#white hat hacker mouse

[izztreme-art-n-stuff]

Day 2 - Hello July

So, this one also has some lettering challenges as well. I've drawn for pretty much every one of these prompts, but I did do fancy lettering for one's that are made specifically for that.

(Just chilling with the Sprites during a very hot summer (however the hell that can occur in a computer))

[amethystunarmed]

Nobody Should Ever Lose Their Place in the World

Word Count: 2436 AO3 Written for @pulpmusicalsfortnight2024 Day 5: Modern AU. Huge thank you to my beta @faery-people-of-the-future-day!

The first time Anna finds her, it's by accident. 

She is scouring through the database of Observatory Technology and Satellite Services, a subdivision of the infamous Herschel Corporation. It has been weeks of Anna trying to break into their servers, months since the announcement of their new wireless internet system, and today is the first day she has made any progress at all. She actually got in.

It had been practically effortless. Anna doesn't know what allowed her lucky break but she is grateful for it.

Doesn't mean her job is easy now. The files are convoluted, dozens of project names that mean nothing to her. But she only needs one. 

The Bright Future Initiative.

Her Sagitta. 

Still, she is going in the back way, and mostly flying by the seat of her pants. She isn't sure how to search through the files like this; her skills lie more in engineering than hacking. But she needs to find it, needs to get to her-

Her screen suddenly freezes. Anna clicks furiously, but her mouse doesn't respond. No. No, it's not fair. She can't have been kicked out. She hasn't found it yet.

Frustrated tears well in her eyes as she curses at the screen. Just as she is about to restart her computer, brilliant cyan text appears in the code she was searching through.

//error: Designation?

Anna... Anna has no idea how to respond to that. She stares at the screen, frantically trying to come up with some kind of lie Observatory Tech’s IT would find believable when-

//error: Hello? I know you're there. I would like to know just who is interrupting my operation. This is the Traveler speaking.

And that is the moment Anna puts it together. The reason it had been so easy to break through Observatory Tech's firewall today.

Someone had already done it.

Fuck. Fuck.

Okay, okay, she needs a designation. A hacker moniker? Does she ever deserve one of those? Anything but her real name, what could she-

And suddenly, it hits her like a flash, from one of her first Discord messages with John.

Well, if you're going to call me Herschy, I'm going to call you-

She types the name in, not even surprised her keyboard works again. 

You: Nova. I'm Nova.

There is a pause, and the other person types back.

//error: You come up with that just now?

Even though the other person can’t see it, Anna fights to hide a blush.

You: Is it that obvious?

//error: Your work is... heavy-handed, to say the least.

Did they really need to type the ellipses? Anna gets the picture.

//error: And the fact you didn’t immediately log off when I introduced myself really says you don’t know what you are getting into.

Anna frowns. Who on Earth could be so arrogant?

You: You really think every person knows who you are?

//error: Any hacker who knows their way around a keyboard would. You probably do too, little star. Ever heard of the Blazing World Coalition?

Anna’s eyes widen. She has. They are a group of self-identified white hat hackers, the closest thing the modern day has to a real Robin Hood. Just a few months ago, they had completely bankrupted the Itzal Financial Group after they shorted their own employees’ pensions in order to make millions. Not long about that, the BWC had been declared a terrorist group by the United States government.

Anna was chatting with Public Enemy Number 1.

You: Oh.

She isn’t sure why she types it. She just doesn’t know what else to do. 

//error: (✿◠‿◠) I see my reputation precedes me. //error: So do us both a favor and log. Off.

Anna should. She knows she should. She should log off and forget this whole thing, because she is suddenly in so incredibly far over her head.

But she remembers the grin on William Herschel’s face as he debuted her tech. The awe in the newscaster’s voice when he talked about the Satellite that was going to change the world. 

Her Satellite.

You: I’m sorry. I can’t.

//error: That wasn’t a request, little star. And I won’t ask nicely again. You should leave before you burn out.

Anna’s palms sweat. The keys feel damp under her fingers.

You: I can’t, there is something I need. I won’t get in your way, I don’t want money or anything like that. But I can’t leave just yet.

There is another long, long pause after that. Beneath the post-it note she has over her camera, a glowing red light turns on. Anna screams, and then covers her mouth. She still can’t fully mask her frantic gasping because-

They turned on her camera.

//error: ( ͡ ͜ʖ ͡°) You have such a gorgeous scream, little star. Shame I can’t see you. Though there are plenty of other cameras to look through... do you think you can cover them all? (´･ω･`)? 

No. She doesn’t think she can.

//error: There is a lot I can do with a face. You think this is scary, wait until I release all your naughty little secrets to the public. I am sure the authorities would love to hear about your new hobby. So do us both a favor and log off now. I won’t ask again. ヾ(￣▽￣) Bye~Bye~

Anna’s heart is pounding in her ears. All she can hear is the blood rushing through her veins at what feels like 100 miles per hour. She wonders if the Traveler can hear it through the microphone.

But she can’t give up. She knows now she won’t get another opportunity, not if they improve security after this attack; she could barely manage the security before. If they beef it up, she will have no chance. 

The Traveler has made this her last chance to regain control of the Sagitta. Anna can’t bear to waste it.

You: I can’t. Please. Please let me do this.

Another pause. Anna waits for the sound of sirens or maybe for her oven to explode, but all remains quiet. The red light on her laptop clicks off. 

//error: What could possibly be so important you would risk your entire identity just to see this through?

Anna hesitates. A group like the Blazing World with her Satellite, able to connect to the internet from anywhere on a grid where no one else would be able to track them... They would have the power to do anything they wanted if they took it over.

But they help people. All the employees who had lost their life savings when Itzal Financial shorted them? The day after the BWC’s attack, they woke up with bank accounts doubled or tripled what they had been before, with air tight records listing the funds as severance. Even when Itzal Financial had gone to court, there had been no case. No proof. Just over a thousand struggling people were suddenly able to enjoy life again.

They are her only shot now. 

You: Do you know about the Bright Future Initiative?

Anna may ask the question, but she already knows the answer. It's all anyone spoke about for weeks after the announcement.

//error: Herschel's new project? Where he boosted the internet for his companies from a satellite?

A Satellite. A. The dismissal makes her bristle. Her correction is swift and formal, showing none of the indignation thrumming through her.

You: My Satellite. He stole my tech and this is my last chance to get it back.

That agonizing silence returns as Anna waits for a reply. She isn't sure the Traveler will believe her, they have no reason to. 

All Anna can do is wait and hope. The Traveler's words appear slowly, line by line, as though they are trying to convince Anna.

//error: William Herschel has hurt many people. //error: I am sorry that you are among them. //error: But there is something big going on and many innocent people are going to continue being hurt if you don't let me finish here.

You: I'm not trying to stop you! If you let me do what I need to, I will stay out of your hair.

Another pause. 

//error: Nova... You don't know what you are doing. I found you because you tripped a security measure. I caught it and stopped it, but eventually you will get us both caught.

Anna feels those words flay her like knives. They scoop out her heart and leave her only with welling despair in her chest. Even if she had managed to break through the firewall, even if she had done it all on her own with no interference... 

Anna never would have gotten the Sagitta back. 

She is glad The Traveler disconnected from her camera. She isn't fully able to hold back the sob that wells in her and it would have been incredibly embarrassing if they heard.

She is quiet too long. Another message pops up.

//error: Too many lives are at risk. I hope you can understand that.

Anna's next words are petty. Petulant. Probably even childish. But she means every one.

You: But it's fine if he ruins my life? The lives of all the people my Satellite could help? You could help me and you're choosing not to. Doesn't that mean anything?

Anna knows just how powerful free internet, free communication can be. Her father would still be alive if he'd had it. They’d been alone in the middle of the ocean, with no way to make connection as his damaged ship drifted aimlessly, powerless. Dead in the water. The doctors say Anna only survived long enough to be rescued due to the rations he sacrificed to give to her. If they had only been able to signal for help...

It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that every day, Anna lives for him. She has to get this satellite back. 

Another long pause, long enough that Anna is left feeling tightly wound. She is waiting for a paragraph, a long explanation she can refute or build off of. The mere sentence she gets back stabs straight through her.

//error: I truly am sorry Nova.

Anna doesn't doubt it. She can feel the pity seeping through the keys like syrup, cloying on her tongue. And it makes the despair inside her burn, igniting the helplessness and eating away at her welling tears until there is nothing left but rage.

You: Traveler, can you promise me something? //error: Only once I hear the terms, little star. //error: But I will try. You: Make him suffer. If you can't help me, at least do that.

This time the response is immediate. 

//error: With pleasure. ദ്ദ�� ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧

Before Anna can even contemplate a reply, another message pops up.

//error: Get some rest, Nova. /ᐠ - ˕ -マᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 //error: Things will look better in the morning.

The chat closes and Anna finds herself booted out of the program entirely. The Traveler could have removed her whenever they liked. They were just being polite.

What else were they capable of?

Anna turns her computer off and unplugs it for good measure. She knows it won't help. She has very little doubt the Traveler could log into her phone or tablet or even her microwave just as easily as they did her computer. But it makes her feel better, nonetheless.

She tries to message John. He sends back one apologetic about a family emergency and goes silent for the rest of the evening. She puts her phone on Do Not Disturb. It's not like anyone is going to be reaching out to her.

Anna is once again, alone.

She curls up in her bed and cries for longer than she would like to admit. Her grant was pulled after her prototype went missing at her University's Expo. The school themselves said the theft was disheartening but there was nothing they could do.

Not for the first time, Anna wonders how much of William Herschel's money lines their pockets. 

It's over. Her satellite hangs in the sky, bastardized out of all it is supposed to be. 

I'm so sorry, Father, she pleads, hoping his ghost will have mercy on her. Our dream dies here. She clutches her pillow and watches as light slowly comes in the window. 

Around seven, she gives up on sleep entirely.

When she enters her living room, the first thing she does is turn on the news. This is not her habit. In fact, this is the last thing she wants to be doing. She typically avoids the news, getting only the most urgent alerts from an app on her phone. But today, she wants to see what state the Blazing World Coalition left Observatory Tech in. After Itzal Financial was hacked, it was in the news for months. 

And there's nothing. Not a single mention of the company falling apart. Anna opens her phone to google the company and-

Emails, calls, text messages. Congratulations from old professors, job offers, interview requests. One text from her bank informs her of a deposit with more zeros than seems possible.

And at the beginning of it all, received at 6:13 am, is an email with a blinding cyan subject line.

Hello Little Star!

Anna opens it without hesitation. If the Traveler wanted to steal her information, she would have done it by now. 

You have truly abysmal protections in place, Nova. I was able to get this email in practically no time at all! You'll need far more practice if you hope to continue these endeavors. As I'm sure you may have heard, this morning William Herschel revealed the true genius behind the Brighter Future Initiative and relinquished control of her Satellite back into her capable hands. (I highly recommend watching the interview. His expressions are priceless.) It's all here, the information for operating the cubesat, patents in your name, pay stubs listing back pay plus interest... Everything you have rightly earned. I apologize, for not fully considering the value of that last night. Women like us need to stick together, and I am grateful you reminded me of that. It was easy enough to complete both our goals, and I never would have considered it otherwise. Don't give up the fight. I hope to see you around. The Traveler ✶⋆.˚

Anna tries to reply but the email bounces back; it's already disconnected. 

Anna wants to show the Traveler just how grateful she is, needs to speak with her again. She looks over the instructions and tips she sent.

She is going to need all the help she can get if she wants to find her again.

[techfygeeks]

What are the Advantages & Disadvantages of Hacking?

In the ever-evolving landscape of the digital era, hacking has emerged as a powerful force, capable of both constructive and destructive impacts. As society becomes increasingly reliant on technology, the advantages and disadvantages of hacking have taken center stage in discussions surrounding cybersecurity and ethical considerations.

This blog aims to delve into the dual nature of hacking, exploring its positive contributions as well as the threats it poses to individuals, organizations, and society as a whole.

Advantages of Hacking

1. Ethical Hacking for Security Enhancement

Ethical hacking, also known as penetration testing or white-hat hacking, involves authorized individuals probing computer systems for vulnerabilities. The primary goal is to identify and rectify security flaws before malicious hackers exploit them. Ethical hackers play a crucial role in fortifying digital infrastructure, making systems more resilient against cyber threats.

2. Innovative Problem Solving

Some hackers channel their skills towards creative problem-solving, addressing challenges that conventional methods may not solve. These individuals, often referred to as hacktivists, use their expertise to promote social or political causes. While their methods may be unconventional, hacktivists aim to raise awareness and spark change through digital means.

3. Open Source Contributions

Many hackers contribute positively to the tech community by participating in open-source projects. By sharing code and collaborating with others, they foster innovation and the development of new technologies. Open source has been instrumental in the growth of software and technology, with hackers playing a significant role in this collaborative ecosystem.

4. Cybersecurity Awareness

Hacking incidents, especially high-profile breaches, serve as wake-up calls, forcing organizations and individuals to take cybersecurity seriously. These events highlight the vulnerabilities that exist and prompt a proactive approach to secure sensitive information. The increased awareness leads to the development of more robust security measures and practices.

Disadvantages of Hacking

1. Malicious Cyber Attacks

The most evident and widely condemned aspect of hacking involves malicious cyber attacks. Criminal hackers exploit vulnerabilities for financial gain, stealing sensitive data, committing identity theft, or launching ransomware attacks. These activities pose severe threats to individuals, businesses, and even critical infrastructure.

2. Privacy Invasion

Unethical hacking can lead to a gross violation of privacy. Intruders may gain unauthorized access to personal information, private communications, or confidential data. The aftermath of such breaches can have far-reaching consequences, ranging from financial loss to emotional distress for the victims.

3. Disruption of Services

Hackers, motivated by various reasons, often target organizations and disrupt their services. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, for example, overwhelm servers with traffic, causing websites to crash and rendering online services unavailable. Such disruptions can have severe economic and operational repercussions.

4. Creation of Malware and Exploits

Hackers frequently design and distribute malicious software, including viruses, worms, and Trojans, which can infiltrate systems, corrupt data, and compromise security. Exploits developed by hackers take advantage of software vulnerabilities, emphasizing the perpetual cat-and-mouse game between security experts and malicious actors.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the world of hacking unfolds as a double-edged sword, with its advantages and disadvantages intricately woven into the fabric of the digital age. Ethical hacking emerges as a beacon of hope, serving as a proactive defense against cyber threats and fortifying our digital infrastructure. As we navigate the intricate web of technology, understanding the nuances of hacking becomes paramount for individuals, businesses, and society at large.

Moreover, for those inspired to delve into the realm of ethical hacking, online ethical hacking course offer a valuable pathway to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge. These ethical hacking course empower individuals to contribute positively to the digital landscape, embodying the principles of responsible and ethical hacking. Through a collective commitment to cybersecurity awareness and the responsible use of technology, we can strike a delicate balance, leveraging the advantages of hacking while safeguarding against its potential pitfalls.

[vortify]

Top 5 No-Cost Cyber Security Practices

Cyber security is complex, highly technical subject that is best left to the Asperger-nerd in the computer room battling against the pimply-faced hacker sucking down Mountain Dew in his mother’s basement, right?  It’s a cat and mouse game that pits the white hats against the black hats, the antivirus computer scientists against the hackers, right?  It’s certainly not the realm of the average small business owner, right?  Wrong, wrong, and wrong!

What if I told you that human error was more responsible for data breaches in 2008 than hacking?  What if I told you that hacking was third on the Identity Theft Resource Center’s (ITRC) categorized list of data loss methods?  The reality is that network security is a people problem first and a technology problem second.

More Awareness, Less Reliance I’ve come to a remarkable, if not depressing realization in my information technology career.  Over the last 20 years of consulting, I’ve visited scores of clients in hundreds of facilities and I can easily count the number of times I was ever given any sort of cyber security orientation – exactly once.  I’ve walked into propped-open back doors of more manufacturing facilities than you can shake a stick at, and more often than not waltzed right up to a machine control panel, hooked up my laptop, and started pounding away at the keyboard while smiling and waving at trusting operators I had never before met in my life.  The realization is this; the vast majority of companies, large and small alike, is completely oblivious to the weakest link in the security chain; people.

The misperception that cyber security is all about technology is a serious mistake that is made by both small and large businesses.  The small businesses often believe that they are not sophisticated enough to employ their own cyber security programs and, therefore, either ignore it altogether or simply outsource it to an IT subcontractor.  The large businesses spend millions of dollars on intrusion prevention systems, biometric security, and other sophisticated technological countermeasures.

Hopefully by now I’ve made the point that cyber security is about much more than firewalls, Trojans, and keyboard loggers.  So without further delay, here is a list of five no-cost practices every organization can implement that will go a long way toward securing their data.

Use Passwords, Use Them Well OK, show of hands… how many of you are rolling your eyes?  It sounds obvious, but password laziness and ignorance is still the number one vulnerability for computer systems.  I understand how painful it is these days to maintain all of the user names and passwords in our lives these days.  However, it is the world we live in and we must accept it and follow these bare minimum password practices:

No shared passwords:  This is especially common in process automation where there are many users of the same machine.  Everyone must have their own unique user name and password.

[yuraimi-lee-bunny]

Gray’s Character Analysis Part II. Empathy vs Ambition

Hello! Sorry if it took me a while to show the next part of my Gray’s analysis, but this part was a bit difficult for me especially in what order I should give it. You'll see what I mean as soon as you read. This part is going to be a little longer than the previous one and will explain some issues not only about Gray, but also about Carmen and VILE in general.

Thank you very much for the support of the previous analysis and I hope you like this too! Here we go!

As we already know, Gray is an orphan. And yes, it’s important to understand certain behaviors and ways of thinking about him. First, I want to explain a small detail of Black Sheep/Carmen so that Gray's decisions are understood in greater depth once he’s in VILE and his ease of trying to go far (and even the position of almost all VILE agents would also be understood usually)

Why does Carmen think and feel different compared to all VILE and especially Gray?

Simple: Empathy.

Now, it doesn't mean that Carmen is the only one who has empathy and others don't. Rather, Carmen's level of empathy is greater, deeper and broader. What caused it? Living in VILE was the first.

Yes, surprisingly it was that, VILE created her own "enemy" since they decided to give her a home on the former Island of VILE when she was a pretty baby. From the first episode, Carmen relates how stealing was a game for her and VILE Faculty was like her family in some way, especially Coach Brunt because her relationship was "mother/daughter." The other members of the faculty treated her well, they taught her the culture of thier countries and around the world, they gave her food and clothing, a large home, basic education and also living with many VILE students. But Black Sheep only knew the "basics" about VILE, because she lived with the belief that they only taught to steal all over the world, just a "the game of cat and mouse" but it didn't harm anyone, or so she believed.

Another very important factor helped Black Sheep's empathy to expand: Player. That's right, our little favorite hacker was very influential on her. First, because he was the first person she met, empathized and talked about her life outside of VILE. Black Sheep always wanted to know the world outside the island, and Player was his first contact outside the world, and a white hat hacker, his abilities used for good. Black Sheep never saw that as something bad or like a "enemy". On the contrary, he was her friend and appreciated him very much.

Last important factor: The archaeologist's words:

Black Sheep, the one who didn’t know anything about her roots, about her family, thought about how she wouldn’t like someone or an entire country and it’s people to live the same as her: not to know a part of her life. These factors caused that Black Sheep's empathy was different from that of VILE and her agents.

The other agents, although we don’t know their lives completely, the fact that we know that they’re orphans is enough to give us a glimpse that their lives haven’t been easy. The reasons why one can be orphaned are many, which can lead to sad experiences, hard, full of pain, others not of course, but being an orphan is to carry a great mark on your life. And in the end one must survive and get what he needs by his own hands if you are alone. But maybe have a brother, have a life partner, in these cases a brother/sister, can change everything, because you no longer feel alone in life, and you can create a bond of empathy, like Zach and Ivy. Or maybe not, like Shadowsan and his brother.

Sorry if it seems that I'm moving away from Gray, but I need you to understand how the VILE agents don't have a great connection and their empathy is lower because they don't know (or perhaps they do and not having good consequences) about their roots. To experience rejection more than once and for years. Of not having had a "family" or person to help them connect with the world and thereby seek and understand other people. Perhaps most of them had to survive alone. Or they got together with people of bad influences as seen with Shadowsan. They didn't have or lived the points that I mentioned about Carmen, or maybe they did, and even so they wanted to steal for mere enjoyment and get money easily. Everything is possible.

The fact that the faculty recruits students over 16 (it seems that it's from the age of 20 or is an approximate) is a great plan because it's 20 years of a habit of only trusting you, seeing for you and stealing for you, there comes a point where you live it with more enjoyment/play than just "surviving". A "vocational school" will provide you with a home, food, appreciate you for your stealing skills, without being without any communication, living for a year on an island, with people who have in common being an orphan and stealing, feeding your enjoyment of theft , that the faculty helps you find and develop skills to achieve a successful robbery, continuing to see it as a game and now see it in a professional way, which will make you survive forever, generates the idea that “it's okay to do it ”And you do it together like a family.

Graham and Black Sheep understood each other very easily and enjoyed spending time together most of the time. Antonio, Jean Paul and Sheena also considered them his friends, but not as close as Black Sheep. They communicated just by looking at each other, they understood each other easily, and they covered their backs. How to forget when as long as they didn't expel Black Sheep, Graham lied to the Faculty. He reassured her as long as he trusted that he would pass the exam and graduate from her. He felt very bad to realized that they wouldn’t graduate together. Gray somehow began to develop an empathy for Black Sheep. In the book he mentions to Black Sheep in detention: 

“I know they say there is no loyalty between thieves, but we’re in this together right? I have always taken care of you”

Which shows that he appreciated her a lot, but being on the island and under their ideals, made him think that everything was to be in a “family”, everything was loyalty, he didn't realize it could be more than loyalty, but appreciation, the beginning of great empathy. He really knew her very well, her goals, her desire to be the best thief and always improve herself. He knew Black Sheep, but not the factors that would make her Carmen Sandiego.

The next thing I will say is more of a theory/assumption, not a fact: As I mentioned in the previous analysis, Gray is someone who wants to be successful, he's always going to prove it to himself and will give everything to achieve it. Being an orphan, perhaps he has affected him in some way, that at some point in his life he decided to just see for himself and show that he can be successful and that nothing would stop him. He's ambitious. But when he met Black Sheep, his empathy grew more, however, a “struggle” began within him between his ambition and his love for Black Sheep, a person outside his life, but who has lived with her so much that your appreciation is big. A fight, of which, throughout the whole series, Gray will never be aware, but with acts it is always demonstrated.

There is a sentence from him in the second episode that I always found very curious:

This is cute and talks about how much he appreciates Black Sheep to mention her well-being first.

"Criminal Career" Do you realize how much Crackle has thought about it? He doesn't see being in VILE as a game or something. He sees it as a "Career". Something tells me that if it were up to him, he would have set his sights on a position at the faculty. That he would be willing to do anything to achieve it.

At least as far as I'm concerned, Crackle wasn't going to kill the archaeologist because he's evil, or because he doesn't have absolute empathy, it's because he always tests himself to achieve his goals, for him, to start with his criminal career, was to abide by ALL the rules of VILE. He somehow affirms it:

Did he want to be successful? Did he want to have a great criminal career? He had to do EVERYTHING.

BUT!

His empathy reminder was there

and was still there

This, this expression says it all (This expression was the one that convinced me that Crackle wasn’t bad at all and from then on no one moved me from that belief). Deep down, Crackle wasn't so convinced of going that far either. Something in him, the empathy in him spoke and made him feel that such acts were too much for him. Carmen's words reached him. Deep down, he felt she was right. But what could he do? Although he listened to all of Carmen's story, even his ambition and all that year in VILE resonated more with him. Because he hasn’t lived experiences of strong empathy as Carmen already lived.

His goals are very big, he commits himself to them at any cost. But there is also still a place for her in his heart. Unfortunately, we don’t know in detail (or rather nothing) of how he reacted when Black Sheep managed to escape from VILE. But when he and Carmen Sandiego meet on the train, he asks so many questions because he doesn't understand what led her to do all this. As I said before: he didn’t know the factors that I mentioned at the beginning, and there was no time for them to talk about it. He no longer recognizes her, he only has his memories of Black Sheep and of course he misses her, but he doesn't understand that she is no longer Black Sheep, she is Carmen Sandiego:

He told her that because he believed that she was still thinking like Black Sheep, but no more.

I always liked this scene because it shows how Carmen is in the light and Gray is in the dark.

I can only say that he didn’t want to do it, he only did on VILE's orders, because of his ambition that he was almost going too far. But deep down he didn't want to, if only there was a proof… oh, yes there is, but this is not the time to move on to it ;D

In the end and as we know, Carmen defeats Crackle and she uses him to distract Devineaux. This is caught by the police, VILE saves him, and he "regrets" not having caught Carmen (he’s relieved that he had not killed her rather. Crackle NEVER wanted to.)

BUT

VILE can accept failures, but not be trapped by the Law.

So Crackle, since you've lived so many years for your goals and ambitions, let's see what happens to live as little as 18 months with just pure empathy.

It would be all with this part! Geez, I feel that I wrote a lot but it was necessary to tell all this! Believe me that doing this is making me better connect my ideas and understand better to Gray. I hope it’s also helping you, you like it and it makes you reflect. I want to know what they think and if they have any other points of view. I love talking about analysis with more people. The next part for sure will be shorter, but still very important, it’s the safest that if they have it in two days. Greetings!

Part. I Introdution

Part. II Empathy vs Ambition (HERE)

Part. III Amnesia and it’s Future Consequences

Part. III.5 Graham Calloway: The Walking Enigma

Part. IV Integrity At a high (and unfair) price

Part. V The final decision and a new beginning

Plus 1. Gray and his strange habit of explaining things

Plus 2. Crossover: Sabrina And Gray: New Beginning

Plus 3. Crossover: Hawk/Eli and Crackle/Gray: Redemption

[solalunar-eclipse]

45.06°N, 1.656°E

Summary: Rouge deserves more cool.

Word count: about 4200 words

Author’s Note: Hopefully my writing abilities haven’t deteriorated too much over the hiatus- but either way, please enjoy! (Side note: this is technically set after Scars You Can’t See, but it isn’t vital to read that if you haven’t already)

...

It was truly a beautiful day outside in Empire City. Puffy clouds drifted across a rich blue sky, a light breeze pushing them along as the sun shone down brightly- just enough to bring the temperature up to a comfortable range. Its rays shimmered upon one of the many tall, silvery buildings that this city was known for, threatening to leave a temporary mark on the vision of anyone who looked at it for too long. This particular building advertised itself as an insurance company’s headquarters, and it looked perfectly in place amongst all the other skyscrapers in the city.

The activities going on inside, however, were anything but ‘in place’.

Near the very top of the towering structure, a bat sat in front of a wall-sized computer screen, her black-gloved fingers flying across the keyboard. Firewalls and security systems fell like sandcastles swept out by the tide- no corner of this building was safe when she was in control. Identity checks meant nothing to her, passwords were a breeze, and two-factor authentication? A joke.

Rouge smiled in satisfaction, taking a break to stretch out her fingers now that she was successfully through the various measures designed to keep hackers like her out of these computers. With a click of the mouse and a few keys tapped, the various sums of money the people who worked here had stolen began to make their way back to their rightful owners’ bank accounts.

After all, this building didn’t actually house an insurance company. That was just a cover story for the real business here- draining the cash out of innocent people’s funds. Rouge had been determined to stop this as soon as she’d learned about it before any more people got hurt (when she stole it was usually from rich people who could afford to have one of many diamonds go missing- this was just cruel!), and now she’d successfully completed about half the job. Just returning the money wasn’t quite enough, of course- this scheme had been running for over a year now, and it was about time someone put a stop to it for good. 

That was where her friends came in.

While she manned the cameras, Shadow and Omega were grabbing plenty of physical evidence from the various offices throughout the building- more than enough to incriminate everyone who worked here. Rouge’s job was mostly to ensure that they could get what they needed without any serious trouble. It might be a difficult task, considering that Omega was set on blowing up most of the tech stored here...but she was prepared to deal with that.

The bat leaned back in her chair, catching a quick glimpse of herself in the window as she did so. Ever since they’d left G.U.N., a great perk (in addition to the lack of association with a corrupt military organization, obviously) was that they could wear whatever they wanted on the job. Before, Rouge had really been pushing it on ‘formality’ with her jumpsuit alone, and even then she hadn’t been allowed to wear anything else while on the job for the sake of ‘consistency’.

Now, in a drastic change from her usual style, she wore a tight black leather jumpsuit over a purple shirt, complete with white gloves and high-heeled boots. The latter two had neon blue accents, too, providing a burst of color as well as an actual light source to see by- perfect for dark missions.

Shadow and Omega hadn’t been allowed any personal effects re: clothing before due to the fact that a few too many supervisors saw them as weapons and not people. Rouge had of course argued against this, but there was only so much one person could do.

Now, though, the bat had insisted that both of her friends get more clothing- ‘if nothing else then to stick it to them’ were her exact words- and they had both taken to it quite well after an initial period of hesitancy. Omega in particular had been quite devastated (and then promptly offended) upon discovering that no leather jackets were currently produced in his specific size. Eventually, however, he was placated with the offer of a fedora, claiming it made him look ‘VERY MYSTERIOUS’. He had now taken to collecting hats as well as weaponry.

Shadow could fit into a leather jacket, on the other hand, and consequently owned about five of them, three of which he’d bought within the same week. Today he wore one with red stitching, and while he hadn’t had anything to say about it, Rouge had caught him admiring it in the mirror before the mission (at which point he scowled, blushed green to his ears, and teleported away).

Right now, though, he and Omega were quietly discussing which documents to take and which ones to leave behind. It would raise suspicions far too quickly if the criminals inhabiting this building came back to discover a completely bare office, after all, so they only took several receipts of major transactions as well as a list of the bank account numbers that had been hacked- and some future targets as well.

(Was this whole thing illegal? Kind of. Did anyone really mind so long as they were helping others? Not really. After all, Tails was totally not old enough to fly a plane, but at this point the government had basically thrown up their hands and said ‘whatever I guess’, so it was fine.)

“ROUGE.” Omega said suddenly, making the bat stop her musing and drop her feet from the desk. “THIS IS IMPORTANT.”

“Yeah, hon? What is it?” she asked, ready to deal with any problems that might arise.

“MY HAT KEEPS FALLING OFF. I REQUIRE SOME SORT OF METHOD TO KEEP IT ON.”

The bat sighed and gave a relieved laugh as Shadow hissed, “Omega! This is a serious mission!”

“It’s alright, Shadow. Omega, we’ll find some double-sided tape or something when we get home, alright?”

The robot paused for a moment, thinking. “THIS IS ACCEPTABLE.”

As Rouge watched, they gathered up the rest of the items and began to move towards the lobby. Today was an off day for the ‘business’, so most of the hallways would be empty. The secretary out front would take his usual break to go get lunch in two minutes as well, giving them a clear chance to escape.

And of course that was when everything went wrong.

It turned out that leaving G.U.N. (while the right idea) wasn’t without its occasional disadvantages. If they’d still been part of the military organization, then they would’ve had the resources to figure out that these criminals were more than a little paranoid, so their security system ran diagnostics every hour on the dot. When it discovered the hacking, it locked Rouge’s access to any other computer terminal and then restricted every single application on that one computer.

These people weren’t exactly beginners when it came to computers, after all.

The bat jumped out of her chair the second her computer glitched and froze, panicked. “Guys. Guys, get out of here right now.” she said urgently into her microphone. “I can bust out a window but you two have to go right now-”

She froze as, on the screen, multiple armed guards and two gigantic mechs dropped down onto the ground level and pointed their guns at Shadow and Omega. The robot moved to cover the hybrid’s back as Shadow pulled his favorite katana sword out of its scabbard.

Rouge refused to sit and watch another minute, kicking the door off its hinges hard enough to slam it against the opposite wall and tearing down the hallway to save her teammates.

Shadow and Omega fought well in the meantime, managing to take out one of the mechs and several guards too. Occasionally, Shadow even curled up and was promptly fired out of his friend’s cannon at top speed, turning into a deadly projectile all by himself.

Eventually, though, one of the guards got too smart and pulled out a stun gun, shocking Omega long enough to put the robot temporarily out of commission. Shadow spun around to defend his friend, using the Chaos Emerald he’d brought along to deliver a devastating blow- but he had nobody to watch his back now, and it barely took a minute before the mech found an opening to slam him into the wall as he dealt with the guards.

Shadow dropped to the ground weakly, temporarily unconscious. Omega was still struggling to get his systems back online.

Rouge, meanwhile, was furious.

The bat rushed to the balcony overlooking the lobby from the third floor, her teeth bared as she watched the mech move into position, prepared to bring its giant fist down on Shadow’s unmoving body. Flipping over the railing, she free-fell the three stories to the ground, slamming both heels into the marble and leaving a long crack across the floor. She snatched up the Emerald from the tile where it had fallen out of Shadow’s quills, holding it tightly in her hand. 

“Leave him alone. Now.” she snarled.

When the mech pilot gave her nothing more than a cursory glance, raising the steel fist higher, Rouge charged.

An ultrasonic shriek exploded from her lungs, making every other human in the room double over and clutch their ears. At the exact same time, the glass in the extra-tall windows of the lobby vibrated, cracked, and then shattered into hundreds of pieces.

Rouge didn’t see any of that. Rouge didn’t care about any of that. All she could see was the hedgehog she’d come to care about so much about to be crushed by someone who barely even knew his name.

She jumped up and whirled around in the air, the power of her wings suddenly (strangely) strong enough to send the mech swaying backwards slightly, before lashing out with a kick that dented the chestplate of the thing and hit it hard enough to-

-and Rouge’s eyes widened-

-to send it flying through the shattered windows and down the street that the building faced, so far that it became nothing more than a speck in the horizon.

This was, incidentally, a mech that weighed over two tons. 

Omega, near the other end of the room, silently thanked every inventor that had ever lived (aside from Eggman) that he had powered back on in time to see this.

Rouge, however, didn’t spare more than a second to think about it, instead dropping to her knees to check on Shadow. The moment she pressed the Chaos Emerald back into his hand, the hybrid’s eyes began to open slowly.

“Ugh….what happened…?”

“That moron of a pilot smacked you into a wall, hon. Are you gonna be okay?” Rouge asked, scanning his face for any sign of a concussion.

Shadow blinked twice, then suddenly sat bolt upright, his eyes wide. “...Rouge? Are you sure you’re alright?” 

The bat frowned, confused, looking over herself. “Yeah, hon, I’m….”

She froze.

While Rouge had seen many strange things in her time, the sight of her lower legs and feet glowing bright purple was certainly a first.

As she jumped back from Shadow in surprise, she let go of the Chaos Emerald in his hand, making the aura surrounding her fade. “What...what was that?”

“YOU WERE SO COOL. THAT IS WHAT THAT WAS.” Omega declared, hauling himself to his feet and walking over. “YOU BEGAN TO GLOW AND KICKED THAT INFERIOR CREATION SEVERAL MILES AWAY. THE ONLY REGRET IN THIS SCENARIO IS THAT YOU WERE UNABLE TO CONTINUE DESTROYING YOUR ENEMIES, AS THERE WAS ONLY ONE OF THEM.”

Shadow looked up at her in surprise and- was that a little bit of awe? “I should have known you’d be able to use Chaos powers!” he said, shaking his head as he got to his feet. “Incredible...it’s no wonder you’re so resilient in battle.”

Rouge pointedly ignored the light flush on her face from all of this praise. “Well, we’ve got what we came for, so there. We’ll leave all of this evidence-” and clearly she wasn’t just talking about the papers- “for that new organization the government’s setting up. What’s it called again?”

Omega shrugged- an odd motion with his bulky shoulders. “THEY’RE STILL DECIDING. HOPEFULLY IT TURNS OUT TO BE SOMETHING COOL.”

“Well, whatever their name is, it’s their job now to deal with all this.” Rouge said, gesturing around at the general mess.

At that moment, the secretary returned with his food, only to stop dead in his tracks and stare at the three members of Team Dark amongst the wreckage of two gigantic robots and a lot of broken glass.

The bat ‘s face split into a wide, wicked grin, pointing directly at him. “And you’ll be the one to explain it to them!”

(It took one extremely short chase to retrieve the man- who foolishly thought he could lose Shadow and Rouge in the alleyways- before he was tied to one of the disgustingly ostentatious pillars by Omega. The team then went home and spent the next two hours watching Rouge glow and then break things…mostly things she meant to hit.)

…

Several days later, her team and Sonic's crew (plus Amy Rose) were in a different city, dealing with the usual biweekly Eggman attack. This one seemed, unfortunately, to not have most of the weak spots that usually came into play when fighting one of his giant robots, as both the power source and the mad scientist in question were heavily guarded.

However, after a particularly well-timed attack from Omega, Amy, and Knuckles all at once, Rouge spotted a panel that was currently rather dented and bent open with some wiring spilling out, and knew exactly what to do.

“Shadow! Omega! Cover me!” she shouted, leaping into the air and soaring towards the robot.

Immediately, she saw several smaller robots explode in her periphery, having fallen victim to the deadly lasers and Chaos Spears that her friends used. Her focus was on one thing and one thing only, though- making it up to that panel.

The moment Rouge latched on, she pulled open the panel the rest of the way and began to rewire the machine at an impressive pace. While she might not be the same kind of tech expert as Tails, who built devices and wrote code most people with a PhD couldn’t understand if they tried, one thing she certainly knew was how to make computers do what she wanted.

Eventually, though, Eggman caught on to what she was doing and tried to swat her off his mech with its two giant metal fists. “What do you think you’re doing down there with my robot?” he shouted, swinging at her wildly.

Suddenly, one of the fists in question promptly vanished, replaced by a smoking hole and a bunch of wires where a functioning steel hand was supposed to be. Rouge, startled, looked around for what could possibly have caused this- and promptly relaxed upon seeing Omega retracting his biggest laser cannon (which was glowing red-hot) back into his chassis with a glare up at his creator.

Thankfully, he’d also provided just the distraction she needed to rewire the last few parts, at which point she jumped off just as the robot began to spin wildly...and then its entire midsection exploded, launching the command center with Eggman still inside a good fifty feet into the air.

The bat landed on the ground to cheers from her friends and took a dramatic bow. Omega clapped a hand on her shoulder in a friendly way (which meant he only knocked the wind out of her and didn’t shove her several feet deep into the asphalt) as Shadow looked on with his arms folded, but still clearly proud.

“Wow, Rouge!” Tails exclaimed, his eyes wide and smile wider. “I didn’t realize you knew your way around that kind of tech that well- you should totally stop by my lab sometime!”

The bat shrugged. “It comes with the job, that’s all.” she insisted, but internally she was more than a little surprised- it still didn’t quite come naturally to her to consider that people would be impressed by what she did. All G.U.N. had ever told her was that she’d done ‘as well as was expected’, which made it seem like her skills were just average. Seeing someone who she’d mostly considered an acquaintance telling her how incredible her skills were when to her it was just ‘something I can do’ was...pretty nice, actually.

Rouge offered him a quick grin as the other three heroes came rushing up to her in varying states of surprise and excitement. “I just might take you up on that offer sometime.”

…

A week after that, Team Dark was spending time at the Station Square mall together- a common occurrence for them. It had good clothes, tolerable food, and most importantly lots of jewelry stores. They were here today because Rouge’s favorite was having a sale, and she refused to miss out on any opportunity to shop for gems.

After about an hour of looking around in the store (most of which was spent attempting to prevent Rouge from emptying said store and/or sneaking things out from inside locked cases), the three finally left with about four tiny bags of jewelry, which Omega wore hooked over his fingers. “THIS SEEMS WASTEFUL, BUT ALSO AMUSING.” he’d commented, at which point the bat riding on his shoulder gasped in mock outrage and began to vehemently defend the store’s choices.

They hadn’t gone more than a few steps, though, before she heard some gasps and squeals somewhere off to the left. She sighed. Some people seemed to have this odd hero-worship thing around Shadow, but the attention only made him feel awkward, so it looked like she’d have to play guard as usual here. Drifting down from her perch as the three young women approached, she said, “Alright, ladies, what are you here for?”

The bravest of the three moved forward, clutching something in her hands. “Uh…”

Rouge prepared herself to say no on behalf of her friend, to hear complaints like ‘why can’t we talk to Shadow?? You suck”, but then-

“...can you sign this poster, please?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t— wait, what?”

The bat stared at the poster, her eyes wide. A picture of herself looked right back at her, a smirk spread across her printed self’s face as jewels dripped from the hand not resting on her hip.

The photo was rather outdated now, having been taken not long after the ARK disaster. Post-crisis, Sonic had insisted that everyone (except for Eggman, since he’d caused that whole mess in the first place) get recognition for trying to save the planet together...and that included her. 

Rouge and Sonic had both been wearing Shadow’s inhibitor rings during that photo shoot. It was their way of making sure that even though he wasn’t with them any longer, even though nobody would really remember who he was, he’d still live on in some little way without a big announcement.

She took the poster quickly, shaking off old memories, and gave them a genuine smile- rare for strangers. “Of course, hon!” she said, taking the offered pen and signing her name with a flourish and a little heart.

The one who’d asked promptly squealed and clutched at the poster, a big grin on her face. “Oh wow, thank you sooo much!” she gushed. “You know, you’re, like, my hero, right? Everyone always just, like, says that you can’t look good and be a real hero at the same time, you’re either a sell-out or too serious...but, you’re, like, both?? And that’s just so, y’know, empowering? To see someone looking fabulous and being a hero, but like not taking any nasty comments about it?”

Both her friends agreed eagerly, and Rouge found herself blushing just a little at all this praise. “If either of you have anything else, I could write something on those too,” she offered, still feeling a little bit bewildered at the moment.

This earned her two simultaneous squeals of “Really?!” followed by a lot of frantic searching for paper. Rouge was more than happy to sign her name there too, even adding a little message to each of them- and to the poster for good measure. As the three fans cheered, snapped a quick selfie with her (which was something she so wasn’t used to either), and then rushed off with a “thank you so much!!” Rouge found herself still smiling as she turned to walk back to her friends.

Shadow and Omega had moved a little ways away during all of the fuss, and now they were sporting similarly pleased expressions with more than a little bit of smugness mixed in. “SEE?” Omega asked, and Rouge could tell he’d be smirking if he were able to do so. “WE HAVE TOLD YOU OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT YOU ARE EXCEPTIONALLY COOL. YOU DIDN’T BELIEVE US THEN, THOUGH….DO YOU NOW?” He stopped there and somehow promptly assumed an even stronger I-told-you-so air than before.

“Maybe you’ll even get your own fanclub before long...oh, wait. Look what I just found.” Shadow added, tossing his phone over to her. Only the faintest of smirks was visible on his face (they were in public, after all) as Rouge stared at the screen proclaiming the current website to be “The Official Rouge Fansite (anyone feel free to join!!)”.

The bat found herself blushing to her ears, flattered and surprised by all of the support she hadn’t known existed until now.

Omega picked her up and set her on his shoulder, turning his head to look up at his friend. “COOL PEOPLE LIKE YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE TO WALK PLACES.”

“And-” Shadow added, slinging the bags she’d acquired at the store over her shoulder. “-cool people like you shouldn’t have to carry anything either.”

Rouge wondered briefly if her grin might strain her face if it grew much wider. Leaping down for a moment, she hovered in the air just long enough to ruffle the quills on top of Shadow’s head before perching back on Omega’s shoulder and patting the robot fondly. “You two dorks are the best.” she said warmly.

Shadow huffed and began to walk on ahead, clearly embarrassed. “DORK.” Omega called after the hedgehog, his eyes brightening by about fifteen percent in good humor. 

“She called you one too, you know.” Shadow replied without looking back.

“YES, BUT YOUR DORKINESS IS MORE OBVIOUS.” Omega declared, by now shouting across several stores as Rouge tried to stifle a laugh.

“If you don’t catch up and stop talking I’ll hide all the hats in your favorite store and you’ll never find them.” the hybrid growled.

Rouge promptly discovered that Omega, despite weighing a thousand pounds, could in fact move quite quickly when threatened with the loss of a chance to add to his new clothing collection. The robot fired all of his boosters at once, sending them flying down that particular wing of the mall and nearly slamming into a wall in the process.

After a spirited chase that lasted over five minutes (along with lots of shouts of “get him, Omega!” and jumping off balconies and general taunting), the group was promptly escorted out of the mall without a chance to enjoy the store they’d started the ‘fight’ over in the first place.

Rouge watched her two friends sulk for a minute before smirking suddenly. 

“Guess what?” she asked, stepping back to look at both of them.

When she had their attention, she pulled out a nice new summer outfit with a laugh…from that same place.

“You didn’t.” Shadow said, staring at the clothing.

“OH, SHE DID.” 

Rouge then proceeded to pull both a cool hat in all gold and a nice blue bomber jacket out from behind her back as well, her smile widening even more. “Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten you two at all. Or forgotten to pay, either.” she added quickly with a sigh. She soon shifted to watching with delight, though, as Shadow’s eyes widened considerably and Omega’s head whirled to fixate on her hand. 

“HAND IT OVER.” he ordered, holding out his clawed, metallic fingers insistently.

“Well...since you asked so rudely...no.” Rouge replied, before leaping into the sky with a grin.

“What?” Shadow gasped.

The robot’s eyes narrowed. “DON’T YOU DARE.”

Rouge flew higher at that. “Oh, but I do dare.” She wheeled around and began to fly off at top speed, snickering at the sound of indignant shouts behind her. Soon enough, she heard the swish-swish of Shadow’s skates and the clanking of Omega not far behind.

They might be able to catch her eventually, she mused, soaring through a gap between buildings- she wasn’t that fast, really. It wouldn’t be easy for them at all, though. 

After all, Rouge was just as powerful as they were, in her own way.

[sugaabooga]

Aim and Shoot Your Shot

Pairing: Taehyung x Reader

Genre: fluff, conartist!Taehyung, assassin!reader

Word count: 1.9k

Warnings: PG-13, mentions of blood, guns, death, scam artists, video games LOL (nothing to gorey or serious tho), some cursing, very inaccurate descriptions of assassins-ish/scam artist missions

Synopsis: It do be Valentine’s Day.

Gunshots fire. Bullets whizz past your cheek. The stench of fresh blood reaches your nostrils. And yet. As you walk through the blood pooling at your feet, you don’t flinch.

Your hand is steady, resting on the trigger and ready to turn the corner.

BAM.

A clean headshot is fired and you’re thrown back with spurts of blood shooting out your neck onto the dirt floor.

“Damn,” you mutter, roughly tossing your mouse aside at your 20th death.

“How the hell are you an assassin with a KDA of 6/20/3?” a voice snickers through your headphones as you lean back into your swivel chair and shut off the game client.

“Real life and games are different, I guess,” you shrug.

The line abruptly goes dead making you straighten up in your chair in confusion. “What?” you mutter, checking up on the headphone cords and pc wires.

“You gonna sit there all day?”

You whip around to see Taehyung, your group’s main conman, and your partner in crime. Literally.

“We got a call,” he says, tossing over your hat and mask and cooly walking out the door. You slip on your cap and mask, pulling on a black jacket over your all-black look, and shove on your white sneakers.

“You have got to teach me better aim,” you mutter as you hop into the passenger seat. Taehyung scoffs as he starts the van’s engine, driving towards the Kim family’s mansion where your team was stationed to take action at the shady networking party.

“Says the sniper,” he shakes his head.

You sigh. “I don’t know what it is. It’s just not the same.”

At the sudden silence, you glance at Taehyung’s side profile, never able to get used to his perfectly sculpted face as his eyes intently focus on the road before you.

“What’s the matter?” he suddenly asks, briefly meeting your eyes before turning right back onto the streets. You flinch at the unexpected interaction and shake your head.

“N-Nothing,” you hum. “Is… Eunji going in with you today?”

Taehyung nods. “She always does for these cocktail parties.”

“Right,” you mutter under your breath.

You don’t know what you have against Eunji. She had joined the team a month after you finished sniper training and attending the main missions. 

She took on the role as a con woman alongside Taehyung, acting as his plus one at these types of rich people events you guys attended.

Despite their visual charisma when Eunji held onto Taehyung’s arm and they both flashed their blinding smiles, Taehyung had always worked with you the best through the mere earpieces. He was good at flattering others and extremely observant, using his quick wit to navigate the areas. You were good at keeping him in check, giving clear, specific orders, and watching his back.

The two of you had effective communication as he gave signals through your binoculars for you to make the first shot. After one specific instance where Taehyung had experienced massive injuries and laid right under one of the notorious gang members, you had sniped the guy right off of him and weirdly, things started to change between you and Taehyung. Your friendship grew stronger despite the field of work the two of you were in and you found the both of you often relying on each other.

But nevertheless, Eunji was good at acting just like Taehyung which automatically earned her the position as the main con artist and appear as the perfect wealthy young couple at parties and business affairs. You had been ignoring the green feeling you got every time you had to watch them through your binoculars but it was becoming increasingly difficult.

Taehyung stifles a laugh, immediately catching your attention.

“Are you jealous?”

Your eyes widen at the unexpected question that makes your heart race in nervousness. “Why would I be jealous? Of who?”

Taehyung shrugs, an amusing smirk plastered onto his stupidly handsome face. Before you could retort, Taehyung stops the car towards the wooded area hidden from main traffic and hops into the back to change into his suit.

You snap out of your confusing emotions, reminding yourself that you were in on an important business deal with the infamous Kim family who believed Taehyung and Eunji was the Shin family from France.

You quickly retrieve your weapons and materials from the trunk and nag Taehyung to safely carry out the mission and not be rash like he often was. He responds with a mischievous smile and a flick to your forehead before heading towards the hacker, Kim Namjoon’s van to take note of any security obstacles and important individuals.

You quietly run through the back route that you had analyzed on the way here and make your way up to the building labeled Building B. You shove in your earpiece before setting up your equipment, keeping a sharp eye out for any suspicious movements around you. Dealing with the Kim family was always risky business.

“Testing. Cinnamon buns. Testing.”

You snort. “Wanna go on a cinnamon bun date with me, Yoongs?”

Yoongi, the other experienced sniper currently stands on the opposite building from you, setting up his own materials. He ignores your comment, as usual, and focuses on the main hall of the mansion.

“Honestly, I always thought you guys looked cute together,” another voice adds with a snicker that you join in on. It was always too fun teasing Yoongi.

“What!?” Taehyung nearly yells into your ear making you grimace at the sudden loudness.

“Taehyung. Please,” Yoongi grits. “And shut the hell up, Park. Make sure you don’t end up knocking out the wrong man.”

That had happened before.

“Is Taeji in?” Jungkook, the new recruit in charge of hand to hand combat, interrupts the mild banter through the earpiece.

You refrain from rolling your eyes at the combination of Taehyung’s and Eunji’s names that your dumb team members came up with and listen quietly to Yoongi’s confirmation of observing the main entrance.

“Jimin,” Yoongi suddenly interrupts the silence. You scan the ballroom and spot the man in question who was, as always, flirting with a random woman for absolutely no reason except shits and giggles. “You aren’t here to pick up a one-night stand.”

You let out a short laugh as you see Jimin tense up indicating his entire body’s suppression of rolling his eyes. He successfully maintains his signature eye smile in front of the bashful female bartender who slips him a napkin. Probably with a set of numbers written on them.

“Security system is officially down,” Namjoon informs. “Taeji, Y/N. Standby at target.”

You quickly get into position, peering through your gun at the tall glass windows on the side of the target room. Once you make sure it’s in place, you use your binoculars to keep a close watch on the surroundings. You sweep over Taehyung and Eunji’s positions as they converse with some of the guests at the ball.

“Kim Seokjin entered through the side entrance doors,” Yoongi reports.

“Naturally get out of the conversation,” Namjoon instructs. “Kim approaching ten o’ clock about 100 ft away.”

You watch Eunji tug on Taehyung’s arm and lean close to whisper something in his ear.

You roll your eyes. Was that really necessary to get out of the conversation? You knew Eunji harbored feelings for Taehyung and always made it a point to be extra touchy on missions where they were required to enter as a couple.

You sigh as Taehyung gazes down at her with his playful grin and wraps his arm around her, quietly saying their excuses to the guests and taking their leave to “coincidentally” bump into Seokjin.

“Y/N,” Yoongi’s quiet voice calls.

“Listening,” you murmur.

“Remember. Don’t shoot unless it’s a life or death situation.”

“Got it,” you assure him, remembering that one time you had accidentally pulled the trigger during a winning fight. Good thing you had missed it because that would’ve been an extremely difficult situation to clear up.

Namjoon instructs Taehyung and Eunji to lead Seokjin into the back room where the transaction was scheduled to take place.

“How is someone so evil so good looking,” you say once you get a proper look at the man’s visuals as he follows after Taehyung and Eunji without any suspicion.

Eh, Tae’s more of my type. You think.

Yoongi rolls his eyes when he sees Taehyung’s jaw tense at your words that had accidentally spoken through your earpieces.

“Make a move if you’re mad,” Yoongi snickers as you scoff believing it referred to you while Taehyung jolts in surprise.

After a flashing light signal, Taehyung naturally walks towards the windows, slowly drawing the blinds closed just in case any rival gangs or crews were also present on the scene. Namjoon and Yoongi were watching the room from their respective visible places while Jimin and Jungkook were getting ready for any surprise attacks a few meters from the door. You stay still in position, taking this time to stretch your limbs since you didn’t have a visible line of sight.

A few minutes pass in silence which was quite normal for these types of meetings. It’s only when these business transactions get gangs involved that things go haywire and blood is shed.

“Shit,” Taehyung’s familiar timbre voice comes in through your headpiece. You immediately grow tense as Jimin quickly asks about the condition of the situation.

“Transaction is complete,” Namjoon quickly clarifies. “I don’t know why Taehyung cursed. Yoongi and Y/N stay in your positions till the Kims completely exit. Taeji and Kook, hurry and head out into your vans. Jimin hang around for about twenty more minutes. Don’t end up in a motel tonight.”

Jimin giggles as he walks back out into the main ballroom. “I’ll try.”

“Geez Tae,” Jungkook sighs, walking out towards the back of the mansion. “I thought I had to bust in.”

“Sorry,” Taehyung says, walking out through the back still in his suit and practically glowing. He fidgets with his watch and fiddles the knife stuck around his hip. “Did you guys realize it was Valentine’s Day tomorrow?”

You turn away, putting your binoculars aside as Eunji suddenly perks up expectantly at Taehyung’s random inquiry.

“Y/N,” Taehyung calls with hesitance.

You sigh, kneeling at your gun and peering in through the scope just in case. “I’m here.”

Unfortunately.

“You free tomorrow?”

You pause, leaning back from the gun. Was he trying to make fun of your single ass?

You don’t realize that just twenty feet below you, Taehyung awkwardly paces around as Eunji squints her eyes and huffs away to her respective van.

“Tomorrow?” you ask in confusion. “You tryin’ to have a galentines or something because obviously I do not have any pla-”

“Dumbass. He’s asking you out for Valentine’s Day,” Jimin suddenly interrupts, immediately sending both Taehyung and your faces to flush red.

You gulp. “As in-”

“A date,” Taehyung finishes. He nervously peers up at the building you were standing on top of earlier. He’s able to spot your dark figure. You turn around, somehow meeting Taehyung’s eyes as the mansion’s lights illuminate where you both stand.

“This is nasty,” Jungkook mutters with a sigh, hopping into Namjoon’s van.

Ding.

“This isn’t what I meant by making a move,” Yoongi sighs, tossing aside his water bottle after taking a swig. “Public confessions are a thing now?”

You look away, digging into your back pocket for your vibrating phone.

Tae: Go out... with me.

You intake a sharp breath, looking down only to see Taehyung typing away.

“You’re just salty that you’re lonely,” Jimin hums back at Yoongi, entering the ballroom with a flirty grin directed at CEO Shin’s mistress.

Tae: I like you Y/N. Wanna be my valentine?

“Fuck you,” Yoongi deadpans.

You: :3 teach me how to aim?

Taehyung grins, looking back up to see you peer down at him from the ledge.

“FOREVER AND ALWAYS!” he yells with a boxy smile.

“We’re literally going to die,” Namjoon groans.

[ravenwolfie97]

TOME

(either version)

there it is eyyyyyyy there will be a lil bit of all three iterations in here so buckle up

blorbo (favorite character, character I think about the most) - aaaaaa i don't know honestly cuz i think about Alpha and Kirb/Zet like Equally. both is good. or does that count as three. idk Them

scrunkly (my “baby”, character that gives me cuteness aggression, character that is So Shaped) - *scoops up the white hat hackers and their various elemental designs into my arms*

scrimblo bimblo (underrated/underappreciated fave) - i was never a huge kizuna stan back in the day but i do appreciate her and love her a lot now and you will respect her

glup shitto (obscure fave, character that can appear in the background for 0.2 seconds and I won’t shut up about it for a week) - *points at phaxal* that's the bitch. god he is such an emo shit i love him so much

poor little meow meow (“problematic”/unpopular/controversial/otherwise pathetic fave) - once again i call upon my genderqueer sadist love and choose ravenfreak because god fucking Damn that's the good shit and he's only there for a little bit and i savor it every time i rewatch ep3

horse plinko (character I would torment for fun, for whatever reason) - tormentros/thorment/whatever they deserve to be tossed around like a mouse in a sea of cat's paws

eeby deeby (character I would send to superhell) - *throws every hacker from TTA and odboll and neomutant from TOME directly into the incinerator* goodbye

[thatsuittho]

I want to read this more than I want to write it lol

A three-person love rectangle (aka identity porn)

James and Alec's marriage is on the rocks. Alec hates playing second fiddle to James' job and takes solace at a quiet tea shop with a shy, untrusting little fellow. James is tired of Alec taking his frustrations out on him and hides in the cat and mouse game his department is playing with Q, a consultant they hired to test their security.

Quint isn't a people person. He has his cats, his tea shop, and his job as one of the most sought after white hat hackers in infosec. But he finds his world suddenly widening when he makes friends with Alec, who’s gentle and lonely, with a keen wit and charm that brings out a social side Q didn’t know he had. At the same time, his contract with Universal Exports is the most exhilarating and challenging to date as their chief of security, James Bond, raises his blood pressure by alternatively flirting and preventing his attempts to infiltrate their database.

[just-mirko]

BINARY  

BNHA HACKER AU - CHAPTER 5

MASTERLIST

Mirko x F!Reader

Warnings: i got carried away. umm a little blood. a little fighting. 

WC: 2.2k

(A/N: this one is dedicated to @sushi044123 thank you for the little message, things like that always make me wanna write more <3)

__

I went to sleep quickly. I woke up early. I slept well. The next day started fine. I made coffee and pondered over the empty desk once more. I was ignorant.

__

             I would have never suspected any change when I stepped out into the halls and began walking to class. While on my way there, I met with Mirko, who was wearing casual yoga pants and a loose tank top. Along with that was a black bomber jacket that adorned her shoulders Her long, flawless platinum hair was pulled into a long brain. Even when put up, her hair reached her waist.

             The hood of the jacket was once again, over her head, and… once again… seemed to be hiding something. Eh never mind maybe shes a catgirl. You can never really judge.

             Soon every student had congregated in the classroom. It was a stark contrast to the nice elegant theme of the main room. Instead, we were in the penthouse at the top of the large building we entered on the first day. The elegant and crisp post-sunrise glow filled the room which was almost fully surrounded glass windows. Maybe only four other skyscrapers challenged the height of the one we were in.

             I walked up to one of the windows, noticing a slight mature difference as the glass was icy cold and on the other side, was covered in a thin layer of mist. Even as someone who isn't afraid of heights, looking down at the world below which was engulfed in a thin layer of grey fog, overcame me with fear. To think that this thin layer of glass would protect me from the bustling world below.

             How strange. We were hidden from society. The outcasts who preferred to be anonymous robin hoods than gaudy and fake heroes. But with 3 of the four walls in this room window, I felt as though I was on display to the whole world. A steel pedestal specially made for all of us.

             After admiring the view, I stole a glance at Mirko. Unlike me, she didn't look at the ground below, but above, up to the clouds which we so very close. They never looked that large from the city floor.

             “Students! You’re finally here!” A chipper and high squeaky voice alerted me. My footsteps were short as I stepped back from the side of the room. The students turned to the short little mouse. Small groups had formed, mostly of 2-3 people awkwardly standing next to each other from a partial distance…

              for that one wooden guy and the blonde. They were standing pretty close-

             “You can all remove your masks now! They were a temporary thing, now that new have completely erased all traces of who you were previous to this school, you are perfectly safe from outsides and other students. As far as the world knows, you currently don't exist.”

             His sweet attitude didn’t deter me from the almost translucent threat in his voice. Hesitantly, people began to take them off and reveal their faces. After about half the classroom had removed theirs, I undid the ribbon that held it to my head and let it fall into my hand. A tingle of cool metal spread on my skin. I placed it on the ground next to my feet and glanced up at my peers.

             Most fit what I expected, they were still strangers, but now I had a chance at remembering them.

             A rush of embarrassment coursed up into my brain when I took the liberty to Look up at Mirko, I traced my gaze over her face and her perfect features while she took me in as well. Our eyes met for a second too long while I drowned in a crimson abyss. My cheeks almost flushed the same shade as her eyes. I turned away and heard her quietly chuckle:

             “cute”

             Now I was red.

             “Now that we have had time to familiarize ourselves to the minimum, I would also like to say the same for quirks!”

             Mirko’s flashed a wide grin, canines showing.

             “You are all now safe to show quirks, as that has also been cleaned from reality.”

             In my peripheral vision was a quick flash of dirty blonde. When I glanced over, Hawks turned his head away, a distant look. I didn’t look away though, and if he was as smart as he acted, he noticed. The daggers I was shooting from my eyes aimed at the briefcase in his hand.

             “So, my little criminal prodigies, though many of you are already masters in your main craft, we want to reach past those horizons-”

             He cleared his throat and redirected my attention to his short stature. With a sigh he continued;

             “Those horizons being combat, tactical, hardware engineering, and friendship! Within the combat course, we will be going over-” I felt a short soft tap on my shoulder. It was Mirko.

             “in tactical we want to utilize your current stren-”

             “Hey, pssst”

             She whispered, but when I turned to her she was still looking ahead to Nezu. Ruby eyes glowing in the ethereal morning light.

             “engineering will be taught for obvious rea-”

             Her hand brushed across mine and my heartbeat quickly spiked. The ghost of her touch remained on the back of my wrist even when she moved. Mirko’s gaze was still stagnant, but in a hushed tone she quietly mumbled,

             “This was in your jacket’s hood”

             Her knuckles bumped into mine once more, though they were more demanding, silently telling me to open my hand. There was a moment of confusion when something extremely soft was placed in my hand. It was light, and there was no weight to it. Soft and light. Closing my fingers around it, I brought it up and looked at it while I was cupped in my grasp.

             A single red feather and a tiny one as that sat in my palm; soft and warm. Hawks. Whatever emotion I was feeling numb all my other senses. Was it fear? Anger? A little confusion. There was some kind of shuffling around me that was dulled by my thoughts. Nezu probably gave the class some kind of directions, as they were talking among themselves. In short sentences and simple words. Surface level stuff.

             Across the classroom, Hawks moved to chat with a tall guy with white hair that fell over his shoulders. He seemed knowingly more anxious now. His hand was fidgeting at his side. He knew I had the feather, but he wasn’t looking at me? Could he feel through them? It would make sense, seeing as he could control them at will.

             Turning the feather in my hand I saw him physically tense up a little bit. Brushing the vane (the soft part of a feather) with one of my fingers, his hand stilled, his actions were choppy as he laughed with the other guy. Oh, he knew what I was doing. I dropped it to the ground and turned to Mirko, a little smile on my face, she had one too. I was about to talk about the feather with her when she shot me a knowing look and a curt shake of her head.

             “What are we doing again?” I sheepishly asked, having zoned out the whole assembly.

             “Pairing up for combat assessments, you're with me.” She playfully nudged my shoulder when I groaned, annoyed.

             When I looked down at my shoes distraughtly I could see the little feather blowing softly away from me in Hawk’s direction. For good measure I stepped on it and crushed it beneath my feet, relishing in the wince I could see him make as he as stretching for warm-ups.

             Mirko at the least seemed amused at what I was doing with Hawks but still wanted to begin training. She was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement.

             “So basically, we get five minutes to spar with any technique we want, no biting, clawing, hair pulling, dirty plays- and then we fight there.”

             She motioned over her shoulder to black mats in the center of the room. The borderline feral look in her eyes makes me feel way to arou-scared to fight her. (Woah there Clarissa this is a family-friendly account).

             “Wait are you s-serious? Fight each other?” I stumbled out. She was a foot taller than me and more fit.

             “Aww c’mon, I’ll go easy on you, whoever is immobile first wins?”

             “I guess.”

             ‘You can do this (y/n)’ I had to say to myself, though it wasn’t that convincing. I've done kickboxing before, so I readied myself into a prep stance. My legs were a little farther apart than my shoulders, and my hands were loose fists in front of my torse. I instinctively bent my knees and began swaying a little to prepare. I wasn’t going to throw the first fight.

             Mirko was turned around, removing her jacket to reveal toned arms that flexed as she placed it on the ground. I gulped.

             “Are you ready Bunny?” She inquired, calmly, even relaxed.

             “Whenever you are” I replied with confidence. I can do this.

             Her hand reached up to the beanie that was sat atop her head. Before touching it though she looked over her shoulder to stare me down. “Are quirks on the table?”

             This was a variable I hadn’t expected, but I wasn’t going to let that phase me.

             “Bet.” I softly smiled and she aggressively smirked.

             “Okay Bunny,” She paused, turning towards me and throwing the hat to the ground,

             “Lets fight”

             Ears sprang up from her perfect hair and she lunged at me with incredible power, her leg aimed right towards my torso. I was shocked by the ears. A rabbit quirk? I didn’t have time to think when she landed a solid kick on the side of my hip.

             Ouch

             Her style of fighting was low and she probably intended to wipe me out, so I would have to aim for her upper body to counter.

             “Oh shiiii-” I quickly dodged to the left, using my arm to block her leg and push it the other direction.

             I tried to get closer and close the gap as she seemed like a mid-distance fighter. Ducking under her swinging leg that was in a circular high kick I tried knocking her to the ground with a punch to her shoulder, that should send her off balance, but she caught my hand and kicked out the back of my legs. My knees hit the floor and I was temporarily stunned. I recovered with a quick little roll the hopped up.

             I faked out a right hook and grabbed her blocking arm, and attempted to get her in a headlock. She was ahead of me though. Once I tried to wrap my arm about her neck-

             A firm grasp settled on my wrist and pried back my hand at an excruciatingly painful angle. I hissed through my teeth and let go, holding my hand which was sharply stinging with pain. A little bit harder and I would have tapped out and forfeited the match.

              Just as I looked back up to attempt to cut my losses and aim for her head, she was running towards me. My legs were thrown out from beneath me and the breath was knocked out of my lungs, making breathing difficult. She sat on my stomach, effectively weighing me down, I couldn't get up anymore. I blindly swung a punch, hoping it would hit something that would give me leverage.

             My fist connected with her upper lip. She didn’t budge from above me though, in fact, she pressed down harder as she sat on my stomach. Each breathe getting more and more labored.

              She pinned me to the ground, one hand holding my arms above me, the other reaching up towards her lip. Red came back on her fingers.

             “Fuck (y/n) that hurt like a bitch.”

             Her grip on my hands tightened to a bruising hold that pushed my wrists together and dug them into the sparring mat. The previous sprain I suffered roared by to life and a groan resonated in my chest. That drew a dry laugh from her, obviously it was painful though. Her hand slammed next to my head, lowering herself a little closer to me. We were both tired and panting. My entire back was throbbing from being so aggressively pushed to the ground.

             She gazed at my face with indistinguishable emotion. Her teeth were barred in a mix between a grimace and a smile. The blood that was smeared beneath her mouth where I had injured her; the red blood matched her wild eyes.

“I win,” She said quietly...

[izztreme-art-n-stuff]

Finished the design guide for all of the persistent main characters (except for Bob who has refs of his own, but I need to redraw them.)

[aquaburst3]

While I know I’m beating a dead horse by saying this, since this movie came out a year ago, but I just thought of this after watching Calluna Reviews video about the Death Note adaptions. If I wrote the Netfllix’s Death Note movie, I would make Mia the main character. (But have it where she’s not based on Misa.)

I’d have it where the story is set 10 years after Light’s death, and Miya’s a moody, rebellious Japanese American teenager, who is angry at the injustices in the world. She, in secret, admires what Light did in Japan and longs to carry on his legacy to pure the world of wrongdoers, but doesn’t tell anyone out of fear of her strict detective father would do if he found out.

One day, Light, who is now a Shemigami, is bored. With Ryuk’s advice, he decides to drop the note book in America. Another more passive male character, who I’ll dub Jeff, finds the Death Note on the ground.

Jeff is infatuated with Miya and acts like one of those creepy “nice guys” around her. Jeff, after her teammates left after cheer practice, starts rambling to her about a tablet he found that can kill people and that they can use it to help people. Miya thinks that he’s off his rocker and a creep. After all, how could a guy this dumb could’ve found a Death Note. She plays along, seeing it as her chance to get him in trouble and to seek justice for those he troubled before.

She goes to his place, with a pocket knife in her purse if he wanted to try anything. They watch a live stream where a man is holding a nursery hostage, and a reporter announces his name on TV. Jeff scribbles down the name of the guy on the screen. The guy gets hit by a car on live tv. Miya is dumbfounded by this. How is that even possible? Did the Death Note change forms? He really is the next Kira.

Jeff allows her to touch the tablet and sees Light. Miya, wanting to use the Death Note, hatches a plan to use his feelings for her as a way to get him to do whatever she wants. Miya becomes his “partner”, pushing him to do whatever she wants. She fights off a cyber hacker/detective under the name White Hat and face off in a game of cat and mouse throughout the story. Miya, seeing Jeff as a liability for her plans, writes down his name in the Death Note and kills him. White Hat discovers that she’s Kira and she confesses, angry that the law still won’t bring those who do harm to justice. Light writes down her name and she dies. White Hat lives. The end.

[techfygeeks]

What are the Different Types of Hacking?

In the digital age, the term "hacking" often evokes images of shadowy figures behind computers, breaching security systems and stealing data. However, not all hacking is malicious. The world of hacking is multifaceted, with various types serving different purposes. In this blog, we'll explore the different types of hacking and their implications.

1. Ethical Hacking (White Hat Hacking)

Ethical hackers, often known as white hat hackers, are the good guys in the hacking world. They use their skills to identify and fix security vulnerabilities in systems, often hired by organizations to test the integrity of their digital infrastructure. Ethical hackers follow a set of guidelines, ensuring they don't harm the client or its users.

2. Black Hat Hacking

In stark contrast to ethical hackers, black hat hackers engage in malicious activities for personal gain, be it financial, political, or simply for the thrill. They exploit security vulnerabilities to steal data, distribute malware, or disrupt services. Such actions can lead to significant financial and reputational damage to organizations. Also Read: What are the Tools Used for Ethical Hacking?

3. Grey Hat Hacking

Navigating the murky waters between ethical and black hat hacking is grey hat hacking. Grey hat hackers don't have malicious intentions, but they don't always follow the law. They might break into systems without permission, but instead of exploiting vulnerabilities for personal gain, they'll report them to the organization, sometimes expecting a reward in return.

4. Hacktivism

Hacktivism is the use of hacking to promote a political or social cause. Hacktivists might deface websites or release information to raise awareness about particular issues. While their intentions might be rooted in activism, their actions can be illegal, making this a controversial type of hacking.

5. Red Team and Blue Team

In the realm of cybersecurity, organizations often employ Red Teams and Blue Teams to enhance their security posture. The Red Team mimics real-world attacks to test an organization's defenses, while the Blue Team defends against these simulated attacks. It's like a digital game of cat and mouse, ensuring that security systems are robust and prepared.

6. Script Kiddies

The term script kiddie might sound benign, but it refers to novice hackers who use pre-written hacking tools or scripts to breach systems. While they might lack the advanced skills of other hackers, they can still cause considerable damage.

7. Phreaking

Dating back to the early days of telecommunication, phreaking is the act of hacking telephone systems. Modern phreakers might focus on VoIP systems and other communication technologies.

8. Cyber Espionage

This involves hacking carried out by nation-states or organizations to gather intelligence. Cyber espionage can target governments, corporations, or individuals, aiming to collect confidential information for strategic advantage.

In Conclusion

In the intricate dance between hackers and defenders, knowledge becomes a formidable shield. As we navigate the labyrinth of hacking techniques, remember the transformational potential of ethical hacking course. These courses empower individuals to harness hacking techniques for noble purposes – to fortify cybersecurity, expose vulnerabilities, and safeguard digital realms.

Embracing an ethical hacker course not only equips you with the technical skills to thwart malicious attacks but also cultivates a sense of responsibility and ethics. Armed with knowledge and guided by a commitment to ethical practices, you become a guardian of digital integrity. In this age of perpetual technological advancement, ethical hacking courses light the way for cyber warriors who stand strong against threats and work tirelessly to secure the virtual spaces we inhabit.

[dyggtheway]

White Hat vs Black Hat Tech Gadgets

By Snake Shadow

Rubber Duckies look like ordinary USB drives but behave like HID or Human Interface Devices. In other words, when you insert this type of drive, your CPU thinks it is an accessory like a mouse or a keyboard and does not scan the device for malicious software.

However, if you have been targeted by a hacker, a rubber ducky can...

Infect your system without so much as a hiccup in your CPU processes. An example of a hacker rubber ducky kit:

So What's the Worst That Could Happen?

The USB acts as a keyboard (HID) with keystrokes already installed in it. The keystrokes run at or over 1000 wpm; Super fast when installed. If you blinked, you missed it.

This immediately executes a command known as Ducky Script, from there, data can be stolen, your system security can be permanently breached, or a basic attack can take place that controls some or all of your files. This also includes hijacking crypto wallet addresses and private keys, sweetly moving funds from your device onto another in just a few seconds.

As you can probably imagine, it’s really up to the hackers' discretion. If you happen on a suspicious looking drive you probably won’t use it, but if a hacker is in proximity to your devices the results may be disastrous.

[mikegranich87]

The Morning After: Crypto heist hacker returns all $610 million they stole

It’s the weirdest cryptocurrency heist so far. On Monday, Poly Network, a cryptocurrency finance platform, was hacked by “Mr. White Hat” who exploited a vulnerability in its code to steal $610 million in Ethereum, Shiba Inu and other cryptocurrencies. The company now says it has recovered all the money it lost in the theft.

Less than a day after stealing the digital currencies, the hacker started returning millions saying they were “ready to surrender.” They subsequently locked more than $200 million in assets in an account that required passwords from both them and Poly Network. They said they would only provide their password once everyone was “ready.” At that point, Poly Network offered the hacker a $500,000 reward — a fraction of what they had stolen.

It’s not entirely clear why the hacker surrendered, but it may have been difficult to cash out the millions. The hacker says they were trying to contribute to the security of Poly Network. Maybe they just didn’t want to get caught. Poly will breathe a sigh of relief as will those that were doing their crypto trading through the platform.

— Mat Smith

A Razer mouse can bypass Windows security just by being plugged in

The company says it's fixing the flaw.

Security researcher Jon Hat posted on Twitter that after plugging in a Razer mouse or dongle, Windows Update will download the Razer installer executable and run it with SYSTEM privileges. It also lets you access the Windows file explorer and Powershell with "elevated" privileges, which means nefarious types could install harmful software — if they can get to your USB ports.

Since this vulnerability requires someone plugging in a mouse, it's not nearly as dangerous as a remote attack, but it's still not great for Razer. The company's security team said it’s working on a fix. 

Continue reading.

Finally, the ‘Stardew Valley’ esports tournament is a thing

Farm, mine and fish your way to glory on Labor Day weekend.

ConcernedApe

Esports is most commonly associated with high-octane competitive games, usually with guns. That’s not the vibe in Stardew Valley, where you literally tend to crops. It’s more agrarian, less aggro.

But soon, some of the world's finest Stardew Valley players will face off for thousands of dollars. Creator Eric Barone said the first official Stardew Valley Cup event will take place on September 4th. “It’s a competition of skill, knowledge and teamwork, with a prize pool of over $40k.”

More than 100 challenges have been created for competitors to tackle, with four teams of four players each having three hours to complete as many of the tasks as they can. Best start sharpening that hoe.

Continue reading.

NASA’s latest video from Mars looks like ‘Dune’

A new video from the Curiosity rover is here.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory released a breathtaking panorama of the inside of the Gale Crater, as snapped by the Curiosity Rover. It shows off where the rover has been and where it’s going. Apparently, on a clear day when there’s no dust in the air, you can see up to 20 miles away.

Continue reading.

PayPal brings its cryptocurrency trading feature to the UK

Even in small units.

PayPal is bringing the ability to buy, hold and sell cryptocurrencies across to the other side of the pond, the better part of a year after it launched in the US. In a statement, the company said that UK-based users would be able to buy, hold and sell Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash via their PayPal account. The company adds that users can buy as little as £1 of cryptocurrency, and while there are no fees to hold the currency, users will have to pay transaction and currency conversion fees. And hey, it’s not Poly.

Continue reading.

'Twelve Minutes' ruins a compelling game concept

I’ve been waiting a while for this, too. 

Annapurna Interactive

Twelve Minutes managed to hook several Engadget editors when it was revealed back in 2015. Even before it gained an all-star cast including Daisy Ridley, James McAvoy and Willem Dafoe, the pitch was easy to understand: a time loop point-and-click adventure. I made a note to keep an eye on the title, and Devindra Hardawar, who reviewed the game, did the same.

Unfortunately, the need to push the story in any — most! — directions leads to some grim choices by the player, and what Devindra calls “mind-numbingly dumb” twists. Tell us how you really feel.

Continue reading.

Apple employees are organizing to push for 'real change' at the company

“We’ve exhausted all internal avenues,” the group says.

A group of current and former Apple employees are calling on colleagues to publicly share stories of discrimination, harassment and retaliation at the company. The collective has started a Twitter account called Apple Workers.

"For too long, Apple has evaded public scrutiny," the group says on its website. "When we press for accountability and redress to the persistent injustices we witness or experience in our workplace, we are faced with a pattern of isolation, degradation and gaslighting." In August, the company put Ashley Gjøvik, a senior engineering program manager, on paid administrative leave. Apple hasn’t yet commented.

Continue reading.

The best streaming gear for students

It’s not just laptops and keyboards.

Being a student is hard, but just because you’re holed up in a dorm room doesn’t mean you should settle for mediocre entertainment. Our updated Student Buyer’s Guide has everything you could possibly need to upgrade from mindlessly watching Netflix on your laptop. That includes deals for TVs, audio gear and the best streaming devices.

Continue reading.

Take a first look at the live-action ‘Cowboy Bebop’

It’s coming November 19th.

Netflix

Netflix's live-action adaptation of classic anime Cowboy Bebop has been a long time coming, and the show finally has a release date. The 10-episode first season will start streaming on November 19th. There’s still no trailer, but we get some stills of the iconic crew, played by John Cho (Spike Spiegel), Mustafa Shakir (Jet Black) and Daniella Pineda (Faye Valentine). There’s a corgi, too.

Continue reading.

Virgin Orbit plans to go public

It’ll go on the Nasdaq exchange to fund its space satellite project.

Mike Blake / Reuters

Virgin Orbit, the less glamorous half of Virgin’s space adventures, has announced plans to go public on the Nasdaq stock exchange through a special purpose acquisitions company (SPAC) merger. The deal with NextGen Acquisition Corp. II values Virgin Orbit at $3.2 billion.

The combined company is expected to pull in up to $483 million in cash when the deal closes, and it plans to scale up its rocket manufacturing. The first spaceflight company to go public through a SPAC, and the company that really kicked off the SPAC trend was Virgin Galactic back in 2019, which sought to fund its tourist trips to space. Yeah, the more exciting facet of space companies.

Continue reading.

The biggest stories you might have missed

The best laptops for college students

'Outriders' is perfectly average, making it ideal for Xbox Game Pass

Teardown shows the Playdate won't suffer from controller drift like the Switch

Rare commemorative Game & Watch handheld sells for $9,100 at auction

T-Mobile is giving customers a free year of Apple TV+

Data leak exposed 38 million records, including COVID-19 vaccination statuses

The OnePlus Buds Pro feature smart ANC and a white-noise mode

from Mike Granich https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-crypto-heist-hacker-returns-all-610-million-they-stole-111630131.html?src=rss

[trendingph]

Bug gives users admin privileges just by plugging a Razer mouse, keyboard A white-hat hacker found a bug on Razer’s device installer software that can give users full admin privileges in Windows 10 just by plugging in select Razer mouse or keyboard. The hack works together with the Synapse software that comes when you in... https://trendingph.net/bug-gives-users-admin-privileges-just-by-plugging-a-razer-mouse-keyboard/?feed_id=343380&_unique_id=6123be841be23 #admin #bug #keyboard #mouse #philippinenews #philippinesnews #plugging #privileges #razer #trendingph #users