#* dash comm › communication is key
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belovedblossoms-m · 2 years ago
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Ignore, just reposting some tags since tumblr freaking ate a good chunk of them...
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quickdeaths · 1 year ago
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GET TO KNOW YOUR ADMIN !!
name — Bryn
pronouns — She/Her.
preferred comms — Discord for sure! I'm on Discord basically all the time and I try to be pretty responsive to things. If you unlock the secret friendship tier, I will also bother you with memes/ship inspo/random conversation/etc. but even if you don't want that, it's got a big window and a search bar so it is infinitely better for plotting than anything else. That said, I do tumblr IMs too, if necessary.
name of muse — quickdeaths.tumblr.com/muses there's a lot of them take your pick
experience in RP — I started out 17-18 years ago on the forums for a D&D webcomic. Eventually I checked out of that scene, bounced around LiveJournal, had a cup of coffee in Gaia Online, and then came to Tumblr around 2012ish. Was pretty off-and-on here until 2015, and I've been part of the furniture here ever since. I've done a few things on Discord and through Google Docs since, but I think for better or worse, I'm just Here Now.
best experiences — Meeting my girlfriend will always be #1! We met here on tumblr and even though she doesn't RP as much anymore, I'm always going to be thankful for the things we wrote, and how RPing together helped us become friends, and then girlfriends. After that, all the things I've done with people that were long-term and plotted, with mutual investment. I've been doing this long enough now that even people who've left or who I fell out with, I still have a lot of fondness for those stories, as well as the long-term stories I'm doing now.
pet peeves / dealbreakers — The number one ultimate pet peeve for me is people dropping threads without personally notifying their partners. Not everyone lurks on dash, and it's easy to miss posts, and when people say things like 'gonna drop some of my drafts,' it's easy to feel like you've been put in a limbo state. Hiatuses are one thing but dropped threads like that just drive me crazy. Super long wait times on replies (I'm talking like, consistently 2-3 months or more) are rough for me too. Lack of communication as well, especially when it comes to choosing a muse(s) to write with.
muse preference ( fluff, angst, smut ) — Angst > fluff > smut for me. I'm an angsty bitch and I love the drama. I like drilling down into character flaws and weaknesses and forcing them to Go Through It and confront things they don't super want to confront, so I'll probably never get tired of writing angsty stuff. I like fluffy stuff too, but a bit more sparingly just because sometimes I think it can get a little circular. Smut... to be honest, I'm not against writing it if a plot calls for it and it makes sense for characters but I've had a handful of rough experiences in the past with people, and it's an area where I'm not very confident as a writer. You will never see a spicy sideblog from me though, I will simply put it on dash like a shameless heathen.
plot or memes — plots plots plots. Honestly, I would never do memes at all if it weren't The Culture here on tumblr. I never know who to send for, or from, when it comes to multimuses, I worry that the ideas aren't interesting and can't sustain long replies, and they don't usually inspire me. Plotting is great because you can figure out a dynamic, whether there's any preexisting knowledge, maybe a general direction you want things to go, etc. Almost everything I've loved doing has come from plots, but I'll still be offering both forever.
long or short replies — have you seen my blog i should be locked up and the key thrown away. I have lost the ability to write a reply under 5 paragraphs and with Certain People Who Know Who They Are I get up to like 8, 10, 12, occasionally some deeply unhinged 33 paragraph drabbles. I don't even have a good excuse really, it's just what feels comfortable for me to write. It lets me do all the inner world stuff that I use to round out my characters in a scene and contextualize them, while still (hopefully) having enough action and dialogue to respond to.
best time to write — It depends. Late afternoon/early evening is probably best, but later evening is fine too. Sometimes I will start a Particularly Ambitious Reply late late late and get too tired to finish it, and then finish it when I get up in the morning, and that seems to work for me too.
are you like your muse — Not really, I don't think? Although I guess that's for other people to judge. I try to give all my muses traits that I can relate to on some level, or at least one thing that feels connective between us, but I honestly think I'm too boring to be a very good RP character. I think Rio is probably the character I'm most similar to, but even then, I think it's more superficial similarities like hobbies than much else.
Tagged by: @more-than-a-princess Tagging: i will fill this in later, if you are seeing this post then i forgot to fill it in and that means it is a runabout, you can steal it, no one will ever know
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belovedblossoms · 7 months ago
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au 【 AU. ❀ ║ traverse among new dimensions. 】
ooc 【 ooc. ❀ ║ pursuing my true self. 】
crossover 【 crossover. ❀ ║ new navigations to follow great minds. 】
dash games 【 dash games. ❀ ║ something to pass the time. 】
memes 【 memes. ❀ ║ your journey begins here. 】
prompts 【 prompts. ❀ ║ choose your path. 】
queue 【 queue. ❀ ║ good things come to those who wait. 】
wishlist 【 wishlist. ❀ ║ wishes to make come true. 】
ic 【 ic. ❀ ║ communication is the key to success. 】
dash comm 【 dash comm. ❀ ║ time to put these two cents in. 】
saved 【 saved. ❀ ║ memories to reserve. 】
open starters 【 open starters. ❀ ║ newfound connections. 】
headcanon 【 headcanons. ❀ ║ secured & crafted by the heart. 】
visage 【 visage. ❀ ║ reflections of destinies and self worth. 】
musings 【 musings. ❀ ║ reach into the mind of the beholder. 】
wardrobe 【 wardrobe. ❀ ║ style with a touch of character. 】
aesthetics 【 aesthetics. ❀ ║ shaping beauty how it meets the eye. 】
answered 【 answered. ❀ ║ heed the call to new beginnings. 】
asks 【 asks. ❀ ║ inquisitive requests. 】
crack 【 crack. ❀ ║ silly fun can turn into open chaos. 】
music 【 music. ❀ ║ melodies that flow to the heart. 】
promo 【 promo. ❀ ║ spread the love. 】
self promo 【 self promo. ❀ ║ welcome to my collection. 】
resources 【 resources. ❀ ║ support from the talented. 】
psa 【 psa. ❀ ║ do the next right thing. 】
ships 【 ships. ❀ ║ so many ships so little time. 】
nsfw 【 nsfw. ❀ ║ intense fervor enriches soul and body. 】
desires 【 desires. ❀ ║ the heart wants what it wants. 】
main 【 main verse. ❀ ║ familiar to delve into new discoveries. 】
thread 【 thread. ❀ ║ sharing a brand new study. 】
character study 【 character study. ❀ ║ observations to improve & master skills. 】
roleplay 【 roleplay. ❀ ║ fantasies transform. 】
Power 【 visage (power). ❀ ║ cower in the presence of power! 】
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chainrattle · 4 years ago
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seven refuses to ever speak on the flower incident ever again, but his last words are heard through the maw as he runs.
" the only cool kids here are mono and red! "
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gumnut-logic · 4 years ago
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Snake Bite (Part 1)
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I wrote fic! For the first time this year. New fic! yeah, I know I have WIPs, but the muse was misbehaving and rebelling all over the place, so as you saw in a previous post (amongst all the amazing fanart, wow), I wrangled it and this is what I came up with. It’s not much and isn’t finished, but fic! I hope you enjoy anyway.
Many thanks to @scribbles97​ and @tsarinatorment​ for the read throughs and support. you guys rock ::hugs you both::
-o-o-o-
It was a beautiful evening. The day had been hot, but the sun was waning and a breeze had picked up enough to disturb the cloying heat prologuing the cool desert night.
Perhaps he shouldn’t have stepped off the decking in a suit with a champagne glass in his hand, perhaps he should have left his explorations for another night when he could have been dressed appropriately, but Virgil was used to grabbing the moment and the inspiration when he could. Tomorrow was never guaranteed.
Tonight was a rare case. Lady Penelope had invited the Tracy family out to her station in the outback for an evening of entertainment. There were a number of notables there and Scott had been heard to mutter something about working holiday, but Dad had shushed him and promised to take some of the networking load.
It was times like these Virgil felt a little guilty. While he didn’t mind a party and it was certainly fun to socialise, he felt he didn’t have that suave business sense like Scott, his father and even to a certain extent, John, who hated parties at the best of times. Though if you gave John a long distance communication method and he could have anyone eating out of his hand. A skill Scott deployed on many a business occasion.
No, Virgil was more of the practical sense. Something broken, he could fix it, someone hurt, he could tend to them. Juggle the fallacies of business and the underhand agendas? He had no patience or tolerance. Besides, he had reliable feedback that he couldn’t lie to save his own life.
But whatever, he was good at what he was good at.
So, sometimes the quiet desert evening was more attractive than the bustling social scene inside.
He eyed a bird of prey circling far above and wondered vaguely what type it was. Thoughts of different birds on a different farm came to mind.
A sigh and he swallowed a sip of champagne.
The bubbles popped on his tongue.
Perhaps he shouldn’t have stepped out, dressed in a suit, carrying a glass of champagne, but the evening was picture perfect and the quiet so alluring.
He didn’t go far. While Australia had become more familiar since they had moved to Tracy Island, it was still vast, still had a reputation of being deadly to the unwary, and this was no Kansas farm.
The red sand under his feet glowed in the evening sun.
Sharp grass - learnt the hard way - grew in tufted spikes along the path, tiny flowers dotted between the rocks. Penelope had said that spring was on the region and that they might see some lovely flower displays.
Virgil fully intended on investigating as soon as possible.
The path rose a little as he climbed a hillock and he couldn’t help but look back over the ranch buildings to the glowing presence of Thunderbird Two parked on the far side.
He had brought her with him for two reasons, the first being in case of a callout. The second was more related to that business manoeuvring thing. The overt presence of an International Rescue vehicle, while never explicitly used in dealings, was useful as a reminder to those who may forget exactly who the Tracy family were.
Virgil’s lips thinned as he stared at his ‘bird. It was a Dad thing. One of the many new things his father’s return had introduced. Scott had never used IR as a business tool and Dad technically wasn’t, but there was a contrast between how Scott worked and how their father worked and there were lots of little things like this that made that obvious.
The fact the Thunderbird was high up on her struts and towered over the landscape was functional and strategic at the same time.
A sigh and Virgil took another sip of champagne before turning to once again follow the path up the hill.
He didn’t see what he stepped on, but he felt it.
Soft, moving, he had that split second of realisation that his foot had encountered something alive, a stumble to try and avoid hurting whatever that was, and he overbalanced, only managing to not faceplant in the dust due to many years on the training mats with Kayo.
He still landed in an uncoordinated mess in the middle of one of those spiky grass tufts.
It stabbed him through expensive fabric.
Ow.
And rocks. There were rocks.
Damnit.
Red dust coated his pants and suit jacket and there was a definite scuff on one shoe.
Whatever it was he had nearly squished, slithered off into the grass on the other side of the path.
It only took him a moment to connect the dots.
He’d stepped on a snake, apparently, a little one, but a snake.
In Australia.
The continent renowned for such deadly reptiles.
Aw, hell.
But Virgil was an experienced responder. There was no need to panic. He rolled himself off the grass, his eyes pinned to where the snake had disappeared.
The grass complained and stabbed him a few more times through his clothes, but he got onto his hands and knees.
Nothing obvious was hurting, other than all the needle pricks, so that was a good sign.
His dress shoes were more red than black, along with the nice charcoal suit pants. The sooner he got off the ground, the better, but the medic in his head was yelling at him.
He yanked up both pant legs and poked around his socks, examining his skin for breaks. Even then, he almost missed it.
Two tiny little pin pricks on the inside of his right ankle.
Shit.
The current locations of his family members flitted through his head.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
It was going to be absolutely fabulously newsworthy to have one of the Tracy brothers carted off in his own ‘bird simply because he didn’t look where he stepped.
The setting sun was still calmly gazing over the landscape, lighting everything up in gold. But it felt far more sinister now.
The breeze ruffled his hair.
Sitting in the dirt, knowing he shouldn’t move, Virgil sighed and thumbed his comms. Maybe he could minimise the damage.
“Gords, you got a minute?”
-o-o-o-
Gordon was having a great time.
If there was something he missed living on an island in the middle of nowhere, it was this.
Penelope had one soft hand on his arm and was smiling at him as several of her friends laughed at one of his jokes. The fact the stuck-up toff, Duke Butterfingers, looked less than pleased was just icing on the cake. He was definitely on Gordon’s scorn list after his snide remark regarding Sherbet versus his ‘real dog’ wolfhound blah-blah.
It appeared the dog was smarter than the owner.
But Pen’s girlfriends were great conversationalists and it was nice to talk to someone other than family or those with their lives at risk for a change.
Yes, it was proof that he needed to get out more.
The subtle twitch of his collar comms against his skin wasn’t to be ignored, however.
A hand on Pen’s hand. “Please excuse me a moment. Duty calls.” He did not bow. Well, not really, but the amused smile and the sparkle in Penny’s eyes made it worth it anyway.
Her hand squeezed his arm and let go gently. Her eyes didn’t leave him immediately. “Felicity, do tell me about your new parlour. I hear it is being featured in Great Homes of Britain?”
If her blue eyes hadn’t turned away at that moment, it would have been questionable as to whether he would have been able to leave. But leave he did, wondering which family member he had to torture in the future in revenge.
Finding himself a polite corner, he opened his comms and frowned at his brother’s worried voice. “Virgil? What is it?”
It took a moment, enough to grab Gordon’s attention a little more. “Virg?”
“I’ve been bitten by a snake.”
“What?!”
“I’m up the hill at the back of the ranch. I stepped on a snake.” I need your help. It wasn’t said, but it was obvious. “Don’t tell Scott or Dad. Yet.” That last was said a little tentatively.
But Gordon was already moving, running the list of dangerous snakes that could likely be found out here through his head. If anyone noticed him dash from the room, he didn’t really care.
Compression bandage. Immobilisation. “You stay absolutely still, you hear me?”
“I’m aware of the procedure, Gordon.”
The location of first aid kits in Penelope’s house was quickly overridden by the vast store of equipment out in the carpark in Two.
Gordon was in a full out run before he realised it.
The evening was cooler but still warm from the day as the sun still hadn’t gone down. Two loomed over everything as Gordon dashed between cars and dodged guard rails. Two parking attendants stared at him as he tore past, but he ignored them.
Reaching Two, he swiped a dance of finger code over his left jacket sleeve and a control hologram leapt up from the fabric. The keys to his brother’s ‘bird were a necessity he was ever grateful for in this moment.
The great green Thunderbird hummed to life and lowered on her struts, smooth as ever, down enough for her forward hatch to reach him. He jumped on board and was in the first aid lockers without a second thought.
The countdown in his head was predictably short as his comms went off only a few seconds later. That would be John.
Gordon ignored it and switched back to Virgil.
“Any idea what type of snake?”
“Small and brown. It’s all I got. Didn’t see it. Stepped on the poor thing.” A pause. “I’m sorry, Gords.”
“It happens.” He slammed the locker shut, grabbed a hover stretcher and linked it to his comms. He cursed the lack of his uniform and all its inbuilt necessities with it. The essentials woven into his suit jacket and collar comms were barely minimal.
A brief thought of moving Two to his brother faded quickly as he poked the pilot’s dash and Virgil’s location lit up. He wasn’t very far away at all and there was no room to park Two anyway.
No room in the Australian Outback? An oxymoron, but it would be faster to just grab his brother and throw him on Two.
It was going to be bad enough lifting off once.
He jumped back onto the hatch and lowered himself. Securing Two he broke into another run. “You know you’re not going to be able to hide this from Scott, Dad or anyone here? You’re going to hospital, bro, and Two’s the fastest way. No one is going to miss her launching.” He leapt over a fence, the hover stretcher darting to follow.
“I know.” It was a quiet and sad answer.
“Medical status, Virg. How are you feeling?” He peeled around the corner of the main building and fixed his eyes on a figure part way up a hill in the distance.
Virgil waved.
“Gordon, report! John says it was you who accessed Two. What are you doing?” Scott, as commander as ever.
A harsh breath as his feet hit the bottom of the hill. “Thunderbird Four responding to a medical emergency. One of Penelope’s guests has been bitten by a snake. Evac imminent.” Another breath as he finally made it to Virgil’s side. The expression on his brother’s face could only be considered despair. “Scott, we will need media management. Victim is high profile. We need to keep this on the downlow.”
A pause as Gordon set down the first aid kit. Virgil’s lips were tight as he pointed to the red and swollen twin pin pricks on the inside of his right ankle.
Gordon shoved open the kit and, without another word, grabbed bandaging.
Scott’s voice was sharp. “FAB. John is accessing Five. Victim identity?”
Virgil sighed and his shoulders dropped before he thumbed his comms. “Scott?”
“Virgil?”
“It’s me.”
-o-o-o-
TBC
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thelordofdarkreunion · 4 years ago
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Magnificent Scoundrels- Rock n’ Roll
This one is definitely a little late.  Took me a while to write it, and I had to make several changes.  It might be a bit awkward in parts, but that is because I have tried to portray each character faithfully and tried to have them do what they would actually do in the battle scenes.  As per usual, I own none of these characters except for Thomas Drake.  Enjoy!  (Side note: I figured out how to use the “read more” so this won’t be as long in the dash!)   
In the hangar of the Normandy, Adam Vir and Master Chief waited.  The Chief was currently flipping through everyone’s communication channels.  
“Do you really trust this guy, Captain?”  That was the internal communications of the Enterprise.
“No.  And his group of armsmen is putting me on edge.  But we control this ship and we have transporters and they don’t.”  The rest coming from Kirk’s crew was all military and technological jargon.  He flipped to the Apocalypse's internal communications.
“So, the question is: since it’s a fruit, tomato, mixed with sugar, is ketchup a smoothie?”  That was Drake.  Of course it was.  
“Well, by that definition, yes,” said an unfamiliar voice.
“But ketchup has vinegar in it.  And if you think smoothies have vinegar, well, then you really need to reevaluate your life’s choices,” replied someone else.
“An excellent point!  Indeed, what is a smoothie?  Does vinegar belong in your smoothies?” said Drake.  Master Chief shook his head and changed channels.  He had a feeling that if he listened to that conversation for much longer, his head would implode.    
“How did he get that stuff?  Twenty suits of carapace armor, five crates of hot-shot lasguns, ten crates of normal lasguns, a crate of chainswords, and two power swords, all with Imperial markings!”  That was Kasteen, commander of the Valhallans.  “And, Cain, what was that thing?  An Exitus rifle?  I’ve never heard of it.”
“That last one’s the one that worries me.  The reason I know of it is because of my work with Inquisitor Vail,” replied Cain.
“Shit.  You think he stole it from the Inquisition?”
“The only people who have access to those are Inquisitors and Vindicares.”
“Oh he’s beyond frakked.”  The Chief cut the communications as Shepard walked into the hangar bay.  He was wearing a full set of black combat armor with a heavy helmet.  Vir, the other occupant of the hangar, looked up from where he was fiddling with his own armor.  
“Shepard.  Pleased to see you.”   His one good green eye gleamed from under a shock of blond hair.  “Are we ready to go?”  
“Give me a sec.”  Shepard turned to the hooded and violet masked figure that was present with him at the Scoundrel’s first meeting.  “Tali?” he asked the figure.  “Are they going to know we’re coming?”  
“No, commander.”  It was a feminine voice, with a strange and slightly mechanical accent that emanated from the suit.  “The engineers aboard the Enterprise and Apocalypse are quite good at what they do.  It would be interesting to know what all these new people have!  Technology-wise, I mean.  The possibilities of-”  Shepard cut her off.
“Good to know, Tali.”
“Right.  Sorry.  Got carried away.”  
“If you’d like, I’ll give you a tour of the Apocalypse,” cut in Drake’s suave voice over their earpieces.  “That, of course, extends to the rest of you.”  Master Chief keyed his comm.
“You’ve been listening to us this whole time?” he asked.
“Well, I can’t talk about vinegar smoothies forever, now, can I?  To get more to the point, Cain and I are in position, and Cooper and Quill are on their way.  This thing all depends on you, so I suggest you get down here before they notice fifty Imperial Guardsmen and fifteen mercenary armsmen hanging outside their front gate.”
“Yeah, yeah, we’re going.”  They boarded the shuttle, Master Chief having to hunch his massive frame to avoid banging into the doors.  The ride to the muddy-brown planet below them was smoot and silent.  From the window of the transport, they could see the silhouettes of the teams’ starships above them, gleaming in the weak yellow light of the nearby sun.  The atmospheric entry was much smoother than either Vir or Master Chief had ever felt, and the shuttle landed on the planet much faster than they expected.  The shuttle’s three occupants disembarked quickly, professionally, and set out in a trot to the distant specter of the military base.  They arrived on schedule, and found a small electrical access passage, barely tall enough to squeeze through, exactly where Drake’s map said it was.  
Drake checked the timer on his wrist computer.  His armsmen and several Imperial Guardsmen cluster around him, waiting expectantly.
“And...nine minutes and twenty-five seconds for Shepard to get his ass in gear and get planetside.  If you had more than ten minutes, pay up.”  There were grumblings in the crowd, while money and liquor exchanged hands.  One of the armsmen looked up.
“Captain, how long for the other timer?”  Drake checked his wrist again.  
“...nineteen minutes and twenty six...twenty seven seconds since we got here, and they still haven’t noticed over a hundred armed hostiles sitting outside their front gate.”  He made a clicking noise with his tongue.  “Sloppy.  If you bet under twenty minutes, you're probably going to be losing something.”  He glanced over to where Cain and Jurgen were leaning against the compound’s outer wall.  “How are you two holding up?”
Cain looked up from a mug of steaming liquid in his hands.  “Fine.  These people still haven’t noticed us?”  Drake snorted.
“No.  I’m really good at what I do, and they’re really bad.  Honestly, I’m not quite sure how they managed to steal the thing we’re after in the first place.”
On the other side of the compound, Peter Quill paced.  
“What’s taking them so long?” he hissed.  Gamora, his green-skinned second in command, looked up from where she was sitting and sharpening a sword.  
“Relax.  We’re fine.”  
“I know…” Quill trailed off, paced more, then turned back.  “Do you think that these people know what they’re doing?”  Cooper, who had been silently checking his weapons up until this point, spoke.
“Shepard is supposed to be a hero, and a special forces operative, based on Drake’s briefing.”  Noticing Quill’s blank look, he gave a very good incredulous stare, considering he had his helmet on.  “You didn’t read it?”
“Uh...maybe.”  Cooper and Gamora both shook their heads.  
“Shepard’s is apparently very good.  At least, according to Drake.  And the problem with that is we don’t know if Drake is telling the truth about anything.”  Quill considered this.  He did have a point.  
Shepard, Vir, and Master Chief squeezed through the narrow metal electrical duct and into a small, dimly lit concrete room in the basement of the compound.  They brushed plaster dust off themselves before looking up.  Shepard tapped his wrist and some sort of glowing orange hologram sprang to life, covering his let forearm.  The others leaned in and recognized it as Drake’s map of the compound.
“Right.  So we are here,” Shepard highlighted the small room.  “The item is here.”  He traced a path throughout the sun-levels to a large main room in the center of the basement.  “We need to stay low and follow this path.”  Shepard glanced up and pointed at Master Chief.  “You’re a super-soldier, so you’re taking point.”  The Chief nodded.
“Copy that.”  He unslung his weapon, dropped into a crouch, and proceeded forward, the two others following him.  They walked through the concrete and metal halls, weapons at the ready, searching for any sign of life.  Despite being over seven feet tall and clad in bulky armor, Master Chief moved with the deadly silence of a professional soldier.  Twice they were almost caught, but due to their superior training and skills, they melted into the shadows as enemy patrols passed by.  Through more hallways they made their way, hearing the laughter and occasionally fights of mercenaries.  The enemy here was no more alert than they were on the main level, allowing the three to pass through the labyrinthian passageways undetected.  They reached a large open area, where Master Chief suddenly gestured for a stop.  Peering past the Chief’s massive shoulder, Shepard could see why.  The open room was littered with mercenaries, lounging around with weapons still holstered.  By his estimate, there were about twenty of them.  Too many to take on without raising the alarm.  Shepard cursed quietly under his breath, then pressed a finger to his ear.
“Drake,” he hissed.  “We’re blocked.  There’s a group in our way.  We need a distraction.”    
“Distraction you say?”  The three could feel Drake’s smile over the audio.  “Give me twenty.”  
Outside the Compound
Drake slid up to the compound gate’s outside audio panel.  He slid a knife under a small plate at the base of the panel and slid a small rectangular device from his belt into a slot.  
“Let’s see here…” he muttered to himself.  “Are you stupid enough to connect the PA system to the main computer?  Yes...yes you are.”  He tapped several buttons on his wrist computer and took a deep breath.  
Inside the Compound
Shepard and Vir jumped as Drake’s voice crackled from the building’s PA system.  
“Attention assorted idiots.  I am Captain Thomas Drake.  You may have heard of me.  I am here, waiting just outside the front gate.  I am going to kill you all and take back the black box.  Come and get me.”  The message abruptly terminated, and cheery music started playing.  
“Private Perks is a funny little coger with a smile, a funny smile.  Five feet none he’s an artful little dodger with a smile, a funny smile.  Flush or broke he’ll have his little joke…”  Shepard, Vir, and even the superhuman Master Chief started at the loudspeaker as the music played.  
“Drake, what the hell are you doing?” asked Shepard.  
“Creating a distraction,” replied Drake, just as cheerfully as the song.  
“Telling the mercenaries to come and kill you and playing Smile, Smile, Smile is not a distraction,” stated Master Chief flatly.  
“You sure about that?  Look in front of you,” said Drake.  Sure enough, the mercenaries occupying the room had grabbed their weapons and were hustling up the stairs to the main level.  Shepard’s mouth opened and closed like a landed fish, then he sighed.  
“Fine, let’s go.”  As the last of the mercenaries trailed from the room, the three Scoundrels slipped by on their way to the item.  
Outside the Facility
Drake glanced at his wrist computer and nodded at a group of armsmen.  
“Four guards in the compound beyond the gate.  There, there, there, and there.”  He gestured at four spots beyond the wall.  The armsmen nodded and took positions near the gate.  “Overriding and opening the gate in three...two...one go!”  Drake pressed a button and the massive armored gate swung open.  The armsmen stepped forward and fired.  The four mercenary guards pitched forward, dead.  Drake nodded at the remaining Guardsmen and armsmen.  “Right. Through the gate and set up a firing position.  They’ll be coming, probably disorganized, from the main door.”  He pointed at a large armored set of double doors that led inside the main facility.  The soldiers nodded and readied their weapons.  Drake pressed another button on his wrist.  
On the other side of the Compound
“Cooper, Quill, this is Drake.  The mercenaries are going to attack our position while Shepard, Chief, and Vir steal the thing.  Get behind them.”  
“Copy that,” replied Cooper with a nod.  He looked at the large wall in front of them, then took a step back and jumped.  Thrusters on the back of his suit activated and propelled him onto the wall.  He turned his head to Quill and Gamora.  “You two coming?”  Quill scoffed.  
“I can do that.”  He pressed a small button on the top of his boots, and the heels lit up with the orange wash of jet boosters.  Without the grace of Cooper he landed wobbly on the top of the wall.  “See?  Easy.”  Gamora muttered “showoffs” under her breath and accepted Quill’s offered hand to boost her over the wall.  Cooper dropped into the interior compound without a sound.  
“Right.  This way.”  
On the Other Side of the Compound
The heavy armored doors opened and mercenaries, in various stages of preparedness, scrambled out, only to be met with the full firepower of one hundred and three well trained soldiers.  The Imperials’ lasguns spat crimson death that flickered through the muddy air to impact with chests, legs, arms, and heads, burning away flesh and vaporizing the internal organs of the unprotected.  The fire from the Apocalypse’s armsmen was no less lethal.  The boom hiss thump of plasma infused ammunition contrasted with the whining crack of lasguns as small blue and purple explosions blew apart the mercenaries.  Within seconds, the attacking mercenaries were dead.  
“Let’s go!” called Drake as he led his armsmen into the interior.  Cain nodded at the Guard.  
“Forward.  I’ll take up the rear.”  
In the Basement
The mercenaries vault, the storage place of the item Drake was contracted to retrieve, stood in silence over the barren concrete room.  Harsh yellow lights glared from the walls and seemed to be swallowed by the shadows in the corners.  Two guards, weapons held at the ready, stood in front of the vault.  The air split with two cracks.  The two guards fell, two holes blown through their heads.  Master Chief, weapon at the ready, entered the room, searching carefully for any other enemies.  There were none.  He nodded at his two companions.  
“Clear.”  He shouldered his rifle.  “Now how the hell do we get that door open?”  Shepard stepped up to the vault door.  A small, rectangular computer was built into the wall.  Shepard pressed his forearm, and once more the orange hologram appeared.  He tapped the hologram several more times, and the vault door sprang open.  
“Impressive,” noted Vir.  
“I gotta get me one of those,” muttered Master Chief.  They stepped through the circular entrance of the vault, and into the room beyond.  The room was...unimpressive.  It was cluttered with objects, weapons, and boxes of no discernable value.  Master Chief keyed his comm.  “Drake?  We’re in the vault.  What are we looking for?”   There was a whine then the boom of a plasma discharge, which culminated into an abrupt, high pitched scream.  Drake’s ragged breathing could be heard on the other end of the line.  
“What?  Sorry.  Uh...you’re looking for a black box, about half a meter by half a meter.  Should be somewhere pretty prominent.”  
“Here it is!” said Vir.  He held up a black box of the exact length and width.  
“Drake, we have it.”  There was a scream and the crackle of Imperial lasgun fire on the other end of the comm.  “What is going on up there?”  
“We’re fighting the mercenaries…” Boom!  Hiss!  Crack!  “...shit.  We appear to be winning at the moment.  Get up here and kill or capture anyone who gets in your way.”  
“Copy that.”  Master Chief looked at Shepard and Vir.  “Let’s move.”
Cooper, Quill, and Gamora advanced stealthily through the twisting passages of the mercenaries’ compound, weapons at the ready.  For some reason, there was absurdly cheerful music blasting through the PA system.  If Cooper had to guess, he would say that Thomas Drake most definitely had a hand in this.  He sighed to himself, shaking his head, then abruptly stopped and held out his hand.  Gamora instantly stopped and crouched, weapons at the ready.  Quill almost ran into him.  Ahead of the group were two guards, rifles out, looking more competent than any opposition they’d seen today.  Quill raised a gun, but Gamora pushed it down.
“Quiet.  If we go loud, they might have time to radio that we’re here.”  Quill nodded, magining to look mollified behind the red lenses of his helmet.  
“Right.  My bad.  What do we do?”  
“I got this,” replied Cooper.  Before either Quill or Gammora could say anything, Cooper tapped a device on his wrist.  Immediately, his form shimmered and distorted, turning translucent.  He took off running, and both watching pairs of eyes lost track of him.  Gammora thought she saw a faint blur of movement at the top of the hall, near the ceiling, but dismissed it as her eyes playing tricks.  And, just as they started wondering where Cooper had gone, he appeared just as suddenly and silently as he had appeared, this time directly behind the guards.  
Quietly and casually, he stepped behind the first guard, wrapped his arm around the guard’s throat in a chokehold, drew the guard’s sidearm from its holster, and unceremoniously shot both guards through the head.  Quick, brutal, efficient.  Cooper tossed the pistol aside and hefted his own rifle.  
“Let’s keep moving.”  Gamora stared at him.
“Impressive.  I need one of those things.  What are they called?”
“Invisibility Cloak or Pilot’s Cloak.  You can get them pretty easily from where I come from.  Or you could ask Drake.  I’m sure he stole a bunch of them.”  
Drake’s plasma gun spat a ball of molten death at an enemy mercenary.  It melted through the mercenary’s thin armor, blasted through his bones, and disintegrated his organs.  The mercenary only had time for a half scream, half whimper, before his chest was opened all the way through and he dropped to the ground, dead.  One of the Imperial Guardsmen whistled appreciatively.  
“A real plasma gun.  Can’t believe you have one.”  Drake grinned beneath his helmet.
“Cost me a pretty penny.  But definitely worth it, I can assure you.”  His earpiece crackled to life.  “Hang on.”  
“Drake?  Are you behind the music?” asked Quill’s voice.
“Why yes, I am.  Do you approve of my selection?” Drake replied.
“Actually, I was wondering...do you take requests?”  
“Of course I do!  What is your request?”
“Hooked on a Feeling by Blue Swede,” replied Quill with no hesitation.  
“An excellent choice!  Give me a moment.”  Drake pressed another button on his wrist computer and spoke into it with an excellent approximation of a radio D.J.
“Ladies and gentlemen, that has been Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile, an old favorite from the First World War, written by George Henry Powell.  And next up, by listener request, is Hooked on a Feeling by Blue Swede!  If you would like to place a request, even if you’re on the opposing side, please, feel free to contact me.”  He cut the transmission.  One of the Valhallans turned to her sergeant.  
“This guy’s weird.”  
“Eh, could be worse.  We could be fighting tyranids.  Or necrons,” the sergeant interjected with a shudder.  
Master Chief turned to look at the nearest PA speaker.
“Well, this is definitely something new.”  He turned to his two companions.  “You two don’t seem very surprised by this.”
“Honestly, I am not surprised by anything at this point,” Shepard said with a shrug.  He turned to look at Vir.  “What about you?”
“Happens to me all the time.  What’s a battle without some good music?”  
Jack Cooper shook his head incredulously as the song piped throughout the compound.  
“I have seen a lot over my time in the Militia, but yet I have never been in a battle more bizarre.”  He sighed and fired a burst of shots at a mercenary.  “Oh, well.”  
The Imperial Guard and the Apocalypse’s armsmen, led by Cain and Drake, sliced their way through the enemies ranks like a knife through wet paper.  They stood no chance.  Anything not eliminated by lasguns or assault rifles was obliterated by Drake’s plasma gun.  Drake was leading the charge, cutting down everyone who opposed him with methodical precision.  Drake turned, the eye slits of his helmet winking cerulean blue.  
“Well, I think we’ve-”  He never had a chance to finish, as a particularly large mercenary barreled past a corner and tackled Drake.  Squeezed underneath the larger man, Drake could not get enough leverage to shove him off or hit him hard.  The two combatants rolled and grappled with each other, the armsmen and Guardsmen daring not to fire for fear of hitting Drake.  The large mercenary grimaced and tried to slip his hands under Drake’s helmet to try and throttle him to death.  Drake reached up and placed his left hand on the mercenary's chest.
“Overcharge!” he yelled to the air.  A sharp whine filled the air, then the crack of discharging electricity.  The mercenary flew backwards, twitched spasmodically for several seconds, then lied still.  Drake got up to his feet shakily.  “Well, that was a...shocking experience.”   Several of the soldiers groaned.  “C’mon.  Forward!”  They ran through the maze of dimly-lit hallways, slaughtering anyone they met, until they got to a large room filled with computers overlooking the passageways of the basement.  It looked to be a control room of some sorts, and it was absolutely packed with enemies.  They seemed to realize the superiority of the Scoundrel’s firepower, and so, instead of trying to fight them bullet to bullet, they charged.  
Cooper, Quill, and Gamora rounded the corner of the hallway at a run.  The screeched to a stop when they saw what was happening in the large room in front of them.  A massive group of enemy mercenaries were battling it out, hand to hand, with Drake and Cain’s forces.  
“Well, we can’t shoot for fear of hitting our own side, so…” Quill trailed off.
“So we take them from behind,” replied Cooper.  “You two know how to fight hand to hand?”  In response, Gamora drew a sword.
“Well, I guess that’s a yes,” said Cooper.  He looked over to see a heavily muscled woman bodily pick up and throw Drake through one of the glass panes overlooking the basement.  “Oh boy.  Better get in there.”  They charged.  
Vir, Shepard, and Master Chief emerged from the basement’s tunnels and into a pit-like room overlooked by glass panels.  Suddenly, one of the panels shattered and Drake flew through and landed on the concrete floor fifteen feet below.  He groaned and slowly got to his feet.
“Oh hey there.  Fancy meeting you here.”  Master Chief held out a hand to steady him.  
“Are you alright?”  Drake cracked his neck.
“Maybe.  Hopefully.  Doesn’t much matter.  Let's get up there.”  
“If you’re really O.K.”  
“Yep, I’m good.  What’s the fastest way up?”  Shepard pointed to a set of stairs, but before he could say anything, Master Chief took a running leap, grabbed the broken window’s ledge, and hauled himself up.
“Or...or that will work.”  Vir shrugged and made the same running jump at the same window.  With a whir of powerful prosthetics, he made it in much the same way Master Chief had.  Not to be outdone, Drake jumped for the same window.  He only made it halfway up the wall, but grips built into his forearms and greaves took over and he hauled himself up.  Shepard still stood at the bottom and shook his head.  
“Ok then.  I guess I’ll just take the stairs.”  
The vast majority of the wild melee was focused near the middle of the room.  There, the mercenaries desperately fought against the soldiers of the Imperial Guard.  The mercenaries had thought to take the enemy off balance by charging them, a tactic seldom used in an age of automatic and plasma weaponry, but had not counted on soldiers of other universes, used to fighting in different ways.  The Guardsmen had fixed bayonets, and now wielded the twenty inch blades with lethal efficiency.  However, despite the Guard doing most of the fighting, it was by far the Scoundrel captains who garnered the most attention.  Each fought with their own style, was a death-dealing whirlwind.  
Master Chief fought with a precision that only a genetically enhanced super-soldier could.  A strange, teardrop-shaped  plasma sword was held aloft in one hand, and he brought it down with murderous exactness.  Each stroke was backed by the massive strength of his seven foot frame, and gut through armor and bone as if it didn’t exist.  He was a one man killing machine; he was a SPARTAN super-warrior.  None stood in his way for long.  
Ciaphas Cain used the same practical and lethal fighting style as he did in his duel with the Drev.  His chainsword hummed and its teeth whirred as it cut through muscle and sinew, raising great gouts of blood into the air.  In his other hand he held a laspistol, which cracked off shots at any who were beyond the reach of the deadly teeth of his sword.  
Jack Cooper fought with grace and style.  He danced around the enemy, using the extra speed and mobility of his Pilot’s suit.  His combat knife slid between ribs and through throats, and shots from his sidearm rang out, blowing ragged holes through heads and torsos.  His legs lashed out in the form of powerful kicks, still with a Pilot's grace, and landed on kidneys and knees, knocking his opponents to the ground where he finished them at his leisure.  
Adam Vir fought with a spear, a most unusual weapon of choice.  Nevertheless, he was just as deadly as the rest.  The spear sand through the air, catching and impaling his foes.  It twirled in intricate patterns, and blocked and flicked aside incoming attacks as if they didn’t exist.  He lunged forward towards a panacing mercenary, twisting the spear at the last second so as not to get it stuck in the suction of flesh, then spun around to block an incoming attack.  
Thomas Drake fought dirty.  No trick was too low or underhanded.  His left hand crackled with electricity, stunning and killing any he punched.  A keen-bladed knife was in his right, and he stabbed groins, gouged eyes, and slit throats with impunity.  He bellowed reactive insults while he fought, calling in to question his opponent’s lineage and stature as he charged and hacked and stabbed.  
And Quill...well...he entered the room at a run, then promptly slipped on a puddle of blood and fell face first into the cold concrete floor.  
The Scoundrels gradually whittled down their enemies, one by one, until there was only a small group, fear in their eyes, huddling against the back wall.  The Scoundrels advanced, weapons drawn, and the mercenaries raised their own, prepared for one last defiant gesture.  Then, the air shimmered and distorted, and Kirk and a group of Enterprise crewmen, weapons drawn, appeared as if from nowhere.  
“Hands up,” said Kirk with probably more amusement than was really necessary.  Slowly, the mercenaries lowered their weapons and put them on the ground.  The Scoundrels looked at each other for a moment before Cooper broke the silence.
“Okay.  That was...underwhelming.”  
“What do we do with them?” asked Shepard, gesturing towards the prisoners.  
“Eh.  I say we just leave ‘em here,” said Drake with a shrug.  The others stared at him with incredulity.  
“Wait, wait...you were the one advocating orbital bombardment earlier!”  
“Well, we have the thing now.  No need to kill them, no need to do anything with them really.   We can just pack up and go.  Leave them here.”  The Scoundrels looked at each other and seemed to reach an agreement.  
“Fine.  Let’s go.”  Kirk looked over to Spock and spoke to him in an undertone.
“You know, this didn’t end that badly.  None of the redshirts died!”  As if on cue, one of the Enterprise’s crewmen, clad in black pants and a red shirt, fell over clutching his chest.  One of the Imperial Guardsmen knelt down to check on him. 
“He’s dead, sir!  I think a heart attack.”  Kirk shook his head.  
“You have got to be kidding me.”
After the mercenaries had been herded in the basement and the Scoundrels’ forces were trailing out of the compound, Cain pulled Drake aside.  
“Drake, I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”  
“Of course.  What’s on your mind?”  Cain looked around to make sure no one was listening.  
“Those weapons.  The only way you could have gotten several of them was if you stole them from the Inquisition.”  
“And if I did?” replied Drake.  
“The Inquisition is not an organization you want to steal from.”  Cain loosened his chainsword in its scabbard.  Drake smiled.  
“Funny, actually.  I can.  You see, those weapons I found in a small hidden stash.  Apparently, a rogue and very dead Inquisitor named Filidarus Calzik had hidden them on the very edge of Imperial space.  No one would have ever gone for them, no Imperial would have ever found them.”
“I know of them, now that you’ve told me,” replied Cain, his hands still on his weapons.  Drake laughed, the exact same laugh as when he told the Scoundrels he knew their secrets aboard the Apocalypse.  
“Interestingly enough, weapons were not the only thing I found in that stash.  There was also a computer.  Which is why I know Calzik’s name.  And, on that computer, was...an incomplete manuscript.  An...autobiography.”  Drake smiled again.  “Your autobiography, my dear Cain.”  Cain turned a shade of chalk white.  “Now, consider, if you will, my dear Cain, the fascinating consequences if the contents of that autobiography were to be released to the wider Imperium.  So, yes, I’m quite sure I can get away with stealing from the Inquisition.  Because, no one will ever know anything is missing.  And if they do, they’ll never know it was me, because everyone who knows it was me will not be saying anything about it, now will they?”  With a final parting smile, Drake spun on his heel and strode away, leaving Cain in the semi-darkness of the compound’s hallway.  
That’s it.  Hope you like it.  As per always, feel free to contact me with any complaints, concerns, compliments, questions, requests, or if you just want something cleared up.    
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sicprowl · 5 years ago
Text
The Fell-Star
Next     AO3
Sigh.
He was so bored.  So, so bored.
The red head leaned back in his seat, wiggling the pen between his lip and nose while he dazed lazily up at the ceiling.
Siiiiiiiigh.
“Sylvain,”  Ingrid tensed beside him, but her fingers continued to glide across the screen of her navigation system as various symbols lit up on the screen in an array of colors.  “Can you please stop that?”
The communications expert paused a moment, giving his childhood companion a side eye before looking back up at the ceiling.
Groooooan.
“What?”  He laughed and took the pen off his lip to wave it at her, “It’s not the same thing~.”
She wanted to pull her hair out, long braid and all, then strangle him with it.  “Why don’t you go do something productive?!”
“Like what?”  Sylvain gestured around the empty command deck, “There’s nothing to do.”
Ingrid went back to piloting, tick mark pulsing on her forehead.  “You’re supposed to be doing your job.”
“Right, my job…”
Sylvain frowned and put the pen back between his nose and lip.  One glance at his terminal showed nothing but a blank map; black, lifeless, boring. 
He’d gone to the Officers Academy for *this?*  To sit at some desk and listening out into the void, waiting for someone to say hello.  The red head had thought he’d hear some juicy gossip, get paid to chat people up, and maybe even answer distress calls to isolated colonies of beautiful women.
Instead all he got was the latter.  Minus the isolated colony of beautiful women.
Sylvain gave Ingrid a pout, “My job sucks.”
Ingrid wished his seat was closer just so she could smack him.  “Then why didn’t you study something else?!”
“Meh,” he shrugged and leaned back in his seat.  “This seemed the easiest.”
She was getting a migraine, “Can you just….Just go bother someone else?  I can watch everything here.”
Like always.
“They’re all busy.”
Ingrid huffed while focusing on her console again.  “That never stopped you before.  Felix isn’t on duty - I’m sure he could use some company.”
Sylvain deflated and the pen dropped to his lap.  “He’s in the armory having a mood.”
Ingrid looked at him questioningly, but he didn’t elaborate.  He merely waved his hand and spun slowly in his chair.  She squinted at him as he stared at his lap.
“What did you do this time?���
He jerked, “It wasn’t me!!”
The doors to the command deck opened and they both looked to see three members of the crew walk in.
Ingrid stood immediately in a salute, gazing at their Captain with stern obedience that was beat into them throughout their Academy days.  “My Lord!”
Sylvain was slower to stand, not really liking the formalities of it all.  They were all former classmates, most even childhood friends and confidents.  Heck, they’ve spent FIVE YEARS running and gunning Empire ships!  Surely that meant they could relax in their off time?
He glanced at his friend’s Captain’s face, avoiding the eye patch that covered the ghastly scar from a battle long since forgotten.  The heavy bags laid under his eyes as a constant reminder that the man never seemed to sleep and always seemed to be ready to strike.  His blonde hair looked unkempt and long as it curled slightly at his collar.  His black armor was worn from desperate battle after desperate battle while a long blue cloak with snow lion pelt at the collar.  It all made him look like a towering giant; broad, powerful, deadly.
Then there was that lance.
Sylvain gulped, noting the emblem in the middle of the blade cackled like blue lightning.  Thankfully it was merely flickers and not the thunderous storm that seemed to erupt from his old friend during battle.  But Sylvain didn’t need the lance to tell him that the blonde was aching for battle.  The bloodlust in his icy-blue eye was enough of a giveaway.
The red head looked away, unable to handle to see the once calm, and friendly boy of his youth turn into this.  Sylvain focused on Annette instead, the cute and cheerful scientist of the group.
“What’s up?”
The small girl jerked in surprise, feeling as if she were back in school and the teacher had called on her.
“Oh!  Ashe and I were calibrating the engine when we caught a strange signal on our computers!”
Panic settled on Sylvain’s face as he looked at his screen to see one, lone blinking red light right in the middle of his screen.  
Oops.
“Oh!”  Sylvain laughed nervously as all turned to him, “Sorry about that.”
Ingrid groaned while Dedue gave him a look of disapproval.
Dimitri ignored them all as he walked over to his chair, his heavily armored boots making the floor vibrate beneath all their feet.  He plopped down in his chair, his whole body taking over the spot like a predator staking it’s claim.
“Show it to me.”
The red head didn’t need to be told twice.  He sat back down and zeroed in on the signal, fingers dashing across the keys with ease as he turned on the flight screens for everyone.
Annette gasped in awe as the black, white, and blue panels covering the front half of the command deck’s ceiling changed into a vast expanse of stars.  They twinkled like fire flies in streams as a lone nebula laid light years away.  It shined bright in an aurora of periwinkle greens and cobalt blues, reaching out like in large wings that could easily dwarf a Faerghus warship.
It was breathtaking.
Dimitri gripped his lance as the screen zoomed in on a flying ship that zipped across the stars like a comet.  His gaze narrowed as he raked it over the hull of the spaceship, then gave a sharp tooth grin when he found the symbol he so desperately hated.
The emblem in his lance began to spark and Dedue was immediately at his side, ready for orders.  He was Dimitri’s second in command on this ship and closest confidant.  The large man was ever loyal to the lost Prince of Faerghus and has been after he saved him from the Purge of Duscar.  
He was his everything the moment Dimitri pulled him from the rubble.
“Sire?”
The blonde chuckled, making Sylvain’s hair practically stand on end.  “It’s time to hunt some rats.”
>>>>>
Felix’s upper lip snarled in distaste at the litter of corpses that laid in the narrow hallway, blood splattered over the floor and ceiling like it was a morbid painting.  Most of the bodies had been gouged out with a blade while a few were headless or worse…  He always looked away from the worst.
“What a disgusting brute.”
Sylvain didn’t respond as he checked one of the bodies for ammo, putting the ethics of it all in the back of his mind.  He’d unpack this all later.  Right now, he needed to make sure they were prepared.  Felix may have his family shield with him, but that thing couldn’t protect the both of them.  Not unless they wanted to straddle each other.
The red head felt the corner of his lip turn up at the idea, knowing it’d annoy the hell out of his prickly friend.
He stood and touched the comm in his ear, “All clear on the lower deck.”
”I don’t see anyone in the barracks.”  Ashe responded, having gone with Annette as a third wave in case the first two groups missed anyone.
Dedue and Dimitri had charged in headfirst….Well, Dimitri had, Dedue followed after him with his heavy weapons and armor to keep the enemies off the Lord.  Felix and Sylvain had followed after the first few minutes in case anyone came out of hiding to flank them, but lost them when a group of soldiers stormed from another hall.  Speaking of…
”We found something in the engine room.”
Sylvain raised a brow, itching to ask what the Duscar man had found, but could only get out a ‘on our way’ as Felix stroke forward.
“Whoa, wait up!”
Felix glared at the path ahead, “Someone should take that thing away from him.”
Sylvain scratched the back of his head, knowing what his friend was talking about.  “Yeah…probably.”
Except who’d be stupid enough to try?
“Look at this-this MESS!”  Felix gestured around them as they turned the corner to find more blood and lifeless bodies.  “It’s changing him!  He’s sick!”
The red head bit his lip, not wanting to think about Dimitri being sick.  Really, truly sick.
Dimitri had all the signs, all the madness that came with carrying one of the old relics.  The irrationality, the paranoia, the hatred.  He had to be forced to sleep and eat.  They’d find him staring out into space, whispering and pledging to the dead that his goals would be met.  
It made getting a drink at night…unsettling.
Sylvain kept his own lance in his room, not really caring for the alien object.  The old weapons had always creeped him out.  They looked too wrong to be normal and he could only wonder in amazement as to why their ancestors decided to play with them after discovering a tomb on some far off planet.  Sure, they could cut through any armor and barrier like butter, and others could stop bullets and blasts.  But holding them too long came with a price.  A terrible price their Prince was paying for the longer he dwelled on his anger.
Heh.  Thousands and thousands of years later and humans still fight with swords and daggers if angry enough.
Ashe and Annette had made it to the engine before them, both unharmed and standing side by side with the Captain and his Second as they stared at the back wall and talked.  Sylvain raised a brow, wondering what could be so interesting about some machinery.
“It looks like a pod,” Annette said while bending her torso slightly to get a closer look without having to step forward.
Ashe looked excited, but uncertain.  “Maybe it’s some kind of cryo-chamber?”
Annette turned her head when he heard their steps and gestured them over, making room for the two to stop and stare at the strange contraption before them.
Sylvain’s jaw dropped.  “What the hell is that?”
Sitting on a pedestal was a marble.  A giant, green marble that could roll over them all over with the right push.  It was like some big, dull colored crystal ball just…sitting in some corner!
“Is this supposed to be important?”  Felix asked with a wave of his hand.
Ashe was looking behind them, hand on his chin.  “How did they get it through the door?”
“They had heavy guards protecting it and were quite determined to keep us away,” Dedue said thoughtfully.
“It’s kind of pretty.”  Annette finally stepped closer, wanting to poke it.
Dimitri raised his lance and pierced it before the girl could even touch it.  She screamed in shock while every hurried to stop him.
“You’re highness!”
“Whoa, dude!”
“BOAR!!”
But it was already too late, the blade of the deadly lance pierced the object with ease while it’s blue emblem roared to life.  Sparks flew and a bright blue electric current rushed over the marble in a wave as a drip of lime green water started to drip out.
Everyone stood still, frozen mid grab for their Captain as he tore through the membrane like material (not glass like Sylvain had thought).  They all gasped as a dribble of liquid spilled out.
Felix hissed, “You idiot!  Are you trying to get us kill-!?!“
The object suddenly bursted open as swamp like water pooled at their feet and a cloud of gas sprayed out.  It hit Dimitri first as he raised his arm to cover his mouth while the others quickly followed.  The only sound that filled the room was their coughing and the hissing of gas that seemed louder then the ship’s own engines.
“D-Don’t breathe in!”  Annette cried out, squinting her eyes through the slowing fog to try and see what was happening.  
Ashe was already pulling out a small device to scan the air, his arms shaking with fear that they’d all suddenly drop dead.  He blinked and slowly pulled his hand away, only to sneeze.
“O-Oh,” he rubbed his nose.  “It’s safe.  Nothing you wouldn’t find in a rainforest on Almyra.”
Everyone sighed in relief, opening their eyes and looking around at the strange conditions.  The engine room felt less dark and dank and more…bright, nature-y.
Felix jerked away when something touched his cheek and quickly raised his gun, “What is this!?”
Sylvain couldn’t help but laugh.  His friend was waving his weapon around at what looked like giant, glowing dandelion seeds.
Annette’s eyes sparkled as one floated past her face.  “So pretty~!”
“Step back, my Lord!”
They all looked to see Dedue suddenly in front of Dimitri, his arm out to shield him while his other held his large gun, pointed and ready to fire at the broken marble.  No one knew what was happening until the gas began to thin and the spores lit the room up like little lamps.  Sylvain held his breath as a dainty figure stepped out of the object.
“Oh!”  Annette covered her mouth while Felix aimed his gun, all of them wide eyed as a woman with glowing green hair stepped out.  Wait, even her eyes!  
Everything about her seemed to be bright, yet soft.  Like a warm night light that lulled children to a peaceful sleep.  
Her skin looked porcelain, fragile and mark free of any kind of battle or accident.  Her features beautiful, sharp and blank, almost…inhuman.  Then they noticed her ears and Ashe jolted with amazement.
“I-Is she…?!”  He daren’t say it.  
Space had been in their grasp for a good while now.  Their race had traveled many light years and colonized many planets, moons, and even asteroids.  But they’d always be alone with no sign of others living in this vast universe.  But now…?
The woman(?) swept her gaze over them, stopping to stare at each of their faces as they all stood still in shock.  It took her to fully step out for Dedue to aim his gun again.
“Halt, or I will be forced to shoot!”
She continued to stare at them all blankly, her eyes blinking at Dedue’s weapon.  The girl tilted her head, her hand on her cheek as if in deep thought as she studied the heavy gun.  Then her lips parted slightly, a small puff of air coming out in surprise(???) when she saw Dimitri’s lance.
Her hand reached for it and Dedue shot at her feet.  
Annette paled when the strange woman didn’t react to the shot, her eyes now glowing as bright as the orb on Dimitri’s weapon.  The lance practically shook as their Captain snarled, unwilling to let this stranger take what was his.  He raised his lance as he had with the marble and shot forward, aiming straight for her head-!!
There was a scream and a scrambling of feet as half of the team backed away and the other stepped forward, ready to fight - but the scuffle never came.  Nor did the blood or mangled body falling to the floor like all their enemies.  
Instead they could only stare in awe as the blade froze in mid air, the shaft shaking in Dimitri’s hands as he seemed to be fighting to spear her.
“W-What is this!?”
She didn’t react to his snarl, her focus solely on the orb as it continued on with it’s thunderous rage.  A small hand reached out again, ghosting over the emblem with a soft caress.  It did not quell under touch, but also seemed to grow brighter the moment her skin made contact.
Dimitri snarled and the woman looked at his face, her own void of any emotion as she moved both her hands to his chest.  The blonde recoiled, but didn’t move again when the mist in the room finally faded away.
Sylvain blinked, once, twice.  Three times he had to make sure he knew what he was seeing.
“She’s naked!”  Annette gasped while Ashe covered his eyes - all of them more or less agreeing this *was* a woman.
Dimitri’s gaze flickered down then shot right back up, cheeks turning a ruddy red as his arms began to twist.
“Idiot!”  Felix hissed as she moved closer to lay her head on his chest.  “Grab her!!”
Sylvain had to hold in a guffaw when their Captain looked over his shoulder with panic, one hand now holding his weapon while the other tried to find a place to grab.  
“W-Where?!”
“Anywhere!”
He didn’t seem to like that answer.  It meant he had to look at her again, take in her form and try to…restrain her.  Sylvain could only look on fondly as Dimitri began to fluster as the woman seemed to be resting against where his heart was.  It reminded the red head how painfully bad Dimitri was with women.
Who would have thought this raging beast would fall apart before some girl?
Dimitri swallowed hard when she looked up, eye wild with uncertainty as she reached up to cup his cheeks.  He held his breath, thankful for the armor that separated his body from hers.  All he had to do was not look too far down at her…ample….c-c-c-chest.
But he didn’t have to worry about that, not when she was tugging his head down into a kiss that made him drop his lance.
Annette gasped, Ashe asked what was happening from behind his arm while Felix and Dedue seemed at a loss.  Sylvain was the only one doing something about the situation, and that was taking a few sneaky pictures to laugh at later.
The Prince was no better, his body tense in shock as the woman’s soft lips pressed his cracked ones.  She held fast to his face while turning her head slightly, her eyes closed as if this was her long lost lover.  Dimitri almost, almost closed his eye too, not wanting to admit that it was…nice.  Yes, very nice.
But she had stopped before he could, letting his face go and staring up at him expectantly.
Dimitri blinked, body trembling like a teenage girl as he stared back.  
Ashe finally took the time to look, having missed the strange kiss during his nervousness.  But now he was interested and he couldn’t help but finally say it.  “D-Did we just make first contact?!”
Sylvain snickered, glancing at their lost Captain.  “Someone here sure did~”
126 notes · View notes
cruisercrusher · 5 years ago
Text
Dicktiger week day 3- Formal Event (get away with it)
Dick sighed as he tugged at the lapels of his suit, critically eyeing his reflection in the mirror. “These suits Spyral gave us are so boring.” He lamented. “You know, back when I was still an actual socialite but also allowed to pick my own clothes, I would wear some real met gala worthy ensembles to events like these. Just statement piece piled on statement piece, all brightly coloured and patterned and obnoxious. It was great.”
Next to him, Tiger grumbled. “You realize the whole point of this is to not attract too much attention, right? The flashy clothes your crowd favours would be a disadvantage here.” 
“I don’t see why we can’t have at least a little fun with this mission.” Dick pouted. Tiger snarled and grabbed him by the wrist forcing him to look not at the mirror but into his eyes instead. 
“Because if we get caught then Guillespe and his men will have us killed before we can even think about escaping!” The spy seethed, his patience that day clearly even shorter than usual. “So could you please, for once, just be quiet and focused!?” 
Dick nodded, eyes wide and biting back a grin. “Sir, yes sir.”
Tiger released him with a growl and stalked out the door. Yeah, Dick smiled to himself, this is going to be a fun mission.
The mansion was, for lack of a better term, fancy as fuck. Dick took it in as he stepped out of the car and up to the main entrance. It wasn’t as large as, say, Wayne manor, but where Wayne manor was elegant and classic, Marco Guillespe’s home was over the top and ornate and gaudy. Dick wasn’t that impressed.He’d seen it all before. The Guillespe family were relatively new money and liked to show it off in every way they could, no biggie, nothing new. They just had to get in, blend it, find the information Spyral wanted and get out. Over all, pretty simple mission parameters. 
Spyral knew Marco Guillespe had commissioned a group of scientists to build some kind of new, crazy advanced, cartoonishly evil, surveillance technology, and they suspected he wanted to sell it to major megacorporations for a phat profit. Dick and Tiger’s job was to find the paper trail proving it, so they could track down the lab where the tech was being developed. And hopefully, destroy it.
But Dick knew in this line of work that nothing ever stayed simple, and that was wishful thinking. More likely Spyral would just steal the plans and use them for themselves. He hoped he’d be able to prevent that without losing his place at Spyral and fucking up Bruce’s mission-- or without losing his life. 
From what little they’d been told, this tech is the kind of tech that simply should not exist. 
Dick watched Tiger walk in a little ways before him-- they’d attract less attention at this party as a team if they appeared to not have met before tonight-- and had to admit the guy cleaned up well. Obviously it wasn’t a surprise, and Dick had been well aware that Tiger was handsome, very handsome, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate it a litte. Or a lot.
The ballroom inside where all the guests were gathered was just as overdone as the rest of the mansion. They were celebrating some business success, Dick thought. He didn’t remember as many details from that part of the briefing. He did, however, remember the plan-- go in, mingle, find Tiger and touch base, find the intel, make their exit. 
Luckily, Dick was well versed in this kind of thing, going to fancy parties and pretending like he was enjoying himself. It was the main reason he was chosen for this mission. Tiger, on the other hand, he was more worried about. Yes, Tiger was a great actor, but he wasn’t as in his element here as Dick was. He was usually chosen for more direct missions, more front lines kind of things, than ones that involved this much...  posturing.
Ah, well. He’d be fine. Until it was time to check in, Dick was going to check out those hors d’œuvres he saw coming in. 
The hour passed fairly uneventfully, but Dick knew their window of opportunity to sneak about would be coming soon. He excused himself from the polite but dreadfully boring small talk he’d been making with another one of the guests and went looking for Tiger. 
It was easy to pick out the other spy’s tall and broad frame from the crowd of socialites, hovering by one of the pillars near the wall, half-empty champagne glass in hand. (Obviously he wouldn’t have drank any of it, had just been pretending to be drinking). Dick sauntered over to him and slid right into his personal space. 
“May I have this dance?” Dick drawled, holding his hand out for Tiger to take. Tiger raised an eyebrow at him, and without looking placed his glass on a tray held by a nearby circling waiter. 
“Certainly,” he said, and took Dick’s hand, only to immediately and easily flip opt over so it was technically him leading Dick to the dance floor. They made their way to the centre of the crowd of people dancing and fell smoothly into the waltz the band was playing, Dick’s hand clasped in Tigers and resting on Tiger’s shoulder, Tiger’s other hand only lightly holding his waist.
Dick tried not to let his surprise show when Tiger led them in the dance with both ease and grace, all the while aloof and professional. It was a pleasant surprise. Though he should have honestly expected it, Tiger was ridiculously skilled and competent; of course he would know how to dance. 
But Dick’s steps didn’t falter, and he and Tiger glided smoothly across the dance floor. Out of the corner of his eye, Dick spied the nearest few guards hovering in the shadows. Confident their attention was not focused on him and his dance partner, he pressed closer to Tiger so they were chest to chest and leaned up. 
Tiger’s eyes widened and his hold on Dick’s waist tightened for a split second before relaxing again, and Dick smirked. He went up onto his toes to whisper into Tiger’s ear. 
“Ready to really get this party started?” 
“If by that you mean move on to the next phase of the mission, in which there will be no partying involved whatsoever, then yes.” Tiger murmured right back, close enough for his breath to tickle the shell of Dick’s ear. “If the security rotation schedule we were given is accurate, our path should be clear in about three minutes.” 
“Perfect. Let’s go, then.” Dick slithered from Tiger’s grasp and made his way, subtly, to the ballroom’s exit, Tiger close on his heels. 
They’d both memorized the layout of the mansion beforehand. They knew exactly where they were going and exactly how to get there as quickly and stealthily as possible. On the way, they each put on a comm, so they could communicate while Dick was hacking Guillespe’s personal computer and Tiger was standing guard.
“You have a five minute window to get that intel.” Tiger said when they reached the door to the billionaire’s office. Dick smirked and rolled up his sleeves. 
“I can do it in three,” he bragged.
Tiger didn’t dignify that with a response other than a scoff and practically shoved Dick into the office, shutting the door behind him. 
Whoever was in here last had left the lights on. Dick rolled his shoulders and cracked his knuckles as he made his way behind the desk, wasting no time in getting the computer booted up and plugging in the USB he had to download the intel onto. 
The only noises in the room were the quiet hum of the desktop and the quick and steady clacking of keys as Dick hacked into the computer. He started humming as he worked, some tune that had been stuck in his head that morning but he couldn’t figure out quite what it was. 
“Stop humming.” Tiger hissed through the comms. “It’s distracting.” 
Dick grinned even though he knew Tiger couldn’t see it. “Oh, it’s distracting, is it?” He purred, “Agent 1, you saucy man.” 
He heard Tiger groan in frustration. “Distracting in the bad way, you idiot. Just shut up and do your job.” 
“I’m a great multitasker, I can hack and flirt at the same time.” Dick said, as he continued to work on getting into the computer. He almost had it--
“Just because you can does not mean you should. Now shut up before I abandon my post and come make you shut up myself.”
There were a number of things Dick could say in response to that, all varying degrees of flirtatious. But any words he might have been able to spit out to further irritate his partner in sort-of-fighting-crime-sort-of-doing-crime were caught in the back of his throat once he managed to get past the login and was met with the sight of Guillespe’s desktop.
“Oh my… holy disorganized desktop, Batman.” He breathed, covering his mouth in shock. He cringed-- what Guillespe lacked in computer security measures, he made up for by making any specific file on his computer impossible to find in all this mess. Seriously, this was the messiest desktop Dick had ever seen, no doubts, full stop.
“What?”  Tiger asked. Dick started sifting through the files as fast as he could. 
“This… might take a little longer than anticipated.” 
“Well hurry up,” Tiger grumbled. “We’re running out of time.” 
This time Dick actually buckled down and focused, skimming through all the files and folders as fast as possible while still examining each one enough to make sure it was the one they wanted. Porn, porn porn, porn… even more porn. Dick huffed. Jeez. 
A couple of minutes passed before Dick’s comm crackled to life again. “Agent 37, you do realize we only have less than two minutes before we will be able to get back to the ballroom unseen.”
He had only just found the right file-- password locked, because of course-- when the door to the office suddenly opened. Dick’s head jerked up, his pulse racing-- only to see that it was just Tiger.
Tiger, who was supposed to be keeping watch.
“Uh, what the fuck?” Dick asked, sparing only a glance before going back to his frantic typing. Tiger hurriedly shut the door behind him. He almost had it, what was going on?!
“Someone’s coming.” Tiger said. He dashed over to where Dick was still working at the computer. “We have to leave now.” 
“Shit, one second, I-- yes!” Dick exclaimed as he got through to the folder. Immediately he smashed that download button, and started loading the files onto the USB. 
Footsteps down the hall, voices. 
Guillespe and his bodyguards. 
Without a doubt coming their way. 
Dick and Tiger both froze, staring at each other. Dick looked back down at the computer-- there were only a couple of seconds left on the download. 
They didn’t have seconds. They were about to be caught, and there was nothing they could do about it. 
The men were coming closer. The files finally finished downloading and Dick ripped the USB out of the port, not caring about ejecting it properly or covering their tracks. They just had to physically get out of there. 
Going as fast as he could, Dick started opening his belt, and Tiger stifled a squawk. “What are you doing?!” 
“I’m putting it in my penis pocket--”
“Your WHAT?!” 
“The-- the pocket at the front of my underwear where my packer goes-- in case they search us--” 
“It doesn’t matter if they search us!” Tiger practically flailed his arms at his partner. As Dick closed all the windows on the computer and shut it down, fly still hanging open and hand still down his pants. “We’re going to be caught red-handed regardless! There’s no way for us to be seen in here that doesn’t--”
Tiger cut himself off, looking over his shoulder at the still-closed door. Guillespe and his men were right outside, they would be coming in at any moment. He looked back at Dick, Dick’s open fly and then back at Dick. Looked over his shoulder again, then back at Dick. Dick looked at Tiger expectantly. Then, suddenly, Tiger lunged forward and grabbed Dick by his arm and dragged him over to the other side of the desk, nearest the door. “Get away from the computer,” he hissed, “I apologize for this in advance.” 
Then the door was cracking open and Tiger was on him, shoving him back against the desk and forcing him to lean back, hand on the back of his neck and on his waist under his suit jacket, and kissing him like-- well, because-- their lives depended on it.
Dick let out a surprised moan and the men coming in made shocked noises of their own. Luckily for Dick, though, he was great at improv-- and it did help that Tiger’s lips on his-- Tiger’s tongue, wow, they were going full method-- were setting all his nerves on fire. Dick moaned again, clutching Tiger closer, feeling like his body was going into overdrive. 
Well, he was giving a very realistic performance, alright. 
“HEY!” The shout from Guillespe shocked them both out of it, and they broke away from the kiss, flushed and panting for breath. Dick looked at the men gathered in the doorway over Tiger’s shoulder and put on as shocked and embarrassed expression as he could. 
“Oh!” He exclaimed, and he and Tiger sprang apart. “So sorry, uh--” He looked down at his fly that was still unzipped and sheepishly pulled it back up, only some of the red on his face faked.
“Just who are you and what are you doing in here!” Guillespe roared. One of his men tapped him on the shoulder as Dick and Tiger continued to feign like they were straightening themselves out after a long and heavy makeout session. 
“They’re party guests, Sir.” The guard said. “I saw them all up on each other on the dance floor earlier, too.” 
This time Dick’s blush was 100% real. “We’re very sorry, Sir,” Dick said sheepishly. We just wanted to find someplace-- um-- private.”
Guillespe looked like he wanted to shoot everyone in that room including himself. “Ugh-- just-- whatever. Frank, escort these two gentlemen back to the party. Try to keep it in your pants, eh fellas?” 
The guard who spoke earlier, Frank, came over and started guiding Dick and Tiger out of the room. They went without any fuss, eager to get out of there as soon as possible.
As they were being led back to the ballroom, Dick and Tiger shared a shocked look, almost unable to believe they actually got away with that. 
But they hadn’t fully gotten away with it yet. They still had to actually get out of there. And, since Dick didn’t have time to hide that the files had been messed with, both he and Tiger silently decided they should book it immediately. Once they reached the ballroom, Tiger turned to face the guard that had escorted them there. 
“This party has been lovely,” He drawled in a way that didn’t sound like him at all, but that was the point. “But I think we’ll be making our way to a hotel now.” 
Dick suppressed a shiver as Tiger’s hand slid to the small of his back, and smiled and nodded to the guard. Frank looked bored with the whole situation, but didn’t try to stop or even question them as they made their exit, arms still wrapped around each other. 
As soon as they hit the street Dick retracted himself from the embrace completely and made for the car that was waiting for them without another word. His face was like stone as he wrenched open the door to the driver’s seat and started the car. In the seat next to him, Tiger shot him a look of vague concern. Dick ignored it and practically threw the car into drive.
That kiss… it had been hardly even three seconds, but it felt like it had been so much longer than that. He could still feel the phantom sensations of Tiger’s mouth on his, like little shocks of static electricity on his lips. He resisted the urge to touch his mouth, either to see if he could summon more of that feeling or to smear it away, he wasn’t sure. 
Thing is, Dick thought to himself, lost inside his head as he sped through the streets, he’d liked it. There was no denying that he liked it. 
But that was the problem. 
It had been so long since he had felt any touch of that kind of intimacy without an accompanying sense of revulsion. A feeling he always pushed down for his partner’s sake, something he really shouldn’t do, it was extremely unhealthy to force himself to have sex when it made his skin crawl, but… Well, Dick wasn’t exactly known for his healthy coping mechanism. If one could even call that coping, since it probably just made the problem worse.
(It wasn’t that Dick didn’t like sex, he did, or at least he used to, before Cat-- before Tarantula.)
Except Dick had liked that-- Tiger had made him feel… good, he still felt good, and he couldn’t help but wonder what other kinds of good things Tiger could make him feel. But just the concept of that kind of touch making him feel anything other than disgusting was so novel to him by now, he didn’t even know what to-- 
Dick was pulled ruthlessly out of his head when Tiger yelled, and Dick finally actually looked out of his eyes to see he was about to speed right through a red light and into oncoming traffic. 
He slammed on the brakes and stopped the car just shy of being right in the intersection, his heart racing. Dick could feel Tiger’s eyes on him, boring into his skull like a laser. 
And Dick had no idea how to feel about any of it.
19 notes · View notes
vegetacide · 5 years ago
Text
Whump●tober - Explosion
Veg-notables:   For whumptober. This one kind wrote itself and I wrote it a$$ backwards starting with the end and filling in the rest.   It ended up longer than I expected so I apologize in advance for the word spewage - The boys wanted to banter so I let ‘em. 
As always,  thanks to @gumnut-logic for her help hashing out the plot. 
Obligatory whumptober stuff: @whumptober2019 @la-vie-en-whump
Blanket warning:   Its gonna get hot. 
Characters:  Virgil,  Alan, Scott and Johnny. 
Whumptober - TaG universe
2. Explosion
Enjoy...
oOo
“Thunderbird Two to command”
“Go ahead, V. What’s your status?”
“Hey, we’re almost done on the South end of the factory but it’s slow going. The smoke and the super structure of this place is screwing with our scans so we’re having to back track.”
“I’ll see if there’s anything John can do on his end to clear it up. Find anything?”
Virgil shook his head before he realized that Scott couldn’t see him. “It’s what I haven’t found that disturbing me. What the hell happened to the fire suppression system?”
“Not sure. Both John and the GDF confirmed this facility was registered as meeting requirements on its last inspection.  It’s a question I am going to be posing to the CEO once he’s done showboating for the media hounds.” 
“Well, wait for me.  I would love to hear the answer.”
He got a chuckle from the other end of the open comm. “I’ll see what I can do.  Get back at it and check in with me in five.. Or if you find anything.”
“Will do.”  The comm channel clicked off and Virgil turned as his youngest brother appeared in the doorway at his back with a tote bag full of suppression grenades.
They were making their way through what was left of a chemical manufacturing plant that had seen better days.  They’d received a request for assistance in the early hours of the morning as flames has shot some fifty feet above the roof line. The noxious fumes of the burning cocktail of who knew what  that wafted out had been pushed by a North Eastern to the neighbouring township.  Forcing the local services to call for the immediate evacuation of the 8, 962 residents.  
During the course of the evacuation Scott had been roped in to help shuttle while Virigl and Alan had stayed behind to help with containment.  For the most part the fire out due to their specialized gear and a fire retardant foam that Brains had concocted for just this scenario.  
Now though they had to pick their way through the smoldering remains to search for survivors who could be holed up in any of the emergency fire shelters that were scattered around the confusing maze of corridors that made up the complex.  
The installation of a mobile ventilation system was doing it best to clear out the contaminants and particulates polluting the air but the smoke was still hung heavy over the hulking, burnt out husk of a factory which meant that Virgil and Alan had to do the majority of the foot work themselves. 
The place had to be cleared back to the GDF before they would risk the lives of any of the local crews on clean up.    
“How’s are inventory?”  He asked by way of greeting and turned to focus on the holographic schematics of the building that were hovering above his wrist unit. 
“Depleting but we should have enough.”  Alan dropped the bag at his brother’s feet and started redistributing the spherical concussion bombs  into Virgil’s bag.  “We’ll have to start using these sparingly.” 
Virgil rubbed a hand over his sooty visor, “Well looks like the fire is contained in this section. Should just be a matter of snuffing out hot spots to prevent flare up from here on out.  
Alan nodded in understanding and pushed up to his feet. His eyebrow cocked when he noticed a look passed over Virgil’s face. He stepped closer in inquiry. “You get something?”
Virgil’s brows furrowed in concentration. “Not sure,  think I saw a blip over in the North East corner, back by the biochem labs.”
“We went through there though.”  His brother stated. “The area was clear.”
“We must have missed something.”  Grabbing his bag off the floor, he flung it over his shoulder.  “Better go back and check it out again. This place had a lot of staff and the numbers haven’t come in from the department supervisors yet.  We can’t be sure everyone got out.”  
Alan managed to just barely suppress a pout and Virgil bumped his shoulder brotherly as he stepped around him.  “Come on, Rocket Boy. Sooner we get this done the sooner you will be back home killing Zombies and scarfing down veggie sticks.” 
Virgil grinned as his brother grumbled out.  “It’s Rocket Man, thank you very much.”  
“Hey Squirt, when you can see over the dash of Two I’ll start referring to you as ‘Man’.. Until then,  your stuck.”  He dodges a swat from his baby brother.  Friendly ribbing aside they had a job to do but it helped relieve some of the stress. 
Back on task, they headed out back down the blackened corridor, ducking under hanging ceiling lights and stepped over fallen ceiling tiles and other assorted debris.  
The track back across the rat’s maze of hallways and cross corridors, through disengaged mag-locked doors and over a rather rickety catwalk that spanned  ash covered vats; their tops having blown off during the blaze, took far longer than Virgil would have liked.   
He knew they were running low on time with the GDF circling outside looking for answers and the local authorities eager to start their investigation into the cause of the fire Virgil needed to find a way to pick up their pace.  
Stopping to orient himself, Virgil check his wrist comm again. “This place is way too complicated for a private sector supplier.”   He said this offhandedly and wasn’t expecting a response back in kind from the blonde at his six.  He got one anyways. 
“Maybe it’s a top secret government think tank where they brew up all sorts of crazy potions for world domination.”
Virgil snorted and nodded off to the left. “Down here.” Flicking on his shoulder mount, the high powered beam lit up the windowless corridor.  “Ya right. Do you honestly think the Black Suits would let us in here if it were. Even with our affiliations with the GDF we would be lucky to get within ten miles of this place.”
“Cover up.”  Alan tossed out with a shrug. “Who really knows how these government spook organizations work.”
Virgil shook his head and turned down a short set of stairs and stopped abruptly at a large set of blast doors.  “You spend way too much time surfing the conspiracy sites.” 
“Everyone needs a hobby.” 
Rolling his eyes, he tapped his comm line open. “Scott, we got something.”  
“10-4.  Talk to me ”  
Virgil knew his brother was following their progress from his ‘bird along with John floating around up in space.  “Looks like another fire proof room but I can’t find it on the schematics.”  
John’s voice cut in with no preamble. “Those were the ones that were provided to the local planning board with the factories last retrofit.  They should be up to date.” 
“Well, from where I am standing,”  Virgil rapped a padded knuckle on the heavy door, “They are inaccurate and I can’t get a read on what’s on the other side. ”  
“One moment,”  John sounded a bit peeved.  Virgil knew he hated inaccuracy and the ineptitude of lazy people not doing their jobs, making stupid mistake drove him bat shit crazy. 
Virgil inspected the door and the surrounding area and pointed back down the corridor.   “Check around the corner and see if there is an electrical closet would ya? Or a service panel?  Door this big is magnetically sealed so a power relay is needed. ”  
“Like it would be on this side of it? Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose?”  Alan asked 
“If it’s not in use it will be powered from out here for maintenance purposes.  Once activated though its self sufficient and it disconnects from the external source for preventative reasons.”  Like opening up to a massive blaze or a toxic chemical spill. 
Alan zipped off around the corner, his comm line active so they could keep in communication with one another as per S.O.P when on site. 
“What do you think is in there?”  Alan’s voice sounded in his ear,  he was still close enough that it echoed a bit with a tiny time delay as it went through their secure network.
Virgil tweaked the volume and went back to inspection the door and the coded palm reader that was a charred mess to the right of it.   “First guess is it’s another fire room but considering its not on spec…who knows.” 
Scott’s voice chimed in,   “I’m done playing taxi.  Last patient has been dropped at the next closest hospital.  I’ll have a word with the CEO and Colonel Casey when I am back on site in ten.. Get us some answers as to what the hell is going on.” 
“Roger that.”    
Alan appeared back at his side.  “Nothing.”  
Virgil frowned at the door and ripped the charred panel from the wall to expose the mass of surprisingly undamaged wires behind it.  “This isn’t adding up..”  
Pulling out a network access key from his baldric,  Virgil started pulling wires.  “Hey Johnny,  I got a hack job for you if your done angrily tearing the local civil servants a new one.”
“Patch me in.”
“Yup, working on it now. “ Stripping a few wires, he tested to see if there was power to them and hooked them up to the small device. “You find the idiot that misfiled those docs?” 
“Not yet,”  Came the disgruntled sign of annoyance.  “Eos is working on it.”  
“Ouch.. that’s gonna hurt.” Virgil could hear the evil glee in the red heads voice and almost felt sorry for the poor bastard that was going to get steam rolled once he was found. 
The small device in his hand flared to life and just as suddenly the door before him hissed as the locking system released. “Wow, that was fast.”
“That wasn’t me.” 
Virgil blinked and locked eyes with Alan.  “Understood,  keep an eye on things for me would ya? We’re going in.”
“Be careful, Thunderbird Two. Picking up weird anomalies from the other side.”
“Roger, stand by.” 
It took both of them to pull the heavy door open, boots finding little purchase on the foam slicked floor.  Braced against the wall with one final heave the mighty steel portal swung up just wide enough for them to pass through one at a time.   Standing in the opening,  Virgil peered into the space beyond, eyes narrowing when a curious distortion caused the air to waver 
Virgil’s eyes widened as what he was seeing registered with the still smoldering remnants in the corridor.  He only had seconds to push Alan out of the way before all hell broke loose. 
The ensuing conflagration of heat knocked the breath from Virgil’s lungs as he was tossed like a rag doll through burning ozone.  The sudden and abrupt stop as his body met wall caused pain to burst across his whole nervous system and left him a whimpering heap on the floor.  
The world grayed out around the edges but one thing kept him just his side of blissful oblivion,  the thought of his little brother.   
By sheer force of will  he commanded his lungs to start working again and with a reserve of energy he didn’t know he had, he lifted his torso off the floor, stars flashing across his retinas.
Coughing,  he dragged himself across the floor ears straining against the buzz of a million bees as he called out for his sibling. His voice hoarse and tinny to his whirring ear drums.  
“Alan!! Thunderbird Two to anyone!”  He was panicking and he knew it wasn’t helping but he had to find his baby brother.  “Alan, god where are you?  Answer me”
The visibility was completely next to none existent as smoke billowed out from whatever the room behind the blast doors had been.   Flames scorching and white hot licked with renewed strength up the previously foamed walls with a growing intensity that he could feel through the protection of his fire gear and sweat trickled down the length of his spine.  He had to get them out of here. 
Oh god, where was his brother?
“Scott?  Scott, I can’t find Allie…”  Padding around on all fours as close to the ground as he could he reached out in every direction. Pushing singed debris and refuse out to the way as he search.
Coughing again, a fine spray of blood peppered across his visor but he wouldn’t give up, he couldn’t.  
The hand that landed suddenly on his shoulder had his heart stuttering to a stop in his throat. The flash of red and that grabbed at his helmet kick started it back over again.
“Allie, oh thank God.”  
“I’m okay but my comms are down. We gotta get out of here.”
Virgil nodded his agreement. Pushing up to a crouch, hell fire raining down around them, he look left and right to try and gauge the best direction to take. He gave his head a shake when the world greyed out around the edges of his vision and shot a hand out to brace himself against his brother’s shoulder.  
“You okay, Virg?”
An odd expression passed over Virgil’s face as time seemed to crawl to a stop. The flames of the fire all around them stilling, the heat fading away and an odd, surreal chill slowly encompassed his body, radiating up his torso and slowly suffusing his limbs. 
His thoughts grew distance as the center of the chill started to thaw with an excruciating burn and he looked down.  What the…?The echo of confusion cut off abruptly as his gloved hand came away dark and wet.
“Oh god. Virgil, hang on..”  Were the last words he heard before Earth reared up and hit him hard. 
oOo
Next part HERE
The Master List of prompts can be found HERE
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aweebwrites · 5 years ago
Text
Celestial Influence pt2
Part 1
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(Big thanks for my lovely beta whom I love very much @thelucariosfish! 😘😘😘)
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After the two days of winter Zane brought forward, Sensei Wu double banned pranks. He banned them before but now he banned them with the consequence of several hours of community service in Ninjago City- with no powers. They were already busy helping the city pull itself together again and it sucked. Doing it longer than they needed? Pass. It's been a month since then and another major incident hasn't really happened. There were near misses but nothing too extreme. They haven't quite found a way to voluntarily use these new powers as yet but they were still trying. Sensei Wu thinks if they find the key to voluntarily use these powers, it will unlock a way to control them, even when they were angry or upset.
“You know, how cool is it that I can control the sun?” Kai says, reaching a hand up towards it, trying to move it in the sky and failing.
“And I, the moon. It is quite the phenomenon.” Zane mused from where he was meditating nearby.
“I could make quakes before but nothing like the ones I made then! Like, I bet if I tried, just a little bit, I could level this whole mountain!” Cole grinned from his place laying on the ground in the shade.
“Yeah, let's not… Do that.” Lloyd says with a grimace, glancing over at him then turning back to the practice dummy, going at it in hand to hand combat.
“You know what they say: with great power comes great responsibility.” Nya says, focusing on making various shapes with an orb of water she summoned.
“I would say that's pretty boring but I've learnt my lesson.” Jay says, flopped over on the stairs to the inside.
“I certainly hope so.” Zane huffed, keeping his eyes closed.
“Well, I guess your powers would be bad if someone got struck.” Kai shrugged and Jay frowned. “And I guess Nya's would be bad if it didn't stop raining…” He added and she looked over at him with an arched brow.
“When you put it that way, Lloyd's powers are completely harmless. Auroras are rather beautiful however.” Zane added and Lloyd blinked then narrowed his eyes.
“Our powers are just as bad as yours.” Jay says defensively.
“It's really not.” Cole says as he sat up. “I mean, lightning is pretty normal and so is rain. Auroras may be rare but not unheard of. Kai can literally hold the sun in the sky and create heat waves like nothing you've ever felt. Zane can do the same for the moon and he can bury Ninjago under inches of snow in minutes. I can level everything in just a few shakes. It's not that I'm saying your powers are weak or useless but ours are just… More powerful, more dangerous.” He told them with a shrug.
“Cole is correct.” Zane agreed.
“Yeah. No offense.” Kai says to them with a one shoulder shrug.
“None taken.” Lloyd says dryly.
Offence was fully taken.
_________________
“Can you believe those three? Our powers may not be as bad as theirs but dammit, we're valid!” Jay growled irritably after they split up for a mission, thunder rolling overhead.
“Cool it Jay.” Lloyd cautioned as they searched the museum for the thief trying to hide them out.
“I'm trying.” Jay says after taking a deep breath. “It's just- really gets under my skin.” He says irritably, a thin spark of electricity traveling up his arm.
“Look, it posses me off too but we can't afford to let another incident happen again. Especially not while we're in the middle of Ninjago City.” Nya told him as she held her sais defensively. “Don't think about it. That actually helps.” She advised as they entered the hall holding animatronics.
“Yeah, alright.” He sighed, looking around instead. “You know, maybe animatronics weren't the best idea for a museum. Have these people ever heard of Five Nights at Freddy's?” He says, walking over to the animatronic of himself.
“Jay-”
“Lightning!” They all jumped once his animatronic spoke, nearly giving Jay himself a heart attack.
“Holy fish sticks.” He got out, a hand held over his chest.
“Jay, stop fooling around. We have perp to catch.” Lloyd says with a sigh.
“R-right.” He grinned sheepishly before returning to their side.
“Kai, any signs of them?” Nya asked from the comms.
They only got static back.
“Kai?” She questioned but received no answer.
“Guys? Are you there?” Lloyd tried his but only heard static. “Jay.”
“What? I'm not doing it on purpose!” Jay huffed, crossing his arms.
His electricity sometimes messes with their comms like this but he and Nya made these ones. He was sure they would have been ok… Oh well.
“I'll look in the next room.” He says, already walking towards it as they checked the comms again.
He looked around as he spun his nunchucks idly. That perp must have either escaped or have already been caught. Nothing looked stolen anyway. He looked around then perked up, realizing that this area held the gift shop. He looked around before dashing towards it with a grin. He picked up a snow globe before shaking it, watching the particles fall over the Grundle hunting its prey. Nice. He noticed movement in the reflection of the snow globe and quickly turned around. His eyes widened at the sight of the masked figure holding a metal spear then jumped out of the way before he was speared.
“Woah! Careful with that thing!” Jay yelled, getting to his feet, holding his nunchucks defensively.
“Or what?” Jay was surprised and confused to hear the familiar voice.
“Zane?!” He says, alarmed then blocked his next swing with the chain of his nunchucks.
“Guess again.” The masked person says again, attacking quickly but Jay kept blocking, despite his confusion when the person sounded like Kai now.
“What is this? Are you some kind of skrull?” Jay accused then ducked out of the way of the person’s and punched them in the gut, making them stumble back.
“Cheap shot.” They said in Cole’s voice then cracked their neck.
“Look, I don’t know who you are or why the heck you sound like all of my friends but I do know you’re going down.” Jay says, channeling his lightning into his golden nunchucks.
“Oh really? You take me down?” They sounded like Nya now and very cocky.
He didn’t know what they aimed to do, changing their voice every time they spoke like they did, but he wasn’t about to get taken down by this wannabe.
“Lightning!” Jay yelled, using his nunchuck to zap the person dead on.
He looked alarmed when they didn’t even look phased. They didn’t even falter.
“What? Did you really expect that to work?” Oh great, Lloyd’s voice now. “Face it Jay. You’re the weakest one on the team. It’s about time someone took your place.” They said as they began circling each other.
Jay scoffed.
“What? You think you can take my place?” Jay asked, unphased. “News flash!” He struck again with a bigger bolt of lightning but they only stepped back before stepping forward again.
“I’m the only lightning elemental here.” He says, thinking of taking this person down.
“Oh I wouldn’t be so so sure about that.” The person says, using Jay’s own voice.
Jay was about to make a crack at that but then the person brought their hands together and his mouth dropped open to see them charging electricity in their palms.
“I’m sure you find this shocking!” They yelled, using his voice still before they blasted Jay, making him yelp as he skid back then fell over from the powerful blast.
“Ok, this is a little scary.” Jay grunted to himself as he got back to his feet.
“Even my electricity is better than yours, stronger even. Face it Jay, you don’t stand a chance.” They said as they walked towards him, electricity cackling along their hands.
“Uh guys! Now would be a great time to jump in!” He yelled out to the other room.
“Don’t worry about them, they’re not there.” The person says in his own voice then stood before Jay. “Zane gave them the tip that they found the perpetrator on the roof of the museum and you’re already on your way there.” They said using Zane’s voice then pulled off the mask and Jay looked at them wide eyed.
They looked almost exactly like him. Same hair, same round face, same appearance but a closer look showed their nose was just a little narrower and a little more crooked and their freckles were thinner and dotted differently than his.
When plastic surgery runs wild.
“With that, we should hurry this up. My new team will be here any second now.” They said again, a blue light coming from the collar around their neck.
That must be how they talk like them but how can they use lightning?!
He ducked out of the way of the next attack before charging, swinging his nunchucks at their head. They ducked them punched him in the gut, making Jay grunt as he stumbled back.
I can’t believe I fell for my own move!
“Are you realizing now, Jay? You’re nothing but the weakest link. The ninja need a stronger, faster, better member. I bet they’ll be glad to have you gone.” They hummed, circling Jay.
“Jay’s such an idiot. He can’t even focus on a mission. Here we are, needing to catch the intruder and there he is, playing with snow globes!” They said in Kai’s voice and Jay flinched at that.
Kai never said that. They’re just trying to get into my head…
“After analyzing our team dynamics, it is proven that Jay is the weakest member on our team. His physical strength is lacking and his powers are weak.” They continued on in Zane’s voice.
No. Zane wouldn’t say-
Their conversation earlier came to mind.
‘Well, I guess your powers would be bad if someone got struck.’
‘It's really not. I mean, lightning is pretty normal.’
‘Cole is correct.’
Jay gritted his teeth, lightning arching along his arms. The Jay knock off didn’t notice, too busy monologuing with his friend’s voices.
“Face it Jay. You’re as useless as useless gets.” They said in Cole’s voice, only adding fuel to the fire.
The nerve of them! Sure he couldn’t raise the sun or lower the moon or split Ninjago in two with a sneeze but he wasn’t weak! He was valid! His powers mean something! Outside on the roof, the ninja finally met up, all of them confused.
“Where’s the perpetrator?” Lloyd asked Zane.
“I do not understand. You said you had caught them up here in the comms.” Zane says with a frown.
“Uh, what’s going on here?” Kai says, confused.
“We were bamboozled, that’s what’s going on.” Cole says with a frown.
“Where’s Jay?” Nya says, looking around with a frown.
A huge clap of thunder had them flinching before looking up wide eyed at the night sky. The sky was overcast from the rain that fell before but they didn’t hide the lightning continuously arching and dancing in the sky.
“We need to get back down there fast.” Lloyd whispered before they all took off.
Jay on the other hand was thinking himself into a spiral, sneering at his own thoughts.
He had use! He had purpose! He may not be the strongest or fastest or even the smartest but he does his best! Sure he may joke around during serious situations but it was only because he couldn’t handle the stress of those situations!
The lightning arcing against his body became bigger, wrapping around him like a serpent as his eyes glowed. The intruder noticed this and scowled.
“Your fancy little light-show won’t change the fact that you’re nothing but a waste of space on the team!” They yelled at him, charging even more lightning into their hands then blasting it at Jay.
They looked on alarmed once Jay seemed to absorb it before he floated off the ground, his hair turning into a glowing blue, raised on end. Glowing white lines crawled up his face, creating a sharp swirling pattern over his cheeks and forehead. The perpetrator stepped back, seeming to realize that they were way over their heads now. Jay was getting hard to look at, only glowing brighter.
“Jay!” The perp looked past him to see the other ninja rushing towards him before turning around and taking off.
This won’t be the last time they see them!
“He’s gonna blow!” Cole says as they stopped in their tracks, watching him glow even brighter.
“Get down!” Kai yelled and they quickly dove behind a display stand just as the electric energy Jay kept building went off in the form of a massive electromagnetic pulse, shattering glass and short circuiting every single power source it came across as it rapidly expanded past the city and even further out.
The team of ninja had to quickly throw down their ear pieces before it could electrocute them in the process. Outside, they could hear the alarmed sounds of the citizens of Ninjago City as everything that needed electricity or even batteries went out, plunging the city, all of Ninjago into darkness.
“Zane!” Lloyd was the once to yell when he fell over, his eyes dark.
“Let me see.” Nya says, crawling over and taking a look at him. “It looks like he just shorted out but I won’t know for sure. I’ll have to get to Borg Tower to see for sure.” She told them before looking out to were Jay was still floating, lightning shooting out of him much like one would see in a plasma ball.
“You two need to apologize to him now.” She says, looking at both Cole and Kai.
“What did we do?!” Kai asked, alarmed.
“Yeah! I’m not lightning proof you know!” Cole says, a little terrified to go out there.
“Look, it was all three of your insensitive comments about our powers compared to yours that made this happen. Zane is offline so he can’t apologize but you two aren’t.” Lloyd told them firmly.
“And if you don’t hurry up, he’ll go off again.” Nya told them sharply.
A quick look showed that he was indeed charging lightning again.
“Ok, ok.” Kai says then took a breath.
Both he and Cole looked at each other before heading out, yelping when they were immediately almost struck by lightning. They managed to not get stuck and took the place the perp once was standing.
“Jay!” Cole yelled over the sound of cackling lightning and he looked down at them with his oddly glowing eyes and sneered, revealing fangs that glowed bright white as did the rest of his teeth.
“Don’t electrocute us!” Kai was quick to say once he held a hand in their direction. “Just hear us out! Please!” He begged, not wanting to feel Jay’s divine wrath.
He didn’t lower his hand but he didn’t attack so that’s a plus.
“We’re sorry we’re insensitive jerks about your powers! We really didn’t mean to hurt or upset you!” Kai yelled out to him.
“Yeah! Lightning is way powerful! We were just idiots not to see that! Believe me when I say, we see it now! Your powers are just as powerful as ours! All of yours are!” Cole says, looking across at Nya and Lloyd who were peeking out from behind the display, its glass shattered. “I know Zane would be apologizing too if he wasn’t offline right now but you’re our friend and we promise to be more considerate!” He told Jay and he looked over to where Nya and Lloyd were.
He then turned fully to where they were and Kai and Cole had a moment to panic once he floated towards them, thinking they had somehow turned Jay on them.
“Jay!”
“H-hold on!”
Their yells were ignored as he floated around to where they were, Nya and Lloyd creeping backwards a little terrified. He didn’t seem interested in them however. He looked down at an offline Zane before charging electricity in his hand, making them all panic now.
“Zane’s sorry!”
“Don’t do this Jay!”
Jay ignored them and blasted Zane with a bolt of electricity. Before they could even think of attacking Jay, Zane sat up with an unneeded gasp, his systems rebooted so suddenly, it left him scrambling for his bearings. He blinked up at Jay  owlishly just before the lightning ninja closed his eyes, his powers fading as he passed out. Zane quickly caught him on reflex before blinking down at the glowing blue streak in hs hair. Well then.
A long moment of silence passed in the room.
“So uh, how do we explain this to Sensei Wu?” Nya spoke up and they all grimaced.
______________________________
Jay felt guilty sitting before the TV late the next day. Getting the power on was easy but Ninjago City has a lot of glass related damage. Not to mention the cars stuck in the roads still. No-one died and the only ones injured was his look alike. Apparently they wore an elaborate get up under their clothes that involved a lot of powerful batteries. It was what made them appear as if they also had the power of lightning. The EMP short-circuited it and gave them quite a shock in the process. Let’s just say they would have scars to look back on. None of that helped his guilt however. He brought his hand up to his face, seeing the lazy arching of lightning between them. While anger and intense emotions fuel this power, sadness and guilt does the opposite.
He reached up and toyed with the ever glowing streak of blue towards the front of his hair. Sensei believes he’s unlocked the full potential for this power and had called in the other elemental masters to take care of things in Ninjago until they all had. He had right to fear what destruction unlocking the rest of their powers could bring forth. His was the most predictable yet no-one expected his powers to be felt continent wide. It put their poor Sensei on edge. There wasn’t any sign or cause for their powers to suddenly evolve like that and still no signs of how to control them. It had the Monastery shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere.
“Jay.” He jolted at his name then looked over his shoulder meekly to look at Zane.
“Hey…” He says awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.
He was surprised he wanted to talk to him after he made him go offline like that.
“I never got the chance to apologize.” Zane says as he took a seat next to him.
“You don’t have to. Really.” Jay says, looking down at his hands. “I mean, at least you were knocked offline. I could have really hurt your systems.” He says quietly.
“But you didn’t.” Zane pointed out and Jay frowned. “You would not have been in that state if I had been more insightful. If anything, it was a dose of karma.” He says and Jay looked at him borderline horrified.
“No-one deserves something like that happening to them, especially over something so simple.” Jay paused to consider. “I’ll forgive you but only if you forgive me.” He offered and Zane smiled.
“I think I can work with that ultimatum.” He agrees and Jay smiled back.
“Who do you think will reach their potential next?” Jay asked, changing the TV channel.
“It is hard to say. When unlocking our true potentials, you were first but I think it is unlikely the same phenomenon will happen again. Perhaps Kai. Or Nya. Cole even. Perhaps even I. Like I said, it’s hard to say.” Zane shrugged.
“I guess.” Jay says, returning his focus on the TV.
Lloyd frowned from the doorway. He wasn’t even on the list of possibilities.
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Lloyd didn’t know why he let it get to him. It wasn’t that Zane didn’t mention him that bothered him, but the likeliness that he wouldn't actually have anything to unlock. He wasn't stupid. The auroras were just a timed coincidence. Kai sending more heat from the sun like he had must have triggered it. He was meant to be the green ninja. Nothing more, nothing less. He bounced the tennis ball against the wall again, catching it a second later. The question now was how to break the news to the others. He threw the ball again the caught it, holding it as he stared at the wall. Now that they had their newer, stronger powers, would they even need him anymore? He gripped the ball tightly, gritting his teeth just as tightly. He should be happy. Being the Green Ninja was never any fun. Some nights, he wished destiny had chosen someone else. But not being the Green Ninja meant not having his friends. He would probably have to leave the Monastery and just disappear. Careful what you wish for as they say. He looked down at the green ball. Looks like the legacy of the green ninja ends here.
Lloyd watched as Jay practiced with his new powers for the first time, everyone watching him in awe. He didn't know how he set it off, just that it had gone off. He wasn't charging energy or anything but he was levitating again and his hair was blue. The marks on his face were also along his arms and legs, stopping in a jagged swirl around the back of his hands and the tops of his feet. When he spoke to warn them he was going to try and call a bolt of lightning, his voice sounded all echoey and- godly even. They covered their ears at the loud clap of thunder once he did it successfully then watched in awe as he held the lightning bolt and molded it into a pair of nunchucks. The lightning at the handles faded, leaving a material similar to chronosteel in its wake, lightning arcing between both handles.
“So cool.” Jay says as his powers faded, leaving him slowly floating down to his feet, still holding the nunchucks.
“It’s like an alternative version of the Golden Nunchucks of Lightning…” Nya says in awe.
“Hey, could we do that too?” Cole asked, excitedly.
“There is a high possibility.” Sensei Wu agreed.
Lloyd looked away sadly and walked back into the Monastery. That was an epic show of power and he didn't even know what he was doing. Imagine what would happen when he does? Imagine what would happen when they all do. He heard into their room and took a picture of himself and his father from under his pillow. He didn't know where his father disappeared to after everything with the Oni. It was as if he left the realm completely- and that wasn't as impossible as he had once thought.
“If things were different, maybe I could have gone with you dad…” He whispered, heart aching as he looked at his purified father.
He then flinched at another loud clap of lightning and frowned at the cheers that came after. He shouldn't wait for them to tell him to go. He should leave while he still had some dignity left. He reached under his bed for the duffle bag there and began packing.
__________________
“Alright, maybe we should put away the overpowered nunchucks before people begin to think some huge storm is coming.” Cole says as Jay grinned at his new nunchucks.
“That would be best. Lunch will get cold.” Zane says as he stood up.
“Lunch!”
“Yes!”
“I'm starving!”
“Lunchie munchie time!” Jay says with a grin, filtering in with the rest.
“Jay, what?” Nya says and he gave an embarrassed grin.
“One of you should get Lloyd.” Zane says as he slipped on his pink apron.
“Got it.” Nya says then headed into their room. “Hey Lloyd lunch is-” She cut herself off, realizing no-one was there.
She frowned then went over to the bathroom and knocked. Before she could call to see if he was there, the door squeaked opened to reveal an empty bathroom. Getting worried, she made quick work of checking the other rooms and came up short. She even checked outside with no results.
"Guys." She panted once she walked into the dining area, everyone looking at her confused. "Lloyd's gone." She told them and they gasped.
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Lloyd swiped the sweat away from his brows as he continued to walk in the Sea of Sand, planning on spending the night in the old Anacondrai tomb before heading off to find somewhere people won't recognize him. He'd just squeeze himself into a nice village and everything will be fine. The Ninja didn't need him anymore. Not when they would all soon have powers far beyond his own. He pulled the bottle of water he stashed from his bag then took a few gulps before continuing on, seeing the tomb in the distance. Once he got there, he dropped the duffle bag then sat in the shade close to the entrance of the tomb and rested his tired feet. He's been walking for hours on end and he was really tired. He spared a moment to wonder if they've noticed that he was gone. Would they even bother looking for him?
He had thought of leaving a letter but they were smart. They'd figure out why he left. He leaned back against the tomb wall and closed his eyes. They'd probably be grateful that he left without them needing to tell him to go. They were better off anyway. They were always the ones meant to keep Ninjago in tact. He sighed. He'd miss them but they won't miss him. He looked away. If only he had power like they did. He could stay then. Be apart of the team but he was weak… And no-one wanted a weak leader. He looked down at the tennis ball he had in hand, not sure why he brought it along. He wished he was just a little stronger, had just a little more power. They were more than his friends. They were family.
He missed then already…
____________
"Any idea where he would go?" Kai asked as he paced the length of the bridge.
"No. He could have gone anywhere. Traffic cameras in Ninjago City are down and still in the process of being repaired after the EMP hit so we can't know without going there." Nya told them as she and Zane ran a search.
"What else can we check?" Cole asked, anxiously.
"I'm afraid there's nothing much we can do…" Zane says with a frown, hands moving at an inhumane speed against the control panel.
"Ugh!" Jay says, pacing too.
"Perhaps the sky may help us." Sensei Wu says and they all frowned but walked out.
They all gasped at the bright, familiar aurora borealis streaking across the sky, flowing in the opposite direction they were going.
"Quick! Follow it!" Nya yelled as she ran back inside the bridge, taking the wheel.
She then swerved and sent the Bounty full speed towards the source.
"I'm detecting high levels of radiation ahead." Zane says minutes later, walking over to the computer to check.
"Radiation? I don't understand." Nya says with a frown.
"But I do." Jay says after a moment. "Zane! What's radiation?" He asked his Nindroid friend who looked at him puzzled.
Didn't he say he understood? He answered anyway.
"Radiation is the emission of energy as electromagnetic waves or as moving subatomic particles, especially high-energy particles which cause ionization…" Zane whispered the last bit then looked at Jay. "You think he's unlocking his powers as well?" He says to Jay who grinned.
"But what set it off? How do we end the episode?" Nya asked them.
"That's… The hard part. We won't know unless we talk to him." Jay says with a single shoulder shrug.
"Then I must be the one to go. These increasing levels of radiation can and will kill you." He told them and they weren't very happy sending him alone but what other choice do they have?
"Alright. But be careful. We can't go all the way in so take your mech." Nya told him and he nods before heading down below deck.
He then headed to the holding area, climbing into his white mech and powering it up.
"This is as far as we can go. Anything beyond this would be dangerous for us." Nya says through the comms so Zane could hear from the suit.
"I'm ready." Zane says, looking at the screen showing her and the others in the bridge.
"Dropping now." She says then pressed a button that allowed the bottom of the Bounty to open.
He then hopped out, landing the mech on its feet.
"Here I go." He says, heading further into the source of the radiation.
"And while he does that, I'll send out a warning to every nearby city and village." Nya says, leaving the steering wheel to head back to the computer.
"I wonder why he left in the first place…" Cole says as he walked out next to Sensei Wu.
"Only time will tell." Wu says calmly, despite the worry over his nephew he felt.
____________
"The old Anacondrai tomb… but why would he come here?" Zane says as he walked towards it, a frown on his face.
"That's what we're about to find out." Nya says from the comms.
He walked closer and soon saw Lloyd himself walk out then stepped back.
"Lloyd." Zane says in relief but Lloyd obviously wasn't happy to see him.
"What are you doing here? How did you find me?" He asked as Zane stopped in his tracks.
"We came to find you, to bring you home. We found you by-"
"Wait, we?" Lloyd says, cutting Zane off. "As in the others?" He asked, stepping even father back.
"Yeah Lloyd. We came to take you home." Jay spoke from the comms, the volume loud enough for Lloyd to hear.
"Why did you run off like this? We were worried! We still are!" Nya says next and Lloyd gritted his teeth.
"You shouldn't have come." Lloyd says as he turned away and stalked off.
"Why shouldn't we? Lloyd, speak to us, to me. We don't understand what's going on. Let us help you." Zane says, following after him and Lloyd growls.
"Help me by leaving me alone!" He snapped at Zane, whirling around as his green energy began to arc and flash around him. "I left for a reason! I'd rather leave before you guys tell me to!" He yelled, eyes glowing green as his energy continued to grow and so did the radiation, the super charged particles around him taking on a green glow.
"Crap! We need to get away now!" Nya's panicked voice came from the comms and Zane switched it off, just so he could focus on Lloyd.
He left the video on however.
"We would never tell you to leave Lloyd. Why would you-"
"AARGH!" He growled, a glowing streak of green lighting its way through his hair, the tips taking on the same color as he began to float. "Don't you get it Zane! You're supposed to be the smart one! You're a Nindroid after all!" He yelled, his voice taking on that echoey tone but far louder.
"I can't get anything if you don't-"
"I don't have any powers Zane!" He snapped at his friend, confusing Zane completely, even as he watched the bright green swirls, similar to Jay's make their way on his face.
Unlike Jay's, his were perfectly swirled using perfectly curved patterns. He watched wide eyed as two smaller swirls made their way high on his forehead before dark horns began to grow in, swirled from tip to base in the same green.  
"Kai was the one to create the auroras! His heat was the one to make it happen! It was just a coincidence! All I'll ever be is the green ninja! I wasn't meant to have powers like you do! I'm not meant to be or have any more than I have now! Don't you see?! I'll only drag you all down!" He yelled and with that, another huge wave of radiation pulsed out of him.
Zane snapped himself out of his shock and awe. He knew he had to stop this before the radiation field spread to villages- or worse: Ninjago City.
"Lloyd! Listen to me!" Zane yelled.
"No! You listen to me!" He yelled at Zane, floating right over to him, directly before him. "I'll only drag the team down! I've already been dragging the team down! You guys are better off if I leave! I was trying to do you all a favor! Now let me leave!" He demanded, warning signals going off in the suit.
"I can't do that!" Zane yelled back and Lloyd only grew angrier, the entire sky turning green. "Open your eyes Lloyd! You do have power! How else could you be as tall as I am in this mech?" He says, softening his tone towards the end and Lloyd was about to yell then paused.
He looked down and realized that he was floating off the ground.
"What?..." Lloyd whispered, floating back, looking down at his hands.
He then turned them over and saw the swirls on them glowing green.
"Even if you didn't have this power, we wouldn't care. You're our family Lloyd. Our brother. We love you as you are. Power or no power. We would never ask you to leave either nor do we want you to." Zane says, and Lloyd looked up at him. "It wouldn't be home without you." He says and Lloyd's eyes filled with light green glowing tears that poured from his cheeks.
His eyes then rolled back as he began to fall. Zane was quick to catch him with the mech, watching as his powers faded away, the horns leaving with it. He sighed in relief then smiled at Lloyd. He spotted movement from the corner of his eye then turned to see Nya waving at him. He quickly flipped on the audio again.
"Sorry about that. I needed to focus. He's ok now." Zane told them and they all sighed before cheering. "We're coming home." He says before turning around and walking back.
"Yeah but before you do…" Jay says and Zane frowned at that. "Make sure to stop by the decontamination shower we had Cyrus set up outside the radiation zone. It should be done by the time you get there. No offense but I'd like to keep living." Jay says and Zane huffed.
"Seems fair." He nodded.
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Part 3
Part 4
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(I’m turning the Ninja into gods? pffff What? Noooooo. I wanted to add Nya in this but it’s already past midnight so she’ll be in the other part of this series. Yes! I did say series! I have sooo many ideas for this I simply cannot not make it a series! I hope you guys liked this! Nighty night!)
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ramheavenandhell · 5 years ago
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An Unlikely Duo
AN: Since some of your readers from "Finding Love on the Citadel" liked these two guys, I decided to write a little spinoff surrounding the backstory of Rick B-64 and Morty K-7α1. Yes, I know. When you think that I'm finally done with this series, I just have to go and write more ^^' Warnings: Rick/Morty, has a bit of everything: comedy, action, fluff, drama + angst, romance and smut Summary: How did Rick B-64 and Morty K-7α1 become partners on the CPF? How did they fall in love? And why are they such great partners despite being such an unlikely duo?
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An Unlikely Duo Morty K-7α1 nervously set foot inside the police station. Today he would be getting a new partner because his previous partner had quit. Ever since he was a rookie and had started to work as a police officer, he only ever had that one partner, so his nerves were shot from the prospect of having to get used to someone new that he would have to work together with from now on. "Hey, Curly!" One of the Rick cops yelled over to him as he and his Rick buddies spotted him from afar. "I heard your new partner is a Rick." "Aww geez…" Morty muttered under his breath as the Ricks cackled. He was afraid that that would be the case. Nonetheless, he ventured to the Chief's office and knocked on the door, more or less ready to face his new partner. After being invited inside, he immediately saw that his coworkers had been right. "K-7α1, this is your new partner from now on. Rick B-64. Show him the ropes." The Chief introduced them. Rick B-64 lowered his sunglasses to look over the rim at his new partner, a pleased grin on his face. "Nice ta meet ya." "Uh, yeah…nice to meet you, too." Morty awkwardly greeted back. He still wasn't sure what to make of the entire situation. Why had it even been decided that he had to break in the new rookie? This whole thing was such a bad idea. Unfortunately, it seemed that he was the only one who saw it that way. After he and his new partner exited the Chief's office, one of the Ricks from the same group as before, shouted over to him again. "Good luck surviving out there with your new partner, Curly." Again, they all laughed over their own stupid joke. Morty just tried to ignore them like he always did, but B-64 raised one side of his eyebrow. "Are those guys bothering you?" He asked. Morty wasn't sure if he just imagined it, but his new partner's voice sounded serious with a tint of worry. "It's okay. They do that to all Cop Mortys." He replied nonchalantly. "When you're a Morty, you have to fight back and show Ricks that they can't mess with your or they'll just push you around. My previous partner always said that and they never gave him shit. I-I just ignore them though…" He didn't add that he would only embarrass himself when he tried to fight back against them. So, even if it did bother him more than he let on, he decided that trying to ignore it was the best course of action. However, it had been easier before when he still had his old Morty partner. And now that he was actually stuck with a Rick, it would probably be even harder to ignore the remarks since he was going to get it from all sides now. "Wow! And here I thought the police force would be the only place on the Citadel where Ricks and Mortys were equal. Guess it's the same everywhere after all." Morty was surprised by that. Was his new partner a Rick who actually thought that Mortys were equal to Ricks and wasn't a complete asshole? That would have to be the first Rick that he got to know who was different. Even Morty's Rick was a callous asshole for the better half of the day. While he began to show his partner around the station, he noticed that Rick B-64 at least hadn't made a crude remark yet that was meant to hurt him.
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"Do they all call you Curly here?" Rick B-64 asked over from his desk, sounding clearly bored. Morty hated that nickname and his face showed it. "Well, it's mostly the Ricks who call me that. Guess it's because of the hair…" He pointed to his voluminous curls as if it wasn't obvious. Rick smirked, but before he could reply, an emergency call came over the communicator, requesting back up. "Finally!" B-64 yelled and jumped up from his seat, pushing the button on the comm. to answer. "B-64 here. We're on our way." Morty stared at him with a pale face, not believing that his new partner just did that. "What? What are you waiting for? C'mon." Rick urged him, already on his way out, towards the parking lot. "Wa-wait! Shouldn't we let another unit take this?" Despite his protest, Morty also stood up and grabbed his police cap. "Why?" Why? Maybe because this was their first mission together? Maybe because B-64 was still a rookie and shouldn't get into such a heated action with an armed criminal right away? Morty could actually come up with tons of reasons why this was such a bad idea, but in the face of his enthusiastic partner, he could find no words. So, he followed Rick to the car without comment even if he still had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Give me the keys. I'll drive." Rick held out his hand expectantly, still full of confidence. "What? No, no, no. I'll drive." Morty insisted and bypassed B-64 to get into the driver's seat. His partner groaned, but got in the passenger seat without further complaints. "But I get to drive next time, okay?" He still insisted, as they hovered out of the parking lot. "Please put your seatbelt on." Morty said, noting from the corner of his eyes that his partner neglected to do that. "And you-you can drive when we do our patrol later on, okay?" That seemed save in his opinion. "You drive a hard bargain, but fine." Dutifully, Rick strapped himself in. "It's a promise though." "Huh?" Morty was a little confused how simply his partner had complied with his request. He would have actually expected more resistance from a Rick. A remark along the lines of not taking orders from a Morty or something like that. Also, Morty hadn't meant to make it sound like he'll let Rick only drive later if he used the seatbelt, but if that's how his partner interpreted it, then that's probably all the better. "By the way, they look cute?" "What? What looks cute?" K-7α1 would prefer it if his new partner wouldn't confuse him so much while he had to concentrate on driving. He was sure that he was going to crash the car before they reached the crime scene if this kept up. "Your curls, I mean." B-64 elaborated. "Actually looks really cute how they're sticking out under your cap." Whaaat? Unwillingly heat rushed into Morty's cheeks. That had to be the first time that someone complimented him on his looks. Usually he was just teased for his haircut, having to listen to commentary that it's not the seventies anymore and similar things to that.
Even his own Rick commented once that it was ridiculous how he looked like a cliché cop from an old movie.
"By the way, whatcha want me to call you?"
"Uh…" He just lost him again.
"You don't seem to like the nickname the others at the station gave you. So what do you want me to call you?"
Oh. That's what he meant.
"Um…I don't really care. Just call me by my name?"
"Oh, okay." Rick deadpanned. "There's just some Ricks and Mortys out there, who insist on nicknames. You know, to differentiate themselves from the masses. But just going by your name is cool."
"What-what am I supposed to call you?"
Morty hadn't really thought about people trying so hard to be different on the Citadel, but he guessed that it made sense. He himself had really just always tried to fit in and not stick out like a sore thumb even though his slightly different looks guaranteed it and earned him a special nickname.
Now that he looked at it from that side, he thought that it was rude of him to just think about his partner as a Rick and not as an individual that was different from all the other Ricks.
"In the academy they used to call me Shades because of the sunglasses. But it's cool if you just call me Rick, too. Or partner." Morty was sure that it was only his imagination and he didn't really purred the last part, as if he really enjoyed that title.
However, the thought that he didn't imagine it at all and Rick did say it that way made Morty flustered again. Luckily, he still avoided driving straight into any obstacles on his path.
"O-okay. Rick then."
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Thankfully, they arrived soon at the scene where their backup was needed, saving Morty from any more possibly embarrassing conversations with his new partner. He was sure that there would be plenty more time for those later on anyway and he wasn't sure if he dreaded or was looking forward to it at this point. Three other patrol cars with blinking red and blue lights were already parked in front of the office building, two Rick police officers standing behind one of the cars on standby. K-7α1 and his partner joined them, asking for a brief status update on the situation. "We have one armed Morty. No idea if he has hostages in there. Most people should have already been evacuated, but we're not one hundred percent sure. Two units are already in there, trying to corner him." "We're going in, too." Rick B-64 proclaimed and quickly made his way to the entrance. "W--Rick! Wait!" Morty protested but followed. The remaining two Ricks only looked at each other and shook their heads at that behavior. "Wait up, Rick!" Morty still yelled as he tried to catch up with his partner, who was still dashing ahead. "You can't just charge in like that! It's dangerous!" B-64 only stopped when he met up with two Morty police officers who were taking cover by a flight of stairs, guns drawn and looking like they were at a stalemate. "Is the guy up there?" He asked as he joined them, his partner following suite while still mentally flipping out. "Yeah, he's yelling and shooting like a maniac, but it got silent around a minute ago and we have no idea what he's planning right now." One of the Mortys filed them in on the situation. "He's crazy and completely unpredictable and he seems to be talking to someone, so we're not sure if he has a hostage or if he's just talking to himself." "Well, only one way to find out." With those words, Rick dashed out of the hiding spot and up the stairs, taking two steps at a time. "What the--RICK!! What are you doing?! Are you insane?!" Again, Morty was forced to follow his partner because he couldn't just let him go on his own. "They're both insane…" One of the Cop Mortys replied, both still safely staying behind and taking cover as they watched the duo go, thinking that they should just wait until the other unit was in position so they could corner the culprit together. Morty ducked out of reflex, fright sitting like ice in his guts as he tried to catch up with Rick's long strides in vain. Thankfully, no one had opened fire on them yet, but that didn't mean that it couldn't happen any moment now. "I'm trying to catch a criminal, Morty." B-64 had the decency to answer his previously asked question. "What else does it look like to you?" Morty couldn't answer. Not only because he was slowly running out of breath, but also because he started to fall behind. Blame his bad condition on lack of exercise, but he just had no chance of catching up to his partner with his short legs, which had no cybernetic enhancements. Rick didn't really seem to notice that he was on his own, or maybe he didn't care about it, as he steadily continued on his way without slowing down or waiting up. He only stopped when he suddenly heard a voice. "I don't know what to do anymore, Rick!!" Carefully, he peeked around the next corner and spotted the culprit. As described, it was a Morty and he was equipped with a firearm. He looked sweaty, his eyes bloodshot and his hair disheveled despite the shaky hand he was just running through it. "We-we can't go on like this anymore! I just want to go home! I hate the Citadel!!" Rick's unibrow drew downwards as he watched the boy yell at a wall. Looked like he really went insane and was fighting with his imaginary Rick now. Best choice was to take this nutcase out fast, B-64 decided. Trying to negotiate with a delirious person would be just a waste of time. Rick waited for a moment when the boy had turned his back towards him, before he charged right in, gun drawn. Of course, he managed to get the teen by surprise and quickly knocked him out with a blow to the back of his head, using the handle of his gun. Rick made a sound of triumph as he bent down to cuff the now unconscious Morty. In the meantime, his partner also finally arrived, panting and still in full panic mode. "Oh my god, Rick! You can't just do stuff like that!!" He yelled, despite the fact that the criminal was out cold now. "What are you complaining about? I got the guy." "Yeah, but that was dangerous! You could have gotten hurt or worse!" B-64 rolled his eyes. "Whatever…well, I didn't get hurt, so stop bitching about it." "No!" "What?" Rick looked back at his partner and couldn't believe that Morty had chosen now to become defiant and grow a pair of balls. "As long as we're partners, I won't tolerate you doing such reckless actions on your own!" Morty wasn't backing down, staring with the most serious expression straight into Rick's eyes. They stared at each other like that for a full minute before Rick finally broke the contact. "Okay, fine." He sighed. "I won't do it again, okay? You happy now?" A small smile formed on Morty's features. "Okay. And I'll make sure you stick to that promise." "Yeah, yeah. Whatever…" Rick turned away, so he could continue apprehending the caught criminal. In truth, however, he just didn't want his partner to see the light blush on his cheeks. Morty looked really cute when he smiled at him like that…
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"You're into Ricks?" They were back at the station and B-64 had just overheard one of the Ricks that liked to bully Morty call him a "Rickfucker". "No! I mean, not every Rick…" Morty blushed as he tried to explain himself. "Just mi-I have a crush on my Rick…but I'm only interested in him! I-I don't sleep around with any Ricks on the Police Force or whatever they'll try to tell you about me!!" Morty looked with big and slightly glassy eyes at him, but also a look of determination, trying to get his point across that he wasn't as much of a weirdo as the others said he would be. And he especially wasn't a slut or a whore. "Chill out, Morty. I wasn't saying that. Just asking." Rick tried to calm him down again. "Nothing wrong with dating a Rick if you're a Morty or vice versa." Morty visibly relaxed at those words. "Well, not everyone thinks like that. While it's not against the law, it's still pretty frowned upon…" The young officer mumbled. "Psht, well I don't give a fuck about it. Not my problem or decision and if it's not about me, I could care less. I mean, who am I to argue over whom you're fucking. If you wanna be with your Rick than be that." B-64 leaned more comfortably back in his chair. "Are you…?" "Huh?" "Um…never mind!" Morty quickly corrected himself. Maybe it was rude to ask if Rick was into Mortys. And just like B-64 had said, whether he was or not, that wasn't Morty's business. He shouldn't ask something private like that. "So, how far are you guys?" Apparently, Rick didn't care all that much about how rude it was or not to be nosing around in Morty's private matters. "Oh no, w-we-we're not--! We're not dating or something like that. My Rick actually doesn't know." "Oh, so you haven't told him yet." Rick leaned a bit forward, seeming quite interested in the topic. "No. Actually, I haven't thought about telling him directly." Morty admitted, looking ashamed. "I-I was thinking more about trying a subtle approach?" "Subtle? Like what?" "W-well, I always bring home a flower for him. Though, I don't really tell him and only put in a vase on our table so he sees it. I th-think that's not too obvious, but still something that he would notice, right?" "A vase with a fresh flower? Man, that's really subtle." One corner of Rick's mouth quirked upwards. "But really cute." Morty flushed as Rick chuckled. "O-oh just shut up. Do you have any better ideas?!" "Sorry, but that's just really cute of you. I actually wish that my Morty would do cute stuff like that sometimes." B-64 apologized as he calmed down again. "As for ideas, you should just move in for the kill." "What?!" "Just walk up to him, grab him by the lapels of his lab coat or whatever his signature clothes are, pull him down and mesh your lips against his." Morty was as red as a tomato and questioned the advice while his partner grinned at him like a shark. "You c-can't really meant that! I can't just go up to him and--I can't do that!!" "No, trust me! This is brilliant! And if you think that he's going to push you away, you'll just bite in his lip and hold on. That's 100% guaranteed to save you from rejection." Rick couldn't hold back anymore and broke out with loud laughter at the face that the teen made. Morty pouted. "You're impossible, Rick!" But the laughter was infectious and he couldn't help but join in, the mental picture that his partner painted for him just too funny not to.
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Thankfully, the patrols with Rick B-64 were relatively calm – even though Morty still preferred to have his hands on the wheel when they drove out to actual emergencies – and while the other was still pretty quick to rush into action, he was at least a little bit more careful now and stayed together with him. Morty was really glad that he stuck to his promise and made no self-assigned solo missions anymore. While he wouldn't have expected it at first, he actually started to warm up to his new partner rather quickly and had gotten quite used to him. Despite the fact that they were so different, it worked out between them. Maybe, it also had to do with the fact that Morty actually had the guts to talk back to B-64 unlike he did with most other Ricks on the force. He couldn't even explain why that was. It must have something to do with B-64's laid-back personality since he usually didn't put up much resistance against what Morty asked of him…and when he did, he meant it humorously most of the time. This trait was probably also part of why Morty liked his new partner so much. The other always managed to make him laugh. Another thing that he did managed though was getting him flustered and if he wouldn't know any better, he would start to think that Rick had turned that specific discipline into his new hobby. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only Rick in the entire police station that liked to tease him. A fact that he was sadly reminded of again as they returned from another patrol. Rick was actually mock acting like a gentleman, holding the door open for him and making a bow while calling him "Milady". Morty acknowledged the silly gestures with a smile and a playful roll of his eyes, but didn't feel entitled to verbally comment on it. However, someone else did feel the need to do it. "Do you two just come from a hotel room?" One of the usual Cop Ricks shouted while his circle of coworkers already began to chuckle. "Hey, B-64! Careful that you don't fuck him too hard or he can only limp after the criminals you're chasing." "Shouldn't the little Rickfucker be used to that by now?" Another Rick from the round threw in. The first replied again. "Well, obviously. Bet he's super lose! I'm surprised that he hasn't been thrown out for fucking on the shift yet." Morty's face instantly dropped, the accusations somehow hurting him more than all the other cruel and teasing remarks from before. However, this time, he wasn't the only one who felt bothered by those Ricks' dickish behavior. B-64's face had darkened and he approached the Rick who had dared to say all that. "What was that?!" He grabbed the other Cop Rick's tie and pulled him closer towards his face, giving him such a deadly stare that all the surrounding Ricks abruptly stopped laughing and looked highly uncomfortable. "Rick!" Morty shouted, worried that a fight was about to break out now. While it was noble and made Morty's chest feel warm that B-64 defended him against the assholes, who had been bullying him for as long as he worked here, his guts froze at the prospect that his partner might get suspended if this confrontation turned physical. "You wanna say shit about me or my partner one more time?!" B-64 threatened dangerously. For emphasis, he lifted his other hand, balling it into a fist and looking ready to strike. Morty covered his mouth in shock, unsure on how to act. It was never a good decision to step between two fighting Ricks… However, suddenly someone grabbed B-64's raised wrist and all eyes turned to the officer who dared to intervene. "What my workmate meant to say is that if you say crap like that about him and his partner one more time, you're going to have a little private discussion with him outside after work." Rick V-27's face was as serious as his tone and there was a promise in his voice that he'll back B-64 up if it came to that. "Okay, okay. Didn't mean it and won't say it again." The Rick finally backed down. Satisfied with that answer B-64 released the guy and V-27 also let go of his wrist. Both Ricks plus one still shocked Morty made their way over to their desks, B-64 only now noticing that the other's desk was right next to theirs. V-27's partner, Rick P-99, had been watching the entire scene with big eyes from his desk and…was he blushing a little? Probably just an effect of the light from the desk lamps. "Thanks for saving my ass back there from a suspension, uh…" "Rick V-27. And this is my partner, Rick P-99." The heroic officer introduced himself. "And you're welcome, B-64. Those guys had it coming for a long time, so good that you stood up on behalf of your partner." "Oh my god, Rick! Never do something so dumb again!" Morty finally found his voice and pointed accusingly at his partner. "Chill, Morty. I did that to safe our honor…mostly yours since you're like a damsel in distress that needs a knight in shining armor, but they were getting on my nerves, too…" "I'm not a damsel in distress! I'm a police officer just like you and can defend myself just fine!" Morty protested back. "You're just complaining that I was playing knight and not your Rick." B-64 replied almost disinterestedly. "Sorry for stealing the show from him. Gotta be careful that you don't accidentally end up falling for me instead, right?" "You-you-you…" Morty was so flustered that he had trouble finding the right words. "You're just as much of an asshole as those Ricks are!" That wasn't actually true. Sure, Rick B-64 was teasing him a lot, too, and seemed to enjoy it as much as the other Ricks. But his comments didn't hurt. They only ever made him feel embarrassed, but they weren't leaving an emotional stab wound like the other remarks did. "Ouch! That hurt, Morty." B-64 sounded fake hurt while he grabbed his chest in mock pain. "When all I did was defend you, my princess." "Oh my god, I'm not a princess, Rick!" Morty rested his heated face against the cool wooden top of his desk. "Thank you…" He whispered even though Rick wouldn't be able to hear it.
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Since V-27's heroic intervention, Morty and his partner had been talking a lot more with him and even became friends. The other Rick was just really fun to hang out and spent the lunch breaks with. He didn't have the same humor as Rick B-64, but his heart was in the right place and his opinions were really smart and interesting. In comparison to most other Ricks on the force, V-27 was just very likeable. What was also very interesting about him was that he had a crush on his Morty – an information that B-64 had coaxed out of him. Though, he insisted that it was completely one-sided and pointless to even confess. Morty could only understand him too well, being in the same situation and too scared to openly tell his own Rick how he felt about him. Of course, that didn't stop V-27 from sharing stories about his Morty, retelling some funny moments from his private life with such a fondness in his eyes. It made both Morty and his partner interested in meeting the teen in person. "Oh, I can introduce you today." V-27 surprised the duo. "My Morty's going to pick me up from the station later because we wanted to go to the movies. So you actually get to meet him." "Oh, is it a date~?" Rick B-64 instantly perked up and teased. Morty was also interested and wondered if there was something that V-27 hadn't told them about. "What? No!" V-27 had the decency to blush the slightest bit at the accusation. "He just said that he wanted to see that one movie and asked if I wanted to come, too. It's not a date!" "You say that now, but just wait till he ends up putting his hand on yours during the movie." B-64 kept going on. Turning towards Morty, he kept spinning the fantasy on. "I bet they won't even get to see the movie because they'll be too busy smooching during it all. You should probably try that with your Rick, too, Morty. It's still pretty subtle, so that's right up your alley." As always, Morty wasn't sure if he should take his partner's advice seriously or not. After all, he liked to pull his leg with such suggestions more often than not. However, thinking about it, maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. He had to wait on V-27's feedback tomorrow how it went and then decided if he should give it a try, too. As promised, just a few minutes after V-27's morning shift ended, a shy, little Morty entered the station, looking around in confusion. "Over here, Morty!" V-27 called to him and the brunet's face instantly brightened up as he spotted his Rick. Dutifully, he came to join his grandfather and his colleagues. Morty noticed that there was nothing extraordinary about this boy at first glance. Brown hair, yellow t-shirt – just your standard Morty. "Guys, that's him, my Morty. Morty, this is Morty K-7α1 and his partner Rick B-64. And you already know Rick P-99." V-27 introduced them to each other. "Hi, Morty." The trio greeted him in chorus and he shyly greeted them back, waving with his hand. "I'm surprised you don't have to work at this hour." Rick B-64 said. "Oh, um…" Morty V-27 looked at the floor in shame. "A-actually, I'm jobless right now…" "Yeah, they kicked him out of that restaurant yesterday. How long did you work there? Three days?" Rick V-27 sounded a little annoyed…as he always did when the topic came up. "Y-yeah…thr-three days…" His Morty confirmed, looking so ashamed. Rick B-64 sighed loudly, deciding to change the topic. "Man, V-27. Your Morty is such a cutie. I swear all Ricks have cute Mortys and I'm the only one who's got a hellhound instead. I'm starting to get really jelly now." Morty perked up at that. His partner had mentioned something about being unhappy with his Morty before, but he's never really talked about his grandson and he still hadn't dared to ask him about the boy. B-64 noticed his reaction but misread the expression on his face. "Don't worry, Morty. I still think that you're the cutest Morty of them all." As expected, his partner's words made him blush, but B-64's wolfish grin made him question if he really meant that or if he was just teasing him again. "Well, we gotta go or we'll miss the opening of the movie." V-27 interrupted the duo before this could turn into another one of their infamous banters. "See ya guys tomorrow." "Bye. It was really nice to meet you." His Morty politely bid his farewell. "Have fun you guys!" B-64 shouted after them with a wink and making a clicking sound with his tongue. V-27 just flipped him off without looking back as he steered his Morty towards the entrance.
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Rick groaned loudly. Morty looked over to his partner, seeing him hunched over his desk, supporting his head with both of his hands, face covered by his palms. "Is everything okay, Rick?" The young officer asked. He had already noticed at the start of their shift that the other was unusually quiet today. "Yeah, it's just my Morty…" The boy perked up. While Rick occasionally mentioned his Morty in passing, he never really talked about his grandson. "What is with your Morty?" "Nothing! He's just being an annoying fuck!" "Why? What did he do?" "That really got nothing to do with you, Morty, now does it?!" The tone shocked the teen since his partner had never talked to him like that before. However… "You're right, Rick. I-I'm sorry for asking. It's none of my business, so I really shouldn't be nosing around…" He apologized meekly. "No, it's okay." Rick took one long sigh to calm himself down again. "It's just…he keeps bitching about everything. Lately more than ever. Just yesterday I had to listen to him again how fed up he is with the Citadel and how it's my fault that we can't go back to our reality because I ruined everything, as if-as if I did that on purpose. Yeah fine, I messed up! Sorry for not being perfect!" "W-well, I don't really know what exactly happened, but I know that you're not a bad guy, Rick." Morty honestly wasn't sure what to say in this situation. "And everyone makes mistakes." It was due to his own Rick's problems that he was "stuck" on the Citadel now…though, Morty was given the choice if he wanted to follow him here or stay at home with his family and live his normal boring life. His Rick was in danger of being found by the Galactic Federation and needed a safer place to hide. Staying with his family on earth would only have endangered them. If Morty hadn't already had a crush on his grandfather, he might have decided differently as the man had asked him if he would come along or not. They had been traveling through space for a few months, always on the run, before the scientist was fed up with it all and surrendered to the regulated but survivable life that the Citadel offered with its protection. "You're so cute, Morty." Unsurprisingly, Morty's face heated up at those words. "I wish my Morty would be at least a little bit more like you. But oh well, you can choose your friends, but not your family." Again, the young police officer was speechless. Rick smiled – genuinely smiled and not grinned – at him before he turned his attention back to his computer. "Well, better get back to work, right Morty? This damn paperwork doesn't finish itself."
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Morty stood in front of the door to his apartment and took a deep breath. He decided that today was the day. After such a long time trying to hint subtly at his feelings for his Rick, he decided that it was finally time to face him and confess. All previous attempts had been in vain so far. The flower each day, keeping the house clean, doing grocery shopping and trying to cook a meal for his Rick even if he barely had the time with his work schedule and often felt too tired after his shift, but still pulling through for his grandpa, had gotten him nowhere. Even inviting him to go to the movies together, despite the fact that it hadn't brought any results for V-27 and saying that it was his treat, hadn't progressed anything. Rick had only rolled his eyes and refused the offer, saying that it was a shitty movie and when asked what he wanted to see, he just claimed that they all sucked…just like Morty. Morty often questioned why he even loved the eccentric old guy since his grandpa was as much of an asshole as most other Ricks. Not all Ricks though, he reminded himself and thought back to his comrades at the police station – especially his partner, Rick B-64. Said Rick was also the one that had motivated him enough today to pull through with this now. Sure, most of his advices were not to be taken serious since he meant them as a joke, but when he pointed out to Morty how pointless his subtle approaches were and to just make a cut, he couldn't help but agree. He finally had to set this straight and get it over with…no matter how it would turn out in the end. Though, while he thought no matter how it would turn out, in truth he was still so scared that his Rick was going to reject him. He wasn't sure what he might do then – if he could even handle that. But there was no way around that since he had already decided that he would do this now and he would see it through till the end. With sweaty hands, he unlocked the front door and entered the dark apartment. If he wouldn't know his grandpa so well, he might have thought that the man was out and not at home, but Morty knew better. He was always home around this time, working a boring secretary job for some rich Manager Rick whose guts he hated like nothing else and having the same work hours each day – unlike Morty's job, where he had to work in three different shifts. As he entered the parlor, he wasn't surprised at all to see his grandfather hunched over the couch table and tinkering on some contraption. He always did that. It was like a hobby for him and an activity where he could vent his built up frustration and anger that his everyday life on the Citadel brought him. "Hey, Rick. I'm home." Morty greeted him. "Yeah, I can see that, Morty." Rick only deadpanned without looking up from his project. "You gonna cook some dinner now or what?" The teen sighed and was about to go to the kitchen and do just that, but then reminded himself what he actually meant to do. "Um, actually Rick…we-we need to talk." Oh god, he was really going to do this. "About what?" Morty swallowed heavily. 'Just like a band aid.' He mentally told himself. "There's-s-so-something really important that I need to tell you." He blushed because of his inability to speak without tumbling over the words, but he still wished that Rick would stop what he was doing for a moment and look at him. It wouldn't be too much to ask of him that he'd give Morty his full attention for just one fucking second, was it? …Well, apparently it was. "Just spit it out, Morty! I'm hungry." Rick urged him without shifting his focus to his grandson and rather concentrating on fastening a screw on his invention with a screwdriver. Well, here goes nothing. "I-I--Rick! I love you!!" "Of course you do, Morty." His grandfather was completely unfazed by his confession. "I'm your grandpa and grandchildren love their grandparents. Tha-that's fucking normal. You don't really have to waste my time by telling me that. I know that already, Morty." "No!" The teen's nervousness swung over in frustration. "I don't mean it like that, Rick! It's not platonic love! I mean, I'm in love with you!!" Suddenly the scientist halted in his actions, hand frozen in mid-screwing-motion. "What did you just say…?" "I said that I love you like a lover and not as in-like my grandpa!" Morty was panting a little from the yelling and the mental exhaustion from forcing these words out of himself. His pulse was going a mile per hour and he was sweating even more now than before. There hung a thick silence in the air for almost a full minute. "Do you really mean that, you little shit?" Rick's voice sounded dark and…dangerous. "R-Rick?" The half-finished invention fell to the floor with a heavy clank as the scientist abruptly stood up and Morty flinched at the loud sound. "For how long?!" "Wh--?" "Tell me how fucking long I have been living together under the same roof with such a disgusting piece of shit?!! I can't fucking believe you, Morty!! Are you really serious about this?! I'm your grandpa for fuck's sake!!" Rick yelled loud enough that the whole apartment complex wouldn't be able to overhear it. "Rick, I-I jush--I just—" "Shut up, Morty!! I don't wanna hear it!!" His grandpa began to storm out of the room and confused and slightly hesitant, he followed him. "And I'm not willing to p-put--I'm not gonna spent one fucking second more with such a creepy pervert in the same apartment!!" To Morty's horror, Rick had stomped into his room and began to throw open the closet and drawers – pulling on the latter so hard that they fell out of their hinges. He grabbed as much of Morty's clothes as he could and bundled them together before moving past the stunned teen, ripping open the front door and throwing them out. Still in shock, the young police officer could only watch as his grandfather repeated the actions a few times, all the while cussing him out as he did. Lastly, Rick began to shove him out as well. "I don't ever wanna see you again, you hear me, you filthy bastard?!" With those last words, he slammed the door shut in Morty's face. It took the brunet a full minute before the situation finally began to sink in. Rick had thrown him out. He had not only rejected him, but kicked him out of their shared apartment. Just what was he supposed to do now? Fat tears well up in his eyes and ran down his cheeks as he shakily tried to gather his things that were haphazardly strew across the floor. Picking as much as he could carry and having to leave the rest behind in the hallway, he looked for a hotel. He had no idea where else to go to at this hour after all. After entering the hotel room, he dropped his things carelessly on the floor and plopped down on the hard mattress. Curling up in a fetal position, he began to sob, his mind replaying to him what had just occurred around not even a full hour before. His Rick had rejected him. He hated him now. And he had thrown him out and never wanted to see him again. Morty had no place to go to now. No one to turn to. 'No, wait! There's…' While his body still shook with sobs, he reached with a shaky hand for his mobile phone. Through a veil of tears, he vaguely made out the display and searched for a specific number in his address book. However, before he hit the call button, he stopped again. He shouldn't be calling him. Not at this time of the night. Not because of something like this. No matter how much he just wished to listen to his voice right now, to tell him what happened and hear the other's caring words as he reassured him that the Citadel would keep its course, he really shouldn't bother Rick B-64. Throughout the rest of the night, he clutched the mobile to his chest and cried…
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"…yeah, it's just until he finds a new place to stay at." The young police officer watched a little nervously how Rick called his Morty. It wasn't a big secret anymore that the elder and his grandson didn't get along very well and often argued. And he wouldn't want Rick to get into more trouble with the boy because he moved in with them. The offer was so nice, but he would decline if it only caused his partner trouble. "…I know that…Sorry, for calling during your working hours, but it seemed kinda important and if I'd just show up with him tonight, you would have ask why I didn't call you first!…yeah…okay…see you later." Rick hung up and focused his attention on his partner again. "He said it's okay and you can move in. After our shift is over, we drive to your hotel and get your stuff, okay?" "Yeah." Morty smiled, feeling relieved and grateful. "Thank you so much again for the offer." "Hey, I can't let my partner stay in a crappy hotel and I know how fucking long it takes to find a free apartment on the Citadel." The other simply shrugged him off. Rick's face turned suddenly serious and he knelt down in front of Morty, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Why haven't you already called last night and told me about this, Morty?" "I…it was late and I di-didn't want to bother you…" The boy admitted. "You're not a bother, Morty. When I gave you my number and told you that you can call me any time, I meant it. And I didn't just mean as longs as it's work-related." Morty was really surprised by Rick's words and behavior since it was so unusual for him to be this serious and openly acting worried about him. Sure, it wasn't the first time that it happened, but it was still a rare sight. And it really touched Morty. Unwillingly, tears rose to his eyes again and he tried to wipe them away only for more to appear. He felt so embarrassed, as a sob also wrecked his body. God, he had already cried himself out last night, so why did he have to start again now? "Come here, Morty." Rick drew him in his arms and gently rubbed over his back, letting him hide his face in his chest. Rick was glad that he had picked out a deserted hallway to make his call so the entire force wouldn't be witness to his small partner's breakdown. Though, if it would have happened out there, he would have thrown glares and threats at the others to mind their own fucking business again. Morty was already going through enough, the last he needed was for some Rick-holes to harass him. The boy didn't deserve this. In fact, Rick K-7α1 had no idea how fucking good he had it with him. That asshole didn't deserve Morty, the boy was far too good for him. Rick wanted to say all those things to the teen, but he was afraid that he might be saying too much. So he just held back and continued to comfort his sobbing partner by holding him. If he was honest, he also didn't deserve Morty. In fact, he should be really feeling bad right now, but he was only relieved that Morty had been rejected by his Rick. God, he was so fucking selfish…
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Naturally, after moving in with Rick B-64 and his grandson, Morty tried to be as little a hassle to them as possible. Since he was allowed to live with them rent-free – even though he had offered to pay, to which Rick only told him that he shouldn't be rickdiculous – he thought that it was only fair that he helped with the housework at least. So, he took over the grocery shopping, cleaning the apartment, washing clothes, doing the dishes and sometimes cooking when the time and his shift allowed it. It wasn't like he hadn't been used to this from when he still lived with his Rick after all. Despite the slightly nagging feeling that he was a nuisance and shouldn't ever have bothered the B-64s, he actually liked living here. Though, it was probably much more that he enjoyed being in Rick's presence. Obviously, he enjoyed being at his partner's side at work already because the other always managed to make him laugh and cheer him up, distracting him from his dark thoughts and the heartbreak that he was still suffering from. Living with him was just like an extension of that time now since Rick acted just the same at home. The only difference was that they didn't have to worry about hunting after criminals after their shift was over (of course, with the exception of when they were on call). Unfortunately, moving in with the duo didn't do their unstable relationship any favors and more often than not, he unwillingly became a witness to one of their arguments, however petty the topics may have been. Just like this evening. Morty sat with Rick and his grandson at the dinner table, laughing about one of his jokes as the other Morty stood up and went to the cupboard. "God dang it! The mugs go to the left and the glasses to the right. Just don't put them all randomly together like that." He complained after he opened the cabinet door. "O-oh, sorry." Morty blushed, clearly ashamed. "I'll remember next time." "If you can't get it right then please just don't touch anything." The other brunet kept ranting on, as he started to take out all the cups and glasses and sorted them anew. "You're not doing anyone any favors with that." "S-sorry." The young police officer replied meekly. He hadn't really meant to get it wrong. He only wanted to help with the chores and felt bad that he was only inconveniencing his generous hosts. "Don't get your panties in a twist over a bunch of glasses, Morty." Rick threw in. "The boy is just trying to help around here. You should be thankful and not act like an inconsiderate asshole all the time." The elder sounded clearly fed up. Ever since his partner moved in, his Morty had been bitching more than ever. He was belittling his interdimensional counterpart every chance he got, it seems, and Rick couldn't stand to hear it anymore. Morty K-7α1 was trying hard and he was already going through a rough time, so the sweet boy didn't need to take shit like that on top of it all. That's not what he had intended when he had invited him to stay in their apartment. "I'm the inconsiderate asshole here, Rick?! I agreed to let your fuck toy stay in our apartment and I'm the inconsiderate one?!!" Morty's eyes widened at that. "What?! No, I'm not—" How could Morty B-64 think that of him – of them? "It's nothing like that and you know what very well, Morty!" Rick argued back. "Oh really, Rick? Looks quite different to me since all you do is ogle him even when I'm standing right next to you." Morty B-64 countered. "Tell me even one reason why I should let him stay if I'm so fucking inconsiderate!!" "Don't try to make this fight about him!" Morty K-7α1 couldn't take it anymore. "Aw geez…I'm so sorry! I don't want you to fight because of me. I can just leave, okay?" "Don't be stupid, Mo--K-7α1. You don't have to leave." "No, actually, I think it might be better if he would just go!" "God, will you just shut up for a fucking moment and stop trying to shift your fucking insecurities on others?!" "I-it's okay, I'll just go." K-7α1 never liked shouting and arguing. It reminded him too much of home. So, in order to make Rick B-64 and his Morty calm down again, he decided to just remove the topic of their argument. "What? No, Morty. You don't have to go." Rick called after him, but Morty already closed the apartment door from the outside. "Just great! I hope you're proud of yourself, Morty!!" Rick shouted at his counterpart. Morty had only grabbed his jacket when he left and not knowing where else to go, went to CentRick Park. It was probably best to get his stuff later and spent the night in a hotel room again. In a way, it was as if he was back to square one again. Exactly where he had been after his Rick had kicked him out. Of course, it had been stupid and rude of him to intrude into B-64's private life and apartment. Especially since he knew that Rick and his Morty weren't on best terms right now. He should have just declined that offer right from the beginning. That was probably what Rick had expected him to do anyways. He just had wanted to be nice to him and cheer him up again, but hadn't really thought that he would agree and really move in with them. It was his entire fault that they were fighting now and that the gap in their relationship widened even more. Without a doubt, his presence had made things worse. His Rick had been right when he said that he was just a filthy and disgusting piece of shit… Just why was he always such a fuckup? He sighed as he stared down at the lake, watching three ducks fight over some food in the water. There wasn't much fauna on the Citadel, but in order to give the giant space station a livelier feel, a small variety of different bird species had been brought here. They had started to accept the Citadel as their new home, just like the majority of Ricks and Mortys that lived here. Sometimes he wondered what would have been if he never left his dimension. How his life would be right now if he were still to live at home with his parents and sister. It certainly would be nothing like this now. That much was clear to him. "Morty!" A shout of his name brought him out of his deep thoughts. He turned around, not sure if whoever called, had really addressed him. After all, half of the Citadel's population went by that name. "Rick?" He was surprised when he saw none other than Rick B-64 running towards him. "What are you doing here?" He couldn't believe that the other had actually run after him. Normally, he should have stayed in his apartment, making up with his Morty. "Please come back, Morty." Was the only explanation that Rick gave him, sounding a little out of breath. "But, your Morty—" "Screw him! If he has such a problem with you staying under the same roof, then he can spent the night in a hotel." Morty was shocked. Was Rick seriously siding with him – choosing Morty K-7α1 over his own Morty? Rick held out a hand to him. "C'mon, Morty." Still stunned, the teen could only stare at the offered palm. "Please, Morty." Rick practically started to beg now. Morty still couldn't believe that this was really happening. However, when he reached out, the other's hand was solid and proof that this wasn't just a dream.
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It should have probably come as no surprise that a few days later, the situation at Rick B-64's home escalated to the point that his Morty was packing his things. While the boy grabbed his valuables and crammed them into a suitcase, the Cop Rick didn't even bat an eyelash. He just sat in his armchair with his arms crossed in front of his chest, eyes staring straight ahead at the TV that was turned off. Morty watched the whole spectacle with wide eyes, gaping mouth and a stiff posture. He wasn't sure if trying to intervene and stop the other Morty would help or only make things worse. So, he was stuck watching things unfold like a horrific train wreck. Just like often, the argument had started over a small thing – this time Morty K-7α1 had sorted the laundry wrong – and it broke out into a big fight. Just like a raging forest fire, which's source had been a not properly stubbed out cigarette. And again, the topic had focused on K-7α1 and whatever kind of relationship Morty B-64 thought that he and his Rick had. Of course, none of that was true, but Morty hardly managed to get a word in between the quarreling duo. No words were spoken as the packing boy shuffled through the apartment and after Morty B-64 slammed the door shut with a loud bang, laden with all the things that he was taking with him, time seemed to stand still for a moment. "Aww geez. I'm sorry, Rick." Morty muttered, shattering the silence. "What're you apologizing for, Morty? It's not like you did anything. This hadn't been working out since forever…" Rick replied in a surprisingly calm tone. "Good riddance…" He added under his breath. Still, Morty did feel guilty. While he might have not been the sole reason for this, he was at least certain that his being here had sped up the process. Maybe if he hadn't moved in with them, they might even have been able to resolve their problems and found back together to the kind of relationship that they used to have before. "Besides, this means that we have more space to ourselves now!" Rick said louder and winked at him. Worry was still painted on Morty's face. The guilt too heavy for him to just be cheered up so easily this time. Rick's face fell and he sighed. "Don't blame yourself for this, Morty. It really isn't your fault and there's no reason for you to feel guilty about anything." "But, I--if I hadn't—" "Morty, it's – not – your – fault!" The elder punctuated every word. "Okay?" Morty nodded slowly, but didn't look convinced. "Hey, le-let's go out and grab some ice-cream." Rick offered. "C'mon, Morty!" Without waiting for a reply, he jumped up from his seat, grabbed both of their jackets and Morty and pulled the boy out of the door.
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Morty didn't like V-27's new partner. While Rick P-99 barely contributed to their conversations, the mostly quiet police officer was still likeable in his own way. He never thought that he would miss him like this though. True, Morty had preferred to work together with Cop Mortys and used to avoid the Ricks before, but things had changed. And now, he wished that Morty C-589 would just leave and get another job somewhere else. Try as he might, he just couldn't get himself to like his alternate counterpart and it didn't really have to do with the fact that he was so handsome…though, it had hurt him a little when Rick B-64 had said that the other Morty looked like a super model while Morty did not – true as it was. However, the one that he should pity more than himself was Rick V-27. It was pretty obvious that C-589 had set his sights on him, openly flirting with him every chance he got. Of course, V-27 showed that he wasn't interested – he loved his Morty and stayed faithful to him – but it certainly didn't help him. Especially now that his Morty seemed to be giving him a hard time at home. Morty wondered if there was something that he could do to help, but he was scared that if he tried something, he would only make it worse again. He had the tendency to screw things up even if it was anything but intentional. He was a Morty after all and most of them seemed to be complete fuckups by nature. He sighed as he washed his hands and looked at himself in the mirror. It was already late and his late shift was practically over so the restroom was completely empty and the hallways outside already dark. Rick was waiting for him so that they could drive home together – now that they lived in the same place, it only made sense. In his mind, he went over the next week's shift plan already. Since it was V-27's nightshift this week, it would be his and Rick's turn next week again. He actually hated the nightshift. It completely messed up his sleeping schedule. However, his partner loved to work the nightshifts. He would never get Rick and understand why though. When Morty returned from the toilet to join his waiting partner in the office and call it a day, he spotted none other than Morty C-589 sitting on B-64's desk in a flirtatious pose. V-27 was nowhere to be seen though. "Just admit that you can't say no to this." The young officer said, flinging his hair back and then stroking with one hand suggestively over his front. It made Morty question if his other dimensional counterpart really was a police officer or just a stripper dressed like one. The way he moved and acted suggested the latter. Rick grinned up at the Morty on his desk. "I admit that you're a hot piece of meat. Buuut, sorry~ Not my type." "What do you mean 'not your type'? You're not into Mortys?" C-589 looked and sounded irritated. "Oh no, no. I'm into Mortys, but I prefer cute over sexy." Just after he said that, he looked over to Morty K-7α1. C-589 snorted indignantly and jumped off the table again, his eyes also crossing with Morty's and his disdain for the curly haired boy showing openly on his face. "I get it. You prefer shy and inexperienced virgins." He replied without looking away from his other self. "Your loss then." Morty flushed at the accusation, but his mouth was sealed shut. "What are you even acting like that for? I thought you had your sights set on V-27. You really shouldn't be flirting with other Ricks at the same time." Rick fired back as he stood up ready to leave. "Pretty sure that's none of your business what I do when and with who?" C-589 replied arrogantly as he got comfortable in his own chair again. "Wow, what a slut." Rick muttered under his breath, but since he was passing Morty, the teen was able to hear it. Still at a loss for words, he followed his partner, the duo only throwing a quick goodbye (and from B-64 a "good luck") to V-27 who crossed them on their way with a full cup of coffee that he had just gotten for himself. It was silent in the car as they drove home. Morty still couldn't stop thinking about what had happened and stared out of the window. Though, his thoughts weren't only stuck on how his other-dimensional self had flirted with Rick. Before Rick could point out how silent he was, Morty spoke up. "Did you actually mean what you said?" "Huh? What exactly of all the things that I ever said do you mean?" "I mean that you like cute Mortys? …And you always keep saying that I'm cute. Do you mean that, too?" Morty still looked outside, not being able to bring himself to face Rick. "Yeah, I was serious about that. I mean, sure, C-589 is pretty, but I can't really stand his personality." Rick replied matter-of-factly. "And you are cute. Not gonna lie about that." For a moment, everything was silent again save for the sound of the car's motor. "D-does that mean that you like me?" Rick didn't answer him. Wordlessly he took a turn and parked the car in a free space in front of their apartment complex. "Rick!" Morty called after him as he just got out of the car, still ignoring him. Rick sighed. "Look, Morty. Can we just continue this inside?" Certainly, the parking lot wasn't the best place to discuss this, so silently agreeing, the teen got out, too, and followed the other into their shared apartment. After the door was closed, Rick rubbed with one hand over his face. "Yes, I do like you, Morty." He looked back at the boy with an unreadable expression. "And I also know that you still love that asshole who rejected you." He released another heavy breath and averted his eyes, running a hand through his spiky hair. "Actually, I-I'm not sure anymore…" Rick's eyes turned back to him. "For a while, I've been thinking that he isn't really the Rick that I love." "Morty, you don't have to—" the elder interrupted him. "I know that this--things are going to be awkward between us now, but I'm not gonna kick you out or act any different than I did before, so—" "No, Rick. I'm not doing this for you or because I'm scared that I'll be homeless again." It was Morty's turn to interrupt the other now, hoping that Rick would let him finish talking this time. "I always used to fall in love with the wrong people even before I moved with my Rick to the Citadel. They always ended up hurting me, treating me as if I'm just dirt or they led me on and used me until they grew bored and dumped me in the end. None of them were good for me, but I was always so blind—no, so desperate that I never saw that. But this time, I think, this--it's the first time that I fell for someone who's actually good to me. Who is good for me." "Morty, a Rick is never any good for anyone." "But you're a different Rick!" Morty insisted. And he knew that it was true. If Morty had learned anything in all the time that he spent with Rick B-64, then it was that not all Ricks were the same. Sure, he had his flaws, too, but in comparison, he was so much a better Rick than the others. And it were those differences that he fell in love with…without even noticing it until now. "Morty, I'm not really—" Rick was interrupted once more as the teen walked up to him, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him down into a kiss. Not being able to hold himself back, the elder returned the kiss. "Mm-Morty, wai—" He talked into the kiss and tried to bring a little distance between them again. "OW!" Morty had just bitten him in the lower lip…and not too gently. "Ease up on the teeth, Morty. I'm not going to reject you, okay?" Rick had to chuckle softly at the fact that Morty had actually heeded his advice from so long ago. "I just wanna make sure that this is really what you want. Are you really sure about this, Morty?" "Yes, I am, Rick." Morty's eyes shined brightly and were full of determination. "I love you." That's all that Rick needed to hear. He buried one hand in the teen's curly locks, throwing off the police cap as he did and kissed his younger lover hungrily. A little squeak of surprise escaped the teen from the suddenness of the action, but he reciprocated in kind, pushing his tongue back against the wet intruder and playing with it while a healthy blush bloomed on his cheeks. They continued to kiss wildly and noisily for the next few minutes as if air had just lost its importance. Then Rick pulled the boy tighter against his body and Morty's eyes widened as he could feel an unmistakable and tale-telling hardness. He broke the kiss and stuttered breathlessly. "W-R-Rick wait…please w-wait a second…" "What? What's wrong?" Rick sounded sincerely concerned. "I--can we not--I-I mean, this is all going a little fast…" He cringed inwardly because he really sounded so much like a virgin and Rick was surely going to point that out again as he always liked to do. "Chill, Morty. We don't have to do anything you don't want to." Despite the teen's expectations, Rick said these words with a serious voice. "If you wanna take it slow, we're gonna take it slow, all right?" "Are…are you really okay with that?" The teen asked in disbelieve. "I've waited so long for you, I can wait a bit longer. However long you need." Morty felt so relieved that Rick was so understanding instead of angry or calling him a pussy for this. He tightly hugged his lover and mumbled in the front of his shirt. "Thank you."
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The same evening, they laid on the couch, spooning with Rick laying behind Morty and watching some TV. However, Morty was barely able to pay attention to the movie and it wasn't only because Rick had wrapped one arm around him and his hand was gently rubbing over his stomach in small circles. It also weren't the occasional soft kisses to the back of his ear or neck, though Morty was certainly surprised by the affections. He had never actually expected Rick to be a cuddly person. However, there was something else on his mind that was bothering him even though he knew that it was just silly. "Rick?" He turned around in the other's half-embrace and looked with big eyes up at him. "Hmm? What is it, Morty?" He got Rick's complete attention. "I…um…" He flushed and looked away, not being able to say aloud what he had been thinking about. God, it was just too stupid! "What's wrong, Morty?" "Uh…it's nothing! Ple-pl-please just forget it!" Morty backpedaled hard, screwing his eyes shut in embarrassment. "Morty, please look at me." Rick said sternly, but gently and the boy followed his wish. "You know, you can tell me anything. I won't get angry no matter what it is." "No—I mean, yes! I know! But…it's just really stupid…" "I'm sure, it's not stupid if it's important enough for you to bring it up." "I just…" How could he best formulate it? "…can we keep this to ourselves? I mean, us? Being together…at-at least for a while?" "Why do you want to keep our relationship a secret?" Rick didn't sound angry, but he was curious. Then it suddenly clicked for him. "Wait! Are you worried that you're getting bullied again? You know, I'm gonna beat the crap out of those Ricks if they dare!" "No, no. It's not really that…" Morty reassured him, but also felt happy that Rick would do that for him. "It just feels like it's a little soon? I-I'm just not ready to tell everyone yet…so, is it okay if we keep it a secret? Even from our friends? …at least for a little while longer?" Rick's answer surprised him. "Yeah, sure." "Really? You're really okay with it?" "I mean, I would love to shout it at the top of the Citadel, but if you want us to be quiet about it, I'll keep my mouth shut." Rick honestly didn't sound bothered by the request. "Probably best if we don't turn it into a big thing and make everyone else jealous 'cause we make such an awesome couple, right?" Again, Morty could be only surprised about the other's understanding and sympathy. Having Rick agree so easily and being so patient with him, made the young officer only love him more. So, he hugged Rick tightly and kissed him with all of his feelings and passion.
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The duo was at the station again, doing their usual paperwork – though paperwork was probably the wrong word since everything was digitalized and they only worked with touchscreen monitors, so no actual paper was involved in their job. There was nothing out of the ordinary and the day seemed to be just like every other. However, everything changed when a sudden quake shook the entire building, causing desks and chairs to topple over and some ceiling lamps to fall and shatter upon impact with the ground. Police officers' surprised screams rose in volume as suddenly a part of the ceiling collapsed. Luckily, no one was buried under the debris, but naturally everyone was shocked and frightened. Even Morty's body trembled though he had hurried within mere seconds in the safe and strong arms of his partner, not caring that his other colleagues would see. "To all units, this is an emergency! I repeat. To all units, this is an emergency!" A Rick's voice spoke from their communicators. "We've received a message from the militia, that a criminal Rick had teleported the Citadel into a high security prison of the Galactic Federation. All units are ordered to assist the military against the attack of alien prisoners and Gromflamites. You are hereby granted the permission to shoot on sight and shoot to kill everything that is not a Rick or a Morty." Some of the Cops look a little confused at each other, but the first ones finally moved to follow the order, picking up their guns and heading out of the building. "C'mon, Morty." Rick released Morty from his hold again and grabbed his own weapon. Already on his way, he stopped again when he noticed that his partner wasn't following him. "What?" Morty looked reluctant when he tentatively answered. "I-I don't think that it's such a good idea to go outside…" "Morty, didn't you hear the order? All of us have to support the militia." Rick insisted. "I know that you're scared, but think about all the other Mortys and Ricks out there, who are also scared right now. We have to go and protect them. That's our job." Rick was right and he felt a little ashamed of himself that he had forgotten about this for a moment. "Okay." He nodded and readied his own firearm, following his partner outside with more confidence now. Even if he was still frightened by what would await them, at least Rick would also be there and he wouldn't have to face this alone. On the streets reigned chaos with cracked roads, collapsing buildings and Ricks and aliens shooting at each other. Morty and his partner also opened fire and shot a few prisoners and one or two armed Gromflamites down. As they took cover behind a piece of wall that had fallen down, Morty spotted two distressed Mortys on the other side of the street. They looked freaked out and like they had no idea where to go or what to do. "Rick!" He tried to get his partner's attention. As the other looked over to him, he motioned with his head to the two teens. "We have to get them to safety." Rick nodded and after shooting down a few more aliens, they dashed over to the boys and brought them back to their somewhat safe hiding spot. After witnessing a Guard Morty leading Ricks and Mortys into a building that looked like an abandoned store, they ushered the recued brunets also in there. Seemingly having found his purpose, Morty concentrated on finding more citizens and getting them to this shelter. Though, it were mostly Mortys since the Ricks rather opted to fight back against the intruders with their own guns. The police officers disregarded the fact that they were actually prohibited from carrying weapons since the current circumstances were exceptional. The young cop was so focused on spotting more survivors that would need his help that he didn't notice something very important. "Watch out!!" Morty was suddenly swept off his feet as his partner suddenly pushed him to the side, both rolling over the sidewalk. Mere seconds later a big piece of debris crashed into the ground right where the boy had previously stood. With bulging eyes, Morty stared at the spot, his heart racing inside his chest as he realized how close he had been to being crushed. "Thank you." His voice sounded faint as he and Rick got on their feet again. "The knight always protects his princess." B-64 replied with a grin, though he also looked a little shaken. Normally, Morty would protest back at this remark, but now wasn't really the right time for that. Noticing that his partner was still a little distressed from what had just happened, B-64 grabbed him by the shoulders. "You should head back to the shelter and make sure that everything is okay over there and I'll keep looking for more citizens, okay?" "No, Rick! No solo actions, remember?" "Don't worry. I won't do anything reckless." Rick tried to assure him. As much as Morty hated to part with him, his legs were still trembling and not only from shock but also from exhaustion. They had been fighting for hours. So unable to continue running around and shooting aliens, he was forced to except the offer. "Okay." He nodded. "But please be careful!" "I will." Rick gave him kiss. "Take care!" Morty returned back to the shelter, helping defend it against some still randomly attacking prisoners and assisting the medics in taking care of the wounded people that were brought in while taking a small break between his tasks as a Doctor Rick ordered him to rest for a little while. Occasionally, his partner escorted someone to the shelter and the teen was relieved to see him briefly even if Rick was quickly back out again to continue. However, after the time span of his last visit increased to a worrisome length, Morty decided to check back outside again. It had turned mostly silent now in comparison to the sound of gunfire and screams from hours ago and the air felt thick even though the dust had mostly settled after the destruction of many buildings. The atmosphere was tense and it felt like something could jump out at you at any moment. Even if it was unsettling, the young police officer continued on his way, having regained some of his lost energy again. He really began to worry about his partner. Despite the physical enhancements even Rick must be feeling fatigued at this point and should take a rest. There was nothing wrong with a small break after all the hard work they had done even if Morty himself had had trouble to get himself to relax a little in this situation. The sound of gunshots got the teens attention and with a heavy lump in his gut, he ran in the direction of the noises. He only hoped that Rick was okay. Thankfully, as he rounded the corner of the street, he found out that it was indeed Rick B-64, who had been shooting. However, his situation didn't look too bright at the moment. Somehow, he ended up surrounded by some aliens. Forced to surrender, he dropped his gun to the floor and lifted his arms in the air. Yet, the grins and cackling of the prisoners, who were armed with some street signs, buff muscles or some dangerous-looking alien-appendages, promised that they wouldn't let him off the hook this easily. Before Morty could even start to imagine what they might do to his partner and lover, something like instinct took over and he charged in, weapon drawn. Rick happened to see him and wisely ducked out of the way as the teen opened fire, shooting down one alien after the other with deadly precision. After everything was over, B-64, who still sat on the ground, stared wide-eyed at the corpses before looking up at his partner. "Wow! Morty!" He was honestly impressed. Morty replied cooly, "I told you before, Rick. I'm a very capable police officer and not a damsel in distress." Rick burst out into laughter – more from relieve than the slightly absurd situation. Even the tenseness on Morty's muscles vanished and a smile stole itself on his face. "Holy hell, Morty! I had no idea that you could actually be this badass!" He managed to get out between some almost hysterical guffaws as the other helped him up. "Looks like you actually saved my ass." "I'll always protect my boyfriend when I need to." Maybe Morty sounded a little too cocky when he said that, but Rick honestly didn't care. Instead, he pulled the boy into a hug and kissed him deeply, which the brunet eagerly returned…
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This horribly long day finally came to an end and they were eventually able to return home to their apartment to rest up. Thankfully, their apartment block was still intact and they only had to clean up a relatively small mess and straighten up some of the furniture that had toppled over. However, after they finally showered and sank into their bed exhausted and muscles aching, Morty though about something. They had both come so close to death today and because of that he finally came to a decision. Of course, his lover had already fallen asleep after his head hit the pillow and Morty was also in no condition for it right now, but he was finally sure that he was ready to have sex with Rick now. Logically speaking, they were both working in a dangerous line of work. Being on the police force, meant that they put their life on the line daily. Even if they lived in a place that was solely inhabited by alternate versions of themselves – no, especially since they lived in a place inhabited solely by alternate versions of themselves – there was a high risk that each day could be their last one. However, a mundane everyday life often filled with cases that involved lesser crimes and the only form of resistance being culprits trying to run away from the justice that they represented, often led to childish ignorance. Of course, there were also the occasional shootings, but even those became part of the stupidly boring routine. So, it was only today – after literally staring death in the eye, just being inches away from it – that, Morty realized, how quickly it could be over. For either of them. So what was the point in waiting any longer? Why was he trying to withhold this from both of them? It was just stupid! Rick had been complaining that his Morty tried to push his insecurities on others and wasn't he just doing the same thing with this? Well, he would do it no longer!! Naturally, Morty was giddy the next day, but also not sure, how he should tell Rick the news. After finally settling on a direct approach and just outright saying it, he had trouble finding the right moment to do so. So, it actually had to wait until after work. Ironically, Rick was the one who started the conversation by asking him what had been up with him the entire day since he seemed to have noticed his nervousness. And this eventually led them to where they were right now, sitting on their bed, clad only in boxer shorts. "Morty? Are you really sure about this? Is it really okay that I'm going to be the one who's taking your v-card?" Red bloomed on the boy's cheeks and he pouted cutely. "I've told you before, Rick. You have no idea if I ever had sex or not. So don't say that!" He replied indignantly. "Morty." Rick sounded even more serious than before. "If you don't stop acting like that, I'm really going to treat you as if you aren't a virgin. So just admit it since I already know that this is your first time." The teen felt called out and drew circles on the sheets with his index finger, looking abashedly at his lover. "…I just don't want you to tease me the whole night about it…" He answered in a small voice. Rick's face and tone softened. "I wouldn't do that, Morty." Morty seemed to be okay with that answer as he sat up a little straighter. "Please be gentle?" "Of course, I will. You don't even have to ask me that." Rick replied and leaned forward. As their lips met, Morty moaned softly and wrapped his arms around the other's neck, eagerly reciprocating. He loved kissing Rick. The elder was just such a great kisser. While they made out, gentle fingers glided over the warm skin on his back, stroking over his shoulder blades and trailing along his spine. The touches were so soft that it sent a shudder through his body. Once more Morty moaned in the other's mouth as the hands went over his shoulders and down his arms, the contact soothing and arousing him at the same time. The fingers moved back up again, briefly ghosting over the sensitive skin of his throat before they came to rest at the back of his neck, tickling right below the hairline. Meanwhile, Rick had released his lips and peppered his cheek with kisses and going lower. Morty's fingers found their way in the other's blue locks as Rick began to suck on the spot where neck met shoulder, intent on leaving a mark of his claim there. Feeling self-conscious, he bit his lip, barely stifling a whine that escaped him and he could feel hands running down his sensitive sides, playfully teasing his ribs. The appendages stopped at his hips – brushing down the waistband of his underwear the tiniest bit – then journey upwards again, this time over his front. His stomach quivered from the feather-light touch and his breath hitched when the sensation passed briefly over his nipples, which had already hardened slightly from anticipation and the room temperature. Coming to rest on his shoulders, he obediently followed as Rick gently directed him to lay on his back. Sinking into the mattress, Morty relaxed and watched the other curiously. Rick's lips disconnected from his neck again and he briefly admire the dark reddish-purple mark he left there, then licked briefly over it and kissed his way down the younger's body. Morty gasped and then bit his knuckle as the elder reached one of his nubs, treating it with slow and deliberate licks. A grin stole itself on Rick's face as he heard the small noises and he glanced up into the blushing boy's face. The younger was already panting, his ribcage heaving heavily with each breath. Admiring the sight only briefly, Rick continued his journey. Lips ghosting over ribs and a soft stomach, he halted just underneath Morty's navel, noticing how the sounds became gradually louder and his small lover began to writhe underneath him. That Morty didn't appreciate the pause showed very obviously through a loud whine and his attempt to push down Rick's head so he would continue further. The elder only chuckled at the antics. "Do you want me to suck your dick, Morty?" He asked even though he knew the answer very well. "You know, if you want me so suck it, you gonna have to ask for it nicely first." "Aw geez, Rick. Are you serious?" The younger complained. The grin on Rick's face, as well as the fact that he merely toyed with the waistband of his shorts, was answer enough and he sighed softly as a deeper color clouded his cheeks. Shyly, he begged. "…Please, Rick." "Please what, Morty?" The brunet whined again. He couldn't believe that Rick was really making him do this. That he was really expecting Morty to say it. But considering how much the other loved to tease him, he really shouldn't be surprised. Seeing as this was going nowhere, Morty finally gave in. "P-please suck my dick, Rick." "Good boy." Rick said and the next moment, he pulled down his underwear and swallowed his already erect member in one go. The brunet keened and bucked into the other's hot mouth, but hands on his hips held him down again. Rick's thumbs soothingly stroked over the warm skin while he bobbed his head, slurping sounds accompanying his actions. "Nghn…nhn…Rick…" Morty was having trouble keeping his voice in check. It just felt so good~ Rick's tongue was swirling expertly around his length and his cheeks hollowed with each powerful suck, creating a vacuum on each upward motion. All of this was so distracting that he didn't even notice as one of the hands left his hips. However, he did jump a little in surprise when he felt a curious finger poking against his entrance. "Uh…um…Rick?" "Relax, Morty." Rick lifted his head. "I have to prep you first, you know." The boy looked skeptical, his brows drawn together and probably rethinking this entire thing. Rick sighed, then sat up and reached for the nightstand. "It's really okay, Morty. I-I'll use lots of lube." With those words, he opened the tube that he had fished out of drawer of the bedside table and poured a huge dollop on his fingers. "See?" He held his lube-covered hand up for demonstration. "Just relax. Trust me. You-you're gonna like it." Doubt was still written all over the younger's face, but deciding to trust his lover, he relaxed back into the mattress again. His thighs parted to give the other more room, but it was obvious that he was still a bit reluctant about the whole thing. Rick vowed mentally to rectify that though. So, he went back to taking the boy's cock down his throat while one lubed up finger sought out the pink little pucker again. In slow, circling motions, he massaged the clear gel into the rim, only very slowly adding pressure. A whined gasp escape the boy as his entrance yielded to the pressure and the digit smoothly slid inside him. His fingers fisted tightly into his lover's hair again and his face scrunched up, looking as if he couldn't decide whether he liked the feeling or not. Being as patient as a Tibetan monk, Rick only slightly wriggled his finger against the tensed up walls and after a while, Morty's expression changed and he relaxed again, the foreign feeling slowly starting to become more welcome. Noticing the difference, the elder slowly moved the digit back and forth, gently finger fucking him and trying to widen him by adding a barely noticeable rotating motion. Soft and hardly repressed moans signaling that the brunet really seemed to like it now motivated the more experienced of the two to add another finger. This time the newcomer was more welcomed and Morty only briefly tensed up in surprise before calming quickly down again. "AAH!" With a sudden jolt, Morty bucked into Rick's mouth while pushing the older one's head down into his pubes with both hands. The searching fingers had found his prostrate and brushed over the spot again, causing the teen to jerk and moan loudly once more. Rick didn't care that the other was starting to fuck into his mouth now while holding his head down, only humming around the boy's cock without any complaint or resistance. All the sensations made the young police officer slowly loose his mind and he wasn't even fully aware anymore of what he was doing. His thighs clamped around the other's head as Rick swallowed around him and jabbed into that sweet spot again in a matching rhythm. It didn't take much of that stimulation before Morty's back arched of the bed and he came in his lover's mouth with a weak cry. Dropping back on the mattress, he finally released Rick from his tight hold, who only scissored against the twitching walls a few last time before sliding his fingers back out again. Sitting slightly up again, Rick groaned as he looked at the panting boy's flushed face. He just looked so fucking cute and sexy at the same time. Grabbing the lube again, he slid down his boxer briefs and began to lube up his own erection, which was hard and an angry red already. Honestly, he had no idea where he took all this patience, but it was obvious that it was slowly starting to thin out. As he positioned his member at Morty's entrance, the younger looked back at him with big eyes. He could clearly see fear in those brown orbs, but also so many more emotions. The most obvious one was love. "It's okay." He whispered reassuringly. "I'm not gonna hurt you. Just relax, okay?" "O-okay." The younger whispered back with a slight nod. Rick leaned forward, giving him a gentle peck on the lips. Slowly, the elder pushed forward and Morty whimpered, fingers digging into the pillow. Trying to distract his partner from the discomfort, Rick took the boy's member in his hand and stroked it. It took a while, only miniscule progress, but eventually the elder bottom out, being all the way inside his smaller lover. Although it was almost torture, Rick held still, letting them both adjust to the new sensations while petting the boy. It really wasn't easy for him with that tantalizing heat clenching around him. Morty murmured softly, his hands loosening their grip on the pillowcase and he slightly began to squirm underneath his lover. With a blushing face, he shyly looked up. "Pl-please move…Rick?" He begged. The boy didn't need to ask twice and the elder hoisted his legs up, letting Morty's calves rest on his shoulders. Giving another peck to the soft skin on the brunet's leg, he slowly withdrew before thrusting back in at a slightly quicker pace. Taking the reactive moan as incentive, Rick set a rhythm, steadily pounding into the younger. Fingers were clawing into the bedsheets now and shyly Morty tried to hold back his moans. He failed at one particular hard thrust, turning his head to the side and biting his knuckle. "Goddammit, Morty! You really need to stop being so fucking cute because you're driving me insane like this!" Rick went harder, the sight that the boy made for him, really becoming almost too much for him. A protesting retort laid on his tongue, but Morty just blushed more profusely and called out when the intruding flesh brushed against his prostrate. While this was all good and fine – Rick really didn't want the boy to hold back and hear every little sound he could coax out of him – he was becoming more interested on achieving a slightly different goal. That goal was to figure out what his partner's favorite position is. The response that he got right now was good, but he was convinced that he could get a better one. So, Rick put the teen's legs down again and lifted Morty up and on his lap. Thin arms wrapped around his neck as the boy bounced up and down on his cock. "Ahh…aghn…R-Rick…hah…" 'Hmm…getting warmer.' The elder thought, but still wasn't quite satisfied with the result. He lifted the boy up and off his dick, Morty whining as he slid out of him. Chuckling at the displeased noise, he turned the teen around and made him get on his hands and knees on the bed. Without any commentary, he quickly slid back inside the younger, taking him from behind. The sounds that the smaller police officer emitted where louder than before, having a slightly higher pitch. 'This sounds pretty good…might have found it.' Rick tightly gripped the teen's hips, driving even faster and harder into him and enjoying what he heard. However, he suddenly remembered something and curious as he was, felt the need to try it out. He had been asking Morty at one point about his favorite position, so he maneuvered the boy to lay on his side, smoothly following him until they were spooning. The response was instantaneous and surprising. "RICK!!" Morty tried to grab his back to pull them together even closer even though there was no gap between them. Their legs were entangled and every inch of their skins touched, their bodies wedged tightly together and in constant contact. "Holy crap! I had been right all along? This really is your favorite position, Morty?" Rick was surprised, but also mighty proud that he had figured it out right from the beginning. While it was a more ideal position for cuddling than for fucking, Rick still held tightly onto his lover and thrusted into him, trying to go deep and at a nice pace. Fortunately, it was pretty easy to stimulate Morty's g-spot like this. "Hngh…hnn…R-Rick, Rick!" The teen's voice sounded frantic, his emotions probably overwhelming him right now. Rick was quick to shush him. "Shh, shh. Everything's okay. I'm right here, Morty." Nuzzling into the younger's neck, kissing and sucking on the skin of his shoulder and pulling him closer, both arms wrapped around the small body in a loving embrace while he kept the current gentle pace going, he hoped this would also help the boy to calm down again. One of Morty's hands clung to his arm, the other was running up and down the older one's side, not really sure what to do at the moment. When Rick began to stroke his erection again, timing the rhythm with his thrusts, the brunet couldn't help but fuck into his hand. He also felt how his lover was thrusting into him every time that he moved back on his cock and everything was just so intense. Their bodies were so close, the heat enveloping both of them, sweat trailing along skin and it was like Rick was everywhere – his touch, his scent – and it all threatened to engulf him, losing his sense of self and fusing together with his lover, truly becoming one. The whole experience was just overwhelming. Of course, it didn't take much more of those sensations and the stimulation and Morty came with a pitiful whine, his seed spilling over Rick's hand and the sheets. A few thrusts more into the tunnel that rhythmically massaged his flesh with its spasms and Rick also released inside him with a loud groan. Refusing to let go of his lover, they stayed like this and the scientist-turned-cop gently caressed the exhausted boy's sweaty body and kissed the back of his neck. Entangled like this, they eventually fell asleep, both feeling comforted, warm and loved.
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AN: I'm sorry it's so long, but I hope you liked to see the story from the perspective of these two :)
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Part 5 of Citadel Cops in Love
Part 1 of Citadel Cops in Love: Finding Love on the Citadel
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Part 2 of Citadel Cops in Love: A Morty’s Kinks
oneshot
Part 3 of Citadel Cops in Love: A Rick’s Jealousy and Possessiveness
oneshot
Part 4 of Citadel Cops in Love: Some Things Will Never Change
oeshot
Part 6 of Citadel Cops in Love: One Rick’s Happiness is another Rick’s Sadness
oneshot
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chainrattle · 4 years ago
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... of course, the stowaway finally opens his tiny, bruised mouth after everything has long since settled down. it was in his nature to observe and watch before bothering with words, remaining quiet until it was time ( or because he found it fun ) to speak.
“ you guys are getting called monsters ? and getting upset about it ? ”
the boy in blue presses his hands against his mouth to stiffle a laugh.
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eirianerisdar · 6 years ago
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Hey, I recently discovered your blog and I just wanted to say that love your fanfics! Your writing is beautiful. If you're taking requests, would you mind writing something to show the bond between Anakin and Obi-Wan, you know, the famous Kenobi and Skywalker duo and your take on how the Galaxy viewed them?
Sorry this is so late, anon! This fits into @finish-the-clone-wars’s 25/7 Writing Wednesday prompt let me convince you. I wanted some good third-person perspective so this is a companion fic to A Face in the Crowd.
This fic is also cross-posted to FFN.
For the Brother I Did Not Deserve
Generals.
Jedi.
Heroes.
At the height of the Clone Wars, Skywalkerand Kenobi were household names across the galaxy.
Adults spoke of them in cafés and bars as Generals Skywalker and Kenobi, trackingthe progress of the Open-Circle Fleet across the Outer Rim sieges by war-reelsand holonet news. Senators and aides alike called them Masters, as politicians have called the Jedi for ten thousand yearsand more, since the Jedi Order first swore their service to the Republic.
But the young knew them as heroes. 
Siblings squabbled over which would win ina full-out duel, Obi-Wan’s devastating calm against Anakin’s fiery resolve;friendships were formed and broken over the keenness of Anakin’s sword-hand andthe steadiness of Obi-Wan’s voice. And yet these petty arguments bonded all theyounglings the galaxy over; there was no skirmish, battle, or campaign thatcould not be won if Obi-Wan and Anakin were there. The fact that they were twomen in an army of millions did not matter. As far as any youngling whoseparents supported the Republic was concerned, the war was already good as won.Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker would see to it.
It was in such a spirit that Yorrick gavehis all in a terrific (and oft-repeated) argument with his best friend, Meron.
 “General Skywalker leveled an entirebattalion’s worth of super battle droids last week on Malastare!” Meron yelledas he flailed around Yorrick’s room, nearly knocking over Yorrick’sneatly-stacked collection of Kenobi collectible info-cards as he did so.
“So?” Yorrick interjected from where he satprimly on the edge of his bed, crossing his arms as Meron turned to glare athim. “General Kenobi would have talked his way out of needing to fight them atall. He did as much before.”
“An entire. Battalion,” Meronhalf-shrieked, eyes aglow and looking every inch of his current eight years.
Yorrick rolled his eyes. They might be thesame age, but there were times where Meron’s excitement over GeneralSkywalker’s latest exploits only manifested itself in long, ramblingconversations where Meron’s utter hero-worship surged like the waves ofCoruscant’s Western Sea, beside which Yorrick’s family had a summer home,courtesy of his father’s position in Galactic government.
It wasn’t as though Yorrick didn’t admireGeneral Kenobi as much as his best friend did Skywalker – it was just thatYorrick thought it best to express said admiration in quietly collecting Kenobimemorabilia and keeping up with the holonet news on the Open Circle fleet,instead. He may have sent a fewletters here and there, but he had never received a reply, nor had he expectedone. General Kenobi had a war to fight.
Meron, on the other hand, loved nothingmore than to recount for the billionth time the moment where his heroacknowledged him.
“–I didn’t think he’d actually salute back, you know, since my father and I were so farback from the parade line and there was so much noise going on–”
“I know, Meron,” Yorrick said, a faintsmile curving his lips despite himself as he watched his friend’s face light upat the memory. “He saw you, and he returned your salute. Congratulations. I alsoseem to recall you telling me that you forgot to lower your hand until basicallyall of the 501st had passed by.”
Face flaming red, Meron punched himgood-naturedly on the shoulder. “I’ll convince you Anakin’s better even if it’sthe last thing I do,” he mumbled.
“That’ll take some convincing, “ Yorrickgrinned. “But go on. I dare you.”
“I’m going home in a week. I’ll have youconvinced before then.”
“I’m sure the Alderaani Royal Academy willbe very happy to take you off ourhands,” Yorrick said, dryly.
That earned him another punch.
But Meron’s next words wereuncharacteristically quiet. “My father said you could visit in the winter. Youwill, won’t you?”
A pause.
“That’ll depend on my father,” Yorrick said, earnestly, “but I’ll fight both him and the RCA for it.”
Meron scoffed. “The Republic CoruscantiAcademy’s filled with spoilt brats with their noses in the air.”
“And what does that make us?” Yorrickpointed out. “Alderaani Royal isn’t that much better.”
“Spoilt brats with our noses completelylevel.”
“Oh, shut up,” Yorrick said, smiling.
Meron waved goodbye a week later, nothaving convinced Yorrick in the slightest but glad to call it a ceasefire. “Maythe Force be with you!” they yelled at each other, as was their custom. It madethem sound cool, like the Jedi Generals they loved so much. Meron as Anakin,and Yorrick as Obi-Wan – brothers in all but blood.
The Siege of Coruscant began a monthafterwards.
And another week after that, Yorrick’sworld fell apart with a single announcement from the newly instated Emperor.
Red-eyed and sleep-deprived, Yorrick wentto school two days later to find that it had been renamed the Royal ImperialAcademy overnight, and that there was a new uniform waiting for him, grey andhigh-collared and stamped with the Imperial crest over the left breast,claiming his heart.
He came home in his new uniform, enduredhis parents’ proud fawning over how dashing it made him look, and stood in hisroom alone staring at the Open Circle posters still plastered over the walls,the imitation lightsaber in its brackets reverently hung over his desk, therows of real flimsi books on Jedi and Republic history, and the packet ofStewjon tea he had begged his father to order for him just last month sittingbefore them, still unopened.
He’d been taught how to hold a blaster forthe first time that day; the first lesson in a new mandatory courseacademy-wide.
The Emperor had said General Kenobi was atraitor, as was the rest of the Jedi. An Order now eliminated utterly andcompletely, in a heroic effort by the GAR that once served them.
Obi-Wan Kenobi was dead.
Yorrick crossed to the comm at his desk. Ithad been there, undisturbed, for two days now; the light blinking at its edgeshowed that there was at least one missed message there waiting for hisresponse, but only now did he sit at his desk and flick it open. 
>
Yorrick buried his face in his elbow for amoment, and sighed.
Then he keyed in his friend’s comm code.
The comm channel fizzed to life, andMeron’s voice issued from it, warped with static and yet clear as the day heleft over a month ago. 
“Blastit, Yorrick! It’s been two whole days–”
“I know,” Yorrick said, quietly. “Ijust…haven’t been feeling that good.”
A pause. 
“Iknow,” – and there was a telltale tremor in Meron’svoice not caused by static or interference – “I can’t believe it, either.”
Yorrick’s eyes prickled with tears – thefirst since he heard the news. “How…how could they betray us like this?”
“Right?I don’t know how Chancellor Palpatine could have done this!”
Now that caused Yorrick to sit up, and to stare at the comm in his hand.
“What…what are you talking about?” hewhispered.
“TheChancellor,” Meron said, with a note of confusionin his voice. “You don’t believethat…that drivel he said about the Jedi, do you?”
“Drivel?” Yorrick said, slowly. “That’s nota word you would use. I would, butnot you. Who’s been talking to you?” A feeling was building in his chest. A scream.
“That’snot the point,” Meron retorted, after a tellingpause. “You don’t seriously believe theJedi betrayed the Republic?”
“I…” Yorrick began, and faltered. “I don’tknow what to believe.”
“Yorrick,this is Anakin Skywalker,” – Meron’s voicequavered, and then steadied with determination – “and Obi-Wan Kenobi we’re talking about.”
Hearing the name set something off withinYorrick’s chest. Perhaps it had been there since two days ago, or longer, but he had read about the five stages of grief before, but for the moment, he waswell past denial and fully into anger.
“I know!” he yelled, and cared not that hisvoice cracked dangerously on the word. “What do you think I’ve been doing these two days? I’ve been thinking. That’sall I’ve been doing. I haven’t slept. I haven’t eaten. I went to school todayand everything’s the same but also different and we’re not allowed to talkabout the Jedi any more, and the teacher played this audio recording from theEmperor’s office that showed the Jedi trying to assassinate him,” – Meronyelped at this but Yorrick plowed on, relentless – “and then,” he shouted, asthe tears spilled over his cheeks and scalded invisible scars down to his chin,“I come back home, and I look at my walls, and I realise that I’ve got enoughillegal posters and things here to warrant my arrest. Do you understand me, Meron?!”
A long, long silence.
“I do,” Meron said, quietly. “But audiofiles can be edited, you know that. And you knew Obi-Wan Kenobi as well as Iknew Anakin Skywalker.”
Yorrick barked a bitter laugh through histears.
“Did I, really?” he murmured. “And didyou?”
“Yorrick–”
“The Chancellor was crying for help,”Yorrick was sobbing, now. “And General Windu just told him not to resist hisown murder. Treason. What am Isupposed to say to that?”
“TheJedi didn’t do this,” Meron said, helplessly. “I can’t tell you how I know. But I do.”
That did it. “You don’t know that because you’re not a blasted Jedi, Meron!”Yorrick shouted. “And neither am I! We never were, Meron, and be glad weweren’t, or we’d have betrayed the Republic and been executed like all thosetraitors deserved.”
Meron was silent for a long, ugly moment.
And then: “You don’t mean that.”
“I do,” Yorrick said, wiping his nose onthe pristine sleeve of his new uniform.
“Yorrick,I don’t want this.” Meron sounded far, far olderthan his years. “But I see I can’t convince you.”
“I don’t, either,” Yorrick said,straightening although he knew the other boy could not see it – reaching forhis uniform cap as though it would lend him strength. He placed it on his head,and felt steadier than he did a moment before. “But this is how it is.”
Meron’s breath was loud through the channelstatic. “Fine,” he said, and therewas such a wealth of control in that word that Yorrick felt for a moment ashamed.“We’ll talk later. May the F–”
Meron cut himself off with a sharp inhale.
Yorrick stared at the comm. The words oftheir familiar greeting and farewell echoed through him. He let them go.
“Goodbye, Meron,” he said instead.
“Goodbye,” Meron said, and as the comm channel collapsed, it caught thebeginnings of a sob.
Yorrick stood, and placed the comm back onhis desk.
And then he crossed to the nearest posteron the wall, grasped its edge with the sleek leather of his new uniform gloves,and tore it down, uncaring of how it split neatly in the middle, dividing theopen circle insignia upon it exactly in two – a rending that left a chasmbetween them.
Yorrick repeated the motion again andagain, broke the lightsaber on the wall over his knee, hurled the bag of teainto the growing pile of discarded objects and stared, narrow-eyed when itsplit open on the broken wing of a shattered Jedi Starbird.
His father, when he found out, praised himfor his initiative and helped him carry it all out to the trash compactor, asteady hand on his shoulder as they watched each box go in.
Time passed.
Meron’s comm number faded in his memories.
Yorrick redecorated his room in pale greyand black, opting for the bare minimum of decoration except the six-spoked-wheelof the Imperial Crest painted on one wall.
And then he focused on his studies to theexclusion of all else.
Utter conviction.
At fifteen, he was an Imperial Cadet. 
At eighteen, he accepted a commission fromthe Imperial Navy as an Ensign.
And at twenty-eight, he was a Commander. Ayoung one, at that, and his meteoric rise to that rank did not go unnoticed.
Being on the same ship as Darth Vader wasas terrifying as scuttlebutt told, but Yorrick employed good sense and stayedsilent unless he was called upon, whereupon he did every task assigned to himin as quiet and efficient a manner as possible.
He got quite good at ignoring the twist ofguilt in his gut.
And then, of course, came the Death Star.
Something stirred in the depths ofYorrick’s memory when he heard of the superweapon, of course. Somethingconnected to the mind of an eight-year-old child, who loved a hero for hisability to talk his way out of a conflict without a single drop of blood spilt;but by that point in time he had learnt to treat his Orders as though he were adroid and nothing else. It protected his neck, and by extension, his parents.
And so Yorrick was on the Death Star whenthe Princess Leia was brought in, and he was a shadow at the rear of the bridgewhen Tarkin gave the order to fire on Alderaan. 
Millions of voices, silenced in a matter ofmoments.
Meron’s family home, where he and Yorrickused to play hide-and-seek amongst the gardens.
Meron. 
The name chipped at the walls around hisheart, and threatened to unbalance him. 
Yorrick returned to his cabin and threw up.
And then he stood up, and carried on.
And then the call came in that there wereintruders on the station, and he ran to his post, well-heeled Imperial Navyboots clacking on the durasteel floors, and as he ran, a sound drifted towardshim; a familiar noise of plasma meeting plasma, the scream of kyber crystalsand Force-borne blades.
That sound used to signify hope – hope thatObi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker had won yet another campaign, the sound oftheir lightsabers a victory cry in war reel after war reel.
Yorrick rounded the corner to the hangar,and gaped as Vader’s lightsaber locked with that of the old man in anunmistakably Jedi cloak. 
“Kenobi!” Vader roared.
And with that single word, Yorrick’s world collapsedagain.
This Obi-Wan Kenobi was not theblade-dancing hero of his childhood memories; this man’s arms shook with theeffort of deflecting Vader’s powerful strikes, and his beard and hair werewhite where they once had been russet.
And yet- 
He was still every inch the Master;commander of a situation where there should have been no hope. Not for him.
A young, golden-haired boy darted into thehangar, closely followed by the princess, a man who had the look of ascoundrel, and a Wookiee.
Obi-Wan glanced at them, then back atVader, and his lips curved in the sly smile Yorrick remembered so well – thesmile that said you’re beaten, evenif nothing seemed to be working in his favour.
The smile of calm in the face of whatshould be an inescapable storm.
Yorrick had always understood it. Now itfelt utterly wrong that he should be on the other side of it; part of thatstorm, about to be destroyed by something he did not understand.
It felt horribly like guilt, and the denialof a truth that he had suppressed for too long.
Obi-Wan withdrew his lightsaber and raisedit in a salute, still smiling–
–Yorrick threw out a hand before he knew whathe was doing, mouth open in denial–
–andVader cut down Obi-Wan Kenobi.
But in the ringing emptiness of the momentsafter it happened, Yorrick’s shout lodged in his throat as he realised thatthere was no body.
Only a cloak. 
“No!” The boy with the golden hairscreamed. He drew his blaster and fired uselessly at Vader, even as hiscompanions yelled at him to join them on the ramp of battered transport.
They were only metres away.
Yorrick should probably have drawn hisweapon to stop them. He didn’t.
He turned, instead, as what seemed to be anentire battalion of stormtroopers raced past him; as he heard the firing of thetransport’s repulsors, over the lash of blaster-fire.
Yorrick found his way to the nearestseparate hangar, climbed into a shuttle with nothing on his person but hisuniform and his regulation blaster, and set off. It helped that in the chaos,he managed to get to hyperspace with only a few scanting brushes with the DeathStar’s turbolasers.
And then – when the star-studded expanse ofspace beyond the viewport morphed into the blue-white streaks of hyperspace –only then, did Yorrick allow himself to weep.
Months later – after a long circle of theOuter Rim and a delicate situation involving many repeated yellings of “Don’t shoot! I’m a defector! A defector!”Yorrick found himself, at last, on a Rebel base, having gone through a verygrueling interrogation courtesy of Crix Madine.
At least he’d proven his loyalty wasgenuine.
He asked around if anyone had heard of aMeron Junshi. It was the barest sliver of hope, but the last time they spokewhen they were both children Meron had seemed on a one-track road to theRebellion even if Yorrick had not known enough to suspect then.
“Junshi? That’s an Alderaani name,” onepilot said. “I think you’d be better off finding–”
“Junshi. Meron Junshi,” a clear, soft voicesaid behind him.
Yorrick turned, and his eyes widened.
Princess Leia smiled at him. “And as I keeptelling every new recruit, I don’t bite.” She led him to a quieter corner, andher face grew gently serious. “How did you know Meron?”
Did.
Past tense. 
He watched her watch him take the news. 
“He was by best friend,” he eventuallysaid, although it felt like a lie, now, after twenty years of silence. “He was a brother to me, and I–”
Her brown eyes softened further. “You’reYorrick. He spoke of you often.”
All the breath left Yorrick at once. Tearsstarted at the corners of his eyes. “I owed him an apology. Now I won’t have achance to say it.”
“I’m sorry,” Leia murmured. “He died on theTantive IV – my ship. He died protecting me and the plans I held for the DeathStar.”
In a way it made sense. Meron had spent somuch of his childhood in hero-worship of Anakin Skywalker that it was fittingthat he should die as a hero. Yorrick had loved him so much as a brother, likeObi-Wan did Anakin – but Obi-Wan had never spoken it out loud, either. Yorrickknew it with utter certainty.
How deluded Yorrick had been, to throw itall away on a lie.
Yorrick dashed away the tears. “We wereclosest during the Clone Wars. His role model was Anakin Skywalker. Mine wasObi-Wan Kenobi.”
Leia smiled at that. “As half theyounglings in the galaxy did, it would seem.”
Yorrick laughed. It was a weak, feeblething from too many years of disuse, but it would do.
Leia took his elbow in a soft grasp. “Ithink you should meet someone.”
Yorrick allowed her to lead him intoanother room, where the blond-haired young man whom Yorrick had also seen onthe Death Star was sat, tinkering with a pile of mechanical scraps.
“Yorrick Calder,” Leia said, “allow me tointroduce Luke Skywalker.”
Skywalker.
Luke extended a hand with a blinding smile– the same smile Yorrick recalled from the war-reels, two decades before. 
Yorrick shook Luke Skywalker’s hand, andfelt a weight lift off his chest as he did so.
And for the first time in twenty years, he was convinced that there was something to hope for.
END
This is a companion fic to A Face in the Crowd; read that if you want to hear Meron’s perspective.
This is also cross-posted to FFN.
My fanfic masterlist
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belovedblossoms-m · 2 years ago
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( MEMES. )┊your journey begins here. ( WISHLIST. )┊plans to make them come true. ( IC. )┊communication is the key to success. ( DASH COMM. )┊time to put these two cents in. ( OOC. )┊pursuing my true self.  ( SAVED. )┊memories to reserve. ( STARTER CALL. ) ┊ to form new bonds. ( OPEN STARTERS. )┊newfound connections.  ( HC. )┊secured & crafted by the heart. ( VISAGE. )┊reflections of destinies and self worth. ( MUSINGS. )┊reach into the mind of the beholder. ( WARDROBE. )┊style with a touch of character. ( AESTHETICS. )┊shaping beauty how it meets the eye. ( ANSWERED. )┊heed the call to new beginnings. ( ASKS. )┊inquisitive requests. ( CRACK. )┊silly fun can turn into vulnerable chaos. ( DASH GAMES. )┊something to pass the time with. ( MUSIC. ) ┊melodies that flow to the heart.
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medicatemedrmccoy · 7 years ago
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Mistakes
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Everyone makes mistakes, no one is perfect, not even our very own sensible doctor. The key is communication, a lesson Leonard learns the hard way.
Leonard x Jim
3,273 word(s) of some angst and fluff
Warnings: drinking and driving
Wrap me in a bolt of lightning, send me on my way still smiling
Leonard sat in a dark, dingy bar, a few miles from campus, slowly nursing his fourth straight bourbon. Sitting on a bar stool, at the darkest end of the bar, Leonard swirled his bourbon slowly, watching the liquid spin in the glass. One secret, one lapse of judgement was all it took for him to screw up the best thing that had happened to him in years.
Leonard had decided to keep the fact that he had a daughter a secret from Jim, at least till the time was right, he just wasn’t sure how to bring it up. Looking back he was kicking himself, he should have said something. If Jim could sit there and trust him with the horrors of Tarsus, then surely Leonard could have at the very least told him he had a daughter.
Maybe that's the way I should go, straight into the mouth of the unknown
He thought it would have been too much too soon to say, but he had planned on telling him. That is until Jim came into his quarters to wait on him and found his letter he started to Jo. Saying how much he missed her and that he loved her very much and couldn’t wait to see her and spend time with her.
Leonard didn’t even get the chance to explain to Jim what it was all about. Leonard had come home, exhausted from classes and clinic to see the note pinned on the fridge and a “I thought I was good enough?” note taped to it. Leonard’s heart sank, he’d know that messy scrawl anywhere.
Jim must have assumed he was cheating on him and the thought absolutely devastated him considering that’s what ruined his own marriage. Leonard would never dream of cheating on Jim, the kid was the best thing in his life.
I left the spare key on the table, never really thought I'd be able to say
Leonard had tried to comm Jim several times that night, leaving message after message for him to please call him back and let him explain. Jim never returned those phone calls, much to Leonard’s frustration and disappointment. He hated the thought of Jim thinking that he would do something like that. Leonard called it a night, hoping to see Jim tomorrow, but he never saw him in the classes they shared. For the next five days, Leonard wouldn’t hear or see any of Jim, and it worried him.
Leonard had those five long days and even longer nights to think about how terrible of a decision he had made, and his heart hung heavily in his chest as he took a long pull from his glass before ordering another. He missed Jim, without him around there was a void that nothing else could fill, but it didn’t stop him from trying to fill it with booze.
The bartender slid Leonard another drink with a sad smile, but Leonard didn’t even bother looking at the man’s face as he raised the glass toward the bartender half heartedly. He didn’t feel like being social, the stress and worry had exhausted him and he just wanted to sit alone with only his thoughts and regrets to keep him company.
Leonard was about to take the first sip when a cold breeze blew past him from the door. He cut his eyes over slightly to see who had walked in. Leonard’s breath caught in his throat, he’d recognize that head of sandy blonde hair anywhere.
I merely visit on the weekends, I lost my whole life and a dear friend
Jim had walked through the door, trying to shake the cold off of him while holding the door open for the person behind him, a woman. Leonard watched them closely as they both went to the same table and sat down across from each other.
Well now it made sense to Leonard now why Jim hadn’t called him back, he had already moved on and he didn’t blame him one bit. Jim deserved someone who had the guts to tell him the truth and be honest with him.
Leonard continued to sit there, glass untouched as he continued to watch Jim and the woman. Leonard was glad that Jim hadn’t noticed him sitting in the corner, his attention was on the woman in front of him. Leonard continued to watch as Jim and the woman talked and laughed. His heart continued to twist in his chest, and the liquor suddenly wasn’t sitting well on his stomach.
I've said it so many times, I would change my ways, no, nevermind, god knows I've tried
When the woman placed her hand on Jim’s arm and gave him a smile and a laugh, Leonard had enough. That had used to be them and he couldn’t sit here for a minute longer. He swallowed his drink in one long swallow before he took out his wallet and paid the bartender, telling him to keep the change while grabbing his coat and making a hasty retreat out into the winter night.
Leonard pulled his coat around him tight as the nip of the night air suddenly swirled around him as he left the nice warm bar, he missed the warmth of Jim snuggled up to him to keep them both warm. Leonard walked on wobbly legs to his truck quickly and got inside, and against his better judgement, turned the key and let the truck hum to life.
Leonard gripped the steering wheel tight, wrenching it in his hands, as he took one last glance in the window, catching Jim and the woman in another mutual laugh. Leonard then punched the top of the steering wheel before putting the truck in gear and heading down the quiet and deserted road.
Call me a sinner, call me a saint, tell me it's over I'll still love you the same
Leonard almost immediately regretted his decision to drive as he got a mile or two out from the bar. He didn’t remember the roads being this bad when he drove to the bar in the daylight. Leonard stuck to the middle of the road as much as he could tell as he drove, the only light was coming from his headlights.
Leonard didn’t realize he had zoned out, thinking about everything, until he had heard the honking of the car coming from around the corner. Leonard snapped to attention, briefly forgetting the snow and tried to jerk himself back into his lane, but he over compensated and sent his truck skidding off the road. Leonard tried to correct himself but it was no use, as he finally came to a stop in the ditch.
Call me your favorite, call me the worst, tell me it's over I don't want you to hurt, It's all that I can say. So, I'll be on my way
Leonard put his truck in reverse to try and get out of the ditch, but he was stuck. The truck had high centered on a snow drift and he couldn’t get traction. Leonard cursed loudly and rested his head on the steering wheel, wondering how in the hell he could have the worst luck out of anyone he knew. His only time being lucky was finding Jim and now he even managed to screw that up.
“God dammit!” Leonard yelled, letting out some of his frustration as he punched the dash. Leonard choked back a small, exhausted sob as he buried his face in his hands and rubbed his face and ran his fingers through his messy hair.
Resigning to his fate for the night, Leonard sighed and turned off the truck and grabbed a couple blankets from behind the seat and wrapped himself up the best he could, preparing himself for the long, cold night.
Leonard told himself he would call a tow truck in the morning, he thought better of it for the night. He didn’t want the tow truck driver to catch a whiff and call the police. As far as punishments for drinking and driving, this was a punishment that Leonard accepted, no matter how uncomfortable or cold he was, served him right for being an idiot.
Leonard laid down and allowed himself a deep shaky breath, trying to push out the images of Jim and the woman out of his head before he allowed himself to pass out into blissful unconsciousness.
I finally put it all together, but nothing really lasts forever, I had to make a choice that was not mine
Leonard groaned inwardly as he slowly came back to consciousness, his head was pounding and his mouth was dry. Leonard took a deep breath and was hit with a familiar scent, Jim. Leonard scrunched his nose in confusion, wondering why his truck smelled like Jim, just what he needed, another reminder. As the fog lifted further from his head he suddenly began to realize that he was in a bed.
He patted around him, coming in contact with a mattress and blankets. Leonard slowly opened his eyes, allowing himself to adjust before gazing around the room. Leonard’s breath caught in his throat, he recognized this room. Sure enough, as Leonard’s eyes landed in the corner of the room sat Jim. How the hell had Jim gotten him all the way to his room without waking him up? He must have had more than he thought, and the guilt of driving hit him hard.
I had to say goodbye for the last time, I kept my whole life in a suitcase, never really stayed in one place
Leonard swallowed his guilt and stared over at the chair in which Jim sat. Jim was sitting, curled up in the chair with a blanket wrapped around him, with his head resting on his hand. He looked uncomfortable in the small space and Leonard felt even worse that Jim had given him the bed. Jim should have just left him in the cold, it was the most he deserved.
“Jim?” Leonard called out hoarsely, watching Jim to see if he was awake. The kid had always been a light sleeper and gave a quiet mumble as he woke up, almost forgetting where he was, until his eyes landed on Leonard. Jim sat up slowly in the chair, rubbing his face and hair slowly, trying to wake up.
Maybe that's the way it should be, you know I live my life like a gypsy
“Are you okay?” Jim asked tiredly, and flatly as he stared at Leonard with sleepy eyes, hair stuck up all over the place, his face impossible for Leonard to read in the low light.
“I uh, I think so?” Leonard replied slowly, looking down at himself, he wasn’t entirely sure but nothing felt amiss besides his raging hangover.
“Good. Then do you mind telling me what the hell you were thinking driving home half drunk? Do you realize you’d be up shit creek if you got into an accident or worse if I didn’t happen to be driving by? It’s freezing outside!” Jim said, raising his voice as he continued to yell, sitting up straighter in his chair, his blue eyes blazing and boring into Leonard.
I've said it so many times, I would change my ways, no, nevermind, god knows I've tried
“I… I know it was a bad decision and I regret it. I’m sorry Jim, I’m sorry for everything. Just let me explain, please.” Leonard said softly as he shrunk back slightly from Jim’s anger, his voice pleading. When Jim didn’t say anything or move, Leonard took that as a sign to continue.
“Jim, that letter. That letter was to my daughter, Joanna. She’s 6 this year and it’ll be the first time that I’ll miss her birthday and I wanted to write her a handwritten note. There was no one else but you Jim, I swear. I know I should have told you, after everything. I’m so sorry, I just didn’t know how, I wanted to, believe me. I thought it would be too much for you.” Leonard said, picking at the sheets as he rambled, his words clumsily falling out as he tried to get everything out quickly that he had been thinking about these past few days.
Call me a sinner, call me a saint, tell me it's over I'll still love you the same
“Oh. You have a daughter?” Jim replied quietly, barely a whisper as his eyes softened ever so slightly, face alighting with realization as he tilted his head, gazing at Leonard.
“Yeah, I do. I understand if you don’t want to have anything to do with me. I know its a lot of baggage and I didn’t even have the guts to tell you about something so important. Even after you told me the things you did. I’m so fucking sorry, Jim. I understand you choosing someone else over me. I would too.” Leonard continued to ramble, he didn’t know what to say so he said everything. He wanted so badly to fix this, he just wasn’t sure it was possible. His mind told him to give it up and just let it go, but his heart wouldn’t let Jim go without at least putting up a fight.
Call me your favorite, call me the worst, tell me it's over I don't want you to hurt, It's all that I can say. So, I'll be on my way
At those words, Jim lifted himself from the chair and slowly made his way to the bed, sitting on the end, one leg crossed in front of him and the other dangling off the side. He was sitting closer to Leonard but far enough out of physical contact range.
“Why didn’t you tell me? Don’t you trust me? And who am I choosing over you?” Jim asked, still quiet, but Leonard didn’t miss the hurt in Jim’s voice or the sadness in his eyes as he stole a glance. Leonard swallowed thickly, feeling the guilt weigh on him heavily as his heart broke. How could he do this to someone he loved and cared for?
“Of course I trust you Jim, you know I do, more than anyone. I didn’t think it was something to dump into your lap immediately, a kid is a lot to take in with a relationship and I wanted go break it to you in the best way, I just didn’t know how, I’m sorry, please forgive me, Jim. And I saw you, at the bar, with that girl. I don’t blame you.” Leonard replied to Jim sadly, voice cracking, regret dripping off his words. He hoped Jim could hear the utter sincerity in his voice.
I'll always keep you inside, you healed my heart and my life, and you know I've tried
“Regardless of whether or not I’d be able to handle it, you should have told me. You know I love and care about you, Bones. Which is why your dumb ass is in my bed and not still on the side of road. Do you have any idea how absolutely devastated I would be if anything ever happened to you? As for the woman I was with, she was an old friend from Iowa and you should be glad she was there. She helped me load your drunk ass in my car. You’re really heavy by the way.” Jim scolded as he narrowed his eyes, before softening as he continued. “As far as your daughter goes, I’d love to meet her someday.” Leonard’s face was skewed in a grimace as he took Jim’s scolding without complaint or interrupting, until Jim’s last words took him by surprise.
“You… you would?” Leonard answered slowly, opening an eye slightly to glance at Jim, wondering if he was actually serious. Jim’s tiny smile he was wearing gave him hope.
“Yeah, I would. Why wouldn’t I? If she’s anything like her old man, I’m sure she’s awesome.” Jim replied with the first hint of warmness in his voice. Leonard gave a quiet snort in reply, his heart lifting slightly at Jim’s reply.
Call me a sinner, call me a saint, tell me it's over I'll still love you the same
“She’s better than her old man, trust me.” Leonard replied, bringing his head up to once again stare into Jim’s eyes, the question written all over his face. “So does that mean?...”
“It means that I’m willing to give you a second chance, Bones. Everyone fucks up and I understand that, but it doesn’t mean that I can just easily forgive you and sweep this under the rug. You betrayed my trust, something you know I don’t just hand out.” Jim said with a heavy sigh, as much as he wanted to just forgive Leonard, he couldn’t but he was willing to work through it.
“I understand Jim, I do and I don’t expect anything less. I fucked up, I know I did. Lord knows I’m not perfect, but I promise to do better and I promise, no more secrets. I just want to fix this Jim, please, I miss you.” Leonard admitted quietly, voice almost failing him at the end.
“As long as you understand…” Jim trailed off, not needing to finish his sentence for Leonard to understand what he was implying.
Call me your favorite, call me the worst, tell me it's over I don't want you to hurt
“It won’t happen again Jim, I promise.” Leonard promised firmly. “So where do we start?” He added in quietly, still picking at the blanket absentmindedly.
“We still have a lot to talk about, but I think it’s enough for one day, don’t you?” Jim asked quietly as he looked into Leonard’s tired and red rimmed eyes as he nodded slightly in agreement. Jim pulled himself up on the bed slowly before crawling up to where Leonard lay, plopping himself heavily on the mattress.
“I missed you too Bones, more than you know...” Jim said softly as he lifted his head to give Leonard a soft kiss on the forehead. Leonard could feel his stress melt away from him as Jim’s lips rested on his forehead for a few seconds. Suddenly Leonard was completely exhausted as he burrowed his head in Jim’s chest.
It's all that I can say. So, I'll be on my way
“Thank you, Jim. I love you.” Leonard said as he took in a deep breath, wrapping his arms around Jim tight, breathing in the scent that was all Jim as he relaxed completely for the first time in almost a week.
“I love you too, Bones.” Jim replied as he wrapped his own arms around Leonard, pulling him in close, resting his cheek on the top of Leonard’s head. Regardless of the work they would have to do and the talks they would have to have, holding Leonard felt right, Jim knew he’d made the right decision.
The two of them lay there in silence, both happy to be back together, listening to each other breathe. They knew they had a long way to go in repairing their relationship but they would both fight until the end for each other.
Jim gave Leonard a final kiss to the top of his head before snuggling into Leonard and letting the others warmth lull him into a peaceful sleep. Leonard grinned at the sight and couldn’t be happier that Jim was giving him another chance. He wouldn’t mess up again he swore to himself as he too fell asleep to Jim’s peaceful breathing.
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youre-on-a-starship · 7 years ago
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Part 2
Summary:  Yorktown attacked. Enterprise Destroyed. Estimated 1000 Dead. The headlines roll in as JAG requests your aid in the wake of Krall’s attack on Yorktown. You know that Pavel Chekov was on the destroyed ship, but you’re not sure what you’re more afraid of: his potential death or having to see him again after all this time.
Word Count:  1,091
Author’s Note:  For context, the italicized text is meant to be Russian and our main character speaks Russian.  It’s been an age since I’ve posted for this story, please forgive me! I hope you like this installment. Feedback is welcome. If you would like to be added to the tag list for this story only, please let me know.
Table of Contents
“Y/N?”
You looked up as the door slid open to reveal Amy's face. You paused the message you were listening to and stood.
“Did you find anything?”
“No,” Amy shook her head. “I tried, but Starfleet really does have everything that reaches past New Vulcan locked down.”
“Shit,” you reached up and scratched at your forehead.
“But, I’m hearing rumours that they’re collecting people right now to take out there.”
You crossed your arms over your chest and sat back down.
“They’re taking people to Yorktown?”
“Yeah. Professionals, mostly engineers and doctors.”
An urgent message appeared on your computer screen from a restricted caller.
“I’ll ping you when this is done,” you waved Amy out and hit “answer” as soon as the door slid shut.
“Ms. Y/N Y/L/N, correct?” came the curt voice of the woman on the screen. She was in her sixties with dark black hair pulled up in a voluminous bun.
“That’s correct, Admiral, what can I do for you?” You straightened your posture and watched the woman on your screen.
Her voice was heavy and she looked like she hadn’t slept all night.
“I am Admiral Paris, stationed on Yorktown base.”
Your heart sank.
“You were recommended to me by Aaliyah Malik from JAG.”
“I’m honoured that she thought of me,” you answered.
“I assume that you have heard the news?”
“I have, ma’am.”
“Good. We are in desperate need of professionals from all fields at this time. There are a great number of Starfleet personnel dead, and as such…” the Admiral took a deep breath.
“Ma’am, if I understand what you’re asking -”
“How quickly can you be in San Francisco?”
You looked at the clock. “I can be there by noon, ma’am.”
“Please see to it that you are. I am patching through the coordinates for the shipyard, there is transporter access for which I will give you a code. The USS Braeburn will shuttle you here, along with a number of other volunteers. Assuming you would be so kind as to accept our request? You will, of course, be compensated for your time.”
“I would be honoured, ma’am. I’ll be at the shipyard by noon.”
“Thank you.”
The Admiral ended the call and you jumped from your seat, laying your hand on the table to power off your display. Grabbing your coat and scarf from the door, you hit the panel with your elbow and strode into the bullpen as you swung your coat over your shoulders.
“Y/N?” Amy asked, standing and following you in the direction of the turbolift.
“That was Admiral Paris at Yorktown, they need me.”
“Are you serious?”
“You know me, always the joker,” you mumbled buttoning your coat and wrapping your scarf haphazardly around your neck. “I need you to write up a contract, usual format, send it to JAG.”
“How long will you be gone?” Amy asked.
“Until further notice. I’m going to San Francisco today and getting shuttled out. I think it’s a three week trip at warp 8? Anyway, it’ll be a while. Keep on the long-distance comms, get in contact with me when you can.”
“What about your files?”
“Get Laura and Michelle to handle the imminent ones; put off what you can.”
“Associates?”
“I trust those two,” you reiterated as the turbolift arrived, the door swishing open. “Help out wherever you need to to keep busy. I’ll call if I’m able, alright?”
“Okay. Please be careful.”
“I will be. You, too.”
As you stepped into the turbolift, you looked down at the PADD in your hands. Running your tongue over your teeth, you keyed in a name.
All her contact information came right to your fingertips. You'd call when you got home. It would be a bad choice to call her in such a public place.
The lift deposited you in the lobby and you made straight for the transporter terminal, keying in the coordinates for your street.
When you reappeared on the street, you hurried for your building, the entrance always seeming too far away.
Your mind raced with the scope of what you were about to undertake. Death is a hefty business of the best of days, but handling 1000 dead people and their estates and their families… You hoped that you'd have enough lawyers with you make it less daunting. If JAG was already looking for outside assistance, the state must be incredibly poor.
You tapped the panel to get into your room. The door swished open and you dashed through, tossing your things on the couch.
The comms panel by the fridge sat dormant until you tapped the screen and keyed in the name once again, selecting the option to call.
“Hello?” said the short blonde woman on the other side.
“Anna, where's Andrei? Is he there, too?”
“Y/N? Oh my God- Andrei!”
There were muffled footsteps and a balding man with a large, purple nose joined Anna onscreen.
“My God, Y/N, have you heard?” he cried.
“Yeah, this morning,” you ran your hands through your hair, pulling the errant strands out of your face. “You haven’t heard anything about him yet, have you?”
“Not a word,” Anna said, exchanging a look with her husband. Andrei’s cheeks were turning red.
“Alright. Listen, I’ve been called out to help.”
“You? Why?” Anna asked.
“They need everyone they can get right now. Anyway, listen. There are no long-distance communications channels open to the public right now, Starfleet’s commandeered all of them. I won’t be able to contact you for a while, but I’m going to find him.”
“What if…” Anna didn’t finish her sentence. Andrei closed his eyes tightly and his whole face flushed dark red.
“As soon as I can get a message back here, I will, either way,” you promised. “I just wanted you to know that I’m going and that I’ll be looking for him.”
“God, he better be alive,” Anna muttered. “Be careful. Please bring him home.”
“I’m going to do everything I can, I promise,” you lifted your hand to the screen. “I’m leaving in a few hours. I’ll get to Yorktown in about three weeks’ time. The channels might very well be open by then. You might even hear from him before me.”
“I hope so,” Anna said, laying a hand on her husband’s shuddering shoulder.
“Just hold out hope, alright? He’s a tough kid,” you said.
Anna just nodded and you tapped the screen ending the call.
You straightened up and smoothed your trousers. Packing. You needed to pack.
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