#&& . REVENGE SOUGHT / about sadie a. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

andrewmoocow · 3 years

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Steven Universe Alternate Future chapter 19: Change your Heart (originally published on July 19, 2021)

AN: So, trying to reform Kevin. Might be a Herculean task to some, but for me, I think I'll try my best. And given that this is almost directly after last chapter, Steven might find this just as challenging since he would continuously resist the urge to go pink and break Kevin's face. But more to the point, let's get things started.

Synopsis: Kevin comes back wanting to become a genuinely better person, but Steven gets suspicious.

Cast:

Zach Callison as Steven, Cactus Stevens

Andrew Kishino as Kevin

Jinkx Monsoon as Emerald

Melissa Fahn as Demantoid

Kari Wahlgren as Pyrope

Jennifer Paz as Laz

Michelle Maryk as Larimar

Deedee Magno-Hall as Volleyball

Auli'I Cravalho as Orange Spodumene

Michaela Dietz as Crazy Lace Agate

Colton Dunn as Mr. Smiley

A few days after Steven's faithful visit to the doctor, he went about today trying to keep a lid on his emotions as much as possible as he strolled through the boardwalk, passing by his Beach City friends and tourists along the way.

"Just gotta find something that always makes me happy to take my mind off all that trauma," Steven muttered to himself. He could go to the Big Donut, but something told him it just wouldn't be the same with Dewey running the counter instead of Lars and Sadie. He could also go to Fish Stew Pizza or the docks, but then he would just be reminded of Sadie Killer and the Suspects breaking up. However, there was still one local hangout associated with a friend that hasn't drifted apart from Steven just yet. "Maybe I could give the arcade a shot."

Walking towards the Funland Arcade, Steven found Mr. Smiley just getting done with carrying some new games into the arcade while a poster advertising those games was hanging outside the building. "Just came in: multiplayer version of beloved video game series Undiscovered." Steven read the poster. "Come one, come all."

"That's not all, the good folks at Sumy also have a ton of other classics downloaded too!" Mr. Smiley said to Steven. "Champion of Conflict, Pressure Scramble, Distorted Plastic, all of them GameStation legends! Come try one of them once in a while."

"Well, maybe Undiscovered could help me blow off some steam after the past two days." Steven realized as he stepped into the arcade to play some Undiscovered and pick the series' rugged, hot-shot leading man William Vespucci to play as. However, what he didn't realize until it was too late was that someone else had picked Vespucci's friendly rival Columbus.

"Well well well, been a long while, hasn't it….uh…." Kevin greeted Steven, only to stop short while trying to remember his young one-sided enemy's name. "Ben, was it? You look like a Ben. Or maybe a Finn."

"Hello, Kevin." Steven greeted the bad boy in a strained voice, resisting the urge to put the controller down and punch him in the face. "What brings you here?"

"Well, word on the street is that you've been teaching Gems that once tried to kill you how to be nice to others." Kevin stated. "And I thought, 'hey, why don't I have a slice of that pie?' So that's why I found you."

"Are you sure this is not another excuse to see Stevonnie again?" Steven asked as the game continued. "Because Connie and I are currently abstaining from-"

"Look kid, you were able to get a bunch of sexy galactic terrorists to stop being terrorists, so why not do the same with me?" Kevin suggested with a smarmy grin. "Well, minus the terrorists part. You still get what I mean, right?"

Steven paused the game and turned to Kevin suspiciously. On one hand, the older boy did seem genuine in his offer, but on the other, it seemed like just another excuse to hit on girls. However, Steven did give the likes of Peridot and the Diamonds a second chance, so as Kevin said, he could probably do the same to him.

"Alright, I'll help you." Steven accepted the offer. "After this round of Undiscovered, I'm gonna take you to Little Homeworld to show you around and teach you some basic kindness. But know this, I'm keeping an eye on you."

"Oh, don't you worry, I'm going to be 100% respectful of others the whole way through." Kevin stated confidently. "Now let's get back to gaming."

The two then returned to playing Undiscovered, and they kept on playing for most of the morning until Steven decided it was time for them to go.

"So, this is where the magic happens, eh?" Kevin asked Steven as he was driven out of Beach City and taken to Little Homeworld, where he watched many Gems of all shapes and sizes learn how to fit in on Earth and let go of their oppressive pasts. "Is it true that most of these babes were monsters at some point?"

"Yes, they were monsters." Steven answered. "And please don't call them babes, we discussed this."

"I know, but who's to blame for making them all women?" Kevin tried justifying his earlier comment while they got out of the Dondai.

"You know, I never once asked about where the Gem race came from." Steven came to a realization. "Might have to make a note of that later." As Steven looked around the Gem village to see who he can introduce Kevin to first, he could hear a certain voice crying for revenge.

"LET ME GO YOU TRAITORS!" Emerald shrieked while Demantoid and Pyrope tried to keep her from reaching the Warp Pad at the center of Little Homeworld. "I must find our master, she is the only one that can save me!"

"She's been like this ever since we were unbubbled and enrolled here." Demantoid revealed. "While Pyrope and I have slowly gotten more acclimated to the place, Emerald here hasn't."

"Can't you see this tiny slave driver has brainwashed you all?!" Emerald declared with a finger pointed at Steven. "I will never submit to your concentration camp, never!"

"Yeah, she's going to be one tough nut to crack." Pyrope remarked before she got a look at Kevin. "Oh, and who could this be?"

"Name's Kevin, nice dress." Kevin greeted the Garnet with a kiss of her hand. "And I see your little screaming friend's got one eye. Not gonna discriminate, I like that in a girl."

"Kevin." Steven scolded his rival. "I'm teaching Kevin here how to be nicer to folks and less of a pervert. I think he really wants to change, but I'm still keeping an eye on him."

"But I complimented Pyrope's dress. That's gotta mean something, right?" Kevin asked Steven.

"That's a pretty good start, I'll admit, but you gotta do more than that." Steven advised. "Try striking up a conversation with her."

"Okay, I'll see what I can do." Kevin said before turning back to Pyrope. "So, how did you first get here?"

"Well Kevin, it all began when my partner Demantoid and I attempted an uprising against Era 3 using the Light Prisms we owned." Pyrope began explaining her backstory to the human. "We believed the Gem race would be lost without order and sought to install ourselves as the new rulers in place of the Diamonds. However, that would turn out badly and we were poofed & imprisoned, at least until Black Rutile broke us out of our prison to recruit us into her own uprising. But that turned out badly too and we were poofed in the ensuing battle for Earth. Since then, the only other member of Black Rutile's resistance that remained beside the three of us was a belligerent Lapis Lazuli who decided to come here after a Jasper saved her from shattering."

As Pyrope went on, Kevin, out of boredom, rolled his eyes and began to walk elsewhere while Steven crossly looked at him and Pyrope realized too late that Kevin was gone. "Um, where is he?" she asked.

"I'll find him." Steven groaned exasperatedly and walked off after Kevin.

"Pyrope, while you were talking, Emerald had made her escape." Demantoid stated to Pyrope. "I was able to keep her from using the Warp Pad, but that didn't stop her from hiding."

"Oh dear, how could I be so distracted?!" Pyrope exclaimed and raced off with the other Garnet to find Emerald.

"Hey cutie, like your curls." Kevin said while trying to hit on a very confused Laz. "What's your name, Baby Blue?"

"Um, Gems here call me Laz." Laz awkwardly introduced herself. "And you are?"

"You can call me the boy of your dreams!" Kevin declared with a flip of his hair, but his advances would have to wait.

"Kevin!" Steven yelled crossly. "You shouldn't have just walked out on Pyrope like that! And you were making good progress too by asking about her story."

"Hey, sorry, she just went on a bit too long." Kevin stated defensively. "And hey, I'm even making a new friend too."

"I was just minding my own business when he walked up and started smooth-talking me, honest." Laz added.

"Well, how about we use this opportunity to give you another lesson?" Steven suggested. "Say you're crossing the street and a woman is in front of a big puddle. What do you do?"

"Tell her to just walk around it?" Kevin answered, causing Steven to facepalm.

"No, you gotta take off your jacket and drop it over the puddle so she can cross." Steven corrected Kevin. "Like in the super old movies. Laz, could you make a puddle?"

"Okay then." Laz complied and generated a small puddle that looked ready to be stepped in with some water nearby. "Well, what are you waiting for?" she asked Kevin. "Just toss the jacket!"

"Seriously?! This is expensive, ya know!" Kevin grumbled while taking off his jacket to spread out on the puddle. "I didn't sign up for this." Once Kevin shed his jacket, he dropped it on the puddle and allowed Laz to cross.

"Thanks, I guess." Laz thanked the human awkwardly before turning to Steven. "See you around Steven."

"You're welcome." Kevin replied with a bow while Steven picked up the jacket. "There, I learned basic politeness. How about that?"

"Yeah, that's a good start." Steven complimented. "Good job Kev."

"Yes!" Kevin cheered. "Wait, did you just call me Kev?"

"Yeah, I didn't know what just happened either." Steven admitted. "Let's go for one more trial for today."

At the greenhouse where Peridot usually had her classes, the Cactus Stevens, now freed from Black Rutile's control, were helping Volleyball, Little Larimar, Orange Spodumene, and Crazy Lace Agate with some gardening when Steven & Kevin walked in.

"Oh, hello Steven." Volleyball greeted Steven. "Haven't seen you in a while, how are things?"

"Doing fine, just had a little meltdown a few days ago, but I'm recovering." Steven replied. "And by the way, I heard what happened at that trial on Homeworld. How long were you spying on us for Black Rutile?"

"Since not too long after you faced White Diamond." Volleyball revealed shyly while tears began to leak. "I was only forced to do it by Black Rutile and Holly Blue, though. But can you still forgive me?"

Before Steven could answer, Kevin pretended to loudly clear his throat to get everyone's attention. "It's cute that Cyclops here wants to apologize for whatever, but remember me?!"

"Sorry, Kevin." Steven apologized before introducing him to the Pearl. "I'd like you to meet Volleyball. She was Pink Diamond's former Pearl before getting her eye cracked and later brainwashed by White Diamond. Volleyball, meet Kevin. I hate his guts, but he wants to become a better person so I'm giving him a chance."

"So, your eye is cracked." Kevin gestured to Volleyball's damaged eye. "What's it like seeing with one eye? Does it, like, affect your sense of direction or whatever?"

"Oh no, I get around pretty fine, especially after fusing with Pearl." Volleyball answered brightly. "Ever since then, the crack still's there but you can barely see a pupil now too."

"Cool, cool." Kevin responded, trying to sound interested before he started looking around the greenhouse. "So let me guess, you grow plants here?"

"Exactly Kevin," Larimar said while holding a potted plant in her hands. "Look at the hydrangeas I'm growing!"

"And my daffodils." Orange Spodumene added as she showed off her flower.

"Watching them all grow is the best part!" Crazy Lace Agate cooed while intensely watching the hyacinths growing in her pot.

"Wow, you are all really into flowers, huh?" Kevin wondered while looking over Crazy Lace's shoulder. "I mean, Steven's teaching you all how to be crazy for Earth, so I won't judge."

"See, you're getting interested in what they're doing, and no sign of hitting on them." Steven declared. "Good job Kevin."

"I mean, after you yelled at me for getting bored during Pyrope's story, I just thought I should wise up a little bit." Kevin stated. "Isn't that what humans do or something, learn from mistakes and grow from them?"

"Yeah, that's pretty profound." Steven answered. "Especially coming from someone like you."

"You're right." Kevin realized. "Did I really just change that fast? I mean, I heard you were able to get those Diamonds to play nice with a silly one-liner and they changed just as quickly!"

"Well, not quite." Steven said. "They still got a lot to work out. Everybody does, even you. And me."

"Uh, what do you mean by that, and why do I have a feeling I'm not going to get a good answer?" Kevin asked nervously. Steven sheepishly looked around at the Gems in the greenhouse before taking Kevin away.

"Let's take this outside." Steven declared.

Steven took Kevin back to his car and the two drove away from Little Homeworld all the way back to Beach City in complete silence. A silence that Kevin found a bit concerning before the two returned to town before he finally spoke up. "Uh, anything the matter?" he asked. "You've been quiet since we left the greenhouse."

"It's just about what I've been through lately." Steven finally spoke up while stopping the car. "Ever since we last saw each other at that party, I've learned that my mom Rose Quartz was Pink Diamond, went to Homeworld where I saw the Crystal Gems get turned into extensions of White Diamond, nearly got killed by Spinel while all organic life was at risk of being killed by her injector, learned that a sociopathic revolutionary wants to kill me & conquer the galaxy and nearly got thrown off a cliff to my death. And that's only a few notable incidents."

"Wait, thrown off a cliff?!" Kevin exclaimed while the two boys emerged from the Dondai Supremo. "Sociopathic revolutionary? Dang, you been through a lot."

"Yep, and after all that, I learned that I basically have PTSD and my body has been acting really weird lately." Steven continued. "I sometimes turn pink when I get real angry, and more recently my body started inflating out of control a few days ago."

"Yeesh, am I lucky to not have a mom who's a Gem, no offense." Kevin sardonically sympathized. "My parents are usually off doing business or going to fancy parties."

"You know, that reminds me." Steven said as he sat down on the front of the Supremo. "What was your life like? I don't think I ever bothered to ask. Or maybe I hated you too much back then to even think of asking."

"You want my backstory? Well, here goes." Kevin answered and sat down next to Steven. "Just like me, my old man Winston was a real player and a pretty well-off guy. His philosophy of using the right words and moves to win hearts was what won him a wife, my mom Venus, and then came yours truly." He explained. "I was kind of a bit like you as a kid, really sensitive and sweet. But when my girlfriend Sabina ditched me, that was when my dad decided to teach me how to be a charmer. But unfortunately, that didn't win me many friends, especially you. But after spending time with you and helping you get back together with Connie, I just thought it would be time to make a change, but you were too busy to hear me out."

"So, you been wanting this ever since that night?" Steven gasped in realization.

"Yeah, right." Kevin replied. "Then again, like you said, I still got a lot to work out. Which reminds me, what's the status on you and Connie?"

"That's the thing, Kevin." Steven blushed while curling up into a ball. "I tried proposing to Connie so that I'd know what my future would hold, but she said no, and I let it bottle up until the next day at the doctor."

"Wait, you proposed to Connie?!" Kevin exclaimed in shock. "I mean, like, marriage proposal?! Aren't you a little young to get married?"

"Yes, yes I am." Steven replied solemnly. "But still, it was nice getting to talk about it with someone, even if it was with someone I hated in the past."

"You got that right." Kevin declared. "We sure got off on the wrong foot, but even I know you've been through a lot."

"And I know you can be different from your dad," Steven responded. "like how I want to be different from my mom."

"Yeah." Kevin stated before looking at his watch. "Whoo, look at the time!" he realized before hopping off the Dondai's hood. "Got places to be, but maybe we can do this again sometime!"

"If you ever want more niceness tips, you know who to call." Steven said goodbye to Kevin.

"Likewise." Kevin grinned as he walked away. "Catch you later!"

After the two boys waved each other goodbye, Steven got off the hood of his car and began driving it back to the beach house while monologuing to himself. "If I can change Kevin, maybe I could change Black Rutile too." He muttered, but the mere thought of Black Rutile turned Steven's optimistic grin into a tense frown. "Maybe."

Well, this has been a more low-key chapter compared to the two chapters before it. But next time, we kick things up again as we move onto Gems' Night Out, which I am so excited to write! We got Amethyst & Lapis as Bond girls, Garnet & Bismuth solving mysteries together, Steven being gaslit by Black Rutile into believing no one ever cared for him & that he must fight back against his loved ones, and Pearl & Peridot mingling with some of the most unique kinds of human known to man: nerds. Like I said, I'm real excited for this.

#steven universe #steven universe future #fanfiction #steven universe alternate future #steven quartz universe #kevin steven universe #emerald #demantoid #pyrope #mean lapis #pink pearl #orange spodumene #little larimar #crazy lace agate

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sharp-teeth-and-archived · 4 years

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somemindsatwork asked : 15. Do they believe in getting revenge on those who wrong them? If so, how do they go about it? ( for Cassie! )

50 Interesting OC Asks / @somemindsatwork -- accepting

It might be a surprise to some, but Cassie does believe in revenge. If someone really deserves it, she will dish it out herself and/or find it suitable. But with the events in her life, there are only a few notable events that she would’ve sought revenge.

The first would be after her father’s death, she would’ve sought revenge on those that sealed his fate when he rode into town. She would’ve gone after them if her father’s business was doing better ( it was basically on its last legs when he died ) and if she didn’t learn about what really her father was doing. Of course, this caused more inner conflict than anything she dished out at others. She went through a long period where she felt like she never really knew him and it left her upset. She was actually glad she didn’t seek out revenge, that she knew about everything before she could get enough funds together.

Another would be Sean’s death. When I’m not writing her against another sean, I typically say the two are close friends. When I’m writing her with another Sean, it usually goes off on them knowing each other -- but I never go deeper than that. I don’t think it would be right if I immediately made the two best friends without the other mun knowing anything about Cassie.

But with Sean’s death, she didn’t go after the Grays because right after Jack was missing and then they burnt down Braithwaite’s place. Similar to her father's death, seeking revenge would be too risky here. But she did try to put together a plan to at least steal a couple horses from them, or cause something to put a dent into their livelihood. She felt like they deserved it, but she never had the time to. It would’ve been extremely risky, too.

When the gang disbanded and John and Sadie started to try to go after Micah, Cassie could not afford it. Being a sharp-shooter in Saint Denis might be similar to her childhood dream of being an actress, being on stage, but she couldn’t afford to leave Saint Denis and join them, mostly due to the rent of her apartment. She would've likely volunteered to stick behind and comfort Abigail if she was there though. As much as she would like to face Micah, she knew it was better if she watched over Abigail.

She typically tries to go through revenge logically. Emotions are involved, of course, but she would prefer to come out alive. She doesn’t usually express her emotions, preferring to have others depend on her than her depending on others, but she isn’t against revenge. She thinks if it’ll get rid of a problem, something internal or external, it’s right.

Before she joined the gang, she would’ve thought a bit differently. Feeling like revenge wouldn’t help any problems, but she witnessed a few things from being in the gang for two years or more. She definitely gets this mindset more after chapter six to rdr1.

How she would go about it is usually her going alone, doing it herself. it depends on the person, but she tries to avoid putting herself in the line of fire ( meaning: she would likely never kill the person ). Stealing a horse, breaking and entering -- that sort of thing. In one way or another, she will seek revenge on someone else. If she feels like she needs to gun them down, she would. ( There are only a few on her list that she would do that to: Colm O’Driscoll, Grays if she could, Murfree Brothers, Lemoyne Raiders, or Micah ).

#asks #somemindsatwork #tw: mention of death #tw: mentions of murder #//rdr2 spoilers #( 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒓𝒚 ; headcanon (( Cassie ))#( 𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆 ; Cassie )#//long post #( I hope this makes sense lmao )#( thank you for sending this my way ! )

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thebookrat · 6 years

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I'm gonna be honest, I hesitated to put the word "love" in the title, because 1 of these... isn't quite a love. But it's one I know I'll be thinking about for some time, and the other two... AMAZE. The excerpt mentioned for Sadie can be found here, and for The Raging Ones can be found here.

THE BOOKS: SADIE by Courtney Summers

Read this gripping novel about the depth of a sister's love with an ending you won't be able to stop talking about. A missing girl on a journey of revenge and a Serial—like podcast following the clues she's left behind. Sadie hasn't had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she's been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water. But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie's entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister's killer to justice and hits the road following a few meager clues to find him. When West McCray—a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America—overhears Sadie's story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie's journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it's too late. Courtney Summers has written the breakout book of her career. Sadie is propulsive and harrowing and will keep you riveted until the last page.

DANCE OF THIEVES by Mary E. Pearson

A stunning new adventure set in the kingdoms of the Remnant. A formidable outlaw family that claims to be the first among nations. A son destined to lead, thrust suddenly into power. Three fierce young women of the Rahtan, the queen's premier guard. A legendary street thief leading a mission, determined to prove herself. A dark secret that is a threat to the entire continent. When outlaw leader meets reformed thief, a cat-and-mouse game of false moves ensues, bringing them intimately together in a battle that may cost them their lives—and their hearts.

THE RAGING ONES by Krista & Becca Ritchie:

From New York Times bestselling authors Krista and Becca Ritchie, comes The Raging Ones, an edge of your seat sci-fi romance with twists and turns that you will never see coming! In a freezing world, where everyone knows the day they will die, three teens break all odds. Franny Bluecastle, a tough city teen, dreams of dying in opulence, to see wealth she’s never known. Like the entire world, she believes it’s impossible to dodge a deathday. Until the day she does. Court Icecastle knows wealth. He also knows pain. Spending five years in Vorkter Prison, a fortress of ice and suffering, he dreams of life beyond the people that haunt him and the world that imprisoned him. Mykal Kickfall fights for those he loves. The rugged Hinterlander shares a frustrating yet unbreakable connection with Court—which only grows more lawless and chaotic as their senses and emotions connect with Franny. With the threat of people learning they’ve dodged their deathdays, they must flee their planet to survive. But to do so, all three will have to hide their shared bond as they vie for a highly sought after spot in the newest mission to space—against thousands of people far smarter, who’ll live longer, and never fear death the way that they do.

via The Book Rat

#IFTTT #The Book Rat

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jeichanhaka · 6 years

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If Any Would Avenge: 27

Chapter 27: Dilemma

Lying on a cold, rough floor reminiscent of a dungeon, Killian's eyes shot open. His brain foggy, it took him a few moments and the soreness of his gut to remember about the cloaked woman and where she'd brought him. His stomach twisted and he lifted himself to his feet, while bracing himself against the pain from his gut. The air around him was cold and stale, tinged with a musty stench of mold. The walls damp, their gray cement hue only dimly discernible beneath the sparse electric ceiling light.

'I'm still in Storybrooke.' He muttered, glancing over the cement walls and electric lights. 'Or at least in The Land Without Magic.'

Glancing down the dimly lit corridor, he started walking forward, his eyes and ears alert for movement. The pain across his abdomen was already subsiding to a numb throb, only to instead fill with dread. It gnawed at him and at the lingering fog around his memory. There was something. Something he was forgetting. Something important.

Killian shook his head and pressed on, unwilling to spend the time trying to remember what he'd forgot. Not when he knew, sensed in his bones that those he loved were in danger. "I need to get to Emma and Sadie. That cloaked…." He groaned and nearly stumbled, his head throbbing as he tried to remember the cloaked woman's face. Her voice. It blurred the more he tried focusing on it, as though it was forbidden.

-"I've waited so long for this."-

A voice hissed in the pirate's head, the words distant like an echo of a memory hidden deep away. Killian gritted his teeth, ignoring the voice and the burning pain it triggered across his gut.

-"...didn't travel...years to...slip by me."-

The pirate drew in a deep breath, bracing himself using the wall as his gut roiled, the burning sensation stronger. It felt as though someone had repeatedly cut into his skin, not too deep but enough to make moving around a bitch. "...fuck." He swore and paused a moment, slipping his hand beneath his leather vest.

The moment he touched his stomach, he flinched, not just from the sharp pain as he touched his skin, but from the feeling of dried blood. He couldn't see them, but he felt the wounds on his stomach, crusted over with dried blood and pus.

"Bloody hell…." Killian groaned, his head throbbing.

"The Savior's…? You want Emma's daughter?" Gold gawked at the young man, surprised by the latter's demand. "Why? What could you possibly need with a newborn baby?" He asked, already thinking about all the various dark spells requiring a newborn or parts of one. His brown eyes narrowed, wondering which of such dark spells, if any, the youth sought to cast.

"That is my business. Mine alone." The youth replied brusquely, catching the furrow forming in the Dark One's brow and the glint of trepidation in his eyes. "Or are you having doubts about our deal already?"

"Of course not." Gold snapped, scowling at the young man. "I'm simply curious as to your reasons to want Emma's baby, or any baby. Certainly the child couldn't be much use to you, at least not enough for you to give up possession of the Dark One dagger so easily."

Listening to Gold, the youth tapped his lips, partly obscuring the gleeful smirk forming there. It widened as the Dark One's furrowed brow deepened and his eyes filled with suspicion. "...so you assume. But this child, Sadie, is special."

"Special? How so?" Gold inquired, curious. But to the Dark One's dismay the youth simply shook his head and placed his forefinger to his lips. Seconds after the gesture a cloud of dust surrounded the youth, obscuring him completely, and when it cleared he had vanished. Leaving behind nothing but silence and a single ebony feather.

Standing across from Emma and Killian's place, hidden by the shadows on the empty porch of what was William Kidd's house, Gold glowered silently. His eyes narrowed, many thoughts rushing through his head: some dealing with the 'coincidence' of Kidd's house being right across from the hook-handed pirate's, others with how he would manage to take Sadie. Hopefully without bringing suspicion upon himself - at least not until he had his dagger back and could leave for the Enchanted Forest with his full power.

But more than anything Gold thought about what his unwritten son had said. That Sadie was special. That something about her, something she possessed - magic or destiny or something - was worth the young man giving up the Dark One dagger. Worth surrendering his control over Gold, and his chance to take all the power of the Dark One for himself. Even now it chilled Gold thinking about how close he was to dying at his unwritten son's hand. Not since the first time he'd seen Gideon, grown up in Belle's dreams when he was trying to wake her from the sleeping curse, did he feel so horrified. And frustrated. The idea of his son not just hating him, but wanting to kill him, chilled him.

And despite denying and refusing to believe it every second of their earlier conversation, Gold knew the youth spoke the truth. The young man was his son from Isaac's book. A son whose personality was much like his own, cunning and thirsting for power. The only things missing was fear and a soft spot for loved-ones. Which only solidified his familial connection to Gold, as more than himself, the youth reminded him of his father. Peter Pan.

The youth was just as cold as the man-child. If the young man's chin and eye shape hadn't reminded him of Belle, Gold would've suspected he was some kind of trick thought of by the bastard who'd abandoned him. Now it was simply proof that the youth was the unwritten child.

His unwritten child, who wanted to kill him. Who relished the thought of killing him and taking his power. Gold wondered for a second if his own father had ever felt what he felt now. Knowing your own son wanted to kill you…it…. He shook his head, dispelling the idea that his father Peter Pan had ever felt similar to him now. The bastard who'd abandoned him had never wanted him, so it was unlikely he'd have been affected at all by Gold despising him.

Gold though wanted his sons. Always. Even the one Isaac had wrote for him in the book. The erased one. It mattered little that the young man's existence wasn't through natural means, he was his son. And the only child of his that was still alive. The only one he still had a chance to be a family with.

'But you do realize, don't you, who else he is?' His Dark One consciousness prodded, repeating its question despite his efforts to ignore it. 'His name. The name he took, it's echoed in your head since the moment you two spoke.' His imp voice crooned, appearing beside him as an hallucination. Chuckling coldly. 'Nemesis.'

Gold tensed, his jaw clenching at his Dark One's subconscious' words.

'That means, dearie, that he's the one who ordered Gideon's….'

"Shut up." Gold growled, stuffing away the thought firmly inside the deepest recesses of his brain. The idea the most unbearable. The most horrible.

'Fine. But it makes one wonder, doesn't it? If he can do that to his own blood, what will he do to Sadie? It's not like her young age will protect her.' His subconscious chided. 'You don't even know what he wants her for. Not to mention how it will affect your future plans.'

Gold flashed an angry scowl at the imp hallucination, his eyes gleaming with frustration and a tad bit of wariness.

'Come on, dearie. You can't hide the truth from me.' His imp form tittered, drawing up to him so that he was a mere inch or so away. 'You still want to corrupt the pirate's daughter. You still want to turn her dark for revenge. And for more than just Hook failing to protect Gideon.'

Gold sunk more firmly into the shadows of the porch, chilled but also lulled by his Dark One subconscious.

'You want him to pay for every transgression against you and yours.' The imp continued, his words followed by a mad giggle. 'Every. Single. One.'

Listening to his Dark One subconscious, Gold averted his gaze from the house, thinking about his plan and his premonition concerning Sadie. If Nemesis' plan for the newborn was deadly, if it risked the baby's life...that vision, that future revenge of his would be nonexistent. Worse, it would be his unwritten son who'd go dark, ur, darker, and yet another child would lose its life. For what?

"What does he want with her?" Gold muttered, glowering as he thought, trying to understand his would-be son. To imagine what the youth wanted. What, if anything, would be important to someone like Nemesis? Someone with the power to jump in at any point of time. Someone outside the story. Someone….

Someone…unwritten.

His narrowed eyes twitched, his scowling lips a thin line as the idea flashed through his thoughts, as clear and sure as one of his visions. Though it simply increased his befuddlement over Nemesis' actions. "Is that what he wants…to be rewritten into the story? But...why not just go to the Author? Surely Henry would've been able to write him back in. Why…?"

'Dearie, do you seriously have to ask why?' His imp self goaded, making a tsking sound before chuckling. 'Isaac wrote him to take after you. Ergo, he'd want what you would.'

Gold sucked in a breath and scowled at the floor of the porch without noticing it, realizing what Nemesis wanted. Or rather didn't want. "He doesn't want to lose his power. His ability to transverse to anywhere or when in the story. He wants to be returned to the story, but with his power intact."

'Hee hee. Right you are.' The tittering imp spoke, making a few grandiose gestures before cozying up close to him. 'And there's only one way he can accomplish that.'

"A powerful reversal spell. One cast on his page from Isaac's book." Gold muttered, his knowledge from his centuries of living and from being the Dark One meshing with his cleverness. "But that doesn't explain why he needs the pirate's daughter..." His eyes widened and he glanced back at the window leading to Sadie's nursery, a sickening feeling sinking in his stomach. "Unless…." Filled with curiosity, and with dread gnawing at his gut, he teleported himself into the baby's room, taking only the briefest of moments to check that no one else was around.

Appearing just a foot away from the crib, Gold peered down at the newborn and visibly relaxed upon noticing she was asleep. He still remembered how quickly he warmed to her earlier in the sheriff station, moved by his grief and paternal desire. Something he couldn't afford happening now, especially if his suspicion was correct.

"Now, now, dearie." He muttered, studying the newborn and debating how to proceed - to prove if his suspicion was right or not, he had to know what kind of magic Sadie had. Something more readily determined by seeing it in practice or testing a strand of hair - neither of which were feasible with the newborn. Babies seldom could use magic even when born with it, and like many newborns Sadie had little hair to speak of. "How to do…."

"Gah….Bhhr." Having woken up seconds after Gold started muttering, Sadie gurgled. Her wide blue eyes, filled with innocence, curiosity, and trust, gazed up at the Dark One. She smiled, reaching out for Gold, not at all afraid - far too young and innocent to know she should be wary. It nearly caused the Dark One to falter and teleport away to figure out some loophole to get his dagger back instead. Nearly.

"Shh. I…." Gold whispered, raising his hand in order to cast a sleeping spell on Sadie, lest she start bawling like the newborn she was.

It was in that moment that he froze and a strange feeling passed over his body. One quite like the times he crossed the town-line into the Land Without Magic. His eyes widened as he gawked at his hand, struggling to use magic but unable. His first thought was that Nemesis must have gotten hold of the chest and took the dagger back, but he quickly dismissed it. He wasn't being controlled, his magic was simply...gone.

"No…." He muttered, nearly giving into panic, until he realized his limp too was gone. His leg felt whole, strong, like it did before the Ogres War. Yet that wasn't…. Realizing the truth before even noticing that Sadie had managed to grab hold of his sleeve, he backed away quickly. The moment the newborn's tiny hand let go, he felt his magic flood back and his leg return to its crippled, but magically supported, state. Staring at the newborn, Gold's heart raced, horrified.

'Seems Nemesis was right, dearie.' His Dark One subconscious blurted, excited and amused. 'Sadie is special.' The imp paused, walking to the other side of the newborn's crib, and chuckling. 'This means your suspicion is on the nose as well. Nemesis….'

"No…." Gold shook his head, his stomach in knots.

'...is going to steal Sadie's magic and use it to renew his story.' The imp tittered, goading Gold. 'You'll once more have a son to dote on, dearie.' There was a pause, the manifestation of his Dark One subconscious leaning over the crib and flashing a heartless grin before continuing. 'There's just the one thing...this tiny, precious baby….' Another pause while the imp manifestation glanced down at Sadie, eyeing her emotionlessly except for an echo of his heartless grin twitching at his lips. '...will have to die.'

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