#besides i guess battle mechanics

[madbalalaika]

God it's hard to write a DnD story when you know absolutely nothing about DnD 💀

[etheries1015]

Adult (20+) MC finally figures out how to properly make money, BESIDES working for Azul. Become not only the prefect and be a student, but an on the call designated therapist!

"Crowley, really. I'm far older than the other students, it is not my fault the mirror has brought you a full grown adult rather than another proper student! I finished all of my schooling where I am from, I do not wish to repeat it along side these....kids!" You had complained to him. Well, what was he to do? The mirror had obviously chosen you to be at that school, you had no other merits at the time to offer him, and to simply put it...without a way to go home, what else could possibly occupy your time in a world in which you know nothing about, than gather intel by throwing yourself into the most prestigious of schools? The answer seemed obvious at the time, until you realized just how bad it was.

Teenagers are still teenagers, after all. Especially a bunch of teenage boys surrounded by...well... Other teenage boys. Magic or not, they were still going through any other mental struggles as any normal human. However, putting magic into the mix had surely caused you some...extra unprecedented grief you had never needed to worry about in your world. After what, three? Four? Overblots and life endagerment exibitions, you had an epiphany. With extensive knowledge of the human brain system, life experience, and a plothera of coping mechanisms under your belt, what better way to open the door than to become none other than the designated student body therapist?

With some rather convincing techniques, you had managed to convince Crowley to, as you put it...

"Let me take this off of your plate! You are so busy being such an amazing head master running this school as perfectly as you are, I understand the durasic increase of overblots have your hands tied behind your back! As you know, I am an adult with ample experience in the field of mental health. Although I don't have the documents to prove it as much at this time seeing as they are back in my world....I just know you will not regret hiring me as a therapist."

A few more convincing lines (and perhaps a week of pestering, begging, manipulating-- I mean convincing , he had eventually hired you as the school therapist! With, of course, the expectation that you had to take an additional class to further certify you were able to properly do such a job. (You were kind of mad a bout that, seeing as you knew you were qualified, but hey. Pick and choose your battles I guess. At least you managed to get by with a couple additional classes, instead of a million years of schooling.)

You had a personal office in ramshackle, an empty dorm becoming suitable with your own personal desk, computer, book shelf, and another necessities. You had a location in the main building, the room connected to the nurses office had been refurnished as your main office. Book shelves of self care, items for fiddling with, bean bags, posters with encouraging words, and a desk full of papers, along with other needed items graciously funded by the school (you threatened Crowley at one point, accusing him of not caring of his students.) Of course, being on call meant students may drop by the dorm at any given time for your aid and expertise, so the ramshackle dorm lounge was also redecorated suited for sessions that were a bit more casual.

But of course, you also managed to juggle your studies as a student, wanting to continue to learn about magic. Working on the call was nice, keeping your phone on and excusing yourself whenever official work called for you. Unless you rather not be a student, that is fine, too. Full time therapist work may be the job for you!

Helping students heal one tragic back story at a time seemed perfectly fitting. (You just wanted to finally get paid and recognized for what you were already doing.)

[real-fire-emblem-takes]

thinking about the fe games w/ routes (fates and three houses specifically but probably others idfk)

i think there needs to be more tragedy there. or opportunities for it i guess? or that fire emblem has to make unique death quotes for characters in general man

death in fire emblem feels so blah for me. more of an inconvenience than in other media. like when im playing DnD and an npc i love dies it isnt "man that sucks. anyway" but even w characters i love in fire emblem its just "man do i wanna reset the chapter for this that was so lame"

make death and especially betrayal related deaths Hurt More.

lets say youre byleth. youre teaching the black eagles, yay! but you have a b support with claude. you and claude are good buddies, maybe you just like claude as a character or its accidental because of x y z does Not matter. either way you are one of claudes closest friends. then the war starts, and you choose to side with a woman claude sees as a future tyrant (or at the very least a driven warmonger who might crush the alliance underneath her boot). imagine the hurt. the absolute fucking agony for claude.

and for byleth! byleth wakes up and their friend is gone. on another side, unreachable, 5 years of emotional distance *yawning* in front of them.

and then they reunite in the midst of battle, weapons drawn. theyve both come so far and have goals they *have* to achieve.

"I don't want this."

too bad. if you roll over, you get a game over because you fuckin failed the route. or you have to make someone else kill claude because sumn sumn mechanically you have a 0% hit rate bc of that b support. you cant do it.

too bad. claude cant run away, hes the last line of defense for a place hes responsible for. if he leaves what is he? a coward? a turncoat? would he have to believe in edelgard's future? would he have to slay his own allies, friends, the people who relied on him?

he cant. you cant.

he begs you to reconsider. you cant.

as he falls he reaches out a hand. you kneel beside him as he says a few things. calls this whole battle a clever gambit, praises your cunning in using effective weaponry, etc etc. but his voice is weaker. theres no option to spare him, you couldnt spare any *other* unit, could you? couldn't spare hilda. cant spare claude.

he mentions sometimes dreaming of the monastery. the food was good, right? hope the foods good in the future you build with edelgard. hope you name a town after him, thatd be fun. dont get stupid, teach, dont join him too soon. maybe he'll even wait for ya. keep a seat warm.

(fire emblem unit death sound)

then also: units in your own army.

lets say youre playing black eagles. its nearish endgame but not too close so i dont say any spoilers, but regardless bernadetta and yuri have an A support. they might get hitched postgame man, you havent done the A support of anyone else w those two. its a rough battle, your healer is severely low on psychic uses, you sold all your fucking vulneraries because you thought dorothea was more of a beast than she is. its dire.

unexpected sniper crit. yuri is on 0 hp.

bernadetta is within 5 tiles and instead of yuri's canned death quote, bernie interjects with one of the most well voiced anguished screams youve ever fucking heard. on the next turn, bernie gets +50 hit *and* crit on that enemy, and if she kills it the rest of the scene plays.

bernie is holding yuri, one of her few friends in her hellish fucking life. hes not gonna make it, she knows that, but shes still gonna try. shes wailing and begging him to stay like she wished she had all those fucking years ago, shes babbling about all the things he'll miss if he goes, all the things shes planned for them to do now that shes brave enough to leave her bedroom. he cuts her off to laugh. now is when she gets brave and honest with her feelings? when hes dying? oh bernie come on. he wraps an arm around her shoulders and pulls her in for a hug, kissing her temple like an old boyfriend and not a quiet yearning crush. he murmurs that hes glad she left her bedroom. that hes glad she can see the world beyond what abuse happened to her behind closed doors. that she'll find some other person to hold in his stead, one who wont so rudely get his blood on her battle leathers. one who wont leave her time and time again like he has. she wails into his shoulder as she drops the scraps of cloth she had been trying to use to stop his bleeding and just holds her dying friend.

(fire emblem unit death sound)

if death felt like An Event and not An Inconvenience i'd play with permadeath more man. make me sad fire emblem youre so shit at it

.

[oftenlyshitposting]

i just thought of something fucking funny

think of ezra's blaster-saber and how appalling it would be in huyang's mechanical eyes and memory circuits. thought about it?

good, because i'm gonna raise you a more atrocious creation that i think sabine should make.

think of one of sabine's vambraces, imbued with a retractable lightsaber so in case she loses grip of her actual lightsaber, she has a backup saber ready.

like yes, her vambraces are already equipped with a number of offensive and defensive mechanisms like her mini rockets, flamethrower, and grapplewire.

imagine adding a mini, shoto-like lightsaber into it.

that is the perfect Chaotic yet Practical weapon for a jedilorian such as sabine wren, and you can't convince me otherwise LMFAOAJDKSODKSO

say sabine had already built her own new lightsaber; it's beautiful and the hilt is very sabine-like. now, imagine that while choosing her crystal, another crystal calls to her, a much smaller one. so, without ahsoka or huyang knowing, sabine bonds with both.

when she heard mandalore is liberated and flourishing, she went there to see; where she was met again with bo-katan and introduced to the armorer. now that beskar ore isn't as scarce as it used to be, sabine requests the armorer if she could make an upgrade to her vambraces and her beskar.

sabine constructs her shoto lightsaber, and true to her guess, it's small enough to fit just right in one of her vambraces. the hilt of her shoto lightsaber is made of beskar as well, and when she assembles her new and upgraded vambraces, both bo-katan and the armorer was thoroughly shocked at sabine's new creation, but bo-katan wasn't entirely surprised that sabine thought of such weapon. the armorer didn't entirely agree with such creation, but she was impressed when sabine showed it in action.

sabine hadn't told ahsoka yet, but she kinda didn't have to, because bo-katan told the jedi master herself when sabine wasn't around. ahsoka came to mandalore to pick sabine up for a mission, and was welcomed by the mand'alor and the armorer.

"did you know that your apprentice built a small lightsaber and embedded it into one of her vambraces?" bo-katan casually mentioned to ahsoka over a drink, and the mand'alor had to hold her laugh at ahsoka's baffled expression on her face.

"what do you mean sabine built a lightsaber in her vambraces?" ahsoka repeated, still processing the information, fully facing the mand'alor now.

"this is true, i helped her make it," came in the armorer's voice, as bo-katan sips on her drink, "i, too, was like you. completely baffled by her proposition. but, the weapon does come in quite handy. especially for a mandalorian jedi such as her."

"i have an ancient jedi professor droid with me who would consider sabine's new creation atrocious." ahsoka sighed, earning a small laugh from bo-katan and the armorer. the jedi master shakes her head, not out of disdain, only amusement. "but, he doesn't need to know about it yet."

sabine eventually used it in battle with ahsoka, and was rather panicking when the battle ended and ahsoka saw the still ignited vambrace-saber. sabine tried to clarify whatever it is she thought she needed to clarify, but ahsoka only laughed, which further confuses sabine.

"don't worry," ahsoka said at her, patting her shoulder with a lingering laugh, "bo-katan and the armorer had already told me about it when i went to pick you up on mandalore."

"wait," sabine was in disbelief, "you're not... mad?"

ahsoka chuckled. "sabine, i'm not a lightsaber professor droid nor a purist. that's huyang's job. besides," she nudges at her padawan playfully, "we're both very far from traditional jedi. i wield two lightsabers, and you are a mandalorian jedi padawan who technically also wield two lightsabers."

sabine laughs, agreeing with ahsoka. "i suppose so."

"just make sure to keep it away from huyang," ahsoka said as they made their way back to the fulcrum, "that might send his wires loose."

BONUS:

ezra visited the fulcrum crew and sabine showed him the vambrace-saber, and ezra was so impressed and was actually excited about the creation that he was inspired to assemble an upgraded version of his old blaster-saber. he wanted to make a pair; one for himself, and the other for sabine.

huyang found out about both atrocities, and since then, neither sabine or ezra were allowed to set foot inside his lightsaber assembly/storage area without his or ahsoka's supervisions. despite everything, huyang had to admit to himself, against his own will, that sabine's vambrace-saber and ezra's blaster-saber are rather effective weapons.

disney/filoni if you ever adopt this chaotic weapon idea design @ me so i can get my coins

[gardens-light]

Rekindled Love

It took years for Chicago to be rebuilt back to its former glory. Many lives were lost- human and machine. People begun to salvage the alien technology like it was an Easter Egg hunt, taking anything and everything they could carry, before the authorities got hold of the reminats.

While large companies and government bodies captured any remaining Transformers- Autobot or Deceptions. Alive or offline, they were taken to be... well it was anyone's guess. Working with your team has caused a war within yourself. Battling thoughts of who's right or wrong in this hunt against the Transformers. And tonight has made that a whole lot harder...

Content: Events are based on 'Transformers- Age of Extinction.' Minor spoilers (have tried to minimize). Kinda 'Reader insert.' Course language. Just cute scenes and a simple kiss.

Word count- 2,670. (May be less due to edits and ending changes)

"Push right! Push right!"

"C'mon guys lets roll!"

"Take the beach, nice and easy."

Following your squad along the docks, weapon in hand and night vision goggles aiding your sight. Multiple ships empty, some confused citizens gave the military raised eyebrows and puzzle expressions as they went on with their nightshift.

Helicopters broke the silence within the still night air. Footsteps of Squad 1 and 2 echoed through the empty ships as they boarded. Carefully taking position and aiming their guns at a large cargo ship.

Multiple voices scratched out of your radio, as you rested your head against a wall. The rest of your squad venturing further and spreading out through the second level.

"Wake up soldier! No sleeping on the job!"

A harsh voice came to your ears, companied by a sudden smack to your back. Barely feeling it through the padded armour.

"Apologies, sir. Just need a minute-"

"Vipers. Eagle in sight. Cleared hot. Location, top deck."

"Copy that Sky Eyes." Your commanding officer looked over his shoulder. Gazing at you briefly before carefully backtracking to you. "You ok?"

Hearing the sound of his receiver being turned off, you released a heavy sigh. "I just... can't believe this is happening"

"We've had this convocation soldier" he removed his goggles and face covering, gazing at you with a disapproving look. "Believe it. They're the ones who started this. All of this."

Pulling yourself together, brushing the tears away from your eyes. As you avoided his gaze. Officer Ryan placed a hand upon your shoulder, trying to give you a comforting smile.

"I understand some things can get a little rough. We've lost everything to these alien scum-"

"Blow steel!" yelled the general's voice over Ryan's radio.

'Boom!'

The sound of an explosive shook the cargo ship, followed by the yells of a mechanical voice in pain.

Ratchet!...

Chaos and all hell broke loose.

Gunfire was released from heavy duty vehicles and helicopters. Voices shouting over one another in a scratchy tone from the radio on your chest.

"Hit him! Hit him!" Ryan repeated into his receiver, as he ran towards the rest of the squad with you trailing behind.

Missiles fired from the helicopters above. You and Ryan reached the concrete dock, your eyes widening as the Autobot leaped from the cargo ship, transforming into an rescue Hummer, just before landing upon the road on all four wheels.

"He's on the run! He's on the run!" Ryan yelled into his receiver.

A military Hummer screeched to a halt beside you. Ryan immedictly climbed into the vehicle, while you jumped into the backseat.

"Take down that machine! Don't let him get away!"

Gunfire continued to rain down onto the Autobot from all angles. Clutching onto your weapon, while your eyes closed tightly. Trying to fight through the headache that begun to build at your temples.

This is how it needs to be. This is how it needs to be. The thought kept rolling around in your head.

"No! Please!" the sound of Ratchet's painful pleas' ached your heart. "Hold your fire. Please, hold your fire."

His pleas continued as the military surrounded the Autobot. All vehicles came to abrupt halt, more soldiers stepping out of the cars and holding a steady aim at Ratchet.

Following everyone's lead and coming close to the injured alien. Feeling like each step you took became more difficult.

"Can you not see I've been injured?-"

"Box it in! Box it in!" Ryan's voice yelled over the Autobot.

"I'm Medical Officer Ratchet! I'm a friend!"

Lowering your weapon, moving your fingers away from the trigger as you tried to reflex them. Attempting to stretch out the building stiffness and hoping a little movement would move the leather away from your sweaty skin.

Blinking away the tears, as Ratchet fell onto his behind. Trying to shift his massive body into a small defensive position, while placing his servos over the opening of where his leg should be.

"I'm an Autobot!-"

"Then why did you run?" Ryan challenged with a cocky smile.

"Optimus sent a distress message."

Ratchet touched his radio, allowing the message to play through. "Calling all Autobots. We are under targeted attack. Cease all contact with humans."

Feeling suffocated, pulling down your face covering as you tried to take deep steady breathes.

"We're all hiding." Ratchet explained, "All Autobots are being hunted. We're all in danger."

"I lost a sister in Chicago. You'll get no sympathy from me."

The gentle blue of Ratchet's optics lowered to the ground. Feeling like it was only you whom saw the robot's face shift into sadness, while Ryan gave the Autobot daggered stares.

"Alright... release the hooks! I want this piece of junk torn apart!-"

"What?" Ratchet quickly gazed around him. Groans escaping his mouth, as soldiers fired the grappling hooks from the back of their utes. "Please! Don't do this! Don't-ah!"

'Clang!'

"Who the fuck threw those smoke grenades?"

The hiss of smoke leaving two canisters filled the air. Disrupting everyone's view of the Autobot. The sound of cable wires breaking as the vehicles attempted to pull the robot apart.

"Open fire! Open fire! Don't let that thing get away!" Ryan barked.

"Stop! What's wrong with you humans?" Ratchet groaned. As he pulled the hooks out of body and quickly making his escape.

Through the smoke, you saw the Autobot crawl and leap away from the scene, as you remained rooted to the spot. Your body frozen in place with tears rolling down your cheeks.

"Cease fire! Cease fire!" Ryan shouted as the smoke slowly dispersed.

Everything came to a stand still, silence briefly falling before Ryan's frustrated yells disturbed the air.

You flinched as his fist slammed against the hood of a nearby car.

"Search the grounds! Spread out!" His booming voice begun to drum right through you. "It's injured so it can't be far! And search for any allies! I want to know where the fuck those smoke grandates came from!"

Everyone quickly dispersed. Running to nearby buildings and vehicles screeching their way back up the roads. Helicopters scouted the large docks.

Steadying your breathing as you watched Ryan approach you. Hiding the empty canisters into your back pocket.

"Officer Y/N!"

"Yes Sir. Sorry Sir. Just... Just got shaken up for a moment."

A low groan rumbled in his throat, as his daggers of disapproval stared right through you. "Pick up your feet, soldier. Now isn't the time to get emotional."

You speechlessly nodded. Turning on your heel, and following the green puddles of liquid...

---

"This is Ratchet, Autobots come in. Is anyone there?"

Pain lingered in his voice as it echoed throughout the abandoned warehouse.

"I'm heavily injured. Please send aid. Can anyone hear me?"

Climbing over rubble as you followed the sound of his voice. Using your torch to find the injured Autobot.

A heavy sigh left Ratchet as the radio static continued to buzz. The EMP that the soldiers dispersed an hour ago affected his communications, but thankfully it also affected theirs.

The sound of loose rubble snapped him out of his daze, quickly looking up and scanning his surroundings. Using the headlights sticking out of his shoulder plate to burn the darkness away. Ratchet activated his arm cannon, carefully studying for any movement within the shadows.

All was silent for a painful long minute.

Another sigh left him, as he lowered his arm. Retracting the cannon back under his plating and trying to reach out for his dismembered limb.

"Oh shit!"

Losing your footing and stumbling down the large pile of rubble. Ratchet flinched away from you, as you fell onto your knees before him.

"Ouch... I'm going to feel that in the morning."

The Autobot carefully studied you, as you got back onto your feet. Brushing the dust and dirt off yourself, feeling his blue optics gazing down at you.

As you met his gaze, you quickly put your hands up. "I won't hurt you"

Ratchet cocked his head to the side, as you carefully disarmed. Placing all weapons on the floor and gently kicking them away. Before finally removing your headgear.

Ratchet's optics widened as your hair fell out of the helmet.

"Y/N...?"

Somehow the pain in his voice was worse than before. Squeezing it's already tightening grip around your achy heart.

"Y/N... why? We used to be friends. You fought alongside us."

"None of this was supposed to happen-"

"And what was 'supposed' to happen?"

His challenging tone caused you to fall silent. Avoiding each others stares for a uncomfortable moment.

Ratchet's scans picked up your slow heartbeat and uneven breath. His optics studied your tearstained face.

"You've been crying..."

"No... No. I'm fine."

A saddened expression fell across his face, "you don't need to-"

"Let's get you fixed up." You said braving a warm smile. Taking a few deep breaths, attempting to pull yourself together. "It won't be long till someone figures out I've been gone for too long."

Ratchet noticed the semi-quick pace of your speech, trying to hide the fact that your voice was breaking.

Pulling up your sleeves as you approached his severed limb. Being cautious of the spontaneous sparks spitting out of the live wires, as you examined the opening.

"You've lost a lot of fluid. But I'm sure there's a way to temporarily put you back together. Well... hold you long enough till you reach Optimus anyway."

You looked around the warehouse as you lowered your backpack onto the floor. "There must be something around here that could help-"

"Y.N..." Ratchet groaned as he tried to shift his position.

"Stay sitting down. Further movement would cause more injury-"

"Why?" He spluttered, turning his head away from you as he coughed up some fluid. "Why are you helping me?"

You reached out to him. Ratchet's spark skipping a beat as he gently allowed your hand to cradle one of his digits.

"I don't expect you to forgive me." Your voice slowly returned to the friendly tone the Autobot once knew and loved. "But you're my friend Ratchet. We shared blood, sweat and precious metal together back at N.E.S.T, and no matter how hard I try or convince myself otherwise. I just... I just can't forget what I shared with you- with the Autobots."

Resting your forehead against the back of his servos, Ratchet begun to feel a little warm under his plating. Your shining eyes staring into his blue optics caused his processors to run wild.

"I will fix you." He never heard your voice filled with such hope and promise. "Even if it's temporarily... I will fix you..."

Three Hours Later...

"Alright, Ratchet. Last wire, you ready?"

Ratchet avoided looking down at you, as your hips and legs hung outside of the opening within his leg. While your torso dangled above the wires inside.

"I'm ready. Just please be careful, you've been electrocuted twice already."

Using your mouth to rip off a bit of black electrical tape, pushing the roll back up your arm, as you cautiously held two live wires.

"I'll be fine. Ok on the count of three. One... Two... Three!"

You quickly pushed the wires together, squinting as you wrapped the electrical tape around the joining. Trying to avoid the sparks.

"Oh boy!"

Low hums and vibrations shot through Ratchet. Giving him a bolt of energy, as you squeezed yourself out of the gap of his leg.

"How you feeling?" you asked, while starting to use the random rolls of duct tape, electrical tape and all sorts of other tapes to somewhat bandage his metal plates together.

"Good." His voice hummed while looking down at you. The heat under his plates grew over time, as you stripped down to your crop top and cargo pants.

"You... have always been a great medical officer."

You smiled, looking up at the Autobot. "Well... normally my paitents are human and not alien."

A small chuckle left him, as you continued to try and close the opening.

Ratchet hesitated for a brief moment. Taking a second to ask the question that's been building up in him for the past couple of hours. "Earlier you mentioned that you 'tried to convince yourself otherwise'... what did you mean by that?"

You paused in the middle of pulling the last strip of duct tape. Biting your lip and briefly closing your eyes before answering.

"After what happened in Chicago. The announcement of you guys being public enemy number one spread like wildfire. N.E.S.T was disbanded. The topic of Autobots and Decepticons divided people."

Opening your eyes, moving onto the next roll of tape, as you tried to continue to patch up the Autobot.

"I was... lost. Confused... parts of me wanted to hate you guys for the chaos that happened. How many humans have gone missing and lost their lives. But..." you paused again, holding the tape in mid-roll. "But when I heard the militaries new mission of taking you guys down. I thought..."

Ratchet cooed as he carefully placed his large hand upon your back. Using the tip of his index digit to rub your spine, as he heard your voice slowly breaking.

"I thought it was the only way." You admitted, trying to stay focused on patching up the metal plates together. "That perhaps people were right, and that we were never meant to be."

"We?..."

"I-I mean, humans and the Autobots. Not like... um, never mind..." your voice trailed off into silence.

Ratchet watched you brush away the sweat that was forming upon your brow, as you stepped back from his leg. After finally putting on the last strip of duct tape.

His spark hasn't been regulating properly since you've briefly came back into his life. And the heat building under his plates made it hard to control his processors, as he couldn't help but notice how your bust slightly bounced with each movement.

You looked up at him, "mind giving me a boost? I wanna see the damage to your shoulder plates."

Ratchet speechlessly placed his servos on the floor. Allowing you to climb into his palm and carefully bringing you to his left shoulder plate.

Awkward silence fell over the pair of you once again. The butterflies that's been swirling around in your stomach for the past couple of hours, caused your abdomen to do backflips.

Just focus on putting him back together. You lectured in your thoughts. A heavy sigh left your lips. Too much has happened between us to try and even think of salvaging what we once had.

"Are you alright?"

Ratchet's voice snapped you out of your thoughts. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine. It's just- I think some wires- whoa!"

"Y/N!"

The Autobot quickly caught you in his free servo, as you slightly fell off his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Ratchet asked.

"Ye-Yeah. Yeah I'm fine. Just leaned a little too far forward..."

An awkward silence fell over the pair of you. Your features blushing red as you knelt within the Autobot's palm. Playing with your fingers, while feeling the heat coming from under Ratchet's body plates.

"Well ah... I should go, y'know... before someone sees us..."

Your eyes caught his lingering gaze, as the Autobot slowly leaned in closer towards you.

Butterflies made your stomach do backflips. Ratchet's body felt like it was on autopilot, his optics couldn't look away from your delicate lips. His processors and your thoughts running haywire, as they raced within yourselves. You subconsciously reached out for his cheek, as he held you close to his chest plate.

Closing your eyes as your lips met his. A sweet moan rumbled in his throat as he took in your scent. Your perfume filled his sensors awakening a joy that he thought was all long forgotten. Your bust rested against his chest plate, as you took in every second of this blissful moment.

Slowly breaking away from him, Ratchet's optics wandered over your flushed features as he happily sighed.

"Come away with me?..."

[eunchancorner]

Revenged and Rescued (Part 7)

I feel like I just fought a battle. But I think I won.

-

“Well, guess we’re on fire cleanup duty. C’mon, let’s get this over with,” Charles grunted as he stood, pulling Henry up after him. “Got any kinda upgrades on that arm to make this easier?”

“Actually,” Henry smiled, before focusing as his left hand turned into something resembling the end of a hose. He flicked a long, thin, rectangular glass window on his arm, before nodding, firing off a stream of water over the bonfire, dousing the circle that it had been built into.

“Yeahhh, they let me keep the hose!” he cheered as his hand reverted. He watched as Charles kicked dirt into the fire pit for good measure before nodding, leading Henry back to their tent.

“Alrighty, all that’s left before we head to bed is your checkup, but first, I wanna ask you; How’d you like today? I mean, I think it was a pretty good day, getting to show you around and stuff, but, well, how was it for you?” the pilot asked as he sat on his cot, keeping his gaze on Henry as he sat across from him.

“Honestly? It was pretty nice. It was a nice change from… y’know, everything. I feel like I made some good friends here, and it’s been a while since I’ve actually, y’know, eaten anything. And ramen with your squad was actually a lot nicer than any Toppat dinners. It felt… genuine. Like you guys weren’t just putting up with me because you had to. Plus, this place is actually pretty cool. I could get used to staying here,” he decided.

“Awesome! I’m really glad you like it here, I was hoping you would,” Charles said as he moved to sit beside Henry, grabbing the manual. “Well, once we do this checkup, we can wrap up your first day here! Or, half day, I guess? I dunno, you spent a lot of it in medical, so it could go either way. Either way, ready to get this done?”

Henry sighed as he nodded. “Let’s get it over with, I guess.”

“Alright, says here you’ve got 12 sensors on your new compartment; two in the front and five on each side. Then, 24 sensors along your spine, four on your upper arm, four on your lower arm and two in your palm. So that’s…” he paused for a while, counting in his hand. After a few seconds of silence, Henry couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Need some help?”

“No no, I can math,” the pilot responded before he resumed thinking, earning another quiet laugh from Henry. After a few more seconds his eyes lit up. “46! 46 sensors total. Sorry, I just wanted to figure that out, but it’s late so, y’know…” he murmured as he set the manual in his lap as he kept reading. “‘Each sensor has a specific testing method. It’s recommended to begin at the chest, work out and then down his spine, then check the subject’s arm.’ Alright, then…”

Charles followed along with the manual, thumping each of Henry’s chest sensors lightly, earning small grunts from him.

“That feels normal, right?” the pilot asked, and Henry nodded. “Alright, good, now… next I gotta tap along the side sensors…” he trailed off as he began to read a notation near the method explanation. “‘Subject may display squirming, elevated heart rate and flushing of the face, however subject insists this is normal, and a lack of alarming indications on vitals has led to the conclusion that subject is…’” Charles looked back up at Henry, a small smile crossing his face. “You’re ticklish?”

“I- well, uh- I mean, a little, maybe, yeah,” he admitted, a little flustered at the fact that the doctors had even noted that down.

“‘A little?’ Hm, well, the notes say ‘exceedingly ticklish’, but I’ll take your word for it. Is that because this is normally where your ribs would be? I’ll have to keep that in mind. But, I still gotta make sure they’re working right, so you’re gonna have to suffer a little for the sake of your own health, ok? Says here your left arm has a locking mechanism to keep it up for maintenance, and I guess I’ll just hold up your right arm? It doesn’t say. So, are you ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be…” Henry admitted, raising his left arm. He felt it lock into place as Charles tapped a button near his shoulder, and a little test of his own showed that all he could move now was his hand. He braced himself as best he could as he felt Charles begin to tap along the top sensor, turning his head to hide his reactions. Even though he couldn’t see the pilot, he could almost feel his eyes on him, watching his reactions closely. He knew it was just to make sure he was ok, but dammit if it wasn’t so embarrassing, he might actually be able to show his face.

He tried his best to keep from squirming, his free hand gripping the frame of the cot below as he tried his best to keep from laughing, though he couldn’t force down the growing smile on his face. Finally, Charles released the locking mechanism on his arm, allowing it to snap down and Henry couldn’t help but blush even more as he heard Charles laugh at the reflex. 

“You really are ticklish, huh? Well, according to the manual, that’s normal, thankfully. I’ll test your arm before I move on to the other side, how’s that sound? Give you some time to cool down?” he asked, and Henry nodded, taking a deep breath. 

He felt his heartbeat return to normal as Charles tapped meticulously on each sensor on his arm, looking up at Henry for a nod before moving onto the next. He flinched slightly as Charles tapped the ones on his palm, earning a look from Charles.

“Are these ones ok?” he asked, seeming a bit worried about Henry’s reactions, but Henry nodded.

“Yeah, they’re fine, that was normal,” he said, and he couldn’t help but avert his gaze at the knowing look Charles gave him.

“Your hand, too? Really?” was all he had to say, and Henry nodded a little, earning a small chuckle from Charles, hearing him mumble “‘Exceedingly’ seems to be more accurate than I thought…”

Charles stood and switched sides, still holding the manual, setting it in his lap as he gently pulled Henry’s right arm up.

“Ready?” he asked, and Henry took a deep breath before nodding, knowing he wasn’t ever going to be truly ready. 

He had to physically keep his left hand from completely breaking the cot frame as Charles tapped along each sensor, something far more easily said than done. Despite how increasingly obvious it was that this, too, tickled so damn much, he knew it was supposed to be a good sign; that the sensors were working normally. But that didn’t stop it from being incredibly embarrassing as he struggled to keep quiet until Charles finished. Sure enough, though, Charles released his arm as he finished testing the sensors.

“Alright, seems normal, and by normal, of course, I mean hilarious,” he commented, earning a light smack from Henry, along with an embarrassed “Hey!”

“C’mon, dude, you gotta admit, it’s funny how ticklish you are! It’s not a bad thing, though, lots of people are ticklish. They’re just not you levels of ticklish.”

“Oh, shut up,” Henry grumbled, rolling his eyes. “It’s not that ba-AHA!!” he suddenly squealed as Charles ran his finger down his spine, each sensor triggering sequentially making it feel all too real.

“Back sensors seem fine, too!” Charles announced, a mischievous smile on his face. “Manual says to test those when you’re least expecting for a more ‘natural’ reaction.”

Henry rolled his eyes but couldn’t help a smile. “I’m so sure.”

“It does! Now, I need to check your respirator and your heartbeat. Now, we should be able to open up your chest cavity right…” he traced along the side of Henry’s chest, before pressing near the middle, and sure enough, like a hinged door, Henry’s chest opened. Henry pulled up his shirt, and the panel slowly swung out, revealing two cylindrical tubes of fizzing blue liquid on either side of a glass panel that showed Henry’s heart as it beat rhythmically in his chest.

“Woah…” Charles mumbled, seeming a bit awestruck. “That’s… damn…”

“Charles? Maintenance?” Henry reminded him, snapping the pilot out of his thoughts.

“Right right. Uh, let’s see here…” He looked over the manual, flipping through the pages and reading the instructions quietly to himself.

“10 seconds… fizzing, yeah, uh-huh… release… Alright, so, first, take a deep breath in,” he instructed, and Henry nodded before doing so.

“Alright, now hold…” Charles advised, watching the inner liquid closely. Henry could just barely feel it beginning to fizz as pressure built, feeling a bit embarrassed as his tentmate murmured “That’s so cool…”

After about 10 seconds, Charles told Henry to release, and as he exhaled, he felt the pressure in his chest fading, and heard as the liquid bubbled loudly as the carbon dioxide was released.

“Alright, that looks good,” Charles said. “Now, we check your heart rate. Should be between 60 and 100 bpm, according to the manual here, so I’ll set a timer for a minute.”

He grabbed his phone, quickly setting a timer before mouthing ‘3, 2, 1, go,’ and hitting the button, fixing his attention on Henry’s beating heart.

Henry waited patiently, just watching as Charles counted each heartbeat. It felt… a little weird. He let himself stare at the pilot’s slowly softening features as he seemed to be mesmerized by Henry's heart as it beat steadily in his chest. It felt so strange, letting anyone see such a vulnerable but vital part of him. And yet, Charles had his complete and total trust. It seemed almost natural.

Suddenly, Charles's timer went off and he seemed to snap back into reality, looking up at Henry, who suddenly realized he'd gotten lost in the moment and averted his gaze, feeling his face heat up in embarrassment.

“R-right, uh, about 110 bpm, but according to this, that-that could just be the uh, anxiety of being here. So, yeah,” the pilot concluded, and Henry nodded slightly.

“Yeah, yeah, anxiety, right,” he murmured in response, taking a quick deep breath and looking back over at Charles, but noticed he was making a point to look away.

Is he blushing, too?

“Hey, can I, uhm…” Charles started, looking back at Henry, glancing down at his open chest before looking back up at him. “This isn't part of maintenance or anything but… can I touch it? I- I understand if that's too personal, i-it just looks really cool and-”

“Sure..”

Charles paused at the sudden answer. He seemed to process this for a second before finally replying.

“I- really? You- you don't mind or anything?” he asked, sounding a bit surprised, and Henry shrugged. He didn't know what to say, so it was the best answer he could give.

Charles seemed to hesitate before slowly reaching in. Henry could almost sense as his fingers made contact with the glass plate, the only barrier between Charles and his heart. Even with no sensors there, he could almost feel the contact as Charles traced the large veins and arteries to where they disappeared behind the solid metal framing. He watched as Charles seemed to fall victim to his heartbeat's rhythm again, and let himself get lost in his reactions, how he'd mumble 'woah…’ to himself every few seconds. After what could have been an eternity or an instant, Charles suddenly pulled away, looking off to the side and blushing brightly.

“Right, so yeah, uh, good to go,” the pilor rushed as he stood, crossing the tent back to his own cot. Henry sighed softly as he closed his chest cavity and pulled his shirt back down.

“Right… Good night, Charles.”

A pause.

“... 'Night, Henry.”

[gofancyninjaworld]

OPM Manga Update 233 Review: Evaluation

I had initially postponed writing this until the next chapter, but I've come to realise I have so much meta to write that it's best I do each chapter individually.

Summary because it's been a moment

The first part of the chapter is set in the mountains above City G where the Council of Swordmasters is based. At their building, the three disciples are reviewing what they've been able to unearth about Sweet Mask. It's precious little, with nothing available before his signing up as a hero. Iaian surmises that this fits in with the information that Bushidrill has been able to uncover on Amai's shifting appearance. They consider that the shape-shifting could be a special power, but in light of his behaviour towards Do-S's hostages, was much more likely a sign of progressive monsterization. Iaian expands on it by recounting what he'd seen of Sweet Mask at the surface when he'd seen a monster struggling to keep its humanity. With surprising empathy, Iaian states that it's often those who've lost something who know its true value. They decide to keep a careful eye on Sweet Mask but say nothing to Atomic for now. Okamaitachi hopes that they end up glad to have kept Sweet Mask's hands clean.

Elsewhere, we see Kamikaze (it is not right to call him Atomic Samurai in this context) and Nichirin paying their respects at a shrine dedicated to successive generations of the Swordmasters. They are accompanied by two young people, here to take the places of the slain Swordmasters. We are treated to Yuta's thoughts of hunting down whatever remains of the Monster Association. Nichirin apologises to the pair to say that if he'd been stronger -- but Shido cuts him short. His father lived by the sword, after all, and falling in battle was an honourable death. Besides, as a bodyguard, seeing Nichirin alive would have pleased him.

Speaking of that, given how gravely Nichirin had been injured, it naturally leads to Kamikaze asking after the old man's health. Nichirin sits on the ground and hitches his robes up to show a pair of cybernetic legs. His entire lower half is now mechanical and he's apparently no worse off for it [Aside: I guess the doctors who butchered Air back in Chapter 182 weren't joking about Metal Knight's skill in cyborg medicine].

He stands up, and, declaring that circulating one's chi through body and weapons made them part of a whole -- artificial bodies included -- unsheathes his sword and slices at an apple that he tossed into the air. The apple is apparently unharmed, but the cliff face in the background is cleaved. The apple falls to the ground, and Shido and Yuta marvel at the accuracy of the old man's cutting the cliff but sparing the apple. Nichirin states that he did cut the apple as well. Kamikaze picks up the apple and explains that this is Nichirin's special technique: it's so fast and finally that the Apple rejoined itself, apparently unharmed. He is relieved the old man is his usual self.

It's now Nichirin's turn to ask him a question. Now that his rival Bang has retired, will Kamikaze stay at the Hero Association? Kamikaze looks wistful for a moment as he recalls himself leading the charge to take down Psykos-Orochi. He says that, indeed, he'd initially gone only to challenge himself, but now he had experienced something that he couldn't get anywhere else. Besides, he still had one more person whose strength he needed to fathom -- we are shown that it is King. He'd decide after then.

As he takes his leave, Nichirin thinks that Kamikaze has changed. Being thrown among a variety of strong fighters with vastly different strengths had broadened his mind. Maybe being a hero wasn't so bad after all. He says that last part out loud to Yuta's puzzlement.

We cut to the hero Association and to Saitama and Genos approaching it. Inside, Forte is putting the finishing touches to a dog house Black Sperm is disgusted, but shelter and food, even if it is only dog food, are what he needs right now, at least until he rebuilds his cell count. Saitama and Genos heave into view and Forte greets them. Black Sperm rushes behind the dog house in well-justified fear. His life wouldn't be worth a scrap of cigarette ash if Genos caught sight of him. Fortunately, Genos is a bit distracted, first by the dog's name, then by the news that Forte lives next door to Saitama. He wastes no time in evicting Forte.

I have a feeling the dog is going to be trouble

Finally, we're in the M-City branch of Mouse Sushi, the cheap rotating sushi place with the infamous nasty t-shirts Saitama loves. Atomic Samurai is there with his disciples, having paid a futile visit to King's residence. There's only one problem with this place: someone keeps taking every plate they have their eye on. After the fatty tuna plate is taken, Atomic stands up to confront the person only to find that is King. The chapter ends with Atomic standing over an anxious King and asking if he could talk to him for a few minutes.

Whew, if you think this is meaty, wait until we get to the meta. Grab a drink!

Meta

I really struggled with thinking where to even begin with this one. Well, let's take it like a hot bowl of soup, start on the outside and work our way in.

The Real Kaijin Shows Up

Small things first. It's hilarious that Genos invokes more fear than the actual monsters do at Saitama's residence. Surprising that he's been visiting Saitama for a while but has never run across Saitama's neighbours or pets until now. You'd think that Saitama had brought home a tiger. As if he were extolling how the beast is still barely half-grown and tame, and all everyone else could see is how it's already the size of a large fridge with cruelly-curved claws longer than one's fingers and fangs sturdy enough to bite through one's skull. Forte may know not to mess with Saitama but he's so aware of Genos's capacity to do actual violence to him that the latter doesn't even need to breathe a word of threat to commandeer his house.

the really big dogs don't need to growl

Don't Panic, It's Just A Monster

I love thus story: people are not blind or stupid. It's hard to keep secrets when someone takes an interest. The disciples are on Amai Mask's trail, and while they're fairly certain that they've uncovered a monster hiding as a human being, the circumspection and nuance they're showing is remarkable.

Despite their misgivings, they're prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt and see him more as a person struggling to retain his humanity than as a monster biding its time to strike. In this, Iaian leans towards the former interpretation, while Bushidrill would rather err on the side of caution. Okamaitacchi is in the middle but is of the mind that this is a fluid situation that could go either way.

It's really neat that what was once a one-off gag, with Iaian telling Meltzegard that he could read the latter's murderous intent, has been repeatedly revisited ad deepened in the course of the story to create what is a wise and sympathetic response to a potentially dangerous situation. The disciples aren't blind to the danger of a monstrous hero, but because they can read intentions, they're willing to be heroes to the core and risk reaching out a helping hand to a struggling person.

Iaian's taking a risk in hoping there's a person in Amai who can be saved. But what else is a hero about?

Decisions and Inspirations

So, what will you do, Kamikaze? Had Nichirin died, what he'd have had to do would have been simple. As the new head of the Council of Swordmasters, Atomic would have had to resign as a hero and raise up a new generation. Thankfully, he's been spared that.

It's refreshing to get more insight into Atomic's character and find that he's been looking for both a source of challenge and inspiration in his life. Bang had certainly provided both while he'd been a fellow pro-hero. However, Atomic deciding to lead a charge to the very skies rather than stand on his pride and be an old man shouting impotently at the battle raging overhead had been a revelation. Terrible as the Monster Association showdown had been, it had also been a peak experience unlike any he could have imagined. He's hooked. [Since this is so late, Child Emperor's suggestions of a specialist dragon-slaying team would have found in Atomic an enthusiastic sponsor]. But he still wants a rival, so off he is to challenge King.

a new fire has been lit in this guy who thought he understood everything

Coming to Nichirin, I have three things to say:

A: Words Are Best Eaten Cold, With Salt

Despite having a disciple working as a hero (Spring Mustachio), Nichirin hasn't thought too highly of heroes. Depending on the translation, he'd called them hunters... or pest controllers. It's nice to see that he's had to eat his words.

I hope those words are tasty

B: The Old Lie

'Dolce et decorum est pro patria mori' . I don't blame Shido for clinging onto a view of his father bravely laying down his life. He needs all the comfort he can get.

We know the truth. Zambai was not felled by a superior foe but by a sentient barf bag spitting in his face.

Amahare's desecrated remains were so fragmentary that his coffin needed only a single pallbearer. A cruel duty indeed for Yuta to perform.

Nor can we forget Spring Mustachio fighting desperately to stop Nichirin's transected body from being burned, then Fubuki frantically keeping him alive, his guts kept from spilling out by what had been Genos's precious designer jacket.

a tableau of horror

This had been an actual conflict, not a carefully-managed test of skill vulgarly called a 'fight', and there was nothing sweet, fitting, nor fair about it.

C: Sword and Spirit

AND NOW FOR THE PART I'VE BEEN WAITING FOREVER FOR! Forever being from December 2017. It also ties into more recent chapters. The border between living and non-living has always been a bit porous in One-Punch Man and it's amazing to watch Nichirin make no distinction between his biological body, his sword, and his prostheses to forge a whole that is much greater than the sum of its parts. Once again, it comes down to spirit and willpower.

Had Genos witnessed this, he'd have asked Saitama for a leave of absence to study under Nichirin. This is the missing part that has been nagging at him, the question he'd asked Saitama about whether his parts truly made him stronger, to which Saitama had had no answer. Heck, just being able to observe Nichirin would have been profoundly inspirational for Genos.

ONE, however, is not in the business of giving Genos anything cheaply. No, on current headings, he's going to have to work it out for himself. Indeed, he accidentally and instinctively touched on the answer when he seamlessly rejoined himself after being bitten in two by Elder Centipede. He didn't think about what he was doing then: he was just totally determined not to be dismissed by that miserable worm. [It goes without saying that Kuseno did not get a distress call, nor brave monsters to see what the fuck was going on for himself because of a mere broken leg and some loosened plates of armour.]

Before and after: plates laid on a bias rejoining so perfectly there's no damage to see. And all the internals are fine too. Black magic shit that got the old engineer out of bed to do a field inspection.

Come to that, Saitama does know about the importance of will but does not know it consciously. Yet another gag that has become very much not a gag is that any object Saitama holds that he does not want to break becomes unbreakable. Cheap store-bought chopsticks catch a falling man -- and his clothes, in turn, don't give way. They become an extension of Saitama, like Nichirin's sword does of himself. Speaking of swords, it's notable that when Atomic Samurai managed to draw the sun blade, it was impossible to tell where the man ended and the sword began. Saitama just has no idea that that's what he's doing, so he can't teach it to his increasingly frustrated disciple.

the same principle, played very differently, but each in a life-or-death situation

And like that, another piece of the puzzle of the power scheme of OPM has been shown to us. No one character has the whole picture. We will hopefully get to piece it together by the end, and we hope that the right characters understand it well enough at the right time to make for good outcomes.

Next chapter review will be much shorter!

[moonylantsovs]

RULES | 2.01: THE FORTY-EIGHT

summary: gabriella kane and what is left of the hundred get separated from the dropship camp after the battle with the grounders. people who gabriella buried and mourned join them on earth. when she finds out most of her people are missing, she is ready to go through whatever she has to in order to get them back ─ even if that means making a truce with the grounders

pairings: john murphy x fem!oc, bellamy blake x fem!oc ( slowburn )

warnings: best friends to enemies to lovers, enemies to allies to lovers, swearing, daddy issues, blood and gore, death, trauma, mentions of addiction

taglist: @lotr-got

series masterlist

Unwavering sunlight.

That was the first thing Gabriella Kane saw once she opened her eyes. The second thing she noticed was her location -- she was on the back of a moving horse in the middle of the forest. Over the pounding in her head, she could hear deep male voices speaking in another language, it sounded similar to English but it had a weird accent and the words were twisted.

"'Bout time you woke up. I was beginning to get freaked out."

Gabriella's head snapped to the sound of the hushed whisper and her eyes connected with Wells'. She let out a sigh of relief. She was glad that she was not alone.

When she tried to sit up a little, she felt that her legs were bound. She tried to move her hands next, only to realize her wrists were bound too.

"Great." The blonde huffed in frustration, tilting her head to connect her blue eyes with Wells' dark ones. "Well...I'm glad we spent so much time together before we died."

-

"How did you get to be such a dick, Murphy?"

Murphy flinched at the coldness in Raven's tone and closed his eyes, leaning his head against the metal of the dropship. "I'm sorry for shooting you, okay? I'm sorry for a lot of things I did and didn't do that day. Is that what you want to hear?"

"Let me guess. Mommy and Daddy didn't love you?" Raven continued taunting, ignoring his apology.

"No, they loved me." Murphy said, staring at his bloodied hands that lay in his lap, trying to keep the image of a teary-eyed Gabriella watching him leave through the hole in the dropship out of his head.

Raven made a noise of amusement in the back of her throat and mocked him, "Are you gonna cry, Murphy?"

"Screw you, Raven."

"No, tell me. I want to know." Raven spoke, venom in her voice, "How does a kid who's loved by his parents, who has the greatest girl in the universe willing to die for him, turn into a murdering psychopath?"

Murphy stared at the wall, refusing to make eye contact with the wounded mechanic beside him, and spoke "He gets the flu. His father steals medicine that turns out wouldn't help anyway. Gets floated for it and...his mother, she starts drinking pretty heavily after that and the last words she says to him before he finds her in a pool of her own vomit is that..." He swallowed a sob threatening to escape him "...is that he killed his father. Then, he finally gets the freedom he always wanted, gets sent to Earth with the only important person in his life, gets hanged for a crime he didn't commit, and then gets banished because a little girl could not handle the guilt of being a murderer...and when he comes back, he finds out the girl he loves has feelings for the guy that banished and hung him."

"Boo-hoo."

-

"How do you think they're gonna kill us?" Wells spoke up, in a hushed whisper, after what felt like hours of moving through the woods. They both knew trying to escape would only result in dying sooner and when Gabriella tried to ask them where they were going, she was ignored.

"I don't know, probably chain us up, torture us like they did with John. Or they'll just lock us up in a room together, alone. Until eventually we die from dehydration." Gabriella responded dryly, shrugging her shoulders as best as she could and giving him a mocking grin that did not quite reach her eyes. "That would be painful enough."

"You're hilarious, you know that right?" Wells deadpanned, annoyance dripping from his voice.

"Well one of us has to be." Gabriella sighed, closing her eyes in the hope the lack of light would ease her headache, only for her eyes to snap open in alarm when the horse Wells was on stumbled a bit and made the boy beside her fall onto the ground, right on his bad shoulder. Gabriella's shoulder wound would probably only leave a scar, his looked like it would not heal anytime soon.

Both horses came to a halt and the grounder that kidnapped them turned to glare at Wells, who was too busy groaning in pain to notice anything.

"On your feet." The grounder ordered.

"He can't keep up." Gabriella was quick to defend him. "Give him a minute."

The grounder ignored her and got off the horse he was previously seated on. While Gabriella desperately tried to get Wells to stand up with her tied hands, the grounder stepped in front of them with a murderous glare. "I said get on your feet."

"Come on, Charming. Get up." Gabriella hissed quietly, trying to lift the boy up by taking hold of his good forearm.

Wells weakly stood on his knees, giving Gabriella an apologetic look. Once the grounder saw he was not getting the reaction he wanted out of either of them, he took the sword in his hand and stabbed Wells' wounded shoulder, making him cry out in pain while Gabriella's face flashed in panic.

"That's one." The grounder spat "I lost three hundred."

"Give us a minute and we'll get going." Gabriella glared but her face turned pleading as she spoke her next words. "Just let me help him."

The blonde did not wait for a response before she looked down at a half-conscious Wells, who was looking up at her with hooded eyes.

"If you die I'm gonna kill you, you hear that, Junior? I'm gonna kill you." Gabriella rambled, putting pressure on his wound, just like she had seen Clarke do multiple times. "You're not dying before we get back to Clarke. And even then you can't die" She let out a small sigh of displeasure at the feeling of Wells' blood on her hands. "I haven't run out of nicknames for you yet." Wells let a breathy chuckle escape his lips before he let his eyes close. Gabriella's eyes widened at the sight and she elbowed him in the stomach in hopes the pain from his old wound would get him to stay awake. "Don't fall asleep, Wells. Stay awake."

"I need to keep one of you alive to talk to The Commander." The grounder spoke up again, sporting a bored look on his face. "Now, get up."

"No." Gabriella said stubbornly, not even flinching when the grounder lifted the sword in his hand in the air threateningly. "You can kill me if you want--" She pressed harder against the bleeding wound, earning a grunt of pain that made her realize the boy on the floor was now conscious again, "--but then you won't have anyone to bring to your precious Commander. Wells and I come as a matching set. If you let him die then I will gladly slit my-"

Her words were cut off when a loud "Hey!" was heard behind them. Gabriella's head snapped to the source of the sound to see Bellamy with a spear in his hand. She squinted her eyes at his unmoving figure. Why the hell wasn't he throwing it?

The oldest Blake looked through the trees expectantly -- almost as if he was waiting for something to happen.

"What the hell are you doing?" Gabriella yelled, "Get out of here!"

The grounder did not waste a second before marching up to Bellamy with his sword raised high. Bellamy clenched his jaw and tried to hit him with a spear, only to have it fly right above the grounder's head and next to Gabriella. If this was not a life or death situation, the girl would have his ass for almost killing her, but she was too busy trying to keep Wells alive and worrying whether her co-leader was going to get himself killed. The grounder used the back of his sword to knock Bellamy to the ground, straight on his back.

Bellamy coughed out blood and Gabriella could only stare in horror as the grounder started beating him up. If her legs and wrists were not tied, she would not waste a second to help him but she was helpless.

There was nothing Gabriella Kane hated more than being helpless.

She felt helpless when her mother got floated, when Sam died, when Murphy got hung, when Monty and Clarke went missing when Murphy locked Jasper and Bellamy inside of the dropship and tried to kill them...

And she absolutely hated it.

"Stop it!" She pleaded desperately, her voice shaking slightly. "You'll kill him!"

After a few minutes of the nameless grounder beating Bellamy into a bloody pulp and Gabriella begging for him to stop, he finally did and tied Bellamy up to stand next to them. In the meantime, Gabriella was able to tear a part of her shirt off and wrap it around Wells' shoulder.

Wells grunted and opened his eyes, when the fabric was secure around his shoulder. "I didn't know you cared that much."

"I don't." Gabriella deadpanned. "But Clarke would kill me if she found out I left you to bleed to death. But you and I? We still hate each other."

"Noted." Wells nodded weakly, letting Gabriella help him stand up and flinching as she did.

When Wells was on his feet, Gabriella gave Bellamy a death glare, which he responded to with an almost sheepish shrug.

"Why are you here?" She whispered, wiping the blood off her hands on her shirt. "You're supposed to be in the dropship."

"I didn't make it in time" Bellamy whispered back, defending himself quickly, "so I went looking for you."

Gabriella took a deep breath before turning to the grounder. "Can you untie my feet? I can't walk like this."

The grounder hesitantly cut the rope off her feet, which allowed her to finally properly stretch her legs.

"Why were my legs bound and his weren't?" The blonde could not help but ask, not expecting the grounder to give her any type of answer but he did anyway.

"You kick in your sleep."

With those final words, the grounder turned around and left the three delinquents tied up, with Gabriella not taking her annoyed glare off of Bellamy.

Another surprise to all of them except Bellamy, was the sound of teenagers' battle screams. They turned around to see Finn, Sterling, and Monroe running to them with their weapons in hand.

The trio was not able to get far when a bullet went straight through the grounder's skull. All six delinquents gaped at the dead body in shock and surprise.

Their surprise increased when Marcus Kane stepped out from behind the trees with a couple of guards behind him, all of them armed with a gun. Gabriella felt as the world froze as she watched her father put the gun down and connect his eyes with hers. Her father was alive, he did not die when the exodus ship crashed.

"We're here now. Everything's gonna be okay." Marcus assured them, his eyes flickering from his beaten up daughter to the remaining of the hundred behind her.

The guards untied their hands and Gabriella assessed Bellamy in not falling on his ass again, while Finn led Wells over to Abby Griffin so she could check his shoulder.

"I'm fine. Ella fixed me up. We need to get back to the dropship." Wells said, shaking off Abby's concern, his mind solemnly on coming back to Clarke.

"Hey. Where's Clarke? Is she all right?" Abby asked, mainly looking between Wells and Gabriella even though her question was directed towards Bellamy and Finn too.

"She was when we left." Finn answered, drawing Abby's attention on him. "We'll take you to her."

Marcus was quick to stop them from making their way back to the delinquent camp. "Wait. Slow down." He looked over their shoulders to someone in the crowd. "Sinclair. We're splitting up. One guard detail comes with me to the dropship. Everyone else here goes with you to Alpha Station. You have the coordinates. We'll follow later, as soon as we can."

"Yes, si--"

Sinclair's words were cut off when Gabriella tackled him into a long-awaited hug, her arms wrapping around his shoulders. The head of engineering stumbled backward a bit but hugged back as soon as he realized who it was. Gabriella knew he was not in the exodus ship because he was still needed on The Ark but knowing he was down on Earth and safe, made her feel at ease.

She was relieved she did not lose anyone else important to her.

Gabriella pulled away with a small smile. "I'm happy you're okay."

Sinclair ruffled her already messy hair and smiled back. He noticed she had some blood in it, there and all over her but other than that, she seemed perfectly fine. "You too kiddo. I knew you would not go down easy."

With one last smile, Gabriella turned around to connect her gaze with her father, who was watching the interaction with slight envy, before she made her way back to her friends.

"Okay, you six with me." Marcus commanded a couple of guards before he turned to the remaining delinquents. "You four, lead the way."

-

As Gabriella got closer to camp, with the three boys, her father, Abby and six guards trailing close behind her, she saw dead bodies lying all over the ground. Some were grounders and some were their people -- her people. Teenagers who followed her and Bellamy into battle without a second thought, teenagers who were willing to fight and die for their ground -- for their home.

"It's too quiet." Bellamy commented, eying the dead bodies with an unreadable look on his face, most likely having the same dreadful thoughts as Gabriella.

The female Kane connected her wary haze with Bellamy's and they both went to stand up from their kneeling position, only for Marcus to take a hold of their forearms.

"We'll take it from here." He said in a dismissive tone Gabriella was so used to hearing whenever he was speaking to her. She tore her unamused gaze away from her father and looked back at Bellamy to see him already looking at her with a knowing look.

The two leaders could faintly hear Marcus commanding two guards to stay with them while he and the four other guards check out the dropship, but they were too busy trying to make a plan only by holding eye contact.

But they both knew one thing, they needed to find out what happened to their people.

Marcus led Abby and four guards inside and left the four delinquents with the two remaining guards. Gabriella pursed her lips in annoyance, the fact that her father was still treating her like a child and trying to act like he's suddenly the one in charge, after everything he did, passing her off more than anything in the last few weeks.

"We need a stretcher!" A voice was heard from inside of camp and all four of them perked up in worry, trying to get through the guards and inside.

Bellamy tilted his head at Gabriella and nodded behind her where she knew a foxhole was located. The blonde leaned her head between Wells and Finn so she was out of earshot to the guards and whispered, "Follow our lead."

And a second later, the two remaining leaders of the hundred made a beeline towards a foxhole, Wells and Finn hot on their trail. They could hear the guards yelling after them but they ignored them and ran straight through the foxhole and into their camp.

Gabriella took a deep breath at the sight in front of her. Everything they built, everything they worked so hard for was ruined, burned down, and with dead bodies burnt to ashes across the ground. But most importantly, it was empty.

"Where is everybody?" Wells asked, echoing everyone's thoughts out loud.

"It was awful. There were hundreds of them and if it wasn't for Raven-- I don't know what happened."

Gabriella's jaw and fists clenched at the familiar voice and she turned around to see none other than John Murphy being carried out of the dropship by a guard.

Once the limping boy caught sight of the four delinquents (but mainly the leaders) his mouth dropped open in surprise and he stuttered out "Ellie, Bellamy. You're . . . you're alive."

Gabriella was about to pounce on him, throw a few punches, until Bellamy beat her to it. She wasn't sure of the exact reason she wanted to be the one to do it. Maybe it was for betraying her trust like that, for holding Jasper at gunpoint, hanging Bellamy, or shooting Raven but he gave her so many reasons to hate him in the last forty-eight hours she couldn't not want to beat the shit out of him.

"You murdering son of a bitch!" Bellamy growled as he tackled Murphy to the ground. He threw the first punch, then another, and another...

If it was any other day, Gabriella would have stopped him and yelled at him for doing so but instead of her, it was Finn who screamed at him to stop. Gabriella could feel her father's curious gaze on the side of her face, probably wondering why she was not doing anything about the situation, but she was not going to give him the satisfaction of turning around. he wanted to know what the hell happened between her and her so-called best friend since they had been sent to the ground.

The engineer was too busy watching the fight to notice Marcus motioning to a guard to pull Bellamy off of Murphy but she took a cautious step forward once she saw the guard step closer with a shock baton in his hand. She did not even get a chance to warn Bellamy before the guard shocked him and he fell off of Murphy and onto the ground with a painful groan.

Marcus brushed passed his daughter and looked down at Bellamy with something close to disgust, speaking in a cold tone. "Place him under arrest."

"No." Gabriella exclaimed, moving away from Wells and Finn to stand in front of Bellamy almost protectively. "You are not in charge here anymore, Kane. We have been surviving on our own these last few weeks and Bellamy has no reason to get arrested." Her eyes flickered over to a blood-covered Murphy lying on the floor as she added, "If you're planning to arrest any of us it should be John."

"Exactly." Finn agreed, "Murphy murdered two of our people. He shot two others and tried to hang Bellamy."

One of the guards took hold of Gabriella's forearms and moved her away from Bellamy so the other two guards could get him up and tie his wrists together.

"I don't care. You are not animals. There are rules. Laws." Marcus spoke, turning around to look at his glaring daughter. "You are not in control here anymore."

"Let me go." Gabriella grunted in frustration, trying to get out of the guard's grip. "Tell him to let me go."

"I can't do that, Gabriella." Marcus told her, but there was nothing genuine in his voice. "You'll stay locked up until we get to our camp."

"Go float yourself." The eighteen-year-old spat harshly, using the back of her heel to kick the guard's shin and making him let her go. She turned around quickly and raised her knee to kick him between his legs and he quickly put his hands over the place, grunting in pain as he did.

Once she was satisfied with her work, Gabriella turned around and flashed her father a sarcastic grin. "Looks like you have to lock me up permanently this time, Dad."

Marcus clenched his jaw and motioned for one of the guards who was holding Bellamy to tie her up as well. When her hands were bound, she was placed next to Bellamy with two guards standing behind them warily.

"That was idiotically Gabriella of you." Bellamy levels her with an unimpressed look, which she shrugged at.

"You're the one to talk after what you did an hour ago."

Bellamy scoffed in slight offense. "Excuse me for saving your ass. Seems like I've been doing a lot of that since we landed."

"I thought it was the other way around." Gabriella snapped with an annoyed glare.

Suddenly, all attention turned to Raven being carried out of the dropship with Abby behind her. Gabriella's eyes flashed in worry, suddenly remembering what happened to her friend before the battle even started.

"Raven." Finn gasped, stepping closer to his ex-girlfriend's unconscious body.

"She's lost a lot of blood. It's a miracle that she's still alive." Abby explained before a permanent frown full of disappointment settled on her face- "There's no one else in there."

"What?" Gabriella muttered to herself, wide eyes connecting with Bellamy's equally confused ones.

"What the hell happened here?"

-

Gabriella was seated on the ground beside Bellamy with a stressed and pissed-off look on her face. The guards were scouting the area around the dropship, trying to see if anyone else was there but finding no one yet.

"We're leaving." Finn announced as he and Wells marched over to their two remaining leaders.

"What?" Bellamy asked, confusion clear on his face- "This is where they'll come back."

"I don't think they're coming back. The grounders took them and you know that." Finn said, shaking his head solemnly.

Seeing both Gabriella and Bellamy were skeptical, Wells quickly added, "Look, according to Finn, there's supposed to be at least fifty of our people missing from the dropship, which means they didn't leave like that. Clarke would not allow so many of them to go through the woods after the war we just went through."

Finn nodded and scrunched down in front of Gabriella and Bellamy. "We go with Kane to Alpha Station, we get reinforcement and weapons, and then we find our friends."

"One question." Bellamy spoke, still a bit skeptical. "How many more of us will be dead by then?"

Finn's eyes briefly flickered to an unconscious Raven before he turned back around to look at Bellamy. "Abby says Raven needs surgery or she's gonna die."

Tense silence settled among them and Gabriella gaped at his words.

"Shit." Was the only thing that she was able to make out, but even that came out as a whisper.

Wells gave her a sympathetic look. "It's time to go."

And just like that, they were leaving their home behind, again.

[lensman-arms-race]

A tiny fic about Titan TV's origins

This is actually a (bowdlerised) excerpt from a fic I already published last year. I never posted it here because it's Phaeton up to their usual bullshit a little too explicit for this blog. (I try to keep this blog basically work-safe except for funny swearing, à la Polycephaly.) However, I thought people might still want to read it who otherwise wouldn't have.

Imperator = TV Matriarch

You get an imaginary cookie if you correctly guess why I chose the serial numbers I did.

--

Every TV-unit contributed to the building of the Titan in some way.

Every engineer, every mechanic, had worked together to design and build the most perfect version of the upgrade technology that had been created by the other Alliance factions. Every agent had either sourced materials and components or parlayed with the other factions for them.

Every single TV-unit had had their wrist-blades replaced, and the old ones melted down for the construction of the Titan's shell. Regardless of how much or how little they'd been able to contribute otherwise, every single TV would be able to say that they had added something to the Titan.

Out of all the applicants for being remade into the Titan, a final sixteen had been shortlisted. All sixteen had been trained for the three possibilities that awaited them. Of these sixteen, one would become the Titan, and the two in second and third place would become the Imperator's two bodyguards. The rest would return to their work as agents, but not before all candidates had had their serial numbers expunged, never to be re-used, and had new serials allocated. No-one except the Titan themself would ever know which candidate had been chosen… none besides Engineer Sixteen-Sixty-Eight, the superintendent of all engineers in the faction.

Agent Seventeen-Ninety-One beheld the dormant Titan construct with which they would soon be merged. "…You made me so beautiful."

Agent Ninety-One and Engineer Sixty-Eight stood in the highest of the control rooms within the Titan hangar, allowing them to see the magnificent entirety of the Titan shell, still connected by huge roping twists of cables and pipes to the machinery of the hangar. The shell twitched slightly.

"Why does it move?" asked Ninety-One. "It is still mindless, isn't it?"

"In every sense that matters," replied Sixty-Eight. "It is animate only on the most basic level, so that we can remotely control it to test all its systems. It is still useless in battle without an intelligent mind."

The Titan's mind would come from Seventeen-Ninety-One, the most brilliant and perfect of all TV agents.

Engineer Sixty-Eight continued: "We shall be sorry to lose you as an agent. You always were the best of us. …It almost wasn't worth running the trials."

"I'm sure the Imperator appreciated it," replied Ninety-One, "They'll get two fine bodyguards out of it. …You call me 'the best of us', but really, that honour's the Imperator's. I did consider petitioning for the Imperator to become the Titan instead, and I could take the Imperator's place. But this way is better, I'm sure of it now. Better to have a superb Titan and a superb Imperator, than to have the superlative Titan but a mediocre Imperator. Our Imperator will do a finer job than I ever could of leading our faction." Ninety-One turned away from looking at its soon-to-be new shell and faced Sixty-Eight. "What happens to my old shell?"

"Stripped of all identifying serials and then mixed in with the other candidates' shells. All of them will be partially rebuilt and re-serialised. No-one except us will know which candidate became the Titan. Not even the Imperator will have any idea."

A pause, then Agent Ninety-One drew their wrist-blades. "Won't you spar with me, Sixty-Eight? Once I am remade, I never again will be able to participate in such a simple pleasure."

"I…won't be much of a challenge for you…"

"I am not asking for a competition. I just want one last round of play."

"Of course, Ninety-One. One last happy memory from your old life? I can do that for you."

The engineer drew their own blades, and both TVs faced each other in combat stance. Engineer Sixty-Eight fought nervously, both from facing such an elite agent and at the unexpected deviation from the night's schedule, but Agent Ninety-One didn't seem at all frustrated or disappointed by such an easy opponent. Sixty-Eight gradually became a little bolder, as Ninety-One parried all their attacks with no apparent effort - Sixty-Eight felt they could therefore fight a little more fiercely, as the chance of hurting the Titan-in-waiting was so low. The Engineer fought harder, in the process leaving their defence wide open - enabling the Agent to swoop inwards and perform the attack that would have disarmed them in a real fight.

"Do you yield?" asked Ninety-One.

"Of course - I've no chance of coming back from that!" Sixty-Eight sounded amused. The sparring match couldn't have had any other outcome… though the engineer had enjoyed getting to spar with such a skilled agent, and they were grateful that Ninety-One hadn't simply let them win - Sixty-Eight thought they would have found that patronising rather than pleasing.

As the two TVs retracted their blades, Agent Ninety-One spread their arms to invite a hug from Engineer Sixty-Eight.

"…I suppose a final embrace is apt for such a momentous occasion," commented Sixty-Eight, stepping forward to accept.

"Once I assume my rightful form… I will be an entity of only destruction. There are so many things I must put aside and will never experience again. Thank you for letting me spar one last time."

"I'm glad it helped?"

"…I know I am not going to die now, not really. But in a way, I will cease to be. Agent Ninety-One will be no more, and only the Titan will remain. …I've already wasted too much of our time, haven't I? We should proceed."

Engineer Sixty-Eight nodded solemnly. "It's time for our Titan to be born." The Engineer led the Titan-in-waiting to a wall-mounted apparatus designed to incapacitate a unit and prepare them for breakdown.

Ninety-One willingly stepped into place and allowed Sixty-Eight to close all restraints and connect all cables.

Sixty-Eight placed a hand on the activation lever. "Any last words as Agent Seventeen-Ninety-One?"

"…All toilets will die."

...

The entity awoke. Was it awake? How did it know what 'awake' was? Had it done this before? Whose body was this? Had it ever had a body before? "Is it my body?" thought the entity. It must be. Whose else's would it be? Is it normal to have a body and not know if it's yours?

"I feel unfinished," thought the entity. But how did it know that, it thought to itself. What does it mean to be unfinished? Had it ever had a finished body to compare it to?

It used to have a screen, didn't it? Is it still there? The entity discovered it had a screen. The entity probed its consciousness around its shell (since when did it have a shell? Was that there before?), searching for a way to link its mind to it.

The entity's mind felt as though it was falling apart into fragments, though it was not breaking apart. Each of the mind-pieces felt linked together by chains of fire, stronger than anything. The mind-pieces unfurled into a magnificent fiery web that spread and tunnelled though every part of this strange new shell… then the web pulled itself taut and snapped all of itself back into place.

The entity powered on its screen. It saw… shapes. Angles and lines… resolved into a hangar with gantries. How did it know the words 'hangar' and 'gantry'? It knew it had seen them before. But how? It was just born.

"Titan?" called out Sixty-Eight.

The entity instantly knew who it was. What it was. Its life's purpose.

The Titan inclined its colossal screen to the source of the voice. "…Sixty-Eight?"

"Yes!" Sixty-Eight sounded delighted. "Oh, Titan… welcome."

The Titan tried to lower its head down to get a better look at Sixty-Eight, and was stopped by all the hangar-apparatus still holding it in place. The Titan's mind, still new and fresh, wasn't sure what it was supposed to do to resolve that. "Sixty-Eight. Need you."

The engineer teleported to a gantry near the Titan's head. "You're not quite finished activating," explained Sixty-Eight. "We have to leave you linked up for just a little while longer."

"Frightened," replied the Titan.

"Don't be, dear Titan," replied Sixty-Eight, lifting a hand to stroke the Titan's screen. "All engineers are here to look after you."

"…Better. Thank you. …What happens next?"

"Please… just continue to rest. Your mind needs to work itself into your new shell. Let it happen at its own pace."

The Titan shakily raised a hand onto the gantry. "Would like to hold hands with you," explained the Titan, "Can't yet. Haven't got used to shell. Don't want to crush you."

"I'll hold hands with you, Titan," Sixty-Eight said as they knelt next to the Titan's hand and stroked it.

A morass of punctuation displayed on the Titan's screen. Sixty-Eight guessed the Titan was trying to render an emoticon but was having difficulty.

Four more TVs joined Engineer Sixty-Eight on the gantry: three normal-sized and one comparatively colossal, though still small compared to the TV Titan. The Titan beheld the new units, wondering why they were familiar, before a memory surfaced. "Imperator. Polycephaly. …Two unknown. Successful candidates? Imperator's bodyguards."

"Got it in one," said the largest of the four units - Polycephaly. Polycephaly knelt by the Titan's hand and pulled one of the Titan's fingers into a hug. "Titan, I went through this too. You will prevail. I remember it was difficult and frightening for me those first few hours after activation. It might be harder for you, because there's more of you to get used to. Or maybe it will go easier, because your mind is more powerful. Either way, I'll see you through it. Polycephaly's here for you."

The Titan's screen flickered with random punctuation, and briefly managed to display a smiling emoticon, before fading back to whitish static.

The Imperator stepped forth and wedged themself between Polycephaly and Engineer Sixty-Eight, joining in on petting the Titan's hand. The Imperator's two bodyguards stood respectfully at a distance, until the Imperator wordlessly beckoned them both over. The two bodyguards seemed apprehensive but stepped forth nevertheless, reverently placing a single hand each upon the Titan's hand.

The five units remained quietly in place for several minutes, as the Titan enjoyed their soothing and comforting presence, and took in the sight of all its other engineers calmly and efficiently going back and forth and carrying out their tasks.

"Sixty-Eight…" spoke the Titan after a while, "Ask me who I am."

"…What?"

"Indulge me, my engineer. Ask me who I am."

"…Who are you?"

"I am your Titan… and I am perfect in every way."

[saltedslugspine]

chase davenport character analysis i wrote four years ago that i just rediscovered

Chase’s main conflict throughout this entire show is proving his worth and value to himself and to his family. From the very beginning, Chase is portrayed as rigid and uptight, a rule follower. It usually takes the others a little bit to convince him to bend or break the rules outright due to his rational mindset. In the few instances he does break the rules with his siblings, he finds it exhilarating, calling himself a “bad boy” after sneaking in past curfew in one episode. One of Chase’s main things is his mission leader status. According to himself, he was only twelve when he named himself mission leader. From this point forward, that was how he identified himself, and revolved his whole personality around it. Multiple times throughout the show, he is shown to be somewhat of a control freak, and “fun-killer”. He feels somewhat of a personal responsibility to act responsible and mature compared to his siblings. As a result, they often tease him for his intelligence and other shortcomings (no pun intended hehe).

Adam is usually the main person to make fun of Chase, teasing him for his height and intelligence, and often punching and throwing him around. Chase doesn’t have super strength, so he finds it difficult to get even with Adam. This was touched briefly on in “Brother Battle” when they get new abilities and have an epic fight in the lab. Chase is tired of always being subjected to Adam’s taunting and bullying, so he takes matters in his own hands. After that episode however, they resolve to respect each other more, although this is somewhat short lived. I find it interesting because in some episodes, Adam will tease Chase and he’ll get mad because he can’t respond to his insults, and in other ones, Chase will just smile and make fun of Adam’s lack of intelligence, the dynamic never stays the same. Bree and Chase seem to get along better, but they still have their fights. One of the main things they fought about was in that one episode when Bree got a job at Tech Town to feel normal, but Chase walked in and got a job too after impressing Scott with his wide-spread tech knowledge. The conclusion they both came to at the end of the episode was they both desperately needed it. Bree needed to have one normal thing in her life besides her bionics and missions, and Chase needed to have his wealth of knowledge and influence appreciated, since he was always mocked at home.

I guess what I’m trying to sum up is that the majority of conflicts that Chase is involved in throughout the course of this show is his need to feel confident and secure about his value and worth. He is constantly shown competing with people in his life: the student of the semester contest, the designing of the space elevator, the baby project for health class, the talent show, the whole avalanche mission, etc. In fact, one of the main episodes where this arc is shown is in  “Avalanche”. They get home from a mission, and Adam and Bree are praised for their flashy abilities while Chase is underappreciated and told he’s “flash glue.” They’re sent on a mission to find a certain property in the arctic to power a device, until a storm shows up on the map. Donald specifically tells the trio not to go on the mission due a storm in the arctic. Chase, wanting to prove his value, goes anyway and is stranded after he’s buried by an avalanche. Luckily, Chase is rescued by Douglas, and manages to trick him into going to the lab, where Douglas is captured.

In my opinion, Chase’s main defense mechanism is what's known as reaction formation. He appears as self-absorbed and brash at certain points, bragging about his intelligence to anyone who will listen, and appearing as cocky and confident, putting other people down for not knowing the obvious. However, I honestly think he’s compensating and trying to appear more confident that he actually feels, like he’s terrified someone will call him out. As a result, he overly gloats to the point where he appears egotistical, when really he doesn’t think he’s good enough.

Continued in part two.

[dante-winning-archive]

DmC: Devil May Cry Thoughts

So I finally decided to experience the DmC Reboot, and my overall verdict is: Not As Bad As I Expected. 

I took notes, so let’s break it down. This is over 3 pages in a doc btw, so buckle up I guess. Hope it was worth the wait.

What I Liked

Level Design

This is probably the game’s biggest strength. Great amount of variety, and the atmosphere of each level was great. 

Limbo is a really cool concept. 

The twin’s special abilities (like Dante’s grappling hook type weapons) made for some really cool platforming. 

The typography really works in this game. Like, words and phrases appearing in the environment to taunt Dante or just provide additional flavor to whatever is happening. Very comic book. 

The Bob Barbas boss battle had a really cool neon techy aesthetic, which isn’t something I would have expected for this game. Neat!

The game show levels leading up to Lilith’s boss fight were cool too! 

The Succubus boss battle made really good use of the environment. 

Enemy Design

General demon mobs are automaton-like, which is pretty neat. I’m not a fan of that sort of aesthetic, but I respect the creative direction. 

All the bosses had decent variety in terms of design and battle mechanics.

Item/Weapon Design

I think this was another pretty strong point for this game

It’s a small thing, but the designs of the orbs were nice.

Rebellion’s shape shifting is neat. Rebellion doesn’t really have any cool powers like Yamato does in the mainline games, so it was nice to see it do something besides being a big sword. 

AQUILA IS SUCH A COOL WEAPON

Ebony and Ivory were pretty, but didn't seem particularly useful what with all the other weapons Dante had at his disposal.

Misc

Combat looks dynamic and satisfying, and I can see the influence it had on DMC5’s combat. 

The voice acting is good

Occasionally, it was genuinely funny

The Vergil gameplay at the end? INCREDIBLE. 

The music was good. Nothing really stood out to me, but it did enhance the game. 

What I Disliked

Lilith

I really hated her character design. And I’m not saying it wasn’t effective character design, or that it was bad. I just personally didn’t like it. 

Her weirdly pulled skin, the corset piercings, the way her skin bunches up around the tops of her gloves… ugh. 

And maybe that’s the point! I’m probably supposed to find it offputting! But I hated looking at her. 

Pregnancy is a really intense squick of mine, so all that was just no! No! No! No! 

I wish I could unsee her boss battle

Minor Design Complaints

Dante’s DT design was a little disappointing, especially considering how well designed everything else is. 

Yamato’s design was also lackluster. 

Misc

The fatphobia was disappointing but not surprising, especially considering the year this was released. 

Mundus sex scene… ew

The sniper abortion scene wasn’t as shocking as I expected it to be, but it sure was there

The way Vergil pronounces Yamato lol. Ya-MATT-o

Pronouncing Mundus differently was a little weird. The mundus amungus…. 

Mundus’ boss fight was uninspired. Wow, a giant statue trying to squash Dante on a platform. Never seen that one before.

A lot of this game has a ‘gross’ factor, which I’m not really into. That’s just personal preference, because I do think it mostly works in context. Just not my thing. 

Characters:

In general, I found the characters to be pretty one-dimensional. 

The Twins

The two of them working together in Mundus’ tower, one in each world, was really cool. If you’re going to have twins in a setting with two worlds overlapping, having one in each is (chefs kiss). Being able to play as both of them to achieve the goal would have made it even better. 

I really enjoyed the scenes they had together, but there just weren’t enough of them. 

It was nice seeing them share physical affection (in the form of a mutual shoulder pat)

But “I loved you, brother” just didn’t have the emotional impact I wanted it to have. 

And the issue is really… they’re strangers. They may be brothers, but they barely know each other. Their relationship just didn’t get as much attention and buildup as it should have. 

Vergil

He’s so friendly and helpful sounding at the beginning, it was kind of cute. 

But it is revealed he’s pretty cold and calculating, willing to sacrifice Kat because saving her wasn’t worth the risk to him. 

His mad hax lol 

give him his hat back, cowards

Even though he was carrying Yamato around, I wasn’t sure he could even fight until the very end. He just seemed so weak. The thing about the twins is that they’re equals on the physical level. IDK, it was just weird to see a Vergil that didn’t fight. 

honestly, a way more interesting character than Dante.

Dante

A devil-may-care character that learns to give a shit? Always a classic. 

As unnecessarily edgy as he seems, his poor coping mechanisms make sense for how he grew up. 

Kat

An assault survivor, because of course she is. It’s just disappointing. Was it necessary? Was it??

Overall, she’s fine. No real strong feelings about her. 

Despite having a ‘role’ (guiding Dante through Limbo and helping him escape it), her job could have been given to Vergil and the game would have worked fine. Maybe even better. 

Sparda and Eva 

Having Sparda outlive Eva and be responsible for hiding the twins was an interesting choice. I also like that we have confirmation for what happened to him (eternal torture). 

I would have expected an angel and demon to be a power couple, but they seemed to have been beaten pretty easily. For plot, I guess. 

The Story

I wasn’t really all that invested, tbh. There’s nothing wrong with the story, but at the same time there isn’t really anything notable about it (except Vergil’s bit). 

It’s a hack n’ slash, so I’m not expecting a masterpiece, but it was pretty one note.

WHY is there a war between demons and angels? Where did the Nephilim come from, how many were there, what role did they play? More importantly, why should I care about any of this? 

The twins avenging their parents should have felt like… like taking on a mantle to continue their cause, and I really didn’t get any of that. There wasn’t any weight of legacy. And the main games handle that so well. 

Overall, I just felt like there wasn’t enough emotional impact, especially between the brothers. There wasn’t enough time to really grow to care about the three protagonists, imo. 

Dante's character arc is... learning to give a shit, I guess, but even then, his decision to be the protector of humans feels really out there. Did he really show that much growth throughout the game for this declaration to really feel deserved? Rewarding?

Likewise, Vergil's shift from revolutionary to would-be king is equally abrupt. Like maybe the entire point of it was to be out of left field, but from a storytelling standpoint... an out-of-nowhere twist like that just doesn't feel rewarding. Having more time with Vergil as Dante throughout the course of the game, to have a subtle buildup so that when you look back and say 'the signs were all there and I missed them', that would have been really good. Like, disregarding the fact that any fan of DMC knows Vergil is going to abandon everything for power.

Vergil’s gameplay and story at the end was a lot more compelling than the rest of the game combined. It’s literally the only thing I’m interested in learning more about. 

Final Thoughts

The game was… alright. Not as bad as I expected it to be, but I’m not sure I would call it good, either. There were a lot of really interesting concepts that just didn’t reach their full potential. The ‘hard’ elements like design and combat were there, but the characters and story were lacking. Making a DMC game heavily influenced by the Divine Comedy is a great idea! 

I think that there are two things that really held this game back. 

Making it a DMC game. As its own thing, it could have been really good. Could they have told a story based on the Divine Comedy with twins named Dante and Vergil without stepping on DMC’s toes? Probably not. But with some changes, it could have worked.

The marketing. I didn’t see it in real time, but we’ve all heard of the weirdly homophobic marketing for this game. And I think that really soured people’s opinions of the game. Still does, tbh. ‘Dante is not a gay cowboy’ as if that isn’t his entire appeal….

Anyway, I don’t think it quite deserves the hate it gets. If you go in knowing you’re not getting a ‘real’ DMC game, it’s not bad. 

Rating: 5/10 

[sealrock]

decembhyur, day 2: job

>SELECTION:

ACHILLE: heh, time to crack some skulls. EVANDER: try to keep yourself alive, yeah? PARIS: fair enough. PATROCLUS: let's all do our best!

:DUTY_POP.sfx:

>AI BEHAVIOR:

ACHILLE will pull more than three groups of mobs before stopping, or if evander uses Rescue to yank him back to the current trash pack. achille will prioritize AoE attacks on 4+ enemies; he rarely uses defensive cooldowns. with telegraphs, achille will not move out of the affected area in time and will take the hit without defense, and he will not join/separate from the group during stack/spread mechanics. when dealing with bosses, achille has a special mechanic in which he goes berserk based on the amount of damage he receives (he takes tankbusters with full force to build his gauge). also, he will not use Limit Break unless he's the last one standing. EVANDER is a slow healer, but his AoE and single-target DoT attacks are powerful and he prioritizes damage over healing. while his healing AoE's are limited, his single-target heals are strong based on the amount of health lost. if an ally takes avoidable damage, evander will not heal right away until they drop to a certain percentage. evander will buff allies with his tinctures and other concoctions to boost their damage output. if an ally is K.O.'d, evander has phoenix downs available due to his inability to cast Raise. he will prioritize raising paris or achille first, patroclus is last. evander does not use Limit Break unless absolutely necessary. PARIS is a selfish and aggressive dps and will often steal the Limit Break as soon as it's ready. if achille is unable to pull the next trash pack, paris will run ahead and bait the mobs to him. they follow mechanics properly most of the time and can avoid telegraphs easily due to the echo—the others will subsequently follow paris to a safe spot. as a melee dps, paris doesn't move far from the boss in order to get maximum damage from their attacks. paris tends to use their own restorative cooldowns if they drop to a certain percentage. PATROCLUS stands back from the group while he delivers ranged magical attacks. due to his arcanist-based skills, patroclus can summon pets into battle to aid allies and defeat foes. besides this, he can copy enemies with his special ink and make minions out of them. but his pets aren't invulnerable; as they are created from his aether, should they take too much damage it transfers to patroclus, similar to a DoT bleed, until they despawn. patroclus is most affected by enemy AoE's and will take the most damage as he is slow in moving out of telegraphs. stack markers usually fall on patroclus or other boss mechanics. if paris is in the party, patroclus will not cast Limit Break. if evander is K.O.'d, patroclus will cast Raise.

>BATTLE LINES:

ACHILLE:

"Too slow!" - basic attack line

"Is that all you got?!" - using Bloodwhetting

"Sod off!" - using Chaotic Cyclone

"I'm the one!" - using Provoke

"Try to keep up, eh?" - assisting ally

EVANDER:

"Hold still." - basic attack line

"Steady..." - using Virus

"Do not underestimate me." - using Bioblaster

"You don't know who you're dealing with!" - using Miasma

"You idiot, stop fooling around!" - assisting an ally

PARIS:

"I have you now!" - basic attack line

"Don't run away!" - using Enshroud

"Hope you signed your death warrant." - using Plentiful Harvest

"You ain't seen nothing yet!" - using Communio

"You good?" - assisting an ally

PATROCLUS:

"Get ready!" - basic attack line

"Lend me your aid, dear friend!" - using Summon

"I'm sorry!" - using Precious Brilliance (depends on summon)

"You leave me no choice!" - using Enkindle (depends on summon)

"I pray you're not terribly injured?" - assisting an ally

>K.O.'d:

ACHILLE:

"Guess I'm done for..." - variation #1

"...I feel so cold all of a sudden." - variation #2

EVANDER:

"How—How foolish of me..." - variation #1

"If this... is how it ends..." - variation #2

PARIS:

"Fucking hells... not yet..." - variation #1

"You'll regret this..." - variation #2

PATROCLUS:

"Ugh, that smarts..." - variation #1

"I'll just lay here for a bit..." - variation #2

>REVIVED:

ACHILLE:

"Heh, my bad." - variation #1

"Tch, end of my nap already?" - variation #2

EVANDER:

"Speak of this and you'll suffer." - variation #1

"I almost didn't want to come back." - variation #2

PARIS:

"You witnessed nothing." - variation #1

"How embarrassing." - variation #2

PATROCLUS:

"My deepest apologies..." - variation #1

"Thank you so much." - variation #2

>LIMIT BREAK:

ACHILLE:

"You're really boring me here." - using Limit Break #1

"Did you know that lightning really does strike twice?" - using Limit Break #2

"HEAR MY ROAR, FEEL MY FURY! BRACE FOR THE STORM!" - using Limit Break #3

EVANDER:

"Don't think this means you're off the hook." - using Limit Break #1

"You fools..." - using Limit Break #2

"You shall know true terror once I'm done with you..." - using Limit Break #3

PARIS:

"Have you quite finished?" - using Limit Break #1

"THINK FAST!" - using Limit Break #2

"By my hand alone, you shall PERISH!" - using Limit Break #3

PATROCLUS:

"The hearts of men are black with corruption and must needs be cleansed!" - using Limit Break #1

"Seven shadows cast. Seven fates foretold. Yet at the end of the broken path lies death, and death alone!" - using Limit Break #2

"They who dwell aloft have spoken. Let their words echo in your empty soul. Ruination is come!" - using Limit Break #3

[nintendonut1]

Is it just me or the second you give Peach the Lazy Shell Armor after beating Valentina, you’ve basically won every single future battle by making her an unkillable goddess that WILL make sure the party (by which I mostly mean Mario and Geno) win every single battle through attrition if they can’t just bull over the opponents?

Kinda makes Bowser and especially Mallow almost useless late game since Bowser’s biggest strength is his bulk which is pointless when Peach on the Lazy Shell is both bulkier and makes her teammates constantly healthy, and Mallow’s greatest strength outside of healing is his magic attacks which Geno and Mario can outclass him in once they set up with Geno Boost thanks to Peach covering for them for a few turns. The only main reasons to use them are in scenarios where:

1. Magic does next to nothing against enemies so Bowser’s physical attacks are your best choice

2. The enemy has a specific element weakness that you’re trying to exploit with Mallow

3. You want to check what Magic immunities they have with Mallow so you don’t waste a bunch of FP on an attack that will do nothing

4. The Trio Attacks

Also worth noting in case anyone is curious is that Mallow can’t replace Peach as a Lazy Shell Armor abuser both because her healing skills are better and since the Lazy Shell nerfs his Magic Attack Stat, the healing he COULD do before is drastically reduced. He’s by far the worst recipient of the item.

I mean

I guess this USED to be the case in the original but in terms of the remake...

who else is gonna help you get all the Thought Peek entries like cmon now

elemental weaknesses are much more obvious and can make or break a fight now. for example, Mallow's Snowy completely destroys the Shoguns that you HAVE to fight in Land's End and that made that section way less excruciating than it normally is like holy shit

the triple moves make them all matter by default. like, the whole point, besides adding a new mechanic, was to make them feel more like a united team, rather than just three dudes and two bystanders

Also you sound like someone who hasn't played postgame yet, many of those mechs bypass the Lazy Shell completely and by god in heaven you're going to APPRECIATE that Mallow and Bowser are there when the rest of the team gets wiped LOL

if Geno heard you call Mallow useless he would deck you

If Bowser heard you call him useless he would cry and THEN deck you

you can also just. choose not to use the Lazy Shell LMFAO

[illumins]

𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞—𝑙. 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑘 (#⁰¹)

✦trope: angst, star wars

✦wordcount: 783

✧first pov

▬▭▬▭▬▭▬▭▬▭▬▭▬▭▬▭▬▭▬▭

In the gnarled caverns beneath the surface of Tarex IV, the stench of burnt ozone lingered, mingling with the mustier earthy aromas that seeped from the damp walls. Shadows played tricks, dancing across the uneven stone as if mocking our dire predicament. The low rumble of approaching enemy forces vibrated through the ground, a constant reminder of the impending threat. With my heart pounding like a trapped beast within my chest, I clutched my blaster, feeling its familiar, worn grip grounding me back to the moment.

Mark, with his tousled brown hair and eyes as deep and dark as the space between stars, stood beside me, a blue glow emanating from his ignited lightsaber. It cast an ethereal light over his features, painting him as a guardian of light in the encroaching darkness.

"They're coming, and they're coming in force," I whispered, peering down the narrow passage that led to our precarious position. The tunnel funneled into a choke point, ideal for a last stand but fatal if the numbers overwhelmed us.

"I know," Mark replied, his voice steady. "That’s why you need to go. Find the others, lead them to safety. I'll hold them off as long as I can."

I glanced down the corridor, noting the blinking lights of enemy droids as they prepared to round the corner. It was a suicide mission to hold them here, and we both knew it. "And what? Just leave you to die? That’s not happening, Mark."

Mark turned to face me, his expression resolute. "Either we both die here, or you give us a chance by getting help. You know it's the only way."

I felt a surge of frustration, fueled by fear and something deeper, something that had been simmering beneath the surface since our mission began. "I can't—"

"Listen to me," he cut in, gripping my shoulders with a firmness that forced me to meet his gaze. "You have to. For all of us."

The roar of the approaching enemy grew louder, a mechanical growl that echoed ominously through the tunnels. In that moment, Mark's presence felt like the only real thing in a world spinning out of control.

With a heavy heart, I turned away, my steps faltering as I moved towards the shadows that promised a stealthy retreat. But halfway down the tunnel, a rush of desperate courage seized me. I whipped around, striding back to Mark, and before I could second-guess my impulse, I pulled him towards me and pressed my lips to his.

Time seemed to stop; the distant clamor faded, and all that existed was the warmth of his lips on mine. Mark froze for a mere heartbeat before responding with equal fervor, his hands finding my waist, pulling me closer. When we finally broke apart, he whispered, "All in good," our private mantra that had begun as a joke but had come to mean so much more.

Then, with a gentle yet firm push, he stepped back, the resolve returning to his eyes. "Go. Now."

This time, I listened. Turning on my heel, I plunged into the shadows, each step away from him piercing my heart like shards of ice. I moved silently, using every trick I’d learned to blend into the dark, my eyes constantly darting back to where Mark made his stand.

Peeking from behind a column, I saw flashes of blue light clashing with the advancing red of blaster fire. Mark fought with the grace and ferocity of a tempest, his lightsaber a blur as he deflected oncoming shots.

Each glimpse of him was a snapshot of bravery, a bittersweet reminder of what I was leaving behind. But with each step, I pushed forward, driven by his last command, by the need to make his sacrifice mean something.

The tunnel eventually forked, and I took a path that spiraled upward, leading towards the surface and, hopefully, to our allies. The sounds of battle grew fainter, yet they still echoed in the hollows of my heart, a relentless drumbeat that spurred me on.

Emerging from the bowels of the cavern, I cast one last look behind me. The tunnel mouth yawned wide, a dark maw that had swallowed Mark whole. Yet, in its shadows, I could still see the flicker of blue—a defiant spark in the overwhelming darkness.

With a deep, shuddering breath, I turned away, the fate of the Jedi who’d captured my heart unknown. The mission had to continue, for him, for all of us. And as the night swallowed me whole, I ran, the echoes of our last kiss fueling my determination, the outcome of Mark’s battle hanging in the air like an unresolved chord, waiting for its final, tragic conclusion.

authors note: felt that I needed to add and say I was listening to this amazing piece while writing this.

[hxney-lemcn]

To Fight For What You Love — Luke Skywalker x gn! Bounty Hunter! reader Pt. 2

summary: After running with Leia to escape Hoth, reader tries to survive with Han and Leia. The Empire seems to have it out for the group. (Terrible summary, shhhhh)

tw: torture (that one scene of Han being tortured basically (but it happens to reader as well)), movie typical violence, injuries, Luke being hurt </3

a/n: This chapter is so long. My robotics competition postponed this chapter coming out, but not for too long!

wc: 11.2k

Master List

Part One | Part Two

Read it on ao3 here.

“So,” My friend Yilla spoke up with a mischievous smirk. “What’s up with you and Luke?” 

“Hold up,” My other friend, Banth said, looking at the two of us. “Is this the same Luke who saved us back on Yavin IV?”

I rolled my eyes, picking at my food. I managed to make some friends after the battle of Yavin. They were really nice and accepted me pretty quickly. It was nice since I wasn’t always able to hang out with Luke, Leia, or Han. And wherever Han was, Chewie was close by. Banth was one of the cooks, and Yilla helped with communications. Our other friend, Ren, was a mechanic who was busy fixing some ships at the moment. 

“Yeah,” Yilla replied excitedly. “I mean, they did save Princess Leia with Luke and Han, you know.”

“I mean, yeah,” Banth replied. “I guess I didn’t think about it.”

“There’s nothing to think about,” I said, shaking my head. “Luke and I are just good friends.”

“Right…” Yilla tried off. “That’s what they all say.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” I shrugged, finishing off my food.

“Hey (y/n)!” I heard my name be called. Looking up, Luke waved at me, approaching me and my friends. I heard them start snickering and I elbowed Yilla lightly with glare. 

“Hey Luke,” I replied, smiling over at him as he took a seat next to me. 

“Hello,” Luke greeted my friends, and they greeted him back. 

My friends knew about how I felt towards Luke. I didn’t want to say anything, but Yilla seemed to see right through me. I trusted them, Yilla and Banth were both really trustworthy. It didn’t help that my feelings for Luke have only been growing. He tries to hang out with me as much as he can and he’s just so kind. Not to mention the constant hugs are a nice perk. Leia even seemed to know…but Leia and Yilla were kind of close since Leia directly overlooked Yilla’s position. I know Yilla didn’t tell Leia, but if Leia had a suspicion and told Yilla…Maker, what was I getting into?

“How’s it goin?” I asked, Luke. Yilla and Banth starting their own conversation.

“Good,” Luke smiled, taking a bite of his food. “I’m on the next patrol.” 

My body involuntarily shivered at the thought of patrols. Devaron was a hot, humid planet. Then living on Tatooine, I was used to the heat. Devaronian’s were heat resistant, so it never really bothered me, but the cold? Whole different story. Hoth was ranked as one of my least favorite planets.

“Good luck with that,” I grumbled.

Luke bumped his shoulder into mine, and his smile seemed infectious, “You cold?” 

“Well, living on a planet that is the embodiment of ice…” I trailed off sarcastically. “It doesn’t help that my blood’s thinner than other species.” 

Taking off his scarf, Luke wrapped it around my neck and I felt my heart speed up. Maker, why does he have to be so pretty so close up? I wanted to hold his cheek and peck him on the lips. Gah! What’s wrong with me? That’s such a weird thing to think about a friend. 

“There,” Luke said once he was done, satisfied with his work. “Better than that thin scarf you have.”

I looked past his head, not able to make eye contact, covering my face with the scarf, “That scarf is just meant to block out sand. And besides, won’t you be cold now?”

“Nah, I’ll be fine,” Luke dismissed. “I’m sure I can always get another one.” 

“If you say so,” I sighed, nuzzling further into the warmth the scarf provided. I chanced a glance and met his stare, but he quickly looked down at his food. I looked over at Yilla who was staring with a shit eating grin, Banth smiling with her. I glared at them, feeling flustered at the insinuation their gazes gave. He was just being friendly…right? Yes…that’s all. Luke would’ve given his scarf to any other rebel, it was just a kind gesture. I’m overthinking it. 

An hour later, I stood at the gate, watching Luke prepare his Tauntaun. I kept my arms close to my body, the chilly wind flowing through the gate and somehow penetrating my jacket, scarf, and insulated clothing. 

“All right,” I heard Luke breath out, turning towards me. “Time for me to go.” “Be safe, Luke,” I said. Noticing that he didn’t get a new scarf, I took mine off and wrapped it around his neck this time. My eyes wandered to how cute his rosy cheeks contrasted with his blue eyes and pale skin. “If you start getting real cold, remember to turn around. No ifs, ands or buts, you hear me?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Luke grinned, rolling his eyes in amusement. “Just focus on not being a popsicle when I come back.” 

I swatted at his arm and pushed him towards the Tauntaun with a laugh, “Oh shut up.”

“You love me,” Luke teased back, walking the rest of the way to the giant animal.

“Who told you that?” I teased back with a raised eyebrow. “You should tell them to stop lying.”

Laughing at each other, I waved him off as he exited the base. I tried to bite back the lovesick smile that kept trying to shine through. 

“Why don’t you give me that kinda send off?” Han teased riding off after Luke. I shook my head as their silhouettes grew distant. 

That was hours ago. Han returned, said Luke went to check out a meteorite. My worry grew with each passing minute that Luke didn’t return. The longer he was out there, the higher chance that he’d die of hypothermia. 

“Leia,” I called out. “Let me go out, I swear I’ll be quick.”

“No,” Leia huffed, her gaze clearly holding frustration. “Han was the last one out with him, he would know best where to start looking.”

I bit my lip in worry, “But he’s not even answering you.”

“I just sent the droids to alert him,” Leia sighed, her gaze falling onto me. Putting a hand on my shoulder, she tried to comfort me, “Luke’s a strong fighter. Han will find him and everything will be alright.”

I wanted to argue back, spill all my worries out to her, but I bit my lip and nodded. I made my way towards the gate, my heart sinking along with the sun that slowly went down. We had to close the gates due to how cold the temperature dropped at night, and knowing that Luke was out there somewhere…I wanted to cry. Leia joined me, pacing back and forth.

“Did Han…” I trailed off, knowing that Han was a sensitive topic for her.

“Yes,” She replied shortly. 

I nodded, “I’m sure they’ll be back soon. I mean…there’s no way…” 

I frowned, watching snow fall just outside the gate. I wasn’t sure if I was trying to comfort Leia or myself at this point. Han now being in danger didn’t make me feel any better, but it also sparked a small glimmer of hope in me. 

“Sir,” I overheard a rebel member speak out. “All patrols are in. Still no-”

The officer hushed him, looking towards Leia and I. I crossed my arms and glared at them. I didn’t need to be coddled. I just wanted the truth. The rebel lowered his voice, but I didn’t need to hear him to know what he was going to say next. 

“Mistress Leia!” C3PO called out. “R2 says he’s been quite unable to pick up any signals, although he does admit that his own range is far too weak to abandon all hope.”

“Your highness,” The officer greeted Leia. “There’s nothing more we can do tonight. The shield doors must be closed.” Leia nodded, and the officer ordered for the doors to be closed. I felt my throat tighten at the prospect, eyes scanning the vastness of white that laid beyond the gate. 

“R2 says the chances of survival are 725 to 1,” C3PO piped up. I frowned as we watched the doors close, and Chewie let out a saddened howl. “Actually, R2 has been known to make mistakes…from time to time.”

I shook my head and walked off to my room. My eyes stung as my vision grew blurry. I will not cry. Everything will be fine. There is nothing to worry about. Han and Luke were both strong. They can survive almost anything…almost. When I sat on my bed I couldn’t hold my tears back. I can’t fool myself. Even R2 said the chances of them living through the night if they weren’t dead already were slim. I tried to keep my sobs quiet but failed as all the memories I made with the two started spinning in my head. 

It’s not fair. They didn’t deserve this. I pressed the palms of my hands to my eyes, trying to keep the tears back but they just kept coming. I laid back on my bed, the thought of the inevitable search party that’s going to be sent out tomorrow returning back with the bodies of my friends. Maker, why did I have to be so pessimistic? Or maybe I’m just being realistic. I suppose I won’t find out till tomorrow. I should try to sleep. I kept my jacket on, the rooms were more bearable but I still got cold easily. I lazily covered myself with my blanket and stared at the wall blankly.

I wasn’t getting any sleep tonight. 

The next morning I stood anxiously next to Leia in the communication room. A search party was sent as soon as they could. I knew I looked like a mess, but I frankly didn’t care. Yilla kept glancing at me from her station, but kept to herself. I suppose my dull eyes and disheveled hair would give away how I was feeling currently. One of the ships spoke through comms that they may have found a life force, but I wasn’t feeling too hopeful at the moment. 

“Echo base,” The same ship said through the comms. “This is Rogue Two. I’ve found them.” 

My eyes widened and I looked towards Leia who engulfed me in a hug. I felt tears brim my eyes once more as I clung onto Leia. I squeezed her jacket, trying to keep myself from crying. We rushed into the hangar, eagerly waiting for Rogue Two to return. Han came out, shouting for medics to come help. The pit in my stomach returned when I realized that it wasn’t over yet. Everyone rushed to help carry Luke to the medbay. Leia held me back from going into the room that held the bacta tank. 

“You’re not going to want to see him like that,” Leia spoke solemnly. “He’s safe now, you need to rest.” 

I stared at her exasperatedly, “B-but-”

She only shook her head, “I’ll get you when they take him out. Just try to get some sleep.”

I nodded and went to my room. Just the night before I laid in here, crying about their death. It felt daunting. But he’s okay now. I took a deep breath in and out, trying to calm myself. I didn’t realize how exhausted I was until now. I rested my eyes, and quickly fell into a dreamless sleep.

“-ake up,” I heard the familiar voice of Leia speak. I groaned, opening my eyes. I felt so groggy. “He’s up.”

I sat up quickly and looked at her. I threw the blanket off of me and ran to the medbay. There rested Luke C3PO and R2D2 already talking to him. His gaze fell onto me, and he gave me his familiar boyish grin. Maker, why do I have to be so emotional? I thought as tears brimmed my eyes once more. This time, I was able to hold them back thankfully. How embarrassing would it be to cry three times in such a short span of time? My eyes scanned over the healing cuts on his face and I frowned. I wasn’t sure what to say.

I walked closer to him and gently punched his arm, my eyebrows furrowed in slight anger.

“What was that for?” Luke asked with a frown.

“For-For not being safe,” My voice sounds scratchy. “I…I thought…” It felt like a frog was in my throat, and if I kept talking I would burst out into tears. Once again my vision was blurry and I fought back against tears. Luke seemed to notice and grabbed my hand gently, squeezing it.

“It’s okay,” Luke reassured. “I’m okay, Han’s okay.” 

I squeezed his hand back, holding it up to my face, trying to ground myself.

“I-I know,” I replied shakily. “Do you need anything? Water?”

I felt comforted under Luke’s gaze. It was so warm, loving, alive. He seemed to be contemplating what he wanted to say, but I didn’t mind. It just meant I could be under his gaze for a bit longer. 

“Some water sounds good,” He agreed. I nodded, brushing my thumb over the back of his hand before letting go. 

My heart felt lighter as I walked through the hallway. I smiled at Leia as she entered the room. 

“Thank you, Han,” I said with a grateful grin. “I’m glad you managed to both get out safe.”

“For a guy like me it was no problem,” Han boasted. 

“Yeah yeah,” I rolled my eyes. “Take it easy now, you deserve a break.”

I waved at Han and Chewie as they went into the medbay as well. I grabbed a bottle of water and Banth called out to me.

“Hey!” He exclaimed with a smile. “I thought you’d be by Luke’s side 24/7 right now.”

“Oh hush,” I waved him off. “I’m just getting him some water. Besides, Han and Leia are keeping him company right now.”

“I’m glad it all turned out well,” Banth nodded. “Yilla told me about…”

I sighed, “Yeah, I’d rather not talk about it.”

We said our goodbye and I made my way back to where Luke was. Nothing could bring my mood down right now. Well…I suppose walking in on Leia kissing Luke dampened my spirits a bit. She stormed out right after.

“Take it easy,” Han said sarcastically, walking out as well, the others following.

Our eyes locked and I tried to keep myself seeming neutral, but his grin quickly faded into a look of…fear? I’m not sure why.

“I’m…sorry,” I said awkwardly, fidgeting with the water bottle. “Did…I interrupt something?”

“I-no,” Luke stuttered, a desperate look on his face. “I-She-”

Tilting my head, I looked at him confused, “You don’t have to explain anything, Luke.” I gave him an awkward smile and handed him the water bottle. “It’s none of my business,” I shrugged, trying to act normal. “Now drink your water, don’t need you getting dehydrated now.” 

Luke opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but frowned instead and drank from the bottle. It felt awkward, something I never really felt around Luke. I didn’t like it. I wanted to get out of this situation, but I didn’t want to seem rude either. It’s so weird how just minutes ago I was relieved that he was alive, and now I’m feeling selfish because of my own damn feelings. 

“Feeling better?” I asked once he finished drinking the water.

When he looked at me, I felt so confused as to why his eyes looked so…lost. I understand why I’d feel disheartened catching my two friends kissing (one of them being my crush). But Luke? Didn’t he like Leia? He even gave Han a smug look before realizing I was there. 

“(Y/n), I don’t like Leia-” Luke was cut off as an officer rushed in.

“Sorry to interrupt,” They apologized. “But we are starting to evacuate. The princess wanted me to tell you that if you want to stay with the rebellion, she has prepared you to leave with the transport ships, (l/n).”

“So Han really is leaving, huh,” I mumbled to myself. “Thank you, I’ll go get ready.”

The officer nodded before leaving, and I turned towards Luke who was already standing up, “You sure you’re in good enough-”

I was cut off as Luke hugged me, pulling me close to himself. I slowly hugged him back. It felt bittersweet, but I decided to enjoy hugging my friend before we possibly go into battle.

“Good luck,” I murmured. “You’re gonna need it.”

Luke chuckled and pulled away, “Is that any way you talk to your…” He trailed off, his smile wavering a bit. “…friend before they go into battle?” 

“Only you,” I smiled innocently. “Think of it as special treatment.”

“We should get going now,” I commented as a person ran down the hallway. 

“Right,” Luke nodded. I waved at him.  I ran out to the hangar, stopping by the Mellenium falcon. 

“Hey Chewie,” I greeted. He let out a growl and surprised me with a hug. I hugged him back. Maker I’m going to miss these two. “You keep Han out of trouble, okay? Well, at least as much trouble as you can.” Chewie groaned sadly and I pulled away. Walking backwards, I looked up at the top of the Millennium Falcon, trying to spot Han. His head poked over the side and I waved up at him.

“You take care of yourself, ya hear?” I called up with a smile. 

“That’s what I do best, isn’t it?” He replied back. I rolled my eyes in amusement. “Keep an eye out on those two though, wouldja?” 

“What else am I gonna do?” I teased waving goodbye and joined the group of pilots that crowded around Leia. 

“All troop carriers will assemble at the North Entrance,” Leia ordered. “The heavy transport ships will leave as soon as they’re loaded. Only two fighter escorts per ship. The energy shield can only be opened for a short time, so you’ll have to stay very close to your transports.”

“Two fighters against a star destroyer?” A pilot asked. 

“An ion cannon will fire several shots to make sure that any enemy ships will be out of your flight path,” Leia explained. “When you’ve gotten past the energy shield, proceed directly to the rendezvous point. Understood?” They all agreed and dispersed. 

“Come with me,” Leia ordered me and I followed her into the communication room. I watched beside Leia at how we were doing. 

The first transport made it, and we all seemed to be in good spirits. That fell once the base started shaking, a fighter ship explaining that there were three walkers. I tried to bite my smile back as I heard Luke give out orders. I ignored the way Leia glanced at me, her eyes twinkling in mischief. Her gaze quickly grew serious once we heard about the casualties. I fidgeted a bit, the tables quickly turning.

“I don’t think we can protect two transports at a time,” The communications officer reported. 

“It’s risky, but we can’t hold on much longer,” Leia replied. The base shook once more, and C3PO held onto my shoulder for support. When did he get here? “We have no choice.”

“Launch patrol,” The officer ordered. 

“Evacuate the remaining ground staff,” Leia ordered another commander. We watched him leave and Leia turned towards me, “That means you too.”

I frowned, eyebrows furrowing, “No way, I’m leaving when you’re leaving.” 

Leia sighed but nodded, turning back towards the computers. Soon, it was just Leia, C3PO and a few communicators. The base shook more than ever, Leia and I holding onto each other as the structures around us crumbled. 

“You okay?” She asked, looking me over for any injuries.

“Yeah,” I replied breathlessly. “You?”

“As good as I can be,” She murmured, turning around and checking the monitor in front of us. Luckily, it still seemed to be in good shape. Leia continued monitoring the situation, and I was getting a little antsy.

“Shouldn’t we-” I was cut off by Han.

“You alright?” He asked, alerting us of his presence. 

“Why are you still here?” Leia asked, not happy seeing him. 

“Heard the command center had been hit,” Han replied, raising an eyebrow at me. 

“You’ve got your clearance to leave,” Leia replied, not even looking at him. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll leave,” Han said snarkily. “First I’m going to get you to your ship.” Han climbed over the rubble to us.

“Your highness, we must take this last transport,” C3PO cried. “It’s our only hope!”

Leia walked away from Han just as he got to us, “Send all troops in sector 12 to the south slope to protect the fighters.”

The center sparked up once more as the base shook, and I crouched down to keep myself steady. 

“Imperial troops have entered the base. Imperial troops have entered the base,” Someone reported through comms. I looked towards Han and Leia in fear. We needed to leave, now.

“Come on, that’s it,” Han said, grabbing Leia’s arm. 

“Give the evacuation code signal,” Leia finally ordered. “And get to your transports!” I followed behind the two, not exactly liking the way Han led Leia. 

“Wait for me!” I heard C3PO shout behind me. I glanced back, seeing that he was keeping up on his own. Once we got into a hallway, we began running towards the last transport. I kept my eye out, hoping to not run into any enemies. The path in front of us collapsed, nearly hitting Leia. I panted, out of breath, just glad to see that Han was protecting Leia. I helped her stand up as Han looked towards the now dead end. 

“Transport, this is Solo,” Han spoke into his comm. “Better take off. I can’t get to you. I’ll get them out on the Falcon. Come on.” I glanced at Leia who didn’t look pleased in the slightest. We passed by C3PO, but we didn’t have time to dwadle. 

Finally reaching the entrance to the hangar we ran in. I smiled a bit as I noticed Han pause for C3PO to enter. Chewie waved us over and we ran as fast as we could. 

“Hurry up, goldenrod!” Han shouted behind him. “You’re gonna be a permanent resident!”

Chewie, Han and Leia got on first. I stayed by the door to the ramp, and lifted it once I saw C3PO enter. My heart hammered as I heard the engine stall, and I quickly followed after C3PO who was calling out to Han. Han did not seem too happy and ran to the cockpit.

“This bucket of bolts is never gonna get us past that blockade,” Leia snapped. I couldn’t help but agree. 

“This baby’s got a few surprises left in her, sweetheart,” Han dismissed. “(Y/n), go man the blaster.”

“Right,” I nodded, running to the ladder and getting ready as quickly as I could. I did a scan of the perimeter and fired at the troopers that entered. Turning a bit, I noticed a group of troopers trying to set up a gatling blaster. I quickly shot at them and the ship started flying out. 

“What’s going on?” I asked as I watched us get approached by a star destroyer. 

“Just keep your eyes out for tie fighters,” Han replied back, clearly under stress. 

“Copy,” I replied, spinning the blaster around. Four tie fighters started shooting at us, and I shot back. 

“Star destroyers, two of ‘em comin right at us,” Han alerted me as the ship continued to shake. 

My shooting became more erratic as I started to panic. I managed to shoot a tie fighter down. My stomach dropped along with the ship as we suddenly plummeted. I reclaimed my gun, shooting when they came into range. The ship kept spinning around and I felt myself get queasy. There was no way I could shoot anything like this!

“Keep shooting!” I heard Han shout to me in the hallway. 

“What’s going on?” I asked through comms. 

“The damn ship is a hunk of junk, that’s what,” Leia replied. 

I shook my head, getting another tie fighter shot down. Suddenly, the trigger didn’t work and I couldn’t do anything anymore. 

“Shit,” I muttered. Not being able to help here anymore, I went back into the cockpit. 

“What the…” Leia murmured and my gaze fell onto the asteroids coming towards us. “Han, get up here!”

“Oh, no,” Han muttered, taking a seat. Leia got up so Chewie could take her spot. “Chewie, set two-seven-one.” 

“What are you doing?” I asked, looking towards Han.

“You’re not actually going into an asteroid field?” Leia asked incredulously. 

“They’d be crazy to follow us, wouldn’t they?” Han asked like it was that simple. I shook my head. This was all stupid. 

“You don’t have to do this to impress me,” Leia replied. 

“Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1,” C3PO cried out. 

“Never tell me the odds,” Han shouted back. 

“It was nice knowing ya,” I groaned out. Leia glanced at me and rolled her eyes. Han flew between the asteroids, a tie fighter exploding in front of us. The explosion caused the ship to shake and I held onto the chair Leia fell into. 

“You said you wanted to be around when I made a mistake. This could be it, sweetheart,” Han said snarkily to Leia. What the hell was going on with them? 

“I take it back,” Leia replied back. “We’re going to get pulverized if we stay out here much longer.”

“Ain’t gonna argue that,” Han muttered. “I’m going in closer to one of the big ones.”

I frowned, I think I knew what he was planning, but I didn’t like it. Leia and 3PO questioned Han. I steadily held onto the chair as Han flew us into a crater, and maneuvered us through a small crevice. The last tie fighter ran into the wall.

“Where are we going?” I asked, Han entering a hole that went towards the core of the asteroid. 

“I hope you know what you're doing,” Leia muttered. 

“Yeah, me too,” Han replied back, not reassuring in the slightest. Landing somewhat deep in the cavern, Han parked the ship. “I’m gonna shut down everything but the emergency power systems.”

“Sir, I’m almost afraid to ask,” C3PO spoke up. “But does that include shutting me down too?”

“No,” Han replied. “I need you to talk to the Falcon. Find out what’s wrong with the hyperdrive.”

The ship started rocking back and forth. Maker, we really couldn’t catch a break. 

“Sir, it’s quite possible this asteroid is not entirely stable,” C3PO piped up again. 

“Not entirely stable?” Han asked sarcastically. “Well I’m glad you’re here to tell us things. Chewie, take the professor in the back and plug him into the hyperdrive. (Y/n), why don’t you go help out Chewie.”

“I only know the basics-” Han cut me off.

“You got the damn droid to yap your ear off,” Han dismissed. I sighed and took my leave. The ship rocked again, and I held onto the wall to not fall. I watched as Chewie pulled himself up.

“Need help up there?” I called up. Chewie only growled in a tone I learned meant no. Hesitantly, I looked over to C3PO, “Is there anything I can help fix?”

“There is quite a lot that needs to be fixed on this ship,” He started to ramble. 

“Anything to do with wiring?” I asked. “I’ve got a little knowledge in that.”

“Over there is a panel that got blasted,” C3PO said, pointing down a hallway. 

I nodded and quickly found the panel. Wires of many colors hung out. All I have to do is make sure to match the colors right? Make sure not to touch the live wire to the ground one, and cover the wires with tape since that’s the best I can do at the moment. I got to work, time passing by quickly as I focused on the task at hand. 

Once I finished that, I went to see if anything similar needed to be done. Not being able to find anything, I made my way to the cockpit. I noticed that Leia sat in one of the chairs, seeming distressed. 

“Something wrong?” I asked, sitting next to her. 

She looked at me surprised before shaking her head, “Besides the situation we’re in? Well…no.” I didn’t believe her, seeing as she didn’t make eye contact with me. 

“I won’t judge,” I replied back. “I won’t tell anyone either. Sometimes it’s nice to get things off your chest.”

She frowned and looked at me, “I’m sorry I kissed Luke.” My eyebrows raised, it felt like that happened so long ago. “Han has been pushing at my buttons for so long. Keeps trying to get me to admit my feelings for him. In all my frustration I wanted to prove him wrong…”

“It’s okay Leia,” I consoled. “It’s not exactly my position to forgive, since it was Luke you kissed and not me.”

“But I did it with the knowledge of your feelings towards him,” She countered. 

I felt myself flush, it made me feel so vulnerable to admit these feelings I held, “It’s not like we’re a thing. Besides, if anything, I’m more concerned about Han and you,” I changed the subject. “If he’s being too pushy just tell me, I’ll have a little talk with him.”

“We kissed,” Leia blurted out, looking out towards the windshield. 

“What!” I exclaimed, but Leia’s attention was drawn to something outside. 

I followed her gaze, wondering what was more important than what she just confessed. Only for a creature to cling to the windshield, causing Leia to fall backward and scream. I followed Leia into the main corridor.

“There’s something out there,” Leia alerted Han. 

“Where?” Han asked, removing his welding goggles. 

“Outside?” I said, not sure where else it could be. Suddenly, something sounded from above us. 

“I’m going outside,” Han muttered, grabbing an oxygen mask. 

“Are you crazy?” Leia asked. 

“I just got this bucket back together,” Han replied back. “I’m not going to let something tear it apart.” 

“Then I’m going with you,” Leia fought back. 

“(Y/n), stay back and be ready to start the ship,” Han ordered.

I scoffed, “Why me?”

“Because princess over here won’t,” Han waved me off. I just shook my head as I went to the cockpit, taking a seat in the pilot seat. I rocked back and forth in the chair, looking over the controls. It’s gotta be similar to my old ship, right? I could pilot small ships, but I’ve never done one this big before. C3PO joined me not too long after. I heard a blaster go off, but not much else. I let out a startled scream as a creature flew past the windshield. C3PO also shouting out. The ship started rocking and I held onto the panel, trying to keep myself steady. 

The rocking kept getting worse and Han shouted, “Turn on the ship!” I flipped the switches that I thought was correct, and the ship’s light turned on. Chewie entered and I stood up, letting him take over. I sat down behind Chewie and strapped myself in. 

“You can’t make the jump to light speed in this astrofield,” Leia shouted, joining us. 

“Sit down sweetheart,” Han replied. “We’re taking off.”

“Look!” 3PO shouted.

“I see it,” Han dismissed. The opening of the so-called cave started closing. 

“The cave is collapsing,” Leia gasped.

“This isn’t a cave,” I replied, horrified. I can’t believe we were just sitting inside a beast this entire time. We barely managed to squeeze through the teeth, the worm-like creature trying to eat us after we left. We flew off of the asteroid and they prepared to make the launch to lightspeed. Hitting the switch…nothing happened. I groaned, Chewie also complaining.

“It’s not fair,” Han complained. “Transfer circuits aren’t working. It’s not my fault.”

“No lightspeed?” Leia mocked. 

“It’s not my fault,” Han mumbled. The ship already under fire. 

“Sir, we’ve just lost the main rear deflector shield,” 3PO reported. “One more direct hit on the back quarter and we’re done for.” 

“Turn her around,” Han pointed at Chewie. “I’m gonna put all power in the front shield.” 

“You're going to attack them?” Leia asked astounded. 

“Sir, the odds of surviving a direct assault on an imperial-” I cut C3PO off. 

“No more odds!” I exclaimed, not liking the pressure I felt already. 

Turning the ship around, they flew over the star destroyer and parked on the ship on one of their blind spots. 

“No fucking way,” I mumbled, slouching in my chair. 

“Captain Solo, this time you’ve gone too far,” C3PO scolded. Chewie growled at him. “No, I will not be quiet. Why doesn’t anyone listen to me?”

“The fleet’s beginning to break up,” Han pointed out. “Go back and stand by the manual release for the landing claw.” Chewie agreed and left. 

“I really don’t see how that’s going to help,” C3PO said. “Surrender is a perfectly acceptable alternative in extreme situations. The Empire may be gracious enough-” Leia shut him off and I felt relieved.  

“Thank you,” I relented. 

“What’s your next move?” Leia asked. 

“If they follow standard imperial procedure,” Han explained. “They’ll dump their garbage before they go to lightspeed and then we just float away.” 

“With the rest of the garbage,” Leia nodded mockingly. 

“Then we got to find a safe port around here,” Han said. “Any ideas?”

“Where are we?” I asked.

“The Anot system,” Han replied. 

“There’s not much here,” Leia shook her head. 

“No,” Han agreed. “Well, wait. This is interesting. Lando!”

“Lando?” I asked, confused at what he meant. 

“Lando Calrissian,” Han clarified. “He’s a card player, gambler, scoundrel. You’ll like him.” The last part being directed at Leia. I sent her a questionable glance and she just shook her head. “Bespin. It’s pretty far, but I think we can make it.”

I looked at the montier, reading the information, “A mining colony?”

“Yeah, a tibanna gas mine,” Han replied. “Lando conned somebody out of it. We go back a long way, Lando and me.”

“That doesn’t seem reassuring,” I mumbled. 

“Can you trust him?” Leia asked. 

“No,” Han reckoned. “But he’s got no love for the Empire, I can tell you that.” The ship started moving, “Here we go Chewie, stand by…detach!” The ship drifted along with the other trash.

“You do have your moments,” Leia praised. “Not many of them, but you do have them.” She leaned up and kissed his cheek. I met her gaze and she looked off. We flew off and I decided to take a nap. 

The feeling of the ship shaking woke me, and I hurried off to the cockpit. 

“What’s going on?” I asked, stumbling a bit due to my grogginess. The sunrise was breathtaking as it illuminated the floating civilization. 

“We reached Bespin,” Leia told me. Being able to land, we all exited the ship. 

“Oh, no one to meet us,” C3PO remarked. 

“I don’t like this,” Leia shook her head. 

“Well, what would you like?” Han mocked. 

“They did let us land,” I shrugged. 

“Look, don’t worry,” Han tried to console. “Everything’s going to be fine. Trust me.” The door opened and my hand went to my blaster on reflex, but Han put a hand on my shoulder, patted it and looked between me and Chewie, “You two keep an eye out, okay?” I nodded, and Han went to greet this so-called Lando.

“Why you slimy, double-crossing, no-good swindler,” Lando ridiculed. “You got a lot of guts coming here after what you pulled.” And I wondered why Han thought of him as a friend. Han pointed to himself, and I kept a hand over my blaster. I kept having to brush my hair back, the wind blowing it out of place. Lando lunged towards Han, causing him to flinch back, but pulled him in for a hug laughing. I kept my eyes out, feeling a little more relieved but not entirely so.

“How you doin’, you old pirate?” Lando asked with a grin. “So good to see you!” 

“Well, he seems very friendly,” C3PO spoke up. I kept silent, watching as the guards went back inside, and approached Han and Lando.

“What are you doing here?” Lando asked. 

“Ah, repairs,” Han replied, pointing to the Millennium Falcon. “I thought you could help me out.”

“What have you done to my ship,” Lando asked in a serious tone.

“Your ship?” Han mocked. “Hey, remember, you lost her to me fair and square.” I pursed my lips. Of course. Of course Han would call the man who lost his ship in a gamble his friend. 

“And how you doin’ Chewbacca?” Lando asked over Han’s shoulder. Chewie growled in response. “You still hanging around with this loser?” Chewie stood beside me, gowling once more. Leia stepped on my other side, giving Lando a suspicious glance. “Hello,” Lando mused. “What have we here? Welcome, I’m Lando Carissian. I’m the administrator of this facility. And who might you be?” 

I held back from rolling my eyes. I suppose I shouldn’t have expected anything less from someone who Han called a friend. 

“Leia,” She replied with a forced grin.

Grabbing her hand, Lando kissed the back of it, “Well Miss Leia.”

I bit back a laugh as Han tried to wedge himself between the two, “All right, all right you old smoothie.” Han grabbed her hand instead and walked forward. Landos gaze fell onto me and C3PO.

“And you?” He asked with a sly grin.

“I’m (y/n),” I greeted with a nod. Chewie bumped my arm with his. Wrapping my arm around his, I leaned against him and followed. I don’t know why but I just wanted to be close to somebody. Probably my anxiety. Thankfully Chewie didn’t seem to mind. 

“Hello sir,” I heard C3PO start to rattle from behind us. “I am C3PO, human cyborg relations. My facilities are at your-”

Lando passed by Chewie and I, his stare clearly on Leia. Poor woman can’t catch a break. 

“What’s wrong with the Falcon?” Lando asked.

“Hyperdrive,” Han responded. 

“I’ll get my people to work on her,” Lando smiled. “That ship saved my life quite a few times. She’s the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy.” 

“How’s the gas mine?” Han asked, making small talk. “Still paying off for you?”

I tuned them out, taking in my surroundings. We walked down white stairs and corridors. It was a nice looking place. I fiddled with Chewie’s fur, making sure I was gentle. After a few seconds, I realized I couldn’t hear C3PO following us anymore. Looking behind me, I searched for the golden droid but couldn’t find him. Tugging on Chewie’s arm to gain his attention, he growled softly looking down at me.

“C3PO,” I whispered, pointing behind us. We turned around and walked back the path a bit. A door closed, but I didn’t pay it much mind, looking down the hallway instead. Chewie let out a growl and I agreed, not wanting to get lost. We quickly caught up with Han and Leia. 

“You two must be hot,” Lando said, looking towards Leia and I. “With all that winter gear I’m surprised you aren’t melting.” I decided to not sound annoying by explaining my heat resistance, and nodded with Leia. “Well don’t worry, I’ve already got my people getting outfits ready, here are the rooms. Once your finished, walk up the stairs at the end of the hall to the waiting room”

“Thank you,” Leia and I thanked. 

“C’mon Chewie,” Han said with a grin. “Let’s make sure no one breaks the ship.”

“Uhm,” I tried to speak up, gaining all of their attention. “We lost C3PO along the way. Uh…just so everyone knows.”

Lando nodded, “Thanks for bringing it up, I’ll tell everyone to keep an eye out.” I nodded, rushing into the room I was given. The room wasn’t too big, a folding screen sat in the middle, clothes thrown over the top. I discarded the insulated clothes I was currently wearing and adorned the new ones I was given. A light beige top with a dark brown jacket, dark brown pants to match. It was a bit comforting because it reminded me of my old Tatooine outfit. 

Opening the door, I peaked out first. I glanced towards Leia’s room. Should I knock? What if she was already in the waiting room? I kept debating what to do, but my question was eventually answered when she exited. Her outfit contrasted mine, and I found that fact neat. I exited as well and caught up with her.

“How are you feeling?” I asked as we walked up the stairs. 

“I’m not sure how to feel,” Leia sighed. 

“I like your hair,” I complimented. “Sorry, off topic.”

She smiled softly, “It’s okay, and thank you. How are you feeling?”

“Honestly?” I asked, taking a seat on one of the blindingly white couches. “I guess I haven’t had much time to think about it. On one hand, I’m starting to get a bad feeling about this place, it just seems too good to be true, not to mention C3PO. On the other hand, well…I guess I’m kind of worried about Luke. Did he make it with the other rebel members? Is he worried about us? Who's going to watch over him?”

Leia sat next to me, a soft look on her face, “You should tell him how you feel when you see him next. You never know when it might be your last chance.”

I groaned, “I know. It’s just so…scary. I’ve never felt this strongly towards someone before, and I’ve never had time for relationships before.”

Grabbing my hand, she held it gently in her own, “New situations are always going to be scary, but I can tell that Luke cares about you too. More than you think.”

I nodded, “Well what’s going on between you and Han? There’s something obviously going on…”

Leia only rolled her eyes, a small smile on her lips, “Don’t even get me started on that.”

I laughed with her. A comfortable silence fell over us. Glancing up at the windows that surrounded us, I admired the blue sky. Such a better contrast to the constant gray I’ve only seen on Hoth. She let go of my hand and stood up, pacing the room. We turned to Han as he entered the room, informing us that the ship was almost completely fixed. 

“The sooner the better,” Leia remarked. “Something is wrong here. No one has seen or knows anything about C3PO. He’s been gone too long to have gotten lost.” 

Han gently placed his hands on her shoulders and kissed her forehead, “Relax. I’ll talk to Lando and see what I can find out.”

“I don’t trust Lando,” I spoke up, both of them turning to me. I shrunk slightly, feeling somewhat awkward at ruining their moment. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. 

“I don’t trust him either,” Han replied back. “But he is my friend. Besides, we’ll soon be gone.”

“Then you’re as good as gone, aren’t you?” Leia asked softly. They stared into each other's eyes and I decided to turn my attention elsewhere. 

The sound of Chewbacca growling immediately caught my attention as he entered the room with C3PO’s parts. “What happened?” I asked, standing up to help him. 

“Where?” Han asked, and Chewie growled some more. “Found him in a junk pile?” I frowned, this wasn’t good. Something really was going on. 

“Oh, what a mess,” Leia commented. “Chewie, you think you can repair him?” Chewie growled, in what I’m assuming is either a maybe or yes. 

“Lando’s got people that can fix him,” Han stated. Leia and I looked back at him, not believing that he just said that.

“Yeah I think that’s gonna be a no,” I frowned. 

“I’m sorry, am I interrupting something?” Lando asked once entering. I bit back my sarcastic retort, not trusting Lando even a lick anymore. 

“Not really,” Leia replied instead. 

Lando smiled at her, and I didn’t like the look in his eyes, “You look absolutely beautiful. You truly belong here with us among the clouds.”

“Thank you,” Leia spoke politely.

“Would you join me for a refreshment?” He asked, and I quickly made my way to Leia’s side, trying to soften my glare. He looked at me and I could tell he tried to be more inviting, “Everyone’s invited of course.” Han held out his arm for Leia, her grabbing onto it. Lando seemed to finally notice C3PO and asked, “Having trouble with your droid?”

“No, no problem, why?” Han dismissed, and led Leia away before I could say anything. Maker did I want to say something. Lando took one last glance at C3PO before following after the other two, Chewie waited for me to join him and held up the rear of the group. 

“I want to leave,” I grumbled to Chewie. “I have a bad feeling about all of this.”

Chewie grumbled softly in reply. Lando kept talking about the Empire, and it made me feel even more uneasy. When he mentioned that he made a deal that would keep the Empire out I felt like the pin hit the ground. Before I could say anything, Lando opened the doors to a room with Darth Vader sitting at a dining table. I took a step back out of instinct, immediately lifting my blaster up. Han and I shot out at Vader, him deflecting it like it was nothing. 

Using the force, Vader grabbed our blasters, “We would be honored if you would join us.” Boba Fett walked out from his hiding spot and stood slightly behind Vader. I glared at them, scanning around me for a means of escape, only for stormtroopers to rush in behind us. 

“I had no choice,” Lando said remorsefully. “They arrived just before you did. I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too,” Han replied, glancing at Leia. We entered the room, Darth Vader taking a seat once more. 

Quickly, he dismissed Chewbacca, and stormtroopers escorted him out of the room. Not without him making a fuss. Not long after that, we were all separated. I was taken into a room and strapped to a chair. I was laying for what felt like forever, and I tried to hide my fear once I heard the door open. I clenched my fists, not wanting to see who entered. If I can’t see them, they can’t see me…right? No, of course that was a childish thought. I could hear the infamous heavy breathing of the sith lord. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see what was going to happen. 

Slowly, I felt the chair move and I peaked an eye open to see a strange machine I’ve never seen before. Suddenly, an all encompassing pain shot throughout my entire body and I couldn’t stop the scream that ripped from my lungs. The tears from my eyes seemed to evaporate as the feeling of electricity flowing through my body seemed to get worse. 

My entire body slumped against the restraints once it stopped. My body continued to tingle and my throat felt scratchy due to my screaming. My tears slowly faded. Unstrapping my body, the two stormtroopers that were supervising me grabbed me by my arms and dragged me to a room. I never felt so relieved to see Chewie than at this moment. He stood up and came to my side when the stormtroopers tossed me down and left. I looked up and noticed that Han was laid out on a metal slab, C3PO a little farther with his head on backwards. 

“You’ve looked better,” Han spoke up, his head aimed towards me. I just grumbled under my breath, Chewie picking me up and holding me. I focused on clenching and unclenching my muscles, trying to get them to relax. Leia came rushing in and went straight towards Han. Chewie and I tried to give them their moment, and he growled softly at me.

“I’ll be fine,” I whispered. “I’m gonna be real sore after that though.” He growled sadly in response and suddenly the doors opened. 

“Lando,” Leia scoffed. 

Chewie roared at him, holding me closer to himself. Lando stared at him, before his gaze fell onto me and his stare held remorse.

“Get out of here, Lando,” Han ordered. 

“Shut up and listen,” Lando commanded. I just stared at him lazily. “Vader has agreed to turn Leia, (y/n), and Chewie over to me. They’ll have to stay here, but they’ll be safe.”

“What about Han?” Leia asked. I already knew this. There’s a reason why Boba Fett’s here. I’m just surprised that Jabba hasn’t asked for my head too, but I suppose he only really cared about Han. 

“Vader’s given him to the bounty hunter,” Lando confirmed. 

“Vader wants us all dead,” Leia argued. 

“He doesn’t want you at all!” Lando exclaimed. “He’s after somebody called Skywalker.”

I felt my heart drop. No, no, no, no this can’t be happening. We are currently baits for a trap? For Luke? Someone’s gotta warn him, tell him to get as far as he can. 

“Not Luke,” I mumbled, patting Chewie’s arm for him to set me down. I swayed a bit, holding on to Chewie for support before getting my full footing. “We gotta warn him.”

“Vader set a trap for him,” Lando explained. 

“And we’re the bait!” Leia shouted. 

“He’s on his way,” Lando informed. 

“You fixed us all real good, didn’t you?” Han asked, slowly getting up and walking towards Lando. “My friend.” Han landed a strong punch, making Lando fall backwards. Han fell forward, getting hit by a guard, only for Lando to stop them. I went to move forward, but a guard held a blaster to Chewie and I. 

“I’ve done all I can,” Lando remarked. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do better but I’ve got my own problems.”

“Yeah,” Han mocked. “You’re a real hero.”

Lando stormed out and we all tried to help Han up, but I stumbled a bit. Everything was sore and my legs felt like jelly. Han waved them off, clearly still in pain.

“You certainly have a way with people,” Leia said softly. 

I took a seat as they put Han back on the metal slab. Leaning against the wall wasn’t comfortable, but it’ll do. I closed my eyes and tried to get as much rest as I could. So many thoughts flying around in my head. Han is going to be shipped back to Jabba, who knows what Jabba will do to him. Apparently the rest of us are supposed to stay on this forsaken planet, and Luke…Oh Luke. Why does he have to get dragged into this? How does he even know we’re here? I suppose Jedi intuition? So that’s why Vader hurt Han and I? I just wish I could communicate with Luke somehow.

And once again, why didn’t Jabba want me? Did they think I was dead? Did they think Han killed me? Is that for better or worse? I hope my parents aren’t too worried. Who am I kidding, they’re probably devastated. They probably think I was killed for some ridiculous rebellion, or worse, doing a job for Jabba. I hope dad hasn’t done anything to get himself killed. I wish I could see them. Maker, I’m sounding like a child. 

I lifted my head, alerted by the sound of the door. In came Boba Fett with a few stormtroopers behind him. I glared as he ordered us up and to follow him. First it was Han, Leia, and then me and Chewie (who had C3PO on his back). They put some weird restraints on Han, making Chewie growl, but they didn’t flinch. They led us into a dim room, only being lit with orange lights. We were put next to Lando as Darth Vader came into the room. 

“What’s going on? Buddy.” Han asked Lando.

“You’re being put into carbon freeze,” Lando whispered back. 

I zoned out, realizing just what was going to happen. Why the hell would they do that? Just what does Vader want? I was snapped out of my thoughts when Vader ordered them to put Han in. Chewie started yelling, fighting anyone he could. Han stopped him.

“Hey! Hey! Listen to me Chewie,” Han shouted. “This won’t help me. Save your strength. There will be another time. The princess, (y/n), you gotta take care of them.”  The troopers had put binders on Chewie, Leia and I approached him as he slowly calmed down. “Do you hear me, huh?” Han asked. Chewie only growled back sadly. I turned to hug Chewie, as Han and Leia shared a kiss. Stormtroopers separated the two lovers, pushing Han into position.

“I love you,” Leia finally confessed. I'm just sad it had to be in this situation. 

 “I know,” Han replied. He was then slowly lowered, Chewie’s cried out once more. I buried my face in Chewie’s arm, not able to watch Han’s possible death. The sounds of machines whirring and Vader’s breathing is all I could hear. I jumped at the sound of metal thunking, and peeking out to see Han’s body frozen in pain, encased in carbon. I glanced over at Leia who was also holding onto Chewie, pain shown clearly in her gaze. I walked over to her and held her to me, Chewie also turning to embrace her better.

“Oh, they’ve encased him in carbonite,” C3PO said, now getting a view of what was happening. “He should be quite well protected, if he survived the freezing process that is.”

“Well, Calrissian,” Vader spoke up finally. “Did he survive?”

“Yes, he’s alive,” Lando reported. “And in perfect hibernation.” I felt a bit better at that, but not much. 

“He’s all yours, bounty hunter,” Vader said. “Prepare the chamber for Skywalker.” I stared at Vader in horror. Of course this was just a test. I didn’t know how to feel, first Han, and now Luke…

“Skywalker just landed, lord,” A captain reported. Leia and I looked at each other in fear. 

“Good,” Vader said. “See to it that he finds his way here.” Vader walked closer to Han’s body, Lando walked towards us and grabbed Leia’s arm. Chewie and I pulled her closer to us and she yanked her arm from him with a glare. “Calrissian, take the princess, the Devaronian, and Wookie to my ship.”

“You said they’d be left in the city under my supervision,” Lando argued. 

“I am altering the deal,” Vader replied back. “Pray I don’t alter it any further.”

Leia’s eyes never seemed to leave Han, and I rubbed her shoulder, trying to comfort her in any way I could. Lando kept looking at us with guilt, but I found it hard to sympathize with him. He started to lead us, stormtroopers guarding us as we started to make our way through the halls. The sounds of blaster fire broke me out of my stupor and I tried to look, Leia seeming to have the same idea. A stormtrooper shoved her forward, but I knew that there was only one person that could be.

“Luke!” I shouted. “Run! Get out of-” I was interrupted by the closest stormtrooper hitting my side with their blaster. I grunted out in pain, and Leia quickly caught me before I fell. 

“Keep moving,” The stormtrooper ordered behind us. “And keep your mouth shut.” 

We kept walking. My side throbbed but I ignored it. Suddenly, the imperial officer waved Lando off and grabbed Leia, a stormtrooper grabbing me. The other stormtrooper started shooting, keeping us moving forward. My eyes widened when I saw it was Luke. 

“Luke!” Leia and I shouted as they forced us into another area. “Luke, get out of here!” I shouted.

“Luke! Don’t! It’s a trap!” Leia shouted. We struggled as we continued to try and warn him, I suppose we can only hope that he got the message. I struggled against the trooper that held me, swiggling, kicking, elbowing, anything I could think of. This only received another jab to my side and I couldn’t stop the yelp of pain that escaped me. 

They continued leading us through the winding halls, unhanding Leia and I when they were certain we wouldn’t fight back. I kept my hand to my side, feeling my ribs. I winced as a shooting pain rushed through my body. I tried taking a deep breath and that hurt terribly too. I don’t think I broke it, or I’d be crying rivers right now. But something was wrong with it. Suddenly, Lando’s people swarmed us, and made the troopers surrender. 

“Well done,” Lando spoke to what I assume is his second in command. “Hold them in the security tower. And keep it quiet. Move.” 

They all ushered the stormtroopers away and Lando handed Leia and I a blaster. I felt safer with the weight of a blaster in my hands once more. Though, it was a double edged sword as it was hard to lift with my ribs hurting. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Leia asked as Lando started to undo Chewie’s binds. 

“We’re getting outta here,” Lando spoke back. 

“I knew it all along,” C3PO spoke up. “It had been a mistake.” I threw a small glance at the droid before watching Lando in suspicion. 

“Do you think that after what you did to Han, we’re going to trust you?” Leia said incredulously. 

“Do we have much of a choice right now?” I asked Leia who only turned her glare to me. Once Chewie was let out of his bindings, he throttled Lando, growling fiercely.

“I had no choice,” Lando choked out. 

“What are you doing?” C3PO cried out. “Trust him! Trust him!”

“We understand, don’t we Chewie?” Leia mocked. “He had no choice.” 

I knew they were angry, and I knew they were hurting, but no good will happen if we are all dead. “Let him go!” I shouted, trying to pull at Chewie’s arms. “We’re no good to Han and Luke dead.”

“I’m just trying to help,” Lando choked out. 

“We don’t need any of your help,” Leia seethed. 

“Do you think this is another trick when we were already in the enemy’s hands?” I asked. I didn’t like Lando before, but we need all the help we can get now. “We don’t know how to get out of here! Please, think this through without your emotions clouding your judgment.” 

Lando tried to speak, but he was losing his breath quickly. Leia asked what he was saying and I could only roll my eyes. If you want to hear him speak, maybe stop Chewie from choking him. 

“There's still a chance to save Han,” Lando breathed out. “At the East…platform.”

Chewie finally let go, and I stumbled back a bit. Lando held his neck, gasping for air.

“I’m terribly sorry about all this,” C3PO apologized. “After all, he’s only a Wookie.”

I rushed after Leia and Chewie as they made their way to the East platform. I glanced back at Lando but only shook my head. I’m not sure why he went through all these loops to only help us once more and put himself on the line. Lando quickly caught up to us, and led us the correct way. I kept an eye out, blaster at the ready. Making our way outside, R2 was hiding in a hallway.

“R2, where have you been?” C3PO asked. Chewie turned around to see, “Wait, turn around, you wooly..” R2 beeped back and C3PO replied, “Hurry! We are trying to save Han from the bounty hunter.” I kept glancing back, making sure they were close by, but I kept pace with Leia. The pain in my side throbbed but I ignored it. 

Finally, we made it to the East platform, but the ship was already taking off. Leia tried to shoot at it, but I knew we were too late. I looked over to Leia with sadness, and she was clearly even more devastated as she stared at the ship that kept getting smaller.

“Oh, no!” C3PO shouted. “Chewie, they're behind you!” 

We all quickly turned around and got into cover. Stormtroopers shot at us, and I shot back, giving the others cover as they went through a hallway. I quickly followed behind. This continued for a bit, me providing cover for the others and then quickly following them. We got to a door, Lando trying to input a code, but it wasn’t working.

“The security input has been changed,” Lando stated. 

“R2, you can tell the computer to override the security systems,” C3PO ordered. I watched silently as Lando informed the people on his planet of the Empire. R2 beeped wildly as he was shocked. 

“This way,” Lando informed, leading us to another bay. People were running by us as we passed by them. Chewie and I held the stormtroopers at bay on one side, Leia at the other. Chewie growled at me, pushing me towards the door, and I ran towards the Millennium  Falcon. I climbed up the ramp quickly, heading right for the cockpit. I flipped the switches I did before, and the ship turned on. Chewie joined me shortly and started to fly the ship. 

Adrenaline continued to pump through me as all I could think of was Han and Luke. Once again, those two were in danger. I barely noticed when Leia and Lando joined us, too focused on finding enemy ships. 

“(Y/n),” Leia spoke softly. I looked back at her in surprise, body tensing. I noticed her face was a bit hardened, but her eyes showed her softness towards me. “You should go take a break, watch over the droids.”

I shook my head, “I’m fine.” Suddenly, she looked out the window and muttered Luke’s name.

“We’ve got to go back,” Leia whispered. 

“What?” Lando asked in shock.

“I know where Luke is,” She replied, looking at Lando and I. My eyes widened, staring at her intently.

“What about those fighters?” Lando asked. 

I glared at him, “Screw the fighters.”

Chewie growled at Lando, which caused Leia to order, “Just do it.” 

We flew back towards the floating city. Aiming the ship to fly beneath it, Lando pointed out that there was a person on the wire underneath. I felt my heart accelerate as my eyes scanned over the person.

“It’s Luke,” I muttered. 

“Chewie, slow down,” Leia ordered. “We’ll get under him. Lando, open the top hatch.”

“I’ll go,” I argued, standing up. 

“No,” Leia said with a strict tone. “You won’t be able to carry him in your state.” 

I frowned, knowing she was right. But I couldn’t just stand here. So I waited at the bottom of the hatch. I paced back and forth, not sure what I was going to see. Lando came down with Luke in his arms, and it felt like I went into autopilot. I grabbed a blanket that was close to me and threw it around Luke’s shoulders. He looked terrible, handsome, but absolutely battered. His hair was a mess, a cut under his eye, and he was clutching right arm. I hugged Luke, taking him back into a medical bed. 

He seemed so out of it. His eyes were squinting, and I wasn’t sure if he was even really conscious. I started tending to what I could, fear starting to absorb me. Maker, not another near death experience. I ran my hand through his hair, grabbing a wipe to disinfect the cut near his eye. Then, my eyes ran down to his arm and I gasped. Quickly, I grabbed a bandage and wrapped it around where his hand would normally rest.

“(Y/n),” Luke murmured. 

“I’m right here,” I whispered back, holding his cheek gently. Luke's bright blue eyes conveyed hurt, sadness, and…fear. I had no idea what I could do, what I could say. I had no idea what he’s just been through with Vader, to what extent his injuries ran. Just that he was back with me, safe. 

“Father?” Luke called, looking up at the ceiling. I sat back, unsure what to do. “Ben…why didn’t you tell me?”

Luke then started to get up, making me question him, “What are you doing?”

“I need to help them,” He replied back.

“You’re injured,” I argued. “You need to rest.”

“Please,” He pleaded, and I could never say no to those puppy dog eyes. I nodded, and helped him up and to the cockpit. As I helped him sit in one of the chairs, I winced slightly and let out a small grunt of pain. Luke looked up at me with wide eyes and I only waved him off, sitting in the seat across from him. He seemed hesitant, but he gazed back out the windshield to the star destroyer, “Vader.” I kept an eye on him as his expression seemed troubled. I let out a gasp as we were suddenly going at lightspeed. 

I paced in front of the medic room that held Luke. They were currently attaching a prosthetic arm to Luke. I was kept out of the room, Leia telling me that Luke didn’t want me to see him in such a state. What frustrated me was that I had already seen him in that state, and I just wanted to be there for him. My ribs have already been checked out, and they were only bruised, so nothing could be done. Just try not to strain anything. The doors opened, and I turned towards Leia who stood there. 

“He’s ready to see you,” She informed me. She then came over and hugged me gently. No words needed to be said as the hug said everything. It was meant to comfort, meant to be a reassurance, meant to be a promise. That we would be by each other’s side if anything went wrong. I suppose things have already gone wrong. Once we pulled away, I entered the room, greeting the two droids as they passed me on their way out. There stood Luke, watching the galaxy. I stared at him for a few minutes, and he caught my gaze as he turned around. He smiled softly, and I smiled softly back. 

Joining his side, I stared at the stars that glowed brilliantly against the black void of space. So much has changed. I wasn’t sure what to say. I wanted to hug him, hold him, confess, tell him everything would be fine…but would it? Han was still gone, Vader was still out there… I was brought out of my thoughts when I felt Luke hold my hand.

“You’ve changed,” I whispered. “Grown out of that farmboy I used to know.”

“I’m still your Luke,” He murmured back, his gaze piercing  me. “I guess I have grown.”

My heartbeat raced and I felt drawn to his eyes, “Mine?” 

“Always,” He replied, his grin so soft, so sweet. I felt drawn to him, like we were two magnets. 

“I suppose now’s a good time to admit that I’m yours,” I confessed. “If you’d have me.”

“It would be an honor,” He breathed out, his breath fanning across my lips. Nothing more needed to be said. I wasn’t sure who kissed first, but our first kiss was one of love, passion, and longing. A kiss of comfort, and warmth. Sweet, and soft. 

“There’s so much I have to tell you,” Luke muttered once we pulled apart. “I’m scared you’ll see me differently.”

“I love you, Luke,” I replied back. “Nothing’s going to change that.”

[bcbdrums]

Event Horizon

A Soul Eater fanfic. Read on: AO3 | FFn

A/N: Monthly OTP prompt fills from this list for Spirit and Stein, because I cannot stop writing about them. I’m happy to hear recommendations each month for which prompt to write next. February’s chosen prompt is: 2. Fear Gas I had ideas for most of February's prompts in my head, but, this one grabbed my attention the most after chatting with some people and mulling over ideas. I took some extreme liberties on how it's interpreted, but gotta follow the muse. And, this fic is late because the muse has been drained. Too much has happened in the last month for me. But! Writing this story is seeming to revive me, so, we shall see what the future holds. Sometimes...the OTP goes through some...tough times... Spirit is 18 years old. Stein is 15. Maka is not yet one. Manga or anime canon, leaning heavily into my headcanons regardless. Also, this lovely art is referenced. And lastly, this is a gift for @cannibal-nightmares, whose art, kindness, and cleverness inspire me...constantly. Do check out their art! Uh...sorry for this one? I guess. Enjoy.

Event Horizon

Spirit stopped short as the book atop the stack in his arms began to slide away. He lifted his shoulder to adjust the balance of the stack, using gravity to shift the heavy volume back into position.

"Hurry up, Death Scythe."

"Y-Yes, Sir. Sorry, Sir," Spirit said as he hefted the stack higher and hurried after Lord Death. He realized he probably could have checked out fewer books—especially with his propensity to speed through them—but every topic had him practically salivating with curiosity. From the history of demon weapon kind to the very first death scythe, Spirit's mind was alight with thoughts of battle and honing his skills.

They left the library and turned the first corner, Spirit still trailing a few paces behind as he bore the burden of too many books. But as academy students passed in the other direction Spirit held his head higher. He still felt a swelling of pride each time people paused to stare or whisper about him, the newest personal weapon of the Grim Reaper.

To that end, a couple of younger girls caught his attention by their giggling, and he wished he had a hand free to wave or make some other gesture of acknowledgement besides his million-dollar smile. But it wasn't needed as the two took a few hesitant steps in his direction, hands shyly lifted to wave.

"Hi Mr. Death Scythe!" one said too-loudly, and Spirit felt a flush of pride rise under his collar.

It would be too much to toss his hair, not to mention the risk in dropping the books, which would negate any air of prestige he was trying to effect. He merely met their eyes in response, held their gaze as he maintained his smile while he passed, and another thrill rose from somewhere in the pit of his belly as he listened to their giggles all the way around the corner.

"Spirit Albarn."

Spirit startled at Lord Death's address; he'd only called him by his title ever since becoming his weapon.

The reaper had stopped and turned slightly, and Spirit hurried to catch up. Lord Death didn't move again until Spirit had reached his side and then matched his pace as they continued down the hall. He felt rather than saw Lord Death's slight turn, the white mask looking down at him in a way that dampened Spirit's former rush of pride.

"You're a married man."

The last of the pride shriveled up until his throat felt tight, and his cheeks were flushing in embarrassment now. The reaper's discreet reprimand had been unexpected and brought every thought in Spirit's mind to a halt as he mechanically followed his newest meister through the twists and turns of the academy's halls.

He hadn't been thinking of his wife...which, was apparently the problem. He hadn't really been flirting with those girls...students...had he?

Spirit frowned as a gloom started to sink over him while he trailed after the reaper, through another set of heavy doors and down some stairs. Those girls were students. He was their superior. And he'd been thinking of them like classmates.

He was Death Scythe. He needed to get the real meaning of that into his oblivious skull, and not be worried about the attention he might get from girls.

That had been the start of his problems in the first place.

"Death Scythe, are you listening?"

"Wha? Oh... Sorry, Sir."

Spirit blinked into sudden awareness as he realized they had left the brightly painted academy halls and descended into a place more broad, dark, and foreboding. Lord Death had stopped at the bottom of the stairs, and Spirit continued his descent more slowly as he took better stock of his surroundings.

A chill in the air told him they had gone underground, and the architecture was similar to that above but looked as if it had been constructed in a past age. There was also stonework among the wood, and an eerie painting of an inverted trio of eyes on the floor at Lord Death's feet. The gloom he had been feeling turned to a sickness as he arrived at the landing and looked up to the black holes in the white mask that were studying him.

"Oh well. I suppose you can read about it in all of those books and then ask me questions later," the Grim Reaper stated, and shifted his gaze toward a door ahead of them.

Spirit looked at the door where the inverted eyes were painted again, just visible on the dark wood framed by a square of red stone. Two gray statues stood on each side the door, oddly shapen and with their arms raised as if holding up the ceiling. They each had one large eye, oriented properly this time, taking up the whole of their misshapen heads.

As Spirit stared at the strange artwork, he felt a sudden pressing of darkness against his soul. The sick feeling rose from his stomach up to his mind and swirled into fear that froze him in place as solidly as if he had fallen helpless in his weapon form. Blackness filled his vision, and with it came a sudden onslaught of thoughts, all crashing over his mind at once and twisting and overlapping and confusing him such that he was barely aware of his feet on the ground.

Who was this old deity telling him what to do anyway? He had never seen the masked figure so much as leave Death City let alone fight, so why should he feel guilt for whatever he might do that displeases him?

And why shouldn't he flirt with those girls, or anyone he wanted to? He was Death Scythe after all and could do anything he wanted. It wasn't like his wife ever stayed home at nights when he finally clocked out anyway.

They were supposed to be a happy family but she never acted like it. He should teach her a lesson for her taking off at every opportunity when they had a daughter to raise. Leaving him all alone to deal with bottle feeding and diapers and the crying and what had he wanted that baby for anyway?

Spirit gasped.

Shuddering breaths racked his frame as his eyes pierced the darkness swirling through his mind, fixing on the door in front of him as he tried to will away the sickness that had his legs shaking.

Was he standing still? Or was he moving? He couldn't tell for the way the room seemed to rise and fall on waves and his body with it. He was certain he would fall at any moment and that if he did he would never be able to get up again.

"Spirit."

A great hand, heavy on his shoulder, was turning him around carefully to face the stairs again. Spirit blinked repeatedly as the spinning of the room slowly began to subside. The darkness started to move away, touching only the corners of his eyes.

He sucked in air and fell to his hands and knees, and the impact of an elbow on stone stairs jarred him further into the present and out of the evil place his mind had been fast going.

"Spirit," Lord Death repeated gently, and the young weapon let the familiarity of the voice be an anchor, hearing it again and again in his mind until the darkness had faded from his vision and before his eyes was only dust-covered stone.

"M-Maka..."

He shivered as tears fell from his eyes and mingled with the dust.

He didn't mean it. He would never mean anything like that. Maka was the most important person in his life. He didn't want to breathe if her perfect face wasn't the first thing he saw each morning and the last thing he saw each night. He would do anything and everything for his daughter.

So where had that horrid thought come from?

He shivered again, more from the anxiety than the chill around him, and slowly started to right himself. Never-mind the books scattered on the floor behind him. He needed to get home to his daughter.

"Spirit?"

"Maka..." he repeated, his breaths quick.

He felt the hand squeeze his shoulder and he looked up. Worry exuded from the Grim Reaper, and it was a further anchor to reality bringing Spirit back from... From...?

"What...what was that?" he asked, his voice sounding small to his ears. As if Lord Death could somehow know what had happened that caused his mind to flood with more disturbing thoughts and feelings than he had ever experienced in his life.

"That...was the kishin's madness," Lord Death said gravely.

Spirit's eyes widened and he whirled around to face the door again. The trio of inverted eyes, a mere painting, seemed to stare through him, and he felt a fresh wave of fear penetrate him like daggers.

"Asura?"

Lord Death bent down to gather the dropped books.

"Yes. Through those doors is the path to where the kishin is imprisoned."

Spirit shuddered again as the sensations lingered in his mind and left his wavelength feeling ill and out of balance. Lord Death offered him the stack of books, and Spirit swallowed nervously as he took them, and then turned to follow the reaper back up the stairs.

"After you read about it in detail, we'll talk," Lord Death said.

Spirit looked down, and it took several attempts before his eyes would focus on the title of the book at the top of the stack. Kishin it read simply, with no author listed like a great many of the books on the fourth level of the library, and Spirit wondered if Lord Death himself had penned it.

"Ah... Lord Death, Sir?" Spirit ventured cautiously as they reached the landing.

"Yes?"

"Can...can I go home?"

Lord Death paused, but Spirit slowly released the breath he'd been holding as he felt the understanding and almost-warmth coming off of his new meister.

"Yes."

Spirit felt unsteady on his feet again despite the relief in his soul as he strode forward with single-minded purpose, hefting the books higher in his arms. He knew any fear was irrational, but he couldn't rest until he saw for himself that Maka was okay.

"See you tomorrow, Death Scythe," Lord Death called after him, and Spirit paused to turn and nod acknowledgement even as he sighed silently. He would make sure Maka was fine, but...he still had his new job to do.

---------------

Spirit opened his eyes to a blinding light that obscured his surroundings. When he tried to lift his hand to block it out, it wouldn't move, and testing each limb one at a time revealed the same immobility for each. His head felt as heavy as lead when he peered down to try to find the source of whatever was restricting him, but he was only able to move just enough to see a gray strap tight on his wrist, restraining him where he lie.

"Awake, I see," a familiar voice intoned flatly, and a shock of fear ran across Spirit's nervous system like electricity.

"S...Stein?" he said weakly, his mouth sluggish in response to his brain's command to speak. "What's...happening?"

"It's time for your punishment," the voice said from a distance. Spirit tried to look around for its source, but he was still being blinded by the overhead light.

"Punishment? Stein, what... What are you talking about? Where are we?"

Spirit pulled against the strap at one wrist, but it had no give whatsoever. He lifted his head to look around again and discovered he was without his shirt, wherever he was, and a large gray strap was around his waist as well as his ankles and wrists.

"For entertaining madness. It's the ultimate crime."

"What? But I... I didn't—"

"Evil desires entered your mind. And you...a death weapon. There's no coming back from that."

Stein's voice was growing nearer, but Spirit still couldn't see the teen. Cold fear swept him at the harsh edge of judgment in his former meister's voice, and he pulled at his wrists and ankles again but found the effort as futile as before.

"It wasn't my fault! I would never...I wouldn't act on those things!"

"But you've already flirted with other women," Stein reminded him.

Spirit choked, his next protest dying on his lips. It was true... And that had been before the encounter with the madness below the academy.

"But I... I didn't mean..."

"What you intended doesn't matter. Idle thoughts and mindless errors are as criminal as deliberate intent."

Spirit shook his head violently as finally, the familiar form of Stein appeared above him, blocking out some of the light.

"But that's not true! You don't believe that anymore than...than Lord Death does!"

Spirit ceased his useless thrashing when Stein didn't respond, and he blinked the dark silhouette above him into focus. The young eyes, so familiar to him, were now distant—sad and cold as he gazed down at the weapon with his mouth fixed into a frown.

"What matters is that you believe it," Stein said.

Something prickled at the back of Spirit's mind as he turned over the strange words. He had never believed any such thing. Stein had to know that. And why was he looking at him that way?

"So, it's time to cut out your soul."

A hoarse cry left Spirit's throat as Stein slowly lifted a massive cleaver, its sharp edge gleaming in the bright light.

"What!? No, what are you thinking!? Stein, stop!"

"Goodbye, Senpai."

The blade came down.

---------------

"Stein!"

Spirit sat up so fast his vision swam, the nightmare still vivid in his mind as the brightness of the laboratory contrasted the dark of his bedroom. He blinked repeatedly until the texture of the blanket came into focus in front of him, the way it sagged between his knees as he struggled to catch his breath.

Finally, he groaned and fell back against sweat-stained sheets, letting the blanket fall away. He could hear the rapid pounding of his heart in the silence of his bedroom as he let the cool night air tend to the moisture on his chest, slowly wicking it away and soothing the tension that had coiled in his body.

After a moment he let his arm stretch out and feel in the empty space at his side, the sheets dry and crisp for their lack of any recent occupancy.

Spirit sighed through his nose and shifted to squint at his alarm clock. Nearly two-thirty in the morning and his wife wasn't home.

She'd not been home that afternoon either when he'd arrived back early from work. Finding his home empty had only increased his residual horror from the experience underground, and he was grateful that his first call to the academy had located his daughter, safe in their daycare. What had surprised Spirit was to learn that she had been there all day, and was there most days.

This had been the catalyst for the argument when his wife had arrived home that evening, already spitting fire due to Spirit's discovery of her ongoing deception. It wasn't fair, she had seethed, that she stayed at home all day every day with dirty diapers as her only company, unable to live her life, while he lived out his dream.

Spirit only grew more bewildered at these claims, as his dream was two honey-haired girls in the cheap apartment they shared together.

Perhaps due to the terrifying experience he'd had that afternoon he wasn't as discerning or eloquent in his choice of words as he could have been. Fear was speaking for him when he ordered his wife to stay at home where she belonged, caring for their daughter and not leaving her in the hands of academy students while she went gallivanting off to Death knows where.

Her response had been another departure. But at least this time...Spirit had Maka.

He slowly turned his silver wedding ring around his finger as he rolled over in the bed to face the crib. He could see Maka's sleeping form within, still snuggled beneath her blanket and with her stuffed puppy tucked in next to her.

He wanted to get up, gather her in his arms and hold her until every memory of madness left him. But it wouldn't be right to disturb her precious sleep. So instead he simply watched her. How her tiny, delicate eyelashes rested upon her face. How her impossibly soft hair fell over her forehead and atop her ears. How even at less than a year of age, she was starting to look like his wife.

He turned the ring one last time before moving his hand up under his pillow to be more comfortable. The day had taken a greater toll on him than he realized, for the way his eyes kept dropping closed. His breathing had calmed, and the fear of the nightmare had faded. But the images returned as he let himself attempt to return to sleep, and his brow pinched together as he tried to analyze them.

The bright light, the restraints, and even the cleaver were no doubt due to the horrors his wife had verbally painted for him so many months ago with the discovery of an unremembered scar as they lie in bed. But the look in Stein's eyes... That sadness wasn't anything Spirit ever remembered seeing from the meister in their five years as partners.

And, why had he dreamed of Stein at all?

Spirit's eyes opened as he tried to recall the last time he'd spoken with Stein, and he could feel an ache with the further creasing of his brow when he couldn't place a date.

He slowly sat back up as realization struck... When had he last seen Stein?

Between the busy hours of learning the ropes as Lord Death's personal weapon, the sleepless nights when Maka wouldn't keep a schedule, and the growing number of unresolved arguments with his wife... He simply hadn't had time.

In fact, the last time he could remember seeing Stein, the meister had come there to his apartment, and he'd fallen asleep with Maka on his chest after a round of complaints about his life. He couldn't remember what, if anything, the two of them had talked about. And Stein had been gone when he'd woken up.

Spirit rose from the bed and glanced in the crib once more before moving to his closet. Despite his wife's protests, next to his blazer hung a long white coat that had been cut apart and reassembled with stitches to match an aesthetic that Stein had started adopting heavily in their last year as partners.

That day when Spirit had woken with the sunset in his eyes and Stein gone, the coat remained, draped over he and Maka to keep them warm while they slept.

Spirit pulled the coat from the hanger that had been its home for months, remembering the repeated insistence to his wife that he was just keeping it for Stein and would give it back the next time he saw him.

That had been months ago.

Whether it was residual madness or something else, a sudden urgency had Spirit pulling his clothes from the day back over his limbs, moving quickly but quietly lest Maka wake.

He had been Stein's weapon partner for five years. Even after his sins caught up to him and his life started to shift drastically off the course the two of them had planned, they had still been inseparable.

How could he go months without speaking to him and not realize it?

Once his shoes were tied, he folded the white coat carefully and then stepped up to the large standing mirror on his wife's side of the bed, and with his finger, drew the familiar number into the glass.

"Death Scythe," was Lord Death's unsurprised greeting, but absent his usual flurry of cheerful pleasantries. "Any residual effects of the kishin's madness?"

Spirit blinked in surprise at the reaper's cutting right to the chase, but he supposed he shouldn't have. He knew that he had only been touched by the mere edge of that wavelength, but the impact it had had was profound. He was certain it was the ultimate cause of his nightmare too, even if the subject had been a surprise.

"Ah...about that. I was wondering if...you could send someone to watch Maka for me? For just...just an hour, maybe less. I need to do something."

"Shouldn't your wife watch her?"

Spirit looked down at the coat in his hands, tightened his fists into the fabric.

"I...don't know where she is right now."

Spirit was still looking down when he felt a sudden wave of power and then his bedroom was filled with the imposing presence of the Grim Reaper.

"L-Lord Death! Sir!" he stammered as he moved back until his legs hit the bed, and he fell back to sit on the pile of tangled blankets.

"I'll watch her for you," Lord Death said, and Spirit's eyes widened as the imposing form of the reaper glided over to the crib and reached a huge hand down inside. Spirit's breath caught as one massive fingertip that dwarfed Maka's tiny body tickled lightly at her shoulder. "Oochie-coochie coo!"

"Uhh..."

Lord Death turned back to peer at him through the dark of the room. "It's the least I can do, after exposing you to that. Although, you would have been more prepared had you been listening."

Spirit blushed, and then quickly rose to his feet and tried to throw the bed into a semblance of order. He was glad there was no dirty laundry lying around and that he had taken out the trash bag of dirty diapers earlier that evening.

"Madness is nothing to take lightly," Lord Death continued. Spirit finished arranging the blankets and looked up to see Lord Death nod at the folded white coat. "Just consider your former partner."

Spirit swallowed slowly as he picked up the coat again. He thought of the fear he'd felt, the invasion of thoughts not his own and yet that had seemed to come from someplace within his soul.

Was that what Stein struggled with every day?

He considered the times he had touched the madness in Stein's wavelength when they resonated, the fear and violent desires that while objectively worse than what he had experienced, hadn't remotely carried the terror or dark lust that the wavelength underground had momentarily instilled in him.

Stein had been shielding him all along, he realized, even when he couldn't hold it back entirely. He hadn't wanted Spirit to know the depths of what he battled against. Who would, after all?

And...this was what Stein went through all the time?

Spirit's heart had begun racing again. He clutched the white coat tight to his chest as he began backing toward the door.

"Thank you, Sir, for watching Maka. I, ah... I shouldn't be gone long. The apartment is close. And..."

"Spirit."

Spirit stopped mid-step and looked up at the impassive mask of the Grim Reaper.

"He isn't at your old apartment anymore."

"...What?"

---------------

Spirit's pace had been hurried the entire journey to the city's outskirts, but he slowed when he approached the old, abandoned warehouse that he had passed so many times before without taking any notice. It was the same as always from the outside, but knowing his former meister was within made it feel different somehow; no longer part of the scenery, but something living. And yet for some reason, Spirit felt a heavy foreboding as he approached.

Stein had asked for and been given the building as a home months ago, according to Lord Death, and had hardly been heard from since except to request and take missions. He only showed his face in classes to take tests, which he passed, and would then vanish again.

When Spirit asked why Lord Death had accommodated these eccentricities, the Grim Reaper had been silent. He also hadn't answered any of Spirit's questions about the missions Stein took, except to say that he had recently taken their friend Marie Mjolnir as his new weapon.

Spirit had bristled at the designation, even though he knew he shouldn't. He had left Stein, after all. How could the meister be expected to continue his studies without a weapon partner? And yet for some reason, Spirit had never conceived of Stein working with anyone but him.

This and other thoughts had his head swimming as he propelled his feet down the sidewalk toward the warehouse, his heart rate seeming to increase with each step. He clutched the folded coat tightly to his chest and tried to will away the strange dread that had arrested his mind ever since the realization he'd not seen Stein in months.

He tried to tell himself it was just a product of the residual madness, or something brought on by the bizarre nightmare. It would all go away once he saw Stein again. He would knock on the door, and Stein would answer because the younger teen kept atypical hours. Spirit would apologize for not having seen him in so long and plan a day, maybe two, for them to catch up very soon. Then everything could go back to the strange, evolving normal his life had become ever since the day he'd learned of the pregnancy.

He held his breath when he knocked on the large double doors and then fidgeted with the fabric of the folded coat as he waited. Stein would be glad to see him, surely? But, Spirit suddenly wondered... Why hadn't he come around in months?

Spirit knocked a second time, louder. Perhaps Stein really was asleep, if he was even there.

Spirit counted the seconds until another two minutes had passed, and then with a shaky breath fit his hand to the doorknob. It turned without resistance, and he paused. Perhaps he could just quietly leave the coat and a note for Stein to stop by or perhaps call him when he could.

He pushed the door open slowly, wincing at the way it creaked on its hinges, and stepped into a broad, dark hallway. The walls on either side of him were gray and nondescript, just like the building's exterior, and all was silent as he cautiously started forward.

His brow rose when he heard what sounded like a voice muttering somewhere ahead of him, beyond another set of doors. He strained to listen and soon felt the tension drain from his body when he recognized the voice. Stein was awake after all, probably busy with some experiment, and simply hadn't heard his knock.

A smile was on Spirit's face when he pulled open the next door and passed into a large room lit dimly from a single standing lamp and the light of a computer monitor. Then, he saw Stein. And his expression dropped into horror.

Stein was seated on a rolling chair pushed back from the computer desk, and the whole of his shirt that Spirit could see was stained with layered drippings of what could only be blood. On the desk on either side of the computer were two large mirrors, propped against stacks of books and angled to the forty-five, and atop the monitor was a cracked mirror that appeared to have been bolted to the monitor's plastic frame.

All around Stein on the desk and floor were scattered papers and open books, and the computer screen was displaying some lines of text too small for Spirit to read. But his attention was fixed on the blood, his gaze rising up past where it clung to Stein's neck and soaked his silver hair. Both of Stein's hands were raised and fidgeting with something just as bloody at the sides of his head, fingers slick with the bright red substance, and the cuffs of his sleeves were stained as well.

Spirit's eyes narrowed as he continued to stare, unable to process the sight before him. And that's when he saw the screw.

"S...Stein!?" Spirit gasped in disbelief, his voice shrill. He looked past what Stein was fidgeting with to his countenance reflected darkly in the mirrors. His pupils were mere pinpricks in his wide eyes, and his skin was paler than usual under the streams of blood that ran down his face, even over his lips and staining his teeth where he was smiling broadly between incoherent mutters and soft, manic laughter.

"Stein!" Spirit repeated, taking an instinctive step forward. The folded coat fell from shaking hands as he looked around, searching for some enemy or any explanation for the horror that sat before him other than his ex-partner's own nimble hands.

The second cry seemed to get the teen's attention, and his laughter halted abruptly as he looked in one angled mirror first, seeming to stare in confusion at something in the corner of the room before shifting his eyes to the mirror atop the monitor until his gaze rested upon Spirit.

"Spirit."

Spirit glanced at the corner that Stein had focused on and found it bare, and then took another hesitant step forward. The blood dripping from Stein's stilled hands had his heart racing in a panic, but not more than the long object with which Stein appeared to have just impaled his skull.

"Stein, what... What... What's going on? What are you doing!?"

Stein slowly spun around in the chair and stared blankly at Spirit until his brow knitted very slightly.

"Hm. There's not usually two of you. Are you going to play the angel on my other shoulder?"

"I... I don't... Stein," Spirit stammered breathlessly. His heart was pounding hard in his chest, harder than it even had when he and his wife had battled the witch.

The faint look of scorn slowly left Stein's face to be replaced by the glassy-eyed expression and toothy smile he'd worn when Spirit first entered. His bloody hands had fallen to his lap when he turned, but he slowly raised one again to left side of his head where the larger end of the object protruded from Stein's head just above his ear.

Spirit's initial, instinctive assessment of the object as a screw seemed to be confirmed as Stein set his fingers around the flat, round end of it, gripped firmly, and twisted it backwards. A ratcheting sound came from the object and Spirit flinched away at the same time he took another step forward, the desire to stop Stein, to help him, and to just understand what was happening at war with the horror that had him nearly paralyzed.

"Stop!" he cried. "What...what is that? What did you do!?"

Stein adjusted his grip and turned the object again rapidly. His face contorted in pain as the ratcheting sound echoed through the large room, and the young meister began to laugh. The sound started low in his chest and then rose higher than the usual timbre of his voice as he doubled over and turned the screw a third time.

Spirit didn't know when he'd started crying, but tears streamed down his face as he forced himself forward on legs that felt as stable as jelly. He fell to his knees in front of Stein and reached up, set trembling hands on his shoulders and gripped the blood-soaked shirt.

"Stein."

The action arrested Stein's attention, his laughter ending as suddenly as if a switch had been flipped. He looked down at Spirit as if seeing him for the first time, hand frozen on the screw. Then he looked over to the corner that had stolen his focus before. Spirit glanced over his shoulder; the corner was still bare.

"I don't know if it's working."

It was the closest to sane Stein had sounded since Spirit had entered, but the meister's eyes were still glazed and didn't seem to see him. Spirit watched his face as he continued staring at the corner, could almost see the calculations working behind his eyes.

"This... Stein... Can you fix this?" Spirit said desperately, finally daring to look at the screw that Stein still held onto almost protectively. He leaned left to peer at where the smaller end of the object was protruding above Stein's other ear. He couldn't tell if it was truly impaled through his friend's head, or if some other mechanism was at work; it was impossible to tell through the matted, bloody hair that fell over the dark metal.

Stein blinked, and Spirit's breath caught as the meister's gaze suddenly narrowed on him.

"Don't you see? I am. Fixing this," he hissed cruelly.

Spirit shook his head. "Stein."

"If this doesn't work..."

Spirit listened to the frightened words, low and hoarse as Stein adjusted his grip, turned his hand, and the ratcheting sound echoed through the room again.

"Why would you do this?" Spirit pleaded, still not believing what he was seeing. If it wasn't for his fingers digging tight into Stein's shoulders he would think it was another delusion of madness.

Suddenly, Stein's eyes truly focused on his for the first time, and his face fell into a terrifying frown. It was just enough warning, and Spirit was able to lean back fractionally as Stein's free arm swept up harshly into both of his, knocking him away and barely missing hitting his face.

Spirit fell back onto his rear, caught himself harshly on his already-sore elbow, and gazed up at Stein in disbelief. The action seemed to startle the meister as well, his anger fading as rapidly as it had come. He stared at Spirit with something of confusion, and then looked up at the corner again. A sound of surprise fell from his lips, and Spirit watched as his eyes darted around the room rapidly as if searching for something, until finally settling on Spirit with another frown.

Spirit was frozen by the bitter look of betrayal that suddenly filled his friends eyes, and all he could do was watch as Stein started to shift his hand upward again. But then, apparently catching sight of the blood on his hand, the meister refocused his attention and a placid smile replaced everything else that had been twisting his features into something beyond recognition.

Spirit's tears fell freely as he stared at his friend and the massive object protruding from his head, blood still dripping down the sides of his neck. His thoughts were finally catching up to his horror, and he knew he should probably call someone for help, get Stein medical attention before he lost too much blood, and see if anything could be done about the metal rod that was apparently set straight through his brain. It shouldn't even be possible, Spirit thought, as he felt he would choke for how his heart pounded in his throat. That he had found Stein alive after his self-mutilation was nothing short of miraculous.

"Stein," he began carefully, his voice broken apart for his fear. "You... We need to..."

Stein stared at him with an unsettling calm, and Spirit's mind recalled every time he had had seen that expression before—all the times he'd had to hold Stein back, either physically or mentally, from some terrible desire borne of madness.

Spirit bit down on his words as he felt bile begin to rise in his throat. He shifted to sit upright, but his muscles felt useless under the weight of guilt that was suddenly bearing down on him as heavily as had the darkness underground.

Who had Stein had, to help him fight his madness...in all those months Spirit had forgotten him?

"Stein..." he tried again. He reached up to his eyes, closed them as he wiped away tears that kept flowing. Stein lifted an eyebrow, and Spirit realized his face was likely now streaked with Stein's blood from his fingertips. "Please, I... I should have... I don't... Stein, why?"

He blinked in attempt to clear his vision, gazed pleadingly up at the meister who sat so calmly, as if half his body wasn't stained in red and the air around them didn't taste of iron.

"Senpai," Stein said, his voice finally something familiar. Spirit watched his friend's hand slowly fall, rest limply upon his knee. But the calm ended once more as a wild, toothy smile bisected the meister's face, and something like the distant sadness from the nightmare filled his eyes. "You know better than anyone that I have a screw loose."

Spirit choked on a sob, shook his head as Stein began to laugh. It started low as it had before, but rapidly rose into uncontrolled shrieks that tore from his throat and racked Stein's body in the chair, rolling it back and forth through the drippings of blood on the cement beneath.

Spirit wept.

It was his fault. If only he hadn't forgotten Stein... No, if he hadn't left him to begin with. Then he wouldn't be seated at his friend's feet, watching him possibly bleed to death and collapse fully into the madness he'd fought so hard for years to protect him from.

He let his tears fall freely as memories raced across his mind, questions and possibilities and denials he had replayed countless times before, and conclusions drawn from the voice he had chosen to believe. It was too much happening too fast, all over again. And as over a year's worth of confusion and fear joined with the present and tangled into an unsalvageable mess in his mind, two words slowly formed and found their way to Spirit's tongue.

"I'm sorry."

It was time to rise out of his denial. He needed to ask Stein... To hear everything from his lips, find out what was true and what wasn't... Learn his side of the story. And no matter what, Spirit realized he didn't care; that in his soul the decision had already been made, and all that was left was to come back. To offer to fix what he had broken. It was all his fault, and couldn't they just erase the past, and please...wouldn't Stein forgive him?

"Stein, I... I..."

The shifting of plastic wheels on the floor stopped, and the laughter faded to hiccuped chuckling. Spirit wiped his tears again with the sides of his thumbs, brushed his hair from his face, and looked up.

Stein appeared frozen above him, grin still manic and eyes not quite seeing him even as he stared straight at him.

Stein's shoes pushed on the floor and the chair slowly rolled back and hit the edge of the desk. His gaze remained on Spirit, unblinking. A bloody hand reached back, felt blindly on the desk and knocked a few previously unseen surgical instruments to the floor. And then Stein's hand returned, rose up between them, his fingers delicately holding a scalpel.

"It's about time I gave you some new parts as well."

Spirit's breath hitched. Stein's shoes pushed down, and the chair started rolling forward.

Spirit let out an involuntary cry as instinct had him roll backward and away, far out of Stein's reach, and then he was on his feet and backing toward the door.

"No! Stein, no, listen to me!"

"Hm, but Senpai... Don't you think you could do with a new liver? I have one in my freezer," Stein said, jerking his head toward another door that Spirit hadn't noticed.

The simple movement of his head seemed to cause him pain, and Spirit watched as Stein winced, his fingers tightening on the scalpel even as both his hands quickly raised to grip the ends of the screw.

"Stein, I... Don't... Stay here. I'm going to get help. I'll get..." he stammered as he continued backing toward the door.

Stein's face settled back into the mad grin, the hand holding the scalpel lowering as the other turned the screw.

Spirit flinched at the sound it made, at the tiny laughs that seemed to slip involuntarily from his friend's lips. He shook his head in terrified disbelief as he felt behind him blindly until he found the doorknob.

"I'll get help. Stay here! I... I'm so sorry, Stein."

Spirit turned, away from the horror and the sight and scent of blood, and the echoing crank of metal mixed with laughter as he fled the warehouse and ran as fast as he could ever remember moving. Maybe...maybe if only he could reach some help...there was still time.

--------------

In the warehouse, Stein blinked at the metal door until it drifted shut, closing into position with a soft click. Then, all was quiet.

He blinked, slowly turning and glancing all around the room, into every corner and next to every haphazard stack of books, seeking any movement or sign of life.

"Spirit?"

Stein waited. But silence was the only reply he received.

He slowly turned back toward the computer, the feeling of moving his feet foreign as if he hadn't walked in an age. He was going to attempt to analyze that sensation, and why his body suddenly felt as though it wasn't his, when he caught sight of his reflection in the mirrors.

He took a few steps forward, not quite believing he was looking at himself. He noted the blood, both the dried and the wet still seeping from his flesh. And then he studied the screw, tilting his head slowly to each side and evaluating its appearance and placement.

Then he glanced around the room again.

"Huh. I guess it works."

Stein reached up to the screw, turned it once. Hissed at the excruciating pain it caused. And then he laughed.

---------------

Spirit was breathless and his limbs ached as he sprinted down the sidewalk to his first-floor apartment. He was so panicked and intent on his goal that he didn't notice his wife approaching the door at the same time until he nearly crashed into her.

"Spirit?" she said in surprise. He stopped, doubled over to his knees for a moment, and then stood again as his entire frame shook from exertion. His wife had looked confused and deeply annoyed at first, but she must have noted the blood on his face, he realized, as her expression dropped to fear. "What's going on? Where's Maka? Where have you been?"

Spirit ignored her questions as he wrenched the doorknob open and darted through the familiar halls to his bedroom.

"Lord Death!" he gasped upon entering, and the Grim Reaper turned from his faithful vigil next to Maka's sleeping form and tilted his great, curious masked expression down to the weapon and took in his appearance.

"Oh, my. What's happened?"

Spirit sucked in air and looked over his shoulder as his wife followed him into the room. She looked properly shocked by the presence of the Grim Reaper in her home and quickly schooled her appearance into something of respect as she dropped her purse on the dresser, glanced at Maka in the crib, and then turned her wide eyes to Spirit and waited.

Spirit took a few more breaths, looked back to Lord Death, and wiped his eyes again. He forced his tears into compliance before launching into a hurried explanation of what he'd found at the warehouse—of the screw, of Stein's mad behavior, and of the supposed threat at the last when he'd made to leave. He stole glances at his wife throughout, noted her astonishment, suspicion, and ultimately, anger.

"Oh, my," Lord Death repeated when Spirit had finished, his words slow and grave. "You stay here and look after yourself. I'll see to Stein."

"Yes... Yes, Sir," Spirit breathed, his lungs still aching in pain for the sprint back through town.

With that, the reaper vanished, using his mirror as a portal in the same way he had entered, and left Spirit alone with Maka and his wife.

With the promise of the best help for his meister possible, Spirit collapsed. He sank heavily to the floor between the bed and crib and let his head fall back against the edge of the mattress, his eyes fluttering closed as he tried to slow his breathing and bring his body back to some semblance of normalcy. But unbeckoned, the horrors from the warehouse flooded his vision behind his eyelids, and he blinked repeatedly to banish the experience worse than any nightmare he had ever had.

He lifted a shaking hand and tried to wipe the salt from his cheeks, feeling the flaky, dried residue of the blood that he knew he would need to wash before Maka woke up. And then he suddenly realized how overheated and sticky with sweat he was from the run, and achingly peeled himself out of his jacket.

"You...went to see Stein?" his wife's voice broke through his thoughts.

He rolled his head sideways on the edge of the mattress until her scowling face filled his vision.

"After everything he did to you!? I thought you were smarter than this!"

Spirit's brow furrowed. "I don't think—"

"You told Lord Death yourself, he threatened to cut you up again tonight! And he's gone totally mad! How could you do this to me? To Maka?"

Spirit shifted, started to push himself to his knees. "Angel, I—"

"Don't 'angel' me anything! What if he'd killed you? Your stupidity would have left me a widow and Maka fatherless!"

Spirit stared dumbly up into his wife's furious face. He wanted to argue that she'd hardly been a mother or wife, with her lying almost every day about where she was and leaving Maka in daycare, and then heading off again at nights when Spirit got home. But he was too exhausted, too overwhelmed by the horrors he'd experienced, and too worried about Stein to even begin to put any of those thoughts into useful words.

"He's my meister," was what finally escaped Spirit's lips, though he knew the argument was already lost. Even when he held the higher position, somehow with his wife, he always wrong.

Her eyes widened. "What?" she seethed.

Spirit realized his error as her face reddened further in anger, even though technically she couldn't claim to be his meister anymore either. Lord Death was the only one who would wield him now.

He was expecting an explosion, like usual. Words of censure and revulsion, to remind him that he was a dreadful husband and only Death's weapon because of her, and what thanks did she ever get for it?

But none of that came, as her feet padded softly between he and the crib, and then Spirit stumbled to his feet as he heard Maka's soft whimpers of distress as she was lifted out of her bed and into her mother's arms.

"What are you doing?" he said anxiously, a panic that was becoming too familiar racing across his nervous system.

"I'm going to Azusa's. Have your head on straight by tomorrow night, Death Scythe," she fairly spat, tucking Maka against her chest as she turned on her heel to leave.

"But... Kami!" he cried, stepping after her. But the door had already slammed shut.

He stumbled back against the bed, fell seated to the mattress as he heard Maka begin to cry from the sudden and startling sound. He listened to the second slam of the front door and Maka's cries growing distant as she was carried away from him, away from the home that suddenly didn't feel like it deserved the name.

Spirit's bloodied fingers found his wedding ring and twisted it slowly around his finger.

How, in just one day, had everything fallen apart so completely?

Spirit took a few breaths and then pushed himself to his feet. He walked on shaking legs into the bathroom, turned on the light and blinked against its harshness. His stomach turned as he stared at the red streaks on his face and that had matted some of his hair. He felt the prickling of tears in his eyes again, but with effort he swallowed them down.

His wife was right about at least one thing. He was Death Scythe. And he needed to be prepared for whatever he may need to face.

Maka would be fine, if they were going to be at Azusa's. Marie was still her roommate, unless something had changed, and often all the young weapon would talk about was the day she too had the privilege of being a wife and a mother. Maka was in good hands. And tomorrow, after some rest, he would deal with the issue of his wife's deception and leaving their daughter at daycare all the time.

That left the more urgent issue of Stein.

Spirit wanted to go back. He wanted to find out just what Lord Death would do to help his friend, to see for himself that Stein was going to survive the horrible self-mutilation, and could it even be undone? And, what of his madness?

Spirit thought again of what he'd experienced underground, the terror of those invasive thoughts, and how real and demanding they had been. Was that truly what it was like in Stein's mind? All those years that Spirit had felt the bristling, violent edge of his thoughts whenever he and Stein resonated... How Stein must have been holding it back, protecting him from the worst of it...preventing him from seeing the true depths of the madness.

Spirit took a slow, deep breath to hold the tears at bay again.

How could he have believed his wife? When she insisted Stein had been conducting illicit experiments on him, convinced him that the younger teen couldn't be trusted. Stein's refusal to offer either affirmation or denial was all the proof she had needed, and it had seemed the easiest way to ease hostilities to simply accept her word.

To abandon his partner.

And now, Stein may die because of him.

What kind of death weapon was he?

Spirit splashed water on his face and ran it through his hair, scrubbed at the blood until his skin felt raw and his scalp ached. Fresh tears mingled hot on his cheeks with the cool of the water, and when the only red left on his cheeks was the flush he felt from humiliation, he turned off the light and stumbled back into the bedroom.

He was no one anybody should be looking up to, or offering flirty waves in the academy's halls. He was an idiot and a failure, and everything his wife always accused him of being. He was probably a bad father, too.

He sniffled as his gaze locked onto the empty crib while he stumbled across the carpet, hoping that his wife would bring Maka back to him soon the next day. So focused was he, that his foot caught on something just under the bed and he tripped, falling so that his knee grazed the hard item when he hit the floor, and he hissed against the pain.

He felt in the dark for the offending object and soon pulled out a small, forgotten lock-box. His eyes widened on the sight, and familiar warnings rose in the back of his mind with too many words to form into coherent thought as he looked at the small, combination lock, the number sequence easily called into memory.

His thumb began turning the dials.

He had promised to stop drinking the day he found out about the pregnancy, and he had been true to his word. The box of expensive liquors was just for very special occasions, like the night after he and his wife had defeated the witch, and the day that Maka was born. And just a single shot those times, he had insisted, because it wasn't worth the risk to have more. Not when he was Death Scythe. Not when he was a father.

Stein's expression had been bittersweet when he told Spirit he was proud of him. Spirit had never understood that look.

He flipped the lid of the box open and lifted out one of the bottles, and his brow furrowed in confusion. It was nearly empty.

He considered for a moment, and then his eyes widened in understanding.

So, his wife had other secrets she had been keeping from him besides her daily excursions.

Spirit slowly turned the bottle over in his hand. He felt the warnings prickling all the way up his spine. He heard the echoes of his promises. He heard Stein's kind but melancholy praise.

And then he thought of his wife's lies. And the blood dripping down the sides of his friend's head. And the mad, defeated laughter as Stein had looked at him like he was a stranger.

Spirit replaced the nearly empty bottle, and then lifted a full one out of the box. He took a long, slow breath as he leaned back against the side of the bed. Felt every one of his nerve endings tingle in fierce opposition. And then he twisted open the cap.

He could keep some secrets, too.