#attention! incoming radar

[cordyce]

imagine having play fights with ao'nung

don’t do this to me …….

it always starts out so innocent too! ao’nung mouths something off with that stupid smirk that’s always curving up his lips and you reach over to smack the back of his head. you turn to walk away and he’s immediately pulling at your tail with a laugh. feigning gasps, mocking faux anger you turn back around on him. pushing and shoving as laughs leave your mouths—but it isn’t fully a game.

how could it be? with how competitive the two of you are. play fighting with ao’nung always starts off innocent, yes, but it never ends up that way. because light pushes turn a little harder, jabs turn more frequent. and nine times out of ten play fights with ao’nung always end with the two of you rolling around on the ground scrapping like two year olds over a toy ilu. and—nine times out of ten—it’s usually you who gets pinned to the ground.

“i win,” he simpers, pride lacing his voice as he straddles your stomach and holds your wrists to the sand. “as always. you know, really, you could at least try.”

and you roll your eyes. huff at him as you (hardly) try to free yourself. “oh, you know. didn’t want to bruise your ego too much by absolutely stomping you.”

and he’ll laugh at that, quirk a brow ridge up at you like he’s looking for a round two. then, he leans a little closer, gets in your face.

“tell you what,” he offers, “gimme a kiss and i’ll count this as your win.”

you contemplate it, roll it around on your tongue. then you nod with a hum. “okay, deal.”

and he’s all too eager, too willing, to drop his guard and lean in to kiss you. it’s sweet, the kiss—as it always is. and you do indulge him in it, truly. but ao’nung is just so gullible sometimes when he’s getting what he wants, and he just melts so easily for you.

so the second you feel his grip on your wrists loosening just the slightest bit, you’re bucking your legs out from under him and twisting around until it’s him who is pinned to the ground. your hands on his shoulders, your thighs straddling his waist—he looks up incredulously at you as he rushes for a breath.

“i win,” you taunt—mock—as a smirk of your own stretches across your face. and ao’nung begins to ramble, dispute your claims of victory, but you simply lean down to kiss him again just to shut his conceited ass up. and it works, like a charm. like it always does.

yeah, play fighting with ao’nung is.. fun.

[tetzoro]

HELP ME HELP YOU — ༉‧₊˚.

ft. dick grayson !

꒰ SYNOPSIS ꒱ : poison ivy has been flying under the radar and weaponizing her pollen to fellow criminals. it’s a shame you and dick find out the hard way.

꒰ CONTENTS ꒱ : MDNI. f!reader. dub-con bc of sex pollen (they’ve both been pining for each other tho), dry humping, slight exhibitionism, unprotected sex, oral (f + m receiving, 69, face sitting), cum eating, multiple orgasms, missionary, mating press, cowgirl, pet names (baby, pretty), praise, creampies, mentions of breeding, light impact play (slaps your thigh once), begging, mentions of sweat and saliva, slight overstimulation, almost pure smut tbh it’s just filth — WC : 6.1k

꒰ NOTES ꒱ : mind the tags !! i’ve been wanting to write a sex pollen fic for so long i’m so excited i finally did it ! enjoy !!

reblogs and interactions are always appreciated ! (*ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)ᰔ*.ﾟ

another drizzly night in gotham, filled with blaring police sirens and a heavy dose of crime. patrol was going as planned for the most part. apprehending a few criminals here and there, but nothing major. to dick, it was a semi-quiet night. one that left him reflecting on his life or rather, his recent choices.

truth be told, he had missed gotham. even though it wasn’t in a much better state when he had left, a large part of him knew he belonged here. bludhaven had been a good experience for him to try and break away, start his own thing. but when it came down to it, he missed it here. missed the people here, some more than others.

dick eventually got a tip from tim, stating that there were a couple of criminals causing a scene a few blocks down the road. he made it there quickly, only to run into you.

normally, it wasn’t a rare sight to see you out on patrol at the same time as him, but lately, it’s been harder to be around you. he knew he was developing feelings for you, no, he already had feelings for you. but it was all so confusing. the two of you had been friends for so long, since you were teenagers.

but then he left and you stayed. even though he’s been back for about a month, it still feels like he doesnt get to see enough of you. and when he’s finally around you, he just doesn’t know how to act anymore. 

“and here i thought you’d never show up, nightwing.” you tease, getting ready to apprehend the criminals that were trying to make their next move. he easily side stepped to get into a closer range to them, ready to bring them down with you. but truthfully, a large part of his focus wasn’t on them at all.

“you know i can never resist.” he smirks. the two of you start fighting off the criminals, landing quick, steady punches. 

“resist showing off, you mean.” you scoff, swinging your fist around, lodging it in one of the criminals' sides.

“ouch,” dick takes out one of his batons, twirling it around in his hand before using it against one of the enemies. “and here i was going to help you out of the goodness of my heart, my mistake.”

the two of you move in sync, your fighting styles mimicking each other as you attempt to take down the criminals. even though it’s been awhile, the two of you mesh well together just like old times.

“why don’t you sit back and watch how it’s done, boy wonder.” you drop down, palm hitting the pavement as you dodge an incoming attack. you use the momentum to sweep your feet under the apprehender, knocking him on his back. 

“i must’ve struck a nerve for you to use that nickname on me.” he smirked, trying to see how far he can crawl under your skin. the criminals were still trying to fight you both, but it was a cakewalk for him. he’d rather just stand around and tease you all night if he could.

“you’re always on my nerves.” you huff, pushing a villain off of you, watching them hobble backwards before you ready for another attack.

“gotta get your attention somehow, don’t i?” he hit one of the criminals in the gut, trying to swiftly take him down.

before you can retort, you hear something clink to the floor near dick before gas starts to surround it. you both pause, attention shifting on the strange device. the criminals use the momentary lapse to their advantage.

“that’ll keep them busy for awhile.” one of the criminals snicker as they make their escape. you take a step towards them but dick holds you back, his hand gripping onto you.

something felt like it was crawling up his spine, a heat that grew more the longer he touched you. 

“what are you doing?” you question him, ripping your arm from his hold. but then he realized, not touching you sent spikes of pain throughout his body, yearning for some sort of relief that he didn’t know how to get.

he tries to shake it off to focus on the task at hand, pressing against his ear piece, trying to contact tim.

“nightwing.” tim greets as he presses the button. dick crouches down to look at the device the criminals threw, your eyes tracking his movements with curiosity. “report?”

“looks like the criminals threw a toxin at us, i’m not sure what it is but it let out a puff of gas when it hit the ground. judging by the design of it i’d say,” dick pauses, eyes widening as he flips it over in the palm of his hand. a small, green plant painted onto the side of the device. “ivy.”

“alright, report back to the batcave. there’s been rumors that she’s been weaponizing her special pollen so we will have an antidote ready. did anyone else get hit? or are you alone?” tim replies, typing away on his keyboard.

dick looks over at you, holding your gaze for a moment. his mouth feels dry, words lodged in his throat as his body shivers. he tells tim he’s with you.

“dick, whatever you do, do not give into any urges, okay? christ, i didn’t know she’d be out on patrol too, she wasn’t even scheduled.” the frustration in his voice is tinged with anxiety and panic, knowing fully well the extent of getting hit by ivy’s pollen. “both of you get back here immediately. signing off.”

“affirmative.” dick nods, letting tim break the line for now. his eyes hadn’t left yours and he watched as you back up towards the wall behind you. he mirrors your movements, his thoughts growing hazier by the second. his more primal urges start to fight logic, a new battle unfolding in his mind.

he holds onto the wall, planting his back firmly against it as his hands form a fist. the sensation is back again, prickling under his skin like an itch he can’t scratch. it’s driving him mad, sweat starting to coat his body. everything was hot, searing. any self control he had was quickly slipping through his fingers, his heart racing out of his chest. 

even looking at you seems to make it worse, so he keeps his head against the wall, looking up at the dark sky as he tries to find the strength to move. he needs a plan, something to grasp and ground him to reality before he throws caution to the wind and takes you right here in this alleyway.

so he decides he just… won’t give in. that’s it, he’ll stay on this side of the wall while you stay on the other and then you go back to the cave and get the antidote. perfect.

“dickie.” or well, it would’ve been. his attention reluctantly goes over to you as you use his nickname, eyes burning trying to keep them on your face. but the way your voice sounded, the lilt of desperation packed into it had him curious. his eyes trail down your body, watching the way your chest heaves up and down, your thighs clenching together.

“yeah?” he swallows, eyes averting to the ground, his fingers curling deeper into his fist until he’s sure his nails are about to break the skin. 

“it hurts.” you all but whimper and his resolve cracks in half. it was always his dream to be your hero, to be someone you look up to and respect. being your knight in shining armor and eventually wooing you over one day. with the way your voice sounded, he needed to save you, do anything to make you feel better. seeing you in pain like this clawed at his heart, leaving his chest wide open. “please, i don’t know what to do.”

he’s never seen you look so helpless. you’ve always had an air of confidence about you whenever you put on your suit. you took being a hero seriously, one of the many things he admired about you. but this? he’s never seen you like this. and it stirred something within him.

he swallows thickly, trying to grab control of his thoughts once again, gripping onto logic even though the pollen was directly challenging it. one by one, another decent thought slips out of his hold and is instantly replaced with one that was much more improper. the kind of thoughts he’s tried his best to repress, especially when it comes to you.

“i know.” he says, tim’s word of caution fleeting from his mind. pressing himself off against the wall, he bounds over to you, finding himself directly in front of you, his palm pressed against the wall by your head. you gasp and it takes every last bit of him to not devour your sweet sounds. “fuck, we have to get back to the cave.”

your eyes flutter shut as his words breathe across your face, the raspy tone from his voice luring you in. 

“please.” you say again, the words barely above a whisper.

the rubber band snaps and the tension breaks, your bodies surging towards each other, clicking into place as your lips finally collide. the pollen saturating every nerve in your body, an overwhelming tsunami threatening to consume you and take him down with you.

but he wasn’t faring any better. his hands were shaking with need, his movements clumsy, not because they weren’t practiced, but because he had never needed anything more in his life.

he kisses you with a bruising force he usually reserves for when he fights, unable to hold himself back as the pollen dances throughout his veins chanting more, more, more.

visions invade his mind, betraying all the walls he’s so carefully put in place over the years. the amount of times he’s dreamed of having you, the amount of times he’s fisted his cock to the thought of you, was all coming to a burning point. if he didn’t have you now, it felt like his body would disintegrate. 

a groan rips from his throat, rumbling against your lips as he tries to devour you. his hands roam all over your body, almost kneading against every part of you to get a proper feel. but it wasn’t enough.

“have to feel you, please- need you closer.” he manages to choke out, his plump lips swollen with your passion, his dark blue eyes blown all the way out into a dark, stormy abyss. with a small nod of your head, he’s pushing you against the wall, slipping his thigh between your legs. he grinds against your hips, seeking out any sort of relief while also trying to provide you some.

the kiss is hardly graceful — teeth clashing against each other, trying to consume the other. there’s no fight for dominance, no careful hesitance, just pure unabridged desperation. he feels you reach for your mask, already trying to take off anything that serves as a barrier between you and him.

“f-fuck, wait, keep your mask on. we can’t-“ he didn’t finish the sentence as you rolled your hips against him instead, body jerking in his hold. somehow the gravity of the situation rings in his head for a moment. “shit, wait, we should talk about this, right?”

“we’re just helping each other out,” you gasp, kissing along his jaw. your fingers dig into his biceps, voice straining as you try to keep yourself together for a moment. “it hurts so much, i can’t stand it. help me and i’ll help you.”

“can’t say no to that logic.” he picks you up, pressing you against the wall as he presses his aching cock to your core. the relief it brought had his eyes rolling to the back of his head, gripping onto you tighter as his body reacts in a way it’s never done before.

he grinds against your clothed cunt, the fabric of your suits making it easier to hurriedly slide against each other. he wishes he could feel how tightly you’d wrap around him instead of this but he needed release now, and this was the quickest way to get it.

and you’re just as bad as him, bucking your hips against him to gain any sort of friction, your hands pawing all over his body.

“please-“ you whine in his ear, “stop teasing me, let me feel you.” your body felt on fire, something crackling just beneath the surface. the friction you were getting wasn’t enough, giving you pleasure but you also craved more.

“c-can’t.” he gasps, moving his hips faster as he feels a high coming on. “m’close.”

it was all building up deep within him, pleasure fighting pain and hurtling him towards the unknown. but he knew it would help, god, he knew anything with you would save him somehow.

his aching cock was still pressed up against the tight suit he had on, throbbing and pulsing as if it was trying to make its great escape. but the sound of your moan brought him back to the moment, the sweet mewl tumbling out of your lips as you reach your high. it sends him over the edge, cumming in his suit, hips stuttering against yours.

after a moment to catch your breath, you look at each other. the pain and fire are still as strong as ever, in fact, it might even be worse now. he needs to be inside you, feeling your warm walls hold onto him as he releases load after load deep within you.

“we need to-.” he pauses, breath hitching as you start rubbing against him again. the words die in his throat, no longer thinking of the batcave and the antidote. 

“i need more, please we can’t stop here.” you whine, looking up at him. whatever you were doing felt so good, feeding into the unstoppable desire that ignited in him. 

“we need to find somewhere to go.” he decides, holding onto you tightly.

“there’s a safehouse close by.” you suggest and suddenly it was like a veil was lifted. the fog cleared, and all he could see was you. your unfocused eyes, the way you pawed at him, he knew exactly what to do.

“i know the one, let’s go.” he grabs your hand, practically running down the street with you dragging behind him. but you manage to keep up with him. he’s relieved that no one is really out here, even though the night life was never tame in gotham, he considered it a small blessing that the streets were somewhat quiet tonight.

the safehouse was nestled in between a slew of apartments. he easily grabbed the key from under the mat and shoved the door open, the hinges yelling in protest. he all but pushes you inside, slamming the door shut and sealing you both in.

your body hits the door as soon as he closes it, his brute strength easily manhandling you into any position he wants. you were more than ready for it, wrapping your legs around his waist as your heels dig into his perfect ass, pulling him closer.

he groans as you roll your hips against his, trying to get closer to his straining cock. depravity takes over as you're practically humping against each other, shimming out of your suits. some part of you had to still be touching him —  your lips, your hands, anything.

finally, you’re both freed of your restricting clothing, ripping it down just enough so he could gain better access to you, barely caring that he was shredding your hero suit. but it didn’t seem like you minded either as your nails raked against his chest.

“you ready for me?” he fists his aching cock, throbbing and glistening with his cum. the tip was so red, you wondered if he was in any pain — or if it matched the same one you felt in between your thighs. 

“hurry, need you to-” you didn’t get a chance to finish your sentence. 

dick slipped into you with one rough shove, filling you all the way up in one delicious motion. you gasp, throwing your head back into the door at the sudden intrusion, your back arching off of the wooden panel.

“sorry, baby.” his arm slips around your waist, his palm spreading along your back for support. “s’okay, you’re okay, yeah?”

he doesn’t move for a moment to try to let you adjust, his body practically screaming at him for waiting. but he felt so weak for you, couldn’t help but start rocking his hips. it didn’t take long for his urges to take over. 

his hands pushed down onto your waist, steadying himself so he could get deeper. the only thought that crossed his mind was how good you felt, how well you took him — and it only made him more determined to make you fall apart just like you were making him.

why had he waited so long to make a move? he could’ve done this sooner, years ago. it pissed him off, frustrated he’s gone so long without knowing how good your cunt felt wrapped around his cock. the anger only intensifies his thrusts, the door rattling behind you in protest.

“s-slow down!” you cry out, not really thinking of what you were saying. the last thing you wanted was for him to slow down, but everything felt so fast, so overwhelming that your brain couldn’t keep up with it.

“that’s not what you really want.” he grunts out, lips latching onto your neck. he needed to leave little marks on you. a reminder for him that this is really happening, that this is real. he’s finally fucking you. “you’re so tight, you feel so good f’me.”

“all for you, only for you.” you start to babble, drunk off the sensation he‘s feeding you. your legs wrap tighter around his waist, driving him deeper than he already was. his pace stutters for a second, his release already sneaking up on him. “ah- m’already close!”

“me too, baby.” he breathes, his voice raspier than you’ve ever heard it. “please let me cum inside, need to fill you up and breed this pretty pussy.”

you clench around his words, nodding your head profusely, body tightening as electricity shoots through your body as you cum around his cock. your eyes roll to the back of your head as he continues to thrust into you, desperately chasing his own release.

“yes, yes, need it, please!” you moan, practically milking his cock. once you give him the okay, he drives as deep as he can and lets out a broken moan as he fills you up.

“shit.” he grunts out, his breathing far out of his control. he lowers you down, letting you land on your feet. but you can hardly stand, his grip tight on your elbows to keep you upright. the two of you just stare at each other for a moment, trying to process what just happened, what’s currently happening. intense need swarms his mind again and pain spreads throughout his body with every passing second he isn’t inside of you.

instinctively, you drop to your knees, your hand lightly grasping around his slick base. dick lets out a hiss of pleasure, tossing his head back as he feels the slight essence of reprieve. 

“need you in my mouth,” you look up at him, slowly pumping his cock. he twitches in your hand with interest, the sex pollen still sending his body into overdrive. he doesn’t even feel overstimulation, all he feels is lust and the overwhelming need to wreck you.

“go ahead, baby.” you wrap your lips around his cock, hollowing out your cheeks as you get right to work. his eyes roll back and he needs to grip onto the back of your head for support — otherwise he’d fall backwards. “damn, knew you’d be good at this, always running your sweet little mouth whenever you’re around me. feels like heaven.”

you hum in approval, the sensation tickling his tip. you take him in deeper, your hands grabbing onto his ass for support.

“fuck, baby.” he mutters under his breath. normally, you probably wouldn’t have heard it, but the pollen heightened all of your senses when it came to him. his voice sounded so raspy, so desperate, it had you squeezing your thighs together. “please don’t tease me right now or i’ll fuck you against the wall again.”

so you don’t, swallowing his whole length, your pretty eyes filling up with tears as you look up at him. he feels like he’s going to pass out — his head is fuzzy, his thighs are trembling, you have him under your spell and a primitive part of him is screaming at him to fix it.

“i’m gonna cum.” he moans, gripping your hair. he almost lets himself, but it wouldn’t feel fair. he needed you to cum with him. the two of you were in this together. he pushes you off of him, regret already swarming his body as the pollen viciously attacks him again.

“what’s wrong?” you ask, wiping the spit that was pooling in the corner of your mouth. he picked you up, bringing you over to the couch.

“i have to taste you.” he tosses you on the couch, “so you’re gonna sit on my face.”

the way he said it doesn’t leave any room for argument so for once, you listen to him. watching as he sits next to you on the couch. your bodies pivot so he’s laying down instead of you, an eager smile on his face. 

you climb on top of him, going to move your hips over his eagerly awaiting mouth. but he’s impatient, the need to taste you on his tongue is too great. hastily grabbing your hips, he pulls you down on his face. you yelp in surprise, nails digging into his abs to ground yourself. he doesn’t waste a second, diving into the delicious meal you’ve presented him.

even without you touching him, he started to feel his own relief by swirling his tongue around your clit. his hips thrust in the air, unable to control himself. your moans and small gasps of pleasure fuel him to keep going, not planning on stopping until he’s gotten his fill.

he groans into your cunt as you start to take his leaking cock in your warm hands, focusing on his tip. you lean over his body as he holds you firmly in place so you can pull him back in your mouth, engulfing him in an instant.

his hips involuntary jerks up, pushing himself deeper and eliciting a gag from you. he would feel bad but with the way you gushed around his tongue told him otherwise.

“god, you taste incredible.” he mumbles, making sure he’s not missing a drop. but honestly, it’s too much. your slick mixed with his cum has his mind spiraling — the taste settling on his tongue, nestling deep into his senses.

it was all a haze, trying to devour every drop of you, gripping onto your thighs so tightly that if he was thinking more clearly, he might feel bad. but the way your tongue wraps around his cock, your throat enveloping it all the way down, leaves him with very little coherent thoughts.

but he couldn’t stop lapping at your cunt, every tremble, every moan, every taste of you has him wanting more and he knew that this wouldn’t be enough — it might never be enough. you’ve created an insatiable beast that only craves your touch.

“dick, i’m gonna cum-.” you take a gulp of air, using your hand to furiously pump his cock, fingers dancing around his tip as you usher out your words. a flare of pride spikes up with him and shoots throughout his body, his hand getting away from him as he encouragingly slaps against your thigh.

“please, baby. come all over my face.” he knows he sounds wrecked but he doesn’t care. he gets back to work, suckling on your clit more intently than before. your mewls vibrate along his length and he can’t help but thrust into your mouth a little, overly excited at the prospect of you releasing all over him. 

he helps you ride his face, guiding your movements by his grip on your thighs. with a cry of his name, you cum again, gushing all over him. at this point, he could die a happy man, cleaning you up as your thighs shake in his palms.

he’s not sure if it was your skilled mouth, your messy cunt, or the fact he managed to pull that strong of an orgasm from you — but he came in your hand that was still rubbing at his tip.

“f-fuuuuuck.” he moans out, hips jerking in your hold. after a few minutes, he feels you slide off of his face, pivoting yourself and sitting on the couch, head hanging off the back of it.

it had to be over, right? all of the pollen should be out of your systems. he sat up and mirrored your movements, looking over at you to see how you were faring. and you were already looking over at him, half lidded eyes as you were catching your breath. your skin was glistening in sweat, much like his own.

the itch creeped up his neck, sending chills over his body. it definitely wasn’t done and the agony of not touching you anymore was starting to get to his head. he lunges over to you, pinning you on the couch as he lines up his cock once again.

“god, i need to have you.” he breathes, searching your eyes to see if you feel as messed up as he does.

“you’ve got me.” you mewl before looking up and adding, “you’ve always had me.”

“really?” disbelief coats his words, somehow managing to pause his motions even though his body is screaming at him. the fire inside of him is licking at the tightly wound coil within him, but somehow he’s able to push it down — even if it’s just for a moment. but he needs to hear this, needs to hear you.

“i’ve-” you start squirming under him, no doubt feeling that same fire he did. he almost felt a little bad by delaying your gratification but god, he really needs this. he can’t tell if the tears forming in your eyes are from the pollen or from the emotion that’s been building up after all these years.  “i’ve always loved you dick.”

his hormones fly out of control, his hold tightening against you. every nerve in his body tells him to move but he’s somehow frozen, transfixed on your confession. 

“i love you so much.” he manages to choke out, desire boiling in his gut once again, fueled by the sweet words he’s been dying to hear from you. it was too much, the overwhelming itch consuming him once again as “fuck, ‘m sorry, need to-.”

he doesn’t finish the sentence, instead he’s plunging into your warm, welcoming walls. fitting together like a puzzle piece that was always destined to connect. the pollen swirls with the love shared between you two and he can’t help but ruthlessly drive into you, relishing in your sharp cries of pleasure.  

his cock slips out of you, exasperated groans both leaving your lips and into each others mouth. he reluctantly pulls apart from you, shoving himself back where he belongs before he resumes his pace.

“dick, more-.”

something shatters within him. he couldn’t say it was self control — that had long been gone. but something else deep within him broke by your hands and yet, he could already feel you mending it back up.

there’s no way to tell the passage of time, but none of that mattered to him anyway. all he could do was revel in the warmth of your soft, silken walls. his eyes scan over your face, taking in your blissed out state no doubt mirroring his own.

it had him wanting — craving more. like a man starved who had his first bite, who wouldn’t be sated until he had his fill.

dick’s movements were even faster now that his body could hardly keep up. his cock slipped out of you again, and he let out a strangled sob.

everything was just so wet, both of your bodies coated in a mixture of sweat, spit and cum. he felt your slick coat his thighs, your saliva mark his neck — every inch of his skin is completely covered by your essence.

he drives himself back into you, humping against you as he chases another release. everything was burning up the longer he staved off. at this point, he needed to keep filling you up. you made it so easy for him too, greedily sucking him back in every thrust, squeezing around him so tightly his head was spinning.

driven by pure instinct, he pushes your thighs against your chest, pushing himself deeper into you. 

“wanna take my time with you s’badly.” he rasps out, hands pushing against your legs. “but you just feel s’good i can’t stop.”

his mouth hung open as unsteady breaths left his lungs, trying to gulp up any air he could. but he’d much rather breathe in the sight below him, watching you sprawled out for him, sucking him into your pretty cunt has his mind short circuiting.

“you take me so well, you’re so good to me.” he babbles, eyes squeezed shut for a moment to soak it all in. “you were made f’me.”

his head falls forward and he feels a bead of sweat drop down the side of his face. your trained eye watched it fall, before you lean up and lick it clean off of him. he gasps in surprise, lips chasing yours once again.  

at this point, you really couldn’t call it kissing. your lips were pressed against each other but neither of you could move them properly. just unsteady breaths and moans keeping the two of you connected as pleasure overrides your senses.

arousal pours like gasoline beneath his abdomen, your pleas serving as a match to ignite his body into flames. the pollen warps his mind, drunk on your taste and only craving more of it. 

but he needed you to cum first. he was still trying his best to help you, to relieve you of any pain. he doesn’t know how long it’ll take but he needs you to at least cum as much as he does. 

“oh god, oh, it’s never, fuck, felt like this before, so good-“ you moan out, arching your back up so he can get deeper. 

“i know baby, i know.” he keeps going, harder than he had before. “you’re so, so good to me.”

it was all too much for you, clinging onto him as he relentlessly thrusts into you. he watches as your body freezes in his grasp, bliss saturating all your features, before you forcefully come around his cock.

he wasn’t much further behind, gripping the back of the couch and pushing his hips flush against yours as he fills you up once again. 

the pollen was still tingling in his system, he could feel it. but he felt so drowsy, and he knew you were too. he presses his forehead against yours as your legs fall helplessly by his sides.

“you okay?” he can hardly recognize his own voice.

“mhm, you?” you ask, your eyes fluttering shut for a second. he sees your face constrict with pain and he knows you feel what he feels. it’s not over yet.

“can you handle another round?” he asks, gently caressing your cheek, wiping off what was either sweat or tears. it took so much not to jump you, but the desire was starting to lessen and becoming easier to control, but that didn’t change the fact he was still so damn weak around you. one more round would soothe it all, he can feel it.

“can you?” you laugh breathlessly, always trying to challenge him. a lazy smirk takes up his face as he adjusts you, sitting back against the couch and pulling you up into his lap. his fingers rub little circles along your hips before he digs his fingers in.

“since you’re so confident, why don’t you show me how it’s done.” he meant to sound cocky, but his voice came out twisted with need and desperation.

“with pleasure.” you grab a hold of his still hard cock, lining it up with your sopping entrance, cum from the previous rounds dripping down your thigh. he can’t help but swipe some on his finger, playing with the slightly sticky substance.

you slide down on his cock, moaning the entire way down. all he can do is look up at you, unconsciously sliding the two coated fingers in your open mouth.

you swirl your tongue around them, sucking them clean as well as you were sucking him off earlier. he moans, head hitting the back of the couch as you start rolling your hips.

“you’re so pretty — fuck — i mean, just look at you.” he slurs, eyes glued to where you were connected. his fingers leave your mouth, sliding down your body. “you’re the most beautiful person i’ve ever seen.”

your nails dig into his shoulders, using it as leverage to grind yourself more in his lap, his neatly trimmed pubic hair brushing along your swollen clit.

he slumps back a bit, letting you take control and take what you need. mesmerized by the way your tits jiggle with each movement, he wraps his tongue around your nipple before giving it a sloppy, open mouthed kiss.

he was lazy with his movements, swirling his tongue around the perked bud and nuzzling his face against it. the more he touches them, the more he needs to. 

your hips drag along his, bodies pressed together as it feels like lead fills your bones. but you can’t stop moving against him.

“want you to be mine.” he moans against your tits, thrusting up into you more as he feels himself getting close. all he needs to hear is your confirmation that you’ll finally be his. “say you’ll be mine.” 

“m’yours!” your cry out at the increase of pace, fingers digging into his hair as he leaves his mark all over your breasts. “i’m all yours.”

with one final groan, his hips jerk up a few times, releasing another load into your already overflowing cunt. the grip on your hips loosen as his forehead lands on your shoulder, wincing as you keep going to chase your release. overstimulation was starting to creep up on him as the pollen started to clear out of his system. but he didn’t care, he’d keep going as long as you need him to.

“c’mon baby.” he slurs, leaving open mouthed kisses along your collarbone before looking up at you like you summon the sun every morning, beaconing it with your radiant, blissed out smile. “you’re doing s’good for me, give me another one c’mon.”

“cant, i’m trying but i need more.” you move your hips a little faster with a whine of his name tumbling from your lips.

“i’m right here, fuck baby, let go f’me. you’ll feel so much better i promise.” his fingers slip in between your bodies, thumb pressing firmly against your clit as you keep riding him. it sends you over the edge, gripping onto his shoulders and tossing your head back. he’s never seen a more ethereal view and if he could’ve, he would’ve cum all over again at the sight alone.

he doesn’t move his thumb as you ride out your high, squirming around in his lap as pleasure courses throughout your body. he lets go after you start twitching in his grasp, showing you mercy for the first time tonight.

you collapse into a heap on his chest, your heart racing as you try to catch your breath. he feels you curl into him, exhaustion starting to take you. he’s still nestled inside of you, with no desire to move. 

he blinks a few times, starting to take in his surroundings. you guys definitely messed up the couch. anyone who passes through this safehouse will see the traces you two left behind for weeks to come. the thought makes him smirk a little bit.

his phone buzzes and somewhere deep in his fucked out mind he realizes he should check. he’s still technically on patrol. with one arm still securing tucked around you, he uses the other to grab his phone.

everything is a little blurry, the fog still clouding his mind, his eyes drooping as he tries to read it. your soft snores start to fill his ears as he opens the text from tim, reading the line over and over a few times in hopes of processing it better. but then he gets it — clear as day. it was from tim.

“let me guess. you stopped at a safehouse.”

another text.

“have fun explaining this one to bruce.”

taglist : @the-tenth-shadow @petriquors @boogiebooboo @lucifersidepiece @oikawabi-sabi @collin-thegreat ᰔ

[busybecomingbones]

kenji sato x reader 1.3k words

You ignore it the first handful of times. The way Kenji's eyes flicker over to his father every couple of minutes. Between running bases with Emi or pitching her the ball, he'd glance over and look away just as quickly.

“It's the Grand Slam!” Ken cheers as Emi dives onto an imaginary base, “And she's safe!” He sweeps his arms, and you clap as Emi squeals happily. It's quick, and you wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't been o in tune with him but his gaze sweeps from the baby kaiju to the lawn chair Professor Sato is cheering from before swiftly snapping back.

You sidle closer to him, keeping your attention on Emi as she runs toward the lake, ready to take another swing. “You should go talk to him.”

The rocks shifting under his bare feet are the only response you get. “Ken, we couldn't have done this without him. And I think there's some things you need to unpack with him.”

You hadn't been in the room when Kenji and his dad had spoken, but you had seen the map on the wall scattered with red twine and pictures of his mom when the doors slid open. Their voices were just soft enough so you couldn't catch anything as you'd watched from the engawa as Emi chased Mina around the yard but when they emerged minutes later, the air around them was warm and mellow—no longer tainted by the sharp sparks of tension and anxiety that usually followed them when they were together.

Ken sighs, and the rocks shift again.

“Kenji?”

His hand falls on your shoulder when you turn to face him. It's probably only for a moment, but distantly, you worry about how long your eyes stay glued to him. The cool tones of the moonlight wash over the planes of his face and catch in his pale eyes, making them seem as if they're glowing. You can't seem to tear your gaze away, even as his shining eyes meet yours. “I know.”

There's a soft squeeze to your shoulder, and he's turning around to head toward his father.

“It's okay, you guys just keep playing!”

You give him a little thumbs up when he sits down and try your hardest to ignore the fluttery feeling in your chest when he smiles back. Partially to distract yourself but mostly because Emi was starting to whine at how long it was taking for someone to throw her a pitch, you scoop up a baseball from the ground, and call out a loud Batter up!

Unsurprisingly, she hits it dead on, sending it careening into the mass of trees behind you.

Your and Mina’s voice meld into one as you throw your hands up and cheer.

“Home run!”

Emi runs in a wide arc, stomping the bases only she can see as she celebrates and critters happily when Mina praises her while she rounds them out. After tossing her a couple more balls, eventually, you run out. There's more in a bag leaning against the drink cooler that Kenji is sitting beside, but there's no way you'd interrupt him. The soft look he has as he looks at his dad is something you'd hate to spoil, so you leave him be.

Emi, however, seems to have other plans. Something in the sky catches her eye, and she makes a confused noise, which causes the ever attentive Kenji to perk up.

“What's wrong, girl? What're you lookin' at?”

It takes a moment for you to zero in on what Emi seems so fascinated by. Lights are moving across the dark backdrop of the sky, no bigger than pinpricks. Stepping closer to the lake's edge, you try to get a better look.

Professor Sato calls Mina over, “Scan for incoming.”

Faintly, you hear the robot beep, “My radar systems have been jammed.”

Your stomach churns, “Emi, come on honey, we gotta go.” You reach to brush your hand against her giant paw. She only squawks in response, still curiously eyeing the now red blips in the sky. Drones.

Shooting a glance in Kenji's direction, you hope she'll listen to him as his frantic voice calls her back. She whines this time, feet shaking the gravel as she stomps closer to the lake and leans over.

“Emi!” Kenji's beside you now, and the baby turns around and displays what she'd been picking up. Bunny. The gesture would have warmed your heart if you weren't being surrounded by the beady lights of the KFD's drones. “Behind you!”

Her face scrunches up in frustration and shoots a hot pink laser from her mouth, effectively destroying the robots and sending their useless husks into the lake with resounding splashes. Air pushes past your lips in a breath you didn't realize you were holding. All that training seemed to pay off.

Your relief is short lived however when Emi starts whining, dark eyes flickering to Kenji in a panic. He doesn't notice right away, so she looks to you instead. A high-pitched, anxiety-ridden cry has your heart cracking. A pulsing wave of pink emanates from within her, and she clutches a claw to her chest.

Kenji doesn't seem to notice, waving his arm desperately, “C’mon sweetie, it's time to go!”

“Emi, what's going on, honey?” You grab her elbow with both hands, running your fingers up and down as far as you can reach to try and soothe her. She cries again and looks at Kenji before collapsing. Strange pulsing vines appear from her, someone grabs your arm and pulls you away from where you're still holding onto the kaiju before the vines conglomerate into one mass and harden, enveloping Emi in a cocoon of some kind.

Slender fingers tighten around your bicep in anxiety. At the same time, Kenji yells, “Dad what's happening?”

“She's entering a pupil stage, Kenji. She's changing.”

“Changing! Changing into what!”

“Is she going to be okay?” Kenji's dad nods his head toward you.

“She'll be fine! But she's vulnerable right now. We need to get her someplace safe.”

“Firing up the jet.” Mina pipes up, and Professor Sato starts in its direction. The uneven gravel beneath his feet and his walking cane cause him to stumble as he makes his way across the beach. Instinctually, you move to help him but are stopped by the grip still around your arm. Kenji’s anxiety is palpable, if not by the firmness of his grasp on you, then by the furrow between his eyebrows or the swollen bottom lip he'd been chewing on.

“Kenji,” Your hand lands on top of his, “she'll be okay.” His clasp loosens, and you pull free but quickly slip your hand into his.

“I can't lose her.” He meets your eyes, they aren't glowing anymore.

“You won't, Ken,” with a gentle squeeze to his palm, you try your best to reaffirm him, “but we need to get her out of here, okay?”

He squeezes back and sighs, “Okay.”

You part from him with a soft smile and jog to catch up with his dad when you notice something familiar in the sky. Blazing pinpricks of red.

“Professor Sato!” A cry rips from your throat as he turns around, features stricken in panic. He yells out Kenji's name when the first shot explodes a meter away from him, sending him tumbling forward.

“Dad!”

You aren't quick enough to stop him from hitting the ground, heart in your throat when he remains still, but you do make it in time to throw your body over his smaller one. Effectively blocking him from the explosions that erupt around him but leaving you exposed. Pieces of rock are flying everywhere, and the raging fire is blistering. You think you hear Kenji scream your name, but it's drowned out by the deafening boom of a missile exploding, not a foot from you. You're out cold before you even feel the searing burn of the flames or the impact of your body being hurled onto the rocky beach.

[imthebadguyyy]

Iron Hearts

With the same fire and charm that runs in the Stark bloodline, you’ve never been one to fade into the background.

pairing : steve rogers x reader fandom : mcu synopsis : As Tony Stark’s younger sister, you’ve always shared his brilliance and bold personality. Outgoing, witty, and never afraid to speak your mind, you’re just as comfortable stealing the spotlight as your brother is. But when Tony ropes you into joining the Avengers' operations after the Chitauri invasion, the last thing you expect is to clash with Captain America, Steve Rogers—a man so different from the fast-paced world you’re used to. Steve’s stoic, old-fashioned values collide with your free-spirited nature, sparking a connection that’s as electric as it is infuriating. As the Avengers face new threats, you and Steve find yourselves drawn together in unexpected ways, each challenge bringing you closer. The world is always in need of saving—but will the Iron legacy and a shielded heart leave room for something more?

EPISODE 1 : COLLIDE

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The low hum of machinery filled your private lab, a familiar and soothing backdrop to the glow of various monitors and the holographic interface suspended above your desk. You were in your element here—surrounded by sleek gadgets, circuits, and blueprints only you understood. The soft, sterile light of the fluorescent bulbs bathed everything in a cool hue, making the outside world feel distant, almost irrelevant. Your hands moved with practiced precision, making the final tweaks to your latest invention—something sleek, cutting-edge, and powerful. It was not for public eyes, least of all Tony’s. Let him bask in the glory of his Iron Man suits and his public heroism. You preferred working in the shadows, away from the spotlight. After all, the real power came from the things people didn’t see.

Just as you were about to run another test, FRIDAY’s calm, computerized voice broke the silence. “Incoming call—Tony Stark.”

You let out a small, exasperated sigh, brushing a loose strand of hair behind your ear. Of course Tony would interrupt now, just when you were getting into the groove. Without breaking your stride, you gestured toward the nearest screen, signaling FRIDAY to patch the call through.

Tony’s face flickered to life on the screen, his usual cocky grin already plastered across his face. He looked annoyingly well-rested for someone who constantly threw himself into world-saving chaos.

“Hey, sis. Got a minute?” His tone was casual, but you could see the mischievous glint in his eyes. Tony always had an ulterior motive.

“Not for you,” you shot back, though your lips twitched with a slight smile. You’d perfected the art of giving Tony a hard time over the years. “What do you need, Tony?”

“Can’t a brother call to check on his favorite sibling?” He leaned back in his chair, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

You raised an eyebrow, feigning indifference. “We both know I’m your only sibling.”

“Touché,” he admitted, chuckling softly. "But seriously, I need you."

You froze momentarily, your hand hovering over the interface. Tony rarely outright asked for help, and when he did, you knew it was big. Slowly, you leaned back in your chair, crossing your arms over your chest as you gave him your full attention.

“I need my secret weapon,” Tony added, his voice dropping to that tone he used when he really wanted something.

You blinked at him, skeptical. “Secret weapon? Tony, I’m not about to be your backup tech support.”

Tony grinned, undeterred by your resistance. "This isn’t just tech support. It’s big. New team, new mission, bigger stakes. And who better to help me keep this bunch in line than you?"

You hesitated, glancing at the half-finished prototype on your desk. For years, you’d operated under the radar, happy to let Tony soak up the limelight. Being his sister came with a certain level of scrutiny you’d avoided like the plague. You preferred the quiet. The idea of stepping into the Avengers' world—especially now—seemed chaotic at best.

“I’m not suiting up, if that’s what you’re thinking,” you finally said, narrowing your eyes at him. The last thing you needed was to get dragged into one of his world-saving escapades in some shiny new armor.

“Of course not,” Tony grinned, though there was a playful glimmer in his eyes that told you he wasn’t ruling anything out entirely. “Just come to the Tower, meet the team. If you hate it, you can go back to hiding in your lab and pretending you’re not a genius like me.”

You rolled your eyes, though the thought lingered. A new team? A new mission? Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to check it out. If things went south, you could always disappear back into the shadows. But something in Tony’s tone hinted at urgency, something serious brewing on the horizon. He wasn’t just calling for fun. He needed you.

With a resigned sigh, you pushed off from the desk. “Fine. But this better not be some ploy to get me into an Iron suit.”

Tony’s smirk widened. “No promises.”

The call ended with a flicker of the screen, and you were left standing in the soft hum of your lab, the weight of Tony’s request hanging in the air. You glanced at your half-finished prototype one last time before grabbing your jacket, muttering under your breath, “What have I gotten myself into?”

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Later, at Avengers Tower, you stepped into the grand lobby, the space sprawling before you like something out of a futuristic movie. Towering glass walls reflected the sunlight, creating a dazzling effect that made the entire room shimmer. High-tech displays blinked with data and notifications, while sleek metallic accents added to the modernity. It was a world apart from your cozy lab, and you couldn’t help but marvel at how Tony had truly outdone himself with this place. The grandeur was impressive, but you felt a knot tightening in your stomach, a sense of unease settling in as you stepped further inside.

Just as you took another step, a voice sliced through the air behind you, cool and assessing. “So you’re the sister Tony doesn’t like to talk about.”

You turned to face him, your heart pounding slightly at the sight of Steve Rogers, Captain America himself. He stood there, arms crossed over his chest, his muscular frame radiating authority. His expression was carefully neutral, but there was an edge to it—a mix of skepticism and something akin to wariness. He looked you up and down, his gaze critical, and you could already sense the judgment simmering beneath the surface. He thought you were just another Stark, another piece in Tony’s ego-driven game.

“And you’re the soldier out of time,” you replied, matching his coolness with your own. The words felt sharper than you intended, a defensive instinct kicking in. “Nice to meet you.”

Steve offered a tight nod, his lips pressed into a thin line, but he didn’t smile. “Tony’s told me a lot about you.”

“All bad, I hope,” you shot back, a hint of a smirk dancing on your lips. But Steve’s expression remained unyielding, the weight of his gaze unwavering.

“I’m not here to judge,” he stated, but his eyes bore into you, steady and measuring, as if he were trying to peel back layers of your identity with sheer will alone. “Just here to see if you’re serious.”

“Serious?” You scoffed, your heart racing with indignation. “About what?”

“About helping, about doing what’s right. We’ve got enough egos on this team.”

Your smirk faded, replaced by a flash of frustration. “You don’t even know me.”

“I know your brother.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not Tony,” you retorted, your voice sharper than you intended. The tension between you crackled in the air, palpable and thick. You hated the feeling of being judged before someone even bothered to know you, and clearly, Steve didn’t like the idea of another Stark stepping into the fold.

For a moment, silence engulfed you, and you could almost hear your heartbeat thundering in your ears. The intensity of Steve’s gaze felt like a spotlight, and you wondered if he could see through your facade, exposing the vulnerabilities you kept hidden. You could sense his protective instincts flaring, the weight of responsibility resting on his shoulders, and somehow, you felt like an outsider even though you were family.

Just as the tension threatened to spiral further, Tony strolled into the room, an air of nonchalance enveloping him. “Hey, you two! Getting along already?” His grin was impossibly wide, brightening the atmosphere even as it made the air around you feel heavier with unresolved tension.

You shot Tony a glare that could’ve cut through steel. This was not the time for his usual bravado. Steve merely shook his head, the corners of his mouth twitching in an attempt to contain a smile. “We’ll see,” he replied, his tone light but his eyes still fixed on you, as if he were weighing the likelihood of your success in this new venture. Then, with a final, assessing glance, he turned and walked off, leaving you standing there, frustration simmering just below the surface.

“Great. This is off to a fantastic start,” you muttered under your breath, a mixture of annoyance and apprehension churning inside you. The day had barely begun, and already you could feel the weight of expectation bearing down on you. As the lobby buzzed with the energy of heroes and high-tech innovation, you couldn’t shake the feeling that you were walking a tightrope, teetering between proving yourself and succumbing to the shadows that felt all too familiar.

With a deep breath, you steeled yourself, reminding yourself that you were here to help. No matter what Steve Rogers thought, you had your own strengths, your own path to carve in this world. You just had to figure out how to make them see that.

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The air in the war room was thick with tension as Tony briefed you on the mission, his voice crisp and urgent. “So here’s the deal: leftover Chitauri tech has been activated by HYDRA operatives in the city. It’s supposed to be a routine clean-up mission, but we know better than to underestimate anything HYDRA gets their hands on.” His brow furrowed, the usual playful glint in his eyes replaced by a seriousness that made your stomach knot.

You listened intently, nodding as he laid out the plan. But as he insisted you tag along—even if just to observe and assess—you felt a mix of excitement and dread. You weren’t officially part of the team, yet here you were, being dragged into the chaos by your brother’s unwavering belief in your abilities.

When you arrived at the scene, the streets were already in chaos. The sounds of sirens blared, drowning out the shouts of frantic civilians being evacuated. Smoke billowed into the air, curling around toppled cars and shattered glass. You felt a chill run down your spine as you surveyed the destruction.

Amid the chaos, Steve barked orders at the rest of the team, his authoritative voice cutting through the noise like a beacon of hope. You hung back, monitoring the situation from a mobile unit that Tony had rigged up for you—a lifeline of information in a storm of uncertainty.

“Stay behind the lines!” Steve called out to you over his shoulder, his tone firm as he and Natasha led the charge into the fray.

You rolled your eyes, a mixture of annoyance and determination bubbling inside you. "I know what I’m doing, Captain," you shot back, trying to sound more confident than you felt. The last thing you wanted was to be coddled like a helpless child.

Just as the fight erupted, the atmosphere shifted. A crackling energy surged through the air, and before you could process the threat, one of the HYDRA operatives unleashed a pulse from the Chitauri device. The wave of electricity shot toward you, a blinding flash of danger that sent adrenaline coursing through your veins.

In that split second, everything shifted. Time seemed to slow as you braced for impact, your instincts screaming at you to move, to do something—anything. But before you could react, Steve surged forward like a force of nature. He slammed his shield into the ground with a resounding thud, creating a barrier that absorbed the surge of energy before it could reach you.

You stumbled back, wide-eyed, the reality of what had just happened crashing over you like a tidal wave. Steve turned to you, his expression a mixture of concern and frustration. “I said stay behind,” he said, his voice clipped, but there was a hint of protectiveness that made your heart race.

“I had it under control,” you snapped back, though deep down, you knew that wasn’t entirely true. You felt a surge of embarrassment rising within you, the remnants of the adrenaline making you defensive.

Steve didn’t argue further, but his gaze lingered on you, his eyes searching yours as if he were trying to gauge the depths of your resolve. The moment stretched out, thick with unspoken tension, and you could sense a silent acknowledgment between you—this was new territory for both of you, a fragile thread connecting your destinies.

But as quickly as it had come, the moment shattered. With a final look that communicated both concern and determination, Steve charged back into the fray, his shield raised high as he fought against the chaos. You stood there, heart racing, grappling with a whirlwind of emotions—frustration, admiration, and a flicker of fear for what lay ahead.

With a deep breath, you refocused on the task at hand. You weren’t going to let this moment define you. You had to prove to yourself, and to Steve, that you belonged here—among heroes and legends. The fight was just beginning, and you were ready to carve your place in it.

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The mission concluded in a flurry of activity and relief, but the tension between you and Steve lingered in the air like an unresolved chord. Back at the Tower, you settled in front of the computer, the glow of the screen casting an almost ethereal light across your face as you replayed footage of the battle. Each frame brought back the chaos—the electricity crackling, the screams of civilians, and Steve’s shield slamming into the ground just in time to save you. The rush of adrenaline from earlier mixed with a more unsettling feeling as you examined the moment you almost lost everything.

As you scrolled through the footage, you felt a presence behind you. You didn’t need to turn around to know it was Steve; the weight of his gaze felt palpable, a steady warmth that contrasted sharply with the intensity of the battle you had just fought. He stood in the doorway, arms crossed, his silhouette framed by the soft light of the hallway, watching you with a quiet intensity.

“You handled yourself well out there,” he finally said, his voice low and sincere, cutting through the silence that surrounded you.

Surprised, you glanced up at him, momentarily meeting his gaze. “Thanks,” you replied, your voice a mix of pride and humility.

“But next time,” he continued, the firmness returning to his tone, “don’t make me have to save you.”

A small, teasing smile tugged at your lips, a spark of your trademark confidence flaring up in response. “Don’t worry, Captain. I won’t,” you shot back, your tone light, though beneath it was a current of seriousness.

Steve didn’t respond immediately, his expression shifting as he studied you. In his blue eyes, you caught a flicker of something deeper—perhaps a grudging respect, maybe even a hint of admiration. It made your heart flutter unexpectedly, a rush of warmth that was both thrilling and confusing. The Captain of America saw you, and for a moment, the weight of expectations from being Tony Stark's sister lifted, replaced by a connection that felt genuine.

He nodded once, a subtle acknowledgment of the moment shared between you, before turning to leave. As he walked away, you couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t just another fleeting exchange. You were carving out your own space in this team, proving that you were more than just Tony’s sister—you were a force to be reckoned with in your own right.

Left alone in the dim light of the lab, you turned back to the screen, but your thoughts were no longer on the footage. Instead, your mind lingered on Steve’s quiet strength, his unwavering resolve. You were beginning to understand that there was more to him than just the Captain—the man behind the shield had his own battles, his own vulnerabilities.

And you felt an undeniable pull towards him, a sense of camaraderie that was slowly transforming into something deeper. The mission had ended, but the journey was just beginning, and you were more determined than ever to prove yourself—not just to Steve, but to the entire team.

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The mission had been a success, but the moment Steve saw you—Tony’s sister—standing there, he felt the weight of responsibility tugging at his heart. He knew you had potential; he’d seen you handle yourself with surprising skill, but he wasn’t prepared for how much the little spark in your eyes got under his skin.

Leaning against the doorway, he watched you replay the footage of the battle. You were focused, your brow furrowed in concentration, and it captivated him. You radiated a unique blend of confidence and determination, much like your brother, yet with a warmth that was distinctly your own.

When he finally spoke, telling you that you handled yourself well out there, he truly meant it. But as soon as the words left his mouth, he felt a mix of admiration and wariness wash over him. You were Tony’s sister—his little sister. He recalled the stories Tony had told him about your childhood, the sibling rivalry, and how fiercely protective Tony had always been of you. That instinct felt like a wall between them, even as he felt drawn to you.

“Don’t make me have to save you,” he warned, hoping to impress upon you the importance of caution. He had seen too many people underestimate their enemies, and he didn’t want you to be another victim of that recklessness.

Your response—light and teasing—pulled a small smile from him, but it was quickly overshadowed by concern. “Don’t worry, Captain. I won’t.” It was infuriating how effortlessly you seemed to deflect his concern. You had a spark that reminded him of Tony, but there was something more disarming about you. Something that made it hard for him to maintain his composure.

He nodded, more to himself than to you, before he turned to leave. He didn’t want to admit how much your presence affected him, how he found you attractive in a way that made him question everything he knew about focusing on the mission. But he also understood that getting involved with Tony’s sister could complicate things—complicate his already tangled life.

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As the days turned into weeks, you became a more permanent fixture in the Tower, and Steve couldn’t help but notice how effortlessly you blended into their chaotic team dynamic. Watching you interact with the others was eye-opening. You had Tony’s quick wit, but there was a warmth in your approach that brought out the best in everyone.

He remembered a moment during a team meeting when Clint made a joke at your expense. Without missing a beat, you shot back, “If you’re going to insult me, at least make it clever.” The room erupted in laughter, and Steve found himself chuckling along, secretly impressed by your tenacity.

But the more time he spent with you, the more he struggled with his feelings. You were intelligent, fiercely capable, and incredibly brave—qualities he admired. Yet every time he looked at you, he felt the ghost of Tony’s protective nature hovering over them. He could practically hear Tony warning him to keep his distance, reminding him that you were off-limits. It was a mental tug-of-war, and every glance between them only heightened his awareness of how close they were getting.

One evening, you both worked late in the lab. He caught you watching him as he threw punches at a training dummy, a curious smile dancing on your lips. It was a moment of connection, but it also made his heart race in a way that both thrilled and terrified him. He knew you were trouble, yet there was something about you that drew him in, like a moth to a flame.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

a/n : so this is new series im experimenting with!! not proofread. any comments tips suggestions you have would be highly appreciated. happy reading!!

TAGS

all writing - @roslastyles420 @hopefulinlove@bluesongbird-blog

marvel -

to be added to the taglist send me an ask or a dm specifying which fandom 🩷

[livingmybestfakelife]

Hate It Or Love It

Felix Catton x Reader

Everything was set up for you, new citizenship, new drivers license, and soon enough a new surname, all of it was ready for you to accept, but you weren’t being quick enough to do it, and your fiancé was becoming impatient.

For the past four years you had enjoyed your uni journey, your mother was nervous about you moving overseas, especially for that long. Your father had made you promise to keep in touch often and update them on your studies and to not let yourself forget about where you came from, he knew that Oxford would have a lot of wealthy students, some of who will be bratty and entitled, and though your family was far from being below the poverty line, your dad being a dentist and your mom an art teacher, your parents income combined still didn’t compare to the ones of most of your schoolmates.

Felix made it known from the very beginning that you were someone that was worth being on his radar, you were different than what he would usually be putting effort into, you were American for one, hailing from Yonkers, New York to be specific. He was confused on how nonchalant you were about the world around you, not being gaga about the fancy school and the students that came with it, how even though you weren’t here on a scholarship, your family was still able to afford for you to attend, they invested in your education from the day you were born and you never had to want for anything. As the years went on so did your relationship with Felix and his friend Oliver, the two were thick as thieves and fiercely loyal to their friendship, as wonderful as that was, you wished you would’ve known that it would also be the cause of your despair.

Your beauty was obvious, your personality was immaculate, it was just as easy to make friends and associates in the UK like you always did in the States, and with that came strong jealousy from Felix, the more you made connections the more he felt like you were forgetting about him, it was something he expressed to Ollie many times. And though he was successful at bringing your attention back to him, this time it was different. During your junior year you had met a fellow American student named Deacon Whittaker, he was also from New York, born and raised in Mount Vernon, the city was close to Yonkers and it made you both excited that even when you graduate and move back to America that you wouldn’t be that far away from one another, your home cities less than twenty minutes apart from one another.

Deacon was handsome, charming and very intelligent, the both of you looked to be the movie star looking power couple if you were his girlfriend instead of Felix’s . Your friendship started slow, you liked the idea of taking time to get to know each other and you managed to make it easy, so easy that you forgotten the ones you met when you moved here existed half of the time. You felt some guilt that you missed some calls, cancelled some planned meet ups and only stayed at Saltburn half of that summer, spending the other half in New York with yours and Deacon’s family, it hurt to see you pack your things and leave him, Felix had a lot of plans thought out and Deacon just had to go and ruin them, it was happening one, two, three too many times for his liking, he had you first, hell even Ollie, Venetia and Farleigh didn’t enjoy you forgetting about them, it would all have to end sooner or later.

By the time your senior year finally rolled around he had finally broke, he could no longer keep up the fake smiles and forced handshakes with Deacon, you were his girl, his one true love, the one person he’d give up everything for if it made you happy, now was the perfect time.

You and Deacon were coming back from your weekend in Edinburgh, you spent it there with some mutual friends from Oxford and now you’re ready to settle back into your dorms, but before you could his car unexpectedly got pulled over, after being asked for his license, Deacon asked what was the reason for the stop, he was sure he was following the traffic laws and knew he did anything else wrong, that was when the cop told him to step out of the car, he asked again in confusion what the issue was, that only pissed the officer off and made him open his door his door and practically drag him out.

“Hey! What is the problem? I didn’t do anything!”

“SHUT UP”

That’s when you got out of the car, you haven’t been this afraid in a good while

“Officer please what is the issue? He was being compliant!”

He ignored you and put him in the back of the police vehicle, all of your questions fell on deaf ears to him, he spoke to you as if you were some sort of victim, you didn’t understand where all of this was coming from.

After what felt like ages, a familiar vehicle pulled up beside the both of you, and when the windows were rolled down you saw not one but two people who you couldn’t understand would even be here.

“Felix?….Ollie? What’s going on?”

“Officer Jennings, thank you for your help”

“No problem Mr. Catton”

You rushed over to him “Felix! Please talk to him, he has Deacon in the back of his car in cuffs like a violent criminal, he didn’t do anything and he won’t tell me why he arrested him!”

He let out a heavy exhale and stepped out of the car along with Ollie following behind, he had a woeful expression and reached out to try to bring you into his car but you jerked away.

“Felix, what is going on? Let go of me!”

“What’s going on is that Deacon nicked some very valuable items from Saltburn, over a million pounds worth” Ollie said

“W-what? No no no he didn’t it’s no way”

Officer Jennings walked up behind you “It’s true Ms. YLN, we have strong evidence that while Mr. Whittaker visited Saltburn with you two months ago, he stole some valuable antiquities and heirlooms and attempted to sell them at some auction houses”

You looked back towards Felix “Please Felix, you know that isn’t true, he wouldn’t do this”

“He would if my family says he did”

“W-what?”

It was Ollie’s turn to elaborate some more.

“Come on YN you’re smarter than this”

“Felix, you can’t do this, you know this isn’t right!”

“It’s your choice YN, you know that Felix will always give you some say in your life…what’s it going to be? You end your friendship with Deacon cutting absolutely all ties with him and we all go back to who we once were, or your mate will have the book thrown at him, what’s it going to be?”

You broke down and cried while trying to talk some sense into the both of them, you knew Felix was envious of your connection to Deacon, but you never expected it to go this far, to use his status to ruin an innocent person’s life and reputation, he could be petty, but this was just plain evil.

“Felix….please”

“You heard what Ollie said sweetheart, what’s your decision?”

You looked over to see Deacon with an expression of both anger and grief, he wanted to bust out of the cuffs, jump out of the car and beat Felix Catton to a bloody pulp, but that could only be achieved in his wildest dreams, in reality he was one of many victims who would feel the wrath of Felix’s jealously and entitlement, you were it for him, and he’d be damned if he let anyone interfere with his plans for your future together.

“Okay Felix, alright, it’s over okay, I’m yours” you stand on the tips of your toes to peck his lips to really butter him up, you needed this to work, you couldn’t let your friend’s life to be ruined over this.

“That’s my sweet girl, I knew you’d put me first”

He gave you the sloppiest kiss, making sure it was in eyesight of your dear friend who ended up looking away in anger, once he finally pulled away he out and arm over your shoulder and guided you to the passenger side while Ollie sat in the back seat.

Officer Jennings let Deacon go while Felix slowly drove off, making it obvious that he was rubbing it in that there was nothing he can do to stop this, a tear rolled down your cheek as you made a silent final goodbye to him and the car made a bit of speed up the road and out of the area.

“Don’t be upset YN, we’re just helping you keep your promise to your dad to not forget where you came from” Ollie said behind you, you silently shudder at his voice and continue to look out the window, dreading your journey back with your fiancé and one the best friends you dared to neglect.

[integra1127grimmreaper]

You... (Dave York)

Dave York Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Prev

Warning: swearing

Summary: Pt2 of Isn't My Affair Anymore. When a case comes up at work, you realize that Dave had made major mistake with the last side-job. Inspired by - Ofra Haza's - You.

You were on walking on eggshells since the meeting with Resnik, the fear of Dave coming to take your life at any given moment a constant in the back of your mind. Even so, you weren't about to go out without a fight. You were just as lethal as he, all you needed was to be one step ahead of him.

You had just taken a seat behind your office desk when the phone rang, "Y/L/N...", you answer it.

"One of our operatives killed himself after killing his wife yesterday", your boss informs you. "I need you to pull up his file and sit in on an online meeting with Susan, Dave and the French authorities."

"Operative category?", you ask to know what records level to access, trying your best not to show any reaction to the mentioning of Dave.

"Category Zero", he answers, causing your brows to raise.

"That deep under?"

"Yup", your boss responds, "you have an hour to get everything prepared."

Hanging up the call, you get started with the assignment and that's when you're utterly shocked by the location of the incident.

"Brussels...?! No, no...", you shake your head in denial when remembering what Resnik had said about an upcoming job there. "This can't be happening... What the fuck have you done, Dave?"

Your eyes were tightly shut whilst taking in deep breaths and releasing it heavily in attempts to calm your nerves for the video call about to happen. You really weren't in the mood to interact with Dave at all but there really wasn't much of a choice for you, so you had to suck it up and do what needed to be done, your job. With that thought in mind, you exhaled one last nervous breath and muster the best professional look possible as the incoming call notification sound goes off.

"Hey, how's things going?", Susan image was the first to pop up on your computer screen.

"All's good", you flash her a bright smile, Susan always had a way of brightening even the darkest of moods. "How's thing your side and the family doing?"

"It's going good", Susan responds, "Bryan's got a new book out."

You were about to make a remark when the conversation was interrupted by the others joining the chat. Everyone respectively greets one another, and the meeting proceeds thereafter.

"This was fucking torture...!", your thoughts silently screamed at you whilst the meeting was in full swing. To the others he might seem to be paying full attention to what the French official was saying, but you knew Dave intimately enough to know his focus was very much on you.

The man had a way of staring deep within your soul without even blinking an eye and that was exactly what he was doing at this moment. You do your best to make as little eye contact with him as possible; your head kept downcast as you took notes whilst the French official spoke.

Ooh Late in life You came to me And you put a sign On me Late in life What of you When you fell into A trap of lies You (ooh) You (ooh) You (ooh) Only you (ooh) You (ooh) You (ooh) All your love That I love All your love

Ah

*

"Do you have questions?", the French official asks once all the details have been relayed, snapping you out from the inner turmoil that was your thoughts and you to Susan for direction.

"He did work for us...", Susan remarks. "And when something occurs to one of ours, the agency is obligated to look into it. So yes, you will be hearing from us, thank you. Keep it locked down till we get there, please."

"I can't find a file on this guy", Dave comments once the French official logged off. "When did he become one of ours?"

"I don't know. Upstairs kept him off the radar for some reason", Susan responds, looking to you then. "Y/N, do you have any information on him-", she pauses to look up from the computer screen, and you could hear Byran's voice.

"Oh, you look great... but what about a tie? You need a tie, Darling...", Susan remarks and a faint smile crosses your face at their loving relationship, but it immediately sours when Dave opens his mouth.

"Do what she says, Byran..."

Susan smirks at the remark, you roll your eyes; which he clearly notices. Finishing her interaction with Bryan, Susan turns her attention back toward the screen. "Where were we?"

"There is a file on him. It was a category zero, so it was on need-to-know basis only", you reply. "I'm sending the information to both of you as we speak."

"Good... thank you", Susan smiles in response and Dave merely nods in appreciation.

"Hope it will assist in your investigation... but I'm sure you'll being heading to Brussels to personally go over the scene", you flash her a faint smile, making sure not to look in Dave's direction.

"Yeah... I'm going to have to go over there and cross the T's...", Susan confirms your guess. "You guys wanna come?"

"Oh damn... and leave this shitty office...?", Dave sarcastically responds. "You know, Brussels has the best chocolates..."

Susan smirks at his remark, "mmm... we'll go and find out."

You cringe internally at the thought of being in close proximity to Dave. "As tempting as it is... I have a ton of paperwork to go through. You go ahead and enjoy the enjoy the chocolates."

"Pity", Susan frowns dishearteningly. "I'll make sure to bring you back some chocolates."

Smiling at Susan's kind-heartedness, you nod in response, "deal."

Susan logs offline first, leaving Dave and you to stare at each other for a few seconds, and just as he opens his mouth to speak, you hastily off as well. "Not today... you were not going to give him any opportunely to kill you."

Like a man Who the game As a healing For his pain You your game Again and again Crazy, insane Deep in love You (ooh) You (ooh) You (ooh) Only you (ooh) You (ooh) You (ooh) All your love That I love All your love Yeah... 

Nxt

[wild-lavender-rose]

ur feeding the mash girlies fr 🙏🙏 can i pls get something whumpy hurt/comfort with trapper? i need him so bad

I noticed that my Mash fics have been getting a lot of attention lately, thank you so much! I put together something small for your request, I hope you enjoy <3

Take Care of Her

Warning: Canon-typical descriptions of bombing, war

"Trapper. Hey, Trapper!"

Trapper stopped and turned as you hurried to catch up with him, heaving a huge sigh of relief. "Thank God," he dropped his jacket and caught you in a hug that swept you off the ground. "I thought I'd lost you."

You gave a strangled sort of cry against the lump in your throat, wrapping your arms around his neck and burying your face into his scrub shirt. When the bombing had started, the two of you had been separated. Trapper to tend the incoming wounded, you to go with Radar to check on the orphanage a mile from the camp.

The bombing had been worse than usual. Many times you found yourself praying desperately that you'd get one last chance to see Trapper before you died. When you and Radar got to the orphanage, you were devastated to find that the building had been destroyed. You both looked frantically through the rubble, calling out to the children. There were no survivors.

Radar had made a beeline for his animal pen to seek comfort, while you looked for Trapper. You knew your relationship with Trapper was wrong. You knew that he had a family waiting for him back in the states. But right now you didn't care. It didn't matter, nothing mattered. You just needed to feel human, to feel safe.

"They're gone, they're gone," you said, gripping his shirt as he set you back on the ground. "We tried, tried to help. They were gone,"

"Why don't you take her to Swamp, Trap? Take care of her." Hawkeye, who had been standing silent beside Trapper, now looked at you with concern.

Trapper nodded. "Come on, sweetheart."

You felt his hand on your back, a gentle encouragement. With a shaky breath, you took a few steps.

"Here, I have a better idea." Leaning down, Trapper scooped you up into his arms. "I've got you now."

With tear-filled eyes, you laid your head on his shoulder and allowed you to carry him to the Swamp. Somehow, despite the worries and horrors swirling in your thoughts, you knew that everything was going to be all right.

Fanfic Masterlist

[the-lincyclopedia]

There's something that has become glaringly obvious to me as a working-class disabled queer person whose parents are non-disabled, not queer, and significantly more financially well off than I am (and have had a significant amount of disposable income for my entire life). Namely: there is a slice of the population, my parents very much included, whose lives and concerns are so well represented in the mainstream media, both news media and fiction, that it has genuinely never occurred to them that there could be a massive problem (or many massive problems) that they're not hearing about.

This really crystallized for me when my sister was talking about a conversation she had with our (also very well-off, mansion-owning) aunt and uncle. My sister, who's a public school teacher, mentioned feeling overworked and underpaid, which is the most common complaint I can possibly think of among public school teachers, and my uncle apparently tried to insist that my sister must be the only teacher who felt this way, or at least in a small minority, because if this were a large-scale problem, he would have heard about it. He couldn't fathom there being a big problem in his metro area that hadn't come to his personal attention.

Likewise, my mom talked to me last fall about how her department's assistant at work was having trouble finding appropriate health care for her daughter because of the daughter's specific diagnoses and needs--everywhere the assistant called said they had a long wait list, but the daughter needed care urgently. My mom insisted to me that there must be places that were both affordable and let urgent cases jump the line, because those things should exist, so in my mom's mind, naturally they do exist.

It's really hard to convey to people who are this privileged that the media leaves out huge swathes of the population and many, many massive societal problems, and that "this isn't on my radar" and "this doesn't exist" are not in fact equivalent statements. I think, at least in some cases, it's worth naming that explicitly: "Each of us only knows a small subset of what's going on in the world, and I'm telling you that this problem is real even though you haven't heard much about it until now."

I'll add that I don't think this is primarily a conspiracy by Big Media to obscure what's going on in society, at least not all the time. I think a large part of the problem is that the people with the largest media reach are generally privileged in a lot of ways, and they associate with other privileged people, which means that the concerns of less-privileged groups tend not to be top-of-mind for them. Sure, there are also efforts by editors and owners of some news outlets to deliberately mislead the public or suppress certain information or perspectives, but a lot of it also comes down to limited perspectives being self-perpetuating even without intention.

And sometimes it's useful to name explicitly that it's possible for a thing to happen without a specific person hearing about it.

[icanseethefuture333]

Hiiii, What’s stopping normani from taking over the music industry? Not sure if you’ve done a question like this.. 💛

A career reading on Normani

What's stopping Normani's success in the music industry is her choice in working with the wrong people. She keeps making connections or collaborating with people who are overall sabotaging her success. Normani's romantic feelings was in conflict with her work as well (I believe this is related to her collaboration with Chris Brown, who she previously stated she had a crush on). I believe Normani had high hopes of fame and status because of this collab and it was not received well. Normani hurt her fanbase - whom see her as family or could resemble her, and saw it as a stab in the back. Normani was mutually upset by this and felt bad for disappointing her fans, which has led her to retreat from the music industry and social media itself (going under the radar). Normani realized her decision was immature and should of focused on her current's self success instead of fulfilling a childhood dream/wish.

Is it possible for Normani to be in the spotlight again?

I do believe she has a chance in being the music industry again! Normani will come out of a period of isolation and reflection and will have a new image for herself. She will be more refined in her artistry and could feel more confident in herself as a artist and also a woman. Normani could turn to a friend or ask someone who's musically similar to her for a collab. I believe the song could be a love song, she most likely will not be a feature, but this person will feature on her song. "I'm tired of begging for hand outs. I have to make this happen on my own." She could also sign with a new record label? They will meet her halfway and could do a better job at promoting her new single. I'm not seeing extreme fame and attention for her, but the income she will receive from her new song will provide comfort and security. I also see the song being a gift to her fans as a way to ask them for forgiveness. Normani could also match her words with her actions. She will stop saying she will release a album and actually will just release it for once.

[the-silentium]

The key to survival

Chapter 1: Always have tape; it might save your boat or silence chatty people

Masterlist

Pairing: Bad Batch x Reader, not sure yet but might turn into a Tech x Reader fic

Words: 5280 words

Warnings: None

A/N: I had this story in my drafts since 2021. I think it deserves to be out there. Please enjoy.

Taglist: @haloangel391             

____________________

Hunter looked through the glass canopy of the Marauder, searching intently along with Tech and Echo for their escort. The Marshall Commander had been clear about that step; wait for them and do not attempt to approach the surface of the planet without them. The reason why was unclear. 

According to Tech, this planet chose to remain relatively advanced-technology free, meaning that they did use comms and datapads, but turned down ships and any plasma-based weapon. It was odd but not unheard of. It also didn't explain why the clones were forbidden to approach without a native escort. 

Surely, without any high-technology, the ship could not be shot down, the planet was affiliated with the Republic so the locals would not attack them as soon as they stepped out, their presence was planned days ago and so they would not be surprised of the Batch's arrival. 

Even Tech's encyclopedic mind and seemingly endless databank couldn't make sense of it. He told them the planet was inhabited by a high variety of highly dangerous animals of all kinds; swimming, walking, flying, poisonous, stealthy, all more dangerous than the previous one. However, they could be as deadly as they wanted, the clones aboard the ship were trained elite commandos equipped with pretty decent artillery. Those animals had no chance whatsoever against them.  

They nonetheless followed their orders and remained into the stratosphere until their comm received a transmission. Still, Hunter couldn't spot any escort in the clear blue sky. 

"So you're the clone ship?" A cheery, female voice rang through the line as soon as Echo accepted the incoming call. 

"We are. We were told to wait for an escort, is that you?" The Sergeant inquired, eyes still looking for any sign of the woman's ship. Again, he remained clueless of your position. Even the radar remained clear. 

"The one and only!" Crosshair came over and rolled his eyes at your enthusiastic tone. 

Then you finally came into view from their side. Hunter was not the only one shocked to see you ride a living, flying creature instead of a ship. 

The thing was slim in girth although imposing by the size of its leaf-shaped wings. Its back went from an emerald green to a darker shade with black star-shaped markings while its underside was on the brown side. Hunter noticed the curious movements of the wings flapping to slow down. They were separated in three distinct flaps, like six humongous leaves that kept it in the air. More importantly, the vicious talons and sharp teeth that caught the sunlight were enough for Hunter to be grateful that you were on their side. 

Then his attention moved to you, firmly holding onto your ride by a saddle. Your helmet looked like the only piece of technology you possessed. Its emerald shade shone under the sun, a stark contrast with the dark Y-shaped visor. 

"Woah! I've never seen one of those!" Wrecker exclaimed in awe as he ran to the cockpit, his eyes growing wide at the sight of the flying reptilian. 

"Just follow me and I'll bring you to the landing zone closest to our city." The creature kept a stationary position a good distance away from them, its eyes looking right at the men. Hunter repressed a shiver at the feeling of being seized up. 

"I wanna ride one of those." Wrecker pointed at the beast. A scoff escaped Hunter's mouth. He looked at his brother and wondered if he realized that you were riding 45 klicks in the air. "Looks much more fun than the Marauder! And cuddlier!"

"Cuddlier?" Echo whispered in disbelief. Hunter had to agree with his brother, this beast was in the same "cuddly" department as Crosshair. 

"Using animals as transportation methods is quite antediluvian." Tech tutted. “Ships surpass by far any capabilities of a biological creature.”

"I beg your pardon?" The female's voice cut through the comms. Hunter straightened along with Echo. Both of them thought that the transmission was over. Tech must not have noticed the dryness of your tone because he continued like there wasn't any issue. 

"Oh, do not apologize, it's quite alright. Antediluvian refers to something old-fashioned. There are more useful and practical ways to fly nowadays than use animals that have limited stamina, lower speed, lower height endurance--"

"I know what the word means." You cut him off. Hunter noticed your head snapping in Tech's direction and he was more than certain that a glare hardened your face under your helmet. "If you guys are all so advanced and mighty, then I don't see why I, a mere idiot who's using obsolete ways, am needed here. Have fun making your way to the city." You snapped and cut the transmission right as Hunter was about to jump in to try and save the situation. 

They watched as your beast propelled itself upwards with the powerful beat of its wings and continued to rotate backwards until they lost sight of it. The radar of the ship scanned something big above them then it lost any signal as it dove for the ground. 

"Total success Tech, congratulations. We are now without any escort." Hunter grumbled in disapproval. His instinct told him that this was not a preferable outcome. 

"I can't help but wonder if we really needed one in the first place. We have the coordinates to the landing zone and it is not too far from here. I estimate our arrival time to be 13 minutes." Tech looked back at him with confidence and as calm as ever. 

Hunter took a second to think everything through. He had received Cody's debrief alone, none of his brother had heard the serious tone in which the Marshall Commander had relayed to not proceed with the mission without native help. When he had pushed for a reason why, his superior admitted that he was himself relaying info from a third party and the reason was lost to him too. All they knew was that the warning was to be taken seriously.

On the other side, Tech was more often than not a reliable source of information. If he said that this planet was not a threat, then it must be so. Whoever this third party was, they surely couldn't measure up to Tech. 

"Get us to the LZ." He walked away to the side console when the ship started advancing towards their destination. He wondered if you were someone important in that city and whether what happened would impact the mission. 

Cross the river when you get there, he pinched his nose in exasperation.  

The ship suddenly jerked to the side, sending Hunter crashing into Wrecker who hit the wall with force. With a yelp, Tech fought with the commands to take back control of the Marauder. 

"Something is keeping us on the side!" He yelled behind him. "Hold on!" 

In a flash, Hunter anchored himself to a seat. Not even a second later, the ship jerked slightly forward, the engines pushing as much as they could to dislodge the ship, but not budging. A worrying sound of metal being scrapped filled the Marauder until whatever stopped them in their course released them. 

"What was-" 

"We lost most of-"

"Wrecker, gun's nest!" Hunter barked in a hurry as soon as he noticed the new critter that flew before them. It was big. Bigger than your own creature. Almost as big as the Marauder. Black scales shone under the sun, looking as hard as rocks, imposing teeth were visible despite its maws being shut, it pushed an enraged screech and Hunter started to understand why they needed you. 

Even more when he noticed that its tail scaringly resembled a blade. 

"On it!" 

"Tech! Get us out of here!" Echo looked at his brother, his arm pushing against the console like he could keep the monster at bay. 

"I'm doing what I can, but as I was saying, we lost most of the power in our right engine." Tech groaned in concentration, his hands firmly grabbing the ship's commands. 

The ship jerked a few times, forcing Tech into reckless maneuvers in attempts to keep the ship from getting maimed 35 klicks away from the ground. Hunter could hear the turret going off in quick succession. The sound of artillery put him more at ease, knowing that they were not defenseless. 

"Guys! This thing won't go down!" Wrecker yelled with worry behind his shoulder. 

"Well shoot it!" Crosshair shot back with a hint of annoyance laced with nervosity. 

"That's what I'm doing! It doesn't do anything!" He shot at the beast that gained enough speed to outfly them and right in front of their eyes, the plasma hit the black scales without any indicator that the creature was hurt. To Hunter, it looked like a blaster bolt had hit a wall, leaving behind a charred circle and nothing else. 

"What?!" 

The beast suddenly lost speed and swung its powerful tail to hit them in mid air. Tech dodged to the side with a curse, avoiding the blade-like tail by less than a meter.

"Can we jump into hyperspace?" He asked his piloting brother, his own knuckles turning white under the pressure of his grip on the seat. 

"We'd need to redirect–" 

"Can it be done?" He asked again, eager to skip the long explanation. 

"Yes."

Jaws appeared on their left, quickly gaining ground. Soon it would reach the cockpit and the teeth clashed together in excitement of its upcoming bite on metal. 

Hunter was ready to call it a day and order Tech to jump into hyperspace to try again later. The words stuck in his throat as he barely noticed something above them dive for the enormous beast and clash so hard they both plummeted towards the ground. 

Screeches could be heard over the engines of their ship. With swift movements Tech quickly lowered the speed and rotated the ship to take in what happened. 

A green creature had the monster's neck between its teeth from its position on its back. The black one trashed in the air, angrily trying to dislodge its opponent to counter-attack. The green beast let go once the monster dove for the trees below, it took some altitude but remained between the ship and the furious dragon. You held on tight onto your mount, one hand on the saddle, the other onto a blade strapped to your back.

"We should go. She can't beat that." Crosshair mumbled next to him, his gaze searching for the aggressive one's return. 

"Oh I think she can." Hunter countered. 

He didn't know exactly why, maybe it was the confidence that radiated from you or the battle-stance you moved into whenever the wild monster came charging back, but his guts told him you had this under control. 

The monster charged the smaller one in a menacing growl. They clashed once again but this time you jumped off your saddle to land onto the attacker's back. There you found the base of its wings and plunged your blade between the scales where wings met its back. It screamed in pain and took off, abandoning the fight in a dive. 

"Kark-"

Hunter's heart stopped as he saw you free falling. Wrecker groaned, his stomach surely upset at the sight. You, however, seemed pretty calm. You weren't flailing around like anyone else would, you were patiently waiting, arms and legs parted. Your green mount sped off towards the ground to catch you onto its back. 

"She's nuts." Echo mumbled as you came back to their height, unfazed. 

You refused every attempt at communication Hunter sent you, instead deciding to point once towards the landing zone and take off in its direction. This trip was going to be hell. Not 30 seconds in it and Tech had ruined their relationship with their protector by insulting what he would bet was your entire culture. Hunter feared he would have to tape Tech's mouth closed if he wanted to preserve some civility in future conversations. 

The jungle became clearer as they continued their descent after you. Quite a few times, your green-colored beast became fully camouflaged with the top of the trees, forcing the clones to use Crosshair and the radar to follow you effectively. At the back of his mind, Hunter wondered if that was intentional or not. Maybe you hoped they would lose you and return home. 

He certainly wanted to. 

A clearing appeared before them and your creature dove under the leaves. They followed after you and quickly landed on the lush ground. 

"I don't think I need to say this but let's try and not insult anyone further." He looked at Tech. 

"I simply stated the truth." 

"Sometimes the truth hurts." He sighed. "And right now, she's the one with the flying dragon that can cover us."

"A wyvern." His brother corrected. "Dragons have four legs whereas wyverns have two." Tech pulled on his helmet and like that, the team was fully geared up and ready to leave the ship. 

"Whatever the name, it's still hers. And I have a feeling that there are more of those things around." 

He gave one last look at his squad before lowering the ramp. 

Hunter got a glimpse of yourself patting your beast's neck before sliding down its side and repeat the gesture with its forehead when it lowered its head. Yellow eyes then turned to him and he immediately noticed the intelligence within them. This was no porg. 

From up close, Hunter's gaze found the flesh of your thighs, visible through a slit at the side of your dark green pants that moved slightly with the breeze. A sort of armor made of deep blue scales covered your lower legs, arms and chest. He had never seen such a design before and found himself intrigued.

He knew Tech would have queries about everything since they knew so little about this place, the question was whether you would take it kindly or not. 

"Thank you for your help back there." He consciously slowed his approach when he got within biting range of the wyvern. Just as slowly, he reached a hand out. "We highly appreciate it." 

Your Y shaped visor moved from his hand to his face to the rest of his brothers. A long second stretched and he wasn't certain you would accept his gratitude and let him hang in the air. Then you surprised him with a firm shake. 

"You're welcome." 

"And I also would like to apologize for my brother's rude comment."

You hummed, the sound slightly distorted by the confines of your armor. You shrugged and removed your helmet, showing them a cautious smile. Hunter remembered your initial cheery self and thought that they were headed in the right direction. 

"Apology accepted. I get why the GAR would think that we're somewhat outdated, with your tanks and ships and our animals." You exaggerated the last word, referring to Tech's words and chuckled. "Guess y'all didn't think that they were plasma resistant though." 

"You could have warned us." Tech lifted his gaze from his datapad to peer accusingly at you. 

Where was the tape?! 

"Tech!" Hunter growled. 

"Well, if its warnings you want, here's one. Raek is carnivorous." You informed him with a grin and proceeded to enter the dense jungle, Raek following you dutifully. "And we're late for lunch." You smirked. 

Hunter pulled on Tech's backplate to keep him from following you too closely. 

_______________

The jungle was full of life. Hunter could hear a diversity of critters running, flying and digging around him. A few chirping birds silenced their voices at the group's passage, some smaller animal scurried off at the sight of Raek's imposing form and Wrecker was chatting your ears off with questions about your mount. If your growing smile and the enthusiasm that took over your voice whenever you talked about your beast was anything to go by, Hunter would say that you forgave them their initial mishap. And the one that followed. The Sergeant sent a silent thank you to his brother. 

"Oh, no no, Raek can't breathe fire, and you won't see any fire-breathing wyvern in these parts. You'd have to go to the West where there's more mountains." You explained before pointing at Reak's mouth. "Raek is a Starios. His saliva is actually a venom that affects the nervous system. He can paralyze or render another wyvern unconscious in a handful of minutes depending on its size." 

While Wrecker wowed, Hunter found himself staring at the venomous mouth. Raek was big enough that he would only need two bites to finish a clone, no venom needed. In order to affect another beast of his size, his venom must be extremely potent, making Hunter wish that his brother was not leaning closer to the maws so he could get a better view of the sharp rows of teeth so generously displayed by the Starios. 

"This is great! A venomous dragon!"

"Wyvern." You and Tech corrected at the same time. Hunter noticed your smile widening before you had to dodge Wrecker's arms moving to the sky. 

"Who cares?" 

You chuckled. "We do." Your hand softly stroke Raek's wing. 

"How long have you had him?" Tech wondered, his attention fully on you. 

"Eleven years now. And I don't really have him, he decided to stick with me when he found me. He's more like a friend than a pet." Hunter hummed. He could somewhat make sense of what you meant, what with the sharp intelligence he saw in Raek's eyes. At some point even he wondered if the green creature could understand the whole conversation. 

"A coexisting relationship then." Tech pushed his glasses up his nose, interest shining in his eyes. 

"Exactly." 

"You mentioned that he found you. If I may inquire, how did that happen?" 

Your steps faltered and that content smile of yours became stiff and forced. "That's a story between him and I, sorry." 

Tech's shoulder dropped and Hunter knew he was disappointed. It was obvious that the story was too personal to share and Hunter would even dare say not on the happy side. He made sure to catch Tech's eyes and with a shake of his head, to stop any push back for answers. 

You stumbled into Wrecker when a green head playfully pushed you to the side. Instead of pushing back, you reached your arm under its lower jaw in a side hug. 

"We're almost there." You announced and separated from Raek. "Ya know where to go. I'll be back soon." You patted his wing. He looked down at you with a rumble and took another route through the trees. 

"Do you fight other drag- er- wyv-ern?" Wrecker looked down at you and you nodded in confirmation. "Other wyvern often? You looked like you did that everyday!" 

"This season I do." You nodded your head along with your words. "Just before winter some species will migrate and others will calm down with the added space. Although when they get hungry, it can get real' ugly."

"I bet!" 

An enormous gate stood in the horizon, guarded by two beasts. In some of the giant trees hidden behind it Hunter could see platforms and buildings, flying creatures going and coming from them, some passing right overhead. You waved as they passed and did the same to the guards who waved back and let them all in without issue. 

You beelined to a staircase at the bottom of a tree, marching up the stairs two by two. "I hope you're all good with heights." You jokingly threw them. Wrecker grunted and you stopped. "Oh."

"I hate heights!" He swiveled back towards Hunter, afraid that he would be forced to go up. "And there's no rail Sarge! 

Indeed, he too had noticed that detail. Added to the height of the first platform which was a good klick above ground, it brought a tinge of discomfort even to him. 

"It's fine Wrecker. You can wait down here." He assured. "We'll brief you when we get back." 

Wrecker's whole body sagged in relief. "Ah, thanks Sarge." He looked back up at the stairs and with a shudder and stepped aside to let them pass. "I'll wait here. See you soon. Don't fall." 

"We won't." He assured his brother and followed after you. 

The first few stairs went fine, but half a klick in the air and even Echo was cursing through the comms. It didn't help that the stairs were individual planks shoved into the tree in a regular spacing in a branch-like fashion. It meant that they could see the ground far below between each stair and there was no rail.

"This design is irrefutably unsafe." Tech yelled from behind him and Hunter hoped the wind carried his words away.

"We ride wyverns for a living here. This is nothing for us." You shot back. 

"Again, irrefutably unsafe!" 

"You're soldiers! That's unsafe!" 

Hunter groaned. Five minutes without Wrecker and Tech was back at antagonizing their escort. 

You sped up the last few steps and arrived at the top. 

"Hi Chief!" You walked up to a man whose gray hair stood out like a sore thumb. He turned to you and looked over your shoulder at them with a warm smile. "Here are the clones! I'm off now!" You waved over your shoulder, already turning on your heels and walking away. It was clear that you were happy to finally be relieved of them and Hunter sighed in relief that your job with them was over. He did not dislike you, you simply had all the reasons to get them lost for days and they did not have days. 

That was until the Chief called your name and you froze.

"Not so fast. They are here for the crystals you found a few months ago and they'll need a Rider to guide and protect them." 

Hunter tensed. Oh no.

"Yeaaah… about that. I'm quite busy with my own stuff at the moment, but I'm sure Olaka or Taeme would love to fill out this role." 

"As it stands, they are out on an expedition. What is so important that you have to do?" He frowned suspiciously. 

"Find the kids who decided to dull all my blades again and terrorize them enough so they'll have nightmares for days." You said it so seriously that Hunter had to repeat the words in his head. He could already see you making them walk in circles for the upcoming week.  

The Chief pinched his nose with a sigh. "I'll take this matter into my own hands. You can go ahead and escort the clones to the Lemgona cave and show them the crystals." 

"Wouldn't it be easier if I went to get those crystals and gave them to the clones? Would be quicker if I could ride." You wondered. 

"If those crystals are what we think they are, then harvesting them the traditional way would inevitably destroy them." Tech jumped in. "They require a precise extraction technique in order to maintain their constitution and attributes." 

Your shoulder slumped as you accepted defeat with a nod and turned around, the pep in your step gone. 

"You'll be back to your ship with the crystals in about two days, Sergeant." He assured him. 

"Sir-" Hunter worriedly looked back at the Chief after he took in your body language. 

"I know what it looks like." He sighed. "She'll take good care of you all, do not worry about that. She's not usually like this, so I think something might have happened on the way here?" Hunter answered with a look towards Tech who was busy assessing their surroundings. "Know that whatever happened, she's not one to hold grudges." The Chief assured them. “Those kids are another matter. They honestly had it coming.” 

"Alright. Thank you, sir." 

"I hope those crystals are worth the trouble of getting to them. Now, off you go." He waved them off with a reassuring smile.

"Sir." He nodded one last time and they were all off after you. Hunter frowned. You stood at the edge of the platform, nowhere near the stairs. 

"You can either take the zipline or the stairs." You shot them a single glance over your shoulder, taking in how Tech's eyes widened. "Guess it's gonna be the stairs." You grabbed a hook off your belt and down you went. 

"Like hell we'll take the stairs." Crosshair moved at the front and followed after you with his own hook. 

"It really couldn't be an easy one." Echo sighed. 

_________________

After a quick stop to ensure that someone will take care of your charges during your absence, the clones followed you to your home, a small, two story house camouflaged in the foliage and a barn that seemed to have been through a lot. Some walls were charred, some parts have obviously been smashed in and fixed with planks, the windows were all broken and the door hung at an odd angle.

"I just have to feed some lil' guys and grab my stuff. Shouldn't take too long." You turned to him. "You can look around if you'd like. They are all used to humans around here." 

Hunter nodded. He couldn't see any "lil' guys" around them yet, but he knew they were there, looking at them from their hiding place in the high grass near the back of the barn. Wrecker did not lose a second and approached the pair when the grass slightly moved. 

An elbow to his arm caught Hunter's attention and he looked back at Crosshair who pointed in the trees. Hunter didn't see anything. 

"Camouflaged. 700 meters above ground." He told him. 

Then he could see it, the faint movement of the bark of a tree, like a mirage. It slowly moved down as if crawling down before stopping completely. Right before their eyes, a navy-blue creature formed right where the mirage once was, its milky eyes staring right at them. This one had four legs and no wings, but it jumped down the 500 meters nonetheless and somehow glided next to you. It landed in a crash when one of its front legs gave out. 

"Are you okay, Roo?" You tilted your head at the growling beast. "We'll have to work on strengthening your legs if you really want to keep jumping down trees."

It whined and snarled at the ground before scratching the earth with its claws. Curiosity got the best of him and Hunter approached the blue beast. It looked up at him, head tilted in a silent question. It chirped lightly and in turn approached him in earnest, its head pressing against the plastoid and wild sniffing filled the air. Its head reached his mid-chest, the scales on its body moved up and down frantically as it moved all around him causing the light to reflect over them, its tail finished in a grape of spikes as long as his forearm. 

It did a whole circle around him and finally pressed its head hard on his chest plate, nearly sending him stumbling backward. He planted his feet more firmly on the ground and waited. He received another push to his chest. 

"I think it wants pets." Echo joined him.

"Is that what you want fella?" Tentatively, Hunter flattened his hand and stroked a path down the neck of the beast, the upturned scales on its skin flattening with his hand before rising again. A vibration shook his armor and purrs reached his ears. Maybe not porgs, but closer to tookas. 

He continued the motion to the pleasure of the beast while you grabbed two buckets that made you lightly limp from the effort to carry their heavy weights. If only he wasn't scared of insulting you more, Hunter would have offered some help. He noticed Echo looking at him with a questioning gaze, he too wanted to help but was hesitating for the same reason. With a shake of his head, Hunter hoped today would get better. 

"Soooo by the way!" You drew the word how with a huff of effort. "I'm Y/N, but I think you got that one already."

He watched as you stopped outside the barn, removed the lid and dumbed a few dozens kilograms of ripe fruits on the ground. Immediately, the navy-blue creature detached itself from him to enjoy the food and you came back towards their group who looked in curiosity as more beasts made their way to the pile. 

"I'm Hunter. That's Wrecker, Crosshair, Echo and Tech." He pointed at each of them.  

You turned to them with a small smile and nods. Raek breached the line of trees and ignored them in order to drop a gray-furred carcass near the fruit pile before digging in with great appetite. He tore into the prey with ease, the flesh seemingly shredding with little to no resistance. Hunter suddenly wondered how easily Raek could tear into plastoid. 

A gasp caught everyone's attention including yours. Wrecker awed at the tiny, orange wyvern that clumsily walked right into the barn door and sent it falling to the ground. You sighed in defeat next to him. 

The damage went unnoticed by the youngling, its eyes staring at Wrecker. It was smaller than the several others gulping down the fruits. Way smaller. It barely reached his knees and those big yellow eyes definitely got to Wrecker's soft spot who quickly joined its side. 

"Can I pet him?" Wrecker's hands were almost shaking with excitement. 

"You can. And Silica's a she." You looked between his brother and Raek whose gaze was fixed on Wrecker's hand petting Silica's head. There was no malice in his gaze, only pure protectiveness. The resemblance between the two was obvious, not only in shape, but the tiny one, despite being primarily dark-orange, had Raek's green highlights.

"We'll be able to leave once Raek has finished eating." You glanced at the wyvern once more and took in his focussed state. "Silica, com'ere." You called and she reacted immediately. She turned around with a joyous chirp to join your side, her flat tail whipping harshly at Wrecker's thigh plate. The resulting noise made the creature jump and face them with a growl. Hunter's heartbeat skyrocketed, his eyes shooting to the hovering male. To his relief Raek remained in place and looked somewhat amused. 

You quickly herded back your beast, all the while whispering her reassurances and giving her pats. She calmed down enough for you to send her back to the fruit pile with Raek who bumped her head with his nose and shared some shredded meat.

"Sorry Wrecker." You sheepishly scratched your neck. "She's still a hatchling and gets scared easily." 

"A hatchling?" 

"A baby." 

"Ooh! You sure have a lot of those!" 

"Yeah. Raek and I take care of the orphans of our Riders or the ones we find in the jungle." You reached the fallen door and lifted it enough so you could pull a bag with your foot from under it. You dropped it again. "The jungle doesn't have mercy. Not for anyone." 

You opened the bag to check the content and closed it before strapping it to Raek's saddle. 

"Do y'all need anything before we leave?" You asked and Hunter shook his head. 

"We're ready when you are." You pushed yourself off Raek and patted Silica's head. 

"Gabe will pass to care for you. Be a good girl will ya?" A thrill answered your question and you chuckled. 

"Let's go." You took the front and led them back to the gates where you led them deeper into the jungle, Raek following a few steps behind them.

[anonymousewrites]

Clan of Three (Book 3) Chapter Eight

Father Figure! Mandalorian/Din Djarin x Teen! Reader

Chapter Eight: The Path

Summary: (Y/N) and Mando face pirates, and (Y/N) has bad luck.

Mouse Note: Probably one of the most important/exciting chapters I've written! Let me know what you guys think, I'd appreciate it! Also, I'm sorry? not really.

            Mando’s ship was the first to enter Nevarro’s airspace. With its speed and size, it would draw the attention of the gunners of Gorian Shard’s ship and be able to avoid the firing while Bo-Katan dropped off the Mandalorians. Multiple smaller ships launched from Shard’s cruiser to chase after the N-1. Mando was quick to take out several ships with his own blasters and expert flying. The cruiser began following him.

            “The Corsair’s on me. Coast is clear,” radioed Mando to Bo-Katan.

            “Got it,” she said. Her ship swooped down towards Nevarro and dropped low over the city. “Approaching drop point. First team, prepare to drop.”

            (Y/N) sat, tensed and focused, in the gunner’s seat. While the Mandalorians dropped, they would provide cover if anyone spotted them and attacked. The hatch opened, and a team of Mandalorians dropped and activated their jetpacks to soar into Nevarro.

            “First team away,” reported Bo-Katan.

            “Area clear,” reported the Mandalorians within a few minutes of taking out the first group of pirates they found. “Team two, you with us?”

            Team two launched from the ship and landed on the streets of Nevarro without incident. “Team two, moving toward courtyard,” they reported.

            In the air, Mando continued flying circles around Shard’s men, drawing them farther from the city and onto the plains.

            “Din, what’s your position?” asked Bo-Katan.

            “I’m over the plains with snubfighters in pursuit,” said Mando. “You’re clear to start your run.”

            Bo-Katan gunned her ship towards Shard’s cruiser. Finally, she entered the radar, and the guns turned on her. Luckily, she still had the element of surprise.

            “Ready, Verd’ika?” teased Bo-Katan.

            (Y/N) grinned as they readied the guns and fired as they swooped over the Corsair. “You bet.”

            “We got an engine, good,” said Bo-Katan, assessing the damage they had done.

            On the lava flats, the remaining snubfighters were recalled as Shard realized the N-1 was a distraction for Bo-Katan to attack with few defenses to stop her.

            Below, the Mandalorians were at the town square outside the High Magistrate’s office engaged in a shootout. Luckily, before they were boxed in too much, Paz arrived and blew a number of pirates away with his machine gun blasts. The Mandalorians advanced into the courtyard, but as they made it in, the pirates finished setting up a powerful blaster on the balcony of Karga’s office above. The Mandalorians were forced to take cover, unable to get close enough to take the gun out.

            “We’ve got incoming,” warned (Y/N), swiveling in their seat as the snubfighters appeared.

            Bo-Katan was forced pull away from the Corsair to avoid having too much fire on her ship at once. (Y/N) shot back at the snubfighters, and one exploded. Luckily for them, the N-1 appeared from below, taking out another pirate ship. One! Two! Mando swerved around the pirates with practiced efficiency as he took them out. (Y/N) shot down another, and the smoking remains crashed on another of the Corsair’s engines.

            Unfortunately, the Mandalorians in the courtyard were still pinned by the powerful blaster fire, unable to continue forward.

            “We’re pinned and taking heavy fire,” reported Paz. “We need some backup.”

            “Din and I are still tied up with the Corsair,” said Bo-Katan.

            (Y/N) frowned before straightening. They had a terrible, terrible idea. “Bo, can you handle the guns on your own?”

            “Yes,” said Bo-Katan.

            “Can you detour for a moment?” asked (Y/N), getting up from the gunner’s seat.

            “Yes,” said Bo-Katan. “Why?”

            “Drop over the Magistrate’s office,” said (Y/N).

            “Kid, I can’t shoot, my blasters would hit the Mandalorians, too,” said Bo-Katan.

            “If you get close enough, I can jump,” said (Y/N) simply.

            Bo-Katan was really glad her comms weren’t on at the moment since Mando would be chewing her and (Y/N) out. “Are you crazy, kid?” she hissed.

            “Probably,” said (Y/N). They eyes were dark with focus. “But if I can get behind them, I can shoot them down. The others are pinned. I won’t be.”

            Bo-Katan was silent for a moment as she debated. This was a terrible, horrible idea. But it was crazy enough to work, and (Y/N) looked like they would do something even worse if Bo-Katan didn’t go along with this idea. “Fine, but don’t let Din kill me after this.”

            “He’ll kill me, more likely,” muttered (Y/N).

            “I’ll give you a countdown,” said Bo-Katan, swerving towards the Magistrate’s office. “Five…”

            (Y/N) stood over the drop hatch, watching the rooftops speed closer and closer.

            “Four…”

            They crouched and took a deep breath.

            “Three…”

            May the Force be with me on this one.

            “Two…”

            And may the warrior Mandalorians of old guide me to victory.

            “One…”

            (Y/N)’s eyes snapped open.

            “Drop!”

            (Y/N) leapt from the Gauntlet.

            From below, the Mandalorians paused and watched as a figure wearing no jetpack jumped into the sky.

            (Y/N) landed on the roof and rolled. They could feel the bruises developing as they came to a stop, but they had survived.

            Bo-Katan breathed a sigh of relief when she saw (Y/N) successfully land. Mando was still going to kill her for letting them fight like this, though, so it did little to make her less nervous.

            (Y/N) didn’t pause as they landed. They were instantly running to the edge of the roof. They drew their blaster and shot the pirate firing at the Mandalorians in the courtyard. Instantly, the other two pirates on the balcony turned to fire back, but (Y/N) ducked back. They took a deep breath and allowed the Force to guide them. They snapped their eyes open. One pirate was on the left, and the other was taking over the gun.

            (Y/N) raised their hand over the side of the roof and shot where they sensed the men. The two pirates fell, and (Y/N) rolled over to drop to the balcony. They instantly shot the large blaster the pirates had been using to break it from further use.

            A blaster shot hit their shoulder, and they hissed in pain as they turned to face the pirates left in the room. They rolled to the side as the remaining men fired at them. As the Mandalorians below advanced through the courtyard and cleared the pirates, (Y/N) faced the pirates in the office.

            (Y/N) rolled behind the desk, and as one man approached while the rest fired for cover, (Y/N) snaked out. They darted at the pirate, circling behind him. As he turned to shoot, he was hit in the crossfire of his fellow pirates. The other pirates continued shooting, and (Y/N) leapt into the air over them. As they flipped, they shot another man down. When they landed, a man landed a hit, and (Y/N)’s blaster went flying.

            But (Y/N)’s didn’t bother looking for it, refusing to move their eyes from the enemy before them. One more. No armor, no cover. They narrowed their eyes.

            And they moved, darting at the pirate. He raised his blaster, and (Y/N) was upon him. They struck at him, keeping low and ducked beneath his blaster as he fumbled to aim so close to himself. (Y/N) pushed forward, and with a schlick, their dagger landed in his chest. At the same moment, he fired.

            (Y/N) gasped as a burning sensation ripped through them. Instantly, their body screamed at them to let go, to rest, to stop fighting as pain flew through them. But (Y/N) ignored it. They gritted their teeth and ripped their dagger upwards. They sliced through the pirate’s throat, and he collapsed.

            Dead.

            (Y/N) pulled their dagger out and stumbled back. They tensed as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. They turned towards it as the world spun and a wetness covered their side as blood spilled from their wound.

            They breathed a sigh of relief that turned to a wounded cough as the Armorer stepped through the doors with Paz. The Mandalorians had made it.

            “My…Buir…is he okay?” coughed (Y/N).

            Before they could hear a reply, the world faded from them. They collapsed.

            The Armorer swiftly caught them and lowered them. “Alert Din Djarin,” ordered the Armorer to Paz. “We need Greef Karga’s medical supplies.”

            Paz nodded and quickly radioed in. Mando had saved his son, Ragnar. Paz would not hesitate to help save Mando’s foundling.

            “Din Djarin,” said Paz, extending the communications to Bo-Katan as well in case she was closer.

            “The pirates who ran were accosted by Greef Karga,” said Mando. “If the courtyard is cleared, we’ve finished here.”

            “The courtyard is cleared, but Din…your foundling was injured,” said Paz.

            Mando’s blood ran cold, and Bo-Katan’s eyes widened beneath her helmet. “What?” he breathed.

            “We need Greef Karga’s medical supplies immediately,” said Paz.

            “I’ll radio him,” said Bo-Katan. “Get to (Y/N), Din.”

            Mando didn’t even reply, already speeding to land and rush to (Y/N). He hadn’t been there to protect them. And now they were injured, badly. Hold on, Ad’ika. I’m coming. I’m coming.

l

            Mando rushed through the halls of the sewer system. The Armorer had taken (Y/N) to where the old infirmary was and used Karga’s supply of e-Bacta to begin healing them. Mando was in a panic as he slid into the doorway of the infirmary. Grogu came to a halt beside him in his cradle and whimpered.

            The Armorer was sewing up (Y/N)’s wound, but Mando’s heart still dropped into his stomach. They were so still. Blood stained the coat beneath them and the skin of their side. Mando had seen many gruesome deaths and caused countless himself, but the sight of (Y/N) nearly dead was sickening.

            “Are they…alive?” asked Mando hesitantly. He wasn’t sure he could handle the answer if they weren’t.

            “They are fighting for their life,” said the Armorer, calming continuing to work on (Y/N)’s wound. “If they continue this way, they will survive.”

            Mando breathed a sigh of relief and knelt by (Y/N)’s side. He reached out and squeezed (Y/N)’s eyes. Closing his eyes, he sent a quiet prayer to the Mandalorians of old. Please, protect them. Guide them back to me.

l

            (Y/N)’s eyes opened to find themself lying in shallow water. Around them stretched the cavern of the Living Waters. They dragged themself up. Although not injured in their vision, the phantom pain of their true body tore through them as they moved. (Y/N) groaned and curled in on themself, half in the water, half out.

            “Mando’ika, you must stand,” said the familiar voice.

            (Y/N) opened their eyes and stared up at Mandalore the Great. “If I could, I would,” they muttered.

            Mandalore the Great knelt and placed a gloved hand on (Y/N)’s head. “You must find the strength, Mando’ika. They need you.”

            (Y/N) groaned. “Nobody needs me.”

            “Your buir does. Mandalore does,” said the great Mand’alor. Their voice and touch were gentle. “They are close to finding the right path once more. They need to see that this is their Way. The sunlight, the bonds, the acceptance of all our people’s differences.”

            “I can tell them what you’ve told me?” asked (Y/N).

            “The times are changing. A new era is in the making,” said Mandalore the Great. Their voice held a smile in it. “Dear Mando’ika, you have the words they need to hear if they are to find the path to Mandalore’s salvation.”

            “I’m…What if they don’t listen?” murmured (Y/N).

            “You, who have seen the mythosaur? You, who have fought for them? You, who have bled for them?” Mandalore the Great’s voice was firm. “They will listen. Your buir will listen. They will understand.”

            “I’m afraid,” admitted (Y/N). “All of this…I don’t understand it.”

            “And yet you face it. Is that not what counts?” remarked Mandalore the Great. “Now, Mando’ika, it is time for you to live.” They cupped their free hand in the waters (Y/N) half lay in. They poured the Living Waters over (Y/N)’s head, and as their eyes closed, the world blurred from them.

l

            “How could you let them do something so dangerous?!” demanded Mando, looming over Bo-Katan.

            “I’m sorry, Din, I—” said Bo-Katan. “I shouldn’t have let them go.”

            “No, you shouldn’t,” seethed Mando. “I thought you’d watch over them. I trusted you to look out for them, and now they’re injured, badly.”

            “Din, I had no idea anything like that would happen,” said Bo-Katan, her voice mournful. “We had no idea there were so many inside the office.”

            “You should have thought of that before you put my ad’ika in danger,” said Mando.

            (Y/N) furrowed their brow as their conscious returned. “Buir?” they murmured as their eyes opened.

            Mando turned in an instant upon hearing their voice. “Ad’ika,” he breathed in relief, kneeling at their side. “How are you feeling?” Grogu gazed up at them on the makeshift bed anxiously.

            “Like death,” muttered (Y/N), trying to sit up.

            Mando gently guided them up, worrying over them the entire time. “I was so scared, Ad’ika,” said Mando, holding them close. “Don’t ever do that to me again.” His voice choked on suppressed tears.

            “Sorry, Buir,” said (Y/N), looking away.

            Mando sighed and squeezed them comfortingly. “You were incredibly brave, alright? And I’m very proud of you, Verd’ika. But I don’t ever want to see you like that again,” he said. “You were so still, and there was so much blood…I thought I’d lost you, Ad’ika.”

            Mando knew he’d be haunted by the sight of (Y/N)’s bloody body for countless cycles to come. He had been so afraid for them, hesitant to allow anyone near in case they made the situation worse. (Y/N) had nearly died. If the Armorer hadn’t stitched them up and Greef Karga didn’t have his stash of e-Bacta, (Y/N) would have been gone.

            “You didn’t lose me, Buir,” assured (Y/N), smiling Mando even though their side ached with every movement.

            “You’re quite lucky,” said the Armorer. “You were close to death. The ancestors must have been guiding you.”

            (Y/N) took a deep breath. “Actually…you’d be surprised.” They glanced around them. Mando, Bo-Katan, and the Armorer were all gathered in one room. No better time, they supposed. “That’s what I wanted to discuss with you before,” continued (Y/N), looking to the Armorer.

            “Continue,” said the Armorer.

            “When I nearly died, I had a vision. Another vision, actually,” said (Y/N). They took a deep breath and straightened their shoulders as they continued. “I saw Mandalore the Great.”

            The Mandalorians were silent and, unfortunately, inscrutable with their helmets. Grogu cooed encouragingly. He understood.

            “You saw Mandalore the Great?” asked Bo-Katan.

            (Y/N) nodded. “I spoke to them.”

            “What did they say?” asked the Armorer.

            “Which time?” muttered (Y/N).

            “You had visions of them multiple times?” questioned Mando, gently encouraging them.

            “On Tython, when Grogu and I went to the Seeing Stone, I saw them for the first time,” explained (Y/N). “Then when I…fell into the Living Waters, I saw them again. And then I saw them a few moments ago when I was between life and death.”

            “Why didn’t you tell me, Ad’ika?” asked Mando gently.

            “I was afraid I would seem crazy,” admitted (Y/N). “I mean, I really can’t understand why Mandalore the Great would want to speak to me.”

            “If they spoke with you, it was for a reason,” said the Armorer.

            Mando nodded in agreement. “You have nothing to worry about with us, Ad’ika.” Grogu babbled in agreement.

            “What did Mandalore the Great say?” asked Bo-Katan.

            “The first time I spoke with them, I was unsure of my path,” explained (Y/N). “They gave me the guidance I needed. They told me to trust myself to find the Way.” They cleared their throat, continuing. “But they also mentioned the rest of the Mandalorians. They’re worried about you.”

            The Armorer tilted her helmet just slightly, and Bo-Katan looked at her feet. They both had similar sentiments about the future of the Mandalorians.

            “They said they don’t want you to repeat the mistakes of the past,” said (Y/N).

            Bo-Katan let out a breath, and Mando paused for a moment. They both remembered those words. (Y/N) had spoken them to Bo-Katan when they, Grogu, and Mando went to Mandalore for the first time. Neither Mandalorian had had any idea that they had been speaking the words of Mandalore the Great.

            “And when I saw them in the Living Waters, they said Mandalore is coming to a crossroads,” said (Y/N). “They’re worried that the issues of the past, all your infighting, will weaken you again. They’re worried because something dark is coming, and Mandalorians need to be ready to fight.”

            They looked up at the Mandalorians around them. They had spoken what they knew. They had delivered Mandalore the Great’s message. Now all they could do was let the Mandalorians hear them.

            The Armorer spoke. “Mandalore the Great speaks the truth. The warning is wise.”

            (Y/N)’s shoulders relaxed at the acceptance of their words.

            “Bo-Katan,” said the Armorer, and the woman in question straightened as she was addressed. “Remove your helmet.”

            Bo-Katan froze, Mando looked at the Armorer with undoubted shock, Grogu cooed, and (Y/N)’s eyes widened.

            “But…” said Bo-Katan uncertainly.

            “Do you respect my station?” asked the Armorer.

            “I do,” said Bo-Katan.

            “Remove your helmet,” said the Armorer again.

            Hesitating, moving with jerky movements, Bo-Katan raised her hands. She took her helmet and pulled it off, revealing her face. She stared at the Armorer, standing pin straight as she awaited whatever her fate may be.

            “Mandalore the Great’s words are correct. We weakened ourselves with our mistakes and vision. Our people have strayed from the Way, and it is not enough for a few to walk it,” said the Armorer. “We must walk it together.”

            (Y/N)’s eyes widened, and a small smile appeared on their face. This was what Mandalore the Great had wanted. They wanted their people to come together and accept one another to become stronger.

            “This is the Way,” said Bo-Katan, nodding her head.

            The Armorer inclined her head. “We must walk the Way together. All Mandalorians.”

            “I understand,” said Bo-Katan.

            The Armorer looked for a moment at (Y/N). “I was taught that the mythosaur existed only in legends, and yet it has been seen. Mandalore the Great is correct; the next age is upon us. Mandalore must all come together. We need those who have walked both ways to lead, Bo-Katan. It is time to retake Mandalore.”

            Bo-Katan nodded. “I will do whatever I can to bring Mandalore unity.”

            The Armorer inclined her head. “Come. We shall announce the news to our people.” She once again glanced at (Y/N). “All should hear the wishes of the Mandalorians of old.”

            (Y/N) moved to stand with them, but Mando pushed them back. “No, Ad’ika. You have to rest to heal.”

            (Y/N) furrowed their brow in frustration. “What if something happens?”

            “Then we will handle it,” said Mando. “And I won’t leave without out you, but you need a bit of time to heal, even with the e-Bacta.”

            (Y/N) huffed and lay back. “Fine.”

            Mando patted them on the head before standing. The Armorer, Bo-Katan, and he walked into the hall. It was time to announce that Mandalore would be coming together once more, no matter the differences in their paths and beliefs.

            “Your foundling is quite unique, Din Djarin,” said the Armorer. “To see the mythosaur and speak to Mandalore the Great without ever taking the Creed is quite an achievement.”

            “They’re a good kid,” was all the response Mando had.

            “They have the makings of a great Mandalorian, and it seems our ancestors agree,” said the Armorer. “They walk many Ways, and yet they are learning to find balance. I look forward to seeing their potential.”

Taglist:

@im-making-an-effort

@gr33n-d00dles

@alexpangender

@painstakingly-juno

@treehouse-mouse

@theurbannoodle

@pedropascalsidechick

@dmitrytherat

@dilfsaremyfavourite

[cordyce]

what kind of artists/genres do you think the gang listens to

these are burning questions that truly need to be answered, thank you

JAKE: you cannot tell me that this man’s top two listened to genres aren’t classic country and classic rock. like i’m sorry but mr. soldier boy definitely REEKS of it. some of his favorite artists would probably be lonestar, alan jackson, guns n’ roses, reba, led zeppelin, aerosmith, ac/dc, red hot chili peppers… the list goes on

NEYTIRI: honestly i see her being either a piggyback off of jake’s taste (bc they’d share playlists a lot lol) or listening to some very soulful r&b! definitely listens to marvin gaye RELIGIOUSLY (a woman of taste) but is also a fan of whitney houston, prince. dare i throw adele into this mix bc i just know ney would eat her vocals UP

NETEYAM: people are either gonna love or hate me for this but i think he is a HEAVY kpop lover + likes alt/indie music as well. he’s biiiig on girl groups like new jeans, le sserafim, and (g)-idle. is an AVID listener of rainbow kitten surprise, the backseat lovers, noah kahan. but he likes rock too (prefers metallica over ac/dc, don’t tell jake)

KIRI: i think she listens heavyyy to indie pop / alt / folk music. things that aren’t necessarily soft but have a more relaxed style beat is definitely up her alley. her top artists would definitely be girl in red, conan gray, phoebe bridgers, matt maltese, fleet foxes. (also listens to kpop, is the one who introduced neteyam)

LO’AK: this dude has absolutely horrible taste i’m so sorry. like it’s not downright terrible but he either listens to mainstream pop type music or the most horrid rap you’ve ever heard in your life. his taste in certain artists is good tho. he likes juice wrld, taylor swift, billie eilish, drake, lil uzi, role model

TSIREYA: i see her as either a mainstream girly, lofi playlist connoisseur, or being surprisingly into heavy metal lol. definitely think she’d have a jumbled up playlist full of taylor swift, ed sheeran, olivia rodrigo, van halen, slipknot, mötley crüe, plus various random lofi beats thrown in. her playlist is a mess but for some reason so good??

AO’NUNG: yeah no there’s no salvaging this man’s music taste. just accept that it is a literal dumpster fire and GO. his most listened to genre?? soundcloud rappers. but not even the good ones! i couldn’t even name any because they’re all so underground from never moving out of their ma’s basement. someone take his music privileges away pls

[battleguqin]

[conti.]

Sizhui had not really had any intention of stepping into this. Outside the men were acting odd. He had known the previous owner and something truly felt off. So the fact she was there was a surprise. Sizhui assumed he could simply slip in and shadow the idiots, until they opened fire and his reflexes kicked in. Though he did not show it he had been surprised she was there. It easily turned to having to defend himself since she assumed he was trailing her--he supposed it could look like that though wasn't the case at all.

The wind danced through his hair and around them forming a wind barrier against bullets. She used her Qi which also alerted him to her in the moment his eyes shifted back to her and he pressed his lips faintly. He was capable of making her stay against this wall until the danger had passed. Though her hand lingering on his chest left him wondering if she forgot it was there. He was a man who was a doctor and practiced law. It was the important part of what he did.

If Sizhui would have wanted to kill her he had her in his apartment and he fed her. He had no intention of causing her harm. He gave a hum. He certainly understood having to do certain things. He had a book of names as well. He was slowly working through because he was always meticulous when he planned things. He just glanced at her and dipped his head "Understandable." he stated and glanced to the hand in the air with a brow arched.

"I served with Doctors without Borders for two years." he answered her "I have seen some of the worst of people in third world countries, places where people will kill because they can." he shook his head. "I have no fear of any of this." it was the most he had said on the subject and the last he would say on the subject for now. "I did not know you were going in here, I followed them not you." he said simply though he smirked faintly at the annoyance. "You do not have to prove your worth to me Miss. Hua." he reminded her. "I am just your attorney."

"Do you wish me to answer that truthfully ?" he counted with a head tilt the violet eyes had taken an almost serpentine quality at the attitude. "I am excellent at staying under the radar, I move swiftly and quietly." he shrugged "My friend sold it to the local land relator, the land relator sold it to scum." he was already moving his long brown jacket had come off and was folded to be placed in the cat carrier. He frowned and the first hint of emotion touched his face. "Children you say." he could care less about a man who was also skilled in murder. The children however that made his unhappy.

He was already freeing Cloud and the cat knew what Sizhui wanted from him. Cloud was almost a familiar really. The Cat bumped his head into Sizhui's face for pets and loves. Which was given.

"Couldn't happen to a nicer person." he agreed Sizhui pulled a pair of black gloves from the side of the cat-bag. And the dark wraps went around his hands." I am likely not what anyone thinks I am." he shrugged "Do not concern yourself with me though, I will carry my own weight. Here let me confirm your suspicions of me." he stated. He let his hair down from the bun it had been in. He pulled on a long black over hanfu speed dressing as it were. Expensive leather shoes joined his coat and black tabi boots went on his feet. She was curious she was suspicious. He pulled the handle of his suitcase and twirled the two blades, which was tucked into his belt.

"That's not what I mean, I mean you have assets that you have to cover and pay taxes on." he explained as he prepared himself and Cloud wove around Mulan's feet giving her attention for addressing him. "You need to explain this income, I can handle that. I need to know what they are though." he stated "I also need to have transparence become of things like this, I need to know if someone might come for me out of association--which is fine by me. I just hate when people get their blood on my clean floors."

Cloud made a trilling sound in his throat, and blinked at the men in the picture. Than he turned and darted into the dark, they could not hear him when he moved Sizhui's phone showed darkness and that the cat was using the sides of the walls to keep from the water where needs be. However, the camera adjusted to the dark, to give them a good layout of what was ahead of them.

Sizhui followed he didn't wait to be invited to go. His suitcase disappeared into the sleeve of the hanfu he wore. Clearly magical.

@adversitybloomed

[chaoticgremlinwholikescheese]

The Whistle of a Bomb

AO3 LINK

Though the fighting is miles away, the echo of gunfire and artillery echoes from the battlefield. Despite this, there haven't been any incoming casualties yet. Everyone is on edge, waiting for the moment the helicopters crest the hills. Hawkeye is trying to keep himself busy to combat the anxious energy under his skin.

"Radar, did that shipment of penicillin ever come in?"

"Yes sir. So did the bandages, O-positive blood, and syringes."

"Good. Any chance my discharge papers came with them?"

"No such luck, sir."

"How about some proper alcohol?"

"Unless you mean isopropyl alcohol, then no," Radar says, stuttering over the word 'isopropyl'. 

Hawkeye hums under his breath. Noticing that Radar is practically jogging to keep up with him, he slows his hurried walking to a casual stroll. Usually he would make some clever joke about Radar's height. But right now, he's too distracted to come up with anything. He sees others heading towards the OR. BJ is exiting the mess hall, smiling when he sees Hawkeye. He speeds up to meet them.

"Any coffee left in the mess?"

"Yeah, but you don't want it. I'm pretty sure I saw something swimming in it."

"Wouldn't be the worst coffee I've ever had here."

BJ grimaces, but huffs out a laugh. 

"I'm going to go change before we're stuck in surgery for an eternity. Want anything from the Swamp?"

"Nah. But check and see if that fake snake I put in Frank's bed is still there. I want to reuse it later."

BJ gives a mock salute before strutting off. Hawkeye turns his attention back to Radar. He's scribbling stuff down on his clipboard, mumbling under his breath. He almost walks into a fence post, but Hawkeye grabs the neck of his shirt and pulls him out of the way. Radar doesn't seem to notice, too busy with his lists and numbers. From what little Hawkeye can read, it's a mess of supply forms and the like.

"Sign this, sir."

Radar hands Hawkeye the clipboard and the pen. He doesn't even look at what he's signing. For all he knows, he could be signing away his soul. But if Radar is handing him a form, it's for a good reason. The kid runs this camp. Hawkeye is in no position to doubt him. 

"You should invest in some colorful pens. Brighten up the paperwork."

"Ever since you signed those forms in crayon we're not allowed to use anything but army regulation pens."

"Army regulation pens? Do they write in red white and blue?"

"No, just black."

Radar's head whips up before Hawkeye can make another comment. Hawkeye immediately goes on alert, knowing that something is coming.

"Helicopters?"

"No. It's different, I don't-"

A whistling sound cuts through the air. 

The next few moments seem to happen in slow motion. The bomb lands in the dirt. There's a second of silence. There's no time to run, no time to yell. Hawkeye doesn't think. He throws himself over Radar, covering the boy with his body. The force of the explosion hits him before the sound does. He feels the rush of dirt, the way shrapnel hits his back. The force knocks him to the ground. There's yelling in the distance. Everything is garbled, like he's underwater. His vision is swimming.

BJ comes running when he hears the explosion. The first thing he sees is the massive dent in the ground from the explosion. The second thing he sees is a familiar form curled around Radar. He runs even faster. He drops to his knees, shaking hands frantically grabbing at Hawkeye. There are several bleeding wounds in his back, some pieces of shrapnel still sticking out from his skin. Radar is underneath him, blood pooling underneath his head. He's unconscious, but breathing. 

"Hawkeye! Hawk-"

Hawkeye blearily blinks. His eyes are hazy. He tries to lift himself, but lets out a broken cry and falls back onto Radar.

"Try not to move. You're going to be okay, I'm right here. Get me a stretcher! Now!"

"Radar- check on Radar-"

"I can't check on him until I move you. We're going to get you inside. Can you wiggle your fingers for me? And your toes?"

BJ lets out a sigh of relief when Hawkeye does so without issue. The wounds are deep, but nothing hit his spine. Thank God for small miracles.  Blood has completely stained the back of Hawkeye's shirt. It's sticking to his skin. Red stains the dirt below them, the puddle quickly growing. Someone comes over with a stretcher. BJ takes the lead, ordering people to get ready to lift.

"On three! One, two, three."

The scream Hawkeye lets out when they move him will haunt BJ for the rest of his days. Charles is already looking at Radar, so he follows Hawkeye into the OR. No one argues with him when he says he's doing the surgery. Margaret takes her place as his right hand man. BJ forces himself to push any emotion away. He won't be able to operate if he allows the terror to swallow him. 

The surgery feels like it takes eons. There's so much shrapnel in his back. Luckily none of them did any serious damage. Hawkeye will have some new scars and a trip to Tokyo, but he'll heal just fine. But BJ knows he won't feel properly okay until he sees Hawkeye awake again. He wants to sit in post-op with him, but there are wounded coming in. He has a job to do. Still, he orders the post-op nurse to bring him updates every hour.

Luckily, Radar escaped mostly unscathed. Besides a few minor cuts and bruises and a nasty concussion, he's alright. Hawkeye had taken the brunt of the explosion. Apparently Radar is sitting vigil next to Hawkeye's bed. It gives BJ some comfort to know that Hawkeye isn't alone. 

By the time they get through the last wounded soldier, it's been hours. BJ is exhausted. But instead of resting, he goes straight to post-op to check on Hawkeye and Radar. The boy is still sitting by Hawkeye's bed. He's asleep, head resting on the side of the bed. BJ pulls up a chair. Hawkeye still hasn't woken up. It's unsettling to see him so still, so quiet. He hates it. 

"You should get some sleep too."

Margaret runs a hand through Radar's hair, an unusually gentle gesture for her. But then again, everyone has a soft spot for Radar.

"I need to know. Was that bomb ours?"

"What difference does it make?"

"If it was ours, I can hunt down the person who did this. We're a hospital, for God's sake! And Radar and Hawkeye- It could've killed them."

"It didn't."

"It almost did. This war, it keeps hurting innocent people. How many more people have to die before they realize no cause is worth this?"

Margaret doesn't answer. Nothing she can say will answer his question. Instead, she pulls up a chair to sit next to BJ. They sit in silence. BJ's not sure how long they wait. He thinks he may doze off for a bit, but he's not sure. At some point Margaret forces Radar to go and get some food. When he comes back, he brings his bear. He tucks it in next to Hawkeye. The soft gesture almost makes BJ cry. 

It's early the next morning when Hawkeye wakes up. His eyes search the room, slowly adjusting to the light. BJ sees the moment true consciousness returns to him, because Hawkeye's eyes go wide and fill with fear.

"Radar, is Radar okay?"

"I'm okay, sir. Thanks to you."

Hawkeye calms down when he sees Radar. His eyes drift over the various bruises and bandages, but once he's sure Radar is truly unhurt, he turns his attention to BJ.

"How bad is it?"

"Nothing that won't heal. You've won a trip to Tokyo for at least a week."

Hawkeye hums in appreciation. He's too tired to try and think of any witty quips. 

"I'm sorry, sir," Radar blurts out.

"Sorry for what?"

"You got hurt because of me. I'm sorry."

"I didn't get hurt because of you, Radar. You didn't set off the bomb."

"But you got hurt protecting me."

"And I'd do it again," Hawkeye argues. "I'm not going to let you die here, kid. You're not even old enough to vote yet. Plus, without you, this camp would fall apart."

"I don't know how to thank you," Radar says quietly.

"You don't have to thank me. And remember, if I die, you inherit my height."

Radar's annoyed huff turns into a chuckle. Laughter echoes through the room. And you know what, they're right. Laughter really is the best medicine.

[snappedsky]

Fanatics 99.17

The Battalion free Irk's prisoners.

*Links to previous and next chapters in reblog*

--

The Greatest in the Galaxy Part 17

Gir and Mimi fly Squee over the city, Minimoose and the cam-bot close behind. Squee hangs from their hands, having trouble staying conscious. He’s so out of it, he doesn’t even notice the giant robot grab them out of the sky.

When the elevator opens up in the control room, everyone immediately stops what they’re doing.

“A big brother!” Gir cheers as he flies into the room.

“Don’t touch anything, Gir,” Zim orders.

Squee is sitting on the floor of the elevator, rubbing his pounding his head. He looks up as everyone calls his name.

“Ugh, where are we?” he asks.

“Inside a giant robot,” Pepito replies as he helps Squee to his feet.

“A giant what now?”

“It’s our secret weapon,” Kio states proudly.

“Look at you, you’ll all burnt up again,” Shmoopy tuts. Squee’s arms and legs are covered in laser burns and more scorch marks have been added to the ones he already had.

“I knew that plan was a bad idea,” Pepito says.

“No, the plan was great,” Squee argues, “it was fighting an army of Irken soldiers by myself that was a bad idea.”

“Here, sit down, I’ll fix you up,” Shmoopy demands.

“I’ll be fine,” Squee grunts, “I just need something to eat.”

“Here’s the snack bag,” Dib says as he hands him a knapsack full of various snacks.

“Thanks,” he replies and sits on the bench next to Rory and Nimbel. “Hey, Rory.”

“Hello, Squee,” Rory smiles.

“How are you not dead?” Nimbel asks.

“You have no idea how many times I ask myself that same question,” Squee grunts and shoves a handful of gummy worms into his mouth.

“Alright, pay attention, everyone!” Zim demands and points at the cam-bot. “The whole universe now knows about our secret weapon. And if the Tallest have been paying attention, they’ll know our location. It’s time to begin the plan in earnest.”

“We’re gonna circle around back to the Irken tower and take the fight to them,” he continues. “Squee, you gonna be alright to man the radar?”

“Two minutes,” he replies and chugs an energy drink.

“Everyone else, stay on your toes,” Zim orders, “the Irkens will not go down easy, not matter what kind of weapon we have. And Rory, stay out of the fight. We need you alive.”

“You got it.” Rory salutes.

“Um, what can I do?” Nimbel asks.

“Get the hell out-,” Zim starts to reply.

“You could be useful in the next phase of the plan, which will happen when we get back to the tower,” Kio says.

“Huh, really?” Zim questions, “fine, whatever. Just stay out of the way.”

“Okay, I’m good,” Squee says as he jumps to his feet. “Where’s the radar?”

“Next to Pepito,” Kio replies.

He goes over to the console on the left wall. Pepito is standing before a pair of joysticks and next to that is a radar screen.

“Cool, like a video game,” Squee comments.

“I said that same thing!” Gaz exclaims excitedly.

“Let’s move, team!” Zim demands.

The mech steadily does a 180, stepping over buildings and streets until it’s pointed back the way it came. In the distance, Irken tower stands taller than all the others.

“If you really wanted to anger the Irkens, why didn’t you attack the tower?” Nimbel asks Squee.

“What, like I didn’t fight off enough Irkens today?” Squee scoffs, “even that wasn’t supposed to happen.”

Nimbel flinches angrily. “You didn’t have to save me.”

“You’re welcome.”

She grumbles. “Are all humans as insufferable as you?” “More so, actually,” he grins.

The mech continues on, the tower still a ways away, when Squee sees blips appear on his radar screen. “We got incoming.”

“What direction?” Zim asks.

“Um...eight o’clock? In the sky I think.”

Zim turns the mech’s head so it’s facing a small group of flying Irkens.

“I got ‘em!” Pepito declares. “Finally get to try out this baby.”

He uses the joysticks to aim at the group and presses their buttons. A large laser turret extends out of the mech’s right shoulder and fires a barrage into the Irkens, swiftly destroying them.

“Yeah!” Pepito cheers.

“I get the next ones,” Gaz demands.

“Wish granted,” Squee says, “we got another group at three o’clock.”

Zim turns the head again to see another group flying at them. Gaz fires her laser turret at them, taking them out.

“They’re not even trying,” she scoffs.

“Those were just scouts,” Rory says, “sent to see what their opponent is capable of.”

“Sent to their deaths?” Dib questions, horrified.

“If it comes to that.”

“There’s more coming, straight ahead,” Squee says.

It’s a larger group this time and they fire their weapons right away. Their lasers bounce right off the mech’s armour though, not even slowing it down. Gaz and Pepito fire their weapons together and annihilate them.

“We got more and they look bigger!” Squee exclaims, “from behind!”

“Dib, keep moving forward,” Zim orders as he turns the head all the around.

“I know,” Dib replies.

Irken cruisers fly at them from behind, firing larger weapons. They still don’t do any damage, but the force of the shots cause the control room to shake slightly. Gaz and Pepito quickly open fire on them and the ships plummet to the ground.

“We got ground forces coming from the front!” Squee announces.

Zim turns the head back around and looks down. Large tanks approach from down the street and park a few yards away before firing missiles. They explode and knock the mech back a bit.

“Keep it steady, Dib!” Tak snaps as everyone tries to keep their footing.

“I got it!” he snaps back.

Gaz and Pepito fire their turrets at the tanks but the lasers aren’t strong enough to destroy them.

“We need something bigger,” Gaz growls and pushes a button. Her turret retracts and is quickly replaced by a plasma cannon. It fires large beams that blasts the cannons away.

“Hey, leave some for me,” Pepito whines as he pulls up his cannon.

“Oh, there’ll be plenty,” Squee says, “we got more ships incoming from three o’clock.”

Zim quickly turns the head to zero in on the approaching ships and Gaz quickly fires her turret at them.

“More at nine o’clock...uh and six o’clock...twelve o’clock...they’re surrounding us!” Squee shouts.

“There’s too many!” Pepito exclaims as he and Gaz struggle to shoot them all, the mech now being rocked back and forth from everyone shooting it.

“I got an idea!” Kio says, “Dib, plant your feet!”

Dib grips his joysticks and plants the mech’s feet, keeping it still.

“Tak, stick both arms out the sides!” Kio orders. Tak quickly does so, knocking away any nearby ships.

“Now, everyone, hold on!” Kio shouts and spins her wheel. The torso spins around at high speed, the arms smacking away all of the ships. Kio grips the wheel, stopping it abruptly. Everyone leans against their consoles, dizzy and dazed.

“Heh, what a ride,” Pepito comments.

“Um, we got more tanks incoming,” Squee warns as he struggles to stop his vision from spinning. “Ahead and from both sides.”

“Dib, charge to the tower!” Zim orders.

“Got it,” he replies and pushes harder on his joysticks. The mech starts running and stomps through the oncoming tanks as it heads straight for the tower.

It gets there quickly before anymore Irkens can attack and skids to a stop just outside its yard. Irken guards stand ready for a fight, but Dib quickly kicks them out of the way.

“Okay, Dib, Pepito, you two get inside and start part two of the plan,” Zim orders. “According to Rory, the dungeon is located in the basement.”

“The front door is the most direct but the most dangerous,” Rory adds.

“Don’t worry, we got it,” Dib replies as he and Pepito head for the elevator.

“Come on, Nimbel,” Pepito says.

“Wh-what are we doing?” she asks.

He smiles. “Prison break.”

She blinks with surprise as the three of them ride the elevator down the mech’s foot. Meanwhile, Zim and the others remain in the control room with the cam-bot.

“With Dib and Pepito gone, we’ve lost foot control and one of our weapons,” he says, “Squee, you’ll have to work it until Pepito comes back.”

“Fine,” he grunts as he slides over to the neighbouring console.

An elevator door opens up on the side of the mech’s right foot and Dib cautiously pokes his head out. The street and yard are empty and quiet.

“No reinforcements yet,” he says, “let’s hurry.”

He, Pepito, and Nimbel hurry out farther into the yard, stopping about halfway to the front door. Pepito then kneels down and rubs the ground.

“I sense presences beneath us,” he says and gets back up. “Stand back.”

Dib and Nimbel step back as Pepito’s hands glow black. Then he blasts the ground, creating a large hole into a dark space.

“Going down,” he says as he drops through the hole, Dib and Nimbel following.

They land in a dimly lit, stone corridor. Lining the walls are cells with laser beam bars, and crammed into those cells with barely enough room to breathe are alien civilians. They all immediately start shouting at the sight of the trio.

“Oh, these poor people,” Dib remarks, “crammed in here like sardines.”

“Where’s my family?” Nimbel asks, looking around frantically.

“We’ll find them, just stick with us,” Pepito says.

“Why?”

“Cause of that.” He nods ahead as a group of Irkens guards rush towards them, laser rifles raised.

“Open fire!” the captain orders.

With a wave of his hand, Pepito creates a force field that blocks the laser fire. Then he flicks his fingers and the shield explodes into beams that blast through all the guards.

“There must be a main control panel somewhere,” Dib muses as he examines the cells and points down the hall that the guards came from. “Let’s go.”

They hurry down the long corridor until they see a lit up doorway and burst through it. Against the left wall is a large control console with a couple Irken technicians working at it. They immediately cry out and point small laser guns, but before they can fire, Pepito blasts the weapons from their hands.

“Beat it,” he snarls, pointing to the door.

The Irkens glance at each other before scurrying away.

“Why not kill those two?” Nimbel asks.

“They’re not soldiers,” Pepito replies, “they’re just people trying to do their jobs.”

“So are soldiers,” she points out.

“Well, yeah, but soldiers are a special kind of brainwashed,” he retorts.

Dib types at the console and quickly finds the cell door controls. “Here we go.”

He pushes the button and there’s an electronic warble quickly followed by stampeding footsteps.

“Whoa, whoa!” Pepito exclaims as the giant crowd of alien prisoners spill into the room and surround them, chattering with excited panic.

“Everyone please stay calm!” Dib shouts over the blathering. “We have rescued you and seek your assistance in return! Where are the competition team captains?”

The chattering quiets down to curious whispers as someone steps forward. “Here,” says Olap, captain of the Swif’el team.

“Olap!” Nimbel cries happily, hugging him tight.

“I am glad you are alright, Nimbel,” he sighs with relief. “The others are here too. We’re all mostly unharmed.”

“The other captains,” Dib says, “of Techon-03 and Mus’ular. Are they here?”

“Yes,” Bikeps, the captain of the Mus’ular team says as he steps forward. At his heels is the Techon-03 captain, Wirez.

“Okay,” Dib nods, “the three of you will come with us to speak with our team captain. The rest of you must stay down here for now. You’ll be safer here than outside.”

“What does your captain want?” Wirez asks.

“You’ll have to come with us to find out,” Pepito replies.

The aliens chatter suspiciously amongst themselves until Nimbel squeezes Olap’s arms. “I trust them, Olap. They helped me.”

“And they did free of us,” Wirez shrugs. “I’ll go.”

“Very well,” Olap nods, “I’ll come too.”

“Well, I don’t wanna be left behind,” Bikeps grunts.

“Then follow us through our hole,” Pepito says and addresses the rest of the prisoners, “and don’t hesitate to punch any Irkens that try to recapture you.”

“I won’t,” a Mus’ule replies, cracking his giant knuckles.

The crowd parts so Dib and Pepito and the three team captains can pass. Nimbel stays behind, reuniting with her family.

They all climb out of the hole to find their mech fighting off hoards of attacking Irkens. They keep their heads down to dodge the oncoming laser fire and hurry to the foot.

“Hurry, everyone in the elevator,” Dib orders as he opens the door. It’s a tight squeeze with Bikeps, but they’re all able to squeeze inside and ride up to the control room.

Inside they’re met with yelling as Zim barks attack orders, Tak snaps back, Kio adds helpful advice, Gaz shouts at Squee for missing his shots, and Squee yells apologies. Rory and Shmoopy remain on the bench with all the minions and the cam-bot, Rory grinning with amusement while Shmoopy watches worriedly.

“I got this, babe,” Pepito says as he sidles up to Squee.

“Oh, thank god you guys are back,” he sighs heavily. “I am so bad at shooting.”

Pepito takes control of the weapons and helps Gaz blast away the oncoming Irkens.

“You’ve brought the captains,” Zim observes, “well done. Dib, take over head controls while I speak with them.”

“Got it,” Dib replies as he and Zim switch places.

“What is the meaning of this, Irken?” Olap demands.

“We require your assistance,” Zim says.

Bikeps laughs. “An Irken is asking for help from ‘lower lifeforms’?”

“Believe me, it sickens me to say this,” Zim groans, clutching his chest. “But if anything, it proves that not all Irkens are bad. Right?”

The three aliens grumble.

“We are starting a revolution,” he explains, “we will stop the Irken army and take out the Tallest, replacing them with an objectively better leader.” He motions to Rory, who happily waves. “But for this to work, we need you subjugated races to join us. With your help, we’ll have the numbers to go up against the army and it will be broadcasted across the galaxy, giving other planets hope. You must explain this to your respective teams and convince them to join.”

“Now I know it might seem hopeless, but-.”

“We’ll do it,” Olap states.

Zim blinks with surprise and looks at them as the other two nod agreeably. “Really? I mean, great. I just had this amazing motivational speech in mind to convince you that Irk can be stopped but...”

“We’ve been ready for this for a while,” Bikeps says.

“We’re tired of feeling scared and small all the time,” Wirez adds.

Squee flinches and looks up from the radar. “Huh?”

The three aliens smile at him and he blushes. “Y-you guys...heard that...?”

“Heard what?” Pepito asks.

“All of us Techons carry our own portable screens,” Wirez explains as he removes a small tablet from his utility belt. “We were all watching the competition channel while we were imprisoned.”

“We saw all that you were doing,” Olap adds, “you inspired us.”

Squee’s blush deepens as he glances at the cam-bot staring at him. Suddenly, the weight of the hundreds of thousands of eyes watching him across the galaxy bears down on him and he buries his face into his hands.

“Aw, it’s too bad we weren’t able to watch,” Kio comments.

“Yeah, sounds like Squee took care of that motivational speech for you,” Dib remarks, nudging Zim.

“Guess we know who the team favourite is,” Pepito grins, ruffling Squee’s hair, who’s still hiding in his hands, his blush spread up to his ears.

Zim loudly clears his throat. “Fine. Then it’s onto the final step of our plan.” He points to the team captains. “Assemble your troops and get them out here and ready to fight. It’s time to call out the Tallest.”

[ralfmaximus]

Okay, so... tumblr is 'free' right? It costs nothing to create an account and utilize the service. So the startup costs of running a pornbot army is zero, right?

Wrong!

Shady websites sell kits to create/operate pornbot networks. You pay $$$ for an engine and a collection of scripts tuned for various free websites. And apparently (I guess) there is a new tumblr script that comes preloaded with a zillion girlie names + 3 digits, so all the prospective pornbot meister has to do is start the script with some seed values and wait for their bot army to grow.

In order to fly beneath the radar, these scripts operate in stages. First they create the account then follow a few high profile blogs. THAT is why, when they first follow you, they're just a generic stolen cheesecake pic named (randomly generated name) ChestyMoorbutt754 with an otherwise empty profile.

Then after a preset number of days/weeks they start blogging 'content' like bit.ly links to malware or whatever. Along with some legit-looking reblogs to keep up appearances. All these scripted behaviors are configurable.

Their hope is that some certain percentage of idiots will (1) click thru the hosted links to an intermediary landing page (with ads, naturally) that acts as a portal to buy subs for OnlyFans, Sinder etc, or (2) interact with an actual chatbot that eventually convinces the poor schmuck to enter their credit card info so it can be hijacked.

We're seeing a new flood of bots NOW because twitter is floundering and all the talk about twitter alternatives (like tumblr) has caught the attention of the guys who make/sell pornbot tools.

Who are the ones REALLY making profit off all of this. Not the pornbots themselves, but the darkweb dweebs who sell the accounts & kits. Because selling access to pornbot armies is guaranteed income whereas who the hell knows how successful any given pornbot will be in the wild. After awhile, the pornbot army gets detected & shutdown or the customer running the botnet get disillusioned and quits or both... then the cycle begins anew with new sheep to be fleeced.

Just like in the 1840s gold rush era, it wasn't the miners who got rich; it was the guys selling picks & shovels.

Look I know everyone is getting the porn bot follows but like .. what's are they even for? What's the point of them? What are they trying to accomplish?