#flood bane (black team)

[bl4ck-t34m]

Super soldiers, but not that kind (Closed thread with @multi-muse-transect)

It proved easy for Spartan Team Black to sneak through the city, even with the machines patrolling the streets. It was just a matter of keeping an eye on the tracker, and trusting their guts. Eventually, the four man fireteam would find what appears to be a civilian evac center, which they clear of hostiles quickly. But when all attempts to get the evac started fail, the Spartans decide to take up defensive positions and wait for the local military force to arrive.

[bl4ck-t34m]

"Yea, maybe."

Gomez finds a terminal, pulls a chip with a glowing core from the back of his helmet, and taps a control on the terminal. Then he retrieves the chip and slots it back into his helmet.

"The superintendent was still in there. Any files pertaining to force deployment, strategic colonies, or anything else of military application has been wiped. Not anymore mind you, now that I've let it recover that from my armor, but there's no risk involved in that, because as long as it is plugged into me, it's survival is entirely dependent on mine."

Gomez glances at the dead police officer, then he grabs the officer's thumb and holds it to his palm, before releasing it.

"Retired UNSC marine core Sergeant Kaleb Dohn. He might've known something important, and he was at Voi, so he's seen the flood in action before. Basically, the reason he did himself in is the same reason he wiped the superintendent, it's data denial. He made the right choice, even if it's a horrible thing to have to do."

Spartan Gomez collects ammo for his shotgun from the officer's corpse, then he gently shuts the officer's eyes with a quiet 'rest easy' before moving back to the door they came in through. When the door cycles open, a flood infected spartan tries to tackle Gomez, but Gomez's response is nigh instantaneous, the kick he delivers appearing as a blur to the Slayer, then Gomez plants two shells into the prone combat form, putting it down.

"Let's get going, I want to get topside and try to reconnect with the others."

@expvrgction

bl4ck-t34m​: 

Spartan Gomez gets up, gathers his weapons with shaking hands, and if his vitals are anything to go by, he’s quite rattled. If the Slayer or Vega were to ask Gomez if he’s ok, he’d just wave them off.

“I have no idea how many more infected there are, probably the entire planet’s population, including all military forces. Hell, I’m sure that even the damn plants are just flood biomass at this point. That said, let’s move.”

Spartan Gomez approaches the hole in the wall and peers in, then he steps in.

“All clear, for now, move in Blazkowics!”

@expvrgction​

The Slayer followed through the hole left in the wall with Gomez. What the latter said had him thinking of what would happen if Earth might end up in a fate as horrid as this.

The demons were already bad enough. He didn’t need another invasion of another scale in his reality.

It didn’t take too long to reach the core, and the scenery before a command desk indicated that the two were too late– A police officer was found dead with gunshot wound to the head.

“That looks like a case of too late.” The Slayer noted. “Check the superintendent AI’s data and if this poor guy left any note. There must be a reason he took his own life, too.”

[chaoticbardlady99]

Racing for Time (2)

(LADS x MCs x Pokemon +Mystery Dungeon)

Synopsis: Caleb, Zayne, and Maisie become the bane of Xavier's existence. Viper and Professor Lucius finally have a break in their research to destroy all Pokemon once and for all.

CW: Mentions of some violence due to medical support

Author Note: This is NOT a Poly fic- each boy will eventually meet their own love interest (or fall in love with each other idk).

Chapter 1 : Chapter 3

*Also on AO3, but my Tumblr is being Cacaw and wont let me insert an inline text for it

(Chapter Two- The Inconveniences of the Human Condition)

Disaster struck so quickly that Maisie barely had a moment to digest what was happening before it happened. 

 Her, Caleb, and Zayne had run into a particularly difficult group of Pokemon. Actually- it wasn’t that they were particularly difficult, it was just that something was wrong with them. They had crystals growing out of them, the smell of rot coming from their bodies, and they were coming out of the glowing red light. 

  Maisie was certain they were going to die- Caleb had been hit pretty hard by something resembling a Doduo and her and Zayne were running out of gas pretty quick. They also only had so many Oran Berries and so many directions to run in. 

 In a last ditch effort- Caleb had grabbed Maisie by the scruff and Zayne by the flipper and ran straight into the blinding light. All three of them went hurtling through it- screaming, mind you- and Maisie felt like she did that first day she landed on the beach. 

 The blinding light from the sun is the first thing she becomes aware of- she can barely see and she attempts to protect herself from the light by covering her face with her hands. 

 That’s bet- WAIT A SECOND!

 Maisie sits up a little faster than she should have- a wave of nausea lays her back out on the sand and-

“I’m human again,” she whispers, her body is dressed in some kind of uniform, “but if I’m human again-“

 No. 

 In spite of how horrid she feels, Maisie makes herself get up. She looks around the beach- not seeing anyone near her or any Pokemon around. 

 She pushes herself upright, voice hoarse, “Zayne! Caleb!”

 The sound of the ocean fills her ears with white noise and dread.

“ZAYNE!” She screams, “CALEB!”

 Nothing. 

 Tears begin to flood her eyes, a knot forms in her throat, and she’s kicking herself. She knew they shouldn’t have gone! Now she has no way of getting back and-

 I didn’t get to tell them how much they mean to me, she falls to her knees with a choked sob, we didn’t get to go on one last successful adventure. 

 Team Goldrush is officially over and this time, the universe couldn’t even provide her the favor of forgetting her time with them. 

 All the fun, the laughs, the close calls, the nights huddled together when saving the world felt too scary and big for three little Pokemon. It’s all gone now. She’s all alone- again. 

“Dumb boys,” she shakes her head, laughing through her tears, “I hope they are okay.”

 She really can’t bring herself to move though- she feels stuck to the ground.

 Until she isn’t.

 Maisie is tackled and rolled through the sand by a form much larger than her own and smells like boy. 

“Maisie!” A familiar voice yells with joy, “we thought you may have been dropped into the ocean!”

 When she pulls away from her attacker- she is surprised to find not one, but two dark haired men looking at her. They have to be in their 20s and the one speaking to her- hugging her- has the prettiest purple eyes she has ever seen. They are hypnotizing and wow… this person is so pretty. He’s dressed in a pair of baggy jeans and tank top- shaggy hair ruffled by the wind. 

 The other person looks more put together in his all black attire- his features are sharp and artistic, all edges and straight lines. His eyes are an equally beautiful hazel and his cheeks turn a fierce pink color when she meets his gaze- the stranger looks away almost immediately. 

 “Oh no,” the person frowns, “she doesn’t remember us again- Zayne, you have any good ideas-“

 The initial shock wears off and she tackles Caleb and then pulls Zayne down into the hug, holding them both as tightly as she possibly can. 

“I thought I lost you both!” She wails, “Caleb- never do something that foolish again- you- you!” 

 She starts to give Caleb the noogie of a century- knuckles rubbing deep into his scalp in hopes to massage an ounce of common sense into him. Anything to prevent him from dragging them all to their doom or another world again!

“You smell,” Caleb crinkles his nose at her, “gross.”

“Oh and you smell like a spring garden? You could knock out an opponent with your breath alone.” 

 Zayne shakes his head with a chuckle. Not even two minutes ago Maisie was crying because she thought she lost them and now her and Caleb are back to their usual bickering. At least some things never change and honestly, Zayne isn’t loving the way he smells either. Being a human has so far proven to be incredibly inconvenient. 

 Not to mention, everytime he looks at Maisie he feels like his heart is going to burst out of his chest. Her fluffy coat is replaced with long, wavy hair. Her bright orange eyes are so captivating that they make his existence feel warm and when she hugged him, he thought he was on cloud nine and he really didn’t mind the way she smelled.

 Inconvenient, he thinks, this is nothing but a response to a new environment and a new world. It’s not like talking to Caleb has been any less awkward.

 Granted, he isn’t turning a different shade when he looks and talks to Caleb. Well, at least not a pink shade.

“First things, first,” Maisie pops up, brushing off the sand from her uniform, “we need to find shelter, then a bath, and then, ideally, food.” 

 Zayne nods in agreement and Caleb looks around their environment- occasionally tapping his chin. His head tilts as something comes into view from the distance. 

“That looks like a building over there-“ he points to a house in the distance, “maybe someone could help us?” 

 Maisie squints and just barely sees the green roof in the distance. There is a plume of smoke from the chimney and the slight smell of food- maybe they’ll have a shower they can use. 

“Alright- it’s settled then,” she begins to awkwardly march forward, it feels awkward to walk with two feet after all this time, “to the mystery building we go!” 

 The walk is less than promising- both men smack their heads against tree branches or whip her in the face with low ones. They ran into a hoard of Beedrill (one stung her when she fell and didn’t get up in time, now she’s riding piggy back- borderline choking Caleb out) and they lost sight of the cabin. 

 It’s getting dark- the sun is beginning to set and the forest seems to be coming alive. They’ve avoided going into the tall grass out of fear of invoking whatever lies within- without any real way to defend themselves, they aren’t sure they would even actually stay alive if they tried to fight off what was once their fellow Pokemon.

“I think we need to stop to rest,” Zayne stops, frowning at the bruised sky, “it’s almost night time. We need to try to find somewhere we can rest without being disturbed and the smoke from the cabin is still far away.”

 Maisie and Caleb nod in tired agreement. He helps her down against a tree, her leg still painful and sore, the stinger is still stuck and she is feeling woozier and woozier by the second. 

 “Here,” Zayne hands her a pink berry, “it’s a pecha berry. It will keep get rid of the poison and you’ll begin to feel better.

“I need to remove the stinger,” Zayne’s hands hover above the injection site on the outside of her left thigh, “is it alright with you if I touch you?”

 Maisie blinks a couple times. Zayne didn’t usually ask before, he would just… do. 

“Of course you can,” she smiles weakly and contradictingly bright at her friend,  “you know you don’t need to ask- I trust you.” 

“Yes but… it just feels different now.”

 She hums- it has been a crazy day and they are very different in build now. She’s probably not nearly as tough skinned as she once was.

“Wait to eat the Pecha Berry,” Zayne turns to Caleb, “come and hold her hand.”

 Caleb immediately listens, sitting closely to Maisie who looks worried. 

“Hold my hand?” She tilts her head, “why would he need to hold my hand?”

“Don’t worry, Pips,” Caleb reassures her, “I’m sure you’re fine- this is probably just going to kind of suck.” 

“What do you- AHHHHHHHHHHH!”

“AHHHHHHHHHHH!”

 Caleb screams as Maisie crushes his hand- the stinger came out, but Caleb was wrong. It did more than kinda sucked, it really sucked. 

 Maisie leans back against the tree, her face breaking out in a cold sweat and a wave of nausea washing over her. She barely keeps the Pecha berry down, but the world is spinning. 

 Words sound like they are underwater as sleep pulls her in- the pain is almost intolerable right now. She used to take full attacks- sometimes even fireballs! How is this exhausting for her!?

 Because you’re a flimsy human- not a Mareep. 

 Right- different body, different functions. 

 Caleb and Zayne are talking about something before her previously bright blue friend is in front of her with his eye panicked. 

“Ma-“ his voice cuts in and out of consciousness, - ay aww- sta- w-“

 Before she can ask him to say it again, darkness claws itself into her eyes and ears.

 Caleb has never seen Zayne lose his marbles quite this much before, but if the marbles were real, they would be everywhere. 

 Caleb watches as Zayne tries to wake up Maisie, checking for a heartbeat and pulse, opening her eyes- until he finally seems to feel the slightest bit of reassurance that their friend isn’t dead. The hazel eyed man puts his head in between her hair and shoulder- inhaling deeply. His body relaxes and he tries to make her more comfortable- laying her in recovery position before he walks off to find some firewood, asking Caleb to keep watch. 

 The closeness Zayne shared with Maisie makes something in Caleb tick- not in a good way either. In fact, he feels an emotion like the color neon green and a bad berry that’s been left out in the sun for too long. However, he also feels very worried for his distressed friend. It’s not easy for any of them to be out of commission and it’s a tight knit group. 

 Not to mention- Caleb (usually) is a Riolu! A force to be reckoned with! A leader and fighter for the ages! He said he would stay by Maisie’s side that day on the beach and he still means it now. 

 Gathering his awkwardly long limbs off the forest floor, he sits next to Maisie awkwardly, unsure of how to interact with her now that they are all people and not Pokemon. Her brow is furrowed and he knows she’s probably having another nightmare. 

 Slowly, hesitantly, Caleb holds one of her hands that is haphazardly sprawled out.  

 It will be okay. They have each other.

“We’ll find a way back home or a way to live here, Maisie,” he nods, more so reassuring himself than her sleeping form, “I promise.” 

                  *******************************

 Xavier doesn’t care to travel too far from his home where his mother and his sick little sister lives, but the scream coming from the woods was too alarming for him not to investigate. If there is danger nearby, he needs to nip it in the bud as soon as possible. 

 Ampharos lights the way with his tail- the Pokemon keeps an eye on the bushes and grass while Xavier focuses on looking higher. Starly is flying above the trees, looking for the source of the sound. 

 A cry from Starly alerts him to the source of the sound and he quickly runs in the direction, Ampharos not far behind. Xavier is mentally preparing for a battle- Ever has been on the rise lately and they’ve been causing nothing but trouble in the area. Contorted, weary Pokemon have come to his door for help and he has a barn’s worth of wild Pokemon seeking refuge while Ever lurks about. 

 Maybe, just maybe, he can get rid of the problem once and for all- if the scream is Ever related, that is. If not, well, these people shouldn’t have been trespassing on his property.

 It doesn’t take long to find the individuals- the two mens are hunched over a bunch of sticks and seem to be arguing amongst themselves and a woman with the pinkest hair he has ever seen is asleep nearby. 

 Xavier is quick to notice a couple things about these people- one, they don’t necessarily smell all that great and the blowing wind isn’t helping. Two, they obviously do not know how to start a fire, and three, they are definitely not with Ever. 

“Surely we can figure this out,” the purple eyed one says, “we have to- I’m freezing!”

“You’re actually just cold, not freezing,” corrects the other dark haired man, “you will be freezing if we can’t figure this out.”

“Well, then figure it out Mr. Smarty Pants!”

“Can’t you see that I’m trying!?” He exclaims, “I’m a water type pokemon- not a fire type- I don’t even know how fire works!”

 Water type pokemon? Xavier’s face scrunches up in confusion, maybe they are crazy and death is the only safe option. 

“Why are you spying on us?”

 Xavier tumbles to the side- trying to avoid the voice that just addressed him. He didn’t even realize the pink haired girl had snuck up on him until his vision was assaulted with the color itself. 

 Her hands are on her hips and she wears a uniform with an emblem that scratches the surface of his mind, but barely. She can’t be much younger than he is- probably 24- but he is mostly in awe of her bright, brilliantly shining orange eyes. Until she points a rather large and sharpened stick at his face.

“Why are you being a weirdo, weirdo?”

 His mouth drops open, “weirdo? I’m not the one hanging out with the people saying they are pokemon.”

 She genuinely looked offended before bonking him upside the head with the stick- not enough to leave a bump, but definitely enough to make him sore.

“Hey! What was that for!?’

“We are Pokemon,” she frowns and begins to lift the stick for another hit, “well those two are, I’m not really but I was for a while.”

  The two men in question poke their heads around the tree- eyeing the newcomer suspiciously and his Ampharos. Xavier has really done it this time- he just had to poke the proverbial weird Ursaring. 

“I-uh- ha,” he scratches the back of his head, getting up while slowly pushing the stick out of his, “I don’t want any trouble. I live locally and heard someone scream-”

“Wait!” she says suddenly, flinging the stick to the side- looking rather excited, “do you have a shower!?”

“I… I do have a shower, yes.”

“And soap!?” her eyes are sparkling likes gems, “like the kind that can make him,” she points at the purple eyed man, “smell better!?”

“Hey!”

“I do- it would be kind of weird to have a bathroom without soap.”

 Pink hair goes flying around the air in a happy flurry as she jumps up and down in excitement. Before she can ask any more odd and kind of bizarre questions- the more rational of the three beats her to it.

“Do you live in the house with smoke coming out of it?” the man in all black says while pointing in the direction of Xavier’s home.

“Uh yeah.” WHY ARE YOU TELLING THEM THIS!?

“Then it’s settled,” the purple eyed one says with a final clap of his hands, “we’re going home with you!”

 Xavier sputters, the woman takes his hand and shakes it aggressively, “My name is Maisie- the stinky guy is Caleb and the smart looking one is Zayne.”

“I do not SMELL THAT BAD!”

 Xavier avoids eye contact with Caleb who is obviously looking to be defended.

“DO I REALLY SMELL THAT BAD!?”

“You won’t here shortly!” Maisie says happily, grabbing Xavier’s wrist and pulling him the direction of the smoke, “to shelter, Shower Man!”

 What did he just sign himself up for? 

                                                                 *****************

  Professor Lucius has spent a lifetime researching Pokemon- trying to find ways to optimize their powers, extract them, combine them with humans so humans can be the weapons instead- anything to give them advantage over a world that could kill them at any given time.

 It’s become an obsession of his- empowering humans so that Pokemon can be wiped out and humans are no longer at the mercy of their ‘Gods’. You could say it began when his mother was killed by an Ursaring or when he spent his youth never being an exceptional trainer and only an afterthought- but the goal is still the same regardless.

 Lucius will be this world’s new God- raging regicide amongst the mythical Pokemon that are determined to keep humans from getting ahead and genocide amongst their little, more fragile creations. 

 Everyone thinks he’s crazy minus the others who are passionate about eradicating the world of this nonsense. Everyone says it can’t be done, but he is determined and although he has yet to find a solution, his hope refuses to dim and he is not beyond using even the most outdated research.

 Which leads us to attempt 285- a Tear in Time and Space. It wasn’t actually supposed to be a Tear- it was supposed to be an open and shut vacuum sorta thing, but then five of his researchers were slurped up into the angry void, never to be seen again. 

 He had hoped that the discovery may be fruitful considering what it did to his team, but alas, nothing fruitful or worth reporting has come from this attempt. The colors would change periodically- flashy purples, blues, pinks, but nothing has come stumbling out of the portal and there are no anomalies being detected around the facility.

 He’s been troubleshooting all afternoon- trying different formulas, angles, times, and energy signatures. 

 Nada- consistent disappointment. He has half a mind to throw himself into the Tear just to see something happen.

 “Professor Lucius?”

 He is viciously snapped from his thoughts- a jolt of fear going through him from the unexpected company. What could anyone possibly want now?

 “What?” he spat, eye twitching in irritation, “can’t you see I’m in the middle of something important?”            

 The Team Ever Grunt chuckles nervously, “Viper-”

“Viper was told not to disturb me,” Lucius says without giving the Grunt a chance to finish speaking, “unless this has to do with the-”

“Tear in space and time?” the annoying, nasally voice of his Green Haired research partner comes ringing from behind him, “don’t worry. I listened.” 

 Lucius may very well stroke out- Viper says he listens, but then he brings him hypothetical fucking nonsense like these “Time Gears” he has been so keen on discovering and utilizing so that humans can achieve immortality. Lucius, on the other hand, is a skeptic. Time Gears are myths, a fairytale, and Lucius does not have time to waste on fairy tales.

  He turns on his heels and is met with a pile of people he hasn’t met before. One man has blue hair and purple eyes with sharp canines- he looks dazed- another is a man with a thick head of hair that is as purple as the other’s eyes, and the final one almost looks like he has jaundice; He's so neon yellowish with purple lips and a purple tipped nose.

“And why did you bring me three useless individuals at an important time like this?” Lucius hisses, “do you want me to throw you and them into the Tear?”

 Viper smiles and Lucius has a feeling he may very well be begrudgingly thanking Viper for whatever he is about to reveal. It’s not that Lucius doesn’t like Viper- he’s just obnoxious and is a know-it-all.

 “These three say they were sucked in by a bright portal of light in a ‘Mystery Dungeon’,” Viper says slowly with a wicked grin, “and they aren’t naturally humans- they are meant to be Pokemon.”

 It takes Lucius a tick before a malevolent grin crosses his face.

 It worked! His Tear in time worked!

“I was initially going to have them killed,” Viper shrugged, “dissected even, but then they told me something… important.”

 Lucius huffs, patience already dangerously thin. 

“Important meaning? I don’t have all day, Viper.”

  Aptly named, Viper smiles with his fang like teeth just barely skimming his lower lip- eyes slit with mischief and evil anticipation.

“They know how to find the Time Gears.”  

******************

@lyn31 thank you for your support <3

[sassooda]

Worlds Away JJK AU / Chapter 37 - Destined for Greatness

w/c - 7,731

               Suguru has been lying in bed for hours now as his mind wanders through his past and imagines different scenarios for the future. He sighs as he tosses and turns for the thousandth time, facing away from his door while his gaze takes to his new quarters that are viewable from this angle. This is by far the cheeriest room he has ever called his own. The walls are a warm yellow, the floors of solid hardened red clay and all of the matching furniture a light wood. His eyes take to the closed curtains with long thick white drapes, ‘This is so fucking annoying…���, he mumbles knowing there’s not even a window behind it, there’s no way for there to be when you’re underground. Sitting up now with aggravation, he reaches over to the bedside table and places the bowl of water he was using the night before, back into his lap. He wants to check in on Elska’s surroundings although he knows other Titers are tasked with the enemy’s usual surveillance. Before activating his technique though, he hesitates due to anxiety, ‘What the fuck am I going to do when we take her? What the fuck will she do?’. He hears footsteps approaching his door and knows Genghis must have already finished with most of the arrangements.

               “Little one! Time to wake up!”. Genghis calls out in an eager voice. He stops and smiles when he sees that Getou is already awake and asks, “Aren’t you excited about today?”. He looks over the worrisome Suguru who’s vexation is transparent. The golden sheets drape along his body and slide from his bare skin whenever he moves under them.

               Getou grumbles and turns his head, “I don’t think what I’m feeling is excitement…”. He keeps looking at the curtains that hide lies while wondering if he’s much different. ‘Will I have to subdue her when she lashes out? Am I going to have to hurt her when she resists?’. He’s had no qualms with doing so in the past but feels an incredible amount of pressure regarding it now. ‘Could we…like each other?’.

               Genghis chuckles and ignores Suguru’s reluctant attitude while looking around the room, “This is definitely much more suitable! Did you really put in a request for a giant tub though?” He’s poking fun at his pupil but he was also puzzled by that. Genghis thinks the brighter room will serve them both well psychologically. ‘Not too shabby for being done at the last minute.’.

               Embarrassed by the question, Getou submerges deeper into his bad mood and bed before retorting, “It’s for me. I’m tall.”. He was certainly not about to admit that it was for Elska, thinking she really must love them judging by how insane Naoya acted about it when the Zenin originally designed the first room where she was held. Suguru is aware that her reaction may be hostile overall and is dreading these coming days because of it so he hopes having one may ease her nerves. He doesn’t know that tub is Naoya’s thing.

               Genghis isn’t really satisfied with that answer but continues on, “I’ve gathered the most adept offensive fighters we have to offer.” Knowing the Titer’s abilities are incredible but lack in the area of traditional combat, selecting the most capable available would be crucial. “I believe you’ll quite enjoy my plan…”. His teeth show in this smile now, he’s more than willing to share his enthusiasm.

               Suguru finally turns to his mentor, interested. “Do tell me what you’ve concocted.”.

               Genghis lights up, “So as we were discussing, we need to restrict their actions. We will make our move in a public setting but you’ll still be able to have your fun...we will have to harm innocents but I assume that’s not what troubles you.” He grins maniacally, “Mr. Satoru Gojo’s presence will be requested before the Elders here in a few and his curiosity will assure he attends.”. Genghis sighs, “I was worried Gojo might want to kill all of them but I brought in two special people to mediate our fictitious ambitions.”. He chuckles, “The silver shaman has no idea what’s in store for him.”.

               Getou smirks at the thought of Gojo having the rug pulled from beneath him, “So we’re planning on having to deal with Toji, Zenin and Choso…aside from her today?” Genghis nods to his question but a heaviness forms in Suguru’s chest when he thinks about having to kill Choso. He’s still not on board with that completely and figures he’ll try his best to protect the hybrid in the midst of confusion. ‘Not him too.”. Getou wishes to find a way to bring the hybrid back to his side.

               Genghis claps his hands, causing his yellow robes to flutter, “You better get up and get ready! I’m about to meet with our team. I believe your first sweetheart will be amongst them.”, he chuckles for the drama but honestly loathes that woman.

               “Lidia?”, Getou stiffens immediately as that did not help his motivation. “She’s fucking crazy Master Genghis, I don’t want to be anywhere near her!”. Suguru takes his head to his hands as a few memories of her dependency and inhumane behavior flood him. ‘Psychotic bitch.’. Lidia always chased after Suguru when they were younger and at some point this wore on him as before he knew it, she was claiming them to be betrothed. She was obsessed with his destiny, his calling for the clan and would worship him in the most toxic ways due to it. Her need to be the only one in Getou’s life caused her to mutilate young women amongst Suguru’s outer circle out of spite and jealousy. Their time together did not last long as it quickly became a violent pairing, ending with him crushing her ribs under his usual technique. Suguru sighs, “She’s is not going to help me obtain another woman…”. He shudders recalling how after healing, she was back to throwing herself at him as if nothing happened. ‘Fucking…crazy…’.

               Genghis hides his sneer, knowing full and well the history of the two. “On the contrary, she requested this assignment.”. He notices Suguru’s growing frustration and wishes he could explain exactly why he’s doing what he’s doing but instead says, “I’ve seen many outcomes for this and although they may have varied, I can assure you Lidia will serve a great purpose here.”. Little does Getou know, Lidia will be the proof offered to show Elska she will be cared for while in the Titer compound.

               Suguru is skeptical to believe this and shows it through his expression as he rises from the bed and says, “Women are the bane of my existence…”. He stretches in his black briefs and cracks his neck while thinking something foreboding was eating at him. ‘I’m probably going to have to expose my other techniques now.’.

               “You’re about to receive the most powerful wife in the world…and yet, you complain.”, Genghis teases as he’d probably be nervous too if the roles were reversed. He watches Suguru don a black robe, clearly showing signs of stress so he walks up to him and puts his jokes aside, “This is going to work out, little one, one way or another.”, and pulls Getou’s head down to plant a fatherly kiss to the top of it. After sharing the rare moment, he bows and leaves Suguru to his morning routine.

               Getou watches him quietly walk out of the room with conflicting emotions. Genghis is the only man he’s ever looked up to, the only other human that ever offered genuine affection. Ever since Suguru was reunited with his mentor though, something has felt off or perhaps he’s just seems more purposeful. He’s not sure if this odd feeling is because of his own unstable emotions that threatened to derail his purpose of revenge or if there’s another reason but he can’t ignore it either way. He trusts that his mentor is still worthy of his respect and recognition though and finds his returning welcomed regardless. ‘All of those years…’, he wonders where Genghis spent his time and exactly why. ‘Did they really keep him away to simply foster my hatred for Gojo?’. He knows that doesn’t really make sense.

               Genghis is turning a hall leading to stairs to take him upward. He sees two of the recruited Titers waiting for him outside of the designated meeting area at the top, smiles and nears them. The first one he shakes hands with is Sain Khun. The 32-year-old Titer was a remarkable martial artists and hunter. His rare eyes are more grey than blue and stand in contrast to his long black hair that he wears down. Sain is one of the handful of Titers that learned to channel their metaphysical natured abilities into to combative techniques but usually stays out of the political fray of the clan. ‘A fine young man.”. Before he’s able to address the handsome Titer, the second of the pairing cuts in.

               “Master Genghis, I have more questions about this woman.”. Lidia shamelessly exudes her opinion of the situation and demands attention. She receives a sharp look from the clan’s head that only fuels her suspicions. “Are we certain she’s the best pairing for Master Getou?”.

               “Miss Lidia, you look lovely today…”, Genghis takes her hand and kisses it, ignoring her inquires. He continues to smile until she speaks up again. ‘She never ceases.’.

               “Can we trust that her intentions for Master Getou are ones we can stand by?”. Lidia shakes her long curly red hair that dances down her arms. Her green eyes narrowed still, she waits for an answer. “She’s not even human. What if she uses her powers to manipulate his biology as well?”. Her foot taps impatiently against the now softer ground, ‘I’ll fucking kill that bitch if she even looks at him wrong!’.

               Genghis has already grown tired of catering to Lidia’s neediness in the short time they’ve come to know each other but understands she’s vital. “And what of your own intentions?”, he confidently questions her as he doesn’t need an answer. He already knows and is glad to see her heart hasn’t wavered from its possessive ways.

               Sain feels forced as this greet was supposed to be simple. He cares not of Lidia’s unhealthy interest for Suguru and even with his instincts crying against Genghis, feels badly for the man. He decides to enter the conversation in hopes to shut it down. “Lusting Lidia, it’s time to get on with the meeting.”, and grabs her arm, leading her through the door where the rest of the selected wait.

               Genghis takes a moment to center himself, ‘I understand your resentment little one…’. This quick exchange between them wasn’t the worst he’s suffered from the woman but he still cannot stand to be around her. He chuckles and whispers to himself, “But if she were any less obsessed, this wouldn’t work.”, and then enters the room with the rest as they lay out their plans.

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               Elska is looking around at the busy street as they occasionally bump into passing people. “My prince, are you sure it’s around here?” She’s never been to this part of the city before and is feeling anxious by the crowd. The sun is out but a chilling breeze catches them every so often. Her mind is heavy and plagued with questions but doesn’t want to dampen Naoya’s mission for the day.

               Naoya stops near the edge of the wide sidewalk and pulls out his phone, “I’m positive!”, while checking the map to make sure he could stand by those words. ‘Where is it?’. His brow creases as he studies the screen.

               Toji huffs, “We’ve been walking forever.” He’s abnormally agitated but also hates crowds and is pinning the fault on being dragged out into one. He looks at Elska who’s eyes happen to meet his and feels his tension release ever so slightly as the wind blows her black V-cut dress along her knees. All of them are dressed up more than usual since Naoya begged for them to eat at one of his favorite restaurants. He sees Elska eyeing him in a way that foretells she finds his black pants and squeezing button up suiting and it makes him feel like he could deal with the clothed restriction for a while longer.

               “It says we’re close!”, Naoya points to the map on his phone pridefully. It’s been a few years since he was on this side of the city and a lot has changed. He’s becoming frustrated with not knowing how much time they’ll have before Gojo returns, wanting to enjoy some normalcy. ‘I just want to treat her to nice meal!’ He turns to Elska and takes her hand, “Baby, I promise it will be worth it. I’m talking…food fit for a princess.”, when she giggles, he does too, being happy to see that she isn’t wanting to turn around. He looks to Toji now, “Want me to find you a walker?”, and snickers as the giant narrows his eyes before continuing ahead.

               Elska feels Naoya’s finger lace into hers as they resume walking, with Toji on her left. She’s trying to be cheerful today, wanting to appreciate the time she’s spending with them but her mind keeps leading her into thought. The night before, Toji stopped her from feeding and although she was aware of why and understood the risks Satoru spoke about, she tried to proceed anyway. There were a weird few minutes where she could only focus on drinking from her beloved and flailed wildly as he restrained her. ‘Why did it feel like I wanted the Titer energy too?’. She thinks to hold Toji’s hand as well in this moment but stops herself as she doesn’t want to draw unnecessary attention to the three of them. ‘He looked so concerned all while I couldn’t even stop…”. The ancestral voice advised her to feed. Her heart aches as she knows this was out of character and extremely selfish when they didn’t know how it could affect her. The one thing keeping her afloat in this matter is how Toji held her after she snapped out it, how he seemed to understand without saying that she didn’t mean to.

               Toji lets Naoya and Elska get a step ahead of him so he can keep his eyes on her. After their last outing, he’s remaining highly aware of their surroundings and is watching for anything suspicious. He sees Naoya in his dark grey slacks and black dress shirt, leaning down to talk to her as they maneuver through the groups of families and friends, keeping her close. ‘Is she really, ok?’. Toji recalls how she struggled against him the night before. Gojo tried to rush to the bed after seeing her reaction but Toji was also wanting to shield her from him. Her eyes changed, showing the dashes of his green while she clawed at his arms and flashed her fangs with a glare. Toji knew that wasn’t his Elska but didn’t want to make her apprehensive, so he hid her the best he could from Satoru until they reverted. He heard something from within while this was all occurring, a voice that he swears communicated for him to feed his master. ‘Is that even possible? What the fuck was that?’. He rubs his bicep after feeling a sharp pain run through his arm.

               Naoya leads them to a building that has loud club music playing inside, the base being noticeable from where they stand. He looks up and scrunches his face, “What the fuck is this?”. He checks his watch that bares 1:39 and is further confused by the daytime club scene. ‘I’ve failed.’. Toji can be heard groaning so he orients himself to face them both, “It was right here!!”. He takes in Elska’s kind smile as she’s clearly not going to make him feel bad for being wrong. Not knowing what to do to save their lunch adventure he stands there awkwardly to think but hears Elska say, “Well let’s enjoy a drink while we look up somewhere else nearby!”. He smiles at her ability to always find a silver lining and follows behind her up the ramp that leads inside.

               As they walk through the room on the first floor, Toji feels this intense wave wash over him. Music is drowning out most other sounds but the way the bass pulses through him allows him to feel alive. The stench of cigarettes, sweat and alcohol sting his senses while they find a seat at the bar. Once sitting, he can smell Elska’s perfume when she whips her hair behind her shoulders, exposing her neck to which causes him to stir in the stool. Naoya hands out drink menus from them all but Toji doesn’t even look at it, knowing his order already and wanting it immediately. He feels ready to pounce but is cautiously calming himself as he knows this is not the place, ‘I am NOT Gojo…’. When she crosses her legs he feels the sting in his arm again, bringing his mood back to a wavering position.

               “I’m thinking a red…’, Elska states loud enough to be heard while looking over the wine menu. Naoya smiles to her words as he announces his choice of Mojito. “That’s why you’re so sweet!”, she jokes vaguely in regards to his actual taste. She places a hand on Toji’s right knee before turning to him and feels him jump. Her voice now concerned, “Did I scare you!?”. She giggles until she sees the intensity in his eyes, wondering why he’s exuding so much right then. Her breath was held in her throat as she waited for his eyes to glow, knowing that would not be good for where they are. They never do though and she eventually resumes respiration as he places his own large hand over hers. ‘What was that?’. She now swivels her head around the large room, taking in all of the day drinkers on the dance floor and seated randomly about.

               The bartender takes their orders with a smile and begins to serve them up right there. He recommended a red for Elska that he swears was his personal favorite and proudly waited for the approving sip. When she stated its palatability, he then left to attend other customers while Toji stared him down menacingly. ‘That’s a brave man to be flirting right in front of us.’.

               Naoya sips his drink while eyeing Toji chug his whiskey on the rocks. “Slow down old man, we still have to go somewhere to eat!”, he laughs at the eyeroll he receives and notices Elska drinking pretty quickly as well. “Baby, what’s on your mind?”, he knows something is bothering her and wonders if they’re both just nervous after the last Titer attack. ‘Maybe I can convince her to dance it away!’, he thinks as he imagines himself twirling her under the disco ball. He just wants her to have a good day.

               After finshing her glass already, she sets it down and tells Naoya, “I’m fine, I promise! I just really have to pee!”. He chuckles and adjusts himself so she has more room to slide off the stool. She announces that she’ll be right back before searching the walls for signs indicating the direction she should take. A drunken man bumps into her shortly after leaving the bar and can feel Toji increase his presence so she turns around to show that she’s fine. The whole room was lively except for Toji’s motionless staring. ‘I better be fast before he loses his shit.’.

               “She shouldn’t be alone.” Toji followed her with his eyes as she turned a corner down a hall. He’s worried about her and has this familiar unyielding need to be in her vicinity. It’s almost as if he knows something is about to happen. “I’m going to wait for her, watch the drinks.”. He hears Naoya protest with grief but faces him and says, “Boy, why don’t you find us a place to eat since we’re out here because of you.”, and places a hand on Naoya’s shoulder as he goes to walk past to counter the aggression in his voice. “Order another round too will ya?”.

               Elska stands up in the stall and flushes but doesn’t leave. She’s feeling like Toji’s eyes were trying to tell her something minutes ago but she can’t figure it out. All she knows is that it was sexy. She opens the latched door to wash and dry her hands but takes in her reflection in the mirror and thinks, ‘Life is so much crazier now…’, but smiles to herself knowing she had fantastic support from everyone. The door pushes open abruptly behind her and she gasps in startlement before realizing that it was Toji himself. “TOJI! What if there are others in here?!”. She can tell by his focus though that it didn’t matter anyway.

               “Doll…” he mutters as he locks the door behind him. He sees that she was caught off guard when she asks what he was doing in there but he just walks closer until he’s inches away. “I need…”, he lifts her up so she can wrap her legs around his waist and supports her weight with his right arm. “I need you.”, he whispers while dragging the tip of his nose along her collar bone, watching her skin change pigment from his glowing eyes. Her hands are roaming through his hair and he moans to the sensation of her nails against his scalp. “Right now.”. He nearly growls as he sinks her into his groin from above.

               “Toji…”, she was right about his prior intensity but can’t find it in her heart to stop him as he begins kissing the crook of her neck. The music can be heard through the walls along with idle chatter and it all serves as a reminder for where they’re at. She thinks of her pheromones and instantly pulls herself out of their beautiful trance. She whispers, “We shouldn’t do this here, my beloved.”, and frowns as he lifts his head to meet eyes. “I can’t release them here, it’ll be a disaster…”.

               He agrees that they shouldn’t have sex and nods with a grunt but that’s not truly what brought him in lady’s room to begin with. Feeling his fangs form he shows them to her and happily takes in her reaction as she smiles and moves her hair while saying, “Oh! ok…but we have to be quick!”. He squeezes her cheek with his right hand that supporting her rear and drags his teeth across the skin of her neck. “I just need to taste you.”, he wantonly groans before biting down. She gasps to his intrusion and grips his hair as he begins to suckle. His own whimpers could be heard between his gulps, loving every drop he’s being given as he deciphers her soul and feelings. Her flavor, now that he’s not as overloaded by the information, is reminiscent of the aroma born from a field of flowers. Each time he swallows more of her blood, his overall restlessness fades while her squirming increases.

               Elska cradles his head into her while melting in the master’s ecstasy flowing through her. Her eyes are closed as she bites her lip and attempts to muffle her sounds. “My beloved…”, she whimpers to him while her fingers stroke through his hair. His hypertonicity dwindles as she feels his left hand travel up her back, resting a grip on the nape of her neck. “I love you, my beloved Toji…”, and gasps in desperation as she can sense his own, wanting to assure him of his importance. Those same fingers now dance along her clavicle as he brings them over the wounds to close them while panting into her neck. He leaves his face buried there, adorning the area with his lips slowly as he she can tell he’s gathering himself. “Do you feel better?” She caresses his temple and cheek hoping that he did, feeling terrible that she didn’t recognize or even sense his disposition sooner. When he lifts his head to look at her again, she feels the need to lock her lips to his as they both exhale in a gratified union. She moves the hair out of his eyes and kisses his forehead before he gently puts her back down, him looking refreshed with a bashful grin.

               He grabs a paper towel from the dispenser and wets it. In the mirror he can see Elska’s loving eyes watching him and the scar on the corner of his lips bends pleasantly. While wiping away any evidence, he shyly adds, “I love you too, doll.”, the words still seeming unreal. After discarding the bloodied paper towel, he takes up her hands in his own, “I’m sorry for following you in here, I just…I really needed to do that.”. He’s still uneasy by how compelling the desire was. “I felt like I wouldn’t get another chance.”. He sees the concern on her face and doesn’t want to worry her, “It was just time for me to feed doll, everything is ok.”. Her hand sails upwards to hold his cheek and leans into it. ‘I have to keep her safe.’.

               Naoya is watching the condensation accumulate on his glass and is now feeling nervous as he checks his watch again. ‘Where are they?!’, he swings around in the stool to check the room and feels an incredible wave of relief as he finds Toji and Elska making their way back to the bar. After they sit he asks, “Did you guys go to the bathroom at the dorms or what?”, but picks up on the weird laughs he receives from them. ‘He wouldn’t have tried something sly, would he?’, and squints his eyes at Toji. ‘He looks way better though.’, and decides to let it go as he’s sure even a quickie couldn’t be that quick. “Baby…”, Naoya slides his phone over in front of them as he finishes his second Mojito, “I’ve only been here once but they have beautiful seating along the water!”. He cackles, “…and it’s only about half a mile away by foot…”.

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               Gojo is quickly walking through the whited-out halls with Choso following. He speaks without looking, “Choso, when we get in there…I have to warn you, you’re not expected.”. Gojo heard Choso stop in place so he turns around to see him. “You’re with me though so it’s fine! If they say anything to you, just ignore them. I will do the talking.”, and waves for the being to hurry.

               “I…I don’t understand why I’m here with you and not everyone else…”. Choso is familiar with the Elders but can’t ignore the fact that he used to work for them where as he’s now on the opposing side. ‘Is this a good idea?’. He was expecting Gojo to sulk and whine to being called in today and is puzzled by how thrilled he seems.

               Gojo jumps up to click his heels to the side before saying, “I don’t trust these cunts and I’m almost positive this is a trap of some sort…”. He notices Choso’s eyes widen with confusion so he continues, “If they’re trying to distract me from Elska, they fail if you’re there using your technique to watch her for me!”, his smug grin appears, “This way I’ll know the moment something happens.”. He’s sure the Elders have called him away in order to create an opportunity but has a mind to flip their plans upside down with this small act of rebellion. “I can never remember where to go! This shit all looks the same…it’s creepy.”.

               Choso sighs but tries to keep up with Gojo’s quickened pace. The bright lighting overhead is blinding and causing him discomfort as he prefers darker places. He doesn’t know what to make of Gojo’s explanation but figures he’s along for the ride at this point anyways. “Do you think they’d even admit to what they’re doing?”. Choso understands the amount of secrecy the surrounds the Elder’s goals and is sure that he’s not even fully aware of their intentions.

               “Yes. I will make sure they do.”, Satoru’s words are eerie but his expression is still delighted. “These fuckers have messed with us for long enough. They’re cowards, Choso and the things they want to do to my love are unacceptable.”.  Gojo is certain that none of the others would have condoned what he’s thinking he’ll have to do which is why he said nothing before leaving. “They need to leave her alone and how can I call myself the strongest if I can’t protect her from these witless skin bags?”. Satoru at least wanted to inform Nanami of his meeting but hasn’t been able to reach the fellow shaman yet. ‘Did they get to him too?’. Gojo is certain that something happened with Shoko but was waiting to see how things played out. ‘As long as she’s fine, I know she can handle it.’, but worries about Nanami’s reaction if he’s already discovered this too.

               ‘What is he going to do?’, Choso feels like something big is about to happen, something that cannot be taken back. The unnerving pressure in his gut hints that whatever it is, it’s not good. “Itadori and the others are still on standby but isn’t it odd that they haven’t been given any missions?”. They pass more rooms before Satoru finally stops. Choso watches the silver shaman’s expression change to lethally cold one before straightening himself with resolve, and knows he should do the same. ‘I guess I have to just trust him…’, the thought not sitting comfortably at all.

               Gojo quietly speaks, “Remember, don’t mind them, they’re not worth the stress. You do not serve them any longer.”, and places a reassuring hand on the hybrids shoulder. He’s impressed when he looks over the being, seeing that his previous nervousness has been cast away and replaced by a collected ensemble. ‘I’m pretty sure I’m right about him.’, and feels poised in the dark nature that lurks beneath Choso’s kindness. Turning back to the door, Gojo kicks it open fiercely before entering. “WHAT’S UP FUCKERS?!”.

               Three people sit along one side of a long white table, seeming prepared aside from the sudden commotion. The first is a representative of the Kamo clan, a new middle-aged face Satoru has never seen draped in dark red robes. The second is a Zenin, the bought errand man known better as “Peaches” for a less known reason. Gojo knew him rather well from his childhood and all of the clan events he was forced to attend. The third, however, catches Satoru by complete surprise and angers him. The woman sitting as a representative for his own clan is none other than his mother.

               Gojo seethes with white knuckled fists, “What the fuck are you doing here?”, as old anguish resurfaces between the two. Satoru hasn’t been home in years and purposefully. He was sure if he stayed any longer, he’d annihilate his own family.

               The Kamo rep scoffs, “Yes… well hello to you too Satoru Gojo. We could ask you the same.” He points to Choso, “Isn’t that Kamo property?”. The hybrid and Gojo fail to give him the time of day, causing tension.

               Gojo never takes his eyes off of his mother while waiting in silence as Choso dutifully ignores them. His eyes darken, “I asked you a fucking question you miserable old whore.”. He feels the urge to gather a technique but calms himself with his better judgement.

               His mother speaks, “That is no way to talk to the woman who raised you!”, she laughs in a haughty way but brings her dramatics to a close, “Why else would I be here? You can’t be left to just do whatever you please…”. She tilts her nose up and displays her notion that she is untouchable.

               Peaches shifts in his chair, “You have something that needs to be returned to the Zenin’s. Master Naoya was promised her hand.”. He’s honestly terrified of Gojo but would never allow this to show. Satoru darts stormy eyes in his direction and he feels a chill race down his spine.

               “Let’s just be frank about it. You want Elska.”. Gojo voice is calm, almost lighthearted. He brings his gaze back to his mother, feeling a little better about the situation knowing he’s going to handle more business than he expected today. “Choso, please start now.”. Gojo doesn’t have to look since he can feel Choso’s energy gathering to form the window. He watches the representatives lean to figure out what the hybrid is up to and laughs out loud. “My friend here”, He scowls at the Kamo man, “is going to observe Elska while we meet.”. He winks to Peaches, “She’s with Naoya right now for your information…Toji too.”.

               Gojo’s mother bursts into hyaena laughter, threatening to rupture the unsuspecting eardrums of the others. “You think you have it all figured out, don’t you? Such a pitiful child.”. Her long white hair waves in the air as she jerks her head to see Peaches’s perplexed expression. “Don’t believe him just because he speaks it…trust me…”, and folds her arms while thinking of how many more beatings her son should have to experience when younger.

               Peaches clears his throat and tries to save face, “Surely this is some kind of joke. Master Naoya loathes your very existence Satoru.”. He’s now chuckling to himself having felt it was a test of some sort, “Are we not on better terms than that of your games?”. He’s now sure it was a lie.

               Gojo regrets that Peaches is here today but is unable to overlook the fact that the old goat is in cahoots with this situation. ‘It can’t be helped!’. He turns to Choso now for the first time since they walked into the room and is reassured that nothing bad is happening. Now facing Peaches again, “You know… Zenin and I got off on the wrong foot.” He grins, “But now we have threesomes!”, loving the shock that plasters everyone’s face. The Kamo man choked on his own saliva to the mention. Gojo looks at his mother, “Don’t be upset just because no one wants to fuck you. It can’t be helped when your cunt leaks venom.”.

               Choso sits motionlessly as he listens to the meeting unfold, completely flabbergasted by Satoru’s way of speaking. ‘What did his mother do to him to make him hate her so much?’, he hesitates to explore the options in his mind as he can only imagine. Aside from that though, Choso has never witnessed such a display of blatant disrespect to the higher ups and is completely unnerved by the silver shamans ever changing composure. ‘What is he planning to do?’, the ominous feelings he’s experiencing from this are only growing at this point.

               Peaches is red with embarrassment, “HE WOULD NEVER DO THAT!”, and allows his anger on the matter to spill over. The representative huffs relentlessly to the accusations and feels disgraced for his ears being exposed to such vile talk. When expecting to see an angry Gojo, he’s further confused by the smile that meets him instead.

               Gojo runs his finger along the table as he casually saunters in front of each of them. “If you three decide to get rowdy…I’ll have to kill you.”. He basks in the glares and especially enjoys his mother’s fear as she knew he was not playing around. Once they become settled he says to her, “You being here makes you my enemy, mommy. How long have you been involved?”. She starts to swat his question away with a scoff but everyone leaps out of their skin when Satoru yells, “HOW FUCKING LONG?!”. He increases his presence tenfold and watches the representatives writhe in distress before him.

               She says nothing.

               The Kamo rep is sweating bullets as he’s only heard the tales of horrors committed at the hand of Gojo. ‘Genghis said nothing about this hostility.”, he thinks to himself as he comprehends that he’s bitten off more than he could chew. He’s afraid to peel his eyes away from the powerful shaman making inquiring demands but also wants to flee the room. ‘This guy is even crazier in person!’.

               Gojo takes a deep breath and exhales dramatically, “Well…this is going nowhere…”, and summons energy into his hand as he aims it at the Kamo representative. The nameless man cries out in fear and studders in his breathing. Gojo notices Choso jump to his feet but the being doesn’t say anything. Only when the defeated female voice utters, “3 years.”, does he quell his attack. He thinks about that answer for a moment before acknowledging her again. ‘That’s strange.’. Looming across from her he now asks, “I’d already had my love for some time before that, why did you join them to conspire against me at that point? Don’t make me blow this poor guy’s skull open…”, he warns of his lack of patience.

               His mother sulks in her seat having her hands tied about the questioning, “I thought she was a passing infatuation at first, like all of the others but you completely neglected your responsibilities of being an heir because of that wretch.” She’s met with unforgiving eyes and wishes she was able to smack the audacity out of him but has learned the hard way about his response to abuse. “She is not yours Satoru and you jeopardize the entire balance of the clans with your actions of keeping her.”.  Out of the corner of her eye she sees Peaches nod in support and feels reaffirmed by it.

               Gojo slips a wild laugh and slaps the table, “She is mine though. I voyaged worlds away to find her. I went to incredible lengths to bring her back…”, he sighs while resting his hands on his hips. “You do know, mom, these Titers that have you in their pocket…they were going to use her to assassinate me.”. The atmosphere of the room deteriorates at the mention of the Titer clan. Its obvious that they were left unaware to Gojo having knowledge of the group’s silent partner.

               His mother jumps from her seat and screams, “AND THEY SHOULD HAVE SUCCEEDED!”. All of the hatred she’s ever felt for her son sears the air around them, her chest feeling lighter for the honesty but heavier for the fear. “You were destined for greatness but even with your gifts, something is wrong with you! How you ever came out of me? I will never know…”. She feels she must stand her ground or else the structure they’ve served their entire lives will crumble. “You’re evil. You always have been.”.

               Choso is still watching Naoya, Toji and Elska but can’t help but be distracted by the darkness exuding Gojo. ‘What is going on here?’, he doesn’t understand how this is official business and even finds himself feeling defensive over Satoru. ‘That woman is appalling.’, he thinks as he considers Gojo’s upbringing and decides there’s more to the man than he ever considered. He looks back to the window after surmising that none of the representatives would attack. Choso becomes rattled when the window shows Toji drinking from Elska in a cramped bathroom, ‘I can’t believe the lighting permits this, it must be dim.’, He temporarily becomes fixated with Toji’s fangs anchored into her as she quietly moans. He’s not seen anyone but her feed before. ‘So, his bite feels good to her as well?’. He brushes his lap as if to tell it, “Knock it off”, but his attention is soon stolen by Peaches’s mention of Elska.

               “If you don’t return Elska Oda then this will be seen as an act of aggression Satoru, please…don’t do thi-…” Peaches can no longer speak as Gojo grips hit throat and is thrown into a fit of fright.

               “I kind of liked you…I was use to you at least…but if you ask me that one more time, I will break your fucking neck.” Gojo feels his face twitch as he squeezes the old man’s beard into his throat, “You guys are fucking with me today and I don’t appreciate it.”. Never letting go, he turns to his mother but also glances at the petrified Kamo rep, “I do not give a single flying fuck about the clans, I couldn’t care less of your archaic ways and I am never going to surrender my Elska.”. As Peaches reaches a critical point of needing air, Gojo clamps his fingers deeper, “I left my love’s side today to be here because of your guys’ little fucking Titer friends. That is what we will discuss.”.

               Gojo’s mother rushes to pull her son’s hand away but right as she’s reaching out, Satoru releases Peaches. She watches the old man heave and choke uncontrollably and shoots hateful eyes. “How dare you lay a hand on him? Do you fear nothing?”, she thinks to threaten with her husband but knows that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree so it’s likely useless.

               Satoru smirks while studying Peaches inability to regain his breath, “I crushed his trachea a bit, he’s going to need medical attention soon.”. He watches the Kamo man stand up in disbelief and warns, “My mother is right about one thing, I do not fear you or your influence.”, and smiles approvingly as the man takes his seat again hesitantly.

               “You psychotic little freak!”, his mother cries out in disgust, “We need to get him to a doctor!”. She feels herself fill with anxiety as she was not expecting him to go this far. “Let us take him!”.

               Satoru hisses quietly, “If you guys weren’t so dead set in dicking me around then this wouldn’t have happened. No one leaves until I get some answers.”. He strolls around the table, loving how terrified the Kamo representative became when he was close. He yanks up the suffocating Peaches and throws him back into his chair, “Have some fucking dignity…I thought better of you.”. When Peaches makes eye contact, he can see the dread wash over the man, knowing their dynamic has changed forever.

               The Kamo man speaks up sheepishly, “Wh…What is it that you want to know?”. He’s all for handing over the required information as he clearly cares about his life more than the others. Satoru’s expression softens as the other two representatives hang their mouths open, not expecting him to fold so easily. Gojo states, “Everything.”, which causes the rep to tense up as he doesn’t know where to begin. He hastily blurts out, “Suguru Getou inherited ancient techniques as well. The Titers are planning on taking the girl for themselves to ensure their supremacy.” He inhales sharply, “The head of their clan met his end by the hands of your company, they want to repay by being rid of you as you are their final target. You’re still too strong because of your infinity, so the girl’s fate was determined the moment you were born.”.

               “You… weak imbecile…”, Gojo’s mother retaliates to the sensitive information by pushing Peaches backwards causing him to fall to the ground and thrash violently. Without so much as a second thought, she gathers energy into her hand and expels it at the Kamo man’s mouth. The representative dons his own matching blood as his brain matter exits the back of his head, decorating the white surroundings behind him. Only a cavernous jagged hole remains where the words escaped him only seconds prior. His body slumps over the table as he leaks his remaining essence into a pool that shortly forms a dripping pattern to the white tiled floor.  

               Choso defensively stands as the black tattoo on his faces begins to wave. “Satoru…”, is all he says while watching Gojo’s mother now strain to lift the blue tinted and gasping Peaches back upright his seat. ‘His mother is just as rash…’. Choso waits for a few moments longer but is eager to gauge Gojo when their eyes finally meet. ‘Why does he look so satisfied?’, he questions himself as he’s met with that smug smile. The Zenin man’s eyes look like they may pop out of his head but Choso can still make out the man’s reaction to his own presence. He hears Gojo say, “Everything is alright Choso, don’t worry. Just watch them.”, but the being is unable to simply sit with ease at this time. ‘How is this alright?’.

               “And you wonder where I get it from?”, Gojo is irritated that the only man that was willing to talk is now dead but he’s also able to take the information to heart because of how his mother reacted. ‘So all of this really is because of me…’, he thinks of Elska with a heavy heart knowing all that she’s been through, even before he got his hands on her was his fault. ‘My love…I will make this right.’.

               Gojo’s mother now sits back down, wondering if she went too far and gave away their hand. Peaches struggles to speak next to her but she can make out that he’s trying to question the fidelity of the Kamo’s last words. She sighs, “Look Peaches, I like you but I’m siding with Genghis.”. Peaches gurgles himself into a purple hue as he still cannot breathe or talk properly. She understands that Peaches was completely ignorant to the Titer’s planned betrayal to the Zenins and calm says, “They’re not wanting to eliminate other clans, they’re just going to help guide us to this proposed peace, don’t worry so much.”.

               Peaches can only think of Master Naoya who he feels is in grave danger after hearing this information. ‘I…he has to know…Master Na…he needs to be made aware!’. He thinks to grab his phone but he wouldn’t be able to relay the information, nor is he fast enough to text it. Peaches chokes in his stress and can tell his body is slowly shutting down after being deprived oxygen and feels completely hopeless about his predicament. When his heavy eyes meet Gojo’s he freezes in apprehension while listening intently.

               Satoru sighs dramatically with growing anticipation, “Now…where were we?”.

Next Chapter (38) >>

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Tagging : @angelofthorr ❤️

[thepartyresponsible]

welcome to the all fluff, all the time network. i said here that i was taking prompts, but i neglected to mention that i’m writing all of them as fluff. or as close to fluff as i can manage, anyway.

this one’s for the anon who asked for jason with anyone with the prompt “please don’t do this.”

it’s a standalone piece of a much longer hockey au. endgame is jason, bucky, and frank.

                                                          ---

“Please don’t do this.”

“Oh,” Jason says, “I’m gonna do it.”

“Jason,” Bucky says. He leans over, as close as he can get. He’s pale, a little wide-eyed, bottom lip red from his attempts to bite back the pain. “Come on.”

The trainer doesn’t look up from carefully rotating Bucky’s arm, checking the range of motion, but Jason knows damn well that the little frown on his face is not good news.

They were on Injured Reserve together, him and Bucky. Back when Jason first got traded, when he showed up with – no shit – hundreds of stitches in his throat and exactly zero endearing personality traits. Barnes had been quiet, distracted, kinda lost in his head, but he’d always been so Goddamn nice. From day one, when Jason showed up exactly like some prissy, sullen bastard who’d never been traded, never expected to be traded, never wanted to suit up in anything other than Bats’ black and gold, Barnes had treated him like he was something worth keeping around.

And here they are, five games into Barnes’ big comeback, and Brock fucking Rumlow just took a swipe at Bucky’s freshly-healed arm.

Castle’s out sick, or this would be his responsibility. Hell, if Castle were playing tonight, Rumlow probably would’ve kept his fucking hands to himself.

The Avengers don’t need an enforcer. That’s not Jason’s job. But Jason considers himself a well-rounded player. He can fill in where he’s needed.

“I’m gonna fucking do it, Buck,” Jason says, eyeing his route, sighting his target. “I’m definitely gonna do it.”

“Todd,” Coulson says, tone kinda sharp but not angry like he means it, “we don’t need any theatrics right now.”

“Philly,” Jason says, “Philadelphia. Cream Cheese. All I’ve got is theatrics.”

Coulson sighs and turns his eyes skyward. He keeps Jason on the bench until the Avengers score on the power play, and then he sets him loose. As far as Jason’s concerned, that’s practically a benediction.

Thor heads in for a change, worried eyes pinned on Bucky, and Jason’s over the boards and racing up the ice a full two seconds too early, like too many men is a summation of his recent dating history and not a perfectly fucking legitimate penalty.

Not that his behavior would indicate he gives a good Goddamn about taking penalties right now.

He does – and he hopes Bruce notices this when he watches the tape later, hopes Alfred appreciates the depth of his personal growth – wait to drop his gloves until after Rumlow calls him a pretty boy and a bitch and a coward who lost his balls. He waits, like a professional, until Rumlow’s own gloves hit the ice before he throws a mean, messy uppercut directly to his throat.

Rumlow’s a good fighter. It’s why his fans love him. He floods his Instagram every summer with pictures of himself shirtless and sweating in a boxing ring. Jason shouldn’t know that, probably, but it’s not like he’s ever had a problem compartmentalizing I wanna fuck you and I wanna fuck you up when he needs to.

Rumlow fights like someone who knows how, who learned in a ring with his knuckles taped or behind a school with someone to hold the other kid’s arms back. He knows to go for weak points, mainly. It’s served him well so far.

Jason hasn’t been in a fight since the one that damn near killed him. And he never had any formal boxing lessons, but he grew up doing his best not to get stabbed to death in Gotham’s back alleys, and the result of that practical training is a fighting style Roy Harper once fondly described as honey badger on a life-altering hit of PCP.

Jason’s swallowing blood when it’s over. His knuckles are fucked, and there’s an unfriendly tingling in his gumline that suggests his emergency dentist might be about to earn herself another tropical vacation, but Rumlow’s flat out on the ice, and he’s bloodier than Jason, and that’s all that matters.

Jason goes, easy and compliant, when the linesman pulls him away. Wide-eyed and innocent, who, me? all the way to the bench because maybe it’ll make the officials more lenient. It must work well enough, because they both take five minute majors, but Jason dodges the instigator penalty, saved by Rumlow’s notorious willingness to fight anyone smaller than himself or maybe by the mercy of officials who just watched him slam his stick against Bucky’s arm like he was trying to split firewood.

A five minute major with 4:38 left in the third period. So that’s the end of Jason’s game, then. Worth it.

Bucky isn’t on the bench when Jason gets skates up, but Wilson gives him an approving clap on the shoulder as Jason shuffles toward the tunnel, and it settles Jason enough that he gets all the way through the trainer’s pestering, weathers them checking his teeth and patching his knuckles, and then walks himself to the locker room before his lungs forget how to process oxygen.

“I asked you not to,” Bucky says, long-suffering but still so fucking nice. He wraps his good hand around Jason’s neck and tips him forward. “Breathe.”

“Fucking,” Jason says, as he tries to focus on a sane breathing pattern. “Fuck you, Buck. I wasn’t gonna—we just got you back.”

He feels like his throat is closing up.

It’s the blood in his mouth, he thinks. And the blood he saw on the ice. The crowd, roaring like that. Bloodthirsty.

They’d been thirsty like that in Gotham when he squared off against Bane. Biggest fucking guy in the league, and there was Jason, scrappy and pissed off, fighting Bane because Bruce wouldn’t.

He’d known he was gonna get hurt. He’d been ready for that.

It was an accident, what happened. Bruce didn’t mean it, and Jason’s heard, if you watch the footage, you can see Bane trying to stop it, his giant hands grabbing for Jason as he falls.

Jason’s never watched it. He doesn’t need to see himself catch Bruce’s skate blade with his throat. He lived through it. That was enough.

“I had to, Buck,” Jason says. He’s got his head propped against Bucky’s shoulder, and Bucky, because he’s a nice guy, because he’s a good teammate, is running his hand through Jason’s incredibly disgusting, sweat-soaked hair. “He hit you, and Frank’s not here, and Rogers can’t leave the crease, so--”

“You’re sweet,” Bucky says, which is something no one has ever said to Jason.

“Had to,” Jason repeats. Because it’s not about being sweet. It’s about making sure everyone knows what’ll happen if they hurt his people.

“My arm’s gonna be fine,” Bucky says. “They took some x-rays, just to check. But it’s gonna be fine.”

Jason breathes out, and his lungs remember their function, and he can breathe again. “Good,” he says. He scrubs at his face. His hands barely come away bloody at all.

“Shit,” Bucky says, with a heavy sigh. He takes his hand out of Jason’s hand, slides his fingers carefully along his cheek to his jaw, and then he lifts Jason’s face toward the light. He frowns at the split lip, the forming bruise. “Frank’s gonna kill me.”

“What?” Jason says. He runs his tongue over his lip, and Bucky’s eyes track the movement. There’s a weird, wrung-out feeling twisting in the pit of Jason’s stomach. “I’m the one who didn’t— he just whacked the shit out of your arm, Buck. Right in front of me.”

Bucky smiles at him, crooked and a little rueful. He stares at him for a second longer, and then he pulls back. There is, faint but still audible, the roar of a hometown crowd getting a victory.

Well, they were up 4-1 when Jason went after Rumlow. Whatever Bruce, and Tim, and all of Gotham’s management think, Jason isn’t incapable of growth. He’s getting better. He is learning, finally, to pick his battles.

Maybe all he needed was to get the fuck out of Gotham. And someday he’ll probably even feel alright about being wrenched out of his hometown and discarded like trash down a storm drain.

“You should take a shower,” Bucky tells him. “Put some ice on those hands. The guys’ll wanna buy you drinks.”

After Jason’s second-to-last fight in Gotham, he watched from the penalty box while the other team scored the goal that won them the game. Bruce was so mad that nobody in the locker room spoke a word afterwards. Nobody talked to Jason at all.

After his last fight in Gotham, the Bats traded him while he was still in the hospital.

It’s been a long damn time since anyone bought him drinks after he fought for his team. Since back before Roy was traded. Since way back in the early days, when he was a rising star instead of a letdown and a liability.

“You think so?” Jason says, biting back a smile. “No shit?”

Bucky rolls his eyes. He’s smiling when he does it, so there’s no sting to it at all. “Go get cleaned up,” he says. “No one’s gonna let you in a bar with blood on your face.”

There are bars in Gotham that wouldn’t recognize him any other way. But Jason’s starting to think – with a stupid, flickering hope he’d left for dead years ago – that maybe things will be different now.

[storytellerssanctum]

Petals & Thorns - chapter 1/?

Pairing: Fred Weasley x OC

Warnings: none

Word count: 2.3k

SONG OF THE CHAPTER - little lies • fleetwood mac

Kings Cross Station was packed with children. Eager first years were jumping with anticipation. Their family's eyes showed worry behind them. The second years looked less enthusiastic, but still so, nonetheless. Each year following, the novelty wore off. In a corner by the wall, stood the Malfoy family. Sixth year Adalinda, and fourth year Draco crowded their parents. Lucius and Narcissa stood beside them, making the children assure them they had everything they needed. The mother of two had a loving hand on her daughters shoulder. Lucius was paying attention to his son, whilst the women spoke with her daughter.

"You're ready?" The older woman's voice chimed in the young girls ears. "This year is a big year, don't fall behind. Just because it's not an O.W.L or a N.E.W.T. year, doesn't mean you don't have to study hard." All of her hardness disappeared when she was around her mother. She felt like a child, one who needed to be reminded of what to do. "You did exceptional last year, all O's. We expect the same thing this year." The child nodded her head.

"Of course, mum." She couldn't look her in the eyes. She didn't want her mother to see the fear in her gaze. Deep down, her parents made her nervous. Whenever she was around them, she felt a vulnerability she didn't experience with anyone else.

"Looks like your boyfriend is here." Narcissa nodded her head in the distance. Adalinda looked up to see Adrian Pucey walking towards them, his parents in tow.

"He's not my boyfriend, mum." She muttered, catching his eyes.

"Not yet, anyway." She sighed. "Eventually, you'll learn." Narcissa pulled her daughter into an embrace that held love. This was much different than the one her father would give her. "Tie your tie, you look untidy." Her mother scolded. She ignored the words. It was rare the piece of cloth was ever in a knot. It was a statement: showing she was in charge of herself. Everyone hated it, especially her professors and her parents. As the conductor called the all aboard, the young girl finally met her mothers eyes. "I love you, Addy. I'll see you in the summer." She kissed her daughters head.

Lucius turned away from Draco, pulling Adalinda into an embrace. It was cold and didn't hold any emotion. She was used to this. "Behave yourself, and keep your morals in the front of your mind." He broke from her, speaking slowly. She knew what was coming at the years end. She knew what would be done. "Don't let anything slip." He whispered, placing a finger under her chin. He raised her face to meet his. "Make that relationship official, and do what it takes to keep the boy happy. The Dark Lord will be content to hear of another pure-blood relationship." He whispered. With that, she turned and walked away. Her shorter sibling was racing to catch up to her. She ignored him, as per usual.

She climbed aboard the train with authority in her steps. The clicking of high heels against the ground sent a chill down everybody's spine; they knew exactly who it was. Her platinum blond curls cascaded down her dark sweater, standing prominently. Her knee-length black skirt danced with the movement of her legs. The green and silver tie flowed loosely down her neck. It was left unknotted and draped over her shoulders, as per usual. The heel's added inches onto her already tall and slender figure. Her piercing blue eyes held power. Her highlighted cheekbones cut like daggers.

If the students couldn't recognize Adalinda Malfoy by her stunning features, they could definitely recognize her by the crowd of Slytherins that pursued her. Adalinda was a name of power within their school. Derived from old high German name, it held a meaning of 'serpent' or 'noble snake'. This went hand in hand with her younger brother, Draco's bane. His had similar context. Although from the same family, Draco Malfoy received much less respect and adoration than she. As the eldest born, she was most wise and was thought to be the strongest. She possessed minimal emotion compared to her sibling: she was angry less, quiet often, and judging always. Draco was quick to spit his words; she was calculated, driven, smart, and cunning. A true Slytherin. She thought Draco belonged in Hufflepuff, a house that she thought the sorting hat put the dense and inferior. She was almost ashamed she held the same title as her brother.

Surrounding her at all times you could find Marcus Flint, two, almost three years her senior. He had to repeat a year at Hogwarts, but he was graduating within the following months. Along with him, Adrian Pucey, Graham Montague, Cassius Warrington, who were all her age. Finally, last in her following, Lucian Bole, who was a year her senior. He would also be graduating at this years end. Each boy was a member of the Slytherin Quidditch team. They followed her in hopes of a chance at a relationship with her. Despite this, she found just friendship with all of them. She held no interest in any of the guys but Pucey. He was the boy her father wanted her to pursue and eventually marry. At the end of the day, they would settle for any of them, as they were all from a pure-blood family. Her parents didn't care much about who the boy was, as long as he was kind to her and from a clean background. Clean, meaning no muggle relations.

She didn't have many female friends. In short, they were too envious to be around her. She was beautiful, smart, and held high status. These were traits not many of the girls had. Adalinda, or Addy for short, was special. Students of all ages cowered away as she walked past, afraid to get in her way. She held the attention of all houses, not just her own. The train was packed with hooting owls and meowing cats. The compartments were filling as they walked to their own. She had a consistent seat, one she sat in annually. Nobody dared take it from her. When she sat, her boys came flooding in behind her. Adrain sat on her left, while Marcus held her right. Both made shameless attempts at flirting with her; she brushed them off.

As the rest of the goon squad filed in, she checked her nails for dirt or cracks. The boys watched her with infatuation. "Don't you fools have anything better to do than watch me?" She chided. Their eyes immediately met the floor as she rolled her own. Her hair fell before her face. She pushed it away. "This year is going to be a good one. I heard some rumours, apparently something big is coming to Hogwarts." She smiled. Her eyes fell upon the window. "Draco can't shut his mouth about it. I'm sure by now the whole train knows." She gave a snide word at the expense of her brother. She didn't hate him, but she hated the way he carried himself. He knew he had power, and he wanted everyone to know. To her, that was distasteful. She was well aware of her social standing, but she would never brag about it. Instead of using her words to show it, she held it in her actions.

"What is it?" Adrian was staring at her again.

"If I told you, I'd be no better than my stupid little brother." She gave a sideways smile. "You'll find out tonight. Dumbledore has woven it into his speech." She sighed, placing her head back on the seat. A knock on the compartment door caught her attention. She caught a mirror of her own eyes when she looked up.

"Addy, I have to talk to you." She looked at Pucey, signalling him to keep her seat. She rose and followed her sibling into the hallway. The train had begun moving. She grabbed the wall beside her to steady herself.

"I told you not to speak to me once we got on the train." She hissed, gazing at her brother. She scolded him before they left their house that morning. His eyes held regret for his actions.

"I told everyone that father wanted to send us to Durmstrang this year." She gave a quizzical look at the younger boy. Distaste formed on her lips.

"Why would you do that, now? Showing off again." She spat. He cowered at her tone. Draco was used to her backlash. She didn't appreciate his lies that she got twisted in. "I suppose you want me to lie on your behalf, now? Tell everyone I was supposed to be shipped off to a school of dark magic?" She didn't like Durmstrang, though Draco held a passion for it. She recognized words were slightly true, though exaggerated. Their father had mentioned it in passing. Once she voiced her disagreement, he didn't speak again. If The Dark Lord could go to school at Hogwarts, they should be proud of their enrolment. Lucius usually cared about her input. He was proud of her ability to maintain the respect of their family name, so valued her opinions at home. Usually, Draco was her father's favourite while she held that spot with her mother. Lucius grew to care for Adelinda increasingly as the years passed. When she proved capable of the traits he wanted to see, his love for her grew stronger.

"I thought it would be interesting if everybody thought that!" He defended himself.

"You and your loud mouth." She cursed him, rubbing her face in her hands. "I'll defend you this time. This time only. You've already annoyed me enough for this year." She shooed him away. She loved him, yes, but he didn't hold the elegance a Malfoy child should. It annoyed her greatly. He lied, he caused trouble, and he was a bully. Yes, the family had a distaste for Harry Potter and mudbloods, but nobody was as vocal about it as Draco. Their father still held his position at the ministry, and that meant they had to hide their pure-blood fanatics. She didn't want her father to lose his job because of her brother's inability to hold his tongue.

She watched as he sauntered in the other direction. When he disappeared into his own compartment, she returned to hers. She resumed the position she held previously. Adrian casted an arm around her shoulder; she had to fight with herself not to shake it off. She understood the importance of her relationship with him. He wasn't ugly, he was kind, and treated her well. The issue was, she didn't love him. Somewhere in her body she may have held some type of feelings for him, but she felt it would never manifest into love. Instead of fighting with it, she allowed him to do things with her.

She respected her parents wishes. She didn't want to upset them. Her whole life had a purpose of making them happy and proud, and if being with a boy she didn't love would do it, she had to. She rested into his side, fighting off the feeling of uneasiness. As much love as she had for her family and her heritage, she sometimes wished life could be easier. She didn't adore bearing the name some days. It brought her respect and honour, but it didn't make her truly happy. Sometimes, she found herself envious of the families who held true love for their children. For example, as much as it disgusted her, she envied the Weasley children. Their parents cared about their children's happiness over the blood status. She knew she would never get to experience that.

She pushed the thoughts from her mind, hating herself for bringing them up. She cherished respect from her parents, and didn't need nurturing. She was strong enough without that. If being in a mostly loveless household allowed her to achieve greatness, so be it. She could see the same look she gave Pucey in her mother's eyes. She too, did not truly love her father. Narcissa's parents were as strict about keeping the bloodline clean as Adalinda's were. At the time of their marriage, her mother did not fully love her father. This came with time. After their children were born, they grew to truly care for each other. They spoiled their children and bonded over them, giving them common ground. As the years passed, infatuation grew.

She didn't truly consider them her friends. In her mind, she didn't have any. She couldn't tell who truly cared for her or just cared about her last name. With that being said, she limited her words. Rarely she spoke of important topics because of her distrust. The closest person she had to her was the boy with his arm resting around her. Even then, she was distant with him. She let him kiss her, and speak about his emotions. Not often did she return the words. She felt his fingers grasping the flesh on her body. It disgusted her. He let his fingertips find their way under her sweater. The coldness shot daggers unto her chest. She let her emotions subside as she subjected herself to numbness. It was something she did often. She had to if she wanted to remain the woman her parents wanted her to be.

[ty-talks-comics]

Best of DC: Week of July 10th, 2019

Best of this Week: Batman and the Outsiders #3 - Bryan Hill, Dexter Soy, Veronica Gandini and Clayton Cowles

Batman’s Outsiders has a lot to learn before they can properly function as a team.

After losing Sofia, the girl that they were charged with protecting, Baman gathers the team together and tells them that they are going to get her back, but first they need to be tested. On the other side of the coin, Sofia finds herself in the clutches of Ra’s al Ghul, who places the man who killed her father in front of her. Ra’s tells her to kill him, her own test to see if she’s worthy of being trained by him.

The book flips the focus between two central characters specifically, those being Sofia and Duke Thomas, aka The Signal. As mentioned in my last review of Batman and the Outsiders, this book was slated to come out around the same time or after an arc in Detective Comics where Batman’s sidekicks were being targeted by a murderous villain by the name of Karma. His primary targets were the Cassandra Cain and Duke Thomas, the latter of whom is still suffering from PTSD after failing to save a kid with a bomb strapped to him by Karma and being injured in the explosion.

Ishmael, the man who killed Sofia’s father, kneels before her and goads her into attacking him, telling her that he heard her father’s last thoughts before he died. He says that her father wishes that she were killed instead of him and Sofia succumbs to her anger, striking Ishmael. After a smokescreen clears, Duke is met by someone wearing Karma’s gear and attacks the figure in a rage. “Karma” tries to convince Duke that he doesn’t deserve the metahuman power that he has, the ability to see what others cannot (see Dark Knights: Metal), and that Batman must be disappointed.

After thoroughly thrashing Ishmael, Ra’s gives Sofia a sword, telling her to end Ishmael and become another of his weapons. She holds the sword in her hands and thinks long and hard about her decision. Ultimately, she decides that vengeance is the only option and chooses to plunge the blade into Ishmael. Ra’s reveals the test for what it is, allowing Ishmael to defend himself and telling Sofia that if she joins him, nothing will hurt her again.

Cornered and afraid, Karma approaches Duke and asks him where is his team now, making him think that The Signal is all alone. Suddenly, Cassandra kicks Karma in the face, Katana slashes him in the face of the mask and Black Lightning picks the kid up from the ground. Bruce reveals that he was the one under Karma’s mask and tells Duke that he is very proud of him.

This issue was made great by the duality of the situations presented. Batman normally takes in broken kids and builds them back up to be strong, compassionate and in tune with their emotions. Ra’s al Ghul takes young men and women and turns them into unrepentant killing machines under his will. Duke could just as easily have been in the same position that Sofia is in now and vice versa. Sofia, however, will be a harder case to bring back to the light now that she knows that she has given in to her darker side. Sofia has a chance to become like Damian if she’s lucky, but who’s to say?

Duke has already been to the dark depths since his late childhood, watching his parents get forever Jokerized, dealing with an army of wannabe Joker kids as a teen and fighting against the Dark Multiverse as Batman’s new ward. Duke has been through a lot, but he’s also been able to overcome every threat in his way. Karma took that security away from him when he made Duke watch his own failure and this left the young man angry and broken, unwilling to take orders from anyone lest he make the same mistakes again.

Batman and the Outsiders succeeds at placing it’s focus on characters other than Batman, leaving him as more of a support player while the stories hone in on individuals or team dynamics than Batman’s leadership. Duke Thomas has been out of the picture for a while and having the gates flood open on his headspace in particular made me very happy. I also kind of like Sofia. While not exactly super fleshed out yet, she shows a lot of promise especially making the decision to have this new character go down a dark path in the beginning. She has good motivations and I actually hope that by the end of this arc, she earns a place on the team properly.

High recommend.

---------------------------------------------------

Tom King’s Batman can be hit or miss sometimes, but this one is definitely a hit.

Runner Up: Batman #74 - Tom King, Mikel Janin, Jordie Bellaire and Clayton Cowles

For the entirety of his superhero career, Batman has been driven by one singular goal: to make sure what happened to him as a child didn't happen to anyone else. He's vowed to protect the streets of Gotham and to honor the memory of his parents and the city they loved.

This vow has become increasingly harder to honor over the course of this run; from being unable to save a possible replacement in the Superman-like Gotham, to being told to stop being Batman by his father from an alternate universe, and ultimately being left at the altar by the love of his life. One man is responsible for it all, Bane.

Part of the (admittedly) convoluted scheme to break the Batman was to somehow bring the Flashpoint Batman from his Universe to finally convince his son to stop. Thomas rationalizes that all Bruce needs is the love of his parents and his sickness, his broken need to be Batman will go away. As revealed in the last issue, Thomas' goal is to resurrect Martha Wayne in Ra's al Ghul's most powerful Lazarus Pit and reunite the Wayne family. 

Mikel Janín's art remains amazing as always. I could gush for days about how he's able to make Thomas and Bruce solemnly expressive through body language and only using the lower halves of their faces, but Jordie Bellaire, is the real star of this issue. She manages to color this story in a way that makes it seem like it takes place in three acts.

The first act takes place in the beautiful drawn and barren desert after Bruce and Thomas reconnect while fighting Ra's ninjas. Everything is bright and the yellows, contrasted to the Blacks of the Bats give things a slightly warm feel. Thomas is happy for his son to join him and give up his crusade.

The second act shows Bruce and Thomas reaching the edge of the pit and is coated in the cool blue hues of night. The scene feels somber and intimate as Thomas tells Bruce how stubborn he was as a child, crying because he wanted to hear his favorite story over and over until he fell asleep. Thomas says that Bruce absolutely got that from his mother, who would constantly insist that Thomas read him that story, how she always had faith that Bruce would sleep. The two begin to climb down into the pit.

Throughout the issue the Russian Folk Tale, “Animals in the Pit” had been told and spoken about in the usual Tom King style. The tale involves a group of animals that get trapped in a pit and perform contests where the loser gets eaten. In the end, one of the two remaining animals tricks the other into ripping himself open and feasts on his flesh.

In the final act, in the dark of the pit, the book takes on a harsh red hue. Thomas is finally there, at the end of his journey to give his son the happiness and family he deserves. Saying that he couldn't deny Bruce his childish wishes as a kid, but now he will deny him remaining Batman. 

Bruce tells him that the reason he wanted to hear the story constantly was because, despite the horror, his father told him the story with a bit of levity. Bruce gained hope that one of the animals just might escape and even if he knew it was impossible, he never gave up hope. He then betrays his father with a right cross to the face.

Janín can draw a beautiful, flashy fight scene when he wants to, but this fight is anything but. It's raw and brutal, it's close quarters and every emotion is felt, accentuated by the excellent coloring. Bruce punches his father, Thomas punches his son right back. Even when the fight pivots away from them to focus on the coffin, the tension is still there. Their ideological struggle is felt through the shadows on the wall and when Thomas is thrown into the coffin, things spiral downward for him.

Right on the heels of the hopefully amazing “City of Bane” storyline, this two issue filler arc strengthens Batman’s resolve for what will be the final confrontation with one of his greatest enemies and all of his pawns in Tom King’s Batman run. While the issue does suffer from the usual King-isms (long winded diatribes taking up entire pages, lack of explanation for possibly crucial plot points, like how Thomas came to this world, and the general pretentiousness in dialogue structure) they don’t pull the issue down in a distracting way. While mildly annoying, they fit this story very well and continue to expand on Bruce’s reverence for his mother, introduced in the “I Am Suicide” arc and furthers him being resolute in his mission.

Bane’s going to have hell to pay when the Batman comes for him. High recommend.

[a-damson-in-distress]

From Dusk Till Dawn - Chapter 5

Pairing: MadaSaku

Plot: Sakura was searching for a purpose. Madara was thirsting for revenge. Little do they know their fates intertwined centuries ago. Once he broke free from his banishment, he would usher in a new dusk. Until he realised that she was his dawn. Historical/mythological AU.

Note: Salutations, my lovelies. I’m back from the dead. So I know most of you will have probably forgotten this fic even exists (hell, even I forgot lol), but guess what - IT’S BACK BITCHES! I honestly have no idea what came over me today, but somehow I got reminded of this blog and the fics I started here, so I decided to dig it up out of the depths of my browser history, and you know what? I totally forgot how much fun I had writing these and that daaaaaaamn I had some good stories going on, which were in desperate need of updating, if only to ease my guilty conscience. 

Speaking of which, I honestly have no excuses for going AWOL for so long. I know some of you may have been bummed, because I think this fic did have a teeny tiny bit of a following, but honestly guys, this writing blog was only one of my many hobbies and it was never meant to take up too much of my time. It was one of these things I occasionaly devote my time to, but that was always doomed to be second place to my life/relationship/university responsibilites. But on the bright side, I did finally get my Bachelor’s degree, whoooo! Buuuuuuuut I am still at uni doing my Master’s, sooooo ya know - still not going to be a regular thing here. 

Anyways, TL;DR: I wanted to update this little nugget here out of pure nostalgia and curiosity to see how many of you will still remember the story, to see how many will appreciate and like this update and depending on your reaction, I might actually take up writing again. Goodie, I’m excited to be back. Have fun! :)

Oh also, please check out the first 4 chapters before reading this one, since - you know - I let so much dust settle on this story none of y’all will probably know what’s going on. 

EDIT: I had to delete the links to the first 4 chapters, because this chapter wasn’t showing up under the madasaku tag or any of the other tags, but as soon as I deleted the links it did? Soooo yeah whatever, fuck you Tumblr links. You’re gonna have to scroll through my blog to get to the other chapters, I’m sorry. I’ll figure out a way to post all of it in one piece, promise. Have fun and let me know what you think! :)

500 years ago…

The heavens stood still.

Silence.

Death.

Victory.

Tsunade watched a tired Jiraiya fall to his knees and let out a pained groan. Allowing a nervous sigh to escape her lips, she closed her eyes.

They did it. They finally did it. After decades of warfare, bloodshed, and carnage, they finally managed to seal away the bane of their existence.

The last of the dusk gods had fallen.

Opening her eyes again, she let her tired gaze wander across the scene of their final battle. Slain gods lay scattered across the barren field, the ashen ground beneath them stained in the colour of their blood.  Giant craters burning with the dreaded flames of the underworld tore through the otherwise idyllic scenery of the heavens like wounds from blade. The black flames of the dusk god’s feared Amaterasu eating up what little was left of the trees that once made this surrounding a forest.

It matters not, she kept telling herself. He is gone. And the dawn gods shall rebuild.

Just as Tsunade was about to join Jiraiya to take a look at his wounds, an ear-piercing screeching tore through her head, forcing her to her knees. Barely managing to open her eyes against the penetrating pain in her mind, she watched the other surviving gods around her writhe and hold their heads in agony.

All of a sudden, the screeching ebbed, giving way to a low hissing sound before a mysterious voice whispered into all of their ears:

At the fall of dusk, at the fall of old, spring shall bring forth his keeper,

who will call to him until his return at the night the darkness swallows the heavens.

Young and weak, the Eastern light shall seek out the old power in the West,

who will envelop her in darkness to unleash their true might.

Dawn will be his light, and dusk shall return.

It was only when the throbbing pain in her head finally dissipated that Tsunade dared to look up. The remaining gods looked at each other questioningly.

They were familiar with this pain, with this feeling. The hissing voice in their head. The dawn gods all knew what this was.

A prophecy. Foreshadowing the return of Madara.

The survivors did what they could to tend to the wounded on the battlefield. When no one else could be saved, the gods set them aflame and watched their bodies dissipate into golden dust, releasing their divine essence into the vast expanse of the universe, praying for them to be reborn again. Then, they retreated to their respective homes – or what was left of them – to lick their wounds, celebrate their survival, and grieve the death of the fallen.

Tsunade felt a heavy sadness weighing down her heart that night. Despite their unimaginable victory over the mightiest god to ever grace the face of the heavens, they had lost so many. She knew more peaceful times lay ahead of them now, and yet she felt restless. It had been ages since the universe had whispered a prophecy into their ears. And this one was particularly unsettling.

Dusk shall return.

But they sealed him, Tsunade reminded herself. And with one of Hashirama’s seals, no less. She was the one who studied the dusk god’s inscriptions, who knew his incantations like the back of her hand. She was certain Hashirama’s seal would be enough to imprison Madara for the rest of his miserable days.

And yet, mere minutes after the dawn gods managed the unthinkable and sealed away the last dusk god, the universe decided to warn them of his return. And prophecies always came true, the dawn goddess knew that much.

Not only that, but the prophecy also spoke of some Eastern light, who would supposedly help him unleash his true might. A cold shiver ran down Tsunade’s spine at the thought of Madara teaming up with such a force of nature that will grant him even more fearsome powers than he already had.

Yet the goddess of healing had no time to dwell on her worrisome thoughts, as her mind picked up the desperate prayer of a mortal couple. Never one to abandon the ones in need, the blonde goddess raced down into the mortal realm and materialised unseen in the living room of a small hut. She watched the couple on their knees, huddled together in front of the fire. They were rocking back and forth, with the woman holding a small bundle in her arms and the man raising one arm pleadingly into the air, calling out to the goddess of healing to save this poor baby.

This baby? Is that not their own child, Tsunade thought suspiciously. Babies do not just fall from the heavens.

Taking one step closer to the fire, the goddess suddenly felt a divine glow emanating from the bundle in the woman’s arms. Tsunade would recognise that anywhere – the essence of the gods. This was indeed not the mortal couple’s child, but a newborn of the dawn gods.

Still hidden from the mortal’s view, she leaned down and caught a glimpse of pink hair and emerald green eyes, staring knowingly, yet tiredly at her. As Tsunade stretched out a hand towards the babe to check its body temperature, a tiny chubby fist suddenly enclosed her index finger. This little touch was enough to flood the goddess with a feeling of warm motherly love.

Tsunade knew in that instant that this deity shall be hers to raise, care for, and love.

With her divine power, she mentally reached out to the mortals and willed them to lay the small bundle on the floor by the fire. She watched them carefully lower the baby and step back from the fire, worriedly glancing around the living room and waiting for something to happen.

In the blink of an eye, the small bundle was gone. The couple sighed in relief and fell into each other’s arms, knowing their beloved goddess of healing would take care of that weak little girl.

“Do you really think that was a wise choice?”

Tsunade ignored Jiraiya’s incessant nagging and kept bouncing the little babe on her arm. Immediately after taking the young goddess from the mortal’s hut, she returned home to her half-standing palace in the East, where some of the surviving gods have retreated to recuperate. One of them being Kakashi, the feared god of lightning, who was pinning her with a scrutinising gaze.

“Jiraiya’s right, you know. Tonight, of all nights, with this new prophecy looming above our heads… Have you even thought for a second that she could be this Eastern light, his keeper that was prophesised?”

Tsunade scoffed and shot him a challenging glare. “Please, Kakashi, don’t be paranoid. It was just one of the millions of prayers I receive every day. Only this time, it happened to involve a newly born dawn goddess, instead of a weak mortal. Just because she is one of us, does not mean she is tied to the prophecy. In fact, we should be thankful our pantheon is growing again after we lost so many.”

“The prophecy clearly said that at the fall of dusk some kind of keeper will emerge who is destined to help Madara unleash his full power upon the heavens. The fall of dusk was tonight, and after decades of no new deities, tonight is the night the universe decides to give us a new goddess, during spring no less? Coincidences like these might happen to the mortals but not in the heavens,” Shikamaru grumbled before taking a well-deserved puff from his ivory kiseru.

Rolling her eyes at the god of wisdom and strategy, Tsunade switched the little bundle to her other arm and kept bouncing her up and down, before she said, “What you all fail to see is that she cannot be the Easter light from the prophecy, since I found her in a mortal village in the middle of nowhere, not even remotely close to anywhere East. And don’t you think that if such a powerful force destined to be tied to Madara emerged that we would not have felt its birth? Elemental abnormalities, time standing still, earthquakes – anything that might indicate a new divine force has emerged. But there was absolutely nothing when this little goddess here was born. In fact, she is so tiny and weak, I honestly doubt that she will have a purpose grander than making flowers grow, that’s how harmless she is.”

Tsunade saw the uncertain faces around her, their doubtful gazes boring into her determination to keep the babe. She had to convince them, somehow. She could not just leave a part of her divine family, especially now that her kin was nearly wiped out. As soon as the young goddess had touched her, Tsunade felt responsible for her. She had to ignore the nagging feeling at the back of her head screaming at her to listen to the prophecy.

Yes, there were too many coincidences, Tsunade had to admit that herself. The prophecy clearly talks of a female, emerging during this particular night, during spring. All of which applied to the little dawn goddess in her arms.

But there was no way she could be the Eastern light; the goddess was not tied to any particular region. And Tsunade could not – for the life of her – imagine this tiny, frail little thing would be capable of stoking the fire of Madara’s wrath to the point that she would be the one to unleash his true might.

Shaking away her doubts, Tsunade gazed into the tired emeralds of the little girl in her arms. A smile spread across her lips when the tiny goddess snuggled closer to her chest.

There was absolutely no way she would abandon this little thing, not now after she lost so many of her family.

Raising her head, she shot a determined glance at all of the surviving deities in her presence and exclaimed, “I will not resign this precious goddess to a prophecy we have not even fully deciphered yet. None of us know what half of that steaming pile of donkey dung even means, so nobody is going to determine her fate based on any of that. Besides, even if she really is this keeper of his, this way we can at least raise her on our side. Teach her our story, our ways, our kindness. She will never be corrupted by him if we have the power to tell her the things we want her know. If he really does come back and they really do cross paths, there is no way she will choose him. I will tie her to me as tightly as she tied me to her.”

Lowering her caramel eyes, she cast a loving glance at the newest addition to her family and whispered softly, “I will protect my daughter from him. No matter what.”

Went to him… willingly … kidnapped … she chose him … sacrifice …

Sakura’s muddled mind started picking up fragments of speech as she slowly started to wake from her slumber. Forcing her weak body to sit up, she cast a disoriented glance around her only to find herself in her chambers at her mother’s palace.

All of a sudden, memories started flooding her mind and she felt her heart rate pick up.

Madara.

She finally met him. She was in his palace. She was so close to getting some answers. A blush crept up her neck at the thought of his calloused fingers holding her chin in place as he was leaning closer to her, before… Before the dawn gods laid siege to his palace to take her away from him.

Wait, from him? Where did that thought come from? Since when did Sakura think she belonged by his side? She had only known him for a few moments and from what she had seen on the battlefields, he was not a god whose company she should be yearning for. And yet, she had never felt so strong, so alive as when being close to him.

And now that they were separated, her old familiar frailty had returned as well.

The young dawn goddess could feel frustration bubble up inside her. Rarely did she get mad at something or someone, but her constant state of weakness had been a source of anger for all of her short life. And the one being who could rectify that just had to be her mother’s mortal enemy and the one who had been waging war against her kin for the last weeks.  

Sakura felt like throwing something against the wall. Alas, all the smashable things in her room were solid gold or heavy ivory, all of which was too difficult for her to even pick up now. In Madara’s presence, however, she felt like she could carry the entire heavens on her shoulders.

Her depressing thoughts were interrupted when she felt the voices on the other side of her door grow louder.

“Look what Tsunade’s tying down has brought us. She went to him, willingly. All that keeping her close was for nothing!”

“She is so weak, she cannot even open doors without struggling, and you really think she made that trip all the way to the Western end of the heavens on her own? He clearly kidnapped her. We are lucky he left her alive for whatever reason.”

“Then tell me why she was reaching out to him when I-“

The angry voices were silenced when her mother suddenly burst through the doors and stomped into her room, glowering at Sakura with a furious expression.

“What in the heavens were you thinking?!”

[bl4ck-t34m]

Feet First into Hell (closed thread with @expvrgction)

The Slayer had been with Black Team for a few days now, and Vega had already become well acquainted with the Blackest Night by now. Currently, Black Team and their ship are docked aboard a Sangheli Assault Carrier, receiving weapons from the Sangheli.

"Blazko, this is Dahl. I need you in loading hangar A-5, our hosts are insisting that they join us, and I want them to hear what they would be getting into from you, since you're the resident expert. Just follow the red arrows on the floor, I'm also uploading the UNSC translation kit to Vega, so you can understand our hosts. They already understand spoken English, even if they can't speak it fluently themselves."

@expvrgction

[ryder-s-block]

Jaig Eyes (Ch 13)

Jaig Eyes (Ch 13/?)

Always available here.

-----------------------------------------

Chapter Thirteen: Holocron Heist

“You look like you need a drink.”

I lifted my eyebrow at the drunk Twi’lek. Before I could even get a snappy word out, Merl cut in from behind the bar I leaned against.

“Beat it, shabuir,” he growled over my shoulder before handing me a drink. The Twi’lek scurried away quickly as I turned to lean forward over the bar, taking a long swig of the dark liquid in the cup.

“You spoke Mando’a,” I commented with a small smile. “I’m impressed.”

Merl merely shrugged at me as he continued to fly out drinks to the pressing customers of my club. “You mumble it enough. I started to catch on a bit.”

I raised my brows. “Did Pinky help you?”

“Pinky helped a little.”

I laughed, not only because I found it endearing, but because an elderly Weequay saying Pinky with as much sass as Merl used was rather amusing. I leaned back on my stool, letting the man work the bar as he always did. My club was doing well, as usual, but had seen an abrupt increase in clone attendees. They would always give me nods, but I made it obvious that I wasn’t about to go party with them. I needed to stay unattached. Despite not going out of my way, I’d heard what they had started to call my club.

“Fett’s Place,” they called it.

No one seemed to catch on to what they meant apart from the clones, so I let it slide. It was endearing in a way. Still, deep down, I worried that one day Boba would hear about that. It was no secret that I was mentored by Jango, considering I didn’t really try to hide my Jaig eyes when in my club, but I preferred Boba didn’t add me to his hunting list. I’d prefer not to beat up my little brother.

A group of clones laughed boisterously in the corner, each holding up their glasses as they toasted something. Probably something cliche. Like the Republic. I rolled my eyes in good humor as they cheered and knocked back their drinks.

“You alright, Kida?”

I turned to look at the concerned Weequay who’d finally found a moment of peace at the bar. He spread his arms over its shining surface and stared into my eyes.

“Why do you ask that?”

Merl shrugged. “You haven’t been the same since you stopped working for the senator.”

“You know why I had to stop that,” I sighed. “We’ve been over this before.”

“I know, I know. I just think...maybe it wasn’t the right choice.”

I watched Merl silently for a long moment before shaking my head and rising from my stool. “I’m not having this conversation.” I turned away and walked through my club, many of my patrons giving nods or lifting their glasses to me. I downed most of my drink as I greeted some of my most loyal guests, giving them dazzling smiles and fake laughs.

“Drink with me, Kida,” many of them would say. With most, I complied. I had to keep my club up and running, after all. At one table, as I drank with a Bith and a Dug, I heard the boisterous clone table quiet suddenly. My nerves sparked to life as I sensed familiar presences.

“General,” one said formally, despite the slight slur of his words.

“At ease, soldier,” returned the smooth curved words of Obi-wan Kenobi.

I nearly spit out my drink, coughing wildly. The Bith mumbled at me in his language, asking if I was alright. The music quieted around me as the entire club stared at the jedi.

“I’m fine,” I insisted between coughs. “I’m fine.”

“It seems you may have drank a bit too much tonight,” Kenobi voiced as he walked toward me. I coughed a few more times before casting him a dark glance. My security team, made of two massive Gen’Dais, were slowly moving towards the jedi and his companions, their giant armored hands moving to grip Obi-Wan’s shoulders. “I would advise you to release me,” he said to no one in particular. Whether it was to me or the Gen’Dai, I couldn’t say.

“Stand down,” I ordered gently, looking over the jedi’s shoulder to see Cody and his men. My security team backed away, but stayed close. I understood. “Please excuse my team,” I said slowly. “Down here on the lower levels, we don’t have much trust for jedi.” I would have added clones, but the patrons of my club had gotten rather used to their presence of late.

Obi-wan hummed, watching me. “I see.”

“What brings you to my club?”

“A job.”

“Are you looking for someone? If so, don’t expect me or my guests to rat anyone out. We have a code.”

The jedi hummed again. “Fortunately, I’m looking for you. Is there somewhere more private we could discuss? I have an offer for you.”

My mind raced. If the Republic was asking for my help even after what I’d done, it must be serious. “Who has an offer? The Republic?”

“The council, actually.”

Windu knew my lineage. Did Kenobi? I kept my expression calm and my emotions on lock down. “Delilah,” I said to one of my passing servers--a pretty Mirialan. “Please take the jedi and his companions up to my office. I’ll be there shortly.”

“Of course, miss,” she said, immediately setting down her tray and gesturing for the group to follow her through a back door. I knew that door would lead to an empty hallway that held only a password-protected elevator that led to my office upstairs. Kenobi cast me a backwards glance as he passed through the doorway, suspicion rippling off him in waves.

“Kida,” Merl started, but I waved him off, snatching a bottle of ale from behind the counter before heading towards the service door.

The girls were flooding the back rooms, donning new outfits and applying new products to their hair and faces.

“Kida,” a few of them greeted as they hurried around.

“Miss Kida, good evening.”

“How are you tonight?”

“You look well today.”

I gave them all polite nods, but didn’t respond. They knew I cared for them. I may have been their boss, but I protected them. That’s why so many dancers wanted to work at my club. They wouldn’t be touched, as per my policy. And if someone broke that policy, they’d hope they were never born.

I climbed the swirling metal staircase at the end of their hall, sweeping back my hair nervously. Why was I nervous? Since when was someone like me nervous?

I rolled my eyes at myself as the door’s security recognized my handprint before opening. Inside, the jedi and clones waited for me. Kenobi stood beside Cody, both of them looking out my one-way glass that displayed the club’s main showroom. The floor was smooth and polished, clicking beneath my heeled boots. The walls were a dark gray, only illuminated by the gentle glow of my few wall lamps. I didn’t try to hide the displays of Mandalorian armor and various weaponry, since the Republic was already well aware of my affiliation.

I walked casually past the clones, snatching glasses from the polished cabinet before placing it all on my wooden desk that sat before the massive windows. Kenobi turned to watch as I poured out various glasses of the dark liquor, his eyebrow raised.

“Come on,” I prodded as the clones hesitated, lifting a glass towards one of the soldiers. “Take off your bucket and try it.”

“What is it?” Kenobi asked, lifting a glass to his nose and breathing in the spicy scent.

“Ne’tra gal.” The interest of the clones peaked at my words, their helmets coming off slowly. The first man accepted my glass with a gentle nod of thanks. Cody didn’t hesitate to accept my next glass, immediately taking a long sip of the sweet and spicy black ale.

“Ne’tra gal,” Kenobi repeated, his accented tones smoothing off the harsh consonants of old Mando’a. He tried it, seeming to like it.

I sat easily once the glasses were handed out, taking a drink from my own. “So what is it the council wants from me?” I tensed as Kenobi breathed deeply, taking a long drink as I waited for what he may say. I silently requested that the will of the force be in my favor.

“Your knowledge,” the jedi answered vaguely.

“About…” I prodded.

“Skywalker’s men mentioned that you were acquainted with a bounty hunter called Cad Bane?”

I sighed a slight breath of relief. It wasn’t about my heritage. I supposed the scholar was good to his word...and my money. Good. I’d have hated to have to kill him.

“I know him,” I said nonchalantly. “What of it?”

“Did you know he was on Coruscant?”

I shrugged. “I’d heard he took a job here. Don’t know what it was.” Despite my feigned relaxation, I worried for a moment if Padme was alright.

Obi-wan seemed to think for a moment, his gloved hand stroking his beard. “The men of the 501st mentioned you’d have a checkered past with him. Would you be opposed to working against him?”

I paused, my cup touching my lips. My eyes lifted to meet the jedi’s. They wanted to hire me to oppose Bane. Interesting. My mouth curled into a smile. “What did he do?”

“Are you opposed to it?”

I allowed myself a drink now. “Of course not. He’s a selfish bastard who abides by no code.” I rolled my eyes at myself. “Not that I’m actually part of a guild.” What could I say? The guilds, while holding their benefits, were sometimes too restrictive in specialities. Besides, my clients came to me personally. Not through the usual network of scum. So who needed a bunch of so-called hotshots breathing over my shoulder, making sure I followed their rules?

Obi-wan regarded me for a moment. “He stole a jedi holocron.”

I nearly choked on my ale, coughing violently. “I beg your pardon?” I choked out. The jedi didn’t respond as I calmed down. “How in blazes did he get into your temple?”

“That’s beside the point,” Kenobi dismissed. “We need you to help us get it back.”

I leaned back in my chair, thinking. “Why did he take it? It’s not like he can use it.”

“Precisely. In addition, in order to open a holocron, one needs a kyber crystal.”

“Easy. Don’t you jedi have them in all of your lightsabers? He’ll just steal one. Or snatch one of a black market.” I shrugged, thinking. “Or whoever he’s doing the job for already has one.”

“That’s not how they work,” Obi-wan sighed, leaning against my desk as he took another drink. “Our holocrons, while they can contain information, are also a means of reading kyber memory crystals. The crystals in our sabers are very different.”

“Seems like an impractical way to store information,” I mused aloud. “So he needs a crystal. Is he looking for one in particular?”

“Ahsoka caught Bane’s accomplice, Cato Parasitti.” I lifted my eyebrow, knowing the name. Good for the padawan for besting the shapeshifter. “She mentioned Bolla Ropal.”

“Who is?”

“He’s a jedi and a keeper of one of our memory crystals.”

I regarded the group for a moment. “What does this crystal contain? Why would Bane want it?”

“That doesn’t matter.”

I hummed, downing the rest of my glass and standing. “It seems you have this all figured out, Kenobi.” I brushed past the jedi and clone commander, making my way to the elevator. “Get to your jedi first and catching Bane should be easy.”

The jedi sighed as I cast him a wink over my shoulder, electing to not get involved in the war.

“It contains all the names of known force-sensitive children,” Obi-wan called finally, his voice grim. “The crystal, I mean.”

I stopped, staring at the closed elevator doors. “That sounds serious.”

“Bane is working for a dark force,” he continued, putting down his glass and walking behind me. “Whether it be Dooku or his master, Bane has the backing of the Separatist army and will be able to track down hundreds of children.”

“What would he do with them?” I asked, turning back to look at him. For a brief moment, I wondered if my name was ever on that list.

“I don’t know.” Obi-wan’s face was worried and sad. “But if he gets that holocron, those children are in danger.”

I thought for a moment. “How would I help?”

“You know Bane. He may even have a respect for you.” I pressed my lips into a line, mulling over the jedi’s words. “Anakin and his men have already headed towards the Devaron system, where Cato was last seen. Meet them there. Advise them. Appeal to Bane if you have to. But don’t let him get the crystal.”

I breathed slowly. “Bane won’t take a counter-deal. He’s not like that.”

“Could you stop him? Despite that?”

“Maybe. He’s clever. And he’s had time to plan this, so he’ll always be one step ahead.” I glanced between the clones, seeing their varying expressions. “But I’ll do my best.”

Obi-wan’s face washed with relief, despite trying to hide it. “I knew you’d come around.”

“Don’t think I’m doing it for free.” I tried to keep my voice hard.

“I wouldn’t dream of it, dear.” He smiled at me. “I’ll contact Anakin and tell him you’re on your way.”

I hummed in agreement, turning heel and opening the display case that held my armor. “Apex,” I spoke aloud, the room beeping as the AI came to life in the mechanized room. “Get my ship ready. We have a job.”

“Wonderful.”

----------------------

MANDO’A

Shabuir-- extreme insult (‘jerk’, but much stronger)

Ne’tra gal-- black ale; sweet, almost spicy black beer

--------------------------------

Author’s Note:

As always, thank you for reading. Reposts/reviews/PMs/comments/likes are always welcome and appreciated!

-Ryder

[endlesstalesofwonder]

Malec Week: Office AU

Hello! I’ve finally gotten this prompt done! Took me three/four times, but I got there eventually. Enjoy some Malec Office AU for Malec Week 2018!

*

Alec walked through the front doors of the New York office at promptly five in the morning where the sun had barely begun its ascension over the various skyscrapers and condos to alert those who dare wake up at the ungodly hour that it was time to start moving. Alec was one of those few.

It was necessary in his current business. Pandemonium was run by a fierce, yet passionate, man who deserved nothing but absolute perfection. Alec, of course, never saw it this way at first. He had just been the one who ran and got coffee for everyone and somehow made it to being the personal assistant of the number one himself; Magnus Bane. Intimidating, watchful, and keen would be the perfect words to describe him – along with asshole, The Warlock, and the workroom’s personal favorite, Satan himself. Alec would never report those back to Mr. Bane in fear of him making the majority of his business disappear, and his ego expanding to the size of Jupiter.

Alec prided himself on perfection and doing his absolute best to ensure the wellness of the entire team. His earliness meant an early start and, possibly, an early finish to a hard day’s work. He made the reports based on the previous day’s sales and marketing, as well as all interactions on their mobile site, and placed them on the desks of everyone in the social media management department. Then, he replaced the paper stock in the copy room; prepared all the strictly black making coffee machines in the break room; sent emails to the guys in IT – because something was always broken; and called people halfway across the world to tell them that Magnus Bane did not want to be caught dead in their clothing.

Mr. Bane – Alec always made the correction – was hardly ever on site. He found it more “productive”, as he once told a temp that dared to stare at him in awe, to be inspired on location, surrounded by culture and, again, “dozens of men and women for strictly professional arrangements.” Peru was one of his favorite destinations to travel to, and was currently residing for inspiration – “and a tan.”

There was an occasion that Mag – Mr. Bane – would stay at the office for a prolonged period of time, and it could be summed up into two little, frightening words: Fashion Week. The office was always turned upside down in the months prior to the event. People were running around, forgetting things, and possibly ruining their careers by acting so foolishly. Alec was the ones with the reigns, barking orders and demanding order amongst the chaos. There were another two weeks until that time of fire and brimstone, and Alec was prepared to handle it as he always did – with an iron fist.

Six eventually came around, after Alec drank a whole pot of coffee for himself, and his fellow coworkers started to flood in and go to their assigned desks and departments. John Underhill was always one of the first few to arrive. He, like Alec, would rather be half an hour early rather than half an hour late. He also managed to help Alec when he was in a particularly tight knot. He greeted him with a wave when he came in.

“Late night, Alec?” John commented, as he passed through to his desk closest to the main office.

There was a downside to working so much. Sleep, as much as it was a necessity, did not come easy the closer Pandemonium got to its “hot spots”, as Alec liked to call them. Fashion Week, commissions, holiday seasons were all hell, and it took a toll on all of them – especially Alec. “More like an early morning.”

A few others started straggling in: Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn from marketing; Mark Blackthorn from Human Resources; Maia Roberts from social media; a few others from the work room downstairs that Alec hardly had any affairs with, and last – and certainly the least – Raj.

Alec never made it a habit to learn the man’s last name. He believed that he would be fired within the first few weeks of him working the floor after the whole incident with the copy machine during the Christmas season. He didn’t see what Mr. Bane saw in him, but perhaps it was meant as a challenge to see if Alec could tame the untamable.

“Morning, Lightworm,” Raj greeted, then disappeared like he always did when he insulted him. Alec took it as a sign that he was afraid that he could do even worse than Mr. Bane ever could.

Pandemonium was finally bustling with chatter, the sound of cheap coffee, and the mix of typing keys and numbers into their computers. Alec settled himself behind his own desk, placed beside Mr. Bane’s for the sake of convenience, and started making his usual calls to clients and partners.

“Pandemonium, Mr. Bane’s office, please hold. Pandemonium, Mr. Bane’s office, please hold,” Alec repeated. When he clicked on the third line, the voice was familiar.

“Check your computer.”

Alec sighed. “John, you can’t call me on this line. I have a separate line especially for –”

“Check the damn chat, Alec.”

“Fine.” Alec hung up with a sharp click. He twisted his seat around towards his double monitored computer and spurred the thing to life. A little blue box popped up immediately on the screen along with a red dot displaying an array of messages left unread. He opened it, clicking on the chat room that some of the other employees had created and renamed accordingly.

The_Twenty-Fourth_Floor_of_HELL Chatroom [LIVE]

RAJJ: Morning losers

Emma_C: How did you get into this chat, Raj?

Emma_C: Sleep with IT again?

RAJJ: For your information Carstairs I don’t need to sleep with someone to have my way

Emma_C: Yeah, you just annoy the shit out of them

RAJJ has been removed from the chat.

Alec rolled his eyes. He scrolled down past the various attempts of kicking Raj out of the chat, and still he managed to find his way back in, until he got to the section that made his heart stop.

MarkB: Is something going on today?

JulesB1: No… Why?

Emma_C: What’s going on?

MarkB: There are people shuffling around every

MarkB: Shit

MarkB: CODE RED

R_ Maia: Heads up! Bane is here.

Underhill_J: He’s not supposed to be here for another week.

Emma_C: The Warlock is passing by

JulesB1: Why is he here?

thebestmanraj: Oh? Did pretty boy not tell you?

thebestmanraj: Bane dropped out of a business meeting after a scandal in Peru.

thebestmanraj: whoops

Thebestmanraj has been removed from the chat.

Alec lunged from his seat. He pushed past various interns and nobodies who were in his way, beelining it towards Underhill’s desk. He turned the corner and the man was already standing coffee and magazines in hand – both were Mr. Bane’s favorite’s and must-haves whenever he was in the office.

“You,” Alec said, grabbing them from the man, “are a lifesaver. I owe you one.”

“You owe me many. Now, move!”

Alec didn’t need to be told twice. He spun on his heel, sprinting back for his boss’ desk in hopes of beating him there. The room, thankfully, was empty. Alec fanned the most recent fashion magazines down on the corner of his desk, coffee in hand. He made sure, then double and triple checked to make sure the entire office was in perfect condition before moving to the front doors to greet Mr. Bane – Alec slams right into him. Crashing the coffee all over his seven hundred dollar shirt and jacket.

The workroom froze. Printers stopped working; fingers stopped moving; everyone stopped breathing in fear of their imminent death. Alec could only hear the hard thud of his heart beating away in his chest as if it could run away from this situation. Running, however, would make the situation much, much worse. And Raj was already looking far too smug from his corner of the room.

“Alexander.” It was never good when Mr. Bane used his full name. “Do watch where you’re going next time.”

Next time. Alec loosed a relieved breath. There was going to be a next time.

“Get me another coffee, Angela from downstairs – and everyone get back to work.”

A snap of his fingers, and the workroom resumed like a song put on pause. Everyone ignored the enormous elephant in the room – all except Raj who was clearly gossiping with a cute temp passing by – and Alec moved towards Underhill for the coffee, then in search of “Angela from downstairs.”

Alec escorted her all the way up two flights of stairs, claiming the elevator was “broken”. She smoothed out her skirt before entering, staying just beyond the field of reach outside of Mr. Bane’s desk. “You asked for me, sir.”

Magnus’ brilliantly sharp eyes found Alec’s. Alec ignored the fact that he was wearing a completely new outfit. “Close the door – and stay,” he added. “I’ll need a witness.”

A string of curses wafted through Alec’s head, and all of them threatened to leave his lips. He closed the door, staying in the corner of the room.

“Miss,” Magnus drawled.

It took a moment for the woman to reply with a light, “Woods.”

“Miss Woods. You’re fired.”

Alec’s heart jerked. Mr. Bane was nothing if not straightforward.

“But – But, why?” Ms. Woods blubbered, making her cheeks turn pink with unspilled tears.

Mr. Bane stood to his full, domineering height. His fingers, adorned carefully with different rings of shapes and sizes, danced over the front pages of the magazines splayed out for his choosing. Alec recognized one of them, the thin, twisted silver band on his pinkie, but was caught by an image hidden in the bottom of the magazine pile. Magnus picked the issue out, flipped it open to a precise page on the first try, and turned it around for Ms. Woods to see.

“Magnus Bane is seen managing his time in the comfort of others rather than in the solidarity of his own business. It would seem he cares more for his own success, an unnamed source claims,” Magnus continued, “If he spends this much time away, how will Pandemonium survive? Photos supplied by an anonymous source.”

Alec gulped. There could only be one thing –

“Your boyfriend is Axel Mortmain, correct?” Magnus kept pushing the subject, drawing it out and making the poor woman sweat in the very hole she had dug.

“Yes, but –”

“And he works with Trendy Magazine, correct?”

“Yes,” she ground out. “But –”

Mr. Bane held up a single finger, silencing her as he took the argument home. “Did you, or did you not, supply him with these claims and photos of my personal life?”

“You’re hardly around!” She exclaimed, and Alec knew she had nailed and sealed her own coffin shut. “I was venting to my boyfriend after a long day of sitting behind a desk – Why are you laughing? Are you laughing at me?”

Magnus was chuckling. It wasn’t the same one that made his eyes crinkle at the edges, or bend over to regain his breath. It was deep, dark and a sinister sound that Mr. Bane only used to prove a point.

He flipped to the next page, and amidst the various photos clearly taken from afar, he pointed a slim finger to the passage near the bottom. “Can you explain this to me?”

Alec had to bend forward to see what it was. The words were printed in a much larger font than the rest, bringing all attention to its phrase.

He’s just as bad as his father.

“Is this from sitting behind a desk? Did you bang your knee on one of the drawers and think, Magnus Bane is just as bad as his father?” Ms. Woods stayed perfectly still. Her hands poised tight against her sides. “That’s what I thought.”

Magnus slowly turned and took his seat behind his desk. Ms. Woods had been tossed out of his peripheral, as far as conversations went. He ignored her fuming in the middle of his office.

Alec moved to get the door. It was clear to anyone that they were done, ties cut and bridges burned, but Ms. Woods would not stand down.

“You can’t fire me,” she sputtered. Alec made a move towards her wrist, and she swung, missing his cheek by an inch.

Mr. Bane straightened once again. “And why can’t I?”

“I’ve been working her for years! I’ve put my heart and soul into this place and to throw it all away would be –”

“Alexander has been working here for twice – three times as long as you have or ever will. You are a speck of dust in comparison. Why would I keep dirt around?” With that, Ms. Woods was done. Magnus turned to his computer. “You have an hour to get out of the building, and if not, security will be happy to remove you.”

Alec opened the doors for good this time. He walked her as far as the elevator to ensure that she didn’t stir anything else up on the workroom floor. He hit the little button, a green arrow springing to life, and the doors split open.

Ms. Woods’ hand shot out just before they could close. “I wasn’t wrong.”

Alec sighed. “Ms. Woods, please leave.”

“You’ll see. He’s just like his father, and you know it.”

Asmodeus Bane was Magnus’ father, true. He used to own a large, entrepreneurial company in Indonesia, then Los Angeles and New York that had turned sour with reports of embezzlement, poor working conditions and pay, and unsportsmanlike conduct of business transactions, which were also true. He had almost roped in Magnus to work with him, but he declined, cut all ties with his father, and made his own life, career, name. Magnus Bane was most definitely not like his father – he was much better.

“All I know is that you have wasted five minutes of your hour to leave. You better get moving.”

Ms. Woods removed her hand, allowing the doors to almost close before saying, “He doesn’t deserve you.”

The doors clicked close, leaving Alec standing there with her last words rolling right off his shoulders. He had heard them many times in the time he had been working at Pandemonium. He accepted this job without so much as a single idea of what fashion really was, or how to dress properly around other people. He doesn’t deserve you, had been a motto, a fact that Alec was determined to break down and change into, He deserves you.

Alec made his way back to the main floor, which was busy but carefully listening for aftershocks of the afternoon. “Get back to work,” he barked, and all eyes turned away. Underhill approached, saddling up to him and handing him another coffee. Alec never knew how he could get it so fast. “Thanks.”

Alec went back to Magnus’ office with the new coffee in hand, but he had a feeling that it wasn’t the solution to their problem. Magnus was still seated at his desk, computer abandoned, a single hand running through his hair without end and turning his neat hair flip into wrecked strands. Alec said nothing and sat the coffee next to him.

Magnus muttered a weak, “Thank you,” in exchange. He didn’t reach for it.

Alec felt the need to say, “You are not your father,” but the words wouldn’t do the justice that Magnus deserved now. He needed a distraction. “What happened in Peru,” he asked instead.

Magnus scoffed. His hands stopped and rested on the edge of the desk. He uninterestedly played with the corner of one of the magazines.

Play with me, Alec’s eyes practically begged. Tease me. Do something. Magnus was notoriously messing with Alec’s head, sending him on bogus errands and calling random numbers. It was his way of breaking him into the job and showing Alec how he worked.

Finally, Magnus cracked, a small pull of his lip upwards into a smirk as he recalled his excursion. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“I would,” Alec countered.

“Don’t you read the papers?”

“I’m more of a hearing-it-from-the-source kind of guy.”

A wider smirk, and a pause. “There was a lot of alcohol involved.”

“Naturally.” Alec silenced with a ringed finger pointed at him though it held no seriousness. Not as it had been with Ms. Woods.

“Let’s say I am no longer welcome in the country.”

“Magnus,” Alec breathlessly chuckled. Of all the people who would be able to be kicked out of a country, and banned, Magnus would be one of them.

A familiar spark returned to Magnus’ eyes, gratefully. His fingers played with a bead on his necklace, rolling them back and forth as he scanned Alec’s figure. “Shouldn’t it be Mr. Bane?”

“Shouldn’t I be Mr. Lightwood?” Alec countered.

Magnus fingers stilled, and a natural coy smile crept to his face. There it is, Alec thought. “Touché. Careful, I may fire you for being too cocky.”

“I’ve been told it’s one of my finer qualities.” By you.

The man leaned back, a hand creeping up the side of his neck and towards the golden ear cuff he was adamant on wearing at all times. “Indeed.”

Alec’s gaze flickered to the cuff which Magnus was playing with. He smiled, then nodded to the door. “Come on.”

“Why?”

“Where’s your sense of adventure?” Magnus rose an eyebrow. “Fine. Overflow. You need to get out of the office.”

Overflow was a whole floor dedicated to displaced outfits and unused cuts of past seasons’ clothing. It was the one place where prior year’s runway duds go to die. It also happened to be one of Magnus’ favorite places to drag Alec – it had been one of those ridiculous errands and favors – to try on horrendous outfits.

“You don’t need to do that, Alexander. I’m fine.”

“I know you are.” Alec meant it. “You are early, however. We expected you in two weeks and nothing is prepared.”

Magnus, posing in protest, stood and made his way around to his assistant. “Nothing?”

“Nothing?” Alec mocked. “I have not worked here this long to be unprepared. Everything’s ready, but I think having a little fun takes precedence.”

“Fun? Who are you?”

“The best assistant ever –” Magnus made a face. “Really? Because I was thinking of trying on that piece from Jeremy Scott. You know, the one with the leather –”

“Let’s go,” Magnus snapped, grabbing Alec’s wrist and pulling him out of the office and towards the elevator, Alec laughing the entire way. He made sure to tell Underhill that Mr. Bane was not taking any more calls, and to watch over his station until he returned. When Underhill asked for how long, and Magnus tugged impatiently on his arm, Alec managed a quick later before being dragged away.

 Underhill closed Mr. Bane’s office, then settled at the desk mirrored from Alec’s. He logged into his server, then the chatroom.

The_Twenty-Fourth_Floor_of_HELL Chatroom [LIVE]

therajster: Lightwood’s dead. He has to be.

Emma_C: About time.

Emma_C: You owe me 20, Jules.

JulesB1: Nope. You owe me.

JulesB1: You said Monday AFTERNOON. It’s clearly still the AM.

therajster: what’s going on?

MarkB: Nothing.

Emma_C: Really?

Underhill_J: He’s a goner.

R_Maia: I knew it

therajster: that’s what i said

therajster: He’s def getting fired.

therajster: Hello?

therajster: I can see you’re still here.

Emma_C: Are you blind or just stupid?

therajster: Excuse you?

Underhill_J I can’t.

Underhill_J has left the chat.

Emma_C has left the chat.

therajster: What’s going on?

32 others have left the chat.

therajster: What just happened?

therajster: Hello?

 “Are you serious?” Alec laughed at the screen on Magnus’ phone. The chatroom was exploding with comments from everyone, especially Raj, all of which had something to do with the pair of them disappearing.

He settled on the couch in the back of Overflow, pulling Magnus onto his lap. “How long have you been logged in?”

“Day one. Who do you think moderates this thing?” Magnus scoffed. “I can’t let people go off on their own and talk about me. Remember this: I have eyes and ears everywhere.” Magnus pushed a finger into the upper corner of Alec’s peck. He pushed it away.

“Everywhere-everywhere?”

A small noise of approval, similar to a thick purr, came from the back of his throat.

“You’re insatiable.”

“And don’t you know it,” Magnus quipped. One of his ringed hands ran through his locks. “I don’t know how Raj keeps getting back into the system though. He should be kept out until he’s invited back in by an existing user.”

“Mhmm,” Alec hummed, not really listening anymore. His face dipped into the notch of Magnus’ neck and shoulder, breathing in deeply the scent that was irrevocably Magnus. “Are we going to talk about Raj the whole day?”

“Do you have something else in mind?”

Alec pried himself from Magnus’ closeness, peering up and towards a pile of clothing. “I’d like to see you in that.”

“That?” Magnus pointed towards the same piece Alec was glaring at. “That’s a scrap of cloth.”

“I know.”

Here’s the link for the outfit Alec said he’d wear:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjY9MLU75_cAhUCVK0KHQ0TD3QQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cosmopolitan.com%2Fstyle-beauty%2Ffashion%2Fadvice%2Fg1517%2Fworst-runway-looks-new-york-fashion-week-spring-2012%2F&psig=AOvVaw2r89vTpCjdgVxr9i7npbHv&ust=1531701707914592

[fullmoonimagines]

Something in the Water//Stiles Stilinski

Can I have an imagine with Stiles, where he save her from drowning during gym class and then decide to teach her how to swim? (Maybe with a moment when she just stare at his torso with admiration (damn we never got a Stiles shirtless scene in the whole serie)) (I saw the gif where Stiles is saying that their swiming team sucks and I just got that idea lolol) Please and thanks 💕

 (I did female pronouns because that’s what the request used, you you guys prefer when I used gender neutral pronouns? Let me know!)

 Y/N POV

 Gym class was never my favorite, but sitting here listening to our teacher go on and on about the proper safety regulations and equipment was putting me to sleep. That’s one of the worst things about the beginning of a new class, all the boring speeches from every one of your teachers.

 My class was sitting in the aquatics center listing to the swim coach lecture on and on about not touching the swim team stuff, I mean, who wants to take a one of their swim boards?

 When class was dismissed, everyone got up in quite a hurry. Having gym at the end of the day was a blessing and a curse. You got to go straight home after working up a sweat, but everyone rushed to leave so quickly.

 During the rush of other students, I dropped my bookbag and bent to pick it up, only then a swarm of girls bolted past me and knocked me into the water.

 “No, no, no”  I thought, as my body began to sink.

 Water began to fill my lungs and my arms and legs flailed to keep my head above the water. My head began to pound and body became tired. My vision became blurry, and then eventually faded to black.

Stiles POV

 Class was boring as usual, well, more than usual. I followed the crowd of students outside and started heading towards the jeep. I rummaged around in my pockets for a few minutes until I realized that I must’ve left my keys where I was sitting next to the pool. I sigh heavily before turning around and making my way through the flood of kids, back towards the pool.

 When I pushed open the heavy aquatic center door, my eyes were immediately drawn towards the movement and splashing in the pool.. Was that a girl?

Without another thought, I slipped off my shirt and toed off my shoes before diving into the baneful blue waters. My eyes stung from the chlorine as I saw her drifting deeper and deeper. I swam to her and wrapped my arms around her body, securing my grasp before pulling both of us to the surface.

 Once I had her out of the pool for a few seconds, my heart dropped when she wasn’t waking up. I pressed both of my hands on her chest, praying for a response.

 A small cough escaped her lips, letting go of the water that infiltrated her lungs. A few more coughs came from her body before her eyes began to flutter open.

 Y/N POV

 The taste of chlorine whirled in my mouth, waking me up from the darkness I had been encaptured in. As my eyes tried to adjust to the light, I noticed I wasn’t alone. His figure came into focus as I slowly began to sit up.

 “Woah there, take it easy” he said, helping me up by placing one of his hands on my lower back.

 “Are you okay?” he asked.

 Memories began to flood back to me, the girls who pushed me in, the feeling of water filling my lungs.

 “I almost died”, I said shakily, tears threatening to spill from my eyes, “I almost drowned”.

 “Hey, hey” he said in a low calming voice, “you didn’t. You’re okay now, I promise”.

 I looked up to see the most beautiful brown eyes, and a kind smile. After steadying my breath, I spoke again.

 “Thank you..”

 “Stiles, Stiles Stilinski”.

 “Stiles” I repeated, I like that name.

 After staring into his eyes for what seemed like forever, his phone near the bleaches buzzed. He glanced over to it and became aware of what time it was. 

 “Oh crap”, he said “I came back in here to get my keys and..”

 “And you saw me”.

 “Yeah, I saw you” he replied, shy smile on his face.

 He stood up to grab his stuff and came back over towards me. The way the afternoon light highlighted the drops of water still clinging to his broad chest made my mind go fuzzy. He held out a hand to help me up, and I happily took it. We made our way past the pool, safely this time, and towards the parking lot. Stiles walked me to my car as I tried not to let him catch me staring.

 “This is me” I said, holding up my keys, “thank you again Stiles, you really saved me back there”.

 “Don’t worry about it” he replied, a soft blush on his face. I opened my car door, and threw my bookbag in the backseat. Just before I got in, Stiles turned back to me.

 “You know, I could help you” he said, “I could teach you how to swim”.

 “You’d teach me?” I asked, watching as he nodded. “I’d love that”.

   A few weeks later, Stiles and I had plans to meet at the aquatic center. I walked out of the changing room with my bathing suit on and looked around for Stiles. Luckily, he’d already found me, giving me a very interested up and down look over with his eyes. God, he was cute.

 We got in the pool and my hands started to shake. Stiles must’ve noticed because he came over to me held my hands in his.

 “You’re okay Y/N, I’m here. I’m not gonna let anything happen to you” he reassured.

 Our lesson consisted of Stiles holding my back as I practiced floating my body, treading water and him guiding me through the pool with a swim board. I was feeling more comfortable in the water, and especially more comfortable with Stiles.

 I practiced more and more on my own, becoming more confident with every supportive word from Stiles.

He swam over to me and I wrapped my arms around his neck.

“This has been really fun Stiles, I think I actually like swimming now” I told him with a big smile. My eyes flickered down to his plump pink lips and I saw him do the same.

 “I think I like something else besides swimming” he said with a smirk. A few moments later, our lips met, neither of us minding the taste of a little chlorine.

 When our lips pulled apart, we both gasped for air, smiles all around.

“You up for another lesson next week?” I asked with a cheesy grin. Maybe the water isn’t so bad after all.

 Writer’s Note: Hey everyone! I know I haven’t posted much recently, school has been a mess and my family is moving so things are a little hectic. But!! Requests should be opening up in the next few days and I’m going to have a lot more time to write. As always, thank you anon for the request, and I hope you like it! Let me know what you think! (Also I found the gif lol)

[princelee-chang]

tag thingy

Rules: Tag 20 blogs you’d like to know better.

thank you so much for tagging me @gendryxaryatrash !!! :)

Nickname: Maia

Zodiac sign: Pisces

Height: 5 ft 2

Gender: Female

Time right now: 2:05

Last thing I googled: carey mulligan on daisy buchanan (for an english film analysis that i am honestly loooooving)

Favourite music artist(s): well damn. on my most played rn it’s foxes, maala, demi lovato (old demi lovato, but her new stuff is good too), bastille, panic! at the disco, fall out boy, florence + the machine, ed sheeran, young the giant

Song stuck in my head: here we go again - demi lovato (i am reminiscing okay gimme a break im still in denial and refuse to believe i am an adult)

Last movie I watched: SING (2016)!!!!! OH MY GOD IT’S AMAZING IT’S SO GOOD I DIDN’T EXPECT TO LOVE IT AS MUCH AS I DO NOW IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT GO FIX THAT RIGHT NOW

What are you wearing right now: sweater and shorts

Last TV show I watched: i am currently watching luke cage and clone wars and just finished jessica jones and rewatching daredevil. 

What do you post: it’s a mess tbh. and i dont talk much really i reblog haha mostly shitposting and cats. i consistently reblog a lot of lotr, mcu, hp/fbawtft, sherlock, the man from uncle, stranger things, star wars/clone wars, defenders + frank castle, 18th century drama, and when i really get into something it’ll probably flood your dash so hAHA sorry

Hogwarts House: ravenclaw!!!!!!

Pokémon team: i never played :(

Why did you choose your URL: i was like 13? and i thought i was being clever haha

When you created this blog: 2012? 2013? not really sure

Do you get asks regularly: not really haha altho i get tagged a lot

Do you have any other blogs: i used to but i gave up on it tbh

Religious or Spiritual: spiritual definitely

Favourite colour: idk black maybe haha

Average hours of sleep: i can sleep for 16 hours and i can go on 4 hours of sleep

Lucky number: 18? i guess here’s to being an “adult” haha

Favourite character(s): wOW. okay. i’ve gotten this question several times so im gonna finally answer this thoroughly. and you asked so you’re getting it. lizzy, charlotte lucas, mr bennet and ofc darcy (pride and prejudice) gaby teller (the man from uncle) natasha, clint, sam, bucky, darcy (mcu) legolas, gimli, eowyn and tauriel (lotr/hobbit) karen, frank, foggy, claire, elektra (daredevil) obi wan, satine, rey, kylo, bodhi, jyn, ashoka, cad bane (sw/ro/cw) luna, hermione, fred, draco,tonks, tina and queenie goldstein and percival graves (fbawtft/hp) mary, molly, irene and euros (i love her so much, but wow that was poor writing :( i need more euros) (sherlock) .arya, brienne, yara, daenerys, tyrion, and for some reason, i really like the idea of tywin and olenna haha (got) lucas, dustin and jonathan (stranger things) johnny, meena and ash (sing) moana, hans (sue me), tiana, megara, gogo, tadashi, merida (disney) there’s more but this is already overkill so i’ll stop haha

Following: 3k

How many blankets do you sleep with: two

Dream job: critic, journalist, psychiatrist, musician tagging: (not twenty i know i know) @idefinesass @gendryatrash @mdescargot @andthenifeltchillsinmybones @mimoitei @rielpenji @onceuponasuperlittlevampire @shadowblakes @decaffeinated-shipper@lafemmedigitale @truemagiciswithin @punkfob @stumpling @stump-o-matik :)  

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 30 September 2019

Quick Bits:

Absolute Carnage: The Immortal Hulk #1 is an absolute must if you’re reading The Immortal Hulk, even if you’re not following Absolute Carnage. Though it does deal with how Hulk is working with the rest of the gang in the event, here Al Ewing, Felipe Andrade, Chris O’Halloran, and Travis Lanham elaborate on how Bruce’s alters work, including an appearance from a much-missed old friend, and deals with some ongoing plot points like Betty’s change, Ross’ status, and Jones’ recuperation.

| Published by Marvel

Batman #80 starts the turn for the “City of Bane” arc as John Romita Jr., Klaus Janson, and Tomeu Morey come aboard for the art duties, and Batman and Catwoman return to Gotham. I really like the stylization here, it fits the overall shift in direction and it’s just nice to see Romita and Janson back together.

| Published by DC Comics

Berserker Unbound #3 is another brilliant issue of this series from Jeff Lemire, Mike Deodato Jr., Frank Martin, and Steve Wands. This one gets to the heart of the existential crisis that the Mongrel King is having in a time that neither he understands or understands him. Though, there are some nice attempts at communication and some great character moments.

| Published by Dark Horse

Birthright #40 is pretty huge as it essentially rounds out the current Mastema arc. Joshua Williamson, Andrei Bressan, Adriano Lucas, and Pat Brosseau make a pretty dramatic turn here, with some interesting ramifications.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Black Cat #5 delivers a fairly funny conclusion to this heist as Felicia and her crew have to overcome Blastaar. Jed MacKay, Travel Foreman, Brian Reber, and Ferran Delgado are consistently giving us an entertaining and compelling story here with an ongoing narrative broken into discrete, separate pieces that can ultimately be enjoyed on their own.

| Published by Marvel

Black Terror #1 features a rather unique take on the character, and on superheroics in general, from Max Bemis, Matt Gaudio, Brittany Pezzillo, and Taylor Esposito. This explores what happens when the Black Terror hangs up his boots, self-medicates for his problems, and begins to suffer withdrawal from the superhero business. It’s all rather...disturbing, but still entertaining.

| Published by Dynamite

Breaklands #2 starts building up the cast as Kasa falls in with a number of other people to help and rescue her brother. Though there are elements of familiar post-apocalypse narratives here, what Justin Jordan, Tyasseta, Sarah Stern, and Rachel Deering are creating here feels incredibly fresh and different.

| Published by Justin Jordan

Canto #5 is fairly action-packed as Canto and crew bring the fight to the Furies. It’s a different change of pace here, but we still get some intriguing symbolism and advancement of the fable narrative in rather inventive ways. David M. Booher, Drew Zucker, Vittorio Astone, and Deron Bennett are driving us towards the end here and I feel like it’s going to be a big one.

| Published by IDW

Contagion #1 is probably going to get some comparisons to Marvel Zombies and DCeased, running through similar horror territories, but it doesn’t really matter. While the elements may familiar, it’s still an entertaining start to this series from Ed Brisson, Rogê Antônio, Veronica Gandini, and Cory Petit.

| Published by Marvel

Copra #1 begins a second volume of Michael Fiffe’s previously self-published series, dropping us into the middle of action, picking up where the last series left off. While it is at least initially a bit confusing, Fiffe does include plenty of information, including an issue-by-issue breakdown of the previous series, to get people up to speed. It’s basically ‘80s-inspired superheroics.

| Published by Image

Daredevil #12 is more magnificence. Chip Zdarsky, Marco Checchetto, Nolan Woodard, and Clayton Cowles continue “Through Fear” as Matt has an...unfortunate confrontation with crooked cops beating up a Daredevil stand-in and Fisk has a meeting with the rich “elite”. I really quite like the parallels of both of them falling back on old/new tricks.

| Published by Marvel

Dark Ark: After the Flood #1 begins the very welcome next chapter in this story from Cullen Bunn, Juan Doe, and Dave Sharpe, picking up on what’s been going on after landfall. There’s also some really interesting revelations about Kahlee’s past.

| Published by AfterShock

DCeased #5 is the big penultimate issue, giving us hope as two sanctuaries are established. And then... Tom Taylor, Trevor Hairsine, Stefano Gaudiano, Rain Beredo, and Saida Temofonte give us another chilling story here with some very heartbreaking moments.

| Published by DC Comics

Die #8 keeps the pressure on, Kieron Gillen, Stephanie Hans, and Clayton Cowles continuing to hammer at your emotions as they explore the party even further. This one gives us a bit of a deeper look into our Grief Knight, Matt, and it’s amazing that the bleakness is almost oppressive.

| Published by Image

Doctor Strange #20 is kind of a bizarre end to this series as it transitions over to Doctor Strange, Surgeon Supreme later this year. As he searches out ways to implement his newly recovered dexterity, Strange teams-up with Kanna for what feels like one last adventure with her, against the nefarious Cyb(not equal)rdSmPhp (seriously, those symbols may “look” like Cyberdemon, but that’s not what it means) and his master. Great art from Javier Pina and Brian Reber.

| Published by Marvel

Doom Patrol: Weight of the Worlds #4 is another weird one as the team travels to Destiny Beach and Flex Mentallo runs into his old crew. Gerard Way, Jeremy Lambert, Nick Pitarra, Tamra Bonvillain, and Simon Bowland give us an interesting tale of magical muscle mystery here as they try to bring magic back to the beach.

| Published by DC Comics / Young Animal

Dungeons & Dragons: A Darkened Wish #3 gets to the heart of what caused Rayonde to turn in the future and shows what changed between the party. It gets pretty dark as the “darkened wish” plays out. Gorgeous artwork from Tess Fowler and Jay Fotos.

| Published by IDW

Everything #2 keeps building the mystery of this story, layering on even more strange events and deaths that keep you guessing. Christopher Cantwell, INJ Culbard, and Steve Wands are crafting a weird horror story here that’s rather unique. There are elements here that feel like Twin Peaks and Fargo, mixed with Vertigo, Love & Rockets, Stray Bullets, and the works of Daniel Clowes and Charles Burns, but at the same time something wholly its own.

| Published by Dark Horse / Berger Books

Fantastic Four #15 introduces us to Unparalleled, the heroes of the planet Spyre, in this second part of “Point of Origin”. Dan Slott, Paco Medina, Bob Quinn, Jesus Aburtov, and Joe Caramagna give us an interesting take on the Fantastic Four here as invading alien monsters, complete with monster dialogue, and it’s neat to see them from a different perspective.

| Published by Marvel

Forgotten Home #1 is a new digital Comixology Original from Erica Schultz, Marika Cresta, Matt Emmons, and Cardinal Rae. It’s a very nice mix of magic and police procedural, hinging on a vast missing persons case, and family drama.

| Published by Vices Press

Ghost Rider #1 is a spot on return for Johnny Blaze and Danny Ketch, picking up on the recent rumblings throughout the Marvel Universe (though exactly how it fits in with Robbie Reyes and Avengers is yet to be seen), and veering off into wildly interesting new directions. Ed Brisson, Aaron Kuder, Jason Keith, and Joe Caramagna deliver a first issue that should have old school (and oldish new school, I mean Ketch is a 30 year old character now) fans delighted. Even as Danny’s life is a bit of a mess right now.

| Published by Marvel

The Green Lantern #12 is the fairly impressive “season finale” to this series from Grant Morrison, Liam Sharp, Steve Oliff, and Tom Orzechowski before we get a three-month break with Blackstars and then the start of season 2 next year. Some very big revelations here as we find out what all of the disparate parts of this story have been amounting to. It’s interesting as to how epic all of this feels.

| Published by DC Comics

Grendel: Devil’s Odyssey #1 puts a big goofy grin on my face. Aside from blips here and there and the Grendel vs. The Shadow mini-series featuring the original Grendel, Hunter Rose, it’s been almost two decades since we saw the ongoing adventures set in this universe, even longer a story written and illustrated by Matt Wagner (the last one part of canon, Past Prime, was a novel written by Greg Rucka with spot illustrations by Wagner). Like the recent third chapter to Mage, this is a very welcome return. Matt Wagner, Brennan Wagner, and Dave Lanphear take us in an entirely new direction as Grendel Prime is tasked to find humanity a new home.

| Published by Dark Horse

Immortal Hulk #24 closes out the confrontation with Fortean and looks like it’s setting up the next phase for this series (in a two-fold way, both in the immediate future and in the far-flung end of the universe). Al Ewing, Joe Bennett, Ruy José, Belardino Brabo, Marc Deering, Roberto Poggi, Paul Mounts, and Cory Petit continue to work wonders on this series. This issue is horrifying. And perfect.

| Published by Marvel

Joe Golem: Occult Detective - The Conjurors #5 concludes this chapter from Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, Peter Bergting, Michelle Madsen, and Clem Robins. There’s some very nice Lovecraftian fun here and an ending that sets to fully cap off the upheaval of this series’ status quo.

| Published by Dark Horse

Justice League #33 escalates the “Justice/Doom War” from Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Bruno Redondo, Daniel Sampere, Juan Albarran, Hi-Fi, and Tom Napolitano. The various factions of the League are still fighting across time as Perpetua’s lock on power is looking even more certain. The tension throughout this story is incredible.

| Published DC Comics

Legion of Super-Heroes: Millennium #2 concludes this trek through DC’s future history, stopping in to check on Booster Gold and OMAC, before getting to the main event with the Legion of Super-Heroes themselves. I really hope that the futures seeded here are followed up on. Gorgeous artwork throughout from Nicola Scott, Jim Cheung, rare interior art from Jeff Dekal, leading to Ryan Sook’s Legion.

| Published by DC Comics

Lois Lane #4 continues to move at a fairly slow pace, but it’s allowing for some great character moments like Jon discussing going off to join the Legion and Vic and Renee trying to piece together continuity that doesn’t exist any more. The art from Mike Perkins and Paul Mounts is still worth picking up this series for alone.

| Published by DC Comics

Mountainhead #2 turns things up a notch as everything just gets stranger and a bit more extreme. That odd, not-quite-right atmosphere is perfectly captured by the artwork from Ryan Lee and Doug Garbark.

| Published by IDW

The Necromancer’s Map #2 concludes the bit with the Void Sickness, with some fairly interesting reveals, and throws in some tragic romance while it’s at it. I really quite like how this is pacing along, weaving through details and side bits, while developing Bethany’s larger quest. Beautiful art from Sam Beck and Ellie Wright.

| Published by Vault

No One Left to Fight #4 is stunning. Fico Ossio is delivering the most beautiful art in his career. I mean, just look at it. It’s freaking gorgeous. It also helps that the story from him, Aubrey Sitterson, and Taylor Esposito continues to be incredibly captivating. As we get more old friends and the set up of an old villain’s return.

| Published by Dark Horse

Promethee 13:13 #2 continues this excellent prequel series from Andy Diggle, Shawn Martinbrough, Dave Stewart, and Simon Bowland. The implementation of the conspiracy aspect of the invasion is wonderful to see as the seeds of what’s to come are brought to bear. Gorgeous artwork from Martinbrough and Stewart.

| Published by Delcourt / Soleil

Red Sonja #9 sees Sonja seek out other allies in her quest to defeat Dragan in the form of some rather nasty sorcerers. Mark Russell, Bob Q, Dearbhla Kelly, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou deliver another entertaining chapter here, full of magic and more deceit, that certainly makes things a little bleaker.

| Published by Dynamite

Ruby Falls #1 is a wonderful debut from Ann Nocenti, Flavia Biondi, Lee Loughridge, and Sal Cipriano. This first issue introduces us to Lana, her rather unique dysfunctional family, and the backdrop of the tiny former mining town of Ruby Falls. There’s a mix of fallible memories and a criminal past for the town wanting to be forgotten that is very compelling.

| Published by Dark Horse / Berger Books

Savage Avengers #6 continues Conan’s trek as he and Frank Castle travel across the Savage Land and through ordinary Antarctica, as they try to bring Frank’s family back to America. Gerry Duggan, Kim Jacinto, Tamra Bonvillain, and Travis Lanham deliver a fairly interesting story here, transitional, but still an interesting look at the similarities between Conan and Frank.

| Published by Marvel

Sea of Stars #4 gives us hints of possibly what happened to Kadyn in order to make him the way that he is, while his father fights for his life on another hostile alien planet. I really quite like how Jason Aaron, Dennis Hallum, Stephen Green, Rico Renzi, and Jared K. Fletcher have been progressing this story, building up the characters, and letting explanations out slowly in what feels like a natural progression.

| Published by Image

Seven Days #1 kicks off this event series from Gail Simone, José Luís, Jonas Trinidade, Michelle Madsen, and Saida Temofonte in grand fashion, developing a new threat to the world behind the “event” that kicked off everyone’s powers and transformation. We get a nice team-up of luminaries Noble, Summit, and Accell before everything goes to hell.

| Published by Lion Forge / Catalyst Prime

Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader’s Castle #1 is a welcome return of this Halloween anthology series featuring chillers, thrillers, and horrors around the Star Wars Universe. There’s a framing story illustrated by Francesco Francavilla that sets up the theme and reintroduces a character from the first volume, and a central tale illustrated by Megan Levens and Charlie Kirchoff dealing with post Phantom Menace Maul. Both written and letter by Cavan Scott and AndWorld Design respectively. I quite like this format and these stories are highly entertaining.

| Published by IDW

Strange Skies over East Berlin #1 is a riveting beginning from Jeff Loveness, Lisandro Estherren, Patricio Delpeche, and Steve Wands. It starts off behind the Iron Curtain in the heart of Cold War era Germany, with all of the tension and distrust of Russian-controlled East Germany, and it’s ratcheted up higher as a strange light appears as something crashes behind the Wall. The atmosphere is made even more surreal by the almost impressionistic art from Estherren and Delpeche. A great start to this series.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Young Justice #9 continues the team’s confrontation with their evil Earth-3 counterparts, but also gives us a look at Teen Lantern’s origins. André Lima Araújo’s line art during these sequences is worth it alone, but overall I like how Brian Michael Bendis incorporates this into the overall narrative structure.

| Published by DC Comics / Wonder Comics

Other Highlights: Batman/TMNT III #6, Bettie Page Halloween Special, Bizarre Adventures #1, Bury the Lede, Champions #10, Charlie’s Angels vs. Bionic Woman #4, The Dark, Dead Eyes #1, Deathstroke #48, Deep Breaths, The Dreaming #14, Future Foundation #3, gen:Lock #2, Harley Quinn #66, House of X #6, Manifest Destiny #34, Marvel Action: Black Panther #3, Nomen Omen #1, Old Man Quill #10, The Punisher #16, Runaways #25, She Said Destroy #5, Space Bandits #4, Spider-Verse #1, Star Pig #3, Star Wars #72, Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #37, Superman: Up in the Sky #4, Sword Master #4, Thanos: The Infinity Ending, Transformers/Ghostbusters #5, Vengeance of Vampirella #1

Recommended Collections: Edgar Allan Poe’s Snifter of Terror - Volume 1, Giant Days - Volume 11, Immortal Hulk - Volume 1, The Last Space Race - Volume 1, Major X, Mind MGMT - Volume 3: Eraser & The Immortals, Morning in America, Pathfinder - Volume 3: City of Secrets, Stronghold - Volume 1: Primacy, Superman - Volume 1: The Unity Saga - Phantom Earth, The Wicked + The Divine - Volume 9

d. emerson eddy has been trapped by a cat. Please send pizza.

[tales-of-abysia]

Mind of a Madman - The Flood (4/4) Dried Up

(This is the #4 of a 4-part blog. These are all from months ago, and it took me a long time to form them into the right words, to get it all together. You can also find them with my #theflood tag below if you find it hard to get them straight.)

Several months ago…

They all met in the Library chamber. It was an awkward moment of silence as Azure approached the table. “What happened?”

Mari scoffed. “While you were off having a snow walk we had a breakdown. Aqua attacked, Crimson is locked in Lexi's chambers and Darkside was caught walking her right through the door to our home.”

“He's here as well, yes?” Azure turned his gaze from Mari to Bastion, who seemed more than a little bit smug.

“Honestly, I'm not sure to buy his story but Duske, Zane, Skeith and I caught him with coordinated attacks. He says he was sent down for recon and took this opportunity to reach back to us. The way the gate was opened suggests it was forced from the other side so it’s more than likely that he did it himself.”

Azure nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense. I told him I wanted Aqua lured into a trap, and Duske was designed to be able to seal someone within.” He glanced over Bastion's shoulder to where a suit of armor sat on its knees, hands bound backwards. “It looks like it worked but not for the correct target. Damn.”

Bastion shook his head. “Of course you had some kind of secret plan. You couldn’t give anyone else a heads up, could you? We could have been ready for this. Instead we have Mari, Zane and Audio all wounded and Artisan is gone.”

Azure looked around the room. Mari's face was scarred, Zane was very gently assembling a new arm with only his right hand, Audio and Engine were missing as well as Artisan. “What happened to them?”

Zane spoke up, “Well Darkside bent my wrist so far back my forearm exploded, Crimson threw Audio down into a staircase and shattered his physical form, and Engine’s book was ripped up and he went full exorcist on the undercroft before returning to Audio's side. Lexi stitched the book back together but he’s gonna need a few days to pull himself together. Ink is fucking everywhere down there. They’re both in their rooms. As for Artisan, he got to Aqua as she was going to kill Mari and ended up getting abducted. She took him under.”

Tech stood up. “I’m going to the bulkhead to check on it. I’ll stay there as gatekeeper for a while. When you are ready, I’ll let you pass into the Bin. Don’t be long, as Artisan surely doesn’t have forever.”

As he exited the room, Mari stood up. “Jaxx and Kaje are coming with me. They are more resilient than most of you. Bane, will you come along?” His arm was damaged, but partially functional after Aqua's assault.

Bane went to push his chair back, but as he stood Mikendo grabbed his shoulder and forced him back into the large wooden seat. “No dice, mate. Imma head out instead.” He walked around the table to where Azure stood. He shot him a solemn smirk for a moment and then sighed. “I’m gonna need it back now.”

Azure stared into Mikendo’s eyes. There was only ever one gift, so there wasn’t much else to say. Azure closed his eyes and held his hands out, cupped upwards. There was a whistle as he focused, dull at first and then growing to that of a teapot. A golden light formed in his hands, whipping around until it formed a solid gold sphere. Mikendo placed his hand atop it and there was a snap, a burst of wind, and a dull flash of light. Azure opened his eyes and the golden ring in them had faded away. The exchange was complete, for the time being.

Mikendo let out a sigh and ran his fingers under his hat and into his hair. The hat fell to the ground and his short, orange hair showed through. The blond had vanished. As he opened his eyes the green had grown more yellow, flecks of gold shining as his gaze turned to Mari. He spoke without his normal accent. “Well, now I’m ready to go and fight Aqua. What are we waiting for?” He had returned to being the man he once was; Mikendo had returned to being Scythe. However, this transformation was not complete; could never be complete without Audio. No, this would be a fleeting form for him, one that he would wear only when full of dark emotions, like now when his brother may be killed by his sister. He wouldn’t take any chances.

Mari nodded at him. “That sounds good. So we have the four of us. Anyone else?”

Hush stood from his corner seat and nodded. “I can’t enter but I would like to help. I have a connection to the Bin, while you’re inside I can use you guys like circuits to control aspects of your environment. I’ll do my best to turn situations in your favor.”

Jaxx rippled under his human skin. Dark veins pulsed as he let out a heavy sigh, a rumble resembling a growl hiding just beneath his voice. His frustration was nearly overwhelming. “I’m going to wait at the gate. I can’t be here anymore.” He stood with force, his chair falling over as he did so. He then rippled and sank into his own shadow, which swam across the ground and underneath the Library door.

Kaje nodded, standing hesitantly. “I’ll do the same. We shouldn’t be alone right now.” He turned, faded into smoke, and glided along the floor and through the crack in the door.

Azure spoke to Mari and Scythe. “You guys be careful. She’s not going to go down without a fight. She’s been waiting for a long time for a chance to do this.”

They both drew their weapons as they said “I’m counting on it.” Mari and Scythe then walked down the carpet and out the large doors.

Azure sighed. “This is not how I wanted my morning to progress.”

There was an eerie deadness to the air within the Chronos Bin. Where thin fog and an uncomfortable static once filled the air, there was now a stifling silence. The dimness that once cascaded down through the fog had thickened to darkness, lit only by weak lanterns of blue light that were stretched few and far between. Tech closed the bulkhead behind them and stood guard, bumping his fists to Scythe's as they began to fan out.

Jaxx called out first. “Blood here. It’s thick and rich, must be from Artisan.” The other three drew near and they all examined their surroundings. Outlines of dying flora hardly stood out among the black. “Curious how she managed to move him. He’s a big guy, for such a soft voice. She’s the opposite.”

Scythe scoffed. “Wit and cruelty are her weapons. She likely prepared for this, so maybe she had some beasties around to help, or she used her water to make a dolly.” He ran his fingers through his hair, from bright orange tips to dark roots. “She got Artisan in the arm, yeah? That would certainly inhibit his ability to fight back.”

Mari pushed passed the boys and to a small gap low in the branches. Kaje came up behind her, his pale, feathered flesh letting off just enough light. “Okay boys, it looks like she definitely went this way. I see what looks like water flow here. The ground is soft like a riverbed.” Her eyes narrowed. “We have a trail.” She held her right hand back and Kaje coiled around it, forming a glowing shield on her arm she then used to hold the bramble out of the way.

They continued to follow the trail until they met a great gate, stone walls extending out in both directions on its side. This was the end of their safe zone. The area up until now existed within a great hall, which plants wound in and out of through broken stained glass windows. When they arrived at the doors they creaked open invitingly. Scythe pat the door as he walked through it. “We’ll return soon, Hush.” The others followed him out into the exterior. They knew nothing of what waited beyond.

Outside of the Cathedral shaped building, the sky above them was cracked, the infinite blackness letting through thins cracks of light as the ocean overhead began to bleed down. At this rate, the sea they looked upon each morning would be all dried up soon. The area around them was once full of life, albeit a twisted form full of beasts, shadows, and nightmare plants. Now it more resembled a wasteland where Death awaited them. After a moment they saw dim beacons appear in the distance. They found a trail of moisture, and without any doubt they followed the trail to Her.

Her hideout was decayed, an old building that wore a broken emblem from a forgotten time, the building in which four worked as one for years until their uneasy team broke apart. What once resembled a town hall now instead had fallen to ruin, the clock tower's hands fallen meekly to the bottom numbers, never to move again. At the window Mari could see in to the building where Aqua stood. She leaned on a counter that had seen much wear and tear, and before her the back of the building was gone, instead a thick black ice stretched up and into the cracked sky.

Artisan's voice echoed through the chamber from the back. “I’m surprised you haven’t ended me yet.” He was half-embedded in the ice, his wounded shoulder and the same leg both frozen in place. He couldn’t work with the soft ground around him.

“Honestly, I don’t plan to. I can’t put us back together how we used to be if you’re gone. That makes my job harder.”

He scoffed. “You really think you can put it back how it once was? It’ll never be the four of us again. Tech has deteriorated to the ghost of who he was, and Mikendo actually likes who he is. If I’m being honest, I didn’t enjoy myself back then either. Atlas was a phase.”

“Well, either way I’m sure they won’t leave you here forever. It wasn’t my plan to take hostages, but I’m sure it will work out. Darkside and my pet are still up there anyways.”

Artisan shook his head, and wrinkled his nose as he grimaced toward the mountain of black ice he had been fused to. “This smells rancorous. How did you manage to even make such a poison?”

Aqua chuckled. “Honestly, Alexander, it’s your innocence of this matter that tickles me. I didn’t make any of it. It bled down here from higher up, sinking down through the layers one by one and filtered through your great Tower above. The dark fluid has been repressed, bottled up. When it overflowed it sank into everything, started affecting all of us. Down here, only the most powerful aspects survived. I didn’t always have this plan, but in the last decade there’s been so much of this I had to. Your precious Sorrow failed you. This is all his doing, his fault. When I’m done with him, there won’t be any more sorrow, and this dark depression you’re quite literally stuck in will begin to evaporate. I'm sick of the weakness.”

Artisan stared at her, and then looked up through the ceiling’s many gaps to find the glacier extending upwards. Above them was one of the many glowing cracks, a viscous fluid draining through. “All of that?”

“Emotion. Dark ones, too. You can taste it, can’t you? Hate, betrayal, heartbreak and self-depreciation. It’s like a fluid suicide, perfectly preserved deep inside. Nothing is done with it. This feeling of oblivion builds up more and more, so it’s really no surprise at all that we’re suffering. The pain is being banked, Alexander.”

Artisan stared at her for a long time, silent. His mind raced, this information shaking his core. He had always thought that he had kept things under control. It appeared that she had convinced him into uncertainty. His eyes looked beyond her for a fraction of a second before closing. “I understand.”

Aqua raised a brow. “Good.” She then leaned back, flipping over the counter and grabbing a long pole with a blade on the tip. As she landed on her feet, she pivoted her body toward the doorway where Mari stood with a white shield on her arm. “My, my. You came right back to me!”

Mari glared. “I will never be a part of you.”

Aqua smirked. “You’ll always be a part of me. You can’t control that.”

Mari spun her arm, her ring-shaped blade gaining speed before she threw it forward. Aqua swung her glaive in an arc and caught the weapon, pinning it to the ground. As Aqua drew the tip from the soil Mari ran up to her, hand extended back toward her own shadow. The shadow grew a hand, Jaxx pulling his form from the dark and twisting his figure into a spined sword. Mari parried the glaive with Jaxx, then rose Kaje and used his hard surface to parry a blow from the crystal at the end of Aqua’s long hair.

Aqua kicked off of the counter and stepped on Kaje to get passed Mari. Once behind her, the ground beneath her cracked and a grey hand extended to grab Aqua's ankle as she tried to turn.

Mari took the opportunity and sliced at the back of Aqua's knee. In a pained reaction, Aqua’s crystal stabbed back toward Mari. She dropped Jaxx to the ground and grabbed the sharp shard, not even wincing at it cut into her palm.

Aqua struggled to break free, then looked up to see Scythe before her. “You… you’re back to yourself.”

Scythe glared down at her. “Yeah, that would be your fault.” He spun his scythe and held it out, the blade curling around Aqua's neck. “Any last words?”

Her eyes filled with panic, she tried to pull away but found the grip of Hush on her leg tighten alongside Mari's. “I just-“

“Nah.” Scythe turned around, tightened his grip on the shaft of his weapon and pulled tight. There was a shriek, and then the sound of slicing filled the room. Suddenly, the cold in the air faded away. Aqua's glaive melted into a rancid black liquid. He didn’t turn to look at her as he took the long way around the room. It was a familiar path to where Artisan was trapped; he sighed in relief. “I really thought you were about to behead her.”

Mari pulled the braid of hair from the cold glowing crystal and let the long, loose hairs fall around the now short-haired Aqua. The brilliant blue began to bleed out of her, becoming pale and palid. She was powerless, and without drive. “Only doom remains…”

Mari narrowed her eyes and tossed Kaje at her. Kaje warped his form into hard shackles, wrapping around her arms and feet. Jaxx rose from the ground and leaned down to growl in her face. “Your pet killed what I loved. It’s poetic that my little sister helped save Alexia's life.” He then grabbed her throat, his form warping around her as well to form a large collar with spines. He wouldn’t let her escape again.

Scythe placed his palm on the black ice. It hummed, then cracked. With his other hand he grabbed Artisan's free shoulder and yanked him free. Artisan's face was one of disbelief. “Wow… I never thought I’d see you wear that face again.”

Scythe stared straight at the wound on Artisan's shoulder. There were dark black veins stretching out like a spider's web. He looked away, his eyes instead focused on an old table with four seats. “I didn’t really have a choice. At the time my oldest friend was being dragged into an endless graveyard by his worst enemy. I was pretty sure you were going to die.”

Artisan nodded. “Mhmm… Did you hear what she said?” He pulled his tattered sleeve down to cover the wound.

“Yeah. Gonna think on that for a while. Let’s get outta here though.” He turned around, walked passed Mari. “Hush, let her go.”

The grey hand softened into soil and Mari grabbed Aqua, pulling her to her feet. They walked the long path back. As they got to the Bulkhead again, Tech’s eyes met hers. The blue had begun to fade from them. “Tech… I’m s-“

The collar rippled, growing over her face. Tech frowned. “Jaxx, let her speak?”

A fanged mouth grew over her face. “No. Her actions have said enough.”

She stared back at him riddled with guilt as they walked her onto the pad and then vanished in a bright light. She looked over her shoulder to him, certain that it would be the final time their eyes would meet.

Back in the city, they came through to find Azure, Bastion, and Damien there waiting. Damien stood first. “Artisan, are you all right?” They had a short talk. Damien had already begun to plan repairs and requested his help.

Bastion approached Mari and took possession of Aqua's chains. He knew where to bring her. Scythe was looking around at the city's many pipes, and then out the window to see that the ocean had vanished almost entirely, and the city was slowly growing closer to the ground. They would land soon.

Azure walked up to him. “You did a good job. It looks like nobody was hurt. I can take that back for you, now.” He held out his hand.

Scythe slowly looked at him, then down to the hat that Azure held in his other hand. He snatched the hat and slid it on, his eyes fading back to their green tint as the hair color lessened. Mikendo once more, he then placed his hand on Azure’s shoulder and looked him dead in the eye. “Yeah…” He glanced over to Artisan, who was showing Damien his wound. “That aint gonna happen.” He turned away and walked up the stairs. Azure look after him in disbelief before turning his gaze to the permanent sunset on the horizon. Change had finally come.

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1259

Monday, April 29, 2019

 I was at a birthday party for a 7-year-old on the weekend and while I was holding his baby brother I couldn't help but wonder what kind of world will they be living in when they are my age. I worry about their future. The flooding in the National Capital Region is predicted to be worse than it was only two years ago when we had the highest water levels in a century. It's going to exceed that when waters crest in the next couple of days. I can't imagine what property owners are going through trying to save their homes and cottages. I don't understand how some people can deny climate change when the evidence of the harm that we humans have had on the environment is smacking them right in the face. I'm afraid things are going to get worse without it getting any better.

 War of the Realms #2 - Jason Aaron (writer) Russell Dauterman (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). This issue has the first major death of a character. Not an A-lister but I will still mourn their passing.

 Spider-Man Life Story #2 The '70s - Chip Zdarsky (writer) Mark Bagley (pencils) Drew Hennessy (inks) Frank D'Armata (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). Now I'm more than convinced that this is a series of what if stories. There are so many deviations from canon in this issue that it's inconceivable that these events are "real". I'm still going to keep reading because these changes are cool.

 Naomi #4 - Brian Michael Bendis & David F. Walker (writers) Jamal Campbell (art) Wes Abbott (letters). Naomi's origin story begins at last. She's not an Earthling.

 Daredevil #4 - Chip Zdarsky (writer) Marco Checchetto (art) Sunny Gho (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). The Punisher and Daredevil have a debate about vigilantism. I like Frank's arguments. Meanwhile, Mayor Kingpin tries to get his hooks into Detective North. I wonder if the bigger man will get to the big man. One thing that bothered me about this issue is that Matt left Frank tied up for the cops. Not very nice since Frank saved his ass from them.

 Thor #12 - Jason Aaron (writer) Mike del Mundo (art) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). "The War of the Lokis" features Loki as he travels down the gullet of his father Laufey. Don't tell me you didn't read the last issue. Get thee hence and do so forthwith.

 West Coast Avengers #10 - Kelly Thompson (writer) Moy R. (art) Triona Farrell (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). This is the last issue and that makes me have a sad face. I really liked this silly crazy team. If Kelly Thompson ever writes a Kid Omega/Quentin Quire and Gwenpool comic book I will definitely read it.

 Avengers LGY #717: No Road Home #10 - Mark Waid, Jim Zub & Al Ewing (writers) Sean Izaakse (art) Marcio Menyz & Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). When this 10-issue weekly started it looked like this was an adventure for Hercules's team of Avengers and it ultimately was. The end result is that the good guys win again and Nyx is defeated. Hercules wasn't the hero of this story and schmaltzy as the way the actual hero wins, it still made me cheer. So all this was so Marvel could revamp the Gods of Olympus and Hercules's costume. I chuckled when they revealed what that house was about. I thought that it was the House of Mystery but that belongs to the Distinguished Competition.

 The Amazing Spider-Man #19.HU - Nick Spencer (writer) Chris Bachalo (pencils) Wayne Faucher, Livesay, Jaime Mendoza, Victor Olazaba, Tim Townsend & Al Vey (inks) Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). The Lizard is featured in this "Hunted" tie-in. It's nice to see Chris Bachalo's art back on the racks.

 Action Comics #1010 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Steve Epting (art) Brad Anderson (colours) Josh Reed (letters). Leviathan Rises part 4. I like this spy story. Lois and Clark go undercover as Chaz and Andi to find out what Leviathan is. There's a great teaser for an old Checkmate story that had me going there. I would love to see that organisation again. Next issue promises Leviathan Revealed! I can't wait.

 The Avant-Guards #4 - Carly Usdin (writer) Noah Hayes (art) Rebecca Nalty (colours) Ed Dukeshire (letters). I like this rom-com centered around an arts college basketball team. It reminds me of a lighter "The L Word".

 Black Widow #4 - Jen & Sylvia Soska (writers) Flaviano (art) Veronica Gandini (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). There's a double-cross that surprised me and a cliffhanger ending that makes waiting for the next issue torture. Appropriate for a story where Nat takes down an extremely violent website.

 Doctor Strange #13 - Mark Waid (writer) Barry Kitson (pencils) Scott Koblish & Scott Hanna (inks) Brian Reber (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Herald Supreme part 2. I liked the surprise guest star.

 Hulkverines #3 - Greg Pak (writer) Ario Anindito (art) Morry Hollowell (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Okay, this Hulkverine, Hulk and Wolverine team-up was fun but the end made me roll my eyes and groan big time. Ugh.

 Ironheart #5 - Eve L. Ewing (writer) Luciano Vecchio (art) Geoffo (layouts) Matt Milla (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). This issue finishes the first story arc involving the super villain Midnight's Fire. It was good enough that I enjoyed what I read but not good enough to make me keep this book on my "must read" list. I wish RiRi well. I was excited by an ad for a new Black Cat comic book coming out in June though.

 Thanos #1 - Tini Howard (writer) Ariel Olivetti (art) Antonio Fabela (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). This 6-issue story will tell us how Gamora came to be adopted by Thanos. I only picked this up because I really like Ariel Olivetti's art. I don't care much for the two main characters so I might not continue with the rest. Fans of Thanos and Gamora will enjoy this I'm sure.

 Runaways #20 - Rainbow Rowell (writer) Andres Genolet (art) Triona Farrell (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). I found this issue to be a big drag. The last page is too depressing for words. Plus the new artist didn't wow me. Something needs to happen next issue for me to want to keep reading.

 War of the Realms: The Punisher #1 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Marcelo Ferreira (pencils) Roberto Poggi (inks) Rachelle Rosenberg (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). It's Frank versus Dark Elves and Frost Giants. They won't know what hit them. This is typical Punisher fare for those into explosive action. Frank leads a band of ex-cons armed with swords through the Lincoln Tunnel to help evacuate a hospital to safety. I miss reading a good Punisher story so this is a welcome sight on the racks.

 War of the Realms: War Scrolls #1 - This anthology book has four short stories all lettered by VC's Joe Sabino.

 "The God Without Fear part 1" by Jason Aaron (writer) Andrea Sorrentino (art) & Matthew Wilson (colours) features Daredevil fighting in Hell's Kitchen.

 "The Warriors Three (Or Four)" by Josh Trujillo (writer) Ricardo Lopez Ortiz (art) Felipe Sobreiro (colours) features Fandral, Hogun and Hildegarde filling in for the unconscious Volstagg teaming up with Cloak and Dagger.

 "Nice Shot, Frank" by Ram V (writer) Cafu (art) Brian Reber (colours) has the Punisher and Wolverine doing what they do best.

 "Waugh of the Realms" by Chip Zdarsky (writer) Joe Quinones (art) Joe Rivera (ink assist) Rico Renzi (colours) has Howard "The Duck" Duckson hired to find a lost dog. This last one was gross.

 This is for fans who want to collect ALL the War of the Realms comic books. Otherwise you can probably give it a pass.

 Batman #69 - Tom King (writer) Yanick Paquette (art) Nathan Fairbairn (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). Knightmares finale. This issue is called "The Last Dance" and I don't know what song Batman and Catwoman are dancing to but I am singing the Etta James ballad "At Last" in my head. After many issues of dream sequences Batman is going to finally awaken. I did appreciate the explanation of how he got into his predicament. Now it's time to deal with Bane and Bruce's "father".

 Blossoms 666 #3 - Cullen Bunn (writer) Laura Braga (art) Matt Herms (colours) Jack Morelli (letters). One of the three Blossoms is going to become the anti-christ. Yeah, you heard me. Cheryl and Jason were born as triplets. Their older brother Julian was whisked away at birth by the Order of Abaddon. Ooo, scary.

 Ascender #1 - Jeff Lemire (writer) Dustin Nguyen (art) Steve Wands (letters). I never did finish reading Descender so I don't know if this is a sequel but it really looked familiar. I didn't feel like I was missing anything in this new story and I liked the mix of magic and technology. The villain reminded me of Emperor Palpatine but her empire is all based on magic. The hero is a spunky girl named Mila and I want to see where she goes from here.

 Guardians of the Galaxy #4 - Donny Cates (writer) Geoff Shaw (art) David Curiel (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). The good guys find Gamora, followed by the bad guys. Expect to see a big battle. The main reason I'm reading this book again is because Groot is talking in whole sentences now.

 Detective Comics #1002 - Peter J. Tomasi (writer) Brad Walker (pencils) Andrew Hennessy (inks) Nathan Fairbairn (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). Don't believe the hype. It's not a "duel to the death with Arkham Knight" but it is a pretty good fight. I was happy to see Damian play a bigger role in this issue. I'm sticking around for the bad guy's origin story.

 Fantastic Four #9 - Dan Slott (writer) Aaron Kuder, Stefano Caselli & Paco Medina (art) Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). The FF escape, Galactus is freed and Doctor Doom's power mad plans are thwarted. Boy that was fun. I hope they don't leave Aunt Petunia's before telling us about Franklin's new friend Wendy.

 Dial H for Hero #2 - Sam Humphries (writer) Joe Quinones (art) Jordan Gibson (colours) Dave Sharpe (letters). Seems like the H-Dial is a drug with lots of addicts looking for a fix. The potential for zany super powers is huge. I liked how they introduced the good versus evil theme in this issue.

 Avengers #18/LGY #718 - Jason Aaron (writer) Ed McGuinness (pencils) Mark Morales (inks) Justin Ponsor (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Not an Avenger in sight this whole issue but you've got an Agent Coulson controlled Squadron Supreme instead. What made me groan a little was the big villain reveal at the end. I hope it's not a convenient deus ex machina.

 Heroes in Crisis #8 - Tom King (writer) Mitch Gerads (art pages 1, 6-20) Ryan Sook (art pages 2-5) Mitch Gerads (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). I still don't see the ;point of this story with one issue left. I think the killer confesses here but I'm not sure. I'm waiting for the consequences to hit the fan and hope something is resolved in the last issue.

 The Amazing Spider-Man #20 - Nick Spencer (writer) Humberto Ramos (pencils) Victor Olazaba (inks) Edgar Delgado & Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Hunted part 4. A surprise twist turns the tables giving Spider-Man even more incentive to confront Kraven. Meanwhile the son turns on the father as Kraven's son joins the hunt.

 The Superior Spider-Man #5 - Christos Gage (writer) Mike Hawthorne (pencils) Wade von Grawbadger & Andy Owens (inks) Jordie Bellaire (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). I don't know who created the super villain Master Pandemonium but they must have been on crack. This guy has demons for arms and a hole in his stomach that's a gateway to hell. Time for Doctor Octopus to call in a consult. The team-up with Doctor Strange is a clash of science and magic. Let's see who's the better doctor.

 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #5 - Saladin Ahmed (writer) Javier Garron (art) David Curiel (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Speculator alert! It's the first appearance of a new super hero.  Too bad they're named after unwelcome guests to our bird feeders. It's gang wars across Brooklyn and Miles is trying to prevent the death of innocent victims. The surprise appearance  happens when Miles goes to confront Tombstone about his incursions into other gangs' territories. I noticed some changes in Miles this issue that didn't appeal to me. I think he's acting way too confident and macho now. His maturing has happened way too fast and might turn me off the character. If the art wasn't so impressive I might bench this book now.

 Spider-Man City at War #2 - Dennis "Hopeless" Hallum (writer) Michele Bandini (art) David Curiel (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). I get a kick from noting the differences between these Gamerverse versions and the MU versions. This issue features Miles Morales and I prefer this Miles to the one in the comic book that I just finished. Peter and Miles meet for the first time but it's not in a friendly neighbourhood.