#the evil inside of him matures. and he will be scared and confused and cry from my actions but i must lest everyone die.

[the-knife-consumer]

Working on my own zelda design...

[crackinwise]

My pet AU is Kiyotaka and Mondo somehow out in the post-Tragedy Japan, surviving and saving people. Like either they didn't agree to stay locked in Hope's Peak for safety, or they survived the game and left with the others but didn't join Future Foundation. Major points up front, details divided into sections under the cut:

Mondo's objective would be to find his gang, and Taka's goal, besides finding his dad, would be repairing society while punishing those responsible for its destruction. But their direct task is keeping each other safe & helping victims along the way.

Mondo even stresses calling Taka "Ishimaru" instead of "bro" or his given name in front of others, so they might KNOW who's saving them. Taka caught on quick & is very grateful.

Taka would have kind of a breakdown reconciling who he is with what he has to do in a lawless world where every public moral is ignored. He keeps a small ledger of places they loot from, to compensate in the future.

At the start, Taka can only sleep burrowed against Mondo's chest or back, blocking out their damaged surroundings & pretending everything is as it was.

He cries in Mondo's arms one night after he couldn't avoid killing someone to save Mondo's life, and that's the tipping point. He thinks if he was better, stronger like his bro, he'd have noticed sooner & found a better option. Mondo is being so brave; he's Taka's rock and Taka wants to be as steady for him too. Their souls are already connected so obviously he just has to borrow more of Mondo's spirit, right?

That's how Ishida is created.

(In reality, Mondo just compartmentalizes and shoves down unhelpful feelings. You thought he needed therapy BEFORE all this, oh man-)

Ishida:

Taka ends up slipping into the Ishida facade for fight and flight; any time adrenaline kicks in and he feels he needs that boost. Sadly, that's most of their waking time. He guards Mondo and anyone they're saving like a fierce watchdog, and won't hesitate to bite.

He'll only come out of the role when he personally verifies it's safe and if Mondo can confirm it. Survivors are confused by the dual-sided Ishimaru switching right in front of them, but they're so grateful (and so much weird crap has happened) that it never phases them long.

Too many times, Ishida will go all day without a break. This means when their hideout for the night is absolutely safe, that it's okay to let go, Taka just collapses in exhaustion. But Mondo is there to catch him.

Mondo feels conflicted over the Ishida role because Taka is just a beast in it--it's very flattering and a little hot--but it also makes him worry more than before about Taka's health. He comforts Taka with a lot of praise and reassurances, and Taka sleeps lightly but otherwise fine.

Relationship: (slight mature warning)

When they touch, Taka swears he can feel the link between them flare to fuel them. Twin fires ignited. Mondo doesn't know about all that, but when their eyes meet it definitely makes him feel invincible, so, he can believe.

If they weren't already new boyfriends when The Tragedy hit, all this closeness makes sure of that soon after. Being together is their happiness and, for a while, their only link to pre-Tragedy lives. Vows not unlike marriage were exchanged one night. Where one goes, the other will follow. Anywhere. Always.

When they kiss, safe and alone, Mondo will ask what Taka wants; what he can handle that night. Sometimes it's just the kisses before passing out, sometimes it's more intimate touches to please them both after another hellish day.

Sometimes Taka will ask to be made love to, for obvious couple reasons, but also because Mondo inside him makes their tether feel stronger, more complete. Like going over the invisible line in bold marker. Taka believes any marks they can create with their mouths, any traces of themselves they can leave on or in each other, the easier they can find their bond and tap into it. (He had started a nervous habit of pressing in on lovebites to keep Ishida going when tired.)

Mondo tells him he doesn't need to find a poetic excuse for fetishes and Taka lovingly answers with a stomach punch.

Crazy Diamonds:

Mondo's gang members, the ones not dead or overcome with Despair, are slowly found and joined back up.

Any smaller and sturdier motorcycles are kept when found. If Mondo was able to keep his own in this version, it's a bit heavier than would be good for any off-roading--and much too loud for any stealth--but he refuses to part with it.

Every gang member respected Taka/Ishida the second they saw him fight beside their leader. Before Mondo says a word about him. They readily take orders from him in either form. The change in appearance was a surprise, but they're already used to some members wildly changing demeanor in or away from the gang, so it's easily accepted.

With the gang as backup to keep watch during downtime--after Ishida sized each one up and watched them for loyalty--the pair can feel a lot more relaxed. They joke about having a date in a blown-out restaurant they find, and they can finally enjoy a deep sleep.

When the group finds safehouses with more than one room, Mondo & Taka are given their privacy. Taka tries to insist everyone deserves a chance at privacy and they should rotate, but changing a gang's long-established hierarchy is a losing battle. And Mondo's not on his side because when they're alone he can be as sappy or touchy as he likes.

Legends:

Taka and Mondo save a lot of people over their journey and kinda become a legend that gets spread around and gives people Hope.

This area still needs work from me. Probably some research into Japanese myths and supernatural symbolism. A placeholder right now is something corny like "Two Men with burning eyes and thunderous voices will answer your cries for help. But if you're evil, the two will appear to you as One Demon and drag you down to the land of the dead."

There's also probably a need for costume changes since their color scheme is the same black & white of the Despair Remnants and monokumas killing people. Legend or not, it'd be easy for traumatized survivors to not know they're good guys at first.

Darker Moments: (blood, violence and vague attempted sexual assault)

After he killed a man to save Mondo, Taka luckily (he wouldn't use that word) doesn't have to again. Hurt? Yes. Beat unconscious? Yes. Maim? Yes, but some of the vile dregs of humanity are caught doing things that deserve worse--

--That deserve Mondo. Once when they were still traveling alone, a group of Remnants jumped them, managing to separate the two, and one knocked Taka out with a bad blow to the head. Mondo dispatched the others attacking him and got to Taka right as the Remnant was about to do something unforgivable.

Mondo snapped. He still doesn't remember what he did, he just remembers coming to in all the blood and dazedly picking Taka up to take him to a place he knew was safe.

Taka never finds out. He woke up a day later with a bandaged head and Mondo crying and kissing his hands. Mondo just told him he beat some and scared away the others.

Minor Details:

They try to always fight back-to-back and, to observers, seem to read each other's mind for where to move.

Taka/Ishida would use a sword or hand-to-hand. The pickaxe might just be a random pickaxe they find, if he uses it at all. Kinda hard to carry both a sword and a railroad pickaxe on your back, and I can't imagine it balances very well. (The size in official pics would be a 5lb head w/2-3lb handle.)

Mondo seems like he would use anything lying in debris to fight. Poles, pipes, chains. Aaaand maybe the knives he mentions in School Mode.

For any costume changes, Mondo would keep his jacket at least. A beacon for the Diamonds. Maybe a purple tank top, and different pants better for knife holsters. Unless the holster should wrap around his waist or hip instead?

Any changes to Taka's outfit would keep his armband. It's a reminder of his Talent and his goal to make Japan even better than before. Also wanna keep his boots or change to more rugged ones.

End Goal:

Obviously they'd end up in Towa, after the events of Ultra Despair Girls. They're reunited with Takaaki and Takemichi. Maybe they help set things right there a bit, or Makoto would get word to them about his plans vs Future Foundation's. Look at me, do I look like someone that knows how to end things?

There is no way you read all that. (I love you if you did.) But feel free to use all or any bits of it in your own works. Almost positive I'll never get to compose all this into a coherent fic format. I might update in short scenario posts under a 'Tragedy-survivor au' tag if I think of anything.

If you have a question or want something expanded upon, ask away.

[wolvesandpetals]

Loki x Sylvie Post-Finale Fanfiction (Angst, Rated Teen) Part 2 of 2

Part 1 is here:

She never knew it would hurt this much when the person she loves is right in front of her, but she can't reach out and touch him; when she is still her, he is still him, but everything else has changed, like an invisible lever in an old theatre changing the scenery in the background, bringing them both to the part of the play where they are hopelessly lost.

[[MORE]]

All it took was one single moment, one single decision, and everything feels irrevocably broken now. It makes her contemplate on the true nature of relationships, how fragile they are, and how easy it is to shatter them- and her.

The smoke is slowly clearing, and all that seems to be left is a man who is doing his best to keep his distance from her, physically and emotionally.

She can tell from the way he stands with his arms crossed, or his fists clenced when his hands are by his side, that he really doesn't want to hold her hand. How can something so simple as the touch of his fingers be so vital to her existence that it feels like something has been ripped out from inside her?

She wants to reach out and touch him, but she is scared that if he pulls away outright, any hope of reconciliation that she still has left will shatter into pieces.

And she really needs this hope. It's the only thing she still has left. It's the only thing that keeps her going.

---

He looks like a man with a mission.

They spent quite a long time together, running from the TVA, running towards the citadel at the end of time, hoping to achieve their goal of bringing down the one behind the curtains.

But that was her mission, and he was there for her. She was the one behind the wheels, he was the one keeping the sails afloat.

Now it's different. Now he has a defined goal, a glorious purpose.

She's seeing him in a whole new light now, and not just because he has switched to Asgardian leather and metal armors.

As far as she is concerned, she is better off doing it all alone. One woman army, nobody to get in her way, nobody to screw up her plans. Nobody to blame her if it all goes to shit.

Or so it was, until two months ago, when Mobius decided to enlist her help in fixing the multiversal madness.

She has never really worked with people before, and it's weird, to say the least. She never considered herself a team player, but she is finding herself hating the idea less and less lately.

And she swears it has nothing to do with him. Not the fact that they are working together, and seeing his face first thing in the morning brings her a sense of calm that she quite can't explain. Or the fact that their rooms are next to each other and it makes her feel secure enough to finally get some rest at nights. Or that this whole arrangement has kept them on talking terms, when they had gone their own separate ways otherwise.

Nothing to do with that at all.

---

Humans are stupid, and the biggest evidence of this is how they decided that two extremely powerful Gods skilled at magic, enchantment, and defeating an evil extra dimensional cloud that swallows everything it touches, should be delegated to the role of research. "You're clever. You're good at reading people. You can put yourselves in the shoes of the bad guys, no offense", they said, but really, what they meant was, "We can't trust you out in the field much." She knows it, he knows it. She just doesn't know why he's complying.

That's how they find themselves researching every single day.

She likes to think he's not the only reason why she's studying in the library instead of in the comfort of her room, but that'd be a lie.

At first, he chooses to sit at a separate table. But she keeps going over to his to "get his opinion" on something in the file she's reading, and finally, he gives in. Their current arrangement consists of him sitting in the chair in front of her, to the left, prim and proper, while she hoists her feet up on the table.

He falls asleep on the desk one night, face smacked against a file, the tiniest bit of drool forming at the corner of his mouth. It would be a hilarious sight, if her heart wasn't feeling what she can only describe as longing.

They should probably talk about it, like mature adults, but neither of them know how to do that.

All she can do right now is gather the courage to run her fingers through his hair. The touch is hesitant at first, as if one wrong move would make him wake up and push her back to square one. Slowly, she relaxes, letting her fingers dance on his scalp.

He stirs in his sleep. "Please Sif. I'm sorry. Don't cut off my glorious locks, please."

Now this is a story she must hear when things are better.

If things are better.

---

Doctor Strange joins them very briefly, very rarely, but the tension between him and Loki is hard to miss. It's worse than the current situation with her, and that's saying something.

"You don't really like Stephen, do you?"

Something inside him seems to shift, but he masks it behind a non-chalant look immediately and just arches an eyebrow at her. "He's Stephen now, is he?"

"Well, that is his name." She shrugs. "What do you call him?"

"Strange", he spits the word out with an amount of irritation that indicates there definitely is a story there. "That is his name", he mimics.

She can't help the smirk that spreads across her lips. "What did he do to you?"

"Nothing", he lies, ignoring the horrifying flashbacks of thirty minutes of endless falling. Not a single soul must ever know a mere human got the best of him. "What can he do to me? I'm a God among those mortals. He just irks me because he is so pompous, and arrogant, and he ceaselessly uses magic to toy with others."

She pretends to think deeply. "Now where have I seen that before?"

He scoffs. "You mock me, but I am nothing like him. For one, I am not rude."

"He seems fine to me", she declares decisively.

It's the first time in months that he gives her a cheeky grin. "That's because you're rude too."

---

They are still just containing the threats to their world, instead of finding a way to fortify the barriers between worlds and stop the threats from coming.

"Shouldn't we have a plan to seal off the other worlds from ours?" She asks him one day.

"They are working on it." He tells her, and then with a look of worry, adds, "I hope."

There are debates on what to do at the Avengers tower and at the TVA. Nobody seems to agree on what the best course of action is, but everyone seems to be following the general instructions of Doctor Strange.

During one such meeting, a Minuteman makes the mistake of voicing out loud how she wondered if things would be better if they were running according to their old boss's plans.

Sylvie feels the guilt wash over her once more.

"No", Loki tells them all firmly. The determination in his voice takes her completely by surprise. "Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, middling, makes no difference. The degree is arbitrary. The definition’s blurred." She catches him steal a glance at her direction. "We couldn't have left a dictator in charge just because it's convenient. Listen, I'm the bad guy. I've done horrible, unspeakable things. I thought humans needed to be ruled. I wanted to rule. But even I know that it's not right to take away a person's life completely. These are innocent people. You are innocent people. You have families back home, parents, children", a pause and a softening of his features, "-love. A whole past, a whole future. That man had no right to take it away from you."

His powers of persuasion are foreign to her, and it's mesmerizing to watch. Her enchantments cannot hold a candle to how he is able to just talk people into doing what he wants, thinking what he thinks, seeing what he sees.

"He who remains had a plan. One, singular plan, from one, singular man." There is absolute conviction in his voice. "It's not the only way. We'll find another way. A better way."

She has never known what it is like to have someone see you for who you are- broken and flawed, and defend you- even your well-intentioned actions that yielded different results than what you expected and hurt them in the process. She suspects it has been the same for him, a lifetime of not having anyone have his back.

The warm feeling inside her is brand new. What is the name of this? Comfort? Relief?

Happiness?

---

This will be their first time out in the field in a long time, and she feels a little sick to the stomach.

He notices. "Are you alright?"

The concern in his voice tugs at her heartstrings. She nods. She has faced way worse, she shouldn't be so nervous about this, but she is. "I've never done this before."

"We can always just kill him and blame it on the Chitauris", he suggests with a serious face.

"I heard that", Peter yells from the other room, where he is doing whatever it is that teenagers do to prepare for battle.

She shakes her head in disbelief. "I can't believe we're babysitting."

"I've done this before", he assures her, and it surprises her to picture him being entrusted with such a serious task. "The trick is to conjure up illusions that keep them distracted enough to not cry."

She laughs. "You're thinking of infants. This one is a little older."

"I'm over a thousand years old, Sylvie. They're all infants to me."

Peter joins them, mask covering his face so that he doesn't reveal his identity. "So what do I call you? Loki and Loki? That's confusing. How about Loki and Lady Loki? Or is that offensive? I'm not suggesting women are inferior, because they're absolutely not..."

"Does he come with an off switch?" She whispers in horror as Peter rambles on.

Loki grins. With one wave of his hand and a flash of green, Peter's own webbing shoots out and seals his mouth shut.

---

Things are fine but not fine at the same time. He's right there beside her, but not there at all. They have their banters, they have their stolen glances, but they haven't had a meaningful conversation since that first day when she got back. She's been putting it off for a long time, but she knows they really do need to have the talk.

She corners him in his room one evening while he's tinkering with a temporal collar. She takes a seat in the chair next to his bed and rests her hand on the table, leaning her head against her palm, before switching position and crossing her arms and legs. Everything about her posture screams uneasiness. If he notices- he probably does- he doesn't say anything.

"You defended me that day."

He briefly looks up from the task at hand and gives her a soft smile. "Of course."

She blinks. "I don't understand." Her hands involuntary rise up to rub her temples. "If you can justify my actions to them, then how can you still be mad at me?"

"I'm not mad at you", he says without missing a beat.

"Rubbish", her words come out angrier than she intended. This frustration is the result of the months of status quo they have had. She has to know now, one way or the other. "You're distant. You're guarded", she accuses. Then her voice breaks, as she feels a part of her break all over again with her next words. "You don't hold my hand. Why? Tell me."

He abandons the collar and focuses his full attention on her. Staring straight into her eyes, he answers her. "You know why."

"I wouldn't be asking if I did. Look, if it's because I chose the mission over you-"

"-Of course it's not that." He says decisively. Then a sad smile clouds his face. It's the same look he had when she accused him of conning her to gain the throne. "Do you think I'm the type of man who would want a woman to abandon her life-long ambitions just because she has met someone?"

She knows he isn't. But it still doesn't answer why he is so cross with her. "What is it then?"

He pauses for a moment, trying to decide whether he wants to bare his soul out to her once more or not. There are two ways he can go from here- choose to not let her in again and save himself from the hurt, or trust her again and open himself up to potential pain.

Who is he kidding? Pushing her away- keeping her away- doesn't hurt any less.

There were a thousand things that had to go wrong to bring two Lokis from two universes together. A connection like that, it doesn't just happen.

And it doesn't just go away. The pain is constant, it's a part of him, pounding like a second heart every second he has to stop himself from reaching out for her hand.

This has to come to an end.

He takes in a deep breath, bracing himself. "You didn't have to send me away, Sylvie. I wanted to stop you from making the same mistakes I did. But in the end, I didn't care what you chose. I just wanted us to do it together."

She never even imagined this could be the reason for his hurt. All these months spent thinking he hates her for her choices, and now it turns out he is hurt simply because she chose to do it alone? "I'm sorry." She says sincerely. "I just wanted you to be safe."

"And I just wanted to be there with you till the end." He confesses. His eyes shimmer with the emotions he has kept bottled in for so long. "You go, I go."

She doesn't know what to say to that. She has never been good at articulating her feelings. Tears stream down her cheeks at the realisation that even after everything, he is still there for her.

She didn't cry even back at Lamentis when they thought they were going to die. She doesn't let anyone see her cry when she is sad or scared. That's all she has known her whole life. She's used to it by now.

This is new. These are tears of relief. Comfort.

Happiness.

Tentatively, she crosses over to the bed and sits by his side.

It's quiet for a few minutes. But unlike the months of tension so thick she could cut it into splices with her daggers, this is comfortable silence. The kind they had before it all went wrong.

"Did you even miss me?" He whispers.

"What kind of silly question is that? Of course I did." Her shaking hands grab his, and oh how she missed this.

He intertwines their fingers. His eyes draw closed. Bliss. That's the only word for this feeling.

He opens his eyes again and studies her. She's staring back at him, teary-eyed, but with a hopeful smile. "Really? Because you have a really unique way of showing it. You didn't even come looking for me."

"I didn't know how to face you", she tells him honestly. No tricks, no enchantment, no treachery. Not with him. "I didn't know if you even wanted to see me." Her voice grows quieter, dropping to a timbre that perfectly encapsulates her deepest fear. "I thought you hated me."

"Hate you?" He is shocked that she thinks that is even possible, specially after seeing him these last few months. "Sylvie, I'm working with the Avengers. The Avengers. Do you know how much I hate them? They are my nemesis. They're self-righteous, condescending, and so completely dull. Every second with them makes me want to rip their hearts out. Why do you think I'm here with them?"

She thinks she knows. But she needs to hear it anyway.

"It's because of you." He lays it all out on the table. All cards on deck, win or lose. "You've been running away. I have been the one who has been here, trying to hold down the fort, working to fix everything. Because that is what one does when one loves-"

Shit. The word slips out before he realises it.

Their eyes go wide in unison.

"Sylvie, I-"

"-Don't you dare take it back now." She warns him. "I-" She doesn't know how to say it either. They make such a great pair, both equally daft at saying how they feel, like they are teenagers, not Gods who have lived for centuries. "I've been running because I didn't think I could bear the burden of knowing I found you and then I lost you. I don't want to lose you. Not now, not ever."

He kisses the back of her hand, before letting it go. He cups her face, gently caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. "I don't want to lose you either."

She leans in closer, until their foreheads touch. She can feel his breath on her face, warm and soft. That is exactly how she feels inside. "You won't", she promises. "You go, I go."

---

(Quote on Lesser Evil from The Witcher. Thanks for reading!!)

[thekillingjoke-haha]

Prime Time,Bitch!

Tagged: @spnquotebingo the keep reading function is messing up for me

Sam said he was locked up tight in the dungeon. He was never locked in with her. She was locked in with him. The hunter becomes the hunted with no where to run.

Warning: Mature Language,Blood,Gore,Character Death?

-"Thoughts"- (they are red for those who can see)"Quotes" 'Reading'

"I'll be right back. This demon side is fighting to stay in control. I just need a few more pints of blood." Sam said as he slung a bag on his shoulder. "Yeah I got it get some food to!" Y/n said with a smile as she walked him to the impala. The roar of the engine rumbled as she waved him off going back inside what she didn't know was Dean knew that Sam just left and a chilling smile grew on his face.

Y/n popped popcorn as she sat in her room a horror movies playing as she got comfortable. A scream came from the movie drowning out the sound of the dungeon door opening up. The youngest Winchester laughed as a girl tripped over nothing her and Dean always make fun of them they had no real reason to hit the ground so they should get right up. This made her slightly sad. Was Sam going to fix Dean or was it already to late for him? Shaking off the thought the killer was about to crush the women's skull when the power cut out,but the red emergency lights didn't cut on yet which was weird. "God damnit." She grumbled getting up and grabbed a flashlight and went to the breaker to fix it walking right past the open door. Flipping the switch the normal lights don't turn on only the red ones and she turned around to get her phone to call Sam when she dropped her flashlight. Y/n gazed at the empty chair in the center of a devils trap she took off running to her room,but paused he knew she would run there for her phone and Dean or the demon he's become won't let her get help. She changed course to Sam's panic room to hide.

"Oh N/n where are you? I miss my little sister don't you miss me?" A metal sound of something dragging on the floor made her tense. Thinking of all possible things it could be of how she's going to die.–'It could be a bat,but we don't have any metal ones in the bunker. Maybe a sledgehammer,but that would have ment he when into the garage and the power going out would have locked everything.''– Her eyes widen as she released what it was he must have been carrying around she was sharpening it with the rest of the blades earlier that day."Have you figured it out yet? I know how you think when a horror movie is playing you see ever scenario before the movie can catch up. No wonder Sammy says you cheat at Clue!" Dean laughed as he seemed to wander to each room. The sound of wood splitting as he yelled "Here's Johnny!!!" It seemed so much worse that Dean was the evil this time a normal demon would know her so personally this seemed almost cruel him quoting films they watched together. "What to clichés? I admit the axe is old school."

The panic room the size of a cubbie it was so small,but just big enough I could calm down and think properly. Looking up another version of myself sat in front of me...my conscience. I could speak,but she could she's in my head after all. –"You can't run. There's nowhere to go doors locked down the moment the lights went."– I saw a illusion of myself running through the halls just to hit a corner and get a axe to the chest before it faded away. –"Can't go for your phone or your laptop he probably broke it the moment he noticed you weren't in your room."– I saw myself creep into my room just to see a shattered phone and my laptop with a cracked screen buffering to open instant messenger to text Sam. The laptop was slammed shut on my fingers causing some to break and get sliced by the glass looking up the sick grin of the Demon caught my eye before the axe ended that path. –"The burner. The one in your dresser Dean doesn't know about it so neither would the demon.Get it and get back here as quickly as possible. "– It was settled call for help. Listening for any foot steps I creep out of the hiding space a faint whistle going off down one of the many halls way from my room. Sneaking down the hallway staying low I get to my room where the door is torn to shreds as I open my drawer and fish out the phone. Going back down the hallway I get back to Sam's room and immediately call him.

"This call has been forwarded to a automatic voice message at the tone ples–" Hanging up I call again and again with no answer. At this point help was no longer a option. The whistling seemed to get closer and I rushed to the panic room until I paused. –"A enclosed space in a closet. There's not much space to move around if he finds you there your done for."– I back away slightly. –"Behind the door offers a easy place to hide and get out,but if he does the same to Sammy's door he did to yours it's not much of a hiding spot then."– A axe goes through the door creating a massive hole and Dean peaks inside and sees the white of you tank top in your (f/n) flannel. The door was whole again as I looked around the sound of metal getting louder running out of time. –"Under the bed allows you to see him without him seeing you,but like the panic cubbie not a lot of wiggle room if he hears you your done."– It was too late running to the metal door of the panic room she slams it shut not to loud to sound like she's trying to hide it,but just loud enough for the demon to register it. Sealing it shut I slip under the bed and wait for the time to get out and hopefully find a weapon.

Boots walked into the room turning to the closed closet. "Oh N/n!~ There's only so many places to hide in such a small room. Did you really think I wouldn't hear that heavy ass door close?" He chuckled darkly as he opened the closet and went to the small door. Dean tried turning the wheel to unsealed it,but it seemed to dawn on him that it could only be opened from the inside. With a huff anger he began pulling the brick of the wall started to bend outwards and crack. I was glad I wasn't in there. Going to slip out from under the bed while he's distracted the burner phone rang its annoying ringtone. Not even bothering to stop it I rush to get out faster,but a firm grip caught my ankle and dragged me out. Turning onto my back Dean stood their his apple green eyes staring at me. "Found you." He lifted up the axe having let go of my ankle lifting up my feet I put as much strength as possible into kicking his stomach. The demon was knocked back into the closest hitting the ground. Unfortunately axe still in hand. Stanfing up I ran leaving the phone behind. -"Sam took Baby so the trunk armory is out of the question. The garage has so pretty handy tools too bad that it was sealed along with the front and only entrance. Kitchen has knifes none that can hurt him,but just enough to slow him down. Library demon blade was in there last you checked,but Sam could have grabbed and put it on a high shelf."– Too many options and the kitchen was closer so that was the first stop grabbing a knife I held it tightly as a stalked slowly to the Library to see if there were any supernatural weapons.

The library was dark and the red lighting barely lit up the large room. "Would you like to play a game?" Dean mocked in a deep voice as he went around the bunker his voice echoing no real pinpointing where he is. I can't call Sam and prying to Cas hasn't worked meaning Dean made angel banishing symbols in most of the rooms. Y/n was getting desprit the bunkers massive size most of it was unexplored by them so being lost in a underground maze b wasn't the best option. "Are you scared yet Y/n? Well be afraid. Be very afraid. I'm what goes bump in the night sweetheart! Never thought the Winchester’s downfall will be by the hands of the oldest. What a twist!!! Right?" Dean yelled turning to the table I saw the supplies I cleaned with,but the weapons were gone and a note was left on in their place. 'Hey Y/n I put the weapons back into the trunk for tomorrow's hunt so you wouldn't have to...you're welcome and your blade was just sitting on the table so I put it up. ~Love Sam' I wanted to cry oh chuck nothing can save me in this buncker Bobby was sending us gallons of holy water next week because we were low...all rooms were demon proof,but he seemed to be a exception now,so no calling Crowley either.

Turning around the library doors open and I duck behind one of the many shelves. "Welcome to my nightmare!~" He said with a chuckle that bounced from every wall. Dean knocked down books and destroyed anything in his way while he looked around. Crawling on the ground I go to leave when the sound of something whooshing in the arm made me drop like a bag of rocks. The axe meet the shelf and I gazed at the red illuminated face of my brother eyes now black and demented. Laughter bubbled out of his chest as he mumbled. "Carful dear wouldn't want to lose you head." Yanking the axe free many books tumbled down. Taking the kitchen knife in hand I slash his calf and go for his thigh when the knife is flung out of my hands. "You little bitch!!!" He hissed now holding the knife and showing it into my stomach. A silent cry came from my lips bot to give him the satisfaction of my screams just yet. I look up at him and just past his head where I couldn't normally reach was the handle of my blade peeking over the shelf.

I begin to giggle and it turns into fits of laughter. Black eyes flicker back to confused green ones. "What's so funny?" I catch my breath as I lean up slightly. "You picked the wrong place to corner me. Wanna play?" Grabbing his knee and pulling it buckled under him causing Dean to hit the shelf letting the blade fall freely. Reaching out I catch it "Let’s play." Stabbing upward into his stomach the same place the knife was lodged in my own stomach. He howled in pain as I removed the blade and ran keeping pressure on the knife wound as I turned corners just to get away. -'He played with your head play with his. The intercomes...a good distraction can lead him away and let you get the jump.'- I hurry to the intercoms not before making a pit stop.

Demon!Dean POV

I growl at the wound on my body the little shit stabbed me. This makes killing her so much easier then she can be just like me. Grabbing the axe I stomp through the bunker. "What a excellent day for an exorcism." Her voice sounded through the speakers now I know were she is. "Would you like that?" I said aloud with a grin. "Intensely." Y/n said trying to make her voice horse before the clipping sound of the intercom stopping rang out before being replaced with a creepy melody that always scared her. "There was a crooked man. He walked a crooked mile he had a crooked six pence upon a crooked stile." It went on with childish like tones until it got further in the song it was so god damn loud though. "The crooked man stepped forth and... rang the crooked bell and thus his crooked soul... spiraled into a crooked hell.Murdered his crooked family... and laughed a crooked laugh." My ear drums almost burst at the loud deep voiced scream ears still ringing I didn't register the blade being driving into my sholder flinging her back I turn around as she's running down the narrow hallway taking the axe with both hands throw it straight and the axe hit her almost dead center in the spine. The audio cut off after the song and I stood over her. Y/n had her face turned coughing up blood I definitely hit her lung. "Thanks for catching it for me." I smile as I heavily put my foot on the small of her back pulling the axe out. She screamed out it was mildly gurgle from the blood. Turning her over my little sisters eyes shined with unshed tears. "Oh,no tears,please. It's a waste of good suffering." I said with a small whipping the few that slipped by she whimpered Sam's name and I grew frustrated. Lifting the axe again. "Looks like you couldn't make the cut,N/n. Just another extra that stuck around for too long." Dropping the axe down it went into her chest the creaking of her collar bone and sternum were whispers compared to the blood curdling cry. They soon died out as her skin paled and her breathing stopped she'llmake a strong demon. "See you soon." Taking the axe out I begin to drag her body.

The lights in the bunker cut back on meaning Sammy was home. Having placed her perfectly in the chair I was tied to I wait until he finds her standing next to the door. "Y/n?! Y/n!?" He yelled most likely having gone to her room rushing the the dungeon his heavy foot steps abruptly stopped. "Oh God! Y/n come on!" The moose of a man rushed in the room cradling her face in his hand. "You were too late, Sammy. She called your name before she went,but I guess five missed calls wasn't enough for you to rush home. N/n fought for so long waiting it out just for you to never show." I said closing the door as he turned to me standing infront of her corpse. "You didn't make things easy on her. I mean you took all the weapons and put the only thing to defend herself on the top shelf...like keeping the cookie jar way from a child. In some way you killed her before I could." Lifting the demon blade that had his own blood on it. I stalked towards him cornering him in the room. "Sure you won't give me a good chase,but woah she wore me out." Holding the blade to his throat when a gun shot fired and a sting hit my arm causing me to drop the knife.

Y/n stood colt in her left hand the axe keeping her up in her left. "Demons always so sure that what's dead is dead and can't be undead. Ever heard of a pulse jackass. " so distracted that she was alive Sam was able to restrain and she held a handful of bags of blood. "Let's get this over with." She bagan to inject me and I felt myself become mire human and I started thrashing hard. With the last vile in hand she looked into my eyes. "You should be dead." I hissed as she pushed the needle in. "Sorry. I'm into survival."

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

A/n This is the last one in round one of the Spnquotebingo and I ended with a dozen quotes.

Title: "Prime Time,Bitch!" Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

"Here's Johnny!" -The shinning

"Would you like to play a game?" - Saw

"...be afraid. Be very afraid"- The fly

"Welcome to my nightmare."- Nightmare on Elm Street

"..lose your head." Alice in Wonderland

"Wanna play?"- Child's Play

"What a excellent day for an exorcism...Would you like that?....Intensely." - The Exorcist

"There was a crooked man. He walked a crooked mile he had a crooked six pence upon a crooked stile." It went on with childish like tones until it got further in the song it was so god damn loud though. "The crooked man stepped forth and... rang the crooked bell and thus his crooked soul... spiraled into a crooked hell.Murdered his crooked family... and laughed a crooked laugh." - The Conjuring 2

"Oh,no tears,please. It's a waste of good suffering." - Hellraiser

"See you soon." - Coraline

"She called your name before she went,but I guess..." -Hadestown

"...what's dead is dead and can not me undead." -Jacksepticeye (DBD playthrough)

"I'm into survival." ‐Nightmare on Elm Street

[asherlockstudy]

Full offensive thoughts after Stranger Things S4:

Spoilers, obviously.

Let me preface this by saying that season four was certainly my favourite season. How-evah,

I am never going to be okay with that. You know what. That.

I haven’t quite figured out the nature of Steve’s feelings for Robin. Of course they are the best platonic duo I have seen in ages but I was confused by Steve’s small confession that he would like to be in a relationship with Robin but it was impossible. To Nancy, of all people. How is this consistent with him pining for Nancy and daydreaming they have a family?

In any case, that conversation of Jonathan and Nancy in which the latter says that “Steve has become more mature”…. Excuse me, but I am realising Steve has always been the most mature. And even like this, he still knows better himself and what he wants. Just books and knowledge don’t make maturity, dear Nancy. If only Nancy knew once, once! what it is she’s feeling. Don’t let me start with Jonathan…

Jonathan Byers: *How am I gonna tell my little, timid, scared, closeted gay brother that I know and support him???*

Jonathan: *oh I know!*

Jonathan: Hey Will remember that time you stuck a lego man so deep inside you it took me hours to get him out? Just know I can do that again in case someone is stuck, OK?

Will: ?????!!!!!?!!!!!?!!?

Did poor Will cry in all his scenes in this season or what

The strangest thing in Stranger Things is that a boy like Will and a girl like El are so head over heels for Mike. There’s nothing wrong with Mike but… come on.

I really disliked that they didn’t show us the characters’ reactions when they learned about Hopper being actually alive. El is like oh I am so relieved you’re here and that’s it.

I also thought it was off that Joyce and El got undressed at some point and they were pristine clean after those odysseys of theirs - Joyce was also sexy on top of that.

I am a huge Jopper shipper but… that scene where Joyce and Hopper are just about to get it on and Hopper just… looms over her, wasn’t it a little creepy?! And I say this as a very petite girl who has been into tall guys before. I don’t think it was David’s fault, I think it was filmed / written in a weird way. At least I am pretty sure and hopeful David will never see this because he has this whole insecurity thing about his size…

And to prove my love for David and Jopper, I believe it is basically inhuman that at this point Hopper is still denied some fun. Let the man get laid you assholes! You just know it is gonna happen in the last episodes of the show, right?

Now I am going to become a little legitimately evil… Winona was a little weak with her acting. And YES I freaking LOVE Winona since way before Stranger Things.

Last but definitely not least, S4 proves Americans are stupid for not being able to deal with the Demogorgon. Russians have been carrying them in labs and even making surgeries on them with them being conscious. Has anyone thought how the Russians put all these Demogorgons in the vials with that dark matter being kept separately and also guarding and feeding the adult Demogorgons effectively all this time?! Russians have been Demogorgon scholars all along, meanwhile our protagonists just shoot fire and hope for a quick death.

Yuri should be dead by now, and yet

[jae-daddy]

Red Rose (3)

Jaebum Mafia Series

one / two / three /  four / five  masterlist

pairing: im jaebum x reader  genre: mafia, angst, romance, mature plot: im jaebum was your first love in university, but then he disappeared. and now he’s back, and he is a mafia leader? a/n: okay so I got a little carried away, and what about it? lmao jk. hope y’all like it. it’ll get better from next chapter <333 not edited at all

The first time you met Jaebum was on the first day of orientation. Your friend had ditched you last minute, and you didn't know anyone else. You stood off to the side, on the edge of the group wishing to hideaway.

You wondered if you could just go away unnoticed. You probably could, but you were scared to be called, and you also didn’t know what you would do if you walked away. You didn’t come to the city much, and all the streets looked the same. All walking away would have achieved would be endless wandering through the city streets, trying to find some sort of familiarity.

You sighed, checking the time and seeing only twenty minutes had passed.

“Hey, can I sit here?” You looked up to find a dark-haired boy smiling at you as he pointed to the seat occupied with your bag. Your cheeks flushed once you realised you had been staring for a minute too long.

“No. I mean, yes, go for it,” you mumbled, before biting your lip at how awkward you were as you removed your bag.

“I’m Im Jaebum, by the way,” he smiled sitting next to you. You gave him a shy smile back, your fingers a fidgeting mess in your lap.

“Y/n,” you replied softly.

“Are you doing a STEM degree too?” He asked you shook your head before replying, letting him carry you into a friendly conversation. He spent the whole day with you after you told him your friend couldn’t make it.

However, you didn’t get his number, and no matter how much you searched on social media, you couldn’t find him. But then by fate or destiny, you met him again. You were outside the lecture theatre waiting for the class inside to walk out when you felt a presence beside you.

“We meet again,” he smiled at you, and your heart skipped a beat. “Hello, y/n.”

“Let me out of here!” You banged against the door, your fist hurting from the heavy beating against the hard wooden door. “Please!”

You didn’t get a reply. No matter how much you yelled, knocked or kicked against the door, you didn't get a reply.

“Please,” you breathed placing your head against the door. You closed your eyes tight as you pushed back the tears of frustration.

You tried not thinking about what had happened a few hours ago. You didn't want to think about the deafening silence after the gunshot. You didn’t want to remember the red that pooled beneath him, how his limps fell to the floor as the man you had killed slowly bled out.

You had killed someone.

You needed to get out of here.

But you couldn’t. You had woken up in this huge room that belonged to some sort of king. It was magnificent, yet modern and contemporary. It’s how you’d imagine penthouse rooms to be that cost more than your monthly wages. But you knew this wasn’t a penthouse.

The silence, this peaceful, skin-biting silence didn’t exist in the city you lived in. No police sirens were going off every few minutes, no honks, no loud suspicious noises, no screams or yells. There was nothing, absolute quietness, and you were losing your mind.

“Let me out!” You pulled at the door once again, before kicking it once again. You stumbled over to the bed, bringing your knees to your chest as you hid your face into your body.

You wouldn’t cry, you told yourself. You will not cry, not now.

And then, like a miracle, the door swung open and in walked in a familiar boy.

“You,” you breathed, remembering him. He was the card-bearer of the group whenever they walked into the diner. He would be the first to tell of the boys and talk to you as if their behaviour was his responsibility.

“We haven’t been introduced,” he adjusted his black jacket, as he placed a tray of food on the table in front of the empty fireplace. He gestured to the food, raising an eyebrow at you in invitation. “I am Park Jinyoung.”

“I’m y/n,” you replied, not moving from your place, your knees still tucked into your chest. “What am I doing here?”

“How about I explain that while you get some food in your tummy?” He gave you a reassuring smile, as stepped to the side and settled on a chair, gesturing the other to you.

You grudgingly got up and sat in front of him. Jinyoung didn’t say anything, his gaze on you and the food, waiting for you to start eating. You slowly took a small bite of the French toast, “Thank you.”

“It’s no problem, y/n,” Jinyoung softened as he watched you chew your food. “It should be us who should be thanking you for saving our maknae.”

“Oh right,” you placed the bread down, you didn't care to use cutlery, not when you felt so raw and savage. “How is the boy?”

“The boy,” Jinyoung snorted, “is fine. It’s nothing he hasn’t experienced before.”

You nodded, taking it all in.

“So this isn’t new to you? You use guns and hurt people all the time?”

“Only the bad guys,” Jinyoung smiled, offering you a cup of hot chocolate. You took it off his hands and took a small sip.

You welcomed the warmth it spread in your empty tummy, “How do you decide who is good and who is not?”

Jinyoung smirked at that, as he took a sip from his own cup filled with dark coffee, “Sometimes things are cosmically bad. A moral code isn’t required to know and punish those evils.”

“Violence is violence.” You countered.

“Not when it’s to stop a greater evil.”

“There will always be a greater evil,” you held his intrigued gaze, “how do you know when to stop before you become the greatest yourself?”

Jinyoung smiled at that placing his cup down, and just shrugged, “I don’t know.”

You watched him for a few more seconds, before glancing at the open doors.

“How long have I been here?” You asked, meeting his beady eyes.

“You’ve been unconscious for two hours, and then have been sleeping since then, according to our doctor,” Jinyoung replied, smiling as your cheeks began heating up. “It’s been a day. Don’t you sleep?”

“I do. I just...” You trailed off not answering the question. Your leg started shaking anxiously as your mind began to race. “Can I go home?”

“Yes, of course,” Jinyoung replied offended. “We weren't kidnapping you.”

“It seemed like it with the locked doors, and not letting me out.”

“I’m sorry,” Jinyoung laughed a bit, his lips slightly pouting. “We weren’t home, so we didn’t realise you had woken up. And the guys who remained back ended up occupied, that’s on us. Sorry.”

You just nodded. This didn’t seem that bad of a situation, it didn’t seem like these guys would hurt you or wanted to hurt you.

And then you remembered him.

“Jaebum,” you spoke, making Jinyoung’s wide eyes meet yours in surprise. “Where is he? Can I meet him?”

“You know JB?”

You nodded in reply. Your body on edge with nerves with anticipation, as Jinyoung walked out to get Jaebum. Your fingers nervously fidgeting on your lap, your lips turning raw between your lips, and your leg furiously moving up and down.

You didn’t know if you were truly ready to meet him again. You didn’t know how you would act or what you would say. You had seen him at the diner once, and that was it.

That was all you had of him in the past few years. Just those few moments in your small diner avoiding him and his melting warm brown eyes. You didn’t know what to expect, or how he would act.

But in all this mess, he was the only one you could count on. The only one you knew, the only to help you settle your shaking heart and speeding mind.

You heard his footsteps before he walked in and the doors closed. You spun in your seat to see the boy who comforted you in a room full of strangers, standing there staring at you.

“Jaebum,” you breathed raising up from your seat. You didn’t know if you would ever say that name out loud to him ever again. You had said it so many times before, in so many different ways to him.

You whispered it into his ear, you had moaned it, screamed it and warned it. You never got tired of saying his name, you never got tired of him. Before the name could even begin to lose its magic he had disappeared, but now he was here once again.

He stood there. His dark hair a troubled mess, as if his fingers had spent the past hours running through them endlessly. His white button shirt clinging onto his solid muscles, showing his toned abs and strong arms. The first two buttons of his shirt left open, showing soft skin, the bottom of his shirt untucked messily. He looked like a mess, he looked beautiful,

“Jaebum,” you whispered, tears sparkling in your eyes as you gave him a small smile. Jaebum continued to stare at you, but it didn't falter your racing heart. “How are you?”

Jaebum didn’t reply for a long minute. He continued to stare at you, taking you in slowly. His dark gaze swept over you, drinking you in carefully. But he didn’t smile, his tense shoulders didn’t relax. His hands remained tight by his side, as his jaw remained locked.

“I am as good as someone can be when dealing with a meddlesome waitress shooting the right hand of a mafia company could,” he replied coldly.

Your brows furrowed at that. There was no hint of a smile, no warmth, nothing.

You stumbled over your words, as you gulped and took a step towards him, “Is he okay, Jae?

“He isn’t dead, right?”

Jaebum rolled his eyes, annoyed before sighing, “No, unluckily not.”

“What?”

“What?”

“Didn’t you say it was trouble that I shot him? How is it unlucky that he didn’t die?” You asked confused, your lips falling into a soft pout. You didn’t like the cold line Jaebum’s lips were drawn into.

“Well, he deserved to die,” Jaebum sighed, finally moving from where he stood. He walked away from you towards the windows looking out over the garden, and forest beyond. “The trouble is now we have a liability.”

“I am the liability?” You asked, watching his back flex as he placed his hands on ledge leaning against it.

He didn’t turn back to you, he looked over his shoulder. His voice tired, irritated as he breathed, “I don’t see any other waitress in this room.”

Your brows furrowed, your lips frowning and you were sure you looked like a ridiculous little kid about to throw a tantrum, but you didn't care.

Before you could speak, the door opened and in walked Jinyoung.

“JB, Derek is on call,” he spoke in Jaebum’s direction. Jaebum just nodded, sighing heavily before he began walking towards the door. You stood there struck by shock at how he was acting.

Was he really going to be like this?

You had just almost murdered someone, ended up in this strange mansion place, near kidnapped, and all he had to say was that you are a nosy waitress who was nothing but a liability.

No hello, or thank you, or how have you been? or I’m sorry for disappearing all those years ago, but surprise! I am now part of this shady bullshit.

Like hell.

“Jaebum!” You called out into the hallway, he stopped a few steps away from disappearing around the corner.

He didn’t reply, he just stood still staring ahead of him. Jinyoung turned to look back at you with raised brows and then gawked between Jaebum and you.

“I am just a nosy waitress?” You snickered, as you strutted towards him. “I am no one else?”

You stopped behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder and twisting him to meet your enraged eyes. “Is that all I am?”

Jaebum smirked back, his eyes so dark and empty, your heart sank, “Are you meant to be anything else?”

“You don’t remember me?” You snorted, your eyes burning with threatening tears. You hated the crack in your voice, but you didn’t care. It didn’t matter what emotions you showed or spoke with, it didn’t take away from what you saying. “You don’t remember me at all? You don’t know me? So what you’re saying is that you never went to a carnival and missed all the targets with the gun game, and then treasured a panda keychain I had won you?”

You could see Jinyoung close his eyes to stop himself from laughing.

Jaebum, on the other hand, was not amused or pleased. He took a step forward, making you tilt your head to meet his furious eyes darkening with every passing second.

“You are no one.” Jaebum spat each word, soaking in every word as it pierced your heart.

You looked away from him and took a step back.

“I want to go home,” was all you said looking at his chest.

Jaebum turned, giving Jinyoung a nod before disappearing around the corner.

Jinyoung bit his lip, and you could feel the questions bubbling inside him.

“Shoot,” you muttered as you followed behind him.

“Did he choose the panda keychain?”

“I could have gotten him the giant teddy, but that's what he wanted,” you shrugged, and Jinyoung chuckled.

_______________

You lifted your curtain to find the car remain outside your apartment. The two men in the vehicle reclined, settling as they pulled out snacks and began their little campout.

You sighed, and moved towards the bathroom, stripping the dirty and sticky uniform of your body. You turned the shower on and stared at your reflection, waiting for the water to heat up.

You took in your face, your hair, your lips and your eyes, and wondered how much of it had really changed since you last saw Jaebum. You looked exactly the same; those who knew you would never forget you. Especially, not someone who had spent endless extraordinary moments with you as Jaebum had.

You were exactly the same. Your eyes just a bit more tired, a few lines starting on your face. You didn’t look like a girl anymore, you knew that. The person in the reflection was a woman, a ghost of the past, but still recognisable.

Once the mirror fogged up with steam, you walked into the hot water and let it wash over you.

You didn’t cry.

You didn’t say or do anything.

You turned off the shower, dried yourself and walked into your bed.

You covered yourself in your blankets up to your neck and stared at the wall.

“Didn’t recognise me, my ass,” you whispered, and then finally you let go of the tears.

Luckily, you didn’t have work for the past two days. You had spent one day passed out at Jaebum’s mansion, and the other mopping around in your room. You had spent it watching romcoms, and binge-eating every form of sweet and chocolate in your kitchen.

But reality had caught up, and you were now going back to work at the diner. Your gaze drifted to where the car had remained religiously the past day and found the empty parking spot.

You shook your head and brought your purse closer to you as you walked towards the bus stop. You would normally walk to work, but today you were exhausted.

You felt so drained mentally, that your body actually hurt physically.

You didn’t know what happened next though. You were looking through your purse searching for your bus card at the bus stop, when the next moment, a hand tightly gripped your wrist pulling you forward.

The edge of the van slammed against your shin, making you cry in pain. Your wrist was already burning from the tight grip, while your other hand clawed at the hairy hand, that painfully pulled you into the white van.

“No. Stop.” You pleaded, trying to throw yourself back out into the street and out of the van.

A sharp slap against your cheek made your neck almost snap, as someone pulled your hair, and yanked you inside.

“Shut up bitch.” A man with angry eyebrows warned, your cheeks prickling from the pain. He took your hands and tied your wrists behind you, and duck-tapped your lips.

You let him. You fell back, knowing and waiting.

There were four men.

They threw you into a room and didn't even bother to lock it as they walked out. You stayed quiet and listened.

Finally, after what felt like two hours, two of them went out to get some food. The other one went to take a lap around the building, leaving only one.

One was better than four.

You reached along the edge of your skirt, finding the small flat-blade you always kept tucked away there. Everyone had laughed at you and called you insane when you told them you had been doing this to all your outfits, but jokes on them.

You opened your mouth, darting your tongue out to lick away the adhesive of the duck-tap. You carefully cut the zip-tie, biting back the hiss as the sharp edges painfully dug into your skin. You snapped it free, pulling the duck-tap away, before getting up and stretching.

One guy. You could take one guy.

You looked around the room and found a wooden chair.

You rolled your eyes at how stupid they were. The first thing they should've done was tie you to the chairs, but these idiots underestimated you.

You opened the door slightly, searching for the remaining lad. You found him sitting on a chair facing away from your door. He laughed at whatever he was watching on his phone, and you quietly crept out.

You decided against the chair, picking up a rod on the way instead. The guy must have sensed you, as he began turning around, but before he could, you slammed the rod against the head.

You watched as he knocked out, and began walking towards the area you hoped was the exit.

You were almost out when another figure appeared in front of you.

You sighed, clutching the rod tighter in your hand before raising an eyebrow at him.

“Come and get me, shit-head,” you smirked.

“You’re dead, you fucking bitch,” he growled as he charged towards you. You dodged him as he swung a fist at you. You didn’t have strength, but you had speed, you quickly smashed the rod at the back of his knees, making him fall. You instantly landed another blow on the back of his head.

Once he stopped moving you began running out again.

You didn’t know how long it would be before the others returned, or if any others were loitering outside. You didn't let go of the rod and checked every corner before making a turn.

You could see the parking lot, you were almost out.

You began racing towards the door when a bang echoed from behind you. Terrified, you turned back to find the first guy standing there with a gun pointed at you, “Going somewhere, bitch?”

You cursed yourself, as you tried running faster. You should’ve checked for guns, how stupid could you possibly be.

“I’d stop there if I was you,” he chuckled, enjoying the game. However, despite his warning words and the gun in his hand. He didn't chase after you or shoot at you freely. You guessed his lack of speed to be a result of his bleeding forehead thanks to you. But the missing gunshots, however, were a mystery. Nevertheless, you welcomed the stroke of luck or his foolishness with gratitude.

You were almost at the door when two figures appeared in front of you.

“Really, Ron?” The red-haired one grunted at the man behind you. “Couldn't even take care of a little girl like her?”

Three against one, odds outweigh you by a lot, but you were not going down without a fight.

You continued racing towards them and swung the rod straight onto their face. You land it straight onto the red haired’s face but were too slow for the other.

The other kicked your stomach, making you fall to the floor. The rod slipped out of your hands and fell a few feet away from you. You tried reaching for it, but before you could, your scalp burned in pain as he yanked you up by your hair. His hands folded into your long locks, as he held you still before striking your face with the back of his hand.

Your cheeks throbbed in pain, and you tasted the warm metallic tang of blood on your lips and cheek.

“Asshole,” you cursed before thrashing around. It didn't achieve anything but another slap, making you fall onto the floor and hit your forehead against the cracked tiles. You winced glancing up, to find your rod just a few inches away from your hand. You quickly grabbed it as he dragged you back up.

You crushed it against his head, making him fall to the ground. You heard gunshots resound from the other side of the room. You instantly hit him one more time, swinging the rod, at the other guy coming towards you. He lunges backwards giving you enough time to pull out the gun from the guy crying in pain, holding his nose and mouth.

You pointed the gun to the leg, swiftly shooting his leg, making him cry out in pain. And then turn to the other, who surrenders instantly.

He gets on his knees, holding up his hands.

“Throw out your gun, now.” You ordered, and he did it immediately. You picked it up quickly, before turning to the other guy. His head still bleeding, and his gun still pointed at you.

“I know you can’t shoot me,” you told him, you were just bluffing but hoped it was correct. You shot towards him, missing his feet by a few centimetres. “But I can shoot you. Take out your magazine and throw it over here.”

You shoot one more time, this time higher. He grudgingly fell onto his knees and did as you said.

You picked up his bullets, putting it into your pants, along with the other gun. “If you’re going to chase after me, count to two hundred before you start. It’s the least chivalrous thing you could do.”

You raced onto the deserted road. The moon low and the world surrounded in darkness. You continued running, despite your cramping legs, and burning throat and lungs.

You knew the men would be arriving any second now.

And then, like a miracle, you saw headlights. You threw yourself in the middle of the road. Your arms flailing like crazy; tears, sweat and blood mixing together as you cried for them to stop.

“Please stop!” You cried, and then thinking maybe you should’ve hidden the gun to seem more friendly and less serial killer. “Please! Please!”

It slowed as it neared you, and you carefully made your way towards the driver’s side.

“Please help me,” you cried, your words rushed and breaking. “I was kidnapped, and I somehow escaped, but they’re chasing me- please- just- please just give me a ride just a few distances away from here. I- please.”

The windows rolled down, and you were met with distant eyes blazing with icy fire.

“Get in.” He said coldly.

“Jae.”

[dumpsiteforfics]

Yearning - Excerpts From a lonely heart : [ Chapter 2]

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x Spencer Reid

Rating: Mature

Genre: Angst and fluff

Trigger warnings: mentions of death, suicide, A/B/O, Drugs, Kidnapping, spoilers to criminal minds season 1 to season 6. Also, will include mpreg, at the end.

This is my a/b/o universe for Heid. As the name suggests, lots of yearning and angst followed by a fluff and smut eventually. First chapter might be slower but things will pick up soon. I don’t want to make the story longer, but we will see!!

Also, please check trigger warnings and also let me know if you would like me to add more warnings!

English is my third language so expect grammatical mistakes and typos, I don’t have a beta sorry. Also I hope you will give it some love!! I’m looking forward to the feedback.

AO3 links : Chapter 1 Chapter 2

More about this au: Click here

It was different, this numbness that his mind slipped into… Spencer was used to having his mind always full of swirling thoughts about everything, obscure facts and constant statistics. But now, it was just silent, at least until he was so far gone that he started reliving the memories he had buried deep in his mind. The memories of his father leaving, of trying to do everything to keep his father from leaving them, memories of witnessing how his mother's beautiful mind broke down into pieces every day as the disease gripped her completely.

When he came back into consciousness, Charles was already there rough handling him. Spencer watched as he suddenly switched on a camera that wasn't there before. And as he said how other heathens are watching, it was a miracle that his mind grasped the words for a clue that was. His team was watching. And he needed to give them a clue about his whereabouts, which he had no idea how to give. He was unconscious throughout the ride and afterwards also he hadn't found any chance of knowing about the location where he was kept. Just then he realised the carcass Tobias had brought in when he came earlier. And he prayed to every god listening that his team would realise his clue and check the reports of poaching if any. It was a long shot of course but his team was brilliant, they will understand.

He was suddenly pulled up by his collar, face to face with Charles and he shuddered with disgust and fear. His heartbeats sped up as he heard Charles asking him to choose one to die. How was he supposed to do that? He had chosen this job because he wanted to save people, protect them from evil. But he knew Charles wouldn't take no for an answer, he thought for a moment and tried to attempt avoiding choosing to kill someone though, and thankfully Charles didn't mind. And then he was shutting off the camera and making way to kill the one he thought was a sinner. Spencer had never felt this helpless, not even when his mother was in her scariest episodes, but that's all he was feeling as he watched the couple get butchered in front of his eyes as he tried to free his hands from the chair he was tied to. He was never going to be the same again, after all of this.

***†***

As soon as they saw Reid on that screen, they realised instantly that he was beaten, his lips were cracked, one of his feet was without a sock, and his face just looked haggard. Aaron could feel the rage burning inside both of his alphas, especially Morgan and he himself wasn't any better. He could see how broken his agent looked. He couldn't help feeling a small burst of pride as Reid already profiled the unsub to realise he was a sadist in a psychotic break and his mannerisms proved to Aaron that he had already deduced he was kidnapped by a one unsub with three personalities. 

When he was told to choose one to die, Aaron's heart broke. He knew as an Omega just how difficult it was, how against Reid's every instinct of nurturing and protection that decision went. He could see how disgusted Reid looked to be told to choose. Aaron is never going to forget the devastation he could see in Reid's eyes as he struggled to reply, but then Tobias pulled him up by his collar and the devastation was replaced by a pure fear. And Aaron's hands clenched into a fist without him knowing, he wanted to break every single finger of Tobias for touching his agent, for laying hands on an Omega, for beating him up and for scaring him. 

Reid though was strong, even through the fear he tried to find a way to not war against his instincts at the same choosing not to anger the unsub by downright denying his order. He chose one to save. 

Aaron couldn't take his eyes off of the screen, trying to get as much as he can of the place, and trying to profile Reid to see if he can get any clues of his whereabouts. Just as Gideon called the woman to get her to shut her laptop and in turn making sure she wasn't being stalked anymore, the feed turned off. And Aaron's heart stopped. This was their only connection to Reid, the only way they could see their agent was still alive. And as much as he hated it, they had no other option but to wait for a 911 call from the next murder site. And as Morgan left the room, slamming his fist in the door, Aaron couldn't even think about correcting Morgan and telling him to get his shit together, because if he wasn't in front of the team right now he would've done the same. He wanted to break something, most likely he would love to get his hands on Tobias and watch him ripped to pieces by his own hands. And as terrifying and confusing as that feeling was, he couldn't make himself to care about it this time. His instincts were not at all thinking about right or wrong, they just wanted to protect their omega and this was the first time Aaron was in agreement with his instincts.

***†***

Spencer opened his eyes as he felt the same terrified mind closer to him and he saw Tobias making his way towards him with another dose of the drug. He desperately tried to convince him to tell about the location where they were right now, but Tobias didn't listen and soon enough Spencer was slipping inside a hazy numbness and onslaught of old memories.

Probably hours later or days, Spencer couldn't even keep a track at this point he was awoken by Charles voice. Apparently someone had marked the video as virus and it decreased the number of people viewing the latest murder he had posted online. That must be Garcia, Spencer thought. Why weren't they coming to save him though? He had already given them a clue. Why wasn't anyone here to save him from this? Spencer wasn't even sure how long he can hold on now. The drugs were messing up his mind and even though the escape felt good he knew he was developing a dependency on it. 

Just then Charles got up from the chair and Spencer braced himself for the abuse he knew wasn't going to be just verbal this time. As Charles screamed about his team and how they were all planning this against his agenda, he suddenly stopped and Spencer realised with a dread that Charles was looking at the track marks on his elbow. And then he was attacked with slaps and kicks as Charles repeatedly told him how pathetic he was and how much he had sinned. Spencer, already was tired from the trauma, from constant emotional load, the fear of being kidnapped and stranded with the sickest of minds and now being beaten without any break in between. Soon enough Spencer fell down from the chair, and started feeling breathless, it was getting difficult to breath or even think coherently. And as he slipped into darkness all he thought was, I'm going to die, alone and drugged.

***†***

Aaron wasn't in the room with Garcia and Gideon when Charles killed Reid. He was in the other room, going through the diaries again to see if they could find a clue. And suddenly he was hit with this dreadful feeling that something was wrong, and then deep sadness slipped inside his mind and he was running towards the room where Tobias had his computer setup. And what he saw there took his breath away. Gideon and Garcia were huddled close as she kept on crying, he sobs were breaking his heart but then his eyes moved over the screen and he realised what was wrong. 

Reid. Lifeless on the floor.

Aaron tried to see closer for any signs of his chest moving, but he didn't move. He was gone. He could still remember the day Reid joined the team. Fresh from the academy, eager to protect and use his mind to save the people. He was so young. Just 26 years old and already had so much knowledge, so much empathy. He was so brilliant and so kind to everyone. Aaron remembered how Spencer single-handedly won over everyone's heart and proved his worth through the cases they worked. And such a young, precious life was taken down by a vicious unsub as the team couldn't do anything to save him. Their omega trusted them to save him and as a pack they failed to protect his life. What about his family? Or his Alpha? Did he even get a chance to meet his mate? Aaron shuddered with the intensity of grief he felt in his heart, his alpha screaming at him for failing his pack and without even realising a few tears escaped from his eyes. 

He closed his eyes as all he could think about was, We failed him.

***†***

Taglist: @ssa-sarahsunshine @brillianthijinx @thaddeusly

Please let me know if you would like to be added/removed! ❤️ Please leave a feedback! ❤️❤️

[alice-angel12x]

💗 Knight!Deku x Fragile!Reader

Medival AU

Dolls... That is All they ever saw in me. Quirks, some are a blessing, while others it's a curse. A prime example of that is the porcelain quirk.

Let me explain, the porcelain quirk doesn't appear at the age of 5. It can appear at any point in time in life. You could be 6 and it appears, or 70, and then it appears. But whenever it does appear you will remain that way forever till you die of a normal human life span. In my case, I'll look forever 17 even though I'm 25 now. The only drawback is you as fragile as porcelain, and you can break like glass. Though it is possible to be put back together, the cracks will forever remain no matter how much powder and makeup you put on.

Most noble and rich women would think It's a dream come true, but they're wrong. Anybody that has this quirk and is between 16 to 35yr old is highly valued in the black market.

There were a lot of stories I heard, of young women being stolen away from their homes. And brought here to be sold off to some noble as pretty decoration, or a way to show off their wealth, or used for their pleasures. Who wouldn't want a beautiful girl that will never grow old and ugly?

The cages were cold and lonely despite there being many of us. No one would talk to each other in fear of not knowing who would be next. I've only ever made one friend in that place. A beautiful girl named Momo. Like me, she was taken from her humble home and ended up here. Sadly she was sold away to a king Named Endeavor as a present for his youngest son. I hope she's okay.

Now I bet you're thinking, is there a way to escape such a fate, or even a way to escape at all. There are only two ways that I'm aware of. 1 the porcelain quirk either came too early or far too late. Second, if you were to get a Nik or some sort of crack, then you're automatically deemed worthless and are tossed aside. Nobody wants a cracked doll after all.

But believe me, they have ways of preventing their 'merchandise' from being damaged. -----

Argo the slave master and his goons were moving their wagon of merchandise through the forest late at night.

Inside the wagon was cramped but clean, and soft with mats, pillows, and blankets covering the floor and walls. Yet it failed to hide the barred windows and the shackles that bound their captives. All was quiet when the Wagon suddenly jolted to a stop.

"CAREFUL YOU FOOLS! You might have damaged the merchandise!" Argo yelled at his lackeys.

He quickly opened the doors to check on them. Seeing everyone was not harmed or chipped he smiled crookedly.

"Now now my pretties. Were almost at the kingdom Valmar. Where you'll be bought by new masters, behave and don't try anything funny. Then maybe I won't let my lackeys have a taste of you," Argo said as he licked his lips.

The captives shuddered at his words and tried to back farther into the wagon. Argo laughed at their obedience and slammed the doors shut.

"I-I want to go home," one girl sobbed as she slowly started to break down.

"Hey SSH! You're going to get us in trouble," a boy scolded.

I slowly blocked them out as I thought back on my life before my quirk appeared. Before this life.

"Y/n, look what mom made for me!" My dear friend Izuku called.

We were 7 years old when he showed me his first knight armor, his mother made him. He Idolized famous knights and adventurers. His favorite hero was The Lone Hero All Might. One could almost call him obsessed.

I remember all the times where we used to play out in the forest. He would be my knight in shining armor, and I would be his Princess.

"Aaah! Help me!" I cried out dramatically.

"I am here!" Izuku said with great bravery.

As he got older he was served to visit last as he went off training in a nearby Kingdom. But he always came back once a year to visit me and his family. Every time he visited, he'd always bring me back a rose. His face would be complete as he muttered incoherent things.

We never truly lost touch, cause he would always write letters to me about his day, and what he's seen. And I write letters back to him, nightly.

Then my 17th birthday. I woke up to the sun shining on my face as usual. But something felt off, my skin doesn't feel right. I quickly ran over to the Mirror and saw my face. My skin became milky white, all my sunspots and Imperfections were gone. My skin has never been this smooth. My eyes were a little larger, it really made my e/c eyes stand out more. My lips became Cherry pink, I look like a doll.

That was when I realized my curse, the porcelain quirk awakens Within Me. But I was optimistic, my mother had the porcelain quirk at 19 years old. And she was never stolen or captured by anyone. And my father protected her with all his heart, so I put those fears aside. When I revealed my transformation to my parents, they were shocked and slightly afraid. But the Embraced me I told me I will be okay and I will be protected.

When Izuku returned for my birthday his reaction was priceless. His face became cherry red, and he always tripped over his words. Eventually, he mustered up the courage to tell me I was the most beautiful lady he ever saw. And that when he became an official knight he'll make sure I'll never have to live my life in fear. I never felt so happy in my life, as a pulled him into a passionate kiss.

It happened a few months later. My family and Izuku were relaxing in the living room when suddenly there was a knock at the door. My father thought it was the Milkman so he decided to answer the door But was greeted with a knife to the stomach. Panic rushed over me and my mother, as we saw at 3 muscly looking men entering our house. Then a fourth Man came the slave leader, Argo.

Izuku still a knight in training pulled his sword out of its sheath and got into a defensive position. He stood between the men and us.

He tried to fight them off, Izuku did put up a pretty good and long fight. Until eventually lost due to being out numbered. They pushed Izuku to the ground, tied his hands behind his back, and quickly gagged him with a piece of cloth.

"Know, ladies.. we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Either hand yourselves over to us and the boy lives, or we've beheaded this boy and take you by force," Argo said as he sat on Izuku's back and putting a knight near Izuku's throat.

"NO!" I cried out as my mother held me back.

"HHMPH!!" Izuku tried to cry out through the gag to me.

"Don't Hurt Him," I begged.

"So what's it gonna be ladies the boy or you," Argo said with a twisted smile.

I began to tremble in fear as I looked at Izuku. He quickly shakes his head no, trying to tell us to not surrender ourselves to them as tears welled up in his eyes.

"We're sorry Izuku," I sobbed in defeat.

My mother and I step forward and were quickly chained up. Argo holding our leashes.

"NNNMPH! HHMMPH!" Izuku cried out as he tried to free himself from his bindings. Glaring daggers at Argo looked us over lustfully.

Very quickly we were forced into the wagon and that was the last time I ever saw our house and Izuku.

The wagon was ready to move until a voice called out from the darkness.

"HALT, EVIL SCUM!! IN THE NAME OF OUR KING GRAND TORINO, YOUR VILE ACT OF TRAFFICKING ARE OVER!!" Said a knight checked out and silver armor riding a brown horse.

Argo laughed at the lone knight.

"Oh yeah, you and what army," Argo chuckled.

Suddenly there is more light in the Darkness, it appeared to surround Wagon in all directions. From the darkness, an army of knights stepped out some on foot, others on horseback.

" surrender immediately!" Shouted another knight, this on a white horse.

"What are you fools looking at, ATTACK!" Argo shouted.

It was hard to tell what was happening outside, as everyone heard the fight happening outside. The scuffle lasted for a pretty long time, but eventually the struggling settle down. Everyone sat in silence as they waited, not knowing what's going to happen.

Suddenly the wagon door opened revealing a man in knight's armor. He had blue hair and rectangular glasses.

"Don't worry we're here to rescue you," he informed us.

Slowly but surely everyone was escorted off the wagon, one by one we were unchained. I was the last one to be unchained as I approached the knight with the keys, I heard a faint gasp.

"Y-y/n!" The knight shouted as he pulled me into a gentle yet strong hug.

I look at the knight in confusion as I watch him remove his helmet. Revealing My childhood friend Izuku. He definitely aged and grew over the last 8 years. I felt a little self-conscious, because of how short and young I looked compared to him. He was taller and looked more mature and looked so handsome.

"I finally found you, I found you y/n" has said as he pulled me into another hug.

"I-Izuku, I- I was so scared," I sobbed into his chest.

"I'm here now. And this time I'll keep you safe," Izuku whispered in my ear.

I kissed his cheek softly, as I hugged him. Izuku picked me up bridal style and placed me on his horse. He quickly pulled himself on the horse. As the other knights escorted the others to the kingdom. Izuku and I decided to return home instead.

[normal-thoughts-official]

Since no one talks about it and everyone is hellbent over "good parent Asmodeus" I wanna know your take on the abuse and manipulation asmodeus did on Magnus... Both before the show timeline and during it it is a simple request no pressure hbhby

hoo boy okay let's buckle up for this i guess. warning for emotional, psychological and physical child abuse ahead everybody, stay safe

seriously im halfway through writing this answer now and this got very very dark so like if these are triggering to you, please skip this one

okay so as all abusers i think that asmodeus was a master at using Magnus' previous trauma, ie his mum's and stepfather's death, against him. Magnus had just lost the person he loved most, almost been murdered, and killed his abuser, as well as losing everything - he couldn't support himself and i have the feeling that he was so terrified after his stepfather's murder, so convinced he was a monster for it, hell, he still is even in show canon, he might have just fled. and then we have a homeless Magnus living on the streets, guilty and terrified and utterly alone

and he's convinced that his mum's death is his fault, his stepfather told him so, said he was a monster, a demon, and that's why she had killed herself. and then he murdered his stepfather, thus, in his head, becoming the exact monster his mum feared. his mum was right. he was a monster. a murderer. a demon. he was everything he feared and she hated him and she was right to hate him, too-

and i think asmodeus deliberately waited until he was at his limit to show up. i mean he's gotta have been keeping tabs on Magnus, he was his all powerful son after all, his heir, his weapon. there's no way asmodeus didn't know exactly what was happening, and i think that he deliberately waited until Magnus was within an inch of his life, exhausted, starving, almost depleted of magic, shivering and cold and crying alone on the street, before showing up. so Magnus wouldnt question him. so Magnus would feel indebted to him. so Magnus would feel like he needs him

and when he does rescue Magnus, boy, he makes this whole show of taking him somewhere safe, giving him plenty of water and endless food, covering him in blankets and getting him nice feeling clothes, cleaning him - just the most and best of everything, to really emphasize the difference, really make it seem terrifying to ever be away from him again, when clearly, without him, he was nothing

and asmodeus would have explained it all to him, say that his stepfather was right, he was a demon, like asmodeus was. Magnus would be so scared, "he tried to kill me," and he'd be almost flippant about it, "oh, mundanes. it's what they do. they hate us." he'd thwarp what happened with the stepfather deeply in Magnus' head, make it seem like his stepfather's abusive behavior was normal, just what they always did, and that magnus' anger over it, his righteous anger, born of fear, and the need to survive, was an overreaction. the proof of his demonic heritage - of the evil inside of him. proof that he was the same as asmodeus, that he should turn his back to his humanity

and Magnus is confused, and hurt, and scared, because simultaneously his stepfather was bad and tried to kill him and that is proof that he can't trust mundanes and that asmodeus is all he has- but he also didn't hurt Magnus all the other times before, he never mistreated him, all these times he hit him or his mum and called them dirty and disgusting, no, that was nothing much, that was normal. it was magnus' anger that was out of place, proof that he was a monster, was a demon, was like asmodeus. should stay with him

we know that asmodeus wanted Magnus because with his magic he could have even stronger power blah blah blah so im guessing that asmodeus' plan was basically to train Magnus, bring him to his side, wait until he was mature and strong, and then try to defeat Lilith? so for that to have you know not happened Magnus would have to have banished him when he was still a kid, but anyway, that's another can of worms and I'll get to that (probably)

so he needs to turn Magnus away from the mundane world, make him want to come to edom, possibly convince him that he cant be happy in edom because Lilith wont help him, and then have him kill Lilith? and so he has to convince Magnus that mundanes are bad, going to hurt him, and that he doesnt belong with them, and so that's the narrative that he builds, normalizing his stepfathers' behavior, reminding him that even his mum didnt love him, because he wasn't a person, wasnt human, and they'd never love him as he was, and he didn't love them, either. no matter how much magnus' heart ached for his mum, and his friends, and his dukun tutor, asmodeus kept telling him that he didn't love them, couldn't have, because he was a demon, and they were beneath him. and if Magnus asked too many questions, got too confused, fought that idea too much, he'd lash out, scream, almost burn Magnus wirh the terrible dark fire of his magic

and Magnus was terrified and would hide, and he'd be like, oh, my little thing, I'd never hurt you, don't you see? that was just my magic, of course i wouldnt hurt you, im not like them. and then hed hug a trembling, shaking Magnus, who had no idea what was real anymore

eventually this started to intertwine with ideas of royalty too - you are too good for them, Magnus, you are a royal, you have a right to everything your heart desires, and they treated you like trash. you have to forget these stupid mundanes. they're beneath you

and he definitely made Magnus kill/hurt more people, possibly threatened him, said that he needed to get stronger, to stop caring so damn much, because Magnus has always been kind, and eager to help, and ultimately good, and asmodeus needed to destroy that. so he pushed and pushed him, told him that he was weak if he didnt do what asmodeus said, and that asmodeus would do it himself. that he'd leave him again, and how would that be, huh, being homeless again, would his precious mundanes have mercy? would they care? no, they'd leave him to die and spit on his face, and yet here he was, pitying them. like a whiny, weak baby, not the royal asmodeus expected him to be

and if Magnus still didn't quite manage to satisfy asmodeus, because he took too long, cried too much, pleaded too much- then he'd get punished. i think that punishment came basically in the form of magic depletion/exhausting him. Magnus is freakishly good at holding back from magic depletion, has sustained his magic and pushed way past his limits many times throughout the show, sometimes for full uninterrupted minutes. i think thats why. because asmodeus "trained" him to be able to, with his punishments

he possibly used that as an excuse - since you insist on being so weak, we have to make you stronger. so he'd make Magnus use his magic for hours at a time, no breaks, until he was shaking and trembling and crying with the effort, and then he'd leave him depleted and exhausted and have him recover on his own. that's what you are without magic, he'd tell him. nothing. do you understand now? why you can never be like them? do you want to end up like this for the rest of your life? I worry about you, Magnus, i really, really do. kill this stupid sentimentalist mundane side, before it kills you.

Magnus said, without magic, i feel like i dont matter. And don't get me wrong, i think the show made it pretty clear that magic is a part of warlocks, that without it they are incomplete, unhappy. but the fact that he specifically said i feel like i dont matter makes me feel like this is something that asmodeus drilled into his head. without magic he was nothing. and he really wasnt, because that's all asmodeus wanted him for

magicless Magnus? asmodeus despised him. for the whole time he was recovering from the magic depletion, asmodeus could barely spare him a glance. he was cruel about it, too. what? aren't you happy that you're like these mundanes you love so much? I'm just treating you as such. and then, when his magic started to come back, when he managed to do a trick- asmodeus would change completely. smile wide. hug him. that's my boy! and it would seem like asmodeus loved him, and everything would seem okay. when he had magic, he mattered, he was important, and asmodeus loved and took care of him. when he didn't, asmodeus wouldnt even touch him, wouldnt want to eat with him, would barely talk to him

so the prospect of losing his magic was terrifying, and sometimes Magnus would plead with him, please, dad, no training, i promise to be good, i dont want to be without my magic. and asmodeus would say why are you so worried? it's just training. and Magnus would say, because i always end up without magic. and asmodeus would snap, well, you aren't supposed to, do you think I'd push you over your limit on purpose? you were supposed to be able to handle it, but you aren't, you're weak. why do you think i get so disappointed? i want you to be strong, Magnus, like you're meant to be

that was always what he said, too, in canon. when he gave Magnus his pretzel, he said, for your strength. he didn't care if Magnus was well, or happy, or if he fucking liked pretzels. only that he was strong. and that is definitely a trope here

anyway! at this point asmodeus is already telling him about going to edom, about how he'll be safer there, away from people, happier. and Magnus is terrified, because he doesn't want to be away. he loves people, and most of them arent bad. he loves food. he loves music, and art, and architecture. he loves seeing the world. he loves learning languages and seeing new animals and plants and cultures. he doesn't want to be away from the world. he doesn't want to be with asmodeus

and asmodeus, of course, has carefully kept from him that other warlocks exist, that theres a warlock community out there, because if he knew that, then he'd have an alternative to being with asmodeus, even with his whole mundanes will always hate you blah blah blah speech. but there's only so long he could keep this from Magnus, right? he can feel other people's magic through the ley lines, they can feel his. it was only a matter of time.

i think it was ragnor, honestly, the first one he met. ragnor who told him, kid, there's a life out there, we're alive and we're many and we're happy, and we're there for each other. there's an alternative. and Magnus could cry with relief, because he didn't want to be with his dad anymore, but he was so terrified of being alone and on his own again

so he throws himself into studying, telling asmodeus that he wants to know about demonic magic to go to edom. and he learns about his weaknesses, and what a banishment is, and how to do it. and so when he's about to hit his maturity, he tells asmodeus he wants to visit. and because portals dont exist yet, he has to make this whole elaborate thing- and he tricks asmodeus, sets a trap, i dont know, and instead of simply taking them there, he banishes asmodeus, and stays

and so he goes and finds that weird british old man, and asks him if he can go to the warlocks' place. and ragnor chuckles and tells him that the world is the warlocks' place, that they're everywhere, that he'll teach him. and so he takes Magnus to meet other warlocks, and join the community, and start working. he still loves mundanes, and plus, after all the bad he feels he's done for them, he wants to help. so he lives among them and makes friends with them and dates them and works among them and gets wealthy, and grows, and he's somewhat happy, even if most of the time he has to hide what he is, even if he still feels lonely and bad and like a monster, a killer, a demon. but he got rid of him, and he can, maybe, become something else, if he tries really hard to find his humanity again, and make up for his mistakes, and the pain he's caused

i think asmodeus is responsible for most of the guilt Magnus feels, for a great part of his immortality blues - after all, thats what most clearly separates him from mundanes, makes him different, unable to be a part of their world - and for his feelings that hes a monster. he tells alec he hopes alec doesn't think less of him because of his father, because a part of him still believes that being asmodeus' son makes Magnus like him. he says he's ugly and dark, because asmodeus convinced that's all he could ever be. he has a huge resistance and pain/exhaustion tolerance because of course he does. and he tries to sacrifice himself all the time because hes convinced that he doesnt matter and doesn't belong, that no one would miss him because they cant love him, because hes different. and that was all definitely planted on him by asmodeus, and later watered by camille ofc

[miguel-manbemel]

Aspects & Fanfics Ep. 28: A Side is Born Part 3: The Dark Truth about Patton

New entry of this fic inspired on Sanders Sides by Thomas Sanders, Joan S. and the Foster Dawg Team. The story goes on. After the angsty end of the previous part, it’s time to dive back into the past and learn all the secrets in Patton’s life. Like in previous parts, the beginning is a reminder of the most important segments of the previous episode. I hope you enjoy this new entry and see ya next week.

SYNOPSIS: After discovering the truth about his real father, Virgil is in shock and it’s hard for him to accept it. Patton, now that his memories haven been restored, gets ready to tell them everything about his past, from Thomas’ conception itself and the very creation of the Mind Palace, and how the Dark Master managed to become Virgil’s father.

WARNINGS: Angst featured in the episode. Romantic prinxiety and logicality, visual depictment of the aftermath of physical mistreatment to Virgil in the past.

EPISODE INDEX

[Roman is writing in his diary, his voice is heard and his narration is combined with flashback images from the previous episode]

NARRATOR-ROMAN: So many things have happened yesterday that I don’t know if I’ll be able to make a summary in these few pages. Virgil and I had our first son, Thomas’ Side of Angsty Creativity and we named him Chris. Then a few hours later…

PATTON: Who’s that boy?

VIRGIL: It’s Chris, dad. Your grandson.

PATTON: What?

ROMAN: He has just aged three years in a matter of a second and we don’t know how.

LOGAN: Oh, wow… I didn’t expect that…

NARRATOR-ROMAN: It didn’t stop there, though. It was in front of our very eyes that he grew again until he looked like a twelve year old. I was so excited about it, that I decided to take him to Sandersia, because I wanted him to meet my brother Roland and Ira before he turned into an adult. And so we went there. They reacted just as I expected.

CHRIS: Well, my name is Christian Gerard Sanders. And I’m the Side of Angsty Creativity. But you can call me Chris.

ROLAND: Angsty… Creativity?

IRA: Hold on, weren’t those two concepts assigned to Virgil and you earlier? [face of realization and shock, then he smiles widely] Oh! Oh, my goodness, I get it! Congratulations, Roman!

ROLAND: What? What’s the matter?

IRA: Don’t you see? This boy is the son of Virgil and Roman! Angsty Creativity!

ROLAND: Oh, my goodness! How…? When…? Congratulations, guys!

[Roland and Ira hug Roman and Virgil, then they also give a quick hug to Chris]

ROLAND: I should have paid more attention. Of course he’s your son. His shield his a mix of both your insignias. I’m so happy to meet you, young man.

CHRIS: I’m happy to meet you too, uncle Roland.

ROLAND: Oh, that’s right. This boy is my nephew. And as your son… he’s the new heir to the throne of Sandersia!

NARRATOR-ROMAN: And just in front of them, Chris completed his growth and became an adult. It was all fun and games… until things suddenly and unexpectedly turned really, really bad. A force-field appeared around Chris.

CHRIS: What gives!?

[the door opens and the Dark Master enters in, wearing a black cloak with silver ornaments on the shoulders and the hood. The dark bubble flies next to him with Chris inside]

THOMAS: You again? How many times do we have to defeat you, boy?

DARK MASTER: Long time no see, Light Master.

ROMAN: [pulling out his samurai sword] Release our son! Right now!

DARK MASTER: Release him? Oh, sure, I will release him, as soon as I’m done with him.

VIRGIL: If you touch just one hair of him, I swear…

DARK MASTER: Oh, don’t worry emo, I’m not going to harm him. I need him in one piece for my plans.

VIRGIL: [progressively angrier and more hysterical as he speaks] What plans? What are you going to do to him? Let him go, you bast**!

DARK MASTER: Let him go? After all the time I’ve been waiting for one of his kind to appear? Never.

PATTON: What’s so special about him? I don’t understand.

DARK MASTER: [giggles evilly] I certainly did a good job with you, Patton.

PATTON: What?

DARK MASTER: Erasing your memories was so easy. It wasn’t a perfect work, but nevertheless it worked. You wouldn’t even try to get your memories back. You just got contented and started behaving like the stupid father figure you are right now.

PATTON: I don’t understand…

VIRGIL: Neither do I, but I don’t care! Release him!

DARK MASTER: It’s your only fault that I’m taking your son right now, Virgil! You brought this onto him!

VIRGIL: What?

DARK MASTER: The original plan was to take you instead of him. You were born for that only reason. But you had to escape to the Light Realm and ruin everything.

VIRGIL: What would you know about my birth?

DARK MASTER: Oh, everything. I know everything about it. I even had you in my arms not long after you were born. You looked so tiny, so vulnerable. So suitable. You just needed to grow until you were mature enough. But Patton had to be a goody daddy and the Light Master had to ruin it all!

THOMAS: Me? What…?

VIRGIL: What is he talking about, dad?

PATTON: [confused] I promise I don’t know, kiddo. I don’t remember…

DARK MASTER: Perhaps I can help with that.

[The Dark Master points at Patton. A light blue sphere appears on his hand]

DARK MASTER: This, on my hand, are your stolen memories. You’re no longer a worthy enemy, so I won’t be needing them anymore, and I need to make room for… another procedure. Here, take them back.

[the light-blue ball is projected at light-speed and impacts into Patton’s head, making him walk two steps back. The light enters inside Patton’s head, who holds his head with both hands and groans as if he was suffering the worst headache ever, as if his head was about to explode right there.]

VIRGIL: [scared] Dad!

LOGAN: Patton!

[in a few moments, Patton adopts a serene face. He stops holding his head and looks fiercely at the Dark Master]

PATTON: [serious deep voice, never heard before from him] Now I remember… everything.

DARK MASTER: Good. Then now you know it all. How does it feel? Please, tell me that it hurts you, it would be so rewarding for me.

PATTON: Yes, I remember. Yes, it hurts. And no, you won’t get away with your plans.

DARK MASTER: [evil voice] I challenge you to stop me. If you want to find me, you know where to look for me… sweetie.

NARRATOR-ROMAN: And so, the Dark Master fled away, taking our son with him. Later, Patton confessed the truth he had forgotten long ago, a truth no one could have prepared us to hear.

VIRGIL: Dad, you are my father. Nothing you could have ever done could be so bad that I couldn’t forgive it.

PATTON: You don’t know the truth yet, son. Once you know, you won’t be able to say that again with conviction.

VIRGIL: Then tell me dad, to prove you that you’re wrong. What is that truth that is so unforgivable?

[Patton sighs]

PATTON: The truth about who your father is.

VIRGIL: You are my father, what do you mean?

PATTON: I mean your other father.

VIRGIL: My other father? You remember now his identity? Who is he?

PATTON: You already know him too well. You’ve lived with him for years in the Dark Realm. You lived under his yoke and his tyranny for many years, and I couldn’t save you, may God forgive me.

[Virgil looks at Patton. A grimace of horror slowly starts appearing]

VIRGIL: No… that’s not true… that’s impossible!

PATTON: Yes. As painful as it is for me to admit it, but it’s true. The Dark Master is your father.

VIRGIL: [progressively more hysterical as he speaks] I can’t believe you! He can’t be my father! He can’t! If he was my father, he would have never treated me the way he did in the Dark Realm! He would have never taken my son away from me! It’s impossible! No! I refuse to believe you! You’re a liar! You’re no better than Deceit!

ROMAN: [holding him by the shoulders and shaking him] Virgil, calm down! You know he would never lie to you, especially in a matter so serious!

[Virgil sits down. He can’t look Patton in the face]

PATTON: [sad] See? I told you you would hate me.

[Virgil doesn’t answer. He just stares at the infinity, with rivers of tears running down his cheeks, in complete silence]

NARRATOR-ROMAN: And this is how we ended in this situation. Thomas had to go to sleep because he couldn’t face the Dark Master if he wasn’t well rested, and we needed a good rest too. Now, it’s morning. Thomas is in the bathroom having a quick shower. He never was a morning shower person, but he thought that maybe that could help him open his mind and think on some plan. When he’s ready, we’ll start thinking about what to do. I’m worried about Virgil, though. When I woke up, I found him awake, looking at the ceiling, still crying. If I could have resisted Thomas’ slumber as he can, I would have probably done the same too. It’s funny how much you can get to love a son at first sight. Even when it’s been literally a few hours since we met him, I think we could never live again without him. I pray that it’s not too late to save him.

[intro sequence]

[Thomas and the Sides are in the dining room, finishing their breakfast. Deceit and Honesty have joined them and have already been informed about everything during the meal. Virgil just stared at his plate not able to take a bite.]

ROMAN: Virgil, my love, please. You haven’t eaten anything. Do you think you’ll be of any help for our son if you let yourself starve?

[Virgil looks at Roman]

VIRGIL: Why should I eat? Why should I be here clowning around with you in this stupid… social gathering, when my son probably is suffering the worst of horrors and I’m not there to help him? He probably hasn’t eaten anything either! Why should I!?

PATTON: Virgil, please. Roman is right. You’re not gonna help Chris with that attitude.

VIRGIL: Leave me alone, Patton! I’m not in the mood for one of your daddy lectures!

[Patton shows a face of hurt over being called Patton instead of dad for the first time in months. He overcomes this sensation to show a firm scolding voice]

PATTON: Well it looks like you need one and you’re gonna have it!

VIRGIL: [yelling, angry] How dare you!? You have no right to speak to me after what you told me yesterday! In fact, I shouldn’t be here altogether! You all are doing nothing but hindering me! I should go get my son back on my own! Maybe I will!

[Patton rises up, with a face full of ferocious anger but also with his eyes full of tears]

PATTON: [yelling] Hold up for a second! I may not be a perfect person by any means, and you have a right to be mad at me, but in spite of that, I’m still your father and demand some respect, both to me and to all of us! I know you’re having a horrible time. Probably the worst time you will ever experience in your life, but that doesn’t give you the right to mistreat us like that! We’re not the enemy! We’re your fam and we’re here to help you! So hold your tongue, mister!

[Virgil looks at Patton without saying a word]

PATTON: [with a softer voice] Virgil, please, react. You must get out of that state you’re into. If not for us, do it for Chris. He needs you strong, both of will and of body. Grab any strength you have left in yourself and fight against your grief, so that you can get into the battle that awaits all of us. We’re gonna need you, so, please, I beg you, listen to me.

[Virgil looks at his plate still full. He needs a few seconds to start speaking]

VIRGIL: I… I’m sorry, dad. I’m sorry, guys. It’s just that… this is all too much for me to overcome.

PATTON: Would you let me hug you, please? I think we both need it at this point.

[Virgil looks at Patton, then he stands up and hugs him. He starts crying on his shoulder for a whole minute, while the others look at them without saying a word. Then, when Patton releases Virgil, he kisses him on the forehead before they both sit down]

DECEIT: It hurts me so bad to see you like this, Virge. I wish I could have been there to help you.

HONESTY: Me too.

VIRGIL: Thank you, guys. You wouldn’t have been able to do anything, like we weren’t, but I deeply appreciate the sentiment. I apologize again for my rude behavior. I hope you know I didn’t mean what I said.

DECEIT: It’s okay, Virge. We understand.

THOMAS: Now, before we start a plan of action, we need to understand everything. So, Patton, yesterday you promised that you would explain everything to us. I think the moment has come, if you’re ready.

PATTON: I am ready, Thomas, and you’re right, the moment has come. I’m gonna tell you everything that happened. It’s been 30 years…

THOMAS: Oh, we don’t need all the details, just stick with whatever you can remember…

PATTON: Do you wanna hear this or not, Thomas? Or would you like to watch Titanic instead, since you like that meme so much?

THOMAS: Sorry.

DECEIT: Oof… I’m not accustomed to see Patton so salty.

PATTON: As I was saying, it’s been 30 years ago, but for me it was like yesterday.

THOMAS: But I was a baby back then. You mean that you were already there by that time?

PATTON: I was there even before you were born, Thomas.

THOMAS: What? But how? I don’t understand…

PATTON: Let me explain. When a human starts having a cognitive system mature enough, something that happens around the second trimester of their development during pregnancy, if their brainwaves are compatible, like yours are, a Mind Palace dimension appears linked to these brainwaves.

LOGAN: It is so weird hearing Patton use that technical language. I am the one who is supposed to speak like that…

PATTON: That Mind Palace initially consists of a Core, which is a huge source of light, bright as the sun but safe too look at, where every trait, every aspect, everything that the human has ever been or will ever be is stored in raw form… I can see in your faces that you don’t understand me. I’m sorry, there are no words to describe it in any human language. Not even if you saw it for yourselves you could begin to understand what it is. And around that Core, when human development is advanced enough, the first room ever in the Mind Palace is generated, the Mind Palace Center. It is a bright silvery room with three double doors, one made of gold, one made of two huge solid slabs of diamond that is transparent but shines like a rainbow, and a third one made of hard coal and ebony. In front of each door there’s a pedestal, and there, from the Core itself, two Masters are born. The Light Master is born in front of the diamond door, and the Dark Master in front of the coal door. Then, a third entity is born in the third pedestal in front of the golden door. It is a Side, but a Side stronger than any other Side that would ever come later on. The Side of Raw Feelings and Right and Wrong. You could call it… a Master Side.

ROMAN: Is that… you?

PATTON: That’s right, that’s me, although now I’m not stronger than anyone of you, by any means. I was the first Side to be born and my task in that tiny Mind Palace that existed back then was to act – and I’m sorry I keep using your kind of speech, Logan – as an input/output device of feelings for Thomas. I analyzed the stimuli that arrived from Thomas’ surroundings and classified them as good or bad, and then sent them to the Masters for further analysis and classification. Then they sent me their results and I sent a response to the outside world for each original stimulus. The more stimuli I sent to one or the other, the bigger the Light Realm or the Dark Realm became, which as you, Thomas, may have deducted, were hidden behind their respective doors. As a result, the Mind Palace started growing around the Center, paralleling your mind growing during the beginning of your existence. Equilibrium was the norm back then and I tried to keep it as much as I could. And it worked, for the first two years or so of your existence. Until I made the mistake that started all this mess we’re facing right now.

VIRGIL: What do you mean?

PATTON: My life was pretty simple back then, so simple it became monotonous, and pure routine. You may say that I had a lot of stimuli from the outside world and that should have been exciting, but it wasn’t, cause back then I couldn’t understand what I received or sent and therefore it meant nothing to me. And I never got out of the Mind Palace Center except to sleep at night in my room behind my door and then wake up for another day just like the one before, again and again. And even though I was in constant contact with the Masters, this contact was really superficial. We did not get to have conversations with each other that were not related to our work. Monotony lead to boredom and boredom lead to longing. I didn’t know what I was longing for, I only knew that I longed for it. And the Dark Master knew about my feelings. He had also started longing for something: power, even back then when there was not much to fight for in the Mind Palace, but he wanted to take control of it. And he decided to use me as a tool for his plot. And so, he started to speak to me. Not trivial boring conversations like before, but more deep conversations. He got interested on me, on my work, and how did I do everything. And I obliged, I talked about my job, the tasks I had to do, stuff like that. He didn’t miss an opportunity to compliment me, to tell me how much he admired me, how much talent I had. And I got flattered and happy. Suddenly my longing had found an answer. And slowly but surely, he seduced me, until I fell in love with him.

VIRGIL: You and the Dark Master…? Wait, I suddenly remembered that you already told me he’s my father, so this question is stupid, sorry.

PATTON: Yes, Virgil. He acted so sweet, so kind… and I was so vulnerable, so naive back then, even more than recently… that one day I could no longer resist and completely surrendered myself to him. It was only one time, but it was enough. What happened next was fast, just as fast as it was for you, Virge. Even so, I was conscious from the start that a new life was growing inside of me. And it was then when the Dark Master showed his true face. He believed that he had me in his arms, that out of love, I would do anything he asked from me. He told me that he wanted to take control of the Mind Palace, and that if I helped him, I could be in charge by his Side. I refused, cause I knew it was wrong and breaking the equilibrium in the Mind Palace could create disastrous consequences for Thomas’ well-being. He fled away, for the time being, and I told the Light Master everything that had happened.

THOMAS: You talked… to me?

PATTON: No, Thomas. Back then, the Light Master was a complete entity of his own, just like the Dark Master and me, and he had his own consciousness. You were, and always have been, the Mind Palace itself as a whole.

THOMAS: I don’t get it.

PATTON: Every human is a Mind Palace. Almost anyone can wander into their mind when they need it or when reality, for one reason or another, is harsh on them and they need an escape route. But a few chosen ones, the very few in this world who share a specific pattern of brainwaves, can do what you do. You can physically wander into your own Mind Palace. That’s why we, the Sanders Sides, exist and can interact with you. But your capacity is strong enough so that you can completely tear off the veil between the Mind Palace and reality. That’s why we have a physical presence in this world and you can get objects in and out of the Mind Palace. Someone of us strong enough could even detach himself from you if he gathered powerful enough, like the Dark Master tried to do a while ago, although it would have disastrous consequences for you as you already know. That’s something extremely rare, though. It’s a unique ability the one you hold Thomas. It can be terrifying sometimes, but it’s beautiful nonetheless.

THOMAS: Yes, I agree. I never asked for this to happen. It just came to me as I child and I accepted it naturally. It’s true that sometimes I’ve experienced fear, and there was that one time you mentioned when my own life was endangered, but still, I would never trade off this ability. Everything I may go through is worth it, if it allows me to keep sharing your company, guys… But we are diverting. Please, continue, Patton.

PATTON: As it happened to you, Virgil, my pregnancy ran fast and it was soon that I went into labor. The Light Master was there to help me deliver you. He identified you as the Light Side of Vigilance, and so I named you Virgil. I’m sure you’re going to understand the next I’m going to say, Virge, now that you’re a father yourself. I loved you so much from the very first moment I looked into your eyes and you returned a little giggle to me. I still love you just the same today, and even when my memories got stolen from me, that wasn’t enough to break that bond of love we’ve always shared. That always was, and will always be, unbreakable, at least on my part.

VIRGIL: On my part too, dad. I’m sorry if I made you think otherwise earlier. I didn’t mean to hurt you.

PATTON: [petting Virgil’s cheek] It’s okay, I know, son. Around half an hour after you were born, the Dark Master returned. He asked me once again to join him in his plans. But I don’t think I can make justice just by telling you aloud. Roman, can you conjure a flashback from my memories?

ROMAN: I think so. Hold my hand and we’ll do it.

PATTON: Thank you.

[Patton holds Roman’s hand, and a flashback appears]

DARK MASTER: Patton, I’ll give you a second chance to think. Join me.

PATTON: Never. You cheated on me, and I will never forgive you for that.

DARK MASTER: Fine then. Then, give me my son and we’ll do it on our own.

PATTON: Are you nuts? Do you think I’m gonna give my Virgil to someone like you? Never!

DARK MASTER: He’s my son too and I have the same right…!

PATTON: You don’t have a right for anything! I will never let you corrupt my son to be like you!

DARK MASTER: Corrupt? Don’t you think that corruption is already present in his heart from the moment he was born? I’m his father! He has my essence in him! It’s part of him and there’s nothing you can do about it!

PATTON: You’re his father, unfortunately, but the Light Master has already told me that Virgil is a Light Side, and he will stay with me. I will educate him in love and compassion and you would only give him pain and horror. You’re not good enough to be his father and I will never allow it!

DARK MASTER: I’m afraid you didn’t understand one thing. I’m not asking you for permission to take my son with me. I’m commanding you!

PATTON: Then that’s a command that I will never fulfill!

DARK MASTER: As if you had a choice…

[The Dark Master points at Patton, and he gets paralyzed]

PATTON: I… I can’t move! Let me go! Don’t you dare!

DARK MASTER: Do you want to see proof of how much my son looks like me? Just watch.

[The Dark Master points at Virgil and shoots a black ball to the baby. The baby floats from Patton’s arms and a dark aura forms around him, while Virgil starts desperately crying]

PATTON: [distressed] Stop! Give him back right now! What have you done to him!

DARK MASTER: [grabbing Virgil] I’m sure if the Light Master checked Virgil right now, he would get to a very different result. Now Virgil is a Dark Side, the Dark Side of Anxiety and Fear, and he’s mine now! He’s too little yet to be useful, but he will grow, and when he grows… you’ll see. For now, off to the Dark Realm with you, my child. Your education will start soon.

[the Dark Master summons Virgil away]

PATTON: [yelling in despair] You bast**! Give me my son back, right now!

DARK MASTER: You should have accepted my offer. You could have ruled by my side and educated the child as your own. Now you’re gonna pay the consequences of your mistake.

[the Dark Master points at Patton and shoots a black ray to his forehead. Patton groans in pain as blue light starts coming out of his head running through the black ray. It starts forming a light blue ball of light on the Dark Master’s hand]

PATTON: What are you doing!? Stop it!

DARK MASTER: I’m getting your entire memories out of you. When I’m done, you will only be an empty casket and you will obey my will as my puppet. With my son’s abilities, one day, I’ll overthrow the Light Master and this whole Mind Palace will be mine!

[Patton doesn’t answer anymore, as he has fainted. Suddenly a rainbow thunderbolt hits the Dark Master and makes him fall. The black ray disappears and Patton falls to the ground, but the Dark Master still holds the light-blue ball of light with what he’s been able to extract from Patton’s mind. He hides it under his cloak. The Light Master appears]

LIGHT MASTER: What have you done to Patton, and where is Virgil!?

DARK MASTER: Virgil is out of your reach, Light Master. And Patton is of no use for anyone right now. After what I’ve done to him, he’ll never be the same again.

LIGHT MASTER: Why do you have to do this? You’re disrupting Thomas’ personality towards evil! You’re breaking the equilibrium!

DARK MASTER: To the f*** with equilibrium! I don’t need you or that stupid Patton. I’m more than capable enough to be Thomas on my own, and I will be!

LIGHT MASTER: Not if I can do anything about it!

[The Light Master shoots from his hand a white ray of light to the Dark Master in an attack so quick that the Dark Master can’t even see it coming. The light soon disappears, but the Dark Master seems unaffected. However, he soon finds out he can’t move]

DARK MASTER: What’s this? What have you done to me?

LIGHT MASTER: Consider yourself lucky that you’re needed for Thomas to keep on living. From this day on, I banish you from the Mind Palace Center and the Light Realm. You will no longer be able to come here, and you will never be able to get out of the Dark Realm.

DARK MASTER: [already starting to sink down slowly] This is not the end, Light Master, it’s only the beginning. Virgil is already in my possession and when he’s strong enough, we together will be powerful enough to overthrow you, and then the Mind Palace will be mine!

LIGHT MASTER: That’s what you think. If and when the moment comes, the Light Sides that will surely come will defeat you, no matter how hard you try. Now, begone!

[The Dark Master sinks down with an evil laughter]

LIGHT MASTER: [leaning towards Patton] Patton, are you okay? Can you hear me?

[Patton wakes up. He looks at the Light Masters and smiles at him]

PATTON: Oh, hello kiddo! How may I help you?

LIGHT MASTER: Kiddo?

PATTON: Yes, because I’m Dad, and my mission as pop is to pop out whenever you need me to take care of you!

LIGHT MASTER: [speaking to himself in a theater whisper] This is the work of the Dark Master. He couldn’t take all of his memories from him but he took enough for him to forget everything about Virgil. However, there must be traces on his mind that remind him somehow that he’s a dad, although he doesn’t know who his son is, so the hole in his mind is filled by acting like a dad with whomever he befriends. Well, perhaps it’s better this way. It would be a worthless pain for him if I told him the truth about his stolen son. If only I could get to the Dark Realm and bring him back… But I guess there’s only one thing I can do.

PATTON: Did you say something there? Secrets, secrets are no fun!

LIGHT MASTER: [helping Patton stand up] It was nothing, Patton. Now, listen. I want you to go to your room in the Light Realm and wait there.

PATTON: My room? But we never use the Light Realm rooms, they’re too far away from here and our rooms here are more convenient. Don’t we have a lot of work to do? You, me, and… [stops to think] that’s odd… I think there was another one, but I can’t put my finger on who they are…? Well, maybe it’s just me imagining things.

LIGHT MASTER: Yeah, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Now, listen to me, Patton. I will be gone soon and I want you to welcome the first Side that is about to come. Tell him the basics of the Mind Palace and Thomas.

PATTON: The first Side?

LIGHT MASTER: Yes, I can sense that the moment of his arrival is approaching. Thomas has already started learning how to speak, and with that, imagination and creativity will make an entrance in the Mind Palace. When he arrives, I want you to tell him everything about the Mind Palace and how it works. Tell him… [makes a pause, then takes a deep breath and continues] tell him also that Thomas is the Light Master.

PATTON: But you are the Light Master, kiddo. What are you talking about?

LIGHT MASTER: I’m going to fuse with the Mind Palace Core, so I’m not misspeaking. I’m gonna be a part of Thomas so, he’s gonna be the Light Master.

PATTON: [suddenly sad and scared] But why? Why are you leaving me alone? Did I do something wrong?

LIGHT MASTER: [waving his hands quickly] No, no, no, of course not! I’m doing this for you. I cannot tell you the reason behind it for now. But there will be a time when you will understand. And I promise that you won’t be alone in the Mind Palace for long. Until then… [the Light Master kisses Patton on the forehead and continues speaking with a slightly emotional tone] know that I appreciate you very much, and that I’ll always be there with you. Just look at Thomas and you’ll see me as part of him, always taking care of you. But don’t let him know until he’s ready to bare the burden of being the Light Master. Now, go to your room, Patton. Farewell.

PATTON: But…

LIGHT MASTER: Farewell, Patton.

PATTON: Farewell, Light Master. I love you.

LIGHT MASTER: I love you too.

[Patton sinks down in tears, then the flashback ends]

PATTON: That was the last time I saw the Light Master. I presume he fused with the Mind Palace Core as soon as I left, and as such he is part of you now, Thomas. I didn’t understand why he did that back then. Now I know that, to assure that the combined forces of the Dark Master and Virgil wouldn’t be powerful enough to overthrow him, he fused with the Core so that you could defeat him if battle arose. In the end, Virgil ran away before the Dark Master was ready to fulfill his plans, but still, his sacrifice was not in vain, as now you’re gonna have to face him for real, Thomas, and the Light Master power is gonna be vital to defeat him.

ROMAN: Wait… I suddenly remembered something. When I first came to life in the Mind Palace, someone approached me, welcomed me and talked to me about how the Light Master was Thomas… something I didn’t understand at all back then. But he didn’t look like you at all. He was this venerable man dressed in an all gray tunic with light blue sapphire ornaments on the shoulders, not even wearing glasses… And now that I think about it, I never saw him again, and it happened so early in my life that I ended up forgetting him until your story brought him back from the bottom of my memories. Are you telling me that this strange man was you all the time, Patton?

PATTON: It was me, Roman. Only that in my original form. I noticed that you pictured me in the flashback with my present outfit but in reality I looked like you saw me as a child. After I delivered my message, I retired to my room, feasting on the memories that Thomas was creating in his life, delighting on them, and learning about the outer world and preparing myself for my new task in Thomas’ life, which was going to be helping him to distinguish between right and wrong. However, I still had this idea stuck in my mind of being a dad, and so, when I finally thought myself ready, I took the shape of a father figure when I first came out, when you had that first moral dilemma about if it was right or wrong having a crush for some other boy at school, remember?

THOMAS: Yes, it was the first discussion I had with multiple Sides to work out an issue. It was Roman and you, and he didn’t recognize you. I remember that Roman back then still looked like a child like me but you already looked like an adult from your very first appearance. You said that you wanted to represent an adult with an inner child inside, but now I understand the truth. You never were an ordinary Side. You were something else entirely. You had been an adult all of your life, but you came to that explanation yourself because there were too many holes in your memory and that’s the best you could come up with, am I right?

PATTON: Yes… you’re right. Okay, Virgil. Now you know the whole story. What do you think?

VIRGIL: After all you have told me today… I see it crystal clear.

PATTON: What?

VIRGIL: I only have one father and that is you, dad. The Dark Master may have put his seed onto you so that you could have me but being a father is much more than leaving your DNA. What really makes a father is the amount of love he’s willing to share with his child, how he would put himself in all sorts of dangers to protect his son. How he would even sacrifice his life if needed be to save his boy. Now I’m a father myself and I know this very well. The Dark Master only conceived me and took me so that he could use me as a tool for his plans. He didn’t care at all about my well-being. Wanna see what he did to me instead? Take a look.

[Virgil unzips his hoodie. Underneath, he’s still not wearing his shirt as he forgot to put it back on after pregnancy forced him to take it away for being too tight. He turns back and lowers the hoodie down, showing his back. Patton and the others are horrified when they notice the numerous huge, deep scars of whipping that fill the whole of Virgil’s back. Deceit and Ira just sigh as they also suffered the Dark Master’s methods and know very well these scars because they have them too. Virgil puts the hoodie on and looks at Patton, whose eyes are red and full of tears.]

VIRGIL: He mistreated me, beat me and filled me with fear. He called it respect, I call it apprehension to his presence. And this was only in the few years I was there, before I ran away to the Light Realm. I can’t even imagine what Deceit and Ira had to go through, trapped with him till adulthood. No, he behaved in the totally opposite way a father should behave. [grabs Patton’s hands] You, on the contrary, cared about me from the very first moment I was born. You loved me and wanted to take care of me from the beginning. And if that monster hadn’t wiped out your memories about my existence, I’m certain you would have moved heaven and earth to rescue me from his claws back to the safety you wanted to provide me. Heck, even when you didn’t remember me, your first instincts when you saw me again were to fill me with the love you couldn’t give me in the past few years and being a father for me. As true as my eye-bags are covered with black makeup, [titters] even if little watery now perhaps, you, Patton Sanders, are my father and no one else. And I love you so much.

[Virgil hugs Patton who hugs Virgil back. Thomas can’t help crying out of emotion]

PATTON: I love you too, Virgil. And I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you. I’m so sorry…

VIRGIL: Dad… why don’t you call me kiddo anymore? You haven’t used the word “kiddo” since your memories were restored.

PATTON: Well, you’re a grown-up adult with a child of you own. How could I call you kiddo?

VIRGIL: I don’t care, dad. I told you before that I’ll always be your kiddo. I want you to call me kiddo until my teeth fall down and my hair goes white. And I don’t want you to stop delivering your dad jokes. They always made my day a thousand times brighter, even if I never told you so. And I need your light in my life in this moment of darkness.

THOMAS: He speaks for all of us, Patton. We don’t want to lose the happy, adorable father you were for all of us. When this is all over and we all have reasons to be happy again, we also want to be called kiddo and hear your dad jokes. Only if you want to, though. We’ll understand if you think otherwise.

[Patton makes a pause, then he sighs and speaks]

PATTON: To be honest, I don’t want to lose that either. Right now I’m currently pretending again, pretending I’m no longer the “child” I used to be, repressing any and all dad jokes that I come up with. It’s just that… [hesitates before going on] I feel that I behave like that because of the Dark Master. I would have never been such a manchild if it wasn’t for that. I think going on with that personality is gonna be delightful for the Dark Master, and I don’t wanna give him that satisfaction anymore.

VIRGIL: To the he… [bleep] with the Dark Master! You must do whatever makes you happy. And if it makes your family happy too, all the better!

LOGAN: You know I never liked the dad jokes and the puns… but I don’t want them gone at the expense of you repressing yourself to an unhealthy amount. You come first, and my own stupid comedy tastes don’t matter at all.

PATTON: I think you’re right… kiddos. [determined, returning to his traditional attitude] You’re completely right! I don’t wanna hold it back and I’m not gonna do it for just a stupid… ex! Kiddos, your happy papi Patton is back to stay!

ROMAN: That’s the spirit! I’m proud of you!

VIRGIL: Okay, now, back to the present. What are we gonna do to rescue Chris? Dad, the Dark Master said you knew where to find him.

PATTON: Yes, kiddo, I know.

VIRGIL: Well, where is it?

PATTON: It’s gonna be a dangerous trip, guys, because we’re going to a place I haven’t gone to since 30 years ago. We’re going back to where it all began, back to the Mind Palace Center.

[a sign reads “To be continued, guys, gals and non binary pals”]

[end card]

[Remus appears in the middle of the room, standing on top of the table]

REMUS: Oh, hello, everyone!

ROMAN: Remus, you’re late.

REMUS: Oh, I know. It’s just that I’m not used to be so much sought-after. You know, usually you want to get rid of me and such.

ROMAN: Well, you could have come earlier. We’re on a crisis.

REMUS: Welcome to my world. What crisis?

ROMAN: Our son has been stolen away.

REMUS: [suddenly serious and concerned, jumping off the table and approaching Roman] What!? What happened!? Who’s taken him!? I’ll beat the sh** out of whomever dares to harm him!

ROMAN: This was… unexpected. I didn’t realize Chris meant so much to you.

REMUS: Of course he does! He’s my nephew, and if anyone touches him, the next thing he’s gonna touch is this mace, with his head and several times! Now tell me what happened.

PATTON: Guys, there’s no time. We need to get moving right now.

ROMAN: We’ll better get going. I’ll tell you on the way, brother.

REMUS: I love when you call me brother.

[The gang gets out of the room on their way back to the Mind Palace]

[clansayeed]

Bound by Destiny ― Chapter 7: The Consequences

PAIRING: Kamilah Sayeed x MC (Nadya Al Jamil) RATING: Mature

⥼ MASTERLIST ⥽

⥼ Bound by Destiny ⥽

Nadya Al Jamil (MC) has been struggling from the day she moved to Manhattan, but her new job as assistant to the mysterious CEO of Raines Corp was supposed to turn her luck around. Until she finds herself caught in the middle of a war involving the Council of Vampires who secretly run the city. An evil from the birth of Vampire-kind stirs beneath, feeding on the conflict, and finds Nadya bound to a destiny she never asked for.

Bound by Destiny and the rest of the Oblivion Bound series is an ongoing dramatic retelling project of the Bloodbound series and spin-off, Nightbound. Find out more [HERE].

⥼ Chapter Summary ⥽

When Lily is hurt, a desperate Nadya looks to Adrian for a solution. The results of his actions end up reaching farther than either of them could imagine.

[READ IT ON AO3]

There’s hands on her knees. Nadya looks up — Adrian’s crouched on the floor at her feet. She doesn’t remember calling him but who else would she call? Who else could… could understand? Could do anything?

His face grows misty. She blinks to focus. His thumb is cold when it wipes the tears from her cheeks.

“Bring me to her.”

She can’t fathom how her wobbly legs can carry the weight of her until she feels the supporting touch of Adrian’s hand on her upper back. They’ve lived in this apartment long enough for her to know it’s fifteen-and-a-quarter steps from the couch to Lily’s bedroom door but it takes an extra seven with the shuffling and stumbling of her feet in Maricruz’s boots.

Maricruz.

The name echoes a few times; ricochets around her skull in a desperate attempt to break free before she realizes. Before she stops Adrian from grasping the doorknob by throwing a hand out across his chest.

“Don’t—wait—”

Adrian chocks it up to her panic, anxiety, grief. You only grieve the dead, stop it. He places what he probably thinks is a reassuring hand on her shoulder and squeezes.

“I won’t know what can be done until I see her, Nadya.”

“No, it’s not that, it’s —”

“It’s what? What’s going on?”

“Adrian, I —”

“What didn’t you tell me?”

All she can manage are wet choking sounds. The adrenaline’s made its way through her body by now. The only thing left is hollow, scared. God, she’s so scared.

Then the door opens in front of them and they stare into Maricruz’s red-rimmed red eyes. Brow furrowed into a glare and Adrian is her whole focus.

“She didn’t tell you about me,” voice thick with emotion, body tense like a spring ready to release, but Mari doesn’t back down from the imposing height and presence of a Council member, “for fucking good reason.”

All it takes is the ghost of an inhale and Adrian’s eyes flicker blood red. Confusion besets Nadya when he’s suddenly the one guarding her, keeping her held back. The word harsh and rasped.

“Clanless.”

Though Mari’s body obscures most of Lily’s bedroom — she can hear Lil’ now, hear her groaning about so many people viewing the monstrosity that is her lack of cleaning and organization, she’s gonna be livid — all it takes is a shift of the Clanless vampire’s shoulder and Nadya catches sight of Lily’s hand. It’s so still.

She pushes past them. Rushes forward despite Adrian’s attempt to hold her back with “Nadya!” on the tip of his tongue. Leaps onto Lily’s bed the way she’s done a thousand times before and curls herself up against her best friend in the entire world and weeps into the blood drying into crusted flakes on her shoulder.

Please wake up, Lil’ — if she says it out loud it doesn’t matter, maybe some benevolent god can hear her that way — please, please don’t leave me.

Through the sting of salt in her eyes Nadya can see the achingly slow rise and fall of Lily’s chest. So much blood, there’d been so much blood, don’t move her what the hell are you doing Mari — I’m familiar with someone bleeding out Nadya — and then the strange painful loneliness that came with the unknown.

She called Adrian there for a reason, not for support. For the only thing her subconscious could think of.

Mari pushes Adrian into the hallway and leaves the door partially open. They’re whispering too softly for her to hear. Sending harrowing looks her way before resuming their secrecy.

“This is all my fault, Lil’. I’m so sorry.” She brushes her hair out of her eyes; can still feel the tack of sweat and the lingering smell of cigar smoke on her clothes, under her nails.

“It was going good, y’know? I felt… I felt so bad lying to you but it was for the right reasons. I was gonna tell you, I swear. I swear, Lil’ I was. But…” But I thought I was keeping you safe. She can’t even say it in the abstract. It’s a lie through and through. Her secrets got Lily hurt — maybe killed.

So they owe her.

Adrian and Mari are too involved in their arguing to watch her sit up. Arms wrapping around her legs, still feeling the tremors of fear—loss—anguish in her voice.

“Do it.”

Adrian’s expression scrunches up in confusion. “What do you me—ow.”

He’s spent too much time playing mortal — pretending for the rest, for himself too. He grasps his arm though she doubts Mari actually damaged him. Her eyes are back to their honey-brown hue and strangely cold as she looks between Nadya and her unconscious girlfriend.

“You don’t know what you’re asking, chica.”

“I do.” The prospect of a chance has her on edge, has her shaking where she sits. “I do. And Mari, god, Mari, she really —”

“Finish that sentence and I cut out your tongue.”

Nadya almost does Mari’s job for her; bites down so hard she can taste blood on the inside of her cheek.

She whimpers her plea. “But…”

“I’m not gonna fucking turn her — and if you ask again I’m out.” And maybe she’d be angry if she had any energy left for more than sadness. She doesn’t.

The rejection brings up a new well of tears, of hiccuped sobs and choked pleas. But Maricruz isn’t the only vampire in the room.

“Adrian.” He’s a blurry figure as she starts crying again and he’s got to. He has to. He’s Adrian Raines.

The color drains out of Adrian. Suddenly he can’t look Nadya in the eye — and that makes her blood boil. Energy renewed.

The weight of his sigh presses down on them all.

“No.”

He catches Maricruz’s hand before she can hit him again. She wrenches it free and turns away. But Nadya isn’t so easily dissuaded.

“‘No?’” she repeats. To his credit Adrian’s steeled himself enough to sound at the very least confident about his choice.

“No.”

“I—You—” Nadya struggles for an answer, ends up repeating herself again, “‘No?’”

“You know I can’t, Nadya. It’s in direct violation of the pact.”

“Screw the pact — this is Lily we’re talking about.” She clutches tighter onto her best friend’s arm. Like every time Adrian refuses her is one step closer to someone taking her away.

“I understand and — Nadya, please — if I could do anything to save her…”

“You can. You can Turn her.”

“I really can’t. Not without putting her in further danger.”

“‘In danger’ is better than dead!”

Her body jerks in the last burst of energy she can manage. Brings her up to Adrian bodily where she grasps onto his suit lapels and crumples the fabric so tight she can feel the prick of her nails through it. Adrian stays emotionless and she hates him for it.

He probably thinks he’s being gentle, kind even when he places his hands atop hers but Nadya just feels patronized — a child throwing a tantrum. It takes her from angry to livid.

“You may think that now — trust me when I say I understand. Nadya, I do. But the risks of Turning — not just because of the pact, but on their own — believe me when I say you don’t want to put Lily through that.”

“No. You don’t get to decide.”

“I do. And I’ve made my decision. No, and that’s final.”

She’ll give him one thing — he’s clipped and formal in the way he handles business meetings at work. That CEO tone of voice that tells someone he’s made up his mind and nothing short of a miracle could change it. And the fact that he’s speaking to her like that — the fact he even thinks he has the right — about something as important and precious as Lily’s life makes her want to grab the broken billiards cue from where she abandoned it in the living room and drive it into his chest.

Adrian’s fingers card through her hair; his forehead a offers a cool clarity to her grief-stricken fever. The argument has ended — to him. He’s begun the process of helping her mourn.

His guard is down. Which makes it easy for Nadya to use her grip on his suit to push him against the hall wall.

The voice is hers, the words are hers — but whoever is speaking doesn’t feel like Nadya Al Jamil. This woman is desperate, she is visceral. She’s been kind and knows it doesn’t get her anything in return, so she’s ready to change her tune. And Nadya finds her terrifying.

“You listen to me Adrian-goddamn-Raines. This isn’t something that’s up to you, got that? This is not a decision for you to make. It’s not even my decision but the only person who can decide is in a freakin’ coma—” she jabs a finger back at Lily’s unconscious form, “—and can’t say crap!

“Do you know what I did for you tonight? Do you know what I really did?! Because I was almost killed! And frankly it was pretty damn scary. Because I was ready for vampires, you told me about them. I was ready for sleezy creeps, I’m a woman I’m pretty freakin’ used to that crap. Hell, I was even ready for that stupid Baron guy to throw the summons back in my face! But you know what I was definitely not ready for? I wasn’t ready to be dragged into a freaking dungeon with no way of calling for help!”

Any louder and the horrid neighbors upstairs were going to start a riot. But Nadya doesn’t care. Her voice cracks with every syllable; her anger rushing out in a wave that would take much more than two vampires to stop.

Though Adrian looks ready to dispute her he falls flat. A heavy swallow forcing a lump into his throat no-doubt shaped like the word dungeon.

“Nadya, I —”

“Do I look like I’m done?!” The impossible happens and Nadya feels hot, fresh tears in a torrent down her face; blubbering up her speech and clogging her throat but it’s Lily so she’ll suffer every minute of it if that’s what it takes.

“You told me I was safe. You told me your stupid pact meant he wouldn’t hurt me! But he did, Adrian, he did! So you stand here and you tell me you won’t save Lily’s life because of the same stupid pact that no one but you follows then I’ll go to one of those other creeps and do whatever it takes for them to save her life! Because your pact is worth nothing, Adrian, nothing!

“And if your word — your pact — to a bunch of liars and crooks and creeps is more important to you than the life of my best friend then… then…”

With nothing more to say, to scream, and no more tears left all the energy saps from her in one fell swoop. Her shaking legs finally give but Adrian doesn’t let her fall. He holds on tightly — so tight it almost hurts — and when she looks dead into his eyes there’s a sick sense of satisfaction she feels from the same kind of pain on his crumpled features.

“Please don’t ask me to do this.” He begs hoarsely. Brushes her hair out of her eyes and looks down at her like begging will work.

It won’t.

“I’m not asking.”

When he hands her off to Mari she’s hesitant to let go. Doesn’t know how, really, like her fists have never not been balled up in his clothes. The vampiress’ arms wrap strong and secure around Nadya — keep her from falling victim to the draining release of emotions.

She blubbers for a moment; wordless, aimless, until Adrian steps into Lily’s bedroom fully and turns to look back at Nadya in a way that makes it seem like the final time. Hardened, focused, his eyes flash ruby-red and when he speaks he does so with fangs.

“If this goes bad — if she turns Feral, Nadya — you will be the one to stake her. Do you understand me?”

She chokes down her bile and nods.

In a blur Adrian kneels at Lily’s bedside. Pulls up his sleeve so quickly the button pops off and flies away; forgotten.

Then Maricruz’s soft voice in her ear; “don’t, sweetie, this isn’t a pretty sight,” and makes Nadya’s decision for her when she covers her eyes with a cold hand. She glimpses a flash of red on Adrian’s arm — sees it hover just over Lily’s lips — but doesn’t resist the blissful ignorance.

Nicole bursts Adrian’s office door open in a surprisingly blunt display of force.

“What in God’s name possessed you to do something so ineffably irresponsible?!”

She’s pointedly ignoring Nadya’s existence — it’s in the tilt of her chin and the angle of her body away from the corner of the room where Nadya’s been curled up in one of the large leather-backed armchairs for the better part of the day.

It makes her close in on herself more. She continues looking back through the last text conversations she and Lily had. It’s a paradox — imagining Lily’s voice through her words is both her only current source of happiness and the thing that makes her want to throw up from grief.

“Adrian,” Nicole slams her open palms on his desk, “I’m talking to you.”

Adrian looks up from the files on his desk. He’s been reading them out loud — both to field his ideas into the open air and to distract Nadya by asking for her opinion.

“I understand your concern, Nicole, however —”

“Do you realize the position you’ve put yourself in? You don’t have any open slots in your Clan.”

“Really? I wasn’t aware.”

The silence between them is supercharged. But whether out of respect for her boss or the realization that he won’t answer to her, Nicole breaks eye contact and pinches the bridge of her nose.

“A decision had to be made in the heat of the moment and I did what I thought was best given the situation,” Adrian explains; and Nadya tries her best not to make a snide remark — he’s arguing in Lily’s favor after all, “I’ve already begun filing the necessary paperwork to petition the girl my next Clan opening.”

A strange noise makes Nadya look up — where she catches the swell of the blonde’s shoulders.

Something unspoken is passing between boss and underling. Something Nadya doesn’t know; isn’t sure she wants to know. Nicole’s head snaps in her direction (she’s vaguely reminded of a Nat Geo video she watched on predatory raptors) and Nadya resumes total immersion in her phone.

Nicole’s resumed tone is forcibly calmer. “You and I discussed the… recipient of that spot some time ago. I was under the impression it was reserved.”

“You know as well as I do that verbal contracts aren’t the same as those in print.”

When it’s apparent Adrian won’t be looking back up from his files Nicole takes her leave in a drastically different fashion than how she arrived. Silent; the click of the door latch rippling through the room.

Nadya watches Adrian check something on his laptop; his face lit by what she assumes is the live video feed from the hallway beyond. When the elevator doors close on Nicole he changes feeds and buries his head in his hands.

The timer on her phone continues counting down.

Five hours and thirty-three minutes until they go wake up Lily.

She screenshots the timer and sends it to an unsaved number. “Don’t bother keeping it I’ll just have a new burner next week,” Maricruz had tried to sound nonchalant. But there was nothing nonchalant in the way she insisted for updates on Lily’s condition. It’d been hard enough to convince her not to come with them back to Raines Corp.

With his scheduled time for panicking over, Adrian ruffles his hair and tries to regain his workplace momentum. But Nadya can’t hold in her thoughts anymore.

“Is Nicole gonna be a problem?”

Adrian stills before shaking his head. “No. She’s angry right now but it’ll pass. It always does.”

“Like this is something that happens often?”

The bite of her words makes Adrian look up. She’s torn — grateful that he did what he did but angry at what it took to get there. But she’s never seen him look so exhausted; at the end of his rope.

“I won’t deny that Nicole has been operating under the assumption that she would take the next open spot in my Clan. But right now it’s her—still mortal—against Lily—who doesn’t have that option any longer. Would you rather I revise my choice?”

Nadya huffs. “I’m not saying you’re making the wrong choice, but she just seemed so…” Vindictive, maybe. She can’t quite think of a word for it. “I just don’t want all this to end up with — with Nicole sticking a piece of broken clipboard into Lily’s heart… or something.”

It’s not a funny image, but Adrian’s always had a hard time not finding Nadya’s metaphors and vivid imagination worth a small laugh.

“I promise I won’t let anything happen to her, Nadya. If all goes well tonight she won’t just be a vampire — she’ll be of my blood. I don’t take that lightly. Okay?”

Only when she nods does Adrian go back to reading the report in front of him. Dividing her attention between the statistics and seeing an apparently missed message from a week ago where Lily asked her to grab eggs from the bodega on her way home, Nadya lets herself be lulled into something resembling sleep.

Delicate knuckles stroke her cheek. Nadya, still in the coils of sleep, turns toward it. No one ever tells you about the little things you miss when you grow up — things like your mother kissing away your bruises and the carefree feeling of running down a grassy hill; or the butterflies from your tip to your toes at your first kiss.

Those butterflies die when she opens her eyes. Sees a pair of violent red irises staring at her with unblinking focus.

When Nadya opens her mouth to scream Kamilah’s hand moves from her cheek to silence her; seals over her lips so tight every forced breath through her nostrils burns. She looks around hastily — still in Adrian’s office but there’s no Adrian.

“Calm yourself, mortal,” Kamilah says one thing and does another, presses down on her harder to impose her height on Nadya’s prone form, “it would be a shame for Adrian to go through all he has only for you to die of fright.”

When her breathing calms so does the rapid fluttering of her heart. Kamilah nods; satisfied.

“Now; I’m going to remove my hand. Will you scream?”

Nadya shakes her head slowly. The weight of Kamilah’s hand like stone gently eases then disappears altogether.

“Good girl.” But there’s nothing praising about the fanged frown. Two thousand years stare down at her and Nadya experiences — for the second time in the same week — that same concern for her life expectancy.

After a moment to gather her bearings — to throw aside the blanket she hadn’t been wearing before and ease her body out of the chair’s contortion — Nadya struggles to piece together what’s happening.

“Where’s…?”

“Adrian has begun preparations for awakening your friend. He asked me to fetch you.”

In a panic Nadya fumbles for her phone. Has to dig it out of the chair cushion, but the timer’s been going off silently for twenty one minutes and fifteen seconds. Sixteen. Seventeen. Eighteen.

“We have to go!” Her attempt at springing into action is thwarted by Kamilah’s immovable frame; an arm thrown over her middle to knock the wind out of her belly. “Kah—” she gasps, “—milah! There’s no time!”

Then she’s thrown back into the chair faster than she can comprehend. Kamilah’s nails puncture the thick brown leather of the chair’s arms — pinning Nadya; caging her. There’s nowhere to run and no Adrian to save her. Kamilah’s noticed that too.

“You will make time to listen, and you will listen well.”

Nadya has to close her eyes to keep every feasible reaction inside. Kamilah’s breath is syrupy — either she’s not fed recently or the last person she ate was Willy Wonka. This close she can see an eyelash resting just so on her perfect, permanent cheekbone.

Then there’s Lily’s voice in the back of her head laughing and quoting a freakin’ meme: “Well mark me down as scared and horny!” and that just does the exact opposite of helping.

Kamilah snaps; draws Nadya’s attention away from the pretty woman in her personal space and back to the centuries-old dangerous vampire in her personal space.

“I—I’m listening,” she nods so hard it’s giving her a headache, “I swear.”

“I have known Adrian Raines for every immortal year he has spent on this earth. Through his numerous projects, each flippant fancy—and every spineless, tactless mortal with which he has deigned to spend his time… I have been the one at his side. Which of these things, mewling creature that you are, do you believe has stayed as consistent as I?”

Sharp as knives, sharp as her fangs, Kamilah doesn’t give Nadya a chance to answer. “None. Because unlike me they were plagued with the passage of time. Just as you are plagued with the passage of time.

“When Adrian first approached me with the idea of bringing you into his fold, I cared very little. Your worth is very little to someone like me. What were you but another responsibility on his plate? When he risked his life for yours that cold, cold night, again I dismissed you. But now it would be irresponsible to ignore the reckless streak you imbue within him. You slumber here, believing you are at peace, yet do you even understand the danger you have put him in? Can your meager mind even comprehend it?”

She realizes a moment too late that this question isn’t rhetorical. Though Kamilah’s decided punishment of a hand wrapped around her throat — nails digging like thorns into the sensitive flesh — makes it harder for her to make recompense.

“I — He… he…”

“Speak. Spit it out if you must.”

“I can’t!” Then the grip is gone; still leaving her choking, fuzzy-brained; scared.

With a grunt of frustration the vampire pushes herself away from Nadya. Paces the room with steps that blur at the edges; crosses the office with inhuman strides before turning and retracing her path.

Maybe it’s not an answer she wants — she doesn’t seem the type to care, that’s certain. As Nadya watches her, though, a melancholy overcomes her. Not again, and she clenches her fists to force the wave of emotions back down, don’t cry in front of the stupid scary vampire, Nadya, don’t you dare.

She speaks only when it feels like the effort won’t chafe her throat raw.

“Adrian knew the risks.”

“Indeed. And was content to let them be enough until you blackmailed him.”

Nadya’s glasses almost fall off her nose. “Excuse me? I didn’t… blackmail him.”

“Simple though you may be, a snake knows a snake,” hisses Kamilah, “and you have had ample time to learn how to twist Adrian’s good-natured heart to your own gains.”

It’s the thought of anything thats happened over the last 48 hours being a gain that makes her snap. Brings Nadya to her bare feet with an accusatory finger jabbed in the woman’s direction.

“Take that back! You — you take it back! I don’t care how old you are or—or how many people you’ve killed or how long you’ve known Adrian, you don’t get to stand there and tell me that I’m getting something out of Lily being hurt. You don’t even know her!”

Kamilah crosses her arms languidly; like she’s allowing Nadya one last breath before going in for the kill.

“I do not need to.”

“No!” Her conviction surprises them both. “Her name is Lily Spencer! She was my first friend in New York! She works at a job she hates but she’s so stupidly optimistic you wouldn’t know. Sure she’s messy sometimes, and runs the electric bill up the wall, and drinks my soda even when I ask her not to but that’s what best friends do.

“And she was probably attacked because of me and because of my knowing Adrian so yeah — yeah I begged him to Turn her even though it’s against your awful pact. But she didn’t deserve to get hurt and she certainly doesn’t deserve to die! And Adrian knows that. He does — because deep down he’s a good person who wants to put good out into the world and I don’t know a force more good than Lily-effin’-Spencer.”

She’s a bawling, blubbering mess by the end. Teardrops smearing her lenses and carving familiar tracks down her face, sinuses all stuffy again with hot cheeks and the lump of her heart so far up her throat she might choke on it.

What really doesn’t help is looking down and realizing she’s wearing her college sweatpants and her dumb socks don’t even match.

Nadya just cries and cries and all the while Kamilah watches in stony-faced silence. Luckily it’s a routine she’s gotten pretty familiar with over the last day and a half; so it doesn’t take her nearly as much time to recover and compose herself.

When she slides her hastily-wiped glasses back on Kamilah is holding out a pale cream handkerchief. Adrian likes his tie pins but he’s not a handkerchief sort of guy. This is Kamilah’s own personal effect.

“You look like a simpering infant.” She keeps her eyes, now devoid of their supernatural edge, averted while Nadya rights herself — cringes when she blows her nose into the silk like a horn. “Keep that. And never let an assumed enemy see you so vulnerable again. It’s embarrassing.”

Assumed enemy? She decides to let it go and stuffs the square into her pocket.

“Come. Adrian will be wondering what has held us up.”

She doesn’t give Nadya the chance to recover from the whiplash of changed topics. She also doesn’t look willing to hold open the elevator doors while Nadya scrambles for her things and runs at a human pace behind her. It is a long ride down.

The elevator pings at the sub-basement. Kamilah blocks the opening before Nadya can exit.

“This is neither a debate nor a conversation so you will do well to listen and say nothing. First, your friend and her fate mean little to me. While your plea was certainly impassioned it carried little weight in my opinion of you. Second,” the flash of red in her eyes lasts only a moment, “you may believe in your own nobility but there is no arguing over what you did. You blackmailed Adrian — took advantage of his kindness and generosity — and in return have placed him in a position so dangerous you may never understand the consequences in your lifetime.”

Nadya raises her chin. “And third?”

“There is no ‘third.’ Your continued place in Adrian’s life may only last as long as it takes for me to clean up his mess. Not even batting your pretty eyes at me will change that.”

She turns on her heel and begins off towards the darkness within. Nadya waits long enough for the metal doors to close between them before she hastily jabs the button for them to open and rushes hot on her heels.

She’ll think about “pretty eyes” when Lily’s safe and sound.

Only Lily isn’t there.

Adrian is. With a stake in hand and a concerning furrow in his brow; whatever’s on his phone screen apparently far more important than the distressed, almost animal-like noise that fills the room.

It takes Nadya longer than she’d like to admit to realize the noise is her.

But the hulking stone sarcophagus in the middle of the room is empty, ornamental lid propped against the wall like it’s a freaking ping-pong table and just in the way.

The first and most obvious thought comes to mind but Nadya doesn’t have time to act on it. Not with Kamilah’s grip on her shoulder keeping her back.

“No ashes.” And she, too, looks deep in thought. Surveys the room with slow sweeps of her head but finds the lid — not the empty box — the most interesting piece of the scene.

This time Nadya really can’t shed another tear. Not even if Lily’s life depended on it. Only… it doesn’t anymore. She can’t stop staring at the tip of Adrian’s stake.

Kamilah squeezes tighter — forces Nadya to realize just how bad she’s shaking. That immortal hand is the only thing keeping her on her feet. She wants to run; doesn’t know where or how far but that’s not gonna be the thing to stop her. So long as she’s far away — from New York, from Adrian and Kamilah, from vampires and—

“Nadya.” For the first time all evening Kamilah’s face is almost kind. “Pay attention. There are no ashes.”

What did that matter? There wasn’t even anything left of Lily to hold on to — that’s all it meant. With no rhyme or reason as to why she was attacked, with everything she was losing—more than a roommate Lily was her best friend, her sister, her freaking platonic soulmate—the only thing she can think to do is lay down and never get up.

Wait.

Oh.

Oh my god.

Nadya looks at Adrian as he pockets his phone. He goes to rub his temples; looks at the stake with a strange foreign bewilderment, as though he isn’t sure how he got hold of it. It gets tossed aside where it clatters on the cement floor and rolls away lame. Useless.

“I won’t fret you with the choice between good and bad news.”

Nadya inhales. “Lily; she’s —”

“Newly Turned vampires are strong, but not even I had such a mastery over my new senses to do this.” Kamilah, now near the lid on the far wall, picks it up and replaces it on the coffin. It settles home with a booming thud and the grind of stone; but Kamilah had carried it as though it weighed little more than a book. “The girl was removed with care — by someone with the strength to carry out the act and the grace to make sure it was done without detection.”

Adrian nods. “Close, Kamilah. But Lily wasn’t taken by someone acting alone.”

He gives Nadya a knowing glance. One by one all the butterflies in her stomach freeze in mid-air. She scrambles to pull her phone up only to find a missed message alert from an unsaved number.

Her thumb hovers over the screen but…

“I can’t.”

Adrian starts forward but her body language keeps him hovering at bay. “Nadya…”

“No,” she thrusts the phone at him, “I can’t do it.”

Gently he cups her hand in both of his. Off to the side there’s a faint choking noise from Kamilah followed by the sound of swiftly retreating footsteps.

“Look at me.”

“You don’t get it, Adrian, if she —”

“Please.”

She exhales and tilts her gaze upwards. Despite everything awful she’s imagining he’s smiling and the very sight of it throws her off. “What…”

He squeezes their joined hands. “It’s impossible for them to have taken Lily from the building with anything less than even mild consent. A Feral isn’t sound of mind, Nadya. She survived her Turning — at the very least. It isn’t much, but —”

“It is.”

It is.

Adrian agrees to leave her to the message in the sub-basement — “Are you sure? It’s… gloomy down here, to say the least — I’ll see you upstairs when you’re ready,” — and heads back up to join Kamilah in figuring out how to go forward.

She waits for the noise of the elevator doors, for the digital sign to read he’s fifty floors up and only then does she consider how to begin processing everything that’s happened.

Were she a more morbid person the idea of laying in the same coffin as her now undead best friend would be appealing — morbidity aside there’s no way she’s moving that slab on her lonesome. So Nadya takes her noodle-limp arms and hops up near the worn face on the lid and lets her legs dangle over the edge.

“Hi there.” She nods at the features worn and made less definite with time and finally — finally — opens the text.

[TEXT]: Hey girl. Miss you 2 death - lol - but I gotta go away 4 a bit. U kno why. Not happy btw :( But i'm ok. ok? I promise i'm ok. I’m with mari. She gave me the 411. Tell Adrian thx. Deep breaths baby girl. Shits cray, right? lol. Catch u on the flip side. xoxo luv, me

[sweetwolf05]

You May be Loved Aren't You?(Cad/Anakin/Fives)(4/?)

Notes: Well, i am mostly writing English more than French, i am basically a Canadian, so i tried my best to writing this fic of Arc Trooper Fives/Anakin Skywalker(Cad Bane) but i kinda trying my best to write it WAAAAAAAAYYYYYY MORE longer. Everyone has opinions on thier ships. So yeah i kinda tried my best. I kinda feel more artist AAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNDDDDDD kinda a writer. Alright guys, enjoy this crossover between LBP and Star Wars.

I made four chapters in Febuary.

Summary: A failed experiences on The chosen one was becoming a cat and human hybrid, young Anakin Skywalker was saved by Obi-Wan Kenobi and his master Qui-Gon Jinn, but quite was transgender neko. While Young Skywalker was in jedi temple, Young Jedi Knight Kenobi freed Shmi Skywalker. Now few years later, Sackboy and his serial friends came on the jedi temple of thier secret tasks.

Ratings: Mature

Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage

Category: M/M

Fandoms: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars - All media types, Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) - All Media types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media types, Little Big Planet, Little Big Planet 2, Little Big Planet 3

Relationship(s): CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC 5555/Anakin Skywalker, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC 5555 & CT-7567 | Rex, Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Original Padawan Character, CT-7567 | Rex & CC-2224 | Cody, Anakin Skywalker and Others, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Others, Ahsoka Tano and Others, Jedi & Clones, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn, CC-2224 | Cody and Others, Cad Bane/Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze(hint), Kit Fisto/Aalya Secura, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker(Past), Jango Fett & Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Jango Fett & CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC 5555, Quinlan Vos & Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker

Character(s): Quinlan Vos, Aalya Secura, Aelina - Oc, Yoda(Star Wars), Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker, Cad Bane, CC-2224 | Cody, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC 5555, CT-7567 | Rex, Shmi Skywalker, Jango Fett, Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padme Amidala, Qui-Gon Jinn, Satine Kryze, Other Star Wars Character(s), Sackboy, Newton Pud, Oddsock, Toggle, Swoop, Other Little Big Planet character(s), Cyoots - oc, 66-666 - oc, Sweet Peater | Maiara - oc, Sheev Palpatine | Darth Sidious

Additional Tag(s): Humanized Sweet Peater | Maiara, Trans Male character, Projective Obi-Wan, Part cat!Anakin Skywalker, Trans! Anakin, Do not lewd Ani Cad Bane, Kidnapping, Cat/Human hybrid, Projective Ahsoka, Almost everyone is projective, Slavery, Neko!Anakin Skywalker, The Council is WAY more confused, Obsessed Cad Bane, Past Underage, Alternate universe - Canon Divergence, more tags will add later, Sith!Obi-Wan(Briefly), Jango Fett is a good dad, Please let Sackboy sleeps during night to midnight, Hurt/Comfort, Jango Fett lives, Newton Pud tried his best, Alternate universe - Anakin Skywalker doesn't turn to the dark side, Rating: PG 13(ish), Rating: NC-17(ish), Slash?, Kind Anakin, Angst Sackboy, Sackboy did not cry, Eventual Cad Bane/Anakin Skywalker/CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC 5555, Everytime Obi-Wan Kenobi don't show his sith eye to everyone but sometime he did, Newton Pud has non evil feelings, The bunkum heroes, Sackboy & Quinlan Vos has a bad feeling about this, THE AUTHOR REGRET NOTHING, Author needs sleeps, Cyoots doesn't needs a hug but she needs a break, 66-666 is a drama queen, Cried in Blood!Obi-Wan, Mother & Son relationship, Obi-Wan Kenobi freed Shmi Skywalker, Shmi Skywalker lives, hints of Obitine, Star Wars/LittleBigPlanet crossover, Time Travel, Hints of Darth Venge, Padmé and Anakin are such great friends, whoops. A hint of Obi-Wan breaking the sith and the jedi codes, Sith Code, Jedi Code, Anakin Skywalker has finally a freedom, Bottom Anakin, Top Cad Bane, Top Fives, Threesome M/M/M, Familly fluff, Qui-Gon lives, ... Phones, bisexual male character, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn are not in love in this fic(RIP), Feelings, Wi-Fi issues, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics(ish), no swearing, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon are JUST best friend, Nose bleed, Stop lying when you're not okay Obi-Wan, Ani5 shipper!Palpatine, Hello der jedi shipper!Sidious, CadAni5 shipper!Palpatine | Sidious, logic: this author was a easter egg, SAVE MAH GURL WHICH IS MAIARA, ... Anakin was scared of Bane, Maiara and her whole life are done of bounty hunters, Hurt/Comfort, Hurt and Comfort, Alpha Obi-Wan, Omega Anakin, Alpha clones, Beta Satine, Alpha Jedi, Alpha Jango, ALMOST EVERYONE ARE ALPHA, Sweet Peater is not a alpha but less omega, Beta Ahsoka, Alpha sith, Alpha Separatists, Abuse.., Obsession behavior, Possessive Obi-Wan, Oh no. Obi-Wan is a grey jedi, Grey Jedi, Darth Venge, Grey!Obi-Wan, Yaoi

Read on

Bonuses with three other chapters:

Preview

It was a long day since new travellers we're came of visiting the jedi temple, Newton saw some Jedi in front of them; Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Yoda, Ahsoka Tano and others jedi apprentices and jedi masters. Sackboy was not sure about 'The negotiator' has a sith feelings, confused and curious about him. Serial things may be different or something different. He whispered himself, Why should Obi-Wan Kenobi might hide his sith lord's eye in brief? Should i tell the council about him? Sackboy was not sure about the jedi and the sith. How could he almost treated Obi-Wan?

The cyborg and bird hybrid "66-666" was has quite feelings about both Sackboy and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"What's the matter Master?" Kenobi heard his former padawan; Anakin just said at meetings of new travellers.

"I'm fine, young one," Obi-Wan lied to ALMOST everyone, he was cried in blood.

"How chould you lied to almost everyone?! You almost gave me a heart attack, Master Kenobi!" Sackboy with his voice rough.

Newton was just entered the jedi council to see the whole view inside, curious he feels, walking around in the council, then Nana Pud's son saw the chancellor of the republic.

"Elder man," what all Newton said, "Who are you and why are you in both; light and dark side?!"

"Young Pud, i am Sheev Palpatine, the chancellor of the republic, don't mind Kenobi's apprentice, he is Cat and Human hybrid" Chancellor replied.

Newton was just confused when Palpatine was moved to his office, Sackboy is going to hurt me, the lightbulb teen said in his mind.

*

Sackboy was at the council meetings with Anakin about the proof as he sees Obi-Wan cries in blood.

"For the reason is i was sick of seeing a jedi who cried in blood," Sackboy snaps out at serial jedi masters, "Well EXCUSE me?! Obi-Wan Kenobi has his OWN life," 66-666 scout at cloth kid.

"Better be calm down and be calm," both who snapped or scout just received Yoda's words to have passion.

"Fine," Sackboy and 66-666 just replied fast.

Anakin wasn't sure of there's a discovery between them, "I'll be back in a hour at more or less," he just leave but seen his own mother and Arc Trooper Fives in front of him.

"Everything okay cyare?" Fives asked.

"Yeah.. I-i'm just s-scared of a duros bounty hunter," Anakin shivers. "P-protecting me please? I-i am just-"

Shmi just hug her son of shivers and comforts him. Yes, its comfortable for Anakin. Very comfort for the chosen one. Oh the caressing and projections. Obi-Wan wishes he was a normal jedi, not cried in blood, staying on the light side, not to be a fallen jedi but it's not what he thinks of it, a grey jedi, cried in blood before and after his knighting, half trained by a sith lord. What Duchess Satine Kryze thinks he was?!

Anakin's beta padawan Ahsoka Tano just came back from a mission with Master Fisto and Knight Secura, but she just saw Master Kenobi briefly crying in blood. He was feeling both better but sad.

[thetravsnco]

Chapter One

Hey! So, after that long, boring talk about all my writing prospects and why I like Traversal so much, and which I suppose you have seen so many times already, plus that awfully ambiguous(to most!) textpost featuring two characters of considerable prominence, Stalford Lupus and Edward Black, and which has either left you interested or displeased, in which I truthfully yearn that you experience the former, now it is time to start the chapters rolling! 

Here goes...

This was just another ordinary Saturday in the rich autumns of Nottingham, if you asked anyone. They were perhaps famous, even missed, by long-time residents who had known them, or had spent many a part of their childhood basking in the joy and pleasure of marveling at how the leaves would turn red, golden-brown or even a novel shade of yellow specially at this time of the year, as though to match the radiant glow of the sun's rays as they somehow managed to find their way around the place, behind every corner, pipe, gutter and edge, worming its way into the people's houses, where some would be spending their afternoons watching television, for kids playing perhaps a particularly intense video game, or enjoying the comfort of a good book and a cup of hot, strong, freshly brewed coffee and a snack. Never failing to bring joy to even the most sober, sullen and more sober of the history of miserable long-faces, it very gladly warmed up and caught everyone's smiles within a seemingly everlasting radius. And it would truthfully be an understatement to say that the people of Nottingham were none the more grateful for it.

Now, as the sun which I have so plentifully presented in my earlier paragraph shone its contagious smile on a certain street known so as Kingsley Way, there were two children, the only two in Nottingham perhaps, who did not seem nearly as much cheered up as the rest of the sun's 'patients', by the ages of thirteen, leaning against the kind of fence that looked as though it had not been carefully, much meticulously tended for ages and counting, its once pristine white paint now practically unrecognizable as it covered itself with tender peelings and stains or haphazard smudge marks that littered it, over the passing of time that surrounded number four, Kingsley Way, like a venomous anaconda slowly curling itself around its prey before devouring it in one spectacular gulp, though decidedly not with so much a suspense as the latter.

The kids' names were Oliver and Ana Williams, and were twins, as you probably had guessed. At this very moment even the smartest of passers-by could be forgiven for not noticing their whereabouts, for they were very cleverly and henceforth inconspicuously hidden behind a hedge of begonias that lined the entire interior of the fence and beyond, much. Now, this Oliver and Ana Williams were at this moment not remotely enjoying themselves, as their parents...well, you know how most parents work from nine to five, five days a week? Well, Oliver's and Ana's work from five to nine, seven days a week. Mr. Williams was a lawyer, and Mrs. Williams a medical specialist, which meant that she was fairly high in the medical industry. Mr. Williams was often overseas half the year, as he had become quite prominent in the past years and often had to go all around the world to meet fellow lawyers on business trips, or if someone called on him to investigate big overseas cases, and was hardly ever at home. Meanwhile Mrs. Williams often had to stay up overnight to tend to patients, or to do research on 'important things', as she called it, so Oliver and Ana cultivated discipline from a young age and could pretty much get the house running on their own.

Today was just another of the days that they were left to their own devices, needless to say.

"Hey Olive, want to go for a walk down the street? I'm wholly bored to death on such an uneventful day." Ana, younger by three minutes, had still not gotten used to life with the Williams much.

Oliver was the way more mature of the two, but even he understood how dreadful it could be to have absolutely nothing to do, or no business to get round to on a day like this, and he was practically falling asleep. "Sure." He got up, showing just how much he longed for an opportunity to stretch his legs, despite how much he would refuse to admit it if anyone asked. Disappearing into the house, he slipped upstairs and came down a mere minute later with a blue sweatshirt behind a black jacket which his father had gotten him a few years ago after a trip to the States, sleeves pulled up, and denim jeans for his bottom. Ana was already waiting when he came, and together the pair of them stepped out the door and at once again the fresh air greeted them like a rush of cool breeze from the air-conditioner in their respective rooms. Locking the door behind them, they exited the house through the rattled old fence, and set off side by side towards the horizon on the end of the left of Kingsley Way, as far as the eye could see.

They had no destination in mind, but they just kept walking, thinking that it would be no harm to them even if they were just going for a stroll around their neighborhood.

They passed by the other various quaint houses located along Kingsley Way that belonged to their equally strange neighbors, one of which was the famous engineer Riley Marks, in the area at least. Whenever anyone encountered problems with their home appliances, they need not be afraid to call on him. He was very kind to the Williams, and whenever they ran into his lanky stature packed with sinew and over an oversized jumper, he would give them biscuits and go to the nearby Jackson's to treat them to ice-creams.

Next to Riley's was old Ms. Crowley's. She was a catty old lady whom no one dared come close to, as everyone on the street found creepy. No one knew what exactly she did, but word did spread around that she was senile and a witch, and entering her house was like entering a haunted one. The rumor had been passed down for generations, and of course the twins had heard of it, although they had been too young to say anything adverse to it even if they wanted to. What really confirmed their suspicions, though, was that once, many years ago, Oliver was playing with the Marks boy Andrew in the garden, and their ball had flew over to Ms. Crowley's by accident. Andrew went to get it back, but no sooner had he put one leg into the untidy, weedy grass, the front door creaked open, and a pointy, shriveled finger poked itself out of it and waggled itself at Andrew, as though trying to warn him. Andrew started crying, and Riley himself had to come over to get him (and the ball) back. It was still a joke at meetings, but ten years down the road Andrew had still never forgotten his vowing that day never to step foot in that 'crazy old bat's' garden again.

Soon, unknowingly, as the twins neared the end of the street, they came to the dilapidated house at the end of it. Now, this put together with Ms. Crowley's was quite fitting, as they were rumored to be equally haunted. Now, of course there was a reason it was just a rumor. That is, Oliver and Ava knew otherwise, and it was destined to be a secret between them and the house's mysterious inhabitant - Kingston Podmore, with an indeed mysterious past.

Podmore was the only child of a rich family of scientists, and when his parents died, he was the sole heir to all their possessions. Influenced by his family, Podmore had become quite a budding scientist himself. There was also a prophecy written saying that only Podmore could invent something to rid the world of all troubles and evil once and for all, and create eternal peace and happiness. On Podmore's parents' deathbed, they had also made Podmore promise that he will continue to love Science, and use it only for good, not evil. Of course, Podmore agreed, and from then on dabbled in quite a many of various sciences with many clever inventions. He often worked at his inventions in his workshop through the night, sending flashes of blinding green light through the pitch dark skies. It was enough to scare the bravest kid, and further proved everyone's suspicions that the house was indeed haunted. But the Williams, of course, knew better.

"Last one in there's a rotten egg!" Ava squealed excitedly to Ramon, and together they dashed in without hesitation, slamming the door speedily behind them.

Racing down a long corridor, the kids relished in the strong sense of belonging that permeated their surroundings, as it had been so long ever since this place had started to become their favorite haunt. As though by magic, whatever interesting and new surprises that took place inside the four walls of this house never failed to amaze them, or break their boredom and even, occasionally, strike them into a whirlwind of confusion. These trips often ended with them stepping out of the house asking each other quizzically questions like, "How did he do that?" or "How did that even happen?", a bemused but interested look on their faces as they set off on the pavement leading to home.

They had just left a striking marble hall layered with pictures of all sorts of curious people, which consisted of various rather formidable-looking men with curly white hair which Ava thought must've been from a long, long time ago, young people with funky shocking neon hairstyles and nose piercing whom Oliver could relate to a rock star, shiny-headed baldies wearing an expression of fair disgust which Ava readily understood, and long-pillocks with curls and bangs that gave Oliver the impression of snakes growing out of their hair, which almost instinctively made him stick out his tongue in disgust and mouth, shaking his head, Gross!  before he was tugged on the jacket sleeve by Ava and together they boarded a widening, seemingly posh flight of stairs at the end of the room.

"Here!" Ava beckoned at Oliver and together they ran up a few flights of similarly grand stairways until they reached the third floor. Next they hustled down another corridor, this time filled with shining, newly polished knight's armour of all shapes and sizes, and also whom seemed to have been charmed, as they would say things like "Steady there, steady there!" or "Hold your horses!" which usually would definitely have made them crack up, but not today, not now, not when they had a thousand and one things to yet get around to do in this mysterious labyrinth of exploration and wonder, one of which was currently getting to the well-hidden laboratory of their flaky scientist friend.

When they finally got to a bookshelf at the corridor's end, Ana, panting, tapped the third book from the left on the sixth shelf from the top and the bookshelf flipped to its side to reveal a secret passage. Oliver and his sister stepped forward and off they went. It was as though being on an indoor roller coaster. The Williams slid down a seemingly never-ending slide. It was a relief to see the warm glow of Podmore's laboratory, where the twins had to put their hands in front of them to stop themselves falling face-first on the cold wooden floor. They got to their feet to a glance from Podmore, who immediately waved invitingly to them.

"No trouble getting here, then? Hancock's getting worse these days."

Hancock was a poltergeist living in the castle, and whose mischief could not delight him more.

"Not at all, Professor. We didn't run into him today."

"Good, good....well, what brings you here this fine day?"

"We wanted to look at your new project, sir."

"Ah, yes. About that new project....I'll show it to you. It's under here." Podmore motioned to a white cloth in the corner. "I've always been awaiting your arrival to check it out. Here you go."

He lifted the cloth up, slowly. The Williams could not help but stare in awe at the contraption underneath. A sleek vehicle of some sort emerged. It was painted mainly silver and blue, with a neon yellow halo surrounding its top. It reminded one of a rocket. With a transparent window on its side, a small table dotted with various buttons and a keyboard was barely visible.

"Presenting...Traverse 2.0. Made from cutting-edge technology that has been newly invented in the twenty-first century, this is a time machine that is well equipped to travel through the holes of time into the past, future...well, whenever you like for adventures or missions. This machine is lightweight, making it easier to hide in the shadows. This, you will find, comes in very useful during missions. Talking about hiding in shadows...Traverse 2.0 also has an Invisibility function. With the click of a button, Traverse 2.0 will be invisible to outsiders, particularly enemies. Lastly, Traverse 2.0 is built such that I can send messages through texts, or even send a hologram of myself to appear if the need arises, to help you through your journey." Here, after his long warble, Podmore shot a sneaky smile at the kids. Oliver was the first to answer.

"What do you mean, 'you'? Wait...you don't mean..." his confused expression turned into a wide grin when Podmore's quick nod told him his answer. "Wow, really?"

Ana was still gawping at the time machine and when she heard Oliver and Podmore's conversation, she wanted to say something but she found there was nothing to say, so she did the only sensible thing she could think of and closed her mouth. Her brother was already climbing into the time machine excitedly.

"Hang on!" Looking at Oliver's eager smile, Podmore chortled and said, "You need your time travelling suit first."

"But where?" The answer came almost immediately. Podmore pointed to a nearby cupboard. The bottom door sprang open and out came a...

"Portable cupboard!" the kids exclaimed in unison. It looked like a small cylinder at first, just like a can of Coke you could get at the neighborhood convenience store, but when in unraveled, it became a huge object, with poles and hangers hung on them, with many different clothing for various occasions. You could spin it as well. With a flick of his hand, Podmore made the cupboard spin to its left, to reveal two outfits that looked like time travelling suits all right, they looked like what a scuba diver would have worn, and scuba divers had always fascinated the older William.

"Awesome!" He grinned, and, pulling his twin sister, he raced to the cupboard. After donning on their time travelling suits, the twins boarded the time machine and used a button near the window to wind it down. They caught a last glimpse of Podmore shooting them an encouraging smile before they rose up and were blasted into darkness. Never in their wildest dreams would they imagine what adventures they would be wandering into...

All done, yes! Wait for Chapter Two, and, meanwhile, give me a shout in the comments, if there’s anything!

[highqualitydolans]

Cannibal {02}

Part Two

Read Part One

Word Count: 4,700+ Warnings: Mature content and language (14+). Graphic content.

He’d been watching me.

I slowly back away from the jars of detached body parts, feeling the barrel of his gun digging slightly into my head.

“Kneel,” he says in a hushed tone, and I do as I’m told, feeling my bare knees touch the solid floor beneath us.  Next, he’s patting my sides and hips, finding my weapons and taking them from me.  “You guys thought you could be slick, huh?”

I internally roll my eyes, knowing we should never have come in here.  It had been a trap.

They had been watching us.

This one had been watching me.

“Come on,” he says, taking me by the elbow and walking me out the door like a dog.

When we get outside, Liza, David, Emmett, and Andrew are all lined up on their knees, all with guns pointing to the back of their heads.  I have weird flashbacks to when I watched The Walking Dead with Alexis. It looks like we’re part of it now.

The guy pulling me tugs me to the ground, letting another guy point his gun at me.  It’s only now that I truly see his face. He’s tan and muscular and with an incredibly sharp jawline.  Even in the dark, his hazel eyes pierce into mine.  I’d be lying if I said he wasn’t attractive.

The guy holding his gun to my head looks just like him, but different in a way, shorter hair, one dangling earing in his left ear.

“Welcome,” the first guy says with a handsome smile.  “Glad you guys could make it to the party, we were only getting started.”

I look to my right where Liza looks scared, almost in tears.  Andrew is on the other side of her, glaring up at the Scabs and Emmett’s head is tilted down, blood already dripping from his nose.  David is to my left, keeping a close eye on Liza.

“Man, you guys all must have some pretty gnarly testicles on you to come here,” the guy continues.  “I had my bets you wouldn’t.  Tell me, who talked you into it?” He stepped closer to me.  “You the leader of this group, princess?  You the one who coaxed them to walking into our sanctuary?  Because in my humble opinion, you don’t look like the type who’s got the guts to.”

He’s taunting me, trying to get a rise out of me.  It’s working.  It takes all the willpower in me not to jump up and beat this guy’s gorgeous face in.

He smiles, noticing that my breathing got heavier.  “What’s wrong, princess?  Did I say something to upset you?”  He waits a few seconds before speaking again. “Stubborn one, aren’t you?  Well I see you aren’t going to open your pretty little mouth, maybe this will help you.”  He looks behind him for a second, holding his hand out to one of his friends, who hands him an axe.

The next five seconds seem to take a lifetime.  His arms are up in the air and he’s facing Liza getting ready to swing at her.  I hear David scream in fear as I reach my hand behind me and grab tightly onto the barrel of the gun against my hair, pulling it harshly out of the guy’s grip and swinging it into the jaw of the taunting bastard.  He drops the axe midway through the air, letting it fall only inches from Liza’s legs.

Next thing I know, I’m pinned to the ground by the guy whose gun I took and another dude.  My face is pressed hard against the gravel and my hands are being held tightly against my back.  I can’t move at all.

The first guy is sitting up now, holding his chiseled chin and looking at me with a shocked expression, but he seems impressed.  Not a second later, he’s laughing.

He falls back again, laughing his ass off, not at all looking like I just knocked him into next week.  As he laughs, his fellow Scabs look at him as if he’s grown a second head.

“Ethan,” the twin says on top of me says, trying to snap his brother out of whatever mood he’s suddenly in.

Ethan continues to laugh for a moment before sitting back up and looking at me. He smiles and nods his head.

“Gotta say, princess, didn’t think you had that in you.  Kudos,” he says to me, clapping and standing.  “Come on Gray, Aaron, let her up.”

Although I can’t see, I assume his brother is giving him an evil look.  He’s probably butthurt he was one-upped by a girl.

Him and Aaron let go of me, letting me finally get up.

“What’s your name?” Ethan asks when he’s standing in front of me.

I keep my mouth shut as I narrow my eyes at him.

“You mute or something?” he asks, narrowing his eyes at me in return.  I swallow as I stare at him, trying not to let his good looks cloud my thoughts of what a complete bastard he is.  I presume he’s the leader of the Scabs, considering his nature, and therefore, he’s in charge of who they kill.  And they killed Ben.  And he just tried to kill Liza.  

I really want to kill him.

“Fuck.  You,” I say quietly, not daring to move.  I don’t what he or his minions plan to do if I try to run.

“She speaks,” he replies with a smile.  “Now that your voice works, mind telling me why the hell you crossed our fence?”

I stare at him more, the two of us silent.  The only sound anyone can hear is that of Liza’s quiet crying and Emmett occasionally spitting, probably blood.

“You know, if you don’t answer my questions, I’m going to have to punish you,” Ethan whispers to me.  His voice seems dominant and steady.  He’s a natural leader, I can tell.

“You set this all up,” I finally say.  “The cannibals, Ben.  You wanted us to come here.”

“Cute and smart.  Wow, sweetheart, you’re the whole package, aren’t you?”

He’s testing me.  It’s taking my entire being not to hit him again.  My fingernails are practically digging into the palms of my hands in a fist.

“You got us here, now what?” I ask, testing him right back.  “Gonna kill us off one by one?  Hold us captive until you have a use for us like you did Ben?”

“Use for him?”  He looks confused for a moment.  “You’re talking about lab work, right?”

“Please let us go,” a hoarse voice says behind me.  It’s Liza.  I mentally roll my eyes, willing her to keep her mouth shut right now.

“Shit, I really rattled that one, didn’t I?” Ethan asks me with fake concern, then he looks at her.  “Look, I wasn’t actually gonna kill you, you know?  Maybe scrape you up a bit, but I don’t kill.”  I look at him incredulously.  As if I didn’t just mention our friend whose head we found in a pool with evidence that he killed him.  “Really I don’t kill.  That guy, Ben?  I’m not the one who killed him-”

“That was Jack.  He came to us with his body-”

“Grayson,” Ethan cut off his twin.  After giving him a warning stare for a few silent seconds, he looks back to me.  “I’m sorry about your friend.  Really, I am.” 

For a second, I hear sincerity in his voice.  But just as quickly as I hear it, the thought is gone, and I still feel nothing but hatred boiling in me.

“Just tell us what you want.  You can keep our weapons, all our shit, we don’t care.  We promise not to come back if you just let us leave now,” I say, my voice surprisingly steady and low.  I feel like I’m managing to bluff pretty well right now.

“Oh, we’re keeping your weapons, don’t worry,” he says, taking a single step closer to me.  I restrain from moving myself considering there are guns pointed not only at my head, but all of my friends’ heads too.  If I make another sudden movement, they’ll probably shoot without hesitation this time.  “But I can’t just let you leave like that.  The weapons were a given, but,” he continues, his feet gradually getting closer to me.  He’s right in front of me now.  Just as close as the cannibal was earlier today.  Except instead of a bloody and toxic smelling snarl, Ethan’s smirk is sexy and threatening all at the same time.  He’s so close I can smell his musky sweat and minty breath and I almost laugh at the fact that he took the time to brush his teeth before we raided their campout.  “Well, babe, I’m going to need a bigger bribe to just let you all walk out of here.  Well, not all of you.”

“She was on the perimeter,” a voice cuts through.  It’s another guy, and he has Alexis in tow, gruffly holding onto her arm.  “Had a gun.  She was alone.”

I widen my eyes slightly, suddenly worried about Trevor, but Alexis gives me the tiniest nod, one only I can see.  He’s okay.

“Well, shit,” Ethan says with a chuckle.  “You really planned this out, did you?” He’s looking at me again.  “I think we just found our bribe.”

“No,” I say firmly.  There’s no way.

“I was going to offer string bean over there,” he starts, pointing to Emmett, “but I like the looks of this one.”

Alexis looks at me, her head nodding slightly once more.  She’s okay with this.  I don’t have a clue why, but she’s fine with it.

“Don’t worry, babe, I won’t keep her for long,” he says, stepping close to me again.  “You and the rest of your crew leave quietly.  You don’t talk to any of your other people about this.  For two months, you five provide us with food and first aid.  You’ll go on runs with us and we’ll take you back to your camp safely.  And then, I’ll give your friend back.  Unharmed, untouched.  We’ll feed her, whatever she needs, but you work for us until I say you don’t.  Clear?”

I look at Alexis again, silently begging her to say no.  There’s no way we can just leave her here.  But she looks determined.  

She has a plan.

“What’s in it for us?” I ask Ethan.

“Your friend’s life,” he answers.  “Unless you want me to have one of my men chop her head off right now.”

“So we just work for you?  You won’t hurt her.”

“That’s what I said, isn’t it?”

I listen to Liza sniffling and I look at Alexis, her face a mess but unreadable. She’s not scared like Liza, but she’s not brave like me.  She’s just…  Existing right now.  She’s just here.

“What if I say no?” I ask.  There has to be another way.

“Then I take you all back to your camp.  I’ll kill everyone inside that fence.”

They know where we live.  They’ve probably always known.

“Have ourselves a deal?” he asks, holding his hand out to me.  

With one last look at Alexis, her face still indifferent.  I trust her, but I still don’t want to leave her.  For some reason, I don’t think she’s giving me a choice.

So I grab Ethan’s hand.  It’s strong and firm and entirely too warm.  We shake once before he smiles and turns to walk away.  “Escort them out,” he says to his brother and one other guy who still had his gun fixated at my back.  All the Scabs roughly grab each of us by the arm and walk us towards the front gate.

I turn back momentarily to watch as Ethan takes Alexis towards a cabin at the back of the sanctuary.  He’s almost handling her with care, telling her to watch her step and using a gentle hand on her arm to guide her.  Maybe he was serious when he said she would be unharmed.  But I can’t shake the feeling that she won’t be okay come sunrise.

We gather at the car, all of us seemingly out of it.  

“Where’s Trevor?” Andrew asks, looking around.  

“I don’t know,” I answer, not knowing what else to say.  Maybe he’s back at camp, making up for lost time with Blaine.  Maybe he’s still in the Scabs’ sanctuary, hiding it out to save Alexis.  Maybe he stalked off into the woods, too terrified to stay there by himself.  I have no idea where he is.

“We gotta look for him,” Emmett says, wiping the now dried up blood from his face.

“They’re watching us,” David says, nodding his head in the direction of Grayson and another Scab at the front gate.  They’re standing there, waiting to watch us drive away.

I sigh and head to the driver's door, opening it.

“Y/N, we can’t just leave him here,” Liza says, her eyes wide with worry.  I should’ve never asked her to come.  She didn’t even want to in the first place, but stubborn me...

“We don’t have a choice,” I reply.  “Trevor is smart.  If he’s in there, he’ll figure it out.  Besides, for all we know he went home.  Let’s go.”  I climb into the car, waiting for the others to join me.  I take another look at the Scabs watching us. They seem on edge.

The Grayson guy keeps hopping from foot to foot, looking around the rest of the perimeter instead of just us.  And the other guy, he’s short and lanky, he keeps looking up quickly in random directions as if he hears something in the distance. They both look uncomfortable as if something bad is about to happen.

Just then Ethan is at the gate, whispering something to the short one.  His eyes go wide and he runs inside the gate.  Now it’s just the twins standing there. Grayson is still looking uneasy while Ethan looks directly at me.

For some reason, he looks different than he did inside.  He looks worried instead of menacing.  His eyes are fixed on me and for a second I think he’s silently begging me to get out of the car and come back.

“We’ve got a problem,” Emmett says as he climbs in the van.

“What?” I ask, turning to face him.  

Our signal buzzer is in his hand.  It’s vibrating.

Blaine is awake, and he knows we’re gone.

I step on the gas, speeding away from the Scabs’ sanctuary, leaving two very nervous-looking twins behind.  I don’t have time to think as I take the corners without caution, trying to get in range so Liza can talk through the walkie-talkie to Gabbie, but it’s still static.

“Try again,” Andrew shouts.

“It’s still offline, there isn’t a signal,” Liza answers frustratingly, turning the dial to and fro, trying to get some kind of frequency.

“He’s gonna kill us,” Emmett says.  “We’re dead for the second time tonight.  Why the fuck did we do this again?”

“Guys, calm down, we’re almost in range,” I say loudly.

“He’s-” the talkie says.  It’s Gabbie’s voice, but it’s hard to make out.  Her words come in bits over white noise.  “-not------there’s------hurry!”

“Gabbie, can you hear me?” Liza shouts into the talkie.  Nothing but static comes through.  “Gabbie!”

We’re in range, so it should be working by now.

“She must have turned it off.  We need to hurry,” David says.

“Blaine’s gonna fucking kill us,” Emmett retorts, grasping onto the back of my seat.

“He’s checking the perimeter,” Gabbie’s voice comes through.

“Gabbie!  Does he know we’re gone?” I ask, barely focusing on steering the van.

“No.  He’s doing a perimeter check right now.  I’ll keep you posted.  Just don’t come to the gate until I tell you to.”

As soon as Gabbie’s voice cuts out, I slow the van to a stop and kill the headlights.  We’re maybe a couple hundred yards from the gate now, so if I continue on, Blaine would see us for sure.

“Okay, he noticed that the van’s gone,” Gabbie warns us.  “I told him it was gone when I took over for Liza.”

“Did he check to see if I’m in my cabin?” Liza asks.

“Yeah, that was the first thing he did.”

Shit.

“But I told him you were really green when you asked me to take over and that you might have been in the bathroom.”

Blaine has this weird thing about going into the women’s bathroom.  I think he’s afraid to see a girl naked, which is weird but makes sense considering he prefers penis.

“He’s still by the gate.  Just hold out a bit longer.  I’ll let you know when it’s safe.”

The line goes silent and we wait for Gabbie’s signal.  Two minutes pass without a word, not even the static of the talkie.  

Four minutes.

Five.

No one says a word the entire time, we’re all too on edge to even make a sudden movement.

But then there’s a sound that causes all of us to be pulled out of our weird state of silence.  It’s a low hum behind us, sounds of gravel being pressed further into the ground.  I look back to see a car, its headlights off, heading for us.  It’s too dark to see who’s driving, but they’re moving the car slow and steady, as if they’re worried of getting caught, too.

“Scabs?” Andrew asks, leaning towards the back window.

“That’s Trevor!” Liza whisper-shouts, opening the car door without warning and heading to the slow moving car.  Everyone follows suit, climbing out of the van one by one.

Sure enough, Trevor was in the car behind the wheel, gripping it so tight, his knuckles were white.  He looks shaken, like he’s seen a ghost.

Keeping quiet, we all approach the car as he puts it in park and gets out.

“Oh my god, Trev,” Liza whispers loudly, pulling him into a hug.  “Where the hell did you go?”

“Alexis had a plan.  She didn’t tell me the details of it, but she said not to worry and to stay out of sight.  When I saw the Scabs take her, I almost bolted, but she seemed determined about something, so I stayed back and waited.”

“How did you leave without detection?” Emmett asks.

“Something happened.  There were guys-”

“Guys, now’s the time to come back.  Hurry,” Gabbie’s hushed voice says through the talkie.

“We can discuss later.  Let’s get moving,” David tells everyone.  

We decide to leave the van out here so Blaine wouldn’t be suspicious seeing it back all of the sudden.  

Slowly, we approach the gate as quietly as possible.  Gabbie is watching, looking down at us as we near.  When she sees us come into sight, she nods her head back, signalling someone to open the gate.  It opens slowly and surprisingly quiet as well.

Axel is the one who opens it.  He’s not one to snitch, I know that for sure.

“Thanks,” I whisper to him.  

“He hasn’t check your cabin.  You can all go there,” he says to me quietly.

We all nod and head off into the direction of my and Alexis’s cabin and I immediately look at Trevor, who still looks really worried.  I need to ask him about what happened back at the sanctuary.

The six of us make it to our cabin, still trying to be as quiet as possible as we file into the door.  Since we’re on the far side of the camp, once we’re inside, we no longer have to worry about being heard.

“He’s back in his own cabin,” Gabbie’s voice says through the talkie.  “You guys are clear.”

“Fuck,” David says in relief as he falls to the floor with a smile.  “Jesus christ, that was almost a shitshow.”

“I can’t believe we pulled that off,” Emmett retorts, flinging himself on Alexis’s bed.

I look over at Trevor.  He’s paler than usual.  His eyes are focused on the ragged rug in the middle of the floor.

“I thought for sure we were going to get caught,” Andrew pants.

“Trevor,” I say quietly.  He doesn’t look up at me.  The others come down from their highs and look at him too.  “What happened after we left?”

“They were raided,” he whispers.  

Finally he looks up at us.  “I was hiding.  I was lucky they didn’t see me, they would have killed me.”

“Who?” Liza asks.

“They were calling them the Traitors.”

“The Scabs were?” Emmett pipes in.  Trevor just nodded.

“What did they do?  The Traitors?” I ask.

“They just started killing everyone.  One of those twins, the one with longer hair-”

“Ethan,” I say quickly.  I’m not sure why.

“Yeah.  He ran to the cabin they took Alexis to.  He had a knife with him.  I left after that.  I didn’t see who the Traitors were and I didn’t want to watch them kill everyone.”

“You think this Ethan guy killed Alexis?” Liza asks, her voice frail.  

“I don’t know.  What was weird was that he looked scared.  Like…  I don’t know.  He didn’t look like a killer.”  Trevor shakes his head.

“Guys, we’ve got company,” Gabbie’s voice says.  I grab the talkie from Emmett.

“Who?”

“Holy shit,” her quiet voice says.  “Alexis?”

Liza looks at me frantically.

Without a second thought, we run out the door, the six of us not caring who hears or even if Blaine comes out his cabin door.  We run to the gate where Axel is opening it back up to reveal none other than Alexis.  Gabbie is climbing down the tower, joining us as we meet up with Alexis.

One look at her and I’m already worried.  Her hair is battered, her eyebrow is swollen and her wrists have rash marks on them.  They must’ve tied her up in that cabin.

“Oh my god, what happened?” Andrew asks, examining her wounds.

“I’m fine,” she replies quietly, pushing him away slightly, but not with any attempt to keep him from making sure she really is okay.

Then I see him.

Ethan walks through the gate, holding his bicep as blood trickles from a wound. He’s walking with a limp and his shirt has multiple rips in it.  Not only does he look beat up, he looks desperate.  He looks at me immediately, his hazel eyes almost begging me for something, for what, I don’t know.

“What the fuck is he doing here?” Emmett asks, stepping closer to him.  Alexis stops him.

“He saved me.”

Just then Grayson, the other twin, walks through the door, the short lanky guy slung over his shoulders, unconscious.

“He needs medical help,” Grayson says.

“Why should we help you?” David asks, fuming.  “You dicks literally just held us captive not an hour ago and now you’re asking for our help?”

“He saved me, David,” Alexis says, her voice louder than before.  “I was in the line of fire and Ethan jumped in front of me.”

I look at his arm, the blood dripping from it, landing on the rock below.

“I’m alive because of him.”

“Why?”

Everyone looks at me, shocked to hear me speak suddenly and to see that I’m looking right at Ethan.

“Why did you save her?” I ask.  It should be a simple question and there was an answer already bobbing around in my head.  “Because she’s useful, right?  She has a place she can take you for food and shelter and water and if you saved her, that could all be yours, too.  Right?”  I’m yelling now.

He’s silent, looking at me.

“These Traitors, they raided your sanctuary and you knew you wouldn’t have one unless you saved her.  That’s why you did it.”  It’s no longer a question, it’s a fact.

“Please-”

“Save it,” I cut him off.  “Get out of our camp.”

I turn to walk away, but Liza’s voice stops me.

“Y/N, they’re wounded really bad.”

I’m surprised she’s defending them, considering she was almost chopped to pieces earlier.

I turn back to look at her.  “I don’t give a shit.”  Then I continue to walk away, not caring to look back, not even when I hear Gabbie tell Axel to watch the gate while she takes them to the infirmary.  Whatever.  I can just make sure I kick them out by morning.

“Y/N, stop,” Alexis says behind me.  She’s following me as I walk to the pool.  I kick off my shoes and sit at the edge, dipping my feet into the water.  I hear Alexis sigh before she sits down next to me, but she crosses her legs underneath her.

“He was going to swing a fucking axe at Liza.”

She sighs, not trying to defend him again.

“He killed Ben.”

“I’m sure you won’t believe me, but I know he didn’t kill him.”

“You saw his head.”

“Ethan didn’t know where his head was,” she says quietly.

I look over at her, my eyebrows furrowed.  “What are you talking about?”

“Sure, he saved me, but it’s not like I immediately trusted him.  Once we took the car and got out, making sure no Traitors were following us, I asked him about Ben.  I was mad and wanted to understand why he would do that.  He said his friend Jack came back to the camp with a dead cannibal, or what he thought was a cannibal.  Ethan was suspicious right away that Jack killed him out of spite, that he was never a cannibal.  So Ethan asked him about it and he freaked out saying it was bullshit that he didn’t trust him.  So Ethan gave him a day to leave.  When Jack left, he took a bunch of Scabs with him and the cannibal’s head was gone.”

I try to process this new information.

“Ethan was sure Jack and the Traitors were watching them.  They left the Harvey house after writing ‘SCABS’ in the pool.  They didn’t know the head was there when we showed up.  Then you mentioned Ben, and he knew it had to have been the Traitors.”

“But how did they know Ben was one of our people?” I ask.  

“Stupid coincidence I guess,” she answers quietly.  

We sit in silence for a few minutes, my mind whirring about whether or not I could trust Ethan and his brother.  What if more Scabs show up, expecting us to take them in just because we took these three in?

“And, if it counts for anything, Ethan also said he was never actually going to swing the axe at Liza.  He wasn’t actually going to hit her or anything.”

“And you believed him?”

“He said he did it to get one of you to talk.  He wanted to see which one of you was brave enough to try to stop him if he was really going to do it.”

My mind goes back to the sanctuary, to the moment he was about to swing at Liza.  That moment happened so fast, but seemed to take forever at the same time.  Moments before, he’d been taunting me, daring me to stand up to him. Maybe he really wanted me to stop him like Alexis is saying.

“He was really glad it was you, by the way.”

I look over at her.  She’s smiling at me.  

Still not sure what to think, I gently glide my foot through the water, not responding.  Just thinking.

“I’m not letting them leave until they’re well.  If, by the time they’re better and healed and strong enough to go back out on their own, you still want to kick them out, I won’t stop you.  But I’m a firm believer in the fact that everyone deserves a chance.  No matter how malicious you think someone is.”

With that, she stands and starts to walk away.  Then I remember something.

“Hey Lex.”  She turns to look at me.  “What was your plan?  Trevor mentioned you said you had one.”

She smiles at me.  “My plan was fate and praying to God for good luck.”  Then she walks away.

I don’t know who Ethan is, and I have no idea how I’m supposed to trust him without questioning him.

But if Alexis can give him a chance, then so can I.

Writing Masterlist Cannibal Masterlist

[bluesakurablossom]

How would the boys react if their crush/soon to be gf was in an abusive relationship both verbably and physically? And everytime they would come visit them they would be crying and have a new bruise added to their body. They tried to leave them many times but everytime they did their abusive bf would threaten her everytime. How would they react? Sorry if its a bit depressing, but I like the way you right. Thank you.

Leo: The cool and calm leader was really losing his grip on maturity and sanity once after hearing everything that you told him and seeing the sickening bruises and scars he had left on your beautiful body and the messages and voicemails that were left on your phone were enough to almost want to smash your phone out of anger. He would set up a meeting with this guy and would make sure that he would never want to come into contact with you again after getting ready for the fight of his life and there would be a lot more beating worse than what he ever did to you to see how he feels about it and held him down by the foot with his sword barely cutting at the edge of his throat with stern and anger in his icy cold eyes.

“I will give you two options here that I am giving you right now, one you walk away from here and never think about her ever again, never come into contact with her physically or electronically, never threaten her or abuse her again. Or two you say something like that or so much as harm a little hair on this beautiful woman, and I will hunt you down and break every bone in your body and you will have no idea about the danger that one small choice can get you into, cause I am not afraid of protecting the one that I love from anyone or anything. Trust me I am going easy on you, next time I am not going to be so caring and you might not walk away alive”

Raph: After everything that you told him about the beatings and threats, oh boy all hell was going to break loose and the devil and all evil itself would tremble in fear at the sight of him. It would be just.....demonic. He would be snatching your phone and be dialing this guy immediately pacing around, stamping his feet so loud and hard that it could stand up to an earthquake and be breathing so hard like a bull about to charge a red cape. You yourself would be scared to even come up to him cause he looked that mad at the situation. Soon as he heard the voice on the other end picked up, he already broke a chain into bits into his fists from squeezing so hard.

“If you want her back, then you are going to have face me. You will have to pry her from my cold dead hands that will fuck you up! I will make you suffer before you even get her name out of your mouth and I am going to break every bone that its your body till you could no longer move anything! I will start off with your arms, then your legs and then your neck! Maybe that would kill you if I am lucky enough to do it right, while you look into the face of someone you should of never ticked off or a beautiful girl that you should never came into contact with ever in your life! You are going to pay the price, I will find you and I will kill you”

Donnie: He was beyond shock to see the amount of injuries that your fragile body had endured during these beatings and the texts you got were enough to make his stomach flip. The anger would be boiling up inside of him as he treated your bruises and scars and was tracking down the bastard that did this to you through satellite. Soon as he got an exact location of where this soon to be ex boyfriend was at, he would dial his number personally and made sure that it was on speaker to where everyone around him could hear what this turtle had to say, loud and clear.

“If I were you, I would not call this number again and not even step even a hundred feet from where she stands. From the amount of shit that you dug yourself in, oh boy when I am done with you, you are going to be dealing with this for the rest of your miserable pathetic life. I would leave this city if I were you and you get the hell out of here and never come back, never think about her again, don’t let her scent enter your mind, nothing about her will ever be spoken about her to you again! Everything that you that you have near and close to you will be gone before you will know what hit you upside the head, you are now facing the devil himself!”

Mikey: This would make him boil like a volcano inside that was just about ready to erupt when he heard about all the abuse that she was enduring. All those bruises, scratches, and those horrible text messages just made a fire burn in his belly and trust me if he was near him right now he would be giving that son of bitch a piece of his turtle mind. Once she was able to lead him to where he was located at he gave that guy a good whooping showing him who really was boss around these parts and stopped when he begged Mikey to stop looking absolutely terrified and this is what he had to say to him.

“For one thing, she isn’t an object and she isn’t someone you can just kick and bully her around whenever you feel like. She should be treated like a goddess that she is and she ain’t your property where you can treat however you want. I am a little confused how it got this far and why you do this, but I can tell you one thing that I can beat you to the bone a hell lot more and leave no remains behind, and make the rest of your life a miserable hell for you. I ain’t afraid of you cause trust me when it comes to my angel, my family and my pizza nothing is going to stand in my way, nothing!”

[cdc1345711]

Prime Order VS Lexington The Evil Beard

(Starla Cosmas AKA Dream Maker of the Prime Order had just gotten out of School with her friends-planning their weekend)

Devon:So are we gonna hangout at(looks around his surroundings)’you know where?’(then winks)”

Starla:Devon you can say the Prime Order base”

Devon:SHHH-you don’t want people to find out your secret identity that’s super hero 101″

Trevor:Dev she’s not a super hero she........uh what is it the PO does again Star?”

Starla:Silly-we make sure order is kept in place in every Cartoon Universe”

Tamyra:But what about that uh......Coal-Burn guy?”

Starla:Uncle Charles hasn’t been doing much disorderly conducts in a while.......kinda getting worried,but I’m he’ll turn up,he always does”

Darrel:Honestly I think this guy sounds cool-he made a team of famous and not so famous Cartoon Characters and they go on Avengers and Justice League level missions,bet it’s awesome”

Starla:(Serious for a second)It might be cool but Order needs to be maintained-therefore his team needs to disband(Everyone looks at her then she turns happy again)but until then I’ll enjoy their company(then skips off)”

Rachel:.....am I the only who thinks it’s scary but also cute when she acts all serious?”

Trevor:(Smiles at Starla)Not at all....”

(Starla transforms-via Sailor Moon or Miraculous Ladybug and Cat Noir style-and asks Maze to open up a portal to the base)

Maze:So Dreamy-brought your little crew with you I see?”

Dream Maker:I sure did”

Tamyra:I can’t believe it still amazes me how cool your portals feel Maze”

Maze:Thanks girl”

(Void,Zella and Accel enter)

Void:Oh Dream Maker brought her friends with her.......how nice”

Rachel:Awe(Walks up and hugs Void)Nice to see you too kitty cat”

Void:GAH-LET ME GO OR I’LL  BLACK HOLE YOU IN MY MOUTH A SPIT YOU OUT!!!!”

Rachel:(Still Hugging Void)Sure Kitty”

Accel:Ha-I love it when these kids hangout here”

Zella:It is nice to hang with different people-oh hey Devon,found something you might want to see(holds up a comic)”

Devon:(Eye brighten)No way-the first appearance of Wolverine in Hulk Issue #181-so awesome,how did you.......”

Zella:Before the order I used to be a Comic Geek,any kind of story with scientists got me hooked”

Trevor:So......where’s the rest of this Motley Crew?”

Accel:Set Zero is Meditating,Repulse is napping,and Sleep Master is discussing Charles’ suddenly quiet activities,thinks he’s planning something big or some crap”

Tamyra:Don’t you guys ever call yourselves by your names?”

(The PO just look at them in confusion)

Trevor:Do you guys know each other’s real names?”

Void:Well who we are isn’t important-maintaining order that’s important”

Rachel:Sounds........kinda sad”

Accel:This life ain’t perfect but it’s for a worthy cause”

(Suddenly the alarms go off)

BWEEP BWEEP BWEEP BWEEP

Repulse:(Wakes up from his nap)Huh what.......OH HELL YEAH MISSION TIME...”

Devon:Sweet-can......can we watch?”

Dream Maker:Well........we gotta ask Grandpa”

Sleep Master:(In an almost emotionless tone)No......”

Devon:What?? but Mr.Seriphos......”

SM:Out of the question Devon”

Marlon:C’mon Sleeps-let the kids watch you guys take name and kick ass,should be a real treat”

SM:And whose to watch them if you’ll accompany us?”

Marlon:They’re trustworthy and mature enough not to touch my controls”

SM:(Face palms himself)Fine-but be sure not to touch anything on the console”

Kids:Yes sir”

Trevor:Hey Star(DM looks at Trevor)go kick some butt”

DM:(Smiling)I will”

Repulse:So what’s the mission-EVIL attack or has Charles resurfaced again?”

SM:A whole Cartoon World was obliterated-the ‘Garfield and Friends’ world”

DM:Awe-those poor animals”

Set Zero:So we go in and I use my Zero powers to fix everything?”

Marlon:Pre-(feels something)cisely”

Void:Kinda paused their for a second Marlon”

Marlon:Just.....wondering what to have for dinner”

Void:Okay”

(They head to the now dead wastelands of the once live Cartoon World-but before it could be healed A large cloaked figure appears)

SM:Coburn?.......did you do this?”

Cloaked Figure:I am not Charles Coburn-I am a being much more powerful and to answer yes I decimated this land to get your attention just to say ‘stay out of my way’”

SM:Apparently you don’t know us very well-Dream Maker knock him out”

DM:Alrighty Granndpa(tries to use her powers but for some reason...)I.....I can’t use them?”

SM:Hmm-well that’s a problem,Maze”

Maze:My warping ability ain’t working either”

Set Zero:If he ain’t Coburn than how is he able to negate our powers?”

SM:Good Question-we should incapacitate him and find out-Accel try to accelerate his vectors,that might slow him down a bit,why you Repulse try to demobilize him by cutting his legs”

Accel:Got it(accelerates to the cloaked figure)”

Repulse:On it(cuts himself in the legs but transfers the injury to the figure-but it has no affect)what the Hell my powers too?”

Accel:Time to mess up your vec......”

Cloaked Figure:Insolent pest(uses some kind of aura to lift Accel and fling him to right on top of Repulse)”

(At the base Trevor,Darrel,Devon,Rachel and Tamyra watch as the rime Order is getting their hides handed to them)

Darrel:This isn’t looking very good”

Devon:They might find a way to turn it around....maybe”

Rachel:Yeah-it’s like an episode of Dragonball Super-the enemy beats them but later they unlock a special ability to help win the fight-they’ll be fine(she says in a worried tone)”

Trevor:Please be okay Star”

(Back to the fight)

Set Zero:I could try to use my Zero powers but I don’t know if he took them away”

SM:Stand back-I’ll handle this(brings out his staff)been to long since I used my Staff”

Cloaked Figure:The Staff.......GIVE IT TO ME!!!!”

SM:(Blasts him with pinkish-blueish bolts of lightning at the cloaked figure)This stone was given to me by my father the same way his father gave it to him,and i’ll be damned if i’d give it to the likes of you........(the bolts cinches the cloaked figures cloak off)no matter what........Uh”

(The cloaked figure-now without his cloak is now revealed to be.....)

Set Zero:A Beard??”

Marlon:(Scared)Not just any Beard that’s.......”

SM:Lexington(a cold chill ran down his spine)”

Lexington:The Beard of Power-and you Seriphos Cosmas wield in that staff the ‘Dream Gem’ one of 7 Universal Gems-I have the ‘Power’ and ‘Devastation’ Gems,along with my God-like powers”

SM:(Though scared and knowingly realizing he’s out-powered stands his ground)I swore on my Father to protect this staff-especially from an Exiled Beard Lord like you”

Lexington:FOOL......(Launches his attack at Sleep Master but of instead of him the attack hits.....)”

SM:REPULSE!!!?”

Repulse:(Saving SM from the blast while he himself takes full affect of the Beard’s powers)I can handle this boss.........I can redirect the pain......I will survive”

Lexington:ENOUGH........you have angered me for the last time-NOW YOU DIE MORTAL!!!!!!”

Repulse:(Feeling the overpowered weight of the attack messing up his body)Huh.........so this is what it feels like........to die”

(In that mere second all the power of Lexington’s force attack explodes on Repulse,clearing him of his skin,leaving only........a skeleton-as his team mates look on at him)

Maze:REP!!!!!!.........”

Set Zero:I can use my power to help bring.....huh? AAAAAAAAAAAGH(just than a small portal opens up under his feet flinging him inside to who knows where)”

Void:SET ZERO!!!!!!!”

Lexington:I have sent the one you dubbed Set Zero into another domain to show I am not completely heartless-I will return for your staff Seriphos Cosmas but for now........I’ll let you mourn your fallen(Lexington than flies off)”

Maze:(Crying and holding the skull of Repulse)Rep......Oh God”

DM:(Also saddened by the loss of Repulse and Set Zero cries and hugs her Grandfather)Oh No”

SM:It’s okay young one.....we shall fix this-I swear”

Accel:If only I was faster I could’ve.....”

Zella:(Placing a hand on his shoulder)Acs-it’s not your fault”

Void:(Sees Marlon on the ground)Marlon,what’s.......”

Marlon:My fault.........Repulse.......Set Zero.....(turns to show Void,his crying eyes)I SHOULD HAVE SEEN IT COMING!!!!(hugs Void)I should’ve seen it coming”

Void:(Hugs him back)We all should’ve seen it coming”

(They return to the base-DM’s friends saw the whole thing and try to comfort them)

Trevor:Hey we saw the whole thing we’re sorry”

SM:Losing both Set Zero and Repulse was......an unfortunate event”

Maze:(Angry)Don’t expect any sympathy from him-this fucker didn’t shed a tear when his own son died,which is why his other son is a fucking mentally depressed sociopath”

DM:Maze.......”

Maze:Not now Dreamy........just not now”

Devon:(To the others)We really are sorry”

Accel:Hey-like I said,it sucks but it’s for a greater good”

Trevor:How are you doing Star?(she already answered by giving Trevor a hug,causing him to fluster)”

DM:I do miss Repulse but Set Zero is still alive and we’ll find him,I’m not as strong with my emotions as Grandpa is haha(wiping away her tears)”

Trevor:Doesn’t look that way heh”

(As DM and her friends retreat to her room as well as the others retreat to their rooms-Marlon however walks into a different area of the base and contacts someone)

Marlon:You were right it was Lexington gathering the Universal Gems-so far we still got the Dream Gem but Lex still has the Power and Destruction”

????:That’s very bad......do the others.......?”

Marlon:Faked guilt act worked,even did fake tears,sad we had to lose a few numbers to win but it is for a greater good,still don’t know where the other gems are but i’ll keep you updated.......just hope the others don’t find out Charles”

Charles:If they do-we will need their help,now go comfort them,especially Maze and Void-they need it most of all”

Marlon:Will do(cuts transmission)”

Charles:Eric-how far are we in finding the Soul,Time,Death and Life Gems”

Eric:Grim has the Death Gem with him,Soul Gem is still no where to be found as well as the Time Gem,but we still have the Life Gem in San Lorenzo”

Charles:Good-we need to find them before Lexington does.........or else we’re all fucked”

(The Cartoon-Force keeps searching for the Universe Gems so they could save the world from Lexington’s wrath-while the PO go back to business as usual)

THE END

Prime Order belongs to @randomwoohoo