#emmas a goddamn hero

[pinazee]

Can we take a moment to appreciate that emma was down to help bill get his daughter back even though it was incredibly dangerous and she just met him??

[allwormdiet]

Extermination 8.1

Jesus Christ. Okay. Let's get this going.

Y'know, I wonder if Taylor might be cynical about human nature or something, weird

Hey Dragon, very cool to meet you in the chrome.

Aww, she's starstruck

Hey Weld, cool to meet you, wish it was under less dire circumstances

See, the nice thing about the Empire showing up to an Endbringer fight is that the Endbringer can then massacre a bunch of fucking Nazis. Totally victimless deaths, and no hand-wringing about whether it's right or wrong to take them down.

If I was giving performance notes to Leviathan for this showing I would have to criticize that he didn't kill more of them, frankly

Hey kids, sorry some of you are about to get slaughtered in a fight you're way underqualified for

Hey Panacea, I'll see you later when you decide to exacerbate Skitter's paranoia in revenge for the bank job and make this arc go from bad to worse for her

So I know Legend is publicly gay from fandom osmosis, but what I don't know in this moment is whether Wildbow had decided on that beforehand and Taylor is currently ogling a gay dude, or if he decided on it after writing this. I guess it doesn't strictly matter, but it leaves me curious how much of this was laid out in advance, especially with some other writing decisions that are gonna come up this arc

So Myrddin straight up has a wizard gimmick and that's kind of wild, but not nearly as wild as the fact that a Protectorate cape apparently flew off the handle sufficiently far enough to yell a racial slur multiple times in public. Like holy shit that is some radioactive PR.

Also, while you do not in fact have to hand it to the Empire Eighty-Eight, it is very funny of Kaiser to taunt Bastion like this

So that's the Triumvirate rounded out, and... how to put this. There's something that's almost sweet about Taylor's thoughts diverting to think about the "who would win" discussions about heroes. Like, I dunno, it's a cute insight into the world. Maybe she used to have those conversations with Emma back when they were younger.

Y'know, I'm constantly wary of government-employed superheroes as a concept, but frankly i think a corporate superhero team is even more hair-raising. The Christian superheroes could break in either direction, either they're genuinely good people who take their faith seriously or they're just self-righteous pukes. Knowing the general tone of this story, I'd be surprised if it was the first one.

Hey Parian, hey Flechette, looking forward to your later contributions

What the hell is Bambina's deal, even. Does she have some kinda thing going on like Babydoll from BTAS, or what. I don't know if I've heard the name come up before.

Grue, Regent, c'mon now

Also yeah Taylor, I think you sufficiently scared the absolute bejeezus out of Sundancer when you made this story really earn a content warning for eye horror.

Okay so I did not realize that Narwhal was gonna have a goddamn exhibitionist thing going on here, what the hell. Can you just get away with whatever as long as you're not showing your nipples or genitals? Did it truly never come up that she could maybe wear pants to cover up a little bit?

So I knew previously that Legend is a notoriously poor public speaker, but the fact that he just straight up says "best case scenario twenty-five percent of you are dead before sunset" is ridiculous. Kristen Applebees could give a more inspiring speech than this.

Everyone in that room must be questioning their life choices tbh

Current Thoughts

I know they all volunteered, and I know that there's a protectiveness that comes with fighting for your hometown, but Jesus Christ there should be an age limit for fighting Endbringers. Signing up the teenagers to fight Nazis is already a bit rough, but the kaiju who is going to kill a bunch of them feels like someone should have pulled them back. It might technically have been the wrong decision given how critical kids like Flechette and Skitter end up being, but at least then I'd feel less judgmental of the people running this show.

Anyhow. God Taylor just keeps ending up being lonely, huh? Can't escape it, poor girl.

[jonasgoonface]

Happy anniversary of Willem Van Spronsen's attack on the Tacoma ICE detention center. Here's a thing I drew a while back. Here's a manifesto that he wrote, it's v good. ------

What follows is the written manifesto of Willem Van Spronsen:

there's wrong and there's right. it's time to take action against the forces of evil. evil says one life is worth less than another. evil says the flow of commerce is our purpose here. evil says concentration camps for folks deemed lesser are necessary. the handmaid of evil says the concentration camps should be more humane. beware the centrist.

i have a father's broken heart i have a broken down body and i have an unshakable abhorrence of injustice. that is what brings me here. this is my clear opportunity to try to make a difference, i'd be an ingrate to be waiting for a more obvious invitation.

i follow three teachers: don pritts, my spiritual guide, "love without action is just a word." john brown, my moral guide, "what is needed is action!" emma goldman, my political guide, "if i can't dance, i don't want to be in your revolution."

i'm a head in the clouds dreamer, i believe in love and redemption. i believe we're going to win i'm joyfully revolutionary. (we all should have been reading emma goldman in school instead of the jingo drivel we were fed. but i digress.) (we should all be looking at the photos of the YJP heroes should we falter and think our dreams are impossible, but i double digress. fight me.)

in these days of fascist hooligans preying on vulnerable people on our streets, in the name of the state or supported and defended by the state,

in these days of highly profitable detention/concentration camps and a battle over the semantics, in these days of hopelessness, empty pursuit and endless yearning,

we are living in visible fascism ascendant. (i say visible, because those paying attention watched it survive and thrive under the protection of the state for decades [see howard zinn, "a people's history of the united states.") now it unabashedly follows its agenda with open and full cooperation from the government. from governments around the world.

fascism serves the needs of the state serves the needs of business and at your expense. who benefits? jeff bezos, warren buffet, elon musk, tim cook, bill gates, betsy de vos, george soros, and need i go on? let me say it again: rich guys, (who think you're not really all that good,) really dig government, (every government everywhere, including "communist" governments,) because they make rules that make rich guys richer.

simple. don't overthink it.

(are you patriots in the back paying attention?)

when i was a boy, in post war holland, later france, my head was filled with stories of the rise of fascism in the 30's. i promised myself that i would not be one of those who stands by as neighbors are torn from their homes and imprisoned for somehow being perceived as lesser. you don't have to burn the motherfucker down, but are you just going to stand by?

this is the test of our fundamental belief in real freedom and our responsibility to each other. this is a call to patriots, too, to stand against this travesty against everything that you hold sacred. i know you. i know that in your hearts, you see the dishonor in these camps. it's time for you, too, to stand up to the money pulling the strings of every goddamn puppet pretending to represent us.

i'm a man who loves you all and this spinning ball so much that i'm going to fulfill my childhood promise to myself to be noble.

here it is, in these corporate for profit concentration camps. here it is, in brown and non conforming folks afraid to show their faces for fear of the police/migra/proud boys/the boss/beckies... here it is, a planet almost used up by the market's greed.

i'm a black and white thinker. detention camps are an abomination. i'm not standing by. i really shouldn't have to say any more than this.

i set aside my broken heart and i heal the only way i know how- by being useful. i efficiently compartmentalize my pain... and i joyfully go about this work. (to those burdened with the wreckage from my actions, i hope that you will make the best use of that burden.)

to my comrades:

i regret that i will miss the rest of the revolution. thank you for the honor of having me in your midst.

giving me space to be useful, to feel that i was fulfilling my ideals, has been the spiritual pinnacle of my life.

doing what i can to help defend my precious and wondrous people is an experience too rich to describe.

my trans comrades have transformed me, solidifying my conviction that we will be guided to a dreamed of future by those most marginalized among us today. i have dreamed it so clearly that i have no regret for not seeing how it turns out. thank you for bringing me so far along.

i am antifa, i stand with comrades around the world who act from the love of life in every permutation. comrades who understand that freedom means real freedom for all and a life worth living.

keep the faith! all power to the people! bella ciao

don't let your silly government agencies spend money "investigating" this one. i was radicalized in civics class at 13 when we were taught about the electoral college. it was at that point that i decided that the status quo might be a house of cards. further reading confirmed in the positive. i highly recommend reading! i am not affiliated with any organization, i have disaffiliated from any organizations who disagree with my choice of tactics. the semi automatic weapon i used was a cheap, home built unregistered "ghost" ar15, had six magazines. i strongly encourage comrades and incoming comrades to arm themselves. we are now responsible for defending people from the predatory state. ignore the laws of arming yourself if you have the luxury, i did.

[suckinitup]

also hi!!!! before u get much further in worm actually. holding a microphone up to u. i'd love ur worm thoughts like in general!!! (my favorite question to ask people <3) on. taylor & her character development. what u think the end of the worlds gonna be . rachel. etc. whatevers on ur mind!!!

hi hi hi!!! right now what it on my on my mind is taylor shooting a goddamn baby. and how necessary that was. and how shooting a baby maybe saved the world.

shes so fucking. shes so fascinating. taylor. god. shes horrible. she hated armsmaster for being brusque and an asshole but now she loves defiant for getting down to business because she Gets It. theyve got other shit to focus on. she spent so much time being pragmatic about the bullying and then went thru this whole fucking cost/benefit analysis for Years to survive coil and the nine and the nine again and shes just. man. i like how she gets along so well with rachel and defiant who dont do people super well but she DIDNT early on when she was still her most classic hero (and “normal”). AND something something breakdown of her typical social structures. further compartmentalizing people as tools and resources instead of People. minions. like bugs. she very obviously still sees them ss people shes just super fucking traumatized and everything has reinforced for her over and over again that she HAS to be pragmatic and clever and evil because this is a horrible game where she has to make sacrifices. but im also thinking about when theo compared her to jack. and i was talking before about missing the closeness of the undersiders and actually getting to know the characters as well as she does but. theres still that fucking distance with her and i really appreciate that i dont know shit about her team now. it makes me think about when they pulled that dildo prank and she just sat down at the computer to read reports afterwards while the others laughed. shes a general. an administrator queen. she gives orders so good that chevalier listens to her without a second thought. she has made so many calls and saved so many people. she got behemoth skeletonized. she is eighteen years old and yknow. i dont think shes thought about her dad even once after the two year time skip. thats. yeah okay.

that super classic horror theme of “youre doing horrible things and i understand why” << that is taylor hebert at the core. shes been slow-cooked into This since she emma first rejected her. since sophia first tripped her.

makes me think abojt dragon actually. and how dragon was terrifying. but we only saw her be TERRIFYING and kill people when she took out that bus of cherishes. and she got shut down and the chance of the world ending decreased. dragon was allowed to do what she did until she broke free of her bonds in the pursuit of justice. thinking sbout taylor. and how trying ti save people always makes her worse and worse. her obsession with saving dinah made her do so much. how much good vould coil have accomplished with skitter to manipulate him and dinah to guide him. and now shes shot a little girl who was even more defenseless. dinah couldnt be sacrificed but aster could. and yeah theyre at different scales but. i cant help but draw that parallel anyway. and the way that the prt will quarantine entire areas and leave the people inside as a little supervillain treat. and taylor recognizing that they couldnt save the w if they wanted to take doen the eight siberians.

i keep losing my thoughts and drawing connections all over the place idk if im even making sense at this fucking point but. God. Taylor Skitter Weaver Hebert. The character that you are.

[mermaidsirennikita]

Any stalking historical romance you would recommend?

A Rose at Midnight by Anne Stuart. He doesn't stalk her at first, but he DOES after she poisons him with the intent to murder him (justified) and it doesn't really let up from there. Very dark, check your TWs.

Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt. Obviously. Valentine lives in his walls spying on Bridget for like. Months. Duke of Pleasure has some heroine-on-hero stalking with Alf acting as like a vigilante and watching the Duke of Kyle. Duke of Desire has some stalking as well. All of these are on the darker side, so check your TWs.

I just finished (and loved) The Gentleman Who Loved Me by Grace Callaway. The hero is 14 years older than the heroine and knew her when she was a kid--she was very much a little sister to him, she doesn't remember him because again, she was very young. Years later, when she's an adult, he comes across her again and begins keeping a look out for her, paying off people spreading gossip about her, threatening people who want to do her wrong, following her.... NORMAL BIG BRO STUFF.

Lady Charlotte's and The Seductive Spymaster by Grace Callaway. Charlie thinks her husband's long dead, but he's very much alive and has recently started following her around and fucking up her attempts to move on (after like OVER A DECADE). Very funny, and weeeeeirdly hot.

Beyond Scandal and Desire by Lorraine Heath. It's LIGHT here, but I do think that Mick Trewlove following Aslyn around as part of his Revenge Plot (and also staring out his window broodingly while rubbing a strand of pearls she lost in a bet at his club, which he immediately took from the winner) comes off as pretty stalkerish.

Rules for a Proper Governess by Jennifer Ashley. More heroine on hero stalking! The heroine is from the gutter and becomes obsessed with the stern lawyer hero, following him around all over town.

Melissa and The Vicar by S.M. LaViolette. Magnus hunts Melissa down like a DOG when she leaves him. And it takes him weeks and he doesn't sleep well during that time so he looks like SHIT and is completely deranged. I. Love. It.

In Which Matilda Halifax Learns the Value of Restraint by Alexandra Vasti. Some light heroine on hero stalking from afar. The heroine draws the hero in some of her personal porn, which is, as we know, one of my favorite things.

Tempt Me at Twilight by Lisa Kleypas. Lmao Harry most definitely stalks Poppy everywhere and basically ruins her life to force her to marry him. Kinda king shit tbh.

Shadowheart by Laura Kinsale. GLORIOUS STALKERY. Allegreto does some mastermind.mp3 shit to get Elena in his clutches, only to realize.... she's kind of A LOT.

The Duke Who Knew Too Much by Grace Callaway. Again, some heroine on hero stalking, I think. Emma is stalking her hero to prove that he committed a murder because she saw him doing thing against his mistress's will before she died! And he has to explain what CNC is to her. Bless.

I would also say that Pippa and The Prince of Secrets has a good deal of stalkery vibes? Cull is Keeping His Eye on Pippa because she's getting into trouble and he's now like, the leader of a bunch of CHILD THIEVES LMAO. A lot of Grace's books have stalkery elements, tbh, and fortunately I do love that.

The Lady Hellion by Joanna Shupe has a heroine who dresses as a man to go fight for justice at night, and a hero who's all "NOW WAIT ONE GODDAMN MINUTE" and starts stalking her as a result. It's all fun and games until you're following some broad around through brothels at night, boys.

Never Seduce a Duke by Vivienne Lorret has a hero who becomes obsessed with the heroine and follows her on a wild goose chase across Europe because he's convinced that she stole his special secret demented Arthurian cookbook. She.... just thinks he likes her, lmao.

[lonerwitc-h]

MY OWN HERO, MY OWN FOE ☠ PLAYLIST. Ouça aqui.

Homesick Noah Kahan

I would leave if only I could find a reason I'm mean because I grew up in New England I got dreams but I can't make myself believe them Spend the rest of my life with what could have been And I will die in the house that I grew up in I'm homesick

Too Sweet Hozier

I think I'll take my whiskey neat My coffee black and my bed at three You're too sweet for me

Body and Mind girl in red

I've been seeking solace in the strangest of things Getting my hands dirty while I beat out the kinks I've been chasing everything that makes me feel cold Practicing self love is something I don't really know

Dear August PJ Harding & Noah Cyrus

Slowly, why's the morning come so slowly When I got no one to hold me through the dark? Patient, they tell me that love is patient But it never wants to wait on my drunk heart

Burn the Witch Emma Blackery

'Cause, baby, I'm a liar, I'm a bitch And you and I have unfinished business Narcissistic hypocrite And I'm petty as hell, but at least I admit it Blow my phone up, say I'm crazy I know what you've called me lately It's time to burn the witch

Pussy is God King Princess

You know that it's God, baby, when you're around her I've been praying for hours You know that it's God, baby, when you're around her She's God and I've found her, oh

Better Now Oh Wonder

So I hope you're feeling better now, better now Better now, better now Yeah, I hope you're feeling better now, better now And they've lifted the dark clouds 'Cause you've been through it all And I'll wait for the call just to know If you're better now

Heavy Dizzy

And I ask where does all the good go? I theorize a black hole and Try not to get too sentimental and so I have a drink I feel a little better Is this the way you always feel? I'm jealous and uncool But could I ask Do you feel?

She's a Genius Jet

She wakes up scared of getting old She don't feel no shame She knows so many pretty boys And they are all the same They said 'oh hey there girl tell me what do you do' She said 'um nothing but I'm damn sure it's more than you'

I HATE EVERYBODY Halsey

But in reality I don't even Remember anything but thinkin' you're the one And I can force a future like it's nothin', so I Just hate everybody Well then why can't I go home without somebody? And really I could fall in love with anybody Who don't want me, so I just keep sayin' I hate everybody But maybe I, maybe I don't

Lava Lamp Dandi

I may be pretty on the outside But I burn when I am touched I keep my feelings on the inside Cause I'm bad at falling in love

Nightmare Halsey

"Come on, little lady, give us a smile" No, I ain't got nothin' to smile about I got no one to smile for, I waited a while for A moment to say I don't owe you a goddamn thing

[stackthedeck]

Headcanon : Peter is immune to the penance stare.

No, not because of some magical bullshit or random superpower of even his hidden part of his spider power or because he has no regrets.

It doesn't work because he's already too depressed, traumatised and full of self hatred since he was 15

And some telepaths cries just by Reading the memories of his first year as Spider-Man. Especially Emma frost

What’s with the causal misogyny in my inbox today goddamn. New rule you’ve gotta google the characters you’re shitting on before assuming I’ll agree with you.

Let’s set a couple things straight. in terms of tragic origin stories Peter has it pretty good. His parents died when he was young and he had loving relatives that cared for him as best they could within their means. Yes Ben’s death is awful and Peter struggles to keep himself and his aunt alive but nothing particularly awful happens until college. Emma Frost who witnessed her brother’s attempted suicide and was sexually abused as a child, wouldn’t have a psychological break from getting a glimpse into Peter’s twisted mind. She’s been in the superhero game for awhile. she’s telepathically linked with Magneto, Peter’s not more traumatized than a holocaust survivor.

And Emma has interacted with Peter in this way. I assume you’ve seen the panels but not read the whole issue? This is from X-Men: Devils Reign # 2

Emma Frost is an empathetic person who cares deeply for children and she feels for his suffering. But like this isn’t a rich lady horrified by how the poor™️ live. She’s a teacher who’s rescuing a child and she meets a former child (Peter) who she wishes she could have rescued too. Some comic fans have gotten way to comfortable saying the most out of pocket shit about Emma Frost after the tony wedding like fuck those fans Emma is too good for him.

Anyway Peter Parker is not the most special boy in the world, he’s not a chosen one, he’s just some guy that makes the choice to be good. Suffering doesn’t make you a hero or a good person, it just makes you suffer. We don’t choose our suffering but we get to choose to be good every day and it’s hard but someone has to and that’s the point of Spider-Man. So no I don’t think his trauma makes Peter special because that’d be a boring edgy depressing story, I think his will power and drive to do what’s right is what makes Spider-Man special.

[burningexeter]

[IDEA THAT'S NOT YET A PITCH]

Marvel's Damage Control

What is it —

A female-led Marvel action-superhero series that instead of being the type of pandering and obnoxious girl power schlock that we have today, is a throwback to 2000s and early 2010s action cartoons that wipe the floor with modern garbage.

PREMISE:

Heavily implied to be in the same continuity as The Spectacular Spider-Man, Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes and Wolverine and the X-Men, a now college student Mary Jane Watson is looking ahead for her future but is currently struggling to keep up with the rest due to certain personal issues in her private life.

Accepting an opportunity that could potentially make her life now easier and even set her future in stone, MJ learns the hard way that sometimes taking what appears to be the easy route isn't always the best option when she discovers it's nothing more than a horrible ruse that lands her into a secret street level conflict between a now solo Susan Storm/Invisible Woman, a now solo Emma Frost, Felicia Hardy/Black Cat, Sable Manfredi/Silver Sable and a now solo Tandy Bowen/Dagger. That is until a series of new threats emerge that affects them all in some way, shape or form and the six of them end up forming an unlikely team whose job is to be a clean-up crew that specialize in dealing with the aftermath of superhero conflicts, rescheduling events because of the conflicts and retrieving lost items. Turns out for Mary Jane, it pays really well.

NOTES/TRIVIA/DETAILS:

• Yes, it will be directly implied to be set in the Yost-Verse continuity. Not only will all the voice actresses — Vanessa Marshall, Erin Torpey, Kari Wahlgren, Tricia Helfer and Nikki Cox — reprise their roles but there will be a definite wink-wink, nudge-nudge to the events of the previous three shows. The idea for it is that several things (in this case, Spectacular, EMH and Wolverine) happened, they all of a sudden went dormant but now BOOM! it's back and the shadows here are moving again, everything is moving under the goddamn sun and you pick it up from there.

• The Damage Control team will be a more than unconventional team that come into conflict over different things with the big ones being Black Cat and Silver Sable aren't afraid to get their hands dirty since they're basically villains-turned-anti-heroes while Mary Jane's personal life plays a role in the events for the team. However, it's at the end of the day that it's revealed they're an incredibly effective and capable team that get the damn job done.

• One thing that will be played for humor and help define and establish the tone of it where it's more on a somewhat grounded level is that the team, much to her dismay, decide to live together in Mary Jane's apartment where she shares the same bed as Sue and Sable who ultimately act as caring mother figures to her.

• Another thing that will differentiate it from others is that the six leads will actually have their bumbling and screw-up boobish moments (a la Elastigirl checking herself out in the mirror, Kim Possible accidentally landing into the arms of a Bebe and then being thrown etc.) to show that despite being "strong, female characters" they are far from perfect but it makes sense in context because Mary Jane is just starting out as a superhero, Susan, Emma and Cloak are just starting as solo heroes and Black Cat and Sable are just starting out as anti-heroes so they're all bound to screw up when they're in action.

• Now this is just for fun but there will be a few easter eggs, references and flat-out and direct cameos either to or from other non-superhero media that establishes a retroactive shared universe. I mean hey if fucking Ultimate Spider-Man can do it with Jessie, thus having it be part of the Disney Channel Universe officially than why can't I with this. For example, Sable finds herself stuck in an elevator with a certain eccentric black woman who turns out to be security after having worked at the infamous C.U.R.E. Institute — it's motherfucking Denise Hemphill from Scream Queens with Niecy Nash reprising her role.

[dealmxkerofgold]

You know what I would love to see/read/write more of?

Rumple and Belle actually being a part of the big and messy and a little crazy but close-knit and loving and loyal family that is the Charming-Mills-Swan-Gold-(Jones) clan.

Rumple developing normal positive relationships with people.

Rumple being a reluctant — at least at first — (because he had been what is classified as villain for a very long while... and most fairytale characters have according attitude towards him) hero and protecting Storybrooke from threats that rain down on it as if from a horn of plenty along with the so-called 'hero squad'.

Rumple interacting with Henry and Prince Neal (mind you, he might have a hard time calling him by his name, especially soon after Neal's birth, when the memories of his own son's death are still too painfully fresh) and other kids of Storybrooke.

Rumple offering Emma his help in controling her magic (aka Rumple teaching Emma because as much as I like the idea of Regina teaching Emma magic, I believe Rumple would be a better teacher because of his experience + change of perspective that would make him a less mean and more helpful teacher).

Rumple helping Snow out with the baby, either through advice ( because he was a father and a rather good one at that, and though it was a very long time ago, those memories come back easily... plus, it would help him build his self-esteem a little, show him he can do good things and be helpful and appreaciated ) or some of the home remedies he learnt to make either from his spinner aunties or other women in the village when Bae was little or just holding Neal for a while and keeping him calm ( because I headcanon him to be a bit of a Baby Whisperer ) so Snow can have a little rest.

Adding to that, a rather surprised Rumple finding himself welcomed easily (maybe, even warmly) in Storybrooke's Mommy Group because Snow shared some of his advices with other mothers and they turned out surprisingly helpful.

Rumple's friendship with David. That’s just... I love their relationship, especially as it was portrayed in S2, very much)

Rumple/Weaver and Alice/Tilly's relationship. It's just so... special. The way Alice was determined to not let him forget who he is at heart and not let him be alone, at least, when it began to seem like he did forget. The way Rumple basically adopted her from first sight. The less openly affectionate but still quite caring relationship between Weaver and Tilly — the "I care about you and you know I care about you but we're gonna pretend very badly that it's not the case because I've got a tough cop/girl reputation to uphold" of it all. Just... Theirs is the relationship(s) I didn't know I needed but once I got it, I can’t imagine not loving (and watching and writing and giffing) the hell out of it.

Speaking about S7, Rumple's reluctant friendship with Wish!Hook and their partnership (and co-parenting) as Detectives Weaver and Rogers is another case of "I didn’t know I needed it". Because I don’t like OG!Hook and would never even think about him having any kind of positive relationship with Rumple, but Wish!Hook? He's another matter entirely. He's not perfect, of course, but I like him a ton better than his counterpart and love the growth of his relationship with Rumple. What OG!Hook never could do, Wish!Hook did (and I love him for it).

.

Just... instead of being forced into the role of a secondary villain every goddamn season since S4, Rumple being allowed to continue his redemption arc and grow the same way the writers let Regina and Zelena grow.

[roxanadiaz]

ℂ𝕒𝕥 𝕘𝕠𝕥 𝕞𝕪 𝕥𝕠𝕟𝕘𝕦𝕖

𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝕴 𝖉𝖔𝖓'𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖐 𝕴 𝖌𝖊𝖙 𝖆𝖑𝖔𝖓𝖌 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖆𝖓𝖞𝖔𝖓𝖊

the sounds of a sea of screaming people calling your name, but you can't name one of them. bruised knees and bandaids are just a small part of the lessons learned. singing in the bathtub for the acoustics. thrifted betsy johnson dresses worn to big premieres. your messy room fully reflects your messy mind. where has your heart run off, now? trying to get people to see the real you, only to be perceived as cool. you hold grudges to the point your heart begs for you to stop and let it go. revenge is in your nature, much like asking for forgiveness. just try not to fall off stage, this time - please.

ℕ𝕠𝕥𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕋𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕜𝕤

Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl by Olivia Rodrigo Roxana Diaz || " Laughed at the wrong time / Sat with the wrong guy / Searching 'how to start a conversation' on the website / Talked to this hot guy, swore I was his type / Guess that he's been making out with boys, like, all night / Everything I do is tragic "

Enchanted by Taylor Swift || " This night is sparkling, don't you let it go / I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home / ... Lingering question kept me up / 2AM, who do you love? / I wonder 'til I'm wide awake "

Not Another Rockstar by Maisie Peters || " Talk about me, but make it all about you / Caught you rippin' your jeans, and that's when I knew / You'd leave me dead if it set you apart / And I'm like, "Oh goddamn, not another rockstar" "

Nonsense by Sabrina Carpenter || " I'll be honest, looking at you got me thinking nonsense / Cartwheels in my stomach when you walk in / Think I got an ex, but I forgot him / And I can't find my chill, I must've lost it / I don't even know, I'm talking nonsense "

All American Bitch by Olivia Rodrigo Roxana Diaz || " Forgive and I forget / I know my age and I act like it / Got what you can't resist / I'm a perfect all-American bitch "

Too Well by Reneé Rapp || " It's easier holding a grudge / Rather be angry than crushed / I'm doing too much / I'm back where I started again / Crying and calling my friends / This shit never ends "

When Emma Falls in Love by Taylor Swift || " 'Cause she's the kind of book that you can't put down / Like if Cleopatra grew up in a small town / And all the bad boys would be good boys / If they only had the chance to love her / And to tell you the truth, sometimes I wish I was her "

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔹 𝕊𝕚𝕕𝕖 ( 𝘢 𝘷𝘶𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 )

older by Sasha Alex Sloane || " The older I get, the more that I see / My parents aren't heroes / They're just like me "

Older Than I am by Lennon Stella || " My heart's seen things I wish it didn't / Somewhere I lost some of my innocence / And I miss it "

Baby, You're a Haunted House by Gerard Way || " And the nights, they last forever / And the days are always making you blue / In the dark we laugh together / Cause the misery's funny to you "

Mean Something by Lizzy McAlpine || " I saw your name on a street sign / In the middle of nowhere / And that has to mean something "

Suburbia by Troye Sivan || " Have you heard me on the radio? / Did you turn it up? / Are you blowing that stereo in suburbia? "

making the bed by Olivia Rodrigo Roxana Diaz || " Sometimes I feel like I don't wanna be where I am / Gettin' drunk at a club with my fair-weather friends / Push away all the people who know me the best / ... I'm so tired of bein' the girl that I am / Every good thing has turned into something I dread / And I'm playin' the victim so well in my head / But it's me whose been making the bed "

The Lucky One by Taylor Swift || " And they tell you that you're lucky, but you're so confused / 'Cause you don't feel pretty, you just feel used "

[pinazee]

I finally got to Hey, Melissa! And Im going to have to insist the lang brothers give paul just one goddamn happy ending at some point (preferably soon) Cause um… jesus fucking christ.

Don’t get me wrong, it was a good story and i see what they were doing (p.s i stan a serial killing team of ladies. Im a feminist), but uh, this was a level of torture and humiliation i was unprepared for. And paul was just trying to help- to the point that he didn’t answer emmas call just so he could be there for melissa. Paul comes across as a very neutral guy but he’s actually a full blown hero.

And fucking Ted! Like he didn’t deserve it either but at the same time…fuck you ted.

[allwormdiet]

Tangle 6.9

I don't wanna deal with this parrrrrrrrrt

Taylor. Taylor. I know you're getting desperate but come on. You can't write an email to the hero you and your friends publicly bodied on the same night that you did the bodying.

Nobody's checking her on her shit. Nobody who she should theoretically be able to go to for advice is equipped for this, or even inclined to help her. Danny would try, I'm certain, but he'd be out of his depth. Emma might have been a grounding influence for Taylor once upon a time but, haha, that is no longer an option. School is worthless to her, and her new (only) friends are the ones who are doing the crimes she's involving herself in, not to mention that she became their friend with the intent to backstab them.

...I wish she'd just talk to her dad about this shit. Her refusal to even try and explain it to him feels like it's tangled up in something she can't even name or describe. He's the closest confidant she has at this point, and that's not saying much, but for fuck's sake it should be saying something.

Fuck.

Fucky fucker fucking fuck.

You can't lie to someone you live with for that long about something that can be so easily fact-checked and expect to never get caught out. It's just not feasible.

God this is so hard. She's trying to spare his feelings, she's trying to not pin any of this on him, and it's not working. The fact that she feels like she can't trust him means that he failed to be trustworthy to her, somewhere along the way, and she won't even acknowledge that. She won't even sit across the table from him to talk about this.

Here's where Danny scuffs it, honestly. I'm not going to say he was even wrong to anticipate Taylor's avoidance, but hemming her in like this is only going to rile her up worse. I don't know what the right answer is. Breaks my heart.

I don't think it's fair of Taylor to lump her dad in with the others who've hurt her, in no small part because. This hurt that Danny's feeling, the pain that makes her twist with guilt and frustration, was damage she caused by lying to him, by pushing him away. She's been so lonely for so long and the one person who could've been an ally, even an ineffectual one, is the one she's kept at arm's length throughout all of it.

Even the violence, even the kicking and the breaking, is just a way to avoid telling him anything.

Just pull the bandage off, Taylor, please. Maybe the worst-case scenario happens but then you don't have to keep that poisonous cold lump inside of you. There's other reactions he could have, better ones. I don't think his love for you is conditional. I don't think

Okay so this is almost the right decision she's making, here

Yes! Be with your friends, make bonds that last, admit to yourself what you actually want

God fucking dammit

Straight up crying in the club rn

Tell him! Oh my god please just tell him. Taylor for the love of god please just tell him

Fuck

Lisa's just a kid, too. As much as she pretends otherwise, as much as Danny wants to believe her.

So. Fucking sad.

Current Thoughts

The Heberts break my goddamn heart.

Danny tried, but he pushed too hard when Taylor was already raw and accidentally put her in a defensive mindset, made her feel cornered, unsafe. And then when it came down to it, he still let her walk away. He let Lisa take her from him.

And Taylor. God. I wish she'd just let Danny support her. Even if he doesn't solve her problems, if she could just lean on him during the low times that could make such a difference. I think he could understand, maybe given time. He'd side with her before he'd side against her, no matter who was on the other side.

Another point of proof, I guess. Taylor's fate wasn't sealed from the beginning. It doesn't have to go the way that it goes. There were options, much as she can't see them.

And the roads not taken just make it hurt that much more.

Interlude next.

*sigh*

[augment-techs]

Fanfic titles: Not where the Storyline Ends + Fern/Izzy????

Rating: M Relationships: Izzy Garcia/Fern; Camille/Jarrod; Adam Park/Rocky DeSantos/Aisha Campbell & Matt Cook; Tommy Oliver/Kat Hillard; Ziggy Grover/Dillon; Jake Holling/Emma Goodall. Characters: Izzy Garcia; Fern; Camille; Damon Henderson; Adam Park; Mike (power rangers samurai); Jake Holling; Ziggy Grover; Cameron Watanabe; Matthew Cook; Tommy Oliver; etc. Additional Tags: Crack Treated Seriously; Lesbians in Space; Bad Flirting; Pining Idiots; Hero Worship; Emotional Hurt/Comfort; Women Being Awesome. Summary: 'This feels like a Zayto or Amelia problem. Why does it have to be mine?' Here's the thing about the Morphin Grid: time is an illusion, and if you're sent a call for your Color, you have to go. Izzy is Green, though. Izzy is GREEN and in being called to gather with other Greens, it leaves her feeling...very out of place. She was the newest, the youngest, the least experienced, and looking around the weird location they'd all been brought to, she also noted with a precarious amount of trouble building up inside her that she was one of only TWO girls in the entire goddamn lot. And she couldn't even seem to talk to the other one in any meaningful capacity, because Camille of Pai Zhua might have looked like she was barely in her twenties, but she was actually thousands of years old and had come up from being a villain for the greater chunk of her life. Also, she flirted with everyone just to make them uncomfortable and---while Izzy could respect that---it just made her even more depressed in the moment. Made her miss her girlfriend while surrounded by the likes of Cameron Watanabe and Damon Henderson and Tommy-Goddamn-Oliver. Yeah, this Forever Green was shaping up to be a shitshow.

[ivarthebadbitch]

[SPOILER]

I just finished S2 and am now confused. Was it really that obvious Godwin plotted the assassination? I mean, the journey to find the Bear was too easy.... The initial plan to marry Gytha also didn't make sense to me....

anon, I think if the question is "does the england plot make sense," the answer is absolutely not. like, if godwin's goal from the beginning was to marry gytha to put their future children in line for the succession, I have a hard time thinking of a riskier and more convoluted way to go about it than 1) seduce emma's other handmaiden and go so far as to ask canute for permission to marry, 2) recruit the other handmaiden's brother for a fake assassination plot against emma, 3) fake an assassination plot that makes godwin look like a hero, 4) implicate his betrothed who genuinely knows nothing about any of this, who is subsequently tortured to death by emma, 5) get canute to make it up to him by offering him gytha's hand in marriage entirely on his own accord without anyone suggesting this to him.

this makes no goddamn sense. at any of these points along the way, things could have gone extremely wrong for godwin, and really, I think canute's skepticism is warranted, even if his "solution" also doesn't make sense. ymmv, but speaking for myself, I try to put the question "does this make sense" in the background and not worry about it too much, because I'm not sure if it ultimately matters, and there are other questions that I think are more fruitful.

[multiverseofmiracleshq]

It’s been determined that S.H.I.E.L.D. has been attempting to recreate their Pleasant Hill town experiment under the new name Project Andromeda. A group of heroes led by the Black Widow and the Winter Soldier met near the town in order to formulate a plan. In the end, a group entered Pleasant Hill with explosive results.

THIS IS OFFICIAL CHAT LOG COVERAGE OF THE IC

NATASHA ROMANOFF/BLACK WIDOW (616): Hadn’t they done this before? That’s how it seemed, at least. Pleasant Hill: the goddamn dream. A town with vision unlike no other -- except, well, that wasn’t true. A town like the one S.H.I.E.L.D. had already done, a phoenix that should never have been resurrected from its ashes. The reasons behind why this was happening wasn’t quite clear yet, but with the rate at which things were progressing it likely would come out soon. Not that soon was the theme of the endeavor. Over the past two months, Natasha had been trying to draw water from a stone. She had flown around the country, done recon and blown up outposts. The last part, admittedly, was cathartic. What was less cathartic was finding an Airbnb in a town neighboring Pleasant Hill in Connecticut. The reservation was booked under an alias, and the seemingly innocuous house was now full of spies and superheroes. The dining room and kitchen were part of an open layout that allowed people to spill from one to the other, and Natasha stood against a back wall while she waited for Barnes. With one nod, she gestured for him to begin.

BUCKY BARNES/WINTER SOLDIER (MCU): James wasn’t sure if he was fully prepared to tell all of these people the true reason behind their loved one’s disappearances. And the worst part of the entire thing was that there was no legitimate reason why most of them needed to be dragged into the prison that was Pleasant Hill. The airbnb was bustling with faces, eyes boring into him for answers that he hardly had the heart to give. “All of you have questions, I get that. If you’re here, you’ve read what the Whistleblower had to say.” And by Whistleblower, what he really meant was this team of whistleblowers had compiled together to leak to the public. Natasha, Daisy, Monica, Clint, it was a group effort to get the entire leak together to tell the public what they deserved to know. He flexed the fingers on his metal arm as he spoke, a tic he hadn’t quite been able to shake recently as he continued on. “We’re about five miles out from the town where everyone is being held.” Close enough to be nearby but far enough that it was safe to hold this meeting. There was no reason for anyone to suspect where they were. “But we wanted to meet with you all personally first. Answer individual questions and come up with a plan.”

MATT MURDOCK/DAREDEVIL (MCU): Matt was donning the full Daredevil getup, red and yellow covering him head to toe as he stood alongside Jen (not in her She-Hulk form). There were no doubts by now that Elektra was inside of Pleasant Hill, judging by the Whistleblower reports and the town database that he had Foggy read over a second time to be sure his computer hadn’t been playing tricks on him. Elektra Natchios. Alive. PH-RES-005. Elodie Boyd. Sheriff. He’d memorized the file by now, but it still didn’t feel real. And Matt doubted it would feel real until he was face to face with her again. The prospect terrified him, seeing Elektra again after all this time, after the Hand had turned her into the Black Sky, but Jen’s presence certainly helped. Even as Bucky spoke, Matt was completely silent as he kept his jaw clenched and his hands at his sides.

STEPFORD CUCKOOS/WHITE QUEENS (616): Four pale heads sat next to one another as they took up an entire sofa. No one wore white on that day; instead, they mourned. The sisters had been broken apart before but it stung all the same. To be four was unnatural. It was wrong. They came on behalf of both Emma and themselves. Their mother was locked in the chambers of the Quiet Council of Krakoa as the respective delegates tried to grapple with not one but *two* missing members. Without Hope and Destiny, the Autumn seat was all but crippled. “Come up with a plan?” They tittered. “Shouldn’t there already be a plan by now?”

RACHEL SUMMERS/ASKANI (811): “For once, I agree with the Cuckoos.” That was a statement Rachel never thought she’d say out loud. The telepath’s eyes were tight as she crossed her arms against her chest, the absence of her mother loud. And Rachel was just doing her best to keep her anger in check after the hacker had revealed just where her mom was being kept all this time. Warped and twisted to be some reporter inside of a fake town, with no memories of her family and friends. If S.H.I.E.L.D. was bold enough to take Jean freakin’ Grey, who was to say they wouldn’t just take anyone who got in their way? “What’s stopping us from just going into the town ourselves to retrieve them?”

SAM WILSON/CAPTAIN AMERICA (MCU): There were a lot of places he wouldn’t have minded being, but Connecticut sure as hell wasn’t one of them. The Captain America swag was left in the duffel by the door, hopefully to remain there unused and unneeded. Still, it was good to come prepared. “I, for one, appreciate it. Bein’ in the loop feels good.” It was a shitty loop, but still. He was Captain America. Sam had a duty to uphold and a responsibility to know what was going on. Especially if things were as severe as this was. “Whatever you need, I’m able and willing.”

AMERICA CHAVEZ (UTOPIAN PARALLEL): Big discussion meetings weren’t really her thing. She was also in the mindset of let’s just portal in and storm the town, but she kept silent with one hand propping up her head. If anything, America was there for moral support. If they suddenly decided to take action, she’d be one of the first on her feet.

CAROL DANVERS/CAPTAIN MARVEL (616): In theory, yes. There should be a plan in place, methodically orchestrated and carefully organized. In a perfect world, there would be no use for a meeting like this, to discuss their usefulness. Carol glances out of a nearby window, catches shifts of greens that spill shadows onto the concrete below. Stripping criminals of their free will -- it's an outrageous measure. Regardless of supposed crime, it's too slippery a slope, too many factors to take into consideration. Entire personalities were being altered -- memories, faces. "All of SHIELD, for starters. We don't have the manpower to make enemies of them right now."

STEPHEN STRANGE/DOCTOR STRANGE (MCU): It was safe to say that Stephen furious as he stood there in the dining area and stared at Bucky while the soldier spoke. With all the time he’d spent helping Clea resolve the whirlwind that was her husband returning from the dead, now it seemed that this had taken up most of his waking hours. Dark bags sunk underneath his eyes as he ground his teeth and fought to keep his composure. By now, he’d caught the other Strange up on everything going on with Clea (like the child she was apparently bearing with Marc Spector inside of the town). It was disgusting, S.H.I.E.L.D. was disgusting for this, and the sorcerer was truly just at a loss for words at this point. Maybe it was the sleep exhaustion finally catching up to him, but he was tired. As far as Stephen was concerned, action needed to be taken as soon as possible. “The reality stone is whats stopping us.” He spoke up, answering the mutant’s question as he turned his gaze to the stove, making eye-contact too much of a feat at the moment as he shook his head. “Their entire being has been altered. The people we care about may as well not even exist right now.”

HOPE VAN DYNE/WASP (MCU): Scott was gone. He was gone, and he had been for a while. Not as long as most, but long enough that his absence had formed an ache inside of the people who loved him. Raised to be pragmatic, Hope shook her head when the woman suggested going in. Carol, at least, seemed to have a good counter. “Wouldn’t we also be running the risk of it happening to us as well if we weren’t careful?”

JENNIFER WALTERS/SHE-HULK (MCU): So her boyfriend had an undead girlfriend. Not ideal, but worse had happened. Jen still wasn’t sure on all the details, but she understood enough. At the moment, she was choosing to not focus on how that would effect her. Instead, she looked at it as one piece of an extremely complicated puzzle. She had talked to Bruce, of course. His experience with the Infinity Stones made him a valuable resources. These weren’t their Stones, though. They were from Earth-616 and that made them foreign. Although he had promised to look into it, Jen knew he was busy. She wasn’t putting pressure on him. Instead, she stood as just Jen beside Matt. His identity needed to be preserved through his suit, but she had nothing to hide. “So we’re running under the assumption that they may not exist but there’s a way to make them exist again?”

KAMALA KHAN/MS. MARVEL (MCU): It kind of felt like being asked to sit at the adults table during a holiday. Kamala was there ( in full costume, mind you ) and was alternating between trying to keep her cool and trying to think of something intelligent to say. Finally, she decided to play it safe with, “I agree with Captain Marvel.” There. Nailed it.

DAISY JOHNSON/QUAKE (AOS): Daisy wasn’t talking much, still not really a 100% of herself ever since Maria decided to detain her inside of S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. Coming to terms with the organization that she’d dedicated most of her life to doing something so heinous was difficult, but she was doing everything she could to fight back against it. To do what was right. All she could think about these days was Rosalind, the words the other agent had said to her before she disappeared just like everyone else, and there was a fire within her to get Roz back. To get all of these people back who had been wrongfully placed inside of the town. “We have a running theory that they’re holding Ripley Ryan and using her power to alter the entire town. She’s listed as a Jane Doe and her entire file is redacted.” Even Daisy couldn’t crack the code to fully decrypt that file, which was beyond frustrating. But it was definitely a strong lead. “If Star can rewrite them, odds are she can reverse it.” That was a big if, but it was all they had right now.

TONY STARK/IRON MAN (616): Tony found himself leaning against ones of the walls, arms crossed. "Even if we get these people out of the town, what if Star can't dig their real selves out from the garbage they've been buried under? Or can't do it right away? What do we do with a town full of confused, traumatized people? They can't go back to their lives if they don't remember said lives. Are we ready to take on mass hysteria?" He paused, taking a moment to look at a few faces around him. "I'm not saying that their situation in ideal, but they are safe where they are. Is this really something we are ready for right now?"

MONICA RAMBEAU/SPECTRUM (MCU): The S.W.O.R.D. agent stood beside her friend, dark eyes periodically coming to rest on Daisy. She was concerned, of course. It would be impossible not to be. When the agent had approached her about joining Natasha’s ragtag team, she had agreed right away. Her mother had always been fearful of the power that big agencies would wield and had run S.W.O.R.D. accordingly. This entire thing put a Westview aftertaste in her mouth. It was a bit triggering, in all honesty. It made her think of Geraldine with the ‘fro and the bell bottoms. It made her think of humiliation and being degraded at the expense of another. But this wasn’t about Monica, was it? She was able to compartmentalize and move on. Her mouth was open to reply to Daisy when Tony spoke, and Monica pursed her lips. “I think we owe it to them to be ready.”

STEPHEN STRANGE (MCU): “So what is your alternative that you’re suggesting, Stark? That we leave them in there to carry on with their fake lives?” Stephen snapped, the sleep deprivation evident by his tone as he turned his head to glare at the other reality’s Avenger. “Safe? Are you serious right now? They’ve taken Clea and given her fake children with a supposed third on the way.” Who was to even say the children were made up? Maybe S.H.I.E.L.D. really was brazen enough to pull children into the town too. It wouldn’t be the most shocking thing Stephen’s found out about this entire thing. “No, I’m sorry, but you’re wrong. There’s no scenario where we just leave them inside there.”

SCOTT SUMMERS/CYCLOPS (616): "Do we know how deep the rewiring goes?" He expects the answer to be obvious --  altering reality wasn't a magician's trick. If they were changing faces, then he couldn't be sure Krakoa would be any use anyway. Still, they had his family. "Maybe we don't wait." He glances briefly at Rachel. "Maybe we should mount an offensive before this gets too out of hand." He'd argue that they were far behind too out of hand, but that wasn't going to be helpful.

JESSICA JONES (MCU): Jesus fucking Christ. Jess wasn’t sure if she had said the words aloud or in her head, but it didn’t matter. She had come as a courtesy to Matt. After spending the last month and a half researching missing people for a number of cases, it would stand to reason that Jessica possibly had the best working knowledge of who had been snatched. That didn’t mean that she wanted any part of it. Finding a mug in the cabinet, she had poured her flask directly into the ceramic and took a sip every time someone said something stupid. She’d had to refill twice already. It was helping her headache, at the very least.

TONY STARK (616): "Did I say that we would just leave them there forever?" Tony shot back. "We started this meeting by pointing something out: the fact that we are currently lacking a plan. And something like this calls for, dare I say, more than one plan. We need contingencies for if something goes wrong, or if there's a bump in the road and we need to take a different path. I think all of us here should know by now that we can't count on things just falling into our laps. We could land in even deeper shit if we run in, guns blazing."

STEPFORD CUCKOOS (616): “Would you look at that?” Phoebe inclined her head to the side. Celeste met her gaze. “Amazing.” “Mum would be so pleased.” They all united, “Scott Summers has made a good point.”

LANCE HUNTER (616): Hunter was a fairly independent, self-sufficient individual when it came to his everyday life, but when he formed bonds with others, they were air-tight. And Bobbi’s absence had left him feeling as though there were a hole in his chest. It wasn’t just her absence that freaked him out, but the reason she was taken. Test subject. The situation was already stressful enough as is, now he needed to worry about SHIELD turning his girlf— best friend into a lab rat. “If we need someone to go undercover, stay a bit more under the radar than these flashier folks,” he gestured to the various costumes heroes around the room, “I volunteer.”

PETER QUILL/STAR-LORD (MCU): Peter could tell Mantis was watching him as he fiddled with a hem on the edge of his jacket as they listened. His thoughts raced as he kept his gaze focused on the floor, alternating between listening, trying to take in all this new information, and worrying about Gamora. Though their last encounter hadn’t exactly been positive, it didn’t mean he didn’t still care deeply for the woman. She might not have been his Gamora, but she was still Gamora and he’d do everything he could to help get her back— including sit in a room full of pompous, self-obsessed idiots and listen to them try to discern their heads from their asses.

GREER NELSON/TIGRA (616): Greer took personal affront to the flashier folk comment.

RACHEL SUMMERS (811): Rachel returned her gaze towards her father and straightened her back at that, itching at the prospect of confrontation as she nodded her head. Maybe if they didn’t wait they could actually do something about this instead of just sit around in an Airbnb and talk about it. She let the Cuckoos words roll off her back in that moment as she held her head high. “But if we go in, won’t we just get warped too? How does that work?”

STEPHEN STRANGE/HARVESTMAN (616): It was his wife that was stuck. That wasn't lost on him. However, so far he had found it easier than the alternate Strange to keep his composure. The lines between life and death had become blurred to him at this point— that left other life-altering events feel almost dull in comparison. Plus, this wasn't the first time he and Clea had been separated. He wasn't about to give up on her, but he had thicker skin now. This felt more like a detour than anything else. "I want her out too, Stephen." He replied calmly, talking to directly to the other Strange. "And we will get her out. But that family means nothing to her, not really. It's manufactured— even her third child, I would guess. Don't make this about yourself, your anger, and play it off as wanting to protect her." Even while looking collected, his bitterness tinged his words. The other Stephen was sounding far too invested and it was hard for him to not say back off. His own anger, of course, felt self-righteous.

MANTIS (MCU): The air was thick with emotion. Mantis knew that without making contact with anyone. She had so far kept her hands to herself, but that was out of basic respect for human boundaries that Peter and the others had been working to teach her. Keeping her fingers interlocked, Mantis stood silent by her brothers side. “I could try to feel them,” she offered quietly. “Feel if they are in pain, feel if they are happy.”

RIRI WILLIAMS/IRONHEART (616): “There’s a lot we don’t know about here.” Riri spoke up from where she stood next to Miles. “And I’m not sure what getting in their feels will do to help the situation.”

AMERICA CHAVEZ (UTOPIAN PARALLEL): “I like action.” America perked up. “I’m for the counter offense thing.” She had been watching the Stephen’s and wasn’t sure how to navigate that situation.

STEPHEN STRANGE (MCU): Anger had never been an emotion that used to resonate within Stephen Strange very often. Bitterness, resentment, sure, but pure, unbridled anger? That was a new one. And right now it was washing over him in waves as he listened to Tony’s retort and then the other Stephen himself responding to him. He opened his mouth to form a response, but it died on his tongue just as fast as he let out a frustrated huff and walked across the kitchen. Maybe the other Strange was right, maybe Stephen was being guided by his anger, but he didn’t care in that moment. If it got Clea back faster, so be it. She was being violated inside of that town and he couldn’t stand for it. Pulling up a duffel bag that was sitting next to Daisy, he unzipped it and revealed a pile of chip implants, reality blockers that had been recovered from the S.H.I.E.L.D. outposts. “If any of you would like to join me, I’ll be going in.” It was unlike him, to be this brazen with his decisions, to not think things through down to every possible outcome, but he was at his wits end at this point. Love would make you do crazy things, apparently.

DAISY JOHNSON (AOS): Daisy peered over to the duffel bag as Stephen practically snatched it from her side and narrowed her eyes at him. Her hand raised slightly in his direction, tempted to just quake him back into the wall considering how irrational he was acting, but the cat was out of the bag now. Or well, the blockers were out of the bag. "Wow, yeah. I guess we're just doing things without asking. Thanks for that."

NATASHA ROMANOFF (616): “You’re going through our stuff.” Natasha deadpanned as she watched Strange pull up the duffel bag. They did have reality blockers, yes. A purpose of the meeting had been to propose a team going in, not go in without a plan because they were angry and in love. “Barnes and I have been in there. You don’t know what you’re walking into.”

BUCKY BARNES (MCU): Bucky almost stepped forward when he saw Strange go for that bag, but it was too late. The sorcerer seemed to be on a mission. Albeit a stupid mission, but a mission nonetheless. "It's not as simple as just going in there. Natasha is right."

PETER QUILL (MCU): Peter gave Mantis a small smile, gaze filled with more pain than any other emotion, before his expression morphed into one of caution and hopefulness. Leaning in to semi-whisper in response, “Do you think you could do that? Is that even possible?”

MANTIS (MCU): “I can try.” Her words were spoken earnestly. “I will enter the town.”

LANCE HUNTER (616): Hunter stepped forward as things began to escalate, “Woah, easy doctor— I’m not a fan of this ‘who really needs plans’ plan, but whatever you do, you ain’t doin’ it without me.”

TONY STARK (616): After hearing Natasha and Bucky speak up, he let out a scoff and shook his head. "This is what I'm talking about, folks. Rushing in because you're sad is not a good idea."

NEBULA (MCU): Nebula crossed her arms alongside Peter and Mantis, eyeing the two carefully as Mantis spoke about feeling if they were in pain or not. That was when she decided to finally speak up, still in a quieter tone. "Do we even want to know if she is in pain? Even if she is happy, that doesn't make it any better." She missed her sister all the same, even if this wasn't technically her sister. But she knew Gamora well enough to know that being dumbed down to some suburban citizen was torture enough.

JESSICA DREW (931): Jessica drew had been observing this ongoing disaster in silence. She was adhered to a wall, masked in a shadowed corner, until mantis spoke, and then she decided to introject. “yeah. Hey. Resident spiderwoman with being-kidnapped-by-shitty-people here. That sounds like a suicide mission.“

MILES MORALES (1610): Miles was sure that this was a terrible idea. Ninety percent sure, at least. But still, the idea of going to find Lana, it was all too tempting. He glanced over towards Riri and raised a curious brow, wondering what she thought about going in. She'd probably smack him upside the head and tell him it was a dumb idea, but maybe he needed that.

PETER QUILL (MCU): Nebula had a valid point, but Peter would rather have that knowledge, no matter how painful, than continue struggling with the unknown. He gave her a quick look of understanding, but turned back to Mantis, trying to offer up whatever encouragement he could. “Just don’t hurt yourself if it becomes to much. It’s okay- you don’t have to push it.”

CLINT BARTON (616): Clint took a deep breath at Jessica's words, knowing that she was right. this was definitely a suicide mission. Or at the very least, just them begging to get sucked in and warped into mild mannered townsfolk themselves. But Lance was throwing himself head first towards going in for Bobbi, and there was no way Clint could let Lance Jolly Ho! Hunter be the one to save the day. No way. Maybe his pride was getting the best of him, and he knew Natasha would kill him for it, but he spoke up. "I'm in."

STEPHEN STRANGE (616): For a few long moments, all Strange could do was stare at the reality blocker being presented to them. Part of him wanted to shut down and let Stephen go in himself. The stubborn streak that seemed to exist across the Stephen Stranges of the multiverse was strong, meaning that it clashed harshly when mirrored by its own intensity in someone else. If the other Strange wanted to jump in and potentially make things worse, he was welcome to. But if they somehow did manage to get Clea out, there was no way he was going to let the alternate Strange be the only one there when it happened. So there, his decision was made. Without a word, he looked Stephen in the eye and took the reality blocker from him.

NATASHA ROMANOFF (616): “So we’re doing this.” Natasha’s lips pursed. That was fine. She knew why Clint was going in but it was still disappointing. There was no way Natasha was letting them go in without a chaperone, though. “We only have so many reality blockers. How many of you want in?”

JESSICA DREW (931): is this for fucking real? Jessica needs a drink. And a burger. But first, she needs to slap some sense into Clint Barton. So she does! She jumps off the wall and strides right up to him, smiles coyly, and backhands him across his cheek. “You’re even dumber than I remember!” Is she screaming? She’s definitely screaming. “Storming a shield protected, reality altered town without any extraction methods and without any actual plan is going to get you killed. Or worse!” Because worse, for her, is ending up like one of the pleasant hill inmates, your life rewritten for you, your mind stolen from you, your agency forcefully ripped away. She shudders. “Is anyone here actually thinking straight?!”

LANCE HUNTER (616): Hunter stepped up to stand beside Clint. There was no way in hell he’d let the man rescue Bobbi on his own. Not when he and Bobbi had a tally going. He flinched when the other man was slapped, unable to keep the smallest of grins from creeping into his face, but spoke up anyway, “I’m in.”

AMERICA CHAVEZ (UTOPIAN PARALLEL): Snatching one from Stephen, America held the device up to one eye and checked it out. “If he’s in,” she looked to Stephen. “I’m in.”

JESSICA DREW (931): “are any of you testosterone-fueled jackasses even listening to me?!” She’s a minute away from picking up Lance hunter and throwing him into a bedroom with Clint. Let them sort out their ridiculous crushes on each other in private. Then, maybe, their brains will work enough to actually come up with a viable solution. she’s staring at Natasha romanoff instead, a hand dragging down her face. “What are you all going to do when this is all over, huh? Just walk out of there and pretend shield isn’t going to fire back?”

LOGAN HOWLETT (616): Pushing his way through the condensing crowd around Strange, Logan grunted and reached out a hand once he was close enough. "Gimme one of those." It was a demand, not a question. Jean was in there, and if this was the time to head in he was going to make sure she was found.

STEPFORD CUCKOOS (616): “Oh, we absolutely will *not* be doing that.” The sisters sniffed. “But we’ll tell Ms. Frost and the Council.” Please, the telepathic afterthought went out. Find our sister.

NATASHA ROMANOFF (616): “Pretending S.H.I.E.L.D. isn’t going to fire back would make us even more stupid than them.” Natasha replied to Jessica coolly. “But S.H.I.E.L.D.’s fired on us before, haven’t they?”

JANET VAN DYNE (616): “I could sneak in undetected, I’m sure! Find a way to infiltrated the room where they’re keeping the source of the town — maybe Ripley Ryan — and at least do some recon for the rest of you?!” Janet’s flexing her arm and flashing a wide grin. “We’re all in this together, team!”

JESSICA DREW (931): “just saying, this is going to turn into another accords situation. Or worse.” She’s rolling her eyes at Natasha’s response.  At some point in time, they’d been teammates. Maybe even friends? But clearly the Natasha from this world didn’t care about that. So be it. “Whatever, nat, it’s your funeral.”

SAM WILSON (MCU): Even though he didn’t really want to, Sam made his way over to Strange and nodded his head once to signal that he was with him.

JEAN-PAUL DUCHAMP (MCU): "SHIELD is always shooting at someone! Why not have it be us this time, hm? If we let fear of their retaliation stop us, why don't we just give up now? Let our friends stay where they are and forget about them." Frenchie shook his head, feeling the anger build in his chest. "Non! We must try!"

CAROL DANVERS (616): Carol didn't have to ask -- didn't have to make any demands. She was just a step ahead of Sam, the weight of his presence heavy over her shoulder. They'd solidified their relationship with one another through tenuous agreement and heated argument. But they'd worked tirelessly to build something with a stable foundation. She was already going in -- Sam was just a reinforcing point.

JESSICA DREW (931): “that’s not what im suggesting. I’m just saying there’s a better way. A stealthier way.” Whatever, no one’s going to listen to her. She’s used to that, anyways. Jessica eyes Carol, whose mind also seems made up, and the betrayal flashes in her stomach. Fuck it. She might not be on board with this plan but—- maybe Jessica could find a way to frame hydra this.

SCOTT SUMMERS (616): Scott watched as Logan stampeded through the thickening crowd. He would be going after Jean, a dog on a short leash. It didn't aggravate him nearly as much as it had in the past -- years ago when Krakoa was still infantile and they were barely building their family up from nothing. Now, Scott could look on with indifference; could accept Logan's dogged persistence. He made his way through the crowd -- Logan would sniff her out and Scott would be there, he's always been there, since the very beginning.

CLINT BARTON (616): Clint took the slap like a champ as he kept his face neutral, a hand slowly reaching up to wipe his stinging cheek before taking a deep breath. “It already has turned into an Accords situation, Jess. They’re holding people captive in there. Good people.” People like Bobbi, who had been reduced to test subjects. There was no way he was going to just sit back if people were going in. And again, especially not if Lance was going in. “The town is holding a communal barbecue right now.” The time of their meeting in Connecticut was no coincidence, that was for sure. “Is anyone else going in? Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

KAMALA KHAN (MCU): She was vibrating. “I volunteer as tribute!” Kamala raised a hand before realizing that she needed to walk over and physically take a reality blocker. She did so somewhat abashedly.

DAISY JOHNSON (AOS): Daisy eyed the crowd as they made their way towards Strange, and when Natasha spoke up, that’s when she reached in and grabbed a blocker for herself, eyeing Monica apologetically. But if there was a chance that Maria would be inside the town, there was no way she was going to sit back at the Airbnb and hear about it later.

LANCE HUNTER (616): “You payin’ attention, Barton? I think the ayes have it,” Hunter looked around the room, everyone who was willing to participate was on their feet, rearing to go, and he’d be right there - right alongside them.

MONICA RAMBEAU (MCU): “Not me.” Monica held both hands up. She respected Daisy’s decision, but someone had to stay on the outside. Besides, Monica knew she couldn’t handle another Westview. It felt too soon.

LANCE HUNTER (616): He took two reality blockers, keeping one for himself, and slapping the other against Clint’s chest. “Hope you’re ready, pretty boy.”

JESSICA DREW (931): “get a room!” Jessica chides to hunter and barton, eyes rolling dramatically in their direction. “Or at least slap each others asses or something.“

LAURA KINNEY/WOLVERINE (616): Logan was going, and Laura had promised to be there for moral support. She took a reality blocker as well, looking to him with pursed lips.

RIRI WILLIAMS (616): “Aw, hell.” Riri shook her head. Miles wasn’t always her favorite person, but she wasn’t going to let him go in without back-up. Sure, there were plenty of others. But they weren’t Champions. They weren’t like Miles and Riri. “I want to check out the tech anyway.”

MATT MURDOCK (616): Matt had been quiet up until this point, but then there was talk of actually going in and he couldn’t help but to walk forward and grab a blocker for himself. Foggy and Karen were for sure going to kill him for this, but if Elektra really was in there, he couldn’t help the temptation to go in himself to find her. Maybe he was teetering on the line of going back to that dark mindset that he always seemed to go to when Elektra was involved, but he couldn’t help it. He listened closely to see if Jen had followed him or if she was staying behind, despite it not having any influence on his decision. He was going.

BUCKY BARNES (MCU): Bucky shook his head along with Monica as he held his hands up. "I don't think I can go back in there." Not right now, at least. There needed to be at least two members of their little team that stayed behind. Maybe Val wouldn't take too kindly to that decision, but he didn't give a shit. They needed a back-up if this went south, which it probably would.

PETER PARKER (MCU): Peter had been lurking since the beginning. Decisions were really, really hard to make sometimes. Heading in there with everyone else volunteering felt like the right thing to do, but there was a big part of him that was telling him to stay. He knew Felicia was in there. And that guilt ate away at him. But there was instant panic when faced with the idea of messed up memories. He didn't want it for himself, and he wasn't sure he wouldn't immediately crack when faced with it in others. It was a touchy subject still, apparently. So he figured it would be best if he didn't go. He might become a liability if he went. Noticing that Tony (not his Tony, of course, which was still something to get used to) wasn't jumping at the chance to head in, he inched his way over to him and let the rest of the group divide themselves up.

TONY STARK (616): "Well, you are all going to be so glad that I stayed behind. When your rash decisions bite you in the ass, the rest of us are going to have to come save you. Thankfully, we'll have time to come up with that extraction plan." Tony stayed put, glancing to the young Spider-Man who had made his way over. "Smart decision, kid."

JENNIFER WALTERS (MCU): It took some heavy deliberation. Jen wasn’t sure which way she wanted to go. She knew she was technically a tank and that would be helpful, but the idea of being warped set her on edge. Still, she was learning how to be a hero. And hey, reader, who doesn’t want to stay relevant? “I’m in,” Jen finally rolled her shoulders back.

CLINT BARTON (616): Clint placed his hand on top of Lance's for a brief moment once he slapped the reality blocker against his chest and raised a defensive brow at him before attaching the device to the side of his neck. "I was born ready."

HOPE VAN DYNE (MCU): “I need to get home.” Back to Jan, back to Hank, back to Cassie. They needed to know what had happened.

JESSICA JONES (MCU): “Fuck no.” That went without saying.

JESSICA JONES (616): “Isn’t Trish in there?”

JESSICA JONES (MCU): “What the hell am I going to do for her if I’m also a mind wiped zombie?” Jessica would find a way to help from the outside.

JANE FOSTER/VALKYRIE (616): Silent up until that point, Jane took a deep breath. She remembered the first Pleasant Hill and how it had been in there. It felt like she was required to go back.

JESSICA JONES (616): “You must be real fun at parties.” JJ retorts with a snort. Not like she’s going in there either but, fuck, there’s not a single person she cares about missing. So. Eh.

PETER QUILL (MCU): Peter was hesitant to stand as the risk seemed to be quite great, but Mantis had already made her decision, and he wouldn’t dare let her go in without him. He’d never forgive himself if something happened and he wasn’t there to prevent it. He silently retrieved one of the chips and attached it to his skin like so many others had already done, his expression a picture of quiet determination.

NATASHA ROMANOFF (616): Natasha respected Jessica. The Drew she knew was dead, but she had faith that her multiversal variant was as well. That didn’t mean she agreed with her, though. The assassin watched as Clint spoke with her, nodding once when he finished. Valkyrie took the last of the reality blockers, the duffel now empty. “Stephen, Hunter, Mantis, Spider-man, Star-Lord, Stephen, Hawkeye, Black Widow, America, Wolverine, Wasp, Wolverine, Captain America, Duchamp, Captain Marvel, Cyclops, Quake, Ms. Marvel, Daredevil, Ironheart, She-Hulk and Valkyrie. Interesting group.”

JANET VAN DYNE (616): “Okay, team. Let’s do this!”

DAISY JOHNSON (AOS): Daisy nodded at Natasha’s recap and took a deep breath as she assessed the group in front of her, the realization of what they were doing finally hitting her. They were going into Pleasant Hill, officially. It was bound to turn into a disaster like Stark was saying, but it felt right to at least try. She sure as hell wasn’t going to let Stephen Strange crusade into the town by himself with no back-up, and judging by the amount of people that volunteered she wasn’t alone in that sentiment. It didn’t take them long to get to the perimeter of the town thanks to America Chavez and her portals, and pretty soon they were just outside the outer gates of the town. They weren’t conspicuous by any means, but once they got into the town that wouldn’t matter anyways. This many strangers was bound to be a red flag, especially considering the amount of them that were in full on suits. Rolling her eyes a bit at the red and yellow disaster that was Matt’s suit, she took a deep breath and fixed the blocker onto the side of her neck. “The agents are in the middle of a shift change right now. I’d say we have about—“ Pausing, she glances down at her watch before speaking again. “Two minutes to get in without a fight.”

NATASHA ROMANOFF (616): “You heard her.” Natasha took her own blocker and moved the fabric of her suit to affix it to her skin. She made her way to the keypad at the gate that bordered the thick ring of trees at the barrier. As soon as the lock blinked green, she entered. Everyone else could follow if they liked; it was the last chance to back out. With determined steps, Natasha made her way to the town center where all the people had gathered.

LANCE HUNTER (616): Hunter knew some of the people joining in on this rescue mission were more qualified than others, so for that reason he chose to stick close to Natasha, following quickly behind as he passed the gate and entered the town.

AMERICA CHAVEZ (UTOPIAN PARALLEL): “Hey, so,” short legs moved quickly to keep up as America walked between the Stephen’s. “Just tossing this out there, but is there a spell or something one of the two incredibly powerful former Sorcerer Supremes could cast that would make the bug lady look less like un insecto?”

STEPHEN STRANGE (MCU): Stephen paused for a moment, making eye contact with the other Strange and pressing his lips into a tight frown as he caught sight of mantis and realized that America was right. They couldn’t go into Pleasant Hill looking the way they did. Not when Mantis had literal antennae sticking out of her head. He waved his sling ring up for a moment and moved his hands, calculated with the spell as orange sparks emitted over everyone and cast a glamour to change everyone’s faces to be a bit more agreeable. In a few seconds, everyone looked like they could fit right in with the aesthetic of this suburban town they now found themselves in. Stephen’s own appearance changed, but the sling ring was the only remnant of himself as it sat nicely on his hand. “There. We should also probably split up across the park. We’ll draw less attention to ourselves that way.”

GREER NELSON (616): Her nose twitched once. Tanned flesh now replaced the orange fur that Greer had grown accustomed to, and she flexed her fingers before turning to an unchanged Duchamp. “We’re looking for Spector.” It was a statement, not a question.

MARC SPECTOR/MOONKNIGHT (MCU): Hot-dogs and patties sizzled on the grill in front of him as Oscar contributed to the cook-out while his children played on the grass nearby. And it was there, with longing eyes watched Gugu as she sat there with Delilah and played personally with her while Jason ran around with a soccer ball to his heart’s content. This? This was life right here, and it was good. More than good, actually. He had a third child on the way with the love of his life, and things were going well enough at work that he was heading toward a promotion here soon. “Hey honey, do you want a hot-dog or a burger?”

MANTIS (MCU): She couldn’t see her face, but Mantis could tell magic had been used. “I am changed?” She asked Peter.

MARIA HILL (616): Maria had gathered the people of Pleasant Hill in the town square. Her intention was to provide a speech that would boost morale, keep the inmates complacent, and reinforce group cohesiveness. "And so, I thank you all for attending today's barbecue. It is my responsibility as mayor to ensure all the people of this town feel supported. Should you have any questions or concerns, please come speak with me any time during the barbecue." Her intercom beeps. Again. And again. Something was amiss in Pleasant Hill. Maria clears her throat. "Now, I encourage you all to enjoy the rest of your day, help yourselves to refreshments, and get to know your fellow neighbors better."

JEAN-PAUL DUCHAMP (MCU): He debated ignoring her. Frenchie didn't necessarily trust this Greer person but for now, they could work together. He was more than happy to look for Marc on his own, but another set of eyes was technically useful. "You don't know him. Not like I do." He answered her statement with one of his own. "I do the talking."

CLEA STRANGE/SORCERER SUPREME (616): “Burger for me, but only if there’s cheese.” At the word cheese, Delilah grinned. “Make that two. Hotdog for Jason.” They had set up their blanket close to the center of the town square. Gugu had been seated on it with Delilah while Jason acted like a spun out puppy, and her heart was content. Gugu paused, head tilting to the side while the mayor spoke. “She’s such a nice woman,” she sighed.

PETER QUILL (MCU): Peter wasn’t entirely sure how to answer, but he knew Mantis would be able to tell instantly if he was lying to her, “Yeah,” he shrugged, “— but we’re undercover, you know? That’s the whole point.” He could tell his own appearance had changed as well, but he knew it was Strange’s doing and that the magic wasn’t, of course, permanent.

GREER GRANT (616): “I’d argue I know Marc Spector pretty well,” Greer arched a brow. But that was in another reality, wasn’t it? She didn’t want to fight with him. “It doesn’t matter who talks as long as we say the right thing and get them out.”

MANTIS (MCU): “Am I...ugly?” She asked, genuinely unsure. Drax told her she was ugly, so she had to have been. It was what she was used to.

PETER QUILL (MCU): “— god, no Mantis.” Drax should’ve kept his big mouth shut. “If anything, I prefer your old face,” he remarked, hoping it was taken as the compliment he meant it as.

DAISY JOHNSON (AOS): Daisy’s jaw was already square the moment they walked into the town center and Maria’s voice could be heard over the loud speaker. Liar. What a liar Maria Hill was, boasting about making everyone in town feel supported when really she was holding them all hostage in a suburban fantasy. A nightmare, was more accurate, really. It took everything in her not to just march onto that stage and take things into her own hands, but she was smart enough to stick back as she looked to Natasha and Hunter. “This is bullshit.”

KARLA SOFEN/MOONSTONE (616): Lucy Maneri was the town's baker, so perhaps it was only natural that the mayor asked for her to partake in preparing dessert for this barbecue. She was adorned in a checkered, 50s style apron, her hair tied back, and a bright smile on her face as lucy went around with a tray of fresh baked cupcakes. She stops the first person she sees, waving them to her cupcake tray. "I have a variety of flavours, plus gluten free, dairy free, kosher, hallal, nut free, keto-friendly, and vegan! Would you like one, darling?"

MATT MURDOCK (MCU): Matt stopped abruptly, feeling out of place without a pair of tinted glasses on his face and without the suit on as he kept an arm linked around Jen's and took a deep breath. Shaking his head slightly, he finally turned to her direction. "Listen, if you.. If you don't want to get dragged into this, I understand. I know I've already tried to warn you, but Elektra, she's..." What was Elektra, exactly? Someone who brought out the best and the worst in Matt simultaneously somehow? "It's a lot. And if it's too much, I get it."

RIRI WILLIAMS (616): Oh, hell no. Riri had seen enough Jordan Peele movies to know that this place was not where it was at. She had stuck by Miles, the sleeves of her flannel already covering her nano gauntlet even before the wizard had cast the spell. “Uh, no.” She tried to sidestep the white lady with the excessive amount of options. “Hard pass from me.”

STEPHEN STRANGE (616): "I still think we should have thought this through more." Stephen remarked, eyes straight ahead as they walked. He tried not to focus on the changes to his own appearance— bare arms and shirt fabric replacing the bandages that were normally there. There was no golden mask, no cape. It felt odd, but it also felt freeing. His soul still wasn't his own, but he could at least feel a bit of detachment from that fact. "It's because of your rashness that we are here. Which is what you should keep in mind if things take a turn for the worst."

KARLA SOFEN (616): "Why so glum, dear? They’re only cupcakes. You're treating them like they’re poison! A little sugar will put some meat on those bones, you know!" She laughs in the forced way a housewife would, her smile stretching a bit wider across her face. She picks up a cupcake -- strawberry! -- and holds it out. "Are you sure?"

JENNIFER WALTERS (MCU): The spell had left her unchanged. Jen remained herself: short, curly haired and linked to Matt by an elbow. As they abruptly stopped, she turned to face him fully. “Look, you don’t have to warn me. I’m good with dealing with a lot. It’s like, kinda my thing.” Jen tried to reassure him, all the while attempting to silence her own doubts. “Let’s just find her. Then we can deal with the lot part.”

MARIA HILL (616): She was seeking out agent carter now with practiced nonchalance despite the urgency of the situation. Once she had captured the other's gaze, Maria tapped two fingers three times against her right thigh, a secret code that alludes to the fact they had been compromised.

STEPHEN STRANGE (MCU): “I’m sorry, if I recall things correctly it seems that you have followed me out here on this rash quest. After I pushed you to eventually have the motivation to come save your own wife.” Stephen remarked back almost instantly, his tone sharp and his expression firm until he noticed a few stares being cast in their direction. He straightened up after that, adjusting the button up shirt he was now wearing as he flattened it out and took a deep breath. “I’m not doing this here with you. Not right now. If you’d like to go try and help her, you’re more than welcome to join.”

MILES MORALES (1610): “Nah, I think I’m good.” Miles answered instantly, seeming to get the same exact energy that Riri was picking up on from the baker lady as she smiled at them with an uneasy grin. It was the kind of grin you saw in a horror movie, right before you got stabbed or something. No way. But then she held out the cupcake and Miles felt awkward declining it as he just took it from her hands and tried to offer a grateful smile. “What, uh.. what flavor is this one?”

JEAN-PAUL DUCHAMP (616): "Mmm no, no thank you mon amour. One of those burgers perhaps? Those look good." Frenchie managed to hear the question as they walked up, tipping his head to catch Marc's eye as he ungracefully made himself part of the conversation between him and his fake wife. The smile on his face could almost be considered a shit-eating grin. "What kind of mustard do you have, hm?"

RIRI WILLIAMS (616): She just shook her head. If one of them were going to get the *Get Out* treatment, it wouldn’t be her. “Shouldn’t we focus on finding our friend?”

MATT MURDOCK (MCU): Matt couldn’t help the self deprecating laugh he let out at Jen trying to reassure him as he just shook his head. If only she knew. There was no way he could ever give her a recap of everything that went down with the Hand that could convey the full weight of it all. He still hadn’t told her about how he’d let himself get crushed to death in that building with Elektra that night. How he’d gotten back and couldn’t even bring himself to be Matt Murdock anymore for a long few months. God, he hadn’t even told her about Fisk. But things between them were so nice and lighthearted that he’d almost let himself forget about all of that. About the dark stains of his past that he was still trying to atone for. And here Jen was, trying her best to be supportive despite not knowing just how deep all of this went. And it meant the world to him, even if he knew soon all of it would change the moment he got Elektra back. There was no world in which Elektra just let him move on. The sound of jangling keys stopped Matt in his tracks and he paused and listened for where the noise was coming from. “Just behind me, the Sheriff.. Is she there?”

KARLA SOFEN (616): "It's strawberry, dear! i hope you like it!" She tilts her head sideways, waving the two youngins off with a bright smile. "Stay safe! Enjoy the barbecue! You know where to find me if your friend would like cupcakes, too!"

MARC SPECTOR (MCU): Oscar’s brows raised a bit when suddenly a man was responding to his question, a French man at that. There was no one in Pleasant Hill with any sort of accent of any kind, really. It was intriguing, even if it was also very confusing. “You, uh.. you want a burger? Yeah, I can get one for you.” He responded politely, a slightly nervous smile tugging at his lips as he grabbed a set of buns and tilted his head towards the stranger. “There’s more than one kind of mustard…?”

LOGAN HOWLETT (616): Logan wasn't sure this would be an option at first, but he was thankful to learn that things pretty much smelled the way they were supposed to smell in this weird time. There was something off of course, but the people were still themselves. He caught Jean's scent pretty quickly and just started following it. Scott and Laura could follow if they wanted. When he finally saw her, his senses felt like they were lying to him. It was Jean, he had followed his nose right to her, but it wasn't her face. It shouldn't have been a surprise but it made him feel sick. "Jean?" Her name slipped out of his mouth before he could catch it.

MILES MORALES (1610): As soon as the woman walked off and was out of sight, Miles subtly threw the cupcake away in a nearby garbage bin as he turned to Riri and nodded quickly. "Right, yeah.. Her name is Danielle here." Miles knew that much from the file he'd skimmed over about a hundred times.

DAISY JOHNSON (AOS): Daisy watched with careful eyes as Maria made a signal to someone, and with a quick glance across the park she realized that it was Sharon. That was enough to make her nudge Natasha as subtly as she could. "Maria's signaling. They know." Not that it was a surprise, but they were definitely on a time crunch now if they weren't before.

JENNIFER WALTERS (MCU): It was hard to be supportive about something so clearly painful and shrouded in mystery, but Jen had never shied away from something because it was hard. She had taken the Bar in California. It was the hardest state to pass in with a 34% chance. That remained one of her greatest accomplishments, even next to being She-Hulk. It was important to her that every part of her identity was acknowledged and treasured. The same went for Matt, even when she didn’t understand him. Trying to be casual, she glanced over her shoulder. “There’s a woman with a badge, yeah. I want to go out on a limb and guess that it’s her. Are we just walking over or do you have a plan?”

PETER QUILL (MCU): Peter’s subconscious was telling him to look for green skin, but he quickly realized that was incorrect when he remembered their appearances had been altered. He tried to conjure up a mental picture of the photo that had been in Gamora’s file. Zoe was her name now, right. He began to move around the gathering, smiling and nodding in acknowledgement at anyone who happened to look his way as he continued his frantic search for this new face.

MATT MURDOCK (MCU): "I don't.." Trailing off, Matt grimaced. Was talking to her really the best course of action? It wasn't like he could tell for certain that it was Elektra. Not unless he could hear her. Smell the familiar shampoo she usually used, anything that could give him an inkling of her real identity. This person was certainly not Elektra, and he still wasn't fully convinced that it was even underneath. "Walking over is a good start." And with that, his arm guided Jen towards the direction of the Sheriff. Ironic, considering he was the blind one, but being guided around was usually just for show anyways. And right now, they needed some show. "Hi, you're the Sheriff here, right? Sheriff Boyd?"

JEAN GREY (616): She wasn’t officially working, so the microphone stayed at home. Instead, it was nice to socialize off the record and actually spend time with the people she lived around. Megan loved Pleasant Hill. She had a dog, a good career and friends. A partner would have been nice, but there was time. Although she was in the middle of conversing with Chris Turati, Megan paused when a man spoke to her. “Megan.” She pointed at herself. “I’m sorry, are you new?”

JEAN-PAUL DUCHAMP (MCU): Frenchie's face twisted up like he had tasted something bitter. "Oh my, what have they done to you?" He sounded genuinely heartbroken, thinking back to the multiple times he had lectured Marc on the multiple types of mustard that existed in the world. He took the buns and grabbed a plate, eyes gravitating towards the single sad yellow bottle next to the ketchup. Talking to his best friend like this was harder than he anticipated. It was taking all of his willpower to not reach over, grab him by the shoulders, and shake him back into remembering. He would have to try a different approach. "Why don't you take a seat, relax, eat. I can take over the grill." Frenchie took the spatula from him and gently booted him away from in front of the grill. He scooped up a burger for himself and then casually flipped another, not caring if it needed to be flipped. "I own a restaurant, you know. Does that ring any bells to you? Do you enjoy Italian food, mon ami?"

NATASHA ROMANOFF (616): “Of course they know.” Natasha’s face remained impassive as she glanced around the town square. There wasn’t much time before they’d be converged upon. Everyone had dispersed at this point. “Odds of this being a success?” Her words were a low hum. “Low. But we knew that, didn’t we?” Still, they tried. “How do you want to play this?”

TRISH WALKER (MCU): Blake Miller was laying in the grass, a cat in her lap, a dog by her side, living her best life, honestly. At some point, her dog wandered off, seemingly interested in sniffing out something (or someone?), who didn't belong here. Blake approached them, confusion in her face. "I’m sorry, I didn't realize we had new neighbors!"

RIRI WILLIAMS (616): Riri failed to relax even when they walked away from the cupcake lady. “I don’t like the name Danielle,” she tossed out. “But we know what she looks like. At least we have that going for us.” She scanned the area and spotted a group of teenagers. “Worth a shot?”

ELEKTRA NATCHIOS (MCU): “Elodie, yes.” The Sheriff corrected him. Everyone in Pleasant Hill was on a first name basis. “Please, tell me you’re here to introduce yourself and *not* because someone committed a crime.”

MARC SPECTOR/KHONSHU (MCU): Oscar frowned at that, now completely lost on the conversation as he just stared blankly at the man in front of him and shrugged his shoulders a bit, not sure what he was supposed to say. No one had done anything to him. Not that he could remember, at least. He was just out providing some food for his neighbors. “What?” He asked softly, his eyes glancing back over towards Gugu on the grass for a brief few seconds. Within a few seconds, suddenly he found himself seated as the stranger took the spatula from him and started to do the cooking for him. It was more than bizarre. Part of him wanted to call over to his wife for a little bit of help, but then the Frenchman was asking more questions and they piqued his interest enough to turn his attention back to the conversation at hand. “You know, I can’t say it does. Italian food is great, though. Spaghetti night is pretty big at our house.” Ah, so I see. Marc summons more than one worm when he is in need of aid. Jean-Paul Duchamp, this will not work. Khonshu’s full presence was revealed now to Frenchie and Greer as he towered just behind Marc, concealing his presence from his avatar for the time being. Marc Spector is not fully present. I will have to fix it myself. But not here. It is too open a space. It had taken the god this long to even find Marc because he could not even sense his presence on their normal plane of existence. Taweret had been in the same position with the bug.

ELEKTRA NATCHIOS (MCU): “Elodie, yes.” The Sheriff corrected him. Everyone in Pleasant Hill was on a first name basis. “Please, tell me you’re here to introduce yourself and not because someone committed a crime.”

DAISY JOHNSON (AOS): "Yeah, stupid low." Daisy confirmed as she grumbled to herself and just shook her head. They did know that. But they couldn't let it be for nothing. "Hill. We take Hill down, we stunt this operation from the top, right?"

STEPHEN STRANGE (616): "The motivation—" Strange had to practically bite his own tongue off to cut that sentence short. What composure he had managed to keep up until then cracked wide open. How dare Stephen suggest he needed external motivation to save Clea? But, he kept that to himself and slid one set of fingers through his silver hair, pushing it away from his forehead as he took in a breath. Stephen was right— this wasn't the time or place for them to blow up at each other. But he was confident it would happen soon, no matter the outcome of this expedition. Once they found Clea, the shock hit him. The strange french man was there already, adding an odd element to the group. But now he was right in front of Clea, and the words caught in his throat. "I'm— I'm sorry to bother you—" He approached her with caution, eyes glancing between her and the children. "Could we talk to you for a moment?"

JANE FOSTER (616): Upon seeing a dog, Jane automatically bent down to pet it. There was a saying that people in New York would step over a dead body to pet a dog, and they weren’t totally wrong. She looked up when the other woman spoke, the realization of where they were hitting once more. “Uh, yeah, yeah. Some of us just moved in.” Even though Jane had read the profiles, she didn’t recognize the woman. “Cute dog.”

MILES MORALES (1610): Miles eyed the group of teenagers that Riri pointed out and nodded quickly, deciding that that was a great place to start. He could barely remember what her face looked like, but a name was good enough for now. They'd find her, they had to. Walking over there with Riri by his side, Miles clasped one of the boys into a generic handshake as he nodded at the group. "'Sup? We're both pretty new here and just figured we'd check out the barbecue."

LOGAN HOWLETT (616): "Megan?" There was a split second of confusion before he remembered that name being attached to her file. He let out a huff. "Yeah, sure. Right. Megan. I guess you could say I'm new. Just got in today, in fact. The name's Logan. And this is my daughter Laura."

CLEA STRANGE (616): Some odd man was assaulting her husband. Not technically, but he was behaving strangely and Gugu had half a mind to step in to save Oscar. Delilah chose that moment to have a meltdown though, and it took a second to get her straight again. She was calling to Jason when two shadows fell over the picnic blanket. “Sure. Is everything alright?” They weren’t familiar. New, maybe? Gugu couldn’t help but crane her neck to look around them to see if Oscar was paying attention. He wasn’t. “I don’t think we’ve met.”

LAURA KINNEY (616): She got an introduction. That was nice. Laura offered a tight lipped smile and a finger gun.

JEAN GREY (616): “Megan.” She confirmed. “Logan. Laura. Great. We all know each others names now. Can I help you with something?”

STEPHEN STRANGE (MCU): There was no doubt in Stephen’s mind that there was bound to be a head to this endless cycle of bickering the two of them were finding themselves in, but now was not the time. They had a job to do, and that was find Clea and get her the hell out of this town. But then they were actually approaching her and standing just feet away from the fake children and all of the breath was practically sucked out of Stephen’s chest as he just stared with widened eyes at the scene in front of them. He knew it’d be bad, but this was worse than he’d imagined. Seeing her look so complacent in all of this, so.. so happy. Not knowing that all of this was fake. “Oh, yes, everything’s just fine. We just wanted to come introduce ourselves. New to the neighborhood and all that. I’m Stephen.” The introduction came quickly, partially in spite of the other Stephen so he could at least get his name out first. He resisted the urge to hold out a hand to shake as he took a slow deep breath in through his nose.

RIRI WILLIAMS (616): Not wanting to play games, Riri just gutted her chin at the others before crossing her arms over her chest. “My brother and I are looking for our neighbor, actually. Danielle. You guys know where she is?”

JEAN-PAUL DUCHAMP (MCU): "Quel désastre.." Spaghetti night? Really? But before he could get out another word to Marc, the form of Khonshu appeared. He let out an annoyed sigh, letting the hand gripping the spatula fall defeated to his side as his eyes moved away from Marc. "Oh now you show up? After I do the hard work of finding him?" It was no secret that Frenchie was not fond of the bird-god. He hated him, in fact. He brought Marc back from the dead but everything after was a disaster. "What do you want me to do, throw him over my shoulder and carry him away? He will be terrified." Although, Frenchie thought to himself, that wasn't the worst idea.

MATT MURDOCK (MCU): "Elodie, right." That was strange. He couldn't recall the last Sheriff he'd met who didn't demand to have their title flaunted around in every single conversation. "Just introducing ourselves, I'm afraid. Though, judging by the state of the town, I doubt there's really much crime to counteract at all." It was the entire point of this, right? "I'm Matthew. And this is my girlfriend, Jen."

ELEKTRA NATCHIOS (MCU): Elodie made a point to never forget a face, so she took a mental snapshot of both of them. “God, you’re a good looking couple. Welcome to town. You’re right, though. I have a painfully easy job. We’re lucky here, but we all know it.”

RAVEN DARKHOLME/MYSTIQUE (616): They took her Irene. Raven just got her back. and S.H.I.E.L.D. fucking. took her. Raven was coming for blood. This was more than an eye for an eye. This was a life for a life, and she was murder incarnate. She was bloodshed wearing the skin of Janet Van Dyne, but the moment she entered the town, Raven shifted again. She was one towns person, then another. And this little game of charades continued until she was close enough to Maria Hill for the slaughter. She waited, of course. bBd her time, acted the part, until Irene was within eyeshot. Yntil she would bask in the blood of redemption. That’s when Raven turned her skin blue, when she was nose-to-nose with Maria Hill. When she brought the gun to the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s stomach and pulled the trigger.

MATT MURDOCK (MCU): Matt couldn’t even get another word out before he heard the clicking of a gun being cocked, and his first instinct was to grab both Jen and Elektra down onto the ground with him as he kept his arms over the top of them. “Get down!” And sure enough, a gunshot rang out through the town square just seconds later. Chaos ensued almost immediately afterwards, the sounds of screaming people echoing throughout Matt’s entire field of hearing as he stayed down on the ground for a moment to make sure there were no more gunshots coming.

STEPHEN STRANGE (616): "Right. And I'm— Vincent." There was a more than obvious pause before he said the name, not wanting to confuse her by saying the exact same name she was just given. Their similar appearances probably have caught her eye already— no need to bring shared names into it quite yet. He opened his mouth to continue but was shocked by the sound of a gun going off. A split second later, the crowd around them erupted into screams of panic and terror. His instincts kicked in and his hands went up, conjuring a magic shield in a sudden flurry of sparks. He crouched down to get closer to Clea, wanting to cover her but recoiling a bit when he got to close. Not only would she not want him, a stranger, close to her. They still couldn't touch.

STEPHEN STRANGE (MCU): Stephen’s immediate instinct was also to throw up a shield, sparks emanating all around them as he crouched down beside the two of them and made sure to keep the children covered, even if they weren’t real. It still felt like it may as well have been real given how realistic the reality stone made everything seem. When he realized that he’d done the same exact thing as the other Strange, he shared a look with his multiversal counterpart before glancing back towards Clea and raising his brows. The park was now in complete and total chaos, considering the mayor had just been shot onstage. His eyes searched for where Marc went, since Clea would surely be screaming about him once she got over the shock of the magical shields, but he was nowhere in sight.

CLEA STRANGE (616): “Oh my God.” At the gunshot, Gugu’s first instinct was to grab Delilah and curl her body around the child’s. And Jason -- where was Jason?? She still had Delilah pinned down as she shot up to look for her son, seeing instead sparks raining down seemingly from Stephen and Vincent’s hands. Jason was -- there. Jason was there. They were all huddled together under what appeared to be some kind of shield or barrier, and Gugu clutched Delilah even harder. She tried to scramble backwards, but the blanket got tangled up  around her legs and stopped her from going anywhere. “What the hell are you?”

MARC SPECTOR (MCU): Alright, now this was just getting out of hand. Suddenly the French guy was looking behind and above him and having a full fledged conversation with thin air, and that was enough for Oscar to stand up from the seat he’d been forced down into. “If you’ll excuse me, I, uh.. My wife and kids are hungry.” He tried to keep his voice firm as he grabbed a plate and started to grab some buns, but then suddenly a gunshot rang out throughout the park and his fight or flight mode was kicked on. Gugu. The kids. Where were they? He could barely see through everyone starting to run on the grass, and as he stepped past the stranger and into the crowd, a woman crashed into him and sent them both crashing down onto the grass in a panic. “Gugu! Jason! Delilah!” The names were shouted with urgency as his voice cracked and he tried to pull himself up from the ground, but then suddenly he was looking up at a large skeletal bird creature and he couldn’t help the scream that ripped from him as he covered his head with his hands. This was a nightmare. A terrible nightmare that he just needed to wake up from already.

LOGAN HOWLETT (616): The gunshot sent everything into disarray. Logan hadn't come up with what to say next, so it at least saved him from floundering, but it was a huge shock. His adrenaline shot through him, heart pounding and chest heaving. His hands closed into fists and then the claws came out. Logan could smell the blood, and looked to Laura before taking a defensive step closer to Jean.

LAYLA EL-FAOULY/SCARLET SCARAB (MCU): She had never heard a gunshot before. Not in real life, at least. May had in movies, but that was about it. The sound was enough to startle her into motion; the crowd all seemed to be moving in different directions, pinning her in the middle. She was about to break free when she collided with a man and went careening to the ground. Oscar Nuñez. She knew who he was because she had cut his kids hair. His daughter had loved holding the little stuffed hippo that May kept on hand for the youngsters. Now, they were both on the ground. May was trying to untangle her legs from Oscar’s when she saw the skeleton bird. She had only a second to try and process that before she saw a hippo in a wig staring down at her with a scarily jolly grin. Hello, dearie. Glad to see you! Been looking everywhere for you, you know. Never mind that! We’re together now, aren’t we? Now we can fix this pesky business, set it all to right. May just screamed.

STEPHEN STRANGE (616): Stephen tried to calm himself, feeling his heart beat through his chest. He turned to look at Clea as he steadied his breath, then slowly stood back up and let the shield dissipate. "We're uh—we're magicians. Stage magicians." Because he was unsure of his answers, it sounded vaguely like a question. He shrugged and looked to Stephen for a moment. "Are you alright? It sounds like it was just the one shot, we're all okay. But we should get out of here. Get somewhere safer." It was his attempt at trying to get Clea to come with them. The fear and adrenaline from the gunshot made everything feel even worse, and he was worried they weren't going to get her to come.

JEAN GREY (616): However Megan was going to react to the gunshot was overpowered by her surprise at seeing giant knives come out of the mans knuckles. “I’m sorry, what?” She needed her camera crew ASAP. This wasn’t something you wanted to miss.

JENNIFER WALTERS (MCU): Matt’s arm pushed Jen down, but she was already mid-transformation. A second later, she stood in her full Hulk form with fists clenched as she tried to see if there was any immediate threat after the shot. If need be, Jen would throw herself in front of Matt and Elektra (?) due to her increased durability. “Are you two okay?” She-Hulk looked down at them.

MARC SPECTOR (MCU): When Oscar finally gained the courage to remove his hands from his head, his screaming didn’t stop as he looked up and saw not only that the skeleton bird was still looming over him, but there was a hippo now too. A large talking hippo and— his screaming wouldn’t stop, he physically couldn’t stop as he tried to pull his legs away from May’s. Marc Spector. I leave you for two seconds and you get yourself captured almost immediately. Typical. The bird’s voice reverberated in Oscar’s head, so loud that it sounded like someone had shoved a speaker on full blast right against his ear. It hurt. This won’t take long. Don’t resist. The pain only got worse from there as his eyes lit up bright white and his limbs moved without his consent. His neck strained as he tried to fight it, but eventually the otherworldly power coursing through him won as bandages began to wrap around his arms and chest, eventually covering him entirely in the suit. And in that instant, Marc’s mind seemed to catch up with everything that was happening as the suit unravelled itself and he fell forward, limp from Khonshu no longer straining his muscles. His face was his own again, but his mind was completely scrambled. Blinking twice, he stared down at the grass and panted as he tried to figure out where he was. Not uncommon for him, but this time felt different.

ELEKTRA NATCHIOS (MCU): What had she just been saying about the town being safe? Almost as soon as the gunshot rang out, Elodie was under Matt’s arm. The protection was nice for a second before she remembered her job and whipped her own gun out, safety clicking off as she raised her arms. “Shit. The Mayor. She’s ---” That’s when it clicked that Jen was now seven feet tall and green. Elodie’s gun clattered to the floor.

RAVEN DARKHOLME (616): Mystique is unfazed by the chaos around her. She eyes the body in disappointment, but reaches down regardless. Taking the dangling "corpse" in her hand, and waving it to the crowd. "So you all see how they deceived you? Your beloved "mayor" was nothing but a robot. Someone to observe you. sSmeone to keep you complacent. This world of yours is as fake as your mayor was. But you can leave, if you don't believe me. Nothing is stopping you now. Walk out of the town and see for yourself."

LOGAN HOWLETT (616): "Uh—" Logan looked down at his hands and then retracted his claws. They healed instantly as always, leaving behind a small trace of blood. "It's nothing. But you-you aren't safe here. You can't stay here."

MATT MURDOCK (MCU): Matt stood up with Jen's help as he tried to ground himself and listen in to just what was happening, but the screaming was so loud. When he tried to listen in towards the stage, he noticed something different. The person who had been shot on the stage, something was off. "I'm fine. And so is the Mayor, apparently." He nodded in the direction of the stage as the mutant paraded the "body".

IRENE ADLER/DESTINY (616): She was a teacher. Not a medic, not an officer. A teacher. That didn’t stop Emilia from running straight towards Mayor Hill when she went down. Everyone else was running away, but she had to make sure the woman was okay. She had to come up short when the assassin began to wave part of the corpse in the air. “Why are you doing this?” The words left her mouth on their own volition. They were happy. They were safe. Who would want to strew chaos like this?

RAVEN DARKHOLME (616): "Why?!" Raven turns to Irene. Ro her Destiny, and pulls to woman flush against her, kissing her deeply. When she pulls away, the blue skinned mutant grits her jaw. "Because you are my wife, Irene. This world stole you from me once before, and I refuse to let anyone take you from me again." She’s throwing the robot onto the ground, crushing LMD Marias face beneath her heel. There’s death in her pure yellow eyes. Uninhibited, feral rage. "I'm doing this because you're blind, Irene." Poor choice of words. Oops. "You should know this world is a calculated ruse. You should know who I am!" She’s trembling fists clenched at her sides. Raven’s voice drops to a low growl. "This world is a lie. I need you to see the truth. I need you to remember."

JEAN GREY (616): “A big part of my job involves being in places I shouldn’t.” That’s how you got the story, after all. “You’re not gonna just nothing the stabby things, Edward Scissorhands.”

ELEKTRA NATCHIOS (MCU): “Your girlfriend is green.” Elodie slowly bent down and picked up her gun. “She wasn’t green before.”

LAYLA EL-FAOULY (MCU): The hippo kept talking at her. In all honesty, May didn’t even know what she was saying anymore. Her voice trilled high and bright ( a bit obnoxiously ) and just kept going and going and going. One thing she said, however, was this will only take a moment. May wanted to ask what was only going to take a minute when her body was suddenly enveloped in new fabric. Cuffs solidified on her biceps as the fabric moved up her body and covered her face. For a second, she couldn’t breathe. May thrashed and tried to pull it off her face, and -- No. May didn’t. Layla did. Her name was Layla. Her name was Layla and she was finally free from the material covering her as she sat slumped in her Scarab costume. Conflicting realities collided in her head, and she just looked to Frenchie helplessly.

JEAN-PAUL DUCHAMP (MCU): Everything happened so fast. The sound of a gunshot drew Jean-Paul to draw his own weapon, aiming it in the direction of the blast. The blood was pumping in his ears as the world erupted and then Marc was scrambling. He got maybe two steps in before he watched Marc and Layla crash into each other. He kept his gun out for a few more seconds until the pair of them started screaming, then he holstered it. Cautiously he moved closer, and watched as the suit wrapped around Marc. He couldn't help but let out a shout of excitement and relief, and then started running to close the distance between them. "Marc!" Frenchie fell to his knees, gently grasping at his best friend's shoulders to help him sit up. He looked to Layla, offering her a hand as well. "It's alright. You are alright! We are going home, just trust me." They were back. They were really back. Once they were both at least sitting up, Jean-Paul wrapped his arms around both of them and stifled a sob as he hugged them. "Dieu merci. Vous allez bien tous les deux. Je t'ai récupéré."

MATT MURDOCK (616): "Yeah," Matt replied with a nonchalant tone, before remembering that this all must be more than jarring for Elodie. "It's kind of a long story. One that I don't think we have time for right now. But listen to me, this town isn't what it seems. We need to get out of here, and now." But what would happen to Elektra if they did leave the town with her like this? There was no way she'd revert back to herself just like that.

IRENE ADLER (616): A lot was being thrown at her. One second, Emilia looked on in shock. The next, the assailant was pulling her close as their lips locked. The kiss instantly sent her walls flying upwards. It took her a moment to regain her bearings, but the second she did, Emilia was pulling back as her palm connected with blue skin. “Who the hell do you think you are?” She ripped herself away. “Blind? I’m not --- I don’t need to remember anything. You’re delusional.” Where the hell was the Sheriff?

LOGAN HOWLETT (616): Logan rolled his eyes, wishing he had just kept the claws hidden. "We can talk all about it later." He shouldn't be surprised that this wasn't easy. This life was all that Jean knew. Normally he would tell her to just read his mind, but she didn't remember her powers. "If you just come with me you can ask me all the questions you want."

RAVEN DARKHOLME (616): Alright. yes. She deserved that. but Raven is still glowering about it. She’s shapeshifting into Irene’s true form, then back to her own form, arching a brow. "You’re testing my patience, my love. We have a child together." She’s pursing her lips in consideration, glancing down at the LMD underfoot. "No. I'm not delusional. If I was, this body would be one of flesh." She’s taking her phone out. Flashing the lock screen to the two of them. "I've been alive for centuries, Irene. Never in my life have I cared for someone as I care for you. so I am not leaving you here. And if you won't come willingly?" She presses a button on her phone. An explosion resounds somewhere in the town. "-- I'll take you by force."

CLEA STRANGE (616): “Stage magician? That doesn’t even make sense.” Managing to free her legs, Gugu climbed to her feet and staggered back a step while holding Delilah. There was a girl with the two men, and she was on a knee talking to Jason. Gugu couldn’t hear what she was saying, but her son seemed to relax. “I need to find my husband.” Tears welled in her eyes. “Where’s Oscar?”

MARC SPECTOR (MCU): There was a thousand yard stare in Marc’s eyes as he examined each blade of grass, counting them in hopes that it might ground him a bit to where he was. To who he was. A pair of hands were grabbing onto his shoulders and for a brief moment, it wasn’t clear who was looking at Frenchie, if anyone was at all. Steven Grant, Jake Lockley, Oscar Nuñez. His children. No, they weren’t his. They weren’t real, this wasn’t real. His name was Marc Spector, he was an avatar and the man in front of him was Jean-Paul Duchamp, his best friend. And Layla El-Faouly was his wife. His eyes drifted away from Frenchie’s and towards the last place he saw Gugu and the kids, and once he caught himself the entire notion made him want to throw up as he closed his eyes tightly and shook his head. “I have children here. My…” His voice broke as he stared at the two kids just across the grass that were standing next to Gugu. Not his wife, because Layla was his wife. Right?

IRENE ADLER (616): “I think I would remember having a kid with a smurf.” Emilia all but spat. Why her? Why -- out of everyone in town -- was she being targeted by the apparent bomber? “What, are you going to throw me over your shoulder and kidnap me?”

RAVEN DARKHOLME (616): "Oh, good, so they made you a racist, too." Admittedly, the comment hurt. How many centuries did it take before she could actually look herself in the mirror? Raven is shapeshifting into a white woman with hauntingly blue eyes. It does nothing to sheathe the pained expression, but it does protect her from any further smurf comments. "If that's what it takes to get you home." She’s seething now. the smurf comment was all it took, really. Any consideration she had for doing this amicably was erased. This woman was not her Irene, and she wouldn’t be treated as such. Therefore, Raven does exactly that. She grabs this woman by the wrist and pulls her over her shoulder, glaring at nothing.

ELEKTRA NATCHIOS (MCU): “Get out -- what, like leave? I can’t leave. I’m the Sheriff.” And his girlfriend was still green.

JEAN GREY (616): “Are you offering me an exclusive?” That caught her attention. “I want video footage of the claws though, or no deal.”

STEPHEN STRANGE (MCU): Stephen turned to glance back towards where Marc had been on the grass not too far away, and was more than shocked to see Marc himself standing there. Layla too. He was curious as to just how the hell the French man had managed that, but then he remembered how distraught Clea sounded. Quickly turning his head back towards Clea, he found himself just shaking his head with a soft sigh. "He's.. he's gone, Gugu. I'm sorry." The false name had to be forced out, the syllables not rolling off of his tongue properly. Even though this woman did not share Clea's face, it took everything in him not to say her name.

MATT MURDOCK (MCU): Matt tried to keep his expression neutral, but his jaw clenched when she still insisted on staying in the town as he just took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. Fine." They'd be back, they had to be at some point. There was no way this was finished.

JEAN-PAUL DUCHAMP (MCU): Eventually, Jean-Paul releases the two of the from the hug. Both of them still looked incredibly dazed, and he needed to get them ready to leave. Both of his hands reached up to grasp Marc's face, his grip solid but not tight, hoping to ground him a bit. "Hey. Hey. Look at me, mon ami. Your mind has been twisted, but I am going to get you and Layla out of here. Do you hear me?" There would be plenty of time for questions and rest once they get out of the town. "It is time for you to stand up and move, Marc! This is a dangerous place and we need to go!" The explosion barely registered to him. Frenchie was so tuned into Marc and cared about nothing else other than getting the three of them home. This is what he came here to do, and he was going to finish the mission.

ELEKTRA NATCHIOS (MCU):  Elodie frowned slightly “Thanks for the permission? I need to go do my job now.” With one last wary look at the couple, the Sheriff gripped her gun and hurried into the fray.

JENNIFER WALTERS (MCU): Jen watched Elektra turn and flee -- assuming that was Elektra at all. She was still green and it felt necessary to stay that way. “I’m sorry.” She looked to her boyfriend. “We can come back.”

LOGAN HOWLETT (616): Somehow, Logan found even this strange version of Jean endearing. Her strength was always something he admired, but right now that bit of stubbornness was also delaying them. "Sure." He was giving her the answers she wanted— anything to get her attention and get her to follow him. "As long as you leave this goddamn town, I'll give you whatever you want." He didn't want to have to carry her out. He could do it, of course. Especially since she couldn't get into his head and make him drop her. But it would be much easier just getting her to come on her own. Less traumatizing.

IRENE ADLER (616): “Against smurfs??” Could one even be a racist against smurfs? This seemed like such a small thing to get hung up on considering the fact that this woman had just shot the mayor and threatened to bomb the town. She was going to comment on the changing faces when her wrist was grabbed. In one motion, Emilia was suddenly being hoisted over a blue shoulder. “Put me the fuck down.”

JEAN GREY (616): Megan instantly stopped dead in her tracks. “Wait -- leave the town*? I can’t leave town.” She didn’t even know this man. “Why the hell would I need to leave town?”

CLEA STRANGE (616): “Is he dead?” A part of her heart ripped out. He couldn’t be dead. There was no way. Oscar was fine, wherever he was. They had kids and -- “I’m pregnant.” The words were blurted. He couldn’t just be gone.

MARC SPECTOR (MCU): The longer they sat there on that field, the more clarity Marc seemed to have as he started to finally process his surroundings. The two of them had done this song and dance before plenty of times, gunshots and explosions sounding off around them as Frenchie pulled Marc off of his ass. The familiar French accent was oddly comforting enough to ground him as he blinked again and gently shook his head. I am going to get you and Layla out of here. Layla. Layla. Layla. His eyes finally met hers now, his face falling as he tried not to glance at the children just across the way. They’d had the kids conversation several times over, and Marc was unrelenting on wanting any. And now S.H.I.E.L.D. had gone and given him two. Three? “Layla, I—” His voice came out softer than he would have liked as he swallowed and lifted his heavy limbs off the ground. Now that she was here, in front of him, he just needed her to know. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I love you so much.”

STEPHEN STRANGE (MCU): "No, just.. gone from the park. We'll find him." Stephen tried to retcon it the best he could, but there weren't really any right words to explain to her what had just happened. "Let's just get you home, okay? Get you somewhere safe?" He tried to ignore the pregnant comment, but it stung more than he would have liked.

LOGAN HOWLETT (616): Logan sighed, trying to take a beat before blurting out another response. This was Jean. And he loved her. It was uncomfortable, thinking about dragging her out against her will. But it felt worse just leaving her here. He tried to convince himself that he was doing the right thing, and that she would understand why he did what he did. "People are getting shot. Explosions are going off. This place isn't safe. And I'm not staying here. So if you want answers, you have to come with me." He readied himself, his gut telling him that she still wasn't convinced.

LAYLA EL-FAOULY (MCU): She cut hair for a living. Her apartment was a studio and kind of tight, but she kept plants in the windows and lit candles that made it smell like gardenias. It wasn’t much, but it was hers. Her home, her life. No, not her life. It was a life that didn’t exist. After god knows how long, Layla knew it all to be false. She was Layla Abdallah El-Faouly, daughter of Doctor Abdallah El-Faouly and wife of Marc Spector. She was the avatar of Taweret, as of late. Right then, Frenchie was talking. He was hugging them and talking ( some more ) but she wasn’t computing. She wasn’t really computing much of anything until she heard Marc say that he loved her. Brown eyes met his, her head bobbing once. “I love you, too.” She had no clue what was happening, though. She had been meeting with S.H.I.E.L.D. and then... Blank. Being forced into her suit by Taweret. With that, she climbed to her feet. They needed to go. She didn’t know much at the moment, but she knew that much.

CLEA STRANGE (616): She was exhausted. The adrenaline was wearing off, and the fatigue was setting in. It didn’t make sense for Oscar to have left, but her mind couldn’t come up with any other scenario here that wasn’t terrible. “Okay,” Gugu relented. She leaned against Stephen, shifting Delilah on her hip. “I’ll show you where I live.”

JEAN GREY (616): This man was bugging. “You can take your answers. I’ll find them elsewhere.” She wasn’t insane.

JEAN-PAUL DUCHAMP (MCU): "Great." It was, genuinely, heartwarming to watch the two of them reconnect and confess their love for each other. But he was getting impatient now. "Follow me, s'il vous plaît! I have lots of wine and pasta back at my restaurant!" He lead them out of town, not looking back at the mess they left behind.

LOGAN HOWLETT (616): "Alright." There was no hesitation— Logan picked Jean up and swung her over his shoulder. "I know you won't believe me, but I promise I'm not going to hurt you. It's all gonna be alright." And with that, he carried her right out of town.

NATASHA ROMANOFF (616): You won some, you lost some. This felt like a mix. From what she could see, Wolverine had Jean, Mystique had Destiny and ( the other ) Natasha had Yelena. All three women were still warped but leaving the barrier. Somehow, Duchamp had gotten Marc Spector and Layla El-Faouly back to their original forms. They’d have to go over that later. At the current moment, Natasha was herding everyone else out of town. They couldn’t just leave with a bunch of brainwashed residents. As loathe as she was to admit it, Tony was right. They were on the way to mass hysteria. There was now no doubt that S.H.I.E.L.D. would be coming for them. Mystique had quite literally blown the town up. How S.H.I.E.L.D. would triage was a problem they’d solve another time. Right then, they had to reorganize and reassess. Time wasn’t something they had. They didn’t have the luxury of sitting and debating things. Not when they were as bad as they were. Natasha didn’t have the answers she craved. All she knew was that things were escalating and were destined to come to a head soon.

[newgirlintheneighborhood]

Perfect gentleman 😭 i wish a hot stranger would save me, goddamn!

And Emma.. damn, why so bitchy? 😂 He just saved your bestie from basically dying, show some respect for the hot hero guy

How’s Your Head? | Bucky Barnes x Reader

This has been in my WIP forever and I finally finished it. Once again, I am looking for a soft, kind, Bucky Barnes to take care of me and flirt with me. Is that so much to ask?🥲

This is slightly longer than my usual stuff, just FYI. The WC is 7280. And yes the title is a Drag Race reference. 😂

Warnings: reader injury (not severe), creepy men (jail), blood, vomit, flirting, fluff🫶

Bucky didn’t like the staring. The eyes that seemed to follow him everywhere he went. The old woman just a few seats down from him leered at him almost aggressively, like she hoped looks could kill. And though this was a common occurrence, it still rubbed him the wrong way.

“Another adoring fan…” Bucky thought. 

He shifted side to side along with the rocking of the subway car and did his best to ignore her gaze- but couldn’t stand it any longer. He gave her a nod and a small, forced smile before heading for the adjoining subway car. Hopefully, he’d find an empty seat free from gawkers and onlookers.

But when he opened the door to the next car, he didn’t find the peace and quiet he’d hoped for.

“I’m not interested…” you said to the creepy guy sitting next to you.

“Oh, come on,” the man insisted. “Don’t be so uptight, sugar.” He rested a hand on your thigh and gave your leg a squeeze, his fingers digging into your flesh.

“Fuck off, dude. Seriously?” You banished his hand and stood from your seat, “eat glass, asshole.”

But as you tried to make your getaway, the man grabbed you by the wrist. He pulled you close as you struggled in his grip, his face only inches from yours. “Maybe you should learn some fuckin’ manners,” he threw you to the ground, your head striking the floor.

Bucky flew into a blind rage. He made quick work of your assailant, nearly removing the man’s head from his body. And with the entitled dickhead desperately escaping to another subway car, Bucky made his way to your side. 

“Hey, are you alright?” 

You sat on the floor, slightly dazed. A thick fog settled into every corner of your mind and your ears stung with a sharp ringing. “Yeah, I’m good. Didn’t hurt that bad,” you lied. Yet another interaction with an unknown man. Yes, he’d shooed away your creeper, but you wanted to be left alone. No more strange men, no more men pretending to be “one of the good guys” before showing their true self. 

If you could convince this random guy that you were okay, maybe he wouldn’t bother you. Maybe you’d be able to make it home without being touched by another strange hand. “Thanks for asking, but I’m-”

“Oh- you’re bleeding”. Only then did you notice the rush of warmth running down the back of your neck. Bucky yanked the jacket from his body and reached for your bloodied skull before quickly recoiling. “Erm, can I?” 

You nodded- the motion made you wince.

With cautious hands, he used his jacket to hold pressure to your wound. He stared down at you with genuine concern, his brow furrowed with worry. 

After a few moments, most of the fog cleared and brought you screeching back to reality. The reality in which a man you’d never met held his jacket to your bleeding scalp as you sat on the floor of a subway car. Pain pulsed beneath his touch and shot through your head. Warm blood dripped down your neck. But you didn’t care- all you wanted was to move.

Bucky watched as you struggled to get up and instantly tried to stop you. “Hey, careful. I don’t think-”

“I don’t wanna be on this floor any longer than I have to,” you did your best to stand, but the dizziness sabotaged your efforts. “People do weird shit on the train. I’d probably sitting in someone’s pee.” 

Bucky gave it a thought and instantly reconsidered his cautioning. “Ew. Yeah. You’re right,” the disgusted look on his face nearly made you laugh out loud. He thought back on all the questionable and downright nasty things he’d seen on the subway- he didn’t want you on that floor. “May I?” He offered you his free hand and got you safely into a seat. 

“Which stop is yours?” He asked, settling into the chair next to you. And though he seemed like a perfect gentleman, you gave him a suspicious glance. 

“Oh- I didn’t mean that in a ‘where do you live, I’m gonna follow you home’ type of way. More like, ‘how many stops do you have left before you can go get some rest?’ type of way”

You let out a laugh that sent pain pulsing behind your eyes. Maybe this stranger wasn’t so bad. “Um, I still have like five to go. I think. I’m coming all the way from Coney Island.” 

“Coney Island, huh?” A rush of memories hit Bucky like a train. Riding the cyclone with Steve and watching him puke. Spending all his money to win a stuffed animal for some redhead he had a crush on. 

“Yeah, I got to hang out with a girl I know from college. Haven’t seen her in a while and she’s never been out there. It was actually a pretty great day until that asshole cracked my head open…”

Bucky grimaced. He pulled his jacket from your scalp to give the wound another look, only to be greeted by a continuous flow of blood. “I think you should probably go to the ER. You might need stitches. And there’s a good chance you have a concussion.” 

You shot him only a nonchalant shrug, “I’m not worried about it. Plus, I don’t feel like going into debt so they can give me two Tylenol and an ice pack”.

Bucky liked your sense of humor, your wit. How you could be cheeky and sarcastic after being accosted surprised him. But he clocked the tension in your shoulders, the worry in your eyes. You were uneasy. Your glance darted from one end of the subway car to the other every few seconds; he knew you had to be searching for your assailant. Or the next man who wanted to touch you without permission.

“Hey, would you rather take a cab home?” Bucky said, pulling you from your anxious spiral. “I don’t blame you if you don’t want to ride the train after what happened.”

“Oh, um…”

“I’m not inviting myself home with you-” Bucky shook his head. He was cute when he got flustered. “I just mean, I’ll pay for you to take a cab if you’re uncomfortable.”

How you seemed to meet both the bottom of the barrel and the crème de le crème of men back-to-back nearly gave you whiplash. But this handsome stranger had done enough; you couldn’t let him pay for your ride home. “That’s- wow, that’s really sweet. But you don’t have to. It’s okay.”

“What if I want to? You seem uneasy… like you’re waiting for him to come back.”

You nodded.

“Then let’s get you a cab, alright? Next stop, we’re outta here.” He shot you a wink before once again reassuring you that he was not going to follow you home. “Is there someone who can keep an eye on you, though? Like I said, you probably have a concussion. And if your roommate or, um, significant other can sit with you for the rest of the night, that would be a good idea. Head injuries are no joke.”

“Well, I don’t have a significant other,” you almost laughed. “And my roommate’s out of town. She was supposed to get back around sevenish, but her flight got crazy delayed because of weather- now she’s not getting home for a few hours.”

Bucky’s brow furrowed. He checked his watch and saw that it was only 8:04pm. He needed someone to sit with you for the rest of the night. Just in case something happened, you’d need a friend or loved one by your side. And if you didn’t have someone there with you, Bucky knew he’d spend the remainder of his evening worrying about the cute stranger he met on the train. 

Just then, the subway stopped. Bucky offered you his arm and guided you onto the platform and up the stairs- all while keeping his jacket in place against your wound. Getting away from the train eliminated your unease. No longer were you trapped in the tiny space, your blood staining the floor. You had an escort in the form of a good samaritan, and a ride that would get you home without any further abuse.

 But when Bucky hailed you a cab, your anxiety resurfaced.

“Hey, um…” you eyed the car as it approached, “Would you- do you mind riding with me?”

Bucky cocked his head to the side. 

“I don’t know- I’m just a little nervous and I don’t really wanna be in a cab alone with another random man,” you said. “I know it’s probably inconvenient for you- I’ll pay for your ride home from my place.” The taxi neared the curb and stopped in front of you, sending your unease into overdrive. “Do you mind?”

Bucky clocked your wide eyes and shaking hands. Sure, you made jokes and sarcastic quips about what happened. But deep down, you were shaken. And he wanted to help in any way he could. “Not at all- I get it,” he gave you a reassuring look, “and you don’t have to pay for my ride. Let’s just get you home, alright?”

He held the door open for you and helped you into the cab before sliding in behind you- his hand still attached to your bloody skull. The ride was quiet, save for the honking of horns and cursing drivers. But having Bucky with you for the duration eased your discomfort. 

“So, is there anyone you can call to come look after you?” Bucky asked after a while, “A friend, a neighbor, a family member?”

“I don’t really have any friends,” you said. “But not in a ‘I’m a loser and can’t make friends’ kind of way, I promise.” Bucky laughed. You liked his laugh. “I’m just still kinda new here. And all my family lives in across the country. Plus, I only know two of my neighbors. One of them is an old man who always tell me my skin looks ‘so soft’-”

Bucky’s nose wrinkled, “Ew…"

“Yeah. And the other is this girl who told me to shut the fuck up because she thinks my footsteps are too loud? So yeah, I don’t have many connections here yet.”

He sensed a little embarrassment staining your words and aimed to make you feel better, “Well I’ve lived here for quite some time, and I don’t have any friends, either.” 

That didn’t seem possible to you. He was so likable. Quiet, yet endearing. And certainly, a gentleman. He made you feel safe. You wondered how his girlfriend would react when she found out he took another woman home. 

Bucky found himself wondering how you didn’t have swaths of friends. Even after your harrowing experience on the train, you were so charming. Funny. Sweet. It was even harder for him to believe you didn’t have a love interest to go home to. But after what he’d witnessed tonight, he didn’t blame you for keeping to yourself. 

“What part of town do you live in?” You did your best to conceal the optimism in your voice, the hoped that he lived close by. It was embarrassing how smitten you were with this man.

“Brooklyn,” Bucky said. “I’ve lived there for a while- save for some years I spent, um, away.”

Brooklyn. Nothing a quick train ride couldn’t solve. Though you weren’t too keen on the subway after the night’s events. “Well, tell your girlfriend that I apologize for keeping you so long.”

“I don’t have one,” Bucky said. Things inside the cab fell quiet.

“Oh. Well, do you-” you second guessed yourself, but decided to push through. “Do you want to stay with me until my roommate gets home? You know, since you’re so worried about me and my possible concussion and my lack of friends.”

Bucky stopped breathing. “Oh, um. Sure. Yeah. If that’s- if that’s alright. You sure you’re okay inviting a stranger into your house?”

“Well, you’re not really a stranger, Sergeant Barnes”. You shot him a wink.

An immediate ringing filled Bucky’s ears. He didn’t know what to say, how to react.

The rest of the ride was quiet. Bucky’s mind echoed with the sound of your voice referring to him by name. He liked the way it sounded coming from you. But he hated that you knew who- and what- he was. And when the cab turned onto your street and stopped in front of your apartment, he nearly panicked. He reconsidered his agreement to stay with you. But you didn’t seem to mind having the ex-Winter Soldier so close. And he didn’t want you to be alone with a head injury.

Against his better judgement, he followed you to the front door of your building. 

“My great aunt actually lived here back in the fifties,” you told Bucky as you fumbled for your keys. Bucky wondered how you could tell casual stories while dealing with a head injury and an ex-assassin. But as you continued to speak, he realized that he didn’t quite hear what you’d said. He was still reeling from your mention of his name. 

And then he noticed you struggling. You were dizzy after cracking your head open, and a slight shaking rendered your hands almost useless. No matter how many times you tried, you couldn’t seem to finagle the key into the lock. 

“Um, do you want some help?” He gestured to your keys and allowed you to drop them into his free hand. He pushed the old door open with a loud creak and escorted you inside the lobby- his hand still resting on the back of your head. It was quiet while the two of you waited for the ancient elevator to roar to life. And when the doors finally opened, he guided you inside and watched you press the ‘5’ button.

“So… how’d you know it was me?” He asked as the elevator slowly climbed to your floor.

“Well, when I first saw you, I thought you looked kinda familiar. But I couldn’t place you”. You laughed a quiet, bashful laugh, “Then you knelt down next to me, and I thought I was gonna pass out- but not from the head trauma. You just you have like, the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen.” The head injury had you a bit loopy, a little too honest. Too confident. “I knew I’d seen those eyes before… and then it clicked. You were so chivalrous, you know? So old fashioned. I mean, who uses their own jacket to stop a stranger’s head wound from bleeding?” 

Bucky shrugged. His cheeks flushed pink.

“I read a book a few years ago about Captain America and his efforts during World War II. And there was a huge portion about Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes… And that’s where I’d seen those eyes.” You flashed him a dramatic wink, “Truth be told, it was my favorite part of the book.”

A shy laugh made its way out of Bucky’s mouth, “Is that so?”

The elevator lurched to a stop and nearly sent you tumbling to the floor. You’d gotten used to the clunky machine since moving into the building, but your sabotaged equilibrium didn’t stand a chance against it. Bucky caught you in a careful, protective grasp before you could tip over. He gently righted you and searched your face for any indicators of discomfort. 

“You alright?”

“All good, Sergeant Barnes.” You gave him a salute.

He rolled his eyes and escorted you into the hall, “you can just call me Bucky, if you like.”

“Okay, Bucky-” you said with a smile, “follow me.” You lead him in the direction of your apartment- with his jacket still plastered to your scalp. The man was determined to help you. You’d give him that.

You once again needed his assistance when it came to unlocking your front door. But when Bucky got the door open, he just stood there. He didn’t go inside. He held the door for you and insisted you go ahead, finally peeling the jacket from your wound. He knew he didn’t belong here.

You noticed how tentative he was about entering your home and beckoned him inside. “You can come in…” you said. “Are super soldiers like vampires? Do y’all need an invitation?”

Bucky laughed, “No. I just… I don’t do this kind of thing very often.”

“Oh, you don’t accompany injured women home from the subway on a weekly basis? I’m shocked.”

You flipped on the light and let the warm glow reveal your apartment. Bucky admired the art covering your walls, the books lining your shelves, the smell of some kind of baked goods lingering in the air. This place was cozy, welcoming. Nothing like his apartment.

While he was distracted drinking in the details of your home, you gave his jacket a once over. Blood coated the leather and smeared the lining. It was enough to make you nauseous.  “Sorry about this mess… here, let me clean it up for-”

“It’s leather- I’m not worried about it,” Bucky shrugged. “I’ll just wipe it off later.”

“Ew, I think that’s considered a biohazard, Sarge.”

Bucky’s laugh echoed through your home- you liked the sound of his voice bouncing around your space. “Well, lucky for me, I’m not susceptible to biohazards. So, really, it’s not a big deal.” He shot you a wink and hung his bloody jacket on the back of a chair. “Let me take a look at your head.”

He gently moved your hair out of the way enough to expose your wound. He was as careful as he possible not to hurt you or make things worse. And using the dish towel you offered him, he wiped away enough blood to get a good look. 

“It’s big, but not deep enough to warrant stitches. And it looks like the bleeding has finally come to a stop.” 

“Perfect. I’m gonna go take a shower” you said. “Make yourself at home. You’re welcome to anything in the fridge, except the kombucha. My roommate will murder you if you drink her kombucha.”

Bucky didn’t even know what kombucha was. “Are- are you sure you wanna go shower?”

“Um, yeah. Gotta get the subway-floor germs off me,” you gave a dramatic shudder. “Some of us are, indeed, susceptible to biohazards.”

“That’s fair,” he laughed, “I’m just a little worried about your balance… I think it’s probably seen better days.”

He wasn’t wrong. The floor did indeed seem to dip and shift under you unsuspecting feet. The room spun on occasion. The walls wiggled. But you needed to get cleaned up. “I’ll be extra careful. Promise.” You offered him your pinky and made him link his with yours. “But I have more blood in my hair than anyone should- I need a shower.” You left Bucky alone in your living room with a promise to be back soon.

It was strange for him, being in a stranger’s home like this. He didn’t get invited places or have friends to hang out with. He had Sam- and that was it. And while Sam was great, he never felt quite like this at Sam’s apartment. Something about your place warmed him, made him feel a little lighter. Or maybe it was you. Who was he kidding? Of course, it was you.

But Bucky knew this feeling couldn’t last. In a few hours, your roommate would return and send him home. And that would be the end of it. Of course, he’d be thrilled to see you again under better circumstances. But assuming he’d get that chance would only lead to disappointment. And so, as he waited for you to finish your shower, he did his best to remember this feeling just in case it was the last time.

“I said make yourself at home and you didn’t even sit down!” you said when you emerged from the bathroom. You found Bucky in the living room with his hands in his pockets, admiring your things as though he were in a museum. Looking, never touching. “Relax a little, sarge. The couch is really comfy, I promise.”

Bucky liked the way you looked with your skin still slightly damp form the shower, your hair wet and a little messy. “Oh, yeah- I just got distracted looking at all your…” he gestured to your bookcase, “your books and your tchotchkes. You have good taste- I like that you have two copies of Fellowship of the Ring.”

“Well, my sister dropped one of them in the lake at summer camp when we were kids…” you pointed to the faded cover and worn spine of the book in question. “She took a hairdryer to it and it’s mostly fine, but my mom made her get me a replacement. I just can’t seem to part with this one, though.” You plucked your water-damaged copy of Fellowship of the Ring from the shelf and flipped through the pages, “too much sentimental value. You know?

Bucky felt a small smile creeping upward- you didn’t mind damaged goods. Maybe you’d want to see him again after all. 

“Can I get you a drink or something? I have water, tea, La Croix, wine…” you looked at him expectantly. 

“Oh, no I’m okay-”

“Well, I’m going to the fridge for some water anyway, so you’re not saving me a trip…” you shot him a wink and began your trek to the kitchen. He followed in your footsteps, too much of a gentleman to let you fetch him a drink. And though he didn’t know what La Croix was, he took the one you offered him with a smile.

He followed you yet again, but to the couch this time. He sat a respectful distance away- as respectful as your small couch would allow- and taste tested the blackberry drink in his hand. It didn’t taste like blackberries. But he thanked you, anyway.

He couldn’t believe he’d forgotten to check in on you after your shower- he was too entranced by the sight of you in your pajamas. “Hey, how’s your head?”

“Haven’t had any complaints.”

Maybe it was too forward of a joke. Maybe someone from his time wouldn’t appreciate crass humor. Bucky’s cheeks flushed red- and he burst into laughter. You joined him, ignoring the throbbing pain in your skull. 

“It feels fine. I mean, it hurts, but it’s nothing I haven’t experienced before” you said. “Are you just gonna make sure I stay up all night?” 

Bucky cocked his head to the side, “uh, I wasn’t planning on it.”

“Oh…” you grew a little embarrassed. “I thought you couldn’t go to sleep if you have a concussion.”

“You can go to sleep- it’s just good to have someone check in on you now and then,” he said. “And, hey, you don’t have to stay in here with me- don’t feel like you have to entertain me, or anything. If you wanna go to bed, I’ll be fine out here.”

“Well, I don’t know about entertaining, cause I think the concussion kinda fucked up my ability to tap dance,” you laughed. “But I wanna hang out here with you- if you don’t mind the company.”

He gave you a shy smile, “I don’t mind at all.”

Bucky wasn’t anything like the tabloids said. He wasn’t cold or scary or threatening. He sat on your couch, sipping a La Croix and admiring your throw blanket. He was the farthest thing from intimidating. He had a quiet calm about him that brought you peace. Never did you think you’d invite a man you met on the subway to accompany you home. But Bucky made you feel safe. He was sweet, he clearly cared for your well-being. He was, by all definitions, perfect.

“So, what do superheroes do in their downtime?” you asked. “Like when you’re not saving the world, what do you do for fun?”

Bucky shrugged. He didn’t do anything for fun. “Um, I have court mandated therapy appointments,” he gave an awkward laugh. “I read. I hang out with Sam when he’s not in Louisiana visiting his sister. And I have lunch with a neighbor of mine every Wednesday- this old man named Yori.”

“I’m sure he could say the same about you- that he has lunch with some old man named Bucky.”

Bucky’s head fell back in a laugh, “yeah, you’re right. He’s- he’s about twenty years younger than me.” Bucky didn’t bring up the fact that Yori didn’t know his real age or anything about his past. About how the Winter Soldier killed his son. “Um, what about you?” He quickly changed the subject, “what do you do for fun?”

You thought it over for a moment. You hadn’t expected him to ask; most guys never asked what you liked to do for fun. They didn’t ask you anything at all, really. “Well, I also go to therapy,” you said. “My therapist’s name is Angela and I love her. And when I’m not ‘hanging out’ with Angela, I like to read. I like to go on walks. Oh, and I do a lot of baking- there’s a Tupperware of chocolate chip cookies on the island if you want some.”

Bucky’s eyes grew wide. He was off the couch quicker than you could comprehend and returned with the entire Tupperware in hand. But before he could dive in, he offered one to you. He was a gentleman, after all. 

“Oh, shit, these are so good”. Bucky wiped a stray crumb from his lip, “seriously, maybe the best I’ve ever had.”

His praise made your cheeks hot. Bucky Barnes called you ‘the best he ever had’- it was enough to make you sweat. “Oh, I’m flattered. The recipe’s been in my family for generations, though, so I can’t take full credit, but I-”

“I’m giving you full credit”, he said as he finished his second cookie. “These things are incredible.” 

You smiled so hard it hurt. “Well, I make at least one batch a week, so…” This was it, your excuse to see Bucky again. You could simply say that you wanted to bake him some cookies as a way of saying thank you, and then you’d ask him out. It was a perfect plan, really. A flawless, surefire way to guarantee that you’d see him at least once more. But as you tried to suggest baking him a ‘thank you’ batch, your mouth flooded with saliva.

Bucky clocked the way you grew suddenly quiet. He dropped his third cookie and inched closer, placing a gentle hand on your shoulder. “Hey, you okay? Do you need something?”

You did your best to push past the wave of nausea. Breathing in your nose and out through your mouth, you willed your body to cooperate. You made a valiant effort, but it was no match for the clear and present threat of vomit. This was happening- now. You scrambled to your feet and made a beeline for the bathroom, swearing to yourself you wouldn’t puke in front of the James Buchanan Barnes. 

Bucky rushed after you and found you kneeling in front of the toilet, emptying the contents of your stomach. “Oh, shit- here, let me,” he carefully moved your hair out of your face, holding it behind you in an imitation ponytail. His touch was gentle, cautious. He didn’t want to pull too hard and hurt you- you didn’t need any extra pain. 

He watched your body lurch as you wretched over and over, voiding your system completely. It was harsh, almost violent. And when you finally sat back on your heels, black and white spots danced through your field of vision. You were empty. Spent. Exhausted. 

“Hey, do me a favor and sit against this wall, okay?” Bucky guided you backward until you rested comfortably like he asked. “I’m gonna go get you some water, and I don’t want you tipping over while I’m gone.” Even in your despondent, miserable state, he still made you smile. And when he was certain that you wouldn’t injure yourself in his absence, he rushed to the kitchen for a glass of water.

He returned moments later with ice cold water in hand. “Thanks,” you croaked, your throat raw. Small sips of the cool water eased the burning. And a few more swigs rid your mouth of the unpleasant aftertaste. “I’m sure you weren’t planning on watching a stranger puke tonight,” you laughed. It made your head pound. “But I appreciate the water. And you holding my hair.”

Bucky plopped down next to you with a “sure thing” and a “don’t worry about it.” But you’d heard those phrases before. You’d heard them from people who were never a sure thing, people who made you worry about everything they did for you. They’d throw their rare acts of kindness in your face and use them as ammo in an attempt to disprove the pain they caused. It was condescending. Manipulative. Hurtful.  But Bucky meant what he said. All he wanted to do was help. You could tell.

He watched you catch your breath. Watched you drink your water in small sips. But he kept an eye out for another wave of nausea. He wanted to be ready in case he needed to hold your hair again. And he found himself thanking the universe that you’d invited him in; imagining you going through this by yourself broke his heart. 

“How do you feel?” he asked after a while.

“Not the best... but I’ll probably survive.”

Bucky’s laugh filled the room, “well, that’s very good news.”

The two of you sat in a comfortable silence. Bucky’s hand rested near yours. Your thigh bumped against his a few times. You swore electric currents passed between the two of you each time you touched. 

“Hey, if you don’t mind, could you grab me some Tylenol?” 

Bucky was up in an instant, ready to fetch you what you needed. But he found himself lost with no idea where he was going. He was so intent on helping, on making you feel better, that he was ready to run off without a map.

“In the cabinet to the left of the fridge,” you laughed. 

He shot you a wink and sped off. And while he rummaged through your cabinet, you made an embarrassing effort to stand. You rose on wobbly legs, determined to brush your teeth. There was no way you were going to have vomit breath around Bucky- absolutely not. He was the handsome stranger of your dreams. And you couldn’t screw this up; not that you thought he’d kiss a random concussed woman he met on the subway. But you wanted to leave the very best impression possible.

Bucky came screeching own the hall, bottle of Tylenol in hand. “I didn’t know how many you wanted, so I brought the whole thing”, he shrugged. You shot him a smile in the mirror and gave him a muffled “thanks”.

He stood patiently in the doorway, waiting for you finish brushing your teeth. And when you banished the rank taste of bile, you accepted the Tylenol. You tossed back four pills, and before you could reach for your water, Bucky retrieved it for you. He was one step ahead of what you needed. 

With the pills washed down your throat, you gave Bucky an expectant look. “Back to the couch?”

“Yeah, I mean, only if you’re feeling up to it,” he checked his watch. Noticed the yawn you tried to keep concealed. “If you wanna get some rest, please, don’t mind me. You can go to bed- I’ll be fine on my own.”

“No, I’m good. I’m fine,” you took him by the hand and led him back to the living room. “I’m having a good time.” Bucky didn’t say a word; he just let you guide him. He hadn’t held hands with someone in- he didn’t know how long. And holding hands with you- a stranger he’d grown rather smitten with- was enough to stop his heart.

The two of you sunk back into the couch- closer this time- and kept the conversation going. Your thigh rested against Bucky’s; his arm curved around the back of the couch. You could’ve sworn he was playing with a piece of your hair as he talked. But you didn’t want to ask and ruin the moment.

As the night continued, Bucky was shocked. He couldn’t believe you’d only heard of a few of his favorite movies. And he’d never heard of any of yours. “Make me a list,” you said, handing him a pen and a scrap of paper. “And I’ll make one for you. A person’s favorite movies say a lot about them.” 

“Yeah?” he cocked an eyebrow at you. “And what do mine say about me? The ones you know of, that is.”

A sly smile pulled at your lips, “they say that you’re a hopeless romantic.” It almost sounded like an accusation, and Bucky couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Is that so?”

“That is so!” you told him. “But I’m gonna tell you a secret…”  You lowered your voice, beckoned him closer, scanned the room as though in search of any eavesdroppers. “I’m the same way.” 

Just as you finished your list of movies for Bucky, you considered writing down your number. It would be so smooth, so perfectly timed- but what if he thought it was too forward? What if he didn’t want your phone number at all? You scratched out your area code and handed him the list with a smile.

The two of you continued teasing and joking and learning about each other. You found out that Bucky loved peach cobbler. He learned about your passion for animals. And eventually you asked the question you’d been curious about all night.

“So, where were you headed?” 

“What?”

“Well, you were on the subway. I’m assuming you were going somewhere.” You thought he was probably going to some fellow hero’s house for Super Movie Night. Or maybe a meeting with Captain America and Company. He had something much cooler to do than anything you planned for the night, that was for sure.

“Oh, right…” he cringed. “Um, I wasn’t actually heading anywhere. I was just riding the train to, well, ride the train.” It was embarrassing. More embarrassing than anything he’d ever done or said in his hundred years of life.

You cocked your head to the side, “Hmm. Interesting. So, is that like a hobby of yours?” 

He wished he could take his answer back. He wished he would’ve said he was going to dinner. Or Target. Or literally anywhere. But no, he just had to be honest. “No, it isn’t a hobby. It’s more like… exposure therapy.”

“Shit. Sorry,” you threw him an apologetic look. “You don’t have to talk about it.”

“It’s okay, no big deal. I just- I don’t really like confined spaces. Or spaces with a lot of people. It’s a- it’s a long story.”

You nodded. 

“So, my therapist told me two combine the two and force myself to take the train- which isn’t great for my fear of trains,” he let out an awkward laugh. “Anyway, I was just trying it out. Seeing how it made me feel.”

Your heart broke for him. He had so many problems, so much trauma to deal with. And while you weren’t a psychiatrist, you didn’t think combining three of his fears into one nightmare was very sound medical advice. “And how did it make you feel?” 

“It wasn’t great- this lady was staring daggers at me for ten solid minutes. But I did get to teach that creepy guy a lesson, so at least there’s a silver lining.”

You laughed. He loved the sound- wanted to hear it all the time. 

“Thank you again, by the way, Sarge. You really rocked that guy’s shit.”

“I don’t like hurting people-” he shrugged, “It’s just something I’m good at. I try not to engage in violence unless absolutely necessary, you know? But that guy deserved it. Probably deserved a little more, but…” He gestured to you, “priorities.”

A warm rush flooded your cheeks. James Buchanan Barnes referred to you as a priority. 

The evening continued as the two of you swapped stories. You couldn’t believe how funny he was, how many ridiculous things he did back when he was young. In the comfortable safety of your living room, he came alive. You asked for more tales of young James Barnes and his antics with Steve Rogers. 

But as time passed, Bucky clocked the way you sank deeper into the couch. You nodded along with his stories and made comments here and there, but there was no mistaking your exhaustion. You leaned against his body more and more until your head rested on his shoulder. 

And then, you were asleep. Completely out. 

But Bucky didn’t mind. He sat still and quiet. He silenced his phone and yours. After the night you had, you needed the rest. And he was more than happy to help you get some sleep. He held in his laughter as you muttered nonsense under your breath- something about crepes and trench coats. It was perfect. Not the night Bucky expected, but the night he needed. And he’d stay in that exact position for hours if he had to. 

But after only forty minutes, a loud crash scared you awake.

Two large pieces of luggage fell to the floor inside your front door. “Fuck Delta airlines and FUCK LAX!” your roommate, Emma, yelled. “I swear to god, there’s a curse on that fucking airport and Delta is the devil’s airline.”

She eyed the room for a moment, taking in the unexpected scene. “Ew, why is there a bloody jacket in the kitchen? And who the fuck are you?”

You stood, begrudgingly leaving your spot next to Bucky. “This is Bucky, that’s his jacket. Some asshole attacked me on the train. I split my head open. He brought me home and kept an eye on me till you got back.”

Maybe she was just in a shit mood because of the travel nightmare. Or maybe she recognized Bucky. But either way, Emma wasn’t having it. “Okay, well, thanks for bringing her home. But I’m back, so you can go.Now. And don’t forget your nasty jacket.”

Bucky gave an awkward laugh. He mumbled a “nice to meet you” and stood from the couch. The two of you locked eyes for a moment, and you wished telepathy came with the serum. If he could only read your mind, he’d know how sorry you were. How horrified you were by Emma’s behavior. You couldn’t believe how rude she was being, how utterly unkind. 

But your mind and body weren’t quite working together. You were still groggy, lost in the haze of sleep. And your head injury only made things more difficult. You did your best to formulate a response to your Emma and an apology to Bucky. But before you could say anything, Emma was at it again. 

“Seriously, dude. It’s time for you to go, get out of my house.”

Bucky was so flustered, so uncomfortable that he left without saying goodbye. Without getting your number. He shut down. He simply snagged his jacket from the kitchen and bailed. He heard you arguing with Emma as he walked down the hall. Heard you near-tears. 

He wanted to turn around and say goodnight. To protect you from Emma’s wrath. Comfort you. More than anything, he wanted to get your number. Maybe ask you out. But he was too thrown off by the whole thing. He didn’t expect such a response- he didn’t even get to tell Emma that you needed looking after. He just ran. And it made him feel like a coward. 

He pressed the button for the ancient elevator once. Twice. Five times. And when it finally arrived, he got in and slammed the button for the first floor. Ruining his chances of ever seeing you again. Sure, he knew where you lived. But he couldn’t just show up. You’d already dealt with enough creepy shit from weird men- he wasn’t going to stalk you. 

Bucky spent the entire elevator ride heartbroken. He knew he’d have to go home to his empty apartment; knew he’d think about you for way too long. You’d probably forget about him after a day- maybe two at the most. And he’d spend months trying to get over the stranger from the subway.

But when he stepped out of the elevator, he found you waiting for him.

“Hi, um… what?” He was more than a little confused. “How did you- how’d you get down here so fast?”

“Stairs,” you breathed. “Faster.”

Bucky couldn’t believe you. It was romantic; it was something out of one of his favorite movies. But it was stupid. “That was… that was a terrible idea- you could’ve gotten hurt. You almost fell over earlier when you were just standing still. Why’d you run down the stairs?”

“Cause I didn’t get to say goodbye…” your voice was soft, heartbroken. “And I didn’t get to give you my number.”

Wordlessly, Bucky handed you his phone. He didn’t know what to say, didn’t want to chance ruining such a perfect opportunity. He couldn’t believe this was happening to him, of all people. That you actually wanted to see him again.

When you finished, you extended Bucky’s phone in his direction- but recoiled as he tried to reach for it. “Promise me you’ll call?”

“On my life,” he said. The answer brought a warm smile to your face- a smile he wanted to see again. As soon as possible. And when you gave his phone back, he took a moment to stare down at your number. This had to be a dream. 

“Do me a favor and go get some rest, okay?” He extended his pinky and linked it with yours, “Drink a lot of water. And even though she seems like she’s in a bad mood, ask your roommate to check in on you every now and then.”

“Yeah, like she’s gonna go for that-”

“Tell her that if she doesn’t, I’m coming back to look after you myself. And I’ll drink her, her um…” 

“Kombucha,” you whispered. 

“Right, I’ll drink her Kombucha!” He laughed and shot you a wink, “That’ll do the trick.”

You pressed a kiss to his cheek, wiggled your pinky with his, and stepped into the still-open elevator doors. “Thank you for everything. I’m really happy I met you.” 

Bucky blushed. “So am I. Not under the best circumstances, but-”

“Worth it,” you shot him a wink. Just as the doors began to close, the two of you exchanged waves. And just before Bucky vanished from view, you threw a quick “call me” his way. And then he was gone.

You made it back to your apartment, nearly tripping over Emma’s luggage. She apologized as you grabbed a glass of water and nearly cried when you told her the story of your evening. And though you wanted to hear about her airport nightmare, you needed to sleep. 

You got settled in bed and realized- you missed Bucky already. 

And just as you decided to go to sleep for the night, your phone buzzed:

“Wanted to call but figured it might be too soon- seeing as it’s only been about four minutes. I’ll call you in the morning. And just so you know: even without the tap dancing, I found you very entertaining. I’m really glad I met you.

If you need anything at all, let me know. Feel better.

-JBB”

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