#✪ → ⌈𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐏𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐓⌋ v / scorpion.

[tracksdowna]

@buglesgirlfriday, betty: ❝ i haven't heard your voice for a whole year. ❞

❝ are my letters not enough for you, miss brant? ❞ voice is low — raspy and tired, sandpaper against the eardrum for most, a slow drawl that would make your skin crawl. but not her, not to betty. lopsided smile brightens a pale and sweaty face, ❝ i've missed you too, birdie, ❞ he manages to sit up more, despite the protesting pangs of his body, almost looming as they hunch over table separating the two. well, more like three feet of air, two inches of bulletproof glass, dozens of guards, and a murder charge that betty hasn't brought up yet for some reason.

❝ been a helluva year, darlin', but look at yer'self, ❞ head tilts as dark, sunken eyes stares at the reporter with a warmth that would rival the sun above them, ❝ city editor — i like to circle that part of yer' byline now, the boys joke about how i'm gonna make a nest out of the newspapers i keep, ❞ teeth glisten in a weak laugh that shifts into a coughing fit halfway through. can't let her know how bad things are in here, she's got enough to worry about in this city. ❝ y'know, if i keep up with this 'good behavior' streak they said i could maybe have more visits in the future... it'd be nice if we could make this less of an annual thing an' maybe more of a monthly thing. ❞

[roguedallas]

❝  Folks, I have to ONCE AGAIN defend myself against the spurious claims from James   ❝ Dallas ❞   Murphy, AKA The Scorpion.    Yes, as I've fully disclosed, I bankrolled the experiment that gave him superior strength, speed, and that unsightly cyborg tail.    The idea was to create an anti-Spider-Man who is NOT a threat, and STOPS menaces.    I had no idea he was crazy!    Do you think his resume said ❛ psycho with a poisoning fetish? ❜    His lawsuit is a transparent attempt to reduce his sentence at The Raft by placing the blame for his deeds on me — and THAT is one package J. Jonah Jameson REFUSES!  ❞ — J. Jonah Jameson

important note:    i currently have very minimal comic knowledge for scorpion, and will primarily be insomniac-based.    that being said, i am still a bit divergent from insomniac’s canon, and have taken Many liberties with scorpion’s characterization as a whole — i’ve taken this character hostage and he’s mine now.

macdonald “mac” gargan was simply an alias used by dallas while working for jameson and is not at all his real name, he has used many aliases over the years, this is just one more being added to the pile.    the papers included this alias in their publishings about him, and so it is possible that others may refer to him by this name, and he’ll answer to it, but he’ll probably wrinkle his nose at it too.

jameson bankrolled the whole thing (somehow, lol) but the actual experiments were carried out by norman osborn/oscorp in an effort to further norman’s genetics research, and in exchange for denial of oscorp’s involvement/silence from anyone that was part of the project. note:    this is canon with taurus’ norman (@gr-27​) and will in turn be the only norman referred to should he come up in posts/threads.

these experiments involved splicing dallas’ dna with that of a scorpion’s, in turn making him stronger, faster, and all around pretty fucking hard to kill. note:    my scorpion IS stronger and faster than spider-man, like in his original canon, but of course still capable of being defeated.    however, due to the artificial way in which the dna was introduced to his body, dallas’ own dna has become somewhat unstable, and the suit he wears stabilizes it.    when not wearing the suit he is easily fatigued, incredibly ill, and slowly dying.

the cyborg tail (affectionately named ‘maryanne’) is physically attached to dallas at the base of his spine but can be removed for repair or whenever his ass gets thrown in jail.    should his tail be removed improperly the pain is akin to having a limb torn off.    in addition to this, the tail is roughly five feet long, but capable of extending up to ten feet in length, barb not included, which adds about another foot.

his suit and tail are not green.    here is a visual reference for the coloration.    also he doesn’t have???    three fingers???    insomniac has unfortunately stopped taking my calls on this matter smh my head.

the literal nightmare fuel that is the hallucinogenic neurotoxin is actually 10/10 though and does not need changing at all lol.

okay this part is gonna get a little ranty ngl but i just think insomniac failed hard with scorp’s motivations.    he doesn’t give a shit about his record or any debts he may have, he cares about not dying and putting j. jonah jameson six feet under.    i’m still obsessed with insomniac saying scorp keeps suing jameson over what happened to him, it’s hilarious and surprisingly realistic and shows that he’s capable of like, rational thoughts still lmao.    he still has principles, they’re just a little different, he’s just built different.

speaking of jameson, that man has told so many lies about scorp that most of dallas’ rage isn’t even over what happened and the fact that he’s Literally dying, he’s just pretty fuckin’ pissed over having his name dragged through the mud and have his character Before becoming scorpion brought into question.

because of the scorpion dna dallas’ weird shit is cranked up to an 11:    basically nocturnal unless needed to be awake during the day for whatever reasons, sleeps in small spaces (like a bathtub) in a nest/cocoon of blankets and pillows, will hiss at anyone and anything, is not afraid to eat a bug and will happily do so, has heightened senses (primarily hearing and smell, he can hear someone cough from blocks away and peppermint gives him a headache), and is just overall kind of... Odd.    he’s The Weird One(tm) of the six lmao.

to be updated when i have more thoughts tbh, because i’m sure i will.

[tracksdowna]

@webdget, because we love pain

what in god's name have you gotten yourself into, james murphy? it's a question that ping pongs between the walls of his skull, tail swishing angrily in the air as he listens to the city burn around him. he tried tuning it out — the dials of his mask turned to a nine, told the others all this noise and chaos was giving him a migraine. not a total lie, but enough to placate the others for now. just gotta play the part until the coast is clear and dip, y'know, your usual response when the going gets tough. felt good to breathe open air again though, his neck craning back to let the november rain try and wash away his sins.

pete'll be here soon, that's gonna be a fun talk. but that's their jobs right now — the scorpion and the spider, broken fractals in the same, distorted mirror, both simply players in a octavius' grand play to showcase the downfall of norman osborn. it would be more poetic if dallas couldn't hear the distant screams of suffering innocents. they're not your problem, this is just a job and then you're free. but free from what? it's a question he hasn't let himself linger on for too long since this all started. he catches the sound of a THWIP on the wind, southside of the park. a sigh, and mask is replaced over his face after wiping some of the rain away, and he tucks himself up over the northern edge of the roof. heartrate slows and a heavy pit forms low in his stomach, anchoring him to this decision, knowing what he has to do.

❝ sorry in advance, peter. ❞

[tracksdowna]

@webdget, peter: don’t run. i’m not moving. you don’t move neither.

fear. a base, primal instinct, one that's kept you alive for so long now, even before coming new york. their chases through the city felt almost familiar at this point — leaps from skyscraper to skyscraper, intermittent quick tustles upon rooftops just to remind each other the dance wasn't over yet, but muscles burn from running for so long, senses are fried — it's one of those days, and here he is. god he wants to keep running, to dig, to hide, to get away no matter what. you're good at that, running from your past, from what matters most to you.

❝ stay away from me, ❞ talons weakly anchor in asphalt, trying to hide the shaking in his legs, ❝ today isn't a good day to try and fuck with me man, ❞ but when is it a good day to see your little brother after so long? after so much? how long until burning coals finally extinguish, and something new can start growing in its place? you're tired, you know it, and he knows it too. finally, he starts to relax, shoulders dropping, the shakiness becoming more visible as he finds a flat surface to lean against, claws running through dark curls to steady himself.

❝ hurry up and spit it out, pete, i ain't got all day. ❞

[tracksdowna]

@fortrauma: ❝ what are you trying to say? ❞

it's nerve-wracking, being honest with someone. this was a long shot — a cry for help. body and soul lost out to sea, voice barely audible over crashing waves, begging for someone to hear him and pull him back to safety. the scorpion paces like some wild creature in a cage, trapped in this suit, in this life, in this fate. you've killed, you've destroyed, you even assisted in an act of bioterrorism. why would anyone want to help you? but, federal agent hasn't told him to get out yet or pulled a gun on him, so those were both good signs. maybe there's hope.

❝ i'm tryin' t'say i wanna make a deal, ❞ every muscle tenses with the confession, looming presence how hunched over, voice rising in desperation to be heard, ❝ information — proof of oscorp's doings, ❞ mask is tightly gripped in an attempt to steady trembling hands. this could be it, finally, a chance to do the right thing. ❝ i want norman osborn to suffer an' rot for what he's done — i want that man to feel regret for the rest of his fuckin' life, an' i think you can help make that happen. ❞

[tracksdowna]

@losuenitos, miles: ❝ i’m running out of lies, man. ❞

❝ god ain't that the truth, ❞ it comes out in a soft scoff, distorted behind fabric and metal, ❝ but that's the superhero life, right? ❞ you don't have that problem though, do you? vilified and infamous even now, your name and life plastered on every wall years prior by jameson himself. 'mac gargan' was supposed to james murphy's last lie — one he even planned on coming clean with to those that had entered in his life, only for that chance to be ruined, ripped away without hesitation. hard to lie about who and what you are when everyone this side of the brooklyn bridge knows your name and face.

❝ have you considered just... coming clean? being honest with folks? ❞ mind thinks back to the first time he saw peter's wide, scared eyes behind red fabric torn by his own hand, ❝ the people closest to you are gonna find out one way or another, ❞ an old and weathered feeling of betrayal sits behind his lungs before glowing eyes turn to face the little spider. ❝ there's never gonna be a right time to do it, but they might as well hear about it from yer' mouth instead of finding out in a way that's outta yer' control. ❞

[tracksdowna]

@ragesense: ❝ remind me why i keep doing this. ❞

❝ i reckon you want a real answer instead of just some flowery bullshit? ❞ question hangs in the air between exhausted arachnids as they sit on some roof, twin gazes focused on the bustling city below. the masks came off a bit ago. finally, head turns just enough for dark eyes to land on a tired face. the kid looks frustrated — confused, even. it's almost enough to make dallas smile at the familiarity. ❝ i dunno, pete, why do you keep doing this? because you've had plenty of chances to just quit it, and you know that, and yet... ❞ head shakes, unkempt curls bouncing with the motion, a slight smile finally creeping onto his face, ❝ i don't think you could stop, even if you wanted to. ❞ arm lifts just enough for a heavy hand to land on peter's shoulder, just barely squeezing it as he pulls the other a little closer.

❝ yer' a good person, peter, an' good people ain't as rare as folks like to pretend they are, but it's easy to be good when bein' good is easy, an' it's the ones that still choose to be good when shit gets hard that really matter. ❞

[tracksdowna]

spotify wrapped   ( 69, magdalena bay’s   ‘ the girls ’ )   —    @diaboluse​

❝  an’ now i got yer’ attention.  ❞

[tracksdowna]

🗣 @antithetica​   ( helena )

❝  surprised to run into you here.  ❞

[tracksdowna]

🗣 @antithetica   ( nat )

❝  hold still, this might sting a little.  ❞

[tracksdowna]

🗣 @electrome​   ( max )

❝  wait.    did’ya hear that?  ❞

[tracksdowna]

@buglesgirlfriday, betty: what drives me is the unknown.

the unknown. he scoffs. what a genuine and sincere answer, probably more sincere than anything dallas himself could come up with if asked the same question. why are you here? why do you keep going despite everything? gaze wanders around little apartment, landing on furniture gifted by neighbors, plants rescued from neglect, and a less than conspicuous pile of newspaper clippings. that's it, right? dark eyes return to reporter's curious gaze, and muscles relax just slightly.

❝ oh? do you consider me a part of the unknown, miss brant? ❞ head tilts with an air of faux awe, yet still something small and warm forms in his chest. how can you trust her? he pushes the question back, burying it under all the other what-ifs swirling around his mind. trust, trust, trust. what a rare thing to find these days.

❝ yer' different, betty, ❞ back turns to betty as he moves to grab a beer from the fridge, ❝ even back in the day you were... ❞ 'always paying attention' are the words that want to leave his mouth, instead they roll around his mouth for a long moment as he tries to think of something else, ❝ well, i'll just say i'm not completely surprised yer' in my apartment right now, if we're bein' honest. ❞

[tracksdowna]

@strongenough (sarah this is a billion years old but ilu)

❝ come on, stay with me, kid, ❞ little spider barely moves in the scorpion's arms, heart racing as cracked ribs make every breath a painful exercise in perseverance. ❝ sorry fer' takin' so long, ❞ it hadn't been difficult following roxxon, what with aleksei feeling like the largest radar ping to his senses, but their security was scarier than the raft's somehow, and it had been tense playing the waiting game — hoping one of them would manage to get out and he'd be able to help go in for the other.

it was worse, though, hearing concrete and brick explode below the surface, watching only the tinkerer leave a nearby subway tunnel, no spider-man following them out, something close to panic bubbling up just under his skin as he dived into the darkness, listening for some familiar sound. the sight before him almost made his heart stop.

❝ wake up, kid — we gotta get you home. ❞

[tracksdowna]

@ragesense: ❝ did you get it all out of your system? ❞

already hot blood starts to cool in his veins, the dumpster before him now a miserable, crumpled heap and nose instinctively wrinkles as a slurry of pungent rot finally cuts through all the red and hits his senses. you never used to get angry like this. like sure, you used to get angry, and you liked getting angry, and you knew how to use it. anger is warm, familiar, always waiting for you to come home to it. it heats now-cold blood, another symptom of this curse. everything is so cold these days. rhythmic tempo in his head finally spikes as presence finally bothers to reveal himself.

❝ did you get it all out of your system? ❞

well, did you? it's a fair question, given the situation — knowing what kind of hell you're capable of creating. it almost hurts, the way little spider's gaze burns into the back of his skull, tearing through flesh and bone and gray matter, trying to find whatever's left underneath.

❝ i don't plan on causin' any problems tonight, if that's what yer' askin' me, ❞ neither an answer to the question, nor an untrue statement in this case. a reply that sits somewhere in the middle. ❝ why? are you worried about the scorpion going on a rampage through the city? ❞ or are you worried about an old friend? it's a question he can't bring himself to ask.

[roguedallas]

actually wait i’m in physical pain over scorp’s criminal record gimme a second-

vandalism (14) larceny (14) assault (15) grand larceny (16) extortion (17) witness intimidation (20) aggravated assault (22) kidnapping (25) attempted murder (28) murder in the first degree (32)

[roguedallas]

@dcvildealt because i have to help justify brooke making this blog lol.

❝  y’know it’s dangerous to be out this late — lord knows the type of folks that wander the kitchen at this hour.  ❞    claws quietly dig into reddened brick, marmalade lenses peaking over roof’s edge to stare at the devil himself.    fucker looks like one of those gargoyles with how still he’s sitting.    senses open up, inviting the city’s sounds in,    ❝  anything specific yer’ listenin’ for tonight, red?    or are you just waitin’ for inspiration to hit’cha instead?  ❞