#and seeing your father figure's grief-stricken face as he holds her lifeless body

[vivalu]

You wanna know why the "you're alone" line from epic always hurts? Because Athena wasn't always alone. She also lost her mentor, Triton, when she accidentally killed Pallas

[huihuiheart]

Goretober D1: Lost Hope - Ghost!Hoseok

Gender Neutral reader 

Warnings:Ghosts, murder (including children), avenging, blood, gore, death, graves?,mentions of abuse, mentions of bullying, mentions of suicide, bones.

Word Count:2,309

Even after all these years that same fateful day haunted you. The day you lost your childhood friend. Not that anyone else would believe the truth even if you knew what it was. Insisting to your parents that you wanted to come home from college for the anniversary of Hoseok’s death, despite their advice. Not that it took much to get them to cave, you were an only child and if it needed comfort during that time, they’d let you come back for ‘comfort’. Only that’s not why you wanted to come back, at least not entirely. 

Two years after Hoseok’s passing his parents had stopped letting you come over and sit in the yard the two of you had spent years playing in. The yard you knew held their secret. The year he “disappeared” and the two following they had let you come over and put together your little memory of Hoseok, telling them it was all his favorite things so he’d know to come back to you three. They got anxious though, noting how all three years you’d placed your little monument of his favorite things in the exact spot where they had buried him beneath. 

You knew they were afraid you would figure out their secret, little did they know you’d known from the start. You didn’t know exactly how they’d done it, you thought that perhaps even his mother had some remorse over it. It at least appeared that way from how she’d cradled his bloodied lifeless form with tears streaming down her face while carrying him outside, silently following her husband’s direction. He’d dug up a spot nearby your shared fence all while you watched in the dead of night from your bedroom window. Mrs. Jung laid out a blanket and settled Hoseok’s body onto it, carefully wrapping him like there was a chance he’d get any colder at this point before settling him into the grave her husband had dug. Unable to watch she shook her head and turned to leave the work of hiding the body to her husband. Mr. Jung obviously did not share any of his wife’s grief, practically dancing on the grave. You knew Mr.Jung had never had the same love for his son that his wife had, but you’d never known it to be as bad as what you were seeing. The man went out as the sun peeked out across the sky to get flower garden supplies to hide the fresh plot of dirt. 

The next day when they’d panicked and called the police you quickly learned that it was no confession of guilt, but instead an elaborate cover-up. Your parents were too busy sympathizing for the grief-stricken parents to listen when you’d tried to explain that it was all a ruse. Your parents made sure to keep you too occupied to be able to go bother the police with your made-up stories of murder. Even taking you to a therapist who dismissed it saying it was simply a coping mechanism for losing someone without explanation, especially at a young age. So that’s how you came to the conclusion that you’d keep it to yourself, simply honoring Hoseok the only ways you could. Since the Jungs had stopped letting you come over you’d put your things together on your family's side of the shared fence. It only took a year or two for the flowers from their yard to miraculously appear on your side of the fence while immediately dying on their side. That one of very few outward signs of the more sacred secret that you held onto. 

The secret that Hoseok was still very much a part of your life. The ghost of your young friend surprised and terrified you both on the first night you grieved him. Agreeing to slip out each night that week to visit his grave in secret just to see him. At only 11 you’d assumed he’d be terrified, but he’d seemed focused solely on making sure you’d be okay. Telling you how to deal with your school bullies, to stay away from certain people, and that his friend group better look out for you or he’d be sure to haunt them. And just like that, the real reason behind your little tradition to honor Hoseok’s memory was born. He didn’t often visit you throughout the year, only making the occasional exception when you’d come to his grave at night heart battered and shattered to bits and weep over it muttering nonsensical things in the midst of your pain. Unbeknownst to you keeping tabs on all those responsible to deal with accordingly.

Tonight marked the first night of your usual week with Hoseok, whom you’d not seen since the year prior. The ghost had aged along with you to appear roughly 26 at this point, yet still a child at heart. Setting up your monument like usual in preparation for him. His favorite snacks and drinks out, a few of the flowers he’d caused to grow on your side of the fence in a vase on it along with some mementos; the teddy bear he’d gifted you, the last picture you two had taken together, and the bracelet you’d strategically dug his grave up a little to get to, the one he wore to always match the half that you wore. 

Diligently you waited until the first light of morning, with no sign from him. 

And again the second night as well.

Even a third night this went on. Something you never would have expected from Hoseok.

Finally, on the fourth night, the night that marked the date of his death he showed himself. Popping open the snacks and snickering at the sigh you gave, focus on the grass distraught at the thought your friend might not come. Until you heard the familiar sign of his presence though. 

“Hobi! Geez! You kept me waiting, you know.” You huff with a small pout only making Hoseok let out a hearty laugh now. Laying back in the air he crosses his legs as he floats slow circles around you munching on his snacks.

“Did I worry you, little one?” Hoseok raises his brow watching your reactions with a small smirk.

“A little bit, yeah. I was afraid I’d forgotten something.” You admit shoulders drooping a little.

Hoseok hums, reaching out to brush his fingers against your cheek. To anyone else, it would seem like a simple chilling breeze, but you’d come to recognize and grow fond of the sensation that let you know he wanted to comfort you. 

“You didn't, you've done perfectly little one. As always. I was just lost in thought. Planning really.” Hoseok shared and it causes your brows to furrow.

“Planning what?”

“Nothing that should be of any concern to you little one. It’s a mess you don’t need to be any part of.” Hoseok waves off your question, resuming laying on his back again.

“If it’s a concern of yours then it’s a concern of mine too, and you can’t even say anything about that considering you know I get that from you.” You stubbornly insist and the chuckle he gives at your response isn’t as light-hearted as his earlier laugh letting you know whatever was on the mind of the sunshiny ghost boy was rather serious.

“My time here is coming to an end little one.” Hoseok sighs, finding your eyes with a gentle gaze, “There’s something I must do, and then I have to go away.” 

“For good?” Your eyes widen, becoming glassy at the thought of actually losing him this time as he nods.

“For good little one.”

“Can’t you just not do whatever it is and stay longer. I-I don’t want to...I-I can’t lose you. N-Not for good.” Your words whimper past your lips, almost pathetically you’re sure. Feeling the ghost wrap himself around your distraught form to bring you comfort.

“I’m afraid I can’t. I’ve been given a lot of time, but still only so much.” Hoseok’s lips leave a cold kiss on your forehead.

“Can I help you then? I want to do something for you one last time.” Your tears fall and Hoseok wishes he could wipe them away for you. Had circumstances been different he had no doubt you’d have been the one and only for him, unfortunately, fate had not been so kind. 

“It won’t be pleasant and I can’t promise things will go well for you if you do help me.” Hoseok offers a warning but doesn’t deny you. That is simply enough.

“If things go poorly will you promise to take me with you? If they won’t go well I’d rather be far from here and with you than trapped here without you any longer.” You inquire almost begging they’d go poorly knowing that no matter what you’d much rather be with him. 

“You still have a life ah-” Your hand-raising stops Hoseok’s counterargument.

“You’re the only real life I’ve had in this world. I’d be far too miserable without you.” You speak honestly knowing that either way Hoseok would be able to tell. “And if you won’t take me with you, then I’ll find a way to go with myself.”

“Very well. The first thing we need to do is call my parents.” Hoseok tells you, getting right into the plan.

With furrowed brows you pull out your phone and find their home number, dialing it. Following his instructions to put the phone on speaker and hold it put to him. Surprised at his parent's answer, he chuckles.

“I wonder why you two don’t sound so distraught considering what today is. Or have you both forgotten about me that easily?” Hoseok nonchalantly asks, his mother sputtering on the other line. His father had the same attitude that night 15 years ago, however, simply scoffing.

“Is that you boy? Why don’t you haul your scared ass back here? See what I’ll do to make you run off just like always.” Mr. Jung threatens over the phone, making you pale. You’d always had your assumptions, but you’d never had proof of what he’d done until now. 

“You know if you both had been remorseful I would have shown you some mercy, but it’s too late for that.” Hoseok sighs before having you hang up the phone. 

“What now?” You blink at him as he shakes his head a little.

“Now you should stay away, I’m going to repay them for what they did to me.” He tells you and from the look in his eyes, you don’t need him to explain further.

“I told you we’re in this together. If you’re going to do that then I’m going to help. Just tell me what to do.” You insist, standing to follow him into his yard and to the back door. Where he easily slips through and silently unlocks it for you. 

“Leave my father to me. Mother should be easy enough for you to handle.” Hoseok slips into the kitchen and opens a drawer picking out whichever knife he deems perfect for you to use. Grabbing one for himself.

“W-What should I do?” You question, voice slightly squeaky as it shakes a little. You knew you wanted to bring him justice like this, but you still weren’t certain of your actions.

“Just go for the throat or heart, make it quick. Mother always seems to regret her actions after the fact, so I’ll give her that much.” Hoseok’s words alert you to just how thoroughly he’d thought this out, “After you handle that go out back and dig up my grave. I want everyone to know what they did. I don’t want anyone to remember them as the good people they pretended to be all the time.” 

You two stumbled across his mother first. The woman fainted at the sight of the ghost. Hoseok leaves you to handle her while searching for his father. In some ways the woman fainting was ideal. It meant she wouldn’t scream or struggle, wouldn’t plead and beg for her life. However, this is when she looked the most peaceful and harmless. Yet thinking back that hadn’t stopped them from doing what they had to Hoseok while he slept. Firmly gripping the knife over your head you swiftly brought it down to her chest, pulling it away dripping in her blood until it fell from your shaky grasp as you stood again. Blood splattering further across the floor at the knife clattered to the ground near your feet. 

It took you a moment to gather yourself enough to remember what Hoseok had instructed you to do next. You felt queasy and weak as you moved towards the back, grabbing a shovel to carefully dig up all that was left of Hoseok’s physical body. Simply bones wrapped in scraps of the blanket, carefully laying everything out next to where the grave was. 

Trying to slip back inside to find Hoseok, he stops you. Not before you catch a glimpse of his destruction though. Red splattered everywhere. Writing on the wall, descriptions of the true people his parents had always been inside. Something he wanted to shield you from even after you’d just murdered someone for him.

“Come. It’s time to either say goodbye or for you to come with me.” Hoseok simply informs you, making his way over to where you’d laid out his bones.

“I can’t say goodbye. Not again.”You shake your head, following behind and following his guidance to lay down on the grass. The ghost of your friend kneeling beside you and gently stroking over your cheek with a small smile. He kisses your forehead before his touch is over your eyes, urging them closed. Suddenly they’re growing heavy and you’re feeling yourself falling off into a slumber.

“Sleep little one. When you wake we’ll be together somewhere much safer......forever.”

[poohbear0915]

Infinity Daughter

Summary: You are Tony Stark’s daughter who was born with powers that match those of the infinity stones. What will happen when you lose your perfect control after discovering your father’s lifeless body on the battlefield?

I DO NOT own Avengers, you, or anything, but the scenario of the story.

You stood in on the battlefield panting and watching as Thanos’ army faded to dust around me. You knew that meant we had won. That somehow you and your teammates, were able to recreate the one ending that Doctor Strange spoke of. The one ending where the Avengers prevailed. 

You let out a sigh of relief, knowing you had won and went to find your father, so you could revel in your success. You around the battlefield looking for any sign of him, only stopping when you noticed the other Avengers all crowded around something... Or someone. You made your way over to only to discover that hidden behind the bodies of your friends and allies was the lifeless body of your father, with his wife Pepper Potts and your best friend Peter Parker already by his side. You examined him closer as you made your way over, ignoring the looks of pity you received from your companions. You saw the Infinity Stones, and, instantly, you knew what he had done. You now knew how severe the price for your victory was, and you were not sure if you could live with it.

“Dad?” you said, armed with a shaky voice and tear-filled eyes, whose dams would blow at any minute. You collapsed by his side and held his hand in yours, clutching it to your chest. Tears now flowed freely as you stared into his dull, which once housed life and mischief inside them. You could feel your owers beginning to grow erratic as you became unhinged, but you did not care, for the person, you love most was lying lifeless by your side. You clutched his hand tighter and released a wailing cry. And, now, unable to comprehend any form of control, your powers sprang to life, releasing surges of energy with each passing moment. You closed your eyes and continued to wail at the loss of your father, not fully realizing what you were accomplishing with your powers. All around time began to flow in reverse as your powers pulsed. The Avengers headquarters was repairing itself, flowing backward to before Thanos had even conceived the idea an attack. Your friends’ wounds stitched themselves shut. Everything around you was going in reverse. But, you paid it no mind and simply continued to shriek in your grief, until you felt the hand you had been holding squeeze your hand in return.

After feeling his movement, everything around you ceased. You opened your eyes, slowly, fearing you had hallucinated the feeling of his gentle squeeze. When your eyes opened all the way, you saw him. He was alive and looked as if he had never been dead, to begin with. He was sitting up, staring you directly in the eye. Before either, one of you could say anything however, you collapsed. The physical exertion from both the battle and the temporary loss of control, finally catching up with you. Tony caught you right before you hit the ground, and as he held you in his arms, you gave him a smile as your vision turned black.

* Two Days Later*

Your eyes lazily, and you turn your head from side to side, momentarily forgetting everything that had occurred after the battle was won. You sat up slowly in the bed you lay in, recognizing it as your own. As you stared around the room, wondering how it was possible to be here after the collapse of the headquarters, it came rushing back to you. You could see in your mind the image of your father lying dead on the ground and reviving before your eyes. That memory alone made you shoot out of bed and out of your room. You ran throughout the hallways searching everywhere that you could fathom him being. You had to know if what you remembered was real or a mere delusion cooked up by your grief-stricken mind. 

You searched and searched, and finally, you found him. He was standing with other Avengers in the living room area of the facility. As if he felt your presence, he looked right t you through the door. You walked forward into the room and rushed into his arms. Tears cascaded down your face as you gripped onto him. You felt him pull you tight against him. He held you as you cried, relieved that he was alive. But, how had he survived?

You pulled away quickly and stared into his eyes, and you said,” Dad. You’re alright. How are you alright? I mean, those stupid stones nearly killed Bruce, so how?” He stared at you, a look of pure confusion on his face, as he simply answered,” You. I’m alright because of you.” 

It was your turn to look confused. “Because of me?” you asked. You looked at everyone in the room, and they were all nodding their heads. You turned back to your father, silently asking him for an explanation Before your father had a chance to speak Doctor Strange stepped toward you. 

“ When saw Tony dead, you lost control of your powers. You reversed the time of everything around you,” he gestured to everyone in the room and to the room itself,” you restored the Avengers headquarters, and brought your father back from the dead.” You took in everything he said. You processed it all and began to shake your head. You would not believe it if the proof was not all around. Your father was standing next to you, in the Avengers headquarters, whose inhabitants lacked even the smallest scratch, despite the giant war they had just fought and won.

“ Tell her else she did.” Doctor Strange said, looking in your dad’s direction. You looked at him as well. “ What else did I do?” you asked your father.

“ Your power surge created six new Infinity Stones. You created six new Infinity Stones.” he said, pulling out a silver briefcase from under the table. He opened it up and inside you indeed find there to be the six rainbow stones, shining and beautiful. 

“ What are we going to do with them?” you asked, to no one in particular.

“ We were waiting for you to decide. We figured, you created them, you should decide their fate.”  your father explained to you. You nodded your head. You stood, staring at the stones, trying to decide what you wanted to do with them. You came to your conclusion moments later. 

“ We don’t destroy them, but we separate them.” you said to all the Avengers, as they stared at you confused. 

“What do you mean?” Steve spoke up from behind you.

“ We separate the stones amongst us. The Guardians will take and guard the Power Stone. The Mind Stone will be used to remake Vision. The Time Stone Will be returned to Doctor Strange. The Asgardians will watch over the Space Stone. I will implant the Reality Stone in Captain America’s Shield. And, I will protect the Soul Stone.” you told everyone. “If that’s okay with everyone?”

“It’s perfect, Lady Y/N.” Thor said.

“Yeah it is.” your dad said coming up behind her.

After everything was done and the Infinity Stones had been dispersed, you were curled up in your father’s arms on the couch in the living room, watching TV. Everyone else left the room hours ago, either to their bedrooms, their kingdoms, or their space ships in the stars. You turned to your father and stared at his face, relishing in the feeling of his grip pulling you into his waist and holding you tight. 

“Dad?” you said. 

“Yeah?” he responded, looking down and meeting your gaze. 

“ I’m glad your back. I love you.” you said, kissing his cheek, then snuggling deeper into his side. 

“ I love you too, kid.” he said, strengthening his grip on you and knowing that he will never have to let you go again.

[myheartrevealed]

I Will Be Here- Chapter Twenty-Six

Jack Kline x Reader

Summary: Dr. Myla was one of the only therapists who specialized in treating the Supernatural, someone who offered an oasis to people like you. Carrying the burden of your father and being the ever-hunted Cambion, you attend her sessions however, that begins to change when you meet a fellow patient, Jack. Can unfortunate circumstances bring you two together even though all odds are against it?

~ ~ ~

You stepped out into the sunny field and met your three new comrades, all equipt with angel blades.

Jesse, Kim, and David all stood together, looking proud and strong. Almost four months of training had led up to this day.

You approached them, nodding in greeting. Jesse and David were both grim with anxiety, but Kim was smiling wide. The two of you had for the most part gotten past your different views on your destiny and she had learned to respect angels, and not to think so much about going after them as a species, but going after Heaven and all the bad leadership its under. However, she still had quite the temperament and was out for blood today. You were pretty sure she could take on all four demons alone if she wanted to.

David you had learned wasn’t as much the fighter. You weren’t worried for him today, you were sure he could hold his own, but his help had been much more in strategy. He had been the one to find the field for the battle and a way to draw the angels attention.

“Are you guys ready?” you asked.

They all agreed, no one up to say much else.

You suddenly felt lonely, wishing Jack were there. He always was able to calm you down before a fight. He really wanted to be there too, but you had told him not to come. As helpful as he was, you knew it wasn’t his fight and thought he should save his energy for Michael.

You gave the group one last look of warning before closing your eyes and concentrating on heat. All heat, anything you could get control of. Body heat, the sun’s heat, and all the dry grass around you, but you had to keep it in check. The fire spread around your group rapidly, but didn’t stayed outside of a circle you created. This was your battleground.

It took a little bit for the angels to notice. But they showed up, ten minutes later, all carrying their blades.

David and Kim each ran for one, ready to win this. Jesse let the other two come to him. His only job was to make sure no one disturbed you while you tried to keep the fire at bay.

You tried to keep tabs on the others, but it was difficult to do so, while concentrating.

Kim was doing really well. The angel she had chosen was already on the ground and you were sure he’d be done for in a matter of seconds.

David was okay, although he had taken a pretty good punch to the face, he was still going. You figured if he didn’t have the upperhand within the next two minutes, Kim would come over and finish the job for him.

And Jesse was amazing. He stood in front of you like a bodyguard and deflected every move with ease. You watched him, letting the fire sizzle out slowly in the field and suddenly felt bad that you didn’t try to get to know him more. He was the first person like you you had ever met and you kind of tossed him aside as the weaker one.

I’ll make it up to him, you decided. It was important to you that after all this you could be friends with Jesse. Because he was a good person. He had gotten this team for you, convinced them to come all the way to Kansas to help you fight in a small war and done that all knowing that you wouldn’t be able to fight much yourself.

You were getting weaker and Jesse noticed, but he never asked you again why. He respected your privacy and everytime you had to cancel plans or sneak away, he turned the other way.

He swung around and got one of the angels in the stomach. It lit up, its grace being stripped away and he placed a hand over his eyes, like you taught him to do.

You could feel the field fire slowly fizzling out and you knew it was okay to drop your guard and join the fight.

Kim had already bested her angel and was helping David, who now had a large gash across his arm.

You turned to check Jesse’s progress just in time to see an angel blade catch him in the stomach.

“No!” you screamed, your fury blinding you to everything but the last angel standing.

You ran for it, sliding under it armed hand pushing it away, just long enough to catch it in the heart.

As it died, you could see Kim and David dragging Jesse out of the way. You ran towards them kneeling down in front of your wounded friend.

“Hey. Hey now. Hey,” you stuttered, not sure what to say. “C’mon, let’s get this out of you.”

You reached for the blade, not sure why you were so anxious, but Jesse stopped you.

“Y/N stop.” He held your arm away from the blade. “I’m going to die.”

Those words hit you like a ton of bricks. You couldn’t help noticing that what looked like the blade sitting in his stomach, it was obviously angled upwards and could have possibly punctured a lung.

“What? No, you’re not.” You struggled to find words, not sure what to say anymore. “You’ll be fine. It’s just a flesh wound. Couple of days. Just a couple of days and you’ll be okay.”

You couldn’t stop yourself from repeating your words as if saying them over would give them more meaning.

“Y/N, it’s not just a flesh wound,” he insisted and you started to see the blood pooling in his mouth.

“Oh god,” you say and finally start seeing how dire the situation was. “Okay.” You tried to keep your head. “Then, we take you to a hospital.”

He shook his head. “There isn’t enough time.”

“Jesse?” you asked, but he didn’t respond and you knew it was over.

You shook his body a few times and suddenly felt tears fall from your eyes, though you didn’t remember them watering. “Jesse no,” you insisted. “You’re stronger than this. Jesse, come on.”

The sudden feeling of regret washed over you. All those things you had thought about during battle: being a better friend to him, talking more, telling him the truth, you’d never get to do. You ran out of time.

“Somebody call 911!” you yelled back to the other two, holding onto the hope that he’d make it through this. “Please Jesse. Please, please, please…”

You could barely see anything, your body racked with sobs. You faintly heard David whispering something and you thought you heard Jack’s name come up, but you didn’t think about it, too struck by grief.

Kim suddenly reached down and grabbed your arm, pulling you away from the body, but you weren’t ready to let go and fought against her.

“Stop! Jesse! He needs help! Please!”

She tried to calm you down, but you couldn’t feel anything but fear. It’s Jesse. Jesse’s in trouble. You have to help Jesse.

It’s like you knew exactly what was going on and at the same time couldn’t believe it.

In the blink of an eye, Jack stood in front of you. You wanted to reach out. To run forward into his arms, but you had more pressing matter. He looked at your tear stricken face and Kim holding you back and his features hardened.

“Y/N, what’s wrong?”

“It’s Jesse! Jack, help him!” you struggled more to free yourself from Kim. “Let go of me! Jack, you need to heal him!”

He looked at Jesse’s lifeless body on the ground and shook his head.

“Y/N, you know I can’t-”

“Try! Try Jack! Please.”

He looked at you helplessly. He knew that no matter what he did, you’d be disappointed in him. An angel can’t heal a demon, and even if he could, Jesse was too far gone.

Jack kneeled down next to him and put a finger to his head. He shook his head at you. “Y/N, he’s dead.”

You broke free of Kim’s grasp with a new determination, stumbling down beside your dead friend. If you had just gotten there sooner.

“No, he’s not,” you insisted. “He’s going to be okay. He has to be.”

Jack didn’t say anything, just leaned over and hugged you. The warm feeling started another wave of tears.

“No. He has to be okay. Jesse can’t just die. Not like this. Jack this is all my fault. Please. There must be something you can do-” you blubbered.

“Shh,” Jack interrupted. “We should go home. Let’s go home.”

He rubbed your back soothingly, as he transported you both back to your room in the bunker.

You sat there, in his arms for what felt like hours, unsure what else to do or say but cry.

~ ~ ~

Tags: @sophiasescape @iris-suoh @random-stupid-stuffs @themaddonesblog @mahalaraewolfe @choosemyname @thekarliwinchester

(If you want to be added to the tag list, just let me know!)

[ganggruon]

I had to write a scenario for a competition or else my Academic Team coach would fight me and I’m proud of it so here. I could only use 1500 words so if something’s underexplained that’s why :(

Sequenced

Imagen had fallen gravely ill. With the Measles virus, an afflicted child would usually recover within a few days. But Imagen’s illness wasn’t going away easily; he was one of the victims of antibiotic resistance. He wasn’t going to last much longer unless he had his neural pathways sequenced.

Neural-sequencing itself isn’t a particularly dangerous procedure -- It‘s quite safe, actually. Every child has it done at 13, in case something happens and they need to be uploaded, provide identification, etc.

However, young children just can’t handle it -- sharp needles and incessant beeping frighten them, and since Imagen was only four, there was no way he would sit still enough to be sequenced.  

But he was dying, so they buckled him up in his car seat, got into their hovercar, and drove him to the city’s hospital.

The doctors were concerned when they heard his parents’ suggestion. “Are you sure?” they asked. “He’s so young!”

They continued trying to convince his parents they were making a terrible mistake. If his neural pathways were sequenced, a memory path could be created that would allow his consciousness to be uploaded into an android body.   However, throughout his life, the memory map that contained Imagen’s essence would have to be upgraded.  However, individuals only received one upgrade: their optimum age and then perhaps an elderly version if the person wished to age alongside his or her loved ones.  Anyone Imagen’s age had to receive special permission from the Council of Asclepius.

“The more times an essence is uploaded, the greater the chance for degradation of the spirit,” the council wrote in their reply to the request. “And thus, we regretfully must decline the request to have your child Imagen Baron Akhlaghi neural-sequenced.”

His parents were grief-stricken. Their only child was going to die from a completely preventable disease. Those stupid vaccine scientists and their stupid mistakes.

Nehrisce, his mother, realized she was crying.

Stupid.

Reyn, his father, tried his best to comfort her.

“Hey, hey- it’s alright.  We’ll be fine. We… We can make this work. All of this will work, somehow.”

“But how, Reyn? We got turned down --  this is the end of the line, the end of his line,” she replied, running a hand through her curly brown hair. Reyn sighed, raising a hand and wiping the tears from Nehrisce’s face.

“I don’t know, but we will. I know it.”

“Okay.”

They both went their separate ways after that, Nehrisce somewhat comforted and Reyn concerned. They both knew that something had to be done. They couldn’t just let their son die; it wasn’t an option.  Their son would get an android body, no matter what it took. But how was this going to work? What if it didn’t? Nehrisce couldn’t handle losing Imagen: It would break her. Reyn went straight to work trying to figure something out, while Nehrisce put Imagen to bed.

As she did this, her mind ran wild. He couldn’t die -- he couldn’t! Not her sweet, beautiful little boy… She cared so much for him. Every time he talked, his little head bopping and legs swinging, she could feel her heart swell with joy. He was her son. She was a part of him. They had a connection that they could never have with anyone else: a mother-son bond. She couldn’t give that up.

Next thing she knew he was asleep, sighing out uneven breaths, and she was crying, her palm on his forehead. She sighed and ran a hand through his soft hair. She still had hope that he would pull through one of these days, but she also knew that it most likely wouldn’t happen.

He was doomed to die.

Too soon.

She lay her head on his chest, holding him close. She gave out a soft laugh -- This was backwards; shouldn’t he be the one with his head on her chest? He was the one suffering, after all.

“He’s suffering, and it’s simply not humane to try and prolong his life,” that’s what the doctors said, but that didn't mean it was right. They didn't know her son; they didn't know how full of life he was.

Meanwhile . . .

Reyn typed away on his computer. His son’s life depended on this. His wife’s too, to be honest. He wasn’t going to lie to himself.

He’d gone through every website in the galaxy, he thought. He continued his search.

neural sequencing

how does neural sequencing work

sequencing laws

council of asclepius

dark web

He hesitated for a moment. The Dark Web?  It had only been mentioned in scary stories from his childhood. He had heard the old myth that those who visited the Dark Web risked being kidnapped and put into a red room. Was it even a real thing?

He scrolled through the results. Multiple Wikipedia articles were found, and finally, he found it. The TOR browser: One that he could use to access the dark web.

Over the next few days, he continued his research.  Nehrisce had asked what he was doing multiple times, but he’d brushed her off. He’d hate to worry her more than she already was. He was already in too deep to go back now. He’d discovered so many things he hadn't ever known, met the weirdest (and scariest) people he’d ever met and, most importantly, finally found whom he needed. (And without being kidnapped and put into a red room, thankfully.)

The man’s name was Benito Montgomery, and he was a retired health professional, or at least, that's what he told Reyn. There was no real way to tell if his credentials were legitimate. All he knew was that his son was dying, and even if this didn't work, his son would die anyway.

****************

Nehrisce was becoming increasingly more stressed every day. Her son was on the brink, she knew. His coughs were becoming more and more common, rattling him to his very core, and visibly so. His rashes had spread to almost his entire body. It was sad to watch, but Nehrisce tried her best to keep him from scratching until he bled. His arms were covered entirely with bandages and gauze, and he currently had a rather large bandage over his left eye, where he had scratched around it so much that she was worried he’d poke his eye out. She held him in her arms as he picked at his knee, where a scab currently resided. She gently grabbed his hand and pulled it away.

“I know it itches, baby. I know. But you can't do it, remember? Remember what Dr. Nolan said?”

“No scratching,” he replied with a hoarse voice. The harsh coughs began again afterwards. His measles had developed into laryngitis sometime around the five-week mark of his sickness. It broke Nehrisce’s heart to see him like this. She just held him even closer, patting his back as he struggled to breathe through the harsh coughs. She stared blankly across the room, absorbed in thought. This was it… There really wasn’t any way he could make it through this, was there...?

However, Reyn had made contact with Benito, and he was coming from Italy.  The uploading procedure was going to be very expensive, but Imagen was worth everything to Nehrisce and Reyn. Normally, patients visited Dr. Montgomery, in Imagen’s case travel wouldn’t be possible.

Within days, Dr. Montgomery arrived.  A large man, he easily dragged his equipment with him.

“Thank you so, so much for coming, I was actually a bit afraid you wouldn't come but now you're here and I-”

“Thank you for your kind words, but I should really get to work on your son.”

“Right,” Reyn led him to the room Imagen was in. He was lying on his and Nehrisce's bed, a thin blanket covering him and multiple pillows around his head.

“Oh dear,” the man said, “Not doing that hot, I see.”

“Yeah…” Reyn replied.

“If you will, please unzip my bag?”

“Of course, yes!”

Reyn went to work, unzipping the suitcase and laying out the different equipment on the floor.

“Hand me my computer?”

Reyn did as he was told.

Benito went about closing different tabs, leaving only the one he’d been using to create a new cloud for Imagen open.  He attached several neural-transmitters to Imagen’s head and his parents watched as their son’s neural pathways assumed a shape in virtual space. Almost in rhythm with the image, Imagen’s breathing slowed until his small body lay silent.

For the next few weeks the digital body would develop, becoming more like Imagen while his physical body still lived in the real world. Every day she nurtured her son’s body, until one day, she noticed something.

His face had lost all its animation and his eyes barely moved. For a brief moment she almost regretted having him uploaded.

One day he stopped completely and she was overcome with grief. As she held her son’s lifeless body, heaving out heavy sobs, she looked over to the screen.

“Hi, mama!”