#even though deadpool is nowhere to be found here SORRY

[toofypigeon]

oh oh and here's a quick Logan that i put in my diary

[dragonrajafanfiction]

Ghosts’ Journey (Part 2): The History of Chime Gen

Here it is... the whole thing. I wanted to cut it but there was no good place. I did my best with the translation. (FINGEL PLEASE SPEAK HUMAN) Because this is important information to the Chime/Ruri fandom the Content of his speech is nearly exactly as it is in the novel.

@rurifangirl By request

The plan was to wake up before him. You had learned from Z that Japanese men were conservative. You didn’t know each other. He was out of it. He might think you took advantage of him. That sort of thing happened in Black Swan.

But he was also human and humans needed touch. Z’s hug transformed you even more than Herzog’s laughter. You didn’t get any affectionate human touch as a child. You would give him that precious touch so his mind could heal. Or maybe you would give him that touch because you desperately needed it yourself. Maybe you gave it to Ruri because he could give it to you and not require anything in return as a doll-person.

These were the excuses you gave yourself until you fell asleep in his arms.

As soon as you opened your eyes and felt the sun coming through the small window, you realized that you failed your mission objective. Ruri was sitting up next to you while you lay on the pillow. He was looking out the window. His eyes were no longer empty, but they held no joy. They were still, without any spark.

Guilt makes you freeze momentarily. “If you wanna push me off the bed, you can.”

The words shocked him out of his reverie. He looked down at you with those dark eyes and you detected a strange hesitation. His eyes meet yours and shift away without any friction. “You can stay if you want,” he said in a soft melodic voice.

“Sorry. I meant to wake up before you. Are you… in any pain? Physically I mean. The rest is obvious.” You sit up and swing over the edge of the bed. Ugly black veins are pulsing up your feet. The dragon blood in your body was now showing up more permanently. You flexed your toes and tried to calm it.

“No.”

“Good.”

“I want to apologize to you. For making a promise I won’t be able to keep.” He said.

“And what promise was that?” In this light, Ruri Kazama was no star performer. He looked shockingly ordinary, able to blend in with the masses on the streets of Japan. You probably wouldn’t recognize him were it not for his long hair.

“All of them. It’s all a deception.” 

“You’re going to have to be more specific.” You whisper, looking up at him seriously. On the one hand, it wouldn’t be the first time you were deceived by a man, but on the other hand, you personally understood the intense warping of the mind that came with being a child of Herzog. 

“I made you believe that I was Ruri Kazama. That I had power and wealth. That I could lead the Devil Clan by defeating the King General.” He paused for a long time before whispering. “None of that was true.”

You shrug it off. “Okay. I’ll believe you. But you’ll have to understand that was not why I pursued you. And I’m sorry I gave you that impression. If anything, I have many more reasons to stick with you now.”

“The King General will kill you.” He said gravely.

“Not if Bondarev gets to me first.” You quip and smile but his sharp intense glare makes your smile falter a moment. You stare at each other unblinkingly for a moment. “Look. Don’t play this… ‘you need to stay away from me’ line.” You whisper, but your tone is kind. “I will be in danger no matter what. I should be dead by now. And every day I live is on borrowed time.” 

You roll up your sleeves to show him the black veins beneath pale skin dotted with sparkling gold scales. “Can I at least have your company for the time I have left?”

Chime Gen gives a sad shake of his head. Maybe if he were in another state, he would have insisted and argued. But now he just gives up and hangs his head, his hair covering his face. When you reach out to brush it back, his hand catches yours and gently places it in your lap.

You bite the inside of your lip and fight your internal panic. He wasn’t feeling well. He had a humiliating and terrifying night. You’d seen him at his lowest. He was revealed to be nothing but a doll, a marionette whose strings had been cut. So of course your affection was painful.

“What do you want right now?” Your voice is flat and expressionless.

“Can you bring me that box?”

He points over to an ornate wooden box. It had a curved metal handle and a pot-like metal lid. It had a few small drawers and two hooks with which to carry a long narrow pipe. Ruri knew what to do when you brought it. He took the pipe from the box and then opened the drawer.

“Can you tell me about this?” You ask quietly.

“This is called a kiseru. It uses a special kind of tobacco. You won’t find it outside of Japan.” He pulls a wood box covered with hand written script on rice paper. The smell of the leaves reaches your nose. It was tobacco but it had a richer, almost meaty aroma.

“You just roll it in a ball between your fingers and put it into the pipe like this.” The pipe was narrow and very long but Chime was so practiced that he could roll the tobacco in one hand and hold the pipe in the other. He stuffed the pipe and you held out the open box of matches. He glances at you but you keep your face carefully neutral. He takes the box of matches from you and strikes one. He pauses for two seconds and lights the tobacco. There’s a small compartment in this box that he drops the spent match in.

You set the box at the end of the bed and then sit next to him. He inhales deep and breathes out a long smooth stream of white that swirls around his face like mist. It smelled different from Caesar’s cigars, not as sweet, but this was the smell on his clothing when you found Ruri Kazama in the rain, fleeing from the Hydra operatives.

“It… doesn’t bother you?”

You shake your head. “I like it.”

He hasn’t pushed you off the bed yet so you stay there and watch him smoke. His eyes and mind were far away, like he’d gone on a long journey. All you could do was wait for him to come back.

You weren’t at peace for long when you heard Caesar’s voice coming through the door.  "Then, as the best journalist among us, this great task falls on your shoulders! Whether it's psyching him up or hanging him up and beating him, get the information about the King General out of his mouth." Caesar opened the door to your room and pushed Fingel inside, "We’ll go have breakfast first, and, hopefully, we'll hear good news from you when we return."

Apparently, all the boys were awake and in the hallway. Fingel stumbled in, locked eyes with you and then flailed. “Aaah! Sorry, I’m interrupting!”

“You’re not.” You say with a sly smile. “We just finished.”

Chime inhaled sharply and coughed.

You flinched. “Sorry. I… I say things like this. I’ll shut up now.” You turn back to Fingel and the others and beckon them in. Then you look around. “Sorry, there’s nowhere to sit!”

“I’ll get something, you sit right there.” Caesar’s eyes hold a sly little light.

Caesar returned with chairs and they all sat around the bed while Chime silently finished off his pipe. He looked incredibly peaceful and you calmed yourself inside that you’d done and said the right thing.

The silence lasted for nearly five minutes and you were impressed with the boys’ fortitude. True to character, Caesar broke first. He kicked Fingel and nodded sharply towards Ruri.

 Fingel, looking a little nervous, cleared his throat, and prepared an opening statement: "You have the right to remain silent."

It took everything in you not to crack a smile, even though you were practiced. So you followed the joke up with a withering look of absolute disdain while you clenched your stomach and held your breath. 

Chime gently exhaled a mouthful of smoke, and his face was submerged in it, shielding him like a veil: "I know what you want to ask, and I will tell you. But please don't rush to ask me. Let me take my time to figure it out, so that it will be more clear."

You swivel your head to look at him, immediately concerned. The simple humble request moved you more than any of Ruri Kazama’s quick-wittedness. His voice was speaking like a small tired soul out of a grave. His eyes were heavy with sadness.

"My current appearance surprises you guys, right? Actually, this is my actual appearance. Every time you see me, I have more or less put on makeup. Only some of the makeup is so good that you can't see it." Chime Gen thought for a long time before he spoke again, "I have the same face as my brother, but I am not as good-looking as my brother. It’s only after wearing makeup that I look like him.” 

“When I was young, I always thought how nice it would be if I could be like my brother. He’s so perfect that people used to wonder how an insignificant person like me could be his brother. We both have been fatherless for as long as we can remember. No one can really prove that we are brothers. There were times when people said we didn't look alike, and I hid and cried. I was such a weak character as a child."

You squint, not understanding. How could Chime say Chisei was perfect if Chisei couldn’t see the truth if it was standing right in front of him? He still supported Tachibana after realizing that he was turning people into Deadpool and planning to awaken the Light king. You tried to help Chisei only because Chime asked you to. It was not Ruri Kazama who asked you to. It was Chime.

Chime turns to you, seeing the look in your eyes. “We both grew up in the mountains. There was only one middle school in that town and every girl in the school had a crush on my brother -- or, at least, that was what I always believed. He was the team leader in the kendo department and the team leader in the basketball club, and the girls loved to watch him sweat and practice his sword in the sunset. He was so focused, so intense, that even if there was a wall in front of him, he would break it down. So, even though he was so cold that he didn't even look at the girls, the girls kept sneaking glances at him, day after day after day. You may think that my bloodline is better than my brother's, so I'm stronger than him, but you're wrong. My brother's strength is not in bloodline, it's in his heart. He is the kind of man who will go forward once he has decided, and he will be able to achieve great things. For example, if he decides to be a friend of justice, he will be a friend of justice all his life.”

If it were anyone else saying those words, you would have a fiery response to that. His brutal murder of Chance was his decision and you couldn’t persuade him to stop. But who’s fault was that really? He only turned into that killer after Chance’s blood acted up. Before that, he was Chance’s protector. His Savior. He was going to let him go.

“I’m not going to ask you for your forgiveness.” Those words. Chisei had made his decision about Chance. But he was okay that you stayed upset with him about it. In your mind, you look at Chisei over the gap between you again and wonder if you should still hold out hope for him.

"My brother said he must work hard because we do not have parents. Only by hard work will we not be looked down upon.”

“He said he was going to take the entrance exam to Tokyo University and take me to Tokyo one day. I just hated that I was a useless brother, that I can't get into Tokyo University and that I can't help my brother. Everything my brother does is so that he and I can have dignity. I really wanted to be like my brother: a determined man, so that I could stand by his side and be considered his brother. But I was also a little jealous of my brother. Why is he the same as me, but he is so good and I am so weak, being called girly? But I never wanted to outshine my brother, I just wanted to be able to share a little bit of my brother's glory... just a little bit less than him.”

 "Then Tachibana Masamune came to the mountain and he said that both my brother and I had excellent bloodlines, and he would take one of us to Tokyo to train, and the other would stay in the mountain. If the former was killed, the latter would be the replacement. He said we could never tell the outside world that there were two Gen Clan children, and that the Gen family did not need two heads. As a matter of course, my brother was taken away as the future head of the family and I was left behind. I was his shadow. I have been his faceless shadow all my life. So sometimes I hated him too.”

He glanced at you but you said nothing. Beneath his words, the viper Bondarev slid. You couldn’t know exactly where he was in this whole story. But he separated Chisei from Chime. Chisei said his brother was ‘probably dead’. Were those Tachibana’s words? So that Chisei wouldn’t visit him?

"It was then that I met the King General, and he appeared to me as a man wearing a Noh theater mask.”

“I grew up loving noh and kabuki and was curious about this man in a noh mask, but the King General didn't actually know how to perform noh, he just knew the human heart too well. He started by coaching my performance and got to know me gradually. He would always meet with me alone and asked me not to tell my brother or anyone else. I didn't tell my brother because everything in this world is my brother's. I wanted the King General to be my teacher alone, something truly mine. King would say he saw my potential. He said I am better than my brother.”

Your eyes slide to one side as you hear the song of the manipulation. With just Bondarev alone, you didn’t hear it though you suspected it. It wasn’t until you heard the play of both Bondarev and Herzog that the sound of it became clear that these boys were being double teamed. That said, you also realized that both of these boys were plagued with a strong sense of pride. While he readily admitted he didn’t want to outshine his brother, at the same time, Chime didn’t want to be too low. And when King General promised him greatness, he fell for it.

 "It was like I was living in a fantasy during that time. Every night, King would wait for me in the mountains, and we would stroll along the mountain paths until the moon was in the middle of the sky. Under the stars, he explained to me the characters in the kabuki, and he gave me a strong drink which warmed my body. I was not tired even after walking with him all night in the mountains. Suddenly, one day I noticed a girl smiling at me shyly, with an expression I had never seen before. I was delighted at first, thinking I could learn that expression, but as I kept practicing that shy smile in the mirror, I realized why she was smiling at me like that; because I had become beautiful. My whole being looked like it was glowing.""

 "That wine was mixed with evolutionary drugs?" Caesar asked.

“Yes, I am the only one in this world who swallowed that many evolutionary drugs without losing control of who I was. My own blood can restrain the evolutionary drugs' side-effects.  My blood is more poisonous than evolutionary drugs." Chime said slyly.

"Sorry to interrupt you... Please continue." Caesar said.

Chime Gen nodded: "I can't remember the rest. Those memories are very vague, I only know that the Final Police Report said that the town's serial killings of female high school students were all caused by the same person. Because that person left, they closed the case."

"What does that mean?" Caesar did not understand.

 "I killed a total of fourteen girls and turned their bodies into waxed human statues and placed them in the deepest basement of the school, where I sewed kabuki costumes for the dead and practiced imitating the women. This incident was considered by the Yakuza Hydra family to be a crime committed by a deadpool. So my brother was sent back to that town on a clean-up mission. That night I killed the fourteenth girl right before his eyes. He found me when I was in the basement preparing the corpse, dressed in women's clothing, singing."

Chime spoke softly, "I was stabbed through the heart by my brother. He threw my corpse into a deep well, locked the lid forever, and then buried the whole well. I think it was because I became the devil in his eyes and he was afraid that the devil might rise from the dead. Even if he had my body burned, he wouldn’t rest easy. He wanted to be able to see my bones, my body at the bottom.”

All of you shivered in unison, and the thing that was even more frightening than that atrocity was that Chime Gen talked about such bloody matters as if he were talking about another person, calm to the point of indifference.

 "I know what you're thinking. You're wondering if I've gone crazy. Clearly, I killed so many people, but I talk about it as if those things have nothing to do with me. But I really don't think I killed those girls. During that time, I was having a nightmare, a nightmare in which I lived a happy life, in which my charm conquered every girl in the school. I finally wouldn't disgrace my brother. I asked them to go to the river to see the stars. They came shyly. I took their hands and they all accepted, and then I cut their throats with a knife. At their happiest moment. But their beautiful expressions weren’t preserved on their own. They were made into statues by me, so that I kept the most beautiful side of them. In the dream, I felt that there was nothing wrong with this. Until someone outside the dream was calling me, I suddenly realized that it was my brother who came back. My brother came home to see me. I suddenly turned around and came back to reality all of a sudden, but I didn't have time to hug my brother before I ran into his blade head-on.”

 "When I woke up again, I was on a huge stage. There was a beam of light hitting me from above. I was wearing the clothes of The Great Maiden in the Clouds, with long hair and full makeup. I didn't have any wounds on my body, but the pain from being stabbed in the chest seemed to remain there. I was sitting on a gorgeous throne. And next to me stood various girls in Kabuki costumes, each one beautiful. It seemed like I had just taken a nap while my attendants waited for me to wake up. I suddenly couldn't tell reality from illusion. I felt like I was still in that basement full of corpses. I couldn't tell if the girls around me were living or dead. The girls and the members of the Devil Clan sitting on the stage applauded vigorously as if they had just watched a thrilling performance. The King announced to everyone that he had found the true successor to the Great Three Clans, and that was me, and that I would guide the Devil Clan into the future. Their faces ran with tears. I asked the King General what was real and what was not, and the King General simply said congratulations on the awakening of the Emperor."

    "So you remember all these things, only you think some of them happened in a dream but some were reality?" Chu Zihang asked.

 "Yes, the serial killing was like a dream to me. Everything in the dream was blurry. Only the faces of those girls and the moment I killed them were clear. In the dream, I seemed to become another person. Killing was not a terrible thing for me. It was a beauty. I would be ecstatic for the moment when the girl's dying smile had not completely faded, before despair and panic had appeared, and I would be excited to see the blood spilled." Chime Gen said, "But I look back on that state afterwards, especially when I think of all the dead bodies I had sung to in that damp basement, and I'm so scared and disgusted that I can't help vomiting every time."

 "So you don't deny that you killed those girls?" Caesar said.

 "I can't deny it, I remember every detail so clearly. If I didn't do it myself, who could have put those details into my head?" Chime Gen said, "It's as if there was an evil spirit hiding in my body. That evil spirit woke up and took control of me. The really gorgeous and charming part of me is that spirit. As for me, I'm just a mediocre person."

Lu Mingfei quietly shivered.

You sat still, not looking at anyone. Now your hair fell in front of you. Ruri was silent. You could see him watching you with a cold expression a moment before turning back to the window.

"Did he exchange anything with you?" Lu Mingfei asked cautiously, "I mean the evil spirit inside your body."

Chime Gen smiled indifferently, "I am not going to excuse myself. I am the evil spirit. The evil spirit is me. The evil spirit is another state of mine. It is one with me."

"That's why you hate King General so much, because it was the King General who drew out the evil spirit in your body. He went to the mountain to find you, in fact, to find the evil spirit in your body." Chu Zihang said.

 "Yes, and I failed to resist his temptation. He was the one who created the unbreakable barrier between me and my brother, and, from that day on, my brother was no longer my brother, and the relationship between him and me was between a Devil Slayer and a Devil." Chime said, "The King General ruined my life and turned me into his 'Dragon King'. I wanted to get rid of his control, so I had to kill him. Otherwise, he could find me no matter where I fled. Even to the ends of the earth. Last night, I thought I had succeeded. I thought I had shaken him off. But I was wrong, he could not be shaken off, we two evil spirits were destined to go all the way."

You lift your head slightly. You said the same thing about Renata’s killer Bondarev. You understood this. It would all end in blood eventually. There was no other way.

 "Do you believe that there are really evil spirits in this world that cannot be killed?" Caesar turned to Chu Zihang, "I mean King General."

"As I said before, although my reason tells me that there should be no such thing as ghosts in the world," Chu Zihang said slowly, "but what I have seen is beyond human understanding."

"He will come for me, and it is useless for me to hide anywhere. No one in this world can kill him, and neither can I." Chime said quietly, "He also took away the power he gave me."

"What does that mean?" Caesar asked.

"That banging sound. That's what he used to control me. He can use the sound of the clapper to put me into the state of the 'evil spirit'. In that state, I will have the power of the bloodline, my confidence and determination will skyrocket. Kazama Ruri is actually the name of that evil spirit. He can also use the sound of the clapper to make the evil spirit sleep, so that I can become a Chime Gen. With my current strength, I can't even hold the hilt of my sword. When he finds his way here, I have no choice but to sit and wait for death."

“Is this consistent with what you know?” Chu Zihang asked, addressing you.

“Yes. If I may… speak.” You look at Chime. “I know about the clapper sound. I was present with King General, when he was Dr. Herzog. I saw how he can turn access to dragon words on and off… although I was raised by him, I was not given the treatment that would put me under his control.”

“So you know?” Chime asked.

You nod slowly. “I know a lot.”

Chime turned his pipe upside down and tapped it into the ashtray.

"Lu Mingfei also reacted to that banging sound, but Lu Mingfei didn't seem to switch any state!" Caesar said.

You turn to Lu Mingfei in shock. “What?!”

“Given that lowlife face he’s putting right now, he’s definitely the real Lu Mingfei. Accept no substitutions.” Fingal nodded rapidly.

You continue to stare at Lu Mingfei for an uncomfortably long time until Mingfei just drives his eyes into the floor. Lu Mingfei is Z’s brother. Z was with you in Black Swan… then… that means...

Caesar pondered for a moment: "Initially, we thought that The White King was our enemy, but now it seems that the King will be no less terrifying than a Dragon God. This situation is tricky for both us and Hydra. It seems that we should join forces with your brother, and, as for the conflict between the Academy and Hydra, we can take our time to resolve it afterwards."

 "You have to gain my brother's trust first. He doesn't trust you, much less me. Even if he has watched me attempt to assassinate the King General, he will have thought it was an internal fight in the Devil Clan. With the death of Tachibana Masamune, and with his position in mind, he is bound to make his own plans. Tachibana Masamune's plan was to destroy the White King and make the Hydra family independent again. To take control of the future of the Japan Branch. In this case, my brother will not cooperate with you." Chime Gen said, "He will find a way to kill the King General himself."

You’re silent through all of this talk. None of this is relevant to you after all. You’re still reeling from the revelation that Chime had killed women like you before under the influence of the King General. Although he might not even realize it was the clapper sound causing the killing sprees, he recognized the split personality state that sometimes people were put in when they heard the clapper. You recall the handsome and flirty Anton, who was changed to the Anton who was dead inside, what was changed to the Anton that was like a reptile.

The fact that Lu Mingfei was also susceptible to this sound shook you as well. Lu Mingfei’s sudden great headache on the roof during the Tokyo Tower mission: Was that also a result of the clapper? You didn’t hear any clapper that you could recall at that time. But still, while Lu Mingfei cringed and moaned in front of you, you tried to speak with him and your words were not reaching him. It was like he was turning into a doll, but didn’t go all the way.

"I'm not doubting your brother's fighting ability, but you’re clearly the smarter one. I don’t think that your brother is clever enough to face the King." Caesar said.

"Brother still holds the last card, he has Erii Uesugi in his hand."

"Erii is more powerful than you?" Lu Mingfei asked.

 Chime Gen shook his head slowly: "I don't know what Erii Uesugi is, but I really don't have the certainty to say that Ruri Kazama can beat her. She seems to be extremely crippled in some ways, but her kind of catastrophic killing power is a power on the level of a Dragon King."

“Japan is really a place full of monsters." Caesar said with an exasperated sigh, "Get some rest, we still have to go to breakfast. Want us to bring you something?"

"After hearing all the things I've done, do you still see me as a friend?" Chime looked up and looked Caesar in the eyes.

"If you do another vicious act in front of me, I will stick my knife in your heart just like your brother; but until then, we should be considered allies, if not friends." Caesar walked out of the room without looking back and the others followed. "If the King will indeed find you here, we will keep you safe."

 The door closed, and Chime was silent for a long, long time, sighing softly, "It would be foolish to make rash statements like who you will protect until you truly know the King's General but thank you." Chime looked at you. “What say you? MC?”

You stare after the closed door, eyes empty. “I understand what you mean now. When you said the King General will kill me, you meant to say, he will use you to do it. Right?” You look in his direction.

Chime Gen’s eyes were sad, so sad.

You close your eyes and nod in confirmation. “I understand.” You take a deep breath and turn to him, leaning in closer. “But I’m not giving up.” You whisper. “First, we have to survive. Then… after that, we can be together. But you promised me you would not give up your life. Keep that promise. Don’t seek death. Okay?”

You squeeze his hands tightly and he returns that squeeze with a firm grip of his own, a grip so tight it was painful. The pain in your hands distracted you from the pain in your heart. When your hands finally released, that throbbing ache in the bones of your hand was as good as a kiss.

You get up and walk quickly out of the room. Your things were no longer in the bath house so you had to head down the hall to the elevator. Much to your shock, Caesar was there waiting for you alone. You stop, hesitant. “Lose your appetite?”

“I wanted to make sure you were okay. That must have been very hard for you to hear.” He stood, one hand in his pocket. He looked almost too innocent and you wonder if he was eavesdropping.

You shrug. “It is what it is. Until the King General dies… Now if you excuse me, I have to pack.”

You step around him and he catches your arm. “What do you mean pack?” His blue eyes snap at you.

You look up at him in confusion. “I’m leaving. I can’t stay here. The …” You stop talking and sigh, massaging your forehead. Do you really have to spell it out for him? “Okay. Listen. The King General wants me dead just as much as Bondarev. He must know I love Ruri Kazama by now and if he comes here, he will not kill me. He will use Chime to do it, just because he’s that much of an asshole! He’s the type of person who would punish Chime for rebelling like this. He’s used Chime as a murder weapon before, and he’ll do it again!”

“You can’t go out there. Chisei or Hydra or Bondarev, if he’s still alive as you think he is, are still around and hunting you. How are you going to defend yourself on your own?!” 

Caesar didn’t let you go but you jerked out of his grip. “I’ll have to find a way! But I can’t stay here and be a sitting duck for Herzog. You heard what he said! Herzog will find him no matter where he runs. And he’s the type of person who would do this!”

“No,” Caesar’s eyes were firm. “That Gen brother needs you. He would never hurt you.”

You laugh but there’s no joy in it. Your frustration and anger is building in your eyes. “What part of mind control don’t you understand! Do you think he would ever hurt the 14 girls he already hurt? Why am I different?”

“Because you’re already in his heart! That’s why he’s sending you away to protect you right?” Caesar hissed.

You shake your head and raise your arms only to drop them in frustration. “Caesar. … I told him not to send me away. But after hearing what he said, … this is my decision.”

“No.” Caesar dug his heels in. You could see that firm immovable light in his eyes. “I’m not letting you out of my sight.” He stepped around you easily. It was confrontational, blocking you. He was serious. He was between you and the elevator and your back is against the wall.

You look at him in disbelief. “You’re just going to let me sleep in the same place as the murder weapon?”

“Hey!” He hissed. He bangs his fist against the wall next to your face and there’s a crack visible in the plaster. He points down the hall toward Kazama’s room. “He is not a murder weapon. That is the man you love. He needs you to believe in him!”

 Your eyes have gone distant and dull. You couldn’t believe those words had come out of your mouth. After everything that had happened to you. How could you ever say something like that? You feel like your world is spinning. The logic of survival dictated that you leave him and stay away from him. So you continue to protest. “Caesar… Herzog is counting on me to stay close to Ruri. He’s betting on it. He’ll set the stage. He’ll make it beautiful and when it’s at its most beautiful and we’re so close… Ruri will...”

Caesar takes a deep breath and shakes out his hand. “So we’ll think of a plan B.”

“What plan B? None of us can beat Ruri Kazama if he loses his mind to the clapper.” You whisper hoarsely. “I don’t care as much about dying as much as I do about breaking his heart. If the King General makes him kill me.” You look into his eyes, begging him to understand. “Caesar… it will destroy him. I don’t want to give King General that satisfaction. That’s what I really care about.”

Then you see in Caesar's eyes a black boiling rage like a ferocious thundercloud! A killing aura! “I want to see this bastard try. I don’t believe in Ghosts or evil spirits or any of that fake ass shit.” Caesar spat. “You know better than anyone else here. King General is just a man. A man behind a curtain of tricks. You already saw through his trap today. If you run off, you’ll just run into his back-up trap. It’s better to deal with the devil you know, go about our business as usual and set up a trap of our own.”

You finally relent. “Fine. What do you have in mind?”

“I’ll think of something.” Caesar rubs the back of his head. He glares at you when you laugh. “In the meantime, stay put.”

“God… okay…” You cover your eyes with your hand.

“You just need to stay calm! He knows you’re smart but guys like him have low opinions of women. Once he sees you falling all over you’re favorite guy like you did last night, he’ll think you’re just like all the rest of the so called ‘weaker sex’” He puts this in air quotes. “He’ll let down his guard.”

“Yeah…” You’re still uneasy, but you’ve started to calm down, rubbing your arm and looking away.

“Trust me… Trust me!” He gives you a firm pat on the shoulder. “Good hustle, MC. Go upstairs and get dressed and meet us for breakfast. Then I’ll have you serve your man!”

[cornholio4]

Smoking!

Author’s note: this is based on the Mask from the violent Comic but it doesn’t get really violent here. The Mask has the origin from the movie though. Some of this is just me indulging.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng sighed as she was with her class at the field trip to the museum where Alix's dad and brother worked, things wereworking well with her and her class despite the fact that Lila kept up with her false stories with the class eating them up. She was on better terms with her class though she refused to indulge in listening to her lies or forget the threats that she had made.

Alix's brother Jalil was giving them a lecture at their Norse exhibit and was excited to tell them they were the first visitors to get a look at a new artefact sent to their exhibit. This got the class excited but it quickly died down when he took out an old plain looking wooden mask with eyes and a mouth hole.

Jalil stated they studied the connections between it and the Norse God of Mischief and Lies himself Loki but everyone had drawled out when they saw the mask. Lila began whispering to the classmates about some made up trip discovering lost artefacts of a probably made up nation. This got Marinette a bit annoyed but then found Tikki peeking her head out of her bag and was shivering with fright.

Marinette whispered to her asking what was going on not noticing Adrien running to a nearby pillar, before the Kwami could say anything Jalil asked if anyone would want to try it on for fun. Chloe pretty much pushed Marinette out to be in front of the group.

Marinette glared at her but then Jalil went to her asking if she was volunteering, Marinette jumped but then found her friends encouraging her. She slowly walked up to the table and picked up the mask. She put it to her face but then found it seaming like it was pulling herself to it.

Everyone immediately grew concerned and terrified as they saw the mask jump on Marinette's face and looked like it was expanding itself to cover her face while turning green...

Adrien Agreste had been watching the lecture with his class and was about to make a joke with Nino about how plain the mask looked but then had Plagg whispering while in his shirt pocket. Adrien then sneaked to a nearby pillar to ask Plagg what he was doing risking himself being seen. However he was taken aback by how uncharacteristically terrified Plagg looked.

"Adrien, listen to me... You have to transform right now and Catacalysm that mask right now! It's dangerous and I will never forget when a Norse warrior I was with at the time had to fight a Viking who wore it. It was awful and the nearby villages pretty much would have preferred Ragnarok! I curse the day Loki created that awful thing! Never did like those Norse gods! Still Odin's trickster brother was pretty much better than that Cronus guy from the Titans but that's not saying much!" Plagg told him and Adrien looked at him in disbelief.

"Plagg, that things looks like a cheap prop and you say it is some sort of dangerous artefact? That it's like Miraculous?" Adrien asked unconvinced as Plagg looked at him dead serious but then Adrien noticed something. "Wait did you say brother? But isn't Loki the son of Odin?" Adrien asked and Plagg slapped his face.

"They were brothers, I can assure you! Despite what those comic books and movies would have you belief, but let's focus and prioritise!" Plagg snapped right back and Adrien found this hysterical. Plagg lecturing him on priorities, this was something for the history books.

"Now, we have to transform and do something before anyone gets close enough to that mask that..." Plagg told him but then heard a whirling sound and then looked and saw that Marinette was standing there with a crazed look on her face. She was wearing a yellow suit version of her usual clothes and her face was a bit bigger while colored dark green. "Too late..." Plagg muttered and then realised the implications of Marinette in particular wearing the blasted mask, Adrien now realised too late that Plagg may have been onto something.

"Plagg, Claws Out!"

*PB*

Marinette had transformed and found herself feeling... free! Her friends looked at her all worried wondering if this was some weird Akuma and they just didn't see the butterfly. Marinette then found herself smiling gleefully.

"Look, Dupain-Cheng finally got a makeover and I think it was an improvement..." Chloe started only for Marinette to take out a big glass cage out of seemingly nowhere and put her and Lila in it while shutting it tight.

"Wow, my two biggest tormentors together at last! They really deserve eachother as friends, to think that fanfic writers thought Chloe you would be the lesser of the two evils despite you know never even apologising for almost getting my parents killed!" Marinette said with a big smile looking at them both trying to force the door open. Marinette then continued her tirade "yes I am breaking the fourth wall like that mouthy merc and I don't care. He wasn't even the first Marvel character to have the gimmick, She- Hulk (big fan as a green faced heroine myself) did it before him! Besides Deadpool will have no chance to complain as he is too busy writing his will before his end is met when Ipkiss wearing the Mask takes him down in Deadpool's 3rd Death Battle!" Marinette then noticed the class and staff heading for the doors.

Marinette then pulled out a lasso and then roped them into it while dragging them back, "come on friends, as you're Everyday Ladybug I can't let you miss what is a good show! I can promise you it will be something, there are fanfics of me Akumatized to deal with Lila but this is something special! This is not the Mask from the funny movie starring Robotnik from the upcoming Sonic movie (which you should see when it comes out) or the funny cartoon that spun off from it but the original Dark Horse comics! I promise you, they were not for the faint of heart! They were basically a reverse of that stupid Banana Splits movie or the upcoming Fantasy Island movie: so instead of taking something light hearted or at least nice into a horror property, they turned a horror property into a family friendly comedy! Can't say I disapprove but I got the powers from the comics, where the cartoon physics extend to only me. So if I fed you a bomb then well..." Marinette stated but then noticed Chat Noir was there.

"Sorry Princess, but can I ask please ask if you can handover that mask and sorry but I don't think the green face look suits you." Chat Noir told Marinette charging with his staff only for Marinette to take out a large mallet and send Chat Noir flying right through the door.

"Marinette girl, please! This isn't you! I don't understand a word of what you are saying or what happened to you but please! Give the mask up and get help!" Alya asked but Marinette shook her head as she looked at her.

"Wow Alya you are trying to be a good friend unlike in other salt fics, like those recent ones pairing me with Damian Wayne. I dont really understand that as...I am just not into Gotham City guys!" Marinette exclaimed pretty much singing the last part of what she just said. She then smirked as she just got an idea about what to do with her two prisoners.

She then got out a dressing cubicle and skipped right in. Not a second later she was now in a stag magician's outfit complete with a cape and a top hat. She then got out a box for the 'sawed in half' trick.

"Now, the first trick of the Great Big Head will be familiar to those you watched that Banana Splits movie I mentioned, the one where they took an old and highly underappreciated cute fun variety show and turned it into a lame FNAF rip off! But I will be pulling it off better because the movie version didn't use this!" Marinette said pulling a chainsaw from her cape.

She then got form the cage and pulled out Chloe before locking it again, she put Chloe in a box as she looked terrified and Marinette said with glee "remember what I said about the cartoon physics only affecting me? I guess you can also see this as a rip off from the trailer for that Fantasy Island movie? The one about getting revenge on a childhood bully? A scene in a trailer of a movie that wants to use the name for it's stupid horror movie? A show that was parodied by a Daffy Duck movie and an episode of Teen Titans Go that were better adaptations of the show!" Marinette asked darkly and Chloe was now screaming in terror as Marinette's classmates closed their eyes fearing the worse.

Marinette then dropped it and used another lasso to barely catch Chat Noir, "You know now that I mention it, I somehow seem to know a whole lot about a comic book and a TV show that were both made before I was even born! I mean Fantasy Island is decades old and I am just acting as a mouthpiece for the author at this point and hopes this works by acknowledging he is doing this." Marinette shrugged pulling Chat Noir in.

"You have been a great sparring partner and partner in general Chat Noir; here is a free copy of the first issue of my new comic!" Marinette told him patting him on the head like a kitty and then tucking into the lasso the first issue of I Pledge Allegiance to the Mask.

Then Marinette went to the box where Chloe was still in but then had Lila scream out "Marinette please let me out! I am sorry for the threats i made to you in the bathroom! I am sorry for threatening to steal all your friends away! I will stop lying, I promise! I will help you with anything! I will even tell you what I know about Hawk Moth when working with him! I promise please!" Lila was now in tears but everyone in the class were now speechless as to what she had just said.

"Lila admitting to save her own skin; would be funny if it wasn't so pathetic... It's thanks to you and your anonymous posting that the anonymous comments on the AO3 version of this story will have to be disabled! I will get to you in a second but first I already have a volunteer..." Marinette said picking her chainsaw back up again.

"Marinette, this isn't you! I know Chloe is a pretty terrible bully and I don't know what Lila had been saying to you behind our backs but you are better than this! You go through with this I know you will hate yourself when you are back to normal! This will scar you and destroy you! Think of your parents and us, we care about you! My brother Luka thinks of you as the song in his heart!" Juleka suddenly shouted and this gave Marinette pause.

"Using not only your brother but my parents to convince me to drop this. Low blow Juleka but I can't argue that like a good Pokemon move... It's super effective!" Marinette said quietly as she managed to force the mask off her face. She then suddenly shrieked as she then let everyone out of the lasso and they hugged her greatly.

However an Akuma came akumatized Chloe into a villain called Jack in the Box. Marinette helped get all her friends, classmates, the staff and Lila through the exit and then transformed into Ladybug to help Chat Noir once he was free.

*PB* Hawk Moth was in his lair observing what happened and was in shock and a bit scared, something other than his Akumas were capable of creating powerful villains it seemed. Ones he doubted he could control even if he was wearing that Mask. That Mask took one of the nicest girls in Adrien's class (the one he had yet to Akumatize) and turn her into a twisted cartoon.

He took a while before sending out an Akuma; too busy contemplating everything that this could mean. This Mask could destroy everything he had worked to achieve and if his Akuma brought it to him, he would have it thrown into the farthest waters.

*PB* Marinette was pretty horrified and scared about what happened when she saw the CCTV footage and heard the stories from her classmates. Ms Bustier personally escorted Marinette back home and she was forced into a big hug by her parents. Once she got a chance to be alone Tikki explained to her about Loki's mask.

The news broadcast said that the Mask would be taken to a secure facility outside of Paris, so hopefully she would not have to deal with it again. She had gotten a few days off from school as unlike most Akuma villains, she had to deal with the knowledge she was close to murdering a classmate with a chainsaw.

What she had almost done terrified her as she never wanted this on either of them, she can't say she had much positive feelings towards them but this was overkill. She doubted she could even use any lethal action against even Hawk Moth who was an evil Super Villain of his own volition.

She got messages from her friends checking in to make sure she was alright, her grandfather Roland came by with a special cake he had made from an old family recipe and there was Luka who looked more worried than she had ever saw him.

In the mail she ended up getting a letter from an American police officer by the name of Kellaway inviting her to join an online support group for those affected by the Mask. Apparently it had gotten around in the US ever since it was bought by a man called Stanley Ipkiss. Hopefully that Mask doesn't bother anyone again...

[caandlelit]

what if the way that hawks went about to infiltrate the league wasn't as upfront as joining them straight up, which by the fucking way caused a lot of complications for nobody but him

because newsflash asshole my man dabi isn't a fucking moron and he can tell when a wanna be villain is a spy seeing as they're the fuckin number two hero

what if he tracked down their new hideout

a bar as usual

in a shady alley in the depths of tokyo, and he just steps inside the door that's helpfully labelled, ‘l.o.v. hideout and bar’ with his jacket slung over his shoulder and an easy smile on his face

hes immediately slammed against the back of the door by the most wanted, second to shigaraki tomura himself, fire villain dabi, the league of villains' heaviest hitter

dabi presses one scarred hand against the door next to hawks’ head

and the other hand is wrapped around his throat, long, capable fingers tightening, threatening to choke him and its slowly heating up dangerously against his skin

and the cold metal of his staples contrasted deliciously with the heat

hawks prays for his hard on to go away

“how the fuck did y’all find our hideout this time, hero” whispers dabi, leaning in close

hawks gulps, which was a mistake because he feels dabis hand tightening against the movement of his throat

and his breath is hot on hawks face and he tries not to cry

because jesus fuckin christ those bright blue eyes are way too close and hawks is so weak

‘t-there was a sign that said ‘lov hideout and bar’ and im just-’

dabi interrupts him with a groan and a

“godfuckingdammitsonovabitch”

and he pulls away and hawks lets out a quiet whimper of loss cause there goes that warm, hard body

dabi turns and yells at a door behind the bar

“NICE GOING TOGA, the heroes found our hideout. AGAIN.”

hawks can't help letting out a snipe of his own at this toga person and whispers

‘yeah toga you had one job’

dabi lets out a surprised snort and turns back around to run his gaze over hawks

“why”

here goes absolutely nothing

‘uh it said ‘bar’ man and i just want a job, im not gonna tell the heroes’

dabi snorts

“pardon me if I don't fuckin believe you in the slightest”

‘but its true I swear I won't tell those dickbags’

“lemme guess you hate them and you wanna’ join the league and stick it to the man, right”

‘yeah how'd you know??’

“oh my god you know i know you are a hero right”

‘im not’

dabi stops and stares at him

“let me get this straight-”

‘I'm gay’

“-ok not straight then and nice same-”

‘are you single’

“-im not answering that-”

‘please-’

“you're telling me you're not japans number three hero”

‘im not but I've been told he looks just like me must be a handsome guy’

dabi stares at him, deadeyed

hawks tries for a winning smile

this is when the rest of the league floods in from a door in the side of the bar, arguing loudly

‘why the fuck would you even put up that sign in the first place’

‘what possessed you to think that that would be okay’

‘that was so fuckin stupid and stop yelling at the love of my life she has never done anything wrong ever!!!’

and

‘im sorry okay but I forget where it is all the time alrighttt’

dabi sighs and turns around

hawks observes the league of villains, the most feared and most wanted criminals in all of japan

bickering like children

he glances up at dabi whos staring straight ahead and hawks bites his lip

dabi sighs and slowly, one by one the villains finally notice them

there's a silence as they stare at dabi and hawks

then a weirdo with a hand on his face and blue hair glares at dabi and oh fuck that's the fuckin bossman the commission showed him photos of ah crap oh fuck

shigaraki, incredibly confused and vaguely pissed: dabi why is the number three hero standing next to you in our villain hideout

‘i already said i'm not this sexy hero guy im a college dropout and I wanna work at your bar’

dabi shuts his eyes against hawks’ bullshit and walks blindly towards the bar and pours himself a shot

shigaraki squints at hawks as he leans to stare at dabi, who is throwing back a shot, from around the league

the little blonde girl, toga, speaks out of nowhere, comforting shigaraki and patting him on the back

‘yknow, maybe this is just one of those days when you're like, this might as well happen’

dabi groans loudly in the background and throws back another shot

hawks looks at him worriedly

this really wasn't going how he'd hoped it would

shigaraki sighs

“if you're not hawks-”

“HAH”

shigaraki turns around to glare at the guy in deadpool cosplay and he coughs and looks down and mumbles an apology

“who are you”

‘im sora and im broke can i work at your bar’

before shigaraki can say anything, a guy in a suit whos head is made of mist leans forward and says

“yeah sure you can! as long as you work hard!!”

hawks beams

dabi groans again and tugs off the stopper on a bottle of vodka with his teeth and fuckin chugs and woah that shouldn't have been as hot as it was

suit guy introduces himself

“its nice to meet you sora im kurogiri and i own the bar”

‘nice!! that's so cool!!’

“im glad you think so!!!”

shigaraki sighs and pulls out a psp from his hoodie pocket and sits down on a stool next to the bar and for what hawks can hear, starts playing animal crossing

he can't help but mutter to the person nearest to him, the deadpool wannabe, ‘wow animal crossing?? can't believe the most wanted villain is a bottom’

deadpool wannabe laughs loud and obnoxious and slaps hawks on the back so hard he trips but manages not to fall as deadpool slings an arm around his shoulders

“man you're funny!! even though you're totally a spy sent by the heroes I think we're gonna get along dude! im jin! nice to meet you!!”

hawks beams

‘even though you guys are villains and im- uh not a hero you guys are really cool!!!’

“thanks bro! you too!!”

dabi presses his head against the counter and whimpers

so hawks gets accepted into the league just because shigaraki decides to let it happen because kurogiri deserves help around the bar

he gets a cool bartenders outfit from toga

‘wow where'd you get this?’

“im into cosplay!! i have seven different schoolgirl outfits and a nurse outfit, and a cop outfit, and a-’

hawks is nodding and listening attentively and twice is staring with heart eyes

and dabi is just so disbelieving of all of this what the fuck

‘hey dabi do you like my bartenders outfit ;)’

“yes actually”

‘r-really??’

“almost as much as your hero outfit”

[watercloud7]

Spideypool AU they pseudo-adopt Miles

Summary:Wade and peter aren't exactly dating cause they're figuring out their feelings and also cause tony is actively doing his best to cockblock them.

And someday some crying kid called miles morales shows up at Wades door and they find themselves sharing joint custody of spidey junior.

There was a very frantic knock coming from wades front door,which was probably the pizza he ordered and that was his domino's delivery guy called Dave who had absolutely no will to live and that's why he was wades designated pizza boy.

So he grabs his gun and goes to open the door.Just in case it wasn't really Dave the melanial edge lord and actually tall dark and murderous coming to pay him a visit.

So wade is understandably confused when he's faced with some 11 year old looking baby boy standing there looking up at him like he holds the answers to the universe.

Wade:.....

Wade: And what the actual fuck is a smole bean like you doing,knocking on the door of a reknown merc for hire?Im assuming you know who I am considering there's still blood splattered on my door from the last guests I had over.

Kid:I-i buh wha....

Wade:or your incredibly lost and you've just shat bricks cause I'm holding a gun to your head,sorry I was expecting a pizza delivery

And the kid has the audacity to give him a look,even tho wade's gun is still very much pointed to his head and still very loaded.

Wade:okay this was wierd enough.

So he goes to close his door but last minute a surprisingly strong hand stops him.

Miles:w-w-wait! Please! I-I need your help!

Wade: listen kid im in the middle of binge watching the entirety of Bea Arthur's carrier so you better give a damn good reason as too why the fuck your still on my door mat

Miles morales :m-my my name is Miles M-Morales.I-I didn't know who else to go to,these people have been after me since this morning and I got really scared so I ran away but I didn't wanna go home cause I'm not dumb you know??They'd know where I lived if I did that!And then I remembered you posted you were like best friends with Spider-Man and I'm basically Spider-Man now.Well a shorter,younger,darker and less experienced Spider-Man but I'm realising right now how very not good it was to come here but your my only option cause no other super hero were dumb enough to post their adress on Facebook and the people after me are called shield and want to question me about how I got my powers and other scary stuff but I really really don't want to and I'm scared and I don't know what they want and please please please mister deadpool don't send me away!

Wade:...

wade:there are legit no period stops in that paragraph kid.Your English teacher is horrified right about now.Not to mention kid,they probably already know where you live.

And suddenly this kid bursts into tears again and he's actively just crying on deadpools door mat cause he's convinced Shield is evil when they were probably just trying to recruit him or whatever shit Shield does in there spare time,and now this tiny pupper of a kid turned to litteraly the biggest of the baddest to protect him against the good guys.

Wade could have slammed his door and left the kid to deal with this shit himself,Shield wasn't gonna hurt him.

But this is probably just a lost and confused mutant kid who just discovered his powers and had no one to turn to,and to be completely honest he really was a cute kid,and it's really hard not to oblige when a smol cup-cake like that is asking for just a simple favour so...

Miles:are you sending me away??

So wade pulled out his phone and prayed this wouldn't bite him in the ass later

Wade :Nah hold up.

Wade:yeah Spider-Man? Ive got a SUUUUUUPER fan that's gonna lose his shit if he dosent meet you right about now...yeah like now now....what?Yes ofcourse it's important...Okay that happened like that ONE time...don't be an ass even though your ass is perfect....kay

Miles:so???

Wade :BTW kid Shield are the good guys they wouldn't hurt you...I think.But I called Spider-Man for you anyways cause you seem really scared but I really can't have you wait outside my door like this cause it's not really a good neighbourhood.

To be honest I suspect mercenaries my live here.

Deadpool whispered the last part and Miles actually wipped his tears and giggled and wades heart kinda just "awwwwwwwwed"

Wade:how about we wait inside and you tell me a little more as too why you thought it was even a remotely good idea to come here of all places huh?

And So miles comes in and tells wade all about how he got his powers how he was just testing them out yesterday and this morning these big scary guys showed up out of nowhere and we're asking him to get in the car Miles panicked and ran away but after that they found him again and again and he got super spooked so when he remembered deadpool posted his address on his profile so people could hit him up for jobs easier he took his chances and came here.

After a while of waiting miles fell asleep on the couch and when peter arrived him and wade just kinda stud there and watched him.

Peter:and he thought asking a murderer for help was smart why?

Wade: not a ducking clue,but what do you expect from a 12 year old who still has a Facebook account ...isn't that thing like 30000 years old??

And the rest was history.

[rovvboat]

Painted Flaws - Colossus/Piotr Rasputin x villian!Reader

Part 5

A/N: Let me know how you feel about this series!

Word count: 2.6k

Warnings: nothing too outlandish

Summary: You’re a villian with a moral grey area. You meet Piotr at an art exhibit, but both of you are there for completely different reasons. Though the attraction was inevitable, will it be enough? A growing passionate love wrought with secrecy, both of you try to move through this maze. But when the ball drops, what will you choose?

The sound of boots – thudding against the wet slippery tarmac of the alleyway – fills the sullen, dripping midnight air; illuminated by nothing but the street lamps, up high against the red-bricked walls of the two buildings – pipes slithering across the side – grimy and worn over with age.

The rain had resided into a light drizzle – the raindrop only serving to make the icy air that much more unbearable. Cable retracts his umbrella, retrieving the tracking device from his thick grey slacks, as he scans around the area for signs of the tracker chip.

Deadpool prances around him, splashing through the small puddles Cable had made a point to avoid. Deadpool’s hands come to rest over Cable’s shoulders, followed by a lighthearted, sashaying comment.

‘’Somebody’s a little tense in the ass today,’’ he slaps Cable’s ass, prompting an annoyed growl, and a sharp glare from the man.

Cable paces down the alley, as the beeping from the tracking device intensifies – getting faster and faster.

He looks up, only to find the same empty alleyway – save for the dumpster – in front of him.

‘’Where the fuck could that motorcycle be…’’

As he walks past the dumpster, the beeping becomes furious – making him stop in his tracks. The dark void [jb1] of the dumpster reveals itself – as Cable carefully lifts the lid up with the umbrella – the seeming emptiness of it lightly cast under the yellow shades of the streetlamps illuminates the outline of a beaten down and robbed-of-its-parts motorcycle; but the handlebars and the insignia of a skull were hard to miss.

‘’Guess we have our horse. The rider should be near.’’ Cable smirks to himself.

‘’Listen, I know you’re from the country and all – but no one is going to understand your horse metaphors.’’

‘’She’s close by, pea-for-brains.’’

Cable reaches in to grab the handlebars and the license plate, throwing the handle bars at Deadpool before carefully running the plate numbers. He holds down the comms device in his ear – ‘’NTW, looks like we have a trail. Run these numbers for me’’

‘’Will do.’’ A disembodied voice – NTW’s – answers back in the comms immediately.

‘’Oh, so when Foxy Grandpa here asks for something, he immediately gets a response. But when I ask for nearest steak house, you leave me on radio silence!’’ Wade whines, as the both of them head back to their rumbling car, as the smoke from the exhaust rises against the gently dropping rain – starting up before disappearing into the night.

 ***

 You feel the sudden waft of cool air tickle your toes, making you instinctively jerk your feet up and back into the warm safety of your blankets. The movement wakes you up enough to sense the broad, rising and falling chest that your arm was draped over. Your face was close to his, the heat radiating off his body like a restful fireplace.

From your position, you could see the window, the changing colour of the sky, an angel blue rising over the horizon.

You hold Piotr’s body close to you, snuggling against his clavicle – and the movement stirs him awake, as he takes in a sharp breath.

‘’…. hmm?’’ a soft sound escapes from him, as he slowly shifts around to face you.

‘’I didn’t say anything,’’ you murmur, after a light chuckle.

‘’Is that so?’’ his voice was gruff from sleep, almost a statement more than a question – his body sways around, and now you were on your back, as his large palm glides over your hips, under your shirt – stopping just short of your breasts.

You smile at the little gesture – giving him a mischievous smirk before pulling his hand up higher, just enough to cup your breast, putting a hand over his and closing it into a squeeze.

Piotr rumbles a laugh, his smile with teeth showing, as he nudges his nose against your neck – not making any effort to move his hand from its new spot. He places a kiss on your neck, leaving butterflies in your stomach, as you both drift off again.

 ***

 The morning sun came way too quickly for either of your likings. Piotr’s phone had woken the both of you up, as it buzzed against the wooden bedside table.

He takes in a hissing breathe, mildly annoyed by the intrusion. You’d been awake before him, relishing in the feeling of his body sidled against yours – hand still cupped softly over your breast – in the gentle silence of the morning, when the ringing made you turn your attention.

Piotr seemed to take a few seconds to make any sort of moves to answer the phone – reveling in the last few moments with you before duty called.

‘’You should probably get that,’’ you say, your voice still low-slung from sleep, as you trace roundabouts down the bare smooth skin of his back, feeling the ridges and tension, as he moves to prop himself up on his elbow, lowering a soft kiss onto your forehead, before sitting his body up and against the edge of the bed.

A radioed voice speaks to Piotr – not even a hello uttered – prompting a string of hums and okays from him. He gets up to wash up, still on the phone, and comes back to bed as you wait for his phone call to be over

‘’I’ll be there as soon as I can. I appreciate the good work. See you at the man– … station,’’ he stutters, as he looks back to you. Your body was turned away from him, and he let out a soft sigh of relief.

Once you hear the phone’s gentle thud on the table, you turned around to face Piotr – his back still towards you. You wrap yourself over his shoulder, smothering your head into his neck from behind as he chuckles a low rumbling laugh.

‘’Do you have to go?’’ you ask, disappointed at the prospect of Piotr having to leave so early in the morning.

‘’Da. I’m sorry. I really so wish I could stay a little longer…’’ He seemed as disappointed as you were – and you didn’t want him feeling sad as he was leaving.

You nudge him backwards, repositioning your body in front of him as his body fell back onto the bed, with you straddling over his waist – cupping his face, your hands pulling him into a kiss.

His body concedes to all your whims – thankful, even, for the wonderful show of affection.

 The longing even before the leaving of a lover.

 He’s surprised by his own thoughts, Piotr. The way you made poetry come so easily to him – someone who never thought words were enough to express the things he felt in his heart.

 When your lips leave his – much too soon – his deep blue eyes regard you with a tenderness that could bring the greatest forests to its knees.

You become bashful in the spotlight of his attention, not knowing what to say in the moment; you laugh nervously – as his hand tucks a stray strand of hair behind your ear.

‘’Piotr?’’

‘’Da?’’’

You laugh again. You didn’t know why exactly you said his name. Maybe it was your way of bringing him back to the present.

He reciprocates your laugh. ‘’In Russia, we have saying… smekh bez prichiny - priznak durachiny.’’

‘’Oh? What does that mean?’’ You ask, curious at this sudden connection to his language.

He laughs to himself, almost as if he had an inside joke with himself.

You smile with a frown crossing your face, incredulously waiting for him to answer you.

‘’It means…  ‘laughter without a reason is a sign of a fool’, ‘’ he promptly giggles as he watches your eyes widen in shock. You swat at his arm as you playfully push him off the bed.

‘’I THINK  it’s time for you to leave, Mr. Rasputin.’’

Piotr relents and stands off the side of the bed, laughing as he goes into the bathroom to get changed.

 ***

 ‘’Welcome back, chrome-dome! How was the sleepover? Did ya feel good? Cos whilst you were out there getting pegged or whatever, we have been busting our asses off tryna find our little friend here,’’ Deadpool points to the blurry, screen-capped picture of a masked person on a bike – just as Piotr walks into the mansion.

‘’Give him a rest, dickface,’’ Cable rises, ‘’Colossus, we ran the license plate number… and it belongs to someone who lives on this address–‘’ Cable passes a slip of paper to Piotr– ‘’but when we paid them a visit, turns out they’re a 70-year-old senior who’s been dead for 2 years,’’ Cable informs with a snark undertoned with his annoyance.

‘’Our gal’s nifty. Left a paper trail that goes nowhere. NTW is tracking more street cams to see if she left the scene on foot or on another vehicle. She’s found the street our little friend walked down. Does it ring any bells to you?’’ Cable shows a hologram of a pixelated woman walking down the street, disappearing off the street as she gets into a car.

‘’Stop,’’ Piotr notices something in the background, ‘’please zoom in on that building.’’

Cable obliges, flicking the fingers against the screen, bringing the building closer and closer until the name of the shop comes into view.

Bert’s Flower House

Piotr acknowledges what he had initially suspected.

‘’I know that flower shop.’’

 ***

 ‘’I’ve got a job for you.’’

‘’Go figure.’’

Demetrius had sent a messenger to meet at your designated meeting location, informing you about an important transfer.

 And here you were, at some shady shipping dock, waiting for Demetrius to give you details on the transfer.  The whole scene – rocky harsh waves crashing and rocking the boats as the winds howled in the background – was like something out of a crime novel.

He wasn’t alone this time. His goons were with him, one on each side – armed with rifles and hidden knives.

You were smart enough to come armed and armoured. You had connections with manufacturers who made specialized clothing that were bulletproof. You also had small weapons in your arsenal that could give you time to escape any situation. Demetrius would sometimes call you his ‘one-man army’.

He takes a deep puff of his cigar before speaking.

He motions to the suitcase sitting on the table in front of him.

‘’This here, my girl, is our most prized possession. Worth trillions and trillions. And every government and their mums want their hands on it. What I need you to do is deliver it to Mr. Synder.’’

‘’Him? I thought you hated him.’’

Demetrius laughs. ‘’Excellent deduction, child, but in this business, hate has no place where money should be.’’

You cringe at how nonchalant his greed manifests into righteous speeches.

He gives you more details before dismissing you. The suitcase was to be delivered within 48 hours – at your convenience, which gave you more leeway than you thought to get your own plan set in motion.

 ***

On your way back home, you decide to pay D.K. a visit at his school.

You come to a stop outside his school’s front gate on your new motorcycle, the unmistakable crunching of new rubber on the tarmac was something you’ve missed.

You see him waiting for the bus at the bus stop up ahead and pull up closer to him, grabbing his attention as you pull off your helmet.

‘’Hey kid. Need a ride home?’’

The smile that lit D.K.’s face when he saw you as you removed your helmet was better than you had imagined.

 You bring him to a nearby diner – mostly because you had to let him in on the plan you had for him.

His family had to be displaced due to him getting into trouble with your organization, and you felt wholly responsible – but the moment they figured out D.K.’s latent X-gene, you swore to keep him away from any sort of experimentation.

It was 4 years since that move, and you made sure he had a place to stay for the time being, but you’d always been a looming presence – a safety net – for him.

You had him enrolled into law school when he expressed interest in helping you out – mainly to get the boys who had gotten entangled with Demetrius get out of jail.

 The waiter sets down a plate with a sizzling steak 2 times the size of your palm, followed by a hot bowl of fries, in front of D.K.

He looks at the steak, then back at you.

‘’I didn’t know today was my birthday,’’ he asks incredulously.

‘’Ha. Ha. Ha. Is that what they teach at law school? Snark?’’

‘’Yeah, it’s a core module. And I have the highest GPA.’’

You swat the side of his head playfully, as he starts chowing down on his meal. You wait for him to finish, stirring your cup of coffee as you watch the bustling street through the window.

The heavy grey clouds had been taking their time – their gloom still lingering on the ice-cold pavement, punctuated with puddles that little kids would purposefully step on, much to their parent’s disapproval.

You look back to D.K., and you wonder if he hates you for being part of the reason he’s in this predicament. He somehow notices your staring, and looks up – his loud chewing now stopped.

‘’Do you need something? Why are you staring at me, huh? I owe you something?’’

‘’GOD, would you just Shut. Up.’’

This was one of the things you loved about your relationship. You knew he was a bright kid when you first decided to take him under your wing – just needed the right resources. But he was also the most annoying and snarky, as-close-to-having-a-little-brother as you could get.

You smirk at him for a moment, but it fades when you realise that this arrangement can’t last for too long anymore.

‘’Hey. We need to get moving along. Your passports and documents are all settled. My Boss is on the move as well, and I can’t risk another incident with him finding you. He knows you’re nearby, which is reason enough for me to send you away as far as possible.’’

D.K. stops eating, avoiding eye contact as he stares blankly into his half-empty milkshake cup, rocking it on its base like a grumpy teen.

You knew what it was. Separation anxiety.

 ‘’Listen, kiddo. Your family is back there waiting for you. And they want so desperately for you to come back home…’’ You let your hand find his, and give him a firm squeeze.

He finally looks at you. ‘’I know. I just… I don’t want to leave you. You’ve spent so much time taking care of me, and trying to take care of everyone your shitty boss ruined… who’s here caring for you?’’

His words strike you hard. But you knew you’ve always had the answer for it. Just never the question.

‘’I’m not a good person. There’s a lot to me that you don’t know. This is just me, trying to make amends to my past. My goals are heavy, and so are the means to get there. I don’t want any more collateral damage.’’

‘’But you care. You could leave right now if you wanted to.’’ He asserts, his voice almost croaking.

‘’D.K. stop. I know what I’m doing, and I don’t need you to lecture me on this.’’ You keep your voice stern; there were still things he didn’t know about what your plans were.

‘’I can’t risk you, D.K. They know about your X-gene.’’

‘’That’s the other thing. Can I become an X-Man?’’ He asks, half-jokingly.

‘’Only if you wanna die and come back to life, like, five times minimum.’’

‘’Sounds sick.’’

You swat the side of his head again, before moving out of your booth to pay for the meal. You drop D.K. off at his student dorm before heading for the transfer site.

***

‘’If we get to – ‘’

NTW’s sentence is cut off by loud, incessant alarm bells blaring across the mansion, kicking the team into high alert.

Cable brings up his techno arm, tapping at it, when the scene of the city comes to view on a hologram, with the sound of a news report in the background.

‘’BREAKING NEWS. A swarm of sentinels have descended upon the city near Upper East Side, 2nd avenue, attacking nearby buildings. Civilians are told to steer clear of the area and follow orders from the authorities as they try to take hold of the situation.’’

Colossus looks to Yukio, then to Cable and Wade – then straightens up.

‘’We have job to do now, the mystery lady can wait.’’

_____________________________________________________________

Taglist! @emma-frxst @fluffymadamina @candle-light-writings

[just-jordie-things]

Sleep: Interrupted - Theo Raeken

word count: 4627 summary: y/n finds theo sleeping in his truck, and it tugs on her heartstrings in such a way that she offers him a place in her bed. warnings: gets a lil steamy, swearing, reader was low key abandoned by her parents a/n: an anon asked for something somewhat like this when i was already writing it so i hope you like it :) (written in theo’s pov)

I just want sleep.  It’s really all I need, one good night’s sleep.  Just one.  But for some reason, the Beacon Hills Police Department don’t think I deserve such a luxury.

Tonight was the ninth time that I’ve been woken up by one of the deputies.  I didn’t even say anything, just shoved my keys into the ignition and drove off.  I hadn’t slept peacefully for a full night, in over a week.

And to think, every other person my age right now is excitedly looking into colleges, waiting for letters to come, buying supplies for dorms and school.  But not me.  I missed enough school that I wasn’t eligible to graduate.  I’d be stuck in this town forever.

It was almost midnight when I just decided to pull over on the side of the road, and fall asleep there.  If I got interrupted by another cop, then so be it, but it can’t even be safe for me to be driving.  I could very easily fall asleep at the wheel.

I parked my truck and crawled into the backseat, settling on the blanket back there and pulling my hood over my head.  I relaxed and was so close to passing out when I heard a knocking.

“Alright you know what” I grumbled, sitting up.  “I know I’m not allowed to do this but I’ve got nowhere to-” I froze, seeing who was on the other side of the window.  It was y/n.

“Theo?” She called quietly, her brows crinkled together in confusion and what was maybe… worry?

“y/n?” I replied, rolling down the window to speak to her more clearly.  “What are you doing out here?” I asked.

y/n was one of the three humans in the McCall pack, also including Stiles and Mason.  Surprisingly, I knew nothing about her.  While practically every other member of the pack I was very familiar with.  Mostly because of the Dread Doctors thing, but it never concerned y/n, since she was a human.  Sure, I needed to know everything I could about Stiles because he was a threat and had close ties with Scott, and when Mason turned out to be the Beast,, I did my research on him too, but not y/n.  The only thing I’d ever picked up on from her was her shyness, her intelligence, and her kindness.

“I was walking, what are doing out here?” She replied, her hands on her hips as though she were scolding me.

“Well I was sleeping” I stated, and she laughed, rolling her eyes a little.

“I gathered that much, why are you sleeping out here? In your truck?” She asked, her sarcastic tone fading and concern filling it’s place.

“Oh, uh..” I pushed my hood off and rubbed the back of my head.  “Well I- you see after… I just-”

“Do you need a place to stay?” She asked softly, her thumbnail between her teeth as she looked at me nervously.  My brows rose in surprise at her offer.

“You sure about that?” I asked, half expecting her to bust out laughing before telling me to go to hell.

“Well. if you give me a ride home, I’ll let you stay overnight” She said in a voice so sweet that I couldn’t decline her.

“Okay” I said befor I could think about the answer.  y/n smiled, and walked around the truck to get into the passenger’s seat.  I made my way up front, zipping my jacket up further as I realized it was practically open.  I couldn’t tear my eyes off of her as I turned on the truck.

Why would she offer me this? Why would she even talk to me? And how’d she even notice and recognize my truck? What was she doing out here in the first place? Walking at 11:45 at night in Beacon Hills? Did she have a death wish?

“Uh, Theo?” She spoke, jogging me from my thoughts.

“Sorry, yeah?” I asked, blinking and noticing her big y/e/c round eyes were set on mine, a blush on her cheeks.

“You gonna keep staring or are you gonna drive?” She said, her words confident, but her voice soft.  I turned away quickly, pulling back onto the road as she told me where I was driving to.

“Sorry I just… what’re you doing?” y/n rose an eyebrow at me, her lips pursed.

“Could you repeat the question?” She asked in a mocking voice that I couldn’t quite tell what she was mimicking but chuckled anyways.

“Here? What are you doing here?” I restated, casting a quick glance to her, my gaze lingering as the streetlights lit up her features in a beautiful sort of way.  I turned back to face front quickly.

“I’m here so you can give me a ride home” She said, and I gave her a bored look, making her sigh.  “I’m here because you were sleeping in your truck because you’ve got nowhere else to sleep and it’s clearly uncomfortable and no one deserves that” She told me.

“Not even me?” I asked impulsively, and instantly regretted saying it out loud.  But her head turned from where she was looking out the window, her curious eyes set on me again as she spoke.

“And why would you deserve to sleep in the back of a car?” She asked, her voice velvety.  I don’t know how, but it was, and it was a sweet sound to listen to.  But I gave her a puzzled look.

“Do you realize who you’re talking to?” I asked timidly.  “Theo Raeken? I broke up your pack? Ruined, everyone’s, lives?” When she didn’t answer after a few moments, I looked over at her, to see her smiling gently, before looking away and staring out the window.

“Not mine” She said.  “Besides, didn’t you go to hell for that?”

“Yeah but-”

“Then it seems like you’ve already suffered the consequences” She all but whispered out.  I didn’t say anything, but the rest of the ride I kept stealing glances over at her.

How had I never noticed how absolutely breathtaking she was before?

She had me park about a block away from her home, in a parking space at a small bookshop that I assumed was near her neighborhood.  We got out and I began to walk with her when she grabbed my wrist.  I instantly turned to face her, the contact shocking me a little.

“Don’t you want some of your things?” She asked me, her thumb jerking over her shoulder to point to the truck.

“It’s just one night I didn’t-”

“Well maybe, but one night of good sleep in a bed, might as well enjoy it to it’s fullest and wear pajamas” She said in that gentle voice that I couldn’t argue against.  So I just nodded and heading back to collect some clothes.  “Charge your phone too” She piped up.  “Those things always die when we-” She stopped talking when I turned to face her, freezing up upon realizing she had been standing right behind me and was now incredibly close.  “-need them most” She finished shakily, blinking a few times before shaking her head and stepping back.  I slung my backpack over my shoulder.

“That’s everything” I said, closing the car door and locking the truck again before shoving the keys into my pocket.  y/n led the way as we began walking again.

“Sorry you have to park so far, my parents are home and I don’t need them making any… assumptions” I nodded, chuckling a little.

“I’m sure you bring guys home all the time” I said sarcastically, and she turned to me, smirking with a quirked brow as she linked her hands behind her back.  “That was sarcasm” I said quickly, and she was the one to laugh this time.

“And what made you use it?” She asked.  “What makes you think I’m not constantly bringing boys from the side of the road home with me?”

“Doesn’t seem like something you’d do” I replied with a shrug.

“Oh? And you know me so well?” She said pointedly, and again, I shrugged my shoulders.

“No, but from what I’ve seen so far, doesn’t seem like you”

“And what seems like me?” I looked at her, but when I found her eyes already on mine I looked away again, hiking my bag further up on my shoulder as we continued our walk.

“A quiet book girl who got mixed up in the wrong group of friends and was forced to move on from a normal life for something far more thrilling- and not in the good way” I said.  She snorted a laugh, shaking her head.

“You know nothing about me, do you Theo Raeken?”

“Well I wouldn’t exactly call you my best friend” I replied.

“So you’re saying you have friends?” She asked, and I rolled my eyes, giving her a look that only made her smile and shake her head.

“You don’t know me either” I countered.

“Don’t I?” She said, and from her expression I could tell she knew more about me than I knew about me.  “Theo Raeken, chimera, werewolf, werecoyote, a build a bear of a supernatural creature” She said with a small laugh at her own joke.  “Your parents left you and your sister a long time ago, I know the backstory, quite tragic, made me sad to hear what the Doctors made you do” y/n frowned, an expression I didn’t like to see on her pretty face.  “Becoming something far different than Beacon Hills had seen before, the first successful chimera sometime a year and a half ago give or take” She said with a shrug.  It was like she was reciting a speech to me.  “Worth about nine million on the deadpool”

“How’d you-”

“- know that?” She finished, looking over at me, and I nodded in confirmation.  “Because I was on the list sweetheart” y/n told me, and her eyes momentarily flashed a bright green color.

“Green?” I thought aloud.  “I thought you were…”

“Human?” She asked, and I nodded again, at a loss of words for the girl walking next to me.  “Nope, I’m quite like you Raeken” She said, popping her lips a few times.  “In the sense of being something different” She looked down, and I could see her hands wringing together anxiously behind her back.

“And what are you?” I asked her quietly, not wanting to push, but my curiosity getting the better of me.

“A Bisaan” She said, her hands tightening on themselves.  A what? “A spirit really, think of it as a kitsune if that makes it easier”

“Nothing about this town is easy” I told her, making her chuckle bitterly.

“Well I’m possessed by something I barely understand and have been since I was a little girl.  So nothing’s ever been easy” She spoke in a whisper.

“You seem to hold yourself together very well for someone who finds life difficult” I commented.

“Everyone finds life difficult” She said blatantly.  “Everyone’s depressed, anxious, nervous, everyone’s thought about death, not always in a suicidal sort of way, but we’ve all wanted to die at times” I didn’t say anything, I didn’t know what to say, she was completely right.  “Haven’t you? Correct me if I’m wrong”

“I was, well I sort of was” I told her.  “But here I am, I suppose” She watched me intently for a moment.  “My days in hell were limited, but up here I feel even more so”

“You think you’re going to die soon?” I shrugged.

“Seems likely, don’t see anyone ‘round here who wants me staying here” She gave me a soft smile.

“Well I enjoy your company Theo Raeken.  Even if I was going to kill you”

“You were going to kill me?” I asked, giving her a surprised look.  She nodded simply, her smile still present.  “When? I’d ask why but everyone in the McCall pack wanted me dead-”

“Before then” She said softly.  “Junior year, I was going to”

“I wasn’t even going to Beacon Hills High then” I said, and she shook her head.

“No, but you were on the deadpool, and I needed the money” I gestured wildly around her neighborhood, of large houses and green lawns.

“You needed the money?” She giggled, her eyes lighting up with delight that I could see even in the dark.

“My parents’ wealth has nothing to do with me, none of it goes towards me” y/n said.  “No college fund, nothing.  I even do my own grocery shopping” I looked at her with astonishment.  “Before you ask why, they know about me.  Me being a supernatural that is”

“And that has to do with this how?”

“They don’t like it.  But I’m still seventeen so they can’t kick me out” She said with a shrug that made my heart lurch.  I physically felt it slow down in beating.  “You’re sad, don’t be sad” She said quickly, her brows drawn together as she looked at me.

“What? Can you read chemosignals?” She giggled again and shook her head.

“No silly I’m not a were-creature like you” y/n said.  “I see it, in your eyes”

“Seriously?”

“Well not like, poetically or anything I mean seriously, when I look at them I can see what you’re feeling” She said.  I nodded, licking over my lips, unsure of what to say to that.

“Huh” Was all I could manage.

“You’re surprised?” She asked, and I nodded at her, making her laugh again.

I wish she’d keep laughing.

“Would you have tried to act differently if you knew that?” She pondered, and I gave her a look.

“What do you mean?”

“Hide your emotions like you already try to” She stated bluntly.

“What? I don’t-”

“Liar” She stated again, cutting me off.  I didn’t speak out again.  “I already know everything you’re feeling Raeken, you couldn’t hide it from me if you tried your hardest” She turned down a sidewalk swiftly and I jogged a little to catch up with her.

“I doubt that”

“Oh really?” She smirked a little.  “Let’s see, you’re drowning in your own guilt and regret, but anybody with regular ol’ eyes can see that” She said with a wink that made my mouth go dry.  “You’re sad, the depressed kind, more so than I usually see but it makes sense from all the self pity and guilt that you’re wallowing in.  If you could get drunk, I’d take you right to the bar and buy you a drink” I smiled a little in appreciation of her offer, silently wishing I could drink.

“I don’t think Deaton likes me enough to lend me some wolfsbane to spike my own drinks” I said, and y/n shrugged.  “So I’m sad and guilty all the time, big surprise.  What a superpower you have”

“I didn’t say I was finished” She said, her small laugh returning me and reminding me that I do, in fact, have a heart.

“Then do continue”

“You like me.  Which surprised me a little, but also not I guess.  Probably because I was the first person to help you out… in a while I suppose”

When I didn’t say anything, she turned and looked at me, her eyes rounded as she cocked her head to the side.

“What?” She prompted.

“I don’t- I just met you” She giggled, shaking her head and running a hand through her hair.

“I can see your emotions remember? You adore me” She said cheekily and poked her finger to my cheek.

“Adore?”

“Mmhmm” She said, swaying back and forth cutely.  “You liiiike meeee” She sing songed, her expression turning happy and bright, making me involuntarily smile.

“Yeah well,” He rubbed the back of my head.  “I’m a stranger to you and you offered me a bed in your home”

“You weren’t a stranger to me.  I’m the stranger” y/n said, and her small hand latched around my wrist as she pulled me up a driveway.  “This is me, but you gotta go to the backyard and climb to my window, okay?” I nodded, and she want up to her front door before I could ask her anything.

So did she like me back? Is that why she mentioned it? I wasn’t sure.  I tried not to think about it as I made my way to her backyard.  I took a moment to look around, just out of general curiosity.  It definitely made her look loaded.  There was a fucking water fountain with those creepy stone angel babies that spurted the water back into the fountain.  And she got none of the money they made? I mean, her parent’s banking was none of my business, and I am in no position to be giving financial advice..

But that seemed like bullshit.

“Hey!” I jerked my head up when I heard a whisper scream, and saw y/n leaning out of her open window, giving me a perplexed look.  “You want to sleep out there when it’s gonna rain, or in here in a bed with fresh warm sheets?” I rolled my eyes, and jumped up slightly, grabbing the side of the roof and hoisting myself on it.  Then walking awkwardly over to her window.  y/n was just leaning on the sill as I approached it.  “Romeo Romeo” She said in a fake posh accent, causing me to laugh.

“Well, now I know one more thing about you” I told her as she stepped aside so I could climb inside.

“Uh huh, and what’s that?”

“That you, are a huge dork” She giggled, closing the window once I was standing in her room.

It was… bare.  In a word.

The walls were painted grey, nothing hanging on them.  There was a dresser, a bookshelf, a desk, and her bed.  But those were the only pieces of furniture in her large room, but it only made it look bigger because not much occupied it.  I felt like I could run laps in here and still break a sweat.

“What? Why are you looking around like that?” She asked, drawing me back from my thoughts.  All I could think was, you deserve better than this.  “Stop that”

“Stop what?”

“Stop pitying me” She spoke like it was venom in her mouth.

“What I’m not-”

“Emotion reader, remember?” She asked blankly, the light that had previously been in her eyes completely gone, replaced by a vacant stare.

“Sorry” Was all I could think to say.  She walked past me, shrugging her jacket off of her shoulders, and hanging it up in her closet.  I just stood awkwardly in the middle of the room while she walked around, straightening out things that were already perfectly placed.  “y/n?”

“What?” She replied quicker than I thought.

“Do you want me to go?” She looked over at me, silent as her eyes flicked between mine, and a soft smile pulled on her lips.

“No” She spoke softly.  My brows furrowed.

“What was that?”

“What was what?” She questioned, going back to her pointless organizing

“That look you gave me, what was it?” I repeated.  She shrugged her shoulders innocently.

“Nothing.  I just like reading you” My eyes narrowed as my shoulders rose.

“You like reading me?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Uh huh, your feelings are very strong” She said.  “All of them” She added, opening a notebook and flipping through it thoughtfully.

“Um, okay” Was all I said, and I looked around some more, without moving my feet.  It’d feel weird to just start walking around her room.

“Just sit down or something” She said without looking over.

“Do you read minds too?” She chuckled and shook her head, her eyes still on the paper.

“No, it’s just weird with you standing there, stop it”

“You tell me to stop a lot” I mumbled, sitting down hesitantly on the end of her bed.  She turned and looked at me, her same smile on her lips.

“Well, stop doing things that make me want to kill you”

“But you wouldn’t get the money for it anymore” I said, quirking a brow before smirking.

“No, but it’d still pay off wouldn’t it?” I didn’t say anything, just gaped at her a little.  “Though I would miss that adoring stare” My mouth opened a little further, and she giggled, walking over and closing my jaw.  “I happen to like your heart eyes Raeken.  Make me all heart flutter-y” I chuckled at her words and she took her hand away from my face, going back to her closet.

“And do you have heart eyes for me?” I asked, watching as she pulled out shorts and a long sleeved sweatshirt.  She didn’t answer me.

“I’m gonna change, can you uh, turn around?” She asked, her finger making a small twirling motion.  I nodded, going through my own bag to change as well.  “You didn’t answer”

“I didn’t” She said as I turned my back, already pulling my hoodie off and my shirt over my head.

“Are you going to?” I asked again, shuffling out of my jeans and pulling on sweatpants instead, then a tee shirt.  I turned slightly, to see she’d already been facing me.  “Were you-?”

“Why didn’t you call Scott?” y/n asked.

“What? When?”

“For a place to stay, why not call Scott? He wouldn’t even say no to Peter, so why not call him?” My mouth opened but no words came out, it took a few tries.  “You’re nervous, why?”

“Okay, first, stop reading my emotions”

“I can’t help it.  I like it too much” y/n said with a smile.  She crawled onto the bed, sitting on one side with her legs crossed in her lap and curled her hands together in the open space between her bowed legs.

“Second,” I sighed slightly, sitting across from her in a same position.  “I can’t call Scott”

“Why not?” She asked.

“What- why? y/n I can’t just ask Scott to let me stay with him, he’d probably tell Stiles and then that’s just a mess and-”

“Okay, I doubt that, but I see your problem” She said.  “You’re scared”

“Scared?” I repeated like she was crazy.  “y/n, I’m not scared”

“You are.  You’re scared you won’t be accepted again” She again, for the third time that night, made my mouth fall open.  “Which is understandable, I get it, and trust me I get it more than you think I do.  But you really shouldn’t be afraid of that” y/n said.

“Okay” I said.  “Okay” She smiled, clapping her hands quietly together, and I think she eve whispered a small ‘yay’.

“You know, I’m pretty glad that I didn’t kill you last year” She said, in a tone too sweet for the words she said.

“Yeah uh, I’m glad you didn’t do that..too?” She nodded, looking down at her lap and fiddling her fingers together.  “Did you know that I was out there? Is that why you were walking so late?” I noticed the way her tongue swiped over her lips, a nervous habit.

“No, no that’s not why I just uh… I like walking”

“In the middle of the night? In Beacon Hills?” She shrugged her shoulders.

“Why not? You worried about me?”

“Well-well I’d be worried about anyone aware of what goes on in this town and still goes out in the middle of the night” I said, and she shrugged again.

“I think I could take care of myself just fine” She said , her eyes flashing to the green tint from before then going back to normal.

“Still I mean-”

“Awe, you’re worried about me.  You really like me don’t you?” She asked, and moved forward just a little bit, sitting more in the middle of the bed while I stayed put on the edge.  Her eyes were staring into mine, and I could tell that she was reading me again.  “You do” She said softly, a small but genuine smile tugging at her lips.  “But you won’t do anything about it” She leaned back again, a cocky sort of smile on her face.  

“I won’t?”

“No.  Cause I make you shy.  Which is ridiculous by the way” She continued before I could say anything.  “Because you seem like a very confident person but for some reason you aren’t with me.  Why?” She asked bluntly, but her expression was inquisitive.

“Because,” I looked down so that I didn’t have to stare at her while I spoke.  “You’re the closest thing to a friend that I have and I don’t want that to get messed up” She was quiet, and after a few moments in silence I looked up to see her gaze set on me already.  Her features as soft as they had been all night.  She moved forward again, and gently slipped her hands into mine, then leaning forward and pressing a small and gentle kiss on my cheek.  She pulled back and smiled at me.

“At this point, there’s nothing you can do to mess it up” She said, her hands squeezing mine a little.  “Right?” I nodded a little, looking away from her eyes so she wouldn’t read me.

“I guess I can’t get any worse than this” I said bitterly, but trying to lighten the thick tension in the room.  She giggled, nodding her head slightly.

“I would guess not” She said, her eyes going up to the ceiling as her lips quirked up as well.  Then it was quiet again, and I just watched her as she watched me probably reading all of my emotions that were currently snowballing into one mess of adoration for this girl in front of me.  “You know what I wish though” She said faintly.

“Hm?” Her hands rose, still intertwined with mine, making hers look so much smaller, her elbows sat on her knees, and I mimicked the position while she stared at our hands.

“I wish I could read people’s thoughts.  Not always, cause it’d get messy, but every once in awhile”

“You want to read my thoughts?” I asked amusedly.  She smiled bashfully, a blush creeping up onto her cheeks as she looked down at the sheets.

“Yeah” y/n whispered out.

“What would you want to know that you don’t already?” I asked, she looked up at me through her lashes, her blush darkening and I could smell the nervousness coming off her her, but it quickly changed, to what I recognized as confidence.  But it was a weak fragrance.

She leaned forward, releasing my hands and setting hers on the mattress, to move forward more.  And in seconds I met her halfway and pressed my lips against hers.  I could feel her melt against me, and I wrapped my arms around her small waist to pull her closer, both of us sitting up on our knees, her arms winding around my neck and I yanked her further, her chest pressed against mine and the quick action earning a soft noise from her mouth.  I chuckled, holding her tighter as her tongue traced over my lips, then snuck into my mouth.  I turned her, lifting her up while I was still set on my knees.  Her legs wrapped around my torso before I pinned her down onto her bed, never once detaching my lips from hers.

What was once a gentle and timid kiss had turned into something much, much more.

Her hands cupped around my face, pulling me back slightly and her bright eyes staring into mine, filled with delight.

“You’re gonna make me fall for you Theo Raeken” She said in a whisper.

“Well then we’d be even, wouldn’t we?”

i like this and i’ve been on a theo kick lately

theo deserves so much better

xoxo ~ jordie

[imonlymildlyinsane]

“Hm—where’d that poppet get to? Could’ve sworn she was still watching TV an hour ago.”

Rinsing his fingers free of some sugar and cinnamon, Sanji quickly dried his hands and made his way into the hall; sniffing lightly at the air. He caught the scent of some coconut hair moisturizer and padded softly down the corridor, enjoying the silence of a cool morning throughout the house. He had gotten up early for a brief drive to the market—fruit stands are only best when you get there early—in hopes of getting a couple pounds of apples for baking. The Braeburn apples he purchased would make for good tarts and custards, but for his little poppet, he wanted to make something warm and sweet to lift her spirits a bit.

Nothing like a simple apple pie for any occasion, honestly.

Stepping into the living room, his heart was relieved to find her curled up in front of the low lit fire place; nearly hidden amongst the piles of pillows and blankets. Fuzzy ears poked out from beneath a blanket, her sweet face pressed against the Deadpool pillow, making him melt inside.

‘Had to be Pearl to tuck her in like that. Heh.’

Walking over on silent feet, he gently curled his arms beneath her body and lift her into his arms, shushing her questioning mewls with a few forehead kisses. She easily snuggled into his chest and slipped into the silence of slumber, tail curled around his arm in the process. Sanji had to take a brief moment to quell the burst of affection threatening to spill from his lips in the form of a squeal. Continuing back to the kitchen, he gently ushered open the door and made his way to the rocking chair by the window, settling into it carefully so she could tuck beneath his chin. Easing into the back, he gently began to rock back and forth; eyes focused on the barely waking skyline of the morning.

Autumn had come and settled in, the mornings crisp and cold to behold in the early hours. He had made it a habit to watch as the sun peeked through dark skies a few times each week, occasionally meeting up with Lightning or Pearl on top of the roof. However, he was content to share a moment in the kitchen with his little poppet, even though she was resting peacefully without any knowledge.

As the scent of spices and apples began to waft about the kitchen, the blonde found himself singing softly to himself; the sunlight beginning to streak more and more across the skies.

“Mama told me, when I was young—come sit beside me, my only son, and listen closely to what I say. If you do this, it’ll help you some sunny day.” He crooned to no one in particular, taking note of the smell of the pie’s edges crisping nicely. His fingers stroked softly at her blanket covered arm, his cheek being tickled here and there by furry ears.

“Oh, take your time; don’t move too fast. Troubles will come and they will pass. You’ll find a woman, you’ll fall in love and don’t forget, son, there is someone up above.”

“Mmm...”

“Hmm?” Looking down, Sanji saw barely opened eyes looking up at him. “Sorry, poppet. You can go back to sleep.”

“Nooo, keep going...” Came the sleepy purr, cheek nuzzling his chest lovingly. Once again, his heart swelled with enough love to cause a mild stroke, but he abstained and continued on, kissing the top of her head lightly.

“And be a simple kind of man. Be something you’ll love and understand. Baby, be a simple kind of man; won’t you do this for me, son, if you can? Forget your lust for the rich man’s gold.”

She snickered softly at that line, and he could see why; pirate and all.

“All that you need is in your soul. You can do this, oh baby, if you try. All that I want for you, my son, is to be satisfied. And be a simple kind of man. Be something that you’ll love and understand. Baby, be a simple kind of man; won’t you do this for me son, if you can?”

Out of nowhere, the timer for the pie went off, causing both of them to jolt. Instead of picking her up and setting her back in the chair, Sanji easily lifted her in one arm to set on his hip and went to the oven. Grabbing the oven mitt and slipping it on with practiced ease, he opened the door and a flood of sweet and spice flew into their faces. A happy purr rumbled in his arms—ears twitching in anticipation and eyes wide—and he couldn’t help but laugh. He plopped her gently on the counter and took the glass dish out to place on the stove, further impressed with his skills with every new dish.

“Let’s have a test bite, hmm? Don’t worry, you’re not Amanda, I’ll blow it off.”

The feline gave a snort and wiggles as he cut into it, blowing softly on the slice until the steam subsided. Raising it to her mouth, she bit excitedly and her pupils dilated to the size of dinner plates; tail swaying quickly beneath the blanket. Sanji laughed and placed a kiss on her nose.

“I take it’s good then! How about we finish watching the sunset and then we’ll have pie for breakfast?”

“Taking notes from Dean, aren’t you?”

“I have better tastes than that. This is just something special for you, now come on.”

“Mrow!”

Scooping her once more and padding over to the chair, he sat back down with her in his lap; rocking slowly as she curled back up. In the midst of their quiet morning—spiced with cinnamon and melancholy—he hummed quietly against her ear, occasionally pressing kisses here and there.

Things would be okay. And some day, maybe even better than that.

[dont-doubt-dopple]

someBODY Once Told Me - Smii7y

Couple Things: 1) Thank you guys for 50+ subscribers. I know that doesn’t seem like a lot, but I’ve only been on Tumblr for a month or two, so this is incredible that to feel like I’ve been welcome here. 2) I don’t watch people like RacingCatz or Subscribe to KyrozGaming, so I’m sorry if the characterization is off. 3) This is not only a high school AU, but a superpowers AU as well, so all the guys have powers. Tyler had an accelerated healing factor, like Deadpool or Wolverine. This is just to explain an action he does later in the chapter 4)It’s Smii7y. This shouldn’t be a surprise, but there will be memes. 5) I’m now shutting up and sitting back to see if you enjoy.

~•~

Kryoz From: are you coming already?

To: give me time. I’m not getting busted again.

From: hurry up then

Smitty sighed at his friend’s impatience. John knew how delicate this process was to sneak onto their roof hiding spot. It was something they calculated so they wouldn’t get caught.

Smitty could see John tapping his fingers on the side of the building through his so called sixth sense. He also say Jay waiting in one of the stalls like he was in the other bathroom. If he wanted to, he could also check on Cody, who was probably ordering fast food in another state. He couldn’t describe this power really. It wasn’t like John’s foresight since he could only see the now. The word that came closest to what Smitty had was Clairvoyance.

He flicked his vision back to Jay. His friends was just heading out of the bathroom, signing out as the bell rang. Smitty followed out about 30 seconds later, making sure anyone watching didn’t think it was planned. They would then converge at the ladder, and Smitty would keep watch on all the teachers on hallway duty so they weren’t caught.

Jay found the spot first. It was simply a ladder heading up to the roof that a teacher showed him while doing the egg drop project. He told Smitty, John, Cody and a handful of others. Since then it’s been their spot. Other people found out about it though. Mini knew because Cody one time stupidly ran to get McDonald’s without shoes. Ohm found it when Minx made him rage so hard he shadow traveled here. Tyler discovered it when he trailed John one time in order to hide from a teacher. Some of the guys even believed Nogla knew, spotting them a couple times from the tree he was always in.

Smitty quickly snapped out of his thoughts when his feet, on autopilot, stopped moving. He was at the closet, and he quickly ducked inside once he made sure no teachers were watching. Jay was already waiting for him inside, playing with his little penguin character he liked so much.

“There’s the milk boy.” Jay said when he noticed Smitty. A little milk bag appeared besides the penguin, and both men smiled. Jay had a little animation made for all of them. Smitty’s design came from when he brought over a bag of milk from Canada. He even put 3D glasses on it and a propeller hat. Jay just really like penguins, so he made a custom one.

“Sup.” He replied as he picked up the milk bag and put it on his shoulder. “The other guys up there?” Jay nodded. Smitty started heading toward the ladder, but stopped when Jay didn’t follow him. “You coming, man?”

Jay shook his head. “I’ve got physical therapy with Craig. His healing can really only do so much for us.”

“How’s that going for you two?”

“Better than when I first got hit. Not good as new yet, but we’re getting close.” Smitty smiled at his friend as he felt the milk bag fade from where it rested from his shoulder.

“I can tell.” He commented. “You weren’t able to maintain 2 animations before.” Jay beamed proudly as his penguin waddled in circles in front of him.

“Thanks, Smitty. I’ve got to go now, but thanks again the support.” He picked up the penguin in arms and walked to the door. He waved at Smitty, who waved back, before leaving. The latter than made his way up the ladder, only pushing the hatch up slightly as he got to the top so he could hear.

“Where the hell is that fuckboi?” Tyler complained as Smitty focused in.

“Tyler, calm down.” Craig assured him. He put a hand on Tyler’s shoulder, but the other one only glared.

“Relax.” John affirmed. “Besides, I can summon him.” Smitty smirked at this. He didn’t have John’s foresight, but he knew what the other one had planned.

“Wait what?” Cody asked innocently as reached the top of the building’s side ladder with a shake from Sonic in hand. “What’s happening?”

“John’s going to use his mystical power of foresight to predict when Smitty gets here.” Tyler mocked.

“No, that’s not how I do it.” John assured, and Smitty flicked out to wait for his cue. “Watch this.” There was a silence before John spoke again. “some-”

One second pause. Then go.

“-BODY Once told me the world is going to own me.” Smitty belted out as he bust through the hatch. Cody and Craig started laughing, while John’s smirk only widen and he began singing along.

“I ain’t the sharpest tool in the shed. She was looking kind of fun with her finger and her thumb In the shape of an L on her forehead.”

Craig managed to regain enough composer to also add to the makeshift off-key chorus, while Tyler only starred at them in disbelief. Cody was still watching, giggling slightly between sips of shake.

“Well the years start coming and they don’t stop coming Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running Didn’t make sense not to live for fun Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb So much to do, so much to see So what’s wrong with taking the back streets? You’ll never know if you don’t go You’ll never shine if you don’t glow

"Hey now, you’re an all-star, get your game on, go play Hey now, you’re a rock star, get the show on, get paid And all that glitters is gold Only shooting stars break the mold.”

When it was clear that they had ended, Cody began clapping at the three. Craig took a small bow while Smitty and John high-five.

“Grade-A memes right there.” Smitty proclaimed, and John only nodded in agreement.

“I hate all of you right now.” Tyler fumed. Craig snickered, before trying to calm him down.

“Did you guys plan that?” Cody asked, ignoring the steaming Tyler.

“It’s about as planned as our CS:GO strats.” John stated.

“Meaning we have a general idea but in reality have no idea what we are doing.” Smitty clarified. Cody nodded, and went back to sipping his shake.

“They are such a couple.” Cody commented a little time later, and Smitty glanced over his shoulder. Mini was holding onto Tyler’s arms, rubbing up and down in efforts to calm him. His lips moved, but they couldn’t hear the words. Wildcat seemed calmed by them though, as anger was slowly replaced with serenity.

“One of the many ‘couples’ in this school.” John agreed.

“How many are there?” Cody questioned.

“You are very curious today, aren’t you?” Smitty wondered allowed, but it fell on deaf ears as John answered Cody’s question.

“Well, there’s them.” He started, gesturing at Mini and Tyler. “Then there’s Evan and Jonathan, Bryce and Ohm, Marcel and that coffee barista.”

“Scotty.” Smitty filled in. “Don’t forget Ze and Chilled. Plus there’s that new kid who might be in a 'relationship’ with Max.”

“Oh I saw that.” Cody commented. “They were holding hands the first time they walked into the cafeteria. I think it was the new kid’s first day.”

“Yep, definitely a 'couple’.” John confirmed. “Oh, can’t forget about Brock and Brian.”

“Nope, they’re an actual couple now.” Smitty rebutted. “Brock told us at lunch, and he said they’re slowly going to tell the others.”

“Aw.” Kyroz whined. “And I thought we were going to be the first couple out.” Cody practically choked on his shake. Smitty and John shared a glance.

“You two are dating?!” He exclaimed. Both boys nodded.

“We’ve only come out to a couple of close friends.” Smitty explained. “We’ve been trying to figure out a meme-ingful way to do it.”

“Same.” John added. “Kiss?”

“Gladly.” Smitty locked lips with John, the fire that was originally there when they first kissed in a gaming convention bathroom. It synchronized them, heartbeat and breathing, so that they felt no need to come up for air. It felt good, kissing once without fear of anyone catching them in stolen moments. It was their spot, their paradise, though it felt like the world had faded away and it was just them.

“TYLER!” John and Smitty broke away to look at Craig, who was leaning over the edge of the school. Tyler was nowhere in sight. The boys had, in fairness, forgotten they were there.

“What happened?” Cody said, voicing everyone’s opinion. “I was watching John and Smitty make out. Intensely, I might add.”

“Tyler jumped off the roof.” Mini explained. “Said he, and I quote, 'Couldn’t handle these dipshits.’”

“Damb.” Smitty replied.

“Noice.” John added.

“Now I understand why Tyler wanted to jump off the roof so bad.”

[captainofbilgewater-blog]

The Beginning - Part 1

((OOC: Drabble part 1, mostly for @theblindboxer who has been helping me with my writing. It’s his last exam today. Not much of a present but it’s... something.. I guess? Thought that counts?

Sorry at the lack of MF, but enjoy. Warning, minor gore, not much though.

Thud…

Thud…

Thud…

The noise, rhythmic, echoing around the room. It was the heavy footsteps of a confident man, one that knew what he was after. The very sound invoked fear within the prisoner. A simple blindfold, meant that without the ability to see, all he could concentrate on was the sound. Manacles cut deep into his wrists, knees forced against the hard-wooden deck, into a pool of something warm and wet. He was helpless, chained up and at mercy to whoever this was.

Thud...

The footsteps stop right in front of the prisoner, through the blindfold he can see  movement yet can’t make out precisely what is going on. The prisoner wasn’t dumb, he knew it was all a charade. It was meant as a sign, a warning. Meant to show him that his captor was patient. That if he wanted, he could spend the time slowly extracting information out of him. The thought of such a thing made him sick, made him want to panic, to yell, and yet he couldn’t bring himself to even do that. His mind was blank, wondering why the Bearded Lady had brought this upon him of all people.

More movement beyond the blindfold, then a deep voice emanates from in front of him. He must be a foot away, looking at him from eye level, crouching? The prisoner doubted the captor would kneel in whatever mess there was over the floor.

He guessed it was blood, not his though, not yet.

“Yes, yes, let’s cut the bullcrap shall we?”

His voice is chilling to hear, it was not the voice of someone filled with anger. Yet, this worried the prisoner. Anger would have been his ally. Maybe an enemy could have kidnapped him out of anger, he’d have been able to talk them out of it, or bribe them. Knowing they’d done this with a level-head, that was bad. It meant they needed something from him, something important enough they’d kidnap him.

“Well you’ve definitely figured something out. You know I want something and you’re not begging for your life yet. Interesting, they all start that way. It’s like they try to keep their dignity, or to look strong, as though that will change what is going to happen.”

The prisoner doesn’t speak. Doesn’t seem wise to start to answer back to the man that has you in chains, does it? If he was going to prevent himself from being tortured or murdered, then he had to get himself in the mans’ good books, right? Show that he was able to help at least in some way.

“Shall we begin? It doesn’t really make sense to waste time. Though I have plenty of it.”

More movement, then the blindfold is ripped off. The prisoner is blinded momentarily from the harsh light in the room, yet he doesn’t have time to gather his thoughts. Sitting on a chair only feet away from him there he is.

Gangplank.

The previous King of Bilgewater sits there as though upon a throne, ever such a small smile present on his face. The man looks, aged, to say the least. Yet he’s no less intimidating than when the prisoner had first seen him, standing on the deck of the Deadpool. That had been an impressive sight no less, and everybody in Bilgewater had been made aware of their new king.

Here he sat, definitely not a king anymore, yet definitely just as unwelcome of a sight.

“No, you’re right, I’m not dead, interesting isn’t it. I heard you were telling people I was. I guess you were wrong. Anyway, now, I’m going to ask some questions, you will answer and tell me everything you know. If you do that, I won’t have to use these.”

The man gestures to a table to his left, the prisoners’ eyes slowly move over it. He lets out an audible gulp. There upon the table was an array of rather sharp and precise looking objects, they looked like something a surgeon might use.

“I could keep you alive for weeks in here with them, you see, I’ve been around the world. I’ve learnt a lot of things.”

Slowly he reaches over and picks up what looks like a scalpel.

“The Ionian’s, they are meant to be a peaceful people. Yet they despise murderers and traitors. In the old days, they had an execution technique for these types of people, death by a thousand cuts. I thought it was exaggeration at first, but I wanted to go there, learn about it.”

He leans over to the prisoner and presses the fine blade against the man’s leg, just above his knee, and he makes a small cut. The blade was small, yet immensely sharp, pain stings at his leg but he tenses, nails digging into the palms of his hands.

Gangplank purses his lips before moving the blade upwards less than an inch, before making another small cut exactly the same, before repeating this once more.

“I found out they use these extra small knives with these extra fine blades. The cuts are small but deep, there are certain spots you avoid. These are obvious spots, the neck for example, the wrists. There’s also your inner thigh, if you cut deep there you’ll bleed out in minutes. I thought this was impressive yet, if you keep this up and do it properly, why only a thousand?”

Gangplank leans back, his smile having widened a bit now. The prisoner’s eyes meet the stormy grey eyes of his captor. There was nothing within them, no light, no passion, he was just a monster born again to hate.

Picking up a wet cloth to his left Gangplank places it against the cuts and presses gently, wiping the blood away before checking the wounds.

“Cuts, a thousand cuts I mean. Why that many? You can extend this indefinitely I’m pretty sure. The real reason it’s only a thousand is because the Ionian’s are merciful. People start to go crazy and the like...”

A bead of sweat drips down the prisoners’ face, his eyes which had been full of hope and defiance were starting to show a new emotion now, one that Gangplank was craving. 

Fear.

The pain from the three cuts wasn’t too bad, but it wasn’t meant to be. It was a sign of what was to come, what might come if he didn’t listen to the man.

“Yes, that’s what I like to see. As you’ve probably figured out, I’m a patient man, I generally get what I want. Yes, there have been some minor setbacks, yes you probably saw me ‘die’ so to speak. Yet I’ve got someone to thank for that definitely. It’s shown me something you see. Shown me that you can never be comfortable with what you’ve got, you can never trust anybody. That’s why I need to learn about her.”

Gangplank lifts up the wet cloth and moves it to the blade, slowly cleaning it of blood before placing it ever so carefully back on the table, right next to the other blades.

“So, tell me what you know about this newcomer.”

As Gangplank finishes speaking the silence weighs heavily upon the prisoners’ ears. The newcomer, he meant Captain Fortune then? The new ‘Queen of Bilgewater’ if there ever could be one. He uses this moment to scan the room quickly. The Bilgewater blood in him had taught him to be a survivor and he knew that he didn’t know enough information about the newcomer to actually get him out of this safely.

He seemed to be in what used to be the Captains’ office of a ship. There was a table to his right that had obviously been used for navigation, yet now had chains attached to it, with blood pooling on the table. The whole room had obviously been dedicated to one thing, torture.

“Sarah... Fortune...”

The prisoners’ voice escapes from his lips as though he hadn’t meant for it to happen. His lips were so parched from dehydration that it hurt even to speak, yet he was sure the pain for if he didn’t would be much greater.

“There isn’t much known about her. She was a bounty hunter. Came from nowhere, started from a young age. Seemed to hate pirates, hate murderers for sure. Rumour is you killed her parents...”

Gangplank nods his head slowly as though he knew this all along, raising his eyebrows as he thinks about it.

“That must have been a long time ago, the child has carried that hate with her? Pathetic. What else?”

The prisoner gulped, that was all he knew, this was where the trouble would start. He had been an information broker, normally people paid him or threatened him for money. None of them had been mad enough to actually kidnap him and torture him. Usually he had enough guards to sort this kind of situation out, yet Gangplank doing this? It wasn’t a situation regular guards were prepared for. They had probably ran.

Nobody would have expected anything like this.

“I don’t know any more, I swear, honest!”

The prisoner expected anger, expected to be struck or the like. Yet Gangplank didn’t react, merely sat back and nodded. The prisoner almost felt relief as Gangplank stood up, a calm expression on the tall mans’ features.

“Now, I guess that’s to be expected.”

Slowly Gangplank closes the pouch up that contained all of the knives and scalpels. He wasn’t going to torture the prisoner?

“I said I was a patient man, I guess that was a lie. I’ve got all the time in the world yet that doesn’t mean I want to use it. Anyway, I hope you understand that nobody can know I’m alive, right?”

The prisoner frowns before nodding, “Of course, I won’t tell anybody.”

Gangplank actually lets out a chuckle, it’s a surreal sound.

“You’re an information broker, I’m meant to trust what? Your word? Either way you’re right, you won’t be telling anybody.”

The prisoners’ eyes go wide, “No, really? No! I told you everything, don’t do this!”

Gangplank draws the sword at his side, holding it in what seems to be a large metal gauntlet.

“I told you, she taught me a valuable lesson. Not to trust anybody.”

As the pirate finishes speaking he swings his sword, blade edge aimed for his prisoners’ throat. Slashing it in one quick motion he stands and watches, eyes staring into the dying mans’ as he watches the light slowly fade. After a few moments, he turns towards the door, grabbing the rag on his way. Cleaning the blood off of the blade he swings the door open, light shining into the room,

“Boys, clean up this mess, then bring in the next one! We got work to do!”