#bringing two ocs back killing two birds with one stone

[psyche-ren]

BACKGROUND PRACTICE

Images on the left side are screenshots of official backgrounds from WordGirl episodes and the ones on the right are my attempt to recreate them! Backgrounds are an absolute nightmare for me to draw. I hate drawing them. Still do! It's slowly becoming bearable though.

I decided to use backgrounds for my fan-made episode featuring my OCs and I need to practice on drawing backgrounds, so why not kill two birds with one stone? Originally I was going to use screenshots from the show in my episode but I don't want to get in trouble with copyrights so I decided to recreate them myself to avoid that. I suck at drawing backgrounds and need to get better at drawing them anyways lol. Drawing, and especially COLORING, these backgrounds was so insightful.

At first glance they appear to be colorful, at least to me they do, but it's actually quite dull. Which makes sense since the background is there to help elevate the story and not take all the attention away from the viewer. But I didn't expect them to be so dull! It feels jarring when you compare them to the bright saturated colors of the characters. Yet they don't seem out of place. Color theory is so confusing. I started to work on the backgrounds from top to bottom; for the most part I would use the color select tool in order to color in the drawings. I did attempt to match the colors without the use of the color select tool throughout each background. It was very difficult. Since the colors are quite dull and desaturated, changing the value of the color can make it too bright or too dark which heavily brings the attention to that area. It doesn't give off that nice smooth unison look.

Another thing I noticed with WordGirl's background is this yellowish overlay that they use for the sky. I never noticed that before. I'm not sure if the background artists use that for every city/neighborhood shot throughout the entire series or if the yellow color just happened to be in the screenshots that I got. I believe it's used to fog out buildings in the very back of the background so they can appear more farther. But why use a musty dull yellow color and not a bright yellow? It's so interesting

I also noticed how incredibly detailed the backgrounds are! When you zoom in on the buildings in the far back of the background, you can still make out each window they illustrated for every single building! THIS ATTENTION TO DETAIL IS SO IMPRESSIVE AND INSANE! I wonder what resolution and dimensions they used for these illustrations. The show came out in the early 2000s and broadcasted on television, there was no way for the viewer to zoom in on such details. Why bother dedicating more time and labor on something nearly no on would notice or attentively look out for? At first glance, the backgrounds appear to be simple but it's actually extremely detailed! There's so much life and character in these backgrounds and yet they have very little screentime. It makes me appreciate it them even more.

[jaxfromthatcircus]

SO guess what? I found acess to one of those funky computers that Caine keeps in secret... And made this! Isn't it cool? Eh, not like I have anything better to do anyways.

So I guess you people from the interneet can send me some cool asks about how things are going here, I just won't spill secrets okay?

...Who am I kidding, of course I will.

Warnings!

Be aware that the person behind this blog IS AN ADULT and so is the character, mod is 20 and Jax is 22. Do NOT send me anything sexual if you're a minor. This blog may contain sexual or suggestive jokes and is considered 16+.

Be mindful that this blog is both based in canon AND headcanons, so some stuff might not be completely "in character". If you see something that you dislike, remember that the character IS an asshole but also the mod's just having fun with it lol don't need to harass anyone because of a silly gag.

This blog may contain mentions of drug and alcohol use as well as heavy topics like mental breakdowns, panic, and similar. Suicidal topics will be kept to a minimum but may always happen, so viewer discretion is advised.

Why did you not answer me?

If I did not answer your ask yet, there might be a reason:

- I'm sleeping or working

- I am searching for a more appropriate answer to the question (if it relates to canon stuff)

- There was an exactly same ask sooner so I'm killing two birds with one stone

- I'm editing an image for the ask

- I'm not following the order or the asks for a funny reason

- Too many asks, mod is sorry for this one-

- Update June 2025: I'M BACK BITCHES!

The children!

So far we have 9 kid anons that Jax is caring for

That doesn't mean you can't make your own silly anons to interact too, bring your ocs, it's fine! This is just a list of adopted children.

[Last update on 22/04/2024]

So far, we got:

cool anon

foreheadkisser

clown

lav

sleepy

strawberry

patchwork

pastel

phoenix

Roleplaying

"This is how Jax talks!"

This is how we're gona describe actions and anything that is not to be said out loud.

[mod coffee: and this is how I will talk once in a while :3]

Extras!

I made a mod blog where you can reach out to me! It's @mod-coffee-is-here!

I also have a ko-fi! I made it for supporting other people, but if for whatever reason you want to give me money for the sillies I do, click here!

[velidewrites]

- What is the worst thing your OC does in their story?

You probably don’t want to spoil plot points, so tell me each of the VanFam’s worst crimes in their past 🫦

Ooh I love this one — let me answer it with the worst things that, in my mind, they did in the canon acotar verse. I’m going to list a few since they’ve done ah… plenty of terrible things

Vermilion

I’ve mentioned under his recent art, but it would have to be holding Lucien down during Jesmina’s execution. All the brothers played their part in it, for their own reasons, but Vermilion and Eris were the only ones who tried to protect Lucien throughout all of it. It took all of Vermilion’s strength to hold Lucien back — he’d conjured fire ropes, his whip, everything to tie him down to prevent him from lashing out at Beron, a fight Lucien (at the time) had no chance of surviving. Before that incident, Lucien and Ver’s relationship had already been rocky, nothing like what they shared in their early youth, but Ver holding him back was the ultimate betrayal in Lucien’s eyes.

When he was exiled, Lucien told Vermilion he never wishes to see him again, and, if he does, he would kill him without hesitation. Vermilion only smirked and encouraged Lucien to try, even though on the inside it felt like his heart was being ripped apart. In my mind, since then up until where we’re left off in ACOSF, Vermilion periodically checks up on Lucien via his contacts across Prythian — without Lucien ever finding out, of course.

Another horrible in-canon thing: Vermilion was one of the brothers who, together with Eris, had attacked Feyre and Lucien at the frozen lake in ACOWAR. Vermilion had only come along because he hadn’t seen Lucien since UtM, and desperately wanted to make sure he was okay. The other brother was Sylas, who had genuinely hoped to capture both Feyre and Lucien and bring them to Beron (while also secretly hoping Eris would fall through the ice and drown in the lake as a sort of two birds in one stone thing lmao)

** Side note: in that scene in ACOWAR, Feyre and Lucien are described to be trapped by a fiery rope. HI VERMILION

Sylas

Worst crimes? SO many. War crimes in Beron’s name for sure, I can think of so many he could’ve committed during and after the war with Hybern, and in the First War when the Wall went up. Sylas is a soldier, yet, and an extremely skilled warrior, but he doesn’t fight with a soldier’s honor the way, say, Cassian does. Yes, he takes good care of his armies and is loyal to the people, but he fights wars that serve him, and his motives only. Anything to discredit Eris as the heir, to gain Beron’s favor, and to eventually kill them both.

On a sadder note, Sylas led the search for Jesminda when her relationship with Lucien was made known to Beron. He’s the one who’d pursued her through the forest and captured her to bring forward to Beron. While it doesn’t make the crime any better, Sylas did think Jesminda was going to be exiled, not executed. He thought Beron would’ve seen that as the more sensible option to avoid any potential Lesser Faerie uprising in her name. If Sylas were High Lord, it’s what he would’ve done. As for Lucien, he didn’t much care that he was punished and exiled. In Sylas’s eyes, suffering at the hands of Beron is nothing out of the ordinary for any of the brothers.

Marcel

LMFAOOOOO where do I start??

I guess since we’re on the Jesminda topic — after her capture, he used his smoke to incapacitate her, making her suffer horrifying visions of torture, death, Lucien’s death, and everything in between. Beron didn’t order him to do so, and it wasn’t that Marcel particularly wanted to punish her or Lucien. Around that time, he was still perfecting his smoke’s ability to induce hallucinations, so he simply saw it as a good opportunity to practice.

Ask game

[aheckinmess]

Weak Spot (Dad Sukuna)

(Part 1 of Cursed, Not Cute.)

Read on AO3.

Tags: Dad Sukuna, OC Child, Mildly Out of Character?, I Mean I Tried, I Really Tried to Keep Him in Character, Given the Circumstances, But Just in Case, Sukuna's Daughter, And Yes She Has His Sass

Word Count: 1,021 words

Summary: After Ryomen Sukuna has complete control of Japan as the King of Curses, he has a child that he's determined to train into a vessel of villainy, just like him. Things don't exactly go according to plan.

Chapter 1: Weak Spot

Sukuna should have seen it coming the second the damned woman told him she was with child. A night of passion and lust had resulted in a child of his own. One that he knew would be hellbent on destruction, just like him.

“I will raise you to be stronger even than me.” Flames reflected in his red eyes as he glared over the crumbled city below. He rocked her in his arms to the cadence of screaming victims below. “You cannot be weak if you’re going to inherit my legacy.”

A little girl with pink and brown hair looked up at him, babbling and cooing with a radiant smile. A smile reflecting paternal affection, dependence, and unyielding trust.

These were emotions he��d always thought he’d easily dismiss when the child was born. But truth be told? She wrapped him around her finger a little more with every passing day.

“We will rule this world together, you and I.” He promised.

The moment he felt such buzzing warmth for her, he should have killed her. Hell, he should have killed Asuka as soon as she’d said she was pregnant. Killed two birds with one stone.

But now, looking into his daughter’s eyes, his resolve crumbled. Her dark, pleading eyes squeezed a part of his soul that should have been dead long ago. He grit his teeth, raising his hand again to slice off her head. She’s just another obstacle in my reign of terror and misery! She has to go!

So what stopped him?

Those eyes. Those wide, loving eyes. Eyes that still stared at him with trust and adoration even as he held her life in the balance. A respect for her father that stood unshakeable even in the face of death.

“Are you going to kill me, Father?” Her lip quivered, though he’d long since taught her to be brave and keep her head high during her final moments.

Sukuna, for once, found himself speechless. With a roar, he threw his hands down before pacing across the balcony. Four sets of knuckles gripped the railing until they turned white, flattening metal with his great strength. This damn child. This. Damn. Child!

“I apologize, Father.” Her soft voice floated over to him. “I never intended for my weakness to cause you dishonor.”

“Silence.” Sukuna’s throat tightened in his fury.

The sound of crackling flames drowned out the silence between them as she listened obediently. Perhaps that’s why I’m so remiss to end her life. She's strong. Strong and obedient. Sukuna’s eyes met the gaze of a frantic woman clutching her child to her chest on the street as a curse cornered both of them. He flicked his wrist and the woman and her child dropped in a bloody mass without a second thought.

“I raised you to carry on my legacy,” He growled, slamming his fist down against the damaged metal and turning to her. For once, his brows wrinkled with pain, something he hadn’t felt in years. “Yet you stand before me, unwilling to follow the path of destruction I’ve set. Do you think I would just support your path of good fortune to others?!”

Her second set of hands always gave her away. While the bottom pair stayed by her side, she hid the top pair behind her back, fidgeting as her eyes glistened.

“No, sir.” She whispered.

“Do you expect me to accept such weakness from my own flesh and blood?!”

“No, sir.”

“Then what do you expect, Besu?!” He snapped, digging his nails into her cheeks as his frustration mounted.

“I don’t know.” She admitted.

Blood marred the sides of her face as he tried one more time to use his great strength to bring her a swift end. But he could only watch the blood drip from her chin before he pulled his hand back.

“Well, I don’t know either!” He huffed, raking two hands through his hair as the other two rested on his hips. With a heavy sigh, he responded as softly as the Curse King had ever dared. “I know what I should do.”

She didn’t say anything, and neither of them needed to. Sukuna knew she was a brilliant child. She was his offspring, after all. So she knew he should kill her, as opposed to giving her a gentle ending. They both knew he lacked gentleness with everyone.

Everyone but her. Why her?! I killed Asuka as soon as Besu no longer needed her milk. So why? Why, why, why?!

“I love you.”

Those words. Those damned words! Only she had ever uttered them. He’d never found a need for them from anyone else.

He whipped his hand around and bruised her cheek with the flat of his palm. She barely flinched and kept her back straight.

She knew not to say such things. She knew. Words had power. Those three little words already drove him to his knees as he rubbed a thumb over the growing welt, healing it in seconds.

“Love is weak.” He hissed, looking directly into her eyes. “I’ve told you that time and time again, Besu. You know that love is weak and…and…” He paused, waiting for the anger to pummel relentlessly into her before he broke. “And…and dammit, I love you too!” He clutched her against his chest. “I love you and I hate it!”

For those few moments he could only hold her and wish she were a newborn again, reveling in the fallen world with him. He wished she were not this sweet and precious 7-year-old holding his heart in the palm of her hands as she told him she didn’t want to be evil. He wished he did not feel this overwhelming urge to protect her until his dying breath. He wished he did not enjoy the relief that flooded him knowing she still breathed against his chest, trusting him with every inhale and exhale.

No. He wished he did not have a daughter at all. Because for the first time in history, Ryomen Sukuna had a weak spot.

And he knew it wouldn’t take long for the world to notice.

Continue Reading -> Ch. 2

[mar3ggiata]

The Night of the Tarantula - intro

simon riley x oc

sequel to 'professional help'

'No good deed ever goes unpunished.'

'You got everything you need?'

She exhaled, a breath she was holding in for what felt like ten minutes. He palms sweaty, she shook her head. She was unable to stay still, swaying with her weight on one foot, and then the other.

'They're gonna kill me', she whispered, her eyes low on the ground.

He clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth, an habit he got from her.

'Quit it.'

She was dramatic, it was getting on his nerves at this point. Not really, but he needed her to think that. He let his tired eyes travel on her face and body, she was trembling. It was a really nice, warm evening in Naples. Napoli. It was nearly six in the afternoon. She wore a blouse with blue stripes, the perfect southern Italy look. Denim jeans and sandals, she had a small bag hanging from her right shoulder. Perfect southern Italian girl. They were currently in the garden, alone, birds were chirping. They were given a nice cottage as temporary headquarters for their operation, in the outskirts of Naples, in a countryside called Saint Felix.

'They're gonna fucking kill me, I can't… I don't…'

'Oi, stop…' His tone got softer, he fixed his posture, getting closer to her left ear. 'It's gonna be fine.' He spoke into her cheek. He didn't even bother hiding it at this point, everyone knew what was going on. He was sent outside before the mission cause she was scared and his job was to calm her down. They all knew it would work. She looked for him in every crowded room, she had her eyes on him during briefings, meetings. He found her after every mission, every time she would come to the temporary base her eyes would find his, for comfort, for safety. And everyone noticed, when she got mad, often yelling and storming out of the room, he was the one they sent to get her back. One time she got high with some guys they were getting intel from. Refusing to smoke with them would have looked suspicious. Came back to the base incredibly high, stoned out of her mind. She had to take a nap and, naturally, he suggested she lay her head on his shoulder. Drooled on his shirt for an hour. Everyone noticed his arm around her, gently caressing her arm. He gravitated towards her, asking her how it went, if she was feeling fine, if she needed anything. He sometimes offered her food, tea. He walked her dog when she was away.

He regularly visited her room.

Eva never was our enemy. I wanted her to be, so so so bad. I wanted to hate her for what she had done, but hate is such a childish feeling. It's what drove me foreword in life for years, and yet I couldn't bring myself to hate her. Eva was never my enemy. I wanted to despise her, I ended up following her everywhere like a dog. I was never strong enough to let her go. And she never let me go, thank God. Hating her made my obsession even worse, that's the truth.

Me and Eva, our story is complicated. I would go through it again, don't get me wrong. To be with her like I am right now, I would go through all of it again, and again. If the end prize was to be with her and have a life with her, send me back in time if you must. I would do it all again, even if it was fucking messy. It was messy cause she deeply broke my trust, and I acted like a dick. It was messy cause a mission was involved, then another, we spent time apart. Her past, my past, her trauma and that shit family of hers. Then Makarov, Johnny… it was messy and risky and confusing. And painful. But she taught me things, how to be gentle. How it feels to be loved, she showed me things. How much violence you have to endure before you cherish the meaning of a gentle hand.

Eva continued to work with us, became an asset for dismantling two Italian mafia groups from the inside. In Naples, her hometown. Eva needed to go back to her family, her old house, old street, old neighbourhood, old job as a criminal.

And betray them all like she betrayed us.

If she did, she would get to stay out of prison, and be responsible for the incarceration of all those criminals, well, her family. We gave her a choice, really. And she could have picked 4 years in jail. She didn't, that's why I'm telling this story. So, she was never my enemy. Looking back I got mad, I was furious and she didn't even deserve it. Or maybe it's just me being too nice to her, I don't know. I was furious and I was disappointed, mostly at myself. For getting fooled, for getting this close to her, for letting me believe there could be something between us. She really didn't deserve my rage. I'll let her explain it better, but she never was a bad person. She did bad things, sure, she was a total cunt. This is something I learned from her, actually. There is no truth and no morale. There is no right or wrong. Everything depends, everything exists in its own context, and context has an effect on individuals and individuals affect the context. You have to be careful which way you lean.

So, let me introduce what you're gonna read. The rest of the story will be set in Italy. After many interrogations, tears and fights, she decided to help us frame her family for all of their crimes, making her what they call, 'pentita'. Pentito is used colloquially to designate collaborators of justice in Italian criminal procedure. Someone who was formerly part of criminal organizations and decided to collaborate with a public prosecutor. Repentant. It was a hard month. Naples was hard on Eva, on us. I'm not good with words, but if I'm telling you this it means The Night of the Tarantula didn't kill us both.

notes: I did it guys wtf. this sets the scene for the official beginning of TNOT (the night of the, you get it). for context, La Notte della Taranta is the biggest music festival in Southern Italy and one of the most significant events about the popular culture in Europe. Not from Naples, but still. i want the concept of tnot to be a spooky, weird thing that kinda follows the characters now that they’re in italian territory. and we love our traditions.

so there you go, I hope you'll enjoy this story and I'll see you when I see you lovelies.

-mare

taglist:

@random-fandom-smoothie

@ghostlythots @sweetfemmefatal @natxpat @chavarriakeren647 @ravenmoore14 @farther-than-pleiades @internallyscreamings @hwromi @atoxicrat @cuti3maddi3 @deafeningkittenblaze @its-celeste @serene-hills @lexidoll12 @poohkie90 @lunatiquess

@warmedbythebody @katzykat @iristhemuse @azkza @keiraslayz @abbyandermine @jennyjencakes @dest-nai @corset-briefs @nutze-kekse @ilytsukiw @b3anspr0ut

@pondsblog @missyouzoe @fallenkitten @bigauthorrascalturkey @bethtay @angelynn-nicole @starluv @stargirlisworld @giyuuslittleslut @impossiblecupcakelight

@rkrivees-blog @ghosts-hoe @kam1snotverysmart @gauky76 @freyjaaasstuff @spicyspicyliving @scottpilgrimvsmyfists @courtney0-0 @shinchanboi @darling006 @my-therapist-hates-me @asteriadisera

[crumbledcastle28]

Two Birds with One Stone

Pairing: miguel x fem!reader (she/her; afab)

Summary: Miguel is of the opinion that revenge is best served cold.

Warnings: blood! violent miguel, swearing, cocky miguel, probably incorrect science, some biblical references, descriptions of dead bodies, HEA. Technically a part two to Come Hell or High Water, but can be read on its own.

A/N: Thank you to everyone who read part one, especially @vanilla-sweets @blueberry-thrawn @freehentai. You guys rock.

Word Count: 1.3k Type: blurb

Miguel O'Hara never knew how easy it would be rely on the omnipresent arrogance of a narcissistic Doc Oc variant. It was shocking, really, how little the Doctor believed himself capable of making a mistake. One could argue that it was his downfall, his Achilles heel, his fatal flaw.

Miguel was beginning to learn that everyone had one of those, his being the woman the Doctor still had in his titanium clutches, and that was okay. Because if there was one thing Miguel was nauseatingly good at, it was at finding people's faults.

Funny enough, he had found the way to get you back purely unwittingly.

He had been staring at his orchestra of beaming yellow monitors in the early hours of the morning and fell into the insatiably seductive trap of merely "resting his eyes."

"Just for a minute," he whispered, voice dripping in aching exhaustion, and dropped his head right onto the keyboard.

After a moment, he was woken by a piercing ringing in his ears. He figured it was a rogue anomaly alarm, causing him to bring his tender neck up and his swollen eyes scanning his screens once more. It took a few seconds for Miguel to process what he was looking at.

A tiny, flashing, lime green light blinking right at the center of the Spider-Verse, its diagnostic reading "Anomaly Found, Canon At Risk."

He shook his head, readying himself for disappointment. There was no way the Doctor would just...reveal himself, right? Unless it was a trap? Or some kind of scheme?

Or maybe, just maybe, the Doctor had made a mistake.

Miguel clicked on the diagnostic, reading further into the fine print. His eyes squinted as he read, one word from the comprehensive paragraph burning into his beaten frontal lobe.

Being currently dozing.

He rubbed his eyes, reading the words again, and again, and again.

The Doctor had fucking fallen asleep, effectively de-powering his tracking repellant installed in the chip of his brainstem. Without his conscious mind keeping the arms powered, therefore not keeping the inhibitor powered, his restrictions on his location were terminated.

Therefore, the restrictions on your location were terminated.

Miguel felt coolness drape itself over his body, a twitching sensation begin in his left eye, and an itching, tiny, yet incandescent glow begin to bloom across his chest and down his thighs.

The familiar, almost homey, grounding feeling of calculation and strategizing washed over him like a baptism. Renewing him from the wallowing man he had been, to the righteous one he was.

He knew how to be quick. He knew how to be efficient. He knew that getting you out was the main priority, while defeating the Doctor was secondary.

But Miguel had never been talented at only using his head.

A chilling, feline smile etched its way onto his face, his fangs dipping slightly over his bottom lip. His triceps flexed, his eyes narrowed, and his determination dropped like a stone in his stomach, sending ripples through the rest of his muscles.

Why not kill two birds with one stone?

"In the name of efficiency, of course," he mumbled, and powered up his gizmo.

~*~

Miguel O'Hara realized two things at once.

Firstly, Miguel didn't realize what he had done. The scope of it, the brevity, the fucking gore of it. Not until he stood still, the Doctor's mutilated corpse in front of him, metallic arms ripped from his body, clutched in Miguel's hands, dripping ooze and blood and bone.

Miguel didn't realize what he had done until that moment, and consecutively, how little he cared.

He hadn't hesitated. Not when the Doctor begged for mercy, just as Miguel had done. Not when the light began to slowly fade from the Doctor's eyes as his back became shredded, his spine shattered, and his brain ripped in half. Not when blood so red it was almost wine colored began dripping from Miguel's claws, effectively soaking the skin of his abdomen and upper thighs. No, Miguel hadn't hesitated.

And he didn't fucking care.

"Y/N," he yelled, throwing the dismembered pieces onto the metallic floor. He was in a warehouse of some kind, likely of the Doctor's own design. It was cold, grey, and composed of only panels and panels of sound-proof metal. No one could hear what was happening from the outside, and no one inside could hear what was happening outside.

His skin crawled and his jaw clenched at the thought.

He yelled your name once, twice, three more times. His fangs protruding from how wide he was opening his mouth, his deep bloodlust-filled voice regurgitating across the walls in an echo with a thrilling crescendo. He began to panic, his chest puffing at the thought that the Doctor had taken you somewhere else. That he sacrificed himself on purpose to send Miguel on an endless goose chase that ended with his own eventual death.

Because he would never stop searching. Never. You were worth spending the rest of his life a shepherd, looking for his one lost sheep.

He opened his mouth and strained his vocal chords one final time, and just as he was about to scream your name in a way that made every emotion he was feeling completely transparent to you, he heard a clanging from beneath his feet, and the muffled sound of his name.

His eyes locked on the bolts surrounding the small square he was standing on, as well as a small vent near his left foot, and realization washed over him.

It took him less than fifteen seconds to pry the hatch open, and pull you out.

His brain became muffled at the sight of you again - eyes he had gotten to know the color of so well, mouth with lips he could never seem to wipe away the feeling of, neck and jawline he had been desperate to trace one last time. Your features had always been striking to him, and with the blood and grime from the last few days strewn across them, he somehow found them even more so.

He only took a few seconds to admire you before practically tearing your suit in half, inspecting your wounds.

"Miguel," you said, you voice noticeably groggier from multiple days without use, "he let me bandage and clean them. I'm fine."

Miguel ran his fingers over your middle, inspecting your craftsmanship, pressing down on the bandages to ensure any bleeding or oozing had long since passed. He felt your soft fingers grasp underneath his chin, bringing his head up. You didn't hesitate to press his equally dirty forehead to yours, closing your eyes, breathing him in.

"I'm fine," you repeated, and Miguel exhaled shakily.

He let himself bask in the moment, forgetting the pain and carnage of the past, and the uncertainty of the future. Here he was, here and now, with his woman.

He hadn't failed you.

You brushed his hair from his face before pressing a quick kiss to his chiseled cheekbone. You then attempted to stand up before halting halfway, your face grimacing at the strain of the motion against your torn muscles.

He rotated your worn body into his arms, picking you up as a husband would his bride, and holding you close. He walked you from the warehouse, leaving the Doctor's body to wither and rot.

He grinned down at you. "How did you get him to fall asleep?"

You snorted, eyes closing against his swol chest. "You said I could experiment with my suit whenever I wanted. I took advantage of the opportunity," you said with a yawn.

Miguel's eyebrows furrowed when he caught the cocktail of scents in the air - carly sage, fresh roses, and a hint of lavender oil. You must have installed a ventilation of it as a fail-safe, the vent in your dungeon the perfect vessel to permeate it around the room.

He couldn't help but grin. "You truly scare me sometimes."

You looked up at Miguel one last time before succumbing to the exhaustion of your wounds. "You've never scared me."

He had never heard anything sweeter.

Tag list:

@leahkenobi @buckysblondie @tayleighuh

[pennkquest]

Welcome to the first of several Sam/Milo posts! /lh

Let's start simple with the overall dynamic notes (under the cut because it's gonna be lengthy /lh)

-Pairing Adjustment: Milo/SH + Sam/Darlin —> Milo/Sam + SH/Darlin (This is tailored heavily towards my listener OCs ssssssh /lh)

-Milo and SH have a brief (physical) situation of sorts around the end of the shade case, but ultimately decide to be friends instead

-Milo brings SH around the pack for one reason or another, which is how them and Darlin end up meeting. They have a slow burn but like *slow* burn ‘cause they’re meeting before the Quinn stuff really pops off

-When the Quinn stuff *does* happen and Darlin leaves, Milo ends up getting a bit of info on Quinn from David, SH, or both, and he starts going around and trying to find the fucker that fucked with one of his closest friends.

-The timing of Milo and Sam meeting (in my vision) coincides closely with A) the audio where Milo talks about being teased/belittled by the pack and B) Fred and Bright’s turning. This is very very important because:

-In my heart of hearts, *Milo and Sam have such a visceral first meeting* (/lh). Early them is so full of sass and bite and snarky attitude, which is amplified by them both being stressed/pushed to a point. I’m imagining them getting into it badly enough that they’re yelling/fussing to the point that another vampire at the estate is like “What is happening out there—” (Timeline wise, that’s around early Nov. 2020 iirc)

-Have I mentioned the sass and bite? *Because it really is one of my favorite things about these two together.* Like imagine Sam making a sarcastic jab at Milo with a smirk, only for Milo to later return it with an “I told you so” and middle finger? It’s so fun

-Something I’ll expand upon later is Milo’s dynamic with Fred and Bright and how that influences this pairing. Besides me thinking Milo would call Sam out for being a hardheaded piece of shit when it comes to those two, I’ve quickly become attached to the idea that Bright specifically could reach out to Milo to talk. My version of Fred and Bright have a kind of tense relationship until right before/around the start of Inversion, and Milo being a non-vampiric space to turn to is so tasty.

-The other reason why I’m enjoying this idea so much is because I want Milo to be actively involved in the whole “Darlin came to Dahlia but is hiding” plot point. In general, I love eyeing this when it comes to Darlin rarepairs. In this context, it’s basically Milo feeling like “Two people around me aren’t telling me jack shit and it’s driving me insane” (because at this point, SH and Darlin are definitely dating so SH *has* to know stuff as well). Milo doesn’t want to ambush them (D) but pretending like he’s not upset hearing they’re being reckless again wouldn’t be possible.

-My canon divergent solution to this? Milo talks to David about how he can also tell Darlin’s back in town but no one’s telling him anything. David’s “kill two birds with one stone” solution is to have Milo be the one to go and talk to Darlin directly. The Sam/David call still takes place, but instead of him being the one to talk to Darlin, he mentions how he’s sending someone in his place. (Sam’s proximity to the pack at this point is up for debate but I feel like this still works fairly well)

-This is everything to me because in both cases, we have a speaker wanting more information about someone close to them that only the other has. I think that’s a funky parallel. I also think this would be a good catalyst for Sam and Milo to finally get together, especially since this would give them a few months of officially dating before the solstice/Inversion (it always comes back to Inversion at some point)

///

[Bonus: Quinn related stuff]

-This is a tweaked version of my usual Darlin/Quinn canon, but in the context of this ship, I think they’d have a very transactional relationship/dynamic. It’s one that SH finds out about early-ish/when things start to get rough for Darlin

-At some point, SH approaches Darlin (again, knowing that Darlin and Quinn have some sort of complex situationship of sorts). Them convincing Darlin that they (D) deserve more, that they (SH) can offer them more, that they can see the intense chemistry between them— It leads to Darlin turning the dynamic with Quinn into one of feeding only (no sex) because them and SH start dating.

-Either Quinn tries to convince Darlin otherwise a few times *or* he tries to bring them into other sinister things he’s doing (which would admittedly be more canon compliant honestly—) but either way, their clear line in the sand wis what leads to them (Darlin/Quinn) getting into it and Darlin having to go home for a bit

-As a mini palette cleanser: I also think about SH coming to visit Darlin while they’re in Washington

[bulldog-geckorahhhhh]

I'm sorry sir but YOUR OC DID WHAT TO A WHAT/silly

HEHE

Ok I feel like I owe the public an actual explanation. LORE TIME

So Livia (the oc in question) is an ornithologist, bird lover and all the things. They value birds over human life, and actively resent people. They don’t go out of their way to show it- but if it was a persons life and a birds life on the line, they’d save the bird.

Livia is also, in the cult of the eyes! They joined because they believed they had the opportunity to gain immense knowledge! (Specifically about birds) AND they were very not so secretly hoping, that they could beg the Eyes to bring back extinct birds. Specifically passenger pigeons! They have been thinking of lies and excuses for years they know how to explain this PLEASE bring the birds back. Liv and the Eyes eventually formed some manner of bond, romantically!

So, very basic liv rundown complete. Now- the whole “pregnancy” thing.

Liv works with birds, it’s their whole thing. And they end up watching several eggs hatch over the course of a year. So one time, they were in charge of a clutch of duck eggs. And the ducklings hatched! Yayyy! Except, one of them was very unwell. It was clear she wasn’t going to make it. And Liv values avian life over ANYTHING. So, they rushed to the Eyes. Being rather important to the god, no one could stop them. So they got to Eyes, and begged for it to save the duckling! They’d do ANYTHING to ensure the duckling survived! And Eyes agreed. It took the duckling, and told Liv to return to it in 9 weeks.

And when they did, there was a whole human baby waiting for them! Their new daughter, Anaetia! Who shares both human DNA, and Eyes’ DNA! Eyes decided to kill two birds with one stone and create a future vessel for chaos using the dying duckling! And that’s how Duckie was born

:3

[roseofithaca]

The Beasts of the Wood

A little horror ficlet set in @idiotwithanipad 's Gore Au, ft Robin and my oc Elysabeth.

-

The tale of which I is about to speak was told to me by my father, as was told to him by his grandfather. For on the night he turned ten and two, his elder brothers did take him out huntin' in West Horsely woods.

A newly crafted bow, gifted to him by their pa, was placed in the youngest lad's tremblin' hands.

"Richy," said his eldest brother, for twas my great grandda's name, "This be the night ye become a man."

Young Richy's heart did thud with excitement. He beheld visions of his arrow bringing down a great stag, of his brothers ringing out cheers and his parents gleeful smiles as they hauled their game back to the village. Enough to feed them till Christmastide.

Till that night, he had been his brothers' cherished fool. He had not their height, nor strength, nor much of wit. But he be fast and small. Easy to slip away into the shadows and out of grasping hands.

This was to be the night he'd be ever thankful for all time that God chose him for such odd blessings.

Four of them did wander up, at the twilight hour. Bill the tall, Pete the strong and Simon the clever. Prodding his back, they made young Richy take the lead, reminding him there were no going home until his first kill.

As he stepped onto the field, coated in an ever persisting layer of mist, his eyes caught sight of a terrible omen.

Stones. Giant, terrible stones, embedded deep in the earth, set in a circle of pagan worship.

"This be the cursed forest! Why ye bring me here of all places?" Young Richy did squeak to his brethren.

Pete shoved the base of his palm between the lad's shoulder blades and laughs.

"Where else be more fitting to temper thy spirit, whelp?"

Bill took more pity on the boy and smiled; "Pay no heed to Old Wive's tales, Richy. The priests say the ancient gods are long dead now, trampled by the soldiers of Christ."

But Richy had heard the stories that persisted to his day. And to ours. Stories of monsters lurking between the trees. Creatures betwixt man and beast. Slain Roman soldiers charging aimlessly with a sword and a whip. A plump and beautiful foreign Siren, luring men to their end with her magic flute.

"We ain't expectin' ye to kill a ghoul, boy. A hare or fox will do." Said Simon, also well versed in the tales of bards.

Richy took in a deep breath and asked the saints to grant him courage. The woods loomed ahead, great gates of wood and shadows.

Time was of the essence. Had to be quick before the sun set. It would not be impossible under the full moonlight, but much more difficult.

Crouching low, he began to tread forward. Only a few steps from the treeline did he realise he no longer saw his brothers shadows.

Turning his head, he saw them hanging back, leaning against the ancient Standing Stones.

"I is to go alone?!" Richy did balk.

"Shhh! Do ye want to scare them back to their dens?! Idiot." Pete scoffed.

"We not be far! One yelp and we shall come save ye." Promised Bill, making the others chuckle.

Little Richy's cheeks went bright scarlet before he turned back, determined as ever to proceed.

Laying low to the ground, he slowly made his way in, the bleak branches hanging above like great wooden claws. An owl hooted nearby, but that would ought be a waste of an arrow, not to mention seen as a sin to kill a bird so wise.

A scuffle made him freeze. Nearby ran a fox, which then paused, sniffing at some berries on a bush. Richy considered.

Not a great source of meat, but his ma and sister could make great use of its fur. Maybe even a hat.

He knocked an arrow and steadied his pose, knee bent, one eye squinted. It was close enough to get a clean kill, straight through the neck.

"Come with me, dilly dilly."

His grip went slack, the arrow slipping from his fingers. The fox raised its head before scampering off. Alerted.

Richy cursed under his breath. Who had sung that? Sabotaged his hunt?

"Was that you, Simon?! That not be a funny jest!" He called out.

The voice had sounded like a maiden. But it wouldn't have been too difficult for one of his brother's to put on a girl's tone.

No reply. He shivered as the air began to turn cold.

As he creeped further into the wood, he heard more singing. Soft. Like a memory carried on the breeze. And then, overshadowing it, a bleat.

Following the sound, he came to small clearing. A motherless doe wandered on unsteady legs. Had someone else already claimed her? It would hardly be anything like the great stag in his dreams but no one turned their nose up at venison stew.

He raised his bow. The trembling deer looked his way and bleated again. Lost. Scared. Alone.

Young Richy's hands shook. His stomach lurched with guilt and he dropped his bow.

Then came an arrow from the bushes to his right. It flew through the air and through the little doe's neck.

Richy did gasp as his brother Pete stepped out, laughing away.

"Ye stole my kill!" The lad accused.

"Stole? I gave ye all but two minutes to let loose! Here be thy lesson for thy birthday, little brother. Never let someone else take thy game."

The doe was crying and writhing on the ground, still alive, its nobbly legs flailing out hopelessly.

Pete handed Richy his knife.

"Go on. I'll let thee end it, even thou I brought it down. No one needs to know."

Richy's hand shook as he held the knife.

"Go'n. Look. It's sufferin', Rich, be quick now." Pete encouraged, "Be that what caused ye to chicken out before? For Jove's sake, it wouldn't live without its ma anyway. T'is a kindness. And anyway, t'is only a beast. The Vicar say they have no souls like us."

But young Richy saw a soul in the scared creature's eyes. Fear and pain and sadness as any orphaned child in grave danger.

He knew his brother was right, in a way. But still his hands failed to move.

"Oh give it 'ere! Christsake. Maybe we'd 'ave had better luck bringin' Janey! A girl coulds hunt better than thee!"

Pete went up to the doe and gripped it by the ears, pulling its head back to expose its throat, before dragging his knife deep across to drain its blood.

While his brother tied the hooves together, cursing Richy more as he worked, a growl made the hairs on his neck stand tall.

"What be that?" Cried Ricky, raising his bow.

"Badger, maybe." Dismissed Pete.

"What if it be what killed the mother?"

"It's mother not be dead, not if it be the same doe we spotted on the field, calling for her young."

Richy turned white at this news; "Ye told me it were motherless! That it be a kindness!"

"Was just to try to get ye to stop bein' such a wimp!"

Another growl.

This time, Pete heard it too, straightening up.

"That be no badger..." He whispered, tossing the deer carcass over his shoulder.

"....A bear?"

"Hush, there not been a bear in these parts since the old king died."

But something was approaching. Large feet or paws padding deep into the dirt, twigs snapping beneath its weight.

"Si?! Bill, is that thee?!" Pete yelled, "Richy's made his kill, we be headin' off now...."

Silence.

"C'mon, move ye feet. They were near snoozin' on the rocks when I left them to come check on ye-" he began.

Then Pete let out a blood curdling scream.

The deer's body fell the the floor. Then fell Pete.

On top of him, claws dug deep into his shoulders and arms, was a ferocious wild man. Brown fur matted with blood, his body marked with deep red cuts. He pressed himself upon Pete and sank his teeth into the young man's neck, tearing out his flesh with his fangs. Ripping into his wind pipe, just as he had to the deer with his knife.

Richy was too scared to scream. Or to move. He watched in horror as the man who acted as a beast viciously attacked his strongest brother. Pete couldn't cry for help as blood quickly began to gush from his mouth. He looked to Richy and tried to stretch out his hand.

Finally, a spark of courage ignited in him, enough for Richy to raise his bow and aim an arrow at the beast.

"LET HIM GO!" He cried, "Let my brother go, or I..."

The monster didn't pay heed. And so Richy let loose the arrow.

It passed straight through the creature as if through air.

The beast raised his head once Pete's body had gone limp beneath him, his eyes empty once his soul quickly departed.

Blood dripped from the beast's fangs, its eyes a savage gleam, before it pounced towards Richy.

And here be where Richy's own gifts came in useful. He dropped his bow and ran.

Leaping skillfully over fallen logs and ducking beneath the low branches, he made his way back out the woods. Back across the field, he raced, spotting his remaining brothers still resting against the Standing Stones.

"Bill! Simon!" He yelled, "Pete is...He..."

His voice became lost the closer he got. For the true sight of why his brothers appeared so still became clear.

Their bodies were bent and crooked against the stones, eyes bulging wide in eternal terror, deep cuts along their chests where blood streamed out onto their laps. Their arms and necks were twisted, flesh beaten purple before they took their last breath.

All three of his brothers lay dead in that field. And Richy knew the beast was not too far behind.

He turned and saw the monster approach, snarling like a wolf, moving on his knuckles. Every inch an animal, aside from the human skin on its face.

Richy fell to his knees. He wept at the thought of returning home to tell his parents that he was now their only son. No doubt he would be resented, if not blamed for their demise. A weakling like him could never compare to the labour lost to their household and the village.

Maybe it be better he let the beast kill him quick. Still, he were close to wetting his breeches in fright.

He were only ten and twelve. He didn't want to die. Pray God, he wished with all heart, do not let me die.

Growling over him, hot stinking breath making his nose wrinkle, Richy braced himself as the beast raised his claw.

"Come with me, dilly, dilly,

Take my hand, tilly, tilly."

Richy blinked as he heard the song again. Daring to look up, he noticed the beast had gone still. He remained glaring at the lad, but now there be a wince of hesitation on his face.

Something scuttled nearby. Richy looked to his left, and spotted something small crouched behind one of the stones.

Similar to the big one, it walked on all fours, weight pressed forward on its knuckles. Except this one wore a...dress?

Richy blinked in shock. It were a maiden.

A girl not much older than himself. She had a head of golden uncovered braids, like the Saxons of olde. Her dress was the color of lavender, but ruined by dirt and blood and many ripped threads. He caught sight of her leg as she crawled towards the larger beast. She dragged it along with her, a useless lump of exposed bone, the flesh picked clean.

She crawled to sit between Richy and the beast. Reaching upward, she tugged at the sleeve of grey fur covering the beast's arm.

The monster let out a small growl, a flicker of frustration and....concern, in his savage eyes.

The boy watched as the young maiden seemed to soothe the beast, cooling his wrath a little. She did not speak a word, save for the song she sang in the old tongue. In soft grunts and moans, she communicated with the monster, who grizzled in response. The manner of which he shook his head, seemed to be telling her to leave. Get out of his way. But she refused. Instead, her fingers reached to stroke across his face and his dirty mane.

At long last, the beast let out a huff. He closed his eyes and leaned down to bump his brow against the bloody maiden's, in some bizarre act of affection between the two. Then he glared at Richy, hackles raising once more.

The beast threw an arm around the maiden and scooped her up to climb and mount herself on his back. She wrapped her arms around his mane and t'was then that Richy got a look at her face.

Perhaps once she had been a pretty thing, for a shimmer of her beauty remained, especially in her eyes as green as the glen. But claws had relieved her face of much of her skin, deep straight cuts littering her small body, similar to her guardian.

She gave Richy a stern, somewhat sad look, then raised her hand up, pointing towards his village.

"Ra!" She ordered, and he knew her meaning at once.

Run.

And so he did.

He told his parents the story of that awful night. Luckily, they believed him, for how could a boy so small murder three of his older and stronger kin? After they had buried and mourned, the mayor ordered the stones to be destroyed, hoping that would also send the beast and his maiden cub back to the Hell pit from whence they came.

It did no such thing.

Instead, the attacks increased. The men who held the hammers used to break the stones were found dismembered. No one dared to set foot upon the land for near a hundred years.

Until recently, that be, when history has turned to myth far too soon. Now they say there be no reason not to attempt to rebuild houses where those devil stones once stood tall. Where my ancestors blood soaked the earth.

Richy would never dare go near the site again. Forever, he woulds be haunted by the image of his brothers bloody corpses, the savage face of the monster, and the chilling song of the maiden who may have saved him...

Why him? That would be a question he would ask until his death.

T'is said that the maiden beast is also guardian of the wildlife in that wood. Perhaps his reluctance to harm one of her charges had earned him her mercy. Or could be his age which spared him a gruesome fate, for it has been said that no child has ever been harmed by the ancient beast.

God only knows the reason for why he came out of that night alive. But woe be to any who dare trespass 'pon the forest of the Wulfbearn and her protector. For ye may not be so lucky.

[ilovebeingcringe]

Nikki's Story (TMNT!2012 Oc Fanfiction)

(A/N: This is a short two-chapter fan fiction I created for my TikTok account dedicated to my 2012 tmnt oc named Nikki. This tells the story of how she met and joined an alliance with the turtles. These two chapters take place in the middle of season two sometime after episode 10 and 11, after everyone discovered April is part alien and before Karai discovered Splinter was her true father. I'm not a professional writer so forgive any mistakes you might see or if this is cringe :| Enjoy!)

---

Chapter One: Patience and Control

   Karai stood in an empty parking garage, a safe distance away from the unnamed assassin. She ran a hand through her obnoxiously pink hair, the other one placed on one hip in a smug and casual stance.

   "Well, I have to admit, this is a first for me," The assassin teased, her voice muffled behind her led mask. "Talking turtles? Really?"

   Karai uncrossed her arms and brought them down to her sides, clenching her fists impatiently. "Your job isn't to question me. These four boys are the bane of my existence, especially their pet rat they call their master. I want to use them as bait."

   "Oh, a lil' rat trap?"

   "Of sorts, yes."

   "If you want me to bring you the turtles, why not just pick up the rat while I'm at it? Y'know, kill two birds with one stone?" The masked girl asked.

   "As much as I hate to admit it, the rat is far too skilled beyond both our years combined," Karai explained. "He dwells within their secret base anyway. Finding and kidnapping him is too much to ask for, even from you. Besides, like I said, this needs to stay between you and I only. I don't want you getting caught and our secret exchange getting out."

   The pink-haired assassin shifted forward, a short giggle escaping her lips. "Oh, that's right. Daddy said no, didn't he?"

   "Do not patronize me, Stalker," Karai snapped back, referring to the assassin as her nickname, gained from the other gangs around town.

   "Shredder has been too docile recently; too quiet. If only he'd listen to me for a change, he'd understand why this is the perfect opportunity to attack and sweep those stupid turtles under their feet while they're still off guard."

   She grumbled under her breath to herself, "Of course, he's too busy focused on completely unimportant matters... Like, expanding his already successful underground business and building that stupid mansion upstate."

   "Well, it should be a relatively simple task for little ol' me," The Stalker replied, cracking her fingers. "You want 'em warm or cold? Well, I suppose they'd be cold either way being reptiles and all, heh."

   "You may use any means necessary, but I want them brought to me alive, understood?" Karai responded.

   "Eh, less fun, but doable. I've been wanting to get my sneaky hands on these mutant rumors spreading around the city anyway. You wouldn't happen to know how your little turtle friends came to be, would you?" The Stalker asked, stretching the rest of her lanky body out.

   "That's irrelevant. Just do what I'm paying you to do. And if you get caught, keep my name out of your mouth. Got it?"

   The Stalker half-heartedly waved Karai off. "Yeah, yeah whatever fills my pockets, princess. In any case, I'll soon know more about this mutant mush than even you."

   Her advanced gas mask booted up, small beeping and pink led lights in the goggles shortly followed after. 

   "I always do."

--

   "Late, again, O'Neil," April's math teacher observed, adjusting her glasses.

   "I know, I know! I'm sorry! Really, I have a perfectly valid excuse this time!" April tried explaining.

   "I'm afraid it doesn't matter. I'll have to write you up for a detention young lady."

   "But-"

   "Morning, loser!" A peppy and unique student blurted out as she walked through the class door, equally late. "What kind of subservient, inferior, childish slop-you call trigonometry-do you have planned for us today?"

   The teacher scoffed at her rebellious student's attitude. "Excuse me? Miss Hoffman, where on Earth do you get off talking to me that!?"

   The tall girl, adorned in black and pink street-style clothing popped a gum bubble in her mouth before responding. "Uhhhh, New York City?" She replied with a cocky smirk across her thin face.

   "Absolutely unacceptable behavior Nicolette! I've had just about enough of you! Forget the detention April, go have a seat. I have my hands full with this piece of work right here," The teacher grumbled, pulling a stack of paper out from her desk.

   April sighed in relief and walked off to her desk. She eyed the unruly girl behind her before having a seat. This new peer of hers transferred to her school district nearly two years ago. Nicolette Hoffman. Lovingly referred to as "Nutcase Nikki," by the rest of the student body. She was a rebellious, strangely-behaviored, lunatic, outcasted by other teens her age that no adult in the world had enough patience for. She did and said whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted with no shame.

   However, April-with her new found sixth sense-couldn't ignore what she was feeling around Nikki. Her gut was telling her that there was something important about that strange girl. She couldn't pinpoint what it was, however. As an outcast herself, April also felt empathetic and inclined to befriend Nikki. As often as she tried, she always failed in doing so. Nikki never seemed to be interested in making friends and would dismiss April instead.

   After class, April caught up with Nikki in the hallway. Attempting to be neighborly once again.

   "Uh, hey, Nikki!" She called out, running up to the wild, pink-haired girl.

   "Ah! Hey, Freckles!" Nikki observed upon turning around.

   "Hey, listen, I know it wasn't really your intention, but I wanted to thank you for saving my butt back there. The teacher was about to give me detention before you walked in and, uh... well, y'know..."

   "Oh, it was my intention," Nikki replied before stopping at her locker.

   "I... Wh-What?"

   "Yeah, I wanted detention!"

   "What? Why?!"

   Nikki explained flatly and-oddly-casually, "Because, detention's in the library and there's a really cool hidden room behind one of the bookshelves. I turned it into a hangout. I get to sneak in there and do whatever I want if no one else is in the library with me."

   April stood and stared at Nikki, completely dumbfounded. "You can't be serious..." She replied in shock.

   "Completely!" Nikki said back with her signature crazed smile.

   "What... What do you do in there?"

   "Y'know... research. I stole a bunch of stuff from the science labs that I don't have at home and I use it in there." Nikki winked at her with a sly grin.

   "Hey, O'Neil!" Casey shouted across the hall.

   He slid up to the two girls and leaned against the lockers. "We still on for our study-sesh tonight, right Red?" He asked April.

   April opened her mouth to reply, but stopped, eyeing Nikki by her side. "Actually, Casey... Sorry, but I can't. I, uh... have detention."

   Nikki and Casey's eyes both widened in surprise.

   "What!?" They both exclaimed in unison.

   "Yeah! Late to first period, again... Heh, it sucks, but live and learn y'know?"

   "But, I ju-"

   "Uh, I gotta run to ladies room!" April announced rather loudly, deliberately interrupting Nikki. "I need a girl buddy to come with me! C'mon, Nikki!"

   "Wait, I-"

   April snatched Nikki by the wrist and dragged her to the girls room before she could protest.

   "What, the heck April? What're you doing?" Nikki demanded, yanking her hand away from April.

   "I wanna see your hangout!"

   Nikki crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. "Uh-uh. No dice, little lady. It's a called a secret hangout for a reason."

   April smirked and put her hands on her hips. "Well if you wanna keep it a secret, then I suggest you show me where it is. Wouldn't want it getting rumored around the halls and discovered by the staff now, would you?"

   Nikki raised as eyebrow at the short, orange-haired girl, staring up at her with a mischievous smirk. She smirked back and huffed out a short laugh.

   "Huh, I never pegged you for the black-mailing type, Freckles. Fine, whatever. I'll sneak you into the library after school and show you the place. But you gotta leave immediately after, deal? Believe it or not, I got work to do."

   "Deal!" April agreed happily.

   "This doesn't mean we're friends by the way. I have no clue why you're so insistent on that. Trust me, we're both much better off," Nikki informed her, holding the bathroom door open.

   April walked underneath Nikki's arm as she exited the door, not bothering on ducking on account of their drastic height difference.

   "Oh, c'mon!" She huffed. "We have a lot more in common than you think!"

   Nikki laughed at the thought. "Hah! You have no idea.."

--

   At the end of the school day, Nikki successfully snuck April into the library after stopping by the principal's office to give him her detention slip. After a few more minutes, waiting on everyone to clear out, they promptly slid to the back of the library. Nikki slid a large bookshelf that was pressed against the wall to the side. Revealed behind it was none other than the secret room she promised.

   "Oooh..." April whispered out in awe.

   "Hurry up, c'mon," Nikki urged, yanking her inside before sliding the bookshelf back.

   April studied the small room. It looked to be an abandoned office space. A small window snug itself in the corner. In the middle of the area was a long table cluttered with stolen science equipment from the biochemistry lab. The walls were adorned in sheets of crumpled paper and notes, as was the floor.

   "Wow! What have you been doing in here?" April asked, Nikki.

   "Like I said, research," She replied flatly as she gathered papers and rearranged beakers, flasks and test tubes.

   "What's this room doing back here?"

   Nikki dug out a dusty textbook from a filing cabinet hidden away in a corner. She handed it to April, revealing it to be an old school yearbook.

   "Back in the late 80's, there were quite a few renovations done to different areas around school. They haven't touched much of it since then, especially the library, but somehow this little office got buried in all of it," Nikki explained, turning the pages to photos of the old library.

   "Woah, neat!" April hummed in curiosity, flipping through the book.

   She handed it back to Nikki before turning her attention to the rest of the room.

   "This whole school-heck most likely the whole city-has all types of hidden gems like this!" Nikki added. "And you know I love poking my head into places I'm not supposed to."

   April giggled as she observed one of the papers on the wall decorated with sloppy scribbles of advanced equations and formulas she couldn't begin understand. She chuckled to herself amusingly.

   "Don't take this the wrong way, but I sometimes forget how crazy smart you are. You hide it pretty well behind that spunky attitude," She teased Nikki.

   She smirked and stood proud. "I like to think of myself as somewhat of a mad genius!" She boasted.

   "Alright, you got to see the forbidden texts. Now scram, Freckles." Nikki pointed a thumb at the small window behind her, indicating April's exit.

   April whipped around, taken aback by the sudden eviction. "What? No! I wanna stay a little longer!" She protested.

   With a heavy sigh and a roll of her eyes, Nikki picked April up and flung her over her shoulder with ease. "We had a deal, O'Neil."

   "But I have so many questions! What's all this for?"

   "Nothing you need to concern your pretty little head with," Nikki shot back, shuffling towards the small window in the corner.

   April huffed at Nikki's unflattering comment and latched onto her, refusing to let go.

   "Ack! Get off you little parasite!" Nikki choked out.

   "Nuh-uh! Lemme bond with you!"

   "No, you dork!"

   Nikki stumbled around the room, awkwardly knocking herself and April into the wall and table. April refused to budge, practically glued to Nikki and determined to make a new friend.

   "Ugh! April, I couldn't even begin to explain to you what I've been studying in here! Heck, even I barely understand it and everyone knows I'm the smartest teenager there is," Nikki explained, rather boastful.

   "So then let me help you!" April insisted.

   "I don't need help! And I definitely don't need to tell you anything. This is... my thing. Now off! Get out!" Nikki attempted once more to pry the tiny girl off of her.

   "Ugghh! I want to be your friend, Nikki! Why won't you open up to me? Why do you hate me?!"

   Nikki slowly processed April's question and fell silent. April felt Nikki's tense shoulders relax as she sighed heavily. The lanky girl released her grip off April, placing a gentle, shaky hand on her back. April followed suit, allowing Nikki to slide her off her shoulder and gently set her down on the floor.

   "I don't hate you, Freckles," Nikki replied, rather quietly. She pursed her lips and awkwardly avoided eye contact. "Like I said, it's just best for the both of us if we weren't friends. I make myself unlikable for a reason."

   "But, why? Look, I know what it's like to be different. In more ways than I can say... But, what I mean is, I understand you!"

   Nikki placed her hands on April's shoulders. "No." She stopped her, a firm tone in her voice. "You really don't, April."

   Nikki sighed, a somber and regrettable look in her eyes that she desperately tried to hide. "I... really shouldn't've agreed to let you in here. You gotta go. I mean it this time."

   "Nikki, I-"

   "Just go. I have a lotta work to catch up on."

   "Alright... I'll go. I'm sorry, Nikki."

   Nikki watched in silence as April climbed out the window and finally left.

   "Yeah... Me too," She mumbled to herself before turning around and walking back to her work.

--

   Along the rooftops of New York, in the blackness of the cold night, four humanoid turtles sprang from building to building, their two human teenage acquaintances followed closely after.

   "I don't get it, Donnie. What could the Kraang possibly benefit from, from keeping files of all the humans they've captured?" Leo asked his brother as he swiftly hopped from one rooftop to the next.

   "The Kraang are remarkably organized. I have a theory they assign each human they've kidnapped into separate groups after they finish experimenting on them," Donnie replied.

   "Based on what?"

   "Well, lots of things! Strength, intelligence, endurance... From what I've studied, the Kraang have many different rankings of status and power, a bit like humans in our world do. However, they may function more like a bee or an ant colony. I can only assume they're newly abducted humans function the same way after they've been brainwashed and mutated into slaves."

   "Yeesh. Harsh, bro," Mikey shivered.

   "But, why would we need to risk our hides again, sneaking into the TCRI building for this data?" Raph asked.

   Everyone halted and regrouped on top of a high building to catch their breath.

   "If we had those files, there's a chance we could rescue any humans currently abducted by the Kraang, here on Earth. Not only that, but if we were able to completely erase that data, we could prevent anymore human kidnappings the Kraang may have planned in the future," Donnie explained.

   "We could keep them from experimenting on people and turning them into mutants!" April exclaimed. "We would save thousands of lives! Keep people from losing their family members..."

   Donnie pulled out his T-phone, projecting a small screen that displayed confidential files he'd stolen from the Kraang throughout the year.

   "It took me quite a few months of hacking and snooping around, but I managed to download the layout to the upper floors of the building. Now, we finally have an in depth map of the top five floors!" He zoomed in on a specific location on the map. "They have hundreds, if not thousands of computer rooms, but this room contains all the information we'll need."

   "Right. Nerd stuff," Casey commented, leaning on top of April's head.

   April shoved him off and readjusted her head band. "Do you think they still have information about my dad and I in there? Even after we escaped them?"

   "With the Kraang's cutthroat organizational skills, I wouldn't put it past them. Especially after we discovered that you're part Kraang, too." Donnie replied.

   "I don't know Donnie, sneaking into TCRI for this doesn't seem like it'd be worth the risk," Leo said.

   "Trust me, Leo, I've put a lot of thought and study into this! We have their blueprints. Our chances of success are high!"

   Leo crossed his arms over his chest, still unconvinced.

   "C'mon, Leo, we haven't had any good action for months now!" Mikey urged, elbowing his big brother.

   "Eh, that's true. The Foot have been pretty quiet lately. Most of our nights consist of bullying petty thieves," Raphael added.

   Casey butted in, leaning his forearms on top of Raph's head. "Yeah, I'm bored!"

   Leo rolled his eyes and sighed. "Okay, okay..." he huffed out, stuttering over hesitance. "Fine, we'll do it. Just... don't tell Master Splinter."

   "Yes!" Everyone cheered in unison.

   After a few more hours of patrolling, April and Casey went home-being a school night and all-while the turtles made their way back to the lair.

   "Y'know, while we're in there, I could try getting a basic understanding of the Kraang's anatomy..." Donnie murmured to himself. "I wonder if they have a queen that lays eggs too."

   "Eugh. Gross!" Mikey gagged.

   Leo grimaced at the thought as well. "Let's just focus on getting the data you need while we're in there, Donnie. I don't wanna risk any of us getting captured."

   "Oh, please those Kraang droids are getting soft! I've seen old ladies fight off purse snatchers better than they could fight off us," Raph huffed with pride.

   "No way, dude, they have the advantage of being cold and slimy. I hate when they cling to my face like those tiny aliens from that one movie!" Mikey insisted.

   Donnie rolled his eyes and shook and his head. "Ugh, that movie had you too scared to sleep in your own bed for weeks..."

   "Heh, yeah... Can we watch it again when we get home?"

   "No!"

   "As the leader, I'd just rather be more safe than sorry, Raph," Leo told his hot-headed brother.

   Raphael scoffed. "Yeah, you would. But if I were leader, I'd be more fearless than that!"

   "Oh, is that right?"

   "Ahhh!"

   An unknown voice emerged from the shadows, catching Raph off guard and making him scream in a high pitched tone.

   As they listened to the strangers menacing giggling, the boys immediately unsheathed their weapons and grouped together, facing back to back.

   "Yeah, real fearless, Raph," Donnie mocked.

   "Shh! Who's there? Show yourself!" Leo demanded the stranger.

   A tall, knobby-limbed girl with bright pink hair and a led gas mask stepped into the street light, revealing herself. "Hi there!" She greeted, energetic and peppy.

    "Who are you?" Leo asked, carefully.

   The strange girl snapped her fingers. "Ahh, sorry! Giving you my name would kinda' ruin the whole "masked villain" gimmick I got goin' on."

   "I'm pretty good at giving nicknames if you want one!" Mikey offered enthusiastically.

   "Mikey!" Raph hissed at his younger brother.

   "I mean most folks around here already call me a stalker. You could go with that!"

   Leo grumbled impatiently. "Whatever, it doesn't matter! Why are you here?"

   "Oh, hah! Sorry, where are my manners? I'm an assassin!" The Stalker, replied.

   "What?!"

   "Y'know, the guy in the movies who gets paid to kill people? Although, in your case, I'm actually here to kidnap you. Speaking of, you guys mind getting in this big Santa Claus bag?" The strange girl asked, holding up an over-sized sack.

   Donnie shook his head in shock and confusion. "What? No! Who sent you?" He demanded, carefully sticking the sharp end of his bostaff in the girls face.

   The Stalker placed a finger at the pointed tip of his blade and casually tilted the staff down. "Heheh! Easy there little guy. Don't start something you can't finish..."

   "Who sent you!?" Leo repeated, a low growl in the back of his throat.

   "Afraid I can't give that information. Anyway, into the sack you go!" The Stalker whistled at the turtles like a group of dogs.

   "Wow, rude," Donnie scoffed.

   "Okay, screw this!" Raph blurted out and lunged at the girl.

   She simply shifted to the side, causing Raphael to plunge into a pile of trash bags. She let out a sinister snicker at his slip up as the led eyes on her goggles replaced themselves with X's.

   "Well, I wouldn't mind the harder option, if that's what you want. I'll be honest I've been needing the exercise, anyway!" The girl jested.

   The other three boys followed suit after Raph attacked. The assassin, however, was too quick for them. With each strike they missed, she teased them with unnecessary commentary. Her sinister mockery dug under their cold skin like needles, their patience growing thinner and thinner by the second. Especially Raph's.

   "Ugh! Hold still so I can beat your face in!" Raphael bellowed as The Stalker skillfully shifted and avoided his attempted stabbing.

   "Aww... Did I hurt your feelings little man?" The girl taunted, smirking behind her mask. "I didn't peg you for someone with such a small temper. I try not to hold to that whole short person stereotype!"

   She flipped over Raph and kicked him in the shell, sending him toppling over on his front side. Raph's face burned with rage as he sat up screaming. "Rahhhhh!"

   "Is all this mockery really necessary?" Leo scolded, attempting and failing to fight the girl as well. "You're acting really immature!"

   "Eh, maturity's not my style. I can certainly tell it's yours though, judging by that fifty-foot pole up your butt!"

   The Stalker grabbed Leo by the tails of his face mask and yanked him to the ground while kicking his sword out of his hand. She bent over, looking down at him on the ground. "Letting loose a little would do you good!"

   She jumped up and dodged Mikey who attempted to attack her from behind, sending him flying into a brick wall.

   "Agh! She's too fast!" He groaned. "How is she, like, everywhere?"

   "Simple, little buddy!" The Stalker replied, leap frogging over him, sending him to the concrete. "You're just slow! I mean your turtles aren't you? It's in your nature."

   Donnie attacked the girl from the side, swinging his bostaff down. Without a blink, The Stalker caught it in her hand and snapped her head to side. Donnie's eyes widened slightly in surprise, taken aback by her intimidating stature. She spun in the air and rabbit kicked Donnie away, sending him flying into an empty dumpster as she snapped his bostaff over her knee.

   "Listen boys, as much fun as this has been, I don't wanna really be spending all night on this job, y'know what I'm saying?"

   "We're not going anywhere with you!" Leo spat at her, finally managing to strike her in the face with his fist.

   The Stalker only reacted with a heavy sigh, cracking her neck. "Alrighty then, if that's how you wanna play..."

She unsheathed a morning star from the holster on her back and flipped it in her hand. Pressing a button on the handle, its stick automatically elongated.

   She swung her morning star at Leo, who used both his swords to block it off. All four boys went back to fighting off The Stalker, who easily blocked and avoided each punch they threw at her. By the end of the battle the boys were badly bruised, exhausted and incredibly frustrated. Donnie had no choice, but to use the only smoke bomb he had left as a last resort. The boys swiftly snuck away down the man-hole in the alleyway they were fighting in, leaving the pink-haired girl alone and surprised.

   "Huh," She murmured to herself, looking around the empty alley. "That's a first."

--

   "You lost them?!" Karai exclaimed.

   "I know right? Definitely not like me!" The assassin girl bragged. "Y'know, I don't think you gave them enough credit, princess. Those boys really put up a fight!"

   Karai sighed in frustration. "Fine, if you can't do it then-"

   "Hey, hey, hey, who said I can't do it? I've never backed down on a job so far and I'm certainly not planning on doing so anytime soon!" The Stalker interrupted. "Besides, this job is... interesting. My first time interacting with mutants!"

   Karai tightened her lips and rolled her eyes. "Fine. You have two weeks, starting today. If you can't bring me those turtles then the deal is off."

   "I gotcha' princess!"

   "And stop calling me that!"

--

   "She was so fast, Master Splinter!" Leo insisted. "I could barely see her! It was like she'd disappear and reappear at random."

   He pulled his hand away from Splinter after he finished wrapping it. "She was like an illusionist! She did everything she could to distract and confuse us!"

   Splinter hummed in thought, tending to his sons' wounds. "Hmm. A trickster."

   "Yeah, not to mention obnoxious!" Donnie added. "She was so cocky and smug, just because we couldn't beat her!"

   Raph pushed away from Master Splinter in frustration, letting out an intense growl. "Oh, we'll beat her, alright! Beat her into the ground! Beat her so hard, she won't be able to recognize her own face!"

   "Yame!" Splinter scolded Raph. "We've discussed this, Raphael. That temper and violent tendency of yours is not the ninja way."

   "You don't understand, Sensei, she was so mean!" Mikey prostested.

   Donnie nodded in agreement. "It was like she knew exactly what to say to get under our skin!"

   Mikey let out a pathetic dog whine. "Yeah, it really hurt my feelings!"

   "That is exactly why she beat you," Splinter replied, closing his first aid kit.

   The boys raised an eyebrow at him.

   "I've discussed with you all before, the importance of keeping calm and collected in the midst of battle. Frustration and anger do not mix well in combat. Otherwise acting on impulse may be your biggest mistake and you might do something you would not be proud of."

   He stood up, tucking the first aid kit under his arm as stared longingly at his old family photo across the dojo.

   "Remember my meditation techniques I've taught you. This girl is using underhanded tactics as a means to distract you. Remind yourselves in the moment that these harmful words do not mean anything. You boys know your worth. You are not what a bully refers to you as."

   "So then, what do we do?" Leo asked.

   "Hm. From what I've learned in my years, the only way to defeat a trickster is to fight fire with fire. Use her own tactics against her."

   The boys sighed in thought. "Hai, Sensei," They all replied in unison.

   Splinter retreated back to his room to leave the boys to think.

   "Master Splinter's right. This strange girl is just a bully. She's more skilled than us, sure, but with proper planning, I think we can beat her," Leo told his team.

   "Yeah, beat her into a pulp," Raph mumbled behind clenched teeth.

   "With everything that Master Splinter told us, still in mind," Leo emphasized, more-so directly at Raph.

--

   Throughout the rest of the week, the turtles and The Stalker found each other again, attempting and failing to defeat her each time. Her blatant bullying and insults grew nastier and more malicious every night. The boys coped with her verbal abuse as best as they could. Raphael, however, showed small signs of struggling.

   But, with the help of Casey and April, and of course plenty of advice from Splinter, their plans and skills strengthened and they grew closer and closer to victory.

   "C'mon, why can't we come with you guys this time? We can help!" April insisted.

   "I'm sorry, April, it's just too dangerous. This girl is... unhinged," Donnie replied with a shiver.

   "So what? We could take her!" Casey shot back.

   Donnie scoffed and rolled his eyes.

   "We totally could!" Casey protested. "Just let us come with this time! April and I could be a good distraction."

   April chimed in enthusiastically. "Yeah! There's no way she could take on all of six of us at the same time!" 

   "Well..." Leo drew out in thought. "With our new plan, a few extra hands might be just what we need..."

   "Yeah?" Casey chirped hopefully.

   Leo sighed. "Alright, but I need you guys to do exactly as I say, got it?"

   April and Casey cheered.

--

   That night all six teenagers practiced their plan excessively before leaving the sewers to initiate. They found themselves in the same alleyway they first met The Stalker in, keeping quiet and heavily alert.

   "Oh, look at this..." The familiar taunting voice echoed from within the shadows.

   "Yeah that's right! You got no chance going toe to toe with the one and only Casey Jones!" Casey boasted, wielding his hockey stick.

   "Casey, shut it!" Raph hissed.

   "So sad... Needed to invite new friends to the party 'cause you couldn't handle me on your own?" The Stalker teased.

   "Ignore her..." Leo whispered at everyone as a reminder.

   "Heh, no problem for me anyway. I've had my fun… But now I've been getting a bit bored beating you losers up everyday. I've got a job to finish."

   The Stalker jumped down from the rooftop in front of the group, her morning star swung over her shoulder.

   "Hello again little turtles..." She greeted menacingly. "You boys picked a good night to bring your little friends along. I've been going too easy on you."

   "Yeah well, uh... So have we!" Mikey shot back.

   The Stalker snickered at his attempt at back talk, bringing her morning star down. "Yeah. Cute."

   In a flash, she lunged straight to Leo, swinging at him. He blocked her off with his swords as the rest of the group fled away in the shadows. Leo and The Stalker dueled as she continued on with her usual banter.

   "So, have you guys finally decided to give up? Or are you dorks so dense you can't take a hint to stop trying?"

   She was suddenly interrupted by a kick in the face, courtesy of Donnie, after he jumped out of the shadows. Following suit came Mikey, who clocked her in the back of the head with his nunchucks.

   Instead of shouting in pain, as predicted, The Stalker giggled. She grabbed Leo by the wrist as he swung his sword down and pulled him closer to her masked face.

   "So, is that how you wanna play? Trying to beat me at my own game? Well you boys know I love games... Heheheh..."

   Leo pulled away and swiftly shifted into the darkness.

   "Aww! Cowering away where I can't see you? Wouldn't expect less from you guys! Ahahaha!"

  The turtles, April and Casey refrained from replying or reacting as The Stalker had hoped. They only continued their plan of attacking her one by one. Meanwhile, April and Casey distracted her by pelting her with random garbage and deflecting her attention with noises hidden in the shadows. It seemed to be working, but with each punch she absorbed, the louder her maniacal cackling grew.

   "Guys... She's messing with us... I think she's letting us hit her," April whispered.

   "What? Why? That's insane!" Donnie exclaimed.

   "Seems pretty on-brand of her, D..." Mikey replied.

   The Stalker caught her breath from her fit of giggles and gasped. "Woo! You guys are fun! I've been needing motivation like this!" She cackled.

   "Okay, she's starting to freak me out..." Casey murmured, pulling at his collar.

   "Alright, that's it!" Raph growled and ran at her like an angry bull. "I'm done being patient with this clown!"

   "Raph no!" Leo shouted.

   Raph belted out a battle cry and unleashed the full week of pent up anger he had at The Stalker. She responded with more taunting giggles as she fought back. The two swung and fought with each other a good long minute as the rest of the crew went back to their original plan of attacking her one at a time.

   "You think you little dorks can tire me out!?" She asked them, her voice growing more menacing, loud and unhinged. "I'm ten times more a warrior than you mutant freaks could ever dream to be! I can do this for days!"

   "Rrrrrr, shut up, shut up, shut up!" Raph screamed in rage and punched her in the face with all his might.

   Her mask flew off, spinning in the air and skidding against the concrete. The Stalker fell to the ground, holding her face in her hands. Quickly, she recovered from the blow and stood up spinning around to face Raph. Staring at the turtle was a thinned face girl adorned in freckles and framed with a long nose. Her eyes-accompanied by dark, heavy circles-were blood-shot, bright green and tiny-pupiled, piercing into his soul. Plastered across her long, thin cheeks was a wide, crazed, toothy smile, that a stream of blood escaped from, dripping down her jaw and neck. Raph, however was more surprised at her age. She was just a teenager like the rest of them.

   "Oh-ho-ho, now it's a party!" She exclaimed, her voice horse and gritty.

   "Wha-That's!-"

   "Get her!" Leo commanded, interrupting April's exclamation.

   "Guys!" Casey called out, trying to get the boys attention.

   They were too focused on the strange girl, determined to take her down. She laughed like a hyena as they grew closer and closer to their goal. She was clearly, finally, losing the battle, but seemed far too happy about it.

   "Guys! Stop!" April pleaded, upon discovering the familiar girl.

   "April, what are you talking about?" Donnie asked from over his shoulder. He grabbed the girl by the arms from the back, keeping her restrained.

   "We know her! Stop!" Casey shouted.

   "Oh, hey Freckles! Surprised I bet, huh?" The girl greeted her classmates before getting struck in the face again.

   April ran up to the boys holding her hands out. "That's enough! She's my friend!"

   "Friend? She's a dangerous assassin, April and she's been trying to kidnap us all week!" Raphael snapped back.

   "Which is why we should talk to her instead of this needless violence!" April said back.

   "Oh, shell no! I earned this!" Raph growled. He turned back to the girl and punched her straight in the gut.

   She wheezed out from the blow and coughed. "S-S...So April, how's your weekend been-cough!"

   "April, how do you and Casey know this girl?" Leo asked.

   "Dude, everyone at our school knows her! That's Nutcase Nikki!" Casey replied enthusiastically.

   "Oh, she's that crazy girl you told us about?" Mikey asked. "The one who moved into town a few years ago?"

   "What are you on about, Mikey?" Donnie asked from behind Nikki, still holding her back while Raph laid into her.

   "Well, if you guys ever cared to listen to April once in a while, you'd remember the crazy girl that goes to her school that she keeps trying and failing to befriend!" Mikey shot back.

   "Aw, what a polite little guy!" Nikki commented. "Your friends here could learn a thing or two from ya'!"

   "Shut up!" Raph demanded, landing another blow to her jaw.

   "Alright, Raph, take it easy," Leo, told him.

   "Why should I, huh? We've been taking this psycho's abuse all week!"

   "Remember what Master Splinter told us about control! You don't want to end up doing something you might regret!"

   Raph froze, mid punch, staring at Nikki's bruised and bloodied face. She stared back at him blankly, her breathing ragged and labored. Raphael closed his eyes and breathed in and out slowly, finally bringing his raised fist down.

   "Fine. I'll spare you. This time," He grumbled lowly.

   Nikki smirked. "Lucky me."

   Catching Raph by suprise, Nikki's piercing, blood-shot eyes rolled to the back of her head and she went limp. She was out cold.

   "Oh, uh. O-Oops," Raph mumbled,

   "Oh my gosh, Raph!" April scolded the hot-headed turtle, pushing him away to look at Nikki.

   Leo sighed, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "April, listen, I'm really sorry about your friend, but... she needs to be interrogated. I know she seems nice back in school, but this is who she really is, whether you like it or not."

   "Just... be careful with her."

--

   In an abandoned warehouse, the crew regrouped and tied Nikki securely to a chair, waiting for her to wake back up. April paced back and forth, her brain racked with questions. Casey, meanwhile, explained who Nikki was to the boys.

   "Basically, from what I've heard, she transferred to our school district about two years ago and she's been causing trouble ever since. She's got a really smart mouth and rebellious attitude that all the teachers at school really can't stand her for. And everyone else just thinks she's really weird and... kind of creepy. So, no one really talks to her."

   "And why again, April, have you been wanting to befriend her so badly?" Donnie asked, baffled.

   "Because I keep having that... feeling, again!" April snapped back.

   "The feeling you get when you gotta throw up?" Mikey asked.

   "No! This... sense I keep having that gives me this weird feeling about certain things. It kept telling me something about Nikki that I just... had to know."

   April held her arms, looking back at her classmate, slumped over in the chair. "I would never have guessed it'd be... this."

   Donnie placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder, offering his condolences. "I'm sorry, you had to find out this way, April. I guess we get now why she kept pushing you away, huh?"

   April sighed solemnly. "Yeah..."

   "And on top of this, we haven't made any progress in finding that data we still need from the Kraang," Leo added.

   "If you ask me, this whole week has been a waste of time," Raph grumbled. "We could've been kicking alien-robot, butt! Not putting up with this freak of nature."

   "Maybe take it easy on the name calling there, Raph? April's pretty upset," Donnie nagged his brother.

   "I'm just sayin'!" Raph protested. "We could've gotten all those files of all the abducted humans you were going on about and maybe, just maybe, could have even saved them! April's obnoxious little friend here has been keeping us from possibly preventing any human from ever getting mutated again!"

   "Dude!" Mikey snapped, with a disapproving glare.

   He gestured towards April, who was still clearly upset.

   "Read the room, yo," Casey said.

   "Groan..." Nikki stirred in the chair, finally coming-to.

   April gasped and turned around, slightly leaning forward in anticipation.

   "Ugh..." Nikki lifted her head up and blinked her eyes open. The unique group all stared back at her in a mix of hesitance and concern.

   "Well... here we are..." Nikki murmured groggily, plastering that obnoxious smirk across her face.

   Donnie rolled his eyes. "Wow, you never take anything seriously do you?"

   Leo stepped forward and yanked at the collar of Nikki's hoodie. "Talk."

   "'Bout what, exactly?" She shot back.

   "Oh, I am tired of your smart mouth! Who do you work for?" He demanded, holding the blade of his sword dangerously close to her neck.

   Nikki smirked at the blue-masked turtle sinisterly. "Your little girlfriend. Karai."

   Leo's eyes widened in shock as he let go of Nikki's collar and stepped back. "K-Karai?"

   "Heh, yeah. She wanted me to bring you guys to her and use you as bait to snuff out the rat."

   "Master Splinter?" Donnie asked in shock.

   Nikki squinted at him in confusion. "Is that what you call it?"

   "Hey!"

   "Is Shredder apart of this too?" Raph asked, stepping forward.

   "Nah. Originally, daddy said no to the idea, so princess hired me behind his back," Nikki explained, casually crossing her legs.

   "What?"

   "Like many of the mobs and gangs around town-that I'm sure you hero dorks have already met-Shredder takes part in illicit practices, if you know what I mean," Nikki explained.

   "Underground business?" Donnie asked.

   "Black market, gray market, shadow economy, whatever you call it. He owns multiple, so he gets pretty busy beyond being an edgy supervillain. He's been pretty pre-occupied getting his new mansion built out in the woods upstate, so Karai took advantage of his absence. As she loves to do."

   "How do you know all of this?" Casey asked.

   "I know everything."

   "Pfft, nuh-uh."

   April stepped forward. "Nikki, I have to know... How... What happened to you?"

   "What're you talkin' about, Freckles?"

   "Why... Why are you an assassin? The skills you have... At your age, that's just something I can't wrap my head around."

   Nikki awkwardly shifted her gaze, hesitant on her choice of words. "Well... Sorry April, but that's for me to know and me to know only."

   "What? No! We have you tied, you have to tell us!" Donnie, insisted.

   "Nah."

   Nikki casually stood up from the chair, the ropes around her falling loose. The crew jumped, completely taken aback. She stretched out her lanky body and placed her hands on her hips.

   "I escaped those ropes minutes ago while you guys still thought I was unconscious. Thanks for all that information I've been needing on the Kraang by the way! That's kinda' the only reason I took up this job in the first place, heh heh!"

   "...HOW?!" Raph, screamed in defeat and frustration.

   "Don't you worry your slimy little heads. Now that I got what I needed out of this, I'm calling off the deal between Karai and I. April, Casey, it's been a pleasure! I'm sure you and I have a mutual agreement now that if you spill the beans about my secret identity, I'm telling everyone about your mutant buds here. I'll see you two losers bright and early at school tomorrow!" Nikki said, turning around and walking away.

   "Wha-No! We're not finished with you!" Raph demanded, lunging at her.

   Leo held him back. "Just leave it, man!"

   Nikki pulled a grappling hook out from one of the many pockets in her cargo overalls and hoisted herself up towards a hole in the ceiling of the run-down building. "Later dorks!"

   She flipped and jumped away in a flash, disappearing into the black sky. The turtle crew all stood at the warehouse floor, staring up at the hole in the ceiling the mysterious assassin just escaped from, slack-jawed and at a loss for words. Raph, however, was preoccupied throwing a temper tantrum on the side lines.

------

Chapter Two: New Discoverings

Mikey sat in the middle of the conversation pit in the lair, eyes glued to the tv. On the the screen appeared a hulk of a man, fighting in a boxing arena. His moves and fighting techniques were remarkable. Sitting nearby was Leo, emersed in an action comic and Raph, idly watching the television as well.

   "Man... Chrissy Rock was so cool..." Mikey mumbled in awe.

Donnie emerged from his lab, yawning and stretching out his sore muscles. "Watcha' guys watching?"

   "Old boxing matches of Christoph Hoffman!" Mikey replied excitedly.

   "Ooh, I could go for some Chrissy Rock action!" Donnie replied, sitting down next to him.

   "I don't get the hype for this guy..." Raph grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

   "Uh, hello? Christoph Hoffman? The greatest, strongest and most inspirational warrior to ever bless this Earth?" Mikey shot back, matter-of-factly.

   "I'm just saying, it's suspicious how a rich guy could have the whole world smitten without any conspiracies about him!"

   "Well he's a cult classic, Raph!" Donnie insisted. "Christoph Hoffman will go down in history as a strong, brave, charitable and selfless man."

   "Yeah, the guys a war hero. Even Master Splinter idolizes him. He's encouraged us to study his fighting techniques for a reason," Leo added, eyes still glued to his comic.

   Donnie turned around to face his brothers. "And, along side his wife Ava Hoffman, those two became one of the most successful and ideal couples in all of New York. Ava's the smartest biochemist in the country! Her work is remarkable and has always been an incredible inspiration to me!"

   "Y'know... before they went missing and all..."

   "Yeah..." Mikey mumbled solemnly. "I really miss them. I hope nothing bad had happened!"

   "Well, we know old Chrissy has the skills to defend himself so... I'm sure they're doing just fine! Maybe just... taking a break or something," Donnie reassured his little brother, hesitance stuck in the back of his throat.

   "Aside from that. Donnie?" Leo piped up. "Have finished mapping a proper route of the Kraang's TCRI building?"

   "Oh! Nearly finished!" Donnie replied confidently. "I have it all planned out!"

"With my layout of the map, we’ll be able to steal the Kraang's data of all the abducted humans they have on file, get out of there without them even realizing, and get back home before our curfew! We’ll be faster than you can say Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis!"

"Nuh-uh! That's not even a word!" Mikey protested.

"Is too! Look it up if you want," Donnie shot back, matter-of-factly.

   He pulled a purple usb from out of his shell and held it up. "Using the Kraang's technology, I created a specialized usb that'll be able to handle taking in all the data from their computer. A regular old usb wouldn't be able to handle their advanced technology without exploding."

   "Good work, D."

   "My sons," Master Splinter announced, emerging from the dojo.

   "S-Sensei!" Leo choked, hoping his father didn't hear their secret plan.

   "I thought you boys were going out tonight."

   "Oh, yeah, we are!" Raph, replied, plastering a fake smile on his face.

   "W-We're just waiting on April and Casey to get here, heh!"

   Splinter hummed in thought. "I see. Do not stay out too late. Since this... assassin was assigned to you, I fear for what else the Foot Clan may be planning."

   "Psh, we took care of her easily!" Raph boasted, leaning back with his hands behind his head. "Trust us, Master Splinter, we can handle ourselves just fine."

   "I mean it Raphael," Splinter replied firmly. "Be careful and cautious. And look out for each other,” He stopped himself, taking notice of the tv. “Ooh is that Chrissy Rock?"

He sat down next to Raphael to tune in.

--

   The next night, the turtles, April and Casey emerged from the sewers, taking their plan to sneak into the Kraang's TCRI building into action. Donnie's map was fully drawn out and everyone was given strict instructions.

   On top of the roof, Leo turned around towards everyone to give his pep-talk. "Remember guys, let's make this straight forward. In and out, like Donnie planned. We need to make this quick since Splinter set that curfew on us. Full stealth mode."

   Acting fast, the group slid in through the ceiling opening, keeping themselves fully alert and pressed against the wall. They quickly made their way through the maze of hallways, skillfully avoiding any nearby Kraang-droids and quietly taking out the ones who spotted them.

   All was going well and the plan continued smoothly until Leo turned a sharp corner and rammed right into someone he least expected.

   "Nikki!" Everyone whisper-screamed in unison.

   The group of teens excessively shushed each other in a hushed panic, immediately trekking back to a more safe and hidden corner.

   "What the shell do you think you're doing here?!" Raphael whisper-yelled at the pink-haired maniac.

   "I should be asking you dorks the same!" Nikki shot back in an equally hushed and frustrated tone. "Get out of here before you armatures get me caught!"

   "No way! We were here first!" Leo insisted.

   Nikki rolled her eyes. "Doubtful."

   "Ugh! We are so close to finally getting the data we've been needing! Don’t you dare take that from us more than you've already have!" Donnie growled at her.

   "What are you idiots even talking about?"

   "We planned this heist weeks ago!" Donnie spat. "We could've gotten it done and over with already if you hadn't been trying abduct us to the Foot Clan!"

   Nikki giggled. "Heh, heh, oh yeah. That was fun."

   "Guys we're way too exposed out here!" April scolded them. "We can't sit here and bicker all night. Nikki?"

   "What, Freckles?"

   "Back at the warehouse-when you pretended you were still unconscious-we accidentally gave you a bunch of information about the Kraang. That's what you're here for too, isn't it?"

   Nikki eyed her suspiciously. "Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. What's it to you?"

   "For now, let's just work together and help each other. With Nikki's skills, we could get what we need and get out of here quicker!"

   "What?! No way! I don't wanna work with this shady, nutjob!" Raph protested.

   Nikki scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself sweetie. I don't need you hero dorks slowing me down either."

   The group was soon interrupted by the sounds of nearby droids, murmuring to each other about the strange noises they were hearing.

   Donnie quickly pulled his map out. "Look, we know our way around this place. If you keep your mouth shut and get us where we need to go, you can take this map with you for whatever shifty plans you have."

   Nikki hesitated for a moment, torn between her enemies and the droids slowly making their way closer. With a defeated sigh, she finally gave her answer.

   "Fine! Deal."

   The droids turned the corner and Nikki promptly ripped their heads off without even turning around, catching the other group of teens by surprise. Everyone continued on as planned and, within minutes, finally found their way to the specific computer room marked on Donnie's map. They closed and locked the doors behind them as Nikki swiftly took out the droid occupying the room.

   Leo sighed in relief and turned towards Donnie. "Alright, D. You're up."

   Donnie nodded and quickly got to work, typing and searching through the Kraang's computer while everyone else stood guard.

   Nikki stood behind Donnie, her hands on her hips as she watched the screen. "By the way, I still need my mask back from you dorks," She commented.

   Donnie's eyes widened slightly and nervously he cleared his throat. "R-Right... Uh..."

   "Oh, Donnie took that apart in his lab," Mikey informed, casually.

   Nikki stared daggers at the back of Donnie's head with a crazed smile, her left eye twitching. "Did he now?"

   "U-Uh, found it!" Donnie announced, pulling out his usb stick and promptly plugging it into the computer.

   In an awkward silence, everyone watched and waited as the usb took the information from the Kraang's computer.

   Nikki let out an exasperated sigh. "This is taking too long."

   Donnie glared at her. "Well of course it is! It's decades of information."

   "Yeah, that's what Ethernet cables are for," Nikki responded pulling her own specialized tech out from her pockets.

She plugged a cable and small device into the computer, next to Donnie's usb.

   "H-Hey, wait. Don't-!"

Nikki casually shoved his face away as her hands nimbly danced across the keyboard.

   In an instant the rest of the data files quickly inserted itself into the usb, a satisfying small jingle played afterwards on the computer. Donnie stared at the screen slack-jawed.

   "Oooh, neat," Mikey observed.

   "Heh, that's the first time I've seen someone upstage you with their brain, gap-tooth," Casey snickered.

   Donnie growled and clenched his fists. "Shut it, puck-mouth! How'd you even-?"

   "It's just basic computer science, nerd," Nikki interrupted him.

   "But, y... You're-"

   "I wasn't lying when I said I know everything,” She half-heartedly explained, handing him back his fully downloaded usb. She began typing away at the computer, her attention and focus switching like the push of a button.

   "Nikki is, uh, kind of a prodigy like you are, D," April explained to the dumbfounded brainiac. 

   "Uh-huh, yeah. Now! That being said, get out. You got what you needed, now it's my turn," Nikki instructed the group, flatly, eyes still glued to the screen.

   "Wha- No!" Leo protested. "You saw our plans, why don't we get to see yours?"

   "Because it's personal. Out."

   "No, it's shady is what it is!" Raph shot back. "What could an evil-genius-assassin want with personal information from alien robots?!"

"None of your business, that's what!" Nikki hissed at him. "Now beat it, losers."

   April stepped forward towards Nikki. "Nikki, c'mon. You're shutting me out again. Whatever issues you have with the Kraang, we can help!"

   "No you can't, Freckles. I'll shut out anyone and everyone as much as I want 'till the day I die. I don't want your help and I certainly don't need it either! Now leave me alone!"

   April winced at her harsh words and fiddled nervously with her nails.

   "Hey, you can't talk to her like that!" Donnie scolded her, planting a hand on April's shoulder.

   "Hah! I can talk to anyone, anyway I want!"

   "Wanna bet on that?" Raph threatened, cracking his knuckles and gritting his teeth.

Nikki turned back to him, her familiar crazed look glazing her eyes. "Oh, are you suggesting a rematch short-stack?"

   "Guys, keep your voices down!" Leo nagged.

   The computer interrupted the group's banter with a cheery beep. Everyone turned their heads towards the screen. To the turtles surprise, the face cards of their idols Christoph and Ava Hoffman appeared. Nikki quickly went back to typing on the computer, her face twisted in determination and hesitance.

   "Huh? Ava Hoffman? Chrissy Rock! This is where they've been? Abducted by the Kraang!?" Leo exclaimed in bafflement.

"What kind of business do you have with the most successful and idolized couple in New York?" Donnie asked, suspiciously.

   "Ugh! You guys don't need to see this! Just leave!" She urged, a hint of desperation in her tone.

"Hoffman? Nikki... that's your last name... right?" April asked.

   The computer buzzed a deeper, grating beeping noise, interrupting the groups banter. Nikki spun back around at the noise. In bold red letters, new information projected underneath the couple's face cards displayed on the screen.

   "DECEASED."

The room was dead silent. Quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Nikki was frozen, staring completely blank faced at the screen. Her usually exaggerated and smug expression was dead-pan and unreadable.

   "They're... They're your parents, aren't they?" April asked, her voice small.

   Nikki didn't respond. She only continued to stare at the screen, her blood-shot eyes illuminated by the bright red lettering. No one knew what to do or say next. It was an incredibly tense and shocking situation. Mikey, as he often did, broke the silence.

   "Your dad is Chris Hoffman?!" He exclaimed.

   Donnie placed a hand on his head in disbelief. "I-I thought the rumors about them having a daughter was fake!"

   "Guys, this really isn't the time..." Leo murmured through gritted teeth.

   April gently placed a comforting hand on Nikki's forearm. "Nikki... I'm so sor-"

   "Don't."

   "Ah!"

   Nikki grabbed April's wrist, rather harshly, earning a pained yelp from the ginger-haired girl.

   "Don't you dare, pretend to be my friend right now!" Nikki growled at her.

   "N-Nikki, let go! You're hurting me!" April protested.

   Nikki's voice grew louder and her anger grew stronger. "You think I want your pity!?"

   "Nikki, that's enough! Let her go!" Leo commanded, unsheathing his sword.

   "I told you idiots to get out! I told you to leave me alone!" Nikki shouted at the top of her lungs.

   "You're an assassin!" Raph responded, taking out his sais. "We have a perfectly valid excuse!"

   Unbeknownst to the group of bickering teens, many Kraang droids were alerted by their loud banter. Large groups of droids, wielding their guns all charged at the door, loudly banging on it.

   "Oh, perfect!" Raph growled sarcastically.

   "All for nothing... All this time!" Nikki's voice cracked as she broke down. She scratched at her tired, tearful eyes and pulled at her hair. Heeling over she held her head in her hands, her body shaking in a heated rage. She huffed angrily and snarled like an animal.

   A few of the teens took notice of her concerning behavior. The banging on the door grew louder and harder. "Nikki?" April called out to her friend in a hushed whisper.

   The droids finally busted the door open and burst into the computer room. Nikki sprung up, unsheathing her morning star. She belted out a banshie shriek.

   "I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU!"

   With hulk-like strength and rage, Nikki plowed through the sea of Kraang-droids. Every blow to her body she took from them was ignored, like a freak of nature. Through incredible skill, technique and mainly blind rage, Nikki guided the group of teens through the rows of Kraang, assisting their safe getaway.

   "She's nuts..." Casey blurted out in disbelief. "Insane."

   Raph smiled enthusiastically at Nikki's anger. "Incredible!" He added on.

   Soon, the turtle crew and Nikki escaped out a window of the TCRI building and retreated onto a nearby rooftop, hidden away behind garbage and clutter.

   The boys whooped and hollered from the rush of excitement, exchanging high-fives and small celebrations. April watched Nikki's meltdown from the side, in concern. Nikki ranted to herself, holding her face in her shaking hands, tears of frustration and defeat pouring from her eyes. She huffed rather heavily, trying to work herself through her panic attack, groaning from the pain of lasers and beatings she received from the many droids she plowed through.

   April tried grabbing her attention again. "Nikki?"

   Nikki was far too gone to hear her. She had grown mad from the weeks, months, years of sleep deprivation. The last two years she spent looking for her parents-all the late nights of research, the trauma she encountered while posing as an assassin in secret, the loneliness, the pain she forced herself to endure for so long...

   It was all for nothing.

   "Nikki? Hey, hey, take it easy..." April tried to coax. By then, the boys stopped celebrating, too painfully aware of the breakdown happening before them.

   "DON'T TOUCH ME!" Nikki snapped. "A-All for nothing! Nothing! Idiot! That idiot! Why? Why did he think he could... Huff, huff... Ghn! A-Ah!"

   Nikki babbled incoherent nonsense to herself, attempting and failing to stand up straight. The adrenaline had quickly subsided, leaving her aching and wincing in pain. 

   "Just-just try to calm down. You're injured!" April tried reasoning with her.

   "U-Uh, April?" Donnie piped up quietly. "I think it's best we just... let her tire herself out..."

   April remained silent, painfully watching her friend sob and scream until her voice ran horse. Nikki forced herself to stand upright, her breathing heavy and ragged, her wounds raw and exposed.

   "Pant... pant... N-Nothing..." She mumbled to herself over and over again. "Nothing... nothing... N-Nnn... Uhn..."

   Nikki's body fell limp and she collapsed to the rooftop like a sack of bricks. April shouted out in surprise and immediately ran to her aid. Donnie  and his brothers followed idly behind.

   She knelt down, frantically observing Nikki's wounds. "Oh no! No, no, no, no, no... Donnie? I-Is... Is she...?"

   Donnie promptly checked her pulse and shook his head in relief. "It's alright. She's still with us. Just... exhausted."

   "We have to help her!" April insisted, lugging Nikki into her arms.

   "Wh-And do what?!" Raph asked, exasperated. "Take her to the lair? We can't just bring an unconscious stranger into our home! Especially if Master Splinter see's her. He doesn't even know we were doing this!"

   "Nikki's not a stranger! She's my friend!" April snapped back at him. "We wouldn't have gotten out of there had it not been for her!"

   "We wouldn't have been caught had it not been for her!" Raph corrected. "If your friend wasn't such a psychopath, she wouldn't have been shouting and screaming at us and alerting the droids!"

   "She wouldn't have been shouting and screaming at us if you heartless jerks would learn to read a room! You need to understand when is and isn't the right time to keep pushing and pushing someone until you send them over the edge!"

   "What am I? Her keeper!?"

   "Guys! That's enough!" Leo scolded.

   April and Raphael fell silent, looking back at Leo.

   "April's right! We need to learn when to take responsibility. Nikki saved us and it's only right we take her home and ask Master Splinter to heal her."

   "Wh-Leo, are you nuts? We'll be grounded for months!" Donnie exclaimed.

   "He's right dude!" Mikey added. "I don't know how long I can go without watching Super Robo Mecha Force Team Five."

   "This isn't up for debate! Our duty as ninja is to set things right," He replied firmly, looking Raph square in the eye.

   Raph only crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.

   Leo snapped his fingers at Donnie. Hesitantly, the brainiac lifted Nikki's unconscious body up and slung her over his shoulders.

   "We're going home. We need to hurry and get out of here before we get caught by any straggling Kraang-droids."

   The rest of the crew followed after Leo in a heavy silence, anticipating the consequences yet to come.

—

"You boys went behind my back to infiltrate the most dangerous building in the city!?" Master Splinter shouted at his sons.

"W-We're sorry Sensei, but our mission was a success!" Donnie informed him.

"And yet you are holding an unconscious known enemy in your arms!"

"We didn't know she was gonna be there Master Splinter!" Leo replied.

"Master Splinter, please," April pleaded. "I know she was our enemy, but she's a friend of mine from school! And we wouldn't have gotten out of there if it weren't for her in the first place. Nikki saved us!"

Mikey nodded in agreement. "Yeah! We're sorry for going behind your back, Sensei. But, we wanna make things right!"

"She's good, deep down. I know it!" April insisted. "Please, help us heal her."

Master Splinter stared solemnly at the group of distressed teens, hesitating a moment. He finally let out a sigh and gestured towards the dojo.

"Come."

Everyone hurriedly followed after him. Splinter instructed Donnie to lie Nikki down on the floor as he retreated to his room and returned with his first aid kit.

"While I do not approve of you all lying to me..." He started. "I am proud of you for swallowing your pride and doing the right thing. Compassion and empathy are one of the strongest weapons a ninja could possess."

He sat down along with the rest of the group as he inspected her wounds.

"This girl is a child. All of your ages..." He observed, a hint of astonishment in his tone.

"Yeah. She goes to school with April and I," Casey informed him.

"A dangerous assassin at her age..." He murmured. "How did this come to be?"

"We don't know, Sensei. She's always been so secretive. She never tells me anything," April replied. "I've been trying to befriend her ever since she transferred to our school. I can empathize with her, but she always pushes me away."

"She must have a very personal reason then," Splinter said. "I know your intentions are well, April, and you mean only to show her kindness, but you must also understand boundaries. If you truly wish to befriend this girl, you must allow her to trust you on her own time."

April looked down at Nikki, regretfully, as Splinter continued to tend to her wounds. "Yeah. I suppose you're right."

As Splinter continued dressing Nikki’s wounds, the turtle crew spent the next few minutes explaining to him everything that happened and what Nikki did for them at TCRI.

"I wanna make amends with her, Sensei. As much as I hate to admit it, she has awesome skills and she's wicked smart like Donnie. She'd be a great ally," Leo told his Master.

"Mm. I can understand why, Leonardo. You may offer her your friendship. But do not push it, if she does not accept."

"Yes, Master Splinter."

Splinter packed up his first aid kit once he finished. "I understand that this friend of yours is unpredictable. Proceed with caution when she awakens. But I do suggest thanking her properly for saving all of you."

"Hai, Sensei," Everyone replies in unison.

"Groan..."

"Gasp! She's waking up!" Mikey exclaimed.

"Ugh... Ngh..."

Nikki stirred and winced as she slowly gained consciousness.

"Easy, Nikki! You got really banged up," April told her, helping her sit up.

"Urg... April? Agh, my head..." Nikki grumbled. "Whas'... What's goin' on?"

She lifted her head up and gasped at the sight of Splinter. "Oh, jeez giant rat!"

"It's ok! He's friendly! He won't hurt you," April assured her.

"Yeah, trust me," Casey added. "I know he's the scariest thing you've ever seen, but he's chill."

Splinter eyed Casey down angrily at his little comment, causing Casey to smile back at him sheepishly.

Nikki huffed out and grimaced, clutching the pain in her chest. "Mrrg... Mghn… ‘Spose he's not the biggest rat I've seen since living in New York..." Nikki mumbled as she shifted further into a sitting position, rubbing her eyes. April kindly assisted her.

"How do you feel?" Leo asked her.

"Oh, y'know, like I was hit with a million bricks. Nothing new to me though," She replied smugly, only to immediately heel over and cringe in pain.

“What... happened? Where am I? I can't remember anything after we..." Nikki trailed off, her eyes slowly widening in realization.

"Oh... "

"Um... Nikki..." April murmured quietly.

Nikki stayed silent, staring at the ground. She appeared hesitant and deep in thought.

"We, uh, we wanted to thank you for what you did for us back there," Leo told her, breaking the awkward silence.

"Yeah, I hate to say it, but you're talented. The way you tore through all those Kraang bots... that was amazing," Raphael added.

Mikey nodded enthusiastically. "You got mad skills, yo! Seriously, where'd you learn to do all that?"

"And, I have to admit, you do have an impressive mind," Donnie said. "Maybe not as impressive as mine, but-"

"What we're trying to say is..." Leo interrupted Donnie, trying to avoid getting Nikki riled up. "We're very grateful for your bravery and courage. And... we also wanted to apologize for being so... intrusive. That wasn't right."

Nikki sighed and rubbed her shoulder.

"I'm not... used to... feelings. I guess? But..." She huffed out another sigh, shaking her head. "I get it. It's whatever," She managed to mumble out, awkwardly avoiding eye contact.

"Truce?" Leo asked, holding out his hand.

Nikki hesitated a moment, before bringing her hand up too. She grumbled, "Alright. Fine. But this doesn't make us friends. Allies-acquaintances, maybe, but not friends. I don't do the whole buddy-buddy thing."

"I can settle for that," Leo replied with a smile.

"Nikki," Splinter began. "May I ask how such incredible skills came to be at such a young age?"

Nikki shifted uncomfortably at his question and hesitated. She opened her mouth to speak, but grimaced again from pain. April put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Y'know there's a lot about me I'd rather not talk about," She replied. "But... you guys did save me too, so I guess I owe you this much."

Hesitating once more, she explained, "My parents aren't as great as they perceived themselves to be. I was raised to be a weapon. Not a daughter. My dad taught me everything he knew."

"Chrissy Rock? With moves like that, I'd believe it," Donnie commented.

"What do you mean by "weapon", Nikki?" April asked.

"Well... My dad was a German mafia don. My parents ran a series of underground businesses together, which was how they gained their success. They didn't plan to have me, but when they did, they wanted to make the most of it. So they turned me into... this. And I'm leaving it that, so... there's your answer."

The group stayed silent in awkwardness and empathy for a short moment.

"See, I told you!" Raph blurted out. "There's no way anyone as crazy rich as they were could be genuinely good people!"

"Raphael," Splinter uttered firmly.

   "I can't believe it!" Mikey exclaimed in disbelief. "Chrissy Rock? He's... bad?"

   "And Ava too?" Donnie asked. "She was never using her scientific genius for good?"

  "I am shocked and disappointed as well my sons. But, regardless... thank you Nikki, for saving my family. You are immensely gifted and have great potential."

Nikki winced at Splinter's praise and waved him off. "Ehhhh, nah, maybe not gifted. Just... don't mention it... Really, don't. It was an accident anyway. Just, y'know, blind rage? Hot head here knows what I'm talkin' about."

Nikki pointed at Raph, smugly, who crossed his arms and snarled. She tried standing up, only to immediately heel over again and fall to the ground.

"Ghng!" She grunted, holding her side.

“Woah, woah, easy! You're badly injured!" Donnie told her.

"Trust me, nerd, I've had way worse. I don't wanna be here any longer than I have to be. I'm not tryin' to owe anyone any favors," Nikki grumbled back, trying to stand up again.

April helped her balance herself out. "Nikki, we didn't help you for a favor, we helped you because you were hurt!"

"Pfft! Yeah, I wasn't born yesterday. What're you, just bein' nice?"

“Uh, yeah!?" April shot back, exasperated. "What you've never seen basic empathy before?"

"Girl, look at me. What do you think?"

"Ok, fair."

"Thanks, uhh, Mr. Rat, for the band-aids," Nikki turned to Splinter, blanking on his name. "Really, I appreciate it. But I gotta bounce."

"But, you can barely walk!" Donnie protested.

"I've barely crawled my way back home, Dorkatello, I'll be just fine," She shot back from behind her shoulder as she limped away.

"But-!"

"Leave her be," Splinter stopped him, holding his hand out. "She has made her decision. It is clear she knows her own limits."

"Uh, Nikki!" April called out.

"Freckles?" Nikki responded over her shoulder.

April hesitated at first. "I... I put my number in your phone. Just... text me when you get home, so we know you're safe."

Nikki stared in thought for a moment before finally cracking a small smile. "Alright. Sounds like a deal, O'Neil," She replied, hobbling away on her morning star.

(A/N: Thank you for reading! I have more stories and ideas in mind for Nikki, so stay tuned! And feel free to check out the short animatics I've made of her on my TikTok linked my bio!)

[angelfoodscake]

ruben and unnamed toad oc

experimented a bit with the colours/effects on this one. not sure if overdone , but i think it looks nice

[wxnderlustfandoms]

a trip to asgard [loki x teen! reader]

[not my gifs]

pairing: loki x teen! reader (platonic), thor x teen!reader (platonic) avengers x teen!reader (platonic), slight asgardian oc x reader (romantic)

description: Fed up with the avengers treatment of Loki after he started living in the compound, you’ve spent less and less time with them and more and more time with Loki and Thor. Until one day, you think of a brilliant idea.

request: “Can we have a part 2 of "Not a villian"? Loki's relationship with the reader grows and they became good friends, the avengers relationship with the reader deteriorates a little when they want to have normal conversations with the reader like before but she just doesn't want to talk to them, because she knows the avengers will bring Loki's topic again, they try to confront her about her behavior so the reader just snaps at them"My opinion about loki hasn't change, he is my friend now, if You don't want to hear what I have to say just because I'm Young and naive, then deal with it, at the end of the day, my opinion doesn't matters for all you right? At least Thor trusts in me and that's all I need"”

word count: 3802

warnings: prolly a few curse words, avengers being poopy friends, overprotective besties. reader has wings

part two of not a villain

It's been a few weeks since you and Loki had that talk in your room, and your friendship has done nothing but improve. On the flip side, your relationship with the avengers has done nothing but deteriorate. You’ve finally had enough of them treating you like a kid, and if they weren’t going to value your input as they would an adult’s then you would stop giving them input altogether. Your conversations with any of them have been very limited and you spent most of your time with Loki, which killed two birds with one stone because you knew the Avengers wouldn’t try to talk to you when you were hanging out with him. Thor has started spending more time on earth as he’s almost finished making the arrangements needed to stay on earth for extended periods of time to be there for his brother. The times he’s here, the three of you all hang out and you felt as though the brothers’ relationship was improving as well. Thor has confided in you that their relationship has been rocky throughout the years and that he truly feels as though you're making a difference in Loki’s life. 

“Thank you for being a great friend, Lady [Y/n]. A good friend to Loki, and a good friend to me,” He said one day as he was about to go back to Asgard. You felt tears well up in your eyes and you gave the tall man a tight hug before saying goodbye. 

You had just been messing around in the kitchen with Loki, making one of your favorite dishes. He took the food to his room and was there waiting for you to join him as you finished cleaning up a bit. You saw Natasha, Bruce, Clint, Sam, and Tony walk into the kitchen and it looked like they were about to lecture you so you hurriedly tried to escape the kitchen. 

“[Y/n],” Sam said, stopping you in your tracks. You sighed and turned to them, sitting down on a chair that sat next to the kitchen island. You motioned for them to get on with it.

“We’re worried about you. You’ve barely said 4 words to us this week. I understand that you think Loki is being a good friend, but look at what he’s doing to you. You’re not speaking to us at all. He’s not a good influence on you,” Sam continued. 

You scoffed, “Oh please, don’t blame Loki for what you guys did to yourself.”

“How did we do this? This all started because you defended Loki,” Tony defended and you narrowed your eyes and fluffed out your wings in defense. 

“Of course, you’d try to swing this around on me. You guys don’t think I'm mature enough to do anything! To do anything by myself! You don’t even trust me to make the decision on who to trust!” You started to raise your voice and gave a harsh flap of your wings to punctuate your argument. You watched them blink as they felt the gust of air blow past them. 

“[Y/n], calm down,” Natasha said, walking towards you. 

“No! My opinion on Loki hasn't changed, he is my friend now, and if you don't want to hear what I have to say just because I'm young and naive, then deal with the silence. Because I’m done trying to prove to you all that I can make decisions for myself. At the end of the day, you guys don’t value my opinion. At least Thor and Loki trust me because that's all I need.” You finished your statement and didn’t give them any time to say anything else because you started to run to Loki’s room. You didn’t make it very far, because you ran into Loki in the hallway that connected the kitchen and his room. 

“You heard that all, didn’t you?” You asked, your voice cracked as you looked at your feet, not being able to look at him without crying. 

“I did.” That was all he said as he wrapped his arms around you. You started fully crying.

“How is it you always find a way to eavesdrop when I’m defending you,” You joked through your tears. 

“I can’t miss people praising me, I am my favorite topic,” he joked back, rubbing your back to comfort you. “Now come on, we have food to eat and a movie to watch.”

As you two were watching the movie, Thor came to visit. He joined the two of you when he found out you were watching a good movie, and during it, you turned to him. 

“Thor, when are you going back to Asgard?” 

“Later today, I was just stopping by today. Why do you ask?” He asked in response, popping some popcorn into his mouth.

“How long are you going to be there?” 

“2 days, why?” He asked again, not getting where this was going. 

“Let me come with you please!” 

He choked on the popcorn in his mouth as he sat up. Your eyes widened as you watched the god’s reaction. 

“You want to come to Asgard?” He asked, almost in disbelief. 

“Yeah of course, why wouldn’t I?” You asked him. 

“Well… I don’t see why you can’t. But don’t you need to ask permission first?” He asked, moving the popcorn bowl off of his lap and sitting up to look at you fully now. It was now clear that he was actually taking your request seriously. 

“Of course not, they trust me enough to let me go. I’ll let them know where I’m going and that I’ll be back in two days! Easy.” Of course, you weren’t going to, but Thor didn’t need to know that. You saw Loki raise his brow at you and you gave him a little nudge to let him know to not say anything. 

“Well, perfect! It will be lovely to show you around Asgard. I’m sure you’ll love it. Loki, would you like to come too?” The brother offered. 

“Aren’t I still on ‘house arrest’?” Loki questioned, marking the quotation marks with his fingers as he spoke. 

“That doesn’t include Asgard,” Thor enlightened him. Loki’s face dropped and he deadpanned at Thor.

“So I could’ve gone back to Asgard with you this whole time?” He asked.

“Well… yes, technically…” Thor responded carefully, noticing Loki’s change in mood.

“You left me here with all of the people I fought with, and didn’t even let me know that I could take a break from them and go back home?” Loki asked again. From an outsider's view, it would look like he was getting angry, but you could tell he wasn’t actually that mad at his brother, just playing with him. 

Thor smirked as Loki lunged at him and they started wrestling. You laughed as you watched Thor kick Loki off of him and then sit on top of him. 

“Alright,” Loki wheezed out. “I yield,” slapping Thor’s leg as he tried to get him off so he would stop crushing his lungs. 

As Thor got off, he turned to you, not even helping Loki up. Loki, being dramatic, gave Thor a sour look as he coughed and got up himself. 

“You won’t need much, as we can prepare a room for you, but if you want to bring anything then go ahead and pack it now so we can get going,” Thor advised you and you smiled wide at him. 

“Thank you!” You yelled, bringing Loki and Thor into a big hug. “This is going to be so much fun.” 

After packing a small bag of things you thought you might need for two days, you met Loki and Thor outside. There was a spot designated for Thor to use the Bifrost to summon him back to Asgard so he didn’t ruin all of the grass around the compound. “Are you ready?” Thor asked, holding Mjolnir out, ready to call the Bifrost. You nodded, and he raised the hammer to the sky. Your vision was suddenly filled with all different colors and you felt your body raise off the ground, without the help of your wings. You looked around with awe at the things speeding past you, the stars and nebulas and planets you could see. It was like all of the Nasa telescope pictures you’d seen in your life but in person. It hit you that you were actually traveling through space right now. 

You finally saw the end of the ‘tunnel’ and felt your feet touch a hard surface again. 

You looked back at the Bifrost as it closed and the light dimmed out. Looking forward you saw some of the most beautiful and amazing sights you’d ever seen in your life. But before you could take it all in, you realized there was a person standing in the middle of the spherical room you were in. His eyes were yellow and he wore a horned helmet. 

“[Y/n], this is Heimdall, he is the Guardian of the Bifrost bridge,” Thor introduced you to him. Heimdall’s yellow eyes moved to look at you. You smiled a little shyly and gave him a small wave. He gave no response to your greeting as he looked over to Loki, who was doing his best to ignore the gatekeeper and move on into Asgard. 

“Just what Asgard needs. Two troublemakers,” Heimdall told Thor sarcastically.

You looked at him with surprise on your face. 

“Troublemaker? I understand why you would say that about Loki, but [Y/n] is-” Thor began to defend you but was cut off by Heimdall.

“Someone who lied to you in order to be brought here,” Heimdall stated. You opened your mouth in shock. 

“How did you…” You began to ask him how he knew.

“I am The Watcher of Worlds. I see all,” He replied. 

“What does he mean [Y/n]? About you lying?” Thor asked.

“I didn’t actually ask permission from the Avengers to come here. I lied and told you they were fine about it but they’re probably freaking out right now. But it’s fine. A little teenage rebellion is a rite of passage on Earth,” You explained. 

Loki was smiling at you, a proud look on his face. Thor was pouting. 

“I can’t believe you lied to me,” Now it was Thor’s turn to be dramatic. You rolled your eyes and laughed as you all three started walking over the bridge. You marveled at everything.

“It’s a bit overwhelming how beautiful everything is,” You stated. You three were almost in the heart of Asgard when you stopped in your tracks as people started filling your vision. 

“What’s wrong?” Thor asked. 

“Have your people ever seen… someone like me?” You asked, fear started leaking in your heart. You already made children scream in fear on Earth. You couldn’t take that from another planet.

“What? A Midgardian? Yes, they’ve seen a few-” 

“No, Thor, I have wings. I’m not just a normal Midgardian. I’m kind of a freak on Earth. Are the Asgardians going to think the same way?” You asked. 

Thor took your hand in his. You looked down at it and then looked up to meet his eyes. He then realized how afraid you were as he could feel you trembling. 

“You’re not a freak. Not here, or on Midgard,” He told you. You gave him a small smile. It wasn’t enough to make you change the way you thought about yourself or repair the damages that the experiments Hydra did on you, but it was enough to get you to start moving again. You reached over and took Loki’s hand, not wanting him to be left out. You also didn’t know how the people of Asgard viewed Loki. They obviously knew that he tried to take over Earth. But he wasn’t in jail so… that was probably a good sign. 

As people started seeing you three, there was a mix of reactions. Happiness when they saw Thor, surprise when they saw Loki, and curiosity when they saw you. 

A few kids approached you which caused you to stop and look at them, releasing Thor and Loki’s hands. 

“Are you an angel?” One of them asked. You couldn’t help but smile. 

“No I’m not an angel,” You told them, kneeling down to be beside them.

A little boy outstretched his arm and held it up to your wing, “Can I touch it?” He asked. You spread your wing so the kids could all touch it. They all got so excited about it and started squealing, running back to their parents in excitement. 

You got back up and smiled, continuing on with Thor and Loki. 

The majority of your time on Asgard was spent sightseeing. You flew around and had the brothers take you to their favorite childhood places. They told you many stories of their youth and you got to know them more and more with each passing moment. The second night was approaching fast and you felt bittersweet that the time on Asgard was coming to an end. However, to commemorate this moment, a ball was being placed. Thor was honoring his brother being back in Asgard and to new beginnings in Loki’s future. And he was also honoring Asgard’s special guest; you. 

The palace handmaidens helped you get ready and you were given a dress for the occasion. It was a gorgeous [f/c] dress that complimented your body perfectly. The back was low cut, giving your wings an ample amount of space and allowing them to be the star of the look. On your head was a gold chain wrapped around your horns and it sat gently on your forehead. Stars and moon charms filled the chain and gave it more of an elegant look.

Loki and Thor were talking near the throne when you made your entrance. You didn’t know how but you ended up being fashionably late, allowing you to make a grand entrance in front of everyone. On Earth, being the center of attention like this would make you anxious. But here, everyone seemed to look at you like you were something straight out of a painting. 

You were approached by a handsome gentleman sometime later in the night, after catching up with Thor and Loki and thanking them for the dress and inviting you to the event. The boy looked to be around your age, but you knew he was probably 100s of years old. 

“You really do look like an angel.” He started the conversation off strong with a compliment. You blushed and thanked him. 

“I saw you when you arrived in Asgard, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since. Would you do me the honor of joining me in this dance?” He asked, offering his hand. 

“I would love to, but I don’t think I’d be the best dance partner. I don’t really know how to,” You replied, hoping you didn’t look as flustered as you were. 

“Don’t worry, just follow my lead,” He said, reaching over with his other hand to place your hands where they needed to be on his body. One on his shoulder and the other interlaced with his. When he put his hand on your waist, you could’ve sworn you stopped breathing. He started guiding you through the dance, the music filling your ears and the boy filling all of your other senses. He smelled like a meadow filled with flowers and he looked just as beautiful. His eyes were so bright and genuine you felt yourself get lost in them. He pulled you in closer and you felt your stomach do somersaults. His hands were so soft and warm as he moved them softly from your waist to your back, right below where your wings came out of your back. You shivered at the first feeling of the skin to skin contact but relaxed into his touch. Your eyes moved from his eyes to his lips where they stayed for a second before moving your line of sight back to meet his eyes. You wet your lips out of nervousness, but this caused him to look at your lips. You felt the space between the two of you start to get smaller as you both inched toward each other slowly. Your lips were about to touch when you felt his presence disappear entirely. His hands no longer on you and his body no longer next to you. You looked around to see Thor and Loki standing there protectively, and deduced that they pushed him away from you. 

The boy stuttered out an apology, before bolting away from them, not even looking at you again. You felt yourself boil with rage. 

“What was that?!” You shouted, causing a few of the nearby guests to look over at the commotion. 

The two brothers noticed this and moved to have you all talk somewhere more private but you didn’t let them get the chance, you spread your wings and flew out of the big hall you were in. Through hallways you’d never been down before until you got to a big library with a large glass ceiling with constellations on it. 

You sat in the middle of the library, looking up at the sky through the glass. 

Moments passed before you heard movement from one of the bookshelves near you. 

The shadow stepped more into the light and you saw it was the same boy from earlier. When he turned and saw you, he looked frightened and was about to take off when you asked him not to. 

“Please! Stay…” You realized how silly it was to sound so desperate over someone you had just met but you didn’t want him to be afraid of you. Too many people were. 

He stopped in his tracks and thought about it before moving back to sit next to you. 

“I apologize about earlier. Apparently, they’re protective friends,” You chuckled. 

“I get it. We were kind of moving fast. But I kind of got caught up in the moment. You're so beautiful it’s almost dangerous.” He laughed as well before looking at you. 

“It’s a good thing they stopped us though. I am leaving tomorrow, it would be unfair of me to start something we can’t finish,” You explained before meeting his gaze. 

He looked down at your lips again before going to speak. “Who says we can’t?” 

You both sat there for what seemed like a while, the tension almost tangible, before you mentally said screw it and closed the gap between you two, pressing your lips together. He seemed surprised but didn’t hold onto that for long as he moved to reciprocate the kiss. He filled the kiss with so much fire and passion it was crazy to think you had just met him that night. He brought his hand up to cradle your face in his hold and you felt like your skin was being set ablaze like a thousand lightning bolts were being sent into your body from where his skin met yours and bolted around your body before settling in your stomach. But just as quickly as the kiss started, it was over. You felt him pull away and you slowly opened your eyes to look at him. He smiled softly and slowly released your cheek from his hold. 

“That was…” you whispered with the remaining breath in your lungs. No matter how hard you tried, it seemed like the oxygen was stolen from you. But it was in the best possible way. 

“Amazing,” He finished for you. 

You both spent a while longer together before you started to get up. His expression seemed to fall as he knew what that meant. 

“We both knew this was just a temporary visit. I hope to come back soon, but my home is on Midgard.” You told him. “I know. I hope to see you soon, angel.” He brushed a hair out of your face as he finished his sentence. 

You leaned in and gave him a light peck on the cheek before parting ways. 

When you reunited with Loki and Thor, who had been apparently searching for you for ‘hours’ as they put it, you were surprised to hear because it hadn't felt that long since you left the ballroom. 

“I apologize for getting so upset with you guys, I understand why you didn’t want me dancing with some random stranger, but… I just…” You explained before trailing off. You didn’t want to let them know how guys on Earth never looked at you like he had, how guys on Earth are afraid of you, but he seemed to look at you like you were the most beautiful, harmless thing on any planet.

“You shouldn’t be the one apologizing, we trust you and we know you can be responsible enough to make your own decisions, even if that is who to dance with,” Thor responded. 

“Just don’t run off without telling us where you’re going next time,” Loki continued, bumping your arm with his hand. You giggled. 

“Wait… next time? You’re gonna bring me back?” You asked.

“Of course, unless you don’t want to,” Thor answered.

“I’d love to! As long as Sam doesn't try to imprison me in the compound for my entire life for pulling this stunt,” You joked and they both laughed. 

.

.

“You’re grounded. You’re so grounded! No leaving the compound for a month!” Sam yelled at you when you had gotten back to the compound. 

You giggled and Sam froze, looking at you and softening. 

“I haven’t seen you laugh in so long,” He confessed.

“You would have seen me laughing if you saw me around Loki,” Your face falling as you brought Loki up again, knowing that the topic probably wasn’t going to go well.

“...Maybe… I guess… I could give him a chance.” Sam started, his tone making it obvious he was hesitant to do what his words were saying. 

Your eyes lit up, “Really?!” 

“I trust you - slightly less now that you ran away to another planet without telling anyone - but I do truly trust you. I think you're old enough to know who to trust and to make sense of someone's character. If you truly think Loki is a good person, I’ll make more of an attempt to make him feel more welcome and I’ll help you convince the rest of the team. You’re important to us and I think I’d rather have an ex-murderer be acquaintances with me than lose you.” 

You smiled and ran up to hug him, your wings curling in towards him as well. 

“Thank you, Sam, you’re a great friend and I’ve missed you. You’re just stubborn sometimes.”

“More like overprotective,” He replied, hugging you back.

“Yeah, seems like a lot of you are.”

[moonstrider9904]

Traitorous Truth

Chapter Five of Half-Moon Glow

Pairing: Crosshair x Female OC (Aurora Dawn)

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Summary: As the squad tries to put a spoiled shore leave behind them, Clone Force 99 are led to Cristophsis to try and negotiate with the cold and suspicious Osi Sobeck.

Word count: 4.7k

Tags/warnings: Mature (still 18+). Injuries, mild blood and some blood loss (not explicit), minor side character death, lots of angst, hostage situation, foul language, threats of torture and killing. 

A/N: Nope, this is not at all like what I usually write, but it was oddly fun to write this one. There’s a load of angst in this one, so (affectionate) Get wrecked, fuckers (affectionate).

It was safe to say that shore leave on Naboo had been ruined.

The obvious tension lingering in the rooms whenever Crosshair and Aurora found themselves in the same spot would only dissipate when one of them left, and despite the anger reflected within the medic, Hunter couldn’t ignore the heartbreak in her eyes.

Everyone had gone their separate ways. Tech stuck to his own prototypes, valuing progress in his projects above whatever else could have gone wrong regarding personal relations. It was simply safer. Wrecker and Aurora bonded over the heartbreak they’d both felt, spending most of their time in one tavern or another drinking away, not quite bringing themselves to finding someone new even for a meaningless rebound.

Hunter could tell they’d both broken.

Meanwhile, the sniper was either resting in his room or off on his own, and no one quite knew where he was. Perhaps he’d found a corner on the higher levels of the building where no one would disturb him, a place perfect for sniping if the war were to reach Theed, or perhaps he’d found a more obscure bar where none of his squad mates or even fellow troopers would go. Crosshair was as avoidant and mysterious as ever.

But perhaps it was for the best.

Hunter was left on his own to observe how those around him tried—and sometimes failed—to make the best of what they went through. From the outside, Hunter could make out a number of details from the way Aurora’s eyes were swollen each morning when she woke, no doubt having cried herself to sleep at Crosshair’s absence, to the amount of dirty looks that Clone Force 99 was receiving by the time they had to leave Naboo.

Though not unusual, each of the genetically-enhanced clones seemed to be getting more glares than they normally would. The others didn’t care; they had too much to deal with on their own, but given recent events, Hunter couldn’t afford to let such a blatant change in behavior towards them slip by.

In his investigations, he’d found out another breach of data had occurred at the hands of the spy while they were on their leave, and the breach had been stationed on Naboo.

And once again, their questionable reputation came back to bite them from behind.

“You still there, sergeant?”

Hunter snapped out of his momentary daze and his attention was brought back to the holo comm, where a small version of commander Cody looked up at him, expecting a reply.

“Sorry, commander,” Hunter said. “Just pondering on all the coincidences.”

“Which are?” Cody prompted.

“Whoever this spy is, they seem to be following us around,” Hunter confessed.

“And so, you understand the position your squad is in,” Cody replied. “I don’t suspect of you or any of your men for a second, so I think we can kill two birds with one stone for this.”

“Sir?”

“I have a mission available on Christophsis,” Cody began. “Relations haven’t been as tight since our battle there, and right now all military operations on Christophsis are under the command of captain Osi Sobeck. He’s a tough nut to crack, so I need you to go and negotiate terms with him to hopefully agree on setting up a base there.”

Hunter and Tech exchanged a doubtful look—negotiations weren’t a strength for Clone Force 99—and Hunter then looked back at Cody.

“We’ll do what you ask, commander, but how is this going to help our situation?” Hunter said.

“This mission is new and relatively secret,” Cody said. “Only you, me, and Wolffe know about it as of now. If any intel related to your whereabouts were to get out while you’re there, we can confirm that this spy has something to do with you, since they’ll have had to follow you to get there, and it’ll help us direct efforts to stop them. If any intel gets out from anywhere else, we could use that to your defense in the meantime.”

Hunter nodded briefly. “Alright, we’ll do it.”

With the sound of Tech punching coordinates into the hyperdrive in the background, Hunter noticed as Cody seemed to briefly soften in the hologram.

“How’s Aurora holding up?” the commander asked, the question not surprising Hunter even in the least.

He sighed. “She’s saved our skins many times.”

“You’d tell me if she was struggling in any way, right?” said Cody.

“I haven’t lost faith,” Hunter replied, knowing that any more detail was unnecessary. “But if worst comes to worst, I’ll tell you.”

“Very well,” Cody replied, straightening his back as though slipping back into his role of commander. “I’ll send you the details of the negotiation shortly.”

“Thank you,” Hunter said, and the hologram powered down, leaving the cockpit in silence.

“Christophsis it is?” Tech asked to confirm.

Hunter nodded. “Christophsis it is.”

With the push of a lever, Tech sent the Havoc Marauder into hyperspace; it would hopefully not be a very long trip to their destination. Shortly after, the doors to the cockpit hissed open, revealing Aurora with Wrecker walking closely behind her.

It calmed Hunter down to see the two of them behaving almost like normal again.

“I thought I heard a hologram in here,” Aurora said.

“Yeah,” Hunter replied. “Cody says hi.”

“Ah,” she nodded as she walked over to the copilot seat as Tech engaged autopilot.

“He also gave us our next assignment,” Hunter continued, during which the last member of the squad made his way into the cockpit.

Crosshair’s presence raised the wall of tension once more.

“We’re heading for Christophsis,” Hunter addressed him.

“I heard,” Crosshair replied as he walked to one of the walls and leaned on it.

Hunter huffed and hoped his efforts to move on would be for the best. “We’ll meet a Republic captain there named Osi Sobeck and try to come to an agreement for a base on the planet.”

“Why us?” Crosshair slurred.

“Because Cody said so,” Hunter replied. “He thinks a mission like this will keep us off the radar for a while, and whatever happens with the spy will let us know if they’re onto us or they have other motives.”

“Um… Hunter?” Wrecker added. “We’re not exactly the best at negotiating. Unless we’re destroying something there, we won’t be of much use.”

“I beg to differ,” Tech spoke up. “I’ll gladly take over the negotiation, and besides, we have charisma on our side.”

“I am loveable,” Wrecker chuckled.

“Not you, di’kut,” Tech replied as he turned to Aurora, inevitably bringing Hunter and Wrecker to look at her as well.

And she also noticed Crosshair avoiding looking at her on purpose.

“She is the nicest of us, I’m sure she can appeal to this Sobeck’s better nature while I provide the technicalities,” Tech continued. “You three need only keep yourselves from screwing anything up.”

“Gee, thanks,” Hunter chuckled. “Would you prefer if we stayed on the ship and didn’t interfere?”

“I actually would,” Tech replied.

Tech and Wrecker would bicker for a long portion of the ride ahead, thankfully pulling the weight for conversational need from the shoulders of the others. Aurora’s heart would continue to sink, however, as Crosshair evidently knew of every glance she gave him, and would proceed to ignore it.

It would soon be more than she could bear. Not having him look at her, not hearing his voice address her, to not speak of his hands on her body, his arms holding her close to him…

Aurora still tried to convince herself that the way he kissed, held and looked at her held feelings at the very back, though that notion was beginning to seem like a distant dream.

*

Christophsis greeted them with its distinctive aesthetic; cool hues of green and blue on the ground level and the purple haze of the sky mixed together to build an ambience unlike many that squad 99 had ever come across

Cody’s coordinates had been precise, and Tech held the proposed terms of the negotiation safely in the data pad in his hands. He’d performed whatever investigations he could on captain Osi Sobeck, but he hadn’t been able to find much other than a brief time serving the GAR and a preference to remain on Christophsis whatever the cost, or so it seemed.

There didn’t appear to be any reasons to be wary.

“Let me take the lead for this,” Tech commented as he pushed up the visor of his unique helmet. “Aurora, just follow along.”

“Sure thing,” she said.

As the five of them lined up at the facility’s entrance, Tech pushed a button to notify those inside that they were out there waiting, and a camera lense seemed to power up with a distorted mechanical voice behind it.

“Identification?” It asked.

“We are Clone Force 99, sent by Marshal Commander CC-2224 of the 212th division,” Tech answered. “We are here to establish a negotiation with Captain Osi Sobeck.”

“One moment.”

They all knew it was normal to be kept waiting a little bit while waiting for clearance into a building, particularly a military base, but to all of them it seemed like perhaps it was taking too long for their request to be answered. While most of them didn’t make much of it, Hunter decided to cling to that detail, in case anything went wrong, though he still wasn’t sure of what could go astray.

The lens then powered up again. “Authorized.”

The heavy metal doors opened and granted them access, and behind the doors, two large, ominous special unit droids appeared as escorts. Though at first the sight of them made the troopers and medic wary, the droids clearly had the Republic’s crest painted on their shoulder, marking them as allies.

But why they would be there instead of clone troopers or Republic sentient fighters eluded the squadron, and it only made Hunter more aware of the surroundings than it already was. Silently, the droids led the squadron into the dimly lit base, with the heavy doors closing behind them.

Tension lingered in the air like a thick fog. Escorted into the elevator, the squad remained in silence with only the electronic whirring of the droids and the elevator in the background. Even more set aside was Aurora, who was the only one whose face was exposed in the middle of her helmeted teammates.

The ride in the elevator felt eternal, but Aurora would try to seize the opportunity. On her left stood Crosshair, tall and dark and silent, not looking anywhere except directly in front. He felt Aurora’s gaze on him, and though she expected him to ignore her again, Crosshair looked down at her.

But for all she knew, anger would still be ablaze in his eyes, and before she had any more time to wonder, Crosshair looked away from her again.

And that was it.

Soon, they arrived at the central command center high up in the facility, a large room fully lit because of its big windows, surrounded with holo screens and computers displaying several charts and reports. It was occupied almost exclusively by droids, all of them focused on their tasks, and at the very center was a holo projector over which towered the figure of a tall Phindian male, about Wrecker’s height, who had his back turned on the squad.

When he turned around, Aurora felt a chill, for this was one of the unfriendliest faces she’d ever encountered. His round eyes held a sharp, icy gaze that seemed as if it was hunting to kill; his features were already very bold, an impression enhanced by the authority he carried himself with, undoubtedly a strict leader. His clothes seemed almost too dark for a Republic officer, and on his hip rested a holster with a hand blaster in it, one that didn’t seem to have been used or worn out and was most likely meant for intimidation.

“The clones you requested, captain,” spoke one of the droids.

Hunter and Aurora exchanged a look at the peculiar remark.

“Ah, yes,” he spoke with a gruff snarl for a voice. “The infamous Clone Force 99.”

“We were sent by commander Cody,” Tech replied. “We bring numerous propositions for a Republic Base stationed here on Christophsis, and while we would like to discuss them all with you, we would also be eager to hear what you have in mind.”

Sobeck chortled deep in his chest. “You see, I reached out to the commander hoping he would send you. You all look as capable as you have been made out to be.”

“Tech…” Hunter muttered.

“Your intelligence, however, can be further worked on in a lab,” Sobeck concluded.

Those were the words that finally sent the other three troopers into reasoning, but it was too late by that time, as the droids around them had already drawn their blasters and pointed them at the squad, cornering them before they even had a chance of anything.

“How disappointing that it was so easy to get you in our grasp,” Sobeck laughed. “I’m surprised not even my droids set you off.”

“Of course not,” Tech’s voice hardened as he discreetly began recording through his visor. “You’re supposed to be part of the Republic. You had our loyalty by default.”

“Better for me,” Sobeck laughed once more.

Behind them, the door hissed open revealing a single figure wearing shiny clone trooper armor. He walked silently into the room, making his way towards Sobeck without acknowledging the troopers even once, and by the time it reached the captain, finally took off his helmet.

He was no clone, but a Rhodian merely disguised as one.

“Too easy, indeed, too easy,” Sobeck mocked. “And once you took the fall for me and everyone suspected you were the ones feeding intel to the Separatists, you did most of the work for me.”

“What are you talking about?!” Hunter threatened.

“CT-99s are supposed to be the Kaminoans’ finest creations, and yet, your own army doesn’t respect you, your own comrades think you’re fools, they’ll all be ready to sell you out, not surprised if you were indeed spies,” Sobeck snarled.

Silence fell among the troopers as they huddled defensively.

“Here’s hoping your secrets will be better used by the Separatists,” Sobeck threatened.

“Spies…” Aurora muttered. “Hunter—”

“Bring me their leader!” Sobeck’s voice bellowed above hers. “He will be the first one to undergo,” he glared over at the squad, his eyes all but preaching doom, “extraction.”

Hunter acted quickly and without thinking, though that was neither new nor bad for him, and he unsheathed his vibroblade from its spot in his forearm, launching it at the disguised spy’s chest. The spy choked and collapsed onto the ground, perishing in no time, and just when it seemed their fate would be sealed as well, Aurora took one of the smoke bombs from Wrecker’s utility belt and detonated it, forcing the droids to hold their fire whilst giving her and her boys a chance to escape.

Hunter went to retrieve his blade from the Rhodian and was the last one out, leaving Tech to work on keeping the door sealed for as long as he could manage, ultimately blasting the controls to keep it from opening again.

“That should buy us some time,” Tech said.

“He seemed friendly, eh?” Wrecker said with sarcasm. “Think if he offer him our blood samples, he’ll go easier on us?”

“Guys, we have to get out of here now,” Aurora said.

“For once, I think we’ll all agree on something,” Hunter said. “Follow me and don’t stop running.”

Hunter led them down a series of corridors before reaching the elevator, which had unsurprisingly been remotely disabled, after which he led his squad down several flights of stairs before reaching the lower level cluttered with an equally complex system of halls and corridors they’d have to survive if they wanted to leave in one piece.

But down at the first level, trouble had already beat them. In full Separatist fashion, the place had already been riddled with battle droids and more special units, all of them programmed to stop them from leaving. Aurora watched as the droids seemed to multiply before her eyes, frozen in horror and in dismay as it felt like they wouldn’t be escaping.

Then, long, slender fingers wrapped around her wrist. Crosshair tugged her in his direction, wordless, running faster than she ever could on her own. Aurora took out her hand blaster as he ran with her, shooting whatever droids she could that were chasing them. Crosshair let go of her to assemble his rifle, hopefully granting them an advantage, but it wasn’t long before Aurora began to fall behind merely meters before the final corridor that would lead them to the exit.

They were vulnerable, only one mistake away from being cornered, wide open and with no cover to protect them from the blasts of the droids that didn’t mind killing them. Despite all this, they kept running, and though Aurora hoped with all her might that they would all be okay, her own fears materialized when a blast incoming from behind found her leg.

The little grunt she made considerably downsized the pain she felt from the blast wound, burning despite it having only grazed the back of her thigh, already slowing her down in her efforts to escape. She watched as the others ran in front of her, all of them approaching safety; it was the only thing that mattered. Aurora wasn’t so far herself, but her wound put her at a dangerous disadvantage that she hoped wouldn’t catch up to her.

But it did.

Aurora yelped when a large metallic hand tugged on the back of her gray jumper, pulling some of her hair along with it, and the force with which the special unit pulled her easily overpowered her. She was swept off the ground and dragged back in the direction they’d been running from in the first place, crying out in pain and in alarm as she saw her squadmates getting farther away from her.

That was when Crosshair turned around.

His expression was concealed by his helmet, but the hurry with which he ran back was evident. Crosshair had just pulled his rifle out when the special unit shot it out of his hand, but he wouldn’t be defenseless after that. He pulled out the hand blaster from his holster and aimed at the droid’s head, but its programming proved to be smarter. It lifted Aurora from off the ground to shield itself from Crosshair’s blast, and though the marksman tried to shoot at its legs, it proved futile against the special unit.

Soon, Aurora heard clanking from behind her. A group of at least ten other battle droids, alongside three more special unit droid commandos appeared from the adjacent hallway, all of them taking aim against a wide-open Crosshair. But he didn’t seem to relent, and Aurora saw it ending only one way.

She noticed Crosshair was just behind one of the door frames that would divide the hall if it were closed, and though her heart would break more, she knew the door would be strong enough to shield him from any blasts.

It would also give him a chance to escape, to save himself.

“Let her go!” Crosshair yelled, his voice a violent thunder raging in the hall, echoing alongside the blasts.

“Crosshair, leave!” Aurora cried out, yelping in pain as the droid securing her pulled on her with more strength. “Please, leave, or they’ll shoot you!”

But he didn’t stop, and Aurora knew that it wouldn’t belong before he’d be badly hurt. No matter what had happened, or how awful he’d made her feel, the thought of him being hurt was more than her heart could bear, and she wouldn’t allow it.

And when the droid that was holding her raised its arm and exposed the built-in blaster, aiming it at Crosshair, Aurora mustered all of her strength and pushed against the arm, deviating it and altering the blast’s course just enough for it to hit beside the door’s controls. The blast was powerful enough to fry the entire panel, causing the door to close in front of Crosshair.

“No!” He yelled out just as the doors sealed, separating him from Aurora and the droids for good.

With all his strength, he slammed his fists repeatedly against the door, relenting only to throw aside his helmet and gaze at the sight in front of him through the small glass window. Eyes wide with alarm, he saw as the droid dropped her without care, and she fell on the ground grunting out in pain and clutching her bleeding hamstring.

He slammed the door again when more battle droids surrounded her, all of them taking aim, and he yelled curses at Sobeck when he appeared from behind them, grinning evilly at the defenseless Aurora.

Crosshair felt a pair of hands tugging at his armor from behind him, threatening to pull him away from the door, away from Aurora. He struggled, if only to keep watch over her, and observed as Sobeck ordered his droids to stand down only to have them drag her away while his older brothers did the same to him.

“I’m not leaving her!” Crosshair cried out and slipped himself from their grip, heading back to the door and slamming it with more strength than ever, more strength than anyone could ever predict he had. “AURORA!”

“Crosshair!” Hunter secured his shoulders and shook him. “Crosshair, listen to me! You’re not going to help her like this and you’re not going to help her if you get yourself captured.”

“She’s wounded, dammit!” Crosshair yelled. “She needs me, I’m not leaving her!”

“Crosshair—”

“I need her, goddammit—”

“Then you should have told her that before!” Hunter raised his voice, finally making Crosshair quiet down, as his youngest brother looked up at him with a pained expression.

They both knew Hunter was right. The hall fell into an eerie silence, and on the other side of the door, neither Aurora, nor the droids, nor Sobeck were still there.

“Crosshair,” Tech spoke as calmly as he could. “Sobeck won’t hurt her. He wants us, and I’m sure he’s going to use Aurora to get to us.”

“And even if he weren’t, we’d still go back for her,” Wrecker added.

“But we need you to be focused,” Hunter finished.

Crosshair felt himself shaking as he exhaled; no matter what they could say, he wouldn’t stop fearing what that maniac could do to her, but it at least prompted Crosshair to pick his rifle up from the ground, loading it and not bothering to put it away.

“I won’t leave Sobeck alive,” he growled.

“Fine by us,” Hunter replied.

“I’ll report our findings to Cody before Sobeck has the chance to twist any of this,” Tech said. “We should head back to the ship in the meantime; if these halls are separated by doors, we risk being trapped.”

“Alright then, we move,” Hunter led and was the first one making his way down the halls.

Before Wrecker and Crosshair moved, Wrecker picked Crosshair’s helmet up from the ground and gave it to him. With a brief nod, Crosshair took it and placed it back over his head, and quickly, he ran behind his older brother, resolved to free Aurora from the clutches of the traitor.

*

Being dragged from the hallways and barely able to stand on her own feet, it was a blur for Aurora by the time she was back at the command center, her weight secured by two droids at her sides while Sobeck had his back turned on her, setting up the holo projector.

But flashes from the hallway repeated themselves in Aurora’s mind, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t erase the image of Crosshair crying out through the sealed door, trying and failing to get to her.

At least he and the others were safe; the fear of seeing him get hurt was far stronger than the fear of losing him.

“Your clone friends are terrible at picking up comms,” Sobeck spoke, his gruff voice both chilling and disgusting Aurora to the core. She glared up at him and fear and in spite, a part of her hoping they wouldn’t answer, that they’d returned to safety.

But just then, the holoprojector powered up and displayed the silhouettes of her four squad mates, with Crosshair at the front looking angrier than she’d ever seen him. Sobeck signaled the droids behind him to bring Aurora into view; she grunted in pain as she moved, and feeling helpless, tried not to look at the pain and worry in the eyes of her boys.

“I believe we can skip the formalities,” Sobeck began. “You want your medic back, or so I assume, and I’ll happily return her to you.”

“Guys, it’s a trap!” Aurora yelled out, but one of her droids hit her right on her blast wound on her thigh, making her crumble to the ground in pain.

“Don’t you fucking touch her!” Crosshair yelled through the holocomm.

“You have escaped me for the last time, clone!” Sobeck called back. “You know what I want, and unless you’re willing to come back here and give it to me, this pathetic little rat dies.”

Crosshair’s struggle was visible even through the hologram, and shaken as he was by anger and his desire for revenge, his gaze floated over to Aurora, kneeling on the ground, her gray uniform stained by her own blood.

“Look at her,” Sobeck said. “Poor little girl, so afraid, so in pain, so abandoned by you.” Sobeck reached down and held her chin and cheeks, forcing her to look up at the projection as tears streamed down her cheeks. “Don’t tell her you’re going to leave her here all alone.”

“Get your filthy hands off her!” Crosshair yelled.

“Give me what I want!” Sobeck let her go and pointed at him. “I want to see you steering your ship towards me now, or your little pet is in for a world of pain!”

“You want our DNA,” Crosshair’s voice gave a hint of a tremble, though it remained menacing. “You can take it from me if you can guarantee her safety.”

Sobeck cackled. “This is almost far too easy, but it isn’t unwelcome. I’ll be expecting your company again.”

“One more thing,” Crosshair said, his voice cold and unfeeling while his harsh gaze found Sobeck’s. “If I find out you’ve laid another finger on her, I’m going to murder you.”

“And I’m sure you’d love to,” Sobeck snarled.

“Crosshair!” Aurora called out, though she didn’t know what she’d say. Would she beg him to forget about her, to forget about Sobeck, to save himself? Would she implore him not to go down the path of revenge, or would she ask them to get there as fast as he could?

Or would she cry out her love for him if it was the last chance she ever got?

Before anything could be said, Sobeck turned off the holo projector and left the room in a ghastly, thick silence. The grim captain turned around and his cold, fearsome eyes landed on Aurora, hurt and vulnerable on the ground, as she tried desperately to escape his icy gaze.

Sobeck turned to one of his special unit droids. “Take her to a detention cell, and stop the bleeding. She won’t be of any use to us if she’s dead, these clones are not as naive.”

He looked at Aurora again, grinning evilly at her. “You’d better be excited, we’re about to have company.”

She glared at him. “And they’re gonna kick your ass.”

“Alas, you are their weakness,” Sobeck replied. “If you’re here, I’ll get everything I want from them in the palm of my hand. Take her away.”

Aurora groaned in pain as she was lifted by the droids and taken out of the command center, on her way to be thrown into a small, confined cell where she’d be all alone, with no hope until they arrived.

She prayed to the heavens they wouldn’t take long.

Taglist: @zoeykallus @sageislostinspring @simpforcross @ceapa-mica @misogirl828 @dangerousstrawberrypie @salaminus @ladykatakuri @whore4rex @morganlefaye13 @seriowan @kimageddon @rain-on-kamino @prozacspice

[honeybeebuns]

The Madrigal Twins

The Family Madrigal

🎶 The twins of Bruno

Lydia and Oscar

Both stunning powers but neither ones the same. 🎶

🎶(Lydia)

Snow and water that flows so light

(Lydia)

she’s a flurry of pure delight🎶

🎶(Oscar! Oscar! Oscar! Oscar!)

and Oscar’s flames burn on

the fireworks they burst all night long! 🎶

We don't talk about Bruno

🎶Papa was the best and no one could do it better.

Always wrote us plays and then he made us the main actors.

Never was kind to ev-er bring us down

(down down down)🎶

🎶Struggled with his gift whenever everybody cursed him.

But he always used it when to help every person

Loved this family so much he'd al-ways put them first.

even though it hurt🎶

🎶They won't talk about Bruno no no no, we can talk about Bruno!🎶

This one doesn't work as well 🤷‍♀️

All of you

🎶Bruno's back, now we're back on track no more fire and ice at our sides🎶

🎶(Guess that's fine)🎶

🎶We may have lost our gift but we got out Pa back!

Now we can perform We've got out acting star back🎶

🎶Come on let's hit that stage and show them how.

The Bru-no twins wow🎶

🎶Let's go!🎶 

 Wow it's been a while since I uploaded...well anything art related on here whoops!

Tbh I've been much more active on my Wattpad account and have a backlog of art that needs uploading on here AND I've recently started a Ao3 book for all you lovelies on there so check those out if you like!

So a little bit of backstory on this piece. I work par-time at a school drawing with the kids and sometimes I bring my tablet in so they can learn a new skill, They love it and are always asking me to draw their favourite shows, anime and films!

Last week one of my regular kids saw me drawing an OC from a book I was reading and asked if I could make one for them and because Encanto is (unsurprisingly) the talk of the playground they asked for Encanto OCs.

Seeing as how I've wanted to draw for the Encanto door trend I though i'd kill two birds with one stone and make this a lil' passion project!

Originally they asked for a daughter of Julieta with a water based gift and a son of Pepa with a fire based gift but when I suggested that they be twins of Bruno instead they loved the idea and the rest is history!

Oscar was originally going to be Bruno’s name, once I heard that it felt like fate and the name Lydia?

well...lets just say I've been replaying Skyrim a lot 😅

I LOVE the Papa Bruno AU so much, actually I love papa Bruno in any form!

🔥❄️Here are a few head canons for the twins❄️🔥

- No matter how hard Camilo tries the twins will ALWAYS be able to tell if he's shapeshifted into one of them.

- They were the shortest out of Mirabel and Camilo when they were younger but have since grown and are now taller than both of them (they are also an inch taller than Bruno)

- Lydia runs a cholado and raspado stall and in the colder months Oscar runs a hot beverage stall they help out together and their powers help keep the product and the right temperature for longer

- They have a door inside their rooms that connects them together

- The interior of Lydia's room is like a giant hot spring oasis and looks like an underwater tunnel with wildlife swimming around (Before Antonio got his room he used to love to have sleepovers all the time, Oscar and Miracle were invited ofc)

- The interior of Oscars room is like a giant log cabin in the woods with a big bonfire outside (he and Lydia would stay up late and grill mazorca together)

- Their powers aren't inherently green, they can make it almost any colour, but they prefer it to be green like their papa

- When they were young Bruno would write plays for them to perform in (hint hint the song lyric) 

- Bruno used to call them his Ratonio and Ratita when they were babies 

- Oscar is almost always burning himself, his flames don't hurt him but his clothes always have scorch marks on them (also the cold never bothered Lydia anyway)

- Sometimes Lydia will take over and water the crops so that Pepa doesn't have to be sad to do so

- They have unique nicknames they call each other, Oz and Didi (de-de)

- They are almost always the main attraction for festivals, Oscar with his fireworks and Lydia with her ice skating and snowball fights 

- They are a month or so younger than Mirabel so Bruno had left by the time they got their gifts, at first they felt very bitter and resentful towards him but since then their anger has turned to sadness and now they just miss him and want him to come home

- Although they don't know the real reason behind their papa's disappearance you know damn well that they'll defend him and Mirabel to the death

- Because of Mirabel failed gift ceremony and grief at the loss of Bruno, there was no ceremony held for them so at midnight the twins snuck out and opened their doors together (at the first the family had thought they'd run away until they saw two new doors) 

- The twins do feel quite lonely and at times feel jealous towards their cousins when they see them with their parents but tend to keep it to themselves

- The first thing the twins are going to do if they see their papa is hug the hell out of him!

[borathae]

My theory on why Jimin in not present in this chapter, he’s the one that went looking for the other witches so they can help, that way he kills two birds with one stone, he goes looking for help AND he gets to escape Namjoon’s nightmareish presence that’s lingering in the state, it would be understandable if he didn’t want to stay there considering how scared of Namjoon he is, the man ruined his life several times and he is trying to get better so of course having him there, even if he is locked up would be traumatic for mimi and would bring back his trauma to the surface 😔

On a side note: I HAD to make the comparison of current oc and SA Yoongi, like it’s there clear as day to me 😭😭😭 it’s all I could think of while reading 😭 and I love that you pointed out the fact that for everyone oc is the next in line to be boss if Yoongs is not there, as his MATE 😭😭😭 like don’t break me like this, I want my very in love babies back 😭 but also yeah the one and only POWER couple we need in this world

-Shy anon

YES I SUPPORT THIS THEORY OMFG I bet Mimmie is so scared that Namjoon somehow manages to breakfree and then hunt him 😭😭 it would make sense why he doesn't want to stay at the estate for now 😭

I HAD to make the comparison of current oc and SA Yoongi, like it’s there clear as day to me 😭😭😭 it’s all I could think of while reading 😭

NO BUT I LOVE THIS COMPARISON BECAUSE IT'S SO FUCKING ACCURATE 😭😭

and I love that you pointed out the fact that for everyone oc is the next in line to be boss if Yoongs is not there, as his MATE 😭😭😭

YOI HAVE NO IDEA HOW HOT THIS CONCEPT IS TO ME FANDNFAS LIKE YES QUEEN BE THE FUCKING BOSS YOU ARE DESTINED TO BE 😩😩😩

[justanotherblonde]

blonde's sasodei week 2022 (2)

@sasodeiweek

in a very bold move, here i present ALL I'VE GOT for this fic currently... finishing my MA dissertation part one and going back to work this week has left me with less time than i'd hoped for finishing things... but!! i won't leave ya hangin'. i'll finish it before the grace period's over! luv u babes

tags: canon-verse, early partnership days, not shippy, mission fic, err also no significance or hidden easter-eggs to the OC names...

A Moment in Which: [currently untitled...]

Glittering in Deidara’s periphery, the sea. White light sparked on waves like a fistful of diamonds. Overhead, a cloudless, pale blue sky filled with noisy white birds… Sweat tracked down his sides beneath his mesh top, soaking into his waistband. The sun was hot on his bare face. The lightest breeze brushed his cheek, and that was what finally forced him to sigh.

“Are you bored, brat?” Hiruko’s gravelly voice dragged Deidara back to the task at hand. Shaking sweaty hair off his face and neck, Deidara fixed his last exploding tag in place and nimbly climbed back down to the sandy floor of the lagoon. This area was the perfect place to trap their target: crumbly stone walls formed a labyrinth of dead ends, and the loose sand was perfect for burying things…

“Not at all, Danna, mn.” Deidara grinned, once again amused at the sight of Hiruko's head peeking out from the small dune they’d erected over its body in one corners. Along the passage, Deidara had planted exploding tags and mines which would bring the rocks tumbling down on top of their target, and if that didn’t kill him, Hiruko would.

“Get out of sight,” Sasori grumbled. “Our target will be here any minute and you—”

“Yeah, yeah,” Deidara interrupted, waving his hand as he sauntered off towards the entrance of the labyrinth.

He didn’t even turn back to look at Hiruko, knowing all he’d get in return would be a scowl. They’d been partners for a grand total of three months and already the thin veneer of respect Deidara had developed for Sasori was wearing thin.

It was the little things that got to him, like Sasori’s impatience, his nitpicky perfectionism… and his utter disdain for Deidara’s art.

“My art will finish our target off,” Deidara muttered under his breath so Sasori couldn’t hear him, “and you’ll look like an idiot crawling out of the sand when it’s all over. Just you wait, mn.”

Scooping his Akatsuki cloak off the ground, he slipped it on, and spider-like, climbed into the hiding spot he’d discovered earlier. The cozy recess was five meters off the ground in the scratchy cliff-face. As stiflingly hot as his cloak was, it protected his arms and body from the rough stone, but he wouldn’t have minded a scrape or two. It was fun to pick at the scabs, a habit that immensely annoyed Sasori.

As the minutes ticked on, Deidara could sense Sasori’s impatience radiating forth from within the labyrinth. Grumpy old man. Knowing that their target was close, Deidara held his sigh in this time, but as he inhaled a lungful of sea air, he couldn’t help but dejectedly knock his head back against the wall. The sea was so close. Never once in his life had he passed this close to the sea. He’d been surrounded by jagged mountains and fathomless caves since birth… Was the water really salty? Would it be warm, or cold like a mountain lake? The waves looked exciting. Dangerous, even. But when he’d snuck a peek earlier, he’d seen people playing in the surf, riding long wooden boards.

Too bad he had work to do.

The soft shift of sand underfoot betrayed their target. A shinobi of purported prowess, too skilled to be taken out by the local police force, Kujo Kurobito was wanted in three countries for killing powerful business magnates.

Deidara could sympathise with the man’s commitment to anarchy, but Akatsuki was getting paid good money to take him out, and the way Leader-sama talked, that was all that mattered. Ah well, who was Deidara to complain? At least he got to blow shit up this time.

“Katsu,” Deidara whispered.

BO-BO-BOOM!

The walls of the labyrinth shook. Deidara shivered at the spine-jarring scrape of stone against stone as huge boulders thudded to the sandy floor. He listened hard for signs of life—would he need to use his back-up bombs?

There! Kujo Kurobito—his sleek black hair disheveled and matted with blood—crawled out from beneath a pile of loose stone, face contorted in rage.

“Did Ayamoto-san put you up to this?!” he cried angrily. He shook himself and drew a fistful of shuriken from his hip-pouch, head swinging desperately from side to side as he sought his assailants.

“Who the hell is Ayamoto-san, mn?” Deidara shouted back, counting on the bending walls of the labyrinth to obscure the source of his voice.

“Who’s there?” He still hadn’t spied Deidara, nor Hiruko up ahead. Kujo coughed, lungs full of swirling dust. Fruitlessly he waved his hand in front of his face, effectively blinded.

Perfect time for a plague of locusts: exploding clay ones, of course. Deidara flung his sculptures into the air.

“KATSU!”

The man sensed the attack far too late. He dodged one, two, three, but the fourth caught his knee; the fifth caught his right hand—bye, bye, fingers! The sixth caught his left hip…

…and the rest turned him into a bleeding lump on the sand, moaning in agony.

Hiruko’s pile of sand shuddered to life. The puppet slid forward, solemn gait and habitual scowl more than enough to express his disgust at the results before him.

“You call this ‘art’?” Sasori rumbled, looking from the writhing future corpse at his feet to Deidara, returning from his hiding spot.

Deidara stretched his arms up to the sky, dropped his hands on top of his head, and shrugged. “Not my best work, I’ll admit it, mn.”

“Tch.” Hiruko’s tail flashed, stabbing the man in the chest and delivering poison directly to a failing heart. Kujo died in an instant. “Sloppy. Wasteful.”

“But we got him, Danna,” Deidara reasoned, trying not to pout. Would it kill Sasori-danna to at the very least acknowledge that the trap had worked? If they’d done it Sasori’s way, the man would most certainly have escaped. The databook said he was a strong fighter, proficient with weapons up close and at mid-range. Catching him off-guard with explosives had worked.

Sasori used his scorpion tail to lift Kujo onto Hiruko’s back, and then set off towards town without a word.

Deidara dropped his hands to his sides in disappointment and jogged after him.

“Do you even need me to come with you to collect the bounty?” Deidara asked when they reached the mouth of the labyrinth, trying so so so hard not to whine. He cast a glance over his shoulder at the sea. It was calling him. “Maybe I could—”

“Go,” Hiruko growled. “I’ll meet you at the beach when I’m done.”

Shocked, Deidara stopped in his tracks, blinking stupidly.

“Wh-what?”

Hiruko stopped and eyed him sideways.

“You’ve been staring at it all day. Go… go… have… do… whatever… people do. At the beach.” That was supposed to have sounded a bit more encouraging, but apparently it didn’t matter:

Deidara whooped with joy. He jumped and punched the air, then set off at a run, spinning at the last minute to shout:

“THANK YOU!”

Inside Hiruko, Sasori shook his head. “Hard to believe someone actually managed to teach that brat some manners…” he mumbled to himself.