#Captain Hammerhead (The Deep)

[headfullof-ideas]

AKA, Ant arrives three to four years late to his own show.

Do not take any of these designs (except Ant and maybe the pirates) as final designs. I actually really don’t like the way I drew Fontaine, and this is my first and second time drawing Nereus and Alpheus in this world respectively. Nothing’s cemented with any of them yet.

Except Ant, I really like how Ant turned out

[httyd-nerd]

Hammerhead: Someone care to explain why we have 6 dogs on our submarine?

Maddy: They're golden retrievers, dude. They retrieve gold. I did this for us.

[dark-orca-dynasty]

I did some things today! Not writing, that's for sure, but I did things.

You can find more of my pixel doll stuff here if you're into that kind of thing, but right now this is the only one related to The Deep that I've posted. It's also the only pixel doll I've done by hand recently, but I'm planning to do Fontaine sometime soon and maybe Finn too.

[tikitsune]

So uh... Ik it's supposed to be a kids show but honestly The Deep is something I am obsessed with. Like ever since Season four came out, I've already watched it what 15 times and I'm almost done with season 3 for the sixteenth time. And let me tell you, 4 season for a total of 65 eps fifteen, almost sixteen, times is a lot of time. I didn't have access to it until like late November or somethin' like that. You can do the math but I think that just shows how dedicated to it I am.

And like how I am with almost anything I read or watch, I create scenarios and maybe even fan fictions about them. So be on the look out for a lot of those because I ain't stoppin' anytime soon.

Now if you'll excuse me, it's 01:22, it's raining, my ortho k's are slowly drying and my sister's phone is playing.

[lamarie-artsy]

Here we go, my version of the Dark Orca family!

Both Archidemia and Hammerhead took their respective spouses' names, if anyone was wondering why Alpheus' family was the Kamat family and not the Benthos.

I haven't given everyone the bling they deserve, I meant to, I just kept getting distracted while I was doing the sketch and forgot. My stylisation is also very different to James Brouwer's, so everyone looks pretty different and it's more obvious when I've drawn three canon characters instead of one.

I have also accidentally made Hammerhead two years older than he is in canon. Oops.

I didn't mean to make Finn look so fabulous, it just sorta happened when I gave him the braid. Finn is a mama's boy, and the morning hair brushing is bonding time. Maddy usually uses that time trying to get Hammerhead to tell her stories about his pirate exploits from before she and Finn were born.

Finn's also more athletic in a gymnastic kind of way in this AU, with Archidemia and Alpheus as his mentors, not that Alpheus is usually happy to have Finn around.

The face obscuring masks also have voice modulators, and the Dark Orca is a lot scarier here than in canon because of the creep factor the masks give them. Said creepiness is only a bonus, the main reason for the masks is anonymity that means Theo and the kids are free to visit her family in Yorkshire without the authorities recognising them.

I think I'll do a post about the cousin trio as of 2016 to fully explain everything going on with Finn, Alpheus, and Tallulah, but it basically boils down to Finn looking up to Alpheus as the older cousin, Alpheus experiencing the Cain instinct, and Tallulah being the only one who's been around kids her own age.

There are technically four people who remember that Tallulah's got an older brother: Narayana and Keda assume that Finn and Alpheus aren't counting him as one of Tom's because they've never met, Tom (ADHD King) remembers that he has a biological grandson in theory but doesn't really connect him to Tallulah because said grandson refuses to meet him, and Theo is keeping quiet about him because she's waiting for the funniest possible moment to mention that Tallulah is another member of the little sister club.

Cait doesn't count because she's the one who gave birth to Connor.

[spiderdetentionaire]

Wednesday - Stories | OC Showcase

This is a movie-like fanfic I'm working on. But since I had started working I entered on an undefined hiatus until yesterday.

In this story I changed the environment from living at sea, somehow, to living in a city. The protagonist of this story, Osmosis Jones, is the son of a fisherman people call Captain Hammerhead and has a younger sister named Madeline.

Story cover made by @elkmoon21

[fandomfluffandfuck]

https://www.tumblr.com/fandomfluffandfuck/755736737466253312

first time ive noticed the logo on his sleeve, lol who is the intern ordering his shirts for him?? those have got to chafe right, like on an ordinary guy that would probably be uncomfortable but the serum heals those quickly so maybe he just doesn't notice? 🤔

if he takes off his shirt after a workout would his underarms be suspiciously pink and sensitive.. hmmm this is my thot of the day

related to this

(also)

I don't know if you want cute, ticklish Steve thoughts or maybe softer, more emotional feelings of Steve getting used to his new body in the new century but, listen, I have so many degenerate thoughts (as always, but that's beside the point, lmao).

I have thoughts about Steve being into armpits.

Further, I have thoughts about Bucky pushing and shoving Steve into the locker rooms post-workout to go full jock and ending up face first in Steve's sweaty pit while he pounds him, manhandling Steve, leaving more bruises than their bare-knuckle boxing even left, and growling about how he was made for this and, "takes it like a goddamn, champ."

So. Yeah.

Just picture it...

Rough sex under the cut, some feminization at the same time that they're just, like, two hulking men? I don't know how that happened, lmao. But. Sure. Why not 😮‍💨

Every sound that comes out of Steve is higher and more breathy than the last. It's getting to the point where he sounds so pathetic. If anyone were to walk in on them, they wouldn't think it was a supersoldier being pounded, they'd think it was some tiny little lady having her pussy ruined. Brutalized. Steve's sensitive enough he might as well have a tight, wet pussy, though. His voice is so whiny and pitchy with his face pinched up, too. His eyebrows are drawn together so there's this cute little scrunch between them. His eyes are squeezed shut. He can't bear it. He's so deep in pleasure that it reads as pain, painted filthily across his face in full technicolor. Blushing. His cheeks are flushed hot and his sizzling color is spreading all the way up to the shells of his ears at the same time that it bleeds down below his stupidly hanging open mouth, candy red, to his throat and strangled chest.

Just like you wouldn't know it's Steve--big, strong Captain America--being fucked, you wouldn't know what his face is doing, though. Not when Bucky's pushing him hard. He's fucking him into, and knocking him up against, his metal locker. That poor locker is painted a deep navy blue, starkly contrasting his heated, sweat-soaked skin. His face is squished, pressed, and forced up against it, making his expression hardly readable. Bucky knows what his face is doing, though. He knows that wet dream of a face anywhere. Anytime. But he especially knows it when Steve is drowning in pleasure and it's obscene.

Every precious, whorish little sound that Steve makes comes with a puff of heated, humid air that fogs up the body-hot metal he's pressed into.

He's rattled up against the locker. They're denting it, the weight of them, Bucky the hammerhead and Steve just a needy little nail. Steve's hard, peaked nipples unforgivingly rub against it every time Bucky rushes out and shoves back in making his blood burn hotter.

Their blood is so hot. It isn't just Steve. Of course, not. It never is. They're fucking trouble together.

"Ah! AH! AH!" His sweet, measly sounds bounce around the locker room walls with every back-thrown-into-it thrust Bucky gives him. It's too fucking much--being fucked is too fucking much for Steve but it's also too much not to end up like this after sparring for hours. Wrapped around each other. Bruising each other. Going in hard on each other. Challenging each other like no one else who's not a supersoldier can. And today was good, fighting it out for enough time to loosen up and get a good sweat going. Slick skin, heaving chests, messed-up hair, sneering smiles, shit-talking, technique getting sloppy as they tired--their muscles burning. The air around them in the gym was humid with their sweat and the testosterone and adrenaline practically leaking from their pours, enough to taste in their open mouths.

They were cracking apart on the mats, especially brittle with Steve getting Bucky into a pin that mostly just involved his dick shoved against Bucky's ass through their soaked boxer briefs. They started in sweats and t-shirts but quickly got too fucking hot. It was just them, so what was the problem bare-knuckling it in boxers (Bucky) or boxers and a t-shirt (Steve)? Then, though, it was all made worse--crumbling apart that much faster--when Bucky managed to snare some leverage and flipped Steve to land with a smack against the mats, on his back, crawling all over him, and getting him into a chokehold.

Jesus.

Bucky's huge, naked, heaving chest to Steve's still-clothed sweat-sticky back and, just, guh, his armpit was right there when Steve started to wiggle and writhe, getting out of the hold. He went in nose-first and that was the real end of Steve. His fucking death. His nerves were already frayed by that point, tactically planning how to pin Bucky down and grind against him more than considering how to best fight him, playing dirty, but that was the final nail in the coffin. The last thread to snap. Lungfulls of Bucky's fucking musk and, oh, god, he's weak at the knees, he's whimpering, and he's twisting not to free himself but to get chest-to-chest with Bucky and grab his shoulders and squeeze at his waist to make sure he stays right there so Steve can fuck his dick against his hard, thick, very naked thigh while breathing in needy gasps of the smell of him alternating with burying his face between his pecs.

Jesus Christ.

Bucky had better plans, though, slamming Steve bodily back to the floor and tearing him out of his shirt for... some plan he had with his bare chest and probably really just his oversensitive, pink, pretty nipples, but actually just ending up zeroing in with a growl on Steve's own armpits. And finding in a rutting, groaning haze that the regulation dri-fit, skin-tight shirt Steve had been wearing with just his underwear, no pants, had rubbed him raw--some errant stitching or something about the seams at the armpit being unforgiving.

Jesus Fucking Christ.

Steve didn't even know. Like with everything. Bucky knows. Bucky knows him so much better and drives him crazy, using his knowledge to his advantage and being fuckin' evil about it. Steve was focused on other things until he wasn't, his legs instinctively wrapping around Bucky's stocky, muscled waist, feeling his abs flex and tense as he hauled him up and took him to the locker room to have his way with him.

Steve didn't put up any fight to that.

He's not fighting now, either. He's wilted and weak. He's just a warm, wet hole for Bucky to use with his overwhelmed body denting the fucking locker, his teeth feeling like they're rattling in his skull, and all of these high, shrill sounds being fucked. out. of. him. with every thrust because Bucky has his face in his armpit as he ravishes him, worrying that little patch of pink, raw skin with his tongue and teeth and lips and stubble and it's agonizing.

He's raw.

Only exposed nerves and desperate cries.

Too much pleasure.

He doesn't know what to do with it. All that fucking pleasure. Overdosing on it. Clenching on Bucky's big fucking cock fucking so hard into him that he's losing it. He isn't sure if he's laughing because it tickles, if he's crying because it fucking hurts, tender and sore, or if he's groaning with his whole chest, deep, because he can smell Bucky and he knows Bucky can absolutely smell him too. Hard work. Sweat. Testosterone. The fucking locker room. It's kind of really disgusting. Steve should be revolted. He should feel ashamed and dirty, no, filthy but, but--

"--buh-uh, uh, ah! Buckyyy!"

He just feels pleasure, whining so much higher and harder that it makes his throat ache. It's just white-hot pleasure at being fucking rawed by his man in the middle of the team locker room, treated exactly like the tough slab of muscle he is, able to take it, but somehow still reduced to this pathetic, whimpering puddle of slick sweat and pre-cum and tears--weeping like a pussy in heat. If Bucky gets any rougher, if he reaches around to pinch his nipples, if he slaps his ass, or, Jesus Christ, if he slaps his face, if he spits on him and calls him what he is, a little fairy taking a big cock like it's his job, Steve will never come back. He'll die. He's already dead, not breathing with Bucky shoved so deep in his pussy that he feels it in his throat. But he'll die all over again.

Please.

[altirlibya]

MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN. BE GREATER.

—————

When a new villain threatens New York City, Peter Parker and Spider-Man’s worlds collide. To save the city and those he loves, he must rise up and be greater.

A BRAND-NEW AND AUTHENTIC SPIDER-MAN ADVENTURE

—————

Sony Interactive Entertainment, Insomniac Games, and Marvel have teamed up to create a brand-new and authentic Spider-Man adventure. This isn’t the Spider-Man you’ve met or ever seen before. This is an experienced Peter Parker who’s more masterful at fighting big crime in New York City. At the same time, he’s struggling to balance his chaotic personal life and career while the fate of millions of New Yorkers rest upon his shoulders.

Features

• Be Spider-Man – After eight years behind the mask, Peter Parker is a crime-fighting master. Feel the full power of a more experienced Spider-Man with improvisational combat, dynamic acrobatics, fluid urban traversal, and environmental interactions. A rookie no longer, this is the most masterful Spider-Man you’ve ever played.

• Worlds Collide – The worlds of Peter Parker and Spider-Man collide in an original action-packed story. In this new Spider-Man universe, iconic characters from Peter and Spider-Man’s lives have been reimagined, placing familiar characters in unique roles.

• Marvel’s New York is Your Playground – The Big Apple comes to life as Insomniac’s most expansive and interactive world yet. Swing through vibrant neighborhoods and catch breathtaking views of iconic Marvel and Manhattan landmarks. Use the environment to defeat villains with epic takedowns in true blockbuster action.

The City That Never Sleeps (Add-On)

• The Heist – While investigating the robbery of a New York art museum, Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson find themselves closing in on Felicia Hardy, aka Black Cat. A new storyline featuring the master thief, new enemies and perilous danger takes Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson deep into the city’s shadowy world of crime families.

• Turf Wars – After gaining control of equipment left in the wake of Sable International’s military occupation, Hammerhead and his gang have declared war against the other Dons of the Maggia crime family. Spider-Man and Captain of the Police Department of New York Yuri Watanabe must put an end to the violence before the entire city erupts in a turf war.

• Silver Lining – Silver Sable is back in the action-packed conclusion to Marvel’s Spider-Man: The City That Never Sleeps. The deadly mercenary is back to reclaim her stolen Sable International tech and gear from the city’s thugs. But with Police Department Captain Yuri Watanabe on administrative leave after her controversial efforts against crime boss Hammerhead, and bigger threats on the horizon, Spider-Man must rely on unlikely allies to keep the city safe from impending calamity.

[pastelink33]

The Daily Life of a Wannabe X Rank

Chapter 2: A Long Train Ride

The train ride was a long one, that's for sure.

Taking a deep breath, Kyra sighs as she swings her legs. The gift her mom got her and the food she packed was on the pull-out table in front of her. She was a bit nervous, if she was going to be honest with herself. She was rather hasty about this, to her mothers defense. But when your childhood friend calls you up, saying he needs help, and needs a roommate, you can't let that kind of opportunity go to waste. It had only been a week since that call was made, and she left almost everything behind. 

But that was quite literally behind her right now. She had to focus on the now.

And that means the gift and food in front of her.

Ripping open the gift, she couldn't help but smile. 

It was a hat, but not just any hat. Her mothers hat, the one she always wore and kept with her throughout her career.

Putting it on, she notices a note, plus a small purse and an old camera that prints the photos instantly.

“Dear Kyra,” she reads,” I knew this time would come eventually. I've kept you cooped up in this place for far long enough. Here’s a little money, something to capture memories, and my lucky hat. It was the first thing I ever rolled pure, and always helped me when I was at my lowest. I hope it brings you luck in your new life. Stay safe, Love you, Mom

P.s. Say hi to Haru for me!”

Kyra brushed away a few tears, before folding up the note. Her mom and her have always butted heads, similar personalities and different world views would do that. But deep down she knew that they loved each other dearly. 

Placing the note in her bag, she opened the purse, and gave a harsh cough, barely believing the amount of money she saw in there.

“1-10k?!” she quietly cried out. This was a ludicrous amount of money, especially considering how her mom budgeted. Either her mom saved up a lot, or she has a side gig…probably the second option…since she had a side gig as the new captain, ugh.

Shaking her head, she places it in her bags’ pocket, taking a moment to let it sink in. That amount would be enough for a few months of groceries, plus rent. 

She reaches for the bag with the snacks, and looks in. 

Bluemellon pops, strawberry smoothie, and a crab trap sandwich-homemade style.

All of her favorites…her mom must have spent a lot, as bluemellons were out of season.

Popping a bluemellon pop in her mouth, she looks out the window, seeing the inkopolis bay spreading out as far as the eye could see. It would take about five hours to get to the Splatlands, a good half hour of that is crossing the New Hammerhead Bridge. Her mom always complained that it was never open in her day. Back then, the Splatlands and Inkopolis never really interacted, as the only main way went right next to Octoling territory. 

Relationships with Octarians today were much better, but a lot of them still hold grudges, so it was better to avoid that area if possible.

Of course, not all Octolings were in octo valley. Like her best friend Haru! He was a shy boy who grew up in Tidal County, a place a few miles from Inkopolis. Octolings were pretty accepted there, she thinks.

A noise pulled her out of her thoughts, the train was slowing for another stop.

“Attention passengers, Now arriving at Inkacago. The next stop will be —.” she zoned out again. It would be a few hours till you got into the Splatlands, but it didn't really bug her. 

That was, until a tall octoling sits next to her, a backpack in hand. He was dark skinned, a blue afro for his hair, and dressed in a miss-matched kind of way. A baggy sweater, a foodnet with clear sunglasses, and super short shorts with flip-flops on. He looked ready for a beach day, if she was going to be honest. 

“So, you gonna say something, or are you just staring into space?” he chuckles.

 She jumps, and gives a nervous laugh.

“Sorry, spacing out as I thought, didn’t mean to stare.”

“It’s okay, I get it. Names Aspen.” he holds out his hand.

“Kyra, Kyra Starr.” I shake it with a smile.

“So, Kyra, where are you headed?”

“Splatsville, helping out a friend and to move.”

“Ahh totally understand. I’m moving too. Same place actually. Got a roommate to bunk with for the time being.”

“Oh cool!” Kyra smiles, and picks up her phone, ending the conversation.

Aspen seems to understand, and turns to his as well.

After a few hours, an announcement comes on over the intercom.

“Attention passengers, if you look to your right, you can see the Grand Chaos Mountains. Welcome to the Splatlands.”

[bhterri]

Shark outline

Great White Shark Tattoo Design Credit: is an excellent shark tattoo design. Seeing that it’s on the inner arm, you won’t have to show it off constantly, but it will be noteworthy when you do. Although it’s small, it’s pretty detailed and still simple. Small Realistic Shark Tattoo Design Credit: tattoo is a very realistic black and white shark tattoo. The tattoo has a lot of details and is very personalized for the customer. Hammerhead Shark Tattoo Design Credit: tattoo design is great for describing a specific life event and illustrating how you can make out something positive from a seemingly negative experience. 38 Most Popular Shark Tattoo Design Ideas 1. Spirituality: Tribal shark tattoos, in particular, are known as a great way to connect with spirituality. Intelligence: Since they spend so much time scoping their surroundings, they are very calculative and will rarely find themselves in an endangering situation.Īuthority: Sharks are the most feared predators, which is known even when they swim peacefully, no one would dare attack them Even when chances of survival are slim, they will fight until the end. Shark Tattoo Importanceīesides being the greatest predator in the water and being feared by all other creatures, sharks have a lot of other vital characteristics.Ĭuriosity: Sharks have extraordinary senses that help them not only roam the waters and kill everything in sight but also making sure it’s a safe environment.įearlessness: Sharks will not shy away from a fight. There are no rules when it comes to tattoos. Shark tattoos are used mainly by men, but some women have them. It’s famous for all we think sharks are: The ingenuity, the aggressiveness, the efficiency, and the majestic. They can be tattooed anywhere on the body but mainly on the legs, arms, and back. The great white shark is the most common in shark tattoo designs. There are many types of shark tattoos, like traditional shark tattoo, tribe shark tattoo, fin shark tattoo, etc. They are believed to protect man from man-eating sharks, which the West will commonly accept later on. Hammerhead shark is mainly known to be the protector of people, so it’s not rare that this shark was commemorated a lot in tattoo designs. They also represented protection for seamen and the dangers of the deep waters. Shark tattoos represented protection against enemies in Polynesian cultures. In particular, traditional shark tattoos have been representing protection, courage, guidance, etc. Shark tattoos have a symbolic meaning in Polynesian cultures specifically. Many cultures carve shark totems to commemorate its’ ability to adapt and survive. Sharks are always alert and active, even when asleep, which represents focus and alertness. In other cultures, like Māori, the shark is a symbol of superior power and victory.Ĭonsidering Sharks are always alert and active, it represents excellent stamina, focus, and survival. According to Fiji, a shark God protects fishers at sea. Although it is mainly perceived as dangerous and evil, the shark is a sacred animal in some culturesĪ shark is considered the king of water animals in many cultures, much like the lion is for the land animals. Humans have been fascinated by its different abilities to survive. Sharks are marvelous creatures from the deep. Replacements – from: 16 Chad Solomon, 17 Kwenzo Blose, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Gary Porter, 20 Paul de Villiers, 21 Louwan Horn, 22 Marcel Theunissen, 23 Imad Khan, 24 Seabelo Senatla, 25 Mnombo Zwelendaba, 26 Godlen Masimla.The Meaning Of Sharks In Different Cultures Credit: Instagram Stormers: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Tristan Leyds, 13 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Chris Hollis, 10 Kade Wolhuter, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Ernst van Rhyn (captain), 6 Junior Pokomela, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Connor Evans, 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Andre-Hugo Venter, 1 Ali Vermaak. Replacements – from: Dan Jooste, Fez Mbatha, Dian Bleuler, Carlu Sadie, Thembelani Bholi, Gerbrandt Grobler, Phendulani Buthelezi, Zee Mkhabela, Henry Chamberlain, Marnus Potgieter, Thaakir Abrahams. Sharks: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Werner Kok, 13 Ben Tapuai, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Yaw Penxe, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7 Dylan Richardson, 6 James Venter, 5 Reniel Hugo, 4 Justin Basson, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Kerron van Vuuren, 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu. The Sharks will also have new starting props in the form of Thomas du Toit and Ntuthuko Mchunu. In the second row, Justin Basson will partner Reniel Hugo. There is a change in the back row with Sikhumbuzo Notshe taking over the No.8 jersey from Phendulani Buthelezi. Yaw Penxe moves to the No.11 wing with Werner Kok getting an opportunity in the No.14 jersey.

[dark-orca-dynasty]

I accidentally gave myself a whole new plot bunny while talking to a mutual about something completely different and now I have an AU where Hammerhead's the one who died when the old sub sank, leading to his wife (who I'm calling Theophania - Theo for short) swearing vengeance against Proteus.

Anyway, in this AU Finn and Maddy have been raised on land by the maternal side of their family while Theo wages war against the guardians, to keep them safe. Finn gets abandonment issues and parentification issues here, so as a tradeoff I've decided he gets to have a growth spurt as a result of eating well and getting more vitamin D. This does, however, lead to the Nektons assuming he's a grown man (and a bit of a creep because of his crush on Fontaine), until his voice cracks very embarrassingly mid conversation and Will remembers that he too was once a teenager getting mistaken for a grown man.

Theo is nominally getting revenge for both her husband and her sister in law here, but is mostly just on a kind of self-destructive workaholic spiral where she sees her kids once a year. The Dark Orca under her command is a lot more put-together but a lot less close knit. It is not somewhere you'd consider raising your children.

[sweettsubaki]

The Deep ("Sous Les Mers" in french) S2 episode 11

It always cracks me up when Ant annoys Madeline about her not being a real pirate. Bonus point for the proud dad (TM) and the realist older siblings (TM). Also I love Fontaine's "We get it! You're both proud of the destructive capabilities of your kids"

Transcript of the video :

Kaiko : There are rock formations everywhere

Will : If we don't take control of your sub[marine], you won't have any sub left.

Ant : Let me Climb into the air-ducts. I'll undo some wiring to stop the ship.

I've Sabotaged this sub before.

Madeline : We can't trust him! Proper sabotage needs a proper pirate!

Ant : Well if you see any proper pirates, you let me know.

Madeline : I'm a great pirate. And I'm going!

Hammerhead : Aye. If there's one thing Madeline's good at, it's wrecking things.

Will : Please! Ant can cause havoc on a scale you can barely imagine.

Finn : We don't have time for this!

Fontaine : We get it! You're both proud of the destructive capabilities of your kids.

Finn : Now Stick them both in the air-duct

Ant & Madeline : I'm not getting in a confined space with him!

Beginning of a new scene

Ant : Are you happy now

this show is so underrated

[lamarie-artsy]

Or, the Ballad of Hammerhead Jack.

In 1987 a young man, more of a boy really, runs away from a home he'd rather forget and heads to the middle of the ocean to become a pirate. Somehow, that plan works out.

This was written over the course of two days. The last scene kept expanding on me, when I was outlining it was a lot more succinct.

The next two chapters are also outlined and introduce Archidemia Benthos and Theophania Barraclough, two more OCs. You can already guess who Archidemia connects him to.

[justanotherpersonsuniverse]

G-Genderbent Anarka

(It’s Captain Hammerhead from the TV Show “The Deep” very good if you don’t have Thalassophobia or a fear of sea monster.)

oh god

[carminite-wyrm]

Running Onwards, To the Hope of a New Day (Part 3)

Part 1 | Part 2

(Thank you to everyone who's been reading this fic of mine so far! I've really appreciated all your comments! Also, this will eventually be up on AO3, just not yet because I haven't been able to get an account just yet.)

In which Nyx tries his best, realises a few things, learns a new skill, and commits a minor case of arson.

All in all, Nyx was feeling pretty good about his chances, on his ninth run. He’d learnt from his eighth run that, no, setting the black-market dealer’s place on fire, stealing both the explosives and the phoenix down, and quietly dumping the explosives into one of the rivers that ran through Insomnia wasn’t enough to stop the rebels from bombing the signing ceremony. Considering there was more than one cell, he was sadly unsurprised by this. He’d also figured out that whatever was attracting the daemons was attached to the tracker in the hairpin in a way that he couldn’t just remove, which was a shame.

He learned that he needed to give Crowe a phone in some sort of blast-proof container or casing, because while he’d managed to give Crowe the means to contact him and Libertus sooner, the phone would be severely damaged without one. And, because the phone would be broken, Crowe wouldn’t be able to get in contact with them soon enough to stop Libertus from joining the rebels and giving them the vital information that they needed to launch their attack on the Citadel.

He had also found out that if he told King Regis about the traitorous Glaives he knew would survive the Princess’ extraction, that the King would be able to sever their connection to his magic before they encountered them on either the bridge or the overpass.

Unfortunately, its effectiveness was limited by the fact that there were still Glaives that he hadn’t known were traitors, and so they still had ended up rocketing off the overpass when another Glaive, who Nyx belated recognised as Isra Solis (and Crowe had cursed her out even more viciously than Nyx had, because Isra was as talented with frost magic as Crowe was with fire, and the two had been close, before everything went down).

At this point, Nyx was pretty sure that as soon as they got to that first attempt to escape the city, it was almost guaranteed that they’d be crashing the car sooner or later.

At the very least, Nyx thought to himself, as he finally found an old camera case which he hoped would be enough to hide the phone, this should help with stopping Libertus from leaving. Hopefully.

A day later, he awkwardly held the box of Crowe’s things, waiting for Drautos to move out of earshot. As Libertus raged at Crowe’s apparent death, Nyx took a deep breath, and quickly grabbed Libertus, warping them into one of the nearby alcoves (why there were so many alcoves by the morgue, Nyx had no idea, but he’d take it).

“Nyx, what the hell?!” Libertus gasped, nearly losing his balance at the sudden movement if not for Nyx’s steady grip on his arm.

“Lib…I don’t think Crowe is dead,” Nyx said, mustering the most serious voice he could, which was actually pretty serious considering how much potentially hinged on him getting Libertus to listen. “Look, you know how I gave her some of my curatives, right? Well, I also gave her a phoenix down and an extra phone.”

“…Why? What has that got to do with any of this?”

Nyx rummaged through the box in his hands, searching through for any of the items in question. Thankfully (for the point he was making, at any rate), he could not find any of the things that he had given Crowe.

“They said they recovered everything, right?”

Libertus nodded slowly.

“The phone isn’t here. Not even parts of it.”

Nyx was gratified to see the dawning realisation on Libertus’ face, and silently congratulated himself for finally convincing him of Crowe’s continued survival. And hopefully now, Libertus wouldn’t have too many reasons to leave, or at the very least, no reason to give information to that rebel cell.

“So, what you’re saying,” Libertus said, slowly, almost as if he couldn’t believe it. “Is that Crowe could still be alive.”

“Yes, exactly!” Nyx internally was jumping up and down with joy, this was exactly the reaction he wanted.

“We need to go find her.”

Wait, shit. Celebrated too early.

Nyx wasn’t even certain that Libertus would be able to find Crowe, if he went haring off now. And if he lost track of Libertus, then he wouldn’t to be able to assure himself of Libertus or Crowe’s safety. And if Libertus went running off, then that would alert the traitors that their plan hadn’t gone exactly to plan, and Nyx…couldn’t risk them changing the script that drastically.

“With what resources, Lib?” Nyx hissed, holding back Libertus with a hand on his shoulder. “We don’t even know where she is! She still has the phone, presumedly. We should wait for her call.”

“But what if she can’t call? What if she’s been captured by the Niffs, or- or.”

“…Give it a day, Lib. 24 hours, and if we don’t hear anything, we’ll go find her. But don’t you dare leave without me.” Nyx scowled, hoping that his mild concession wouldn’t be necessary. He didn’t exactly want to show off the fact that he knew the approximate area that Crowe would end up in, two days from this point, but 24 hours would give him time to come up with a reasonable excuse. He hoped, at any rate.

“Fine,” Libertus nodded. “24 hours’ll give us time to prepare, either way.”

“And don’t you dare try and resign, we’re going to need the King’s magic for this. Probably.”

“Alright, alright, hero.” Libertus shook his head, patting Nyx on the shoulder. “Worry about Crowe, not me.”

“I am not going to risk losing you as well, Lib.” Nyx scowled.

Libertus’ expression softened, then, and he drew Nyx into a hug.

“You won’t, Nyx.”

But I have. So many times, Nyx didn’t say, basking in the warmth of his best friend’s embrace. So many times, Libertus. I wish I could tell you.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Nyx’s phone rang early the next day, showing the contact for the phone that he had given Crowe, Nyx was unashamed to admit that he broke down sobbing. Frantically hitting the answer button, he listened to Crowe tell him that Luche had nearly killed her, that she’d been rescued in the nick of time by the combined efforts of the phoenix down and a pair of hunters, and that (this time), for some reason, she was actually all the way at Hammerhead.

Why she was all the way there, Nyx wasn’t quite certain, but Crowe had explained that the phone had actually been slightly damaged after the fight with Luche, but when Crowe had been trying to get it to actually make a call, one of the hunters had said that there was a mechanic over at Hammerhead, who could repair it.

Nyx wondered why Crowe hadn’t gone to the outpost last time, surely an outpost as well-established as Hammerhead would have been the ideal place to take an injured Glaive to contact her allies. Then he realised that in the last run, the phone had been completely toasted, and perhaps the hunters had not realised that Crowe was a member of the Kingsglaive, until they had spotted the Imperial dropships and Crowe had gone racing off after them.

Still, he did have some other questions to ask her.

“Wait, hold up, why couldn’t the hunters call us for you? Don’t they have phones of their own?”

“Batteries died.”

Are you fucking kidding me?! Nyx thought. What were the bloody chances of that happening?!

“What.” He said instead.

“Yeah, apparently they were going to head to one of the smaller, nearer outposts because there’s some spares there, but when I told them I needed to get in touch with a member of the Kingsglaive fast, I think they broke like four or five road rules to get me here as fast as they could.”

Nyx couldn’t help but laugh at the image, before slowly managing to calm himself down.

“Can you hold for a moment? I need to get Libertus here before he does something stupid and tries to rush after you.”

“Sure, Nyx. Get him in here, I bet the big guy’s worrying his ass off about me. I sure won’t be going anywhere, the hunters said it was risky enough bringing me all the way over here in the first place.”

Nyx sped down the hallway, and raced for the stairs, almost knocking Luche down the stairs (if only) in his haste to reach Libertus. He slammed open the door, having only wasted a few seconds fumbling with his own set of keys beforehand.

“LIB!” He yelled, as he shut the door behind him.

“What?!” Libertus yelled back, from inside the bathroom, where Nyx could hear the sounds of the shower running. “It better be important, I only just got the hot water running!”

Oh, whoops.

Three minutes later, Nyx was awkwardly sitting on Libertus’ couch whilst Libertus talked with Crowe, the other man significantly less irritated at Nyx’s interruption when Nyx had told him he had Crowe on the other end of his phone. He didn’t mention to Libertus later, when the man had finally re-entered the main area of his flat and put the phone on speaker, that he had definitely heard the sound of Libertus sobbing even with the continued sound of running water. Nyx was honestly just happy that Libertus was still here, still with him, and that Crowe was still alive.

“Shit, Nyx.” Libertus finally said, after Crowe had fully retold her story. “Luche’s a fucking traitor. We should…we should tell the Captain.”

Nyx froze, from where he was preparing to head off to be part of the Princess’ escort into Insomnia.

“I…I’m not sure we should.” Nyx admitted, trying not to make it apparent that he absolutely distrusted anything and everything Drautos said or did. “The details of Crowe’s mission should have been confidential, as soon as she left the city. But despite the precautions that were taken, Luche was still able to find her, and nearly kill her. If Luche’s a traitor, what’s to say there aren’t any other traitors in the Kingsglaive? What’s to say that the Captain’s office hasn’t already been compromised?”

“Shit, is there anywhere else we can take this?”

“What about the Crownsguard Marshal? The Crownsguard deal with internal affairs, right?” Crowe chipped in.

“We could…but I’m due in for Citadel duty in ten minutes, and we can’t afford any possible traitors knowing something’s up just yet.” Nyx scowled, frustrated at how things had lined up. “Lib, can you see if you can talk to the Marshal?”

“Nyx, you know how I feel about the Crownsguard,” Libertus shook his head. “With my luck, I’d end up just pissing them off, and that’s the opposite of getting them to listen. Chances are, I’m not even going to make it anywhere close to the Marshal’s office.”

“Damn it.” Nyx sighed. “I’ll see if I can find him, when it gets to my lunch break.”

“I’ll see if I can think of any way to get Crowe back here soon, I’m certain Crowe showing up alive will lend support to our whole ‘Luche is a filthy traitor’ argument.” Libertus nodded. “Best of luck, hero.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If one were to inquire as to why Nyx Ulric of the Kingsglaive was currently sitting with his head in his hands, barely an hour after his shift had ended, on the steps just outside the Kingsglaive barracks, he would tell them to politely ‘fuck off’.

It was, perhaps, not the most diplomatic of responses, but Nyx felt it easily summed up how he was presently feeling, after the utter shitshow that was his attempt to find the Marshal of the Crownsguard.

The actual searching and inquiry itself was quite fast. He’d only had to step into the Crownsguard building asking to see the Marshal, only to find out one little thing. One key thing he honestly wished he’d known far sooner, because it explained so many things.

The Marshal was not in the damn city.

Apparently, the man was off on some sort of confidential mission, due to return the bloody day before the signing ceremony for some Astrals-damned reason.

That was too late for any of Nyx’s current (and possibly future) plans.

And there was no way he, a single Kingsglaive, could even get the Marshal to return sooner, it simply wasn’t within the bounds of his current abilities.

So that avenue was closed to him, for the time being. Perhaps there were other people in the Marshal’s office he could approach, but Nyx simply did not know who would be a trustworthy, reliable person he could talk to in that branch of the military.

He briefly considered Fortis, before shaking his head. That man could be relied upon in a crisis, he had to admit, but…to most people, the only crisis happening at the moment was the political nightmare of the ceasefire. To most, it was a matter for diplomats and Kings, not foot soldiers and guardsmen.

Scowling off into the distance, he wondered whether it might have just been best to get Crowe back into the city, so that he could at least go to the King with direct evidence of Luche’s treachery. With any luck, Luche would have spilled everything, and then they could have killed Glauca when he inevitably fought back.

It seemed a bit late to try that this time around, though. Tomorrow, Insomnia would be invaded, after all.

Nyx sighed, before readying himself for his night shift guard duty, and the Princess’ inevitable kidnapping. Time to see if he could, at the very least, keep all his friends alive for longer this time around.

The next morning, he let himself back into Libertus’ room, to kick his plan of ‘Keep The King and My Friends Alive At Least’ into motion.

“Lib, I’m…I’m going to go talk to the King,” He said, and had a moment of amusement at Libertus nearly dropping his bowl of oatmeal in shock. “Crowe’s still at Hammerhead, yeah? Presumably heavily injured, but not injured enough to be unable to hold a call, right?”

“I would assume so,” Libertus nodded, after regaining his composure. “You sure you can get the King himself to listen? He’s a Lucian, and a noble to boot. You know how the combination of the two tend to treat folks like us.”

“…I think he’d listen. We have proof, now, and the next highest-ranked person isn’t even going to be here yet.”

“I still think we should tell the Captain-“

“No!”

Nyx winced as Libertus levelled a critical eye at him, the force of his disagreement clearly a bit…too much.

“Nyx.”

“Yes, Libertus?” Please don’t ask what I think you’re about to.

“Why are you so adamant about not telling the Captain?” Libertus put down his bowl, and crossed his arms, a pose familiar enough to Nyx that he knew Libertus wouldn’t take a vague answer. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“I- I think the Captain is also a traitor.” There. He said it.

Nyx waited, as the seconds ticked by, as Libertus seemed to turn the thought over in his head. He waited, for the inevitable doubt, the claims of paranoia gone too far in the wake of Luche’s betrayal.

“I’m guessing you don’t have any evidence, do you.”

Nyx raised an eyebrow. That wasn’t a complete expression of doubt, even if Libertus did still seem highly sceptical of his not-theory.

“No. It’s just,” Nyx fished around for the right word that wouldn’t cause more suspicion, considering he still wasn’t sure he could just outright say ‘yeah I’ve watched Drautos murder King Regis like three times by now’. “A gut feeling. An instinct.”

“Well, your gut instinct hasn’t led us astray much at all, has it,” Libertus sighed, his stance loosening dramatically as he sat down heavily. “Astrals damn it. And considering Drautos is actually respected by the Lucians, they won’t be likely to take your word without actual evidence to back it up.”

“And obviously, I couldn’t exactly break into his house or office to look for evidence.”

“Well, you could, it’d just be difficult.”

“What.”

Libertus shrugged, before gesturing at himself and Nyx.

“We’ve both got magic, idiot.”

“Yes, and? It’s not exactly conducive to breaking and entering, you know. Security cameras exist, and I can’t exactly fireball my way into his office.”

Libertus blinked up at Nyx, before vanishing in the slightest glow of crystal-blue.

“Oh.”

Nyx sat down, on the floor of Libertus’ shoebox of a flat, and laughed into the palm of his hand. He laughed, until he registered Libertus (now visible again), shaking his shoulder.

“You good?”

“I. Yeah,” Nyx wiped away a tear from the corner of his eye. “I can’t believe it didn’t occur to me. Six, it was so obvious all along!”

He looked up at Libertus, and grinned. “Can you teach me?”

“What, now?!” Libertus looked around, before sighing once again. “You want to go searching whilst the Signing Ceremony happens, don’t you? Fuck, of course you are, you reckless piece of shit.”

“Well-“ Actually, I was more thinking it’d be good for a future loop.

“Fine. You’ve got forty minutes before your next citadel guard shift, you better be listening closely, hero. The others in my squad took at minimum three days to hold this for longer than a few seconds. You might be a warp-spammer, but this shit takes more focus than a shield, for all that it drains your magic slower.”

“I’m listening, Lib.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By the time Nyx had to leave for the citadel, he could hold the invisibility for all of two seconds, a feat that Libertus had briefly praised, before going right back to fondly complaining about Nyx’s aptitude with all things magical. It wasn’t enough to be truly practical, but Nyx figured he’d have time to practice it more, next loop.

“You’ll call me, yeah, if anything goes south?” Libertus had asked, grabbing hold of Nyx before he could leave.

“Yeah,” Nyx nodded. “I will.”

An hour later, he was hastily calling Crowe with the coordinates he had by now memorised, as he made his way to the rest of the Kingsglaive with their orders to mobilise. As for Libertus, he’d updated him as to the situation, tasking Libertus with keeping an eye on the situation within the city, and calling him if anything happened.

Obviously, Nyx knew that things were definitely going to happen, but the point was that he wanted Libertus to not run off and potentially get himself killed. Nyx had a plan, this time around, or at least the makings of one, and he was fairly certain he’d be able to keep his friends, the Princess, and the King alive this time around.

First off though, he had to survive the Princess’ extraction.

With a deep breath, he launched himself up onto the Niflheim ship, experience allowing him to stick the landing instead of the awkward crash his first time around. With expert motions, he directed the Glaives through the ship, right up to the point where Pelna found the Princess.

“Pelna, get out of there, now. Don’t go down that corridor, I spotted a really nasty daemon that way.” Nyx said, hurriedly, as he sprinted down the hallway to meet them. He easily ducked under a traitor’s attack, ripping off their mask just before he slit their throat.

He’d forgotten to check their identities the first few times around, too busy with trying to survive and keeping his friends alive, and while he knew he wouldn’t be able to get all of them in one run, he sure could at least find out who a few of them were.

Distantly, as he expertly tripped another traitor and killed them before they could even try and attack Pelna from behind, he wondered how much he had changed, already, with how many times he’d already replayed the past five days. Before this hell week, before the ceasefire, before the time loops, these Glaives had been his fellow comrades-in-arms. He’d saved them, and been saved in turn, on countless missions, in countless fights. And yet here he was, barely batting an eye as sisters and brothers turned on them all, as he cut them down within seconds of them raising their blades and spells against their former friends and allies. Their movements were so familiar, so scripted, he knew exactly how to move to counter their attacks, how to slip under their guard and slice them apart. The only true dangers, it seemed, would be the daemons, Luche and his posse, and General Glauca.

He shoved Pelna back with one hand as they rounded the corner, tanking a fireball from Tredd with his own shield, before retaliating with his own rapid blasts of lightning. He could hear Tredd curse, ducking around his own corner just as a tentacle from the octopus daemon began to tear the ship they were on in two.

He quickly directed Pelna and Lunafreya onto the ship they would escape in, nodding to himself as Crowe suddenly warped onto the open deck with a gasp, mirroring the events of Loop 7. He quickly shoved a couple of hi-elixirs into her hand, before turning around and seeing if he could spot Luche’s escape ship. Sadly, he couldn’t, and resigned himself to seeing those assholes again later, during the overpass chase.

“Shit, Crowe!” Pelna called out. “You’re alive?!”

“Yeah, no thanks to fucking Luche.” Crowe spat, and Nyx mentally noted down that two hi-elixirs were so much better than just one single elixir. “Nyx, you need to call Libertus, let him know what a shitshow this has all turned out to be.”

“And it’s gotten worse.” Pelna agreed, pointing out the falling Wall.

“We need to return to the Citadel-“

“Yeah, I know. The King and the Ring, right?” Nyx sighed, already calling Libertus.

“Yes, exactly- Wait, how did you know that?” Lunafreya suddenly appeared in Nyx’s field of view, eyes bright with concern, just as Nyx had finished talking to Libertus.

“You’re talking to the Glaive who’s pulled the most Citadel duty out of everyone, I picked up a few things,” Nyx said, suddenly aware of the fact that the importance of the Ring was…probably not the most common of information around. He hastily changed the subject. “I let Lib know we were coming back, he’s going to be waiting for us in the Citadel garage.”

“You sure he’ll be alright? What with that leg of his?” Pelna inquired.

“He might not look like it, but Lib is a very good driver.” Nyx thought back to the past loops. In every single one where he’d actually made it to that plaza, Libertus had, without fail, successfully crashed a car into Glauca. And on top of that, he’d also successfully navigated his way through a city in the midst of getting razed, whilst Nyx and the Old Wall had been tearing up the city in their respective fights. Libertus was the best damn driver Nyx knew, broken leg or not.

The four of them made it to the Citadel in what felt like record time, running into the signing room just in time to once again see Ravus’ arm on fire. Pelna and Lunafreya quickly hustled the King out of the room, whilst Crowe and Nyx did their best to harry Glauca with alternating blasts of fire and lightning. As they ran out of the secret tunnel and into the garage, Nyx grinned as he Libertus waved at them all. As Crowe rushed to give Libertus a one-armed hug, Nyx quietly relayed the identities of the rest of the traitorous Glaives he could be certain of, as well as his suspicions about Captain Drautos, to the King, who nodded even as he paled considerably at Nyx’s revelations.

“Astrals, but am I glad to see you, Crowe!” Libertus called out.

“You too, Libertus! Better not have done anything stupid whilst I was out.”

“Cool catch-up, but we’ve got General Glauca right on our heels,” Nyx said, slamming down another shield over the tunnel that they had just left. “We’ll take two cars. Pelna, you’re driving that car over there. Crowe, you and King Regis can get into Lib’s car. Me and the Princess will be with Pelna. We’ll exit together, and Pelna will take the lead. Lib, I want you to stay as close as possible to us, me and Crowe will be taking charge of killing anything that gets in our way, but there’s no guarantee we’ll be able to clear a path, so stay vigilant. Make sure your comms stay open.”

“Got it.” They all nodded, Crowe even giving him a thumbs up as she slid into Libertus’ car.

The drive out of the Citadel went exactly as Nyx had expected, and he quietly cackled to himself even as he leaned out of the window to throw a handful of lightning at one of the MT Armours chasing them. As he spotted the ship carrying Luche, Tredd, and the rest of their group slowly coming into view, he threw a fireball at them, before ducking back down into the car. Hastily, he grabbed the Princess’ hairpin from her, the woman too shocked by the suddenness of his action to protest.

“Pelna, hand me the wheel.”

“Nyx what-“

“You’re still good at warping, yeah? I need you to warp the Princess to Lib’s car,” Nyx sighed as Lib predictably began to also protest. “Lib, get someone to hold that door open.”

“Nyx, you fucking-“

“Pelna, now!”

To his credit, the man didn’t hesitate even with his protests, throwing his dagger in a shower of blue as he tugged the Princess along, leaving Nyx alone in his car.

Not for much longer, of course, because just as Luche and Tredd leaned out of their ship to try and shoot at them all, and just as Petra Fortis in his armoured van appeared in Nyx’s rearview mirror, Nyx turned his car to face Luche and Tredd.

The look on their faces as he drove the car straight at them would be one Nyx would savour for a long, long time. Luche’s string of curses as Nyx warped out of the car just before impact, would also be on the list of things that gave Nyx so much joy.

He landed on the side of Fortis’ van with a quiet oomph, clinging onto the kukri now lodged into the metal. A few moments later, he’d managed to swing himself into the front seat, after Fortis had rolled down the window for him.

“You’re insane, Ulric. Actually insane.” Fortis said, staring at him with wide eyes even as they caught up with Libertus and the others.

“Best warper in the Kingsglaive.” Nyx replied smugly, and winced as the yelling over his comm reached an even louder level.

After that, they somehow made it all the way to within view of the West Gate, even with the occasional daemon or magitek soldier that they ran into. It seemed Nyx’s gambit with the crashed car and the hairpin had paid off, for now, and he quietly let himself relax a little, though he kept an eye out for anything else that might stop their escape.

It was that caution that had him spotting the glimmer of silver and purple before it hit the ground in front of Libertus’ car, his yell of alarm all that they needed to grind to a halt just in time to avoid General Glauca slicing their car in two.

“Shit, Fortis, you and Lib are gonna have to guard the King and Princess, we’ll try and hold him off. If you see an opening, get out of here.” Nyx said, as he chucked a kukri out of the window, and began doing his level best to once again kill Glauca.

As Crowe covered the King and Princess’ retreat to Fortis’ van, followed by a very worried Libertus, Nyx threw himself headlong into the fight, Pelna darting in and out where he could, the two of them trying to keep Glauca’s attention long enough for Crowe to be able to join in.

“Why do you fight, for a King who would abandon us all to save his throne and his son?” Glauca roared, as Nyx warped out of the way of his sword, flinging a blast of flame to hide Pelna’s approach. “Walk away, Glaives, and you will see another day in peace, the Empire has promised it!”

“The way I see it, whatever Niflheim promised you isn’t enough to justify the utter destruction laid in its wake, Drautos.”

Glauca actually froze, momentarily, as Nyx called him by his actual name. And then cursed, because Crowe had apparently figured out how to properly stash the King and the Princess away, and had now joined the fight as well with a blast of flame that Nyx could see had melted part of his helmet.

“So, you know, then.”

“Yeah, I do, you traitorous bastard.”

The three Glaives did their best to fight Glauca, a blast of lightning from Nyx actually causing the armoured man to stumble backwards a little. This…wasn’t going terribly, Nyx thought, warping past Glauca’s shoulder and swinging back down, Pelna trying to go for Glauca’s knees at the same time. They were both flung backwards for their efforts, but Crowe had used that opportunity to slam another two fireballs at Glauca, only one of which the man was able to deflect.

In the corner of his eye, he saw a daemon making its way to them, ambling towards Fortis’ van. Nyx cursed, and launched himself at Glauca, trying to herd him out of the way so that Fortis could make a break for it, before the daemon got to them.

“Crowe, Pelna, we need to get Glauca out of the way!”

Pelna nodded, grunting as he parried a punch, before warping away from Crowe’s attack. Nyx dove forward immediately after, hissing as Glauca’s sword drew a sharp cut across his cheek, but it was worth it as he managed to get close enough to unleash a pulse of lightning strong enough to send Glauca back a few vital steps. He warped out of the way of his retaliation, letting Pelna take over briefly as he cracked an elixir onto himself.

They just needed to get Glauca a little further away, and then Fortis could, hopefully, get out of the city.

But Pelna was tiring, and so was Nyx, the fighting from earlier having already taken its toll even though they had come out of that mess mostly unharmed.

Glauca, on the other hand, seemed to be fuelled by whatever cursed shit made up that armour of his, and probably a few other things as well.

At this rate, Nyx had the feeling he’d be needing to put that damn Ring back on his finger. Again.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Pelna yelled as he dodged several swings of the sword, managing to avoid getting skewered only for Glauca to catch him around the waist and fling him across the road.

“Pelna!” Nyx yelled, unable to check on his friend as Glauca was now attacking him, and thank the Astrals that Nyx had already seen some of these moves and knew how to counter them, because it should be illegal how fast Glauca could move, in armour like that.

Nyx managed to blast Glauca in the way of one of Crowe’s fire blasts, just as he heard the screeching of tires. He grinned, even as Glauca doubled his attacks at him, Nyx holding up a shield just as he felt the van fly past him, the vehicle close enough to almost him.

“You do realise that you will die here, that nothing will stop me from killing that coward King.” Glauca growled, as he batted Nyx away.

“Your armour’s looking real bad, you know that?” Nyx quipped back, nodding to Pelna as the two of the charged at Glauca, Nyx aiming a blast of frost at Glauca’s feet whilst Pelna tried for a headshot.

They both missed, Glauca almost managing to get a kick out at Nyx, but they both managed to distract him enough to take yet another gout of fire to the head.

“You. I knew I should’ve had you killed when I had the chance!” Glauca roared, charging suddenly at Crowe, a sliver of skin visible along his collarbone.

“No!” Nyx yelled, warping after him, only to get a fist straight to his chest, winding him as he crumpled to the ground.

He could see Crowe warping out of the way, but she’d never fought Glauca in melee combat before, and melee wasn’t even her specialty-

The axe that lodged itself in Glauca’s collarbone surprised them all.

Glauca’s yell of surprise and pain was nearly drowned out by Libertus’ warcry, as the man suddenly appeared, his axe in both hands as he braced himself and completed his swing, turning that sliver of collarbone into a bloody gash, although Nyx could see the silver of the armour already trying to repair itself.

“That’s my sister you nearly killed, you bastard.” Libertus spat, and ducked as Crowe tossed fireball after fireball at Glauca, before she turned and set the approaching daemon alight as well.

“How-“

Nyx didn’t give him time to finish, letting Pelna use him as a springboard to launch right at Glauca, the man plunging a dagger right into that open wound before he landed in front of Libertus and Crowe, ready to help defend them.

“Damn, he’s still going?” Pelna shook his head, flinging up a shield to briefly deflect Glauca’s next attack. “That should’ve at least slowed him down significantly.”

Nyx warped back into the fight, giving the three time to reposition themselves as he tried his best to carve out more of Glauca. This fight was just as frustrating as it had been all the times before, as even though he had his friends with him, it was balanced out by the fact he didn’t have the extra power from the Ring. For all of his experience, Glauca was the worst enemy he had to fight, and it showed.

Drautos had been their commander, their beloved Captain. He knewall of their moves, or at least most of them, their fighting styles, their habits and their weaknesses. And that meant that he could counteract them with more ease than he should have.

Which meant that Nyx had to do something unpredictable, something so utterly insane not even Drautos could predict it.

His gaze skittered over the road, looking for something he could maybe use to his advantage. He couldn’t see anything, just broken concrete and asphalt, Libertus’ by-now trashed car, the corpse of a daemon smouldering behind them-

He looked back at the car, where there was a puddle of fuel slowly leaking from its side.

His first thought was that it was a wonder it hadn’t caught alight, what with Crowe’s flames. His second thought was that surely Glauca wasn’t completely explosion-proof, even with that armour of his.

“Guys!” He yelled, sprinting back into the fight. “I’m going to try something, I need you to herd him backwards, to the car!”

“What are you going to do, trip me?” Glauca actually sounded a bit amused, even though he was, in fact, getting slowly pushed backwards by their combined assault.

“No, even better,” Nyx watched as Glauca was finally backed up to the car, and probably as far as he’d get before he’d clue into the petrol leaking from Libertus’ car. “Everyone, get back!”

Pelna’s eyes widened in understanding, as he warped away and grabbed Libertus with him, and Nyx tossed as large a fireball as he could at Glauca and the car.

The resulting inferno wasn’t quite as impressive as the explosion Nyx had been hoping for, but the screaming from within was.

“Do you…think that’d kill him?” Pelna asked, as they all stared at the flaming wreck, from a safe distance away.

“I’m…not actually sure,” Nyx admitted. “Actually, are cars supposed to catch on fire like that?”

“If they’re a good quality car, no.” Libertus growled. “Cheap piece of shit.”

“Eh, better safe than sorry.”

The three men looked at Crowe as she began to hurl more fireballs at the car (and presumably Glauca), her barrage only pausing when she had to crack an elixir, before continuing on. Nyx shrugged, and joined in, except with lightning bolts. Her logic was sound, in his opinion, even if Pelna and Libertus were staring at them with increasing amounts of fear.

There was one slightly harrowing moment as they watched Glauca actually stumble forwards a few moments later, but Nyx and Crowe’s panicked blasts of lightning and fire respectively quickly had him crumpling to the ground. They stayed where they were, for a few moments longer, to see if he would get back up, before Nyx sprayed the flaming wreck with a light blizzard, and they moved closer to see whether Glauca truly was dead.

“Oh, yikes.” Crowe muttered, staring at the body on the road.

“That’s a lot of- I don’t think a burned body is supposed to smell like that.” Pelna commented, holding a hand up to his nose.

“Must be the armour, that shit was magitek. Must’ve had a bad reaction to all that fire we were hurling at him at the end.” Libertus reasoned.

Nyx simply marched up to the body, and stabbed what he assumed was the head. Twice.

“Alright, he’s definitely dead.” Nyx concluded. “If he wasn’t before, by some miracle, he is now.”

Crowe cackled, a little hysterically.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A little later, Nyx trudged behind his three friends as they headed for the nearest haven, presumably to rest and recover before they tried to meet up with any other survivors of the Invasion.

Dawn was breaking on the horizon, and he was simultaneously relieved by the sight, and dreading its arrival.

On one hand, as far as he was aware, he’d managed to keep all of his friends, and the King and the Princess, alive. Even Fortis was alive, and that was something Nyx hadn’t expected. But on the other hand, Insomnia was still a smouldering ruin, the Empire had gotten away with that Crystal, and Nyx was pretty certain the fatality count was up in the hundreds of thousands.

Up until now, he hadn’t managed to live past the dawn, had always died as soon as the sun had fully risen above the horizon. What if his survival now meant that the loops were finished? The thought scared him, somehow. He’d gotten used to slowly inching his way to figuring out the multitude of things that had led up to the city’s fall, and the destruction that came with it. What if he could’ve had more chances to try and stop everything from happening in the first place, if only he figured out a way to die before the dawn? What if there were parts to this puzzle he didn’t yet know about, vital pieces that could ensure everyone’s survival without the destruction of the city?

But, if he looped back now, then wouldn’t all the fighting he had just done be for naught? He looked at his friends, at their tired, but cheerful, expressions. To them, they’d just survived one of the greatest tragedies since the Fall of Galahd, and had even managed to kill the legendary General Glauca, the man responsible for the destruction of not only Galahd, but also Tenebrae, and now Insomnia.

He couldn’t- He couldn’t take that away from them.

And so, Nyx Ulric watched as the sun rose above the horizon, Pelna cheering as one of the imps that had been about to approach them almost instantly melted away into daemonic miasma.

And stopped.

He shuddered, clutching his head as a sudden spell of dizziness overtook him. He vaguely heard Libertus’ cry of alarm, as he stumbled backwards, something tugging on his chest even as the world around him seemed to flicker in and out like a bad television signal. Nyx had the abrupt sensation of the ground beneath him giving way, before his vision fragmented, like a broken mosaic almost, and he fell, dragged along by an unseen force. The swirl of colours that his vision had devolved into was nauseating, and Nyx shut his eyes, the sensation of freefalling continuing until-

He sat upright with a shout, as the world snapped back into place, and he was greeted by the familiar sight of his dimly lit apartment, sunlight streaming through the cheap curtains.

[spartanxhunterx]

So I haven't watched the show yet but I have the sneaking suspicion that you're slowly turning the Couffaines into the family from "The Deep" cartoon you were posting about lol.

I was writing the crossover fic (subnautica/ The Deep, Not Miraculous Ladybug/ The Deep) and had the thought and decided to share it.

Also Anarka would better fit the role of Captain hammerhead then the Nektons.

Watch the show and you’ll understand why.