#Lucky Crash Vanderbilt

[thechaoticcheese]

TWs: Cursing and Canon Violence

‘This isn’t right.’ Roach finally signed, his gaze returning to Cupcake as he shifted himself to make sure the blond could see him. “I know… But… Orders are orders… We stick with Shadow Company, we stay alive, and we get out of here. We can put this behind us, Roach. Never set foot in or near Mexico…”

Word Count: 7,162

Shadow Company Roach AU - Chapter 11 - Detainment

With a deep breath to ground himself, Roach left the room. He, Jet, and Skunk would take one half of the hall while Crash, Cupcake, Rico and Void took the other half. But the doubt of this takeover weighed heavy on Roach’s mind.

Just minutes before they were given a handful of zip ties, just in case, from Jet. Use as many as needed. Jet’s words echoed in Roach’s mind as the seven made their way through the hallway. There shouldn’t be too many Los Vaqueros in this hall, so seven should be easily enough for their section of the takeover. Especially since this was the barracks. It was late in the day, there would be almost no one around. It seemed a bit overkill to Roach. But with Alejandro off base along with Graves, Ghost, Soap, and Shadow team 1, 2 and 3, it only left three teams to round up any Vaqueros left on base and bring them to wherever they were destined to be.

Roach had no doubt that this was the plan all along from the moment Graves got back from that mission where they lost a good bunch of soldiers, especially all of the original Shadow 3. The plan was to find Hassan, take back or destroy what missiles he took and bury anyone that stood in the way or had even a chance of getting the word out to what had happened.

Roach wasn’t sure exactly who the missiles were for, but it was obvious that it was from the U.S. Government. Specifically from General Shepherd. He was the contractor that got the previous Shadow 3 buried and Roach couldn’t entirely forgive their contractor for it. Even if he had unlimited access to the funding for the U.S. Defenses. You could never put a price on a person’s life. It felt ironic just momentarily thinking about it as Roach watched Jet quietly open the door to the barracks, Roach and Skunk behind him. He slowly and carefully stepped into the room that held the bunks for the Vaqueros.

‘There are two in here. Skunk, clear out the rest of the hall, Roach and I will take them.’ Jet signed, glancing at the two men behind him. Skunk nodded before he moved slowly through the rest of the hall. Roach held his breath for a moment as he followed Jet in. ‘I will take the one on the right, you take the left.’ Jet signed before Roach responded with a nod as the two Shadow Company soldiers quietly made their way through the barrack.

The sun had started lowering itself on the horizon. The room being bathed in an orange-ish hue that was let through the windows spaced between the bunk beds. It gave the two soldiers plenty of light to see what they were doing, but also didn’t really hide them well. Jet kept moving forward as Roach paused seeing his target asleep on the bed, no doubt sleeping due to an early patrol or something of the likes.

Roach’s footsteps were silent as he slowly approached the sleeping man. His breathing was loud to him, it being paired with the thrumming of his heart as it demanded to be let out of his ears. The Vaqueros soldier was curled up with his back to Roach, but he had started to stir, as if he knew something was up.

Roach shifted quickly to the side of the man's bed, no doubt he looked like some sort of shadow demon to the man as his eyes slowly opened and his body turned to the Shadow Company soldier as the taller male quickly went into detain him. Roach’s gloved hands grabbed the Vaqueros’ wrists as he tried to shoot up from the bed. “Mierda!(Shit!)” He gasped as he struggled against Roach as the American wrestled with the Mexican off his bed and onto the floor. The man grunted as his back hit the floor, being pinned down between the bunks that offered little space for a continued wrestling match. Roach’s legs went over the man’s hips as he quickly turned the man over and zip tied his hands behind his back. The masked man then grabbed a shirt that was haphazardly tossed on the floor nearby. The operator quickly wrapped it around the man’s head, then tying it before he stuffed some of it into the soldier’s mouth to keep him from making any more noises loud enough to startle any of the other Vaqueros that might be present in the hallway. Though it felt like it didn’t matter. The anger that pulsated from the man beneath him told Roach that the Vaquero was cursing the Shadow Company soldier ten ways to Sunday. “Lo siento mucho. (I’m very sorry.)” Roach softly spoke to the man before hauling him up. He could tell right away that this man would be a struggle to get out of the room that was tightly packed with bunks.

The man squirmed a lot, flailing his restricted body in any way he could, kicking his legs, throwing his head back. The American cursed softly underneath his breath as he dodge the thrashings. He glanced over to Jet, making sure he had also captured his intended target. Jet had him secured in the zip tie as well, the shorter man having been a little ruffled up from detaining his assigned target. “Let’s get them out.” Jet ordered before Roach nodded once more before bringing his captive to the entrance of the room. He could hear Jet following him as the two men struggled in the Shadows’ grasps. “Roach, Wait-” Roach wasn’t able to respond or even acknowledge what Jet had just said as his eyes locked onto another Vaquero that looked out of breath and absolutely startled. The man had tried to run in through the door before he skidded to a stop, seeing Roach and a fellow Vaquero that was detained.

He was trying to warn people. Without a second thought, Roach shoved the detained man in front of him into the one who had just tried to enter the room. The man caught his teammate and staggered back. It bought Roach enough time to rush forward, pushing the detained man away before using the remaining momentum to continue his stun streak with the other man. His shoulder collided with the Vaqueros’ chest right as he heard boots stomping towards him. “Roach!��� Cupcake’s familiar voice greeted Roach’s ears. He glanced over at the man.

He seemed worried.

The Vaquero soon got his footing back and started to push back against Roach, the American’s attention going back to the man he was facing. The Vaquero huffed and growled as he glared into Roach’s dark visor that only reflected the man’s own angered expression. When Roach felt his feet starting to slip against the floor, he quickly maneuvered to the side. His hands gripped the man’s wrist and arm, letting him stumble forward and using that force to spin him around before Roach made him collide with the wall. Roach pushed into him before the freckled soldier wrapped a zip tie around his wrists, just like the previous man. He kept the man pressed against the wall before his attention went to Cupcake who was bringing up the man that was left on the floor from when the dirty blonde shoved him. “The rest of the section is clear… Now… Did you forget to turn on your radio?” Cupcake informed, his blue eyes glancing over at the taller man with a questioning, albeit teasing look. Roach blinked before realizing that he had forgotten to turn on his radio. He nodded slightly, before clicking it on.

Cupcake snorted as Jet exited the barracks with his captive and continued the conversation, “It’s alright, I was with him at least. Let’s get these guys to the cars. They seemed to be the only ones stationed in this area so we should be good. We’re bringing them to a prison just outside of Las Almas. I’ll be leading the way.” Roach let out a long sigh with a nod as the three pushed forward the detained men. Roach stayed a few steps behind Cupcake and Jet, not daring to get close enough for the Vaquero he was forcing to move forward to hurt either of the men.

“You son of bitches will pay for this!” He spat as he fought against Roach. “Los Vaqueros will spill your blood for betraying us. ¡Malditos pendejos!(Fucking assholes)! ¡Arderás en el infierno!(You’ll burn in hell!)” The man cursed and it made Roach’s mind falter a bit. He’s heard insults and curses before, even some more loaded from those vowing revenge before he himself had put a bullet in their head. Though the tone in this man’s voice wasn’t just bloodlust, anger, or sadness. It was betrayal. Roach pushed forward however. The guilt had started to eat away at his stomach as the man kept cursing and swearing at the three bringing him and his fellow soldiers to the cars. His mind was elsewhere as Jet spoke through the man’s cursing, the freckled man not absorbing any of it as they walked through Los Vaqueros’ base.

The vehicles were parked up front, they had been made into a makeshift prisoner transportation. The back seats were stripped of the cushions along anything that could be used to harm someone. A clear see-through plastic that was installed and screwed into place on the side of the car to separate the front and backseats.

Roach and Cupcake separated from Jet and made their way to the front car. The taller Shadow Company soldier gently made his captive duck into the vehicle, closing the door carefully so as to not hurt the man in case he tried to escape. Cupcake did the same with the man he was moving, making sure to do it at the same time as to not cause a potential runner situation. “You’ll be taking this car with Jet. Void and I will follow with the last pr… Person... While Crash, Rico and Skunk follow rear as defense.” Cupcake relayed the information they were told while the three were moving the men to the vehicles. Roach looked over at the blond with thankful eyes. It was as if the blond knew that his fellow Shadow wasn’t paying attention to Jet’s orders. The two got to know how to read each other very well. Roach could tell from the hesitation and refusal to call the men from Los Vaqueros prisoners, that Cupcake was having doubts too. They stood there in silence as they looked at the vehicle. Roach’s hazel eyes stared at the man trying to discuss something with the other in the back. ‘This isn’t right.’ Roach finally signed, his gaze returning to Cupcake as he shifted himself to make sure the blond could see him. “I know… But… Orders are orders… We stick with Shadow Company, we stay alive, and we get out of here. We can put this behind us, Roach. Never set foot in or near Mexico…” Cupcake’s voice was wavering as he looked behind them. Roach followed his gaze to see Void and Skunk loading in a car with their detained Vaquero, with Jet doing the same on the other side of the vehicle before he stalked his way around the car to the other two. “And never talk about this again. Like we agreed when we signed that contract.” ‘Cupcake…’ Roach signed, moving into view, his brows furrowed underneath his goggles. He knew his fellow soldiers, his friends. Cupcake was struggling with this and he wanted to help. “No, Roach. I… I understand. I get it.” His voice quivered, trying to harden it as he continued to speak. Cupcake’s hand moved to his goggles, moving them to then wipe away whatever tears had fallen. “I don’t like this as much as you, but this is our job. We can’t falter from our jobs. Our contracts. Even if we hate it. We have a job to do, Roach. Don’t skip town now.” Cupcake didn’t even dare look back at Roach as he put his goggles back on. He then turned and walked towards Jet, Skunk and Void.

Roach was left to wait alone by the car for Jet. He sighed and shook his head. His mind clouding up as his eyes barely let his brain register Cupcake going up to the trio and conversing with them. Roach couldn’t stomach this. It was wrong and he knew it. Taking prisoners for a war that wasn’t even theirs.

His mind snapped back to the present as he caught movement. Skunk had broken away from the group. He headed to the last vehicle out of the three that were parked. It already had Crash sitting in the passenger seat with Rico being barely visible in the back. Skunk climbed into the driver’s seat. His head slowly scanned his surroundings, not seeming to let his guard down, just like he always does on a mission. Then his blackened visor landed on Roach and gave him a small nod. It took a few seconds before Roach responded in kind before he looked over his shoulder at the car that carried the Vaqueros he and Cupcake captured.

The thoughts in his mind were back in full throttle, fighting in an all out war. And one side was clawing its way into being the clear victor.

On the one hand, Cupcake was right. All Roach had to do was just stay silent, do the job, and get out. That’s it. Simple right? Follow orders. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it. Follow orders.

He had to.

He… He would… He should…

Roach took in a deep breath as he realized that the two Vaqueros were looking straight at him with daggers in their eyes. If looks could kill, Roach would be labelled KIA right on the spot. And the looks made him rethink everything that has happened so far, made him think about the other side of the argument.

The side that's winning.

The side that kept that pit in his stomach from going away and slowly getting bigger and heavier as it devoured the side that told him to just follow orders. The guilt of making these men go through something that didn’t involve them at all. It was between General Shepherd, Shadow Company and Al-Qatala. No one else. These soldiers had nothing to do with it. And it devoured Roach’s mind and soul. His gut twisted as he tore his eyes away as he barely registered his call sign. The guilt ridden man didn’t even notice when his team leader approached.

“Roach.” Jet repeated, sounding irritated, “Did you even hear a damn thing I just said?” His eyebrow arched up as he tilted his head to his side. Jet never wore his goggles. Not unless it was in the field with enemies nearby. Since all of their enemies were captured by the team, there was no need for them. They rested on his helmet as his piercing icey blue eyes bore into his second in command. ‘No. I’m sorry, can you repeat?’ Roach signed. A different guilt hit him now. Not the pained guilt of his morals. Fearful guilt. Or maybe it was just fear.

Jet had his ways with his tone and cold blue eyes that made the team listen. It was like a mini Graves in training. Manipulation masked as charisma. One thing that Roach hated to admit, was that through the years, Jet had learned how to push everyone’s buttons in the way that made them tick how he wanted them to tick. How to make them listen or cower in fear beneath his words and stare.

Roach would argue that he didn’t need to do it. Jet was a natural born leader who most people naturally listened to. It was like he wanted to make sure he had some extra backup to make sure that the ones that didn’t listen naturally, fell in line.

Jet’s hand firmly gripped Roach’s shoulder as he leaned both of them closer to each other, starting to walk him closer to the car. “Look. Roach. I need you on this mission. Full attention. You can not falter, do you understand me?” Jet growled in a low tone by Roach’s ear before the taller man nodded. “Good. Now. You and I are going to take these sons of bitches to the prison. And we are going to lock them up. When we get through this, alive, you and I will have a chat about listening.” Roach felt his whole body shiver at the final words. He knew the tone and the wording well. It wouldn’t just be a lecture. The rest of Jet’s ‘problem solving’ with unobedient team members usually resulted in a brawl of some sort in the training ring, with creative insults or a worse punishment that made a person doubt their abilities. Provided that they had decided to do something that’s not according to Jet’s order and ended poorly or threatened to end the mission poorly.

Jet’s go to for Roach was how clumsy he can be. Sometimes the man was sloppy or had a bad luck streak during missions with falling or near death experiences that he always came back from. But it slowly started to not affect the freckled man as much as Jet would like. He was losing his grip on Roach. Even now, the taller male was slipping through his fingers and Roach couldn’t tell if it frightened the man or not. “Now let’s go.” Jet released Roach’s shoulder before he marched his way to the driver side of the car. He seemed tenser than usual. Was this getting to Jet? Was it that stressful for their leader that this goes well?

Roach didn’t argue though. Even if he wanted to, this wasn’t the time nor palace for it and he knew it. So he got into the passenger side of the car, making sure his ammo was good in his pistol and rifle as Jet started up the vehicle. It roared to life before the raven haired man started to drive it to the location of the prison. “What’s gotten into you Roach?” Jet asked in a softer tone. He always did a 180 whenever it came to Roach and going behind closed doors. Or at least closed doors when it came to their teammates. It wasn’t like the Vaqueros in the back would care about the two men’s relationship when they had helped capture Fuerzas Especiales and had detained them.

Sometimes, it felt like Roach was Jet’s favorite. “Nothing.” Roach responded monotonously as Jet started up the car.

He knew better than to sign when someone was driving, especially when it came to the pistol in his hand and his eyes out the window, making sure that as they left Los Vaqueros’ base, there was no one following them. Of course that’s also what Crash’s, Rico’s, and Void’s job was as well.

“You know I don’t like it when you lie, my little bug.” Jet continued. The pet name made Roach itch in all the worst ways. It caused his nose to scrunch up at the sickly sweet tone Jet was using. “Let’s just get this over with.” He responded back, having a firmer tone which only made Jet back off. At least for now. The drive was silent to the location. Or, well, silent between the two Shadow Company soldiers. Every so often their captives would bang against the plastic with their shoes or the one not gagged would yell swear or two at the men in front of them. Roach tried to not let it get to him as he made sure to memorize every detail of the drive. Every turn, every notable landmark, almost nothing went by him that he could see. He would need it. Either to return to Fuerzas Especiales’ base or just in case he needed to return to the prison.

As they approached the prison, the sun had started to set and the clouds had gathered, making the area darker. It felt like proper lighting as they pulled up to the tall walls that outline the complex. Towers about every 40 feet along the wall. Some bits of the walls had a v shaped crumble to it, the bricks and stone laying to waste on the outside. It was old and probably was abandoned for a while. That or, it was left to decay to avoid suspicion. After all, Roach had zero idea of how Graves found this place and took it over. But he did. And now, Shadow Company soldiers ran the complex. They were stopped at the prison gates by fellow Shadow Company soldiers to check and make sure it was indeed Shadow 7 with new and final captives.

“You guys didn’t happen to find Rodolfo Parra did you?” A Shadow asked all too casually after doing a quick check of who was in the cars. “No… Do we not have Rodolfo?” Jet questioned, his eyes narrowing. “Shit… Looks like we don’t. He’s just one man though right? As long as we have his team and 141 isn’t a problem, we should be fine.” The man responded with a shrug as he looked at Jet. “Yeah. We should.” The Shadow 7 team leader agreed, casting a glance at Roach. The masked man couldn’t read the expression. It was either accusatory or letting his second in command know that he didn’t believe what he agreed to. Rodolfo was a Sergeant Major and close to Alejandro. There was no way that he wasn’t a threat.

Jet rolled up his window once he and his group were given the clear to enter the complex. “I feel like whoever was tasked with taking out Rodolfo’s section should’ve captured him. He’s going to be a problem.” Jet grumbled as they drove down the dirt path. Roach agreed with a nod as their car went through the gates.

Roach hadn’t met the Sergeant Major himself, but the respect the men he interacted with had for him was strong, not as strong as Alejandro. Though a good leader usually has a good second in command.

The inside of the walls had multiple smaller buildings that needed a touch up. It felt on par with the area because there was a maze of decaying smaller walls throughout the area. One big building flanked the side. There was no doubt that’s where Shadow Company would be keeping who they rounded up from Los Vaqueros. It seemed like the main building of the prison, the grey wall having small pebbles lining it from the decay of the tops of the walls. It sent an invisible shiver down Roach’s spine as he wondered how cleaned up the place was or if they had just snatched it up and made sure the controls worked.

The cars stopped as close as they could to the building. They were lined up almost bumper to bumper, allowing some space for a person to get through as the vehicles were positioned in front of a set of two doors. There were a couple of Shadow Company soldiers positioned by it, looking bored as they looked around, one gently nudging a small pebble with his foot. Shadow 7 all left their respective vehicles, with Jet and Roach grabbing the two Vaqueros from the backseats of their car, Void and Cupcake doing the same. Roach tugged out the one he gagged, giving a sorrowful glance to the man who only shot daggers back. The Shadow Company soldier then forced the man over to the entrance, falling instep with Jet. Cupcake and Void followed in behind the two while Crash, Rico and Skunk brought up the rear.

Roach let himself slip back into his thoughts as the group made their way into what seemed to be the cafeteria. It was a good size given the building felt massive, but it was barren, chairs left in their original position by the last prisoners who had had their last meal in these walls. A couple of Shadows speckled on the walkway above, hinting at future use of the empty room, or perhaps just making sure that the group of seven were indeed with Shadow Company and bringing the captives to the correct spot. Something didn’t feel right. There were too many Shadows here for it to just be the 3 teams. Did Graves bring the rest of the PMC strictly for this? The best of the best would be stationed to capture and detain Los Vaqueros alive and bring them to the prison while the rest would be brought in to guard the prison and be stationed elsewhere? Roach couldn’t believe how secretive Graves was about this. Sure there had been secretive missions beforehand, but nothing this big. Nothing that brought the entire fleet of soldiers trained underneath the man’s watchful eyes. They usually all had different missions they would complete. How much was General Shepherd paying Graves to pull this off?

The seven made their way through the rest of the prison silently. Each person that was pushing forward a Vaquero moved their respective soldier into an empty cell. The group had to do it systematically, the control panel being further down the hall for the doors to open and close. The Vaqueros were surprisingly silent for the time being, as if each one was trying to work something out. Before Roach put his in, he took the t-shirt off, figuring it would at least feel better before he got the information over the comms to remove their zip ties. Roach obeyed before pushing the man in, hearing him curse as he rubbed his wrists. The door quickly closed behind him before the Shadow Company soldier regrouped with the rest of Shadow 7.

“Alright. Crash, Rico, Skunk and Void, you four will stay here. Cupcake, Roach and I are heading back to the Mexican Special Forces’ base to help make sure that Graves can either successfully detain or discourage Alejandro, Ghost and Soap from doing anything. Rico will be incharge until we return, any orders he gets or gives follow to a T. Good luck.” Jet ordered before gesturing for Cupcake and Roach to follow him. Roach casted a glance to the four they were leaving behind before he nodded his head in a farewell. The rest did the same before Cupcake and Roach followed Jet back to the vehicles. Roach hopped back into the front passenger seat as Jet climbed into the driver’s side, Cupcake taking a different vehicle with a few other Shadow Company soldiers.

The air was thick between the two like it usually was after a small disagreement. Roach kept his gaze away from Jet as the raven haired man started to drive the car back to the base location of Fuerzas Especiales. “We can’t keep doing things like this Roach.” Jet’s voice, that was for once soft, broke the silence. “You’re my second in command. If I have you doubting not just my decisions, but Graves’ orders. It’s not going to look good for us.” He huffed slightly. “I know you don’t agree with what is happening. It’s unfair. But we’re paid to do a job and then leave. Nothing more. Nothing less. So help your team do their job so they won’t end up dead by the hands of the enemy.” His voice started to harden by the last sentence, the man’s eyes darting over to Roach before returning his attention to the road. Jet’s words shouldn’t have hit Roach as hard as they did with the way his mind was teetering back and forth between following orders or not. He knew that via the contract that kept him employed at Shadow Company, yes. He shouldn’t disobey orders. However there was a clause, a clause that he knew well mainly because he gets bored easily and would reread the contract to keep it fresh in his memory. Roach would not be punished in any way for disobeying orders if it meant saving more lives, especially of his fellow soldiers. But this mission felt like one where that would be broken and the dirty blond couldn’t entirely figure out why.

“Bug-” “-I understand.” Roach was quick to respond, harshness filling his tone as he didn’t want to hear more of Jet’s coaxing to follow his command. It wasn’t often that they’d have this much static between them on a mission, but it was building. Once again the ride was silent as Jet drove the vehicle back to the base, Roach keeping his eye on his surroundings as usual.

It wasn’t raining yet, but when Roach stepped out of the vehicle, he could smell it through his mask. It spelled heavy rain.

Jet and Roach silently met up with Cupcake, who glanced at the two tense men before asking, “So what’s our post, Jet?” The blond asked in a cautious tone, clearly seeing the strain between the two as if it was a string in front of him. The line being pulled taut. “Cupcake, you will be sweeping the buildings with Shadow 4 and Shadow 5, checking to see if Rodolfo was stupid enough to stay here. Roach and I will be by the main gate for when Graves, Alejandro, Ghost and Soap arrive. Keep an ear out on your radio. I doubt these men will go easily.”

Cupcake nodded before parting from the group. He headed towards the building as the other two walked to the gate. Rain had just started to drizzle down as the men made their silent trek to the guarded entrance to Fuerzas Especiales.

Bright lights were shining in the distance, indicating that the duo got back just in time to see the four men return. The two glanced at each other, a silent agreement to get their rifles ready, so they slung them from over their shoulders into their hands, pointing the barrel down before they started to jog. They were still a distance away from the gate and they could not be late for the inevitability that Alejandro, Ghost and Soap wouldn’t go down without a fight. Their boots hitting against the blackened and soon wet road as the rain started to slowly come down heavier.

The gate had two lanes, one for going in, one for going out. The ceiling was propped up with eight steel beams, four being above each building that were on either side of the road. There were two barrier gate arms, one for each road, alternating in white and red, one was down, the other was up as the vehicles pulled to a stop, one under the cement cover that was lifted many feet above the vehicles.

Then they saw Alejandro, Graves, Soap and Ghost exit the vehicles. Graves was first, his rifle pointed down at the ground before his head looked over at the Colonel as he spoke. “What’s this?” Alejandro’s voice was barely heard as he quickly closed the car’s door and started towards Graves. Jet and Roach had just approached the gate, the Colonel’s arm gesturing to the Shadow Company soldiers that were stationed at the gate instead of his men.

“This is the immediate future.” Graves responded calmly. The pit in Roach’s stomach worsened as Jet and Roach took up positions by the black vehicle. “Step away from the gate.” Graves’ words weren’t a suggestion, they were an order. Roach could see Ghost glancing over at Soap and Alejandro, his eyes carefully sweeping the area as he did so. The masked man was smart, Roach had to give him that, but until he reacted, the freckled man couldn’t do anything. 

“Waht?!” Soap’s disapproving and confused word rang through the rain as it continued to pour down.

“You heard me.” The Shadow Company Commander responded, keeping his tone cool and collected.

“Are you crazy?” Alejandro sounded like he didn’t believe what the blonde was telling him. His voice started to get agitated as his arms gestured to the buildings behind Graves. “This is my base.”

“It’s not a base.” Graves corrected as he shuffled forward slightly. “This is a… Sizable, covert facility. And I admire it.” A slight smile parted his lips before he continued to speak. “So I’m taking it. You boys have been relieved. Thank you for your service.”

“No no no. I don’t take orders from you” Alejandro’s eyes were focused on Graves, brow furrowing. Disbelief and pure hatred written all over his features at the gall that the American had for taking over his base. His voice was quiet as if he was trying to keep his cool, his arms fidgeting forward as if he was trying to work out some of his anger while he spoke.

Graves took another shift forward, eyes narrowing as he cooly taunted, “Didn’t Valeria say that?” There was a pause that made the air stiffen with tension, a firm and subtly accusatory tone filling his next words. “Now that makes me wonder what else I don’t know about your affiliation with a drug lord.” Alejandro glanced back at Soap, clearly trying to keep his cool while also silently asking the 141 member if Graves’ was out of his mind as the PMC leader pointed at the Colonel with two fingers near the end of his sentence. Roach could feel the straws being gripped with his superior’s words. This was insane. Was this practiced? It had to be. Everyone knew these men wouldn’t go down without a fight. So why was he choosing such antagonistic words?

A disbelieving huff left Alejandro before he softly asked, “What the fuck did you just say to me, pendejo?” He took a few slow steps forward, looking down at the man with a strained smile as Soap came up behind him. He gently put a hand on Alejandro’s shoulder, slightly tugging the taller male back as if to warn him to back off.

“You’re oot of line, Graves.” Soap said, jabbing a finger at him. Roach shifted nervously. The three were all within a foot or two of each other. If Alejandro wanted, he could disarm the American, but he didn’t. “Don’t do that.” Graves said, pointing his finger back, choosing to take a few steps back. “Don’t… Do that.” His voice was somewhat playful, before it turned firm, his pointing hand moving to insinuate his words. “No one needs to get hurt here.”

“Are you thre’tinin’ us?” Ghost asked, his voice loud and echoing through the air to make sure he was heard from the other side of the front of the second parked vehicle as he shuffled forward. The Shadows had slowly started to herd in, not enough to cause suspicion, but enough so that they could glance over at each other and silently communicate, making sure each person knew things were escalating to a not ideal point.

“Soldier, I don’t make threats.” The American paused, his eyes sweeping over the three opposing men. “ I make guarantees.” Graves paused, his eyebrows furrowing as he looked between Alejandro and Soap, the Scot’s hand sliding off of the Colonel’s shoulder “So let’s not do this.”

There was a pause that felt like it lasted a long time despite only being a few seconds. “I’m callin’ Shepherd.” Soap sourly replied, only able to turn around and take a few steps before Graves responded. “General Shepherd sends his regards.” The mohawked man then stopped. Roach couldn’t see his face, but the way the conversation was going, he could only guess the disbelief written on the man’s face because of the situation. “He told me y’all wouldn’t take this well.” “He knows about this?!” Ghost’s words seemed to echo the men’s thoughts, his voice annoyed to the degree of anger that had been boiling over for a while. “He’s put me in command of this operation from here on out.” Graves quickly said as Soap shuffled back around, his attention full on the man with still muscles. “So y’all need to stand down. It’s time to let the pros finish this.” Roach had to stop himself from letting out a laughing huff. In his mind Task Force 141 and Los Vaqueros were the professionals. Shadow Company was just a bunch of hired men who didn’t want to go into the military for their own reasons. Then the freckled man’s attention went to Ghost and Soap, they had exchanged looks. Something was up and Roach shifted into a more readied position. Jet noticed, glancing at Roach and following suit, making his way around the front of the black car to get closer to Graves. “And why the hell are we talking like this is some kind of negotiation? It’s not.” Graves continued to speak firmly and quickly, raising his voice at the last word. Authority and threats thrown with just the sound of his voice. “I’ve got my orders.” He said, gesturing to himself with his hand before pointing back at Alejandro and Soap. “And you have yours.”

“And who the fuck do you think you are, cabrón?” Alejandro matched Graves’ energy, his voice having a bit more anger in it as he said his last word a bit louder. “MY MEN ARE INSIDE!” Despite the attempt at keeping his voice calm, the man roared out those four words. The fire inside the Colonel could be labeled as a forest fire, and Roach only hoped the next thing out of Graves’ mouth wouldn’t add fuel to it.

“I’m afraid not.” He was throwing a canister of gasoline towards the roaring flames and Roach’s hands gripped his rifle tightly. “Your men have been…” Graves paused, no doubt thinking of how to ‘calmly’ put his next word, his lips smacking slightly “Detained.”

If looks could kill, Alejandro would be labeled with first degree. But no one had time to register that before the Colonel grabbed Graves by the shoulders, the man then acted in kind and shoved Alejandro into the nearby vehicle. Jet then quickly went and detained the taller man with a zip tie. “Graves, What the FUCK?!” Soap yelled out the last word, another Shadow going around Graves as the commander readied his weapon. Shots were fired at Soap as the man went behind the Shadow that was slowly creeping up on him this whole time. His beefy arm wrapped around the man’s neck as he used the soldier as a body shield while the Shadow Company soldiers struggled to free himself.

Roach stayed beside the car, rifle up and pointed at Soap, eyes narrowed with caution, but his finger never even hovered over the trigger. Roach’s attention was brought to Ghost, the masked man quickly elbowing the Shadow behind him before taking out a knife. He slashed at another soldier that was nearby, the man dodging back as he went to fire at Ghost before being shoved against the car. The blade soon found its place in the Shadow’s neck. Movement drew Ghost’s gaze to the man he had stunned before removing the knife and throwing it at the soldier who was trying to charge the man. Roach stood frozen though, his eyes on the fight as his brain took the worst time ever to stutter. Alejandro had managed to get his arms around Jet, who had him pressed against the car, and was choking him. “Get your fucking hands off of me-” He growled out. Before Roach could react, Graves hit Alejandro in the head with the butt of his rifle, sending the two men to the floor as Jet gasped back to life. Roach was quick to go over and help Jet out from behind the Colonel’s hands as he heard a gun fire by him. It was returned by Soap as he unholstered a pistol from the Shadow he was holding hostage. The bullets landed into the Shadow Company soldier and he went down. Roach then shot at Soap from his crouched position, one of the bullets hitting the man in his arm. A gasp of pain left Soap and sent him to the ground before Graves took it as an opportunity to go check in on Ghost. The masked man had maneuvered to the back side of the car. “Go Johnny! Get out of there!” Roach could barely hear his panicked voice as the freckled male stood up, carefully moving forward to the man on the ground. “Soap- Go!” There was desperation in the English accent before the mohawked man shoved the Shadow Company soldier off of him. The movement made Roach shoot at Soap, and whether on accident or on purpose, none of the bullets hit the fleeing man as he launched himself over the cement barrier.

Graves looked over, displeasure clearly etched on his face as his lips were pulled in a tight line. “Get him- Now!” He barked as Roach quickly moved forward, but the Shadow that was on the ground moved faster, popping up over the barrier to shoot at Soap and getting a face full of lead as Roach positioned himself right besides the now deceased man, shooting at the fleeing man, watching as his silhouette soon blend in with the trees. Roach cursed underneath his mask, feeling Graves approach his side as their eyes scanned the trees. He could hear the disappointed sigh from the man before the Commander turned his attention back to where he had left Ghost. “You there, Ghost?” He asked, trying to keep his voice calm as he raised his rifle to the rear of the car, slowly approaching it as he continued to speak after a short pause. “That was a big mistake, brother.” His voice was irritated, masked beyond what he actually felt as his last word uncovered some rough twang in his voice. “It did not have to be like this.” The man sideshuffled, leaning to the side as he poked over the corner of the vehicle to find nothing. Somehow, the masked man snuck away. “Sonuvabitch.” Graves cursed before shouting to Roach, “Find ‘em!” The freckled man nodded before checking on Jet, bringing him up. “Are-?” He started to speak. “The fuck was that, Roach?” Jet gasped softly as he stood up with the help of his second in command. The dirty blond didn’t respond as he looked away. “Doesn’t matter.” He gruffly responded as he panted, looking at the passed out Alejandro on the ground, icy blue eyes searing with hatred. His hand rubbed his throat that had a bruise starting to form the Colonel choking the American out. “Shadows, this is Graves. Shadow 1 I want you to take Alejandro Vargas to the prison. Shadows 2, 3 and 7, you’re with me. We’re sweeping Las Almas for Ghost and Soap. They are to be killed on sight.” Graves’ voice rang out in the rain as well as being echoed on their radio.

~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Omg this was such a long chapter holy shit. Let me know if you want me to keep longer chapters like this together or separate cause I'm kind of on the fence about it. Either waaaaaay. Tension is building and we're finally intertwining with the in game lore! Hope y'all enjoyed!

@fastleopard1521 - @whateverdraws1008 - @glitter-anon-asks - @olibird - @chaosgoblindoodles

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Master List

[deitripper]

I was one of the Chilean winners to meet Paul McCartney and go to his soundcheck. My experience.

Well fellas, it's been a long time since i posted here and what can i say, i just wanted to give u the good news! As u read it, i had the chance (next to other people, 9 great fellow fans) to hug paul and share few minutes with him (As i write this all what i experienced feels unreal) I'm the one wearing the sgt pepper's suit btw!

I don't remember too much about the whole day, but the soundcheck was AMAZING, he played temporary secretary, mrs Vanderbilt, Let em in and Coming up!!it was CRAZY. Bf the soundcheck was over we were taken to another place in the stadium where we waited few minutes, and we talked with Stuart Bell (((((i joked a bit with him about he having the dream job and the possibility of k1ll1ng someone to be part of Paul's team and he told me 'HOW!? IT WAS A SECRET I TOLD U! ))))😂 Stuart is Paul's tour manager and we met his photographer and cameraman.

To be brief, let's jump right into meeting Paul, where do i start??? HE'S THE MOST ADORABLE MAN EVER, as soon as i saw him my eyes turned into waterfalls, my heart skipped a beat and all the memories of me binge watching videos and interviews of The Beatles crashed in my head. He greeted all the other winners and i didn't notice i was almost the last one, i was so shocked, too paralyzed to even say something, other winners told me Paul said something like 'Oh darling come on' and i just went slowly as i could to be near him and get a hug. I swear won't forget that moment. I HUGGED A BEATLE LIKE WHAAAAAATTT THE ACTUALLL HECKKK!!!! He share few words with everyone while the cameraman recorded everything. I feel that we were with him like 5 minutes but they -believe when i tell you- FELT LIKE 2 SECONDS. Then we took an official photo with Paul (which i'm kinda sad to receive bc i know my sgt peppers suit was totally hide behind two other girls who won, but hey, i'm in the same pic with Paul and that's enough!!) and lastly i had the chance to show him a bit of my work, i ordered some badges and stickers with my Beatle illustrations that i put on my suit and explained him stuff that i can't remember right now :'( But this is what finally made me lost my mind (internally bc for everyone is was just crying) LISTEN LISTEN, HE SAID MY WORK WAS """IMPRESSIVE""" AND HE TOUCHED THE STICKER WITH THE JOHN LENNON PORTRAIT I HAD ON THE SUIT, HE- TOUCHED- ONE- OF- MY- PORTRAITS AND HE RECOGNIZED THAT IT WAS JOHN READING SPANIARD IN THE WORKS. FFS, as i write this i start to sob. Then in a rush we sang the spanish version of 'Besame Mucho" a.k.a Cha Cha Boom song 😂 and then we all said goodbye as we could, waving, screaming, and in my case, crying hard af.

I really really hope to have a chance too see him in concert again, i know that the chance to be THAT near to him again, a literally walking legend, is almost impossible (as impossible as it feel the first time) i know i'm a lucky girl, and my life changed just having the chance to be in the same room with him. I won't be over this, there's now way this feels less exciting over the years. I was one of the few people that had the opportunity to be to his side -even if it was for a minute- and nothing is going to change that.

I have big dreams ahead, and i hope i'm able to accomplish every one of them. After hugging Paul everything feels possible.

If you like my art, know that i feel more inspired than ever before and i hope u can follow me on this journey🩷

Love, Dei.🩷

Ps, all the winners and i are expecting the video of everything, so as soon i as get it i'll try to share all the bits where i'm interacting with Paul (i hope with my soul that our hug is recorded and that his team doesn't cut that while editing the clips)

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

Gossip Girl OC Masterlist

[ 2021 ] [ Paparazzi ]

Name: Alessandra Vanderbilt

Story: Picture Perfect Lies

Face Claim: Maia Mitchell

Alessandra Vanderbilt had a picture perfect life and she knew it. Rich parents and a very successful older brother, always too busy with work and trips to pay attention to what she did. An apartment all to herself at only sixteen years old. All the money in the world and no one to tell her what she could or couldn’t do. Perfect. And no one would ever see behind the curtain, the way she filled up her loneliness with fancy cocktails and designer clothes, the way her footsteps echoed through a too-empty apartment, the way that no one told her what she could or couldn’t do because no one cared what she did or what happened to her. That is, until her aunt’s messy separation led to her cousin Nate moving in, and for the very first time, someone sees more of Alessandra than the picture perfect life she put on display for the world.

Name: Alexei Morozov

Story: Everybody Talks

Face Claim: Timothee Chalamet

Love Interest: Leighton Rosenstern

Name: Alia Kelly

Story: My Castle Crumbled Overnight

Face Claim: Camila Mendes

Love Interest: Nate Archibald; Tripp Vanderbilt; Dan Humphrey

Once upon a time, Alia was the undisputed Princess of the Upper East Side. But then, three years ago, she was unceremoniously exiled by Serena Van Der Woodsen, with lots of blackmail to make it stick.  After two years of exile, Serena goes to boarding school, and Alia returns, quickly reclaiming her crown, alongside fellow princess Blair Waldorf.  And for a time, everything is perfect.  They’re on top of the world.  And then, Serena is spotted at Grand Central, bags in hand, and Alia knows that everything is about to come crashing down.

Name: Audrey Cartier

Story: The Lucky One

Face Claim: Lily Collins

Love Interest: Blair Waldorf

Roman Garrel was, by far, the best boss that Audrey had ever had.  He had been her mentor since she was twelve and first started modelling, guiding her through French society with ease and helping her forge all the connections that she would need to advance her career.  He had even invited her to spend the summer with he and his boyfriend, and his boyfriend’s daughter, Blair Waldorf.

Audrey hadn’t meant to develop feelings for the New Yorker, but the recently heartbroken girl was far more charming than Audrey had ever expected.  Still, she knew it would never go anywhere.  Blair was straight, and returning to the States for the school year.  But when Eleanor Waldorf herself invites Audrey to be the face of her new collection, a job that would involve moving full-time to Manhattan, she can’t help but hope that New York will become her personal city of love.

Name: Bex Bass

Story: Party Girls (Don’t Get Hurt)

Face Claim: Lucy Hale

Name: Chanel Rhodes

Story: Got A Secret

Face Claim: Dianna Agron

Love Interest: Tripp Vanderbilt

Name: Clara Waldorf

Story: Scars Of Love

Face Claim: Willa Holland

Love Interest: Tripp Vanderbilt

Clara Waldorf was perfect. Perfect grades, perfect outfits, the perfect princess of the Upper East Side. But Clara Waldorf had a lot of secrets, too. Not the drinking or the drugs, everyone knew that she was the perfect party girl. No, Clara’s secret was the truth about what happened with Tripp Vanderbilt, and no one would never know the real story. Or so she hopes, but Gossip Girl disagrees.

Name: Corrine Adler

Story: Art Deco

Face Claim: Shay Mitchell

Love Interest: Serena Van Der Woodsen

Name: Emerson Archibald

Story: Heartlines

Face Claim: Zoey Deutch

Name: Erin Humphrey

Story: Cool Kids

Face Claim: Ashley Benson

Love Interest: Nate Archibald

If Erin Humphrey was going to get into Harvard then she needed to take advantage of everything that Constance had to offer. Not just the unparalleled academic experience, but the connections too. She wasn’t friends with Blair Waldorf, or a slave to her every whim the way that Jenny was, but they were civil. She was friend-adjacent with Nate Archibald, she flirted back when Chuck Bass hit on her. But it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t the kind of pull that she needed. Until Serena Van Der Woodsen returns from boarding school and pulls Erin headfirst into the elite circle of the Upper East Side. Erin is determined not to blow her chance, but with Gossip Girl looking for any opportunity to tear them down, she has to work harder than ever to keep her newfound position at the top of the world.

Name: Evie Van Der Woodsen

Story: Freshman Generation

Series: Paparazzi

Face Claim: Meg Donnelly

Love Interest: Jenny Humphrey; Theo Archibald

Everyone on the Upper East Side knows that you can’t have change without drama, and for New York’s richest, there’s nothing like the first week back at school to deliver on both fronts.  And this year promises to deliver more of each than most people will experience in their entire lives.  First, Serena van der Woodsen, spotted at Grand Central after mysteriously disappearing for a year, months after the twins went MIA on their trip to “Miami”. Blair Waldorf  is clinging to her crown and to her white knight — only Nate seems more concerned by both Serena and Theo Archibald returning from boarding school. And what exactly is Chuck Bass doing, lurking around the Ostroff Centre?  No one knows yet, but one thing is for sure — Serena’s abrupt disappearance may have been the trigger, but her unpredictable return won’t be what leads to a cure.

Name: Gemma Wharton

Story: Untitled

Face Claim: Hannah Dodd

Name: Heather Reign

Story: Candy Store

Face Claim: Emma Roberts

Love Interest: Carter Baizen, Nate Archibald, Dan Humphrey

Name: James Locke

Story: Oh No!

Face Claim: Sabrina Carpenter

Name: Josie Archibald

Story: Tell Tale Heart

Face Claim: Nina Dobrev

Love Interest: Chuck Bass; Blair Waldorf

Name: Kaia Wharton

Story: Untitled

Face Claim: Florence Hunt

Name: Katrina Richmond

Story: Untitled

Face Claim: Ellie Bamber

Love Interest: Blair Waldorf

Name: Leighton Rosenstern

Story: Everybody Talks

Face Claim: Tilly Keeper

Love Interest: Alexei Morozov

Name: Michelle Beaton

Story: Leader Of A New Regime

Face Claim: Elizabeth Gillies

Love Interest: Blair Waldorf

Name: Nolan Van Der Woodsen

Story: Million Dollar Man

Series: Paparazzi

Face Claim: Nicholas Galitzine 

Love Interest: Blair Waldorf

Name: Odette Beck

Story: Flashing Lights

Face Claim: Phoebe Dynevor

Love Interest: Blair Waldorf

Name: Percy Carlisle

Story: Sweet Creature

Face Claim: Andrew Garfield

Love Interest: Blair Waldorf & Dan Humphrey

Name: Rhys Astor

Story: National Anthem

Face Claim: Grant Gustin

Love Interest: Blair Waldorf

Rhys Astor was the bane of Gossip Girl’s existence. The richest boy in New York, notorious for his love of partying and one night stands, and friends with Blair Waldorf, he should have been a constant source of headlines. And yet, he wasn’t. Open and unapologetic about his vices, there was nothing about him that could be called a secret. Even his biggest scandals could hardly be considered newsworthy when Rhys himself was so willing to confess his sins. Somehow, despite being the most scandalous member of the Upper East Side, talking about Rhys Astor was only ever a death sentence to Gossip Girl. At least that was the case, before Serena Van Der Woodsen’s grand return.

Name: Sabrina Van Der Woodsen

Story: Last Great American Dynasty

Face Claim: Lily James

Love Interest: Tripp Vanderbilt

Name: Sawyer Archibald

Story: Hollow Lies

Face Claim: Troian Bellisario

Name: Tessa Rosenstern

Story: Everybody Talks

Face Claim: Brianne Howey

Love Interest: Tripp Vanderbilt

Name: Thea Mellon

Story: Illicit Affairs

Face Claim: Holland Roden

Love Interest: Tripp Vanderbilt; Nate Archibald

Name: Theo Archibald

Story: Freshman Generation

Series: Paparazzi

Face Claim: Alex Fitzalan

Love Interest: Eric Van Der Woodsen; Evie Van Der Woodsen

Everyone on the Upper East Side knows that you can’t have change without drama, and for New York’s richest, there’s nothing like the first week back at school to deliver on both fronts.  And this year promises to deliver more of each than most people will experience in their entire lives.  First, Serena van der Woodsen, spotted at Grand Central after mysteriously disappearing for a year, months after the twins went MIA on their trip to “Miami”. Blair Waldorf  is clinging to her crown and to her white knight — only Nate seems more concerned by both Serena and Theo Archibald returning from boarding school. And what exactly is Chuck Bass doing, lurking around the Ostroff Centre?  No one knows yet, but one thing is for sure — Serena’s abrupt disappearance may have been the trigger, but her unpredictable return won’t be what leads to a cure.

Name: Vic Locke

Story: Oh No!

Face Claim: Kristin Chenoweth

Name: Vienna Callahan

Story: Started With A Kiss

Face Claim: Victoria Justice

Love Interest: Nate Archibald

[bqstqnbruin]

I have no title for this again, who’s surprised?

I really just wrote this in less than half an hour so tbd on how great this is. I’m also thinking about turning this into something with multiple parts, but I haven’t posted anything that hasn’t been requested since my birthday almost two months ago. 

I also 100% am supposed to be studying for the inorganic chemistry exam that I have on Wednesday, but that’s a whole other issue.

________________________________________

The day you had to show up to work and prep a lab experiment for your students was, of course, the day that the train decided to not only show up late, but also break down twenty minutes into your half-hour commute. Of course, you still needed to get coffee since you ran out the door without making any like you normally do, and there was no way you were going to show up to school without having caffeine in your system. 

You were a high school chemistry teacher in your first year of teaching, and it seemed like every time you had planned something that you thought your kids would enjoy, something in the universe seemed to try to tell you that you shouldn’t do it. Last month, you tried to do an activity to teach limiting reactants by having the kids make s’mores, and without your knowledge, the bags of marshmallows had disappeared from the rest of your stuff somewhere between your front door and the front door of your school. Another time, you tried to bring something in to demonstrate different types of reactions and when you set it down by your feet, someone stole it and ran off the train before you could catch them. You were wearing heels that day, you weren’t about to run after them.

By the time you get to the Dunkin that is closest to your school, the line is out the door. You try to order the coffee from your mobile app, praying that it would save you a few minutes so you could run the rest of the way to school before you were so late that your students got there and were standing outside your door. 

You get your coffee in a surprisingly fast amount of time, and you’re practically sprinting out the door to make it. You round the corner and crash right into someone, dropping your bags, falling to the ground, and worst of all, spilling your full coffee everywhere. 

“Ah, shit!” you curse as one of your students sees you and walks right past you. Remember that if she ever asks you for a favor, you think to yourself. 

“Are you ok?” A guy asks you. You finally look up from the coffee stain that is all over your shirt and see a guy about your age with the most beautiful blue-green eyes, that goofy boy next door grin, and because of the way he was also on the pavement, he had arm muscles that would make any girl swoon.

“Yes, I’m fine. But you’re covered in coffee. How can I make this up to you?” you ask. Your biggest fault was that you cared for everyone before you cared for yourself. It was why you became a teacher. 

“You not only spilled your coffee, but your stuff is also on all over the ground and you seemed to be in a rush. What do you mean ‘how can I make it up to you?’” He asks, picking up your stuff and pulling you up onto your feet. 

“I’m in a rush which is why I got coffee all over you. Where’s your phone, I’ll make it up to you after school but I have to go get my lab ready for my students.” You say, frantically motioning for his phone, checking your own to see that you only have ten minutes before your students are going to start arriving for first bell. You know you need at least five to find everything because someone else in your department borrowed something, plus another five or so minutes to set up assuming no one distracts you. Then there’s also the fact that you have worksheets to give to your students, and that you needed to pull up their entrance ticket so. All in less than ten minutes now that it took him a little bit to find his phone. 

“I’m Jake, by the way.” 

You look back up at him, shocked. “Wait, shit, you’re Jake DeBrusk. That’s why I know you. I’ve had your shirsey since I was in college” Your students knew that you didn’t grade while the Bruins were playing. You were in Nashville since you got your master’s at Vanderbilt, and your students hated, more than anything, that you were a Bruins fan. You had forgotten that the Bruins were in town to play the Predators, which must be why Jake is in town.

“You’re a fan?” He asks.

“Um, yeah, I’m from New England. But hey, I need to sprint to work and set up a lab so use my number! I’ll see you soon?” you run away before he can say anything. 

You almost knock over one of your own students as you run to your classroom and let the students in that are waiting outside.

“Ok, guys. Who’s ready to help me set up this lab experiment!” You ask them. You’re lucky that you have the best students because they get the lab set up faster than you can get out the papers to pass back to them and set up the entrance ticket question. You even had a minute before the first bell to check on your phone. 

I can swing being in town for an extra night if it means I can take you out. Can you make it up to me then? ;)

The wink had to be a little weird, but you had a feeling that spilling your coffee all over Jake was going to make your life very interesting.

[camillesfm]

。· . ˙ ⌈ alva bratt + cis female + she / her + the  intangible concept ⌋  yo ,  have  you  meet  that  KOOK  ,  camille 'cj' petersen ,  yet ?  — no ?  well ,  to  give  you  a  little  heads  up  before  you  do  ,  they’re  a  TWENTY   year  old ,  PRE-LAW STUDENT  ,  and  have  been  living  in  coston  for  TWENTY . since  i’ve  known  them  ,  they’ve  reminded  me  of PALE PINK POINTE SHOES , CHAINS MADE OF WHITE CLOVERS , A PURPLE SKY JUST BEFORE SUNRISE , STEADY WAVES CRASHING AT LOW TIDE , AND SHATTERED & SCATTERED GLASS . usually  they’re  quite  LEVELHEADED  &  THOUGHTFUL  but  just  make  sure  you  keep  an  eye  out  for  them  around  town  because  i  heard  can  be  quite  RETICENT  &  ALOOF  as  well  so  here’s  hoping  they  aren’t  the  ones  to  undo  this  whole  peace  pact  they  have  going  on  this  summer .  but  just  between  you  &  me ,  i  kinda  hope it  all  falls  apart .  the  rivalry  keeps  this  whole  boring  town  interesting . –– this is cj . . . let’s just . . . dive into this mess ! 

𝐁 𝐀 𝐂 𝐊 𝐆 𝐑 𝐎 𝐔 𝐍 𝐃 .

scarlett petersen is a name known statewide, as she’s the best corporate lawyer on the east coast, clever as the devil and twice as pretty with long blonde hair often pinned into a sleek ponytail. david petersen got his degree at vanderbilt university, moving on to get his phd at unc chapel hill where he could never quite shake that carolina blue. he’s been sitting chancellor for the past six years in tandem with a long term sports-medicine, neuroscience research project that studies the long term affects of brain damage in athletes in contact sports. they both hail from old money families, and long lines of success are continued in two people who hold appearance and accomplishment far above humility or even . . . . humanity lol. they’re good people, really . . . just not really the parenting type.

which is unfortunate! as.  well into their marriage, they had twins, caleb, first, and camille, ten minutes later. bright eyed and blonde haired, the perfect petersen babies were angels in their infancy, and it was easy to parent them . . . especially when they were paying someone else to do it.

caleb and camille grew up under the watchful eye of a rosy-cheeked nanny. think julie andrews as nanny in eloise. they were happy, but lonely, though you’d never guess it by their wide smiles in cuddled family portrait christmas cards. for all anyone else knew, scarlett and david were perfect parents, raising two beautiful children who they loved more than anything . . . but behind that iron gated entryway to a house on the coast was another story.

they liked their kids, sure, but whether or not they loved them was another question entirely. camille, growing up to be the spitting image of scarlett, was liked in the way a rare porcelain artifact was. she was a beautiful thing to behold; seen, not spoken to. shown off, not interacted with in anyway. held with delicate hands and passed around as a humble brag: look at this precious thing i’ve brought into the world. i bet mine’s better than yours. 

but as time passed, the novelty of having children seemed to wear off, and they were moving to the next big thing, the next big step in their careers. they weren’t around when camille began going by cj because it was easier for little voices to say. they weren’t around when blonde ringlets relaxed and grew darker. they weren’t around when she started to develop a personality of her own, interests of her own, talents of her own. christmas cards would go out, but rarely were they all together on christmas morning. thanksgivings were often spent with grandparents, as their parents worked through the holiday. they spent more and more time away from coston, leaving cj and caleb in nanny’s capable hands.

but life goes on, and sometimes it was easy to forget that it was abnormal not to have your parents around. as a youngin, cj was interested in everything. she took a liking to soccer and lacrosse, painting and drawing, piano and guitar . . . but somewhere in between a blue mat and pale pink pointe shoes, she found her thing.

it was obvious, from an early age, that cj was one hell of a dancer. disciplined and precise when she needed to be. creative and passionate when it called for it. gymnastics trained her strength, ballet trained her patience, contemporary pushed her limits with creativity, partner work taught her teamwork. dance was very clearly her best thing and her favorite thing.

her parents only ever attended recitals when it didn’t conflict with anything else on their schedules and when it was classical ballet. dance was a frivolous thing for them, but for cj it was everything. being a naturally shy kid, naturally timid in the shadow of her last name, she became a completely different person on stage who dominated a spotlight . . . without even needed a literal spotlight. ultimately, this is what she spent her life doing. monday through thursday evenings, dance. competitions and performances on the weekends. if neither were happening, you’d catch her teaching classes at coston’s local studio.

it’s what truly made her happy, but that wasn’t something her parents understood. caleb and nanny did, sure, but her parents? not one bit. someone would ask what she wanted to be when she grew up, and if dance was mentioned, she’d be cut off mid-sentence. they didn’t want to hear about it because it wasn’t logical. you can’t make a career out of it. it didn’t help much that her brother was the ideal child in that realm, charming and on a path to success in the medical field. they still had questionable motives, but they favored nonetheless.

sometimes it was a blessing; sometimes it was a curse. when she could slip under the radar, she was grateful, but it seemed that her parents had a keen eye for her screwups. any chance they had, they’d use to scold her or nudge her away from the pointe shoes.

so cj spent a lot of time being pristine in the way that was expected of her, never letting anyone know too much about her, only keeping a few friends close enough to really know her. she stayed out of trouble, kept up exceptional grades, smiled and nodded when necessary, and began catering to the idea that she’d go to law school, a fate pre-determined by her mother no doubt. 

nowadays, she attends brown university, pre-law. she’s a picturesque ivy league gal with a dark academia aesthetic when at school, but there’s a restlessness lingering under the surface. even she’s doing what her parents require of her, she never seems to live up to their unrealistic expectations. we rly do be . . . . waiting for her to have a complete breakdown . . . . aklsdfjha

𝐏 𝐄 𝐑 𝐒 𝐎 𝐍 𝐀 𝐋 𝐈 𝐓 𝐘 .

miss camille . . . better known around town as cj . . . is, above all else, the picture of serenity. she’s levelheaded and calm, and patient as all get out which is probably why she’s so damned accustomed to just going with what her parents thought of her. she’s really great to have in a crisis because very few things cause that steady nature of hers to crumble, and because she’s honestly. . . quietly very maternal. putting the needs of others before her own comes naturally.

she’s quiet and shy, yes, but just because she doesn’t speak doesn’t mean she doesn’t listen. she listens and sees and is . . . quite observant. there’s a way about her that notices the little things, which makes her quite thoughtful when it comes to the people she loves. if you’re lucky enough to be close to her, you can bet she quietly takes notes of little habits and favorites and carefully uses them to idk love ya better ya feel??

reticent comes from the fact that she doesn’t often let people get close to her. the way her parents treated her and caleb growing up has taken. .. . a toll for sure because honestly she’s terrified of disappointing people by shattering the mirror of perfection and revealing too much about herself that’s unexpected

aloof comes from the way she’s calm and quiet . . . and how that sometimes translates as apathy . . . on top of that she’s very daydreamy like she is That Bitch who is staring out of the window producing a whole move in her head which sometimes causes her to not hear when people are talking to her . . . cue the ‘hm? what?’ tuning back in

when i say cj is a different person when she’s dancing . . . . i mean it. like i REALLY mean it. she’s confident and expressive. her choreography tests the limits of tradition. she pushes boundaries when it comes to the physicality of performances. like u rly look at her being quiet and to herself in the corner at a country club event and then see her performing like she invented contemporary and ur like . .. . are u SURE that’s the same girl

people who know her most know her as warm. when she opens up, getting past the shy, she can be a little goofy, definitely has avery creative way about her, wants to know that you’re okay and if you’re not, how can she help ya know!! 

has a black cat named lucky because ya know . . . black cats are bad luck . . . ha ha ha ha . . . get it

the ‘j’ in cj is for her middle name . . . but no one really knows what her middle name is . . . except family and close, close friends 

absolutely hates the energy of the pogue/kook rivalry and thinks violence is most cERTAINLY not the way to go

often times found by the shoreline at night, just a little ways off from the petersen estate because she likes the way the waves sound as they roll in. it helps her think

is trying to make the best of law school by studying to become a defense attorney and she likes it! sort of! really, she just wants to dance for as long as she can and ultimately open up her own studio

definitely believes in wishing stars

bad case of insomnia

has a finsta dedicated to lucky

has a dance insta too . . . . but that’s lowkey bc her parents can’t know about it

please for the love of god watch this because charity and cj have the same energy

this also has cj energy

so does this . . . classical is fun when it’s telling a story and she loves a good pas de deaux but otherwise meh

my girl is physically . .. QUITE strong

says sorry WAY too often

incessant need to prove herself, prove her worth, since her parents never seem to find it

loves caleb sfm but will thump him in the forehead for mentioning he’s older

overachiever . . . . yikes

ABSOLUTELY burns the candle at both ends

idk if y’all watched high school musical the musical the series but gina . . . . . ..  minus the ‘mean girl’ plot they tried . . .. is v cj and bitch i hate to say it but neville longbottom??? also a cj mood LMAO

OK THAT’S IT THAT’S ALL THERE WE GO IT’S DONE I’M DONE GBYYYYYE BABIIIIE

[huntedinhavensdale-rpg]

Name: Landon Callaghan Pronouns: He/Him Age: 18 years old  Hometown: New Haven, CT Species: Human Affiliation: Good - Unaffiliated FC: Dylan Sprayberry

Bio ➜

❝MUSIC WASHES AWAY FROM THE SOUL THE DUST OF EVERYDAY LIFE.❞

Before being dragged kicking and scowling to Havensdale Valley, Landon Callaghan had the best life. Both him and his little sister, Ashley, were spoiled. Landon grew up fancy, it was just the way it was. His dad, Duke Callaghan, was the best dad in the world. He stayed at home a lot, wasn’t afraid to kick the ball around in the mud and was there cheering Landon on at everything he did. And before everything changed, Landon did everything. He was the captain of the soccer team, he was killing it on the swim team, he was learning four different instruments and everyone wanted to be his BFF. His dad would always be his first best friend though even if that is corny as hell.

Landon’s mom, Paige Vanderbilt, definitely wouldn’t play in the mud-- not with her manicure. Landon never cared about that though. He and his mom had their own favourite things to do, they had their own bond and Landon thought the world of her. In fact, his parents could do no wrong in his eyes. He had them up on the world’s highest pedestal. Maybe that’s why everything came crashing down. When Paige Vanderbilt voluntarily goes back to Havensdale to visit her parents multiple times in a month and doesn’t answer her cell? Something’s wrong. Landon never would have guessed though. The news came after his dad caught her with Havensdale’s worst weatherman, George Weston, and the rest is history.

During their messy divorce, Landon stopped texting back his friends. He stopped showing up at his clubs. The only solace he found was in music. He’d spend endless hours in his room, headphones on, drowning out the world and all the crap that came with it. Their marriage was over and Landon had to move to Havensdale Valley. He was determined to hate everything about it. He was determined to hate everyone in it! As it turned out, Landon wouldn’t stand a chance against the likes of Jamie McArthur, Keith Salvatore, Yvonne DeLisle and Annie Porter. In fact, they even managed to drag him to Founder’s Festival (technically, he is one of the ‘founding families’ on his mom’s side). It was supposed to be fun.

Additional Information ➜

Landon was lucky to survive Founder’s Festival and things only got more intense from there! Being a regular kid, he had no idea about the supernatural world but he had to learn fast.

The friends he’d been determined not to make, ended up saving his life. Without them, Landon doesn’t know what life would have been like under the dome. He’s an avid listener of Jamie and Annie’s podcast. He’s even guest starred once or twice.

His dad had been getting close to Andy Parker before everything went full ‘Twilight’. When they officially got together, Landon didn’t know how to feel about it. When Andy moved in, it was an adjustment. Things weren’t the smoothest between them but they’re getting there.

Having survived his senior year, Landon doesn’t think the rumour of an ‘after curfew’ prom party is a good idea. But if his friends are going, he’ll have to go to. They have each other’s backs even when it’s clearly dangerous!

[yeskhanzadame11]

College Football - Alabama & Florida Barely Win, 12 Others Put on Muscle Shirts & Strut Their Stuff

Alabama Crimson TideThere was only one real upset in college football's 8th week of play as 12 of the 20 top-ranked teams put on their muscle shirts and showed what they have, a sure sign that teams have begun to stabilize for their last 4 games.

Only 21st-ranked Texas Tech was caught flat-footed at home by unranked Texas A&M, 52-30. The Red Raiders (now 5-3) were favored by 22 and lost by 22, a 44-point negative swing that sent Texas Tech reeling. The Texas A&M Aggies meant business, piling up a 38-22 lead after 3 quarters, and then outscoring the Red Raiders 14-8 in the 4th quarter.

Texas A&M was trounced 62-14 last week by Kansas State and decided to take it out on Texas Tech. The high score was no real surprise; both teams came in as scoring machines-Tech was ranked 2nd nationally at 41 ppg, and A&M was 19th at 33 ppg. A&M piled up 559 yards of offense and Tech 520; the contest was strictly offensive with a combined 1,079 yards of offense. Exciting, but not good football.

One other upset occurred when unranked Clemson hung in and hung on for a 40-37 overtime upset of 8th-ranked Miami (FL) on the Hurricanes' home field. Miami (now 5-2) was favored 5. Kyle Parker threw a 26-yard scoring strike to Jacoby Ford to win the game. It was big deal for Clemson because the Tigers have been toothless for some time. The win was Clemson's first in 9 tries over ranked teams, and its first win over a Top 10 foe in more than 8 years.

Here are the 7 of 12 teams that put on their muscle shirts looking for more BCS poll support by dominating their opponents in away games:

No. 3-ranked Texas (7-0) over Missouri 41-7, 6th-ranked Boise State (7-0) over Hawaii 54-9, 10th-ranked Texas Christian (7-0) over Brigham Young 38-7 (TCU was favored by 2.5 and won by 31), 11th-ranked Georgia Tech (7-1) over Virginia 34-9, 13th-ranked Penn State (7-1) over Michigan 35-10, 14th-ranked Oklahoma State (6-1) over Baylor 34-7, Alabama Crimson Tide and 25th-ranked Oklahoma (4-3) over 24th-ranked Kansas 35-13 (this was not an upset as the Sooners were favored by 8 an won by 22).

Three other away game victories by ranked teams were less dominating.

No. 2-ranked Florida (7-0) led Mississippi State 16-13 after 3 quarters and then outscored the Bulldogs 13-6 in the final quarter to win 29-19. The victory was Florida's 17th straight, the nation's longest winning streak. Gator Tim Tebow threw two interceptions for touchdowns; Mississippi State's Johnthan Banks ran one back for 100 yards and another for 20 yards.

No. 7-ranked Iowa (8-0) used a last play 7-yard TD pass by Ricky Stanzi to Marvin McNutt to come-from-behind against Michigan State 15-13. The Spartans had successfully defended 3 downs and led 13-9 before the last play. Iowa has now won 12 straight dating back to last season, the second-longest streak in the nation.

The Hawkeyes are becoming a bigger deal nationally because they have won more close games than a pack of termites at a timber feast. Seven of their 8 victories have been by 11 or fewer points, including 1, 2 and 3-point victories over Northern Iowa, Michigan and Arkansas. Last year Iowa lost 4 games by a combined total of 12 points. The Hawkeye defense has 15 interceptions this year and 9 fumble recoveries.

No. 14-ranked Oregon (6-1) got a lot of help from Washington in its 43-19 victory, which might have appeared more dominate than it actually was. The Huskies managed to let a rusher go untouched on a punt attempt that was blocked and resulted in a loose ball in the end zone that Oregon recovered for a TD. While Washington was rushing to get into position for the extra point, the holder ran it in for a 2-point conversion.

Another Husky drive that should have been a touchdown became a field goal, and another Husky drive ended at 2nd-and-goal and Washington could not get it in as Jake Locker threw an interception on 4th down and the Huskies came away with nothing. Oregon would rush for 259 yards and Washington could not stop them.

Here are the 5 of 12 teams that put on their muscle shirts looking for more BCS poll support by dominating their opponents in home games:

No. 5-ranked Cincinnati (7-0) over Louisville 41-10, 9th-ranked Louisiana State (6-1) over Auburn 31-10, 17th-ranked Houston (6-1) over Southern Methodist 38-15 (Houston led 31-3 after 3 quarters), 18th-ranked Ohio State (6-2) over Minnesota 38-7, and 20th-ranked Pittsburgh (7-1) over South Florida 41-14.

Five other home game victories by ranked teams were less dominating.

Least impressive was 1st-ranked Alabama's block of a 44-yard field goal on the last play of the game by the Tide's 350-pound nose guard Terrence Cody to preserve a 12-10 lead and victory over the unranked 3-4 Tennessee Volunteers. The blocked field goal by Cody, now dubbed "Mount Cody", was his second of the game. The Crimson Tide (now 8-0) came into the game ranked No. 1 in total defense; Alabama's offense, which averaged 34 points a game coming in, got all of its points on 4 field goals by Leigh Tiffin, including a 49-yarder and a 50-yarder.

No. 4-ranked Southern California was lucky to get by the unranked 4-3 Oregon State Beavers. A 63-yard punt return by Damian Williams in the 4th quarter and a late drive that bailed out the USC defense saved the day as the Trojans outlasted the Beavers, 42-36. Southern Cal was ranked 9th in the nation in total defense, but its scoring defense was ranked 41st (the Trojans were giving up 30 points a game). Now you know why USC is beyond lucky to be ranked No. 4 in the country. Think about it, the Trojans gave up 36 points to a 4-3 Oregon State team. The Beavers were the only team to beat USC last year, and they did it at home 27-21.

No. 19-ranked Utah (6-1) went lame in a 23-16 victory over a 4-4 Air Force team. This is not the same Utah team that went 13-0 last year as the only undefeated team in the nation, and then took down Alabama 31-17 in the BCS Sugar Bowl. Utah still must face major opponents in Texas Christian (7-0) and Brigham Young (6-2).

No. 22-ranked West Virginia (6-1) needed a 56-yard touchdown run by Noel Devine in the closing minutes to get by Connecticut, 28-24, and 23rd-ranked South Carolina (6-2) keep a weak 2-6 Vanderbilt team at bay long enough to win 14-10. The 15th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies were idle this week.

Here are two unranked teams still on the move and hoping to get ranked. Central Michigan (now 7-1 and getting more impressive every week) beat Bowling Green 24-10, and Navy (6-2) beat Wake Forest 13-10.

Nebraska, which I publicly identified as a fraud in last week's wrap-up, lost again, this time to Iowa State 9-7 in what sounded like a scrum match. The Idaho Vandals, who had been flying high at 6-1, got crushed by a 4-3 Nevada team, 70-45. Ouch, that was some crash landing; nonetheless, the Vandals are still 6-2 and bowl eligible.

Tell Rudy to crank up that typesetting machine, this wrap-up is finished (just for the record, you have to be at least 65 years old to use the noun typesetting in an article like this; we do it primarily to confuse younger people between downing shots of Jameson).

(Editor's Note: The rankings in this article are from the AP Top 25 Poll of sportswriters and sportscasters, and any ratings are from Jeff Sagarin.)

Copyright © 2009 Ed Bagley

Check out "Ed Bagley's Top 25 Poll" for Week 8-you get rankings plus humor.

"College Football Wrap-Up - Week 7 - Kansas, Ohio State, Virginia Tech and Nebraska All Get Exposed as Frauds"

"College Football - A Season of 2 Games: One Becomes Abject Heartache, The Other Extreme Joy - Part 1"

"College Football - A Season of2 Games: 'The Immaculate Footception' Will Live Forever in Washington Husky Lore - Part 2"

"Not Being Selected Among the Top 25 in the Preseason Coaches' Poll Is the Kiss of Death - You Have No BCS Title Shot"

"College Football - The Sagarin Ratings - What They Are, How to Read Them & What to Do With Them"

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3159243

for more info, Alabama Crimson Tide visit our site.

[tophatal]

In The Cold Light of Day You Can Always Figure Out The Truth …

Well, the Major League Baseball season came to an abrupt end and the Boston Red Sox claimed the best record in the league on their way to a one-hundred win season. The Red Sox were joined by the New York Yankees and Houston Astros as the only other ball-clubs to have achieved the feat during this long and arduous season. Among the players who excelled during the year , we have Blake Snell among the pitchers , who led all starters in the number of wins as well as having one of the lowest ERA’s among the starters. With regard to offense it was another very good season with several players living up to expectation , among them two-time AL MVP and Los Angeles Angels’ outfielder Mike Trout . It was another disappointing season for the Angels as they failed to make the postseason for 2018. It is widely known, that team manager Mike Sciocsia will not be returning to the ball-club in 2019 . Another big league manager also in the same position is John Gibbons of the Toronto Blue Jays , as the front office made it official, that his contract will not be extended.

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The Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals were among the major disappointments within the National League , with Miami having among the worst record of all the teams in the NL (National League) and their barely being competitive within the NL East , where they finished bottom of the division. The surprising winners there , were the Atlanta Braves who finished with a 90-72 record . The wildcard entrant within the NL will be the Los Angeles Dodgers tie-breaker with the Colorado Rockies and the losers of the tie-breaker between the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers . That game is due to take place on Monday, 1st October , with the Cubs playing host to the Brewers at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. . It makes for a fascinating start to the MLB postseason in 2018 , with two tie-breaking series set to unfold . I’d dare say the Los Angeles Dodgers are in a very precarious situation , having to face divisional rival the Colorado Rockies.

Heavily favored, but yet somehow, a team largely made of PGA superstars and they failed miserably as the US Ryder Cup Team lost to their European counterparts in one of the most lopsided results in recent Ryder Cup history. The final score of 17 ½ to 10 ½ didn’t do the Europeans justice as Francesco Molinari led a tremendous team, with the Italian posting a 5-0 winning record , matching a feat only achieved by four other players in the format’s history. This biannual event is the biggest team competition in golf , bigger than the President’s Cup and the World Cup of Golf. In 2020 , when Europe seeks to defend their title , the Ryder Cup will be played on American soil at the Whistling Straits Golf Course , in Milwaukee , Wisconsin. It will be very interesting to see who will be the captain of the US Team will be and whether or not there will be a great deal of camaraderie among the players. Based on the results seen in France, there seems to be a great deal of animosity and among the Americans , with their also being a great deal of finger pointing and backbiting among those teammates.

Five games into the College Football season and it looks like Alabama intends to separate themselves from the rest of the programs at the top of D1 Football. With a 5-0 record there isn’t a great deal that the team has left to prove , other than for Crimson Tide Head Coach Nick Saban to win another national title. Saban has cemented himself as among the greatest college coach in College Football history. On Saturday afternoon Alabama entertained or should I say played and toyed with Louisiana Lafayette on their way to a 56-14 lopsided victory. To say that Louisiana put up any type of resistance would be laughable , as the game was never really close at any time during its duration.

Alabama will like remain atop of the College Rankings , while also heavily positioning themselves to win out within the SEC (Southeastern Conference) once again. . In week six Nick Saban will take his players on the road as they face Arkansas (Razorbacks) on the road for a game to be played on the 6th October , 2018 at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas,. I doubt that this will be the game where Alabama will be upended .

The nearest team to Alabama by way of their play and athleticism based on record , being that there are still several unbeaten teams . might well be Clemson , whose championship winning run and their defeat of Alabama was a joy to behold. . In week six Clemson’s coaching staff headed by Dabo Swinney will prepare the team to face rival Wake Forest on the road . The Georgia Bulldogs might well be ranked as the number two team in the nation and they are very good , but I still believe the Clemson Tigers to be the better team ! Georgia for their part will have a very interesting upcoming game when they take on Vanderbilt .

Well , so much for that 3-0 start to their season by the Miami Dolphins and the claims that this might be the team to beat within the AFC East . That picture was quickly laid to rest as the Dolphins were manhandled and mauled by a New England Patriots’ team looking to make amends for a poor start to their season. Anyone who believed this Patriots’ roster had seen better days , well they were suddenly reawakened by the cacophony of a bang, as New England took it upon themselves to remind the rest of the NFL why this franchise is a five-time winning Superbowl champion. Tom Brady had his best outing of the season by far with both the defense and offense playing their part in this humiliating defeat of the Miami Dolphins. Adam Gase , a former protege’ of Patriots’ Head Coach Bill Belichick , now finds himself having been taught a real lesson by his Master. For Ryan Tannehill and all the talk of his being a leader or this Miami Dolphins’ team , it is becoming increasingly clear he still has a long way to go before he can be remotely considered to be an elite quarterback in the NFL .

Ryan Tannehill’s performance against the New England Patriots saw the player pass for a mere one hundred yards , while barely competing fifty percent of his pass attempts during the game. He would be replaced by backup quarterback Brock Osweiler , who fared no better than his teammate during the contest. With week five of the regular season just around the corner and the Dolphins not having their bye-week until week eleven where they’re joined by the Buffalo Bills , Cleveland Browns , New England Patriots , New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers as the teams with a bye for that week. Next up for Ryan Tannehill and the Miami Dolphins will be a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on the road in an AFC match-up . Meanwhile , Tom Brady and the Patriots will be preparing to take on the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium , in Foxboro’, Massachusetts,.

Ryan Fitzpatrick’s world and that of the Tampa Buccaneers’ came crashing down to a loss , that was totally unexpected. In many respects , the writing had been on the wall , as the Buccaneers had begun to show frailties long expected and at some point we all knew would be exposed. Chicago Bears’ rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky passed for a franchise-game six passing touchdowns on the way to the team’s 48-10 victory over their conference rivals. The Buccaneers might well be 2-2 at present , but that record is very deceptive , because this is not a two and two one team . If anything, the Buccaneers are lucky to have that record and it begs the question what else can Dirk Koetter now do with a team which continually lets their fans down due to their complacency and inconsistency ?

If Ryan Fitzpatrick’s performance against the Chicago Bears was thought to be bad , then having Jameis Winston come on to replace Fitzpatrick, barely offered the Buccaneers any hope at all, as Winston simply showed us once again why his progress has been mediocre since becoming a first round draft pick for the franchise in 2015 . To suggest that there might be an upside to Winston’s game would be like trying to equate it with walking across the Grand Canyon without the use of a balancing pole to aid the walker on that journey. The hard part for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be to try and convince their doubters that they’re still a team capable of being viewed as a contender within the NFC and worthy of a postseason berth. Based on the four games played to date , I am far from convinced that the Buccaneers are even capable of having a winning season in 2018, let alone making it to the NFL postseason. It will be interesting to see how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers seek to rebound from this loss the Chicago Bears when they face the Atlanta Falcons on the road in week six .

Patrick Mahomes might not have been the first quarterback taken in the 2018 NFL Draft , but he’s certainly playing like the top prospect the front office of the Kansas City Chiefs believed him to be. Too early to say as of yet if he’ll measure up to the accomplishments of Carson Wentz, which was seen last season , before Wentz went down due to injury , unable to participate in the Philadelphia Eagles triumphant postseason foray , where their ultimate triumph was the defeat of the New England Patriots in the Superbowl. I am not saying that Mahomes will lead the Chiefs to that sort of postseason experience , but it would certainly be interesting to see what could happen over the remainder of the team’s schedule. The rookie quarterback kept his composure in leading the Kansas City Chiefs to a well-deserved win over divisional rivals the Denver Broncos and thereby keeping their unbeaten record in tact.

Next up for the Kansas City Chiefs will be a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City , Missouri .

The NBA preseason has begun in earnest and it will be interesting to see how the teams will fare , in the lead-up to the regular season schedule which tips off officially on the 16th October with two Opening Night Games. Current defending NBA champions , the Golden State Warriors will certainly be looking to improve upon last season’s record , albeit , that the team didn’t have the best regular season record. Yet , for Steve Kerr , his coaching staff and that of the front office led by Bob Myers . Their wish is to create another dynasty for the league to talk about. The Warriors’ roster led by Steph Curry and Kevin Durant , have to be seen as the prohibitive favorites to make a successful defense of their title. This team as it currently stands with the addition of DeMarucs Cousins might be even more formidable than last season’s championship roster .

The Golden State Warriors will begin the defense of their title with the customary preseason schedule before embarking upon their regular season beginning on the 16th October , when they face the Oklahoma City Thunder at home at the Oracle Arena in Oakland ,

Of the big off-season moves , no one was really surprised when LeBron James made the announcement that he would be moving West to the bright lights and big city of Los Angeles. Joining the Los Angeles Lakers signing a five-year max deal that pays him just over $150 million dollars was not a big expenditure when you take into account this remains the NBA’s most popular franchise and quite possibly it’s most valuable based on attendance levels and ratings.

Lakers’ head coach Luke Walton will be hard pressed to convince me this team has what it takes to take down the Golden State Warriors and the best that the Western Conference has to offer. LeBron James might well have won with less while with the Cleveland Cavalier, but he’s playing with the Big Boys of the West and not the daycare kindergarten kids of the East as was the case last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers . When the Lakers begin their preseason schedule of five games it will be interesting to see how the team will fare. The first of those contests will see them them tip off against the Denver Nuggets at home on Tuesday , 2nd October . . Their regular season schedule begins on the 18th October when they face conference rivals the Portland Trailblazers .

Eight straight NBA Finals’ appearances is an astonishing feat for any player , but even with all of the accomplishments of LeBron James. He will be hard pressed to make it to a ninth consecutive appearance with a team which is short by way of real experience .

OK, so the Los Angeles Lakers might well be the big story in the NBA and for much of this season, that is likely to be the case , but there will be other stories unfolding. The Brooklyn Nets for many years a franchise hemorrhaging more money than having success , is now in the midst of being sold by Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov to to Canadian citizen Joseph Tsai , who is of Taiwanese ancestry. Tsai also happens to be the Vice Chairman of Chinese e-Commerce giant Ali-Baba . His net worth is believe to be just over $9 billion , making him certainly among Canada’s richest citizens as well as in China and Taiwan. Before the sale can be finalized , it must have the approval of the NBA’s Board of Governors , before the Joseph Tsai can assume control as the league’s newest NBA franchise owner .

It is not known how much Joseph Tsai paid in purchasing the Brooklyn Nets , but I don’t believe that Mikhail Prokhorov will completely recoup his original investment . The coaching staff of the franchise led by Kenny Atkinson will now have a short period of time to assess the possible wholesale changes likely to be made. Brooklyn’s roster is not overly impressive and not one that I believe will be capable of being very competitive this upcoming season. The first game of the Nets’ preseason will see them facing their in-state rivals the New York Knicks on Wednesday , 3rd October ,2018 . Their opening game of the regular season will see the Nets facing the Detroit Pistons on the road. Given the productivity seen from these two teams last season, it will be very interesting to see how this contest will end .

Another disgruntled star in the NBA and the regular season has yet to begin. The Minnesota Timberwolves now have Jimmy Butler pleading his case by making a request to be traded. No doubt there would be a plethora of teams interested in acquiring one of the league’s best guards. Butler has proven himself to be productive and a leader ; this was clearly the case when he played for the Chicago Bulls . Timberwolves’ Head Coach Tom Thibodeau who also happens to hold a high-ranking position within the organization , is reluctant to let the player go , but he might be willing to do so if he were able to make a trade he deemed fair.

Jimmy Butler and the Minnesota Timberwolves might not reach an agreement where he is likely to leave the franchise before the season starts. In all likelihood , I don’t believe Tom Thibodeau will be pressured into making an unwanted deal . The Timberwolves’ preseason opener will see the team face the Los Angeles Clippers on the road before embarking on their regular season opener where they will tip-off against the San Antonio Spurs on the road .

The number of players in the NBA who will be earning over $25 million this season is now at an all-time high. It certainly is above the figure of last season. The figure has almost doubled from fourteen to now twenty five and it is clear that the NBA hierarchy led by Commissioner Adam Silver is not at all overly concerned. Not while the league’s revenues to go higher and the value of the teams steadily increase . This season in the NBA could be a very interesting one with just about everyone taking note of what the Los Angeles Lakers are liable to do .

Byron Scott, the now fired former coach of the Hornets. GM , Jeff Bower who has now assumeed the position of head coach on an interim basis. And assistant coach , Tim Floyd. It’s safe to assume that the reins may well be handed over to Floyd at some time in the future given the fact Bower has no experience as a coach of any kind with regard to the NBA . picture apears courtesy of nbae/ getty images / Richard Tyson …………..

Rays’ third baseman , Evan Longoria at the plate for team. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Vic Hallam

Carl Crawford’s three-run home run in the sixth inning highlighted Tampa Bay’s three-game sweep of the Angels. The Rays are five games over .500 for the first time in team history. photo appears courtesy of the Associated Press/ Mike Carlson ………….

Gatots’ player Tim Tebow (15) and his coach Urban Meyer discuss their options during a game. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Chris Dickson ……………….

Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig’s steroids proposal, made to the union last month, calls for a 50-game ban for first offenders, a 100-game penalty for second offenders and a lifetime ban for a third positive test. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press / Adam Roundtree …….

Carolina Panthers’ Julius Peppers saluting fans as he walks off the field after the Panthers’ 23-10 win over the New Orleans Saints in an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C. The Panthers have decided the price is too steep to keep their all-time sacks leader. It means five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers is about to become one of the top prizes in free agency. Agent Carl Carey says the Panthers have told him they won’t place the restrictive franchise tag on Peppers for a second consecutive year at a cost of more than $20 million. The move Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010, comes two days before the tag deadline. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ Rick Havner ……

Mike Dunleavy (#17) of the Indiana Pacers goes up for the lay up against Brendan Haywood (#33) of the Dallas Mavericks during a game at the American Airlines Center on February 22, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. photo appears courtesy of NBAE/ Getty Images/ Glenn James ……………….

University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman, left, and head football coach Rich Rodriguez, right, are shown at a news conference in Ann Arbor, Mich., Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010. The NCAA has found that Michigan’s storied football program was out of compliance with practice time rules under coach Rodriguez. Incoming athletic director David Brandon disclosed the finding Tuesday. He says there were no surprises in the NCAA findings. He also says Rodriguez remains the coach. Michigan has 90 days to respond and will appear at an NCAA hearing on infractions in August. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ Paul Sancya ……

Los Angeles -January 13th 2010. New head coach of the USC Trojans Lane Kiffin shakes a hand as he makes his way to his press conference at Heritage Hall in Los Angeles, California. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Harry How ……………..

Duke’s Jon Scheyer collides with Virginia Tech’s Malcolm Delaney, left, during the first half. Scheyer scored 25 points and collected 10 rebounds in the win. The Blue Devils defeated Virginia Tech (Hokies) 67-55 in the game . photo appears courtesy of Associated Press / Sara Davis ……………..

Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts speaks to the media Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010 at the Chicago Cubs spring training facility in Mesa, Ariz. photo appears Assoc. Press/ Matt York ….

Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella, right, along with coaches Matt Sinatro, middle, and Lester Strode watch pitchers warm up during spring training baseball camp practice Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010, in Mesa, Ariz. photo appears courtesy of Assoc. Press/ Ross D. Franklin ………..

Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Mauer swings in the batting cage at baseball spring training in Fort Myers, Fla., Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010. photo appears courtesy of Assoc Press/ Nati Harnik …….

Florida Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, left, watches batting practice with Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez during spring training baseball Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010, in Jupiter, Fla. With the smallest payroll in the majors last year, the Marlins won 87 games and finished six games behind eventual league champion Philadelphia in the NL East. Visiting spring training to watch the first full-squad workout, Loria said the 2009 Marlins underachieved. photo appears courtesy of Assoc Press/Jeff Roberson ……..

Israeli model Bar Refaeli seen here doing a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition phot-shoot.

Ray Allen (#20) of the Boston Celtics looks for a play against LeBron James (#23) of the Cleveland Cavaliers on February 25, 2010 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. photo appears courtesy of NBAE/ Getty Images/ Brian Babbineau …..

Floyd Mayweather, left, and current WBA welterweight super champion Shane Mosley exchange words during a news conference in New York, Tuesday, March 2, 2010. The press conference was to promote their May 1, 2010 fight in Las Vegas, Nevada. photo appears courtesy of Assoc Press/ Seth Wenig ……..

Floyd Mayweather, left, and current WBA welterweight world champion Shane Mosley pose for a picture during a news conference in New York, Tuesday, March 2, 2010. The news conference was to promote their May 1, 2010 fight in Las Vegas, Nevada. photo appears courtesy of Assoc Press /Seth Wenig

Scott Boras, chided for bonus demands for amateur clients, says the Major League Baseball draft needs restructuring. “In this system, everybody thinks this is about money. No, this is about saving money. It allows for less mistakes,” he says. photo appears courtesy of USA Today Jason M. Millstein ………………..

Commissioner of Major League Baseball Bud Selig and actress Sarah-Jessica Parker take part in an on field presentation during the 79th MLB All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium on July 15, 2008 in the Bronx borough of New York City. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images North America / Jim McIsaac ……………

Stacey Dash , actress , designer and entrepreneur .

Jennifer Aniston shows us that she’s more than willing to be your ‘friend’ ?

Model & Playboby playmate Naureen Zaim . Who wouldn’t mind teaching her a lesson or two on human anatomy ?

Cuban American actress & model Natalie Martinez

Martinez again looking good as only she possibly can !

Oh mon ami ! she possibly can ! Je t’aime !</strong

Who wouldn’t want to play with Natalie Martinez ?

Well hello there !

Model & actress Natalie Martinez ……….

Actress & model Natalie Martinez …….. Who wouldn’t want to get ahold of her rims ? I know I would !

New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez watches his fly-out in the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Friday, March 26, 2010, in Tampa, Fla. photo appears courtesy of Assoc Press / Mike Carlson ….

Sarasoata , Fl ,. Infielder Adrian Beltre (29) of the Boston Red Sox throws over to first for an out against the Baltimore Orioles during a Grapefruit League Spring Training Game at Ed Smith Stadium on March 27, 2010 in Sarasota, Florida. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ J Meric ……….

St. Louis , Bobby Maze (3) of the Tennessee Volunteers looks to shoot the ball against Mike Kebler (20) and Draymond Green (23) both of the Michigan State Spartans during the midwest regional final of the 2010 NCAA men’s basketball tournament at the Edward Jones Dome on March 28, 2010 in St. Louis, Missouri. Michigan State beat Tennessee 70-69. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Dilip Vishwanat …

The Duke Blue Devils hold up the trophy after a 78-71 win over the Baylor Bears in the south regional final of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at Reliant Stadium in Houston on Sunday. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Ronald Martinez …

Butler’s Nick Rodgers hold up the West Regional trophy as the team returned home to Indianapolis amid a throng of fans after earning a spot in the Final Four with a victory over Kansas State Saturday. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ A J Mast ………..

West Virginia’s Da’Sean Butler and Joe Mazzulla hug after the game. Butler scored 18 points and Mazulla pitched in a career-high 17 to help West Virginia hold off the Wildcats. The Mountaineers would defeat the Kentucky Wildcats 73-66 to make their way the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Jim McIsaac ……….

Russian actress & model Anya Monzikova . Who wouldn’t want some of Monzikova alongside some fresh Beluga caviar ?

2008 Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford. The player is widely expected to be taken number one overall in the upcoming NFL Draft. The team with the first pick are the NFC’s St Louis Rams . photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ Chris Rogers ………..

Eagles’ quarterback Donovan McNabb. The player is said to want to remain with the Eagles but it’s becoming clear that he will be traded sooner rather than later. Eagles’ coach Andy Reid and team President Joe Banner are willing to listen to offers for the Pro Bowler. photo appears courtesy of US Presswire/ Jody Gomez ………….

Tebow (15) left is seen here alongside his former college coach Urban Meyer. The two proved to be very sucessfule as a team combining to win two national titles in four years. photo appears courtesy of boston.com/ articles …………

DeMaurice Smith Executive Director of the NFLPA. Smith who assumed the position after the death of his predecessor Gene Upshaw. He was elected to the position by the board members of the Players’ Association. Smith was a corporate litigation attorney for the DC law firm Patton Boggs. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ Phillip Mitchell

Carlos Boozer #5 of the Utah Jazz has his shot challenged by Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on April 2, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers would go on to defeat the Jazz 102-96 in the game . photo appears courtesy of NBAE/ Getty Images/ Andrew D Bernstein ………..

Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles. The player was traded to the Washington Redskins a divisional rival in the NFC East. It adds to the flavor this upcoming season when the player meets his ‘former team’ . photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Hugh Malcolm ………………..

Baylor’s Brittney Griner and U Conn’s Maya Moore are seen here during the women’s Final Four game between the two teams. Geno Auriemma’s Huskies would go on to defeat the Baylor Lady Bears 70-50 in the game played at the Alamodome in San Antonio , Texas , Sunday April 4th 2010. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Alicia Mack ………..

Cleveland Browns nose tackle Shaun Rogers and his lawyer Patrick D’Angelo, center, talk to reporters after leaving Cleveland Police Headquarters where Rogers was charged with one felony count of carrying a concealed weapon on Friday, April 2, 2010, in Cleveland, Ohio. Rogers was arrested at Cleveland Hopkins International airport on Thursday after he tried to take a loaded handgun through airport security. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ Jason Miller …..

Butler head coach Brad Stevens , left to right, Gordon Hayward and Ronald Nored smile during an interview session for the men’s NCAA Final Four college basketball championship Sunday, April 4, 2010, in Indianapolis. The Butler Bulldogs will face Mike Krzyzewski’s Duke Blue Devils in the championship game Monday night to be played at Lucas Oil Stadium , Indianapolis, Indiana. This in many ways will be very much a “home game” for the small and in-obtrusive college team from Indiana. The furor over over their improbable journey has resonated within the state and across the nation. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ Mark J Terrill ……………

Los Angeles, April 4th 2010. Manu Ginobil (20) of the San Antonio Spurs goes to the basket against Luke Walton (4) of the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on Sunday. The San Antonio Spurs would go on to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 100-81 in a game played at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. photo appears courtesy of NBAE/ Getty Images/ Noah Grahame …………….

Tiki Barber and his wife Gina Cha. Barber’s wife is six months pregnant with twins and is now in the midst of separating from the former NFL star. photo appears courtesy of Wire Image/ Duffie Marie Arnoult ………….

23 year old Traci Lynn Johnson an intern with NBC Universal and who works alongside Tiki Barber on the NBC morning show “The Today Show” . Barber and Johnson are romantically involved and the former NFL star has now separated from his wife of 11 years , Gina Cha. The couple have two children with twin now on the way in terms of Cha’s pregnancy. photo appears courtesy of Social Media SEO ……….

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2010/tracker#dt-tabs:dt-by-round/dt-by-round-input:1

Playboy Playmate Kayle Collins …………August 2008. Is there a need to proceed further concerning Kayle’s attributes ?

Jameer Nelson of the Orlando Magic goes for the layup in the Eastern Conference semi-final game played against the Atlanta Hawks. NBAE/ Getty Images/ Fernando Medina ………

Head Coach Jerry Sloan of the Utah Jazz fields questions from the media following his team’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 4, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. NBAE Getty Images _ Andrew D Bernstein

Kobe Bryant (24) of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots against Deron Williams (8 )of the Utah Jazz in Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 4, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. NBAE Getty Images/ Noah D Bernstein

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – JUNE 24: (L-R) Robert Vittek, Martin Skrtel and Radoslav Zabavnik of Slovakia celebrate victory after knocking Italy out of the competition during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group F match between Slovakia and Italy at Ellis Park Stadium on June 24, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images ……

Johannesburg , South Africa – June 24 th 2010. Kamil Kopunek of Slovakia celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group F match between Slovakia and Italy at Ellis Park Stadium on June 24, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images ……

Fabio Cannavaro, captain of Italy, leaves the field dejected after being knocked out of the competition by Slovakia during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group F match between Slovakia and Italy at Ellis Park Stadium on June 24, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images ………

In this Sept. 18, 2010, photo, Florida Marlins’ Dan Uggla bats in a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Miami. Uggla has been traded from the Marlins to the Atlanta Braves for infielder Omar Infante and left-hander Mike Dunn. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

This is a 2008 file photo of Dan Uggla of the Florida Marlins baseball team. Uggla and the Atlanta Braves have reached a preliminary agreement on a $62 million, five-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press Wednesday Jan. 5, 2011 on condition of anonymity because the agreement was not yet final. (AP Photo/Rob Carr, File)

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Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Wei-Yin Chen (16), of Taiwan, comes into the dugout following the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)

ST. PETERSBURG – AUGUST 04: Designated hitter Jeff Keppinger #7 of the Tampa Bay Rays fouls off a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles during the game at Tropicana Field on August 4, 2012 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

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Brady

Picture gallery along with accompanying narrative.

What if anything , do you now feel has been the biggest sports’ story to date or over the past week , month or at least the last six months ?

Tophatal ……….. 10/02/2018

MLB news

MLB postseason schedule

Ryder Cup news

NCAA Football and week five results

NCAA Football Rankings (FBS)

NFL news and week four results

NFL standings division and conference standings

NBA news

NBA schedule preseason 2nd October

NBA transactions

NBA player stats (preseason)

NBA team stats (preseason)

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NBA team salary cap 2018-19

Highest paid NBA players (2018)

In The Cold Light of Day You Can Always Figure Out The Truth … In The Cold Light of Day You Can Always Figure Out The Truth … Well, the…

[thechaoticcheese]

TW: Cursing

The four dived into respective cover as Rico shouted, “Fuckin’ couillons! Don’ ge’ shot!” Trees started to be painted with pink once more as the enemy rained fire.

Word Count: 4,702

Shadow Company Roach AU - Chapter 9 - Over the Years

If there was one thing Roach was, other than prepared, he was observant. So over the years, he's observed a lot. Some of it is of his team, like the flirting Jet seemed to do with Cupcake, Rico and Roach, how close Cupcake and Void got, how creepy Skunk’s gaze can get, and how secretive yet talkative Crash was. Some observations were parts of Shadow Company, how predictable some people can be, and how messed up some jobs can be. Though he swore he'd never stray from Shadow Company. He needed the money that was being paid. The raises were always a nice motivator to stay too, especially after a rough operation or two.

But today wasn't an operation, it was training. Shadow 7 was tasked with taking over a complex filled with the rest of Shadow Company acting as enemies, the big bad of course being Graves. Roach knew training like this meant something big was about to happen and they needed the best of the best to be there. Roach only hoped his team could impress Graves.

It’s been almost 8 years since Roach joined Shadow Company and got into Shadow 7. The years of training with his group have paid off, showing in their success rates and low casualty reports. Though, despite being young and considered amongst the top, they still needed to prove themself for the upcoming mission and hope they would ace this test. It seemed like it would be a well paying contract and an ego boost if Graves was putting this much time into testing each team. This was the 6th day with another week ahead of just training each group individually. Each group got their own day due to Graves wanting everyone to be as well rested as possible within the deadline of the next mission. Only four groups so far had made it, Shadow 1, 2, 4 and 6. Shadow 5 was swept out before they could reach the building. Roach could only hope that they wouldn’t end up like that.

As for Shadow 3… They had been killed on the last mission. Graves didn’t say a thing about it other than holding a vigil for all of the members. The other Shadows on that mission didn’t say anything about it or what happened. It was a need to know case and well, it was clear no one else needed to know right now. Though Roach had his suspicions about the training they were about to endure.

It was going to be a tough one. And the real kicker was, only one person could ‘die’ on your group’s team to qualify if your team was to successfully take over the base.

The plan was to divide and conquer. Jet, Rico, and Roach were Team A, while Crash, Cupcake, Skunk, and Void were Team B. Though there was a problem about 30 minutes in. The radios went silent. They were being jammed. Jet had cursed when he couldn’t reach Team B. “We’re on our own. Let’s hope they hold up the best they can,” Jet said before the three continued through the forest. They needed to reach an old firetower training building. Get to the top and either ‘kill’ Graves or ‘capture’ him. Though, if you could capture the commander of Shadow Company, an extra ‘death’ was allowed. The trio were able to pick off the patrolling guards that had positioned themselves between the trees. Roach was tasked with watching the branches for any snipers, which he gladly took care of whenever he found one. One was able to get a shot at the group, but it barely missed Jet, Roach having shoved him out of the way before returning fire. They were almost to the tower before paint balls started to rain down. ‘Enemies’ had flooded out of the trees and fired at the group. The trio quickly hid behind trees as the onslaught of the pink paint splattered against the looming pines.

Roach pressed his back against the tree before he shifted positions to try to get a better angle, taking his paintball gun and aiming, carefully picking away at the ‘enemies’ that were trying to swarm the three. Pink paint continued to splat onto the trees as it tried to remove at least one team member from competing. Though Roach’s shots were deliberate and precise. Green paint splattering on the helmets, visors, and chest plates of the Shadow members working against them. Jet and Rico were doing the same, being as careful as possible as the fire from the large amount of people slowed down as they were picked off. Grunts were heard from the opposing Shadows, calls being made about being wary of someone ambushing them as someone from Shadow 7 started to pick them off, but using a sniper from their side, evident by the pink paint left behind. It wasn’t long before the clearing was silent.

Roach panted softly from the adrenaline coursing through his veins as he looked for any sight from the two he was with. Jet and Rico had slowly spread out, leaving a large space between the trio. Roach did the same, of course, for better angles, but it was still nerve wracking in a fake scenario.

“Y’all ‘live?” Rico’s voice rang through the trees. “Yeah!” Jet responded, “Roach?” “Yeah,” Roach responded with a sigh. Not many had heard his voice. His team was used to his usual silent demeanor and preference to sign, but the dirty blonde didn’t care at the moment, despite it being training. He treated it like an actual scenario. He would need to speak in this scenario. “Good. Team B, you there?” Jet tried his radio again, his voice loud and clear as it bounced off of the trees. There was still no answer from it other than static, but a familiar voice rang through the trees. “I’m here.” Skunk responded. “Alright…” Soon, a green paintball splattered on the ground. “If you guys see it, go to where I marked. We’ll regroup there and catch up with Skunk.” The four kept an eye out for any other movement as they regrouped then headed for cover. “Alright, first things first. What happened, Skunk?” Jet asked, the four crouching behind a fallen tree. “Ambush. We got separated. Crash and Cupcake went one way, Void and I went another, but then got separated trying to thin the herd… I guess I crossed over to your fight.” Skunk ever so monotonously reported. Rico rubbed his chin thinking, “So dey ha’ a’ ambush sur’oundin’ de buildin’...” He murmured. Roach’s brow furrowed at the thought. He knew they had a good amount of people in Shadow Company, but either there were new recruits they had that none of them were aware of, or this next mission was teaming with someone bigger. Then a thought clicked. Did Graves accept another contract with the US Military? General Shepherd was their usual contractor, but it’s been a bit since they worked together. And this wasn’t just regular training. It was high steaks. They were preparing for the worst case scenario for this mission. They needed to impress someone… Someone big. That last mission… “Roach, what you thinking?” Jet’s voice cut through the masked man’s thoughts. ‘There’s too many people here to all be Shadows. This is training for something big.’ Roach signed. Rico and Skunk had learned ASL, along with Crash, in the 8 years, even though Rico sometimes had a bit of a struggle seeing what Roach was signing. “Somethin’ bi’?” Rico murmured. Roach nodded, ‘I’m thinking we’re going to be working with General Shepherd again or a contractor that’s important. They need the best of the best for the next mission. But if they had an ambush surrounding the building, we should regroup with the others if possible.’

“Good to note… Right. Skunk, which direction did you come from?” Jet directed his attention back to the shorter male. “Southeast.” A quick, short reply.

“Ye crossed da roa’?! De fuck were ye thinkin’?! Dats open grou-” Rico’s voice raised, scolding the silent male. “It didn’t matter. They were hot on my tail. We were already compromised and I needed to try to see how many were following. I’m lucky as hell to not have been shot.” Skunk interrupted with a growl. “Now’s not the time to discuss this you two. Skunk made it with no injuries, we should be thankful. Now, do you remember where Crash, Cupcake, and Void went?” “... Crash and Cupcake went north… Northeast around the building. I think Void was cornered off somewhere southeast.” “We can probably meet Crash and Cupcake on the North side of the building then. Expect heavy fire until then.”

They didn’t dare split up from that point. Jet took the lead with Skunk following behind, Roach after and Rico last, covering their six. They all made sure that things were clear before moving from cover to cover of the trees before Skunk quickly fired at movement. The opposing team. All hell broke loose after that. The four dived into respective cover as Rico shouted, “Fuckin’ couillons! Don’ ge’ shot!” Trees started to be painted with pink once more as the enemy rained fire. Roach knew who the sentence was pointed at specifically, but that didn’t mean it didn’t fuel him to do better as the second wave of the ambush went down. This group was easier to pick off this time, having the four there, Skunk finding a good position to snipe from. That or maybe there were less of them. It was hard to tell and Roach wasn’t one for keeping score unless it was for a competition. Roach pulled back as he saw an enemy look directly at him and started to shoot, grumbling underneath his mask as he tried to figure out what he could do to get them out.

The answer soon came as the little remaining noise soon stopped. “Cupcake? Crash?” Jet called out after a few seconds of silence. “Jet?” Cupcake responded, sounding a bit startled. “Yeah, I have Rico, Roach and Skunk here with me.” “Crash is with me… We haven’t found Void yet.”

“That’s fine… If he’s down we still have a shot. Let’s go to the building, stay vigilant and stay together.” Jet ordered before the six started to move towards the old building.

It towered 6 stories high, each floor slightly smaller than the last block it stood on. The first floor was a perfect block, completely covered, save for a couple of windows, the stairwell on the side that cut into the block, and two doorways. The second floor had a balcony with a ladder leading up to the third which only had a barrier by the ladder, both had a staircase on the side that was opened. On the third floor was more balcony, along with the fourth floor being exactly like the third minus the ladder. The fifth floor was cut in half thanks to a ramp that led up to the sixth and final floor which only had a small boxed room on top, the rest of the floor left open. It seemed to be set up like a radio room. The building was lifted off of the ground, as if there was a crawl space beneath it. The fire training building was crawling with shadows though. A handful walking the perimeter of the outside of the building, a couple positioned on each floor of the balconies and a few flickered by the windows that were visible.

The six Shadows got in position behind some trees as they scouted the building, their eyes focused on the looming tower.

“Roach, Skunk and I will stay here and clear anyone that’s within sniping range. Rico, you take Cupcake and Crash and go through the building once we clear the area.” Jet’s voice cut through the thick air, authoritative. He had mentally calculated what they needed to do, no doubt that the other five didn’t, but he was the one running the commands. Their leader. They needed to listen to his words like they had over the years and things would work out. “Rog.” Everyone said once Jet was done giving the order. This would be difficult due to their comms not working, but Roach believed in them. Jet, Roach and Skunk broke off to find a better angle while Cupcake, Rico and Void slowly made their way to cover closer to the building. “We’ll start with the left side. Skunk, take down anyone on the top levels that’ll intervene with that, Roach you’ll get the middle and I’ll get the ones on the ground.” Jet softly commanded once the group found a proper position. His voice was quiet as they lined up their shots. “Ready? 3… 2… 1… Fire.” As soon as Jet spoke, three of the shadows were hit. They reacted by each checking to make sure they’d been hit before crumbling down. “Next batch… 3… 2… 1… Fire.” Another three fell. This went on until any and all Shadow Company soldiers were down. The alarm was almost sounded due to an unplanned patrolling soldier turning the corner and seeing a fellow soldier who was ‘dead’ on the ground, but Skunk was easily able to pick them off. Without needing Jet to yell at them that they were clear, Rico led Crash and Cupcake towards the building. They’d been keeping track. “Movement towards the south of the building.” Skunk reported, aiming up his sniper before pausing.”Wait… It’s Void…” His tone sounded slightly confused, but relieved. “He’s moving interior.”

“Good, we’ll need all the help we can get. Roach, go in. Skunk and I will cover from here.” Roach nodded before silently moving through the forest to clear the interior with Void. He entered through another door though and could hear shots being fired from above and on the same level. They knew that Shadow 7 had entered the building. Roach and Void were quick to clear out the level. Roach mainly used sneak attacks and quick shots while Void seemed to be going guns blazing. Roach met Void at the bottom of the stairwell, gently tapping his shoulder before ducking away as Void swung around, barrel pointing at Roach before letting out a sigh. “Don’t. Do that.” He grumbled softly before nodding up the stairs as Roach gave him a playful look through his goggles before nodding in return.

The two made their way up the stairwell, carefully making sure that the second floor was cleared before joining the other three on the third floor. They were stuck outside with a handful of Shadows around the corner that it seemed caused a stalemate.

“Where’re Je’ an’ Skun’ when ye nee’em?” Rico growled as a few paintballs flew by his head before he stuck out his gun around the corner to fire some shots, hoping that one would hit on of them. “They’re not with you?” Void asked with furrowed brows. “Nah, Dey be ey’s in da sky.” Rico responded before a thunk was heard. The two snipers had maneuvered themselves to take out the threat presented to the team. “Speak of ta devil.” Crash mumbled. “Aim ta ge’ Graves’live. We nee’ dat extra insu’ance.” Rico ordered before the group slowly made their way through the building. The group made their way to the top, having finished off any Shadows and then having Crash restore the comms. “Shadow 7-7 ta 7-6. Graves’ ain’ ‘ere.” Rico grumbled, them looking around to make sure they didn’t accidentally kill him off early. “There might be a basement. Check there.” Jet’s voice crackled through the radio. “Double check the rooms too, there might be a secret compartment. He’s a weasel so keep a sharp eye out.” “Rog” Rico replied before they split up, each one taking a floor with Roach tasked with finding the basement or something of the like. It was easy. Though it was less of a basement and more of a crawl space. He was quick to point a flashlight in, met with a paintball whizzing past it as Roach pulled away. He’d found someone, but it wasn’t confirmed to be Graves. “Enemy found. PID not confirmed.” Roach softly spoke into the radio. “Headin’ your way.” Void responded first, being on the first floor, Void would be the optimal backup.

“Careful. Don’t enter the crawl space, we need to find another way in.” Roach replied, looking along the wall to try to see if there was another entrance. There had to be another opening… The stairwell. “Void, go to the stairwell. There should be an entrance there. Don’t get compromised.” Roach ordered in a hushtone into the radio, not wanting for the enemy to be alerted. “Rog, approaching now.” Void responded. A few moments passed before a beam of light flickered through the entrance and Roach quickly went down, aiming his gun and flashlight at the enemy. Graves blinked away as he was wedged in a corner, paintball pistol in hand. “Well. Ya’ve pinched me.” He chuckled in, smiling as he held out his hands in mock surrender. “Slide your gun away.” Void ordered. “PID confirmed, requesting back up.” Roach said to his radio, keeping his eyes on Grave. ‘He’s a weasel’. Jet’s words echoed in his head as he noticed Graves’ hand move to toss the pistol away before firing at Void, Roaching firing his shot a millisecond later. Graves’ single shot hit Void in the chest and as soon as Roach fired, he dived into the crawl space, his shot hitting Graves’ hand and making him let go of the pistol. Roach pushed himself off the wall and quickly wormed his way to Graves. Both of their hands gripped the gun, but Roach pushed the barrel of his to Graves’ helmeted head. “Let go.” Roach growled out. “Well well… Well played Roach.” Graves said, letting go of the pistol before Roach flung it away and forcing Graves out of the crawl space. They had to go back from where Roach entered due to Void’s ‘dead’ body blocking the only other entrance that was close. “Shadow 7, be advised, Graves is coming out of the crawl space entrance located in the building. He’s unchecked for any arms…” Roach paused before nudging Graves’ leg with his barrel when the man paused. “Void… KIA.” When the report was made was when the Commander continued to crawl forward. Cupcake and Rico had been the ones to greet the two. Rico was quick to pull Graves out and pat him down and toss any weapons to the side before cuffing him and bringing him outside. Cupcake had a slight pained look on their face as Roach gently patted their shoulder with a soft look. The reason Shadow 7 made it so far was because each training was treated like a real scenario by each member. So while Cupcake knew Void was alive, their brain was still sad just at the thought of it and Roach knew. “Graves’ in cus’ody. Movin’ ou’.” Rico reported into his radio. “Rog.” Jet responded once more. The four made it out of the building, being met up with Crash, who gave a small nod. The five ducked as they heard paintballs splatter onto the wall behind them. “Snipers! Getta cover!” Rico shouted before shoving Graves in front of him, basically using the commander as a body shield before getting behind a corner. It was chaos as Roach slid behind a tree stump. Paintballs splattering everywhere. The final wave.

He knew that Jet and Skunk had them covered from their sniping position, but that didn’t mean they’d make it. Roach took in a deep breath as he peaked over the stump, trying to get a good view before quickly ducking back as a paintball almost hit his head. He angled his weapon before letting it autofire on the unseen enemies. Paintballs were exchanged with every heartbeat between the remaining soldiers.

When Roach’s pistol ran out of ammo and the ‘enemies’ kept returning fire. He huffed, dropping the magazine before reloading, putting a new magazine back in, but he knew it was his last. Roach glanced around to see if he could spot anyone in their spot, but it was just paintballs whirling by. He huffed as he shot again, aiming skilfully to take out only a handful before his magazine ran out, but that’s all he needed as he ducked back down. There was less fire coming towards them, which meant they were thinning the herd, but that didn’t mean that they would make it out ‘alive’.

Roach then noticed sniper fire coming from the building. Jet and Skunk had moved up and were picking away at the hoard of soldiers opposing the men taking Graves to the exfil sight. “7-7 ta 7-6, Graves is sti’ in custo’y. Jus’ outta ammo. ‘Owma’y we go’ lef’?” Rico’s voice crackled through the radio. “10… 9.” Jet responded as he and Skunk continued to fire. “We need to get you and Graves out now before more come. Anyone that can, do cover fire so that they can get going. Roach, you’re closest to Void’s body, get his ammo and weapons before helping Rico.” “Rog.” Roach responded, making sure that there wasn’t any fire aimed at him before slowly making his way to Void’s ‘corpse’. He paused before gently taking the man’s pistol and any magazines left. “Sorry.” He said softly, Void flashing him a knowing look. Even in a faux scenario, Roach hated having to use his team as a weapons box. It wasn’t fair to them even off the field. The masked man nodded to Void before radioing back. “Pistol and ammo obtained, going around the building now. Where are you Rico?” The dirty blonde asked as he quickly made his way around the building. “Treh soudeas’ of da buidin’.”

With that knowledge, Roach stayed close to the fire tower’s walls, aiming his pistol up as he quickly made his way to the treeline, not daring to fire a shot as the remaining ‘enemies’ focus was on Jet and Skunk who were still slowly picking them off.

Roach easily spotted Rico with his back to the tree, pistol barrel against the side of Graves’s head. Graves looked like he was trying to figure a way out of the larger man’s grip, but when he spotted Roach, he knew the gig was up. Rico had noticed that Graves stopped moving as his eyes quickly scanned the area before landing on Roach who then went tree to tree until he was by Rico.

“Ye go’ ammo?” He asked as he glanced over at the building. Only a few men remained, and from this angle the three could see Shadow 7, minus Void, and the three remaining ‘enemies’ that were ducking under cover and firing whenever it seemed like Jet and Skunk weren't shooting.

“Yeah.” Roach replied, quickly swapping pistols with Rico, placing his forearm against Graves’ neck to make sure he didn't try anything as they did a trade off. Roach was quick to swap ammo for the pistol.

“Rico and Roach ready to go to exfil." Roach said in his radio.

“2 left. You two go ahead, clear the way. Cupcake, Crash, how are your ammo reserves?” Jet's voice crinkled in response.

“Out.” Crash responded.

“A few shots left.” Cupcake answered, sounding like he was shifting his position.

As Jet was checking on the two, Rico forced Graves forward as Roach led the way to the exfil zone, keeping his pistol up and ready to shoot anyone in their way.

“Ya boys won't make it. You got one down.” Graves growled out.

Graves took the same approach at Shadow 7. Trainings are real. So him bargaining or trying to demoralize them would be on par for the course for the man.

“Shuddup.” Rico responded in his own low tone.

“Ya know it's true. One more down an’ ya will be disqualified.” Graves continued with a smirk.

“Only if I pull da trigga. I ain't gonna do dat.” He replied, making sure his barrel was pointing away from Graves, seeming to sense that the man was up to something.

The blonde didn't respond as the chatter on the radio became background noise while they picked their way from tree to tree until they reached the exfil spot. Though his ears were sharp on making sure to listen if his name was spoken.

“Arrived at exfil. So far it's clear. Standby.” Roach reported into the radio.

“Rog. We're heading to exfil now. Keep it clear. Don't lose Graves.” Jet replied.

The trio just had to wait. When the team got to the exfil spot it would be a success. Provided that all four made it back successfully.

Roach’s eyes scanned the clearing, Rico and Graves staying by the treeline. Roach made his way around. Taking out any straggling ‘enemies' that were trying to sneak their way around the trees. He did four laps before being satisfied when he didn't run into any more people.

“Exfil cleared. What's your ETA?” Roach questioned Jet, meeting back up with Rico.

“2 minutes. Keep it cleared.” Jet replied before a grunt made Roach turn back to the two men.

Graves had headbutted Rico in the chin and had started to run into the trees.

“Shit! - Jet, Graves just got away, pursuing him.” Roach radioed as he dashed after the Shadow Company leader, keeping his eyes peeled for any other members.

“Be careful.” Jet’s voice growled from Roach's earpiece that made him shiver.

He knew that voice well.

Don't mess up.

He wouldn't.

Roach was gaining ground quickly on Graves and tackled him to the ground. He had kept his pistol pointed away from the Commander as he panted softly, his legs wrapping around Graves' as he sat up.

“I'm impressed, Roach. You keep surprising me at every corner.” Graves complimented as Roach got them both up and he started to lead the man back to the clearing. It looked like he had more to say but Roach shoved him against a tree with his gloved hand going over his mouth.

The faint sound of paintball guns firing was heard in the distance. How many people were out there?

A soft chuckle came from Graves as his blue eyes looked amusedly at Roach's hazel ones. The dirty blond frowned underneath his mask as he checked around the tree before firing a few shots at the Shadows heading his way, taking them down.

“Jet. Status?” Roach demanded as he kept Graves pinned to the tree.

“Receiving fire from some stragglers. Don't come back with Graves.” Jet was quick to reply.

Great. Moments with Graves during a faux mission where they're on opposite sides.

Roach kept his hand over the Commander's mouth, not in the mood to hear his taunts.

It was minutes of silence before the radio crackled back on, “Head back, but be careful.” Jet's voice sounded unsure. There were probably more people out in the woods, but Roach hadn't paid attention to how fair they went into the woods, so it would take some time. He pushed Graves away from the tree and in front of them, starting their trek back to the exfil point.

“Your group might make it after all.” Graves chuckled before Roach fired another couple of shots at movement, taking out some ‘enemies' sneaking up on them. The dirty blonde stayed silent as he kept shoving forward the Commander before they reached exfil. A soft sigh left Roach as the group of six reached the marked exfil spot.

“Well done boys. Shadow 7 will officially be on the next mission.” Graves declared with a more proud filled smile on his face. Without a word, Rico came up and uncuffed the Commander before he turned on his radio. “Attention all Shadows. Shadow 7 has made it to the exfil sight and passed this exercise. Everyone head back to the cars.”

Shadow 7 glanced at each other, everyone looking somewhat tired with relief before Cupcake jogged away. No doubt to go to Void and it made Roach grin.

Then Graves dropped something.

“Don't tell the other Shadows, but we're going to Las Almas.”

~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Holy cow this was a big chapter. I was tempted to split this up, but realized that it wouldn't really make any sense to. See y'all in Las Almas.

@fastleopard1521 - @whateverdraws1008 - @glitter-anon-asks - @olibird - @chaosgoblindoodles

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Master List

[travellingchaos]

Road toward equality.

March, 2012 – In the recent months, I’ve been attempting to piece my life together. There have been the typical questions that arise that every new college graduate faces, and then there has been the more meaningful questions like – how am I going to make a difference? I’m a passionate person about a variety of things, and I know, that when I go to work, I want to be leaving a positive impact on the world around me. Ideally, I want to help share stories of the people who can’t share them for themselves. The people who don’t typically have resources, or a voice in today’s society. Well lucky me, because I found the perfect opportunity to get started on this career mission of mine with Soulforce’s Equality Ride.

For not even a week, I’ve been traveling on a bus with 16 other young adults with a glorious mission –  work to end the political and religious oppression of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex people through relentless nonviolent resistance.

We are riding across the United States on a social justice bus tour visiting religious educational institutions that have discriminatory policies toward the LGBTQ community, with the hope for school policy changes and an open dialogue around these issues. Along the way we will be volunteering with organizations and engaging in the communities, and we will be sitting at the table with the LDS Church in Salt Lake City for a first of its kind meeting.   

NEARLY 6 YEARS LATER I’M FINISHING THE POST

February 1, 2018 – in the recent months i’ve been attempting to piece my life together. not as a newly graduated college student but as a so called adult. things haven’t changed much. always piecing things together, and passionately fighting the good fight for all people still. the equality ride was a very impactful experience. i felt it would be positive to revisit my time on the road, and recounter the trials and tribulations we all faced riding the big soulful bus. memories aren’t as vivid as they once were and i’d rather not forget this ride. flash forward to the first days of the tour.

when i arrived in Nashville, Tennessee to meet the other riders i didn’t know what to expect. i’d interviewed  to be the equality ride’s public and media relations coordinator, accepted the job, and was flown out to join the other riders on the three month ride across America, all in less than a week. i was greeted by 16 amazing people who had handmade me a card with rainbows pouring off the page, and the hotel had a welcoming committee of its own. my first night in the Knights Hotel i had slept horribly but felt it must’ve been the nerves. well was i wrong. that morning i captured a fairly large bug crawling across the bed that was identified by Google as a bed bug, and a very large one at that. after confronting the hotel management i was moved into the room next door. perfect way to escape the buggers. unbeknown to me, the bed bugs mark wouldn’t be identifiable till a few more thousand miles on the road. 

i was given a crash course in LGBTQ advocacy and activism in the first days in Nashville. first thing i learned was how to use pronouns and language surrounding gender. and i won’t lie, the entire bus tour was a crash course. though i had knowledge and advocacy experience there was constant listening and learning done on my part. i had to become quite the confident spokeswoman quickly. 

with two awful nights rest under my belt, a head bursting full of new knowledge, and a visit with Vanderbilt University we boarded our rainbow painted greyhound bus. next stop, Chicago.

[junker-town]

Can anything prevent an Alabama-Georgia SEC title game?

And is that “anything” named LSU, South Carolina, or Auburn? Let’s see how the odds change, depending on what happens in Week 10.

In 2014, the first College Football Playoff rankings featured four SEC teams among the top six overall: No. 1 Mississippi State, No. 3 Auburn, No. 4 Ole Miss, and No. 6 Alabama. A fifth team (Georgia) was 11th.

Three years later, with the league going through a bit of an existential crisis, only two SEC teams are among the top 13. Of course, they're No. 1 and No. 2. In a down year for the league, the SEC could still become the first conference to get two teams into the CFP field of four.

(Among other things, this is why evaluating conferences based on who won the national title or something similar is awfully silly. “Congrats to Vanderbilt for all of those Bama titles” doesn’t really make sense, does it?)

To say the least, it appears we're on a crash course for a Bama-Georgia SEC title game, one that might or might not be a national title eliminator. But is that set in stone? Can anything still knock us off course between now and Atlanta?

As of now, the answer lies primarily in the hands of South Carolina and LSU.

A very good Auburn still gets a crack at hosting both the Crimson Tide and Dawgs, but Auburn alone can’t knock UGA out of the SEC East lead, and LSU already holds a tiebreaker over Auburn. If LSU and Auburn win out (an even tougher task for Auburn than it is for LSU), LSU wins the SEC West.

See below for how this changes, depending on who wins in Week 10.

Sure, there will be road blocks after Week 10. Mississippi State has a non-zero chance at Bama as well. But the two most seismic changes to the overall division odds come if either South Carolina, LSU, or both pull upsets on Saturday.

First, let’s set the table using S&P+ win projections

Current SEC East title odds

5-0 Georgia: 95.5 percent

4-2 South Carolina: 3.6 percent

3-2 Kentucky: 0.8 percent

3-3 Florida: 0.04 percent

Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs have this one just about in the bag. A win over South Carolina would eliminate the Gamecocks and Gators and bump UGA’s odds to either 98 or 99 percent, depending on whether Kentucky beats Ole Miss.

Think UK’s odds should be higher? S&P+ really doesn’t like the Wildcats, currently ranking them just 83rd thanks to what it sees as lucky wins over Southern Miss, Eastern Michigan, and Missouri. The Wildcats don’t get much credit for beating Tennessee, as the Vols are currently 103rd.

Kentucky almost certainly has to win out to make this a race, and S&P+ gives the Wildcats only a 2 percent chance of doing so. Beat Ole Miss, and those odds creep only to 4 percent. And they’d still need South Carolina or Auburn to beat Georgia.

If South Carolina pulls an upset of the Dawgs (and it wouldn’t be the first time), however, Will Muschamp’s Gamecocks would find themselves in decent position.

Odds if South Carolina and Kentucky win in Week 10 (5 percent chance): Georgia 65 percent, South Carolina 32 percent, Kentucky 2 percent, Florida <0.5 percent

Odds if South Carolina and Ole Miss win (6 percent chance): Georgia 66 percent, South Carolina 34 percent, Florida <0.5 percent

The odds shift infinitesimally based on Florida-Missouri. Otherwise, this shows you the impact a Cocks win would have.

In the other division, the leader has a bit more work left to do.

Current SEC West title odds

Alabama 71.2 percent

Auburn 18.9 percent

LSU 7.9 percent

Mississippi State 1.9 percent

Texas A&M 0.1 percent

Bama is in the driver’s seat, but with remaining games against LSU at home and Mississippi State and Auburn on the road, an upset is still very much on the table.

There are two Week 10 games relevant to the West race: LSU at Alabama and Auburn at Texas A&M. A&M has made a habit of gumming up Auburn’s plans, but let’s lay out how the odds change based on these two results.

Odds if Alabama and Auburn win in Week 10 (66 percent chance): Bama 76 percent, Auburn 24 percent, MSU 0.1 percent

Odds if Alabama and Texas A&M win (19 percent chance): Bama 91 percent, Auburn 5 percent, MSU 4 percent

Odds if LSU and Auburn win (12 percent chance): LSU 52 percent, Alabama 26 percent, Auburn 15 percent, MSU 7 percent

Odds if LSU and Texas A&M win (3 percent chance): LSU 55 percent, Alabama 29 percent, MSU 11 percent, A&M 3 percent, Auburn 2 percent

If LSU somehow pulls the upset in Tuscaloosa, the Tigers would be tied for the division lead in the loss column and would own tiebreaker advantages over both Bama and Auburn. That would be a pretty powerful combination, and it makes LSU-Bama the single most high-leverage game left on the schedule.

If you’re a chaos addict, the best I can do is point out that, with Alabama at 85 percent to beat LSU and Georgia at 89 percent to beat South Carolina, there’s still only about a three-in-four chance that they both win. One-in-four is not nothing.

The overall odds are still very much in favor of a Saban-Smart battle in Atlanta, but we still might see an upset. And depending on which upset that is, we could see a massive shift in division odds as well.

[hottytoddynews]

Rebels stand for the National Anthem. Photo by Steven Gagliano

SEC play began for the Ole Miss Baseball team this past weekend as the Vanderbilt Commodores came to town. While Friday saw the return of Friday Night Fireworks, the real fireworks came on Sunday for the deciding game of the series.

Friday 

Coming into the first game of the series, the Rebel pitching staff had put together four straight shutouts while the offense provided spotty run support. The mentality of the Rebels was “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” for the team’s first foray into conference play. 

David Parkinson got the start once again on a Friday and showed why he’s the team ace. One week after an 8-inning, one-hit performance, Parkinson proved it was no fluke. The junior lefty went 6 innings and allowed just 3 hits. Parkinson did put four runners on base by way of the walk but was able to shut down the Commodore’s offense when he got in tough spots. The third inning saw Vandy load the bases, but Parkinson remained calm and got the Rebels out of the inning with a double play. 

The Rebels were unable to convert a bases-loaded opportunity of their own in the 4th inning. In a “what are the odds” kind of moment, a hot shot from Thomas Dillard hit baserunner Colby Bortles, ruling him out and the play dead. The 0-0 tie remained in tat after Vanderbilt got out of the jam. 

It took the Rebels until the bottom of the 6th inning to finally get a run across. JUCO transfer Tim Rowe stepped into the box with two on and two out and delivered a base hit that gave the Rebels a lead they wouldn’t surrender. Parkinson’s day was done, and the rest was up to the bullpen. Will Stokes stepped out of his closer role into a setup role and played it perfectly. Stokes completed two innings without surrendering a hit. Dallas Woolfolk entered the game for the 9th and retired the Commodores to pick up his fifth save of the season. The Rebels 1-0 win was their third 1-0 win of the season. 

Saturday

It took five games, but the pitching staff finally crashed down back to earth. The streak of five consecutive shutouts was going to come to an end eventually, and it did just that on Saturday. With James McArthur still out due to injury, Brady Feigl took the mound in game 2 of the weekend series. 

Feigl cruised through the first three innings and took a 1-0 lead into the 4th after Vanderbilt botched a fielder’s choice on a Grae Kessinger ground ball. A poor throw to the plate saw Kyle Watson get across safely. A lead off base hit put Feigl in a tough spot, and the unrelenting Commodore offense was just getting started. Back-to-back home runs put Vanderbilt on top 3-1. A scoreless 5th for both teams went by, but Vandy was able to plate another run and stretch their lead. 

The Rebels cut the deficit in the 7th with a Thomas Dillard solo home run. Now down just 4-2, it was up to the bullpen to keep the score within striking distance. Unable to do so, Andy Pagnozzi gave up a run in the 8th, and Houston Roth allowed one in the 9th. The Rebels had just six hits throughout the game, one being Dillard’s home run and two from Will Golsan in the lead-off spot. The Rebels were unable to put together a string of hits, leading to meaningful offensive production. 

The 6-2 loss snapped the Rebels five-game win streak, and left it up to Sunday’s game to decide the series. 

Sunday 

In his first two starts, freshman Will Ethridge looked untouchable striking out 10 batters in each outing and posting a 1.15 ERA. Sunday was a different story, as Ethridge allowed five runs in just 3.1 innings of work. Lucky for Ethridge, the Rebel offense decided to show up. 

After an opening frame run from Vanderbilt, the top of the Rebel lineup quickly went to work. Tate Blackman and Ryan Olenek singled and advanced on a wild pitch. Colby Bortles picked up his 15th RBI of the year on a sac fly, and Olenek scored on a swinging third strike in the dirt. With a 2-1 lead, Ethridge went back to work but ran into trouble once again. The Commodores tied the game in the 3rd and jumped out to a 5-2 lead thanks to a three-run 4th inning. 

The Rebels weren’t done yet, though. A Will Golsan single in the 5th gave the Rebels a fighting chance. The Commodores responded in the top of the 6th with a run, but their defense would fail in the bottom of the inning. Three walks loaded the bases, and Ryan Olenek took one for the team, and the lead was cut to 6-4. An error by Vandy on a double play attempt let two runs score, and the game was knotted at 6-6. 

A Vanderbilt home run in the 7th put Vanderbilt back on top, but Tim Rowe gave the Rebels life once more with a solo shot. Dallas Woolfolk shut the door on the Commodores in the 8th, and the Rebel offense did the rest. The beer showers continued with a Colby Bortles home run that tied the game at 8-8. Will Golsan scored from first on a Chase Cockrell double, and Cockrell was brought home by pinch hitter Nick Fortes. A 10-8 was enough for Woolfolk, and he retired the side for his sixth save of the year. 

Wrap up 

It took a while, but the offense showed up when the series was on the line, and they delivered. With 10 hits from seven different players, they were able to bail out their starting pitcher, just as the pitchers have done for the offense in recent weeks. The Rebels were also able to draw seven walks by being patient at the plate on Sunday. If the Rebels can find a balance between solid starting pitching and maintain this type of performance at the plate, they’ll be in good shape moving forward. Ole Miss will travel to Memphis Tuesday to take on the Tigers at 6:30 p.m. and will travel to Kentucky for a three-game series beginning Thursday.

Steven Gagliano is a writer for HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at steven.gagliano@hottytoddy.com.

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The post Rebels Take Down Commodores In First SEC Series Thanks To Sunday’s Thriller appeared first on HottyToddy.com.

[thechaoticcheese]

TW: Cursing

“I think there will only be one hurt.” Void responded in a chilling tone, the eye contact not ceasing between the two men.

Word Count: 857

Shadow Company Roach AU - Chapter 4 - Void

“Problem?”

“Void! No! No! There’s no problem here!” Cupcake said, their mood going from fear at the sound of the deep voice to instant cheer as they registered who the voice belonged to. The trio looked to see a tall dark skinned man shadowing over the doorway. Their hands had raised and moved side to side, trying to emphasize their words.

“‘Pends. Ya wan’ one?” Rico growled, his eyes narrowing. Void stepped through the door, his russet brown eyes glared down into Rico’s dark ones. The two were almost chest to chest before Jet quickly intervened and stepped in between the two larger soldiers.

“Let’s calm down here folks before someone gets hurt.” He softly ordered, pressing his hands between the two, gently pushing them away from each other.

“I think there will only be one hurt.” Void responded in a chilling tone, the eye contact not ceasing between the two men.

Roach almost couldn’t bear the tension, but was clueless on how to intervene. Their eyes were threatening to tear each other apart right there.

“Void! Back down! There’s nothing going on.” Cupcake’s voice raised in a commanding tone, something that shocked both Jet and Roach.

There was a flicker of softness in the large man’s eyes as they glanced over at the blond before sighing and backing up, “Fine.” He huffed out.

Jet looked up at Rico, “Now there’s now problem. Right, Rico?” His hand went up to the taller male’s shoulder and tightly squeezed. Something flicked in his eyes, but that didn’t waver his leader’s ice cold gaze that demanded the man stand out.

“N-naw Sir.” He grumbled looking away before brushing away Jet’s hand. He went over to his bed and plopped himself down with his arms crossed against his chest.

The tension in the air still hung, but at least it was slightly more bearable than before. Jet let out a soft sigh, running his hand through his raven hair as his eyes closed. He was composing himself before he turned towards Void.

“Now, Void was it?” He asked, his voice was more gentle, but slightly annoyed. “What are ya doing here?”

“Well, Sir, I do believe this is my assigned group. Shadow 7?” Void answered firmly, his tone also less aggressive, but not entirely letting down his guard.

“Yes, that’s right.” Jet confirmed, holding in a sigh, a look of displeasure itching at his features. As Cupcake heard the confirmation, he smiled brightly before bursting between Jet and Void and hugging the tall man.

“Oh yessss! I can’t believe we got to be together after assessment!” The blond cheered as the side of his face pressed against his shoulder.  His happiness was a light that cut through the dark tension that still hung in the air.

It was time for Roach and Jet to share a glance of confusion, but realization. Were they together? Or was Cupcake just very touchy with people once they got to know someone? The two obviously had trained together, but it was interesting to see such a strong reaction between two parties. Jet and Roach had trained together and they weren’t like this, or at least Roach didn’t think so.

Void’s face softened as he hugged the blond back, his hand going through their curly hair on the back of their head as his hand gently wrapped around their back and gave them a gentle squeeze.

“Me too Cupcake…” His voice was soft and tender, the absolute contrast of how he threatened Rico moments before. There was a pause as they stood there in their embrace for an unusual amount of time before Cupcake pulled away. They cleared their through as they gently gestured towards the group. Void sighed, as if understanding their gesture.

“I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to have such a rude introduction to the group. I know it left a bad impression.” Void sounded sincere at least, but Roach couldn’t help but not trust that the tall man, or Rico for that matter, wouldn’t blow his lid again.

“It’s okay, ya seem to care a lot about Cupcake. Being able to want to stand up and help a friend is a good quality. Though, your observation skills could probably use some work.” Jet accepted his apology with a small criticism at the end, but held out his hand for Void to shake. The tall man lightly chuckled at the man’s observation.

“I’m Patrick Purkins or Jet, 7-6.” Jet introduced himself as Void firmly shook his hand. “The one who signs is Andy Garrickson, or Roach, 7-5, and he’s, Asher LeBlanc, or Rico 7-7.” He introduced everyone to the tall male, pointing them out.

“Rico… Explosive…” Void murmured before nodding slightly, “Got it. Nice to meet everyone. I’m Victor Jones, 7-4. Or you know, Void.” He chuckled softly as he pulled his hand away. “Now um, Cupcake. I need to get a new shirt and you need to clean up the mess in the hall before-”

 There was a loud thunk outside of the door. “GOD FUCKING SHIT!” A voice boomed in the hallway. Everyone’s attention soon was drawn to the outside.

“... That…”

~~~~~~~~~~

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‘Something doesn’t feel right.’ He signed, pausing, ‘I understand the secrecy of the job. But this doesn’t seem like something there should be secrecy about. It sounds cut and dry.’

“Best not to think about it. It sounds like it’s just this, then we’ll be heading back.” Skunk replied before putting his goggles on.

Word Count: 1,273

Shadow Company Roach AU - Chapter 10 - Las Almas

Las Almas.

A place in Mexico close to the American border. Not many other teams made it past the trial from Graves. Only a couple others made it, and one got booted up to Shadow 3. Most Shadow teams were small, containing max 4 or 5 members, but Shadow 7 wasn’t like that. The bigger group kind of felt like a sore thumb in the operation, needing to be split between two vehicles when traveling was always a hassle, but it was worth it.

Roach wasn’t sure what to make of it. They were stationed at Los Vaqueros’ base with the other 6 teams selected. It took some time for the two groups to be adjusted, but it had been a couple of days, and it seemed like there wasn’t much bad faith in each other. Not since Shadow has shown their worth to Los Vaqueros and Task Force 141. 

Roach partly wondered if part of it was because Skunk surprisingly was able to get on the good side of a handful of Los Vaqueros soldiers. Skunk was the main translator for the group, despite the group slowly learning some Spanish. He’d surprised the group when he spoke Spanish to a couple of Vaqueros that were showing them around the base. They had started to bad mouth Shadow Company and Skunk shot back some creative insults. It seemed like they were about to have a physical fight. But then the tension seemed to disappear in a split second and the next thing the group knew, the three were joking with each other. Skunk just shrugged it off when Jet inquired about what just happened. “It happens sometimes.” Skunk replied nonchalantly before the tour continued.

Roach’s thoughts had started to swim as he was trying to keep up with his usual work out, jogging as he let his mind wander. Something was off and he wished he could place his finger on it, but that wasn’t possible at the moment. Especially now that he had just gotten a call to head back to base and get his gear on. It was right before Graves and Task Force 141 were going to go out to the oil rig. Had they planned to join them without prior notice to Roach and the rest of Shadow 7? Unlikely.

Graves had met with Task Force 141’s Ghost and Soap, along with Alejandro, the Colonel of Los Vaqueros. Roach was only able to get a glance at them when they were briefly talking and walking through Los Vaqueros base, discussing some mission details. Roach wasn’t able to hear everything, but it sounded like it was for their upcoming mission for finding the missile Hassan had hidden with the help of El Sin Nombre.

Hassan was a wanted terrorist from Al-Qatala, now first in command of the group since Gohrbrani was killed. It seemed like the man was out for revenge. Though Roach saw Alejandro, Ghost, Graves and Soap at the beginning of Shadow Company and Task Force 141 getting into Las Almas and trying to find Hassan.

It had taken a turn when they captured El Sin Nombre, or Valeria Garza. She was being held captive and word on the base was that they were after missiles. There wasn’t much information other than that.

It felt like Roach’s mind was working overtime trying to figure out why they were here. It was strange. There were way more Shadows than necessary for the missions. Graves was needed for air support and only needed max 3 of the 6 teams so far, them being used for air support on the missions before today. That and Jet had been awfully distant recently. Roach had seen him be pulled to go on the missions with Graves. He wondered what it was for, other than the possibility that Jet still remembered what training he got from the United States Air Force. “So what do you think they need us for?” Crash asked as the group was getting ready for the mission. 

“I dunno. Bu’ et seems like tings are finally goin’ down.” Rico responded. “Je’ called us togeda fo’ sometin’.” “Whatever it is, we go with it. We only have each other here and the other Shadows.” Void added, clipping on Cupcake’s helmet. “Yeah. Follow Jet’s and Graves’ orders and things should be fine. Maybe we’ll finally get an answer why we’re all here too.” Cupcake agreed. But something wasn’t sitting right with Roach as he got ready. Days of no action wasn’t uncommon, especially if it was for backup purposes. Though, if they were here for just that, why were they getting ready? One of the missiles were found and the other would be told when they got back, or that was according to chatter from some of the Shadows that overheard Alejandro, Ghost, Graves, Rudy and Soap interrogate Valeria. “What’s up, Roach?” Skunk’s monotonous voice cut through Roach’s thoughts, not realizing he had furrowed his brow. ‘Something doesn’t feel right.’ He signed, pausing, ‘I understand the secrecy of the job. But this doesn’t seem like something there should be secrecy about. It sounds cut and dry.’

“Best not to think about it. It sounds like it’s just this, then we’ll be heading back.” Skunk replied before putting his goggles on. Roach glanced at him before nodding, putting on his own goggles and helmet as well.

“Good. You’re all ready.” Jet’s voice made the group turn to the door. Jet was in his full gear already. He closed the door behind him before gesturing for the group to huddle close. He looked like he was about to say something tough. His voice was low as he spoke, hushed, “We’re taking over Los Vaqueros’ base. Do not.” He pointed a finger at Cupcake, who was about to express his complaints loudly. “We need to keep this quiet and underwraps. You all have been wonderin’ what we’re doing here right?” The group nodded.

“We’re here for a cover up job. I can’t… I can’t get into specifics. But we need to cover up a previous mission gone wrong. So that means locking up Los Vaqueros… And Ghost and Soap.” There it was. Roach’s stomach churned as everything in him screamed to oppose, to not do this, but he couldn’t defect. Not in Mexico. Not with two teams who would want him dead if he did. It hurt him to have to do this, but Roach knew he should follow orders. “They’re gonna fight back.” Cupcake’s soft voice interjected itself into the uncomfortable silence that started to marinate in the room. “And if they do, we shoot them. Even if Graves doesn’t give the order. I don’t want you to lose your life over some man in a mask and someone who wears a kilt.” Jet responded. Roach’s eyes narrowed. “These men are trained to kill. Los Vaqueros and Task Force 141. 141 is the best of the best. You have a shot you do not hesitate to shoot. Do you understand?” Jet’s piercing stare looked directly at Roach. The man was good at reading people, even if it was just their eyes. Roach looked away and nodded. He couldn’t have doubts about this. Jet was right.

“Now, in 15 minutes we’re going to round up whoever we can find on our side. We’re going to be putting them in the holding cells and once that is done, Roach and I will be going to the gates to greet Graves and the rest of them and take them into custody.” Jet continued. “Afta dat?” Rico asked softly. “After that… We wait for more orders. Like always.”

~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: This was going to be one chapter, but it would've been one loooong chapter. Longer than the previous chapter so it gets cut lol. Hope you enjoyed nonetheless!

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TW: Cursing

"...y’all can call me Gator. This shortstack is Shirley Bennett, also known as Raven and this,” Gator jabbed her finger back as a tall person looked over her shoulder, their dirty blonde hair pulled back in a braid as their only visible brown eye glared into the room, seeming to be accessing each person from Shadow 7 mentally. “This gal right here is Wolf. It’s nice to see rookies so excited to train. You’ll lose that spirit after today.”

Word Count: 1,823

Shadow Company Roach AU - Chapter 8 - Team Training

“You must be who Cupcake told us about.” Jet said, maneuvering his way towards the two in the doorway. The tallest one stood up from leaning against the doorframe and nodded.

“Such a sweet thang really. Not sure how he managed to get in here. Good job by the way sweetheart.” The deep feminine voice said, nodding slightly at the blonde who beamed brightly. “But we are Shadow Team 4. I'm Christy Bluegale, but y’all can call me Gator. This shortstack is Shirley Bennett, also known as Raven and this,” Gator jabbed her finger back as a tall person looked over her shoulder, their dirty blonde hair pulled back in a braid as their only visible brown eye glared into the room, seeming to be accessing each person from Shadow 7 mentally. “This gal right here is Wolf. It’s nice to see rookies so excited to train. You’ll lose that spirit after today.” Gator soon uncrossed her arms before she gestured at the group “So who we got here? Starting with you masked man.”

Roach tensed up, not expecting to be singled out first of the seven people there. He was hesitant to respond, but he moved forward, making sure that Gator, Raven and Wolf could properly see him. Gator raised a brow curiously.

As Roach got closer, he could see the female better, she had a medium olive skin tone, with freckles that were splattered across her body. Long scars traced her arms and a couple decorated her face as her dark green eyes glimmered with inquisitiveness as she watched Roach get closer.

“Well?” She asked with interest, looking at the male that was slightly shorter than her.

‘I’m Roach, Andy Garrickson, Ma’am.’ Roach signed, Gator giving a more thoughtful look before her head nodded, glancing over at Jet.

“And you?” She inquired.

“Patrick Purkins, Jet, Leader of Shadow 7, Roach is my second in command.” He introduced himself before introducing the rest of the squad with a gentle gesture.

“Good to know all of your names. Now let’s go see how well y’all work together despite just meeting. And don’t worry, we didn’t hear whatever you were cheering about.” Gator instructed before leaving the doorway and heading down the hall, not looking back to see if they were following.

Raven, however, was smiling brightly as Gator left, glancing at the group before gesturing with a small jerk of her head to make sure they would follow the taller woman. The curly red head then followed Gator, Wolf soon to follow.

Roach took in a deep breath before following Jet out of the room, the other 5 members of Shadow 7 followed behind him.

It was an interesting thought for seven to be against three. Roach wasn’t so sure that it’d be as easy as Rico planned it out to be, afterall, the trio had on field experience, and there wasn’t a doubt that they would work better than the seven people who had just met.

“So… Ye tink we gots’a chance?” Rico seemed to voice Roach’s thoughts perfectly. His voice was hushed as he asked Jet, having caught up to the leader. He also seemed to understand now that these three emanated an aura that could kill someone with a small glance.

“We’ll find out.” Jet responded just as quietly as the ten Shadow Company members silently maneuvered through the halls to the training grounds. Gator seemed to specifically pick the training section that mimicked a forest. Cardboard cutouts of trees, bushes and rocks, with a few blocks scattered here and there to imitate other objects as well. It was one of the bigger training fields in the building. If you wanted anything bigger, they’d have to travel a bit further out of the building for those.

“Get your gear on then join us in there.” Gator said, not bothering to put on any gear as Raven quickly put on a helmet and a face mask, Wolf heading inside without any protective gear either, just picking up a paintball gun and disappearing behind the door.

“Wait, you’re not going in with gear?” Jet gawked in surprise as the rest of his team suited up, putting on helmets, chest and back plating, face shields and some knee and elbow pads.

“Nope. I don’t expect y’all to land a hit on me. This’ll be over before the hour is up. Good luck y’all, you’re gonna need it.” Gator chuckled before disappearing through the door.

Raven glanced over at the younger group and smiled, “I’m sure you’ll get at least one of us. Just remember, this is your first time together! Listen to each other and make sure to have each other’s backs otherwise you might get in trouble! Good luck!” She cheerfully said before going into the door, grabbing two paintball guns before hand, one no doubt for Gator.

A sigh left Roach, knowing that she was trying to lift their spirits that Gator had just crushed, he couldn’t help but be slightly grateful for it. Raven seemed too nice to be with Gator and Wolf, but he knew he couldn’t judge where she was in life, afterall, he was here too wasn’t he? He pulled the last strap tight on his chest plate right as Jet pulled everyone’s attention.

“Alright everyone, remember Rico’s plan. We have to show these veterans that new blood ain’t always bad. I’ll see you all on the other side.” Jet said after suiting up himself, giving a nod to his squad and leading the way in. Rico went in after him along with Crash, who had stayed close behind the taller man, as if he was trying not to forget who his combat buddy was. Everyone had some sort of semi-auto paintball gun gripped in their hand and a pistol in a holster on their hip.

Roach was nervous, more nervous than he was beating that solo test. He quickly entered then met up with Jet as the team split off to their assigned section of the training room. The dirty blonde was silent as he kept his gun pointed ahead of him, following Jet through the arena. Both men kept their eyes out for any movement. It wasn't long before they heard paintballs thunking against wood and plastic nearby. The two pressed themselves against one of the tree cutouts, making sure that their surroundings were safe enough to have the wood as cover. Jet glanced over the rim of the cutout before quickly pulling back, before gesturing that there was someone located further ahead. Roach nodded and took a small peak himself, realizing quickly who it was. Raven. She was distracted by something else, so he risked taking the shot.

Roach quickly lined himself up for the shot before shooting a few paintballs, the first couple hit the object right besides her, the rest either hit her arm or firearm. He quickly pulled back once she started to scan where the paintballs came from.

“Nice shooting, you better not have compromised us though, Roach.” Jet whispered with a soft grumble.

Thanks to the soft-ish floor, most footsteps were silent, so he held his breath, waiting a few seconds before checking again. To his surprise, he saw that Raven had started to engage in hand to hand combat with Skunk, not using her arm that was splattered with paint, letting it hang freely and limply. It wasn’t long before Gator came and tackled the short male to the ground. She pulled out a pistol from her pocket and shot him right in the chest. She said something, but it was something Roach couldn’t hear.

Jet gently tapped Roach’s shoulder, the second in command looked at his leader, his hazel eyes meeting Jet’s light blue ones as it told him a silent order: Rain fire. He nodded as the two quickly moved around the tree and started to shoot their firearms at the two women.

Jet focused on Gator while Roach focused on Raven.

Roach was easily able to subdue the red head as the paintballs hit her square in her chest. Raven looked down at her chest and raised her hands, keeping the paintball gun pointed up in mock surrender. Roach then turned his attention to Gator who was looking at the two with interest and respect. Jet had not only managed to hit the taller Shadow, but also did some crossfire with Skunk, who unfortunately was already mock dead in this scenario.

Then Roach noticed something in Gator’s eyes, them flicking behind the two men. Roach turned just as paintballs rained on both him and Jet, marking them as dead. He sighed out of frustration as he saw the masked woman pointing her pistol at the two, signalling that she had stolen it from one of his teammates.

“Nice job all’uv y’all. But Shadow 4 wins.” Gator chuckled. “By one.” She got off of Skunk and offered her hand to help him up, and he reluctantly took it.

“Jet and Roach, you two have sharp eyes and good intuition. Fit for the leader and second in command of a troop. Despite not knowing each other for long, you are adaptable. Roach, you have a sharp eye, keep it up.” Gator continued, complimenting the two, Roach felt sheepish as his hand rubbed the nape of his neck with a small smile hiding underneath his mask as Jet looked proudly at the more experienced Shadow. It was as if he knew what she was saying was true, but loved to hear the praise as is.

“Skunk, you rush into things, but that’s not always a bad thing, just keep aware of your surroundings and you’ll be fine.” She said, patting his shoulder before her gaze hardened at Raven. “And goddamnit Shirley! How many times do I gotta say to stick to cover! You’re our main stealth person, why don’t you do that with trainin’s?!”

Raven giggled softly as she smiled widely, “Always keep the enemy guessing.” She playfully responded, inching towards the slightly angered woman.

“I’m not tha damn enemy Shirley…” Roach was barely able to hear the mumble before she glanced at Wolf and gave an approving nod.

“Let’s get cleaned up and have another round yea? Rico and Crash could use some more team building out here.” Gator finished up with a friendly smile.

“Sounds like a plan.” Jet agreed as the six started to head to the door they had entered from, seeing Cupcake and Void taking off their marked gear with Rico mumbling under his breath as Crash fiddled with the paintball gun, as if it had jammed in the fight. “You guys get ready, we’re gonna be training all day.” Jet informed his team as he walked through the door, a soft groan came from Crash and Rico which caused Wolf to chuckle softly, surprising everyone but Gator and Raven. The team looked at each other and nodded.

They’d do better this time.

~~~~~~~~~~

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“Grayman.” Skunk said softly after introductions had finished. “My name is Earl Grayman.”

...

Roach glanced over at Jet. Their leader was holding some sort of emotion back, his eyebrow occasionally twitched as his eye stared at Cupcake and Skunk.

Word Count: 971

Shadow Company Roach AU - Chapter 6 - Skunk

Who Cupcake brought in was, well, the shortest of the group. He also looked like someone decided to piss in his coffee this morning and he wasn’t over it. A permanent scowl on his face, there being dark bags underneath his dark grey sunflower eyes that glared at everyone. It felt like the blond had brought in a stray. There was an uncomfortable silence in the group as everyone took in the shortest member of their team. Despite being short, he seemed decently buff, his clothes almost seeming too tight for him. His hair was short on the sides until it came to his bangs, which were perfectly parted exactly halfway in, showing a small streak of bleach blonde hair on both sides, which was a stark contrast to his brown hair. He had a big black backpack on that almost seemed too full for the man to be carrying.

“Why, welcome!” Jet greeted the man who radiated fuck off energy. “What’s your name?”

“Earl.” He responded, his voice monotone. He didn’t seem like he cared that he was here. Jet’s eyebrow twitched, annoyance crawling up his face.

“What’s your call and designation?” The leader pressed with the same positive tone, though a tad strained.

“Skunk, 7-2.”

Silence. This man was going to be hard to talk to, or at least for Jet to talk to. Cupcake on the other hand, was radiating happiness that they’d found the last member of the team.

“We’re glad to have you Skunk! As you know I’m Cupcake…” The blond then rambled off everyone in the room, giving him their calls, designations and full names, or at least the shared first and last ones. Someone had to have a middle name that they didn’t share right?

“Grayman.” Skunk said softly after introductions had finished. “My name is Earl Grayman.”

“That’s such a cool last name! Thanks for telling us that! I’m sorry to say but, there’s only one last best and it’s this one here.” Cupcake continued. He led Skunk over to the last unclaimed bed, the right bed closest to the door.

“Thanks.” Skunk replied, slinging his bag onto the bed. It sank into the bed with a soft thunk.

Roach glanced over at Jet. Their leader was holding some sort of emotion back, his eyebrow occasionally twitched as his eye stared at Cupcake and Skunk. Was Jet jealous of how Cupcake was able to just so easily get Skunk’s last name and to be able to handle his offputting attitude?

“Well, get yourself settled in Skunk. We’re going to be training afterwards. Just have to find some Shadows to go against in one of the training areas.” Jet smoothly said, Roach noticed how his demeanor changed to something calm and charismatic. It made the masked male furrow his brows, but before his mind could go further, Cupcake spoke up again.

“Oh yeah! I found a trio who seemed pretty close.” The blond continued, beaming up at Jet. The look melted Roach’s heart and he could tell it did the same to Jet.

“That’s good! Where are they?” Their leader proudly asked.

“Uhh, I think they should be here any minute? I told them where to find us. They said they had been on the field quite a bit, but were sent over here to help train some of the new Shadows.” Cupcake informed him and the group, Jet nodded his head as his eyes glanced at the door.

“B’fo’ dey ge’ ‘ere, we shou’ ma’ a plan.” Rico piped up, Jet tossed a thoughtful look towards him before he nodded, allowing the taller man to continue. “Now I dunno y’all’s strend or weaknesses… bu’ I ca’ tell dat Skun’, you’ll beh perfec’ wid sneakin’ ‘round. Shor’, silen’. You’ll be goin’ behin’ enemy lines so dat we ca’ ta’em from da fron’.” His attention went to their newest addition to the team before looking at Cupcake.

“Cupca’, ya and Voi’ gonna beh togeda on one si' of da field, I’ll beh wid Crash an’ Cap an’ Roach wi’ beh togeda. Cupca’ and Voi’ wi’ beh goin’ on one si’, meh and Crash in da mi’le, an’ Cap an’ Roach on da odda si’.” Rico said as he looked at each individual as he said their name. “We’all know da trainin’ areas ya? Shoul’ beh aisé. ‘Specially sin'es dre agains’ seven.”

The team nodded along, some seeming confused at first, but slowly understanding the man’s accent well enough to get the gist of his plan.

“Cupca’ wa’ do ya rememba from der’ looks?” Rico questioned.

“Ummm, two are tall, around Roach’s height and the last one was about my height. All seemed pretty active. One of the taller ones was bulkier and the other tall one is kinda scary looking, they have this mask that covers most of their face.” Cupcake reported moving their hand to show where it covered, them gesturing to their lower and left side of their face. “I think it had some fangs on the left side…”

The team nodded.

“Aight… Skun’ ya gonna try an’ destrac’ da talles’ one, Crash’n I wi’ go fer dem while der distrac’ed, Roach and Cap wi’ go fer da odda big’in, which leaves Cupca’ an’ Voi’ wid da shor’ one. Dou’ if ya go’ a clea’ sho’ ta’et.” Rico grinned ear to ear. “E’eryone clea’?”

Soft cheers filled the room as the soldiers were mostly clear on their orders.

“Aight! Lez Go Shadow 7!” Rico cheered, raising his fist excitedly, it almost touched the ceiling.

“What a rowdy bunch.” A teasing feminine voice said, bringing all of Shadow 7’s attention to the door frame. It came from either the tall person who had just settled themself against the door frame with a big grin, or the female who was peaking past her, also grinning.

~~~~~~~~~~

With that, Imma invite y'all to the start of a ask SC!Roach AU characters about basically anything in my ask box! The characters will be answering according to the MOST RECENT CHAPTER POSTED, ADDITIONAL CHAPTERS DO NOT COUNT SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO ASK A SPECIFIC CHARACTER FROM A SPECIFIC CHAPTER SOMETHING PLEASE INCLUDE IT IN YOUR ASK! Thank you!

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