#except destruction some number of years ago walked out and messed that up

[10moonymhrivertam]

May write a Dreamling HMC AU with the Endless siblings being from Ingary?? Had some ideas at work today, we’ll see if they come to anything

[salemorbit]

Do-Over

[Pro Hero!Katsuki Bakugou x Pro Hero!Reader]

warnings: angst y'all i'm feeling angsty; ends with fluff hehe; it's a LONG one boys!!

~~~~~~~

in which you and bakugou hit a speed bump in your relationship

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

You dropped your keys on the table next to your door, slamming it shut with a sigh. You grimaced as you turned awkwardly to strip off your jacket, your shoulder twinging with pain from a minor injury during your recent scuffle.

The apartment was dark, not a soul around to greet you or wait up for you at such an hour. And that was fine, that was how you lived. But deep down inside, at this moment, you felt a pang in your chest that took the shape of a specific blond haired fireball.

Slipping your phone out of your back pocket, you unlocked it and let your thumb glide instinctively to the contact that you talked to the most. You pressed the call button and held the phone to your ear, slipping off your shoes gratefully.

It went to voicemail. Not even his mailbox was set up, just the automated number played in your ear. You let the robotic voice run through its mantra before leaving a message at the tone.

"Hey, it's me. I just got home. I...just wanted to make sure you were okay." You fiddled with your belt. "Call me when you get this."

You clicked end and slid your phone on the counter, leaving it be while you undressed from your work clothes. You cradled your whining shoulder as you slid off your shirt and tossed it aside, mentally making a note to do laundry later.

The past few days at your hero agency had been hard. There were so many hoodlums and villains clogging up your to-do list that you barely had time to call your boyfriend and make sure he was doing all right. It was radio silence from him nearly all week.

But you two had been busy. For some reason, this week was the one time that every baddie wanted to cause chaos. Or at least it felt like it. You slumped down on your dingy couch and stared at the ceiling. Hero work was exhausting, and you didn't even know if it paid off in the long run.

And just a few hours ago you were dealing with a messy explosion of villainy in the middle of your district. It was hard to keep the destruction in check, and you had gotten minorly injured in the process. Your sore shoulder was a scar to boot.

Katsuki had been there, in fact a few of his co-workers had been, too. But he didn't pay you any special attention. You didn't know if that bothered you or not.

Yes, you were both on the job and vowed not to let your relationship get in the way of your hero work as much as possible. On the other hand, you hadn't seen or spoken to Katsuki in a whole week, and the first time you had and he didn't even nod a greeting. What was his issue? It wasn't like you had gotten into an argument or anything.

Shuddering out of thought, you heard your phone buzz once on the counter. You got up and checked it, half expecting it to just be a junk mail message. You were surprised to see that it was a message from Katsuki himself.

I'm home. Goodnight.

You frowned. That was it? You called and left a message, he hadn't spoken to you all week, and all he sent was a three word text?

You didn't know what overcame you, but the frustration inside bubbled up and spilled over in an instant. You turned and activated your quirk out of pure adrenaline, chucking your phone across the room and sending it straight through the apartment wall and soaring into the street below.

That calmed you down quickly. You ran over to your window and threw up the sash, looking down and around for your shattered piece of a phone. But it was gone. You sighed heavily and shut the window, storming into your bedroom and falling into your sheets with a huff.

Now you needed a new phone and, quite possibly, a new boyfriend.

•••

The next day you were off of work, so you took a pain reliever for your shoulder and headed to the nearest phone store to get a new phone. After awkwardly explaining the situation to the clerk, you received a new model and decided to pay a visit to the one man who had gotten you so riled up in the first place.

Katsuki would've been lying if he said he wasn't relieved to see you on the other side of his door that afternoon. He'd had a tiring week, and honestly all he wanted to do was spend time with you and recharge for the most part before doing it all over again.

What he wasn't prepared for, however, was the frown on your face and the angry tapping of your foot as you stood in his doorway.

"You seem unbothered," you said shortly. Katsuki furrowed his eyebrows and let himself get shoved aside as you bustled into his apartment.

"Who pissed in your cornflakes?" Katsuki muttered as he shut the door. You grit your teeth and crossed your arms, obviously unhappy, though Katsuki couldn't figure out why.

"Go look in the mirror and take a guess," you glowered. "What's your issue? Why haven't you returned any of my messages this week?"

"I've been busy, you know that," Katsuki crossed his arms as well, not allowing you to have an intimidation factor in this conversation. "This week was hell."

"It was busy for me, too, but I still made the time."

"What are you going on about, dunceface?"

"Your inability to communicate!" You threw your hands in the air. "I've been trying to check in on you this week, but you haven't responded, if at all. And you didn't call me back last night! Just a text? One? I wanted to make sure you were okay after that fight, and you didn't even humor me."

"So? I'm fine."

"I didn't know that," you stressed. Katsuki let out a breath, still not getting it, and this made you even more angry.

"I don't know where this sudden clinginess is coming from-"

"It's not being clingy!" You erupted. "Are you so dense that you haven't realized how checked-out you've been recently? I've given you multiple opportunities to pick up the slack. I've excused your behaviours, given you space, and respected your silence this entire time. You haven't given me anything to work with. It's called being concerned and trying to keep our relationship going, which you don't seem the least bit interested in doing."

"And what if I'm not?" Katsuki growled, just plain upset you were accusing him of things he wasn't doing, at least in his mind. "What would you do if I didn't want to keep this schtick up, huh?"

"Then I'd be wasting my time standing here," you snapped. "And I'd have wasted the last two years on you."

Katsuki felt something in his chest cry, shattering and splitting through the floor below his feet. He grit his teeth and closed his eyes, trying his best not to set his living room on fire.

You were there. You were right there, somewhere you hadn't been for the last week. And yeah, he'll admit that maybe he's been a bit distant lately, and the sudden influx in hero-work definitely wasn't helping the situation either. But he was trying to deal with things he hadn't quite felt before, one of those things being his feelings for you.

As of recent, something had shifted in his gut. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing, and it wasn't like he was going to consult Kirishima or Kaminari about this. God knows they'd just make fun of him for worrying about your relationship.

Did he feel ashamed? Was it embarrassing him that he felt like this for someone? Katsuki Bakugou didn't get embarrassed, so what was this?

"I think we're done here," you muttered, looking down to hide the tears welling up in your eyes. You slid around Katsuki to reach the door, but you were stopped by Katsuki grabbing your arm gently.

You jerked your arm from his grasp, turning to look at him with your chin held high, keeping your trembling lip from showing itself. Katsuki had something in his eyes that had never been there before, and you hated it. You hated that you couldn't read him anymore.

"I don't know you like I thought I did, Bakugou." He flinched at that one. "This was obviously a mistake. I'll see you around."

And you were out the door and out of his range, leaving Katsuki Bakugou to stand in his living room at a loss for words. Something he hadn't been ever since he first met you.

•••

You took the breakup terribly, to say the least.

Yes, you were technically the one who broke it off, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt to do it. You didn't want to shut things down like that, but Katsuki had left you no choice. He wasn't getting it, and it felt like he was going to continue to not get it. You just couldn't spend your energy like that anymore.

Mina and Momo were there for you from the second you broke down at a bus stop and called them to pick you up. They were there in a split second, not pressuring you for information until you wanted to tell them.

They were more disappointed in Katsuki than mad. They didn't like how he hadn't been communicating things with you about how he felt or why he had been distant. You broke and told them how it had been going on like this for almost a month now, and this last week was just the tipping point. They backed your decision and got you anything you needed for the next few days, until you were able to be on your own and process the emotions you felt.

Katsuki hadn't tried to call you at all. No texts, emails, voicemails. Your phone was a dry desert, except for the concerned text Midoriya sent you after you assumed Mina and Momo had told him about the debacle. He offered to talk to Katsuki about it, but you declined. It was best to just let it be, let it sink in that Katsuki had messed up royally.

Meanwhile, the man in question was quiet for the next few days. His coworkers noticed his lack of remarks, his friends noticed his distant appearances. All Katuski had been doing since you walked out that door was think. He was thinking long and hard about what he wanted, where you fit into his life, and the way he had acted as of recent. This was quite possibly the most Katsuki had ever thought about anything; typically he was so sure on the get-go that he needn't time to stop and reflect.

But this was different. You were different.

It wasn't until the next Saturday after your breakup that Katsuki found himself on the other side of your apartment door, hand poised to knock. He decided he didn't want to do something like this over the phone; it was just too impersonal. So he mustered up the courage to face you again, and prayed you wouldn't throw him out of your four-story high window in the process.

He knocked, waited. No answer. Getting slightly annoyed, he knocked again, louder. Still no answer.

Katuski was now incredibly annoyed, and bent down to take the key from under your doormat and just unlock the damn thing himself. As he lifted the mat, he saw a slip of paper taped to the floor where the key should've been:

Don't try to break in. Calling the police is not below me.

Katsuki huffed, standing up and going to knock on the door again when he was interrupted by the rustling of paper bags. He turned over his shoulder and saw you standing on the opposite end of the hallway, holding some grocery bags in your arms and staring right at the blond standing on your doormat.

There was a tense few moments of silence before you broke it, audibly frustrated.

"Can you get out of the way so I can put these inside?" You frowned. Katsuki blinked, then moved aside to let you fumble your key in the lock dumbly.

"I can-"

"Shut up," was all you said before opening the door and letting it bang against the inside wall. Katuski stood on the threshold, unsure of if he should just walk in or not, before inviting himself in as soon as he figured you wouldn't give him the time of day. He watched from your counter as you passive aggressively slammed things on the counter or into their place in your kitchen.

"Care telling me why you're here?" You asked, flat-toned and not looking at Katsuki in the slightest.

"I wanted to talk."

"About?"

He rolled his eyes. "Us, dimwit."

You stopped and let your head hang, propping yourself on the counter with your hands spread flat. You still didn't look up at him, which was greatly pissing him off.

"We already did. Last week," you said.

"That wasn't a conversation," Katsuki ground out. "That was you coming to me and exploding out of nowhere. I didn't even have the chance to-"

"It wasn't out of nowhere," you interjected.

"Stop interrupting me, damn it, and just let me talk!" Katsuki spat. You looked up at him with a withered look, making his fire simmer down immediately.

"Fine," you said, voice wavering slightly. Katsuki cleared his throat and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" He smiled slightly, bittersweet. You didn't react, so he went on.

"You're an idiot because you've got terrible tunnel vision," he said, glancing at the living room that looked like you had been sleeping in. You had a perfectly tangible bed in the next room, but there were just too many memories in there for you to spend the night in again.

"I can see fine," you grumbled.

"No, you can't," Katsuki looked back at you. "You haven't been able to see how hard I've been trying these last few weeks to figure things out. Figure us out."

"Well how the hell am I supposed to know that if you don't tell me anything?" You asked, trying to keep your voice from rising. The last thing you needed was a fight. You were just too tired.

"That's...something I need to work on," Katsuki muttered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "And I will admit that. Don't make fun of me for it."

"I never said I would."

"Great, because I gotta whole lotta other things to admit to." His eyes narrowed. "I don't wanna hear shit from you for the next five minutes, got it?"

You sighed, miming zipping your mouth shut as you went back to putting away your groceries. You might as well let him talk, since you knew his stubbornness wouldn't let him leave your kitchen so soon without him getting in his two cents.

"I've been thinking long and hard lately," he began. "On my own. Nothin' from anyone else except my own thoughts. So this is one hundred percent me.

"I screwed up. I did. And it took me a minute to realize it because I was so much in my head about things. I was so focused on trying not to mess us up that I went and did that shit anyway. And all you've been is supportive and caring, and quite honestly I don't know how to handle that since I haven't really been with anyone like that."

He was being honest, you knew from his tone of voice. It was a tone you had heard only a few times before this moment: when he told you he loved you. And you believed it.

Katsuki took in a breath: "So I'm here. And I'm sorry. At first I was mad at you for marchin' into my house the other day and spewing things I knew nothing about, but then I realized that you were spewing those things because you knew nothing about me and where I was at. And that was frustrating for you because you got that whole communication thing you like to do, or whatever."

"Or whatever," you mumbled to yourself, smiling slightly. He picked up on that, his spirits lifting a bit as well.

"I've just been thinking about things and where you are and who I want you to be to me as we live our lives. And I screwed it up by not talking to you about that either. It's a conversation we both should have. So," he sighed, "I'm sorry. And I'll continue to be sorry because you don't deserve to be left in the dark. I love you, and I want to be better."

He finished his little speech and the two of you were quiet. You had paused putting things away about halfway through, really listening to him and what he had to say. He deserved that from you in the least.

You looked up at him and saw that he had already been staring at you, an intent look in his eyes. It was your turn now. He wanted a response to his being vulnerable. You knew it wasn't easy for him to open up like that, despite the last two years of helping him get comfortable, so you didn't torture him with the suspense.

"We'll see," you said. Katsuki did a double take, eyebrows furrowing.

"We'll see?" He repeated. You nodded rounding your counter to stand in front of him.

"If we want to keep doing this for however many more years we keep doing this," the corner of your mouth lifted in a smirk, "then we'll just have to see."

"Great," Katsuki rolled his eyes and sent a seething glare out the window. "I totally lay myself on the train tracks and you just run me over like that. Thanks."

"But," you continued, trying to catch his eye, "I appreciate you coming to me. And I appreciate the apology. However, I won't know if I can accept it until I know you'll actually go through with it."

"Understandable," Katsuki sighed, comprehending this. "I deserve that one."

"Are you ready for a do-over?" You asked, catching his hands in yours. He couldn't help but notice a weight in his chest lift at the presence of your touch after weeks of barely anything. Katsuki still had some work to do, but it was worth it if he could keep you around.

"Always," he kissed you on the forehead and you smiled giddily.

"Awesome because we now have two weekends of cuddle-time to make up for, and my bedroom hasn't been used in a week," you led him to your door.

"Oh no," Katsuki complained sarcastically, "however will we make up for such lost time?"

"Shut up, you big doofus," you grinned. "You know you love me."

"That I do."

~~~~~~~

a teensy tiny bit of OOC bakugou near the end there but like. he'd be a sucker for that and totally willing if it was just the two of you around HAHA

anyways this was cute and i....am forever still in love w bakugou :))))

[icyllic]

Path of Destruction | JEON JUNGKOOK

PAIRING: Jungkook x Reader

GENRE: Drama, Angst (maybe???), Thriller

WARNINGS: Stalking, obsession, swearing, a little dirty talk & thoughts

WORD COUNT: 2635

*note: ↑ i came across this video and saw this comment by boogieedits (credits to parkchimn & boogieedits for the inspiration! 😍) and felt inspired by this wonderful plot! i’m inspired by the amazing video edit too! <3 i decided to give it a try and welp- truthfully i’m having writer’s block with my Full of Stars series that i might wanna take a break from it for a while until i figured what the next episode’s plot would be. for now, let’s enjoy this oneshot! 🥰 (extra note: several changes were made in this story and yes, the nickname might be a little cringy but i couldn’t think of a better pet name, so....bear with it, i guess 😅😂 also, Y/N’s angered replies are intended to have typos. i purposely did the typos in her texts bcs she was angry af :3)

The night was feeling empty. The streets were quiet and you had no idea where you were heading. You couldn’t believe that you actually managed to get out from your best friend, Suzie’s party that was filled with a lot of her drunken friends and thank God you successfully escaped, even though right now you were feeling a little tipsy due to the amount of alcohol you consumed earlier.

“Fucking Suzie,” you mumbled as you walked home. “telling me it was just a small party and she lied! Who would lie to their own friends?!” You have the habit of talking to yourself if you feel alone and that was what you were feeling right now, so alone in the streets and you were clueless. You felt the need to cry but what’s the whole point? No one was here to save you even if you did.

You were sure you weren’t dreaming or hallucinating at all but you heard footsteps were following you. As you turned around, you furrowed your eyebrows in confusion, seeing as there was no one. When you turned around to walk again, the footsteps were heard. “HEY!” you yelled as you aggressively turned around. “don’t you dare follow me or I wouldn’t hesitate to call the cops!” You rolled your eyes in annoyance, mumbling to yourself again to make the uneasy feeling go away.

As you finally arrived home, you were struggling to grab the keys to unlock the door. At this very moment, the keys were tricking you; purposely tangling themselves with your pocket. “Are you kidding me?! I wanna get inside, you stupid keys!” You widened your eyes when you saw your older sister opening the door for you. How was she still awake at 2 a.m.?

“You look like a horrible mess.” Michelle commented, and you scoffed while pushing her away from the door as you went inside. 

“Why are you still even awake anyway? Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping?” You were shaking your head while shutting your eyes to avoid that tipsy feeling.

“How can I sleep when I know my little sister wasn’t home yet? I was worried sick, you moronic bitch.” She shook her head, feeling disappointed with how you acted right now. 

You were feeling sleepy and tired, so you decided to ignore her and went upstairs. Before you went to your room, you heard your sister yelling, “Yeah, go ahead and ignore me just like you always do to avoid conversations with me! I’ve had enough of babysitting you, Y/N! You’re so horrible!” You slammed the door before hearing any more of her complains. 

Despite feeling so tired, you couldn’t sleep at all. You took the time to stare up at the ceiling instead, filling your head with numerous thoughts. But the thoughts stopped as you heard a Ding! on your phone. You read the texts and to your surprise, it was from an unknown number. 

unknown [now]: sweet dreams, twinkle toes

unknown [now]: it took me nearly four years to pluck up the courage to text you

unknown [now]: and i can’t lie, i’m having butterflies 

unknown [now]: you don’t know how many times i’ve dreamed of touching you

unknown [now]: by the way, go take a shower before you sleep 🌹

“What the hell?” You got up quick and scanned the whole area in your room, worrying that person who texted you might be in there. Hiding under your bed, maybe? You didn’t know whether to text this person back or not, or to block him but if you block him now, how would you know where he got your number from? ... or how would you know whether this person was a male or a female? So you decided to just leave it be for a while and reply this unknown person’s texts tomorrow. After this dreamland taking over your world, you were hoping that these texts were just all hallucinations due to tiredness. 

••••••

....except that they were not hallucinations at all. You started to feel panic when you saw the messages were still there in your message box. Now it was your turn to build the courage to reply this person back. 

you [now]: Who are you and how did you get my number?

Anxiety started to form inside you. You were supposed to run some errands today but with the situation you were facing right now, you were having doubts whether it was safe to go out there or not.

Your daydream of thoughts stopped when Michelle walked in to your room. “Y/N?” You raised your head up to look at her. “you feeling better now?”

You nodded, feeling hesitated as you knew that answer wasn’t true at all. You weren’t feeling any better, even after last night for being a little drunk but with this stalker texting you??? A whole new level of creepy started to scare you. You kept wondering how on Earth this person got your number. 

“I baked you some cookies, just in case you were hungry and um,” she paused for a while. “I’m sorry for yelling at you last night. I didn’t mean to.”

These words shocked you. Her apology made you give her a look of astonishment. You and Michelle have been through it all; dramas over boys, arguing over little things and never once in your life you ever heard her saying sorry to you. This was so new, she finally apologized to you for the first time in her 25 years of living. 

“I’m sorry for being an irresponsible bitch, Michelle. I didn’t mean it too.” She shook her head while smiling, walking towards you and gave you a hug to comfort you. Ding! And this person appeared again, stopping you from hugging your sister. 

“Whoa, who’s texting you at an exact 8 a.m.?” Michelle teased while wiggling her eyebrows. You chuckled at her silly attitude, although this wasn’t supposed to be a happy situation at all. You were already feeling terrified as curiosity started filling itself in you, wondering what that person’s text might be.

“Probably just Suzie wanting to apologize too for being a lying turd.” You shrugged it off, chuckling alongside your sister. Michelle then walked out and you quickly locked the door, opening the stalker’s message. 

unknown [3m ago]: you’ll know soon enough, twinkle toes 🥰

Twinkle toes??? Who the fuck does this person think he or she is? Calling me twinkle-fucking-toes? Your thoughts started to annoy you right now. You felt the need to slam something out of frustration, but you weren’t feeling like it anymore. You were still feeling scared because of this whole situation. 

••••••

“Class dismissed!” Mr. Peterson announced when the bell rang. The whole Math class felt like a living nightmare. You were feeling sleepy the whole time but your attention was drifted off somewhere else. 

When you walked outside the classroom to pack your stuff in your locker, you were stopped by Adrian. Adrian, the guy you knew had a crush on you since sophomore year. He was indeed cute; shaggy hair that really matched with his bright, green eyes and had a very nice personality that could make every girl fall in love with him. Unfortunately for Adrian, you weren’t one of those girls. 

You’ve been taking the time to appreciate and love yourself for several years now. Your last relationship ended because that asshole cheated on and lied to you a lot of times, leading you to have trust issues and hence the reason why you didn’t wanna give Adrian a chance too. But Adrian, being a nice guy he was, stated that he’d wait for you no matter how long it might take. 

“I brought your favorite snacks, Y/N. I hope we can eat lunch together today.” Adrian showed you your favorite snacks that were hidden in his brown bag. You softly smiled at how thoughtful Adrian really was. 

“Thanks, Adrian. But um, I don’t think I wanna eat lunch today. I might just head home this afternoon. I’m not up for afternoon classes.” You felt bad for lying to him. Truthfully, you just wanted to investigate more about this stalker of yours.

His face was sad, but he seemed to understand. “Oh, okay.. are you okay, Y/N? You don’t look okay.” His voice was recognized with genuine concern.

“I’m having headache, that’s all. I need rest.” You scratched the back of your neck, feeling this conversation becoming awkward already. You were uncomfortable, your negative thoughts made you feel like this was an uncomfortable conversation to participate in. 

Adrian nodded as he understood why, so he patted your back gently. You didn’t see it wrong, though. He wanted to kiss your forehead, but hesitant to do so since he knew that might be wrong. It was because he knew you didn’t feel the same for him. 

••••••

{8.47 p.m. with Adrian walking in the streets alone}

Adrian was listening to music on his phone as he was on his way home from his friend’s house. But eventually stopped when he felt a sudden presence behind him. He turned around and it wasn’t there anymore. He shrugged it off, thinking it might have only been his imagination. 

When he was singing along with the song he was listening to, the footsteps were closer and closer and suddenly, two strong hands grabbed Adrian’s hair and pulling him to the ground, kicking him hard and punching him numerous times. 

This unknown person who punched Adrian was wearing a black mask, a black hoodie and ripped jeans that matched with a pair of motorcycle boots. Despite wearing a mask, his eyes sent deep, horrendous message. “If you ever touch Y/N again, I’ll make sure to have all of your bones broken so you can’t do anything in life anymore,” he aggressively grabbed Adrian’s collar this time. “Y/N is mine and mine alone. Don’t you fucking dare come near her.” He released it roughly, spitting on the spot of the ground next to Adrian and leaving him alone as he walked away. It was an unfortunate night for Adrian, no one was there to rescue him and call for help.

••••••

{10.11 p.m. in your room}

Ding! You groaned, knowing whose message this was from. You rolled your eyes as you read the person’s texts. 

unknown [now]: i’m feeling so happy right now

unknown [now]: you have no idea how happy i really am 🥰

You shook your head and scoffed whilst reading them. Who even decided to care whether this unknown person was happy or not? Definitely not you.

you [now]: Lmao do I even care if you’re happy or not though? All I know is that you’re crazy

Ding!

unknown [now]: i am crazy indeed

unknown [now]: crazy about you

You groaned in annoyance at this unknown person’s response, not wanting to reply anymore. But then as you were about to place your phone on your side table, there was another notification from that person.

unknown [now]: i’m happy because soon enough, i’ll have you in my arms. no one’s gonna rescue you from me 

“What the absolute fuck?” you got up and this time feeling so angry to the point you were having typos as you typed your words in all capital letters.

you [now]: GO FUCK YOURSELF WHOSVER YOU ARE, QUIT BUGFING

ME!! 

you [now]: I’M GONNA BLOCK YOU NOW, YOU CNT DO THIS TO ME

Heaving a sigh, you grabbed a pillow and stuffed it on your face, screaming as loud as you intended. 

Ding!

unknown [now]: you can try blocking me

unknown [now]: but i have a lot more phones that i’ve stolen and your number is saved in every phone i keep 

unknown [now]: like i said, twinkle toes. no one’s gonna rescue you and take you away from me 😉

This time as your courage was already built, you dialed this person’s number but they quickly rejected your call. You tried again and you got the same result; your call was rejected.

you [now]: What’s the matter, huh? No balls to answer my call???

unknown [now]: i’m not going to make you hear my voice yet, princess. where’s the fun in that? 

unknown [now]: i’m saving it for our date soon

you [now]: Screw you, you fucking creep

unknown [now]: damn, say that again 

you [now]: FUCKING SCREW YOU!

unknown [now]: i’d love to be screwed by the one and only Y/N 😍

You were scared again. Not only this person secretly got your number, but he knew your name too! This was another whole new level of creepy! 

You shut your phone off, not wanting to take this conversation further with that creeper. You closed your eyes tightly to move yourself in your dreamland, and thankfully, it was successful.

••••••

{Meanwhile at someone’s place}

He watched you through the one of the screens in his room. You had no idea about this at all, but this stalker had already placed a few cameras in your house. One specific camera he always watched was outside the window of your room so he could have a clearer and nicer view of your sleeping face.

“My God, she’s so beautiful,” he said as he attentively watched you sleeping. He was playing with his fingers as his eagerness started to bloom. He was starting to feel desperate now, wanting to touch you, wanting to hold you in his arms, wanting to kiss you until you’re unable to breathe.

“don’t worry, my Y/N. You’ll be in the arms of Jeon Jungkook’s soon.” Jungkook started to smirk with the dirty thoughts of you forming in his head. He really, really, really couldn’t wait to smother you with his kisses. ....once he catches you.

••••••

The next day at school felt so weird as you found Adrian absent. Adrian wasn’t the type of a person who’d miss a day at school, but today he decided to do that. You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion as you looked around for him. Weird. Where is he? you thought.

Ding! “Gosh, what the fuck does he want now?!” You opened to see who the notification was from, but thankfully it was from Suzie.

suzie patootie [now]: bubs, wanna hangout tonight? mum’s having a date with her 5th boyf. house is free for us girls

you [now]: Girls night, eh? I’m on

This girls’ night was all you needed to avoid feeling scared as you were right now. Sure, you were feeling brave already to confront that person through messages but you were still scared too. What if that person was watching your every move right now and you weren’t aware of it?

••••••

You decided to head to grocery store to buy some foodies and drinks for your girls’ night. You didn’t bother to head home first to take a shower since you knew that this girls’ night would be a sleepless night for you, anyway. 

As you walked out from the grocery store to head your way to Suzie’s home, the footsteps were heard again. You stopped your tracks. Oh no. What if this is that person? You were standing still and the footsteps stopped too. You didn’t care and you walked forward quickly and the footsteps got faster following you from behind. 

You started running and the follower chased after you so quick until he finally caught you, locking you in his strong arms. 

“Don’t run away from me, Y/N,” he whispered, placing a kiss on your earlobe and you started to cry. “didn’t I say I’d have you in my arms soon?” 

Before you could scream, he covered your mouth quickly and dragged you backwards with him to an unknown place while holding you tightly. 

“No one’s gonna save you. You’re all mine now, twinkle toes.”

[salt-warrior]

WHEN EARTH TURNS TO ASHES

Masterlist

Chapter Eight: Incidents and Accidents

Rain poured outside of the school building, despite the fact that it was snowing back in Colorado. Olympia's weather was much more constant— remaining at a cool, rainy temperature year-round. Kai couldn't imagine living in a place where seeing the sun was an uncommon treasure. He needed sunshine almost as much as he needed air, but maybe that was just because he's grown up in constant sunshine.

The door to the principal's office swung open, and out stepped a large, smiling man resembling the Wolf on his door placard. Kai turned wary; he didn't much fancy going into a principal's office after all the time's he'd spent in his own.

It was always Thorne, coming up with a stupid plan and getting them sent to the principal. Kai tried fruitlessly to convince him to stop, but in the end they would always be back up in front of Principal Konn.

"Kaito Crown?" The man's voice came out as something close to a growl. "I'm Alpha Strom." Kai bit back laughter as the principal extended his hand politely— the things that some hippies did. Kai shook the man's hand, and found that he had a pleasantly business-like firm handshake. It reminded Kai of his father.

"You can just call me Kai," Kai said. "Only my dad ever calls me that; and my old school principal."

A bark of laughter split the air, and the two grinned. "I take it you don't have fond feelings for your late principal, then?"

"No, I got along with him fine. He and my father were childhood friends, and he was like another parent to me." Kai thought back on Torin. He was a kind, wise man. He had been there for Kai every moment after his mother had died. "My friend was a major troublemaker, though, so I always had to go and talk with Principal Konn."

"Ah, I see how it is then." Principal Strom winked, gesturing for Kai to enter his office. "Come in and take a seat. I imagine that for whatever reason you're here, it's important."

"You have no idea," Kai muttered. He had planned what he was going to ask the Principal on his five hour flight to Olympia. He had brainstormed about it as he had tried to sleep in his hotel. He had thought about Selene, and how much she was counting on him— or maybe Kai was just counting on himself for Selene.

Strom walked around his large, beat-up desk to sit in a high-backed chair. The seating arrangement looked uncomfortable on his large frame, even though it would have drowned Kai. The room was plain, barren. The only decoration was a flag with the wolf mascot stamped across and the bold letters of OHS. "What would you like to discuss with me today then, Mr. Crown."

"Selene Linh." Kai sat straight up in his chair, mirroring the man across from him. His father had taught him that presenting your best self was one's greatest asset in getting a business deal; Kai hoped that the same applied to gleaning information from an old High School principal.

"She went here about two years back, before–"

"Before she ran away." Principal Strom rubbed two fingers against the bridge of his nose. "I remember Selene. A brilliant girl with a tragic story."

Kai shivered at Strom's words. He didn't appear to hate the girl judging by his demeanor, but he may have just been good with facial masks. "Yes, you see, Selene recently got into a bad car accident. She lost part of her left leg and has severe nerve damage. I just– I'm trying to find someone who cares for her."

The principal stared at Kai, his dark eyes piercing. He was a kind man, but not one to be messed with either. "You may have a hard time with that," Strom said. "Before she ran away, she was constantly bullied, though she never admitted it— too proud to admit. All sorts of rumors were spread about her, and no one ever knew whether or not they were true."

"Were they about how she killed her sister?" Kai asked, his burning curiosity getting the better of him. There was something mysterious about the young girl's death. Something covered up and suspicious.

Principal Strom's face revealed nothing, but his hitched breath showed that the question was shocking. "Yes, they were about Peony Linh."

Kai sat forward in his seat. "How exactly did Peony Linh die? Do you know?"

"No one knows. No one except for the family— they were under strict orders to keep things related to Selene under the wraps until the final adoption papers were completed." Principal Strom looked grave. "Selene and Peony went somewhere; Selene came back alone. No one talked about Peony after that, except for the rumors that spread about Selene having killed her; most of them spread by Pearl Linh."

"Do you think that Selene killed Peony Linh?" Kai asked urgently.

"Personally?" Strom shook his head. "Selene was a fierce girl. I knew her well. But I do believe that she would never have harmed Peony— at least not intentionally."

"Did Selene have a violent past?" Kai cringed as the words slipped out of his mouth. He felt guilty for digging into Selene's past, but he needed to know what was going on. He needed to know her.

"Technically, I'm not supposed to tell you anything about Selene," Principal Strom looked uncomfortable. "But I am willing to tell you what I do know, as long as it's just between the two of us."

Kai nodded fervently.

"Okay, so I don't know much, except for the basics. Her Social Service worker, Liam Kinney, worked his butt off to help her, but trouble always followed Selene. The family before the Linh's, they had wanted to adopt Selene as well, but then there was an incident. I don't know what happened," Strom put his palms flat against the table, cutting Kai off before he could ask. "Kinney kept things tied up very tightly. I would give you his contact information, but I lost track of him about a year ago."

"Like I said, Selene was a kind girl, but dark things always seemed to follow her. Not many people would be willing to tell you much about her; especially not the Linh's. I can, however give you one person who might give you your best shot." Strom pulled out a piece of paper and began to write something down.

"Who would that be?" Kai asked, feeling despondent. He had hoped for more than 'she has a dark past' and 'I can't give you much information.' He wanted answers.

Strom paused from his writing. "Selene's friend. Well, someone who was once her friend." Strom glanced at his computer, clicking a few tabs and keys before he finished his note.

"Here," Strom said, handing Kai the paper. It had an address, a phone number, and a name written in barely legible writing. "She stayed here local since graduating. She was a star pupil, but and outsider; like Selene."

"Thank you for all of your help," Kai stood, and extended a hand to Strom. They shook, and Strom had a melancholy glint to his dark eyes.

"I do hope you can do something for Selene. I always– I wish that I could have done more for her." Strom patted Kai on the back. "I knew that she was being bullied, and I did nothing. I knew that she was drowning, and never did I throw her a life raft. I hope that perhaps you'll be able to accomplish what I could not."

A burning sensation filled Kai's chest. He simply nodded his head, and walked away before he had to look at more of this guilt in the old man's face.

Selene may have caused a great amount of anger and heartbreak, but she caused just as much guilt and sorrow. She was a burning pathway of destruction and loss. She was a magnet for bad luck, but also for people. She was a forest fire: calamitous and deadly, but impossible to ignore. She was a fallen angel, causing the Heavens to weep at her downfall and Hell scorn the beauteous creature in fear of her being the greatest of them all.

Kai read the note again, launching the coordinates into his phone. He would figure out what happened. He would track down Liam Kinney if he had to. But for now, he would talk to Cress Darnel.

***

"Why?" Selene's words were harsh and bitter. "I thought you were my friend. I trusted you." Betrayal twisted her words into a comfortless whisper.

Cress's big blue eyes widened, and Selene would have felt guilty under different circumstances. "You know that I didn't do it— I didn't mean for it to happen. I didn't think–" Selene choked on her words. "We– I– she was my sister. I loved her. You know that."

Selene had cornered Crescent after class, needing to speak to her one last time. She had to know if the betrayal was an act of free will or forced. She wanted nothing more than to believe that Cress didn't mean it. The look in her best friend's eyes, however, was answer enough.

"I thought I did." Cress squeaked. Her eyes were brighter than usual. "But Pearl, she told me the truth. She told me, and now the whole thing makes sense. This wasn't even the first time you've killed someone." Cress looked sick as she said the words. "Ran Kesley–"

"Don't," Selene spat the words like fire. "Don't you dare. That was–"

"An accident?" Cress cut through, her voice rising with nerves and mockery. "You and I both know that an accident like that doesn't just reoccur. You planned it all. You're a freak; a sociopath. Do you even know what love is?"

Selene flinched as if Cress had caused her physical pain. It wasn't the first time she had heard the words, but hearing them come from her best friend made then sting more than they had coming from Adri or Pearl or even Mr. Kesley.

Cress's face softened, but less out of sympathy than horror and sadness. "You tore apart families, Selene. You may not have intended it to happen, but you still caused it. You– you–" Cress covered her eyes with her small, delicate fingers.

"I don't even know why you stay here." Cress murmured, her posture hardening. "No one wants you." Cress hissed. Selene had never heard such unkind words come from the girl. Cress had always been so sweet; now she was ice and a cruel knife in the back.

Bile filmed in Selene's mouth. There were so many things that she wanted to say. Thousands of comebacks, dozens of betrayals; but nothing came.

"Me neither."

[1000scrubs]

Round 1: Sir Cola Domino

Writer Sir Cola Domino’s entry for the initial prompts from 2 years ago

    It was a Friday in an ice cream shop in downtown Birmingham. A small child was going to bed, or so his parents thought. See, this child had sought a very important item, so he snuck out in the middle of the night.  

The child was dubbed Jennifer Jonathan Andy The III Attorney at Law, he preferred Jandy. He had gone to a nearby discount store to buy some paints so he could finally pick up that Bob Ross tutorial that his father bought him for his 5th birthday. It was an odd gift to give to a 5 year old, but Jandy couldn’t really complain to his father, for he had died  shortly after.  

The paints he desired were out of stock in most places, including the store he had snuck out to visit. Jandy went to the back of the store to see if they had paints, because little Jandy doesn’t give a damn about restricted areas, only to find a secret entrance that lead to a Secretly Secret Underground Facility of Secrets.  

“Holy crap Louis, it’s a secret entrance that leads to a Secretly  Secret Underground Facility of Secrets.” Jandy said aloud to no one in particular. He paused for a moment, “What the hell am I saying?”

   Jandy lowered himself into the secret entrance of secrets, and he found himself gazing down a long, seemingly unending hallway. Two secret agents were walking up and spotted him.  

“What the hell? Is that a kid? Who let a kid down here? Does anyone know what to do if a child finds a super secret government base?” They spoke among themselves, bewildered that there was a small child in the base.

Jandy said “You can’t kill me, I’m a little baby boy!”  

“Right you are. It would be pretty messed up if we shot a child,” said the well dressed agent, “let’s bring him to The Main Man.” said the taller agent. They slapped a pair of cuffs on Jandy and made there way to The Main Man.  

    “Well, well, well, what’s we got here?” asked The Main Man.  

“Um, well sir, this small child was roaming around the Secretly Secret Underground Facility of Secrets.” the stumpy agent replied.

“What you waiting for? Shoot the little bugger!” exclaimed The Main Man.  

“But… he’s a kid…” said the agent with the magnificent moustache.  

“Hmm, you’re right. It would be pretty messed up if we shot a child.” said The Main Man.  

“Very well kid, you win. We can grant you anything in the world, if you don’t speak of this encounter ever again.” The Main Man explained to the small, dumbfounded child.  

“Umm, how about some paint?” Asked Jandy  

“HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA, now that right there is funny!” laughed The Main Man, “ but seriously, what did you want?”  

“Really, I want some paints.” Jandy said.  

“YOU LISTEN HERE LITTLE VERMIN, IF YOU DONT TAKE THIS OFFER SERIOUSLY IM GONNA STAB YOUR SMALL, INSIGNIFICANT LITTLE HEART!!!” screamed The Main Man.    

“Sir, I thought the whole point is that we couldn’t kill him because he was a kid.” Said the balding agent.  

“WHICH ONE OF YOU SAID THAT?!” asked The Main Man.  

“Uh… me…” replied the balding agent.  

“YOU’RE FIRED! Now kid, listen closely cause I’m only gonna say this once. We can grant you anything in the world, if you don’t speak of this encounter ever again.” The Main Man said.

”Look Mr. Main Man… all I want is some paints for my bob ross tutorial.” Jandy said frightened.

“A Bob Ross tutorial? Well bloody hell, that’s all you had to say. Of course we can do that!” said The Main Man, “The only problem is that the world has a bit of a shortage in the paints needed for a Bob Ross tutorial.” explained The Main Man. “Ooooh, I got an idea! Don’t worry kid, it will benefit us both. We’ll need a few days to prepare, so we’ll call you back when we’re ready.”  

Jandy was uncuffed and given a card with a number on it, “This is my number, ignore the therapist part that was my previous job. I just didn’t want to make new ones.” The Main Man told Jandy.  

   The next day Jandy sat around the ice cream store, bored, anxious and having nothing to do except eat the ice cream meant for the customers, slowly putting his mother out of business. Suddenly Jandy had gotten a call “Hey, is this Jennifer Jonathan  Andy the III Attorney at Law?” Asked an agent with a lisp over the phone  

“Yes.” said Jandy.

“It’s time.” said the agent with a lisp. Jandy made his way back to the Secretly Secret Underground Facility of Secrets, he found two agents waiting for him.

“This way sir.” said the agent with one arm, Jandy followed the agents to a room that was unfamiliar.  

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t little old Jennifer Jonathan Andy the III Attorney at Law? Bloody hell, that’s a mouthful” Said The Main Man  

“You can call me Jandy Mr. Main Man.” Jandy said.  

“Please please, Mr. Main Man was my father, call me The.”  

“Your name is The?” asked Jandy.

“Yes.” He stated.

“Ok. What exactly is all this?” asked Jandy.

“What you see before you is a machine that can shoot your molecules forward or backward through the space time quantiniumiam. You see, we needed an excuse to test this technology, and you need paint. So it’s a win win, except for the possibility that the machine will scatter your molecules throughout time instead of group them together in one certain point. Or if it rearranges your molecules-“  

Jandy stood there in shock. ”WHAT!?” he interrupted bewildered  

“Well, it’s quite simple really. The paints can only be found in the future. According to our calculations, there’s an ice cream shop right across from our store. That ice cream shop gets super successful in the future, and because it’s right across from the ice cream so does our store. So successful in fact, that the Bob Ross overlords notices and stocks us up with the needed paints-“  

“NOT THAT, THE PART ABOUT ME DYING!” Jandy interrupted again.

“Oh no, no, you won’t die. You’ll be very much alive, but you’ll wish you were dead. Anyways, our calculations should come to fruition. Unless say, someone were to eat all the ice cream, say… an hour ago. But what are the odds of that happening, right?” Explained The.  

Jandy paused for a moment, “I ATE ALL THE ICE CREAM!” he thought to himself, “Yea, what are the odds?” Jandy said.  

“Here, bring some agents with you. Here’s a communication device for when we need to pull you back.”  

Jandy and the two agents stepped into the machine. All Jandy could see was a bright blue light and then poof! He stepped out, only to see nothing but destruction and chaos.  

“What the hell!?” Exclaimed the agent with the unibrow, before quickly being eaten alive by a big hideous monster.

“AHHH HOLY CRAP!” screamed the agent with a birthmark on their forehead before being devoured by another monster.

Jandy tried running for it, but tripped because Jandy sucks. As he fell he heard a loud CRACK, “Uh oh, hope that wasn’t the communicater.” He thought to himself.  

The monsters surrounded him, and right as they were about to feast, a laser zipped right through one of the monsters. The monster went limp. From behind him, three hooded figures equipped with jet packs  came flying in. They killed the rest of the monsters in a maneuver of such unbelievable coordination, trust, and precision, that it could not possibly be described with mere words.  

The tallest of the figures walked up to Jandy, he stood there for a moment before taking off his hood. The other two figures took off their hoods as well. The man standing closest had a face that was oddly familiar, yet Jandy had never seen it before. The other was a woman who looked roughly the same age as the man. The last, a girl, looked much younger, seemingly a teenager. All three of them donned battle scars.  

“What the shit?” said the man, with a confused look on his face.  

“What are you doing out here kid? It’s not safe.” asked the teenager.

“Uh, I’m here to get some paints.” said Jandy.  

“Holy crap Louis! I think that’s me.” the man said.  

“Who the hell is Louis?” asked the woman.  

“Nothing, it’s just a thing I say”  

“Did you say that’s you?” asked the teenager.  

“That kid looks exactly like me, and he’s looking for paint. That’s been my damn life goal!” the man explained.  

“Hey, I don’t want any trouble. I’m just a little baby boy trying to get some paints.” said Jandy, worried.  

Some loud shrieks were heard in the distance “Come on, it’s not safe here.” said the woman. The group ran into a nearby ruined building, “What’s your name kid?” asked the woman.

“my name is Jennifer Johnathan An-“

”-dy the III Attorney at Law,” finished the man, “that’s my name as well.”  

“Holy crap! It’s a mini dad!” said the teenager.

“HUH?!” Jandy yelled.  

“How is this possible?” asked Future Jandy,  

“Probably something to do with the Secretly Secret Underground Facility of Secrets, aren’t they the ones who started this mess?” said the woman.  

Future Jandy looked over to Jandy, who was fiddling with a device. “What’s that you got there?” He asked.

“Uhhh, it’s a broken communicator that was supposed to get me back.” Jandy said.

“That looks like super secret technology! We could go to the Secretly Secret Underground Facility of secrets, and see if there’s anything there.” Explained the teenager.  

“Mariandy, I’m working with the enemy why would I help me?” asked Future Jandy.

“Mariandy?” Said Jandy confused.

“Mary Maria Andy Attorney at Law, also he’s you. We have to help you get back, or else we’ll all cease to exist, you dummy!” Mariandy explained.  

“Hey, don’t talk to your father like that. Also, of course we have to help you, or else we’ll all die you dumbass.” said the woman.  

“Ok Julia.” Said Future Jandy.  

�� The Andy’s made there way to the Secretly Secret Underground Facility of Secrets. Across from them was an empty husk of the ice cream shop.  

“To think, all this started right here…” said Future Jandy.

“What exactly happened here?“ asked Jandy.

“It all started by the ice cream shop…” Julia said as she pointed at its remains, “the previous ice cream shop was run out of business, and so it was replaced with a new ice cream shop. It had lots of options, but it tasted mediocre at best.

“One day when everything was going as it would, aliens came. They came to this ice cream shop and asked for ice cream. A bunch of agents with distinct features came running out of the store across the street, saying they were ‘secret agents’ and that, ‘you all have to keep this a secret’.

“Once the aliens got their ice cream, they said, ‘Meh, mediocre at best.’, that’s when the agents panicked. They were yelling, ‘OH NO THEY DIDN’T LIKE IT! THEY’RE GONNA KILL US, KILL THEM FIRST!’ and then they started this big war that woke the underground species that are roaming around today. While the aliens and the Super Secret Agents were fighting out in space, we had to take care of the monsters that are destroying the entire world.” Julia finished.

“And to think, if only they made better ice cream.” said Mariandy.  

“This is all my fault, if only I had been a better son, and a better worker, then my mom wouldn’t have gone out of business.” Future Jandy said holding back tears.

“That’s kind of a stretch. I mean, it’s not like you were bored, anxious, and had nothing to do one day except eat the ice cream meant for the customers, slowly putting your mother out of business.” Mariandy said, “Right?” Future Jandy and Jandy looked at each other, stricken with guilt.  

“Oh my god… are you serious!?” yelled Julia.

“Wait, wait, wait, I think I have an idea. What if we send little me back, so he can go and stop us from eating all the ice cream?” Future Jandy proposed.

“I guess that’ll work, god I cant believe this all happened over something so stupid.” said Julia.  

“Then I can get my paints right?” asked Jandy.

“Yes! And then you can get your paints.” explained Future Jandy.  

“Sounds like a plan.” Mariandy said excitedly.

  After searching thoroughly through the Secretly Secret Underground Facility of Secrets looking to salvage some technology, finally they had found enough to fix the communicator.

“Alright, that should be fixed now.” said Julia.

“And remember, you’ll save the world, if, and only if, you make sure we don’t eat that ice cream.” Future Jandy said, giving Jandy the communicator.

“Alright, I got it, thanks everyone. I look forward to meeting you two in the future.” Jandy said.  

“When you meet me don’t use any corny pick up lines, it won’t work.” said Julia .

“Wait, you didn’t like my pick up lines? I tried them so many times, why didn’t you say anything?!” asked Future Jandy.

“You got me eventually, so you must of done something right.” said Julia.

“Bye mini dad! Your life’s gonna be hell once I arrive!” exclaimed Mariandy.  

Jandy signalled The to bring him back, and with one last look at his future life he saw a bright blue light, and then, poof! He was back.  

“Well kid, you get the paint?” asked The.

“No, look, I lied to you before I left. There is a chance of there not being ice cream, a big chance, because I ate it, I ate it all.” Jandy explained.

“WHAT? HOW COULD YOU EAT THAT MUCH BLOODY ICE CREAM?!?” The screamed.  

“That doesn’t matter now, what matters is that we have to stop me or else we’ll all die.” said Jandy.

“Alright, when did you eat the ice cream?” The asked.

“Like an hour ago.” said Jandy.

“Good god child, what is wrong with you…”  

Jandy walked back into the machine, once again saw a bright blue light and, poof! He was back in the facility.

“AHH HOLY CRAP!” screamed an agent with bright blue hair.  

“Jennifer? How the hell did you get in here?” asked an agent that was extremely buff.  

“Calm down you plebes, obviously we sent him here from the future.” The from the past explained, “What went wrong?”  

“I need to get to the ice cream shop now!” yelled Jandy worried.  

“Lucky for you we’ve been working on a secret teleporter gun. We haven’t really tested it, but if the secret space time quantum molecule shooty machine works, then so should this.” The shot Jandy with the gun, and, with a flash of a bright purple light he found himself across from himself in the ice cream shop.

Past Jandy went for the ice cream before Jandy tackled him. “OW, WHAT THE HELL!?” yelled Past Jandy, “Who do you think you- holy crap Louis, it’s me!” past Jandy paused for a moment, “Who’s Louis?” he asked himself.  

“Hey, look at me! Don’t eat this ice cream. Please, it will put our mom out of business and that will bring the apocalypse.” Jandy explained to himself.

“Seriously?” Past Jandy asked.

“Yes, seriously. Just makes sure this business stays afloat long enough, so that when the aliens come, they’ll get good ice cream.” said Jandy.  

“Wow, that sentence makes no sense.” Past Jandy said laughing, the two Jandy’s went on to have quite a conversation. Coming to a lot of conclusions, and ultimately changing their outlook on life.

    Jandy signaled for The, and with that, Jandy returned.  

“Well kid, we all good to go?” The asked.

“Yep, just one more trip.” Jandy said, another bright blue light, and, poof! Jandy was in a much nicer, friendlier future.  

He walked to the store where he saw his future self with Julia and Mariandy. “We’ve been expecting you.” said future Jandy.  

“Holy crap, it’s a mini dad!” Mariandy said out of excitement.  

“Huh, so you were telling the truth all these years?” Julia asked.  

“Thought you said you didn’t doubt me?” Said Future Jandy.

“um, you guys got any paint?” Jandy asked.  

“Hang on let me ask Brody… hey Brody, we got any Bob Ross paints?” Future Jandy asked. Brody emerged from under the counter, he was an alien. Brody made indistinguishable noises that Jandy couldn’t understand, but Future Jandy could “He said it’s in the back.”.

Jandy went to the back of the store to see if they had paints, with permission this time, and there it was. All the paints needed for his Bob Ross tutorial, sitting right in front of him. “I can’t pay for these sir-” Jandy started to say.  

“I’ll pay, it’s the least I could do.” Future Jandy interrupted. Jandy thanked his future counterpart, and said his goodbyes to his future family.  

“Extraction complete.” Jandy said to the communicator, and with one last bright blue light, he was back.

“Well, well, well, looks like you finally got the paint, huh?” The said.  

“Thanks for the help The.” said Jandy graciously.

“Just remember our deal kid, don’t speak of this encounter ever again.” The explained.  

“Yea, hey, one last thing can you use your teleporter gun to send me home? I’ve gone through a lot in the past few seconds.” Said Jandy.

“What the… how did you know about the secret teleporter gun? Oh well, I guess you did risk your life for us, but no more favours after this! Got it runt?” The said gruffly. With a flash of a bright purple light, Jandy was back home.  

“WHERE WERE YOU?! I’VE BEEN SO WORRIED!” his mom yelled, crying.  

Jandy hugged his mother, “I was getting paints for the Bob Ross tutorial”.  

The next day, with a all the paints needed, and with a fresh white canvas, Jandy popped the tutorial into the cassette player.  He followed the tutorial step by step, until he had created a beautiful masterpiece with the help of the great Bob Ross.  

Prompts lost, but estimated to be:     Who: A young child (possibly 5yo) What: Meets his future family  When: The ‘When’ prompt is lost Where: Birmingham, England Why: To complete a Bob Ross tutorial

[crimefightingpigeons]

I’ve shared my head canon on how we go from Doomsday to Turn Left - your turn! What do you think happens??  - @loupettes

OK I’ve got no excuse for why this took me so long (other than complete lack of productive brain cells) but heyyy look part 3 is here! And hopefully it was worth the wait??? Anyone wanna place bets as to how long part 4 will take haha? I PROMISE it will happen though because I’m determined to finally finish this fic.

part 1 | part 2

A Brief Guide to Love and Defending the Universe

3.

After a thorough talking to about her reckless actions and a mandated night of sleep (which everyone took advantage of), the team got right back to work with a lot more luck. Apparently the fractures just hadn’t been wide enough to travel through before, and now they were. For the most part, they took this as an absolute blessing and tried their best to ignore its solemn reminder that they only had so much time left.

For efficiency, both Rose and Mickey took on travelling through the cannon while Pete remained on base to keep track of the two. Plus, connecting Rose’s old phone to the mainframe, they had found a way to call the TARDIS’s number to every universe it could connect to, hoping at some point the ship’s owner might just pick up. On a good day, between the three of them, they could reach upwards of a hundred different worlds.

As powerful as the cannon was, though, nothing came as easy as they would have liked. For one thing, there was no way of knowing how close or far they were to their old universe, no way of knowing from this side of any crack where the Doctor was. It was a setback, but not a surprising one. What was even more frustrating, though, was the recharge time needed between jumps.

Most of the time it was extremely horrible just being stuck. All they had to do upon landing was a universal scan for TARDIS tech, wait a few seconds for a negative answer, and then… wait. Maybe if their own world wasn’t collapsing in on itself every day it might have been easier to enjoy, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case and each passing minute of not being able to do anything useful was quite stressful. And that wasn’t even accounting for the added trouble they’d face when they happened to be dropped right in the middle of an unwanted fight or war zone.

Other times, though, it could truthfully be amazing. Sure the entire multiverse was in a constant state of trouble, but sometimes it was nice to land somewhere that just needed a bit of help. Taking down local authoritarian regiments, solving mysterious disappearances, assisting on small scale alien invasions and such. It was just nice to help and feel properly useful. And sometimes it was these small victories that were just enough to get them to continue on through the next day.

Occasionally, though, very rarely, there would be an unexpected surprise waiting for them.

The first time it happened was to Rose. She had been running off from some strange alien hunting her, and just as she found a safe place to hide, there it was: the TARDIS. Her heart stopped and she didn’t believe her eyes. It didn’t make sense… the scanner said he wasn’t here… It wasn’t possible… Her mind was racing frantically, and then the door of the ship opened and… a blonde man with a piece of lettuce attached to his lapel stepped out. It was a man Rose recognized instantly from an album the Doctor had shown her. Except that her version of that Doctor had chosen celery as his accessory of choice… It wasn’t him, not her him anyways. Parallel universe, parallel Doctor. But before she could even think of how to react, the alarm telling her to jump back went off and she chose to go.

A few weeks later, Mickey had his own run in with the Doctor. He nearly didn’t believe Rose when she told him and Pete about seeing him, figured it was just her mind playing tricks on her. But then during one of his jumps, he had quite literally ran into a strange young man wearing a bow tie and tweed jacket.

“Oh, sorry there mate—” the man apologized as they both fell to the ground. Then just as the pair locked eyes, “Mickey?” The man’s smile grew and he excitedly jumped up, pulling Mickey up with him, and took him into a tight embrace. “Oh Mickey Smith! I can’t tell you how good it is to see you!”

Mickey just smiled and hugged him right back. “It’s good to see you too, Doctor.” It didn’t take an idiot to figure out exactly who that man was.

Since then, they both had a handful of other run ins with versions of the Doctor either they knew or who knew them. Most of the time it was alright. Mickey always seemed to enjoy the reunions, but Rose usually did her best to avoid them. Sure she wouldn’t mind a glimpse from afar every so often, but it was also difficult being so close yet so far from her own Doctor. And on the occasions she did run into a version of him who had clearly lost her… well, it wasn’t exactly easy to walk away from those situations. So she simply pushed forward, not letting herself get distracted.

But as time continued on, the team was facing more difficult problems than just running into people they didn’t want to see. If there were any stars left in the sky they were impossible to locate on even the clearest of nights, and the world was getting more scared and angry every day. Even Torchwood had been run down, the population blaming them for not doing more. Rose, Mickey, and Pete all felt even happier that they had decided to keep this project on the down low. Doing what they were trying to do was hard enough on its own, and they couldn’t imagine having to do it while putting up with angry protestors striking chaos.

Still, even with that obstacle out of the way, they couldn’t help but lose a little more hope every day. Some days the basement would be made a mess from a frustrated break down, and they believed no other room in any world had hosted so many nightmares or tears. They all knew they had a few weeks left- at the very most. A few weeks to get through enough of the infinite universes out there to find the right one. A few weeks to sort through whatever problem might be waiting for them on the other side. Every day it became harder to imagine finding real success. And as it turned out, inevitable universal destruction partnered with a lack of optimism and massive burnout wasn’t the motivation they had been looking for.

Pete chose to step back a bit to spend some more time with Jackie and Tony. It felt nearly cruel thinking everything he had just gained in the last few years was about to be snatched from him. And maybe it wasn’t responsible, but he was going to spend whatever time he could with his family.

Meanwhile Rose was simply running out of energy to keep going. After years of pushing and overworking herself, she had started taking the tiniest of steps back as doubt and hopelessness ravaged through her mind. Maybe this was as far as they got, she started to tell herself. Maybe she had been right all those years ago. Maybe without the Doctor she really wasn’t anything special. She remembered her young, naïve self. You don’t just give up. You don’t just let things happen. They felt almost like a stranger’s words now.

Of course if anyone knew that wasn’t true it was Mickey Smith, and he was determined to support her however he could. Most of the time this involved taking on some extra work, to let her have a moment of peace whenever she needed. With his gran gone (which truthfully he was thankful she wasn’t around to experience all this), he certainly had the time. And he knew if it had been Rose in his position, she would do the same for him.

Nowadays time seemed to bleed into itself and the gang never knew exactly when it was (they hoped that was just because of all the work they were doing in a windowless basement, and not a side effect from the whole multiverse ending thing). It felt like a very early morning though, at this particular moment. Pete was probably asleep next to Jackie or watching Tony. Rose was taking a nap on the cot in the corner. And Mickey kept working, taking full advantage of that autopilot function he wasn’t as judgemental at Rose for using anymore. As usual, he encountered failure, after failure, after failure. But he kept going, kept persisting, kept—

*beep beep*

Mickey looked down at his scanner on a planet which seemed to be made entirely of purple rock, a bit startled. His mind went through all the possibilities of what that sound could mean. Low battery? Interference? Surely it couldn’t have been…

But it was! The scanner had received a signal from the TARDIS. Their actual, real TARDIS.

A purely joyful grin spread over Mickey’s face and tears started welling in his eyes. He didn’t know which galaxy, which planet he was on. He didn’t know where Earth was, or wherever the Doctor happened to be at this moment. He didn’t know when he happened to land, 50 years in the past or 2000 years in the future. But none of that was important. Instead he chose to break out into a mad happy dance, hoping in the back of his mind that no alien was around to see him make a fool of himself.

After wearing himself out, Mickey couldn’t help but want to jump back. But then he remembered he still had to wait for his device to repower.

“Fucking hell,” he muttered under his breath. 25 minutes to go until he could jump, 25 excruciatingly impossible long minutes.

Finally though, after what really did feel like an eternity, Mickey’s alarm went off and not even a whole second later he jumped back. Once his feet hit the platform in the basement, he looked up to find a still sleeping Rose, prompting his grin to reappear.

“Rose, Rose!” he started calling her name as he stumble-ran towards her. Then crouching down by her side and shaking her, “Rose, wake up!”

“Mmm… wha’ is’t?” Rose shot up, but her mind was still caught in a sleepy haze. Mickey didn’t have the patience to wait for her to finish waking up, though, and started pulling her along.

“Got somethin’ to show you, come on now. Here, take this,” he handed Rose his jump button and helped her onto the platform. Then, running back to the console, he paused for a second to carefully adjust the coordinates and recalibrate the cannon.

“Mickey what’s going on?” Rose asked again, now awake but still completely confused.

Mickey smiled at her once again. “See for yourself, in 3, 2…” and he sent her off.

“Mickey!” Rose tried shouting again, but it was too late. And before she knew it she was thrown into the street of another world. A world which looked a lot like London, Earth at night. Which maybe it was, but surely it wasn’t their old London. Rose wandered down the road a bit, enjoying the wind on her face as much as possible and wondering what Mickey could have possibly wanted her to have seen… then she saw a gathering crowd around the corner. Her attention piqued and she continued on towards it. There was a big building- a corporate office of some sort or another- surrounded by emergency services of every kind. She was in the middle of wondering what could have possibly happened when a red headed woman came up behind her.

“Listen, there’s this woman that’s going to come along. A tall blonde woman called Sylvia. Tell her that bin there, alright? It’ll all make sense. That bin there.”

Rose could tell something good just happened to this woman by her smile alone. For a moment she remembered when she smiled like that, and the one person who could always effortlessly pull it from her. But she pushed it out of her head. She almost wanted to warn that other woman to hold off on her joy, too. If only she knew what was just around the corner for them all. Rose was sure she wouldn’t have such a reason to be celebrating.

With a sigh, Rose decided to walk away. Whatever Mickey had found so interesting about this event had either passed or simply wasn’t getting her attention like it might have any other time. And frankly she wasn’t too invested in helping that Sylvia woman- or whatever her name was- find a bin. So she went off into the dark street, hoping to clear her mind.

But then… something strange started happening. Rose was still walking down the street, but the ground beneath her started to disappear and the world around seemed to fuzz in and out just slightly and there was a weird static-y feeling around her-

And then everything was back to normal. She was back on the same street. At night. With a giant web star in the sky-

Rose’s head jolted back up to notice the very interesting thing that had certainly not been there just a few moments ago. ‘What the hell is going on?’ she thought. But before she could think of any sort of reasonable answer, she saw missiles being launched at whatever it was floating overhead, blowing it up.

On pure instinct, Rose started sprinting towards the source of the shooting. The whole time wondering- praying- that somehow all of this meant exactly what she was hoping it meant. That he was here. Maybe the Doctor had somehow gotten wind of their interdimensional jumping, maybe the TARDIS had picked up on it and alerted him! Maybe that weird moment she had experienced just a moment ago had been the Doctor pulling her back to him! With each breath and dash forward she had to forcefully restrict every ounce of hope in her body from seeping through.

Finally, Rose arrived at the scene. It appeared things had calmed down a bit, but there were still emergency vehicles and men and women in camo uniforms and red berets all around.

“What happened, what did they find?,” she slowed down as she got close to the barriers. There was a woman- a red headed woman. Rose turned to her. “Sorry, but… Did they find someone?”

“I don’t know. Bloke called the Doctor or something.”

“Where is he?”

“They took him away, he’s dead.”

Rose froze. Any thoughts running through her mind just a second ago disappeared and her body filled with a heavy numbness. She could hear the woman still going on behind her, but didn’t register a single word of it.

“…I came so far,” she breathed out.

Finally, though, Rose forced herself back to reality. Her worst fear may have been coming true, but that didn’t stop the rest of the multiverse from imminent destruction. And there was something weird about this world, something off… and something familiar about the voice talking to her. Rose turned around and for the first time since running into her, got an actually good look at who she was talking to. This woman wasn’t just any ordinary woman. It was the same woman who had told her about that bin just a few minutes ago in that crowded street. Something weird was definitely going on. A dead Doctor, this woman showing up twice… with something very odd on her back unlike before…?

“What’s your name?”

“Donna. And you?”

“I’m just… passing by… I shouldn’t even be here. This is wrong. This is so wrong,” she rambled on, more and more of her focus being diverted to whatever was on this woman’s back. “What was it, sorry? Donna what?”

“Why d’you keep looking at my back?”

Rose snapped her eyes away to look anywhere else. The last thing she needed to do was upset the woman who might be able to give her some answers. “I’m not.”

“Yes you are. You keep looking behind me, you’re doing it now. What is it, what’s there? Did someone….”

But before Donna could finish her sentence and before Rose had any more time to investigate, the world around her started to fuzz back out. And she was gone.

[nicolasmartinez-88]

Dog Boredom - Easy Solutions and Tools

Dog fatigue influences numerous pets when they are ventured out from home alone however in the insane world we live in today with work, school and exercises simply don't consider your canine to go along with you each spot you go. Shockingly, this lets numerous canines home be and exhausted. How would you know whether your canine is exhausted? There are many tell-tell signs.

Leaving or Coming Home - in the event that your canine is shaking, shuddering, unnecessarily slobbering or in any event, hyperventilating then you have a genuine fatigue and nervousness issue with your canine.

Way of Destruction - When you return home is their a way of pulverization including bit furniture, torn garments or the garbage bin substance hung through the whole house.

Mishaps - Are they peeing or going out. A few canines with high nervousness will likewise upchuck in the house.

Disdain Mail - Do your neighbors leave ghastly messages on your replying mail or tape notes to your entryway grumbling about the woofing or whimpering while you were no more.

Outside - Is your canine burrowing monster openings to China while you are gone or maybe they've become an astounding slick person sneak out of the yard while you are grinding away. Have they bitten up each digging tool, sprinkler and grass furniture you own, at that point you unquestionably have an exhausted external canine.

On the off chance that your canine is showing any of these practices, at that point you certainly have a canine weariness issue. The following stage is to comprehend their fatigue and discover answers for involve their time while you are no more. Many pet proprietors feel awful letting their canine's house be nevertheless they simply don't have the foggiest idea what to do about it.

Where to Begin

Start by disclosing to yourself that it is alright to let your canine home be nevertheless it is your obligation to give them the instruments to possess their time in a gainful way. What many pet guardians don't know is that the damaging and tension ridden conduct their canine shows, frequently occurs inside the initial thirty minutes after they have left the home.

Numerous canines experience issues adapting to fatigue and the tension caused from partition and you should discover different approaches to quiet and divert them to lighten this conduct. It's critical to remember that canine's don't get damaging or potty on the floor to hurt you or incite a response from you by the same token. This conduct is welcomed on by fatigue and uneasiness.

Canine's don't purposefully decided to be wicked or "get back" at you for letting them be. They essentially expect incitement to keep them engaged and dynamic to evade this damaging conduct.

Discover Activities for Your Dog

The subsequent stage is to discover fun, energizing and engaging exercises that will give your canine the incitement they need to begin dodging and in any event, overcoming the fatigue and nervousness issues. Each canine is extraordinary and has various preferences, so utilize the recommendations beneath as a beginning stage and afterward expand on them with your own insight and understanding of your canine.

Exercise - Now ensuring your canine gets a lot of activity is critical yet the objective you are going for is to animate them in the territory where they will be situated during your nonappearance. Regardless of whether it's inside the home or in the terrace, zeroing in on their area is critical. Make that space a doggy jungle gym that they will be eager to utilize.

Games - You can discover many fun games that you can play with your canine or instruct them to play all alone. One incredible movement is a rendition of find the stowaway. Take a couple of low calorie treats or even a portion of their canine food and conceal it around the room or in the yard. The principal couple of times you play, you will need to make your canine piece of the concealing cycle so they will comprehend and see that you are concealing their food. This way they will know to search for it. Never stow away in difficult to arrive at places, just nonchalantly put them out everywhere on the room. The fact is for them to discover them genuinely simple and keep them dynamic and engaged.

Toys - There are some incredibly fun toy accessible today that can save a canine's consideration for extensive stretches of time. One of my canine's top choices is the canine toys that you can stuff loaded with treats or food. Put a touch of peanut butter inside one of these toys and your canine will work for quite a long time getting every single nonconformist. Our other most loved is the new Crazy Critters or stuffing free toys. My Maddie can pulverize another bite toy inside a day or two if it's substandard yet we've had our Crazy Critters toy for a little more than a quarter of a year now and the two canines are seconds ago figuring out how to destroy it. This is their #1 toy and they play with it ordinary. Their number one game is back-and-forth however the two of them play with it separately as well. This toy is launderable, solid and sturdy and doesn't leave stuffing everywhere on your floor! There are many, numerous other toy decisions. Purchase a combination and see what your canine truly enjoys.

Balls - I guess balls are actually a toy too yet in my home balls rule. It doesn't make a difference what sort of ball it is, Rodeo will play with it and authoritatively guarantee it as his own! He will make a move for quite a long time with us or all alone. My girls canine loves to hurl the ball route noticeable all around without anyone else and pursue it down. Keep in mind the estimation of a basic ball to keep your canine dynamic.

Frozen Treats - Try freezing pet milk, soup or stock for your canine and leave the frozen square in a bowl when you leave. As they soften, they are an alluring treat that they will keep on working at until it totally thaws.

Pup Day Care - If you have attempted and attempted various exercises and your canine simply can't remain alone, pup day care is a fantastic other option. They go for strolls, mess around, get treats and a large number of different exercises to help engage your canine for the afternoon.

Canine Walkers - Hiring a canine walker to stop by the house and take your canine for a walk ordinary is an extraordinary method to split the day up for your canine. It gives them practice and outside incitement. On the off chance that your canine is an external canine, consider requesting that the canine walker invest part of the energy in the actual lawn messing around. This will give your canine a partner and implement the fun of the space.

Friend Dogs or an Elderly Companion - You could consider carrying another canine into the home for a partner yet this doesn't generally work out and can even exacerbate the issue if your canine doesn't need another canine around. Take a stab at asking a companion and their canine over initial a couple of times to perceive how your canine responds to another canine prior to settling on that choice. Another choice that as of late got my attention was old associates. The thought is to locate an older individual that loves creatures and would likewise profit by the every day friendship. Attempt your neighbors or check with your companions for expected up-and-comers. You can likewise check with some retirement offices to check whether they have a creature program for your canine to come visit on specific days of the week. Canines are touchy and appear to know the contrast between individuals with regards to kids and the old. My canine Rodeo is incredibly dynamic being a Border Collie yet last Christmas I watched him take care of business with my Grandmother, who is in her 90's, and delicately take the ball back to her each time and put it directly in her lap. She adored it and I understood then that had Rodeo been invigorated as well as so had my Grandma both genuinely tossing the ball and participating in discussion with Rodeo. What a Great Moment!

Canine Sitter DVD's - This is something I as of late found however I think it is an exceptional thought. Numerous individuals use the radio or TV by leaving it on when they leave to assist their canine with weariness and fits of anxiety. Notwithstanding, presently you can make that one stride further by utilizing a canine sitter DVD. The canine sitter DVD's I took a gander at offered an incredible method to animate your canine genuinely as well as intellectually. The video contain sounds that solitary your canine can hear and frequently incorporate numerous creatures, for example, winged animals, racoons and squirrels to animate your canine. They offer your canine a virtual outside with heaps of creature companions to help them from feeling alone. There were numerous to browse and I intend to give this a shot for my own canines.

Battling canine fatigue and uneasiness appear to be overpowering and even inconceivable when you are confronting a damaging scene and a troubled canine however with a couple of straightforward apparatuses and a brief period and exertion on your part, you can give your canine a lot of energizing and animating activities. Envision the distinction of returning home to a decent quiet, clean house and an upbeat canine.

I left the business world to seek after my enthusiasm of working with creatures while attempting to improve my wellbeing. To do this, I am utilizing my 20+ years experience as a canine raiser and pet proprietor. I additionally worked for a notable veterinarian and public vet supply organization for quite a long while. I have a B.S. In Agriculture with an accentuation in Animal Science and Ag Business and I worked in the Agriculture Business Industry for more than twenty years. In the event that you are keen on the subtleties of how the correct canine food, canine consideration and simply ordinary love and friendship can help your canine carry on with a better and longer life, if you don't mind go along with us at: [http://www.love-your-canine food.com]

Could You Pay for Dog Food That Will Dramatically Shorten the Life of Your Pet? Obviously not. Not deliberately. However, when you purchase some unacceptable canine food, that might be actually the thing you're doing.

Address the Dog Food Puzzle is a digital book that will:

- Save you from paying large number of dollars worth of pointless vet bills

- Make you a more educated canine food purchaser

- Make your canine more joyful and better

- Teach you to settle on choices that will broaden the life expectancy of your canine

- And assist you with trying not to get misled by canine food organization goliaths

[soapxmactavish]

Project ‘Extractor’

was looking through my old school files and found this goodie from year 9. i’d written this just over a year ago. for english, we had to write a scifi short story and boi i was so bloody excited. how lucky was i to get this genre? too bad i was restricted with a small as fuck word limit otherwise i would’ve expanded on this so much more 

yes i was heavily inspired by deus ex: mankind divided for this - i was completely obsessed with that game and its DLC’s back then :D (yes, the main character in here is meant to be adam jensen - not like my teacher would’ve known gaming to save her life) 

note: there are mistakes in here, i decided to not edit the doc - something like a progress check to see how far i’ve come in over a year? i dunno, it seems neat. but i have changed the location of the suburb since it was meant to be a local setting - just privacy and all that jazz. 

fun fact: this was the only english assignment where i got an A - the rest were B’s. is this a sign? 

----

“We just need you to explain the events of the Extractor for the very last time. Then, we can put this all to bed and kiss it goodnight.”

    I sighed.” You wanna hear a story. Alright,” I sat down on the leather chair. Scratching my scarred beard, I looked at the new psychologist.” I’ll tell you a story.

    “It was the twentieth of March, twenty-twenty-nine. There was a storm - lightning, thunder, wind, heavy rain, you know the drill. Residents in Whittleton were forced to stay in for the night. The previous few nights, the Extractor was at large, hunting down Mech’s. Everybody was scared, and they had every right to be. For protection, the local police department enforced martial law.

    “I had some notion of what to expect when I was investigating the case. I should have been better prepared…”

6 months ago

“Another night, another death,” the overweight cop said to me. We were standing in an alleyway, nearby the main street. The environment was shrouded in rain, lightning and thunder erupting above us. The wind was howling and I tightened my coat around what skin was left on my mostly mechanically-enhanced body. 

    “What you cold for?” Detective Rodriguez asked, his shivering evident in his voice.” Most of ya’s metal. Not like us organics.”

    I ignored the comment, not wanting to make things even more complicated than what they already were.” So, have your boys collected up all the evidence they can? Got a name on the victim?” 

    Rodriguez shook his head.” To be honest with you, the police station isn’t fully motivated to investigate your kind’s incidents. I’m completely against it, even trying to get some help from some of my buddies. Nothing.”

    I looked to the side, shaking my head, before looking back at the Latino cop.” Why wouldn’t your buddies help, if you knew it was the right thing to do?”

    Rodriguez shrugged.” We have one thing in common, you and I – we’re always put in nasty situations. That whole incident with you and the police force way back when. Repugnante. Nasty.”

    I glared at the cop through my gold-tinted eye shields.” Bring up that again, and we’re gonna have a real problem. What’s done is done. I made my choice to leave the force.”

    “Senor Evans, I mean in no way to offend, but we have a case to solve now. Mind getting started?”

    I gave the cop one last look, before looking at the bloody mess in front of me. Already, I could see some leading objects. Walking up to the corpse, I saw that every cyberlimb was removed, placed in a pile nearby the organic torso and head. Every part, cyber and organic, was wet from the rain.

    “We know that this isn’t local gang business,” Rodriguez stated.” They take them and we never see them again. Sell them or wire them in themselves. No, this is someone new.”

    “Yeah, and the new guy doesn’t hoard them, I noticed.” 

    I noticed long gashes on the woman’s face, as I went to pick up her ID card.” Callie Woods. Botanist of a facility called Greenhouse Plant. ID number, picture, date of birth – it’s all here.”

    I handed the card to the cop. After a second, he spoke up.” No pattern in victims, except they’re all mechanical. You cyborgs have a real thing for…never mind.     “Anyways, I’ve heard about these people. No one big. Their closest place is just down the road.”

    I shrugged.” It’s a lead. Let’s comb this place before we go.”

    Rodriguez shook his head, looking down at the corpse.” Actually, since it’s technically my case, I’ll set up a perimeter and bag anything that seems to pop out. Here,” the detective handed me something,” my card. Keep me in the loop, amigo.”

    Pocketing the slip, I nodded.” Sure.”

. . .

Rodriguez’s voice appeared in my head, via neural comms.“ Senor Evans, are you there?”

    “Yeah. What’s up?”

    “I’ve just laid out all the case files in front of me and I think I’ve found a pattern.”

    “What is it?”

    “The Extractor, he – hey!”

    I heard gunshots and bangs through the line, and I stop the bike. The turn off to Greenhouse Plant was coming up, but the detective was in trouble. I had a choice to make.

    I either continue onto the Greenhouse Plant and investigate the lead there, or I go back and help Detective Rodriguez. 

    I tapped the bars, deep in thoughts. Who am I kidding?

    Burning rubber, I spun the bike around and floored it down the highway. No one else was dying when I had a hand in play.

. . .

I barged inside Detective Rodriguez’s house – the last place he was tracked at. Signs of struggle were seen throughout his living room – chairs were strewn around, glass smashed, doors off their hinges, blood stains everywhere and on a bat.

    I saw where it seem to begun – the living room. A laptop was open on his desk, still unlocked.

    For a cop, his security is terrible. 

    Leaving me no choice, I sat down at the desk and went through Rodriguez’s open windows. I saw some random tabs open, and I decided to minimise them, so I could probably prolong the battery life. I didn’t have time to look around for a charger.

    I found nothing in his emails or messages. No leads to pinpoint a way to who took him and where they took him.

    Slamming the desk in frustration, I backed away from the computer. There were no cliché blood trails leading me to a fantasy world. 

    Suddenly, a holographic view of a masked man holding a gun appeared in the living room window. I cautiously approached it, not wanting to get into a trap.

    “Help a friend out – one-one-two Marybelle Road. Don’t take too long.”

    Right after the holographic figure disappeared, I heard loud slamming. 

Spinning around, I saw that the windows were covered in bulletproof window covers. Racing to the door, I turned it as hard as I could. Nothing. A female-voice AI started speaking from all around the house.

    “Security has been initiated. 10 seconds before self-destruct.”

    My cyberhand converted into a matte black grenade launcher within a second. All it took was a single blast for the door to turn into flying splinters.

    Rushing out of the door, I heard the AI’s last seconds, before a rush of wind sent me flying forward. With a loud ringing in my ears, I turned around, seeing Rodriguez’s house in flames. 

   Before the fire brigade could turn up, I hopped onto my slightly-damaged bike, rushing out of the street.

. . .

    Stealthily, I crept down the backroom stairs. I heard a faint sound, but I didn’t let that concern me at the moment.

    I saw Detective Rodriguez tied in a chair, his head fallen forward. A small pool of blood was beneath his head. Knocked out. Rushing for his aid, I saw that he was only unconscious.

    “Rodriguez!” I whisper-yelled, trying to wake him up. Without success, I decided to carry him out on my own and get him to my apartment. 

    What I expected for the detective to do was slowly wake up. What I didn’t expect was him to lash out at me like a wild man. He fisted his hands, giant metal claw-like strips coming out of his knuckles, something like out of Wolverine comics. I jumped back, grabbing my revolver from its holster.

    I was too slow, as I was pinned down by Rodriguez, my gun sliding just out of reach. His eyes were crazy, but his voice was calm, laced with his Argentinian heritage.” Were you really that foolish?! How did you not guess? I’m the Extractor!”

    “Yeah, kinda figured that out,” I grunted, trying to break free. Instinctively, I activated the magnetic features of my cyberhands, my revolver leaping to me. As soon as it was caught, I swung the butt of the gun onto Rodriguez’s head, knocking him out instantly. He fell to the side, limp.

    Taking a few heavy breaths, I stood up, limping out of the crime scene. I needed to get out of this place as fast as possible.

Present Day

I rubbed into a knot that was forming in my neck. Being here forever and retelling the same thing over and over again wasn’t my ideal meeting.

    “So, you just left Detective Rodriguez dead?”

    I shook my head.” I made sure he was only unconscious. I’m not one to sentence someone to their fate – I leave that for others to decide.”

    “’Once a cop, always a cop’, eh?”  

    I shrugged.” Something like that.”

    “Well, thank you for coming in today, Agent Evans.”

    I stood up from the chair, towards the door.” Sure.”

[bloodiedcuriosity]

Chronicle 1

Note: This chronicle is over a year long, so I will summarize story beats the best I can from Fangs perspective, labelled for skimming ease.

Headers: main story arcs Bold/italics: subplots

Strike through stuff are comments from me the player, not Fang.

Coterie: Fang (Gangrel), Jacks (Ventrue), Udjat (Ministry), Ariyah (Tremere), Alex (Banu)

The Gangs First Mission:

    Jacks and I were summoned to the Prince, where we met 3 others to take care of a masquerade breach. Someone frenzied in the middle of a club and we were to take care of the police that responded and the witness at the hospital, the kindred was not our main priority. Me, Jacks, and Alex handled the Police. Loki caused a distraction for Alex to sneak in and Jacks commanded the head detective to head to Brazil, and to shoot anyone asking why. Which is a great idea. We found the evidence and took care of it as well as the 2 other witnesses.

     Following some leads that Udjat and Jacks had found as the previous night ended, we found the Kindred responsible, but it looks like someone had gotten to her first. We head back to Elysium as everything is handled and overall we did well and were recognized as an official coterie with domain. Ariyah says there’s ghosts in the apartment we were given though.

The Curious Case of the Thinbloods:

     Nothing happens for 2 weeks, I network and gossip at parties. I overhear that there’s a group of humans spreading odd rumors as well as accurate information on Torries and Nos at a bar in Etobicoke. at the end of the 2 weeks, someone is at our haven, an Anarch named Jeremy. He offers 5 more blocks into their territory for feeding as well as phones that have been Kindred proofed (Alex the resident techie makes sure). The humans are operating in the Banu domain, of which we were granted permission to stay in for a week to handle them. Watching the bar Loki and I spot 3 odd acting humans and alerted the others. I had Loki follow the humans home, and to follow Udjat if they split up. We found the homes of the humans and broke in to figure out what they knew and what they had. RED swooped down to collect me while they were finishing up searching the houses, an urgent delivery to a warehouse in Hamilton. I didn’t open the package. Though I really wanted her to. This is relevant info I promise

    I met back up with the others in the Banu domain, following a lead for the ones giving the humans kindred info at a homeless camp. A nos named Slash gives us the name and location of three thinbloods at Humber College. They’re having a party tonight so we decide to crash it. I find one of them named Gil and in trying to get him alone/looking at what he has in his room I end up in a threesome because that totally happens, what can I say, Fang the knockoff torrie has her ways. In the process Alex obtains all of their phones and determines that there’s no breaches there, though Gil was interested in Ethan’s disappearance.

A Pillar Collapses:

     We learn that Ethan was aware of him being a thinblood and of the masquerade, and sought to connect with the other two, teaching them the masquerade as well before he disappeared. Ethans parents were never aware that he was missing. We capture Ethan and Jacks wants to bring him to Liams (Jacks’s sire), but Ethan would rather go to Elysium or the sun than go to Liams. He tells us all the terrible experiments that Liam has done on him and other Thinbloods. Jacks makes the executive decision to still take him to Liam, and he and the other coterie members fight, and chase. In the end, Ethan makes it to Elysium where in a month he will have an audience with the Prince, as well as the other Thinbloods with Alex as their lawyer. Jacks tells me to go back to the Haven, and he will explain everything.

    30 minutes to sunrise, I get hundreds of messages from Jessica (his ghoul) to go find Jacks, but its too late for me to go out to look for him. I pass out in the living room fighting the sun to wait for messages from Jessica. When I wake up the next night, Jessica leaves one more message, saying that he walked into the sun. I frenzy at the loss of a close friend in a puff of feathers. Patches of feathers remain even when the frenzy fades for the night. When I calm down, Alex invites me to go to a meeting with Udjat and Jeremy to talk about the Thinbloods and Liam. A meeting at Elysium is called, they confirm that Jacks is dead, and to confirm the time line given for the trial of the Thinblood that is now in 3 months. Someone under the Sherrif is dispatched to the Coterie named Vinny. After the meeting we go to Jacks’s haven, and find Jessica heavily drinking. I console her, give her me phone number, and convince her to let them look through the haven. I find a briefcase full of pictures of my graffiti on his buildings which makes me cry, I also riffle through his jewelry for a ring and put it on a chain. Ariyah and I have a heart to heart, she knows loss like this. I later gain custody of Jessica, and question the three thinbloods with everyone, as I am the better lie detector. Alex says he has business to attend to and leaves. We go to Ethans parents to try and glean more information, and find that they are missing and have been for a while. Found foot prints and tire tracks but that is more Alex’s forte. 

The Beach Episode:

     Vinny and I decide to have some bonding time, and spar. He kicked my shit in but I proved my point to him that I could take a punch. Fortitude yeehaw. Udjat and I share blood since he was hungry and wanted some disciplines, we also learn that Vinny is Caitiff, and I wanted presence so you know. RED came and visited, saying someone came to the pack looking for me that fit the description of someone who ambushed me years ago. She doesn’t like it and offers to come with us to look for her. Udjat, Vinny, RED and I go looking for her at a close by conservatory. We find her, we fight and she falls into damage torpor. We take her to the haven with us and talk more but she falls into hunger torpor not giving us anything so we take her to the Camarilla. Ariyah mothers us and RED hits on Vinny and I hate it. Imagine if your mother started hitting on your friend, its WEIRD MAN

The Trial:

    Liam gets fucked up for being a lying bitch, Slash is a lying bitch who kept lying and even tried to run away. Liams ghouls were killed, 2/3 thinbloods found innocent, we are given a major boon from the court. An explosion rocks Elysium, 3 bombs have gone off in the city. We were told to go home and wait for instructions. Vinny and I spar again while waiting, he wins again but not as bad. The following days they’re told to be even more careful and to not go near the bomb locations. Jobs for the pack have been cancelled for the next month, RED tells me to tell Vinny something and I am not having it but RED sees right through me and came over. Jeremy comes over and we learn that the man Ariyah saw in her sires library while preparing for the trial is Vigil, the Malk Primogen, and that Jonathan is his brother as well as the leader of the Anarchs. They also learn that the doors to the clubs prior to the bombings were boarded up. He also tells us that the phones will be updated soon. Alex after Jeremy leaves tells us to give him the Anarch phones and to not trust Vigil or Jonathan.

3 Years Later:

    There is a remembrance every year for the bombings, RED tells me she mates for life and I realized that I can’t sabotage her and Vinny anymore. There’s CCTVs everywhere, everyone does their own thing. I try to start using my networking to gain some favor to plant the seeds of becoming a Harpy. Jeremy comes over near the end of the time skip, offering us a job to go get a shipment of thermal cameras for them to gain a Major boon from him. The mission goes well, though we had to fight SI, but I had Loki keeping watch and gave us a decent heads up. I take a couple bullets, but otherwise everyone was unscathed.

    I keep my ear to the ground about the mission, to see if anyone knows more than they should and all I find is that people know it happened but no one knows who did it or why. The coterie is called to Elysium for a job, Julius Moon (Anarch) needs to be interrogated in connection to the bombings. Another Anarch we’ve kept in contact with sets up the meeting with him. The meeting was a mess, something tipped Ariyah off about his answers, he tried running, even got into Vinnys head to use him against us. In the end, he was chopped into pieces and stuffed into a suitcase to be easily transported as he was missing his arms for trying to fight us. He was brought to Elysium to be held and questioned by us, after I put him back together. He knew way too much. The Anarchs were trying to start a war with the Camarilla, and our Anarch contacts were all involved in one way or another, except notably, Vigil. 

War:

    Natio entrusts the coterie to deliver the first strike back in this war, granting us the right of destruction to any Anarch. Our job is to take down their main method of communication, the Anarch cellphones, by destroying their servers and bricking their phones. Udjat left, last talking with Ariyah. We scout out the building the Anarchs are using, a building at York University, to find its guarded well by mortals and kindred alike. Alex comes up with a plan and creates something to destroy and erase all the information on the servers as well as brick the phones that are attached to the servers.  

The First Strike:

     Vinny, Ariyah and I go directly into the building as students, as the servers are in the basement, and scout out/keep an eye out for not students while Alex sneaks his way in. We encounter another Kindred named Bennie, who also seeks to pick a bone with Jeremy. The chaos begins with EDM blasting over the speakers and a pulled fire alarm. The kindred near by burst in, fighting ensues, I get my shit wrecked by feral weapons and bot me and Vinny get wrecked by Sarah with Fist of Caine. Vinny is in damage torpor while Ariyah and I whittle her down to hunger and damage torpor, capturing her, though we later learn Benny took her while Ariyah tried to take her to Elysium. Benny disappears in the scuffle. Everything was so action packed I didnt take good notes, and Fang wasn’t part of the more ‘important’ scenes for the overall story. When the dust settles, the servers are damaged and phones bricked, though not to Alex’s satisfaction. 

Cleanup Crew:

     The next mission we were given, take care of some of the fighting forces for the Anarchs. The Anarchs were more Gangrel and Brujah, while the Camarilla distinctly lacked them and any fighters, besides the Camarilla Nos. We prepared to go to the Anarch Gangrel domain and smoke them out, napalm and flame throwers included. However upon arrival it looks like the SI beat us to it. It was a setup for us most likely, but Loki and I caught it before they spotted us. On the way back, I hunted. On that hunt I encountered the same bouncer I gave empty promises the night after my embrace. I was shook, he attempted to kill me, but I scared him off, I hope for good. Daunt is one hell of a drug

     While we were distracted though, the SI stormed Elysium. We were told by a Nos that Vinny knows, Roach, and he asks us to come with him to kill the prisoners that are being held underground before the SI get to them. We accomplish that, killing some more SI on the way, and killing Sarah and Julius as well. No one has seen Alex in a while. 

     A new Elysium location is picked and called, the remaining kindred are all over the place in terms of happiness and or nervousness. 4 Anarchs want to switch sides as well. Natio announces that there is going to be a parley between him and the Anarchs, and that the coterie (and Benny) is to come with. It is not intended to be peaceful, no one goes in or out.

Parley:

There are three main figures, Jonathan is in the center, 2 guards inside and 2 more on the outside of the room. He denies having any part of the bombings, and gets aggressive when Natio accuses him of telling the SI where Elysium was. Another fight ensues, everyone killed besides Jonathan and one of the inside guards, he was an undercover Camarilla. 

You Reap What You Sow:

The war is over, and things change.

Ariyah is appointed Tremere whip, her sire the new Primogen

I am the representative for the Camarilla Gangrel, not Primogen but still of some importance

Vinny was given the opportunity to Diablerize Alex, for he had tried to leave while we were killing prisoners, and he does, becoming Banu Haqim. He also becomes an official Hound

We all have our own domains as well as the coterie domain.  And with that, comes the end of Chronicle 1. 

[queennicoleinboots]

Peter turns into a Giraffe, and I am now a Jaguar (Xara POV)

If there is one human being I have hated more than life itself in the last two and a half years, it is Peter Parker. He is the most self-absorbed, immune-to-aging, immature, dense, airheaded, curly-haired NUISANCE JERK I HAVE EVER MET! I cannot take his bullshit anymore. I can't believe we haven't killed each other yet. He was so obnoxious today. He hit his all-time high of being the biggest, curly-haired, glasses-wearing, green-eyed, TALL douche on the face of the Earth.

My day with him was the worst ever in the entirety of my still 30-year-old body. I refuse to age if this dickwad can still look 40 while almost being 55. He can be 55. I'll remain 30 for the next year or so. Fuck him. Fuck him and his fountain of youth. His bullshit was INCESSANT. First, he purposely tossed his mold samples that he collected for the sheer purpose of fucking with me into his bath tub and made me clean them. Then, he snickered and placed an alive American roach into his toilet bowl while letting it swim until it was hiding in the rim. I screamed bloody murder and yelled, "Fuck you, Peter Parker!"

He laughed at me again because he is a son of a bitch. I threw a can of Pete's Liquid Gold at his fucking curly-haired head. I was so sick of his never-ending bullshit.

While he was peacefully cleaning up his room and making random noises to relieve mental anguish, I was dealing with yet another sample of mold in the guest bathroom. He had it in the sink and bath tub. I sighed and cleaned it, but believe me when I say that I wanted to shove the bottle of cleaning spray up his ass. And, I was so pissed because he even had a talking toilet in the bathroom.

"Hello. I wanted to let you know that Peter's shit is abundant and nutritious," the toilet said.

I slammed the lid on the toilet hard before I started a barrage of verbal abuse toward this beanstalk nuisance pest jerk. "PETER YOU ARE OFFICIALLY THE BIGGEST PAIN IN THE ASS I HAVE EVER MET IN MY LIFE!!! EVERYTHING IN THIS WORLD IS YOUR FAULT!!! YOU HAVE SINGLE-HANDEDLY MY RUINED MY LIFE WITH YOUR CURLY HAIR AND ABUNDANT TALENT THAT DWARFS MINE!!!!"

Peter laughed as he made his room look perfectly normal in between making random sounds that helped him relieve stress and anxiety. Those sounds made me laugh both out of sheer nervousness and high amusement.

A text message came in on my phone. It was Colonel America telling me that Gabby sent his regards. I read this text while Peter was going on his own tirade: "Happy extremely-belated Birthday. Again. You can't stop the aging process. Gabby can attest that. He sends his regards."

I sent this text while Peter still kept going: "GABBAYY!!! Thank you, Colonel America, but I refuse to be older than 30 until I am 33. Fuck 31. I hate that number. It's a name of a multi-level marketing company that sells handbags. It might as well sell tiny classified ads."

Because I can process more than one conversation at a time, I can tell you that Peter said, "If I am the biggest pain in the ass you've ever met, you have it made. Also, I am not the cause of half of the bullshit NEUROSES you have in your head. And good God there's a lot. Jeez. I've met a lot of women, but yours is up there Jesus Christ! Your life has been a pile of shit BEFORE you met me. I had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH IT! Crazy. You're crazy. CRAAAAAZZZYY!!!!" He sang the word "CRAAAAAZZZYY!!!!"

"Ugh. Am not! Or maybe I am. It's your fault. Your drive me crazy!" I yelled.

"Again that's crazy. You were CERTIFIABLY INSANE before you knew I even existed," Peter said with an obnoxious laugh. Goddamn I wanted to punch him.

"Fuck you! I hate how much better than me you are than I am!" I screamed at him.

Peter laughed. "Some of us just got it," he said casually. "Nice redundancy! Ha! Ha!"

"Yeah, I know. Fuck you. You flaunt it in my face EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE!!! I hate the English language, and I HATE YOU! I FUCKING HATE YOU!!!!" I screamed as I threw a bottle of multipurpose cleaner at his door.

The fucker laughed. "I only see you three times a week. Haha." He snickered before the small vacuum cleaner turned into Gabby. "Oh no. What the fuck?"

"THIS IS CNN!" Gabby said as he jumped on Peter's bed.

"What the shit is going on?" I asked.

"FUCK IF I KNOW! My vacuum cleaner turned into Gabby Hayes from CNN. WHY?! I AM NOT DOING ANYTHING NEWSWORTHY!!!!" Peter screamed.

"You exist, Peter W. Parker. That's newsworthy," Gabby said.

"GABBAYYYY!!!" I yelled as I charged into Peter's room to cuddle and kiss Gabby.

Gabby kissed me and then laid on top of me. "This is newsworthy. Thank you, Xara. I missed you," he said.

"Goddamn. You know the news has gone to shit when a Siamese cat appears in my bedroom out of my God-Forsaken vacuum cleaner, and it's newsworthy holy Shit. Get a recall on this fucking vacuum cleaner," Peter said as he scratched his head.

Gabby and I laughed. Gabby was laying on my stomach and purring.

"Why my Uncle Irwin decided to give short notice to his visit is beyond me. Maybe because his prefrontal cortex was malformed after a car accident. Ya know, a lot of shit has happened to my family because of car accidents," Peter said thoughtfully.

"Sorry to hear," Gabby said.

"Yeah, me, too. My sister died. Uncle Irwin's brain was damaged. My cousin Richard had a back injury... I had a black woman chase me while she was masturbating because I rear-ended her..." Peter trailed off.

Gabby and I laughed again.

I lifted Gabby off of me and put him on the bed. "I have to piss," I said as I went into the bathroom.

I lifted the lid of the toilet to sit down.

"Nice ass," the toilet said.

"Thank you," I said as I sat down on him and peed.

"Deelicious! Deelicious! DELICIOOOOUSSS!!! DELICIOOOOUSSS!!!

DELICIOOOOUSSS!!!" the toilet sang.

I wiped myself off down there before flushing the toilet.

"DELICIOOOOUSSS!!!" the toilet sang.

I washed my hands and continued to clean the bathroom. I opened the door to continue to speak. "Peter, I can't believe you made me come here bright and early again. I thought you learned from a year and seven months ago that waking me up early would cause mayhem and destruction in your life!"

"Blame Uncle Irwin. He's the one coming here at 3. He wanted to conduct business with my dad and hang out with me. I wake up bright and early, so I'm totally fine with it. You're the one on a weird schedule," Peter said as he walked in here.

I turned to him. "Only to avoid humanity," I said with a smile.

"That's your problem," Peter said with a smirk as he looked directly in my eyes.

"It's MY prerogative!" I said and danced to the tune of 'It's My Prerogative' by Bobby Brown.

"Great song! It's MY prerogative!" Peter sang along in an obnoxious high-pitched voice.

I laughed before he started laughing. We laughed for a few minutes before he straightened up and said, "Get back to work!"

I sighed. "Fine!!! Jerk," I said as I scoffed.

He sighed loudly. I sighed. He sighed again. I sighed again.

Gabby meowed loudly.

"Gabbbaaayyyyyyy!!!!" I yelled as I was finishing up my job in the bathroom.

"We have to make Irwin's bed," Peter said.

Gabby then announced, "THIS IS CNN."

"I'm well aware!!!" Peter said as he stormed to the guest room. I knew he stormed because I heard stomping.

I emerged from the bathroom to help that irate curly-haired pain in the ass. He was muttering swear words and struggling to make the bed while I was dusting his room.

"CAN YOU HELP ME?! I CAN'T TELL IF THE SHEETS ARE HANGING ON THE SAME LENGTH ON BOTH SIDES!!!" Peter screamed.

"Sure, jerk," I said as I checked both sides of the bed. "A slight hair uneven on the right side." I went back to dusting.

"OH FOR THE LOVE OF FUCK, CAN YOU HELP ME?!" Peter screamed as he attempted to put a pillow case on the pillow before throwing it on the bed.

"I'm busy," I said as I stopped dusting before purposely messing up the bed by putting the wrong blanket on the bed.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!" Peter screamed before throwing his hands in the air.

I laughed. "Making the bed," I said.

"No. Fuck you. That's the wrong blanket," Peter said as he took the blanket off and threw it over Gabby who was watching in extreme amusement.

I laughed and then helped him put the right blanket on the bed. As soon as we attempted to straighten it, Peter huffed.

"Fuck it. It works. I don't care. He can sleep in it. If he doesn't like it, he can kiss my ass," Peter said loudly as he sat on the bed and punched a pillow.

I cracked up. "Are you okay?" I asked while falling on the floor and laughing.

Peter turned his head toward me and looked at me. "Am I okay? Yeah, I'm fine! My uncle Irwin is coming over, and I'm totally not ready. Yeah, everything's great, just great."

"All right! Maybe you won't mind being a giraffe then!" I yelled as I turned him into his favorite animal: a giraffe like I did two years ago. He was still tall, pale, and awkward.

He bleated and looked at me with a "WTF" look.

What the world doesn't know is that I can be a bitch at times, especially to Peter Parker. I have been trolling him for the past two years. I started when he was 52 years old and looking like a 40-year-old. It all started when I handed him a sheet of drywall from Mr. Williamson's garage. (Mr. Williamson was formerly known as Mr. Bright and Early.) Mr. Williamson and I thought it would be funny to torment Peter Parker with what he hated most: drywall. Plus, I am *still* pissed that he is more talented than I am at everything. Fuck him.

Peter turned 55 today. Two years ago, he turned 53. Peter doesn't look like he aged a minute except for a few gray hairs. He is an asshole, and I am jealous.

He seemed to have forgotten that I existed because he was dealing with everyone in his house being sick and/or crippled. We had developed a like-hate friendship that was special. He was the hero, and I was the villain. We argued, trolled, spoke, and had wonderful misadventures together. Then life told me to fuck off. I was unfulfilled because I couldn't hardcore troll Peter anymore. Well, fuck it, I turned Peter into a giraffe again out of sheer spite and frustration!

I laughed and slapped him softly on his side.

"Well, I can't very well continue to clean up being a giraffe," Peter said as he bleated and walked out the door. "Finish up. I can't take this anymore!" He bleated again.

I laughed and continued to clean his house before I turned into a jaguar. I howled in pride when my work was complete.

Peter was outside bleating. I noticed three Venus flytraps emerging from the toilets in the massive toilet garden. I grinned and then made the toilets come alive as though they were the three fairies in Sleeping Beauty.

The three toilets sang French opera as loud as they could outside Peter's house. Peter bleated loudly and joined in on their singing.

"Happy Birthday! Care to take your first poop as a 55-year-old?" the first toilet asked as she opened her mouth wide.

The second toilet said, "Super Coping Giraffe, we have been following you since you were born... 55 years ago."

The third toilet said, "We are inspired by your super coping poops!"

A bird was flying at full speed at Peter's long neck. "Care to reinact 9-1-1? This story is for the birds!" it squawked.

"Let's make like pigeons and shit on this story!" the second bird said as it was also flying at full speed at Peter's long neck.

"Ahhh!!! I'm a super coping giraffe that looks like a llama. I can't believe my housekeeper did this to me again! My life is so awkward!" Peter said as he started running down the driveway.

The pigeons took large shits on Peter's driveway and on Irwin's car before they flew away.

Uncle Irwin drove up the driveway and asked the giraffe, "Excuse me. Is this the Parker residence? Can you believe that my car just got bombarded with bird shit?"

"Yes. I'm Peter Parker," Peter said as he leaned his head down to Irwin's window. "And I just want to pretend that birds didn't shit all over my existence."

"Why the fuck is spiderman a giraffe?" Irwin asked.

Peter bleated loudly and started jumping up and down. "I'm Peter WALLACE Parker! I'm a fucking giraffe! I'm not Spiderman. I used to be Super Coping Man before I had a mental breakdown a year and a half ago! Goddammit!" he screamed.

Irwin beat on his steering wheel and started laughing hysterically. "Oh sorry, Peter. I didn't recognize you because you were a giraffe," he said.

Peter bleated loudly and rolled his eyes. "Do you need help carrying your things in?" he asked.

"No thank you. But I would like to get some sleep," Irwin said as he got out of the car and grabbed a few bags.

"Okay," Peter said as he walked to the mailbox to pick up the mail.

I pounced at Peter and Irwin to startle them. I threw in a loud jaguar growl for added effect.

Peter bleated in fright and dropped the mail.

Irwin dropped his bags and shouted. "Aaahhhhh! What are you?"

"Hi! I'm Peter's housekeeper, Xara. I'm a jaguar, but I look like Foamy the Squirrel. I'm glad you're here, Irwin, because your nephew is boring!" I said before I growled at them again.

"What universe am I in?!" Irwin screamed as he picked up his bags and ran inside.

"Why did you choose now to turn me into a giraffe? Fuck you," Peter said as he kicked me.

"Because it's funny, and you piss me off," I said as I pounced on his butt and started munching on the flesh.

A familiar basenji was charging up the driveway.

"Holy Shit! Tug?! What are you doing here?! I thought you were dead!" Peter exclaimed with a happy, long-lasting bleat as he jumped up and down.

Tug howled and ran up to Peter. They were playing together.

I jumped off Peter's butt before I said, "Happy Birthday, Peter. I finally was able to resurrect Tug for you. Now you have two pets named Tug and Ted."

Ted the Alligator was slinking near the toilets in the toilet garden. "Holy Shit, Tug returned!" he said. "We shall celebrate this day. Happy Birthday, Peter Wallace Parker. And happy Thanksgiving. We are thankful for Tug's return."

Tug did his dance and howled with pride.

[fatbottombucky]

Steve Rogers and the Father-In-Law of Doom *x Reader* 1/5

Summary: Your whirlwind relationship to engagement with Steve Rogers, left little time to meet family members. With yours and his work, it left little free time, till now. Chicago, where your father resides. Dr Henry Walton Jones Jr and Steve Rogers go way back.  Characters: Steve Rogers, Indiana Jones, Sam Wilson, Howard Stark, Bucky Barnes, Tony Stark, Peggy Carter, Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff Pairing: Steve x Reader

Note: This was inspired when I watched Indiana Jones, the first movie was set during WW2 and figured, he’d know Peggy and stuff if universes collided. I’ve had to change Indy’s age a bit, to fit with Marvel universe, so things are kind off. Don’t question it too much, go with it. - Rosalee

We all have @juliagolia87 to thank for this!

Chapter One

Exactly six months ago your life had changed for the better. Some would call this a whirlwind romance, a fleeting moment of passion, not you, this was something you were holding onto with every fibre of your being. So, it’s happening faster than normal romances, you’ve read romance novels that were only 268 pages long and had much more happen in them than what you’re currently going through.

You had met Steve, your now fiance, at a Stark Gala back in the spring. You were introduced by Tony, knowing you’d both have some things in common; it was meant to be a joke but it turned out for the best, for everyone. You’re an archaeologist, in the short term, you like looking at the study of human activity through the years. In Tony’s terms, a lot of old cool shit, hence the joke. Steve, on a whim, asked for your number and you happily gave it to him, you didn’t hear from him till a week later, mind you. Since the first date it kind of cannonballed, you had moved in with him after three months and by the fifth month, he had proposed.

There was essentially nothing stopping you both from just getting married as soon as possible.

Except for your dad.

During your relationship, due to him with Avenger commitments and you travelling the globe for your work, you hadn’t exactly had the time to tell your dad you were in a relationship let alone engaged. You had no doubt that they wouldn’t get along, it’s just that, your father is a hardass. If Steve isn’t good enough, to him, then he would make it known and wouldn’t approve… and guess what, that’s what Stevie wants. Approval.

“I understand us going but them? I don’t get,” You nodded to Tony, Clint, Sam, Bucky and Natasha piling into the van also. “This is meant to be you getting to know my father, not a vacation for the Avengers.”

Steve sighed gently as he got into the passenger seat. “Tony insisted on tagging along, Bucky doesn’t like being without me and the rest, I guess vacation.”

You let out a small sigh and decide to not question it further, hopefully, the added moral support will help calm your nerves. You drive to Chicago, where your father resides, currently. It’s a long, horrible, tedious drive but you make it. He lives just outside of Chicago, actually in, Blue Island, on Grove Street, Illinois.

You pulled up to his house, smiling as you stepped out, it had been a while since you last saw your dad. Steve takes hold of your hand as he looks directly at the red painted house, a timid smile of his own. You could hear yelling from the backyard, glancing at the others with a grin, you nod from them to follow as you walk to the side gate. Your older brother’s voice, plus the stern one of your father through the old wooden gate. You unlatched it, letting go of Steve’s hand and pushing it open to reveal the small yard, a BBQ trying to be set-up by the Jones’ men.

Steve followed behind you, nerves erupting in his stomach at the disciplinary voice, it had an edge of familiarity to it but he tends to hear that tone in his own voice. The yard was small, not too small, well-kept grass that must be fake. His eyes drifted to the two men, an older gentleman and one not a few years younger than Sam. Dark hair and black leather jacket, he looked a little like you except, well, a man.

His eyes drifted to your dad and Steve frowned.

He knows him, well, knew him. His blood ran cold the more he looked at him, the colour draining from his face, if there was one person that scared both, Steve and Bucky, it was your dad.

London, England: 1941

“What do we know about this tesseract?” Steve asked Colonel Phillips, staring at the map he had accurately pinpointed the Hydra bases.

He received a long sigh. “Not a lot, virtually nothing, Stark and his team are still running tests,” his stern voice as he looks over files that Lieutenant Lorraine brought over.

“Stark actually has called in a favour to a friend who may know a little more on the Tesseract.” Agent Carter smiled at Steve, who nodded back, “He’s here now, best if we meet him before he runs off.”

Steve and Colonel Phillips follow Peggy through the S.S.R base. Being led to where Stark does most of his experiments, his team all bustling around the area, papers flying around and off the tables to the ground when someone walks past. Steve frowns when he sees Bucky walking towards him, raising an eyebrow in question to his best friend.

“Stark, had some tech for the guys to look at but they’re all too drunk to look at it,” Bucky shrugged as he shoved his hands into his missions pants, he hadn’t changed out of them since yesterday when they returned from taking out a Hydra base. “Why are you here?” Bucky muttered.

“Howard has some guy coming in to talk about the Tesseract!” Steve shrugged lightly and nodded to where Peggy and Phillips had walked over to; the soldiers following shortly behind.

Once walking to the table there are old parchment papers with cryptic writing; images of the Tesseract also. Steve’s eyes glance up to the man who is stood beside Howard, also dressed in Military uniform, a bright smirk upon his face as he shakes Peggy’s hand. He looked roughly the same age as Steve, maybe a little younger. Dark sandy hair, tanned skin from being out in the sun a little too long, must be part of his work. 

“Captain Rogers, Sergeant Barnes, meet Doctor Indiana Jones.” Howard smiles, Steve raises an eyebrow at the name but shakes the man’s hand nonetheless. “World’s greatest Archaeologists.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Steve smiles at the man who nods. “Airforce?” He looks over the uniform on the man in question.

Indiana chuckles, “No, I had this from a job I did over in North-America and thought, I’d fit in better here if I wore this. I’m usually more casual than this,” Steve nods awkwardly.

“Doctor Jones, what do you know about this Tesseract?” Colonel Phillips asks looking at the papers on the table, picking one up and looking it over till it’s plucked out of his hands, he gives an unruffled look to Indiana.

Indiana puts the paper he’s holding down, “These papers are thousands of years old,” he states to Phillips with a unimpressible look. ”There’s only mythology on the Tesseract, up until now it was all legend and myth, much like everything else.” Everyone listened intently to Jones. “It was created by these four beings,” he moved a piece of old cloth that had drawings of four, tall, figures with the Tesseract above them. “It then came into contact with what Norse mythology calls, Odin, their God, of such. He brought it down to Earth and left it here; its energy sustained their lands and helped their warriors, so it’s told. Now it’s being found in a Church up in Tønsberg,” Indiana shrugged and crossed his arms.

“Is there anything else we should know?” Peggy asked.

“Yeah, you should have left it in that Church!” He bitterly remarks, “It’s power, whatever it is, only brought destruction to Vikings that wanted to find it. It shouldn’t be looked or touched by men,” he was already packing up his papers into a brown, old briefcase, the initials ‘H.W.J.JR.’ inscribed onto a gold band.

Colonel Phillips and Peggy left to go over the new information, Indiana had already given his best opinion to Howard about the power of the Tesseract provides to the weapons Hydra have. Bucky raised his eyebrows as Steve walked over to Indiana who was clipping his case up, also giving a questioning look to Steve who stands beside him.

“What exactly is it you do?” Steve questioned as Bucky sighed, shaking his head at his friend’s curiosity.

“You heard Stark, Archeologist,” Indiana repeated with a nonchalant look to Steve. “What’s it to you?”

“I just- I just think you know more about the Tesseract than you have admitted,” Steve shrugged with one shoulder, trying not to show how intimidated he suddenly is.

Indiana narrowed his eyes at Captain America. “Listen, I’ve given you all the information you need to know, there are some things about that cube that are better left unsaid. You got it, spright?”

Steve nodded instead of answering, Indiana sarcastically grinned and gave a half glare to Barnes who instantly looked away, something about Indiana made both of the men feel a little uneasy. 

It didn’t help with the fact, Howard insisted that he stayed a little longer and help, meaning Steve saw Indiana a few times in the base. Each, and every time, it was just as awkward and intimidating as the last. He overheard Indiana talk of his expeditions, his adventures and the people he encountered along the way, it was safe to say; Indiana Jones was a man that no one should mess with, not even Nazi’s.

Present Day

“Engaged?” the enraged voice pulled Steve from his thoughts and back to reality, “Engaged! Are you hearing this Mutt?” your dad asked with disbelief to your brother who only shrugged as a response to him. “Why am I only just hearing about this?”

You sighed gently, “Dad, I’ve been busy and so has he, it kind of just happened.” You tried to explain but only received a cold stare back from your father. “Please, be nice. He’s really nervous,” you grab your dad’s hand in the hopes of reassuring him or calming him down, it didn’t work, he only grumbled.

Lightly pulling your dad to the group that awaited you noticed Steve and Bucky’s wide eyes, almost shock-horror, you frowned but looked at your dad who was already nodding at Stark; your dad knew the Starks, it’s how you and Tony are friends, grew up with one another.

“Dad, these are my friends, guys this is my dad, Henry Walton Jones Junior.” Your dad stiffly nodded at them all, eyes sweeping the line before stopping on Steve and Bucky, he didn’t look shocked but you noticed his fists clench. “Dad, this is Steve-”

“Don’t you say it.”

“-My fiance,” you finished with a frown as he yelled ‘Goddammit’ into the air. “What’s wrong?” You look to Steve who looked slightly terrified and flustered.

Your dad huffed, “Him? Really? You’ve been in a relationship with Captain Fucking America?” You nodded, “he’s older than I am, almost.” You rolled your eyes at him, “Don’t roll your eyes at me, young lady!”

“I met your dad back during the war, he helped, gave information about the Tesseract,” Steve mutters to you and you sigh gently; your dad hadn’t changed much since his youth, still a hardass and stubborn idiot, no wonder Steve looks terrified, probably thinks your dad is gonna gut him. “It’s nice to see you again, Doctor-” Steve turns back to your dad who is marching down the end of the yard towards the shed, you widen your eyes.

“Oh no.” You breathe and run after him, your brother chuckling to himself as he stands back and watches your dad unlock the shed. “Dad, get out here, right now.” You yell from the other side of the old, worn, door.

Shuffling and banging happens before the door is shoved open, “I just had to get somethin’” Your dad appears holding a gun, specifically, a shotgun in his hands and an untroubled look on his face. “I hear, he can survive a bullet wound, let’s see if he can withstand a Mossberg 590 special purpose shotgun blow.” He racks the slide of the shotgun.

“You can’t kill him!” You stress to your father.

“I’m not gonna kill him,” he exhales, “I’m gonna maim him.” He steps around you swiftly and you groan, turning and walking slightly behind him, glaring as Tony and your brother laugh on the sidelines.

You stand in front of Steve who is currently edging himself behind Bucky, “Dad, stop right now. Put down the gun, you’re gonna hurt, someone.”

“That’s the point of the gun, sweetie.” He dismisses you, his eyes dead set on Steve, he lowers the gun when he looks into your E/C eyes, looking just like your mothers when she was angry at him.

You take the gun and pass it to Natasha, “if you don’t behave I’ll leave.” You warn to him and his eyes soften and nod once.

“You’re here now, me and you will discuss this later but I don’t approve of him, he knows that and my mind ain’t changing.” You sigh as he walks around you.

He passes Steve and Bucky, giving them both glares before walking through the sliding back door, not even sparing another glance to you or anyone. 

(Let me know what you think. If you want to be tagged especially for this, I get inspired in the weirdest way. I am so proud of this, I am working on other stuff but this, this is good, in my opinion. - Rosalee)

Everything Tagging list: @girl-next-door-writes @22ifyoukeepmenextoyou @t3-daria-todo @sebby-staan @skylark50 @thegoddamnfeels @gillibean9 @sergeantjamesbarnes107th @full-of-sins-not-tragedies @fxcknbarnes @broncos5soslover @say-my-name-assbut @fangirlwithasweettooth @buckyismybbz @charlotteblanden @wholockiand@momscapris @mashroom-burrito @firewolfkelly @winterboobaer

@mychocolatemints @avengingthesupernatural @usannika @itzelreade r @tillytheinvisibleshadow @tomhollahd @imagining-marvel-soldier @oh-my-gravity @what-the-ducky-bucky @heyitssilverwolf @katiegrace122 @newtmas-newtella @sillylittlemary  @buckyhawk @codexofwitches @the-the-sound-of-the-bees-blog @songsforsentences @leahneslen21 @whateveriwantworld @itsblehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh @cassiebarnes  @that-one-jewish-elf@tardispandagirl  

@theawkwardone-0002 @djpaige13paige @thewinchestersbabe @majestic-squad  @fangirlextraordinaire713 @stevesmylove82 @mrporkstache @t0kistar @marvelousmimi  @shadyweeny @thequeenofgood @calursocute @casey-anne-j @ohmoveoveralohomora @grass-is-not-green @hiphoppery @imnotinsanehunny @you-didnt-see-that-cuming @coltcas @agalaxyofgayships @jjsoccer11

[oblivcscence]

OKAY, I KNOW YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE...

CANON. Also, this one’s really long & really really important.

Running was his one of his favorite things to do. That’s what he was known for, his speed and the freedom he felt when doing it. His lips were spread in a smile so wide that it seemed like his planet wasn’t darkened almost a year ago. It had been that long… a year of change, a year of destruction but in the end, it worked out for Damon, even if it brought him depression with a side of heartache. There were times where he’d stop being his normal self and break down alone or with Kaia and only in the safety of their home, the restaurant she had made. The loss of all his people, all the Xantrophns was a horrible impact on his life. When he could’ve tasted his reign but never got to it, he never had the chance to be king. A low huff left the running royalty as he made his way across the Detritus Ring. Hands pounding against the dusty ground, going faster with each bound. His tail raised to keep him balance as the fast creature made his way across to the market. Kaia had requested to get some things from there to lighten up her restaurant, there was almost a new theme each three months, sometimes she’d even decorate it to celebrate their traditions, keeping them alive. Most customers wondered what it was and upon asking, Kaia would tell them all about the holiday and why was it celebrated.

Slowly the Xantrophn came to a slow crawl, looking along the stalls before rising to two feet. Nothing seemed to interest the prince, most rusty and unworthy to be bought at such a high price. A small snort left Damon before he paused to catch his breath from the run he had just gone on. “Looks like I might have to turn up empty handed.” He grumbled, running a hand through his hair as he gazes at a particular stall. Trinkets of gears and metal shaped to look like things that were simple or complex. His golden eyes looking at a metal heart with the engraving of ‘My Love’ on it. Kaia was always into those cute cheesy things, but it was worth the smile on her face. Pulling out 10 credits he placed it down on the table before taking the small object in his hands. “Thank you for the business, mister,” replied the owner. “It’s lovely, thank you,” Damon responded back with a gentle nod, slipping the heart in a pouch he had hooked to his side and continued along the streets. The odd smells of the close restaurants left Damon’s nose to scrunch. Kaia’s at least smelt decent, inviting even these poor things should just run out while they had the chance. None of them could compete with the Ischyros’ baking. Too good and everything was natural.

As the Xantrophn made his way onward, he couldn’t help the feel of eyes on him. Burning with an intensity that he had to turn around only to see the crowd of heads that were shorter than him. An uneasy snort passed his lips, something was up. The feeling was practically nagging the king as he tried to shake it off and just get this shopping over with but still he was being shadowed but by what? Suddenly he felt a hand grip his wrist harshly, “you vermin, I knew I’d catch you.” It was the sound of an elderly lady, though as she spoke her tone grew harsh and a cane suddenly came out to whack at his knee. “Hey! Stop that.” Damon snarled, tearing the hold she had on him and taking a step back. “What the hell are you going on about? I didn’t do anything to you!” She only ‘tsk’ waving the cane close to his face before a clawed hand slapped it out of his view. “You did too, don’t lie to a grandma. I saw you steal from my shop, those big ears and that horrible tail that knocked everything to the floor. Such a mess.” She mused, poking his stomach with the stick. Damon, who was confused beyond any reasoning advanced to the little human, teeth bared. “You crazy old bat! I didn’t steal from you. You’re looking for someone else.” “No, I’m not. I remember that tail, the two spikes at the end,” hitting the said appendage with her cane, before looking back up at Damon. “You thought you could get away with stealing but not me, not Granny Hags.” ( Two spikes? ) Golden eyes looked down to the flickering tail almost finding it incredulous to think that another species would have a tail like his. He’s only met at least two other creatures with a tail and none of them were spiked like that. There was a soft sigh that left the creature before he spoke. “I’m not a thief, but I can help you catch him. What did he look like?” Damon asked, hoping that the crazy elder wouldn’t accuse him again. “Hmmm.” She hummed, rubbing lips together in thought. “Well, he was tall, like you. Had a tail, as I’ve mentioned earlier, two spikes at the end with plates along it, like you. Honestly, he looked exactly like you. Except,” She paused, the curved cane coming up and latching onto a golden horn before yanking the king down. A pathetic sound left Damon’s lips at the caught horn and with being thrown to such a small height he was forced to kneel. Pain laced around the golden outgrowth as Hags gave it a thorough look. “He didn’t have these beauties.” She commented, flicking them with an index finger. “My, these look good and strong.” “They aren’t for sale, you bag of bones.” Damon hissed, pulling free from the grip the cane had on it, shaking his head to rid the pain away. “So are you’re saying you saw a replica of me?” He’d concluded, raising to two feet as he tried to think of what it could be.

( Was it possible for… no. No, it couldn’t. ) He was the only one left, the last of the Xantrophns there was no way. No fucking way that one could’ve escaped. He saw it all burn. The memory of the look his father gave him before he left their fiery home, Tresten’s cries to let him die with mother, Saiga’s pure rage for revenge… and Wolf. The young brother falling as he attempted to get to Damon. Behind blue lips, his teeth would clench with anger, finding his fury start to rise even from the thoughts of the destruction. It had been a year but his wounds would always be tender and it would always hurt, no matter the cost. “Of course, I’m saying that you idiot. Now come, I’ll bring you to my shop, where the miscreant stole from. Since you’re an alien, I think that nose of yours would be useful, is it not? And from the way it scrunched, I know it works pretty darn good. I can barely smell the crap here anymore, thank the star.” The elderly woman would ramble on as she wobbled through the streets, the cane extended, nearly hitting the ankles of the people that passed. A few minutes ticked by before the two would come to the entrance of a small shop. A sign read ‘Granny Hag’s Hopes’ on top of it. He suppressed a cruel laugh to threatened to leave him at the title, finding it almost stupid. “Just right through here.” She pointed to a tiny door, slipping in with ease. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Damon muttered under his breath, going down to four legs and with some trouble getting through the door, though the inside was worse, it did provide some space to kneel.

“He stole my favorite thing in this store.” Hags would grumble, walking down the aisle and to the register where she sat on a stool waiting for the lumbering fool to catch up. “You gonna take all day or what?” She’d snap tapping in a few numbers before the tool would open. “I did get a clue from the thief, as he was leaving his ear was caught on something and he left this behind.” A small golden earring was in the middle of her palm, blood around it edges. After having some trouble getting passed the useless junk, Damon finally stopped to see what she was holding and a part of him froze. The smell of it… the blood. There was no way. “You said this belongs to him?” Hags nodded, placing it down. “I thought it looked pretty enough to sell, so I want my daughter to clean it up but just came home yesterday night. When it happened.” Damon could care less about this woman’s daughter, he was interested in finding the crook who stole from her. The smell was all too familiar, that was the blood of a Xantrophn. HE WASN’T ALONE. “Do you mind if I have that until he’s found? It’ll help my sense of smell if the scent gets faded.” There was a moment’s pause as the granny gave Damon a glare of suspicion. “Alright, but you have to bring it back.” Damon nodded. “I will.” Soon taking the small thing and bringing it close to his nose. A small sniff of the Xantrophn’s blood was enough to make the creature turn away from it, the stench horrible but useful. After lifting his nose and getting the aroma, he’d place the earring inside his pouch with the metal heart before setting out again. “I’ll be sure to catch this crook, don’t worry,” Damon called behind him as the king left the run down shop and began his hunt.

From the market stalls to the edge of the town his trail leads him all over the place, several times passing by left and right, some spots he could see a scuffle or broken glass, the scent would vary from strong to weak within a matter of seconds. At one point he came across a dead carcass tucked away in a dark alleyway, flesh ripped to see bloody bones and barely recognizable of an alien species or not. There was no concern for Damon, he knew the smell of a dead Xantrophn and it wasn’t that. “You must’ve been hungry. All alone, maybe even scared…” He muttered, looking at the small bloodied footprints. It was a Xantrophn, the thought of that alone made the king more than happy. The joy and sadness he was experiencing colliding together made his mind undecided on what to choose. At least he wouldn’t be the only one of his kind left. As he continued to follow the trail, Damon wondered if it was someone he knew. A part of the king was sad it wasn’t female, but that didn’t matter one way or another. Kaia was his mate and he’d never turn his back on her. Though he knew that there would’ve been an opportunity to continue the pure blood Xantrophn if the thief was one. Though due to the evidence from Granny Hags it was male.

After traveling another three hours the demon came to a stop at a surprisingly empty lot. No one was there but the scent was very strong now, there was no denying it. He had to be here. Damon was about to address his presence but was suddenly cut off as two thralls came crawling out from where he had just entered. A low growl sounded as an even bigger one stood in front of him. “Looks like we found our dinner, boys!” The leader would call out, giving Damon a disgusting smile. His tail lashed furiously at the sight of them. His anger from earlier flaring back, golden eyes burning to life at the thought of fighting. To seek revenge. “He looks big enough to share, what do you say?” The biggest advanced, horns ready to pierce the Xantrophn as he charged. A loud roar sounded passed the creature’s lip jumping up just in time to hop on top of him and rank large claws all the way down the thrall’s back. In turn, the thrall voiced an equally loud roar, whirling around as the others came into the fray, their teeth snapping at Damon. One latched onto his ankle, biting down harshly to the blue skin while the other attempt to get behind the king, he was soon shot down with a sharp stab to the face from Damon’s tail, falling back dead. A hiss as deadly as ever sounded passed the Xantrophn’s lips as he shook his foot harshly, kicking the beast in the side and throwing it halfway across the area before the large one came back for more, ramming horns into Damon’s cloak, just above his shoulders. “You pathetic piece of shit!” The king snarled, gold dripping down his foot and coating his black claws. Though he was injured Damon’s legs were up frantically trying to kick at the beast’s stomach and barely missing by a few inches, almost to taunt him. “I can’t wait to see what price your horns would make, being gold.” The thrall snickered a hand coming to grab Damon’s torso before backing up. Rearing his hand back, the leader threw him across the lot and with a hard thud the king would land roughly with his stomach on the ground. “Fuck.” He’d spat, crawling to four legs slowly. “You’ll pay for that you oversized cow.” Damon hissed. A laugh left the thrall before charging at the Xantrophn again, horns pointed directly at the chest. Bunching up his muscles Damon was about to jump before a strong grip on his ankle and tail prevented him from doing so, the thrall he had kicked away, having more strength now that he recovered. “Let go!” He hissed, front claws clawing the fallen one’s face, each hit making the grip weaker though it was too late. Golden irises looked up to see the leader a few inches away, preparing himself, the king closed his eyes tightly. So close to finding the other Xantrophn, so close that he’d actually mean something. Damon waited for the pain to stab through his chest, to feel the defeat and last hope of the Xantrophns. Though all he felt was guilt, slight pain, and fear of his death. He didn’t want to die, he didn’t want to leave Kaia to defend herself. He couldn’t. He waited but still, it never came. Slowly the creature would open his eyes, seeing a form on top of the thrall pulling on the large horns with all of its might. The thrall no longer in control of his direction began to fall backward. As quick as the form disappeared it came back, ranking long claws down the chest continuously. Blood flying, making a pool on the ground and coating the king’s savior.

“Bleed you bloody bitch! Bleed!” Damon could hear him chant, as each slice brought the beast closer and closer to death. Slowly recovering, the demon would rise to two legs finding it almost impossible not to see the tail on the form lash lethally. There he was. “This is what you get for hurting MY KING!” Roared the Xantrophn, as a ball of purple-black venom was spit onto the thrall’s visage, sizzling it to the bone and leaving the large beast to finally die. ( King… ) Golden eyes blazed with a pride he hasn’t felt in a long time, he knew that this one would be true. “Whew, now that that’s done.” His rescuer would continue, though something about this Xantrophn was far more familiar than normal. The red-brown skin tone, the markings, his voice, hell even his hair all seemed to point to someone that clicked in Damon’s mind. “B-Bultin.” There was desperation in Damon’s tone, a longing he knew that made him look weak but the king could care less at the moment. He didn’t want to admit but he could feel tears stinging his eyes as the Xantrophn turned to reveal amber eyes. “I knew you’d find me, Damon.” He spoke as lips pulled back in a huge smile. Bloody as it was, Damon still invited it in with his own. “I…” He was speechless, to think this rascal who stole from an old grandmother was his best friend. “Holy shit.” The man he thought of would breathe. “That thrall certainly had a strong will, huh? At least he didn’t stand against us. The Xantrophns, especially the king.” Bultin nodded, giving Damon a bow out of respect. When he would come to raise he’d be greeted by a strong hug. A laugh shook the friend’s shoulders as he returned it. “I missed you, Dammy.” He voiced into the king’s chest, giving his back a few pats before taking a step back. “You have no idea how good it is to see you. No idea.” Damon could feel his voice crack slightly as he tried to fight back the tears. For a year he was alone, being called a king of nothing, a king of the dead. But now that Bultin was here, Damon had hope. Even if it was just a little, he still had it. “I’m glad to see you too, brother. But I would suggest getting yourself looked over, that bite seems nasty and I wouldn’t want you getting a horrible infection.” Golden eyes seemed to look down at the still bleeding wound, a part of him had forgotten over the emotions he had felt but now to the mention of it, the pain started to settle back in. “Here let me help you, just like the good old times,” Bultin commented coming alongside Damon and wrapping an arm around his shoulder. “You know where a healer is?” His friend would ask and soon the smile only seemed to grow. “Yeah, I know the perfect one. Trust me, you’ll love her.” With the two Xantrophns reunited they slowly started to make their way back home.

[forgedobsidian]

Aphelion

A MHA fanfiction. Chapter 3.

Chapter 1       Chapter 2

AO3

Summary:

Izuku has been kidnapped by All For One, for reasons the young boy doesn’t understand. He is forced to stay at a rundown facility, surrounded by villains and, for all he knows, completely without help. In-between his attempts to escape or learn why he has been stolen, the young boy spends his time with a near-comatose man who seems strangely familiar.

Trigger Warnings for: kidnapping, body horror, medical torture, needles, and pain

Special trigger warning for this chapter: burns (it’s brief)

A buzzing TV stood in the corner of the police station, playing a late afternoon news channel. The spokesperson on screen glanced down at the papers in front of them before looking up at the camera, their expression professionally blank.

“Now, as to the strange events of yesterday, we’re still gathering information.”

The screen cut to a scene of destruction. It had been a local open-air shopping market, but now all the stalls were piles of scrap wood and plastic. There were rotting piles of food and ripped clothing lying all over the street.

“As far as eyewitnesses could tell us, a group of law enforcement officers had been pursuing a suspect through what had been an outdoor shopping complex. Apparently, in order to cause a distraction to help them escape, the suspect actually injected several customers with a dose of trigger, a drug well known to amplify quirks to a much more powerful, and uncontrollable, level.”

A blurry video eased its way across the screen, showing bloated limbs and quirks that had gone out of control. It was clearly a recording from someone’s phone, pixelated and jarring as the person holding the camera was jostled by the crowd.

“The suspect has yet to be detained, as officials were quickly occupied trying to lead everyone to safety. No one was injured, though those affected by the drug have yet to be released from the hospital. Normally trigger wears off after a few hours, but the victims seem to still be undergoing the painful transformation nearly a day after their exposure.”

A police officer showed up on screen, talking with a reporter while clean-up efforts took place behind them. Their face was controlled as they spoke into the microphone. “The extended effects of the drug that the victims are experiencing aren’t completely new. It has been known to happen when a bad batch hits the streets, and they are expected to make a full recovery.”

The camera switched back to the main reporter, who was carefully ordering their papers on the desk in front of them. “Now, as to whether or not these current events will push forward the proposed trigger antidote is still uncertain. Reports of a recent break-in attempt at the facility where the antidote is being tested have brought into question the true effectiveness of local law enforcement, especially considering the on-going absence of the pro-hero All Might . . .”

Naomasa Tsukauchi rubbed at his eyes and leaned on his desk. A mess of papers was spread out before him, road maps and photographs and little scribbled marks of writing on sticky-notes leaning out over the floor.

An old cup of coffee rested on the edge of his desk, day-old grounds sticking to the bottom of the porcelain. Naomasa shot it a glare as he scrubbed one hand over his short beard, fingers tangling in the hair.

I need a trim, he thought, one hand rubbing over his cheek. The usual crisp cut of his beard had disappeared, long nights taking away the typical cleanliness.

He’d keep his beard, though. He hadn’t shaved in four years, and he wasn’t about to start now.

The particulars of the Midoriya case had taken over his work station, files and phone numbers and pictures gathered around the edges of his area. The case was on the verge of being ground to a halt. The trickle of information had come to a stop several weeks ago, and Naomasa spent his nights going over old data in an attempt to find something he missed.

He was drawn out of his thoughts when Sansa stopped by his desk, one gloved hand gently tapping on his shoulder.

Sansa smiled when Naomasa looked up at him. “We might be in luck. Kuznetsov and Ricci brought in someone you might want to see. Says they know something about your case.”

Naomasa nodded, straightening up and resting his hands on the small of his back as he stretched. “I’ll be over in a moment. Room 2.”

Sansa nodded, walking away towards the other end of the precinct.

Naomasa shook his head and stretched his arms towards the ceiling. One hand scratched at his beard as he relaxed, the other grabbing a notebook and pen from his desk. His doubt at any new information falling into his lap grew as he walked over to the questioning rooms, stopping by the second door. There were two people in police uniform standing outside the door.

Officer Marco Ricci was short and lithe, built more for speed and stealth than force. Black and orange markings decorated his skin, bead-like scales adding a variety of textures and small shadows to his face. A broad nose spread across his face, and a thick jaw held sharp, pointed teeth. He was talking to his companion, one hand - yellow claws carefully filed - resting on his partner’s shoulder.

Officer Dana Kuznetsov was physical opposite to her partner. Muscle-bound and tall, her size gave her great advantages in questioning and chasing down stubborn suspects. A pair of ram horns sprouted from her bald head to curl around her slightly pointed ears, the thick muscle of her neck twitching as she shifted her weight from side to side. The lights of the station reflected off her deep bronze skin, and as Naomasa approached the pair he heard her mutter in what must have been Russian.

“I’m telling you, this place has the best coffee,” Ricci said, a tilt to his slitted eyes.

“I’ll believe you when you actually bring me some.”

Naomasa walked up to the duo, a faint grin on his face. “What’s all this?”

“Ah, detective. Hello.” Ricci bent over in a brief bow. “My partner is denying my coffee-tasting abilities. I intend to prove her wrong.”

Kuznetsov shrugged. “If you’re paying for it, I have no complaints.”

Naomasa gave a wan smile and shook his head. The amusement faded from his face as he gestured at the closed door. “So, who do you have for me?”

“A fellow by the name of Nishi Aki. He found us, actually. We were just completing our rounds and he comes out of nowhere, waving his hands and looking frazzled. It was interesting,” said Ricci, crossing his scaled arms and tilting his head. “When we asked him, he said he had information about, and I quote, ‘That missing Midoriya kid.’ We decided to bring him in after hearing that.”

Naomasa nodded. “Is he in our system?”

“Just petty thievery several years ago, sir.” Kuznetsov nodded. “Nothing big. He’s only had to do some community service.”

He sighed. “Well, let me see what he can offer us.” Naomasa walked into the room alone, pulling the door closed behind him. Several chairs rested around a table, an inlaid one-way mirror settled into the wall next to the door.

Someone was sitting at the table. The man who looked up at Naomasa was of middling height with close cropped hair. There wasn’t any evidence for a quirk, except for the pair of gills that flared up his neck.

“Nishi Aki, I’m Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi. I’ve been told you have some information for us?” Naomasa said, pulling out a chair and gently sitting down.

Aki nodded, an anxious look on his face.

“Why don’t you tell me what you think we need to know,” Naomasa said, prompting the man to start speaking.

“W-well, you see, I was just hanging out at the bar the other day.”

“Which one?”

“That one next to the old gym, across from the railway. Can’t remember the name, but a lot of folks from the nastier side of life like to go there after the sun goes down.”

“Alright.” Naomasa nodded. His quirk hadn’t flared - Aki was telling the truth.

“So there I was, just nursing my sorrows as one does, and these two folks come in. You could tell they were in something deep. Shadows on their eyes and looking like they have a wrecking ball chasing after them. This pair sits down behind me, yeah, and starts talking. And drinking. Not the good stuff, either.”

“Do you think you could describe the two individuals?”

“For sure, yeah. You don’t forget faces like those.”

“Alright. I’ll have someone talk to you once I’m done. What did they talk about?” he asked, making notes on his pad.

Aki leaned across the table. “They were complaining about a kid, detective, sir. Said they was tired of chasing him around, and that he should just learn to sit down and keep quiet.”

“I see. And what makes you think this might be connected to the Midoriya case?”

“Well, you see, I remember seeing that news showing where they posted a picture of the kid to get people out and looking for him. The two crooks I was listening in on talked about the kid and his green hair, and that flicked something in my head. They left afterwards, and I asked the barkeep where they hung their coats.”

Naomasa nodded, registering everything as the truth. “So you did some sleuthing of your own. And?”

“I couldn’t find out much, but the two fellows did have a lot of dust on their feet and I was told they tend to come into the parking lot from the west side.”

Naomasa held back an excited smile, jotting down several notes on his pad. “This could be useful information, Aki. Thank you.”

“No problem, detective. I’ve got a soft spot for kids.”

Naomasa nodded. “I’ll have someone stop by in the next few minutes to hear your descriptions of the two people. Thank you for coming in.” He clicked his pen and stood, the chair squeaking as its legs skidded over the floor.

“Good luck, sir.” Aki gave a little wave, which Naomasa returned as he left the room. He made sure to pull the door closed behind him.

The two officers were still standing outside the door. “Kuznetsov, Ricci, he has some information on descriptions. I want you to get those down and see if they match anyone in our files. Maybe have him go over our facial database.”The two officers gave acknowledging bows before Kuznetsov headed down the hallway and Ricci went to talk with Aki.

Naomasa walked back to his desk, a restrained grin on his face as he pulled out a large map and started scanning it up and down.

“Looks like someone’s excited,” Sansa said, walking up to stand next to Naomasa. “What are we looking for?”

“Anywhere west of here,” Naomasa muttered, pointing one finger at a large complex. It was surrounded by train tracks, and Sansa could faintly read out the symbols for a gym near Naomasa’s finger. “There’s a lot of places we’ll need to search and patrol, but I think we can cut down on the territory by a lot. And there’s a chance the kid is still alive.”

Sansa nodded and started looking over the map, occasionally marking a place with a red pen he pulled from his pocket. “This is based on your new information?”

Naomasa grinned. “Yes. I think we’re finally getting somewhere.”

Endeavor walked down the hallway, careful to keep his steps muted. He generally didn’t take security jobs - finding them tedious and boring - and a part of him hoped that the criminals from several nights ago would make another try for the vault.

He couldn’t help but grin at the memory of how the security force had all but begged him to stay.

“Endeavor, sir, we just can’t afford to lose to these people. We need the strongest there is, and that’s you.”

He had accepted in good grace, of course.

That didn’t stop the niggling thought in the back of his head that they had only come to him because All Might was a chronic no-show.

They just want me because he’s not here.

His mood soured, Endeavor kicked his foot along the ground and continued his patrol in a sullen silence. He made it around several corners before the communicator in his left ear crackled with static.

“Suspicious activity on the north wall, please advise.”

“North wall . . . I’m nearby. Keep your men back in reserve.” Endeavor gently tapped on the earpiece, signaling the end of his communications. He walked silently down the hallway, ears straining for any noise that seemed out of place.

The communicator screeched. “We’re under attack! They’ve taken the wall!”

Adrenaline spiking, Endeavor slammed his hand down on the earpiece. “Give me a position!”

“North wall!” Something briefly shorted out in the communicator, and Endeavor could faintly detect the rattle of gunfire and the crack of concrete moving against itself. “They have someone stron-” The earpiece went quiet.

Endeavor clicked at the communicator, shouting into the mouthpiece. “Who is -”

The wall exploded.

Endeavor jumped backwards, managing to not trip over the rubble that flew around his feet. A shattered brick hit his head, and he felt a cut open along his cheekbone. He fell back into a fighting stance, one shoulder towards the opening in the wall, and waited.

The dust didn’t have a chance to clear before a large something slammed into him, the hero barely managing to lift his arms in front of his face before he was being pushed backward. He felt a meaty hand fasten around his waist, and the world tipped upside down as he was dragged up and over a wall of muscle.

He twisted, determined to not hit the concrete head-first. A flare built up in his hands, and he blasted his opponent with a compressed fire shot. He hit the ground on his shoulder and rolled backwards, hands immediately fisting as he prepared for another attack.

The dust had cleared, and Endeavor got his first decent look of his opponent. It was tall, quite a bit taller than him, and completely filled-out with muscle. A mask covered it’s head, tinted lenses keeping him from getting a good guess on their appearance. Two canisters rested along it’s jaw, and Endeavor could hear the faint scream of compressed air. Strangest of all were the strange circular fixings that wound up it’s scarred arms and torso.

Endeavor’s eyes fell to the shadows moving behind his opponent, people sneaking past the hero and into the recesses of the hallway. They were trying to get inside the office proper.

The hero fell into an aggressive fighting stance, hands up around his ears and one shoulder towards his opponent. He threw a punch, a fireball launching from his fist and roaring down the hallway. It never landed.

Instead, the hulking figure seemed to blur out of existence and materialized right in front of Endeavor. The fireball sputtered against the concrete and went out.

A fist collided with his face and Endeavor was sent head-first through a nearby wall. Something hot and wet dribbled down the back of his head.

He tried to stand, but the world tilted sideways. Throwing his hands out, he tried to lay out cover fire to give him a moment to breathe. He wasn’t fast enough. By the time he had made it to his knees, his opponent threw its arms around his waist and slammed him into the ground, grinding his back into the cement. A muscled shoulder landed on his chest, pushing the air out of his lungs.

Endeavor gagged and grappled at its broad back, hands scrabbling for purchase. His fingers brushed against something hard, and even as a part of his brain realized that the strange circular fixings must be on his opponent’s spine as well as it’s arms and torso, one hand fixed around a port and yanked.

This better be a weak point, Endeavor thought as he felt his ribs start to give.

His opponent’s legs shook and it feel to one knee, but the grip didn’t loosen. Endeavor grunted, struggling to see through the spots popping up before his eyes. Fire blasted from his hand to coil around the figure’s shoulders and back. Endeavor could smell the sticky scent of burning muscle. His hand fixed again around the port, fingers trying to dig under the heated edges, and he pulled.

Something gave in his opponent’s back, and it collapsed over onto its side. The pressure left Endeavor’s chest, and he pulled in a halting breath of air. His hand was coated in blood, and several nails had torn free.

The villain was twitching on the ground, blood dribbling down it’s back to pool in the cement. Endeavor tried to get to his feet, knowing that there were other villains to take care of, but everything seemed to tilt around him and he could only manage to flop down to the ground. He tried to a careful eye on his downed opponent, but it was difficult through what he guessed was a developing concussion.

He rested his back against a chunk of rubble, gently feeling around the back of his head. A rising bump met his fingertips, and he hissed when he pulled his hand back.

There was a blur of air and wind, and Endeavor felt hands fasten around his arms and drag him off the ground. He realized too late that his opponent hadn’t been put down permanently.

He was held at face level, his blurred eyes meeting the tinted lenses of the mask. The thing seemed . . . confused. It didn’t kill him right away, which would have been easy to do in his compromised state. It just turned it’s head to the side, and a quiet voice came from beneath the mask. “Enj . . .”

Something hissed from the canisters around it’s jaw. The figure threw back its head and screamed.

Endeavor took advantage of it’s hesitation and and squirmed free, planting a solid kick in his opponent’s face as he fell away. It didn’t seem to notice the canister that was knocked askew.

A woman ran by and latched onto the figure’s shoulder, serrated nails digging into it’s skin. “Oh, no you don’t!” A green wave went down her arms to flare around where she had clawed it’s shoulder. Endeavor didn’t take time to notice anything else.

He clapped his hands together, a wave of fire blasting from his hands to rush to each corner of the room. He took advantage of the visual distraction, sidling up closer to the woman and the larger villain. He landed a solid punch on the woman’s shoulder, sending her careening away from the two fighters with a shout of surprise and pain.

Whatever confusion his first opponent had been grappling with had faded. An elbow cracked into Endeavor’s cheekbone and he threw a fire-laced punch into it’s neck in retaliation. They grappled, Endeavor trying to augment his movements with blasts of flame to compensate for his lesser strength.

It didn’t work.

A strong arm wrapped around his neck, and Endeavor knew he had lost. His hearing was fading, and his eyesight was getting spotty. Prickles ran up and down his arms as he started to black out.

“Snap his neck! Snap his neck!” The woman was screaming, but it sounded far away.

Endeavor felt the arm around his neck tighten, and the world went dark.

Shigaraki watched as Sensei looked over a small digital chip, resisting the urge to scratch at his neck.  

A woman was with them, idly fiddling with her short hair. Her fingertips were tinted green. “It’s getting harder to control it out in the field.”

“Explain.”

She leaned against the wall and rubbed the back of her neck. “My pheromones aren’t lasting as long, and it went against direct orders. I had to get a little physical with it in order to meet our objective, and even then it wouldn’t finish off Endeavor like I ordered.”

“Is he dead?”

She shrugged. “I couldn’t tell. More heroes showed up before I could make sure, but it looked like he just got choked out.”

“Unfortunate. I wanted him permanently removed. We’ll just see if he gets back to his feet after this.” Sensei clipped one nail off the edge of the chip, a plastic sound echoing throughout the room. “Still, this will help our foothold greatly. Well done, Ito.”

She nodded. “Happy to help, boss.”

“Feel free to do what you wish with the men. They’ve outlived their usefulness to me.”

A wicked grin bloomed across her face.

“Tomura, with me.” Sensei slipped the chip into one of his pockets even as he stepped towards the door. Shigaraki followed him out into the hallway, a thought slowly growing in his head.

They walked quietly down several corridors, their feet scuffing along the cement floor.

“Sensei.”

“Yes, Tomura?”

“If that thing breaks loose, there’s no telling what damage it could do.”

“Hmm. You could be right.”

They rounded a corner, Shigaraki lengthening his steps to keep up with his teacher. He didn’t say anything as they walked down the corridor, noticing the way Sensei’s hands were held behind his back and the way his fingers twitched.

He’s thinking.

They passed under a light, and Sensei spoke up. “We’re getting close to the day where it’s usefulness will be null and void. I’ll have you dispose of it when it’s time.”

Izuku sighed and turned another page of his notebook. He idly scratched at his arm. The spots where he had gotten the shot and his blood drawn were sore and bruised, and it hurt to move. He was in his room, trying to stay warm under his jacket and the thin blanket.

He set the notebook down with a sigh, the page open to Cementoss’ bio. Izuku wished that he still had his pens and pencils, just for something to do, but those had been taken when his school bag got searched.

Izuku shifted on his bed and stared at the handle on the door. It was fairly simple, only a rounded knob with a keyhole in the center. Of course the lock could only be turned from outside the room, otherwise Izuku’s escape attempts would have been far more numerous. He was tempted to try picking the lock, but he didn’t have anything to use as a lockpick, and he doubted he’d get far anyways.

He sighed and gave and impulsive kick at the wall. The problem is that I have no idea where I am. I might be able to  get out of the building if given the chance, but beyond that I’m completely in the dark. I might not even be in Japan any more.

Izuku sat up and wrapped the thin blanket around his shoulders, one hand coming up to pinch at his lip as he thought. If I could get closer to Shigaraki, I might be able to find some things out.

The older boy had taken a strange liking to Izuku, possibly because of his youth. For all that Shigaraki looked to be in his late teens or early twenties, he seemed to act more like someone around Izuku’s age. He’d taken the captive boy for walks around the base several times, though they never left the complex and Izuku hadn’t been able to find any windows to look through.

Shigaraki liked to talk about his sensei and the faults of heroic society when he wasn’t watching Izuku. He always had a strange, almost strained, expression when he simply looked at the boy.

Izuku tended not to talk back. He didn’t know how his fanboy tendencies would be received among his captors, but he was willing to bet it wouldn’t be favorable.

“If I’m careful, I think I can, though.” Izuku nodded to himself.

If I’m careful, I can learn what I need to escape.

Author’s Note: The base for Ricci is a gila monster, if anyone’s curious. He’s just a lot quicker and less beefy than the actual animal, though he does produce venom in his lower jaw and his bite is still pretty painful.

This is my first time writing an actual action scene. It was really fun to write, and it’s always a good day when I get to put my martial arts experience to use!! Also, getting this chapter posted is kinda a big thing for me. The last time I got into a Big Fic Project I stalled after the second chapter. Getting to this point sort of feels like I’m finally overcoming that weird hurdle, so thank you for your support and reviews!!

Thanks for reading!!

[ruffsficstuffplace]

The Keeper of the Grove (Part 77)

Note: Incoming Drama.

“I’ll tell you in a Honey Dream,” Qrow said. “It’s a lot better if we have visual references, so you see the full effect of it.”

So, after setting up a dreamcatcher, and some convincing Winter that dreamer’s honey was safe, they were off into the blank, white space that was the dreamscape’s “lobby.” After a few moments to help Winter get her bearings, Qrow started narrating.

The world changed all around them, flashes and scenes of the First Settlers’ societies, and Fae settlements 1,000 years ago, the wilderness of Avalon steadily disappearing as the former expanded rapidly and makeshift settlements and towns turned into the gigantic city states they were now, while the latter made their cities and settlements one and the same with the giant trees, the massive caves, and the underground caverns.

“In a big, convenient coincidence for me that all three of your questions can actually be answered with the one story, because they all connect to one thing:

“The Viridian Valley.

“Our two species aren’t strangers to working together for a common goal.

“However, it’s usually with the Fae manipulating things from the sidelines to keep you guys from wrecking Avalon with your industry or scientific endeavours you don’t know the consequences of just yet, but we know all too well; sneaking in and posing as humans to combat politicians, movements, and organizations that’d make life hard for all of us; and sometimes even spreading rumours and legends to keep people out of places we’d rather they not be poking their noses in, such as the Valley as it is now.

“In short, we Fae have been using you humans as pawns. But before you go complaining about us being evil puppet masters, know that all we’ve ever truly wanted is one thing:

“To be left the fuck alone.

“Your First Settlers arrived and threw the entire realm for a loop—widespread ecological damage, the permanent disruption of the flow of magic, and not to mention there were all those times you made in to where we Fae were hiding out, looking for more resources and land.

“And even though our weapons were no joke even then, your guns and giant-ass industrial equipment weren’t, either.

“This is why we’ve been so secretive about everything, primarily with making you humans believe that we Fae are just fairy tales, people’s personifications of all the wildlife that is waiting to fuck your shit up out in the Country:

“Because we were and are still terrified that if you knew of the things we have, what we could do, what we are capable of, we’d have an alien force spreading out throughout our territories like wildfire, using our own magitech against us as you improve it at a pace we can’t even begin match, take over Avalon as the new dominant race and build your cities over the ruins of ours and the corpses of our kind.

“Don’t get us wrong: we know that not all of you humans are greedy assholes who just want to take everything they could possibly get from the world, damned the costs to everyone else.

“But seeing examples of people like Valentino and his ilk, the damage they could do in such a short time with the full blessing of most of your people… it was enough to make the Council and most of the Fae—Celestian or Eldan—agree its best if we just keep to our side, we corral you humans in yours, and we both keep on living.

“Then all of that changed with the Viridian Valley, the first and so far the only openly joint Fae/Human settlement in Avalon’s existence.”

They were now in the familiar layout of the Tree of Life, except with humans walking around with the Fae, both species deploying a combination of their technology as they changed the muddy swamp they were standing in, planted and hyper-accelerated the growth of trees, and raised the skeletons of both their architectural styles all around.

“The conditions couldn’t have been better for it:

“There have always been Fae that have been against how things are being run, but never really had the chance to do much of anything, because they lacked the numbers, the magitech, or the support, wondering if there was any sort of game changer they could use to their benefit.

“The humans were just going into their Neo-Rennaissance all because of the tech we Fae had been seeding and slipping into your society to encourage you to stay in Heartland and minimize the damage you were causing to Avalon, and they were wondering what more they could do with all this fantastic new magitech popping up everywhere.

“All that was needed was someone to bridge the gap, to lead the breakaway, to hold these two rebels, anarchists, and radical visionaries long enough to start to build something new.”

They were underground in the Valley’s main wellspring, a mix of Fae weavers and human scientists trying to harness its power with a mix of their magitechnology and elemental weaving techniques.  At the head of it all was a leopard Fae, her hair and skin white as snow, hands glowing with purple magic.

“And that someone was Salem.

“This is the only time you’re going to hear her name from me, by the way, as the one time it’s not going to jinx you to hell and back if you say it is if you’re just learning that, or teaching it to some poor sap before they doom themselves.

“The Valley was supposed to be a Libertarian Paradise: ‘No Shepherds nor Council. Only Progress.’

“No regulations, no governments, no traditions, no laws, no limits to what they could do, no guides on what they should do, how they would use the Valley’s titanic wellspring—your Old World Ayn Rand’s Objectivist wet dream where it was every one for themselves as they strived to push the boundaries of magitechnology and what you could do.

“And they didn’t just push, they fucking annihilated it, and we’re still trying to figure out where exactly to draw the new line, if we even can anymore.”

The scenes flashed and changed, showing images of all the achievements of the original residents of the Valley:

The incredible speed and size that they could make the plants, animals, and minerals grow, the new and exotic combinations and creations that they could birth. Strange and alien fusions of their technology that they used to sculpt the landscape however they pleased. Both species with fantastic prostheses, their augmented bodies radiant with magic and vigour, even the dead rising up from the mortician's slabs to the joy of their loved ones, and the delight of the makers and scientists on the side.

“For less than a decade, it worked.

“Unfortunately, it turns out that a philosophy saying ‘the Strongest, Smartest, and Most Successful deserve everything, everyone else gets jack shit’ philosophy is great if you’re one or all of those, but not so much if you’re not.

“Pretty soon, the majority of the settlers were discovering that they really liked having protections against people robbing them blind or stealing their ideas and profiting from them without giving them a dime, taking care of them when they got sick or injured and couldn’t work let alone haul themselves to the hospital, and just generally keeping things safe and sane so they wouldn’t have to constantly watch their backs.

“And those at the top like Her found they really wanted to keep the power they had ‘rightfully earned.’”

Now, mass protests, chaos out in the streets and the wilds. Decrepit slums far off in the wilderness with shining, luxurious cities in the distance. Genetic experiments escaped from laboratories rampaging throughout the streets, marauders and looters taking advantage of the panic, humans and Fae forced to fend for themselves with whatever they had.

“So, among other measures to keep the masses from trying to leave, rising up, or calling the rest of the realm and telling your Holy Shepherd and/or the Council to ‘GET US THE FUCK OUT OF THIS HELLHOLE!’, She got her makers and scientists to make her the perfect attack dogs:

“Soul Eaters.”

This time, they found themselves standing in a laboratory, fluid-filled vats with the prototypes for the monsters all around.

“They worked perfectly. Aside from being really hard to kill, incredibly lethal, and way faster than anything that big should be able to move, they were also very smart, and were capable of completely absorbing the magic from everything they killed to grow stronger, smarter, and better.

“And unfortunately for all of us, they evolved to the point where they realized they really didn’t like working for Her and her flunkies.”

The scene changed. Death and destruction everywhere as humans and Fae ran or futilely tried to fight against the swarms of Soul Eaters pouring in everywhere, wherever or whoever you were in the Valley, the corpses of their victims dissolving into magic as they consumed and absorbed their entire being, each death only making them even stronger.

“We don’t know exactly how Gabija and her friends defeated her, overthrew Her kingdom and survived long enough for the Council to find a way to cross the Endless Sea and help clean up the mess. Hell, maybe She just got eaten by her own Soul Eaters, seeing as She was one of the most powerful weavers to have ever lived, and by now we all know just how much those motherfuckers love magic.

“But what we do know was Gabija was really good at killing them, and all the other horrors in the Valley, whatever they were.

Gabija rushed into the scene with her scythe, the weapon glowing its iconic, ethereal silver as she slaughtered the Soul Eaters, saved the survivors with the help of an elite team of humans and Fae armed with weapons, magics, and magitechnology, all alien, slapdash hybrids that seemed to have been cobbled up on the spot and held together by duct-tape, multi-paste, and prayers.

“The Keepers were never meant to be a permanent position. The Council figured, we’d have just Gabija, maybe a second after she retired or got killed, then phase it out entirely once we shut the Pandora’s Box that was the Valley.

“Then we discovered just what kind of shit the Fae and humans could achieve working together, how many of them were almost impossible to contain and/or kill, and that the Soul Eaters had gotten smart enough to know how to hide, gather their strength, and only ever attack when they were pretty sure they could stand a chance of killing us all.

“And most importantly, Gabija and her descendants seemed to be our best shot of keeping them inside the Valley, prevent them from escaping, or getting into the wrong hands—Human or Fae.”

“So what’s Weiss got to do with all this?!” Winter snapped. “Why, if you’re so scared of us humans yet fond of manipulating us for when it benefits you, are you suddenly so fine with your Keepers having relationships with our species?”

“Because,” Qrow said, “like Ruby said, you humans and half-human hybrids are the key to keeping the bloodline alive.”

Images flashed in front of them, images of all the Keepers and their mates, starting from Summer and Taiyang, stretching all the way back to Gabija next to a silhouette with a question mark.

The Keepers were all more-or-less the same, younger, slightly different clones of what was in essence the same Fae. Their mates varied greatly—male, female, gender ambiguous, tall, short, heavyset, thin, and of no shortage of combinations of Old World ancestry—all unified by one key detail:

“Human...” Winter whispered. “… They were all human.”

“Or like you and Weiss, they were hybrids that were more that than Fae, to the point where sometimes they never even had the slightest clue until we got them here.” Qrow added. “But whichever of the those they were, they also had one other consistent trait:

“Power.”

They returned to Maharlika Avenue, Taiyang blocking and reflecting Cinder’s laser beam with his ironbark arms, standing tall despite the rapidly disintegrating buildings around them, holding them off till Ruby could fire Weiss’ supercharged ice beam.

They came to the wilds of the Valley, where Samaria and Myala were fighting a giant snake larger than the trees they were fighting around, dashing and ducking through the branches and trunks as they slashed and shot at her opponent, siphoning its life essence and steadily poisoning it to death as it struggled to bite them even once.

They were in the middle of a raging storm at the peak of the Flood, watching as a giant named Reynault stood on the deck of a boat with the Keeper, other watchers, and weavers, aiming his massive cannon at an even larger sea dragon surging towards him with its gaping maw open wide, the both of them letting out earth-shaking roars.

More and more scenes flashed before their eyes, the Keeper’s mates, all human or mostly human hybrids, all utterly decimating the worst the Valley had to offer, by themselves or alongside the Keepers and their companions.

“We don’t understand why the hell it is that Keepers only ever seem to be able to produce more of them with humans or hybrids. Whatever we’ve tried, it just doesn’t work—parent Fae of equal or greater power, hybrids that were more Fae instead, and/or donating their cells to other parents.

“Don’t get me wrong: the kids from those unions and experiments generally grow up to be incredibly powerful watchers and weavers themselves. Just look at Yang and the shit she’s capable of, even if she only ever could rely on the Fae and hybrids hiding out in the human settlements.

“But they’re just no Keepers of the Grove.”

“We’ve studied the shit out of them and their mates, tried to find that Something, that gene or specific configuration of traits that let them kill Soul Eaters and other nightmares with ease, absorb the ridiculous amounts of power without going crazy or dying from the surge, and all with a complete and utter lack of any sort of selfish or evil intentions whatsoever.

“But 1,000 years later, we still have no idea what makes them best friends to all and slayers of giant monsters and threats to all of Avalon, which is why we need them so badly, why we take such great pains to take good care of them...”

The returned to the blank space of the dreamscape.

“… And why we are so damned eager to do everything in our power to make Weiss want to stay, to be with Ruby.”

Winter and Weiss were stunned silent.

“If it helps, we were making plans to get you back into the human territories,” Qrow added. “The Council was supposed to tell you about them and everything I just told you after you got back from the Eve of the Ether fair, because we could tell you two were getting serious...

“… Though with the all the heat and attention everything the Valley’s getting now, your fake death being exposed, and the Heralds running around, those plans have all shot to shit, if not utterly vaporized.”

Weiss turned to Ruby, her whole body shaking with anger, her eyes blurry with tears, her expression changing, from shock, to betrayal, anger, to confusion, to fear, and finally, sorrow.

Ruby frowned. “Weiss…?”

“That’s why you just took out my guards that night, didn’t you...?” Weiss asked, her voice trembling. “Why you spared me, saved me for last and offered me that fucking deal, kept breaking into my room to terrorize me until I got so sick of it I’d want to go with you just to get away from the hell you’ve made of my life...”

She was crying now, her words broken up by sobs. “Why you were so nice to me… why you did your damndest to make as much of my life here as comfortable as possible… why you gave me that stupid plushie of your mother...”

She tried to blink the tears out of her eyes, struggled to speak. “You didn’t really mean it when you said you loved me, di you…?! All those times you kissed me, my first night in the Valley when we slept together, that fucking massage when I was so sore-stiff I couldn’t move—you probably didn’t even need to strip me naked, did you?!”

Winter blinked. “Wait, what...?”

Weiss ignored her, unable to see anything through her tears but Ruby standing in front of her those big, doe eyes of hers confused and terrified.

“Ruby…” Weiss whispered, “do you really love me...? Or am I just a part of your fucked up legacy...?!”

“I do!” Ruby cried, her voice trembling. “I meant every single word I said! I’d never lie about that, because I hate lying, and more than I hate lying, I love you!”  

“Prove it, then!”

“Okay! I will! Just… could you tell me how…?”

Weiss groaned as she grabbed the sides of Ruby’s face. “How else, you dolt?!” she screamed, before she kissed her.

Her lips were hard and unmoving like a rock, like the first time. Weiss kept on pressing, waited to see what she’d do, until she felt hands grab her shoulders and pull them apart.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Weiss cried.

“PROVING IT!” Ruby shouted back. “Because if you really love someone, you don’t kiss them back when you can just tell they don’t want you to, you stop!”

Weiss wrenched her hands back, her expression changing, from anger, to self-disgust, to horror, until finally, regret.

Ruby sniffed, tears pouring down her cheeks, voice trembling as she whispered, “I love you, Weiss…! Please, believe me…!”

The dreamscape faded around them, and they returned to the real world.

Note: I spent a full 30-minutes refining the ending for this. I hope it ruined you as much as it ruined me.

[delwin47]

Fanfic (ST:Voy), Reckonings

One more early Voyager fic from me -- Happy Voyager Anniversary, everyone and thank you to @alphaflyer @rikerssexblouse and @pg1890 for joining the fun!

Summary: Voyager's first three days stuck in the Delta Quadrant: two crews, one ship and, of course, Tom Paris.

Originally posted on FFN and AO3

Reckonings

Stardate 48321.46: 12 hours after the destruction of the Caretaker's array...

He might as well paint a giant red X on his back.

After all, an X, no matter how large and how red, couldn't possibly be as conspicuous as the uniform in his hands.

Starfleet command red. The Paris legacy. And now the unmistakeable sign of Tom Paris's treachery to the three dozen or so Maquis with whom he will apparently be sharing Voyager's fifteen decks for the immediate future.

Sliding the silky material through his fingers, Tom's expression twists into a humorless grin.

He's so very screwed.

Mustn't forget to add to those Maquis a crew of over a hundred Starfleet personnel all of whom think that he is the worst sort of disgrace to that same uniform...

...except the Captain.

The captain who put him back behind the helm of a starship.

Tom's fingers twitch as he mentally runs through the series of banks and turns, twists and dives that he guided Voyager through as they battled the Kazon less than twelve hours before. Whoever developed that bio-neural circuitry knew their stuff: Voyager responded to his commands like no other Starfleet ship he'd ever piloted.

And her captain evidently makes command decisions like no other captain Tom has ever encountered – and he's known a few. Who but Kathryn Janeway would hand over her ship to a paroled convict with a more than checkered service record?

Tom shakes his head in bemusement as he pulls on first the uniform pants and then the shirt. At least he'll provide a subject upon which Voyager's crew and their Maquis...guests? passengers? prisoners? can agree – everyone (except the Captain) hates Thomas Eugene Paris.

As he pins the communicator to his shirt, it promptly chirps to life :Kim to Paris:

"Paris here," Tom responds. "What can I do for you, Harry?" And he can't help smiling to himself: make that 'except the Captain and Ensign Harry Kim'.

:Do you have an hour or so? I'm in the middle of trying to figure out how to adapt the navigational systems to our...current coordinates and I could use a second pair of eyes:

All crises having passed for the moment, Tom has nothing if not time. Answering Harry in the affirmative, he slips on his boots, does a quick check in the mirror (the empty gray collar still pulls his attention like the gap from a missing tooth) and heads out the door – eyes straight ahead, mouth firmly and wisely set shut.

As it turns out, the corridors of Voyager are next to empty. Tom passes two or three of the Voyager crew but not a single Maquis. Come to think of it, he isn't sure what happened to Chakotay, Torres and the others once Janeway cleared her bridge – he and Harry were busy trying to find a relatively safe section of space into which to move Voyager. Are the Maquis now confined to quarters? Or the brig?

Having spent more than his fair share of time in starship brigs, Tom feels a brief flash of sympathy for the possible fate of the Val Jean's crew, but mostly he's glad to be spared becoming walking target practice, at least for the moment. When the doors of his destination slide open, he exhales heavily.

"Tom!" Harry turns to greet him, pausing in his work at the sole terminal in the room to do so. "Thanks for coming down."

"No problem." Tom glances around the gridded room appreciatively. "They made them bigger."

Harry follows his gaze and frowns. "The holodecks?"

Tom nods, estimating. "It looks like they increased both the area and the height. That gives some interesting extra potential for programs with multiple participants."

"Are you a holo-programmer?" Harry sounds surprised.

Tom considers that as he walks to join the younger man at the terminal. "Only as a hobby," he clarifies. "And 'was', not 'am'. I haven't been in a holodeck or holosuite since...for a couple of years."

Harry glances over, obviously trying to decide which tack to take in navigating the hazardous topic of Tom's recent history. "Well, now you are," he tries with only somewhat forced cheer. Then, with a grimace, "And we're all certainly going to need some new entertainment over the next seventy years so you'd better brush off those programming skills."

There are any number of questionable assumptions built into Harry's comment, but Tom chooses to address one of the less personal ones. "Given the circumstances, Harry, I'm pretty sure Janeway's not likely to authorize the use of energy for holodeck entertainment."

Harry shrugs. "The holodecks are on a separate grid from the rest of the ship. Their energy is incompatible with the main systems." He turns back to the computer. "That's actually why I'm working down here: it's more energy efficient to run simulations through the holodecks than through the main computer."

Despite everything, Tom chuckles. "So we may all starve out here, but even unofficial crew might be able to score holodeck privileges? Hell, maybe I'll invite Chakotay and his gang down to play some Velocity."

"Now that may be more difficult."

Which is interesting in itself, but even more interesting is the tone in which Harry drops his hint – the tone of someone with a nugget of information that he is all too eager to share. The straight-as-an-arrow Ensign Harry Kim is, Tom surmises, a first rate gossip hound.

Given that this particular nugget is one in which he has a personal interest, Tom has no problem biting. "And why is that?"

As expected, Kim pauses in his work and gives Tom his full attention. "Well, according to B'Elanna..."

"When were you talking to Torres?" No, not 'Torres'. 'B'Elanna'. When had that happened?

"The Captain ordered us both back down to Sickbay so that the Emergency Medical Hologram could make sure that virus or whatever it was that the Caretaker put into our systems was completely cleared out," Harry explains offhandedly, clearly impatient to get back to his point. "Anyway, B'Elanna said that all of the Maquis had been packed into various crew quarters and confined there."

Which is good news for Tom as evidently the lack of Maquis roaming the corridors this morning wasn't just a coincidence. But he finds himself backtracking through Harry's statement. "So are you okay? With the virus, I mean?"

Harry shrugs again, unconcerned. "Oh yeah. The EMH fixed that right up." Then he looks at Tom more directly. "By the way, I never did thank you for coming after me – or us – down there. We were in pretty bad shape before you found us. You probably saved our lives."

Tom scratches at the back of his neck. "You and Torres are both pretty stubborn. I'm sure you would have clawed your way out of there eventually."

Harry just grins. "So there's that, plus the Ferengi thing on DS9, not to mention your...help on the bridge yesterday – that's at least three I owe you, Paris."

The tone is light and casual: this is part of the script, the usual back-and-forth between crewmates who are used to putting their lives in each other's hands on a regular basis.

But it brings Tom up short. Because he and Harry are not, in fact, crewmates. And he disqualified himself from this sort of banter more than two years ago. Which no one seems to have any trouble remembering – except Harry.

Speaking of owing someone...

"Hey, Tom?" Harry glances over at him quizzically. "You okay?"

Tom blinks away his train of thought and turns back to his friend. "Yeah, Harry." Then he grins and briefly clasps the younger man's shoulder. "I'm fine." He turns his attention to the console. "Weren't you looking for my help with something?"

They spend the next hour working out how to compensate for the Delta Quadrant's lack of Federation navigational infrastructure until Harry is due to report back to the bridge. Once they part outside the holodeck, Tom begins to make his way back to his quarters, passing through still quiet and nearly empty corridors.

So at least he is running good there.

.

Stardate 48324.2: 36 hours after the destruction of the array...

So much for running good – though it was nice while it lasted.

Tom walks through the doors of the mess hall to find it – as expected – crawling with a dozen or so leather-clad Maquis.

An attempt to replicate breakfast in his quarters an hour earlier had been frustrated by an inactive replicator and a cheerful explanation from the computer that all meals were to be taken in the mess hall in order to maximize power conservation and centralize ration distribution. His brief musing on whether that would include the Maquis was answered by playing back an obviously hastily composed message from Harry which strongly suggested that Tom might want to wait until the ensign's shift break to head down to the mess hall for a meal.

Maquis included then.

Tom had taken a moment to wonder exactly how the negotiations on that one had gone down. Most likely Chakotay had pledged the good behavior of his crew – a pledge, no doubt, made in good faith and one that would be largely effective.

With the notable exception of behavior toward a certain ex-Maquis-turned-rat.

Having sent back a quick note declining Harry's well-intentioned but ultimately futile offer – Tom couldn't exactly hide behind the younger man for the next seventy years – Tom had made the decision to head directly into the line of fire.

His entrance immediately draws the attention of every person in the room, including the two Starfleet security officers who have clearly been stationed there to maintain order.

Neither of them looks exactly glad to see him.

Tom nods in their direction anyway but doesn't bother to wait for their acknowledgment. Feigning unconcern, he grabs a tray and makes his request of the replicator before moving to an open table where his back will be to the replicator and the door but he'll maintain a clear view of the full room and its occupants.

His attention ostensibly on his food, Tom takes a census of his fellow diners. Henley and Jonas occupy one table with two other Maquis whom he doesn't recognize. At the sight of him, Henley looks somewhat obscenely like a cat who's just been presented with an unexpected bowl of milk – or perhaps more accurately with a mouse with which to play. On the other side of the room, Chell's blue head glows as he whispers animatedly to the fellow Bolian seated across from him, his pointing finger and equally pointed gaze leaving little doubt as to the subject of his commentary. At a third table, Ken Dalby sits alone, tray pushed away. Slouched against the back of his chair, his arms are folded tightly to his chest and his calculating eyes are locked on Tom.

The other half dozen Maquis are unknown to Tom, evidently having joined Chakotay's crew after his own precipitous departure. But, based on the glares they are aiming in his direction, that's not affecting their ability to take Tom's betrayal personally.

Thirteen.

And all of them with very little left to lose.

A glance over at the gold-uniformed Starfleet officers confirms that help from that corner will be slow to arrive at best. Both men have subtly turned their shoulders, suggesting that it might well take an extra few seconds for them to notice any trouble starting in the direction of Voyager's observer.

And Tom well knows that a lot can happen in a few seconds.

He scans the room once more for potential sources of aid...like whom? Unless Harry cuts out in the middle of his bridge shift for a snack of ration bars... Chakotay, maybe? Tom did save the guy's life and, whatever else one might say about the man, one couldn't really doubt his sense of honor. Torres? An odd twist in his gut reminds him just how thoroughly he's burned that bridge.

"Tom Paris?"

He jumps violently at the soft voice. Little good it does keeping a view of the room before him if he misses the entrance of someone from behind. Twisting around, he identifies the voice's owner and hastily stands to cover the severity of his reaction. "That's me, yes." And then, regaining his composure, he adds, "It's Kes, right?"

The young woman nods, smiling and, despite the roomful of Maquis, Tom feels some of the tightness in his back and shoulders ease.

Motioning with the food tray in her hands, she asks, "May I join you?"

Tom nods, indicating the other chair and going so far as to pull it out for her. Kes sits, her back now to the room. Looking over her shoulder, Tom doesn't fail to notice that the security officers are once again on full alert: Tom Paris might be an easy victim to sacrifice but the elfin newcomer who has somewhat unwisely chosen to join him evidently is not.

Although, as Tom surveys the rest of the mess hall, the officers' renewed attention may be unneeded. The Maquis have turned back to their meals and the tension in the air has abated. He finds himself unsurprised that Kes seems to have called out the better angels of the freedom fighters' natures.

She might as well be an angel herself, with that air of innocence and kindness that seems to emanate from her. 'Unearthly' might be a fair descriptor and perhaps appropriate for a species that only lives nine years.

"I've been looking for the chance to thank you," Kes begins, interrupting his thoughts.

"To thank me?"

"For helping to rescue me." At what must be his somewhat blank look, she clarifies, "From Jabin."

"Ah." He has somehow almost forgotten about finding her beaten and half-starved in the Kazon encampment – had that only been two days ago? The holographic doctor did its work well and quickly in healing her. Not quite so innocent, then, and that kindness is more hard won than he was giving her credit for. "That wasn't our intent in going down to the surface," Tom explains honestly, then adds, "but I'm certainly happy to have helped."

Kes smiles warmly and, without thought, Tom smiles back. It's such an easy, natural interaction, without calculation. When did that become so unusual?

They both take a bite or two of their meals and Kes's gaze moves to the mess hall's expansive viewports. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" she comments, indicating the starscape outside those ports. "And it's so amazing to be traveling through open space like this."

Having spent far too much of the last year landlocked, Tom can agree with that sentiment wholeheartedly. "You've never been off-planet before, have you?"

"No." Kes's eyes are still on the stars. "Neelix told me stories – about his ship and all the different systems and planets – all the different species." She gives a self-deprecating shrug. "They seemed like fairy tales at the time."

"And now you're going to live that fairy tale," Tom points out to her. "You and Neelix can travel to all of those places."

"That's true," she agrees, taking another bite of food. "Still," and she looks back out at the stars, "I can't help but wonder what it would be like to see it all from this ship – to be a member of a starship crew." She turns back to him with another enchanting smile. "It must be a wonderful life."

Tom chokes a little on a bite of food that seems to have gotten caught in his throat. At the sound, Henley glances back in his direction, likely hoping to witness his untimely demise courtesy of a ration bar. Jonas says something to draw her attention back and she joins in her tablemates' laughter. To the side of the room, the two security officers are chatting quietly with each other. For the moment, Tom Paris is forgotten.

Which is about the best that he can hope for.

"Yeah," he agrees roughly. And his own eyes turn to the starscape. "It must be."

.

  Stardate 48326.94: 60 hours after the destruction of the array...

Two quadrants away from Earth and San Francisco, but "Hurry up and wait" is still evidently the unofficial Starfleet motto for those lacking in rank insignia.

How many times during their first weeks at the Academy did Tom and his cohorts sprint in order to arrive at designated place X at appointed time Y only to spend the next half hour cooling their heels and waiting on someone higher up in the Starfleet pecking order?

Of course, at that point, 'someone' could have been just about anyone in uniform: it was pretty much impossible to get lower in the food chain than a freshly arrived Academy cadet.

Well, pretty much impossible unless you happened to be Thomas Eugene Paris. Seems like he's managed to accomplish that feat quite neatly.

Across the bridge at the tactical station, the lieutenant on duty – Andrews, maybe? – hasn't stopped glaring at him since Tom walked onto the bridge.

Perhaps 'rushed' more than 'walked'. Old habits die hard and one wouldn't want to be late when summoned by the captain of the ship to her ready room. Particularly when that captain put the helm of that ship in one's hands three days before. Even more particularly when one hasn't heard a word from that captain since finally, reluctantly turning that helm back over to someone whose gray collar wasn't bare.

Not that he blames her for the lack of communication. Right now Kathryn Janeway has bigger issues to deal with than the ex-Starfleet-lieutenant, ex-Maquis-pilot, current-convict-on-probation who happens to be an observer on her ship.

Like what to do with the three dozen not-so-ex Maquis who also happen to be residing on that ship.

Andrews hasn't let up his glower, and Tom begins to wonder if he's managed to do something to piss off the guy personally, beyond the usual 'cashiered out of Starfleet and convicted felon' stuff. Doesn't he have a station he's supposed to be monitoring anyway?

"Lieutenant?" comes Harry's voice from behind Tom at ops. "Could you confirm that the energy signature in grid forty seven is just a pocket of ambient radiation? My reading is unclear."

At which Andrews finally looks back down at his board. The corner of Tom's mouth twitches upward into something between a smirk and a grin, but he resists the urge to look back at Harry, instead mentally adding to his tally of what he owes the younger man.

Tom's actually been doing a good bit of mental calculating in the last couple of days – and not with good results. The inescapable conclusion of his ruminations has been that Voyager needs the Maquis. Without them, she simply will not have the manpower she needs to function sustainably, not to mention to begin a journey home.

And, if he's being honest, Tom knows that most of the Val Jean's crew are good people with talents that could serve Voyager well. Hell, Torres by herself would probably cut the length of the journey back to the Alpha Quadrant in half if given a crack at the engines. A captain would be foolish not to utilize those talents and foolish Kathryn Janeway is not.

Which is not good news for Tom Paris.

The Captain will not ask him to leave, he knows that. For one, he's his father's son, and secondly, it is by her request that Tom is on Voyager and in the Delta Quadrant to begin with. The combination of loyalty and slight guilt will ensure him a bunk and rations. But, if his existence is going to be limited to draining Voyager's resources and staying one step ahead of a Maquis lynch mob, he might as well still be in that penal colony in New Zealand.

From the conn, Culhane calls over to where Tuvok sits in the captain's chair: "Sir, I have the results of the navigational surveys that you asked me to run."

Without meaning to, Tom looks over at the ensign and Voyager's helm. Had it been for an hour, maybe two that he had occupied Culhane's seat?

The chance to fly again had been an unexpected and incredible gift; even more so had been the act of faith which had put him at the conn – the particular type of faith that a captain must have in her crew and that Tom thought he had forfeited forever.

Tom's eyes move again to the helm, so tantalizingly close.

Yet still absolutely out of his reach.

He may have raced like a new cadet to answer Janeway's summons, but the news awaiting him in the ready room can only be bad.

Despite that, he'll take the opportunity to thank her for giving him one more chance to fly a starship and to feel – if only for that short time – like a member of a crew again. For that, she has his endless gratitude.

The ready room door slides open, and Chakotay walks out, distracted and thoughtful. He glances Tom's way, but his look is without acknowledgment and inscrutable. He continues without pause to the turbolift and exits the bridge without a word.

Drawing on years of practice, Tom tries to school his own features back to impassivity as he steps up to the ready room door and sounds the chime. But, even though he refuses to glance back at the helm one more time, there is a tightness to his jaw that he can't ease as the door opens before him and he steps through.

Time to be cut loose again.

[ohgoddard]

Chungus: The War Chapter 1: The Situation

     There was dead silence in the war room. Sitting around the table were various military generals and men in suits, all of which were tugging at their collars nervously. Projected on the wall was a live graph, being updated with the data as they received it. The room had no lighting aside from the projection, but it was more than enough to see the reactions and looks of all present. Sweat was pouring down their necks and they were quite obviously spooked. Hushed whispers echo throughout the war room chamber, as men talk to each other about pulling their stocks and running away. The attitude of the room was dread.

     Except for one man. He sat at the end of the table, hands put together in front of his face. Dressed in a simple light blue suit, he watched the graph numbers rise with no visible emotion. His bald head did not shine with sweat, and his rough hands did not shake. He did not pull at the stray strings of his suit, nor did he tap his leather shoes. He was still, and calm. His emerald eyes scanned the graph, as they have since it was turned on.

     “Chungus Death and Infection Numbers”, the graph read. So far thousands have fallen either dead or to the chungus turning infection. Thousands that will never walk among us, that is as a human. This man put this graph up here to make a point. 

     A point that he and his organization were needed. That he was a “nessceary expense”. His eyes twitched at that sentence, the one hed read over and over again in the finance report. They were considering cutting his foundation out from the budget.  Yet he was so lucky that the Infection suddenly spurred. So lucky, some had started suspecting him. However, this was far from what he wanted.

     He stands up from his chair, making the only noise in the room. A dozen heads turn to look his direction. The man was not a tall individual, but he commanded the room. “Gentlemen,” he spoke,” I am Elmer Fudd. I am the Co-Lead of the foundation you were considering cutting from the budget. What you are seeing there is a current update of lives lost to the Chungus Invasion and Infection. We - “

     “IMPOSSIBLE!” one of the generals shouts as they stand from their seat.”The Chungus were gone extinct over 40 years ago! The Yosemite Family took out the Mother Chungus, there cannot be any more of them!” Elmer Fudd looked over the general who hopped up, with a look that conveyed disgust. “Yet here we are, General. So I suggest you take your seat and listen to how we have these beasts back again, instead of interrupting me and wasting my time and dozens of lives.” The General sat back down, a shameful red taking his face over. 

     “As I was saying,” Elmer began again,” We have tracked the source of the Infection to Baghdad. It is suspected that this bread of Chungus is lab-grown, as the result of an experiment by one Vladimir Chungus.” An incredulous look overtook many of the people present when they heard the name. “Yes, yes it is a humorous name for the given circumstance but we must get back on track. Vladimir Chungus is a former Russian Biological Engineer.” Upon saying this, the projection was changed to a picture of Vladimir Chungus. He was a bald, unshaven mess. His beard trailed to his chest and he had crazy brown eyes with heavy bags on them. “He was the lead researcher in Artificial Biological Life. He was playing God, so to speak.” A bunch of whispers entered the room once again before Elmer coughed to get the attention. He was presumed dead when his home in Chechnya was bombed in 2006 as part of a Top Secret Operation during the Checnean War, and his body was never found. However, this does not appear to be the case.” The projection changes to satellite images zoomed in on a compound in the middle of a small town settled in the mountains. “We believe this to be the home of Vladimir, who was seen entering it on December 19th of 2011. He has not been seen exiting it, but reports of those who live in the town have met him during parties he has thrown. Now, his connection to the Chungus Virus currently infecting the Southern US and Central Middle-East is as follows.”

     The projection changes again to numerous pictures of trucks and creatures in cages. “These trucks were seen driving into the compound and loading several covered cages, which witness reports note as being ‘moving and making snarling noises’. These same trucks were later found in a back alley of Baghdad, with all the cages broken and several men dead.” The projection changes to the scene, with many of the suits in the room making gagging noises. 

     The image shown was 4 men dressed in black private security uniforms, laying on the floor torn to shreds. Their chests were torn open, and one looks like it was thrown against a wall of the alley. Three cages are shown, each I varying degrees of destruction and conditions. One of the three trucks there was on its side, smoke trailing from its engine.

     “The cages were 8 feet tall, by a floor area of 12 ft. Evidence covered at the scene was one broken tooth and several shredded grey hairs. Since January 7th of this year, abductions in Baghdad grew exponentially, until 29% of the city’s population was unaccounted for. No one knew what was going on until February 12th, when we caught this on video.” The projection changes to a video of a man approaching a door that is slightly ajar. There is a tearing and snarling noise coming from the room and a trail of blood leading into it. The man is seen opening the door and then screaming and running, dropping the phone he was recording on int he process. In doing so, the camera was pointing right into the room, were illuminated by the moonlight was a 7 foot tall and large animal holding a goat with its hands. It has two very large ears and bright yellow eyes, and in its mouth were two huge white fangs.

     “This is a Chungus. It is very different from the previous Chungus we know about, differing in an extra 3 feet in height and several more pounds of muscle.” Elmer straightens his tie, coughing. Seeing that video brought back bad memories, no matter how many times he watched it or tried to suppress those memories. The blood that was poured. “Excuse me. This wave of Chungus is different, but there is one main issue that has made this extremely important.” Elmer Fudd reaches under the table and takes out a jar, its contents looking like applesauce. “ It can infect humans with spores from an as-yet-unknown source, and once infected, humans insides slowly gooify before reforming in a Chungus. The Chungus then parasitically eats its way out of the host and begins growing before wrecking havoc.” Elmer Fudd opens the jar and pours it out on the table. Its contents spill everywhere, the goop seeping onto the floor. The smell envelops the room, smelling of rotten meat. One of the generals vomits. Laying in the middle of the table is a small shriveled version of what was shown on screen.

     “This is what we are up against. I await my funding.” Elmer Fudd then stands up, straightens his tie, then leaves the room.