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ficdirectory · 7 years ago

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The Fosters: Our Thoughts on Episode 5x04 “Too Fast, Too Furious”

It’s recapping time by your favorite twins (obviously other than Jesus and Mariana.) As always, you can find @tarajean621‘s thoughts on Jesus and brain injury representation in italics below:

We’re Gonna Keep Doing STEAM Off Campus. We’ll Let You Know When and Where. Not: Oh, Emma Kurtzman. I love knowing your full name but I don’t love seeing girls be catty with each other. (Also, I felt like I was back in the ‘80s for a second with Emma’s...not. LOL.)

Congrats Again on the Award. I Know How Hard You Guys Worked on It: Way to go, Mariana. Congratulate them and move on.

Is There a Story About Jesus and a Baseball Bat? I Saw Your Door Was Smashed In. Did He Do That? I totally forgot Emma actually asked Brandon this!

Because, again, we cannot ask Jesus about the things he personally did or experienced.

Still Seeing a Fair Amount of Neuro Inflammation: Okay, those are the scariest brain scans I have ever seen. (From my understanding, healthy brain shows up white on a scan. Dead or damaged brain shows up black. It looks like Jesus’s entire brain is hurt here. Good thing I’m obviously not a professional...because to me it looks like he is doing a heck of a lot better than that scan shows.)

Also who wants to have a CT scan at 7:12 AM??? That sounds awful! (Time code that is somehow on every image of the scan...)

Yeah, I’m hoping the scans up on the lightboard are not his.

Meaning He Has to Stay on His Anti-Seizure Meds/Doc, I Can’t Even Get It Up!/Jesus! I was surprised at this exchange, mostly because it means a doctor visit regarding his anti-seizure meds had not happened yet, even though Moms knew he had stopped taking them because of the “side effects.” I assumed a visit like this would have taken place last season, led by Moms, because they’d know how important it is for Jesus to take his meds and not have to deal with terrible (fake) side effects.

Last season, I mentioned Moms could be relieved on some level by the “side effects” of Jesus’s medication, and that is why they insisted he stay on them. This is seeming more likely now.

I would be interested to see how Moms would react to any of their other children bringing up legitimate (if made-up-for-TV) side effects of a medication to their doctor. 99% sure it would not be something they would silence. :/

As You Can See, There’s Still a Little Issue of Impulse Control: Stef, we need to have a conversation. This is totally the correct forum for Jesus to bring up medical concerns. He has to advocate for himself when you and Lena show no inclination to bring up his difficulties on his current medication. When you don’t make it clear to him that he doesn’t have to suffer needlessly with side effects and that getting on another medication is an option.

This is not an impulse control issue. This is not an impulse control issue. This is not an impulse control issue.

This is a minor child from a marginalized group attempting to get the medical care he needs. Do not minimize this. Just because he is not as eloquent as a nondisabled person in advocating for himself does not mean that his needs are not valid.

There Have Been Emotional Outbursts As Well/Yeah. They’re Afraid of Me: Having been on the receiving end of feedback about all the things I did wrong as a child because of my disability (from professionals to my parents) I can imagine it’s equally hellish to have to sit quietly by while your Moms list everything you’re doing (that would be valid if it was anybody else but because it’s you, it’s a symptom that makes them disappointed and fearful.)

Instead of “telling on him” to his doctor, what about having a conversation among yourselves asking Jesus what would help minimize his stress?

This is also the second time Jesus has very specifically chosen a “public moment” of sorts to bring up a difficult topic of conversation. (The last time being family dinner when Grandma came to town, and he said he was quitting therapy.) This seems to be so that Moms will have a harder time dismissing his concerns out of hand.

Why Do You Say That?/Because I Heard You Telling Mom All About What a Monster I Am: Seriously, Lena. You’re going to deny this now? To his face?

Because he overheard you. Let’s see you try to get out of this one.

That is Not What She Said: ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?

Now you’re just splitting hairs. It is what she implied.

She Said That She Thought That I Was Dangerous/Honey, That’s Not What I Meant: I’m pretty sure it is, actually, Lena. You’re just afraid to admit it to his face...

Mama and I are Simply Concerned About Your Ability to Control Your Aggression, Love: So patronizing. Make it stop. Also, Jesus is so humiliated.

But what Lena said was that Jesus was dangerous. And you didn’t correct her, Stef.

The Last Time He Went Off His ADHD Medication, He Also Had Some Anger Issues/Do You Think It Might Help If He Went Back on Them? First of all? The last time Jesus went off his ADHD meds he had wrestling as an outlet. Jesus has no outlet right now. This entire time, he’s needed something as an outlet to deal with what he’s feeling.

Secondly? Jesus should have been back on his ADHD meds way earlier than this. To not have him on medication he needs is just neglectful. You can’t tell me it’s the first Dr. Danville is hearing of this.

And can we stop having full on conversations in front of Jesus like he’s not right here in the room with you?

This is just getting silly now. You can’t ignore one condition to favor another. And hi, the person you’re discussing is in the room with you.

Let’s Try a Low Dose: He should have been on a low dose ASAP not two months later...come on. That’s just sloppy.

What Are We Gonna Do About My Problem?/We Can Try Other Anti Seizure Meds That May Not Have That Affect On You: I love how Moms are still all about giving Jesus warning looks for daring to talk about impotence at a doctors’ appointment, when they talk about sex education at the dinner table... <-- Sarcasm

Yes, and Jesus keeps looking to Moms to see if they are going to let him mention his actual medical problem to an actual doctor.

Sweet/We Do Need Some Bloodwork, Though.../Okay. Thanks Doc: Like, it’s night and day how much better he feels when someone actually listens to him and takes him seriously. Jesus shouldn’t have to go to the doctor to experience that. (And I love the fist bump!)

Why Isn’t This Getting Any Better? Isn’t the Brain Going to Heal Itself?/When Brain Cells Are Damaged or Destroyed, They Don’t Regenerate. But the Brain Does Reorganize Itself: Thank you! Moms needed this reality check. If they’re waiting for Jesus’s brain to ‘heal itself’ that’s not fair to Jesus...

I Just Want Our Sweet Boy Back/There’s No Pill or Combination of Pills That’s Going to Make Him Who He Used to Be: Ugh. Gut punch. The only thing I can be remotely glad for is that Jesus isn’t in the room to hear this... So damaging. (Though I have no doubt he feels Moms’ lack of acceptance. “This [Boy] is Unacceptable,” anyone?)

Your sweet boy did not go anywhere. This kind of talk is so damaging. He was literally right in front of you - you are choosing not to see him. This is who he is now. Please stop grieving your living child and start accommodating him.

Pan Dulce: OMG I want Mariana to bring me snacks! Yum! (She looks way different in this episode, but I haven’t been able to put my finger on why exactly.)

We Have Enough Jammers. We Need Blockers: This doesn’t make sense. I have never done roller derby, but I would think that the whole team could potentially block, but it takes a certain skill to jam...

If We Were at My Place.../I’ve Never Been Invited/It’s a Loft, Not a Dinner Party. You’re Welcome Anytime: Hahaha, Aaron!

Nice to See You, Aaron: Yeah...so is the Door Open Rule optional for all now or did I miss the memo?

Come to My Place and Find Out/Okay: Callie your face says a resounding NOT OKAY. You don’t ever have to agree to something you’re not comfortable with.

Derby Stance: I love seeing Mariana on the roller derby team, learning to skate and working with Ximena! But all that falling! Ouch!

They’re Going to Adjust My Meds and Then I Should Be Back to Normal/That’s Awesome: Oh gosh. No...

If by normal, you mean “able to have sex,” then yes.

What’s Going On, Emma? You’ve Been Blowing Me Off Since Before You Left for Worlds/I Know What You Did to Brandon’s Door and to His Keyboard. It Scares Me That You Would Do Something Like That: Clear communication is a good step, but this TBI = AGGRESSION thing needs to be done.

But you didn’t actually ask him about it, which kind of sucks.

You Have Nothing to Be Scared Of. I Would Never Hurt You or Anyone: And then watch the next scene to see that Jesus Is Unreliable...because he was almost a dimensional person for a second. So we have to be sure that’s undone ASAP so we can continue with TBI = AGGRESSION.

I Always Wanted to Go to Coachella: And I always wanted a giant slide into a ball pit when I was a kid... Brandon, seriously, how are you going to get the money for this? Unless Grace is rich (which she could be given her AMAZING apartment...)

Hey! Why Can’t You Keep Your Damn Mouth Shut?! You Tell Emma About Your Stupid Little Room?! Why? So She’d Break Up With Me?! It has to be so infuriating to know that everybody’s got their hands in your business because nobody trusts you.

She Overheard Mama Talking!/Specifically About Your Keyboard?! Who Told Her THAT?! “Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” - Samuel Beckett (at Brandon)

Seriously, Brandon. The lying, man.

Brandon! Stop It! Do You Want Him to Fall and Hit His Head Again? He’s Got a TBI! What Is The Matter With You? Lena, it doesn’t feel any better when you say it like that...

Totally a true-to-life Mom reaction here, as annoying as it is.

Come On. Let’s Go Back to the House: Would you like to hold his hand while you’re at it, Lena? Maybe pick him up and carry him?

He Should Be Giving You Space/I Shouldn’t Have Pushed Him/You’re Human. I Would Have Done the Same Thing: Why exactly should Jesus be giving Brandon space? He does not get a free pass for all his meddling.

I’m Not Really Great at Not Being Good at Things: Always good to be self aware, Mariana, but like Poppy says. You gotta start somewhere to be great.

I Think Most Women Are.../Really? Hahaha! I was waiting for Ana to say something here. A table full of guys talking about what they know for sure about women... (Also, can Isabella be any cuter? I love that AJ still loves to play with her <3 ) Plus, it’s good to see a family dinner scene with Mana and company (seriously do Mike and Ana have a smushed couple name?)

I Bought Vegan Ice Cream. That Was My One Scary Thing for the Day/LOL. It’s Not So Bad. My Moms Get It Sometimes: Hahaha! Grace and Brandon’s text thread is everything.

Cortney/I Kinda Need Your Help: No... Hang up, Brandon. (And why do you still have her number in your phone?)

We Haven’t...and I Think We’re Going To..and I Don’t Know What’s Okay and What’s Not Okay. I Don’t Have Anyone Else to Ask: Um. Here’s a wild idea, Callie. Why don’t you ask Aaron what’s okay and what’s not? This scene just felt awkward to me.

I know if somebody came to one of my acquaintances who had a disability to talk to them about what I might like, I’d probably not take it well. We’re not interchangeable. People in minority groups can’t just be swapped one for another. It would be like someone asking a random fostadopted teen what you liked, Callie. Who’s to assume that person would know anything about you personally?

Future Jammer Here: Uh oh. Poppy does not like that...

Did You Find Anything?/This/Whoa! It’s Date Night! Okay. AJ and Ana was a dynamic I never knew I needed. They’re great! Now put that ring back guys, before Mike catches you!

Mason! Not in the Face!/Looks Like You Could Use Some Help: Mason, you stinker. Also, oh Grace, I’m sure this not going to end well...like, when you realize you’re babysitting for Brandon’s ex’s child...

What Are You Doing Here?/Look, I Gotta Know. Are We Done?/I Don’t Think So? Wow, Emma. That’s a resounding welcome...

For someone who cannot “handle” going to school, Jesus sure managed to get there by himself okay.

I Don’t Think You’re Mad That Brandon Took Me to Get an Abortion. I Think You’re Mad That I Had One/I’m Mad That You Didn’t Tell Me About It: I’m glad they’re finally talking about this.

Or maybe he’s mad because of both things.

Mariana Told Me...Is That How You Feel?/I Guess. Yeah/Then How Can You Not Be Mad at Me If That’s Something You Really Believe? I appreciated that Emma asked, “Is that how you feel?” after sharing what she heard from Mariana instead of having Jesus need to articulate it himself. So much easier to just say yes or no.

I Would Have Done It Anyway Because It’s My Body! I appreciate that Emma does not hold back here. She says what’s true. Not what she thinks Jesus wants to hear.

I Can’t Be With You If You Feel Angry or Betrayed By That. I Also Can’t Be With You If You Keep Tormenting Your Brother...Because He Was Trying to Help You. Because He Loves You: Brandon’s “help” involved actively shutting Jesus out of knowledge he deserved to have the minute Emma wrote him that letter. Lets not forget that.

Also ‘stop tormenting your brother’ makes it sound like Jesus is a toddler....

I--/Don’t Say Anything. Don’t Tell Me What I Want to Hear. Tell Me What’s True: Seriously! Can we get ONE episode where Jesus is not silenced. He has the right to say what’s true for him. And it wouldn’t hurt Emma to stick around longer than two seconds after she asks him to tell her what’s true. Give him time to figure out what he wants to say...

And then walk away before he has the chance to say anything.

I Don’t Think I’m Tough Enough/Don’t Do That to Yourself. Get Back Out There/Don’t Let Her Make You Do Something You’re Not Ready For: Mixed messages from Coach Ximena and little sis Poppy. What are you gonna do, Mariana?

That Was a Dirty Hit/I Was Just Trying to Get Mariana Mad So She Would Hit Harder: Oh gosh, now the sisters are fighting. The more this happens the more I am worried about what it will mean for Mariana. I really like Ximena. But I am really nervous about Poppy...

Brandon Said Something About It Being Tense with [Jesus]?/Yeah. Jesus Has Been Taking Out A Lot on Him But Brandon’s Being Very Patient: Okay. Brandon has not had the Super Sib cape in a while. Better find it in those boxes and dust it off, Stef... <-- Sarcasm

Wow. So, no one is on Jesus’s side here. In Stef’s eyes, withholding information was the right call. Brandon did no wrong. He is being long-suffering and “very patient” in the face of Jesus’s unreasonable anger. Gross.

I Bought Ana an Engagement Ring. I’m Proposing Tonight/Think She’s Ready For That? Are you, Stef? Your ginormous smile of fear would indicate no...

Give Her Some Time. You’ll Know When She’s Ready. Women Are Excellent at Dropping Hints: Wow, way to totally deflate Mike’s good news, Stef...

You’re So Strong. You’re Such a Hot Man. And I Love Your Stubble: Callie, stop. You’re embarrassing yourself. For real. I can barely stand to watch this scene, the secondhand embarrassment is so strong...

Guys Are Into That Kinda Thing, Right?/Not This Guy: Right, Aaron??? Super weird!

Why Are You Talking to Cole About Us?/Who Else Am I Supposed To Talk To? I’m Not Allowed to Talk to Anybody About It: I’ll give you a hint. You’re in his apartment right now. He’s your boyfriend. He has a great tiger tattoo on his arm. Should I go on? LOL...

When Are You Gonna Move Back With Mommy and Me? Awkward....

Is It Okay If I Leave My Skates Here. It’s Just Easier If I Don’t Have to Lug It All Around: ...and I don’t know...less chance of getting caught by your parents, who don’t know you joined the junior roller derby team. (Who’s paying for that?)

Do You Wanna Join Us?/Sure. That Sounds Cool: That sounds suspect. Especially as Poppy just heard Ximena say she’s proud of you, Mariana... Please be careful. I feel like Poppy’s more than a little jealous...

I Can Sometimes Be a Bit of a Caretaker: Understatement of the year, Brandon...LOL.

It’s a Two-Way Street. We Both Made It Hard and We Both Made It End. There. Is That Clean Enough For You? AJ, I missed you.

I’m Gonna Go Stay With My Dad for a Little While/Wait. Is That Because of Me? Don’t Do That. Please: I can’t help but think this is a direct result of Jesus’s conversation with Emma. He’s trying to make things right with her, so he’s making things right with Brandon. It’s not wrong, but it does feel like manipulation. When it’s likely Trying to Avoid Abandonment 101.

^She’s not wrong.

I Have Been Really, Really Angry Because I’m Afraid That I’m Never Going To Be The Same Again/You’re Not: Wow, Brandon. Just drop that bomb.

This is so refreshing. Honesty. Finally.

When My Hand Got Smashed, I Thought My Life Was Over: I appreciate what Brandon’s trying to do here, but it really feels like a conversation Moms should be having with Jesus. Stef’s been shot. She’s had surgery that forever altered her body. Lena had to make the most impossible choice in order to save her own life. Talk to Jesus, Moms. Be real with him. Be honest. So that it doesn’t fall on Brandon’s shoulders to have all these talks about really important stuff with Jesus. He is not the parent. You two are.

Part of me also thinks, though, that Jesus may be able to hear Brandon better because they’re closer in age. However, he absolutely needs to have these conversations - with as many people as possible, especially Moms - and then have them again, because this kind of thing is not something you just get over.

I Thought I’d Never Play Piano Again/Yeah, But You Did/I Had to Learn to Play Differently. It Took A Lot of Hard Work and A Lot of Time. If You’re Patient, You Can Come Back From This: The implication here seems to be that if Jesus works hard enough he can get back to where he was. That it just might look “a little different.” Which means well but is ultimately harmful for someone with a disability to hear. Jesus’s recovery is not solely based on how hard he works. Some things he may never get back.

Feel free to chime in here, Tara, I feel like I’m veering into your lane.

Yes, this is the quintessential Overcoming Disability Speech: Hard Work And Patience Pays Off.

Except the doctor literally just said that brain cells do not regenerate. New pathways are made, but the damage remains no matter how hard Jesus works. Also, telling Jesus to be patient implies that he should not feel angry or sad or frustrated, in my opinion.

Just Because Things Won’t Be The Same Doesn’t Mean They Won’t Be Okay: Except you kinda just gave Jesus an Overcoming Disability speech. And now you finish with things will be different but they will be okay? Mixed messages galore. My goodness.

I actually agree wholeheartedly with this sentiment, just not the stuff beforehand.

Now I Just Gotta Convince Emma of That: Still not sure where this is gonna go, but we’ll see.

It’s Okay/Thanks, Man: Yes, thanks, Brandon. Is that a new Super Brother cape? Oh, it’s just freshly laundered? My bad. It smells amazing. You’re amazing. <-- Sarcasm

Also maybe since Moms watched them make up, Lena can calm herself down.

I’m glad Jesus is getting some reassurance somewhere. And yes, well-timed hug is well-timed.

I’m Not Ready to Have Sex Either/But You Were Going to Anyway? Why? Such an important conversation for Callie and Aaron. I love that he asks her why and really wants to know the answer.

When We Are Ready, Like, Both Of Us. There’s Some Stuff I’m Gonna Need to Ask You/There’s Nothing You Can’t Ask Me. Just...Please Ask ME: Clear communication is still my favorite.

Oh My God! What Did You Do!/Nothing. I Mean, I Fell at School. I Didn’t Even Know That Was There/Honey, You’ve Gotta Be More Careful. Let Me Get You Some Arnica for That: Seriously, Lena? Your daughter has a massive bruise on her thigh and you’re going to accept “I fell” as the reason? “I fell” is a textbook coverup answer. Push her on this. (We are also terrified about where Mariana’s mystery bruises might lead...)

Yes, lets see. We have Mariana coming home with suspicious bruises + a (TBI = AGGRESSION) storyline. What could that equal? I’m seriously freaking out about this. So not funny. So gross. So irresponsible. BUT I will try to withhold judgement..........................

We’ve Been Looking Into What It Would Take to Get You Back Into School: It’s about time.

Finally.

You Would Need an Assessment to See Where Your Learning Is and How You’re Retaining Information/Okay/Okay: Jesus is taking this all in, but Lena looks terrified and Stef just seems annoyed at having to have this conversation at all. It’s like they don’t even want to be around him. He’s your son, Moms. Parent him. Be there.

And Once We Know Exactly Where You Are You’ll Probably Get A.../A Paraprofessional: Except you literally have no idea yet if Jesus would even require this until he’s assessed! Until the IEP is drawn up and it’s determined what Jesus actually needs. So why bring it up now?

Yes, I agree. This is jumping the gun, IMO.

Wait. What Is That?/It’s an Educational Aide Who Will Go With You to All Your Classes: Also known as a Social Alienator...

Is That Like a Babysitter?/No: Yes. It totally is. Mine used to yell at other kids who got too close to me and report back to my Mom if I did or said anything she didn’t like. It felt like I was constantly being spied on.

It is exactly like a babysitter, Jesus.

No, No, No, No! Come On! Absofreakinglutely Not! Come On! You and I both, Jesus...

Jesus. If You Would Like to Go Back to School Then You Really Have No Other Choice: I’m sorry. Did I somehow miss the memo that school was now optional? Also, patronize him a little more Stef. Back him into a corner with “You have no other choice,” and watch what happens.

Just because he has a brain injury now doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve to be heard out when he has concerns about things. And again I really think Moms jumped the gun even talking about the aide at this point. Just because one kid needs one doesn’t mean Jesus necessarily will. I feel like taking things one thing at a time would be a lot better for him.

Because school is an ultimatum and you’re a psychic, Stef? Jesus has not even been assessed yet - an aide is not a foregone conclusion. Slow down.

Okay! I WON’T Go Back! Look We Know That Things Are Never Gonna Be The Same. So I Can Get My GED and I Can Work Construction with Gabe! I mean, Moms, you kinda walked right into that one...

No! That’s Not an Option!/That IS an Option! I’m 16! I Can Drop Out! It’s My Life!/Jesus! No! Jesus! Yes!

Ahhhhhh, I lived for Jesus speaking out when Stef tried to shut him down again! Make them take you seriously. Make them listen.

How Was Dinner?/Kinda a Disappointment. I Did Get This/What? Oh, My God! Hahahaha! Ana and AJ again. Amazing.

Gabe Will Be Out of Town for a Few Days, But You’re Welcome to Stay Here Til Then/Are You Sure Your Moms Are Okay With This? No. I’m positive they aren’t.

For more: Fosters Recaps

#the fosters #jesus adams foster #ableism #aphaisa #tbi #traumatic brain injury #representation matters #5x04 #too fast too furious

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your-modern-shakespeare · 8 years ago

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Never Forget You (21)

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20

Summary: It’s been over a year since Dean has gone to Hell. You used to date Dean, so what would it be like if you ran into him one day?

Pairing: Dean x Reader

Word Count: 5080

A/N: So once again, I am the worst. School this past week nearly killed me, but as you can see this part is nice and long (maybe too long?) Hope you guys enjoy.

Warnings: talk of sexy time, angst

Tags: @drunkwordsss, @fangirl1802, @beltz2016

READER’S POV

“What do you mean you know where Purgatory is?” Dean asked.

“I've been there.”

“You've been to purgatory?” Sam asked, surprised.

“When I died, I was tested by God. It was to prove whether or not I could handle being his vessel, if I was strong enough. And one of the tasks had me spend some time in purgatory.”

“What sort of task?” Dean looked upset.

“It doesn't matter. I am worried about working for Crowley when what he is looking for is right under his nose. I'm already having to hide myself from him for being the vessel but I don't think I can handle trying to hide this too.” I raised my voice, feeling a panic coming over me.

“Hey, you're freaking out. You're going to be okay.”

“The alphas can sense me, Dean. I can't hide myself from them, the vamp was in my head. What's going to stop him from telling Crowley everything?”

“Then we find where Crowley is keeping them.”

“The alpha wasn’t telling us anything, he didn’t say anything to Samuel. He may not say anything to Crowley.” Sam said.

“But how do we know?” I asked.

“Sam can you give us a minute?” Dean asked. Sam nodded and he went to the kitchen, we moved upstairs to the master. He closed the door behind us and I moved to sit on the bed. “What’s really going on?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean what I asked.”

“I don’t think that I should be with you right now.”

“What?”

“Crowley is going to have his eyes on you. I can’t hide myself all the time and if he finds out about me, if he knows that I know something he’s going to go after you two. They can’t hurt me but they can hurt you and he can keep Sam from getting his soul back. I think I need to lay low and stay out of this until things calm down with Crowley.”

“I don’t care about Crowley, I want you by my side.”

“I don’t care about Crowley either, but you and Sam are my family and I’m not going to let you get hurt.”

“So what do we do then?”

“I stay here and you two go and find Crowley, shut him down and get Sam’s soul back.”

“You just stay here...by yourself?”

“This place is warded, I’m hidden here....this is where I need to stay. But you need to go after Crowley.”

“I will, but we are not done with this conversation. Why don’t you get Sam back to the motel and we can figure out a better way to do this.”

“Dean—”

“Y/N.” We stared at each other, waiting for the other to cave.

“Fine...I’ll be back.”

So I went downstairs and told Sam that Dean and I needed to have a serious talk, which he knew meant that it was time for him to go. So I took him back to his motel room and then I came back to the master where Dean was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for me.

“Nothing’s going to change your mind?” He asked, looking down at his feet.

“No.”

“I don’t want to be away from you.” He whispered, then he looked up at me. “This whole Sam thing, him not having a soul...it freaks me out. I mean can I even trust him, do I want to? Or is he going to throw me at the next monster we face.”

“So you just want me around to babysit?” I smiled and sat down next to him on the bed, grabbing his hand.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I know.” I rested my head on his shoulder. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

“Yeah, but how long am I going to be out there while you sit here?”

“However long it takes for you to get Sam’s soul back.”

“However long that takes…”

“Dean, I know this is going to be hard, but we can handle this, if anyone could, we can.”

“Do you ever think about what would have happened if Sam didn’t come back?”

“You would have been upset forever.”

“Y/N—”

“I mean it.”

“Yeah and I mean it. We had a life, we could have had a family and yeah I wanted Sam to be alive but it was really nice to be out.”

“It was nice, but I don’t think we would have made it any farther than we did, with or without Sam. Chuck brought us back in for a reason, even if he did it in the worse way possible.” I started to get teary eyes. “I really wanted that life with you, but I want to make it long enough to try again. Which means that I can’t be with you right now, I need you out there and I’m going to stay here until we figure this out.”

“Ok.”

“Ok?” He turned to face me.

“I’m going to leave you here and I’m going to do everything I can to get Sam’s soul back. On one condition...”

“What’s that?”

“Tonight, you’re mine.” He grabbed me in his arms and kissed me, both of us trying to ignore that this was a sort of goodbye. And that night would be the last time I would see Dean for a long time.

DEAN’S POV

It’s been months. And I would never let Sam know, but I was feeling homesick, I guess, from being away from Y/N. So it would be normal for me to be thinking about Y/N while we had Crowley in a devil’s trap, telling us that he had no way of getting Sam’s soul back. I was trying to keep my temper under control, but everything he said brought me closer and closer to stabbing him. So instead I handed Meg the demon knife.

“You’ll let me back out, right?” She asked and we nodded. She turned to Crowley, stepping into the devil’s trap. “This is for Lucifer, you pompous little—”

She moved to stab him, but Crowley was quicker. He took her down, cut his way out of the trap and threw us against the wall.

“That’s better. You don’t know torture, you little insect.” He said to Meg but Cas came back with a bag in his hands.

“Leave them alone.” He said.

“Castiel, haven’t seen you all season. You the cavalry now?” Crowley asked with a smug look on his face.

“Put the knife down.”

“You that bossy in Heaven? Hear you’re losing out to Raphael. The whole affair makes Vietnam look like a roller derby. Hey, what’s in the gift bag?” Cas reached in and pulled out a skull.

“You are.”

“Not possible.”

“You didn’t hide your bones as well as you should have.” Crowley clapped at Cas.

“Cookie for you.”

“Can you restore Sam’s soul or not?”

“If I could help out in any other—” He tried to reason, but that just made my temper worse.

“Answer him!” I yelled.

“I can’t.” Then Cas did something that I hadn’t been expecting. He burned the bones and Crowley vanished. But as soon as Crowley was gone, so was Meg.

“Well, she’s smart, I’ll give her that. I was gonna kill her, too. ’Course, I’d have given you an hour with her first.” I said to Cas, trying to hold back a laugh.

“Why would I want that?” Sam and I just laughed at him as we made our way back to the Impala.

I pulled Cas back, to walk a little slower than Sam.

“Thank you, Cas...for doing that. I...I’m glad that it’s over now. I really can’t—”

“You miss Y/N.”

“How’d you know?”

“Y/N prayed to me, she needed someone to talk to. She asked for my help with Crowley. I just wish that I could have found something sooner.”

“Hadn’t it been for you—

“Dean, Crowley was right. It’s not going well for me upstairs.” We walked to the car and stood now with Sam.

“If there’s anything we can do, I can do—”

“There isn’t. I wish circumstances were different. Much of the time I’d rather be here.”

“Look, Cas, we know you got a steaming pile on your plate. There’s no need for apologies. We’re your friends.”

“Listen, Sam, we’ll find another way.” Cas said to Sam.

“You really wanna help? Prison full of monsters. Can’t just leave ’em, can’t let ’em go.” He had a point.

“I understand.” And Cas was gone again.

“He’s right, you know?” I said to Sam.

“About?” He asked.

“About your soul. We’ll figure something else out.”

“No, we won’t.”

“Why, because Crowley said—”

“You heard what Crowley said. And I heard what Cas said. Putting this thing back in would smash me to bits.”

“We don’t know that for sure.”

“You know what? When angels and demons agree on something, call me nuts, I pay attention.”

“You say this now? After we practically died trying to—”

“Exactly! We almost got ourselves killed. I mean, how many times do we risk ourselves for this? Enough’s enough.”

“Sam—”

“I don’t think I want it back.”

“You don’t even know what you’re saying.”

“No, I’m saying something you don’t like. You obviously care, a lot. But I think maybe I’m better off without it.”

“You’re wrong. You don’t know how wrong you are.”

“I’m not sure about that.”

“Do you understand what I have had to give up to work for Crowley? To get you soul back?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then I’m not taking this. I am getting your soul back.”

“I don’t want it.”

“You don’t get the choice!”

“I don’t get the choice?! This is my life we’re talking about!”

“I know that, I am trying to save your life. You are not yourself! I have given up everything to be here with you, I’m not about to go back empty handed.”

“So this is about Y/N?”

“No this is about you.”

“Well you keep bringing up the sacrifice you made. Except you didn’t have to leave her behind and that was your choice. My choice is to live my life as best as I can now.”

And then he walked away from me too. But with Crowley gone, I was done. I needed a break and being with Sam always put me on edge. I needed fresh eyes and I needed...Y/N.

I climbed in the Impala and started her up, driving away. A couple of minutes into my drive Cas, showed up in the front seat.

“It’s taken care of.” I ignored what he said, and picked up my speed. “I see that Sam isn’t here.”

“No, he doesn't want his soul back and I’ve reach my limit with everyone working against me. And I know that you’ve helped, I just—”

“You know you’re less hot-headed with Y/N around.” All of the sudden the scenery around me changed and we weren’t in Missouri anymore. And by the time that I realized that we were in Y/N’s neighborhood, Cas was gone.

I pulled up in front of the house and for the first time in a long time I took a deep breath and I felt okay. I parked right out front and grabbed my keys and quickly made my way inside. I immediately went upstairs to the master and even though she was asleep I grabbed her in my arms and held her so tight to me. It took her a second to stir.

“Dean?”

“Hey.” Holding her in my arms, I was able to breath again. When she realized that I was actually there she wrapped her arms around me and held me just as tight.

“What happened?”

“I’ll tell you later. I don’t want to think about it right now.” I kissed her before she could object. I wasn’t looking for an answer to all of my problems right now, I just wanted to spend time with Y/N. And until the sun rose the next morning, Y/N and I spent every second together trying to make up for lost time. And when we woke up for the day, I told her everything that was on my mind.

“You know I just don’t know what to do about this. I can’t leave Sam without his soul.”

“But Crowley was our only lead and he’s dead. Believe me knowing that he’s gone is a big relief, but where else can we look?”

“Well if Crowley couldn’t get Sam’s soul, whose more powerful than Crowley, who could?”

“It took a bunch of angels to get you out hell and not even the hard part to get out of. So who's more powerful than Crowley and a group of angels? Chuck.”

“If he’s our only option, then we’re screwed. What about you, you have some of Chuck’s power.”

“Yeah, but I can't travel between realms like that. I am supposed to be his connection on earth, I wasn’t meant for that. But there is someone who has free reign over everything...just like Chuck.”

“Who?”

“You’re not going to like it.”

“That’s how it seems to go. Who is it?”

“Death.”

“You’re kidding right?”

“No.”

“So, in order to get Sam’s soul back, we’ve got to bargain with Death himself.”

“It’s one option.”

“So which one of us is going to die?”

“Dean, I could just go talk to him.”

“What?”

“Over time, I’ve gotten stronger. And if I leave my body a reaper will be there to pick me up, but because I can’t die I can return back to my body after I’ve talked to him, where you can not.”

“I don’t like this.”

“We can try something else.”

“Would he do it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well...if I let you go, we need to come up with a plan.”

“Let me do this Dean. I haven't been on a hunt in months and I want to help.”

And with that, we had a long talk about what needed to happen and what she needed to say to Death. I knew that she would come back but it still made me nervous for her to do this. As soon as she was ready to go, she moved to rest against the pillows and I sat right beside her. I grabbed her hand and held it the whole time.

READER’S POV

I relaxed and looked at Dean one last time.

“I’ll be back.”

“Yeah.”

I closed my eyes and opened them briefly knowing that Dean would see a white glow before the light faded completely. I looked at myself on the bed and then I walked out of the house.

I only had to wait a minute for a familiar reaper to find me.

“Y/N?What are you doing?” Tessa said.

“What do you know? It worked.”

“Why are you dead? You can’t be dead.”

“Tessa, I need a favor.”

“Oh, you're kidding. You died to ask me—”

“Tell your boss I need to talk to him.”

“No.”

“Please?”

“Why?”

“Desperate times.”

“He calls us. We don't call him.”

“But you can make an exception.”

“I can't.”

“Can't or won't?”

“Both.”

“Alright, Tessa. Thank you very much. Hello, Y/N.” He showed up beside her.

“Hi.” I said to him.

“I'm busy, Y/N. Talk fast.

“I need your help.”

“What is it you want?”

“Lucifer's cage. You're one of the few people that can actually jailbreak it.”

“And?”

“Sam's soul is stuck in that box.”

“I've heard.”

“And Sam and Dean’s brother is trapped in there, too. Michael rode him in.”

“Y/N, quit shuffling and deal.”

“I want you to get them both out.”

“Hmm. Pick one.”

“What?”

“Sam's soul or Adam's.”

“But—”

“As a rule, I don't bring people back. I might make an exception once, not twice. So...Pick.”

“Sam. His soul has been in there for a year, and I understand that it's...Damaged.”

“Try flayed to the raw nerve.”

“Well, is there anything I could or you could do to...help with that?”

“What do you think the soul is? Some pie you can slice? The soul can be bludgeoned, tortured, but never broken. Not even by me.”

“Well, there's got to be something.”

“Maybe. Can't erase Sam's hell, but I can...put it behind a wall, if you will.”

“A ‘wall.’”

“In his mind, a dam to hold back the tide. Nasty, those memories. You don't want to know what they'll do to him. Believe me.”

“Okay, uh, a wall. Sounds good.”

“But it's not permanent.” Tessa chimed it.

“She's right. Nothing lasts forever. Well, I do, but…”

“Okay, so that's the choice, Sam with no soul, or Sam with some drywall that if or when it collapses, he's...Done?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s do it.”

“I never said that I would.

“Well, then what the hell have we been talking about?”

“Your prize. If you win the wager.”

“What's the bet?”

“I know that Dean sent you to do this.”

“No.”

“This is Sam we’re talking about and you want me to just believe that he has nothing to do with this.”

“No.”

“When you fetch my ring, have him put it on.”

“What?”

“I know you guys have it, I lent it to you. I want Dean to be me for one day.”

“Are you serious?”

“No, I'm being incredibly sarcastic. But he takes the ring off before the 24 hours are up, and you lose. No soul for Sam. Clear?

“Okay. Yes. But...But why?”

“That is for you to find out.”

Next thing I knew I was awake and beside Dean again.

“What did he say?” He asked.

“It’s not going to be easy, but it’s possible.”

“What do we have to do?”

READER’S POV

I wasn't exactly okay with Dean doing this, I knew how hard Death's job was and Dean cared too much about people. But we went to Bobby’s, to get the ring, which is where we found Sam and got an ear full for messing with death.

Sam was completely against the idea, I could tell he was worried and I was too, but he needed a soul. He just wasn't Sam without one.

Sam and Dean went outside for a talk and as soon as Sam came back inside, I went out to talk to Dean.

“Hey.” I called out to him. He turned around and looked at me with the ring in his hand.

“Hey.”

“You okay?” I asked.

“Yeah...I guess.”

“Dean...this isn't going to be easy.”

“I don't need easy.”

“When you put on that ring, you become death. You are going to have take the lives of innocent people. You have a big heart and I have no doubt that you can do this. Just remember that this is Sam’s soul we're bargaining for.”

“Yeah I know.” He looked down at the ring and moved to put it on.

“I love you.”

“I know.” He quickly kissed me and put the ring on, disappearing into nothingness. I walked back into the house and saw Bobby sitting downstairs in his office.

“Hey.”

“Are you sure about this?”

“I think that Death is the only one who could do this. And Sam needs his soul back.”

“I agree.”

“So where is Sam?”

“He left.”

“He left?”

“He’s not a prisoner and I don’t have a reason to keep him as one.”

“Sam is against us on this, we need to keep an eye on him now more than ever.”

“You don’t think I know that? But when it comes down to it, he needs someone that he can trust, someone who can give him advice, someone to steer him in the right direction.”

“Fine.”

So I sat downstairs and waited for Sam to come back. But when I did I was not happy to feel the energy that was coming off of him. He tried to walk past me but I stopped him.

“Sam.”

“What?”

“You think I’m stupid?”

“No.”

“Why don’t you tell me where you went.”

“I just went out for a drive no biggie.”

“Then why do you stink of archangel.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t lie to me Sam. I could just read your mind and know what you’re up to.”

“Then why don’t you?” He said as he sat down in the chair, making sure not to look at me.

“Let’s not argue.” Bobby said, walking into the room and sitting between the two of us, doing little to erase the tension.

“Do I need to remind you what an archangel can do to me if they find me.”

“I didn’t meet with an archangel.”

“Okay, so what, you spray yourself with archangel cologne? I know what you feel like and I know that you are no archangel.”

“Well Lucifer used me as his meat suit, he’s an archangel.”

“So you two are friends now, did you go visit him, have a little chat?”

“I don’t have to tell you anything. I went for a drive end of story.”

“You two stop arguing and let's do something else. Bobby stood and grabbed three beers from the kitchen before he went over to the table and started dealing out cards.

We both joined him at the table reluctantly, Sam making sure to not sit across from me.We played for some time before things went wrong.

“Pair of aces.” Sam said. Bobby stood grabbing the empty beer bottles.

“Want another one?” He asked Sam.

“Yeah, sure.”

“I’m going to the bathroom. Don’t start the next hand without me.” I left the room and walked down the hallway.

I didn’t take long and when I got out Bobby had a baseball bat in hand and he was looking around the kitchen.

“Bobby.” He turned around and swung the bat at me, but I dodged his swing.

“Y/N, I’m so sorry.”

“What happened? I was in the bathroom for just a couple of minutes.”

“You were right about Sam.”

“What?”

“Sam tried to attack me with a wrench.”

“What?”

“Come with me.” He grabbed my arm and he pulled me into the front closet, locking the door.

“Start over. What did Sam do?” All of the sudden the door was being beat in with an axe, we both flinched at the initial hit.

“Don't say, ‘here's Johnny.’”

“I got to do this, Bobby. I'm sorry. You shouldn't have cornered yourself.”

“I didn't.” Then Bobby reached over and pulled a lever, which made the floor underneath Sam collapse, falling down into the basement.

Bobby put the lever back into place and the trap closed. We stepped out of the closet and went over to the door that led to the basement. We put our ears to the door and listened to what was happening and then he started banging against the door.

“Reinforced steel core, titanium kick plate. Get comfy.”

“You want to explain what this is about?” I asked.

“I just, uh...I have to do this.”

“Says who?” Bobby asked.

“If Dean shoves that soul back in me, think how bad that could really be. I can't let it happen, Bobby. I mean, it's not like I want to kill you. You've been nothing but good to me.”

“So...What, demon deal or something?”

“Spell.”

“You're making a mistake, Sam.”

“I'm trying to survive.”

“Dean's got a way to make it safe.” I said.

“Oh, yeah, what, some wall inside my head that maybe stays up? Come on.”

“If it works—”

“Yeah, what if it doesn't? Dean doesn't care about me. He just cares about his little brother, Sammy, burning in hell. He'll kill me to get that other guy back.”

“Look, I...I know how scary it is. But you know what's scarier? You right now. You're not in your right head, Sam. You're not giving us much choice here.” We both listened for some kind of response, but we didn’t hear anything. “Sam?” Nothing. “Balls!” He opened the door and we carefully made our way down. Ain't nobody killing me in my house but me.” He murmured. “I don't want to blow your legs out, boy, but I will.”

I looked over to the panic room and saw the door ajar. We walked over to the door and saw that Sam had escaped through the vent inside. So we very skeptically went to look for him. We started walking together but Bobby, for some reason, just wanted to make the situation worse.

“We should split up.”

“This is quickly turning into the things seen in horror movies.”

“We need to find him.”

“I know, doesn’t mean I’m happy about it.”

“I’m not happy about it either.”

So we split up and the whole time I was walking I was on edge. That is until I was hit over the head and blacked out.

What happened next had to be told to me.

Apparently Sam also knocked out Bobby and he dragged both of us to the barn on the outside of Bobby’s property. And just as Sam moved to kill Bobby, Dean showed up and knocked Sam out.

Sam was locked up in the panic room and Bobby was standing guard. I was passed out on the couch, Dean was holding me in his lap, his fingers running through my hair. I slowly came to.

“Hey, you're back.”

“Yeah.”

“What happened?”

“I couldn't do it.” I sat up and grabbed his hand.

“You did your best.”

“I messed up everything."

“No.”

“I took the ring off, Death isn't going to help now.”

“Then we’ll find some other way.”

“I can't keep doing this. I mean, what are we gonna do tie him up every time he tries to kill someone? And that's not gonna hold him. I mean, he's -

“Capable of anything.”

“What am I supposed to do here?”

“I don't know. But for now, how about I get you a drink?”

“It's like you can read my mind.” I stood up and reached for his hand. He grabbed it and I led him into the kitchen. But as we walked in we saw a familiar face looking back at us.

“Dean. Y/N. Join me.” We skeptically walked over to the table and sat. “I brought you two one from a little stand in Los Angeles known for their bacon dogs.” He handed us both a hotdog

“Boy, what's with you and cheap food?”

“I could ask you the same thing. Thought I'd have a treat before I put the ring back on. Heavier than it looks, isn't it? Sometimes, you just want the thing off. But you know that. Not hungry?”

“Look... I think you know that I flunked. So there. Oh, and by the way, I, uh...I sucked at being you. Really screwed up the whole natural order thing. But I'm sure you knew about that, too.”

“So, if you could go back, would you simply kill the little girl? No fuss, no stomping your feet?”

“Knowing what I know now, yeah.”

“I'm surprised to hear that. Surprised and glad.”

“Yeah, well, don't get excited. I would have saved the nurse, okay? That's it.”

“I think it's a little more than that. Today, you got a hard look behind the curtain. Wrecking the natural order is not quite such fun when you have to mop up the mess, is it? This is hard for you, Dean. You throw away your life because you've come to assume that it'll bounce right back into your lap. But the human soul is not a rubber ball. It's vulnerable, impermanent, but stronger than you know. And more valuable than you can imagine. So... I think you've learned something today.

“This was all a test?” I asked.

“It is if it worked.”

“Want to know what I think? I think you knew that I wouldn't last a day.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about.”

“I lost. Fine. But at least have the balls to admit that it was rigged from the jump.”

“Most people speak to me with more respect.”

“I didn't mean --”

“We're done here. It's been lovely. But now I'm going to go to hell to get your brother's soul.”

“What?” I asked.

“Why would you do that for us?” Dean asked.

“I wouldn't do it for you. The three of you keep coming back. You're an affront to the balance of the universe, and you cause disruption on a global scale.”

“I apologize for that.”

“But you have use. Right now, you're digging at something. The intrepid Detective. I want you to keep digging.”

“So you're just gonna be cryptic, or…”

“It's about the souls. You'll understand when you need to.” Dean and I looked at each other, having no idea what he meant.

“Wait. With Sam... Is this wall thing really gonna work?” I asked.

“Call it 75%.” And then he was gone. We quickly made our way back down to the basement and over to the panic room door.

“Open the door.” Dean said.

“What happened?” Bobby asked.

“Now!” He yelled and Bobby moved to open the door. When the panic room was opened we saw Death standing over Sam with a bag in hand and a white glow coming from it. I quickly became dizzy, feeling the change in energy

“Get away from me! Don't. Don't!” We heard Sam yell and it killed me inside to just stand by, even though I knew that he needed this.

“Now, Sam, I'm gonna put up a barrier inside your mind.”

“No, don't touch me.”

“It might feel a little...Itchy. Do me a favor, don't scratch the wall. Trust me, you're not gonna like what happens.”

“Please. Don't do this.” Death took Sam's soul out of his bag and moved to put it back inside Sam.

“No, no! You don't know! You don't know what'll happen to me! Dean, please! No. No. No.” I could feel Dean cringe but he didn’t stop it from happening. And then he did it, he put Sam’s soul back, him yelling the whole time.

And then as quickly as it had happened it was over and Sam collapsed back onto the bed unconscious. He was out for a long time and we had our doubts about whether or not we had done the right thing. But he did wake up and it seemed to work, his soul was back.

PART TWENTY-TWO

#dean winchester #dean winchester x reader #dean winchester fanfiction #dean winchester fanfic #dean winchester series #dean #dean x reader #dean fanfiction #dean fanfic #Dean series #SPN #spn fanfiction #spn fanfic #SPN series #supernatural #supernatural fanfiction #Supernatural fanfic #supernatural series #never forget you

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jupitermelichios · 8 years ago

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Sapphy recs some comics

Marvel’s Secret Empire event is a garbage fire that's somehow increasing the amount of garbage in the world. DC are still publishing comics so bad I find them literally unreadable. (To be fair to DC they're doing better than Marvel right now, but low a bar as “didn't make a holocaust survivor into a Nazi” is, this is the company the started selling White Power rings during Black history month, so I'm confident they'll find a way to sink that low soon.)

But the world of Cape comics isn't all misery right now. There's some amazing work coming out of both Houses. So, to try and counteract the shit, here's my list of the best comics being published by the big two right now.

The Mighty Thor

When Thor Odinson becomes unworthy of Mjolnir, the hammer is taken up by his ex girlfriend Jane Foster. She's a deeply moral person, a brilliant scientist, and dying the breast cancer. The hammer grants her incredible power, but it also purges her system of all poisons. Including the chemotherapy drugs which are her last chance of survival. Nevertheless, she's not going to let that stop her fighting gods, monsters and a sometimes-minotaur.

I'm starting with the best of the best. The comic is consistently brilliant, bordering on perfect in places. The writing is fantastic, the art is great (check out Thor’s muscles! Heroines getting to be muscular!) But the real star is the colouring, which is superlative. This book is a fucking masterclass on how to create the perfect Asgard comic, and there's a woman front and center. And don't worry if the premise sounded like too much of a downer for you, this comic is one of the most fun out there right now.

(And if you want to see that stunning cover in more detail, zoomable version is here. Even if you don’t like comics, you gotta admit that it just some damn good arting.)

Detective Comics

Batman recruits Batwoman to help him train a team of less experienced vigilantes, ostensibly to help combat Gotham’s crime problems. In reality, he’s using it as a way to get closer to a shadowy organisation who have the group under surveillance. When the confrontation with this group finally arrives, Bruce finds himself realising that he needs this new team more than he’d ever expected.

The writing on this series has gone from good to fantastic as the creative team start to really build up steam. It’s still a majority white straight book, but there’s genuine and effective efforts being put in to introduce diversity. They’ve added more non-white characters, given Cassandra Cain a major story arc (which has reduced me to tears on the bus at least once) and had a cameo from a brilliant original trans character, which introduced the fascinating titbit of Batman lore that he sends congratulations cards to his friends who come out. Because sometimes Bruce is adorable. There is one major character death, but so far all stories hint to that being a deliberately temporary thing, and it was handled so well I’m almost not mad. If you’re going to kill off a character with that much history, that’s the way to do it.

USAvengers

Bobby de Costa is a former New Mutant, a superhero, and a billionaire with a penchant for doing the unexpected, so when the opportunity came up to purchase the controlling stake in supervillain science organisation AIM, he took it. He then appointed himself supreme leader, renamed it Avengers Idea Mechanics and become the world’s first genuinely benevolent supervillain. At the end of New Avengers, AIM was absorbed into SHIELD, giving the book a rebranding as USAvengers and Bobby a whole new set of headaches to deal with.

This probably isn’t the best comic on this list, although it is consistently good, but it’s my favourite. By miles. It has never once failed to leave a grin on my face, and I look forward to the new issues all month. I love the team dynamic, I love how Al Ewing writes Wiccan, I love that Yinsen Ho’s daughter is Iron Patriot (chinese/totally-not-tibetan-honestly American lesbian wearing the red white and blue armour), I love everything about Bobby de Costa. Most of all though, I love that in the current marvel climate, they made it canon that in all non post-apocalyptic hellscape futures, a black woman is Captain America. All of them. That is canon now, no take backs allowed.

Doom Patrol

First Casey Brinke’s ambulance directs her to pick up the pieces of a smashed up Robot with a human brain, then a man with holes of void where his chest should be shows up and vomits on her floor. Now she might be a superhero, the ambulance is sort of her dad, and she’s got to save a lot of dubiously real people from the clutches of a Supervillain, who is also sort of her dad. And she’s worried about her cat. It’s been a weird couple of days.

I never read Doom Patrol - by the time I was reading comics to any significant degree, it had become one of the comics DC was faintly ashamed of, something that happened in the past that they weren’t going to be bring up again anytime soon. Then Gerard Way, rockstar, artist and writer of an Eisner award winning surreally-dark superhero comic, turned up at their offices with a doom patrol t-shirt, a microphone and a really convincing pitch as to why he should be given creative control to start a new imprint (at least I presume that’s how it went.) The results were Gerard becoming writer for a new run of Doom Patrol, and me being given a chance to fall in love with this supremely weird team. Every issue of this book feels like being given a chance to peek inside someone else’s dream, in the way Gerard’s comics always do, and I absolutely love it.

Unbeatable Squirrel Girl

Doreen Green has the proportionate strength and agility of a squirrel, as well as the ability to talk to squirrels of all kinds, a finely honed sense of fair play and moral decency, and a thirst of knowledge. To that end she enrols herself onto a computer science course, becomes best friends with her knitting and cats obsessed roommate Nancy, and teams up with fellow student heroes Koi Boi and Chipmunk Hunk to give evil a darn good talking too, and if that doesn’t work, her skills include kicking butts and eating nuts, and she just finished all her nuts.

This comic is cute, socially conscious, appropriate for all ages, and consistently hilarious. If you spend any time at all around comics or comic-book fans, chances are you’ve heard of it. It really is as good as its hype. There really isn’t much more to say about it. It’s very very good. You should read it.

Harley Quinn

With Harley finally free of the Joker, the news that she’s been left a building on Coney Island in the will of a grateful former patient couldn’t come at a better time. The building turns out to house a wax museum and burlesque show, staffed by a host of colourful characters who make her feel right at home. She gets herself a job as a shrink, another on a professional roller derby team, and eventually a third running a team of superheroes for hire, and sets about rebuilding her life, her self-esteem, and her relationship with on-again off-again love interest Poison Ivy.

This isn’t a perfect comic, and it feels like it could be more than it is (mostly by being gayer than it is), but to keep the quality this consistent over a run of this length is damn impressive for a comedy book, as is juggling such a large supporting cast. At this point there are issues where I’m genuinely more invested in the tribulations of former punk current Burleque show MC Big Tony or aging superspy Si Borg than I am in Harley, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. With a book like this, the supporting cast are what keep it interesting, and I genuinely like every one of them. This Harley maybe isn’t as well written as the one we’re getting in the Injustice comics, but that’s hardly a criticism. All in all a consistently well written funny book with a really fun cartoonish art-style and great colouring.

And a shout-out to a non-Cape non-Big Two comic:

Wicked + Divine

Once a century, gods walk the earth. For two years they inspire humanity, perform miracles and give people access to divine communion. At the end of those two years they die. The last incarnation was in the roaring twenties. Then in London, in 2013, the gods begin appearing once again. Baal, Lucifer, Sakhmet, Minerva, Inanna, Tara, Woden, The Morrigan, Amaterasu, Baphomet, Dionysus and The Norns walk the earth, and they are everything humanity had come to expect from their gods. But all is not as it seems, and they are all in more danger than they realise,

This is, without a doubt, the best comic coming out right now. Keiron Gillen is a fantastic writer, who is always looking to improve his work, and genuinely cares about queer representation in comics. Jamie Mckelvie just keeps getting better as an artist, and it’s rare to find a writer/artist pair who feel as perfectly in sync as Gillen and McKelvie. This book is Gillen’s lovesong to Britpop, and that passion shows in every word. It also features a great trans character, a woc as the MC, an out asexual character, a whole lot of bi characters, a racially diverse cast, and a lot of great plot twists. If you’re not reading this already, you are missing out.

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infotainmentplus-blog · 7 years ago

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Dungeon Hunter Champions review: The endless grind begins Dungeon Hunter, one of the most popular mobile hack-and-slack action RPG franchises, is back and bigger than ever in Gameloft’s most ambitious title to date. Dungeon Hunter Champions raises the stakes by adding both PvE and online PvP modes, including an all new MOBA-like 5v5 mode. The game has a ton of content, but just how much is hidden behind the freemium barrier? Let’s find out in this Dungeon Hunter Champions review. Dungeon Hunter Champions offers traditional action RPG gameplay Dungeon Hunter Champions feels a lot like previous games in the series. You control a single champion, either fighting solo or with a team of up to 5. You can switch between the members of your team at any time, as long as they’re still alive. Editor's Pick 15 best free Android games of 2018! We all know that free Android games aren't always free these days, but many of them are very close if you have a little patience. Most Freemium bottlenecks occur when players get impatient and waiting … The controls are pretty standard. There’s a virtual control pad on the bottom left of the screen and action buttons on the bottom right. Each champion has up to 4 unique abilities, and some have a fifth passive ability. These can range from healing spells to crowd control abilities to good old fashion punchin’. Each ability (except for basic attacks) has a cooldown, so you have to choose when to use them carefully. If you’re tired of mashing buttons, you can toggle an auto-battle mode on and off in-game. This is handy if you want to max out your champions, because it takes a lot of grinding. The AI also does a good job dodging enemy attacks, and you can still give some commands like choosing which enemy your team should focus on by tapping them. There is an auto-battle mode that can be toggled on and off in-game In more challenging battles, you can also slow the action down to half speed. This gives you more freedom to control each character’s abilities, though personally I think the game is more fun at full speed. Although the controls work well, I found myself turning on auto-battle every time it was available. The team seemed to do just fine without me. Game modes galore Dungeon Hunter Champions features tons of game modes and scenarios, all based around the same action RPG-style gameplay. They break down into two major categories: Adventure (PvE) and Battlegrounds (PvP). Adventure mode includes a lengthy story mode, featuring seven worlds with 11 stages each. Each stage also has 3 different difficulty levels. It will take a long time to burn through all of it. The story itself is convoluted. You play as an “Invoker” who uses soul discs to summon champions from across the multiverse to fight the forces of corruption. Or something. All that matters is you need to smash buttons to kill bad guys. Single player scenarios range from killing hordes of enemies to taking down powerful boss monsters. These bosses will show up again in Boss Raid mode, with special rewards. The different objectives shake things up a bit, but really it’s all pretty much the same. Especially if you’re just using auto-battle. There are a few other single player modes like Ultimate Blitz, Events (there haven’t been any yet), and co-op. Even if you only want to play solo, there is a ton of content to play through. Dungeon Hunter Champions also has a PvP, but it’s not particularly fleshed out. The Arena mode is not really PvP, since you’re just playing against other player’s champions controlled by the CPU. The 5v5 mode feels more like a MOBA-light than a true rival to other competitive titles like Vainglory The only true PvP is the MOBA-like 5v5 mode. In it, you control a single champion (no auto-battle here) alongside four other players to attempt to destroy the enemy node before they destroy yours. For those unfamiliar with MOBAs, the game introduces simple MOBA strategy and gameplay as you play through the story mode, with auto-battle disabled in the tutorials. The 5v5 mode feels more like a MOBA-light than a true rival to titles like Vainglory or the more recent Paladins Strike. There are 3 lanes, towers, jungle monsters, and so on, but no items or other features to influence your character’s strength in battle. You simply level up as the game goes on. Matches are mobile friendly, typically running from 8 to 20 minutes. It’s nice they included a pure PvP mode, but it plays less like a competitive MOBA and more like any other mode where your true goal is grinding materials, character levels, and so on. Stamina and freemium limitations Like many other free-to-play titles, Dungeon Hunter Champions requires stamina to enter each level. There are two types of stamina, one for the single-player Adventure mode and one for PvP Battlegrounds. Fortunately, the stamina-gating isn’t much of an issue, and Gameloft is quite generous with stamina rewards. You get stamina back for winning stages, completing missions, and even as log in rewards. The stamina that would go to waste when leveling up is sent to your inbox to be used within 7 days. The real limitation to progress is champion level and selection. In true gacha fashion, you are at the mercy of random summons to unlock more champions. Once unlocked, you can level them up by playing missions or training. It will take a long time to get your champions to max level, so prepare to grind. The real limitation to progress is champion level The PvP mode has some pay-to-win aspects. Players who shell out cash (or grind for months) for the strongest champions will have an advantage, though perhaps not as large as in other titles. All champions start out with the same base stats. Rarer ones have higher maximum stats. This means everyone is roughly the same strength at the beginning of a match, so there is always some chance of winning. The game includes both ads and in-app purchases (IAPs). The ads are optional, and watching them can double your post-match rewards or return some stamina. Real money can be used to buy gems, which let you get pretty much anything, including unique items and summons. The game asks if you want to enable push notifications at the beginning. I chose to “Cruelly refuse,” and for some reason the game promptly started sending push notifications anyway. I checked the options and, sure enough, they were enabled. Who’s the cruel one here? Graphics Graphics are where Dungeon Hunter Champions really shines. The scenery in single player missions is rich with lots of moving parts. It doesn’t always make sense (flying whale boats?), but it certainly looks cool. The game features a number of visual styles, all taken from its multiverse. Bosses are enormous and fill the entire screen. They really look epic. When auto-battle is enabled, you have plenty of time to take in the scenery, too. There are a number of styles featured, all of which are taken from the game's multiverse Character designs and animations are also good, and there is some variety in style. There are roller derby girls with spiked clubs, sharks with knives, and children riding dinosaurs. There are also sci-fi and steampunk characters, which are welcome additions to the franchise. At times Dungeon Hunter Champions goes a bit overboard with fan-service, but that seems to be standard for free-to-play mobile titles nowadays. You can adjust the graphics in the settings for less powerful devices. Some users have reported the game freezes or stutters at certain points. I didn’t have any issues, even when playing on an older Nexus 9 tablet. Character icons frequently got mixed up. Sometimes my most powerful champion would have the portrait of a puny mushroom. It was just a visual bug, but it definitely made me do a double take. More customization than you can handle Dungeon Hunter Champions boasts more than 275 champions, each of which can be leveled up and equipped with powerful gear. As if that weren’t enough, the gear itself can also be leveled up using gold. If you move the gear to another character, it loses the levels are lost and you have to be purchase it again. This is definitely the type of game you'll want to consult a wiki for That 275 number is a bit misleading, since the vast majority of the champions are reskins of other champions. There are 6 elements in the game, so most champions have 6 different versions. Some also have another 6 identical, but slightly more powerful versions. You’ll quickly discover all of the one and two-star champions are really only useful to be consumed by more powerful champions. The game literally calls them “Food.” Whether you want to compete or just continue through the story, expect to spend a lot of time grinding. The menus are a bit unwieldy and intimidating at first, and the tutorial doesn’t do a great job explaining everything. This is definitely the type of game you’ll want to consult a wiki for. Related Articles 15 best Android games of 2018! Gaming on mobile has been improving at a far greater rate than any technology that came before it. Android games seems to hit new heights every year. With the release of Android Nougat and Vulkan … 10 best MOBAs for Android MOBAs are a relatively newer gaming genre on mobile. For those who don't know, MOBA stands for Mobile Online Battle Arena. They came from a huge following on PC which includes the likes of League … Conclusion Dungeon Hunter Champions offers more than enough content to keep your fingers busy for months of commuting on the train — maybe more, considering Gameloft’s track record for updates. The game is ambitious, but ultimately a lot of the content feels the same. The 5v5 MOBA battles don’t feel unique or competitive, and there isn’t much reason to play it other than resource grinding. It’s definitely no mobile esport. It’s easy to recommend Dungeon Hunter Champions. It’s free, so why not give it a shot? Just temper your expectations and buckle yourself in for an endless grind. What do you think of Dungeon Hunter Champions? Let us know in the comments! DOWNLOAD NOW ON GOOGLE PLAY , via Android Authority http://bit.ly/2rzNfQJ

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