#caught in a storm

[missazurerose]

Ah another Year of the OTP prompt. This month it's bed sharing. Though it's definitely not the main focus of the story. I might have lost the thread a little. Oh well. The prompts are what I make of them right? Some rambling beneath the cut

A Little in Love

“I do not think that is true. I do not think people fear you. Six city states do not stand united behind you out of fear, Riona. It is love and admiration.”

Tears sprang to her eyes and she fought desperately not to let them fall. Why did she have to keep crying in front of him? “That is a ridiculous notion.”

“I disagree. I think everyone who meets you falls in love with you, at least a bit. ”

I might be skipping or at least be really late on the prompts for the next two months. I'm a little burnt out and it's too early in the year to be burnt out. But maybe I didn't give myself enough time after September. That was a lot... Anywho. It matters to no one but me but this is also my tumblr so I'm gonna ramble about it.

One of the prompts from next month is florist/tattoo shop AU and I have a little something of that done. Riona works at the tattoo shop Seventh Dawn and Aymeric runs the flower shop his adopted parents left behind but it's not his actual day job. I don't know how much of a thing it is though. I don't know if there's a plot? So it's either going to be late or it'll get lumped in with all the other AUs I started and never finished. We'll see.

April's prompts aren't sparking anything right now so that might be totally out. I've got a silly idea for May and a more serious plan for June. And I just think maybe I should take it easy and maybe just do the updates that need to be done to Waiting for Spring in Ishgard since I've filled in a lot of the relationship after wrote the confession.

[stevevanderhorst]

Caught in a Storm

[risky-witchy]

Thinking about the new episode of cr and about Dorian and Orym but I’ve seen a lot of people making jokes about Dorian’s dad seeing everyone intrusive themselves and is like ‘wtf is that my son’ and so true so valid but consider.

You are the father of the Wyvernwinds, a family who essentially serves as royalty in their culture. Several years ago your youngest left, likely against your wishes, and just a short period of time ago your oldest dies, and now all of the worlds leaders are gathering to develop a plan to deal with a potential Calamity level event. You spot someone who looks similar to your only living son. He is then a part of the group of, frankly, hooligans who are fucked in the head brave and are gonna be the main task force against this event and summons your goddamn wyvern dragon horse, while wearing the sluttiest outfit you’ve ever seen, as well as a sending stone that matches with the halfling who approached you after who very clearly is fond of your son. Not to mention he doesn’t go by his birth name and title but is wearing gold to symbolize the death of his older brother. What would you do then

[mutable-manifestation]

Ghost Chirps AU Part 5

Part 1 & 2

Part 3

Part 4

***

While “Jason” (i.e. Alfred with an empty jet that Jason will meet up with later in order to “arrive” in Amity) hops a private jet, Red Hood is busy searching the Fenton home from top to bottom.

The local police move slowly, and by the time they arrive Jack and Maddie Fenton are both tied up and disarmed in their living room under heavy guard.

They hadn’t been restrained immediately, Batman talking him into giving them a chance to implicate themselves first.

Hood let him take the lead, but he didn’t even get a chance to ask a question, being cut off at the first indication he might want to talk about their “work.” Less than 60 seconds in, and the pair had outright confessed to violating the meta protection acts - and in tedious detail.

The questioning didn’t suffer any from them being tied up.

Far from the mulish silence or crocodile-tear laden denial of most criminals, they instead doubled down, insisting that nothing they had done was illegal, then jumping to the assumption that they were “possessed” - and boy had it been a nasty surprise when the whole house came alive trying to attack them with a quick verbal command.

Well, trying to attack Hood. And only him, for some reason.

One laser also freed the Fentons, who turned out to have even more weapons built into their suits. 

Somehow. 

Despite them being skintight.

That had been a pain, but Red Robin was able to hack the system using one of the couples’ own devices while Hood dodged - and kept the stray fire away from the others - leaving everyone else to recapture the pair. A blessedly simple task once they found out the lasers would splash harmlessly off of their armor (save for a gross film of green goop left wherever they grazed).

They take turns knocking each unconscious to change them in order to properly disarm them - Batman and Nightwing taking Jack first, followed by Orphan and Spoiler dealing with Maddie. 

The only non-weapon laden clothing they own turns out to be pajamas. 

This is around when the police show up, looking hesitant.

They, too, cite the “Anti-Ecto Acts.”

Oracle had debriefed them on the supposed Acts and “Ghost Investigation Ward” on their short drive over. Both were utterly bogus - the Acts had never even been proposed, let alone been approved as law, and the so-called “GIW” had no ties to the government.

The Fentons had been furious and denied the information intensely when told, but the cops mostly just looked relieved.

Apparently there’d been a lot of property damage by the GIW and Fentons both that had supposedly been dismissed under the Acts as “necessary in the pursuit of ecto-scum.”

For the Fentons, half of this damage was in the form of broken fire hydrants, cracked sidewalks, and totaled cars - they’d never been good drivers, before, the cops disclosed, but they’d become even more negligent since the ghosts began appearing, to the point they had to have a news segment warning when they would be on the road.

The lack of fatalities thus far had been nothing short of a miracle, they claimed.

“Of course there haven’t been any fatalities!” Mrs Fenton defends. “Our work is to protect people from those things, not make more! Officers, listen to reason-” Hood snorts disdainfully -”The Red Hood is clearly a ghost! All our systems targeted him the moment they came online - and they only target ecto-entities. He’s clearly taken these heroes under his sway - why else would they be working with a murderer!? You have to do something before he starts up his killing here in Amity!”

The officers look at him a bit hesitantly, but Batman is unmoved and gives the cover story Hood had outlined back in the alley.

Any concerns the locals have are quickly assuaged.

But for the whole explanation, Jason is trying not to shake even as he falls apart in place.

Their little website called them ghost-hunters, making it pretty clear what “ecto-entities” meant. 

Their system supposedly only targets ecto-entities.

The system had only targeted him.

The system only targets ghosts.

Jason had died.

A lot of his family members had died, too, granted. 

But Jason was the only one who seemed to come back wrong - anger sticking in his throat and never quite fading, an inclination towards violence even when he wasn’t angry well beyond what he’d ever felt before, and a sea of other emotions (that he would never acknowledge aloud) and triggers for those emotions that he always struggled to make heads or tails of.

He doesn’t have the meta gene. He knows that. He knew that.

He just assumed that the test missed it, because he knows he doesn’t know magic - the All Blades being the only exception - and he couldn’t think of another explanation at the time.

But he came back wrong.

And as he stands there, he wonders if he came back at all, mind on Solomon Grundy.

Wonders if he isn’t just some ghost, wandering around possessing his own corpse.

He jolts, as the thought strikes him: what about Danny?

If he’s a ghost and chirping is a ghost thing then what about his KID!?

Absently, he notes that Bruce has started interrogating the cops on what they meant by “ghost attacks.” 

He ignores the discussion, hustling for the door in the kitchen down to the lab.

He slams and locks the door behind him - in Red Robin’s face - as he descends, making a b-line for the computer he’d seen when the Fentons had dragged them all down there to start bragging about their crimes.

The only thing Oracle could get out of the whole building was things that were openly available online; direct connections were impossible.

Opening up the screen, he gets to cracking.

Going for the surface level files first, it turns out he doesn’t even need so much as a password to find what he wants.

One of the video game sub-files has an unrelated file in it: ghost notes.

There are plenty of other notes, of course, but he’d only been skimming to start, looking for anything hidden.

The Fenton parents were too open to bother, of course, with plenty of more obvious files strewn haphazardly across the home screen, but it’s always better to check. That there is a hidden file means it was likely made by either Danny or Jazz.

And it’s a treasure trove.

Sub-files for rogues, allies, conditional allies, and “halfas” were what greeted him.

The last being the only term he didn’t recognize, he clicked.

6 files: Clones, Danny, Dani, Dan, Vlad, and Red Hood.

He clicks his own file.

What greets him is a picture of himself 4 days ago, looking just to the left of the lens in an alley that he distinctly remembers searching for the kid in.

Just below is text.

~~~

??? Name: Red Hood

Species: probably a halfa

Status: Nnnneutral? I think? I know, I know, heads in bags. But Valerie tries to kill me all the time! And we’re allies sometimes! Hood- uh- looked for me? Okay I guess I can’t really judge this yet but please read the first met section before you judge please you guys?

First met: Aug 17, 2005, was in Gotham to bother Batman, stopped to think a bit on some fire escape - decide on the first prank yknow - but then my ghost sense went off. It felt like a halfa so I thought “oh cool, must be Dani” so I chirped, but then Red Hood - who was chasing some guy down an alley at the time - froze and looked around. I dropped visibility and chirped again and yeah, he definitely heard it. Humans can’t so he’s definitely a halfa - no glow so he can’t be a full ghost and it felt nothing like an overshadowing. 

Ended up following Hood around the rest of week - forgot to prank Batman, damn - and playing hide-and-seek with the chirps. It was really funny. But he very obviously doesn’t know he’s a halfa. But the guy is, like, scary levels of smart, so I’m sure he’ll figure it out on his own now that the chirp thing made it clear that something is up. Hopefully.

I figure I can go back in winter break - he should have it figured out and let his emotions process enough by then to at least hear me out when I explain the AEA and GIW and everything, then it won’t matter so much if he can, like, track me by voice or something if I talk since we’ll have MAD by then.

Despite his reputation, the people living in his haunt seem to love the guy. I can see why. On top of the whole smart he’s actually really nice to people he’s not shooting in the knees (which only even happened one time in the week I was there? It was actually pretty relaxing - most quiet week I’ve had since the portal opened THANK YOU TUCKER for hacking the portal hatch to be inoperable for a week). 

Where was I? Oh yeah, he’s actually surprisingly nice to people? So like, I think he’ll probably hear me out if I go back and be polite? I hope. Hate to leave the guy in the dark and him end up on the GIWs dissection table for “lots and lots of painful experiments.”

Not that those guys could even catch the Box Ghost. But uh, Hood doesn’t seem to have powers either? Or if he does he doesn’t know about them I don’t think - he only used the chirp the whole time I was their - not even to cheat with moving around.

Seriously. That guy's acrobatics could make Freakshow’s contortionist green - er, red??? - with envy. Actually wait, aren’t contortionists and acrobats different things?

SAM NOTE: help^?

Powers: 

?

~~~

Jason leans back, breathing deeply.

“Not a full ghost,” “not 'overshadowed'” - a term that sounds likke some kind of cousin to possesision - “definitely a halfa,” “humans can’t hear chirps.”

Halfa. 

Half. 

Ghost. 

Half Ghost.

It should sound absurd - you can’t be half alive and half dead.

But Jason has seen the Lazarus pits, has met Solomon Grundy, has met aliens and bullshit magic and can pull magical swords out of his own damn chest.

Half alive. Half dead.

Hopefully not just a fancy way to say possessing his own corpse.

He doesn’t have time to deal with every file - he’ll “confiscate” one of their USBs with a copy of everything for himself before leaving the rest to Batman & co, of course, minus the halfa files (a small part of him wants to shove his condition in Bruce’s face and demand he kill the clown again even though he knows it’s a futile hope, but the rest - the same part that snapped and denied and refused to say he was a meta less that a day ago now - cannot stomach the thought of even more rejection. Of a Bruce that believes he’s a monster. Of a Bruce that mourns him even while he’s right there. Or at least, more than he already does.) - but while the files copy he take the time to look at Danny’s.

The image has two people, Danny Fenton on one side and a version of the kid in a black hazmat suit with white hair, tanned skin, and painfully familiar green eyes. And floating.

~~~

Human Name: Danny Fenton

Ghost Name: Danny Phantom

Species: Halfa (half-human, half ghost)

~~~

It’s the section after that that makes Jason’s breath catch in his throat.

~~~

Death: The Portal Accident

So like, there was no audio (thank GOD I do not want to hear myself screaming) so. Details: When the portal didn’t work when they plugged it in mom and dad left for fudge, Jazz went to try and talk them into a more realistic career choice than ghosts. Sam and Tucker came over and Sam dared me to climb in and check it out - it was broken anyway so no harm. Except it wasn’t broken, just that my parents put the on button inside. Which I caught myself on when I tripped on a wire.

Anyway, electrocution! 

(T - Danny for the love of god be more serious, the cheerful tone is creepy)

(D - Hey! I’m the one who died! Shouldn’t I at least get to write my own epitaph)

(S - …Danny this is not an epitaph. You don’t even HAVE a grave)

(D - wow way to rub it in Sam)

(T - yeah Sam)

(S - ugh! Whatever, just stop with the chatting in official files)

(T - “official”)

(S - Tucker.)

(T - shutting up now)

Electrocution! I got zapped to death, but the ectoplasm from the portal was also opening up on top of me and a lot got bonded to me I guess (S - probably because of the electricity with how you ended up with some of Vortex' powers for a little while) at the same time said electricity was reviving me? - probably getting my heart beating again or something, I was a little busy screaming to pay attention (T - yeah okay we're going to Nasty Burger after this. And playing Doomed) - not that it would’ve mattered without the ghostification preventing me from melting me all the way to death.

Status: Me!

Powers:

Chirps! (ghost echolocation of some kind! humans can't hear em - halfas can, of course, in either form)

Form Change (really Sam? This barely counts)

Human form

Ghost form (no need to breathe)

Flight (last clock speed 210mph) (T - and climbing. Dang dude)

Invisibility (S - don’t forget shareable.) (Shareable. sigh)

Intangibility (Shareable)

Ecto Rays (eyes & hands) (T - and butt) (D - dude! I’m deleting that. Tucker why can't I delete it. TUCKER) (T - bow down in awe of my ksill) (S - ksill) (D - ksill) (T - yeah okay it’s permanent now) (D - aw man!)

Ghost Sense (S - why do we never test your range?) (D - no need? They always make themselves obvious or are being sneaky specifically to annoy me so *shrug*) (S - I still think we should test it)

Power Absorption (that time with Vortex’s weather powers)

Cryokinesis (Wayyyyy to much ice. NOT testing max output on that) (T - yeah frozen city was enough, let’s not cause an ice age. Tech needs some cool but too much is still bad and I just upgraded Patricia)

Ghostly Wail (cone of destruction, very exhausting - always at max output. Not to be used)

GHOST FORM ONLY (but really just never)

Cartoon Body (D - what???) (S - Freakshow literally turned you into a puddle and you just turned back and were fine. I don’t know what else to call that) (D - okay fair. but:)

GHOST FORM ONLY

Physical Enhancement (better strength, speed, stamina, durability, reflexes, balance, etc much better than human) (T - why does this look like dnd knockoff stats haha)

GHOST FORM ONLY (S - obviously mr last place in PE)

Resistances (pretty solid on the overshadowing, avoided being taken in by Ember until targeted, didn’t get turned to stone during the Medusa thing) (S - which was pure luck! Be careful!)

Ecto Electricity (ghost stinger, but I really don’t think this counts Sam. I mean I just. Make my ecto zappy. But it’s still just ecto) (S - so is your ICE and you don’t just call that "just cold ecto") (D - fine, but it feels overly specific) (S - maybe writing it all down will make you stop. Forgetting. POWERS!) (D - come on Sam that was a lucky hit! I was distracted! And it turned out fine!) (S - Fenton…) (D - oop okay doing fire now)

Ecto Fire (made Dash’s shoes melty that one time by make the ecto hot) (T - really needs more testing)

Tech possession (chasing Technus into computers, not very tested)

Ghost form only, i guess?

Overshadowing (control people, copy their voice, invade dreams - the control one erases the person’s memory so they don’t know they were overshadowed just lost time. I hate Walker. SO much) (T - rip Danny’s reputation, you’ll be missed)

Probably ghost form only

Duplication (T - That’s optimistic) (D - I’M WORKING ON IT OKAY!?) (S - pretty sure it just falls under cartoon body until you can actually separate) (D - :( betrayal)

Probably ghost form only

More? (D - ugh I hope not) (T - hey don’t say that, maybe you’ll get a power to make the JL give a crap about Amity) (D - honestly I’m getting pretty close to letting Boxy loose in Gotham) (S - Danny, don’t stoop to their level!) (D - it's only box ghost!) (T - I mean he has a point)

~~~

Jason changes his mind, seeing the commentary, and deletes the entire hidden file from the computer as soon as his copy is made. He can go over everything and bring any important info to Bruce separately, the bat’s can just chew on the parents’ files for now.

Once the original files are thoroughly and irretrievably removed he pockets his shiny new USB, makes a second one with all the official files, and heads back up and out - carelessly brushing past a thoroughly irate Red Robin with a pair of firemen and broken jaws of life. And not a scratch on the door; impressive - just in time to get Oracle’s text that he’s got 2 hours and 16 minutes to be at the location on his HUD so he can “arrive” to Amity.

And a fresh set of civilian clothes will be waiting in the plane, Alfred as reliable as ever.

“Files,” he says, tossing the safe USB to Batman and interrupting his interrogation of the police officer.

He catches it effortlessly of course, but the officer stops paying attention to him to jolt at Hood’s reappearance - even outside of Gotham his reputation is fierce.

“I sent a copy to myself. I’ll review them and give you an overview, but other than that consider this the end of my involvement in this little shitshow,” he says, continuing smoothly to the door. “I’m heading back to Gotham.”

Now, he has a little over two hours before Jason Todd needs to arrive in Amity Park. He only needs to lay hands on a laptop that he can isolate from Babs’ influence and he should be able to review the Halfa files in full before he "lands" - after he figures out just why the kid has a grudge against the JL.

[astranauticus]

medpoc:

[undead-knick-knack]

Tho I am hoping it's Braius who catches Dorian on his walk of shame, this could also be really funny 😂

[worldworseweb]

Angler Fish Alter Pack 𓂃 { Mod Poseidon }

⛓️ BASICS ;

Names 𓂃 Kraven .. Angler .. Anchor .. Trapper .. Eerie

Prns 𓂃 It / Its .. Hx / Hxm .. ? / ¿ .. Lure / Lures .. Abyss / Abyssal .. Blind / Blinded .. [Redacted] / [Redacted] .. ████ / ████s

Age 𓂃 Agehazy .. Palaikian .. Appears in lures late 20s

Gender 𓂃 Masculine Agender .. Genderabyss .. Allseeingic .. Eldritchseathing .. Eeriebodiment .. Uncannything .. Thalastormic .. Noviaeus .. Voidbodiment .. Desean .. Etherio .. Dimbathyic .. Thalassogender .. Vortexic .. Gendersea .. Marinorphic .. Eldrigender .. Seacollector .. Blueperspeque .. Aetherine .. Kenochoric

Orientation 𓂃 Demiromantic .. Demisexual .. Sex-favorable regardless of attraction

Species 𓂃 Anglerfish Merfolk

⛓️ SYSTEM INFO ;

Roles 𓂃 Isolator .. Nightwatcher .. Cynic .. Aggressor

Location 𓂃 Any tight deep-sea cavern will do -- some vague inspiration would be the mariana trench .. Kraken decorates hxs cavern / den with shark teeth, sea shells, beads, pearls, rocks, and various shiny trinkets that abyss collects .. In a special nook is blinds nest, which is made of blue bioluminescent algae and kelp.

Behavior 𓂃 Rarely willingly interacts with others, unless baited into doing so .. It takes a long time to warm up to people, but is more likely to enjoy the company of those who are similarly amused by others negativity .. Enjoys startling / scaring other sysmates by hiding in dark spaces or simply sneaking up on them .. Rarely physically harmful towards other sysmates, instead mocking them and finding their discomfort, anger, or sadness amusing .. May purposefully trigger other sysmates for ?s own amusement .. Will often act cold towards others, but may soften when given compliments or gifts.

Signoffs / Proxies 𓂃 ⚓ ; 🌊 ; ⛓️ ; 👁️‍🗨️

⛓️ EXTRA ;

TransIDs 𓂃 CisNocturnal .. CisLongTongue .. CisImmortal .. CisBlackSclera .. CisAnglerfish .. CisMerfolk .. CisAsshole .. TransAutopsyScars .. TransHalfBlind .. TransSharperSenses .. NullEmotions .. TransDrowned .. TransASPD .. TransEldritchHorror .. TransAplatonic .. TransHeartless .. TransInsomnia .. NullSleep .. PermaMisanthrope .. NullRemorse .. NullReflection .. TransWaterboarder .. TransRaspyVoice .. NullHumanity .. Xenoracial ("Abyssal").

Paras 𓂃 Codes can be found here. 🌊 .. 💧 .. ♨️ .. 🫶🌹 .. 🐊 .. 🦷 .. 🐙 .. 🩳 .. Hybriphilia .. Traviphilia .. Cardiophilia.

Titles 𓂃 The Deep Sea Swimmer .. The Beast that Lures .. It who Lurks in the Dark .. The Seaborn Hunter .. The Sea Cryptid .. The Beast of the Tides .. The Cryptid Beneath the Waves .. The Horror of the Deep

Fashion 𓂃 Usually shirtless .. Adorned with black, cyan, gold, or white beads and shark teeth as body jewelry .. Wears fishhooks as piercings.

Typing Quirk 𓂃 Speaks in italics. If on Discord, may speak in italics and spoilers for each message ( ||*text*|| ). May use ".~" at the end of sentences when mocking others, or being affectionate (not sexually). Often uses periods and proper grammar.

Religion 𓂃 Believes in what lure refers to as "The Ones who Swam the Sea Before", a polytheistic religion with a handful of major and minor Gods that each rule / maintain a particular aspect of bodies of water (Sunlight Zone, Twilight Zone, Midnight Zone, and Abyssal Zone, along with Rivers and Lakes) .. These gods are all various merfolk.

Speech Patterns 𓂃 References the above religion often .. Avoids slang, preferring simple and blunt manners of talking .. Will make common phrases ocean related, or make up ocean-related metaphors in place of common ones (ex. "What in the Seven Seas" instead of "What in the fresh hell / What the fuck") .. May swear often, especially when agitated.

Miscellaneous 𓂃 It both despises and adores aquariums for allowing hxm to feel "at home", while simultaneously lamenting the entrapment of them (regardless of how well they are cared for) .. When agitated, may flare gills or fins .. Enjoys sea shanties and calmer music .. Despises when people say that the ocean is "only 5% explored" or similar statements (due to the misconception that this means we only know about what is in 5% of the ocean).

[jimmysea]

No more loneliness, little Day.

LAST TWILIGHT SERIES (2023)

[likesdoodling]

So after just having finished Chapter 46 of The Harrowing, I had to do something with all the -Feelings- it inspires, which I don't think I can accurately express via writing alone so here goes:

Based on the warnings I had an idea of what I was in for, but impatient as I am I decided to go ahead anyway, and this is my immediate reaction post chapter read. The feelings needed somewhere to go. So we got this!

@chthonion

:D

[imagine-you]

Caught In the Middle [Logan/Reader/Wade] (1/7)

Summary: A tragic mistake from your past has literally haunted you for years. You've jumped from place to place in a bid to outrun your ghosts before finally stumbling across the X-Men. You're convinced you'll never love again until the Merc with the Mouth falls right into your life and you find yourself falling for him. When you're pruned by the TVA and end up on a cross-universe trip together to save your universe, you have to come face to face with some hard truths and learn how to forgive yourself before you can move on. You're in no way prepared for what you face and you sure as hell never thought you would find yourself falling in love with one idiot, let alone two. You feel more than a little caught in the middle between Wade and Logan, and while two idiots never really made a right before, you start to realize that there just might be a way for all of you to achieve a happy ending together. Pairings: Wade/Reader, Logan/Reader, Logan/Wade, Logan/Reader/Wade, past!Johnny Storm/Reader Word Count: 8.2k Author's Note: This will eventually involve some Wade/Logan, because I just want the triangle to be equal. The chemistry is undeniable and I can't really help myself. But this is very much about all three finding their own happiness together.

Read on AO3

"You're such a fucking dick, do you know that?" You quickly tugged on your shirt, ignoring Johnny’s lingering look. “I thought we agreed you wouldn’t follow me into the bathroom anymore. That’s the only bit of privacy I get. You can’t just go wandering in when I’m in the shower.” 

"Hey, babe," Johnny started, raising his hands in surrender. "I never even agreed to that. So what if I like to sneak a peek now and then? Give me something to enjoy in my afterlife. Besides, what’re you gonna do about it? No door’s gonna keep me out. I’ll just walk right through it.” 

“Such a dick,” you muttered, glaring at him. 

“But you love me anyway. You know you do," he teased, shrugging his shoulders.  

You rolled your eyes, flopping down on your bed before staring up at the ceiling. "Sometimes, I wish I had never met you," you grumbled, not meaning the words at all.  

Johnny made a thoughtful noise, looking out the window. "You don't mean that," Johnny challenged with a quirk of his eyebrow. "Admit it, you miss my hot ass," he claimed, winking at you.  

You snorted, resisting the urge to throw your pillow at him. It would only phase right through him and then you would be out a pillow, because you were in no mood to get off your bed.  

"So, another day of staring at the ceiling, wishing your life was different? God, if I knew dying would turn you into this, I would've--," he stopped talking, shooting you an apologetic look.  

"You would've what?" You probed, wondering where the hell he could have gone with that sentence. Both of you knew the only reason he was dead was because of you.  

Johnny shrugged his shoulders, playing dumb. "Nothing." 

You scoffed, before rolling your eyes. You turned away from him, not wanting him to see that you were trying to fight the urge to cry. "Maybe you should be the one wishing you never met me." 

"No," Johnny denied, moving to sit on the edge of your bed. He brought a hand up, like he wanted to reach out for you, before he remembered he couldn't make contact. He would just pass right through you. "Don't do this again, okay? I love you. I always have. But there's a conversation we've been avoiding here and whether you like it or not, we're going to have to have it one of these days." When you clenched your jaw, refusing to look at him, he sighed in exasperation. "We were just dumb kids who didn't know our own strengths. You've got to stop blaming yourself because I never thought it was your fault." 

You still avoided Johnny's gaze, knowing there was nothing he could really do about it, and hating yourself even more for the thought. Johnny might not blame you, but it didn't make it any easier to let go of the guilt that had plagued you since his death. It had been years of Johnny following you around, only tethered because of your power, and you were scared that one day you would look up and realize he was no longer with you.  

"Ah, c'mon, babe," Johnny coaxed before he was interrupted by a knock on the door.  

You rolled off your bed, glad for the distraction, before moving towards the door. You opened it to see Piotr standing there waiting for you.  

"We are about to leave for Wade's birthday party," Piotr informed you. "Will you be joining us? I know you received the invitation Peter sent you." 

You liked hanging out with Piotr and you liked hanging out with Wade. You even liked living in the X-Mansion, even though privacy was something you sorely missed.  But the thought of so many people around you while all you wanted was to crawl into a hole and hide forever wasn't something you really felt up to doing. "Nah," you answered, shaking your head. "I think I'll just hang back. Tell Wade I said happy birthday, yeah?" 

Piotr frowned, but didn't try to argue with you. "I will bring you back a piece of cake," he decided before walking away, leaving you to shut the door.  

You turned back towards your bed, ignoring Johnny's irritated huff of breath. You dropped back down onto your bed, resuming your evening plans to stare at the ceiling and forget you existed.  

"Oh my God," Johnny groaned, moving to lie down beside you. "Can you quit being emo for two seconds and just live your life already? At least ask him out, for fuck's sake." 

"Who? Piotr?" You asked, knowing exactly who Johnny was referring to, but not wanting to give him the satisfaction of making it easy on him.  

"Stop being an idiot," he admonished, swatting at you, his fingers passing right through your arm. "It's really not you." 

You rolled your eyes, turning on your side to face him. "Wade's still hung up on Vanessa. Also, it's none of your fucking business." 

Johnny turned until your noses were nearly touching. A chill swept through you and you shivered. Johnny glanced down at the blanket, as if he wished he could pull it up over you. "You're still hung up on me, otherwise I wouldn't be here," he pointed out with a quirked eyebrow. That sounded dangerously like the conversation you had been avoiding for years and you shrunk back from him, worried about the direction he was going. Johnny sighed, exasperated, and continued talking. "And yet you've got feelings for the red dumbass. Point is, you can fall for more than one person. You can love more than one person. It’s not the end of the world. He probably wants to bone you too so you should just, you know, bone each other." 

"Oh my God," you moaned, horrified, before managing to wriggle yourself under your blanket. You pulled it up to hide your face, flinching when Johnny moved closer so he could peek through the threads and right into your eyes. "I don't have the best track record, alright? I'm oh for one on keeping the guys I fall for alive." 

Johnny shook his head, narrowing his eyes at you. "That fuckin' moron can't die and you know it. Stop being a coward and just get some already. How many times do I have to tell you before you start getting it that it's not your fault that I'm dead?" 

"I couldn't save you, Johnny. It was my power, mine, that fucked everything up. If it wasn't for me, if I wasn't there that night, you'd still be alive." You reached out for him, your fingers dipping right into his chest. "You'd be able to feel me and I'd be able to feel you. Now, you're stuck with me and I can only use you for your power, because I'm a selfish piece of shit." That wasn't quite true, because Johnny was a special case where your power for raising the dead was concerned, but you were on a self-deprecating roll, and you couldn't stop now. 

Johnny didn't say anything for a moment, simply watching you. You remembered a time when getting Johnny to shut up was a minor miracle, but in the years since his death, he'd grown more contemplative and less likely to run his mouth. Although, there were still times when he really let loose, knowing you were the only audience for his rants. He was also perceptive as hell and you knew he was reading everything you didn't want him to just from your expression.  

"Without me," you finished, pushing the blanket back down and turning onto your back to stare up at the ceiling. "The Fantastic Four wouldn't be the Fantastic Three." That was a bridge you had well and truly burned, understandably so given what happened the night that Johnny died. Johnny might not blame you for what happened to him, but Sue sure as hell did.  

"Sometimes, you're a real asshole, you know that?" Johnny muttered, getting off your bed to retreat to his chair near the window.  

"Don't I know it," you sighed, melancholy sweeping over you faster than you could try to push it away.  

You had wandered for a few years after Johnny's death. You had been halfway through your degree, but you dropped out to take odd jobs where people cared less about your name and past and more about if you could wait a table or scrub dishes. You refused to use your powers, shelving yourself in the 'villain' category everyone was so quick to bestow on you upon learning what you could do. It only took two months before Johnny showed up, leaning against the counter at a diner in the middle of nowhere Nebraska and asking you what the hell you thought you were doing.  

You had always known that necromancy was an ability you possessed, but it had never been so personal for you before. You could raise dead superheroes and take their powers for a spin, but none of them had ever followed you. None of them had ever haunted you.  

 Not until Johnny.  

Your other 'gift' was one you could easily go the rest of your life without unleashing again. It was the one that had been used on Johnny. It was the reason he was dead.  

You jumped from place to place until you ended up caught in the middle of a fight between Mr. Sinister and the X-Men. It wasn't long before they wanted to recruit you and while you were ready to pass on the opportunity, Johnny had convinced you to give it a shot.  

"Just give the whole superhero gig another go around. What's the worst that could happen?"

One anti-hero in a skintight red and black suit was what happened. Wade had quite literally dropped into your life while he was tracking down some guy named Francis and had quickly adopted you into his makeshift family. Your feelings for him evolved over time, morphing from irritation and exasperation to anticipation and affection. You had fallen hard for Wade and while you knew you didn't have a shot with him, you couldn't stop yourself from pining.  

Wade made you feel alive again. Wade didn't treat you like you were bound to break from one wrong word. Wade poked and prodded until he got hard-earned smiles out of you and he cared in his own roundabout way. Wade had a vocabulary and way with words that reminded you of Johnny and he always had your back when shit hit the fan.  

He had become your friend and then so much more and even though he wasn't with Vanessa any longer, you didn't dare to hope he would ever think of you as anything other than a teammate. 

Now, you were an X-Man with a pathetic crush on the only person to spectacularly fail out of the X-Men trainee program. You were holed up in your room, moping and feeding your own heartbreak with self-doubt, when you could be in a room surrounded by people who actually seemed to like you while you celebrated the man you were half in love with.  

"Fine," you groaned, pushing yourself to sit up. "Maybe we should go to that party after all," you conceded, catching the quick smile on Johnny's face.  

"Apology accepted," Johnny allowed, standing from the chair.  

There was a knock on your bedroom door and you frowned at it. You didn't think Piotr would have waited around for you, but you appreciated the sentiment. He was the kind of hopeful you were tempted to find foolish, but you begrudgingly thought it was sweet instead.  

Another insistent knock had you rolling your eyes.  

"That's gotta be Negasonic," Johnny commented, gesturing for you to go ahead and open the door. "Don't keep her waiting. She'll just blow the door down. Again." 

"I'm coming, I'm coming," you called, shooting Johnny a warning look when he smirked at your choice of words.  

You expected Negasonic or Piotr or maybe even Yukio when you opened the door. You weren't expecting four people decked out in full combat gear. You got a glimpse of an orange TVA stamped onto the front of the uniform before you were grabbed by the arm and tugged forward. You heard Johnny shout before there was a rush of flames and everything went dark.  

You woke with your forehead resting on a table. There was a headache brewing right behind your eyes and your heart was pounding. You tried to figure out where you were and what happened when you realized you could still hear Johnny.  

"--these fuckers and I'll roast them until their brains leak out their ears and then I'll--" 

"What the fuck," you groaned, finally managing to pick your head up off the table.  

You were seated facing a guy you didn't recognize. Johnny was pacing restlessly from one end of the room to the other, keeping an eye on the stranger.  

"Good, you're awake," Johnny said at the same time as the other guy.  

Johnny scowled at the guy. "This British prim and proper fuck kidnapped you and has been sitting there staring at you like a fucking creep. Now that you're awake, I can use my power and barbecue the smug prick." 

"I'm sorry we had to resort to such harsh methods, but my men assured me they handled you with the utmost care. We couldn’t risk you using your abilities, although one of my men did walk away a little singed." 

You caught Johnny’s satisfied grin and had to resist the urge to roll your eyes.  

You frowned at the stranger, still trying to make sense of the situation. "What the hell is going on? Where am I?" 

"You've been chosen," the guy informed you. "We at the TVA have to make the tough choices in order to ensure the upkeep of the timelines, particularly the sacred timeline, and we would like to recruit you to work for us." 

You blinked at him once, twice, trying to understand what he was telling you. You had never heard of the TVA and you had no fucking clue what the sacred timeline was or why it even mattered. All you really knew was that you had been kidnapped and now you were being given a job pitch. 

"Oh, how rude of me. You see, I know everything about you, but you know nothing about me. They call me Paradox. We've been keeping an eye on you for quite some time and we believe you're perfect for our mission here at the TVA. I'm quite a fan myself of your skillset and I know without a doubt we can put it to good use here." 

You neglected to respond, not liking the direction the conversation was headed. No good person actually liked your powers. You hated them, but there was nothing you could do about that except use them as sparingly as possible. Villains tried to recruit you and superheroes sneered at you once they realized what you could do. But the only people who really mattered to you were the only ones who realized you were more than abilities. They were the ones who accepted you regardless of the fact you could raise the dead or allow them to possess you. They were the ones who didn’t try to push you to use your other power when they realized you wanted nothing to do with it.  

Paradox seemed to realize he had lost you, because he heaved a heavy sigh and stood from his chair. 

"Why don't you follow me? We've got a friend of yours here who might be a bit more persuasive than I am. I understand why you might be reluctant, given your tragic past and whatnot, but we promise to treat you with absolute respect here." 

“I don’t like this,” Johnny grumbled, glaring at Paradox. “Something’s wrong here.”  

You shared a look with Johnny. He still looked pissed off and you consoled yourself with the fact that if shit went sideways, then he could always use his power to take out Paradox.  

You got up out of the chair and followed Paradox out of the room. He took you to an elevator that opened onto a walkway that looked down on several cubicles where other TVA employees were dutifully working. You noticed a few of them lift their heads, gifting you with curious glances, before going back to work. 

 Paradox led you towards a row of monitors at the end of the walkway. Reels of battles were playing on the screens, and you caught sight of members of the Avengers.  

"We only look for the best and brightest here at the TVA and you have the potential to become someone who makes a real difference. We'd like you to join the best of the best." 

You wanted to tell Paradox you were already part of a team. You had the X-Men and you didn't want to abandon them.  

You had a good thing going, really, all things considered.  

But then the elevator opened and you turned just in time to see Wade stride out in a new Deadpool suit.  

He hadn't donned the suit in years, and you felt your breath catch in your throat at the sight of him. The first thought that came to your mind was that he looked gorgeous, confident in a way he hadn’t been in six years. The next thought that quickly followed was that the suit fit him really well and left nearly nothing to the imagination. You had to avert your gaze, finding Johnny staring at you with a shit-eating grin that only served to make you feel even more flustered.  

Wade was busy gushing about the suit and you heard him mention adamantium katanas before his eyes finally landed on you.  

Wade gasped, pointing a finger at you. "Y/N's joining the big leagues too? Oh ho ho, that's the best news over. C'mere," he reached out to draw you into a hug and you could only stand there, flummoxed by the turn of events.  

Wade being here as well changed everything, and you had a feeling there was no going back. As long as Wade was at the TVA, you weren’t going anywhere.  

"So," Wade started, throwing an arm around your shoulders. "When can me and my girl here join the Avengers? I figure we can do a one week on one week off sort of schedule. Gives us enough time to come back and really put in the time with our family." 

You were having a hard time concentrating with Wade pressed so close to your side. Couple that with the fact that he had also referred to you as his girl and your head was spinning.  

Paradox narrowed his eyes at Wade for a moment before his confusion cleared. "No, no," he denied with a shake of his head. "I'm afraid you don't quite get it. Your universe and that family will be no more, Mr. Wilson. Your universe is going to be wiped out because it lost its anchor being." 

Wade went still at your side, his shoulders tensing in a way that usually meant nothing good, and you knew shit was about to go down. You shot Johnny a look, catching him staring at Paradox with even more venom than before. You had no doubt he was thinking about his own family and Sue and Peter Parker and all the others he had loved so much while he was alive being decimated because of Paradox and the TVA. 

"Well," Wade started, drawing away from you. "You're in luck, because I'm right here. It was just a little retirement, but I'm back in the saddle now, and ready to giddy up again." He mimed riding a horse for a brief moment before growing still. It was the way he held himself when he knew there was danger and you knew that when he started fighting, you were going to have his back.  

Paradox snorted, instinctive and involuntary from the surprised look on his face. "You? Oh, dear God, no. I'm talking about a being who gave up everything, including his own life, in a sacrifice that was so noble, so heart wrenching that it left many in tears. This man's loss sent shockwaves through your timeline, triggering its destruction. I'm talking, of course, about Logan. The Wolverine." 

Paradox gestured towards the monitors where an older Logan Howlett was dying. He was talking to a young girl and was gravely injured, his skin ashen grey and words growing more drawn out as he clung to life.  

 You glanced at the TVA employees who had all paused what they were doing to stare up at the monitors. Some had hands clutched to their chests at the display and a few even had tears in their eyes. Paradox seemed just as enthralled by the scene and you wondered when the hell Logan was set to die, because as far as you knew, he was still very much alive in your time.  

"Right, okay, yeah," Wade said, turning away from Paradox before putting his head in his hands and shaking it in frustration. "Logan?!" He exclaimed, turning on Paradox again. "That jackass is what's keeping me from losing my family? That fucker can heal, so how the fuck can he die? And he’s got skewers for hands! He’s not that fucking special. Put him on a street corner and he can sell kebabs off those things. You’re really telling me that fucker is going to kill my timeline because he finally decided to retire?" 

"He's really quite extraordinary," Paradox mused, watching the monitors as the life drained out of Logan's eyes. He turned the monitors off before gifting Wade all his attention again. "I've been tasked with watching your timeline die out of natural causes, but that's not good enough for me, no. I'm going to use a device that's going to rip apart your timeline. It's a mercy killing, Mr. Wilson, and while it's an acceptable loss, I've pruned you and your friend here because I thought we could use you. Your talents are impressive, Mr. Wilson, and well, you," Paradox continued, addressing you. "The way you fight the darkness inside you to be a better hero. How you eschew half your power because of the pain you've faced in your past. The powers you wield and borrow from the dead without ever letting it overwhelm you. All of that brought you here and I really think the both of you should be thanking me." 

"Thanking you," you repeated, finally deigning to talk again after letting yourself observe everything in silence. "You're planning to kill our universe and you want us to thank you?" 

"You're basically telling us you're gonna take our timeline out back and shoot it," Wade added, his tone edged with a hint of steel, betraying his anger.  

"I'm good at what I do and I'm not meant to sit around and watch the lights go dim on your universe." He pointed a device at the monitors, and they turned on again, showing a machine being activated by TVA agents.  

"What in the ever-loving fuck is that?" Wade asked, leaning forward to try to get a better look at the picture before you.  

"That is a time ripper," Paradox answered with a smug grin. "And I intend to use it to rip apart your little universe. Your friends and your family won't feel a thing, of course, it's really the most humane way to do these things. Letting them just blink out of existence from natural causes, well, that's unneeded. I want to run, no be the TVA one day and these are the kind of decisions that will put me at the top." 

"Are you believing this shit?" Wade muttered, lowering his voice so only you could hear.  

"Not really," you answered, studying Paradox with interest. "But if you let him keep talking, he'll give us something he didn't mean to." 

"Get him monologuing, good call," Wade approved with a nod of his head.  

"What are you two talking about? Were you listening to me at all?" Paradox interrupted, appearing irritated by you and Wade.  

"No," you and Wade answered at the same time.  

"Jinx," Wade whispered, reaching out to pinch you.  

You slapped his hand away, keeping your full attention on Paradox, waiting for him to fuck up.  

Paradox huffed out an annoyed breath. "Your universe is dying and I intend to erase it completely from existence once the time ripper is ready. The both of you can be saved and you can use your abilities for a greater cause. I'm giving you a chance most others don't get, so don't waste it. " 

"Oh, I don't intend to," Wade assured him, beginning to approach him. "So, you're saying that without Logan, my universe dies?" 

Paradox rolled his eyes, his composure beginning to fade. "How many times do I have to--" 

Wade grabbed Paradox by the shoulders and jerked him forward so his nose made contact with Wade's forehead. Paradox staggered back, holding his now bleeding nose.  

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Paradox spat, fury flashing in his eyes.  

"I'm going to snag me a Wolverine," Wade answered, holding up the device Paradox had been holding. "And lookie what I got here." 

Paradox's eyes went wide in alarm before Wade rushed towards you and grabbed your hand. He used the device to open a doorway just off the walkway. He spun you so you were facing him and wrapped his arms around your waist. You instinctively wrapped yours around him as he fell off the walkway right onto the orange glowing portal.  

Wade hit the ground, and you landed on him. You glanced up to see the way back had been sealed off, leaving you and Wade stuck in a forest covered in snow.  

"Not that this isn't nice and all," Wade mused, tilting his head to the side as he considered you. You wished you could see his face so you could read his expression instead of just his tone. "But we've got a family to save." 

"Right," you muttered, patting Wade on the chest in thanks for softening the blow for you. You moved to get up before holding out a hand to help Wade up off the ground. Your head was still reeling from the turn of events and there was a little flutter in your stomach at the memory of being pressed up against Wade. He had grabbed you and shielded you from the fall and all you could think about was how nice it had felt being held in his arms.  

"You're so easy," Johnny teased, leaning against a tree as he studied you. "Is it his big, strong arms? That skintight red suit? You always were a sucker for a guy in a suit. Remember how riled up you'd get when I put mine on?" 

"Oh my God, shut up," you groaned, turning a glare on Johnny.  

"I didn't--you know what? Never mind. Be back in a sec," Wade promised before he used the device again. He was gone for just a moment, barely long enough for you to feel stranded out in the wilderness. He appeared again, holding a shovel in his hand and brandishing it at you. "Ready to dig up an X-Man?" 

You sat with your back against a tree and watched Wade dig up Logan's grave. You had never met Logan, because he had split by the time you joined the X-Men. You weren't really sure where he was, but you supposed he no longer wanted to play hero. Not after Jean Grey's death left him heartbroken. The team had shattered after Scott's death, but the pieces had scattered upon losing Jean. It had taken years before a new team formed and while you didn't hold the same glory as the older X-Men, you knew what you did still mattered.  

"I guess, in a certain light, he is kinda hot, you know," Johnny commented, sitting at your side. “He’d probably be strong enough to hold you up against a wall while you--” 

“Stop it,” you snapped, embarrassed even though you were the only one who could hear Johnny. 

Wade had finished digging up the grave and was now hidden from view.  

"What the fuck!" Wade barked before you saw him grab the shovel and start hitting something over and over again. "Get. Up. You. Fucking. Useless. Piece. Of. Shit." Each word was punctuated by another hit of the shovel and you could hear it connect with something metal each time. 

You had a sinking feeling in your gut that Logan was more than a little dead.  

"But fuck is he an idiot," Johnny continued with an unimpressed look in your direction. "Your standards really lowered after I died, you know that?" 

"Wade," you called, opting to ignore Johnny for now and moving to stand up. "Why don't we just take a second, alright? Get out of the grave and let’s rethink our plan." 

Instead of Wade, a metal skull peeked over the edge of the grave. "You see this shit? We came all the way out here to bumfuck who fucking cares and he's actually dead!" There was a hint of hysteria in Wade's tone and you took a few steps forward until you could see him hunched over Logan’s skeleton, shaking it in frustration. "What was all that bullshit about regenerative healing for then? Because it's not doing shit for us now!" 

"C'mon," you coaxed, knowing Wade was in the midst of a meltdown. He had been relying on the idea that Logan was miraculously still alive and now that he was met with the harsh evidence that Logan was completely and totally dead, he was starting to lose hope. "Let's take a second to regroup. There's got to be another answer." 

"Yeah, we're fucked, that's the answer," Wade hissed, but he still threw Logan's skeleton over the side of the grave before following.  

You watched him stand and dust himself off before grabbing the skeleton. You were getting a little worried about how he seemed intent on dragging it along with him, as if he was still hoping Logan would spring to life at any moment.  

"I don't think fresh air's gonna kickstart his healing," Johnny said with a frown.  

"Look, I'm sorry, alright? It's just, you were my only shot at getting this fixed and now I'm in a teensy bit of a bind."  

It took you a moment to realize that Wade was talking to Logan's corpse.  

Wade reached out to upright Logan's skeleton and adjusted it until it was sitting next to him on a fallen tree.   

"God, Logan, I've gotta admit, I always wanted a team-up. Deadpool and Wolverine. It'd be a billion-dollar idea right there, but what are we gonna do? You're dead and I'm, well, not," he continued, slapping a hand to Logan's patella with a chuckle that sounded a bit too unhinged.  

"Wade, maybe we should just--" you started to say before dozens of orange doorways appeared. You saw TVA agents begin to stream out of them. "Fuck," you breathed, your heart racing at the sight of them.  

"I mean, yeah, we probably should do that, but I don't think now's the time," Wade mused before he realized what had caught your attention. "Get down!" He urged you, moving to duck behind the log he had been sitting on and pulling Logan with him.  

You dropped down, not wanting to become an easy target. You reached out with your power, searching for someone to use. She was young, younger than you would have preferred, but when you locked eyes with her where she was standing just a few feet away, she gave a nod of agreement.  

You watched her walk towards you, aware that Wade was trying to reason with the TVA agents. You reached a hand out, feeling the cold brush of hers pass through yours, before she was absorbed into your body.  

You would never get used to the feeling of another soul tucked right up against yours. You were fully in control, but the passenger was getting to see and feel and touch again even if it was just for a brief moment. You could feel her satisfaction at feeling the hum of her power along your limbs and you slowly got to your feet.  

Wade had been busy disposing of TVA agents while you were waiting on Liana to possess you. You felt guilty that she would just have to be a bystander as you used her power to save yourself, but there was no other way. Johnny was the only one that was able to use his powers without possessing you and you still didn't even know how that worked. Whenever he used his power, you could still feel the pull of it, always dancing on the edges of your awareness. But he could stay outside your body and use it without you controlling him, which was more than you could say for the poor souls who let you use them up and spit them out again. 

"Watch out!" Johnny warned, already preparing a ball of flame to throw at the TVA agent trying to sneak up on you.  

You turned, stretching out a hand to jerk the baton out of his hand with your borrowed power. You sent it flying before slamming him back into a tree. You saw him slump to the ground before you focused on the next agent. Blood was now coating the ground and TVA agents were falling left and right, you and Wade making quick work of them while Johnny set the stragglers on fire, sending them screaming and attempting to put out the flames Johnny would only reinforce.  

"Shit," Wade breathed once there was no one left to fight. "What was it this time?" He asked you, gesturing with his hands, mimicking you using your stolen ability.  

"Telekinesis," you answered with a sigh. You had already parted ways with Liana and watching her wander away, forever forced to trek through the woods where she died, left you with a grief you didn't know how to shake.  

"Right," Wade replied, keeping his gaze on you. You weren't sure what he saw on your face, but he didn't care to comment on it. "Well, guess we've got to find ourselves a Logan that's still got some pep in his step." Wade held a hand out towards you. "You with me on this?" 

You stared down at Wade's outstretched hand. It was stupid and reckless and you didn't know what the hell would happen to you. But you trusted Wade and you had never been all that great at telling him no. You grabbed his hand, letting him pull you closer.  

"I'm with you," you told him before you let him sweep you away to another universe.  

After the fifth Logan attempted to kill Wade, you had a feeling it wasn't going to be easy taking a Wolverine anywhere he didn't want to go.  

"You wanna step in any time?" Wade grunted as the Logan you found in the apocalyptic wasteland brought his claws down into Wade's chest over and over, sending blood shooting up and coating his face in it.  

"You know, I think you're doing great," you absentmindedly assured him, shooting a wary look at the horde of souls who were all watching you with hunger in their eyes. This universe was steeped in death and your power was screaming at you to reach out and take them all, use them up and discard them, let their powers consume you. Instead, you turned your back on them, searching for your lifeline among the dead. "Wade, let's get the fuck out of here." Your voice was strained and you could feel them all staring at you. They wanted a taste of life again and you were the only one who could give it to them. If you submitted to one, they would all converge on you, threatening to tear you apart until there was nothing of you left.  

Wade seemed to realize you were struggling, because he was quick to bring a katana up and shove it through Wolverine's chest, forcing him back. He jumped to his feet, pulling his katana free before running towards you and pulling you into the next universe.  

You fell through universe after universe, searching for a Logan to drag back to the TVA in the hopes he would save your home. There was an older version of Logan who blew a hole through Wade, forcing you to put your hands up in surrender so you wouldn't suffer the same fate. There was a Logan fighting the Hulk which made quick work of flinging Wade to the side, forcing you to grab a teleportation ability from an old man so you could grab Wade and get out of range of the fight. There was a Logan in Madripoor playing poker and another one who had been turned into a zombie. There was another in league with Hydra and one nailed to a giant X amidst a field of bloodied skulls. 

You jumped from place to place, attempting to find the right Logan, but all of them only seemed to want to kill Wade. Sometimes, they even tried to take a swipe at you, prompting Johnny and Wade to do their best to keep them off you. You knew you were more than capable of taking care of yourself, but you were touched by their protective instincts. You spent so much time wallowing in self-loathing because of what you had done in your past that it was nice to get a reminder that there were still people who cared about you. 

You were starting to think you wouldn't find a Logan before the TVA caught up with the pair of you. It wasn't until Wade dragged you into another universe where you found a Logan sitting at a bar staring down into a glass of whiskey like it was his whole world that you finally lucked out.  

You hung back while Wade sidled up Logan. You could only hear about half of what they were saying so you shuffled forward, not wanting to break whatever fragile peace had fallen between Wade and Logan. This was the furthest Wade had gotten without bleeding, so you were starting to feel the tiniest glimmer of hope that this was going to finally work out.  

"You're comin' with me," Wade said before he stood and attempted to pull Logan up off his seat. 

Logan stumbled, a scowl on his face, as he attempted to unsheathe his claws. They were slowly pushing through his skin as he confronted Wade.  

"Performance issues, huh? Let's get you a little blue pill and those things will be fully erect in no time," Wade joked with a dismissive little wave of his hand.  

"Shut the fuck up," Logan growled, before his eyes met yours over Wade's shoulder. "What's the Avengers want with me? I told them I'm not doing shit for them." 

"Avengers?" You wondered, quickly glancing over your shoulder, half-expecting to see Captain America standing there. "Me?" You checked, looking back at Logan.  

"Don't play dumb with me," he snapped, his focus stolen by Wade's snort of amusement.  

"You lucky son of a bitch," Wade shot over his shoulder at you. "They wouldn't take me, you know," he confided in Logan.  

Logan quirked an unimpressed eyebrow at Wade. "I can see why, bub." 

"Hurtful," Wade responded, before he sighed. "Alright, look, enough of this. You're coming with us." 

"Like hell I am," Logan argued. "I'm not going anywhere with you." 

You watched Wade pull a gun on Logan and Logan only followed that up with an amused smirk before draining the bottle of whiskey. When his eyes rolled back up into his head and he fell to the ground unconscious, Johnny let out a low whistle.  

"That one's got some issues," he observed. "But then again, all these Logans seem more than a little fucked up." 

"Yeah," you sighed, ignoring Wade's curious glance, before moving forward. "Let's get him back to the TVA." 

"Already on it," Wade assured you before bending down and attempting to pull Logan up off the floor. He froze, moving aside the collar of Logan's shirt. "Well, hello there," Wade practically purred, obviously pleased about something. "This is so much better," he continued before starting to strip Logan's jacket off him.  

"Uh, Wade?" You called, realizing you were starting to draw an audience.  

"Is he taking off his clothes? I mean, I'd like to see what he's packing under all that, sure, but here in front of all these people?" Johnny asked, sounding equal parts fascinated and horrified.  

It wasn't until Wade had managed to get Logan out of his jacket and shirt that you realized what he wanted.  

"Is that--?" 

"The yellow and blue, tried and true, yep," Wade answered, glancing at you over his shoulder. "Think it goes all the way down?" He started unzipping Logan's pants and you rolled your eyes.  

"God, give the guy some dignity," you admonished, doing your best to shield Logan from the curious glances of the bar patrons. "I doubt he has much of it left at this point."  

This Logan seemed broken and defeated. There wasn't much fight left in him at all. You didn't know what happened to him or why he hadn't tried to automatically kill Wade, but you were tempted to try to find out.  

"Alright, all better," Wade approved once Logan was left in nothing but his X-Men suit before he got to his feet and dusted off his hands. "Little help here?" 

You helped him get Logan off the floor. Logan's head rolled to the side, coming to a rest on your shoulder. You studied him for a moment, noticing that he was beginning to come around again.  

Logan stumbled on his feet between you and Wade as you brought him through the portal to the TVA.  

Wade let Logan fall to the floor and you almost tumbled after him. You stopped yourself at the last moment though and noticed Wade approaching Paradox.  

You weren't sure where you needed to be or what you needed to do, but it quickly became apparent that Paradox wasn't pleased with Wade. 

"You not only brought the wrong Wolverine," Paradox started, "but you brought arguably the worst Wolverine." 

You glanced down at Logan to see the pain etched into his expression. There was something haunting him, not quite so literally as your past was with you, but you felt for him.  

"How about you shut the hell up and tell us how to fix this," you interrupted, not wanting to hear Paradox disparage Logan anymore. The guy had just been kidnapped, he didn’t need to be belittled by a total stranger on top of it. 

"Fix it? There is no fixing it," Paradox claimed. "Your universe is fucked and there's nothing you can do to stop it." 

"I want to speak to your manager," Wade hissed, getting in Paradox's face. "I'm fully trained in Karen and I intend to bring hell down on whatever little operation you've got going on here. I’m gonna get you fired, buddy!" 

You caught the briefest flicker of fear in Paradox's expression and realized that Wade had finally uncovered what had been so sketchy about Paradox from the beginning.  

"Oh," Wade breathed in understanding. "You've gone rogue."  

Logan slowly got to his feet at your side as Wade ranted about finding the top dog of the TVA and snitching on Paradox. Paradox looked more and more unsettled and you saw the baton just a beat too late.  

"Wade," you started before Wade was gone in a flash of light and smoke, leaving the stolen device that had been in his hand to clatter useless to the walkway.  

"God, that's better," Paradox sighed. “Some peace and quiet.” 

"Where the fuck did he go? What did you do?" Logan snarled, turning and searching for Wade, as if he was simply hiding.  

"Same thing I'm going to do to you, Mr. Howlett. I sent him to the Void," Paradox informed him.  

Logan growled before letting his claws spring free. He charged at Paradox before he too was gone the same way Wade had disappeared.  

You stayed where you were, watching Paradox. You figured you only had two choices here and there was only really one road you wanted to follow. The quickest way back to Wade and Logan.  

"You can stay here and be what you're meant to be," Paradox tried to persuade you. "Those two idiots will only hold you back, you know. We can still use you here." 

"Yeah," you agreed, feeling a smile tug at your lips. "But if you don't send me where you sent them, I'm going to kill you. And you know I can. So, what do you value more? My compliance or your life?" 

Paradox clenched his jaw, visibly irritated, and you gifted him with a smirk as you threw your arms wide.  

"Get on with it," you goaded him just as he closed the distance between you and the room spun away.  

Everything disappeared in a flash of light, swiftly followed by an all-encompassing darkness. You clawed your way free, shouts and metal clashing with metal greeting you as you finally drifted back up into consciousness.  

You squinted against the light that was shining down on you and managed to sit up. You felt lightheaded for a moment before everything settled and you realized that Logan and Wade were fighting each other. Wade had stabbed Logan through the chest with his katanas and Logan had buried his claws in Wade's sides.  

"Oh my God," you groaned, dropping your head into your hands. "I should've stayed at the TVA."  

"You've only got yourself to blame," Johnny agreed, ignoring your noise of protest. "You gonna stop those two idiots from fighting or what? They're not gonna be of any use to you like this." 

"I know, I know," you dismissed with a wave of your hand.  

"If you know, then get the hell up and get over there before Logan kills him," he told you.  

It was then you noticed Wade on his knees and Logan poised to strike, intent on taking Wade's head off with his claws. You didn't think it would actually kill Wade, but Logan seemed like he was hellbent on trying, so you hurriedly got to your feet.  

"Shit, shit, shit," you chanted as you raced over towards them.  

You were halfway there when you heard his voice.  

"Fighting each other isn't the answer, you know. It's only gonna make us lose faster," he called down from where he was perched on a metal tower several feet above you.  

He had a hood pulled up over his head obscuring his face from view, but you would recognize that voice anywhere.  

You had been hearing it for years.  

You could see the hint of blue hidden beneath the layers he was wearing. It was a different version of the suit than you had been used to seeing, but you knew without a doubt that there would still be a ‘4’ emblazoned on the chest.  

You glanced over your shoulder to lock eyes with your Johnny, half-convinced that he had somehow managed to change out of the leather jacket, white t-shirt, and blue jeans he had died in, but he was still unchanged.  

It only meant that the person up on the scaffolding above you was still alive.  

"Johnny," you whispered, feeling like the ground had been ripped out from right beneath you.  

"They're coming," the other Johnny warned, pointing off in the distance at the dust clouds that were kicked up beneath the wheels of the line of vehicles heading towards you. 

The other Johnny dropped down to the ground and Wade made a sound of approval.  

"That's one hell of a superhero landing," he praised, clapping his hands.  

You wanted to believe you were wrong, but you knew that nothing in your life had ever been easy. It wasn't until the hood was removed and you were met with the sight of an older version of Johnny that you realized maybe you should have just joined Paradox.  

It would have been a hell of a lot less painful than looking into the eyes of the man your ex-boyfriend should have become before you ripped his life away with your power.  

You glanced over your shoulder, seeking out your Johnny again, and caught him staring at the other Johnny.  

Awe, jealousy, fascination, and remorse were written into the lines of his expression. You had deprived Johnny of his future and now it was standing right in front of him. Seeing Johnny watch his older self play hero felt like a punch in the gut and you wished more than anything that your power involved time travel. You would do anything to unwrite your past mistakes and have Johnny live, even if you meant that you died. 

You wanted to apologize. You wanted to scream. You wanted to run. You wanted to hide.  

Instead, overwhelmed by all the warring instincts, you simply burst into tears. 

Author's Note: If you want to be tagged for this fic, just let me know! Any love for this would mean so much to me if you read this and liked it!! I'm so excited about this one and I really hope y'all are too. Next up in the fic rotation: Marvel Zombies/What IF?: Zombies with zombified!Logan/Reader and Bucky/Reader for Halloween!

Taglist: @shizzybarnaclee @i-left-my-cat-on-the-stove @slightlymediocree @snowyminty @i-wear-wet-socks313

[riding-the-cyclone]

Doodles when I was supposed to do something else :]

[idonothavewings]

orym hitting us with “do you ever miss your mortality? its pretty great, living a lifetime” while turning to catch dorian’s eye and smile at him like hinting that he’s the reason that living is greaT AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[ruvviks]

drew anatoly, one of the main characters of original universe obscura :]

taglist (opt in/out)

@nistarot, @deadrlngers, @euryalex, @ordinarymaine, @mojaves;

@shellibisshe, @dickytwister, @mnwlk, @rindemption, @ncytiri;

@calenhads, @noirapocalypto, @florbelles, @radioactiveshitstorm, @strafethesesinners;

@fashionablyfyrdraaca, @radioactive-synth, @katsigian, @estevnys, @devilbrakers;

@aezyrraesh, @carlosoliveiraa, @adelaidedrubman, @fromgotham, @wardenevka;

@samuraifics

[screechingfromthevoid]

Do you think Dorian sees black icor drip from Laudna and think of Opal?

Do you think he needed to be a part of the ritual to seal away Delilah? To make up for not being able to save Opal?

Do you think he left Dariax behind because he already lost an idiot brother and he couldnt risk losing another?

Do you think Dorian wants the gods to go away so terribly because then Opal will be free? Fy'ra Rai will be free? Morrighan will be free?

The only thing Dorian gains from banishing the gods is peace for his friends. And that's enough for him to do it

[lolabearwrites]

@rubyfoxfyre feeding us so so good after that slowburn !!

Seeing RadioBelle be so sweet and spicy is amazing after all their pinning <3

small sketch of Al's reaction:

[horsefigureoftheday]

I love old horse comics

Always a fucking plane crash