#underworld park kyle

[underworld-park-offical]

How is Pip/Phillip rn ( I haven't read the whole entire comic. But if he's dead, i'm going to be sad)

GREGORY: Well, hate to be a debby downer….

GREGORY: Unfortunately, we’re all dead.

GREGORY: I even made a google slides presentation to show how every death happened!!!

GREGORY: If you would so kindly look,

GREGORY: So erm…

GREGORY: Yeah 

GREGORY: I’m not really supposed to give you Thomas’ tragic backstory…

GREGORY: But he’s technically dead twice…

GREGORY: Sooooo….

GREGORY: Just don’t tell HIM…

GREGORY: Or Estella…

ESTELLA: What?

ESTELLA: Gregory! I need your assistance!

ESTELLA: Get off of the computer, please!

GREGORY: (Melodramatic sigh) GREGORY: Yes ma’am…

(Edits and Slideshow made by @pissblanket and @imlivinginyourtrashcan )

[incorrectfabfifteen]

Hello, welcome to Incorrect Fab Fifteen, a blog about all things Silver Age Teen Titans! I've come up with the term Fab Fifteen to broadly refer to all of the members (which I'll explain below) as well as a natural expansion of the Fab Five (plus, it's better than just calling them the OG Teen Titans or the 70s Team).

For DC newcomers, don't be afraid of some of the comic terminology present, they'll make sense with more exposure.

Introducing: The Fab Fifteen!

Dick Grayson

Full name: Richard John "Dick" Grayson

Alter Ego: Robin I, Nightwing, Batman III, Red X

Birthday: March 20th

Love interests: Bette Kane (Pre-Crisis), Princess Koriand'r, Barbara Gordon, Helena Bertinelli (DCYou), Bea Bennett [There's probably more, feel free to send an ask so I can fix this]

Reading recs: The Judas Contract, The Cheshire Contract [collected as Nightwing: Old Friends, New Enemies], Nightwing Vol 1 by Chuck Dixon, Batman & Robin, The Black Mirror, New 52 Nightwing by Kyle Higgens

Wally West

Full name: Wallace Rudolph "Wally" West

Alter Ego: Kid Flash I, The Flash III

Birthday: January 16

Love interests: Donna Troy (Pre-NTT), Rachel Roth (🤨?), Frances Kane, Linda Park, Jesse Chambers

Reading recs: Born To Run, Savage Velocity, The Flash by William Messner-Loebs and Greg LaRoque, The Flash by Mark Waid, Flash Forward, The Flash by Jeremy Adams (especially The Return of Wally West and One-Minute War)

Donna Troy

Full name: Donna Hinckley Stacy Troy

Alter ego: Wonder Girl, Troia (Who Is Wonder Girl? until Total Chaos; JLA/Titans until Infinite Crisis; No Justice onwards), Darkstar (Zero Hour until Meltdown), Wonder Woman IV (Who Is Wonder Woman?)

Birthday: April 26

Love interests (oh boy): Dick Grayson (FORMERLY), Wally West (only during the Silver Age + some weird thing during DC Rebirth), Garth (Titans 2018 + Titans United), Roy Harper, Kyle Rayner

Reading recs: Who Is Wonder Girl? [Collected in The New Teen Titans Who is Donna Troy?], Wonder Woman By John Byrne Vol. 3, The Return of Donna Troy, Wonder Woman: Who is Wonder Woman?, Titans: The Spark and Into The Bleed

Garth

Full name: Prince Garth of Shayeris

Alter ego: Aqualad (also legal name until Crisis), Tempest

Birthday: March 6

Love interests: Donna Troy, Tula Marinus, Dolphin, Lilith Clay (temporary)

Reading recs: World's Finest: Teen Titans, Death of a Prince, Tempest by Phil Jimenez, Aquaman by Peter David, JLA: The Obsidian Age, Aquaman: Underworld

Roy Harper

Full name: Roy William Harper Jr.

Alter ego: Speedy, Arsenal, Red Arrow

Birthday: November 1

Love interests: Donna Troy, Jade Nguyen, Kendra Saunders

Reading recs: Snowbirds Don't Fly, The Cheshire Contract [Collected as Nightwing: Old Friends, New Enemies], Arsenal by Devin Grayson, Outsiders 2003, Justice League of America 2007, Infinite Frontier, Green Arrow 2023

Lilith Clay

Full name: Lilith Jupiter-Clay

Alter ego: Omen

Birthday: Not stated but her debut was November 18

Love interests: Gnarrk, Donald Hall, Garth, Bette Kane

Reading recs: The Terror of Trigon, Teen Titans by Dan Jurgens, Teen Titans: Life and Death, Titans Hunt (2015), Titans Rebirth

Mal Duncan

Full name: Malcolm Arnold "Mal" Duncan

Alter ego: Guardian (Pre-Crisis), Hornblower, Herald (Post-Crisis), Vox (Infinite Crisis until Flashpoint)

Birthday: Not stated

Love interests: Karen Beecher

Reading recs: Silver Age Teen Titans, Titans Hunt, Titans Rebirth, The Other History of the DC Universe #2

Fun fact: Mal Duncan was featured in the first interracial kiss in comics history with a goodbye kiss between him and Lilith!

Karen Beecher

Full name: Karen Beecher-Duncan

Alter ego: Bumblebee

Birthday: Not stated

Love interests: Mal Duncan

Reading recs: Silver Age Teen Titans, Titans Hunt, Titans Rebirth, The Other History of the DC Universe #2, Doom Patrol by Keith Giffen

Don Hall

Full name: Donald Hall

Alter ego: Dove

Birthday: Not stated

Love interests: Lilith Clay

Reading recs: The Hawk & The Dove, Silver Age Teen Titans, Crisis on Infinite Earths

Hank Hall

Full name: Henry "Hank" Hall

Alter ego: Hawk, Monarch (Armageddon 2001), Extant (Zero Hour until JSA)

Birthday: Not stated

Love interests: Dawn Granger, Ren Takamori

Reading recs: The Hawk and The Dove, Hawk and Dove: Ghosts & Demons, Hawk and Dove (1989), Birds of Prey (2010)

Dawn Granger

Full name: Dawn Marie Granger

Alter ego: Dove

Birthday: Not stated

Love interests: Hank Hall, Sal Arsala

Reading recs: Hawk and Dove: Ghosts & Demons, Hawk and Dove (1989), Birds of Prey (2010)

Duela Dent

Full name: Duela Dent

Alter ego: Joker's/Riddler's/Penguin's Daughter, Card Queen, Harlequin

Birthday: Not stated

Love interests: Earth-1 Dick Grayson, Earth-3 Dick Grayson

Reading recs: Silver Age Teen Titans, Teen Titans: Titans East

Bette Kane

Full name: Mary Elizabeth "Bette" Kane

Alter ego: Batgirl (Pre-Crisis), Flamebird (Post-Crisis, current mantle), Hawkfire (N52 Batwoman only)

Birthday: Not stated

Love interests: Dick Grayson (Pre-Crisis)

Reading recs: Teen Titans Vol 1 #50-53, Hawk and Dove Vol 3 Annual 1, Beast Boy (2000), DC's Legion of Bloom

Charley Parker

Full name: Charles Edmund "Charley" Parker (human name); Ch'al Andar (Thanagarian name)

Alter ego: Golden Eagle, Hawkman IV (Rise of the Golden Eagle)

Birthday: Not stated

Love interests: Kendra Saunders (I think?)

Reading recs: Hawkman: Rise of the Golden Eagle,

Tula

Full name: Tula Marinus

Alter ego: Aquagirl

Birthday: Not stated

Love interests: Garth

Reading recs: Tempest by Phil Jimenez, New 52 Aquaman, Mera: Queen of Atlantus, Aquaman by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Aquamen

So a special note: despite Beast Boy being a part of the Titans West (as well as appearing in the above photograph), they do not count as part of the Fab Fifteen, mainly because he's already part of the New Teen Titans. Also note that this acc won't be using the New 52 version of Duela Dent (although the Gotham Knights version is fine so feel free to send in any hcs about her)

Also you maybe be asking why Gnarrk's entry is below instead of with everybody else. That's because Gnarrk was never a Titan in the first place. Sure, he appeared as part of the title and was there when the Titans West was formed but he never actually joined the team at all. Gnarrk becoming a Titan became a thing when he was introduced following the New 52.

Gnarrk

Full name: Unknown

Alter ego: Caveboy

Birthday: Not stated

Love interests: Lilith Clay

Reading recs: Titans Hunt (2015), Titans Rebirth

Uhh, yeah, so that's the Fab Fifteen! Again, don't worry about this technical jargon if you're a newcomer and you just wanna look at the other posts, we're all here to have fun.

[cacti-trash]

south park references part 2 featuring kenny and cartman! next one will be butters & craig's gang!

(once again, ill be putting my design choices under the cut!)

i don't really draw kenny and cartman so this was a new territory to get into! lets get into kenny first: I didn't have a thought behind the heptagon shape on kenny's hood but i really liked it when i tried it out on my first art. after some researching 7 has a lot of meaning in the afterlife:

"In ancient Egypt there were seven paths to heaven and seven heavenly cows; Osiris led his father through seven halls of the underworld. ...The seven deadly sins are well-known in Christian tradition. The number was also central to the cult of Mithra, which believed the soul rose to paradise through seven planetary spheres. The Christian idea of seven layers of purgatory may be related." (Britannica, n.d.)

There's more religious aspects with kenny too! You might notice that there's devil horns in his parka. again, i used it in my first art and im really surprised i didn't continue to use it. it kinda fits though, kenny knows a lot more about uh certain things

i made his eyes a lot larger than the rest of the cast. honestly look at any picture of kenny and you'll see why

So there's that! lastly, I incorporated a lot of yellow in his clothes. the meaning of yellow for kenny will be different for cartman: kenny's yellow are related to happiness and gentleness with his friends and siblings. cartman's however is jealousy, greed, and deceit. i changed his shoes to red too, since red can represent warning, danger, and power.

his hat definitely has a lot of meaning around it! (sorry im sounding like an english teacher) first, its pointy and jagged. if you read my explanation for kyle, i applied that same knowledge here. there's things going on in his little mind, it's insane how such a horrible person can be created. one thing i applied more was zigzags: line used to convey tension.

here's something from reddit I found really interesting, "As much as Kyle hates Cartman, they are extremely similar. The difference is that he is jealous of Cartman for being able to achieve the things he struggles and does whatever he can to destroy it. Yet, Cartman really likes the fact that Kyle is the only one to challenge him. He seeks validation and Kyle doesn’t give it to him." (CrazyinLull, March 2024)

everyone knows that cartman is trouble, so the color and line symbolism is more obvious than the rest of the characters. even his shading isn't blended in- it's just cell shading! but people like butters still fall for his tricks :/

not really part of the design choice but i like people drawing him with heterochromia so i stole it lmao

-

(kenny's design was mostly inspired by my brother since like every other high school boy, he wears a hood and sweats. you can still see the hair when he has the hood up, i swear!)

[kwebtv]

TV Guide - July 4 - 10, 1964

Raymond William Stacy Burr (May 21, 1917 – September 12, 1993) Actor, primarily known for his title roles in the television dramas Perry Mason and Ironside. He was prominently involved in multiple charitable endeavors, such as working on behalf of the United Service Organizations.

Burr emerged as a prolific television character actor in the 1950s. He made his television debut in 1951, appearing in episodes of Stars Over Hollywood, The Bigelow Theatre, Family Theater and the debut episode of Dragnet. He went on to appear in such programs as Gruen Playhouse, Four Star Playhouse, Ford Theatre, Lux Video Theatre, Mr. and Mrs. North, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars and Playhouse 90

Burr moved from CBS to Universal Studios, where he played the title role in the television drama Ironside, which ran on NBC from 1967 to 1975.

After Ironside went off the air, NBC failed in two attempts to launch Burr as the star of a new series. In a two-hour television movie format, Mallory: Circumstantial Evidence aired in February 1976.   In 1977, Burr starred in the short-lived TV series Kingston: Confidential.  He took on a shorter project next, playing an underworld boss in a six-hour miniseries, 79 Park Avenue.

He won two Emmy Awards, in 1959 and 1961, for the role of Perry Mason, which he played for nine seasons (1957–1966) and reprised in a series of 26 television films (1985–1993). His second TV series, Ironside, earned him six Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe nominations. (Wikipedia)\

Erle Stanley Gardner (July 17, 1889 – March 11, 1970) was an American lawyer and author. He is best known for the Perry Mason series of detective stories, but he wrote numerous other novels and shorter pieces and also a series of nonfiction books, mostly narrations of his travels through Baja California and other regions in Mexico.

The best-selling American author of the 20th century at the time of his death, Gardner also published under numerous pseudonyms, including A.A. Fair, Kyle Corning, Charles M. Green, Carleton Kendrake, Charles J. Kenny, Stephen Caldwell, Les Tillray and Robert Parr. (Wikipedia)

[feministsouthpark]

South Park Filler Guide - Season 3

Link for Season 1 Link for Season 2

I find the existence of filler guides quite amusing, since for some shows it makes sense (like Naruto), but for others (like Pokemon) it absolutely doesn't and they still exist. So here is an attempt to do an absolutely unnecessary one just for fun. 😅

The classifications are CANON (an episode with major storylines present), LORE (in which we get significant backstory or world building, but could be skippable)  and FILLER (completely skippable episodic storytelling, not connected to overarching story arcs)

PLS my analysis will have spoilers, if you're a first time viewer, just scroll to the bottom and read the list and only read full text if you are familiar with the content of the show already!

S3E1 Rainforest Shmainforest is LORE

It's a great episode for developing the characters to be written more consistent, which will be a general trend in this season compared to the last one, however Kelly disappearing after this episode really doesn't help this one cement itself in the long run, however Craig's small scene and character introduction gives some context why Eric considers him the baddest boy in school a few episodes later, but that isn't needed.

S3E2 Spontaneous Combustion is FILLER

Randy's early spotlight episode, it's fun and great, again, but nothing carries over from this one.

S3E3 The Succubus is FILLER

So Eric now has Kenny's eyes? Anyway, that conflict wasn't introduced until now, and any other conflict introduced here gets an instant resolution.

S3E4 Jakovasaurs is FILLER

It's a fine spotlight episode for Mayor McDaniels and a largely unimpressive episode for a lot of other reasons, that doesn't ever influence anything.

S3E5 Tweek vs. Craig is CANON

Of course this one is canon! We learn more about how Kenny is aware of his deaths, fan-favorite ship Richard Adler and Pam Brady is introduced and Eric Cartman learns sumo from a grand master which all will be important later! And also some background kids get into a conflict or something.

South Park the Movie 1: Bigger, Longer and Uncut is CANON

And not only is it canon, I hereby present you it in its true placement for anyone who didn't know when to watch it. Stan character development and romance with Saddam, more on Kenny and death, Sheila starts M.A.C., overall big events that will be influental to a lot of later episodes.

S3E6 Sexual Harrassment Panda is FILLER

Matt and Trey have no memory of making this episode. Neither do we have any memory of it minutes after watching it.

S3E7 Cat Orgy is CANON

Because of course, the Meteor Shower arc is a big thing, Shelley's boyfriend Skyler will go on to form a band called Lords of the Underworld. This one also explains where Shelley and Eric were while...

S3E8 Two Guys Naked in a Hot Tub is CANON

Stan had to befriend Butters. Also we learn of Dougie and that he is on friendly term with Butters. Pip is also here, but that one hardly helps this episode to count as canon, so I just won't mention it. Look, Kyle returns! We just need an explanation from where

S3E9 Jewbilee is CANON

he was. Also Kenny was there with him it seems. This one's super canon because of Moses of course. That's enough. And it also pairs up with Two Guys Naked in a Hot Tub. TBH I could easily say these two are canon and Cat Orgy is but lore, but it's intended to be a trilogy and I respect that.

S3E10 Korn's Groovy Pirate Ghost Mystery is FILLER

It's a strange episode with a Chewbacca ending. Kyle's grandma's body is here, but nothing else is consequential.

S3E11 Chinpokomon is LORE

While the plot of the episode itself doesn't leave much of an impact, the Chinpokomon franchise still exists within South Park. S3E12 Hooked on Monkey Fonics is FILLER

The Cotswolds' never reappear. Mark does in background roles. Butters gets a kiss that later gets retconned. I looove this episode, but this is a filler. S3E13 Starvin' Marvin in Space is FILLER

This is a sequel to one earlier episode and nothing else. (It's a good time though) S3E14 The Red Badge of Gayness is FILLER

The boys learn that the north won and slavery is now illegal. They have a bet which is also moot by the end. S3E15 Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classic is FILLER

It doesn't seem fair to classify this one, since it's more of a company EP than an episode by design. S3E16 Are You There God? It's me Jesus is CANON

God appears in this one. We learn more on his relationship with Jesus. S3E17 World Wide Recorder Concert is LORE

Herbert's relationship with his father add to understanding his character.

SPOILER-FREE RUNDOWN

Again, CANON means you should watch it, FILLER means you can skip it, LORE is somewhere in-between, any episode with the LORE label will have an explanation that helps you decide if you should include it or not.

S3E1 Rainforest Shmainforest is LORE* S3E2 Spontaneous Combustion is FILLER S3E3 The Succubus is FILLER S3E4 Jakovasaurs is FILLER S3E5 Tweek vs. Craig is CANON South Park MOV 1: Bigger, Longer and Uncut is CANON S3E6 Sexual Harrassment Panda is FILLER S3E7 Cat Orgy is CANON S3E8 Two Guys Naked in a Hot Tub is CANON S3E9 Jewbilee is CANON S3E10 Korn's Groovy Pirate Ghost Mystery is FILLER S3E11 Chinpokomon is LORE** S3E12 Hooked on Monkey Fonics is FILLER S3E13 Starvin' Marvin in Space is FILLER S3E14 The Red Badge of Gayness is FILLER S3E15 Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classic is FILLER S3E16 Are You There God? It's me Jesus is CANON S3E17 World Wide Recorder Concert is LORE*** *If you want to see a scene of Craig Tucker to understand his status **If you want to know what Chinpokomon is, but it's pretty obviously a Pokemon parody every time it appears. ***If you want to know Herbert Garrison's complicated childhood traumas. CANON counter:

S1: 9 out of 13 S2: 3 out of 18 S3: 6 out of 17 Overall: 18 out of 48

[supervisormeero]

As some of you already know, I just got back from a two-week trip to London! I had an incredible time, met incredible people, saw some incredible shows, MET DENISE, was FRONT ROW for the Eras Tour, and generally had the time of my fucking life. @hegodamask, @lighttailoring, and @karnpuffs, you guys are ridiculously cool. I’m so happy and lucky to have met you all in person; we’ll all have to hang out again next time Kyle or Denise is on stage!

Anyway, I of course brought my emotional support Dedra keychain with me, so she got to see London, too. Here are some highlights from her travels, and mine. 🥰

1. At the National Gallery

2. At Hyde Park

3. Seeing Hadestown (she felt the Underworld could’ve been more efficiently run)

4. Eating gelato after Hadestown

5. Going through the Taylor Swift exhibit at the Victoria & Albert Museum (Dedra didn’t understand what all the fuss was about a cardigan)

6. Eating some really damn good pizza

7. On the London Eye

8. At Twinings Tea Shoppe

10. At the Eras Tour! (Dedra still doesn’t understand what all the fuss is about)

[gravityslingshot]

Welcome!

rules / memes i write all the characters

😍 written by vemurafenib-zelboraf; wanted rpers for: bloodline (netflix), dates (series, 2013), the astronaut's wife

i'd love to get to know more writers who write characters in smaller movie fandoms because it's often hard to connect, i find that tumblr fails to even put promo posts in the search these days. if you know of anyone, please let me know about them!

affiliates will always have me humble spamming: insidemyblood, lightfaithed, other deleted/inactive good ol oldies who r always welcomed back.

special thanks to brittlefcrged for gifting the badge!

The Dark Knight:

R’as Al Ghul

Selina Kyle

Rachel Dawes

Jim Gordon

Alfred Pennyworth

Coleman Reese

The “Superhero” - oc

Batman (2022):

Carmine Falcone

Edward Nashton

The Watchmen (2009):

Dr. Manhattan [ To date, Ozymandias has opened a portal into the Man of Steel/DCEU world. ]

Adrian Veidt

Man of Steel (2013):

Lois Lane

General Zod

MCU:

Wanda Maximova

Christine Palmer

Malekith

Maya Hansen

Drax

Ikaris

Sersi

Dane Whitman

Ultron

Ying Nan

Wen Wu

Morbius

Loki (not following the series; flair's from the first couple of thor movies.)

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy *values original book canon, may not entertain much of the hobbit movies:

Haldir

Legolas

Denethor

Eowyn / character notes

Smeagol

The Mummy & The Mummy Returns:

Anck-Su-Namun

Jonathan Carnahan

Beni Gabor

Fleabag:

The Priest, who now just is.

Dates (2013):

Mia

James Bond:

Ernst Stavro Blofeld

Dominic Greene / character notes

Vesper Lynd / character notes

Mr. White

M (Mallory)

M

Tanner

Ronson

New character mention: Cesaro

The Alien Franchise:

David-8

Dr. Jonathan Gediman

Peter Weyland (guy pierce, the towel of fish maw)

Cpl Dwayne Hicks

The Killing of a Sacred Deer:

Martin

Predators (2010):

Edwin - but in his natural habitat which is a normal life on earth, so the existence of aliens never happened.

The Bourne Trilogy:

Marie Kreutz

Ward Abbott

Kirill

Jarda

The Professor (from The Bourne Identity)

Star Wars:

Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader

Fantastic Beasts:

Leta Lestrange (formerly letaunloved)

Percival Graves (formerly slitgraves/percerval)

Bram Stoker’s Dracula:

Dracula

Red vs Blue/Project Freelancer:

Agent Texas Season 9 | Season 10

Caboose

Graceland:

Charlie DeMarco

The Annihilation:

Lena

Kane

Funny Games (US):

Paul

The Piano Teacher (2001):

Erika Kohut

Basic Instinct:

Catherine Tramell

Nick Curran

Underworld:

Marcus Corvinus

Tanis

William

Sherlock Holmes (2009 & 2011: A Game of Shadows)

John Watson

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri:

Jason Dixon

Criminal Minds:

Spencer Reid

The Godzilla Movies (including the series, Monarch):

Dr. Mark Russell

X-Men (movies)

Jean Gray

Sebastian Shaw

Victor Creed

Romijn!Mystique

Jurassic Park:

John Hammond

Ian Malcolm

Blade Runner 2049:

Joi

What We Do in the Shadows (series):

Colin Robinson

Pirates of the Caribbean:

Captain Barbossa (Complies with early canon)

Tia Dalma

Ragetti

Cutler Beckett

The Conjuring movies:

Lorraine Warren

Blade II:

Nomak

Spy (2015):

George Clooney (as himself)

Superstore:

Jonah

The Chronicles of Riddick:

Vaako

Norsemen:

Orm

The Hangover Movies:

Alan

2001: A Space Odyssey:

(whatever that thing is supposed to be at the end)

Misc:

Borat

Ali G

Dr. Nira Cain-N'Degeocello (Who is America?)

Don Cheadle’s Captain Planet but darker

[batmancomicanalysis]

Did The Joker rape Barbara Gordon in The Killing Joke?

Note: "Alan Moore said" is not a valid refutation, especially as rape isn't uncommon in his work generally. A great article on the concept of authorial intent with particular reference to TKJ:

I will solely be citing relevant textual evidence.

1. TKJ was an extremely brutal, politically incorrect, “realist” depiction of The Joker and his psychopathy

2. From the flashback with his pregnant wife, we know that The Joker likely had a strong heterosexual sexual appetite before his transformation: “you’re good in the sack…”

Batman visits a group of prostitutes (among other associates of the criminal underworld) to inquire about The Joker’s whereabouts, perhaps implying that The Joker frequents them

3. Aside from the inherently sexual and extremely sadistic nature of the assault, the pictures and dialogue ("wuh...wuh...why...are you...duh...doing this..?") depicting it are highly suggestive of rape (and we may only see a small proportion of the pictures taken, with The Joker having Jim go through at least six more doors on the amusement park ride, the content of which we see nothing)

Barbara's naked body changed positions multiple times during the assault (back, stomach, side etc.), which strongly suggests that she was physically touched and repositioned by The Joker

4. The Joker lists rape as one of life’s "despairs” in his jaunty musical number to Jim just before Jim's shown the pictures of his daughter, so within the realm of possibility

5. The Joker is a Devil-figure (fittingly, Barbara is talking about him as someone who "scared the hell out of me" and "gave me some interesting nightmares" after hearing stories from Jim when she was "a kid", just before she opens the door to him), evil or chaos incarnate, an uninhibited psychopathic nihilist who wanted to break the apparently “incorruptible” Jim (and most importantly, his friend/ally Batman) psychologically: what better way to do that than to cripple and rape Jim’s daughter (his only known living relative), permanently damaging her physically and psychologically and display photos of the sadistic ordeal to an imprisoned, sexually humiliated (clad in BDSM gear) and terrorised Jim? (Bolland's "Innocent Guy" explicitly endorses this way of thinking in the TKJ deluxe edition epilogue: "Ya gotta understand I'm not some kind of pervert or anything like that, but whatever I can do to make her ordeal worse and ruin the lives of her family, I'll do.")

6. It���s strongly implied that The Joker raped Batman’s ex-lover Selina Kyle/Catwoman in Miller’s TDKR, which was published two years before TKJ and influenced Moore. Having been forcibly kissed, drugged, undressed, gagged, hog-tied on a bed (and now dressed up in a costume with both BDSM and feminist connotations, reflecting The Joker's sick sense of irony) and beaten up by The Joker, Selina says to Bruce, through tears: “...he’s worse than ever...” (akin to a crying, horrified, post-assault TKJ Barbara’s: “...he’s taking it to the limit this time...”), and then, in reference to his new female sidekick: “Don’t take the girl. He’ll…”

7. The Joker isn't the first "rapist comedian" to appear prominently in Moore's canon or to target a red-headed superheroine but Moore's Joker is significantly more evil than The Comedian, who at least has significant patriotic affinity for the lives of Americans as shown when he breaks down in tears upon learning about Veidt's "master plan"

Unrelated to Moore's work but in the TKJ film written by Brian Azzarello and produced by Bruce Timm, a group of prostitutes claim that The Joker usually visits them almost immediately after escaping Arkham, that “having a good time” is extremely important to him, that “it’s funny” they haven’t seen him recently and speculate that “maybe he found himself another girl.”

[p1nkc4tb0t]

ty for tagging!! 1- Dirk Strider (Homestuck)

2- Hayden Upchurch (the Unwind dystology)

3- Charlie (Underworld Office/Charlie in Underworld)

4- Stranger (OMORI)

5- Nikolai (Bungou Stray Dogs)

6- Power (Chainsaw Man)

7- Kyle (South Park)

8- Fizzarolli (Helluva Boss)

9- Stone (Ramshackle)

10- Vincent (Dead Plate)

@pisswithvengeance @kovuspams @hiddencattoes @loserraysxd @xx-the-cringest-ever-xx @captain-cruch @spunkspace @betatrolls @wren-fest @neodragon

I got tagged by @hnnny to do this (thank you for the tag!). With no further ado, I give you -

10 Characters, 10 Fandoms, 10 Tags!

In no particular order:

1. Abe (Oddworld)

2. Bao-Dur (Kotor 2)

3. Kim Kitsuragi (Disco Elysium)

4. Eivor Varinsdottir (Assassin's Creed: Valhalla)

5. Lexcanium (Wasteland 2)

6. Fall-From-Grace (Planescape: Torment)

7. Xan (Baldur's Gate)

8. Nick Valentine (Fallout 4)

9. Death (Discworld)

10. The Goon (The Goon)

(I suddenly want to draw all these guys in one room together, but that might be the devil talking)

I tag @keigan-of-sweden @pzycho391 @phospadparadscha @tardisinapokeball @amirrorcalledthemoon @gloomytk @majortomiscominghome @forever-carlyle @lexcanium @fulokis and anyone else who wants to! :)

[underworld-park-offical]

Hello!

You asked, and we always deliver, the first part of the QNA.... has been out for four days- I KNOW I KNOW!! I was gonna wait until Monday but then I realized it'd be better to just get this one here now instead of having to post two videos :)

A note about the continuation:

Hi, Mod Noah here to say that we at the UWP Staff will be making new content, however, if there are old videos brought to light (minus ones made by Hellpark Mod Pip) we will be using them for these contexts. But other than that we will be creating new content for UWP that doesn't relate to Hellpark or any of Wire's latest projects, as we wish to respect them and their stance on Hellpark. If there are any issues with the Mods regarding UWP, we will shut it down, but we want to hear it directly from the mods. Thank you, have a good day. Stay Silly.

Mod Bacon; Basically we're going original for UWP and there will be a plot beyond the base content. We will be making our own art that will NOT be imitating Wire's style.

Other QNA parts will be posted on our regular Monday schedule. Any new questions will be compiled into another video.

Editing and "interview" by Mod Bacon

[totallyhussein-blog]

Spend Halloween in Gotham City, where “the night is darkest just before the dawn.”

DC’s Batman films are often praised for their darker tones, mature writing, and thematic complexity compared to previous superhero animated films. Their artistic presentation, film noir aesthetics, voice acting and soundtracks, give modernization to the caped crusader and are great for young people, and for those who are young at heart.

Held hostage by the powerful Falcone crime family, the city is rife with crime and corruption. Adding to the chaos is the mysterious Holiday killer, who has been targeting the underworld and leaving a trail of terror... and body bags. 

Based on the critically acclaimed graphic novel, Batman: The Long Halloween, (parts 1 and 2) follows a twisted chain of events that will change the Dark Knight forever.

Gotham by Gaslight: In Victorian Age Gotham City, Batman begins his war on crime while he investigates a series of murders. After a number of women, including Pamela Isley are attacked, the city is gripped by the fear of a predatory killer dubbed Jack the Ripper. 

While Bruce Wayne prepares the World Fair, the vigilante known as The Batman teams up with Selina Kyle aka Catwoman to find the elusive Jack and put an end to his violent attacks.

The Killing Joke: After escaping from prison, The Joker targets the Gordon family for his next attack and kidnaps the Commissioner to prove that a bad day can turn even the most honourable man insane. 

With Barbara caught in the crossfire, The Joker taunts Batman from afar as he tortures Jim in one of Gotham's run-down amusement parks. Can Batman stop him before he succeeds in driving Gordon to insanity?

[radishly]

Got bored and decided that it was the perfect time to start my South Park Camp Half-Blood AU

(I’m going to conveniently forget that all children of Athena have blonde hair and grey eyes for this!) Stan Marsh; Son of Aphrodite 

I was originally stuck between Apollo, Hecate, and Aphrodite for him, but ended up settling of Aphrodite, because idk he just seems like a romantic to me, he always cared about his relationship with Wendy, and it just made sense to me idk

(Aphrodite is the goddess of love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion and procreation)

Kyle Broflovski; Son of Athena

This one is easier to explain, Kyle is shown time and time again to be the smartest and most logical of the main four boys, so it was only right for him to be a son of the goddess of wisdom

(Athena is the goddess of wisdom, handicraft, and warfare)

Kenny McCormick; Son of Hades

“Oh my God, they killed Kenny!” is probably what Hades says every time he has to bring his son back to life. Hades is the god of the underworld, Kenny dies a lot, perfect father son relationship

(Hades is the god of the dead and the underworld. King of the Underworld)

Eric Cartman; Son of Ares

Eric is an asshole, he’s probably even seen as an asshole among the other Ares kids. I bet you he’s Ares’ favorite tho

(Ares is the god of courage and war)

Leopold “Butters” Stotch; Son of Persephone

I just thought it would be cute tbh, plus I think it matches his personality

(Persephone is the goddess of spring, life, death, grain, and destruction. She is also the Queen of the Underworld)

Craig Tucker; Son of Hecate

Space makes me think of magic and Craig is a space nerd, plus I think he just totally wouldn’t give a fuck that he has such a badass mom

(Hecate is the goddess of boundaries, crossroads, witchcraft, and ghosts)

Tweek Tweak; Son of Demeter

Tweek sitting in a wheat field cause yes. Also I like to think that Demeter has a rather calm personality and Tweek is just the opposite of that lol

(Demeter is the goddess of harvest, agriculture, fertility, an sacred law)

Clyde Donovan; Son of Hermes

I couldn’t really come up with one for Clyde, but Hermes covers so much stuff that I just felt that it fit. Also Clyde definitely takes after the Stolls

(Hermes is the god of boundaries, roads, travelers, thieves, athletes, shepherds, commerce, speed, cunning, wit, and sleep)

Token Black; Son of Pontus

I wanna see Token controlling water like a badass, but I didn’t wanna give him Poseidon cause it felt too basic

(Pontus is the primordial god of the sea)

Jimmy Valmer; Son of Agon 

This is purely because of the episode where he uses steroids for the special olympics, mans is wild

(Agon is the spirit of conflict, struggle, or contest)

Scott Malkinson; Son of Philotes

Cause the way he acted towards Sophie in Basic Cable gave me that vibe

(Philotes is the goddess of affection, friendship, and sex)

Bebe Stevens; Daughter of Aphrodite

She’s pretty and perfect, also she’d have to be Stan’s half sister lol

(Aphrodite is the goddess of love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion and procreation)

Wendy Testaburger; Daughter of Athena

She’s just that smart, plus she’d be Kyle’s half sister lmao

(Athena is the goddess of wisdom, handicraft, and warfare)

Sophie Grey; Daughter of Nike

I really don’t have an explanation for this one, I’m sorry

(Nike is the goddess of victory)

Red McArthur; Daughter of Enyo

Red just seems confrontational, but I didn’t wanna give her Ares

(Enyo is the goddess of war)

Heidi Turner; Daughter of Eleos

Heidi must’ve had some heart of pure fucking gold to put up with Cartman

(Eleos is the spirit of pity, mercy, clemency, and compassion)

Nichole Daniels; Daughter of Hebe

I just felt like it fit cause Nichole is beautiful

(Hebe is the goddess of youth)

(can you tell I ship Bunny by who I gave Butters and Kenny???)

[kymanweek]

WELCOME BACK TO OUR THIRD ANNUAL EDITION OF    KYMAN WEEK!

Kyman week is an appreciation event for every kyman shipper out there that takes place between 1st to 7th of July.

Previously we had in this event 7 prompts — one for each day, but this edition will be very special because we’re having 13 prompts for the entire week! That means 2 prompts to choose between per day! Those two prompts are based in two running themes alongside the other: Alternative Universes and Fanfic Tropes. They aren’t obligatory to use together as they are independent prompts, but if you want to combine them please feel free to do so!

The shippers can create any form of fanwork based on their interpretation of the prompts, it can be edits, fanfic, cosplay, fanart… anything! Creativity is the key!

The intent is to share your love for the ship and to have fun of course, even the fans who don’t participate will be able to enjoy the new content, everybody wins (˘⌣˘ ) ♡

The works will be reblogged on this blog for each one of the days and at the end everyone that did something will be on a thank you post linking to their blogs with special attention to the ones that did something for all of the days! We also have a special gift for those who complete all the days.

To participate you just have to post your work with the theme of the corresponding day and mention this blog or use the #kymanweek tag so it’s easy to find it.

Here are the descriptions of the prompts, under the read more cut.

Day 1: High School AU / Token’s Party

The boys are getting older and are now in high school! What kind of adventures will they get into there?

  OR

It’s time to attend one of Token’s amazing house parties! Will Cartman and Kyle enjoy their night or will things get out of hand?

Day 2: Adult Life / Sharing the Bed

Inevitably, the boys enter adulthood. But what becomes of Cartman and Kyle's relationship now? Will they succeed in life or crumble under the pressure of adulthood?

  OR

It’s a cliche as old as time; what if Cartman and Kyle had to share the same bed? How did they get there, and what does this lead to?

Day 3: Office AU / Locked in a Closet

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Kyle and Cartman have somehow ended up in the same office. Is this a recipe for disaster, or could them working together lead to something extraordinary?

  OR

The two enemies are inside one locked closet. You decide their outcome.

Day 4: Mafia AU / Secret Dating

Fancy costumes, dirty money, revenge and gang fights - the criminal underworld is a far cry from the mountain town we’re familiar with. What awaits Cartman and Kyle in this murky, shady business? Will they be sworn enemies or unexpected allies?

  OR

Cartman and Kyle are finally in a relationship! There’s one major problem though - it’s anything but official. How did they end up in this mess to begin with?

Day 5: Fantasy AU / Soulmates

Abnormal things happen in South Park all the time. However, a world where magic and the supernatural is commonplace is a whole other problem! What destiny awaits the two boys there?

  OR

Cartman and Kyle are meant for each other - they just don’t know about it yet. But when are they going to realize it, and what happens after that?

Day 6: Apocalypse AU / First Kiss

As the end of the world draws near, the boys find themselves in an urgent situation of life and death. Will this finally make them cooperate or is their rivalry going to ruin their only chance of survival?

  OR

At last, Kyle and Cartman share their first kiss. How did this happen?! Give us your representation of the moment!

Day 7: Free Day

It’s the final day of the week! Was there something you felt like you couldn’t include in the prompts you wanted to do? Now is the time to show it.

__________

Organizers:

@jmgirl100

@ssoletluna

@l-l-loser

@fandomdise

For any questions the ask box is always open!  ♡

[recentanimenews]

Netflix Reveals Upcoming Slate of Anime Titles for 2021

  Additional reporting by Daryl Harding

  During the Netflix Anime Festival 2020, the streaming company announced 16 anime titles coming to the service. Hosted by Hisanori Yoshida with special guest Rio Uchida, the two walked through the company’s upcoming anime from previously announced series to upcoming features. The announcements below are in alphabetical order. 

  Baki Hanma

  The story of the strongest parent-child fight in history comes to its climax in the 3rd part of the Baki Hanma series, subtitled ‘Son of Orge,’ premiering on Netflix in 2021. Manga creator Keisuke Itagaki drew a special illustration of Baki for the announcement.

  The most dysfunctional father-son relationship of all time reaches its climax when Baki Hanma faces off against the Ogre himself in next year’s season of Keisuke Itagaki’s brutal fight series! pic.twitter.com/Y0mEC8PmS8

— NX (@NXOnNetflix) October 27, 2020

  B the Beginning Succession

  The second season of the popular B the Beginning anime series was announced during the presentation, entitled B the Beginning Succession. Netflix showcased the first images from the series as well as the new staff members.

  They might have solved their last case, but Keith and Koku aren’t finished yet. Here’s your first glimpse at B: The Beginning Succession’s story of detectives and killers in a high-tech world, arriving next year. @ProductionIGinc pic.twitter.com/spcWDOFUh7

— NX (@NXOnNetflix) October 27, 2020

  Ichiro Kawasaki takes over from Kazuto Nakazawa as the director of B the Beginning Succession at Production I.G. with Nakazawa returning in a supervisory role and the rest of the staff and cast returning for the second season that is scheduled to stream in 2021.

  Eden

  Netflix released a brand new trailer and visual for the four-episode original series Eden, directed by Yasuhiro Irie with animation production by Qubic Pictures, coming in May 2021.

  Sometimes a family is a human girl, a robot, and another robot. EDEN follows Sarah and her mechanical adoptive parents as she confronts a strange, beautiful world, arriving May 2021. pic.twitter.com/1foOcAT8Eh

— NX (@NXOnNetflix) October 27, 2020

  Godzilla: Singular Point

  During the presentation, the first visual and teaser trailer for the upcoming Godzilla: Singular Point anime series from Studio Orange and Bones roared its way through the presentation hall.

  When danger comes up from the depths, only young geniuses Mei, Yun, and their team can face the threat in Godzilla Singular Point! Take a first look at next year’s new series featuring the classic monster. @CG_Orange_eng @TOHO_GODZILLA pic.twitter.com/B7VWyGb3ZZ

— NX (@NXOnNetflix) October 27, 2020

  The series will feature character designs by Kazue Kato (Blue Exorcist) and a new Godzilla design by Ghibli animator Eiji Yamamori. The series is currently scheduled to broadcast in April 2021.

  High Rise Invasion

  Netflix will release an anime adaptation of High Rise Invasion, based on the manga series by Takahiro Oba and Tsuina Miura (Ajin), in February 2021. The first two visuals of the series was released as well as the staff and cast. Directed by Masahiro Takata, with animation production by Zero-G.

  As Yuri finds herself in a bizarre world of endless buildings and masked killers, she’ll do whatever it takes to find her brother and escape. Next year, discover the secret of the skyscrapers in action horror series High-Rise Invasion. pic.twitter.com/ShFLIYsKHL

— NX (@NXOnNetflix) October 27, 2020

  Yoichi Ueda does the character designs, while Toko Machida works on the series composition, with music from tatsuo and Yoichi Sakai. Haruka Shiraishi, Shiki Aoki, Akira Sekine, Junya Enoki, and Yuichiro Umehara all lend their voices to the anime series.

  Pacific Rim: The Black

  After being announced in 2018, the first animated visuals and images of Pacific Rim: The Black anime series, based on the cult film series from Legendary Pictures, was released. The presentation showed off the opening title sequence of the 2021 series from Polygon Pictures and co-showrunners Craig Kyle and Greg Johnson.

  Long ago, humanity defeated the Kaiju. Now, they’re evacuating Australia. In 2021 join a pair of siblings and their battered, long-abandoned Jaegar as they battle across a continent of danger in Pacific Rim: The Black. @Legendary @POLYGONPICTURES pic.twitter.com/P5ZHZYv9OQ

— NX (@NXOnNetflix) October 27, 2020

    Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness

  Announced in September, TMS Entertainment and Quebico (the same studio behind Resident Evil: Vendetta) will be producing a brand new original series based on the Resident Evil franchise, featuring Resident Evil main characters Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield. 

  When biohazards run wild, only a pair of veteran zombie slayers can get the job done. Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness is a new original series set in the canon of @CapcomUSA_’s classic survival horror franchise @RE_Games, coming next year. pic.twitter.com/nuBKVgXuzp

— NX (@NXOnNetflix) October 27, 2020

  Rilakkuma's Theme Park Adventure

  A continuation of the Netflix anime series, directed by Masahito Kobayashi with animation production by dwarf studios and San-X Co., Ltd.

  Grab your tickets and get in line for a new series of stop-motion adventures with Rilakkuma and Kaoru! Join Rilakkuma, Korilakkuma, Kiiroitori, and Kaoru as they explore an amusement park in its closing hours when Rilakkuma’s Theme Park Adventure arrives next year. pic.twitter.com/qU2qzSl7pH

— NX (@NXOnNetflix) October 27, 2020

  Spriggan

  After originally being announced on October 5, Netflix released the first trailer and visual for the newest adaptation of Spriggan. Based on the 1980s to 1990s manga series written by Hiroshi Takashige and drawn by Ryoji Minagawa, the new adaptation will be released on the platform in 2021.

  As the armies of man battle over ancient relics, one organization will do all it can to seal them away. Here’s a first look at 2021’s anime series adaptation of legendary action manga Spriggan in action! @DPInc_official pic.twitter.com/ukTzI0nlMS

— NX (@NXOnNetflix) October 27, 2020

  Spriggan is directed by Hiroshi Kobayashi (Kiznaiver), with character designs from Shuhei Handa (Little Witch Academia) and series composition from Hiroshi Seko (Mob Psycho 100), and will be produced at david productions.

  The Way of the House Husband

  Based on the award-winning manga by Kousuke Oono, J.C.Staff will head the production of The Way of the House Husband. The series will be directed by Chiaki Kon, with Kenjiro Tsuda playing the main character Tatsu.

  Japan’s most evil yakuza makes its cutest househusband! Follow Tatsu’s journey from underworld legend to domestic bliss when the anime adaptation of Kousuke Oono’s hit comedy manga The Way of the Househusband premieres in 2021. pic.twitter.com/V7tdVIaYVc

— NX (@NXOnNetflix) October 27, 2020

  Thermae Romae Novae

  A new season of the award-winning Thermae Romae series was announced during the presentation, entitled Thermae Romae Novae (novae means new!). A visual for the upcoming series was released. Mari Yamazaki will be drawing new episodes for the series. Production by NAZ.

  When Roman Empire bath designer Lucius ends up in modern Japan, he’ll find the two cultures aren’t so different after all. The anime adaptation of Mari Yamazaki’s bathhouse comedy Thermae Romae Novae hits the screen in 2021! pic.twitter.com/SeS1ZMS83W

— NX (@NXOnNetflix) October 27, 2020

  Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan

  All four episodes of the OVA anime series for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure spin-off Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan will be coming to Netflix in 2021.

  To truly capture the ways of the world, this manga artist will scour the globe for inspiration! All four episodes of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure spin-off Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan make their Netflix debut 2021. pic.twitter.com/cONOzo0d3B

— NX (@NXOnNetflix) October 27, 2020

  Transformers: War For Cybertron Trilogy

  Netflix announced during the live stream that the second chapter of Rooster Teeth's Transformers: War For Cybertron will be coming soon.

  With the Allspark lost and Decepticons trapped on a dying Cybertron, Optimus Prime pushes the Autobots to the limit in the depths of space. EARTHRISE, the second chapter of the Transformers: War for Cybertron trilogy, is coming soon. @RoosterTeeth @Hasbro pic.twitter.com/up6g4Qt3QB

— NX (@NXOnNetflix) October 27, 2020

  TRESE

  New anime series based in Manila, TRESE, was announced. The stream noted that because the series is being created in the Philippines, the creators will have a different perspective of Manila than someone not from the city.

  Aswangs of Manila, beware: Alexandra Trese is coming for you. Enjoy this very first look at TRESE, coming soon on Netflix. ???????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/BpiRc6WhjQ

— Netflix Philippines (@Netflix_PH) October 27, 2020

  Vampire in the Garden

  Vampire in the Garden, a new original anime series from WIT STUDIO, was announced by Netflix. The vampire series, which is being directed by Ryotaro Makihara (The Empire of Corpses), with character designs and animation direction Tetsuya Nishio (Naruto) and art direction from Shunichiro Yoshihara (Attack on Titan), will be out on the platform in 2021.

  Once, vampires and humans lived in harmony. Now, a young girl and a vampire queen will search for that Paradise once again. Here’s your first look at Vampire in the Garden, an original story from @WIT_STUDIO premiering next year. pic.twitter.com/9Z55Cn3ijV

— NX (@NXOnNetflix) October 27, 2020

  Yasuke

  Yasuke, headed by MAPPA and directed by LeSean Thomas, released the first character sheets of the Black samurai Yasuke as well as the legendary Oda Nobunaga, both drawn by character designer Takeshi Koike.

  A village in danger, a mysterious child, warring daimyo, and the greatest ronin never known all clash in a Japan of magic and mechs. Learn the story of the first African samurai when LeSean Thomas’s Yasuke, voiced by Lakeith Stanfield, arrives next year. pic.twitter.com/jCabzutMIv

— NX (@NXOnNetflix) October 27, 2020

  Lakeith Stanfield will voice Yasuke, with animation produced at MAPPA and music produced by Flying Lotus. Yasuke is scheduled for 2021 on the platform.

  Netflix also discussed the current state of anime on the platform, saying that over 100 million households in nearly 100 countries around the world watch anime on the platform – which has one of the widest reaches of all streaming services –. In Japan, “almost 1 out of 2” households watch at least five hours of anime on the service every month, equal to at least one season of a 12 episode show.

        Kyle Cardine is an Editor for Crunchyroll. You can find his Twitter here.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[skvaderarts]

Apocrypha Chapter Four: Benevolence

Masterlist can be found Here! Thanks!

Chapter Four: Benevolence

Note: I loved talking to everyone and reading your comments! Thanks for the support! I feel loved and appreciated. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and all the ones to come.

A gentle breeze picked up as the group rounded the corner and approached the front steps of the house. V opened the door and watched as the children filed into the house, immediately calling out to Kyrie to inform her that they were home as they took off their shoes and headed up stairs to their shared bedroom. They presumably intended to continue playing, a fact that V found exhausting to even comprehend considering the fact that they had spent several hours at the park. He'd chock it up to youthful vigor, but he hadn't had that kind of energy as a child and he also didn't feel like making himself feel that old so early in the day.

Kyrie approached from the living room, yawning as she stretched and adjusted her posture. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes before greeting the children and then turning her attention to V. Her usual smile was present although, at least to him, she seemed to be waking up from a nap and not entirely cognizant yet. She yawned again before speaking.

"I really appreciate you taking them to the park for me today," She said, beaming from her restful sleep," I hope they didn't cause too much trouble."

V shook his head, contemplating the idea of a nap of his own. Just looking at her made him more tired than he already was. Curling up with a good book in the arm chair that sat near the window in the living room and reading until he nodded off sounded like a tempting proposition. "They were very well behaved, all things considered," He said shooting a placid glance in the direction of the stairs," It was my pleasure."

"That and you certainly needed a nap, didn't you" He thought to himself as she headed into the kitchen. Kyrie turned the eye off on the stove and removed the teapot that sat atop of it, setting it down on the counter next to the refrigerator. Apparently she had been awake a little longer than he'd originally guessed.

"Would you like a cup?" She asked as she grabbed down the container that the tea was housed inside of. V nodded once in polite, wordless conformation, unwilling to pass up the opportunity to warm up a little. He was always slightly cold as a general rule. Kyrie took down a second cup and placed a flavored tea bag inside of each of them before douching them each with an appropriate amount of hot water and allowing them to steep. V made a mental note to purchase a kettle whenever he finally decided to venture out on his own.

Drinking tea with Kyrie was something he found himself doing quite often as of late, and he had gradually become accustomed to it. While they didn't really have anything to converse over while sipping their drinks, they each enjoyed taking a moment to simply savor the silence around them. Having three children around at all times could be never shredding at times, so any period of extended silence that they could procure was a welcome change of pace for everyone who lived there.

As the two of them fixed their respective drinks and began to drink them, V thanked her. He had come to appreciate how kind and considerate she was, always taking into account the comfort and happiness of those around her. Nero was exceptionally lucky to have someone like her in his life, and he was grateful to know her by extension. He hadn't experienced very many occasions in his life where he had met someone he could definitively say was genuinely concerned about those around them. But he could tell she felt that way about everyone she lived with. It was unfamiliar but refreshing for him to be surrounded by so many people who actually cared about him.

"If it's not too much trouble, can I ask you to do something for me, please?" She asked tentatively, seemingly unsure of how he would respond to the request.

V glanced up at Kyrie, giving her a curious look. He hoped he hadn't done something to upset her. She didn't seem upset, but assuming he'd something undesirable was his natural state until proven otherwise."Yes, of course."

"Would you be willing to come to the orphanage with me to meet the other children?" She seemed almost embarrassed to make such a request of him as if she was acutely aware that she was asking him to do something she knew he wouldn't normally do," Kyle, Carlo, and Julio seem to adore you, so I thought the other children might too!"

He was slightly surprised by what she'd just asked of him. While it wasn't an unreasonable request, he couldn't help but feel instantly uncomfortable at the prospect of going to an orphanage and interacting with children. It reminded him of things that he'd buried deep anc chosen to forget. He suppressed the urge to squirm in response to the visceral level of discomfort that he felt and nodded slowly, almost as if he were telling himself yes instead of her. This was the only thing she'd ever really asked of him. He could do that.

"... Yes...I could entertain the prospect. When did you have in mind?" It only occurred to him that he didn't really have any plans to speak of aside from taking a nap and catching up on one of the books he'd been reading. Well, rereading. He hoped Nico had found something worth wild during their excursion that day. He was woefully bored of the literature he had on hand. The selection was quite limited. At this point, he was willing to take just about anything he could get his hands on. A dictionary would suffice!

I was hoping we could go today, if that would be alright" She said cheerfully, " They are going to start making dinner in about an hour and I was going to go help them out like I normally do this time of week! They need all the help they can get with so many little mouths to feed!"

V choked on his drink.

-~-

All things considered, it seemed like Nero and Nico would be arriving back at home just in time for dinner. While sunset was still an hour or so off, the ferry would be making port shortly, and they would be home within the next little while. It had been a productive day as far as they were considered, so now it was time to enjoy a hot meal and take a well earned rest.

"I'm surprised the boat didn't sink from all these damn books, Nico." Nero said nonchalantly, earning him a prompt but playful middle finger from his mechanic companion. He took it with a grain of salt, already expecting that kind of response. They had each become accustomed to one another's sense of humor a while ago.

Nero glanced out over the water, catching a glimpse of their newly found relic in the back of the van. She'd been examining V's cane ever since they had left Redgrave City, so it was currently leaning against the wall over by Nico's work table. He wasn't sure what she hoped to discover, but he was willing to admit that he was becoming more curious as time passed. Did she think it possessed some sort of magical properties or something like that? While it wasn't out of the realm of possibility, he didn't really know if he thought that was the case or not.

"So what's the deal with the cane again? Is it cursed or somethin'?" Nero asked as he turned his attention to the front of the van again. They would be docking momentarily.

Nico glanced back before turning forward again and adjusting her position in the seat again. "Hell if I know! It's V's, so who knows. I found some weak demonic power comin' off of it, but I can't really tell where it came from. Hell, I can't even tell what kinda metal it's made out of!"

Nero laughed to himself, internally acknowledging that it must drive a former gunsmith up the walls to not be able to identify a type of metal. But that fact only made the cane more interesting to him. Where had he gotten a cane from that wasn't made out of a regular type of metal? Was it composed of some sort of experimental alloy or something? Heck, did it come from the underworld? Was it a devilarm?!

While the last option seemed unlikely, he couldn't rule it out completely. It made him feel slightly more comfortable about her request to study it just a little longer before returning it to its former owner. A day or two didn't seem like an unreasonable proposition, but no longer than that. At least that's what he hoped. From what he could tell, V actually did use it to get around. He tended to pick a spot and stay in it for prolonged periods of time compared to the level of mobility he had illustrated that he was capable of back in Redgrave City. That could be for a number of reasons to be fair, especially considering that he had only been back about eight days and was more than likely still recovering from their fight at Fortuna Castle and his original resurrection. And for all he knew V might just operate on low power in a domestic setting, reserving his energy for more pressing matters such as fighting demons. He didn't seem ill or anything, so maybe worrying over him was actually detrimental? Nero couldn't say, but he did find it difficult not to worry about him from time to time. He felt almost compelled to do so. Maybe it was the fact that he knew that they were brothers now, or maybe it was what hand happened to Credo a few years back. Perhaps it was because of his much weaker disposition, or a combination of all three. He couldn't say for sure. But he also had to acknowledge that it wasn't necessarily a bad thing either. Maybe he just cared about him.

Nero blushed slightly at the concept. Not very visibly, but he could feel his face grow perceptively warmer regardless. It was so strange to him. He'd never been able to really understand or coexist very well with quiet people growing up. Even as an adult they still had a special way of getting under his skin and making him uncomfortable as a general rule. Not knowing what someone was thinking made him uneasy, especially when they were as unreadable as V was. To this day, he still had a litany of questions he needed answered about his newfound sibling, but he wasn't sure where to start. No one liked being probed, and the last thing he wanted to do was to come off as invasive and totally insensitive. There was never a simple course of action when it came to V. Or was there? Was he overthinking this whole thing? Maybe just asking him to talk to him about these sorts of things would go over better than he thought. After all, never starting was a sure fire way to never get anywhere.

It was decided, then. He would ask him something simple when they got home. Something that he'd always wanted to know from the moment that he'd met him.

… What the fuck was his first name?

He seemed to always introduce himself as the same thing, but he was genuinely curious. The last time he'd brought it up, V had drawn a firm line in the sand with a succulent "no" and totally abandoned the subject. But no one named their kid a one letter name, did they? That seemed totally unlikely to him. He didn't really expect a different answer this time around, but he was just curious. It didn't seem like something he'd get upset about. If anything, he figured that there was some crazy reason behind it that he'd probably get a good laugh out of when V wasn't around to hear it.

"So ya gonna keep spacing out or are ya gonna come in the house? Cause I wanna eat dinner." Nico said, interrupting the deluge of scatterbrained thoughts that he'd been lost in for- had it really been that long? They were home already?! Wow. That had felt pretty quick… Then again, spacing out tended to alter one's perception of the passage of time. At least they were home now.

"I'm coming already. Don't worry about it." Nero said as he opened the side door and slipped out onto the ground. The concrete pavement welcomed his boots with a low thud, confirming that he was indeed in his own garage again. Yea, he definitely needed a nap or something. It was crazy how fast they had gotten here. Nero hoped that Kyrie hadn't killed anyone in the process. Her driving was pretty awful after all.

Nero crossed the space between the van and the garage door (what little there was) and headed towards the door. He turned the knob and pushed it open, stepping inside. Nico followed closely behind him, passing the white haired devil hunter and taking off her shoes before heading towards the stairs as soon as they got inside. Kyrie called out to greet them from another room, seemingly on the second floor of the house from what he could tell. He couldn't tell from the smell what Kyrie had been cooking, but he immediately felt more hungry that he had a few seconds before.

A cursory examination of the first floor yielded the result that he was alone now, so he shrugged out of his coat and boots and headed into the kitchen to grab something to drink. He grabbed the first thing that his hand landed on (a picture of water) and poured himself a glass before taking a peak at whatever was in the oven. He still couldn't really tell, although it seemed like a much smaller dish than usual. Kyrie must've volunteered to help make dinner at the orphanage again. They had probably eaten dinner with the children and then she had headed home to throw something for him, Nico, and V in the oven. How considerate of her.

He cursed himself for his total lack of cooking skills. He'd love to help her out more with those sorts of things, but he wasn't really sure how. Keeping the kids entertained so she could have a moment of peace was his specialty. She did enough as far as he and everyone else was concerned. Anything they could do to help her out they did, no questions asked.

Nero finished his glass of water and stepped into the living room, intent on closing the curtains. Since it would be dark soon, he figured that it might be a good idea. While no one in town was probably stupid enough to try and break in or anything of the sort, he didn't need prying eyes viewing what they were up to in their private lives. This was a gossip fueled town full of religious folks, after all. The last thing he wanted to do was provide them with something to work off of.

Upon closing the curtains, he turned around and did a silent double take. How long had V been sitting there asleep in the corner of the room? The part devil in question had dozed off on the far end of the couch nearest to him, seemingly exhausted from what he could tell. He always had this look to him that gave away his current energy levels, though Nero couldn't pinpoint what it was if he were asked to. He could just tell. He was willing to guess that the children had probably worn him out as per usual. Carlo had shown an almost magnetic attraction to him that they all found collectively endearing, V included though he never vocalized this opinion. The little child shadowed him around the house at all hours, captivated by whatever he was doing, even when he wasn't doing anything at all. It was honestly quite funny. And when he wasn't doing that, he was begging V to read one of his little toddler books to him, a request that he generally obliged, though he was probably ready to hide that book somewhere that it could never be found due to repetition alone.

The younger white haired devil hunter slipped out of the room silently, remembering that he hadn't let the garage down or locked the door. An easy mistake to make. He made his way over to the door, slipping out of it quietly as to not wake V. While he wasn't exactly a light sleeper, he still felt the need to try not to disturb him. No one liked to be roused from a restful slumber. Upon closing the door, he headed over to the metal folding door and pulled it downward, being mindful to do so slowly so as no to make unnecessary noise. It wouldn't make sense to creep out here and then loudly drop the door. Once the latch was secure, he stood up and locked it, content with his handiwork. The van was locked, but he gave it a quick once over just to be completely sure before heading back into the house and locking the door behind himself.

Nero stepped back into the kitchen and repressed the urge to curse to himself as he caught sight of V, now awake and standing in front of the fridge drinking a glass of water of his own. Whatever had been in the oven was now sitting on the counter in front of them, cooling off so that it could be eaten. Nero wasn't sure how V managed to do that so quickly since he'd only been gone for a few minutes at most, but it had happened nonetheless.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to look at whatever this dish was and not try to eat it, so Nero decided to give into temptation and do so, reaching up into the cabinet to try and locate a dish. V watched him do so, contently sipping his drink with a thoughtful look on his face. Nero located the plate and grabbed a fork, carefully plating up a small portion of the antre to taste. While the smell alone testified to it's edibility, he was still cautious whenever he tried something new. Thankfully, he wasn't a very picky eater.

"You know, I've only been home like ten minutes and you've already scared the shit out of me twice, V," Nero said casually as he fanned the now plated food in an effort to make it cool off quicker," I don't understand how you move around so quietly. It's kinda freaky."

V smirked at the statement, shrugging slightly in response. He wasn't really sure what to say to that statement. He was just light on his feet, he supposed. Either that or Nero was used to him walking with his cane. "My cane made most of the noise."

Nero nodded, considering his statement as he tasted the food. He slowly chewed the mouthful of food, finding it more to his liking that he would have originally assumed considering that fact that it seemed to be made entirely out of vegetables. While he wasn't a picky eater, he didn't normally gravitate towards these sorts of dishes. What the hell was this? It was delicious!

"Do you have any idea what this is," Nero asked as he gestured towards the pan of food with a slight tilt of his head," It's pretty fucking good! Never had this before."

V tilted his head downward slightly, glancing away from him in an attempt to not make eye contact. He looked almost embarrassed for whatever reason. Or at least that was how it seemed to the younger of the two. Nero gave him a curious look, his interest piqued by V's sudden and odd shift in behavior. Before he could inquire as to what the problem was, V responded.

"It's Ratatouille. I'm… glad you like it." He suddenly looked as though he had been asked to speak publicly in front of a large audience, looking anywhere but directly at Nero.

A look of shock and disbelief danced across his face as Nero processed the fact that Kyrie hadn't cooked this. It had never occurred to him that V might actually know how to cook. Had he accidentally eaten something he wasn't supposed to? V seemed to catch onto his surprised demeanor, feeling the need to elaborate despite his own discomfort.

"Everyone else has already eaten, so that is for the both of you," He said almost sheepishly," I... didn't think to make anything to go with it. I apolo-"

Nero waived his fork at him, gesturing for him to stop. Was he going to apologize after he had done him a favor? V was truly something else sometimes. "No, no, this is great! Don't even start! Nico isn't getting any of this."

V smirked again, almost smiling as Nero used a fresh fork to dish more of the food into his plate. Either he was adamant that he actually liked it, or he was putting on a very convincing act. V wasn't going to think too hard about it and simply take his word for it. As for Nico not getting any… he worried for his younger brother's well being if he wasn't kidding.

Before he could say anything else, a loud ringing noise reverberated off of the walls from down the hallway. They both instantly recognized the sound of the phone ringing and stepped towards it, awkwardly almost waking into one another but unsure as to who was actually going to answer it. Each time one of them tried to step forward, the other did so as well, leading to an uncoordinated dance that went nowhere. Finally Kyrie came from the other end of the hall and picked up the phone, saving them from themselves and they looked on in utter embarrassment. Nero tried to pretend he wasn't there as V sipped on the last of his drink, trying to hide his awkwardness behind the clear glass.

She smiled and nodded as she greeted the caller before turning towards the two of them. "Oh, it's your father! He'd like to talk to you both about something! Isn't that wonderful?"

For the second time that day, V choked on his drink.

-~-

Thank you all for taking the time to read the latest chapter! I'll be back soon with another entry! Thanks a bunch and I hope to see you again on Friday for the newest installment! Take care and stay safe!

[olympusintelligence]

Part 3 Chapter 10

30/11/2018 11:59 (San Francisco Time) Palo Alto Hills, Palo Alto

What a fatal mistake!

Kyle regretted he recklessly entered Andrew’s house five minutes ago. The garden was tranquil, but only hostility existed inside the house.

He thought he had prepared for everything, but currently he knew he would not get anything. In fact, he had no idea if he would survive this ‘lunch’.

There was no way he could have foreseen a gunfight in an African wilderness ensue right after he entered the house. He tried to escape, but the door had been automatically locked. He wanted to call for help, but his cell phone did not receive any signal. Immersed in such an authentic virtual environment, he could not find any windows or exits. He had just managed to avoid a bullet, and taken refuge behind a ‘tree’ with a gun in his hand.

“Seems like you haven’t got used to the VR battlefield,” Andrew, the mastermind behind the plot smirked coyly. Wearing all black, he was hiding behind another tree. “I’m a fair opponent. At least the bullets and the gun I gave you are real.” The specially designed VR hardware that projected this battlefield was still not yet on sale. Users did not have to rely on VR goggles and/or hard disk backpacks to experience its simulated environment.

‘You won’t get any help. Very few people stay in this area at noon. The house is noise-proof, so no one outside can hear what’s going on here.’

Kyle wanted to shoot Andrew, but his opponent was faster. He fired back another round of shots and one of them almost hit his right hand.

You tried to kill me…..I sensed your enmity against me at that time!

‘Who the heck are you? Why are you doing this?’ questioned Kyle angrily. He never thought this harmless-looking young tycoon would have wanted to kill him with his own hand. Andrew’s public profile was too simple for a tech tycoon - After earning a bachelor's degree in computer sciences from Caltech in 2012, he became an intelligence analyst in the NSA, but he resigned in less than a year. A reporter once asked what he did during the two-year gap after his resignation, he just explained that he travelled around the world and wrote the source code for VidChat. He only returned to the US and founded Vid in 2015. And at this age he still did not have any spouse or lover. Currently Kyle knew for sure that the two-year gap was not a gap at all.

Just like Helen, he was Olympus’ operative.

‘Let me show you my gun.” An image of a remodeled silver blue CZ SP-01 Phantom appeared in the middle. Its slider had the pattern of a silver trident on it.

‘You’re…..’ A glimpse of this gun reminded Kyle of a Greek God. He unconsciously trembled with fear.

‘I’m Poseidon.’ Andrew confirmed his guess - his codename was Poseidon. Coldness seethed within his deep azure eyes.  

In Greek mythology, after overthrowing their father Cronus’ tyrannic rule,Poseidon and his brothers Zeus and Hades divided the world by drawing lots. It made him the god of the Sea and other waters. He is as capricious as the ocean- Though he is often calm, when he is in rage he triggers storms, chaotic waves and tsunamis that flood the land, and even shakes the earth with earthquakes.  He is also vindictive- According to Homer’s Odyssey, the hero Odysseus escaped from the cyclops Polyphemus’ capture by blinding him with a wooden stick, but the cyclops was Poseidon’s son. When he prayed for Poseidon to avenge for him, the god was angered and cursed the hero to wander around the sea for more than ten years. In the end, it took Odysseus eighteen years just to return to his home Ithaca, though he had the patronage of the other deities.

‘You’ve anticipated my visit to Palo Alto, so you’ve prepared all these!’  

‘Yea, I leaked the intelligence on the virus to you.’

Kyle finally realized this man was a terrible schemer- a month ago he deliberately leaked the virus source via INTERPOL to lure him to his trap. Obviously he had plotted to murder him for a long time, but he still feigned hospitality before the hackathon. He only showed his true colors at this moment. Throughout their meeting he spotted nothing strange about him.

He was a strong, patient, calculating rival. No wonder he was chosen as a core member of Olympus and his codename was named after the great god of ocean.

Kyle attempted to watch his surroundings so he moved out of his cover a bit. Right at this moment his shoulder suffered a hit. He smelled some blood from his wound.

‘At first I really overestimated you as Helen still insisted to marry you in the face of our boss’ wrath, but now I know you’re just a layman,’ teased Poseidon, who was reloading bullets into his gun. It sounded like a note of the Death’s music piece. ‘I have wanted to fight you for a long time. As our boss finally authorized me to take you out, I’ll be the one to send you to meet Jesus. You should feel lucky that I took the job, or you’ll have died without knowing why.’

Based on his words, Kyle deduced Helen must be another core member of Olympus. ‘What’s the meaning of……’Before Kyle finished his question, Poseidon fired another gunshot.

‘She should never choose you as her husband! I don’t understand why she loves you, not me!’Poseidon burst out, and his graceful appearance became twisted out of envy.

Damn! A rival in love! He’ll not let me stay alive! How can I escape?

Kyle tried to keep his cool in the face of death.

The afterglow of sunset dominated the sky of the virtual battlefield as it turned to dusk. He noticed a mini flashlight up there.

This is it! He stopped hiding and swiftly moved forward to shoot at the flashlight.

Sparks erupted when the bullet crushed one of the VR projectors and the connected hard disk into pieces. The African wilderness was gone. Only darkness was left. Projector screens had been installed on most walls, and black window blinds blocked most light from the outside.Still with shimmers of light from the crevices between the windows and the blinds, Kyle could tell he was in an empty house. He also spotted a backdoor beside the open kitchen.

As Poseidon had lost the field advantage, Kyle instinctively knew he would try to end his life quickly. They kept firing many rounds of bullets at each other while running to the other side.It was a miracle that they did not suffer any hit but almost a hundred bullet holes appeared on the adjacent walls and a scorching smell permeated in the air after the intense gunfight.

Both rivals ran out of bullets, so they tossed their guns aside. But Poseidon had already sprinted near Kyle and tried to give him a hammerfist. Luckily Kyle evaded it in time. He then shoved Poseidon on the ground heftily.

He wanted to do a follow-up punch, but Poseidon suddenly clutched his right hand and dragged him down. He then smoothly placed his right forearm across the front of his neck, and his left hand grabbed the wrist and pulled back the forearm, hence driving the forearm into the front of the neck. In the meantime, his both legs firmly locked his waist and thighs in a triangular position - This is the arm bar choke, a classic Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA technique. Poseidon wanted to choke Kyle to his death.

I’m not gonna die here!

Kyle almost lost his breath, but the near death experience awakened his survival.While he attempted to grab Poseidon’s forearm to loosen the choke, he took out a dagger from his jeans’ lower right pocket. While Poseidon was intent on suffocating him, he pierced it into his left forearm.  

‘Ahhh!’ Poseidon screamed out loud and let go of him unwillingly.

Kyle seized this golden chance. He swiftly pierced his right thigh and left arm with the other two daggers. He planned to use them in case of danger before visiting Poseidon’s home, but he never thought he had to defend himself with them that soon.  

Due to sudden pain, Poseidon could not move and Kyle proceeded to press him down on the ground. As he was heavier and more muscular, Poseidon could not strike back at all.

Blood streams flowed out from their wounds and tainted their clothes. They really smelled bloody.

‘You’d better kill me now!’Poseidon had never experienced such a humiliating defeat. He lost the will to fight back, as he knew too well the fate of an agent captured by an enemy - torture and death.

‘I wanna kill you too, badass!’ Kyle punched his rival’s boyish face hard. His eyes burned with rage. He was very angry at the rival’s well-planned murder plot. ‘But I’m different from murderers like you! I never kill anyone!’ He slapped his face again and shouted, ‘I want you to tell me everything you know. If you don’t say anything, I’ll continue to punch you till you talk!’

Crack!

A bullet had just one through the window bear Kyle. He tried to dodge it when he heard the window crack, but his right arm still received the blow. He then lost his balance and fell on the ground. Poseidon was saved.

‘I can’t believe you’ve got a sniper!’ complained Kyle . Poseidon just looked at him with disdain and sneered. ‘Not my man, but you better run. Hades should be here now. Before becoming one of us, he was the best sniper in SWAT.’

Hades- the king of the underworld?

‘Bastard!’ Kyle was truly frightened. He hastily moved to escape from the backdoor near the open kitchen. He discovered there was a vast swimming pool outside. There was no place for a sniper to conceal himself, but Kyle decided not to stay there as he did not want to face an attack on two fronts. Therefore he rushed to the parking lot facing the forest and climbed the fence to leave the house, despite the risk of getting another hit by the sniper.

He raced downhill on the road, but he heard another noise on his left - a bullet had just hit his left shoulder. Its impact thrust him onto the ground. More blood spilled out.

I don’t want to die here!

He dared not to walk on the open road. With a strong will to survive, he crawled his way into the forest. Although he would have to climb down the slope, the densely grown trees may shelter him from the sniper’s eyesight. Shortly later he barely got up and trudged into the forest.

Still it did not work out.  The sniper had already arrived with a solid black Desert Eagle Mark 19 in his right hand. He had put his sniper rifle back into his backpack. With a lean and athletic figure, the tall Caucasian man had a flat top-cut black hair. He appeared to be in his early thirties. Like any assassin, he preferred black outfit.  When his grey eagle eyes were fixated on his prey, he just pulled the trigger. The gunshot was aiming at Kyle’s heart…..

Kyle knew he was doomed. He could not escape from this close-distance gunfire. Narcissus,  the symbol of Hades, was marked on the slider of the assassin’s handgun.

All of a sudden, another gunfire came. It precisely hit Hades’ bullet  and altered its ballistic course, so two bullets just ended up hitting the trunks of two large trees.  

Kyle was stunned by such marvelous marksmanship. He turned around to trace its origin - A woman with very beautiful curly brown hair just quietly came to the forest.  She was in a black leather jacket, a white tee and light blue skinny jeans. Her rose gold Glock 17 was aimed at Hades.

Her decisive gunshot had saved Kyle from the fate of death.

If this lady joined an international beauty pageant contest, she may get the title ‘ the most beautiful woman in the world’  - A perfect model figure with a refined sweet appearance and a healthy light-tanned skin tone. Her watery black eyes were as sparkling as the starlight. Even without any attractive make-up or sexy outfit, her beauty was way beyond comparison. Though Kyle remained faithful to Helen, he was mesmerized by this beauty who just showed up out of nowhere.

‘Athena’s boy, if you wanna live, then don’t just stand there and stare at me. Come here now,’ she snapped. She never wanted to be any man’s eye candy. Her warning reminded him that he was still in danger. His arms were in great pain.

Hades frowned at her. He apparently knew her well. ‘Aphrodite, you can’t even defend yourself. Now you still wanna save this kid?’  

Aphrodite- the goddess of love and beauty in the world of Greek myths. Kyle had already stood by the pretty lady. He noticed some patterns of roses were printed on her handgun, which confirmed she was another Olympus’ core member.

‘I’ve been entrusted with this kid’s life. Hades, I bet you only wanna protect Poseidon so you’ve come alone. Your men mostly operate in Europe, and you never want Poseidon to have any direct contact with them, so that means no one else has returned to the States with you,’ Aphrodite narrated Hades’ plan with a calm smile. ‘I was trained to neutralize your strengths. If you still wanna fight with me, both of us will be losers. If I were you, I’d better leave and take care of Poseidon. That kid has been at the back. He has not had any concrete field experience. ’

That kid with no field experience has almost killed me……Kyle sighed.

‘Fine, I don’t want us to kill ourselves over the unknown,’ Hades compromised. Both operatives placed their guns back to their holsters at the same time. ‘But our boss has already issued the assassination order against him. Poseidon has snatched the job from me, and actually stalled it for some time.   When the news of his failure is out, he’ll send in someone else to finish the job. You’ve been protecting your partner, and you’re on a run, so you’re not capable of protecting someone else.’

‘Why does your boss want me dead?’ Kyle tried hard to withstand the pain of his bullet wounds. They had stopped bleeding. ‘How’s Helen?’

‘Because you met someone you weren’t supposed to meet and you’re investigating things you should never have known in the first place,’ retorted Hades sternly, but he still revealed what he knew about Helen. He seemed to have some pity for him ‘She has been identified as a rogue agent. She’s now a suspect of the explosion case in Hong Kong. We’ll go after her soon.’

**

12:45 (San Francisco Time) Poseidon’s house

Poseidon was still unable to  move. The left side of his face became swollen after taking in Kyle’s slaps and punches. Traces of blood seeped from the corner of his lips.  

Hades may return in 30 minutes. He may not kill Kyle. Someone might take care of it for our boss.

In Olympus, he was one of the best performers in intelligence analysis. Though he felt ashamed about his defeat at the hands of a layman, he still remained cool-headed and analyzed the situation.

Looks like now is the only time to call her…...

With his only voice, he commanded the electronic communications system installed within the wall to dial a French phone number. It was capable of voice recognition

‘Winter’s here.’ A lady answered the call. She sounded tired.  

‘But the dolphin still swims in winter.’ Dolphin used to be Poseidon’s codename, while Winter used to be Helen’s in the past. All core members changed their codenames after their organization was renamed as Olympus. Through their secret codes they confirmed each other’s identity. ‘In the safe house?’

‘Yea. No one seemed to have cleaned it for a long time. Too dusty.’  Helen looked sickly pale and skinny. She was hiding in a barely furnished cottage house in Paris suburbs.  Her hair had been dyed blonde and made curly. She was in a linen-colored long sleeved tee and a pair of navy blue loose pants. While talking with Poseidon, she was meticulously pasting a fake eyebrow on a latex face mask with a pair of tweezers.  She had only managed to find some fake passports, few notebook computers and other gadgets from a safe box inside for later use. Their phone call had been set to be encrypted and untraceable earlier. ‘Are you ok? Sounds like you’re not well.’

Poseidon grew silent. He was trying hard to suppress his pain, but it seemed Helen sensed it. Hence, he decided to reveal part of the truth.  ‘I just fought with your fiance. He knows you’re alive, and he’s now searching for you. Actually he traced the origin of the virus I made for you to my house.’

‘Then what did you do to him?’ Gloom was all over Helen’s complexion. She recalled the moment she decided to abandon her lover and fake her death. ‘If he dies, we’re not bros. I’ll come back to to kill you!’ she threatened him.  

‘Holy…..That’s your first reaction? I was hurt ! I’m not the one who issued that fucking order. I only took this opportunity to test him. By the way, I actually kept him alive for more than a month!’ Poseidon sobbed pretentiously, acting as if he unwillingly followed his boss’ order.

‘I ‘ve known you for too long, Andrew. I know the true meaning of your little test. You deserve it,’ she snapped back at her long-time colleague. She knew what he was up to. Looks like Kyle really crossed our badass boss’ line. She just dropped her tweezers and rubbed her temples.  

Ha! I really didn’t just want to test him. He took my bait and came here to investigate us! And that bastard has stolen you away from me. Of course I want him dead!

Poseidon had been contemplating to murder his rival for some time. He had loved her for many years.

‘He’s a bit injured but still alive. ’Seems like I’ve lost to both of you. I started to get why you chose him,’ He smiled bitterly. Just like Helen, he had received a certain degree of training in deception, so he swiftly pretended to be accommodating, but if another right moment came, he would strike again. ‘You still have a choice, Helen. You should have returned to that bastard’s arms much earlier!’

‘Can I? 301 people died on that day, including the Firm’s men and my man! If I hadn’t gone there just for a stupid live drop, they wouldn’t have been dead!’ Helen had been guilt-ridden since that explosion. ‘Now we still have no clue about who’s behind this. He’ll only be screwed if I get back to him.’

Am I worthy of his love? I’m only a fraudster.

Both in the past and at present, she had committed many unforgivable crimes. This explosion did not just take away lives. It was also a grave omen. The secrets that she had tried hard to conceal would only be laid bare in front of her loved one.

‘You can’t take care of him. They confirmed you’re still alive. The Firm issued an arrest warrant about an hour ago- Their case officers and our operatives can capture you alive, and we’re forbidden from covering you or giving you any assistance. We’ve also received a shoot-to-kill authorization.’ Poseidon warned her as he noticed that time was running out.

‘Thanks a lot. You guys have already done a lot. Our jerky boss would have found out I’m alive sooner or later. It’s a miracle for you guys to have bided a long time for me.’

‘Ha, he must have known you survived much earlier, so he just organized your funeral in LA sloppily and only sent me to attend the one in Hong Kong. He’s our teacher/criminal mastermind. Our tricks look like a child’s play to him.’ Poseidon started to have a headache when he thought of their boss. Soon he would have to explain to him the operation he ran behind his back. ‘In fact what have you found exactly besides taking out the three small fish?’ ‘ Small fish’ is their jargon for the lower-ranking members or informants of a terrorist organization or a hostile intelligence agency.

‘Nothing substantial. That Indonesian entrepreneur only gave me the name of a small company registered in Luxembourg. It seems like a shell company.’ Actually Helen was mining numerous bank accounts on her notebook computer. She had hacked into many French and Luxembourg banks’ computer systems. A list of account holders was being gathered, but she deliberately withheld this intelligence from him.

‘Even our badass boss almost failed to withstand the pressure from the Firm. The situation can change at any moment. Many lives can be at risk if we’re not careful.’ Poseidon reminded her. ‘From now on you’ve got to keep it low. I hope you will dig up useful leads, Athena, but we can’t be in touch anymore. I just hope after everything settles we’ll still meet as partners and good friends.’ He then hung up the phone. It was rare for him to address her as Athena, as she was dear to him, but he felt really troubled at the circumstances: they may be enemies in the future, as their boss might send him to go after her .  

He suddenly remembered Athena and Poseidon were always rivals in Greek myths- They once battled for dominion over Athens by trying to win the Athenian’s heart with their gifts.Poseidon thrust his trident into the Acropolis and produced a stream of sea water, while Athena offered the Athenians an olive tree. It was much more useful than Poseidon’s -Olives could be food as well as a source of oil for lamps, cooking and wood, so the Athenians supported her and made her the city’s patron. Poseidon was bitter about it, so he sent a monstrous flood to the Attic Plain in retaliation.

I hope we’ll never be like them…...I really love you.

A light sigh pulled him back into reality. Hades had already stood by him for some time.

He felt the urge to laugh at the sight of his co-worker’s wretched state, but as Poseidon glared at him, he maintained his poker face. ‘The medical team and the cleaning squad will arrive in 10 minutes. You still have to wait.’

‘Thanks.’

‘Forget Athena. We may have to deal with her in the next battle. You can’t let your feelings for her control you.’ Hades deleted the dialing record without a single thought once he peeped at the screen of the electronic communications system.

@writing-and-snark @requiemesque @ill-write-when-im-dead @adie-dee @thingswaitingtobewritten