#Steel Boom Bracket

[eat-limes-bitches]

Love After War

PAIRING: Female Reader x FATWS! Bucky Barnes

SUMMARY: The mind has a way of playing tricks on you, images you thought to be real are just a figment of your past. But how to get back to the present?

WARNINGS: Angst, nightmares, PTSD, panic attack, cannon-level violence, torture, smidgen of fluff at the end

Word Count: 1239

A/N: soooooo this was supposed to be the start of my Febuwhump challenge but with the way my life is going right now I won't be able to finish all the prompts by the end of the month, BUT I will post the ones I have done, and I will keep working on some prompts as well but don't expect them to be in order at all.

Prompt: Helpless

Enjoy! <3

Divider by Rookthorne

The first thing Bucky realized as he came to was how incredibly cold he was. A shiver wracked his body, causing him to try and pull the flimsy material covering him closer to his skin as water poured down on him. Wait- water? He looked to find the source and realized he was in a shower. The cold water turned red as it ran across his body from all the blood there. Was it his or someone else's? Bucky couldn’t tell. 

“SOLDAT.” A voice boomed from behind, causing him to flinch aggressively. He knew that voice, it was one of his handlers, and by the sound of the rapidly approaching footsteps, he wasn’t happy.

“Poydem s nami, soldat. Dok khochet tebya videt'” The voice growled and Bucky froze. 

His frazzled mind still trying to work out where he was and what was going on. His hesitance must have been seen as resistance because the next thing he knew, a rifle butt was flying towards him. 

Confused, Bucky blocked it with his arm, the clash of metal reverberated around the room causing more handlers to pour in, each one with a gun all pointing in the same direction. His pulse was starting to quicken, and every muscle in his body tensed. 

He was so focused on what was going on in front of him that he didn’t notice the guard coming up behind him with a stun baton. The guard struck, causing Bucky to fall to his knees as he hissed in pain, the electric shock causing his arm to fall limp at his side he clutched the useless appendage in his right hand as he looked on in terror as they all started moving in on him. Two of the guards grabbed him and began to drag him out of the room. He knew where they were taking him and as those rusted double doors came into view he began thrashing as wildly as he could to get away but it was no use.

“Bucky?”

They flung open the doors, his senses on hyperdrive as the blinding lights of the room burned his eyes. Noise. There was so much noise, nurses scrambling around, guards shouting, and doctors preparing for whatever horrible things they had planned for him that day. 

“Bucky!”

He tried to fight against them as they strapped him into the chair, but it was no use, he felt utterly helpless as they began tying him down. His metal arm, although useless, was cuffed in 4 different steel brackets to keep him from moving, the rest of his body bolted into place as the panels of the machine began to lower over his face and just as they were about to connect to his skin-

“JAMES!” 

He sucked in a large breath bolting upright in bed and scrambling far away from where he was until he managed to situate himself in the corner of the room. His chest, slick with sweat heaved up and down as he tried to get oxygen to fill his lungs, but his heart was beating too fast for him to do anything but hyperventilate. There was a quiet sound from the other side of the room that made him realize he wasn’t alone, and he let out a whimper as their footsteps got closer, curling in on himself to appear as small as possible. 

“Bucky?” This voice was soft and full of concern, a complete contrast to the voice he heard just moments ago. This intrigued him slightly, but not enough to make him uncurl himself to see who was speaking to him. There was a sigh from the other person and the floorboards squeaked as they moved their entire weight to the floor, sitting on the ground near him.

“Bucky? It’s me, baby.” The voice cooed gently, and with the next breath he took, the familiar smell of cedar and lavender invaded his senses. He peaked his head out from behind his knees and saw Y/n sitting on the floor looking at him with concern coloring her features and sorrow clouding her eyes. She noticed the small movement and smiled gently as her eyes caught his.

“There he is. Hello, my love.” She whispered, a gentle smile decorating her face. Bucky blinked owlishly at her, still not realizing who he was looking at, but still Y/n smiled. 

Progress she thought before she started speaking again, “It’s just me, love. You are safe. We are in our bedroom, in our apartment, no one is going to hurt you.” 

This made him cock his head to the side before looking around the room. There was no one else besides the two of them. Instead of the gurneys, there was a dresser. Instead of blood-stained floors, there was a soft, grey plush carpet. Instead of that chair, there was a bed, and her. Bucky took a deep breath, finally able to fill his lungs and when he did, his body began to shake. He would shake violently for a moment before his muscles would give out and relax before contracting all over again. Y/n watched him carefully and scooted a little closer. 

“Can I sit next to you?” It was a simple question, and it might seem trivial to ask someone you were just sleeping next to if you could be in their space but it was important for Bucky to feel in control of his situation, if he was in control, he was no longer there.  Bucky looked at her and gave a small nod and Y/n moved to sit next to him, her back plastered against the wall. Although she wasn’t touching him, Bucky could feel the warmth radiation from her body, another piece of proof that he wasn’t in the basement of a bunker in the Siberian mountains. The pair sat in silence for a moment, Y/n watching Bucky, and Bucky staring straight ahead at the wall. Y/n shifted, causing Bucky's eyes to leave the spot on the wall and look at her. 

“Can I touch you?” She asked softly. Buckys hesitated for a moment, before nodding again. Y/n scootched closer to Bucky so that their bodies were pressed against each other and she reached over with a hand and ran her fingers through his shortened chestnut locks. That simple action seemed to bring new life back to Bucky and he began to uncurl, leaning into her touch. Y/n began humming a soft melody as she continued to massage Bucky’s scalp. His tremors became less and less until they were all but gone. 

After some more time passed, Bucky wasn’t sure how much, Y/n stopped and gently stood up, offering her hand to him. 

“‘C'mon love, let’s get back in bed. Your back isn’t going to thank you if I let you sleep in the corner.” 

Bucky placed his hand in hers and allowed her to lead him back to bed. Y/n folded back the covers in a more orderly fashion before sliding under the soft grey sheets, motioning for Bucky to do the same. He did so, snuggling back into Y/n’s side listening to her steady heartbeat, reassuring him that he was safe.  She began humming that soft melody again. Feeling warm and safe, his eyes grew heavy and he fell into a dreamless sleep. The last thing he remembered was the whisper of an “I love you,” in his ear.

[gidianthe]

thinking about my job last december where i was going up in a boom lift every day to weld brackets to reinforce a steel beam and in my earbuds was just preachers daughter on repeat

[dw-rtdepisode-bracket]

ROUND ONE RESULTS

under the cut are the results for round one of the bracket! the episode moving on to round two will be the one in bold.

fight one: evolution of the daleks VS the lazarus experiment

fight two: school reunion VS the unicorn and the wasp

fight three: tooth and claw VS silence in the library

fight four: the empty child VS planet of the dead

fight five: fear her VS voyage of the damned

fight six: army of ghosts VS last of the time lords

fight seven: father’s day VS the waters of mars

fight eight: the shakespeare code VS the family of blood

fight nine: the age of steel VS the sontaran stratagem

fight ten: the parting of the ways VS turn left

fight eleven: bad wolf VS the stolen earth

fight twelve: the idiot’s lantern VS planet of the ood

fight thirteen: smith and jones VS blink

fight fourteen: daleks in manhattan VS 42

fight fifteen: the girl in the fireplace VS the doctor’s daughter

fight sixteen: new earth VS forest of the dead

fight seventeen: the doctor dances VS the next doctor

fight eighteen: the satan pit VS partners in crime

fight nineteen: doomsday VS the sound of drums

fight 20: the long game VS the end of time part 1

fight 21: gridlock VS human nature

fight 22: rise of the cybermen VS the poison sky

fight 23: the christmas invasion VS midnight

fight 24: boom town VS journey’s end

fight 25: the impossible planet VS the fires of pompeii

fight 26: the runaway bride VS utopia

fight 27: dalek VS the end of time part 2

[dwsidecharacterpoll]

Ongoing list of characters who will be included in the bracket under the cut—still adding but please ask for any you don't see:

Clive (Rose)

Steward (The End of the World)

Raffalo from Crespellion (The End of the World)

Moxx of Balhoon (The End of the World)

Jabe (The End of the World)

Gwyneth (The Unquiet Dead)

Gabriel Sneed (The Unquiet Dead)

Redpath (The Unquiet Dead)

Toshiko Sato (Aliens of London/World War III)

Indra Ganesh (Aliens of London/World War III)

Diana Goddard (Dalek)

De Maggio (Dalek)

More under the cut!

Cathica (The Long Game)

Suki (The Long Game)

Nurse (The Long Game)

Sarah Clark and Stuart Hoskins (Father’s Day)

Dr. Constantine (The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances)

Nancy (The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances)

Kathy Salt (Boom Town)

Idris Hopper (Boom Town)

Rodrick (Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways)

Lynda Moss (Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways)

Unnamed Male Programmer (Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways)

Unnamed Female Programmer (Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways)

Danny Llewellyn (The Christmas Invasion)

Major Blake (The Christmas Invasion)

Alex (The Christmas Invasion)

Sally Jacobs (The Christmas Invasion)

Chip (New Earth)

Duke of Manhattan (New Earth)

Clovis (New Earth)

Novice Hame (New Earth)

Captain Reynolds (Tooth and Claw)

Lady Isobel and Sir Robert (Tooth and Claw)

Parsons (School Reunion)

Katherine (The Girl in the Fireplace)

Sally Phelan (The Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel)

Rita-Ann Smith (The Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel)

Mr. Crane (The Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel)

Mrs. Moore (The Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel)

The Connellys (The Idiot’s Lantern)

Zachary Cross Flane (The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit)

Ida Scott (The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit)

Danny Bartock (The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit)

Scooti Manista (The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit)

Ursula Blake (Love and Monsters)

Bliss (Love and Monsters)

Bridget (Love and Monsters)

Mr. Skinner (Love and Monsters)

Trish Webber (Fear Her)

Yvonne Hartman (Army of Ghosts/Doomsday)

Dr. Rajesh Singh (Army of Ghosts/Doomsday)

Adeola (Army of Ghosts/Doomsday)

Gareth (Army of Ghosts/Doomsday)

Nerys (The Runaway Bride)

Julia Swales (Smith and Jones)

Mr. Stoker (Smith and Jones)

Oliver Morgenstern (Smith and Jones)

Dolly Bailey (The Shakespeare Code)

Milo and Cheen (Gridlock)

Pale Woman (Gridlock)

Thomas Kincade Brannigan and Valerie (Gridlock)

Businessman (Gridlock)

Alice and May Cassini (Gridlock)

Tallulah (Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks)

Frank (Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks)

Solomon (Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks)

Sylvia Thaw (The Lazarus Experiment)

Jenny (Human Nature/The Family of Blood)

Tim Latimer (Human Nature/The Family of Blood)

Kath McDonnell (42)

Billy Shipton (Blink)

Kathy Nightingale (Blink)

Chantho (Utopia)

Professor Docherty (The Sound of Drums/The Last of the Time Lords)

Vivien Rook (The Sound of Drums)

Albert Dumphries (The Sound of Drums)

Thomas Milligan (The Last of the Time Lords)

Mr. Copper (Voyage of the Damned)

Morvin and Foon (Voyage of the Damned)

Bannakaffalatta (Voyage of the Damned)

Alonso Frane (Voyage of the Damned)

Penny Carter (Partners in Crime)

Caecilius (Fires of Pompeii)

Evelina (Fires of Pompeii)

Metella (Fires of Pompeii)

Quintus (Fires of Pompeii)

Soothsayer (Fires of Pompeii)

Ryder (Planet of the Ood)

Solana Mercurio (Planet of the Ood)

Ross Jenkins (The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky)

Cline (The Doctor’s Daughter)

Hath Peck (The Doctor’s Daughter)

Lady Eddison (The Unicorn and the Wasp)

Miss Chandrakala (The Unicorn and the Wasp)

Roger Curbishley (The Unicorn and the Wasp)

Hugh Curbishley (The Unicorn and the Wasp)

Robina Redmond (The Unicorn and the Wasp)

Miss Evangelista (Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead)

Other Dave (Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead)

Proper Dave (Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead)

Anita (Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead)

Strackman Lux (Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead)

Lee McAvoy (Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead)

Dee Dee Blasco (Midnight)

Professor Hobbes (Midnight)

Val, Biff, and Jethro Cane (Midnight)

Unnamed Hostess (Midnight)

Rocco Colasanto (Turn Left)

Jival Chowdry (Turn Left)

The Shadow Architect (The Stolen Earth)

The German Woman (The Stolen Earth)

Rosita Farisi (The Next Doctor)

Malcolm Taylor (Planet of the Dead)

Capt. Erisa Magambo (Planet of the Dead)

Barclay (Planet of the Dead)

DI McMillan (Planet of the Dead)

Lou and Carmen (Planet of the Dead)

Nathan (Planet of the Dead)

Angela Whittaker (Planet of the Dead)

Yuri Kerenski (The Waters of Mars)

Mia Bennett (The Waters of Mars)

Steffi Ehrlich (The Waters of Mars)

Roman Groom (The Waters of Mars)

Ed Gold (The Waters of Mars)

Maggie Cain (The Waters of Mars)

Tarak Ital (The Waters of Mars)

Joshua and Abigail Naismith (The End of Time)

Minnie Hooper (The End of Time)

Addams and Rossiter of Vinvocci (The End of Time)

Jeff (The Eleventh Hour)

Dr. Ramsden (The Eleventh Hour)

Lilian Breen (Victory of the Daleks)

Edwin Bracewell (Victory of the Daleks)

Guido (The Vampires of Venice)

Isabella (The Vampires of Venice)

Nasreen Chaudhry (The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood)

Ambrose Northover (The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood)

Sophie Benson (The Lodger)

The Unnamed Curator (Vincent and the Doctor)

Aunt Sharon (The Big Bang)

Amy’s parents (The Big Bang/The Pandorica Opens)

Dorium Maldovar (The Pandoria Opens)

Canton Everett Delaware III (The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon)

Jennifer (The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People)

Lorna Bucket (A Good Man Goes To War)

Alex (Night Terrors)

Auntie and Uncle (The Doctor’s Wife)

Rita (The God Complex)

Howie Spragg (The God Complex)

Joe Buchanan (The God Complex)

Gibbis (The God Complex)

Cassandra (Asylum of the Daleks)

Harvey (Asylum of the Daleks)

Brian Williams (Dinosaurs on a Spaceship)

John Riddell (Dinosaurs on a Spaceship)

Indira (Dinosaurs on a Spaceship)

Ellie and Dave Oswald (Rings of Akhaten)

Onegin (Cold War)

Stepashin (Cold War)

Grisenko (Cold War)

Hila Tacorien (Hide)

Professor Alec Palmer (Hide)

Emma Grayling (Hide)

The Van Baalen brothers (Journey to the Center of the TARDIS)

Ada Gillyflower (The Crimson Horror)

Porridge (Nightmare in Silver)

Alice Ferrin (Nightmare in Silver)

Missy (Nightmare in Silver)

Handles (Time of the Doctor)

Tasha Lem (Time of the Doctor)

Clara’s Gran (Time of the Doctor)

Linda (Time of the Doctor)

Abramal and Marta (Time of the Doctor)

Journey Blue (Into the Dalek)

Gretchen Allison Carlisle (Into the Dalek)

Orson Pink (Listen)

Psi (Time Heist)

Sabra (Time Heist)

Adrian (The Caretaker)

Captain Lundvik (Kill the Moon)

Perkins (Mummy on the Orient Ecpress)

Rigsy (Flatline)

Seb (Death in Heaven/Dark Water)

Shona (Last Christmas)

Albert Smithe (Last Christmas)

Fiona Bellows (Last Christmas)

Ashley Carter (Last Christmas)

Jac (The Magician’s Apprentice)

O'Donnell (Under the Lake/Before the Flood)

Cass (Under the Lake/Before the Flood)

Lunn (Under the Lake/Before the Flood)

Bennett (Under the Lake/Before the Flood)

Lofty (The Girl who Died)

Walsh (The Zygon Invasion)

Anahson (Face the Raven)

The General (Hell Bent)

Ohila (Hell Bent)

Moira (The Pilot)

Heather (the Pilot)

Felicity (Knock Knock)

Paul (Knock Knock)

Harry (Knock Knock)

Pavel (Knock Knock)

Shireen (Knock Knock)

Dahh-Ren (Oxygen)

Abby (Oxygen)

Ivan (Oxygen)

Penny (Extremis)

Erica (the pyramid at the end of the world)

Colonel Babbit (pyramid)

Kar (The Eaters of Light)

Lucius, Simon, and Thracius (The Eaters of Light)

The Captain (Twice Upon a Time)

Karl (The Woman Who Fell to Earth)

Angstrom (The Ghost Monument)

Epzo (The Ghost Monument)

Jade McIntyre (Arachnids in the UK)

Astos (The Tsuranga Conundrum)

Mabli (The Tsuranga Conundrum)

Eve Cicero (The Tsuranga Conundrum)

Yoss Inkl (The Tsuranga Conundrum)

Prem (Demons of the Punjab)

Kira Arlo (kerblam)

Dan Cooper (kerblam)

Willa Twiston (the witchfinders)

Ribbons (it takes you away)

Andinio and Delph (The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos)

Lee Clayton (fugitive of the judoon)

Jamila and Gabriela (Praxeus)

Jake Willis and Adam Lang (Praxeus)

Tibo (Can You Hear Me?)

Shaw (Village of the Angels)

Professor Jericho (Village of the Angels)

Gerald and Jean (Village of the Angels)

Sarah (Eve of the Daleks)

Nick (Eve of the Daleks)

Ying Ki (Legend of the Sea Devils)

Ji-Hun (Sea Devils)

[solargreen01]

Finding the Right Fit: A Look at Trending Mounting Structures for Solar Panels

The solar panel industry is booming, and with it comes the need for innovative and efficient mounting structures. These structures not only hold the panels in place but also play a crucial role in maximizing energy production and ensuring the longevity of the entire system. So, what are the hottest trends in solar panel mounting structures today? Let's take a look:

Rooftop Reigns Supreme:

For most homeowners, rooftops remain the prime location for solar panels. And rooftop mounting structures are evolving to accommodate various roof types and weather conditions. Metal rails and standing seam clamps are popular choices for shingle roofs, while tilted brackets and waterproofing membranes ensure optimal panel positioning and prevent leaks. For flat roofs, ballasted systems weight to secure the panels without penetrating the roof membrane.

Ground-Mounted Gaining Ground:

Ground-mounted structures are becoming increasingly popular for homeowners with ample land and businesses with large open spaces. These structures offer more flexibility in panel positioning and tilt angle, potentially maximizing energy output. Popular options include driven piles, screw piles, and ground-penetrating systems for stable installations in various soil conditions.

Going Vertical with Carports and Facades:

Solar panels are not just for rooftops anymore. Solar carports provide shade and generate clean energy for parking lots, while building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) seamlessly integrate solar panels into building facades, offering a sleek aesthetic and efficient energy generation. These space-saving solutions are gaining traction in urban areas and for multi-story buildings.

Smart and Sleek: The Future of Mounting Structures:

The future of solar panel mounting structures is all about smart design and aesthetics. Integrated tracking systems automatically adjust panel tilt throughout the day to maximize sun exposure, while modular designs allow for easy customization and scalability. Additionally, panels with integrated mounting systems are gaining popularity, offering a clean and streamlined look.

Material Matters:

Sustainability and durability are at the forefront of material selection. Aluminum remains a popular choice for its lightweight strength, while galvanized steel offers superior corrosion resistance. Emerging materials like composite polymers are also being explored for their potential to be even lighter and more durable.

Choosing the Right Structure:

With so many options available, selecting the right mounting structure for your solar panel system is crucial. Consider factors like your roof type, budget, desired energy output, and local weather conditions. Consulting with a qualified solar installer can help you make the best decision for your specific needs.

By staying informed about the latest trends in solar panel mounting structures, you can ensure you have a system that is not only efficient and reliable but also aesthetically pleasing and future-proof. So, embrace the sunshine and power your home or business with the best mounting solution available!

[yb0dms]

📡 Tingkatkan setup radio ham Anda dengan CUSHCRAFT A-4S 4-Element Multi-Band HF Beam! 🚀

Rasakan puncak kinerja HF dengan antena CUSHCRAFT A-4S - tribander sejati yang dirancang untuk 10, 15, dan 20 meter. 🌐✨

Fitur Utama: ✅ Gain Tinggi: Gain maju 8.9 dBd memastikan transmisi sinyal yang kuat. ✅ Bandwidth Luas: Nikmati lebih banyak kontak dengan bandwidth 2:1 lebih dari 500 KHz. ✅ Konstruksi Tahan Lama: U-bolt, klem, dan perangkat keras stainless steel untuk daya tahan jangka panjang. ✅ Desain Premium: Bagian boom terpasang dan bracket aluminium terbentuk menjaga elemen lurus dalam semua kondisi.

Spesifikasi:

Rentang Frekuensi: 28, 21, 14 MHz Gain Maju, dBd: 8.9 Rasio Front to Back, dB: 25 Rating Daya, Watts PEP: 2000 Lebar 3 dB Beam, Deg. E Plane: 58 Panjang Boom: 18 kaki (5,48 m) Diameter Boom: 2 inci (5,10 cm) Elemen Terpanjang: 32 kaki (9,75 m) Diameter Tengah Elemen: 1,25 inci (3,18 cm) Radius Putar: 18,4 kaki (5,49 m) Rentang Ukuran Mast: 1,25-2 inci (3,18-5,08 cm) Beban Angin: 5,50 ft² (0,51 m²) Berat: 37 pound (16,8 kg)

Angkat pengalaman radio ham Anda ke level baru dengan CUSHCRAFT A-4S. 📻🌟 Jangan lewatkan antena premium ini yang menjamin gain tinggi, SWR rendah, dan ketahanan dalam semua kondisi.

🔗 Klik di sini untuk membuatnya milik Anda!

Tingkatkan permainan radio Anda, dan biarkan kontak mengalir! 🌐📡 #RadioHam #AmateurRadio #CUSHCRAFTA4S #HFBeam #UpgradeNow

[nikitengineers]

Nikit Engineers – Weld Process System – Quarter Trial Report

Nikit Engineers’ Weld Process System (WPS): A Quarter of Excellence in Welding Across Diverse Industries

Report for the Third Quarter of 2023 (Week 26 to Week 39)

Welding is a fundamental process in the manufacturing and assembly of various industrial components across different sectors. In the third quarter of 2023 of our Weld Process System, Nikit Engineers undertook an extensive range of welding projects spanning a multitude of industries, reinforcing their reputation as leaders in the field of welding. This report provides an overview of the diverse components and industries where Nikit Engineers Welding Automation & Robotics Solutions India showcased their expertise during this period.

Muffler Bracket Welding – Infrastructure Industry

One of the notable projects undertaken by Nikit Engineers involved the welding of muffler brackets for the infrastructure industry. The Circular Welding process was employed to ensure precision and durability in the brackets used in heavy machinery such as excavators.

Boom Pipe End Fitting Welding – Infrastructure Industry

Nikit Engineers also demonstrated their welding prowess in the infrastructure sector by welding boom pipe end fittings. This process is critical for the structural integrity of equipment used in construction and infrastructure development.

Bellow Assembly Plate Welding – Oil and Gas Industry

The oil and gas industry demands the highest standards of welding, and Nikit Engineers delivered with precision in welding bellow assembly plates, vital components for maintaining the integrity of pipelines and equipment in this sector.

Connector & Tube Welding – Automotive Industry

In the automotive industry, where safety and reliability are paramount, Nikit Engineers showcased their expertise by welding connectors and tubes. These components are crucial for fluid systems within vehicles.

Stainless Steel Flange to Tube Welding – Pharmaceutical Industry

Meeting stringent quality requirements, Nikit Engineers skilfully executed stainless steel flange to tube welding for the pharmaceutical industry. Such precision is vital to maintaining hygiene and product integrity in pharmaceutical processes.

Aluminium IP Rated Electric Panel Box Welding – Electrical Industry

The electrical industry relies on precise welding for various components, including IP-rated electric panel boxes. Nikit Engineers ensured the durability and safety of these crucial components through their welding expertise.

Flexible Hose Welding – Micro-conductor Industry

In the microconductor industry, flexibility and precision are key. Nikit Engineers’ welding capabilities were on full display as they expertly welded flexible hoses used in delicate microconductor applications.

Case to Socket Welding – Pressure Gauge Vessel and Oil and Gas Industry

In another venture within the oil and gas sector, Nikit Engineers excelled in case-to-socket welding for pressure gauge vessels. This demonstrates their commitment to maintaining the safety and reliability of critical equipment.

Thermal Battery Welding for Defence Launch Missiles – Defence Industry

The defence industry demands the utmost precision and reliability. Nikit Engineers proved their mettle by delivering exceptional thermal battery welding services for missile launch systems.

Nut Tack Welding of Automobile Components – Automotive Industry

Nikit Engineers contributed to the automotive industry by executing nut tack welding for various automobile components. This process is vital for the structural integrity and safety of vehicles.

Rocker Body with Pin Tig Fusion Tack Welding – EV Industry

As the electric vehicle (EV) industry surges forward, Nikit Engineers played a pivotal role in ensuring the quality of EV central locking assembly through expert rocker body with pin Tig fusion tack welding.

Face Welding of Flange & Shaft with MIG Welding – Infrastructure Industry

Another significant project in the infrastructure sector was the face welding of flanges and shafts using MIG welding. This process ensures the structural integrity of heavy machinery components.

X-ray Machines Cathode and Anode Assembly Welding – Medical Industry

In the medical industry, precision is non-negotiable. Nikit Engineers demonstrated their commitment to quality by expertly welding cathode and anode assemblies for X-ray machines.

Port Welding Fluid Transfer Unit for Injection Molding Machines – Injection Molding Industry

Nikit Engineers also showcased their versatility by welding fluid transfer units for injection molding machines. This demonstrates their ability to cater to diverse industrial needs.

Pressure Vessels Welding

The oil and gas sector relies heavily on pressure vessels, and Nikit Engineers showcased their expertise in welding these critical components to exacting standards.

Stainless Steel and Mild Steel Tanks

The food and pharmaceutical industries, among others, demand impeccable welds for their storage tanks. Nikit Engineers ensured the highest quality welds on both stainless steel and mild steel tanks.

Fluid Transfer Unit for Injection Moulding Machines

Precision is paramount in injection molding. Nikit Engineers successfully contributed to the production of fluid transfer units, ensuring flawless welds that enhance the efficiency of these machines.

Stellite Welding

Often used in extreme environments, Stellite welding is a challenging task. Nikit Engineers exhibited their prowess in working with this specialized material.

Foot Rest Welding

In the automotive sector, footrests are crucial for safety and comfort. Nikit Engineers’ precise welding ensures the integrity of these components.

https://i0.wp.com/nikitengineers.in/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Weld-Trial-Components-by-Nikit-Engineers.png?w=1920&ssl=1

Oil and Gas Pipeline Pressure Vessels

With the growing demands of the energy sector, Nikit Engineers played a vital role in welding pressure vessels that are pivotal to oil and gas pipelines’ safe operation.

Stainless Steel Float Ball Welding

The chemical industry relies on precise float ball welding to maintain consistent fluid levels. Nikit Engineers met this requirement with precision.

Flange Welding

Flanges are ubiquitous in various industries, and Nikit Engineers consistently delivered reliable and durable flange welds.

Stainless Steel Linear Welding

Precision linear welding is essential in industries where hygienic conditions are paramount. Nikit Engineers excelled in this aspect.

Front Crash Guard

Ensuring vehicle safety, front crash guards require robust welding. Nikit Engineers contributed to the safety of automotive users with their welding expertise.

3-Wheeler EV Base Frame Welding

In the era of electric vehicles, the EV base frame welding by Nikit Engineers played a role in shaping the future of transportation.

End Cap Welding of Fluid Transfer

Besides fluid transfer units, Nikit Engineers also delivered precise end cap welds, ensuring leak-free performance.

Bourdon Tube End Cap Welding

Accuracy in Bourdon tube end cap welding is vital for pressure measurement instruments. Nikit Engineers demonstrated their commitment to precision.

Fluid Pressure Tank End Cap, Nozzle, Inlet, and Outlet Port Welding

These components are integral to various industries, and Nikit Engineers’ welding prowess ensured their reliability.

The Nikit Engineers Difference: Free Weld Trial Process

What sets Nikit Engineers apart is their commitment to quality and innovation, exemplified by their Free Weld Trial Process. This process allows clients to experience the exceptional quality of Nikit Engineers’ welding services before committing to a project.

By offering free weld trials, Nikit Engineers provide a tangible demonstration of their welding capabilities, helping clients make informed decisions. This approach not only builds trust but also underscores their commitment to delivering exceptional results.

Book Free Weld Service

At, Nikit Engineers Welding Automation & Robotics Solutions India our commitment to precision, quality, and safety is evident across these diverse welding projects. Our Free Weld Trial Process continues to set a benchmark in the welding industry, providing clients with the assurance of excellence in every weld. As we navigate various industries with our expertise, we reinforce our position as leaders in the welding industry, driven by a dedication to craftsmanship and reliability.

Nikit Engineers Robotic Welding Automation Solutions are proud to say that all our products are #MADEININDIA and #MADEFORINDIA

Check out our other industrial ventures thewelder.in and civilautomation.com

Shop our Products on Amazon India – www.amazon.in/nikit-MiLW

Don’t forget to subscribe our YouTube Channel for latest videos and updates – www.youtube.com/@Nikitengineers

[orange1896]

LIUGONG WHEEL LOADER SPARE PARTS 114

67C1271 HOSE AS 11C2777 STEERING PUMP 12C7024 CONTROL VALVE 90A6826 PIN NAMEPLATE 40B0392 KEY 90A6912 PIN NAMEPLATE 34C7494 HANDLE 34C7525 LOCK 34C7527 LOCK SP174074 SEAL KIT 70C1125 CAB HARNESS 70C1126 HARNESS 21C1255X0 HYDRAULIC OIL TANK 35C1283 FRICTION LINING 00A8504 FITTING 01Y0561X0 FRONT AXLE AS 20C1913P01 AUXILIARY TANK 20C1913P02 AUXILIARY TANK 20C1913P03 AUXILIARY TANK 20C1913P04 AUXILIARY TANK 20C1913P05 AUXILIARY TANK SP171075 WATER TANK COVER SP171078 SEAL KIT 67A1294 PIPE 09C2669 CLAMP 45D2914 SHROUD 32A4429 WATER HOSE 60C1624 DIESEL ENGINE 60C1771 DIESEL ENGINE 70C2498 CAB HARNESS SP163668 HOUSING BREATHER SP163679 SCREW STUDDED FLANGE CAP M10×1.50×65 SP163684 SPACER MOUNTING SP163697 CONNECTOR QCK DISCONNECT 47C3890 DOOR LOCK 47C3889 DOOR LOCK 11C2727 PLUNGER PUMP 25D0709 LOWER FORK 07C9144 HOSE AS 67C0846 HOSE AS 67C0848 HOSE AS 26C0472 PEDAL-LH 24C3096 BOOM 24C3097 LEVER 24C3098 LINKAGE 70C1167 CAB HARNESS 70C1168 CAB HARNESS 34C2988T2 SPIRAL BEVEL GEAR AS 34C2989T2 SPIRAL BEVEL GEAR AS SP171086 BLADDER ACCUMULATOR SP171100 BLOCK 48C5454 BRACKET SP121099 HOSE 67A0202 WATER PIPE 04C1555 HOSE AS 05C9778 HOSE AS 30A7866 HOSE 67C2916 HOSE AS 67C2917 HOSE AS 08D1358 TUBE AS 48A9442 PLATE 48A9443 PLATE 07C9955 HOSE AS 08D1359 TUBE AS 70C2354 HARNESS 30B1413 PRESSURE SWITCH 86A4031 HOUSING 86A4028 HOUSING 86A4030 HOUSING 86A4029 HOUSING 86A4032 HOUSING 70C2379 HARNESS 70C2360 CAB HARNESS 86A4033 HOUSING 70C1955 CAB HARNESS 70C1956 HARNESS 48C5828 TOP COVER SP171991 FUEL-INLET PIPE ASSEMBLY 12C6914 UNLOAD VALVE 13B0161P SEAL 13B0163P LIP TYPE SEAL 13B0164P SEAL 34C0017P SEAL RING 34C0020P SEAL RING 34C0022P SEAL RING SP165659 AIR COMPRESSOR GEAR 31C0328X1 FLANGED JOINT 67A0219 PIPE 67C0761 HOSE AS 01C1561 TUBE AS 22D1847 BUCKET SP101546 SUPPORT SP111336 PRESS BLOCK SP111406 CLAMP SP101481 HOSE 12D1219 FLANGE SUPPORT 15D1596 FLANGED JOINT 67C1549 HOSE AS 67C1633 HOSE AS 67C1550 HOSE AS 67C1551 HOSE AS 67C1692 HOSE AS 67C1693 HOSE AS 21D0512T2 BOOM SP137335 WASHER 67A0180 PIPE 70C1192 CAB HARNESS 70C1191 HARNESS 49C5491 HOSE GP 49C5492 HOSE 27C1210 COUNTERWEIGHT 70C1175 CAB HARNESS SP163842 CLIP RETAINING SP163843 WASHER SP163844 GROMMET SP163846 PLUG DRAIN 67C1089 HOSE AS 67C1088 HOSE AS 97A0298 CUTTING EDGE 97A0250 CUTTING EDGE SP171114 SHUTTERS SP171115 POWER HARNESS SP171116 EVAPORATION FAN SP171118 OIL SEAL GB9877.1-88 B35×56×12D 11D2009 PIN 11D2010 PIN 24C3422 LINK 02C2799 TUBE AS 67A1174 PIPE 70C2306 WORK LIGHT HARNESS 24C3435 LEVER 86A4062 HANDLE 24C3434 BOOM 60C1808X0 FUEL TANK AS 27C1325 COUNTERWEIGHT 49C7085 HOSE 49C7026 HOSE 49C7027 HOSE GP 01C1679 TUBE SP182747 FUEL FILTER BRACKET 67C2078 HOSE AS 32A4386 INTAKE HOSE 32A4387 INTAKE HOSE 32A4388 INTAKE PIPE 60C1570 ENGINE 51C0828 MIDDLE DRIVE SHAFT 51C0827 REAR DRIVE SHAFT 76A1257 LOCKNUT 24C2997D0 BOOM 33D1389 PLATE AS 18A8066 FIXED LINK 96A6498 EDGE-RH 96A6497 EDGE-LH 67C2635 HOSE AS 18D6546 BRACKET 01C1666 TUBE AS 01C1667 TUBE AS 01C1668 TUBE AS 01C1669 TUBE AS 35A4942 TUBE 32A4324 WATER HOSE 58A5426 PLATE 71A2295 COMPRESSOR BRACKET 12C7668 PRIORITY VALVE 70C1771 HARNESS SP172068 INNER HEXAGON SOCKET HEAD CAP SCREW 24C3250 BOOM 18D6339 BASE 70C2368 CAB HARNESS 86A3958 RIGHT LOWER HOUSING 86A3957 LEFT LOWER SHELL 34C8228 HAND CUSHION 34C8227 SQUARE TUBE COMPONENTS 86A3959 HOUSING SP182982 OIL CUT-OFF SOLENOID VALVE 07C9827 HOSE AS 70C2433 CAB HARNESS 49C6793 HOSE 49C6792 HOSE 08D1143 TUBE AS 08D1149 TUBE AS 98A5466 PLATE 71A2291 COMPRESSOR BRACKET 67C2661 HOSE AS 38Y0387X0 BUCKET AS 08D0359X0 TUBE AS 08D0360X0 TUBE AS 05C9219 HOSE AS 12C7368 PRIORITY VALVE SP177533 BOLT M10X90 01C1657 TUBE AS 01C1658 TUBE AS 01C1663 TUBE AS 01C1664 TUBE AS 67C2653 HOSE AS 49C4486 CONTROL BOX 70C0954 HARNESS 70C1043 HARNESS 64A2494 LINKAGE 18D3068 BRACKET 37B2637 CONTROLLER 37B2636 CONTROLLER 25A4098 ANGLE STEEL 25A4099 ANGLE STEEL 90A7035 PLATE 67C0788 HOSE AS 48C5261 COVER 67C0809 HOSE AS 60C0191 V-BELT SP184956 PISTON 08D1249 TUBE AS 30D3999 REAR FRAME 30D4000 REAR FRAME 75A1710 SPRING 18D6519 SUPPORT 23D5221 BRACKET 70C2377 HARNESS 49C6974 CONTROL BOX 70C2355 HARNESS 34C8229 CUSHION ASSEMBLY 08D0358 TUBE AS 70C1739 HARNESS 12C7289 CONTROL VALVE 70C1781 HARNESS 30A7781 HOSE 67C2824 HOSE AS SP184982 SHAFT SP184983 SHAFT SP184984 IDLER SP184985 SHAFT SP184988 COUPLING SP184992 TAPERED ROLLER BEARING SP184993 TAPERED ROLLER BEARING 67C2487 HOSE AS 67C2488 HOSE AS 07C9971 HOSE AS 18A8213 CUTTING EDGE 60A5968 STEERING PIN 25D0708 LOWER FORK 60A5966 STEERING PIN 40C7382 SHIM 70C1117 HARNESS 70C1093 HARNESS 70C1115 CAB HARNESS 70C1101 CAB HARNESS 67C1030 HOSE AS 67C1031 HOSE AS 33C0291 CONNECTOR 12C7004 STEERING VALVE 12C7005 CONTROL VALVE SP176502 DRIVE HYDRAULIC PUMP SP176507 SCREW HEX FLANGE HEAD CA 22D1920X1 BUCKET 10C4876 BUCKET CYLINDER SP184067 BELT 27C1279 COUNTERWEIGHT 70C1893 HARNESS 70C1894 CAB HARNESS 00A8685 CONNECTOR 84A4938 RUBBER PLUG 70C1480 CAB HARNESS 70C1848 HARNESS 70C2347 CAB HARNESS 18D7013 BRACKET SP185835 FILTER 47C4301 VISOR 30D3672 REAR FRAME 67C2865 HOSE AS 50A1228 PISTON 70C2547 CAB HARNESS 48C5926 BRACKET 08D1388 FILLER TUBE 84A5152 GASKET 67C2915 HOSE AS 67C2914 HOSE AS 08D0536 TUBE AS 24C3286 BOOM 08D0537 TUBE AS 37B2848 CONTROLLER 70C1910 HARNESS 70C1911 CAB HARNESS 70C1912 HARNESS SP176434 AIR VALVE AS SP176435 SEAL KIT 22D1911 BUCKET 48A7850 PLATE 07C9398 HOSE AS 07C9399 HOSE AS 53A3219 CAP 38Y0513X0 BUCKET GP SP184114 WATER PIPE CONNECTOR SP184120 HEXAGON HEAD BOLT SP184123 WASHER SP184124 GASKET SP184125 COVER BOARD 27C1324X0 COUNTERWEIGHT 34C8367 MOUNTING PLATE 47C4287 DOOR LOCK 47C4288 DOOR LOCK 70C2583 CAB HARNESS 38Y0240X0 BUCKET AS SP185771 HOSE SP183791 SEAL KIT SP183792 SEAL KIT SP183793 SEAL KIT SP183810 BOLT SP183811 MUFFLER BRACKET SP183828 FMV SET SP183830 ELECTROMAGNETIC VALVE AND BRACKET SP183831 MIXER ASSEMBLY SP183840 CAMSHAFT END COVER GASKET 30D3628 REAR FRAME SP131876 PISTON SP177538 SHIM 21C1345X0 HYDRAULIC OIL TANK 70C1897 HARNESS 01C1615 OIL PIPE 01C1617 OIL PIPE 44D0848X0 DUCT PLATE 30D3996 FRONT FRAME 24C3416 LINKAGE SP183857 DUST VALVES SP183858 SEALED CAP SP183861 CONNECTING ROD BODY SP183868 FRONT END COVER SUBASSEMBLY SP183870 FUEL FILTER SEAT SP183871 FLYWHEEL ASSEMBLY SP183872 SMOKING LIMITATOR AIR PIPE ASSEMBLY SP183873 FUEL INJECTION PUMP ASSEMBLY SP183874 TURBOCHARGER OIL PIPE ASSEMBLY SP183875 WASHER SP183876 ENGINE BLOCK SP183877 OIL PAN SET SP183878 OIL CONNECTING RUBBER PIPE 13C0025P02 BRAKE VALVE SP184829 SAFETY VALVE 43C3833X2 HAY FORK SP183157 WATER INLET CONNECTION 20C1382P02 OIL COOLER 20C1382P03 OIL COOLER 20C1382P04 OIL COOLER 20C1572P02 WATER RADIATOR 20C1572P03 WATER RADIATOR 20C1572P04 WATER RADIATOR 70C2348 HARNESS 70C2339 CAB HARNESS 48C5828X0 TOP COVER SP184543 SEAL KIT 32A4393 WATER HOSE 67A1259 PIPE 32A4389 INTAKE PIPE 18D6594 BRACKET 07A6110 PLATE 07A6111 PLATE 70C2437 HARNESS 18A8551 CUTTING EDGE 42C1993 GEARBOX &TORQUE CONVERTER AS 30D3997 FRONT FRAME 30D3998 FRONT FRAME 51C0831 FRONT DRIVE SHAFT&BRG AS 51C0832 MIDDLE DRIVE SHAFT 48C5917 TOP COVER 18A8554 CUTTING EDGE 18A8557 CUTTING EDGE 97A1142 CUTTING EDGE Read the full article

[likemachinery]

Progressive Die Stamping Steel Boom Bracket

Progressive Die Stamping Steel Boom Bracket

Progressive Die Stamping Steel Boom Bracket, Front Boom Bracket As an industry leading provider of progressive die stamped products, LIKE Manufacturing Company has the capabilities to stamp complex tight tolerance components, quickly and economically. This front boom mounting bracket, manufactured for a repeat customer in the audio/visual industry, fully utilized these capabilities. Front Boom…

[shibarirobot]

Aizawa fic - CH1 - Entrapment

+18 only

Shouta Aizawa x Villain!OC/Reader (?)

I’m going to do my best to keep this fic as ambiguous as possible so anyone can enjoy it. The first few chapters will be tamer to build intruig, but make no mistake this is going to get SPICY. It’s not exactly a reader insert, but I’m going to stay away from describing my lead character, apart from quirk abilities, to make it easy for those that enjoy a reader insert to lose themselves in this fic. 

That being said, this fic is centered around a villain who can manipulate electro magnetic frequencies, that’s pretty broad and I’m no science kid, but I’m fairly certain everything I have them do is plausable with this type of quirk, if you have any suggestions for how it could be used or if I have written something infactual to the ability feel free to message me or leave an anon. However, in a made up world of quirks and hot men, I’m not sure it really matters lol. Suspend your disbelief as they say. 

Anyways, enjoy.

~

Four o’clock rolls by so slowly I can feel myself aging. I look down at my watch for the fifth time in the last three minutes and let out a huff. 3:57. No time to start getting anxious. I push even the word anxiety out of my brain and take another deep breath, closing my eyes. Distancing myself mentally from the hum of drunken bar thoughts. This time trying to calm my slightly lifted heart rate as it now feels like time has sped up exponentially, I realize I have no time to take a smoke or even go to the bathroom. It’s about to happen. I look at my watch again and feel the lump in my throat drop to my stomach as I swallow my insecurities and pull my hand up to my hip, skimming my thigh as I go. I can feel this too, the weapon at my waistband that has been pressing hard against my skin and keeping my back rigid as I try to level my breathing. I make eye contact with a tall man across the room from me, already nursing a beer before 4 pm and for a brief moment the air is still, latent energy pooling around me as I suck in another breath and force myself onto my feet. I magnetize my voice and push it into their brains as the stagnant energy from before comes crashing down in waves around me. 

“Everybody on the floor! NOW!” I say it, but they feel it, they feel their brains being ripped in half by my voice. The splitting headache that I come to find familiar, comforting even, forced upon these self serving bystanders. The pulse behind my eyes reminds me I’m alive, if nothing more than in a physical sense I am still living. Ringing fills the air as I roar into them again, enjoying watching them all grip their temples and wobble as they start to lose their equilibrium. I’m effectively scrambling their brains and replacing what is left with my own force of will. “I… SAID… NOW!!!!” They drop to their knees, some flopping to the side, giving up fighting, they're all sheep. Fucking sheep that just do what they’re told. Fucking sheep that believe in heroes and laws, it’s all bullshit. Even these citizens know it, but they all fall in line anyways. Because it’s power that they obey. And right now, I have it. 

I lock eyes with the man from before and he tries to move to the door, still wobbly on his feet. I smirk a little at his attempt. There’s always one. Always a fool that tries to play hero. He wants to... what? Call for help? Prove he’s not weak? Make up for his otherwise lackluster life? I don't even try to stop him. He barely makes it two feet before the rest of my crew shows up, a power type goon pushing the hero wannabe to the ground in a matter of seconds, the other, deadbolting the door. He never stood a chance and I chuckle to myself, grinning wildly now. I hear a groan from the ground next to my foot and look down, a woman is curled up on her side, one hand grasping desperately at the side of her head, the other gripping the material at her stomach with white knuckles. Her lips are pale and there is a cold sweat dripping down the side of her forehead, tears gathering at the corners of her big doe eyes. She’s honestly quite beautiful and it makes the terror in her eyes that much more satisfying when she looks up at me and whimpers a small, desperate, “Please.”

I stare down at her for a moment and absorb the painting before me. Such raw emotion. True pain. I laugh again, whole heartedly as a chorus of groans erupt from my captive audience, my screeches drilling a hole in their skulls. They don't even know what pain is and they fold at the waist and buckle at the knees, this is just a taste and they can hardly stomach it. While I'm laughing, I wrench my leg back and kick the woman in the stomach. Hard. My boots are steel plated and weighted, 15 pounds each, so I know it hurts. “Stupid bitch! Haha!” She screams, coughs, then hurls. Vomit mixing into her hair. I kick her again then lean down and grab her by the jaw, rubbing hard circles into her cheek as I yank her forward by the neck. Her eyes had been closed, but they snapped open when I did that, the vomit in her hair making it stick to her face. “You look so pretty when you beg, shame it will get you nothing here.” Dropping her head back to the hard, tile floor as I rise, looking down on her in disgust. I spit on her cheek from above and survey the room, all eyes are on me. She starts crying and I kick her one last time for good measure, for her distraction. “Whore.” It falls from my lips and I almost feel bad, but then I don't. I don't feel bad for these people, she would have thought the same thing about me and smiled to my face, not knowing who I am, what I’m capable of. She would have been comfortable in doing so to know her thoughts were private. They wouldn’t have been. I would have heard her, as I’ve heard countless others. I shake my anger away in the moment, getting  back to business, now is not the time to let my emotions get the better of me. 

Everyone was hearing me before, but now that I’m focused my voice is poignant, rumbling in the back of everyone’s minds like distant thunder. Like the booming voice of god. In this moment, I might as well be god. “Enough theatrics. If anyone moves I will LIQUIFY your brains, got it?!” There’s a prickle of anxious realization in the room as they all come to terms with the fact that I can do it and have a clear disregard for any of their well being. “Good. Now be darling little hostages and lay there in agony while the big mean bad guys rob the place, ‘kay?” My voice had lost the murderous quality it once had as I start to talk to them how an owner would to a new puppy. Lovingly, but condescending. 

I now look back to my crew, all people I barely knew, hired hands to make my plan run smoothly, expendable, but crucial. I see they have sealed all exits and my muscle men are manning the door. Well, muscle people I should say. One is a hefty looking mutherfucker with steel brackets around his wrists and ankles. His muscles swell and retract like they're breathing, as if his muscle was an entirely different entity from his body. It’s mesmerizing and somewhat disturbing to watch. The other is a short, toned woman with a spiked, pink mohawk and a killer smile. Her teeth are sharp and platinum and she grins, chomping her jaw to herself. It makes a distinguishable ‘Clang Clang’ when her teeth lock into place with each other. 

Knowing they have the hostage situation handled, I make my way to the back of the bar. There is a door in the corner and I reach for the handle as I approach, but a wave of hesitation hits me as I do, something tells me to move away from the door. With a quick dodge, I leap backwards as the door explodes, a fist appearing at the center of the explosion. A hero. Dammit. I was hoping to get this over with before we had a chance for interference. I ‘tsk’ my tongue and toss a scowl over my shoulder. What’s the point of a hired lookout if they don’t even tell you when the ops are coming? When I look behind me I see my lookout, the only person I hired on a quirk specific level, toppled over with a dart in their neck. Fuck. They were supposed to see around corners in the getaway. My eyes scramble around the room to see where it came from but there’s no one, just a small crack in the window where I assume the dart broke through. Someone on the roof.

Frustration overtakes me and I scream up at the ceiling. What’s the point of planning if I have to do everything myself anyways? The scream ruptures into everyone’s thoughts. The civilians. The heroes. The other villains. They all feel my wrath. I stand and kick the hero that had just blasted through the door and my plans in one fell swoop. I've seen him on tv, he’s getting pretty famous, some new chump that can balloon his fists. He really thought a physical quirk could beat me? He grunts then goes slack, some hero. The ones that never get hit can never handle it when they eventually do. I step past his body and again past the debris of the door. There’s a small room back here with metal shelves on each wall and one in the middle forming three neat rows, pilled with bricks of gold, artifacts and a computer on a table in the back. There’s another hole in the wall across from the door, seems as if this loser busted through both walls just for a shitty sneak attack. Easy escape though. Rolling my eyes, I march past the gold and the shinies and dig a flash drive out of my pocket, shoving it into the USB port, it immediately starts glowing red. I kick the chair to the side and lean down, tapping the keys furiously as I transfer file after file to my drive and delete them from the computer's hard drive. When I’m done, I pull the drive from the port, not worrying about ejecting the drive. It will just have to deal. I straighten my jacket and brush the hair out of my face, leisurely strolling back to the hole in the wall. 

Something glints in the corner of my eye and my focus is shifted to a beautiful diamond necklace that has to be worth more money than I have ever seen in my entire life. I’m about to take another step when the urge to possess this object takes me over so abrasively I can't even think about ignoring it. My hand darts out to the necklace, making quick work of securing it around my neck. I slip a gold brick into my pocket as well, reveling in the thrill of theft. Unplanned theft that is. 

Now that I’m satisfied with myself, I continue my trek to the hole across where the door used to be, leading to the alley, ready to make my one person escape only to be confronted face to face with glowing red eyes, barred behind shuttered goggles. 

Thank you for reading my first chapter! I hope you have enjoyed it!

Maybe leave a like...? Just a thought XD

I will be updating this and adding it to AO3 as soon as I get an account (I’m on the waiting list). There will be a link availiable to my new AO3 and other content as soon as I have that ready. Thanks again! 

CH2

[poorlytunedukulele]

Day 18 - Rift

Nadim Patel: This will be a tournament to remember, folks!  Never before has the Second Crucible League seen such triumph, such spirit, such drama!  We sit on the eve of what is sure to be a historic match.

All week fans have been watching in awe as the reigning champions, Fireteam Bash, has juggernauted their way through the bracket!  Though suffering some early setbacks, including a down-to-the-wire overtime win in round 2, the Pride of the Peregrine District seem to have found their stride, capping off the Semifinals with a devastating victory!

But our defending champions are only one half of the story.  On the other side of the bracket, a contender no-one saw coming!  Fireteam CPO was originally a wildcard pick, but they’ve become quite the darkhorse in this race, taking win after win against incredible odds.

By the time you will be watching this, we’ll be only half an hour from the starting whistle.  But tonight, it is Final Round eve, and tonight we are lucky enough to have none other than Andal Brask, leader of Fireteam CPO, in the studio with us.  Welcome, Andal, it’s great to have you here!

Andal Brask: Thanks, Nadim, it’s good to be here.

N: Now, Andal, before we begin, there’s a question I have to ask, one the fans have been begging us to ask all week.

A: Ah, I think I know.

N: What’s the deal with CPO?

A: It’s an in-joke, actually.  In the world of Vanguard operations, the five Hunters on our team are known as ‘The Crew’.  That’s me, Cayde-6, Tevis Larsen, Shiro-4, and Azra Jax.  But you can’t compete in Crucible tournaments with only five, so we brought in an extra.  So CPO stands for Crew Plus One.

N: And what a plus one he has been!  Redrix-3 has been making a very big name for himself.

A: What can I say?  Kid’s a natural.

N: Ah, but this is your interview, Mr. Brask, your time to shine.  Every team is only as good as its leader.

A: Leader has to work with what they’ve got.  Not gonna lie, I’m lucky to have a big pile of talent to work with.

N: That last round in the Semifinals- what a nailbiter!  Can you tell me what was going through your head going into it?

A: Oh, I can tell you exactly what was going through my head. 

The Hunter jumped high, eyes flashing, then there was a whir and a snap and the sky fell.

Chayam had been on the receiving end of Shaxx’s Fists of Havoc enough times.  This was a bit different.  He should be dead.  But only Carlo’s Ghost chirruped.

Strike that.  With a spin, Joy-4 was down, too slow in fumbling for her shotgun.  The Hunter rounded on Chayam.

He leveled his Auto Rifle on her and let loose.  She spun her Staff in a circle, creating a forcefield of Arc that deflected his bullets.  At least it kept her from advancing, for now.  Until his magazine ran out.

Then he took a bullet to the shoulder.  There, in the hallway, another Hunter was taking careful aim with his Hand Cannon.

Chayam spun to the side, reloading his gun with practiced efficiency.  “Inside!”  he cried into his comms.  “They’re coming inside!”

The Hand Cannon barked again, then he was dead.

A: Azra Jax is very useful as a distraction.  She was the only one with her Super up, but she pulls that Arc Staff and everyone just loses it.  So we send her inside, close-quarters, to draw their focus.  Throw in Cayde for some mid-range support- he’s also very flashy- and you’ve got yourself a very convincing diversion.  They couldn’t stand against a whole fireteam, but if they had to deal with a whole fireteam, that means we’d be in a good position to score.

Cyril peered down his scope.  There were calls for reinforcements on the inside lanes, but he had a feeling there could be a second prong of the attack headed for the outside.  The opposing team had shown some pretty unique tactics so far.  He wouldn’t put it against them.

There!  Movement at the end of his lane.  He shifted the rifle against his shoulder, ready to fire at the first thing that came around the corner-

A bullet tore through his thigh.  The deep boom of another Sniper Rifle echoed through the arena.  Cyril faltered and turned for cover, but it was already too late.

Kovac paused to catch his breath.  If he could flank a group of them, he’d be able to pull his Super and take their momentum away.  Already his palms itched with Solar, ready to take the Gun and reduce his foes to ash.  All he had to do was find them.  There was red in his motion tracker ahead-

There was a stabbing pain in his back, then the cold steel of a knife at his throat, then nothing.

A: Tevis is good enough to outsnipe the snipe and outsneak the sneak.  So he had our backs for the first phase.  Hopefully if everything went wrong, he could have his Tether up by the time the other team recovered the Spark and made it his way.  The plan was then to have Azra and Cayde fall back on defense.  Didn’t happen, obviously.

Joy-4 ran out of spawn.  “It was a feint,” Carlo announced.  “They’re already here!”

Too late for that announcement. 

A hail of Pulse Rifle fire took down Carlo.  Cyril was also hit and had to dive back into cover.

As soon as the clatter of bullets stopped, Joy-4 turned back around her corner and aimed down her sights.  But there was nobody there-

Up, her brain told her.  She had just enough time to look up and see the Titan flying above her let go and drop.

A: Shiro-4 was our spark carrier, with me as backup.  Didn’t really need me much in the end, I was just there in case Shiro got taken down, provide extra covering fire until then.  But that didn’t happen.

‘Bedlam’ seemed too calm a word.  There was screaming, there was gunfire, and behind all of it, the crash of armor against armor.  Their fireteam was being pushed back relentlessly- it was give ground or die.  Three of their party were still tangled up with the Arcstrider and the Gunslinger, too far away to help.

Cyril would normally take a 3v3.  Even odds.  Even odds didn’t matter when you had a battle-mad Titan charging through your spawn.  He was fast and he hit brutally hard.  Even the bullets Cyril piled into him didn’t seem to slow him.  The Titan leapt into the air.  Cyril saw death.

It all happened too fast.  Unseen, unnoticed, a short Exo slid in and deposited the tiebreaker point.

The rift ignited behind Redrix-3, turning him into an imposing silhouette as the victory announcement played.

A: Like I said, kid’s a natural.  I just let him do his own thing most of the time.

AO3 Link

[gumnut-logic]

When the World Goes Boom (Part Six)

This chapter is huge and was a challenge to write. The fic itself is now over 17,000 words. So much for a quick fic for Alan’s birthday. I give up.

Spoilers & Warnings: Spoilers for season three, angst, hurt/comfort, brothers and family, 5875 words

Many thanks to @scribbles97​​​ and @i-am-chidorixblossom​​​ for putting up with my crazy and reading this at random moments.

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six

I hope you enjoy it ::hugs::

-o-o-o-

There was nothing said between Jeff and his mother on the trip back to the house. Sally was of two minds. The first was to let it all play out, let Jeff trip over the brilliance of his boys and teach him the hard way that they knew what they were doing.

Not that she thought he didn’t trust them, it was more an unfamiliarity of how the family functioned in an emergency situation. This was the first time since his return that any of the boys had received a serious injury. It certainly wasn’t the first time for the family in his absence. Certain things had been put in place, certain habits came to the fore as the family retreated into itself.

Which led her to option number two - to sit him down, run interference between him and his middle son before they could blow each other’s heads off. Because that was what was likely to happen. Jeff was a lot like his eldest in temperament and John never responded well to Scott in confrontation.

So, her second option seemed the valid course.

Except Jeff refused to pick up the conversation.

Damn stubborn Tracy. The breed only came in that flavour and it could be as frustrating as hell.

As the car pulled into their driveway, she gave it one last attempt. A hand on his arm. “Jeff, hear him out.”

“I will.” Tight and dismissive.

She sighed internally and grabbed her bag, following him out of the car. The breeze was stronger than earlier and it caught her hair. “Jeff, they have been doing this a long time. They know what they are doing.”

He turned at that, one step on the front porch. “Mom, so do I.” And he turned back and entered the house.

She sighed. This was not going to end well.

Sure enough, words were already being exchanged as she entered the room.

John was frowning, his calm obviously unnerved by one of a handful of people capable of shaking it. “It was a legitimate move, Dad.”

“I’m not suggesting it wasn’t. My concern is that you did it without consultation.”

“I didn’t need to consult. It is my responsibility.”

“For my business.”

The room froze. Oh, Jeff. Her heart hurt.

“Dad, I...” Those turquoise eyes turned to her for the briefest of moments before flickering away. “The business is under the control of all of us, Dad. You know that.”

Her son swallowed, but kept his composure. “In that case then, why wasn’t I consulted?”

“Because that’s not how it works.” John straightened just a little. “Scott is the primary contact. He sees to day to day activities and calls on my assistance at need. Scott gets injured, the ultimate decision making falls to me. I made a decision to save future lives and I actioned it. I have no doubt Scott would support such a decision.”

Sally had no doubt either. Lemaire really was an idiot and it explained why they had so many rescues listing Oxy-Baker as the culprit.

Jeff swallowed visibly and Sally groaned internally. Jeff had come back from his isolation a changed man, but the core of his personality, the same aspect that had enabled him to survive so long alone, was still there. He wasn’t one to stand on the sidelines, particularly in a business he had built from the ground up.

“You created a media storm.”

“Lemaire created a media storm and Eos has it under control.”

“That control is limited and you know it. She can only delete so much before absences are noted and questions asked. You can’t jeopardise her or our operations for random gossip.”

“It is under control, Dad.”

“Then how did I find out about it?!” Great now his voice was rising.

John was still holding it together. “I know what I am doing. Lemaire cut his own throat with that broadcast. I knew he would do it and worked it into the strategy.”

“What strategy?”

“Dad-“

“Why am I never told anything? Why am I always on the outside?”

“Dad-“

But there was no stopping him. Sally’s eyes widened as her son flared like a sun gone nova.

He threw up his hands. “My own family! I, just...John, why do you shut me out?!”

John just stared. “Wha-?”

“Jeff.” Sally reached out and put a hand on her son’s arm.

He turned and stared at her, his eyes widening.

Sally opened her mouth.

Jeff’s phone rang.

The moment snapped. Sound returned to the room. Jeff’s harsh breathing. John’s wide eyes.

Her own heart beating too fast.

The phone rang a moment longer before Jeff reached into his back pocket and yanked it out.

His voice harsh. “Jeff Tracy.”

Her son kept the phone on voice only.

“Hello, Val.” His glare at John proved this discussion was not over. “They are both on the mend. Alan still need further surgery, but Scott is getting there slowly.” His voice was tight. “You know the deal, dressing changes twice a day. Burns are the worst. Virgil is on it.” A pause and a frown. “Yes, I’m fine…John and my mother, at the house.” He sighed and lowered the phone, deploying it’s holoprojector. Val Casey appeared before them all.

She frowned up at Jeff. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Val, I’m fine.”

Her lips thinned as if she didn’t believe him. Sally was not surprised. Val could always read Jeff, almost as well as her sister. The two of them used to gang up on him.

Sally had often wondered if Val could have become something more than the boys’ aunt, but Jeff had never pursued and Val just fell deeper into her career.

No doubt, Val would pursue the topic of Jeff’s health later, but for the moment she resumed the reason for her call. “We have begun investigations into the explosion and I was hoping International Rescue would be willing to share your data on the incident.”

Jeff’s eyes flickered to John. “I had assumed you had already received it.”

John caught that gaze and held it. He shook his head just a little.

Jeff’s eyes widened.

Val was talking to someone out of projector range. “Foster says she has yet to receive anything. John?” Her dark eyes turned to her nephew.

“We’re still assessing the situation, Aunt Val.”

She stared at him a moment, her lips thinning. “Very well. I will want Foster to interview Scott, Alan and John at their earliest convenience.”

“That may be some time, Val. My two boys were seriously injured.”

“I know that Jeff. I don’t like it any more than you, but there was a major explosion in orbit. We now have projectiles intruding on shipping lanes and orbital contamination. It is a mess up there. The World Council is demanding an investigation. This could affect the operation of International Rescue.”

Jeff frowned. “How?”

“There are those who claim your rescue organisation is at fault.”

“What?! Two of my sons nearly lost their lives.”

“Then prove they weren’t responsible by sharing the information.”

Jeff’s eyes hit John’s. “I will see to it.”

Val held his eyes a moment longer. “I look forward to it. GDF Command out.” The phone flicked off before anyone could comment.

“Why haven’t we cooperated with the GDF?” The words were sharp and shot at her middle grandson.

“It has become our policy to not trust the GDF.” John’s expression was resigned.

“Why?”

“The Hood has a spy in their ranks, possibly more than one.”

“The Hood is in jail.”

“It’s not the first time and it doesn’t mean much, Dad, trust me.”

Jeff’s lips thinned.

John straightened and appeared to steel himself.

Oh, for the love of-!

“Jeff.” Again, she reached out and touched his arm.

Again, it was thrown off.

Jeff opened his mouth.

John’s comms went off. “John, you there?” Gordon.

The room froze.

The astronaut stared at his father a moment longer before turning slightly and thumbing his collar. “Yes, Gordon?”

“Hey, bro, I think we have a situation.”

“What?”

“You okay?” Gordon’s tone became concerned and she could hear her fishy grandson’s frown over the commline.

“I’m fine. Details, Gordon?”

“Alan’s remembered something. We don’t think the explosion was an accident.”

As her heart sank, Sally stared as John’s turquoise hardened into obsidian.

-o-o-o-

Okay, if Virgil was honest, pushing Scott out into the sunshine wasn’t entirely just for his brother’s benefit. He closed his eyes, holding the bed still a moment as the sun hit his face.

“Oh, god, who turned the sun up?”

Shit.

Virgil grabbed his sunglasses from his pocket and handed them to his brother. They were snapped up and shoved on Scott’s face ever so fast. The wraparounds blocked out everything and the concussed man sighed in relief.

“Sorry.” So much for being the medical expert in the family.

“‘S okay.” Scott lay back and literally melted into the bed. “Feels good.”

Virgil relaxed a little and resumed pushing the bed out towards the gardens.

“Not too far, Virgil.”

His shoulders dropped. “Kayo, I just need a tree and a view. Scott needs it.”

The security officer held his gaze.

“It’s only Lemaire. The man’s an idiot.”

Her stare continued.

“Please, Kay.” Puppy dog eyes maybe?

He held it for a few seconds longer and was satisfied to see her shoulders finally drop. “Fine.” She stalked into the fore, hand signals thrown at both Jeremy and Iz and the three security officers bracketed the bed and the two men.

Oh, he was so going to pay for this.

But, yeah, totally worth it.

Kayo led them out into the park and under a tree as requested. Virgil pulled the hoverbed to a halt with a sigh. The view was magnificent.

Jeremy stepped closer and took up a position near the Tracy brothers, Iz melted into the gardens and Kayo glared at Virgil one more time before talking into her comms quietly and running a perimeter.

So going to pay for this.

“She’s going to turn your life into hell, Virg.”

“Eh, she loves me. She won’t kill me.” He walked around the bed and perched on it beside his brother. “How are you?”

The breeze caressed his cheeks and it was wonderful.

“Better to be outside of that room.”

Virgil caught the unspoken terror in his brother’s voice. “Alan is going to be fine.”

“I know.”

Virgil reached out and touched his brother’s arm. “He will be. I promise.”

Scott turned to look at him at that, tired eyes staring up at him with a fragile hope Virgil had never quite seen in them before. Scott was always the powerhouse of inspiration in their family. The leader, the mover, the focus. To see him so tentative was alarming.

It was the concussion.

It had to be the concussion.

“Are you okay?”

Virgil startled. “What?”

His brother was peering at him. “You look like shit.”

“Thanks.”

“Virgil, seriously, are you okay?” Scott was frowning in concern.

Great.

“I’m fine.”

“You have bags under your eyes bigger than Grandma’s handbag.”

Virgil rolled those eyes. “Exaggeration. I just haven’t had my coffee this morning.”

Scott stared at him in alarm. “You were up that early and haven’t had coffee?”

“No.”

“What?”

“I had coffee over breakfast. Just haven’t had my morning refill.”

That stare continued. Ever so great. Now Scott was worried about him. “I’m fine. You’re the sick one.” He turned away so his brother couldn’t stare at him any longer.

“Did you sleep?”

“I slept.” A couple of hours at least.

“For goodness sake, Virg-“

He placed a hand on his brother’s arm. “I’m fine. Quit worrying.”

“It’s my job.”

“You’re on sick leave. Give it up.”

“Look after yourself.”

“I am. Just drop it, okay. I’m fine. It’s you I’m worried about.”

“Exactly.” But it was said under his brother’s breath and Virgil doubted he was supposed to hear it. He ignored it anyway and turned away to focus on being outside and free from the confines of the hospital.

Scott appeared to give up, though he did manage to shoot Virgil a concerned look every now and again.

Virgil ignored him and just sat back against the headboard with his brother and relaxed.

He was on the verge of dozing off when his comms squawked at him. As he focussed enough to answer, Kayo swept out of the shrubbery and joined them.

Virgil’s heart sank even before he heard Gordon’s voice.

The explosion wasn’t an accident.

-o-o-o-

The room was ever so much more depressing and confined with so many people in it.

Their father and grandmother returned to the hospital, this time bringing John with them. Virgil noticed from the moment his middle brother walked through the door that something was up between him and Dad.

When Aunt Val and her second walked in behind him, Virgil realised exactly what.

Their Aunt immediately moved to both Scott and Alan, enquiring after their health. Her second, Captain Foster appeared both fearful and uncomfortable and had every right to both emotions.

Virgil glanced at Scott and found the expected concerned expression on his face.

But his brother shook himself and the commander made an appearance, his expression calming while his blue eyes missed not a thing. Virgil both welcomed it as a sign of his recovery and with a little bit of dread. Scott had never been entirely convinced Foster was innocent in the Hood’s theft of her identity. Virgil was of two minds himself, but everything IR could access…and that was a lot with Eos up their sleeve along with John…just proved her innocence more.

So, they treated her as innocent.

“Aunt Val, what brings you here?” Scott lay back against his pillow, his eyes tracking the people in the room.

Alan, in contrast was beginning to look tired.

When Scott and Virgil returned to the room with Kayo, the astronaut had been energetic, fuelled by his own discovery and worry. The words had literally fallen from his mouth in report to Scott. Virgil had shoved the beds together and the eldest brother had reached out to gently touch and reassure the youngest. It had been an important moment for them. Virgil hadn’t missed the tremble in his big brother’s voice or his inability to let his brother go.

Alan hadn’t minded in the slightest.

Virgil himself stood to one side listening as both Eos and Alan filled gaps in the picture. Scott’s expression hardened with each word.

Understandable.

Virgil wasn’t impressed in the slightest that someone was responsible for nearly killing two of his brothers.

Kayo went ballistic.

More security was ordered and her voice was sharp over comms. Virgil had no doubt the hospital was now tighter than Fort Knox.

“Commander, I have a report that you don’t believe the orbital explosion was an accident.” The colonel’s voice was crisp and clear.

Scott’s eyes darted to his father.

Jeff straightened just a little his expression firming up.

That blue gaze darted to John and their middle brother’s posture parroted that of their father with just a touch of defiance. The flicker of comprehension in Scott’s eyes reflected Virgil’s assessment of the situation. There was definitely an argument on simmer in the room.

Scott pushed himself up in the bed and Virgil jumped in to help. He could understand not wanting to face this lying down.

Scott grabbed at his head and closed his eyes.

“Hey, take it slow.” Virgil caught his brother’s shoulders and shot a glare at his father. Goddamnit, if this set Scott back after all the progress today, John wasn’t the only one who was going to be in an argument with his father.

“I’m okay, Virg.”

Pillows were shoved in to support Scott and the commander sat up straight, not quite high enough to look Casey in the eye, but impressive enough.

Virgil stood beside him.

“Colonel, we have only just now discovered there may be a possibility that the explosion was not an accident.”

“I need details.”

Scott’s eye darted to Foster for the barest of fractions. “I would prefer to do my own investigation of this matter. I need further information.”

“This is GDF jurisdiction, Scott.”

His brother’s lips thinned. He knew their aunt was right, but trust had been eroded after so many failures on the GDF’s part.

“There are some discrepancies in the station’s records. We suspect they have been masking their intake of both precious metals and radioactive materials.”

Her dark eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“That is what we need to find out.”

“Do you have proof?”

Scott turned to John and every eye in the room followed. The astronaut didn’t blink, his voice cool as he answered. “You will have our records shortly.”

“Thank you, John.”

John didn’t answer.

Virgil frowned.

Their father stepped forward. “Thank you, Val. Keep us in the loop?”

“Of course.”

Scott’s lips thinned further. “Colonel, I would appreciate this information being kept in confidence.”

It was Casey’s turn to straighten. “Of course, Commander.”

Scott dipped his head just slightly. “Thank you.”

There was a sudden silence in the room.

It was broken by a snore.

Virgil turned to find Alan flaked out in his bed, on his back, dead to the world. The medic flared. “I would appreciate it if my brothers were allowed to rest. It has been a long day and they are still recuperating. His glare landed on their father and the man met him eye to eye.

It was the Colonel who had the apology. “I’m sorry, Virgil, but this was important.”

“I’m aware of that, Aunt Val, but Alan was seriously injured. We came very close to losing him. So, you will need to excuse us if we are a little protective.” On the bed next to him, Scott flinched. Damn. Poor choice of words.

Virgil dropped a hand onto Scott’s forearm and squeezed gently without looking at his brother.

“I can respect that, but I will require Captain Foster to interview both Alan and Scott as part of this investigation as soon as possible.”

Virgil took a single step between his brothers and his aunt. “It will have to wait until at least tomorrow, Colonel. Both need more time.”

“You are not a doctor, Virgil.”

Of course, that set off his grandmother. “But I am, Val, and Virgil is correct. You are going to have to be patient.”

Alan snorted in his sleep. Gordon, sitting on the end of his little brother’s bed, lay a hand on Alan’s leg. There was a frown on the aquanaut’s face.

“I am trying to help you, Sal.”

“I know that, but you will have to wait. Our boys aren’t up to it yet.”

The colonel’s dark eyes turned to the eldest man in the room. “Jeff?”

Grey eyes darted from their grandmother to the sleeping Alan to the glaring blue staring from Scott’s bed.

A soft sigh. “My mother, as always, is correct, Val. We will have to wait.”

Val dipped her head in defeat. “Jeff, as soon as possible.”

“You have my word.”

With that the colonel looked to each of them, turned and left, taking Captain Foster with her.

As the door clicked closed, their father rounded on them. “What was that?”

Scott frowned. “What was what?”

“That was your aunt. Your mother’s sister. I would think you would treat her with a little more trust and respect.”

“Dad, that was Colonel Casey of the GDF. This is a professional relationship and we treat it as such. We have had difficulties with the GDF multiple times in the past. I can not afford to trust that organisation blindly. Aunt Val, yes, she means well, but she is not in control of every person in the Force. I will not trust them any more than I have to.”

“Why?”

Scott stared at his father a moment before turning to John. “Make sure Dad has the necessary mission reports as soon as possible.”

John’s FAB was very quiet.  

Their father returned Scott’s stare with equal wattage, his eyes grey stone. “I see we need to have an extended discussion.”

Scott dipped his head just slightly. “Yes, sir, we do.”

The ‘sir’ floated around the room like a harbinger. Scott hadn’t addressed his father like that in over nine years.

“Jeff, I think we should talk about this later. These boys need their rest.” As if to punctuate his grandmother’s request, Alan snorted and rolled over in his sleep. His soft whimper as he landed on his injuries had Gordon moving fast to gently prod him in the opposite direction.

Virgil winced, and realised he was still standing in defence of his eldest brother even though their Aunt had already left. A swallow and he stepped back to Scott’s side. He didn’t miss his grandmother eyeing him.

Grandma reached up and placed a hand on their father’s arm. “C’mon, Jefferson, you need rest.”

He turned to look at his mother. His shoulders sagged just a little.

Her hand travelled around his back and her touch became a one-armed hug. “You boys get some rest, too.” Blue eyes pinned both Scott and Virgil in particular.

Virgil let his head nod just once as Grandma steered her son out of the room. Their father must be really tired to allow himself to be herded like that.

But then this was Grandma.

Virgil sighed as the door closed behind them. Grabbing a plastic chair, he let himself drop into it beside Scott and for a moment just sprawled there.

“That could have gone a bit better.”

“You’re telling me.” Scott’s tone was as tired as Virgil felt. “Dad’s pissed.”

“Don’t blame him.” Gordon’s expression was sad.

It was Scott’s turn to sigh. “No…god, I’m tired.”

That perked up Virgil and, in a moment, he was standing again, fussing at his brother to lie down.

Scott glared at him, but surrendered without complaint, proof of exactly how much that little meeting had taken out of him.

“I’m sorry, Scott, but that’s not all of it.” John moved quietly closer to the bed; his expression just sad. “Dad feels we are shutting him out. That we are not including him in the decision-making process.”

That explained the tension on John’s face when he arrived.

Scott rubbed his face. “I…uh.” He let a breath out in a rush. “FAB.”

“I’ll speak to him tonight.” Virgil’s voice was rough and both Scott and John, along with Gordon in the background, turned to him.

“Virgil, are you okay?” John’s eyes were suddenly concerned.

Virgil cleared his throat and his voice came out more its usual depth. “I’m fine, why?”

His brothers’ frowns didn’t disappear, but Virgil pre-empted further discussion of his health by speaking further. “I’ll talk to him tonight. Hopefully he will have had a rest by then. We’re all tired. Tempers are guaranteed to be short.”

Scott grunted.

As if to parrot his big brother, Alan snorted again.

Gordon stifled a laugh.

Scott glared at him.

Virgil rolled his eyes and threw himself back into the chair.

Concerned turquoise eyes followed him, but Virgil ignored them.

God, he was tired. A blink. His coffee. He never got his damned coffee. Explained the tired.

He rubbed his face fit to erase it and lay back.

It could all wait a few minutes.

-o-o-o-

“Do you think he knows?”

“Of course, he knows. How could he possibly not?”

“He’s asleep. How could he know?”

“Because you never shut up about it.”

“Can it, you two, or you’ll wake him up!” The hissed whisper was closer and definitely Scott.

“I think that would be a good idea considering he is about to fall off that chair.” Gordon? Yes, Gordon.

Virgil shifted and realised he was not in a comfortable position. Not comfortable in the slightest.

He groaned as his body complained. Ow.

“Now, see that? You’ve done it. You just couldn’t shut up, could you?”

A gentle hand touched Virgil’s shoulder and he shifted again. Oh god, what had he done to himself.

“Hey, Virg, take it easy, you’re going to fall off the chair.”

Chair? Wha-? He forced his eyes open.

Just in time for whatever was under him to tip sideways.

The world tumbled into a mess of linoleum, orange and bruising hard surfaces.

Strong hands caught him though.

“Shit, Virg, you okay?”

The orange? The orange was Gordon. Virgil blinked attempting force clarity into his thoughts. His butt hurt and he had whacked a foot, but those strong arms of his little brother had caught all the important bits. A dazed stare up into eyes as brown as his own and his brain came mostly online.

“Ugh, Gordon? What the hell?”

“You fell off your chair.”

Virgil struggled to right himself and his brother helped him to sit up. He was on the floor. Scott was peering over the edge of his bed down at him, a worried frown on his face. “You okay, Virgil?”

He ran a hand over his face. “Uh, yeah, I guess. Thanks, Gords.”

“All part of the service.” As usual, Gordon’s tone was light, but Virgil didn’t miss the fact his brother hadn’t let him go yet. “You fell asleep. Did you know you snore like a frog?”

He turned to his brother. “What?”

“A genuine frog. I can even name the species. Mating call and all. I suggest you don’t fall asleep next to a pond. You may wake up with some interested, but somewhat slimy female admirers.”

Virgil stared at Gordon for a full second before giving up and shaking the man off so he could roll to his feet.

Ow, everything creaked. “How long?”

Scott’s eyes followed him as he staggered upright. “Maybe a couple of hours. You were tired.”

Still was. He rubbed his face again.

“You missed lunch.”

Huh? Food. His stomach groaned. “I’m good.”

“Bullshit, Virgil. Go home, you need food and a bed.”

He ran his hands through his hair. Ugh, sleep inertia. His brain was fog. He just needed a moment.

He grabbed his chair and righted it as his fish brother unfolded from the floor. His sore butt hit the plastic of the seat and he groaned. “I need coffee.”

Gordon snickered obviously ignoring the warning in those words.

Scott’s voice was firm. “Gordon, could you please get Virgil some coffee.”

That prompted a glare war between brothers that Virgil had no energy to umpire.

Blue must have won over brown like it usually did, because Gordon stomped off.

“You okay, Virg?” Alan’s voice came from somewhere beyond Scott.

Virgil grunted.

“Give him a minute…or sixty.” The grin in Scott’s voice was just offensive.

“Shut up.”

Gordon returned with what turned out to be a decent and wonderful and, oh god, coffee. So warm, so longed for. “Gordon, I love you.”

His brother snorted. “Figured, but I’m thinking you love the coffee more right now.”

“Mmm-hmm.” His eyes were closed and the smell. Ohhhh!

Someone was giggling but he didn’t care in the slightest.

Coffee.

It was a few reverential moments and some steaming liquid of the gods later before he surfaced enough to discover three pairs of eyes smirking at him.

Three.

“Where’s John?”

It was Scott who answered. “Lemaire threw another fit. He returned to the house to tackle it.”

“Another one? I thought John had the business secured.”

Scott sighed. “He does as far as I can see. Lemaire is just hounding the press.” Virgil narrowed his gaze at his eldest brother, suspicious. Scott rolled his eyes. “And before you ask, yes, I did fall asleep, but your snoring woke me up.”

“And me.” But Alan was grinning, obviously feeling better for his nap. “What frog was that, Gordo?”

“An African bullfrog. A big fat nasty one, just woke up from hibernation. Kinda applicable really, considering.” Gordon’s grin was fit to split his face in half.

Virgil ignored him and guzzled the dregs of his coffee.

Perhaps Scott was right. Maybe he should go home if he was disturbing his brothers.

A hand touched his arm. Scott’s voice was quiet and sincere. “Virg, go home. You’re wearing yourself out. Alan and I are fine. We will be fine. Go home.”

Virgil swallowed and nodded. “Okay.”

The door to the room opened and a nurse entered. “Mr Alan Tracy, it is time for your dressings change.”

Virgil blinked. It was that late? Where the hell had the day gone?

He pushed himself to his feet. He could hang for another half hour or so.

Scott groaned softly as Virgil moved his bed out of the way so they could undock Alan’s bed. “Virg, go home.”

“I will. After Alan’s had his dressings changed.”

“Virg-“

“I’m good. Gordon, hang with Scott and sing him a lullaby. Here hold my coffee cup.” He shoved the empty mug into his gaping brother’s hand and helped push Alan’s bed out of the room.

Alan’s giggle made it worth it.

-o-o-o-

The giggle lasted until they entered the procedure room and then nothing could deny the seriousness of the situation. They left Jez and Brie at the door to give them privacy.

As Alan’s bed was docked and the protective sheets laid beside him, Virgil moved to take up a position at the head of the bed and gently rested his hand in Alan’s hair. Out of the way, but still in contact with his little brother.

During previous procedures, Virgil had moved to the other side of the bed, but this time he wanted a better view.

Maybe down the track, he would be able to help his brother through his recovery.

The nurse left for a moment and Alan looked up, his hair soft against the palm of Virgil’s hand. “Thanks for this. I know it sucks to watch, but thanks for being here, bro.”

A small smile. “Anytime, Allie.”

He could have let Gordon come in his stead, but Gordon was as much his little brother as Alan, and while they were all adults…well, almost, his fingers brushed blond locks involuntarily…every instinct still called to protect them.

If he was honest, Virgil would have to admit that his family was everything to him.

He would do anything for his brothers.

A small sigh. He must be tired. He was getting maudlin.

The nurse returned, bustling in with a hypodermic. She smiled at Alan and he forced a grin. “Got me the good drugs again?”

“Certainly, Mr Tracy. Only the best for our best patients.” Her smile was genuine and friendly.

She prodded his brother’s IV line and injected the medication. “Let’s give that a few moments to do its thing.”

Alan grinned. “Bring on the psychedelic butterflies.”

The nurse only smiled and finished up. “It will be over before you know it, Mr Tracy.”

Virgil hoped so.

The next few moments were quiet as Alan settled.

Virgil found himself gently stroking his brother’s hair.

He wasn’t sure if it was for Alan or himself. Maybe it was for both of them.

Eventually, the door opened and the same nurse from this morning entered pushing a small tray of supplies.

Alan grinned. “Joe, you’ve come back for a second round.”

The young man smiled in return. “Wouldn’t miss it. How are you feeling?”

“Oh, the good stuff is doing its stuff. Can barely feel a thing.”

The nurse stepped up to the side of the bed, giving Virgil the barest of nods. “That’s what we like to hear. Have to make sure we have a happy customer.”

“Give me a little more and I’ll be more than happy.”

The nurse snorted as he lined up his tools. “Kelly says you’ve had just the right amount, Alan. Wouldn’t want you to go loopy on us.”

“Sounds like fun. Hey, Virg, is it fun?”

Virgil blinked. “Is what fun?”

“Being high as a kite. Joe, you should see what stuff like this does to my brother.”

“Alan…”

The nurse looked up at Virgil and a small smile spread across his face. “Really? What does it do?”

Virgil groaned. “Alan-“

“He gets funny. One time he tried to walk through a wall. Another time, he proposed to Kayo, his sister.” Alan giggled. So much for not being as high as a kite.

“Alan, please.”

“It’s okay, Virg. We still love you.”

Blue eyes were looking up at him and smiling.

God, Allie.

The nurse pulled out a hypodermic needle. “Now I’m just going to put in a local anaesthetic and we’ll get started.” He began uncovering Alan’s arm.

Virgil frowned. “Why does he need a local? He has a nerve depressant in place.”

The nurse blinked at him. “This is part of the procedure.”

“No, it’s not. I’ve attended every session with Alan. He has not needed a local anaesthetic before. You didn’t give him one this morning.”

The nurse turned towards him. “He was in pain this morning. I felt this would help.” The man turned back to Alan and pulled the covers off his arm.

“Which local are you using?”

The man didn’t stop what he was doing. “Why?”

“Virg, what’s wrong?” Concerned blue eyes stared up at him from the bed.

“Just asking some questions, Allie.” He turned back to Joe. “Can you please stop a moment and explain what you are doing?”

Joe straightened and turned to Virgil, resignation on his face. “I guess I’ll have to.”

A blur of movement, a sharp pain in his neck, heat and shock as he was flung away from the bed. His head hit something hard and the world sparkled in a rain of stars.

“Virgil!”

Alan!

What the f-?!

“You had to be a smart ass, didn’t you. Couldn’t make this easy. No…bloody Tracys!”

Virgil’s brain derailed for a second. The man beside the bed doubled as he reloaded the syringe. “Two Tracys instead of one, can’t hurt, s’pose.”

“Al-lan, r-run!” He fumbled for his collar. “J..J..ez.” Where was his voice? He lurched a step. “Alan!”

His brother was responding, ever so slowly, dragging himself off the bed, his sedated body ever so heavy.

Heavy…Virgil listed to one side and struggled to right himself.

Joe had the hypodermic charged again. He turned to Alan.

No!

Virgil threw himself forward and crashed into that doubling figure.

They went down with a resounding crash. Surgical tools went flying.

“Goddamnit! What does it take to shut you up?!”

Virgil wrestled with the man, but he was uncoordinated and numb. Joe slapped him across the face with an empty medical tray and everything vanished in pain for too many moments.

But he had a grip on an arm and he wasn’t going to let go.

The man struggled, fighting him, and Virgil again tried his collar comms his thick fingers fumbling. “Jez…Jeremy, please!” Not Allie, please not Allie, don’t hurt Allie.

White hot pain flared in his arm.

Not Allie.

Again, sharp, hot and burning.

Again. He whimpered.

“Get off me, you annoying piece of sh-“

Something stabbed into him and stayed there just as the room exploded with noise.

Not Allie.

“Scott, help…please…”

Everything came down to that fist and what it held.

Not Allie.

Not Allie.

Not.

Alli-

-o-o-o-

End Part Six

[biblio-bitch]

Teen Titans 1x01 Blind Reaction

I haven’t watched the OG Teen Titans yet. Sue me. I wasn’t allowed to watch cartoons as a kid so I’m playing catch-up here. As usual, spoilers and cursing under the cut! Also. apologies for the short sentences, it was like 3 am.

A disclaimer: This is entirely for fun and a lot of the comments I make are based on my preferences for media as well as the way I, as a writer, would have written things.

If I say something you disagree with (more likely in my analysis posts than my reactions) then I am more than happy to hear your opinions so long as you are respectful! 

If you followed me for Detroit Evolution content I promise I’ll post the rest soon. Formatting and proofreading takes ages. I also might start liveblogging my adventures in screenwriting so look out for that!

That being said, let’s get into it!

[In brackets is added post-watch.]

Holy old animation Batman. It feels like Phineas and Ferb.

BB Sounds like Phineas.

The cheesy intro tho

Seriously which Robin is this cause I think it’s Dick but Idk

“Titans Go!”

The theme song is iconic

Love the OG Raven design

Is the theme Japanese?? It kinda feels Japanese

I love that Starfire’s outfit isn’t like literally a bikini it’s nice since she’s designed like a sixteen year old

Epic fight scene™️. Makes me feel like something’s going to go wrong.

“I am stronger than I look” fuck yeah Star get his ass

Honestly wtf Rob you’re like twelve and you don’t have powers??? Also is he wearing steel toe boots?? I thought they were converse at first. Seriously Batman, what’s with the child soldiers??

Cyborg?? I love him

Ouch that was a fail

Ok the bo staff is a Tim Drake signature as far as I know so wtf???? Which black haired mf is this???

It’s Dick. I googled. [I love DC and I realize that most of the Robins were designed before having diverse characters was a thing but literally they all look the same. Like personally I’d love to see a Romani or other non-white rep for Dick.

 {I gleefully return to this post with news that Dick is canonically Romani! He’s been played so often as white, including in the new Titans, which I will be making a post about, but he was confirmed to be poc in Devin Grayson’s Gotham Knights. He’s part Romani on his mother’s side. She, according to Tim Seeley’s twitter, is an immigrant. He was originally presented without a confirmed ethnicity! My apologies for being uninformed about this. I stated Romani specifically here before knowing because I had seen people talk about him as such and really enjoyed it.}

 Maybe a mixed Jason? I feel like Tim is white mostly bc he’s rich IN GOTHAM,,, but like I never turn down the possibility of poc characters. Damian is canonically middle eastern so if I ever see a live action Damian not played by a middle eastern brown kid I’m rioting.]

What a petulant child. Blaming each other. Now they’re fighting. [This part feels very overdramatic to me personally. I do think that if this wasn’t animated it would be toned down quite a bit. That being said? I do think it’s in character for Dick, especially late Robin-era Dick, to have outbursts like that, especially as a character that I see as needing a lot of control.]

Oh wonderful. He quit. That’s overly dramatic.

Oh goddamn it Slade.

I’m not supposed to know he’s Slade yet tho huh. [Rip the element of surprise with that, I have a habit of learning everything from things before investing my time in it, and my obsession with other versions of DC comics isn’t helpful in this situation. Also the 25 pages of AO3 I’ve read about the Bats gives quite a bit away.]

Oh ew that’s a plasma monster

He looks like fuckin,,, Underbelly! that mf from the Red Hood/Arsenal comics. [Underbelly is the personification of the criminal world. I got through four RH/A comics as of posting this so once I finish that storyline I’ll probably post about it]

“It’s pointless to get upset about Cyborg” breaks glass. [I personally really fw Raven being like ‘master of meditation i feel nothing’ but then these dumbasses get all up in her brain and she ends up loving them like honestly that’s amazing]

“I’m fine” fucks up that punching bag. Master of emotions this bitch. [I don’t think that this little tantrum is entirely because Cyborg left. Again, Dick was raised by Batman, and neither of them are too good about losing control and fucking up. This to me is very much a mix of guilt for having driven away a friend and teammate, anger at Cyborg for leaving, and also anger at himself for a perceived failure. Bruce really needs to get his kids therapy bc the complexes are really shining through.]

Now they’re sad like bitch ur the one who kicked him out???

He’s eating something and it’s gross.

“That stuff can’t be good for you” Robin,,, sweaty,,,

The puns. Jeez Louise.

Immensely powerful half demon lady and the best you can do is some cans?? [Again with the things you shouldn’t know, Theo. Yeah I get that she’s still a kid and the demon lady thing isn’t exactly revealed yet, but I maintain that the barrels -- which I realized that they’re barrels not cans -- could be improved upon]

“You giant zit”??? A Child [Seriously how old is he because it’s concerning that he seems as young as he does. @ Bruce wtf did you do to your kids]

Phase three what an ominous asshole

Again with the puns Rob like jeez just fight this mf

Star,, you’re an alien?? Why are you screaming??

Both eyes on the road while flying Raven

He just extends the bo again bro what kinda bat bullshit is this

Cyborg saving the day!! We gotta love that. “Still got the sonic if you still got the boom” what kids I love them

I love that he just,, brought Cinderblock with him. He’s just that powerful.

Wtf is up with this knockoff Alfred mf with Slade? Also?? What stereotypical villain shit Slade step it up. [Titans (2018) Slade is like,,, so much better at this. Hell, even Arrow Slade is more nefarious.]

[I know it’s stupid to say this about an antagonist from a kids show vs two YA/Adult shows but like?? Titans Slade had the Motive, and Arrow Slade was Deep. In my defense here, I’m only on Ep 1, I’m sure he gets more interesting as the show progresses.

My non-sleep deprived rating? 9/10. Points off for melodrama but points on for nostalgia and attention grabbing. I’m not really into kids shows so I did my best to be fair despite that. Personally I think it’s a little much on the fighting especially for a pilot and it definitely seemed a little bit rushed. But, the animation is fun, I love the way each character is distinctive in costume and personality.

Keep in mind I prefer watching things with writing/pacing like Arrow, The Flash, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and the new Titans TV show and all of my ratings are going to be skewed based on a preference for stronger and darker material. 

With that in mind, I did enjoy the episode and I do want to continue watching. I think if I had watched this as a 10-11 year old, it would’ve been amazing.]

[thepilgrimofwar]

Counter-Attack - Edited Roll20 Log

[Backdated to after Lady Swiftquiver & before Burdened]

[Event Start]

It had now been a week since the start of the Civil War. Between the changes in allegiance of House Wintergale, Shalemarch coming under the new banner of House Swiftquiver, and a vicious guerilla war being waged by an unknown number of infiltrators in the west led by a ferocious Tauren with a reputation. Illithia was growing increasingly desperate. In a last ditch effort to win the war before the chaos in Shalemarch could sort itself out, General Serisera, leader of the Illithian troops, has bet everything in a counter-attack.

Smashing through the frontline along the coast, she races to encircle Emberheart forces which are engaged all along the line, hoping to pin them against the mountain and encircling them all. With Judereth Swiftquiver still at the manor, The Coalition, under the nominal command of Relriah Illithia, rushes to stop the spearhead and put an end to the General’s well laid plans.

[At the Encampment]

Relriah “Militiamen to me!” She calls, as the reports come in and the sounds battle a heard in the distance. The counter-offensive had already begun. “Our army is engaged all the way from the mountain to the sea, and General Serisera intends to surround us. We are going to ensure that this does not happen! We move immediately!”

Renalays quickly assumes command of the archers present - something to little surprise with her Farstrider ancestry. What does come to more attention amongst the forces is the power she harvests from the ancestral battlefields that rest under their feet; ancient blood wafting like mist where she walks until she is held aloft by it by the time they reach sight of the enemy.

Vissehn leads his soldiers from deep in the ranks, and from them rises the song made popular by the Crows-- the defeat of Goodember. When they reach the final lines. Stenden Emberheart's name is roared into the sea breezes, a rife-shot salute echoing.

Ethalarian brings his cavalry up to the rear of the Emberheart formation, the Order's banners conspicuously absent this day from the more heavily armored riders. A deep frown is etched into the knight's scarred face as he takes stock of everything. He turns over his shoulder and calls out to the militia at his flanks. "We stay to the rear and reinforce as necessary."

Vissehn uses Vanguard to hide until turn .

Esheyn orders her troops to advance forward, but to hold once they've taken their places.

Isilos picked up his scythe and signalled to the nearest target. Sitting back would not grant them victory. "Focus on the nearest targets"

Iriina is not about to let her uncle steal all the glory. No thanks.

[Combat Starts, Coalition forces are fielded on the beach while the Militia under Relriah fight in the ruins of Golden Strand Village]

Serisera "Through the gaps men! For Illithia!" She screams a battlecry as she charges forth with her Honor Guards.

Ethalarian heaves a sigh. "Let's put an end to this farce quickly." He drives his heels into the flanks of his charger and leads his formation forward, intending to drive a massive wedge through the Honor Guard and shatter them.

[A Pale Sihouette appears on the Horizon of the Sea]

Westheath Honor Guard watches as a figure on the horizon gets closer, in the “What in the blazes is that?”

Renalays ll The waters underneath Renalays’ maintained bloodmist churns all the while as the two armies move to finally clash together - the purposes unknown and unspoken to the rest of the Emberheart forces. Then, eventually, the dead long-ago thrashed by the waters or pushed out into sea from battles previous erupt; a swirling whirlpool formed in which shades spill forth and travel across the shoreline to crash into the Illithian line. In the meantime, the archers march up with a strange orderliness in spite of their commander’s lacking correspondence before letting loose volleys. Overhead, the Inquisitor soars.

Westheath Honor Guard screams "It's the White Lady!"

Relriah seeing that the field and lines were all held in place, she sends her troops into the ruined village

Renalays:"'The White Lady,'" she mulls over as she settles over the earth and sky. "Somehow I feel like this has different context from which I am usually called."

[Vissehn shoots Serisera from the rooftops]

Vissehn |Despite the chanting and song before the battle, when the first volleys were flung the riflemen are missing from the field. Their ranks broken, they moved quiet and careful through the streets-- they take the bullets from their guns, moving undercover-- moving as one. In cloaks of mottled brown and gray, they sweep between alleys and then rise, hand over hand up windows and across brick walls, clasping arms to their fellows to pull them high as they move quiet as wind. One by one they slide up onto the roofs, and load their rifles with careful hands. Vissehn’s own troops know their purpose, and stage themselves in brackets throughout the militia. Then-- the youth stands, dropping the heavy and dark cloak to show a blazon of crimson. His men spill onto the roofs edges, their guns all pointed at the General. “FIRE!” Vissehn roared, and the soldiers let loose their bullets with [Rotating Fire] from his men and the militia firing into the flank, a flurry of sniper fire raining on the woman from above.

Serisera, bogged down engaging with a blood-beast receives a hail of bullets cuts both her and her command unit down. Thirty rifles tearing all of the well armored Honor Guards down and bringing all of them low.

Vissehn roars from the rooftops. "FOR THE TRUE LORD OF THE EMBERGLADES! FOR STENDEN EMBERHEART!"

Esheyn very calmly steps over what remains of Serisera's corpse to bring her weapon down upon the fallen General's guards, and her troops follow suit.

Westheath Honor Guard yells, "Keep pushing! Keep pushing!" Attempting to keep the momentum of the counter-attack going- Despite the loss of the general.

[Battle Continues on the Beach]

Isilos pulled his troops back before moving north on the field. "We need to protect our allies" With that he sent his magic and that of his magisters to the orc Oosaarn.

The strigoi poised where the General's troops once stood writhes in something -like- satisfaction as more dead feed the earth. Faces of the Emberglades' past revolving through its form.

Ethalarian grimaces as his heavily armored cavalry fend off yet another blow from a concentrated force of the enemy's Honor Guard. "Punch a hole for Flamethorn's troops!" he calls out to his Militia. "We'll hold them here! Sergeant, Adept, keep the men in fighting shape!"

Oosaarn and the unit of orcs eventually pushed through the merciless onslaught and charged the nearby infantry. Letting out that blood curdling warcry their clan was so well known for all the way. Arbalests took that opportunity to then set up behind them and unleash a volley.

Renalays flies to the center of the field. And as she advances, the fresh blood spilled from the current corpses and stains upon the earth -move-, trickling and flowing and following in the manner of mercury than blood. Snaking through hooves and boots before what starts as an ultimately minute streaming pool twists upward into the sky into the birth of a construct. The anima shrieking as its arms begin to reave through the enemy vanguard. All the while, the ancient dead pour from the sea.

[A hail of bolts are fired at Renalays]

Where the bolts pierce the blood mantle that carries Renalays, mist and feather lose their magic. The crimson falling lifelessly like rain. Curiously however, where the majority of it collapses, there is no 'White Lady' or Renalays to be found. Only a still-vitalised stream moving away from the battlefield.

Westheath Honor Guard shouts to the reminder of his men. "See! Just an illusion! Keep going! We're almost through!"

Isilos pivoted to other allies and foes on the field. Another front line bombardment in order!

Iriina calls out a cheery "Thanks uncle!" before the air around her troops shimmers and they disappear.

Isilos:"Careful Iriina lest you get your friends killed down there!"

[Unable to break through the village, with the rumors of the White Lady come to aid the Emberhearts, the militia begins to break. As close as they were to breaking through and fulfilling Serisera's dying wish.]

Ethalarian weathers yet another storm of steel and blood, holding firm until the path is cleared and his cavalry are free of obstruction. "Finally." He turns again to the sergeant at his shoulder. "Do it." In an instant, a horn booms over the din of the battlefield followed by the deafening thunder of horses hooves as the heavy cavalry are finally unleashed. "Run them down!" bellows their leader, Light radiating from the entire formation and coalescing around their lances. "Break these spineless wretches and trample them into the dirt!"

Oosaarn sank his axe into the ground. Suddenly, ice sprung forth from the sand, coating him and ever orc under his command in a thick, frozen armor. All the while, arnalests continued their volleys.

Oosaarn released a booming, ethereal laugh as the cavalry's charge quite literally bounced right off the dreadnaughts. Their lances barely scratching that icy shield and orc not budging so much as an inch. "Looks like we have our first volunteers to die!"

Esheyn launches herself at the nearby Arbalest, and her troops follow suit just behind.

Ethalarian bristles as the enemy cavalry slam into his flank. For a moment his cavalry waver- but then, as one, repel the charge. Another burst of Light ripples out from the formation- a solar flare of unbridled rage- as they turn upon their attackers without mercy. "You should have surrendered when you had the chance!"

[Meanwhile in the Village]

As the battle raged on the sands of the beach, Relriah she tramples down a unit with her cavalry and cuts them down as the begin to flee. Moving to cut off the lines of retreat, she traps them between the narrow streets between tall stone-brick buildings,

Vissehn climbs down from the rooftops leveling his rifle at the fleeing militia... but them lifts it, and instead moves to assist Relriah in cutting off their escape.

Relriah, seeing this, flicks the blood off her blade. "Throw down your arms, and you might live of the Emberhearts will it." A smile curls on her lips. Instead of being surrounded and have her army pressed against the mountains to the south, she managed to do the encircling instead. Blood Magic or no, Coalition or no, this was a resounding victory for the Emberhearts. Even if they had gotten close to breaking through in the South at the height of the battle.

[Event End]

Vissehn popped his collar. "Rode up on the dark of night, thru again til morning..." He hummed the song, eyes sliding over the captured.

[emoshinso]

What Makes Purple Boy so Weird?: Notes on the storytelling strategies employed in Shinsou’s introduction arc

*By ‘weird,’ I mean intriguing/interesting, but in a break-the-mold kinda way.

This really has no objective other than I wanted to break down what makes Shinsou’s intro arc so impactful. Specifically, the buildup before his quirk reveal.

As heroic and well-intentioned as our boy is, the creators do a very good job creating an air of ominous suspense before revealing his true character and quirk in his match against Deku. Up till then, it’s like they wanted us to think Shinsou was a bad guy...

Part commentary, part analysis 

Just kinda… finding an excuse to rewatch the Sports Festival arc while focusing on Shinsou’s perspective.

this post goes from his first appearance in episode 15 to the beginning of episode 20

in the future, I plan on dedicating an entire post just to his fight against Deku - but in the meantime, this one centers on the buildup before his quirk reveal

So, if you’re interested, read on! If not, I understand. This is gonna be one heckin nerdy ramble. oh gosh im so excited

First Appearance: Episode 15: Roaring Sports Festival 

Confrontation with Bakugo

First, some background on what’s going on right before our boy shows up: The day after Aizawa introduces the sports festival, a bunch of kids from the general studies department show up at the hero class’s threshold, right? There’s no explanation as to why. They’re all kinda just... there (psst it’s for the drama. Large crowds create intrigue.)

Dekusquad mutters collectively, wondering if the general studies kids are scouting the competition… The general studies kids don’t really answer or react. They just keep gawking awkwardly. (psst once again: it’s purely for the drama)

Enter: Bakugo. Trying to leave for the day, but those damn gen studies kids are in his way.

“Move it, extras.”

This prompts a reaction. From one student, at least. 

“So this is Class 1-A? I heard you guys were impressive, but you just sound like an ass.”

First time we see Shinsou: pushing his way unapologetically through the other general studies kids. First impression: he already kinda looks like a jerk. Him being at the back of the crowd also makes me think Shinsou didn’t exactly jump at the chance to size up 1-A after school like his classmates, but eventually gave in and followed them over a bit later. Then after that “extras” comment out of Blasty Boy, he decided to retaliate. A jerk with a bit of a proud streak.

”Scouting the competition? Maybe some of my peers are, but I came to let you know that if you don’t bring your very best, I’ll steal your spot right out from under you. Consider this a declaration of war.”

What a drama queen.

That’s all he says. That pretty much concludes his first notable appearance as a character

His appearance essentially serves two purposes: 1) to (fleetingly) introduce him as a character 2)  to establish how resentful the general studies department is towards 1-A

It’s important to note that he didn’t get any of those usual name + quirk tag thingies that occasionally pop up whenever a new character is introduced (or as a reminder for recurring characters)

AND he never introduces himself (he just straight up declares war and falls silent, the little shit xD)

Point being, forget his quirk, we don’t even learn his name right away. For all intents and purposes, he’s just that random purple asshole who declared war for no good reason

And as soon as Shinsou delivers his little war monologue, Tetsutetsu shows up, shouting loud and a n g e r y. His and Bakugo’s little shouting match quickly overshadows Shinsou’s cold declaration, making it even easier for both the other characters and the audience to forget about Shinsou pretty quick. Despite that very conspicuous purple hair, the chronic insomnia, and the WHITE PUPILS.

I know I kinda forgot about him - the first time watching, at least.

Sports Festival Opening Ceremony

The next time we see Shinsou, he’s walking into the arena with the other 1-C kids, who are all looking pretty dejected about being forced to participate in a competition rigged to make them look inferior:

“We’re just here to make [the hero kids] look better...”

“Yeah, I can’t wait for this to be over...”

It’s a key reminder that Shinsou is one of these kids, and by all logic should be thinking the same thing. But his expression is hard to read: 

Is he bored? Tired? Ready for it all to be over like those other kids? Or is he steeling himself to make good on his declaration of war?

We don’t really get a chance to find out. Not until MUCH later...

Todoroki’s Ice Trick

The next shot we see of Shinsou is my absolute FAVORITE. After getting through the tunnel to the obstacle course, Todoroki uses ice attack. It’s super effective, but somehow there’s still plenty of students who dodged it including our boy Shinsou

A LOT is going on. We see shots of all the different students who evaded Todoroki: Yaoyorozu, Bakugo, Aoyama (lol), Ashido... the montage ends with Uraraka, who makes a comment about waiting for the right time to show off her quirk, and hence alludes to someone else who’s trying to be sneaky:

“So they are good at using their powers, huh?”

What I love most about this scene is first time watching I LITERALLY DID NOT QUESTION the fact that he was being carried by three other students

I chalked it up to him being a charismatic figure in his class who somehow convinced his fellow students to carry him as part of some elaborate grand strategy

And hey... I wasn’t wrong?

Also interesting to note how none of the three non-brainwashed students around him seem too concerned he’s hitching a free ride on their classmates... they’re all too busy dealing with Todoroki’s ice

Point being, between Todoroki’s flashy ice attack and the other students’ equally flashy evasive maneuvers, it was pretty easy for us as an audience to overlook that one purple-haired kid who decided to play cavalry battle a little early. The inclusion of the extra kids stumbling around him in the frame also helps him blend into the background. All this seems very intentional on both the animators’/Horikoshi’s part AND as part of Shinsou’s grand strategy. 

Episode 15 ends with us still wondering what this guy’s deal is...

Episode 16: In Their Own Quirky Ways

We don’t see Shinsou at all this episode, which both builds up the suspense and leaves me with a lot of questions:

Q: How did he get past the robots? (Theory 1: By using other kids’ quirks and directing them like his own personal quirk army 2: (more likely) waited till a path was clear and ran through)

Q: How did he get past the chasm? (Theory 1: Again, by hitching a ride with a kid with the ideal quirk 2: Human rope?)

Q: How’d he get past the MINES?! (Theory: By brainwashing other students to walk ahead of him and clear a path)

Regardless of how he got through the course, the ONLY glimpse of Shinsou we get is when Midnight goes over the rankings in the race. Shinsou came in 27th, by the way, not that you’d even notice because the camera cuts off almost before you even see him in the rankings. (I couldn’t even pause it that fast) I have no idea if that was intentional or not, but man does it fit the mood:

This is also the first time we see his name.

But it’s so fast literally no one could’ve actually read and retained it without the help of a quirk. I know I didn’t. BUT I remember from the first time watching, this one tiny glimpse of the random purple asshole with the derpy ass smile ranking so high was enough to make me start wondering just what this guy’s deal was...

It was enough to get me curious. But I wasn’t invested quite yet. 

Also, in retrospect, my absolute favorite thing about this screenshot is all the other contestants look angry/disappointed by their ranking EXCEPT FOR SHINSOU. Nope, he just looks like a smug little asshole happy to be the ONLY rep from Class 1-C.

And that further adds to the suspense...

Episode 17: Strategy, Strategy, Strategy

Once again, we only get glimpses of Shinsou this episode. But they’re crucial: 

1: Him smirking as the rules for the cavalry battle are explained. Makes us wonder, as an audience: why does he look so confident when everyone else is gritting their teeth over this? What advantage does he have?

(Notes brought to you by 20/20 hindsight: He was probably so confident because he literally had his pick of teammates. As soon as he asked anyone about teaming up and they answered, boom, they were on the team. I would guess he intentionally picked teammates that wouldn’t stand out (no offense Aoyama,) so he could hang around and not call attention to himself during the cavalry battle, both from other teams and from the commentators.)

AND WAIT. LOOK HERE:

2: Once all the teams have coalesced, they’re all just kinda standing around haphazardly, or facing each other slightly to talk strategy... BUT NOT SHINSOU’S. They’re all facing the same direction he is. Yep, you guessed it... they’re already brainwashed.

3:

At the ready with his team. This also marks the second time we see his name. But it’s not announced, it only appears in tiny letters/kanji in the scoring bracket. Also note that his teammates are definitely all brainwashed now, but we wouldn’t be able to tell unless we were looking for it. Aoyama really doesn’t look too different lol

4:

Before the episode ends, we get our first glance at the scoreboard. The game’s already been underway for a bit by now, and Shinsou’s team is at 0 points. Which means Shinsou most likely let Monoma take his bandana to avoid being targeted later in the game, and therein, avoid attention.

End of episode 17. Still no name (unless you were super attentive), and no quirk.

Episode 18: Cavalry Battle Finale

Between the Todoroki vs. Midoriya and the Monoma vs. Bakugo showdowns, there’s so much drama happening it’s no surprise Present Mic didn’t pay much attention to Team Shinsou...

...and that really left me wondering... What were they up to this whole time?

Quick glance at the scoreboard tells us he’s still at zero, and he stays that way for most of the episode again:

BUT. WAIT FOR IT.

HERE’S THE SCOREBOARD RIGHT AFTER PRESENT MIC ANNOUNCED THERE WERE ONLY 11 SECONDS LEFT:

TETSUTETSU STILL HAS HIS POINTS.

Which means...

TEAM SHINSOU MANAGED TO SWIPE THE POINTS IN LESS THAN 11 SECONDS.

Just look how smug he is about it too:

“In third place is Team Tetsute- wait, what?! It’s Team Shinsou! When did they come back from the dead?!”

Point being, Present Mic is so surprised by Shinsou’s comeback he almost says the wrong name. Thanks to all the drama radiating off of Monoma and the Traffic Light Trifecta and Shinsou’s strategy of staying out of the fray until the last possible second, he pulled off a victory without anyone even knowing who the heck he is or what he can do.

This also marks the first time his name is stated clearly enough to catch.

Also note his confused (and frightened) teammates behind him. How ominous...

Little by little, we’re getting hints at who he actually is as a character, which up to this point, still looks a lot like ‘first class jerk’

that smug grin gahhh

Episode 19: The Boy Born with Everything

Okay, here’s where things get  s u p e r  dramatic. 

First half of the episode is dedicated to Todoroki and Deku’s little confrontation, so gives us more time to forget about our purple son...

Second half jumps into discussing the next round: sixteen contestants remaining, waiting to be divided into one-on-one matches. Things are progressing smoothly until....

OJIRO WITHDRAWS. 

Everyone’s shocked, why the heck would this kid pass up on the chance of a lifetime? Ojiro explains it’s a matter of pride for him:  “It just wouldn’t be right. I barely remember anything from the cavalry battle until the very end of it. I… think it was that guy’s quirk.”

“Wait, who was Ojiro with again?” 

Again, no one seems to remember. But once Ojiro points him out, the camera pans over to Shinsou, who looks away. As if he’s worried about getting exposed. Interestingly enough, however, Ojiro doesn’t immediately reveal what Shinsou’s quirk is (which also might have to do with his personal honor code), instead just presses to withdraw:

“Everyone gave their all in Round 2, but I was just someone’s puppet. I don’t want to advance if I don’t even know how I got here.”

‘Someone’s puppet’? That’s ominous as hell...  but once again, it doesn’t fully reveal what Shinsou did. Ojiro could’ve been speaking metaphorically for all we know at this point. But it sure makes us start wondering what the heck’s up with this purple guy, and just what his true motives are...

Later on, once the full bracket’s announced, Izuku looks at the lineup. He’s initially more concerned about the prospect of facing down Todoroki, but then he remembers he’s got a whole match ahead of that: “First I’ve got to worry about this Shinsou guy (whoever the hell he is...)” As someone who  l o v e s  to collect and analyse data on heroes and quirks, it probably bothers Izuku to no end that he knows absolutely nothing about his upcoming opponent. 

“Izuku Midoriya, that is you, isn’t it?”

To top it off, SHINSOU SNEAKS UP ON HIM. I mean, in all fairness, it probably isn’t even that hard to sneak up on Izuku, given how lost in his head he gets. But again, it helps build that aura of suspense: Shinsou’s the type of character to sneak up on people. He’s also the type to stay out sight, use clever strategy instead of shine in the limelight like a typical hero in the BNHA world would. In all fairness, he’s acting a lot like a villain would.

Izuku: “You’re the guy from before, from general studies?”

Shinsou: “A pleasure. So, are you excited?”

Once again. Doesn’t even properly introduce himself. What is with this guy and introductions? And before Izuku gets a chance to respond, Ojiro intervenes, covering Izuku’s mouth with his tail and leaving Shinsou to smirk and walk away.

Izuku: “Ojiro, what’s the deal?”

Ojiro: “You can’t say a word to him.”

These are the first real clues we get as to what Shinsou’s quirk actually is and how it works. but we still. don’t. get. full. disclosure. 

The scene cuts to the side games / preparations of the remaining contestants for the final round: 

I really appreciate the sheer amount of dread on Izuku’s face. 

This is a meme. We all have Shinsou to thank for this meme. At this point, we can’t even hear what they’re discussing, we just know it’s making a nervous boi  e x t r a  nervous...

A few scenes later, and we finally get what we’ve all been waiting for:

“Whoa, he looks kinda scared in that picture, doesn’t he? It’s Izuku Midoriya from the hero course!!” 

VS.

“Hitoshi Shinsou from general studies, who really hasn’t done anything to stand out yet…” 

Once again, Present Mic reminds us just how much of a dark horse Shinsou is. Discounting a few strategic bits and pieces, two whole rounds have passed already, and we still know next to nothing about him. It’s interesting to note how Present Mic explains the rules of the match too:

“The rules are simple: immobilize your opponent or force him out of the ring!! You can also win by making the other person cry uncle. Anything goes… so don’t be afraid to put your morals aside and play dirty!”

Which Shinsou does. 

He starts playing before the match even begins, already trying to get Izuku to talk:

“So you can just give up, huh?”

Izuku doesn’t respond, so Shinsou continues:

“In a way, this is a test of how strong your spirit is. If you know what you want your future to hold for you, you can’t worry about what other people think.”  

Present Mic: “READY?!”

“That monkey was going on about his pride earlier...”

Present Mic: “BEGIN!”

“...but I just think he’s an idiot for throwing away his chance like that.”

Shinsou started playing even before the match began, and he started off by saying a whole lot of incendiary things: 

Why would you care what other people thought of you? (In a world where pro heroes depend on popular appeal for their livelihood, that’s not something a typical aspiring hero would say...)

“That monkey... is an idiot” (insulting a former teammate... not very hero-like) 

Who cares about pride? (People who say that often hint they’re willing to get their hands dirty if the ends justify the means... again, not very hero-like)

In retrospect, of course we know Shinsou’s primary motivation for saying all those things was to elicit a response from Izuku, but at the time... it just made him look like a jerk. Maybe even a jerk with a potential villainous streak...

Regardless, it does get a rise out of Izuku, and that’s when it finally happens. 

We openly see Shinsou use his quirk for the first time.

Izuku freezes.

Everyone’s shocked. But even then not everyone understands what’s going on yet... even Present Mic seems confused, even possibly chalking it up to stage fright:

“Huh?! What’s the dealio? This is the first match, it should start out with a bang! The fight has just begun and Izuku Midoriya is… completely frozen?!”

AND THAT’S WHERE EPISODE 19 ENDS.

WE STILL DON’T KNOW SHINSOU’S QUIRK.

Yes, we’ve seen it in action, we can infer, but it still takes a whole episode to put a clear label on it...

Episode 20: Victory or Defeat

Way to build up the suspense with a corny episode title am I right

Present Mic introduces us back into the fray:  “Izuku Midoriya is completely frozen?! He’s not moving a muscle! And what’s with that look on his face? Could this be a quirk at work? Hitoshi Shinsou seems to have Izuku Midoriya completely stunned!”

Let’s take a quick inventory on just how sh00k everyone is:

Concerned frens. I was too the first time I watched this. I think we all were. Our baby Izuku’s been frozen by the weird purple jerk who we don’t really have any sympathy for yet.

Even the pro heroes are stunned. They don’t seem to have any idea what’s going on either, which suggests maybe they haven’t seen a quirk like Shinsou’s before...

BUT what really gets me are these guys. I’m pretty certain they’re all general studies kids. Shinsou’s classmates. Meaning they KNOW Shinsou. And assumedly they know his quirk too, since that’s like the second question that comes up whenever you meet someone in this universe, right after “What’s your name?” YET THEY’RE JUST AS SHOCKED AS EVERYONE ELSE. Which makes me wonder... what if Shinsou never told his UA classmates what his quirk was?

Regardless, it builds up the suspense even more. 

And at long last, as the crowd still sits stunned, Aizawa steps in to finally answer all our unspoken questions:

“Since we’re on to the individual matches, I had some information compiled about our final competitors. Shinsou failed the practical exam to get into the hero course. Since he also applied for general studies, he probably figured that would happen. His quirk is incredibly strong, but that entrance test consisted of fighting faux villains. It gave a huge advantage to those who had physical superpowers they could show off. Despite his abilities, Shinsou never stood a chance at passing.”

He never stood a chance beCAUSE...

*cue ambient unsettling music*

Izuku turns around and starts walking out of bounds.

EVERYONE FLIPS THE HELL OUT.

All Might, watching from the sidelines: “What is this power?”

And finally, thanks to Aizawa’s data, Present Mic tells us:

‘When an opponent answers his question, it flips a switch in their minds, forcing them to do whatever he says. Not every question does it though. He only brainwashes when he wants to.” 

There it is.

After five episodes of ominous, behind-the-scenes buildup, we finally have it. I don’t know about everyone else, but I was blown away. Looking back, it made total sense, and I had no idea how I didn’t figure it out beforehand, (maybe someone did, lol, I am kind of a dumbass). But, main point here: Shinsou’s intro had a lot of great suspense built into it, culminating in his match with Izuku, which reveals not only his quirk but also his true character (which I’ll talk about in a future post - specifically how Shinsou’s backstory reveal completely flips our perception of him). Along the way, we had plenty of opportunities to forget about Shinsou, discount him - at least in favor of our already well-established favorites - and most importantly, type cast him as villainous. But all that turns on its head the moment we learn what he can do - and as I’ll talk about later on, when we find out his true intentions.

What a brilliant intro. 

And he knows it too. Just look how smug he is.

[newyorktheater]

I think if I were eight years old I might have loved “The Lightning Thief” on Broadway, but that’s mostly because I would then have been too young to have seen it at the Lucille Lortel Theatre five years ago. Downtown, this musical about Percy Jackson, a modern American adolescent who also happens to be a demigod from Greek mythology, was just an hour long, charming in a do-it-yourself low-budget way….and free of charge!

At Broadway’s Longacre Theater, “The Lightning Thief” is two hours long, not as charming…and very much not free.

Bringing the musical to Broadway hasn’t made The Lightning Thief a better show — it’s ballooned beyond its fighting weight — but I can understand why the creative team might have felt compelled to do so.   Percy Jackson began life as the hero of a series of bedtime stories that Rick Riordan created for his son, then became the protagonist on the pages of Riordan’s bestselling novels. The novels  were adapted into a couple of blockbuster movies starring Logan Lerman. Once the story was further adapted into a Theatreworks children’s stage musical by playwright Joe Tracz, composer Rob Rokicki and director Stephen Bracket, it must have seemed inevitable to continue the trajectory.

There is still some charm and wit, especially for those who have read the books, in the story of Percy (Chris McCarrell), a boy who doesn’t fit in, discovering that he is the son of Poseidon, the god of the sea, and one of the three most powerful deities.

He finds this out after his mortal mother Sally (Jalynn Steele) has sent him to Camp Half-Blood where he meets other children from mixed families (half mortal, half divine.) Together they sing “The Campfire Song,” the cleverest of the 18 in the show, expressing their resentment of their absent god parent:

Oh things couldn’t be worse When your parents run the universe

We’re introduced early and often to this sometimes amusing crossbreeding of myth and adolescent angst – increasingly familiar on Broadway, as well as on young adult bookshelves – which would be funnier if there were less of it. Similarly, the inspirational message for the kiddies is hammered home in song after song. In “Strong,” for example, Percy laments:

if you’re weird, you’re weak

His mother Sally replies melodically: That’s where you’re wrong The things that make you different are the very things that make you strong

The plot too is familiar – a hero’s quest, which kicks in soon after Percy learns that Zeus (his uncle) thinks Percy has stolen his thunderbolt. Percy travels by bus from New Jersey to L.A., where Hades is located. He is ccompanied by his best friend Grover (Jorrel Javier), who’s a satyr, half-man, half-goat, and by Annabeth, the super-competent but of course neglected daughter of Athena (Kristin Stokes, the only performer in the seven-member cast who was also in the Off-Broadway production.)

But on Broadway, audiences must now withstand the irksome effects from the overblown Broadway special effects playbook –  the production flashes bright lights in our eyes, and thunderous booms in our ears, drops confetti on our heads, plus (admittedly a novel one) uses leaf blowers to drape us with rolls of toilet paper, as if we’re suburban trees during Halloween. My reaction to these touches reminds me of an old Borscht Belt joke: Catskill resort guest: “The food in this place is terrible.” Her friend: ‘Yeah, and such small portions.” Nobody who’s been to Broadway before is going to ooh or ahhh at the effects, or at the parade of colorful (mostly low-tech puppet) monsters with whom Percy and his pals do battle, via sword or fist or just tumbling and fumbling around — Furies, a minotaur, Medussa, Chime, Hades, a surprise traitor in their midst….. “The Lightning Thief” has its pleasures. Among them are the chance to see stand-out cast memer Jalynn Steele work her way through half a dozen mythic or monster characters. This includes Charon, who ferries people to the Underworld, and late in the show does a full-on, soulful show-stopper called “D.O.A.” with cameos by Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, and Mozart. Not everybody stuck it out to see it the night I attended; two adults sitting to my left and two immediately in front of me left at intermission. But I didn’t see any kids leave.

Click on any photograph by Jeremy Daniels to see it enlarged

The Lightning Thief Longacre Book by Joe Tracz, based on the book by Rick Riordan; Music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki; Choreography by Patrick McCollum; Directed by Stephen Brackett.

Scenic design by Lee Savage, costume design by Sydney Maresca, lighting design by David Lander, sound design by Ryan Rumery, new puppetry designs by Achesonwalsh Studios, fight direction by Rod Winter, hair, wig and makeup dieting by Dave Bova. Cast: Chris McCarrell, Izzy Figueroa, Jorrel Javier, Ryan Knowles, Sam Leicht, Sarah Beth Pfeifer, James Hayden Rodriguez, Jalynn Steele, T. Shyvonne Stewart and Kristin Stokes Running time: Two hours and ten minutes, including one intermission Tickets: $39 to $199 The Lightning Thief is on stage through January 5, 2020.

The Lightning Thief Review: On Broadway Battling Beasts and Bloat I think if I were eight years old I might have loved "The Lightning Thief" on Broadway, but that’s mostly because I would then have been too young to have seen it at the Lucille Lortel Theatre five years ago.