#cadet kane

[kayakima]

This is partially because I’m a fucking film nerd and partially because someone on Reddit asked so here’s a new headcanon list.

Headcanon List: How the 104th cadet corps acts in a movie theater and what they go see.

(Plus bonus Porco and Pieck)

Eren: Accidentally leaves his alarm on and it goes off at a pivotal moment. Doesn’t talk much but makes fun of bad visual effects. Really likes Michael Bay but it’s because he likes his inner 8-year-old to have fun. Got Nerds rope and a Coke slushie at the concession stand to share with Mikasa. Regal member and refuses to go elsewhere.

Mikasa: Silent. Phone powered off entirely, shares food with Sasha but also orders a small popcorn for herself from the concession stand and shares the Coke slushie with Eren. Regal member so she can go with Eren for cheaper but also enjoys a local cinema. LOVES Ava DuVernay. Also likes really old movies and unironically pushes people to watch Citizen Kane.

Armin: Nerd!min is a Disney Star Wars hater. Nerd!min is a Post-endgame Marvel hater. Boycotts all the movies/shows because he insists they’re all boring money-grabs now (and he’s not entirely wrong). Regular Armin is a big David Lynch fan for the cerebral mindfucks and was devastated at his recent passing. His Letterboxd is fucking wild. Alamo Drafthouse or a local cinema. Unlimited popcorn and a daiquiri all to himself.

Historia: Thought she was all sneaky and cool for bringing her own snacks. Forces Ymir to go see the Barbie half of Barbenheimer. Loves Sofia Coppola for the aesthetics and recurring themes of women under immense pressure. Doesn’t talk. AMC stubs member.

Ymir: Snuck in a Chipotle burrito without even trying to hide it. Groaned at going to Barbie but cried. LOVED Oppenheimer even though Historia fell asleep. Also AMC stubs member. Likes Nolan for the more mainstream cerebral films. Will never shut up about Interstellar.

Reiner: Got a pretzel, nachos, unlimited popcorn, and brought a Dr. Pepper so he wouldn’t have to pay for one. Occasionally comments on stuff he finds funny. Likes silly feel good movies when going to the theater but also an avid Ridley Scott defender at home. Surprisingly also an Alamo draft house fan. Loves Sebastian Stan as an actor and will see ANYTHING he’s in.

Bertoldt: Buddy Comedy is his genre. Quiet in the theater but listens and agrees with Reiner’s comments. Cherry slushie and pepperoni pizza from the concession stand. Not a member anywhere but will go to any theater with anyone to see any movie. Doesn’t have a favorite director but really loved “The Nice Guys” and thinks Ryan Gosling is better than Ryan Reynolds.

Annie: Likes to go alone so she can really absorb everything she sees and she deeply enjoys the theater experience. Goes to the local cinema to support small businesses. Medium popcorn and a Diet Coke. Likes George Miller both because of Happy Feet and also because of Mad Max. Also likes foreign films and will occasionally go to a local film festival with Armin.

Marco: Gets super excited and dresses up for Marvel and Star Wars movies. Sifts through all the recent junk and forced Nerd!min to watch Andor. Large popcorn to share with everyone. Rates the film on his Letterboxd while the credits are rolling and tells everyone to wait for the end credits scene if there is one. Really loves Spielberg for the nostalgic themes. Cinemark fan but LOVES a good drive in.

Connie: King of slapstick comedy and rarely watches anything else. Avid defender of animated movies as being for adults as much as they are for kids. Doesn’t care about what theater he goes to. Bought a whole pizza and a tall boy at the concession stand. Laughs loudly and whispers incessantly. Johnny Mnemonic and Pineapple Express are his favorite movies of all time. Doesn’t have a favorite director.

Sasha: Brings her own snacks and also buys food. When she’s with Connie she’s down for any comedy but when she’s with Jean or Mikasa she’s surprisingly really into deep, human stories. Big fan of Greta Gerwig and loved Little Women. Ratatouille is her favorite movie because it’s about food as a love language that transcends time. AMC fan but will happily go anywhere.

Jean: Shushes other people. Gets a whole meal at Alamo draft house because he believes the theater experience should be pampered. Likes foreign films and biopics. Likes Denis Villeneuve for his sense of scale. Will go on a 45 minute rant about how Amy Adams was robbed of an Oscar in Arrival. Loved “The Ritual” when Pieck showed it to him and got upset that it never went to theaters.

Bonus Porco and Pieck

Pieck: Horror fan to the MAX. Favorite one is The Conjuring 2. Loved The Substance. Loves old movies and backs Mikasa up on how good Citizen Kane is. Loves OG Psycho and loves Hitchcock. Likes to go alone but also goes with Jean or Armin or Mikasa. HUGE fan of James Wan and Blumhouse as a studio. Also likes Satoshi Kon. Cried when Jean took her to see Godzilla minus one (minus color, obviously).

Porco: Doesn’t really watch movies but enjoys the popcorn and time with others. Pieck showed him Dogtooth once as a joke and he never watched a movie with her again. Plays movies at home as background noise while he’s doing house chores.

[help-i-need-a-cool-username]

Back on my royalty au bs

Its a little funny when you realize if you go by exclusive historical fact then Bruce has no heir AT ALL

Any kids? All illegitimate, adopted, or wards

Any siblings? He's a only child

Any cousins? He's got Kate on his mom's side but the royal family are the Waynes and she only has Kane blood. No Wayne blood.

Any uncles or aunts? Same deal

Any distant blood relatives AT ALL? He's a fictional character we don't have a definitive family tree and what we do have is direct descent

So in a AU thats structured on medieval european monarchical succession AND the more standard continuity, who is his heir? No king would just not have a Next In Line selected

I know for early empire rome the first five(?) emperors were heirs via adoption (uncle-nephew by blood i think) but idk if that was still possible in later medieval times that the stereotypical au is set. There is elective monarchy sucession. The HRE did that. Chose exclusively from one family with ONE exception being a son-in-law instead of a blood relative. Anybody got any knowledge on medieval european succession??? Outside of male primogeniture, male preference primogeniture, total primogeniture, and cadet branches?

[rroketa]

okay i realised that making a chart would actually be too complicated so i'll just write list styleee

NO BURNERS AU RELATIONSHIP DYNAMICS !

(aka ramblings of very vague ideas of how i think everyone relates in this au)

Mike and Julie – Julie's identity as Kane's daughter is still unknown to anyone in KaneCo. Mike knows her as a co-worker and positive acquaintance. Kane subtly pushes Mike and Julie to interact sometimes though. Have lunch and such.

Mike and 'Red' – At the moment, the biggest nuisance to KaneCo's operations and Mike's biggest rival. Red seemingly has insider intel of KaneCo's operation which makes them a large threat.

Dutch and Chuck – As the cabler's settlement is both the historically rich and most vulnerable part of motorcity, the cablers have set a deal with the Duke. The cabler's settlement and the Duke have a deal pertaining to material trade and mutual technical assistance.

Chuck basically only talks to the Duke in the mansion, so he often hangs out in the cabler's settlement to hang outwith Dutch and Tennie, using 'installation' as an excuse. Due to Chuck's alliance to the Duke (and his overall clingy behavior), Dutch can't see Chuck's presence more than an annoyance.

Mike and Chuck – Formerly friends at Deluxe, Mike and Chuck find themselves on opposite ends of Detroit. Their interactions are brief and somewhat awkward during negotiations between Kane and the Duke, but both question what guided the other to their current position.

'Red' and Texas – Red and Texas team up at times when their goals align. But having different approaches in most things they always end up butting heads.

At other times Red and Texas can be against each other. While Red protects motorcity, they seem to be defensive when it comes to Kane. While Texas is categorically for taking down Abraham.

Dutch and Texas – Texas is a delivery boy that at times reaches the cabler's settlement. Often rambling about his ideas on how to take down Kane, Dutch can often lend a sarcastic piece of advice that is actually helpful. In a way, Dutch is the brain of Texas' operations and is responsible for the fact that Texas hasn't been caught so easily.

Chuck and Texas – Chuck is the number one customer of Jacob's restaurant. Big fan of the muffins. Other than delivering to the mansion, Texas bullies Chuck for his 'dorky look'. The fact that Texas isn't a fan of the Duke doesn't help that too much.

Mike and Texas – Less of a threat, but more of an annoyance, Texas always finds himself tangled up with Deluxe's law enforcement. So much that Mike already easily recognises the troublemaker.

Mike dismisses Texas as not much of a threat, often, seemingly on purpose letting him go. Even Texas can notice that doesn't seem too right..! On one hand he feels underestimated, on another, he feels like a certain cadet might not be as ruthless as other Deluxe cadets..

[raheemsradio]

got tagged by @maddenrichard to spell my (new!) URL using song titles!

R: Reality Check by Noname ft. Akenya & Eryn Allen Kane

A: Arsonist's Lullaby by Hozier

H: How Many Mics by (The) Fugees

E: Elevators (Me & You) by OutKast

E: Eggs Over Easy by Tank and the Bangas

M: Mama by My Chemical Romance

S: Stray Italian Greyhound by Vienna Teng

R: R U Mine? by Arctic Monkeys

A: After the Last Midtown Show by The Academy Is...

D: Draft Dodger Rag by Phil Ochs

I: ill Manors by Plan B

O: One Of THOSE Nights by The Cab

tagging @jrueships @baltimorebullets @yaerine @dear-space-cadet @falloutboyvevo @gingerale-addict

[archivewriter1ont]

20 Fic Writer Questions

I saw this and it said “whoever has AO3” so I assume I can join in, maybe? I’m so new to all of this social media stuff and even the SW fandoms!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

36 (since May 2024)

2. What's your A03 word count?

137,911

3. What fandoms do you write for?

The Clone Wars and The Bad Batch (I've got unpublished stuff for Leverage and the Librarians but it's not postable yet and likely never will be.)

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

A Tale of Two Snarks: Echo and Crosshair (9,089 words)

I Know Your Name as My Brother: Adopting Echo (25,972 words)

Echo and the Cadet Batch (8,284 words) (WIP, updated on Wednesdays)

Safe Place (11,063 words)

You're an Idiot (But You're Ours) (1,797 words)

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I don’t think I have a ton of angsty endings... I try to end everything off on a good/comforting/happier note.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Adopting Echo! Or maybe A New Hope or First Word... I can’t decide! I love fix-it happy endings with the reunited Batch on Pabu.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Thankfully I don’t! Most comments people leave have me grinning, giggling, or kicking my feet (sometimes all of the above).

9. Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Nope. Nada. Zilch.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Not yet... That’s when we start getting into that Librarians and Leverage territory. Christian Kane’s characters are so good in both of them, but it’s difficult to decide on the mechanics of a crossover. 

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of, thank goodness!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I'm aware.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I’ve done some collaborating with my sister on a few but nothing to the point of being cowritten. Some of the bigger ones we have planned may require it though!

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Canon? Tech/Phee!! ♥️ 

Headcanon? Commander Cody/Riyo Chuchi. Rare pair, I know, but once I had that thought I can’t get it out of my head! He’s competent, she’s competent: he’s two hundred-ish pounds of walking tank and she’s a little spitfire who has zero issues stating her opinion, no matter how unpopular. I’m working on a fic starring these two but work/writing/life balances are making it difficult. 

15. What's a WIP you'd like to finish but doubt you ever will?

I plan to finish all of them! 😁 The one that will probably take the longest, though, is a novelization of the four TBB episodes in CW season 7. There’s so much to touch on and explore.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I'm still polishing up pretty much everything since I used to mainly write nonfiction and that's so different from writing fiction, but if I had to pick one I'd probably say sibling interaction. I feel a kind of similarity to the Batch in some ways because I'm also tactile and very clingy. Being a twin informs a lot of the hurt/comfort or just plain comfort scenarios I like to write.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Definitely endings and beginnings.🤣 If I write the ending out before the rest of the fic, I'm usually okay, but crafting the beginning line always seems to take longer than everything else!

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

If I have a good translator program I don't mind. I haven't done a lot with that in my nonfiction, but I am using a ton of Spanish in a novel I'm currently working on.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The Bad Batch!

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

It's a 3-way tie between the ongoing Protect Them series, Adopting Echo, and Cadet Batch.

[ultrameganicolaokay]

Outsiders #2 by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly and Robert Carey. Variant covers by David Marquez and Serg Acuña. Out in December.

"'Monsters of the Unknown.' What hidden tragedies lie inside the Forever Storm of the Enlil Triangle? On January 1, 2000, a storm kicked up near the Enlil island chain in the mid-Atlantic. And it never stopped. As a West Point cadet, Kate Kane encountered something monstrous in those turbulent waves…and now, she is returning to face it alongside the Outsiders! But can she control her desire for revenge in the service of Luke Fox’s mission of understanding? What secrets will they discover deep beneath the monster-filled waves of the Enlil Triangle? And how will the Outsiders survive their encounter with the monster-hunting specialists of the DC Universe: the New Challengers of the Unknown? This new, boundary-breaking dive into the secret history of the DC Universe is just beginning!"

[pleasereadmeok]

The main cast of 'Department Q'

📷 (L-R) Alexej Manvelov, Chloe Pirrie, Matthew Goode, Kelly Macdonald & Leah Byrne

Courtesy/Josh Shinner/Getty/FX/Leigh Lothian via Deadline.com

Information from 'Deadline' -

Department Q has staffed up. Cameras are rolling in Scotland on the upcoming series adaptation of Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen’s hugely popular crime novels. Matthew Goode, Chloe Pirrie, Alexej Manvelov, Leah Byrne and Kelly Macdonald are all on board Netflix‘s English-language series Deadline can reveal. The project comes from showrunner Scott Frank (The Queen’s Gambit). It has been written by Frank, Chandni Lakhani, Stephen Greenhorn and Colette Kane. Frank directs the first two of the eight instalments. Filming is taking place in Edinburgh, where the series will be set. Goode will play DCI Carl Morck. After a violent incident turns Morck’s life upside down, the emotionally scarred detective is charged with setting up cold case unit, Department Q, upon his return to work. At first, the disillusioned cop is happy to waste his days away, but his detective instincts are ultimately reawakened and his new department becomes a magnet for a crew of misfits and mavericks. The project sees Goode working with Left Bank Pictures and Netflix once more. He played Antony Armstrong Jones in season two of Left Bank’s regal drama The Crown. Pirrie, whose credits include The Queen’s Gambit, plays ruthless and ambitious prosecutor Merrit Lingard. Fellow Scottish actor Macdonald takes the role of Dr. Rachel Irving, a therapist tasked with getting officers back on the front line. Manvelov (Jack Ryan) is Syrian cop Akram Salim, who was forced to flee to Europe and ultimately becomes part of the new department. Byrne takes the role of Rose, a star police cadet left shaken by a breakdown and looking for a chance to prove herself in DCI Morck’s team. The cast also includes Mark Bonnar (Guilt), Shirley Henderson (Bridget Jones), Jamie Sives (Crime) and Kate Dickie (Inside Man). Adler-Olsen’s books have spawned a very successful film franchise. The fourth film based on the novels, The Purity Of Vengeance, became the highest-grossing Danish film at the local box office. New movies are in the works.

[stupidhoee]

<><><><><>

'It's been ninety-seven years since a nuclear apocalypse killed everyone on earth, leaving the planet simmering in radiation. Fortunately, there were survivors. Twelve nations had operational space stations at the time of the bombs. There is now only The Ark, one station forged from the many. We're told the earth needs another 100 years to become survivable again. Four more space-locked generations, and man can go home, back to the ground. The ground, that's the dream.'

'This is reality, reality sucks.'

- Princess

<><><><><>

Dull.

The word echoed through the 17-year-old's mind as Alex stared at the cold, metallic ceiling of her cell, trapped in the numbing routine that had defined her life for the past two years in the Skybox.

Wake up. Train. Eat. Nap. Read. Train. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.

Day in and day out, without change, without meaning. All thanks to Marcus Kane—the man who called himself her father.

Most people didn't know the real reason she was locked away. Kane made sure of that. He had to protect his precious reputation. Only a handful knew what had led to her arrest, and they all assumed she had snapped—gone mad overnight and murdered her fellow guards in cold blood.

Alex didn't blame them for thinking that.

Sometimes, she thought she had gone a little crazy too.

Only one person knew the truth about why she killed those guards, and Alex intended to keep it that way.

Let them think she was a monster. She didn't care.

She accepted her fate the moment she slit the first guard's throat, felt the twisted sense of justice when she drove her knife into the last one's chest. She knew what awaited her, and a part of her believed it was fitting. Deserved.

What she couldn't accept, what kept the fire of anger burning deep in her chest, was him. Her father.

Marcus Kane.

He hadn't even given her a chance to explain. He hadn't cared why she did what she did. To him, she was a stain, something to be hidden away.

Alexandra Kane hated her father, but not for locking her up, but for what he did years before—for the day he killed her mother.

Katherine Kane had been floated when Alex was eleven. And to this day, she had no idea why. Her father had offered her nothing but empty words. "She broke the rules," he had said. That was all.

Even at eleven, Alex knew the Ark's laws inside and out. She knew what it meant to break them. But her mother? Her mother was everything good in her world, the person she had tried so hard to make proud, just like her father.

Back then, Alex had been the perfect daughter, always following the rules, always seeking his approval.

That all changed the day Katherine was executed.

From that moment, Alexandra Kane knew one thing for certain: the laws of the Ark were complete and utter bullshit.

<><><><><>

The sound of the door crashing open snapped Alex from her thoughts, and she instinctively tensed on her cot as three guards entered her cell, their faces hard but betraying a hint of nervousness.

"Prisoner 2-6-9," one of the younger guards barked, his voice slightly uneven, "face the wall and hold out your right arm."

Alex smirked, instantly picking up on the tension in his voice. They were scared of her. She sat up slowly, her gaze cold and calculating.

"Why would I do that?" she asked, her tone deceptively calm, though a knot of anxiety coiled in her gut.

The guard's grip on his shock baton tightened. "Prisoner 2-6-9, face the wall and hold out your arm or we will use force."

"I heard you the first time," she drawled, standing up lazily. "What's happening out there?"

An older guard, standing in the back, spoke up, his tone gruffer. "This is your last warning. Face the wall and comply."

"Well," she said, pretending to comply as she moved toward the wall, "we all know by now," she turned slightly, a dangerous glint in her eye, "I'm not one for doing things the easy way."

The two younger guards flicked their shock batons on, flanking the older man as Alex's smirk deepened.

When the first guard lunged toward her, his baton raised, Alex moved swiftly. She grabbed his wrist, twisting his arm behind his back with a sickening crack. His cry of pain filled the small cell.In one fluid motion, Alex took the baton from him and jabbed it into his neck, sending him crashing to the floor.

She lunged toward the older guard, dropping to her knees and driving the baton into the back of his knee. He fell hard, his face meeting her fist with a sickening crunch. He slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Rising to her feet, Alex turned toward the last guard, who stood frozen, his baton shaking in his grip. He looked younger than the others—too young to be here, and terrified. She let out a laugh, cold and cruel. "You okay there, cadet?" she teased, her eyes gleaming.

The young guard's face paled as he glanced at his fallen comrades. Without a word, he raised his baton to his own neck and knocked himself out.

Alex's smirk faded into a disappointed pout. "You're no fun," she muttered, kneeling down to take the knives from the guards. She slipped two into her boots and one into her waistband, standing tall again.

Stepping out of her cell, Alex saw the other delinquents being led from their cells, a sense of dread creeping through her. Something was wrong. Her mind raced as realization hit.

They're floating us all.

"Hey! Stop right there!" came the sharp voice of David Miller from her left.

Alex whipped around to see him approaching, flanked by two more guards. Instinct took over, and she bolted in the opposite direction, shoving past the other prisoners. The guards were quick to follow, their heavy boots pounding against the metal floor as they closed in.

Suddenly, Alex tripped and went sprawling to the ground. She gasped, looking down to see what she'd stumbled over—and her heart sank. "Clarke?!" she cried, her eyes locking on the unconscious form of Clarke Griffin lying on the ground.

"Alexandra." A familiar voice made her snap her head up.

"Abby?" Alex's voice was urgent, bordering on panic. "What's happening? They're killing us all, aren't they?"

"Alexandra—" Abby began, but Alex cut her off, her voice rising with panic.

"They can't do this! I still have almost a year left! There has to be something in your bullshit laws that says they can't do this!" Alex waved her hands wildly, her anxiety boiling over.

"Alexandra," Abby said more firmly, her voice calm but weighted. "They're not killing you. They're sending you to the ground."

Alex froze.

Sending you to the ground.

"How the hell is that not killing us?!" Alex's voice rose in panic again as the guards moved to grab her arms, yanking her to her feet. "No, you can't! We'll die down there!" She thrashed in their grip, turning pleading eyes to Abby. "Abby, please, you're sending us to die! You're sending Clarke to die!"

"No," Abby said softly, though her voice broke with emotion, "I'm sending you so we can finally live." Tears streamed down her face as she clutched Clarke's limp hand.

Alex thrashed wildly, managing to get one arm free. She swung at the guard holding her, her knuckles cracking against his jaw. She tried to break away, but the sharp crackle of a shock baton pierced the air, and Alex's body went rigid as pain seared through her side. Her vision blurred as she collapsed to the floor, unconscious before she hit the ground.

<><><><><>

"Prisoners of the Ark, hear me now," Jaha addressed. "You've been given a second chance, and as your Chancellor, it is my hope that you see this as not just a chance for you, but a chance for all of us, indeed for mankind itself. We have no idea what is waiting for you down there. If the odds of survival were better, we would've sent others. Frankly, we're sending you because your crimes have made you expendable."

Opening her eyes with a loud groan, Alex only managed to catch the last few sentences of the chancellors, inspirational speech.

"Your dad's a dick, Wells!" A boy to her right yelled.

His comment prompted a snicker from the young girl, not because of the words, but because where Clarke was, Wells was never too far behind. Looks like nothing had changed there.

Alex tuned out the rest of the chancellors speech, turning her head to glance around the ship.

"You know, I was starting to think you were dead." An all too familiar voice said. Indifference and amusement coloring his tone all at once.

Craning her neck, Alex looked past the brunette beside her , her eyes quickly finding the smirking boy. The one, and only, John Murphy.

"You know me better than that Johnny, I wouldn't die without saying goodbye" Alex quipped playfully, happy the only person she cared about was sitting a few seats away.

A quiet giggle erupted from the pretty brunette seated beside her. Alex snapped her gaze to look at the giggling teen.

The brunette smiled as she looked at Alex, "I'm Octavia." Her smile still in place.

"Alex." She said, allowing a small smile.

Octavia opened her mouth to say something just as the dropship lurched violently, causing the kids who were floating around to slam into the walls of the ship.

A hand clutching her own, made Alex whip her head from the 3 boys to Octavia-who was looking around frantically, muttering incoherent sentences- Alex gave the girls hand a reassuring squeeze, clutching her seatbelt with her freehand.

The ship shook one last time before coming to a standstill.

"Listen, no machine hum." A boy who Alex recognized as Monty Green said.

"Woah," another boy said, "That's a first."

The restraints holding the delinquents to their seats released. Alex went to stand, but the hand still clutching her own prevented her from moving.

"Octavia?" She said, trying to get the girl to release her hand.

Octavia opened her eyes, and released the girls' hand with a sheepish look that made Alex snicker.

"Sorry." Octavia said, an embarrassed laugh falling from her lips.

"It's all good Vi, that's what friends are for."Alex replied, grinning at the way Octavia's eyes lit up at the word 'friends'.

"Well, thanks." Octavia laughed, pulling Alex in for a hug.

The hug surprised Alex. Although it made her a bit uncomfortable, she hugged back after a few seconds.

Her gaze found Murphy's, standing a few feet away. Pulling back from the hug she sent her new friend a smile, before moving towards Murphy.

"Johnny." she greeted with a bored tone.

"Xanny." he greeted, his tone similar to hers.

Their eyes were running over each other as though the other would disappear if either looked away. When their eyes met, both had matching grins. They hadn't seen each other in years.

Alex jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist, uncaring that her new friend was watching the two embrace.

"Missed you too, Xan." Murphy said, his grin never falling as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

Untangling her legs from his waist, she stood, her grin still in place.

"Vi," she addressed Octavia with a smile, "Murphy." Alex gestured to the boy, "Murphy, this is Octavia."

"Hey!" Octavia exclaimed, her hand shooting out to shake Murphy's.

"Hey." Murphy said with much less enthusiasm, as he shook the girls outstretched hand.

Alex hooked her arm with Octavia's. "Let's find a way out of this shithole." She said as the two girls turned to find the nearest exit, Murphy followed behind the two girls with a grin.

<><><><><>

Climbing down the ladder, Alex heard the voice of Clarke Griffin arguing with someone below.

"Hey stop! You can't just open the doors! The air could be toxic." Clarke said.

"If the air's toxic we're all dead anyway." The voice pointed out.

Octavia stopped abruptly from below Alex, causing the teen to stop abruptly as well.

"Bellamy?" Octavia called out to the boy Clarke was speaking with, shoving past the delinquents with Alex and Murphy trailing behind. Quickly moving toward the boy Alex assumed was 'Bellamy.'

"My God, look how big you are."

"What the hell are you wearing? A guards uniform!" Octavia questioned.

Chuckling lightly, Bellamy responded, "I borrowed it to get on the dropship. Someone's got to keep an eye on you." He finished with a smirk, pulling her into a hug.

"Where's your wristband?" Clarke interrogated, stepping forward to ruin the moment.

Alex look down to her own wristband, having just noticed the piece of metal encased her wrist.

"Do you mind? I haven't seen my brother in a year." Octavia said, annoyed.

Octavia's voice made Alex switch her gaze from her wrist, to her new friend. Her words making Alex's brows twitch in confusion. "Brother?" She muttered, dragging out the word.

"I'll tell you later." Murphy said, turning his head to look at the siblings with interest.

"No one has a brother!"

"That's Octavia Blake!"

"The girl they found hidden under the floor!"

Multiple voices called from behind them.

Octavia glared, lunging forward at the owner of the voice.

"Octavia. Octavia, no. Let's give them something else to remember you by." Bellamy said smirking.

"Yeah? Like what?" Octavia questioned, clearly annoyed at being held back.

"Like being the first person on the ground in a hundred years." A smile painted his face when he saw Octavia's annoyed expression fall, quickly being replaced with a grin.

Alex grips Murphy's hand as they watched Bellamy pull down on the lever. A blinding white light flooded into the dropship, causing her to squint.

Octavia steps forward, slowly walking down the ramp. Finally reaching the end she stops, before jumping onto the soft earth. Alex watches as she throws her hands above her head and screams.

"We're back bitches!"

Her words cause the delinquents to flood out of the ship. Screams, and cheers falling carelessly from their mouths, smiles painting each one of their faces.

<><><><><>

After running around and climbing anything she could with Murphy, Vi, and a few other delinquents, Alex made her way up to the dropship roof, after seeing her old friend Wells climb down. She sat on the edge of the ship, her legs dangling off the side. Her gaze on the vibrant green leaves as she fiddled with the fried wires of the communication system. Her eyes snapped from the trees when a voice directly below her spoke.

"We got problems. The communication system is dead. Heat fried the wires." Wells informed the blonde.

Alex raised an eyebrow when she noticed the way Clarke tensed as he approached the ramp. Apparently she missed a lot during her stay in the skybox.

"He's right princess. More than a dozen panels are missing, even I can't fix it." Alex said from atop the dropship, Wells and Clarke looking up at her with shocked expressions. Alex guessed they were among the few that knew why she was locked up.

"Alexandra." Clarke stated shortly, her lips pressed into a thin line. "I can't believe they sent you down here with us." Clarke muttered to herself, shaking her head in disbelief.

Alex still heard her words. She jumped from her perch, landing on the ramp with a thud.

"Nice to see you too, Clarke" Alex said, her voice laced with sarcasm.

"Lex. It's uh, been...awhile." Wells greeted with a small smile and an awkward wave.

"Yeah, two years." Alex responded bitterly, leaning her shoulder against the opening to the dropship.

"I meant to-" Wells started.

"Now isn't the time for you two to catch up." Clarke snapped at Wells. "All that matters right now is getting to Mount Weather. See? Look-" Clarke turned the map around and pointed to a red circle. "-this is us." She drew a line to connect with the other red dot a few inches away before she continued "And this is where we need to be to survive." She stated-Rather dramatically in Alex's opinion-.

Alex rolled her eyes, though kept her face void of all emotion. Taking in what Clarke had just explained, she concluded the other girl was right about needing to get to Mountain Weather, food and water should be their first priority. Alex picked at her nails, wondering how they would convince the other 97 delinquents to stop enjoying their freedom, to go on a 20 mile walk though a radiation socked forest.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Wells asks, impressed.

'What? Draw a straight line?' Alex wanted to cut in, but refrained when she saw Clarke's eyes flutter shut as she looked down.

"Your father." Wells states solemnly, dropping his gaze to the ground, Clarke shifted uncomfortably.

Alex furrowed her brows as her eyes switch between the two. Damn, what the hell happened. It obviously has something to do with her father. Maybe Wells slept with Abby? Alex shook her head at the intrusive thought, Wells would never do that, neither would Abby. Alex opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by a kid with...goggles?

"Oh! ah, cool, a map." Goggles paused, looking between Alex and Clarke, "They got a bar in this town? I'll buy you two a beer." He finished somewhat awkwardly.

Alex chuckled shaking her head at the boy, but Wells and Clarke didn't seem as amused as she was.

Wells stepped forward, shoving the raven haired boy lightly. "You mind?" He grunted.

"Woah-" -the boy, Alex realized was Jasper Jordan- since Monty Green was by his side "Hey." Jasper said raising his arms in defense.

"Hey, hey, hey! Hands off him. He's with us." Murphy interrupted, shoving Wells, his goons following behind.

Alex rolled her eyes at him. The look on Jaspers face told her that Murphy had never said two words to the boy.

Wells backed down, raising his arms in front of him, realizing he was outnumbered. "Relax. We're just trying to figure out where we are."

"We're on the ground, that not good enough for you?" The man from the earlier called as he walked towards them, his sister by his side.

Bellamy Blake.

Murphy had told Alex about the Blake siblings when they were exploring earlier. She learned that her new friend Vi, was the infamous girl under the floor. Alex remembered hearing a few guards gossiping about the girl under the floor, but she didn't really care to listen in on the details. Maybe I should've, she thought, as she looked towards Bellamy.

Wells walked forward, "We need to get to Mount Weather. You heard my father's message, that has to be our first priority." He explained.

Alex to let out a sigh. He just had to bring daddy into it.

"Screw your father!" Octavia hissed. "What? You think you're in charge here?" She paused to look between Wells and Clarke, "you, and your little princess." She sneers.

"Do you think we care who's in charge here? We need to get to Mount Weather, not because the Chancellor said so, but because the longer we wait, the hungrier we'll get and the harder this'll be. How long do you think we'll last without those supplies? We're looking at a 20 mile trek okay? So if we wanna get there before dark we need to leave, now." Clarke stated.

Alex found herself rolling her eyes for the second time that day at Clarke's apparent love for dramatic statements, but Alex agreed with her nonetheless. She knew what Clarke had said would keep them alive for the time being.

"I got a better idea, you three go. Find it for us, let the privileged do the hard work for a change." Bellamy spoke as he looked between the three, his eyes lingering on the girl he had seen with his sister.

"Don't lump me in with the Chancellor and his princess, Blake." She sneered at the older boy, only to receive a smirk in response. She was privileged, she recognized that, but it stung all the same.

"You're not listening!" Wells shouted "We all need to go." he finished.

"Look at this everybody," Murphy said, shoving Wells forward "Chancellor of earth." He continued with a smirk.

"You think that's funny?" Wells asked, stepping forward.

Alex rolled her eyes from where she was leaning her back against the dropship. She knew Murphy well, so she knew where this situation was going.

Murphy lunged toward Wells, kicking out his ankle. A crack sounded as Wells fell to the ground. "No, but that was." Murphy said smirking down at the injured boy.

Sighing, Alex walked toward Wells, roughly pulling him to his feet by the back of his jacket. "Really? We've been here 10 minutes, and you've already started kicking puppies." She said lowering her voice slightly.

"Thanks Lex." Wells said appreciatively.

Alex responded with a slight glare in his direction.

Rolling his eyes, Murphy responded with a feigned pout "Come on Sugar, we're on the ground, let me have my fun." He finished, looking towards Wells with a smirk.

She sent a look to Wells, to which the boy gave her a reassuring smile. Alex scoffed as she shoved Wells towards Murphy. "Fine, but don't come crying to me when you break your nose. Again." She glared at her friend.

Murphy raised his arms with a smirk, knowing the girl would be the first at his side if he did break his nose. "Alright." Murphy addressed Wells with a laugh.

Alex watched as Murphy faked a few swings in Wells direction.

"Come on." Murphy teased.

Wells stepped back slightly, he raised his shaking fists, squaring up.

Movement to her right caused Alex to snap her head in that direction. She watched as one of the boys that got out of his seat in the dropship jump from the roof, landing between Murphy and Wells.

"Kid's got one leg." he stated calmly. "How about you wait till it's a fair fight." He finished, narrowing his eyes at Murphy.

Octavia sauntered over flirtatiously, "Hey Spacewalker." she said with a smirk, "Rescue me next." The tension was official diffused, as the delinquents dispersed; going off to do god knows what.

Alex laughed softly as she walked up to the girl. "Smooth." She whispered teasingly to Octavia.

Octavia smirked at Alex, then giggled as she watched the boy leave. "Damn, that as-" her mouth snapped shut when she saw her brother approaching. Alex snickered, receiving a glare from Octavia.

Bellamy watched his sister, stare at Finns retreating form, alongside the Kane girl. He moved towards them with a disapproving look directed at his sister.

Octavia met her brothers eyes and pouted, "What?" She said innocently "He's cute." She shrugged.

Bellamy glanced at Alex before saying, "He's a criminal."

His words made Alex laugh, "Hate to break it to you Blake, but we're all criminals." She smirked. Octavia nodded in agreement.

Ignoring her words, Bellamy turned to Octavia grabbing her arm "Look O, I came down here to protect you." He said clearly frustrated.

Alex watched as Bellamy spoke to his sister, it was clear that he cared about her and didn't want anyone to hurt her. She could understand why he was frustrated, if what Murphy said was true, Octavia had been sheltered her whole life. She didn't know what people were capable of, but she wasn't going to learn if her big brother was hovering over her shoulder all the time.

Octavia ripped her arm out of his grip,"I don't need protecting. I have been locked up one way or another all my life, I am done following orders." Octavia stated strongly.

Alex smirked at her friend's attitude. For a girl who had been kept under the floor for 16 years, she had bite.

Octavia continued, "I need to have fun, Bell. I need to just do something crazy! Just because I can," She stressed, throwing her head back. "And no one, including you two," she said as she looked between Alex and Bellamy, "Is gonna stop me."

"Wasn't planning on it." Alex stated as she raised a brow "I do plan on joining you though." She replied.

Bellamy glared at her, clearly annoyed at her encouragement. "You mind? I'm having a private conversation with my sister." He said shortly

"Doesn't seem very private to me." She said crossing her arms over her chest, looking around at the delinquents that were well within hearing range.

Bellamy glanced around noticing the delinquents as well. "Well, it is. So why don't you go play with the other privileged kids." He hissed.

Alex scoffed, "Your brother's an asshole Vi." She said, not so quietly to Octavia, causing the girl to laugh.

"I can hear you, Sweetheart." Bellamy snapped at her, pulling Octavia toward him.

Alex's flinch went unnoticed by the siblings, the familiar pet name bringing back unpleasant memories.

"You were meant to, cadet." She snapped back, turning on her heel and leaving the siblings to their private conversation.

<><><><><>

Alex made way over to where Clarke and Wells were sitting, still trying to push back the memories. She was angry that a single word-'Sweetheart'- had brought back feelings and images she worked so hard to bury.  She snapped out of the daze she was in when she knocked into Clarke. Alex reached out to steady the girl, who lost her balance slightly.

"Sorry, Clarke. You good Wells?'' Alex asked, raising her brows.

"Uh yeah, just a sprain. Doesn't even hurt that bad." The boy tried to sound nonchalant as he responded, though he was clearly in pain.

Alex didn't even tried to hide her amusement at the look Clarke gave him. Unfortunately-for Alex- before Clarke could scold Wells, a voice spoke from behind the three.

"So, Mount Weather." Spacewalker walked towards them,"When do we leave?" He asked.

"Right now." Clarke answered. "We'll be back tomorrow with food." She stated looking at Wells.

"How are the tw-" Alex coughed loudly interrupting Wells, "Three of you going to carry enough food for 100." Wells amended, looking toward Alex with a slight laugh.

Spacewalker turned, and grabbed the two closest delinquents-Monty and Jasper- Alex realized. "Five of us, can we go now?" Spacewalker asked looking at Clarke, who nodded.

"Sounds like a party, make it six." Octavia called out as she walked towards them and linked arms with Alex.

"Hey, What the hell are you doing?" Bellamy asked, catching up to his sister.

"Going for a walk." Octavia responded instantly, while shrugging.

Alex snorted at the girls response, "Yeah, a walk through a radiation soaked forest." She stated nonchalantly. snickering when she saw Bellamy's eyes widen as he grabbed his sisters arm.

Octavia rolled her eyes. "Now you've done it." she muttered to her grinning friend.

Alex looked towards Bellamy, "Relax, cadet. She'll be fine."

Before Bellamy could respond, Clarke cut in, "Hey, were you trying to take this off?" She asked Spacewalker while grabbing his wrist.

"Yeah, so?" Spacewalker asked, raising an eyebrow at Clarke.

"So, this wristband transmits your vital signs to the ark." Clarke explained, "Take it off, and they'll think you're dead."

Alex tuned out Clarke's voice, having already had an idea of what the wristbands did. Her eyes absentmindedly running over the group. Octavia looked bored, Monty and Jasper were stealing glances at Octavia. Spacewalker looked like he was trying to look like he knew what Clarke was explaining, and Bellamy looked overly interested as he listened intently. Alex raised a brow at the older boy's interest on the topic, but didn't comment.

"Ok, let's go." Clarke finished, looking at the group expectantly.

As the group turned to leave Octavia looked at her brother pleading, her arm still linked with Alex.

Bellamy let out a sigh, "Go on." He nodded towards the group.

Grinning, Octavia released Alex's arm and kissed her brother on the cheek, "Mwah." Before turning to leave.

As Alex went to follow, an arm latched onto hers, holding her in place. "What is it

Blake?" She asked, rolling her eyes.

Bellamy squinted at her, shaking his head "If anything happens to my sister out there, i'm holding you accountable, Sweetheart." He hissed lowly, his voice hard and commanding.

This time Alex couldn't hold back her flinch at the pet name. Despite her effort to cover it up, Bellamy caught it. He smirked, assuming his attempt to intimidate her had worked.

Scoffing, Alex yanked her arm out of his grasp. "She isn't a little girl anymore, Blake." she sneered at him. "She doesn't need someone looking over her shoulder all the time."

Bellamy's eyes softened slightly, if the girl in front of him had blinked she would've missed it. "She's my little sister." He spoke, his voice a stark contrast to his gaze.

Alex scoffed a laugh, "Fine, whatever." She muttered, turning to leave. Gritting her teeth in annoyance, that stupid name had such an ill affect on her. It made her feel vulnerable, small, weak.

Letting out a sigh, Alex looked over her shoulder the boy. "You have to let her grow up sometime cadet." She said softly. Before running to catch up with Clarke and Octavia, who had just disappeared out of sight.

"Remember what I said Sweetheart!" Bellamy's voice boomed from behind the girl. The young girls words running through his head.

Alex just rolled her eyes, speeding up her pace as she caught site of the group.

<><><><><>

Alex walked at the back of the group, between Monty and Jasper.  Her watchful eyes darting between the tall, green trees. Alex had always dreamt of earth, like many kids on the Ark. She dreamed of walking through forests, swimming in the ocean, playing in the rain, and climbing trees. Never in a million years would she have believed that their dreams would become a reality.

"Now that my friend, is game." Jasper whispered as he watched Spacewalker put a flower behind Octavia's ear.

Monty looked at his friend with a smirk. "That my friend, is poison sumac." He said loudly.

"What! It is?" Octavia screeched, as she swatted at the flower.

Alex's eyes widened slightly as she moved forward, Bellamy's words ringing in her ears. "Hold still Vi!" She hissed, plucking the flower out of Octavia's hair.

"The flowers aren't poisonous, they're medicinal. Calming actually." Monty informed the girls, eating one of the flowers.

"You couldn't have said that before Lex pulled most of my hair out?" Octavia muttered bitterly, rubbing at the spot Alex pulled.

Monty shrugged sheepishly "Sorry."  He half-heartedly apologized.

"How do you know all that stuff anyway?" Alex asked.

"His family grows all the pharmaceuticals on the ark." Jasper informed, throwing his arm over Monty's shoulder.

"Thank God for that, at least I know who to come to before I eat anything down here." Alex smiled widely at him.

"Sumac?" Monty asked, blushing slightly as he offered the purple flower to Alex.

"Sure." Alex said as she took the flower from his hand, dropping it in her mouth. "Hey, do you think there's anything I can use as shampoo down here?" She questioned, stopping to turn to Monty.

"Definitely-" He was immediately cut off by a voice calling out from ahead.

"Would you guys try to keep up?" Clarke scrowled from her spot.

Alex rolled her eyes when she saw Clarke's face. She had seen that face twice today, a dramatic speech was bound to follow.

"Come on, Clarke. How do you block all this out?" Spacewalker asked, raising his arms in front of him.

"Well, it's simple." Clarke began seriously, "I wonder, why haven't we seen any animals? Maybe it because there are none. Maybe we've already been exposed to enough radiation to kill us." She paused, looking towards the trees. "Sure is pretty though." Turning to move forward, she motioned at the group. "Come on." She beckoned.

"Someone should slip her some poison sumac." Octavia smirked, causing the group to laugh.

Alex snickered as she followed after Clarke, "Well, you heard the princess. Move your asses." She laughed, linking her arm with Octavia's.

The group had managed take a few steps before Finn broke the silence, directing his words at Monty and Jasper "I gotta know what you two did to get arrested."

Alex and Octavia looked back at the three, curiosity getting the best of them.

Monty smirked, laughing slightly, "Sumac isn't the only herb in the garden, if you know what I mean."

"Someone, forgot to replace what we took." Jasper responded, sending a pointed look in Monty's direction.

Monty rolled his eyes, "Someone, has apologized like, a thousand times."

"How about you Octavia? What'd they get you for?" Jasper asked, looking to Monty with an innocent smirk.

From the corner of her eye Alex saw the look that crossed her friends face, and squeezed her arm in an attempt to comfort her.

Octavia smiled softly at Alex, "Being Born." She responded bitterly, jogging to Clarke who was calling the group over, dragging Alex by her arm. Alex breathed a sigh of relief as the group's attention shifted from the topic of their arrests.

"That is so not game." Monty laughed, only receiving a smack from Jasper in response. He returned the gesture, as they walked towards the three girls.

"Shh." Clarke shushed the boys as they approached.

The group were in crouched positions as they watched the deer. Looks of awe painted their faces.

"No animals huh?" Finn said smugly to Clarke.

Graceful was the only word on Alex's mind as she stared at deer grazing in the open field. Movement to her right drew her eyes away from the deer. She watched as Finn stepped forward cautiously. The soft sound of grass crushing under his feet made Alex wince, but it it wasn't loud enough to scare the deer. Alex cringed when the boys foot came down on the twig causing it to snap, scaring the deer.

The deer's head snapped in their direction, giving the six teens a full view of its face.

A second head was protruding out of the deers neck, pink skin fusing it into place. The group gasped as the deer bolted, leaving the teens staring in horror.

<><><><><>

"You know what I'd like to know." Finn broke the silence that had fallen upon the group, since the mutated deer. "Why send us down today, after 97 years. What changed?" He asked.

"Who cares? I'm just glad they did. I woke up rotting in a cell, now I'm spinning in a forest." Octavia answered, as she spun around a tree, aiming to impress Spacewalker. Octavia frowned when he simply walked passed, not giving her a second look.

Alex sent Octavia a smile, linking their arms once again. "Maybe they found something on a satellite." Alex said, as she and Octavia walked forward.

"Yeah, yeah, like an old weather satellite or-" Monty was cut off before he could finish.

"It wasn't a satellite." Clarke said from the back of the group. "The Ark is dying." Her words made the other delinquents stop in their treks as she continued, "At the current population level, there's roughly three months left of life support. Maybe four now that we're gone." Clarke finished.

The group continued forward as Finn spoke, "So that, was the secret they locked you up to keep? Why they kept you in solitary, floated your old man?" He questioned Clarke.

Finns words made Alex stop, as she grabbed Clarke's arm. "What? Clarke, Jake's dead?" She asked softly, failing to keep the sadness out of her tone. The Kane girl had been close to Jake when she was young, he had encouraged her love for engineering and taught her everything she knew. Ultimately, she had opted to join the Guard per her fathers insistence, which ironically, lead to her arrest. She had a lot of time in the skybox to imagine what her life would've been like had she chose to do what she wanted.

Clarke nodded solemnly, "I'm sorry, I know you two were close." She said.

Alex scoffed, "I should be telling you that." Alex paused to look at her former best friend, "You never change, do you Clarke?" She teased the older girl with a smirk.

Clarke rolled her eyes at the younger girl, "Shut up." She said, struggling to keep the smile off her face at the familiar words her former friend spoke -you never change, do you Clarke-, "My father was the engineer who discovered the flaw." Clarke said as they walked forward, "He thought the people had the right to know. The council disagreed, my mother disagreed, they were afraid it would cause a panic. We were gonna go public anyway when Wells.." Clarke trailed off.

"What? Turned in your dad?" Monty inquired from the back of the group.

Alex shook her head. Suddenly, Wells sleeping with Abby seemed more believable to the girl. "No way." She muttered.

"Anyway, the guards showed up before they could. So that's why today." Clarke said to Finn.

"It was worth the risk. Even if we all die at least they bought themselves more time." She finished.

"They're gonna kill more people, aren't they?" Monty asked Clarke, dread filling his voice.

"Good, after what they did to me, I say float them all." Octavia cut in, grabbing Alex's hand and running ahead of the group.

"You don't mean that!" Jasper called out after the girls, who were running towards the rocks that were a few feet away from the group.

"You still wanna join me?" Octavia asked as she and Alex looked down at the river hidden behind the rocks.

"I said I would, didn't I?" Alex eyed the water warily.

Bellamy's words briefly crossing her mind as Octavia began to strip. Shaking her head, Alex slipped off her boots carefully, mindful of the knives she had borrowed. She wrapped the one tucked into her waistband carefully in her jacket, making sure no one saw it. Shimming out of her jeans, leaving her in her tank top and underwear. Alex looked to Octavia, "Ready Vi?" She smirked.

"Damn, I love earth." Jasper said from behind the girls, causing Octavia to smirk at the boy.

"Alex! Octavia! What the hell are you doing?" Clarke called out to the girls.

Octavia looked at Alex, "Come on Lex." She said to to her friend.

Joining hands, the girls ran and jumped off the rock, plunging into the cold water below. They stood, the water coming to their waists, laughing as they splashed each other.

Octavia looked to Alex when they heard the group approach "Get down." She smirked.

Alex raised a brow, but knelt on the slimy floor of the river anyway. The group stumbled into view, grinning at the sight of the river.

"We can't swim!" Monty called out to the girls.

Alex tilted her head out of the water, "No," she trailed, linking her arm with Octavia's.

"But, we can stand." Octavia finished, laughing the girls stood.

"Wait, there's not supposed to be a river here." Clarke frowned.

"Well, there is, so take off your damn clothes." Finn laughed as he took off his shoes.

"Octavia, Alex, get out of the water." Jasper spoke softly, his eyes wide as he looked behind the girls.

Alex frowned, turning around, her eyes bugged as she saw the water rippling. Something was moving towards them. Fast. "Vi, move! Come on!" Alex exclaimed, not hesitating to grab her friends arm.

"Octavia, go with Alex!" Jasper screamed, when he saw the girl was frozen in place.

Alex looked at Octavia. "Vi, come on you have to move! Please!" Alex shouted at the girl, as she dragged her towards the shore. They were moving slow, way too slow. Alex felt Octavia's hand get ripped out of hers, as the snake pulled the brunette under.

"Octavia!" Jasper yelled from the rocks.

"Blake's gonna kill me." Alex muttered to herself as she looked around frantically for her friend. The water went still for a moment, the forest was eerily silent.

"Ahhhhh!" Octavia screamed as she emerged from the water.

"Octavia!" The group called out as the girl was being thrown around like a rag doll.

"Clarke, my boot!" Alex shouted as she moved towards Octavia.

"What!" Clarke exclaimed from her spot on the rock.

"My shoe, Clarke!" Alex shouted again.

[purefandomonium]

Welcome to my thesis about how Kane sees Red as more than just a convenient anti-Mike attack dog.

Warning: this is suuuuper long, will have many spoilers, and is really just me rambling about my thoughts and opinions more than anything "factual." I've been rewatching a few episodes of Motorcity and this has been eating at me.

So. To start this off, I wanna talk about Kane and Mike. We all know how Mike viewed Kane as a father-figure, how he trusted him with every fiber of his being, and how he really thought Deluxe was for the greater good. We know how Mike feels about it now that he's left Kane Co and started fighting for Motorcity. But what about Kane?

"You were like a son to me!" carries so much more weight than Mike's musings about believing in Kane. In the very first episode, Kane immediately jumps to how betrayed he was by Mike defecting. He makes it very clear that there's some personal vendetta behind his goal to crush Motorcity. I suspect if Mike hadn't created the Burners, regardless of whether or not he left Deluxe, Kane wouldn't be so diabolical in his efforts to gain control of the city. It seemed like up until that point, he was fine with having bots act as security and sending demolition crews to make way for his empire. None of the other gangs seem interested in stopping this.

Kane's the kind of guy that likes to personally dish out death. He'll only sit back and let his underlings and bots handle it until he feels certain he'll get what he wants. He shows up to the fight in the first episode when the others are out of commission and Mike's vulnerable. He wants to be there to watch the stolen cars burn in Like Father, Like Daughter. He stands at the top of his tower, unguarded, as Mike's about to be delivered to him in Off the Rack. And in A Better Tomorrow, he is both the one pretending to be Vega and the one to spearhead the destruction of Motorcity in his latest death-machine. Heck, Red even states to a captured Mike that Kane wanted to do Mike's execution himself. This is someone who wants to revel in victory, that's for sure. Moving on.

Then Mike Chilton left and became a threat. Not only did his best soldier betray him, but he outright turned against him. The kid he personally brought up to be the best, the one he put so much faith into, the son he never had, spat in his face and continues to do so.

Kane has a nasty temper. It's shown from the very first episode. When things don't go his way, he doesn't so much throw a tantrum, but he does have violent outbursts of rage. He may sick Tooley on the staff that angers him, but when it comes to Mike Chilton and the Burners, he's all too willing to go down there and dirty his hands if he's able.

While there's no official answer to how exactly Mike ended up in the whole cadet situation, my belief is this: He was born in Deluxe--or at least lived there as long as he could remember, depending on if I bring Capri into his backstory--and is an orphan. I like to think he got into Kane Co due to being childhood friends with Chuck, who was a gifted kid in some kind of intern program there, and he had an affinity for the military aspect. So he enlisted when he was old enough and blew everyone's socks off with his ability. This got the attention of Kane, who saw something in Mike the more he watched his skills grow. It lead to Kane personally raising him in a way, training him, seeing him as a potential successor of sorts. He'd never have made him head of Kane Co, that was always gonna be reserved for Julie, but I do think he'd have allowed Mike to be her second-in-command. The leader of the army and essentially her own version of Tooley, only with a brain.

It doesn't outwardly appear like much, and Kane certainly isn't one to let others see weakness, but it wasn't just about the loss of such a promising elite. It was about losing the kid he felt like he raised, the closest thing to a son he'd ever have. It's how Mike uses some of Kane's skills against him, like his combat skills, strategy, and even his charisma.

But enough about that. Let's talk about Red.

Red is, for all intents and purposes, a replacement for Mike. A better one, if Kane has anything to say about it. Red has the benefit of only being outwardly like Mike; he doesn't think like Mike. Red's ingenious and cunning, sure. He's got skills beyond even Mike's, as the latter has never been able to fairly defeat him in one-on-one combat. He's a competent driver to boot.

He's also blinded by anger, easily manipulated, and clearly not that bright, as anyone with common sense would see Kane as the enemy in his situation. All this is beneficial to the man in question. Kane sees that same ferocious determination that Mike has, only Red's not hindered by morals or justice. He's got a goal and he will see to it he succeeds, regardless of who he has to hurt or what lines he has to cross. Red clearly doesn't care that he's working with the enemy, his enemy, and Kane uses that to his advantage.

This is more my headcanon than anything, but I 100% believe that Kane's got some kind of failsafe inside Red's suit. I mean, come on. He's already proven he has no issue getting into Kane Co tower, and while one could argue that perhaps Kane knew Red would arrive and lowered security on purpose, I just don't see that as a risk he'd be willing to take. At the time, Kane only knew of Red's hatred for Mike. He didn't know why he hated him so much (and likely still doesn't know/doesn't care), and there's no way he knew Red didn't also have a grudge against him.

Red's powerful, skilled, and an excellent weapon against Mike, but Kane isn't one to trust people blindly. Not after the last time. He's not gonna make the same mistake twice. There's no telling when or if Red will snap and turn on him, or if he'll be convinced by Mike himself that's he's going after the wrong person. Heck, Red's basically feral and is just as likely to go after them both for any reason at all. He's... not entirely okay up there. So why wouldn't Kane have a way to stop him if he ever got out of control? If Red ever turned on Deluxe, Kane wouldn't hesitate to put him down like the rabid dog he sees him as. That fancy suit of his probably has a remote kill switch that will turn all that energy on himself, frying him like bacon.

As much as Kane tries to justify his use of Red, I do think it leaves him bitter. Not only is he risking his empire by letting the guy work for him (although that's pretty much bottom of the list because of the whole murder failsafe), but Red just isn't Mike. He has the traits Kane convinced himself were all that mattered to him, but he can't deny that having a violent, angsty Tooley that shoots lightning isn't really what he wanted. Red's only loyal to Deluxe because it gives him a means to get back at Mike. He's not there because he wants to be. He doesn't view Kane as anything other than the guy giving him missions and upgrades.

Red doesn't look up to him at all, and that leaves Kane with nothing more than a reminder of what he lost.

[zahri-melitor]

Actually after writing all that out:

Philip potentially COULD be Bette’s dad, but the thing is I don’t think DC has ever bothered to decide either way.

So Martha Wayne had at minimum two, probably at least three brothers.

It’s HILARIOUS that for mythological reasons Bruce must be raised in Wayne Manor by Alfred or Leslie, but Martha quite probably had three brothers who presumably in normal circumstances would have been the people approached to take guardianship of Bruce.

But they didn’t. Because STORIES.

Also now I’m trying to line up Jacob Kane’s backstory with Bruce’s and work out when Kate and Beth were born compared to when the Waynes died.

Because Kate’s approximately, hmmm, 27? or so as of her first appearances in the post-Crisis timeline, if we use the ‘senior year cadet (so 22)’ when Kate was expelled under DADT, then her history after that has approximately 5 years of stuffing around in it training prior to Elegy (I think it’s 5 years because in n52 timelines everything is 5 years, but it’s not like we have better history available).

Which if we line up with post-Crisis Wayne kid ages… Dick is approximately 24-25 at that point.

So Kate’s approximately 2 years older than Dick, so in the current time line she’s 31ish, using Damian’s age as a marker?

But more importantly, the car crash that killed Gabi Kane and where Beth was kidnapped happened when the twins were 12.

Ten year old Dick Grayson is my preferred age for the circus.

The car crash probably happened at almost the same time the Graysons fell.

Which given the traditional time lines for how old Bruce was when he became Batman, means the twins were definitely born several years after Thomas and Martha died (so Jacob was probably deployed overseas somewhere).

Tragic. I was having fun imagining Bruce taken in by Jacob and Gabi RIGHT as they have twin baby girls…

[motorcity-thoughts]

jenzen & mike headcanons??

guys i changed my mind ive been thinking a lot more abt jenzen & mike now and i sorta have hcs for them now LMFAO

-he’s a serious guy. he rlly cares abt doing his job as a cadet and also mike. (the way jenzen softly said mikes name when he turns to tell kane abt the residents?//1/ he genuinely sounded worried for him ahbwhgjb)

-jenzen always tries to stay on track, but mike likes to joke around with him a lot. jen thought it was annoying at first, however he grew used to it after a few chuckles.

-mike loves nicknames for his friends, so ofc he’s called him “jen” or “jenny”. jenzen always stuck with calling him mike because its much more necessary.

-mike loves to make friends whenever he gets the chance, & jenzen was sort of different this time. he wouldnt budge unlike the rest of the cadets, but he just needed more time to see that mike wasnt just gonna be his coworker. he could trust him as a friend too. (or idk maybe mike is just a friendly guy lmfao)

[rroketa]

arranged relationship between Julie and Mike by Kane is funny to think about like Kane going "Julie my lovely daughter please date my favorite cadet"

Kane shipping moment

[cryptidwlw69]

DELUXIAN TRANS MILITARY HEADCANONS

Trans cadets get free gender reassignment surgery but they have to abandon friends and family for Kane Co's services. It's kind of like a rank system for which surgery and therapy you qualify for, new cadets get voice therapy, commanders can get hormones, the specialist can get top surgery and lastly, sergeants can get bottom surgery. Mike was the first cadet to get top surgery. 

Deluxian Mike was able to pass unlike Chuck (it's one of the reasons Chuck hides his eyes, the other is autism). Chuck wanted to be apart of the cadets but due to him only having one arm he was denied and settled to R&D. Hoping that his R&D paychecks would pay off hospital bills

Top surgery doesn't have any scars due to Kane seeing them as unsightly and disgusting

Going into OC territory but Kane has the trans surgery contract named after Mason called the Natalie to Mason Act. This is unknown to Mason

Due to the majority of soldiers being afraid of shots hormone gel is given

[100yearslatetomotorcity]

Motorcity Headcanons: Edge of the Dome/outskirts

- People who live near the edge of the dome or on the outskirts aren't to be messed with and the gangs have a silent agreement to leave them alone.

- Even an experienced KaneCo cadet won't go on the outskirts if they don't have to

- People on the outskirts have a reputation for being crack shots and having old fashioned guns (which can take out most tech, even KaneCo tech).

- The outskirts is made up of several small settlements. Each settlement has a leader and they answer to one elected official.

- They have couriers for delivering messages, as comms aren't always reliable and do short out due to signal issues.

- Robin Cairn runs a courier service and his group is the closest thing to an actual gang the outskirts has. Mike somehow befriended him shortly after arriving in Motorcity and worked for him a few times.

- outskirters love The Burners and Rayon's group. However, they do not love the Duke and he gets shot at a lot.

- They have their own dialect that they speak in addition to English. They don't have a name for it but Kaia calls it Click due to the use of clicking noises to communicate displeasure and the fact they click at the Terrans a lot.

- Outskirters deal with extreme conditions due to being far away from weather generators. Usually there are dust storms summer-fall and intense cold in the winter. Rain is made by homemade weather generators and they don't have a big range, clouds dissipate quickly.

- Kane tends to dehumanize them a lot but doesn't see them as a real threat either, seeing as they largely stay out of conflicts and only shoot at cadets who get too close.

[batwomanandmotherpanic]

OUTSIDERS #2

Written by JACKSON LANZING and COLLIN KELLY

Art by ROBERT CAREY

Cover by ROGER CRUZ

Variant cover by DAVID MARQUEZ

1:25 variant cover by SERG ACUÑA

$4.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $5.99 US (card stock)

ON SALE 12/12/23

“Monsters of the Unknown.”

What hidden tragedies lie inside the Forever Storm of the Enlil Triangle?

On January 1, 2000, a storm kicked up near the Enlil island chain in the mid-Atlantic. And it never stopped. As a West Point cadet, Kate Kane encountered something monstrous in those turbulent waves…and now, she is returning to face it alongside the Outsiders! But can she control her desire for revenge in the service of Luke Fox’s mission of understanding? What secrets will they discover deep beneath the monster-filled waves of the Enlil Triangle? And how will the Outsiders survive their encounter with the monster-hunting specialists of the DC Universe: the New Challengers of the Unknown?

This new, boundary-breaking dive into the secret history of the DC Universe is just beginning!

[rainbows-fanfics]

All'inzio (Chapter 22)

Summary: A  soldier-in-training, Valerie hopes to join the Valencian Army to avenge  her father’s death under the wing of General Rooke. But when she happens  to catch the attention of Commander Kane, her plans take a different  turn.

Human AU of the Armada from Pirate101, where Kane meets his Queen.

Pairing: Kane/Queen

–

Note: The title translates to “at the beginning”.

–

The sound of swords clanging together and shuffling of feet came from outside. Two figures were fencing within the early hours of the day, in a secluded yard outside of the castle. They were joined by the Armada's spymaster and tinkerer. Deacon and Bishop sat at the only table out there, watching the two perform from afar. There was virtually no speaking while they resumed their practice. 

“En-Garde!”

Kane’s eyes locked on ‘Queen’s body intently, examining her stance and positioning. She had a good habit of keeping excellent form while she moved. That was a comment he received from Deacon and Rooke - he even saw it back on those training grounds in her cadet days. She showed no struggle now, and even excelled with the strikes of her weapon. He stopped to remove his mask and offer a proud smile. 

“Nicely done.” 

She removed her own and grinned. She’d been ecstatic when he told her he wanted to ‘reward’ her for performing so well lately. The two of them practiced fencing all morning - the first few hours teaching her the basics, then executing it for several more. They received visitors when Deacon and Bishop arrived to speak with the Supreme Commander. He adamantly told them to wait until they were finished - which explained why they lingered for most of the session. 

Noticing they stopped, the two masked figures stood from their seats and rushed over to Kane. The plague doctor glanced around before rubbing his hands together. He clearly had something important on his mind and wanted to take Kane's attention to his advantage. 

“It is getting hot. Perhaps we should move indoors?” 

‘Queen’ noticed the time. The hours passed by, as it was nearly afternoon now. She reluctantly began packing up her things. Neither Bishop or Deacon were addressed as Kane passed by them to offer something to his girlfriend. She was surprised to see an envelope held in his gloved hand. She took it from his grasp without a word. Her eyes went wide at the name she read. 

“A letter from my mother..?” 

“It was delivered the other night. I held onto it so we could get your practice done today.” 

He dipped his head before returning to the other men, who began frantically whispering to him. She paid no mind as she turned the envelope around in her hands. She carefully opened it and pulled the piece of paper out from inside. She recognized her mother’s handwriting and read her message intently: 

“Mia figlia,

It has been so long since you returned home. I have all of your things ready to pick up. Your friends have been asking about you. Please, return when you can. I look forward to meeting the man you are dating. 

-Emilia” 

She held a hand to her lips. She last wrote to Emilia about her relationship, but had been too afraid to name Kane. She tucked the letter away and grabbed her things. She waited for the other men to finish their conversation, then followed after in the castle’s doors. The look she gave told him she wanted to be somewhere private as soon as possible. 

He departed from his sons and brought ‘Queen’ to the women’s powder room. She changed her clothes and ensured they were alone. Once she was in her dress, she grabbed the letter and presented it to him. 

“Emilia wants me to return home! She has all of my things ready, so I can grab them and properly move in with you.” 

“You’re going to Tuscany?” He asked. 

“I should see my mother and tell her everything that’s happened. She doesn’t even know I moved...she should also meet you again. As my beloved, now.” 

His look turned troubled. He placed a hand to his chin and looked away, contemplating something deeply. Her smile fell seeing his indifference to the idea. She leaned forward desperately. 

“You are going to come, aren’t you?” 

“I shouldn’t.” He replied. “I still have plenty to do here - I can’t afford anymore time away.” 

“But this is important!” She implored. 

His eyes had a hard time tearing away from her face. The news Deacon and Bishop delivered wasn’t exactly good - it meant he’d have to pour his time into his army more than usual. He would also be receiving a lot of worry from the royalty. What she was asking was insignificant at a time like this. But the pleading look in her eyes… he couldn’t stand it. He despised how his heart ached. He pressed his mask against his forehead in a stressed motion. 

“...I can bring you a ship and a couple of my men to assist you. They should be able to-” 

“It’s not just about getting my things. It's having my mother knowing you, as my lover.” Her arms drooped. “You can see my hometown, the way I used to live...even the paintings I kept in my room! I would love to know what you think of them.” 

Kane wondered if he was getting soft. It was strange to feel his muscles weakening and his heart sinking. He couldn't remember the last time he felt like this. He wanted to punch something just to feel strong again. He shut his eyes and sighed in defeat. He should get this out of the way. It was one trip that will last only for a day - he can return by tomorrow. But that was all the time he could spare. 

“Alright.” He crossed his arms in defeat. “I will join you.” 

Her face lit up at his acceptance. The sight made it all worth it. 

-----

The Supreme Commander got his most crucial work done before heading out of Cadiz. ‘Queen’ agreed to leave in the morning and return before nightfall. He put Deacon in charge in his absence. He was met with judgemental tsks when he told him the reason. He was getting tired of such disapprobation and promised this would be the last leave.

They set sail at a decent time. They spent a couple hours on the water before reaching ‘Queen’s homeland. She was in awe - the beautiful landscape taking her breath away, and the familiar sight of fields and grass touching her heart deeply. She practically pulled him off the ship when they arrived, excitedly leading him to where her home was. 

. . .

He paid careful attention along their way. She lived in a rural area, the main town being several miles away. The building was situated on a hill surrounded by well-tended land. There was a garden overgrowing the path they walked on. He admired the rustic design of the house they approached. It was simple - nowhere near the size of his mansion or the extravagant detail of the houses in Cadiz. It almost reminded him of his first home.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” She asked, looking at the sight nostalgically.

He had little to say as they knocked on the front door. They waited before it opened. The figure was shorter than them both and beamed in excitement when she recognized their faces. They had no time to react before the woman lunged herself onto her daughter’s shoulders. Without warning, she began crying in delight. 

“Valerie..! ” 

‘Queen’ held her back, the tears almost escaping her own eyes. It felt like ages since she last saw her mother. The actual time mattered little. She was here now. She wanted to enjoy this embrace as long as she could. 

“Mamma.. ” 

It took a minute until they pulled away from each other. Emilia’s brown eyes came to the man standing there. Her eyes widened in shock. It was even longer since she last saw Kane. It felt like she was dreaming and she had to pinch herself just to believe it. 

“Supreme Commander..! On the doorstep of my home..?” 

He tipped his hat and offered his hand, as he did the last time they met. “Emilia - a pleasure to see you.” 

She barely comprehended the gesture. She took his hand and shook it feverishly in delight. As she had done the last time. “It’s an honor..! I know you’ve been helping Valerie, but you didn’t need to come.” 

“-Of course he did.” She stepped forward. “You said you wanted to meet my boyfriend, didn’t you?” 

This news brought more surprise as she gaped at him. She suddenly withdrew her hand, holding it to her chest and attempting to handle this announcement. The grin stretched to the sides of her face, clasping her hands together proudly. Her daughter and the Supreme Commander...

“Oh, please, come in!”

They were motioned inside. The house was smaller than what he was used to - a quaint living room with an assortment of collectibles and antiques scattered around. He noticed the art settled on the walls and couches situated comfortably around a small table and fireplace. The door closed behind them and she eagerly scuffled around. She was staring at his figure, trying to come to terms with this situation. She's never had such an important guest like him in her home before!

“You must be worn down from the trip! Can I offer you some food or drink? Is there anything you’d like at all?” 

“We’re fine.” ‘Queen’ answered as she sat down. Kane joined her side, keeping his posture upright. Her mother sat in the chair across from them and eyed the two curiously. 

“So, the two of you are dating? I hoped it would happen…I knew it would; I just did!” 

The other woman avoided their gazes. “You were right about a few... things… ” 

“You should’ve read what she wrote to me.” She turned to Kane. “That opera you took her to sounded delightful! She was so happy you brought her...she just couldn’t stop gushing about you.”

“Why are you embarrassing me this soon!?” 

He chuckled. He remembered why he liked her. “Is that right?”

“She adores you. I can’t blame her. You’re the most admired man in Valencia. I am so happy you saw good things in my daughter.” She folded her hands in her lap and glanced knowingly at her. “And what taste ..! The strongest and most powerful man around--”

She stood from her seat, cutting her off mid-sentence. “I think I'll look around. It’s been so long since I've been here…” 

Emilia followed suit. “But of course, honey. Take all the time you need. Your belongings are in your room - I promise I haven’t moved them.” 

‘Queen’ motioned for Kane to join her. He followed without hesitation. Her features lit up as she explored her old home, eyes filled with reminiscence over paintings and old family photographs. She showed him one of her father - a man in classic seaman uniform, posing proudly for a picture. Her eyes were moist as she held the frame. A tear fell down her cheek as she returned it to the table. She moved on, admiring the other pictures collected over the years. 

They approached a closed door at the end of a small hallway. She sighed. “My room... it's been so long…” 

She started to head inside. He would’ve followed after, had he not been suddenly yanked aside. A small pair of hands pulled him through the hallway, out of earshot from ‘Queen’s room. His form stiffened at the gesture and he whipped around - only to be met with the apprehensive eyes of Emilia. She had her hands on her hips and leaned closely to him, her kind look now replaced with an interrogative one.

“What are your intentions?” She asked harshly. 

He leaned forward. “Excuse me?” 

Her gaze returned to the opened door. She rubbed her arm thoughtfully. “She seems so different, now...the way she’s talking and acting - I haven’t seen her wear a dress like this in years ! Her manners have come back and that beautiful mask...It’s hard to recognize her, like this.” 

“I may be responsible. She told me she felt judged from the people around her, so I taught her how to blend in. We were in a prosperous area at the time, so I bought her the right clothes and taught her how to speak around there.” 

Her face softened. “I haven’t seen her this happy in a long time…” She cleared her throat and faced him seriously. “I will repeat myself - what are your intentions with my daughter? Do you plan on marrying her?” 

This question made him hold his breath. It wasn’t a new thought to him - he considered it awhile ago, though he can’t remember when . But he already knew the answer. She was nearly ready...so close to how he envisioned - his Queen, to aid his side in command. She grew beautifully in this time...it wouldn’t be long before she was perfect. The answer left his lips easily. 

“Of course. I intend on asking for your blessing.” 

This surprised her. She thought some more and asked, “Do you... love Valerie?” 

This one was harder to answer. His chest tightened and he found he couldn’t breathe. This was a matter that hadn’t been on his mind - but it should’ve been. Why else would he be here right now? Instead of preparing for a war, he was off in the countryside visiting his girlfriend's house. It wasn’t even hard to convince him to come here - she’d been weakening him over time, to the point where he would do anything for her at the bat of an eye. 

That was the thing he despised about this feeling. It made him weak - vulnerable when he shouldn’t be. He was praised in his field for being heartless, but it was far from that. The pain and heartbreak he experienced...His care for his sons, all in the beginning...it was genuine. He had always been capable of feeling, despite trying so hard not to. And even now, after he grew alone and envisioned his future in solitude...he still felt attached. More so to her than his own work. 

His eyes thoughtfully went to the opened door. His throat felt dry. The answer was obvious, now.

“..I do.” He confessed under his breath. 

Emilia caught it. Before either of them could say anything, ‘Queen’s voice interrupted. 

“Kane! Come and look at this!” 

He dismissed himself politely. Emilia allowed him to go and left the vicinity, wanting to give them some privacy. Kane found himself in a small room. The walls were crowded with collections of paintings and photographs - a small desk and bed sat around, as well as some exercise equipment. He was distracted by the petite figure currently pointing to one of the paintings, situated just at her height on the wall. 

He joined her side. “What is it?” 

“My favorite painting.” She answered proudly. “I bought it years ago from a local shop in town. The family that sold it said it was painted by an anonymous visitor who brought many colorful things here. I’ve always wanted to know what that meant.” 

Kane was quiet - and for a good reason. The creation sitting before him was something he recognized. A sight he’d seen so long ago...it was a landscape painting of the lake and trees from this area. He had a flashback to when he last saw this, with a paintbrush in his hand, his old, worn-down clothes situated on his frame...sitting on an uncomfortable stool as he painted, while his father watched from behind. The strokes were long and painful. It felt like eternity before he ever finished it. 

She noted his silence. “Is something wrong?” 

A few moments passed. “I painted this.” 

“What?”

“If memory serves right...” He grabbed the painting from the wall, noting his small signature written in the corner. “..I always painted my initials in the bottom left.” 

‘Queen’ was in disbelief. She grabbed it from him and searched for herself. Her jaw fell open. There were his initials, bright as day - K.V. ! She’d seen them back on his handkerchief, that fateful time after she was injured...she wondered why it was so familiar. All of those nights wondering who could have painted her favorite creation, dreaming night and day of what hand made those strokes...it had been him all along. 

“But, how ..?” Is all she managed. 

“My father was a famous toymaker back in the day. He visited the countryside hoping rich families would want to buy his toys. I was brought along - he would have me paint the scenery and people on the streets, in order to sell them for gold. We visited Tuscany a long time ago - this painting was made that same day.” 

She stared at him. She wasn’t sure what to say. The words left her lips without any thought. “So I have known your art this entire time..” 

"It appears so.” 

“I can’t believe it...how old were you when you made this..!? All of the professionals, the masters...they never met the quality as this ..” 

“I was quite young, in my teenage years I believe. I should show you my recent works - they’re better than my old commissions.” 

Her eyes watered. He hadn’t lied to her at all. Not only was he an artist, but..her favorite as well! She fell in love with her idol...after insisting the Supreme Commander was only a celebrity. She held the artwork close before setting it down on her bed. She gathered the things around her room wordlessly. 

“I should get my things together…” She mumbled. “We can load them on the ship and not have to worry about it later.”

“Please, allow me.” He insisted, taking the material from her hands. “It's a far walk. I’ll take care of everything.” 

She watched with impressed eyes as he easily lifted everything into his arms. He moved it all to their front patio to prepare to load on the ship. She thanked him for the help and gave him a kiss before he left. She gazed in his direction as he walked off. Once she was alone, the footsteps of her mother joined her side. 

“Valerie.” She placed a hand on her arm. “We should catch up.” 

---

“So, how are you doing?” 

‘Queen’ set down her cup of tea as she watched Emilia sit down beside her. They were situated in the dining room. It was bigger than the others, fitting a table that used to sit her family back in the day. There were a couple of candles for the centerpiece as well as a fresh vase of flowers. She tapped her cup a couple of times before smiling and lowering her head. 

“I'm doing well. Better than I've ever been. I’ve met so many people and seen so many things...none of this would’ve been possible if I hadn’t left home.” 

“I am so proud!” She leaned forward and pinched her cheek teasingly. “My soldier is becoming a woman all over again...I have not seen you this way for a long time, topolina.” 

“I feel like myself again. I wish I never changed. But then I wouldn’t have met Kane...you can say things just worked out.” 

She heard her chair move and picked up her head. Emilia looked at her sternly. “You know it is my duty to ask; I would for any man that would’ve taken you. Are you positive you want to be with the Supreme Commander?” 

She didn’t even hesitate. “Of course I do.” 

“That is all I need to know, then.” She sat back with a pleased smile. “You seem so different...but it is a good change. I am confident he will keep taking good care of you.”

“You always look out for me, mamma...I promise I will visit again. This will not be the last time you see me.”

“It better not..! I may as well march up to your new home if that were the case.” She giggled. “You’re living with Kane now, aren’t you? I bet his house is beautiful.” 

“Yes, it's lovely. I was in Florenza before I moved to Cadiz. That's where the castle is - did I tell you I met the King and Queen?” 

“Non mi dire!” Her mother slammed her hands on the table. “How did you manage that?”

“Kane is close with them and his Majesty wanted to meet me. The castle is so big and breathtaking; I hope I can take you there someday. You'd love to meet Casimir. He is kind - and her majesty is just as beautiful.” 

“Oddio Mio …it would be a dream. I hope you do not forget about me, with all the luxury you’re in...” 

She laughed. “Of course not.” 

They exchanged a few more words. ‘Queen’ asked how her mother had been faring and wanted to know what her friends were up to. The rest of the conversation was pleasant and killed time. When their drinks were finished, Kane returned. He informed her all her things were now on the ship. He offered her a hand and helped her out of the seat. Emilia sprang to the floor and hugged the Supreme Commander. She nearly knocked him off his feet.

“Thank you for taking care of my Valerie.” She told him. Kane looked completely taken aback at the gesture. 

“...All my pleasure,” He patted her back uncertainly. She moved to hug her daughter. 

“You're going to leave soon, aren’t you?” ‘Queen’ nodded sadly. "Make sure you return...it gets a little lonely out here, at times.” 

“I will. Take care of yourself…” 

They took one last stroll around her old house, admiring the gardens and beautiful ponds. They soon bid goodbye to its resident, and finally headed on the path back to shore. She held tightly onto his gloved hand. Their walk was quiet, beyond the sounds of the ocean from afar. ‘Queen’ was satisfied with their trip. It was nice speaking with her mother again...her hand went to her pearl necklace out of habit. Seeing that picture of her father made her sentimental… 

“It may be late when we get back. We still had good timing today.” His deep voice interrupted her thoughts. She nodded along to his words. 

“Thank you for coming. I know you didn’t really want to, but it meant a lot that you did.” She kissed him on the unmasked part of his cheek.

“This is the last time I can do something like this.” He informed her seriously. “You’ll start getting me in trouble otherwise.” 

“More than I already have?” She replied flirtatiously. His look confirmed her words.

They boarded their ship after entering the docks. The men aboard tended to her things and hastily set sail. The wind was harsh on their way back - she and Kane retreated to the cabin to escape the cold. They sat together at a table and ate a small dinner, as they would not return in time to have it at their home. She momentarily set down her fork as her thoughts wandered.

She couldn’t get it out of her mind that he made her favorite painting. And his story about it...he seldom talked about his father or revealed much about his past. She wanted to hear about it - to get to know his father like he knew her mother...to learn more past Gazpaccio’s name and occupation - the missing part of his family she had yet to meet. 

“Kane?” She asked quietly. He looked up and gave her his full attention.

“Yes?"

“What was your father like?” 

He went quiet. He took a couple of bites in the silence. She understood he wasn’t going to answer. She decided to change the question. 

“Were you two close? You said he taught you about clockwork, if he was a toymaker, then--” 

“---I don’t want to talk about it.” He interrupted. 

She went to inquire further until she heard his fork roughly scratch at the plate. He was usually mindful when he ate. She hushed down and sat back in her seat. Perhaps it was too sensitive of a topic at the wrong time. She noticed his look became troubled and his smile fell. As if something was on his mind. He moved slower through dinner, avoiding her eye contact and saying little. Guilt settled in the pit of her stomach and she bit her lip, turning her head away from him painfully.

...Why didn’t he want to talk about this?