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anon-e-miss · 3 years ago

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Vault - Feint

“It’s just over here,” Barricade said, gesturing to the shattered remains of a temple. “Freak turned the crypt into his lab.”

“Strange choice,” Jazz replied.

“Not really,” Barricade replied. “It gets a wide berth. Mecha think its haunted.”

“Why would it be haunted?” Jazz asked.

“Because something like thirty mechanisms got burnt alive in the temple,” Barricade replied. “The priests were sheltering so of Straxis’ enemies. They defied his demands. So he sent them to the Pit.”

“Scrap,” Jazz cursed.

“Yeah,” Barricade huffed as he climbed over a toppled statue. Prima... probably. Ricochet grit his denta as he chased after him. “Empties wail if they get fragged up here. Their processors are too fragmented for them to really remember but they know something terrible happened here.”

“Ya don’t gotta go in,” Ricochet said. “Ya can wait outside.”

“And if the freak returns?” Barricade asked, lightly. He knew he had already one the argument.

“Frag,” Ricochet cursed. It had been a long time since Jazz had seen his twin so frustrated.

“What’s the deal, Rico?” Jazz asked. “I don’t got time for petty scrap.”

“He’s carryin’,” Rico growled. “‘N still goin’ round actin’ like he’s fit.”

“I am fit,” Barricade snapped back. “I’m carrying, not sick for frag’s sake.”

“Ori is gonna turn ya into scrap, Rico,” Jazz warned his twin. “Lettin’ yer gravid lover come out here.”

“I didn’t let’m,” Ricochet grumbled. “He just don’t listen to sense!”

“Aren’t we on a deadline?” Barricade asked. The way he spoke, the way he held his chin, Jazz saw a bit of a resemblance between this gold-faced Con and Prowl.

“‘M takin’ point,” Jazz declared. “Rico, take the rear.”

“Got it,” Ricochet replied. Barricade levelled Jazz a look and once again, Jazz could see the familial resemblance. “What made ya enlist wit the Cons?” Jazz asked as he stopped next to the Praxian.

“Sentinel,” Barricade replied. “When it was clear Megatron was going to capture Praxus, Sentinel Prime didn’t want his secret arms factory discovered. So he sent it all to the Pit.”

“Funny, ain’t heard that one before,” Jazz said.

“I heard him give the order,” Barricade replied.

“Scrap,” Jazz cursed. “Does Prowl know.”

“I’m sure he does,” Barricade said. “Considering what Megatron let happen to him, I’m going to be he decided Optimus Prime was the lesser of the available evils.”

“I don’t think he’s wrong,” Jazz replied.

“Probably not,” Barricade agreed. Jazz nodded.

“Let’s go.”

Despite the vorns that had past, the scent of melted wiring and scorched sentio-metallico still clung to the broken walls of the old temple. Jazz was not an especially religious mech but he admired the conviction of the priests who had died her, rather than bend to a tyrant. In his life, Jazz had scented death many times. As they descended into the crypt via a trapdoor that had clearly been added after the fire, Jazz scented a more recent death, the scent of stale mechfluid. He turned as he reached the bottom, turning to assure that Barricade made it safely down. From above, Ricochet gave him a look of gratitude; Jazz only nodded.

“What are you to Prowl anyways?” Barricade asked, begrudgingly accepting Jazz’s servo and he took the last, sharp step.

“A friend,” Jazz replied. “He saved my creations so I owe’m everythin’.”

“I didn’t know he had a bitlet,” Barricade said. “I didn’t know, not for certain, that he was even alive until he suddenly turned up on your side. I wouldn’t have left him to that freak.”

“I believe ya,” Jazz declared. He turned a corner, and stopped midstep. “Fraggin’ Primus.”

“What?” Barricade asked, pushing against Jazz’s arm as the saboteur raised it to stop him.

“Easy,” he said. He gesture to a jar on a shelf on the wall. “Found out what he did with Vortex’s helm.”

“Disgusting,” Barricade growled and his gold face paled.

“Easy,” Jazz cautioned him.

“I’m fine,” Barricade said, denta clenched. “They call it light-cycle sickness. Ought to’ve called it, every waking joor sickness.”

“Ori’s ruby tea’ll set ya right,” Jazz declared. Barricade stiffened. “Ya know y’re comin’ back wit us. That’s the real reason Ricochet agreed to have ya come along.”

“I figured out his plan,” Barricade agreed.

“Ya don’t wanna have a bitty in Darkmount,” Jazz said. “Ya don’t wanna risk how Megatron’ll take it, or he’d know already.”

There was a mech laid out on the table and Jazz thought it was the spiderbot’s newest kill and not an Empty this time but a warbuild, one fresh off the assembly line. But as he left Barricade, as Ricochet wrapped his arm around his lover’s waste, Jazz circled the table and he realized all at once that this was not a mech but a protoform, one whose spark chamber had never closed around a spark. Why? Jazz asked as he examined the clutter of machinery, a peace offering for Megatron, maybe? A trap? Where was the mechling? Tarantulas must have had some sort of recharge space. Perhaps he played family with the bitty... a CR chamber caught Jazz’s attention. It was small, very small. He wiped condesation from the glass and looked inside.

“What is it?” Ricochet called to him.

“A bitlet,” Jazz replied. “In suspended animation. The freak didn’t wall of the bond between Prowl ‘n his bitty, he put the bitty into stasis lock ‘n kept’m on ice all this time.”

***

Punch ignore the fleck of dirt that floated in his peripheral vision. Though he could have left the dishes to air dry, Punch picked up a dish towel the big pot, taking a moment to adjust his grip. It was a heavy pot, and he was getting on in vorns. He hummed merrily as he wiped the pot down and gave it a bit of a polish. With an audible oof, Punch hefted the pot onto the shelf. Jazz kept them up high; it reduced the number of spontaneous “concerts” the mechlings might perform. Of course, Jazz was the musical sort, they all were, and he was not afraid of noise, but Prowl, the poor spark, needed his rest. In the corner of his optic, the speck of dirt still and Punch leaned on the counter as he reached for a plate. The speck shifted course and as it seemed to fly towards him, Punch threw back his arm and let his blade fly. With a sharp ping, it lodge in the wall. Dispassionately, Punch watched his quarry try to mass shift, once, twice, legs flailing as the madmech only managed to carve his gut wound bigger.

“I figured the shiftin’ was tied to yer t-cog,” Punch declared as he walked toward’s his pinned prey, no limb insight. “Fell for the oldest trick in the book. It’s typical. The mecha who think they’re the smartest are usually utter fools.”

“Guh,” Tarantulas writhed in agony.

“I could end it hear ‘n now,” Punch said, conversationally as he watched the monster suffer. “I could slice ya clean in half ‘n go to my berth but ya know, I don’t feel tired just yet.”

He had what he needed in his subspace. You did not survive in his business, you did not keep your creations alive, if you were not prepared for absolutely anything. Punch hummed with joyful wrath as he laid a piece of foam on the table before he wrench his throwing knife from the wall. Tarantulas’ legs curled towards his abdomen and he made a high pinch keen. Unmoved, Punch pushed the tip of his knife into the foam, pinning the spiderbot like the wretched pest he was. Just to make sure there was no lucky, or unlucky escape, Punch placed his snivelling prize into a clear box, and locked it shut.

“Hey Hound,” Punch commed the scout. “Any chance ya could come o’er to Jazz’s place ‘n help me wit a project?”

“At this joor?” Hound asked. “Is Jazz, is Prowl in trouble?”

“Everyone’s fine,” Punch declared. He tapped his digits against the box. “Everyone that matters.”

It did not take long for Hound to arrive. He was alone; Mirage had his own business to contend with. Apart from Bumblebee, Hound was scene by Decepticons as the least intimidating of Jazz’s team. That was a mistake, Punch knew that Hound was lethal and when he got on someone’s scent, they were not going to escape him easily. The scout saw the hole in the wall and the trail of energon. Punch smiled as he held the box up, with the pinned spiderbot still twitching fitful on the thin blade. Hound’s expression was one of shock and Punch clucked his glossa; he was not even as old as Ratchet and these younglings acted like he was infirm. Jazz did not, but of course, Jazz knew better and he knew he would not get away with any suggestion that Punch slow down.

“I need ya to sparklin’ sit,” Punch explained. “‘N clean that bit o’ mess. What this monster did don’t earn a quick death. I’ll be back in a couple o’ joor.”

“Don’t rush on my part,” Hound replied.

There was no need to go far. Jazz’s building had a basement and within it were laundry and maintenance rooms. Sure, the maintenance room had a lock on it but it was nothing that Punch could not get passed in a few nanokliks. Everything he could need, that he did not have at servo, would be found here. Punch removed the foam from the box and began his preparations. He pinned the spiderbot’s eight legs to the foam and then carefully removed the thin knife from his thorax. He examined the t-cog and the trailing that had come out on his blade. No one needed this power. No Autobot. No Deception. Without hesitation, he used the butt of his knife’s handle to grind it into dust. There was little time to give Tarantulas the torture he deserved. Energon loss would end him soon, too soon but such was life, and death.

As Taratulas had experimented on Prowl, so to did Punch on him, to a point. He had no particular direction to the vivisection, only the desire to see the monster suffer. Punch flayed his carapace opened as he shrieked, the sound echoed throughout the maintenance room. It would do no use, there were not habsuites above them and the businesses that operated on the first floor were closed at this joor. The shrieks weakened under Punch’s cruel ministrations. He saw the monster’s spark feebly flare. There was a certain science to this work and Punch kept a close watch on the spiderbot’s spark and when it began to gutter, Punch removed the pins holding the dying mech to the foam board.

Tarantulas was too weak and too broken to take advantage; he may not even have been aware. It did not matter. He pulled a jar of fluoroantimonic acid from his subspace and taking care, he lowered Tarantulas into the superacid and watched the monster disappear. His work done, Punch replaced the lid on the jar and locked it down. Later, he would dispose of it but for the moment, he focused on cleaning any trace of energon and spider bits from the maintenance room. When his clean up was done, Punch returned upstairs. Vengeance satisfied, he was ready for his berth.

#valveplug #maccadams #tf prowl #tf jazz #tf punch #tf ricochet #tf barricade #tf tarantulas #mechpreg #tw graphic depictions of violence #tw torture #but he deserves it #vortex au #vault #anon-e-miss writes

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redrobin-detective · 3 years ago

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Danny stayed out of the ghost portal. And when they got back to the house, it was Jack who was poking around who accidentally hit the On switch and became a halfa. What would Jack do? He's already a pretty obsessed human! Would Maddie hate him now? Would they team up to experiment on his powers? Would he hide it from her very very badly? Would they try to reverse it? Would they publish a research paper and get GIW after them?

Oh this THIS could be fun because the name of this game is m i s c o m m u n i c a t i o n

Ok so Jcak goes in the portal, great big flash, everything just changed blah blah. He's now a human/ghost hybrid. He ofc tells Maddie because they're partners in everything. They're scared yet fascinated. Since they're convinced ghosts are evil, they thing Jack will eventually give into his 'evil' instincts. He starts distancing himself from his children in fear he'll hurt them, Maddie has weapons on her all the time specifically to take him down as needed.

But time passes and Jack, pretty much stays the same. J&M are fascinated and decide to use Jack's remaining time on Earth to study this phenomenon. They spend more and more time in the lab and, with their singular focus, don't really how worried and unhappy Danny and Jazz are. Jazz has kind of given up on them since they're now actively pulling away and she's only looking ahead to college. But Danny, sweet, sensitive, caring Danny feels like something is wrong. Wonders if there's something he can fix.

Jack Phantom makes appearances in Amity fighting ghosts occasionally but he prefers using his weaponry. It takes time for him to grow used to his abilities and what he is. Fighting dangerous ghosts again confirms his bias that they're evil and so he'll soon be that way too. Then comes the Reunion and they meet Plasmius for the first time, LOTS of inaccurate interpretations: Jack thinks Vlad is haunted by Plasmius and is trying to save him while keeping his ID a secret, Maddie puts 2 and 2 together on Vlad and Plasmius but Jack won't believe her, Vlad can't believe Jack had a similar accident to him but hides his nature to make the final blow more potent. And poor Danny, he sees Plasmius attacking his dad and thinks Jack has been pulling away bc he's being threatened by this ghost. Danny does the only thing he can do, he starts fighting ghosts.

Danny is not a natural ghost hunter but he learns and he learns quickly. Vlad learns of his attempts and finds it hilarious and sponsors Danny like he did Val in canon. Danny really looks up to Vlad and thanks him profusely for helping him to protect his dad. Vlad, in his skeevy but also pathetic way, finds he genuinely likes the attention from Danny and is impressed by his skills. He begins plotting, realizing if his and Jack's accident can happen twice on accident then he can replicate it again on purpose. He WILL have his perfect half ghost son.

Danny takes more and more responsibility as Amity's human ghost hunter. Sam and Tuck def get roped in, would be interesting if Jazz also became a ghost hunter, one who's more focused on keeping her brother safe from his dangerous new hobby. The Fenton Family has split in two from their secrets and no one realizes.

Jack Phantom and Hunter Danny (in disguise) initially start off antagonistic but it doesn't last long. Jack is too enthusiastic about a young human ghost hunter Gosh if only this could be Jack and his son! and starts telling him the ropes. Danny figures this is the ghost of an old ghost hunter and is fondly reminded of his dad who grows more distant by the day. Jack is impressed by the Hunter's techniques and Danny, well he's a hero nerd and is a bit jealous of the cool powers. Vlad keeps comically trying to pit the two against each other and it just doesn't work.

I'm losing my train of thought but things spiral further as Vlad tries to manipulate Jack in both forms, try to control and turn Danny against his folks and also somehow turn him half ghost. Danny actually gets along better with the ghosts than J&M and helps them realize that not all ghosts are evil. Just this slow journey of the Fentons breaking apart and then coming back together only no one realizes that they're actually family bonding this whole time.

#do I like AUs where everyone has different impressions on whats going on?#and everyone has their own conflicting motivations that clash with each other bc no one knows the full story?#you could say so #this was very therapuetic to write ty #ive had a rough few days

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scottpetersen · 2 years ago

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DuckTales Double-O-Duck In You Only Crash Twice Rescue Rangers POV Fanfic Chapter 1

Zipper’s POV:

I was flying through the vents trying to find another way back to that lab Black Heron was using to test that intelligence ray on those mice and chipmunks.

I just so happened to get caught in one of that gizmo’s blasts. When I tried to help, I got spotted and Gadget told me to get out of there.

I was trying to find an alternate route back to that lab. I was hoping that entering in through a different way would help me not get spotted this time.

It started feeling like this evil lair was one big maze before I stumbled onto a secret passage hidden in the ceiling.

I made my way through it and found myself in…an arcade?!

There’s dozens of games around here. And I also see a bunch of kids running around playing.

Well, I guess the last place anyone would expect to find an evil lair would be in a place like this.

“It is bad enough I have to set foot in this contraption of a carnival to pick you up. Now you want me to stay here.” someone said.

I turned to see who it was and it turned out to be an old-looking duck wearing an orange jacket and a black top hat and is also holding a black cane. Apparently, he doesn’t like the arcade.

I also saw 2 kids with him. One girl and one boy. I also saw a tall-looking guy with them too.

“Y’know, Uncle Scrooge. I’ve always wanted to introduce you to the captain’s quarter’s arcade. Come on.” the little girl said enthusiastically giving the little boy and the big guy a wink as she pushed him in the other direction.

Wait. Uncle…Scrooge?!

Is this guy the same Scrooge that FOWL is after?! And if he is the same Scrooge, that means he’s both literally and figuratively right on top of one of their evil lairs! And judging by what that little girl called him and what those other 2 people look like, with his niece and probably his nephew and his friend too no less! They could be walking straight into a trap! I’ve got to warn them!

But they were splitting up into 2 groups. That little boy and the big guy were headed off in one direction while Scrooge and the little girl were headed off in another.

I have to choose which pair to follow. Since Scrooge is who they’re after, it seemed like following the pair he’s in would be the best choice.

And at first, that’s what I did. However, between the commotion of the arcade and the fact that they can’t understand me, I couldn’t get their attention let alone warn them about the situation.

But then, I saw someone with a metal beak trying to sneak up on the little boy and the big guy. He’s probably working for FOWL!

I know I can’t just let those 2 get captured or worse!

I’ve got to do something!

So, I made my way over to help them!

As a fight between them and the FOWL agent started to ensue, was trying my hardest to help but I’m starting to realize there’s not much I can do. I tried a barrage attack on the guy with the metal beak. But it didn’t even phase him. Worse yet, I can’t even distract him or get his attention!

Ugh! I feel so useless!

I was starting to doubt myself!

Am I any good to anyone if I literally can’t even get them to notice me?!

I saw that FOWL agent knock those 2 into the ball pit and heard a strange mechanical noise. This means that ball pit is a secret passage to that evil lair! And that means that they’re about to be captured now!

Then, I got a look at some stuff on the floor and it gave me an idea. It also made me realize something! Just because I can’t help them by fighting doesn’t mean I can’t help them in another way!

So, flying as fast as I could, I started collecting the random parts. I realized that Gadget might be able to use these things to build something that can get her and the others out of their cages. Then, they could help those guys escape too!

And hopefully, we’ll be able to stop FOWL!

After I gathered everything I could and put them all into a bag that was on the floor, I went into the ball pit and through the secret passage just before it closed!

Gadget’s POV:

It had been some time since we were locked in this cell.

Me and Monterey told Chip and Dale everything we knew about the situation. Unlike us, they were only blasted by the intelligence ray after Zipper almost got killed trying to help us.

Monterey also decided to call himself Monty as a nickname and I think that nickname works for him.

That got me thinking about Zipper. I really hope he’s alright.

Golly, I just realized he doesn’t know this place! He will surely get lost if he hasn’t already!

Suddenly, I heard a strange noise just outside this cell.

I decided to take a look out there to see what it is.

It’s a person with a silver metal beak. I’m guessing he’s also working for FOWL.

That got confirmed when I started to see that he’s dragging 2 other people with him. They’re both ducks. One appears to be a young boy. The other appears to be a muscular man. They both appear to be dressed in white prison uniforms. And they also both appear to be wearing glasses.

Our cell door along opened and the FOWL agent proceeded to throw that boy into the cell next to ours and that man into the cell we’re in.

And before we could even try to run out through the open cell door, it closed just as quickly as it opened.

“Ha! Let’s see what she thinks of me after this!” the FOWL agent said just before he walked off.

I looked at the man who got thrown in here. I started to get a strange feeling. I can’t quite explain what it is. Honestly, I think the best word to describe it would be…empathy? Logically speaking, that would make perfect sense. After all, we are both currently being held prisoner by FOWL. And one of the things empathy is about is feeling for someone who’s in a situation that’s similar to the one you’re in.

But then again, if that were the case, I would’ve surely felt that same strange feeling around Chip, Dale, Monterey and that young boy since they’re also being held prisoner by FOWL. No. It’s something else. But what is it? Golly, I can’t quite put my finger on it.

Suddenly, me and the others heard buzzing.

We turned to see what it is and we started feeling a great amount of joy when we saw it was…

“Zipper!” Monty shouted happily. “You’re alright!”

“So, that’s Zipper?” Chip asked curiously.

“Oh, right. You haven’t been introduced. Chip and Dale, that’s Zipper.” Monty said pointing to Zipper.

“Nice to meet you 2.” Zipper said waving hello.

“Zipper, that’s Chip.” Monty said pointing to Chip.

“Hello.” Chip said solemnly.

“And that’s Dale.” Monty said pointing to Dale.

“Hi there.” Dale said excitedly.

“Anyway, I got good news and bad news.” Zipper said.

“How about the bad news first?” Chip said. “Best to get it overwith straight away.”

“Ok. The bad news is that FOWL is after Scrooge McDuck and his family. And right now, they’re in the arcade right above this place.” Zipper said. “And I wasn’t able to warn them.”

That’s not good! It means that FOWL is way too close to getting what they want.

I glanced at everyone else and judging by the expressions on their faces, they appear to be thinking the same thing.

“Please tell me that’s all.” Monty asked anxiously.

Zipper frowned with a sad look and shook his head.

“No. Those 2 people that just got thrown in here. That little boy is Scrooge’s nephew. And that big guy is a friend of his.” Zipper explained.

“This is not good.” Chip said grimly.

Dale spoke up and eagerly asked Zipper, “So, spill the beans, Zipper. What’s the good news?”

“Well, I managed to get some stuff Gadget might be able to use to build something that every one of us all out of here. Those 2 people included.” Zipper said showing us the bag of the things he described.

I went to get a look at it. And after I did, I perked my head up in excitement realizing these are parts I should be able to use!

“Zipper, this stuff is perfect!” I yelled excitedly.

Zipper smiled appreciating the gratitude.

“Thank you.” Zipper said looking like he’s feeling more happy than ever before.

“And I think I know just what we’re going to build!” I shouted.

“What are we gonna build?” Monty asked.

“We’re gonna be building a plane!” I replied.

After a brief moment, Chip responded first by saying, “It’s worth a shot. Let’s do it.”

Everyone else nodded in agreement and went over here to help me.

We got to work. And soon enough, we were almost done. Just need to put a few final parts into place.

As we were about to, I noticed that the person who got thrown in here is starting to wake up.

Notes: Ok. I think I’m gonna be posting this fanfic’s chapters on a weekly basis. Feel free to read the prologue if you hadn’t already. And special thanks to @skullman2 for correcting me on Gadget and Monterey being mice rather than chipmunks. I’ll make sure not to make that mistake again. Also, thanks for reading.

#fanfics #disney #ducktales #ducktales (2017)#double o duck in you only crash twice #chip ‘n dale rescue rangers #gadget hackwrench #monterey jack #chip and dale #zipper

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rebeccccccaaa · 4 years ago

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𝐈𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞

________________________

ʙᴜᴄᴋʏ ʙᴀʀɴᴇs x ᴘʏʀᴏᴋɪɴᴇᴛɪᴄ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ʀᴇǫᴜᴇsᴛᴇᴅ: (ANON) heey!! Can you please write something (possibly smut pls) in which Bucky falls in love with Tony's adoptive daughter but they have to keep it a secret?

ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢs: SMUT 18+, fluff, age gap (you’re like mid-twenties and Bucky’s early thirties) angry Tones, Steve being such an asshole lmao

ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ’s ɴᴏᴛᴇs: I imagine that you were like thirteen to fifteen during the attack in new york and your parents uh… died ig and Tony took you in and they find out you got super powers teehee

________________________

It started when the Avengers had their first movie with Bucky as a new recruit. He had completed his evaluations and was applicable to join the team. That’s when he met you for the first time.

You were this beautiful ball of craziness and light and he couldn’t take his eyes off you. You were tipsy, he could tell and every sudden burst of laughter or even a sneeze you’d spark a flame setting something on fire making you laugh even more.

He practically fell in love with you that day.

Weeks later he chalked it up and asked Steve more about you. He told Bucky that your parents had died when you were young during the attack on New York almost ten years ago now and Tony took it upon himself to take you in and protect you.

“How did you guys know about her powers?”

“We didn’t. Few days after she moved into the Tower she sneezed during breakfast and set her food on fire. I don’t think she knew about them either.”

“Who were her parents?”

“We don’t know. She told us their names but it’s like they don’t exist; no medical history, socials, nothing.”

“Weird.”

You were a mystery, a beautiful mystery. But one thing everyone was that you were Tony’s daughter. Adopted, but still. And Tony still didn’t like him. It was an argument on it’s own to even let near the compound; telling him that he wanted to date his daughter would send him into cardiac arrest.

So you guys are sneaking around.

Of course you noticed his shy and lingering eyes. You were flattered. You agreed a bunch that Bucky was one of the most gorgeous men you’ve ever laid your eyes on. You didn’t push anything and waited for him to come to you. And when he did, he came hard, literally.

It started when Steve was away on a mission in Berlin. Bucky had woken up from a nightmare and he hadn’t had one in weeks. During his time here, because of his infatuation with you, he grew close to you.

You laid under him so perfectly; like you were meant to be there. The way you bit your lip to muffle your moans so you wouldn’t wake anyone. The way your eyes fluttered when he hit that particular spot. The stinging from your nails dragging down his back.

“Fucking hell, you feel so good wrapped around me, doll,” he grunted as he continued to thrusted in and out of you.

“Oh god, Bucky,” you moaned before pulling him down to connect your lips together.

“Ugh, your dad’s gonna kill me,” he grunted.

“Fuck him,” you chuckled breathlessly.

Breakfast the next morning was foul. Everyone was eating as normal and Steve was set to fly back in from Berlin, but y couldn’t shake the awkward tension between you and Bucky. Both girls could sense that something had happened and when you told them later that day they nearly screamed like teenage girls.

“You can’t tell anyone! Especially Tony!”

“We won’t say anything,” Nat giggled, “He’s gonna kill you.”

“Not if he kills Bucky first,” Wanda snorted.

Since then every lingering touch, every persistent stare, you found yourselves in either room making the most of however many minutes you had together until someone came looking for you. Your chest pressed against his, combing your fingers through his hair as he buried his face in the crook of your neck.

“You’re absolutely irresistible, doll,” Bucky whispered against your ear.

“Fuck, we’re gonna get caught one day,” you panted.

“I know but we haven’t yet, so be a good girl and turn around for me so I can that gorgeous ass while I fuck you from behind.”

You turned over, getting on your hands and knees instantaneously feeling a pleasurable sting from Bucky’s hand on your cheek. He quickly soothed the pain by rubbing his hand over the red mark before gliding up your spine to softly rub your back.

He slowly slid back in through your folds eliciting a moan from you both. His pelvis slapping against your soft skin, the sound echoing lewdly through the room. Your arms gave out and your face buried into the sheets under you letting Bucky hit deeper inside you making you nearly scream.

You threw your head back up covering your mouth to muffle the moans. Bucky bit his lip harshly in an attempt but wasn’t as successful as you were. His hips snapped violently, stuttering every now and then as he got closer to a release.

“God, Buck! I’m gonna cum! Fuck!” you whined.

“Shit,” Bucky groaned before spilling inside you, coating your walls with hot cum.

He fell forward pressing soft kisses to your slightly sweaty skin. He lifted himself and turned you around, settling between your legs lazily kissing you in your post sex bliss. You looked so pretty with your hair spread out on the sheets and the marks that littered your neck and your breasts. He truly fell in love with you and you did for him too.

“Y/n,” he whispered looking intimately into your eyes.

“Bucky,” you whispered back with a grin.

“I lo-”

“Hey, Buck. I’ve been looking for- What the fuck!” Steve barged through the door to find you two nude in each other's arms. You tucked your face in your shoulder away from the door in shame and Bucky saw red. He reached above your head immediately and threw as hard as he could at the intruder.

“Get out!”

Steve slammed the door shut with wide eyes and furrowed brows. Did he see what he thinks he saw? He went to the lab to look for Tony.

“Hey, Tony, do you know about Y/n and Bucky?”

“Excuse me?” he sassed.

“I uh- I found them together. In Buck’s room. Uh... naked.”

Tony slowly raised his head with an evil expression staring directly into Steve making the big super soldier feel timid.

“What!”

You and Bucky cleaned yourselves up and changed as soon as Steve left. You sat next to each other on his bed unsure of what’s to come next.

“Maybe Steve won’t say anything?” Bucky shrugged.

“My dad’s gonna kill me,” you sighed.

“Hey, I won’t let him-”

“Get the hell away from my daughter!” Tony shouted slamming the door to Bucky’s bedroom opened; behind him stood and guilty Steve and you felt rage.

“You fucking told on us!” you spiraled fire around your fingers ready to fight for revenge. Your hands and arms glowed bright red and orange and yellow and pits of fire glowed in your eyes. Steam practically

“Hey calm down,” Bucky grabbed your waist. He stepped in front you and lifted your chin to look at him. The second your eyes met with his, your entire body cooled down and you felt yourself fall in the ocean that are his eyes; as if a wave had dissipated the fire you created.

“Hey, what the hell is going on?” Tony fumed.

“Leave her alone. She has nothing to do with this,” Bucky defended.

“The hell she does. You’re sleeping with my daughter!”

“I’m not talking about this; I’m talking about what we have. If it was anyone else, you wouldn’t be having a cow,” Bucky growled.

“Tony,” you stepped forward.

“Dad,” you whispered; Tony's eyes snapped to yours.

“Please, I love him.”

“No,” he couldn’t accept it.

“Well, whether or not you like it, we’re gonna be together.”

“I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“We’ll just keep sneaking around like we have been for months.”

“Months!”

“Yes, months. And it would’ve been longer if it wasn’t for you!” you pointed at Steve, who casted his eyes away in guilt.

“Dad, please. I love Bucky so much; and you’re not going to take him away from me,” you cried.

Tony noticed how sincere you spoke. And the way he easily calmed you down; he knew there was love between you two. He wouldn’t be to live with himself if he took something that clearly made you so happy away from you. As much as he couldn’t move past his issues with Bucky he knows that Bucky was right and that this has nothing to do with you.

“I don’t want any more accidents with walking in your private time. You’re lucky it was Steve and not me; I would’ve killed you both on the spot,” he said to you.

“Thank you, Dad,” you hugged him tightly before going back to Bucky’s side.

“And you; if you so much as put her in a bad mood, I’ll fucking kill you,” Tony said before leaving.

“Well, well, well,” Bucky looked at Steve.

“Bucky, leave him alone; it’s not like he almost ruined our lives and tore us apart,” you chuckled.

“Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t think freak out like that,” Steve apologized.

“And why didn’t you lock the door?” he asked.

“Yeah, why didn’t you?” you looked at Bucky with furrowed brows.

“Don’t turn on me, this is not my fault!” Bucky defended as you and Steve shared a laugh.

“Well, I’m happy for you guys. You’re good together,” Steve smiled before walking out and closing the door.

“Wow, Toyn fucking terrifying when he’s in dad mode,” Bucky turned to you.

“Yeah, but he’ll come around.”

“I love you too, by the way.”

“I love you, Bucky.”

==========================

ᴛᴀɢʟɪsᴛ: (For all my work)

@mathletemadison

@buckybarnes101

@l-sofiamia-l

@Pluto-grl

Taglist?

#bucky barnes #bucky barnes smut #bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #james bucky barnes #james buchanan barnes smut #marvel fics #marvel smut

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raviotherabbit · 3 years ago

Text

royal pain in the ass - chapter 3

Chapter 3: Era of the Skies Zelda meets some new faces.

[first] - [previous] - [next] read it on ao3!

△ ▲△

Link—her Link, Sky—had told Zelda that his fellow heroes seemed to have… issues, with voicing their problems. Which, truth be told, didn’t make much sense to her. Skyloft has always been a very open environment. Everyone knew each other, and so knew when their fellow citizen was struggling.

Would there really be a time where not all of Hyrule was like this?

Zelda didn’t think much of it, not for quite some time. Not until her visit to the formerly Sealed Grounds, where she found the Hero of Legend staring up at the Statue of the Goddess. In retrospect, the whole thing seemed incredibly tacky. Who needs a hundred foot statue in honor of their worship?

Still, she found herself drawn to it. Of course she did. Things had been confusing ever since everything ended and construction of the kingdom had begun. Zelda still wasn’t quite sure what to make of herself.

She startled when she noticed Legend, having expected to be alone. It was a fresh and early morning, but there he was, arms crossed tightly with head tilted up at the statue.

“Hello, there!” Zelda called out, and the hero turned to face her. This one is a bit older than her Link, thank goodness. She’d grown a bit concerned by Wind and Fours’ appearances, even Wild and Hyrule looked a bit too young for her nerves. They all made her worry.

“Princess Zelda.” Legend nodded at her as she stepped up beside him. His gaze returns to the statue, eyes emotionless.

“There aren’t any princesses in this time, Legend,” she said. “At least, not yet.”

“Hm. Apologies.”

“It’s still early. I don’t even think your wolf is up, yet.”

“Let them be,” Legend told her. “I just- I couldn’t get back to sleep.”

“Well, what’s wrong?” she asked. At Legend’s scowl, Zelda continued, “I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”

Legend’s eyes shifted to Zelda, scrutinizing her. He sighed, looking up at the statue once again.

“I’m just thinking,” he said. “I mean, there are patterns to all of this, right? Evil rises, and so a hero and a princess work together to save the day.”

“It’s a nice thought, isn’t it?” Zelda smiled at him. “No matter how bad it gets, there will always be an end to it.”

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Legend countered her. “What I’m saying is, the evil always comes back. The seals break, or something new comes around. So Hylia calls upon someone new to fight, again and again.”

Zelda reached out, placing a hand on Legend’s shoulder, but he shrugged her away.

“No matter what we do, it gets worse. What’s the point?”

For a moment, Zelda paused, gripping at the cloth of her skirt. With a sigh, she sat facing away from the statue, motioning for Legend to sit with her.

“Has my Link ever told you about me?” she asked as Legend sat by her side.

“Just that you’re the best ever.” Legend rolled his eyes. “And that he loves you so much, and he can’t wait to see you again.”

Despite herself, Zelda giggled. “He’s sweet.”

But, truthfully, she was relieved. Sky has enough sense, at least, to keep her secret from those who have a bit of disdain towards their Goddess.

Without thinking, she placed an arm around the Hero of Legend’s shoulders. He tensed at first, glancing at her hand warily, and Zelda was almost afraid that she’d done something wrong. But then he relaxed, and even leaned his head against her.

“I can’t speak to the future of Hyrule,” Zelda told him, tracing patterns on his arm. “But I do know that the Goddess is not infallible.” She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. “Do you know the story of the first hero?”

“Isn’t that Sky?” Legend asked.

“No,” Zelda said, looking up and back at Hylia’s statue. “Sky is only the second hero. There was one who bore the Hero’s Spirit before him.”

Legend looked up at Zelda, so with a smile, she began the story of Hylia’s Chosen Hero.

△ ▲△

Flora and Artemis stumble out of the portal into a dense forest. The nausea sets in almost immediately as both queens double over, Artemis bracing herself with a hand on Flora’s shoulder. After a deep breath, Flora straightens herself out.

“You know, I think I’m getting used to it,” she remarks, offering a hand for her ancestor.

With a groan, Artemis accepts Flora’s hand. “I’m more used to standing on the other end of these things,” she admits.

“Don’t worry,” Flora assures her, gently guiding Artemis to sit below the closest tree. “How about…” She glances past the towering branches to the darkened sky above. “You rest here for a moment, and I’ll get started on our camp.”

Artemis lifts her weary head for a moment. “It’s later here than it was in my time.”

Certain that Artemis is fine on her own, Flora turns her attention to her preparations. The clearing they’re in can more accurately be described as a small gap between the trees, but since it’s just the two of them camping, that shouldn’t be much of a problem. She takes some wood out of her Sheikah Slate, the bundle materializing in her hand.

“What was that?” Artemis suddenly asks, bud eyed and staring at the wood. “Where did that come from?”

For a moment, Flora tilts her head in confusion, before the reality hits her. With a laugh she doesn’t mean to be mocking一though by Artemis’s face, she may have missed the mark on that一she holds out her Sheikah Slate once again.

“Storage,” Flora explains. To demonstrate, she pulls out a few pieces of flint as well, and Artemis gasps in shock. “Rather useful, isn’t it?”

“I know I’ve said it before, but that’s one strange relic.” Artemis notes.

“Oh believe me, I’m aware,” Flora jokes. She lays the wood out on the ground and strikes the flint together, igniting the fire. “Link insisted I stock up on supplies once we started travelling together again, so we’re lucky I haven’t been camping in a while.”

Artemis sighs wistfully, scooching closer to the fire. “The good old days. My Link and I must have run all over Hyrule back during the war.”

“I was a researcher, back in the day.” Flora brings her fingers to her chest as she speaks. “Link- Wild, he used to accompany me to all sorts of archeological sites.” Her hand shifts into a fist. “Of course, we’ve both been much too busy for that recently. But once reconstruction is done and he’s back home…”

A silence hangs over the two queens, both staring into the bright and searing fire. There’s a deep pit in both of their stomachs, twisting and cold. Flora draws her knees to her chest, resting her head on top of them. Artemis, however, places a hand on her descendant’s shoulder.

“They’re fine,” she insists, her eyes as hard as steel when Flora looks up at her. “Warriors, Wild, and all of the rest of them… They’ve come through so much worse than this. We will bring them back safe.”

Flora smiles. “Well, then I suppose we have a lot to do tomorrow. How about some dinner?”

△ ▲△

Zelda’s always been an early-riser. Every morning, she rises as the first rays of dawn break. And then, once she’s ready to start her day, that’s when the business begins. After all, if Link’s to be believed, she’s got a kingdom to establish.

Usually, she’s one of only a few to be awake this early, which she’s fine with. But, on this particular morning, she’s shocked by the presence of someone standing right outside of her tent.

With a scream, Zelda falls back into her tent, but she doesn’t have a chance to reach for a weapon to defend herself with before she hears the person speaking.

“Ah! Zelda!” the figure shouts in panic.

“Pipit!” Zelda pushes her head out of the flaps. “What are you doing outside my tent?!”

“I just- I,” Pipit stumbles over his words, folding under Zelda’s harsh glare. “I saw something when I was patrolling last night! But I didn’t want to wake you! But it’s also important, so I thought I should wait here?”

Zelda sighs heavily. “Pipit… you know you can wake me if something important happens, right?”

“Ah, well-” Pipit’s face grows red, and he awkwardly scratches the back of his head. “You’re in charge here, so…”

With a groan, Zelda stands and brushes herself off. “We can deal with that later. Now, what’s so important that it could either wait or not wait?”

“Well,” Pipit clears his throat. “There appears to be some… Hylians, camping out in the woods.”

Zelda tilts her head. “Alright?”

“I mean, they aren’t from Skyloft,” Pipit quickly adds. “I’ve never seen them before in my life.”

Zelda frowns. “It’s not Link and his friends?”

Pipit shakes his head. “There were only two of them, and I haven’t seen either with Link before.”

That’s… disappointing, sure, but also extremely concerning. Sure, Ghirahim was the only demon they’d ever seen, but Demise could still have followers out there. If these travelers pose a threat, then Zelda owes it to her people that she sees to it. The Surface must be kept safe, at all costs.

“Take me to them,” she commands.

△ ▲△

A breeze rustles past her, carrying the scent of blooming wildflowers. She takes it all in with a deep breath, sighing with relief. It’s a beautiful, crystal clear day. She and Link walk together, hand in hand, though Hyrule Field.

“This is it,” she says. “It’s finally over.”

A giddiness spreads throughout her whole chest, and she can’t help but laugh. Finally, finally! She’s free! Link is here, and he’s okay! They’ve done it!

“There’s so much for us to do!” she happily continues. “We have to visit Mipha, Daruk, Revali, and Urbosa! I’m sure Impa’s expecting us in Kakariko, not to mention the Ancient Tech Labs. Oh, and I’d love to see your home in Hateno, Link!”

Silently, Link’s hand slips from her own.

“Link?”

She turns around, expecting to find Link just a few steps behind her. But instead, the field behind her is barren. Her knight is gone.

“Link?!” she calls out. Desperately, she looks in every direction, trying to find the slightest clue of her friend. “Link, where did you go?!”

From somewhere beyond the castle, a darkness spreads over Hyrule Field like a blanket. She can’t see more than a few inches beyond her face, but still, she frantically yells out for Link.

Something cold grabs onto her wrist from behind, and she shivers.

Right at her back, she sees it. The monstrous, dark form of Link from the battle. He has a harsh grip on her hand, refusing to let go as she pulls away.

“Link is gone,” the shadow says. “Along with the rest of your precious Champions.

“No!” she shouts, trying with all her strength to escape the shadow. “No, not again!”

“You abandoned everyone you cared for!” he wheezes as he laughs. “It’s all your fault!”

The shadow leans right into her face, refusing to let her run away.

“You killed them all!”

Flora gasps awake, eyes snapping open. She barely has time to calm her thoughts before there’s something pointed at her face, and, with perhaps too much of a delay, she realizes it’s a gleaming silver sword.

“Don’t say a word!” the sword’s apparent wielder whispers loudly. Flora’s just barely able to see him out of the corner of her eye.

“Pipit!” another voice chastises him.

“Hey!” that voice is clearly Artemis, and in a second, she’s standing over Flora. She has her own rapier pointed at the threatening intruder. “Leave her alone!”

“State your business!”

Artemis abruptly drags Flora from her bedroll by her arm, keeping her rapier trained on the two strangers. Finally, she’s able to get a better understanding of who exactly disturbed their campsite. The one with the sword is dressed all in yellow, though the design of his uniform is vaguely familiar. He also has one of those long hats the heroes seem to favor.

The girl, though, is wearing a pink dress with a blue cloth attached to her side, and she seems to be trying her best to dissuade her companion.

“Pipit, stop!” She points at him as she yells, as if scolding a child.

“They’re clearly dangerous!” the man, Pipit apparently, argues. “That one has a sword!”

“You’re the one who threatened us!” Artemis shouts, her grip on Flora’s arm tightening slightly.

The girl suddenly shouts, “I said stop!” and reaches for his sword. When she does, two things happen.

One, her hand begins to glow a familiar, warm and holy light.

Two, a symbol appears on the back of Flora and Artemis’s hands.

It’s been a long time since anything has caused Flora’s power to stir. She hasn’t seen this symbol since she sealed Calamity Ganon away, all that time ago. And now, though she can still feel its weakness, it’s here.

With a gasp, the girl draws her arm back, clutching it with her other hand. With it, the Triforces fade away from the other two’s hands.

“You…” Flora turns her hand, looking for any trace of the golden light. “The power…”

Artemis starts, “Then you must be-”

“Oh, I see!” she claps her hands together, a slight nervous energy about her. “Pipit, would you please run ahead and let everyone know we have guests again?”

Pipit, blinking away his confusion, looks over at her with concern. “Zelda, are you sure?”

Ah, that explains it.

“Of course I’m sure,” Zelda explains, and she turns to the queens with an excited grin. “You two are also Zelda, correct?”

Flora and Artemis share a glance. “Well, yes-” Artemis says as Flora offers a nod.

Zelda’s smile grows even brighter. “That’s wonderful!” With a deep breath, she steps forward, hands crossed behind her back. “It’s an honor to meet my descendants.”

△ ▲△

There’s a part of Sun that’s delighted to meet Flora and Artemis. In fact, it’s a very large part. She’s already heard so many great things about them from their heroes, even if Wild had been a bit withdrawn during their last visit. Oh, but the stories she’s heard about them both. From Flora’s incissent drive to Artemis’s reliability, she can hardly believe she’s been afforded the opportunity to meet them.

But, then again, there’s another part of Sun. It’s small, much smaller than the first. When she looks at her descendants, she thinks ‘Why are they here?’

The moment they step onto the construction site, Flora gasps in awe before sprinting ahead of her two predecessors. She looks upon the meager foundations of houses, with walls barely a foot high, as though she were a child being offered her favorite dessert.

“Is this truly the founding of Hyrule?” her fists shake up and down as she speaks.

“Well, it’s supposed to be, yes!” Sun calls ahead. “I know it’s not much now, but-”

“Not much?!” Flora’s taken aback, one hand clutching at her chest. “Sun, this is everything! These stones will mark this location for thousands of generations! You, right now, are building a land that will stand strong for hundreds of years!”

Wow! Great! No pressure or anything!

Feeling a bit hot around the collar, Sun decides to direct her next comment to Artemis, who’s remained by her side. “She’s really passionate, isn’t she?”

“I suppose so,” Artemis admits. Flora remains a few feet ahead, holding a strange tablet that makes a clicking noise. “She didn’t really get to go sightseeing when we were in my time, so she may be making up for that.”

As if proving her point, Flora scampers off out of sight with a joyful laugh.

“When did you two arrive?” Sun asks. “I hope you weren’t out there too long.”

Artemis waves a hand dismissively. “It was only a night. I think I learned a lot about ‘roughing it’. Not too bad.”

Sun can’t help but giggle at that. “Well, we can get you set up somewhere much nicer tonight.”

Just like that, she’s able to get a slight chuckle out of Artemis. “I’d appreciate that.”

There’s a brief pause before Artemis speaks up again. “You made our Triforce pieces glow.”

Sun clears her throat. “I did, didn’t I?”

“Well, it makes sense.”

Goddesses, Sun doesn’t like where this is going. None of the Skyloftians know about her, not really, not except for a few. And if Artemis were to figure it out, blab to someone that Hylia isn’t exactly immortal right now, then-

“If you’re founding Hyrule,” Artemis reasons, “then you must be a much closer descendant of Hylia than us. That is to say, you’re a bit more holy.”

Mentally, Sun breathes a sigh of relief. For now, at least, she’s still just Zelda.

“I never thought of that,” she professes.

“I’m only theorizing, of course,” Artemis elaborates. “But with the way things are going, it seems Flora and I may be seeing more of our relatives.”

Before Sun can ask about that, they come upon the Skyloftian’s campsite, just outside of the Sealed Temple. The first of the Hylians to migrate back down to the Surface situated themselves between the temple and the Goddess Statue not too long ago. It’s a good temporary first home, if a little outdoorsy. But it’s perfect, at least until the first buildings go up.

“Zelda!”

And there’s her father, a wide grin on his face as he notices her. Flora is right by his side, and she’s almost shocked to see them.

“I thought you two were right behind me,” she mutters to herself.

“Hello, father,” Sun greets him.

Gaepora finally catches sight of Artemis. “Oh, and there’s another one, too!” Without much discretion, he leans towards his daughter, though he cups his mouth with his hand as he wonders, “Is it true that they’re our descendants?”

Sun nods. “Yes, they’re the future queens of Hyrule.”

“Queens! How exciting!” Gaepora announces, suddenly pulling both girls into a hug, much to their surprise. “It’s wonderful to meet my granddaughters!”

“Ah, y-yes,” Flora stutters. “It’s an honor to meet you, as well.”

Artemis chimes in with a similar energy. “Likewise.”

“Father, please!” Sun laughs. “Give them some space. I need to talk to them now.”

“Oh, if you insist.” Gaepora releases his hold on the queens, who sigh in relief. “Though I want to hear more from you two, later.” He pats Sun’s shoulder, and when she meets his eyes, she finds that they’re full of pride. “For now, though, I’ll leave you to yourselves.”

Sun lets out a breath as her father leaves.

“Well,” she says sharply. “Come into the temple with me.”

△ ▲△

Despite all the work happening outside, the Sealed Temple remains as untouched as it did for years. Link’s Life Fruit tree still grows nearby, swaying gently in the sunlight. For the most part, though, it’s quiet, and it’s the perfect place for this conversation.

Sun keeps a watchful eyes on the back of the temple, on the ancient doors she once slept behind. “So,” she says, back to her descendants. “Tell me, why have you both travelled to this time?”

Flora and Artemis are both silent, almost startled, for a moment. Sun can practically feel their hesitation.

“It’s the heroes,” Flora finally speaks up. “They’re in danger.”

“Link?” Sun whips around to face them. “What’s wrong with Link?”

Flora taps her fingers together nervously. “Well, you see-”

“It’s an entity by the name of Dark Link.”

In shock, both turn to look at Artemis. She continues with a stern demeanor. “We’ve encountered something like him in my own time, but he was more of a conjuration than whatever this form is.” She raises an eyebrow at her two counterparts. “I take it you have no equivalents?”

“None that I’ve heard of,” Flora taps at her chin. “But it does sound familiar…”

“I haven’t seen such a thing, either,” Sun admits. “Last time he was here, Link told me they were pursuing a shapeshifter.”

“Flora and I witnessed that firsthand yesterday,” Artemis explains. “He took the form of several of the heroes as he fought.”

“Sun,” Flora draws her attention. “Perhaps you could say, when was the last time you saw the Links?”

Sun frowns. “A little more than two months. You haven’t seen them, either?”

“I’m afraid not,” Artemis sighs.

Well, that isn’t good. Sun glances between her descendants, Flora anxiously playing with her fingers, while Artemis does her best to avoid catching anyone’s eyes. And then, there’s the anger. The anger so fiery, so righteous, that it drowns out both the excited and fearful parts of herself, because these are her girls, those are her heroes, and how dare anyone hurt them?

“Then it’s decided.” Sun straightens herself, standing tall and proud, all the goddess she might still be. “I’m coming with you.”

#linked universe #lu sun #lu artemis #lu flora #fanfic #rpita #rav's writing

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skylarmoon71 · 4 years ago

Text

Harry Wells x Witch Reader (Flash) Short Story: Chapter 1

“Harry get down!” The male ducked at Iris’s words, and Iris flinched, barely dodging the blaze of fire that blasted in her direction.

“Whooo! Next time make sure those cuffs are on!!” Their present metahuman had not very safe fire wielding powers. After just barely stopping him from blowing up his old job building, they were now struggling to contain him. Barry was dealing with another situation, so they were fighting to hold their own.

“Killer frost would come in handy right about now.” Iris squealed, ducking behind an overturned table, and Harry frowned, jumping to the same location. Without his gun he was a sitting duck.

“What’s the plan?” Harry asked.

“Wait it out.” she advised. They couldn’t exactly face him off. Harry raised his head to glimpse the spot of his weapon. It was on the other side of the room. If he was fast enough, he could make a break for it. Iris followed his gaze. “Harry no, we wait for Barry and the others. I don’t want to explain why you got barbecued!!”

The laughter of their assailant wasn’t very comforting.

“Come on old man, let’s see if you can outrun my flames.” He challenged. Harry’s mood was quickly depleting.

“Ready or no-” The bright flash of a light temporarily blinded the meta, and both Harry and Iris turned in the direction. She sighed in relief, assuming it was Cisco vibing in, but was surprised when a young woman jumped through the circular portal. Sporting a duffle bag too. It disappeared almost as quick as it appeared, and now all the attention shifted.

“What do we have here?” the male snickered, raising his hands as flames erupted.

“W-Watch out!” Iris yelled.

Your eyes shifted between the man standing in front of you and the two people hiding behind a desk.

“You’re kinda cute, might not set you on fire.” He spoke. Harry thought for sure you would at least react to the man that was holding fire in his palms, then again, you’d just jumped through a portal from who knows where.

“Damn it, so much for a vacation, I was so ready to kick back and relax, now I gotta deal with this.” you dropped the bag, stretching your limbs. The meta raised an eyebrow, a bit annoyed at your reaction.

“Hey! Don’t you realize you’re in some real danger. Don’t ignore me you bi-”

“Somnum.” As soon as the words left your lips his eyes shined blue, and he fell to the ground, unmoving. Iris and Harry released a breath, now they were facing an entirely different problem. When you saw the guarded way they were looking at you, you waved your hands around.

“O-Oh shit no I didn’t kill him or anything, he’s just asleep!” you said hurriedly, running over and flipping him unto his back. Iris felt a bit more reassured when she saw the steady rise and fall of his chest. “See, completely fine. Maybe a moron but fine.” you grinned, and Iris picked herself from behind the desk. Harry wasn’t as welcoming. He squinted, taking slow steps to his gun, just in case.

“You really saved us there. Thank you.” Iris moved closer with a friendly smile which you returned. “Of course, fighting demons is sort of my thing.” Iris’s brows furrowed. “Demons?” you nod. “Yeah, what else could he be. Humans don’t exactly have magic powers am I right?” you laughed at your own joke, and Iris realized at that moment that maybe she didn’t really understand this. She thought for sure you were a meta. “He..he wasn’t a demon, he’s a meta.”

“A what now? “

You had no idea what metahumans were, so the theory of you being one was completely off.

Harry grabbed his gun, charging it up and pointing it at you.

“Who are and what do you want!”

“Harry!” Iris scolded.

“What, she just pops up from a circle light and knocks that meta out without so much as a flinch. I think we should be a little more cautious. “

You were still smiling widely at Harry. He didn’t know what was more unsettling, the fact that you didn’t look the least bit intimidated, or the way your smile directed at him was giving him weirdly calming vibes.

“I’m a witch!” you chirped.

“Come again?” Harry spoke.

“Witch, you know, magical powers, fighting demons and other evil magical creatures. I know what you’re thinking, brooms and pointing hats which personally I’d like to say is a bit offensive if you really think about it and-” The whiplash of wind smacked into your face and your eyes widen at the man now standing at the dark skinned women’s side. He was wearing a suit and all.

“Woah, that’s a lot of red..”

“Iris are you okay, what happened? I got a notification that the lab was under attack. “ He seemed distracted with his worry for the woman, and she quickly reassured him.

“I’m good Barry, after you guys dropped that meta off he kind of went on a rampage. The cuffs got loose.” Barry looked over, now noticing the way Harry was still holding a gun, when he followed he saw the very unconscious male, and an unfamiliar woman.

“Uh, hi.” he said a bit awkwardly.

“Sup.” you greeted.

“Who umm, who is this?” he inquired.

“(Y/N), (L/N) at your service. Full fledged witch.”

“A...witch?”

“Yep! So you guys get any food around here. Been travelling for a while. “ you just started walking around, in search of a fridge it would seem. Barry’s brows knitted and Iris sighed.

“Interesting...”

That was an understatement.

~~~~

“So while we were out superheroing, you guys found a wizard?” Cisco voiced.

“Witch.” you corrected, munching on your fries.

“Well, I’m just glad you came in when you did, you really saved us.” Iris thanked.

“We had it handled.” Harry groused from his side. He was messing with some type of machine, and you just scrunched your nose at him. In which he blinked in confusion. “Please tell me why again we’re entertaining this kid.”

“Excuse me I’m thirty-five! Although I’m flattered by your compliment.”

“You’re older than me?” Barry asked in confusion. You nod. “What, do I really not look like it.” It did make sense why those bouncers always asked you for ID before entering.

“What can I say, got good genes.”

Iris was still watching you with a little smile. You smiled back of course, a bit confused, but still happy that she wasn’t as mean as Harry. Barry noticed, and he had a feeling he knew why his wife was looking at you so fondly. He reached over, giving her arm a squeeze, and she looked up at him, glowing. There was a secret exchange between the both of them.

“Can I just comment that you guys are so cute, kind of remind me of Harry and Macy, if they ever stop avoiding the obvious that is.”

“Wait, there’s a Harry in your world too?”

“Well yeah, but he isn’t like Mr. Grumpy over there. Plus he british. He’s a whitelighter.”

“What’s that?” Cisco was as expected curious about all you had to offer. He’d been quizzing you since he got back from as he phrased ‘superheroing.’

“They're like guardians, they protect witches like me. Macy and her sisters, their witches like me. I needed to take a break from the whole helping save the world thing. It seemed safe now so I thought I’d do a little universe jumping. My day job was getting a little stressful too. My brother thought I could use the relaxation so he’s running our business right now. I wonder sometimes if we’re even related because the guy loves working. Guess you get that way when you work long enough and I feel like I’m rambling, am I rambling?”

“Annoyingly.” came Harry’s flat response.

“Kay..so do you guys mind if I stick around town for a while. I can even help with your little meta problem which is even crazier than fighting demons every once in a while. “

You were grinning so widely, Barry didn’t really have the will to turn you down.

“S-Sure why not.”

“Are you serious Allen, for all we know this whole story could be made up. Witches, really? What if she’s just some psychopathic meta.”

“First of all, ouch, I’m not some psycho.” he looked utterly unimpressed.

“Is it really that hard for you to believe in magic, you fight superhuman people on the daily. “

“They were brought about by science, logical explanation. Magic isn’t real. No proof, no logic.”

You shifted from your seat, dusting your hands. Stepping closer, you stopped when you were face to face with him. He was pretty tall now that you were closer.

“Handsome.”

He was still somewhat glaring at you, and the others in the room were watching in anticipation.

“Let our eyes reveal what cannot be seen, and show those what seems make believe.” you turned your palm, and Harry’s gaze shifted to the pink light now emitting from your hand.

“Terra, ventus, ignis, aqua.”

Right before his eyes, he could see the elements swerving in your hand. The four major elements connected, right before they rose, in seconds the light from you dissipated, flashing quick and evaporating, leaving nothing but bright specs of what appeared to be crystals. Harry gaped.

“Awesome…” Cisco muttered.

“Somethings in life aren’t logical Harrison, doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Love, fear, hope...these are all things that exist, but we can’t see it, touch it, does that deter the belief in its existence?”

Harry was speechless. This time when you watched him, you were just beaming, and he couldn’t comprehend why it erupted a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. You just stared at each other, after a few silent moments, Harry moved his gaze to the floor, clearing his throat and adjusting his glasses. Without another word he was walking off. You watched him until he made it around the counter.

“I think he likes me.”

Cisco laughed, and so did everyone else in the room.

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viper-commander · 3 years ago

Text

Starscream lay exhausted on his berth. Finally. Finals were over. He could feel the gnawing ache of hunger but couldn’t quite muster up the energy to move.

Pitiably he called out to his roommate. “Skyfire-” Sadly there was no response.

“Hmph. Be that way.” While mulling over the futility of life and the tragic unreliability of friendship - overall ignoring how processor-numbingly bored he was- Starscream then flopped over onto his front. Trying once again, unsuccessfully, to muster up the will to get off his fat aft and get himself a snack or something. Maybe he should see if there’s anything on the holonet.

He grasped around at the edge of the berth for his tablet and smiled at the feel of its smooth metal and screen. He pulled it out and...it wasn’t his tablet, this was a datapad. Huh. Who’s datapad was this?

Ugh.

Maybe he has a game on here or something? Perhaps even a good enough novel. Elated he turned on the screen and nearly gagged at the contents. Cheesy cringy romance. Filled with horrible horrible things like forbidden love, love triangles, and true love’s kiss.

He read the title of the first story.

Spark-Eater: His Eternal Spark & Spark-Eater: Instinct Isn’t this the cringy from that bestselling Spark-Eater series from awhile back? Something about an interspecies romance between a strange variant of spark-eater and some tall-tower Iaconite filled with utter nonsense like love triangles, blood feuds, misunderstandings, and whatnot.

Admittedly, sometimes Starscream enjoyed trashy romances like this but anything but this piece of slag. He huffed angrily as he swiped the screen. (Although that may be because the Love Interest had better chemistry with the Love Rival than the Protagonist. It’s definitely not because his ship did not sail, it definitely was not.) The next stories weren’t any better, in fact they were probably worse and to be honest he almost regretted it. The first one almost made him hurl the datapad against the wall.

“Possessive War-General Pampers His Cute & Delicate Spark-Mate.”

“What to Do When the Fallen One Loves Me?“

WHAT IS THIS SLAGGOTRY? WHY ARE ALL OF THESE TRASHY ROMANCES?

Starscream gagged before swiping to see what the next story was. Too curious at this point to realize that his standards were starting to ‘temporarily’ being worn down.

“The Ruler of Cybertron Always Thinks I Love Him.”

“Oh, Allspark!”

“The Short Story of Whitewing.”

Back. Into the pile. Hopefully never to be seen again. If he ever gets the motivation to move then these are the first things to be burned. Call it a lab accident. It’s for the betterment of Cybertron. However Starscream choked when he read the title of the next story title, temporarily offlining the datapad.

“Civil War: A Prime’s Love for An Intergalactic Warlord.”

What the pit?

Curiosity burned in his chest. The pure absurdity of the title was shocking. It was embarrassing and yet...it was an enemies to lovers ship. His faceplates burned from second-hand embarrassment. Yet the sheer shamelessness of the title made him curious. It was tempting. Unintentionally he turned it on, the device flickered online.

“In a devastating war waged for several millenia, the Autocons raged a battle against the evil forces of the Deceptibots.”

Starscream had barely read the first sentence when the world turned blue. Well, it didn’t exactly turn blue but it felt like it did. Blue-white spirals of light exploded, lighting everything up in a wash of blue light as it devoured everything that was there. He held tight to the promisingly entertaining romance.

It was confusing, light and color and sound danced in and out of his senses. Time and space became indistinguishable. When the dancing colors finally passed he looked around. It took a moment for his optics to adjust and very nearly rolled off his berth. He felt a gun pointed at his head. He could feel the nozzle pointed insistently at his helm. It took him a moment to swallow. This really didn’t look like his apartment. It looked almost like the Vosnian military headquarters but with grounders. Lots and lots of grounders. With depressingly sad paint jobs and big weapons. Really big weapons.

WHEN THE FRAG DID HE GET KIDNAPPED? Starscream took a moment to internally panic.

What to do. What to do? Internally he was panicking. How do you get crazy mechs like these ones to back off?

Red and blue optics stared at him. Some were confused but most were focused on the berth that magically appeared while others stared at the datapad clenched tightly in his servos. Warily he tightened looked up.

“WHERE THE FRAG AM I?!”

The landscape was strange. It was open and wide in a way that Cybertron had never been. Everything from the ground to the very air was foreign in a way that screamed that this was another planet. Distantly Starscream noticed that his berth was located in the epicenter of a crater.

From above, several red and blue optics peered down, symbols of what was probably some sort of interstellar gang stamped on their chestplates or shoulders.

One of the blue-eyed mechs started to approach him. Stepping down into the crater with online weaponry. Online. Frag.

Starscream skittered back on the berth but he held tight to the berth. There was a circuit overloader stashed in a secret compartment here, the question was if Starscream could reach it fast enough. Somehow, the mech holding the online firearm at his head almost looked surprised.

Slag. Slag. Where the slag is he? What are they?

Then the mechs started hooting strange noises at each other, pointing digits at him before making the strangest gestures. Great, so he was somehow on an uncivilized planet surrounded by barbarians.

He could almost imagine Primus was laughing at him. He always wanted to be an explorer and see other planets, civilizations, well now he just got his wish.

meanwhile

“Starscream!?”

“Wheeljack…what did you do!?”

"Why is there a baby Scream here?”

#Starscream #Random drabble #couldn't get past this point #crack #I specialize in crack #Starscream lay in berth exhausted #finals were over and he was going to take a long stasis nap #however #due to the unseen forces of Primus #Starscream has been transported into the fictional world of a trashy romance #no one tell him that this is actually the future #Starscream is now trying to follow the plot of this 'RP fanfiction'#While everybody else is trying to stay canon #This is college-student Starscream #Not military SIC Starscream #This one is used to living off cheap shit and studying till they drop #Starscream will get along with Shockwave just fine #Starscream hasn't read the story yet #He only has a summary and I think that's enough

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moontheoretist · 4 years ago

Quote

The show currently on had a bunch of stuffed shirts sitting at a round table. ["...my esteemed colleague, Professor Newell, gives too much credence to the ex-Avengers' education. I simply don't believe they all read and fully comprehended the document they were rejecting. Steve Rogers had a high school diploma and one year of art college."] Steve curled his lip. ["That doesn't mean he's illiterate," Newell, a brown-haired man with glasses, said. The other man, his tight coils of hair salt and pepper gray, raised an eyebrow. "As a lawyer, I'd be the first to say legal documents are needlessly complex, but no lay person can just sit down and read a 1000-page legal agreement and absorb the intricacies with nothing more than a high school education from the 1940s. Not without help." Newell ceded the point with a nod. "And Wanda Maximoff is a street orphan and doesn't even have that. Ditto Clint Barton, who grew up in a traveling circus. The Ant Man has an engineering degree, which makes me think he would have ample education to comprehend the Accords, but he had little time to do it in—only the flight to Germany, and investigators say he was likely shrunk and in Clint Barton's pocket, as there's no evidence of him on the passenger list, but he suddenly appeared at the Leipzig/Halle airport. It's questionable he bothered to shrink the Accords with him or bring the necessary resources to decipher all the legalese."] Scott got up and left the room. Wanda curled up and hugged her knees to her chest. Steve remembered the hasty conversation he'd had with Scott before the battle. Scott had no idea about the Accords back then. He thought they were there to fight over killer assassins. Steve rubbed his forehead. ["That leaves only Sergeant Sam Wilson, a man well-educated by the armed forces. I wondered what made him reject a document that his own government and one hundred and sixteen other countries supported, and then I read up on Lieutenant General Ross' record. Any man who has served in the military and heard of Ross' abuse of his own forces and how he used his own daughter as bait in pursuit of The Hulk would have zero respect for the retired general and Secretary of State. Ross was spearheading the US support of the Accords. Whether or not this influenced Sergeant Wilson's decision to reject them, I cannot say."] "This is bullshit," Clint said, obviously fuming. "I didn't need some stupid diploma to tell me the Accords are a shitty idea." ["You haven't said anything about the Black Widow," the moderator said, shifting his papers around on the big desk. "Ms. Romanov is an interesting case. Raised and educated by the top-secret Soviet training program called the Red Room, the Black Widow supported the Accords at first. She appeared to recognize their necessity, but then during the fight at the airport seemed to run into an issue of allegiance in fighting her friends. Understandable, I think. It's why the Avengers should never have been sent to contain the renegades. But who else could battle that sort of might? "In any event, it appears to be no coincidence that the Avengers who sided with the Accords all have master's degrees or higher." "Or much higher," the mediator said, abandoning neutrality. "Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes as a master's in engineering as well as officer's training, Stark has multiple doctorates, and the Vision is said to have access to the sum of all human knowledge. The King of Wakanda obviously has the finest political education as a leader of his nation, and I understand he is also an engineer." "Nothing is known about the Spider-Man," Newell said. "No, that's true. He'll have to remain an enigma." "But it's your contention that education had something to do with renegades choosing not to support the Accords," the mediator said. "I think it's obvious."] *** ["Hello, all. Thank you for time. "As Mr. Sjöberg mentioned, I recently came into some information regarding The Winter Soldier that I felt was of international importance, especially since he had the protection of some very powerful people. The ICC is just the place to turn when the State is unable or unwilling to carry out an investigation and prosecute the perpetrators."] Steve drew in a shocked breath. ["I found this information at a Hydra bunker in Siberia, where Rogers, Barnes and I had an altercation about whether suppressing this information was cool or not." Stark gave an acid grin. "In the course of this disagreement, Rogers disabled my suit and left me in the Hydra bunker to freeze, unable to radio a rescue team."] Sam sank his head into his hands with a curse. ["However, Rogers' 'leave our teammates behind' policy turned out to be useful, because while searching for a way to communicate with my rescue team, I discovered a trove of records spanning back decades on the Hydra supersoldier program. I looked through all of it, hoping to save it and get retrieved before Hydra returned. "What I discovered was more than enough: movies, photos, and detailed plans to assassinate political heads of state, industrial leaders, diplomats, prominent artists, radical leaders and activists, all of whom were murdered by The Winter Soldier. Included in these documents were the names of the ones who ordered the kills, the criminals behind the deeds. For the last three weeks, with the assistance of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, that's what we've been up to—rounding up the bad guys with a vengeance." The murmurs grew into a roar of approval. "Most of the Hydra operatives still living have been arrested for their complicity in murdering countless important figures who stood against Hydra's core principles of racism and fascism. Despite the unnecessary delay introduced by Rogers, who could have put us onto Barnes and thus the location of the bunker that much sooner, the loved ones and family members of the deceased will at long last know, and hopefully find peace in knowing, just what happened to their loved ones, and why."] Tony's voice trembled on the last part, and Steve felt a pit growing in his stomach that he couldn't shake off. ["My only regret is whom I have to thank for this. The man behind the Vienna bombing was the one who revealed the truth to me by showing me the video of my parents being murdered by The Winter Soldier. The man who told me the truth is a criminal. But then, the man who kept the truth from us all is a criminal as well. "Thank you all for listening. There will be no questions."] *** Tony lifted his hand and smacked away the letter he was writing as Rhodey walked in. "Sour patch! Look at you. How're the legs feeling?" "Better now that I tweaked the timing on the left one. Feels more natural now. But, Tony..." "Awesome. You should totally patent that port thing. That was really good work." Tony pulled up the schematics of Rhodey's braces to take a look at the timing adjustment port Rhodey had added. "I don't have time for—that's not why I came in here, Tones. Vision got a call—" "Time, shmime. I'll have Friday draft up the diagrams and application for you." "It would be my pleasure, Colonel Rhodes." "Yes, fine. Thanks, Fri. Tones, listen. Something's happened with the renegades." Tony stopped fiddling and gave Rhodey his full attention. "Tell me." "It's weird as hell." Rhodey dropped onto a lab stool and rolled over to join him. "Wanda contacted Vision to tell him she delivered Rogers to the US Embassy in Nairobi. I checked, and sure enough, according to embassy officials, she made him walk in like a zombie, then directed him to 'Wait here until Tony Stark comes to arrest you.'"

Into the Weeds by truet

This is literally the best Team Iron Man fic I read till now, and it includes all the things I missed from the other ones: acknowledgment of Rhodey’s smarts, acknowledgment of the education Rogues had, acknowledgment that Wanda may actually get angry at Steve when she learns what he did and what it means to her, acknowledgment that Hydra agents who ordered the murders should be arrested, acknowledgment of Tony relying on other people to actually accomplish or polish the things he engages with (JCCT, braces).

The only thing it doesn’t have is acknowledgment that Shuri doesn’t need BARF to help Barnes, but it’s only because the fact that the story never reaches that point, but damn, so many Team Iron Man fics mistreats other charas and I know it is not malicious, that it is because the authors love Tony and want him to fix the issues himself, but Tony isn’t omnipotent god of science and I would like people to get that Shuri is as mart as he is and can definitely handle helping Barnes and making his arm without Tony’s help, as much as Rhodey can fix his braces and doesn’t need Tony to constantly do it for him, because he has proper education to handle that, and also he is the user, so he knows best what is wrong and what is right and what works.

I also tend to like the stories which don’t demonize Wanda more than the ones which do, because I think she was radicalized, but not evil and those stories, where she is an evil Hydra agent or actually went mad long ago and nobody noticed, as much as interesting and enjoyable don’t really get what it means to be radicalized and then trying to de-radicalize and also heavily fall into the trap of demonizing a woman in the same way misogynist media creators usually do and the only thing I can blame is the fact that we all are raised in the society which hates women and even if we don’t actively believe in it some of it stays with us, in our subconscious and affects what we write and how. Everybody is capable of evil as long as they believe something very much and Wanda is more prone to that due to her background. Not to mention that those stories also usually infantilize her and I like to see her actually being treated like an adult she always was, who understands the consequences of Steve’s action for her and who would do something, albeit something stupid mind you, to mitigate her case, because she is an adult, and she like any other adult person would want to help her case somehow.

Oh, and author also knows how the whole “who arrests who” system works, so their stories actually show that nobody in the MCU creator board of creators, including the Russos, does a goddamn research about Europe. Most people don’t have this knowledge, so movies don’t seem off to them, but to people who do have this knowledge movies are weird and illogical.

#tony stark #pro tony stark #steve rogers critical #mcu steve rogers critical #james rhodey rhodes #wanda maximoff #mcu fanfiction

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prurientpuddlejumper · 5 years ago

Text

A Deep and Rapid River, Ch. 6

<- Chapter 5 | Chapter 7 ->

Summary: First your mom’s a jerk. Then the Creature’s a jerk. You always try to be supportive and strong, because you know he was created in a lab 2 years ago and has never had any human contact except for physical beatings, but… You have your own emotional insecurities, too, and there’s only so much you can take.

The rooster crows, and you spring out of bed, rushing downstairs to do your chores with a vigor that alarmed, but pleased, your parents. Pulling on your coat in the frosty grey air, you hurry out to the barn before dawn breaks.

The dilapidated old structure looms like a ghost at the end of the pasture in the dark morning fog. The wooden door creaks as you push it open and slip inside. You discover the terrifying, ghoulish monster sleeping peacefully in the cow pen, curled up on the hay with Edelweiss and her newborn calf. A handful of barn cats have joined them, sharing the warmth.

A feeling builds up inside you like air filling a balloon, and escapes your mouth as a high-pitched squeal.

He jerks awake in an uncoordinated flailing of startled limbs, putting himself protectively between the calf and the noise. “S-sorry! You’re just so cute,” you gush, lowering your voice to a whisper. His eyes meet yours, the confusion leaves them, and he smiles.

As the previous night, he watches intently as you set about your chores. This time he asks you questions, and follows along with what you’re doing. You show him how to collect eggs, milk cows, distribute feed, and pull up water from the well—the latter he watches from a window, so he won’t be seen.

When finally you are done, you turn your attention to the creature. Your early start means there should be some extra time before you’ll be expected for breakfast, so you tend to his wound, and lay down in the hay with him. The animals graze peacefully outside in the purple-orange sunrise. He puts his arms around you, and you rest your head on his broad chest, watching them through the barn door, safe in the shadows.

“You are a gentle creature,” you yawn lazily, running your fingers through his hair, and tracing them over the uneven skin of his chest. For all he may look like a monster, he has the gentlest soul. But the comment makes his jaw clench, and shift uncomfortably.

“You don't know that,” he growls. “I am not. The power of death is in these hands.” He holds them out and turns them over. Each pale knuckle protrudes like the pommel of a dagger, attached to long, skeletal fingers. Like everything about him, they are macabre in appearance, but looking past that to the person they belong to, you can’t imagine them capable of any wrongdoing.

“No it's not—” you begin to protest, snatching his hands out of the air and clutching them to your chest. But then, you don’t really know anything about his past, and begin to wonder. “Have you...? Killed?”

He shakes his head, to your relief. “To take a life is to waste the most precious gift. But I have contemplated it, and I believe myself capable. Before we met, I was determined to wreak misery upon he who made me. Humanity hated and scorned me, and so I decided…” He trails off, breathing deeply. “I am certain, had you not found me, I would have committed unforgivable evils; such was the state I was in. I have already committed acts of destruction: I set fire to a cottage where my friends once lived. I destroyed out of spite that place where they abandoned me.”

“There’s no point worrying about what could have happened. You haven’t done anything wrong, that’s what matters. All you’ve done is... burn an empty cottage?” Wait, what? “I didn’t realize you had friends before. You always spoke as if you had been alone until now...” A dagger of jealousy pierces your heart. You push the feeling away, a pit of shame knotting your stomach—how dare you be upset you’re not his first and only friend?

His chest heaves a sharp laugh, but his eyes are sad. “I called them thus… In truth, I was their friend, but they were never mine” He tells you a story of how he took shelter in a low hovel attached to a cottage, from whence he could observe the lives of its occupants through the year, undetected. He learned to speak and read from watching them, and in return he secretly aided them however he could. They called him a good spirit, and he called them his protectors. The patriarch was a blind man, and after he had mastered speech, he sought to introduce himself when he was alone, that he might supplicate himself before him for aid, and earn his sympathy. “My plan nearly succeeded, but his family returned and drove me away. Despite all my efforts to help them, they could not stomach a ‘good spirit’ as hideous as I, and they fled in horror, never to return. Such is the fate of one wretched as I. In my life, only you have been able to tolerate me—I must assume by some anomaly in the shape of your skull which makes you immune to horror.”

His tale is just as sorrowful as you had expected, and you spent its telling squeezing and nuzzling him comfortingly. But there was one little thing that kept bothering you about it.

“Hang on—so you were spying on them for a whole year?! That’s kind of creepy, mon coeur.”

“What do you mean? I would be delighted to discover a secret friend had been watching over me this whole time.”

Your head hangs, shaking side to side. “Oh, my sweet innocent daemon.” You swivel around and squeeze both his cheeks between your hands. “Of course you would. All you’ve ever wanted is to not be alone. How could you understand what stalking means?”

“Stalking?”

“Most people find it disturbing—threatening—to be watched by a stranger without their knowledge. And for an entire year! They must have realized the mysterious spirit doing them favors was you the whole time! I’d have been creeped out too if that was how we met! They would have run away even if you were handsome as a prince!”

His face is a mask of confusion, frozen with mouth agape. After a moment of shocked silence, it falls in despair. “Then there is more than my appearance that drives my fellow-beings from me? I always believed, if not for my twisted form, I might be accepted—but there is more? My sensibilities, my utter ignorance of the simplest conventions of social existence will keep me from ever experiencing it!”

“Oh, no! Please don’t… I didn’t mean…!” Good job, you broke him. “That isn’t what I meant,” you plead, desperately stroking the side of his face, but his eyes are frozen in a faraway look, sinking under the weight of a new failure. “What I mean is, maybe it’s not as hopeless as you think! Maybe people aren’t afraid of you because of your immutable physical traits, but because of how you present yourself. And you can change that. I can teach you!”

His unfocused eyes refocus on you, silently curious about what you’re saying.

“So much of how we perceive others is based on presentation. Dress a man in rags and he will be suspected as a criminal, or in the finest silks and he is trusted as a gentleman, though he is the same man with the same soul.” You play with his hair, combing the tangles out of it with your fingers. “Perhaps if we can obtain clothing tailored to your size, if we can groom your hair to a gentlemanly fashion, and most importantly, find some way to introduce you which explains your odd figure… perhaps then, you would not arouse fear in those who see you.”

“Do you think so?” he asks, hopefully.

“We can try.”

He smiles, shaking off his melancholy. Two massive hands pull you firmly onto his lap. “You are all I want, anyway. I don’t care about anyone else.” His hand runs down the small of your back, and lower, teasing you. A heat rises in your core. Something in the way his eyes smile when they look at you… suddenly, you need him. You lean up to kiss him, pulling on his neck for support, and his lips lower to meet yours, merging with sudden fury. He pulls the back of your head toward him, deepening the kiss, while his other hand takes advantage of your hips lifting off his lap to slide between your thighs. He moans, muffled against your mouth. The sound of his arousal ignites your own, and you writhe your hips into the fingers exploring you there, directing them over your clothes to your heat. You could get lost in him.

Your mother’s shrill voice carries down to the barn, calling your name. The hens cluck a greeting, rushing to the fence to beg for food. She’s not just calling you in to breakfast, she’s coming to the barn!

You fall off him with a yelp, frantically righting your clothing and hair, while he scrambles to get out of sight, massive erection outlined clearly even through his thick cloak.

“What is taking you so long?” your mother scolds, charging into the barn. She’s in a foul mood, but at least is too wrapped up in her anger to notice anything amiss. She snatches up the milk pail by the door. “I’ve been waiting on this for breakfast!”

“Sorry. I got an early start so I could take my time this morning—it’s no later than user!”

“Don’t talk back to me, child,” she huffs. “I worried about you. I keep expecting you to disappear again.”

“Oh, mom…” you feel sorry for all you’ve put her through for a moment, but she doesn’t let you complete your thought.

“Do you know how this has been on me? Our family is the gossip of the town. But at least we had that nice service for you. How did you like the service?”

It wasn’t a real question. You open your mouth to answer, and she is already delivering a lengthy sermon on how lovely the hymns were, and how she had the best voice, because she wanted to be an opera singer when she was your age, you know.

“Anyway, I came to fetch you for breakfast, and after breakfast, I want you to go into town and apologize to that boy Ferdinand right away and get him to take you back.”

“What? I told you, I broke things off with him!”

“You can explain that the accident made you hysterical, and you weren’t thinking straight.”

“But I was thinking straight. I don’t love him!”

“You fool!” she raises her voice. “Can’t you see he’s your best prospect? Who else will have you? Do you want to grow old alone, a spinster?”

“Maybe I do!” You’ve had about enough of this. “There’s good money in textiles, and then I wouldn’t have to rely on anyone! You think I want to end up like you and dad?”

“HOW DARE YOU?” She slaps you across the face. It wasn’t a hard blow, but it stings like needles under your skin. An angry snarl emanates from where the creature is hiding. Your mother stands bolt upright. “What was that?”

“That was you hitting me,” you hiss between clenched teeth, playing dumb.

“Let us return to the house. Something unholy has fallen on this place.”

“No, I still have chores to finish.”

“Now! I will not leave my daughter alone to be preyed upon by a demonic spirit. Dear lord, what if the devil is following you? When you had your accident, you came too close to the gates of death, and now some devil has its claws in your soul… Come!”

“It was only a cow, you’re imagining things,” you plead, but she grabs you hard around the wrist and drags you back to the house.

*****

Something is wrong. You can tell the moment you enter the barn. After spending a long, miserable day under your mother’s supervision, you long for the comfort of your macabre companion’s arms, but he does not greet you at the door. It is silent. He could be asleep again, but it is not the warm, comfortable silence of rest. It is a cold feeling, as if something had sucked all sound from the air.

You climb up to the hay loft, a knot of dread rising in your stomach, and find him stewing in a shadowed corner facing the wall.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Who is Ferdinand?” he growls, not turning around.

The knot tightens.

He whips around and repeats his demand, this time a roar. “Who is Ferdinand?!” His eyes are dark. He may have been crying.

“The boy I was with when I tripped and fell in the river... the one who shot you.”

“And who is he to you, exactly?” He asks, attempting to seem indifferent to the answer, though his voice is strained and constricted in his throat.

“He was... we were courting. He comes from a wealthy family, and my parents pushed the match. Of course I ended all preludes the moment I awoke from the accident to learn what he had done to you. Then I went to find you.”

This explanation does nothing to satisfy him, or to relieve the tension in his shoulders and the heaving of his breath. He paces.

“You never told me.”

“I… I’m sorry; he’s in the past, it didn’t seem important…” But not even mentioning it was a deliberate oversight. It was to protect his feelings, you tell yourself. Or was it to protect yourself from your own shame? Girls in your town are taught to be faithful, to never rush between men. One must wait at least a year between suitors, to be proper. To do otherwise is to be called a whore. Not that you care about what is proper. Not that he ought to care.

“Did you lay with him?” he cringes. “And how many others before him?!”

“Th-that’s none of your business!”

“But you’re mine!” he roars. “I thought you were mine… I should have known you belonged to another!”

“I belong to nobody!” you cry indignantly, trying to convince yourself as much as him. The anger rising within you is overshadowed by a stronger feeling—guilt. You never lied exactly, but you omitted the truth to let him think you were better than you are. “I may have been with another in the past, but I chose to be with you now. Please...” Your appeal falls on unhearing ears as he continues to pace in a jerky, agitated manner.

“And you… you debase yourself with me! What madness would cause you to break with your own kind and seek companionship with a wretched fiend? You could be wife to a normal, handsome fellow-being, yet you debauch in the sordid embrace of monsters? You are a greater freak than I! Given the choice, I would take a normal life! You make an outcast of yourself willingly. What in the world could drive you to such self-destruction? I forbid it! Be not an adulteress to a corpse. Take my leave and rejoin your own!”

There are a million things you could tell him. You could shout at him for being cruel. For pushing you away again. You could calmly comfort him, explain to him why it’s all okay… Except you’re struggling to see how it can be okay. Your lip quivers. He’s right. A voice like a knife dipped in honey whispers in your ear, draining all your strength to fight back. You’re too much of a freak even for him. You’re an unfaithful whore jumping from man to man. Your knees go weak. You could never do the proper things a lady is supposed to do. You didn’t think he would notice? Everyone notices. Your mother is right—there’s a devil in you.

You turn to run, to escape the voice. Legs like lead, barn blurry with tears, you trip and stumble and feel your way to the ladder.

“Why are you crying?” he asks as you go, at first with cold curiosity, then softer, in a shaking voice. “Why are you crying?”

*****

You run into the woods, to your secret place to think and get away. It’s not far from home—a place you’ve come since you were a child—but hidden from view behind a few large boulders, standing out on the otherwise flat forest floor as if dropped from the sky. They are covered with moss, set in a tiny clearing where an old tree blew down years ago, letting just enough light in for a soft circle of grass to grow.

You scramble between the rocks, falling to your knees on the snow still hiding, like you, in the solace of shadows. Tears fall down hot against your cheeks, but you shiver, skin clammy with goosebumps.

It doesn’t take him long to find you.

“No, oh no…” he gasps, “what have I done?” He kneels beside you, and wraps himself around your shaking form. “No, no, no... Please no, don't cry,” he begins to sob. “I am sorry... I am a fiend! A wicked, villainous fiend to hurt you... Forgive me, please forgive me, I am sorry…”

It feels good to cry with him, the way a funeral feels good. Miserable, yet not alone. But you should be alone. When he knows the truth, he won’t want to stay. He’ll leave you alone with your lies.

“You’re right. You’re right about everything,” you sniff. “I didn’t tell you so many things I should have, because… this magical creature wandered out of the woods and thought the world of me. I didn’t want you to know. I’m a freak. I’m rotten. A disappointment. And I'm poor. I'm just a poor farmer. You think I am sacrificing my social standing by affiliating with you, yet in truth, I have no such standing. No merit. I am nothing. Even among the poor farmers of this town, I have never been accepted. Ha—and I said I could help you fit in! Who am I to teach anyone about social etiquette? Ferdinand was my only prospect; that's why mother is so worried that if he won't have me, no one will. But I thought I could at least seem normal in your eyes… but even a monster can see I am worthless.”

He flinches when you call him a monster, but it is only a blip against the look of horror and sadness in his eyes as you speak of yourself that way. “No. No, please forget those jealous words I spoke,” he croaks, voice breaking. He’s clinging to you like a drowning man, his weight against you crushing, but warm. He rubs heat back into your arms. “They were spoken in a fit of madness—vitriolic raving, fueled by envy, deprived of all logic or reason. Do not forgive me: hate me and curse my being, but do not allow my reckless malice to tarnish your own estimation of your worth. Here I speak the truth: You are everything. You are all I could ever want, and more than I dare ever hope for. You are kind, and wonderful, and strong. You are perfect, and I do not deserve to bask in your radiance. Destroy my wretched life now, if it will undo the harm I have done, and I shall submit myself to your revenge.”

It’s too late. The voice isn’t satisfied, and you can only helplessly parrot what it whispers to you. “I’m not any of those things. If you only looked normal, you would fit in better than I ever could. I wish I could trade bodies with you, so that you could be happy, and I could be the one hiding in the wilderness all alone.”

“I COULD NEVER BE HAPPY LIKE THAT!” he shouts, holding your gaze with such intensity it snaps you out of your fog. “Not without you beside me! I will never be content while you are miserable.”

“But you held me in such high esteem. I let you believe you were getting more than you were—that I was a prize of high station, with powers to lift you up in society. Aren't you disappointed?”

“I never overestimated your position. Though I am kept apart from it, I am not so ignorant of human society as to be blind to your place in its cruel hierarchy.”

“But you always say things like, I’m an angel, I’m noble, the barn is heaven, our food is lavish...”

“Compared against my own experiences, these are true. I have nothing, not even humanity. My life has been spent in wilderness, and you have been gracious in sharing what little you have. You are the noblest being I have encountered, yet it is plain in your residence, dress, and occupation that you are you are of the lower class. And to seek me out, unafraid… I easily inferred you were unusual amongst your peers. Your mere willingness to tolerate me is proof.”

“Oh.” You shake your head, rubbing your eyes with the back of your hand.

He takes your hand, kneeling in front of you. “Did you believe I would think less of you? How could one so wonderful as you ever put value on the opinion of a wretch such as I? Could it truly be that you feel wretched, too, at times?” His eyes widen with realization. “That is why my words hurt you. You have borne the pain of rejection; you share, to an extent, my feeling of isolation. From my vantage, you seem so grand, like the walls of a castle that I am merely the wind howling against. I could not imagine myself capable of damaging you.”

“Do you really think I don’t care? I am not a castle. I’m not above you, or your reprobations. You really hurt me this time...”

“I know,” he says, voice cracking with agonizing understanding. He is certain you are leaving him. “I know.”

You breathe out a long sigh. Brushing a strand of loose hair from his despairing face, you give a lopsided smile. “You know... You're cute when you're sad.”

“I am never cute,” he says, staring severely at the ground. “I am hideous.”

“Stop it, you're even cuter when you're self-pitying!”

He looks up from his stupor, and sees the teasing glimmer in your eyes. “You... are forgiving me?”

“Do you forgive me about Ferdinand? You don’t think I’m a harlot?”

“I don’t care about that anymore. It is far worse to see you in pain because of my foolish jealousy. You may bed a different man each night, and I will count myself fortunate to have you return home to me. Just return to me. I cannot bear the thought of losing you.”

Your lips crash against his, catching him off balance. You pull him down into you, practically hanging on the back of his neck.

“Well,” you break the kiss, breathless, “I’m not going to abandon you. But I… hope this gets easier. I don’t want us to fight all the time. You lash out at me like you can’t trust me. But you're only two years old, I suppose, so tantrums must be expected; and you’ve never had anyone else to talk to.”

He buries you in his chest with a sob, protectively scooping you off the frozen ground. He feels so warm, with his cloak draped over you, rocking back and forth. Everything is okay now.

“I am so sorry. I swear to you, I will never hurt you again.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” you whisper. “Just keep getting better. We’ll both just keep getting better, together.”

His mess of hair nods against your cheek, still gripping you tight.

*****

At length, you rise, finally ready to return. He takes off his wool cloak and wraps it around your shoulders. The storm between you is over.

You walk back to the barn to do the evening chores. Though it’s an unheated barn, it’s amazing how much warmer it feels compared to the chilling wind outside. The creature helps you with a few of the tasks you showed him earlier. He is slow and unsure, and must rest frequently for his shoulder, but he tries hard to be useful, pushing past the pain, as if helping with this will make up for everything earlier.

He sets a milk pail by the door, ready for you to bring back to the house for the dinner. His eyes linger over the spot balefully, where you had argued with your mother that morning.

“I should have protected you when you returned, after the way that woman struck you, I should have been there to lessen your strife…”

“You growled so loud, you nearly gave us away!” you laugh, throwing grains into the mule’s trough, eager to change the subject. “It’s a lucky thing father makes sport of dismissing mother’s fears as feeble-minded superstition.”

“How awful.”

“She’s awful.”

“But they are married. Do they not love each other, as my dear Felix and Safie?”

You snort at his naivete. “Marriage has nothing to do with love. It didn’t for my parents, and it wouldn’t if I had married Ferdinand.” You secure the lid back on the store of feed. “I have no money in my own name. The only way out of this farm is to wait until my parents die, or take a husband. That’s the choice all women here must make.”

“I never understood these laws of men, which seem contrived to force those under them to live in misery. One should not have to spend their life with another they do not love. It seems better to break with civilization entirely, if only it were not so bitterly lonely…”

“Well… I agree with you there. If it were possible, I’d run away into the forest and never look back. Except I would starve to death, or freeze. If I was like you… we could just disappear together.”

He smiles at you, wiping your hands off on your dress now that chores are finished, a strange look on his face. “I dreamed of that once. Having a companion who was like me, and spending our lives in the remote jungles of South America.”

“That sounds nice.”

You sit down with him against the barn wall. A small calico pads over and rubs her head against the both of you with a purr, before rushing off to hunt mice.

“It was my greatest hope… but then I met you. Now all of my dreams are of you. I would live anywhere, do anything, to be with you. I am so eager to devote my life to you… I am ashamed that I am equally eager to believe you would betray me…”

He’s never going to forgive himself for that. You sigh, and shake your head. “It's funny... Others look at you and see a monster. They run away or hurt you thinking you’ll attack them, or eat their skin, or steal the souls from their goats or something!” You laugh quietly. He stares at you a little horrified. When did you get so morbid? “What I mean is—If only they knew your most monstrous quality is a mundane, human thing like jealousy.”

He breathes out a single, silent laugh, and hangs his head.

“You know, thanks for saying you don’t care who else I’m with, but… The moment I laid eyes on you, it was over with Ferdinand. From that moment, you were all I could think about. You were all I wanted, even before we met.”

He picks his head up. “You really chose me? You could have had that handsome boy, but you chose me?” This time, his voice is full of wonder, not fear. A victorious smile plays at the corners of his mouth.

“I did.”

He takes your hand and holds it to his thin lips, each word a kiss against your knuckles. “It is incomprehensible that any rational being would make such a selection, but… it makes me unimaginably happy.”

#frankenstein #Frankenstein's Monster #monster x human #monster x reader #the creature x reader #my writing #angst angst angst

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writeyouin · 5 years ago

Note

Reader human SO comes to Zim begging him to help them engineer and build a really elaborate and creepy Halloween costume of some weird and unsettling creature/monster.

Invader Zim X Reader - Cthulhu

A/N – I cannot name a better monster than Cthulhu, so please, enjoy this.

Warnings – None.

Rating – T

“Come on Zim, please,” You begged, hands clasped tightly in a ball.

Zim considered your plea, wondering why you weren’t dropping the matter. You had asked for a Halloween costume and he had repeatedly told you that he wasn’t going to waste precious hours of his plotting time making you anything to do with the pit-staining holiday. Usually, when he rejected your incessant human needs, you would shrug and go about your day, totally non-plussed, but this time you just kept talking.

“No,” He growled, finally getting irritated, which took him a while, considering he’d gotten used to how much of a pain GIR was compared to you.

“I will clean your lab for a month.”

“No.”

“I will make GIR stop pestering you for a while.”

“No.”

“I will find a way to shove Dib into a pig’s mouth until he’s digested.”

“Those creatures eat people? I KNEW IT!”

Your eyes lit up hopefully, “Is that a yes?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Zim slapped his face, dragging his hand down it exasperatedly. “(Y/N), if I make a costume for you, then I have to make a costume for GIR and that will be far, far too much hassle. ON TOP OF THAT I DON’T WANT TO. When did it become a rule for me to entertain you or any of your other FESTERING BABOON KIND?”

“It became your duty when I found out what you are, didn’t tell anyone, and then you asked me to teach you about human courtship rituals,” You harrumphed, sick of being Zim’s plaything whenever he wanted, whilst receiving nothing in return.

Zim made a series of frustrated noises, pulling at his antenna to relieve the tension. He didn’t know what to do with you when you were like this.

GIR, having heard the majority of the argument from inside a random pile of haggis that had no rightful place in the lab, started laughing hysterically, “Somebody’s in trouble.”

“GIR, DO NOT MOCK ME! HELP ME GET RID OF (Y/N) SO I CAN WORK IN PEACE.”

“IMMA FIX YOU UP,” GIR replied, throwing a book at Zim’s head and ducking back down into his haggis pile.

Zim read the crayon on the front aloud, “The GIR guide to relationships.”

Sticking his lip out in consternation, Zim read on silently, skipping past the pictures of rainbows and flying moose to a page called What to Do When They’re Angry.

Apparently, he was supposed to ‘Smooth things over’ by asking you why this event was important. Although Zim pretended not to care about you, he did very much so, ever since he’d received his first ever compliment from you. Moreover, he loved showing off his human mate to Dib, who also had something of a crush on you; it annoyed the tiny-brained Dib more than anything whenever Zim got close to you.

“On my planet, we have only one holiday,” Zim stated in a superior manner. “The day of the ALMIGHTY TALLEST. That is a day of true importance, unlike this DISGUSTING candy nightmare day. WHAT IS ITS PURPOSE? WHAT SECRETS DOES IT HOLD?”

You knew that was Zim’s long-winded way of asking what the holiday meant to you and you looked to him pleadingly, “I don’t really know how to put it Zim, but imagine if I told you that you couldn’t celebrate your one holiday properly.”

“HERECY!” Zim screeched.

“Exactly. Halloween- Well, it’s a day to be scarier than the things that scare us, among other things.”

“Hmm,” Zim held his hand to his chin thoughtfully.

Stuck in his thoughts, Zim continued making the sound for no less than half an hour, by which time you had got bored and left with GIR to watch TV upstairs; it wasn’t worth interrupting Zim when he got like this, he would only have to start his thought process over again if you did. Finally, Zim had an idea of such evil proportions, the Tallest would have to be impressed.

“COMPUTER! Search the most evil, the most horrifying, the most abominable Earth nightmare you can. This Halloween will be the first of a new era, THE ZIM ERA! THE HUMANS SHALL RUE THE DAY-”

“Are you done?” The computer moaned boredly.

Zim held back a choked cry of outrage, if only to look at the research his computer had uncovered. When he read the new document, he grinned, the grin quickly turning into a maniacal laugh that echoed in the lab. Yes, you would have your costume, and it would be horrifying.

“What is it?” You asked dubiously, staring at the little orb that Zim had just proudly pressed into your hand.

“Your costume,” Zim stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“…It’s just a ball.”

“NO! This is a marvel of Irken technology. When you go outside, crush the ball in your fist and billions of my nanobots will form an exoskeleton around your body, creating THE BEST HALLOWEEN COSTUME IN THE WORLD!”

Your eyes lit up animatedly, “Really? That’s so cool.”

“Indeed, it is freezing on the scale of human appreciation. Now, what are you waiting for? Let’s go.”

Zim dragged you outside to the sidewalk, where he gave you an encouraging nod to crush the ball. You couldn’t wait to see what kind of costume he’d designed for you. The second you crushed the tiny orb, you felt the nanobots, cocooning you safely inside their costume. A helmet appeared first, letting you watch as your new armour was built around you. You watched as the bots interlinked, making you taller and broader. You could just see the tentacles that grew on your helmet, a slimy texture coating them.

A lady with two children further down the street started screaming, yet you could do nothing as you grew even taller, towering over the surrounding buildings.

“UH, ZIM!?” You cried out, the costume transforming your voice into a monstrous roar. “ZIM, WHAT’S HAPPENING?”

“YOU WANTED TO BE A MONSTER DID YOU NOT?” Zim cackled. “THEN BE A MONSTER!”

You had no control over your limbs as you started destroying the buildings around you. A timer appeared on a computer screen next to you. ‘Time remaining as Cthulhu, twelve hours and counting.’

“ZIM, WHEN I STOP DESTROYING THIS CITY, YOU AND I ARE GOING TO HAVE A SERIOUS TALK ABOUT CONSENT!” You bellowed, crushing your neighbours house with a desperate apology.

Zim only laughed harder, chasing after you to make sure Dib could not get in the way of his master plan; you were right, Halloween was a good holiday.

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#Zim #invader zim #invader zim x reader #zim x reader #gir #reader #you #reader insert #fanfic #fanfiction #halloween #cthulhu #Anonymous

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bluepenguinstories · 5 years ago

Text

Happiness Overload Chapter Fifty-Two

Did I lose them? I looked back. No one in sight. No naggy woman calling for me to get back there.

Well, it’s not like I WANTED to lose them, curiosity just got the better of me. But after a bit of wandering around, it was starting to get boring. Yeah. I probably could’ve walked back to them, I bet they were even waiting for me and everything. No, they’re sensible. They’ve got a mission and stuff, right? I mean, mission...miss them. Fuck. But it was okay. It would be okay. Maybe it wouldn’t be, but if I told myself enough times, I was pretty sure that I’d be fine.

Those two, Velvet and Coriander (though I met her as Birch, and honestly, she could’ve been like a long-lost cousin several times removed or something. I wouldn’t have even questioned it) were quite the pair. While I wasn’t sure what they would do after all this, it seemed like the likely scenario was that this ship was going to be my home now. There might be them, but there might not. The inhabitants of the ship, where would they go? Also a good question.

Yeah. That was another thing, wasn’t it? Uncertainty. Well, it would’ve been the same thing whether I stayed on Earth or went here. Guess I made my choice. So did he.

I knew when that stranger Verse barged in that things were about to get real weird. Well, okay, so things were already weird. I mean, roadkill apartment being eaten by crows? Some kind of evil organization in a literal “middle of nowhere”? Yeah. Should’ve seen it coming. But just the talk about how the world could end or we could go on this ship and possibly face being killed once aboard, I could tell there would be trouble.

Treetrunk could tell as well. Oh, I guess I never really called him that anymore, huh? Well, okay, then. Trent could tell things were bad news. His face was all “buuuuh”. That was the thing, huh? I wasn’t always the best at reading a room or listening to people. Sometimes I could take a joke too far. Sometimes when people would cry I would laugh, but I didn’t mean to make fun of them, but then it probably seems that way because I start telling jokes and...yeah. Moving on.

While I wasn’t the best at people sometimes, it was interesting how people would try to hide things or try to be all discrete and others would be fooled even though it ought to be so obvious. It could have something to do with living with someone who tended to go around with a poker face and be a bit of a pushover, let’s be honest.

Later at night, I knocked on his door and entered. He was just laying in bed and reading a book. Guess there wasn’t much else to do since he became out of a job.

“Sooo...got any pop-tarts stashed in here? I know you do. Don’t hide ‘em.”

“What do you want?” He replied, sounding rather annoyed. The gall.

“Pop-tarts. I just said, didn’t I?” I rummaged through that little bedside table where there was a drawer and found a package. Hard to tell the flavor from outside the plastic, but as long as it wasn’t brown sugar flavor, all would be good. But, as I got up and made my way to the door, I closed it.

“I know that talk bothered you earlier,” I got right to the point. Never said I was good at segues. “I mean, when you got those options, really hard to choose I imagine.”

“I knew this wasn’t about the Pop-Tarts,” he side-eyed me.

“What?! Of course it is!” I struggled to open the plastic. “Munchies are serious business! But...ahem! Yes. You’re freaking out, I can tell.”

“Right now? Maybe if you were a stranger sneaking into my room and stealing my food, then yes, but –”

“No, that’s not what I mean. I mean, the whole die or die thing. It’s like you either die or you die.”

“Not much of a choice, if you ask me.”

I shook my head. “It’s pretty outrageous, too. But all these crazy things have been happening around the world, and there’s less and less people by the day, so the world could very well be ending.”

“Aren’t you scared, too?”

“Sure,” I shrugged. “Shitless. But if there’s a chance to live longer aboard a ship, even if it might be pretty lonely, I’ll do it.”

“Yeah. I’d like you to live.”

“That’s too bad because I was thinking of jumping into a lava pit.”

He glared at me.

“Oh, alright. But don’t you want to live, too? I mean, there is that whole thing that Verse lady said, too, how it’s probably super dangerous and stuff. I guess there’d probably be a buncha guys with guns and action movie shit. Ooh,” I nudged. “Yeah, you should come along. You’d be all into that.”

“I’m just not sure. What if things get better here? What if I could make things better here? But what if I can’t and I’d have better uses there. But then, I don’t think I could stand to do it. The idea that I have to stay inside, that there is no outside, and if I try to go out, I could put others in danger.”

“Then you just gotta do what’s right for you.”

“But that’s the thing: what’s right for me?”

I shrugged. “Beats me, but it’s okay whichever you choose, because I could probably understand.”

“Would it be okay to leave you behind, though?”

“I’m an adult.”

“Yeah, but I’m worried about you.”

“I’m worried about you too, that’s why I came in here.” Oops. Now he knew for sure it wasn’t just for snacks. “I’m going to miss you if we part and I don’t see you again, but I doubt it’ll set in right away. It’ll probably take a while.”

That’s what I told him. He nodded, but didn’t make a decision that night. I let him think on it, and I just tried avoiding thinking about it all together, because that made it easier to deal with. But we both had to deal with it, didn’t we, and he was back on Earth and I was in some ship thingy.

But as for missing…

It felt weird already. Like, I didn’t think it would set in so fast, but damn, it sure did; my stomach started to growl and I had nothing to snack on. No muffin, no banana. No banana nut muffin.

“Buuuh, is it too late to go back?” I whined, my hand on my forehead. Nah, I wouldn’t want to, anyway. I mean, I kinda did. I could’ve brought some goodies with me to play with, or a keepsake. “Dammit, this is so stupid. Why’s the world gotta end?” Oh, right. I didn’t even bring a change of clothes. Gross.

Room after room, I tried to open the doors and find one that I could actually get into. So far, they all turned out to be locked. The most surprising bit, or at least to me, was that a lot of those doors had handles. I imagined something more like a super top secret base with doors you needed hand scanners for, but nope. Well, I guess some had those. Probably the super important ones. I recall passing by some here and there.

But damn, between the running and being hungry, I really just needed to get to a room and take a break. Just to sit down and rest.

I huffed, my hands over my knees.

“Why…” I wanted to finish my sentence, but I was still trying to catch my breath.

...Why do you have to be so damn fast?

No. I was never built to run. I’ll be the first to admit. Yet that’s what I did for years, didn’t I? How? I wanted to know how. There was a hunch I had, the possibility of there being a difference between running to something and running from something.

For years, I had ran from these people, my fate, and for years, I had thrown away several identities, my emotions, so I could live to see another day, free from capture. Somewhere along the line, however, I got tired, and stopped running.

“Where could you have gone?” I found the myself ask, in a manner that was rather unbecoming of me. My voice sounded weak, distressed. Something I never wanted to be.

It was a linear yet winding hallway, so it seemed, anyway. If I kept moving, I should have come across her sooner or later.

Why do you care, anyway? You let yourself get distracted from your goal. You should leave her be and do what you set out to do.

The silky, sultry voice reared its ugly head. It was beginning.

“Do you even know what my goal is?” I seethed. I could already feel the taste of blood working its way up to my mouth. My stomach started to turn. The consequence of no longer being on that dying planet.

I hobbled forward, afraid of what might come were I to run.

“A healthy body...keeps me happy…” I told myself, almost in a chant. In that instant, the pain was gone. For now.

A healthy body cannot fix an unhealthy mind.

That much was true. I couldn’t keep myself focused on positive thoughts, and for that, I was being punished.

I slammed my fist against the wall as teardrops fell from my face.

“Why does nobody listen to me? Why can’t they see I’m trying to do the right thing?”

We were supposed to stick together. I was going to set aside my selfish desires to help others. I was going to protect everyone, but instead I was alone again.

Just like I wanted to be.

I took a glance at my wrist which held the bracelet and recited its message in my head. Then, I nodded, and ran forward once again.

That’s right: I can still try. I know this can be a dark and dangerous place, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late. I can find her, I can bring her back to Coriander and Velvet. She would be in more capable hands with them.

My heart raced against my pace; if I could catch back up, maybe I could find her in no time at all. But I got lost in my hope that I failed to notice what was in my peripheral vision. I ended up bumping into someone.

“Ow,” he cried out. “Watch where you’re going.

I backed up. Lab coat. I could tell it was someone who worked there.

“Are you lost or something? Why are you running in the halls?”

Did he think I worked here? Maybe I could use that to my advantage…

“I usually work in a different department,” I tried to explain. “I just thought I could take a shortcut and found my way here. Could you tell me where the Perfume Department is?” I tilted my head, smiled, and kept my voice soft.

“The what? There is no Perfume Department. Do you even work here?”

Shit.

“You must be tired. It would please us both if you got a good rest. Wouldn’t you say?” I continued to keep my demeanor calm and pleasant.

“What?” I watched as he reached into his pocket.

He could be pressing a button to send back up. I can’t have that happen. I should murder him. No. He didn’t resort to shooting. He must just be a lowly lab worker. All I can think about is pain. The pain this company has caused me. But I won’t just take it out on anyone. He just needs to take a little nap and forget he ever saw me.

I grabbed his arm.

“I strongly urge you to take a nap. You can’t be a good, hard worker if you’re not at your best,” I hissed in a low whisper, but kept my smile up. “Wouldn’t you say?”

Surges of electricity escaped from my arm and transferred onto his. It was just a quick jolt. Not enough to for him to scream or cry out for help. He fell to the floor. Nary a sound.

I stared down at the passed out figure in front of me and released a powder out from my fist above their head. It sprinkled down and I walked past.

“When you wake up, you won’t remember anything,” I turned my head behind me, as if he could have heard me.

I knew sooner or later, I would find something within the empty halls. I just hoped that whatever it was, it would be one of the things I wished to find and not a horrible outcome.

Finally! One of the doors opened and I slipped in.

It was just a little office, some workstation, a desk. Nothing so “whoa, mega cool!” But at least it was a place I could lay low and sit. In fact, there was a bench right beside the workstation.

I sighed. “I didn’t think I’d ever manage to sit down.”

“Really? That’s all I ever do.”

I turned. Oh, right. There was someone sitting by the workstation. Working on something. I really should have paid better attention.

“Oh hey, there! What’cha working on?” I got up and leaned over. He looked up with a dead expression. He was some guy with scruffy, dark hair.

“Marketing. Allegedly. They said when I was picked for this department that I’d have an important role in the company’s image, but most of the time I just look at emails or sit in on virtual meetings. Often I don’t even do anything in them. I’ll try to propose an idea and then the committee pretends they didn’t hear me and discuss other things.” He sighed with every few words he spoke, as if he was just eternally exhausted. “What are you doing with that wrench, by the way?”

Oh, right. I could’ve put that in my pocket the whole time, but I didn’t. Silly me.

“This?” I brought it up and pointed at it. “I’m the maintenance person. I got a ticket from my boss to work on this office. Now, where’s the leak?”

“Are you really?” Once again, he sounded dead as he spoke, as if he didn’t care what my answer was.

“Yeah, no.”

“Oh. That’s a shame. Could’ve fooled me.”

“Wait, really? Then I totally am!”

He shrugged. “I don’t care, either way. Whether someone shows up in my little room or not makes no difference to me. I’ll still be here, still with the same issues.”

Oh. Damn. I kinda felt bad for the guy. Was I supposed to?

“Yeah, that’s tough, dude. I’m kinda new here, myself.”

“You are, are you? So what does that make you, an intern?”

“Yeah! Totally! I’m going to learn intern things!” I tried to sound enthusiastic, as if I really wanted to be such a thing.

“Good luck with that, miss. I bet they talked you up about how great the company is and how you’ll be making such a big difference.”

“You make it sound like you don’t like it here.”

He shrugged. “It is what it is. They pretty much don’t care what I do, since they don’t care about my input, so I get plenty of time to do whatever I want. Only problem is I don’t really want to do anything most of the time.”

“That’s too bad,” I sat back down and slouched. “I get it, though. To be cooped up in one place all the time. I mean, I guess now that I’m here, it’s not going to be all that different. But still, where I came from before, I don’t think I could have stayed there forever. Sure, I had someone who cared about me and I’ll miss them, but was knowing that enough? So I came here. Because I figured out what I wanted to do.”

“I’m afraid you got duped. Interns almost never move up, and often times they get killed by people thinking they’re playing hero. They’re even lower on the ladder than me, and that’s saying something. Well, that’s not the only reason interns rarely move up, but I think often times, it’s just a matter of chance. Oh, and just a head’s up, the bosses here are pretty evil.”

“So I heard! I even heard rumors that there are people who might want to take out the higher ups and overthrow the whole company,” I realized I might have said too much. “But you know, just a rumor.”

“Eh,” he shrugged. “Wouldn’t be surprised. Happens all the time.”

“But aren’t you worried? It’s your company at stake.”

“My company?” He must’ve been confused. “I don’t own jack. Do you know what the Marketing Department does? You’d think advertising, right? Or spreading the word? But we’re a secret organization. So what do I do, recruit people? No. There’s a department for that, too. I think this is really the ‘Sit In Meaningless Meetings and Act Interested’ Department, but that isn’t a very short name, is it?”

“So what you’re saying is…?”

“I couldn’t care what happens to this shithole. I mean, as long as I have a job, I’ll be here, but that’s it.”

“Yeah, but these people could be dangerous. You might wanna watch out for ‘em. Just sayin’.”

“Look, there’s been many attempts to defeat this company. It has never worked out.”

“But what if they succeed?”

“Cool. I won’t have to work anymore.”

“Damn, that bad? Is there nothing else you like about working here?”

“I mean, the health benefits are fine. Don’t have to pay a thing. Probably a matter of convenience, because they don’t pay us, either. Though it doesn’t include dental.”

“What? They don’t even give you dental?”

“Yeah. Well, we’ve got the best technology in the universe, so there’s that, too. But most of it was stolen, and besides, most of us can’t even access such tech.”

“Aw, but that’s what I was looking forward to the most!” For real. That was the only reason I ran off in the first place, was so I could see some cool stuff.

“Get used to disappointment. This is your home now.”

“You’re telling me…”

There was a few minutes of silence. My stomach growled. He didn’t pay any attention. I thought to speak up to break the silence, but I couldn’t think of anything.

“Say, what made you choose to come here, anyway?”

“It was better than the alternative,” I cleared my throat. “There had been something spreading where I came from that was making a lot of people sick. There were a lot of deaths. Those of us who survived just tried to get on with their lives and adapt with the times. We were telling ourselves ‘this won’t be forever’, and ‘I can’t wait until everything is back to normal’. I admit, I had those thoughts, too. It’s hard to accept a situation, even worse, I started thinking that maybe there would be no ‘back to normal’ and just because I wasn’t catching what others had didn’t mean it wasn’t affecting me.”

He didn’t say anything for a bit, just turned in his chair and faced me.

“I mean! It’s not that bad, though! Now that I’m here, it’s like a new opportunity for me!”

“That was some heavy shit,” then he turned back to face his computer. “Not that I’m not used to it. You kinda learn to just tune out these things. Anyway, I’m a little busy.”

“Is that what you want to be busy with, though? This whole time I’ve been in here, you’ve seemed pretty disinterested.”

“Yeah, well, you don’t always get to choose your department.”

“But what if you did!” I found a burst of positive energy burst out. “You must have joined for a reason! Maybe it was like me, some heavy shit! Or maybe it was something else!”

“Yeah. You’re right. I didn’t start out like this. I wasn’t forced into this or anything, I just wanted to make a difference. All these problems humanity faces and I thought I could help make the world – all of them – a better place. But that’s the thing, isn’t it? They say we exist to improve humanity, but how are we supposed to do that by micromanaging everything to oblivion? Not only that, but who’s ever heard of the ones in power doing anything to help those they oppress? All I see this company doing is amassing more power all while they wonder why things aren’t getting any better.”

“Fuck work, am I right?”

“What? You can’t just say that! I bet they listen in on all our conversations! They’ll probably kill me on the spot!”

“Dude. Duuuude. Dude! You just said all that to me and I bet you’ve been thinking those things for a while, too, right?”

“I mean…”

“They probably think you’re so useless that they don’t care what you think or say because they think you’re too weak to do anything. Right?”

“Uh...when you put it that way…”

“I’m just saying, like, if they don’t care, then why not just say fuck it and do something you’re passionate about? There’s gotta be something.”

“Yeah. I used to have passion for things.”

“Well, sorry, bud, but I’m still passionate about something and I’m going to hold on to that passion.”

“What are you so passionate about?”

“Simple: I wanna find a nurse-like woman with a tough exterior, but soft inside who would be willing to get rough with me.”

He looked at me with a blank expression. I expected him to burst into laughter, but instead, he spoke in an evened tone.

“I think I know someone like that. I hear Dr. Nightingale in the Medical Department is like that. Not that I’ve ever gone, but I just hear things.”

“Great! I think I’ll go there!”

I got up to go to the door.

“Wait. Before you go.”

“Hm?”

“...Graphic design is my passion.”

“Oh, no way! That’s wicked cool! Show me something!” I ran back to his computer. He pulled up an image of a poster with a frog jumping on the screen.

“It’s not advertising anything, but I enjoy it.”

“Hey, it doesn’t have to advertise anything! I’m proud of you for showing me that!”

“Can I show you another one?”

“Sure!”

Next up was a poster of a giraffe surrounded by a field of french fries. I didn’t know what kind of emotion it evoked, but it reminded me how hungry I was.

“Aw, man. My stomach just won’t let up.”

“They should have some snacks at the medical department.”

“Right! Thank you!”

“Yeah, it was nice to have some company for a change, so...yeah. Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it! I like chatting with others!”

“I’m not used to it, myself. I mean, every now and then I’ll get encrypted e-mails from my pen pal over at the Design Department. Sucks that he got the job I would have loved to do, but I also think it’s great, because he’s passionate about it, too! Also he sent me selfies in ASCII art, and let me tell you,” he coughed. “I’d love to meet him in person. He even told me his name, it’s Dr. Oz! We talked about how we might have feelings for each other, it’s –”

I shushed him.

“Say no more!”

“Sorry.

“No! Don’t apologize!” I declared. “Go for it! Get your gay love!”

He smiled.

“Thanks. Say, what’s your doctor name? Mine’s Dr. Phil.”

Oh. I didn’t think this one through, did I? Everyone used doctor names, but I never even took classes at community college! What could I say for myself?

“I’m, er, Dr. Juniper!”

“It was nice to meet you. You get your gay love, too, Dr. Juniper!”

“I better!”

I exited the room and ran off once more.

Still no sign of her. I was at wit’s end. It was only a matter of time until things grew dire and I wasn’t any closer to a conclusion.

I slammed my fist into the wall and yelled. Then, the inevitable happened.

Alarms blared.

“Oh, come ON! You didn’t go off when I knocked that guy out!” I was fuming. I mean, it was bound to happen eventually, but I really wish it didn’t have to. I stood in place to weigh my options, though considering my mental and physical state, it would be very tough not to get violent if they send soldiers to my location.

“Let’s see...if I kill them all, that would solve my problem rather fast, plus it would satisfy the bloodlust, but if I don’t, they’ll probably kill me…to be honest, I’m not too fond of killing anyone, but...these are the people who have caused me so much pain and I could take out a lot of my anger on whatever soldiers they send...but it would also leave a lot of bodies...which would only make them send more…”

That was how it was now, wasn’t it? There must have been a time when I didn’t have to think so hard about all the options, but now, even with my enemy, I had too many doubts.

Before long, they had arrived and I was surrounded. Black garbed soldiers, gas-masked helmets. Heavy artillery weapons. I drew a breath. They all opened fire.

Shadowed thorns shot out from my back. At first, they shielded me on all ends, and, as the soldiers reloaded, they shot forth and changed their tips to scythe-like blades. Each thorn chopped off the hands of the soldiers and broke their weapons in half. Then, they went for the head.

All the while, I stood still.

Four soldiers on each end, eight in total, were on the floor, decapitated. Lifeless dolls.

“This won’t do,” I shook my head and muttered. “Maybe if you had let me talk this out, you all wouldn’t be in this position.”

I knelt down and held the helmeted head of one of them by the chin. “I really didn’t want to do this. I don’t even feel pleasure from it. But I’m not ready to die here.”

That alarm was still going off. If I didn’t do something about it, more would be sent my way, and then a pile of corpses would prevent me from venturing any further.

I reached into the pocket of one of the soldiers, pulled out a radio. On it, a button flashed, with the word ‘alarm’ printed above it. I clicked it and spoke.

“We took care of the disturbance in the area,” I imitated the voice of the soldier, something which even though it was in the realm of my abilities, was nonetheless difficult with the burning in my throat. The metallic taste, it was on my tongue.

“Good job. I’ll turn off the alarm at once.”

“Thank you.”

It stopped blaring. Thank goodness. I pocketed the radio, then I went to another soldier and grabbed another. If I found Velvet and/or Coriander, I could give them one so at the very least, we could keep in touch.

Now what to do about those bodies? If someone comes by and sees the mess, it will just repeat the whole process over again.

Simple.

I clapped my hands. Shadows fell across each corpse and encompassed their form before dragging them against the walls and dissolving them. Rather than become liquid, they all turned to shadow. Once those shadows faded, it hit.

I covered my mouth, yet it still forced its way out of me, getting all over my hands.

I ran into the nearest room. It would have been locked, but I needed to get in to feel better. Inside, it was empty. If I needed it to be empty, it would be. In fact, it was a restroom.

I coughed up the contents into the sink. It spilled forth until the sink was clogged up with the thick, red liquid. I turned on the faucet, watched it all wash down the drain. Some traces remained on the rims of the sink. Seemed I couldn’t get rid of it all. Alas, I should have known.

After I washed my hands and wiped my mouth, I left the room. There was still much work to do and even as my body continued to punish me, I would continue forward.

Let’s see: we’ve encountered nothing and no one had tried to stop us. In fact, we encountered no one as well. Did it bode well? Unwell?

“Hm...should I say the ‘too quiet’ line?” I wondered aloud.

“No,” Coriander stopped me. “Because we have nothing to worry about.”

Wow, she sounded rather confident. More than usual. She was usually all “assess the reality of the situation! You’re going in blind, you idiot!”

“Don’t we got a ton to worry about? Aren’t you going to tell me how we got no plan, no idea where we’re going, and no weapons?”

She laughed. “Look at you, the great and mighty Velvet! For once it seems you need me!”

“Actually, yes.”

“WHAT?! WHAT’S WITH THAT ‘ACTUALLY’?!”

She regained composure. “Anyway, as I was saying,” she grabbed that little cube thing that was her workstation from out of her pocket. “Behold!”

She clicked.

...Nothing happened.

“Huh? That’s not right.”

She clicked again. I looked down at it.

“It should work! I know it should work!”

Her triumphant demeanor faded to one of frustration.

“No! I can’t be powerless! Not like this! Come on!”

I checked my phone. Not only no signal, but no power as well. I didn’t expect a signal. As for me keeping a phone, not to worry; it was a burner from years ago. It would never have service on it, anyway.

“There’s no power.”

“What?!” She looked at me.

“Our devices have no power here.”

“What then? How is the enemy able to use electronics?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. They’re either using a different energy source, or they generate their power inside. That’s my only guess right now until I can figure out more.”

“I don’t want to be useless...I’m nothing…” she started muttering, her demeanor dropped. “If I can’t build...if I can’t prove myself…”

I placed my hand on her shoulder. “Let me correct you: we have nothing right now, but we are not nothing.”

“Not you, me,” she thought she was correcting me.

“You don’t have to prove a thing to me! I know you’re not useless, you’re not nothing! And before you say it, no! You aren’t a burden!” I took her hand and put it on my chest. “And neither am I, so forget about all that negativity! We’re going to work together, we’ll protect each other, and we’ll both be badass!”

I took a deep breath. My voice shook the whole way through. I was so afraid of her emotions running too high. That if she were to have a breakdown, it would start up again. But there was nothing. Instead, she smiled.

“You’re right. It’s just that ever since this morning…”

She leaned in closer and broke down.

“I’ve been feeling strange. Like, I really feel better than this. But it’s so loud, and different from before.”

“How?”

“I want to be happy, but it doesn’t feel like I can. It’s not what you think – I’m not afraid of what would happen if I was, rather it feels like it’s missing.”

I wasn’t sure if that was better or worse for her, but there was something else.

“You said the word.”

“Oh fuck. I did?”

She looked around. “I’m fine.”

She blinked, another pause, and then reached over for a tight hug.

“I’m fine,” she cried. “But I’m not. I’m scared. It’s like deep down, I’m so glad to be okay and not alone, but it’s so loud. Deep down, I know I can still be. I think it will just take some time before I can still express myself fully.”

I nodded. I didn’t understand, but I think she was more aware of herself than she used to be. So, in a way, it felt like I knew, too.

“It will take some time, but I know you’ll get there.”

She let go and nodded as well.

“I’m still going to make your life a living hell,” she grinned. Wow, she recovered fast.

“See? You have a use after all.”

“Hey! Just for that I’m going to bite your neck later!” She shot back.

Then, an alarm sounded. Flashing red lights illuminated the halls where we stood.

“Crap! Were we spotted?” I cried out.

“How the hell should I know? I was lost in the moment! This is your fault!”

I looked around. There had to be some place for us to go. Near us were a couple of doors. Both of which looked to be the type to require key cards.

“Got anything to hack a door?” I asked.

“No! Isn’t that your thing?” I looked around. No vents. If there were, I could’ve told her to crawl into one of those while I ran off. That would have at least bought her some time. Hmm...the ceiling? I couldn’t see a ceiling. It just looked like a big, black, nothing. I was sure there was one, otherwise we’d be suffocating in the vastness of space (or the vastness of a space between spaces?) but it must have been so tall that it was out of view.

“I got it: we run.”

“They’ll kill us both if they catch us, moron!” She shouted.

“’Til death do us part, right?”

“I didn’t think you meant we were literally going to die!”

We ran, though, and as luck would have us, we found a bathroom.

“Well, thank goodness a place like this has public restrooms!” I rejoiced.

“Is that really such a good place to hide?”

“Pick a stall and hide in it!”

We hid and heard the running of what must have been guards or soldiers or something pass us by. After we could no longer hear the sound of movement, I lifted my head up above the stall and saw nothing.

“They’re gone.”

“Psst, Velvet. I wanna do something reckless,” Coriander emerged from her hiding stall and whispered.

“What? Isn’t that what I should be saying to you?”

“I wanna follow those guards.”

“Really? I’d have just bolted in the opposite direction, so I guess even I’m not that reckless.”

She shook her head. “They ignored the bathroom. I bet if they were really surveying the area as a whole for intruders, they would have looked in here.”

It clicked.

“I get it. They’re only interested in one place. So if we follow their trail…”

She nodded. “Worse comes to worst, we’ll just use one of the guards as a human shield, then steal their uniform or armor.”

I burst into laughter. “Just like old times!’

We walked, not ran, in the direction that the guards went. I imagined they were all some super tough mercenary types. Or, they could have been like the Prinnies. Either way, we had to be careful.

“When we come across one,” I turned my head to her. “We’ll both jump them at once, that way they’ll be sure to go down. Got it?”

“Yeah, and then we loot them while they’re down. I bet they got keycards on them and have special permissions to get into certain rooms. So we’ll find a room with a buncha hardware that I can take apart and repurpose, then I’ll be ready to take on anyone!”

Whether things would work out that way or not, I was glad she had some motivation again.

“Yeah, and I bet I could probably find some software and run a buncha malicious bugs throughout the headquarters,” I added. Then, we bumped into someone.

“Aaa!” We scrambled. “We’ll kill you! We’ll beat you senseless!” Coriander yelled and got into fighting position.

“No! It’s just me!” We looked up at who we bumped into. It was just Verse. “Please, I’m fragile!”

“Finally! Glad we found you, now we can get back to working as a group!” I snapped my fingers and smile.

“I still think I should be allowed to get one punch in. Just one,” Coriander growled.

I ignored Coriander’s remark for the moment.

“So did you see those guards?”

She shook her head. “They must have gone in a different direction.”

I let out a sigh of relief and laughed. “Thank goodness! You’d have been no good in a situation like that! You couldn’t even hurt a fly!”

“Indeed…” She looked away and muttered. “Did you...er...did you see Juniper anywhere?”

“Oh crap! No!” I totally forgot about her. Well, to be honest, I forgot about Verse, too. “You think the guards killed her?”

I shouldn’t have said that out loud. I expected her to snap. I think I would’ve been distressed to have something suggested like that to me, as well.

“Let’s hope not,” was all she said instead. “This is a dangerous place.”

“Yeah!” Coriander jumped in. “So enough funny business!”

“Velvet,” she looked down at me. “Hold out your hand.”

“Oh wow. Um. Just so you know, I kind of have a thing going here with Cori...and...er...um…”

“Quit it! Just do it!”

I looked away and cupped my hands together. I felt like some beggar kid asking for some coin or bread. What dropped in my hand was a small device.

“A radio?” I looked puzzled. “I mean, it’s better than nothing. Where’d you get it, anyway?”

“I found it. On the ground.” There she went again, being so suspicious and vague.

“Maybe it’s better if I don’t ask…”

“I wasn’t lying when I said I was fragile. But I’m not harmless, either.”

“Wait! That means!” I just pieced it together. Why was I so slow when it came to her? “You DID come across those guards, and you even held your own, didn’t you?”

She nodded. “But let’s not go into details. Keep that radio on you, that way we can keep in contact.”

“What do you mean? You’re just leaving again?!”

“Indeed.”

“See?! This is why we can’t trust you!” Coriander shoved past me and pointed at Verse. “I’ve lived with Velvet long enough to know when someone’s hiding things! If you can’t be honest, why should either of us take you at face value?”

Where was this anger coming from?

“You better tell us, no, you better tell ME why you can’t stay with us!”

“I have to find her,” Verse replied.

“Big deal! We could look for her as a group! Didn’t you say it would be easier to keep us all safe that way?”

“Now that she’s run off, she could be anywhere. I have to find her before she runs into something she shouldn’t. This is something only I can do, but I promise, I’ll return to help you if I can.”

“If? What would prevent you?”

“I don’t know yet. But as I said before, this place is worse than somewhere that you could die in. They could still use your body, experiment on you. I don’t want it to come to that. I’m afraid for her. Don’t you realize there was a reason I didn’t want to bring anyone here?”

“Okay. Fine. I’ll take it for now. Go.”

Coriander still seemed pissed, for reasons I wasn’t really sure of. To think I could read her so well.

Just as Verse walked away, Coriander stomped up to her again. She grabbed Verse’s sleeve and yanked her down. “One last thing before I let you go,” Coriander fumed under muffled breaths. “You’re going to look me in the eye and answer me one last thing.”

“Why do you feel so entitled to my answer?” Verse replied. I was pretty sure I had no place getting involved. I’d walk away if I could, but given where I was…

“You really do have something to do with Etna, don’t you?”

I froze.

“I assure you, I’m human.”

“Don’t evade the question!” She tugged tighter. “Velvet was right to suspect something when we first met you, didn’t she?”

“I –”

“Don’t play dumb! Just answer. Yes? Or no?”

“Yes.”

My heart pounded, my eyes widened. “Y-yes?”

So all this time were we hanging out with the enemy? Was everything just an act? No. I didn’t need to have so many doubts. I already knew she was putting on a face half of the time, but I thought I saw the real her that night when she got drunk. I thought she really was someone well-meaning.

“But so does she. That’s why I wanted to prevent her from being here.”

“So that means you knew her before, then, too?”

“Different versions, yes. It’s better to think we don’t know each other. She deserves a better life. That’s why I need to find her and bring her back to you guys. She’ll be safer with the likes of you two.”

Coriander let go. “Very well.”

Verse stood back up and wiped off her sleeve.

“Wait!” I called for her. “I have a question as well.”

“Hm?” Verse faced me.

“If you knew Juniper before, then what was she to you?”

“Just an innocent life who happened to pass by.”

“I understand. Good luck, okay?” Good luck? What was I saying? She could have been evil, just like Etna. “I mean, get good!”

Coriander nudged me.

“What was that for?”

“Really? ‘Get good’?”

I shrugged as I continued to watch the one who called herself Verse fade from view. “I don’t think she’s evil, even if she doesn’t think she’s very good.”

“I never said she was evil, I’m just questioning your choice of parting words. What do you think this is, a video game?”

I didn’t have a rebuttal. We continued on, but Coriander turned to me.

“You should have went with your gut.”

“What?”

“You had the right idea when you thought she was Etna.”

“But she isn’t, is she?”

“I think it’s a good-twin, evil-twin thing.”

“How did you even know she might be related?”

“I had my suspicions, but I had little evidence to go off of besides looks and I already knew you decided the two weren’t related by looks alone, so you dismissed the whole thing. Then, this morning pretty much confirmed it.”

“What do you mean?”

“When she said she wanted to help me, then I fell and started to feel empty, that wasn’t a dream.”

“I thought –”

“I know. It’s not that it hurt, it’s that she wasn’t honest about it. That’s what gets me. Like I said, I don’t know what she did or how she did it, and I don’t think she had evil intentions, but it was similar to the types of things Etna could do.”

“Is that all?” It wasn’t that I doubted her reasoning, rather, it still seemed loose at best. Too easily explainable.

“There’s something else: I remember from my past life as Mavis, right before I passed through that elevator, there was something Etna said. She probably thought it would go unnoticed. She said that she thought she saw her other half or something, but that it was probably just an illusion and her other half may never show up in this universe. It would be real fucking convenient if I forgot all about that, but I didn’t.”

“Wow. You remembered that little detail? You must have a terrific memory.”

She shook her head. “The only reason I remembered the discussion with Etna before I became a new person was because she allowed me to remember. I think her reasoning was that remembering such painful things would torture me. Even when she seems her nicest, she’s really a fan of the illusion of mercy over anything else.”

“But you managed to make it through all that and you’re a better person in spite of her trickery,” I reassured her.

“I already know that, you idiot.”

“So ‘Verse’, or whoever she might be, is her ‘other half’?”

“I don’t know the details, obviously. Don’t you know Etna used to be human?”

She made it sound like such an obvious fact. I knew all those things about the angel and the outbreak and there she was, finding a way to one-up me.

“Well, she’s an AI, so that’s a little facetious. More, her appearance was based on someone who was human. Apparently her personality was, too, but I think only initially. I think she developed a personality of her own.”

“Ah, classic rogue AI stories.”

“The things I know for sure, I only learned from memories of my past life when I would dig things up in secret at Area 51. The things I pieced together just now was built on a hunch, but she admitted it, so no longer just a hunch.”

“See? How can you think you’re useless when you figured all that out? I couldn’t even figure that out.”

“You’re right, but I still don’t know what we’re going to do going forward.”

“Neither do, but I’ll just do what I always do and improvise!” I gave a thumbs up and winked.

“Hell yeah! We’re going to kick some ass!”

There were still many things I didn’t understand, like what Juniper had to do with everything.

I thought she was just any other person, although much kinder than I could ever hope to be. She’s normal, though, isn’t she? She’s ordinary. She’s innocent.

I decided to leave things be, as in the end, Coriander and I still had our mission. There may be more secrets about Verse yet, but I at least trusted that she was sincere when she said she wished to protect Juniper.

Medical Department. That was my destination.

...If only I thought to ask where that was! Ugh! I could already imagine how it would go if I returned to his office, though:

“Hey Dr. Phil, where’s the Medical Department?”

“You’re on your own. Here’s your L.”

Yeah, no. I couldn’t go back and ask for directions. It couldn’t be too hard, anyway, right? Besides, maybe I could find some other cool places to check out along the way.

That was the spirit! All I had to do was keep that in mind and everything would go A-OK!

Not even too long after walking down the halls, I stumbled upon a large set of lab doors with the title over it ‘Morale Research’.

“Huh. That sounds interesting.”

Not only that, but the door was open just a crack. That was all the permission I needed to enter. Still, I tried to be quiet about it. I opened the door a little wider, squeezed in, then closed it, but not all the way, to give off the impression that it was just how whoever left it as.

Inside, I was amazed by all the gadgets and devices. There was a large screen on the far end of the wall to my right, though it was turned off. There were all these things on the ceiling, as well.

“Whoa!” I exclaimed. “Wonder what all this was used for.”

As cool as it all was, it looked old. Not outdated, just like it had all been used before, but not in a long time.

“Curious? I could tell you, if you want,” came the voice of a man.

I turned around to see who entered: a somewhat paper thin man of average height who donned a tuxedo and monocle, but if I had to guess, he was probably only in his 20s or 30s. Then again, if he worked here, it was hard to tell what constituted age, anyway. His hair was a slicked back brown, and he smiled and kept his eyes closed.

I wondered if I could talk my way out like I did with Dr. Phil, but it may not have been so easy.

“Is that really okay? This isn’t my department and I know they like everyone to stick to their own departments and I just got distracted so sorry I think I should go and –”

“Nonsense,” he sounded warm and pleasant. Maybe most members of The Flashbulb weren’t so bad. “I never was much for those rules. Besides, this department was recently shut down after it failed to give the intended results.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. What was wrong about it?”

He walked over to one of the devices in the room and pat it. “This here was a generator, used to give life to the electronics here. The intended purpose of this department was really one of the more simpler ones: just a desire to improve the overall mental wellbeing of humanity. But there were some missteps along the way. Its leader lacked proper care for humanity, something which we didn’t expect. Her methods were a little...forceful, you could say.”

“Well-intentioned, but bad methods?”

“You could say that. Or maybe the methods were fine, but the lack of aftercare was atrocious. Still, the damage was done, and although I was disappointed with the situation, it wasn’t my department, and the overseers of the project ceased to exist.” He ran his finger through the generator. “That is why you and I are able to be here despite not belonging to this department.”

“Do you think it could have worked with more humane methods?” I wondered.

He stood up and grinned. “Of course I do!”

“So maybe…” I put a finger on my chin. “Someone could take what they learned on what went wrong and create something better that actually helps people.”

He clapped his hands. “I’m so glad you agree, Juniper!”

“I...what…” How? I didn’t tell him my name.

I jolted and took a step back, a nerve having been struck. Although I couldn’t place why, I felt a sudden feeling of being on edge.

“Such a shame the other one didn’t show up. I was hoping we could start over and just adjust things slightly. Ah, well. Maybe it’s for the best.”

“What are you talking about?” I spat. “I don’t even know you! How do you even know my name?”

“Ah, you see, this is your first time meeting me, but I’ve met you several times over. Although I had always been an observer, I’ve seen the potential you possess! You can provide the care humanity needs, as the ruler of the revamped Morale Department. You may be lacking in intelligence, but that’s only a minor detail. Intelligence can be programmed. It’s the personality that matters most.”

“Are you crazy?! I was just curious about this room! I don’t want to be some ruler of humanity!”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a stick, which he then expanded until it became more like a steel rod.

“Don’t worry, you will,” he walked toward me. I started to back away, but I didn’t see where I was going, and soon found myself against a wall. “Once I kill you and transfer your consciousness to the AI.”

I watched as he raised the rod over his head and I knew he was about to swing down. I should have fought back or something, but I was too scared, and instead held my arms over my head to try to protect myself. As he swung, I started to think that my arms wouldn’t protect me and it really would be the end. After everything, I just had to let my curiosity get the better of me, and now I was too afraid to act.

Instead, I heard him grunt.

I uncovered my arms and opened my eyes to see a familiar figure in front of me with her legs bent and blocking the rod with her hand. It looked different, however, like her fingers had become talons.

“What were you doing here?!” I heard her yell at me.

I was at a loss for words. I fell to the floor, in shock.

“Never mind that, you should go! This place isn’t for you!”

It looked like she was still struggling against the rod.

“Just in time,” he laughed. “How poetic. Once again, you come here to defend that which you love.”

She pushed forward and got him to drop the rod from his hand. He too was pushed back, and soon, she stood up.

“Verse? Is that you?”

She ignored me.

“Love? You think this is about love? I’ve thrown that away long ago!” Her hair changed to a crimson red and her skin grew more tan, like it was burning up. “This is about protecting the innocent!”

I didn’t understand what was going on at all, and I knew it was dangerous, but for whatever reason, I couldn’t bring myself to move. All I could do was watch the scene unfold between the two and wonder how I factored into all this.

#happiness overload #dramedy #scifi #horror #stories #fiction #yeah im kind of just embracing the dramedy label now #action #badass #juniper #etna #morale #cliffhanger #hopefully the end of this chapter is a good spot to end on #it did get pretty long #and the next chapter follows right after

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