#//did she waste a charge of giants might/monstrous form for that?

[the-storm-chaser]

Boops the snoot

'...Back off-'

The scales on her face shifted, rotating outward to poke the 'attacker's finger.

[fresh-outta-jams]

Tale as Old as Time - Prologue

Beast!Namjoon x Reader Author: Admin Mo Summary: Once upon a time, a handsome prince is cursed to never find love, but could a simple girl from the village be the one to change everything? Note: At long, long last, here is the second installment of the Disney AU, a Beauty and the Beast AU for Namjoon! As with the Jin/Sleeping Beauty AU, the story may not be quite as you remember it… (also, the next part of Plastic Heart is coming soon, I just had a big burst of inspiration for this story)   Warnings: None? Word Count: 1.3k

Once upon a time, in the Northeast Kingdom, just beyond the Kingdom of the Rose, there was a handsome prince named Namjoon. His parents had passed when he was very young, and as such, he’d inherited the castle, and the staff within it had been left to raise him. Despite experiencing such tragedy, Namjoon was kind and patient, a just prince with a heart of gold.

As the years passed, some of his older staff went into retirement, and to replace them, he hired people from the village to fill their positions. He treated his staff like family and made sure every member of his team was taken care of on every level. Similarly, his villages were prosperous, never over-taxed, and they always had everything they needed.

Still a young man, Namjoon was everything the Northeast Kingdom could hope for in a ruler and more, someone who truly cared for his people and wanted them to have the best.

It was because of this that word of him spread to Rosaline.

From a young age, Rosaline had been extremely gifted in magic, powerful and feared by all who came into contact with her. She used her magic to get everything she wanted: money, power, a golden glittering castle on a hill, and now, she had her eyes set on the prince.

So, on the night of the winter’s ball, villagers and royalty alike gathered to celebrate the Yuletide season, Rosalie floated into the castle’s front doors. A cloud of gold glimmered around her, and in her hand, she held a single, innocent, red rose.

Namjoon was sitting on his throne in the front of the ballroom. He wasn’t one for dancing, though he had taken countless lessons in his childhood. Instead, he much preferred to see his people having fun. His staff was absent, giving attention to other matters in the castle, but he planned to celebrate separately with them later, once all the other people had gone home.

When the people saw Rosaline, they froze. The musicians stopped playing, and every eye in the ballroom turned to her. Finally noticing that something was off, Namjoon looked up at her. His stomach dropped. He’d heard of Rosaline, and based on what his people said, whatever she said wouldn’t be good.

“Oh, no need to stop the celebration on my account.” She laughed, her voice ringing through the ballroom like a bell. “I’ve merely come to celebrate with you.”

“All are welcome to celebrate.” Namjoon said, sitting up straight, his back rigid and hands shaking. “This party is for all who wish to attend.”

“Would you care to dance, your highness?” Rosaline asked, offering her hand, but he shook his head, swallowing thickly.

“No thank you. I’m not...coordinated enough for it, I’m afraid.”

She laughed. “Putting all of those dancing lessons to waste? What a shame. Suit yourself, though.” She held up the rose in her hand and pruned it, plucking a wilted petal and letting it drift to the floor. “I actually hoped we could discuss something, your highness.”

“And what might that be?”

“Our marriage.”

Had Namjoon been sipping his wine, he would have choked on it. “Pardon?”

“I wish to marry you, your highness.” As Rosaline said it, the golden glow around her got brighter. “Together, we could rule the kingdom with power. And besides, you need to find a queen before your coronation. The law states-”

“I know the law.” He interrupted her. “I am in no rush to find a queen. One that suits me, who I can love, and who will love me in return.”

“I think you’ll find, in time, that I can be quite lovable.” She tilted her head and batted her eyelashes. “You can learn to love me.”

“I don’t think that will be possible, miss. I’ve heard of your activity in the outskirts of the kingdom. No sorceress of that nature will be the kingdom’s queen.” He asserted, standing from his throne.

“Sit. Down.” Rosaline used her free hand and motioned it downwards, an invisible force pulling Namjoon back onto his throne.

He tried to stand, struggling against the magical bonds that held him, but it was no use. He was stuck. He couldn’t move. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. He looked to Jungkook, the head of his guard, who was wearing his suit of shining steel armor. Instead of giving the signal for him to draw his sword, Namjoon’s eyes kept flicking towards the door of the ballroom. Jungkook nodded and quietly started getting the guests out of the castle while Rosaline was distracted with her captive prince.

“Sorceress is such a...strong word.” Rosaline tsked, curling her fingers. As she did, thick thorny vines wrapped around Namjoon’s wrists. “I much prefer ‘enchantress.’”

“You have no place here.” He said, glaring daggers up at her. “You will never be my queen.”

“Perhaps this will change your mind: I’m going to give you a choice. Either you pledge your love to me, or I cast a curse on you and your kingdom. You’ll never be heard from again.”

For a long moment, Namjoon considered it. He was mostly giving Jungkook time to get the villagers and other guests out of the castle. He wasn’t sure which was worse, but he knew if Rosaline was in charge of his people, she could do anything she wanted to them. As their prince, he couldn’t let that happen. It was his duty to protect them.

“Do whatever you want to me, but leave my people alone.”

“A brave prince indeed.” She cooed, floating forward and taking his chin in her hand, squishing his cheeks together forcibly. “And handsome, too. Look at those dimples. Unfortunately, you won’t be handsome for much longer.”

Namjoon stared up at her, trapped, helpless. The tingling burn of magic spread from her fingertips through his face and further down into his body. Something flipped inside of him. The vines unwrapped from his arms, and he held up his hands, watching as his fingers thickened, hands growing into giant bearlike paws. Thick brown fur sprouted from his smooth skin, and long, dark claws grew from the beds of his fingernails.

“W-what did you do to me?!” He asked, finally able to stand from his throne. His voice was deeper than it had been only a few seconds ago. He stumbled forward onto the tile floor, his knees buckling. Horns pushed out from the front of his head. He heard the seams of his suit tear violently as his body grew and stretched into something...monstrous.

“The only way to break my curse is to either come to my castle and beg for my forgiveness, or find someone to love you in your hideous new form.” She laughed wickedly, the sound echoing through the ballroom. “Goodbye, my sweet prince. I assume I’ll see you soon…”

She disappeared in a flourish, leaving Namjoon on the cold tile floor.

***

It was a few hours later than anyone approached the prince. He was still sitting on the ballroom floor in the tatters of what had once been his clothes. It was Jungkook who walked into the room, the helmet of his armor down over his face.

“Y-your highness?”

“Jungkook?”

“I’m right here, sir.” The head of the guard kneeled down in front of the monstrous beast his friend had become. “Are you...alright?”

“No,” Namjoon said, tears welling in his eyes as he stared at his giant paws, sharp claws emerging from them. “Where are the others? Is everyone alright?”

“About that…” Jungkook lifted the visor of his helmet to reveal that...his face was not inside it. Instead, the boy was bound to the very suit of armor he was wearing. “It’s...pretty bad.”

Namjoon’s heart sank even further. He knew he couldn’t marry Rosaline, but looking at himself, the other option she’d given him seemed nearly impossible. After all, who could ever learn to love a beast?

[jojinx]

Heaven is Hell with Baby Blues Ch. 5

Chris Evans x OC Olivia Ransom

Words: 3k

Warnings: 18+, aggressive Chris, light DD/lg, mature content, daddy kink, alcohol consumption

**Warnings of insinuation of mature content**

Want to see more of Chris and Olivia? 

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

A/N: I know I didn’t post for a few days, but I was feeling a bit anxious about my writing if I’m being honest. I have so much fun doing it but sometimes it just feels like I get lost in my own head and forget to be okay with it not being perfect, which I’m sure is very common with anything you feel love towards. Regardless, here is chapter 5 and I’m excited for you all to read it :)  I hope you enjoy it and as always suggestions welcome!

Series Summary: Olivia is a career driven woman who works for a big shot movie studio as a writer, she indulges in life’s pleasures and takes great pride in doing whatever and whoever she likes. Living with her best friend Poppy, Olivia is ambitious and has an appetite for the unconventional. She is living the high life until there is a shift in the dynamic of her friend trio. This pushes Olivia to find comfort in the only way that she knows how; in the arms of a tall bearded stranger with some killer baby blues. The only thing wrong is that she can't seem to shake the feeling that she knows him from somewhere...

                                                Chapter 5

I slowly woke up out of what could be considered the absolute best nap I had ever had. I languidly stretched, pointing my toes; hands reaching for the sky trying to get my body to wake up. It wasn’t until I went to scrub my eyes with my hand that I realized I was still wearing what was left of my black eye makeup…and that it was still dark in the room where I was currently laying completely naked. The events of the night hit me like a train careening off the tracks. I fell asleep. Fuck. I passed out. How could this have happened?

I slowly reached my left hand over to the other side of the monstrous bed, half expecting it to be empty. No such luck. My hand hit a huge, hard, and warm bicep, and my brain immediately started firing on all cylinders. I had to get out of here. I had to go before he woke up. Something that would’ve been a hell of a lot easier had I not passed out. Fuck.

I slowly turned my head to the gorgeous, bearded, brunette man beside me who took up the majority of what could only be a California king sized bed. He lay there sprawled out, sleeping peacefully, long eyelashes resting on his cheeks, pouty pink lips slightly parted, huge arm stretched off the side of the bed, letting out a soft snore. I had to go. Now. This man lying next to me was dangerous to say the least. Tall, dark, handsome and nothing but raw power. Men like this were the men I avoided, not for lack of fun – believe me, there was plenty of fun to be had- but because of the chaotic nature of these types of dynamics.

I sat up, realizing that my leg was laying on top of his, and pulled it off him as slowly as I could. I brought my legs up to my chest to swing them over the bed, when I felt a sweet ache and tenderness in my lady bits. Flashbacks immediately hit me, being tied up, him spanking me until I was putty in his hands, being made to… oh god, I had to go.

I slowly lowered my feet one at a time to the soft rug that stretched out from under the bed, trying to make as little noise as possible. Looking back at him, I tiptoed to the front of the bed crouching down to grab my heels and jeans, when my legs spasmed not being able to hold my weight. I went down with a soft thud and a squeak onto a pile of black which I could only assume was his dress shirt from the night before. I glanced up at my mystery stranger, making sure he hadn’t moved and got up onto my knees to make my way to the door.

“Hmmm, and where might you be off to in such a rush?” said a husky voice, gravelly with sleep.

I froze. Completely naked, heels and jeans in my hands, looking like a crazy person I was sure. I stood up straight on shaky legs, something he found quite funny.

“Now, what I don’t understand is why you’re leaving without giving me a proper goodbye.” He chuckled. “Those legs of yours don’t look to be up to the challenge of walking you all the way to the door.”

I turned slowly on my wobbly legs, hoping he didn’t see just how unsteady I truly was. I straightened my back and stood up as straight as the ach in between my legs would allow.

“I just figured I’d make it easier for the both of us. I mean we had a great time, don’t get me wrong, but the alcohols’ gone, my nap rejuvenated me and inspired me to take my ass home.” I said, trying to sound matter of fact, and direct, ignoring the tremor in my voice.

“And all without saying goodbye to me.” He tsked, sitting up in bed. He slowly moved his legs off the side to stand letting the white sheet fall off him, revealing first his strong thighs and then his firm ass. God, I could bounce a quarter off that behind. Once he was at his full height, the sheet dropped completely from his hips, showcasing his breathtaking…assets. I was embarrassed to admit that even with the ache prominently reminding me that I should head home, I felt myself clench for him. My body remembering all the wicked things he knew how to do with that mouth, with those hands…. That co- No! Oh my god, I was like a horny teenager.

He walked toward me, body on full display. He stood directly in front of me, and without breaking eye contact slowly grabbed both my heels and jeans from my hands placing them on a chair near the corner of the room. I couldn’t move. Did he want to have sex again? Did I want to have sex again? Jesus.

Once my shoes and jeans were safely on the chair, he leaned down and reached behind me coming up with a pile of black fabric in his hands. He held it out, making sense of the bundle and once organized he held it open up to my back.

“Put this on.” It was a command, not a request. Normally, I am not the type of woman anyone commands, not without some well-established rules first at the very least, but for some reason his tone held a finality to it. Like arguing would only waste time because he was the one in charge in this room. I obediently slipped my arms into the much too large black dress shirt pulling it closed over my naked body, enjoying the scent of cologne that lingered on the fabric. He came around and moved my arms from their crossed position over my chest, taking each button between his large fingers and securing them. Once he was satisfied with the number of buttons that were done up, he looked up at me. Baby blue meeting chocolate brown.

“Come back to bed.” He said softly, not an order this time; a request. Something in his eyes told me to listen, something pushed me to want to stay, all my earlier escape plans forgotten.

“Okay.” I replied softly, looking up at him through my lashes, my nerves coming through my trembling reply. I didn’t know what to make of what he’d asked of me; all I knew was that one look into those liquid blue eyes and I wanted nothing more than to give him anything and everything he wanted. This is where the danger lay in these dynamics. This is where I had to be careful, guarded. If I wasn’t careful, tall, dark, and horny would chew me up and spit me right back out again leaving me to pick up all my broken pieces.

I awoke to sunlight beaming in through a sliver between the dark curtains, slowly getting my bearings; squinting my eyes open. I went to roll over and get the sun out of my eye when I realized that I was caged in my two massive arms. The more I became aware of my body, the more I realized that I was pressed against what could only be the blue-eyed stranger form the night before. His face was pressed against my hair, letting me hear soft snores as he breathed. I know I should leave, take advantage of him being out cold and sneak off, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I found my curiosity peaked, and I wanted to get a feel for the man who was able to fuck me into oblivion and also cuddle me this tightly.

I attempted to turn over in his arms to look at his face, when I felt him stir behind me. With a deep groan he turned over onto his back, pulling me with him. Before I could react, a loud squeal left my lips, effectively causing a low chuckle from under me. I lay there, a little taken aback by his easy reaction.

“Good morning to you too, Bambi.” I said in a deep baritone voice. “I was wondering if you’d be here when I woke up.”

“Well it’s kind of difficult to escape when you’re being held hostage by a giant.” I grumbled, trying to push his arms from around me to get up.

I was rewarded with a deep laugh from the giant himself. I couldn’t help but smile as I pushed against his arms. I managed to get free and hop up onto my feet turning to face him in the process, when I wobbled on my still unsteady legs, only causing him to laugh all the more. I was beginning to get annoyed. It wasn’t my fault that I couldn’t stand properly, something that I was pretty happy about, albeit a little annoyed.

Reaching out to steady myself on the big bed, I finally looked up at him in the morning light. My heart stopped.

“Are you fucking KIDDING me?!” I all but screeched at his face, pulling the white sheet that had been covering us off the bed to hide my bare breasts from him.

“What?” He quickly asked, alarm laced in his tone as he reached for me. “Are you okay, what is it?”

I pulled back, stumbling over the sheet, like he was made of lava. It couldn’t be. This wasn’t happening. The beard, the eyes, the biceps, the pecs… Captain FUCKING America was currently lying naked in bed. Naked. Captain America. Bed. I frantically looked around, anxiety gripping my heart. Was I on some hidden camera show?

“You-you’re-but-Evans-Chris-FUCK!” I finally managed to sputter in between heaving breaths looking into his worried blue eyes.

He closed his eyes and threw his head back as an almost hysterical laugh broke from his chest. It looked like he was struggling to breath when his right hand came up and grabbed his chest. I could see tears streaming down his temples as he fell backwards onto the bed, clearly amused by my reaction to our situation.

“If you don’t stop laughing, I’m going to come over there and smother you!” I fumed. I couldn’t believe this jackass. I couldn’t believe that I was too drunk to realize I dragged Chris fucking Evans out of a club. I was embarrassed, and I have to say a little proud. Drunk me kicked ass.

“Holy shit…” He said, attempting to catch his breath. “I can’t believe it took you this long to notice!” Again, he broke down into a fit of laughter. “We had sex for like 4 hours!”

I stood there with my lips pressed tightly together, wanting to be furious but failing miserably. His laugh was contagious; I felt a bubble of laughter sneak its way up my throat. The more I thought about it, the harder I laughed. The harder I laughed, the more my legs shook. I fell onto the bed in a fit of giggles as the night’s events flashed in my mind. I had to stop drinking with Poppy.

We both managed to calm down enough to catch our breath. I wiped the tears from my eyes as I looked over at him only to find him already staring at me with a grin on his face.

“I just can’t believe I was so out of it that I didn’t realize I took home Captain America.” I said, shaking my head, as a few laughs spilled from me.

“Yeah well, tequila will do that to you.” He laughed with twinkle in his eye. “Can’t say I’ve ever had that happen to me before, though. So, you’re definitely a first for me.”

“I don’t know whether to be embarrassed or to be concerned.” I half groaned into my hands. “I don’t think I’ve ever woken up next to a celebrity before, so you’re definitely a first for me, too.”

I realized that I didn’t even know what time it was, I sat up looking around at the disaster that was at the foot of the bed. His cllothes strewn everywhere, shoes scattered around, and what looked like a dark tie laying at the top the chaos. My cheeks burned with the memories of the night before. Attempting to not look like an obsessive crazy person, I avoided eye contact so he couldn’t see the embarrassment on my face.

“Are you all right?” Chris asked from his side of the bed, leaning up on his elbows to get a view of my face.

“Yeah, I’m fine!” I replied with a nervous chuckle. “I’m just trying to make sense of the chaos on the floor so I can find my clothes.” I popped onto my knees and leaned over the end of the bed, mindlessly pushing my bare ass in the air.

“Hmm, well yes you are.” Came a low reply as I felt a large hand on my ass. I was caught so off guard that I jumped forward, nearly falling off the bed causing him to lean forward and catch me just in time to stop me from toppling headfirst off the edge.

“Might wanna be more careful there, short stuff.” He laughed, pulling me back into a sitting position. “Your jeans and shoes are on the chair over there.” He gestured to the corner of the room.

I quickly slid out of his grasp, managing to find my jeans and heels just where he’d said, and what was left of my panties buried under his clothes. Bummer, I liked those.

“Have you seen my top?” I asked without turning around. I didn’t trust myself to look at him. I ran the risk of either reacting like a crazy person or getting pulled into bed again, and it was time to go. I had never stayed this long with a one-night stand. Not that this was just any one-night stand, but still. I was always out before morning, mainly because this part was always awkward and him being who he was just made it all the more nerve wracking.

“I think we dropped it somewhere by the front door. Here, let me go look.” He got up out of bed and made his very naked way out the bedroom door. All I could do was stare at his perfectly formed ass as he walked away not giving a second thought to being completely naked. Incredible how he didn’t have an ounce of fat on him, and how when he walked the only thing that moved was his… package. I quickly snapped out of it, slipping into my jeans and heels. The night before rearing its head as I managed to stand up straight. All the dancing and after party antics really took a toll on my poor feet and I couldn’t wait to get out of these heels and into some fuzzy socks.

Thinking of fuzzy socks reminded me of home and that reminded me of Poppy, I didn’t even know where to begin looking for my clutch. I walked out of the bedroom and into the massive living room, arms covering my bare breasts. Chris was nowhere to be found when I heard him yell from what I could only be the kitchen.

“Found it!” He triumphantly cried holding my sparkly top in his hand. “Somehow it landed by the entrance of the kitchen.” He said with a smirk when he caught sight of me walking over to him.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the grin on his face. This was by far the weirdest day of my entire life. I felt like I was in the twilight zone. Here I was, topless in the penthouse suite of an undoubtedly expensive hotel, standing in front of Captain America himself, topless while he was completely naked holding my top from the night prior.

“I’d say you were my hero, but you’re the reason I lost it to begin with.” I laughed as I grabbed my top back. I made sense of the fabric and then slid it on, tying the strings behind my neck and back, finally covering my top half. I turned to walk to the couch where somehow my clutch had landed and started to go through it in the hopes that my phone still had charge.

“So, since you’re dressed, I’m assuming you plan on leaving.” Chris said. “I was actually going to ask if you wanted breakfast before you left. I’m starving and I was kind of hoping you wanted to stick around for some after breakfast fun.”

I was in the middle of unlocking my phone when I finally registered what he’d said to me. I looked up with raised eyebrows, wondering if I’d heard him correctly.

“You want me to have breakfast with you?” I asked in a questioning tone.

“I want you to have breakfast with me.” He nodded. “And then maybe be desert.” He finished with a panty dropping smirk. “Only if you want to of course. We had fun yesterday and I figured we should take advantage since we’re both here anyway.” He finished, crossing his large arms across his chest accentuating his muscled upper body, reminding me that he still had no clothes on.

I couldn’t believe my ears. He wanted to have breakfast. And then more sex. I was at a loss, I knew I should be jumping for joy, but I was suspicious to say the least. But I was a woman, and I had needs. Something that I knew Mr. Evans could take care of for me, which clouded my judgement to say the least.

“Fine, I’ll stay for breakfast…” I started, trailing off.

“I sense an ‘if’ coming.” He chuckled, shaking his head and looking down at me.

“IF,” I confirmed, “you agree to that including an Oreo milkshake… and you let me be on top.” I replied with a raised eyebrow. Both his eyebrows shot up at my requests, his right hand coming up to his mouth and tapping as if in consideration.

“The Oreo milkshake I can do… but you’ll have to be an extra good girl if you want to be on top.” He pinned me with his steel blue gaze and I knew today was about to get a little more interesting.

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

I hope you enjoyed chapter 5! This story is kind of taking on a life of its own, and it's getting exciting to see these two interact.

As always, suggestions and feedback is always welcome! 

See you in chapter 6 :)

[nitewrighter]

Could we some scenes/scenarios of the kids going berserk/looking like a general badass? Like as a last resort or when their Sos/team falls? :3 (I almost keep forgetting that they're like supposed to be these cool superheroes and not just these adorable marshmallow fawning over SOs and friends. Good job Nite!)

Ha! Well I do have some fics of the kids where I think they’re pretty badass. Marti in her fight against Reaper and Rei in Dragonback Pt. 4 I think are pretty intense. 

---

“Stay awake,” Samir’s voice was low as he supported Jaime with one arm, “Look at me.”

Jaime wheezed as Samir formed a hard-light derma-clip over his wound to slow the bleeding.

“They’re coming,” Jaime’s voice was half a grunt, “You have to go, they’re coming.”

“I know,” said Samir. The thunder of talon soldier boots was heavy down the hall behind him, “Don’t worry about it. Worry about staying awake.”

“You have to go,” Jaime said again, tears brimming in those big brown eyes.

“It’s okay,” said Samir.

“It’s not! I won’t let you die for me! You have to--” Jaime cut himself off as the first black and red-armored soldier reared around the corner. “Samir--” he started.

Samir lifted his arm with the hard-light projector on it. “It’s okay,” he said again.

The talon soldier raised his gun and fired, but with a flick of his wrist, a hard-light shield was engulfing most of the hallway. Light. A stopgap at best. It was already fracturing as the talon soldier kept firing on it.

“Please--” Jaime said.

More fissures ran through the hard-light shield, and Samir looked over his shoulder nonchalantly at the growing group of Talon soldiers now firing on the shield.

“Samir--!” Jaime’s fingers dug into Samir’s other arm but Samir suddenly loudly snapped the fingers of his hard-light projector hand. A void of blue light opened up underneath their feet and they fell through. Too surprised to scream as they dropped, though a “Whu--!” escaped one before the portal closed behind him. Samir made a flattening motion with his hand and the portal, the hole, disappeared.

“...Where did you send them?” asked Jaime.

“Don’t worry about it,” said Samir.

---

“Aedan?” Rei’s voice hooks him out of the haze and he snaps out of his stupor, looking down at the husk of a Talon soldier underneath him. He flinches away from the kill, his hand going over his mouth. He brings it away to see black on his palm. His breath shudders with horror.

“Stay away,” his voice is hoarse, with a reverberative quality to it from the still-reforming nanites in his throat. He’d sound like Reaper if it weren’t for the pitch and the accent. “I could still--I could still--”

“Aedan,” her saying his name centers him as he feels a hand on the side of his face. Rei gently tilts his head to look into her eyes. His sclera are black, wet and gleaming, runny tear lines of nanite secretions dripping down his cheeks. His mouth is blackened lip to chin. He looks monstrous, and yet so terrified.

She brings her arms around him and he shrinks against her.

“I’m sorry--” he says quietly, “I’m sorry.”

“You saved the team,” said Rei, still holding him, “It’s okay.”

“I’m not human,” there’s an ache in his voice, “Humans don’t do that. Humans can’t do that.”

“You’re human,” Rei says, stroking a hand down the back of his neck, “You’re human.”

---

Marti’s head was swimming, coherent thoughts seemed to slip from her grasp. She opened one eye and instantly squinted it shut as it stung with the salt of her own blood. She grunted and rolled on the packed earth floor, her hands bound behind her back and her legs bound together. A rusted chain--maybe if she wasn’t aching all over she could concentrate on one point and break it--or even loop it around something to break even one link--but movement sent pain shooting through her.

“You get points for making it past the walls and interior defenses, girly, I’ll give you that,” the Junker squatted over her, the smell of diesel and sour beer lingering in his sweat, “But I’m afraid the queen doesn’t take too kindly to spies.”

“I--I have contacts--” Marti’s voice was raspy as she blinked blood out of her eye, weaker than she wanted it to be. Junkers smelled fear. Smelled hesitation. The law out here was a law of club and tooth--feral, brutal, and already stacked against her.

“What--Junkrat and Roadhog? The Queen wants them shot on sight--I’d think twice before bringing them up,” said the Junker, pulling one of the cables out of her grapple harness with a lazy curiosity, “No, no--You want to see the queen, you have to see her on our terms.” He cupped Marti’s chin in his hand, “Her skin’s too nice, isn’t it?” he said, looking at his compatriots looming at the entrance to the little garage. Some murmured agreements rose up from the dark corners but Marti couldn’t move her head enough to identify exactly where they were in the room.

“My team--” Marti stammered, her jaw tight.

“Are probably plenty busy in the scrapyard,” said the Junker, still gripping her chin, “They aren’t coming, darling.” He rifled at his hip and pulled out what appeared to be a box cutter that had been well rusted over and taken apart and duct-taped back together countless times. He pressed the flat of the rusted blade against her cheek. “Skin’s too nice....” he said again, “You haven’t known the wastes. The sand and heat haven’t blasted you to oblivion. Maybe the Queen might like you a bit more if you had a mark or two. Or seven.” Marti just kept up a steady glare, but her stomach tensed at the memory of Jack’s scars streaking across his face. He got them in an explosion, at least. He got them in a fight. It hurt too much to move now, let alone fight. She stuffed the fear down. Kept the glare up. 

The corrugated tin of the garage’s door suddenly rattled with three hard bangs and the junker brought the blade away from Marti’s face as he looked over his shoulder in confusion. He motioned with his head to the others. “Go see who it is.”

Another junker stepped up to the door and slid a plate of metal aside to reveal a speakeasy grille.

“Hello!” a cheerful voice spoke on the other side of the door and Marti instantly tensed. It was not only a familiar voice, it was a familiar sales voice. She did her best to keep her expression veiled.

“Who the fuck are you?” asked the other Junker.

“I’m a representative from Ogundimu Prosthetics,” said the sales voice, “I believe there’s been a misunderstanding and you have one of our employees in your custody.”

“Employee? Sheila here was clambering in with all this---shocky rock-climbing gear!” said the other Junker.

“State-of-the-art electrician’s gear,” said the voice.

 Marti couldn’t stop herself from rolling her eyes at that.

“She’s a fucking spy,” said the Junker.

“She’s an employee. And Ogundimu Prosthetics would be very grateful if you released her custody back to us,” said the voice.

The junker looked back at Marti and the others.

“...Lotta money, them Ogundimu folks,” said another Junker in the wings.

“But what about the queen?” said another Junker, “She’ll want to know about the spy!” 

“Well if the suit here just wants to clean up a mess, who are we to stop him?” said the Junker still holding the boxcutter near Marti’s face.

“But not for free,” the other Junker emphasized.

“Of course,” said the Junker holding the boxcutter.

“Hm,” the Junker at the door turned back to the grille and said, “We’ll give her to you, on the condition that you give us--” He turned around and did a quick head count, “5 Million. Unmarked bills.” 

“Totally understandable. Let me get corporate on the line,” said the voice and the Junker closed the grille.

“I think that went well,” said the Junker at the door.

Marti did her best to curl into a protective ball as a massive plasma blast blew a giant hole in the garage door.

“You fucker--!” the Junker with the boxcutter yanked Marti up by her braid, moving to shove his blade to her throat when a graviton charge yanked him across the room and slammed him into the wall before another plasma blast hit him in the chest and he dropped to the floor.

The other junkers rushed him, but were quickly dispatched by plasma blasts before only one remained. Too far from Marti to try and threaten her, gripping only a tire iron to protect himself. “I--I thought we were negotiating!” 

“You know,” said Seye, rolling his wrists in their gauntlets, “I should have been clearer: When I said ‘We would be very grateful if you gave her back,’ that was the end of negotiations. That’s on me.”

The junker opened his mouth to respond but Seye extended an arm and with one more plasma blast the junker was knocked into the wall so hard the metal dented.

“Martina---” Seye’s voice dropped from its salesman pitch to its normal depth as he swept to her side in an instant. He tucked some of her hair aside to see a bloody gash in her forehead.

“I told you to untrack my beacon,” said Marti, still woozy.

“I’m bad with directions,” said Seye, alighting a small plasma torch on the fingertips of his gauntlets and cutting her chains loose.

“Are you in Australia on Talon business or corporate?” said Marti as Seye scooped her up in his arms.

“Talon,” said Seye, rising up to his feet.

“You’re really sucking at your mission then,” said Marti, as Seye walked off with her.

“Probably,” said Seye.

[tsaritsaa]

Flares

Gladio x Reader

Summary: A test subject of the Niflheim empire, you escape their clutches with a handful of young women in tow, racing towards Insomnia in search of a better life only to discover it in cinders. With magitek on your tail, you fear there is nowhere left in Eos for you to hide, when you stumble across the men that would bring peace and light to the nation once more.

Word count: 3,709

Chapter One: Someone’s Out There

                                       The fire's out but still it burns                                And no one cares, there's no one there. . .

Your foot collides with the side of the truck, sending sharp shooting pain through your toes as you let out a cry of frustration. You’d broken down in the middle of scenic nowhere, utterly exposed out in the open. A giant piece of Niflheim machinery in Lucian territory would raise questions and incite investigations from BOTH parties, neither of which boded well for you or your party ( currently huddled in the depths of the stolen vehicle ) It set the hair on the back of your neck on end, as if thousands of eyes had been fixated on you since you had fled your captors.

For weeks you had traveled cross country, following desolate winding roads, through ghost towns to reach your destination, and for what? To break down right at Insomnia’s doorstep? It was laughably unfair, and indeed a harsh bark escapes your lips as you limp around to check the smoking engine once more. It had been too easy, gone too smoothly. It was only a matter of time before something awful occurred. Lo and behold, the moment had arrived.

You knew little about automotives, confined with your sister and a handful of others in labs where you were prodded and injected and drawn from like animals. It was a miracle you had gotten as far as you had, relying on half forgotten memories for information. Smoke, however, you knew for certain was never a good thing. Nor was the odd spark that flickered through the white plums, or the odd hissing that accompanied it.

With no one to ask for assistance, you could only pace furiously beneath the late afternoon sun in fury, swearing under your breath all the while. One of your companions – Valora – had poked her head around the side of the truck moments earlier, asking in dour tones if you needed any help. She was more qualified than you to be handling any sort of machinery, given that she had been a part of their enemies infantry her whole life. With a sulky shrug shoulders you had stepped aside to allow her room to poke around beneath the hood.

“It’s shot.” She called after several seconds, coughing as she was engulfed in fumes. That much seemed obvious, but still, you had hoped you were wrong.

You scrub your face with the palm of your hand, turning your gaze from the ruined truck to the impossibly blue horizon. It would be getting dark soon, the bright yellow of the sun was already bleeding into orange. You had learned the hard way not to be caught out in the open at night. Your blood turns to ice at the thought of the monstrous creatures that had materialized out of the shadows. You’d heard their terrible howls in Zegnautus Keep from the cell they had kept you in, ghastly noises that chilled your blood and haunted your nightmares. You had never seen them at  their full capacity until you had fled, until one of them had descended from some void amid flames. With few weapons at hand, facing them was out of the question. You had only slipped away with what you could carry; and with two children in tow, it wasn’t much.

“What do we do then?” You call over your shoulder as Valora slams the hood shut with a grunt.

“Dunno… I’ll scout ahead and see if anyone can give us a hand.” she told you “If not I’ll steal a car and we continue that way.”

You nodded absently, a frown creasing your brow as you watch her haul one of the guns out from beneath the front seat. A jolt of anxiety shoots through your heart as you watch her retreat through the brush. Splitting up in any measure never sat well, regardless how well the pair of you could look after yourselves. You could not look after the others by yourself, nor could she. There was no point stopping her though, her determination was nearly frightening, and she was right . You needed help.

With a heavy sigh, you plop onto the ground by the front tire, resting your weary head against the rubber. Less than thirty minutes out in the open and you had already begun to burn, the telltale ache settling across your face and neck. Yet another grievance to take up with the Astrals, you think as you dig booted toes into the dirt.

Better you than your sister though. The moment your mode of transportation had come to a sputtering halt, you had ordered she and the children into the back of the rig without a second thought. Marina argued long after you had slid the door shut behind her, uncaring that her bellyaching fell on deaf ears. She was pregnant , and far along at that. One of your many motivations to reach the sanctity of Insomnia as soon as possible, fearing the simplest actions might induce labor. After several minutes of peevish muttering, she had quieted and chose instead to keep their two charges occupied and quiet. 

Six year old Agatha and two year old Levina were the only other captives you had managed to free on your way out. You had overheard of their abduction, so similar to yours how they had been cruelly ripped from their family to be trapped and experimented on. It weighed heavily on you that you could not rescue more from the clutches of the empire, that they were still rotting behind iron bars or twisted into something far worse.

You did what you could though with what little time you were granted. That had to count for something, right?

A shout sends you tumbling back into reality with a sickening crash, nearly hitting your head on the side view mirror in your haste to get to your feet. Cautiously, you peer over the hood of the car, eyes narrowed through the smoke. Some fifty yards away you could make out a handful of shaded figures ( none of them bearing Valora’s familiar figure, thank the Six )  They appeared to be fighting some strange four-legged animals; lithe ferocious ones you could not recall seeing before.

Your heart was still pounding madly in your chest as you waved a hand to clear the smoke. Was that the direction your companion had ventured though? Was she in trouble? You didn’t waste time pondering it, ducking once more behind the car to riffle around for another stolen gun.

Before your fingers manage to close around the grip, you are viciously tugged backward, flung several paces before landing in a graceless heap in the dirt. The force knocks the breath from your lungs, cutting off the cry for help that had formed on your lips as a beast descended on you. Jaws snap inches from your face as you flail helplessly beneath it, razor sharp fangs catch on your palms sending droplets of  blood raining across your face, into your eyes. The thought of your sister coming to your aid intensifies your struggling, unwilling to put her in harm's way should she deem it necessary to step in and rescue you.

You roll to your left, trying to catch the animal unawares, and you think it works for a second.  You have the upper hand as you fight to keep all appendages out of its drooling mouth. The severity of the cuts you were receiving didn’t bode well. Potions were the only thing you had run out of almost instantly en route out of Gralea, leaving the girls no choice but to avoid confrontation at all cost.

The creature refused to let up, snarling and clawing at your exposed arms, determined to make a meal out of you. It seems to relish the taste of your blood, whetting its appetite as is beared down harder. Droplets of sweat had broken out across your forehead and a cry of pain escape your lips as teeth hit bone. You couldn’t keep this up, you weren’t strong enough. Pure adrenaline had gotten you this far but you were fading fast as more and more blood was sapped from your veins.

Just as your arms were about to give, a roar met your ears and the animals eyes went wide. You could only stare as keened in agony before it collapsed on top of you, dead. In the midst of your struggle, you hadn’t heard the heavy footfalls bounding towards you, nor had you see the glimmer of steel as the great sword cut through air and beast. You don’t have time puzzle over the swiftness of the actions for long, groaning as the full weight of the beast begins to crush you ( like it hadn’t been heavy enough while it was still breathing )

“Hey, you still alive?” Peeking past tufts of fur, you can see a veritable GIANT towering above you, bending down to haul the corpse from your prone form. Dazed and winded, his words incite a frown as you glance up at him – nearly cricking your neck in the process –  as you heave yourself into a sitting position. Were you alive? Did it matter? 

“Yeah, ‘m fine.” Your voice is gruff and laden with suspicion, wincing as you attempt to shrug your shoulders. Yeah, THAT felt dislocated. 

Amber eyes are critical as they take in your gory, disheveled appearance, giving a snort of disdain at your blatant lie. Still, he backs off as you clamber to your feet, grinding your teeth as your hands make contact with the earth. They’re trembling horribly, and you can only pray that there was no lasting nerve damage. How had things fallen apart so fast? 

“Good, now you can tell me what your business is in Lucis.” And just like that, his broadsword is pointed in your face, leaving you as helpless as you had been moments before.

You gape at him like a fish out of water, momentarily offended before realizing you were clad in military fatigues and standing beside a vehicle of their sworn enemies. He has every right to be suspicious of you, you try to reason with yourself, despite your growing trepidation and ire.

“I’m not one of them.” You say quickly, raising crimson stained hands in a gesture of peace “I stole one of their rigs so I could get home and I got stuck.”

“ Huh .” He rumbles in reply, disbelief clear in his voice and his body language. Still, he lowers his weapon and wordlessly reaches into a pocket to produce a potion for you “You’re either the worst soldier in the infantry or you’re actually telling the truth.”  he snorts before looking over his shoulder.

“That’s the last of ‘em!”  His voice is so loud and deep you nearly levitate off the ground a few inches in alarm.

Narrowing your eyes, you carefully work the bottle open with your teeth and allow the magic inside to do its work, sighing as the deepest cuts begin to mend. Split, red skin gives way to pink and white scars. In a week or so they’d be just like new, or so you hoped. Feeling slowly begins to return to benumbed digits, which you flex experimentally. Stiff , but at they should be fine in the long run. At least you still had hands to heal. A chill races down your spine at what a close call this experience had been. You couldn’t imagine losing one, or both of your hands.

You look up again as dead grass crunches under boots, eying the three men that padded around the truck towards you. In spite of your pain, you are instantly on guard, feet planted firmly and bloody fists clenched. You had no plan of action, no possible way to escape should these men decide you were a threat, but you’d be damned if you didn’t put up a fight.

“What the hell are you doin’ out here anyway? ‘Roads a good mile and a half east.” The strangers tone is accusatory and makes your hackles rise as you look up at him in annoyance. It wasn’t like you had asked to be attacked, if anything he and his friends had practically lead the monsters to you. 

“What are YOU doing out here?” You bite back as the trio comes within earshot, taking a cautious step backwards the nearer they draw.

“Hunting.” That comes from a man with soft black hair and an even voice. He meets your glare steadily, arms crossed over his chest. You wanted to snarl at them all for staring at you so. Anything to wipe away the mistrust that emanated from them in waves. In their faces you saw the same disgust harbored in that of the Gralean doctors and scientists. They all looked down their noses at you like you were some lesser thing; unworthy of their attention.

“Yeah! Sorry you got caught in the crossfire there.” Well, maybe not ALL of them. The peppy blonde seemed far more curious than hostile. You might even detect a small trace of concern in those electric eyes as they spy the streaks of blood that mar your clothing. It was probably the most genuine thing anyone had said to you since you were a girl... 

“Is there a problem here?” The tension is momentarily broken as Valora’s voice cuts through the air like a knife. Five pairs of eyes flick round to stare as the brunette trudges forward, gun raised  and expression wary.

“I don’t know, is there?” The raven haired man replied again. To you he seemed to bristle like a porcupine, quills ready to launch at the slightest hint of danger, the way spiked locks fluttered in the breeze it was almost humorous. Regardless the menacing vibe he attempted to drive in her direction, Valora remained impassive as she moved to stand protectively in front of you.

“Nah, we took care of the trouble, see!” Pipped up the perky blonde again, the toe of his shoe prodding the dead monster that lay forgotten beside them. He looks almost nervous as he turns to face his friends, shifting from foot to foot “They don’t look like anything ‘ol Aldercapt has sent our way so far. They aren’t daemons or magitek. ” 

“Indeed.” The bespectacled man intones thoughtfully as he looks between you and Valora. You’d nearly forgotten his was there, overshadowed by his louder companions as he silently assessed the situation “That doesn’t mean they are not a threat. But perhaps we might give them the benefit of the doubt?” 

You weren’t quite as ready to be so obliging. They could easily be the type of bounty hunter that would ship them back to the empire for whatever gil they could scrounge. Your own misgivings surpassed theirs thrice over for all the abuse you had suffered. It should not be you convincing them of your integrity, but vice versa.

“Look, we don’t have time for this. If there’s a problem just fuck off, alright? You don’t bother us, we won’t bother you.” It comes out harsher than you intended and blondie takes a small step back, hurt flashing across freckled features. If you hadn’t felt backed into a corner, you might have felt bad for snapping at him so, especially when he had just defended you.

 “Woah, hold your chocobos.” The mountainous man groused, blocking your path with his weapon as you make to stride back towards the truck. “You said you got stuck. If you’re not some Imperial scumbag, we’ll help you out, alright?”

“Do I look like a goddamn robot?!” It echoes around the clearing and you wince, running the back of your hand over your eyes. You might have said more, might have taken a few seconds to calmly explain your situation had your blonde defender not turned white as a sheet as he glanced behind you.

“Speak of the devil and he shall appear...” The man in glasses all but growls as a javelin materializes in his hand. Your blood runs cold as a great shadow appears over the barren earth follow by the hum of engines. The sharp breeze lifts your hair from your shoulders as you turn to face the craft that glides towards you.

“ Shit… ” You curse viciously, whirling around to sprint past the quartet, slamming your fist against the side of the rig in cadence “EVERYONE OUT, NOW.”

“Wha--??” You don’t bother sparing the baffled men a second glance as you rifled around beneath the front seat to pull out the gun you had been searching for prior. Valora was already behind the vehicle, rolling the metal door open before leaping inside without any preamble.

Turning on your heel, you see their eyes flick between the truck, you, and the fast approaching ship in confusion. Valora reappeared with a pack over her shoulder and Levina in her arms, feet hitting the dirt with a heavy thud before turning on her heel to offer a hand to Marina. Your sister’s movements were slow, burdened by her swollen belly as she clambered to the ground with a huff. Agatha crawled out next and was immediately scooped into her arms, squawking and whining in confusion as the two adults turn to you for instruction. 

The urge to laugh bubbles up in your chest at the utter shock on everyone’s face, adrenaline bordering on hysteria. From the dumbfounded look on the man who had rescued you, to the openmouthed wonder displayed by the blonde. Clearly none of them had expected such a wild turn of events. 

“What’s going on?” Marina shouted as she caught sight of the newcomers, clutching the child to her chest as though they might attack unprovoked. No one bothers to reply her, not when she glances up seconds later and finds her answer right on top of them. Ashen-faced, she grabs at Valora’s arm as if checking to see that she was still there.

“Don’t just stand there, RUN!” You yell desperately as the aircraft’s ramp begins to lower and Magitek troopers descended like flies on rot. 

“There’s a campground less than a hundred meters from here!” The spectacled man shouted over the roar of the engines. Valora nodded sharply before sparing you a fleeting glance to gage your reaction. It was their best bet and the only option she could perceive. If they stayed they could be captured again,  and that was utterly unacceptable. With a jerk of your head, the women are off, sprinting across the vast plane as fast as their legs would carry them. You watch for a brief moment, anxiety threatening to overwhelm you before the click of armor brought you back to the present.

The four strangers had already thrown themselves into the fray, their shouts almost gleeful as they took down each soldier with ease. You had no business in a fight like this. You were a damn lab rat, not a fighter. They wanted your womb and your blood, not  your strength or valor. They had told you as much, conditioned you to believe it until it was ingrained into your brain. You very nearly drop your weapon and trail after the others, but your legs are frozen. Your first step out of  that compound was your greatest act of defiance. You had freed your body from their clutches, it was high time you began to free your mind. You were more than you were conditioned to be.

Hands begin to tremble as you point your weapon at the nearest trooper. Narrowing your eyes and gritting your teeth in concentration, you pull the trigger. The first shot misses and you swear as you draw their attention, metal bodies shifting as they stomp towards you. This was good though, wasn’t it? The closer they got the easier they would be to take out. In theory any way. You hadn’t expected so many to converge on you at once, assuming the gentlemen ahead of you had the situation well in hand.

‘Shit, shit, shit!’ you’re reloading your weapon as fast as you can, raising it in the nick of time as one of the troopers meets you head on, blasting it away  from you as it raised its sword above its head. Dodging to the right, you narrowly avoid another blade as it sinks into the side of the truck, so deeply embedded in the steel that it makes you feel faint. Another shot and that one too is out for the count, collapsing backwards with a mighty crash.

To your dismay though, as you curl your finger around the trigger yet again, you find you are out of ammunition. You curse loudly again, an undignified shriek falling  from your lips as another imperial charges at you. Swinging the gun wildly, you manage to dislodge its helmeted head from its body in one fell swoop. Effective, but not perfect. It continues towards you a few paces, arms outstretched before crumpling at your feet. 

Before you the men are take down what appears to be the last foe with such gusto you quirk an eyebrow. At least they’re having fun, you supposed.

You allow yourself to relax as it too falls to the ground, wiping the sweat from your forehead as you lower the semi useless gun to your side. If you could get them on your side, you might just survive this ordeal. If not, well, you wouldn’t stand a chance against them. This little kerfuffle had made that  fact abundantly clear. 

“If you guys really wanna help –” You begin as the make their way back to you, cutting yourself off when a sharp pain rips through your abdomen. You gurgle weakly, looking between the men as they let out a holler of surprise, and the blade that pierced straight through your body.

So fast had it happened that you barely had enough time to react, dropping to your knees as bright red splashed across the dust. Time seems to slow then, and it takes them years to reach your side, decapitating  the rogue trooper that had slipped up behind you. The sharp clash of metal on metal is suppressed, your vision beginning to blur as you fall onto your side.

The darkness that had snapped at your heels all these miles had finally caught up your you, dragging you back into the abyss. You had little choice but to follow, eyes fluttering shut as you were swept away.

AN: Sandy Cheeks voice: WELL HOWDYYYYY. Me @ myself: don't post this at midnight when you're half asleep also me: posts this shit at midnight when I'm half asleep. I'd like to apologize in advance for everything.

This is my first ever reader insert fic so please bear with me as I try to figure my shit out tbh. Beginnings and introductions are always weird and awkward I had to fight so hard not to just put their damn names in 'cause I'm running out of synonyms for 'men' and 'strangers' you feel me? ANYWAY I've wanted to cram my love of Mad Max: Fury Road into a fic for the longest time, and FFXV finally presented me with the opportunity.

BUCKLE THE FUCK UP KIDDOS, ITS GONNA BE A WILD RIDE FROM START TO FINISH.

[ghozt1ng-blog]

Chapter Ten - Dark Portals

Brandon was a potato acrobat. Whoever was controlling him this time had him expertly dodging, leaping, and sprinting all over the place. He now had the orc’s giant ax in his small arms and was crushing foes left and right with it, and he was complaining the entire time.

“My body is my own! It’s not to be used as a play thing!”

Naomi really didn’t pay him any more heed. The dead had dropped to her amazements another bomb. She took it and laid in wait for the stone statues to come for her. When the first Anubis statue approached, she threw the bomb just right as his left leg, blowing it away , and causing him to fall into the other stone monster. They both crumbled and dropped a ton of loot. With the orc’s bag, she could now miraculously hold a lot more items. She loaded up on gems, magical items, and some extra daggers. Sadly, she had used up her only bomb. Thankfully, she had found an invigorating potion, and she was back to full energy.

The real problem was now figuring out how to get out of this game. A storm was was forming over Hyrule Castle, and the normally smoky and fiery air was being sucked up into a monstrous funnel cloud.

“Brandon, we either need to get away from here, or brave the palace,” Naomi shouted to him. She doubted it would do much, since he was being controlled, but she could only hope. She could hope that he might die in the game. Then it wouldn’t be her fault right?

To the west, the Tabantha Frontier erupted in stone and darkness. Some of the blackness dropped like goo near them, and people of the Twilight Realm formed from the dark substance.

Oh crap, what is going on now!?

“I think I have to go to the castle,” Nate said. “The girl just suggested it in the text.”

“Sweet stuff,” Vince replied. “And now that you have some materials around you, maybe there is something good for Brandon to use.”

“Hold on a sec.” Nate brought up the menu option and then started exploring. “Hold the proverbial phone! There’s a multiplayer option!”

“No way! Would I get Loink then?”

“Who knows,” Nate shrugged. “We gotta check this out!”

“Multiplayer Breath of the Wild with super hacks!? who wouldn’t play this,” Vince gushed.

Nate kept the game paused, which kept Naomi, Brandon, and all the enemies frozen in place. Vince started looking around for extra controllers.

“Why didn’t I think of that,” Kyle said, smacking his face. “I could have paused the previous game and we might have found a way to get them out.”

“I didn’t think this game would let you do that,” Tiffany said.

“There must be a way setting this up like Smash,” Vince muttered.

“I don’t think it would have worked that easily,” Agent Miles said, trying to sooth Kyle. “I think this indeed game that requires that they play through it to get out.”

“Oh man! I think that this game had brought back Twilight Princess! Dude! Dude! The ships might just sail here,” Nate squealed with delight.

Vince soon got a new pair of controllers running, and the screen split.

“Well, that kinda detracts from the beauty of the game,” Nate admitted.

“But still, this has gotta be the coolest thing ever! We’re going to dominate now,” Vince cheered. He looked at the menu for Naomi and then said, “Woah there! Check this out! I got the girl, and she a sword called Excalibur, and it can be enhanced. Just gotta use some of these items…”

“Dude, that is legit! You gotta kill some stuff and see how it does,” Nate said excitedly.

“And the flavor text says that this sword cannot be broken. So cool!”

And with that, the two boys got to work.

Naomi felt like life had suddenly paused, but she couldn’t explain why. Suddenly, Excalibur burst into radiant light and she started being controlled! She had to agree with Brandon that it wasn’t fun having someone else determine her actions, but she made certain not to complain like him. She was directed towards a group of Blue Lizalfos charging them. The Twili huddled together and begged for protection. Naomi cleaved her way through the lizards like a hot knife through butter. They exploded on contact with Excalibur.

“Alright! Now this is the kind of sword I wanted,” she exclaimed happily.

There was a clunking sound, and a sentinel came lopping into view. Before she knew it, Naomi was racing towards it with Brandon flanking her. He now had a cool halberd instead of the ax. He looked ready to cry, the goober. The sentinel locked in on them, but Naomi deflected the laser blast with her sword. Its light then started winking out. Whatever boost it had gotten, was probably wearing off after that attack.

She jumped and and swung Excalibur through the leg of the sentinel, slicing it clean off. The machine toppled and Brandon thrust his halberd into its eye. The health bar over the machine already showed that they had done significant damage to it. Her limbs being moved by somebody else, Naomi hacked away at the sentinel, even after Excalibur’s boost ended. The machine soon rumbled and blew up in a cloud of smoke and rubble. She and Brandon were then directed to pick up the dropped items.

Naomi looked up at the gathering storm and saw a massive dragon descending from it. It did not look like any dragon she had seen in a Zelda game. It was gray with red armor all over its body and two axes in its claws. Bright blue eyes gleamed from under its helm and it started bombarding the land with fire bombs.

I really don’t want to fight that thing, Naomi thought.

She was then whisked off in the direction of the castle.

“This is going to be a crazy boss fight when we get there,” Nate said.

“But are we ready?”

“We need to see what we are up against and get some resources. Vince, quickly see if you recognize that dragon, or if the internet does,” Nate instructed to his friend.

“Hold it,” Trick screeched, sliding into the room. “I know how to get them out of there! Look, we need to find this portal!”

He shoved the paper from the mailbox into Kyle’s hands, but Kyle directed him to the college students playing on the Switch. “They are in control of Naomi and Brandon right now.”

Trick didn’t bother wasting time asking who they were or where they came from. “Look, in order to win, we need to get Brandon and Naomi to this portal. It says that it is revealed when the Twilight Realm is revealed.”

“Hold on, let me compare maps,” Vince quickly said.

Nate paused the game again to give his friend time. They soon put their heads together to look at the different maps and talked about where the Twilight Realm should be in relation to the new game.

“The Tabantha Frontier makes the most sense,” Nate finally said. The maps say it is so, and that is where we saw the Twili fall from, I think. We need to go there.”

“Better than fighting that boss dragon now,” Vince agreed.

For the next hour, Trick, the agents, and the Jackson family watched and cheered with anxiety as the two strange savior led their loved ones through the bizarre alteration of the game. They led a crowd of Twili and confused citizens through a sea of enemies and towards the fuming wastes to the west.

Naomi had no clue where they were going, but she was certain now that they would make it. Whoever was playing was really good, and was guiding them along well. They had been fighting their way to the dark western horizon. The dragon had pelted them with fire and the storm was growing stronger, but thankfully the further they got from the castle, the storm lessened and the dragon stopped attacking.

During their flight, Naomi noticed that her stamina bar acted more like it should in the game, and she grew weaker less quickly. The same held true even for Brandon. She figured it was a positive side effect of the game now being played, rather than survived by them. The players also regularly boosted and healed her and the potato kid.

As they crested a broken mountain, she saw a land riddled with portals before her. They were all made of either stone arches, or giant behemoths of metal and machinery. She couldn’t fathom why she was brought here, unless….

They must have found a way home!

She shed a small tear at the thought of finally getting free! She and Brandon were led to explore the many portals. She saw curious writing on them, but couldn’t decipher it. Abruptly, she and Brandon were thrown through one portal. Everything started spinning, and she felt sick to her stomach. Then it all slowed, and she was alone in a void.

Feeling lost and abandoned, Naomi looked around. She saw not too far off two figures, talking together. One was clearly Midna, restored to her full glory, and the other was the Tscheapwhetzar! And she could hear them talking.

“I can assure you that you will see Link again, and when you do, you will finally have the chance you never thought you would,” the cloaked and hooded man said in a low voice.

“And if I do,” Midna said slowly, almost anxiously.

“You will be able to do whatever you want, but I will ask the Twili and the people of Hyrule to serve me in the coming war when I have their need,” the Tscheapwhetzar answered. “It is the Contract: your freedom, a chance to be with him again, in exchange for your friendship.”

Midna considered and then asked, “How will this disrupt our worlds? The timelines? You being here, my actions… They could have devastating effects.”

“I will ensure that there are no negative repercussions on your side,” the man assured her. “I stand between your decision and the judgement of the Guardians and all other powers. Seal this Contract, and I will never forsake you. I remember my friends and will always be there for them.”

The way he said that, with so much emotion and force being choked back, even Naomi felt like she could trust the Tscheapwhetzar. But she still wanted to warn Midna. There was something off about this, but as she tried to call out, she found she couldn’t.

“Then you will have my friendship,” Midna declared.

“Excellent,” the Tscheapwhetzar said in a soft hiss like a snake.

He handed the princess a shard of a black mirror, wreathed in red lightning...

Naomi was then pulled forcibly back to Earth and landed with a thud on the Jackson’s living room floor. The next thing she saw was Trick coming to her and helping her up. She was finally back! She took Trick’s face in her hands, and then headbutted him.