#IF we're supposed to believe that he's been hunting everyone since the BEGINNING then WHAT is the hold up? ????

[brittlebutch]

this series' batshit production makes it impossible to figure out what the fuck is going on at any time ever....

Does it make sense that Deluge is supposed to be taken at face value and that totheark does know that Alex is watching the channel? Does it make sense that Advocate is a warning that Brian is in immediate danger from Alex? I'm trying so hard to fit the pieces together and they will not fit. I hate to keep coming back to the "totheark is completely full of shit" conclusion but I'm struggling to make it make sense any other way.

for one, WHAT is totheark waiting for in S1 if they already know where Alex is and are watching him closely enough to know that he's started watching the Marble Hornets channel? If the whole point of them antagonizing Jay is that they need Jay to lead them to Alex, then how could they know that Alex is watching the channel? Are we supposed to take this at face value and believe it? Or is it just totheark playing mindgames with Jay in order to get what they want?

for two, again, if totheark already knows where Alex is and are watching him closely enough to know that he's about to make a move against Brian, then what are they waiting for??? The moment Tim/Brian cross paths with Alex in S2, they are starting physical confrontations with him left and right -- if they know where he is and know he's a threat in S1, then why are they fucking around and sending videos to each other instead of kicking Alex's ass? Do we know for sure that this video is intended to be warning of a threat against Brian himself? Is this video supposed to be telling Jay that if he doesn't pony up and follow the tip he got to Brian's house, the evidence he's looking for won't be there anymore? Jay's constant recurring conflict in S1 was that he wanted to go out to these locations to get answers but also he didn't, because that's scary, so he kept hesitating and hemming and hawing until totheark put the pressure on him and he caved, so maybe that's it? Or maybe it's just more of totheark fucking around with Jay -- "framing" Alex to make it seem like he had some hand in something happening at Brian's house?

Like, I keep trying to make the first two seasons of Marble Hornets make sense in line with the third. Alex's whole goal is to kill everyone and then himself, right? And it's common interpretation that that has been his plan from the very beginning. So if he had a gun by Entry #16, why doesn't he use it against Tim in Entry #35? Why doesn't he grab it to use it in Entry #45? If he lured Jay out to the Rosswood area with the 04-04-10 tape in order to kill him, why doesn't he do so immediately in Entry #35? Why does he let Jay stalk him for months before finally trying to kill him if that was supposed to be his plan the whole time? If totheark had been watching Alex from the beginning, then why do they spend so much time fucking around with Jay instead of Alex in S1? Why don't we see any footage of Alex filmed by totheark? If Alex and Brian are already squaring up with each other in S1, then why is anyone bothering with Jay at all? i don't getttttt ittttt!!!!! make it make sense to me!!!

[brainyxbat]

Chapter 9: Farewell, Giant Island! Head for Alabasta

(episode 77)

"That was hot! Couldn't you have done it a different way?"

"Well, then. Can you tell which is the real one?"

"Gum-Gum Stamp!"

"How... did you know... I was here?"

"Instinct."

-

Now that the battles were over, Broggy was crying waterfalls of tears over poor Dorry. "Whoa! Look behind him!" Luffy pointed out, as everyone covered their ears. At least, almost everyone. "A rainbow! There's a rainbow!"

"It's beautiful!" Venus admired it.

"Even the way he cries is big!" Nami complained.

"It's practically a waterfall!" Zoro added.

Usopp, apart from the rest, was crying with him. "I understand how you feel, Master Broggy!"

Amidst the mourning, however, Dorry's hand started twitching, and his eyes blinked open. Everyone, especially Broggy, was shocked when he used his sword to sit up. "Dorry! How are you-?"

"It seems I blacked out."

-

'Mr. 0?' Sanji thought. 'Wasn't Mr. 0 the name of the enemy boss Vivi-chan talked about? Which means the guy on the other end of this Transponder Snail... is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?!'

"It's been many days since I issued your orders. What's going on?"

'Mr. 3... so he's the owner of this Transponder Snail? Ah. I think I got it figured out now.' He glanced around the hut. 'This is an enemy hideout, and a guy named Mr. 3 came to the island to take Vivi-chan's life.' He grimaced shamefully. 'Damn. This was no time for me to be hunting! I hope they're all okay!'

"Why the silent treatment? I asked you a question. Have you eliminated Princess Vivi, and the Straw Hats?!"

"Yeah, mission complete!" Sanji replied confidently, keeping up the facade. "I got rid of everyone who found out about your secret. So there's no need to go after 'em anymore."

"I see. Well done. As we speak, the Unluckies are headed your way to confirm your mission is complete, and to deliver a certain package."

"Unluckies? A package?"

"An Eternal Pose that points to the Alabasta Kingdom. You and Ms. Golden Week will head to Alabasta; the time has come. We're about to begin our most important operation. Details will come after you reach Alabasta. Wait for my orders."

Sanji saw an eagle, and an otter leering at him from the round windows. "What are these things?!" The eagle readied a pair of pistols, while the otter revealed its two seashells wielded metal claws.

"Hey. What's going on?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Sanji replied nervously, before he leaped away from gunshots. "What the hell?!" He ducked down behind the table, as the tea set was totaled. As he straightened up, the otter charged in, and slashed at him, but he jumped away. "You tryin' to kill me?! Bring it on, you damn monkey!" He kicked the otter into a wall fatally, then turned back to the eagle. "I'm tellin' you," Dodging bullets, he grabbed its head with his feet, "To stop that! You jumbo-sized chicken!" He twisted its neck, ultimately eliminating it.

The Snail turned in his direction. "What was that?! What happened?!"

Sanji rushed over, and urgently grabbed the speaker. "Oh, uhh, no! It ain't- I mean, it's nothing! That damn Straw Hat was still alive. It's okay, though; I finished him off. No need to worry."

There was silence on the other line for a moment. "Still alive?" He didn't sound happy. "You just said your mission was complete; did you not?"

"Yes, well," He stammered, "I thought it was complete. But he was much tougher than you'd believe."

"In other words... the report you gave me was a lie."

"Umm, well... I suppose so, when you put it that way. But I've gotten rid of him for sure now. So there's no need to send any more after 'em. Okay?"

"Very well. Just head straight to Alabasta from there now!"

Sanji stared at the speaker without a word. He had to find the others, quick!

-

"It's probably... because of the weapons," Dorry panted.

Everyone watched with surprise, and joy. "Weapons?" Usopp wiped his tears. "Oh, yeah! Not even Elbaf weapons could keep up with two giants fighting to the death for 100 years straight!" He sighed in relief. "Talk about crazy..."

"And lucky," Venus added.

"Yeah... it's a huge miracle!"

Broggy laughed jovially, as he hugged Dorry in relief. "Hey, Broggy! Don't hold onto me! That hurts my wounds!"

"I'm so glad you're alive, friend of mine!"

"Miracle, my ass," Zoro snarked, "It's only natural. The fact those weapons are still intact after 100 years of constant bashing and clanging is even crazier. As are their owners."

"What a wonderful day today is!" Broggy beamed. "I thank you, God of Elbaf!"

"Oh, Broggy?" Dorry gained his attention. "Was chopping me down, and knocking me out that happy for you?"

"You dimwit! That ain't what I'm saying!" He playfully punched his shoulder.

"Oww! Don't touch my wounds!" With that, they started exchanging the gesture back and forth. "You want some of this?!"

"Yeah! I'll wipe the floor with ya!"

"Cool! Cool! Cool!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Why are you guys fighting again?!" Nami shouted angrily.

-

"And no further radio contact from now on. We don't want the Marines catching whiff of us. All further orders will be sent via letter, as usual. That is all. Good luck, Mr. 3." Mr. 0 hung up his snail, and stood from his chair. "Ms. All Sunday."

The raven-haired, purple-clad woman turned to him, while petting a giant alligator. "Yes?"

"Send Mr. 2 to Little Garden." She was surprised at the order. "Eliminate Mr. 3 on his direct course to Alabasta from Little Garden."

"That's quite aggressive, sir. Mr. 0, Crocodile." She stood up from the couch, and headed for the wide staircase.

"We have enough manpower as it is. Are you arguing with me?"

"No, I'll do as you wish. I'll make arrangements at once."

-

"Well, he's hung up," Sanji remarked to himself, "So let's see." He approached his dead adversaries. "What were these guys, anyway?!" He then noticed a strange object hobbling between them, and picked it up to investigate it.

It resembled an hourglass with a round, clear globe in the middle. Almost like a Log Pose, but no wristband. "What do we have here?"

-

Broggy and Dorry laughed heartily together when the former and the Straw Hats caught him up on everything. "We had completely forgotten about the bounties on our heads!" Dorry laughed.

"But I was the reason they came to this island in the first place," Vivi lamented. She yelped when Nami pulled on her cheek.

"Let's have none of that!" She scolded.

"Nami!" Venus slapped her hand away, and looked up at the princess. "It wasn't your fault."

"Yeah, Vivi!" Luffy agreed, eating rice crackers with Usopp and Karoo. "What're you so down in the dumps for? Want a rice cracker?"

"I'll take one!" Venus raised her hand, and caught one tossed by the sniper. "Thanks! Perfect aim, as always!" She giggled.

"Hey! Where did you get those?" Nami asked.

"Alright! For now, let's have a rice cracker party!" Luffy proposed, ignoring her question.

"Rice crackers aren't very exciting," Usopp remarked.

"Really? We can even make toasts with them!"

"I think they're good!" Venus hopped down, and joined the guys.

"See?" Nami turned to Vivi. "Does anyone blame you?"

"Cheers!" Luffy toasted with the snack.

"C'mon! Don't do that!" Usopp griped, and picked up the pieces of his that Luffy broke, brushing the dirt off. "Geez! You can't just waste food like that!" He went to eat it anyway.

"What're you doing?!" Luffy tried to steal it. "Give it here!"

"Who said you could have mine?!"

"Give it! It's mine!"

"Who says?!"

"Kick his rubbery ass, Usopp!" Venus cheered, as she ate another cracker.

Vivi smiled in amusement, as they tussled in the grass. Zoro turned to Nami when she suddenly winced, as if she got hurt. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," She scratched a red spot that appeared on her exposed stomach, "Just a bug."

"Still, waiting a year for the Log Pose to point to the next island is pretty serious stuff."

"Yeah!" Nami agreed. "It's definitely no laughing matter!"

Venus glared when Luffy bit Usopp's wrist, so his whole hand was in his mouth. "Hey, biting's against the rules, Luffy!"

"You saved us," Broggy grinned, "We would like to thank you in some way."

Luffy leaped up on a rock, forgetting about the fight. "Oh, in that case, you old guys can do something about our Log!"

"We'll consider this a victory," Venus whispered to Usopp.

The giants frowned disappointedly. "I'm afraid Logs are the only thing we can't help you with," Dorry said regretfully.

On cue, Sanji made his entrance with heart-shaped puffs of smoke. "Nami-san! Venus-chan! Vivi-chan! And you other bums!"

"Hey! Sanji!" Luffy waved happily, as Usopp and Karoo glared.

"You're okay! Thank goodness!"

"That jerk suddenly shows up only after we needed help!" Usopp griped.

Upon seeing the giants, Sanji freaked out. "What in the hell?! Are you Mr. 3?!"

"Hey!" Nami said. "How do you know about Mr. 3?"

Sanji turned, and was stunned at her lack of a shirt. "Nami-san! You're so titillating!"

Nami shook her fist. "Feel like getting slugged?"

Just then, he switched to gentleman mode, and took off his suit jacket. "Now, now, Nami-san. You'll catch cold dressed like that. Here you are." He draped it over her shoulders.

"Thanks."

As soon as he sat on the log, Venus marched up to him with anger. "Where have you been?!" She demanded, her hands planted on her hips.

"Well, my dear Venus-chan, I just finished talking with Mr. 0 via Transponder Snail."

Vivi shivered with fear. "You talked to the boss?!"

"Yeah. I found this weird hideout in the jungle, you see," He began to explain, "He seemed to think I was Mr. 3, so I told him I eliminated everyone."

"So that means he thinks we're dead?!" Vivi exclaimed.

"So we're finally free of people chasing us, but we can't go anywhere!" Usopp cried.

"Can't go anywhere?" He smirked. "Do we still have business on this island?" He reached into his pants pocket. "Just after I managed to get ahold of this too." He took out the object from the hideout, and was confused at everyone's jawdrops of shock. "Eh?" He smirked nervously. "What?"

"It's an Eternal Pose to Alabasta!" Luffy beamed. "Hurray!" He cheered with Usopp and Venus. "Now we can set sail!"

"Hurray! Way to go, Sanji-kun!"

Vivi ran to, and hugged the cook. "Thank you, Sanji-san! I was so worried for a moment there!"

Venus promptly joined her with ecstasy. "Good job, Sanji! You're awesome!"

"No, no! It was my pleasure!" He smiled goofily with a deep blush. "I'm glad I could make you so happy!" Usopp brushed away a sudden pang of jealousy.

"Alright, everyone! Let's have a rice cracker party!" Luffy announced, and toasted with Nami, as Venus quickly joined in.

"Oh no, Luffy!" Usopp approached him worriedly. "We only have three left! We can't have a rice cracker party!"

"What?!"

"Aw," Venus frowned in disappointment.

"You know this is no time for that!" Nami scolded, then turned to Luffy. "Let's go, Captain! We don't have time to be lounging around!"

"Yeah, we'll have the party on the Merry!" Venus beamed.

Sanji was swooning from the twofer hug, when Zoro passed him by, and he remembered their competition. "Oh, yeah! Hey, you." He stood off the log. "You haven't forgotten our hunting contest, I hope!"

"Nope! But I win! I caught a rhino this huge!" He held his arms out.

"A rhino? I assume you can eat that?!"

"Of course!"

'Hunting contest?' Broggy thought to himself, with Dorry thinking the same. "Those words sound familiar somehow."

"Yes..."

Luffy put his hat on. "Alright, round old guy, and giant old guy! We're gonna go now!"

They both looked down at the crew. "Oh, I see," Broggy said, "Well, you do seem to be in a hurry."

"That's too bad, but we won't stop you," Dorry agreed, and turned to Vivi, "I hope your homeland is okay."

"Yes! Thank you!"

"See ya! Don't die anymore!" Luffy followed Nami and Vivi into the jungle, marching backwards.

"Master! I will visit Elbaf someday!" Usopp promised, as Venus watched him with a smile.

"You'll see," Sanji smirked pridefully, "Mine's way bigger than yours."

"You wish!" Zoro scoffed.

"I'm gonna be a brave warrior of the sea!" Usopp vowed.

"Our friends are setting sail," Broggy remarked.

"Yes, We can't just sit there; there's a monster in the west sea," Dorry reminded.

"Dorry! How are your wounds?"

"These? They won't kill me."

Broggy picked up his ragged weapon. "This axe, and that sword are just about done with."

Dorry investigated his sword. "Do you have regrets?"

"I do. This axe fought alongside me for 100 years. But, if it's for them, it's worth it!"

"Then it's decided..." They both stood up with determination in their eyes.

-

"See?! Mine's far more huger than yours!" Zoro pointed out.

"Look closer! My lizard's bigger!" Sanji retorted. Their catches were laid next to each other, by the Merry, and they stood on top.

"Are you blind or something?! My rhino's way bigger!"

"It doesn't matter!" Luffy beamed. "They both look yummy!"

"You shut up!" They both ordered.

"Huh?"

"Look! Mine's bigger!"

"No, mine is!"

Venus listened with irritation by Usopp and Vivi at the back of the upper deck. "It was funny at first, but now it's just dumb."

Nami couldn't help but smirk. "How long are you gonna keep at that? We don't need all of it, so cut up what we do need, so we can set sail!"

"Yes, Nami-san!"

"Hey, Usopp!" Zoro turned to the sniper. "I'm clearly the winner, right?!"

"I really don't care."

"Can't you call it a tie?" Vivi suggested.

"There are no ties in a challenge!" He refused.

"Hurry it up!" Nami shouted angrily, startling them.

"Right!" A swooning Sanji obliged, as Zoro leaped on the ship, then pulled up the anchor.

"Set sail!" Luffy announced, and they began moving along the river.

"They said going straight will take us to the western end of the island," Vivi recalled the giants' instructions.

"Hey, couldn't you have gotten any more meat on board?" Luffy griped.

"Yeah, right! Don't be stupid!" Sanji shot him down. "We can't preserve anymore than that."

"Do you want to sink the ship?!" Nami added.

"Look, it's the old guys!" Luffy saw Dorry and Broggy ahead. "They came to see us off!"

"Ahead is a great obstacle..." Broggy began.

"That prevents people who come to this island from reaching the next," Dorry finished, "You fought desperately to protect our pride."

"As such, no matter what manner of enemy there may be..."

"We will not let them destroy your pride, friends!"

The crew watched ahead with caution. "Have faith in us, and continue straight ahead! Straight ahead, no matter what happens!"

"Got it!" Luffy beamed.

"What's this about?" Zoro wondered aloud.

"What do you got?" Usopp asked.

"We'll go straight ahead, no matter what!"

"Yeah!" Venus agreed with Luffy. "Have faith in Dorry, and Broggy!"

They soon passed the island entirely. "This is goodbye!"

Broggy and Dorry drew their weapons. "Let's meet again someday," The latter proposed.

"Without fail."

"Look!" Nami pointed to the ocean. "Up ahead!"

In front of the ship, a fish bigger than the island itself emerged from the waves, just as the giants predicted. "There you are, Island-Eater!" Dorry glared.

"You will open the path, in the name of Elbaf!"

The fish showed itself to the crew, revealing to be a giant, red and white goldfish. "Wha...?" Sanji's cigarette dropped from his gaping mouth.

"Something appeared!" Usopp exclaimed, as everyone stared.

"What's this guy?" Luffy wondered aloud. "A goldfish?"

Usopp gulped. "A g-giant goldfish?! W-why does that sound familiar?!"

"Work the rudder!" Nami ordered. "Hurry! We're gonna get eaten! Hurry, Usopp!"

"I- I can't!"

"It broke earlier!" Venus reminded.

"Go straight ahead! R-right, Luffy?!"

"Yeah! Of course!"

"Don't be stupid!" Nami glared. "This won't be like what happened with Laboon!"

"I know. Calm down," Luffy sat on the prow, "Here, I'll let you have the last rice cracker."

"I don't want it!"

"Yoink!" Venus caught it instead, and nibbled in nervous anticipation.

"Hey! If we don't turn the ship, we're gonna be-"

Zoro calmly opened the cabin door, so a petrified Karoo could hide away inside. "Just give it up, Nami."

"Luffy!" Sanji turned to the captain. "We can trust those guys, I hope?!"

"Yeah!"

"Are you crazy?!" Vivi exclaimed. "Are we really going straight into that beast?!"

"No!" Nami cried. "We're too late now!" Venus and Usopp could only hug each other fearfully.

"You've grown a lot, Island-Eater!" Dorry glared. "You filthy monster goldfish!"

"His size isn't his only surprise," Broggy added, "There's also the size, and length of the dung he produces, after devouring any islands nearby. I recall a giant piece of dung named Nothing At All Island," He laughed.

"And that we landed on it long ago, thinking it was actual land!" Dorry recalled.

"This is a nostalgic day of adventure! As I look at them, I'm reminded of the old days!"

After the goldfish closed its mouth, trapping the screaming crew inside, they readied their weapons. "The only thing we can't penetrate is the bloodstained snake!"

"Observe, the most powerful Giant spear, as passed down in Elbaf!"

"Straight ahead!" Usopp cried. "Straight ahead!"

"What are you talking about?!" Nami shouted. "We've already been eaten!"

"Straight ahead!" Luffy urged. "Straight ahead!"

From outside, Dorry and Broggy struck the ocean, and ahead of the Merry, a gaping hole in the top of the fish's cranium let her fly out with the crew! "Hakokou Sovereignty!" They heard the giants' voices while escaping.

[a-tale-never-told]

A Familly Talk (Pt2)

...

...So... What do we do now? It's obvious that the Yakuza aren't going to lend us any help, so we're basically just left to fend for ourselves at this point. I hate to say it, but we're caught in a corner right now, Dad.

...

But you have a plan to deal with this situation, right? You gotta have a plan for this sort of thing, right? Right? You can't just leave us the

...

*Everyone begins to look at Hiroshi, currently sitting on the couch and trying to think about how to address the situation properly. Hiroshi puts his fingers together in an analyst position, trying to come up with a plan. After assessing the situation carefully, he turns to face his family...

Alright, so I've come up with two possible scenarios, both of which I'm not 100% sure are going to work out, but I see no other solutions left, so these are our only chances left. Before I say what they are, I need absolute trust from you both, as this is pretty much our last hope left to deal with this threat ourselves. Can you trust me on this decision? Please?

....

Honestly? At this point, anything can be useful against this psychopath at this point, so just tell us what you need to say.

Alright then *clears his throat* So, we have two official options laid down in front of us, both of which are very tempting and of most importance. The first option I propose is to simply call the authorities to arrest this man on the spot. Given that the KPD is without a doubt one of the largest police forces in the south, it would make perfect sense as to capture this man and put him into immediate custody.

However, considering the main fact that he's been able to evade the police with relatively little difficulty, it's safe to say I wouldn't count on them being able to locate him, let alone track him down. While he certainly did blow his identity following his near-assassination attempt on me, he's possibly going to attempt to hide from being seen for a while.

What about a nationwide manhunt? I'm not just talking about police, but what about federal agents? Special forces? Hell, maybe even the US Army can join in the manhunt!. After all, with an entire country pursing him, there's zero chance he's going to get away.

Are you even listening to yourself, Hajime? Do you really believe that an entire country is going to dedicate all of its resources to hunt down one single individual? Especially considering the amount of issues that we currently have right now?! And the US Army? Really? You are seriously considering that?

Well, what are we supposed to do then!? Just sit around and hope for the police to show up and help us? Is that what you are hoping for!?

*sighs* Just... tell us the second option we have. I'm sure it can't be as good either.

...

Hiroshi?... Is there something wrong?

... I'm going to be honest: I wasn't expecting to do this so early on, considering Hajime's age. To be fair, I was hoping to wait untill adulthood to actually do it and get him familiarized with all the techniques on what to do in a crisis like this. But now, with a literal madman out for our blood and the Yakuza being cowards as they usually are, it's becoming clear that I can't hold onto that hope any longer.

Techniques? W-What are you saying, Dad? I don't understand what's going on? What are you trying to say?

?

Hajime, ever since you were getting into high school, I wanted to teach you what I have learned over the years, that you can be successful with talent and become somebody in life, but I have neglected to teach you the most basic thing in life, is that no matter how hard you try, the world is a dangerous and scary place to live in.

But I held back from doing that or even teaching you this, as I feared that you would potentially hurt yourself by mistake, or even hurt yourself when you got into a fight, as well as that you're too young and busy to learn these things. That's why I never bothered to do it and teach you the basics. But that's not going to happen any longer. I was a fool to hold back my teachings then and look where it has gotten us. To protect this family, we must learn the one single ability humanity has used throughout its history in the case of a threat...

Hajime Hinata!! From this point forward, you will learn the technique and art of self-defense!! And you will be taken under my mentorship! From now on, I'm not only your father but your teacher!! AND YOU ARE MY STUDENT, HINATA!! IS THAT CLEAR1/

[eventheodds]

It's odd to hear him say it—to hear him ask about himself. Except, right now, he's not the Vash she knew, he's not even Vash, and out of everything she anticipated that would be discussed between them, she wasn't counting on this.

Rather, she'd been resigned into thinking they would never find him, that she and Milly would be wandering around No Man's Land hunting down leads and trails that had long since gone cold. The only time anyone would want to hear Vash's name was when they were inquiring about where he could be found so they could collect the bounty.

The wanted posters, while sparsed out the more they travelled away from densely populated towns and cities, were still up, along with a bunch of others where the bounties had yet to be collected.

She'd gotten into trouble when she was caught tearing them down, but continued to do so because Meryl Stryfe never turned her back on what she believed in.

"Where to start," she draws it out with hums, tapping her chin as if to appear deep in thought. "He carried around a gun but never wanted to use it—and if he did, it was never in the way it was supposed to be used. He fumbled around a lot; one time he got roped into a duel with one of the JuLai patrol officers and didn't even carry any bullets on him! I had to throw him one otherwise he would have been turned into Swiss cheese!"

"There's Swiss cheese?"

Meryl's head shoots up as she looks around, trying to spot Milly at the bar. "Not now, Milly! I was just using it as an expression."

"Oh, okay!"

After she's done craning her neck, Meryl notices that the diner's gone completely silent as everyone is either looking at her or at Milly. Someone clears their throat and diner life resumes as if nothing had happened.

"...but he was also selfless, always doing what he could wherever he could. He never wanted to give up on us, and I think I'm beginning to understand why..."

Her voice has become small again, like she's speaking for her ears alone but knows that Eriks is just beside her. "He better be ready to get a piece of my mind, though!" A laugh escapes her, but it's not the kind that has any mirth to it. Even to her own ears, it sounds empty, forced, and tinged with a terrible sadness.

It doesn't last as she squashes that down and their day continues. Even with avoiding the midday suns, it's still unbearably hot. Their tab had been paid for, with Milly making sure that Meryl got to the bill before Eriks did. There had been a comment about how it was alright to let your friends take care of you every now and then. Meryl smiled at Milly's sound advice, even while she could feel her heartstrings being pulled.

By the time they've made it to Grandma Sheryl's home, Meryl feels sluggish and more than ready to face plant into a bed and sleep for a couple of hours. Not before introductions, however, as she watches Milly acquaint herself with the small family of grandmother and granddaughter and their permanent guest.

She watches as he moves about this space with ease and comfort—something she's not seen him do since meeting him. There had always been a sense of urgency, she thinks, when he joined their small group. Perhaps the only time he seemed at peace was when he was fast asleep in the back of the truck.

"You have a lovely home, Grandma Sheryl!" Milly is the first to break the ice, as she is wont to do, and Meryl follows suit, nodding her head and standing next to her friend. "We're friends of Eriks," Meryl says when Lina looks up, her brows knitted with suspicion.

"Oh! What lovely young ladies! I'm guessing that since our Eriks brought us home some cheesecake that you three stopped at the diner? I don't suppose you're hungry right now, but we would love for you two to join us for supper tonight."

Milly nods her acceptance, Meryl catches Eriks' gaze and shrugs in a manner that lets him know him know he'd been right.

"We'd love to!"

She can feel Milly gently nudging her elbow into her side. "Probably a good thing because we're sort of low on money," she whispers. Meryl makes a mental note to look at their remaining funds tonight after supper.

"Oh, and since you're here, I would also extend an invitation for you to stay the night as well! This town isn't quite safe, especially at night, what with those bandits coming and going as they please."

Meryl can see, from her periphery, that Lina reacts to this. She notices that the young girl looks over her shoulder, like she expects someone to be there.

"Your offer is very generous and we would love to," Meryl says, feeling a sense of relief knowing they wouldn't have to trek back into town in the dark. Milly approaches Grandma Sheryl, offering her aid wherever she needs it and Milly announces she'll be in the kitchen, helping to prepare supper. Lina has gone back to her school work, seeming to force her concentration on what she has before her, which leaves Eriks.

"You were right," she says with a slight chuckle. "I mean, we're thankful, because it means we don't have to head back into town during night, and we'll be avoiding any gangs that might be wandering out—oh! I didn't tell you what he did to the Bad Lads Gang, did I?"

“Dessert is a must, or I’ll have no peace,” he confirms. 

Eriks blinks multiple times at the full plate of breakfast food laid out in front of them, uncomprehending at first. They didn’t order anything more off the menu and– ah. Layla, glibly apologetic, explains the nature of her delivery.

“Thanks, Layla.” 

Layla winks back at them both and tends to the table of elderly mahjong players as they feud over shaky alliances. Then, glancing at Meryl with a smile, Eriks says to her, “Your friend Milly is thoughtful.”

With the imminent upturning of the life he has cobbled together so far, his stomach is the least of his concerns. Milly tried though, extended her consideration where she did not need to, and Meryl too. So he will try in turn to appreciate what was offered without complaint. Nodding his head vigorously, Eriks leans down, hunting down multiple potatoes and crowning them on the tines of his fork before triumphantly stuffing them into his cheek.

“You’re sho nice, Merrul,” Eriks comments through a mouthful of salted, seasoned potato. His eyes feel more watery than usual, and he suspects Meryl’s undisguised hope has something to do with it. 

Food does wonders to ease tensions, to provide an additional point of focus when conversation would otherwise feel too difficult. They certainly have plenty of food to finish, and Eriks is keen on helping Meryl rescue as much ice cream as possible before it melts out onto the plate. That means fighting their way through a carby, greasy, and protein-rich breakfast. 

What’s the old proverb he got in a fortune cookie once…every journey begins with a single step? 

“Can you tell me about him? What he was like?” This person he used to be that now hides within himself, sneaking memories through the cracks.

By the time the plates have been cleaned off and Eriks procured a slice of cheesecake packaged away for Grandma Sheryl and Lina to share, he has insisted and failed multiple times to convince Meryl to let him help with the bill. Milly proves an exceptional bodyblocker for someone who hardly appears to even be trying. It could just be the alarmingly disarming smile. 

Two against one, the girls inevitably win out. 

“Alright, have it your way. I’m gonna hear it from Grandma Sheryl now…” Eriks sighs, holding the slice of cheesecake against his chest and resigning himself to an as of yet undelivered lecture. Bemused, Eriks anticipates that Meryl and Milly will face a series of indisputable invitations. “Well, you both can expect that she’ll invite you to stay for dinner, insist you take one of the guest rooms for the night, join us for a homemade breakfast and…maybe try to convince you to stay through lunch, if Grandma Sheryl is really enjoying herself. Before I moved in, it was just the two of them.”

Eriks takes the lead as they walk, directing the party through denser streets branching out from the center of town and out to where there are several private residences spread out from the cluster of businesses and tenements. As is the case with most smaller towns in No Man’s Land, the buildings all share the same unremarkable architecture. Slipshod and patchy stucco work married with scavenged sheets of metal stolen from the remains of fallen ships, fences and posts made from sunbleached worm bones, and rooftop gutters funneled directly into large barrels to catch water during rare instances of rain.

The suns still broil the top of their heads relentlessly by the time they arrive. Eriks leans down, cradling his package carefully in one arm while undoing the latch of the waist-high gate. He can hear and smell Grandma Sheryl busily working over the stove when he lets them in through the front door. Judging by the spread of homework and textbooks laid out on the table, Lina must be home as well. Likely shuffling about the pantry, from the sounds of it.

“Hi, Grandma Sheryl. I, um, brought some friends home. Uh.”

He hadn't given full commitment to preparing an introductory speech right up until this moment.

[echo-three-one]

Whatever It Takes

A sequel to "A Forgotten Memory"

Alex is once again tasked to continue his mission in pursuing the threat that had caused hundreds of missing persons turn up dazed the next day. But now he isn't alone, join him along with the elite Task Force 141 as they hunt down Nero, discover the secrets behind his plans and put an end to this memory erasing nightmare.

Chapter 1 to another story made by Ray (echo-three-one) Comments and Reviews appreciated! I hope you enjoy! Love you all ❤️

"Resurgence"

"Alex"

CIA Warcom

Boracay Island, Philippines

Alex basked himself on the warm sandy beaches of the Philippines. He wasn't able to enjoy his vacation after the Nero mission, because he was sent immediately to Urzikstan and Verdansk immediately followed. And now that all of those were over, he now laid down on a beach chair and let the ocean breeze blow on his relaxed state.

Philippines was a nice country, the people were hospitable, the food was delicious and unique and the scenery was beyond amazing. Despite his metal leg, people still looked up at him the way they look at tourists and he was all of the hospitality and attention from his fellow Americans who are also on vacation to locals who were just amazed on how the leg works.

It's been a lot of months ever since Samantha forgot him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that they'll meet again, that's why no matter many women try to show interest in him, he shrugs them off politely by pretending he has a girlfriend. A simple lie that he built for himself in hopes of a miracle of meeting her again.

He always brought her letter with him, some edges of it got burnt from the time he manually detonated a C4 explosive to destroy a gas factory, It was almost torn and faded, but he couldn't leave it somewhere safe. He wanted it to be with him wherever he goes. 

'Don't you dare forget about me'

His phone rang. He quickly fished it from a small pouch he bought that the locals made and immediately answered.

"This is Alex speaking." he chimed.

"I'm sorry to bother you at this time of day Alex, but I have a feeling you'd want to jump in on this." a British accent so familiar informed him over the other side of the line, It was none other than Captain John Price or Bravo Six, a comrade he once fought with back in Urzikstan.

"I'm all ears." he said, sitting up straight and letting his metal leg sink in the sand.

"Looks like your boy Nero is back on the grid. That Sneaky bastard kidnapped the Daughter of the Head of Defense, again." Price relayed.

Alex's heart thumped faster, his breathing became quick. He wished to meet her again but not like this. Not her being in harm's way all over again.

"Shit. Count me in. But.." he hesitated. He wanted to help but remembered he disobeyed CIA orders back in Urzikstan, making him unable to provide support.

"I've talked to Laswell. She's creating a special assignment for you."

"What does that mean?"

"It means welcome to the 141, Alex." Price said as he cut off the call, followed by a message regarding his departure to their base.

~

Alex can't help but worry about Samantha's condition. They've played with her memories multiple times and he thought that it would all be over after she decided to alter everything about them. Guess the enemy didn't know and they're still after her.

The soldier leaned on to the small circular glass pane as he looked at the clouds pass by. His hands were fidgeting each other while his non-metal foot bounced up and down at a fast rate. His seatmate, who happens to be a teenager, noticed his distracting leg movement but ignored it as rock music blasted from his ears. He was a completely different Alex right now and he believed that he'll be back to normal as soon as he sees Samantha safe and within his grasp.

When you have a heavy metal stick as a leg, customs is going to be the most annoying place in the world. Everyone looked at Alex as soon as he passes the metal detector and everyone else's eyes were on him. Of course with a few more safety checks and a whole lot of explaining, Alex was good to go. 

"So, you're the one they call Alex" the heavily British accented driver mused, breaking the silence of their ride to the 141 base. He was looking at him via the rearview mirror, chewing on what Alex hoped to be gum.

"Yep. That's me." he replied, turning to the view of the British streets which confused him a lot as it was the opposite of American or even Global streets.

"Heard they thought you were dead back there. In Georgia." he added. He was quite the chatterbox but CIA Agents are all about the information.

"Yeah. Tried to manually detonate the C4. After that… I just ran for my life." Alex answered, his head was realizing why he did it. What pushed him to think that he could make it out alive. Was it because it's for the greater good? The idea of freeing Farah's country from the harm of the gas? The idea of a chance to meet Samantha all over again? Or something he couldn't explain.

"Well, we're glad to have you back, Alex. But it's a shame it's no longer in the CIA." the driver waved as Alex opened the door and unloaded his stuff.

"As long as it's still about saving the world." he replied, making the driver smile. 

"That's what we do, right?" he agreed as he entered in his car leaving Alex in front a quiet gray building, the Task Force 141 Base, his new home.

Alex pushed the heavy doors open revealing a large hall, multiple round sofas were embedded to the ground and a huge staircase that split left and right greeted him. Multiple heads turned as he opened the said door and slowly walked his way to the nearest person who happened to be panting from exhaustion by the sofa. His metal leg clanked on his every step as the soldiers begin to recognize him. They smiled as soon as Alex's eyes met theirs and some even waved, Alex met them from several missions from the past, some were from the Demon Dogs and his previous designations, Delta Force.

"Where's the briefing room in this huge building?" he asked the soldier in a black t shirt drenched in sweat as he spun his towel trying to keep up with his breathing. He didn't speak but he nodded in acknowledgement and pointed to the hallway on the left. Alex left him a thanks and he walked his way to the direction where he pointed.

Just a few steps after the beginning of the hallway, the people from the main hall cheered and laughed, this made Alex turn around and he saw a young blonde man with spiky hair dash across him, he looked like he's on his way to your destination as well.

"Excuse me! Sir!" he yelled and Alex immediately halted. The young man panted in front of him and took a few seconds to breathe before he countinued his words.

"I'm Gary Sanderson, and I was supposed to guide you to the briefing room. You must be Alex." he reached out a hand and Alex shook it, quietly making your way to the room.

The huge door slid open and they found themselves in a dimly lit room, a huge screen loomed just by the wall and chairs were placed around a long circular table. Alex could spot a few familiar faces, faces he once saw and fought alongside with in Verdansk. There was the balaclava boy, Ghost, the Mohawk Man, Soap, their Captain, John Price and a few big heads from the United States. There were also new faces like Gary, who was now discussing something with another new soldier, a female soldier who sat by Price and a few new more who were already sitting on the chairs. There's also someone missing, Kyle Garrick, he pondered where he was.

The former CIA quickly saw Gary rush to Price's seat and whispered something causing him to lean on his chair, stand up and walk to his side. 

"Glad to see you back in the fight, Alex." he muttered, patting Alex's shoulder.

"I won't skip out on this mission, this one's close to home." he replied, patting his back in return.

"Yeah, heard this was your last mission before the Russian Gas." 

"Yeah. It's a loose end on my side." Alex nodded, crossing his arms.

"Good thing Shepherd had some sense in him. Not unlike your CIA heads, huh?" 

Alex nodded. He remembered he did an illegal thing against the CIA, and that was siding with Farah's forces, who were reclassified as global terror groups at that time. He silently thanked he could still step back in the fight along with the good guys even after that event.

"Yeah. I might have to thank him soon enough." Alex murmured and Price guided him to the briefing which was about to start in a few minutes.

~

"Before we start our mission briefing, I'd like to welcome each and everyone of you to the 141. A group of the most elite warriors from around the world tasked to eliminate terrorist threats lurking in the shadows. One of which, goes by the name Nero…" General Shepherd's voice was deep and serious, while the screen showed a photo of the guy they're after. His face looked punchable, as manifested by the way Alex clenched his fists while he stared at his soulless eyes.

"… whose goal is still unknown. He poses a threat as he has been out in American soil, which we believe is the one behind the multiple missing and reappearing person cases across the country." he continued, eyeing Alex. He knew a little bit about the case, maybe because he read his report.

"Since he poses no evidence of terrorist activity as of now, we are assigned to rescue and locate the daughter of Richard Coleman, America's Head of National Defense. We don't know why she was kidnapped but we believed it is or ransom or threatening purposes." The general explained, pacing back and forth, his shadow covered the screen.

Alex wanted to say something. Something about the details surrounding the case. It was written on his report. But then again, maybe the general already knew about the alteration, and since Samantha doesn't remember any IP Address, it was no longer worth noting.

Samantha's face was projected on the screen. Alex's heart began to beat faster, she looked different now, a little chubbier, longer hair and her smile felt happier. It was heartbreaking that she got caught in the crossfire again. After all those efforts of making her life normal.

'If our paths would cross again, I hope you'll remember me the way I remembered you before I take this operation, A good memory that's supposed to last forever. '

'Don't you dare forget about me.'

Her words echoed in his mind, using the same voice she had when they were together. 

"I will save you again if I had to.." he promised to her mentally, as he tightened the clench he was already doing.

"Our intel reports that twelve hours ago, local informants spotted an unknown flying vehicle just by the Georgian Border, local authorities confirmed that this wasn't one of their aircraft and we believe it could be the getaway vehicle of Samantha Coleman and her captors… We are still looking on to this so for the meantime I want each and one of you to be fully alert and ready for deployment."

Everyone else fell silent. It meant they agreed at what the high ranking official said. A few more words were exchanged such as new additions to the team, aside from Alex. He didn't seem to focus much on the second part of the brief as his mind worried a lot about Samantha. If his instincts were right, she's probably sedated once again, taking a trip down her own memory lane.

Chapter 2 : F.N.G.

[maysbanks]

hold out. (jj maybank)

here it is, the second part to hypersonic missiles ! the response to the first part was absolutely amazing, the support & love in this fandom is incredible & i just wanna say a huge thank you to all of you that take the time to like, reblog & comment, every single one means so much !! gotta admit im not loving this as in it's not my best work and kinda all over the place & half way through writing this i almost scrapped the whole thing to rewrite the full series with an oc bc writing as the reader was starting to get to me lol. but alas here it is & as always i hope u enjoy x

warning: swearing, drug use, underage drinking, violence etc 

summary: after accidentally inserting herself into a treasure hunt with four teenagers, one of which could be considered her 'friend with benefits', y/n grubbs is left to deal with the complications and misfortunes that come along with it - including her ever-growing feelings for said 'friend with benefits'. 

( gif isn't mine! please let me know if it's yours so i can credit you. )

If someone had told you a week before that you would lose your father, get your house raided by two men you had never seen before in your life, make friends with a group of teenagers, embark on a two hundred year old treasure hunt with said teenagers, and be hanging out with JJ Maybank every day and willingly, all in the space of one week; you'd have laughed in their face, asked them what drugs they were on and could you have some, and then laugh in their face again.

But alas, there you were. You still couldn't quite believe it, especially the JJ part. You'd had worries at first, like would the gang really want you involved, did they secretly hate having you around, were they just being nice and letting you in on this because your dad had died? All the doubts swirled in your mind, running around like clock-work, just ticking away constantly in the back of your head. Surprisingly, JJ had been the one you'd gone to about them.

"I just feel guilty," you'd said. It was after a day of riding around in John B's boat and using fancy hotels' WiFi, and 'borrowing' a drone from JJ's dads old workplace. His eyebrows furrowed when he looked at you, confused. "I mean, you guys have been friends for like, forever. And then I just show up and you conveniently find out about John B's dad and the treasure hunt on the same day when I'm there, and it's just like - I don't belong with you guys, it's your thing and I'm just kinda, here." 

"You're part of this just as much as we all are," he'd told you, matter of fact. His body was angled to face you as you sat outside John B's self-proclaimed Chateau, a freshly rolled blunt being passed back and forth between the pair of you. "You need to stop doubting yourself, man. You're apart of us now." 

The words had warmed your heart, an instant smile being spread on your lips as you looked at him through red-rimmed eyes. Underneath the setting sun, he looked almost angelic; his golden hair blowing in the slight breeze, tanned skin exposed due to the heat. You had pretended not to notice the tense of the muscles in his arms whenever your fingers brushed when you passed the juul between yourselves. 

"You're too kind to me, Maybank," you'd grinned, boot-clad foot nudging his knee gently. "If I didn't know you so well I'd have thought you'd have ulterior motives."

"Who says I haven't?" He'd smirked back. You'd just smiled, teeth biting down on the plump skin of your bottom lip before you'd looked away from his burning gaze and focused your attention on anything, anywhere but JJ fucking Maybank.

You got along with the gang amazingly, you couldn't doubt that. Pope was the smartest guy you'd met, sweet and funny and passionate and so certain of what he wanted to do in life. Kiara, or Kie, as you'd come to call her, was very environmentally involved, almost too cool for the guys, you thought. She cared so much about so many things, and she had a great taste in music too. John B was a bit like you, you supposed. Fatherless, on the hunt for answers, things like that - but other than that he was a great guy, the makeshift leader of the little group, a little lost in life, but that was to be understood.

And then there was JJ. You felt most comfortable around the blonde, but that was kinda a given too, due to the fact you'd seen each other in your most vulnerable states that came with having sex rather regularly, something the other members of the gang didn't share. He was a spit-fire, always ready to throw a punch and fire threats at those who deserved it, head-strong and stubborn. But he was more so caring, God he cared so much for his friends, you'd discovered. He would do just about anything for them, whatever position that put him in. JJ put the gang before himself, always. You'd noticed all different types of things about JJ especially, little things you had never taken the time to notice before.

These little discoveries probably came from watching him too much, you'd thought one night. It was a bit of a problem, though you never mentioned it. The unspoken rule amongst the group was No Pogue on Pogue Macking, which basically meant everyone was off limits to each other. You understood the rule, Kie having been the only girl before you'd arrived on the scene amongst three guys, and after becoming apart of the gang you had no choice but to respect it - which also meant that JJ was off limits. But was he technically off limits when you'd already been there, so far past the line on macking with each other?

There was some sort of agreement between the two of you, that in order to make this work; your friendship with the Pogues, the hunt for the Merchant's treasure, that nothing could happen. You'd spoken briefly about it that first day, outside the lighthouse beside the Twinkie (John B's van, you'd learned had a nickname), we're cool, right? Pretend we haven't seen each other naked, conversation. It had been cut short, but it still happened. And the pair of you never mentioned it after that, a few off-handed comments here and there from JJ, but nothing specific. So you assumed yours and JJ's hook ups were off the table, and you had no idea why that had come to bother you so damn much.

On the day following your talk with JJ on John B's porch, he'd invited you to come along with him and Pope as they delivered groceries for Pope's dad, Heyward. You had almost said no, because really, you could probably do with a break from the Maybank boy, all the time spent with him was doing no favours for your little situation of Fighting Attraction While Hunting For Gold. That's what you were putting it down to in your mind anyway, too much time spent with the person you're sleeping with can begin to mess with anyone's head, and hey, maybe it was the fact that you were grieving and JJ was familiar - but you couldn't be doing with all these thoughts anymore.

Despite the angel on your shoulder urging you to turn his offer down, you'd said yes. But that was little to do with JJ and more to do with your mom and your current home situation, which was unbearable, to say the least. Your mother was barely speaking to you, as if she was scared of letting something slip if she did. In return, you shut her out, too. Told her lame excuses and empty lies when you were heading out with the gang, lying through your teeth when she'd asked where you were or where you were going.

Lana Grubbs wasn't a stupid woman, though, and you knew she knew you were up to something. But she hadn't mentioned anything outright yet, and so you hadn't said anything either. The hole your father had left was huge and gaping, evident in both your lives. You hadn't spoken about it yet, and you weren't intending to until she could be completely honest with you. You didn't want to hear anymore lies, and you were already on the path to discovering the full truth. On your own.

Her words echoed in your mind every time you left the house, voice small and gentle as she never failed to say the same thing. "Just be careful." You'd always look over your shoulder, and she'd never look back at you. She hadn't looked at you much at all since your dad had died.

It was after a certain drop-off of groceries, you'd joined JJ in his delivery whilst Pope had docked the boat and gone off to deliver his own, yours and JJ's strides matching as you walked the seemingly never-ending drive of the abnormally large house that loomed over you. The Kook part of the island never ceased to intimidate you, no matter how much you didn't want it to. There was something about it, the people that lived amongst it, that unsettled you whenever you entered it. Figure Eight wasn't somewhere you usually visited other than an odd job you'd picked up, and you were reminded why of that fact as you walked alongside JJ.

"Just think," he breathed, all starry eyed and parted lips as he gazed around the pair of you. "This could all be ours soon."

You snorted, bumping his side with your own. "Don't be melodramatic, JJ,"

"I'm serious!" JJ protested. His sea blue eyes caught yours when he turned his head to look at you head-on. The intensity of his stare almost made you stop in your spot, but you managed to carry on, gulping when his eyes continued to hold yours. "I'm sticking to my earlier statement, right, we're going to move here, and out-rich all these fuckin' Kooks."

"Out-rich?" You raised an eyebrow, lips quirking. "Your grammar is so adequate, Maybank."

"It's a word," JJ insisted, nudging your side with the point of his elbow. "Who the fuck uses words like adequate these days, anyway? I don't even think Mrs. Humphrey knows what that word means."

You laughed at the mention of your shared English teacher, the grey-haired, short, spectacle wearing woman immediately entering your mind. JJ grinned when he heard your laugh, dimples winking in his cheeks.

"Mrs. Humphrey can't even spell Wednesday," you giggled, JJ chuckling along with you as he nodded. "It's a wonder how that woman has been working there for like, eighteen years or something."

Your steps faltered as you neared the door to the house, pace slowing as you both basked in the time spent with each other, though neither of you would admit it. "She was probably a good teacher at first," JJ said thoughtfully, shuffling the groceries in his hands. (You tried not to notice the way his arms looked when he did that, muscles clenching and on full show with his cut-off tank.) "I bet each year another brain cell of hers just like, dies."

"Wouldn't surprise me," you nodded. "Mine would attempting to teach classes full of teenagers," rather dramatically, you shuddered. "Especially if one of those teenagers was JJ Maybank."

"Hey!" JJ shouted, though his grin proved that he found your jab amusing. You laughed along with him, bumping his side once more as you finally landed at the door, watching as he turned to you, expression trying to be serious and failing, rather horribly. "You better watch yourself, Grubbs. I'm serious here, I can be a pretty scary guy if need be, y'know."

You didn't doubt that, of course. You'd seen JJ in action with your own two eyes, you knew what he was capable of. But somehow, stood with you there, on the doorstep of some filthy rich Kook's mansion, groceries in hand, blonde hair shining golden in the sun, sun-kissed skin exposed to your wandering eyes, grin on pink lips; you couldn't imagine JJ Maybank hurting a fly.

"Trust me, I know." You'd said just as he knocked on the door, shooting you one last toothy grin before the door was opened and he was pulled into a conversation with the woman who'd answered it, talking about all things from the weather to the next semester at school. You watched him all the while, smile growing on your lips without your knowledge as you took him in, seemingly in his element as he sweet-talked the middle-aged woman inside the house. When he turned to you suddenly, you startled, broken from your thoughts and caught red-handed staring at him like some freak. He grinned, tongue wetting his pink lips at the same time you internally groaned.

"I was just saying, the groceries," he trailed off as he pointed to the bags in your hands in which you'd forgotten were even there. You let out an 'oh' as you quickly passed the groceries over to the waiting woman, shooting her an apologetic smile as she looked at you knowingly. JJ nodded his head in your direction, speaking once more to the woman, "New guys, huh?"

You glared at him as the woman laughed, perfectly manicured hand reaching beside her and grabbing hold of her purse, pulling a note out with her slender fingers. She held the note out to JJ, who immediately tried to turn it down, insisting there was no need, but the woman was unrelenting - sending a pointed look your way as she told him, "For your troubles, sweetie."

JJ picked the note from her hands, a gracious smile being sent to her as he nodded. "It's been a long day," he sighed heavily and your jaw almost dropped as you resisted the urge to reach out and slap his arm. What a fucker. "Thank you very much, Mrs. Ramirez. I really appreciate it."

The woman, Mrs. Ramirez, as you learned, nodded and waved a hand. "No bother, sweetie," she told him before turning her eyes back to you. You forced a smile as she simply eyed you up and down, before sending an obviously forced one of her own. "And thank you." She said curtly, and you were ready to give her a piece of your mind before JJ was grabbing your arm and dragging you in the direction of where you'd come from, shouting one last thank you over his shoulder as he walked you back towards the boat.

It was when you were a safe distance away that you shook your arm from his hold only to slap him gently on his own as you glowered, glare smouldering as he laughed, throwing his head back as he stumbled beside you.

"You're such an ass," you huffed as you tried to ignore his chuckling, speeding your steps. "I mean, she literally just tipped you a hundred dollars for showing up and smiling, I'm sure if I had a third leg down there I would have got the same treatment too."

"Are you jealous?" JJ asked, having to jog slightly to keep up your hurried pace. His smile was huge and infectious, and you made a point not to meet his stare when he landed next to you in fear of breaking your fake annoyed stance. "Maybe if you weren't too busy checking me out then you could have talked to her, and y'know, make a small fortune yourself."

You scoffed, whirling around and halting him in place. He almost stumbled into you, and you stepped back when his hands landed on your arms to steady himself, shaking his grip off almost immediately. "I wasn't checking you out," you told him, matter of fact.

JJ grinned and ran a hand through his hair as he replied, "Sure you were," he shrugged. You crossed your arms over your chest and glared, biting down on your tongue as you resisted your own smile as he motioned to his body from head to toe. "Not that I can blame you, I mean look at me."

"I've looked, JJ," your voice was low when you said it, a knowing tone to your words. "I've looked, and I've seen it all, in case you forgot."

A low chuckle slipped past his lips. "How could I ever forget?" He asked rhetorically, tongue darting out to wet his chapped lips as you tried not to follow the action with your eyes, and failed, miserably. "Trust me, that image is forever dented in my brain. I think of it, sometimes. Just randomly."

You rolled your eyes. And he's back, _you thought. _He never left, a voice at the back of your head piped up. You ignored them both. "C'mon," you said, already turning on your heel and starting off in the direction of where Pope had docked the boat. "Let's go get these deliveries finished."

The pair of you said nothing more for the rest of the duration of the short walk back, and when the boat was in your sights JJ was off running, more than likely eager to show off his one hundred dollar tip to Pope, as you idled, watching his back as he ran. When you finally landed in the boat, it was silent. You immediately picked up on the tension, heavy in the small space, and shot JJ a confused glance when he looked back at you.

Slowly, you made your way towards where the two boys were up at the front of the boat, Pope situated at the wheel. The dark skinned boy was staring straight ahead, refusing to meet either yours or JJ's eyes. When you looked to the latter, he subtly shrugged a shoulder, letting you know that he had no clue himself what was going on with his best friend.

"Pope?" You questioned softly. "What's wrong?" When there was no answer, you shared another glance with JJ, his concern shining in his blue eyes. You tilted your head as you went to ask him again, but when you did, your eyes caught on to the colour crimson that was slowly streaming down the side of his face. You gasped and JJ startled, chest bumping your shoulder as he tugged the cap from Pope's head, revealing the injury near the top of his head.

"Jesus!" JJ exclaimed when he caught sight of the wound, Pope swatting at his hands that held his hat, pulling it back down once JJ had let go. "What happened?"

"Rafe and Topper jumped me," Pope's voice was slightly wobbly as he informed you both, a tear sliding down his cheek as he recounted, "They said no Pogues on their side of the island."

Your blood began to boil just as JJ demanded, "What are you gonna do?" His own jaw clenched in anger as he looked at his best friend, beaten and bruised in front of him from the hands of some entitled selfish pricks that thought they were better than everyone because they had more money in their pockets. Rafe Cameron was a name that never failed to make you queasy at just the mention of it, and his little gang of followers including Topper Thorton were just as unbearable.

"I have something in mind." Pope spoke, voice and stance determined. And something he did, as he drove to Topper's new boat - and promptly swam over and removed the plug from it, causing the new model to sink into the water as you and JJ watched from Heyward's boat, keeping an eye out for anyone that may have spotted your trio.

And though it was bad, and you knew you probably shouldn't have taken part in such an activity, nor prompted Pope to either; you couldn't deny the rush it gave you as you watched Topper Thorton's boat begin to sink, and maybe it was the fact that you knew that Topper was a Grade A Asshole and deserved it, or maybe it was Pope's own unsure but excitable adrenaline that mixed with your own, or maybe it was just the fact that JJ wrapped his arm around your shoulder without a care in the world as he shouted his support to his friend, squeezing you to his side almost unknowingly, like it was some kind of instinct.

You thought, yeah, it probably was, as you immediately felt the loss of it when he moved to grab Pope in a hug. And then you thought, well shit.

There was a mutual share of disappointment when the gang had found just about absolutely nothing when you'd taken Pope's fathers boat out the next morning, drone ready and in hand to go hunt for the gold, where John B Routledge had marked down on the map it having been.

Granted, the Royal Merchant was there. It was just missing the one thing they were after - the gold was nowhere in sight, and the journey had been a complete waste of time. You thought it to be too good to be true, of course it had to be. Four hundred million in gold and you were expected to find it? There was no way, you thought bitterly as JJ steered the gang back to land, not one of you daring to speak as the disappointment crashed over you all in huge waves.

You'd departed with the guys not long after that, after promising Kie that you would accompany her to the annual summer movie night, making your way towards home. The bitter frustration ate away at your insides, you were mad, angry - fucking infuriated, each step the gang got closer to finding the gold, it was as if someone was stood in your path and shoving you all back another ten.

Had your dad really died for this? This seemingly never-ending hunt for promised gold that, for all you knew, could be complete and utter bullshit. You didn't understand it at first, when the pieces began to slot together, but it was like every time the chase got harder it made you want it even more; and then you understood your fathers fascination and Big John Routledge's obsession. This gold meant everything to you and the gang, and you knew, John B especially, would never give up on this chase.

"Hey, sweetheart," your mother called when you entered the house. The front door was still broken, only the screen in place, and was leaning against the wall as you maneuvered past it. Lana was sat at the couch, and when you walked in she'd shoved a box away from her, the lid laying haphazardly over the top. "I wasn't expecting you home so early."

You shot her a small and forced smile, shuffling your bag from your shoulder and onto the floor, landing with a soft thud. "Hey mom," you greeted back, noting her teary eyes and flushed cheeks. "What're you doing?"

When you arrived at the back of the couch, looking over her shoulder, you immediately recognised the box - Family Photos! _written atop _the cardboard.

"I was just looking through some old pictures," she told you, sniffling as she attempted to smile at you. "Just wanted to see his face again."

You nodded, your throat tightening at the mention of your dad. Reaching a hand up and wiping away her tears, she looked at you questioning, "Where have you been?"

"Just out," you said, bluntly and unconvincing. "Doing a few jobs here and there, y'know. Nothing exciting."

Lana hummed, quirking an eyebrow at you. "Mr. Phelps told me that he seen you with that Maybank kid the other day," she informed, your face falling for a millisecond as her words sunk in. She looked at you, tear-stained face and serious gaze, lips pulled to a thin line. "I told you to stay from those guys, Y/N."

"I was helping him deliver groceries, mom," you deadpanned - which wasn't exactly a lie, if that's when Mr. Phelps had spotted you. Most of your time spent with the gang was mainly off the land and away from prying eyes, whether that be on a boat or the Chateau, so you knew that was the safest bet of when you'd been spotted. "For Heyward's. It's not like I'm hanging out with him on purpose."

Lie, lie, lie. It was becoming alarmingly easy to lie straight through your teeth, and to your mother nonetheless, but you couldn't dare tell her anything, and why should you, when she hadn't told you anything? It took two to Tango, you thought.

"I just don't want you getting hurt," your mother reminded, and you let out a sigh as you nodded, faked closed-mouth smile on your lips. "I'm serious, Y/N, please just be careful out there."

"Always am," you promised (bull-fucking-shit). You turned on your heel, heading towards your room as you called over your shoulder, "I got invited out tonight, by the way. To the movie thing on the North Side. Is it alright if I go, please?"

You waited at your door, hearing your mother sigh from the couch. "Yes, you can go." You smiled, this one more real than all the rest, and thanked her gently. She didn't look back at you though, and the familiar unspoken tension was back with vengeance. You couldn't wait to get out of it.

The movie night was a welcome distraction from your frustrations with the treasure hunt, the haunting memories of your dad, and the tension with your mom. It was only you, Kie, Pope and JJ that attended - John B having seemingly disappeared for the day, none of the gang having heard from him. You'd managed to leave the house with relatively no questioning from your mom, and met JJ a little way down the block.

("Woah, keep two feet away from me please," you'd joked, halting in your tracks as you spotted him standing there. He'd furrowed his brows at you, frown etched on his face. "My cover's been blown, everyone knows about us!

He just looked even more confused, eyes squinting down at you as you raised a hand and layed it across your forehead dramatically. "What'd you mean?" He questioned, eyes darting around, seemingly searching for answers in the air around you both. "What, do people know we sleep together or something?"

You'd rolled your eyes, shoving him gently when you were close enough, beginning to walk away. "No, you doof," you chuckled. "Mr. Phelps ratted me out to my mom, told her that he saw us together the other day. I had to tell her that we were just delivering groceries for Pope's dad."

"Ah," JJ nodded, shooting you a mischievous grin. "We better go into hiding then, I'm thinking... log cabin in the mountains, all fur sheets and deer heads on the walls, ooh a hot tub too."

You laughed, "Trying to whisk me away there, Maybank?"

You were joking, but his eyes were surprisingly serious as he looked at you. "Always, Grubbs.")

The field was already packed full of people by the time the four of you arrived, groups of people scattered around, idle chatter filling the air. It was being held on the Kook side of the island, and your eyes swooped over the people, most of them being Kook's themselves, expensive clothing and an aura that just screamed, I'm better than you. It made you feel uneasy, but you tried not to think about it as Kiara led you through the crowds.

"I'm so glad they're still doing this," she tells you all, sighing happily. The faces of the guys revealed they were not nearly as happy to be there as she was, while you were simply just glad to be out of your house once again. "Keep calm, carry on. Back to normal, OBX life, y'know?" She stopped once she found a decent spot, turning to the three of you. "Aren't you guys glad I made you come?"

"Ecstatic." Pope deadpanned, sarcastic lull to his tone.

"My couch was pretty comfy." JJ piped up.

"I'm just happy to be out the house, I guess." You said.

You were aware why the guys were so uncertain about being there; it wasn't so long ago that Pope was sinking Topper Thorton's boat, you and JJ accompanying, and now you were all on his side of the island. Not only that, but you knew that if Topper was to discover that it was Pope who'd done his boat in, it wouldn't just be Topper that confronted him - it would be the full Happy Days Gang. Nothing was ever a fair game when it came to Kooks.

Kiara excused herself to go buy soda's from the conession stand, and you shifted as you seated yourself on the blanket you'd bought, having opted out of bringing a chair. You sat in front of JJ, his legs touching your back.

"What's wrong with you guys?" You turned your head when Pope and JJ began to whisper, the former's panicked eyes landing on you as you frowned at the pair.

"Topper and Rafe are on my ass," Pope revealed. "They know I sunk Topper's boat."

You sighed heavily, muttering a shit as JJ grabbed his friend by the arm, focusing his attention towards him. "They can't prove it, okay. Just deny, deny, deny."

Pope nodded along, muttering along with him as you watched the pair, before your eyes moved to Kie that arrived back, her eyes narrowing as she seated herself beside Pope. "Just saw Rafe," she informed, your blood running cold. You could practically feel JJ tense from behind you. "He said, and I quote, 'Tell your boy we know what he did'. What is that?"

"Um, where is he?" JJ questioned, his tone of voice revealing his hidden anxiety.

"Right there." Kiara nodded her head, right in the direction of where Rafe Cameron and his goons sat, as you, Pope and JJ whipped around, Pope practically turning his full body in their direction. You groaned as JJ desperately urged him to turn back round, and away from their taunting eyes.

"The whole death squad!" Pope exclaimed, anxiety riding off of him in waves.

"Don't stare, bro," JJ urged, hand wrapping around Pope's shoulders. You tuned out the rest of the blonde's words as he informed you all that he'd be coming out swinging if they were to corner him, and you felt dread build as you heard his last words. "If that doesn't work, I got this right here." He patted his bag.

"JJ, please tell me you did not bring a gun here," Kie practically begged. "JJ, there are kids!"

You focused your attention straight ahead of you as the guys continued to argue; Pope simply telling Kie that it might go down to her line of questioning, her brown eyes darting back and forth between you all. You refused to meet her eyes, however, and were glad when the large screen ahead of you suddenly lit up. "Oh, look," you exclaimed, laughing nervously. "The movie's starting."

And it was left at that - JJ whispering deny, deny, deny to Pope once more before you all turned your attention to the screen, trying to block out the intruding thoughts of having the knowledge that the gang of Kooks were staring you down, awaiting your next move like a predator would its pray.

All was going fine - the movie was good, everyone's attention on the black and white screen. You tried not to think about Rafe and Topper, or the gold or your dad, and definitely not the feel of JJ's legs either side of you, trapping you into his hold. You let yourself believe that everything would be okay, and then Pope had revealed he needed a piss, and everything had gone to shit.

JJ had accompanied him, and the two had set off behind the screen, hidden away from Rafe's watchful eyes. They hadn't done a good enough job to be discreet though, and you immediately took notice of Rafe, Topper and Kelce making their way towards the opposite side of the screen. You swore, catching Kie's attention as she questioned, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Looks like that piss break just got a lot more complicated," you said, and realisation dawned on her face. It didn't take the pair of you long to locate the guys, all in various forms of fighting, as you and Kie screamed at them to stop. You grabbed Rafe's arm mid-swing, his fist raised and ready to send a hit to JJ's face from where Kelce had hold of him. "Stop it, you dick!"

You let out a scream as you were sent flying back from his shove, Rafe's blue eyes wild and crazed as he glared down at you. "Stay out of this, Grubbs!" He barked, and without a moments hesitation sent a fist hurling towards JJ's cheek.

Kiara had jumped on Topper's back from the small distance away from you, and you took a moment to ready yourself before hurtling towards Rafe from your crouched position, tackling him to the ground from his knees, effectively stopping his blows. He seemed stunned for a second, staring dazed up at you before he promptly threw you off of him, shoving you to the ground without a care. "Don't fucking touch me," he growled down at you, and you groaned slightly as the wind was knocked from you.

You heard JJ from somewhere above you, shouting insults at Rafe and repeating your name over and over. You lifted yourself from the ground just as Topper puts Pope in a headlock, his tight grip causing the dark skinned boys breath to leave him in choked gasps. You shoved at Rafe's back once more, sending him stumbling forward before he whipped around, hand reaching out and grabbing you by the face, tugging you so you stood nose-to-nose with him.

"I said," he ground out darkly, eyes boring into yours. "Don't fucking touch me."

You were beginning to fear what would come next before a sudden glow caught your eye from the side, the movie screen lighting up in harsh flames. Rafe dropped you, your hands moving to rub over the imprint he'd left, as you looked towards where Kie stood, JJ lighter in hand. Screams of terror echoed from the other side, as people began to flee, and it didn't take long for the three Kooks on your side to follow, sprinting quickly from the scene. Fucking cowards, you thought.

JJ's hands were on you before you could even blink, eyes earnest and worried as they looked over you, your cheeks red from the earlier grip Rafe had on you. "You good?" He asked you, slightly out of breath. You nodded, repeating the question to him. He smiled lightly. "Yeah, yeah. I'm good."

The night had ended promptly there, Kie dropping you off at your respected houses. You'd bid them all a good night, and as quietly as possible made your way into your home, not wanting your mother to see the marks imprinted on your face from Rafe's fingers. Luckily, she'd already been in bed, and it didn't take long for you to crawl into yours, thoughts of the day and a certain blonde running through your mind.

The next morning you'd met the gang (save for John B, who was still seemingly missing) at the Heyward's store; your morning had been spent desperately trying to hide the red marks that Rafe's fingers had left from your mom before she could notice and ground you in your room for the rest of your life. It had a been a success for the most part, and she asked no questions as you left the house, though you took note of her uncertain expression as you bid your goodbyes.

"Have you heard from John B?" You asked Kiara who was working closest to you. You had realised the brunette boy was missing from the group upon your arrival, and you couldn't help the worries in your mind at where he could be or what could have happened to him.

"No, nothing. Have you?" She returned the question, brown eyes meeting yours as you shook your head no, a short sigh falling from her lips. "Neither have the guys. What're you thinking?" Kiara eyed you, gaze suddenly sullen. "Do you think something's happened?"

"I don't know, Kie," you told her because honestly, you didn't. John B had a target on his back, that much was for sure. Son of Big John, once owner of the proclaimed death compass. Your mind thought back to the two men that had raised your home, and chased the guys on more than one occasion, and you couldn't help but think the worst. "I'm sure he's fine, though."

Kiara nodded, though she looked anything but sure. "Yeah, you're probably right." The pair of you continued on with your respected work, JJ's and Pope's voice trailing from somewhere in the store as they talked. "You're working Midsummers, right?"

You groaned, nodding. Kiara laughed at your sour expression. "Oh yeah, second year running. To be honest, I'm surprised they let me work it after last year, my customer service must be better than my right hand hook," you joked, chuckle escaping your lips as you thought back to the Midsummer's party the year before. Your dad had gotten you the gig, because he was a weasel like that - always talking people into getting what he wanted, and what he wanted was the gas bill to be paid, and his face just didn't fit the portfolio to be serving Kook's their drinks at their fancy party, and so it had left left to you to do just that.

The night had ended with Dean Kipp on his ass after his hand had fallen on your ass, and you'd been let off with a warning as the guy clutched his bloody nose and called you everything ranging from psycho bitch to slutty pogue. Your surprise was immense when you were offered a job again this year, and a large amount of the reason you'd said yes was just so you could see the look on his face when he saw you.

"He totally deserved that," Kiara remarked, grinning. You smiled back, the pair of you sharing a laugh as you returned to your work.

For a second, you let your worries wash away as you were pulled into a conversation with the gang, your spirts high for the first time in a while. You were happy, you realised. What had started off as being the worst period of your life was slowly turning into the best, the gang and treasure hunt a blessing in disguise. The four of you shared laughs and joked back and forth as you worked, and you found yourself to be perfectly content.

All that came crashing down when Pope's father entered the shop, police officer trailing behind him. "Hey, Pope! There's someone here to see you."

You stopped dead-on, the rest of the gang halting in their movements as you all stared towards the officer you recognised as Shoupe. "Evening, officer." Pope greeted, gulping.

"I have an arrear warrant for felony destruction of property," Deputy Shoupe approached your group, handing the said warrant to Pope's dad. From beside you, JJ tensed, and when you turned to look at him, his blue eyes glanced down at you, freshly beaten face pulled into an anxious grimace as his jaw clenched. Shoupe had gotten remarkably closer, hands reaching for the handcuffs placed on his belt. "Hands where I can see 'em."

Pope glanced desperately towards JJ, who shook his head quickly, his words, though unspoken, clear as day. Deny, deny, deny. But denying wasn't going to get Pope out of handcuffs, you decided as you stepped forward, tone pleading as you demanded, "Stop, you can't just do this!"

"Out of my way please, Miss Grubbs," Shoupe dismissed you, sounding almost bored as he shoved past you, beginning to handcuff Pope who can do nothing but allow it to happen, his anxious eyes focusing on one spot as reality began to sink in.

"What did he do, Shoupe?" Mr. Heyward questioned in disbelief, watching as his son was getting arrested in front of his very eyes.

"Take a look at the warrant," the cop said simply as he begun to tug Pope out of the store.

It was chaos. Everyone was shouting, demanding answers and hurling insults. JJ is screaming something about somebody paying him, Kiara is in your ear asking what the hell was going on, Mr. Heyward is hurtling questions towards both his son and Shoupe. Passbyers stared at the scene, whispering to each other as they walked by or stopped to watch. Everything blurred together, and you could do nothing but watch the scene unfold in front of you.

Those fucking assholes, you thought. Topper Thorton came to mind, tan skin and bleached ends, million dollar smile and designer clothes. You remembered his wild gaze as he held Pope in a headlock the night before, close to almost killing him. And yet he was off somewhere doing god knows what, probably shopping for a new boat to replace the one he'd lost, not that he probably cared all that much about it in the first place. Rafe Cameron's eyes entered your mind next, and you felt a shudder run through you as you remembered them boring into yours as he held your face frighteningly tight and close to his own.

JJ's voice was suddenly breaking through your stream of thoughts - "It wasn't him!" He was calling out, eyes directed on Shoupe who paused and turned toward him, Pope's face disbelieving from behind him. "It was me."

It sunk in then what JJ was trying to do, and you whirled around from his left, quickly shaking your head as you muttered, "JJ." He ignored you however, and stepped forward towards where the officer was standing, Pope still in his arms.

"He tried to talk me out of it," JJ continued. "But I was mad because he had just been beaten up, I was sick of those assholes from Figure Eight that I lost my shit." He was stood directly in front of Shoupe, almost boot-to-boot. You couldn't see his face from where you were, and you were almost thankful for the fact as you heard him direct his words to Pope, "I can't let you take the fall for what I did. You've got too much to lose."

"JJ, what are you doing?" Pope demanded. His face was confused, just as much in shock as the rest of you. For a second, his eyes leave JJ's and land on yours, a shaky breath leaving your lips as his eyes were practically pleading.

"I'm telling the truth, for once in my goddamn life, I'm gonna tell the truth," JJ announced loudly. "I took his old man's boat, too."

"What the hell?" Mr. Heyward questioned, though nobody paid him any mind. Your gaze was too focused on the unfolding scene of JJ Maybank taking the fall for something he most definitely do, and you could do nothing but watch it happen.

Your heart finally shattered when JJ's last words entered your ears, "He's a good kid. You know where I'm from."

He only looked back once as he was put into the handcuffs that previously held Pope, and that wasn't until he was shoved in the back of the police car and the door was slammed behind him. You walked closer towards it, hand on Pope's back as he watched his best friend get arrested for something he'd done, and you both knew it. When JJ glanced up and out of the window, bruised face clear behind the glass, his sea blue eyes caught yours and then he smiled.

The fucker.

You could only watch helplessly as the police car was driven away and out of sight, Pope throwing his cap down in a fit of anger as he stormed off, his dad calling after him, Kie landing to your right. The dark haired girl wrapped an arm around your shoulders, tugging you to her side gently.

"JJ'll be alright," she told you, voice confident though her face read anything but as she glanced in the direction the car had been driven off. "He always is."

But what, a voice in the back in your head nagged at you, if this time he wasn't?

And then it dawned on you: you actually really, generally, sincerely and whole-heartedly cared about JJ Maybank.

(And the thought scared you more than you would ever like to admit.)

& to the lovely people that asked to be tagged in this, love you all x @ponyboys-sunsets @mysticsthinking @danicarosaline