#and i can only think about the kinds of jokes that hh would’ve made with it

[maeo-png]

utterly sad that horrible histories never covered operation bertram in ww2

[presumenothing]

superhero confidential [#2]

[ marvel au ]

                                                    << PAGE 2 >>

WE'RE NEARLY THREE HOURS INTO what is proving to be a very enlightening interview when another holographic screen pops up with a muted ping.

Miyano-san barely spares it a glance before standing up and striding around the table to the door. "Your new wings are done, Hattori-kun, I need to do the flight test."

"Huh?" Hattori-san looks up in apparent surprise, even though I'm certain that this moment has been planned all along.

"I'm going to tell the fabrication bots to paint them red and gold if you're not at the lab in fifteen," comes the reply from the hallway.

One exclamation of extreme dismay later, and we're left with the three of us and a suddenly-awkward silence in the room. I take the chance to swap out my voice recorder's batteries – I have the feeling that I'm going to need them, for whatever's coming up next.

When I look back up again, the two remaining Avengers are apparently having a silent but slightly heated discussion by looks and the occasional shrug.

It's Toyama-san who looks away first, while Kudo-san takes a deep breath, as if he's bracing himself for something. "You know who Ran is, right? Mouri Ran."

It's almost a ridiculous question, in this context.

Among most of the younger generation, the first thing that comes to mind about the good Captain's second-in-command is not the utter scandal (at the time, at least) of her having been revealed to be a woman all along, while the dust of WWII was still busy settling down.

Or perhaps it still is, just in a different sense – her story has morphed into a second Mulan of sorts, a fierce fighter who'd taken up arms to stand beside her childhood friend on the other end of a war. Girls grew up wanting to be that brave, to be just like her, never mind the staggeringly complex politics of the situation.

So to answer the question: yes, I know who Mouri Ran is.

This much is evident, because Kudo-san continues on a surprising turn. "What about the Winter Soldier?"

Now this question, unlike the last, is rather more complicated.

This much is known: somewhere between the events spanning the attack on SHIELD director Yamato Kansuke and the smoking ruins of that same agency in the Sumida River, the Winter Soldier went from an unlikely ghost story to a too-real spectre of death.

Eyewitness reports agree on the salient details: a woman of slender build, metal arm, and long hair. Filling the blanks of history with the SHIELD files gives us the rest: a list of kills confirmed or suspected, stretching back an improbable number of decades.

But that is all we have – facts that sketch the outline of a person, and nothing that fills that gap. We know increasingly more of what the Winter Soldier is, but nothing about who she is.

Not just yet, at least.

I say as much to Kudo-san, who nods, then hesitates for the first time in our time so far. "That was the first time I met the Soldier, yes. But the truth is – "

His voice falters and stops.

"It's alright, Shinichi, I can speak for myself," says a soft voice from the door, and I turn to see Mouri Ran standing there, metal arm and long hair gleaming dully in the low light.

THERE IS NO EASY OR KIND WAY to say this: Mouri Ran, one of the heroes of WWII, has also been the Winter Soldier in the intervening decades since.

None of it was by her will, as both Cap and Widow make certain to emphasise to me several times afterwards.

(There is also no mistaking that the two are acting as something larger than their usual selves, in this matter. They are each the quiet to the other's fire, and it is not at all difficult to see the same people who stared down both the Cabinet and National Diet – and, by all accounts, 117 of the UN's 193 countries – and willed them to blink first.)

At the time of this interview, the wheels of judicial systems both domestic and international have already begun to turn. Japan abolished its statute of limitations on murder in late April of 2010, meaning that cases dating from 1995 and onwards are still up for prosecution, and the possibility of extradition is still not entirely off the table yet.

But any and all trials will be strictly closed to the public, at least until the final verdict is released, and Mouri-san will be accorded all considerations due her status as a prisoner of war under extreme duress.

"I made it a non-negotiable condition of accepting the Accords," Kudo-san explains, in a brusque summary of what must have been an uphill fight against the many parties involved. "If we're going to sign over any part of our rights as enhanced individuals, we also need to recognise what happens when that power and responsibility falls into the wrong hands."

All this comes later, though. What follows is a short transcript of that initial conversation between myself and Mouri Ran, in what will likely be the first of many accounts of her time as the Winter Soldier and beyond.

HH: Thank you for taking the time to speak to me today, Mouri-san.

MR: Just call me Ran, please. I'm sorry if this came as a bit of a nasty surprise, we weren't sure how you would react to the news.

HH: It's – honestly speaking? I'm still trying to process it, but I almost can't believe that I'm actually talking to you in person. You've always been one of my heroes.

MR: [with a slight smile] If it's any consolation, that's a little weird for me to hear as well. Most of the publicity was focused on Shinichi during the war, no one outside of SSR and the Army really knew who the rest of the Howling Commandos were, but then we ended up here and... [she cuts herself off with the wave of one hand] I'm sorry, that's not really what you wanted to talk about, is it?

HH: Well, I think most of us want to know what happened between 1945 and now, but I'd be happy to discuss whatever topic you prefer, Ran-san.

MR: To be frank, I don't really remember all of it – I'm still getting memories back here and there, but most of it's badly scrambled, both in terms of time and place.

TK: Like when you wake up from a long nap and suddenly don't know if it's still the same day, y'know? Except worse.

HH: That must've been very confusing for you, Ran-san.

MR: It was. I had all these notebooks that I wrote things in, I was so afraid of forgetting again. It was really lucky for me that K- I mean, Widow released all those SHIELD files online, otherwise I really would've wondered if I was just going crazy. [turns towards Toyama-san] I don't think I've ever thanked you for that, Kazuha-chan.

TK: That's the first time anyone's ever said that to me! [chuckles] You're definitely welcome, Ran-chan.

MR: Really, I don't know what I would've done without you. All of you. [turns back to me, taking out a piece of paper] It's not entirely complete – my lawyer's instructed me to redact the details until after the trial – but we've been able to piece together the events from then until now. Most of them, at least.

[An annotated version of this document has been reproduced on the following page of this article.]

HH: I'm a reporter, I understand having more questions than answers. I really appreciate you trusting me with this information, Ran-san.

MR: I don't like talking about it, but – [shrugs] Like Shinichi's always saying, there's only one truth, right?

KS: [a little tersely] Yeah.

MR: Shinichi? [reaching for his hand] I thought we'd agreed on this, people are going to find out after the trial and –

KS: – and you want to do it on your own terms, yeah. It's just... [he takes her hand with a sigh] All those years, and I never had a clue.

TK: You were off bein' an ice cube for most of those years, Shinichi-kun, I think you're excused. Don't think even Holmes solved any mysteries while he was dead.

KS: Well, actually –

[All three of them laugh at some apparently shared joke, breaking the tension in the atmosphere.]

MR: You found me in the end, that's what matters. [glances over at me, still smiling] These parts I definitely remember – this tiny scrap of a detective picking fights everywhere, trying to solve every mystery in town. Even though he was sick most of the time. Like having the worst younger brother you've never wanted, I swear.

HH: [laughs] Oh, I can definitely relate to that, I know the type.

MR: Right?

HH: Yeah. To wrap this up, then – is there anything you want to say to the readers?

MR: Just... I'd like to apologise to everyone I've hurt by my actions, both directly or otherwise. I know it won't fix anything, and I understand if you never accept this apology, but – [she bows] I'm very sorry, and I'll do everything in my power to make up for it.

HH: And what would you like to do after this? Anything specific?

MR: Well, there's the trial first, of course. Who knows how long that'll take. After that – I really have no idea, actually. Kazuha-chan's invited me to go crash dojos –

TK: Hey now, I don't crash things, that's Heiji you're thinking of –

MR: – with her anytime, but I've been thinking about travelling a bit with Shinichi and everyone else? See places when they're not halfway being blown up, catch up on the things I've missed.

HH: Wherever the wind takes you, then?

MR: [smiles and nods] Yeah, just like that. I think I've had enough of plans for a while, you know?

                                                    << PAGE 2 >>

[seokjingiggles]

Stares Pt. 1

genre: angst, fluff

member: taehyung (w namjoon on the phone)

words: 1888

what happens when a member, specifically, your boyfriend, gets kicked out of the group? you find him famished, disheveled, and crying after a long day of being alone (the first of many to come). how can this mess be resolved?

part 2

ok so this is my first post aHhhhhHh hh h h H hh

although I already have some ideas in mind of more stories I would greatly appreciate any requests/suggestions you may have!

just fyi there’s a lil flashback from the day before which is separated by a line so you don’t get confused. enjoy :))

Your keys clinked in your left hand as you walked into your moderately chilly home. After peeling off your heels and closing the door, you put your purse on the wooden table by the entrance. Unbuttoning your coat, you called out for the love of your life, your sweet sweet angel, Kim Taehyung.

“Baby, where are you? I’m making pasta tonight. Have you eaten already?”

No response.

Walking towards the living room you asked, “Tae, are you in here? Do you want marinara or Alfredo sauce?”

No response.

You saw him slumped in the recliner. He was wearing pajamas with his head down, ruffled hair covering his eyes, and his hands on his knees. You paced towards him and moved his long and bony hands so you could sit in his lap. He didn’t move his head - just his eyes. Those eyes. Those eyes that always radiate joy and pure innocence, that make you laugh endlessly until he starts laughing too and you’re both rolling on the floor tickling each other. But right now, those eyes were droopy and pink from crying. Just looking into his eyes made your heart deflate, recalling the events from yesterday. You gently pushed the hair out of his eyes and proceeded to play with his fingers.

“Tae, after I left for work today, did you wake up and make breakfast? Lunch? Did you even do anything?”

No response. Just the sad gaze he wouldn’t let falter.

“You just…sat here?”

He blinked slowly.

At this point, your motherly instincts came into action. You kissed him on the forehead and squeezed his hand. “Let’s eat,” was all you could manage to say. You got up and hurried to the kitchen.

While you were preparing the water and sauce for the pasta you said, “I’m so sorry I couldn’t call you today, baby. I was stuck in meetings all day. You know I would’ve called and brought you something to eat if I had the time.”

You heard the recliner in the living room shift. You glanced over your shoulder to see that Taehyung had swiveled the chair to face you. With a straight face, he stared at you with that resilient dead stare.

Still in your work clothes, you put the noodles in the boiling water and returned to Taehyung.

“Honey, you wanna talk? Please say something to me. I know you’re having a rough time but it’s not gonna benefit you if you don’t let me help.”

He closed his eyes and two tears fell onto his lap.

You walked over to him and held his hand. You made him stand from the recliner and move to the sofa. You helped him lay down and covered him with a blanket.

Rubbing his arm you cooed, “Why don’t you take a nap while I make dinner? I’ll brew some tea too and we can watch a movie if you don’t wanna talk yet, okay?”

With the slightest pout of his lips, he nodded and shut his eyes.

Stirring the pot of noodles in the kitchen, you ran your fingers through your hair and took a deep breath. You still hadn’t completely realized that BigHit had kicked him out. They called him last night in the middle of your dinner to say that Kim Taehyung was fired.

Taehyung stood from the table and giggled while telling the person on the other line to stop fooling around and call him after he finished dinner. Sitting at the dining table, you couldn’t hear what was going on in the phone conversation but you could tell from Taehyung’s body language that what he thought was a joke was becoming more serious than he imagined. His arm fell from his hip and his mouth dropped open, wide enough to demonstrate shock and confusion. You stood up from the table and walked towards him with a concerned expression on your face. He held his hand out to stop you from coming further. He asked where all of “this” came from without warning and how “it” could be possible. His eyebrows bunched together in anger as he heard no response from the other line. He ended the call and squeezed the phone tightly in his hand. Carefully stepping towards him you asked, “who was that? Jungkookie? What did he say? Honey, why are you mad? Tell me what he said.” You always had a habit of asking too many questions.

You could tell he was breaking. He pocketed his phone and scurried into your arms. You wrapped them tightly around his muscular figure and searched his face for meaning.

“I…I…I got fired…They called and…and…said they didn’t n-need me anymore,” he whimpered as he sobbed into your chest.

Pulling him closer, you pleaded, “Taehyung baby, it was a joke okay? They would never do that! They love you! Everyone loves you! You give it your all and you always shine on stage! What are you even talking about?!”

He only cried more. You could feel his warm tears through your shirt.

Pushing him to face you, you clutched his shoulders and gave a determined stare straight into his glazed eyes. You wiped his tears with your sleeves. “We are going to get to the bottom of this. There is no way in hell you are getting kicked out. That’s insane. We’re gonna fix it. We’re gonna be alright.”

And with that, he half-smiled and hugged you tight, very tight. The two of you stayed there, swaddled in each other’s arms for a while until you became aware of your drowsiness. You waddled to the shared bedroom and managed to wiggle yourself from his strong grip. You both changed into pajamas and ran under the covers of your cold bed, in your cold room, in the cold night. Autumn was not giving up on its ferocious gusts, and you weren’t about to let your boyfriend, your one-and-only, your happiness, give up on his dreams. Holding him securely, you kissed his wet cheeks until, eventually, you both dozed off.

You left the kitchen to fetch your purse. You fished your phone out and checked the time. It was 7:30 at night; you could still call him and ask what the fuck went wrong. You dialed the number and paced back and forth.

“Namjoon? Okay, what the hell? Did Taehyung call you today or talk to any of the boys? Did he have contact with anyone?”

After a long pause, Namjoon spoke. “Y/N, he didn’t call anyone today. We called him a couple times and when he didn’t answer, we thought he was with you…Is he alright?”

Frustrated, you yelled a little louder than you should have into the phone. “Are you fucking kidding me? You think he’s alright? He woke up and sat in a chair crying all day. He didn’t eat. All he did was fucking sit. I was busy the whole day and I thought you assholes would’ve come over to help him! I knew I should’ve called in sick today.” You could feel the tears forming.

No response.

You continued, “You better tell me right now why my baby is no longer a part of BTS and fix it or I will personally come to BigHit headquarters and make everyone feel sorry for what they’ve done!”

You heard other voices in the background. Namjoon was not alone.

“Okay, Y/N, listen. It wasn’t any of the boys that made that call. It was another company. You know how BigHit was bought by Sanddollar Entertainment? Maybe they had something against Taehyung–I don’t know. They already had their eyes on a trainee from Seoul and wanted to replace Taehyungie. I guess they made their decision last night and delivered the message without telling the staff at BigHit or any of us. We found out today when Taehyung didn’t show up for practice and the CEO of Sanddollar told us. We were all as furious as you and wanted to help but we had to practice and do those goddamn interviews. I know it’s crazy but trust me, we really did try to contact him and fix it ourselves. They said they have to perform a final evaluation on the new trainee this week and make the ultimate choice within four to five days. We’re all so sorry, Y/N.”

They wanted to replace him? The word reverberated in your head as you stifled a cry. “S-So..he’s not officially out yet? There’s still a chance that they won’t want the trainee and Taehyung can join again?”

Namjoon clicked his tongue and replied, “yeah. Yeah I guess. Y/N,  don’t worry, okay? BigHit staff will do all they can to fix this for him. For us. For you. I better go now. We love you, Y/N. Please tell Taehyung we care and will see him soon.”

“Thank you, Joonie. I’m sorry for being an ass earlier. I just love him too much to watch him live like this.”

And with that, the call ended and you headed back to the kitchen to assemble dinner. Walking past the living room, you watched as Taehyung’s chest moved up and down slowly. Both arms were tucked neatly under the blanket and he seemed so at peace. That’s one thing you always adored about your boyfriend. No matter how terrible he was feeling, he always appeared to be so serene in his sleep. You enviously wondered how he could possibly be dreaming of something pleasant at a time like this.

You got the pasta ready and set down two bowls on the coffee table. You placed the warm tea on a coaster Seokjin had bought for you two when Taehyung first decided to move in. An odd gift, but greatly appreciated. Sitting on an empty space on the sofa, you stroked his fluffy hair and kissed him softly on the lips. His eyes tenderly fluttered open and you made eye contact. He gazed upon your kind, loving eyes and, for the first time today, he grinned. It wasn’t his boxy smile that bore teeth; it was the kind of smile that said ‘thank you’ and ‘I love you’ simultaneously. You would give anything in the world to see that smile more often.

“My prince has risen!” you exclaimed. “How are you feeling? I talked to Joonie about what’s been going on and he explained it to me. I’ll spell out everything later, okay? Let’s just eat right now. You must be starving.”

“Thank you, Y/N. I really needed this. I really needed you. I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you earlier. I…just couldn’t. I was too ashamed,” he said with pink cheeks.

Instinctively, you cupped his warm cheeks with your hands and attached your lips to his. He closed his eyes and held your waist. You stayed there for a while.

“Aishhh! The food is getting cold! Hurry and eat up, I don’t want you dying of hunger before your next comeback!” you squealed as you pulled away from him.

He eagerly reached for the bowl and practically inhaled the noodles. You both giggled at the slurping noises he was making.

Legs outstretched, wrapped in his arms, toasty and slowly drifting off to sleep, you flashed a cheeky grin as Taehyung pinched your nose and said,

“I really do love you, you know that?”

yay hope you enjoyed! have a request/suggestion? lmk :))

I would also love to hear any constructive criticism as this is my first post hehe