Law said, cutting her off so sharply that Bepo and Shachi took a step back. “Your name is ____ ____, and you were born (birth day, month) in (year). We grew up together until you got caught by the Marines, and until today I thought they had executed you.” He fumbled around in an inside pocket of his hoodie and produced a small folded piece of paper that was slightly yellowed at the corners from age. He shook it slightly between his fingers to unfold it with one hand, and he showed it to her. It was an old crayon drawing of a large group of people on a boat at sea in two rows. All of them were drawn simplistically with their names crookedly written above them: A tall man with long brown hair and a large mouth named “Mante-san”, an incredibly tall man named “Doffy-san” who was colored with many shades of pink (though his face had been burned out by someone), and another tall man next to him drawn with a frowny face and comically angry eyebrows named “Cora-san”. The next row had much smaller figures drawn, and were most likely children. Two of the children, “Baby 5” and “Buffalo”,  were holding the hands of a little horned boy named ‘Delly’. There were two other children holding hands as well--a young boy named ‘Law’, wearing a fluffy hat...and a girl with (hair color) hair with (eye color) eyes, simply labeled ‘Me’. The girl had a strange dark squiggle around her left hand, and looking at it made ____’s own hand ache.

____ stared at the drawing, confused. This drawing seemed oddly familiar. “That...That doesn’t mean anything,” she replied shakily. “I have the same hair and eye color, but so do lots of other people—”

“Lots of other people don’t have this,” Law interrupted, pointing at the squiggle on the girl’s hand in the drawing. He looked back at Penguin. “Take her gloves off of her hands.” Penguin fumbled with ____’s arms and carefully pulled off her black gloves, holding up her left hand to show ____; there was a small faint burn in the center of her palm, about two inches in diameter. It was asymmetrical, and it was hard to make out a definitive shape. “You accidentally burned your left palm playing with Corazon’s lighter,” Law continued. “And everyone said it looked like something different: Buffalo said it looked like a star, Baby 5 said it looked like a flower, you said it looked like a clover, and Corazon said—”

“ ‘It looks like I should keep a better eye on my stuff’,” ____ finished automatically. Her eyes widened, and so did Law’s. “I...I don’t…” She looked intently at the drawing, then to Law, and back to the drawing. “Why…” She shut her eyes and gritted her teeth; as the fuzziest traces of her memory started to float back, her head felt like it was about to explode. “It hurts,” she groaned, drawing blood from how hard she was biting the inside of her cheek. “Stop showing me this. Put it away, please...please, make it stop!” 

Law shoved the drawing into his pocket and looked at his friend with pity. He’d hurt her, but it looks like he’d taken the first step in getting her to remember. “Okay, it’s gone,” he said quietly. “You don’t have to look at it anymore.” ____ slowly opened her eyes and blinked away a few tears that had started to form. Bepo and Penguin raised their eyebrows and stared at the two of them; for all of the years they’d known Law, he’d barely opened up about his past. Bepo knew he had that drawing, but he’d never gotten a good look at everyone in it. 

“Uh, Law,” Penguin piped up, “You want us to give you some time alone with her? We can drop off her limbs in the medbay, if you want…” 

Bepo nodded eagerly. “Yeah, we won’t complain if you need some privacy! Not to be rude, but watching all of this is really awkward and...well, really awkward.”

Penguin glared at him. “Don’t insult our captain like that! He’s reuniting with his close friend after all these years, and you just call it awkward!?”

“I said I didn’t want to be rude, idiot! And who’re you to act like you know more about this situation than I do?” Bepo stuck his tongue out at Penguin, and Penguin did likewise.

Law thought about where he should put ____ for the time being. “Put her arms, legs, and torso on one of the tables in the medbay,” he decided, handing Bepo the torso he still had slung over his shoulder. “I’ll reattach them once I know she won’t try to attack us again.”

____ looked down as her cheeks burned. She couldn’t even have the dignity of having her whole body reattached while she was a prisoner? Bepo and Penguin quickly shuffled down the hallway, continuing to bicker with each other until they disappeared out of sight. “...Hey.”

The Surgeon of Death looked down at his long-lost friend. “Yeah?”

____ was silent for a few seconds, and she stared up at him. “I don’t know what’s happening to me, or why I feel so...so strange, but…” She took a deep breath. “I’ve decided that I’m not going to kill you. Yet. I still don’t know if I’m who you say I am, but I know that what my handlers drilled into me can’t be true.” She sighed. “And in my mind, that makes you a bit more trustworthy. So you’re still my mission, but instead of killing you, I’m interrogating you.” 

Law smirked at her. She was a severed head in between his hands, but she still had to keep some semblance of power and control. “Sounds like a deal.”

[carbonitekisses]

Unfinished.

Cersei’s fingertips thrum against the table. Her nails click against the dark wood. She is tired of waiting for men. The world would be better off without them, she thinks. They’re all treacherous scum seeking to feed off of the fairer sex. And once their appetite has been satiated they leave in search of something new. 

But a queen? A queen is so much more than a woman. A queen is power. And Cersei will burn anyone who stands in her way.

The Mountain’s towering presence draws her eyes to the door of her solar. Just behind him stands the sorry excuse of a pirate who would call himself her king. As if I would ever suffer another fool by my side. I’ll have the Mountain snap his neck before his breath ever so much as touches me.

“You’re back. Good. Am I to assume you were successful?” 

Euron Greyjoy tries to saunter towards her. He only succeeds in repulsing her. The weeks he spent away have diluted her memory of him. He is fouler than she remembered. The odor of stagnant ocean water can not be masked by the, rather obvious, perfumes he has brought back from across the Narrow Sea. Cersei looks towards her shield.

The Mountain strikes out a thick arm to stop his advances. Greyjoy lifts a dark eyebrow at her but doesn’t move any further. Cersei likes this. Who knew she would one day be able to command men with a simple tilt of her head? The Mountain drops his arm but stays standing next to Euron. 

“Yes, my queen,” his leer is more than evident in his voice, “I’ve brought back the Golden Company just as we agreed. Now, I expect to be properly compensated.” 

Cersei leers back. She is queen, and a lion. She will not be cowed by an irreverent squid. 

“Ah, yes. Your compensation...”

// 

It’s certainly not what I was expecting. Not that I know what I was expecting  to begin with but... Dany accepts Jorah’s hand as he helps her dismount the finicky Northern mare. Her eyes wander to Jon who is looking towards Winterfell. Nevermind that. I’m sure it is more inviting, warmer, on the inside. Much like its former king. 

“It is a sight I did not think I would ever see again. You have made one of my greatest dreams possible, my queen.”

Daenerys turns towards the old bear. She can see true thankfulness in his eyes. It is a homecoming for more than one northerner, today. In the flurry of action she had forgotten that Jorah would most likely be reuniting with family. She is glad one of her oldest supporters will soon fulfill their biggest wish because of her. 

“My dear friend, it has been a long journey but you are finally back home in the north.” She clasps his arm. “Mayhaps the north will become a home of sorts for me as well.” Underneath her hand she can feel him tense at her words. She knows her bear holds no love for the wolf that is slowly, but surely, melting the ice around her heart. Jorah’s jealousy is flattering but she knows what she wants. 

With a smile Daenerys leaves Jorah and walks towards Jon. The white landscape and the cold makes her uncomfortable but she will never admit it. What is a little snow and winter wind to a dragon made of fire? Jon remains facing towards Winterfell when she finally arrives at his side.

“We are almost there. I am eager to meet your family, Jon Snow.”

Jon hums his agreement. 

They’ve stopped to arrange any last minute details before arriving at Winterfell. Her children were sent somewhere close to the keep but far away enough to not cause panic. Jon had insisted. She was loathe to part from them but ultimately yielded. He probably knows the northerners better than she. Tyrion, and Varys are discussing some trivial matters with the Unsullied about what to expect in regards to their welcome. Details, details, details. I’m tired of waiting. 

Daenerys touches Jon and gently turns him away from Winterfell and towards her. He moves stiffly in the cold. I will be sure to warm him up later in his Lord’s chambers. “You have been awfully quiet. More so than usual. Should I be worried?”

Jon’s eyes slowly warm at her words. The corner of his lips upturn in a reassuring smile. No wonder Jorah is jealous. His worry over her is obvious now. In her very rare moments of worry, or anxiety he is always there to reassure her. She is quite sure he is in love with her. She herself doesn’t love him. Yet. I could. I am in danger of it. I feel it.

“No. There is nothing to worry about. I will speak with the Northern lords and make them understand that you are here to fight with us.” He pauses to collect his thoughts. “They will see you for what you are.”

Those words again. Just like before they light a fire within her. He sees her for what she is. A liberator. A savior. A queen.

His queen. 

The breaker of chains looks up at the last King of the North. He looks like he is holding himself back from a great emotion. He must want to hold me now. Daenerys wouldn’t care but he has been adamant in avoiding any kind of public intimacy for fear of repercussion to their political alliance. She admires his patience and fortitude. As mother of dragons she forgets how it must be for the rest of the world. To always have to care what others think or do. To not take without asking. Always waiting for permission. What a bleak existence that must be. 

A shout from behind breaks their tension. It is time to move again. Jon nods at her and leaves to mount his horse.

Daenerys watches his cloak flap behind him like  black wings. Soon she’ll meet his people. His family. Soon she’ll learn more about the king who gave away his kingdom for love. For me. 

//

It’s cold and the days are getting shorter. Gilly is used to it so she doesn’t complain. Everyone is in a frenzy. A horn of some sort is signaling the arrival of Jon Snow and his aunt. Daenerys Targaryen. The name sounds funny to her but what does she know of queens and dragons? 

“Gilly, come! He’s here!” 

Gilly looks at Sam in mild bemusement. He sounds like a child in his excitement. Gilly adjusts Little Sam on her hip and follows him to the railing that overlooks the courtyard. There is so much noise that Little Sam squirms in curiosity but Gilly strengthens her hold. It wouldn’t do for him to leave her arms. Not with soldiers and dragons in their midst. 

“Where are the dragons, Sam?”

His eyes never waver from the action underneath. “Eh, I don’t know. Perhaps they’re waiting somewhere in the Wolfswood?”

Sam’s words do nothing to assuage her concern. She has never seen a dragon. But she has seen creatures of ice. She isn’t sure that creatures of fire are any better. 

There is a change in the air and Gilly focuses on the men and women in the courtyard. There are soldiers in black leather with dark, sun-kissed skin she has never seen before. Exposed skin and no furs? How are they not freezing? Their armor is useless this far north. 

A head of white, yellowish hair stands off by the entrance to the keep. She, for Gilly can see her fair features, is surrounded by guards. That must be the dragon queen. Then where is Jon Snow...

Gilly finds him. His head of black hair is walking towards Sansa Stark. Gilly inhales her surprise. The Lady opens her arms and holds Jon Snow in a welcoming embrace. In the small amount of time Gilly has been in Winterfell she has noted how restrictive Sansa Stark is with her affection and touch. Gilly brushes Litte Sam’s hair back. She doesn’t think she has ever seen the Lady of Winterfell touch someone so intimately before. 

She wonders where Lady Arya is. If Sam is correct, she was the sibling Jon Snow would talk about the most during their time at the Night’s Watch. It seems she is not here to welcome her cousin home. 

“...queen Daenerys Targaryen.”

“Oh.” Sam mutters. “Oh, no.” No one is kneeling in the courtyard. Isn’t it part of their customs? To kneel? She read that somewhere, she is sure of it. But no one is kneeling when Jon Snow introduces his aunt to the people of Winterfell.

Gilly is confused. Is he no longer king?

Little Sam pulls at his father’s cloak until Sam relents and carries him.

Daenerys Targaryen walks towards Jon Snow and Sansa Stark. Unlike her soldiers, the queen is dressed in thick white furs that surely keep her warm. Gilly feels sorry for the men. 

“Winterfell is yours, your grace.” Sansa Stark’s voice carries in the stillness of the moment. 

Gilly doesn’t believe her. She has seen this woman care for her keep like Gilly herself cares for Little Sam. Daenerys Targaryen seems pleased, though. “Is Winterfell no longer the Starks’? What is going on, Sam?”

Sam continues to look at Jon Snow as he leads his aunt to the inside of Winterfell. “I‘m not sure, Gilly. All I know is this complicates everything.” Gilly and Sam watch  how the dragon queen’s eyes follow Jon Snow everywhere he goes. “Jon, what have you done?”

//

“He’s almost here.” Bran says. “Observe and take in as much as  you can. Go.”

//

The serving girl leaves the godswood behind her. She picks up her drab skirts and makes her way toward the courtyard. The king is come back with a Targaryen. Her curiosity makes her run fast and nimble as she weaves her way through the soldiers and serving folk. 

“Watch it, girl. You near ran me over!”

Anis doesn’t stop. Her hazel eyes drink in everything they can. The horses, the people, the carts. She perched herself atop a stack of empty vegetable crates to get a better view. She anxiously awaits for a sign of dragons in the overcast sky. The Lannister imp is here, as is a bald plump man.

Varys. His name is Varys. 

Anis has never met them before. But names are easy to come by. She notices the soldiers are well trained. Even in their poorly made winter garb they show no signs of discomfort. 

That must be the Unsullied. 

There is another kind of soldier in the courtyard. They are quite different and seem to be faring worse than the Unsullied. Dothraki. They are speaking a strange mixture of the common tongue and a language Anis has never heard before. Nevertheless, she listens and understands a few phrases.

“Cold...Khalessi...Snow”

“...Gold...lions...burn”

“...food...food...food...”

Anis turns her attention towards the king. He has finally returned to Winterfell. 

He’s finally here. Will he recognize me after all these years? Do I want him to recognize me?

Anis pushes these strange thoughts away. She is a simple serving girl. She has no ties to the king. She is only here to watch and observe. And so she does.

[ These are little snippets from a s8 fic idea. I don’t know if I’ll ever get around to writing it. But I’ve had it in my drafts for the past couple of months so I might as well post some of it, lol. They haven’t been edited or anything so sorry for any and all weirdness! ]

[disney-rapunzel-merida-vanellope]

Going to watch end game on the 24th next week. Literally not ready but so so excited. I really hope they are able to revive them all before half way into the movie and not just at the end tho. I really need all the characters in one single scene.

I kinda started being a marvel fan by accident. One day of christmas holiday in december 2013 I was bored as hell and the amazing spiderman appeared on a list of the pirate site I was searching. Loved that movie so much that I watched it twice that day. That made me more of a spiderman fan than a marvel fan tho and all I was anticipating was the amazing spiderman 2 which I also love. But then I hear about captain america winter soldier, which I rewatched today and it brought so many memories that I had to write. That movie first got my attention because of the friends on different sides of the war thing. So sad I hadnt picked up on marvel before cause I would have loved to watch that on cinemas and be surprised by who the winter soldier was. I remember after watching the movie on the pc tho going to search every fanart and fmv I could. And so my first proper marvel movie as a fan was guardians of the galaxy. My dad and I loved it so much and now my sister too. And it kept going and I wouldnt miss a movie release (i missed doctor strange opps). The only movie I havent watched from the mcu is hulk but who has watched is the question. Sometimes I think about some movies and I cant believe how much time its been since their realese and how far from them we are now. Age of ultron and civil war feel like happened yesterday but little did we know that everyone was gonna be dusted a few years later.

I just really love these characters and stories. So many fond memories specially when a new movie drops and everyone on tumblr is talking about it and making memes and what not. They are all really eventful. Feels kinda sad that end game is actually really close tho. I want new stories and characters but at the same time dont wanna say goodbye to others. It really feels like the ending of something special. The event of all cinematic events. How can one even make 20+ movies that are basically all sequels of each other?

I wish we had the black widow movie sooner and I wish we had an actual captain america 3 with cap, nat, sam and bucky all hanging out fighting crime.

I cant even choose a fave movie so mines are cap2&3, guardians1&2 and infinity war. Even movies like age of ultron and iron man 2 that everyone hates I like. (Ok iron man 2 and thor1&2 were a bit boring but ive seen much worse too)

Im really scared about how much of a game changer this new movie is gonna be. I know the new characters are gonna take charge I just dont know if Im ready to say good bye to the old ones. Ufff lets do this.

[eastraen]

Moon appeared, a wind blew, they who once stood proudly under the sky Who still remember, those years where they rode carefree. 

Benevolent sons one and all!

Decades came and gone, people constantly wander to the past Of long years lived, of worn path tread

It had always been a cruel, merciless world They called it: to the victor go the spoils

They persevered, never alone on this turbulent path Giving up all that was happy and sad After the dust settled and people looked back Fifty of the Kugane Gate! 

A soldier may perish, but aspirations will never falter Time wore everything, the righteous heart remains!

- Ode to the Fifty Gallant Lords, Written during Emperor Reigen era -

Kugane Castle, freezing rain falls down unceasingly since afternoon. Drenching the fifty men sitting in a seiza form in front of the gate. In front of them are their Katana and Wakizashi. Each wear a white headband and white Haori. On the front of the fifty, are box with the letter "Petition". 

Crowds of onlooker gather around the gate, pointing and whispering. Hideyuki clears his throat, determination in his eyes 

"Your Excellency, Mitsurugi-Sama magnanimity knows no bound. We fifty sinners are ashamed to do this, each of us have received your kindness and our humble self will not be able to repay even a shred of your bountiful blessings." 

"Enemies abound, strife threatens the land. When the people cries for salvation, how can we as your subject not feel their pain? how can we, whose blood is from this land not feel the suffering of the common people." 

"Your excellency's heart is vast as sea and high as mountain, always looking towards the horizon. We humble servants can only help you in this way, to voice the cries of those that are voiceless. So that Heaven's wrath will not befall our great nation" 

"Many thousands of years ago, our forefather fought brave battles to help the emperor bring peace. Then our grandfather and great grandfather, with aspiration as high as the sky aid your excellency Mitsurugi-Sama in your effort to bring peace."

"People were blessed by good harvest for many years, draught were thwarted, and peace reigns. This is the sign of heaven's providence!" 

"Alas, heaven have no eyes. The commoner plea for reprieve, for food to pass the long winter and shelter above their head. To not worry of the fate of their children and wife. We the feeble few can only follow our forefather step." 

"Grant us this petition and do not raise the tax, my lord. We beg of you. If our blood can wash clean this nation and become the base of hundreds or thousands more years of strong nation...we are ready to die for our cause...we are ready to die so that your name will always be remembered as the protector of the nation and follower of the righteous way!" 

The fifty prostrate in unison, shouting repeatedly "Your excellency's magnanimity knows no bound, may your heart remember the suffering of the people!" 

Some were moved too far by this action their forehead bleeds from striking the stone many times. 

Thunder rumbles and lightning flashes, some people fall down on their knees, weeping openly. Prostrating with the fifty lords while repeating the same thing :

"Your excellency magnanimity knows no bound, may you listen to the voice of your loyal subjects" 

The imperial Samurai standing on the gate is stone faced, they did not utter any words but if anything the hand that grips the spears was tightening. Alas, even their hands are tied. 

The gate opens with a rumbling sound as the other nobles enter the gate on their horse-cart or palanquin. Sneering at the fifty. The protesters' white Yukata drenched by the rain and not only one of them have their lips turn blue from the cold yet the chanting did not relent. Few hours later, the sun was about at its peak when they finally stop.

Hideyuki sighs and stare at his fellow nobles. There is nothing in his eyes but determination

 "Brothers, I am blessed to be here today with you all. We may not be born on the same day, but let us depart this world on the same day. Maybe our name will be forgotten after many years, but surely our deeds will be remembered."

The other look at each other and smiles, they laughed and nods. Eyes directed at the Wakizashi in front of them. There was no fear, only determination, something instilled in their blood by their benevolent forefathers, the love of the country and of the people. Fifty patriots with unquestionable loyalty!

"My Lord! we, your humble servants will leave first. It was our regret that we will not be able to serve you anymore. If there is another life, let us remain lord and retainers" 

Each of them picks up the Wakizashi in front of them, steeling their resolve. The people starts to wail and full blown riot was about to happen. The Sekiseigumi was having trouble. The fifty remove their Yukata top, so that their drenched robe fall on their waist. Soon enough, blood will flow. 

Fifty sound of Wakizashi unsheathed rings beneath the rain, who suddenly stop to a drizzle before the cloud parts and sun shines down. Even heaven and earth were moved by this display of humanity solidarity!

"Farewell mother, father...farewell uncle Takeshi,Saya,Ichi,Emi" Hideyuki sighs 

Right when they were about to cut their belly, a thundering trumpet can be heard 

"How dare you, halt! The Kanpaku (royal advisor) arrives with royal decree!" as the gate rumbles to open. Hideyuki blinks "Father is in Kugane..?" he says softly. a stern man that exactly looks like Hide except for the salt and pepper hair, in red Suikan, steps out of the gate followed by a royal herald. 

"Royal decree is here!" Hideyoshi says as he looks at the Herald.

"Subject Fujiwara no Hideyuki, Subject Takeda no Kanbei, Subject.." the name of the fifty were read one by one. Each of them replies with "Your subject is present and listening!" while kneeling.

"In this year of Emperor Reigen era, i commanded this decree to be written. On behalf of the Emperor, may he live thousand years and reign in peace: after deliberating with the court, the decision of raising the tax is the general opinion of the nobles.”

“However, as a filial son of the Mitsurugi, protector of the emperor, father of the nation...I, with the power bestowed upon me...granted your plea....as you plead not for yourself but on behalf of the people. If heaven and earth can be moved, then why not i ?" 

"I hereby declare that the tax will not be raised for three years. However, each and all of you will need to work harder and think of a way to fill our coffers. For the roads to be built, and the army to be paid. For the prosperity of the nation." 

Hideyoshi linger for a while longer, looking at his son with iron in his glance, this is a man that is tempered in war and battle. Subjugating the western pirates and foreign invaders.  

When their eyes met, there were words spoken from his lips that only few can see or read : "Well done" before he turn back and the gate rumbles to closing. The fifty look at each other before in sudden emotion they slap each other's shoulder and even hug each other as they laugh. 

Hideyuki was still sitting dazed. If he had to do this again, will he still have the same conviction? he sighs and smiles to the others. From this day on, these fifty bonds would be stronger than any other lords in the court. He stand and hold the decree aloft as the crowd burst into cheer. 

[616marvel]

Comic Fun Fact time(again)! So in today’s comic fun fact time, we’ll explore Secret Wars arc // mostly exploring the other Battleworlds // Warzones in terms of Nat, Bucky, and Steve  By far my favorite arc, but also one of the confusing arcs that I had to struggle through because there were so many storylines on this thing - so undercut is a brief summary of this series/issue while I’ll keep the fun facts up top. // ps only giving fun facts of battleworlds//warzones that i’ve read.

Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow Fun Facts during Secret Wars arc So Nat is basically dead af in 616 (main earth) because it was destroyed, but she’s alive in other universes:

1602 Timeline: Tldr this was old time English and Natasha is a widow and she’s known as the deadliest woman alive. I shit you not, there was this one part in that storyline where she yeeted Matt off of a bridge?? Mind you Matt Murdock is blind and is a bard in this storyline and I straight up died

A different 1602 Timeline: In this one, Natasha was Doom’s lover but she was doing shady black widow business and trying to manipulate Victor Von Doom but he’s like ‘lmao no’ and then yeeted Nat off of a flying pirate ship (listen lmao dont -)

1872 Timeline: One of the most interesting timeline in this whole thing imo. This was western time and Nat is a literal Widow because Bucky died aka her husband in this storyline. 

Nat is considered as one of the deadliest woman In most of the timeline, she is deemed as one of the deadliest woman to exist.

Nat was a man in dimension 63 - following my previous statement when I said ‘most’ - i said most because in one dimension, she’s a man. Everyone in that world is their opposite gender. She also has the deepest V-neck suit in that timeline it’s great 

Secret War 2099 - I don’t even know if this should be considered as Nat since it’s a whole different woman, but she’s Black Widow and her name is Talia. She’s a person of color and is very much as deadly as Nat 616 - this was a good read too.

Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier Fun Facts during Secret Wars arc So Bucky is also basically dead af in 616 (main earth), and is mostly dead in all the other universes too

1602 Timeline: death by a spear because he hit on the wrong woman. Was part of the Buchanan clan and was a handsome knight

1872 Timeline: death by Fisk, was a deputy, married Nat but left her as an actual widow. They also didn’t meet in a church, insinuating that they met while she was on a mission or him on a lookout.

TBH he wasn’t in a lot of the timelines, like in Giant-Size Little Marvel, he was missing there but you get this beautiful gem of an art by the artist of Giant-Size Little Marvel d’aw (x)

Steve Rogers / Captain America Fun Facts during Secret Wars arc So Steve is also basically dead af in 616 (main earth) since it was destroyed, but is alive in other universes

1602 Timeline: This one was confusing because he’s apparently the 616 Steve Rogers but they were trying to get rid of him so they sent him and time and he ended up in 1602 and hanging out with the Native Americans. His name was Rohjaz in this storyline and when he was transported back to his timeline, he actually triggered 1602 timeline

1872 Timeline: He was a Sheriff and basically trying to bring Fisk down because he’s a corrupt mayor (just like most western storylines) and he ends up dying and being fed to the pigs (jk he was just thrown to the pigs when he died)

Secret War 2099: still unsure if I should even say that this was a counter part of Steve because the captain america here is a woman named Roberta Mendez and is later used as her whole different persona in earth 616 but don’t @ me right now - comics are confusing.

Giant-Size Little Marvel: They’re all kids here and Steve’s version of fun is working out and they (avengers) teased him about this lmao - he had a bootcamp - he also sold hotdogs, and hated Cyclop’s eye puns (he made a few)

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: undercut // srsly this is brief considering that I’m combining a few of the issues during this event.

Secret Wars: okay like this one was confusing because basically there's multiple universes in marvel comics yeah? Well an incursion happens where these said universe start clashing with one another and doing a rippling effect that clashes to other universes killing that universe. Basically Ultimate and 616 (main storyline marvel) had the same idea of basically fighting one another - need to note that 616 killed ONE universe at one point and the heroes felt guilty af because they're like shit fam we just killed a buncha people. So like they were gonna not do that anymore but then Namor was like "nah fam we ain't about to fucken die, I'm a bad Bitch" so they destroy more worlds (namor and his rag tag team that had thanos don't ask). This is getting long but basically the heroes were like wtf bro and then another incursion was happening and they were gonna let it happen - some heroes fought but for the most part people were saying bye to one another it was actually pretty fucking sad. Some people from 616 survived because Reed made a life ship thing to avoid the incursion but as they escape, Ultimate and 616 are destroyed and then OTHER POCKETS OF UNIVERSES ARE BORN lead by Doom and his minions of Thor (yeah idk).

This is where you get stories like Timely, Marvel Zombies, 1602, noir, the one where they're all kids (loves that one) and more! Anyway so while that's happening, doom is playing god and assigning barons to watch over these worlds etc. it eventually gets to the point where Reed and Doom duke it out and then Reed is like “I’d make a better world than you, this shit (world) trash bruh” and Doom’s like “you right but fuck you” and then Owen, powerful ass mutant, was like “oh damn aight, since y’all made up-” he changes time and basically stops the incursion from happening to 616 but like all the other shit still happened because Miles Morales remembers his convo with Owen (he gave him a cheeseburger and thats how he remembers, dont ask). So 616 was remade and doom was no longer ugly so he’s like ‘yeah okay i can dig it, i don’t need to play as god anyway’ then laughs while Reed and Susan use Owen as a battery source to remake universes that were lost.

[profoundnet]

PROFOUNDBOND MEMBER MASTERPOST - APRIL 2018

Header by @pantydean and is available on merch from her redbubble store. You can use all those fancy emojis on our Discord Server!

The Masterpost is open for all creations by ProfoundBond members which are posted in entirety during the month of April.

Member Contributions for April 2018!

Masterpost below the cut.

60r3d0m - @60r3d0m​ - 60r3d0m

The Wedding Night

Summary: When a monster starts targeting newlywed couples, Dean does the logical thing and offers his hand in marriage. Cas accepts.

And it's all going good. Maybe Dean's a little too dedicated to the ruse when he accidentally calls Cas 'sweetheart' in private a couple of times, and maybe he kind of takes it upon himself to be the Best Husband Ever, ushering him around with a hand to the small of his back while uttering a disproportionate amount of praise, but other than that, it's all under control.

But then the monster attacks and Cas doesn't remember anything anymore.

And then there's a snooping innkeeper who makes it impossible to tell Cas about their sham marriage.

And it probably doesn't help that it happens to be their wedding night and Cas is intent on seeing their consummation through.

NSFW

Tags: amnesia, fake/pretend relationship, bed sharing, marriage, dubious consent, first kiss, first time, shower sex, fluff, humour, happy ending

amirosebooks - @amirosebooks - amirosebooks

Forgetting Your Blues

Summary: Dean Jones doesn't know his real name. He woke up on a public park bench a few months back with an empty wallet and a driver's license listing the name Dean Jones with his picture. The name doesn't feel right on his tongue, but he doesn't remember what part is wrong.

The cop who found him in the park got Dean a job in a local diner. The diner feels comfortable to Dean. He understands the rhythm of the place, the ebb and flow of the people and food, even if he's clearly never carried a tray of hot plates in his life. He settles into his new life. He makes new friends. He takes beautiful women and men and people to his bed for comfort on long nights. He has nightmares about blood covering his hands.

Who is he?

Why has no one come looking for him?

What has he done?

Why did he fall apart when he saw a guy wearing a tan trenchcoat?

Tags: Graphic Depictions Of Violence; Castiel/Dean Winchester; minor dean winchester/others; Amnesia; Temporary Character Death; Canonical Character Death; post season 12 episode 23 Fix-It; Getting Together; Fluff and Angst; Fade to black sex; Diners castiel with scruff; dean works in a diner; Openly Bisexual Dean Winchester

Dean's Season 13 Grief

Summary: A look at Dean's grief over Cas with Metallica lyrics

Cryptomoon - @cryptomoon​

Dean x Pie

Summary: Dean dreaming of his beloved.

Tags: Dean Winchester, Pie, Digital Art

Noir!Cas

Summary: Noir!Cas drawn for the Profound Robin round 2 banner.

Tags: Noir, Castiel, Digital Art

envydean - @envydean - hollyblue2

The brightness of the sun will give me just enough

Summary: To bury my love, in the Moondust

- For crypto's birthday

I'm Your Huckleberry

Summary: DEANCAS CREATIONS CHALLENGE

↳ Prompt: 13x06 Tombstone

Tags: 13x06

Moonlit Sky

Summary: They'd been busy on their actual anniversary, so Dean decides to make it up to Castiel.

Tags: Surgeon!Cas, Police Officer!Dean, Established Relationship, Anniversary, cheesy celebrations, Serenading, Domestic Fluff, Fluff

Appreciation

Summary: Over in the corner is Castiel Novak. He’s not been at the school long but today he’s all alone; just last week, Dean was sure he saw him hanging out with Samandriel and Andy but today they’re nowhere to be seen. That is until he looks elsewhere and find them laughing at each other on a different table.

Dean frowns. The guy doesn’t have his bag on him or any food in front of him. It’s far too early in their lunch break for him to have finished already.

Tags: High School AU, Light Angst, Fluff, sharing food, hand holding, First Kiss, Poor!Castiel

Foxymoley - @foxymoley

Trueform!Castiel

Summary: Trueform!Castiel with added tentacles for Soba's benefit. ;-)

Tags: Trueform!Cas, angel, spn, tentacles

Icarusinflight - @candybarrnerd - icarusinflight

trying to keep you

Summary: He reaches out for Dean's wrists, using the grip to pull Dean's hands from his pockets, and up to inspect. As he expected there's still traces of blood on his hands. They’ve been washed, but it's still there, under his nails and in his cuticles.

“Cas—”

“Don't,” Cas interrupts him. He doesn't know what Dean is planning on saying, but knows nothing good can come of it. Cas drags his eyes back up to Dean's face, and this time Dean looks at him, eyes locking on each other. “Just let me take care of you.”

Dean is a man possessed with a goal, the goal to get the colt back, and he'll do whatever it takes to get it.

Cas's only goal is to make sure the man he knows is still there when the dust settles.

NSFW

Tags: Alternate Universe - Croatoan/Endverse, mentions of interrogation/torture, Praise, Cleaning, cleaning body and soul, Top Castiel/Bottom Dean Winchester, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort

in sickness or health

Summary: “This means forever,” he tells Dean, “this means in sickness and in health and it means I’ll never leave you, never again.”

A series of snippets in a world where Dean's memory sometimes fails him.

Tags: Amnesia, Memory Loss, Traumatic Brain Injury, sadness abounds, happiness too, Bittersweet, Bittersweet Ending, Dean takes a lot of knocks to the head and i think about that a lot

jad - @jadstiel​ - jad

diamond star halo

Summary: They're doing that thing again, where Cas is staring at Dean with the intensity of a dog trying to remind his owner that it's past dinner time. Dean's staring right back like the first one to blink is buying the next round. Sam's aware there's a conversation going on that he isn't privy to and he's used to it, by this point, but it's still *rude.*

"So, as I was saying," Sam tries to interrupt the resounding silence, "if we can just figure out a — "

"Sure," Dean says, and Sam stutters to a halt, because sure *what?* "I mean, yeah. Yes. Dude, you don't even have to ask."

Cas looks like Dean just slapped him in the face, bloodshot eyes comically wide in a *how dare you* or maybe a *are you drunk sort* of way. Sam can empathize.

Tags: literally nothing bad happens, it's all fluff, s11-ish shenanigans, nbd possession, accidental Marriage Proposal, look these things just happen, Dean/Cas Tropefest 5k Mid-Winter Challenge

levi_cas_tho - @levicastho - levi_cas_tho

A Kiss For Good Luck

Summary: “So, you gonna give me a good luck kiss or what?”

It’s clearly one of Dean’s attempts to act like a dick, but once the thought enters Castiel’s mind, he can’t shake it. Castiel has, much to his dismay, developed somewhat of a crush on the other boy. To feel Dean’s lips pressed against his own, even just for a split second, would be… Besides, for all that Dean puts Castiel through, he deserves at least a little payback.

Tags: High school au, Mutual pining, misunderstandings, angst with a happy ending, tutoring

MsCaptainWincheser - @mscaptainwinchester - rons_pigwidgeon

Lies & Other Word Scrambles

Summary: Castiel must suffer through an office social event after his boss threatens his job if he doesn't attend. Thankfully, a flirtatious 'intern' is there to help.

NSFW

Tags: Escort!Dean, office party, blow jobs

Neonbat666 - @neonbat666 - Neonbat

Must have been a blue moon

Summary: When the world is in shambles, and all hope seems out of their reach, there is only one person Dean turns to. Castiel picks up the pieces every time, even when the shards fracture him in return.

Created for the Deancas Tropefest

NSFW

Tags: Castiel/Dean Winchester,Castiel (Supernatural), Dean Winchester,Endverse, Angst Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, drug references, A bit of rough play, Hurt and comfort, Porn with plot and feels ,Human Castiel Alternate Universe - ,Croatoan/Endverse, Fallen Angel Castiel (Supernatural)

Nera_Solani - @nera-solani - Nera_Solani

Treading unknown Waters

Summary: When a researcher on mythical creatures goes over board and strands on a desert island, she doesn't expect to get the opportunity to learn more about sirens than anyone ever has.

Turns out, they can be a lot more human than most people think...

Tags: Fluff, Established Relationship, desert island, siren Castiel, sailor Dean, shipwrecked, pirates, POV outsider, inspired by the fanfiction “Ensnared”

profound-boning - @profound-boning - profound-boning

Ocean Sized Love

Summary: Cas glances at the clock and acknowledges that he simply doesn’t have time to read and fully appreciate Dean’s letter right now, so he tucks it carefully into his bag in order to bring it home safely. Then, he carefully sorts the rest of the letters and bundles them up for his students to open when they return.

His mind wanders, however, to open seas and a hot sun, to the large ship and fast planes he’s read about so many times. To a crowd of sailors all described lovingly, and to one particular officer who has summarily captured the affections of one elementary school teacher in the Boston suburbs.

Tags:  Castiel (Supernatural) Dean Winchester Balthazar (Supernatural) Gabriel (Supernatural) Minor Characters, Alternate Universe - No supernatural, Alternate Universe – Soulmates, Teacher Castiel, Military, Navy Dean Winchester, Soldier Dean Winchester, POV Castiel, Castiel Has Self-Esteem Issues, Pen Pals, Falling In Love, Meet-Cute, Aquariums, Past Balthazar/Castiel, childhood crush, Zero romantic Balthazar/Cas beyond one kiss

RavensCAT - @ravenscat-tumbler​ - RavensCAT

New Beginnings

Summary: Sam was freaking out. This could very well be the same banshee who took his brother’s hearing. He’s on the floor with his hands covering his ears as tight as he could press. He knows exactly what this monster was capable of.

Banshee’s usually only scream when they predict the deaths of a loved one but this one, this one was not like the others. This banshee seems to have gone rogue.

Tags: Deaf!Dean, Canon, banshee, rogue banshee, Dean & Eileen friendship, American Sign Language, coda 11x11, Fluffy Destiel, Destiel, Saileen, fluffy saileen, hearing loss at young age, Happy Story, minor sadness, Episode: s11e11 Into the Mystic, Post-Episode: s11e11 Into the Mystic, Happy Ending, Loving Castiel, Loving Dean Winchester, Loving Sam ,Winchester, Everyone is loving, Supportive Castiel, Supportive Sam Winchester, Sam & Castiel Friendship, Brotherly Love

saltnhalo - @saltnhalo​ - saltnhalo

Little Blue Dragon

Summary: Dean Winchester may have a reputation for being a skilled craftsman and blacksmith, but his life is just like anyone else’s. He’s over-worked and under-slept, and it’s all because of the niggling feeling in the back of his mind that tells him he’s… forgetting something. Still, he can’t let his weird dreams or errant thoughts get in the way of his work and his love for his craft. The strange feeling goes ignored.

That is, until he meets a man with jewel-blue eyes and an aura of intrigue. Castiel slots into his life in a way that Dean had never thought possible, and Dean grows accustomed to the mysterious man’s visits and brilliant smiles and tales of far-away places.

He’d never known he was missing a piece of himself until he met Castiel, and he thinks that Cas might feel the same way.

Until Castiel disappears from Dean’s life completely.

NSFW

Tags: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Magic, Blacksmith Dean Winchester, Mage Sam Winchester, Creature Castiel, Dragon Castiel, Pining, Soulmates, Minor Violence, Frottage, Dean/Cas Pinefest 2018

A Lesson In Obedience

Summary: Castiel steps in to help relieve Dean's work-related stress. Dean still brings some of his attitude to the table.

NSFW

Tags: TA Dean Winchester, Teacher Dean Winchester, Dom/sub, Sub Dean, Dom Castiel, Dean in Panties, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Sex Toys, Butt Plugs, Spanking, bratty dean, Aftercare, Disobeying Orders, Stressed Dean Winchester, BDSM, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Porn with Feelings

sternchencas - @sternchencas​ - sternchencas

A Study In Fake

Summary: Although Dean has a job, he's always looking for some extra money, so he's bummed out when he can't take part in a lucrative couples study at the local college. At least until Castiel Novak steps into his life out of nowhere and a throwaway joke turns into a serious relationship. Well, a fake one, but nobody needs to know that, right?

Tags: fake dating, mutual pining, bed sharing, fluff

supernatural9917 - @supernatural9917fic​ -  supernatural9917

Crash and Slow Burn

Summary: Dean Winchester crashes his car and is rescued by Castiel Novak. It's the beginning of a beautiful friendship...

NSFW

Tags: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Cassie Robinson/Dean Winchester, Lisa Braeden/Dean Winchester, Castiel/Meg Masters, Ruby/Sam Winchester, Sarah Blake/Sam Winchester, Daphne Allen/Castiel, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Friends to Lovers, Police Officer Dean, Social Worker Castiel, Drug Addict Sam Winchester, Good Crowley (Supernatural), Slow Burn, Police Officer Benny Lafitte, Police Officer Bobby Singer, car crash, Gabriel Being Gabriel, Bromance to Romance

Do You Need a Stepdad?

Summary: When Claire Novak tweets a picture of her dad cooking, she didn't expect to go viral, or for everyone to be quite so hot for her dad.

Based on a photo prompt.

Tags: Meet-Cute, Twitter, Instagram, based on a prompt, Dad Cas

surlybobbies - @surlybobbies - surleybobbies

Freeze Frame

Summary: Dean's got about two minutes before Cas comes back, which is more than mildly inconvenient because Dean's just found out Cas is in love with him.

Tags: friends to lovers, mutual pining, teacher castiel, minor sam/eileen, photographer castiel

Right Where We Left It

Summary: Flower emergencies didn’t hold off just because the love of your life was the only available florist in town.

(In the wake of Mary's death, Dean comes back to establish his flower shop. Cas avoids him - until he can't.)

Tags: Minor Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester, Flower Shop AU , Florist Dean Winchester, Returning Home, Reunions, Background Claire Novak, Past Lisa Braeden/Dean Winchester

thatpeculiarone - @ilovetodreamx​ - thatpeculiarone

Curtain Call

Summary: Dean always had trouble describing things. However, if he were to describe his life, he would describe it as a performance.

Through the mechanical nature of his routine, to the smiles he forces everyday, his life is one big show.

And with any good show, there is always finale, a grandeur to finish it all.

Even the best performances, have to end at some point.

NSFW

Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Mechanic!Dean, Steve!Cas, Suicidal Thoughts, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, References to Addiction, Suicidal!Dean, Depression.

theaeronaut - @theaeronaut​ - Arronaut

 crooked halo

Summary: castiel lit up by his halo

Tags: castiel, cas, spn, angel

Dandelion Halo

Summary:Castiel's halo of dandelion seeds, starting to blow away

Tags: cas, castiel, spn, i wish for this

Dandelion Man

Summary: i don't even know. he has dandelions in his eyes, it's whatever

Tags: cas, castiel, spn, spn fanart

Dandelion man

Summary: Castiel's wings as drifting dandelion seeds

Tags: cas, castiel, spn, i wish for this

Tender

Summary: Dean and Cas laying in bed cuddling

Tags: cas, castiel, dean, dean winchester, spn, supernatural

Grasp

Summary: Cas and Dean hold each others faces looking very much like they're about to kiss

Tags: cas, castiel, dean, dean winchester, destiel, spn

Collaborations

The Sound of Silence

Author: Destimushi - @destimushi - Destimushi Author: envydean - @envydean - hollyblue2

Summary: It's been weeks since Dean's had pie, and Castiel hopes the diner they're going to tonight will have something to shut up his husband's constant complaining. Sadly, the odds are not in Castiel's favour.

Tags: deaf!Cas, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, distinct lack of pie, Adoption

Iron and Ice

Author: A Diamond - @alxdiamond - A_Diamond Artist: Correlia - @correlia-be​

Link to art

Summary: Dean was so focused on his work that he didn’t notice he had a visitor until he turned to drop the last one into the quenching bath. It was just a customer, and one of his regulars at that, which made his surprised yelp and his half-undressed state both all the more embarrassing.

Castiel looked even more flushed with the heat than Dean felt, the color heavy in his face. Maybe he’d been exerting himself, or perhaps he was more sensitive to hot weather than most people. Either way, it made for quite a contrast against the patch of dark blue scales that covered his right cheek.

Tags: Dean/Cas Tropefest 2018 Mid-Winter 5k, Alternate Universe - Historical Fantasy, Blacksmith Dean Winchester, Dragon Castiel, Daring Rescues, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss

Change of Plans

Author:  envydean - @envydean - hollyblue2 Artist: dragonpressgraphics - dragonpress - pherryt Link to art

Summary: Castiel is grumpy when they get to the motel, and Dean is determined to find out why.

Tags: Fluff, hints of angst, bed sharing, Getting Together, Road Trip

Hand to Mouth

Author: noxlee - @nox-lee - noxlee Artist: uncelestial - @uncelestieldestiel Link to art

Summary: Dean Winchester has been a reckless daredevil since Castiel first met him in the fourth grade. Over the years, Castiel has been reluctantly dragged into all manner of dangerous situations by his best friend. But the stunt they attempt on the night of their college graduation goes horribly wrong, and Dean and Cas find themselves with badly burned hands.

They recuperate at the Novak family cabin, where both find themselves frustrated over the inability to use their hands for the most basic of daily tasks— not least of which is the inability to clean the pipes, so to speak. Born of boredom and desperation, Dean proposes a new dare that doesn’t just cross the line of friendship, it obliterates it.

But what’s fun and games for Dean turns serious for Castiel, who has secretly pined for his best friend since they were kids. Burns will heal, but will a heart be broken forever? To make things right, Dean may have to face his biggest feat of daring yet.

NSFW

Tags: Alternate Universe, Minor Injuries, Injury Recovery, Friends With Benefits, Pining, Porn with Feelings

Team Free Skiing

Author: supernatural9917 - @supernatural9917fic -  supernatural9917 Artist: Potatofu - @theabsolutemagicpotato - potatofu

Summary: Jack is obsessed with the Winter Olympics, especially the downhill events. The world isn't currently ending, so Team Free Will 2.0 + Mary decide a ski trip sounds like just the thing!

Written for the SPN Holiday Reverse Mini Bang

Tags: Team Free Will 2.0, ski trip, Jealous Dean Winchester, Winter Olympics, Fluff, season 13 divergent, SPN Holiday Reverse Mini Bang

Whisper Its Name

Author: supernatural9917 - @supernatural9917fic -  supernatural9917 Artist: Delicious-irony - @delicirony - delicious-irony

Summary: English actor Castiel Novak is determined to make Balthazar Roché's masterpiece novel into a film. All-American beefcake Dean Winchester is determined to shake off typecasting and prove his acting chops. Can they get past their initial dislike of each other and do justice to the tragic romance at the heart of Whisper Its Name?

Written for the Dean/Cas Midwinter 5K Tropefest based on art by delicious-irony.

NSFW

Tags: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Alternate Universe - Actors, costume drama, English Castiel

[angelblumes]

God for real, I have no idea what to say to anything to anybody talking abt my mental health like honestly I do try to be the most honest with my therapist because I dont really talk to any1 else irl abt it but you think I know words for how I feel? no. I do feel like a goldfish. I forget everything I've ever felt when I walk into the building. Thanx 4 the good luck tho 😊❤ I also had a little moment rsd when I asked my dad something and he didn't take it seriously so I did cry, salads are really the worst thing to accidentally forget abt/ something bad happen to it😢 😐 😑 I dont even care if you talk abt hannibal, its fine! I understand! I feel like I complain abt bugs almost everytime, but 😑 I got paranoid because a flying big ass beetle was on the ceiling of my porch? And i was 👀 so I wasn't paying attention when another 1 got all up in my face. I stg it made me mad cuz wth why are bugs like that? I had some watermelon w/ brown sugar and white sugar 😌 also some taco bell 4 dinner. I did write inside of my little diary tho 😁 also im sure ur therapist didn't want to kill u 🤣 We are the same person 💗 I also therapize myself , but its just me being emotional/mentally ill and then me trying to talk myself into being logical abt it. Sometimes I feel like I dont be mentally ill and different and im normal, but once I'm around other ppl im like oh ! yea I got problems and everyone can clearly see that and 😬 I still gotta work on it. Not to say I look bad or anything, I just can't put on a normal ppl mask you know? OK good night this was also very long and rambly and all over but✌❤

UR THE BEST EVER. have i said that? its so true. the salad didnt even go bad!!!! i will eat the rest of it today hopefully! and dw i hate bugs like i totally get it😭😭 umm.. i dreamt abt captain america and the winter soldier HELP. we were like besties... idk the only thing i really remember is that they were both hilarious like the whole dream is just me laughing then stopping and then laughing again. there was other stuff but i forgot it obv. i watched a hannibal amv and the song was "take me to church" haha but it showed scenes from the last eps and i forgot i havent seen most of the last season.... like i dont think u mind but spoilers!!^__^ abigail dies and i stopped watching for like 6 months bc of that. i had to rewatch the ep too bc i didnt know exactly where i left off. which is good cuz i did miss a few important minutes at the end but i did break down and sob again. they took hannibal off netflix too so i had to watch it on effing HULU. i despise hulu. the ads are ridiculous im already paying y'all just give me the show! i brought that up bc umm... i cant believe i just QUIT season 3? its so good like i skipped around eps bc i rlly already know what happens but i will watch it all the ads r just impossible. anyway my friend just SCOLDED? ME? for eating a banana too slow????? my rsd barely like bothers me w her bc i just get pissed off like she does this stuff sometimes and it always is ridiculous. "we dont want to get gnats" by me taking a few minutes to eat a god damn banana?😐urgh. i had an awful panic attack bc my allergies are so bad i cant rlly breathe thru my nose right. n i was brushing my teeth and trying to breathe thru my mouth. n i couldn't. i have asthma btw so i was lile oh god this is some extreme asthma attack and im going to die. i did not die. i hate panic attacks like i nvr know its happening in the moment and it makes it worse. n normal ppl masks... SO RELATABLE! anyway um i dont feel like counting all whatever i said so i'll say one thing more. i brought up the hannibal here bc not bc of THAT amv but the one to hoodoo by muse😭 muse is.. big right? i really feel like i live under a rock and i've never been outside. i don't know how i'm supposed to know this stuff. anyway oh em gee. its soooo good. the video. i mean the song is too. i hate amvs where they're like good but the music sucks. even if its good music if it just doesn't vibe then it sucks. anyway idk it totally wrecked me after like seeing abigail die AGAIN and then will saying "i forgive you" and then hannibal walking away and then will n hannibal kill whatshisface together. i might just try to pirate hannibal only bc of hulu's 1-2 minute long adds every 10 minutes. i dont have that kind of patience. i'm always long and rambly do not worry❤️💗

[orangemeta]

Hi Followers

I just want to remind you I do NOT use trigger warnings/spoilers/NSFW tags on this blog. (Please see intro link for more details.) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I’m going to put up an “admin” post after I do a clump of new posts stating any new tags (so you can add them to your blacklist as need be) and the main fandoms so you know what to expect. (just blacklist “admin things” if you don’t care about getting this warning)

new tags: Station 19 added to “something on a heartbeat“

fandoms (that I remember I did): Roswell NM, mermaids, Birds of Prey, myths, station 19 & grey's, leverage, derry girls, Batman, Star Trek, misc books (Twilight, Where's Waldo), misc tv (hannibal, dr.who), Disney, Cap America, Pirates of the Caribbean, Ms.Marvel, misc animation (Scooby Doo), Shadowhunters, Agents of Shield, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Spiderman, Into the Spiderverse, His Dark Materials, Jurassic Park, general fandom, Harry Potter, 911, misc movies (Happiest Season, Who Framed Roger Rabbit), Buffy, Venom, Thor, the Handmaiden, Fairy Tale, X-Men, Natasha, Jessica Jones, Black Panther, Gilmore Girls, 

head’s up: spn (like probably later today?), The Old Guard (sooooooooooooooo many), Julie and the Phantoms

[odderancyart]

On a Never Resting Sea

Chapter VII: Cold Steel and Freezing Waters

First Last Next

AO3

Summary: Razz, the heir of the Beobyrian Empire, is on his way home from a diplomatic mission as his ship gets attacked by pirates. Suddenly he finds himself taken as hostage, and it doesn’t seem like the pirates are planning to exchange him for a ransom anytime soon. How annoying.

Warnings:  violence, death, blood, hostage holding, kidnapping, prostitution

Warnings specific for this chapter: Panic attack.

If that is a trigger for you, I recommend clicking on the AO3-link and you’ll find that part of the text marked out and with a summary in the end notes of those paragraphs.

His legs dangled over the rail as he watched the ship in the distance. A good part of the crew was on deck, planning for the raid. The cannons had been loaded and prepared under Red’s overseeing and weapons were readied. The clinging of steel and sparks of magic were loud. They hadn’t been planning on doing another raid while they still had the queen onboard, but due to their escape in Pirate’s Port they were now forced to. They had left before they had the chance to restock properly. He threw a gaze over his shoulder.

Undyne and Fell were standing by the mast, discussing their strategy. Sigrid and Septimus were sharpening their swords. The bunnies were calling up their magic.

Turning back away from them, Red grinned. His soul was pounding hard, excitedly. The thrill of an upcoming raid was one of the best parts of this life, he thought. Even though the winter was coming and if someone fell into the ocean while boarding they’d freeze to death within minutes. Of course, they were all skilled and had done this hundreds of times. What was the odds? He laughed as a cold wind pulled at his coat, trying to drag him into the sea. He gripped the railing harder, but otherwise didn’t shift. As he stared down at the black waves beneath them, stirring and moving restlessly in the fresh breeze, he recalled the first time they’d raided.

All of them had been terrified, worried. An enormous difference to the anticipative mood on deck today. Then again, they’d been doing this for six years now. They all loved this life. The foreign ship – the flag showed Trima’s blue sky, waves and albatross – neared. A merchant ship, which meant it was slow. It would be no challenge for Sarynthia to reach them.

“Hoist the sails!” Undyne roared, and the crew immediately began to move. “We’re sailing!”

A hand on Red’s shoulder had him turn. He found himself staring straight into Jester’s – a sailor’s – black eyes. Red grinned and nodded.

“Get down, Red,” Jester said, flicking his heads toward the deck. “Or it’s ferry likely you’ll end up in the Wyrlath oar the hospital.”

Chuckling, Red lifted his legs over the railing and jumped down on the deck. He grinned at his pun-partner.

“I dolphinately don’t fish that,” he agreed, receiving a laugh in return. He wasn’t planning on going to Wyrlath – the World of Spirits – anytime soon. Together they made their way toward the rest of the crew, continuing to exchange puns much to Fell’s acted grief.

The air was strong and Sarynthia was a fast, flexible ship. It did not take long time for them to close in on the Trimin ship. As soon as they were close enough that the foreigners wouldn’t be able to escape, Fell commanded the hoisting of the black Jolly Roger. Not red, like when they’d boarded the queen’s ship. This time they’d leave survivors. If they didn’t fight back too much, that is. Red went to join his brother. They always fought together; Fell as offensive and Red as defensive. At least until it was time to start killing people off for real. By that point they’d both attack with everything they had.

Undyne commanded everyone into their positions, and grapnels with long, thick ropes were prepared for throwing.  The crew’s yelling “good luck”s and preparing grew even louder.

Slim sat on the throne. The throne designed for Razz, after the shorter brother’s measures, because it was the throne of the next generation. Because his brother wouldn’t want to change his brother’s throne. Because the throne was Razz’s birth right, not Slim’s. He looked exhausted. Dark rings beneath his eyes, an expression devoid of hope and joy on his face. Razz watched him. Floating high above the stage on which the throne was placed, Razz watched. His brother sat slumped, no signs of the straight back they’d been taught to keep visible. He looked old. Much older than his twenty years. A healer stood by the prince’s – the king’s – side. Talking quietly. Slim was dying. He needed to marry soon, get an heir, because he was dying and their line couldn’t die out or chaos would break out in Beobyra and the Empire. Civil war. Razz watched. Pounded at an invisible wall, an invisible cage. His fists hit a hard Something, yet there wasn’t Anything there. He screamed. Screamed that he wasn’t dead. His soul was pounding, his throat raw from the shrill noises forcing their way up. He wasn’t dead and he’d return and he’d rule his queendom. Slim would get to go back to his armies, his soldiers, his straightforward decisions and a world that made sense to him. Razz would handle all theory, all laws, all the politics.

No one heard. No one came. No one knew he was there.

The scenery changed. He was no longer in the throne room. Instead they were in the Monarch’s Chambers. His father’s chambers, the rooms that were meant to be his one day. Slim was lying in the enormous bed, no colour in his face. No sparks of magic in the air. Nothing that showed the enormous power the brothers had been carefully bred to own.

There was nothing on Slim’s face. Nothing. He looked empty as he stared at the orange canopy over the bed. Courtiers surrounded him. Healers and physicians and servants were there as well. Ready to obey his every call, every order, every need. A wife stood by his side. She did not look sad, despite the proper mourning expression on her face. A nurse carrying a babybones stood behind the queen. Razz watched as his brother took in a small breath.

“i won’t ever see him again,” Slim whispered. Razz felt tears roll down his cheeks as he realized that was what his brother and father believed. Only warriors were allowed into the Mother’s Blessed Lands. Both his father and his brother had been in real battles. Razz, on the other hand, had been protected until the day he became queen, had given the realm an heir. He had now fought. Fought against the pirates. It might be enough. But no one at home knew that. They did not believe he was in the Blessed Lands, despite believing he was dead.

They believed he had stopped existing, while they’d keep living in the Mother’s holy realm.

Razz screamed again. Kept screaming. His throat was raw, his face streaked by tears. He did not care. He needed to get through to his brother. Needed to let his brother know he was alive. Needed to make his brother keep fighting. Slim couldn’t die.

His brother took another shallow, shaking breath. Then he stopped. He sank down, slack. There were a few moments of silence, devoid of movement. Then he turned to dust. Razz’s sockets widened, and he cried out in sorrow and fury and horror.

“The King is dead,” a noble said. The visitors were quiet. The only noise was Razz’s own shrieks of sorrow, which no one else could hear. From inside the invisible cage, which stopped him from running to his brother. Running to his brother’s remains.  The courtiers turned to the new-born baby in the nurse’s arms. The queen took them. “Long live the Queen.”

Razz sat up, gasping. Tears were still running down his cheeks. He was too hot, his breathing laboured. Wildly, he gazed around the room, trying to make sense of it through the teary haze.

The walls were creeping closer. It felt like he was still stuck in that cage. Razz’s breathing was quickly turning shallow and quick, and he gripped hard onto the now embroidered pillow. His claws went straight through. The feeling of them digging into his palms grounded him slightly, but didn’t help the knowledge that he was locked in here. It was just a nightmare. Slim was alive. Slim was fine, he was- Slim was not fine. He wasn’t a king. He was a general. He was not prepared to become the emperor. But he was alive, Razz told himself. Again, and again and again. Slim’s alive, Slim’s alive, Slim’s alive. Sweat dripped down his brow. The sound of his soul pounding was loud in his ears, drowning all other noises. A feeling of nausea overcame him. He retched. With flickering eyelights, he pressed himself toward the bed gable. It felt like the cabin was shrinking. It was so small.

Gasping, he crawled off the door, toward the door. He couldn’t do this. At the moment Razz didn’t care that he was the queen of Beobyra, he didn’t even care that the people out there were his kidnappers. He couldn’t be alone in this small cabin anymore. Alone with his thoughts. Pounding at the door, even he realized the sound was weak. There was no way they’d hear it. Though perhaps it was only him; his soul’s pounding still swallowed all noises. A drop of sweat slid into his mouth. It tasted salt.

He tugged at the handle desperately, not expecting anything to happen. With a squeaking sound, the door slid open. Razz stared in disbelief as the hallway appeared on the other side of the opening. Open. Someone had forgotten to lock it. Breathing a sigh of relief, he fought to get to his feet and almost stumbled outside. He honestly didn’t care whether the pirates would attack him – which seemed more likely than not seeing how at least most of them were Peosanira – or not. He couldn’t – wouldn’t – stay alone in there another minute.

Hurrying as fast as he could toward the way he thought the outside was, if he remembered right, Razz hummed the music box’s ancient melody in a try to keep himself relatively calm. It worked a little. With a relieved smile, he saw the door which had to lead to deck. There was yelling from the other side, he realized. He thought. The door was thick and the sound was muffled. Though that was probably how it sounded on a ship’s deck, always. He remembered how the sailors on his own ship had yelled all the time so they could be heard over the wind. Some of them had had trouble to stop yelling when they were indoors or talking to him.

Couldn’t yell at the princess after all.

The images still flickering in his mind, of his brother being ill, dying, he hurried faster. He had regained some balance. Almost tearing the door open, Razz stepped out into pure chaos. He gaped as he stared at the scenery in front of him.

Crewmembers and foreigners were battling on both ships. Most seemed to be on the ship they were hooked together with but there were fights on Sarynthia as well. The loud clinging of steel echoed. Normally a sound he appreciated, but with his current helplessness it rang threateningly in his ears. He spotted Red, fighting back to back with the Quartermaster on the other ship – a Triman ship, he quickly noted. They were grinning at the bloodshed. His nightmare was forgotten. Gaping, Razz took a step backwards, back in. He leaned backward, his mouth was turning dry. Gripping the door handle hard, he began to retreat.

A foreign human turned toward him, their eyes widening. They looked desperate. Knowing that look far too well, having seen it in the court of law often, Razz gathered his skirts in one hand and closed the door between them with a bang. His pulse quickened as he turned. He ran.

The squeaking of the door witnessed to that it had been opened, and the loud clicking of his own footsteps were joined by the thumping of someone else’s. The inside of the ship was a labyrinth, and the wooden walls and doors were nothing but a brown blur as he bolted past them. Against someone with weapons or magic he didn’t have a chance. Not without his own magic or a weapon of his own. The steps closed in on him, and he gasped as he felt himself stepping on the skirt and stumbling.

Quickly, he managed to stand straight and continue running, but apparently not fast enough. A hand grabbed his wrist, and as he turned around to kick he felt cold steel press against his throat. Freezing, Razz stared at the human. They had a wild expression on their face, triumphant but scared. Both were breathing uncontrolledly. Without a word, the human circled him. He didn’t move. One wrong step and he’d walk straight into the sword’s blade.

“Walk,” the human commanded from behind, and he growled.

“HOW DARE YOU?” he said, despite the cold steel pressing slightly harder against the bone. The felling almost made him shudder. “I AM EMP-“

“Shut up,” the human interrupted him. Their voice was firm, despite a slight tremble. Razz wouldn’t have obeyed, hadn’t he hissed in pain as the sword sliced his neck, drawing marrow. It was a familiar pain, burning the same way as every time he’d been hit during sparring. It still hurt, though, and he knew they wouldn’t hesitate to do worse. Might even kill him, or wound him seriously. He shut up.

They forced his steps back out on deck. Razz was fuming as he walked where the other told him. Once he came home and had gotten everything in order he’d attack Trima without mercy. Make them regret treating him like this. They’d be defeated within weeks. An almost savage growl was the only sound he made as they told him to walk out on deck, among the chaos still there. The chaos that slowly decimated as the human yelled, and everyone realized he was held at a sword tip.

Someone ran, swinging to the other ship, and soon Red, Fell and the captain had all returned to their own ship. Razz stared at them, refusing to let the fear show. Forcing colour to his face, forcing himself not to tremble. Stood still and straight, as always. Despite the way his soul beat erratically, how he could feel a slight dripping of sweat down his spine.

“Let us go,” the human called out, loud. “Or I will kill them. Whoever they are they’re obviously important with those clothes.”

The sword tip pressed harder to his neck, as if they felt the need to prove it, and Razz bit down on his lower jaw to keep himself from gasping in pain. He glanced at Red. The pirate stared at him, face paler than usual, with wide, dark sockets. Standing completely stiff. Red was gaping, and then turned to Fell and Undyne and growled something inaudible.

Finally, the captain bared her sharp teeth and nodded once. She dispelled the blue spear she was holding.

“Fine,” she said tightly. “Get the fuck off my ship and let him go. We won’t attack.”

Razz could almost feel the human’s grin, and he gritted his fangs in fury. This was fucking humiliating.  The human hissed to him to move again, and he was forced to step toward the ship’s railing until he stood pressed against it. The sword never left his neck. Three seconds of slack, and that’d be all he needed. Three seconds and he could duck and attack. He didn’t get those seconds.

The Trimin sailors quickly left the ship, and he waited tensely for when the human would do the same. Eventually, no foreigners were on the ship anymore, except for them. Suddenly, Razz felt a hand on his scapula.

“And to make sure you won’t follow us…” the human said, voice cold. They pushed.

Despite his bracing against it, Razz felt himself falling over the railing. A shriek pushed past his teeth as the unforgiving sea closed in on him, and he heard a yell: “razz!” before he hit the surface. Hard.

All air was pushed out of him as he sank beneath the water. At first, he didn’t feel anything except for the pressure of it rushing inside his skull, pushing against the sensitive bone. Then the cold overcame him. It was freezing, cooler than anything he had ever felt. Not even Beobyra’s unforgiving winters were this mind-numbing. Razz tumbled around, feeling dizzy and not knowing what was up and down. Everything was dark. The sound of rushing water and his soul was deafening. His teeth pressed together in a desperate try to not lose his last oxygen.

As he felt his skirts starting to drag him in one direction, he gazed into the other. Light. That had to be up. He was trembling, feeling the deep trying to drag him down, as he fought to get there. Skeletons didn’t float well, especially not dressed in heavy skirts, but he kicked and trashed against the currents as he felt his limbs growing stiff. As black spots appeared for his eyes and felt himself relax slightly against his will. As his body wanted him to just let the sea take him, no matter how his mind screamed for him to keep fighting, keep living.

There was a loud splash which drowned out every other noise. Even the noise of his bones rattling violently. A flash of red, and Razz felt how he was dragged upwards. The deep was still trying to drag him down, but he grew lighter and lighter the closer to the light he came. As they broke the surface, he dragged in a deep breath and choked as he spat out water. It flowed out of his skull, from his ears, his sockets, his nose, his mouth. Blinking blearily as he felt himself leaving the freezing water, hanging freely in the air. He turned his head, still choking, realizing he was in the captain’s arms. She too was trembling, although not as badly.

With a thump they hit the deck, and a loud voice barked out “BLANKETS!”

The arms let go off him, and he fell to his knees, choking up more water. Hands hit his back, hard, helping him get it out of his lungs.

“breathe,” a fake-calm voice told him, and Red kneeled in front of him, looking worried. “breathe, princess, breathe.”

Nodding, Razz did his best to suck in the oxygen he needed. He felt lightheaded. Everything was spinning slightly.

“tha’s good, jus’ like tha’.”

Warmth surrounded him as he felt himself getting swept into blankets and lifted into someone’s arms. Fell’s. The quartermaster hurried inside with him, and he was taken to a part of the ship he’d never seen before. The taller was cradling him against his chest, and at the moment Razz didn’t even feel like protesting against being held like a babybones. The warmth and calm radiating from the other was too comfortable.

He was put down in front of a fire. Looking around, he realized they must be in the ship’s caboose. A purple fire elemental was standing in a corner, in front of a stove. He had a pot on it, which he was stirring with a wooden sleeve. Razz wasn’t sure why he took note of that. It was unimportant. Perhaps it was the light-headedness.

He didn’t even protest as Fell dragged of him the wet dresses and only left the chemise and the thinnest underskirt on before covering him in new, thick and dry blankets.

Red sat down next to him, taking his hands in his and blowing warm air. Razz felt himself trembling, bones rattling heavily as he slowly thawed. Undyne joined him, sitting on the other side of the fire and trembling as well. The elemental shoved two mugs filled with soup into their hands, quietly commanding them to drink.

“IS-ISN’T A FIRE O-O-ONBOARD D-DANGEROUS?” he stuttered, unable to keep his fangs from chattering.

“not when ‘t’s elemental fire from someone as in control as grillbz,” Red replied, grinning slightly. “focus ‘n warmin’ up now, princess.”

“EMPRESS,” Razz said, but obeyed for once in his life. “OR Q-Q-QUEEN.”

Once the two wet monsters had dried up, and stopped shivering so badly, Fell smiled grimly at the two of them.

“YOU KNOW, YOUR MAJESTY,” he said with a raised eyebrow, “I THINK YOU’VE MADE QUITE THE IMPRESSION ON MY BROTHER. HE ALMOST JUMPED DOWN TO GET YOU HIMSELF. WOULD HAVE, IF HE HADN’T BEEN STOPPED SO SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY CAN SWIM COULD DO IT INSTEAD.”

A crimson blush rose on Red’s cheek as he glared at the quartermaster. Razz blinked, before a smile appeared on his face. His bones felt warmer from hearing that. He wasn’t sure why, but they did. Then he blinked again, and a light scowl appeared on his face.

“YOU’RE BROTHERS?” he asked Fell, but didn’t wait the confirming nod before turning to glare at Red. “YOU’RE THE ONE WHO KNOCKED ME OUT BEFORE KIDNAPPING ME!”

The pirate stared at him for a few moments, before breaking out in a grin. Leaning backwards, he nodded.

“guilty.”

Razz didn’t return to his cabin that night. He and Undyne were ordered by the ship’s physician, Alphys, to stay in the warm kitchen. It was kind of funny how the ship’s physician was a yellow lizard named Alphys, just like the captain of the Castle Guard. And both dated a fish woman. Red and Fell stayed there all night, except for about half-an-hour in which Fell had to leave to make sure everything was going alright for the crew.

“What was the name of that ship?” Razz mumbled just before falling asleep in front of the warm fire. Even the wooden floor covered only by blankets felt soft right now.

“Janaiki,” Undyne replied him, looking slightly curious.

“I’m going to have them all killed,” he said as he felt his eyelids drop and his shoulders sink as he relaxed into unconsciousness.

“good, yer majesty,” Red replied, grinning softly at him. “they deserve ‘t for tha’ stunt.”