#I wish Star Wars would explode into a ball of fire and trouble me no more

[rivercule]

I can’t believe I read Dark Disciple (awful book) for Ventress and Night Sister lore only for Filoni to step in and say. Well actually none of that matters. Nothing is real or true. Certainly not beautiful

[middleofnowhere92]

Ranking all ATLA Villains/Antagonists from worst to best (by someone who loves villains)

This post was inspired by this ask 

Warning: I swear quite a bit in this post and I’m a dumbass, not an ATLA scholar, so take this with a grain of salt. Also I have no idea wtf my ranking criteria was. I assigned arbitrary and meaningless points like Dumbledore giving all the points to Gryffindor at the end of the year. 

Iroh

 I have a secret for you...Iroh is an antagonist.... Say it with me... Iroh is an antagonist. For the people in the back, IROH IS AN ANTAGONIST. He’s not particularly good at at it, but he belongs on this list. Primary reason being, his siege on Ba Sing Se, which was a major battle in the 100 year war and all the other things he did in the war to become a general. If he was good at being a villain, he would at least have the decency to conquer the city, but as Ozai points out, Iroh excels at tea and failure. When we see Iroh in Book 1, He’s a very chill antagonist for the same reason a lot of our other antagonists are (June, the Yuyan Archers, Combustion man etc)-they are helping a villain achieve their goal. In Iroh’s case, he does help Zuko in many ways ( like sneaking him onto Zhao’s ship) and these in turn help Zuko get closer to his goal of capturing Aang. I love Iroh as a character, but he’s not good at being an antagonist, which is why he is ranked the worst. 

Circus Trainer

This man is straight up, evil. I like villains, but I do not like this man. He’s cruel and not in a fun way, which is why he’s near the bottom of the list. The whole point of being a villain is to be cool and do bad things, but he’s not even a little fun to watch. He’s the least interesting to look at... 

Yon Rha

This man is a coward. Like how did he lead the Southern Raiders? He went soft when he got old. He was more savage back in the day. Like this man is a firebender, but he cowers from Zuko before Katara even pops up. He needs to grow a pair. Like Katara said man is pa-thet-ic. 

The Rough Rhinos (ignoring the comics)

They get points for creating my favorite antagonist, Jet. But the first time we see these clowns in the show, the gang just rides away on Appa, easily avoiding them. And then the gang easily defeats them in their next run in. These clowns are good at destroying things, but not really fighting or pursuing others. 

Ozai

I expected more from this man. He was hyped up for three seasons and I just didn’t feel like he was smart enough to be the bad guy for the whole ass show.  The man clearly doesn’t think for himself or show up throughout the series doing  menacing things. The final agni kai overshadowed Ozai and Aang’s showdown. That’s the theme, Azula outshines a grown man as the star villain of the show. He does get some points for his fashion and flair for the dramatic. 

Mai's Uncle (Boiling Rock Warden)

This man, is a dumbass with the reflexes of a sloth. Suki overpowered him in 2 seconds flat. How is this grown man getting defeated by a little nugget like Suki? She was only holding his wrist. He could have just kicked her? Like you are a prison warden, look alive man! And he should have captured Zuko’s little ass and sent him right over to Ozai to get some street cred, but instead he just gets pissed cause Zuko broke up with Mai? First lesson in being a villain/antagonist- power over everything (including family). He does get points for ordering them to cut the line. That’s straight savage. 

Xin Fu and Yu

Toph gets it right, these are two dunderheads. How did they not hear Toph bending metal? They react almost as slowly as the Boiling Rock Warden, letting Toph easily overtake them. They are two skilled benders and they didn’t even stand a chance. 

General Fong

This man gets points for being a bat shit crazy. And I think he’s one of the first non fire nation antagonists we see in the show, so points for him. He’s an underrated antagonist. He does cool bending and his emotional manipulation to get Aang into the Avatar state is A+ villain work. 

Azulon

Azulon gets villain points for keeping the war going. He didn’t fuck it up like Ozai. But Azulon gets his villainness handed to him on a platter, he didn’t really do much, besides maintain status quo. We do get the scene where Ozai asks for the throne. But I don’t think Azulon assumed Ozai was going to kill Zuko. Azulon was trying to make a point, that Ozai’s request was absurd, but he obviously didn’t know Ozai well enough...

Koh

Koh almost didn’t make the list. I don’t really consider him to be an antagonist. Aang came to him asking for information and Koh was trying to do what he does..steal faces. He was just vibing. I included him on this list, because he antagonized us (the viewers). Dude is easily the most terrifying part of the show. 

Ghashiun

He muzzled Appa! He’s not ranked high on this list, because he didn’t know Appa was Aang’s so he wasn’t intentionally trying to fuck with the Avatar. I do like the sandbenders as a whole. They just run around causing chaos with their cool bending. This character, however, loses points, because when he is confronted about stealing Appa, he gets defensive and tries to lie. If you do something bad, at least have the balls to own up to it. 

Wan Shi Tong

Gets points for his flair for the dramatic a la Ozai. I did like Wan Shi Tong’s logic around not giving the gaang information: “You think you're the first person to believe their war was justified?!” He had more brain cells than some of our other villains/antagonists, but was also dumb too? Sokka pretty easily outsmarted him. This Spirit has been alive forever, he shouldn’t be outsmarted by a child. 

The Old Man

Oooof. I almost put him in the number one spot tbh. He did us and Haru so dirty. Like he could have died,but he turned in the person that saved him??? He gets points for shock value and pettiness. I personally think Jet should take him out...

June

June gets points for being a bad bitch. I like her vibe. She’ll do anything as long as you’re paying her the right price and I can respect that. She isn’t higher on the list, because she is executing someone else’s plan, not her own. 

The Yuyan Archers

Speaking of bad bitches, the Yuyan Archers are so cool and I wish they got more screen time! We see very few antagonists that can keep up with Aang the way that this group does. They add a bit of spice and a different flavor to what we know about Fire Nation fighting styles, which I approve of. I hope we see more of them in future ATLA projects. They aren’t higher up, because they are still doing someone else’s bidding. If they had their own leader and their own agenda, that would be some cool shit. 

Combustion Man

This man gets points for giving the gaang a lot of trouble. As viewers, we really worry about whether they will be able to defeat him. I like that he has a different style of bending, which in and of itself is terrifying. He still doesn’t make it up higher on the list, because he’s still doing someone else’s (Zuko’s) bidding.

Rig Warden

On second thought, I may have him ranked a little too high. But oh well, fuck it. He gets many many points for being voiced by George Takei. This man also gets points for having general villain swag. He is sassy and I am here for it. He’s highly effective at crushing the souls of the Earthbenders on the rig. Also, he does not stutter when Haru throws those rocks at him.Came at him full force which is what all the other himbos on this list should have been doing when these children played them! He outright told Katara he was gonna kill her “You’re one mistake away from dying where you stand.” Loses points for begging as he’s dragged off the rig. Go down with some dignity!

The Southern Raiders

So the Southern Raiders get ranked separately from Yon Rha, because he led them towards the end of their conquest. I think they started under Sozin’s reign. This group gets ranked fairly high, because they were very effective at their task. They came, they saw, they decimated-leaving the SWT defenseless and barely able to sustain itself. 

Mai

I like Mai and wish I could rank her higher. I like her knives, they are very cool form of defense that was unique to her. I also love how she just immediately flung arrows at Aang, no hesitation. She does get style points, her aesthetic is everything. Her one liners are pretty funny, “You’re so colorful, you’re making me nauseous.”  She lacks in her commitment. Anytime anything inconveniences her she’s just like eh, no thanks. Hardcore antagonists need to be have some dedication to their cause, which Mai does not.  I feel like she would eventually run out of weapons in a longer battle, which would be a big issue for her. 

Long Feng

Gets instant points for villain swag, creepy vibe and sass. This man kept news of a whole war from Ba Sing Se, even though the city was filled with refugees? Long Feng had his work cut out for him. He loses points, because he lets the children get away with too much. He should have locked down Aaang and co immediately, because they were trouble as soon as they rolled up. Also, he should have fought Azula. He let a fourteen year old take his whole career away. He was never even a player.

Sozin

Sozin gets a  large amount of hypothetical points from being the one to start it all. He’s the one who initiated the 100 year war. He did not play around. He used that comet to its maximum potential. Also he has a dragon, which is fucking cool. He gets bad bitch points for leaving Roku on the exploding island. Like that’s a power move right there. He wiped out the air nomads and invaded the Southern Water Tribe, which is why his successors  are ranked much lower on the list. They really didn’t do shit.

Hama

Gets points for being a waterbender, which is something cool that we hadn’t seen in a villain yet. She also gets points for executing her own deranged agenda. I would love to see her and Jet link up, cause that would have been chaos. She also gets heaps of points for inventing bloodbending. Many of the villains of this list can barely think and homegirl has big brain energy. She is cunning and quick, like when she utilizes Sokka and Aang to attack Katara. I like her general bruja (witch) vibes. She gets more points because she does not motherfucking stutter when Katara figures her out, she just starts bloodbending immediately. She really enjoys her power and I can’t blame her for it. She’s a baddie and she knows it. More points for Hama, because she gets Katara to carry on her legacy (whether she wants to or not) and goes off to jail with her dignity. She’s an all-star villain and I love to see it. She loses a few points, because her bloodbending is limited to the full moon, but she still has her waterbending which is terrifying enough...

Dai Li

Like the rig warden, I probably ranked these himbos too high, but I love them as henchmen. Their bending is amazing, they are sneaky and they can brainwash you? Like fuck me up man. They really are just a joy to watch and their betrayal of Long Feng is so unexpected. This group really creates the creepy/ominous aesthetic the creators were going for in Ba Sing Se. Don’t think their bending is good? They one upped Toph and almost had her, but Jet saved her at the last second. 

Zhao

I feel like Zhao’s characterization is inconsistent (sometimes he has a bad temper, sometimes he doesn’t?) which makes him hard to rank, but let’s do it anyway. He gets points for being voiced by the guy that played Lucius Malfoy, like yaaas work that Slytherin aesthetic. Gets points for using the Yuyan Archers. Loses a lot of points in his fight with Aang, like that child was obviously baiting him. He has a lot of ambition and actually has to work to his rise to power, which he obviously relishes. He’s the perfect antagonist for Zuko. He accomplished his goal of frying the fish/moon and he actually captures Aang. I think the writers added in his hot temper later on, because they realized he was too competent and had to give him a flaw. 

Zuko

Ohhh my morally confused prince, Where do we even start? Zuko gets a lot of points for his sheer determination. I would love to see an unhinged Zuko without Iroh. Zuko’s tenacity and unpredictability make him a fantastic antagonist. Iroh and Azula try to control Zuko, but they never really know what he’s gonna do next and neither do we as the viewers. He’s near the top of the list, because even with so many struggles he kept Aang on the run for two seasons. I like that he actually struggled to be good. He obviously loses points for joining the good guys, but we still love him. 

Jet

Speaking of morally grey, cue up Jet’s theme music. He gets instant points for swag and cool swords. Like the Yuyan archers, Jet is one of the few antagonists we see that can keep up with Aang. Like Zuko, Jet’s dedication to his cause get him high on this list, because he will defeat the Fire Nation at any cause. The creators lose points for being cowards and killing him off. We saw plenty of other people (Sokka) get hit with similar rocks and not die. Jet is a fantastic antagonist with a backstory that the audience can sympathize with. He loses points for not being more versatile in his tactics. I’ve written more on this here. 

Ty Lee

Katara is terrified of her, do I need to elaborate? Ty Lee by far has the scariest skill set on the show. It’s too easy for people to underestimate her. Katara and Suki make that mistake once and then never do it again. Like Toph, Ty Lee knows to wait for the right time to strike, making her highly effective at taking out our favorite benders and whole groups of benders (The Terra Team). Her betrayal of Azula is ICONIC and unexpected, but as always, Ty Lee knows just the right time to strike. I think Ty and Mai were perfectly capable of getting away at the Boiling Rock and I’m disappointed they were captured so easily. 

Azula

Look down, you’re talking to your highness. Can’t see her? She’s the reason for your blindness. 

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Azula is the baddest bitch in the game. PERIODT. She is ruthless, cunning and powerful. Her lightning bending is at a whole other level. She is the smartest person on this list. She takes Ba Sing Se from the inside out, utilizes the Da Li perfectly and has antagonized Zuko from the beginning. As far as I’m concerned, she was made to be Firelord. 

[aion-rsa]

The Public Enemy Solidified Gang Rule Under James Cagney for 90 Years

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William Wellman’s The Public Enemy (1931) turns 90 this weekend. When the film first came out, a theater in Times Square showed it nonstop, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The movie marks the true beginning of gangster movies as a genre. Mervyn LeRoy’s Little Caesar may have hit theaters first, but The Public Enemy set the pattern, and James Cagney nailed the patter. Not just the street talk either; he also understood its machine gun delivery. His Tommy Powers is just a hoodlum, never a boss. He is a button man at best, even if he insisted his suits have six buttons.

The Public Enemy character wasn’t even as high up the ladder as Paul Sorvino’s caporegime Paul Cicero in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas. But Cagney secured the turf Edward G. Robinson’s Rico Bandello took a bullet to claim in Little Caesar, and for the rest of his career Cagney never let it go.

Some would argue genre films began in 1931. Besides mob movies, the year introduced the newspaper picture with Lewis Milestone’s The Front Page and John Cromwell’s Scandal Sheet; Universal Pictures began an unholy run of horror classics via Tod Browning’s Dracula and James Whale’s Frankenstein, with the two turning Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff into household names; and Howard Hawks’ Scarface would land the knockout for the gangster genre, even if it didn’t get released until 1932.

Sadly, the classic “Gangster Film” run only lasted one production season, from 1930 to 1931, and less than 30 films were made during it. Archie Mayo’s The Doorway to Hell started the ball rolling in 1930, when it became a surprise box office hit. It stars Lew Ayres as the top mug, with Cagney as his sidekick. For fans of pre-Code Hollywood, it is highly recommended. It includes a kidnapping scene which results in the death of a kid on the street. Without a speck of blood or any onscreen evidence, it is cinematically shocking in its impact.

Both Little Caesar and The Public Enemy earned their street cred, defying the then-toothless 1930 Motion Picture Production Code, which preceded the Hays Code. After New York censors cut six scenes from The Public Enemy to clear it for release, the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA) set further guidelines for the proper cinematic depiction of crime.

Public Enemy director Wellman was an expert in multiple genres. He spit out biting satires like Nothing Sacred (1937) and Roxie Hart (1942), and captured gritty, dark realities in The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) and Story of G.I. Joe (1945). He won his only Oscar for A Star Is Born (1937). The Public Enemy is the first example of what would be his trademark: stylish cinematography and clever camera-work. The dark suspense he captures is completely different from the look of German expressionism. It captured the overcast shadows of urban reality and would influence the look of later noir films. His main character would inspire generations of actors.

“That’s just like you, Tom Powers. You’re the meanest boy in town.”

Orson Welles lauded James Cagney as “maybe the greatest actor who ever appeared in front of a camera.” Will Rogers said watching Cagney perform was “like a bunch of firecrackers going off all at once.” The New York City born performer explodes in this movie. Even in black and white, Cagney’s red hair flares through the air like sulfur on a match. It turns out to be a slow burn, which will reach its ultimate climax in 1949’s White Heat. The Public Enemy is loaded with top talent, but you can’t take your eyes off Cagney. Not even for a second. You might miss some tiny detail, like the flash of a grin, a wink, or a barely perceptible glare.

Cagney had a simple rule to acting: All you had to do was to look the other person straight in the eyes and say your lines. “But mean them.” In The Public Enemy, the characters communicate without lines. When Tom and Matt Doyle (Edward Woods) sneak a peek into Larry the Limp’s casket, we understand this is the first time the two young thugs lost someone their own age. The scene barely implies how fortunate they are not to be in that box, but their curiosity is as palpable as the loss of their last shred of innocence.

Cagney was originally cast as Matt, and scenes were shot with him in the role. The parts were switched mid-production, but they didn’t reshoot the flashback scenes, making it look like the pair swapped bodies between 1909 and 1915. It’s a shame because Frankie Darro, who plays the young Matt, made a career out of playing baby face Cagney, and later joined the East Side Kids franchise.

Former “Our Gang” actor Frank Coghlan Jr. took on the role of young Tom. He takes the lashes from his cop father’s belt, backtalking him the whole time. Tom Powers is reprehensible. He never says thank you and doesn’t shake hands. He delights in the violence and sadism. Powers doesn’t go into crime because of poverty; he just can’t be contained. Cagney’s mobster mangles, manhandles, maims and murders, and still needs more room in his inseam. 

Dames, Molls, and Grapefruits

Besides defying the ban on romanticizing criminals, both The Public Enemy and Little Caesar broke sexual codes. There are explicit signs that Rico Bandello represses his sexuality in Caesar. Scenes between him and his friend Joe, and his gunman Otera, thinly veil homoerotic overtones. Public Enemy’s Powers, by contrast, subtly encourages the gay tailor who is openly hitting on him.

There are strong indications Putty Nose (Murray Kinnell) is grooming Tommy and Matt for more than just fenced goods. Look at the way Putty sticks his ass in Powers’ face while he is shooting pool. Putty Nose’s execution at the piano is creepily informed by the unspoken sins between the men. Tommy relishes the kill.

However, Tommy doesn’t relish being manhandled when he’s too drunk to notice. While the gang goes to the mattresses in the movie’s gang war, Tommy is raped by Jane (Mia Marvin), his boss Paddy’s girl. Powers protests the best he can, but the camera angles leave no doubt. Tommy wakes up hungover, horrified, and feeling impotent. Matt, however, has no trouble getting “busy” with his girlfriend Mamie, played by Joan Blondell, in one of the scenes trimmed by the censors.  Blondell, Jean Harlow, and Mae Clarke, who plays Tommy’s girlfriend Kitty, represent a glitzy cross-section of white Roaring Twenties glamour. In the opening credits, when Harlow and Blondell smile at the camera, male audience members of the time blushed.

Harlow was Hollywood’s original “Blonde Bombshell,” starring in the movie that coined the term. Her earthy comic performances would make her a major star at MGM, but she was a dud to critics of The Public Enemy. Hers was the only part which was criticized, and the reviewers were brutal, declaring her voice untrained and her presence boring.

Harlow’s greatest asset had to be contained within the Pre-Code era. Straddled with a wordy part as a slumming society dame, she is directed to slow her lines to counter the quick patter of the rest of the cast. Yet Harlow uses that to her benefit in the film’s best moment of sexual innuendo. While telling Tommy about “the men I’ve known,” she pauses, and appears to be calculating them in her head before she says, “And I’ve known dozens of them.” When an evening alone with Tommy is cut short, Gwen’s exasperation over the coitus interruptus is palpable. Members of the Catholic Legion of Decency probably had to go to confession after viewing the film for slicing.

Most people know The Public Enemy for the famous grapefruit scene where Powers pushes a grapefruit into his girlfriend’s face. “I wish you was a wishing well,” he warns, “so that I could tie a bucket to you and sink ya.” Tommy treats women like property. They are status symbols, the same as clothes or cars. Kitty’s passive-aggressive hints at commitment get on Tom’s nerves. He can only express himself through violence. There are rumors Cagney, who would go on to rough up Virginia Mayo in White Heat and brutalize Doris Day in Love Me or Leave Me, didn’t warn Clarke he was going to use her face as a juicer. According to the autobiography Cagney by Cagney, Clarke’s ex-husband Lew Brice loved the scene so much he watched it a few times a day, timing his entrance into the theater to catch it and leave.

Both actors have said it was staged as a practical joke to see how the film crew would react. It wasn’t meant to make the final cut. Wellman told TCM he added it because he always wanted to do that to his wife. The writer reportedly wrote the scene as a kind of wish-fulfilling fantasy.

The screenplay was written by Harvey F. Thew. It was based on Beer and Blood by John Bright and Kubec Glasmon. The unpublished novel fleshed out press accounts of the bootlegging Northside gang leaders, Charles Dion “Deanie” O’Banion, Earl “Hymie” Weiss, and Louis “Two-Gun” Alterie. Cagney based his Tommy Powers character on O’Banion and Altiere. Edward Woods was doing his take on Weiss. The book reflected the headlines in the Chicago papers, which reported Weiss smashed an omelet into his girlfriend’s face.

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The Public Enemy borrowed from the day’s headlines in other ways too. Hymie Weiss was assassinated in October 1926. It was the first reported “machine-gun nest” murder. It is recreated in the killing of Matt Doyle. While shooting the sequence, Cagney ducked real machine gun fire to bring authenticity to the scene. Also taken from real life is the fact that after O’Banion was killed in ‘24, Alterie’s first reaction was to do public battle with the killers. This is similar to Tommy’s final shootout at Schemer Burns’ nightclub headquarters.

Leslie Fenton’s dashing mob captain Nails Nathan (“born Samuel”) flashes the greatest grin in mob movie history. He is based on Samuel “Nails” Morton, a member of O’Banion’s mob. Both “Nails” were driven to their coffins the way it is depicted in The Public Enemy. The real Morton died in a riding accident in 1923, and “Two-Gun” Alterie and some of the other gang members went back to the stables, rented the horse which kicked Nails in the head, and shot the animal. Mario Puzo may have been inspired by this scene when he wrote The Godfather. It is not only tie to the Francis Ford Coppola movie. Oranges have as much vitamin C as grapefruits. Another similarity between the two films is the threat of being kidnapped from the hospital by a rival gang.

The Powers brothers’ relationship vaguely echoes the one between war hero Michael and Sonny Corleone, who believes, as his father does, soldiers were “saps” to risk their lives for strangers. Donald Cook, who played Mike Powers, didn’t pull any punches on the set. In the scene where he knocks Tom into the table before going off to war, he really connects. Wellman told Cook to do it without warning so he could get that look of surprise. Cook broke one of Cagney’s teeth, but Cagney stayed in character and finished the scene.

“It is a wicked business.”

After the stock market crash, get-rich-quick schemes seemed the only way through the Great Depression. The gangster was an acceptable headline hero during Prohibition because the law was unpopular with the press. But after 1929, the gangster became the scapegoat villain. The Public Enemy was the ninth highest grossing film of 1931. But the genre lost its appeal after April of that year, as studios pumped out pale imitations and audiences got tired of the saturation, according to the book Violence and American Cinema, edited by J. David Slocum. Religious and civic groups accused Hollywood of romanticizing crime and glamorizing gangsters.

The Public Enemy opens with a dire warning: Don’t be a gangster. Hoodlums and terrorists of the underworld should not be glamorized. The only MPAA rule the film didn’t break was portraying an alliance between organized crime and politics. The studios passed the films off as cautionary tales which were meant to deflate the gangster’s appeal by ridiculing their false heroism.

Through this hand-wringing, however, Cagney turns false heroics on its head with the comic brilliance of a Mack Sennett short. Stuck without a gun, he robs a gun store armed with nothing but moxie. Powers never rises in the organization. He takes orders and whatever the boss says is a good cut, only asking for more money once from Putty Nose. Unlike Rico, who rose to be boss among bosses, Powers has no power to lose. This is just the first gig he landed since he was a regular “ding ding” driving a streetcar, and it connected with audiences like a sock on the button. They identified with the scrappy killer, and it surprised them.

Even Gwen notices Tommy is “very different, and it isn’t only a difference in manner and outward appearances. It’s a difference in basic character.” Strict Freudians might lay this on his mother (Beryl Mercer), the greatest enabler Cagney will see until White Heat. Ma Powers’ little boy is a budding psychopath knocking off half the North Side, but look at the head on his beer. For audiences at the time, Tom was the smiling, fresh-scrubbed face of evil. He is consistently unsympathetic but likable from the moment he hits the opening credits.

Like Malcom McDowell’s Alex in A Clockwork Orange, he is the fiend’s best friend. Even if it is Tommy’s fault his best pal Matt gets killed. While Cagney spent his career ducking his “you dirty, double-crossing, rat” line from Taxi, the actor wasn’t afraid to play one in Powers. He’s not a rat in the sense he’d snitch on anyone. He’s the last of the pack who sticks it out for his pals when his back is up against the wall.

A Hail of Bullets

Tommy Powers goes by this credo: live fast, die young, and leave a corpse so riddled with bullets, not even his mother can look at his body when he’s done. But then, no one can end a film like Cagney. He’s danced down the White House stairs in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), been rolled across the concrete steps of a city church in The Roaring Twenties (1939), and was blown to kingdom come in White Heat. He gets two death scenes in The Public Enemy, a rain-soaked climax, and a denouement as scary as The Mummy. Tommy only brings one gun to the gang fight, and by the time he hits the pavement, he’s got more holes in him than the city sewage system.

“I ain’t so tough,” Tommy says on his final roll into the gutter. Cagney’s first professional job was in a musical drag act on the Vaudeville circuit, and he called himself a “song and dance man” long after retirement. For The Public Enemy, conductor David Mendoza led the Vitaphone Orchestra through such period hits as “Toot Toot Tootsie (Goodbye),” “Smiles,” and “I Surrender Dear.” But the song “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles” is the one which lingers in the memory. Martin Scorsese has cited it as a reason his films are so filled with recognizable music.

Street violence comes with a natural soundtrack. Transistor radios accompany takedowns. Boom boxes blast during shakedowns. Car stereos boost the bass during drive-by shootings. In The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight, mobsters feed quarters into a jukebox to cover up sounds of a beating.

In The Godfather, Part II, a street band plays traditional Italian songs while Vito Corleone puts bullets in the neighborhood Black Hand, Don Fanucci. The last thing we hear in the abrupt close to the mob series The Sopranos is a Journey song. The first thing Tommy’s mother does when she hears her boy is coming home from the hospital is drop a needle on a record.

The ending leaves us with two questions: Who killed Tommy, and what’s his brother going to do about it? We figure whoever did the job on Powers was probably a low-level button man from Schemer’s rival outfit. Probably even lower down the ladder than Tommy, and on his way up, until another Tommy comes along. Crime only pays in the movies, Edward G. Robinson often joked.

Mike’s reaction to the bandaged corpse is ambiguous. He’s already shown outward signs of the trauma following the horrors of war. Is he clenching his fists in anguish or anger? Is he broken by the battlefield or marching off in vengeance, a soldier on one last duty? Cook’s exit can go either way.

After 90 years, The Public Enemy is still fresh. It’s aged better than Little Caesar or Scarface. Cagney wouldn’t play a gangster again until 1938, but the image is etched so deeply in the persona, audiences forget the vagaries of villainy Hollywood could spin, and the range of characters Cagney could play. He and the film continue to influence filmmakers, inform culture, and surprise audiences. Tommy Powers was just a mug, but those streets are still his.

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[gondalsqueen]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Star Wars: Rebels Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Kanan Jarrus/Hera Syndulla Characters: Hera Syndulla, Cham Syndulla, C1-10P | Chopper, Kanan Jarrus, Mart Mattin Additional Tags: s4e09: Rebel Assault, Mid-Season/Series 04 Hiatus, dream scene, Non-graphic injuries Summary:

"The thrum of engines beneath her meant that they were in a vehicle, and her lack of attention meant either that she was in the passenger seat, or else that she was in very big trouble. Hera’s unconscious mind turned these facts over."

On Pryce's prisoner transport, Hera has a hot minute to plan out what to do next. This gets complicated, since she's not actually awake.

This scene takes place immediately after "Rebel Assault," during the season 4 hiatus. ... She was riding, not driving. The thrum of engines beneath her meant that they were in a vehicle, and her lack of attention meant either that she was in the passenger seat, or else that she was in very big trouble. Hera’s unconscious mind turned these facts over until it found a plausible memory. 

Cham drove the landspeeder. Hera, twelve, sat next to him. He hadn’t slept in three days, working furiously at diplomacy and posturing so that nobody would have to fight, scrambling even faster as his efforts failed. Now they had one more chance—a contact out here in the southern settlements who could pull some strings with off-world military leaders—but Hera had no idea where they were going, and Cham kept nearly nodding off at the wheel. 

She shoved her father hard in the shoulder—“Hey!” and he woke sharply.

Hera frowned in disapproval. “Pull over and let me drive.” 

“No.” He took a gulp from the thermos of caf. “We are almost there.” 

“And you have no idea where you’re going, and you’ve been awake for three days. It’s not safe. Pull over.” 

“I said I was driving, young lady.” 

She fumed. She was a perfectly capable driver—Cham let her drive herself places. This was nothing but a stupid display of control. He was the father, so he had to be in charge of everything. They would need to find a place to rest, anyway. He couldn’t go into a meeting like this. 

Hera examined the datapad in her hand, and before her eyes, the dream filled in a path. “I think we turn right at the Abram pass,” she told her father. “At any rate, the map is still loading, but here’s the pass coming up fast.” 

“Right?” asked an exhausted Cham. 

“Here,” Hera told him. “Father, now!” 

He listened and swung right, accidentally flooring the fuel pedal as they turned into the narrow pass. A sloppy turn, but they made it. 

Hera left the dream with a vague feeling of accomplishment and meandered lazily towards consciousness instead of whatever destination her father had in mind. 

In the here and now, she knew that she was wearing gloves. Her forefinger twitched, and its broken nail snagged annoyingly at the leather interior. Okay, that way was reality. Her finger, the vibration of the deck plate under her shoulder, the painful hum in her head. No, no, she wasn’t ready to be awake yet. Something was injured. Run away, sink back down into sleep, and they can’t do anything to you. They can’t torture you until you’re awake. 

Her dreaming mind ransacked her past for an appropriate next scene. Defeat and physical pain—the first time she’d found herself outclassed in a fight, then. A Trandoshan, a human, and a Twi’lek girl walk into a bar, said a bitter little part of her mind. Stop me if you’ve heard this one. 

She hadn’t de-escalated that situation very well, or hadn’t been able to stop it from escalating, at least, and two punches in the Trandoshan had lifted her and slammed her into the ground. She raised her arm to hit back and felt such a sharp pain in her side that she collapsed into a ball instead. 

Unable to fight. What did that leave her? She wished fervently that Chopper, at least, would stay out of the way. A droid and a Twi’lek girl walk into a bar—who pulls the best asking price? Stop me if you’ve heard this one. 

But Chop, at least, they’d underestimated, and he managed to get them both away from there. 

Leaning on Chopper later, sobbing bitterly more in humiliation than pain as she inserted the bone knitter, she took a good, hard look at her own abilities. She hadn’t realized until then that she, Hera, could be too injured to fight back. What was she going to do next time? 

What was she going to do this time? The comforting whir that her dreaming mind had taken for Chopper’s motivator changed timbre as she climbed again towards aching awareness. Reality would have to be dealt with at some point. If she couldn’t fight, she would pretend to be more hurt and terrified than she was until she could seize her moment and escape. Time to start the reconnaissance. 

But as she thought about opening her eyes, the beacon of pain exploded in her head, and it was too much. She retreated into unconsciousness. The transport’s engine became the hum of ships taking off and returning on Yavin IV’s flight deck, and one of them had brought her whole team, all of them. Kanan had returned. And he’d brought Sabine back to her. 

And Ezra, who was raring to go on this Lothal mission, desperate to DO something. They packed up the Ghost on their off shift—they could sleep during the hyperspace jump. 

But Hera was also raring to go, so first she pulled Kanan into the alcove behind her x-wing, well in the shadows of the hangar. 

He’d laughed against her lips—“Engines humming, Captain?” But he’d also taken his time kissing her back, hungry and intending to savor that meal very, very slowly. His hands left trails of heat down her sides, delightful and aching. Their repertoire was limited in a place like this, though—just some stolen moments and light marks. They needed to find somewhere private very soon.

After the mission. 

She remembered the mission then, and the second wave of TIEs coming at them, so many spread across the sky that she got the sensation of standing still, even on full throttle. Damage control, Hera. Damage control, damage control, think of something NOW. 

“Break,” she’d told Mart. “Behind me!” 

“Repeat, General?” 

She knew what he was wondering. Staying behind her gave them little tactical advantage. In front of her, she could guard him from any rear attacks while he took out the enemy with those perpetually forward-facing guns.Not right now, though. Today their best offense was running as hard as they could. 

“Behind!” she repeated, and this kid she’d trained to be a good soldier--he just did what she told him to do. He hit the brakes then started a wild dive towards the Imperial Shipyard. 

The TIEs moved to intercept, opening fire. But Hera was too good for them, pivoting the flat of her X-wing’s belly straight into the line of fire. This would have worked better in the Ghost. Thank the Force that the Ghost was safe. 

She’d taken damage. That’s right--that was real. And then… In a flash she remembered everything about her present circumstances, and the mortification brought her around at last. Oh stars, she was being taken in for questioning. And she still had Kanan’s hickeys on her neck.

She would laugh if it didn’t hurt so much. 

She could assess the damages now--her arm, her side (probably only ribs), and more disturbingly, something wrong with her head. And she’d failed. Lothal would mass produce the TIE Defenders, and she didn’t have a single fighter to stop them with. 

At least she could protect the Rebellion from herself. She had to shut down these memories, scrub all signs of them out of her mind even if she couldn’t do much about her body at this point. She couldn’t give them any context to use against her. 

What had Kanan called her back on Yavin? “Hera Syndulla, Freedom Fighter.” Yes. She’d be that. 

Yavin. Better shut up, Hera. 

The feel of the ship changed again, slowing as they neared their destination. She assessed her capabilities. Rough, but completely awake at last. And still Hera Syndulla, she reminded herself. That felt better. She could still plan. She wasn’t out of options, yet. Think of this as...an attack run, she decided. The battle isn’t over.  

Where had they taken her? The governor’s complex? A detention facility? Oh please oh please let it be the shipyards. 

Kanan was coming, for better or worse--she knew it as surely as she knew her own mind. And Pryce was escorting her into the Imperial facilities on Lothal through the front gate. She knew who she would meet when she got there. 

Remember me, Thrawn? She wouldn’t tip her hand by saying it aloud, but he couldn’t stop her from thinking it. Go ahead, invite me in. I know how to blow things up from the ground, too.  

[pxiao]

Fate/Arc-V chapter 2

The Holy Grail War is a ritual famous throughout the magical world. But due to the last war unique ending, the next war starts as the seven masters and their servants fight for a single wish

Master Page

January 18th 12:00 am

“Are you sure you want me to start trouble here, boss?” A blond haired boy with streaks of brown, holding a glowing spear said as he stood in the city’s square.

“Fuyuki citizens usually turn in at 10 pm and no one lives near the square, meaning there will be few people at this time.” A stoic voice declared in the spearman’s head.

“And the noise and light won’t attract anyone?” The spearman countered.

“We also closed the square at 8:00 pm just to be sure. The only place more desolate is the docks but they lack the CCTs the square has.” The cold voice stated.

“Man you really are rich! You try are a master worthy of me.” The spearman gloated as he showed a cocky smile.

“Quite” the voice agreed.

The spearman’s smile grew as he looked at the sky. “Time to remind these people of the greatest hero to have ever existed. Shingo Sawatari!”

About 10 miles away in a large room cloaked by darkness, where only the light came from a huge screens at the front of the room. Said screens showed the footage of the CCTs at the square, as well as footage of a video camera that being streamed real time. At the center of the room was a huge desk where a silver haired boy in his mid to late teens wearing a red scarf and glasses sat. Behind was a group of men and woman in business suits as they all watched the large screen intensely.

“Mr. Reiji, are you sure that this is a good idea?” A pink haired woman whose hair was in the shape of a heart asked.

The silver haired boy turned to face the heart hair shaped woman and replied, “I already explained this mother. The city square is naturally vacant during this time and we even blocked it off earlier so it is unlikely that anyone will there at this time. Adding the many CCTs and places for Tsukikage to hide as he looks over the situation. The town square is the perfect place for this mission.”

“I don’t mean that. I mean using Lancer as surveillance, what if he’s overwhelmed? While’s he’s full of himself, he’s still Shingo Sawatari, one of the few samurai to face Miyamoto Musashi and survive.”

Reiji returned to face the huge screen and sighed. “If I summoned him correctly, yes this mission would be foolish.”

Himika looked away as she remembered the shock of summoning their servant as a child.

“No matter his stats, noble phantasm or history; a servant with his personality is a liability at best. Thus the best course of action is to use him to gather information on the other servants and find the servant I can win with.” Reiji stated as the screen’s glare was reflected off his glasses.

Reiji’s mother simply sighed and thought that while her son’s method of dealing with a servant was rather cutthroat, it might be the correct one compared to how her daughter treated her servant.

In the town square, Lancer sat on a bench as he held balanced his lance on his arms. He began to yawn before he heard a motorcycle’s roaring. He turned his head to the source of the noise and saw a teenage boy wearing a white helmet and white outfit while riding a white motorcycle.

“Took you people long enough. I sent out my invitation three minutes ago. You should know better than to keep me waiting.” Lancer bragged as he stood up.

“who are you?” the boy in white asked which made Lancer trip.

“Are you kidding me? I’m Shingo Sawatari! One of the greatest heroes in Japanese history!” Lancer yelled at the top of his lungs as he stood up. Miles away, Reiji simply looked at his mother’s general direction.

“Still no clue.” The boy is white nonchalantly said.

“Fine! I’m amaze you so much that you can’t forget about me and tell stories of how you fought and lost to the valiant Shingo Sawatari!” Lancer yelled as he readied his lance.

The boy in white smiled as cracked his knuckles. “well introductions are in order. I’m Rider and I’m going to be the one to win the war. Nice to meet you.”

“WAIT THERE!” A loud and aggressive voice yelled from behind Lancer.

Both the Rider and Lancer stopped right away and looked to the owner of the voice. While Lancer looked puzzled, Rider looked shocked as his mouth hanged opened as he saw a purple and pink haired boy that looked like him and a blue haired girl wearing a yellow bow in her hair in front of him.

“Hey master, you do realize that as an Assassin, I’m supposed to get the drop on them. Not grab their attention.” Assassin snarked at his master’s actions.

“What is it Assassin? Scared that you’ll lose if you’re not hiding like a coward?” Serena taunted.

Assassin smiled as he pulled off his gloves. “Guess it doesn’t matter either way. I’ll be killing the both of them anyway.”

“ok who are you!???” Lancer yelled.

Serena gave a smug smile as she said, “I’m Serena Rhodes, the eventual winner of this war. But unlike this piece of trash that I call my servant, I have the manners of letting my enemies know who killed them.”

“I see, then allow me to show the same respect then.” A loud bombastic voice said as Lancer, Rider, Assassin and Serena looked for the owner of the voice.

As the four continued to search, they heard a small explosion. They turned their heads to the source of the sound and saw a small pillar of smoke in front of them. Soon the smoke started to dissipate, revealing a red and green haired boy wearing goggles and a pendulum in front of a green haired man wearing a red suit and top hat.

The man in the suit bowed and stated, “I’m Yusho Sakaki and this is my servant Caster.” Yusho then pointed to Caster, who glared at Assassin and Rider.

“What’s going on, why does that girl look like my angel? And why are there two people that look like me?” Rider asked as he stared in shock.

“I think you mean there’s only one person that looks like me left.” Assassin stated from behind Rider.

Rider turned his head to the source of the taunt and saw Assassin, standing on his bike reaching for his face.  But just as Assassin was about to touch Rider, he instead instantly jumped away as a beam of light passed through the spot Assassin was, a spilt second later. Rider quickly drove far away from Lancer and Assassin while Assassin landed equal distance from Lancer and Caster.

“That’s what you get for ignoring me, the King of Light!” Lancer bragged.

“Wait are you really called that? Cause that’s awesome!” Rider stated in response.

“Well I will be called that.” Lancer said as he puffed his chest.

“Wouldn’t King of Idiots be a better fit?” Assassin mocked.

“Why?” Lancer asked.

“If you hadn’t had your hissy fit, I would have killed a servant and ended the war sooner.” Assassin facepalmed as he sighed.

“I’m not that weak!” Rider yelled as he drove towards Assassin.

Assassin watched as Rider drive closer and moved back to the left as Rider passed by all the while having a cocky sneer on his face. “Well looks like it’s the Prince of idiots here!”

But as Assassin spoke, wind around Rider’s motorcycle turned green as it formed a blade and sliced Assassin’s arms.

“Who’s the idiot now?” Rider asked as he looked at Assassin crouching down.

Assassin glared at Rider as his arms bled over the floor. He then took a deep breath and stood up. “Well good for you, you know how to keep a secret. Now if only you learned how to watch your back.” Assassin taunted.

“What?” Rider yelled as he turned his head to check, still remembering Assassin teleportation earlier.

“You idiot. He’s lying!” An angry voice in Rider’s head scolded him.

Rider turned his head to see Assassin’s hand a few millimeters away. He quickly started his motorcycle and in a spilt second was able to escape Assassin’s hand.

“Why the hell are you trying to touch me?!” Rider yelled.  

“Who knows? Maybe it’s to plant a parasite? Maybe it’s to drain your lifeforce or maybe I just like watching you squirm.”

Assassin gave a smug smile as Rider simply glared back.

“HEY stop ignoring me! I’m the star of this war!” Lancer whined as he threw his hands in the air. Lancer gritted his teeth as Rider and Assassin focused on each other. As he started to run towards them, a flame wall exploded in front of him, stopping him.

“I can’t let you go.” Caster said behind him.

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll be killed. That’s why….. Please stay away.” Caster warned as he readied himself.

“You obviously haven’t met me. So get out of my way!” Lancer yelled as he lunged towards Caster.

Caster’s eyes widened as he jumped over Lancer and landed behind him. As Lancer turned around, he didn’t notice a small fire ball right under his face.

“explode.” Caster whispered as the fireball exploded into a column that hit Lancer in the chin launching him in the air.

“Did really you think fire could get in my way?”

Caster’s eyes widened as he twisted his head and saw Assassin behind him.

“Caster!” Yusho yelled.

“You should worry about yourself first!” Serena yelled.

Seconds after Serena’s statement, a huge ball of air dropped on to the left of Yusho as a huge crash could be heard.  

A few meters away, two women hid in the shadows of a nearby building. After seeing the onslaught, the younger of the two women started running towards the fight before she was grabbed by the older one by the arm.

“Yuzu, stop.” Yoko whispered as she held Yuzu back.

“Why? Did you see what just happening to Mr. Sakaki and Caster!” Yuzu roared back.

“My husband isn’t weak enough to be defeated by a single attack.”

“Even so. I can’t just sit by while people are putting themselves in danger for me!” Yuzu yelled as she freed her arm from Yoko’s grasp.

“Yuzu, my husband is pretending to be Caster’s master; to keep you safe because he wants to. He’s not a fool that doesn’t understand the danger of the grail war. So please don’t step on his resolve by rushing into battle like an idiot.” Yoko stated as she looked straight at Yuzu.

Yuzu gritted her teeth before she looked at her command seals on her right hand. She then balled her right hand into a fist before she met Yoko’s gaze. “I was chosen by the grail, I was given the chance to have my wish granted. But if it’s at the cost of the people I love being hurt, then what’s the point. So I’m sorry Mrs. Sakaki.” Yuzu then rose her right hand with her palm facing Yoko. A second later, trees broke through the cement around Yoko, forming a cage. Yuzu lingered as she looked at the cage she created before running off.

“I was expecting a … a better fight than a single attackkkk.” Serena said as she shook.      

“Well I’m never one to disappoint.” Yusho said.

Serena’s eyes widened and looked over her shoulder where she saw that Yusho’s back and mentally swore. She then jumped away as another ball of air hit in front of Yusho.

“If that didn’t hit me before, why would it work now?” Yusho’s disembodied voice stated.

“Where are you?!” Serena yelled.

“I could tell you. But where is the fun in that? Think of this as hide and seek.”

“ARGHH!” Serena yelled as she ran her hands through her hair. “Fine, if I can’t see you. Then I’ll just destroy everything!” She then raised her right hand as the ground around her started to cave in. As time passed, the area of effect of the spell continued to grow as more ground caved in. As Serena continued to destroy the square, a single tree branch shot out from the ground and entangled her raised arm. Serena’s eyes widened as the branch slowly forced her arm down, cancelling her spell.

“That’s enough.” Yuzu stated as she walked towards Serena.

“Yuzu, get back!” Yusho stated as he reappeared right behind Yuzu.

Yuzu looked over her shoulder with a smile and said, “Its fine, Mr. Sakaki. Help Caster. I’ve got this under control.”

“Yeesh, first there are two people that look like me and now there is someone that looks like my master? What kind of holy grail war is this?”

Yuzu and Yusho eyes widened as they heard Assassin’s voice right in front of them as they slowly turned their heads to face him. Assassin simply smiled as he placed his hand on the tree branch holding Serena’s arm.

“What are you …?” Yuzu asked before she went silent.

To Yuzu and Yusho’s shock, the tree branch blackened as it started to shrive. After the branch was nearly jet black, Serena flexed her arm and broke free as she glared at Assassin.

“I didn’t need your help” Serena said as she rubbed the newly freed arm.

“Where is Caster?!” Yuzu roared.

Assassin simply smiled and shrugged.

Yuzu gritted her teeth as her mana started to flow in her magic circuits. But just as she was about to cast another spell, she could feel Yusho’s hand on her shoulder.

“Yuzu calm down”

“But ..”

“He’s trying to anger you. The angrier you are, the easier you are to kill. Calm down, trying to fight with a clouded head will get you killed.” Yusho warned as he released his hand.

“Yusho is right.” Caster stated as he teleport right in front of Yuzu.

“Caster! Are you ok?” Yuzu and shouted as she saw her servant crouching over.  

“I underestimated him. I didn’t think even his blood would be poisonous.”

“Poison!?” Yusho said as he looked at Assassin.

“Tch. Whatever happened to no spoilers?” Assassin mocked.

“I think that flew out the window when you tried to murder me!” Caster snarked back.

“Wait how does his blood being poisonous have to do with your current state?” Yuzu asked.

“He used my flames to evaporate the blood that Rider spilled into poisonous gas. I’m lucky that it isn’t as effective as his touch or I might not be here right now.” Caster said as he clutched his sides in pain.

“Death by a single touch?” Yuzu looked in horror as she processed what Caster stated.

“How is Caster still alive?” Serena asked as she walked forward so she was standing side to side with Assassin.

“Just as my blood was affecting him, the King of Idiots, Lancer woke up and started attacking me and Rider. And he’s alive too by the way.” Assassin stated as he pointed to Rider and Lancer currently fight each other as light and wind flew.

“Who called me an idiot?!” Lancer yelled as he raised his head.

Lancer looked around and saw the gather of Caster, Assassin and their masters. His teeth started to grind as he realized that he was being ignored. Rider followed Lancer’s gaze and looked in shock as he saw Yuzu.

“STOP. IGNORING. ME!” Lancer yelled at the top of his lungs as he twirled his lance above his head. He then instantly drove the lance in the ground, creating a path of light that traveled through the ground towards the Assassin, Caster and their masters.

Assassin and Caster turned their heads to the shouting and saw the path of light heading towards them. Assassin quickly picked up Serena and jumped to the roof of a building away from the light. Caster instead hovered his hands above the ground as smoke appeared, summoning two small and pink hippos who wore clothes that each grabbed Yuzu and Yusho by the hem of their clothes as they jumped away from the light as Caster disappeared. The light continued to travel through the ground till it reached a medium sized café which promptly exploded once the light touched it.

Lancer smiled as everyone in the vicinity looked in shock at the one standing brick wall that had burnt chairs and tables nearby that was once a café.  

“Lancer return.” Reiji’s voice echoed in Lancer’s head.

“But!”

“Right now it’s three against one. Even for the mighty Shingo Sawatari would get tired and allow weakness to show after he won. But that cannot happen, we cannot allow your name be tarnished by a few lucky shots. Thus come back so we can formulate the winning strategy with the data you collected. The strategy that will show your true strength and give your name the respect it deserves.”

Lancer smiled in response as he started to shout. “Sorry that I have to go but when we meet again, I’ll show you the power of Japan’s strongest man, Shingo Sawatari!” As soon as Lancer finished, his body glowed as he started to disappeared.

Rider’s eyes widen as he saw Lancer disappear, he then drove forward as he screamed “This fight isn’t over yet! You’re not getting away that easily!” But just as the front of Rider’s bike reached Lancer, the last of Lancer’s body has transformed into light as Rider passed through it. Rider grit his teeth in frustration.  

“You really need to learn to watch your back.” Assassin mocked behind him as he stood on Rider’s bike.

“What are you, a ninja?!” Rider yelled as he tried to move.

Caster’s eyes narrowed as he saw Rider and Assassin in the same spot, he then created a square with his hands as Assassin and Rider could be seen through the empty space. His eyes hardened as he released a large of amount of mana through his magic circuits.

Serena, Yuzu and Yusho’s eyes widened as they felt the mana Caster was releasing. Their eyes wandered to the building where Caster stood and looked in shock as they saw a burning red aura surrounding him.

“Caster stop it! You’re too hurt to use whatever spell that you’re casting!” Yuzu begged.

“Assassin, get out of there!” Serena yelled.

“Burn!” Caster said coldly.

In an instant a wall of fire surrounded Caster and Rider appeared as it soon spread inward towards them. The fire started to consume everything inside its borders as a mile tall flame extended outward into the sky.

Serena’s fists tightened in rage as she saw fire raging on while Yuzu simply looked in shock at Caster’s expression, unable to equate her servant who smiles were bright like the sun just yesterday with the currently cold mage in front of her. Caster continued to watch the fire before collapsing from exhaustion.

“It might have been too much to use that spell right away after fighting Assassin but they’re gone.” Caster stated as his body shook.

“Thank you for your hard work.” A stoic voice behind Caster said.

Caster’s eyes widened as he felt a sharp pain across his back as he screamed bloody murder, attracting Yuzu and Yusho’s attention. He felt the adrenaline coursing through his veins as blood ran down his back.  He stood up ashHe quickly turned around to see another boy that looked like him wielding a sword as long as their torso

“Saber.” Caster stated as his eyes hardened.

The boy wielding the sword simply nodded as he swung the sword towards Caster’s skull. Yusho and Yuzu looked in shock as they the huge sword went through Caster’s head with no effort.

“CASTER!” Yuzu screamed as she looked in horror while Yusho was deadly silent.

But once the sword made contact with Caster’s head, it simply passed through Caster’s body with no resistance as it cut into the roof of the building they were standing on. Saber’s eyes widened as he saw Caster’s body grew transparent before disappearing completely.

“Was that ….?” Yuzu’s eyes widened as she looked to Yusho.

“Yeah, an illusion, Looks like Caster has a large variety of spells” Yusho stated as he patted one of the pink hippo Caster summoned.

“Where is he?!” Saber roared as he jumped off the building, looking for Caster.

As Saber started jumping to nearby buildings, Caster watched carefully as he hid by sitting in the shadows. After Saber had jumped out of sight, Caster released a slight groan from the pain.

“What did he cut me with? I can barely move.” Caster stated as he attempted to stand but couldn’t even bend his torso. After a few agonizing minutes as he attempted to move, he sighed once the realization set that he wasn’t moving anytime soon. Caster then turned his attention to the inferno still going on strong as he said, “at least those two are out of the war.”

“and you’ll soon join them.” Saber said as he walked towards Caster.

“So you found me?” Caster said tonelessly.

“Next time don’t stand next to a huge fire in the dead of night.” Saber answered as he readied his sword. “I’m sorry but you’re too dangerous to let live.”

Caster smiled a bit before he raised his right hand. “Even so I can’t die yet.” Caster’s eyes hardened as he dropped his smile, “Not until I’ve won the holy grail”

Saber grimaced as he tightened the hand holding his sword before a loud engine roar could be heard near them. Everyone’s eyes widened as they turned their attention to the inferno where the noise was coming from. Caster and Saber’s gritted their teeth as they saw part of the inferno bend outward as the engine sound grew louder until a sphere of air covered in fire emerged from the right side.

“Get off my bike!” Rider roared once the fire on his air shield had gone off.

Assassin quickly jumped off as a blade of air swung near his head.

“And there goes your tip and payment.” Assassin joked as he landed on his feet.

“You got to be kidding me!” Caster yelled as he saw Rider and Assassin perfectly fine.

“AH! You bastard! Stay right there, I have to pay you back for earlier!” Rider yelled as he pointed his finger at Caster.

“Well I doubt he could move anyway.” Assassin joked as he noticed Caster’s current condition.

“Both of you just wait right there. I’ll end Caster’s life and then it’s your turn.” Saber threatened.

“Well less work for me, so sure.” Assassin jokingly agreed. “But I’m sure you’re going to be surprised at the ending of our fight, Saber.”

“No fucking way. I have a score to settle with that fire bastard. I’m not letting you get in my way!” Rider yelled as he readied his bike.

“Idiot, don’t waste your energy!” A voice screamed in Rider’s head.

But just voice finished screaming in Rider’s head, he was already driving towards Saber at top speed. Saber’s eyes widened as he realized it as he held his sword diagonally to protect himself. Saber tightened the grip on his sword as Rider got closer and closer. Once Rider entered his range Saber slashed diagonally; only to have his sword fly out of his hands as it rebounded off of Rider’s air shield.

Rider smiled as he saw Saber’s sword fly off. “That’s one down!” Rider yelled as he drove his bike towards Saber again as a spiked mini wall for air formed in front of his bike.

“Guess even idiots can be useful huh?” Assassin stated as he stood next to Caster.

Caster’s eyes widened as he stared to his right and saw Assassin. He then desperately tried to run away as his torso refused to bend.

“While I’m not the type to keep grudges, I’m also not the type kind to turn the other cheek. I’ll have you pay for almost barbecuing.” Assassin stated as he tightened his right hand.

On the roof of a building overlooking the square, Yuzu bit her lower lip as she saw Caster cornered by Assassin. Realizing that unless a miracle was going to occur, her servant was doomed. She quickly jumped on the pink hippo that carried her and then petted its head as she softly begged, “Please take me to Caster. Unless we do something, your master is doomed.”  

“Wait, Yuzu don’t!” Yusho yelled as he raced to stop her.

The hippo carrying Yuzu nodded its head before it leaped off the building towards Caster. As Yuzu held on to the hippo for dear life, she saw Assassin reach for Caster as Rider was meters away from skewering Saber. But just before she was going to yell, a loud and rough voice yelled, THAT’S ENOUGH!” Following the roar, a shockwave of flames spread across the square, knocking the four servants off their feet as the flames carried them away. As soon as the firestorm exhausted, did the hippo carrying Yuzu land on the square.

“Caster!” Yuzu screamed as she ran towards her servant.

“Yuzu” Caster said is shock as he saw the pink haired girl run towards him. His eyes narrowed as he yelled, “What are you doing here! It’s dangerous!”

“That’s why I came! Look at current condition! Do you think you can fight right now?!” Yuzu screamed back.

Caster stayed silent as he mentally agreed with his master as she helped him sit up. As Caster stood up, a large thump was heard as the second hippo Caster summoned landed in front of them.

“Master.” Yuzu said as her teacher got off the adorable animal.

“Yuzu, we are going to have a long talk when this is over but right now stand behind me!” Yusho ordered as he stood in front of his student.  

“Ok, I’m getting sick of fire.” Rider stated as he picked his bike up.

“Great I’m agreeing with an idiot. This does not spell good things for me.” Assassin snarked as he sat on one knee.

“Another servant? But why didn’t he appear when Lancer was still here?” Saber asked as he surveyed the area.

“Probably the same reason, you didn’t appear Saber.” Caster answered.

“He’s a wimp?” Rider asked.

“I was going to say smart but that’s a better answer.” Assassin agreed.  

The four’s conversation was interrupted when they heard a deafening engine roar. Yuzu, Yusho, Caster, Saber and Assassin all turned to Rider, only for him to shake his head in response. As they heard the roars again, they realized the roars was in front of them. They then saw a blond man in white wielding what looked to be a wooden canon and an older man in a kimono riding a large, white motorcycle that resembled a huge wheel.

“A second rider?” Caster asked as he looked at the man in white.

“Whyyyy that …? That asshole stole my stich!” Rider yelled in annoyance.

“Ignoring his class, why did he stop us?” Saber asked.

“Why are you complaining? You almost became a shish kabob before that second rider appeared” Assassin joked which caused Saber to scowl.

“I’m not a rider! I’m Archer.” The man declared.

“Then why the bike?” Caster asked.

“Why not?” Archer replied.

“Why are you wearing white too? You totally stole my image, you copying bastard!” Rider yelled.

“Ignoring the idiots. Why did you stop us?” Saber asked.

“Because I wanted to fight each of you myself.” Archer said with a smile causing the four servants to stare at him. “I’ve seen the fight since the very start, hoping to find a worthy opponent. And to shock I found four of them, all of you. Thus I couldn’t stand the idea of you dying before I had the chance to battle with you.”

“Well that’s …. Old fashioned.” Assassin stated. “But what if the four of use decide to work together and kill you right here. Old man.” Assassin said with a sneer.

Archer’s smile turned sour as he replied, “If you four wish so then so be it. Go ahead” as he released an intense aura

The Saber and Assassin’s expressions soured as they felt the aura, Rider continued to look annoyed while Caster smiled to Yuzu’s confusion.

“That’s fine with me!” Rider yelled as he revved his motorcycle.

“Rider, don’t!” Rider’s master yelled in his head. “He is not someone that you can beat without a plan. Come back now!” Rider’s master demanded.

Rider gritted his teeth as he pointed to Archer. “This time, I’m retreating. But the next time, we’ll settle this!” He threatened before disappearing into green light.

“Saber please come back. This servant is too dangerous.” Saber’s master begged in his head.

“Of course.” Saber mentally replied before he stared at Caster and Assassin. “Archer saved the both of you. But next time, you two and Rider won’t be so lucky.” Saber threatened as he disappeared into blue light.

Assassin jumped out of sight as he landed on the building where he left Serena.

“We’ll talk about your punishment for leaving me stranded on a building later. Now let’s go and end Caster and Archer.” Serena said as she cracked her knuckles.

“Not in this case.” Assassin stated which caused Serena to glare. “As much as I would like to. He’s not someone I can take without any knowledge of his abilities especially when he knows all about mine. If I fight him, I’ll probably lose.”

“Coward!” Serena said.

“Maybe so. But you know the saying, live to fight another day.” Assassin said as he picked up Serena in a princess hold.

“Let me go!” Serena yelled with a blush as she started kicking.

Assassin simply ignored her as he jumped with her into the darkness of the night.

Archer watched with a glare as each of the servants left till only Caster remained.

“Not escaping?”

“Not yet. Not till my master gets a good look at your stats.” Caster joked with a smile.

Yuzu quickly took a look at Archer and felt her heart drop at what she saw.

“I’m guessing it was pretty impressive.” Caster asked as he saw Yuzu’s dread.

“All his stats are As or Bs. The majority of them are As.” Yuzu said.

Caster started to laugh at the news. “No wonder you’re so confident that you could take the four of us.”

“Caster, you’re not scared?” Archer asked.

“I’m not thrilled to fight you. But if you’re in this war that means I’ll have to defeat you. After all, I have a wish to fulfill and only the Holy Grail can do it.”

“Caster” Yuzu looked in shock at her servant as she processed his words while Archer smiled as Yusho stared at Caster.  

“You truly are interesting.” Archer said with a smile. “As much as I would love to fight you now. I doubt you would be much of a challenge in your current condition.” Archer stated as he glanced over Caster’s hurt body.

“When we do fight, please promise me one thing.” Caster said as his voice took on a dangerous tone.

“Seems pretentious to be asking favors from an enemy.” Archer stated with a frown.

“Do not touch my master or her loved ones during or after the battle.” Caster stated as he gave an intense look.

“I would never allow little kids into this war!” the older man in the kimono yelled.

Caster and Yuzu looked in confusion at the sudden outburst from the older man.

“I assume that’s your master, Archer?” Yusho calmly stated.

“Yes I am. I’m Chojiro Tokumatsu. The master of Archer and I state on my name, I refuse to allow any kids to be killed, like your princess Caster. But I doubt my servant would be willing to kill children anyway”

“Princess?” Yuzu asked incredulous.

Archer gave a smile as he nodded, “Caster don’t worry, in our fight I will not harm your master or her loved ones. I do not like children like my master stated.”

Caster gave a smile as he nodded. Yusho walked up to Chojiro as he extended his hand.

“I’m Yusho Sakaki. It’s sad that we could only meet under these conditions. But thank you for your words.”

“I don’t deserve your thanks for being a human. But it’s an honor to meet you and your student!” Chojiro happily accepted Yusho hand as they shook.

“Thank you for helping Caster.” Yuzu said with a bow. “But don’t call me princess again.” Yuzu said as her tone grew a bit harsh.

Chojiro chuckled, “I didn’t mean anything by it. Just that you’re obviously very important to Caster like royality.”

Chojiro’s words caused both Caster and Yuzu to blush a bit as they looked away.

“As interesting as this is, Chojiro it’s time we go.” Archer said as he revved his motorcycle.

“I hope to meet again in less tension circumstances” Chojiro stated as he climbed onto Archer’s motorcycle.

Chojiro waved goodbye as Archer drove away, leaving only Caster, Yuzu and Yusho in the city square.

After a few seconds, Yusho looked around the now deserted square and asked, “Yuzu, I didn’t notice due to the insanity earlier but where is Yoko?”

Yuzu’s eyes widened as she remembered. “Mrs. Sakaki. I forgot!”

“YUZU!!!!!!!!” a very angry voice echoed.

Caster and Yusho’s eyes widened as Yuzu started to shake. Caster and Yusho looked to the side to see a disheveled Yoko with some twigs in her blond hair walking towards them.

“Mrs. Sakaki. It’s good that you got out.” Yuzu desperately said as Yoko silently inched closer to her.

“I’m sorry but I couldn’t just stand by” Yuzu defended her action as Yoko remained disturbingly silent.

“So, uhh. I’m really really really really sorry.” Yuzu squeaked as Yoko was right in front of her. But to her shock, Yoko gave her a bear hug.

“Yuzu, never ever do that again! You could have been killed!” Yoko nearly screamed as her hug grew tighter.

Yusho and Caster gave a smile as they saw the scene in front of them.

“Yoko, it’s great to see that you’re fine.” Yusho said as Yuzu’s face started to turn a bit blue.

“Dear! You’re ok!” Yoko happily said as she still held Yuzu as she looked at her husband. She then looked down and saw a very hurt Caster. “What happened to you though?!” Yoko screamed as she released Yuzu and ran to check up on their servant.

“Now is not the time, I’ll explain when we get home so Caster can heal. And we can talk about what to do about Yuzu.” Yusho stated as he placed emphasis on the last word.

On the roof of a building overlooking the remaining people in the square stood Ruler as she watched over them.

“So that was his plan.” Ruler said with disgust in her voice. “There is only one option left then.”

Ruler watched as the pinked haired girl that looked like her helped Caster up as disgust, anger and … nostalgia despite her best efforts to ignore it washed over her.

Ruler closed her eyes as she repeated to her vow to herself. She continued to watch as empathy for the young master flooded her heart as she knew that only pain and heartbreak awaited the pink haired girl.