#Avengers Arena Ruins Everything

[paulsebert]

Watched Matt McMuscles new video and over on The Website Formerly Known as Twitter Gavin Jaspar remembered the time that one time a Marvel artist accidentally drew the wrong Hazmat.

[blindtaleteller]

Tags.. because people conveniently forget those were things, in Ragnarok: and blame it on the gay hate instead of what disliking -both- films actually is: they were both of them, very bad out of character films in the franchise: as out of character and universe/s, not to mention the running premise and basic concept of the franchise itself making the terms phase 3 and phase 4 a thing. The Thor corner started going off track with Gagnarok.

But and yes; just as he promised to back then? Waititi absolutely was keeping his promises to destroy the title and every character in it, all the way through into Love and Thunder. (Yes those at that link are Taika's actual, official interviews at the time screen shotted and scanned in from varied articles published both on the web and in hard print at the time.)

[folansstuff]

I'm bored, and you’ve been super kind, so here's a present for ya. I'm gonna try to come up with some genuinely good questions regarding Atticus. Some will be simple, while others will try to dig deeper. Here we go:

1. What is the most important thing in the world to Atticus? His undisputed #1 thing?

2. Would Atticus give this thing up if it meant saving mutantkind?

3. What angers Atticus most?

4. What saddens Atticus most?

5. What is Atticus' biggest flaw?

6. What is one regret he will carry for the rest of his life?

7. What made you follow the official timeline for his story instead of making your own?

8. Who do you think Atticus would be with if Illyana did not exist?

9. Is Atticus a genuinely good person to you? What dark traits does he have deep down, if any?

10. What could potentially turn him to a villain? If anything?

11. If you had to change his powers, what would they be?

12. How much of you has been reflected into this manbear?

And that is all for now! Hope you enjoy.

Thanks for the questions! I appreciate the questions, especially when they're thinkers like these ones. That being said, there are a lot of them so they're gonna go under a read more.

His books. It's Illyana. Of course it is. We are talking Illyana as number one, and then his students and team mates at second.

2. Absolutely not. This has more than once gotten him punched in the face for his stubbornness. His loyalty to Illyana is more than a little bit self-destructive lmao.

3. Atticus is an incredibly laid back dude, but literally any moment when he is forced to interact with Xavier makes him want to rip his hair out. Years of watching the egg-man ruin his friends, students and others lives because he think he knows best drives Atticus up the wall. Also Sinister, he exploded when he found out Sinister was on the Council.

4. SAD! KIDS! As a former traumatized teen and currently mildly traumatized adult, nothing upsets him more than seeing a young person having a rough time. This why he has so many (unofficial) adopted children (consisting of ever single student he has ever had).

5. A combo of stubbornness and, in a smaller sense, cowardice. Atticus has spent most of his adult life avoiding the superhero community, and until Krakoa, he was very committed to never getting involved. This has made him difficult to deal with, especially when he talks to people like the X-Men or Avengers. It also applies to his convictions, cause good luck getting him to budge once he's made a decision.

6. 3 big ones. Not stopping the Avengers from putting the Phoenix into Illyana, Piotr and Emma (he doesn't care enough about Summers or Namor to worry about them.) The other one is not being in Sydney when Australia's Sentinel program killed his mother accidentally. Notably he couldn't actually stop any of this from happening, but he still regrets it. Finally, he regrets leaving his job at Avengers Academy, since the events of Avengers Arena led to the deaths of a bunch of his students. (No wonder he's so protective.)

7. Honestly? It's easier LMAO. Not having to think as hard about the timeline of everything means that I can focus more on character work, which is really my area of expertise. And it's not like I can't mess with canon (the timeline I write in splits off after the 2023 Hellfire Gala) since comic canon is already so bullshit.

8. Uhhhhhhhhhh. I actually don't know? He's kinda crafted to fit well with her so much now that I have a hard time considering it. Maybe Emma? That could be a similar and cute relationship. Same thing with like, Lorna. Maybe there's a cursed timeline where he ends up with Boom-Boom. IDK, Atticus is drawn to people with Issues (and blondes), so that's probably your best bet.

9. Woah, big morality question. The boring answer is yes because I say so. But I think removing myself from that position as his creator, I do think he's a good dude. He definitely has his issues, but ultimately he just wants the best for himself and the people he cares about. If anything dying and coming back fused to a living garden has probably made him even nicer.

10. There's def an alternate universe where he's swayed to Magento's Brotherhood for a while, and I've looked at Beast's descent into villainy as a fun What If? thing. It would have to be if Illyana had died, or he let his more controlling elements take over.

11. Plants or making him a Telepath (of the unwanted voices variety). Honestly every time I write Atti's powers in action it gives me a headache, even though I think they're legitimately cool.

12. Uhhhhhh, some amount. As he developed he's actually gotten pretty far away, but it'd be silly to say nothing about Atti is similar to me. I'm Australian, and am currently in Uni for teaching, so there's the ones that 100% still apply at least. I wish I was as much a bear as Atticus is tho, I'm a little chubby, not quite as cuddly as he is (or hairy.).

[the-firebird69]

Avengers: Doomsday - Official Teaser | Robert Downey Jr.

This is going to come out and it's reputation is going to be gone as a superhero it's kind of a pirate and they're hard to deal with and they do weird s*** and they're mean but the rebels but the max fighting them are destroying them they can't help attacking each other can't stop attacking the pseudo empire this is not really empire at all and I don't know what to do with this team of people bothering me harassing me threatening me the phone is going down there and doing the job to get one of these ships before you all of your talk and your stupid costumes and your ass and nine tricks are going to be just that well I guess they are anyways this is retard s*** at its best you guys are doing things that everybody else wants you to here ignoring the truth I kind of need you to go down there cuz my people might be in these huge shifts that Dave prepared but you're so f****** stupid I just want to crush your face

Zues Hera

What has been saying is everything that we've ever been looking for is right down there and we can't figure it out even when we're told over and over and it makes a lot of sense and I did the testing on the petrified Stone and I'm probably doomed and that's what it makes sense about this is other people are doing it and it might help pull up and you just become another character and we've gotten caught imitating Tommy f and I said oh that makes sense yes it exosuit but for real it's because of the max down there and they don't want us there they don't want anyone up here I'm going ahead and putting this in writing

Iron Man

This makes sense that his imitating him got in trouble and the max are pushing it pushing him down but he tells me that sometimes he's not saying definitely they just go and I can see it they're going to attack and it's just trying to leave a large and it's not a happy time and you're not doing the right thing Trump and at a certain point it's going to be ruined and we understand that I do understand what you say he saw his whole clan to this they're very dangerous people now you see you idiots do it and you're extremely dangerous but hilarious this is the funniest rendition of Doom I've ever seen and you don't sound like him. And even the cartoon and the comic books it doesn't sound like it when you're kind of a f** I'm thankful for that but really we need the stupid s*** to stop and see each other fighting in this stuff and nobody knows what's going on there and it says that the ones in the caverns because they make clones and what's down below is what they're after he thinks and you're going to go to the insertion points and you'll figure it out and BG is one of the ones and he is going to become too and we're going to watch her friends fall apart and die just like we watched our families already

Stan

Hehehe it's kind of got a rude sense of humor like we do when he grew up with us that you people are falling off and becoming our enemies and it's freaky and it happens sometimes during normal times you get drunk and angry and just start charging you have to duck and you have to go to the side and you have to jump out of the way or knock You down now it's happening the whole time and you're doing it for hours and it's too hard

Says it might happen to us and I felt it and I'm afraid of it and he says do not feel the reaper or the reaper will have you and my clan did listen a lot of them they went all the attacking me and George was misrepresented and I remembered you say it and I said he wasn't even around that whole time as he's weirdos and they were tough though and they were bothering you but not that much said mostly they were still putting me in school and getting me food and getting me housing and it's true and it's cuz he's valuable in their arena and we actually need that he says there's hips down there and his brothers and sons and daughters build them and they are massive magnificent structures and their names are like what he was saying in Spain there's a portion of that area I believe it's even arcadians and we looked and that's what it is and it's the Northeast and we think that's what the song is about when Daniel leaves it's about Danielle as well but mostly Daniel it's a sad time we're starting to see you go PG

Stan

We hope he is okay when he dies and then he rest in peace he says shut up I'm not Dead

[blog-of-a-multitude-of-fandoms]

Enemies To Lovers- Loki Laufeyson (2)

Pairing: Loki Laufeyson x Reader

Characters: Loki Laufeyson

Warnings: N/A

Request: Anon- “I’m scared. What if somebody finds out about us?” With Loki?

Word Count: 574

Author: Charlotte

With only Loki on the planet as your ally, you had become a lot closer than you thought you would with someone you had once wished to see die. A friendship had quickly been forced between you, without anyone else to turn to but you quickly realised how well you got along. Maybe it was the isolation from anyone you knew, or maybe it was genuine attraction, but it didn’t take long before your friendship became more, and you were spending most of your time in his chambers instead of your own.

It wasn’t perfect but it made you happy, somehow Loki made you feel normal in a world where nothing was normal to the life you had expected to have as a child growing up on Earth. You didn’t need to hide from those who would be disappointed in the relationship, no one either of you knew having been in the same solar system let alone planet, at least not until you started paying attention to the Grandmaster’s arena and that his champion had once been an avenger. Even then it wasn’t too concerning, there was no way for Bruce, who you had only since seen as the hulk, would find out you were there, thanks to his role being within in the arena, but things only became more concerning when it seemed that an avenger’s reunion was occurring.

Another of the scrappers had brought in a possible fighter for the arena and you knew as soon as you saw him that he could ruin everything you had created on that planet. If Thor saw you or Loki, or even the two of you together, you would lose it all and that would likely include your life. As soon as you saw him, you sped off to find Loki, pulling him by the hand all the way back to his home to stop anyone else from hearing your conversation.

“What is the rush?” He laughed, taking both of your hands in his as soon as the front door had closed behind you.

“Your brother, he is here,” you whispered.

His face paled. “Thor is here?”

“A scrapper brought him in. The Grandmaster is putting him in the arena tonight. It was bad enough to know Bruce was here but now Thor as well. We will not be able to live in secret any longer.”

Loki raised your hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to the reverse of your hand. “No one will know. Neither will see us.”

You shook your head, fear running through you. “I’m scared. What if somebody finds out about us?”

“Are you ashamed of me?” He chuckled, pulling you closer to him.

“This is not a joke. If Thor or Bruce managed to see us and let anyone else know we were once enemies and now lovers, we would be sent into the arena, and we would not have the pleasure of being massacred like the others by the hulk, even though I’m sure he’d love to get his hands on you. We’d be sent in to fight one another until one of us was dead and then the survivor would go against his champion to meet the same fate.”

“I promise you, no one will ever know,” he said softly. “We cannot allow our pasts to haunt our present.”

You let out a sigh. “I do not know how to believe that, but I trust you.”

[majingojira]

Avengers Academy volume 1 had several guest appearances from other young heroes, primarily in the second half. First was the Runaways. Then the New X-Men as part of a crossover event. Then Marvel burned that generation down (Avengers Arena Ruins Everything), so by the time of Infinity/Inhumanity, Avengers Academy was gutted for the new wave of Inhuman characters (who all fizzled save for Kamala Khan). We only now got a new class at Avengers Academy, but no crossover have occurred yet.

Have any students from Xavier’s school, Strange Academy, Avengers Academy, or the Future Foundation met? I think it would be a comedy gold mine if they did.

[sjbattleangel]

Clearing the air and more

Seems a toxic comic fan mispresented everything I was trying to say (I’m not going to link it) It can be best summed up as page that is one big “NU-UH!” What they are saying is pure gaslighting garbage with helpings of DARVO (Deny, Attack ,and reverse victim, and offender.) so let’s get a few things clear...

1)I never called for “Gatekeeping” nor did I ever ever say rubbish like “Stop disliking things I like!” 

2) Never did I once say that snarky criticism or that criticising bad writing is is akin to death threats. 

3) In relation to the two points above, I was calling out the disrespectful treatment and ad homidium attacks they levering at professional creators and how, in turn they lead to a toxic atmosphere of bullying where, as result, some dangerous morons would think you’re giving them the thumbs-up to go after a creator.

  *To them, G**m G*b**n, O**tr**s****bl*g and other toxic fans* So the writer wrote a few stories you didn’t like. Okay, You have every right to dislike an author's work along with every right to criticize said work. That said, it doesn’t it give you the right to personally insult their personal character or vilify them! Look, writers like Joshua Williamson, James Tynion IV and Scott Snyder among others are not perfect, they make mistakes and might produce the occasional flop but they are great writers. They know what they are doing, they love Cass and Steph, know them very well. Plus, they how much we care about them. Sure, because of comic book stuff (Rebooting the universe every so often and editorial direction etc.) these versions of Cass and Steph may not be the same as their old counterparts-in fact, they may be completely different characters-but they're still the same characters we know and love in spirit. Yet no matter many fantastic Orphan/Spoiler/Batgirls stories they give us, you keep spitting them out, shouting “It’s not good enough!” and accuse them of “Destroying them even more.” Nothing is ever “good enough” for you. Nothing ever pleases you. It’s “One More Day” all over again. For you, ever since “War Games” and “Robin: One Year Later,” Cass and Steph have been “ruined forever.” What!?!  Did these stories really “ruin them” for you? Did they really “ruin them” for you so much that you now hate every single thing remotely related to them? Even if those things, though not perfect, are trying desperately to please you?

To quote Peggy Hill:  "They don't know what they want...only what they DON'T want."

These “fans” don’t want “new stories”. They just want to live in an endless time-loop, in an age of innocence before horrible storylines like "One More Day," "Avengers Academy: Arena," "Avengers Undercover," "War Games" and "Robin: One Year Later" ever happed yet here, they never happen. This shows that they're no better than, if very much alike, the far-right, fascist men-children of The fandom Menace/Comicsgate/Gamergate clamoring for an eternal "EXXXTREEEEMMMMMEEEEE", "apolitical" past when there was "no feminist, diversity-hire, virtual-signaling pandering junk" and other stupid claims. Linkara has words for both groups:

I understand the hurt you feel, I understand the wanting to relieve the “Arcadia of your youth” before those horrendous storylines happened. Sadly, no-matter how much you want it, that age of innocence is never going to come back. What is past will forever be in the past. 

Instead of dwelling on things that made us angry, instead attacking creators just doing their jobs, we could be much better, more healthy fandom. A fandom celebrates a better, more positive future without letting go of happy memories.  A fandom that doesn’t tear down people (creators or fans). 

We are better then this. We need to change.

“You can change. You can.”                             -Cassandra Cain (Batgirl Vol 1 (2000-2006) #36

Batgirls-InHyuk Lee

[themadlostgirl]

When It’s Cold (3)

*It’s the mutual pining for me*

~~~

A few weeks had passed of Felix and I living together and trying to find our way back to Neverland. So far all our ideas and plans lead to nothing and I was starting to get disheartened. It felt like we were never going to get back to Neverland at this rate.

Life in the mansion was pretty nice though. We were a little worried during the first week, paranoid that someone was going to return and throw us out into the cold but no one even came near the house. I was starting to wonder if anyone besides us even knew it was here.

Over the course of our stay I learned how to do laundry and bought a bike so I could get to and from town quicker. Felix and I had discussed stealing a car but seeing as how neither of us knew how to drive and stealing a car would put us under investigation we didn’t. Felix on the other hand turned out to be quite adept at cooking. He found a recipe book in one of the drawers of the kitchen and seemed to enjoy figuring out how to make certain dishes. Aside from a few burned casseroles and a very unfortunate miscommunication involving spaghetti he was doing really well. Almost every evening he had some new dish ready for dinner. I started baking again so we always had warm brownies or chocolate chip cookies in the house.

Life was good. When we weren’t looking into ways back to Neverland we were lounging around the house. We found a record player in one of the rooms and played it when it was too quiet. A few times I had caught Felix dancing around the kitchen while cooking dinner at which point he immediately stopped and pretended he wasn’t. It made him a whole lot less intimidating seeing that he was secretly a bit of a dork underneath the hard exterior.

I think that was the best part of being stuck here together. We were learning more about each other. Felix was really closed off from conversations at first but after a few days his tongue loosened up. I learned that he got the scar on his face as a result of an incident before he came to Neverland though he couldn’t remember what exactly. He preferred sweet over salty and loved chocolate covered pretzels. On Neverland he used to collect sand dollars until the other boys found his collection and smashed them all. It was nice learning these little things about him. It made me feel like we were closer.

When the idle days became too much to bear we turned to sparring to keep the boredom away. We turned the ballroom into a sparring arena so we wouldn’t lose our edge. So far we’ve only broken one vase!

One such day we were in the ballroom again fighting and I had finally got a leg up on Felix and pinned him to the ground. “Gotcha!” We were both breathing hard and I was sat right on top of him with my arms pinning his wrists against the floor. I froze as the position we were in rocketed into my mind. Felix took the moment of hesitation to break free from my hold and rolled us over so I was pinned under him. I could have argued that this position was even worse.

I swear I tried not to stare at his lips. I really did but one quick flicker down his face and I couldn’t stop looking no matter how many times I forced my eyes to look back up at his eyes.

He let me go when he saw I had completely checked out of the fight and left, leaving me reeling on the floor as to what just happened.

For as friendly as things between Felix and I got there was a problem running parallel to it. I had hoped that the last of my dirty thoughts and weird feelings for Felix would have gone away after that first day but it seemed to be having the opposite effect. The closer Felix and I got as friends the more I was pining after him and it was torture!

At some point I stopped trying to deny my body the release it craved when my mind created lewd fantasies of Felix. There was nothing wrong if it was all in my head. No one would have to know and our relationship as roommates, partners, and friends would be untarnished.

I had everything under control. That is until the night the electric went out.

There had been a huge snow storm and it knocked out power to the whole town. Huddled under a bunch of blankets and thick warm layers of clothes helped keep out any chill but it didn’t keep me warm enough. I had left the warmth of my room to start a fire in the fireplace and noticed that it was already lit. Felix was sitting in front of it with a blanket wrapped around him.

“Cold got to you too?” I asked as I sat down next to him.

“Didn’t realize how much I hated being cold until the heat turned off.” He sighed.

We sat in companionable silence for a while, listening to the fire crackle.

“Felix,” I finally said, “Do you think we’re ever gonna find a way out of here and back to Neverland? It’s been over a month and we haven’t made any headway.”

“I know.” Felix turned to look at me, “It gets a little harder everyday to keep up the flimsy hope that we’ll get back home.”

“I’m sorry I made come here.” I told him, “You would be back on Neverland without a worry in the world if I hadn’t asked you to come with me.”

“My decisions are my own. No use blaming yourself for them.” Felix ruffled my hair, the only form of affection he willingly showed.

“So why then?” I asked, “Why did you come to Storybrooke with me?”

“Why did you ask me to come?” He countered.

I took a deep breath. This same old impasse.  He wouldn’t answer me unless I answered him first.

“I wanted to have someone I knew I could rely on.” I answered, “The boys that left on the ship with the adults couldn’t be relied on. They wanted families and lives away from Neverland. They wouldn’t help me get revenge for what those bastards did to Pan. But you were always loyal and I knew that you would help me if it meant avenging him.”

“You could have asked any of the other boys that chose to stay. They were also loyal. Why not ask one of them? Or was it that you had and I turned out to be the only one who said yes?” Felix said, drawing the blanket in closer around him.

“I didn’t ask anyone else. I asked you because I knew you were the only one I could trust. The only one I wanted to come with me.”

This caught Felix’s attention. He opened and closed his mouth as if searching for something to say but came up short.

“So now you have to answer my question.” I turned towards him fully, “Why did you come with me?”

His mouth snapped shut and he looked away from me. I feared he may leave without giving me an answer but he stayed seated. An internal war dueling inside his mind as he mulled over what to tell me.

Finally he exhaled and searched my eyes. There was something softer about the way he gazed at me that had me holding my breath. When he spoke it was barely a whisper and had me leaning closer to hear.

“I came with you because...because I…” He swallowed, “I came with you because I didn’t want to be on Neverland without you. We never hung out but I was never ignorant of you. You brought so much life to those around you and I...”

“Felix,” I exhaled. I reached to touch him but he pulled away just as I did. He started to stand up but I grabbed the blanket around him halting his actions.

Felix stared down at me, eyes wide and panicked. He looked like a rabbit caught in a trap.

“Please don’t go!” I blurted out. “You don’t have to run from me.”

“What makes you think I’m running?” He asked, his voice low.

“What else would you call this?” I stood up as well. “It’s just us here, Felix. No one else can hear or see what we do. You don’t need to act tough and stoic for the sake of your reputation. I’ve already seen you dance around the kitchen while cooking soup. I think the masks can come off now.”

“I’m not wearing a mask, little girl.” He spat.

“Keep telling yourself that.” I turned to leave. Why had I said anything? I completely ruined any and all progress we had been making up to this point. If I thought he might have been distant before he was sure to keep away from me now. Stupid feelings and hormones making me say things I shouldn’t be saying!

“Wait!” Felix caught me at the staircase. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with this anymore and it must have been evident in my eyes as he turned me around to look at him. “Just wait a moment.”

“Felix, I’m tired in more ways than one. Just let me go.” I tried to shrug his arms off me.

“Please,” The word bled from his lips. I don’t think I’ve ever heard Felix say please in my life. “Please just give me a moment.”

“A moment for what?”

“To think.”

“Think of what?” I demanded. “Whatever it is you want to say just say it.”

“I--I--” He stammered. “Damn it,” he hissed before slamming his lips to mine.

The sheer force of the kiss nearly knocked me backwards. The ferocity of which he kissed me was hungry and passionate. Like he was drowning and looking for air. The blanket around me dropped to the floor as I clung onto him to keep balanced. My lips moved against his with similar excitement. My heart was hammering so loud in my chest it was all I could hear.

When the need for air became too much we pulled back. Felix rested his head against mine. Eyes screwed shut. I was still trying to wrap my mind around what had just happened when he cursed under his breath and shot past me on the stairs. The sound of a door slamming shut broke me out of my haze.

Felix kissed me.

Not a quick kiss either.

Felix kissed me like I had been dreaming about for the past several weeks. I tentatively touched my lips, savoring the memory of the way his mouth felt against mine. I quickly doused the fire in the living room and rushed up the stairs. I hovered outside of Felix’s door trying to find the courage to knock.

“I know you’re out there,” Felix’s muffled voice came from within startling me. “I suggest you save whatever you have to say and take it with you back to your own room.”

“Felix,” I sighed, “I think we need to talk about what happened on the stairs.”

“Forget about it.” He snapped, “I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“I think you do. I think you know exactly what you were doing and that scares you more than if you were just reacting out of hormones.” I snapped back. “So how about you stop running and hiding from me and give me a straight answer for once!”

“I said to go away!”

“Fine!” I shouted, banging my fist against the door, “But you should know that I didn’t mind it at all you insufferable ass! I actually quite enjoyed it but, of course, you don’t care about that. Goodnight Felix.”

I stormed off back to my room and slammed the door shut behind me. I rolled into bed but sleep did not come easily. My feelings before were only more confused now after Felix had kissed me. How could he just kiss me after saying something unexpectedly sweet and then abandon me without a single word of explanation?

How is it even possible to like someone you hate so much?

~~~

Felix is a fucking idiot.

That’s it. That’s all it was. He was an idiot and he had proven that more than well enough tonight when he kissed you. Oh god above he actually broke and kissed you. He told you why he had been so willing to follow you away from Neverland and then he kissed you.

In the moment he couldn’t get the words he knew he owed you out. They were there scrambled in his brain but unable to get past his tongue. So he put his mouth to a better use.

He nearly moaned when he got a taste of you. Your breath was minty. Your lips so soft against his. He hadn’t meant to get so lost in it. But he finally had you in his arms and he didn’t want to let the sensation go.

Then you were kissing him back. Your hands tangled in his hair pulling him closer. Urging him on as he pressed your bodies together. He could have gone on forever kissing you if reality and common sense hadn’t come back to him in the moment you both were catching your breath.

He was supposed to be finding a way back to Neverland, not making out with you! But it felt so good to kiss you. You had been so perfect and warm in his arms. Thoughts of picking you up carrying you back to his room had entered his mind but were just as quickly dashed away. He couldn’t afford to be distracted. Not even by you.

You came pounding on his door yelling at him about his rude treatment towards you. Screaming about how you enjoyed the kiss as well. That almost had him running to unlock the door but the sound of your door slamming down the hall left him sat on the floor in frustration. How could he fix this? Was there anyway that he could? Would you even want anything to do with him after tonight?

Your words came back to him in that moment of contemplation. “It’s just us here, Felix. No one else can hear or see what we do.”

You were right. Of course you were right. No one else’s opinions mattered. There was no reputation to protect or people to disappoint here. He was not here for anyone to gossip about around a bonfire. It was just the two of you in this big mansion alone. There was no need to be embarrassed.

If only he had come to that realization before he shut you out for good.

There was one thing he could do to make this right. It could also backfire on him horribly but he’d rather try and fail then lose you forever because of one careless night. He would need electricity to do it but hopefully it would be back on in the morning. Restless but determined Felix crawled into bed. Plans of how to fix this mess so he could have your soft lips on his again dancing in his head.

---

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[paulsebert]

A letter to Marvel

To the Runaways Creative Team,

Let me first off say that Runaways and Sentinel are two books that mean a lot to me on a personal level. These book came out at a time when I had just graduated college, was stuck in a dead-end job and it felt like the real world was spinning out of control. I had just left the world of adolescence yet the world of adulthood suddenly struck me as insane and terrifying.  These were two comics whose leads who felt relatabled real in way that the X-Men and the Teen Titans didn't. Unfortunately much to my dismay the Tsunami imprint of comics wasn't long for this world.  Good books don't always sell, but my love of these two books did inspire me to start writing about comics for several different websites (I even worked with current Marvel editor Ben Morse for awhile.) Thankfully Runaways gathered enough of a fan following to be revived as an ongoing and Sentinel got a mini-series to bring it to a satisfying conclusion.

Over the years I would thrill as the Runaways met superheros, traveled in time, and new characters like Xavin and Klara would join the crew.  Alas the fate of the book would be one all too familiar.  After Brian K.Vaughn left the title bounced around various creative teams, some with very good ideas, some with... well not so good ideas.  I ended up taping out around the mess that was the “Rock Zombies” arc and kicking myself because I still loved Nico, Chase, Karolina, etc so much.  Of course I would see the kid again in tie-ins and guest appearances but it never was quite the same.  

Then came a little book called Avengers Academy that really reignited my love of teen superheros. There were cool new characters, guest stars galore (Juston from Sentinel even go to be a supporting cast member) and even a team-up with the Runaways!  It felt good to read and it seemed to be gathering a cult following of it's own... Then came Arena.

Avengers Arena was a book that upset me in a way that no superhero comic should upset an adult. It was a title that filled me with with an unhealthy amount of stress and disgust when it was coming out and a weird gallows humor today. I honestly place it in the rankings “Batman War Games” and “Avengers 200.”  At least Nico and Chase got off somewhat easy despite bad writing and some awful character redesigns. Poor Mettle and Juston deserved so much better.

Nico would later appear in A-Force a book that deserved a longer ryn and well that seemed to be the end of the Runaways. Until now.

To be honest I was fairly anxious when a new Runaways series was announced with a writer I had never heard of at the helm.  I had wanted a new Runaways series for ages yet I couldn't stomach the thought of a bad one. It was a gamble... that thankfully feels like it paid off. The art by Kris Anika is good and writer Rainbow Rowell seems to have Nico and Chase's characters down perfect.  The first issue isn't a big story in the traditional superhero sense, but it's a thrilling rescue. It's a small-ish story but one that feels deeply personal.  It feels like a homecoming and a triumph.

So I'm already looking forward to the next issue. I'm eager and willing to see what what happens with Karolina and Molly plus it's great to have Gert back.  Maybe we'll see Klara and Xavin again down the line. It looks like it should be a heck of a ride.

Paul Sebert Barboursville, West Virginia

P.S.: Since we got Gert back and only Bucky, no... Gwen Stacy, no Jason Todd, uh... Uncle Ben stays dead it would mean a lot to me if you find a way if a certain kid with a giant robot guest-stars.

[hellyeahheroes]

It's time to complain about Arena again. Also known as, talking about almost every aspect of Arena.

- majingojira

Nico Minoru's Magic Part 2

Continued from Here.

So, Avengers Arena.

Avengers Arena is a story told by a writer who has no idea how the genre works and only a fair grasp of how the characters function at best.

This is easily demonstrated by what is established as Nico's status quo for the next few years in this book.

First off, Nico died. She casts a spell for help, and BOY does she get it.

In addition to once more supposedly 'bosting' her magic. She also gains a generic magical blast-attack without incantation, and the Flying Brick standard superhero package. A low end version. Marvel Universe grid method, she'd be at 5's for Strength, Speed, and Durability. Putting her in the same class as most of the 'bricks' in Marvel like Carol Danvers (uncharged), Teddy Altman, and Sif for Strength. Firebird or a basic Power Armor (Iron Man, Iron Heart) for speed, and Luke Cage, Rage, and Emma Frost for durability.

If that seems wholly generic, let that set the tone for the rest of what Nico has to go through for the next few years.

Fun Fact, the preview pages for this issue were actually released BEFORE the preview pages for #11 because her death caused that much backlash online.

Man, even re-reading it about a decade later still gets my stomach all twisted.

So, why should I suffer alone?

Avengers Arena #12

As you can tell, Dennis "Hopeless" Hallum (he chose the nickname for himself) really wants to try and be like Joss Whedon, but lacks the wit.

Having already established that Nico draws her power from negative emotional experiences -- Pain and Suffering, we have that wiped away for Blood. Gamifying the entire system. Now, we can keep track of her health bar (which they had in this series) and correlate it to her overall power access.

But here's the thing: Why should anyone believe Arcade?

In this series, he doesn't even make this Murdeworld, he commissions someone else to do it for him! And what occurs already fits in with multiple things of what is established (Pain/suffering fueling magic, the "Help" spell she cast with her dying breath). So it's REALLY easy to dismiss Arcade here as talking out of his ass.

I mean, this is comic books, we're used to stupidity ("I'm sealing up the fault lines, this is a good thing!"), but not with its own BS as much as this is.

So, it's easier to dismiss Arcade's claims as warrantless, because, really, why would you believe him? He's not just a liar, he's an idiot.

Especially in Arena, despite assertions to the contrary.

The next tidbit we get on Nico's new Magic Staff and Magic Arm of Super-Powered Disability doesn't come until the sequel series Avengers Undercover.

Because it makes dismissing Arcade as an idiot harder.

Avengers Undercover #7

Yes, Alex came back with this series. No, it was actually worse than Arena because it's hook was underwhelming by comparison.

Anyway, while the reliance on "It's totally blood magic now, you guys!" dumbing down of Nico's power, the idea that she's coating in a magical energy field to explain her Strength/Speed/Durability is a pretty viable one.

But the Arm of Disability Super-Powers earns its name rather... handily.

And I am not sorry for that pun.

The analysis of Nico's combat strategy is ... also deeply lacking, but that's another topic.

Once Dennis Hallum was done (Fun Fact #2: Hallum fought for this issue's topic specifically even though by this point, he knew he had only 4 issues left to finish the series), Nico was put in Limbo... until A-Force.

Where interviewers noted that her inclusion was weird because of her... being nearly Hawkman'd.

No new Magic, but Nico continued to display Super Strength in the Secret Wars volume. Why?

Because she took down an Asgardian. Physically.

Not just that, but a MEMBER OF THE THOR CORPS!

A-Force Vol. 1 #4

Arcadia Nico is ... Broken. Flat out Broken.

Anyway, when A-Force is formed in 616, Nico has a Power Up that is actually intelligent after the dumbing down of Dennis Hallum.

A-Force vol. 2 #2

Here, we have Nico taking down a cosmic being in a word, growing in power with her pain and suffering in-line with the Vaughn and Whedon run, AND the most logical expansion of her powers: Linguistic Advancement.

In the series, she is shown speaking fluent Japanese, and using Estonian as a "Heal" word. With 6,500, she has a lot to go with!

Another clever use of her powers comes from using coordinates to teleport.

A-Force vol. 2 #8

Elsewhere in the series, she gets to show off her powers by ... laying out She-Hulk, Captain Marvel, a Dazzler-Thor, and the rest of her teammates multiple times. Depowering them, knocking them out, etc. She also got to fight hard against mind control and subvert the worst of what her controller could do.

A-Force Nico is Peak Nico in terms of raw power.

But it does have some limits. She can keep multiple spells going at once, but doing so is hard for her. This may be an energy thing, but it may be a focus thing as well.

A-Force vol. 2 #6

She does get to punch out the lady mind-controlling her later on, and in One Punch no less.

But after choking out a Valkyrie-Thor, that's pretty pat.

The next really big change to Nico's powers comes in the current Runaways volume (5) with the reveal of The One, a sorcerer who was turned into the Staff and made a deal to use his magic to the benefit of the original caster.

But this is still developing as a story, the 'rules', basically allowing him to parasitize her senses (and probably take full control of her body, you know how these things go). Is also alters the history of the Staff from an implicit long linage to starting with the Witchbreaker.

Which has once again made her more powerful, but it's a much worse deal.

And...it's still developing. I'm hoping it reveals to be her grimmshape, but only time will tell.

So I won't go into as much detail with this. We'll see where it goes.

[spandexinspace]

2, 7, 8, 15, 24, 44

2. What character death for the sake of drama was the worst?

Mettle in Avengers Arena. AA itself was an absolute waste of time and space, but there was no reason for poor Mettle to die like that. He didn't need to die.

7. What “throwaway” character could they have done more with?

Not quite a throwaway since he did belong to the main cast of a comic ten years ago, but I always kinda hoped Striker would get more attention. His entire thing is perhaps a little outdated at this point, but he grew on me and had a nice bit of character growth.

Also, Lyrl. Not totally a throwaway either, but we haven't seen him in over a decade and he's been in like three comics. He's a fun character and honestly, the comedic potential of one of the smartest people in the universe being a kinda bratty and smug teenage alien who knows some really weird people is right there.

8. What hero doesn’t deserve their hype?

Batman. Both in and out of universe.

He's really nothing special out of universe, aside from having been around for a very long time, but he gets hyped to all hell and back for it. What especially annoys me is that there's a segment of the audience that treats Batman as the only "mature" and therefore acceptable option in the genre (occasionally alongside characters like The Punisher), and go on and on about how realistic he is. As if his entire character isn't just as unrealistic as any other superhero.

I think the hype out of universe is what ruins him in universe too. Because as it is now he dominates DC's entire output, he's focal part of most events and crossovers and it often feels like the entire universe warps itself to accommodate him, especially in crossover books (which is where I usually have to see him). Other characters will suck at things they should be good at or mess up for no reason, or he'll suddenly gain skills or knowledge he shouldn't have. And if he messes up it's justified by the narrative and he comes out on top at the end anyway.

It often feels like DC, who are fully aware that he's their cashcow, don't want to risk upsetting his fans or making him look "bad", so they do everything in their power to make him the most competent and important person in the room no matter who else is there. Which is very annoying. Especially when fans praise him for being such an underdog or a man among gods or whatever. Because he's so often portrayed as someone who can compete on their level without really breaking a sweat and at that point he's nowhere near an underdog.

Also all that but like ten times worse for all the Batmen in Metal. Awful concepts all around, I have no idea how they got so damn popular. Especially Dawnbreaker, he's a little bitch and Venditti was correct when he refused to make Hal job to him.

15. Tell me about a plotline that could have been interesting if anyone else wrote it.

Providing that editorial could also keep their fingers out of it, Heroes in Crisis.

Exploring the ways being a superhero/having powers affects mental health or what underlying issues some characters have? Could be an interesting story if handled well.

Assigning random conditions to random characters for no reason, including off beat jokes and memes in the middle of serious moments and then turning the entire thing into a shitty, unsolvable murder mystery and character assassination fest? Absolute garbage.

24. Ship(s) that makes you cringe.

Oh, if this ain't a minefield.

SuperBat is up there for me. The romantic chemistry is not there and I've never seen anything that made it work. Outside of Midnighter and Apollo I guess, but they've moved beyond being pastiches.

Kyle/Sora was, as some would call it, terrible. Not only didn't they have any chemistry, they also both became worse characters while together. Also Kyle/Carol, which wasn't as bad but still didn't feel right at all.

Then there's Supercorp, where it's the fandom that is oh so cringy. The ship itself is just off my radar entirely, but the way the fandom try to insert themselves in everything and play the victim at every turn is ridiculous.

44. Any characters you used to like but grew to dislike?

Beast Boy. My first real fandom was the TT cartoon fandom and I was obsessed with BB back then, but I didn't start reading comics until much later and had no idea what he was like in the comics. One of the first comics I got my hands on was a Teen Titans Child's Play, where he's a horrible creep, and it was the killing blow to my declining interest in the character.

More recently there's Jon. He was pretty decent for a child character and it was fun to see Clark and Lois as parents (again). He wasn't the most interesting character in his own right, but his existence opened doors to intersting concepts. Then the age up happened and now he barely has a personality and his stories are under-developed and can't seem to stick to one single direction or concept. Which makes it very hard to like him as a character.

[huskeddevotee]

I really wish we could have seen more CoV. For them being our main enemy, they’re hardly a factor in the story. 

You’re never fighting the CoV, you’re fighting Ty and Troy. That worked in BL2, where the bad guy was a CEO and your frontline enemies were just his hapless employees doing as they were told. The Hyperion employees don’t care, they don’t matter - Jack matters, so you only interact with him. 

But the Fanatics are so doped about the idea of maiming you. They want you dead, not just because Tyreen told them to kill you, but they hate your and the Raiders’ guts. The Fanatics are all of the bandit clans that the Vault Hunters cut through like butter, and they want vengeance and to appease their gods.

And we literally never see them. 

We shoot at them. That’s it. That’s our interaction with the CoV. 

We never get to see how they actually feel about the Twins. We don’t get to see in-fighting as the game progresses and people realize they’re full of sh*t, watching their brothers and sisters die by the hundreds and their ‘Gods’ not do anything to save them. We don’t get to see the different bandit clans clash from culture differences. We don’t see how the Twins are worshiped, if the cult is more social media-based or if it’s just a plain cult with social media flair. We don’t get to see why the Twins are worshiped in the first place. In an Echo recording, Ty promises food and shelter and everything people stranded in hell would want.

Does the CoV even provide that?

We don’t know. We don’t see people have food, water, medicine, clean shelter, or anything like that - nothing has changed about the bandits, so why would we think that? It looks like the Twins promised all of those things in the Great Vault. It looks like the CoV was built off of empty promises and people desperate enough to listen. This could have been a fascinating thing to watch and discover, but...no one cared enough to put it in.

And god, you barely get to interact with Tyreen and Troy themselves. Not like how you did with Jack. 

When against Hyperion, you did all kinds of sh*t to tick off Jack that had nothing to do with the main story. You released animals in the Preservation. You blew up their trains and stole their Eridium. You liberated Overlook from Hyperion control. You killed his girlfriend and presumably liberated Lynchwood from Hyperion control. You killed his assassins in Three Horns. You destroyed his Arena, Statues, robots, and infrastructure in Opportunity. 

And all of this felt really god-dang good. The satisfaction of breaking his crap knew no bounds, and still feels so victorious to this day. You developed an actual rivalry with Jack - he wanted you dead not just because you were opposing him, but actually screwing with him on the side that had no effect in the actual war. You were just ruining his art pieces for the fun of it and it made a relationship with Jack. That’s why his boss fight was so personal - you screwed with him, and he bit back at you hard by killing Roland, kidnapping Lilith, and actually achieving his goal of awakening the Warrior. 

Most games would have you never interact with the main antagonist, but still act like you have the relationship of mutual hatred you do with Jack, with none of the effort to actually show and develop that relationship.

Y’know, like they did with Tyreen and Troy. 

The Twins are your only interaction with the CoV beyond shooting CoV. You do nothing to anger them; you can’t, they’re always one step ahead of you. You have no relationship with them beyond “Game says I have to kill them” and the game acts like it’s this bitter rivalry. It acts like you’re constantly causing problems for the CoV, like you’re this huge pain, when the only time you actually do anything is AT THE END OF THE GAME? 

You ‘storm’/walk into the Cathedral and shut off Troy’s Eridium. That’s it. The whole game, you’re fighting Katagawa and Aurelia. Never the CoV, never the Twins. Killing their allies and ‘war meat’ does nothing to actually hurt them. 

And sure, you do things that should, theoretically, hurt them. You kill Mouthpiece. You kill Carnivora. You kill Troy. (And with Troy...usually, you feel smug when avenging a killed character. During that fight, I didn’t even think about Maya until my character mentioned her. Because that is the only thing Troy did, and it was nothing of his own merit. Maya’s death did nothing to build Troy up as dangerous - it was her own stupidity and a plot hole, because someone had to die this game.)

And yet you never seem to touch or interact with the CoV. 

No matter what you do, it never effects them. You are constantly fighting an uphill battle. Even when you kill Troy, you don’t see Tyreen have that tantrum that Jack had. You don’t see the antagonist crack. When Jack started screaming his head off, there was this euphoric rush of satisfaction and bada**ery in my body that made shooting him all the funnier. You’d watched Jack go from a tyrant to a screaming loser in seconds and it felt good. 

Tyreen doesn’t care about Troy dying. He’s mentioned once. Jack mentions Angel multiple times after he death, with a threat that he’s gonna destroy you for killing her. 

Tyreen has no real come-uppance. You don’t actually defeat her. You kill her. You shoot her, then she dies. 

You beat the hell out of Jack, then his Warrior while he bleeds out and watches his defeat play out in front of him, and then he screams and loses his mind as he realizes he lost, and while he tries to deny reality, still insisting on his hero fantasy while literally stomping his foot, he gets shot. 

It’s so satisfying. There’s no grand defeat, no epic battle. He cries like a child and gets shot. It’s everything a corrupt, abusive father like Jack deserves. 

And with Tyreen, she taunts you, then dies. You don’t get a moment of her realizing that she couldn’t stop you, that you were better than her, that she isn’t getting her way like you did with Jack. She just dies. 

You might win, but it doesn’t feel like it. 

[yorkesteins]

Gertchase fic recs

idk i’ve been revisiting a lot of my faves lately. this isn’t a super active fandom for fic, but there’s been some gems over the years and also i’m rly bored rn so here, have a list! it’s definitely not extensive, just some of my go-tos, please always feel free to suggest things @ me lmao. a lot of these are older, because a ton of great stuff came out circa the end of season 1 that i think gets lost in the shuffle sometimes!

MCU/Hulu compliant fic

I’m in the ruins, too (I know the wreckage so well) by monroeslittle this is a post s2 fic, so it’s no longer canon compliant, but it’s an absolutely gorgeous Chase POV of being in the algorithm. The actual gertchase interaction is brief in this, but it’s very emotionally gertchase centric

if you say it with your hands by eversall post s1 fic, so not canon compliant with 2 or 3, but this is a gorgeous exploration of the whole group after they first run, and a beautiful take on gertchase getting their shit together

and tell me what we’ve gotta do to make a right out of my wrongs by tryalittlejoytomorrow post s3 fic! deals with the aftermath of the battle with morgan, and is a really wonderful take on gertchase rebuilding their relationship and moving on. probably my favorite fic I’ve read for this fandom?

i remember that by stott183 pre-canon, pre-gertchase, sort of a missing flashback scene based on a line in 109. The writer absolutely nails Gert’s voice here, and the pre-pilot dynamic between Gert and Chase is so spot on.

castaways by fanfic_or_bust post s1, nico forces gertchase to get their shit together by spelling them to a desert island lmfao. really sweet, slow get together and some top-notch hurt/comfort!

Comic compliant fic

handwritten by hulklinging This takes place after Avengers Arena, and plays with the idea that the girl Chase saw at the end of volume 3 was Gert. Guys, this is fucking incredible. It takes the most frustrating cliffhanger of the comics and runs with it. It doesn’t shy away from Chase’s grief and trauma, Gert’s grappling with understanding her place in all of this, the relationship rebuilds so naturally.

Future Adventures of Yorkes and Stein series by magikfanfic All three fics here are wonderful, so I’m linking to the whole series. Kind of throws comic canon out of the window, but could reasonably exist in the future? Takes Avengers Leader Gert and runs with her. Really great for established gertchase.

To Build a Home by hulklinging pre-vol 5 Gert resurrection. domestic gertchase centering around the runaways gradually coming back together and rebuilding their family, super sweet.

Saving the Future by caveyoja I was only going to put finished fics on here, but I couldn’t help myself. This is vol 5 compliant picking up right before the gibborim arc. This fic is fucking brilliant and manages to weave a ton of messy comic threads into one arc. Time traveling future gert, Victorious, vol 3 cliffhanger, Hunter Stein, Alex? All here! Correcting the weird age gap issues? Absolutely! It’s a journey to get there, but gertchase in this really feels like a grown up version of vol 2 gertchase. This fic is basically everything I’ve wanted the comics to be for years.

AUs (mostly hulu characterization)

sirens in the beat of your heart by laylax soulmate au where you can hear the music your soulmate is playing. this is a slowburn, and they really do the work to build the relationship, and it’s honestly one of the coolest, most in character handlings of this trope I think I’ve seen.

A Life In Your Shape by knifelesbian no powers, college, best friends to lovers au. also an oblivious idiots to lovers au lbr. the friendship and history between them here really make this. They’re each other’s support system in this, and that’s the backbone of their dynamic. Also, bonus chase and nico stepsiblings!

i’m in the corner, watching you kiss...who? by stott183 no powers au, chase is bi gert is bi, it’s what i deserve! really great classic misunderstanding romcom tropes, quality idiocy and obliviousness. 

bonus gen fic

home by lulannie this isn’t really gertchase tbh so much as it’s a love letter to the group as a whole. missing scenes after the kids run away. a really beautiful reminder that these are teenagers in a shitty situation trying their best!

shameless self-plug

lmao all of my fics are here and i don’t really hate any of them! sry about the wips! 

[paulsebert]

Yeah... Runaways Chase is a sort of douchy guy with a heart of gold. Arena/Undercover Chase is... *sighs* I’ve got to dust off the old “Avengers Arena Ruins Everything tag” for old time’s sake.

So my only experience with Chase was from Arena/Undercover, & like is he just collectively a douchebag or does he just dress like one?

so Chase is Arena was very much out of character with who he’s been in Runaways. Like two completely different characters. It wasn’t clear if Hopeless had even read an issue of Runaways…

eek, Arena was such a dumpster fire… it bums me out to this day.

Chase is Runaways has some douchy qualities, but end of the day a good guy who puts his friends first. He’s likely my least favorite of the Runaways ensemble, but still a fun character to read about.

[witharsenicsauce]

Chosen Stories From the War #29: A Day at the Beachside Ruins

“Get that oversized rat away from me!”

“Konnie, come on! He’s been here two weeks! He’s practically family!”

“No! It is a wild animal, with claws and teeth and it eats garbage!”

“So are we, Sister! You can’t hide from it forever!”

Bradford sighed, sipping his coffee loudly as the clunking of angry combat boots filled the ship. He wished for the love of any god out there, that Kon-Mai would just pet the damn possum so Gur-Rai would shut the hell up. Unfortunately Kon-Mai’s fear of koalas seemed to spread to other marsupials as well, and she all but demanded that the thing be put outside. To be honest, Bradford couldn’t really blame her. Having a live animal (and a wild animal at that) was probably a bad idea, but of course Senuna had seen the damn thing and immediately fallen in love with it, so now there was no chance of it going anywhere. 

And thus, poor Bradford walked over to the sink, dumped his coffee and crossed his arms. “Children, I can barely hear myself think over that noise you’re making.”

“Tell him to leave me be, then!” Kon-Mai jabbed her thumb at her brother as he followed her into the common area. She was still favoring her previously broken leg, but Tygan had at least given the okay for the metal splint to come off for short periods.

“Tell her to just pet the damn possum!” Gur-Rai held up Pangu, who was hanging from his grip like a floppy rug.

“Leave your sister alone, Darkstrider.” Bradford said. “Don’t you have a robot to build and supplies to destroy?”

“Soft animals are relaxing, Bradford.” He held Pangu close to Bradford’s face. “Come on~”

Bradford shook his head. “Put him back in his pen.”

“Aw come on.”

“That’s an order, Darkstrider. That or I’ll have Tygan put him in the maze again.”

Gur-Rai gasped dramatically and hugged his possum close. “You monster.” He couldn’t help but chuckle. “Fine. Konnie, don’t go anywhere, I’ll be back.”

As soon as he left, Kon-Mai turned to Bradford. “He is gone, let’s pack up and abandon ship.”

Bradford chuckled. “Come on, he’s your brother.”

“Yes.” She raised a brow and chuckled. “It’s what you were thinking, Central.”

“Got me there.” He stood up. “Need anything? Besides to get away from your siblings?”

“Where are we going?” She asked.

“Itching for a mission already?” He set his dirty cup on the console. “The Commander is stopping by Carthage. Geist wants to renegotiate the terms of our alliance. Again.”

Kon-Mai raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean renegotiate?”

Bradford ran a hand over his wrinkled face. “Geist and the Commander don’t like each other all that much. Nonetheless, both of them realize they need each other to achieve their goal of killing the Elders. Unfortunately, that also means that they keep trying to stab each other under the table.”

Kon-Mai seemed to bristle at that. “The Commander goes behind the back of her own allies?”

“Not if she can help it. But Geist is crafty, and it’s a tough job keeping all the Templars in line.” He admitted. “As it stands, he’s upset because we’ve been diverting extra training to our own Psi Soldiers, like Princess, rather than his Templar warriors. We have limited space for both so the Commander needs to hash out a deal with him, one that ends in this alliance staying together.”

Kon-Mai avoided Bradford’s gaze and crossed her arms. “I don’t see why this needs doing. Should one side not just capitulate for the sake of the war?”

“Which side?” Bradford asked. “That’s the problem, Shrinemaiden. We can’t favor the Templars at the expense of our own soldiers, especially when the Reapers and Skirmishers already don’t like them. Doing that would put more out of balance than would be worth it.”

“Perhaps I am not suited for politics.” Kon-Mai admitted.

“You’re one of our best assets on the battlefield.” Bradford assured her. “Don’t worry about the Templars. You three keep doing your jobs, and we still have an amazing edge on the Elders.”

Kon-Mai nodded and smiled. “I am thankful, Central.”

“Oh I am too. Believe me.”

.

.

“You are tense this morning.” Dhar-Mon’s voice cut into the depths of Malinalli’s mind. It was futile to ignore when they were bonded like this.

She opened her eyes briefly, then closed them again as the bright fluorescent light of his bedroom stung her cornea. “Just thinking about the other soldiers.” She said softly.

“What about them?” And with that, she felt him tense up as well. It made her giggle.

“Getting jealous?” She cooed. “A lot of them have been suffering from psychological ailments, stuff I’m not qualified to treat.”

The anxiety faded from Dhar-Mon’s mind, replaced with a curious twinge of blue.

“We’ve been having a lot more deaths, too.” She added. “I think it’s starting to wear on people but I don’t know how to help.”

“You are a kind and genuine person.” He assured her. “You do not simply wish to better your own life but the lives of others. That is something I have rarely seen.”

“Thank you.” She sighed. “But how do I help them?”

Her connection to Dhar-Mon faded as he let go of her hands, and she opened her eyes. She was once again aware of her surroundings, like the softness of the bed they sat on, and how very warm it was.

He was silent for a moment. “To say I know how to help these poor souls would be to lie.” He admitted. “But there is a way. Perhaps it is for you to find. Perhaps not. In either case, I have full faith in you.”

She nodded. “Thank you, Master~”

He blushed, and she giggled, declaring that a victory.

The ship shuttered just a bit, and they felt the gentle thunk as they touched down on land. Malinalli stood up and stretched. “We’re here!”

“And where is here?” Dhar-Mon asked her.

“Dunno.” She held out her hand. “Wanna come see?”

.

.

The sun was high in the sky, covering everything in a blanket of warmth. The sky was such a bright blue, and the way it reflected in the ocean blurred the horizon line and made it seem as though everything was merged together. Truly, as Dhar-Mon looked out over the ocean, the smell of the salty air took him back to his stronghold, and he breathed in deeply, the tranquility consuming him.

For a moment.

Something slapped him in the back of the head, and as he bristled and turned around, he saw Gur-Rai laughing with Shen as the two of them raced down the platform of the Avenger and onto the sand. 

Kon-Mai and Verge were not far behind, emerging slowly from the Avenger dock, both decidedly curious at the sight before them. Kon-Mai seemed to twist her leg a bit inside the splint, and it held.

Dhar-Mon opted to turn back to his brother. “What have you done to me?”

“I just flicked you. You weren’t paying attention.” Gur-Rai raced up the dock again and took Dhar-Mon’s hand. “Come on, come on, I wanna go swimming!”

“Swimming? We are here on a mission!”

“Bradford gave us the okay as long as we keep our radios on!” Shen called out. “Do you know how to swim, Hieromonk?”

Dhar-Mon scoffed. “Dr. Shen, I am surprised at you. My stronghold was in the center of Italy, and I patrolled the coastal towns on the regular! Of course I know how to swim!” He raised a brow. “Do you?”

“Yeah.” She came up behind Gur-Rai. “And how to surf~”

“Oh, we should do that!” Gur-Rai looked to the two behind his brother. “How bout it you two?”

Kon-Mai sighed. “We are working, Gur-Rai, this is not a vacation.”

“Sure it is.” He smiled. “I bet you just know I can outswim you, Little Sister.”

“Oh?” She raised a brow and smirked. “You are quite mistaken, Brother.”

“Prove it.”

“I do not have swimwear.” She protested. “And if you think I am going to strip to my undergarments, you are sorely mistaken.”

On cue, footsteps came up behind them, and as Kon-Mai turned, Senuna stood there, beaming. She was flanked by Malinalli, Bradford, and Jane, the latter of whom was carrying a stack of clothing in her hands.

“Commander.” Kon-Mai and Dhar-Mon both bowed respectfully, and Verge saluted her. But she seemed to ignore them all.

“The ocean is so beautiful today…” Senuna sighed, her green eyes as wistful as the air. “Reminds me...well.” The Commander looked forward, finally facing her soldiers. “I have gifts for all of you!” She gestured Jane forward, and it was then they saw the officer was holding a few articles of clothing.

“What is this?” Kon-Mai asked. Jane went to her first, pointedly holding up what almost looked like a dress, though it was short enough to be a shirt. With it was a pair of small trunks, both dyed a dark pink, nearly purple color.

“We had your measurements from making your armor.” Jane said. “I...hope you don’t mind, I took some liberties. Seemed like something you would like…” If she was blushing, Kon-Mai couldn’t tell in the sunlight.

“If it fits me, then it is a masterpiece.” Kon-Mai smiled at her. Jane avoided her gaze and kept distributing the articles of clothing.

“Are you guys gonna join us?” Shen asked.

Bradford shook his head. “Unfortunately we have to meet with Geist.” He sighed. “God I wish I could join you guys. Been too long since I’ve been to the beach.”

“You kids have fun for me!” Senuna winked. “There are some wood panels in the garage that would make excellent surfboards~”

.

.

Senuna had to admit, as much as she hated Geist, she loved Carthage and really admired what he had done with the place. The ancient metropolis had found new life with the Templars, who made their way lazily along stone streets, practicing fighting techniques in open arenas, trading goods and services among themselves in front of the stores they had set up. While some of the ancient walls still lay in ruin, they had repaired what they could and replaced even more, and Senuna could feel some of that mysterious, ancient energy returning to the site.

“Commander.” A familiar voice said. “Geist is this way.”

She and her officers turned to glance at the dark-skinned woman behind them, her blue uniform all too familiar.

“Iabet. Good to see you! How’s the wife?” Senuna cried.

Iabet seemed surprised before she smiled warmly. “Tornike is well. And little Siv too, they have recovered from their injuries. Siv is looking at a promotion soon...”

“Oh that’s wonderful!” She clapped.

“Commander, I understand you and Geist do not get along. But he is waiting.” Iabet chuckled.

“Yes, I know. But I’ve waited a thousand years before and it did me so much good!” Senuna laughed as though everyone else was in on the joke, when in reality Bradford was facepalming and Iabet stood there in confusion.

“...I do have one question.” Iabet admitted. “The Warlock…”

“What about him?” Senuna asked. “He goes by the Hieromonk now, by the way, and I think it fits him so well! I couldn’t be more proud of the little-”

“He’s alive?” Iabet gasped. “...I’m sorry, last I saw him he was bleeding out, when they took him away.”

“He’s alive.” Jane cut in. “He made a full recovery too. Can fight again and everything.”

Iabet’s face relaxed significantly. “I’m glad...none of us knew what happened. Geist never told us.”

“Of course he didn’t.” Senuna growled. “Come on then. It’s time I spoke to him.”

.

.

It had been so long since Kon-Mai had been in the water. Well, water that wasn’t from a shower or bath. She had been trained to swim by her priests in her first year, but even that was almost a decade ago. Since those lessons, she’d been confined to the shore for her work, focusing most her efforts around inland China, being ferried by helicarrier when she had to cross the open sea.

Kon-Mai took a breath, remembering the old words Bhandasura used to speak to her. You must be calm, like water. Water does not hurt, it waits, trickles patiently. And that is who you are, how you love. But this? This was different. The ocean was so raw and unhinged, so gentle and forthcoming. It did not hold back; it did not need to. The waves crashed against the shore with a fury so foreign yet so familiar to her, and yet the way the lazy foam hugged the sand was warm and comforting.

She took a step forward into the wet sand. Her long hair was out of it’s unusual braids and hung loose down her back, baby hairs flying wayward in the sea breeze. The water ashed up around her feet and she gasped at the cold. She had removed her splint to keep it from being damaged, and saw yet another badge of honor graced her leg: an angry white mark where her bone cut her skin.

“Heads up, Konnie!” Gur-Rai called from where he was as he smacked the water. Even from his position deep in the water, waves up to his chest, he still managed to splash her all the way on shore. “Come on! Quit stalling and get in!”

“Brother!” She growled. “Stop that!”

Gur-Rai smirked and smacked an oncoming wave again, this time showering his sister with droplets of foam.

She hissed. “You will suffer for that!”

“Make me~” He stuck his tongue out.

“Dude, she’s gonna do it!” Shen cried, backing up away from the  ballistic missile she knew was coming.

“You are right.” Kon-Mai took several steps back, took a breath and dashed forward, launching herself into the waves. For a moment, the sand blinded her, but then the water cleared and she could see where Gur-Rai (or at least his feet) were.

With the grace of a dolphin, she swam along the shallow bottom, keeping low until she was directly behind him, at which point she curled up, tightening her body like a coil, and sprung.

Gur-Rai let out a yelp as his sister grabbed him around the shoulders and pulled him down into the water with her. Shen burst out laughing at the sight, while Gur-Rai struggled to get back to his feet.

“Kon-Mai! Stop! Lemme go! I can’t swim, you bitch!”

“That is a lie!” Kon-Mai popped up once again. “You are Chosen! We can all swim!”

“Can you?” Malinalli asked as she came up beside Shen. Her hair had fallen from it’s bun, and the water had plastered her curls nearly flat, making her hair resemble dark locks of seaweed..

“Of course.” Warlock was wading over through the waves, although he was so tall that they barely came up to his knees. “We have trained for years in many survival skills. Swimming is important in a world that is mostly covered in water.”

“At least the Elders made sure you all could do that.” Malinalli looked over to Verge, who was sitting cross legged on the sand. “Come on Verge! The water is warm!”

He hesitated. “I am fine, Molly! Don’t worry about me!”

“Unfortunately, Sectoids did not get the same treatment we Chosen did.” Dhar-Mon sighed. “Verge, if you wish, I will teach you to at least survive in the water.”

“I am fine here…” Verge seemed to hesitate as he said that, and it prompted Warlock to sigh.

“Are you sure?” Gur-Rai called out when he finally broke free from Kon-Mai’s grasp. “Come on Verge! You can stay in the shallows for now!”

Verge looked hesitant.

Kon-Mai emerged from the depths, wringing out her long, white hair. “Verge, come join us, please.” She flashed him a smile similar to her brother’s when he wanted to be charming. “I promise you, you shall not drown when I am here.”

While Verge did not seem to be swayed by her, he did look longingly out at the waves, and slowly stood. His swimsuit looked like it had come straight from the 60’s, and was more like a full body wetsuit if not for the fact that it stopped at his elbows and knees. He took a few steps into the water.

“Malinalli, you have lied to me.” He said. “This water is frigid.”

She laughed and, like a mermaid, dove back into the water.

.

.

“Commander.”

“Geist.”

The two examined each other in the low light. Seated on opposite sides of the table, a chessboard sat between them, Senuna in white and Geist in black. His robes matched his pieces perfectly, in stark contrast with the Commander.

“We should switch.” She said. “Black isn’t your color.”

“I know.” He said. “I am in mourning.”

“For who?” Senuna leaned forward and plucked her queen piece from the board.

“Three more of my Templars have fallen.” He spat. “One on a mission you sent him on.”

“I’m sorry.” Senuna sighed. “I remember Hassan. They were facing off against a Berserker. He died defending his friends.”

“He is still dead.” Geist stared her down. “Senuna. You have been reckless with the agents I give you.”

“Your agents are some of the best.” She said. “I would never give them a challenge they couldn’t handle.”

“But you did, and now Hassan Apoorva is dead.” 

Senuna looked up, her eyes surprisingly blank and dead. “We are fighting a war, Geist. Remember?”

He glared at her, his eyes glowing purple in the dim light of the room. Any light that leaked inside had to cut through thick curtains and stone walls. Still, a bit of yellow sunshine tickled the edge of the room.

Senuna met Geist’s gaze and did not flinch. He was powerful, but she was even moreso. He was still a baby in terms of his power. He would be no danger to her, even if he tried.

But she took a breath even so, calming herself. “Geist, it makes me sad to see your soldiers die, as sad as it makes me to lose my own.” She tried to assure him. “I never sent Hassan in with the thought that he would die. But deaths do happen. I have lost at least 50 good people in the last six months.”

“To be honest, Senuna.” Geist crossed his arms. “I feel like you don’t take this seriously.” He leaned forward. “You need us. It’s why you’re here.”

“That is true. I do need you.” She stood slowly, her cape flourishing around her in a way so elegant, it would make any Templar jealous. “But let's not forget, Geist, how much work you all put into getting me out. Whatever was the point of that, hm?” She smiled, her teeth glowing white as she circled around the table.

Geist began to lean away, but Senuna’s hand shot out and grabbed him by the arm, her long nails digging into his sleeve. “No, no, no. Don’t go running off.” 

“Let go.” He tried to rip his arm away, but her grip was like steel, and when he looked up, her eyes glowed like blue coals in the hottest fire. Her expression, though blank, held the faintest smile.

“You have no idea what I’ve seen, Geist.” She hissed. “What I can do.”

“You’re no more powerful than I.” His own eyes burned with purple light, and the room was growing hot.

“I wouldn’t place your bets on that.” She giggled. “I don’t want a fight, Geist.”

“Why not? Afraid to lose?”

“No. I’d just hate to accidentally kill you.” She let go of him. “I am not your enemy.”

“You are making a terrible case for yourself.” He muttered, rubbing his arm.

She sat across from him again. “...This world is my home too.” She said softly. “Just like it is yours.”

“Then act like it.” He said. “I want my soldiers to be given better equipment. Better training. I don’t want to lose anyone else.”

“I don’t have anything better than what you already have.” Senuna sighed. “You want me to keep your soldiers from death and that’s not something I can do.”

Geist glared at the chessboard, and Senuna reached out.

“I can’t give your soldiers priority.” She said. “But if, hypothetically, they wanted to join in the Reapers and Skirmishers training, that is a possibility.”

Geist thought for a moment. “More training with guns? ...That is something we need.”

“I have some basic ammunition in the stores as well. I can set up the Carthage militia with some extra equipment.”

Geist nodded. “That’s not what I had hoped for. But it will do.” He picked up his own queen and tossed it aside. “I suppose you’ve beaten me at this game.”

“I don’t even know how to play chess.” Senuna grinned.

.

.

Verge let his head dip below the water, only long enough that the salty wave crashed over his head. The force would have been enough to send his scrawny body flying, had Dhar-Mon not been holding his arms.

“Calm yourself, I have you.” His strong voice reverberated through the water and made Verge feel safe once again. “Kick your legs, Verge.”

Verge tried to say something, but as he opened his mouth he just breathed in a bunch of water accidentally. Jumping up and hacking, he stood there in chest deep water as Dhar-Mon patted his back.

“I’m sorry...” Verge gagged out between hacking coughs.

“Do not worry.” The Chosen chuckled. “It was a mistake.” He looked out into the waves. “It appears the tide is coming in. The waves are growing.”

“Perfect surfin’ weather!” Gur-Rai called. He and Shen had managed to sand down some of the boards into functioning surfboards. While they weren’t completely aerodynamic, they could support their weight in the water. Shen was straddling one while Gur-Rai stood beside another, waving to Dhar-Mon and Verge.

“You wanna join us?” Shen called.

“I shall observe for now.” Dhar-Mon answered. “Come, Verge, let us find a calmer spot.”

“Where is Kon-Mai?” She and Malinalli had gone walking along the beach somewhere, and they hadn’t seen them for a while. As the waves picked up, he heard Gur-Rai let out a holler.

“I am wondering the same thing.” Dhar-Mon looked vaguely worried. ‘And Malinalli, I had thought they would have reappeared by now…”

“I can always practice swimming later.” Verge insisted. “Let’s go-”

“Dhar-Mon!” Malinalli’s voice echoed across the channel. 

“Malinalli?” He called out, his booming voice overpowering the sound of the waves. Verge could not see them, but he could hear.

“Dhar-Mon! Get the others!”

“Molly?!” He cried. “She must be hurt.” He waved to his brother and Shen. “COME! WE ARE NEEDED!”

Verge saw Gur-Rai jump off his board into an oncoming wave and begin paddling over to them, followed closely by Shen. As he looked, he realized that Malinalli’s voice was coming from a sea cave that was a good way into the ocean, along the jutting cliff face. He’d have to swim to get there.

Dhar-Mon had no trouble with that prospect. He dove into the water with the speed and grace of a dolphin, as though he was born in the water. Verge saw him come up for air, and then stared at the Hieromonk as he began to swim, the toned muscles on his back rippling as he did. The water and sunlight made his blue skin glisten…

He looked up as Gur-Rai emerged from under the water too, and Shen followed, dragging her board. “Here.” Gur-Rai pulled it over to him. “Get on this, I’ll pull you over.”

“I’ll just stay here.” Verge insisted.

“I’m not leaving you alone out here.” Gur-Rai gave him a smile that was almost comforting. “It’s okay. Come with me.”

Verge sighed, and Lily held the board steady as he hopped up. It wobbled a bit in the waves, but Gur-Rai was holding it, and Verge knew he would not fall.

They waded out into deeper water, and soon Gur-Rai began a frog stroke, keeping hea head above the water and one hand on the board Verge sat on. Lily swam beside them, doing more of a floppy doggy paddle.

Verge opted to watch Gur-Rai. Every so often he would duck under the water, then come back up, the blue of his skin mixing with the blue of the ocean. He looked and moved like he belonged in the water, his lithe body cutting through the waves like a fish would. Verge could see Gur-Rai’s own muscles as he swam and, while they were nowhere near as impressive as Dhar-Mon’s, his skinny frame paired with the sharp tendons made him look incredibly powerful.

Gur-Rai came up and called out “Dhar-Mon! What’s the-” He broke off with a slew of curse words, practically jumping out of the water and almost knocking Verge off the board. “FUCKFUCKFUCK SOMETHING TOUCHED MY LEG!”

There was a bubbling sound, then a splash, and Verge heard laughing as Kon-Mai came up, struggling to tread water when she was laughing so hard she couldn’t breathe.

“You bitch!” Gur-Rai slapped the water, splashing her in the face. “I thought you and Molly were dying!”

“Nope!” Verge turned at the sound of Malinalli’s voice and found that she was now piggy-backing on Dhar-Mon, who was miraculously staying afloat under their combined weight. “We just found a cool cave and wanted to show you.”

“I apologize, Brother.” Dhar-Mon chuckled. “Scaring you was my suggestion.”

“The whole world is against me.” Gur-Rai put a hand to his head and pretended to faint into the water.

“I am not against you.” Verge assured him. “In fact while I cannot swim, I can climb. Somewhat.”

Gur-Rai grinned. “Race you guys up that cliff!” He took hold of Verge and began to paddle.

“Gur-Rai, you are going to get hurt!” Kon-Mai shook her head. “Is there any real point in stopping him?”

“None that I see.” Dhar-Mon held out his hand. “Come on, Sister, we cannot simply let him win~”

.

.

“I’d say that went well.” Senuna mused as she scratched Pangu behind the ears. The possum was nibbling on a piece of jerky Bradford had given him, and her Central Officer was now laid back on the couch. “Bradford, there is still daylight left if you’d like to swim~”

“Nah.” He chuckled. “Doubt I remember how. When you grow up in rural Kansas it’s an awful long walk to the beach.”

“Well, I could always teach you.” She mused, looking out the window as the sun cut across the glassy waves. She saw the Chosen, the children, returning to the shore, playfully splashing and shoving each other into the waves, laughing like there was nothing wrong with the world.

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(Another short one today, but after this, we’ll be getting into some pretty intense stuff, so I wanted one more chapter where all seems to be well in the world!)

Archive: https://chosenstories.tumblr.com/

[majingojira]

Hazmat can date people without worrying about them dying these days, so that's not an issue.

Given that was a development that was written by Dennis Hopeless which removed a MOTIVATING FLAW from her character, I choose to ignore it. Though 'Being written by Dennis Hopeless' is enough grounds to ignore all by itself, this one, in particular, deserves to be removed because aside from the above, it's only existence is to allow her to throw herself on the horrifying cypher character/possible self-insert/male equivalent of Bella Swan he had conjured.