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cobaltperun · 7 months ago

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Lost (25) - We Belong Together

Tara Carpenter x female Reader

Summary: To anyone on the outside, and to Tara’s friends, you were Tara’s fierce protector, the MMA fighter who’d take anyone on for Tara. The Guard Dog, as Amber called you. You had no idea you’d have to protect her from people who claimed they loved her. It didn’t matter. As long as you and Tara had one another there was nothing you wouldn’t be able to survive.

Story warnings: Scream violence, family issues, trauma, angst, certain sensitive topics

Word count: 3.9k

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-I only think of you, and it's breaking my heart, I'm trying to keep it together but I'm falling apart-

~X~ March 25th, 2027~X~

Ghostface grieved for his followers, for Ghost-Elephant and Ghost-Bull killed in an effort to capture Tara Carpenter, now L/N, to lure Samantha to their location. He finally had his twelve followers, he finally had everything he desired, and now he was left with only ten, they could be replaced, of course, but perhaps he was too trusting. The snake was in his ranks, and it betrayed him, while wearing the mark of a snake he so carefully painted on the white mask.

To make it more difficult to track them, he separated the cult into two groups, one led by Ghost-Bear, one led by Ghost-Dog.

Bear, Bird, Fish, Monkey, Bull, and Elephant in one group. Dog, Wolf, Lion, Shark, Rhino, and Snake in the other group, stationed around him. From the looks of it, the dog was more effective than the bear, and would soon enough receive the unmarked mask, as his second, as the one almost equal to him. But that would be left for later. He had a traitor to kill.

“I have been kind to you all,” he began, his voice changer on, as usual. “I’ve given you an opportunity to join me, based solely on our shared beliefs, yet one of you dared to betray me and now…” he pulled out a knife and violently stabbed it into the table. “Sidney Prescott lives! One of you made sure of that!” he yelled, causing everyone but Ghost-Dog, the unwavering, loyal follower, to flinch.

“Tell me who it is, and I’ll personally handle their punishment,” Ghost-Snake spoke, making Ghostface grit his teeth. The nerve of the traitor, to speak so eagerly in his presence.

He stood up, his robes flowing behind him and circled the table, the dim candlelight flickered as he walked by, some flames dying out as he stopped right behind Ghost-Snake. “I appreciate the offer,” he spoke calmly, abruptly yanking the mask off and pointing a knife at the back of the woman’s head. “Here is your punishment,” he fired before the woman he allowed into his cult even had the chance to speak. The blood stained the wooden table and his clothes and he cleaned the gun with the snake’s robes. “Dispose of her, let this be a lesson to all of you. Betrayal will not be tolerated.”

~X~

She had no way to tell the time; her phone was taken or left at the warehouse, and there were no windows in her room. The air was stale, the food barely enough to keep her alive and water wasn’t something she had easy access to either. If the Ghostface with bird on the mask wasn’t bringing her, or rather sneaking in, food and water for her, she was sure she would be only getting one meal a day. Tara was tired. So tired she barely had the energy to glare whenever the Ghostface that shot Danny brought her that one meal.

She was hopeful the first day, believing she just had to be patient, and that she would be saved, that you would come through those doors and get her out of here, but it didn’t happen.

She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t keep going. And she had long since given up on hoping she would be saved. You were alive, she knew that much, but you were captured as well. You would have gotten free long before Danny got killed if you could have. This was likely her end, and she could only apologize to you for dying here, alone, afraid, and worse than that, pregnant with your child. If only she could have given birth before this, at least that way you’d still have your child, as it was, she’d be leaving you alone.

And then she felt something warm between her legs.

It took her a few moments to move, to figure out the cause of the sudden warmth, her exhausted body not willing to comply to her wants.

But when she properly looked down at her fingers and saw the red spots on her fingers her heart began beating rapidly. Blood. She was bleeding. “Relax, relax, it can happen,” she tried to calm down, to not let the panic set in, to do anything just to stay calm. But her panic driven mind thought of how little she ate since you were arrested, how much stress she experienced, and she was more afraid than ever in her entire life. She thought she had accepted her death, she was sure of that, but she didn’t accept your child dying before her.

She never accepted and she would never accept that!

~X~

How many weeks has it been already? Almost four weeks if the number of meals you were given was any indication. Damn it Sam… the fuck did you get yourself into, was the question you often asked no one in particular as you sat there, chained to the wall. Your thoughts once again drifted to Tara, and you clung to those thoughts desperately, knowing full well those thoughts were the only thing keeping you sane. Was she fine? If Sam did anything to her, or was in any way involved in something bad happening to Tara, you’d make her pay, you’d make her regret ever touching that damn mask.

You just hoped against all odds that Tara would stay out of danger, that Chad, Mindy and Anika would come back to keep her safe, to make sure she didn’t feel alone. You tried to get free, many times, but the chains around your arms just wouldn’t budge.

“I should have known only the leader would know where you were,” a voice, that damn voice came from the doors. You didn’t look up though, you had no desire to know who was speaking to you. “Silent treatment?”

You scoffed; you had nothing to say to Ghostface, and you would have rattled your chains if it wasn’t so useless to do so. They were still afraid of you, seeing as they just barely interacted with you.

“This isn’t like you, L/N,” the voice changer was turned off half-way through the sentence and your eyes widened as you recognized the voice. “You’re just going to rot here? While your wife is out there?” you clenched your fists when you heard that, rattling the chains holding you in place.

“What are you doing here, Golubeva?” you demanded, finally looking up to glare at the woman. What was she doing here and wearing that damn mask? It didn’t matter. If you had to kill one more former MMA fighter you’d do it.

“We have a common goal, L/N,” that made you settle down a bit, curious as to what she could possibly get from all of this mess.

“Explain,” you demanded as she took off the mask, she looked a bit older, but there was no doubt this was the woman you fought all those years ago for the title.

She sighed and began unlocking the chains on your feet. “My cousin is a Ghostface, I’d like to get him out of this. I don’t know how involved he really is, but if there is a way to save his life, I want to do that. And you, well, you vaguely know what’s at stake for you here,” you scoffed at that as she moved the chains to the side and moved on to the ones around your arms. Well, at least you were being freed and could get back to Tara now. After you properly made sure she was fine you’d figure out how to make the damn cult pay for putting Tara and you through all of this. Tara first though. Everything else.

“Vaguely?” you couldn’t help but ask once she was done setting you free. You got up, feeling a bit unsteady but overall fine. You could get up and move a few feet even while chained up, so you remained in shape, the insufficient food was an issue, but you powered through it like you used to before your fights.

“Your wife was captured,” Anya told you and you saw red. Slamming her into the wall and pressing your forearm against her neck.

Anya cursed in Russian and tried to push your arm back, but fueled by rage there was no way you’d be that easy to push away. “Where is she?” you pulled back a bit and slammed her back into the wall. “Where is Tara?!” you barely registered that Anya couldn’t breathe with how hard you were pressing on her neck, but you still somehow realized it and pulled your arm back as the blonde woman began coughing and gasping for air.

She raised her arm when you nearly attacked her again. “I get it. I’ll take you to her. Damn,” she rubbed her neck, but you were already pulling her outside.

~X~

Kirby had never seen this much fury in your eyes, you looked ready to rip someone apart as you stepped out of Anya’s car. “Y/N,” she greeted you in front of the safehouse, a small cabin in the woods.

“Kirby, where’s Tara?” you barely acknowledged anything else, you didn’t even shake her hand. Considering you just as easily could have gone ballistic on them for not keeping Tara safe she figured this was the best possible reaction.

“You can go and get her, but we need to go over the plan first,” Kirby pulled her arm back, knowing full-well you were too focused on rescuing Tara to care about anything else.

The rage flickered in your eyes and for a brief moment Kirby thought she’s be on the receiving end of your fist, but you just took a deep breath and went inside the cabin. “Fine, but be quick about it,” you paused, likely because you saw Chad and Mindy inside.

“Y/N!” the twins jumped to their feet and greeted you happily and just for a second you allowed them to hug you before once again focusing on Tara.

Kirby couldn’t say she disliked your dedication to Tara, it would certainly make this part easier. “Okay, here’s the plan Y/N,” she began.

~X~

The bleeding stopped, but her worry didn’t end. She needed to make sure your child was fine, she needed to get out of here, she needed to move. She had no time for tears. The doors opened and she glanced to see the Ghostface with bear on the mask coming in with a tray, a bare minimum of food, mainly bread and some canned meat and a glass of water on it. It didn’t even smell appetizing. Not that it mattered, he lowered his guard while lowering the food to the concrete floor.

Tara’s arms were left untied after the one with the bird cut the ropes. The woman argued she couldn’t escape as long as her legs were tied, and the other three Ghostfaces agreed. It certainly made eating easier. It also made it easy to hide that she untied her legs and just kept the rope loosely around her ankles a long time ago.

Ghostface set the tray down and while his head was down Tara moved. She lunged forward, grabbing the man under his left knee and pushing him to the ground in a move that you’d be proud of. She allowed a small smile to appear on her face, she didn’t watch you train for years for nothing. Before Ghostface could figure out what was happening she grabbed the rope and tied his arms behind his back and kicked him in the head for good measure. The groan he let out told her he was still conscious, and that she needed to be quick as she ran through the building, finally finding the exit, rushing outside and realizing it was the middle of the night, that she was in an empty street in a more industrial area than she hoped. She hoped she was kept somewhere where she could ask for help, somewhere where there was at least a shop or something, but she was in some kind of abandoned place filled with large buildings and no way of knowing where to go. She just knew she had to move, to get away from this building before Ghostface freed himself.

So, she ran, she ran ignoring the pain in her lungs, the difficulties breathing, and she refused to focus on the pain in her stomach. She only stopped when she felt like she was far enough to start walking instead of running. After all, running would likely make her easier to hear. The streetlight flickered as she leaned against the building, trying to catch her breath. From the looks of it, she managed to escape captors. Even if she wasn’t sure for how long she’d be safe.

“She couldn’t have gone far, spread out and find her! Do not kill her, we still need her alive!” she heard a voice she knew all too well shouting, commanding the group of pursuers that were after her. She took a few deep breaths, and hoped she could find her way out of the trap they prepared for her unharmed.

~X~

You ran through the industrial zone, not caring one bit about anyone seeing or hearing you. You were too late, when you rushed into the building Anya pointed you toward Tara was already gone, no one was there, no one was around it, but you saw red spots on the ground and a fallen tray with food and a broken glass lying next to it.

You ran, hoping you’d either find Tara before anyone else did, or that you’d find a Ghostface and kill them right away. Either of those two would work, as long as you could get to Tara before anyone could hurt her.

~X~

While she managed to evade her pursuers for at least an hour Tara was quickly losing strength, only fueled by her adrenaline and need to keep your child safe as she checked around another building for anyone nearby. She kept to the shadows, tried to find some kind of forest, or anything that could be used as a shortcut, but she had no luck so far. She placed her hand on her stomach, and pushed on, rounding the corner only to suddenly feel arms pulling her in.

She felt strong arms wrapping around her back and relaxed, recognizing you immediately by touch alone. “Y/N,” she didn’t even need to look at you, but she did because she wanted to, she looked you in the eyes for the first time in almost a month and her hands trembled as she grabbed onto you, afraid that you’d slip through her fingers like some exhaustion induced hallucination.

“It’s okay, Love, I got you,” you kissed the top of her head and Tara raised her head to kiss you. The kiss was hasty, of course, you hardly had any time to spare. “Are you okay?” you asked her.

Tara nodded. “Yeah, we both are,” relief washed over your face and she let you pick her up. She couldn’t tell you about the blood, not until you were safely out of this hell.

She couldn’t keep her eyes off you, off your face, the relief and love in your eyes, the slight tremble of your arms as you held her, not from her weight, but from the weight that dropped from your heart. And she allowed the exhaustion to take her over, she was safe once again, you were with her once again, and she fell asleep in your arms. You’d get her out of this hell.

“It’s okay, Love, you can sleep now, I’m with you,” your reassurance was more than enough for her. Once again, she felt safe.

~X~

Your eyes softened as you looked at Tara, at her peaceful, though tired face and sighed, relief flooding you, but you couldn’t relax, not until you made it out. You looked around, while you wanted to kill everyone involved, everyone who kept her here, you needed to keep her safe. You slipped into the shadows, listening carefully for any signs of presence anywhere near you, and began walking in the direction Tara came from. She made the right turn into your arms, but if she turned left, she would have reached the forest and that was where you were heading. Two miles through the forest and you’d reach the road, where Chad was waiting in a car.

Two hours on the road, and you’d get to a safehouse, one Kirby guaranteed was safe, one Mindy and Anika were currently making sure was safe. And then Tara could rest and properly recover.

Finally, with Tara in your arms you managed to clear your head enough to think about the entire situation. Kirby had a mole, the one with wolf on the mask, it was because of her that all of this was possible. She confirmed Sam was involved way before you were freed, and she contacted Anya before her cousin could, which set everything else in motion and here you were. With two confirmed allies in enemy ranks, and Sam you were still unsure of.

Did Sam do this to protect Tara? If Tara wasn’t captured you would believe that, but as it was, you had your doubts. You’d have to clear that up with Sam herself. Fifteen minutes later you reached the road and leaned Tara against you so you could take out your phone. Chad’s location popped up, less than half a mile down the road. Just a bit more and everything would be fine.

Tara hummed, blinking a few times, and leaning closer to you. “Y/N,” she muttered, reaching up and hugging you.

“You’re okay now, Love, you’re safe,” you leaned down, kissing her forehead.

“I was bleeding,” she suddenly said, her voice shaking and her grip on you tightening, and you froze. You didn’t see any wounds on her, any stains on her clothes. But she said she was bleeding, and there were drops of blood where she was held.

“What?” your throat got dry all of a sudden, the worst case scenario running through your mind. You looked down at her stomach and then back at her face to see her nodding. “It’ll be fine, okay? It can happen, right?” you asked, rushing toward the car, fear clutching your heart, fogging your mind so much you barely stopped by the car without running into it.

“We need to see the doctor,” Tara nodded, soothing you with her touch even as she panicked as well, and you nodded lowering her back to her feet and opening the doors for her.

“Drive to the hospital! Right now!” you yelled jumping in from the other side as Chad turned to check on Tara.

“Hospital?!” he started the car, panicking just from hearing the panic in your voice.

“Just drive damn it!” you shouted as Tara leaned into your side, refusing to let go of you. “Baby will be fine, Love, you’ll both be fine,” you assured her and yourself as much as you could and hearing you say that Chad drove faster as Tara clung to you and you each placed a hand on her stomach. “You’ll be fine,” you whispered because you weren’t sure what you would do if the baby wasn’t fine.

~X~

The hospital wasn’t too far away, and you were in the hall with Chad, waiting for the doctors to come back and tell you if Tara and the baby were fine. The fact that you couldn’t be with her frustrated you and you gritted your teeth, feeling a lot like you did back when Tara was still unconscious after Amber first attacked her.

Chad patted you on the shoulder. “They’ll be fine, Y/N, Tara is strong and if the baby is anything like her, you have nothing to worry about,” he assured you.

You nodded, taking a deep breath. Your arms were crossed over your chest, and you squeezed your biceps so hard you nearly winced in pain. “I should have found a way to escape,” you couldn’t help but think that. That you should have been there for her, that you should have come back to her, and kept her from getting captured in the first place.

“You couldn’t. You were chained, weren’t you? You’re stupidly strong, but even you have limits. We should have come back, we should have been there for Tara,” he felt guilty as well, and a part of you did think that. They left Tara, even when they knew she only had Danny left. They weren’t there for her, not to fight the damn cult but to make sure Tara didn’t feel alone! They let her get captured, Kirby especially didn’t do nearly enough to prevent Tara’s kidnapping. And you were furious, and the one person you were the most furious with was Sam.

“You should have but,” you looked at him, anger not directed at him burning in your eyes. “Sam should have, none of this should have happened in the first place if she just-” you bit your lip, stopping yourself before you could finish the sentence. But it was clear to you. This wouldn’t have happened if Sam didn’t decide she could deal with the cult alone. If she was even trying to do that in the first place.

“Where is Sam anyway?” Chad dared to ask. “Is she really Ghostface now?”

You were about to answer, but you saw Tara coming out with the doctor next to her. “Tara,” you ran up to her and she hugged you the moment you reached her.

“We’re fine! All three of us,” she said, pulling you down to kiss you on the lips. You missed the feel of her lips, her touch, her body pressing against yours but all those sensations and happiness gave way to confusion.

“Three?” you couldn’t help but ask.

“We’re having twins, Baby,” she whispered, relaxing once again in your arms.

“Your babies are fine, the bleeding happens sometimes, but you were right to come and check,” the doctor told you and you nodded, thanking her.

“We can go now, right?” Tara asked, though she didn’t separate from you, she kept hugging you, not wanting to be separated from you any more than she absolutely needed to be.

The doctor nodded. “Just make sure you eat enough and have plenty of rest,” it was a bit of a warning, and you’d both take it to heart. Hell, you’d make a good, healthy meal for Tara the moment you came to the safehouse. You picked your wife up bridal style and turned around to see Chad with happy tears in his eyes, he heard everything.

“Thanks for coming to save me,” Tara said and reached out for him to take her hand.

“We don’t deserve that! We all came, Tara, and I’m so sorry, we should have been here from the start!” he sobbed, relieved that she was fine, and Tara didn’t say it, but there was no anger in her eyes, and just for that you wouldn’t blame them either.

Tara smiled, letting go of Chad’s hand and wrapping her arms around your neck and shoulders as she fell asleep in your arms.

A/N: What’s that? Reader appeared? About time!

Story masterlist / First part / Previous part / Next part

Taglist: @alexkolax

#tara carpenter x reader #tara carpenter x you #tara carpenter #scream #tara carpenter x female reader #jenna ortega x reader #x reader #x female reader

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moss-bride · 1 year ago

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The lie of human kindness. Ren Hana x Reader

Part 2. Tw: dead dove do not eat

Tonight was a fairytale, to meet so many kind people and end up wrapped in the arms of her handsome companion…it could end just as quickly as it started if she let it.

She doesn't want to be whisked away on a pumpkin carriage carrying one glass slipper.

"No." she shoves Roo away. Facing Fox who narrows his gaze and is daring her to speak. "I'm staying."

The chattering inside fades away as they lock eyes and stand together in a tense silence that chokes her. Her mentor and friend has come to mean much more than those labels, she likes him, simple and true. Should have realized it ages ago.

While apart her thoughts linger on his intelligent and quiet presence, the way that despite his size he commands a room with enthralling words. The lined face that smiles cheerfully and the peppering of gray in his hair. Tan skin, lean body. Impeccable style. He always smells good. Always radiating charisma.

And in quiet moments, though he tried to not let her see, the unsure fragile expression he sometimes gets in quiet pauses mid conversations makes her cherish him.

"Fox." trying to ease the anger in his gaze, the tired acceptance of something she has no clue about.

He looks about ready to bark another order at Roo. But at her pleading tone an awful sneer marks his lips, something she's never seen. "Fine."

She smiles big and runs into his arms ready to kiss him again. He crushes her to him. Licking open her lips and squeezing her waist. Meeting her fully in the warm smashing of lips that he pours all his intentions, his passion, into. The heat leaves her dizzy, tilting her head to slide her tongue against his sharp fang, a move so bold she would have never had done it had she been sober.

He groans. She clenched her thighs. The sound does delicious things to her. The wine buzzes her fraught feelings with a slow glow of gold. She's whimpering. Clutches his shoulders for more. Can't get enough of his taste and pleased murmurs. "Pretty pet." He whispers in her ear.

Moving to kiss her nape. Her head falls back for more open mouth bites from his roaming teeth, his heated breath scattering the cold from her cheeks.

She reaches to rub his ears, the fragile shell of pink to white orange then brown fur in that order, unimaginably soft.

He takes her neck in his teeth and delivers a harsh clamp. She jolts back from his grasp and feels a tiny trickle of blood. Fox kisses the shell of her ear to soothe her sudden fright.

Is she really bleeding? Maybe it's her imagination.

To hell if it's odd. She wants to continue to exist in his smothering arms. There is the beginning of evidence of his desire throbbing at her pelvis, below her stomach. The perfect height to enter her with no problem had their clothes not been in the way, god knows she's soaking in her panties. Unable to concentrate on anything but the lashing of arousal in her stomach.

She wants him to start leading her to his bedroom. Mindful of the guest inside, some of them stare through the glass doors and windows.

They are discussing them. That cools her ardor.

His fingers find her dress zipper, while meeting her in another kiss, her hands buried at the hair in his nape as he pulls it down.

The breeze on her back shocks her into action. She pushes him off. "What are you doing?!"

Fox is all smiles. The fangs she kissed just a second ago were no longer inviting but a predator's warning. Ears perked up in attention

She reaches around and tries to zip it up, He made it to mid back before she stopped him and she struggles to cover her exposed skin, then hands bigger and wider than hers crush the attempt.

The bald guard grasps her wrists and stretches them above her head. Her shoulder muscles strain.

Roo and Rhino hold her as she writhes. "Let go." She shoots a glance at Fox. Waiting for him to tell the men to release her. Order them to stop

He's shaking his head and tsking. "That's not an option anymore. I gave you a chance. You refused."

#ao3 fanfic #x reader #ren hana #the price of flesh #boyfriend to death #tpof #dead dove fic

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bellatrixobsessed1 · 2 years ago

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Ten Into The Fog (Part 5)

She can't explain her sense of unease but it is creeping and growing steadily with each inch closer that they grow to the palace.

There's a certain uncanniness, the sense that she truly has been winked out of the universe and displaced back into another one that is exactly the same but just subtly different enough to make her feel weary and small.

There are statues at the heart of Caldera City; one of Zuko standing tall and proud next to Aang. There must be some reason, some reason that makes sense as to why they would erect a statue of a traitor and an enemy. There is one of herself. Perhaps the people mean to topple the Zuko statue in her name so all that remains will be the one in her likeness, grand and glimmering. It wears a bold smirk, much more imposing than she feels in current. Its golden hand holds a sapphire flame. She might be flattered by it were it not for the angles that the artist had added to her face. She is mightily familiar with artists taking creative liberties, touching up her face where it is flawed. But something about this seems excessive.

So focused as she is on the look of them, she hadn't even thought to be alarmed by the sudden existence of those statues.

Her stomach twists and turns with butterflies and that sense of nausea won't seem to go away even when she thinks that she isn't nervous.

She wishes that they would have just taken the palanquin but Zuko insists that walking through the city will help ease her into things.

Things like seeing Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe flags in windows and the odd Earth Kingdom cuisine family. Things that are pulling at and fraying threads in her mind. Things that make her feel dizzy and dissociated.

"You alright, Azula?" Sokka asks.

"Princess Azula." She folds her arms across her chest. "I'm fine." She would just like to be at home, in her bed, where maybe someone will realize that the Fire Nation is being invaded. That she is a hostage, chains or none.

She finds herself hoping that it is a hostage situation, a full scale invasion that had happened while she was out, anything other than finding out that Sokka’s words had been the truth.

Perhaps she should make a run for it. She ought to but she still feels so queasy and her body still aches. She can't afford to hurt herself again so soon. Not when she has several foes who will surely track her down. She needs to bide her time.

"Are you sure? We can stop at the Golden Paprika. It's your favorite. I can get you one of those kebabs with the komodo rhino meat and the lightly seasoned yellow peppers.”

Azula can feel the color draining from her face. A lucky guess, she tells herself. Deep down she knows that she is lying to herself. “I’d like to get back to the palace.” She wishes that she had Mai and TyLee with her, but then she can’t trust them to tell her the truth either.

She can’t trust anyone.

She is beginning to wonder if she can trust her own mind.

She grits her teeth; she had sworn that she wouldn’t let them take her mind from her. And she won’t. Whatever sort of rouse this is, however they are pulling it off, she won’t let it get to her. She won’t!

Not even as she steps into the palace. Not even as the guards greet Fire Lord Zuko with a bow and welcome the Avatar and his friends into the palace with enthusiasm. Her head spins. No, no, no, it is all wrong; how could things have fallen apart so quickly in the few weeks to a month that she was out?

Had they truly managed to overthrow father so quickly and so easily?

Zuko can’t be Fire Lord.

No.

No, there must be something that she is missing. Some piece that can explain why everyone is letting these traitors and enemies waltz about the palace. Perhaps father has plans of his own, a trap set up for them. Perhaps they think that she knows more than she does and it will simply be a matter of pretending that she truly does know as much as they think she does…

.oOo.

Sokka knows her well enough to tell when Azula is thinking and overthinking. When she is distraught or stressed. She gets tense when she is stressed, she grips at the excess folds of her robes. And the deeper they enter the palace the tighter she holds her sleeves.

She has an excuse for everything; the palace looks different simply because furniture and decorative art has been rearranged or taken down, the staff is different because servants have quit and guards got fired, the palace garden is bigger simply because the gardeners have been working harder.

For every little change, Azula is able to swiftly evade the truths that they reveal right in front of her eyes. For every larger difference that they confront her with she finds a way to rationalize it away. Her reaching and all of those mental contortions to arrive at the conclusions that she does would leave TyLee envious.

Until, of course, she comes by indisputable proof–namely a trip to the nearby prison where Ozai is being held.

The shift from denying that there has been any change at all to acknowledging that, indeed, everything is quite different is frustrating when coupled with a brand new type of denial–an adamant refusal to believe that it has happened over the course of a decade.

“Let me speak to father.” She growls again. She won’t budge and neither will Zuko. And if Zuko does budge, Sokka vows to hold him in place. The last thing she needs is to speak to Ozai especially with her newly regressed mindset.

“You can’t keep him from me, Zuzu.” She scowls.

He shakes his head. “It was a mistake to bring you here.”

“No kidding…” Katara grumbles.

Azula says nothing more, she doesn’t need to. He can see that determination in her eyes; one way or another she plans to break the man out. Sokka is just grateful that she doesn’t remember that it is as easy as signing a few forms. That she had been charged with keeping him under lock and key.

“Let’s go.” Zuko replies firmly.

“Or what? You’ll have me locked up too?”

“We’re not going to imprison you.” Sokka says. “I swear that I already told you…”

She holds up a hand. “I know that you Water Tribe barbarians have no sense of order but here in the Fire Nation we speak when addressed.”

Sokka grits his teeth. Raava, it has been so long since she has spoken to him like that. Since she is spoken to anyone like that. It begins to settle in more fully just what they are going to be facing.

He just hopes that he won’t hate her by the end of it all.

.oOo.

For the most part they keep their distance, save for Zuko who has grown a little too brave since technically beating her at the Western Air Temple. And braver still now that he has successfully imprisoned father. Evidently she suspects that sooner or later he and the others will grow tired of this game, bind her up, and send her to their own version of the Boiling Rock when they realize that she isn’t falling for this trickery.

They must think rather low of her to believe that she will eventually buy into their lies.

Zuko sits on the edge of her bed aggravatingly unfazed by the danger she poses. He still hasn’t bothered to restrain her and sooner or later she will show him–show all of them–exactly what a mistake that had been. “I wish that you would talk to us.” Zuko urges gently. “We’re trying to help you.”

Help her? She sniffs. “You’re trying to get into my head and break me.” She replies needlessly defiantly. “It isn’t going to work. I’ll admit that you’ve been putting on a good show. You’ve clearly used my unconscious months wisely.”

“Azula, it hasn’t been months…”

“There’s just one thing that I don’t understand.” She cuts him off. “You’ve already overthrown father and taken his throne, why bother with me? Other than sick satisfaction, what do you have to gain by trying to convince me that I’ve been asleep for ten years?”

“That’s not what we’ve been saying at all.” Zuko frowns.

“We’ve been saying the opposite.” Sokka reiterates from the doorway. “You’ve been awake the whole time, you’ve been living your life. You’ve been creating a life for yourself–a good one! You just don’t remember it.”

And then it dawns upon her and she gives a bitter chuckle. “This is about vengeance isn’t it? I’ve played mind games with all of you and now you’re teaming up and giving it a shot. You want me to question myself, my perceptions. You want me to think that I’m crazy.”

Sokka looks damn near tears.

He takes her hands, actually swoops in and snatches them up! The audacity! And he holds their hands to his chest. “I don’t want you to think that you’re crazy.” He sounds almost pleading. Agni, it is such a painfully realistic act. “That’s the last thing that we want.”

She jerks her hands out of his grasp.“Then what is your goal?” As if they would tell her.

“To help you remember.”

“There’s nothing to remember, Sokka.”

“I know that it’s scary to think…”

“I am not afraid. And I am not convinced.” She folds her hands over her chest.

.oOo.

He gives a sad little smile. “You haven’t had a chance to look at yourself. You look different you know. Your hair is longer..”

Her hair is longer, her skin is scarred in places, she has the tattoos, and Raava he’s is almost certain that she is pregnant. They had begun to speculate as much only a few days prior to the incident. A few mornings back when she had complained that her perfectly fitted clothing had grown a touch snug and he had to reassure her that he hadn’t noticed a thing and even if he had, she is, in fact, still perfect the way she is. And then she complained of feeling ill.

Raava’s tendrils he is an idiot; he hadn’t even tried to talk her out of going. Just that little inkling should have been enough to tell her to let them handle things for once.

How in Raava’s name is is supposed to tell her that? How and when? She refuses to accept even the little truths.

Once elated at the prospect of starting a family, he now he finds himself hoping that their speculations have been wrong. It’ll only make an already frightening situation absolutely terrifying and he can’t even reach out to comfort her. Not when she is looking at him with such thinly veiled disdain.

“You need to remember.” Is all he manages. “I need you to remember.” As if she has a choice.

#Avatar The Last Airbender #Azula #Sokka #Sokkla #Fanfiction

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alecmagnuslwb · 3 years ago

Text

The Black Fox

Part of my Malec SpideyCat AU

Read on AO3

“Babe, bad news Rhino’s back in town,” Alec says slipping into the window, tearing off his mask and tossing it to the side leaving his hair sticking up in every direction. The apartment is dark, just nearing 9 p.m., not a sound, but he knows well enough that his boyfriend is probably home anyways quietly slipping around in the dark. “Badder news he still hates me and packs a mean left hook.”

“Badder is not a word, young man,” a voice he doesn’t recognize says. Alec startles as the lamp by the couch turns on stumbling back and nearly falling out the window he just came in through. It’s not his proudest moment as either Spider-Man or just Alec.

“Shit,” he says scrambling to find his mask giving up when the man on the couch eyes him with extreme disappointment.

“Alec, did you fall in the window?” Magnus’ voice rings out, his soft footfall moving into the living room. “That’s not very superheroic of you,” he chuckles freezing when he steps into the room.

“There’s some man on our couch,” Alec says a little stupidly arm waving at the man who’s now eyeing him with boredom more than anything else. He sneers rising to his feet an all too fancy cane gripped tightly in his hand. Alec moves into a fighting stance ready to defend if that cane becomes a threat.

“I see that,” Magnus says angrily. Angrier than Alec thinks he’s ever heard them.

“Some man,” the stranger says completely bypassing Alec and rounding the couch towards Magnus. “Not even a description given of your dear old father, the great Black Fox, to your silly little Spider-Man.”

Alec’s eyes go wide.

“Father?” he says in disbelief. I mean in theory he knew that Magnus had a father, everyone has someone who contributed sperm to a situation, but as far as he knew that father was long dead. He’s heard the stories about his shitty stepdad who died in the same car accident that killed his mother. He’d held Magnus close when he opened up that bit of himself.

But the father that left him as a child is far less discussed. Mostly Alec knows he left when Magnus was young, only deigning to return when Magnus was old enough to start picking pockets. He taught him everything he knew, manipulated Magnus’ desire for a decent father and then on his eighteenth birthday forced him into a job that resulted in the death of a security guard. Magnus cut ties after that, though Alec’s fairly certain he’s been in contact a time or two over the years. Magnus doesn’t like to talk about it, to talk about him and Alec respects that.

Still, he definitely thought this guy was dead.

“Unfortunately,” Magnus sighs stepping away when his father attempts to reach out for what would have been a no doubt awkward hug. He steps in front of Alec, guarding him from his father. “I thought you were dead?”

Ah, that explains it.

“The rumors of my demise were strategic dear boy,” his father says tapping his cane to the ground in an unnerving pattern.

“How disappointing,” Magnus says reaching back a hand. Alec takes it instantly.

“Oh no, disappointing is finding out that the son you raised to be a thief, a criminal of the highest standard, is running around with a cape of all things,” his father says eyes falling directly on Alec. He’s an intimidating man, setting Alec’s Spidey senses off with every breath. Alec can see the resemblance of Magnus in him, but where Magnus’ sharp features are warm and inviting, his fathers are cold and unyielding. His eyes are the same deep brown, but far more threatening than Magnus’ are even when he’s threatening someone. The white hair at the front even seems to be genetic, Alec had always loved it and just assumed it was a regular dye job.

“You don’t get to have an opinion on who I’m with or what I do. So, if you could get to whatever point it is you came here to make and stop all this showboating and threatening my boyfriend, Asmodeus, that’d be lovely,” Magnus says his voice harsh and cold. Asmodeus what a scary name for a scary man.

Asmodeus looks almost impressed at Magnus’ tone twirling the cane around expertly.

“Fine then, no happy family reunion I guess. I’ll get right to it then,” Asmodeus says with a devilish smirk. “I want you to come back with me, be at my side properly where you belong. You’re wasting away in this city, pulling petty thefts and doing hero work on the side. Slumming it with the likes of this one,” he says gesturing at Alec with his cane threateningly. “Together we could rule the world of thieves, just like we came so close to when you were young. We all must return to the houses of our fathers and it’s your time.”

Magnus laughs, outright bellowing and fake at the suggestion. “I have never belonged at your side,” he says gritting his teeth. “And there isn’t a job in this world, a thing you could do to convince me to work with you.”

Asmodeus just chuckles like he’s in on a joke that no one else understands. “You know,” he says tapping his cane again. “There are quite a few colorful characters in this town that would pay good money to know Spider-Man’s true name.”

Alec freezes in place and Magnus does the same. He worked long and hard to keep his identity a secret, to make sure very few people knew and those who did were only people he could trust entirely. His secret doesn’t just keep him safe; it keeps Magnus safe, his mother, his siblings, his co-workers. One villain knowing his name could put each of them in danger.

“They already have actually, Doctor’s Octavious and Connors pooled in together a pretty penny I almost couldn’t say no to, but then Mr. Morgenstern practically tripled the price. He’s got a very sizable vendetta against you both,” Asmodeus says slowly walking towards the door. “Of course Black Cat’s name won’t be part of the deal even if he doesn’t know that, and the deal will expire entirely if you take your rightful place.”

He pauses at the door swinging it open dramatically. “You have until midnight; I’ll be at the usual spot, and you better come alone.” And like that, almost like magic, he’s gone slinking out into the hall without a sound disappearing into the night.

Alec rushes over to the door slamming it closed, when he turns Magnus is already gone.

“That fucker,” he hears from the bedroom. By the time Alec’s in there Magnus is halfway into his Black Cat suit.

“Magnus wherever you’re going I’m going with you,” Alec says immediately. Magnus zips up his suit and shoulders past Alec to the nightstand.

“You can’t Alec,” Magnus says securing on his gloves, the silver of his claws glinting in the low light of their bedroom. “I know how he works; I have to handle this alone.”

“He threatened us,” Alec stresses turning to face Magnus his eyes meeting his in the mirror on the nightstand. “You can’t go with him and he can’t sell my name to the highest bidder.”

“I won’t and he won’t,” Magnus says putting his mask in place. He slips around Alec again back out into the living room. He grabs his grappling belt still tossed over the couch from the night before when Alec had hastily slipped it from his hips.

“Great,” Alec says finding his discarded mask on the floor. “Then I should go with you to make sure those two statements stay true.”

Magnus sighs and then turns to him. “Don’t you trust me?”

“More than anyone,” Alec says. Magnus steps towards him turning them so that Magnus’ back faces the still open window. “But I also know you make some rash decisions sometimes.”

“A man fakes his death one time,” Magnus laments placing one clawed hand on Alec’s chest.

“Magnus you don’t have to do this alone,” Alec pleas. He doesn’t like to think about the time Magnus faked his death, but he’d said something similar afterwards and it’s become more and more true as time has passed by.

He wants Magnus to never have to be alone again. To never have to fight any battle alone.

“I have to stop him, Alexander,” Magnus says and Alec feels his breath hitch. Alexander. He only ever calls him Alexander when things are truly serious, truly dire. That one little word is how Alec knows Magnus isn’t sure he’s coming back from this.

“Let me help you, he thinks I’m not good enough for you, let’s show him,” Alec says making one final plea.

“You know me, Spider, I do some things best alone,” Magnus says stepping close drifting his claws against Alec’s cheek. “Some things,” he whispers pressing a slow suggestive kiss to Alec’s jaw before pushing Alec backwards landing him flat on his ass on the couch. Magnus turns and jumps right out of the window.

Alec curses scrambling up and sticking his head out the window. The fire escape is empty and down below a familiar car speeds away. Raphael.

With the way he drives he knows Magnus is long gone. He curses again falling back into the couch in frustration.

***

“Did you make the calls I asked you too in that text?” Magnus asks once he’s settled into the passenger seat. He looks back just a little longingly at the window he’d jumped from.

“I did, all parties were eager to assist, for prices of course. Nothing too outlandish or unreasonable though,” Raphael says turning the corner fast. “You should have let him come, he’s gonna track you down anyways.”

Magnus shifts in his seat facing forward. He opens the glove box taking the small unloaded baretta out. He doesn’t like guns, never has. Especially ever since he watched his father put a bullet in an unsuspecting security guard who was just doing his job.

He never wants to be the cause of a tragedy like that again, he’s a good enough thief to never need to brand more than his claws. He’s a better thief than his father, but he’s nowhere near as brutal.

His street name isn’t even an ode to his father, though it’s become a successful ploy to strike fear in those he needed to that thought it was. He’s worked hard to never be like him. But to fight him, to stop him, he has to go there. He has to be Magnus Bane son of the great Black Fox to win. He has to be harsh, to backstab without remorse.

“If he does, it’ll be too late,” Magnus says claws tapping on the box of ammunition. He forgoes it keeping the unloaded baretta as enough of a threat.

“If,” Raphael scoffs and Magnus ignores him. He’s not stupid enough to think Alec won’t follow, but he is smart enough to know that not even most heightened Spidey sense moment in the world will have him there before midnight.

He knows almost all of Magnus’ haunts by now, but he doesn’t know this one. He doesn’t know the one he and his father share.

“What about Lizard and Doc Oc?” Magnus asks staying on the task at hand. He weighs the gun in his hands hating the feeling of it.

“Meliorn will be dealing with them appropriately as we speak,” Raphael assures. Magnus nods in appreciation, Meliorn has been a good partner to Raphael and an even better asset when things need to be cleaned up. Magnus knows he doesn’t kill, but he knows his methods are tricky and supports them one hundred percent.

“Morgenstern should be thoroughly distracted as well, Garroway was more than happy to be a thorn in his side tonight,” Raphael continues. “No matter what Black Fox does he won’t be giving any highest bidder any information tonight. They’ll all be far too busy with their own problems to find out who Spider-Man is.”

Magnus nods appreciatively at his friend. They ride in silence the rest of the way Magnus focusing on the cold metal in his hand, praying he doesn’t have to load it for this plan to work

***

Alec stews in the apartment desperate to allow Magnus his privacy while also desperate to find some clue as to where he might be going.

Raphael is un-trackable. He knows this. Both from experience and from Raphael’s frequent bragging about it. Magnus’ usual haunts are no good, he swings across the city to no avail finding not a trace or a word of Black Cat or the risen from the grave Black Fox to be found.

He’s standing on the roof of Magnus’ penthouse, the one he keeps uptown to store all the things that won’t fit in their apartment. The place is practically empty, Magnus in the process of putting everything in a well secured and well paid for storage unit just outside the city. Alec’s no closer to finding Magnus than he was the moment he jumped out the window.

He paces rubbing nervously at the back of his neck, frustration mounting. He stops at the buildings edge leaning onto it. He digs his fingers into the hard concrete lifting an arm and punching hard into the stone.

The stone cracks under his hit fracturing out a few feet, bits crumbling and falling off the edge. He winces lifting his hand his suit is undamaged, but he can feel the throbbing of a bruise soon to form on his knuckles.

He stands there just breathing, attempting to calm down and not punch a hole in the side of the building. He steps back from the ledge when he feels a little more stable, a little further away from completely snapping and checks the time.

11:07, less than an hour until midnight. He’s running out of time. Magnus is running out of time.

He rubs at his neck nervously again before slipping out the phone he keeps discreetly tucked underneath the panel in the arm of his suit. He doesn’t mix with the rest of the superhero crowd in New York City often, he wants to protect the little guy, the locals who he’s become a beacon to. Too many of them are busy fighting alien hoards and galactic apocalypses to be bothered.

But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know them, he’s tangled with an alien or two himself, and it definitely doesn’t mean he doesn’t have their numbers and that there aren’t a few of them who owe him one after he dealt with the symbiotes all by himself. He’ll cash in every favor he’s ever mounted when Magnus is on the line.

He dials pacing the roof as the phone rings and rings.

“Baxter Building, how may I direct your call?” the kind voice of an older man says when the phone is finally answered.

“Richard’s Laboratory, tell him Spider-Man’s cashing in that favor.”

***

Raphael pulls the car to a stop and checks his phone.

“You’ve got about fifteen minutes to stall,” Raphael says. Magnus unbuckles from the passenger seat and opens the door slipping out onto the sidewalk. He secures the gun at the back of his belt before leaning back down into the cars still open door to talk to Raphael.

“Keep it running just in case and be nice to our guests,” Magnus says. Raphael nods and Magnus shuts the door turning to face the large iron gates. He hasn’t been here in a while and he’d hoped that when the day came it’d be under better circumstances.

It’s barely a cemetery these days, many of the plots being moved to build the nearby development. Most of the graves had no visitors any longer, no one the city could find to stop them from building over what would have been there final resting places. No one, but her. Magnus had paid well to keep her plot in place alongside a few others, to keep her buried in Queens the only place she called home after leaving her home country.

He walks slowly through the gates taking in his surroundings. There’s not another soul in sight aside from his father up on the hillside a tall figure cut in dark red.

They’re alone. Just like his father wanted. For now at least.

“I never did love another after your mother,” his father says when Magnus gets close, but not too close. Asmodeus lies a hand on her stone like he ever gave a damn about her.

“You never loved anyone, definitely not her,” he says in anger. He used her, he knocked her up and he abandoned her and then she traded one awful partner for a husband that was kind until he wasn’t.

Asmodeus turns facing him. “Now, now, son, there’s no need to be cruel. Just because I left didn’t mean I didn’t love.”

“Bullshit,” Magnus spits out at him crossing his arms defiantly.

Asmodeus just chuckles. Amused as usual by Magnus standing up to him. Magnus remembers the cruel way he laughed when he told him he was leaving, that the city of New York was off limits, that they were never going to work together again.

Asmodeus hadn’t believed him then, hadn’t thought he was strong enough to truly make a stand, he clearly hasn’t changed that opinion one bit.

“Whether you think me a liar or not, you’re here so you at least believed my threats to be true,” Asmodeus says digging his cane into the wet grass.

“I know when you’re bluffing. And tonight you weren’t,” Magnus says digging his nails into his arm. Only barely keeping himself from lashing out too soon.

“I saw how weak that boy makes you, I knew you’d show up tonight to protect him. But a part of me was dearly hoping you wouldn’t just so I could cause a little mayhem,” Asmodeus says with another wicked chuckle.

Magnus steps up to his father pressing a sharp claw into his chest just about to tear at his fancy shirt.

“You don’t get to talk about him, ever again,” Magnus says firmly.

Asmodeus just chuckles again, once again underestimating his son. “Who? Alexander?” he taunts.

Magnus snaps, his hand coming up around Asmodeus’ neck tightly, claws digging into the back of his neck breaking the skin.

“Don’t even think about him. I’m here. You won. You leave him alone, old man, for good,” Magnus growls his claws getting tighter and tighter. For a moment, a brief flashing moment, Asmodeus actually looks scared. Like for the first time in Magnus’ life he’s taking him seriously, like for the first time he realizes he can’t control him.

“Okay,” he grumbles out, his voice straining under the pressure from Magnus’ grip. Magnus retracts his hand slowly, purposefully making certain his claws leave more of a mark than necessary as he moves.

“Still ever so dramatic, my son,” he says rubbing at his neck. He delicately unfolds a handkerchief from his pocket dabbing it at the bloodied marks on the back of his neck.

“You’re going to stop calling me that to, it’s Magnus or Black Cat, preferably the second one,” Magnus says putting more distance between them. He looks beyond his father’s shoulder seeing a subtle flash of light.

Just a few more minutes now.

“But you are my son, are you not?” Asmodeus says with a raise of his eyebrow.

Magnus could laugh, he’s never been a son to Asmodeus. He’s been a weapon, a pawn, a useful tool, but never a son. He’s only a son when Asmodeus wants to play on his emotions, to play on his loneliness. He can’t do that anymore though; Magnus has long outgrown the need for a father figure and he isn’t lonely anymore. He has family, real family made from thieves and superheroes and formidable everyday people, a family the only parent he ever hoped to make proud would be proud of.

“Biology doesn’t mean shit,” Magnus settles for not deigning to give Asmodeus the explanation of all that. He doesn’t need to know more than what he thinks he knows. The light over his father’s shoulder flashes again.

“Oh, I think you’ll find it means everything in time,” Asmodeus says reaching out and pressing a firm hand to Magnus’ shoulder. The light flashes one more time.

“Doubtful,” Magnus says. He reaches up in a fast movement grabbing his father’s arm, his claws digging into his wrist. His father snarls raising his cane in his other hand, a gesture Magnus is all too familiar with. He sees it coming this time though catching the cane before it makes contact.

Magnus twists them his father’s wrist moving in a direction it shouldn’t. The hand with the cane gains ground though twisting from his grip as he curses at the pain in the wrist.

The hit lands this time the dragon head of the cane smacking into Magnus’ side. The hit jostles the gun from his belt landing it in the grass. Magnus grits his teeth through it swiping back out his claws, his father once again relying on the heft of his cane.

Asmodeus laughs as Magnus fights back, kicking the gun away from them.

“As if you’d ever pull a trigger,” he chuckles smacking the cane into Magnus’ shoulder.

Magnus tumbles away from another hit swiping at his father’s ankles catching them ever so slightly. “It was just so scare you,” Magnus says with a smile.

“I don’t scare easy,” Asmodeus snarls throwing a punch that misses Magnus completely.

Hand to hand has never been Asmodeus’ strong suit, Magnus learned that particular skill set on his own. He can’t keep up with Magnus’ swift movements or his quick reflexes.

Asmodeus pushes Magnus back knocking him into a gravestone then rushes forward his cane in both hands heading straight for Magnus’ neck. Magnus catches it his nails scratching at the fine crafted wood. His father pushes forward struggling as Magnus pushes back.

“You’ve made a mistake, boy,” Asmodeus growls at him fury in his eyes damn near making them glow.

Magnus grips the cane tighter making his last push back his father tumbling hard into a large headstone. He yowls in pain at the brutal hit slipping down onto the grass.

“You’re the one who made a mistake,” Magnus says straightening up tossing his father’s cane back and forth between his hands. He steps up to his father, pressing his heel into his calf when he tries to stand.

“You’ll pay for this, your little super boyfriend will pay for this,” Asmodeus growls still trying to be the one in charge when Magnus has him injured and stuck to the ground.

“I told you not to talk about him,” Magnus says digging his heel in a little harder. Asmodeus flinches trying his damndest not to show he’s in pain. “And the only one who’s going to pay a price, is you. Isn’t that right, ladies and gentlemen?” Magnus says a little louder. He tosses a look over his shoulder just as the line of other calls he asked Raphael to make appear. A line of his father’s most fucked over former employers, supposed friends and rivals.

Eight of them total, more than he expected to make it on such short notice frankly, dressed to the nines with varying looks of absolute delight on their faces. Eight people who’ve wanted to catch Asmodeus in a vulnerable position, who’ve found it impossible to catch him in a exposed moment, to have their chance at ruining him like they all want to.

Magnus has provided them that moment and what they do with it, well he can’t really give a damn.

“You never should have underestimated your son, Black Fox,” Azazel, a friend he’d stolen everything from on a whim, says as he steps up to them picking up the dropped empty gun.

“May I?” Azazel says gesturing to Asmodeus. Magnus steps back with a nod.

“Be my guest.”

Azazel lifts him from the ground with one hand by the collar, the other seven gathering alongside him.

“Whatever should we do with you?” Azazel taunts.

“You won’t even get the chance to touch a hair on my head,” Asmodeus bites back his hands reaching out to swipe at the other man. “I am not one to be trifled with, you know that better than-”

Azazel hits him with handle of the gun, square in just the right spot to knock him out.

Magnus raises an eyebrow his way.

“I have no time for another one of his sanctimonious I am the greatest speeches,” Azazel shrugs dropping his unconscious form to the ground. Magnus just smirks in understanding.

Azazel brings his fingers to his mouth letting out a loud whistle likely a call to some of his, or any of these other high powered individuals, lackeys to collect Asmodeus and take him wherever they plan to take him.

He sees a line of shadows in the distance coming their way and above a familiar shadow glinting blue and red head to toe in the moonlight swinging from branch to branch.

Spider lands in the cemetery in a tumble perfectly rising to his height vaulting over a line of headstones towards them. The eight criminals around him all immediately react unsheathing blades and brandishing guns pointing them Spider’s way.

“Oh, shit,” Magnus says under his breath, this isn’t Spider’s most perfect timing ever.

Alec raises his hands in surrender when he sees the cavalcade of weaponry being pointed at him, the line of lackeys behind him draw their own weapons as well and Magnus rolls his eyes. He pushes through crowd tapping Azazel on the shoulder to make sure he stays on Asmodeus.

He doesn’t need him slipping away somehow.

“Um, Black Cat should I be fighting these people?” Alec asks sounding just a bit nervous, but mostly concerned.

“Weapons down!” Magnus shouts at them all. “He’s with me,” he says a little softer his heels pressing into the grass as he picks his way through the headstones towards Alec.

***

The many weapon wielding individuals in the graveyard holster their weapons turning their attentions back to what Alec can now see is an unconscious Asmodeus lying on the ground. He slowly drops his hands to his side eyes on Magnus now that he knows there’s no imminent threat.

Magnus who’s whole and alive and not on a plane god knows where with his terrifying, terrible father.

“You came,” Magnus says when he reaches him his voice sounding just a little too surprised for Alec’s taste. There will never be a time he won’t show up for Magnus, not matter the situation, no matter how scary his dad is.

“Of course I did,” he says simply. “Evidently I was a little late to the party though.” Around them a line of burly looking gentlemen wheel out chains and a medical stretcher. Alec sees from the corner of his eye as they wrap Asmodeus up in the chains, locking him to the stretcher as he groggily starts to move his head.

“You didn’t miss much,” Magnus shrugs with a tired, but playful smile brushing his claws along Alec’s arm. “How did you find me?”

“I cashed in that favor I had with Richard’s to scan the city with his fancy tech,” Alec explains catching Magnus’ hand relieved to feel the bite of his claws against his hand. “He wasn’t too happy about it considering I was searching for you though, something about you stealing a book of value a few years ago.”

“Hmm, well maybe if his brother-in-law wasn’t so easily taken in by my charms he’d still have his book,” Magnus says with a smile. He breaches the distance between them tossing his arms around Alec’s neck hugging him close, Alec moves automatically holding tight around Magnus’ waist.

Alec savors the feeling of them close together, savors the fact that he can never bare to lose this.

“How’d you get all those people to show up?”

“My father has more enemies than friends,” Magnus says his arms still wrapped around Alec. “I owe a few small unsavory favors to a few unsavory types now for bringing who I needed to here, but he won’t be bothering us again, not for a very long time at least.”

“And what are they going to do with him?”

Magnus shrugs pulling back just a bit so that he’s face to face with Alec. The burly guys push the stretcher past them, Magnus barely giving his father so much as one last glance. The line of fancier dressed people move past them next a few of them looking absolutely wickedly at the man on the stretcher.

The last one a tall dark-haired man in all black pauses giving Magnus a slow meaningful nod that Alec doesn’t quite understand. Magnus nods back his focus instantly back on Alec when the man slips away quietly disappearing like he almost was never even there.

“Not to morally tow a line, but I don’t care. He threatened my family, he’s caused nothing but pain for me and those around me all my life. He made his bed, he gets to lie in it,” Magnus says shifting one hand to cup Alec’s covered cheek. “Whatever they do, I know not one of them gives a damn who Spider-Man is and that your secret is safe, your family will stay safe.”

“Does that include you?” Alec asks. His identity being safe means nothing if Magnus isn’t safe too.

“That includes me,” Magnus reassures. He reaches up pressing his lips to Alec’s uncaring of the mask in their way.

***

“I want to introduce you to someone,” Magnus says when he pulls away his hand still tangled with Alec’s. The graveyard is empty now, just the two of them. His father and the people who will see to his final destruction long gone.

Alec follows him easily weaving through the graves carefully, respectfully. Magnus tosses a look back smiling at Alec then noticing Raphael hovering at the cemeteries gate. He salutes him, their silly universal signal for everything’s okay and Raphael salutes back with a small smile.

Magnus stops in front of her grave. Ndari Bane. The greatest woman he’ll ever know, the woman who made him who he is, who kept his bastard father’s last name just so no one could ever question they were tied to one another, the woman who was taken from him far too soon.

He wishes Alec could have met her for real.

“Mom, this is Alec,” Magnus says letting go of Alec’s hand. He brushes the leaves off the headstone before kneeling down in front of it. Alec scrambles beside him pressing the panel on his suit quickly and then slipping his mask off before he kneels down beside Magnus.

“Alec, this is my mother Ndari,” he says with all the fondness in the world for both of them.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Ms. Bane,” Alec says his tone of voice so serious and so honored. He knows just what this means to Magnus and Magnus couldn’t be more thankful for him.

Magnus sighs tilting his head over to the side leaning it on Alec’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry I never brought you here before,” he says linking his arm through Alec’s. “These circumstances are not ideal, but we’re here so,” he trails off.

Alec shakes his head. “It’s okay,” he says placing a hand on Magnus’ thigh, heavy and comforting. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

Magnus grips Alec’s arm a little tighter. They stay there for a while kneeling quietly until Alec breaks the silence with a question.

“You’ve told me about her before, but do you want to again?”

Magnus shifts smiling up at Alec gratefully. He pushes at Alec’s shoulder, Alec understanding immediately shifting so that they’re sitting still placed in front of his mother’s grave, but now with Alec’s chest pressed to his back their arms entangled together.

“I’d love to,” he says leaning back into Alec when he presses a kiss to his hair. They stay just like that until the sun starts to rise and the groundskeeper has them fleeing. He regales tales of shopping trips gone wrong and school picture days gone far too right, of weekends at Coney Island where his mother would always win him little stuffed black cat’s every weekend because they were his favorites. He talks and talks until he can’t talk anymore, the thought of his father of the threat he’ll no longer pose not crossing his mind once.

This is family, not Asmodeus.He is Magnus Bane, the Black Cat, the lover, the friend, a man of his own not the namesake his father so desperately wanted him to be.

#my fic #malec #magnus bane #alec lightwood #shadowhunters #malec fic

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thebibliomancer · 4 years ago

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Essential Avengers: Avengers #237: Meltdowns and Mayhem

November, 1983

Pandemonium at Project Pegasus!

Oo, that might have been a better title! It’s just fun to say! Meltdowns and Mayhem is good too. And mayhem and pandemonium really does describe the cover.

Its one of those big mishmash fight covers. Just a big confusing scrum. And Wasp yelling at She-Hulk for some reason. Yeah, I dunno.

Hey, Spider-Man is still pretty front and center so this is still the Spider-Man Guest Stars, starring the Avengers book.

Oh, and the cool new logo is still here so I guess its the new thing. Rad.

Last time on Avengers: Spider-Man decided he was going to join the Avengers because money. He stowed away when the Avengers were called to an emergency situation at Project Pegasus, which turned out to be lava men. Captain Marvel’s presence accidentally released Nova villain Blackout who freed Moonstone. On her say so, he also freed Rhino and Electro. Captain Marvel also managed to resolve the lava men situation since they for some reason worship her as the prophesied savior the Lady-of-Light.

Avengers lead interesting lives.

This time on Avengers:

Captain Marvel tells the lava men to go home.

And they do.

Spider-Man grouses that he gets no respect from lava men. I’m not sure why he was expecting any?

Cap(tain America) has been briefing Plain Michael O’Brien - the once (and future? when he stops sulking?) Guardsman - on the situation re: the lava men invasion being a big misunderstanding.

Project Pegasus accidentally sent a magma tap right into the lava men village. Common mistake, could have happened to anyone. But O’Brien promises the magma tap will be moved.

Elsewhere in the facility, Moonstone’s quirky quartet watch Cap, O’Brien, and the lava men make peace. With different reactions.

Rhino doesn’t think its a big deal because he wants to pound ‘em. Electro is more hesitant because the Avengers outnumber them as is AND have Spider-Man and Spider-Man pretty consistently kicks his and Rhino’s asses.

Rhino still doesn’t care.

But if Electro doesn’t want to do the superhero fight then he can guard the rear and keep an eye on Blackout who Rhino doesn’t trust anymore than he would Spider-Man.

Because since Blackout is so new a villain (only previous appearance an issue of Nova), Rhino hasn’t heard of him. AND ISN’T IT CONVENIENT THAT A VILLAIN HE’S NEVER HEARD OF RELEASED HIM FROM HIS CELL SAME DAY THE AVENGERS SHOWED UP?

Pretty suspicious.

Blackout is hyperbolic and has a persecution complex even by the standards of supervillains.

Blackout: “How dare you accuse me of such a thing!! You’re just like all the rest! You’re against me... All of you!”

He uses his vague powers to encase Rhino in “solid black-light” and then waxes melodramatic.

I mean look at this shit.

Electro’s reaction to this in-fighting is more on the lines of scoffing at all this nonsense comic book science compared to his super cool normal electricity powers.

Electro: “Solid light? Black-star power? Moonstone, what’s he talking about? Anyone who’s had even a grade-school science education knows that he’s spouting gibberish! Black-light is just ultraviolet...”

Moonstone: “... And what he controls is much more. Yes, I know... But I don’t think that he fully knows.”

Wow. Co-villains be snarkin’.

Also, while Blackout continues monologuing about how anyone that stands against him will be merged with the light spectrum (???), Rhino just breaks out of the solid black-light, grabs Blackout, and goes to bounce Blackout against the wall until he blacks out.

But Moonstone and Electro separate the idiots and reminds them that they should be more mad at the Project Pegasus scientists who imprisoned them.

AND MOONSTONE HAS A PLAN, of course.

Back two levels down where the lava men plot is still wrapping up.

The lava men have gathered around the magma pit with the lead lava men chanting for the powers of earth to carry them home if they could kthx.

Spectating Spider-Man: This is screwy! He just keeps chanting and waving his arms over the trashed opening to the old magma pit, like he was some second-rate Dr. Strange! What’s he think he’s going to accomplish?

And then the earth blasts magma up from the pit and whisks the the lava men away home to Spider-Man’s great incredulity.

I mean, sure, the Avengers’ lives are weird but is this really weirder than your own life, Spidey?

Just a few years before this comic, Amazing Spider-Man #2 had to be retconned so you wouldn’t have dealt with aliens in only your second issue. Your life is weird!

Anyway, since the lava men are gone, Wasp decides its time to rip Spider-Man a new one for stowing away and interfering with Avengers’ business.

Spider-Man: “I’m sorry, Wasp. I...”

Wasp: “Sorry?! Is that all you can say for yourself? Well, I should hope you’re sorry! You might have sacrificed our entire mission!”

Spider-Man: I really blew it this time! “I only meant to help, Wasp. I just wanted to show you that I’d make a good Avengers... But I guess you’d never consider me for membership now, huh?”

Wasp: “I didn’t say that! If you promise not to ever do anything this rash again, we’ll see what we can do about making you an Avengers-in-training!”

(Good to see Wasp got over her inexplicable ‘ew spiders are gross’ phase from the 60s)

Much excitement until Spider-Man remembers that he didn’t want to be an in-training and protests what would he even need training for?

Captain America: “Well, for one thing, to learn how to follow orders!”

Hah!

Its like a criticism sandwich. ‘You almost fucked everything up!’ ‘But we still want you to join us.’ ‘But you need to learn teamwork dammit!’

I’ll give Spidey credit, after I was a bit rude last time, that he has learned to take criticism between the time in Amazing #1 and now. He didn’t immediately jump out a window rather than face embarrassment at fucking up. Part of that is probably that he’s underground in a government facility and there’s no good place to run away but still, some of it has to be growth.

Scarlet Witch backs Cap up that all the Avengers had to learn how to work together as a unit.

Wasp and Cap also mention that if he becomes an Avenger, he can keep his private life private but no secret superpowers. The Avengers need to know what each other can do in a pinch.

This is news to Starfox who begins musing about his own SECRET SUPERPOWER (which I’m pretty sure I’ve spilled the beans on repeatedly already). Since there hasn’t been a situation where his SECRET POWER would have been useful, he just hasn’t mentioned it but not wonders whether he should just tell the other Avengers or maybe lean into the omission and keep not mentioning it forever.

I feel option 2 isn’t a great idea but, hey, you do you spaceman.

Anyway, Spider-Man agrees that telling them about his cool powers is a fair trade for becoming an Avenger. And seriously, he’s prone to explain his powers at the drop of a hat anyway so this is no kind of huge task.

Wasp decides that they should return to the mansion so they can get this wrapped up and O’Brien shows the Avengers the cool and not at all dangerous vortex beam transport tube.

The vortex beam propels the passengers up and is apparently susceptible to irony. Because as soon as Spider-Man asks what would happen if the power went out, the beam fails and the Avengers start plummeting twenty stories.

Thankfully, Captain Marvel, Wasp, and Starfox can fly and Spider-Man catches the rest in a web net after catching himself against the wall of the tube.

Maybe stick to elevators and stairs, Project Pegasus.

But O’Brien protests that there are hundreds of failsafes and automatic safety systems that would have had to fail for them to plummet even if the vortex beam lost power.

This was SABOTAGE.

On Wasp’s order, She-Hulk punches them an egress into the side of the tube.

O’Brien gets over to a security monitor and discovers the breakout. The guy on the other end of the monitor informs him that the four escaped prisoners are on their way to the nuclear research dome.

Wouldn’t you know it! The Avengers just left and now they have to head back.

They find that the doors to the dome have been melted and Starfox and She-Hulk have to KRA-THOOM them open to pieces.

Spider-Man: Geez, next to those two, I feel like a 98-pound weakling!

Unfortunately, its one impediment after another. Past the doors into the dome, there’s a big black wall that’s not supposed to be there.

Spider-Man tries climbing it but slides right down, to his bafflement.

Spider-Man: “I can climb a wall of teflon if I have to! What’s this thing made of?”

She-Hulk tries punching it and finds that it breaks just fine but when she BAMs a hole in it, Electro zaps her with electricity through it. And the hole seals up when Spider-Man tries to web Electro.

Moonstone starts broadcasting through a monitor so she can gloat that her boys and her have taken over the nuclear research dome which means they’re in control of the whole project and the Avengers (plus Spider-Man) can’t do a thing to stop them.

And as a pretty vehement gtfo, Electro juices up with a backpack connected to the dome’s nuclear generator and electrifies the black wall.

So now the Avengers can’t even try to punch through.

Wasp: “Dangerous or not, we still have to get through and stop this madness! That wall has to come down... and you’re the one best equipped to handle that -- Wanda!”

And her probability borking powers are, as ever, a good do anything button.

Its not very probable for Blackout’s barrier to break down but it does! And its not probable for the electricity on the barrier to discharge into Electro but wouldn’t you know it, Wanda waved her hands a certain way and its happening!

Supervillains hate her. Her one weird trick for doing heroics.

But with the barrier down, Rhino charges the Avengers (plus Spider-Man), bowling over Starfox who was probably momentarily baffled to see a man dressed as a rhino charging him.

Captain Marvel dodges Rhino in her light form only to be immediately captured in a bubble by Blackout.

Alas, she had such a good showing this issue. I guess Stern decided that some other people needed time to look cool.

Spider-Man jumps on Rhino while he bowls through the Avengers and Starfox punches Blackout in the head for capturing Monica.

Blackout: “You think you can intimidate me just because you can fly?! Well, you’re wrong! Wrong! Blackout can also defy gravity!”

Starfox: “A challenge! Marvelous!”

Blackout sure is something. Like I said, even for a supervillain, he sure is something.

But its funny how Blackout and Starfox are on completely different wavelengths.

Electro recovers from getting Wanda’d and goes to fry Spider-Man but Cap(tain America) throws his mighty shield and severs the cord giving him extra juice.

Spider-Man, webbing the cord so its not a hazard: “Thanks for the quick save, Cappy!”

Captain America: “Don’t mention it, son! That’s just teamwork in action!”

It’s a teachable moment. Cap-style.

Electro tries to fry Cap for interfering but Cap’s mighty shield blocks... the... electricity. Okay, its metal though. Where is the charge going??

Scarlet Witch comes to ruin Electro’s day twice-over and waves her do-anything hands at him.

He scoffs that nothing happened and then immediately passes out.

Cap: “Wanda? What the blazes did you do to him?”

Scarlet Witch: “Basically, I tried to make all the carbon dioxide in the room cluster around his head, so he’d pass out from temporary lack of oxygen. Looks like it worked!”

Cap: “Uh... yes!”

Cap’s thinking ‘damn Wanda, you’re scary.’

The thing about do-anything powers like Wanda’s is that she really should be able to shut down most opponents like this but she probably won’t do this very often because it would be boring.

Meanwhile, Spider-Man blindfolds Rhino with webbing and lets him ram through a wall.

Rhino: “A few inches of steel don’t mean anything to me!”

She-Hulk: “Is that so? Well, how about a few knuckles of She-Hulk? Does that mean anything? Hmmph! I guess it does!”

I mean, you didn’t have to phrase it that way but good job, She-Hulk! You punched him in his rhino face.

And it was more good teamwork from Spidey. He set ‘em up, She-Hulk knocked ‘im down.

Also meanwhile, Captain Marvel is fed up with not being able to escape Blackout’s globe. And, hey, nice touch, from the outside we can see that the globe is wholly opaque so yes, it would be impenetrable to the visible light spectrum.

And no matter what energy she tries, she can’t get out. But she does a force-blast and that does bust the globe.

Whiiiiich distracts Starfox as he chases Blackout around the room and Blackout takes advantage of the distraction to blast Starfox.

Captain Marvel: “You devil! I’ll get you for that!”

Blackout: “Get me? Yes, you all try -- don’t you? You’re all out to get me!”

In this situation? Yes they are! Ya goof.

In the control room, Moonstone knows that Rhino, Electro, and Blackout don’t stand a chance to beat the Avengers but all she needs is for them to be a distraction while she uses the controls.

Wasp flies in but too late. Moonstone blasts not Wasp but the control panel.

Her plan all along was to destroy Project Pegasus for daring to study her powers like she was some kind of lab rat. And with the controls destroyed, she’s confidant that the Avengers won’t be able to stop what she started.

She blinds Wasp by doing a taiyoken with her chest and then flees out the evacuation exit, gloating that Project Pegasus is about to get very unpleasant.

What a goof.

Blackout also takes the opportunity to escape, sealing the exit behind him with one of his black light constructs.

Captain Marvel starts to blast through but Wasp tells her that there’s no time to chase supervillains right now, the reactor is going critical.

Spider-Man: “Critical? Is someone being critical again?”

Wasp: “This is no joking matter, Spider-Man! Moonstone’s left the reactor in an awful state!”

Spidey seriouses up immediately and goes to take a look, commenting that he has a little scientific training.

Oh, hey, another great reason to have Spider-Man join the team. He can be the new science guy and Starfox can get back to being the flirt. Everyone would be happier then.

And then Spidey even more seriouses up.

Spider-Man: “Moonie pulled all of the damping rods out of the power core! If we can’t get them back in place, we’ll have a meltdown that’ll leave the entire project uninhabitable for the new hundred-thousand years!”

Geez, Moonstone! You don’t half-ass revenge!

Moonstone broke the controls so they can’t just plunk the damping rods back into place. Wanda’s do-anything powers could do it, if she wanted to melt before she could do it.

Apparently her powers are reliant on direct line-of-sight (even though that doesn’t gel with when she fought the Wizard recently) but the radiation levels are so high in the reactor that she doubts even She-Hulk would survive it.

But Captain Marvel could.

Radiation wouldn’t affect her energy forms and she can get into the reactor through the circuity in the control room.

Spider-Man gets on a microphone and tries to walk Captain Monica through what she needs to do.

She needs to cut through all five supports on the damping rod assembly. If the assembly doesn’t fall as a unit, NUCLEAR DISASTER.

Captain Marvel zips about as a laser, I guess, cutting through the supports. One isn’t cut through all the way through, giving Spider-Man a startle, but Monica zips about lightspeed and finishes cutting through, allowing the assembly to fall into place with a WHUNK.

Spider-Man: “The reactor’s shutting down. Uh.. Can someone help me get my heart restarted?”

Ha, I like Cap(tain America)’s ‘whew’ gesture.

Y’know, the selling point of this arc seems to be ‘HEY LOOK SPIDER-MAN IS HERE’ but its been more of a Captain Marvel focused story. She resolves the lava man situation and she has a ‘this looks like a job for Aquaman’ moment with the reactor too.

Still, Spidey pulled his weight. He c-c-c-combo’d Rhino with She-Hulk. His spider-sense came in handy. And he got to be a science guy since Starfox was knocked out.

I tend to be iffy on Spider-Man as an Avenger overall but heck, lets have him on the team!

Later, after Spider-Man’s heart gets restarted and everyone has returned to the Mansion, Cap and Wasp call the Government (specifically their liaison Mr. Sikorski who doesn’t want to be here and hates dealing with superheroes. Its frankly amazing that Gyrich’s understudy is a worse Avengers liaison than him) to request clearance for Spider-Man to become a new trainee Avenger.

And over slightly to the left, presumably off-camera from the call Wasp and Cap are having, Spider-Man ponders whether this is actually something he wants.

He still doesn’t like the idea of being treated as a rookie. He’s been superheroing since he was in high school and darnit, he’s dropped out of grad school by this point! And he doesn’t know whether he’s a good fit for a team at all.

But on the other hand, he’s got a thousand good reasons (a week) to join. I’m sorry, I typed reasons, I meant dollars.

But what Spider-Man does and does not want becomes a bit moot as Mr. Sikorski shoots the idea down flat.

Mr. Sikorski: “Spider-Man?! Are you out of your minds? We have a file on him that’s a yard long -- and it still doesn’t tell us a blasted thing about him! The man’s a major security risk! No! I absolutely forbid it!”

God. He even wags his finger at Cap and Wasp.

The nerve.

The unmitigated gall.

Spider-Man takes this with all due sour grapes.

Spider-Man: “They’ll okay, Starfox -- a guy from outer space -- but my own government won’t approve me?”

Yeah, that’s a good point!

Cap offers to go over Mr. Sikorski’s head by going right to the president (which in FAIRNESS is kinda how Starfox got on the team) but Spider-Man tells Cap not to bother.

I’d guess a combination of bruised pride and ‘oh thank god now I don’t have to make a decision, I just get to be indignant about it.’

Spider-Man: “Naw, don’t put yourself out, Cap! Me joining the Avengers was a dumb idea anyway! But I’ll tell you one thing... my Congressman is definitely gonna hear about this!”

Sad Starfox with an icepack on his head: “Congressman? What on Earth is a Congressman?”

Hah.

Also, the tiny next issue box promises UNLIMITED VISION which is definitely not ominous at alllll.

So! Not a bad two-parter by any means! It is a shame that Spider-Man can’t join the Avengers, because of the government and probably writers and editorial, he has a fun dynamic with the team.

But in these times where Marvel tried to keep things consistent in the shared universe, a big guy with his own book like Spider-Man would be difficult. I mean, they’ve only recently written out Thor and Iron Man for having troubles in their own books and Spider-Man is constantly having trouble in his book.

Your time will come eventually, Spidey.

Follow @essential-avengers because maybe one day I’ll get to the point where Spider-Man is a reserve member. Also like and reblog because I like to feel liked.

#avengers #Moonstone #Rhino #Electro #Blackout #Spider Man #Captain Marvel #Monica Rambeau #Scarlet Witch #the Wasp #She Hulk #Captain America #Starfox #Essential Avengers #essential marvel liveblogging #so monica became the chosen one of lava people and stopped a nuclear meltdown in one day #that's a productive day #Spider Man wasn't MVP but he did a good job #Starfox doesn't know how democracy works

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amplesalty · 3 years ago

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Halloween 2021 - Day 5 - The Invisible Ray (1936)

Doesn’t that just sound like a bad magician? “Ladies and gentlemen, introducing...The Invisible Ray!”

Ah, this takes me back. Back in year 0 of this horror marathon business, before this blog was a thing, it was kinda heavily skewed towards the ‘classic’ period; Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy..all that Universal 1930’s type stuff. Amongst that first run were a pair of films starring both KARLOFF and Bela Lugosi; The Black Cat and The Raven. I remember them both being quite good, both having this sort of rivalry between their two characters. The Black Cat moreso with a young couple caught in the middle of a heated feud between KARLOFF and Lugosi’s characters. Whereas The Raven has KARLOFF as more of a de-facto good guy as he plays a reluctant henchman to Lugosi’s character. Not that that level of power translated off screen, with Lugosi’s star beginning to fade but I remember reading something about KARLOFF insisting on some parity in pay between the two in one of their movies when the studio tried to lowball Lugosi so good on you, KARLOFF.

Neither have much to do with the Edgar Allan Poe stories they take their names from, outside of Lugosi’s character in The Raven having an obsession with Poe and adapting various means of torture from Poe stories. There have been plenty of Poe adaptations throughout the years but the other big uptick in them was in the 1960’s with a series of films directed by Roger Corman, often starring Vincent Price but with other big names sprinkled in like KARLOFF, Peter Lorre and Lon Chaney Jr. Plus a relatively early Jack Nicholson appearance in The Raven, which was shot at the same time as The Terror. That bloody bird!

So, yeah, it’s good to see one of these KARLOFF/Lugosi films again. Apparently there are eight films that featured both of them so I’ll be halfway there now on them. This also has Carl Laemmle Jr’s name attached, albeit in a minor way as he’s listed as ‘presenting’ the movie. I’m not sure if that ever means anything. It’s like when Tarantino ‘presents’ something, did he have any actual input on the film or was he just shining a light on something he personally liked because he has so much power and influence?

The movie’s foreword is an early indicator of the more science-fiction leaning nature of the movie which catches you off guard a little with the people involved and the timeframe we’re working in. Feels like the 50’s was more when the whole sci-fi thing took off. Also, since when was science a verb?

Certainly has the feel of that classic ‘old, dark house’ horror thing early on as we start with the Rukh household awaiting the arrival of some of Dr Janos Rukh’s (KARLOFF) peers who are to bear witness to his new discovery.

KARLOFF has clearly been eating his crusts to get curls like that, normally he’s a slicked back kind of guy. And it’s kinda weird seeing both of them with facial hair. Oddly though this is one of the rare times that Lugosi plays a good guy, this is a clear violation of the parallel universe protocol:

Normal universe – clean shaven – good guy Parallel universe – goatee – evil

This early version of Dr. Doom is a bit naff. Are you making a great scientific discovery here or doing a spot of welding?

Apparently Dr Rukh’s invention is a telescope that is able to see into the deepest reaches of space, but can also pick up on vibrations left by the events that have taken place and he can then project that as a moving image that shows an asteroid crashing to Earth millions of years ago that can help him pinpoint the crash site and allow him to discover new elements inside the asteroid...wait, what?! Is this like that time on CSI when they solved a murder by getting sound out of something someone made in pottery class because the grooves could be played like a vinyl?

We then pivot sharply into the great plains of Africa where our team have set off in search of what will become known as ‘Radium X’. Oh yes, I think that’s on the periodic table next to Hardtoobtainium. And I’m specifically trying to avoid animal cruelty by not watching Cannibal Holocaust, don’t come around here with your dead leopards and talk of how many rhinos you’ve shot. I must say I’m a little wary of this sudden introduction of all these natives carrying spears and wearing bone necklaces, I just don’t feel like I can trust a movie made in the 1930’s to be sensitive on it’s portrayal of other cultures.

Thought it does present us with the best actor in this picture, look at those bug eyes! He’s like Africa’s answer to Marty Feldman.

And that’s just his reaction to a piece of scanning equipment going off, him and his mates are definitely going to be worried when this white devil makes a demonstration of his new found Radium X and it’s ability to melt pure stone. Looks like a portajohn backing up...

He then promptly turns his cosmic ray gun on all the locals when they tell him they want to go home. Sure, you can leave, you’re not going to get very far though. Dude, there’s like 12 of you and he’s given some of you rifles. Just jump him when he’s asleep.

Dr. Rukh finds that evening that he’s suddenly turned an interesting shade of neon yellow and can be seen by anyone in a three mile radius so either this Radium X is highly poisonous or Rukh has been running in opposition to Vladimir Putin. This poisoning leaves him so irradiated that merely touching another living thing is enough to kill it. Dr. Benet (Lugosi) is able to make a serum for him but can never truly cure him, he must regularly take this serum or otherwise he will revert to this killing machine type state.

But, in his eagerness to not spread this poison to his wife, and his general upholding of the man code to never air ones medical problems, he generally acts a bit surly and tells her to piss off which see views as him not loving her anymore so he promptly shacks up with the young explorer type who came with them to Africa. Worse yet, Benet and crew have taken a sample of Radium X to show at a scientific conference in Paris. Between losing his missus and thinking that other people are taking all the credit for his work, Rukh is just slightly annoyed.

It’s not all bad though, he is able to use this new element to cure his mother’s blindness. I like how his first reaction upon learning that Radium X has irrecoverably changed his life, leaving him one missed injection away from imminent death, is to shoot it directly into his mother’s face.

“Patients won’t like being shot in the face.” “They’ll like what I tell them to like.”

Whilst sulking outside of the church that his ex is getting re-married in, he spots a series of statues of saintly figures and imagines them representing each of the 6 people on the African expedition, vowing to destroy each of them until only he is left. Marvelous invention this Radium X, it can melt statues and cure blindness. Do you have to put special filters on that ray gun of yours depending on the situation? That’s a malpractice suit waiting to happen if you mix those up.

Dr. Benet is a little suspicious when one of their party dies suddenly for no explainable reason so takes a few ultraviolet photos of the victims eyes in order to study. And wouldn’t you know what he finds?

Bullshit! Nevermind the ultraviolet camera, this is more like the dues ex machine camera. I know this is science fiction and all but what is this, 1936 or 2036? Or maybe they’re just able to make the most detailed contact lenses known to man.

Eventually, when Rukh finds himself unable bring himself to kill his former love, he is confronted by his mother who smashes the serum and condemns him to death as, going unchecked, the Radium X within him will destroy his body. Sensing the end coming, Dr. Rukh dives out of the nearest window and promptly erupts bursts into flames, now left as little but a pile of ash on a damp Paris street. It’s a shame really, dozens of people spontaneously combust every year, it’s just not widely reported.”

This one was okay, definitely a different vibe compared to other Universal stuff at the time with all the science fiction and Africa based stuff but it does still travel down that ‘descent into madness’ thing that they often fall back on and it’s always fun to see KARLOFF and Lugosi, especially when they’re together. But, if we’re strictly talking about the KARLOFF/Lugosi pairing, I’m definitely leaning towards one of their other outings like Black Cat, Raven or Son of Frankenstein. There’s just something not right about Lugosi playing some normal, if he’s not being unhinged then you’re not really getting what you came here for.

#Halloween 2021 #The invisible Ray #KARLOFF #Bela Lugosi

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grither55 · 4 years ago

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The Princess and the Peasant - (An Azula Epic) - Chapter 104 - Katsu the Combustion!

The luminous rays of the sun rose majestically over the mountain forest below.

While Katsu held her arm over her face as she stepped beyond the tree line and into the morning light.

All the while as she gazed up at the magnificent rising sun with her golden eyes widening in awe.

While Elle stood alongside her with her backpack slung over her shoulders as she too gazed up at the sun.

"What…is that amazing orb of light?" Katsu questioned with innocent wonder lacing her voice as she stood staring up at the emerging sun.

While the petite blonde turned to stare back at her with her amber eyes widening in disbelief.

"That…that's the sun. You…don't remember what the sun looks like?" Elle answered with astonishment in her voice while her widened eyes gazed back at the taller girl's frustrated face.

"It has been so long since I've seen it. I had forgotten what it looked like." The bomber confessed in a self-conscious voice with her golden eyes still staring up at the brightening sun.

While Elle still stared at taller girl with her mouth dropping open in a display of sympathy.

All the while as she struggled to process how anyone would be so cruel as to make another human forget the sun!

Boom!

Several explosions of firebending erupted over the burning fortress.

While Team Azula leaped out of the way with their elbows shielding their astonishes faces.

Just as the princess skillfully dodged the bomber's poorly aimed swing before she delivered a kick to the back of the girl's head.

While she still stared on with her golden eyes agape in disbelief as she watched the younger firebender soar through a broken window.

All the while as her captain stood behind her with her hazel eyes wide in equal awe.

"I…don't believe it! She has green firebending!" Azula spoke in a stunned voice with her golden eyes staring into the rubble in marvelment.

Never in all her life has she met anyone other than herself with any color of firebending that wasn't orange!

Although it really wasn't so much a flame…it was more like…an explosive light!

'Elle was right. That isn't a flame in the traditional sense like father or Zuko is able to produce. It is more along the lines of combustionbending!' The princess thought with her cold gaze still wide in a rare state of astonishment.

"Incredible! That girl is a combustionbender and an exceedingly unique one at that!" Zoe exclaimed with amazement in her hazel eyes while she gazed into the burning debris in shock.

While every member of Team Azula stared into the burning building with their eyes wide in amazement.

All the while as Nero stood watching with a cruelly pleased smirk on his lips when the sound of rubble being pushed out of the way resonated into the air.

"What...is with that girl! She acts more like a komodo rhino than a human!" Mai asked with bewilderment in her normally deadpan voice while her widened tawny eyes gazed into the smoking rubble.

Just as the teenager stood up from the rubble with splinters of wood in her increasingly disheveled brown hair.

While the bomber panted like a wild beast with her maddened golden eyes spinning about to gaze all around her.

All the while as the team stared on with blinking looks of bafflement in their eyes.

"Watch out! She has a tendency to go into animalistic fits of rage!" The handmaid cried out with worry in her voice while the two older firebenders stared the disturbed girl down.

"I already gathered as much Elle." Azula stated in dismissive voice with her callous eyes ruthlessly staring imposingly back at the manic bomber.

"The only other combustionbender that I have ever met was Mother's late Combustion Man. Until today I never thought that I would meet another bender capable of performing such a rare technique." The captain remarked in a stoic voice while she gazed back at the girl with intrigued hazel eyes.

Only for all of their eyes to widen once more when the girl broke out into another charge at the stunned Mai and Ty Lee.

While the teenager and her two big sisters watched the girl barrel towards them with their eyes wide in perplexity.

"K-Katsu! It's me Elle! No stop don't! Eep!" Elle stammered in a panicked voice just as a green explosion was lobbed in her frightened face.

And then not a moment later an explosion detonated throughout the center of the burning complex!

While the acrobat gracefully leaped away with the younger girl hanging onto her arm while.

All the while as she gazed back at the rampaging bomber with her brown-gray eyes wide in startlement.

Just as Katsu impacted with Mai while the noblewoman struggled to hold the crazed girl off with her knife.

While the markswoman's tawny eyes flickered with an unnerved gleam as she stared down into the bomber's maddened golden eyes.

"Are you insane kid? You're attacking the wrong people!" Mai spoke in an aggravated voice only to be taken off guard when the girl erupted into a maddened laughter.

Just before she gritted her teeth when a blast of combustionbending went off in her face.

All the while as she flipped away into the cold snow with her boots sliding through the burning rubble.

While a dense smoke now blew through the air.

And the two firebenders broke out into a sprint to assist their rapidly overwhelmed comrades.

Only for the captain and the princess's eyes to grow even wider in shock when the bomber leaped from the smoke straight at the taken aback acrobat.

"Katsu! W-wait!" The handmaid called out in a frightened voice from where she hung on her big sister's shoulder while they slid through the snow.

All the while as the berserker's fists lit up with a lethal green glow while the two girls gazed on in wide-eyed alarm.

Just as the princess and the captain intercepted the combustionbender's warpath before they sent the rampaging girl stumbling backwards through the snow with a precise blast of their own firebending.

While the two noblewomen and their young friend stared on from behind in disbelief when the girl immediately bounded through the stream of fire!

And the next moment later the captain found herself locking fists with the berserk bomber!

All the while as the two combatants grappled through the snow while the others gaped from the sidelines.

While Zoe stared back at the younger firebender in surprise over the girl's incredible power.

"And if I didn't know any better this young warrior might be stronger than the Combustion Man!" Zoe spoke in an impressed voice while Katsu gripped her fists with her golden eyes gazing violently up at her.

While a bright combustion light shone before her astonished eyes while the girl grinned madly up at her.

"Bakudan!" Katsu shouted in a wild voice with her hair blowing wildly before her eyes while she detonated a blast of energy in the warrior's shocked face.

And then a thunderous explosion shook the ruined fortress while Team Azula stared on with stunned looks in their eyes.

While Azula stared on with her golden eyes still flickering in disbelief.

Never would she have ever expected to find such a powerful firebender in this foreign land!

All while Nero watched the battle unfold with his lips still entrenched in an increasingly delighted smile.

"Katsu is no ordinary warrior. What you call benders here we refer to as an aberration. My Katsu is the only fire aberrant of her kind. She is a berserk fire aberration!" Nero announced with a demented scientific glee lacing his voice while Team Azula listened in shock.

Just as the captain slid through a broken wall while her comrades stared on with their unconcealed captivation in their awed eyes.

"An aberration?" The princess questioned under her breath with her ruthless eyes gazing in an intense desire to learn more.

While the two noblewomen and their young friend gazed on with stunned looks in their eyes while they watched the girl charge after the captain into the rubble.

"Or as you would call it…a berserk firebender!" The geneticist boasted with his gloved finger pointing victoriously back at the older girl's perplexed faces.

"A berserk firebender…" The markswoman trailed off with a twinge of curiosity in her monotone voice.

While she dropped down on her booted feet beside the acrobat and her little sister while she watched through the howling winds in rising interest.

"In other words, a brainless brawler." Azula snorted in a hubristic voice while she directed a sneer back in Nero's direction.

Only for her callous eyes to narrow into murderous slits when the man smiled coldly back at her in mockery.

"Your analysis is pitifully incorrect Azula. Anyone can be a brawler. But only Katsu has the sheer might and talent to adopt such a reckless combat style." Nero explained in a conceited voice with his crimson eyes staring mechanically back into Azula's enraged golden eyes.

While the others gazed on in trepidation just as the captain jumped from the debris.

All the while as her increasingly excited hazel eyes gazing back at her young wild opponent charging towards once again.

Just as Zoe wiped a droplet of blood from her chin while a small smirk began to form upon her lips.

"In simple terms! The longer she fights the stronger her energy becomes!" The geneticist yelled out with a sadistic scientific joy in his exhilarated eyes while Team Azula's eyes grew wide in pure unadulterated shock.

"He's not lying! You need to knock her out really fast before she gets any further riled up!" Elle advised with her hands over her mouth while her big sisters gazed on at the attacking girl behind her.

"But the battle has only just begun. After all it isn't every day that I get to face off against such an impressive young warrior." The captain commented in a thrilled voice as she caught the teenager's fist in hand while the bomber gazed back up at her with manic golden eyes.

Just as the combustionbender let out an animalistic growl while they plunged through the flames as they started exchanging a flurry of rapid blows.

While the princess stared on with her brilliant golden eyes paying close attention to the girl's moves.

All the while as Team Azula watched with their interest glued solely on Katsu.

While the berserk girl swung her glowing fists in the captain's face in a wild effort to land a blow.

Only for Zoe to skillfully sidestep her punches while she stared back at the snarling girl with entertained hazel eyes.

Just before her hazel eyes widened once more when an explosive fist nearly hit her in the jaw.

Now she understood why the man referred to the girl as his 'berserk bomber'!

"This girl…she's adapting as we fight!" Zoe exclaimed as she stepped back with her focused eyes gazing back at the roaring berserker.

While Azula's golden eyes continued to grow wider as she watched the two from the sidelines.

There was no doubt about it!

Even though there was no mistaking that the girl was an imbecile.

She was clearly learning from Zoe the longer they fight!

Just before she stared on with her brows furrowing in surprise when she saw red steam starting to emanate from her captain's body once more.

And then just like that Zoe stood in the flames with her hidden technique activating yet again!

While she clenched her fists as she held her head up while she released the aura of her chi.

All the while as Mai, Ty Lee and Elle gaped on with their jaws dropping once more while they observed the mighty captain let loose her stored power.

While Nero's red eyes widened in excitement as he turned to gaze back at Zoe with his lips parting in astonishment.

Just as Katsu's charge was halted by the release of Zoe's power while her maddened golden eyes widened in bewilderment.

All while the tall woman stared back at her with stoic hazel eyes as steam continued to pour from her muscles.

"And it is even rarer that I get the chance to use this twice in one day." The captain spoke with a smirk on her lips while she blocked another swing from the ballistic teenager.

While Katsu growled in protest as she tried to wrench her wrist free from the older female's vice grip.

All the while as the imposing warrior stared down into her confused eyes.

And then mere seconds after that the combustionbender let out a gasp when a powerful fist slammed into her belly.

While spit flew out of her mouth and down into the melted snow at her feet as she began to stagger backwards.

While the rest of Team Azula stood rooted to their spots as they gazed on in wide-eyed captivation.

Before the mad bomber was sent hurtling through a burning wall while the captain gazed after her with strikingly calm hazel eyes.

And then the berserk plunged straight through the collapsing wall of another blazing building while the highborn women and their young servant still watched in trepidation.

"Is…it over?" Ty Lee questioned in a still taken aback voice as she held Elle under her arm while they gazed into burning flames.

While Mai stared on with her cold tawny eyes narrowing ever so slightly in aggravation as she clenched a fist at her hip.

'I must discover what the sage meant when she stated that I could attain greater power.' Mai thought with a frown on her lips while she held her fists at her womanly hips.

Only for all of their eyes to widen when they turned their heads to see the girl already leaping free from the rubble!

And then a mighty aura of energy erupted into the air before Team Azula's astonished eyes.

While Azula and Zoe turned to gaze over their shoulders with their eyes widening once more.

All the while as Katsu stood in a crouch with her vibrant golden eyes staring back at them.

While Nero continued to survey the battle with a cruel smirk on his pleased lips.

"No. You're going to have to hit her harder than that. Usually, Naoki is the only one who can put her down." The handmaid murmured while her highborn friends listened to her in bewilderment.

Just as the two firebenders jumped down beside one another while they stared back at the glowing girl with marveled expressions in their eyes.

"I have never seen anything like this before. One moment her bending is a tiny spark and the next it is a raging inferno." Zoe remarked with her fists in a fighting stance while her ruler gazed on with perplexed golden eyes.

Before the princess scowled as she firmly planted her boots on the ground while she let out a haughty scoff.

"It doesn't matter Zoe. We'll crush her all the same." Azula stated in a callous voice with her azure flames flaring to life behind her.

And that was all it took for Katsu's vibrant golden eyes to take on a murderous gleam once more while she pulled herself from the rubble.

And then the walls around her exploded into chunks of flying debris while she charged towards the ruthless princess.

While Azula glared back with intimidating golden eyes as she watched the berserk girl barrel straight at her.

All the while as her beautiful lips pulled into a cruel smirk with an inferno of blue fire rearing up all around her.

While Zoe covered her face behind her arms as she gazed back at her monarch in unconcealed admiration.

While the others present watched the battle unfold with suspenseful expressions in their awestruck eyes.

"Why…is that girl so furious at Azula?" The acrobat pondered in a confused voice with her brown-gray eyes blinking in puzzlement while the teenager released a manic roar.

All the while as Katsu charged right through the flames with her howls resonating all throughout the remains of the fortress.

Just as she leaped high into the air with her fists aglow as she dropped down from above the stationary conqueror.

While the older firebender stared back up at her with unintimidated golden eyes.

While Elle bit her lip nervously as she mulled over the question herself with her gentle amber eyes gazing on in worry at her increasingly unstable friend.

Before she turned her eyes to Nero's sadistic face while her lips creased into a frown.

'What did he do to you Katsu?' The handmaid thought as she shivered in her coat while the cold arctic winds swept through the burning camp once more.

And then the princess's defensive wall of flames took shape around her while she stared up at her descending target.

Just before she casually slid one foot to the side while an intense pillar of blue fire sent the rampaging girl flying backwards.

Only for the bomber to quickly land on her feet in the snow while she let out another roar as she continued her charge.

While the princess rolled her intelligent golden eyes as she gazed the screaming girl down.

"You are going to have to do better than that brat." The princess snorted in a dismissive voice with her finger sparking in lethal electricity while she glared out at the maddened bomber.

Before she discharged an arc of lightning that sent the bewildered maniac staggering backwards on her shaken feet.

Just as Azula released a large blast of blue firebending in the teenager's off-guard face.

While Katsu let out another roar of protest before she was sent soaring into the snow onto her back.

And then the girl landed on her ass as she lay panting in the midst of the flames with her angered golden eyes glaring up at her powerful opponent.

All while Team Azula and the surrounding soldiers still watched from the sidelines in amazement.

While the confident princess walked towards her downed opponent while her pointed boots crushed the snow that was beneath her heated feet.

Just as she came to a stop towering over the bomber while her arrogant golden eyes scrutinized the snarling girl.

And then not a second after that Azula ruthlessly stomped her boot down on the girl's yelping face.

While she cruelly ground the girl beneath her heel with her boot resting atop Katsu's humiliated head.

All the while as her childhood friends stared at her back in disapproval while Elle watched with rising distress in her sweet eyes.

"P-please don't be too hard on her Azula-sama!" Elle pleaded in a lovable voice while Mai let out a snort beside her.

And Ty Lee just sighed as she shook her head.

"It is not your place to give me orders peasant!" Azula barked in a pompous voice with her golden eyes glaring down at the firebender writing underneath her boot.

While she momentarily took great delight in how her young girlfriend quivered in submission to her authority.

But now was not the time to dwell on such weakness.

"While your combustionbending may indeed be a power to be reckoned with. Your defense leaves much to be desired." The princess spoke in a voice of effortless dominance while she stared down at the pinned girl with imposing golden eyes.

While the girl lay face first in the ground with the princess's boot still pressing down onto her head as she thrashed under the tall woman's unforgiving heel.

"My…defense?" The bomber muttered as she tried to push herself up only for the woman's weight to press her back into the ground.

"Yes, idiot. Your defense." Azula snorted as she rolled her haughty golden eyes while she loomed over the humiliated girl.

"What's…an idiot?" Katsu questioned with in a confused voice while she attempted to gaze up at Azula's now speechless face.

And for the most fleeting of moments her golden eyes shook with a tiny sliver of something akin to innocence.

While the noblewomen gazed on with returning sympathy in their eyes.

And Elle's amber eyes once again became overcome with a shade of sorrow.

"Ugh. You can't be serious. You can't possibly be that stupid, can you?" The princess mocked with a derisive snort escaping her nostrils while the girl glared up at her.

Only for all eyes to turn to Nero when the cruel man let out a demented chuckle of amusement.

"It means that you are a fool completely devoid of intelligent thought. In other words, she means to imply that you are a mentally handicapped simpleton." Nero responded in a cruel yet educational voice with his arms folded over his chest.

While Azula glared at him from the corner of her eye before she turned her incredulous gaze back down to the girl's blank face.

Just before the four highborn women soon found themselves gazing on comically when the girl simply blinked her eyes in confusion.

"Simpleton? I…I don't follow." The bomber stated in a frustrated voice as she gazed around in bewilderment.

While Azula blinked down at her with her eyes agape in disbelief.

And even Elle held a palm over her face as she sighed underneath her hand.

"Never mind. I can see that you are." Azula taunted with her blue fire burning over her fists while she smirked down at the girl's face under her boot.

Only for her regal brows to furrow when a green aura began to emanated from under her foot.

Until with no warning whatsoever the girl sprang out from underneath the princess's heel.

And then she landed a savage kick in the princess's surprised cheek.

While the monarch now slid back through the rubble with her golden eyes widened in surprise as she wiped a droplet of blood from her cheek.

All the while as her comrades stared on with shock in their eyes when the girl's green aura began to grow even brighter.

And then to the utter shock of all of Team Azula the teenager held out her hands at her sides in a poor imitation of the princess's firebending stance!

While the girl let out another manic laugh as her palms started to glow while she stared back at Azula's stunned face.

"She's…emulating you princess." The captain stated with her hazel eyes staring on in surprise while her princess gazed back at the girl in shock.

Before Azula pursed her lovely lips into another cold scowl while she glared back at her younger opponent.

And then not a second after that she held up her hands in a proper bending stance while she stared the deranged girl down.

"That form of yours is pathetic. You have a lot to learn girl." The princess remarked in a snobbish yet teaching voice with fire escaping her imposing nostrils while the bomber's golden eyes glared back at her.

Just before the two firebenders broke out into a run heading straight towards each other!

While the team watched with their mouths still ajar in shock.

And then just like that the two warriors began to dance through the flames while they exchanged a rapid series of blows.

All the while as the princess stepped left and right with her stern golden eyes staring back at her roaring opponent.

Only for her golden eyes to widen ever so marginally when the girl swung her foot at her face.

And then she slid to the side.

Before her lips parted in shock when she watched through the corner of her eye as the girl's boot began to glow.

And not even seconds later another explosion of combustionbending tore into the air while Zoe's hazel eyes widened once more.

"She…just combusted with her feet!" Zoe called out with surprise in her voice while she watched her leader jump from the smoke.

And then Azula landed gracefully on her booted feet with her surprised golden eyes still staring back into the inferno in shock.

Just before she turned her head when she heard her loyal serving girl's voice call out to her.

"Azula-sama! H-her power works in stages! And I think she is starting to access the next level!" The handmaid shouted with her hands over her mouth while her big sisters gazed on with stunned eyes.

While her master listened with her golden eyes turning to stare imposingly back into the rising smoke.

Just as a series of explosions began to resonate into the air while the whole of Team Azula stood on guard with their eyes glued to the flames.

Only to find themselves staring on in bafflement to see the bomber standing with her foot planted on a barrel while she grinned deviously back at them.

All the while as Nero continued to cackle in an increasingly pleased manner.

"Yes! That's it Katsu! Go boom!" The geneticist chuckled as he held his gloved hands at his hips while the highborn women stared back at him in confusion.

However, before any of them could get a chance to ask the man what he meant.

They watched in bewilderment as a barrel rolled towards them with a faintly ominous glow beginning to radiate from its surface.

"L-look out Azula-sama!" Elle yelled in a devoted voice just as Azula leaped away before the barrel promptly exploded before her shocked eyes.

"Did…she just turn that barrel into a bomb!" Mai exclaimed with disbelief lining her monotone voice while her hazel eyes gaped on in awe.

While Azula and Zoe nimbly jumped away as they watched in disbelief as a flurry of explosive debris were now being thrown their way.

"P-please be careful! She can use her power to convert harmless objects into bombs!" The handmaid blurted out in a frightened voice while her friends gazed on with wide-eyed looks in their eyes.

"Why didn't you tell us that before servant!" Azula bellowed in an annoyed voice while her servant girl shook with her worried eyes gazing at her back.

Before she stomped her boots into the ground while her flames exploded the soaring debris before they could hit her.

While Zoe jumped backwards with her focused hazel eyes never leaving Katsu's increasingly unstable face.

All the while as Mai and Ty Lee jumped aside with Elle crying out as she clung to the acrobat's neck.

While they frantically evaded the bomber's lethal projectiles.

"Hang on little sister! I've got you!" Ty Lee assured in a protective voice as she skillfully leaped out of the way of the exploding objects.

Before she briefly smiled down at the younger girl when she felt the teenager embrace her around the neck.

"Arigatou gozaimasu Ty Lee." Elle mumbled in an adorable voice while Ty Lee bounded through the air with her under her arm.

"Anytime baby sister." The acrobat cheered in a tender voice with a grin on her lips while the shorter girl smiled up at her.

While the markswoman snorted as she jumped back alongside them with her knives in hand.

"So, basically anything can become her weapon. Isn't that just swell." The markswoman snorted in a deadpan voice with her annoyed tawny eyes staring back at the girl as she landed on her booted feet.

All while Nero gazed on with a devious smile pulling onto his pale lips.

Just as he took a casual step forward with his crimson eyes gazing back at his prized subject's face.

'It would seem that the girl is not yet able to access her full power of her own accord. Well…I suppose I'll just have to give her a helpful nudge.' Nero thought with sadism flashing before his eyes while a cold smile graced his lips.

"Katsu! I have something important to tell you! I didn't want to tell you because I didn't think that your delicate mind could handle it! But that woman!" The geneticist shouted with his finger pointing back at the princess's callous face while the woman turned to regard him with a frigid eye.

While Team Azula turned to the man with confusion in their eyes.

All the while as the bomber paused with her glowing fists at her hips as she listened with her golden eyes turning to stare back at the unapologetically evil man.

"Killed your parents!" Nero shouted in a shameless voice while the team stared back at him in disbelief over his gall.

While Katsu froze up as she turned to gaze back at Azula's aggravated face.

Only for the older firebender to cruelly roll her eyes.

"Oh, please! Just how stupid are you!" The princess snapped in a pitiless voice while she fearlessly met the bomber's erratically furious gaze.

"No, she didn't! He's lying Katsu!" The handmaid hollered with anger in her eyes while she glared back at the man's remorseless face.

All the while as her big sister's stared on with disgust in their eyes.

"But don't take my word for it. Hear it from Azula herself." The geneticist stated in a smug voice as he held out his gloved fist with a small recorder in hand.

Before he pressed the play button only for the princess to turn to the device with her golden eyes widening in bewilderment when she heard her voice emanate from it.

While Team Azula gazed on with their eyes wide in anger as they listened to what seemed to be the princess's voice saying only two words.

Die peasant.

All while the group stood in their spots with their mouths agape in confusion.

While the researcher stared back at the shocked bomber with a feigned expression of sorrow on his face.

As the audio continued to repeat the seeming monarch's words over and over which was followed up closely by the sound of horrific screams.

While Ty Lee and Mai gazed back at the man with a rare expression of indescribable repugnance in their narrowed eyes.

"My…my parents." Katsu repeated in a traumatized voice with her golden eyes staring furiously back at Azula's scoffing face.

"That's right Katsu. She's your tormentor. She murdered your mother and father. And afterwards…she took you back and she tortured you in the cells." Nero concluded as he lowered the recorder while he gazed heartlessly back at the teenager's mortified face.

Just as Team Azula turned to glare back at Nero just after they recovered from their surprise over the man's audacious lie.

"Azula couldn't have! She hadn't even stepped foot into this land until today!" Ty Lee yelled out in an attempt to reason with the furious looking girl.

While Katsu's eyes took on a progressively more frightening gleam.

"T-that's not her voice Katsu! He imitated her voice and superimposed it over their screams! Please listen to me!" Elle stammered with a frantic expression in her eyes while Mai grimaced beside her.

"I don't think she hears you kid." Mai commented in a grim voice while she glared in Nero's direction.

"So, that's his game." The captain muttered as she stood up beside her monarch while she glared at the researcher through the corner of her cold eye.

And then not a second after that Katsu screamed out at the top of her lungs like a wild beast while Team Azula gaped back at her in shock.

And just like that her entire body became consumed in her green aura!

While the bomber shrieked like a beast with her golden eyes now dancing in an expression of insanity.

All the while as Azula and Zoe stared back at the girl with stunned expressions in their widened eyes.

"What phenomenal power!" Zoe spoke with unhidden awe in her voice while Azula stared on in shock beside her.

While a bubble of green energy blew out from underneath the bomber's feet as she frantically tore at her brown hair.

All the while as Nero now gazed on once more with a victorious smirk on his cruel lips.

"Now that is a splendid battle power." The geneticist stated in a gratified voice with his crimson eyes staring on in satisfaction.

And then the screaming girl jumped high above the flames with her combustionbending glowing brightly while the two firebenders gazed up at her in shock.

While the two warriors stood beside one another with their hardened eyes gazing up at the descending bomber.

Before their own firebending soon flared to life as they jumped backwards into the shattered remains of the fortress.

While what little remained of the military base began to explode under the force of the trio's firebending.

All while as blue and orange flames collided with a combustive green light while the sounds of deafening explosions erupted into the ears of the astonished bystanders.

And soon enough the soldiers began to back away with their eyes wide in fear.

Before they turned around and fled the destructive scene.

While their leader still stood gazing on at the explosive scene with an absolutely elated smile on his lips.

And the two noblewomen broke out into a run through the smoke with their young friend in hand.

While they gazed over their shoulder in still present awe as they watched the powerful explosions of firebending thunder into the air behind them.

"That girl! Her power is monstrous!" The markswoman exclaimed in a floored voice as she sprinted through the inferno.

While the acrobat gazed back with her mouth ajar in shock while she held her little sister's wrist in hand.

"I-it's him! He's the reason why Katsu is so angered by the sight of Azula-sama's flames! They must have tortured her with a blue flame when they were experimenting on her!" The handmaid explained in a distraught voice while her big sister's eyes gazed on in understanding.

Just before she quickly pulled her hand free from the acrobat's wrist while the two nobles turned to stare back at her in alarm.

"Elle! Where are you going!" The acrobat shouted with worry lacing her sisterly voice while the young girl gazed back at them.

"I can't just leave her to suffer like this! Katsu is innocent! She shouldn't have to live as a weapon!" Elle called out as she ran as fast as her legs could carry her while her big sisters gazed on in disbelief.

But the two highborn women knew better than to protest their young friend's compassionate nature.

"Damn it kid! You're too generous for your own good!" Mai complained as she sprinted back after the girl while her wary eyes watched the green light explode in the distance.

"Wait for us Elle!" Ty Lee yelled as she jumped after the girl with her pink soles darting through the snow.

All the while as Katsu bounded high in the air above a collapsing building with her pony tail swaying madly behind her with her entire body glowing an ominous green hue.

While Azula and Zoe stood their ground as they jumped down with their eyes still expressing their shock over the girl's released power.

Just as the girl began to drop down above them once more while her lips curved into an expression of madness.

"Life…is an explosion!" The bomber screamed with her arms held out at her sides while the two taken aback firebenders gaped up at her.

And then not a moment after that a thunderous explosion rocketed throughout the landscape with the bomber's shouts ringing out into the air in unison.

While numerous explosions of blue and red firebending were fired off in response.

All the while as Elle gazed up in the skies with her amber eyes wide in fright.

While Mai and Ty Lee stared into the explosion with unnerved expressions in their startled eyes.

And in the near distance…

Naoki watched from a nearby snowy hill with her brown eyes never expressing even the slightest hint of emotion.

While her red hair blew in her eyes as she calmly listened to the thunderous explosion detonate in her ears.

And not too far away from the destroyed fortress…

Rieko stood with her arms folded gracefully over her uniformed breasts while her icy blue eyes gazed at the image of her monitor going to static in approval.

While numerous servants stood with their heads bowed faithfully behind her.

All the while as her lips formed a contemplative smirk as she turned to regard a numbered reading on a computer screen.

"My…these children certainly are something to behold." The emperor remarked with a gloved finger curling underneath her thoughtful chin.

While her servants stood silent with their arms bowed over their chests as she let out a soft laugh.

"Victoria, see to it that you recruit both of them." Rieko commanded as she turned to idly glance over her shoulder at her bowing subject.

While the woman lowered to the ground with her head bent in a show of immeasurable reverence.

"It shall be done Lord. I shall relay the message to Andromeda. She is due to arrive with her air force any moment now." Victoria spoke in an obedient voice with a soft smile on her lips while she gazed up at her master's statuesque back.

"Good. I must have them. Most especially Naoki." The emperor stated with a hum while her blue eyes took on something akin to the gaze of an obsessed collector.

While she took a refined drink of wine with her tyrannical eyes turning to gaze out her window.

All the while as her ship continued to rapidly soar through the air with her fleet soaring at the forefront.

#Azula #Avatar The Last Airbender #mai avatar #ty lee avatar #femslash

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retro-vgm-revival-hour · 4 years ago

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐STAGE 71: Games Of 2020⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Last year may not have gone down as one of the best years we had, if anything, comparing it to a dumpster fire wouldn’t be too far off .

In a year where so many things went wrong, video games were pretty much one of the very few Highlights that stood out in 2020.

The ability to spend hours disappearing into a beautiful world like those in the far away islands of Animal Crossing, the competitive but fun gameshow aesthetic of Fall Guys or revisiting old friends in the land of Midgar was a much welcomed breather that we all needed.

These video games provided the much needed distractions from everything else happening in the world, by enabling us to visit far away places filled with hours upon hours of entertainment, colorful, unique and intriguing characters …and most of all amazing music.

SO This is why THIS stage of the Retro VGM Revival Hour has chosen the 3 most amazing tracks from the various games released in 2020 to get you excited for what’s to come in 2021.

I hope you’re ready…. so lets begin.

Full track listing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Game – Composer – Title – Company⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

1.) Yakuza: Like a Dragon – Hidenori Shoji, Yuri Fukuda, Chihiro Aoki & Saori Yoshida – “Kamurocho Battle Theme, Overcoming the Dragon & Substory Battle Theme“ – January 16, 2020 – Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio/Sega – Windows PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One & Xbox Series X/S

2.) Granblue Fantasy Versus – Nobuo Uematsu, Yasunori Nishiki & Tsutomu Narita – “Such a Blue Sky, Noble Execution & Arvess“ – February 6, 2020 – Arc System Works/Cygames – PS4 & Windows PC

3.) Persona 5 Strikers – Atsushi Kitajoh, Gota Masuoka, Ayana Hira, Hiromu Akaba & Shoji Meguro – “Camping Trip, A Waltz of Feasting & Keeper of Lust“ – February 20, 2020 – Omega Force & P-Studio/Atlus – PS4, Windows PC & Nintendo Switch

4.) Ori and the Will of the Wisps – Gareth Coker – “Separated by the Storm, Hornbug & Escaping the Sandworm” – March 11, 2020 – Moon Studios/Xbox Game Studios – Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S & Nintendo Switch

5.) Nioh 2 – Yugo Kanno & Akihiro Manabe – “Battle II, Azai Nagamasa & Dark Realm II” – March 12, 2020 – Team Ninja – PS4, Windows PC & PS5

6.) Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Yasuaki Iwata, Yumi Takahashi, Shinobu Nagata, Sayako Doi & Masato Ohashi – “K.K. Slider Dream, Island Tour (Day/Snowy) & New Years Eve (12:00 a.m.)“ – March 20, 2020 – Nintendo – Nintendo Switch

7.)Doom Eternal – Mick Gordon – “BFG Division 2020, The Only Thing They Fear Is You & DOOM Eternal“ – March 20, 2020 – id Software/Bethesda Softworks – Windows PC, PS4, Google Stadia, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X/S & Nintendo Switch

8.) Final Fantasy VII Remake – Nobuo Uematsu, Shotaro Shima, Tadayoshi Makino, Masashi Hamauzu & Yasunori Nishiki – “Scorpion Sentinel, J-E-N-O-V-A – Quickening & One Winged Angel (Rebirth)“ – April 10, 2020 – Square Enix – PS4

9.) Trials of Mana – Hiroki Kikuta – “Axe Bring Storm, Swivel & Farewell Song“ – April 24, 2020 – Xeen/Square Enix – Nintendo Switch, Windows PC & PS4

10.) Sakura Wars – Kohei Tanaka – “Anastasia’s Theme, Hatsuho’s theme & Geki! Teikoku Kagekidan (w/ vocals provided by Ayane Sakura, Maaya Uchida, Hibiku Yamamura, Ayaka Fukuhara & Saori Hayami)“ – April 28, 2020 – Sega CS2 R&D/SEGA – PS4

11.) Streets of Rage 4 – Yuzo Koshiro, Olivier Deriviere, Groundislava, XL Middleton, Keiji Yamagishi, Harumi Fujita, Motohiro Kawashima, Yoko Shimomura, David Scatliffe (Scattle) & Das Mörtal – “Nora, Estel (Round 2) & Ms Y“ – April 30, 2020 – Dotemu, Lizardcube & Guard Crush Games/Dotemu – Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, Linux & macOS

12.) Maneater – Daniel James – “Prologue Theme, The Great Hunter & Arc Shark“ – May 22, 2020 – Tripwire Interactive & Blindside Interactive/Deep Silver – Windows PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S & Nintendo Switch

13.) Shantae and the Seven Sirens – Mark Sparling, Kentaro Sakamoto & Gavin Allen – “Risky Blows the Hatch, Turbulent Hip Shaking & Rise and Shine Shantae (w/ vocals provided by Cristina Vee)“ – May 28, 2020 – WayForward – iOS, macOS, Windows PC, PS4, Xbox One & Nintendo Switch

14.) The Last of Us Part II – Gustavo Alfredo Santaolalla & Mac Quayle – “It Can’t Last, Allowed to be Happy & Beyond Desolation“ – June 19, 2020 – Naughty Dog/Sony Interactive Entertainment – PS4

15.) Marvel’s Iron Man VR – Kazuma Jinnouchi & John Paesano – “Old Tech/New Threats, Cost of Doing Business & Heroes“ – July 3, 2020 – Camouflaj/Sony Interactive Entertainment – PS4

16.) Ghost of Tsushima – Ilan Eshkeri & Shigeru Umebayashi – “The Way of the Ghost, The Last of Clan Adachi & The Fate of Tsushima“ – July 17, 2020 – Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment – PS4

17.) Paper Mario: The Origami King – Yoshito Sekigawa, Shoh Murakami, Yoshiaki Kimura, Hiroki Morishita & Fumihiro Isobe – “Event Battle, Swan Lake (Punk Remix) & Battle at Bowser’s Castle“ – July 17, 2020 – Intelligent Systems/Nintendo – Nintendo Switch

18.) Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout – Jukio Kallio & Daniel Hagström – “Didn’t Fall! (You Win), Fall ‘n’ Roll & Final Fall“ – August 4, 2020 – Mediatonic/Devolver Digital – Windows PC & PS4

19.) Battletoads – David Housden & David Wise – “Battletoads, Olympian Amphibians & To the Queen!“ – August 20, 2020 – Dlala Studios & Rare/Xbox Game Studios – Windows PC & Xbox One

20.) Marvel’s Avengers – Bobby Tahouri – “The Light That Failed, God of Thunder & By Force of Mind“ – September 4, 2020 – Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix – Windows PC, PS4, Google Stadia & Xbox One

21.) Hades – Darren Korb – “No Escape, The Painful Way & The Unseen Ones“ – September 17, 2020 – Supergiant Games – macOS, Windows PC & Nintendo Switch

22.) 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim – Hitoshi Sakimoto, Mitsuhiro Kaneda, Yoshimi Kudo, Rikako Watanabe, Yukinori Kikuchi, Kazuki Higashihara & Azusa Chiba – “METHIONINE, Go Sentinels, Go! & VALINE“ – September 22, 2020 – Vanillaware/Atlus – PS4

23.) Genshin Impact – Yu-Peng Chen – “Make Haste Partner, His Resolution & Symphony of Boreal Wind“ – September 28, 2020 – miHoYo – Windows PC, PS4, Android, iOS & PS5

24.) Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time – Walter Mair – “Rude Awakening, Stage Dive (N. Gin Theme) & A Hole In Space (N. Tropy Theme)“ – October 2, 2020 – Toys for Bob/Activision – PS4 & Xbox One

25.) Amnesia: Rebirth – Mikko Tarmia – “Ghoul Chase, The Shadow & Ending (Part 2)“ – October 20, 2020 – Frictional Games – Linux, Windows PC & PS4

26.) Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues – Leo Birenberg & Zach Robinson – “Arcade, Encino & Woodley Ave“ – October 27, 2020 – Flux Game Studio/GameMill Entertainment – PS4, Xbox One & Nintendo Switch

27.) Ghostrunner – Daniel Deluxe – “Infiltrator, Let Them Know & Truth to Power“ – October 27, 2020 – One More Level & Slipgate Ironworks/All in! Games SA & 505 Games – PS4, Xbox One, Windows PC & Nintendo Switch

28.) Watch Dogs: Legion – Stephen Barton – “A Room with a Queue, It’s All Gone a Bit Tom Tit & Orwell That Ends Well“ – October 29, 2020 – Ubisoft Toronto/Ubisoft – Windows PC, PS4, Xbox One, Google Stadia, Amazon Luna, Xbox Series X/S & PS5

29.) Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – Jesper Kyd, Sarah Schachner & Einar Selvik – “Kingdom of Wessex (w/ Vocals provided by Melissa R. Kaplan), Raids of Rage & Drenglynda Skáldið/ The Steadfast Skald (w/ Vocals provided by Einar Selvik)“ – November 10, 2020 – Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft – Windows PC, PS4, Xbox One, Google Stadia, Amazon Luna, Xbox Series X/S & PS5

30.) Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin – Hiroyuki Oshima – “Mayhem, Resentment & War“ – November 10, 2020 – Edelweiss/Marvelous – PS4, Windows PC & Nintendo Switch

31.) Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales – John Paesano – “All In, Rhino Rampage & New York’s Only Spider-Man“ – November 12, 2020 – Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment – PS4 & PS5

32.) Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory – Yoko Shimomura, Takeharu Ishimoto, Tsuyoshi Sekito, Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez – “At Dusk: I Will Think of You (Main Menu 3), Night of Fate & Let It Go (Japanese ver. w/ Vocals provided by Takako Matsu)“ – November 11, 2020 – Square Enix – PS4, Xbox One & Nintendo Switch

33.) Immortals Fenyx Rising – Gareth Coker – “Heart of the Hero, The Corrupted Heroes & Art of Warfare“ – December 3, 2020 – Ubisoft Quebec/Ubisoft – Amazon Luna, Windows PC, PS4, PS5, Google Stadia, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S & Nintendo Switch

34.) Cyberpunk 2077 – Marcin Przybyłowicz, P.T. Adamczyk, Paul Leonard-Morgan, Mattias Bärjed, David Sandström & Kristofer Steen – “The Rebel Path, The Heist & Juiced Up“ – December 10, 2020 – CD Projekt Red – Windows PC, PS4, Google Stadia, Xbox One, PS5 & Xbox Series X/S

35.) Resident Evil 3 – Kota Suzuki, Azusa Kato, Ryo Koike, Masami Ueda, Takayasu Sodeoka, Saori Maeda, Takumi Saito, Jeff Broadbent & Zhenlan Kang – “Invincible Nemesis, Resistance & Save Room“ – April 3, 2020 – Capcom – Windows PC, PS4 & Xbox One

36.) Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity – Kumi Tanioka, Reo Uratani, Ryotaro Yagi, Haruki Yamada, Ayana Hira, Asami Mitake, Hikaru Yamada, Shigekiyo Okuda, Gota Masuoka, Junya Ishiguro, Masako Otsuka, Takashi Yoshida & Hiromu Akaba – “Overlooking Hyrule/Prelude to Calamity (Title Screen), Urbosa: The Gerudo Chief & The Knight Who Seals the Darkness“ – November 20, 2020 – Omega Force/Nintendo – Nintendo Switch

Edgar Velasco: @MoonSpiderHugs Youtube: www.youtube.com/c/NostalgiaRoadTripChannel Official Site: nostalgiaroadtrip.com/ FaceBook: www.facebook.com/groups/nostalgiaroadtrip/ Official Twitter: @NRoadTripCast

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sayain-princess-vegenta · 4 years ago

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Love Amongst The Dragons

A/N: This is my very first fanfic. I hope you enjoy it. I might add more later. As I lay on the cold unforgiving floor, alone and forgotten in this cell with nothing but the annoying sound of water dripping, and the occasional laugh from my guards I look at the ceiling and think about my life, think about what went wrong. How I became a shell of the man I used to be, a monster some would call me. But in the darkest part of the night when I don’t feel the sun’s warmth and when the tiny window to my cell shows nothing but the darkness of the sky the stars shine and they remind me of a life of long ago, one that started with her.

I remember the first time I saw her. Radiant, beautiful, perfect. Too perfect, her smile was a little too tight, her steps a little too soft, her posture a little too straight, but if you looked into her eyes, her eyes spoke of a thousand words. She was bored, obviously, the conversation she was having with the Nobel women around her was so dull that even she couldn’t keep the picture perfect facade she was trying to keep.

I felt drawn to her, my eyes couldn’t look away from her, I was always vaguely aware of where she was, I'd like to think that she knew I was looking. The smiles I saw were different than the ones she gave others. It felt like a game, a game only we knew and one that wouldn’t have a clear winner. She would look past me and smile, I’d get distracted by my brother or father or some Nobel who’s name wasn’t important and then she would disappear. I would search through the crowds for her and when I found her she would bite her lip to keep from smiling and the game would start again. Sometimes she would move closer and others far away. At one point she was so close I could smell her perfume. She was toying with me, we both knew it. I being the prince of the fire nation could have at any time ended the game and called her out but I never did it was too much fun. It kept me interested and entertained during this gathering. It was a celebration, all of the gold and red shining throughout the fire nation palace, all of the thousands of people in good spirits, all of it for my nephew Lu Ten, at barely the age of 6 he was able to firebend and my father was proud. The Look he gave my brother and his son was never directed at me even with all my achievements. It was always for his first born the “heir” to the throne The self proclaimed “Dragon of the west” I hated my brother, that much I never hid even now. But looking at my father's smile with such pride in his eyes fueled me with such a rage that it took all of my self control to not light this whole place on fire.

The game however would make me forget if only for a moment. Forget that I was second place always to Iroh. It would make me forget that my nephew was technically my replacement and that there was no real need for my existence anymore. But the game could only do so much before I was forced back to reality.

“Ozai!”

If not for the large crowd Her distractions would have cost me much pain. Azulon The Firelord and my father had been calling me, my Blatant disrespect accidental or not was not to be seen as a light offense. But he was in a good mood today and so my only punishment for ignoring him was the pricing glare of his eyes, if he knew how to fire bend from them he would have roasted me on the spot.

“Yes father?”

“We are waiting for you to make a toast to your brother and nephew, this is a celebration after all.”

“Yes father” I hated it. I didn’t care for my brother or his brat, I didn’t care for the woman he called his wife. That entire family could burn by Sozin's comet for all I cared.

I don’t remember the speech I gave. I looked around the room for her, hoping for a glimpse of her hair or smile but everywhere I looked she wasn’t there. I gave a wonderful speech, powerful some said even my father seemed like he approved of it. He said that was one of my greatest qualities I could talk my way in, out, and around anything. I could have made a wonderful general. I believe that I could have pushed the fire nation so far into the technological age that it would forcefully show the true nature of other nations; barbaric and nothing more than a headious stain on the earth. But no matter how much I tried to convince my father I failed in comparison to General Iroh. The killer of the last dragons, the leader of the Rough Rhinos, under his order they stalked the earth kingdom pushing forward and providing the fire nation with more land to show our strength.

I never had a chance. With the wretched speech done all eyes turned to him always on him. It wasn’t hard to sneak away. Her perfume lingered in the air. Teasing me, calling to me as if our game had never ended. I followed her smell out to the gardens, the guests were forbidden here, strictly assigned to certain parts of the palace. But as I stepped out into the hot and muggy night air I saw her by the empty pond.

I remember the first time she fully looked at me her face glowed as she smiled at me and in her eyes she won this game. I’ve never been a man who liked to lose but in that instant it didn’t truly feel like a loss. I walked over to her taking in her form, from the way her hair Intricately woven golden and diamonds into it, to her red lips down to her golden dress with a red outline, she was beautiful.

She bowed of course, but the smile on her face never faulted. I was bold and determined. I kissed her hands and it would seem as her eyes got even bigger.

“You are playing a risky game my dear. Teasing me in such a way, did you not think i would take it as a challenge?” I ran my fingers through a large lock of her hair, it was soft, a pretty brown and it smelled of fire lilies.

“I assume that you would my prince”

She played with my beard. On normal occasions it would not even be permitted for her to even think about touching me, but she was bold. It became one of her favorite things about me, and I too will admit that it brought great comfort to me at my most stressful times.

“What is your name?”

“Ursa”

Her name was normal, nothing grand and outlandish as I've heard from other women of nobility. She kept glancing at the water, it was empty and clear, a boring pond that I myself never paid much attention to.

“And why does the pond capture you in such a way Ursa?”

“It feels like something is missing. Its too quiet and still”

“What do you think is missing? A Badgerfrog? ”

She laughed at my joke and smiled at me

“I was thinking more of a turtleduck”

“Really? If I order turtleducks to be moved here, would it increase the chances of me seeing you again?”

“I think you’d have a high possibility” I remember the feeling of her hand caressing my face. She was so warm, she managed to put all my worries away for a moment... “My favorite animal is a turtledu--”

“Ozai.”

…But it never lasted

My brother was walking out of the palace towards us, barely acknowledging the bow that she gave.

“Iroh”

“Father wanted to have a word with you before the military meeting tonight. Now come on.”

He walked away without another word. It was unlike him, especially in front of a woman as lovely as Ursa. It was one of the few times I remember seeing my brother conflicted. He always seems so sure of what he was going to do, a trait that I admired but one I would take to my grave.

I didn’t want to leave her, but her smile gave me hope that I would see her again. I of course could always order her presence to the palace, but I feel that it was part of this game we played. She waved as I followed after Iroh.

The next day 8 new turtleducks swam in the pond.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/25771999/chapters/62611303

#ozai #firelord #avatar the last airbender #ursa #Urzai #Azulon #uncle iroh #atla #firenation #turtleducks #fanfic #fanfiction #ursa/ozai

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royaltealovingkookiness · 5 years ago

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I was totally not going to do Zutara Week, but seeing all the great stuff around I just had to write this. Story inspired by this fantastic piece of art. Read on AO3 or below. @zutaraweek

Day 1 - Gifts

The Painted Lady glided through the red-and-gold hallways silently. It had been so long since she set foot in this place. Not since the virtues of justice and charity were abandoned by its owners in pursuit of glory and riches. But there were murmurs that things had changed. She was curious.

The kitchen was bustling with activity. Knives dancing on chopping boards, pans sizzling with sauces, the fire burning in the oven.

“Don’t forget the plum-glaze on the pig-chicken, Michi, it’s the General’s favourite,” the head cook elbowed a sleepy sous-chef.

Two young women were working on a dessert in the shape of a pond made from sparkling blue jelly, sculpting delicate turtle-ducklings out of melted candy. “It’s coming along nicely,” the chef gave them an encouraging nod.

She tasted the soup steaming in a huge pot with an uncertain expression. “Perhaps add a little bit more lemongrass? I’m afraid that the recipe I’ve had sent in from the South Pole is dreadfully unspecific on the spicing. But don’t make it too hot,” she instructed the plump woman in charge.

The Painted Lady continued her way up to the second floor. Servants were busy decorating the dining hall with garlands and lampions. It was a cavalcade of colours and shapes; the sun and the moon, red and blue dragons, pink, green and yellow fish and birds. The long tables were already covered with crisp white table-cloth, and set with fine china bowls and plates. Laughter and chatter brightened the hall as the servants worked eagerly, careful to make everything perfect for the omiyamairi.

The Painted Lady continued her way and came to a halt in front of a heavy wooden door.

A young guard passed by her, unaware of her presence as he came running, yelling excitedly. “The guests have arrived.”

The woman standing in front of the door in Kyoshi uniform, motionless like a statue, scolded him on low voice. “Shhhh, she’s sleeping.”

The Painted Lady slid past them, into the room. It struck her how different it was from the rest of the palace. Brighter, softer. Instead of heavy crimson and gold curtains, the windows were covered with light white and blue linens. The paintings on the walls depicted curious animals from all around the world; penguins and turtle-seals ducking in icy ponds, sky-bison and flying lemurs soaring in the blue sky peppered with fluffy clouds, badgermoles clawing their way around their intricate tunnels under the green grass, dragons circling in the setting sun, turtle-ducks swimming in a pond, komodo-rhinos and ostrich-horses running wild in green pastures. A world once believed to be irrevocably lost. But hope sprung again that things could change for the better.

She frowned when she noticed the figure covered in black leaning over the cradle.

“You!” she said in alarm. “I didn’t think I’d find you here.”

The figure lifted his face, a familiar blue-and-white mask of permanently mischievous grin.

“Well, I could say the same, my Lady. It’s been far too long,” the Blue Spirit greeted her, his voice low and gravelly.

She lifted her hands. “Step away, evil spirit, she’s under my protection. I’ve brought her gifts.”

There was no way he had a better claim than her to be the baby’s guide.

“Get in line then, I suggest,” he snickered, “because I got here first.”

“What could you give her that she’d want?” the Painted Lady grimaced. “The world has had enough evil already.”

“The spirit of freedom and self-reliance.” The Blue Spirit placed his hands over the cradle in a motion of blessing. “And that of selfless sacrifice,” he added quietly, like it was something private, something he didn’t want to share with her.

“What would you know about selflessness?” She didn’t believe him for one second. He was a well-known trickster and trouble-maker, only ever looking out for himself.

“The truth is, we spirits are shaped by the beliefs of humans in us. And thanks to her father, people see me differently now. Something of a hero. Savior of the Avatar, I’m sure you heard,” the Blue Spirit winked at her. Yes, the Painted Lady had heard something about that, even if it was hard to believe that he of all spirits could ever change. “He helped me remember who I was and what I really stood for.”

The Painted Lady pondered his words. His story was strangely familiar. It was something they apparently had in common.

“I know what you mean. I have started to fade away - there was too little justice and charity left in the world to sustain me. But her mother reignited the flame in people’s hearts and my shrines are once again alive. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been.”

“Justice and charity are noble gifts indeed. Go ahead, my Lady,” the Blue Spirit stood aside, letting her close to the crib.

Lifting her veil, the Painted Lady leaned over the sleeping baby. Fine, dark-brown curls framed her delicate face.

“She’ll have her mother’s hair,” she noted with satisfaction. She felt connected to the young woman whose spirit awakened her from a long lull of frozen sleep, and by extension to this child.

The Painted Lady marked the baby’s sand-coloured skin with red spirit-paint for justice and drew a silver-moon on her forehead for charity. Her fingers were light as the night breeze, yet the little girl stirred and opened her eyelids. Her eyes shone like golden gemstones, as she stared at the spirits calmly.

“She has her father’s eyes,” the Blue Spirit pointed out with satisfacton and reached out to tickle her arms gently. He seemed surprisingly warm, almost fatherly.

The baby started to wiggle, kicking off her covers. The spirits gasped when they noticed the two rag-dolls lying next to her in the crib - black and white, blue and red, a man and a woman.

“That’s us!” They looked at each other in wonderment.

The baby made excited noises. The connecting door opened immediately and a young man dressed in red pajama pants appeared with a worried face.

“That’s him,” the Blue Spirit whispered.

The Painted Lady watched him curiously as he leaned over the crib and lifted the infant. Was he good enough to have stolen the young girl’s precious heart? He held his daughter close to his bare chest, supporting the back of her fragile neck with his strong hand. The baby quieted against his heartbeat, her little fists gripping his long, black hair.

“You think she’s hungry, Zuko?” A voice from the other room called. The Painted Lady recognized it immediately as the voice of the caring, young girl.

“Maybe,” he replied. He ran his fingers along the baby’s cheek. “Come little Turtle-Duck, time to see Mummy.”

They disappeared behind the connecting door.

The Painted Lady hurried after them, but the Blue Spirit planted himself in her way.

“Where are you going, my Lady? Our mission is done here. You know the rules,” he reminded her.

He was right of course. The divide between the world of humans and spirits couldn’t be crossed lightly. The spirits were not to meddle unnecessarily. But the Painted Lady wanted to see her so badly, to make sure she was happy. She smiled coyly at the Blue Spirit, he was known for bending rules after all.

“Just a glance,” she promised and he let her pass. She glided through the door and he followed her only after a moment of hesitation.

The room was veiled in silvery-soft moonlight. There she was on the large bed, propped up against the pillows, cradled in her husband’s arms, her blue eyes sparkling with the purest joy. The baby rested on her breast, small hands grasping unto her mother’s skin. The hungry gulps and snuffles of the infant as she suckled were the only noise in the room.

“What a beautiful family,” the Painted Lady sighed happily.

“I think they were made for each other,” the Blue Spirit nodded in agreement. “And however small, we had a part in this.”

“Ssshhhhhh,” someone shushed them. They looked around startled. Yue, the moon spirit scowled at them from above.

The Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit backed out of the room quietly; it was never a good idea to anger the greater spirits.

They paused in the empty nursery, unsure of how to proceed, now that fate brought them together in such a strange way.

“Well, I guess, this is it, my Lady. Until next time,” bowed the Blue Spirit.

The Painted Lady was about to say good riddance, for old times' sake but she couldn’t shake the picture of the happy family from her mind. Creation, rebirth, peace, unity, love. Maybe the spirits could learn from the humans too every once in a century. Maybe their faith in the spirits could really change them for the better. She watched the Blue Spirit pensively, remembering the young man cradling his family.

“Actually, I’m heading south,” she started hesitantly. “Gaipo region is suffering from floods - I could use the help.”

To her surprise, the Blue Spirit nodded eagerly. “It is a worthy cause. Lead the way, my Lady.”

#atla #Zutara Week 2019 #atla fanfic #blue spirit #painted lady #zutara #zutara fanfic #brusselssprout writes #Day 1 #prompt: gifts #rtk does zutara week

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freespincoinmaster5-blog · 4 years ago

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Coin Master Free Spins & Coins!

Thinking about how to get

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Welcome Facebook companions :

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You'll get a lot of free coins every day by pursuing the day by day email blessing. We got a decent scoop of 600,000 coins for our difficulties, and it just paused for a moment.

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Turn

It's a given, isn't that right? The more you turn, the more free coins you get, so turn as frequently as possible. Truly. That is the thing that makes this counsel more subtle.

What we'd prescribe that you do is to fly back once at regular intervals and go through the entirety of your Coin Master free twists. When your twists fill to the limit of 50, you'll quit procuring anything else for nothing. That would simply be a misfortune.

Tips and Tricks:

Try not to Hoard Your Coins!

You are consistently vulnerable to a potential Raid taking out a huge part of your held Coins. This is the reason you ought to consistently spend Coins at whatever point you're ready to bear the cost of a buy. This is particularly significant in case you're out of Shields or you haven't opened the Rhino Pet yet!

Having an enormous store of

Coin Master Spin

in your pocket additionally makes you a practical objective for Big Raids. A Big Raid is a most extreme wagered Raid that, if effective, can end with the Raider leaving with a huge number of your Coins!

Huge Raids!

In the event that you have a huge amount of Spins available to you, it very well may be enticing to need to raise your Bet sum and appreciate the duplicated Spin reward. This is an entirely reasonable method of quickening your Coin income. Be that as it may, it's ideal to spare your Spins for Raiding extremely rich players.

Over the Slots Machine you can see the Coin Master you've been doled out just as their present Coin stores. Spare your Bets for Coin Masters with huge amounts of Coins. Since the measure of Coin you acquire from a Raid is relative to the measure of Coin the player has on them, by utilizing just Maximum Bets on extremely rich Coin Masters, you get the opportunity of winning a ton of numerous in an exceptionally brief timeframe.

In case you're going for Big Raids, you ought to consistently have Foxy prepared as your dynamic Pet. Saucy gives you another scoop to burrow with on Raids so you have an additional possibility of getting huge amounts of Coins.

Try not to Waste Your Pet's Bonuses!

The boosting impact of your Pet is just accessible for four hours after you've initiated it. On the off chance that you can't play for four hours, you should spare initiating your Pet until you have a four hour window you can commit to Coin Master.

This even applies to the cautious Rhino; when your base is under attack, he won't really guard assaults except if you explicitly send him out to do as such.If you need any help

!VISIT US!

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post-itpenny · 5 years ago

Note

"_____ get your ass in here" x3 I dont know

The Rabbit

A continuation of the mafia au. Sorry, this one got really, really long but oh things are getting good. X3

It was actually a quiet morning. Maggie and Ama sitting in the library reading together.

“This was one of my favorites as a kid,” Maggie commented, “though this is a way nicer copy than I ever had.”

The book in question, was called My Father’s Dragon and featured a little boy placing colorful bows in a lion’s hair on the cover.

“But does the dragon belong to his dad?” Ama questioned as she flipped through the pages.

Maggie shook her head, “it's more of the narrator is talking about an adventure his dad had as a kid. Here look,” Magie instructed as she pointed out some of the illustrations to Ama. “The little boy has to rescue a little dragon from all the mean animals that are holding it prisoner on the island. But he doesn’t fight them, he’s clever.” Maggie paused on a page featuring the boy scrubbing a rhino’s horn with a toothbrush. “In this scene a really angry rhino charges at him but the boy convinces the rhino he can help with his horn that's gotten all grimy and dirty which the rhino is embarrassed about. The boy packed all kinds of useful things in his backpack including a toothbrush and toothpaste. Once he helps, the rhino is so happy he lets the boy pass without a second thought.”

“Does he rescue the dragon?”

Maggie smirked as she flipped back to where they had left off reading. “Read it to me and find out.”

Outside the guards stood on alert yet were bored. Nothing passed on the street save for the occasional car. Nothing that is till something tiny came charging down the street. They almost didn’t see it till the thing had zipped between their legs and between the bars of the front gate.

William was summoned outside with all the commotion. The thing, now caught was wriggling and whining in the hands of the guard holding it. It took a moment for William to register having seen the creature before. Even less time to register there was dried blood matted into its fur.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maggie ran down the hall, behind her Amaranthus trying her best to keep up with Mune the cat wrapped in her arms.

Maggie threw open the door to William’s office. He stood at his desk with a deep frown on his face. Next to him stood a maid with a small bundle that had just received a much needed bath. The bundle squirmed to escape the towel it was wrapped in at the sight of Maggie. The maid passed off what was revealed to be a small dachshund. A tag on it’s collar revealing the name Trouble.

The little dog whined as it wiggled around and licked Maggie’s face over and over, the poor creature shaking but clearly relieved to be with someone it recognized.

“It ran up the drive this morning,” William explained as Maggie set the little dog down. Mune hissing at him however Ama was delighted, reaching out with a giggle as Trouble licked her fingers.

Maggie looked down at the scene with a slight smile before looking back up at her boss. The worry clear in her eyes. “Why was he given a bath?”

“... he was filthy of course, I was not about to allow the dog into my home without a bath.”

Maggie’s eyes turned hard. The unsaid things she could pull apart in a second. It was part of her job after all. Whether her boss was not saying everything due to his precious Angel being in the room or to simply keep it from Maggie was uncertain but the unsaid things still stood clear:

“What caused the dog to become dirty?”

“Where was his owner?”

Maggie did not ask, but the wheels in her brain were already turning. And just as she caught the unsaid things from her boss William caught the plans forming in her own silence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vespers paced the floor with worry. His aunt should have checked in by now. But it had been two days and no word from her. Vespers had sent out a few men to investigate the area his aunt had last reported as investigating. Word came back of finding a blood-stained alley with tiny bloody paw-prints leaving it.

But no body.

Vespers had sent word to William about the situation, having tried and failed to contact Maggie, but it was radio silence on that end as well. Something that didn’t sit right with Vespers at all.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Maggie’s phone had been destroyed.

It had been “an accident” of course. She had her phone in her hand as she was about to walk downstairs when Pierre bumped into her. He had caught Maggie’s arm before she could lose her footing but the phone had gone flying out her hand and tumbling down the stairs. Landing at the bottom floor in pieces.

“Oh Pierre you must be careful,” William scolded behind him, “just look what you’ve done to Miss Bryne’s phone.”

Pierre grunted an apology and Maggie was promised a replacement. That had been two days ago, just hours after Trouble had turned up. Now she and Ama were back in the library again, Mune curled up on the arm of Ama’s chair while trouble was asleep in Maggie’s lap. It would have been a cute scene if not for Pierre and another guard who were pretending to be reading nearby. It put Maggie on edge, something that was not missed.

“Are you worried about the dragon?” Ama asked, pointing at the illustration of a crying dragon with stripes.

Maggie shook her head. “I’m worried about Trouble’s owner…” Maggie paused, unsure what she was able to say especially with the guards nearby. “I don’t know where she is and I’m scared.”

Ama frowned, patting Maggie’s hand, “I hug Mune when i’m scared, or find daddy.”

Maggie smirked, “Mune doesn’t like me and I don’t think I want to ever admit to your dad when I’m scared.”

“Why?”

A servant interrupted them, delivering tea and cookies as a snack.

There was a tiny piece of paper folded under Maggie’s teacup.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vespers and Juno spoke in silence, they were at a meeting in the godfather’s home. It was clear their aunt was considered dead to the family but nonetheless their father supported his children continuing a small investigation. If anything but for closure.

A servant walked by offering drinks, there was a tiny slip of paper the servant also slipped into the palm of Vespers’ hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

William sighed, for two days Maggie had not put up a fuss though it was obvious her temper was biling just under the surface. But she had behaved which was all he could really ask of her. That being said it was time they had a chat.

He reached out to knock on her bedroom door, surprised when Maggie opened the door and nearly ran into him. She was dressed in her old uniform instead of the comfortable dresses of late. Her hair back in a tight bun and a gun being tucked into a holster under her coat. They looked at each other in surprise.

William frowned, hands on his hips. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Maggie frowned in turn, “out.”

“Out?”

Maggie held her ground, “I’m going out to look for Magpie. I was hoping you would respect that as the only family I really have you would understand I have to go.”

William sighed, shifting so that he was blocking the doorway. “I was coming to tell you that I have been investigating myself. She isn’t to be found anywhere.”

Maggie looked down, seeming to process what he had said, “with all due respect I’m the one that should be sent out for information. It’s my job for goodness sake, let me do it.”

“You are too valuable an asset and it would be exactly what the enemy wants-”

“To hell with being an asset!” Maggie shouted. “How can I possibly be of any value if I’m here? How can I do my job here? I’m worthless right now.”

“Not true,” William insisted, “Amaranthus seems to have taken quite a shine with you and you do well in watching her.”

“You can hire anyone to babysit William.”

“It’s sir to you.”

“Fine, you can get anyone to babysit sir.”

William bristled at the ice in her voice. “Maggie dear you must have patience because believe me when I say you are trying mine. You will leave me to carry on an investigation and you will not leave am I clear?”

Maggie blinked, an unreadable look in her eye as she took a few steps back before running at the door.

Willam braced himself for impact only to be dumbfounded as the redhead leaped right over him with ease, bolting down the halway.

She nearly made it to the stairs when someone grabbed her shoulder. The reaction was quick, Maggie placing a well-aimed kick to the guards’ head as she hopped over the railing and fell onto a couch below. Springing over the head of a servant and nearly making it to the door before someone tackled her to the ground.

Maggie shrieked and twisted around, two more people running up to hold her down. William approached noting the scene reminding him of a program he once watched where several people were trying to capture a crocodile. Maggie looked up at him, her hair free of it’s bun and a wild mess around her face. Eye’s wild and teeth bared. So this is why people called her crazy.

William knelt down in front of her with a smirk though his eyes read anger. “I would be rather impressed except for the fact you’re causing quite a scene.”

“You’re a scene!” Maggie snapped, her words the only thing she had left. “You’re the one that has me pinned down like a fucking animal!”

“None of that language now,” William scolded, “this wouldn’t be necessary if you didn’t act like an animal.”

“You’re an animal! You- umph!”

Pierre had slapped a hand over Maggie’s mouth, “sir if your daughter sees?”

At this William’s demeanor shifted, Maggie seemed to lose her will as well. Not fighting when she was lifted up off the ground but still held so that her feet could not touch the floor.

William reached into her jacket and pocketed her gun, “lock her in her room and don’t anyone dare let her out.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was quite late at night now, and Maggie had to congratulate William in being so thoughtful on making sure her room didn’t have a window.

She also had to congratulate his men on clearly not haiving read her file.

Air vents were not her favorite place to be but shimmying up the one in her bedroom ceiling felt like she was stepping back into a beloved old pair of shoes. A tight space no doubt but a familiar one. She had long mapped out the ventilation shafts, as well as every nook and cranny that she was able to get into of the manor. Once even nearly fell through the air vent grate that was over William’s room and frequently using the one above Amaranthus’ to drop a few coins and glitter when it was time for the tooth fairy to visit.

Granted, William had already snuck a trade of tooth for money while the little angel slept. But the look of confusion on his face when Ama came racing downstairs with the additional glitter coated coins was priceless.

Maggie popped through an opening in the hallway, sneaking her way to the servant’s stairwell with a swish of her boa and down to the cellar where she had also noted the windows were not covered by the alarm system for some reason.

Really should mention that to the boss at some point.

Oh well.

She dashed across the garden, hiding in shrubs when she feared a guard nearby. Eventually making it to a tree whose branch was just close enough to the wall she could use it shimmy across to freedom. She paused to look back, there was a ground floor window open. In her mental eye of the manor’s map that would be a parlor, why was it open?

There was a rustling sound, another guard coming? Maggie leaped from her perch on the tree branch and over the wall, landing on her feet on the other side.

Maggie sprinted across the street and to the safety of a dark alley.

Free at last.

She grinned, turning to leave when she crashed into something. Looking down in surprise at a small set of toy angel wings.

Oh no.

Amaranthus clearly had gotten dressed in a hurry but at least had the sense to put on a ocat and decent shoes. She wore a small backpack as well which Mune the cat poked his head out of.

Maggie knelt down. Placing a hand on Ama’s head as if trying to process that the little girl was really here. “Wh-what are you doing?” Maggie hissed.

Ama puffed out her chest, “A Blueblood looks out for their o-own, Daddy said s-so. I gotta lo-ook out for you.”

If she was stuttering from the cold or nerves Maggie couldn’t tell, pulling the little girl into a tight hug despite Mune’s protests.

“You’re the best Angel… but your dad is also gonna kill me so let's get you back home.”

“Let me h-help! You’re gonna go find the puppy’s owner right? You said you w-were sc-scared.”

Maggie nodded, looking back at the manor and up at the moon. She was going to be late at this rate. Plus, if she took Ama back goodness know her boss would already be up and waiting. She was as good as dead no matter what.

Might as well go out with one last hoorah.

“We are going to go find this,” Maggie explained as she pulled a small piece of paper from her pocket to show Ama. On it was the simple drawing of a rabbit. She had not shown William earlier in fear of getting the servant who had given it to her in trouble.

Ama looked at the drawing with a nod, taking Maggie’s hand as they walked down the alleyway. “It’s like the story!”

Ah, so that explained the backpack.

“Heheh, kinda. We need to meet up with some friend’s first. You’re going to have to be really brave Ama. Can you do that?”

The little girl gave a firm nod as they rounded the corner where a car sat waiting.”

“Hey bird! Juno shouted, “get your ass in here!”

Maggie shouted, slapping her hands over Ama’s ears. Vespers and Juno pulling them both into the car with a look of surprise.

“Maggie,” Vespers gasped, “please don’t tell me that's whose kid I think it is.”

Juno frowned, “whose kid is it? Why the fuck would you even bring a kid?”

“Juno!” Maggie screamed as she put her hands over Ama’s ears again and thinking fast. “Sh-shes the kid of one of Blueblood’s secretaries. Snuck out to follow me and if I take her back we’ll get caught. I’m on lockdown right now… Angel how did you get out?”

Ama looked at her fellow passengers in fear, choosing to whisper to Maggie instead. “I s-saw you f-fall o-out of the vent and g-go down the st-stairs. S-so I t-took the other st-stairs and went out th-the window.”

“You did?” Maggie asked, beaming with pride. “And nobody saw you?”

Vespers shook his head as he put the car in drive, “talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire Birdie. Great to have you back but you’re fried chicken when this is over.”

Maggie nodded but said nothing else. Buckling a nervous Ama’s seatbelt as they drove through the city.

“You know if my dad hadn't dropped you-”

“You don;t know the whole story moron,” Juno snapped at her brother. “Dad did it so the Godfather had no hold over Aunt Pie. As long as Birdie here was around she was blackmail for Aunt Pie to stay.”

Maggie flinched, she had suspected that's what happened but it still hurt.

“That and the bird is nothing but trouble.”

“Hey!”

“We’re here,” Vespers announced.

Here was an abandoned townhouse, on the side gate was a small rabbit design welded into a post. Behind the townhouse was an old carriage house that seemed to be in much better condition, a small light on inside. Around the carriage yard were all manor of plants and a fancy rabbit hutch in one corner.

“Wh-ere are we?” Ama asked.

“The rabbit’s warren,” Vespers answered. “The home of the best stitch in the city.”

“Stitch?”

“Um, she’s a doctor for people who can’t go to the hospital.” Maggie explained. “The rumor is she was a great surgeon but someone tried to hurt one of her nurses so she defended them but lost her job as a result.”

Ama frowned, “that’s not right.”

“That’s like pipsqueak, “Juno muttered as she knocked on the carriage house door. A man in scrubs answered nodding at the piece of paper Juno held. One with the image of a rabbit on it.

Rabbits were good luck, creativity, and life. The Rabbit’s Warren was near legend. A neutral place that welcomed any patience as long as they came without violence. Because of this the Rabbit’s network of helpers was long and influential. Sneaking into nearly every gang in the city so to act as a relay should one of their own be hurt and assure the Rabbit was aware of all conflicts.

The nurse who let them in held out a basket, Maggie turning Ama to the small fire that had been lit on the pretence of warming her up while Vespers and Juno deposited their weapons into the basket.

They were then led to a small door, ducking down as they found themselves in an elevator that began its descent down. Ama was shaking, Maggie scooping her up into her arms while Mune rubbed against her cheek.

The elevator opened to a long tunnel. An abandoned subway tunnel by the looks of it. Around them here rows of hospital beds each with a curtain around them. Men, women, and even a few animals all in various stages of care. In front of them however was the Rabbit.

The real story was that a shootout had taken place in Dr. Adeline’s ER. The doctor wasted no time in wrestling the gun out of the assailants hands and holding them at gunpoint till help arrived. Help being a rival gang who in turn offered to help her set up shop when she lost her medical licence. She accepted on the grounds she be allowed to except all patients.

Adeline the Rabbit had greying blond hair and the fierce look of a grandmother about to scold her children.

“You brought a child.”

“She’s with me,” Maggie insisted. I’m sorry but please excuse her Ma’am.”

The Rabbit huffed and pulled a lollipop from her lab coat to offer to Ama. “I never turn away children. Just get angry with their wayward caretakers. This is not the kind of place she needs to be in. She should be home, safe.”

Maggie flinched but did not say anything. Hugging Ama tighter as they followed the Rabbit down the tunnel.

“She was brought in with a gunshot wound to the shoulder and one to her lower chest. From what I can tell whoever went at her was aiming from a distance and is either a cheap hire or a lousy shot. She’ll make it but is sleeping off the painkillers.

Juno frowned, “who brought her in?”

The Rabbit pulled back a curtain. There Magpie peacefully slept with layers of bandages wrapped around her chest. In the bed next to her was a sleeping Jack.

Vespers and Juno both swore and reached for the gang leader. The Rabbit holding them back while Maggie held her hands over Ama’s ears again. Biting down her own anger at seeing the man.

“He brought her in!” The Rabbit shouted, “He took a shot to the hip for her!”

This froze everyone, looking to the doctor for an explanation.

“She was out when he had his men take them in. Said he was there to off her but someone had a hit on them both.”

Vespers and Juno asked questions as Maggie approached the bed. Quietly taking Magpie’s hand as relief and dread filled her in equal parts.

“Wh-who is she?” Ama asked.

“Um, kinda like a mom to me I guess,” Maggie explained. “I never called her it but she was just as good as one.”

Ama nodded as she reached into her backpack, pulling out Mune along with an assortment of items till she found what she was looking for. A bandaid covered in purple hearts.

The Rabbit took the tiny bandaid and placed it over the larger ones on Magpie’s shoulder. “This will definitely help her feel better sooner. That was very kind of you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The ride home was uneventful. Ama seeming to have tired out both from her adventure and her nerves. Perking up as Maggie carried her out of the car and down the street.

“Your dad can’t know about this ok? Pinkie promise?”

Ama nodded and locked pinkies with Maggie before the two dashed across the street and to the wall of the Manor property.

“Ok,” Maggie whispered, “here is the plan. I’m going to set you up on the wall and you need to keep low until I get up there. I’ll hop down to the other side so I can catch you when you jump ok?” Ama nodded as Maggie lifted her up and onto the top of the wall. Maggie then jumping and pulling herself up. Surprised when she realized Ama was not with her.

Several lights flashed on. Maggie being blinded for a moment as she felt someone grab her arm and pull her off the wall. Maggie blinked as she became aware of her surroundings. Pierre was standing over her with a startled Ama in his arms. Like a shadow with the bright lights of the manor behind him stood William.

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