#-and cares about kevin and went through so much trauma alongside him and is the wielder of the omnitrix in at least one parallel universe'

[kariachi]

Sorry-not-sorry I'm back on my normal 'Kevin and Argit were so small' bullshittery.

Because they fucking were. Kevin was twelve when Servantis tossed everybody, and Argit couldn't have been far off. They were middle school aged. 'Puberty would be starting about now if we weren't wandering the Null Void and therefor likely not eating near enough' aged.

A pair of children, with minimal education, no paperwork, no homes, no guardians. Wandering the Null Void and then the Milky Way, on their own. One a prime target for the slave trade, both prime targets for adults looking to take advantage of them (*coughcoughOttocoughcough*). With only as much security as they could provide themselves and each other. Only able to rely on themselves for the basic necessities of life.

And then this show has the audacity to try to tell me that they turned to crime due to poor morality. That they're money focused because they're just naturally greedy. That they don't trust people and look out for themselves because they're bad people that either will always be bad people or will only improve because of the power of Tennysons.

What options were there for them? What jobs are there in the Null Void? What jobs are there in the galaxy that'll hire barely-teens, if even that, with no paperwork or educations, that wouldn't ruin them as badly and pay worse than the crime they already had experience with? Will keep them fed and clothed and sheltered? When one of them already has a criminal record, for violent crimes at that? When there's nobody there to stop even the 'good' adults from taking advantage of them?

The show will sit there and tell you that Kevin's violent crimes were the result of a rough childhood, but he and Argit's non-violent ones? Totally on them, no excuse, wholly a matter of greed and not giving a shit about other people. Fucking bullshit. This is a pair of kids who had to grow up way too fast, up against an existence that saw at least one of them as easy profit, with nothing but themselves and each other, and no opportunities. They're a pair of traumatized kids who grabbed the opportunities available to them with both hands and were molded by the problems they faced.

Of course they're money-focused, unlike the Tennysons they don't and haven't had anybody making sure they had enough to get by. They've had to support themselves and live with the constant worry that something is going to go pear-shaped and they'll have nothing.

They spent years with anybody and everybody being a potential threat (even between the two of them, Argit's noting that Kevin's snapping while he worked for the Rooters was the worst he'd seen 'before or since' makes it quite clear he's seen him on and passed the edge at least as much if not more than we have), of course they're going to be slow to trust, quick to toss people aside, and unwilling to help their enemies without some sort of payout, they've been burned before.

Just- Damnit these two come from some shitty fucking situations, the effects they had on them are obvious if you bother to fucking look, and they both deserved better than the series just going "oh yeah they're assholes what do you expect they're criminals" and moving the fuck on. Like, for fuck's sake at least acknowledge that they're like this because life was a fucking lead pipe to the teeth to them! We know Kevin's situation was shit even before they met, we got to see it, but even if Argit had a perfectly good life beforehand (unlikely) the earliest we see him is being held captive for illegal experimentation purposes by law enforcement! These two have been through shit! At least acknowledge it!

Fuck, they could've replaced Color of Monkey with that, hitting on the differences between how Kevin and Argit adapted to their circumstances, give us upfront the Tennysons being a safety net that let Kevin heal (rather than just 'oh the Tennysons taught him morals because they're the Good People') while Argit's issues and lack of security kept him stagnant. It would go better with what we see of him over the course of OV leading up to the Rooters arc, and what we're shown in the Rooters arc. Give us him still being far from great or on the up-and-up but improving with the stability that comes with his 'hero' status, a repairing relationship with Kevin after that arc, and a flourishing, above-board business. Rather than backpedaling on any good the writers had thrown at him like they'd realized they were coming up against a cliff.

Shit that makes you want to get the writers by the shoulders and shake them mercilessly.

[talatomaz]

chased away by shadows | hailey upton x fem!reader

a/n: i didn’t include a love confession but i did reference it. after 8x11, we saw how hailey reacts to those words and honestly, i get it bc i’m kinda the same so i just changed it up a bit.

not a huge fan of this and there’s not as much hailey x r as i initially wanted but oh well, hope you still like it anon

(feedback/positive comments are appreciated)

requested by anon: “hi! can i please request a hailey upton x intelligence love interest reader please? it’s been a really rough case and reader is quite depressed and hailey comes over and reader ends up falling asleep safe and warm in hailey’s arms and in the morning there is a love confession maybe? hope that makes sense, thank you x ”

warnings: mentions of assault, death, murder. usual canon violence

word count: 1.6k

masterlist | navigation | request rules

i do not give you permission to repost or translate my fics on any platform - likes/reblogs are okay and are much appreciated

“Upton and I will take the front. Burgess, Atwater, secure the back.”

You ordered, whispering into your comms.

It had been a rough couple of days.

The Intelligence Unit had caught a rape and murder case with seemingly no witnesses or leads to the sick bastard who’d done this.

Like the rest of your team, you were damn near losing the end of your rag at the lack of leads and it didn’t help that this brought up some unwanted memories from your past.

You shrugged them off, not wanting to get emotional at work but it was difficult. Especially when you had no idea who you were looking for.

But you’d managed to catch a break as one of your CIs had contacted you, telling you that they had heard about some gang member who’d been boasting about “having fun with a chick before popping her off”.

After some further investigation, you’d managed to identify the man. He had a rap sheet about as long as your arm, including prior battery and assault charges.

It was only when Halstead had found out that he was holed up in a supposedly vacant property that you’d all geared up, armed to the nines because you knew the kind of heat this gang carried.

“On my mark.” Halstead said into your comms.

He waited a few moments for you all to get into position. You were standing behind Hailey, your hand on her arm, alert and ready to conduct your search.

“Be careful.”

“You too.” You replied softy to your girlfriend.

You’d been dating for the past 6 months, having fallen into bed one night after a evening out at Molly’s. You’d both agreed to keep it a secret as it was a one-time thing but what you both didn’t realise at the time was just how much you liked one another.

It had soon become a habit. The two of you sleeping together after everyone gathered for a social call at Molly’s until one evening, Hailey told you that she liked you and wanted the two of you to be more than just sex.

You were surprised to say the least because there was never any indication that she liked you. In fact, you thought she was out of your league considering how beautiful and smart she was. But you decided to take the leap and you were so glad you did because you loved being with her.

Not that you’d told her those words yet, mind you.

It was a tough thing to say, for you anyway, especially after your past alongside the lack of any emotional attachments with your parents. And you knew Hailey had her fair share of trauma too, the majority of which you learned after you and Ruzek overheard her telling a suspect they had in interrogation.

And although your relationship wasn’t without its flaws, it had pretty much been smooth sailing since the moment you’d got together. No unnecessary drama or bullshit.

That was the last thing the both of you needed in this type of job.

“Now.” Halstead ordered so you gave a quick nod to the blonde before yelling “Chicago PD!” as Hailey kicked the door down.

There were a few offenders in the house who tried to run when you’d entered and as Hailey and the rest of the team went to secure them, you made your way up the stairs to see if there was anyone else hiding out.

Your arm was extended, gun clutched carefully in your hand, finger just next to the trigger, ready for any indication of movement. Reaching the landing at the top of the stairs, you entered one of the bedrooms. As you stepped through the door, someone jumped out and hit you in the head with a bottle. It shattered upon contact with your skull and the force threw you as you groaned in pain.

You began fighting the male, who weighed at least 100 pounds more than you, so it was no small feat. You wrestled with the gun he’d aimed at you before kicking him in between his legs and throat punching him.

As he coughed to catch his breath, you grabbed your gun that had fallen out of your hands and aimed it at the man crumbled on the floor. Ignoring the way blood seeped from your wound and down your face, you yelled, “Chicago PD. Stay down or I will drop you.”

Staring down at him, you realised that it was the man you’d been looking for and when he looked up at you with a sinister smirk on his face, you wanted nothing more than to shoot him where he lay.

But you had more self control than that so, instead, you kept your gun trained on him and called downstairs for back-up.

In less than a minute, Hailey and Jay were right beside you. Jay handcuffed the suspect and you re holstered your gun.

“Baby, are you okay?” Hailey asked frantically, her hand gently cupping your face as she examined the cut on your forehead.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” You said, releasing the breath you didn’t realise you’d been holding.

“Are you sure? You’re bleeding pretty badly.”

You winced when Hailey touched the wound.

“Shit, sorry.”

“It’s fine. Come on, let’s go.”

                ✧── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧

After apprehending the suspect, Hailey had forced you to be checked out by one of the paramedics who’d arrived to take care of one of the offenders that Kevin had shot. They’d cleaned and stitched the wound and told you to take some paracetamol for the pain.

Now you were currently watching Voight and Halstead take lead on interrogating the man who’d attacked you at the house.

The man was so vile that you had to force yourself to not jump through the two-way glass and smack him silly. He’d copped to the murder but wouldn’t admit to the rape, sitting there with a smirk on his face.

“She wanted it rough. She was a slut. I just gave her what she wanted.”

The words continued to ring in your ear as they were words that you, yourself, had once been told. Forcing the bile back down your throat, you watched as Voight moved to stand behind the man, his hands on his shoulders.

“I’d watch your mouth if I were you.” Voight said, the threat lingering behind his words.

Your hands clenched into fists as he continued to speak.

“I ain’t gonna apologise for banging that whore. She got what she wanted.”

You could feel your anger boiling until it threatened to consume you so you left the viewing room and briskly walked to your desk.

You grabbed your coat that was hung on the back of your chair and ran out of the precinct; ignoring how your girlfriend’s eyes bore in your body as you hurried out of the building.

She decided to let you go, knowing that you needed space for a few hours.

                ✧── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧

When you got back to your apartment, you fell down onto your couch, picked up one of the throw pillows and screamed into it, your frustrations coming to a blow.

You went from screaming to crying out of anger and old pain until you felt a hand on your shoulder that startled you. You hadn’t even realised Hailey had used her key to enter your apartment.

“Oh, baby.” Hailey murmured when she saw how red your eyes were.

She placed a soft kiss on your cheek and went to your freezer to grab an ice pack. She wrapped it in a table cloth and gently rested it over your eyes, the coolness soothing your swollen eyes immediately.

You tried to take the ice pack away from her but she simply tsked at you; too tired to fight, you instead relished in her taking care of you.

“Sorry.” You mumbled, finally gathering the courage to speak.

“It’s been a rough couple of days, honey. No one blames you for your reaction.”

“That’s not why I’m so...so angry and why I’m like this.” Your voice barely louder than a whisper but Hailey still heard you.

“What do you mean?” The blonde asked, furrowing her brows in concern. But her eyes told you that she already knew what you meant and that made your heart hurt.

“I just-I. It was a long time ago, back in high school. I’m over it but cases like these just bring it all back up, you know?” You sighed, deciding to remain ambiguous whilst knowing full well she knew exactly what you were referring to.

“Oh, baby,” Hailey repeated as she wrapped her free arm around you and pulled you close.

“The guy ended up confessing not long after you left. Voight stuck him in the cage and he ended up having a change of heart.” Hailey told you as she placed soft kisses on your forehead.

Your derived snort was muffled as your head was buried in Hailey’s chest but she heard you and chuckled in response.

“You’re safe now, y/n. You’re safe with me.” Hailey whispered, breaking the peaceful silence that had filled the room.

Her words brought a sense of calm to you as you sighed contently in her arms.

Gently removing the ice pack from your eyes, she put it on the table before lifting your chin up with her finger, bringing you in for a deep, reassuring kiss.

“I-I’m glad you’re in my life, Hailey” You said, catching yourself before you said those three words. You weren’t ready to say them aloud just yet and you had a feeling that your girlfriend felt the same way.

The blonde smiled knowingly, kissing your lips once more before hugging you close to her as you both got comfortable on the large couch you were still on.

“I’m glad to have you in my life too.”

[carissalizz]

CPD 9x13: My thoughts on this week’s episode

Under the cut :)

*Warning: SPOILERS AHEAD*

OMTTTTT 9x13 was so good and I think it lived up to all its hype!!

The obvious highlights being Tracy’s incredible acting and her portrayal of the guilt that’s tormenting Hailey throughout the episode! I felt every glance and every pained expression that was shown and was left speechless. Props to both Tracy and Kelli (aka Tracy’s stunt double) for the amazing underwater scenes (alongside the incredible crew of course!!) cuz they were so realistic. As I’m not based in the US, I watched the episode online and had to pause the ep multiple times as Hailey tried to save the victims. The storyline was so good and so sad cuz we all know this is gonna stay woth Hailey for the rest of her life probably… Why can‘t the poor girl get a break from traumas??

The Trudy scenes were gold!! Trudy’s always been one of my favourite characters and the mother-daughter like friendship that Hailey and Trudy have makes me so happy. Seeing them 2 in those scenes were beautiful and the scene where Trudy told Hailey about her dad‘s offender was so vulnerable. I think that the scene really was Trudy trying to remind Hailey that she was there for her too (awww my heart!!). Also, i love how they brought up Hailey’s past and how it was Platt who inspired Upton to become a cop cuz I think it really tied the story together with the whole Hailey-Allie thing (Allie‘s the victim‘s daughter). Trudy forcing Hailey to celebrate 10 years on the job with a party was the most hilarious thing ever and Platt’s iconic stoic face made it even better!

One of the more underrated friendships that is becoming more popular is Upwater and you had no idea how excited I was when I saw the opening scene!! Laroyce does such an incredible job of playing Kevin that I really wish I had a Kevin in my life. Kevin cares so much for Hailey and its adorable to see him check in on Hailey in the locker room. I can totally imagine Kevin giving Hailey one of his signature hugs to warm her up when she comes to the district after leaving the hospital.

We were all hoping for worried husband Jay and though we didn’t get a whole lot of that, the Upstead hug was one that melted my heart. As much as I hate seeing the duo in trouble, seeing the other one worried is honestly one of the best things ever. That wasn’t the only time we saw Jay worried for his wife though. The looks that he’d throw Hailey’s way were ones of concern and care, which was the sweetest thing!! Him checking in on her in the locker room was the sweetest and I’m sure Jay did a lot of fussing off camera or when they were in the truck on the way to the bar.

The ending scene was actually really cute. Hailey’s recruitment picture was so big and I laughed ngl. Platt went all out on that poster. Seeing the team hanging out and celebrating the amazing detective Upton was nice as we haven’t really seen the team hang out much, especially with the whole previous situation and all the tension. The team’s reactions to the giant poster was hilarious and made for a slightly sweeter ending to a huge episode. I think the choice to just have music during this scene rather than the cast’s dialogue/voices in the background was symbolic in some sense. The music wasn’t the most cheery either so it does the job of showing the fun that the team has as well as Hailey’s thoughts.

Well, that’s all for my thoughts on the amazing CPD 9x13!! If you’ve read through the entire thing, hi and wow I’m amazed :)

[bryaxisthefaceofnightmares]

Okay top 3 fav things about AFTG? (I also read them and then ended up accidentally obsessed)

Top 3 fav things about my new obsession???? ONLY THREE?????? This is gonna be difficult as all hell.....hmmmm.....One thing I adore about these books is the near instant support network that the team forms for each other (including abby and wymack) and the way they instinctively know never to push other members too hard but push them just enough to keep the team together and to let them know that regardless of what they've been through, seen and done, they will always ALWAYS be there for one another - whether thats just to listen or actually give advice and help or get totally smashed - because everyone deserves friends like that.This may sound weird but my second favourite thing about the series is the rape and torture scenes (and the scars they carry as a result) and how the different characters respond to that level of trauma (even if it's not them who actually experienced it) and I think I love these scenes because they're so painfully true and accurate that I damn near died reading them and sometimes had to literally stop reading and let myself breathe before I carried on because they were so powerful and relatable for those particular traumas (I was worried they wouldn't be written well or they'd be 'wrong' in the way the different traumas are presented but NS really pulled it off in a way that was almost too accurate to be bearable) and I have read no other YA book that explicitly and accurately (accurately being the key word here) depicts and deals with rape and torture and the aftermath of events like that and I'm actually in awe that NS went and did it - and did it...not well (because that is definitely the wrong word...but did it right.And finally, my favourite favourite thing about AFTG is definitely without a shadow of a doubt, my spirit animal, the one, the only - Andrew Minyard. So I will happily argue that NS wrote all of her characters beautifully (because she definitely did), but it was Andrew who was the only character who succeeded in breaking my heart again and again and again. His self sacrificial nature alongside an utter absence of care about what happens to him and a fiercely protective streak makes him INSANELY compelling to read and such a relatable character. Some people I've talked to argue that Andrew isn't actually that protective of the team (because he only seems to protect Neil and Aaron and Kevin and Nicky) but I would argue differently because isn't it written in the book somewhere that he says he can't protect all of them so entrusts the rest of the team to Renee? Which proves to me that he cares a hell of a lot, hates how much he cares, so buries that care 6 feet under. Also, Andrew post-meds is SUCH a relatable thing for me - the lack of any and all emotion except for those rare glimpses of burning, all-consuming anger as a result of the years and years of trauma he's been subjected to is too accurately written for words. AND HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH NEIL - this was so freaking adorable!!! He's such a sweetie around Neil but in a way that makes him feel like he's not being cute and that implied emotion is something that OMG I almost died for - how he only listens to Neil but hates that he listens to Neil????? YAAAAAAS BITCH GIVE ME MOREWow sorry - that went longer than intended but I could srsly talk about this FOREVER IT'S SO GOOD ANYONE WHO HASN'T READ IT GO GO GO - BOOK 1 IS FREE ON KINDLE AND BOOKS 2 AND 3 ARE SUUUUUUUPER CHEAP AND THEY'RE SO WORTH IT ❤❤❤❤❤

[kariachi]

Some more fic with Kevin, Eric, and Galar. This time they are Grown and they are Up To Something.

~~

Eric Rueben Levin, twenty-five years old and Champion of the Galar region four years running- and on and off again for five years before that- turned with a grin as the door to the house clicked shut.

“So, how did it go?” Kevin practically danced passed him, Tock ever faithfully on his heels, and pulled a chain from his pocket. Eric only just got the chance to notice the host of pokeballs- ranging from battered and worn to shining and new- before he was gone down the hall, heading straight for the bathroom to take out the colored contacts that had, alongside the proper choice in clothes, allowed him to take his brother’s place at that day’s meeting with the visiting Champions from various regions. Eric grinned after him. “You madman, you really got them all to do to it.”

 “Of course,” his twin called back, “they agree with me that Galar’s restricted pokemon access is bullshit.”

“Sorry, Klink, only so much I can do.” Not that he hadn’t tried. Oh not to change the whole mess, he understood why the laws were the way they were and agreed with some aspects of them, but he still didn’t understand why nobody could bring foreign pokemon in at all. Bringing in males should’ve been okay at least, since Ditto were so rare and unlikely to access the damn things. But, as he’d repeatedly told his brother, there was only so much he could do.

So. Subterfuge.

Kevin had, for what several people would love to hear was the first time in years even though it very much wasn’t, pretended to be his twin so he could get into this meeting with the champions he had been conversing (plotting) with for months now. There were few people who knew about the plan- Eric, his beloved Pierce, presumably the dedicated partners of the other champions- and they had all been sworn to secrecy.

“I was almost worried they wouldn’t come through,” Kevin continued as he strode back into the livingroom, pulling Eric’s shirt off over his head and replacing it with a tattered blue number. The two of them had finally gotten far enough passed their trauma to stop dressing identically in the late teens, but they still coordinated accessories and colors where they could. Eric’s blue uniform meant blues for his brother. “They were all awesome about it though, once we got some time away from the bigwigs they handed them right over, all sneaky-like.” He flopped down against Eric’s side, eyes going to the Johto match playing on the television. “We’ve just gotta be careful until you can give them back at the end of the week.” Eric nodded along.

“So, what’d they give you?”

“Check it.” Kevin grinned as he pulled the chain back out, flicking through the pokeballs. “Beautifly, Volcarona, Scyther, Yanmega, Dewpider, Armaldo-”

Eric went pale as his brother continued to list off pokemon. Most of them were in shiny new pokeballs, but some that sounded awfully familiar were in old, worn balls and he wanted to scream.

“-Vivillon, and Zebul says I can keep the Beedrill!”

“Kevin,” Eric said slowly, “did these people loan you members of their main teams?” They were doomed. Somebody was going to want to see a match and find out that damn near all the visiting champions were missing mainstays of their teams. Fuck, if he was right that Beautifly was one of the two pokemon Jame owned. They were down half their team!

“It’s fine, Er-bear,” Kevin said, nudging him in the ribs. “I just need the week to get all the pictures of this lot I could need, and then you can slip them back to their owners and it’ll be like they were never apart.” Fuck, and he knew some of those were females, this could go so wrong-

“If I lose my position over this, I will have your head.”

“You will not lose your position over this. In fact,” Kevin grinned, “we agreed they’d stay an extra day so you lot could do series of exhibition matches. They won’t have to bring their teams out because they’ll be so tired from training to kick your butt, and then they’ll have their teams again well in time for the matches so nobody will suspect they were ever apart in the first place.” Heart still pounding, Eric managed to relax minutely and smile at his brother.

“You all really did think of everything, didn’t you?”

“Of course we did,” Kevin said, waving off the concern. “Besides, when has anything Victory’s been involved with failed? I mean, the clue is in her name.” Despite himself, Eric chuckled. It was true, Champion Victory was the longest standing Champion ever and had never, to anyone’s knowledge, failed at anything in her life. She’d even beaten ex-Champion Leon, though he certainly hadn’t been ‘Unbeatable’ by the time they’d gotten the chance to battle.

He’d really been hoping to get a match in against her.

And now he had one of her star fighters in his home to study.

With an overly dramatic sigh he collapsed along the couch, kicking up his feet onto his brother’s shoulder. They were quickly shoved away with a comment about dirty socks. He paid no mind.

“This bug collection had better with worth all this stress you’re putting me through,” he said and Kevin grinned down at him in a confident look he couldn’t help but mirror.

“I’ll be sure to make a Nincada piece for Pierce.”

“You damn well better.”

[thenixkat]

the fact kevin's willingness to leave his enemies to their fates is treated as a character flaw resulting from his being immoral#rather than a result of the traumatic-ass shit he's been though and these enemies continue to put him through#we really needed a scene between him and gwen where it's made clear that just because she and ben choose to forgive people#doesn't mean kevin has to and that his desire not to help people who only want to hurt him is entirely reasonable

#argit has gone through so much shit too and it was understandable it didn't get touched on in UAF because it hadn't been established#but OV has no fucking excuse#bastards really went 'argit is a more accepting partner than rook and selflessly saved a lot of people's lives at least once-#-and cares about kevin and went through so much trauma alongside him and is the wielder of the omnitrix in at least one parallel universe'#and then turned around and went 'but also he is actually an even worse person than UAF showed-#-no really we know we just showed him being the type to selflessly save lives-#-but he's totally down with kidnapping and selling small children to be eaten'

#these boys deserve better

#honest to fuck they had argit selling children as food directly after showing us how he was treated as a thing by adults as a child#when we know kevin was a victim of the same shit and that argit held it against at least servantis

#when we could have had an episode where kids are going missing in Undertown and the heroes learn because Argit called them about it#when we could've had something hitting on he and kevin's trauma from the shit they went through alongside argit growth#as he at the very least refuses to let other little kids go through shit like he and kevin did#which would play well with what we see of him in the rooters arc#and what we see in The Purge when he's the one who responds to the FK bullshit not by fleeing the planet but by informing Team Tennyson#despite being shown to have the ability to flee#we'd even still get to see scary post-rooters 'don't fuck with me' argit it'd be great#missed fucking opportunities all over the damn place doing these boys dirty

Sorry-not-sorry I'm back on my normal 'Kevin and Argit were so small' bullshittery.

Because they fucking were. Kevin was twelve when Servantis tossed everybody, and Argit couldn't have been far off. They were middle school aged. 'Puberty would be starting about now if we weren't wandering the Null Void and therefor likely not eating near enough' aged.

A pair of children, with minimal education, no paperwork, no homes, no guardians. Wandering the Null Void and then the Milky Way, on their own. One a prime target for the slave trade, both prime targets for adults looking to take advantage of them (*coughcoughOttocoughcough*). With only as much security as they could provide themselves and each other. Only able to rely on themselves for the basic necessities of life.

And then this show has the audacity to try to tell me that they turned to crime due to poor morality. That they're money focused because they're just naturally greedy. That they don't trust people and look out for themselves because they're bad people that either will always be bad people or will only improve because of the power of Tennysons.

What options were there for them? What jobs are there in the Null Void? What jobs are there in the galaxy that'll hire barely-teens, if even that, with no paperwork or educations, that wouldn't ruin them as badly and pay worse than the crime they already had experience with? Will keep them fed and clothed and sheltered? When one of them already has a criminal record, for violent crimes at that? When there's nobody there to stop even the 'good' adults from taking advantage of them?

The show will sit there and tell you that Kevin's violent crimes were the result of a rough childhood, but he and Argit's non-violent ones? Totally on them, no excuse, wholly a matter of greed and not giving a shit about other people. Fucking bullshit. This is a pair of kids who had to grow up way too fast, up against an existence that saw at least one of them as easy profit, with nothing but themselves and each other, and no opportunities. They're a pair of traumatized kids who grabbed the opportunities available to them with both hands and were molded by the problems they faced.

Of course they're money-focused, unlike the Tennysons they don't and haven't had anybody making sure they had enough to get by. They've had to support themselves and live with the constant worry that something is going to go pear-shaped and they'll have nothing.

They spent years with anybody and everybody being a potential threat (even between the two of them, Argit's noting that Kevin's snapping while he worked for the Rooters was the worst he'd seen 'before or since' makes it quite clear he's seen him on and passed the edge at least as much if not more than we have), of course they're going to be slow to trust, quick to toss people aside, and unwilling to help their enemies without some sort of payout, they've been burned before.

Just- Damnit these two come from some shitty fucking situations, the effects they had on them are obvious if you bother to fucking look, and they both deserved better than the series just going "oh yeah they're assholes what do you expect they're criminals" and moving the fuck on. Like, for fuck's sake at least acknowledge that they're like this because life was a fucking lead pipe to the teeth to them! We know Kevin's situation was shit even before they met, we got to see it, but even if Argit had a perfectly good life beforehand (unlikely) the earliest we see him is being held captive for illegal experimentation purposes by law enforcement! These two have been through shit! At least acknowledge it!

Fuck, they could've replaced Color of Monkey with that, hitting on the differences between how Kevin and Argit adapted to their circumstances, give us upfront the Tennysons being a safety net that let Kevin heal (rather than just 'oh the Tennysons taught him morals because they're the Good People') while Argit's issues and lack of security kept him stagnant. It would go better with what we see of him over the course of OV leading up to the Rooters arc, and what we're shown in the Rooters arc. Give us him still being far from great or on the up-and-up but improving with the stability that comes with his 'hero' status, a repairing relationship with Kevin after that arc, and a flourishing, above-board business. Rather than backpedaling on any good the writers had thrown at him like they'd realized they were coming up against a cliff.

Shit that makes you want to get the writers by the shoulders and shake them mercilessly.