#and she should get topped by that rich brat adams

[realbeefman]

i’m almost done with s8 of house but as i come closer and closer to the finale im starting to think that chi park and jessica adams aren’t going to have the crazy yuri sex they so richly deserve to have

[cocobeanncteez]

ATEEZ San- Confessions (oneshot)

Genre: Angst, fluff, suggestive, high school au, enemies to lovers au.

Pairing: San x Reader (fem)

Warnings: profanities, alcohol.

On a scale of one to ten, you'd rate your life at your prestigious boarding school a nine.

You loved KQ Academy: a boarding school for the rich, spoiled brats of the country. The teachers were highly experienced and the other staff were really nice. The cafeteria food was great and the vending machines always had your favorite drinks. The bathrooms were clean and the classrooms, laboratories, and other activity rooms were large and spacious. There were three different sports fields, a large swimming pool, and a large athletics field. The dormitories were also really comfortable and overall impressive. Basically, your school was lit.

So why did you rate your great life here a nine? Two words: Choi San.

San was the only person here who got on your nerves. Not only was he a rich, spoiled brat, but he was also the most popular guy at school and the captain of the volleyball team. His pretty face screamed of nothing but trouble... for you.

You don't understand why San doesn't like you; ever since he joined your school in ninth grade, you both never got along despite being in the same friend group. Your friends tried their best to make you both decently talk to each other, but they gave up eventually when it clearly wasn't working; you both always argued about the smallest, stupidest things.

"Should I get another piercing?" Hongjoong asked, opening his strawberry yogurt.

"Where?" Yunho questioned. "Please, not on your ear! Let the poor thing breathe!" You chuckled, glancing at the many piercings on your twin brother's ears.

"I swear Hongjoong hyung is a masochist," Yeosang stated, making Mingi and Wooyoung burst out laughing.

"And he likes exhibitionism," Seonghwa said. Hongjoong rolled his eyes, quietly eating his yogurt; he was used to everyone teasing him.

"Hey guys!" you heard Choi San greet before he took his usual seat beside Wooyoung. You glanced at him, immediately noticing his disheveled hair and swollen lips.

"Oh god, San, who was it now?" Eunhee, Hongjoong's girlfriend, questioned.

"Na Yuri," San said with a smirk. "She took me behind the auditorium. There were no cameras there." You heard Jiwoo mumble a 'not surprise' from beside you, making you chuckle.

"And you managed to get off in less than five minutes?" Wooyoung asked, raising an eyebrow.

San fake gasped in shock. "What! Wooyoung, you know I don't fuck these girls. I've only made out with them."

"What, really?" Jongho asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I haven't slept with anyone other than my ex, Jina," San said, taking a bite of Yeosang's ice cream sandwich, earning a glare from the boy. You were quite surprised at this new information; the entire school thought San fucked a new chick every week. You wondered why he never said anything about it despite all the false claims.

"Y/N," you heard someone call you, catching all your friends' attention. You saw Kim Yonghee approach you with the sweetest smile on his face. He handed you your notebook that you had given him two days ago. "Thank you so much. Your notes really helped."

"You aced your test?"

He smirked. "Of course." He opened his mouth to say something, but one of his friends called him for football practice. "Well, I'll see you in math," he said with a wink before walking away.

"Oh, someone's blushing!" Eunhee teased.

Yunho chuckled. "Wow, Y/N, I wonder what's got you all pink."

"Yonghee is so fucking cute! I kinda want to date him," you squealed, earning a scoff from an unamused San. Yeosang raised an eyebrow at San who only shrugged. "Do you have an issue, San?" you asked, annoyed by his reaction.

"No, why would I?"

"Well, your reaction doesn't seem like it."

"Why would I care about you and that piece of shit?" he spat, looking away.

"You don't even know him!" your voice was raising.

"Here we go again," Yeosang muttered under his breath.

San glared at you. "As if you know about the way he screws around with—"

"So what? I'd rather be with someone like him than with someone like you," you stated in a cold tone. San's face fell, but he immediately put his pokerface on.

Seonghwa sighed. "Can you two stop fighting for once?"

"It's his fault," you said, crossing your arms over your chest.

"No, it's yours," San retorted. "You could've ignored me."

You were about to say something, but the bell rang. You glared at San before dragging Wooyoung and Mingi with you to your next class.

A month later, you ended up in an FWB relationship with Kim Yonghee. So far, things were going really well.

You were at Seonghwa and Hongjoong's dorm with everyone. You noticed how San has been really quiet and sulky these past few days. Despite always arguing with him, you felt worried for him. You wanted to ask him if he was all right, but you knew he'd just roll his eyes or make a sarcastic comment.

You nudged Yunho who was sitting beside you. "Is San all right?" you whispered in his ear.

Yunho shook his head. "No, he's not okay. I don't know what happened, and he said he doesn't want to talk about it." You nodded, but you felt like Yunho was lying to you.

"Y/N, how are things going on between you and Yonghee?" Mingi asked.

"Good," you answered with a smile. "He's an absolute gentleman."

"Yeah, I could tell from last night," Eunhee teased, making you choke on nothing in particular, wondering how she found out about you sneaking Yonghee into your suite style dorm. "You're not as sneaky as you think you are, Y/N."

San slammed his can of sprite on the table, startling a few of you. "Sorry, I'm a little tired," he mumbled. "Yunho, I'm going to our room. I'll see you all tomorrow." You noticed Wooyoung and Seonghwa share a glance before Seonghwa nodded.

"I'm heading back as well. Good night guys," Seonghwa said, quickly getting up and following San. There was clearly something up with San and you really wanted to find out.

-

While you were having lunch with your friends, Yonghee came to your table. He kissed you gently, earning an 'aww' from Eunhee and Jiwoo.

"Hey, hey, hey, no kissing in front of her older brother," Hongjoong said sternly. You rolled your eyes; he was only older by eight minutes.

"Sorry, man," Yonghee chuckled. "Here," he handed you a few sheets. "Seunghun told me to give this to you. It's his part of the assignment you both are working on. He said you can arrange it however you'd like."

"Ah, tell him I said thanks," you said.

"Will do, doll." he kissed your head before leaving.

San witnessed the entire scene and he lost his appetite. He pushed his food around with his spoon, feeling heartbroken.

"Step up your game, bro," Mingi said to San in a low tone so that the others couldn't hear.

"What do you mean?" San questioned.

Mingi rolled his eyes. "We all know you like Y/N. Don't give her up easily."

"Well, she likes Yonghee."

"They're only friends with benefits," Hongjoong said, joining the conversation. "They're just fooling around. I know it might seem like she has feelings for him, but trust me, she doesn't."

San bit his lip anxiously. "But she hates me."

Hongjoong rolled his eyes. "I know my sister well enough to say that she doesn't hate you, Sannie. In fact, she was really hurt 'cause she thinks you hate her. You both should really stop fighting and assuming shit."

"She doesn't hate me?" San asked in surprise.

"No, she doesn't, you idiot," Mingi muttered with a sigh. "Now step up your game, San, before someone else sweeps her off her feet."

You were watching the volleyball team practice for an upcoming inter-school match. San and Yeosang were on the team, so your entire group was here as well, watching them practice 'cause there was nothing else to do.

You had to admit, San was a great captain. He was so sweet to them and hyped them up every time they did well. It was even more fascinating to watch him play. When the team decided to take a break, he approached you, taking his water bottle from where you were sitting.

You couldn't help but check him out in the team uniform. The blue tank top and shorts exposed the muscles on his arms and thighs. He titled his head back, pouring the water into his mouth. You watched his Adam's apple bob with every gulp, and the way a few drops of water rolled down his lips and chin. His jawline looked sharper, and you saw a bead of sweat travelling down the side of his face. San looked undeniably attractive, especially with his new eyebrow piercing and dyed black hair; he already looked so good with his previous brown hair, and now he looked irresistible.

"Y/N, I asked you something," San said, snapping you out of your thoughts.

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry, what were you saying?" you hoped he didn't notice you checking him out. San and you have surprisingly not had any fights recently, and he wasn't making any comments to piss you off either. You wondered why he suddenly changed his behavior towards you after years of getting on your nerves.

He smirked, pointing to his little red bag. "Could you open my bag and give me the green towel?" You did as he said, unkowingly blushing. San noticed everything, but he didn't say anything about it yet. He wiped the sweat off his face with the towel, suddenly leaning in close to your face. Your eyes darted between his eyes and his lips, and your heartbeat sped up. San reached behind you to take his bag, shoving the towel and his water bottle inside. You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding, mentally reminding yourself to get your shit together. You glanced at your friends, relieved that they were too busy talking to notice the little scene between you and San; you knew they would tease the shit out of you if they saw what happened.

"Y/N," Yeosang called out. "You're coming for the party tomorrow night, no?"

"Of course," you said, a little confused as to why he suddenly asked. "Jiwoo would kill me if I missed it."

Jiwoo turned her head at the mention of her name. "Damn right, I would," she said with a nod.

Yeosang smirked. "You're coming in my car."

-

"I have to sit on San's lap?!" you half-yelled at Yeosang.

"Yeah, Yunho is sitting in the front with the Pegasus glass figurine he got for Jiwoo. The painting I got is in the backseat, and our bags are in the trunk. So you don't have a choice."

You bit your lip. "Fine."

You waited outside the car until San and Yunho came from their dorm. You wondered why San wasn't surprised when you told him you had to sit on his lap, but you brushed it off, assuming Yeosang would've told him earlier.

San was dressed in all black: ripped jeans, a leather jacket and a black t-shirt underneath it. You sat on his lap, closing the car door. He looked irresistible and his Chanel perfume made him smell so good, you didn't know how you'd survive the half an hour long car ride to Jiwoo's mansion without him noticing you inhaling his scent like air.

San gently wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you closer to him so that you could sit comfortably. Yeosang started driving and you hoped time would go really fast.

Unfortunately, time seemed to be going really slow for you.

San pushed your hair to one side, making you lean back a little so that your back was pressed against his chest. "Sit comfortably, I don't bite," he whispered in your ear.

Yunho was talking about something, but you paid no attention. The only thing you could focus on was San's beautiful voice and laughs while you blankly stared out the window.

San noticed you weren't paying attention. He leaned forward a little, his lips coming in contact with the bare skin of your shoulder, making goosebumps arise on your skin. "Are you cold?" San teased when he saw the goosebumps on your bare thighs; you cursed yourself for wearing a short off-shoulder dress.

"Yeah, I am," you lied. San rubbed his palms together before placing them on your thighs. You gasped softly at his warm touch. He gently rubbed your thighs, trying to warm you up like as if he didn't know why you got goosebumps in the first place.

"We're here, guys," Yeosang announced, pulling up into Jiwoo's mansion that was lit up with a lot of LED lights.

You quickly got out of the car once Yeosang parked, running to hug Jiwoo.

"Happy eighteenth, Jiwoo!"

She chuckled. "Thank you, Y/N!"

"I can't wait to see you drunk!" you said with a giggle, excited that your friend could finally drink. She playfully rolled her eyes, dragging you inside to where half your school was while she told you which room you would be staying in. You were sure there were nearly two hundred people here, but you weren't surprised; Jiwoo's birthday parties were always like this.

"By the way, you're sharing a room with San tonight," Jiwoo said.

Your eyes widened. "What?! Why? Wasn't I supposed to be sleeping in your room?"

"Yeah," she said. "But, um... Yunho might be there and I don't think you'd want to witness us—"

"Okay, okay!" you half-yelled. "Why can't I sleep in Eunhee's room?"

"Ask Hongjoong if he's willing to switch with you," she chuckled and you groaned, knowing very well your twin brother would rather sleep next to his girlfriend than next to his friend.

But maybe he would agree? After all, he's quite protective of you and he wouldn't let you sleep next to a guy.

"Absolutely not," Hongjoong replied when you asked him to switch places with you.

"Joong! How can you let your baby sister sleep with a guy?" you whined.

He shrugged. "I trust San more than any other guy here. Besides, I need some privacy with my girl, you know? The dorms aren't a very great place to—"

You slammed your palm over his mouth, shutting him up. "I get it! I'll just deal with it."

You walked over to the bar, getting a whiskey and coke. You didn't have an issue with sleeping next to San; you just didn't know how you'd control yourself around him, especially after what happened hardly an hour ago.

After Jiwoo cut her huge birthday cake and popped a bottle of Champagne, some people from your grade sat down in one of the rooms to play truth or dare. Wooyoung and Mingi literally begged you to play and of course, you couldn't refuse.

"All right, I'm gonna spin it," Jongho said, spinning an empty beer bottle. It landed on Yeosang. "Truth or dare, hyung?" Jongho asked.

"Truth," he answered.

"I got one!" Seonghwa said, turning to smirk at Yeosang. "Do you like a certain Japanese girl who's in your economics class?" You chuckled, glancing at the Japanese girl who was sitting right across Yeosang.

Yeosang smirked. "Of course I like my girlfriend." Your jaw dropped and so did many other's. You glanced at Mayumi who was clearly blushing; she reminded you so much of Yeosang.

"Kang Yeosang! You sly shit!" Wooyoung yelled, playfully tackling his friend to the ground.

"I knew something was happening between them!" Hongjoong stated with a laugh, making Mayumi turn pinker than she already was.

After a few more rounds, some people left, making the circle of people smaller. Eunhee spun the bottle and it landed on herself.

"Truth or dare?" Mingi asked.

"Truth."

"Is Hongjoong hyung a dom or a sub?" Mingi asked with a smirk.

"Both, but mostly a dom," she answered, unbothered.

"I'm not even surprised," Wooyoung said before spinning the bottle. It landed on you.

"Truth or dare, Y/N?" Wooyoung asked, a smile dancing on his lips.

"I'll go with dare."

Wooyoung grinned mischievously. "I dare you to . . . give San a hickey." You choked on nothing in particular.

"In front of you all?"

"Obviously not!" Hongjoong said in disgust. "I'd rather not witness that."

Your friends cheered for you when you got up and dragged San along with you to the room you both had to share tonight. Your heart raced with every step you took, and when he closed the door, the only sound you could hear was your pounding heartbeat.

San removed his shoes before sitting on the middle of the bed. You took off your heels, getting on the bed as well.

"Where do you want it?" you asked, avoiding eye-contact.

"Below my collarbone or here," he pointed to an area of the left side of his neck. You decided to give it on his neck because you've never given a collarbone hickey, so you didn't want to screw it up and embarrass yourself in front of the man who was currently driving you crazy.

San sat against the headboard of the bed, letting you straddle his lap. You placed a hand at his nape and the other at his shoulder, leaning in to place your lips on his neck. You gently brushed your lips against his skin before kissing around the area for a while. Your hand at his nape moved into his hair, tugging on it. San groaned softly, hands gripping your waist while he tilted his head to give you more access. You started to suck on his skin, making sure you bit him gently and gave him a few little licks. San's hands pushed you down on his growing bulge, making you moan against his skin. You pulled away from his neck, eyes instantly locking with his. You glanced between his eyes and his lips, unknowingly biting your own. San freed your bottom lip with his thumb, running it over your lip.

"I'd like to bite that lip," San said in a low tone. You couldn't control yourself anymore. You crashed your lips onto his and he responded just as eagerly as you. San took your bottom lip in between his teeth, gently pulling and biting on it, making you moan. He smirked, pulling away. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this."

"Don't you hate me?" you asked, shocked by his little confession.

San flipped you onto your back, hovering over you. He pressed his bulge against you. "What do you think?" he whispered, making you blush. "Y/N, you drive me absolutely crazy. I've liked you ever since ninth grade." Your eyes widened; he has liked you ever since he joined your school?!

"But— Then why were you always fighting with me?" you couldn't help but ask, even though right now wasn't a very... appropriate time.

"Remember how I was back then? I was so nerdy and you liked guys who were the complete opposite of that," he said, cupping your cheek. "No matter how hard I tried to get you to like someone like me, it just never worked. You always liked seniors and dated playboys. And then when I started screwing around, you still didn't like me. I guess... I guess that's why I fought with you a lot and it got worse over the years."

"San, you were perfect," you murmured. "I always thought you were way too good for me, that's why I never really bothered." you ran your hand through his hair. "I'm sorry for making you change yourself..."

San shook his head, lying beside you on the bed. "It's not your fault. I was fifteen and stupid, Y/N. Besides, I'm used to being like this now." You bit your lip, not knowing what to say. "Y/N, I hated seeing you with Yonghee. I know you guys aren't dating, but the thought of you with him or with anyone else... I really hate it," he looked like he wanted to say something, but he was hesitating a lot. You cupped his cheek, giving him an encouraging smile.

San took a deep breath. "Um, Y/N, do you... feel the same way about me?" You immediately kissed him as an answer, making him blush and sigh in relief.

"Well, my dare is complete," you murmured, fingers running over the hickey you had given him. You leaned in, placing a soft kiss on it. "How about we continue from where we left off?" you whispered in his ear.

San smirked, pulling you close to his body by your waist. "Mhmm, I'd like that."

[liquid-luck-00]

Connections 5

Chapter 5

this is based on @thepeacetea daminette soulmate au

Masterlist *** First *** Previous *** Next

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Marinette is now 7 and this is Mari’s first time back to Paris since the fair.

---

Summer break was always a pain and that was because she spent it with only Jean-Pierre and in her suite in the hotel. Chloe wouldn’t ever leave the hotel because she was the daughter of Style Queen and that meant she had a reputation to maintain. Except that all changes when Marinette comes to Paris.

That girl is the person who knows Chloe, other than a rich stuck-up brat, but that doesn’t mean other kids know that.

“Clo are you in” the little noirette called as she walked in, but she was different the bottom half of her midnight hair was bright purple just like her dad’s and it suited her.

“Mari-bug!” the blonde ran into her friend and hugged her. “That’s new” she said as she flicked her best friend’s hair.

The girl giggled, “yeah dad and Penny let me do it when we started the tour, I like it” the noirette laughed and Chloe smiled.

“it looks good” Chloe smiled; I can’t do that mom would freak. “So, any plans on how to sneak out this time?”

Mari smirked and shoved a backpack at her friend “Of course!”

“You are ridiculous…”

“Utterly ridiculous. I know” she was then pushed into another part of her room by the girl. “Now get dressed”

---

Chloe walked out in a pair of yellow gold leggings, under a dress that fell to her knees it faded from the bottom a silver to white at the top and was splattered with gold. She wore black flats and her hair was in her signature ponytail.

“This isn’t much of a disguise Mari” the blonde stated.

“Well not yet it isn’t” Mari pulled out a silver can with a black cap. “Now hold still” Mari was tugging the blonde’s hair and spraying it and when she finished most of her friend’s hair was black save for a few streaks of her golden hair. “How does it look now” the bluenette smirked, as she watched her friend’s reaction.

“If I add some glasses no one will know!” The blonde was jumping with joy as Mari reached into her bag and pulled out a pair of black glasses with bees along the legs and two golden bees in the corners.

“Like the Queen Bee you are” Mari stated as she looked at her friend. No one will be able to tell this is Style Queen’s daughter. Chloe is now just another regular Parisian kid and Paris is not going to know what hit them.

“What about you Mari” as soon as her friend said that she smiled and walked into the other room. When she walked out Mari was dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a red shirt covered in black spots. On top of it she wore a dark grey cardigan that fell to her knees, and a pair of black and red high tops. She finished by putting her hair in two space buns tucking the purple away and rearranging her bangs to fall from a center part. “Wow, a bee and ladybug are amount to storm Paris” Chole remarked. Oh, how right she was although she didn’t know it.

“Then let’s go Bee”

“Alright Bug” the two girls ran out of the hotel and made their way to the park. For the three days Mari spent in Paris everyone was talking about the chaos that was brought by the ‘Ladybug’ and the ‘Bee’ as they seemed to draw everyone’s attention. In the span of three days the two planted orange tiger lilies that covered every school potted trees, they snuck into an made a cameo in her dad’s interview with Nadia Chamock, and they somehow managed to make every bird in Paris land on the Eiffel Tower. They didn’t even try to do it, they just wanted to feed the pigeons but soon every bird in the city was there. By the end of the week the ladybug and bee were nicknamed the Lilies of Paris.

Summer was too quick to end but Mari didn’t seem to mind. That just meant that she would be returning to Gotham and would be with her brothers. Not to mention that they were in essence training her when she was with them.

---

Most of her time with the boys was mainly spent with Dick. She and Dick would parkour all around the cave and she was a natural at gymnastics. She got the hang of her yo-yo when transformed and that was when they noticed that her strength and stamina was off the charts compared to other children.

She and Tim would mostly work on hand to hand combat but that mostly resulted in Tim on the floor, while Mari stood triumphant.

Bruce specifically tried to keep Mari from Jason, in fear that he would teach Little Mari how to shoot. But his attempts were in vain, to his credit Jason didn’t show her how to shoot a gun but how to disarm and disassemble different gums in a safe way. That was actually pretty good thinking and he should have thought of that.

To Bruce’s astonishment, or he should really say utter horror, little Mari loved Jason’s motorcycle. It got to the point that not even Jagged could argue whenever Jason picked up Mari from school on his bike. Both he and Jagged swear that Jason is going to end up teaching her to ride before either of them teach her to drive. Jason just loves the fact that Mari loves to ride with him, and Bruce doesn’t oppose this as Jason is always more careful whenever she is with him, or around them in general.

Bruce could tell that this little pixie, yes even he admits that he calls her pixie, has changed the entire family. He would however not let her out as the Ladybug holder in Gotham, but she was adamant on changing their suits and crafted them. Hell, he knew she was a wizard with design but even he was shocked at what she could do. What that girl could do with a needle, thread, and Kevlar reinforced fabric and armor plating was amazing.

He would force her to even make some for their daily lives. Dick, Tim, Alfred, and Himself had gotten several suits that were damn impossible to tell what they were made of. Jason got several more casual outfits and many leather jackets. Mari even made herself several outfits, particularly her favorites were legging that she wore with her uniform and when she rode with Jason. It came to the point that Bruce practically forced Mari to only wear reinforced clothes for her protection, thankfully Tikki was on his side and she did, the only exception was her uniform.

---

Mari was never a normal kid and that much was evident, it wasn’t until she and Tikki were talking during a stay at Wane manor when she was 9 that everything came to light. Alfred walked into the room and that was nothing out of the ordinary, but it was Tikki that changed his perception.

Tikki was floating in front of Miss Marinette, looking sad and trying to comfort the child. Alfred immediately went to the girl and noticed what was happening.

“Miss Mari” he tried to get her attention, but she simply stared straight forwards. The family began to come into the room and silence permeated the manor.

That was when she stared at Jason with tears running down her face, “J… Jay… Jay-Jay why are… why are you covered in chaos magic” everyone was staring at the girl quiet as they realized what she was saying. “Why are you covered in magic from the Lazarus Pit?” the collective in the room were shocked no one made a sound. As Alfred looked around, he even saw Tikki shake in what appeared to be a mix of sadness and fright.

“How do you know that name, Mari?” the little god spoke finally breaking the silence.

“I” she looked around seemingly unsure if she should continue “I just heard it, I saw it, it was it was like a ritual”

“Tikki is this normal for a miraculous holder” Bruce asked attempting to take the attention from little Mari.

Tikki simply shook her head “No it isn’t. seeing the Lazarus arura is for a Ladybug, but this knowledge is not normal…” then she simply stared at the girl. “Mari do you think?” the question was left unfinished, but the meaning was not lost on Mari.

Miss Marinette looked shocked and seemed close to tears. Resigned she finally spoke “it might be, it’s the most logical” after this the child went silent.

“What does this incur exactly?” Alfred spoke from kneeling beside Marinette.

The little god seemed to think before finally stating “Her soulmate” that left everyone quiet once again. “Mari knows how to fight, that much you know but what you don’t is that she has never had any type of training. The same goes for several languages she has never studied, she can read a person’s body language without any difficulty, and now this.” the little goddess states. The boys simply stare at her.

Bruce kneeled down and pulled Mari into a hug. And seemed to whisper something into her ear. Her eyes widened in surprise before she began to cry, and she was taken into Bruce’s arms and they walked out. The next thing Alfred knew was that it was loud, and the boys began to rush after Bruce. They finally found him in Mari’s room speaking softly, to softly to overhear, that they had to open the door but were met with an icy glare and left.

Next

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Taglist🐞🦇

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[thepeacetea]

The Past that Made the Future

Hey guys! So, um, here’s a new story. This will probably stay a one-shot, but here you go. Hope ya’ll enjoy! Peace!!

He was suppose to protect her. He promised he would. He promised her, and now she was gone, all because he couldn’t keep his promise. He swore he wouldn’t let anything happen to her, to the only person that was able to bring light back into his life and now she was gone. All because he couldn’t protect her. Because he wasn’t strong enough, or fast enough. He should have taken the bullet. If he hadn’t frozen on seeing the gun that madman had, his firecracker would still be here. She would be safe. She would still be here. But he froze, and now she was gone.

It was almost a year now. Almost a year since she was killed. Since his life spiraled out of control. Since everything came crashing down around him. As the minutes ticked on, drawing closer to the time of her death, he remembered.

11:40

The first time they met was unforgettable. He quite literally fell for her. He was running late for one of his classes at Gotham University of Art, Science and Technology. Sprinting down the stairs, his nose buried in one of his textbooks, there was no way he could have seen the small girl running up the stairs. One second, he was running down the stairs and the next, he was free falling.

Bracing himself for the collision with the unforgiving floor, he was instead met with a softer landing, promptly followed by the sound of something snapping. Sealing himself, he waited the pain to come, but five seconds past and no pain came. And then the ground shifted, groaning in pain. His eyes few open, locking on the soft ‘floor’ beneath him. To his horror, a tiny girl lay under him, face twisted in pain. The shutter of a camera snapped him out of  his horrified trance. Scrabbling off the girl, his apology came out in a incoherent, jumbled mess.

“I - I am so - are you - please tell me your - I didn’t mean - I wasn’t looking and – do you need - I mean,” He tried to say, to many things pushing to the forefront of his mind and his mouth couldn’t decide what to say first. The students surrounding them could only snicker at they young Wayne’s mishap. Many of them relishing in the accident if only to have some dirt on the young heir.

“I – I think my arm’s broken.” Groaned the girl, who was gingerly trying to sit up, cradling her right arm.

Those words sent him in a bigger panic. He not only knocked a girl over, landing on her, but he also broke her arm.

“I- I’ll take you to a hospital. Do you think you can stand?” he asked, frantically searching for his keys.

“I- I think so. Do, do you have anything I could use as a sling, to support it? She asked, shift the weight of her arm slightly.

Tearing off his over shirt, he did his best to make a semi-comfortable sling for the girl. As he finished with the last knot, he glanced up, meeting her eyes for the first time, his breath catching. One of the most stunning pair of serine blue eyes stared back at him, studying him.

“Let- let’s get you to a hospital.” He managed to say, forcing the words out from the constriction in his throat.

They somehow managed to get to his Jaguar without aggravating the girls arm any farther. The ride to the hospital was tense. His mouth couldn’t seem to shut up, he couldn’t keep track of what he was saying as he tried to focus on the road and the condition of the girl beside him.

“Hey, listen. It’s ok. I don’t blame you, ok. It was an accident. It could’ve happened to anyone. But I need you to breath ok. Can’t have you passing out on me in the car.” She said, snapping him out of his panic state of mind.

“I- I fell on you, in front of the whole school! I broke your arm! How are you not mad at me?”

“One, it could have happened to anyone and if those people say otherwise, they’re jerks! Second, it’s not the first time I broke something, and knowing my track record, it will not be the last. Third, you already apologized, so you can stop, because like I said, it was an accident and I forgive you. And fourth, I think I may be able to get out of some assignments with a broken arm!” She said, laughing at the last reason.

The sound of her laughter caught him off guard. Not only was she not mad, but she was laughing it off. Just who was this girl?

“I’m Marinette by the way,” she said, almost as if she read his mind, extending her uninjured arm to shake his hand. Glancing at her for a second, he saw a friendly, welcoming smile adoring her round face as her eyes twinkled with a light that he couldn’t pinpoint.

“Bruce,” he said, reaching over to grasp her hand, slightly surprized at the strength of her grip.

“Well Bruce, I think we’re going to get along just fine.”

 She had been right about that. In the six weeks she was wearing the cast, Bruce insisted that he help her. He even went so far as to sit in on some of her classes just he could help her take notes. He had never been one to warm up to anyone quickly, even when his parents were alive. But this girl, Marinette, there was something about her that drew him in.

She had always known what to say to him, even if he didn’t want to hear it. She was always there for him, and in time, he learned to stand up for himself and for others.

11:45 p.m.

“ . . . and I wasn’t getting any inspiration, like nothing. So I decided to climb on my roof, you know, to get a look at the stars and skyline and get some fresh air. While I was up there, looking over the city, I saw something fly through the night. I couldn’t tell what they were, and then one of them flew through the light. They were bats! And I watched them glide through the night, I suddenly go hit with this . . . wave of inspiration.” Marinette told him as they walked through the halls. They planned on getting lunch between their classes, and she was using their time to fill Bruce in on what had inspired her latest work. While he wasn’t . . . fond of the night terrors, he was impressed by his friend’s designs.

As they passed on of the chemistry labs, raised voice floated through the air, causing the duo to pause.

“ . . . simple freak, just do our assignments and we’ll leave you alone. Deal?”

Bruce knew that voice, Graham Alexander Towers the III. A spoiled rich brat whose family came from old money.

“Look, I’m not g-going to do your assignments anymore. I- I don’t have enough time to do my assignments.” a nervous voice countered, but it was so soft and low that Bruce almost didn’t hear it. Harsh laughter cut off whatever the other person was saying as the others cawed.

“You hear that boys, the coward thinks he has a back bone. Listen freak, unless you want to scared of turning corners, then you do it. After all, being scared is all your good at.” Towers sneered.

“And I suggest you develop a health dose of fear, cause once Pr. Adam’s finds out that you’ve not only been bullying someone else to complete your assignments but also threatening his top student, well, let’s just say that it’s not gonna be pretty.” Bruce’s voice cut through the chemistry lab, startling the occupants.

Spinning around, Graham locked eyes with Bruce, and for a few long moments, no one moved. The two heirs held each other’s gaze, Graham with ill hidden anger and Bruce with smug satisfaction.

“Wayne.” Graham spat.

“Towers,” Bruce countered politely, like they were discussing the weather. “I highly suggest that if you don’t want Pr. Adam’s to find out, then you leave him alone. If you try anything like this again, lets just say that the Towers’ name will be a little more mared then before. After all, the press will jump at the chance to do a story about how the Graham Alexander Towers the III was bullying a top student at G. A. to do his homework. It’ll be pretty and I don’t think your father will be very happy about that. I mean, he barely kept your last scandal under wraps.”

Graham considerable paled at those word. Wisely, for once, he kept his mouth shut and just stormed out, muttering curses under his breath. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Bruce turned to the other man in the room, who was looking at him with ill concealed awe.

“You’re Crane, right?” Bruce asked.

“Yeah, yes, I’m Jonathan Crane. It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Wayne. Thank you for that.” Jonathan said, shaking Bruce’s hand with enthusiasm.

“Bruce is fine, and don’t mention it. I’ve seen your work. You’re a top chem. student and I would hate for you to not reach as far because of Towers. Keep up what you’re doing, cause I have a feeling you’re going to do something big someday and blow Gotham out of the water.” He said, sending the young man a smile before leaving only to run into Marinette, who he had left outside the classroom. The last thing he wanted was for her to become a target of Towers. Heaven knows that family has it out for the Wayne’s. The look she gave him made him slightly self-conscious.

“What?”

“You’re a good guy, Bruce. A really good guy. I’m proud of you.” She said before turning on her heels leading them back down the hallway, leaving a stunned and flustered Wayne behind.

 When he defended Jonathan Crane, it had been an impulse decision, but that marked the beginning of a change in Bruce. He was no longer the quite boy who didn’t pay attention to others. He started standing up for others more after that. He became a force you didn’t want to cross, especially if you crossed someone he cared about. That became very evident at the first gala he took Marinette to.

11:55 p.m.

The night started out amazingly, though Marinette had been a nervous wreck on the way to the gala, but once she stepped through the doors, everything changed. She practically light up when she saw the interior of the building. High archways, pillars of black marble, gothic architecture, the place screamed beauty. Everyone was curious of the girl the Wayne heir had brought as his plus one. They all knew how closed of the boy could be, so the fact that he even had a date was a shock to the upper class. But when they saw they Asian beauty he had on his arm, they were blown away. Compared to Bruce’s 6’2” frame, the girl’s 5’6” with heels, looked so small and fragile.

The women, once they saw the girl’s dress, instantly started flocking to her, asking who designed it. The black, off the shoulder dress, had a fitted bodice with a high-low skirt, something that wasn’t common. The front ended a little above the knees, while the back spread out behind her. the inside of her skirt was a beautiful blood red, creating a stunning contrast. But what really caught everyone’s attention was the fact that if you looked at the dress, especially the skirt, it looked like a bat. Like one hanging upside down, ready to fly. The pure creativity and beauty of it was mind blowing. When they discovered that she was the designer, she had nearly half the gala coming with requests to commission her for the next gala.

It was around halfway through the party that Towers got drunk and forgot exactly who he was dealing with. He had been getting a little handsy with most of the single ladies there, and all of them rather enjoyed the attention they were receiving from the heir of one of the richest and oldest families in Gotham. But he made the mistake of putting his hands where they shouldn’t have been. On the Asian beauty Bruce brought. One second he was trying to sweet talk her into one of the side rooms to ‘get acquainted better’ and the next he was on the ground with a bloody nose.

“What the hell, Bruce!” Towers yelled, shooting the man in question a glare as he  desperately tried to stop the blood dripping from his nose

“Keep. Your. Hands. To. Yourself.” Bruce growled out, not so subtle putting himself between Marinette and Towers.

“Why should I? None of the other girls seemed to mind. Besides, she should be grateful someone of importance and influence showed any interest in her.” Towers shot back, not noticing the growing rage that radiated off the young Wayne. Nor did he take stock in the glare he received as he stood, meeting it with a mocking smile as he sent the girl behind Bruce a wink.

Suddenly, Bruce grabbed Towers coat laps in a crushing grip, hauling him uncomfortable close. It was only then that he felt a twinge of fear. He had never seen Bruce angry. Ever. And by the looks of the crowd, neither had anyone else.

“Let me make this clear to you, and I’ll use simple words so you can understand. Mari doesn’t need any ‘help’ from you. She never has and never will. And if I catch you trying anything like this with my girlfriend, well, we’ll find out who the real prince of Gotham is. So let me say this one more time. Keep. Your. Hands. Off. My. Girlfriend! Do I make myself clear?” Bruce growled out, his blue eyes, which had always been soft, guarded, and compliance, were blazing with such an intensity that startled everyone. He looked like an actual Wayne, and it made the other families nervous. They knew, all too well, how much power the Wayne name carried in Gotham alone, not mentions the rest of the America or the world. If they had to describe a Wayne in one word, it would be dangerous.

All Towers could muster was a shaky nod of understanding. Even drunk, he knew better than to disagree. Stumbling when he was suddenly released, Towers watched as Bruce shot him one last look that promised retaliation if he broke his word before gently grabbing the girl’s hand muttering ‘Let’s go’. The crowd parted as he lead the two of them out, everyone watched as Bruce tucked the girl against his side, leaving a certain level of chaos and shock in his wake.

“So . . . girlfriend?” Marinette asked as Bruce drove them back to the manor.

Bruce could only flinch at her word. He had hoped that she hadn’t caught that part, not that she couldn’t have considering that everyone in the vicinity had heard him, but he could always hope. Glancing over at the person who he could truly call his best friend, only to find her facing the window, chin propped on her hand as she watched the city past them by. He couldn’t read her, and that scared him. He couldn’t tell what she was thinking, let alone feeling. But as the city lights flickered over her features, he couldn’t deny what he was feeling. He loved her. He was so in love with her that it hurt. She was his friend, the first real friend he could remember. She made him feel safe and cared for. He didn’t have to attempt to portray an image for her. Heck, she didn’t even care about his name. To her, he was just Bruce, the awkward boy she had met on the first day of university who happened to break her arm. She had changed him, and he couldn’t thank her enough. But that friendship, that platonic love had turned into something more for him. He wanted more. He wanted to be more with her, but he didn’t want to risk what they had. He couldn’t lose his best friend. He couldn’t . . .

“Because if you mean it, and I mean, really mean it, well, I wouldn’t object to it. I. . . I like you, Bruce. More then a friend should, and I don’t know where to go from here.” She said, cutting through Bruce’s spiraling thought.

For a moment, his brain shut down. She liked him? Marinette? The girl with the most creativity Bruce had ever seen? The girl whose culinary skills were the only one’s that made Alfred’s pale in comparison? Who always smelled of sugar and spices? Who, no matter how much she had on her plate or what she was doing, would drop everything if her friends needed help? The girl who was the only real person Bruce had ever met?

“ W-well, in that case, would . . . would you like to go on a date with me?” Bruce asked, stuttering over his. The seconds that followed where the longest of his life, there was no going back now.

“I would love to.”

 The months that followed where the best of his life, and there was nothing he would have done differently. If he thought that he had been happy before, he had never been so wrong in his life.

11:56

It was six months after they started dating. Six month of pure bliss. Sure, they argued like any couple, but Bruce would change anything they had. Though their arguments were few and far between, every time he saw her angry, even when it was directed at him, he could help but notice how beautifully terrifying she was. She honestly reminded him of a firecracker. Beautiful when exploding but none the less deadly if not handled correctly.

They were walking around the manor grounds, simple enjoying one of the last summer day’s before classes started again. One of the things Bruce noticed since dating his firecracker was that she had an almost unusual love for nature. Every chance she could get, she would be out in the gardens or parks, simple enjoying the feeling of being outside. So they walked through the garden, with the late summer flowers in full bloom lending an enticing fragrance, Bruce couldn’t think of any other place he would rather be.

Glancing over at Marinette, Bruce couldn’t help but stare. Seeing her in the garden, surrounded by the flowers she helped plant, she never looked more beautiful. In the late afternoon sun, her hair, which had always been so dark, light up to a gorgeous midnight blue framed by the small flower crown of daisies. Her cut-off jean shorts paired with slightly oversized tee-shirt and bare feet gave her such an innocent look that Bruce couldn’t imagine living without her.

“Marry me.”

Bruce wasn’t even aware he had actually said that until Marinette turned around, her eyes blown wide in shock.

“What?”

“Marry me. Mari, I cant live without you. You brought light back into my life. I wasn’t living until I met you, I was merely surviving. You showed me life was meant to be so much more. With you, I feel like I can be somebody worthwhile. And I know that everyone will say we’re too young and that we don’t know what love is, but I know, Mari, I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to have a family with you. So, will you allow me the honor of becoming your partner, your protector? Will you marry me?” He asked, gently taking her hands, laying his heart out for her to either take or turn away.

Tears sprung into the eyes, causing the serene blue to sparkle as diamonds. For a split second, he thought she was going to say no, but it was only a second before she launched herself into his arms, crying with the most beautiful smile etched on her face.

“YES!! YES!! A thousand times yes!”

She had moved into the manor a week later. Bruce loved waking up next to her. To smell of her hair and the warmth of her body. He loved the feeling of curled against him, how her head fit perfectly into his shoulder.

11:57

It had a week since he had been home and Bruce couldn’t wait to get back to his own bed and he fiancé. But instead of an excited fiancé greeting him, he was greeted with the unusual sight of empty boxes. And when he said boxes, he meant that the entire entrance was full of empty boxes. The sound of music could be heard coming from one of the upper floors. Following the sound of Summer of 69, Bruce found Marinette dancing while painting one of the many unused room. Leaning against the doorframe, Bruce just watched his firecracker for the duration of the song as she continued to dance and belt out the lyrics to her favorite song. Watching her being so carefree brought a sweet smile to his face.

“Painting?” he asked once the song finished. Whipping around, her hair smacking her in the eyes as red paint flew from her brush. She looked at him startled for a second before her face light up.

“Bruce, your home!” was his only warning before a paint covered Marinette plowed into him. Laughing, he caught her with ease while planting a sweet kiss on her disheveled hair.

“I missed you too, Mar. Though mind telling me what you’re doing and why the entrance is packed with empty boxes?” he asked, gently setting her down as he brushed hair out of her face.

“Right. I’m sorry I should have cleaned those up early, but I got distracted. I have something important to tell you. So, the night you left, I had a dream. And usually I don’t pay too much attention to my dreams but Bruce, this one was different. It, it was so real. We, well we had a family. Bruce the house was so full and it was, I mean, I -I cant really explain it. It was amazing. There was a lot of people but I could only make four out clearly. Bruce, they were our boys, and . . . I cant even find the words to effectively describe it. Bruce, they were amazing. One of them, I think he was the youngest, was incredibly artistic. Bruce, his drawing, his painting were breathtaking! And he was such an animal person. Another one, he was insanely smart, like almost mindboggling. His ability to see thing, little things that no one else was able to see was incredible! Oh, and the other one, I think he was the oldest, was an absolutely amazing gymnast. His acrobatics, Bruce, it was like watching a top circus performer! And the last one, he – his grasp of literature was heartwarming and beautiful. I mean, his knowledge of classical literature rivaled the professors at the university. He was also a little mechanical, a little enginery I suppose.” Marinette explained, her eyes lighting up as she described the boys.

“So that’s why there are a bunch of empty boxes and your painting rooms?” he asked, trying to understand why she was acting like she was prepping for these boys. Like they were real.

“Bruce,” she said, looking at him with one of the most serious faces he had ever seen. “I know it sounds crazy, but whenever I have dreams like this, with this much clarity and detail, they always come true. Bruce, we’re going to have a family. And I know it won’t happen for a while, but I – well I wanted to get a head start, you know. In preparing the rooms. I want them to have a place where they can indulge in their passions. A place where they can learn and grow and create. I want them to have a place of their own. A place where, when everything is too much and they feel like giving up, that they can come to, to just, be themselves. For when the pressure just gets too much and they feel like giving up. A place where they can just be who they are without anyone telling them otherwise.”

Looking down at her while she spoke, Bruce saw that she truly believe every word she was saying. And as she explained herself, he started to believe her too. While everything she was saying sounded so surreal, the certainty with which she spoke and the spark in her eyes quickly won him over.

“Mar, tell me more about them.”

That wasn’t the first or the last time Bruce was surprised with his firecracker. It seemed like every day, she would do something or say something that he had never thought of or considered. And some of them would make a larger impact then others.

11:58

“Bruce?”

“Hm?”

“What do you think of heroes?”

Looking up from his book, Bruce cast Marinette, who was sitting on the other end of the couch, a look.

“Don’t you mean vigilantes?” he asked, earning him a playful kick from his seatmate.

“Well, if you want to be technical about it,” she scoffed, sending him a mock glare. “But seriously, Bruce, what do you think of them?” she asked again as she continued to sketch.

“I never really gave it much thought. Why the sudden question?” Bruce said, watching his fiancé’s pencil stop momentarily before it resumed it’s task. It was a few seconds before she spoke again.

“France, Paris specifically, had a set of heroes when I was twelve. Coccinelle and Chat Noir, or Ladybug and Black Cat. They were tasked with fighting a madman who called himself Faucon Papillon, or Hawk Moth. He would prey on the emotionally compromised, granting them power to feed their need for revenge. And in return, he wanted them to retrieve what gave Coccinelle and Chat Noir their powers. He called it their miraculous, two pieces of jewelry: earring that belonged to Coccinelle and a ring from Chat Noir. If he had those two items, it would grant him the powers of a god. It would grant him a wish.”

“How could two pieces of jewelry do that?” He asked after a pause, searching her face.

“Well, they were magical. I know this sound crazy, but I assure you that I am not lying. The ladybug represents creation and the black cat, destruction. Two halves of a whole. A ying and yang if you will. With these two combined, one rewrite reality. These heroes were not only given the responsibly for not only defending Paris from that emotional terrorist, but also prevent him from obtain ultimate power. With every akuma, that’s what we ended up calling the controlled person, they had to fight and purify, every cure that was cast, they became symbols to us. When people saw them, they knew that we still had hope. It took nearly five years for them to track Faucon Papillon down. Before the final battle. When they defeated him, Paris breathed a sigh of relief, but we never got to thank our heroes. They just, disappeared after. So, for me, heroes are a symbol of hope. When things look the bleakest, and everything is crashing down, they are always there. Fighting for people who they will never really know. They are fighting a war they may not see the end of, but they fight on. Because they know that if they fall, hope is destroyed. So heroes, or vigilantes, have my highest respect.” She explained, occasionally glancing up from her drawing, but never stopping.

“You really think highly of them don’t you?” he asked, moving over to her side of the couch.

“I do.” She said, as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, glancing down on her sketch pad. There, laying in startling detail, was a hero design. The design, unsurprising, was incredible. The suit was designed for maximum protection and agility, as well as identity concealment. She even went so far as to start weapons designs. But what caught his attention was the symbol she chose.

“Why a bat? Don’t they symbolize death?” Bruce asked as he studied the sketch.

“Yes, but they also symbolize rebirth and protection, and in Chinese culture, they represent luck or good fortune. They are often referred to as guardians of the night, and I think that’s what Gotham needs. In a city so full of misfortune and death, they need a symbol that shows thing can be better. That the city can be rebirthed into something greater. And while that hope is there, they also will have a protector. Someone to watch over them when darkness falls. I . . . I think it’s the perfect symbol for Gotham.”

11:59

It was New Years Eve and the gala was in full swing. Bruce and Marinette, though they had been engaged since August, had both agreed to wait until New Years to announce the engagement. Everyone agreed that the news was an amazing way to end the decade. The news of their engagement would be made public tomorrow, but for now, they would enjoy themselves and bring in the new year together. And then, it happened.

It was five minutes until midnight when a gun fire went off. Everyone started to run, screams of fear filling the air. Then the laughter started, that crazed laugh that shot terror though everyone’s hearts. They all knew that laugh. All eyes turned towards the sound, towards the stage, landing on a familiar figure. There, standing in all his terrifying glory was the Joker.

“Is this thing on?” he asked, roughly tapping on the mic, sending a high pitch squeal though the speakers. “Well, sorry I couldn’t be here early folks, but at least I’m here before the ball drops.” He said, waving his gun hand over the crowd. “You know what I always wanted to do? What I always dreamed of doing. I always wanted to bring a new year in with a bang! And I always wanted to be the one to ring in a new century. I mean, just think about it. A new year, a new century, a new era, brought in by the Joker himself. And your little party here, is baring witness to that. I mean, you guys are going to go down in history. I mean, how crazy is that!”

“The only crazy I see in here is you.” Someone muttered, but unfortunately, they didn’t do it quiet enough.

“Oh, oh I’m not crazy. You see I only do crazy thing. People think I have this elaborate plan, this vindictive that I follow, but you see, I just like to rattle a cage, and then I sit back and watch what naturally progresses from there. I may start out with a basis of what I wanna do, I start it and then I take things as they come. That way, I’m never surprized and it’s a guarantee for me to have a laugh.”

Then, someone whispered a little too loudly, ‘Monster’, and that seemed to flip a switch, Joker went from the happy lunatic to an angry one.

“Monster? Oh, I’ll show you monster!” he shouted, swinging his gun towards the crowd, firing without glancing at the target. During his distraction, one of the security guards, one of the few who hadn’t been gassed by Joker, fired his gun, his bullet finding it mark in the madman’s shoulder. While the crowd began to breath a sigh of relief, a desperate cry tore through the building.

“Mar! No! Nonononononononono!! Please Mar, look at me. Firecracker, please.” Bruce begged, cradling his beloved’s face with one hand as he tried to apply pressure to the chest wound. Her dress, a beautiful baby blue floor length gown, was splattered with blood, the stain growing rapidly around her chest.

“B-B-Bruce?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m here. I’m here.” He whispered, tears falling freely down his face as the warmth of her blood seeped past his hand.

“I-its gonna be ok, Bruce. It’s not your fault, ok. It’s not your fault.” Marinette said, gasping for air.

“No! No, you cant say that! You can’t- I don- I can’t lose you too. Please.” Bruce said, tears blurring his vision, a lump forming in his throat.

She let go of the hand that was attempting to stop the bleed, gently cupping his face, forcing him to look at her. The feeling of her cold hand, sticky with warm, fresh blood sent a whole new wave of panic through him.

“I love you, Bruce.” His firecracker said, giving him the sweetest smile. Just as the clock struck midnight, her hand slipped from his face, leaving behind a bloody print.

It was exactly a year since that night. A year since she was gone, and nothing was the same. The manor was colder, the days bleaker. There was no light anymore. They should have been married. She should have been here with him. But she wasn’t. And here he was, alone, looking through one of her old sketch books. Trying to picture how she always stuck her tongue out when she was concentrating on a drawing. Remembering how she would light up was the image in her head began to take form on paper. Turning the page, Bruce stopped at one of the drawings, the one with the bat suit. The one of his firecracker’s ideal hero of Gotham.

~

“This is quiet something your asking Mr. Wayne. The details in this suit, well, they’re very specific.” Lucas Fox stated, looking up from the suit design the young Wayne brought in, requesting to be made, and he wasn’t joking. The instructions for the suit itself were incredibly specific. Just by looking at the diagrams and designs, they would need to be followed to the letter just to make it plausible.

“I know, and you’ll have full funding for it, but I want it exactly the same. I don’t want a thing changed. Especially the symbol.”

 @naclychilli

[teamoliv-archive]

Cutscene: Yellow-Eyed Monster Part 2

Lazuli spun her weapon in wide arcs, blocking and deflecting the oncoming blades that Auburn hurled at her. She was hoping to knock their trajectory off course so she couldn’t retrieve them, but even when parried away, they spun and returned to her.

“How do you like the new addition?” She taunts as the curved blades swirled back to her and locked back into the discs on her arms, which gave off a small glow as the blades returned. “I had this installed when you were busy starving in a cell.” She glares down at Lazuli with a grin on her face.

“I already heard about how you managed to get out, but the difference between then and now is that I know what you can do- and I’m ready for your fancy little trick; so come on, let’s see it!” She leaped from the rooftop and dove at her.

Lazuli braced for the impact, focusing again on parrying and dodging instead of attacking. Auburn’s blows felt heavier than they should have. She had no idea if that was a result of her not being fully recovered or if her opponent was just stronger than she used to be. With Auburn focusing on hurting her rather than the wounded huntress behind her, she didn’t have to worry about defending anyone but herself at the moment, but she still worried. One of Winterfang’s blades missed its parry and she readied herself for a hit from Auburn’s swipe, only for a shot to ring out.

Marianne was leaning against the wall, holding out her sword upright revealing the gun barrel on the side of the hilt. “You’re forgetting someone.” The scarred woman grimaced before snapping her good eye to Lazuli. “You have covering fire, girl! What are you doing?” She sounded more pleading than demanding. They both needed to do all they could to survive in a weakened state.

“Right!” Lazuli moves to attack while Auburn jumps out of the way, sending more blades out in wide arcs around the two. Shots and blows were made to try and deflect them, forcing them to return to their owner.

“Ugh... And here I was hoping this would be easy. Fine.” She plants her feet down and her shadow begins to spread around where she stood, coating the area in a twisted version of the landscape.

“This is all just an illusion,” Lazuli shouts to Marianne, “She’s trying to use the images and sounds to distract us. Just focus on where she is.” This was easier said than done. She heard a voice come from a lamp post.

“Come on! Where’s that semblance of yours?”

That was an unfortunately good question. she wasn’t too sure exactly how hers fully worked yet. She was thinking about something- almost like the fight was a secondary focus, but how did she do it last time? She stood still for a moment, trying to feel what it was that caused her semblance to activate during her fight with Jade. Now, it was only enough to distract her and take a blade to the shoulder.

“I knew you weren’t going to be able to do that twice. Now I get to take my time. Let’s get your leg next.” The blades came from a few directions, spinning and making a high-pitched laughing noise.

“That’s the spot.” Violet says, pointing out to the neighborhood where she fought Ivory and her allies earlier. Something was wrong with it, though. It was still covered in smoke from the fire. This wasn’t normal smoke, though. That looked familiar. 

“I don’t think we’re alone. One of the others that was with Ivory could make these weird eyes in the shadows.” She says, having difficulty explaining it, “Whatever’s happening down there, she either came back or never left that spot.”

Onyx winces as his ears pick up the distinct hiss of steel clashing and strange laughter. Someone was fighting down there. He glances to Violet and sternly nods, pointing to it and deploying his claws.

Deflecting the incoming blades was difficult when forced to stand still, but Marianne was managing as best as she could with Lazuli faltering. She stumbles forward, trying to join the young girl. “We need to get out of here. You’re still exhausted and I am in no condition to fight- URGH!”

Lazuli turns to catch the huntress as another spinning blade came from the back and sliced through her already battered cloak. It didn’t do a lot of damage through the woman’s armor but she couldn’t be taking other wounds. “You’re right, but I can’t get my semblance to work! I don’t know what I did! How are we going to get out?”

“Alright, that’s better. On the ground and pleading for your lives where you belong.” Auburn recalls her blades and takes a few steps forward, only for something to catch her leg and pull her forward. The look of shock on her face pierced through the haze of her semblance.

“Are you guys alright!?” Another girl jumped over the faltering Auburn and rushed to the two. “What’s going on here?” Was that... Lapis’s sister? She only saw her a few times when she had visited Beacon for the festival and once before at Atlas. What was she doing here?

That must be her, the sister Robin was so adamant about keeping away from his matters. Marianne spotted the resemblance quickly. “We are under attack and injured.” She explains.

“My brother went off to find who was responsible for the fires earlier. Someone’s in danger.” Lazuli paused, “You... You were on my brother’s team at Atlas, right!? Lapis Hamelin?”

“Hey! I’m not done with you yet!” Auburn gets to her feet and readies her weapons. She prepares to fling out her blades again, but feels her arm stopped as if someone came from behind and grabbed them. Looking to her elbow, she saw strands of wire wrapped around her arm.

The faunus on the other end of the wires stared with a confident smirk on his face. No, there will be no getting away from this. You have bigger problems to worry about now.

Violet ignores the trapped enemy behind her. Onyx could handle that. “Then we don’t have a lot of time. Onyx knows who’s responsible for that blaze and if we don’t do something, she’ll burn the whole city down! You said Lapis is here!? Which way did he go? There’s no way he can handle this by himself.”

“That way.” Lazuli says, motioning to where he had run off with the injured girl from before. “But we still have to take care of Auburn. She’s not going to stop if I run.”

“First thing’s first.” She pulls out a flare gun and tosses it to the injured woman who looked like she had been to hell and back in those fires. “You don’t look too good. Fire that and help will show up. There’s four shots. Get to safety and fire.”

“You’re with those Atlas soldiers then? Very well.” Without skipping a moment, she slowly started to slip through the nearby alley. “I will be fine if I don’t move quickly. Just go!” 

“I can show you which way my brother went. I know I’m not in great shape right now but I’m coming with you. He saved me, and now it’s time for me to help him, too. I can still fight.”

There wasn’t going to be any dissuading Lauzli otherwise, Violet could tell. If it was her brother she’d probably do the same thing. Hell, that is what she’s been doing. “Alright. Just be careful.”

Lazuli turns to Marianne with a concerned look. “Are you sure you’re going to be alright?”

Marianne stared at standoff between Onyx and Auburn. “I think I will be left in good hands- or claws in this case.”

“Let me go!” Auburn twisted and slashed at the wire, finally freeing herself and facing Onyx with an intense glare. “I don’t know who you think you are but you’re interrupting something really important! I don’t have time to put you in your place!”

Onyx stared back at Violet. There was no time, why was she still just standing there? He swung his arm at them to tell them to move, then he turned back to the girl in front of him. The message was pretty clear: I’ll handle this one. He watches Violet and Lazuli rush off while the older huntress ducked out of the fray.

“Give me one reason I should even bother with you. Who are you!? SAY SOMETHING!” Auburn says, readying her blades again. More wire sprayed around her faster than she saw coming. Dangling right in front of her was an old hospital tag. The name was crossed off and written over.

Jett Huldre Onyx Cheshire

Auburn took a step back. “No. That can’t be right!” She snaps her head up to Onyx and stares incredulously. “How are you alive!? Why are you here!? You were sold! Your parents were killed off! You were supposed to die as some rich asshole’s servant or something, not...”

Cheshire. Those were the people who were paying for Jade Leroux’s operations in the first place. He wasn’t just some operative. He had a brand new name- a family name. How did some doomed cousin she only ever heard horror stories about turn out to be not just a huntsmen but a rich one? “This isn’t how things are supposed to go. No, this isn’t right! How!? Come on, dammit, say something! Are you here just to taunt me!?”

Onyx stood without much fanfare. He still didn’t really know who this girl was or what his old name meant to her. Truth be told, however, he didn’t care. He opens his mouth and forces out a weak croak of a voice. It was painful to speak yet, but he was at least starting to manage again. It came out as a raspy whisper. “No... You’re just in the way. Will you continue to be?”

“I was supposed to be the one who survived, the one who proved we weren’t all weak. Why!? How did you take that away from me, too!? Jett, I am still standing in your way. I have a destiny! I’m going to be the one at the top of it all! Let that stupid little backwoods brat run. I have a bigger target now!”

Onyx forced another harsh-sounding reply. “Do not call me that. My name is Onyx Cheshire, and you will remember it. Prepare yourself.”

[tellywoodtrash]

ishqbaaz 18.07.17 lb

what a day. what a fucking day, yougaiz. i drove over 300 kms for a work meeting. and tomorrow, it’s over 100 kms. 😥😥😥

where’s my rude, rich teen naam waala asshole who’ll save me from having to hustle like this? coz i gotta say man, destiny’s child DID NOT sing about this part of being an #independentWoman. 😒😒😒

plain text version here. 

i am loving the healthy amount of fear omkara has developed for his wife after just one yelling. 😊😊😊

lmao how thick does he think his arms are, to cover up the entire room???? 🙄🙄🙄

heeee heee, the way he picked her up by the chin. such cute. 😚😚😚

bhavya’s inner police afsarni shall not be denied. 😐😐😐

omki’s tadi will work against these two, but what will happen when head bhaabi makes an appearance? 😋😋😋

lmaooooo, even he knows he can’t handle anika’s interrogation. 😆😆😆

project the video of om’s annoyed eye rolls on my gravestone, because that is my eternal #mood. 😕😕😕

okie, omki/gauri are just toooo fucking adorable with the casual face touching today. sho damn cute. 😍😍😍

yuuuuuuuuuup. here she issssssss. POPPPING UP LIKE A FUCKING JACK IN THE BOX. 😆😆😆

LMFAO OM’S HEART CLUTCHING SHOCK. (and gauri’s coordinated expression in the bg!) 😂😂😂😂

*sing song voice* bhaaaaabi, meri pyaari bhaaaaabi! 😊😊😊

i am dying. i am dyyyyyyyyying at the cute. 😭😭😭😭

shivaay’s turn to face the music. let’s see how well he fares. 😐😐😐

soooooo.... we’re not sticking to the “mujhe koi faraq nahi padta” plan, since we’re yelling about how worried we are about our ex husband? 🤔🤔🤔

“haanmainbilkultheekhoonmujhekaadhanahipeenahai.” lmao. in one breath. 😂😂😂

waah. i thought shivaay would be the worst of the three, but he was actually the best! i’m impressed! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

... hey you guys? is omki’s hair reminding anyone else of... 🤔🤔🤔

lol rudra has already taken on “chachu” duties. 😊😊😊

infighting among the ranks. oy vey. 😬😬😬

holy shit, canon confirmation that omki and riddhima were sexting/skype sexing when she was away. daaaamn, this show is very progressive. 😯😯😯

baby’s aankhein aren’t even remotely kanji though? 😟😟😟

um what are these faces shivaay is making? gross, yet mesmerizing. 😟😟😟 

wait. what even is this nonsense story about shivaay and some random girl in some random hotel????? fairly sure shivaay and tia were engaged 18 months ago? are we supposed to believe shivaay was hooking up with rando girls he met in a jungle then???? 😧😧😧 

that too, without checking their naam khoon and khaandan? super unlikely. 🙄🙄🙄

dna test. yup. because that’s worked out soooooooooo well every other time you people have gotten one in this show. 😑😑😑

pfffffft, one week for dna test? didn’t take that long for anika’s fake mom. 😕😕😕

aw, rudra’s up for taking care of baby. and they call him “the irresponsible one”. 😌😌😌

aaaaaaaaaaaand he’s jinxed it. 😣😣😣

shivaay’s reaction = me, whenever i hear a baby crying. i just can’t take that noise. i can’t. 🙉🙉🙉

meanwhile pinky is anticipating ~draaaaaaama and is ready with popcorn. 🙃🙃🙃

oh god i already know this is gonna blow up in her face and don’t wanna watch. 😑😑😑

tej’s evil smile though. 😈😈😈

god, do you think shivaay got his sheer foolish naivety from jhanvi? coz i don’t see anyone else in this house who could have taught him that. 😕😕😕

bored with this scene, so fwding. 🙄🙄🙄

but like... i think by this point human beings really should have evolved to have a “silent mode” button. it would be soooooo useful. 🤔🤔🤔

um that’s not jhoola jhulaana. 😗😗😗

*shivaay and om jhooling in sync* FLOW MEIN. RHYTHM MEIN.

i think i’m really super tired, coz i’m really finding this lameass crap funny. 😆😆😆

SUPPORT THE BABY’S HEAD, YOU FUCKING IDIOTS. MY GOD. THIS IS A DISASTER. 

snort, nakuul’s getting to use his latin ballroom dance skillz. to rock a baby. 😂😂😂😂

rudra chachu is the best. 😘😘😘

omkara chachu tho......... 😗😗😗

ok seriously, i do not want kids, and shivaay is mostly meh on most days, but shivaay + baby is doing things to me. 😥😥😥

even if you don’t watch the whole episode, please watch the weird robotic vibrating shivaay is doing at the 17:10 minute mark. 😂😂😂

“rudra naach raha hai... woh bhi, mujre waali ki taraah!” 

um please. not to insult mujra, which is based on kathak, like this. 😒😒😒

i love how gauri shut anika’s bhaujai’s eyes to shield her from this unholy sight. 😊😊😊

pfffffffft. what nonsense. let them dance however they want. you girls are annoying. 😒😒😒

“tsk tsk tsk, koiiii toh rok loooooo! omkara ji ruk jaiyeeee, nahi dekha jaaa rahaaaaaaaa!😫😫😫” 

so then maybe stop watching? 😐😐😐

but she also has a fair point, that kunal/om is a terrible dancer. and truly, nahi dekha jaa raha. 😫😫😫

om to rudra: teri waali bohut interrogation karti hai yaaaar. 

and the other two don’t? 😑😑😑

lmaoooooo gauri/anika’s faces at rudra’s fake smile. 😆😆😆

rudra: kitniiiiii sawaal karti hai yeh ladkiyaan. omkara: especially teri waali. *poking rudra in the chest* shivaay: aur meri waali. i mean... meri.... ex. 

sure bro. sure. 🙄🙄🙄

FALSE ALARM! DANCE, MONKEYS, DANCE! 🐒🐒🐒

all you need to know about this track is in the following two pics: 

(yes, that is shivaay, frantically dancing ghaati-style to placate a crying baby.)

wow. khanna doing his duty for once. 😐😐😐

gauri’s MAA!!!!!! 😯😯😯

oh hey samar. ‘sup. long time no see. 😊😊😊

a ha! we have a photo of the chick who provokes samar to have day drinking sessions in the chawl. and his chehre ka grief makes me think she’s.... dead? 🤔🤔🤔

yup. she’s defiiiiiinitely connected to the chawl. and he’s not happy with the way shivaay is demanding the chawl that’s connected to lady love. 😐😐😐

here’s naagini. on her standard diet of Angry Cucumbers. 😕😕😕

daaaaaamn. she a selfish brat. let a boy cry in peace over his lost love, bitch. 😒😒😒

god, samar. you’re too nice. tell her to gtfo. 😒😒😒

“ragini, insaan ka APNE dil pe zor nahi chalta, toh kisi aur ke dil pe kya chalega? shivaay tumse pyaar nahi karta, ismein koi aur kya kar sakta hai?”

samar is too sane for this show. and to be related to ragini. 😔😔😔

also, that was NOT the reply ragini was looking for. 😬😬😬

samar is trying to plead ragini to see sense, but... a naagini’s gotta do her naagino waali harkatein. 🐍🐍🐍

man, i am really feeling for poor sweet samar. why is he so sad? come here, child. *adopts him into my never-ending menagerie of broken and sad adults who need a hug* 😚😚😚🤗🤗🤗

oh shit, what is she gonna make this bechaara bhaiyya of hers do? 😟😟😟

i love how omkara just starts screaming NAACH! NAAACH! like gabbar the moment the baby starts crying. 😂😂😂

... om’s idea is going to be to use gauri’s god idol clothes for the baby, isn’t it? 😐😐😐

oh god, gauri’s mom is here to meet daamadji. what amazing timing. i’m sure he’ll make a splendid first impression on saasuma. 😗😗😗

... why is mom talking about death more than average desi mom? 🤔🤔🤔

YAAAAAAAAAAS TIME FOR “PRETENDING LIKE WE ARE IN A LOVING AND TOTALLY OK RELATIONSHIP” TROPE!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAAAAS BITCH YAAAAAAAAS!!!!!!!!!! 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽

omkara can instantly read wife and her ghabraahat/pareshaani now. niiiiiiiiiice. 😏😏😏

gauri is on a no-holds-barred feminist rant about how she will wear what she likes, no matter what om thinks of them. you go girl! naaari ssssakti jindabaad! ✊🏽✊🏽✊🏽

desi men’s reaction to a girl asserting herself:  

“sssshhhh. that’s enough now. you’re here to be pretty and be a baby making machine. not have opinions.”

ok the EXTREME closeups are not only creepy af, but they’re highlighting every imperfection of shrenu’s skin and makeup. please stop. 😬😬😬

kunal seems to have relatively nice skin though. 😌😌😌

he seems to enjoy doing this a lot lately, doesn’t he? this is his “move”, like shivaay’s is the “twist arm behind and draw her up against him”. 😏😏😏

ok the editing and everything of this scene is very weird and i don’t like it. it could have been a really nice, kinda romantic scene, but it just looks creepy af. 😕😕😕

omg, omki got his own version of the 2005 P&P hand flex. *swoooons* 

god, he’s so gentle and nice and kind with her now. 😭😭😭😭😭

lol, he got the door of his OWN room slammed in his OWN face. 😂😂😂

oh omki. my precious little button. i love you. 😘😘😘😘

ok samar is freaking out at ragini’s plan. meaning it’s a level of unprecedented crazy, even for her. 😐😐😐

gotta love ragini’s beatific smile at her own evil genius. 😈😈😈

oh god, it involves shivaay “having hamdardi” for her. what does she want him to do? beat her up? 😟😟😟

oh boyyyyyyyy. she DOES. 😯😯😯

man, samar is such a good brother. he deserves a way better sister. 😕😕😕

hey samar, disown this one and adopt anika. she could use a big, powerful brother like you, and you could use a less crazy sister. 😌😌😌

“agar aap nahi karenge, toh mujhe kisi random insaan se karwaana hoga.” 

oh yikes. why are you doing this to poor samar, naaginiiiiiii? 😥😥😥

my exact face, when someone baby talks around me: 

.... is he just putting the new clothes on top of the old, wet ones? 😕😕😕

lolllllll om’s unabashed glee and shivaay’s nonplussed look at rudra getting kicked, besttttttt. 😂😂😂

OMFG SHIVAAY SNARKY BABY TALKING. 🤣🤣🤣

omki’s turn. 

aaaaaaaaaaand fail. 👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽

shivaay’s turn. 

why the fuck is he putting the clothes ON TOP of the existing clothes? is that their plan? to just keep adding layers? what about the diaper? does this plan apply there too? 😒😒😒

girl gang’s vocabulary is all one grand jumble of each others’ catch phrases. nice. 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽

oh boy. they’re gonna do team work. 😟😟😟

neither shivaay nor rudra know who dhritarashtra is. amazing. 🙄🙄🙄

THEY’RE GOING TO DO THIS WITH THEIR EYES CLOSED. BECAUSE OF COURSE, WHY NOT. 😑😑😑

who the fuck cares about a human baby’s wellbeing so little that they’d leave it at the mercy of these three fucking idiots? honestly. 😒😒😒

why are they making the lijjat paapad bunny noises at the baby? 😟😟😟

haha awwww, baby kaanhaa. 😊😊😊

THEIR WONDERSTRUCK “I’VE SEEN GOD” FACES. 😂😂😂

hahahaha awwww, rudra utaarofying nazar of baby. toooo cute. 😊😊😊

shivaay is adamant prescriber of “dancing makes the baby happy” philosophy and is going allllllllllllll out. 😊😊😊

ugh nakuul’s hamming though. cannot tolerate. will be fwding. 😒😒😒

please tell me the girls find the baby at least tomorrow. cannot tolerate a one whole other hour of this. 😑😑😑

[nezzfiction]

ENMY Chapter 39 - All’s Fair in Love and War

Chapter Synopsis: While Team ENMY finishes the last of their fights, Neo has a personal vendetta to carry out. However way the grudge settles, things between Yang and Neo will cease to be the same. Revenge or Ruby.

Series Synopsis:

Team RWBY is disbanded, and Yang must find herself new allies. For her, that might very well be yesterday’s enemies. Joining up with the likes of Emerald, Mercury, and Neo, the four will comprise Team Enemy.

Links to read the series: Ao3 or FF.net

Or hit the jump below

All’s Fair in Love and War

.

“…”

.

.

At the Tower of Tamonten, Emerald tried to peer through the surrounding whirlwind.

With a hand shielding her eyes from the sun, she stood in the opening caused by one of Diana’s or Apollo’s arrows. Struggling to see any sign of Yang and Mercury’s battle, she squinted.

“Nope. Nothing. You know, if they weren’t trying to kill us, I wouldn’t mind having them on-hand for hire. Sniping us from that far away, through all this crap? It’s impressive. Could give Inna a good run for her money,” Emerald mused. “How are they doing, by the way?”

Neo cast her an annoyed frown. A palm-sized glass fragment in her hand.

“I know that’s the hundredth time I’ve asked, but you’re the only one who can see them.”

She held up the A-Okay sign. Shortly after, a distant explosion echoed from afar.

“Nice. Think you can warp them back now?”

Neo thought for a moment, then shook her head.

“What? Why? You’ve still got a little Aura and Dust left,” Emerald commented, while viewing her team’s monitors on her scroll.

Neo only shook her head again.

“Tired? I guess, I did say to conserve your strength. Do they have their own way back?”

She nodded.

“Hm, should be fine, then.”

The moment Emerald turned to face back outside, Neo started to move. Steps made as light and as quiet as possible to avoid alerting anyone.

There was a greater reason she didn’t want to teleport Mercury and Yang back immediately. And it had nothing to do with being tired or conserving her strength.

Closer and closer, Neo inched to Ruby. Little coughs escaped the girl, still feeling the hit she took to the solar plexus. She failed to notice her predator.

Like a spider creeping towards its meal, Neo advanced with cane-sword in hand. Only a few paces until she was primed to strike.

“Neo?”

She stopped.

“What are you doing?” Emerald asked, without turning around.

Neo didn’t respond.

*Sigh* “Damn it. We just finished fighting for our lives, like, twice today.”

Emerald strode from her waiting spot, and planted herself between Neo and Ruby.

“Yang totally called it. And normally, I’d never get in the way of your stabby-stabby fun time, but…” She whipped out her dual pistols. “…I made Yang a promise. I don’t let you do anything to Ruby until she’s around.”

Neo’s eyes went sharp, as they glared at her teammate. Her jaw tightened, and she scraped the point of her umbrella against the floor. Back and forth. Mind-numbing screeches, likened to nails on a chalkboard cried out.

“After what’s happened today, I can’t believe this, right here,

Is the moment I’m actually afraid I might die...”

.

* * * * *

.

“It cannot be my place to die here. Please, I will give you anything to spare my life,” a man in an expensive suit pleaded.

“What can you offer someone that has everything he wants?”

Adam broke into a sinister smile, while hovering his katana around Sable’s layered neck.

Raven looked on at the interrogation with disinterest. Her apprentice had grown to be quite the boring sadist under Salem’s thumb. But she supposed it was that very aspect that made him a good hound. Rabid, immoral, simple to please, and a certain pension to rely on baser instincts. Not to mention the ease in manipulability.

The Witch had learned her lesson after Raven’s betrayal.

She breathed a tired sigh.

Currently, White Fang members were looting the Sable estate. The Faction was also in the process of dissolving into the lesser families. Apparently, the House was originally intended to remain intact, but something unexpected occurred.

The result of some broken contract, if Raven had to guess.

“If you have nothing you desire, I’ll simply provide you with something you’ve never known,” Sable negotiated.

“Like, what?”

“Depends on your interests. You are a warrior, so… weapons, perhaps? I’ve collected a vast number of treasured arms over the years. Stored in a secret vault only I know the location of. Unique, ancient, and powerful. They can be yours.”

“Interesting.”

Raven smirked, thinking that the Heads of Houses really were formidable in their own rights. Having a katana pressed against his neck did nothing to dull Sable Shell’s nerves or wit.

She pulled out her scroll to check it.

Still no answer from Yang.

Things are going to play out a lot differently than scripted.

Raven made a self-deprecating smile.

Maybe Vermillion’s last curse was the real deal, after all.

At that moment, a small Grimm bird perched on her shoulder. The sight of it caught Adam’s attention as well.

“Some unforeseen circumstance has arisen,” Salem’s voice drifted from it. “Adam. Stop playing with your food.”

The swordsman drew his katana through Sable’s throat right away. And the business tycoon collapsed to the floor, desperately trying to keep his blood from spurting out.

Formidable, yes. But what’s a rich man’s wealth to a bloodthirsty dog? Raven thought.

“That’s better. Now, the next phase of your mission may require some… adaptation on your part. Due to the incompetence of parties not worth mention, your task has become that much more difficult.”

“Lost a few pawns, have we?” Raven mocked.

“Now, now. There is no need for petty barbs.

I wish you and Adam the best of luck.”

.

* * * * *

.

With a crash landing, on the air skiff they stole from the twins, Yang and Mercury made their clumsy return to the Tower.

“Couldn’t you land this any softer?” Mercury complained, while rubbing his head.

“I don’t see them. Ruby’s missing too.”

“Your sister’s probably dead.”

“I can’t get them on comms. You’re not the least bit worried about Emerald?”

“I would, but she’s probably dead too.”

“Mercury…”

“What? Also, where should I put these?”

His thumb pointed to the unconscious Diana and Apollo Black, who they ultimately decided not to kill. Yang’s excuse being, live messengers made better statements than dead ones.

“Fine. Stay here and watch them.”

“You sure that’s smart?”

“You’re a big boy, Merc. I think you’re old enough to know scaring your enemies is better than pissing off more of them.”

“I don’t know that.”

Yang rolled her eyes and ran off to search for Emerald, Neo, and Ruby.

Meanwhile at the bottom level, Emerald draped Ruby’s arm over her shoulder. The two trying their best to put distance between them and the psychopath chasing them.

“Why are you helping me?” Ruby groaned.

“Cause I’ve always wanted star in my own horror-thriller.”

“…”

“Why do you think? Yang asked me to—at least, to try my best anyway.”

“Why? Yang doesn’t care about me. She killed Qrow.”

“Listen to you. Your sister’s punch make you braindead too?”

Emerald continued to drag Ruby around, trying to keep away from the sound of Neo’s footsteps. Once or twice, she drew her pistol and fired a couple rounds back. It wasn’t very effective.

Not only that, but Neo was especially resistant to the effects of her hallucinations.

That didn’t take long.

*SCCRRREEEEECCHHHH*

Neo strutted across their escape route. She flicked up her umbrella dragging behind her, and started spinning it. She could’ve attacked, but decided to wait for something.

“Welp! That’s game over. Can’t say I didn’t try. Sorry, Ruby, but I’m not willing to do any more than this. You’re on your own.”

Emerald let Ruby’s arm go, and the young girl dropped to her knees. Emerald then, made a clear step to the side.

Neo nodded, as if to say, “a wise choice.”

With a swift twirl, she unsheathed her full blade. Neo prodded the top of Ruby’s head with its tip. Now, there was no escape. A quiet fury emanated from her demeanor.

She wanted to see fear in Ruby, the little girl who took Torchwick away from her. Neo wanted suffering. She wanted tears. She wanted screams.

“I’m sorry.”

“…”

“I’m sorry for what happened to Torchwick.”

“…!”

There was no desperation or cowardice in Ruby’s tone. It offered Neo no consolation.

She inched the pointed steel into the girl’s skin, and drew blood. A steady stream of it leaked down Ruby’s face. She wanted this brat to anguish, but it failed to take.

Ruby only tilted her head up to stare into her eyes. With an expression so calm and serene, accepting of her fate, there was only peace.

That made Neo’s hatred flare once more.

She pulled back her cane sword as high as she could. Then, stabbed down with all her might.

…

The sight of Yang gave Neo pause.

Her sword pierced into Yang’s prosthetic. It entered the palm and bore its way through to the end of the elbow. Pieces of armor and engine were skewered instantaneously.

“AGHH!! Freakin’ synchronizer…! Feels like my arm really got…!” she gasped for breath. “Anyway. Hey, baby♥~ What’s up?”

“…!”

Neo pulled back, and some of the inner wirings came free. Yang fell forward with the momentum. Her good hand rapidly worked to disconnect Ember Celica from her bicep.

“We’re done with work,” Yang smiled with sweat dripping from her face. “So, how about we go and get some ice cream? Come on, what do you say?”

Neo’s expression twisted in pain for a moment, before her viciousness returned.

She walked around to get another angle on Ruby, but Yang blocked her again.

“Neo, I need you to—“

Without waiting for Yang to finish her sentence, Neo kicked her in the face and stabbed again.

The sword was parried by the girl’s remaining hand. A long gash cut across her forearm. Blood dripped freely from the wound.

“Gah…!”

“Yang!” Ruby sobbed. “Why are you doing this?”

“Not right now, Ruby…!”

“I don’t understand—“

“Ruby. Shut up, and move!”

Neo tried a feint, and then came from above. But Yang grabbed the scruff of Ruby’s hood to pull her away.

They ended up tumbling across the floor, still whole.

“Neo! I won’t let you do this!”

“…!”

“I can’t!”

Yang exhaled an exhausted breath.

Taking out Qrow, the assassin twins, getting here and receiving Neo’s attack. All of it left Yang barely able to move. A loss of her senses was starting to set in.

“You get it, right?” she tried. “If you want to kill Ruby, you have to kill me too.”

Neo shook her head.

“Come on, you had to see this cliché coming.”

“I did,” Emerald commented from the sidelines.

“See? Emerald did,” Yang coughed. “……I guess, you were ready too. Cause you look like you’re gonna try… what I wanted to. Which is, knock me out first so I can’t do anything. Heh!”

She shakily got up to her feet.

“Problem with that is…”

Neo dashed forward, at the same time, Yang activated her Semblance. With her injured arm, she threw a body blow aimed right for the liver.

Neo staggered, and Yang felt the punch find purchase.

But to her dismay, the girl was still standing. Not only that, but Neo took the blow and continued towards Ruby. She had prepared and braced for it, despite the connection.

It was a pathetic try, after all…

I nailed that shot in sparring, so Neo revealed it on purpose to bait me.

Damn it…

As Neo went for another thrust, Yang caught the blade with her bare hand. The sharp steel stopped only millimeters away from braining Ruby between the eyes. In fact, it still could, since the sword was slippery with blood.

Yang focused every ounce of her willpower into holding it tight.

Neo gave her an empty frown. It wouldn’t take much. A flick of her wrist and she’d filet Yang’s fingers off like sausage links. It would be so easy.

While Neo contemplated it, Yang used her brute strength to throw the girl back.

Her left arm was quickly becoming a mangled piece of flesh. She was so close to just keeling over. And Neo had an idea of what to do.

The petite girl launched another thrust at Ruby, but angled it oddly.

When Yang went to block again, the point of attack changed direction. Neo sunk the sword into Yang’s left shoulder, down to the hilt.

Her back met the wall, and she was nailed to it. The pain she was already experiencing, doubled-over. It wasn’t just the damage, but the threat that lay there.

If Yang moved wrong, she could easily lose her remaining arm.

Neo revealed her sadness at having to resort to that.

She let go of the handle, and tiptoed to brush the bangs from Yang’s forehead. As if to say, “Understand? It’s over”, Neo planted a gentle kiss there.

Don’t screw with me.

…

Don’t screw with me!

When Neo turned away, Yang grasped her collar and pulled her close again.

“You think I’ll give up if it’s to save my arm?”

The wound was excruciating, but she blocked it out.

“I’ll give you my arm. I’ll give you my life. I already prepared myself to give you everything!”

“…”

“It’s not even about Ruby, anymore. I decided this a long time ago.”

“…?”

“I love you…”

“…”

“But I can’t love you, if you kill Ruby. Do you understand that?”

Neo met her gaze and tried to break away, but Yang held her in a death grip.

“If you think I’ll want revenge after this, I won’t. If you think I can forgive you with time, I won’t. You’ll never see me again.”

“…”

“Do you think anyone could ever love you like I do?”

“…?”

“I’m one of a kind, you know… You’ll never meet someone like me, not for the rest of your life,” Yang panted. “No one will care. No one will matter. Not like I do.”

“…!”

She tried to wrench Yang’s hand off, but couldn’t.

“Is some dead guy more important than me?”

“…!!!”

Neo punched Yang’s cheek.

“Hahaha…That’s the first time you’ve ever punched me. I didn’t know you could.”

She punched her again.

“No one will ever be nice to you, like I am. No one else will feel warm, like I do. I’m all you’ve got, Neo. I’m the only real thing in your life.”

“…!!!”

“And I don’t want to lose you either. I love you, and I don’t want to stop loving you.”

“…..!!!!!”

Unfair! Neo screamed inside, through the tears streaming down her face.

Unfair!

Always unfair!

This person,

Ever since this person appeared

Has always been unfair to me!

I hate you!

“Hahaha…! Yeah.” Dark circles were forming around Yang’s eyes. “It’s such a dirty trick—but I don’t care. I’ll resort to anything right now…”

Get out of my way!

“Not gonna. Only this one time… probably.”

I have to kill Ruby!

“You don’t have to do anything. Just do nothing.”

I can’t let her live! I’ll never forget what she’s done! I’ll never forgive her!

“I’m not asking you to forgive or forget anything. I’m telling you to understand there’s nothing more important to you than me. Not Torchwick, not revenge, nothing. Or else,” Yang showed a crooked grin. “I think my pride might get a little hurt.”

You don’t understand!

“I don’t. I also don’t care.”

You’re so selfish!

“Ehehe… I’m also a little jealous. You’re all mine… I don’t want you to put anything above me.”

You’re so stupid! I hate you!

“…Your influence caused this.”

I wish you’d die!

“If you could kill me… you would’ve done it already♪”

“…”

“Come on, baby… Just… Just let this go… For me?”

The numbness that had been spreading in Yang’s body was almost finished running its course.

Why can’t you just let me have this?

“I’m giving you my everything already… and you still want more? Heh… don’t be so greedy…”

“…”

“Mmm…”

The light was fading from Yang’s eyes.

…

“I love you… Neo…”

She lost consciousness, and any tension in her muscles released.

The blade still stuck to her shoulder would have severed her arm, but Neo quickly took it out, and supported Yang’s limp frame.

Unfair.

This person is so unfair…

She saw Ruby out the corner of her eye, but the body in her arms held her down. Neo hadn’t really noticed how heavy Yang was till now. How much she weighed on her. Not just physically.

…

…

“…aah…ah….”

“aaAahHHhHhHHHHH!!!”

Neo’s vocal cords strained, as she cried.

It hurt so much, but she couldn’t stop.

And there, she stayed for a while.

The not-so-quiet girl holding her love in her arms.