#[ i am a concrete wall. // fletch. ]

[lcvemeforever]

// cora 'fletch' fletcher. //

maika monroe, bisexual, non-binary  + they/she ― hey look, it’s cora ‘fletch’ fletcher! they’re twenty-six years old, they’ve lived in shrike heights for six months, and they’re currently working at starstrike in shrike mall. i heard they’re pretty prickly, but i think they’re so creative at the same time. can they make it out alive?

tw parental abuse

>> fletch has always had a serious case of wanderlust. growing up in army family, with her father getting stationed somewhere new every two years, they never got a chance to settle in anywhere; they're always looking for somewhere new, somewhere that felt like home.

>> their relationship with their parents was strained at best for most of their life. fletch's mother was cruel and high strung and her father didn't seem to get enough violence at his day job. it was enough to drive fletch from their home the minute she turned eighteen.

>> she spent the next few years driving around the country in the beat up car she bought with the money they'd saved up from years of babysitting and picking up odd jobs in whatever town they'd been uprooted to.

>> fletch worked odd jobs to keep herself afloat, landing up in los angeles for a while, waitressing, then up to seattle as a bartender, wyoming working on a cattle ranch, and a ton of other random jobs until they landed up in boulder working as a temp receptionist

>> it was in boulder that they met tony. he was everything to them, so much so that they started to fantasize about settling down, about building a life, all with tony. that was, at least, until he invited her on a trip to shrike heights to "meet his family," though it was really an excuse to steal all the money she had to her name and split town.

>> desperate to be able to keep things moving in their life and get out of town as soon as possible, they started working at the infamous mall in shrike to save up some money. unfortunately, a part time job at the mall is barely enough to keep fletch afloat, and they don't have the means to keep moving like they used to.

>> it's not all bad, though. they like it here. apart from the murders.

[lo-55]

Here There Be Dragons Ch. 2

Return to Hanamura                    

 Jesse was cutting it close when he returned to Hanamura in under a two weeks. If Reyes had seen him he would have boxed his ears and told him how stupid he was. If Genji had seen it he would have demanded to know what tail Jesse was chasing.

 How could he explain that it was a dragon’s?

 The young man had left his hat and his serape in his bag this time, despite the chance of the headwear being crushed around with what few personal items he kept with him. There was next to nothing he owned that he couldn't replace. His hat, his favorite red serape, Peacekeeper, and now the glittering dragon scale that weighed down his pocket.

 Jesse didn’t have the poetry of words to describe why it was so important that he return and see the dragon once more. It was a bone deep need, and ache that buried itself into his lungs until breathing was difficult without thinking of the magic he’d seen.

 Something deep inside his gut dragged him back to Hanamura, in the darkness of the moonless, clouded night. Jesse had always trusted his gut, it hadn’t lead him wrong yet. Not when he was a lawless brat running around the red desert, not when he was a Blackwatch agent fighting to repent.

 Not now, when he was nothing more than Jesse McCree, he had no one and nothing to trust except for his insides.

 His shoulder wasn’t healing well. He should have gone to a doctor, but there was no one in the country he was sure he could trust. Angela was off in war zones, and even if she wasn’t with Overwatch’s break up he wasn’t sure she wanted to see any of them these days. She never had liked their violent tendencies.

 Jesse shook his head and pulled his hood closer to his face, hopping around a corner to approach the castle for the third time. The vice on his ribs started to ease when he came into sight of it’s high walls. It was hard to make out in the dark of the night, but Jesse could see well enough. He moves quickly, quietly, crossing the near deserted street until he was standing at the gate once more.

 He lay his metal hand against it and pushed. It swung opened without a hassle, setting his teeth on edge. The hair on his arms stood up. The quiet creak of wood brought his eyes and his gun up to his right. Down the barrel a man stood, bow pulled back to his jaw. Dark eyes narrowed at Jesse down the shaft of a wickedly pointed arrow.

 If Jesse was being honest, he’d take being shot with a bullet over an arrow anyday.

 “Go no further!” the stranger ordered, his voice sharply accented in english. “Intruders will be dealt with harshly.”

 Jesse’s mouth twitched upwards. He couldn't see many features, but the scowl was audible.

 “You live here, darlin’?” he asked, making a show of keeping his shoulders lax. “I ain’t plannin’ on causin’ any trouble.”

 “You cannot enter here. Invaders will be cut down. Leave now!” the man snapped harshly. His eyes flashed in the darkness.  

 “Well now, I don’t see why we got to have conflict,” Jesse tried to pacify the man in the dark. If he was one of the folks that was after Jesse’s head, he’d have already shot him. He had gotten the drop on the cowboy. Only Genji could do that. This man, whoever he was, was dangerous.

 Above him, thunder rolled. Unlike the thunder he had heard before it didn’t beat through his bones, it shattered overheard, bringing with it a storm. Rain came down in a sheet that soaked Jesse all the way through in a matter of seconds.

 “Well, shoot,” he tilted his head ever so slightly, but did not take his eyes off of the man in front of him. “An’ here I am without a hotel room.”

 “Then you had best get one,” the stranger told him harshly. Jesse was inclined to agree. Still, Jesse turned a crooked smile on him, adjusting his weight to lean a smidge closer. The Stranger drew back instead of shooting him. So he didn’t want to kill Jesse? Funny.

 “It’d be mighty kind of you to let me stay a night,” he drawled, all in jest.

 “I told you, intruder’s will be executed!” his temper was showing in his voice. There was something else there too, something frayed. “You saw the dragon before. He will be summoned once more if you go further.”

 Jesse ran his fingers through his hair, wildness slicked down to his skull. “The way I see it darlin’, I ain’t an intruder if I’m invited here.”

 There was a beat of silence. The rain came down in a blanket of water. Beating an off tempo on the shingles and the concrete. It was hard to hear anything through it, even as his implants adjusted to picked up in between raindrops.

 “I do not know if that would work,” the stranger said at last. Then, “What is your name?”

 “McCree,” he should have lied, his brain said. His gut said that he needed to tell the truth. “Jesse McCree. Pleasure.”

 The bow slowly came back from it’s draw, arrow pointing to the ground. His hand touched the gate, sending it further open. Inside the dirt was dark with water, the plants bent over heavy with it. Jesse couldn’t quite make out what they were, and he hadn’t been looking very closely on his last two visits.

 “You have seen the guardian of this place, and you still wish to enter?” Jesse’s new friend asked. Jesse nodded. Peacekeeper slipped back in her holster. There was a sigh. “Then I, Shimada Hanzo, invite you to this castle.”

 Shimada. That was Genji’s name.

 Jesse tried to remember if he was supposed to bow, since he couldn't very well tip his hat, and settled on inclining his head with a smile he hoped could be seen.

 “Thank ya kindly,” Jesse stepped inside, trying not to favor his side to obviously. He’d almost healed the graze there, but the excitement of holding someone at gunpoint had aggravated it, and his shoulder. Blood started to pool under his shirt.

 “Only until it is safe to leave,” the stranger, Hanzo, added. Jesse dipped his head in acknowledgement. He could deal with those terms. Though, it was hard to say when ‘safe’ would be. When it stopped raining? Or when people stopped shootin at him?

 Lightning lit up the yard, treating Jesse to a glimpse of Hanzo’s face. A flash of brown eyes, long, tar black hair, and clean shaven cheeks. He was watching Jesse, like he was waiting for something. Then the darkness swallowed him again.

 “Don’t s’ppose we could go in the buildings?” He put forth. Bleeding in the rain sounded about as fun as being shot again. Jesse was the child of red rocks and dust storms. Rain was a rarity, and brought flash floods with it more times than not. He didn’t care for it much.

 “Yes,” Hanzo moved in the darkness. Jesse felt more than saw where he went, and trailed after him. He was quiet as a cat, light footed and quick. Jesse felt clumsy and unsteady behind him.

 He knew, at least, to take his shoes off when they reached the door and leave them where the mud wouldn’t track. He did feel a bit bad about all the water dripping off of his long coat. He shed that too, leaving him in just his clothes and armor.

 An oil lamp lit, illuminating the long hallway in a soft light. Jesse stuck one hand in his pocket, fingers brushing the smooth scale that lay within for some semblance of comfort.

 The room he followed Hanzo in was so perfectly clean Jesse didn’t believe that anyone had been there for years. Like his mama’s parlor, something he’d only ever seen from a distance. There wasn’t the rosy wall paper or the pale couch he’d be smacked if he so much as thought about touching, but it gave off the same forbidding feeling.

 Jesse felt like he had no place here, despite being invited in.

 Hanzo turned towards him, giving Jesse time enough to get a good look. He was pretty in the flickering light of the small flame. Black hair was tied loosely at the base of his neck, besides the long bangs that framed his face. And what a face. Cut into perfect skin was a sharply carved mouth, drawn into a harsh line that set beneath a pair of fathomless eyes, such a dark brown they bordered on black. Gold sparked within them, along with something else. Something Jesse couldn’t identify.

 His clothes were traditional, from what little Jesse knew about Japan. A white, folding shirt tucked into brown pants, that went into red shin guards. On his left shoulder was tied a long orange sleeve, on his right was another piece of armor. Strong muscles showed in the gap from there to the lone arm guard and the thick black gloves.

 He was built strong, even though he was a couple inches shorter, standing in front of him Jesse had no doubt this man could hold his own in a fight. Broader shoulders than Jesse’s supported a quiver full of smartly fletched arrows, matching the bow that hung in his hand proudly.

 All this an here Jesse stood, soaked in a black long sleeve shirt and his jeans. His armor was the only interesting thing about him, with his hat and his serape in the bag.

 Well, his belt buckle too, which Hanzo was staring at very intently.

 “Bamf?” he pronounced the whole word carefully. Dark brows drew together, furrowed in confusion. Jesse withheld a laugh at him.

 “It’s an acronym,” Jesse gripped and tilted it so it caught the light, showing it off, “Pardon the language, but I am a ‘bad ass mother fucker’.”

 Hanzo stared at him, mouth twitching ever so slightly. “How many children do you have?”

 This time, Jesse couldn't help it. He started to laugh, hard, bending from it. His shoulder throbbed, turning the laugh into a choke. Shit.

 He looked up to see if Hanzo had taken offense, and was rewarded a smile. Good. He hadn’t noticed the shoulder either. Jesse stood up, hooked his thumbs in his pocket’s and gave the man an easy smile.

 “None a’tall,” he didn’t think he needed to ask if Hanzo did. The whole castle was clearly deserted, save this one person and the dragon protector. Where in gods name the dragon came from Jesse couldn’t even begin to fathom. He knew there were things in the world he wouldn’t understand, things he shouldn’t mess with.

 Jesse knew a part of the gorge, a little ways before the train cut into the mountain, where no one dared to step foot. A little cut in the red rock where it was more red than the dust, a darker type that didn’t come from rusty dirt. Back when the tracks had been put down for the first time, hundreds of years ago, some of the workers had gotten it in their heads to unionize. They hadn’t lived past their first strike.

 That was just closest to home. There were ghost towns all over the southwest, places with bloody history that set his teeth on edge. Certain towns where he wasn’t sure if he felt like he was being watched by the living or the dead. Folks thought he was crazy for refusing to drive through the west past midnight, but he’d been too close to death before not to beware La Mala Hora. He would swear up and down that he’d seen a woman in white at the shores of the Pecos.

 There was more, once he stepped out into the world. He had never seen anything so blatant as a dragon before, but there was some shit he couldn’t deny wasn’t natural. His own goddamn eye had no reason to do what it did, but that didn’t stop it from happening.

 “Whatever family you have must fear for you. I do not own any communications…”

 Jesse waved off Hanzo’s courteousness. “S’allright darlin’, ain’t a family to call as is. None that’ll lay claim to me, anyhow.”

 Not after he’d walked away from them.

 Hanzo looked uncomfortable. Jesse briefly wondered what had happened to his family.

 “You should dry yourself,” Hanzo said abruptly. “Come.”

 Jesse kept careful track of what turns they were taking. Three left, one right and twenty feet down Hanzo opened the door to reveal a small room that reminded Jesse of a gym locker room, if everything there was made of wood and kept pristine.

 Through another doorway Jesse could see a pond, a hot spring set into the ground. Large, smooth rocks bordered the steaming water, as well as a single small tree. A line of small stools set up above a long drain, each one paired with a wooden bucket.

 “I will find you something dry,” Hanzo offered, and vanished. He moved silently. Jesse envied the grace he managed to hold, steady, natural. He waited until Hanzo was gone before he stripped himself of his armor, his weapons and his clothes. He folded his pants and his shirt into a basket, keeping Peacekeeper well within grabbing rang if things went south.

 Despite feeling out of place, he didn’t feel like he was in danger. He didn’t think Hanzo would hurt him. He hadn’t wanted to before, he’d done nothing beside’s try and shoo Jesse away from the castle. It didn’t make for a very good trap, if that was what this was.

 Once his clothes were gone all that was left was the bandages on his shoulder. They were just as soaked, with more than water. It blotched red straight through, spreading slowly. Damn.

 A sharp intake brought him back to the door. Hanzo stood with an arm full of fine clothes, red and gold. He was staring at Jesse’s shoulder.

 “You’re still injured?” Hanzo set the clothes down and moved closer to Jesse, looking at the hole in his shoulder that was weeping steadily. Still. Hanzo had been there when Jesse had been shot back then.

 “I’m afraid so,” Jesse was sheepish. He didn’t know why, he got banged up plenty of times and he had the scars to prove it. They littered his body, all over, from botch jobs and successful missions. He couldn’t think of a time in his life when he’d never had at least a few of them.

 “Wait here,” Hanzo set down the fold of clothes, shining with wealth in the dim oil light, and left again. Jesse was left with little to do other than wait and look around. He didn’t want to get blood on the gifted clothes and he couldn’t think of anything else that would take up the few minutes he had until Hanzo’s return.

 Jesse whistled softly, looking at the fine work put into the bath, the well worn stones, and the carefully woven baskets. There wasn’t a piece out of place.

     But as I looked around, I began to notice that we were nothing like the rest...  

 Hanzo appeared as quickly and as quietly as he had disappeared, interrupting Jesse’s little song. He wasn’t holding a first aid kit, or anything even remotely like it. Just a wet handkerchief.

 “I ain’t tryin’ to be rude now, but I don’t think that’ll be enough for this,” he gestured to the hole with his metal arm. Hanzo’s eyes lingered on that for a few seconds before he moved back to the task at hand.

 “It will be sufficient,” Hanzo assured him. Jesse didn’t stop him when he pressed the handkerchief over his shoulder. His flesh hand spasmed when warmth flowed in through it, tingling along his nerves and into his veins. Jesse drew in a shuddering breath, the heat was replaced with coolness.

 Hanzo pulled the now bloodied cloth away. Jesse looked down and had to double check that he wasn’t imagining what he saw.

 He prodded his shoulder, the cold fingers of his metal hand harsh against the sensitive space. Where once there had been a hole now there was just a little bit of new, pink skin.  

 “That’s uh, a neat trick ya got there,” he said slowly. He’d never been healed that fast. Even Mercy couldn’t do it that quick. Just who was he dealing with here?

 “It is an old family remedy,” Hanzo said. He stepped a respectable distance back, giving Jesse room to pick up the gifted clothes. He looked them over, judging their size. They might be a little small, but it would do.

 Jesse felt awkward in the clothes. He was pretty sure they were silk, or something else fancy and fine. Stuff he never wore, he felt uncomfortable in them.

 “Thank you,” he said again. Hanzo still hadn’t relaxed. He looked like he was waiting for something. Jesse strapped his gun back on. If Hanzo thought anything of it, he didn’t say. He was quiet while he watched the gunslinger.

 Jesse had a feeling it was going to be a long night.

 Hanzo made them tea to calm his nerves and still his hands. The brief contact he’d allowed himself on this man had his fingers twitching and his breath quicker. It had been so long since he’d touch any living creature of his own volition, without violence to drive him.

 His palms itched to touch him again.

 He gripped the cup tighter to keep himself in check. He could not allow himself to give up his control. The fact that the dragon had no burst forwards and slayne Jesse McCree already was as exciting as it was baffling.

 Could it really be true that, in all these years, all he had had to do was offer forth an invitation and the spell that bound the castle would not take effect? So much bloodshed could have been prevented through such a simple solution, Hanzo had hardly dared to believe that it could be possible when the answer was offered to him.

     “The way I see it darlin’, I ain’t an intruder if I’m invited here.”  

 Who was this man that he had found a loophole so easily? Who was he, that he had returned now thrice after seeing the guardian of Hanamura?

 Hanzo stared at him over his table, eye’s half closed to hide his narrowed curiosity. Rain still beat over their heads, soothing the constant energy that rolled just under Hanzo’s skin. He was restless by his nature, being restricted to the castle had only made that worse. He had years of energy he had never been able to rid himself off.

  Jesse McCree sat across from him, inspecting the small cup in his large, calloused hands. Hanzo knew the scars of hard labor, McCree bore them all. Across his hands, across his arms, over all of his body...

 Hanzo pulled his brain away from there before he could linger too long.

 His hands itched to touch the man again. He could not allow himself too. The curse may have been abated for now, but he did not want to get attached. McCree would not be here for long.

 Hanzo let his eyes drift away from McCree’s face down to where the sleeve of his borrowed clothes fell back to expose shining metal. It moved just like a regular appendage, the wrist rolling and elbow bending easily. The fingers didn’t twitch quite as often as real ones.

 Hanzo knew that the world outside of his castle had progressed without him, he didn’t know that they had gone so far. Human advancement had reached the point that he, a man infused with the magic of hundreds of generations, could have mistaken one for the other.

 If not for the sense that told him when magic was involved, that is. A sense that told him that there was no magic in the arm, it was nothing enchanted. The metal did not sing with spellcast iron or magic worked steel. It was nothing more than a metal arm made by the hands of mortal men.

  “Shimada,” McCree said abruptly. Hanzo looked to his eyes. They were pointed off to the side, at a wall hanging of a green dragon twisting around itself. “Is that a common name in this country?”

 A strange turn of conversation. His name?

 “I doubt it,” he frowned. He was the only Shimada he knew of any longer. If there were any outside of the castle, he had never heard from them.

 “Huh,” McCree finished his tea, slurping it rudely.

 “And, your name?”

 True, Hanzo had never been the most outgoing of people. This was a new level of awkward. Were they really discussing how many other people had their names?

 “Well, there’s me an’ my folks, a couple in Texas, an’ a few cousins out east. Er, west? They’re all the way in Georgia.”

 Hanzo had no idea what he was talking about, he’d never heard of ‘Georgia’. He nodded like it made sense.

 “You’re from, not Georgia?”

 “Me? Nah, I came from New Mexico,” McCree waved his hand around his head. Once more Hanzo acted like he knew where that was. The world changed around him, he had no idea which country McCree was talking about. What had the country outside his domain become? He remembered a war, men going off to fight. And another, and another. Half a dozen at least, with boys in armor and uniforms passing by his gates. Sometimes there would be wailing in the streets.

 What happened, he never knew.

 It had been a long time since he had spoken to someone from the outside world.

 Luckily, Jesse McCree did not appear to mind his awkwardness and his rigid manners. He lounged in the chair with the grace of a hound, relaxation doing nothing to hide the strength in his hands and the muscle under his borrowed clothes.

 He talked, about all sorts of things. A grocery store that had popped up down the street from the castle at some point, a horse he’d had when he was young that was so wild he finally let it run off with a band of mustangs.

 He did not talk about dragons.

 For this, Hanzo was grateful. He didn’t know how much he was willing to share with this stranger. He knew how much he longed to, he knew how deeply it aches for him to finally talk to someone, to tell them everything he knew.

 Instead, he nodded regally whenever the human looked to see if he was paying attention.

 “Will you stay long?” Hanzo asked, folding his hands on his legs. McCree stopped his tale of snakes in his boots to look at Hanzo. Abruptly his smile closed off.

 “If I’m invited to,” McCree said carefully. Hanzo realized his mistake.

 “You are,” he said quickly. He was not trying to imply he wanted the stranger gone. Something shivered under his skin with the words. Magic.

 The easiness returned with a toothy smile and a tip of a hat that wasn’t there.

 “Thank ya’.”

[pilot-kratts-au]

Sheltech [OC x Pilot Zach AU] Oneshot: Revenge

<A little something I came up with in the Pilot Cult, sit back and enjoy the read! TW: MENTION OF RAPE AND SUICIDE INTENTIONS>

Shelby was running around in circles in front of Jaspers office, something was not right at all, she hasn't had an appointment with Mr. Varmitech for two days and she hasn't even heared of him. What is going on?

After several minutes of nothingness, Palonius, the head secretary and boyfriend of Jasper, stepped out of the elevator holding a sheet of paper.

"You are Shelby, right?" - "Um, yeah-" - "Jasper wanted me to give you this, you are dismissed for today." He handed her the sheet and was about to walk back into the elevator again.

"Where is Jasper? What's going on?"

Palonius continued: "After that he called me to help him walk him to the bathroom... he was feeling incredibly sick and constantly murmuring 'I can't believe I did that' and 'I am no better than he is'. I tried to ask him what happened, he could just utter 'Varmitech' before throwing up."

"Varmitech?!" Shelby covered her mouth and gasped, she was stunned and in deep shock.

She had to know what happened, what happened to Jasper and what did he do to Zach?

Both stepped into the elevator, it was incredibly awkward. Shelby tried to think about what to do now, how to proceed... Is he going to let her into his mansion without an appointment though?

"Are you- very close to that Varmitech Guy?" Shelby was thrown out of her thoughts. "Huh?" - "Are you and Varmitech close?" - "No- it's just a weird-"

Before she could finish her sentence the Elevator arrived in the Basement and Shelby ran out of the building. "Something is up with her and him..." Palonius spoke to himself.

After running to her car and driving off with a little bit more speed than normally, she arrived at his Mansion and noticed him driving out of his garage in his 7-Series. That Car was way too large and flashy to not be inconspicuous.

She decided to follow after him at a distance, just to be not very obvious. It was incredibly strange that he left his Mansion though, he never does that.

After quite some miles of following, the road got worse and worse, leading into a construction zone. Shelby suddenly realized that nearby is an unfinished Bridge, the incline of it is the only part completed but already streching 32 foot into the sky.

Shelbys stomach twisted, why is he here? He has nothing to do with Roadline Construction? She had a feeling something was about to go seriously wrong.

Zach reached the bridge, he wasn't slowing down. He is going to drive off that bridge.

She had to act, fast. With a hard kickdown she accelerated, getting closer to him. She had to perform a pincer movement to stop him from reaching the edge of the bridge.

As she was on the same level as him, she looked to her side to inspect a little. It really was him. His gaze was fixated to the front. No emotion on his face at all.

He really wants to do this. He is going to fucking kill himself if you don't act now, Shelby.

The cost of her car getting totaled by that move was completely irrelevant to her. What mattered now was his life.

She steered to her right, hitting his side with her side. He still didn't react. She kept pushing him to the right until they hit the concrete wall of the bridge, smushing his car between her own and the wall. Now she just had to keep that position and brake and pray that it will work.

The brakes squeaked, she got a little ahead of him, helping to slow down his car. Now Zach finally reacted aswell, noticed Shelby and let go of the throttle.

A few foot away from the edge both cars stopped. The brakes of Shelbys car were smoking.

Shelby got out of her car and tried to get to him. "Mr. Varmitech!!" She was able to open the drivers door and looked at him, fear distorting her face.

"Why did you do that..." Zach did not look at her. "Why didn't you let me die." Shelby tried grabbing his arm but flinched when he screamed: "WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME TO DIE?! YOU WOULDN'T HAVE SO MANY PROBLEMS WITHOUT ME AROUND!!"

"No- NO! Please- Don't say that-!" Shelby started to tear up, brushing one finger across his cheek. "Please... I beg you... talk to me-!"

"I can't look into your eyes anymore." - "Of course-" - "No- I... fucking ca-" The rest of his words were drowned in sobs.

She turned his head gently to make him face her. "Zachary..." She ran her hand through his hair to straighten it because it was all curled up and messy.

"Zachary, you deserve to live... just like everyone else..." Shelby tried to get him out of the car but he flinched as she tried to grab his waist.

"Shelby. I am not a good person, like at all- I can only hurt people, that's all I am good for." Zach fletched his teeth. "Everyone makes mistakes but it is salvagable..!" Shelby tried to smile.

"TELL ME HOW IS RAPING YOU SALVAGABLE?! TELL ME WHY I DESERVE TO LIVE AFTER PUTTING YOU THROUGH HELL?! TELL ME HOW TWISTING YOU INTO BEING MY SLAVE IS EXCUSEABLE!!" Pilone screamed, tears flowing down his cheeks.

Zach stood up, pushing her byside, fixing his coat and moving a little before tripping and falling down.

Shelby swiftly moved over and put her arms around him, trying to help him. "Please- let go of me." - "I can't if you're not going to stop wanting to kill yourself."

Zach couldn't bear feeling her touch on him, he kept on crying and screamed, a frustrated and desperate scream.

"WHY- WHY AM I LIKE THIS?! WHY ARE YOU STILL ON MY SIDE AFTER ALL THIS TIME?!"

"I want to help you, please, let me help you... please, just please..." Shelby lowered her head into his back and started to cry aswell.

"You can always start anew. You just have to want to. This is not how you do it..." She whispered to him. Zach stopped sobbing and turned his head slightly.

"I don't have the strength to do it on my own-" - "I'm with you. I won't leave you until you're better."

Shelby helped Zach get up and grabbed his shoulders, looking at him with wet eyes and ruined make-up. "You're coming with me now."

Zach didn't dare to put his hands on her, he just followed behind her as they got into her nearly ruined car. He voluntarily chose to sit in the back.

[lady-charinette]

Don't Mess with a Parent - Dad Noir & MamaBug Drabble

Hugo would say his father was a very nice person, he usually seemed calmer than mom, but had many moments where he was goofy and teasing and fun. He worked hard but he always had time for him, Emma and Louis.

Hugo always loved his puns, except the dad ones, his sister liked those more. He thought his father was the kindest person he knew, that nothing could ever get him angry.

Hugo learned that day, that even his dad could lose his temper.

Very, very badly.

He was in the park playing with mom and Emma while Louis and dad went to get them ice-cream from uncle Andre. He was chasing after his little sister when it happened.

Something big with wings suddenly crashed into him and before he knew it, he was flying over Paris, hanging from some creature's mouth.

It looked like a lion but it had wings. "H-Hey! Lemme go! I want to go back to mom! Hey! Ow!" The lion tightened his grip around him, releasing a snarl before it swooped down into the city, flying through the traffic until it crashed into a building.

Hugo only ever saw those kinds of buildings in movies, where the bad guys had their hideouts.

When he was finally set down and Hugo saw a woman standing before him dressed in purple, he knew.

Those were the bad guys.

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

Paris was used to the akuma attacks by now, they'd even taken safety measures against them. But nobody could predict what akuma Hawkmoth would send next and they weren't equipped to protect against all of them.

However, when an enraged Ladybug had landed on stage, disrupting Clara Nightingale's concert for a moment, the citizens of Paris knew something must've went horribly wrong as the whole room quietened down.

"My fellow citizens of Paris! There's been an akuma attack and a child was kidnapped! If any of you have seen Hugo Agreste, please report to me or Chat Noir as soon as possible! A child has been kidnapped, it's an emergency!" Ladybug has been their hero for years but the anger and distress in her voice was unmistakable, something that every mother in the crowd could resonate with. It was as if Ladybug herself had lost her child.

Chat Noir was nowhere to be seen, only Ladybug was patrolling the streets, swinging through the city with Rena Rouge and Pegase in search of the kidnapped boy.

It was only a handful of citizens that had caught it.

The black blur zipping passed rooftops, jumping over buildings like lightning.

Nobody dared question the distressed Ladybug where her partner was, they had a feeling if Ladybug was this distressed, Chat Noir would be worse. The feline hero was known to have a soft spot for children.

Paris had no idea just how much.

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

"Thanks Luka." Chat Noir kissed Emma and Louis' foreheads, rubbing their heads affectionately, tail flicking anxiously behind him.

Viperion watched the way the tail swished back and forth, like a snake ready to strike. He could feel the distress rolling off him in waves and he squeezed his friend's shoulder in sympathy. He was a dad too, he would be livid if Hawkmoth attempted something like this with his kids.

The serpentine hero nodded, cradling both children in his arms. "It's fine, go and save your kid. Kagami and I will make sure nothing happens to them." he smiled down fatherly at his friend's children, squeezing their shoulders when they stared sadly at their father.

"Papa, where's Hugo?" Emma's bottom lip wobbled and Chat bowed down and nuzzled her cheek with his, a low purr rumbling in his throat that almost instantly calmed her down.

"Don't worry princess, papa will bring Hugo back. Just wait until mommy comes. Stay with uncle Lu and auntie Kagami until then." he rubbed his daughter's cheek, squeezing the miniature hand of his other infant son as Louis rested constantly in Viperion's arm.

"Don't worry kitty cat, call on us if you need help." Chat Noir smiled slightly at the dragon heroine, whose belly was slowly beginning to show as her eldest daughter clutched at her arm worriedly. A soft hiss made him turn his head to look back at the older snake hero.

Call on me. Viperion's unspoken plea was immediately understood by Chat, of course he wouldn't endanger the pregnant woman. No matter how fierce and capable Ryuuko was on the battlefield, a pregnant Ryuuko was the perfect target for Hawkmoth. Chat Noir hadn't let Ladybug transform during her pregnancy either, Mister Bug had saved the day with Viperion, Carapace and Rena Rouge with Queen Bee as backup at those times.

With that, Chat Noir quickly left the Couffaine-Tsurugi houseboat, entrusting the duo with his remaining kittens, while going on the hunt for his kidnapped one.

Chat Noir growled, claws extending from within the sheath of his gloves, eyes narrowed into slits as his legs worked harder and harder, jumps higher, runs faster.

Nobody hurt his loved ones, not his wife, not his friends but especially not his children.

I'm coming for you Hawkmoth.

----

The chimera akuma had been standing vigilant on the roof, eyes scanning the area for the heroes, mind echoing with the soothing voice of his mistress as it commanded him to grab the siblings of the boy.

He'd prepared to take flight again, spreading its wings, before its tail was suddenly grabbed from behind and a violent force pulled it back.

A surprised growl was all it released before its back collided against the solid brick of the rooftop, shattering it in thousand pieces. It released a screeching yowl, before jumping onto its feet, teeth fletched at its enemy.

A silver staff struck the creature's face and it snarled until another powerful blow landed on it's stomach, claws digging into the concrete from pain that caused it to curl in on itself and whimper pathetically.

The air was still, a shiver racing down the akuma's spine when claw-tipped footsteps echoed closer to its cowering form. Black boots nearly crushing its trembling paws beneath their might.

The whimper it released brought a dark grin to curl the man's lips, staff twirling threateningly in his hand before it slammed in front of the akuma's nose, nearly striking it again. "Tell me where your mistress is, little cub."

The little whimper the creature gave with a submissive bow of its head told Chat Noir he wouldn't need to wait long to find out.

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

"Now little boy, why don't you tell me where mama and papa are? I'm their good friend!" the weird woman had a sweet smile on her face but Hugo shied away from her touch, fear screaming at him to move away from her. She played with her thick chestnut brown hair, smiling kindly at him, holding a cane in her hand.

She couldn't be dad and mom's friend, why would she take him away from them?

"If you're their friend, why did you take me away?" his green eyes were full of distrust and the woman laughed.

The woman laughed, olive green eyes twinkling in mirth. "Oh little kitty, don't worry. Marinette and Adrien know that, I just wanted to surprise them." Hugo moved away from her arms, pushing himself hard against the wall.

"I-I don't trust you! I-I wanna go to mom and dad!" She knew his parents' names, but this wouldn't be a nice surprise at all, it certainly wasn't to him. Bottom lip trembling, Hugo's eyes filled with tears, his whole body shaking from fear as he wailed loudly.

The wooden door was flung off its hinges suddenly, splinters and wooden pieces flying everywhere as a pained cry from her akuma landing roughly on the floor beside her made the woman stand up on high alert, shielding her face from the flying wood.

Her akumatized chimera groaned pathetically, standing on wobbly feet as it cowered behind her form. "You stupid akuma! What are you doing?!" The butterfly mask glowed over its feline face, but the lion didn't budge, muscles locked in place in fear as a shadowy figure entered through the torn down doors.

When Hawkmoth attempted to grab Hugo, something silver flashed a hair's breath away from her face, embedding itself into the cement wall behind her. It was a staff with a green paw print.

A warning.

Shadowy tendrils of darkness enveloped the man as he stalked forward like a predator, steps slow but firm, every muscle tightened in preparation for a fight, clawed hand pulsing with highly destructive power at his side.

Glowing feline eyes were dead set on her face, black cat ears pulled back and perfectly white teeth bared into a vicious snarl. His tall form towered over her but Hawkmoth had her staff at the ready, a poor attempt to shield herself.

Menacing feline eyes briefly looked down at the wailing boy whose eyes were tightly shut in fear, the sleek purple staff aiming at high speed towards the blond man's face.

Chat Noir effortlessly grabbed the end of Hawkmoth's cane, fist tightly wrapped around the metal with his normal clawed hand.

The other one, pulsing with destructive power, neared Hawkmoth's face, a breath away from disintegrating her throat. When Chat Noir spoke, it was a threatening hiss that resonated within her very soul. "Tell me why I shouldn't turn you to dust right now, Hawkmoth."

As if realizing her dire situation just now, ice settled in her veins and turned her body to stone. The unsteady step back nearly made her fall if the killing intent reflected in the toxic green eyes glaring at her didn't. "Y-You can't! You're a superhero, don't forget who you are Chat Noir!"

Her staff was ripped from her grip to the side, his other hand coming to wrap around her throat, his activated Chataclysm still surging violently in his other one. "I think you're forgetting who you are and who you're dealing with. You're lucky my lady isn't here, she isn't quite as merciful as I am." Sharp claws pricked her neck and Chat Noir could feel her pulse racing in blatant fear. "You think kidnapping my kitten will get you in my good books? I may be a superhero, but I'm also a parent and you never anger a parent."

The woman struggled in his hold, her feet now cleanly off the floor as her fingers fought to pry the strong arm off holding her captive. "P-P-Please Ch-Cha-Chat Noir-"

A dark grin curled the hero's lips. "You're begging now? You should've thought twice before daring to come near my family." his grip tightened and he felt her thrashing even more until a quiet whimper made his ears stand and his head whip around.

Hugo was sniffling on the ground, voice small and low as he mumbled. "Dad....d-dad....dad...."

As if a spell was broken, Chat Noir's grip loosened and the butterfly Miraculous holder fell unceremoniously to the floor, coughing violently from the harsh grip around her neck.

A warm, familiar hand suddenly rested gently on Hugo's head and a soothing, calm voice entered his ears. "Shhh, it's alright now Hugo, I'm here. Papa's here."

When misty green eyes opened to look up at the familiar equally kind green eyes of his father, Hugo immediately threw himself into his arms, sobbing into his chest uncontrollably. "Dad, you- you- you're f-finally he- he-here." Hugo's small arms were clutching at Chat Noir's shoulders tightly as his father gently rocked him in his arms, soft purrs helping to calm down his distressed son.

He hiccupped a few times, his small body trembling violently in his father's protective grip. Hugo's head was gently pressed against his chest, shielding his gaze away.

Chat Noir turned his head to look down at the woman, reaching pathetically for her cane.

A booted leg firmly slammed down on the metal, toxic green eyes boring into her soul. "Touch my kittens again and the staff won't be the only thing that's broken." the hiss was the final warning she would get before he chose to summon Chataclysm again.

With that, the father walked off, akuma disintegrating back into the lion from the zoo with its collar destroyed by Chataclysm, as the dark butterfly began flying towards the roof slowly.

Chat Noir rubbed soothing circles on his son's back, kissing his forehead affectionately as his wife waited at the entrance, lips pulled into a tense frown.

"Show some mercy, bugaboo."

"Take Hugo home. I'm right behind you." her tone suggested 'mercy' didn't exist in her vocabulary right now, if the furiously spinning yoyo in her hand and her icy glare were any indication.

Chat smirked, bouncing his son gently in his arms, whispering soothingly in his ear to drown out the noises behind him as he vaulted from roof to roof back home.

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

For the next week, there had been no akumas and that was fine by Paris.

The media had praised their heroes for saving the Agreste son, an exclusive, privately filmed meeting showed Chat Noir handing the worried Marinette and Adrien Agreste their child, with Adrien profusely thanking the hero while Marinette kissed his cheek in gratitude.

Marinette smiled at the TV, watching the documented exchange with a chuckle and glancing at Alya. "You know, your illusions really do come in handy from time to time." the doubles she created of her and her husband as civilians were flawless and strikingly true to their personalities.

Alya smiled proudly. "Of course, Rena Rouge is a master illusionist after all." she winked and both women giggled. Alya's expression turned sheepish when she looked at Marinette, who sipped at her coffee. "Girl, just what did you do to her? Hawkmoth didn't attack for like a week and a half."

The glint in her friend's eye told her Hawkmoth wouldn't be attacking for at least another few weeks. "Nothing much. Just politely showed her her boundaries. Kidnapping children isn't a light matter you know."

Alya snorted, taking a big gulp of the dark concoction in her mug. "You're telling me, I would've bashed her head in with Nino's shield had that been my little girl."

Marinette giggled at her friend's tempting suggestion, gazing fondly at her sleeping children after a full day of playing with their father, buried under all of his three kids, his arms curled protectively around them in his sleep. Adrien's sleeping face was peaceful now, squashed by a sleeping Emma and Hugo, with Louis sleeping on his father's chest.

"He's such a dork." Alya followed her friend's line of sight and snorted.

"Yeah, didn't look like a dork when he went on the hunt for Hugo. Even I got scared. Luka said he was tempted to go with him so he didn't destroy the whole city."

Marinette shook her head, smiling. "You're one to talk, fox hero who wants to bash someone's head in with a shield."

Alya wiggled her finger in the air. "Ah, ah, ah. That's taken out of context. I said I would bash in Lila's head, not just anyone's."

Both women chuckled amongst themselves, Plagg and Tikki lost in their own conversation.

"You should've seen him Tikki. I was so proud! He's still too much of a softy though..." Plagg crossed his little arms, while Tikki sighed.

"Plagg, he's still a superhero. Adrien's responsible enough to control himself, even if it is her."

A shiver raced down the cat god's spine, shaking his head. "Ohh no, sugarcube, that last Chataclysm would've went to her face if little kitten hadn't been there crying."

The kwami of creation sighed, settling in next to her lounging partner. "Well, Marinette wasn't much of a softie when she was done with Lila." an identical shiver raced down her own spine and Plagg smiled.

"See? I still think Kittenette is made for the Black Cat Miraculous."

"Oh shut up, stinky sock."

Thanks for reading! Just a silly little piece I made up on the spot. :3 I'm weak for parental Love Square / Dad!Noir fics.

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