#ALSO UNDERCOVER IN A PARTY?? I LITERALLY READ THIS IN AO3 YESTERDAY

[kotekenobiiiii]

LIKE WHY ARE THEY COMPLIMENTING AND CALLING EACH OTHER 'GENIUS' OR 'LOVE IT' LIKE A MARRIED COUPLE THIS CAN'T BE REAL I- I CAN'T-

[gogglor]

Cap-Ironman RecWeek: What-If Wednesday

Time for another installment of @cap-ironman rec week! Today’s theme: AU’s.

I know AU’s in different settings are half the reason most people read fanfics, but they’re not really my thing on the whole. AU’s where different choices are made, or different events transpire? Absolutely. Coffee shops? Not my cup of... you know.

So, here’s my AU recommendations for mostly “turn left” scenarios. This time with an under-the-cut break so I don’t take over everyone’s timelines (sorry about that last post). Also with some summaries truncated for length.

Alone Like This

Author: GotTheSilver

Word Count: 7,452

Summary: Steve, post waking up, runs away from SHIELD, and Tony's the one who tracks him down.

Why You Should Read It:

First off, GotTheSilver’s been consistently and regularly putting out solid Stony since 2012 and not only are they not stopping, they’re only getting better. This writer doesn’t get nearly the fanfare I’d expect in Stony circles for someone who puts out this much good stuff, and here’s hoping this post can be a part of changing that.

While I am always a sucker for enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, there’s something to be said for stories where Steve and Tony hit it off right away. And watching these two very different people look at each other and see the same sense of being lost, then finding each other again is... excuse me, there’s something in my eye, ignore me.

Second Chance Lives

Author: raeldaza

Word Count: 43,872

Summary: Tony's gonna die of palladium poisoning anyway, why not join a pointless expedition to recover Captain America’s body? And after, well, why not dedicate his last few months to making sure an American hero settles into his new life? What else is he going to do, get drunk at parties?

Why You Should Read It:

This writer doesn’t write a lot for the MCU but when they do, dang.

“Tony is the one helping Steve acclimate to the new century before Avengers 2012″ is a whole genre of Stony fanfics that scratch an itch I didn’t even know I had before I started reading fanfiction, and this is one of the best ones out there. It’s got it all - Steve poorly coping with his PTSD, Tony poorly coping with his immanent mortality, some breathtakingly poor communication between the two most emotionally stunted men in the MCU, and a cat named Roomba. What’s not to love?

Should You Choose to Accept It

Author: elwenyere (look, you’re gonna be seeing a lot of them this week, sorry-not-sorry)

Word Count: 27,106

Summary: After a terrorist attack and a field operation gone wrong, the Avengers realize that Nick Fury's secrets are just the start of a much bigger mystery. Steve and Tony try to keep some things from each other as well, but that can't possibly affect the mission — right? Mission Fic + Getting Together (or Mission: Getting Together) that mashes up elements from Iron Man 3, CA: Winter Soldier, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season one, and Mission Impossible 3.

Why You Should Read It:

You can see my post yesterday for singing El’s praises, but what I really liked about this fic was how how damn creative it is. The CAWS/IM3/AOS mashup is everything I wished the actual MCU gave us and more, with well-developed characters and an exciting story to put them in. And because it’s El, you know the banter’s gonna be on point, the way the characters care for each other is gonna be emotionally constipated but touching, and the pacing’s gonna be exciting enough to draw you in and keep you there. Also, this fic doesn’t have nearly enough kudos so please go read it and fix that or I’m gonna have to try to hack AO3 and that’ll just be embarrassing for all parties involved.

What Happens In Vegas

Author: sabremc

Word Count: 161,951

Summary: “What the hell, Tony?” Rhodey demanded brusquely.  Tony winced and drew the phone away from his ear.  “You’ve got cops and Feds all over the hotel.  I’m watching you perp walk out of the police station on repeat on CNN.  They’re saying you tried to bribe Stern?  Fox News has you selling weapons on the black market, and God that picture they’re using is the one from Bali in ’09.   You look like shit.  They wheeled Stern out and put him in an ambulance, by the way.  Got some paparazzi swearing you decked the guy.  Now they’ve got ‘copters following it like he’s OJ.”

“Yeah, don’t worry, Sourpatch, I’ve got it covered.   Uh, though, I should probably tell you that, purely in the interests of national security and the greater good, I kind of had to fake marry that stripper-gram  you sent.  Thanks for that, by the way,” Tony added quickly.

Why You Should Read It:

If you’re deep enough into Stony to see posts like this on Tumblr, you probably know sabre’s what we in the business call a “big name author.” They’re prolific, they’re popular, and most importantly, they write words good (technical term). Seriously, sabre just keeps cranking out high quality stuff over and over again, raising the bar for the rest of us like a jerk (not really. I’m not bitter they write stuff so good I wish I’d thought of it first. Not at all.)

I never read stripper!Steve or stripper!Tony as a rule, but this came so widely recommended that I broke that rule and boy am I glad that I did. This is also the only fic on this list that’s a true-AU, with Steve being a non-powered vet from Afghanistan who left his army career to help Bucky and is stripping in Vegas to raise money for a prosthetic arm. He’s booked to do a private show for Tony, shenanigans ensue, and now they’re fake-married. This fic’s got some top-of-the-line banter and character development, but I particularly love it for its rich setting. Sabre paints a Vegas not just with strip clubs and blackjack tables, but KISS-themed minigolf, romantic dinners on the Eiffel tower, gaudy hotel lobbies, and making out on giant ferris wheels. It’s such a richly developed playground for the characters to play on, and through it, Steve manages to find a life for himself he’d given up on, and Tony finds multiple ways to show his kindness and depth of feeling for Steve. I know the word count’s long for this one but trust me, you’ve gotta read this fic.

Wait & Sea

Author: Lenalena

Word Count: 53,244

Summary: In which Tony and Steve get sent on an undercover mission aboard a cruise ship to make contact with Hydra. In this AU the military has kept the discovery and defrosting of Captain America a secret, so Steve and Tony have never met before. Yet they are to pose as newlyweds....

Why You Should Read It:

This one’s old and popular enough to be considered one of the “classic” Stony fics, and for good reason. Lenalena doesn’t write too often and not as much as they used to, but the fics they have up there are an absolute delight.

This is another fic that I skipped a bunch of times for being outside my comfort zone, but when I finally read it I saw why everyone’s so wild about it. In this story, Steve’s defrosted a bit earlier and not revealed as Captain America. He and Tony are sent undercover to sniff out Hydra shenanigans on a cruise and, because it’s fanfiction, they’ve got to pretend to be a married couple while onboard. There’s tons to love about this fic, but the things that bring me back to reading it over and over is first, Tony’s kindness and the way he’s attuned to Steve’s feelings, which... God, just inject “kind, observant Tony” straight into my veins, please and thank you. This is also another really rich setting for a story, and Lena knows how to fold the the hokeyness of the cruise into the seriousness of the mission and the depth of feelings Steve and Tony are finding for each other in a really beautiful, layered way. It’s funny, it’s heartfelt, it’s steamy, it’s gripping... why are you still reading this here? Go check it out for yourself!

Ashes to Ashes

Author: dirigibleplumbing

Word Count: 51,582

Summary: After regrouping following some surprise time travel, the world's heroes and sorcerers come up with a plan to protect the Mind and Time Stones by taking them into space in opposite directions. The result involves a lot more time loops than Steve would like, but at least they're getting a second chance to stop Thanos. (As well as a third, and a fourth...) And if Steve takes the opportunity to try to reconcile with Tony, too—well, they have the time, and Steve's going to make the most of it.

Why You Should Read It:

Dirigibleplumbing’s another name in Stony fanfics that does not get nearly as much fanfare as they deserve. They’re consistently a really creative voice in Stony fanfics and I always look forward to their stories showing me something new. Go read all their fics, I need more people to geek out with me over them.

I tend to limit myself on Steve-and-Tony-mend-things-after-Civil-War fics not because they’re not good, but because they’re so heavy, and also the Sokovia Accords have five hundred layers of crap in them that no good fic could possibly hash out well. This one, though? When you add in the Infinity War/End Game fixit? Poetry. Art. Music to my ears. DP wrote a really engaging, twisty story where it’s hard to predict what’s coming next, in spite of it literally being a pseudo-Groundhog day scenario. The characterizations are great, the story is engaging, and the feelings are big and sad and eventually happy. Go read it, you’ll love it.

I have tons of other recs for this category but this seems like a good place to stop for today. Tomorrow’s Alternative Media Thursday, and I’ve got some real gems I’ve been saving for that day (aaaaand possibly a self-rec or two ;)

[phagechildon]

Turdday - Chapter 1

Read on AO3

Tumblr: 1 | 2 | 3 |

Summary: When Leo doesn't show up to work (aka his surprise birthday party at Libra headquarters), Zapp goes to check on him only to find he's been caught up in yet another shitstorm. With creatures that only he can see pursuing him, the Libra members find it hard to protect him when Leo can't even remember who they are or how to use the All Seeing Eyes of the Gods.

----

The blistering summer heat made Leo groan as he tossed the blankets off, his whole body glistening with exhausting sweat. It was only the beginning of May and yet due to living in Hellsalem’s Lot, his entire apartment complex’s air conditioning broke due to falling debris from the skyscraper next door. That wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for the heater that kept kicking on randomly even though the maintenance guy kept turning it off. No one could figure out how or why, which is why they opted to just replace the whole unit. Unfortunately for everyone living in the complex, any type of repairs in this city took time considering they were needed all over.  

“I can’t take this anymoreeeee,” he whined, his eyes glancing over to the window adjacent to his bed to see it was still open - probably his attempt to let some cool air in last night. Gods he was hot… it made him feel sick. “That did absolutely nothing?! It’s too freakin hot, I didn’t move to Arizona goddammit!” He flailed on the bed, throwing one of his mini temper tantrums. The more he flailed the worse he felt, his limbs dropping to the bed like heavy weights as nausea suddenly overwhelmed him.

Shit - he did not feel good. His whole body felt like it was just taken out of an oven and he was suffering from heat exhaustion. How was it possible for Hellsalem’s Lot to get this hot?! There had to be an explanation for this, which made him reach for his phone. His hand trembled, gravity against his appendage seeming to triple as it collapsed on the electronic device.

Weird… why wasn’t it plugged in? Normally he never forgot, even if he was utterly exhausted and sleep tried ripping his conscious into another reality. His phone was literally his lifeline, which is why he made it a habit not to forget.

Then again, was it really so strange for him to forget just once? Nah, he decided as he pulled it closer to himself, finding it far more difficult than it should’ve been as his arm essentially felt like dead weight. Pressing the home button he gasped, his eyes opening a bit to reveal the blue glow hidden behind his normally partially closed eyelids.

The screen and phone case was cracked. When the hell did this happen? He even invested in an expensive Otterbox to prevent this! It wasn’t like this last night… right?

His eyebrows creased as he found it hard to even remember last night. What did he do? He didn’t have work, that much he knew, so he got to relax. It wasn’t like he made it a habit to drink, but then why was his memory hazy? Maybe there was something on his phone that would remind him?

Unlocking it, he felt his breath catch in his throat. His text messages were open to Klaus, a hastily written message remaining unsent: sOs

His grip around his phone tightened, his mind reeling. So many troubling questions ran through his mind, all without answers. Why did he try texting Klaus SOS? Why was the O the only thing capitalized? Why was it left unsent? Why was his phone cracked? Why wasn’t it charged - it was at ten percent!

Why couldn't he remember what happened last night?

Gazing around his room, he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. His XStation controller sat on the coffee table next to a nearly empty glass of Pepsi and a half eaten bags of chips. It was safe to assume he played the XStation all day, something he’d typically do on his day off. The only thing that seemed off was the pile of unopened snacks under the table, but that could easily be explained by him getting to a good part in the game and losing track of time.

… Of course he couldn’t remember even if he did, which agitated him even more. He’d have to replay all the progress he made yesterday if his memory didn’t return - just his luck. He wanted to throw another tantrum at that thought alone, but stayed strong.

That was the least of his worries. Something obviously happened last night, something he needed to worry about. He’d try asking around the apartment complex to see if anyone else was experiencing any problems with their memory; maybe it wasn’t just him.There was that mass fainting and amnesia incident where he met Neji a while back no one could explain, it would be just his luck for it to follow him home.

Taking a deep breath, he locked his phone and tried to sit up, only to feel ten times worse as bile rushed up his throat. He tried choking it back, but the room started to spin until his vision faded to darkness. It felt like he was rapidly falling into a deep abyss with a cloud of pure darkness encasing the entirety of his head only to be pulled back into his body moments later, the smell of acid making him open his eyes slightly and groan. Not only was he completely covered in throw up, but so were the sheets and part of his bed.

Great, just great. He knew there was nothing special about today; this day hasn’t been special in a long time.

Water. He needed water. Not only was the dizziness getting worse despite closing his eyes, but his throat also felt absolutely raw. If he remembered correctly, there was a glass on the nightstand where his phone used to be. Peeking over, he groaned. So close, yet so far away. He wasn’t even sure if he could sit up without letting loose again, which made him ask the agonizing question again: What the hell did he do last night?! He wasn’t a drinker, and he for sure didn’t do drugs, so what could explain his current predicament?

‘Why does this crap always happen to me?’ He grumbled as he slowly forced himself up, the dizziness trying to pull him back into the darkness again. It took everything he had to reach over and grab the cup without his world fading to black, let alone hold in the bile. But somehow he managed.

Downing half the cup of water, he set it back down on the table, feeling his stomach instantly reject it, making him shiver and tremble. Why was he so sick? Was it something he ate last night? The opened bags of chips and lack of dirty dishes made him think he forgot to eat normal food before bed, which wasn’t uncommon for him during his days off. And he was pretty sure the chips and soda wasn’t behind this, they’ve never made him feel this sick before.

The room started to spin more, making him squeeze his eyes tightly shut and unconsciously hold his throat, trying to will it back down.

‘What the hell’s wrong with me?’ He mumbled, fear starting to seep into his veins.

Hot… it was so hot. He needed to cool off-!

Water - he needed more water. Drinking it only made it worse last time, but maybe if he laid in it long enough the symptoms would subside.

Yeah he just needed to get to the shower. A bath would be more ideal, but he didn’t want to end up falling unconscious and drowning.

He didn’t remember how he got from point A to point B, but he had a lot of new formed bruises on his knees and even a cut that bleed slightly on right arm. Thank goodness his apartment was very small or he would’ve never made it.

A deep moan vibrated his throat as focused on the cool water that gently beat against his body. He didn’t even care that he was laying down on the shower ground, nor that his head pounded fiercely from hitting his head on the side of the tub on the way down. In fact he wasn’t even aware of that or the blood that gently left the wound and trickled down the drain. He merely rejoiced in the feeling of the heat leaving, not even hearing his phone going off on his bed.

----

“He’s still not answering,” Steven worriedly reported to Klaus who glanced out the windows of the common room office, not even trying to hide his concern. It was very unlike Leonardo not to answer them, and even more unlike him not to show up to work when he played the main role in today’s ‘mission.’

“The GPS states he’s still home, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything.”

“Maybe the brat just overslept or got hung over,” Zapp offered without looking up from the game he was playing on his phone.  

“I can’t imagine he’d sleep in two hours late,” Steven said, scrolling through his iPad. “If anything Sonic would’ve woken him up.”

“Do we have any agents in the area that can check on him?” Klaus asked, clenching his fists in an attempt to control his emotions. Ever since the incident with Michella a few months back, he couldn’t help but worry whenever Leo didn’t answer them. He didn’t want that incident to repeat itself.

Steven pulled up the other GPS signals and sighed. “Negative. The closest operative is conducting an undercover investigation of Mary’s Sweets Shop; can’t risk pulling him out without raising suspicion.”

Klaus nodded as he turned. “Then I’ll go-”

“Let me give the brat hell for playing hookie,” Zapp said as he stood, tossing his phone in his pocket and lighting a cigarette.

Steven let his shoulders relax as a small smile came to his face, relieved the white haired jackass decided to do something decent for once. “Thank you Zapp. I’d volunteer myself, but the kid already freaks out enough as it is. Having Klaus or I check in on him if he merely did sleep in, well, I don’t need to spell that out for you.”

He really didn’t, they all knew Leo would be too embarrassed to talk to them for a month straight, not to mention feel the need to make it up to them somehow.

“The kid’s a total spaz,” Zapp mumbled as he left, making Klaus and Steven glance at each other uneasily.

“Gilbert, please tell our guests there’s been a delay and we’ll give them an update as soon as we can.”

The combat butler bowed. “Of course, right away.”

----

“Either you open this fucking door or I’ll tear it down and beat your ass into an early grave for being late, and more importantly, for making me come down here to drag your ass to work!” Zapp hissed as he banged on Leo’s apartment door, not letting up. He couldn’t believe he was worried, the shithead was in the shower - he could hear the water running! The kid was going to pay for wasting his time. “You owe me lunch you mug shot of pubes!”

No response, not even a feeble plea for him to stop making so much noise so he didn’t get a noise complaint from the neighbors. The kid was so paranoid he always begged him to quiet down so the landlord wouldn't skip the warning and go straight to evicting him.  

Something wasn’t right.

“I’m coming in!” He yelled before slamming his body against the door, knocking it in. The first thing he noticed was the smell. He’d been hung over enough times to know the smell of puke and saw it all over the bed and floor, a trail of it leading to the bathroom.

“Well that’s disgusting,” he mumbled, his eyes moving to the bathroom to see the door open. Still no verbal complaints about his rambunctious self; there was no way Leo hadn’t heard him, especially not after he knocked the door in. “You in here ya’ brat?” He called, slowly making his way into the bathroom, only to have his eyes widen.

On the shower floor lay an unconscious Leo with blood still languidly leaving a nasty cut on his forehead, the water washing it down the drain and lightly staining the rest of his exposed skin a light pink.

“Shit-” Zapp immediately ran over and checked for a pulse.  

Still alive, but he needed to figure out how badly he was injured. Physically he only saw the nasty gash on his head, which was probably why he was out cold. But that wouldn’t explain the mess he made in the other room.

Reaching over he turned off the water, his other hand gently shaking Leo’s shoulder. “You alright kid?” There was dried blood on the side of the tub where the water didn’t touch, meaning this happened a little bit ago. How long had he been unconscious, and where was Sonic?

Leo felt himself slowly start to stir, unable to help a small groan that left his lips as he slowly started to register the sharp pain in his head. His throat and stomach felt like they were on fire, and his head was pounding . He couldn’t help the way he shriveled up, his breathing becoming sharp and slightly erratic.

How was it possible for him to feel so cold yet so hot at the same time? How’d he even end up in the shower? Why wasn’t anything making sense?!

A gentle hand rest against his shoulder, making him snap his eyes open.

“You alright kid?” A voice… who was that? Was he not alone? Slowly he let his eyes follow the arm up, finding himself staring into familiar gray eyes.

He knew this person… right?

“Z…Zapp… what are you doing here?” He asked gruffly, the name coming to him rather quickly. How the hell did he nearly forget Zapp? One did not simply forget such an asshole.

“You didn’t freakin’ show up to work so they sent me here to see where your sorry ass was,” Zapp responded as he looked around, grabbing a towel off the rack and dropping it on him. “What the hell happened to you? Drink one too many last night or what?”

Leo opened his eyes a little more, the soft blue glow showing as he tried recalling what he did last night, only to realize…. He didn’t remember anything from last night, and he didn't remember anything from this morning. It took everything he had not to start freaking out.

“I-I… I uhh… don’t know the answer to that, I can’t… remember anything from yesterday… or… this morning,” he mumbled, taking a deep breath. Very slowly he started to sit up, the towel rolling down his exposed body, but he was too out of it to care. “I… I…” he held the side of his head as it pounded even more, the world starting to spin along with his stomach.

Shit, he did not feel well.

“I… don’t think I’d drink, not while playing games… and, and-” he held his head a bit tighter as his other shaking hand went to his mouth, trying to hold back the bile that suddenly skyrocketed up to his mouth. His eyesight went in and out, his body swaying. Releasing the hold around his head he blindly reached out for the side for the tub, missing it twice before finally catching it.

Zapp’s eyes narrowed as he watched this, growing more concerned.

Something wasn’t right. Even the godly glow from Leo’s eyes seemed dimmer than usual.

“I’ll give you a minute so you don’t puke all over me,” the man said as he stood, turning away just as Leo let loose again.

He needed to take a closer look at the scene to completely assess the situation. Sure at first glance one would just say the kid was sick, but something didn’t feel right. To be more precise, something didn’t smell right, and it wasn’t the throw up. It was a sweet yet bitter scent that was foreign to the small apartment, though it was similar to something he himself had been exposed to before. This wasn't something the innocent Leo would be meddling with, at least not willingly.

Walking up to the coffee table, he examined the goods both on and under it. There was an open bag of chips and a half empty Pepsi bottle next to a XStation controller on the small coffee table. Okay, that was normal enough. Examining underneath it, his eyes narrowed in suspicion as he spotted two opened yet barely touched Pepsi bottles leaning against one of the table’s legs.

Weird, the kid normally didn’t waste anything, especially since he barely used his own money for himself. Reaching down he picked one up and smelled it.

Nothing out of the ordinary, okay. Test one fail, test two-

He brought the bottle to his lips and tilted it just enough to get a small dab on his tongue, his eyes widening instantly.

Bingo. The soda tasted slightly more bitter than usual, something normal people would just blame on the amount of syrup in the bottle and continue drinking without a second thought.

He spit it out and placed the bottle on the table. That would explain one of the scents, but not the sweet one.

Glancing at the chips he took one and smelled it, once again not finding anything out of the ordinary. Taking a bite, he found it tasted normal.

It wasn’t the chips, but then where was it coming from?

Glancing around the room some more, his eyes caught sight of Leo’s cracked phone and case, making his eyes crease even more. “The hell?” Side stepping past the vomit, he grabbed the phone and looked it over. His phone wasn’t like this the day before yesterday, and the OtterBox he picked out was top price - he was the one that went with him to pick it out. It would’ve taken a lot of force to not only do this kind of damage to the case, but to the phone inside it as well.  

Wait- the sweet scent was strong on the case. Bringing the phone closer he took a bigger whiff, only to pull away and cough.

Yep, that was no doubt coming from the phone, but that didn’t make any sense - none of this was making any sense. For it to smell this strong, someone would’ve had to dump a bunch of whatever the hell it was on the phone.

Unless… it wasn’t just on the phone. Come to think of it, the bed itself smelled sweet, even if it was faint and masked with stomach acid. His eyes drifted upwards, noticing his window was open. The ventilation probably diluted it.  

Zapp’s phone suddenly went off, making the man jump. Shit, he didn’t realize how on edge was. “Perfect timing,” he said as he answered, his eyes moving back to Leo’s phone. Maybe there was a clue as to what he was doing last night on it. “I was just getting ready to call you guys.”

“Is that so?” Steven asked sarcastically, not believing him. “Is Leo okay?”

“I wouldn't say okay, but he’s alive,” Zapp admitted as he tried a few passwords, hissing when he couldn’t remember the new one. “He’s currently throwing up all over himself and can’t remember anything from last night or this morning, not to mention he can’t even grab something less than two inches in front of him. Looking around his apartment, I’ve found some evidence that it’s been tampered with.”

Steven noted the serious tone as he glanced over at Klaus who shared a similar expression. Zapp was on speaker so the second in command didn’t have to repeat everything. “We’re heading over now, what else did you find?”

“You’re better off sending the forensics team, there’s some kind of drug in the soda he was drinking and possibly a drug that was released into the air or something. I can’t pinpoint where it’s coming from, but he doesn’t have a lot of motor skills. I doubt the blow he took to the head has anything to do with it though, it’s just a gash-” he stopped mid-sentence as the phone finally unlocked, the text screen to Klaus still open from last night making him realize the severity of the situation.

Someone attacked Leo.  

A loud squeal came from the bathroom, followed by a large thud. Zapp dashed back in to see the kid haphazardly grasping the closed toilet for dear life as his legs were a tangled mess underneath him, his shins scraped and now slightly bleeding.

“The hell’s wrong with you?! Why’d you try getting up on your own you dimwit?!” He seethed, watching the other’s labored breathing slightly fogging up the ceramic toilet. His eyes looked even cloudier than before as his cheeks were dusted red. If he had normal eyes they’d probably be dilated as hell.

“What’s going on Zapp??” Steven’s frantic voice came from the phone, making him click his tongue.

“The turd sprout tried getting up on his own, what an idiot,” he said, his voice was laced with worry despite how much he tried to mask it. “I take it back, I’ll meet you half way. He apparently tried texting Klaus for help but wasn’t able to send it, so there’s got to be more we’re missing here.”

Leo weakly looked over to the talking man, everything spinning worse than before as the world went from blue and purple hues to dull grays blacks and whites. One moment the man was gone, then the next he was in his personal space putting clothes on him. He was talking to someone on the phone, though all his words were muffled beyond recognition as an obnoxious ringing drowned everything else out.

A hand pressed against his forehead, pushing his swaying body against the tub for support. Whoever this was seemed to at least care about his health. The cool touch to his boiling forehead made him sigh in relief, his eyes closing to savor the feeling. Unfortunately it didn’t last long, making him moan in protest. Opening his eyes he found the man gone again. Where’d he go? Why’d he leave?

Opening his eyes more, the world became blue and purple again, a golden aura coming towards him. The man kneeled in front of him and pressed a frozen dinner against his forehead, making him shudder.

Oh, that felt good.

“How are you not brain dead?!” He heard him gasp, making Leo open his eyes a little more. Strange, the ringing was slowly subsiding, his senses returning. He opened his mouth to respond when he saw something  - a black mass at the corner of his eye, making him turn slightly. The aura was somewhat far despite being close, meaning he must be seeing through the wall. It looked like this thing was crawling in from an open window, prompting him to whimper.

“-but I need my hands in case we’re attacked!”

Attacked? Did he not hear or see the black mass that was now lingering in the doorway of the bathroom blocking off their only exit?!

It crept closer and closer, making him realize that no, this man had no clue there was a creature behind him. But what could he do about it aside from hyperventilate?

“Leo-” a familiar voice pierced through the haze, making him take a deep breath. That voice - it belonged to someone dear to him. “You need to remain calm. We’re almost there.”

That voice- “Mr… Klaus…?” He somehow managed out, a few pieces of his life slowly coming back.

Libra, right. He came to Hellsalem’s Lot to locate Libra and find a way to restore his sister’s eyesight. Now he was part of that organization, helping the real heroes maintain at least some balance in the world by fighting off the dickheads who set their sights on world domination.

Speaking of dickheads, the gooey black creature behind Zapp stopped and rose a hand, the appendage forming into a sharp blade.

Words failed him, he couldn’t even muster up a whimper. His eyes sparked as he did the only thing he could think of; he hijacked Zapp’s eyes, letting him see his view.

It happened too fast for him to process in his current state, but within a blink of an eye the man was standing while the other creature was splattered all over the walls.

“What the hell was that thing?!” The man yelped as Leo was quickly picked up, much to his displeasure. He had to close his eyes to prevent himself from blacking out, but not before he caught a glimmer of more of those things clambering through the window.

“Shit - if you wanna live kid you gotta give me your eyes again!”  

Eyes? Why did the man want his eyes-

Oh, right.

He opened them to see a deformed globby hand reaching out for him, only a few inches away from his face-

Until it burst into black goo - a blood red sword shimmering in the light.

“That was too close,” the man scowled as he took off running out the door, holding tightly onto his small body. “I know it’s hard but you gotta keep lending me your eyes or we’re done for, got it?”

Leo couldn’t even say anything as they made a sharp turn, barely dodging one of those goo creatures as it slammed into a wall, bursting upon impact.

“Hold this-” the man demanded, barely giving the kid enough time to wrap his weak fingers around the cellular device.

“What the hell’s going on over there Zapp?!” A voice came from the phone, seeming annoyed and slightly panicked.  

“Something Otherworldly’s chasing us, I can only see it ‘cause Leo hijacked my vision,” Zapp quickly interrupted his boss, not knowing how much time they had before Leo fell unconscious. With the way the borrowed sight kept cutting in and out, they wouldn’t even make it down the street, let alone out the building. “You wanna die you scruffy nutsack?! Concentrate on lending me your fucking sight!”

Die? So these things were trying to kill them?

“How many are there?” Steven asked, shushing someone in the background.

Chancing a glance back, Zapp hissed. The one that collided with the wall was already slowly reforming. “I’m counting at least five, maybe six. They can apparently regenerate themselves.”

“Do you see any auras - colors surrounding them?”

Zapp opened his mouth-

An explosion rocked the building as a black sludgy hand slammed into the wall right in front of them. The sword quickly burst apart into strings that wrapped around- around thin air??

Zapp’s eyes widened in horror, but didn’t lose concentration as he slipped his lighter out with his free hand. “Seventh Hell!” The strings of blood burst into flames, a screeching wail shattering the windows in the building. Zapp wasted no time feeling the heat through his clothes as he jumped past the flames and out the hole the creature created in the building. “Come on wake up kid, we really need you right now!”

He punctured his palm with the device, using his blood to swing from building to building like Spiderman, much to his distaste. This whole situation sucked ass, and it was about to get even worse considering none of them could see the fuckers with Leo unconscious.

“Leo can you hear me?” Zapp asked almost frantically, hearing a large crash behind them. Glancing back he paled. Those creatures had enough strength to knock a stoplight over and into traffic, which meant they had the strength to bend and break metal. Then again one of them did make a gaping whole through a building, so he really shouldn’t be surprised. He was more worried about one of them getting close enough and hittingthem with that strength.

“Come on kid you have to wake up! What happened to that self-righteous spirit of yours? I’m gonna get killed because of your shitty luck - you can’t give up!” He shook the other violently as he continued to swing, ultimately knowing it wasn't Leo’s fault, not with that blistering fever. He was honestly shocked the kid wasn’t dead yet.

The hair on the back of his neck stood up on end.

There was no time to react. He didn’t even get to turn his head to watch thin air grab him, squeezing tightly.

Leo - he was holding him under his other arm, the angle and pressure from the grip probably literally suffocating him. He had to do something, and fast.

Risk levels flew out the window as he gripped the device that was still in his palm. “Blade Form One: Homuramaru!”

A loud screech shattered the windows of the nearby buildings as the grip disappeared, the two of them free falling. Zapp glanced up as he tried regaining his breath, seeing the black goo that had been holding them now visible as it fell with them. How could he fight something he could only see after it’s taken a hit?  

“Focus dickhead,” Chain’s voice snapped him into reality as she grabbed the back of Zapp’s shirt and yanked them with her, slowly gliding away and down towards a blood net Zed stood by.

“For your information I was . It’s not my fault these sons of bitches can’t be seen by normal eyes!” Zapp wailed, making Chain click her tongue.

“Just die-” A spray of red broke through their banter, along with a half seethe, half yelp from Zapp as the arm he held Leo in ignited with fierce pain. He barely felt the small body being yanked from his profusely bleeding arm as it felt like something was tearing the flesh right off the bone, making him let out a shrill scream.

Chain immediately looked over and felt her heart pumping in her ears. Leo was being pulled away from them by thin air as red sprayed like a geyser from Zapp’s arm. Both needed her help, but she could only help one.

“Blade Form Five, Piercing Dragon Spear!” Zed’s voice growled from below, a blood formed trident sailing past the werewolf and half conscious blood user, barely missing Leo and piercing something in midair. A small pterodactyl like screech made the buildings shake as black ooze dripped from the wound like blood. “Blade Form Two, Sky Slicing Strands!” The fish hybrid commanded the blood to transform into string, encasing the invisible enemy and squeezing tightly, forcing it to stop it’s retreat.

Chain let out a sigh of relief as she dove even faster, letting herself and Zapp land in the blood net. Normally she let whoever she saved fall themselves, but the idiot was really hurt, meaning she’d probably have to administer first aid.  

“Zapp’s injured,” she relayed the information as her eyes saw movement and looked up, seeing Steven approaching the invisible creature from a distance.

“Lanza del Cero Absoluto!” Large spears of ice launched into the air, the first one sailing past Leo. The second one hit, then the last. A loud pop made civilians scream and take cover as black goo rained upon the city, Leo becoming airborne. “Zed!” Steven cried, but there was no need. The fish hybrid was already running at top speeds.

“Wind Knitting!” A vortex of wind left him and spiraled all the way up, catching Leo and slowing his fall.

“Chain, take care of Zapp,” Klaus said as he walked up behind Steven, his blood device glowing. “Zed, take Leo back to the office, tell Anila to activate the defense systems once you’re in-” No one could follow as their leader moved, his blood spraying in the air and sailing up towards Leo, quickly forming into a lance. “Stechende Blitzattacke!” Another wall of goop showered onto the city below as the attack pierced the enemy that nearly had Leo pulled out of the vortex. Zed cursed under his breath as he released the winds, catching the unconscious brunette, being sure to support his neck so it didn’t snap.

Leo was flushed and sweating, his panting hoarse and raspy. He wasn’t doing too well.

“These things are after him and he’s the only one that can see them.” Klaus’s eyes narrowed, determination literally flaring off him. “We won’t let him fight an enemy only he can see alone - not again. We’ll do our best to cover you.”

“Understood,” Zed said into his ear piece as he took off running, keeping the shaking child close to his chest. “He’s not doing too well, he needs a doctor.”

“I’ll see if I can contact Dr Estevez. She should still be in the area,” Gilbert’s voice came from the ear piece. “Just focus on getting him to the office-”

His feet weren’t touching the ground, Gilbert’s voice cutting to a loud insistent ringing. The grip he had on Leonardo faltered for a moment, but it didn’t matter, not when they were literally flying through the air like they were the baseball to a batter who hit a home-run.

“Zed!” Steven yelled, cursing as the Libra members helplessly watched their coworkers tossed to the other side of the city to who knows where. Was the fish hybrid even still conscious? Did he still have Leo? This reminded them of when Leo was saving that government official and Deldro and Hummer accidentally hit him back to the start when they were so close to the finish line.

“He didn’t drop Leonardo,” Klaus reassured, though his anger even made the citizens turn away from him. “Gilbert, is Zed’s GPS still online?”

“Negative, it dropped off above Ghetto Heights.”

“Then that’s where we’ll start our search,” Klaus said. “Zed’s pretty capable, but we still need to find them and fast.”

----

The wind was whipping against his skin like sharp needles as his eyesight went in and out, making him curse. His back felt like it was on fire, not to mention his side. The pain there was so sharp he almost forgot to breath despite it being familiar.

One of his ribs undoubtedly broken, and it was digging into his skin. Whatever tried to grab them seemed to accidentally punch them, an attack that reminded him of Dog Hummer and Deldro’s Plain Punch Revised attack. At least it put some distance between them; hopefully Leo would wake up in time to lend him his sight before those creatures caught up to them.

Their speed started to slow as they started dropping out of the sky.

The ground was getting closer-

Shit- he let his blood flow. “Crimson Orb Weaver!” The blood zoomed past them and attached itself to two buildings, forming a net. Zed let out a breathless cry as they fell against it, his broken rib shifting and another breaking. The ropes snapped as they morphed back into normal blood while his world cut to black.