#I want to make up for the gap in dragons but I'm burnt out on dragons. I want to work on fakemon but they don't feel inspired. sigh

[maudfs]

Dragon 126: FAE IS SHOOKETH

[misguidedasgardian]

The winter Sun (26)

26. The Strength of certainty

MASTERLIST

Summary: The aftermath of the battle and the reunion

Pairing: Cregan Stark x Fem!Targaryen Reader 

Warnings: Cursing, medieval and asoiaf customs, AGE GAP, Cregan is 12 years OLDER than reader), arranged marriage, war and all that comes with it, mentions of burnt bodies, mentions of childbirth, implied non-con, use of the word bastard, death of characters, mentions and descriptions of injury, might miss some warnings

+18, MINORS DNI

Wordcount: 3k

Notes: FINALLY I'm not going to hide it, they will see eachtoher again! can't wait for you to read it.

As you commanded your dragon to fly back to your home in the Vale you couldn’t help the shake in your hands as you grabbed the reins tighter. 

You had been reckless in coming here, when you left your home this morning you didn't even believed you could make it, but as you approached Harrenhal you realized you had come just in the right moment, the perfect moment

As you commanded Vhaelar to jump on Vhagar, you felt a sharp pain between your thighs, you had just given birth.

And although your dragon did most of the job, your body was a tight as a bow, constricted on it’s own, your muscles were so sore you believe it was a miracle when you could unsaddle from your dragon when you arrived back in Runestone, it was already dark, the night had fallen over the seven Kingdoms

You were in shock still

You couldn’t believe what you had done

It’s like some sort of strange personality had taken over you, the rage, the fire within you had taken control and unleashed its savage self on Aemond

Aemond was dead

You had helped on killing the kinslayer

And perhaps you were one yourself now

You walked slowly inside the castle, all the soldiers and servants had removed the green dragon from their clothing and removed it with the classic red dragon one, of House Targaryen, in your honor

You didn’t even know the full extent of Aemond’s attack on your home and staff within, you didn’t know what was said and done to them, but they all seemed relieved to see you return, unharmed, and something told them  everything was over. 

You knew they talked amongst themselves, so, it was clear, they reverted their loyalties back to you, you were safe in the castle your father had built for you. 

You found the midwife sitting in a rocking chair, sewing something, right next to the crib. You decided right then and there that you had to put everything behind you, you needed to stay here until you healed and then you were going to reach out to Sara in Winterfell to see how you were going to proceed, your baby was yet too small to travel on dragon back and either way, he was the priority now.

And Rickon? your heart clenched in your chest every time you thought about him, you wanted to see him so badly, so terribly much it pained you, you missed him dearly, with every breath you took.

The Midwife found you looking and immediately stood up from her chair and bowed

“thank you for caring for him”, you said softly

“The young lord is delightful, princess”, she said with rosy cheeks and a sweet smile, “he never cries, and he is so quiet”, you were content as you walked towards the crib and found that actually your son was awake.

The midwife left and left you alone with the baby, you took in your arms. You cooed at him, and he seemed to be happy to be in your arms

“How am I going to name you, uh?”, you asked softly, and you frowned when you remembered all the names Aemond had suggested, Maegor, Visenya, and more that resemble… strong… characters of your family…

But Maegor?

You couldn’t curse him like that and furthermore… Why would you listen to Aemond? he was dad, he was not going to come near YOUR son

But still you had no idea.

Tears came to your eyes as you wished Cregan was here next to you, to name your child, and then you wondered if he would accept him, he might doubt the baby’s paternity.

“Where could she have gone?”, Cregan was desperate, and he had trouble finding Daemon in the middle of the mayhem that surrounded the castle of Harrenhal

The Rogue Prince removed his helmet

“I don’t know”

He owned you his life, he would be dead if it weren’t for you, the scariest part?, he was prepared to die today, only to take Aemond with him.

He was never close to you, he couldn’t bear it, you reminded him too much of your own father, it was painful to him. But once he learned that one-eyed HIghtower bastard had kidnapped you? He saw red, and he decided right then and there he was going to kill him and it didn’t matter if he died in the process.

He had to take him down

But as your father before you, you had proven to be capable of handlings things yourself

He smirked, just thinking about

“Actually I do know”, he said, looking at the Wolf of the North, “she flew east, and there is only one place she could have gone in that direction”

But men were distracted when a handful of soldiers brought Aemond Targaryen to the castle, from the lake from which he had been recovered

The motherfucker was still alive

“One of his legs was completely destroyed”, narrated a soldier, as the One-eye prince had fainted for the pain and the fall, Vhagar rested in the bottom of the lake

Cregan and Daemon shared concerned looks

“We have to kill him”, demanded the wolf

“No”, said Daemon, “not here”

“What he had done to my wife? we have to kill him”

“Publicly”, he said, “we put him on trial and behead him in the King’s Landing square, or better yet… in Old Town”, Cregan wanted to fight him, he wanted to draw his own sword and kill him right then and there, a man injured and unarmed

“I promise he will pay for what he did, but we have to send a message”, said the Rogue Prince, and Cregan just dropped it, because there he stood, the One-Eye Prince, dragonless, eye-less, he had lost one of his legs which meant he was paralyzed.

He was not going to hurt you or anyone else ever again.

He could wait until he woke up, he wanted to face him for what he did, to tell him he was going to get you back and he was never going to see you again. He wanted to tell the Kinslayer he had won, that love, and goodness preailed. 

But his state was critical, Cregan didn’t know when Aemond was going to wake, if he was even going to, and he couldn’t wait anymore

He needed to see you, he had to

So he abandoned Harrenhal without even having a rest, a group of soldiers, his most trusted men followed him.

He left his best friend Ben Tallheart on Harrenhal to oversee the taking of the lands and the army marching to King’s Landing afterwards. 

Cregan rode his horse for a week

A man possessed by the need of returning to his adoring wife, a man possessed by love and devotion, he needed to see you, he needed you to see him, to see he was still alive, that the nightmare was over, that Aemond was over, and nobody could ever hurt you again. 

He rested at night because he couldn’t see the road ahead of him and because his men and his horse deserved it, if not he would have rode at night as well, but the rocky roads of The Vale were treacherous even in midday.

But finally after seven days of a heavy march, he could recognize the castle Daemon had described for him, your home

He felt embarrassed that he never accompanied you to your own home while you had been married, then he was reminded that you two had been married for almost two years… incredible…

The doors of the walls surrounded your castle were close, he dismounted his horse to approach the gated

“I’m Lord Cregan Stark, and i’ve come to see my wife, the Princess (Y/N)”, he said firmly to the soldiers above the battlements 

They looked at each other, amazed, and opened the gates immediately to let him pass

“Welcome to Runestone, Lord Stark”, they welcomed

“Like I said, I would like to see my wife, but my men and horses…”

“They will be taken care of”, offered the young soldier. Cregan offered his thanks as he walked through the courtyard and towards the main entrance to the palace, where another guard offered to take him inside.

“the princess is recovering in her rooms”, he told Cregan as they walk up the stairs

“Was she harmed in the battle?”, he asked, fearfully, and he looked puzzled.

“No my lord”

As they walked through the hallways and corridors Cregan looked around amazed, it was a beautiful place, with many large windows and colorful paintings and tapestries, it was a comfortable palace, he even saw a painting of your father and you, who in it you were only a child hanging near the stairs that led to the bedrooms.

And soon enough, they were outside a set of double doors, two more guard guarding you

Cregan suddenly felt nervous, he wanted to see you, and for you to see him, but he was scared of surprising you too much, he didn’t know how you were going to take it… 

“I will let her know”, the soldier said, knocking on the doors and once he heard you telling him to go in, he entered your chambers

“Lord Cregan Stark”, he announced

You froze in your palace near the window. Was this some sick joke?

“What?”, you asked

“Lord Cregan Stark is here for you, your grace”

“Is this some joke?”, you asked, the soldier immediately regretted his decision, turning pale, not knowing what to say

And then Cregan let himself in, not wanting to put the soldier in any trouble. 

When you saw him you truly believed you had died, or that you were dreaming, or having an hallucination 

You lost your foot and had to grab onto the nearest table, not believing your eyes

“Cregan?”, you called

“My love, I’m here!”, he said gently, “I've come back for you”, you couldn’t help but ran to his embrace, and he hugged you tightly.

He was real, he was alive, he was here

“You are alive!”, you cried on his chest 

“I’m alive my love”, he whispered against your hair, caressing your silver locks and your back, “I’ve come back for you”

You finally released him and he released you, only for you to gaze on one another

“Aemond told me he had burn you”, you whined

“He did, from the skies, but, my men, they, covered me”, he explained, “Jon, the son of Lord Roderik Dustin he took my cape and covered me with his own body”, he told you, and you could see in his eyes the storm of pain and traumas from war. “Then I saw Aemond walking through the field of burn corpses and he took the cape from him”, he said, and you nodded, tears falling down your eyes

“I can’t believe you are alive!”, you cried, and he hugged you again

He could tell you were so shocked by the news he led you to sit on the edge of the bed, and you smiled warmly at him, but he stood tall in front of you.

“I was badly hurt, my men carried me east from Harrenhal, the only thing that kept me alive was the thought of seeing you again”, he saw, with such devotion in his eyes that made you tremble, “and I…”, he was interrupted by your son who began to cry softly, and just then Cregan noticed the existence of the baby in the room.

He was resting on his crib by the window, and Cregan looked at it as it was a beautiful thing. He began to walk towards it slowly

“Cregan…”, you called, but he didn’t even acknowledge you as he walked until he could see your silver haired son resting on his crib

“You were indeed pregnant”, he whispered, with a wide smile on his face, he leaned in, and took the baby in his arms, he didn’t seem to realize what the baby’s hair might say about his parentage. He only looked at the baby with such love in his eyes that made your eyes water.

“I’m sorry”, you cried, clawing at the sheets underneath you

“What for?”, he asked, and he looked at you innocently dubstruck

“Cregan…”, you called, wanting to cry, did he really not see it?, but he did, his face got serious, looking at you with sad eyes

“You have nothing to be sorry for”, he said gently, cradling the newborn babe in his arms, he looked down at his little reddened face, his eyes trailed the silvery hairs on his head, and he swallowed hard, he looked at you and found you looking at him with wide eyes and tears streaming down your cheeks

“It might be Aemond’s”, you whispered, with a choked voice. You saw sadness in his eyes

“We don’t know that”,  he said simply, shooking his head

“Look at him”, you demanded

“This is not your fault”, he said seriously, his eyes softened when he looked at you, “hey”, he called gently, “what do you want to do?”, he asked, hope in his icy blue eyes

“Regardless, he is my son”, you said, in whimpers, “and I love him”, but then you sighed, feeling a lump in your throat, “what do you want to do?”, he could do it, he could claim he is a bastard and he could shun you, for a split second you forgot who Cregan was…

“He is our son”, he said firmly

“What…?”, you asked, sounding hopefully

“I don’t care”, he said dismissively, cradling the babe in his arms, “he takes after you, his mother”

“What if he turns out like… what if he is evil like Aemond?”, you asked fearfully

“We are going to raise him, and he came out of you”, he said with a gentle smile, “how can he ever be evil?”. he smiled at you and now happy tears rolled down your face, “and besides, I’m certain he is mine, there is no doubt in my mind”

“Cregan…”

“He is my son”, he said firmly, “and we will never speak of this again”, he said firmly, hugging the baby against his chest, you nodded, He looked down at the baby that cooed gently, cuddling deeper in his embrace, looking for his warmth, “my dragonling”, he said gently, “he looks like your father”, he whispered, and that really brought more tears to your eyes, “hello there”, he whispered, cradling him in your arms, “what’s his name?”, he asked

“I don’t know yet”, you whispered

“I will ask you to call him Jon, but he has your Valyrian curls is kind of sad…”

“Jonaerys”, yous aid then, and he looked at you wide eyed

“Jonaerys”, he agreed, sitting by your side, with your child in his arms. 

The night had fallen over the castle, and you had just finished having dinner with Cregan, and you were walking up the stairs with him. 

“Can I stay with you?”, he asked gently, and you looked at him wide eyed

You knew he knew what Ameond had done to you, there was a reason that the baby could be Aemond’s, and you could see how cautious he was while being near you. 

“I don’t want to push you”, he said gently

“I want you to hold me”, you said back, with a shy smile on your face, he smiled back at you

And he held you alright, you hugged him tightly, not yet believing he was there right next to you, you couldn’t believe it. 

“He is gone, is all over my love”, he whispered, “now we go home”

“You keep saying…”, you started shakily, “he is gone, he is gone… but… you are not saying… he is dead”, you whined, and then you looked into his eyes

“He will never hurt you again”, he said surely

“Where is he?”

“He is being taken to King’s Landing where he will hold trial and surely be executed”, you nodded, “Vhagar rests in the bottom of the lake, where you sent him”

“I see”

“You will never see him again”, he whispered

“I know”, you said back, burying your face on his chest. Cregan was your home, your safe palace, and with him, nothing could harm you

“We need to go to King’s landing”, he said then

“We need to go and see our son”, you said back

“The war is most likely over, we need to go and bend the knee to Rhaenyra”, he said gently

“I’m sure she will understand”, you muttered

“There are still people in King’s Landing that call her a usurper”, he said with a warning in his voice, “there still the Lannisters held the treasury…”

“I want to go and see our son”, you whined, “we haven’t seen him in moons”

“I know”, he said softly

“Eight moons”

“I know”, he kissed the top of your head, “we will go home first”, he said surely, “as soon as the baby is stronger and you had recuperated, we will fly there”

The war was over

The fear and uncertainty was over, you had won, your family was safe, you had to believe it, you had to. The biggest threat was gone. 

“I will take you home, or rather, you will take me”, he chuckled, “You, me, Rickon and Jonaerys, our little family”, he said, so proud of his two baby boys 

You were distracted when Jonaerys started to cry, Cregan was faster and he got up, to grab him from his crib, he took it to the bed, and he cuddled him against his chest

“He is smaller than RIckon was when he was born”, he whispered softly, “was the labor easy?”

“A little more messy, but there were no complications”, you said, caressing your son’s head 

“He is beautiful”, he whispered, “my son”, he whispered, “I’m the luckiest man on earth”

More notes: did you see something else coming from Cregan?? hehe

that is why I posted this picture in a publications some weeks ago hehehe

taglist! @severewobblerlightdragon @missusnora @stargaryenx @poppyreader @chainsawsangel @court-jester-stuff @batprincess1013 @eddiepicker 

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[paterklatter]

Do you have any video game opinions/hot takes?

ok so i ended up writing like an entire essay so i'm gonna put this under a cut

-hades is not that amazing of a game, while it's fun it hardly qualifies as a roguelike and the gameplay lacks depth. the only reason it's so loved is its absolutely amazing character design. it's not bad just the definition of a 7/10 game (which i need 7/10 brainrot games in my life. that's why i've played shit like hades or steamworld quest to completion as their lack of gameplay depth made them easy to play with my brain in the wash)

-"cozy" games have quickly grown repetitive and i genuinely question the need for 500 "stardew valley but fantasy games" or otherwise generic farm sims with one catchy steam page gimick

-the direction of the yakuza franchise is actually such a fucking mess right now. the change of the name to "like a dragon" after the series has already established itself as yakuza is such a stupid fucking move. no one calls it "like a dragon." some fans may call it rgg (including me), but no one calls it like a dragon. the annual release model also just isn't working. these extremely long story based games are a huge time sink and require anyone who wants to play 8 to play all of them, so new fans are going to get burnt out quick. even people who has played all the games are gonna get burnt out fast, especially considering you HAVE to play the new to understand the one coming out later that year. i think 7 was a really good way to sidestep that without leaving fans of the other games hanging as you can go into it having played none of the games and still understand it perfectly well. i'm not the craziest about the turn based combat but i definitely prefer it to whatever the hell the other dragon engine games were cooking because the ragdoll physics of kiwami 2 actually almost made me drop it (one of the reasons i think it's the worst game in the franchise behind 5). i think dropping that to do ANOTHER kiryu send off is stupid. some people didn't like the ending of 6, but changing your mind after switching to ichiban (who has the potential to be a better protagonist than kiryu) is actually so fucking cheap. i'm sure i would make this paragraph even longer if i had played gaiden or 8 but i'm actually so fed up with this franchise. also doing a ground up remake for ishin instead of just a translation with maybe some quality of life improvements or updated characters was stupid and also the combat was bad.

-totk sucked ass nintendo didn't cook. there was NO reason for it to have taken longer to make than botw. the main gimick is cool but i personally didn't like it (though i'm in the minority on that) and while its impressive how bug free it is it doesn't feel play tested. like yeah sure the physics are consistent but it feels like there isn't as many fun ways to use it. after 5 hours you realize what same 7 things work and use them in every situation. also it has some major ux problems (HOLY SHIT JUST LET US PRE-FUSE ARROWS I DON'T WANNA GO TROUGH A DROP DOWN 3 TIMES MID-AIR). the exploration is completely gone for anyone who has played botw as well. the depths and sky just don't have enough going on and again this game took longer than botw to come out despite have absolutely not map change and don't even get me started on the train wreck of a story

-people who have watched playthroughs fundamentally had a different experience to people who actually played the game and that gap can sometimes make them just not able to engage in discussion in the same way. it depends on the game definitely but something like disco elysium relies so heavily on individual experiences that watching someone play it isn't even the same game. even like fnaf which is THE let's play game, you don't truly feel any of the stress from doing mental management by watching someone else play it

-overwatch 2's characters have been such a step down from the first games it's insane. not even as kits but in actual personality and story. with the exception of ramattra who i think is one of the strongest overwatch characters overall (who also has been definitely cooking since mid-ow 1), ow2's characters have been like. not even bland just straight obnoxious. kiriko, venture, lifeweaver, and juno have the same stock "snarky" personality that makes them really obnoxious. kiriko is the worst of that though, her design is also ugly and her entire existence genuinely makes no sense and why is she blizzards golden child what are they cooking. sojourn is just like. boring. junker queen is really fucking annoying and it's a shame as in the cinematic she seems like a much more fun character than someone screaming in my ear. mauga was such a waste of potential because he's also been cooking since before bap's release but he lacks any personality and is again. obnoxious

-fortnite needs to put the collab skins DOWN. the shop has anywhere from 2-8 different collab pages on any given day. and while i'm sure they sell, it just looks so obnoxious and honestly the original skins are just better and more interesting. having to dig to find the signature style page is so annoying. also they need more skins in the rotation because it's the same 5 fucking skins i swear. lego fortnite has absolutely trashed the shop, fall guys will make this problem even worse i imagine

-no more souls likes pleaseeeeee i never fucked with the genre in all honesty but this oversaturation has to be bothering even avid fans of the genre

-nintendo's current re-releases make no sense because why is metroid prime's remaster $40 but fucking luigi's mansion 2 hd $60. also why have they been holding wind waker and twilight princess hd hostage those are easy ports that would sell. i've been wanting to replay twilight princess as i remember it fondly and want to tell if i'm tripping or not but don't have a wii u and you got me fucked up if you think i'm digging up my dead old wii to play it

-on that. twilight princess gets too much shit. of course some of this could be wrong as i'm going off very biased memory as it was my first zelda title and one of the first i 100%ed, but it's so much better than everyone says it is. the aesthetic is very edgy for sure but it also has some of the weirdest character designs and personalities in the franchise and they work so well with the gritty visuals somehow. midna is the best companion as she has an actual personality and isn't BUZZING IM MY FUCKING EAR THE ENTIRE GAME HOLY SHIT FI YOU ARE MY OPP. zant is an amazing villian as well. some people hate on the game's slow opening but i love it because it gives link so much more character and makes you connected to the villagers so you actually care when shit goes down. tp has one of the best stories in the franchise and THE best link and i truly believe that. tp link has so much personality and his connections to characters feel real. it also has some of the best dungeons in the franchise, this is a take many people share at least so i know i'm not tripping on that one

[floweroflaurelin]

I'm sorry if this is rude, and you totally don't have to answer this if you don't want to, but i'm curious - why in the world are you using the name "flower of Laurelin" for a as far as i can tell 100% mcyt art blog? Like, no judgement or anything, but it just genuinely throws me for a loop every single time lmao

Hahahaha!

So I made this blog back in 2018? I think? And I had every intention of making it a Silmarillion blog. I made a lot of Silm art just for me while I was a teenager and I actually still make Silm art for school projects! I called myself Flower of Laurelin because Arien, the Maia who carries the sun, is my favourite character in the whole Tolkienverse. (She has one whole paragraph talking about her.)

Also in 2018, both The Dragon Prince and She Ra and the Princesses of Power started airing on Netflix and took over my whole brain and I instead started painting fanart for those two shows and posting it here, and they were all fairly popular paintings. This was during the gap year I took before heading to university in 2019 and it really helped me develop my art style! I realized that since my style is more like realism I could adapt cartoons in a really fun and fresh way. And I was always like oh well I’ll get to the Silmarillion stuff soon… And then I went to university and did Illustration projects on the Silmarillion, as I’d always planned to do, and I completely forgot my Tumblr art blog, which was very infrequently posted to until 2021.

Then when I was in university I started getting excited about Minecraft’s updates because I hadn’t played since 1.13 and cool things were coming up and so I typed “Minecraft” into YouTube and found Pixlriffs’ Survival Guide. And then I got into Hermitcraft bc Mumbo and Iskall would show up in the recommended. And then Pix joined Empires I got into the whole Empires crew, and by then I was getting burnt out of never making art just for me and only for assignments and I took an hour out to sketch the Copper King during class, which I posted, and people liked it! And Pixlriffs himself emailed me that same day to say how much he liked it! And then I was like okay well there’s a niche here—there’s little more cartoony than a Minecraft skin so my style would work great here, and wow it turns out there are a lot of people into this too! A lot of other awesome artists! And my work got more and more attention until I got to work with the CCs on their series and now I’m a mcyt blog.

TLDR; I was supposed to be a Silmarillion blog because I used to make a lot of Silmarillion art, but in the time since making my URL I ended up getting into other fandoms instead by accident! And now I’m a mcyt blog even though I’ve kept my original URL because I like it a lot 😋

[twoidiotwriters1]

Copycat: Origins —(Marvel Fem!Oc)

A/N: We reach the end of phase three at last! I might not post next phase right away cause I haven’t finished it (first time that’s happened in a while) but I’m hoping it’ll only take an extra week, maybe less if you’re lucky -Danny

Words: 2,155

Phase Three Masterlist

Previous Chapter // Phase Four

Listen to: ‘Birds’ -by Imagine Dragons

xxx: Fallen Heroes

"Agent Copycat reporting for duty," she stood beside Fury, both of them facing the group of people that were scattering.

He hummed. "It's been a long day, agent. Dare I say it's been more than a day in your case. Take some time off, I'll call you."

She was almost glad to hear him say that. "Fine, but don't take too long."

He chuckled lowly. "Look at you, pretending you want this..."

"It's what I do best," She saw Peter walking in their direction. "Pretend."

Cat excused herself and met Peter halfway, she smiled a little.

"Have you and May found a new place to stay?"

"We're still looking."

"What about Pietro's apartment?"

He looked at her. "What about you and Wanda?"

She shrugged. "She talks to me but it's not like we're close friends. She understands I didn't mean any hurt... I'm sorry about what happened between us, though."

Peter kept his eyes on her and she knew what was coming even before he'd blurted out his reply.

"Don't break up with me."

"Pete..." She said tiredly.

"We can make it work, C.C."

"C.C. doesn't exist anymore," Cat replied in frustration. "We burnt her papers, deleted school files, everything."

"Okay," He replied, clutching his hope. "Copycat's been my partner for years— I dated her too, and I know she loves me—"

"I like someone else now," She said plainly. "I've been with others while you were gone. I'm sorry... It's— It's not just our age gap. You were gone for too long."

Cat hadn't originally planned to confess that to Peter, but it seemed that nothing in the world could convince him to give up on her. Pietro once told her that when you love someone, nothing they do can make you leave, so Peter had to stop loving her.

"I killed people," She hid her hands in her pockets so he couldn't see them shaking. "I wanted others to suffer. I stole things from people that didn't deserve it. Our future was nothing but a dream, and what I've done, that's the reality."

The boy stepped back as if he'd been slapped in the face. He stared, her soul had been revealed to him and for the first time, he did not recognize her.

"You're only saying that push me away," He muttered, and even though he was right, she could hear the uncertainty in his voice.

"I don't see the point in fighting for what we had," She said feigning disinterest. "S'not worth it."

She wrapped her jacket tighter around her body and looked away. Cat knew she would never be able to look at him without feeling ashamed of this moment.

"I'll send you the keys to Pietro's apartment, I'll pick up his stuff later. Maybe Wanda will want some of them. Talk to the landlord about the new lease."

"Cat—"

"Don't look for me," She turned away and blinked back the tears. "I'm not your friend."

"You know, I wish there was a way that I could let her know... that we won. We did it."

"She knows," Wanda said. "They all know."

"You should try and write letters to Nat," Cat offered. "Even if she won't read them."

Wanda's voice sounded a little amused. "Pi told you that, didn't he?"

Cat smiled without looking at her. "He was a good brother."

It stung, talking about him and knowing they would never see him again. She didn't want to keep thinking of the whole situation, she wanted to forget, all of it.

"I'm glad he wasn't alone," Wanda confessed. "I hated you for a while, felt like you'd been the reason for our separation, but if I really think about it... it was me."

"I was scared, desperate to get what you'd had for years... if I hadn't been so selfish, you wouldn't have felt the need to run."

"We could've been a family," Wanda asked absently. "Nice pipe dream."

Clint patted their shoulders. "You're not so little anymore, are ya?"

Wanda had to look up in order to lock eyes with Cat. "I don't know about you, Copy, but I still have room to grow."

"Toddlers," Rocket approached the young mutants. "Got something for you."

He noticed their hesitant glances and scoffed.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You've been trying to kidnap us ever since we told you we're staying on Earth."

"I changed my mind," Rocket grumbled. "You'd be the worst Guardians now that the old group's back."

The mutants shared a look, they nodded in agreement.

"Probably."

"I mean, they're far more experienced, including that demigod dipshit—"

"No, that's all bullshit!" Rocket exclaimed. "I was trying reverse psychology, that always worked on you!"

"I'm sorry, Rat," She smiled. "Maybe you could try and hit me real hard on the head, see if that makes me forget the last year of my life?"

"Don't give him ideas," Kurt said disapprovingly.

"Ah, crap, I'll miss you two," Rocket rubbed his eyes roughly. "You're like my children... Groot, come say bye to the toddlers!"

"Having a raccoon as our father figure was definitely not on the list," She noted.

"Becoming an Avenger wasn't on mine for sure," Kurt sighed. "But I think I was pretty damn good anyway."

Young Groot fist-bumped the mutants. Rocket tried to stretch his farewell a bit more.

"Don't be strangers," He said. "Give your Captain a call every now and then, otherwise I'll go crazy surrounded by all of those idiots."

"You love those idiots, Rat."

"Love is a strong word," He groaned. "I tolerate them."

"Sure," Kurt opened his arms. "Group hug?"

They knelt so Rocket didn't have to jump, Cat wished they could stay that way forever, maybe then she'd never think of all the others they would never get to hold again.

"Have this," The raccoon handed her the blaster he'd been carrying around. "You're a sharpshooter, I'm sure you'll find a good use for it... and here," Rocket took off his scarf and wrapped it around Kurt's neck. "So you can hide your ugly face."

"You know... I tried. When I had the gauntlet, the stones, I really tried to bring her back... I miss her."

"We all do," Cat replied. "I gotta locate her sister, let her know what happened..."

"She'll be impossible to find, Cat. She's just like Natasha."

"Yeah well, guess who trained me?" She shrugged. "I have time. Too much, actually. But I'm lacking dough... Gotta love your twenties."

Steve smiled at her. "You know, it's not so bad that you're like Tony. We could use a new Stark."

"I could shift into him right now and make you pee your pants out of pure shock."

Sam let out a disgusted grunt. "And they say you grew up."

Steve grabbed the case and walked towards the platform. "You have to be friendly if you're going to work together, the Avengers care for one another."

"You know, if you want, I could come with you," Sam offered.

"You're a good man, Sam. This one's on me, though." The blond man moved to Bucky and smiled at him. "Don't do anything stupid 'til I get back."

Bucky chuckled. "How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you."

They hugged, and something about it felt final.

"Gonna miss you, buddy."

"It's gonna be okay, Buck."

Cat locked eyes with the Winter soldier, he walked up to her.

"Buttercup," He greeted.

"Captain Hook," She retorted.

"How longs is this gonna take?" Sam ignored them.

"For him as long as he needs. For us, five seconds."

"He's not coming back, is he?" She whispered.

"Don't know," Bucky replied.

"He can't stand it when others get the spotlight, huh?" Cat taunted. "Tony just died, the least he could do is pretend it was an accident."

"You have a rotten sense of humor."

"And yet people like me more than they like you," She remarked.

"They're idiots."

Steve fell into the tunnel and didn't come back on his mark. Banner tried to bring him but nothing was working. Sam got worried, Bucky turned around to leave, then stopped.

"Sam," He called.

The three of them approached the figure seated on a far bench.

"Go ahead," Bucky told them.

The others shared a look, they moved together.

"...Cap?"

"Hi, guys."

"You little shit," She crossed her arms.

"Did something go wrong, or did something go right?" Sam smiled.

"Well, after I put the stones back, I thought... maybe I'll try some of that life Tony and Cat were telling me to get."

"How'd that work for ya?"

"It was beautiful."

"Good. I'm happy for you. Truly."

"Thank you."

"Only thing bumming me out is the fact I have to live in a world without Captain America."

"Oh," Steve grabbed a package, his hands were thin and wrinkled. "That reminds me..."

He unwrapped a shield, one that had not been destroyed by Thanos.

"Try it on."

Sam looked back at Bucky and Bucky nodded encouragingly. He seized the shield and looked down at it with a frown.

"How does it feel?"

"Like is someone else's."

"It isn't."

Sam took a deep breath. "Thank you. I'll do my best."

"That's why it's yours."

He shook Steve's hand. The old man's attention fell on her.

"Why the long face, Heathen? I'm leaving you in good hands."

"I don't need 'em, I got my own."

"That's what I meant," He beamed. "Come here."

She sat beside him. Steve patter her knee, on his left hand he had a gold ring.

"I'm not sure you want to be on the team after all that's happened..."

She looked ahead, lost in thought. "I'd be angry at you if I didn't think saying goodbye feels liberating, to some extent. Without the Avengers, I won't be so pressured to live up to their standards. Who knows? Maybe this way I'll be better..."

"That's all we ever wanted for you," Steve nodded.

"Hey," Sam gestured at Steve's hand. "You're gonna tell us about her?"

"No," He grinned playfully. "No, I don't think I will."

"C'mon, Sam, don't be silly," Cat said matter-of-factly. "Her is a he, and he's standing right behind us! I always knew you guys would end up together, bit insulting that you didn't invite us to the wedding, though."

Steve laughed in a lighthearted way. "I guess he would've been alright, but I wouldn't want to steal your chance to shoot your shot. I heard you like that sort of older and grumpy fellow..."

"Oh God, I can't believe Pietro told you about that," She blushed.

"He loved talking about you, and we were always asking for updates," The old man squeezed her hand. "Whatever you do, Cat, remember you were loved. Remember your family."

They knocked on the door softly, once it opened Matthew welcomed them in.

"You could've said no, you know?"

"Right," He laughed dryly. "Refusing to help the heroes that brought everyone back— Who do you think I am?"

"The love of my life?" She teased. "Just tell us where to go, you're probably expecting friends and even if you're not, we shouldn't stay for too long..."

Matthew gave her a piece of paper. "Ask for Maggie, tell her I sent you."

"Who's Maggie?"

"My mother."

"You have a mother?" Her eyes widened.

"Mimi..."

"Right— sorry," She looked at Kurt and then back at Matt. "Thank you again."

"Keep in touch," He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "Take care, alright?"

"Yeah," Cat smiled a little. "You too."

Twenty minutes after they left the building, she heard Kurt giggling.

"What?" She snapped.

"He's handsome," He raised a brow, still smirking. "And blind. Do you like him cause he can't see your creepy eyes and your weird friends?"

"Trust me, Smurf, he sees us," Cat heaved a sigh. "And yet he's never told me whether he thinks I'm attractive or not."

"Don't be a sinner, Mimic. Can't you see we're in church?"

Cat looked up and found herself standing outside a temple. She looked at her friend with a frown.

"Are you sure you'll be fine here? I mean, you're not exactly a beacon of sanctity."

"Hey, they're the ones that can't discriminate against me, right?" He shrugged. "As long as it's secluded and away from prying eyes, I should be fine. Maybe they'll end up liking me?"

"Well, Matt said this is a discrete place," She tilted her head. "I trust his judgment."

"Or you're blinded by love," Kurt taunted.

"You know better than to think I'm in love," She rolled her eyes. "I've got a stupid crush, that's all. I'm a busy woman, and he thinks I'm too young."

"But what if he didn't?"

"Then we would get married right away," She replied sarcastically. "Ya done with the dumb questions? Wrap that scarf properly and let's head inside."

"Once I hide here," Kurt continued as they entered. "What are you going to do?"

"I'll get a cheap apartment, I'll patrol the city with Daredevil, make sure we stay away from Spider-man... I'll visit you as often as possible."

"Are you going to go back to hiding? Once you're an agent, I mean."

"What would be the use of a spotlight, anyway? You see what putting a target on your back does to the people around you. Most of my friends are dead or no longer my friends, but still, I think it's better if I quietly move away from the public eye."

Kurt walked across the church's hall with her, stopping in front of the altar. "I think it's good that we're choosing to remain anonymous, we're free."

"It's a nice way to put it."

Cat stared at the colorful windows, it would take a while before she could feel good about living.

Next Phase —>

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