#Weaving the Web

[jeanniebug623]

This chapter was running long (at least long for word length for this story), so expect another chapter in a few days. 🐞💙

🕸️🕷️ Weaving the Web 🕷️🕸️

Chapter 23: Aftershock

Spider stayed completely silent all while Ja assessed and treated the stab wound to Quaritch’s hand. Wainfleet was especially agitated as evident by his flat ears and flipping tail as he spoke to the colonel, but the poor kid was so shell shocked by his own actions that he didn’t know what the corporal was most angry about. He fucked up…by Eywa, did Spider fuck up! What had he done?!

“I want cameras on that mirror from all angles.” Quaritch ordered, completely immune to the fact that Ja was sewing thick stitches into the palm and back of his hand from the penetrating wound he saved his son from.

”Yea, boss…I’ll take care of it.” Wainfleet said quietly from where he stood in the hall, eyes on Spider who was sitting on the floor in his room with his hood pulled up over his head. While he was concerned for the kid, he was more concerned for his best friend who almost had his throat slit by said kid. And he didn’t want Quaritch to let his feelings for the boy overlook the threat…

”Lyle,” Quaritch said firmly, getting his second to look at him. He could read Wainfleet’s mind and said quieter, “I’ll handle it.”

Wainfleet didn’t say anything at first until Quaritch hardened his gaze and raised brow. He nodded as he crossed his arms and said, “Yes, sir.”

”What’s the damage, doc?” Quaritch said, his ears flicking back as he looked to his hand as Ja applied a layer of synthetic second skin to protect the wounds before wrapping gauze around his hand.

”Aside from the obvious?” Ja asked without looking up from the damage, “You should be in the med wing getting this scanned for vessel and nerve damage.”

”Am I gonna lose the hand?” Quaritch asked, not appreciating the tone.

”No, sir.” Ja said, checking his attitude with the colonel even though it came from a good place.

”You can run those tests for me tonight.” The colonel said, tempering his own attitude. His men were loyal and they would neutralize any threat just like he’d do for them. But this wasn’t just any threat. Spider, his SON, was his responsibility. The risk would never outweigh how much he loved the kid.

”Tonight?” Ja asked, glancing at his watch as he finished securing the gauze wrapping. It was almost 0500. Night and day shifts would start switching over. The kitchens had probably been prepping for the last hour for breakfast.

”Sir-…” Ja started to protest but Wainfleet beat him to it.

”Miles, are you fucking insane?” Wainfleet said, forgetting the sensitivity of his choice of words. He didn’t see Spider, who’d been trying to control his shaking by hugging his knees to his chest, glance at the recom.

”Lyle.” Quaritch said with a hint of warning in his voice. He really did understand why his men were concerned but now they knew why Spider had been acting the way he was. The bad attitude, picking fights, being disrespectful to the squad…he was afraid of someone and trying to identify the threat himself. The pang of discomfort he felt when Quaritch realized that he, himself, was at the top of Spider’s list of suspects.

”Ja, I think Spider-man could use a once over.” Wainfleet said, “Before they head out.”

Spider lifted his head slightly and turned enough that they could see his face. And he still looked like a wreck. His eyes were still puffy and red from crying and they only looked worse by the dark bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. Quaritch was still going to take him out to the forest after last night? He should be locked in a cell and the key shot out into space.

”Yea, Spider, let’s go get your meds, ok?” Ja said with a weak smile. He liked the kid like the rest of the squad, but the incident from last night couldn’t be overlooked. He slipped a sedative in a capped syringe into his cargo pockets out of Spider’s view…just in case he needed it at the quick draw. Quaritch saw it but understood the precaution, as much as it pained him to see his men take such measures.

Spider nodded quickly. Anything to show feel more normal and that last night’s incident wasn’t something he wanted to do. His hands shook as he unwrapped his arms and used them to push himself back upright. He immediately hugged his arms around his middle to be as small as possible as he looked down as he slipped by Wainfleet. He couldn’t look any of them in the eye for more than a second. The shame he felt for betraying their trust was too great…

Wainfleet felt bad seeing the teenager like this. After the colonel, he had bonded the most with the kid and he KNEW Spider was a good kid. He was there that day; the day they strapped Spider into the neuroscanner. He saw how strong and resilient and loyal the kid was. But he also heard his screams of pain and pleading through his lies and the blood that dripped from his nose for his stubbornness.

”Hey,” Wainfleet said, sweeping his hand out in front of the teen, but not touching him, before he cleared the hall, “I got a great flick for us to watch tonight. While the boss is getting looked at. Sound good?”

Spider jumped when Wainfleet stopped him, the movement of his hand expecting to result in a hell of a hit. But, no. They never hurt him unless they had to, and he had to remember that. And it wasn’t HIM they were hurting; it was Miles. Spider just had to deal with the repercussions of Miles acting like a psycho. He stared at Wainfleet’s hand then, realizing the corporal wanted an answer before he’d let him pass, Spider nodded silently.

”Sounds good, kid, I think you’ll like it.” Wainfleet said, not bothering to put on a fake smile as the kid wasn’t looking at him anyways. He watched Spider go into the kitchenette and start fumbling with the pill bottles on the counter. Giving Ja a nod to leave, Wainfleet stepped into Quaritch’s room and closed the door.

”Say your piece.” Quaritch said with a sigh, testing the mobility of his hand. If he’d been half a second smarter, he would have used his non-dominant hand to block. He stared at Wainfleet as he waited for the lecture the corporal obviously wanted to deliver.

”I’m going to follow your orders, Miles, and place those cameras. If someone’s messing with the kid, we’ll find out who and skin them alive, but you know it could be one of his other sides trying to keep Spider on edge.”

”Spider has valid reasons to be on edge.” Quaritch said in defense of his boy, “I’ve been doin’ damage control ever since that little psychopath showed himself.”

“I know and you been doing a damn good job of it, but that kid could have fucking killed you. He had you under his fucking knife. He’s not some goddamn stray kitten, he is dangerous and smart. Which means so are his alters.” Wainfleet said, not bothering to sugar coat it.

“I never said he wasn’t,” Quaritch agreed, a silence falling between them. The colonel knew Spider was a challenge, just one he underestimated until Miles showed just how dangerous a less restrained version of Spider was. He reiterated his agreement by nodding and saying, “I know Spider’s dangerous, but he’s my responsibility. He’s my son. I can’t change that anymore than goin’ back and not fuckin’ up being his father in the first place. And I wouldn’t either. I got this crazy kid that’s giving me more of a reason to live than why we woke up in these bodies in the first place.”

Wainfleet went silent. Colonel Miles Quaritch had always been a man of very few emotional words and even less expressions. But to hear the colonel say that Spider was more important than the mission to take down Sully? That was not a dedication he expected. The colonel always liked to be the one in control and holding all the pieces, but now? Sully and the Na’vi weren’t even on the playing board anymore.

”Miles…” Wainfleet started slowly, unable to choose his words.

”I know what it sounds like, Lyle.” Quaritch interrupted when Wainfleet couldn’t find what to say, “I know it sounds like treason. Abandoning the mission. Desertion worth a firing squad. But I’m gonna make this world safe for him, even if I gotta trek across this godforsaken moon on my hands and knees to find Sully. I’ll do it.”

”Good to know, boss, but…um…” Wainfleet said, then cleared his throat, “Don’t wait.”

Quaritch raised a brow as he stood to meet his friend eye to eye.

”If the kid comes first, don’t wait to put him first. I’m sure the woman I was going to marry moved on. And the baby girl I only saw a few times is all grown up. Coming to Pandora wasn’t putting them first.” Wainfleet said, his ears going back as his gaze dropped, “Not really, anyways. Yea. I was here to make way for humanity just like the rest of the meatheads and could tell myself that every night that in the long run, I was doing right by them. But I don’t fucking know if I did. So…don’t wait to find out if you’re doing the right thing if you got a chance to make it happen now.”

Quaritch was just as stunned by Wainfleet’s seemingly out-of-character heartfelt speech. It was one of those moments they’d never speak about again. Wainfleet pulled a spare pair of gloves out of his back pocket and held them out to Quaritch. It would be easier to hide the injury if it wasn’t just wrapped up and out in the open.

”Just one more thing, boss…” Wainfleet said, his ears turning back and downward as an uncomfortable expression took over, “The kid was ready to do the hard part last night. If it comes to it…if Spider continues to go downhill, you gonna help him with the hard part if it becomes the right thing to do? For him?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

”And let’s increase the anxiety meds by 25 milligrams across the board, three times a day.” Ja said as he scribbled down a new set of medication rules, “No skipping if you’re feeling good, you’ll want to keep it in your system.”

Spider just nodded fervently, letting Ja know he was on board with doctor’s orders even though he still couldn’t bring himself to speak since sobbing his heart out in his father’s strong arms hours before. His shaking had stopped due to the fast-acting nature of his anxiety meds, but was still afraid to speak up given what he’d done to their commanding officer.

”I’m also working with Prager to get you off these,” Ja said as he picked up the bottle of sleeping pills, “For something natural found on Pandora that will be safe for you. Who knows? Maybe we’ll get you off all these one day…”

The teen stared at the medic as he finished writing down his instructions for him and the colonel to follow. Despite his nearly fatal attack on Quaritch, Ja was still treating him like his patient? Still wanted to help him? His throat got tight as the thoughts raced through his mind. He had good friends at the village…but did he ever have someone look out for him like this? Quaritch, Wainfleet, Ja…and the other four in their own way.

Were the recoms…his family?

[acerathia]

imo Shoto has Knightley vibes. Yknow, the dude from 'Emma' by Jane Austen? Who said this line in particular:

"I cannot make speeches. If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more, but you know what I am."

[ao3gobi17]

What do you think your custody au quaritch thinks about Jeanniebug's weaving the web spider and quaritch respectively?

How would he feel about cyren myadd's quaritch or spider? Like his thoughts and opinions on them if they were to ever meet?

I see Cyren has replied to this - so I'm looking forward to reading the answer - esp if you've sent it to all 3 of us!

So I hadn't read Weaving the web until recently - I am actually still reading it as we speak! There's a chance I may not know something super relevant, but at the point I'm at, there's three different Spider personalities. My plan is to finish it soon.

I do actually really like the idea of some kind of Spider multiverse collab, though I don't know if its actually practical or possible.

I think Custody-Quaritch is going to gravitate towards collecting Spiders at the first sign of trouble from any of the Quaritches. My impression so far on WTW-Quaritch is that he's trying to do his best by Spider (minus letting the interrogator thing happen twice - as far as he knew - before stopping it), so I don't think Custody-Q would have a huge issue with him if he met mid-fic. He might later on if he found out about the interrogations. In contrast he'd have an issue a mile wide with BITTW-Quaritch from the get-go. The Spiders he would intellectually understand aren't his Spider, but he'd probably view them as an extension of his Spider and therefore under his remit and he'd struggle to leave them be if he couldn't build a good relationship with his counterpart.

In terms of the Spider personalities.. in some ways it doesn't matter to Custody-Q, his kid is his kid and he can try to fix things once he has him safe.

But he would be alarmed for sure by the multiple personalities on WTW-Spider and would want him in therapy asap, getting the best medical care. He'd be very precaution-heavy with 'Miles' but he'd try to foster a bond with him and adapt his approach regardless. 'Spider' and 'MJ' I think would be much easier for Custody-Q to manage and depending on context I think he'd really struggle with wanting 'Spider' to front and ultimately win out as the main personality because he's the original, and getting a bit of a catch up feel with MJ on the childhood moments he missed with his own Spider. But ultimately he'd know the MJ part wasn't healthy, so I do think he'd try to get 'Spider' back wholly.

BITTW Spider is more impulsive than Custody Spider and he probably yearns even more for love than Custody Spider does, so I think Custody-Quaritch would take to him very easily, especially if there's no 'did you kill my mom' thing hanging between them! <3

[crimsonicarus]

Made my first footy web, it was basic af. But damn, I'm happy about it. Posting and adding the tag to the pinned post tomorrow

[1-jar-of-stars]

On Friendship.

[a-study-in-bullshit]

"I love you , I'm glad we're friends"

[jeanniebug623]

MUAHAHAHAHA!!! 😆😆😆😆😆

[lucidloving]

@roach-works // Melissa Broder, "Problem Area" // Mary Oliver, "The Return" // @annavonsyfert // Koyoharu Gotouge, Demon Slayer // Haruki Murakami, Dance Dance Dance // David Levithan, How They Met and Other Stories // Tennessee Williams, Notebooks

[jeanniebug623]

🕸️🕷️ Weaving the Web 🕷️🕸️

Chapter 22: Shattered

More shout out to @cyren-myadd for more angsty trauma for Spider trying to sort out his trust issues based on water cooler gossip.

TW: Suicide Attempt

“Spider, I want you to eat a little more than that.” Quaritch said with equal parts concern and sternness. His boy was starting to look, dare he say it, weak. He was absolutely thinner than when he was first captured and it wasn’t just from lack of activity. Spider was losing muscle mass and definition as well. The recom had only started to notice after his last mission.

”I don’t want to…” the teen grumbled as he looked away from the stew he’d been swirling round for the better part of an hour now. It was ice cold by now and Quaritch could count on one hand how many bites the boy had taken.

”I know you don’t want to, that’s the problem.” Quaritch said flatly. Keep it in check; don’t get upset. These were just a few mantras the hardened marine had been saying to himself the last few days. Not only had Spider’s eating habits diminished, but he was exceptionally moody. Picking fights over small things and being oppositional for the sake of it.

”I’m not hungry.” Spider said as he dropped the spoon with a loud clatter into the dish and pushed it away before crossing his arms. It was what Quaritch had started calling ‘teenage tantrums’. More than once, he had lost his temper with Spider and it ended horribly. One of the other two always showed up. If it was MJ, Quaritch ended up apologizing a hundred times before the kid would stop crying. If it was Miles, it ended in a scrap.

Only Prager was at the recom table with them. It became something of an unwritten rule lately that the colonel always had backup, except at the apartment. Though Wainfleet and Ja had managed to score one right next to Quaritch’s after one particularly bad fight resulted in a split lip for the recom and dislocated shoulder for the boy. And Spider wasn’t stupid; he felt the eyes of the others on him.

”We really gonna do this again here?” Quaritch said with a tired sigh. He loved his son more than anything, but for fuck’s sake! Every goddamn day with the kid was a trial by fire ever since the first mission Spider was left behind. As much as Quaritch tried to argue it was detrimental to his health, Ardmore would not let up on this joint custody bullshit. That nothing had happened while Spider was in McCosker’s care.

”Sure, why the fuck not?” Spider said as he snapped his head forward with a mean glare.

Quaritch ground his teeth as he trapped a growl in his throat. What the hell was wrong with his boy? But no, he would not make a spectacle of himself or his son. He leaned forward and quietly ordered, “Home. Now.”

Spider shook his head as he slammed his hands on the table and pushed back off the seat. As much as Quaritch wanted to reprimand the boy for not cleaning up his plate he barely ate from, the recom had to jump out of his own seat and quickly dash after the boy as he stormed out of the mess hall. He shoved his hands into the pockets of the sweatshirt he wore all the time now with the sleeves ripped off above the elbows and the hood always up covering his face.

After a brisk walk back to their apartment, Quaritch expected to have to chase the boy into his room but Spider knew it wasn’t worth it. He’d let his father yell at him to just have it over with. He flopped back on the couch in a low slouch and crossed his arms, glaring at the wall.

”Alright, enough is enough. What the hell is wrong with you, boy?” Quaritch said harshly, not even feeling bad about his tone or choice of words. He was angry; the boy was angry. It was clear who Spider got his temper from.

”A whole fuck ton of things last I checked…” Spider spat back just as harshly.

“Nah, don’t pull that shit, Spider. Something is wrong. Something recent. I’ve told ya to come to me with anything. If ANYTHING is wrong, you come to me and I’ll make it right. I’ve kept my word on that. I can’t take back the mistakes that got you here but I’m doing my damnedest to make it right.” Quaritch said, staring at the boy’s profile barely peeking out from under the hood.

Spider bit down hard on the inside of his cheek at the guilt churning in his stomach to the point he tasted blood. He knew in his heart he didn’t want to be such a pain in the ass, even though it was Quaritch’ fault he was in this whole predicament to begin with. His father couldn’t fix him, but he had been bending over backwards to help.

Don’t trust them. I warned you.

Don’t trust who exactly? Who warned who? Were those messages between his other sides?

Spider had started regularly talking to a therapist after his stay with McCosker resulted in him unintentionally scratching his arms while under his former foster father’s care. It was weird at first. Really weird. But eventually it became a nice reprieve to talk to someone who was genuinely neutral and didn’t care what he talked about. The next closest neutral party was Ja but that had changed. He was, dare Spider admit it, starting to feel like an older brother. With a medical degree.

The silent treatment did nothing for Quaritch’s fraying hold on his temper. He crossed the room in a few strides and crouched in front of the boy while pulling him up by the shoulders to sit properly and pulled the hood down so he could see his face. Despite the kid’s eyes immediately darting to the side, Quaritch kept one firm hand on Spider’s shoulder to ground both of them. It almost felt bony underneath the fabric of the oversized sweatshirt.

“You show me some respect, boy, and look at me when I’m talking to you. I’m trying real damn hard not to slap some sense into you.” Quaritch said, still angry but some of it faded when Spider’s big, brown doe eyes finally looked up. Not only did his son inherit his temper but also his resilience to back down from a challenge. But Quaritch wasn’t Spider’s only opponent. He had two very strong alter egos to contend with.

”You’re gettin’ skinny.” Quaritch said with a defeated sigh, “It’s got me worried, ok? I don’t know if it’s the meds or somethin’ up here.”

Quaritch emphasized ‘up here’ with a light tap to Spider’s forehead. As much as Spider wanted to tell him all the things that were wrong, how could he explain it? He didn’t know who was leaving him messages on mirrors. He’d heard rumblings from people who passed him by in the hall that the colonel may not actually have his best interest in mind. Wouldn’t these two things go hand in hand?

”You’ve been skippin’ out on the gym. Not eatin’ right. Or sleeping.” Quaritch said the last part a little firmer and didn’t scold the boy for sheepishly looking down. He’d caught the boy spitting out his sleep medication one evening after dinner, making it almost impossible for Quaritch to trust if he was taking any of them regularly.

”Why don’t we go out tomorrow? Just the two of us. I got a clear schedule and you could use some time out of this metal box.” Quaritch offered. It was a small olive branch considering every outing ended with going back to the city. He continued with a nod to Spider’s arm as he slid his large, blue hand from his shoulder to his forearm, “I can’t even see your stripes these days.”

Spider still didn’t look up, but did nod this time. It was a good enough answer. At least they didn’t fight.

”Good.” Quaritch said approvingly as he ruffled Spider’s hair. But the truce didn’t feel fully reciprocated and it put the recom on edge. He knew something was still wrong and it wasn’t just his condition. He’d learned enough about his boy to sense when something was very, very wrong. Gently moving his knuckles under Spider’s chin, he lifted his face until their eyes met again. His heartstrings twisted into a knot when he saw the extra shine to his eyes as he fought back tears. “Tell me what’s wrong, tiger. Please.”

Spider’s eyes darted back and forth between Quaritch’s. He wanted to say - no, scream - that he was scared to go to sleep at night. That he was afraid of his other sides. That he was terrified that his father was lying to him just to get him well enough to be malleable for the RDA again. That he couldn’t trust anyone…especially himself.

More silence.

Quaritch set his jaw tightly and nodded, sliding his hand to the back of Spider’s head and leaned forward until their foreheads were touching. He knew the kid wanted to say something but wasn’t letting it out. So, three things. The holy trinity of Quaritch’s personality had been passed onto his son: temper, resilience, and stubbornness.

After the one-sided conversation, Spider willingly ate a protein bar as a poor stand-in for the stew he didn’t eat. But at least he wasn’t going to bed hungry or risking nausea from the sleeping pill Quaritch watched him consume. Micromanaging Spider was the last thing he wanted to do but he needed his kid to get back on the good track he was on. He stayed up later than Spider to make sure he fell asleep.

Most nights the kid went out like a light within twenty minutes of taking his meds. Tonight was one of those nights and Quaritch was readying himself for bed an hour after Spider had gone to sleep. He did one more check on his boy, pulled the blanket that had been kicked to the floor back over him, and lightly pressed the back of his hand against Spider’s forehead. He was a bit clammy, no wonder the blanket was on the floor, but it didn’t feel like a fever.

Quaritch would make a note to tell Ja in the morning. All was calm and quiet in the apartment when the recom settled into his own bed. He never used to be a night owl before the kid came into his life. He was early to bed and rose with the sun. Strange how much he had changed with Spider in his life. Yes, finding Jake Sully was still the mission. But the initial drive wasn’t there like it had been.

He fell asleep quickly and woke almost as quickly to pressure on his neck. Quaritch woke in a panic but his keen eyes could see clearly in the dark that it was Spider looming over him. How the hell the kid managed to sneak into his room AND get astride his stomach like a predator ready to pounce before waking him up had him speechless. But not as speechless as the sharp object against his throat.

”You came into my room…” Spider said in a strained whisper. His hands were shaking on the sharpened butter knife as he struggled to suppress the panic. “Why did you come in my room while I was sleeping? What were you doing?”

”Just one last bed check before turnin’ in, Spider.” Quaritch answered coolly, ignoring how his Adam’s apple bobbed against the razor sharp, “Where’d you get a knife?”

Spider’s right eye twitched, almost completely closing before blinking a few times.

”Can you put it down so we can finally talk about what’s got you like this?” His father continued, staying calm despite the threat.

”No.” Spider answered quickly, his voice cracking under the hushed tone.

”Ok then…leave the knife there but still tell me what’s wrong.”

“…what if you lie?”

”Kid, the last thing I’m gonna do is lie to you. And it's got nothin’ to do with my life being in your hands.”

Spider’s breath shook as he inhaled. He pressed the knife closer into Quaritch’s flesh to the point of a small cut forming under the pressure. Could he trust his father?

”I…” Spider started, his chest starting to hitch as his panic started becoming too much to handle. His father stared up at him calmly and patiently as Spider tried to put the words together. Tears started to stream down his cheeks and drip off his chin before he could say anything else.

”Son.” Quaritch said quietly, knowing he was one shaking hand motion away from dying for the second time.

”I…I don’t know who to trust…” Spider answered almost silently, “…because of the mirrors…”

”What mirrors?” Quaritch asked, trying to get more clues to this riddle and remembering when he came back from his mission early that the bathroom mirror was covered in a towel.

”Sometimes there’s…things written on them.” Spider said, knowing how incredibly insane he was sounding. “They say not to trust anyone. A-And I hear things…like you…you don’t…you’re just-…”

Quaritch knew where this was going. He’d also heard the rumors going on that all his fathering to the boy was just for show. But it was complete bullshit. He loved that boy more than any damn thing in two lives. It was easy to see why his son might think it’s all fake. Kid was still a prisoner, just with a long leash.

”I love you, son.” Quaritch said. The words felt foreign, but right, coming from his mouth. Spider started trembling under the weight of his fear and the power he had over Quaritch at that moment. The recom continued, “I hear all the lies too. Every time I track the source of one, another pops up. But you know what? I’ll hunt down every single one of them who makes you think you’re not the best damn thing that ever happened to me.”

Spider’s hands were shaking even more. To Quaritch’s reprieve, the teen pulled the knife back when it started and he held the knife to his chest.

”Please give me the knife, Spider.” Quaritch coaxed. He wasn’t angry at the boy. Instead, he was concerned where he got it and how long he’d been secretly armed.

”…no.” Spider said, clutching the knife tighter and closing his eyes. Quaritch was telling the truth. How could he have been so stupid to think this man who had stepped up to be his father in his fucked up situation not genuinely care for him? But then who shouldn’t he trust? Who was TELLING him not to trust anyone? What was going to happen after whoever they warned him and he didn’t do anything about it?

”Spider, the knife. Please just give it to me. You’re safe with me, you don’t need it.” Quaritch said. His heart was pounding harder in his chest seeing Spider have it so close to his person than when it was literally grazing into his skin.

”No, I-…” Spider choked out with a sob, “I can’t do this anymore!”

Quaritch cursed and grunted in pain as his hand moved in a flash to catch the blade Spider drew away from his chest with the intent to thrust it into his own neck. He clenched a tight fist around the blade as it pierced between his index and middle metacarpals. Slamming the captured blade to the side, he sat up so quickly Spider would have fallen off if not for Quaritch’s other arm wrapping tightly around him.

He held his boy to his chest as Spider crumpled and sobbed into Quaritch’s broad chest. His hand hurt like a bitch, but it was nothing compared to the cries of his son.

[acerathia]

The Lament of Erebus || Chapter 1: The weight against their soles

Summary:

They appeared in the dead of night, ripping people out of their homes and lives, only leaving scattered clothes fluttering in the wind. There was nothing else left of the missing people.  OR Midoriya Izuku is quirkless, despite his protests, despite the feeling churning in his insides. It seems like fate has a cruel way to show its affection, as this lead to a social death sentence. And he has lived like that all his life. That is until society began to shift, creatures of the night swallowing people residing in the dark. The question is, what is the connection between them and Izuku?

Wordcount: 1.5k

Read it on AO3 || Masterlist

Tags/CW:

Minor Characters Death, Abuse of Power (Government), Censorship, Isolation, Alternative Universe,

Note:

Literally filled with anxiety rn but still posting it. I hope you enjoy it!! Also currently unbeta'ed, so some slight changes may occur oops

Izuku had been four when he was diagnosed as quirkless. The doctors didn't care about his missing toe joint, they had no proof for the absence of his quirk but their belief. There was no way he could still manifest a quirk, their arguments sounded the same. No matter how the little kid tried to argue with them. He knew it wasn't true, he had a quirk. But how was a four year old supposed to describe how his insides felt? How his shadow seemed to grab his ankles, weighing him down? He only barely registered something going on, but never, truly understood what. So he had to continue with his life, medically quirkless and yet.

Some people sensed some kind of wrongness in him, surrounding him, almost swallowing their footing around him. That played a big part of his school life. Isolated, not bullied, but ignored to the degree of neglect. And if someone was knowledgeable, they knew, they were aware, how studies showed how isolation affected the brain, how it destroyed someone.

But Izuku? He had his mother. She didn't care how fast lamps seemed to break around him, or how the dark places moved and grabbed in his company. She cared for him when no one wanted to, no matter the situation, he was her boy after all. And thanks to her Izuku remained sane, her smile lighting the corners of his brain, saving him from being swallowed in himself. The world had Inko Midoriya to thank for, or nothing would have had the chance to remain for all this time.

And in another timeline, maybe, he could have discovered the thing inside of him, used it to become the hero he always wanted to be. But everything had a consequence. And poor Izuku, his timeline just wasn't the one he wanted, maybe the one he needed, but he only was the victim of the circumstances. The actions of someone else skewed with his possible future. Leading to the current state of events, Izuku stuck there as the everyday civilian.

He had barely turned twelve when the butterfly effect truly kicked in. The appearance of mysterious creatures destroying every hint of a normal life anyone could have led in a world full of quirks.

They appeared in the dead of night, ripping people out of their homes and lives, only leaving scattered clothes fluttering in the wind. There was nothing else left of the missing people.

For such a long time people assumed kidnappings, some shady dealing in the usual groups. But no matter how deep the heroes crawled, they couldn't discover any trafficking ring, any gang, that could just make people disappear without even the smell of blood lingering in the air.

But they tried, they dug until they reached the deep, dark water of existence walking through the city, grabbing at everything and anything, even resuscitating old cases. Nothing. Not until a pair of proheroes got grabbed, on their date.

The pair had been minding their own business, walking through the streets, talking, laughing after the dinner they enjoyed. It hadn't been their first date and it shouldn't have been the last. But not everyone got lucky with their wishes and hopes for their future.

They have been on their way home, just through this alley and the door was glowing at the end of it. They were proheroes, they could manage a familiar alley just fine. And they knew that, their pace slowing, not wanting to end the night just yet.

And maybe, if circumstances had treated them better, they could have gotten out, like they did times before. But they didn't hurry up, their steps just a bit too slow, the shadows dragging their feet to a stop.

Their giggles filled the alley, if only they didn't. Maybe they stopped for a kiss, a hug, maybe they themselves didn't know why they halted their steps, surrounded by the moving shadows. There was a single breath before the darkness engulfed one of them, crawling and scratching. And even if the victim suffered immense pain, no sound could even be perceived in the first place.

The shadows scratched at the soles of the other, but fate had planned another outcome. Their quirk lit up, banishing the shadows into their corners, into their seats at the edge of everything. And once they had left, nothing existed of the partner, their clothes, unscathed, draped over the floor. The hero scrambled to pick them up, before stumbling out of the alley, the heaviness in their steps banished with their light.

The hero, filled with the feelings of determination, protectiveness, hurried to the next police station, not allowing their pain and fear, their anguish, to even come to the surface, intend on leaving these ugly feelings for the shadows of the house, not their home, not anymore.

They told the police what they saw, how the darkness swallowed their partner, soundlessly leaving these clothes not even tattered. The police didn't like that story, they tried to outright deny it, but too many factors proved that tainted event. The cameras viewing the exits of the alley, the clothes, every single lie detector, even the human one. They all told them how they felt the truth, how, at least for them, it actually had happened.

And oh, how much the investigators hated that. How bad they wanted everything to be a lie, because how were they supposed to catch something like that? Something impossibly illusive? They had to resign from the case, hand it over, as much as they tried to resist. As much as they tried to resist, they were aware how powerless they were, how they could not contribute to this case any longer.

The heroes received the case. But everyone knew, at least the people filled with knowledge about how this society ticked, the case landed onto the desk of the Hero Public Safety Commission. The government. And what would the HPSC even dare against these creatures? What could they possibly do, which the police couldn't have done?

Some people thought their measurements were over the top, not understanding the gravity of the situation perhaps, some worshiped the commission for their actions, looking at them like saviors. But in truth they only introduced a lockdown. Nobody was allowed to leave their homes at night, the lack of light strengthening the shadows. Of course everyone got compensation for everything they might have lost in such a situation.

And the heroes? Those poor heroes. If they considered themselves lucky, they didn't get deployed for the service at night. The rest on the other hand had been thrown into the darkness, with nothing but their flashy quirks to help them. Because they would be fine, shadows hated the light and their powers were bright enough to protect them, weren't they? Why else would they be heroes if they couldn't even protect themselves? And every hero had to obey the whims of the HSPC or else they would lose everything they ever fought for.

Maybe some would consider the underground heroes the victims in this particular situation. They had to work in the day, making everything they built naught. But they too had more things to consider than their preferred life path. The lives of the common people hung on them to compensate for the lost heroes, not dead no, but lost to the fight with the invisible darkness.

And twelve year old Izuku had no idea about any of this, why would he? Well, he did, to some degree, because people notice things when they lose them. And they lost their freedom to wander into the night, and more importantly, they lost some of their dear heroes to the night. In more than one way, but they only knew what the government told them. Which wasn't enough, barely the truth.

So Izuku stayed at home, not that he would have done otherwise, and his mother, with his last bit of luck, had only to work in the brightness of daylight. But if everything had remained like that, we wouldn't have the story right now and I wouldn't have anything to tell you, wouldn't I? Because there would always be something that goes wrong, and for Izuku it was multiple things at once. He simply messed up once and fate took that mistake and knitted the future.

And considering why we all were here, we all knew how much of a hero nerd Izuku was, almost in every possible direction fate could have gone, he was one. So nobody should be surprised by the following events.

Of course Izuku noticed the change of pattern in their behavior and in their patrol routes. And he wanted to know why. Why did the government actually implement the nightly lockdown? Was there something else but the allegedly rising criminal rates at night? There had to be, or the change in the normalcy of the heroes wouldn't make sense.

Luckily, he didn't decide to break the lockdown on a whim, or else the story could end right here. No, he did what he could do best and analyzed and investigated. And this decision marked the beginning of his involvement and how he would grow to regret his decisions.

[crepesuzette2023]

Yeah. And the "Women in Love" movie made in '69, with nude man-on-man wrestling by the fireside/bisexual 'sub'plot front and center.

January 23rd, 1969 (Apple Studios, London): The group wraps up sessions for the day. Robert Fraser, who’s been visiting, teases Paul on his appearance.

ROBERT: Ah, you look like a Victorian miner now, you know. [Paul laughs]

PAUL: Aye.

ROBERT: A D.H. Lawrence.

PAUL: Well, I can’t afford to mess around here, you know. No.

JOHN: [camp affect] Mess me up baby, in my red-hot fire.

PAUL: I’m a golden garter.

[nosongunsung11]

collection of posts for a very specific dynamic

[crimsonicarus]

Okay so loscar done! Yuki/liam lets gooooooooo

[noodles-07]

on friends and soulmates and that type of love that feels like it's going to burst right out of your heart

@/zmije / @/leptodiera / @/bichopalo / lyrics from two best friends by bb bean / animatedjames on youtube / @/killingmyselfbutnotdying / unknown / @/sadiekane / friedrich neitzsche / katfish draws / @/elytrians / @/wormbus-art aka @/angel-pond / @/mushysuggestion / the unsent project / mhairi mcfarlane / unknown

[intezaarlily]

the ache of nostalgia

[jeanniebug623]

I feel this in the best ways. 🥹🕷️💙✨🩵🐞

Silent As Shadows was legit only drafted out for 13 to 15 chapters…and look at her now, chapter 30 set to post on Friday March 1st! 🥂

I want to take a moment and post my thanks to all my readers on Tumblr (with much unknown love to the ones only in AO3 who won’t see this). You’ve all been so motivating and every kudos, comment, question, and critique has made my tiny corner of the internet very bright!

I’m excited, and sad, to go through the final third act of SAS with you. There’s still a lot of storytelling ahead for Spider and Rey’ka as we head towards that promised happy ending on the horizon. 🕷️💙✨

Weaving The Web continues with its unpredictable update schedule…who knows how long that one will be? 🕷️🤔🕸️

"Can't wait to see where you take this story" well I can't wait to see where this story takes me either