#SKYCRAWLER RISING

[dr-senpai13]

leave it to koichi to show up late

AFO woulda had stroke having to deal with mr. dancer again after so long

HE IS REAL!!! WE WON!!

[thelreads]

WE'LL SEE IT RIGHT NOW IN FACT

HA! YOU THOUGHT THE FINAL CHAPTER WAS TOMORROW? HA! NO THE RIDE DOESN'T END LIKE THAT, SO GET READY, FOR THE FINAL CHAPTER OF VIGILANTES, CHAPTER 126: THE SKYCRAWLER RISING

...

Must... resist... implying koichi was there during 9/11

...

Wait a fucking minute, isn't that- Isn't-

I see what you're doing there furuhashi...

[greenhappyseed]

Vigilantes Ch. 125 Review (the penultimate one, sob!!!)

It’s always hard to say goodbye. But it seems like we’re getting a good ending that fits thematically with both this series AND with MHA, and that gives me such a comforting feeling!!! Ok, the big news first…..

KOICHI IS A PRO HERO IN NEW YORK CITY!! KOICHI GETS THE SPIDER-MAN ENDING! And he’s no longer “just” the ground crawler or the wall crawler…he’s the SKYCRAWLER! Bless him for keeping the hoodie on his uniform.

Koichi examining his scar in the mirror was a great callback to Chapter 1, when Koichi got into his first battle with Soga (defending Pop!) and Soga slashed his cheek in the same spot.

Speaking of, Pop is still recovering in Naruhata, but I like that Soga is watching over her while Koichi is away. Considering that the series started with Soga as a villain assaulting Pop, seeing him go out of his way to take care of her is sweet. It’s also a great parallel to MHA, where this week’s chapter has Shoto convincing Dabi that he can choose a different path for his life. In case anyone’s curious about whether the MHA villains will be given second chances….yeah, they will.

And then, there’s AFO. He’s confused and baffled how an “utterly average civilian” could become so powerful. Circumstance, life experience, and “force of will” are not things he can manipulate or control, no matter how much money AFO spends.

AFO is very willing to pay a very exorbitant cost to keep OFA from interfering with his plans to live forever. But even with his funding, how can he possibly stop civilians from rising up and taking action? How can he destroy their hope? He can destroy their Symbol of Peace…..

Now, where’s Knuckleduster???

[jedimordsith]

Fic Scraps

I’ve got nothing to post for Trivia Tues or WIP Wed, but have another scrap from the never-going-to-be-finished pile. 

When Luke started to feel other beings awake and moving about, he gave up his futile efforts too sleep. Rising, he took a quick shower and dressed. His Jedi blacks felt wrong and he slipped instead into a pair of casual cargo pants and a long-sleeved, close-cut black thermal top. He ran his fingers through his hair, but didn’t bother with actually trying to tame it — he looked about as haggard and restless as he felt, and there was no point in trying to hide it. Not here. 

In the mess, he helped himself to a cup of caf. As he stirred in sucra, he couldn’t help but feel the turmoil churning off of Mara. She’d wanted to space, but he couldn’t ignore her pain. Not any more. Following the feel of her, he wound his way toward the observation deck overlooking a broad, empty hangar bay. Stepping just inside the door, he stopped, suddenly uncertain. 

Mara stood at the broad railing, her body bowed, her forearms leaning on the rail, her shoulders hunched. Talon stood beside her, one hand resting gentle on the back of her head. Whatever he said, it made her head drop further forward, a stab of something painful and hot lancing through the Force. 

Before Luke could excuse himself, Talon stepped away. He strode purposefully toward the door, pausing long enough to reach out and squeeze Luke’s shoulder. Then, with a distinct nudge, he pushed Luke in Mara’s direction and left, the large door sliding shut behind him. 

His boots felt loud on the durasteel as he approached, and Luke steeled himself for Mara to lash out, send him away.  

She didn’t. Instead, her chin lifted as he took Talon’s place beside her and set his caf mug on the rail. 

“You didn’t sleep.” Her voice was raw, her eyes red. 

Luke’s heart ached. “Neither did you.” 

Mara pushed herself a little more upright, her palms flattening against the rail. “Did he tell you anything? Your other self. About Ben.” 

He gripped his caf mug with both hands, fighting the urge to brush the stray lock of hair from her cheek. “No.” He wanted to wait, to give her room and time, but he had to know. “The other Mara, she told you something didn’t she?”

She nodded, then swallowed hard, her gaze fixed on a distant point. “She said it’s not the med stats that will stop me from having my own Skycrawler.” 

In spite of everything, Luke smiled faintly at the nickname. 

“She said…” Mara took a deep breath. “She said I have to trust that I’m enough.” Her voice cracked and a fresh tear streaked down her cheek. “That you wouldn’t regret choosing me even if Ben never comes. But I know what you want.” The words rushed out, like blood from a wound. “I saw you hold him. I felt you. If I can’t give you that again —”

Luke abandoned his caf, catching Mara’s arm and turning her to face him, then cupping her face in his hands. Leaning in, he kissed her, all his feelings pouring out into the space between them. His memories — her, asleep on her bunk, a blaster beside her pillow and Ben snoring softly on her chest; her, using her Master Trader skills and ruthless determination to manipulate the quarreling delegates into signing a peace treaty, not because she gave a damn about them but because her baby needed time with his daddy; her, letting her head drop against his chest and his arms slide around her because she was exhausted and scared and so, so overwhelmed by the little boy neither of them had ever dreamed they could have.   

Breaking the kiss, Luke pulled her against him, his arms tight around her and his eyes burning with unshed tears. “I do want him, Mara. Or whatever version of him our universe will give us. But even if we can’t, if we never get a Ben of our own, I will always want you.”

[greenhappyseed]

VIGILANTES FINALE Ch.126

There be spoilers below!

Chapter title: SKYCRAWLER RISING!!!! I am SO happy to see Koichi is still Koichi! Still saving people, still awkward, still struggling with public image. Bless his grit.

Pop is in a new city herself. Still recovering, still friends with Koichi. Not “together,” but in touch, and I love it.

Finally we see Knuckleduster, still kicking ass in the dark alleyways.

Yeah, we got a happy ending for our main 3, plus all the MHA characters we know and love (retiree Tanuma is there too). Knowing All Might is watching Koichi makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

My only complaint? There’s so little Shonen Jump fanfare!! I mean, I know they can be brutal about axing a series, but I didn’t get any email blast or anything about the finale. And Sakamoto Days gets the headline spot on the app. Hideyuki Furuhashi and Betten Court did fantastic work on Vigilantes and deserve to be celebrated for enriching the MHA world.